Dams in the Amazon: Belo Monte and Brazil’s Hydroelectric Development of the Xingu River Basin

Hydroelectric dams represent major investments and major sources of environmental and social impacts. Powerful forces surround the decision-making process on public investments in the various options for the generation and conservation of electricity. Brazil’s proposed Belo Monte Dam (formerly Kararaô) and its upstream counterpart, the Altamira Dam (better known by its former name of Babaquara) are at the center of controversies on the decision-making process for major infrastructure projects in Amazonia. The Belo Monte Dam by itself would have a small reservoir area (440 km²) and large installed capacity (11, 181.3 MW), but the Altamira/Babaquara Dam that would regulate the flow of the Xingu River (thereby increasing power generation at Belo Monte) would flood a vast area (6140 km²). The great impact of dams provides a powerful reason for Brazil to reassess its current policies that allocate large amounts of energy in the country’s national grid to subsidized aluminum smelting for export. The case of Belo Monte and the five additional dams planned upstream (including the Altamira/Babaquara Dam) indicate the need for Brazil to reform its environmental assessment and licensing system to include the impacts of multiple interdependent projects.     

粘弹性地基上钢筋混凝土方板在低速撞击下的动力响应分析

针对工程中所遇到的撞击问题,在事先仅知道初速度的情况下,研究分析了半无限线性粘弹性地基上的钢筋混凝土方板受低速刚体撞击时的动力响应问题。与高速冲击问题中板结构发生局部破坏的情况不同,低速撞击下板结构发生的是整体响应破坏,因此计算时主要考虑结构的整体响应,但仍须考虑撞击局部损伤影响。建立了局部变形和整体响应间的关系模型,根据该模型推导出钢筋混凝土方板在低速撞击下位移响应w(x,y,t)和撞击反力p(t)的表达式,并结合算例讨论了粘弹性地基对计算结果的影响。     

污染影响型土壤环境影响评价过程中预测和评价方法

随着国民经济的持续发展,建设项目开发过程中可能造成土壤本身或与之相关的环境要素之间在物质、能量转移循环过程中受到不同程度的影响。以《环境影响评价技术导则土壤环境》(HJ 964-2018)为依据,对污染型土壤环境进行环境影响评价,为建设项目土壤环境保护提供科学依据。     

研究冷却塔噪声环境影响评价及污染防治措施

随着我国社会经济的发展速度不断加快,城市化建设层次越来越高,大量中央空调设备的冷却塔噪声影响到了人们的日常生活质量。基于此,本文重点针对冷却塔噪声环境的影响进行了分析和研究,提出了相关的有效防治策略,以此有效提高人们的生活质量和舒适度。     

探究城市污水处理项目的环境影响评价

水作为人类赖以生存的主要能源物质,随着社会综合水平的提高,各行业对水资源的需求越是急切。而现阶段城市中大量污水给环境带来很多不利影响,环保公司针对城市污水处理不断在技术上进行突破、完善,将智能化节能技术运用到城市污水处理中,使设备、资源得到充分利用,为人们用水条件带来更加充沛、丰富的保障与支持。为有效处理城市污水,争取在城市污水处理发挥更大作用,带动城市环境可持续发展。     

1949年以来中国环境与发展关系的演变

从IPAT方程出发,发现了环境影响随着经济发展或时间的演变依次遵循三个"倒U型"曲线规律,即环境影响强度的倒U型曲线、人均环境影响的倒U型曲线和环境影响总量的倒U型曲线。根据此规律,可以将该演化过程划分为四个阶段即:环境影响强度高峰前阶段、环境影响强度高峰到人均环境影响量高峰阶段、人均环境影响量高峰到环境影响总量高峰阶段以及环境影响总量稳定下降阶段。在环境演变的不同阶段,主要驱动力存在着明显的差异。在环境影响强度高峰前阶段,资源消耗或污染物排放增长更多地由资源或污染密集型技术进步驱动;在资源消耗或污染物强度高峰到人均资源消耗或污染物排放高峰阶段,主要由经济增长驱动;而在人均资源消耗或污染物排放高峰到资源消耗或污染物排放总量高峰阶段以及总量高峰以后的发展阶段,则主要由节约高效技术或污染减排技术进步来驱动。实证分析表明,中国目前环境与发展关系基本上处于经济增长主要驱动的环境影响强度高峰向人均环境影响高峰过渡阶段,这同时意味着中国要在短期内实现人均环境影响和环境影响总量高峰的跨越是异常困难的。     

遗产旅游地生态移民影响的实证研究——以武陵源风景名胜区为例

生态移民是近年来诸多景区为保护生态环境而采取的重要举措之一。以世界遗产地武陵源风景名胜区为例,通过对安置点居民的问卷调查与实地访谈获取第一手资料,从居民感知的角度分析生态移民给安置区居民所带来的经济、社会文化、资源环境、心理及安置政策等方面的影响及其相关因素。构建生态移民影响的感知差异分析模型,探讨不同基本背景的居民对生态移民影响的感知差异性。结果表明,安置点居民对生态移民的社会文化、资源环境以及心理层面的正面影响比较认可;对于经济影响的感知分歧较大;而对于移民政策的感知十分消极;不同性别、年龄、文化程度、收入水平以及不同旅游业参与程度的居民对生态移民影响的认知态度存在显著差异。在此基础上,指出武陵源生态移民过程中所存在的主要问题及相关政策导向     

城市污水处理厂建设程序中的环境影响评价研究

在介绍污水处理厂的基础建设程序及环境影响评价的发展概况的基础上,以京溪污水处理厂为例,指出城市规划部门在规划制定过程中,应加大环境影响评价工作的深度,以使污水厂的建设程序得以顺利开展。同时指出城市的卫生、地质、规划、国土、环保等职能部门在制定本部门的法规政策过程中,应发挥协调机制,在工程建设的相关方面达成共识,以确保污水处理厂等市政项目的建设顺利开展,促进城市更好的发展。     

Green energy generation by pressure retarded osmosis: State of the art and technical advancement—review

Pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO) is a method for converting salinity gradients to power by allowing water to flow through a semi-permeable membrane against an applied hydraulic pressure. PRO already has a long history, starting from the middle of the last century, and has rapidly improved in recent years. In this paper, we present a historical development of PRO since its inception: the development of this renewable energy process has gone through several stages, depending on technological developments, worldwide energy demands, and environmental concerns. The technological progress of the process is also studied, as well as its cost viability and environmental impact. Finally, some ideas to further develop the PRO process and mitigate its detrimental effects are discussed.     

Communicating risk for vulnerable groups: a case study of the Mano community’s strategies for collective knowledge to action

This paper discusses the emergent interest in risk communication as a strategy for disaster risk reduction. Communication plays an essential role in understanding risk, but studies suggest that people often do not respond in the way that risk experts anticipate. For risk communication to be effective, vulnerable communities need to understand risk within the local context as well as in terms of sustainability. Risk messages offer communities a way to enhance their collective knowledge of existing vulnerabilities, leading them towards alternative solutions for action. A longitudinal study of the Mano community development approach and its recovery from the 1995 Kobe earthquake illustrates how risk communication dynamics contributed to the community’s sustainable risk reduction. The study concludes that risk communication is a collaborative way for a community to work with risk experts, own their risk information, influence existing policies and practices, develop solutions to reduce vulnerability, and ultimately enhance a community’s capacity for managing future risk.