Can environmental impact assessments alone conserve freshwater fish biota? Review of the Chilean experience

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lacy, Shaw Nozaki, E-mail: shaw.lacy@gmail.com; Departmento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul; Centro Interdisciplinario de Cambio Global, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul

Chile was one of many countries that initiated environmental impact assessments in the 1990s, and has relied on their use for species conservation and territorial planning without the use of larger-scale environmental and ecological planning. The capacity of Chile's environmental impact assessment system (SEIA) to evaluate resident freshwater fishes and the potential impacts of water projects and aquaculture activities – two categories of projects that create direct threats to freshwater fishes – are assessed. Of the 3997 such submissions to the SEIA, only 0.6% conducted any freshwater fish assessment, and only 0.1% conducted any quantitative assessment of expected impacts frommore » the associated project. The small number of assessments was characterized by poor study design, inconsistent sampling methodology, and species misidentification. Traditional assessments failed to include freshwater fish ecology in the general assessment framework. The new strategic environmental evaluation system only underscores the need for vastly improved field sampling protocols and assessment methodologies.« less

Towards a methodology to formulate sustainable diets for livestock: accounting for environmental impact in diet formulation.

PubMed

Mackenzie, S G; Leinonen, I; Ferguson, N; Kyriazakis, I

2016-05-28

The objective of this study was to develop a novel methodology that enables pig diets to be formulated explicitly for environmental impact objectives using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. To achieve this, the following methodological issues had to be addressed: (1) account for environmental impacts caused by both ingredient choice and nutrient excretion, (2) formulate diets for multiple environmental impact objectives and (3) allow flexibility to identify the optimal nutritional composition for each environmental impact objective. An LCA model based on Canadian pig farms was integrated into a diet formulation tool to compare the use of different ingredients in Eastern and Western Canada. By allowing the feed energy content to vary, it was possible to identify the optimum energy density for different environmental impact objectives, while accounting for the expected effect of energy density on feed intake. A least-cost diet was compared with diets formulated to minimise the following objectives: non-renewable resource use, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, global warming potential and a combined environmental impact score (using these four categories). The resulting environmental impacts were compared using parallel Monte Carlo simulations to account for shared uncertainty. When optimising diets to minimise a single environmental impact category, reductions in the said category were observed in all cases. However, this was at the expense of increasing the impact in other categories and higher dietary costs. The methodology can identify nutritional strategies to minimise environmental impacts, such as increasing the nutritional density of the diets, compared with the least-cost formulation.

Final Environmental Assessment for the Airfield Safety Zone Vegetation Clearing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

JBMDL’s flying mission. Installation Restoration Program (IRP), Hazardous Materials and Waste Management There are several IRP sites within the...McGuire airfield area; however, none are expected to impact the Proposed Action. Negligible impacts on hazardous materials management during tree clearing...would be expected as only minor quantities of hazardous materials are likely to be used. BMPs would be followed to minimize the possibility of a

Environmental assessment of microwaves and the effect of European energy efficiency and waste management legislation.

PubMed

Gallego-Schmid, Alejandro; Mendoza, Joan Manuel F; Azapagic, Adisa

2018-03-15

More than 130 million microwaves are affected by European Union (EU) legislation which is aimed at reducing the consumption of electricity in the standby mode ('Standby Regulation') and at more sustainable management of end-of-life electrical and electronic waste ('WEEE Directive'). While legislation focuses on these two life cycle stages, there is little information on the environmental impacts of the entire life cycle of microwaves. To address this gap, this paper presents a comprehensive life cycle assessment of microwaves and assesses the environmental implications of the Standby Regulation and the WEEE Directive at the EU level. The impacts are first considered at the level of individual appliances and then at the EU level, with the aim of evaluating the potential environmental implications of the full implementation of the above two EU regulations by 2020. The effects of the electricity decarbonisation and the expected increase in the number of microwaves in use have also been considered. The results suggest that implementation of the EU regulation by 2020 will reduce the environmental impacts considered by 4%-9% compared to the current situation. The majority of these reductions is due to the Standby Regulation, with the contribution of the WEEE Directive being small (~0.3%). However, the expected decarbonisation of electricity will result in much higher reductions (6%-24%) for most impact categories. The results also show that the materials used to manufacture the microwaves, the manufacturing process and end-of-life disposal are environmental hot-spots for several impacts, including depletion of abiotic elements. Therefore, efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of a future electricity mix should be combined with the development of specific eco-design regulations for microwaves that stipulate optimisation of resource consumption. Possible future trends, such as shorter lifetimes and limited availability of some resources, make the development of such product regulations more critical. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

76 FR 26996 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for New Corporate Average Fuel...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-10

...Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NHTSA plans to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental impacts of the agency's Corporate Average Fuel Economy program for passenger automobiles (referred to herein as ``passenger cars'') and non-passenger automobiles (referred to herein as ``light trucks''). The EIS will consider the potential environmental impacts of new fuel economy standards for model years 2017-2025 passenger cars and light trucks that NHTSA will be proposing pursuant to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This notice initiates the NEPA scoping process by inviting comments from Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and the public to help identify the environmental issues and reasonable alternatives to be examined in the EIS. This notice also provides guidance for participating in the scoping process and additional information about the alternatives NHTSA expects to consider in its NEPA analysis. In preparing this notice, NHTSA has shared the document with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Environmental impact assessment of coal power plants in operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartan, Ayfer; Kucukali, Serhat; Ar, Irfan

2017-11-01

Coal power plants constitute an important component of the energy mix in many countries. However, coal power plants can cause several environmental risks such as: climate change and biodiversity loss. In this study, a tool has been proposed to calculate the environmental impact of a coal-fired thermal power plant in operation by using multi-criteria scoring and fuzzy logic method. We take into account the following environmental parameters in our tool: CO, SO2, NOx, particulate matter, fly ash, bottom ash, the cooling water intake impact on aquatic biota, and the thermal pollution. In the proposed tool, the boundaries of the fuzzy logic membership functions were established taking into account the threshold values of the environmental parameters which were defined in the environmental legislation. Scoring of these environmental parameters were done with the statistical analysis of the environmental monitoring data of the power plant and by using the documented evidences that were obtained during the site visits. The proposed method estimates each environmental impact factor level separately and then aggregates them by calculating the Environmental Impact Score (EIS). The proposed method uses environmental monitoring data and documented evidence instead of using simulation models. The proposed method has been applied to the 4 coal-fired power plants that have been operation in Turkey. The Environmental Impact Score was obtained for each power plant and their environmental performances were compared. It is expected that those environmental impact assessments will contribute to the decision-making process for environmental investments to those plants. The main advantage of the proposed method is its flexibility and ease of use.

Evaluating the environmental impacts of a nano-enhanced field emission display using life cycle assessment: a screening-level study.

PubMed

Upadhyayula, Venkata K K; Meyer, David E; Curran, Mary Ann; Gonzalez, Michael A

2014-01-21

Carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission displays (FEDs) are currently in the product development stage and are expected to be commercialized in the near future because they offer image quality and viewing angles comparable to a cathode ray tube (CRT) while using a thinner structure, similar to a liquid crystal display (LCD), and enable more efficient power consumption during use. To address concerns regarding the environmental performance of CNT-FEDs, a screening-level, cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted based on a functional unit of 10,000 viewing hours, the viewing lifespan of a CNT-FED. Contribution analysis suggests the impacts for material acquisition and manufacturing are greater than the combined impacts for use and end-of-life. A scenario analysis of the CNT paste composition identifies the metal components used in the paste are key contributors to the impacts of the upstream stages due to the impacts associated with metal preparation. Further improvement of the manufacturing impacts is possible by considering the use of plant-based oils, such as rapeseed oil, as alternatives to organic solvents for dispersion of CNTs. Given the differences in viewing lifespan, the impacts of the CNT-FED were compared with a LCD and a CRT display to provide more insight on how to improve the CNT-FED to make it a viable product alternative. When compared with CRT technology, CNT-FEDs show better environmental performance, whereas a comparison with LCD technology indicates the environmental impacts are roughly the same. Based on the results, the enhanced viewing capabilities of CNT-FEDs will be a more viable display option if manufacturers can increase the product's expected viewing lifespan.

Examining Social Climate and Youth Social Goals on Extended Wilderness Courses: A Path toward Improving Participant Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirkin, Benjamin J.

2013-01-01

This dissertation examined participants' expectations of the social climate on extended wilderness courses, how students' actually experienced the social climate during their course, and how these expectations, perceptions and the influence of environmental characteristics, impacted their goals for peer interactions. Pre and posttest surveys were…

77 FR 49856 - Environmental Impact Statement for the Salinas to San Luis Obispo Portion of the Coast Corridor...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-17

... likely to worsen, making travel times unreliable. In addition, space constraints limit the potential to... activity is expected to generate increased travel demand. By 2040, statewide population is expected to grow... continuing transportation challenges as evidenced by the following: Constrained Travel Options--While the...

Environmental impacts the of production and use of biodiesel.

PubMed

Živković, Snežana; Veljković, Milan

2018-01-01

Biodiesel as renewable, environmental friendly, less toxic, and biodegradable is an attractive alternative to fossil fuels and is produced mainly from vegetable oils and animal fats. It is expected, globally, that the use of renewable biofuels, in general, will increase rapidly in the near future. The growing biodiesel production and usage have encouraged assessment of its impact on the environment. The present paper reviews various aspects of biodiesel production using commercial processing technology and biodiesel use through evaluation and analysis of the studies concerning environmental impacts of biodiesel. As a general conclusion, it can be said that biodiesel has the potential to offer a series of perceived benefits such as political, economical, and agricultural, as well as environmental (due to its biodegradability, less toxicity, renewability) and health (greenhouse gas-saving, less harmful exhaust emissions).

Simulating the hydrologic response of a semiarid watershed to switchgrass cultivation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The conversion of land for biofuel cultivation is expected to increase given concerns about the sustainability of current fossil-fuel supplies. Nonetheless, research into the environmental impacts of biofuel crops, primarily the hydrological impacts of their cultivation, is in its infancy. To inve...

Regional variation in water-related impacts of shale gas development and implications for emerging international plays.

PubMed

Mauter, Meagan S; Alvarez, Pedro J J; Burton, Allen; Cafaro, Diego C; Chen, Wei; Gregory, Kelvin B; Jiang, Guibin; Li, Qilin; Pittock, Jamie; Reible, Danny; Schnoor, Jerald L

2014-01-01

The unconventional fossil fuel industry is expected to expand dramatically in coming decades as conventional reserves wane. Minimizing the environmental impacts of this energy transition requires a contextualized understanding of the unique regional issues that shale gas development poses. This manuscript highlights the variation in regional water issues associated with shale gas development in the U.S. and the approaches of various states in mitigating these impacts. The manuscript also explores opportunities for emerging international shale plays to leverage the diverse experiences of U.S. states in formulating development strategies that minimize water-related impacts within their environmental, cultural, and political ecosystem.

Framework for Sustainability Performance Assessment for Manufacturing Processes- A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, K.; Sultan, I.

2017-07-01

Manufacturing industries are facing tough competition due to increasing raw material cost and depleting natural resources. There is great pressure on the industry to produce environmental friendly products using environmental friendly processes. To address these issues modern manufacturing industries are focusing on sustainable manufacturing. To develop more sustainable societies, industries need to better understand how to respond to environmental, economic and social challenges. This paper proposed some framework and tools that accelerate the transition towards a sustainable system. The developed framework will be beneficial for sustainability assessment comparing different plans alongside material properties, ultimately helping the manufacturing industries to reduce the carbon emissions and material waste, besides improving energy efficiency. It is expected that this would be highly beneficial for determination of environmental impact of a process at early design stages. Therefore, it would greatly help the manufacturing industries for selection of process plan based on sustainable indices. Overall objective of this paper would have good impact on reducing air emissions and protecting environment. We expect this work to contribute to the development of a standard reference methodology to help further sustainability in the manufacturing sector.

A land use and environmental impact analysis of the Norfolk-Portsmouth SMSA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchel, W. B.; Berlin, G. L.

1973-01-01

The feasibility of using remote sensing techniques for land use and environmental assessment in the Norfolk-Portsmouth area is discussed. Data cover the use of high altitude aircraft and satellite remote sensing data for: (1) identifying various heirarchial levels of land use, (2) monitoring land use changes for repetitive basis, (3) assessing the impact of competing land uses, and (4) identifying areas of potential environmental deterioration. High altitude aircraft photographs (scale 1:120,000) acquired in 1959, 1970, and 1972, plus Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1) color composite images acquired in 1972 were used for the land use and environmental assessments. The high altitude aircraft photography, as expected, was successfully used to map Level 1, Level 2, as well as some urban Level 3 land use categories. However, the detail of land use analysis obtainable from the ERTS imagery exceeded the expectations for the U.S. Geological Survey's land use classification scheme. Study results are consistent with the initial investigation which determined Level 1 land use change to be 16.7 square km per year.

30 CFR 250.285 - How do I submit revised and supplemental EPs, DPPs, and DOCDs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., DPPs, and DOCDs? 250.285 Section 250.285 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT..., including information on changes in expected environmental impacts. (c) Procedures. All supplemental EPs... likely to result in a significant change in the impacts previously identified and evaluated, are subject...

Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement. Cullinan Ranch Specific Plan. Chapter 13. Comments and Responses.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-01

energy- intensive crop, and agricultural advisors expect alfalfa prices to rise significantly in the future. Sonoma County Dairy Advisor Dr. Richard...Bermon Alfred Heller John Tuteur. Jr James D Hobbs* Volker E#1ee Sonoma County I. Michael Heyman Mrs Robert Watson Alemo County JunO Foote Marilyn...86 ,. Sunnyvale 5 571 Sonoma County 56 21,266 i Class C -- Little or no protection of diked baylands at local level Alameda County 1 228 Alameda 2 71

Environmental impacts and regulatory policy implications of spray disposal of dredged material in Louisiana wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cahoon, D.R.; Cowan, J.H.

1988-01-01

The capabilities of a new wetland dredging technology were assessed along with associated newly developed state and federal regulatory policies to determine if policy expectations realistically match the technological achievement. Current regulatory practices require amelioration of spoil bank impacts upon abandonment of an oil/gas well, but this may not occur for many years or decades, if at all. Recently, a dreding method (high-pressure spray spoil disposal) was developed that does not create a spoil bank in the traditional sense. Its potential for reducing environmental impacts was recognized immediately by regulatory agencies for whom minimizing spoil bank impacts is a major concern. The use of high-pressure spray disposal as a suitable alternative to traditional dreding technology has been adopted as policy even though its value as a management tool has never been tested or verified. A qualitative evaluation at two spoil disposal sites in saline marsh indicates that high-pressure spray disposal may indeed have great potential to minimize impacts, but most of this potential remains unverified. Also, some aspects of current regulatory policy may be based on unrealistic expectations as to the ability of this new technology to minimize or eliminate spoil bank impacts.

76 FR 414 - Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN North) Rail...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-04

... expected growth in population and resulting increases in intercity travel demand between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo. As a result of this growth in travel demand, their travel delays from the growing... environmental analysis to help make corridor level decisions regarding the level of intercity passenger rail...

Testing the Use of Natural Schoolyards to Develop Stewardship Attitudes in Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Nicole; Shaw, Bret R.

2013-01-01

The study reported here measured the impact of natural schoolyards, within the science curriculum, on middle school students' environmental attitudes. It was expected that students engaged in such a curriculum would show increased pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Participants were 7th-grade students in Madison, WI. A modified form of the…

A multi-criteria assessment of fishing gear impacts in demersal fisheries.

PubMed

Innes, James P; Pascoe, Sean

2010-01-01

Fishing gears have multiple impacts on the marine environment, and policies to reduce these impacts through modifying fishing gears are becoming common place. Different modifications result in different changes in the set of environmental impacts, and imply different sets of costs and benefits for different stakeholder groups. In this study, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to quantify the relative importance of the environmental impacts of fishing to different stakeholder groups. Forty eight individuals representing six different stakeholder groups (ecologists, biologists, economists, gear technologists, fishers and fisheries managers) were surveyed. As expected, fishers and gear technologists placed substantially greater importance on reducing discarding of commercial fish species than on habitat damage. Priorities of other stakeholder groups varied, but all placed greater priority on habitats than the commercial sector. The results suggest that management aimed at reducing environmental impacts of fishing broader than just discarding is appropriate, but such moves are likely to be opposed by the fishing industry. The derived weights also have a direct application to fisheries management, as they allow otherwise non-commensurate impacts to be aggregated into an overall impact to compare environmental benefits from alternative modifications of fishing gear. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Remote sensing of environmental impact of land use activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paul, C. K.

1977-01-01

The capability to monitor land cover, associated in the past with aerial film cameras and radar systems, was discussed in regard to aircraft and spacecraft multispectral scanning sensors. A proposed thematic mapper with greater spectral and spatial resolutions for the fourth LANDSAT is expected to usher in new environmental monitoring capability. In addition, continuing improvements in image classification by supervised and unsupervised computer techniques are being operationally verified for discriminating environmental impacts of human activities on the land. The benefits of employing remote sensing for this discrimination was shown to far outweigh the incremental costs of converting to an aircraft-satellite multistage system.

30 CFR 550.285 - How do I submit revised and supplemental EPs, DPPs, and DOCDs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., DPPs, and DOCDs? 550.285 Section 550.285 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... in expected environmental impacts. (c) Procedures. All supplemental EPs, DPPs, and DOCDs, and those... change in the impacts previously identified and evaluated, are subject to all of the procedures under...

30 CFR 550.285 - How do I submit revised and supplemental EPs, DPPs, and DOCDs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., DPPs, and DOCDs? 550.285 Section 550.285 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... in expected environmental impacts. (c) Procedures. All supplemental EPs, DPPs, and DOCDs, and those... change in the impacts previously identified and evaluated, are subject to all of the procedures under...

30 CFR 550.285 - How do I submit revised and supplemental EPs, DPPs, and DOCDs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., DPPs, and DOCDs? 550.285 Section 550.285 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... in expected environmental impacts. (c) Procedures. All supplemental EPs, DPPs, and DOCDs, and those... change in the impacts previously identified and evaluated, are subject to all of the procedures under...

Draft Environmental Impact Statement. MX Deployment Area Selection and Land Withdrawal/Acquisition DEIS. Volume II. Comparative Analysis of Alternatives.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

would increase recreational activities, including ORV use and poaching . The sum of direct and indirect impacts on this species could be significant...months, and increased policing for poaching could reduce the long-term impacts to insignificant or even positive levels. No impacts would be predicted...comparable species found in five counties. Short-term impacts are expected from poaching and ORVs. The prairie chicken will likely reoccupy habitat

The environmental impact of future coal production and use in the EEC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1983-01-01

The aims of this study are to assess the expected increased levels of coal consumption in the European Community up to the year 2000; to estimate to what extent consumer demand is likely to be met by EEC production; to determine the level of polluting emissions which are likely to derive from changes in coal consumption and production; and finally, to compare the environmental impact of alternative, existing or developing means of coal utilisation. Contents: Conclusions; Future coal supply and demand in the EEC; Environmental consequences of coal production and use; Coal extraction; Transport and storage; Coal combustion: air pollution;more » Coal combustion: water pollution; Pollution from solid wastes; Coal conversion process; Environmental control technology; Bibliography.« less

Strategic environmental management: The emergence of a new competitive requirement for American industry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liddie, D.A.

1995-09-01

The environmental management infrastructure that has evolved in the United States over the last 25 years or so, since {open_quotes}the environment{close_quotes} burst into the national consciousness with events like Love Canal and Earth Day in the early 1970s. Increasingly, U.S. businesses must successfully compete with those of other nations to survive. Organizational re-engineering, cycle-time management, concurrent engineering, and lean manufacturing are just a few examples of corporate efforts to become better global competitors. U.S. environmental management systems, with their various inefficiencies, can hardly be excluded from these improvement initiatives. Businesses must find ways to reduce or control their environmental costsmore » and, where possible, find ways that {open_quotes}environment{close_quotes} can add positive value to their goods and services. Secondly, although considerable progress has been made in some areas, such as the development of cleaner combustion technology, the net total impact on our global ecosystem continues to rise. Ozone depletion, global warming, reduction in biodiversity, and depletion of non-renewable natural resources are a few of the more frequently cited examples. With the Earth`s population growing at a rate of approximately 100 million people per year, these global impacts can be expected to intensify. Social, regulatory, and economic forces will increasingly be brought to bear in addressing these growing impacts on our environment. As such, the environmental protection mandates placed on corporations can also be expected to increase over time.« less

Development of an environmental impact model for the steel industry in Libya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaghinin, Mansur Salem

The global demand for steel is rising due to the infrastructural development of emergent economies in countries such as India, China, Thailand and Libya. Consequently, global steel production has increased dramatically and is expected to grow further in the future. Processing iron and steel is associated with a number of sustainable development challenges, including various economic, environmental and social issues. The increasing prominence of environmental issues in international and national political discourse, including the developing countries, means that stakeholders demand that manufacturers minimise the negative impacts of their operations.The steel industry must be able to measure and assess its environmental impacts and demonstrate continuous improvements. This requires an environmental management strategy to manage and minimise impacts on the environment. This study focuses on developing an environmental impacts model in steel industry to investigate the most important environmental parameters and their importance in order to mitigate environmental impacts.Based on the literature review and the elements that are considered as waste (derived from the waste survey in Libyan iron and steel industry), the potential environmental impacts of the steel industry are identified as criteria and sub-criteria. Then, a model is built using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) software based on the identified criteria and sub-criteria.The model also illustrates the overall goal which is creating environmental impacts model for steel industry, in addition, criteria and sub-criteria are listed to clarify the situation and make the analysis clearer and understandable. Pair wise comparisons are used to derive accurate ratio scale priorities.The results are analysed and presented as prioritised list of environmental impacts. Moreover, a series of sensitivity analyses are conducted to investigate the impact of changing the priority of the criteria on the alternatives' ranking. The validation of the proposed model is carried out to assess its validity and to see this model from the perspectives of the professionals from steel industry.

Environmental impact of the Gulf War: An integrated preliminary assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khordagui, Hosny; Al-Ajmi, Dhari

1993-07-01

This article provides an objective integrated environmental impact assessment of the Gulf War consequences. The environmental damage was evaluated and found to be significantly exaggerated by the media and speculators. The total amount of burned crude oil was calculated to be 52.5 million metric tons. Most air pollution field measurements were comparable to those found in Western cities. The health impact associated with such exposure was found to be minimal. The total amount of oil released into the marine environment ranged between 2 and 4 million barrels, much less than the early estimation of 12 14 million barrels. The marine environment is expected to recover much faster than earlier anticipations. Unlike water and air, soil pollution is likely to persist for some years to come.

Environmental Impact Analysis Process. Volume 1. Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement Construction and Operation of Space Launch Complex 7, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-06

Cfiada Agua Viva is a south-flowing, perennial drainage located east of the project area and fed by two springs near Wild Horse Flats. Perennial yields...from this drainage are expected to be less than five gallons per minute (gpm), or 60 acre-feet per year. Caflada Agua Viva has a watershed area of... Agua Viva drainages are shown in Table 3.2.1 (Surface Water Quality, Point Arguello Area). Notably high values of total hardness, specific

Environmental Impact Analysis Process. Environmental Assessment for Space Division Proposed Housing, White Point, San Pedro, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-07-01

design of runoff control facilities, and the use of standard engineering practices, are expected to render any potential impacts negligible. E. Diking...Angeles Star in the 1800’s ( Heizer 1968). 1-21 Further information on the Gabrielino can be found in "Calif- ornia’s Gabrielino Indians" by Bernice Eastman...indicated to be located near to or within the project area ( Heizer 1968). Similarly, a list of Gabrielino sites in the Bureau of American Ethnology’s (1952

Reducing Food Loss and Waste to Enhance Food Security and Environmental Sustainability.

PubMed

Shafiee-Jood, Majid; Cai, Ximing

2016-08-16

While food shortage remains a big concern in many regions around the world, almost one-third of the total food production is discarded as food loss and waste (FLW). This is associated with about one-quarter of land, water, and fertilizer used for crop production, even though resources and environmental constraints are expected to limit food production around the world. FLW reduction represents a potential opportunity to enhance both food security and environmental sustainability and therefore has received considerable attention recently. By reviewing the recent progress and new developments in the literature, this paper highlights the importance of FLW prevention as a complementary solution to address the Grand Challenge of global food security and environmental sustainability. However, raising awareness only is not enough to realize the expected FLW reduction. We identify the knowledge gaps and opportunities for research by synthesizing the strategies of FLW reduction and the barriers, including (1) filling the data gaps, (2) quantifying the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of FLW reduction strategies, (3) understanding the scale effects, and (4) exploring the impacts of global transitions. It is urgent to take more aggressive yet scientifically based actions to reduce FLW, which require everyone's involvement along the food supply chain, including policy makers, food producers and suppliers, and food consumers.

[Development of technologies of population health management in Kazakhstan based on an integrated assessment of the combined exposure to environmental factors].

PubMed

Sraubaev, E N; Serik, B

2013-01-01

At present there is overdue necessity of an integral approach to the assessment of health status and the impact of environmental factors on it, in the development of science-based management decisions and programs on improvement of the health status of the population of Kazakhstan and in the increase in life expectancy from the birth and healthy life expectancy. The purpose of the proposed program--improving health and increasing life expectancy from the birth and healthy life expectancy of the population of Kazakhstan. Based on a meta-analysis to justify the target age group in which an implementation of complex of preventive measures will increase both the life expectancy from the birth and healthy life expectancy, to perform a comprehensive health screening for the basic classes of diseases and behavioral characteristics of the target group in the course of a multicentre studies to give a comprehensive hygienic characteristics of the ecological status of the studied regions and to develop the Health Passport of the region, to develop a model of the combined effects of environmental factors on health; to create a theoretical model for the calculation of life expectancy from the birth and healthy life expectancy, taking into account the limits of modifiability of factors that affect them, and justify a comprehensive program of management decisions on modification of factors, to carry out pilot studies on the development and validation technological (managemental) solutions to control modifiable factors that affect life expectancy from the birth and healthy life expectancy.

Exploring the potential impacts of tourism development on social and ecological change in the Solomon Islands.

PubMed

Diedrich, Amy; Aswani, Shankar

2016-11-01

Pacific Island communities may be vulnerable to negative impacts of economic development, which is often considered a strategy for reducing vulnerability to environmental change. Studies that evaluate potential impacts of economic development in isolated communities may be inaccurate to only focus on asking people to anticipate impacts of phenomena they have had minimal exposure to. We used an open-ended approach to evaluate how communities in the Solomon Islands perceived change, and used this information to anticipate potential impacts of the government's plans to develop tourism. Our results showed mostly negative expectations of change, particularly socio-cultural, which was perceived as being driven by diminishing social capital, foreign influence, and economic development. Despite minimal exposure, locals supported tourism and had more positive expectations of change associated with this activity. Our findings emphasize the need for locally appropriate planning to ensure intended positive impacts of tourism and other forms of economic development.

NOAA data service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beginning this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a new source of information for scientists seeking information on environmental assessment and impact studies, facility site planning, research program planning, project data tracking and management, and new data.The agency's new National Environmental Data Referral Service (NEDRES) is an electronic catalog that identifies the existence, location, characteristics, and availability of conditions of environmental data. NOAA expects NEDRES to develop into a national network serving federal, state, and private organizations. NEDRES now contains about 13,000 data files.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Peacekeeper in Minuteman Silos, 90th Strategic MIssile Wing, F. E. Warren Air Force Base

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-01

exceed a 5-year period. Single-family and multifamily housing will experience both growth and decline cycle impact conditions . Single family housing will... growth and decline cycle impact conditions . A high and significant short-term impact is the result of a required supply of 42 units in 1989 ( growth ...over-design. The model corroborated, however, that expansion is necessary even for existing conditions , much less the 114-person growth expected during

Connecting phenological predictions with population growth rates for mountain pine beetle, an outbreak insect

Treesearch

James A. Powell; Barbara J. Bentz

2009-01-01

It is expected that a significant impact of global warming will be disruption of phenology as environmental cues become disassociated from their selective impacts. However there are few, if any, models directly connecting phenology with population growth rates. In this paper we discuss connecting a distributional model describing mountain pine beetle phenology with a...

The Response of Environmental Capacity for Malaria Transmission in West Africa to Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamana, T. K.; Eltahir, E. A.

2011-12-01

The climate of West Africa is characterized by north-south gradients in temperature and rainfall. Environmental capacity for malaria transmission (e.g. as measured by vectorial capacity) is strongly tied to these two variables; temperature affects the development rate of the malaria parasite, as well as the lifespan of the mosquitoes that transmit the disease, and rainfall is tied to mosquito abundance, as the vector lays its eggs in rain-fed water pools. A change in climate is therefore expected to lead to changes in the distribution of malaria transmission. Current general circulation models agree that the temperature in West Africa is expected to increase by several degrees in the next century. However they predict a wide range of possible rainfall scenarios in the future, from intense drying to significant increases in rainfall (Christensen et al., 2007). The effects these changes will have on environmental capacity for malaria transmission depend on the magnitude and direction of the changes, and on current conditions. For example, malaria transmission will be more sensitive to positive changes in rainfall in dry areas where mosquito populations are currently limited by water availability than in relatively wet areas. Here, we analyze combinations of changes in rainfall and temperature within the ranges predicted by GCMs, and assess the impact these combinations will have on the environmental capacity for malaria transmission. In particular, we identify climate change scenarios that are likely to have the greatest impact on environmental capacity for malaria transmission, as well as geographic "hot spots" where the greatest changes are to be expected. Christensen, J. H., Busuioc, A., & et al. (2007). Regional climate projections. In S. Solomon (Ed.), Climate change 2007: The physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The use of regional advance mitigation planning (RAMP) to integrate transportation infrastructure impacts with sustainability; a perspective from the USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorne, James H.; Huber, Patrick R.; O'Donoghue, Elizabeth; Santos, Maria J.

