(M)VOC and composting facilities. Part 2: (M)VOC dispersal in the environment

BACKGROUND, AIMS AND SCOPE: Composting facilities are known to release odorous volatiles due to biodegradation of municipal waste and plant residues. Although odour perception and its grading is influenced by experience, attitude and adaptation, these emissions have created a lack of acceptance for residents in the vicinity of composting facilities. Enclosure of compost pile halls, ventilation systems and biofilters are often insufficient to minimise the burden of compost-derived compounds in the air. Moreover, economic considerations forced smaller communities to establish less sophisticated facilities with open storage areas and other relevant sources for wind-borne dispersal of bioaerosols. Aim of the present study was to characterise the immission and dispersal of microbial volatiles (MVOC) and, besides, to find coincidences between MVOC and compost odour. METHODS: In the course of this study, the surroundings of two composting facilities, differing in their type of process engineering, were investigated for emission of volatiles in the environment. Both microbially and plant-derived substances were assessed, several of which have low odour thresholds. Air samples were taken in distances ranging from 50 to 800 m in a downwind direction from each facility. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Compost-derived and microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) were found at distances of up to 800 m from the composting facilities. Terpenes like alpha-pinene, camphene and camphor were the dominant compounds and coincided with typical compost odour, whereas several typical MVOC were not found at greater distances. The terpenes in combination with certain MVOC may play an important role in the perception of compost odour. Exposure concentrations were not of toxicological relevance, but sensory irritation and psychohygienic effects due to an annoyance potential of such compounds should not be dismissed. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: Although terpenes are generally associated with pleasant odour characteristics, they seemed to contribute to malodours in a mixture with other VOC, in this context of volatile waste from compost facilities. Malodorous emissions from biowaste have to be considered as sources of health complaints and the investigation of mixtures of compost-derived volatiles is still inevitable. Exposure levels have to be discussed taking VOC mixtures into account. Within composting facilities, technical devices have to be improved to minimise dispersal of volatiles to prevent residents from immissions eventually causing health complaints.     

企业环境信息公开的激励经济学研究

企业环境信息公开的意愿以及真实性成为了环境信息公开工作中面临的一个重要问题。本文从激励经济学的角度出发,分析了企业在环境信息公开过程中面临着的外部性内化、公众的逆向选择以及道德风险等问题,提出了政府主导,企业完善,多元参与的对策建议,以期实现环境保护与经济发展的"双赢"。     

Policy context as a factor of bias in the valuation of environmental goods – a dual-process theories perspective

When ecosystem services value estimates are applied in the economic assessment of environmental policies, high accuracy of these estimates is required. One of the directions in the scientific discussion on biases in stated preference (SP) valuation surveys builds on dual-process theories of judgment. The paper contributes to this literature by presenting an experiment where two types of judgment were induced via separate versus joint valuation of environmental goods. The results demonstrated that policy relevance of environmental issues, e.g. the need for conservation measures increases emotional response, causing a larger bias in the separate design as it involves ‘valuation by feeling.’ This finding suggests that the context of a specific policy, which is often the reason for conducting SP surveys, influences the answers, thereby making the results less reliable for use in cost–benefit analysis.     

大兴安岭地区中小学生人体数据调查与分析

通过对大兴安岭地区中小学生身高调查发现,该地区中小学学生的平均身高要高于《中国卫生统计年鉴》（2008）中同龄青少年的身高平均值,学生视力随年龄增长而下降。因此有必要为学生配备与其身高相匹配的课桌椅。     

Associations between driver training, determinants of risky driving behaviour and crash involvement

The core aim of the study is to examine associations between formal and informal practical driver training as well as driving experience on the one hand and young drivers’ safety attitudes, self-assessment of driving ability and self-reported driver behaviour on the other hand. An additional aim is to examine the associations between attitudes, self-assessment and behaviour on the one hand and crash involvement on the other hand. The results are based on a self-completion questionnaire survey conducted among a representative sample of Norwegian drivers aged 18–20 years (n = 1419). The results showed that there were small yet significant associations between driver training, on the one hand and traffic safety attitudes and risky driving behaviour on the other hand. The amount of formal driver training was negatively associated with the respondents’ evaluation of their driving skills; although the amount of lay instruction was positively associated with such self-evaluation. The results also showed that attitudes as well as self-assessment of driving ability were significantly associated with self-reported risk behaviour. This was especially true for attitudes related to rule violations. There was a strong association between crash involvement and exposure (measured as months holding a licence). Young novice drivers’ crash involvement seems stronger associated with driving skills (manifested as self-assessment of driving ability) than safety attitudes and self-reported driver behaviour. The consequences of the results for driver training and accident prevention are discussed.     

