Enhanced water resource base for sustainable integrated water resource management

The article states the case for greatly enhanced reliance on desalination in the provision of freshwater. It argues that the concept of integrated water resource management (IWRM), should be expanded to routinely include desalination, and that sea water and brackish water should be listed among available sources of freshwater. In recent years, the price per m3 of freshwater obtained from desalination has steadily declined, and is now within competitive range of conventional sources, especially as extracting water from surface sources (rivers, lakes) is becoming increasingly expensive as well as ecologically harmful, and groundwater in many locations is saline or depleted. With the expectation that by 2020, five billion people will reside in megacities, today's conventional water resources are likely to become insufficient. As many of these megacities are located near ocean coasts, sea water seems a logical solution.     

NITRATE CONCENTRATIONS IN ILLINOIS RIVERS 1967 TO 1974: COMPARISON AMONG REPORTING AGENCIES1

ABSTRACT: Long term data on surface water quality can sometimes be assembled by combining data collected by different agencies at different times and assuming that between agency differences in data quality are insignificant. The objective of this paper was to assess the quality of riverine nitrate (NO₃) concentrations in Illinois measured and reported by four agencies from 1967 to 1974 by comparing median values for similar sampling locations and periods. A total of 17 river reaches were identified for which two agencies reported NO₃ concentrations during similar periods. Nonparametric comparison of median values and analysis of covariance with discharge as a covariant produced similar results. Nitrate concentrations reported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 1967 to 1971 were not statistically (P > 0.05) different from values reported by the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) for two of three river reaches. Additionally, NO₃ concentrations reported by USGS from 1972 to 1974 were not statistically different than concentrations reported by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) for four of five river reaches. From 1969 to 1971, NO₃ concentrations reported by the Illinois Department of Public Heath and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IDPH/IEPA) were less than one‐fourth the magnitude of values reported by ISWS. The median NO₃ concentrations measured by the Central Illinois Public Service (CIPS) were significantly greater than those measured by USGS and IDPH/IEPA in the three comparable sampling locations. The use of NO₃ concentrations measured by CIPS and IDPH/IEPA prior to 1972 is not recommended.     

TRANSIENT RESPONSE FUNCTIONS FOR CONJUNCTIVE WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN,IDAHO1

ABSTRACT: Increasing demands on western water are causing a mounting need for the conjunctive management of surface water and ground water resources. Under western water law, the senior water rights holder has priority over the junior water rights holder in times of water shortage. Water managers have been reluctant to conjunctively manage surface water and ground water resources because of the difficulty of quantification of the impacts to surface water resources from ground water stresses. Impacts from ground water use can take years to propagate through an aquifer system. Prediction of the degree of impact to surface water resources over time and the spatial distribution of impacts is very difficult. Response functions mathematically describe the relationship between a unit ground water stress applied at a specific location and stream depletion or aquifer water level change elsewhere in the system. Response functions can be used to help quantify the spatial and temporal impacts to surface water resources caused by ground water pumping. This paper describes the theory of response functions and presents an application of transient response functions in the Snake River Plain, Idaho. Transient response functions can be used to facilitate the conjunctive management of surface and ground water not only in the eastern Snake River Plain basin, but also in similar basins throughout the western United States.     

铅锌矿产资源开发重金属污染风险评价

在论述环境风险评价的概念、理论和方法的基础上,通过对某典型铅锌矿山重金属污染程度、重金属毒性响应系数和生态危害系数的计算与探讨,建立了铅锌矿山重金属生态风险评价指标体系.根据所建立的指标体系,计算了每个样点的生态风险指数,结果认为该矿山总体环境质量很差,重金属污染极其严重.     

作物秸秆资源的利用及其影响因素--以山西省夏县为例

作物秸秆资源的利用对提高食物安全,减轻环境污染,促进农业可持续发展具有重要意义.通过对农户的调查,分析了山西省夏县的秸秆利用途径,对该县秸秆利用现状进行了评价,并分析了造成这种现状的原因.结果表明,夏县作为典型的"小麦-玉米"二熟农作区,秸秆利用效率较高,其中小麦秸秆主要用于工业原料、饲料和还田,玉米秸秆则主要用于饲料和弃置堆放.这种利用方式与造纸业发展、传统的牲畜饲喂方式、农业机械化发展和气候特点有关.最后提出了进一步高效利用秸秆资源的建议.     

