Assessing ecological risk on a regional scale

Society needs a quantitative and systematic way to estimate and compare the impacts of environmental problems that affect large geographic areas. This paper presents an approach for regional risk assessment that combines regional assessment methods and landscape ecology theory with an existing framework for ecological risk assessment. Risk assessment evaluates the effects of an environmental change on a valued natural resource and interprets the significance of those effects in light of the uncertainties identified in each component of the assessment process. Unique and important issues for regional risk assessment are emphasized; these include the definition of the disturbance scenario, the assessment boundary definition, and the spatial heterogeneity of the landscape. Although the research described in this article has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through Interagency Agreement Number DW89932112-01-2 to the U.S. Department of Energy, it has not been subjected to EPA review and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of EPA and no official endorsement should be inferred.     

Productivity equation for reclaiming surface mines

This article addresses the development of an agricultural productivity equation for predicting new soil (neo-sol) plant growth potential in Clay County, Minnesota, USA. Soil factors examined in the study include percent organic matter, percent slope, percent rock fragments, hydraulic conductivity, electrical conductivity, pH, topographic position, available water-holding capacity, bulk density, and percent clay. Squared terms and two-factor interaction terms were also examined as possible regressors. A best equation was selected that had a multiple coefficient of determination of 0.7399 and has five significant regressors and intercept withP.0001. The regressors are hydraulic conductivity, percent slope squared, bulk density times percent rock fragments, electrical conductivity times percent rock fragments, and electrical conductivity times percent organic matter. The regressors predict soil suitability for a general crop model. The crops included in the model are wheat, oats, barley, soybeans, sugar beets, sunflowers, and grasses/legumes.     

The object of environmental ethics

Since the term environmental ethics began to be used a generation ago, it has covered many different kinds of environmental notions, problems, ethical systems, and forms of behavior. A variety of cases are presented and examined under two terms,environmental ethics andecological morality, in an effort to illustrate different kinds of ethical objectives. In order to understand the connections between various strands of environmental ethics, personal and social values and subcultural norms of environmental ethics are examined under Christopher Stone's concept of moral pluralism. G. J. Warnock's notion of the general object of morality is proposed to integrate the variegated purposes of environmental ethics.     

Review and appraisal of concept of sustainable food production systems

Environmental degradation, competition for resources, increasing food demands, and the integration of agriculture into the international economy threaten the sustainability of many food production systems. Despite these concerns, the concept of sustainable food production systems remains unclear, and recent attempts to appraise sustainability have been hampered by conceptual inconsistencies and the absence of workable definitions. Six perspectives are shown to underpin the concept. Environmental accounting identifies biophysical limits for agriculture. Sustained yield refers to output levels that can be maintained continuously. Carrying capacity defines maximum population levels that can be supported in perpetuity. Production unit viability refers to the capacity of primary producers to remain in agriculture. Product supply and security focuses on the adequacy of food supplies. Equity is concerned with the spatial and temporal distribution of products dervied from resource use. Many studies into sustainable agriculture cover more than one of these perspectives, indicating the concept is complex and embraces issues relating to the biophysical, social, and economic environments. Clarification of the concept would facilitate the development of frameworks and analytical systems for appraising the sustainability of food production systems. LRRC Contribution No. 90–46.     

Comparative analysis of air pollution emissions by electric utilities: Public policy implications

One of the objectives of US environmental regulations was to reduce industrial air pollution emissions, especially from the electric utility industry, the major industrial air polluter. In this study, a comparative analysis of air pollution emissions from fossil-fuel-burning electric utility plants is conducted. The analysis focuses on a 12-yr period from 1975 to 1987 for three air pollutants: particulates, surfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. The results indicate that particulate emissions have been significantly reduced but that sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are still major problems for a number of plants. Furthermore, the disparity in the performance by plants indicates that by using current technology, the industry as a whole could greatly reduce these emissions. These results have policy implication for future environmental legislation.     

建设项目环境影响的医学评价方法研究

作者在对中国我人民解放军第４７医院病建项目所产生的大气环境影响进行了医学秤价和影响，并在预测的基础上，建立了完整的环境医学影响廉政价方法，由于该评价方法完全尊循了国内现行大气环境影响评价的基本要求和程序，因此，它在今后的环境影响医学评价中净有广泛的应用。     

水力旋流除砂器处理油田采出砂技术

我国部分油田原油生产出砂严重，经常造成集输处理系统的严重磨损和堵塞，储油罐严重积砂，不能实现密闭。储油罐清砂完全靠人工完成，劳动强度大，而且造成环境污染。在海上平台，若采出砂含油量不达标排入海洋，则会给海洋带来严重的污染，因此，采出砂处理是急待解决的问题。文章根据国内外采出砂处理技术调研，介绍了水力旋流器除砂技术原理及工艺和在国外应用实例以及该技术在我国油田的开发应用情况。     

对钻井废物污染的全过程控制

在钻井作业过程中控制废物的排放量和毒性，变末端处理为全过程控制，采取各种措施预防钻井废物的污染是近年来国外油气田环保工作的一项重要内容。本文就采用小井眼钻井工艺；减少井眼冲蚀；强化环境管理；提高钻井液固控系统的处理效率；开发各种合成基钻井液；采用低毒无害的钻井液化学添加剂等６个方面讨论了减少钻井废物产生量的途径和降低钻井液及添加剂对环境的影响     

浅谈行业环境监测站的任务与作用

我国环境问题日趋严重，环境污染和生态破坏已成为社会发展的制约因素。然而，有些企业忽视环境保护工作，取消或合并环境监测站，削弱环境监测力量。针对这种情况，从行业环境监测站的任务、作用和不可取代性方面阐述了强化行业环境监测站建设的必要性。