Cumulative impact assessment in environmental planning: A coastal wetland watershed example

Several theoretical, analytical, and institutional difficulties have impeded the development and application of the assessment of cumulative environmental impacts. Watershed development on coastal wetlands offers an ideal context for evaluating the land disturbance target approach to cumulative impact assessment. A model land use planning system involving a time series approach was developed for Elkhorn Slough in California. The approach included four major components: evaluation of erosion susceptibility, measurement of land disturbance, establishment of a land disturbance target, and a comparison of existing and target land disturbance values. Further research is needed to test the transferability of the approach in a wide range of coastal watersheds and to verify the applicability of the methods to other cumulative impact problems.     

From proposal to decision: Suggestions for tightening up the “NEPA process”

Although the process of documenting compliance with NEPA (the National Environmental Policy Act) requires no drastic revisions, it can be managed more rigorously. Suggestions for revision can be grouped under five major steps: 1) getting a complete proposal from the applicant; 2) getting the decision-making process onto the right decision-making path; 3) modifying the applicant's proposal 4) going down a shorter path through the EA/FONSI (environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact) or through categorical exclusion review; and 5) going down the longer path through the EIS. Step 2 is perhaps the most critical, because there a decision must be made whether to write an EA/FONSI or an EIS, on the basis of whether the proposal would “significantly affect … the … environment.” In the past, this decision has not always been made promptly or rigorously. Accordingly, we suggest that the agency responsible for NEPA compliance should develop a system (a “black box”), consisting of a core group of specialists working with an interdisciplinary team, using sophisticated techniques for modeling impacts and directing both their research and their writing according to the concept of significance. By determining more efficiently and reliably whether the impacts of a proposal would be significant, such an approach would improve management of the total process.     

移动通信基站电磁辐射污染分析及对策

移动通信基站发射天线产生的电磁波对环境造成电磁辐射污染，通过对沈阳移动通信公司部分基站产生的电磁辐射强度的测试，摸清了污染特点及规律，为今后环境管理规范化提供重要依据．     

关于高校环境类专业本科教学的思考

论述了从培养目标、课程设置、教学方法与实践等方面培养高素质复合型的环境类专业的本科生，以满足社会需求，并为环境类专业本科教学改革提供参考。     

独立学院教学中的四忌

独立学院的学生与母体高校学生相比有一定的特殊性。独立学院的教学如若完全沿用母体高校的方法和要求,势必会出现一些问题和矛盾。为此,在独立学院教学中,教师应注意四忌。     

十三陵地震台观测技术系统优化改造

在北京十三陵地震台建设了一个高度集成的地震观测监控系统,将原来分散的观测项目(如测震、GPS、气氡、气汞、电磁波、地电场等测项),改造为集中到一台服务器管理,在一个监控平台上统一实现了对台站数据的收集、入库、管理、处理、监控等业务;对这些观测项目可以在控制台上直接取数并将数据入库;初步实现了观测数据的收集、数据处理、数据管理、数据监控的软件管理系统,减少了系统维护工作量,方便台站工作人员操控。监控系统的地震前兆数据监管软件系统DataMonitor可准实时监视数据,检查数据的异常和到达情况,并向台站数据管理人员告警;可对数据库数据进行统计,包括数据到达情况统计、缺数统计、数据连续率统计等。该系统还提供多种前兆数据处理方法,实现对前兆数据的各种常规分析处理。     

地铁停车场上盖物业开发声环境影响评价研究

占地面积大、交通便利的地铁停车场上盖物业开发越来越受到青睐。以南京市江宁大学城停车场上盖物业为例,对受到地铁停车场、高架地铁和公路3方面噪声源影响的上盖物业进行了声环境影响预测分析。得出:该项目受到停车场噪声影响的最大声级达61.9dB(A),受到高架地铁噪声和公路噪声叠加影响的等效声级昼间可达67.7dB(A),夜间可达63.6dB(A)。在确保落实相应防护措施的前提下,地铁停车场上盖物业在声环境上总体上具有可行性。     

彭水电站蓄水前后鱼类群落多样性特征

根据2006-2008年9-10月渔业资源动态监测资料,分析研究了彭水电站蓄水前后坝上和坝下江段鱼类群落结构变化及其生物多样性变化特征.研究结果表明:3次监测中,调查江段出现的鱼类共有9科44属63种,其中长江上游特有鱼类22种;渔获物中,群体数量主要由体重＜50 g的小型鱼类和幼鱼组成,而群体重量主要由＜500g的中...     

Perceptions of the security and attractiveness of urban parking lots

This study concerns design features of urban parking lots which can increase the perception of such areas as both safe and attractive. College students evaluated the attractiveness and perceived security associated with 180 scenes of parking lots adjacent to commercial and multi-family residential structures in Atlanta and Athens, Georgia, U.S.A. High intergroup correlations (r > 0·90) indicated the reliability of evaluations of both perceived features. Regressions of physical features on perceived security ratings and attractiveness ratings yielded highly predictive models (R² = 0·76 and 0·80, respectively). For both sets of ratings a Maintenance and Design factor accounted for the most variance. Although attractiveness ratings were higher as the total amount of vegetation increased in a scene, security was in general rated higher only when vegetation was well maintained and appeared to be installed as part of a landscape design. Attractiveness was generally higher for multi-family residential scenes than for commercial scenes. Perceived security was higher for frontal views of structures, especially when entrances were proximate to the viewer. Research implications are discussed in terms of the impact of natural features in urban areas for increasing attractiveness and reducing fear of crime.