经济欠发达山区矿泉水资源的开发利用--以梅州市为例

基于矿泉水与人体健康的关系、在社会经济发展中的作用,以及对梅州市矿泉水资源条件及其开发利用现状的调研,探讨了经济欠发达山区矿泉水资源的开发利用对策和前景.认为应统一资源管理,加强质量监督力度,打造优质品牌,提高市场竞争能力,争取与食品、旅游等部门联营,使矿泉水产品多样化、系列化;结合地方工业建设和梅州旅游市场需求,培育矿泉水消费市场.     

我国油气企业环境会计核算及信息披露的探讨

在国民经济中占有主导地位的油气企业同时也是造成环境污染的主体之一。因此,建立油气企业环境会计制度有极其重要的现实意义。文章针对我国油气企业环境会计制度应用现状,运用环境会计基本理论,对企业环境会计核算方法及信息传播模式进行了探讨,以期为油气企业环境会计制度的实施提供一些理论依据和具体方法,推动油气企业环境会计制度的发展。     

论我国绿色会计理论体系的构建

运用系统论的思想和方法,对我国绿色会计理论体系的基本框架进行了构建,提出绿色会计理论体系作为系统是由若干个要素或子系统组成的有机整体.这些子系统之间既具有一定的联系,又都有其特定的功能作用,都要受到一定的社会、经济和生态资源等外部环境因素的影响.绿色会计理论体系的组成要素包括绿色会计的理论基础、职能、目标、对象、假设、原则、确认、计量和报表等内容.在此理论的基础上,提出了一些具体实施的可行性建议.     

Knowledge, values, uses and management of the Araucaria araucana forest by the indigenous Mapuche Pewenche people: A basis for collaborative natural resource management in southern Chile

One of the most important endemic tree species of Chile and at the same time one of the most endangered ones is Araucaria araucana (Mol.) C. Koch, the monkey‐puzzle tree. It grows in the Andes Mountains, homeland of the indigenous Mapuche Pewenche people who depend on this tree. This paper is based on field research that investigated the ecological knowledge, uses and management of the Araucaria araucana forest by indigenous Mapuche Pewenche people based on the socio‐cultural, spiritual and ecological relationships they have with the Araucaria forest, to find out how indigenous people and their knowledge could contribute to sustainable Araucaria forest management. A Mapuche Pewenche community located in the IX region of Chile contributed to this study. Based on the analyses this paper illustrates the nature of indigenous ecological knowledge of Araucaria araucana on the one hand, and its utility in native forest management on the other. The research shows that the Mapuche Pewenche hold ecological knowledge and conduct practices to manage their Araucaria forest in a balanced way. They conserve and use forest biodiversity at one and the same time. This paper provides recommendations for sustainable Araucaria forest management and conservation strategies ex‐situ and in‐situ incorporating indigenous knowledge and scientific knowledge and for promoting a collaborative natural resources management.     

Monsanto’s Biotechnology Politics: Discourses of Legitimation

Since the first product became commercially available in 1995, biotechnology has become the fastest growing crop technology, dominating large shares of the global agricultural market. The development of biotechnology, however, has given rise to questions regarding human and ecological safety, culminating in local and global political battles. While researchers interested in biotech politics have focused on areas such as media framing, social movements, and campaign work, less attention has been paid to how the industry has historically promoted and legitimized this swift proliferation. In this study, we conduct a discourse analysis of documents available on live and archived websites to discern the legitimation strategies employed by one important corporate actor, Monsanto. Findings show that for nearly two decades, Monsanto consistently employed discursive resources that concealed details about actors and action, reflected trends among experts in global sustainability discourse, and reshaped narratives to promote itself, products, and biotechnology in general.