Injuries as a Result of California Earthquakes in the Past Decade

The devastating effects of earthquakes have been demonstrated repeatedly in the past decade, through moderate and major earthquakes such as the October 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake (5.9 on the Richter scale), the October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake (7.1) and the January 1994 Northridge earthquake (6.7). While 'official' tallies of injuries and deaths are reported for each event, the numbers vary from report to report. For Northridge, the number of injuries vary between 8,000 and 12,000; the number of deaths from 33 to 73 (Peek-Asa et al., 1997; Durkin, 1996).While official estimates are commonly reported following disasters, the study of actual numbers, types and causes of casualties has not developed. In this paper, we identify the numbers and risk factors for injuries within community-based samples across three earthquakes in urban California. We first report the numbers and types of injuries in each earthquake and then identify risk factors specifically associated with the Northridge earthquake     

Eco-Labeling and ISO 14000: An Analysis of US Regulatory Systems and Issues Concerning Adoption of Type II Standards

/ Current private and public regulatory systems may not provide an optimal degree of regulation for labels bearing environmental information, and established institutions may detract from efforts to provide for better environmental management. The advent of ISO 14000 offers new opportunities for making eco-labeling a meaningful tool to encourage environmental stewardship. While new federal legislation offers the best vehicle to introduce these standards into US law, the slow pace of the legislative process may recommend an alternative system. Multinational and civic-minded firms may be expected to employ private programs to nurture benevolent environmental management practices until more definitive governmental institutions can be put in place.KEY WORDS: Eco-labels; Environmental labeling; International standards; ISO 14000     

Industry Response to the Challenge of Sustainability: The Case of the Canadian Nonferrous Mining Sector

/ The paper investigates how the Canadian nonferrous sector is tackling the challenge of sustainable development. Although there is no consensus as to what sustainable development means in practice for management in the sector, at least three dimensions must be taken into account: (1) metals are recyclable, the availability of this resource is not a concern for the foreseeable future; (2) the need to minimize environmental impacts of metals exploration, extraction, transformation, consumption, and recycling; and (3) production activities should not be socially or culturally disruptive. The nonferrous mining industry faces several environmental problems. Some of the most significant are acid mine drainage, sulfur emissions, recycling, and metals toxicity. The industry has developed a number of responses to address these specific concerns as well as other more general challenges. Six strategies are described and analyzed: (1) research and development, (2) an effort of consensus building among stakeholders known as the Whitehorse Mining Initiative, (3) international networking, (4) active involvement in the development of environmental management standards, (5) management reorganization and (6) voluntary agreements. The importance of external factors in the shaping of corporate environmental management practices is discussed, in particular the role of government. Progress has been achieved in three areas: (1) managerial practices and organization, (2) reducing the impacts of ongoing operations and (3) minimizing future liabilities, but two significant fields of conflict remain, namely mining in wilderness areas and projects on aboriginal lands.KEY WORDS: Canada; Environmental management; Minerals industry; Nonferrous metals; Sustainable development; Whitehorse Mining Initiative     

西气东输—陕京二线联络线工程岩溶区岩土工程条件分析

针对西气东输—陕京二线联络线工程山东枣庄—济南段岩溶区,采用高密度电法、探地雷达、面波及探井、钻探等多种方法和手段对其进行了系统的野外勘察和分析评价,从岩溶区域分布特征阐述了管道沿线岩溶的基本环境类型,通过对其岩土工程条件的分析评价,提出了管道安全性评价结果及不同岩溶地质灾害管道宜采取的防治措施。     

关于水污染物排放总量的核定

系统分析了水污染物排放总量核定不同层次的信息关联和相关的特征信息间的相互关系，指出城市是最基本的总量核定对象；阐述了现行环境监测与环境管理制度对水污染物排放总量核定存在着不完全信息问题；指出环境管理部门不掌握的部分排污总量信息对总量控制整体的影响相当大，应对排污总量进行全面、科学的核定。     

论环境保护与中国的可持续发展

可持续发展源于环境保护。本文首先介绍了可持续发展的观点、它所体现的基本原则和含义 ,接着又根据我国面临的环境问题提出了应采取的对策。最后阐述了可持续发展是中国的必然选择。     

探索环境影响变迁的新途径─—混沌分析

论述了混沌现象与基本特征，提出把混沌分析方法引入环境科学中，探索环境现象变化的新途径。重点简述混沌现象在环境影响的变迁的实例，环境混沌系统控制的基本思路和混沌分析相空间预测方法。     

知识经济与环境保护

阐述了知识经济的概念及其主要特征，分析了知识经济给环境保护带来的机遇，为迎接知识经济的挑战，上海制定出以发展高技术环保不业和培养高技术环保人才 中心的战略目标，为争２０１０年在达到申城环境保护第三阶段目标的同时，出现适应知识经济时代 环保新雏型。     

排污总量控制的最优化原则探讨

从环境经济学的最优化原则出发，对上海市推行的排污总量控制，超量排污罚款和对允许排放量限度内的排污征收生态环境补偿费进行了论述。根据最优化原则，污染物排放总量应该设置在最佳污染物排放量点，并且不同的河段应该设置相应的允许排放量；单位超量排污罚款价格不可过低，并且应该随着超量排污的增长而增加，以一个合适的费率征收生态环境补偿费会促使企业不断改进它的污染物治理技术，从而减少对水体的污染。因此，这三才是将     

关于风景评价中心理物理学方法局限性的探讨

由于对西方风景评价理论和方法缺乏足够的了解和深入的研究，现今国内对其中的心理物理学方法及其作用产生了一些误解。本文在扼要介绍了心理物理学派的主要方法思路之后，着重对该学派所存在的重大理论缺陷和方法局限性做了较深入的分析。