2014-05-01

Globally, urban areas are expanding, and their regional, spatially cumulative, environmental impacts from transportation projects are not typically assessed. However, incorporation of a Regional Advance Mitigation Planning (RAMP) framework can promote more effective, ecologically sound, and less expensive environmental mitigation. As a demonstration of the first phase of the RAMP framework, we assessed environmental impacts from 181 planned transportation projects in the 19 368 km2 San Francisco Bay Area. We found that 107 road and railroad projects will impact 2411-3490 ha of habitat supporting 30-43 threatened or endangered species. In addition, 1175 ha of impacts to agriculture and native vegetation are expected, as well as 125 crossings of waterways supporting anadromous fish species. The extent of these spatially cumulative impacts shows the need for a regional approach to associated environmental offsets. Many of the impacts were comprised of numerous small projects, where project-by-project mitigation would result in increased transaction costs, land costs, and lost project time. Ecological gains can be made if a regional approach is taken through the avoidance of small-sized reserves and the ability to target parcels for acquisition that fit within conservation planning designs. The methods are straightforward, and can be used in other metropolitan areas.

Environmental impact assessment of the industrial estate development plan with the geographical information system and matrix methods.

PubMed

Ghasemian, Mohammad; Poursafa, Parinaz; Amin, Mohammad Mehdi; Ziarati, Mohammad; Ghoddousi, Hamid; Momeni, Seyyed Alireza; Rezaei, Amir Hossein

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is environmental impact assessment of the industrial estate development planning. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2010 in Isfahan province, Iran. GIS and matrix methods were applied. Data analysis was done to identify the current situation of the region, zoning vulnerable areas, and scoping the region. Quantitative evaluation was done by using matrix of Wooten and Rau. The net score for impact of industrial units operation on air quality of the project area was (-3). According to the transition of industrial estate pollutants, residential places located in the radius of 2500 meters of the city were expected to be affected more. The net score for impact of construction of industrial units on plant species of the project area was (-2). Environmental protected areas were not affected by the air and soil pollutants because of their distance from industrial estate. Positive effects of project activities outweigh the drawbacks and the sum scores allocated to the project activities on environmental factor was (+37). Totally it does not have detrimental effects on the environment and residential neighborhood. EIA should be considered as an anticipatory, participatory environmental management tool before determining a plan application.

Life cycle based analysis of demands and emissions for residential water-using appliances.

PubMed

Lee, Mengshan; Tansel, Berrin

2012-06-30

Environmental impacts of energy and water demand and greenhouse gas emissions from three residential water-using appliances were analyzed using life cycle assessment (LCA) based approach in collaboration of economic input-output model. This study especially focused on indirect consumption and environmental impacts from end-use/demand phase of each appliance. Water-related activities such as water supply, water heating and wastewater treatment were included in the analysis. The results showed that environmental impacts from end-use/demand phase are most significant for the water system, particularly for the energy demand for water heating (73% for clothes washer and 93% for showerheads). Reducing water/hot water consumption during the end-use/demand phase is expected to improve the overall water-related energy burden and water use sustainability. In the analysis of optimal lifespan for appliances, the estimated values (8-21 years) using energy consumption balance approach were found to be lower than that using other methods (10-25 years). This implies that earlier replacement with efficiency models is encouraged to minimize the environmental impacts of the product. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CELLULAR UPTAKE AND TOXICITY OF DENDRITIC NANOMATERIALS: AN INTEGRATED PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND TOXICOGENOMICS STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

The successful completion of this project is expected to provide industry with critical data and predictive tools needed to assess the health and environmental impact of dendritic nanomaterials such as EDA core PAMAM dendrimers.

SPERM COUNT DISTRIBUTIONS IN FERTILE MEN

EPA Science Inventory

Sperm concentration and count are often used as indicators of environmental impacts on male reproductive health. Existing clinical databases may be biased towards subfertile men with low sperm counts and less is known about expected sperm count distributions in cohorts of fertil...

EPA’s Environmental Justice Research Roadmap and Interagency Efforts on Climate Justice

EPA Science Inventory

Stressors associated with climate change are expected to be disproportionately greater for overburdened communities. This webinar will present activities of the Climate Impacts subcommittee of the Federal Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Stressors associated with climate chang...

Environmental impact of PV cell waste scenario.

PubMed

Bogacka, M; Pikoń, K; Landrat, M

2017-12-01

Rapid growth of the volume of waste from PV cells is expected in the following years. The problem of its utilization seems to be the most important issue for future waste management systems. The environmental impacts of the PV recycling scenario are presented in the manuscript. The analysis is based on the LCA approach and the average data available in specialized databases for silicon standard PV cell is used. The functional unit includes parameters like: efficiency, composition, surface area. The discussion on the environmental impact change due to the location of the PV production and waste processing plants is presented in the manuscript. Additionally, the discussion on the environmental effect of substituting different energy resources with PV cells is presented in the manuscript. The analysis of the PV cell life cycle scenario presented in the article was performed using the SIMA PRO software and data from Ecoinvent 3.0 database together with additional data obtained from other sources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interim Feasibility Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Grays Harbor, Chehalis and Hoquiam Rivers, Washington, Channel Improvements for Navigation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

these conditions . Therefore, the no-action plan is not being recommended. With the present channel conditions and anticipated slow growth for... conditions very similar to those of today. No ocean disposal is anticipated. Because no significant growth in socioeconomic activity is expected without...accuracy; however, project construction provides conditions favorable for growth . The service industry would be expected to closely follow any increase

Is Decoupling GDP Growth from Environmental Impact Possible?

PubMed

Ward, James D; Sutton, Paul C; Werner, Adrian D; Costanza, Robert; Mohr, Steve H; Simmons, Craig T

2016-01-01

The argument that human society can decouple economic growth-defined as growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP)-from growth in environmental impacts is appealing. If such decoupling is possible, it means that GDP growth is a sustainable societal goal. Here we show that the decoupling concept can be interpreted using an easily understood model of economic growth and environmental impact. The simple model is compared to historical data and modelled projections to demonstrate that growth in GDP ultimately cannot be decoupled from growth in material and energy use. It is therefore misleading to develop growth-oriented policy around the expectation that decoupling is possible. We also note that GDP is increasingly seen as a poor proxy for societal wellbeing. GDP growth is therefore a questionable societal goal. Society can sustainably improve wellbeing, including the wellbeing of its natural assets, but only by discarding GDP growth as the goal in favor of more comprehensive measures of societal wellbeing.

Investigation of the environmental impacts of naturally occurring radionuclides in the processing of sulfide ores for gold using gamma spectrometry.

PubMed

Gbadago, J K; Faanhof, A; Darko, E O; Schandorf, C

2011-09-01

The possible environmental impacts of naturally occurring radionuclides on workers and a critical community, as a result of milling and processing sulfide ores for gold by a mining company at Bogoso in the western region of Ghana, have been investigated using gamma spectroscopy. Indicative doses for the workers during sulfide ore processing were calculated from the activity concentrations measured at both physical and chemical processing stages. The dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent, radium equivalent activity, external and internal hazard indices, and radioactivity level index for tailings, for the de-silted sediments of run-off from the vicinity of the tailings dam through the critical community, and for the soils of the critical community's basic schools were calculated and found to be lower than their respective permissible limits. The environmental impact of the radionuclides is therefore expected to be low in this mining environment.

Theoretical Explanations of Environmental Motivations and Expectations of Clients on Green Building Demand and Investment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iheanyichukwu Joachim, Onuoha; Kamarudin, Norhaya; Uche Aliagha, Godwin; Ufere, Kalu Joseph

2015-01-01

In building industry, green demand and investment creates a positive footprint on the environment. However, these environmental opportunities have not been adequately harnessed and explored by Clients of green building apparently because of poor understanding of the motivating drivers and benefits accruing from green building demand and investment. The decision to demand for or invest in green building is influenced by certain environmental motivating drivers and expectations which have not been fully examined by researchers and not well understood by stakeholders. Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Theory of Value Belief Norm (VBN) explanations, this study focused on the Clients, purchasers and users' motivations and intentions to go for green building. Based on the reviewed theories, we hypothesized that environmental motivations and expectations for green building demand and investment are embedded in the environmental quest for protection of eco-system and bio-diversity, improvement of water and air quality, reduction of solid waste, conservation of natural resources, reduction of societal costs of landfill creation and maintenance, minimization of site impact and reduction emission to air and enhanced energy efficiency. However, the predictive validity of these propositions depends on the client's beliefs, values, social pressure, and perceived behavioural control.

THE GOBAL CHANGE AIR QUALITY ASSESSMENT: BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW OF INTRAMURAL WORK

EPA Science Inventory

Factors such as population growth and migration, economic expansion, land use, resource availability, climate change, and technology change impact environmental quality and human health. With populations expected to continue to grow, and with additional countries joining the ran...

75 FR 17134 - Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Broward County Shore Protection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-05

... in House Document No. 91/89 dated February 18, 1965, as described in the Chief's Report dated June 15... sustainable beach to residents and visitors. Additionally, the city expects the GRR and associated studies...

Sustainability Assessment of Coal-Fired Power Plants with Carbon Capture and Storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Widder, Sarah H.; Butner, R. Scott; Elliott, Michael L.

2011-11-30

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has the ability to dramatically reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power production. Most studies find the potential for 70 to 80 percent reductions in CO2 emissions on a life-cycle basis, depending on the technology. Because of this potential, utilities and policymakers are considering the wide-spread implementation of CCS technology on new and existing coal plants to dramatically curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the power generation sector. However, the implementation of CCS systems will have many other social, economic, and environmental impacts beyond curbing GHG emissions that must be considered to achieve sustainable energymore » generation. For example, emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and particulate matter (PM) are also important environmental concerns for coal-fired power plants. For example, several studies have shown that eutrophication is expected to double and acidification would increase due to increases in NOx emissions for a coal plant with CCS provided by monoethanolamine (MEA) scrubbing. Potential for human health risks is also expected to increase due to increased heavy metals in water from increased coal mining and MEA hazardous waste, although there is currently not enough information to relate this potential to actual realized health impacts. In addition to environmental and human health impacts, supply chain impacts and other social, economic, or strategic impacts will be important to consider. A thorough review of the literature for life-cycle analyses of power generation processes using CCS technology via the MEA absorption process, and other energy generation technologies as applicable, yielded large variability in methods and core metrics. Nonetheless, a few key areas of impact for CCS were developed from the studies that we reviewed. These are: the impact of MEA generation on increased eutrophication and acidification from ammonia emissions and increased toxicity from MEA production and the impact of increased coal use including the increased generation of NOx from combustion and transportation, impacts of increased mining of coal and limestone, and the disposal of toxic fly ash and boiler ash waste streams. Overall, the implementing CCS technology could contribute to a dramatic decrease in global GHG emissions, while most other environmental and human health impact categories increase only slightly on a global scale. However, the impacts on human toxicity and ecotoxicity have not been studied as extensively and could have more severe impacts on a regional or local scale. More research is needed to draw strong conclusions with respect to the specific relative impact of different CCS technologies. Specifically, a more robust data set that disaggregates data in terms of component processes and treats a more comprehensive set of environmental impacts categories from a life-cycle perspective is needed. In addition, the current LCA framework lacks the required temporal and spatial scales to determine the risk of environmental impact from carbon sequestration. Appropriate factors to use when assessing the risk of water acidification (groundwater/oceans/aquifers depending on sequestration site), risk of increased human toxicity impact from large accidental releases from pipeline or wells, and the legal and public policy risk associated with licensing CO2 sequestration sites are also not currently addressed. In addition to identifying potential environmental, social, or risk-related issues that could impede the large-scale deployment of CCS, performing LCA-based studies on energy generation technologies can suggest places to focus our efforts to achieve technically feasible, economically viable, and environmentally conscious energy generation technologies for maximum impact.« less

Corn-Based Ethanol Production and Environmental Quality: A Case of Iowa and the Conservation Reserve Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Secchi, Silvia; Gassman, Philip W.; Williams, Jimmy R.; Babcock, Bruce A.

2009-10-01

Growing demand for corn due to the expansion of ethanol has increased concerns that environmentally sensitive lands retired from agricultural production and enrolled into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) will be cropped again. Iowa produces more ethanol than any other state in the United States, and it also produces the most corn. Thus, an examination of the impacts of higher crop prices on CRP land in Iowa can give insight into what we might expect nationally in the years ahead if crop prices remain high. We construct CRP land supply curves for various corn prices and then estimate the environmental impacts of cropping CRP land through the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model. EPIC provides edge-of-field estimates of soil erosion, nutrient loss, and carbon sequestration. We find that incremental impacts increase dramatically as higher corn prices bring into production more and more environmentally fragile land. Maintaining current levels of environmental quality will require substantially higher spending levels. Even allowing for the cost savings that would accrue as CRP land leaves the program, a change in targeting strategies will likely be required to ensure that the most sensitive land does not leave the program.

Environmental health impacts of unconventional natural gas development: a review of the current strength of evidence.

PubMed

Werner, Angela K; Vink, Sue; Watt, Kerrianne; Jagals, Paul

2015-02-01

Rapid global expansion of unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) raises environmental health concerns. Many studies present information on these concerns, yet the strength of epidemiological evidence remains tenuous. This paper is a review of the strength of evidence in scientific reporting of environmental hazards from UNGD activities associated with adverse human health outcomes. Studies were drawn from peer-reviewed and grey literature following a systematic search. Five databases were searched for studies published from January 1995 through March 2014 using key search terms relevant to environmental health. Studies were screened, ranked and then reviewed according to the strength of the evidence presented on adverse environmental health outcomes associated with UNGD. The initial searches yielded >1000 studies, but this was reduced to 109 relevant studies after the ranking process. Only seven studies were considered highly relevant based on strength of evidence. Articles spanned several relevant topics, but most focussed on impacts on typical environmental media, such as water and air, with much of the health impacts inferred rather than evidenced. Additionally, the majority of studies focussed on short-term, rather than long-term, health impacts, which is expected considering the timeframe of UNGD; therefore, very few studies examined health outcomes with longer latencies such as cancer or developmental outcomes. Current scientific evidence for UNGD that demonstrates associations between adverse health outcomes directly with environmental health hazards resulting from UNGD activities generally lacks methodological rigour. Importantly, however, there is also no evidence to rule out such health impacts. While the current evidence in the scientific research reporting leaves questions unanswered about the actual environmental health impacts, public health concerns remain intense. This is a clear gap in the scientific knowledge that requires urgent attention. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cognitive-Motivational Determinants of Residents’ Civic Engagement and Health (Inequities) in the Context of Noise Action Planning: A Conceptual Model

PubMed Central

Riedel, Natalie; van Kamp, Irene; Köckler, Heike; Scheiner, Joachim; Loerbroks, Adrian; Claßen, Thomas; Bolte, Gabriele

2017-01-01

The Environmental Noise Directive expects residents to be actively involved in localising and selecting noise abatement interventions during the noise action planning process. Its intervention impact is meant to be homogeneous across population groups. Against the background of social heterogeneity and environmental disparities, however, the impact of noise action planning on exposure to traffic-related noise and its health effects is unlikely to follow homogenous distributions. Until now, there has been no study evaluating the impact of noise action measures on the social distribution of traffic-related noise exposure and health outcomes. We develop a conceptual (logic) model on cognitive-motivational determinants of residents’ civic engagement and health (inequities) by integrating arguments from the Model on household’s Vulnerability to the local Environment, the learned helplessness model in environmental psychology, the Cognitive Activation Theory of Stress, and the reserve capacity model. Specifically, we derive four hypothetical patterns of cognitive-motivational determinants yielding different levels of sustained physiological activation and expectancies of civic engagement. These patterns may help us understand why health inequities arise in the context of noise action planning and learn how to transform noise action planning into an instrument conducive to health equity. While building on existing frameworks, our conceptual model will be tested empirically in the next stage of our research process. PMID:28556813

Cognitive-Motivational Determinants of Residents' Civic Engagement and Health (Inequities) in the Context of Noise Action Planning: A Conceptual Model.

PubMed

Riedel, Natalie; van Kamp, Irene; Köckler, Heike; Scheiner, Joachim; Loerbroks, Adrian; Claßen, Thomas; Bolte, Gabriele

2017-05-30

The Environmental Noise Directive expects residents to be actively involved in localising and selecting noise abatement interventions during the noise action planning process. Its intervention impact is meant to be homogeneous across population groups. Against the background of social heterogeneity and environmental disparities, however, the impact of noise action planning on exposure to traffic-related noise and its health effects is unlikely to follow homogenous distributions. Until now, there has been no study evaluating the impact of noise action measures on the social distribution of traffic-related noise exposure and health outcomes. We develop a conceptual (logic) model on cognitive-motivational determinants of residents' civic engagement and health (inequities) by integrating arguments from the Model on household's Vulnerability to the local Environment, the learned helplessness model in environmental psychology, the Cognitive Activation Theory of Stress, and the reserve capacity model. Specifically, we derive four hypothetical patterns of cognitive-motivational determinants yielding different levels of sustained physiological activation and expectancies of civic engagement. These patterns may help us understand why health inequities arise in the context of noise action planning and learn how to transform noise action planning into an instrument conducive to health equity. While building on existing frameworks, our conceptual model will be tested empirically in the next stage of our research process.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Ulysses Mission (Tier 2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) addresses the environmental impacts which may be caused by the preparation and operation of the Ulysses spacecraft, including its planned launch on the Space Transportation System (STS) Shuttle and the alternative of canceling further work on the mission. The launch configuration will use the STS/Inertial Upper Stage (IUS)/Payload Assist Module-Special(PAM-S) combination. The Tier 1 EIS included a delay alternative which considered the Titan 4 launch vehicle as an alternative booster stage for launch in 1991 or later. However, the U.S. Air Force, which procures the Titan 4 for NASA, could not provide a Titan 4 vehicle for the 1991 launch opportunity because of high priority Department of Defense requirements. The only expected environmental effects of the proposed action are associated with normal Shuttle launch operations. These impacts are limited largely to the near-field at the launch pad, except for temporary stratospheric ozone effects during launch and occasional sonic boom effects near the landing site. These effects have been judged insufficient to preclude Shuttle launches. In the event of (1) an accident during launch, or (2) reentry of the spacecraft from earth orbit, there are potential adverse health and environmental effects associated with the possible release of plutonium dioxide from the spacecraft's radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG). The potential effects considered in this EIS include risks of air and water quality impacts, local land area contamination, adverse health and safety impacts, the disturbance of biotic resources, impacts on wetland areas or areas containing historical sites, and socioeconomic impacts. Intensive analysis of the possible accidents associated with the proposed action are underway and preliminary results indicate small health or environmental risks. The results of a Final Safety Analysis Report will be available for inclusion into the final EIS.

Back-Up Generator Facility and Associated Project Environmental Assessment Dyess Air Force Base, Texas

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

waste, or solid waste management would be expected with implementation of the no-action alternative. Soils and Water. Impacts to soils and water...resources would be negligible. Construction would disturb about 2.5 acres, but best management practices such as silt fencing and soil surface watering...Intergovernmental Coordination for Environmental Planning tpy U.S. tons per year United States IWMP Integrated Waste Management Plan USACE United States

40 CFR 149.109 - Decision under section 1424(e).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... information as is available to him, the Regional Administrator shall review the project taking all relevant... secondary impacts of the proposed project; and (5) The expected environmental benefits of the proposed project. (b) After reviewing the available information, the Regional Administrator shall: (1) Determine...

40 CFR 149.109 - Decision under section 1424(e).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... information as is available to him, the Regional Administrator shall review the project taking all relevant... secondary impacts of the proposed project; and (5) The expected environmental benefits of the proposed project. (b) After reviewing the available information, the Regional Administrator shall: (1) Determine...

INTEGRATION OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AND PROCESS INTENSIFICATION IN THE DESIGN OF PROCESSES FOR UTILIZING BIOBASED GLYCEROL

EPA Science Inventory

The expected results include an integrated process and mechanical design including a fabrication plan for the glycerol dehydration reactor, comprehensive heat and material balance, environmental impact assessment and comprehensive safety review. The resulting process design w...

A life cycle assessment of options for producing synthetic fuel via pyrolysis.

PubMed

Vienescu, D N; Wang, J; Le Gresley, A; Nixon, J D

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the sustainability of producing synthetic fuels from biomass using thermochemical processing and different upgrading pathways. Life cycle assessment (LCA) models consisting of biomass collection, transportation, pre-treatment, pyrolysis and upgrading stages were developed. To reveal the environmental impacts associated with greater post-processing to achieve higher quality fuels, six different bio-oil upgrading scenarios were analysed and included esterification, ketonisation, hydrotreating and hydrocracking. Furthermore, to take into account the possible ranges in LCA inventory data, expected, optimistic and pessimistic values for producing and upgrading pyrolysis oils were evaluated. We found that the expected carbon dioxide equivalent emissions could be as high as 6000 gCO 2e /kg of upgraded fuel, which is greater than the emissions arising from the use of diesel fuel. Other environmental impacts occurring from the fuel production process are outlined, such as resource depletion, acidification and eutrophication. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Who perceives what? A demographic analysis of subjective perception in rural Thailand

PubMed Central

Meijer-Irons, Jacqueline

2016-01-01

Rural households that rely on natural resources for their livelihoods are expected to face increased vulnerability due to climate variability. A number of empirical papers have assessed the impact of environmental shocks on these households, including demographic research that has investigated the impact of shocks on migration. To date, few studies have explicitly modeled how individual and household characteristics influence a household respondent’s subjective perceptions of environmental or other shocks. My paper uses a unique panel dataset from rural Thailand to predict a respondent’s probability of attributing a reduction in income to an environmental shock based on household composition and income, as well as on community-level effects. Preliminary results suggest that household composition influences respondents’ perceptions of environmental risk, and that policies aimed at vulnerable communities should consider the life courses of the households within a given community. PMID:28058054

Environmental impact of the production of mealworms as a protein source for humans - a life cycle assessment.

PubMed

Oonincx, Dennis G A B; de Boer, Imke J M

2012-01-01

The demand for animal protein is expected to rise by 70-80% between 2012 and 2050, while the current animal production sector already causes major environmental degradation. Edible insects are suggested as a more sustainable source of animal protein. However, few experimental data regarding environmental impact of insect production are available. Therefore, a lifecycle assessment for mealworm production was conducted, in which greenhouse gas production, energy use and land use were quantified and compared to conventional sources of animal protein. Production of one kg of edible protein from milk, chicken, pork or beef result in higher greenhouse gas emissions, require similar amounts of energy and require much more land. This study demonstrates that mealworms should be considered a more sustainable source of edible protein.

Effects of climate change on the persistence and dispersal of foodborne bacterial pathogens in the outdoor environment: A review.

PubMed

Hellberg, Rosalee S; Chu, Eric

2016-08-01

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), warming of the climate system is unequivocal. Over the coming century, warming trends such as increased duration and frequency of heat waves and hot extremes are expected in some areas, as well as increased intensity of some storm systems. Climate-induced trends will impact the persistence and dispersal of foodborne pathogens in myriad ways, especially for environmentally ubiquitous and/or zoonotic microorganisms. Animal hosts of foodborne pathogens are also expected to be impacted by climate change through the introduction of increased physiological stress and, in some cases, altered geographic ranges and seasonality. This review article examines the effects of climatic factors, such as temperature, rainfall, drought and wind, on the environmental dispersal and persistence of bacterial foodborne pathogens, namely, Bacillus cereus, Brucella, Campylobacter, Clostridium, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio and Yersinia enterocolitica. These relationships are then used to predict how future climatic changes will impact the activity of these microorganisms in the outdoor environment and associated food safety issues. The development of predictive models that quantify these complex relationships will also be discussed, as well as the potential impacts of climate change on transmission of foodborne disease from animal hosts.

Capturing the implications of land use change in Brazil through environmental assessment: Time for a strategic approach?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gallardo, Amarilis Lucia Casteli Figueiredo, E-mail: amacafi@ipt.b; Bond, Alan, E-mail: alan.bond@uea.ac.u

2011-04-15

Brazil is experiencing a surge in planting of sugar cane crops driven by internal markets and external policy drivers for biofuels. The current expectation is for the expansion of these crops to continue. This creates concern over the extent to which the full implications of large scale land use change are currently being considered by decision-makers. Using the State of Sao Paulo as a case study (as it accounts for the majority of sugar cane grown in Brazil), a comparison was made of the impacts identified in Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) and Preliminary Environmental Reports (PERs), which have to bemore » submitted for approval of most new sugar cane activities, with significant impacts known to be associated with sugar cane activities derived from literature review. The results from a review of 32 EISs and PERs (30% of the population) indicated that whilst some impacts were well covered by the sample (water and soil pollution, and air emissions) energy balance and Green House Gas emissions and food security had very limited consideration, and water resources, residues, labour conditions and social responsibility were only partially covered. Environmental Impact Assessment is constrained by its environmental advocacy role and its application to the project level only. This study highlights its limitations in the context of assessment of land use change which demands more strategic consideration.« less

The Southern Ocean ecosystem under multiple climate change stresses--an integrated circumpolar assessment.

PubMed

Gutt, Julian; Bertler, Nancy; Bracegirdle, Thomas J; Buschmann, Alexander; Comiso, Josefino; Hosie, Graham; Isla, Enrique; Schloss, Irene R; Smith, Craig R; Tournadre, Jean; Xavier, José C

2015-04-01

A quantitative assessment of observed and projected environmental changes in the Southern Ocean (SO) with a potential impact on the marine ecosystem shows: (i) large proportions of the SO are and will be affected by one or more climate change processes; areas projected to be affected in the future are larger than areas that are already under environmental stress, (ii) areas affected by changes in sea-ice in the past and likely in the future are much larger than areas affected by ocean warming. The smallest areas (<1% area of the SO) are affected by glacier retreat and warming in the deeper euphotic layer. In the future, decrease in the sea-ice is expected to be widespread. Changes in iceberg impact resulting from further collapse of ice-shelves can potentially affect large parts of shelf and ephemerally in the off-shore regions. However, aragonite undersaturation (acidification) might become one of the biggest problems for the Antarctic marine ecosystem by affecting almost the entire SO. Direct and indirect impacts of various environmental changes to the three major habitats, sea-ice, pelagic and benthos and their biota are complex. The areas affected by environmental stressors range from 33% of the SO for a single stressor, 11% for two and 2% for three, to <1% for four and five overlapping factors. In the future, areas expected to be affected by 2 and 3 overlapping factors are equally large, including potential iceberg changes, and together cover almost 86% of the SO ecosystem. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Draft environmental impact statement for the Galileo Mission (Tier 2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) addresses the environmental impacts which may be caused by the preparation and operation of the Galileo spacecraft, including its planned launch on the Space Transportation System (STS) Shuttle and the alternative of canceling further work on the mission. The launch configuration will use the STS/Inertial Upper Stage (IUS)/Payload Assist Module-Special (PAM-S) combination. The Tier 1 EIS included a delay alternative which considered the Titan 4 launch vehicle as an alternative booster stage for launch in 1991 or later. However, the U.S. Air Force, which procures the Titan 4 for NASA, could not provide a Titan 4 vehicle for the 1991 launch opportunity because of high priority Department of Defense requirements. The only expected environmental effects of the proposed action are associated with normal Shuttle launch operations. These impacts are limited largely to the near-field at the launch pad, except for temporary stratospheric ozone effects during launch and occasional sonic boom effects near the landing site. These effects have been judged insufficient to preclude Shuttle launches. In the event of: (1) an accident during launch, or (2) reentry of the spacecraft from earth orbit, there are potential adverse health and environmental effects associated with the possible release of plutonium dioxide from the spacecraft's radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG).

Environmental Impact Assessment of the Industrial Estate Development Plan with the Geographical Information System and Matrix Methods

PubMed Central

Ghasemian, Mohammad; Poursafa, Parinaz; Amin, Mohammad Mehdi; Ziarati, Mohammad; Ghoddousi, Hamid; Momeni, Seyyed Alireza; Rezaei, Amir Hossein

2012-01-01

Background. The purpose of this study is environmental impact assessment of the industrial estate development planning. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2010 in Isfahan province, Iran. GIS and matrix methods were applied. Data analysis was done to identify the current situation of the region, zoning vulnerable areas, and scoping the region. Quantitative evaluation was done by using matrix of Wooten and Rau. Results. The net score for impact of industrial units operation on air quality of the project area was (−3). According to the transition of industrial estate pollutants, residential places located in the radius of 2500 meters of the city were expected to be affected more. The net score for impact of construction of industrial units on plant species of the project area was (−2). Environmental protected areas were not affected by the air and soil pollutants because of their distance from industrial estate. Conclusion. Positive effects of project activities outweigh the drawbacks and the sum scores allocated to the project activities on environmental factor was (+37). Totally it does not have detrimental effects on the environment and residential neighborhood. EIA should be considered as an anticipatory, participatory environmental management tool before determining a plan application. PMID:22272210

New Internet search volume-based weighting method for integrating various environmental impacts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ji, Changyoon, E-mail: changyoon@yonsei.ac.kr; Hong, Taehoon, E-mail: hong7@yonsei.ac.kr

Weighting is one of the steps in life cycle impact assessment that integrates various characterized environmental impacts as a single index. Weighting factors should be based on the society's preferences. However, most previous studies consider only the opinion of some people. Thus, this research proposes a new weighting method that determines the weighting factors of environmental impact categories by considering public opinion on environmental impacts using the Internet search volumes for relevant terms. To validate the new weighting method, the weighting factors for six environmental impacts calculated by the new weighting method were compared with the existing weighting factors. Themore » resulting Pearson's correlation coefficient between the new and existing weighting factors was from 0.8743 to 0.9889. It turned out that the new weighting method presents reasonable weighting factors. It also requires less time and lower cost compared to existing methods and likewise meets the main requirements of weighting methods such as simplicity, transparency, and reproducibility. The new weighting method is expected to be a good alternative for determining the weighting factor. - Highlight: • A new weighting method using Internet search volume is proposed in this research. • The new weighting method reflects the public opinion using Internet search volume. • The correlation coefficient between new and existing weighting factors is over 0.87. • The new weighting method can present the reasonable weighting factors. • The proposed method can be a good alternative for determining the weighting factors.« less

Characterization of winery wastewater for reuse in California

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

More than thirty percent of the United States is currently in a drought that is expected to have profound social, economic, and environmental impacts. The intensification of drought conditions in southern and western regions of the country has spurred interest in wastewater reuse in agriculture, inc...

