A framework to assess regional environmental impacts of dedicated energy crop production

Numerous studies have evaluated air quality and greenhouse gas mitigation benefits of biomass energy systems, but the potential environmental impacts associated with large-scale changes in land-use patterns needed to produce energy crops have not been quantified. This paper presents a framework to assess the potential soil, water, and biodiversity impacts that may result from the large-scale production of dedicated energy crops. The framework incorporates producer economic decision models with environmental models to assess changes in land use patterns and to quantify the consequent environmental impacts. Economic and policy issues that will affect decisions to produce energy crops are discussed. The framework is used to evaluate erosion and chemical runoff in two Tennessee regions. The analysis shows that production of dedicated energy crops in place of conventional crops will significantly reduce erosion and chemical runoff.     

Pressures,trends, and impacts in coastal zones: Interactions between socioeconomic and natural systems

This paper assesses the status of coastal zones in the context of expected climate change and its related impacts, as well as current and future socioeconomic pressures and impacts. It is argued that external stresses and shocks relating to sea-level rise and other changes will tend to exacerbate existing environmental pressures and damage in coastal zones. Coastal zones are under increasing stress because of an interrelated set of planning failures including information, economic market, and policy intervention failures. Moves towards integrated coastal zone management are urgently required to guide the coevolution of natural and human systems. Overtly technocentric claims that assessments of vulnerability undertaken to date are overestimates of likely future damages from global warming are premature. While it is the case that forecasts of sea-level rise have been scaled down, much uncertainty remains over, for example, combined storm, sea surge, and other events. In any case, within the socioeconomic analyses of the problem, resource valuations have been at best only partial and have failed to incorporate sensitivity analysis in terms of the discount rates utilized. This would indicate an underestimation of potential damage costs. Overall, a precautionary approach is justified based on the need to act ahead of adequate information acquisition, economically efficient resource pricing and proactive coastal planning.     

Greenhouse impacts of anthropogenic CH4 and N2O emissions in Finland

The Finnish anthropogenic CH₄ emissions in 1990 are estimated to be about 250 Gg, with an uncertainty range extending from 160 to 440 Gg. The most important sources are landfills and animal husbandry. The N₂O emissions, which come mainly from agriculture and the nitric acid industry are about 20 Gg in 1990 (uncertainty range 10–30 Gg). The development of the emissions to the year 2010 is reviewed in two scenarios: the base and the reduction scenarios.According to the base scenario, the Finnish CH₄ emissions will decrease in the near future. Emissions from landfills, energy production, and transportation will decrease because of already decided and partly realized volume and technical changes in these sectors. The average reduction potential of 50%, as assumed in the reduction scenario, is considered achievable.N₂O emissions, on the other hand, are expected to increase as emissions from energy production and transportation will grow due to an increasing use of fluidized bed boilers and catalytic converters in cars. The average reduction potential of 50%, as assumed in the reduction scenario, is optimistic.Anthropogenic CH₄ and N₂O emissions presently cause about 30% of the direct radiative forcing due to Finnish anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This share would be even larger if the indirect impacts of CH₄ were included. The contribution of CH₄ can be controlled due to its relatively short atmospheric lifetime and due to the existing emission reduction potential. Nitrous oxide has a long atmospheric lifetime and its emission control possiblities are limited consequently, the greenhouse impact of N₂O seems to be increasing even if the emissions were limited somehow.     

Current status and research on E-waste issues in Asia

Rapid economic growth in Asia and the increasing transboundary movement of secondary resources will increasingly require both 3R endeavors (reduce, reuse, recycle) in each country and appropriate control of international material cycles. Recently, managing electrical and electronic waste (E-waste) has become an important target for domestic and international material cycles from the viewpoints of environmental preservation and resource utilization efficiency. To understand the current status of E-waste issues in the context of international material cycles and to discuss the future tasks related to achieving 3R in the region, we organized the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) E-waste Workshop in December 2004. This article reviews past studies on E-waste and briefly describes the topics presented and discussions held at the workshop. The topics at the workshop included E-waste generation, recycling systems, international trade, and environmental impacts. In addition, we discussed various issues such as terminology, current environmental concerns, and possible solutions. Transboundary shipments of E-waste should be conducted taking into consideration the concept of sustainable development. The direction of future research and possible collaborations are also discussed.     

累积影响评价研究进展

本文详细介绍了国内外累积影响评价理论、实践研究情况，指出当前取得的成果及存在的问题，并针对这些问题，提出今后我国累积影响评价研究的一些建议。     

"以人为本"是房地产建设项目环境影响评价中的重要原则

房地产开发项目体现“以人为本”理念和对环境影响的双重性，在房地产建设项目环境影响评价中应以“以人为本”的原则加深其服务功能和环境保护目标的属性，实现房地产开发项目和谐共生的生态环境和可持续发展。     

基层环境影响评价工作存在的问题与对策

目前环境影响评价普遍存在滞后现象和水平低及周期长等问题,提出广泛开展环评法宣传教育;加强环评队伍建设,提高环评人员的素质;把环评纳入总量控制轨道,突出浓度与总量同时评价;大众参与以及进一步规范和完善环境影响报告书的审批等对策与措施.     

管帏冲击式除尘器的应用

介绍了管帏冲击式除尘器的结构及其捕尘机理。介绍了对该除尘器进行除尘和防淋雨性能测试的实验方法和装置。分析了实验数据，得出了相应的结论。     

深圳地铁施工影响区环境安全与第三方监测

在讨论如何确保地铁施工影响区环境安全的基础上 ,给出了深圳地铁土建施工第三方监测的概念 ,详细阐述了第三方监测的目的、作用、管理体系、实施内容和工作程序 ,论述了第三方监测与业主、承包商、监理之间的关系。深圳地铁建设的实践表明 ,第三方监测是业主确保地铁施工影响区环境安全的有效管理模式 ,在地铁建设中极有推广价值。     

高速电机驱动的空气循环制冷技术研究

空气循环制冷技术是一种常用的制冷技术 ,广泛应用在地面设备空调通风和飞机环境控制系统等诸多领域 ,保障人员的舒适和设备的安全。高速电机驱动的空气循环制冷技术是高速电机驱动技术与空气循环制冷技术结合产生的新型技术构想 ,采用该技术的空气循环系统具有结构简单、节约能源等优点。通过介绍该技术方案的工作原理 ,分析了高速电机驱动技术在空气循环制冷系统中应用的可能性及其实现手段。研究表明 ,高速电机驱动技术将为空气循环制冷技术的发展带来较大的影响