Hyperautomobility and Governmentality in Auckland

Abstract

A number of cities around the world are associated with very high levels of private motor car usage, and Auckland provides an example of one of these ‘hyperautomobile’ cities. There are many problems with this system of transportation and dependence on the private car, including environmental, social and city design dimensions. Though there is a clear aspiration to move towards reduced levels of car usage in the city's transport and spatial planning strategies, there are major difficulties in implementation terms. We develop and consider future scenarios to 2041 to reduce these levels of motorization, and subsequent transport CO₂ emissions, with a much greater use of public transport, walking and cycling, urban planning, and low emission vehicles. The current implementability of such a ‘sustainable mobility’ future is however questioned in the current political and social context, and critically debated in terms of the available governance mechanisms and the limited attempts to shape the behaviour of the public. We conclude by calling for a reconsideration of the policy measures being considered, including the range and levels of application and investment; with a much wider framing of the transport planning remit, and carried out within a much stronger participatory framework for decision-making.     

Erosional Consequence of Saltcedar Control

Removal of nonnative riparian trees is accelerating to conserve water and improve habitat for native species. Widespread control of dominant species, however, can lead to unintended erosion. Helicopter herbicide application in 2003 along a 12-km reach of the Rio Puerco, New Mexico, eliminated the target invasive species saltcedar (Tamarix spp.), which dominated the floodplain, as well as the native species sandbar willow (Salix exigua Nuttall), which occurred as a fringe along the channel. Herbicide application initiated a natural experiment testing the importance of riparian vegetation for bank stability along this data-rich river. A flood three years later eroded about 680,000 m³ of sediment, increasing mean channel width of the sprayed reach by 84%. Erosion upstream and downstream from the sprayed reach during this flood was inconsequential. Sand eroded from channel banks was transported an average of 5 km downstream and deposited on the floodplain and channel bed. Although vegetation was killed across the floodplain in the sprayed reach, erosion was almost entirely confined to the channel banks. The absence of dense, flexible woody stems on the banks reduced drag on the flow, leading to high shear stress at the toe of the banks, fluvial erosion, bank undercutting, and mass failure. The potential for increased erosion must be included in consideration of phreatophyte control projects.     

Growth and Foliar Nitrogen Status of Four Plant Species Exposed to Atmospheric Ammonia

A chamber study was conducted to evaluate the growth response and leaf nitrogen (N) status of four plant species exposed to continuous ammonia (NH₃) for 12 weeks (wk). This was intended to evaluate appropriate plant species that could be used to trap discharged NH₃ from the exhaust fans in poultry feeding operations before moving off-site. Two hundred and forty bare-root plants of four species (Juniperus virginiana (red cedar), Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis (thornless honey locust), Populus sp. (hybrid poplar), and Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass) were transplanted into 4- or 8-L polyethylene pots and grown in four environmentally controlled chambers. Plants placed in two of the four chambers received continuous exposure to anhydrous NH₃ at 4 to 5 ppm while plants in another two chambers received no NH₃. In each of the four chambers, 2 to 4 plants per species received no fertilizer while the rest of the plants were fertilized with a 100 ppm solution containing 21% N, 7% phosphorus, and 7% potassium. The results showed that honey locust was the fastest-growing species. The superior growth of honey locust among all species was also supported by its total biomass, root, and root dry matter (DM) weights. For all species there was a trend for plants exposed to NH₃ to have greater leaf DM than their non-exposed counterparts at 6 (43.0 vs. 30.8%; P = 0.09) and 12 wk (47.9 vs. 36.6%; P = 0.07), and significantly greater (P ≤ 0.05) leaf N content at 6 (6.44 vs. 3.67%) and 12 wk (7.05 vs. 3.51%) when exposed to NH₃. Numerically greater leaf DM due to NH₃ exposure was also consistently measured in poplar at both sampling periods. Hybrid poplar, as well as honey locust and reed canary grass, deposited 1.5 to 2-fold greater N in their leaves than red cedar tissues as a result of NH₃ exposure compared to non-exposed plants. Regardless of the effect of NH₃ on foliar color and damage score of the plants, the increase of foliar N content (g 100 g^?1 of fresh foliage weight) after NH₃ exposure at 6 and 12 wk was 0.45 and 0.87 for grass,1.25 and 1.34 for locust, and 2.67 and 6.09 for poplar. However, only honey locust likely benefited from ambient NH₃ as indicated by its consistent leaf color quality and lower damage score, compared with other species that were adversely affected by atmospheric NH₃.     

A Cumulative Energy Demand indicator (CED), life cycle based,for industrial waste management decision making

Life cycle thinking is a good approach to be used for environmental decision-support, although the complexity of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies sometimes prevents their wide use. The purpose of this paper is to show how LCA methodology can be simplified to be more useful for certain applications.In order to improve waste management in Catalonia (Spain), a Cumulative Energy Demand indicator (LCA-based) has been used to obtain four mathematical models to help the government in the decision of preventing or allowing a specific waste from going out of the borders. The conceptual equations and all the subsequent developments and assumptions made to obtain the simplified models are presented.One of the four models is discussed in detail, presenting the final simplified equation to be subsequently used by the government in decision making.The resulting model has been found to be scientifically robust, simple to implement and, above all, fulfilling its purpose: the limitation of waste transport out of Catalonia unless the waste recovery operations are significantly better and justify this transport.     