75 FR 10254 - Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-05

... District, Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest, Powell and Deerlodge Counties, MT, Comment Period Ends: 04... of the South Atlantic Region, To Implement Long-Term Management Measures Expected to End Overfishing of the Red Snapper Stock, South Atlantic Region, Comment Period Ends: 04/19/2010, Contact: Roy E...

32 CFR 651.15 - Mitigation and monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... necessary contracts, funding, and manpower assignments must be initiated. Technical results from the... measures that reduce environmental impacts until they are no longer significant, an EA may result in a FNSI... could reasonably expected to result, the proponent must publish an NOI and prepare an EIS. (d) Potential...

32 CFR 651.15 - Mitigation and monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... necessary contracts, funding, and manpower assignments must be initiated. Technical results from the... measures that reduce environmental impacts until they are no longer significant, an EA may result in a FNSI... could reasonably expected to result, the proponent must publish an NOI and prepare an EIS. (d) Potential...

32 CFR 651.15 - Mitigation and monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... necessary contracts, funding, and manpower assignments must be initiated. Technical results from the... measures that reduce environmental impacts until they are no longer significant, an EA may result in a FNSI... could reasonably expected to result, the proponent must publish an NOI and prepare an EIS. (d) Potential...

32 CFR 651.15 - Mitigation and monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... necessary contracts, funding, and manpower assignments must be initiated. Technical results from the... measures that reduce environmental impacts until they are no longer significant, an EA may result in a FNSI... could reasonably expected to result, the proponent must publish an NOI and prepare an EIS. (d) Potential...

32 CFR 651.15 - Mitigation and monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... necessary contracts, funding, and manpower assignments must be initiated. Technical results from the... measures that reduce environmental impacts until they are no longer significant, an EA may result in a FNSI... could reasonably expected to result, the proponent must publish an NOI and prepare an EIS. (d) Potential...

Alternative Fuels in Transportation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kouroussis, Denis; Karimi, Shahram

2006-01-01

The realization of dwindling fossil fuel supplies and their adverse environmental impacts has accelerated research and development activities in the domain of renewable energy sources and technologies. Global energy demand is expected to rise during the next few decades, and the majority of today's energy is based on fossil fuels. Alternative…

Community-based research as a mechanism to reduce environmental health disparities in american Indian and alaska native communities.

PubMed

McOliver, Cynthia Agumanu; Camper, Anne K; Doyle, John T; Eggers, Margaret J; Ford, Tim E; Lila, Mary Ann; Berner, James; Campbell, Larry; Donatuto, Jamie

2015-04-13

Racial and ethnic minority communities, including American Indian and Alaska Natives, have been disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution and contamination. This includes siting and location of point sources of pollution, legacies of contamination of drinking and recreational water, and mining, military and agricultural impacts. As a result, both quantity and quality of culturally important subsistence resources are diminished, contributing to poor nutrition and obesity, and overall reductions in quality of life and life expectancy. Climate change is adding to these impacts on Native American communities, variably causing drought, increased flooding and forced relocation affecting tribal water resources, traditional foods, forests and forest resources, and tribal health. This article will highlight several extramural research projects supported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Science to Achieve Results (STAR) tribal environmental research grants as a mechanism to address the environmental health inequities and disparities faced by tribal communities. The tribal research portfolio has focused on addressing tribal environmental health risks through community based participatory research. Specifically, the STAR research program was developed under the premise that tribal populations may be at an increased risk for environmentally-induced diseases as a result of unique subsistence and traditional practices of the tribes and Alaska Native villages, community activities, occupations and customs, and/or environmental releases that significantly and disproportionately impact tribal lands. Through a series of case studies, this article will demonstrate how grantees-tribal community leaders and members and academic collaborators-have been addressing these complex environmental concerns by developing capacity, expertise and tools through community-engaged research.

Community-Based Research as a Mechanism to Reduce Environmental Health Disparities in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

PubMed Central

McOliver, Cynthia Agumanu; Camper, Anne K.; Doyle, John T.; Eggers, Margaret J.; Ford, Tim E.; Lila, Mary Ann; Berner, James; Campbell, Larry; Donatuto, Jamie

2015-01-01

Racial and ethnic minority communities, including American Indian and Alaska Natives, have been disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution and contamination. This includes siting and location of point sources of pollution, legacies of contamination of drinking and recreational water, and mining, military and agricultural impacts. As a result, both quantity and quality of culturally important subsistence resources are diminished, contributing to poor nutrition and obesity, and overall reductions in quality of life and life expectancy. Climate change is adding to these impacts on Native American communities, variably causing drought, increased flooding and forced relocation affecting tribal water resources, traditional foods, forests and forest resources, and tribal health. This article will highlight several extramural research projects supported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Science to Achieve Results (STAR) tribal environmental research grants as a mechanism to address the environmental health inequities and disparities faced by tribal communities. The tribal research portfolio has focused on addressing tribal environmental health risks through community based participatory research. Specifically, the STAR research program was developed under the premise that tribal populations may be at an increased risk for environmentally-induced diseases as a result of unique subsistence and traditional practices of the tribes and Alaska Native villages, community activities, occupations and customs, and/or environmental releases that significantly and disproportionately impact tribal lands. Through a series of case studies, this article will demonstrate how grantees—tribal community leaders and members and academic collaborators—have been addressing these complex environmental concerns by developing capacity, expertise and tools through community-engaged research. PMID:25872019

Vulnerability of US thermoelectric power generation to climate change when incorporating state-level environmental regulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lu; Hejazi, Mohamad; Li, Hongyi; Forman, Barton; Zhang, Xiao

2017-08-01

Previous modelling studies suggest that thermoelectric power generation is vulnerable to climate change, whereas studies based on historical data suggest the impact will be less severe. Here we explore the vulnerability of thermoelectric power generation in the United States to climate change by coupling an Earth system model with a thermoelectric power generation model, including state-level representation of environmental regulations on thermal effluents. We find that the impact of climate change is lower than in previous modelling estimates due to an inclusion of a spatially disaggregated representation of environmental regulations and provisional variances that temporarily relieve power plants from permit requirements. More specifically, our results indicate that climate change alone may reduce average generating capacity by 2-3% by the 2060s, while reductions of up to 12% are expected if environmental requirements are enforced without waivers for thermal variation. Our work highlights the significance of accounting for legal constructs and underscores the effects of provisional variances in addition to environmental requirements.

MARINE CORPS ASIA PACIFIC REALIGNMENT: DOD Should Resolve Capability Deficiencies and Infrastructure Risks and Revise Cost Estimates

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-01

environmental mitigation and the costs associated with it. In April 2015, the Navy released a draft environmental impact statement to the public that...economic analysis for decision making indicates that, as part of assessing the costs and benefits of alternatives, an economic analysis should include...Page 48 GAO-17-415 Marine Corps Asia-Pacific Realignment comprehensive estimates of the expected costs and benefits that are incident to achieving

Desorption of 1,3,5-Trichlorobenzene from Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Impact of Solution Chemistry and Surface Chemistry

PubMed Central

Ma, Xingmao; Uddin, Sheikh

2013-01-01

The strong affinity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to environmental contaminants has raised serious concern that CNTs may function as a carrier of environmental pollutants and lead to contamination in places where the environmental pollutants are not expected. However, this concern will not be realized until the contaminants are desorbed from CNTs. It is well recognized that the desorption of environmental pollutants from pre-laden CNTs varies with the environmental conditions, such as the solution pH and ionic strength. However, comprehensive investigation on the influence of solution chemistry on the desorption process has not been carried out, even though numerous investigations have been conducted to investigate the impact of solution chemistry on the adsorption of environmental pollutants on CNTs. The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of solution chemistry (e.g., pH, ionic strength) and surface functionalization on the desorption of preloaded 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene (1,3,5-TCB) from multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). The results suggested that higher pH, ionic strength and natural organic matter in solution generally led to higher desorption of 1,3,5-TCB from MWNTs. However, the extent of change varied at different values of the tested parameters (e.g., pH < 7 vs. pH > 7). In addition, the impact of these parameters varied with MWNTs possessing different surface functional groups, suggesting that surface functionalization could considerably alter the environmental behaviors and impact of MWNTs. PMID:28348336

Community-based research as a mechanism to reduce ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Racial and ethnic minority communities, including American Indian and Alaska Natives, have been disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution and contamination. This includes siting and location of point sources of pollution, legacies of contamination of drinking and recreational water, and mining, military and agricultural impacts. As a result, both quantity and quality of culturally important subsistence resources are diminished, contributing to poor nutrition and obesity, and overall reductions in quality of life and life expectancy. Climate change is adding to these impacts on Native American communities (Wildcat 2013), variably causing drought, increased flooding and forced relocation (Maldonado et al. 2013), affecting Tribal water resources (Cozzetto et al. 2013), traditional foods (Lynn et al. 2013; Gautam et al. 2013), forests and forest resources (Voggesser et al. 2013) and Tribal health (Donatuto et al 2014; Doyle et al. 2013). This article will highlight several extramural research projects supported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Tribal environmental research grants as a mechanism to address the environmental health inequities and disparities faced by Tribal communities (USEPA, 2014a, www.epa.gov/ncer/tribalresearch). The Tribal Research portfolio has focused on addressing tribal environmental health risks through community based participatory research. Specifically, the STA

Ecological compensation and Environmental Impact Assessment in Spain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Villarroya, Ana, E-mail: avillarroya@alumni.unav.e; Puig, Jordi, E-mail: jpbaguer@unav.e

2010-11-15

To achieve meaningful sustainable development, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should avoid the net losses in the environment resource base. But EIA practice does not always avoid the losses caused by the implementation of the projects under EIA regulation. Some environmental impacts are, simply, admitted, even without enforcing any form of compensation. When applied, compensation is sometimes just a monetary payment to offset the environmental loss. This paper looks for evidence on the role that compensation is given at present in EIA practice in Spain, and for some of its conceptual and regulatory roots. Specifically, it explores how compensation is addressedmore » in 1302 records of decision (RODs) on those projects subject to the Spanish EIA regulation published during the years 2006 and 2007, to know how far Spain is from preserving the environmental resource base managed through this particular aspect of EIA practice. As a result, it is concluded that the practice of ecological compensation in EIA in Spain is much lower than it could be expected in a theoretical sustainability context committed to avoid net losses in the environment resource base, mainly due to an EIA practice focused on on-site mitigation that allows these net losses.« less

The influence of political ideology on trust in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCright, Aaron M.; Dentzman, Katherine; Charters, Meghan; Dietz, Thomas

2013-12-01

In recent years, some scholars, journalists, and science advocates have promoted broad claims that ‘conservatives distrust science’ or ‘conservatives oppose science’. We argue that such claims may oversimplify in ways that lead to empirical inaccuracies. The Anti-Reflexivity Thesis suggests a more nuanced examination of how political ideology influences views about science. The Anti-Reflexivity Thesis hypothesizes that some sectors of society mobilize to defend the industrial capitalist order from the claims of environmentalists and some environmental scientists that the current economic system causes serious ecological and public health problems. The Anti-Reflexivity Thesis expects that conservatives will report significantly less trust in, and support for, science that identifies environmental and public health impacts of economic production (i.e., impact science) than liberals. It also expects that conservatives will report a similar or greater level of trust in, and support for, science that provides new inventions or innovations for economic production (i.e., production science) than liberals. Analyzing data from a recent survey experiment with 798 adults recruited from the US general public, our results confirm the expectations of the Anti-Reflexivity Thesis. Conservatives report less trust in impact scientists but greater trust in production scientists than their liberal counterparts. We argue that further work that increases the accuracy and depth of our understanding of the relationship between political ideology and views about science is likely crucial for addressing the politicized science-based issues of our age.

Learner-Oriented Virtual Learning: A Booster to Primary School Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singaravelu, G.

2013-01-01

The present study enlightens the impact of Learner- Oriented-Virtual Learning in enriching knowledge in Environmental Education at primary level.To achieve the expected competency in Biodiversity, various approaches were adopted in the class room transaction which were not fruitful. Hence the researcher practiced the Learner-Oriented-Virtual…

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DATA COLLECTION AND DATA VISUALIZATION

EPA Science Inventory

Major routes of human impact on the Great Lakes are through localized input by rivers, embayment/harbor development, or shore line activities. Stress is expected to be greatest around the origin of activity and to dissipate with distance. A need exists for assessment strategies o...

Concentration Response Curve for Ozone Realted Mortality at High Concentrations for presentation at International Society for Environmental Epidemiology

EPA Science Inventory

Concentration Response Curve for Ozone related Mortality at High Concentrations Ana G. Rappold, James Crooks, Lucas M. Neas Background Rising temperatures and decreased global circulation in the upcoming decades are expected to have a detrimental impact on air quality, particular...

78 FR 25214 - Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-30

... action is necessary to help mitigate expected adverse economic and social harm resulting from substantial... biological, economic, and social impact analysis for this action are contained in the environmental... likely cause serious management problems and result in substantial economic and social harm for the...

40 CFR 60.2065 - What should I include in my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... include consideration of the reduction or separation of waste-stream elements such as paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, batteries, or metals; or the use of recyclable materials. The plan must identify any..., the emissions reductions expected to be achieved, and any other environmental or energy impacts they...

Decisions and Tensions: Summative Assessments in PBL Advanced Placement Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Susan Elizabeth

2017-01-01

This study examines how teachers navigate tensions between communicating expectations for college level work and student motivation as they determined summative grades in an AP Environmental Science course. Semi-structured interviews and a think-aloud protocol were conducted while teachers in poverty-impacted urban high schools determined final…

Bridging environmental and financial cost of dairy production: A case study of Irish agricultural policy.

PubMed

Chen, Wenhao; Holden, Nicholas M

2018-02-15

The Irish agricultural policy 'Food Harvest 2020' is a roadmap for sectoral expansion and Irish dairy farming is expected to intensify, which could influence the environmental and economic performance of Irish milk production. Evaluating the total environmental impacts and the real cost of Irish milk production is a key step towards understanding the possibility of sustainable production. This paper addresses two main issues: aggregation of environmental impacts of Irish milk production by monetization, to understand the real cost of Irish milk production, including the environmental costs; and the effect of the agricultural policy 'Food Harvest 2020' on total cost (combining financial cost and environmental cost) of Irish milk production. This study used 2013 Irish dairy farming as a baseline, and defined 'bottom', 'target' and 'optimum' scenarios, according to the change of elementary inputs required to meet agricultural policy ambitions. The study demonstrated that the three monetization methods, Stepwise 2006, Eco-cost 2012 and EPS 2000, could be used for aggregating different environmental impacts into monetary unit, and to provide an insight for evaluating policy related to total environmental performance. The results showed that the total environmental cost of Irish milk production could be greater than the financial cost (up to €0.53/kg energy corrected milk). The dairy expansion policy with improved herbage utilization and fertilizer application could reduce financial cost and minimize the total environmental cost of per unit milk produced. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Centenarians and supercentenarians: a black swan. Emerging social, medical and surgical problems.

PubMed

Vacante, Marco; D'Agata, Velia; Motta, Massimo; Malaguarnera, Giulia; Biondi, Antonio; Basile, Francesco; Malaguarnera, Michele; Gagliano, Caterina; Drago, Filippo; Salamone, Salvatore

2012-01-01

The Black Swan Theory was described by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book "The Black Swan". This theory refers to "high-impact, hard-to-predict, and rare events beyond the realm of normal expectations". According to Taleb's criteria, a Black Swan Event is a surprise, it has a major impact and after the fact, the event is rationalized by hindsight, as if it had been expected. For most of human history centenarians were a rare and unpredictable phenomenon. The improvements of the social-environmental conditions, of medical care, and the quality of life caused a general improvement of the health status of the population and a consequent reduction of the overall morbidity and mortality, resulting in an overall increase of life expectancy. The study of centenarians and supercentenarians had the objective to consider this black swan and to evaluate the health, welfare, social and economic consequences of this phenomenon.

Children's Environmental Health: Beyond National Boundaries.

PubMed

Miller, Mark D; Marty, Melanie A; Landrigan, Philip J

2016-02-01

Children are especially vulnerable to environmental pollution, a major cause of disease, death, and disability in countries at every level of development. This article reviews threats to children, including air and water pollution, toxic industrial chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, and hazardous wastes. Global climate change is expected to exacerbate many of these issues. Examples of innovative nongovernmental organizations and governmental programs that address the impacts of environmental hazards on children are included. International travel, adoption, migration, and movement of goods and pollutants worldwide make these conditions concerns for all pediatricians. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is Decoupling GDP Growth from Environmental Impact Possible?

PubMed Central

Sutton, Paul C.; Werner, Adrian D.; Costanza, Robert; Mohr, Steve H.; Simmons, Craig T.

2016-01-01

The argument that human society can decouple economic growth—defined as growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—from growth in environmental impacts is appealing. If such decoupling is possible, it means that GDP growth is a sustainable societal goal. Here we show that the decoupling concept can be interpreted using an easily understood model of economic growth and environmental impact. The simple model is compared to historical data and modelled projections to demonstrate that growth in GDP ultimately cannot be decoupled from growth in material and energy use. It is therefore misleading to develop growth-oriented policy around the expectation that decoupling is possible. We also note that GDP is increasingly seen as a poor proxy for societal wellbeing. GDP growth is therefore a questionable societal goal. Society can sustainably improve wellbeing, including the wellbeing of its natural assets, but only by discarding GDP growth as the goal in favor of more comprehensive measures of societal wellbeing. PMID:27741300

Environmental Impact of the Production of Mealworms as a Protein Source for Humans – A Life Cycle Assessment

PubMed Central

Oonincx, Dennis G. A. B.; de Boer, Imke J. M.

2012-01-01

The demand for animal protein is expected to rise by 70–80% between 2012 and 2050, while the current animal production sector already causes major environmental degradation. Edible insects are suggested as a more sustainable source of animal protein. However, few experimental data regarding environmental impact of insect production are available. Therefore, a lifecycle assessment for mealworm production was conducted, in which greenhouse gas production, energy use and land use were quantified and compared to conventional sources of animal protein. Production of one kg of edible protein from milk, chicken, pork or beef result in higher greenhouse gas emissions, require similar amounts of energy and require much more land. This study demonstrates that mealworms should be considered a more sustainable source of edible protein. PMID:23284661

Does better for the environment mean less tasty? Offering more climate-friendly meals is good for the environment and customer satisfaction.

PubMed

Visschers, Vivianne H M; Siegrist, Michael

2015-12-01

Food consumption comprises a significant portion of the total environmental impact of households. One way to reduce this impact may be to offer consumers more climate-friendly meal choices, such as when eating out. However, the environmental benefits of such an intervention will depend on not only consumers' liking of the climate-friendlier meals, but also on the perceived environmental impact. We therefore investigated the relationship between the global warming potential (GWP) of and consumers' liking of meals in two field studies in the same restaurant. Visitors to the restaurant were asked to rate the taste of the meal they had just consumed. These taste ratings were then related to the meals' GWP and number of purchases. In the second study, an intervention was tested consisting of a climate-friendly choice label and information posters. Contrary to expectations, it was found in both studies that the GWP of the meals was unrelated to the taste or the number of purchases. Offering more climate-friendly meals did not change consumer satisfaction. As expected, the introduction of the climate-friendly choice label increased the number of climate-friendly meal purchases. Therefore, offering more climate-friendly meals with a climate-friendly choice label can affect consumers' meal choices, but not their preferences or satisfaction, which is beneficial for the climate, consumers and gastronomic establishments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental impacts of dietary recommendations and dietary styles: Germany as an example.

PubMed

Meier, Toni; Christen, Olaf

2013-01-15

Besides technical improvements and a reduction of food losses in the food chain, diet shifts offer practicable opportunities to reduce environmental impacts in the agri-food sector on a low-cost basis. In this paper we analyze the environmental impacts of nutrition in Germany in the year 2006. Based on an equalized daily energy uptake of 2000 kcal person(-1) day(-1), we compared these impacts with those of four dietary scenarios (D-A-CH, UGB, ovo-lacto vegetarian, vegan) and with average nutrition from 20 years ago, differentiating between effects caused by altering food losses, food wastage, and changed diets. In the year 2006 gender-related impacts were considered separately. With regard to the scenarios analyzed, the highest impact changes would be expected from the vegan and the ovo-lacto vegetarian diet. The impact potentials of the recommendations of UGB and D-A-CH rank third and fourth, but are still significant. Concerning gender, the average female diet is already closer to the recommendations than men's. In comparison to the years 1985-1989, all indicators (with the exception of blue water) show lower impacts, due mainly to changes in diet. In comparison to this, impact changes resulting from food wastage were lower and mainly contrarian, which could be explained by higher food wastage in 2006 compared to 1985-1989.

Environmental Impact Analysis Process. Environmental Assessment for Replacement Medical Clinic 61st Medical Squadron, Los Angeles Air Force Base

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-01

mass transit (buses, commuter trains and light rail ) serves Los Angeles County. Immediate public transit access to Los Angeles AFB is by bus only. 3.8...mostly paved. As a result, surface drainage enters the storm sewer system. Stormwater run-off from Area B of Los Angeles AFB, and specifically from...leaves the installation in the form of stormwater run-off. Little infiltration of rainfall is expected. 3.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES As a result of the

Environmental parameters of shuttle support for life sciences experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waligora, J. M.

1976-01-01

The environments provided by the Orbiter vehicle and by the Spacelab will differ substantially from the environment provided by prior spacecraft. The specific design limits for each environmental parameter and expected operating characteristics are presented for both the Orbiter and the Spacelab. The environments are compared with those of earlier spacecraft and with the normal earth laboratory. Differences between the spacecraft environments and the normal laboratory environment and the impact of these differences on experiments and equipment design are discussed.

Environmental impact assessment of transportation projects: An analysis using an integrated GIS, remote sensing, and spatial modeling approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Gafy, Mohamed Anwar

Transportation projects will have impact on the environment. The general environmental pollution and damage caused by roads is closely associated with the level of economic activity. Although Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are dependent on geo-spatial information in order to make an assessment, there are no rules per se how to conduct an environmental assessment. Also, the particular objective of each assessment is dictated case-by-case, based on what information and analyses are required. The conventional way of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study is a time consuming process because it has large number of dependent and independent variables which have to be taken into account, which also have different consequences. With the emergence of satellite remote sensing technology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), this research presents a new framework for the analysis phase of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for transportation projects based on the integration between remote sensing technology, geographic information systems, and spatial modeling. By integrating the merits of the map overlay method and the matrix method, the framework analyzes comprehensively the environmental vulnerability around the road and its impact on the environment. This framework is expected to: (1) improve the quality of the decision making process, (2) be applied both to urban and inter-urban projects, regardless of transport mode, and (3) present the data and make the appropriate analysis to support the decision of the decision-makers and allow them to present these data to the public hearings in a simple manner. Case studies, transportation projects in the State of Florida, were analyzed to illustrate the use of the decision support framework and demonstrate its capabilities. This cohesive and integrated system will facilitate rational decisions through cost effective coordination of environmental information and data management that can be tailored to specific projects. The framework would facilitate collecting, organizing, analyzing, archiving, and coordinating the information and data necessary to support technical and policy transportation decisions.

A consumption value-gap analysis for sustainable consumption.

PubMed

Biswas, Aindrila

2017-03-01

Recent studies on consumption behavior have depicted environmental apprehension resulting from across wide consumer segments. However, this has not been widely reflected upon the growth in the market shares for green or environment-friendly products mostly because gaps exist between consumers' expectations and perceptions for those products. Previous studies have highlighted the impact of perceived value on potential demand, consumer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The necessity to understand the effects of gaps in expected and perceived values on consumers' behavioral intention and potential demand for green products cannot be undermined as it shapes the consumers' inclination to repeated purchase and consumption and thus foster potential market demand. Pertaining to this reason, the study aims to adopt a consumption value-gap model based on the theory of consumption values to assess their impact on sustainable consumption behavior and market demand of green products. Consumption value refers to the level of fulfillment of consumer needs by assessment of net utility derived after effective comparison between the benefits (financial or emotional) and the gives (money, time, or energy). The larger the gaps the higher will be the adversarial impact on behavioral intentions. A structural equation modeling was applied to assess data collected through questionnaire survey. The results indicate that functional value-gap and environmental value-gap has the most adversarial impact on sustainable consumption behavior and market demand for green products.

Evaluating the Environmental Impacts of a Nano-Enhanced Field Emission Display Using Life Cycle Assessment: A Screening-Level Study

EPA Science Inventory

Carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission displays (FEDs) are currently in the product development stage and are expected to be commercialized in the near future because they offer image quality and viewing angles comparable to a cathode ray tube (CRT) while using a thinner structure,...

Missing the Boat on Invasive Alien Species: A Review of Post-Secondary Curricula in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Andrea L.; Bazely, Dawn R.; Yan, Norman D.

2011-01-01

Invasive alien species (IAS) cause major environmental and economic damage worldwide, and also threaten human food security and health. The impacts of IAS are expected to rise with continued globalization, land use modification, and climate change. Developing effective strategies to deal with IAS requires a collaborative, interdisciplinary…

77 FR 73045 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Pima County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-07

... County, Arizona, has had one of the fastest growing human populations of any county in the United States... opportunities. Urban growth has resulted in significant development, which is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. A significant proportion of the predicted future development is anticipated to occur in...

Evaluating the impact of climate change on landslide occurrence, hazard, and risk: from global to regional scale.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gariano, Stefano Luigi; Guzzetti, Fausto

2017-04-01

According to the fifth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, "warming of the climate system is unequivocal". The influence of climate changes on slope stability and landslides is also undisputable. Nevertheless, the quantitative evaluation of the impact of global warming, and the related changes in climate, on landslides remains a complex question to be solved. The evidence that climate and landslides act at only partially overlapping spatial and temporal scales complicates the evaluation. Different research fields, including e.g., climatology, physics, hydrology, geology, hydrogeology, geotechnics, soil science, environmental science, and social science, must be considered. Climatic, environmental, demographic, and economic changes are strictly correlated, with complex feedbacks, to landslide occurrence and variation. Thus, a holistic, multidisciplinary approach is necessary. We reviewed the literature on landslide-climate studies, and found a bias in their geographical distribution, with several studies centered in Europe and North America, and large parts of the world not investigated. We examined advantages and drawbacks of the approaches adopted to evaluate the effects of climate variations on landslides, including prospective modelling and retrospective methods that use landslide and climate records, and paleo-environmental information. We found that the results of landslide-climate studies depend more on the emission scenarios, the global circulation models, the regional climate models, and the methods to downscale the climate variables, than on the description of the variables controlling slope processes. Using ensembles of projections based on a range of emissions scenarios would reduce (or at least quantify) the uncertainties in the obtained results. We performed a preliminary global assessment of the future landslide impact, presenting a global distribution of the projected impact of climate change on landslide activity and abundance. Where global warming is expected to increase, the frequency and intensity of severe rainfall events, a primary trigger of shallow, rapid-moving landslides that cause many landslide fatalities, an increase in the number of people exposed to landslide risk is to be expected. Furthermore, we defined a group of objective and reproducible methods for the quantitative evaluation of the past and future (expected) variations in landslide occurrence and distribution, and in the impact and risk to the population, as a result of changes in climatic and environmental factors (particularly, land use changes), at regional scale. The methods were tested in a southern Italian region, but they can easily applied in other physiographic and climatic regions, where adequate information is available.

Environmental consequences of oil production from oil sands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosa, Lorenzo; Davis, Kyle F.; Rulli, Maria C.; D'Odorico, Paolo

2017-02-01

Crude oil from oil sands will constitute a substantial share of future global oil demand. Oil sands deposits account for a third of globally proven oil reserves, underlie large natural forested areas, and have extraction methods requiring large volumes of freshwater. Yet little work has been done to quantify some of the main environmental impacts of oil sands operations. Here we examine forest loss and water use for the world's major oil sands deposits. We calculate actual and potential rates of water use and forest loss both in Canadian deposits, where oil sands extraction is already taking place, and in other major deposits worldwide. We estimated that their exploitation, given projected production trends, could result in 1.31 km3 yr-1 of freshwater demand and 8700 km2 of forest loss. The expected escalation in oil sands extraction thus portends extensive environmental impacts.

Regional diversity reverses the negative impacts of an alien predator on local species-poor communities.

