Model for empowering rural poor through renewable energy technologies in Bangladesh

This paper proposes an integrated ecological, economic and social model to assist sustainable rural development in villages in Bangladesh. In the model, renewable energy technologies (RETs) create income-generating activities for male landless and marginal farmers and for women from such households, while reducing environmental problems, like deforestation and indoor air pollution from cooking with poor-quality fuels. Because of the high capital costs of RETs, the model proposes an extension of the well-known micro-credit approach developed by such NGOs as the Grameen Bank and BRAC. With the assistance of an External Agency composed of NGO, business, government and university representatives, such groups of villagers would form Village Organizations, comprising cooperatives or other forms of business, borrow money from a bank or large NGO, and purchase a RET based on biogas, solar or wind, depending upon location. By selling energy to wealthier members of the village, the Village Organizations would repay their loans, thus gaining direct ownership and control over the technology and its applications.     

Cytogenetic analysis of trophoblasts by comparative genomic hybridization in embryo-fetal development anomalies

Cytogenetic studies of spontaneous abortions or intrauterine fetal death depend on conventional tissue culturing and karyotyping. This technique has limitations such as culture failure and selective growth of maternal cells. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using specific probes permits diagnosis of aneuploidies but is limited to one or a few chromosomal regions. Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) provides an overview of chromosomal gains and losses in a single hybridization directly from DNA samples. In a prospective study, we analyzed by CGH trophoblast cells from 21 fetuses in cases of spontaneous abortions, intrauterine fetal death or polymalformed syndrome. Six numerical chromosomal abnormalities including one trisomy 7, one trisomy 10, three trisomies 18, one trisomy 21 and one monosomy X have been correctly identified by CGH. One structural abnormality of the long arm of chromosome 1 has been characterized by CGH. One triploidy and two balanced pericentromeric inversions of chromosome 9 have not been identified by CGH. Sexual chromosomal constitutions were concordant by both classical cytogenetic technique and CGH. Contribution of trophoblast analysis by CGH in embryo-fetal development anomalies is discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

环境经济问题的哲学思考——生态经济系统的基本矛盾及其解决途径（接续）

本文从阐述生态经济系统、生态经济平衡和生态经济效益等生态经济学的基本范围入手，揭示生态经济问题产生和演变的内在机理——生态经济系统的基本矛盾；从经济发展、人口增长、生产力进步而与资源缺口、环境容量、生态平衡等的相互关系，分析生态经济基本矛盾的种种表现；从原始社会、农业社会的工业社会等几个主要阶段，阐明生态经济基本矛盾产生和发展的一般过程；并从自然生态系统与社会经济系统在运动周期性、有序性、运行路线与运行机制等方面异同，着重论述产生生态经济基本矛盾的原因，进一步阐明生态问题演变的规律性。探讨解决生态经济基本矛盾的途径，即通过控制人口，转变经济增长方式，实施资源替代战略和地域优势互补，建立生态化的产业和区域发展模式，进行环境与资源市场化的制度创新，实现人口、资源、环境与经济的协调发展。     

加强城市生态环境保护,走可持续发展之路 ——以昆明市为例

生态环境问题是当今许多大城市所面临的最主要问题之一.生态环境本身的多元性及交互作用,决定了生态环境保护的综合性与复杂性.它既涉及到自然科学,又涉及到社会科学;既需要定量的研究,也需要定性的研究;既包括实证的描述,也包括实义的分析和趋势的预测.以昆明为例,重点从城市规划的角度出发,定性地探索城市生态环境保护问题.     

项目环境影响评价与战略环境评价比较

结合国内外战略环境评价研究状况,对战略环境评价和项目环境影响评价的关系进行了较为全面地比较.通过分析项目环境影响评价的不足和战略环境评价的优点, 指出开展战略环境评价,可完善环境影响评价体系,促进可持续发展战略实施.并就战略环境评价与项目环境评价在研究对象、管理体系、技术特点、方法体系和技术手段等方面的区别作了明确阐述.最后分析了二者的联系,明确了二者的层次关系及可供借鉴之处.     

