Compromising sustainable mobility? The case of the Gothenburg congestion tax

Congestion charging is widely considered an effective policy measure to regulate and reduce car traffic demand and associated environmental and health problems in cities. However, introducing restrictive measures to constrain individual choice and behaviour for the common good has often proven difficult. Using a specific case, the Gothenburg congestion tax introduced in 2013, we study the policy process behind the introduction of the tax and assess to what extent green values were compromised along the way. The tax was made possible by co-financing infrastructure investments, including roads, which seemingly contradicts stated goals of reducing car traffic and emissions. We show how the tax was ‘muddled through’ in a top-down political compromise by a grand coalition where different interests could legitimate their support in relation to the achievement of partially conflicting objectives and projects. However, to declare the regulatory goals fully neutralised would be to underestimate the scheme's direct environmental effects and restrictive potential. Finding a compromise with powerful political and economic interests was necessary to get it off the ground. Once launched, however, it can over time regain its restrictive properties and lead to more profound long-term effects.     

The Aging of America's Reservoirs: In‐Reservoir and Downstream Physical Changes and Habitat Implications

Reservoirs are important for various purposes including flood control, water supply, power generation, and recreation. The aging of America's reservoirs and progressive loss of water storage capacity resulting from ongoing sedimentation, coupled with increasing societal needs, will cause the social, economic, environmental, and political importance of reservoirs to continually increase. The short‐ and medium‐term (<50 years) environmental consequences of reservoir construction and operation are well known and include an altered flow regime, lost connectivity (longitudinal, floodplain), an altered sediment regime, substrate compositional change, and downstream channel degradation. In general, reservoir‐related changes have had adverse consequences for the natural ecosystem. Longer term (>50 years) environmental changes as reservoirs enter “old” age are less understood. Additional research is needed to help guide the future management of aging reservoir systems and support the difficult decisions that will have to be made. Important research directions include assessment of climate change effects on aging and determination of ecosystem response to ongoing aging and various management actions that may be taken with the intent of minimizing or reversing the physical effects of aging.     

Resolution and Analysis of Spatial Variations and Patterns in an Urban Lake with Rapid Profiling Instrumentation

Rapid response vertical profiling instrumentation was used to document spatial variability and patterns in a small urban lake, Onondaga Lake, associated with multiple drivers. Paired profiles of temperature, specific conductance (SC), turbidity (T_n), fluorometric chlorophyll a (Chl_f), and nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^?) were collected at >30 fixed locations (a “gridding”) weekly, over the spring to fall interval of several years. These gridding data are analyzed (1) to characterize phytoplankton (Chl_f) patchiness in the lake's upper waters, (2) to establish the representativeness of a single long‐term site for monitoring lake‐wide conditions, and (3) to resolve spatial patterns of multiple tracers imparted by buoyancy effects of inflows. Multiple buoyancy signatures were resolved, including overflows from less dense inflows, and interflows to metalimnetic depths and underflows to the bottom from the plunging of more dense inputs. Three different metrics had utility as tracers in depicting the buoyancy signatures as follows: (1) SC, for salinity‐enriched tributaries and the more dilute river that receives the lake's outflow, (2) T_n, for the tributaries during runoff events, and (3) NO₃^?, for the effluent of a domestic waste treatment facility and from the addition of NO₃^? solution to control methyl mercury. The plunging inflow phenomenon, which frequently prevailed, has important management implications.     

Sources and Transport of Phosphorus to Rivers in California and Adjacent States,U.S., as Determined by SPARROW Modeling

The SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes) model was used to simulate annual phosphorus loads and concentrations in unmonitored stream reaches in California, U.S., and portions of Nevada and Oregon. The model was calibrated using de‐trended streamflow and phosphorus concentration data at 80 locations. The model explained 91% of the variability in loads and 51% of the variability in yields for a base year of 2002. Point sources, geological background, and cultivated land were significant sources. Variables used to explain delivery of phosphorus from land to water were precipitation and soil clay content. Aquatic loss of phosphorus was significant in streams of all sizes, with the greatest decay predicted in small‐ and intermediate‐sized streams. Geological sources, including volcanic rocks and shales, were the principal control on concentrations and loads in many regions. Some localized formations such as the Monterey shale of southern California are important sources of phosphorus and may contribute to elevated stream concentrations. Many of the larger point source facilities were located in downstream areas, near the ocean, and do not affect inland streams except for a few locations. Large areas of cultivated land result in phosphorus load increases, but do not necessarily increase the loads above those of geological background in some cases because of local hydrology, which limits the potential of phosphorus transport from land to streams.     

