Biodiversity and industry ecosystem management

The term biodiversity describes the array of interacting, genetically distinct populations and species in a region, the communities they comprise, and the variety of ecosystems of which they are functioning parts. Ecosystem health, a closely related concept, is described in terms of a process identifying biological indicators, end points, and values. The decline of populations or species, an accelerating trend worldwide, can lead to simplification of ecosystem processes, thus threatening the stability and sustainability of ecosystem services directly relevant to human welfare in the chain of economic and ecological relationships. The challenge of addressing issues of such enormous scope and complexity has highlighted the limitations of ecology-as-science. Additionally, biosphere-scale conflicts seem to lie beyond the scope of conventional economics, leading to differences of opinion about the commodity value of biodiversity and of the services that intact ecosystems provide. In the face of these uncertainties, many scientists and economists have adopted principles that clearly assign burdens of proof to those who would promote the loss of biodiversity and that also establish near-trump (preeminent) status for ecological integrity. Electric utility facilities and operations impact biodiversity whenever construction, operation, or maintenance of generation, delivery, and support facilities alters landscapes and habitats and thereby impacts species. Although industry is accustomed to dealing with broad environmental concerns (such as global warming or acid rain), the biodiversity issue invokes hemisphere-wide, regional, local, and site-specific concerns all at the same time. Industry can proactively address these issues of scope and scale in two main ways: first, by aligning strategically with the broad research agenda put forth by informed scientists and institutions; and second, by supporting focused management processes whose results will contribute incrementally to the broader agenda of rebuilding or maintaining biodiversity.     

宜宾市水资源保护与可持续发展问题的探讨

本文从近几年来宜宾市工业及生活废水等排放情况及水环境质量的监测资料，阐述了我市流域水污染状况与可持续发展面临的主要问题，提出了水资源保护对策，以促进社会经济可持续发展。     

总量控制下环境容量产权交易及政府行为分析

利用经济学的原理，本文分析了环境容量的经济特点(不是环境容量产权交易的特征)，提出了环境容量产权交易的可行性和必要性。同时针对政府在环境容量产权交易中的作用进行了必要的分析。     

秦皇岛市水环境现状与恢复

秦皇岛地区原始自然环境优越,多年来,不正当的人为活动、环境恶化趋势明显,也直接干扰与影响着水的良性循环。现状水环境:河流基流渐小,并季节性断流,坑塘减少,湿地萎缩水土流失,洪径增大。地下水位下降,水量减少,承压水无序开采,污净比失衡,河流承栽力降低。地下水垂直污染面扩大,点、面、垃圾污染源趋重。联通青一洋、石一起,实施水资源再分配。优化配置城乡用水。重视地下水源地建设,联合调度地表、地下水源。谨慎开发承压水。植树造林、涵养水分。注重防风林带建设,改善田间小气候。严控地下水采量,防止土壤旱化。搞好坑塘建设,解决乡镇污水出路与净化。保护湿地,促进水的良性循环。深度处理废污水.使之资源化。从源头抓好城市三大水源地污染源.察勘储备新地下水源地。改良恢复水环境,保障水资源循环利用。     

The Water Poverty Index: Development and application at the community scale

The article details the development and uses of the water poverty index (WPI). The index was developed as a holistic tool to measure water stress at the household and community levels, designed to aid national decision makers, at community and central government level, as well as donor agencies, to determine priority needs for interventions in the water sector. The index combines into a single number a cluster of data directly and indirectly relevant to water stress. Subcomponents of the index include measures of: access to water; water quantity, quality and variability; water uses (domestic, food, productive purposes); capacity for water management; and environmental aspects.
The WPI methodology was developed through pilot projects in South Africa, Tanzania and Sri Lanka and involved intensive participation and consultation with all stakeholders, including water users, politicians, water sector professionals, aid agency personnel and others. The article discusses approaches for the further implementation of the water poverty index, including the possibilities of acquiring the necessary data through existing national surveys or by establishing interdisciplinary water modules in school curricula. The article argues that the WPI fills the need for a simple, open and transparent tool, one that will appeal to politicians and decision makers, and at the same time can empower poor people to participate in the better targeting of water sector interventions and development budgets in general.     

Past and future sustainability of water policies in Europe

The article contributes to a discussion on two global issues on water: water resources management, and water supply and sanitation. Focusing on Europe, it traces the legal roots of current systems in history: as a resource, water is considered as a common property, rather than a market good; while as a public service it is usually a commodity. Public water supply and sanitation technologies and engineering have developed under three main paradigms: quantitative and civil engineering; qualitative and chemical/sanitary engineering (both on the supply side); and the most recent one, environmental engineering and integrated management (on the demand side). The cost of public drinking water is due to rise sharply in view of the two‐fold financial challenge of replacing an ageing infrastructure and keeping up with ever‐rising environmental and sanitary quality standards. Who will pay? Government subsidies, or water users? The author suggests that apparent successes with privatisation may have relied heavily on hidden government subsidies and/or the healthy state of previously installed water infrastructure: past government subsidies are still felt for as long as the lifetime of the infrastructure. The article stresses the importance of public participation and decentralized local management of water and sanitation services. Informing and involving users in water management decisions is seen as an integral part of the ‘ethics’ side of the crucial three E's (economics, environment, ethics). The article strongly argues for municipal provision of water services, and hopes that lessons learnt and solutions found in the European experience may serve water services management efforts in other regions of the world.     

Auditing non-hazardous wastes from golf course operations: moving from a waste to a sustainability framework

This paper provides non-hazardous solid waste audit procedures and bench mark audit data for golf courses (GCs). The paper also demonstrates the narrow scope of solid waste audit data, and the need to move towards a broader auditing scope such as that contained in sustainability auditing frameworks. A case study of Clear Lake Golf Course, located in southwestern Manitoba, Canada was completed. Annual waste generation rates at the GC were estimated to be 46.2 tonnes/year with 83% of this material compostable. Grass clipping material generated from the putting greens accounted for 79% of the waste stream. The GC achieved a solid waste diversion rate of 81% (waste generated not destined for landfill per total waste material generated). A future, realistic target of 97% diversion was also identified. The 7 day audit period was found to be unsuitable for estimating grass clipping generation rates. Implementation of a broader sustainability framework for future audits will harmonize many existing management functions such as solid waste auditing, waste characterizations, pollution prevention, green procurement, customer satisfaction, and the efficiency of the operations.     

秦皇岛市开发区生活污水利用可行性分析

本文通过对秦皇岛经济技术开发区居民小区生活污水进行处理并回用的可行性分析,得出城市生活污水经过适当处理后,完全可以再利用,从而达到节约水资源的目的,实现经济效益与环境效益的统一。     

玻璃生产企业废水综合利用的可行性探讨

本文分析了玻璃生产企业废水的来源,并从耀华玻璃集团实施的废水治理项目的实际出发,阐述了废水经过治理后综合利用的途径,实现废水的零排放,减少环境污染,节约水资源。     

秦皇岛市生态状况及资源开发利用水平分析综述

秦皇岛市区内生态类型多样,各类生态系统功能突出,自然资源丰富,尤其是海、旅游资源优势突出,为区域经济发展提供了良好的基础条件。该文对秦皇岛市生态系统平衡及资源开发利用水平进行了定量分析。