Arctic Residents' Observations and Human Impact Assessments in Understanding Environmental Changes in Boreal Forests: Russian Experience and Circumpolar Perspectives

Three methods of gathering local and traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples were used to assess environmental changes and human impacts in Russian boreal forest communities: structured interviews, followed by an unstructured interview, and an education/training workshop. The most important environment changes reported by Indigenous Peoples included the disappearance of animals and plants, climate changes, a decrease in forest and shrub area, and human impacts such as poaching, forests fires, industrial logging, clearing of forests for firewood, and water pollution by industrial wastes and discharges. We propose establishment of the Boreal Residents' Network for Socio-environment Assessments and Education for Sustainable Development to acquire local and traditional knowledge as a supplement to scientific monitoring. The proposed approach would involve permanent inhabitants living in a broad range of boreal forests to gather local and traditional knowledge and assessments. This could lead to a meta-database to share with international networks.     

Including spatial contiguity information in the analysis of multispecific patterns

In this paper we analyse an ordination method in which spatial contiguity information is included. The original method, proposed by Ver Hoef and Glenn-Lewin (1989), is extended, using graphs to describe spatial contiguity for several sampling schemes where locations are given. Extensions for two dimensional grids and for the case of discrete measures of abundance are analysed. Applications to simulated transect frequency data and real data collected on a regular grid are reported.     

Local plans and planning in England

Whilst the process of local plan preparation and adoption in England is far from complete, the commitment to the statutory planning process has not precluded the use of informal or non‐statutory material either in addition to or instead of statutory plans. This paper attempts to quantify the extent of non‐statutory local planning activity in England, and explores some of the advantages and disadvantages which an informal approach involves.     

中国城市居民生活能源碳排放的时空格局及影响因素分析

随着经济社会的发展与人民生活水平的提高,生活用能强度逐年增大,城市居民生活能源碳排放日益成为碳排放的新增长点.本文采用Theil指数、空间自相关分析了我国城市居民生活能源碳排放的时空格局演变特征,并利用STIRPAT模型分析了影响城市居民生活能源碳排放的主要因素.结果表明:12001—2012年我国城市居民生活能源碳排放总量及人均生活能源碳排放量均呈增长趋势,其年增长率分别为9.69%、3.29%;2八大经济区域间城市居民人均生活能源碳排放的差异是构成我国城市居民人均生活能源碳排放总体差异的主要原因,其对总差异的贡献率达到了57.90%;3我国城市居民人均生活能源碳排放具有显著的空间正相关性,2001—2012年间城市居民人均生活能源碳排放的"冷点"区变化较为稳定,主要分布在东部和南部经济区,而"热点"区主要分布在西北、东北和黄河中游经济区;4城市人口规模、城市居民可支配收入、城市居民生活消费支出、城市居民年龄结构均对城市居民生活能源碳排放量具有加剧作用,而城市居民能源消费结构具有减缓作用,且北方城市居民生活能源碳排放量明显高于南方;5现有样本数据支持环境Kuznets曲线假说,即随着经济的发展,城市居民生活能源碳排放量存在转折点.     

Local sustainability processes worldwide: a systematic review of the literature and research agenda

This article presents a systematic literature review of 109 articles (1992–2015) dealing with Local Agenda 21 processes worldwide. It analyzes two essential elements of Local Agenda 21: (1) the holistic approach of the sustainable development concept and (2) the main driving forces behind such processes. It shows that, although at the beginning, sustainability was seen as a natural extension of environmental policy work, it has been perceived over recent years as a guiding principle applied to issues of environment, economic development, and social welfare, and Local Agenda 21 is perceived as a coherent approach to sustainability planning. In addition, Local Government Strategy is the main typology followed, although it suffers from important limitations. Future studies could focus on local sustainability process outcomes. Further quantitative studies would be welcome, given the qualitative case study dominance in the field. We conclude with a research agenda to tackle theoretical, methodological, and empirical lacunae.     

Understanding resident satisfaction with involvement in highway planning: in-depth interviews during a highway planning process in the Netherlands

This study investigates resident satisfaction with provided involvement activities during highway planning processes, with particular attention given to the planned Southern Ring Road highway project in Groningen, the Netherlands. In-depth interviews with 38 residents living in the project area reveal important themes contributing to satisfaction. Satisfaction with passive information activities is motivated by the extent to which information addresses concerns, but (dis)trust in government and other information sources also plays a role. For residents preferring to obtain additional information, perceived access to such information and the extent to which it reduces concerns are also important to satisfaction. Finally, for residents who would rather participate actively, satisfaction is motivated by their perceived access to participation activities and the sense of being heard. Study results show how residents’ evaluations of the themes underpinning involvement satisfaction are based on their perceptions of actual project team activities and contextual factors.     