纳米Ag粒子在我国主要类型土壤中的迁移转化过程与环境效应

随着纳米技术的快速发展,纳米材料进入环境并不断累积,因此开展纳米材料的环境安全性研究具有重要意义.纳米银(Ag NP)是目前应用最广泛的人工纳米材料之一.本课题组拟以Ag NP为研究对象,系统研究其在我国主要类型土壤中的迁移、转化过程及其生态环境效应;基于同步辐射技术、同位素技术和量子化学计算等方法,揭示Ag NP与土壤中主要矿物或有机质之间的相互作用规律;探明Ag NP对土壤中微生物、动物和植物的致毒过程及其作用机制;发展Ag NP在土壤中迁移的数学模型,预测其在土壤中的迁移、滞留通量进而评价其淋溶风险,为Ag NP的安全利用提供重要理论基础和技术支撑.     

深埋水平岩层隧道开挖稳定性分析及控制*

针对深埋高地应力水平岩层掌子面开挖稳定性及支护结构失效问题,以大峡谷隧道为工程背景,通过现场测试、室内试验、数值模拟等方法,探究深埋高地应力水平岩层失稳机理及控制措施。研究结果表明:坚硬岩体被节理面切割后,在高地应力作用下容易发生挤压破碎,破碎岩体遇水发生软化,导致掌子面发生大范围塌方,初支和超前支护失效;隧道开挖后岩层发生不均匀沉降,浅部岩层最先发生弯折破坏,层内块体错动滑移,继而向上方岩层发展,并伴随层间分离和层内裂隙发育,最终形成宏观破裂面;提出的台阶法、2 m开挖进尺、砼喷层、双层小导管、提高初支强度的整体优化控制措施,可有效提高现场支护效果。     

成都市臭氧重污染成因与来源解析

采用来源解析的方法对2020年成都市发生的一次较为严重的臭氧污染事件进行了研究.结果表明,此次污染过程呈现从清洁-污染-清洁的变化趋势,污染持续时间长达9d,最大臭氧小时浓度达到258.8μg/m3.气象因素在成都臭氧污染中的影响不可忽略,其中温度与臭氧浓度呈现显著正相关关系,东北风主要出现在污染前和污染后,可能起到稀...     

作物种植专业化与化肥减量来源——兼顾经营规模的影响

以作物种植横向专业化和纵向专业化为切入点,运用中国13个粮食主产省份1980—2018年的面板数据,考察了作物种植专业化对农业化肥减量的影响及其作用机制。研究主要发现：（1）基础回归分析表明,作物种植横向专业化和纵向专业化均对化肥施用强度具有显著的削减效应,对化肥的利用效率有显著的增效作用。且作物种植纵向专业化或社会化服务卷入程度加深,能够增强横向专业化对化肥的减量增效作用。（2）影响路径分析表明,作物种植横向专业化通过扩大农地经营规模,进而增强了作物种植纵向专业化对化肥施用强度的削减效应和利用效率的增效作用。但也应警惕,通过扩大农地经营规模以增强作物种植纵向专业化的减量效应可能存在临界水平。此外,当作物种植横向专业化和纵向专业化积极配合时,可能推移临界点的到来。据此,通过发展作物种植横向专业化,鼓励农户通过服务外包卷入农业的纵向专业化分工以及发展农业适度规模经营,进而实现农业领域化肥的减量增效。     

流域横向生态补偿政策的水环境效益评估

基于2000~2019年浙江和安徽26个地级市的面板数据,使用合成控制法定量分析新安江3轮横向生态补偿试点政策对其水环境效益的总体性和结构性影响结果表明:政策效果在时间上存在异质性。第1、2轮政策试点显著的提升了新安江流域整体的水环境,但第3轮试点对上游水环境的影响是负的。政策效果在空间上存在异质性。流域横向生态补偿政策使下游的生物多样性价值平均提高了0.068亿元,但使上游生物多样性价值平均降低了0.015亿元。政策效果在结构上存在异质性。通过对水环境效益的结构性分解,发现横向生态补偿政策使新安江流域的水质净化能力价值平均提高了31.874亿元,但使其产品供给价值平均下降了13.402亿元。政策效果存在预期效益。流域横向生态补偿的政策效果在政策正式实施前2年已经出现。     

Ambient volatile organic compounds at a receptor site in the Pearl River Delta region: Variations, source apportionment and effects on ozone formation

We present the continuously measurements of volatile organic compounds（VOCs） at a receptor site（Wan Qing Sha, WQS） in the Pearl River Delta（PRD） region from September to November of 2017. The average mixing ratios of total VOCs（TVOCs） was 36.3 ± 27.9 ppbv with the dominant contribution from alkanes（55.5%）, followed by aromatics（33.3%）. The diurnal variation of TVOCs showed a strong photochemical consumption during daytime,resulting in the formation of ozone（O₃）. Five VOC sources were ...