Will Evolving Climate Conditions Increase the Risk of Floods of the Large U.S.‐Canada Transboundary Richelieu River Basin?

In spring 2011, an unprecedented flood hit the complex eastern United States (U.S.)–Canada transboundary Lake Champlain–Richelieu River (LCRR) Basin, destructing properties and inducing negative impacts on agriculture and fish habitats. The damages, covered by the Governments of Canada and the U.S., were estimated to C$90M. This natural disaster motivated the study of mitigation measures to prevent such disasters from reoccurring. When evaluating flood risks, long‐term evolving climate change should be taken into account to adopt mitigation measures that will remain relevant in the future. To assess the impacts of climate change on flood risks of the LCRR basin, three bias‐corrected multi‐resolution ensembles of climate projections for two greenhouse gas concentration scenarios were used to force a state‐of‐the‐art, high‐resolution, distributed hydrological model. The analysis of the hydrological simulations indicates that the 20‐year return period flood (corresponding to a medium flood) should decrease between 8% and 35% for the end of the 21st Century (2070–2099) time horizon and for the high‐emission scenario representative concentration pathway (RCP) 8.5. The reduction in flood risks is explained by a decrease in snow accumulation and an increase in evapotranspiration expected with the future warming of the region. Nevertheless, due to the large climate inter‐annual variability, short‐term flood probabilities should remain similar to those experienced in the recent past.     

Mapping cumulative impacts of mining on sediment retention ecosystem service in an Australian mining region

Mining development can potentially lead to cumulative impacts on ecosystems and their services across a range of scales. Site-specific environmental impact assessments are commonly assessed for mining projects; however, large-scale cumulative impacts of multiple mines that aggregate and interact in resources regions have had little attention in the literature and there are few examples where regional-scale mining impacts have been assessed on ecosystem services. The objective of this study is to quantify regional-scale cumulative impacts of mining on sediment retention ecosystem services. We apply the sediment delivery ratio model of Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs to calculate and map the sediment retention and export using a synthetic catchment model and a real case study under different mining scenarios in an Australian mining region. Two impact indices were created to quantify the cumulative impacts associated with a single mine and the interactions between multiple mines. The indices clarified the magnitude of impacts and the positive/negative impacts associated with regional-scale sediment retention and export. We found cumulative impacts associated with multiple mines’ interaction occurred but the influence of these interactions was relatively weak. This research demonstrated the potential for utilising ecosystem services modelling for the quantitative assessment of the cumulative impacts. Such research provide decision-makers and planners with a tool for sustainable regional and landscape planning that balances the needs of mining and the provision of ecosystem services.     

城市人工构筑物的多尺度生态影响

人工构筑物是城市生态系统的重要组成部分,是人-自然耦合关系的基本作用单元。自然要素中的水、土、气、生通过人工构筑物这一基本单元作用或影响人的生存、健康与发展,而人通过构筑物作用或影响自然中的水、土、气、生,进一步进化成人为主导、构筑物为基础、自然要素为条件的城市生态系统。论文综述了近年来人工构筑物多尺度生态影响的研究进展,评述了人工构筑物对土壤（水）、大气、生物生态影响的前沿动态,提出了各研究分支的关注重点及要解决的关键问题,分析了人工构筑物生态学研究的方法学问题与挑战,展望了未来该领域的基本发展走向。论文认为,构筑物生态影响涉及城乡水、土、气、生及人的健康等不同方面,现有的相关研究分散而局部,且受技术方法局限,分析结果存在很大的不确定性,研究面临巨大的转型挑战。未来构筑物生态学研究需要多学科、多尺度、多层次的系统化方法与技术的推动,城乡生态观测与实验技术的发展、多源数据处理技术以及智能计算方法的创新是该领域取得重大发展的基础与条件。     

制造企业生产过程环境影响评估系统研究

制造企业生产过程环境影响评估系统是对产品车间生产过程绿色性进行评估的系统,通过分析产品在生产过程各阶段以及整体的资源消耗和环境排放情况,来评定产品的生产制造过程是否符合绿色制造要求,以及应该在哪些方面进行改进,它是绿色生产过程得以实现的关键之一。研究制造企业生产过程环境影响评估系统的结构,基于生命周期评价(LCA)及生态指数Eco-indicators99方法建立环境影响评估模型,探讨生产过程环境影响评估的理论及方法,最后通过在车间中电弧焊接过程为实例分析验证了评价模型的可行性。     

The challenge of sustainable development in small island developing states: case study on tourism in the Caribbean

Small island developing states (SIDS) in the Caribbean have long specialised in primary commodity exports, and traditional export sectors continue to be a major source of employment. The challenge of sustainable development for the Caribbean SIDS has two dimensions. The first is to adjust to the economic and social impact of the loss of preferential markets for traditional exports and of the dismantling of the ISI apparatus erected during the post-World War II period. The second is to ensure that existing and new patterns of production and consumption comply with the criteria for sustainable development, which is here defined as environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.
This article outlines the potential contribution of sustainable tourism to the larger goal of sustainable development in the SIDS in the Caribbean. It reviews current literature on sustainable development and sustainable tourism, particularly their application to the Caribbean SIDS, and evaluates the Caribbean tourism industry from the point of view of sustainable tourism. Conclusions are drawn and proposals made for a policy-oriented agenda in support of the quest for sustainable tourism in the SIDS in the Caribbean.     