再接再励,争取更大成绩

本文概述了环境科学技术的特点和在中国的发展情况,展望九十年代环境科学新的发展形势;回顾了随着环境科学技术的发展,《环境科学》杂杂志不断发展与完善的历程,表达编者办好杂志的良好愿望.     

Water Quality Evaluation and Trend Analysis in Selected Watersheds of the Atlantic Region of Canada

Water quality indices (WQIs) have been developed to assess the suitability of water for a variety of uses. These indices reflect the status of water quality in lakes, streams, rivers, and reservoirs. The concept of WQIs is based on a comparison of the concentration of contaminants with the respective environmental standards. The number, frequency, and magnitude by which the environmental standards for specific variables are not met in a given time period are reflected in WQIs. Further, the water quality trend analysis predicts the behavior of the water quality parameters and overall water quality in the time domain. In this paper, the concept of WQI was applied to three selected watersheds of Atlantic region: the Mersey River, the Point Wolfe River, and the Dunk River sites. To have robust study, two different water quality indices are used: Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI), and British Columbia Water Quality Index (BWQI). The complete study was conducted in two steps. The first step was to organize and process the data into a format compatible with WQI analysis. After processing the input data, the WQI was calculated. The second step outlined in the paper discusses detailed trend analysis using linear and quadratic models for all the three sites. As per the 25 years trend analysis, overall water quality for agriculture use observed an improving trend at all the three sites studied. Water quality for raw water used for drinking (prior to treatment) and aquatic uses has shown improving trend at Point Wolfe River. It is further observed that pH, SO₄, and NO₃ concentrations are improving at Dunk River, Mersey River, and Point Wolfe River sites. To ascertain the reliability and significance of the trend analysis, a detailed error analysis and parametric significance tests were also conducted It was observed that for most of the sites and water uses quadratic trend models were a better fit than the linear models.     

Cumulative effect assessment in Canada: a regional framework for aquatic ecosystems

Sustainable development of the aquatic environment depends upon routine and defensible cumulative effects assessment (CEA). CEA is the process of predicting the consequences of development relative to an assessment of existing environmental quality. Theoretically, it provides an on-going mechanism to evaluate if levels of development exceed the environment's assimilative capacity; i.e., its ability to sustain itself. In practice, the link between CEA and sustainable development has not been realized because CEA concepts and methods have developed along two dichotomous tracks. One track views CEA as an extension of the environmental assessment (EA) process for project developments. Under this track, stressor-based (S-B) methods have been developed where the emphasis is on local, project-related stressors, their link with aquatic indicators, and the potential for environmental effects through stressor-indicator interactions. S-B methods focus on the proposed development and prediction of project-related effects. They lack a mechanism to quantify existing aquatic quality especially at scales broader than an isolated development. This limitation results in the prediction of potential effects relative to a poorly defined baseline state. The other track views CEA as a broader, regional assessment tool where effects-based (E-B) methods specialize in quantification of existing aquatic effects over broad spatial scales. However, the predictive capabilities of E-B methods are limited because they are retrospective, i.e., the stressor causing the effect is identified after the effect has been measured. When used in isolation, S-B and E-B methods do not address CEA in the context necessary for sustainable development. However, if the strengths of these approaches were integrated into a holistic framework for CEA, an operational mechanism would exist to better monitor and assess sustainable development of our aquatic resources. This paper reviews the existing conceptual basis of CEA in Canada including existing methodologies, limitations and strengths. A conceptual framework for integrating project-based and regional-based CEA is presented.     

再生资源与原生资源的比较

分别阐述了我国目前原生资源与再生资源回收利用的现状，通过原生资源与再生资源在性能、经济发展、生态环境和节能方面的比较，使我们进一步认识再生资源，大力发展再生资源产业。     

解析家庭消费模式——促进可持续发展

文章基于可持续发展的前提,提出当前影响经济可持续发展的消费行为已经逐步转变为家庭个体为主的消费模式;对家庭消费的重要性及其对环境所造成的压力进行分析;最后通过对国内三大城市消费情况研究了影响家庭消费模式驱动力,并在此基础上提出了构建中国可持续家庭消费模式的措施.