Assessing water use and quality through youth participatory research in a rural Andean watershed

Water availability, use and quality in a rural watershed of the Colombian Andes were investigated through participatory research involving local youth. Research included the quantification of disaggregated water use at the household level; comparison of water use with availability; monitoring water quality of streams, community water intakes and household faucets; and the determination of land use – water quality interactions. Youth were involved in all aspects of the research from design to implementation, dissemination of results and remediation options. Quantification of domestic and on-farm water use, and water availability indicated that water availability was sufficient during the study period, but that only an 8% decrease in dry season supply would result in shortages. Elevated conductivity levels in the headwaters were related to “natural” bank erosion, while downstream high conductivity and coliform levels were associated with discharges from livestock stalls and poorly maintained septic tanks in the stream buffer zone. Through the involvement of youth as co-investigators, the knowledge generated by the research was appropriated at the local level. Community workshops led by local youth promoted water conservation and water quality protection practices based on research, and resulted in broader community participation in water management. The approach involving youth in research stimulated improved management of both land and water resources, and could be applied in small rural watersheds in developed or developing countries.     

One laptop per child,local refurbishment or overseas donations? Sustainability assessment of computer supply scenarios for schools in Colombia

With the intention of bridging the ‘digital divide’ many programmes have been launched to provide computers for educational institutions, ranging from refurbishing second hand computers to delivering low cost new computers. The fast and economical provision of large quantities of equipment is one of the many challenges faced by such programmes. If an increase is to be achieved in the sustainability of computer supplies for schools, not only must equipment be provided, but also suitable training and maintenance delivered. Furthermore, appropriate recycling has to be ensured, so that end-of-life equipment can be dealt with properly. This study has evaluated the suitability of three computer supply scenarios to schools in Colombia: (i) ‘Colombian refurbishment’, -refurbishment of computers donated in Colombia, (ii) ‘Overseas refurbishment’, -import of computers which were donated and refurbished abroad, and (iii) ‘XO Laptop’, -purchase of low cost computers manufactured in Korea. The methods applied were: Material Flow Assessment, -to assess the quantities-, Life Cycle Assessment, -to assess the environmental impacts, and the application of the Multiple Attribute Utility Theory, -to analyse, evaluate and compare different scenarios. The most sustainable solution proved to be the local refurbishment of second hand computers of Colombian origin to an appropriate technical standard. The environmental impacts of such practices need to be evaluated carefully, as second hand appliances have to be maintained, require spare parts and sometimes use more energy than newer equipment. Providing schools with second hand computers from overseas and through programmes such as ‘One Laptop Per Child’ has the disadvantage that the potential for social improvements – such as creation of jobs and local industry involvement – is very low.     

海油陆采HSE管理初探＊

文章阐述了国内外海油陆采HSE管理现状,通过分析总结滩海油气生产设施从设计到投入使用全过程HSE管理经验,归纳整理出可借鉴的HSE管理技术,为中国石油海油陆采油田HSE文化的培育提供了有益的建议。     

建设项目竣工环境保护验收监测在环境管理中的任务与对策

建设项目竣工环境保护验收监测对于落实“三同时”制度、实现总量控制目标、为环境监督管理提供重要技术支持具有重要意义与作用。目前,验收监测在管理体制、收费标准、成果应用等方面存在的突出问题,可通过创新管理机制、健全管理制度、提高管理水平等具体措施解决。     

Fundamental Moral Attitudes to Animals and Their Role in Judgment: An Empirical Model to Describe Fundamental Moral Attitudes to Animals and Their Role in Judgment on the Culling of Healthy Animals During an Animal Disease Epidemic

In this paper, we present and defend the theoretical framework of an empirical model to describe people’s fundamental moral attitudes (FMAs) to animals, the stratification of FMAs in society and the role of FMAs in judgment on the culling of healthy animals in an animal disease epidemic. We used philosophical animal ethics theories to understand the moral basis of FMA convictions. Moreover, these theories provide us with a moral language for communication between animal ethics, FMAs, and public debates. We defend that FMA is a two-layered concept. The first layer consists of deeply felt convictions about animals. The second layer consists of convictions derived from the first layer to serve as arguments in a debate on animal issues. In a debate, the latter convictions are variable, depending on the animal issue in a specific context, time, and place. This variability facilitates finding common ground in an animal issue between actors with opposing convictions.     