POTENTIAL CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON WATER RESOURCES IN THE GREAT PLAINS1

ABSTRACT: This paper reports on the current assessment of climate impacts on water resources, including aquatic ecosystems, agricultural demands, and water management, in the U.S. Great Plains. Climate change in the region may have profound effects on agricultural users, aquatic ecosystems, and urban and industrial users alike. In the central Great Plains Region, the potential impacts of climate changes include changes in winter snowfall and snow-melt, growing season rainfall amounts and intensities, minimum winter temperature, and summer time average temperature. Specifically, results from general circulation models indicate that both annual average temperatures and total annual precipitation will increase over the region. However, the seasonal patterns are not uniform. The combined effect of these changes in weather patterns and average seasonal climate will affect numerous sectors critical to the economic, social and ecological welfare of this region. Research is needed to better address the current competition among the water needs of agriculture, urban and industrial uses, and natural ecosystems, and then to look at potential changes. These diverse demands on water needs in this region compound the difficulty in managing water use and projecting the impact of climate changes among the various critical sectors in this region.     

Comparing Onsite and Offsite Methods for Measuring Norms for Trail Impacts

This study examined the comparability of onsite and offsite methods for measuring norms for trail impacts using photo/survey techniques. A total of 449 subjects participated in a study of Mudeung-Mountain Provincial Park, Gwang-Ju, Korea. For the overall photo evaluation method (OPEM), respondents rated the acceptability of bare soil area for each of a series of photographs. For the specific photo evaluation method (SPEM), respondents selected a photograph that illustrated the largest acceptable proportion of bare soil area from a series of 10 photographs. Overall, there were no substantial differences in maximum acceptable impacts between onsite (onsite-I visitor group surveyed at the actual trail points and onsite-II departing visitor group surveyed at the exit area) and offsite (students surveyed in a laboratory setting) groups for the two norm measurement alternatives (OPEM and SPEM). Subjects’ difficulty ratings were low for both methods, and there were no substantial differences in norms between individuals with high and low levels of experience at the park. The offsite method appears to be substitutable for onsite methods in this particular study area, which is a frontcountry setting with a relatively simple range of recreation opportunities. Implications and further studies are discussed.     

沙尘暴对暴露儿童健康效应的研究

为了研究沙尘暴对儿童可能造成的急性危害,以沙尘暴源区——甘肃省武威市的某2所小学3～5年级的1040名学生(年龄8～14岁)为研究对象,在2004年和2005年的3～5月沙尘暴频发期间进行健康状况问卷调查,共调查4场沙尘暴事件,所调查的症状有咳嗽、咯痰、气短、肺部喘鸣、胸部憋闷、咽干口苦、眼睛干涩、流泪、流涕、打喷嚏、心情压抑等11种常见的症状.结果表明,沙尘暴发生当天(滞后0d)儿童各种所查症状发生的相对危险度(RR)均有不同程度地升高,沙尘暴过后(滞后1～5d),儿童各种症状的RR逐渐降低,沙尘暴过后4d(滞后4d),几乎所有症状均恢复正常.暴露儿童在沙尘暴发生当天,除肺部喘鸣和胸部憋闷发生的RR升高不显著外(p>0.05),其他所查症状发生的RR均有显著性升高(p<0.05,p<0.01,p<0.001).沙尘暴过后虽然各种症状RR均有所下降,但下降速度不同:在滞后1～2d,气短、眼睛干涩、流泪和心情压抑等4种症状RR仍显著高于沙尘暴前,直到滞后3d才恢复到正常水平;而咳嗽、咯痰、咽干口苦和打喷嚏等4种症状RR在滞后4d才恢复正常;流涕症状RR在滞后5d才基本恢复正常.不同年度和不同时期的沙尘暴事件对儿童健康症状的影响有所不同.从以上结果可以看出:沙尘暴对儿童的健康既有当日急性效应又有一定的短期滞后效应.     

Radiometric and environmental impacts of mill tailings at experimental plant processing unit,Allouga, Egypt

Abstract

Uranium mining and ore processing are known to be harmful to the environment and human health if the waste generated is not managed properly. The aim of the present study is to determine the radiological indices in the mill tailings and review the possible attempts to utilize and minimize its hazardous effect. The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides, ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ²²⁶Ra, and ⁴⁰K have been measured by gamma spectrometry using HP-Ge detector. The average activity concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ²²⁶Ra, and ⁴⁰K in the tailings wastes were 2071.8, 59.92, 6921.262, and 445. 57?Bq/kg respectively which are higher than the international average limit. The ranges of hazard indices such as Radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq), external hazard index (H_ex), internal hazard index (H_in), γ-radiation hazard index I_γ, Dose rate (nGy/h) and annual effective dose equivalent (AED), were estimated. Uraniumm isotopic ratios in the ore –material and mill tailing samples indicate migration out of radionuclides to the surrounding environment causing contamination and many dangerous diseases. Fairly, all investigated tailing waste samples do not satisfy the universal standards, the studied wastes relatively still have high uranium contents and need reprocessing.