“Science is Everywhere,but No One Knows It”: Assessing the Cultural Distance to Science of Rural South African Publics

ABSTRACT

In science communication, a prerequisite for reaching different parts of a society is to find out how these publics experience and interpret science. Since rural South African publics are perceived to exhibit a large cultural distance to science, the present exploratory study aimed to know in more detail how rural South Africans perceive and understand science in their local and social contexts. Theoretical notions on cultural distance and the methodological approach of segmentation studies were considered. Semi-structured interviews with rural South Africans were carried out in four towns (n?=?52) that differ with respect to having a large scientific installation in their vicinity, or not. Sensitively comparing local and social contexts helped identifying three different publics who differed regarding their perceptions of science; however, the large scientific installations only made a difference in perceptions for those publics who were generally less exposed to and less knowledgeable about science.     

不同模糊评价方法在水环境质量评价中的应用比较

近年来,运用模糊评价方法对水质和水体营养化程度进行评价逐渐受到重视。目前,对模糊评价方法的研究多集中在实测数据标准化、权重的确定和模糊模式识别模型研究几个方面。以滇池历年营养物质数据为实测数据,通过对几种实测数据标准化方法、权重确定方法和模糊模式识别方法的组合应用,获得水环境质量模糊评价最优组合方法。结果表明,在评价方法中,实测数据标准化方法采用线性内插法,权重的确定采用超标倍数法,模糊模式识别模型采用广义海明距离和加权海明距离法,即采用超标倍数法的广义海明距离和加权海明距离法能够更真实反映水环境质量的实际情况。     

Critical Steps for Continuing Advancement of Satellite Rainfall Applications for Surface Hydrology in the Nile River Basin1

Gebremichael, Mekonnen, Emmanouil N. Anagnostou, and Menberu M. Bitew, 2010. Critical Steps for Continuing Advancement of Satellite Rainfall Applications for Surface Hydrology in the Nile River Basin. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(2):361-366. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00428.x. Abstract: Given the increasingly higher resolution and data accessibility, satellite precipitation products could be useful for hydrological application in the Nile River Basin, which is characterized by lack of reasonably dense hydrological in situ sensors and lack of access to the existing dataset. However, in the absence of both extreme caution and research results for the Nile basin, the satellite rainfall (SR) products may not be used, or may even be used erroneously. We identify two steps that are critical to enhance the value of SR products for hydrological applications in the Nile basin. The first step is to establish representative validation sites in the Nile basin. The validation site will help to quantify the errors in the different kinds of SR products, which will be used to select the best products for the Nile basin, include the errors in decision making, and design strategies to minimize the errors. Using rainfall measurements collected from the unprecedented high-density rain gauge network over a small region within the Nile basin, we indicate that SR estimates could be subject to significant errors, and quantification of estimation errors by way of establishing validation sites is critically important in order to use the SR products. The second step is to identify the degree of hydrologic model complexity required to obtain more accurate hydrologic simulation results for the Nile basin when using SR products as input. The level of model complexity may depend on basin size and SR algorithm, and further research is needed to spell out this dependence for the Nile basin.     

煤炭资源开采环境污染物影子价格的估计——基于安徽煤炭企业的调查数据

环境污染物的影子价格体现了污染物的边际减排成本,是政府制定公共环境政策的重要依据。本文在环境技术的基础上,扩展了传统的产出方向性距离函数方法,进而构建了能够将多种环境污染物的影子价格进行综合估测新的影子价格模型。采用这种新的模型方法和安徽煤炭开采和洗选企业的样本数据,对煤炭资源开采利用过程中排放的三种主要环境污染物——废水、废气和固体废物的影子价格进行了估计。结果发现,2009年,安徽煤炭开采和洗选企业所排放的废水、废气和固体废物的平均影子价格分别为0.021 6万元/t、0.031 37万元/t和0.178 48万元/t。这三种环境污染物的影子价格存在差异,反映出安徽煤炭开采企业处理不同环境污染物所面临的环境成本是不同的。环境行为监管者在做出环境规制决策前要充分考虑到这个前提。     