PubMed

Loewen, Charlie J G; Vinebrooke, Rolf D

2016-10-01

Species diversity is often an implicit source of biological insurance for communities against the impacts of novel perturbations, such as the introduction of an invasive species. High environmental heterogeneity (e.g., a mountainous gradient) is expected to beget greater regional species diversity and variation in functional traits related to environmental tolerances. Thus, heterogeneous metacommunities are expected to provide more tolerant colonists that buffer stressed local communities in the absence of dispersal limitation. We tested the hypothesis that importation of a regional zooplankton pool assembled from a diverse array of lakes and ponds lessens the impacts of a novel predator on local species-poor alpine communities by increasing response diversity (i.e., diversity of tolerances to environmental change) as mediated by variation in functional traits related to predator evasion. We also tested whether impacts varied with temperature, as warming may modify (e.g., dampen or amplify) invasion effects. An eight-week factorial experiment ([fishless vs. introduced Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout)] × [ambient temperature vs. heated] × [local vs. local + regional species pool]) was conducted using 32 1,000-L mesocosms. Associations between experimental treatments and species functional traits were tested by R-mode linked to Q-mode (RLQ) and fourth-corner analyses. Although the introduced predator suppressed local species richness and community biomass, colonization by several montane zooplankters reversed these negative effects, resulting in increased species diversity and production. Invasion resistance was unaffected by higher temperatures, which failed to elicit any significance impacts on the community. We discovered that the smaller body sizes of imported species drove functional overcompensation (i.e., increased production) in invaded communities. The observed ecological surprise showed how regionally sourced biodiversity from a highly heterogeneous landscape can offset, and even reverse, the local negative impacts of an invasive species. Further, prey body size was found to be a key species trait mediating the ecological impacts of the aquatic invasive predator. Our study highlights the novel application of a functional approach to understanding the impacts of biological invasions, using species traits that pertain directly to potential responses to exotic species. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Projected impacts of climate change on environmental suitability for malaria transmission in West Africa.

PubMed

Yamana, Teresa K; Eltahir, Elfatih A B

2013-10-01

Climate change is expected to affect the distribution of environmental suitability for malaria transmission by altering temperature and rainfall patterns; however, the local and global impacts of climate change on malaria transmission are uncertain. We assessed the effect of climate change on malaria transmission in West Africa. We coupled a detailed mechanistic hydrology and entomology model with climate projections from general circulation models (GCMs) to predict changes in vectorial capacity, an indication of the risk of human malaria infections, resulting from changes in the availability of mosquito breeding sites and temperature-dependent development rates. Because there is strong disagreement in climate predictions from different GCMs, we focused on the GCM projections that produced the best and worst conditions for malaria transmission in each zone of the study area. Simulation-based estimates suggest that in the desert fringes of the Sahara, vectorial capacity would increase under the worst-case scenario, but not enough to sustain transmission. In the transitional zone of the Sahel, climate change is predicted to decrease vectorial capacity. In the wetter regions to the south, our estimates suggest an increase in vectorial capacity under all scenarios. However, because malaria is already highly endemic among human populations in these regions, we expect that changes in malaria incidence would be small. Our findings highlight the importance of rainfall in shaping the impact of climate change on malaria transmission in future climates. Even under the GCM predictions most conducive to malaria transmission, we do not expect to see a significant increase in malaria prevalence in this region.

Aiding eco-labelling process and its implementation: Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology to define Product Category Rules for canned anchovies.

PubMed

Laso, Jara; Margallo, María; Fullana, Pére; Bala, Alba; Gazulla, Cristina; Irabien, Ángel; Aldaco, Rubén

2017-01-01

To be able to fulfil high market expectations for a number of practical applications, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have to meet and comply with specific and strict methodological prerequisites. These expectations include the possibility to add up Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based information in the supply chain and to compare different EPDs. To achieve this goal, common and harmonized calculation rules have to be established, the so-called Product Category Rules (PCRs), which set the overall LCA calculation rules to create EPDs. This document provides PCRs for the assessment of the environmental performance of canned anchovies in Cantabria Region based on an Environmental Sustainability Assessment (ESA) method. This method uses two main variables: the natural resources sustainability (NRS) and the environmental burdens sustainability (EBS). To reduce the complexity of ESA and facilitate the decision-making process, all variables are normalized and weighted to obtain two global dimensionless indexes: resource consumption (X 1 ) and environmental burdens (X 2 ). •This paper sets the PCRs adapted to the Cantabrian canned anchovies.•ESA method facilitates the product comparison and the decision-making process.•This paper stablishes all the steps that an EPD should include within the PCRs of Cantabrian canned anchovies.

Demolition, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of New Boat Docks, Boat Ramp, and Support Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Environmental Assessment. Version 1.3

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-16

invasive weeds present in lower densities. In addition, cogon grass , melaleuca, mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum), and small populations of thistles...area. Adverse impacts to indigos are not expected since the area consists of mowed grass only. To ensure potential impacts are reduced, the 45 SW...inside the Trident Basin, is primarily grass with rock revetment. The security activities would require boat operations in other areas of the Port as

Environmental Impact Statement: Construction and Operation of Titan IV/Centaur Launch Complex, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Volume 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-08-01

Form 7.10 Draft EIS Public Hearings Attendance and Speakers Lists 8.0 LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS APPENDIX A: GLOBAL WARMING APPENDIX B: WHITE...expected to contribute significantly to global warming . Impacts to air quality from operations would be the same for the alternative sites. NOISE Noise...and Abbreviations List of Acronyms and Abbreviations used in the Final EM. ● Appendix A - Global Warming This appendix provides a brief discussion of

Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (EA/FONSI) for 2012-14 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

3553 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) US Air Force, Davis-Monthan AFB 355 CES/CEAO...would be insignificant. Operational impacts, including the use of groundwater for water supply, would be similar to current conditions. Biological...expected in the vicinity of the hush house. Land Use and Visual Resources. Construction and demolition activities would create temporary land use

Life cycle environmental evaluation of kettles: Recommendations for the development of eco-design regulations in the European Union.

PubMed

Gallego-Schmid, Alejandro; Jeswani, Harish Kumar; Mendoza, Joan Manuel F; Azapagic, Adisa

2018-06-01

Between 117 and 200 million kettles are used in the European Union (EU) every year. However, the full environmental impacts of kettles remain largely unknown. This paper presents a comprehensive life cycle assessment of conventional plastic and metallic kettles in comparison with eco-kettles. The results show that the use stage contributes 80% to the impacts. For this reason, the eco-kettle has over 30% lower environmental impacts due to a greater water efficiency and related lower energy consumption. These results have been extrapolated to the EU level to consider the implications for proposed eco-design regulations. For these purposes, the effects on the impacts of durability of kettles and improvements in their energy and water efficiency have been assessed as they have been identified as two key parameters in the proposed regulations. The results suggest that increasing the current average durability from 4.4 to seven years would reduce the impacts by less than 5%. Thus, improving durability is not a key issue for improving the environmental performance of kettles and does not justify the need for an eco-design regulation based exclusively on it. However, improvements in water and energy efficiency through eco-design can bring relevant environmental savings. Boiling the exact amount of water needed would reduce the impacts by around a third and using water temperature control by further 2%-5%. The study has also considered the effects of reducing significantly the number of kettles in use after the UK (large user of kettles) leaves the EU and reducing the excess water typically boiled by the consumer. Even under these circumstances, the environmental savings justify the development of a specific EU eco-design regulation for kettles. However, consumer engagement will be key to the implementation and achievement of the expected environmental benefits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental impact assessment of a WtE plant after structural upgrade measures.

PubMed

Passarini, Fabrizio; Nicoletti, Monica; Ciacci, Luca; Vassura, Ivano; Morselli, Luciano

2014-04-01

The study focuses on analysing the evolution of environmental impacts caused by a medium-large Italian WtE plant before and after revamping and maintenance operations, with the aim of providing an evaluation of how much these structural upgrade measures may affect the total environmental performance. LCA methodology was applied for the modelling and comparison of six WtE scenarios, each describing the main structural upgrades carried out in the plant over the years 1996-2011. The comparison was conducted by adopting 1ton of MSW as the functional unit, and the net contribution from energy recovery to power generation was distinguished by defining consistent national grid electricity mixes for every year considered. The Ecoindicator99 2.09 impact assessment method was used to evaluate the contribution to midpoint and endpoint categories (e.g. carcinogens, respiratory inorganics and organics, climate change, damage to human health). Lastly, the "Pedigree quality matrix" was applied to verify the reliability and robustness of the model created. As expected, the results showed better environmental scores after both the implementation of new procedures and the integration of operations. However, while a net reduction of air emissions seems to be achievable through dedicated flue gas treatment technologies, outcomes underscored potentials for improving the management of bottom ash through the adoption of alternative options aimed to use that solid residue mainly as filler, and to decrease risks from its current disposal in landfill. If the same effort that is put into flue gas treatment were devoted to energy recovery, the targets for the WtE plant could be easily met, achieving a higher sustainability. This aspect is even more complex: national policies for implementing greener and renewable energy sources would result in a lower impact of the national energy mix and, hence, in a lower net avoided burden from energy recovery. The study confirmed the expected improvements, indicating quantitatively the lower environmental impact resulting from structural upgrade operations in a WtE plant. Furthermore, the work highlights the importance of considering the evolution of the national energy mix in LCA studies, especially during the present years of transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficiency improvements in US Office equipment: Expected policy impacts and uncertainties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koomey, J.G.; Cramer, M.; Piette, M.A.

This report describes a detailed end-use forecast of office equipment energy use for the US commercial sector. We explore the likely impacts of the US Environmental Protection Agency`s ENERGY STAR office equipment program and the potential impacts of advanced technologies. The ENERGY STAR program encourages manufacturers to voluntarily incorporate power saving features into personal computers, monitors, printers, copiers, and fax machines in exchange for allowing manufacturers to use the EPA ENERGY STAR logo in their advertising campaigns. The Advanced technology case assumes that the most energy efficient current technologies are implemented regardless of cost.

Impact of suspended sediment and nutrient loading from land uses against water quality in the Hii River basin, Japan

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lake Shinji lies in eastern Shimane Prefecture, and is typical of brackish lakes in Japan. Water quality of the lake does not meet the expected environmental standards for total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), even though the national and prefectural governments have tried to improve water...

Towards a Sustainable Approach to Nanotechnology by Integrating Life Cycle Assessment into the Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopelevich, Dmitry I.; Ziegler, Kirk J.; Lindner, Angela S.; Bonzongo, Jean-Claude J.

2012-01-01

Because rapid growth of nanotechnology is expected to lead to intentional and non-intentional releases, future engineers will need to minimize negative environmental and health impacts of nanomaterials. We developed two upper-level undergraduate courses centered on life-cycle assessment of nanomaterials. The first part of the course sequence…

75 FR 9619 - South Carolina Electric & Gas Company; Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station; Environmental Assessment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-03

... significantly affect plant safety and would not have a significant adverse effect on the probability of an... effluents. No changes to the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit are needed. No effects... Magnuson-Steven's Act are expected. There are no impacts to the air or ambient air quality. There are no...

77 FR 36994 - Questa Ranger District, Carson National Forest; Taos County, NM; Taos Ski Valley's 2010 Master...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-20

... County, NM; Taos Ski Valley's 2010 Master Development Plan--Phase 1 Projects; Additional Filings AGENCY... environmental impact statement for a proposal to authorize several (Phase 1) projects included in the Taos Ski... (ROD) are expected in July 2012. Change in Responsible Official: In addition, this notice changes the...

75 FR 54377 - Cattle Point Road Relocation; Draft Environmental Impact Statement; San Juan Island National...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-07

... to coastal bluff erosion which threatens Cattle Point Road located in San Juan Island National... threatened by coastal erosion at the base of the slope traversed by the road. This road passes through the... unsafe in a few years-- life expectancy (relative to coastal erosion) is estimated at approximately 100...

PRESENTED AT TRIANGLE CONSORTIUM FOR REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY MEETING IN CHAPEL HILL, NC ON 2/11/2006: SPERM COUNT DISTRIBUTIONS IN FERTILE MEN

EPA Science Inventory

Sperm concentration and count are often used as indicators of environmental impacts on male reproductive health. Existing clinical databases may be biased towards sub-fertile men with low sperm counts and less is known about expected sperm count distributions in cohorts of ferti...

Environmental Assessment for Proposed General Purpose Warehouse Construction at Defense Distribution Officer Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (DDOO)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

Swainson’s hawk. No significant impacts are expected from the construction and operation of the GPW facility. . r.>: ir ...Dean A. Mcgee, Okla· homa City, OK 73102. All in- terested parties must attend this hearing if any such party has an objectior) to the Court’s

Projecting carbon footprint of Canadian dairy farms under future climate conditions with the integrated farm system model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dairy farms are an important sector of Canadian agriculture, and there is an on-going effort to assess their environmental impact. In Canada, like many northern areas of the world, climate change is expected to increase agricultural productivity. This will likely come along with changes in environme...

Geochemical survey of the western coal regions; first annual progress report, July 1974

USGS Publications Warehouse

Connor, Jon J.; Tidball, Ronald R.; Erdman, James A.; Ebens, Richard J.; Keith, John R.; Anderson, Barbara M.

1974-01-01

National energy needs have precipitated an increased interest in the development of a large coal-based electric power industry in the western United States. This anticipated development has, in turn, spawned a great deal of interest in the environmental impact consequent upon the mining and utilization of these coal supplies. Numerous studies directed to assessing this impact are underway or are in the planning stages by agencies of government at all levels as well as by educational institutions and private firms. It is expected that such studies will continue to increase in number in the foreseeable future. Some idea of the diversity of this work is given by Boulding (1974), who surveyed a broad spectrum of people and organizations concerned about the environmental impact of coal development in the Northern Great Plains. This survey included over 50 governmental organizations and over 50 nongovernmental organizations.

Superfund: evaluating the impact of executive order 12898.

PubMed

O'Neil, Sandra George

2007-07-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) addresses uncontrolled and abandoned hazardous waste sites throughout the country. Sites that are perceived to be a significant threat to both surrounding populations and the environment can be placed on the U.S. EPA Superfund list and qualify for federal cleanup funds. The equitability of the Superfund program has been questioned; the representation of minority and low-income populations in this cleanup program is lower than would be expected. Thus, minorities and low-income populations may not be benefiting proportionately from this environmental cleanup program. In 1994 President Clinton signed Executive Order 12898 requiring that the U.S. EPA and other federal agencies implement environmental justice policies. These policies were to specifically address the disproportionate environmental effects of federal programs and policies on minority and low-income populations. I use event history analysis to evaluate the impact of Executive Order 12898 on the equitability of the Superfund program. Findings suggest that despite environmental justice legislation, Superfund site listings in minority and poor areas are even less likely for sites discovered since the 1994 Executive Order. The results of this study indicate that Executive Order 12898 for environmental justice has not increased the equitability of the Superfund program.

IN2 Profile: Polyceed Electrochromic Window Technology Expected to Lower Energy Costs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tenent, Rob; Achour, Maha

Through the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) program, Polyceed will validate their electrochromic window technology. The technology is expected to provide customers with 75% lower cost than conventional dynamic windows and offer small residences $200 a year of cost savings for energy consumption. The IN² program launched in October 2014 and is part of Wells Fargo’s 2020 Environmental Commitment to provide $100 million to environmentally-focused nonprofits and universities. The goal is to create an ecosystem that fosters and accelerates the commercialization of promising commercial buildings technologies that can provide scalable solutions to reduce the energy impact of buildings. According tomore » the Department of Energy, nearly 40 percent of energy consumption in the U.S. today comes from buildings at an estimated cost of $413 billion.« less

Environmental assessment of PSS, feedback on 2 years of experimentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allais, Romain; Gobert, Julie

2018-05-01

This communication details the sustainability assessment of the partial transition of business model from selling products to product renting for small household equipment (SHE). Perceived by the French SHE manufacturer as a strategic opportunity to meet customers' expectations and environmental regulation, 2-years experimentation was performed on a specific territory with the support of a network of new competencies (B-to-B-to-C market). Researchers were mandated for the sustainability assessment of such a transition but this communication focuses on the environmental performance of the experimentation. The results of the comparative LCA are presented and the main environmental impacts linked to this business model transition are specified and discussed. Then, different eco-design scenarios are explored and recommendations for this specific case are proposed.

Marine phytoplankton stoichiometry mediates nonlinear interactions between nutrient supply, temperature, and atmospheric CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno, Allison R.; Hagstrom, George I.; Primeau, Francois W.; Levin, Simon A.; Martiny, Adam C.

2018-05-01

Marine phytoplankton stoichiometry links nutrient supply to marine carbon export. Deviations of phytoplankton stoichiometry from Redfield proportions (106C : 1P) could therefore have a significant impact on carbon cycling, and understanding which environmental factors drive these deviations may reveal new mechanisms regulating the carbon cycle. To explore the links between environmental conditions, stoichiometry, and carbon cycling, we compared four different models of phytoplankton C : P: a fixed Redfield model, a model with C : P given as a function of surface phosphorus concentration (P), a model with C P given as a function of temperature, and a new multi-environmental model that predicts C : P as a function of light, temperature, and P. These stoichiometric models were embedded into a five-box ocean circulation model, which resolves the three major ocean biomes (high-latitude, subtropical gyres, and tropical upwelling regions). Contrary to the expectation of a monotonic relationship between surface nutrient drawdown and carbon export, we found that lateral nutrient transport from lower C : P tropical waters to high C : P subtropical waters could cause carbon export to decrease with increased tropical nutrient utilization. It has been hypothesized that a positive feedback between temperature and pCO2, atm will play an important role in anthropogenic climate change, with changes in the biological pump playing at most a secondary role. Here we show that environmentally driven shifts in stoichiometry make the biological pump more influential, and may reverse the expected positive relationship between temperature and pCO2, atm. In the temperature-only model, changes in tropical temperature have more impact on the Δ pCO2, atm (˜ 41 ppm) compared to subtropical temperature changes (˜ 4.5 ppm). Our multi-environmental model predicted a decline in pCO2, atm of ˜ 46 ppm when temperature spanned a change of 10 °C. Thus, we find that variation in marine phytoplankton stoichiometry and its environmental controlling factors can lead to nonlinear controls on pCO2, atm, suggesting the need for further studies of ocean C : P and the impact on ocean carbon cycling.

Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Ulysses Mission (Tier 2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

This Final (Tier 2) Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) addresses the environmental impacts which may be caused by implementation of the Ulysses mission, a space flight mission to observe the polar regions of the Sun. The proposed action is completion of preparation and operation of the Ulysses spacecraft, including its planned launch at the earliest available launch opportunity on the Space Transportation System (STS) Shuttle in October 1990 or in the backup opportunity in November 1991. The alternative is canceling further work on the mission. The Tier 1 EIS included a delay alternative which considered the Titan 4 launch vehicle as an alternative booster stage for launch in 1991 or later. This alternative was further evaluated and eliminated from consideration when, in November 1988, the U.S. Air Force, which procures the Titan 4, notified that it could not provide a Titan 4 vehicle for the 1991 launch opportunity because of high priority Department of Defense requirements. The Titan 4 launch vehicle is no longer a feasible alternative to the STS/Inertial Upper Stage (IUS)/Payload Assist Module-Special (PAM-S) for the November 1991 launch opportunity. The only expected environment effects of the proposed action are associated with normal launch vehicle operation and are treated elsewhere. The environmental impacts of normal Shuttle launches were addressed in existing NEPA documentation and are briefly summarized. These impacts are limited largely to the near-field at the launch pad, except for temporary stratospheric ozone effects during launch and occasional sonic boom effects near the landing site. These effects were judged insufficient to preclude Shuttle launches. There could also be environmental impacts associated with the accidental release of radiological material during launch, deployment, or interplanetary trajectory injection of the Ulysses spacecraft. Intensive analysis indicates that the probability of release is small. There are no environmental impacts in the no-action alternative; however, the U.S. Government and the European Space Agency would suffer adverse fiscal and programmatic impacts if this alternative were adopted. The scientific benefits of the mission would be delayed and possibly lost. There could be significant impacts on the ability of the U.S. to negotiate international agreements for cooperative space activities.

The creation of reasonable projections toward sustainable development considering the climate and socioeconomic changes in the Pacific Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, S.; Iida, A.; Nakatani, J.; Noda, K.; Take, M.; Nakamura, S.

2015-12-01

The impacts of climate and socioeconomic change in the future are important factors to consider when discussing the issues of sustainable development in the Pacific Islands, since their impacts here are relatively large compared to those in other regions due to the severe limitation of internal resources and the external dependency of the life essentials. The tourism industry is the key driving force behind the economic growth in island region and it is promoted by the environmental attractions. This study constructs scenarios that foresees the effects of these changes and assesses the subsequent impact on both the local community and the tourism industry. In this study, the scenarios have been developed based on the representative concentration pathways (RCPs) and the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). The progress of climate change was expected to affect the attraction of tourists as well as resources availability and food production. The difference of SSPs was expected to affect the quality of life in the local society and the quantity and/or the quality of tourism. A downscale and bias-correction using a local dataset was applied to assess the impacts of climate change, and the relationships between GDP, population, and estimated land availability in the current situation were applied to assess the impact of socioeconomic change. As case studies, the scenarios were constructed to assess the impacts in the Republic of Palau and Ishigaki Island, Japan. Both are typical islands where tourism is the main industry. The situation of environmental resources, local society, and tourism under changing climate and socioeconomic conditions was assessed using these scenarios. The creation of reasonable projections under appropriate scenarios can contribute to sustainable development not only in these islands but also in most Pacific Islands.

Insulation Cork Boards-Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of an Organic Construction Material.

PubMed

Silvestre, José D; Pargana, Nuno; de Brito, Jorge; Pinheiro, Manuel D; Durão, Vera

2016-05-20

Envelope insulation is a relevant technical solution to cut energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts in buildings. Insulation Cork Boards (ICB) are a natural thermal insulation material whose production promotes the recycling of agricultural waste. The aim of this paper is to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life processing of ICB. A "cradle-to-cradle" environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed according to International LCA standards and the European standards on the environmental evaluation of buildings. These results were based on site-specific data and resulted from a consistent methodology, fully described in the paper for each life cycle stage: Cork oak tree growth, ICB production, and end-of-life processing-modeling of the carbon flows ( i.e. , uptakes and emissions), including sensitivity analysis of this procedure; at the production stage-the modeling of energy processes and a sensitivity analysis of the allocation procedures; during building operation-the expected service life of ICB; an analysis concerning the need to consider the thermal diffusivity of ICB in the comparison of the performance of insulation materials. This paper presents the up-to-date "cradle-to-cradle" environmental performance of ICB for the environmental categories and life-cycle stages defined in European standards.

Insulation Cork Boards—Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of an Organic Construction Material

PubMed Central

Silvestre, José D.; Pargana, Nuno; de Brito, Jorge; Pinheiro, Manuel D.; Durão, Vera

2016-01-01

Envelope insulation is a relevant technical solution to cut energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts in buildings. Insulation Cork Boards (ICB) are a natural thermal insulation material whose production promotes the recycling of agricultural waste. The aim of this paper is to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life processing of ICB. A “cradle-to-cradle” environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed according to International LCA standards and the European standards on the environmental evaluation of buildings. These results were based on site-specific data and resulted from a consistent methodology, fully described in the paper for each life cycle stage: Cork oak tree growth, ICB production, and end-of-life processing-modeling of the carbon flows (i.e., uptakes and emissions), including sensitivity analysis of this procedure; at the production stage—the modeling of energy processes and a sensitivity analysis of the allocation procedures; during building operation—the expected service life of ICB; an analysis concerning the need to consider the thermal diffusivity of ICB in the comparison of the performance of insulation materials. This paper presents the up-to-date “cradle-to-cradle” environmental performance of ICB for the environmental categories and life-cycle stages defined in European standards. PMID:28773516

Application of an uncertainty analysis approach to strategic environmental assessment for urban planning.

PubMed

Liu, Yi; Chen, Jining; He, Weiqi; Tong, Qingyuan; Li, Wangfeng

2010-04-15

Urban planning has been widely applied as a regulatory measure to guide a city's construction and management. It represents official expectations on future population and economic growth and land use over the urban area. No doubt, significant variations often occur between planning schemes and actual development; in particular in China, the world's largest developing country experiencing rapid urbanization and industrialization. This in turn leads to difficulty in estimating the environmental consequences of the urban plan. Aiming to quantitatively analyze the uncertain environmental impacts of the urban plan's implementation, this article developed an integrated methodology combining a scenario analysis approach and a stochastic simulation technique for strategic environmental assessment (SEA). Based on industrial development scenarios, Monte Carlo sampling is applied to generate all possibilities of the spatial distribution of newly emerged industries. All related environmental consequences can be further estimated given the industrial distributions as input to environmental quality models. By applying a HSY algorithm, environmentally unacceptable urban growth, regarding both economic development and land use spatial layout, can be systematically identified, providing valuable information to urban planners and decision makers. A case study in Dalian Municipality, Northeast China, is used to illustrate applicability of this methodology. The impacts of Urban Development Plan for Dalian Municipality (2003-2020) (UDP) on atmospheric environment are also discussed in this article.

AGU 2002-2003 Congressional Science Fellow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Illa Amerson, a Ph.D. candidate at the Oregon Health & Science University in Beaverton, was selected as AGU's 26th Congressional Science Fellow for 2002-2003. Starting in September, Amerson will serve a one-year assignment in the office of a senator or representative, or on a committee's staff as one of only a handful of scientists on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Once in an office, Amerson can expect to work as a regular member of the staff, serving as a legislative assistant. Her duties could include advising her boss how to vote on specific bills, writing speeches or press releases, crafting legislation, meeting with lobbyists and special interest groups, and even answering constituent mail.Amerson expects to receive her Ph.D. in environmental science and engineering this summer. Her dissertation focuses on the environmental impact of the gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). She completed a M.S. in civil and environmental engineering at Arizona State University and a S.B. in chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Amerson has also spent three years working in environmental regulation and consulting, dealing primarily with air and water quality issues.

Environmental exposures to agrochemicals in the Sierra Nevada mountain range

USGS Publications Warehouse

LeNoir, J.; Aston, L.; Data, S.; Fellers, G.; McConnell, L.; Sieber, J.

2000-01-01

The release of pesticides into the environment may impact human and environmental health. Despite the need for environmental exposure data, few studies quantify exposures in urban areas and even fewer determine exposures to wildlife in remote areas. Although it is expected that concentrations in remote regions will be low, recent studies suggest that even low concentrations may have deleterious effects on wildlife. Many pesticides are known to interfere with the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife, adversely affecting growth, development, and behavior. This chapter reviews the fate and transport of pesticides applied in the Central Valley of California and quantifies their subsequent deposition into the relatively pristine Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

Prediction of climate change impacts on agricultural watersheds and the performance of winter cover crops: Case study of the upper region of the Choptank River Watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Elevated CO2 concentration, temperature, and precipitation intensity driven by climate change are expected to cause significant environmental changes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW). Although the potential effects of climate change are widely reported, few studies have been conducted to unders...

SURVIAC Bulletin, Issue 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

settings that cover the range of environmental conditions in which the rations are expected to function. These vitally important state-of-the- art ...and the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence on nutritional issues impacting the Warfighter, supports the Surgeon General’s responsibilities as the...Advanced Food Processing Laboratory and Food Pilot Plant for production and testing of food to facilitate state-of-the- art ration development. The

Environmental Assessment for Implementation of Expanded Bird-Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Program for Moody Air Force Base and Private and Public Lands Surrounding Moody Air Force Base, Georgia

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-09-01

values are not expected to be significantly impacted by any of the alternatives analyzed: soils , geology, minerals, water quality/quantity, flood...pesticides on eggshell thickness, rather than direct mortality events (GWF, 2003). The proposed action does not involve the destruction of nesting

Effects of proposed alternatives on aquatic habitats and native fishes [Chapter 3

Treesearch

James R. Sedell; Danny C. Lee; Bruce E. Rieman; Russell F. Thurow; Jack E. Williams

1997-01-01

The Aquatics and Riparian Science Teams analyzed the seven alternatives by evaluating their effectiveness in sustaining aquatic ecosystem structure and function, and their expected effect on 25 taxa of native fishes. Our analysis focused on alternatives as defined in Chapter 3 of the Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) (USDA and USDI 1996a, 1996b...

Expectations as a key to understanding actor strategies in the field of fuel cell and hydrogen vehicles

PubMed Central

Budde, Björn; Alkemade, Floortje; Weber, K. Matthias

2012-01-01

Due to its environmental impact, the mobility system is increasingly under pressure. The challenges to cope with climate change, air quality, depleting fossil resources imply the need for a transition of the current mobility system towards a more sustainable one. Expectations and visions have been identified as crucial in the guidance of such transitions, and more specifically of actor strategies. Still, it remained unclear why the actors involved in transition activities appear to change their strategies frequently and suddenly. The empirical analysis of the expectations and strategies of three actors in the field of hydrogen and fuel cell technology indicates that changing actor strategies can be explained by rather volatile expectations related to different levels. Our case studies of the strategies of two large car manufacturers and the German government demonstrate that the car manufacturers refer strongly to expectations about the future regime, while expectations related to the socio-technical landscape level appear to be crucial for the strategy of the German government. PMID:24850974

Expectations as a key to understanding actor strategies in the field of fuel cell and hydrogen vehicles.

PubMed

Budde, Björn; Alkemade, Floortje; Weber, K Matthias

2012-07-01

Due to its environmental impact, the mobility system is increasingly under pressure. The challenges to cope with climate change, air quality, depleting fossil resources imply the need for a transition of the current mobility system towards a more sustainable one. Expectations and visions have been identified as crucial in the guidance of such transitions, and more specifically of actor strategies. Still, it remained unclear why the actors involved in transition activities appear to change their strategies frequently and suddenly. The empirical analysis of the expectations and strategies of three actors in the field of hydrogen and fuel cell technology indicates that changing actor strategies can be explained by rather volatile expectations related to different levels. Our case studies of the strategies of two large car manufacturers and the German government demonstrate that the car manufacturers refer strongly to expectations about the future regime, while expectations related to the socio-technical landscape level appear to be crucial for the strategy of the German government.