Human bronchial epithelial cell injuries induced by fine particulate matter from sandstorm and non-sandstorm periods: Association with particle constituents

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated the exacerbation of respiratory diseases following sandstorm-derived particulate matter(PM) exposure.The presence of anthropogenic and biological agents on the sandstorm PM and the escalation of PM 2.5 μm(PM2.5)pollution in China have led to serious concerns regarding the health effects of PM2.5during Asian sandstorms.We investigated how changes in PM2.5composition,as the weather transitioned towards a sandstorm,affected human airway epithelial cells.Six PM2.5samples covering two sandstorm events and their respective background and transition periods were collected in Baotou,an industrial city near the Gobi Desert in China.PM samples from all three periods had mild cytotoxicity in human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B,which was positively correlated with the contents of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and several metals.All PM samples potently increased the release of interleukin-6(IL-6) and interleukin-8(IL-8).Endotoxin in all samples contributed significantly to the IL-6 response,with only a minor effect on IL-8.Cr was positively correlated with both IL-6 and IL-8 release,while Si was only associated with the increase of IL-6.Our study suggests that local agricultural and industrial surroundings in addition to the sandstorm play important roles in the respiratory effects of sandstorm-derived PM.     

Social, cultural and structural influences on household waste recycling: A case study

The household-recycling rate in the Borough of Burnley, England in 2001/2002 was only half the national average of 12%. This research employed both quantitative and qualitative surveys in order to ascertain whether householders’ attitudes to recycling were contributory factors to the generally poor recycling performance and to investigate other social, cultural and structural influences. The Borough has a large Asian–British population concentrated in two deprived wards where recycling rates are particularly low, so special attention was given to ascertaining their attitudes towards recycling.The quantitative survey comprised a postal questionnaire sent to a random sample of 360 households drawn from the electoral register. The qualitative survey consisted of group interviews with the Asian–British population at local community centres and focus groups attended by volunteers from the quantitative study.The findings suggest that householders are very willing to participate in recycling, as shown by the almost 80% claiming to recycle paper, but that local recycling services are too unreliable and inconvenient to allow them to do so comprehensively. Asian–British attitudes to recycling were found to be no different to those of the wider population, with their low participation being linked to the higher priorities imposed upon them by economic deprivation. The findings are broadly in line with those of the literature in that recycling participation tends to be higher among more affluent and older people, but lower among less affluent and younger households, probably due in part to the availability of both storage space and time, with the implication that the Borough's preponderance of terraced housing militates against a high recycling rate. Policy recommendations to local authorities include the provision of bespoke recycling services to suit the variety of residential conditions across the UK, and the provision of regular feedback to householders regarding recycling services and performance.Further research is needed to identify non-recyclers and to explore how householders’ underlying psychological, cultural and social attitudes to recycling impinge upon recycling and participation rates.     

THE HUDSON BAY AIR MASS TYPE–SOME CLIMATOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

A substantial percentage of days with below normal temperatures in central Illinois during May and June (1956-1965) appear to be associated with polar air masses which traverse the Hudson Bay area before entering the Midwest. January departures, in contrast, are related to polar air masses that enter the United States near the Mackenzie River in western Canada. The general influences of the Hudson Bay area on climate are discussed.     

玉龙雪山地区不同海拔高度降水中常量无机离子特征分析

运用海盐示踪法计算了云南省丽江市玉龙雪山2005-07-26～2006-07-31不同海拔高度降水中常量无机离子非海洋来源的比例,计算结果显示Cl^-、Na⁺海洋源比重较高,平均海洋源比重分别为74.79％、73.53％. NO^-₃、SO^2-₄、K⁺ 、Mg²⁺ 、Ca²⁺主要是非海洋源,平均非海洋源所占的比重依次为100％、93.54％、97.29％、81.77％、99.66％. 统计图显示阳离子浓度的变化远远大于阴离子,阳离子浓度区间为0.51～5.26 mg/L,阴离子浓度区间为0.99～4.90 mg/L,由此推断阳离子来源构成比较复杂. 分析表明陆源离子,尤其是近源陆源离子对该地区降水的无机离子构成和离子浓度影响较大,2400～2950 m人类活动导致阴离子浓度较高,2950～4800 m降水的离子浓度受局地环流的影响较大,玉龙雪山地区基岩以石灰岩为主是造成降水中阳离子,尤其是Ca²⁺和Mg²⁺浓度较大的主要原因.