Chattanooga shale exploitation and the aquatic environment: The critical issues

Early identification of the critical environmental issues arising from new energy technologies is needed to ensure adequate consideration of these issues in all phases of research and development. This study examines the potential hazards to aquatic ecosystems from large-scale exploitation (190,000 Mg/day) of the Chattanooga Shale Formation, an immense reserve of oil shale and uranium in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. Using existing data on regional ecology, hydrology, mining operations, and raw and spent shale chemistry, we identified two major, related environmental issues: (1) the potential for extensive adverse effects on aquatic communities through degradation of water quality and habitat; and (2) the potential conflict between the requirements for shale exploitation, and the habitat and water quality needs of threatened or endangered species. Specific hazards to aquatic ecosystems include erosion, sedimentation, acid mine drainage, raw and spent shale leachates, and surface disposal of immense quantities of solid wastes. Twelve of 19 federally designated, threatened or endangered fish and mollusks in the shale-bearing region were identified as known or recent inhabitants of the counties believed to be most favorable for the exploitation of shale. Of these, five species occur as single populations or are limited to a single river system. The potential for adverse effects on these species is greatest in the counties near the Tennessee-Alabama state line. Future research needs include physical, chemical, and toxicological characterizations of shale leachates and studies of the transport and fate of leachable contaminants. Such research can provide the guidance necessary to minimize impacts on aquatic communities resulting from extraction, retorting, and disposal of shale.     

Swedish environmental psychology

Environmental psychology research in Sweden is reviewed beginning with studies in the 1960s. The traditional main foci of the Swedish research are the visual perception of form, space, colour, and texture, the meaning of social and physical environments; and the effects of the indoor and outdoor ambient environment (noise, air quality and temperature). More recent research foci include environmental cognition (perceptual categorization, cognitive mapping, orientation, planning), affective reactions to the environment, and systems applications. It is concluded that the Swedish research is integrated with environmental psychology research in other countries in terms of a common data base and methodology, despite the fact that the problems investigated are to some extent national in tone. It is also pointed out that the Swedish research appears to have the potential of theoretical contributions to environmental psychology, which is badly needed within the field as a whole.     

Design training and aesthetic evaluation: An intergroup comparison

A number of studies have observed differences in the evaluation of visual, aesthetic stimuli between those with and without professional training in art and design. If exposure to design training underlies such differences it follows that evidence of training effects should be observable when comparing subjects at different stages of design training, and not observable when comparing subjects at different stages of non-design training. In addition, this evidence should be consistent with directional predictions. The study reported in this paper investigated this question using a sample of 192 trained and untrained subjects in an evaluative task. Subjects were from two departments (Design and Computer Studies) of the same educational establishment and comprised balanced groups of lecturers, 1st, 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate students. The results obtained demonstrated evaluative differences and patterns of association both within and between the subject groups consistent with a training hypothesis.     

改善北京市大气环境质量中居民支付意愿的影响因素分析

本文旨在用统计的方法 ,分析影响北京市居民为改善大气环境质量而付费的支付意愿的主要社会经济因素。分析结果表明 ,对被调查者支付意愿影响最显著的因素是家庭收入 ,其次是年龄、家庭人口数和教育水平。其中 ,收入和教育水平对支付意愿的影响为正 ,年龄和家庭人口数的影响为负。对调查范围内八个行政区被调查者的支付意愿均值比较显示 ,这八个区居民的支付意愿没有显著性差异。本文的结论是 ,提高收入水平和环境意识水平 ,是提高公众为改善环境质量而付费的支付意愿的有效途径     

Distribution of some trace metals and their fluxes in the Genesee River,NY

Total and particulate metal concentrations, measured during intensive synoptic studies of the Genesee River, NY, correlated with suspended-sediment concentration and river discharge. Dissolved metal concentrations, on the other hand, showed little systematic variation over the length of the river. Metal and sediment fluxes for two elevated-discharged periods peaked at a midbasin sampling site. For most metals at most sampling sties particulate materials comprised over one-half of the total material. Comparison of particulate material metal concentrations, normalized to the measured suspended-sediment concentrations had with basinwide average values shows that sites having low suspended-sediment concentrations had high particulate material metal contents relative to the basin averages, while sites with high suspended-sediment concentration had low metal contents. These results are consistent with a metal transport mechanism in the Genesee River involving (1) a nearly constant dissolved component, (2) a fine acid-soluble component, and (3) a coarse component that is effectively a neutral diluent in the sediment. Chemical factors, such as sediment organic content, also appear to affect metal transport in the Genesee River.     

On the extraction of an exhaustible resource by a monopoly

Hotelling's r-percent rule does not hold for monopoly extractors of durable exhaustible resources. An example with a nondurable resource in which the rule also fails to hold is presented. An economy with a fixed average propensity to save is modelled. The monopoly extractor recognizes that resource extraction, by affecting output and hence capital accumulation, affects future demand. The firm exploits this effect by causing the marginal profitability of extraction to grow faster or slower than the rate of interest, depending upon initial conditions. Conditions are developed under which the growth rate will be less than the interest rate.     

The behavioral component in the meaning of places

How do people think about the physical setting in the world around them? Part of the answer to this question may be in terms of the behaviors that occur there. To explore people's knowledge of behavior—place associations, twenty places (shown via color photographs) were assessed in five ways: (a) ratings of the place's suitability for each of eleven behaviors, (b) ratings of the expected frequency of occurrence of the eleven behaviors, (c) free listings of reasons for going to each place, (d) free listings of activities-while-there and (e) free listings of activities associated with the place. Results showed that people can distinguish places on the basis of behaviors, that the behavioral component of place meaning is composed of distinct aspects, and that knowledge of behavior is related to a global, overall representation of a place.     

Acute toxicity of two insecticides to tubificid worms, Tubifex tubifex and Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri

Acute toxicity and presumable harmless concentration of two commercial insecticides, Furadan 3G and Malataf 50E were reported for tubificid worms, Tubifex tubifex and Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri. L. hoffmeisteri were found more susceptible to both the insecticides; the Furadan was found to be more toxic than Malataf to tubificid worms. Analysis of variants showed a significant difference between safe concentrations of the same insecticide to different species.     

Adsorption of crude oil on arctic terrain

Arctic terrain was divided into three layers, moss, detritus and clay, and each layer was contacted with Norman Wells crude oil. Chromatographic analysis of the crude oil extracts of the terrain layers showed that the adsorption capacity of the terrain increased with increasing organic content. The higher molecular weight n-alkanes were adsorbed to a greater extent than lower n-alkanes on the moss and detritus layers. Of the aromatics, p-xylene was adsorbed to a greater extent than benzene on all three layers of the terrain. Retention of crude oil components on Arctic terrain in the event of an oil spill would be in accord with these findings.     

英国联合利华公司的兼并策略研究

当前,国内外市场正掀起公司整合、兼并的浪潮,针对英国联合利华公司的战略动机和兼并对公司的潜在影响。运用竞争态势分析（SWOT）方法．从六个方面分析了联合利华公司两个成功案例。结合管理模式和国家文化的差异。关注社会文化与“战略性文化适应”。对联合利华最近5年来的成长战略和Best Foods公司战略核心要素进行了分析。评价了联合利华的战略发展和将来的战略发展方向。指出联合利华品牌减少战略体现出核心竞争,加强个人护理产品的生产．保持持续发展和竞争优势．以期达到相当的经济规模．是值得借鉴的成功经验。