Sustainable management and supply of natural and recycled aggregates in a medium-size integrated plant.

PubMed

Faleschini, Flora; Zanini, Mariano Angelo; Pellegrino, Carlo; Pasinato, Stefano

2016-03-01

The consumption of natural aggregates in civil engineering applications can cause severe environmental impacts on a regional scale, depleting the stock of bulk resources within a territory. Several methods can improve the environmental sustainability of the whole aggregates' supply process, including natural and recycled aggregates' productive chains, for instance promoting the use of recycled aggregates (RA). However, when quarrying and recycling activities are considered as stand-alone processes, also the RA supply chain may not be as sustainable as expected, due to the high environmental loads associated to transportation, if high distances from the production to the use sites are involved. This work gives some insights on the environmental impact assessment of the aggregates' industry in the Italian context, through a comparative assessment of the environmental loads of natural and recycled aggregates' productive chains. An integrated plant for the extraction of virgin aggregates and recycling of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) was analyzed as significant case study, with the aim to identify the influence of sustainable solutions on the overall emissions of the facility. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach was used, using site-specific data and paying particular attention on transportation-related impacts, land use, avoided landfill and non-renewable resources preservation. From this work it was possible to evaluate the influence of transportation and PV energy use on the overall environmental emissions of natural and recycled aggregates' productive chains. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Legal and institutional framework of environmental impact assessment in Nigeria: An initial assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olokesusi, F.

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has high rates of urbanization and industrialization. Until recently, decisions on most large-scale projects such as expressways, harbors, industries, dams, and irrigation were considered with an emphasis on traditional technical and cost-benefit analysis. Spurred by massive environmental degradation and persistent community agitation in oil producing areas, environmental impact assessment (EIA) legislation was passed in late 1992. The main purpose of this article is to review and assess the content of this legislation and the guidelines produced by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), the institution responsible for EIA administration. Some EIA reports havemore » been prepared and reviewed by FEPA since 1994. There are some positive outcomes and expectations, but some problems have been identified as well, including: deliberate restriction of public involvement and participation by proponents and/or their consultants, interagency conflict leading to high cost and project delays especially in the oil industry, and restriction of public access to final EIA reports. These are discussed, and recommendations for improving the process are made.« less

Assessment of benthic changes during 20 years of monitoring the Mexican Salina Cruz Bay.

PubMed

González-Macías, C; Schifter, I; Lluch-Cota, D B; Méndez-Rodríguez, L; Hernández-Vázquez, S

2009-02-01

In this work a non-parametric multivariate analysis was used to assess the impact of metals and organic compounds in the macro infaunal component of the mollusks benthic community using surface sediment data from several monitoring programs collected over 20 years in Salina Cruz Bay, Mexico. The data for benthic mollusks community characteristics (richness, abundance and diversity) were linked to multivariate environmental patterns, using the Alternating Conditional Expectations method to correlate the biological measurements of the mollusk community with the physicochemical properties of water and sediments. Mollusks community variation is related to environmental characteristics as well as lead content. Surface deposit feeders are increasing their relative density, while subsurface deposit feeders are decreasing with respect to time, these last are expected to be more related with sediment and more affected then by its quality. However gastropods with predatory carnivore as well as chemosymbiotic deposit feeder bivalves have maintained their relative densities along time.

National Coal Utilization Assessment. a preliminary assessment of the health and environmental effects of coal utilization in the Midwest. Volume I. Energy scenarios, technology characterizations, air and water resource impacts, and health effects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1977-01-01

This report presents an initial evaluation of the major health and environmental issues associated with increased coal use in the six midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Using an integrated assessment approach, the evaluation proceeds from a base-line scenario of energy demand and facility siting for 1975-2020. Emphasis is placed on impacts from coal extraction, land reclamation, coal combustion for electrical generation, and coal gasification. The range of potential impacts and constraints is illustrated by a second scenario that represents an expected upper limit for coal utilization in Illinois. The following are among the more significantmore » issues identified and evaluated in this study: If environmental and related issues can be resolved, coal will continue to be a major source of energy for the Midwest; existing sulfur emission constraints will increase use of western coal; the resource requirements and environmental impacts of coal utilization will require major significant environmental and economic tradeoffs in site selection; short-term (24-hr) ambient standards for sulfur dioxide will limit the sizes of coal facilities or require advanced control technologies; an impact on public health may result from long-range transport of airborne sulfur emissions from coal facilities in the Midwest; inadequately controlled effluents from coal gasification may cause violations of water-quality standards; the major ecological effects of coal extraction are from pre-mining and post-reclamation land use; and sulfur dioxide is the major potential contributor to effects on vegetation of atmospheric emissions from coal facilities.« less

Impacts of iron and steelmaking facilities on soil quality.

PubMed

Strezov, Vladimir; Chaudhary, Chandrakant

2017-12-01

Iron and steel are highly important materials used in a wide range of products with important contribution to the economic development. The processes for making iron and steel are energy intensive and known to contribute to local pollution. Deposition of the metals may also have adverse impacts on soil quality, which requires detailed assessment. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of iron and steelmaking facilities on the local soil quality. Soil samples were collected in the vicinity of two steelmaking sites in Australia, one based on blast furnace steelmaking operation, while the second site was based on electric arc furnace steel recycling. The soil samples were compared to a background site where no industrial impact is expected. The soil collected near industrial facilities contained larger toxic metal contents, however this concentration for all priority metals was within the Australian National Environmental Protection Measure guidelines for the acceptable recreational soil quality. When compared to the international soil quality guidelines, some of the soils collected near the industrial sites, particularly near the blast furnace operated steelmaking, exceeded the arsenic, iron and manganese (according to United States Environmental Protection Agency guidelines) and chromium, copper and nickel concentrations (according to the Canadian guidelines). The work further provided a novel environmental assessment model taking into consideration the environmental and health impacts of each element. The environmental assessment revealed most significant contribution of manganese, followed by titanium, zinc, chromium and lead. Titanium was the second most important contributor to the soil quality, however this metal is currently not included in any of the international soil quality guidelines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Climate change and security.

PubMed

Rogers, Paul

2009-04-01

Climate change was originally expected to have its main impact on countries in temperate latitudes which, because of their relative wealth, would be best able to cope. It is now far more likely that much poorer states in the tropics and sub-tropics will experience severe impacts. This is compounded by the widening socioeconomic divide and the combination of these divisions, with environmental constraints, will have a profound impact on human security. The dangerous response to the prospects of mass migration and radical social movements is to attempt to maintain control without addressing underlying problems. Instead, there is an urgent need to embrace new concepts of sustainable security.

Health and Climate Impacts of Rural Residential Energy Transition in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Shu; Ru, Muye; Du, Wei; Zhu, Xi; Zhong, Qirui

2017-04-01

Over the last two to three decades, energy mix in rural China transit dramatically owing to rapid socioeconomic development. It is expected that such transition can result in changes in emissions of climate forcing components and air pollutants, consequently environmental and climate impacts. Such impacts were quantified by a nationwide survey on rural residential energy consumption, compilation of a series of emission inventories, modeling of atmospheric transport of pollutants, assessment on health risk induced by exposure to ambient air pollutants, and evaluation on rural residential emission originated climate forcing components. Co-benefit of the transition on both health and climate is demonstrated.

Local environmental context conditions the impact of Russian olive in a heterogeneous riparian ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tuttle, Graham M.; Katz, Gabrielle L.; Friedman, Jonathan M.; Norton, Andrew P.

2016-01-01

Local abiotic and biotic conditions can alter the strength of exotic species impacts. To better understand the effects of exotic species on invaded ecosystems and to prioritize management efforts, it is important that exotic species impacts are put in local environmental context. We studied how differences in plant community composition, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and available soil N associated with Russian olive presence are conditioned by local environmental variation within a western U.S. riparian ecosystem. In four sites along the South Fork of the Republican River in Colorado, we established 200 pairs of plots (underneath and apart from Russian olive) to measure the effects of invasion across the ecosystem. We used a series of a priori mixed models to identify environmental variables that altered the effects of Russian olive. For all response variables, models that included the interaction of environmental characteristics, such as presence/absence of an existing cottonwood canopy, with the presence/absence of Russian olive canopy were stronger candidate models than those that just included Russian olive canopy presence as a factor. Compared with reference plots outside of Russian olive canopy, plots underneath Russian olive had higher relative exotic cover (exotic/total cover), lower perennial C4 grass cover, and higher perennial forb cover. These effects were reduced, however, in the presence of a cottonwood canopy. As expected, Russian olive was associated with reduced PAR and increased N, but these effects were reduced under cottonwood canopy. Our results demonstrate that local abiotic and biotic environmental factors condition the effects of Russian olive within a heterogeneous riparian ecosystem and suggest that management efforts should be focused in open areas where Russian olive impacts are strongest.

Empirical Analysis of Green Supply Chain Management Practices in Indian Automobile Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luthra, S.; Garg, D.; Haleem, A.

2014-04-01

Environmental sustainability and green environmental issues have an increasing popularity among researchers and supply chain practitioners. An attempt has been made to identify and empirically analyze green supply chain management (GSCM) practices in Indian automobile industry. Six main GSCM practices (having 37 sub practices) and four expected performance outcomes (having 16 performances) have been identified by implementing GSCM practices from literature review. Questionnaire based survey has been made to validate these practices and performance outcomes. 123 complete questionnaires were collected from Indian automobile organizations and used for empirical analysis of GSCM practices in Indian automobile industry. Descriptive statistics have been used to know current implementation status of GSCM practices in Indian automobile industry and multiple regression analysis has been carried out to know the impact on expected organizational performance outcomes by current GSCM practices adopted by Indian automobile industry. The results of study suggested that environmental, economic, social and operational performances improve with the implementation of GSCM practices. This paper may play an important role to understand various GSCM implementation issues and help practicing managers to improve their performances in the supply chain.

Environmental assessment of incinerator residue utilisation.

PubMed

Toller, S; Kärrman, E; Gustafsson, J P; Magnusson, Y

2009-07-01

Incineration ashes may be treated either as a waste to be dumped in landfill, or as a resource that is suitable for re-use. In order to choose the best management scenario, knowledge is needed on the potential environmental impact that may be expected, including not only local, but also regional and global impact. In this study, A life cycle assessment (LCA) based approach was outlined for environmental assessment of incinerator residue utilisation, in which leaching of trace elements as well as other emissions to air and water and the use of resources were regarded as constituting the potential environmental impact from the system studied. Case studies were performed for two selected ash types, bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) and wood fly ash. The MSWI bottom ash was assumed to be suitable for road construction or as drainage material in landfill, whereas the wood fly ash was assumed to be suitable for road construction or as a nutrient resource to be recycled on forest land after biofuel harvesting. Different types of potential environmental impact predominated in the activities of the system and the use of natural resources and the trace element leaching were identified as being relatively important for the scenarios compared. The scenarios differed in use of resources and energy, whereas there is a potential for trace element leaching regardless of how the material is managed. Utilising MSWI bottom ash in road construction and recycling of wood ash on forest land saved more natural resources and energy than when these materials were managed according to the other scenarios investigated, including dumping in landfill.

Clarifying anti-reflexivity: conservative opposition to impact science and scientific evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunlap, Riley E.

2014-01-01

The recent study reported by McCright et al (2013 Environ. Res. Lett. 8 044029) extends current research on conservatives’ distrust of science by distinguishing between public trust in production versus impact scientists (i.e. those whose work yields new technologies and marketable products versus those assessing the health and environmental impacts of such technologies and products). As expected, they find that conservatives are significantly less trustful of impact scientists but somewhat more trustful of production scientists. In the process they provide support for the Anti-Reflexivity Thesis, a perspective that attributes conservatives’ (and Republicans’) denial of anthropogenic climate change (ACC) and other environmental problems and attacks on climate/environmental science to their staunch commitment to protecting the current system of economic production. McCright et al’s innovative study deserves replication, and their approach should prove useful in accounting for divergent views of ACC. It is also important to keep in mind that anti-reflexivity is an institutional and structural issue, becoming more consequential when it is employed by political elites such as the George W Bush Administration in the US. Institutional anti-reflexivity is further illustrated by the widespread denial of ACC and a range of other problems among current Republican members of the US Congress.

Superfund: Evaluating the Impact of Executive Order 12898

PubMed Central

O’Neil, Sandra George

2007-01-01

Background The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) addresses uncontrolled and abandoned hazardous waste sites throughout the country. Sites that are perceived to be a significant threat to both surrounding populations and the environment can be placed on the U.S. EPA Superfund list and qualify for federal cleanup funds. The equitability of the Superfund program has been questioned; the representation of minority and low-income populations in this cleanup program is lower than would be expected. Thus, minorities and low-income populations may not be benefiting proportionately from this environmental cleanup program. In 1994 President Clinton signed Executive Order 12898 requiring that the U.S. EPA and other federal agencies implement environmental justice policies. These policies were to specifically address the disproportionate environmental effects of federal programs and policies on minority and low-income populations. Objective and Methods I use event history analysis to evaluate the impact of Executive Order 12898 on the equitability of the Superfund program. Discussion Findings suggest that despite environmental justice legislation, Superfund site listings in minority and poor areas are even less likely for sites discovered since the 1994 Executive Order. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that Executive Order 12898 for environmental justice has not increased the equitability of the Superfund program. PMID:17637927

Environmental analysis of a construction and demolition waste recycling plant in Portugal--Part I: energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

PubMed

Coelho, André; de Brito, Jorge

2013-05-01

This work is a part of a wider study involving the economic and environmental implications of managing construction and demolition waste (CDW), focused on the operation of a large scale CDW recycling plant. This plant, to be operated in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (including the Setúbal peninsula), is analysed for a 60 year period, using primary energy consumption and CO2eq emission impact factors as environmental impact performance indicators. Simplified estimation methods are used to calculate industrial equipment incorporated, and the operation and transport related impacts. Material recycling--sorted materials sent to other industries, to act as input--is taken into account by discounting the impacts related to industrial processes no longer needed. This first part focuses on calculating the selected impact factors for a base case scenario (with a 350 tonnes/h installed capacity), while a sensitivity analysis is provided in part two. Overall, a 60 year global primary energy consumption of 71.4 thousand toe (tonne of oil equivalent) and a total CO2eq emission of 135.4 thousand tonnes are expected. Under this operating regime, around 563 thousand toe and 1465 thousand tonnes CO2eq could be prevented by replacing raw materials in several construction materials industries (e.g.: ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics, paper and cardboard). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of the environmental management system on the environmental impact of seaport companies during an economic crisis: Lithuanian case study.

PubMed

Anne, Olga; Burskyte, Vilma; Stasiskiene, Zaneta; Balciunas, Arunas

2015-01-01

Freight handling in EU ports fell by more than 12 % during the global economic crisis in 2008-2009 after almost a decade of continuous growth. The decrease of freight handling in the Klaipeda seaport, the only port in Lithuania, was 6.7 % and happened due to the dominant outward movement of goods (mainly oil products). The Klaipeda seaport, due to its peculiarity, is the only ice-free port in the northern part of Baltic Sea. The present study explores the environmental impact of Klaipeda seaport activities from 2001 to 2011. Moreover, it compares the environmental effectiveness of environmental protection strategies used in the four biggest companies that, in fact, cover about 88 % of total activities (except general cargo) of the seaport. The first group of targeted companies used an environmental protection strategy to implement an ISO 14001-based environmental management system, and the second group selected to follow environmental management practices without certification. The paper analyses the development of the companies' activities in regard to the change of environmental effectiveness. The paper evaluates the pressure of the economic crisis on the companies' activities and its influence on environmental decisions, with particular interest in the ability of different environmental protection systems to resist and handle the expected performance. The study identified a significant decrease in companies' activities during the crisis period. However, the economic activities and environmental effectiveness demonstrated similar short-term tendencies in regard to the environmental strategy selection but differed in long-term perspective.

Larose to Golden Meadow, Louisiana, Hurricane Protection Project. Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-05-01

virginiana Mars helde r Iva frutescens Marsh mallow Hibiscus lasiocarpus Oystergrass Spartina alterniflora Palmetto Sabal minor Red maple Acer rubrum... health and welfare Including municipal and private water supplies. Recreational and commercial fisheries, plankton, fish, shellfish, wildlife, and...human health and welfare are expected to be minor. * 8. Appropriate and practicable steps would be taken when possible to minimize potential adverse

Characterizing environmental change in interior Alaska (1982-2012) using multi-temporal, multi-scale remote sensing data and field measurements

Treesearch

Hans-Erik Andersen; Robert. Pattison

2012-01-01

We investigate how vegetation in the Tanana Valley of interior Alaska (120,000 km2) has responded to a changing climate over the preceding three decades (1982-2012). Expected impacts include: 1) drying of wetlands and subsequent encroachment of woody vegetation into areas previously dominated by herbaceous and bryoid vegetation types, 2) changes...

Environmental impacts of livestock on the developing world

Treesearch

Charles F. Nicholson; Robert W. Blake; Robin S. Reid; John Schelhas

2001-01-01

More food will be required in the next 20 years to nourish more people--at least 7.7 billion are expected by 2020. About 800 million of these people will not have enough to eat, not because world food production is inadequate, but because they lack sufficient resources to produce or purchase the food they require. This greater need for food will aggravate agricultural...

Novel Miscanthus Germplasm-Based Value Chains: A Life Cycle Assessment

PubMed Central

Wagner, Moritz; Kiesel, Andreas; Hastings, Astley; Iqbal, Yasir; Lewandowski, Iris

2017-01-01

In recent years, considerable progress has been made in miscanthus research: improvement of management practices, breeding of new genotypes, especially for marginal conditions, and development of novel utilization options. The purpose of the current study was a holistic analysis of the environmental performance of such novel miscanthus-based value chains. In addition, the relevance of the analyzed environmental impact categories was assessed. A Life Cycle Assessment was conducted to analyse the environmental performance of the miscanthus-based value chains in 18 impact categories. In order to include the substitution of a reference product, a system expansion approach was used. In addition, a normalization step was applied. This allowed the relevance of these impact categories to be evaluated for each utilization pathway. The miscanthus was cultivated on six sites in Europe (Aberystwyth, Adana, Moscow, Potash, Stuttgart and Wageningen) and the biomass was utilized in the following six pathways: (1) small-scale combustion (heat)—chips; (2) small-scale combustion (heat)—pellets; (3) large-scale combustion (CHP)—biomass baled for transport and storage; (4) large-scale combustion (CHP)—pellets; (5) medium-scale biogas plant—ensiled miscanthus biomass; and (6) large-scale production of insulation material. Thus, in total, the environmental performance of 36 site × pathway combinations was assessed. The comparatively high normalized results of human toxicity, marine, and freshwater ecotoxicity, and freshwater eutrophication indicate the relevance of these impact categories in the assessment of miscanthus-based value chains. Differences between the six sites can almost entirely be attributed to variations in biomass yield. However, the environmental performance of the utilization pathways analyzed varied widely. The largest differences were shown for freshwater and marine ecotoxicity, and freshwater eutrophication. The production of insulation material had the lowest impact on the environment, with net benefits in all impact categories expect three (marine eutrophication, human toxicity, agricultural land occupation). This performance can be explained by the multiple use of the biomass, first as material and subsequently as an energy carrier, and by the substitution of an emission-intensive reference product. The results of this study emphasize the importance of assessing all environmental impacts when selecting appropriate utilization pathways. PMID:28642784

A preliminary approach to quantifying the overall environmental risks posed by development projects during environmental impact assessment

PubMed Central

Chadès, Iadine

2017-01-01

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is used globally to manage the impacts of development projects on the environment, so there is an imperative to demonstrate that it can effectively identify risky projects. However, despite the widespread use of quantitative predictive risk models in areas such as toxicology, ecosystem modelling and water quality, the use of predictive risk tools to assess the overall expected environmental impacts of major construction and development proposals is comparatively rare. A risk-based approach has many potential advantages, including improved prediction and attribution of cause and effect; sensitivity analysis; continual learning; and optimal resource allocation. In this paper we investigate the feasibility of using a Bayesian belief network (BBN) to quantify the likelihood and consequence of non-compliance of new projects based on the occurrence probabilities of a set of expert-defined features. The BBN incorporates expert knowledge and continually improves its predictions based on new data as it is collected. We use simulation to explore the trade-off between the number of data points and the prediction accuracy of the BBN, and find that the BBN could predict risk with 90% accuracy using approximately 1000 data points. Although a further pilot test with real project data is required, our results suggest that a BBN is a promising method to monitor overall risks posed by development within an existing EIA process given a modest investment in data collection. PMID:28686651

A preliminary approach to quantifying the overall environmental risks posed by development projects during environmental impact assessment.

PubMed

Nicol, Sam; Chadès, Iadine

2017-01-01

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is used globally to manage the impacts of development projects on the environment, so there is an imperative to demonstrate that it can effectively identify risky projects. However, despite the widespread use of quantitative predictive risk models in areas such as toxicology, ecosystem modelling and water quality, the use of predictive risk tools to assess the overall expected environmental impacts of major construction and development proposals is comparatively rare. A risk-based approach has many potential advantages, including improved prediction and attribution of cause and effect; sensitivity analysis; continual learning; and optimal resource allocation. In this paper we investigate the feasibility of using a Bayesian belief network (BBN) to quantify the likelihood and consequence of non-compliance of new projects based on the occurrence probabilities of a set of expert-defined features. The BBN incorporates expert knowledge and continually improves its predictions based on new data as it is collected. We use simulation to explore the trade-off between the number of data points and the prediction accuracy of the BBN, and find that the BBN could predict risk with 90% accuracy using approximately 1000 data points. Although a further pilot test with real project data is required, our results suggest that a BBN is a promising method to monitor overall risks posed by development within an existing EIA process given a modest investment in data collection.

Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Stream Water Temperatures Across the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehsani, N.; Knouft, J.; Ficklin, D. L.

2017-12-01

Analyses of long-term observation data have revealed significant changes in several components of climate and the hydrological cycle over the contiguous United States during the twentieth and early twenty-first century. Mean surface air temperatures have significantly increased in most areas of the country. In addition, water temperatures are increasing in many watersheds across the United States. While there are numerous studies assessing the impact of climate change on air temperatures at regional and global scales, fewer studies have investigated the impacts of climate change on stream water temperatures. Projecting increases in water temperature are particularly important to the conservation of freshwater ecosystems. To achieve better insights into attributes regulating population and community dynamics of aquatic biota at large spatial and temporal scales, we need to establish relationships between environmental heterogeneity and critical biological processes of stream ecosystems at these scales. Increases in stream temperatures caused by the doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide may result in a significant loss of fish habitat in the United States. Utilization of physically based hydrological-water temperature models is computationally demanding and can be onerous to many researchers who specialize in other disciplines. Using statistical techniques to analyze observational data from 1760 USGS stream temperature gages, our goal is to develop a simple yet accurate method to quantify the impacts of climate warming on stream water temperatures in a way that is practical for aquatic biologists, water and environmental management purposes, and conservation practitioners and policy-makers. Using an ensemble of five global climate models (GCMs), we estimate the potential impacts of climate change on stream temperatures within the contiguous United States based on recent trends. Stream temperatures are projected to increase across the US, but the magnitude of the changes are not expected to be uniform across the region and these relationships are expected to vary from month to month. Combined with expected changes in stream flows, the projected changes in the thermal regimes of streams can fundamentally transform stream habitats and the distribution of biodiversity.

Environmental education: A blueprint for achievement?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McErlean, A.J.; Williams, E.; Wittwer, F.

1995-09-01

The present national effort devoted to environmental education (EE), particularly as it relates to K-12 education, is examined and indexed to other current events and their support levels. For the most part, EE efforts are embedded in science, mathematics, and engineering programs (SME), and the relationships to these other areas are discussed. In the present context, many aspects such as social, ethical, and religious consideration of EE are not addressed. The relationships between EE and the expectation for scientific literacy (SL) and improved environmental decision-making in both short- and long-term contexts are also examined. Under existing programs, the prognosis formore » serious, effective accomplishment, or credible impact on universal EE literacy or enhanced decision-making, is doubtful.« less

The changing global context of public health.

PubMed

McMichael, A J; Beaglehole, R

2000-08-05

Future health prospects depend increasingly on globalisation processes and on the impact of global environmental change. Economic globalisation--entailng deregulated trade and investment--is a mixed blessing for health. Economic growth and the dissemination of technologies have widely enhanced life expectancy. However, aspects of globalisation are jeopardising health by eroding social and environmental conditions, exacerbating the rich-poor gap, and disseminating consumerism. Global environmental changes reflect the growth of populations and the intensity of economic activity. These changes include altered composition of the atmosphere, land degradation, depletion of terrestrial aquifers and ocean fisheries, and loss of biodiversity. This weakening of life-supporting systems poses health risks. Contemporary public health must therefore encompass the interrelated tasks of reducing social and health inequalities and achieving health-sustaining environments.

Centenarians and supercentenarians: a black swan. Emerging social, medical and surgical problems

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The Black Swan Theory was described by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book “The Black Swan”. This theory refers to “high-impact, hard-to-predict, and rare events beyond the realm of normal expectations”. According to Taleb’s criteria, a Black Swan Event is a surprise, it has a major impact and after the fact, the event is rationalized by hindsight, as if it had been expected. For most of human history centenarians were a rare and unpredictable phenomenon. The improvements of the social-environmental conditions, of medical care, and the quality of life caused a general improvement of the health status of the population and a consequent reduction of the overall morbidity and mortality, resulting in an overall increase of life expectancy. The study of centenarians and supercentenarians had the objective to consider this black swan and to evaluate the health, welfare, social and economic consequences of this phenomenon. PMID:23173707

Effects of data structure on the estimation of covariance functions to describe genotype by environment interactions in a reaction norm model

PubMed Central

Calus, Mario PL; Bijma, Piter; Veerkamp, Roel F

2004-01-01

Covariance functions have been proposed to predict breeding values and genetic (co)variances as a function of phenotypic within herd-year averages (environmental parameters) to include genotype by environment interaction. The objective of this paper was to investigate the influence of definition of environmental parameters and non-random use of sires on expected breeding values and estimated genetic variances across environments. Breeding values were simulated as a linear function of simulated herd effects. The definition of environmental parameters hardly influenced the results. In situations with random use of sires, estimated genetic correlations between the trait expressed in different environments were 0.93, 0.93 and 0.97 while simulated at 0.89 and estimated genetic variances deviated up to 30% from the simulated values. Non random use of sires, poor genetic connectedness and small herd size had a large impact on the estimated covariance functions, expected breeding values and calculated environmental parameters. Estimated genetic correlations between a trait expressed in different environments were biased upwards and breeding values were more biased when genetic connectedness became poorer and herd composition more diverse. The best possible solution at this stage is to use environmental parameters combining large numbers of animals per herd, while losing some information on genotype by environment interaction in the data. PMID:15339629

Using ecosystem services to represent the environment in hydro-economic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Momblanch, Andrea; Connor, Jeffery D.; Crossman, Neville D.; Paredes-Arquiola, Javier; Andreu, Joaquín

2016-07-01

Demand for water is expected to grow in line with global human population growth, but opportunities to augment supply are limited in many places due to resource limits and expected impacts of climate change. Hydro-economic models are often used to evaluate water resources management options, commonly with a goal of understanding how to maximise water use value and reduce conflicts among competing uses. The environment is now an important factor in decision making, which has resulted in its inclusion in hydro-economic models. We reviewed 95 studies applying hydro-economic models, and documented how the environment is represented in them and the methods they use to value environmental costs and benefits. We also sought out key gaps and inconsistencies in the treatment of the environment in hydro-economic models. We found that representation of environmental values of water is patchy in most applications, and there should be systematic consideration of the scope of environmental values to include and how they should be valued. We argue that the ecosystem services framework offers a systematic approach to identify the full range of environmental costs and benefits. The main challenges to more holistic representation of the environment in hydro-economic models are the current limits to understanding of ecological functions which relate physical, ecological and economic values and critical environmental thresholds; and the treatment of uncertainty.

Effects of Listening to Music versus Environmental Sounds in Passive and Active Situations on Levels of Pain and Fatigue in Fibromyalgia.

PubMed

Mercadíe, Lolita; Mick, Gérard; Guétin, Stéphane; Bigand, Emmanuel

2015-10-01

In fibromyalgia, pain symptoms such as hyperalgesia and allodynia are associated with fatigue. Mechanisms underlying such symptoms can be modulated by listening to pleasant music. We expected that listening to music, because of its emotional impact, would have a greater modulating effect on the perception of pain and fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia than listening to nonmusical sounds. To investigate this hypothesis, we carried out a 4-week study in which patients with fibromyalgia listened to either preselected musical pieces or environmental sounds when they experienced pain in active (while carrying out a physical activity) or passive (at rest) situations. Concomitant changes of pain and fatigue levels were evaluated. When patients listened to music or environmental sounds at rest, pain and fatigue levels were significantly reduced after 20 minutes of listening, with no difference of effect magnitude between the two stimuli. This improvement persisted 10 minutes after the end of the listening session. In active situations, pain did not increase in presence of the two stimuli. Contrary to our expectations, music and environmental sounds produced a similar relieving effect on pain and fatigue, with no benefit gained by listening to pleasant music over environmental sounds. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transportation of radionuclides in urban environs: draft environmental assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finley, N.C.; Aldrich, D.C.; Daniel, S.L.