我国城市灾害风险应对现状及对策研究

阐述了城市灾害的分类;从城市灾害预防与控制,应急反应与救援等方面分析我国在城市灾害风险控制与应对上的不足;提出8个方面的对策。该对策研究包括:建立城市安全规划、风险防范和危机管理法律体系;实施城市防灾减灾规划并融入城市规划中;完善城市灾害风险决策支持系统和信息管理系统;实行安全规划风险评价机制;加快防灾减灾综合管理机构建设;建立科学、完善的应急救援体系;加强安全教育和防灾减灾宣传;加强城市安全科学研究与交流。该研究结果对如何提高我国城市灾害风险预防与控制能力及应急救援水平具有重要的借鉴和指导作用。     

废水污染物排放总量控制监测技术路线及要求

从中国污染物宏观控制目标出发,阐述了中国实施废水污染物排放总量控制监测的技术路线、监测项目以及相关技术要求。对污染物排放总量控制监测分析方法的应用、采样及测流等有关技术问题,提出了见解。以１９９８年污染源调查统计资料为例,提出了污染物排放总量控制监测方案及有关监测质量的保证措施。     

Calculating losses of crops in Denmark caused by high ozone levels

In order to help guide air pollution legislation at the European level, harmful air pollution effects on agriculture crops and the consequent economic implications for policy have been studied for more than a decade. Ozone has been labeled as the most serious of the damaging air pollutants to agriculture, where growth rates and consequently yields are dramatically reduced. Quantifying the effects has formed a key factor in policymaking. Based on the widely held view that AOT40 (Accumulated exposure Over Threshold of 40 ppb) is a good indicator of ozone-induced damage, the Danish Eulerian Model (DEM) was used to compute reduced agriculture yields on a 50 km×50 km grid over Europe. In one set of scenarios, a ten year meteorological time series was combined with realistic emission inventories. In another, various idealized emission reduction scenarios are applied to the same meteorological time series. The results show substantial inter-annual variability in economic losses, due in most part to meteorological conditions which varied much more substantially than the emissions during the same period. It is further shown that, taking all uncertainties into account, estimates of ozone-induced economic losses require that a long meteorological record is included in the analysis, for statistical significance to be improved to acceptable levels for use in policy analysis. In this study, calculations were made for Europe as a whole, though this paper presents results relevant for Denmark.     

基于GPS与GSM的交通事故自动呼救系统的设计

结合GPS的定位功能和GSM的远程无线通讯功能,提出一种以提高交通安全、减少人员伤亡为目的的车辆交通事故自动呼救系统的构建方案,该系统会伴随安全气囊的启动而启动,也可手动启动。车载模块将安全气囊点火信号送入微处理器,通过串行接口驱动无线数据传输模块,经GSM网络将GPS的定位信息发送到监控中心,并可建立车载模块与监控中心之间的语音通讯,给出车载模块硬件电路实现、软件设计以及控制中心的设计方案,并对系统的关键技术进行了说明。     

基于社会科学统计程序(SPSS)回归性分析的尾矿库事故预测模型

基于社会科学统计程序(SPSS)软件的分析功能,对调查研究中获取的尾矿库案例进行数据提炼和分类编码,找出相关因子并进行回归性分析。最终目的是找出尾矿库各个因素的内在联系,建立简单的尾矿库事故模型,从而可以初步预测尾矿库事故发生的可能性。该预测模型为尾矿库事故的研究提出了新方法,对于防灾减灾以及保护人民生命财产安全起到了积极作用。