Constraining SWAT Calibration with Remotely Sensed Evapotranspiration Data

Historically, many watershed studies have been based on using the streamflow flux, typically from a single gauge at the basin's outlet, to support calibration. In this setting, there is great potential for equifinality of parameters during the optimization process, especially for parameters that are not directly related to streamflow. Therefore, some of the optimal parameter values achieved during the autocalibration process may be physically unrealistic. In recent decades a vast array of data from land surface models and remote sensing platforms can help to constrain hydrologic fluxes such as evapotranspiration (ET). While the spatial resolution of these ancillary datasets varies, the continuous spatial coverage of these gridded datasets provides flux measurements across the entire basin, in stark contrast to point‐based streamflow data. This study uses Global Land Evaporation: the Amsterdam Model data to constrain Soil and Water Assessment Tool parameter values associated with ET to a more physically realistic range. The study area is the Little Washita River Experimental Watershed, in southern Oklahoma. Traditional objective metrics such as the Nash‐Sutcliffe coefficients record no performance improvement after application of this method. However, there is a dramatic increase in the number of days with receding flow where simulations match observed streamflow.     

汶川地震滑坡的分布特点及最大震中距分析

"5·12"汶川大地震诱发了大规模以滑坡、崩塌为主的地质灾害,这些震害地区改变了原有的地貌形态,形成多处堰塞湖,毁坏民房和道路,使之成为严重的次生滑坡灾害危险区域.以成都市的都江堰市、彭州市、崇州市、邛崃市、大邑县地震区为研究区,分析了滑坡分布与震区地质地貌条件和宏观烈度的统计关系.在确定宏观震中位置的基础上,采用最大地震滑坡震中距方法研究了不同规模滑坡的分布特点,并得到了线性分布的规律.     

北京市空气质量及其与能源消费结构的动态关联

运用模糊集理论中的Euclidean权距离评价2002—2011年北京市空气质量。根据最大隶属度原则确定空气质量等级值,结合灰色系统理论中的关联动态矩阵分析法,研究北京市主要大气污染物与9种能源消费因子的动态关系。结果表明,2002、2004—2007年北京市空气质量处于Ⅲ级,2003、2008—2011年处于Ⅱ级,空气质量由劣到优的年份排序为2002、2011、2010、2006、2007、2009、2008、2005、2004、2003年,2003、2008年空气质量得到改善,2009年以来有所恶化;燃料油、焦炭和煤炭是造成北京市大气污染的前3位能源,天然气是最清洁的能源;同种能源与不同污染物的关联程度相似;同种能源与污染物在不同时间段的关联序基本不变,不同能源因子分别表现出"缓慢上升"、"逐渐升高"、"水平S"型和"倒U"型4种态势;燃料油与大气污染物"同增同减",大气污染物与燃料油正相关;天然气与大气污染物"此涨彼消",天然气与大气污染物负相关。     

风电机组与民爆危险品建筑物间安全防护距离的研究与选定

针对风电机组选址与民爆企业安全管理的突出矛盾,研究分析了风电机组和民爆危险品建筑物间安全距离设定的原则和方法,深入剖析了重大危险影响因素,并结合现行标准规范和国外相关规定及经验做法,估算了安全距离值,探讨了安全距离设定的可能性、合理性和适应性,提出了安全距离设定的建议和参照依据。     

ESTIMATING REGIONAL SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT WITH A SIMPLE SIMULATION MODEL1

A simple simulation model designed to monitor snow-packs of the central Sierra Nevada is described. The model estimates average snow water equivalent for rectangular subregions in the area. Static subregion characteristics, daily precipitation and mean and minimum air temperatures measured at three index stations are the only needed input values. A water balance technique simulates daily snowpack changes in each subregion. Reasonable basinwide water equivalent values are produced. The procedure should be useful for estimating snow water distribution in large mountainous watersheds.