1980-07-01

This report assesses the environmental consequences of the transportation of radioactive materials in densely populated urban areas, including estimates of the radiological, nonradiological, and social impacts arising from this process. The chapters of the report and the appendices which follow detail the methodology and results for each of four causative event categories: incident free transport, vehicular accidents, human errors or deviations from accepted quality assurance practices, and sabotage or malevolent acts. The numerical results are expressed in terms of the expected radiological and economic impacts from each. Following these discussions, alternatives to the current transport practice are considered. Then, themore » detailed analysis is extended from a limited area of New York city to other urban areas. The appendices contain the data bases and specific models used to evaluate these impacts, as well as discussions of chemical toxicity and the social impacts of radioactive material transport in urban areas. The latter are evaluated for each causative event category in terms of psychological, sociological, political, legal, and organizational impacts. The report is followed by an extensive bibliography covering the many fields of study which were required in performing the analysis.« less

Environmental challenges of the chlor-alkali production: Seeking answers from a life cycle approach.

PubMed

Garcia-Herrero, Isabel; Margallo, María; Onandía, Raquel; Aldaco, Rubén; Irabien, Angel

2017-02-15

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been used to assess the environmental sustainability of the chlor-alkali production in Europe. The three current technologies applied nowadays are mercury, diaphragm, and membrane cell technology. Despite, having achieved higher energy efficiencies since the introduction of membrane technology, energy consumption is still one of the most important issues in this sector. An emerging technology namely oxygen-depolarised cathodes (ODC) is suggested as a promising approach for reducing the electrolysis energy demand. However, its requirement of pure oxygen and the lack of production of hydrogen, which could otherwise be valorised, are controversial features for greener chlorine production. The aim of this work is to evaluate and compare the environmental profiles of the current and emerging technologies for chlorine production and to identify the main hot spots of the process. Salt mining, brine preparation, electrolysis technology and products treatment are included inside the system boundaries. Twelve environmental impact categories grouped into natural resources usage and environmental burdens are assessed from cradle to gate and further normalised and weighted. Furthermore, hydrogen valorisation, current density and allocation procedure are subjected to sensitivity analysis. Results show that the electrolysis stage is the main contributor to the environmental impacts due to energy consumption, causing 99.5-72% of these impacts. Mercury is the less environmentally sustainable technology, closely followed by diaphragm. This difference becomes bigger after normalisation, owing to hazardous waste generated by mercury technique. Conversely, best results are obtained for ODC instead of membrane scenario, although the reduction in energy requirements is lesser than expected (7%). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Climate extremes and the carbon cycle.

PubMed

Reichstein, Markus; Bahn, Michael; Ciais, Philippe; Frank, Dorothea; Mahecha, Miguel D; Seneviratne, Sonia I; Zscheischler, Jakob; Beer, Christian; Buchmann, Nina; Frank, David C; Papale, Dario; Rammig, Anja; Smith, Pete; Thonicke, Kirsten; van der Velde, Marijn; Vicca, Sara; Walz, Ariane; Wattenbach, Martin

2013-08-15

The terrestrial biosphere is a key component of the global carbon cycle and its carbon balance is strongly influenced by climate. Continuing environmental changes are thought to increase global terrestrial carbon uptake. But evidence is mounting that climate extremes such as droughts or storms can lead to a decrease in regional ecosystem carbon stocks and therefore have the potential to negate an expected increase in terrestrial carbon uptake. Here we explore the mechanisms and impacts of climate extremes on the terrestrial carbon cycle, and propose a pathway to improve our understanding of present and future impacts of climate extremes on the terrestrial carbon budget.

Integrated environmental impact assessment: a Canadian example.

PubMed Central

Kwiatkowski, Roy E.; Ooi, Maria

2003-01-01

The Canadian federal process for environmental impact assessment (EIA) integrates health, social, and environmental aspects into either a screening, comprehensive study, or a review by a public panel, depending on the expected severity of potential adverse environmental effects. In this example, a Public Review Panel considered a proposed diamond mining project in Canada's northern territories, where 50% of the population are Aboriginals. The Panel specifically instructed the project proposer to determine how to incorporate traditional knowledge into the gathering of baseline information, preparing impact prediction, and planning mitigation and monitoring. Traditional knowledge is defined as the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and/or local communities developed from experience gained over the centuries and adapted to local culture and environment. The mining company was asked to consider in its EIA: health, demographics, social and cultural patterns; services and infrastructure; local, regional and territorial economy; land and resource use; employment, education and training; government; and other matters. Cooperative efforts between government, industry and the community led to a project that coordinated the concerns of all interested stakeholders and the needs of present and future generations, thereby meeting the goals of sustainable development. The mitigation measures that were implemented take into account: income and social status, social support networks, education, employment and working conditions, physical environments, personal health practices and coping skills, and health services. PMID:12894328

Benchmarking wastewater treatment plants under an eco-efficiency perspective.

PubMed

Lorenzo-Toja, Yago; Vázquez-Rowe, Ian; Amores, María José; Termes-Rifé, Montserrat; Marín-Navarro, Desirée; Moreira, María Teresa; Feijoo, Gumersindo

2016-10-01

The new ISO 14045 framework is expected to slowly start shifting the definition of eco-efficiency toward a life-cycle perspective, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as the environmental impact assessment method together with a system value assessment method for the economic analysis. In the present study, a set of 22 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Spain were analyzed on the basis of eco-efficiency criteria, using LCA and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) as a system value assessment method. The study is intended to be useful to decision-makers in the wastewater treatment sector, since the combined method provides an alternative scheme for analyzing the relationship between environmental impacts and costs. Two midpoint impact categories, global warming and eutrophication potential, as well as an endpoint single score indicator were used for the environmental assessment, while LCC was used for value assessment. Results demonstrated that substantial differences can be observed between different WWTPs depending on a wide range of factors such as plant configuration, plant size or even legal discharge limits. Based on these results the benchmarking of wastewater treatment facilities was performed by creating a specific classification and certification scheme. The proposed eco-label for the WWTPs rating is based on the integration of the three environmental indicators and an economic indicator calculated within the study under the eco-efficiency new framework. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nuclear Waste Management under Approaching Disaster: A Comparison of Decommissioning Strategies for the German Repository Asse II.

PubMed

Ilg, Patrick; Gabbert, Silke; Weikard, Hans-Peter

2017-07-01

This article compares different strategies for handling low- and medium-level nuclear waste buried in a retired potassium mine in Germany (Asse II) that faces significant risk of uncontrollable brine intrusion and, hence, long-term groundwater contamination. We survey the policy process that has resulted in the identification of three possible so-called decommissioning options: complete backfilling, relocation of the waste to deeper levels in the mine, and retrieval. The selection of a decommissioning strategy must compare expected investment costs with expected social damage costs (economic, environmental, and health damage costs) caused by flooding and subsequent groundwater contamination. We apply a cost minimization approach that accounts for the uncertainty regarding the stability of the rock formation and the risk of an uncontrollable brine intrusion. Since economic and health impacts stretch out into the far future, we examine the impact of different discounting methods and rates. Due to parameter uncertainty, we conduct a sensitivity analysis concerning key assumptions. We find that retrieval, the currently preferred option by policymakers, has the lowest expected social damage costs for low discount rates. However, this advantage is overcompensated by higher expected investment costs. Considering all costs, backfilling is the best option for all discounting scenarios considered. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

An analysis on how switching to a more balanced and naturally improved milk would affect consumer health and the environment.

PubMed

Roibás, Laura; Martínez, Ismael; Goris, Alfonso; Barreiro, Rocío; Hospido, Almudena

2016-10-01

This study compares a premium brand of UHT milk, Unicla, characterised by an improved nutritional composition, to conventional milk, in terms of health effects and environmental impacts. Unlike enriched milks, in which nutrients are added to the final product, Unicla is obtained naturally by improving the diet of the dairy cows. Health effects have been analysed based on literature findings, while the environmental analysis focused on those spheres of the environment where milk is expected to cause the higher impacts, and thus carbon (CF) and water footprints (WF) have been determined. Five final products have been compared: 3 conventional (skimmed, semi-skimmed, whole) and 2 Unicla (skimmed, semi-skimmed) milks. As a functional unit, one litre of packaged UHT milk entering the regional distribution centre has been chosen. The improved composition of Unicla milk is expected to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and to protect consumers against oxidative damage, among other health benefits. Concerning the environmental aspect, CF of Unicla products are, on average, 10% lower than their conventional equivalents, mainly due to the lower enteric emissions of caused by the Unicla diet. No significant differences were found between the WF of Unicla and conventional milk. Raw milk is the main contributor to both footprints (on average, 83.2 and 84.3% of the total CF of Unicla and conventional milk, respectively, and 99.9% of WF). The results have been compared to those found in literature, and a sensitivity analysis has been performed to verify their robustness. The study concludes that switching to healthier milk compositions can help slowing down global warming, without contributing to other environmental issues such as water scarcity. The results should encourage other milk companies to commit to the development of healthier, less environmentally damaging products, and also to stimulate consumers to bet on them. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental Measurements Laboratory 1994 annual report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chieco, N.A.; Krey, P.W.; Beck, H.L.

1995-08-01

This report summarizes the activities of the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) for the calendar year 1994 and it serves as an annual report to the Director of the Office of Energy Research (ER), the Associate Director and staff of the Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER), the manager and staff of the Chicago Field Office, and the authors colleagues. Emphasized are the progress and accomplishments of the year, rather than future plans or expectations. The technical summaries are grouped according to the following seven general program areas: environmental radiation and radioactivity; radiation transport and dosimetry; environmental radon, thoron, andmore » related aerosols; atmospheric and surface pollutant studies related to global climate change; atmospheric chemistry; metrology, consultation, and emergency response; environmental management. EML`s mission is to address important scientific questions concerning human health and environmental impacts. Through its multidisciplinary staff, EML conducts experimental and theoretical research on radioactive and other energy-related pollutants, and provides DOE and other federal agencies with the in-house capability to respond effectively and efficiently with regard to quality assurance activities, environmental issues and related national security issues.« less

Investigation of the environmental implications of the CNT switch through its life cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlben, Lindsay Johanna

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are unique allotropes of carbon that have high tensile strength, a high Young's modulus, good thermal conductivity, and depending on the CNT chirality can be metallic or semiconducting. These mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties make CNTs an attractive element in electronic applications such as conductive films, photovoltaics, non-volatile memory devices, batteries, sensors, and displays. Although commercialization of CNT-enabled products is increasing, there remains a significant lack of information regarding the health effects and environmental impacts of CNTs. Some studies have even shown that the behavior, toxicity, and persistence of CNTs may differ from bulk heterogeneous carbon. Given these uncertainties, it is prudent to assess the environmental attributes of CNT products and processes now to discover and potentially prevent adverse effects. This study investigates the environmental implications of a non-volatile bi-stable electromechanical CNT switch through its life cycle. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is used to track the environmental impacts of the CNT switch through its fabrication and expected use and end-of-life (EOL) stages. Process parameters, energy consumption, input materials, output emissions, and yield efficiencies are determined for the laboratory and full-scale manufacture environments. The Ecoinvent(TM) inventory database and Eco-indicator 1999(TM) method are utilized for the impact assessment. Results for the fabrication stage are reported for highest contributions to environmental impact such as airborne inorganics, land use, and fossil fuels due to Au refining processes and electricity consumption. Extension of the LCA scope is evaluated for the potential replacement of CNT switches to current field-effect transistors (FETs) in flash memory for a cellular phone application. First-order predictions are made for the functionality and performance of the CNT switch during the use stage through an environmental perspective. Existing cellular phone EOL management options including recycling and direct disposal to landfill and incineration are evaluated for potential limitations, concerns, and environmental releases that may occur from the assimilation of CNT switch-enabled phones into the waste stream. In this manner, potential environmental effects of the CNT switch throughout its life cycle stages can be addressed alongside its technological development to ensure safe, sustainable, and successful CNT products.

Integrated Assessment Methodologies For Land Use Changes and Flood Plain Restoration As Alternative Flood Protection Strategies In The River Basins of Rhine and Meuse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brouwer, Roy; van Ek, Remco; Bouma, Jetske

Water policy and management decisions become increasingly better informed. Often a large number of studies is carried out before a decision is taken. In the Netherlands, some of these studies, such as environmental impact assessment, are obligatory by law if serious environmental impacts are expected. However, an integrated assessment based on these separate studies is lacking. In this study, an attempt was made to combine and where possible integrate procedures and methods from environmental, social and economic impact assessment. The main objective of the study is to assess, separately and in combination, the ecological, social and economic consequences of land use changes and floodplain restoration as alternative flood protection strategies in the river basins of the rivers Rhine and Meuse in the Netherlands. Based on scenarios of climate change, land subsidence and sea level rise over the next fifty years the associated hy drological changes are translated into the corresponding ecological, economic and social impacts, using a combination of expert judgement and advanced modelling techniques. These impacts are assessed and evaluated with the help of integrated assessment methods such as cost-benefit and multi-criteria analysis in order to support decision-making towards the implementation of new policy regarding flood protection. The outcome of the integrated assessment is related to other water policy objectives, including restoration of the resilience of water systems and nature conservation.

Marine microorganisms as potential biofactories for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles.

PubMed

Manivasagan, Panchanathan; Nam, Seung Yun; Oh, Junghwan

2016-11-01

The use of marine microorganisms as potential biofactories for green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is a relatively new field of research with considerable prospects. This method is eco-friendly, time saving, and inexpensive and can be easily scaled up for large-scale synthesis. The increasing need to develop simple, nontoxic, clean, and environmentally safe production methods for nanoparticles and to decrease environmental impact, minimize waste, and increase energy productivity has become important in this field. Marine microorganisms are tiny organisms that live in marine ecosystems and account for >98% of biomass of the world's ocean. Marine microorganisms synthesize metallic nanoparticles either intracellularly or extracellularly. Marine microbially-produced metallic nanoparticles have received considerable attention in recent years because of their expected impact on various applications such as medicine, energy, electronic, and space industries. The present review discusses marine microorganisms as potential biofactories for the green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles and their potential applications.

Evaluating source separation of plastic waste using conjoint analysis.

PubMed

Nakatani, Jun; Aramaki, Toshiya; Hanaki, Keisuke

2008-11-01

Using conjoint analysis, we estimated the willingness to pay (WTP) of households for source separation of plastic waste and the improvement of related environmental impacts, the residents' loss of life expectancy (LLE), the landfill capacity, and the CO2 emissions. Unreliable respondents were identified and removed from the sample based on their answers to follow-up questions. It was found that the utility associated with reducing LLE and with the landfill capacity were both well expressed by logarithmic functions, but that residents were indifferent to the level of CO2 emissions even though they approved of CO2 reduction. In addition, residents derived utility from the act of separating plastic waste, irrespective of its environmental impacts; that is, they were willing to practice the separation of plastic waste at home in anticipation of its "invisible effects", such as the improvement of citizens' attitudes toward solid waste issues.

Comparison of methodologies estimating emissions of aircraft pollutants, environmental impact assessment around airports

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurniawan, Jermanto S., E-mail: Jermanto.kurniawan@inrets.fr; Khardi, S., E-mail: Salah.khardi@inrets.f

2011-04-15

Air transportation growth has increased continuously over the years. The rise in air transport activity has been accompanied by an increase in the amount of energy used to provide air transportation services. It is also assumed to increase environmental impacts, in particular pollutant emissions. Traditionally, the environmental impacts of atmospheric emissions from aircraft have been addressed in two separate ways; aircraft pollutant emissions occurring during the landing and take-off (LTO) phase (local pollutant emissions) which is the focus of this study, and the non-LTO phase (global/regional pollutant emissions). Aircraft pollutant emissions are an important source of pollution and directly ormore » indirectly harmfully affect human health, ecosystems and cultural heritage. There are many methods to asses pollutant emissions used by various countries. However, using different and separate methodology will cause a variation in results, some lack of information and the use of certain methods will require justification and reliability that must be demonstrated and proven. In relation to this issue, this paper presents identification, comparison and reviews of some of the methodologies of aircraft pollutant assessment from the past, present and future expectations of some studies and projects focusing on emissions factors, fuel consumption, and uncertainty. This paper also provides reliable information on the impacts of aircraft pollutant emissions in short term and long term predictions.« less

U.S. Global Climate Change Impacts Report, Overview of Sectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wuebbles, D.

2009-12-01

The assessment of the Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States includes analyses of the potential climate change impacts by sector, including water resources, energy supply and use, transportation, agriculture, ecosystems, human health and society. The resulting findings for the climate change impacts on these sectors are discussed in this presentation, with the effects on water resources discussed separately. Major findings include: Widespread climate-related impacts are occurring now and are expected to increase. Climate changes are already affecting water, energy, transportation, agriculture, ecosystems, and health. These impacts are different from region to region and will grow under projected climate change. Crop and livestock production will be increasingly challenged. Agriculture is considered one of the sectors most adaptable to changes in climate. However, increased heat, pests, water stress, diseases, and weather extremes will pose adaptation challenges for crop and livestock production. Coastal areas are at increasing risk from sea-level rise and storm surge. Sea-level rise and storm surge place many U.S. coastal areas at increasing risk. Energy and transportation infrastructure and other property in coastal areas are very likely to be adversely affected. Threats to human health will increase. Health impacts of climate change are related to heat stress, waterborne diseases, poor air quality, extreme weather events, and diseases transmitted by insects and rodents. Robust public health infrastructure can reduce the potential for negative impacts. Climate change will interact with many social and environmental stresses. Climate change will combine with pollution, population growth, overuse of resources, urbanization, and other social, economic, and environmental stresses to create larger impacts than from any of these factors alone. Thresholds will be crossed, leading to large changes in climate and ecosystems. There are a variety of thresholds in the climate system and ecosystems. These thresholds determine, for example, the presence of sea ice and permafrost, and the survival of species, from fish to insect pests, with implications for society. With further climate change, the crossing of additional thresholds is expected. These and many other findings will be discussed in the presentation.

Disengagement versus engagement - a need for greater expectations.

PubMed

Bell, J Z

1978-02-01

An attempt is made to clarify some existing perspectives of successful aging. The environmental milieu of the aged is laden with potent and pervasive implications about successful adaptation. Considerable exploration is required to facilitate a realistic focus upon various theoretical contributions already presented. The influence of stresses and adaptive energy depletions preceding the senescent state is discussed in an effort to facilitate knowledgeable assimilation of the potential impact of the socioeconomic milieu upon the aged. It is the author's contention that the elderly person, upon retirement, presents an adaptive energy reserve highly personalized in its ability to accommodate to change, and especially dependent upon the nature, number and intensity of environmental stressors to adapt, successfully or unsuccessfully, to senescence. Various environmental stressors are identified (e.g., changes in social opportunities and expectations which create new needs and constrict the realm of emotional and vocational influence, thus reducing opportunities and diminishing self-esteem). Heavy emphasis is placed upon role theory, interaction ritual, and transactional analysis. These concepts are extended to the institutional setting - an environment which serves only to magnify mechanisms occurring throghout the social system while adding its own unique dimension to the stressors confronting the elderly.

Ecology, ethics, and professional environmental practice: The Yucca Mountain, Nevada, project as a case study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malone, C.R.

1995-09-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to develop a geologic repository for disposing of high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. In this commentary, the ecology program for the DOE`s Yucca Mountain Project is discussed from the perspective of state-of-the-art ecosystem analysis, environmental ethics, and standards of professional practice. Specifically at issue is the need by the Yucca Mountain ecology program to adopt an ecosystem approach that encompasses the current strategy based on population biology and community ecology alone. The premise here is that an ecosystem approach is essential for assessing the long-term potential environmental impacts at Yuccamore » Mountain in light of the thermal effects expected to be associated with heat from radioactive decay.« less

Students' understanding of a groundwater system and attitudes towards groundwater use and conservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Yi-Ting; Liu, Shu-Chiu

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate students' understanding of groundwater as a system, and to further examine whether and how their understanding is related to attitudes towards groundwater use and conservation. A total of 676 junior high school students completed a groundwater survey including a drawing activity and a questionnaire. An additional group of university students with environmental science majors were recruited for the survey for the purpose of determining reasonable expectations and validating interpretations of the results. Analysis of student drawings indicated that students generally held an incomplete and unconnected understanding of the groundwater system. Correlation analysis showed that student levels of understanding were associated with their perceptions of environmental impacts as well as environmental concern regarding groundwater problems. These findings re-emphasised the importance of promoting students' understanding of environmental systems, as well as their ability to think systemically.

A predictive analysis of CO2 emissions, environmental policy stringency, and economic growth in China.

PubMed

Ahmed, Khalid; Ahmed, Sidrah

2018-03-28

This study takes environmental policy stringency and economic activity as the controlling variables and forecasts the CO 2 emissions in China up to 2022. In doing so, an application of corrected grey model with convolution is used over the annual time series data between 1990 and 2012. The simulation results show that (1) between 2012 and 2022, CO 2 emissions in China is expected to increase at an average rate of 17.46% annually, raising the emissions intensity from 7.04 in 2012 to 25.461 metric tons per capita by 2022; (2) stringent environmental policies reduce CO 2 emissions-whereas, GDP tends to increase the emissions intensity in China; (3) stringent environmental policies are found to have a negative impact on GDP in China. Based on the empirical findings, the study also provides some policy suggestions to reduce emissions intensity in China.

Political economies and environmental futures for the sharing economy.

PubMed

Frenken, Koen

2017-06-13

The sudden rise of the sharing economy has sparked an intense public debate about its definition, its effects and its future regulation. Here, I attempt to provide analytical guidance by defining the sharing economy as the practice that consumers grant each other temporary access to their under-utilized physical assets. Using this definition, the rise of the sharing economy can be understood as occurring at the intersection of three salient economic trends: peer-to-peer exchange, access over ownership and circular business models. I shortly discuss some of the environmental impacts of online sharing platforms and then articulate three possible futures of the sharing economy: a capitalist future cumulating in monopolistic super-platforms allowing for seamless services, a state-led future that shifts taxation from labour to capital and redistributes the gains of sharing from winners to losers, and a citizen-led future based on cooperatively owned platforms under democratic control. The nature and size of the social and environmental impacts are expected to differ greatly in each of the three scenarios.This article is part of the themed issue 'Material demand reduction'. © 2017 The Authors.

Political economies and environmental futures for the sharing economy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frenken, Koen

2017-05-01

The sudden rise of the sharing economy has sparked an intense public debate about its definition, its effects and its future regulation. Here, I attempt to provide analytical guidance by defining the sharing economy as the practice that consumers grant each other temporary access to their under-utilized physical assets. Using this definition, the rise of the sharing economy can be understood as occurring at the intersection of three salient economic trends: peer-to-peer exchange, access over ownership and circular business models. I shortly discuss some of the environmental impacts of online sharing platforms and then articulate three possible futures of the sharing economy: a capitalist future cumulating in monopolistic super-platforms allowing for seamless services, a state-led future that shifts taxation from labour to capital and redistributes the gains of sharing from winners to losers, and a citizen-led future based on cooperatively owned platforms under democratic control. The nature and size of the social and environmental impacts are expected to differ greatly in each of the three scenarios. This article is part of the themed issue 'Material demand reduction'.

Political economies and environmental futures for the sharing economy

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The sudden rise of the sharing economy has sparked an intense public debate about its definition, its effects and its future regulation. Here, I attempt to provide analytical guidance by defining the sharing economy as the practice that consumers grant each other temporary access to their under-utilized physical assets. Using this definition, the rise of the sharing economy can be understood as occurring at the intersection of three salient economic trends: peer-to-peer exchange, access over ownership and circular business models. I shortly discuss some of the environmental impacts of online sharing platforms and then articulate three possible futures of the sharing economy: a capitalist future cumulating in monopolistic super-platforms allowing for seamless services, a state-led future that shifts taxation from labour to capital and redistributes the gains of sharing from winners to losers, and a citizen-led future based on cooperatively owned platforms under democratic control. The nature and size of the social and environmental impacts are expected to differ greatly in each of the three scenarios. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Material demand reduction’. PMID:28461431

Evaluating Interventions in the U.S. Electricity System: Assessments of Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, and Small-Scale Cogeneration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siler-Evans, Kyle

There is growing interest in reducing the environmental and human-health impacts resulting from electricity generation. Renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy conservation are all commonly suggested solutions. Such interventions may provide health and environmental benefits by displacing emissions from conventional power plants. However, the generation mix varies considerably from region to region and emissions vary by the type and age of a generator. Thus, the benefits of an intervention will depend on the specific generators that are displaced, which vary depending on the timing and location of the intervention. Marginal emissions factors (MEFs) give a consistent measure of the avoided emissions per megawatt-hour of displaced electricity, which can be used to evaluate the change in emissions resulting from a variety of interventions. This thesis presents the first systematic calculation of MEFs for the U.S. electricity system. Using regressions of hourly generation and emissions data from 2006 through 2011, I estimate regional MEFs for CO2, NO x, and SO2, as well as the share of marginal generation from coal-, gas-, and oil-fired generators. This work highlights significant regional differences in the emissions benefits of displacing a unit of electricity: compared to the West, displacing one megawatt-hour of electricity in the Midwest is expected to avoid roughly 70% more CO2, 12 times more SO 2, and 3 times more NOx emissions. I go on to explore regional variations in the performance of wind turbines and solar panels, where performance is measured relative to three objectives: energy production, avoided CO2 emissions, and avoided health and environmental damages from criteria pollutants. For 22 regions of the United States, I use regressions of historic emissions and generation data to estimate marginal impact factors, a measure of the avoided health and environmental damages per megawatt-hour of displaced electricity. Marginal impact factors are used to evaluate the effects of an additional wind turbine or solar panel in the U.S. electricity system. I find that the most attractive sites for renewables depend strongly on one's objective. A solar panel in Iowa displaces 20% more CO2 emissions than a panel in Arizona, though energy production from the Iowa panel is 25% less. Similarly, despite a modest wind resource, a wind turbine in West Virginia is expected to displace 7 times more health and environmental damages than a wind turbine in Oklahoma. Finally, I shift focus and explore the economics of small-scale cogeneration, which has long been recognized as a more efficient alternative to central-station power. Although the benefits of distributed cogeneration are widely cited, adoption has been slow in the U.S. Adoption could be encouraged by making cogeneration more economically attractive, either by increasing the expected returns or decreasing the risks of such investments. I present a case study of a 300-kilowatt cogeneration unit and evaluate the expected returns from: demand response, capacity markets, regulation markets, accelerated depreciation, a price on CO2 emissions, and net metering. In addition, I explore the effectiveness of feed-in tariffs at mitigating the energy-price risks to cogeneration projects.

76 FR 5144 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for U.S. Navy F-35C West Coast...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-28

...) aircraft on the West Coast of the United States. Under this proposal, a total of seven active-duty F/A-18C... one-for-one replacement. The aging FA-18C Hornet aircraft are expected to be replaced with F-35C..., Southwest; 619-532-2799. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As a replacement for the Navy's aging F/A- 18C Hornet...

Life state response to environmental crisis: the case of the Love Canal, Niagara Falls, New York

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Masters, S.K.

1986-01-01

This thesis explored the differences between two life stages - young and old - in perceiving and responding to man-made environmental disaster, as well as the support resources utilized to cope with disaster - personal, familial/friendship, and organizational. Because of the characteristics of man-made environmental disaster, and because of the different conditions of life and constructions of reality of older and younger families, it was expected that definitions of the situation would vary by life stage and locus of control - authoritative and personal. The research took place in the Love Canal neighborhood of Niagara Falls, New York. Fifty-eight familiesmore » were interviewed in the fall of 1978, and thirty-nine of these families were reinterviewed in the spring of 1979. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed, and coded. The data were presented in contingency tables and interview excerpts. The interview schedules elicited information of perception of impact, responses to impact, and the utilization of support resources. In an authoritative locus of control situation, the major findings were that both older and younger families perceived impact, that older families were slightly less disrupted, that younger families relied on organizational and familial/friendship support resources, and that older families relied on familial/friendship support resources.« less

Scoping Future Policy Dynamics in Raw Materials Through Scenarios Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correia, Vitor; Keane, Christopher; Sturm, Flavius; Schimpf, Sven; Bodo, Balazs

2017-04-01

The International Raw Materials Observatory (INTRAW) project is working towards a sustainable future for the European Union in access to raw materials, from an availability, economical, and environmental framework. One of the major exercises for the INTRAW project is the evaluation of potential future scenarios for 2050 to frame economic, research, and environmental policy towards a sustainable raw materials supply. The INTRAW consortium developed three possible future scenarios that encompass defined regimes of political, economic, and technological norms. The first scenario, "Unlimited Trade," reflects a world in which free trade continues to dominate the global political and economic environment, with expectations of a growing demand for raw materials from widely distributed global growth. The "National Walls" scenario reflects a world where nationalism and economic protectionism begins to dominate, leading to stagnating economic growth and uneven dynamics in raw materials supply and demand. The final scenario, "Sustainability Alliance," examines the dynamics of a global political and economic climate that is focused on environmental and economic sustainability, leading towards increasingly towards a circular raw materials economy. These scenarios were reviewed, tested, and provided simulations of impacts with members of the Consortium and a panel of global experts on international raw materials issues which led to expected end conditions for 2050. Given the current uncertainty in global politics, these scenarios are informative to identifying likely opportunities and crises. The details of these simulations and expected responses to the research demand, technology investments, and economic components of raw materials system will be discussed.

Complex demographic heterogeneity from anthropogenic impacts in a coastal marine predator.