Validation of a Lagrangian dispersion model implementing different kernel methods for density reconstruction

In this paper the inert version of a Lagrangian particle model named photochemical Lagrangian particle model (PLPM) is described and validated. PLPM implements four density reconstruction algorithms based on the kernel density estimator. All these methods are fully grid-free but they differ each other in considering local or global features of the particles distribution, in treating the Cartesian directions separately or together and in being based on receptors or particles positions in space. Each kernel has been shown to have both advantages and disadvantages, but the overall good performances of the model when compared with the well known Copenhagen and Kincaid data sets are very encouraging in view of its extension to fully chemically active simulations, currently under development.     

全国大气扩散输送模态与区划研究

基于NCEP再分析气象资料,使用HYSPLIT模式对我国大陆区域进行了一整年的连续轨迹计算.轨迹以1°×1°的网格化经纬度分辨率进行计算.考虑气候、地理及经济因素,将全国计算区域分为10个大区,分别统计各大区出发的轨迹在全国的分布频率.根据全年和各季的轨迹统计结果,分析我国不同区域的大气输送扩散特征以及区域间大气环境的相互影响潜势.结果表明,全国10个大区的大气扩散输送模态可分为特性不同的7大类,其中以西北方向的3个大区为一类,西南高原的2个大区为另一类,其它各区自成一类.10个大区大气扩散物质的累积效应差异显著且季节变化特征各异.全国以西南区(XN)东部大气累积效应最强,东北区(DB)累积效应最弱.     

二维砂箱溶质示踪实验的图像分析法

有色示踪剂在砂箱溶质运移实验中有着广泛的应用,因此,本文介绍了一种通过对数字图像进行分析以确定多孔介质中有色示踪剂浓度分布的方法.在实验过程中,通过建立有色示踪剂浓度与图像颜色要素之间的定量关系,从而能够利用数字图像迅速确定某一时刻砂箱内部的示踪剂浓度分布.结果发现,与传统定点采样方法相比,图像分析法可以达到更高的空间和时间分辨率,从而观察到有可能被忽视的重要溶质运移过程,能够为地下水溶质运移实验研究提供了一种经济实用和高空间分辨率的数据采集手段.但由于色彩空间变化范围的限制,图像分析法只能在一定溶质浓度范围内适用.     

重金属铜在砂质壤土土柱中运移的数值模拟

通过室内土柱出流实验,分析了重金属离子铜在饱和砂质壤土中的运移行为,发现高浓度的入流液有利于铜离子的运移。同时借助于软件包CXTFIT,用确定性平衡模型和非平衡两区模型对铜离子的出流动态进行了拟合,并预测了土柱不同深度处铜离子浓度随时间的变化过程。结果表明,室内饱和均质条件下,应用确定性平衡模型拟合参数模拟精度要高于非平衡两区模型,可以不用考虑不动水体对铜离子运移的影响。     

城市轨道交通浮置式减振措施的减振降噪效果

从分析轨道交通地下隧道振动传播特征出发,说明了地下振动的传播规律,并给出了不同埋深条件下地下振动影响范围的经验公式;结合地下振动激发频率特征的分析,对减振措施的减振效果的合理评价量进行了分析,指出采用Z计权减振效果评价量将获得与实际应用效果一致的降噪效果。结合两种浮置式减振措施减振降噪效果的实测,指出浮置板道床的减振效果应采用安装减振垫浮置板道床前后桥面的Z振级差来评价,而不宜采用轨面与桥梁直接的振级落差来评价。对橡胶减振垫以及钢弹簧浮置板的实测减振降噪效果进行了介绍。     

2015~2018年中国代表性城市PM2.5浓度的城乡差异

选取中国6大城市群中的11座代表性城市为研究区域,将监测站点划分为城区、郊区和乡村站,进而分析各城市间PM_2.5浓度的城乡差异规律.结果表明,同一城市群各城市之间,或同一城市的城区、郊区、乡村站间PM_2.5日变化皆较为相似.京津冀和长三角地区的城市城区PM_2.5浓度最高,高于郊区7.8%~9.7%,高于乡村11.3%~16.9%,而粤港澳大湾区和内陆城市群（成渝、长江中游、关中平原城市群）的城市郊区PM_2.5浓度最高,高于城区2.6%~11.2%,高于乡村16.7%~26.5%.各城市间城乡PM_2.5浓度差值的日变化规律不尽相同,可呈单峰（如上海）或双峰（如杭州）变化,极值可出现在白天（如广州）,亦可在夜间（如深圳）.PM_2.5的排放与传输扩散共同对11城市城乡PM_2.5浓度分布产生影响.