基于居民合理生活消费的人均碳排放计算

分析了我国居民消费直接与间接碳排放的变化及现状,并通过居民消费的微观角度,分析计算基于居民合理生活消费人均碳排放.试图通过居民消费的角度建立人均碳排放的核算方法,给出建议数据.根据国内当前主要消费环节的碳排放水平,对比国际先进水平和国内碳减排升级潜力,计算了满足居民正常小康生活水平条件下的人均碳排放,年人均排放约2203kg~2333kg碳.居民基本生活的碳排放主要集中在供暖制冷、住宅使用、污染治理和基础建设分摊等方面,而衣物与食品消耗、生活物质材料等方面的碳排放量所占比重相对较低.     

福建省建瓯市毛竹林生态系统固碳状态研究

毛竹林是碳汇的重要陆地生态系统类型,研究毛竹林系统的碳库及潜力是评价其固碳增汇的重要基础。以福建省建瓯市为研究对象,通过典型样点采样调查,对建瓯市的毛竹林生态系统碳储状态进行了分析。结果表明：建瓯市毛竹林单株平均碳量为11.5 kg C,竹秆约占60%;单位面积的土壤碳储量平均为C 90.6 t.hm-2（0~60 cm）;毛竹林生态系统单位面积的总碳量平均为C 150 t·hm-2;由此可以推算,建瓯市的毛竹林总碳储量为12.9 Tg C;如果以此为基础,则可以估算,目前全国竹林生态系统碳储量为870 Tg C。     

Understanding the Diversity of Public Interests in Wildlife Conservation

Abstract:  North American state wildlife agencies are increasingly faced with the challenge of effectively representing a diverse public. With increasing social conflict over wildlife issues, the future of wildlife conservation hinges on preparedness of the profession to respond to this challenge. In the interest of finding ways to improve response, 19 agencies in the western U.S. joined forces to initiate an investigation that would provide a better understanding of the diversity of wildlife-related interests in the region. Specific objectives, accomplished through use of a mail survey administered in 2004, were to categorize people on the basis of their value orientations toward wildlife and explore how different groups were distributed across states and to examine differences on sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes toward wildlife-related topics among groups. The focus was on two orientations: domination (view of wildlife that prioritizes human well-being over wildlife and treats wildlife in utilitarian terms); and mutualism (view of wildlife as capable of relationships of trust with humans and defined by a desire for companionship with wildlife). Four types of people were identified on the basis of these orientations. Types differed in their geographic distribution and wildlife-related attitudes and behaviors, revealing how value orientations can form the foundation for conflict on wildlife issues. Our characterizations of stakeholder groups offer a framework that can be applied over time and across geographic scales to improve conservation planning efforts and inform broader thinking about the social aspects of wildlife conservation .     

马鞍山市住宅冬季能耗调查

对马鞍山市60户住宅冬季能耗进行了问卷调查,分析了住宅建筑、采暖设备等的内容与特点,统计了冬季电、天然气和水的消耗,得出马鞍山市住宅冬季能耗相关指标;并比较了马鞍山市与长沙、上海等城市住宅的能耗调查结果,比较结果表明：虽然马鞍山市冬季平均能耗比同气候地区的大城市低,但采暖电耗并不比大城市低。     

西安市生态文明建设评价及预测

根据生态文明的涵义和生态市建设的总体思路,提出了生态文明建设3（系统层、子系统层、单项指标层）×3（经济发展,社会进步,环境保护）评价体系,其中包括25个单项指标。对西安市1998-2007年生态文明建设进行了定量评价研究,结果表明西安市生态文明建设处于整体上升的趋势;在此基础上,应用自回归预测模型对西安市经济、社会、环境和生态文明建设发展进行了预测,为西安市全面协调发展提供参考借鉴。