PubMed

Oro, Daniel; Álvarez, David; Velando, Alberto

2018-04-01

Environmental drivers, including anthropogenic impacts, affect vital rates of organisms. Nevertheless, the influence of these drivers may depend on the physical features of the habitat and how they affect life history strategies depending on individual covariates such as age and sex. Here, the long-term monitoring (1994-2014) of marked European Shags in eight colonies in two regions with different ecological features, such as foraging habitat, allowed us to test several biological hypotheses about how survival changes by age and sex in each region by means of multi-event capture-recapture modeling. Impacts included fishing practices and bycatch, invasive introduced carnivores and the severe Prestige oil spill. Adult survival was constant but, unexpectedly, it was different between sexes. This difference was opposite in each region. The impact of the oil spill on survival was important only for adults (especially for females) in one region and lasted a single year. Juvenile survival was time dependent but this variability was not synchronized between regions, suggesting a strong signal of regional environmental variability. Mortality due to bycatch was also different between sex, age and region. Interestingly the results showed that the size of the fishing fleet is not necessarily a good proxy for assessing the impact of bycatch mortality, which may be more dependent on the fishing grounds and the fishing gears employed in each season of the year. Anthropogenic impacts affected survival differently by age and sex, which was expected for a long-lived organism with sexual size dimorphism. Strikingly, these differences varied depending on the region, indicating that habitat heterogeneity is demographically important to how environmental variability (including anthropogenic impacts) and resilience influence population dynamics. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

Policy interactions and underperforming emission trading markets in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Bing; Zhang, Hui; Liu, Beibei; Bi, Jun

2013-07-02

Emission trading is considered to be cost-effective environmental economic instrument for pollution control. However, the ex post analysis of emission trading program found that cost savings have been smaller and the trades fewer than might have been expected at the outset of the program. Besides policy design issues, pre-existing environmental regulations were considered to have a significant impact on the performance of the emission trading market in China. Taking the Jiangsu sulfur dioxide (SO2) market as a case study, this research examined the impact of policy interactions on the performance of the emission trading market. The results showed that cost savings associated with the Jiangsu SO2 emission trading market in the absence of any policy interactions were CNY 549 million or 12.5% of total pollution control costs. However, policy interactions generally had significant impacts on the emission trading system; the lone exception was current pollution levy system. When the model accounted for all four kinds of policy interactions, the total pollution control cost savings from the emission trading market fell to CNY 39.7 million or 1.36% of total pollution control costs. The impact of policy interactions would reduce 92.8% of cost savings brought by emission trading program.

Accounting for uncertainty in the quantification of the environmental impacts of Canadian pig farming systems.

PubMed

Mackenzie, S G; Leinonen, I; Ferguson, N; Kyriazakis, I

2015-06-01

The objective of the study was to develop a life cycle assessment (LCA) for pig farming systems that would account for uncertainty and variability in input data and allow systematic environmental impact comparisons between production systems. The environmental impacts of commercial pig production for 2 regions in Canada (Eastern and Western) were compared using a cradle-to-farm gate LCA. These systems had important contrasting characteristics such as typical feed ingredients used, herd performance, and expected emission factors from manure management. The study used detailed production data supplied by the industry and incorporated uncertainty/variation in all major aspects of the system including life cycle inventory data for feed ingredients, animal performance, energy inputs, and emission factors. The impacts were defined using 5 metrics-global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential (EP), abiotic resource use, and nonrenewable energy use-and were expressed per kilogram carcass weight at farm gate. Eutrophication potential was further separated into marine EP (MEP) and freshwater EP (FEP). Uncertainties in the model inputs were separated into 2 types: uncertainty in the data used to describe the system (α uncertainties) and uncertainty in impact calculations or background data that affects all systems equally (β uncertainties). The impacts of pig production in the 2 regions were systematically compared based on the differences in the systems (α uncertainties). The method of ascribing uncertainty influenced the outcomes. In eastern systems, EP, MEP, and FEP were lower (P < 0.05) when assuming that all uncertainty in the emission factors for leaching from manure application was β. This was mainly due to increased EP resulting from field emissions for typical ingredients in western diets. When uncertainty in these emission factors was assumed to be α, only FEP was lower in eastern systems (P < 0.05). The environmental impacts for the other impact categories were not significantly different between the 2 systems, despite their aforementioned differences. In conclusion, a probabilistic approach was used to develop an LCA that systematically dealt with uncertainty in the data when comparing multiple environmental impacts measures in pig farming systems for the first time. The method was used to identify differences between Canadian pig production systems but can also be applied for comparisons between other agricultural systems that include inherent variation.

Considering the needs of indigenous and local populations in conservation programs.

PubMed

Kohler, Florent; Brondizio, Eduardo S

2017-04-01

Local rural and indigenous communities have assumed increasing responsibility for conservation within and between areas buffering the impacts of agricultural or resource-extraction zones and protected areas. Empowering local communities as central partners in conservation and climate-change mitigation has allowed many people to gain access to land and citizenship rights but has provided limited improvements in access to social services and economic opportunities even as expectation about their role as environmental stewards grows. These expectations, however, are inconsistent with reality. We conducted multiple field studies in Brazil since the mid-1980s to illustrate the discrepancies between conservation programs and local conditions and expectations. We suggest that public policies and conservation programs should not delegate responsibility for managing protected areas to local and indigenous communities without considering local needs and expectations and locals' attitudes toward conservation. In other words, behavior that maintains or improves the environment should not be treated as traditional based on the expectations of outsiders. Framing local populations as traditional environmentalists creates contradictions and frustrations for local populations and for conservation professionals and policy makers. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Application of a forest-simulation model to assess the energy yield and ecological impact of forest utilization for energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doyle, T W; Shugart, H H; West, D C

1981-01-01

This study examines the utilization and management of natural forest lands to meet growing wood-energy demands. An application of a forest simulation model is described for assessing energy returns and long-term ecological impacts of wood-energy harvesting under four general silvicultural practices. Results indicate that moderate energy yields could be expected from mild cutting operations which would significantly effect neither the commercial timber market nor the composition, structure, or diversity of these forests. Forest models can provide an effective tool for determining optimal management strategies that maximize energy returns, minimize environmental detriment, and complement existing land-use plans.

Evaluating natural flood management measures using an ecosystem based adaptation framework: a meta-analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iacob, Oana; Rowan, John; Brown, Iain; Ellis, Chris

2014-05-01

Climate change is projected to alter river flows and the magnitude/frequency characteristics of floods and droughts. As a result flood risk is expected to increase with environmental, social and economic impacts. Traditionally flood risk management has been heavily relying on engineering measures, however with climate change their capacity to provide protection is expected to decrease. Ecosystem-based adaptation highlights the interdependence of human and natural systems, and the potential to buffer the impacts of climate change by maintaining functioning ecosystems that continue to provide multiple societal benefits. Natural flood management measures have the potential to provide a greater adaptive capacity to negate the impacts of climate change and provide ancillary benefits. To understand the impacts of different NFM measures on ecosystem services a meta-analysis was undertaken. Twenty five studies from across the world were pulled together to assess their effectiveness on reducing the flood risk but also on other ecosystems services as defined by the UK National Ecosystem Assessment, which distinguishes between provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services. Four categories of NFM measures were considered: (i) afforestation measures, (ii) drainage and blocking the drains, (iii) wetland restoration and (iv) combined measures. Woodland expansion measures provide significant benefits for flood protection more pronounced for low magnitude events, but also for other services such as carbon sequestration and water quality. These measures however will come at a cost for livestock and crop provisioning services as a result of land use changes. Drainage operations and blocking the drains have mixed impacts on carbon sequestration and water quality depending on soil type, landscape settings and local characteristics. Wetland and floodplain restoration measures have generally a few disbenefits and provide improvements for regulating and supporting services. Mixed measures are expected to have cumulative benefits which are likely to outweigh disbenefits and packages of actions are recommended rather than individual or localised actions for an integrated catchment management approach. NFM measures have the potential to provide significant environmental gains, however the time lags between the moment these measures are set in place until they become effective must be considered especially in flood vulnerable communities where there is already a stakeholders demand to decrease the risk of flooding even for the current level of exposure.

Climate change impacts on southeastern U.S. basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Georgakakos, Aris P.; Yao, Huaming

2000-01-01

The work described herein aims to assess the impacts of potential climate change on the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) and Alabama-Coosa-Talapoosa (ACT) river basins in the Southeastern US. The assessment addresses the potential impacts on watershed hydrology (soil moisture and streamflow) and on major water uses including water supply, drought management, hydropower, environmental and ecological protection, recreation, and navigation. This investigation develops new methods, establishes and uses an integrated modeling framework, and reaches several important conclusions that bear upon river basin planning and management. Although the specific impacts vary significantly with the choice of the GCM scenario, some general conclusions are that (1) soil moisture and streamflow variability is expected to increase, and (2) flexible and adaptive water sharing agreements, management strategies, and institutional processes are best suited to cope with the uncertainty associated with future climate scenarios.

Surrounding community residents’ expectations of HOPE VI for their community, health and physical activity

PubMed Central

Dulin-Keita, Akilah; Hannon, Lonnie; Buys, David; Casazza, Krista; Clay, Olivio

2016-01-01

Using a community-engaged participatory research approach, this study identified surrounding community residents’ expectations for how a HOPE VI housing initiative might affect their community and individual health and physical activity. Fifty-nine women and men engaged in concept mapping, which is a mixed methods approach, where participants generate, sort, and rate ideas. Participants generated 197 unique statements. Thirteen thematic clusters related to expected changes for the community, health and physical activity emerged. Residents’ rated ‘Increased Pride in the Neighborhood’ and ‘Increased Safety’ as the most important factors related to HOPE VI whereas ‘Drawbacks of HOPE VI’ was rated as least important. This research provides insight into the potential impacts of housing initiatives from the perspective of those most affected by such initiatives. The findings also highlight environmental changes as potential mechanisms that may improve residents’ perceptions of the community and encourage healthy lifestyles. PMID:27667912

Impact of engineered zinc oxide nanoparticles on the energy budgets of Mytilus galloprovincialis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Erik B.; Hanna, Shannon K.; Lenihan, Hunter S.; Miller, Robert J.; Nisbet, Roger M.

2014-11-01

This paper characterizes the sublethal impact of engineered ZnO nanoparticles on the individual performance of the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis within the context of Dynamic Energy Budget theory, thereby allowing an integrated evaluation of the impact of multiple stressors on various endpoints. Data include measurements of the impact of ZnO nanoparticles on body burden, feeding, respiration, shell length, biomass, and mortality of mussels kept in laboratory tanks for over 100 days. ZnO nanoparticles in the environment impair the mussels' feeding rate (EC50 for the maximum feeding rate is 1.5 mg ZnO nanoparticles L- 1). Zn accumulated in tissue increases respiration (EC50 for the respiration rate is 0.9 mg environmental ZnO nanoparticles L- 1 with the body burden having reached its ultimate level), indicating that maintenance processes are more affected by ZnO nanoparticles than feeding. The feeding regime constrained growth and biomass production to the extent that the impact of ZnO nanoparticles on these processes was undetectable, yet the remaining measurements allowed the estimation of the toxicity parameters. The toxicity representation, combined with the DEB model, allowed the calculation of the effect of the nanoparticles on the expected lifetime production of reproductive matter. EC50 for the expected lifetime production of reproductive matter is less than 0.25 mg ZnO nanoparticles L- 1, indicating that that the ecological impact of ZnO nanoparticle exposure is stronger than its impact on individual physiological rates.

Study of Laser Created Metal Vapor Plasmas.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-11-16

Leventhal(1 indicate a value closer to 10-1 cm. might be expected. In the case of’ laser induced penniinf, ionization., wec -,;4-,rit LIP 32 LIP L J where...modified Kramer’s formulae.(25) In figure 11 we demonstrate the impact of associative ionization and laser induced penning ionization upon the temporal...34Laser Induced Fluorescence and Environmental Sensing", Invited paper for Optical Society of America, Topical Mcetixg on "Applications of Laser

Unsustainable Wind Turbine Blade Disposal Practices in the United States.

PubMed

Ramirez-Tejeda, Katerin; Turcotte, David A; Pike, Sarah

2017-02-01

Finding ways to manage the waste from the expected high number of wind turbine blades in need of disposal is crucial to harvest wind energy in a truly sustainable manner. Landfilling is the most cost-effective disposal method in the United States, but it imposes significant environmental impacts. Thermal, mechanical, and chemical processes allow for some energy and/or material recovery, but they also carry potential negative externalities. This article explores the main economic and environmental issues with various wind turbine blade disposal methods. We argue for the necessity of policy intervention that encourages industry to develop better technologies to make wind turbine blade disposal sustainable, both environmentally and economically. We present some of the technological initiatives being researched, such as the use of bio-derived resins and thermoplastic composites in the manufacturing process of the blades.

Identification and Prioritization of Relationships between Environmental Stressors and Adverse Human Health Impacts.

PubMed

Bell, Shannon M; Edwards, Stephen W

2015-11-01

There are > 80,000 chemicals in commerce with few data available describing their impacts on human health. Biomonitoring surveys, such as the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), offer one route to identifying possible relationships between environmental chemicals and health impacts, but sparse data and the complexity of traditional models make it difficult to leverage effectively. We describe a workflow to efficiently and comprehensively evaluate and prioritize chemical-health impact relationships from the NHANES biomonitoring survey studies. Using a frequent itemset mining (FIM) approach, we identified relationships between chemicals and health biomarkers and diseases. The FIM method identified 7,848 relationships between 219 chemicals and 93 health outcomes/biomarkers. Two case studies used to evaluate the FIM rankings demonstrate that the FIM approach is able to identify published relationships. Because the relationships are derived from the vast majority of the chemicals monitored by NHANES, the resulting list of associations is appropriate for evaluating results from targeted data mining or identifying novel candidate relationships for more detailed investigation. Because of the computational efficiency of the FIM method, all chemicals and health effects can be considered in a single analysis. The resulting list provides a comprehensive summary of the chemical/health co-occurrences from NHANES that are higher than expected by chance. This information enables ranking and prioritization on chemicals or health effects of interest for evaluation of published results and design of future studies. Bell SM, Edwards SW. 2015. Identification and prioritization of relationships between environmental stressors and adverse human health impacts. Environ Health Perspect 123:1193-1199; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409138.

Representativeness of environmental impact assessment methods regarding Life Cycle Inventories.

PubMed

Esnouf, Antoine; Latrille, Éric; Steyer, Jean-Philippe; Helias, Arnaud

2018-04-15

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) characterises all the exchanges between human driven activities and the environment, thus representing a powerful approach for tackling the environmental impact of a production system. However, LCA practitioners must still choose the appropriate Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) method to use and are expected to justify this choice: impacts should be relevant facing the concerns of the study and misrepresentations should be avoided. This work aids practitioners in evaluating the adequacy between the assessed environmental issues and studied production system. Based on a geometrical standpoint of LCA framework, Life Cycle Inventories (LCIs) and LCIA methods were localized in the vector space spanned by elementary flows. A proximity measurement, the Representativeness Index (RI), is proposed to explore the relationship between those datasets (LCIs and LCIA methods) through an angular distance. RIs highlight LCIA methods that measure issues for which the LCI can be particularly harmful. A high RI indicates a close proximity between a LCI and a LCIA method, and highlights a better representation of the elementary flows by the LCIA method. To illustrate the benefits of the proposed approach, representativeness of LCIA methods regarding four electricity mix production LCIs from the ecoinvent database are presented. RIs for 18 LCIA methods (accounting for a total of 232 impact categories) were calculated on these LCIs and the relevance of the methods are discussed. RIs prove to be a criterion for distinguishing the different LCIA methods and could thus be employed by practitioners for deeper interpretations of LCIA results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Peer Deviance, Alcohol Expectancies, and Adolescent Alcohol Use: Explaining Shared and Nonshared Environmental Effects Using an Adoptive Sibling Pair Design

PubMed Central

Samek, Diana R.; Keyes, Margaret A.; Iacono, William G.; McGue, Matt

2013-01-01

Previous research suggests adolescent alcohol use is largely influenced by environmental factors, yet little is known about the specific nature of this influence. We hypothesized that peer deviance and alcohol expectancies would be sources of environmental influence because both have been consistently and strongly correlated with adolescent alcohol use. The sample included 206 genetically related and 407 genetically unrelated sibling pairs assessed in mid-to-late adolescence. The heritability of adolescent alcohol use (e.g., frequency, quantity last 12 months) was minimal and not significantly different from zero. The associations among peer deviance, alcohol expectancies, and alcohol use were primarily due to shared environmental factors. Of special note, alcohol expectancies also significantly explained nonshared environmental influence on alcohol use. This study is one of few that have identified specific environmental variants of adolescent alcohol use while controlling for genetic influence. PMID:23644917

Peer deviance, alcohol expectancies, and adolescent alcohol use: explaining shared and nonshared environmental effects using an adoptive sibling pair design.

PubMed

Samek, Diana R; Keyes, Margaret A; Iacono, William G; McGue, Matt

2013-07-01

Previous research suggests adolescent alcohol use is largely influenced by environmental factors, yet little is known about the specific nature of this influence. We hypothesized that peer deviance and alcohol expectancies would be sources of environmental influence because both have been consistently and strongly correlated with adolescent alcohol use. The sample included 206 genetically related and 407 genetically unrelated sibling pairs assessed in mid-to-late adolescence. The heritability of adolescent alcohol use (e.g., frequency, quantity last 12 months) was minimal and not significantly different from zero. The associations among peer deviance, alcohol expectancies, and alcohol use were primarily due to shared environmental factors. Of special note, alcohol expectancies also significantly explained nonshared environmental influence on alcohol use. This study is one of few that have identified specific environmental variants of adolescent alcohol use while controlling for genetic influence.

The impact of nicotine lozenges and stimulus expectancies on cigarette craving.

PubMed

Schlagintweit, Hera E; Good, Kimberley P; Barrett, Sean P

2014-08-01

Reduced craving associated with nicotine replacement therapy use is frequently attributed to the effects of nicotine pharmacology, however non-pharmacological factors may also play a role. This study examined the impact of nicotine pharmacology and non-pharmacological components of an acute nicotine lozenge (4 mg) on cigarette craving, mood and heart rate in 70 daily smokers (36 male). Smoking-related stimuli were used to assess cue-induced craving. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a balanced placebo design where half the participants were provided deceptive information regarding the nicotine content of a lozenge. Subjective ratings of craving and mood were collected and heart rate was assessed before and after neutral and smoking cues. Nicotine expectancy reduced withdrawal-related craving (p = 0.006) regardless of actual nicotine administration while combined nicotine expectancy and administration reduced intentions to smoke (p = 0.046) relative to each of the other conditions. Exposure to smoking-related stimuli increased cigarette craving (p ≤ 0.001) and negative affect (p ≤ 0.001) regardless of expectancy or pharmacology. Following the smoking cue, women reported a greater increase in withdrawal-related craving than men (p = 0.027). Findings suggest that both pharmacological and non-pharmacological components of nicotine lozenge administration contribute to its acute effects on craving, yet neither appears effective in preventing craving triggered by exposure to environmental smoking stimuli. © The Author(s) 2014.

Initial review and analysis of the direct environmental impacts of CSP in the northern Cape, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudman, Justine; Gauché, Paul; Esler, Karen J.

2016-05-01

The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) of 2010 and the IRP Update provide the most recent guidance to the electricity generation future of South Africa (SA) and both plans include an increased proportion of renewable energy generation capacity. Given that SA has abundant renewable energy resource potential, this inclusion is welcome. Only 600 MW of the capacity allocated to concentrating solar power (CSP) has been committed to projects in the Northern Cape and represents roughly a fifth of the capacity that has been included in the IRP. Although CSP is particularly new in the electricity generation system of the country, the abundant solar resources of the region with annual DNI values of above 2900 kWh/m2 across the arid Savannah and Nama-Karoo biomes offer a promising future for the development of CSP in South Africa. These areas have largely been left untouched by technological development activities and thus renewable energy projects present a variety of possible direct and indirect environmental, social and economic impacts. Environmental Impact Assessments do focus on local impacts, but given that ecological processes often extend to regional- and landscape scales, understanding this scaled context is important to the alignment of development- and conservation priorities. Given the capacities allocated to CSP for the future of SA's electricity generation system, impacts on land, air, water and biodiversity which are associated with CSP are expected to increase in distribution and the understanding thereof deems valuable already from this early point in CSP's future in SA. We provide a review of direct impacts of CSP on the natural environment and an overview of the anticipated specific significance thereof in the Northern Cape.

Environmental Measurements Laboratory, annual report 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krey, P.W.; Heit, M.

1996-07-01

This report summarizes the activities of the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) for the calendar year 1995 and serves as an annual report to the Director of the Office of Energy Research (ER), the Associate Director and staff of the Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER), the Manager and staff of the Chicago Operations Office, and our colleagues. Emphasized are the progress and accomplishments of the year, rather than future plans or expectations. The technical summaries are grouped according to the following seven research program areas: (1) Environmental Radiation and Radioactivity; (2) Radiation Transport and Dosimetry; (3) Environmental Radon, Thoron,more » and Related Aerosols; (4) Atmospheric and Surface Pollutant Studies Related to Global Climate Change; (5) Atmospheric Chemistry; and (6) Metrology, Consultation, and Emergency Response Environmental Management The mission of EML is to address important scientific questions concerning human health and environmental impacts. Through its multidisciplinary staff, EML conducts experimental and theoretical research on radioactive and other energy-related pollutants and provides DOE and other federal agencies with the in-house capability to respond effectively and efficiently with regard to quality assurance activities, environmental issues, and related national security issues.« less

Herbivore Impacts on Marsh Production Depend upon a Compensatory Continuum Mediated by Salinity Stress

PubMed Central

Long, Jeremy D.; Porturas, Laura D.

2014-01-01

Plant communities are disturbed by several stressors and they are expected to be further impacted by increasing anthropogenic stress. The consequences of these stressors will depend, in part, upon the ability of plants to compensate for herbivory. Previous studies found that herbivore impacts on plants can vary from negative to positive because of environmental control of plant compensatory responses, a.k.a. the Compensatory Continuum Hypothesis. While these influential studies enhanced our appreciation of the dynamic nature of plant-herbivore interactions, they largely focused on the impact of resource limitation. This bias limits our ability to predict how other environmental factors will shape the impact of herbivory. We examined the role of salinity stress on herbivory of salt marsh cordgrass, Spartina foliosa, by an herbivore previously hypothesized to influence the success of restoration projects (the scale insect, Haliaspis spartinae). Using a combination of field and mesocosm manipulations of scales and salinity, we measured how these factors affected Spartina growth and timing of senescence. In mesocosm studies, Spartina overcompensated for herbivory by growing taller shoots at low salinities but the impact of scales on plants switched from positive to neutral with increasing salinity stress. In field studies of intermediate salinities, scales reduced Spartina growth and increased the rate of senescence. Experimental salinity additions at this field site returned the impact of scales to neutral. Because salinity decreased scale densities, the switch in impact of scales on Spartina with increasing salinity was not simply a linear function of scale abundance. Thus, the impact of scales on primary production depended strongly upon environmental context because intermediate salinity stress prevented plant compensatory responses to herbivory. Understanding this context-dependency will be required if we are going to successfully predict the success of restoration efforts and the ecological consequences of anthropogenic disturbances. PMID:25310475

Environment, Health and Climate: Impact of African aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liousse, C.; Doumbia, T.; Assamoi, E.; Galy-Lacaux, C.; Baeza, A.; Penner, J. E.; Val, S.; Cachier, H.; Xu, L.; Criqui, P.

2012-12-01

Fossil fuel and biofuel emissions of particles in Africa are expected to significantly increase in the near future, particularly due to rapid growth of African cities. In addition to biomass burning emissions prevailing in these areas, air quality degradation is then expected with important consequences on population health and climatic/radiative impact. In our group, we are constructing a new integrated methodology to study the relations between emissions, air quality and their impacts. This approach includes: (1) African combustion emission characterizations; (2) joint experimental determination of aerosol chemistry from ultrafine to coarse fractions and health issues (toxicology and epidemiology). (3) integrated environmental, health and radiative modeling. In this work, we show some results illustrating our first estimates of African anthropogenic emission impacts: - a new African anthropogenic emission inventory adapted to regional specificities on traffic, biofuel and industrial emissions has been constructed for the years 2005 and 2030. Biomass burning inventories were also improved in the frame of AMMA (African Monsoon) program. - carbonaceous aerosol radiative impact in Africa has been modeled with TM5 model and Penner et al. (2011) radiative code for these inventories for 2005 and 2030 and for two scenarios of emissions : a reference scenario, with no further emission controls beyond those achieved in 2003 and a ccc* scenario including planned policies in Kyoto protocol and regulations as applied to African emission specificities. In this study we will show that enhanced heating is expected with the ccc* scenarios emissions in which the OC fraction is relatively lower than in the reference scenario. - results of short term POLCA intensive campaigns in Bamako and Dakar in terms of aerosol chemical characterization linked to specific emissions sources and their inflammatory impacts on the respiratory tract through in vitro studies. In this study, organic carbon particles have appeared quite biologically active. Quite importantly, air quality improvement obtained through regulations in the ccc* scenario are accompanied by stronger heating impact.

Impact of toxic chemicals on local wastewater treatment plant and the environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Gary F.

1989-05-01

Because toxic chemicals being discharged to sewers were simultaneously interfering with wastewater treatment processes of municipal, biological treatment plants and were passing through these plants to negatively impact the bodies of water to which these plants were discharging, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued regulations governing industrial discharges to municipal sewers. These “Pretreatment Regulations” limit industrial discharges to municipal sewers of heavy metals, oil and grease, acids and bases, and toxic organic chemicals. This paper discusses the evolution of these regulations, the basis for them, the types of regulations (categorical and local), and the rationale for their promulgation based on the impacts of toxics chemicals on the treatment plant and receiving system. Finally, the expected results of these regulations in reducing industrial discharges of toxic chemicals is discussed.

Restoring fish ecological quality in estuaries: Implication of interactive and cumulative effects among anthropogenic stressors.

PubMed

Teichert, Nils; Borja, Angel; Chust, Guillem; Uriarte, Ainhize; Lepage, Mario

2016-01-15

Estuaries are subjected to multiple anthropogenic stressors, which have additive, antagonistic or synergistic effects. Current challenges include the use of large databases of biological monitoring surveys (e.g. the European Water Framework Directive) to help environmental managers prioritizing restoration measures. This study investigated the impact of nine stressor categories on the fish ecological status derived from 90 estuaries of the North East Atlantic countries. We used a random forest model to: 1) detect the dominant stressors and their non-linear effects; 2) evaluate the ecological benefits expected from reducing pressure from stressors; and 3) investigate the interactions among stressors. Results showed that largest restoration benefits were expected when mitigating water pollution and oxygen depletion. Non-additive effects represented half of pairwise interactions among stressors, and antagonisms were the most common. Dredged sediments, flow changes and oxygen depletion were predominantly implicated in non-additive interactions, whereas the remainder stressors often showed additive impacts. The prevalence of interactive impacts reflects a complex scenario for estuaries management; hence, we proposed a step-by-step restoration scheme focusing on the mitigation of stressors providing the maximum of restoration benefits under a multi-stress context. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Current situation and future prospects for beef production in Europe.

PubMed

Hocquette, Jean-Francois; Ellies-Oury, Marie-Pierre; Lherm, Michel; Pineau, Christele; Deblitz, Claus; Farmer, Linda

2018-05-24

The European Union (EU) is the world's third largest producer of beef. This contributes to the economy, rural development, social life, culture and gastronomy of Europe. The diversity of breeds, animal types (cows, bulls, steers, heifers) and farming systems (intensive, extensive on permanent or temporary pastures, mixed, breeders, feeders, etc) is a strength, and a weakness as the industry is often fragmented and poorly connected. There are also societal concerns regarding animal welfare and environmental issues, despite some positive environmental impacts of farming systems. The EU is amongst the most efficient for beef production as demonstrated by a relative low production of greenhouse gases. Due to regional differences in terms of climate, pasture availability, livestock practices and farms characteristics, productivity and incomes of beef producers vary widely across regions, being among the lowest of the agricultural systems. The beef industry is facing unprecedented challenges related to animal welfare, environmental impact, origin, authenticity, nutritional benefits and eating quality of beef. These may affect the whole industry, especially its farmers. It is therefore essential to bring the beef industry together to spread best practice and better exploit research in order to maintain and develop an economically viable and sustainable beef industry. Meeting consumers' expectations may be achieved by a better prediction of beef palatability using a modelling approach, such as in Australia. There is a need for accurate information and dissemination on the benefits and issues of beef for human health and for environmental impact. A better objective description of goods and services derived from livestock farming is also required. Putting into practice "agroecology" and organic farming principles are other potential avenues for the future. Different future scenarios can be written depending on the major driving forces, notably meat consumption, climate change, environmental policies and future organization of the supply chain.

Proposal of a framework for scale-up life cycle inventory: A case of nanofibers for lithium iron phosphate cathode applications.

PubMed

Simon, Bálint; Bachtin, Krystyna; Kiliç, Ali; Amor, Ben; Weil, Marcel

2016-07-01

Environmental assessments are crucial for the management of the environmental impacts of a product in a rapidly developing world. The design phase creates opportunities for acting on the environmental issues of products using life cycle assessment (LCA). However, the LCA is hampered by a lack of information originating from distinct scales along the product or technology value chain. Many studies have been undertaken to handle similar problems, but these studies are case-specific and do not analyze the development options in the initial design phase. Thus, systematic studies are needed to determine the possible scaling. Knowledge from such screening studies would open the door for developing new methods that can tackle a given scaling problem. The present article proposes a scale-up procedure that aims to generate a new life cycle inventory (LCI) on a theoretical industrial scale, based on information from laboratory experiments. Three techniques are described to obtain the new LCI. Investigation of a laboratory-scale procedure is discussed to find similar industrial processes as a benchmark for describing a theoretical large-scale production process. Furthermore, LCA was performed on a model system of nanofiber electrospinning for Li-ion battery cathode applications. The LCA results support material developers in identifying promising development pathways. For example, the present study pointed out the significant impacts of dimethylformamide on suspension preparation and the power requirements of distinct electrospinning subprocesses. Nanofiber-containing battery cells had greater environmental impacts than did the reference cell, although they had better electrochemical performance, such as better wettability of the electrode, improving the electrode's electrosorption capacity, and longer expected lifetime. Furthermore, material and energy recovery throughout the production chain could decrease the environmental impacts by 40% to 70%, making the nanofiber a promising battery cathode. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:465-477. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Impacts of hydroelectric dams on alluvial riparian plant communities in Eastern Brazilian Amazonian.

PubMed

Ferreira, Leandro Valle; Cunha, Denise A; Chaves, Priscilla P; Matos, Darley C L; Parolin, Pia

2013-09-01

The major rivers of the Amazon River basin and their biota are threatened by the planned construction of large hydroelectric dams that are expected to have strong impacts on floodplain plant communities. The present study presents forest inventories from three floodplain sites colonized by alluvial riparian vegetation in the Tapajós, Xingu and Tocantins River basins in eastern Amazonian. Results indicate that tree species of the highly specialized alluvial riparian vegetation are clearly distinct among the three river basins, although they are not very distinct from each other and environmental constraints are very similar. With only 6 of 74 species occurring in all three inventories, most tree and shrub species are restricted to only one of the rivers, indicating a high degree of local distribution. Different species occupy similar environmental niches, making these fragile riparian formations highly valuable. Conservation plans must consider species complementarily when decisions are made on where to place floodplain forest conservation units to avoid the irreversible loss of unique alluvial riparian vegetation biodiversity.

Final Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

N /A

This Final ''Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement'' (HCP EIS) is being used by the Department of Energy (DOE) and its nine cooperating and consulting agencies to develop a comprehensive land-use plan (CLUP) for the Hanford Site. The DOE will use the Final HCP EIS as a basis for a Record of Decision (ROD) on a CLUP for the Hanford Site. While development of the CLUP will be complete with release of the HCP EIS ROD, full implementation of the CLUP is expected to take at least 50 years. Implementation of the CLUP would begin a more detailed planningmore » process for land-use and facility-use decisions at the Hanford Site. The DOE would use the CLUP to screen proposals. Eventually, management of Hanford Site areas would move toward the CLUP land-use goals. This CLUP process could take more than 50 years to fully achieve the land-use goals.« less

Combining monitoring data and modeling identifies PAHs as emerging contaminants in the arctic.

PubMed

Laender, F De; Hammer, J; Hendriks, A J; Soetaert, K; Janssen, C R

2011-10-15

Protecting Arctic ecosystems against potential adverse effects from anthropogenic activities is recognized as a top priority. In particular, understanding the accumulation and effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in these otherwise pristine ecosystems remains a scientific challenge. Here, we combine more than 20,000 tissue concentrations, a food web bioaccumulation model, and time trend analyses to demonstrate that the concentrations of legacy-POPs in the Barents/Norwegian Sea fauna decreased 10-fold between 1985 and 2010, which reflects regulatory efforts to restrict these substances. In contrast, concentrations of fossil fuel derived PAHs in lower trophic levels (invertebrates and fish) increased 10 to 30 fold over the past 25 years and now dominate the summed POP burden (25 POPs, including 11 PAHs) in these biota. Before 2000, PCBs dominated the summed POP burden in top predators. Our findings indicate that the debate on the environmental impacts of fossil fuel burning should move beyond the expected seawater temperature increase and examine the possible environmental impact of fossil fuel derived PAHs.

Management Plan Report. Unconfined Open-Water Disposal of Dredged Material. Phase 2. (North and South Puget Sound)

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

depth of 442’ at the center of the disposal zone. The area is subject to weak currents. In general, commercially important marine invertebrate ...Fish and Wildlife Service " Charles Dunn U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service * Rob Jones National Marine Fisheries Service * Dr. Herb Curl National Oceanic...environmental impacts. In the future, for many projects, disposal in deep and relatively deep marine waters is expected to be a preferred option for envirc

Upstream/downstream: Issues in environmental ethics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scherer, D.

1991-01-01

Upstream/Downstream reminds us that there are four issues that are more or less distinctive to environmental ethics. First, and most distinctively, environmental issues involve the standing of nonhuman living things and systems. Thus, environmental politics is only partly a clash among the interest of the parties involved; it often involves actions on behalf of the existence rights of nonhuman life forms. Second, environmental ethics concern the intergenerational distribution of benefits more explicitly than do most other ethical issues, which brings out serious weaknesses in legal frameworks that rely on claims for damages. Third, the complexity and indirectness of many environmentalmore » impacts introduces a high degree of uncertainty and thus technical as well as ethical issues of prudent behavior. Specifically, where science may not fully reveal environmental risks, should development proceed; should analysis proceed if it is known to have a Pollyanna bias Fourth, insofar as environmental damage is typically done to common property, and thus its regulation is generally a matter for governmental regulation, the obligations of private actors to make sacrifices beyond what government requires is at issue - an issue that one would expect to be taken up at length in the other volumes.« less

Biofuel Induced Land Use Change effects on Watershed Hydrology and Water Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaubey, I.; Cibin, R.; Frankenberger, J.; Cherkauer, K. A.; Volenec, J. J.; Brouder, S. M.

2015-12-01

High yielding perennial grasses such as Miscanthus and switchgrass, and crop residues such as corn stover are expected to play a significant role in meeting US biofuel production targets. We have evaluated the potential impacts of biofuel induced land use changes on hydrology, water quality, and ecosystem services. The bioenergy production scenarios, included: production of Miscanthus × giganteus and switchgrass on highly erodible landscape positions, agricultural marginal land areas, and pastures; removal of corn stover at various rates; and combinations of these scenarios. The hydrology and water quality impacts of land use change scenarios were estimated for two watersheds in Midwest USA (1) Wildcat Creek watershed (drainage area of 2,083 km2) located in north-central Indiana and (2) St. Joseph River watershed (drainage area of 2,809 km2) located in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. We have also simulated the impacts of climate change and variability on environmental sustainability and have compared climate change impacts with land use change impacts. The study results indicated improved water quality with perennial grass scenarios compared to current row crop production impacts. Erosion reduction with perennial energy crop production scenarios ranged between 0.2% and 59%. Stream flow at the watershed outlet were reduced between 0.2 and 8% among various bioenergy crop production scenarios. Stover removal scenarios indicated increased erosion compared to baseline condition due reduced soil cover after stover harvest. Stream flow and nitrate loading were reduced with stover removal due to increased soil evaporation and reduced mineralization. A comparison of land use and climate change impacts indicates that land use changes will have considerably larger impacts on hydrology, water quality and environmental sustainability compared to climate change and variability. Our results indicate that production of biofuel crops can be optimized at the landscape level to provide adequate supply of biomass while improving water quality and environmental sustainability.

Integrated Decision Support for Global Environmental Change Adaptation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, S.; Cantrell, S.; Higgins, G. J.; Marshall, J.; VanWijngaarden, F.

2011-12-01

Environmental changes are happening now that has caused concern in many parts of the world; particularly vulnerable are the countries and communities with limited resources and with natural environments that are more susceptible to climate change impacts. Global leaders are concerned about the observed phenomena and events such as Amazon deforestation, shifting monsoon patterns affecting agriculture in the mountain slopes of Peru, floods in Pakistan, water shortages in Middle East, droughts impacting water supplies and wildlife migration in Africa, and sea level rise impacts on low lying coastal communities in Bangladesh. These environmental changes are likely to get exacerbated as the temperatures rise, the weather and climate patterns change, and sea level rise continues. Large populations and billions of dollars of infrastructure could be affected. At Northrop Grumman, we have developed an integrated decision support framework for providing necessary information to stakeholders and planners to adapt to the impacts of climate variability and change at the regional and local levels. This integrated approach takes into account assimilation and exploitation of large and disparate weather and climate data sets, regional downscaling (dynamic and statistical), uncertainty quantification and reduction, and a synthesis of scientific data with demographic and economic data to generate actionable information for the stakeholders and decision makers. Utilizing a flexible service oriented architecture and state-of-the-art visualization techniques, this information can be delivered via tailored GIS portals to meet diverse set of user needs and expectations. This integrated approach can be applied to regional and local risk assessments, predictions and decadal projections, and proactive adaptation planning for vulnerable communities. In this paper we will describe this comprehensive decision support approach with selected applications and case studies to illustrate how this system of systems approach could help the local governments and concerned institutions worldwide to adapt to gradually changing environmental conditions as well as manage impacts of extreme events such as droughts, floods, heat waves, wildfires, hurricanes, and storm surges.

Matching traditional and scientific observations to detect environmental change: a discussion on Arctic terrestrial ecosystems.

PubMed

Huntington, Henry; Callaghan, Terry; Fox, Shari; Krupnik, Igor

2004-11-01

Recent environmental changes are having, and are expected to continue to have, significant impacts in the Arctic as elsewhere in the world. Detecting those changes and determining the mechanisms that cause them are far from trivial problems. The use of multiple methods of observation can increase confidence in individual observations, broaden the scope of information available about environmental change, and contribute to insights concerning mechanisms of change. In this paper, we examine the ways that using traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) together with scientific observations can achieve these objectives. A review of TEK observations in comparison with scientific observations demonstrates the promise of this approach, while also revealing several challenges to putting it into practice on a large scale. Further efforts are suggested, particularly in undertaking collaborative projects designed to produce parallel observations that can be readily compared and analyzed in greater detail than is possible in an opportunistic sample.

Magsonic™ Carbothermal Technology Compared with the Electrolytic and Pidgeon Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prentice, Leon H.; Haque, Nawshad

A broad technology comparison of carbothermal magnesium production with present technologies has not been previously presented. In this paper a comparative analysis of CSIRO's MagSonic™ process is made with the electrolytic and Pidgeon processes. The comparison covers energy intensity (GJ/tonne Mg), labor intensity (person-hours/tonne Mg), capital intensity (USD/tonne annual Mg installed capacity), and Global Warming Potential (GWP, tonnes CO2-equivalent/tonne Mg). Carbothermal technology is advantageous on all measures except capital intensity (where it is roughly twice the capital cost of a similarly-sized Pidgeon plant). Carbothermal and electrolytic production can have comparatively low environmental impacts, with typical emissions one-sixth those of the Pidgeon process. Despite recent progress, the Pidgeon process depends upon abundant energy and labor combined with few environmental constraints. Pressure is expected to increase on environmental constraints and labor and energy costs over the coming decade. Carbothermal reduction technology appears to be competitive for future production.

Governance of environmental risk: new approaches to managing stakeholder involvement.

PubMed

Benn, Suzanne; Dunphy, Dexter; Martin, Andrew

2009-04-01

Disputes concerning industrial legacies such as the disposal of toxic wastes illustrate changing pressures on corporations and governments. Business and governments are now confronted with managing the expectations of a society increasingly aware of the social and environmental impacts and risks associated with economic development and demanding more equitable distribution and democratic management of such risks. The closed managerialist decision-making of the powerful bureaucracies and corporations of the industrial era is informed by traditional management theory which cannot provide a framework for the adequate governance of these risks. Recent socio-political theories have conceptualised some key themes that must be addressed in a more fitting approach to governance. We identify more recent management and governance theory which addresses these themes and develop a process-based approach to governance of environmental disputes that allows for the evolving nature of stakeholder relations in a highly complex multiple stakeholder arena.

Assisted phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil using poplar rooted cuttings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alizadeh, S.; Zahedi-Amiri, G.; Savaghebi-Firoozabadi, G.; Etemad, V.; Shirvany, A.; Shirmardi, M.

2012-07-01

To investigate the effect of amended substrates on cadmium uptake by one-year old poplar rooted cuttings a pot culture was carried out. Pots were filled with three substrates. Four treatments of Cd supply including were organized. The results showed that higher biomass productions in substrates A and B compare to substrate C, led to an increase total Cd uptake two times more than that in substrate C, at 150 mg kg-1 concentration. Meanwhile maximum total uptake occurred in substrate B at 100 mg kg-1 concentration. Using synthetic chelators such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid in order to achieve high removal rate led to increased environmental impacts while they are not expected when such environmental friendly approaches are applied.

'Green' on the ground but not in the air: Pro-environmental attitudes are related to household behaviours but not discretionary air travel.

PubMed

Alcock, Ian; White, Mathew P; Taylor, Tim; Coldwell, Deborah F; Gribble, Matthew O; Evans, Karl L; Corner, Adam; Vardoulakis, Sotiris; Fleming, Lora E

2017-01-01

The rise in greenhouse gas emissions from air travel could be reduced by individuals voluntarily abstaining from, or reducing, flights for leisure and recreational purposes. In theory, we might expect that people with pro-environmental value orientations and concerns about the risks of climate change, and those who engage in more pro-environmental household behaviours, would also be more likely to abstain from such voluntary air travel, or at least to fly less far. Analysis of two large datasets from the United Kingdom, weighted to be representative of the whole population, tested these associations. Using zero-inflated Poisson regression models, we found that, after accounting for potential confounders, there was no association between individuals' environmental attitudes, concern over climate change, or their routine pro-environmental household behaviours, and either their propensity to take non-work related flights, or the distances flown by those who do so. These findings contrasted with those for pro-environmental household behaviours, where associations with environmental attitudes and concern were observed. Our results offer little encouragement for policies aiming to reduce discretionary air travel through pro-environmental advocacy, or through 'spill-over' from interventions to improve environmental impacts of household routines.

‘Green’ on the ground but not in the air: Pro-environmental attitudes are related to household behaviours but not discretionary air travel

PubMed Central

White, Mathew P.; Taylor, Tim; Coldwell, Deborah F.; Gribble, Matthew O.; Evans, Karl L.; Corner, Adam; Vardoulakis, Sotiris; Fleming, Lora E.

2017-01-01

The rise in greenhouse gas emissions from air travel could be reduced by individuals voluntarily abstaining from, or reducing, flights for leisure and recreational purposes. In theory, we might expect that people with pro-environmental value orientations and concerns about the risks of climate change, and those who engage in more pro-environmental household behaviours, would also be more likely to abstain from such voluntary air travel, or at least to fly less far. Analysis of two large datasets from the United Kingdom, weighted to be representative of the whole population, tested these associations. Using zero-inflated Poisson regression models, we found that, after accounting for potential confounders, there was no association between individuals' environmental attitudes, concern over climate change, or their routine pro-environmental household behaviours, and either their propensity to take non-work related flights, or the distances flown by those who do so. These findings contrasted with those for pro-environmental household behaviours, where associations with environmental attitudes and concern were observed. Our results offer little encouragement for policies aiming to reduce discretionary air travel through pro-environmental advocacy, or through ‘spill-over’ from interventions to improve environmental impacts of household routines. PMID:28367001

Environmental Impacts of the Production and Application of Biochar - EuroChar Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rack, Mireille; Woods, Jeremy

2014-05-01

One of the potential benefits of biochar is carbon sequestration. To determine the overall net sequestration potential it is important to analyse the full supply chain, assessing both the direct and indirect emissions associated with the production and application of biochar. However, it is essential to also incorporate additional environmental impact categories to ensure the assessment of a more complete environmental impact profile. This paper uses a full life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to evaluate the results from the EuroChar, 'biochar for carbon sequestration and large-scale removal of GHG from the atmosphere', project. This EU Seventh Framework Programme project aims to investigate and reduce uncertainties around the impacts of, and opportunities for, biochar, and in particular explore possible pathways for its introduction into modern agricultural systems in Europe. The LCA methodology, according to the ISO standards, is applied to the project-specific supply chains to analyse the environmental impacts of biochar production and application. Two conversion technologies for the production of biochar are assessed, gasification and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), in order to provide conversion efficiencies and emission factors for the biochar production component of the supply chain. The selected feedstocks include those derived from waste residues and dedicated crops. For the end use stage, various forms and methods for biochar application are considered. In addition to the Global Warming Potential category, other environmental impact categories are also included in the analysis. The resulting 'feedstock * conversion technology' matrix provides nine pathways for the production and application of biochar, which are applied as a representative basis for the scenario modelling. These scenarios have been developed in order to assess the feedstock and land availability in Europe for the production and application of biochar and to give an order of magnitude assessment as to the potential role for biochar as a material climate mitigation option. Preliminary results show net negative supply chain emissions, indicating biochar to be a carbon sink. Overall, the life cycle stage that contributes most significantly to the environmental impact profile is feedstock production. Feedstock selection is therefore expected to play a key role in determining the overall viability of biochar production and its use in land application. Further sensitivity analyses show that the allocation method of the attributional LCA has the greatest impact on the results, followed by the oxidation rate of the carbon in the biochar, and the transportation distances of the feedstock and biochar. Indirect impacts, such as avoided use of fossil fuel, can significantly alter the results. As the EuroChar project comes to a completion at the end of May 2014, the near-final results are presented at the EGU 2014 General Assembly.

Installation of wind measuring equipment, Lincoln Ridge, Green Mountain National Forest, Lincoln and Warren, Vermont: Environmental assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1980-11-01

The specific purpose for the action under consideration in this Environmental Assessment is to determine the wind characteristics of the Lincoln Ridge site over a period of time. The wind data is needed by the government and by Green Mountain Power Corporation to determine the technical and economic feasibility for possible future erection of a wind turbine generator at this location. It is important to note that the data presented in this document relates only to the installation of one meteorological tower with related wind and ice detection and recording equipment. Based on preliminary information it is expected that themore » site would be feasible in all respects for installation of a large wind turbine. However, it is not intended that the environmental considerations presented herein should cover the installation and operation of a wind turbine of any size. If the site is selected at a later date for installation of a wind turbine, a complete new Environmental Assessment and an Environmental Impact Statement, if required, will be prepared.« less

The concept of hydropower certification in Italy and Slovenia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smolar-Zvanut, Natasa; Goltara, Andrea; Conte, Gulio

2010-05-01

River regulation by building a hydropower plants (HPPs) is one of the most stressful factor influencing the aquatic and riparian ecosystem. In many countries a development of HPPs is often opposed by public bodies and NGOs, worried about the risk of adverse effects on the "good status" of water bodies, that, according to the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC, WFD), has to be reached by year 2015. The paper describes a technically and economically feasible certification procedure for existing hydro power generation facilities of higher environmental standard, being explicitly coherent with the requirements of the WFD, to be implemented in "green labelled" electricity products, and being integrated, as much as possible, with existing EU tools, such as Ecolabel, EMAS, EIA and SEA. The methodology was developed for Italy and Slovenia and it will be tested in different types of HPPs in both countries. In order to be certified, a given HPP has to commit to carry out appropriate measures in order to mitigate its impacts on specified environmental objectives, in such a way to fulfil predefined environmental targets and prescriptions. These measures have to be described through a specific management programme, based upon a dedicated environmental study, supported mainly by existing data, but complemented by ad-hoc assessment/monitoring when necessary. The realization of both the environmental study and the management programme must be supported by public consultation; both documents must be approved through an auditing process. For some types of HPPs, operating in totally artificial networks and not entailing direct or indirect impact on water related ecosystems, a simplified procedure is foreseen, where detailed environmental analysis, related management programme and stakeholders involvement are not requested, but just a description of the system and proof of fulfilment of the conditions and of specific prescriptions. HPPs impacting water bodies defined as Artificial or Heavily Modified (following the definitions of the WFD) in most cases have to fulfil more limited environmental targets. The involvement of local stakeholders must be ensured along the whole certification procedure and, when completed, during the lifespan of the label. The methodology includes a predefined framework where pressure factors due to hydropower production are related to potentially impacted environmental quality elements. For each of these cause-effect relationships possible mitigation measures are suggested. In the long run, it is expected that the certification will have a positive impact on hydro power generation in Europe, will help focusing the conception of new HPPs towards more sustainable solutions and making easier authorization procedure.

Life cycle assessment of stormwater management in the context of climate change adaptation.

PubMed

Brudler, Sarah; Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Karsten; Hauschild, Michael Zwicky; Rygaard, Martin

2016-12-01

Expected increases in pluvial flooding, due to climatic changes, require large investments in the retrofitting of cities to keep damage at an acceptable level. Many cities have investigated the possibility of implementing stormwater management (SWM) systems which are multi-functional and consist of different elements interacting to achieve desired safety levels. Typically, an economic assessment is carried out in the planning phase, while environmental sustainability is given little or no attention. In this paper, life cycle assessment is used to quantify environmental impacts of climate change adaptation strategies. The approach is tested using a climate change adaptation strategy for a catchment in Copenhagen, Denmark. A stormwater management system, using green infrastructure and local retention measures in combination with planned routing of stormwater on the surfaces to manage runoff, is compared to a traditional, sub-surface approach. Flood safety levels based on the Three Points Approach are defined as the functional unit to ensure comparability between systems. The adaptation plan has significantly lower impacts (3-18 person equivalents/year) than the traditional alternative (14-103 person equivalents/year) in all analysed impact categories. The main impacts are caused by managing rain events with return periods between 0.2 and 10 years. The impacts of handling smaller events with a return period of up to 0.2 years and extreme events with a return period of up to 100 years are lower in both alternatives. The uncertainty analysis shows the advantages of conducting an environmental assessment in the early stages of the planning process, when the design can still be optimised, but it also highlights the importance of detailed and site-specific data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental implications of jatropha biofuel from a silvi-pastoral production system in central-west Brazil.

PubMed

Bailis, Rob; Kavlak, Goksin

2013-07-16

We present a life cycle assessment of synthetic paraffinic kerosene produced from Jatropha curcas. The feedstock is grown in an intercropping arrangement with pasture grasses so that Jatropha is coproduced with cattle. Additional innovations are introduced including hybrid seeds, detoxification of jatropha seedcake, and cogeneration. Two fuel pathways are examined including a newly developed catalytic decarboxylation process. Sensitivities are examined including higher planting density at the expense of cattle production as well as 50% lower yields. Intercropping with pasture and detoxifying seedcake yield coproducts that are expected to relieve pressure on Brazil's forests and indirectly reduce environmental impacts of biofuel production. Other innovations also reduce impacts. Results of the baseline assessment indicate that innovations would reduce impacts relative to the fossil fuel reference scenario in most categories including 62-75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, 64-82% reduction in release of ozone depleting chemicals, 33-52% reduction in smog-forming pollutants, 6-25% reduction in acidification, and 60-72% reduction in use of nonrenewable energy. System expansion, which explicitly accounts for avoided deforestation, results in larger improvements. Results are robust across allocation methodologies, improve with higher planting density, and persist if yield is reduced by half.

Chemical footprint method for improved communication of freshwater ecotoxicity impacts in the context of ecological limits.

PubMed

Bjørn, Anders; Diamond, Miriam; Birkved, Morten; Hauschild, Michael Zwicky

2014-11-18

The ecological footprint method has been successful in communicating environmental impacts of anthropogenic activities in the context of ecological limits. We introduce a chemical footprint method that expresses ecotoxicity impacts from anthropogenic chemical emissions as the dilution needed to avoid freshwater ecosystem damage. The indicator is based on USEtox characterization factors with a modified toxicity reference point. Chemical footprint results can be compared to the actual dilution capacity within the geographic vicinity receiving the emissions to estimate whether its ecological limit has been exceeded and hence whether emissions can be expected to be environmentally sustainable. The footprint method was illustrated using two case studies. The first was all inventoried emissions from European countries and selected metropolitan areas in 2004, which indicated that the dilution capacity was likely exceeded for most European countries and all landlocked metropolitan areas. The second case study indicated that peak application of pesticides alone was likely to exceed Denmark's freshwater dilution capacity in 1999-2011. The uncertainty assessment showed that better spatially differentiated fate factors would be useful and pointed out other major sources of uncertainty and some opportunities to reduce these.

The environmental impact of the use of large wind turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, P. T.

The existing data base on the environmental impact of large wind energy conversion systems (WECS) is explored. The maximum blade throw distance has been calculated at 850 m, with a 5% probability of more than 300 m. Good design and inspection procedures reduce the risk. Ice throw can be prevented by aircraft deicing techniques, but detectors are still necessary. TV interference is ameliorated by the use of composite blades and directional antennas, by relocating the nearst transmission or relay station, or by introduction of cable TV. Microwave transmission effects can be avoided by careful siting of WECS in a favorable line of sight whenever within 1 km of a transmitter. Visual impact studies have produced few adverse opinions. Noise has not proved an intractable problem, although 30 dB levels have been exceeded 2100 m downwind of the Mod 2 WECS. Further studies are necessary on the effects of heightened ground turbulence produced by large WECS. It is expected that few birds will be harmed by slowly rotating blades in the birds' natural domain, a projection confirmed by sporadic studies. Finally, aircraft collisions are regarded as unlikely and actual land use, mostly confined to rural areas, is minimal.

IPY 2007-2008 and Scientists, Science Organisations, and the Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlson, D. J.

2006-12-01

An initial burst of enthusiasm resulted in more than 1000 expressions of interest and nearly 500 internationally coordinated proposals for polar research during IPY. An international committee has endorsed more than 200 of these proposals, and most other proposals and nearly all expressions of interest have found ways to join the endorsed programme. Ten nations have announced new IPY science funding totalling in excess of 300M USD for the two years of operations; several nations will make announcements soon. Most on-going funding for polar research, coming from at least 30 nations, approximately 1.6B USD over two years, will also support IPY activities. What should the thousands of scientists hoping to participate expect, personally and collectively? What should the overall science entity expect, during and after IPY? And, finally, what should the public expect, after much attention and the expenditure of 2B USD, not to mention the on-going and future costs of ice breakers and ice-monitoring satellites and polar bases? Many IPY scientists will initially experience disappointment. Funding, even with IPY infusions, will fall short of need, and initial proposal success rates will stay below 50% in almost every nation, far below in some nations. In many nations, however, a catch-up effect will occur, leading to more funds in 2008 or 2009 than in 2006 and 2007. A step-up effect will also occur, leading to increased on-going funds for polar research, although perhaps in smaller steps and in fewer countries than we might hope. Scientists should expect increased public attention to their work and increased demand for their cooperation and contribution to international data management and to public outreach. Individually and collectively, IPY scientists have the opportunity to interact with an amazing array of fellow scientists, exchanging experience and enthusiasm on topics from gravitational variations to genomic sequences to Gwich'in cultures. Science as an entity will feel the impact of IPY. IPY does not fit within any single science organisation, even one so vast as AGU. A true international IPY community will exist beyond existing organisational systems, and a full multidisciplinary IPY assembly will occur in partnership with but separate from existing events. IPY will stimulate and produce new data models and infrastructure that will allow future polar researchers and polar residents to access, share and explore gravitational, genomic, and Gwich'in information. IPY will also necessarily stir up murky issues between scientific research and the environment, including how mega-science programmes should reduce their own environmental impact and how science conducts its assessments of global environmental problems when its partners include commercial energy companies and when its information products might encourage expanded extractive activities. This IPY will inevitably produce an organisational, data and environmental legacy that will impact science and scientists of the future. The public will expect quick answers from IPY, to questions not necessarily of our choosing. We can expect that they will enjoy a wide array of films and programmes and books on polar themes. We will have failed if the global public does not also gain an improved understanding of polar science and of the global consequences of climate change, and an enhanced appreciation of the creativity, challenges, pleasures and disappointments of science and of the energies and enthusiasms of scientists.

The Organic Matter Molecular Characteristics of Pyrogenic Solids and Their Aqueous Leachable Fractions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wozniak, A. S.; Hatcher, P.; Mitra, S.; Bostick, K. W.; Zimmerman, A. R.

2016-02-01

Pyrogenic organic matter (Py-OM), or black carbon (BC), derives from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass and is recognized for its impacts on soil chemistry, pollutant transport, climate, and regional and global carbon cycling. In fact, Py-OM is commonly applied to agricultural plots, in the form of "biochars," with the intention of enhancing agricultural production and the expectation of a carbon sequestration side benefit due to Py-OM's refractory and immobile nature. However, several studies of riverine, estuarine, and oceanic waters have detected tracers of dissolved Py-OM in appreciable quantities suggesting that it is more mobile in the environment than previously expected. The quantities and impacts of Py-OM released to aqueous systems are likely dependent on Py-OM molecular characteristics which in turn likely depend on initial combustion conditions and environmental processing. Yet, very little is known about the detailed molecular composition of these materials, let alone their relationships with combustion and environmental processing. Here, pyrophosphate extractable and water leachable components of a range of Py-OM materials (natural charcoals aged in the environment for variable lengths of time, oak and grass combusted over a range of temperatures) are examined by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The molecular characteristics of the dissolved and pyrophosphate extractable Py-OM is then compared in the context of production conditions. Results of this study will greatly improve our understanding of Py-OM cycling between watersheds and the oceans.

Climate change, land slide risks and sustainable development, risk analysis and decision support process tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersson-sköld, Y. B.; Tremblay, M.

2011-12-01

Climate change is in most parts of Sweden expected to result in increased precipitation and increased sea water levels causing flooding, erosion, slope instability and related secondary consequences. Landslide risks are expected to increase with climate change in large parts of Sweden due to increased annual precipitation, more intense precipitation and increased flows combined with dryer summers. In response to the potential climate related risks, and on the commission of the Ministry of Environment, the Swedish Geotechnical Institute (SGI) is at present performing a risk analysis project for the most prominent landslide risk area in Sweden: the Göta river valley. As part of this, a methodology for land slide ex-ante consequence analysis today, and in a future climate, has been developed and applied in the Göta river valley. Human life, settlements, industry, contaminated sites, infrastructure of national importance are invented and assessed important elements at risk. The goal of the consequence analysis is to produce a map of geographically distributed expected losses, which can be combined with a corresponding map displaying landslide probability to describe the risk (the combination of probability and consequence of a (negative) event). The risk analysis is GIS-aided in presenting and visualise the risk and using existing databases for quantification of the consequences represented by ex-ante estimated monetary losses. The results will be used on national, regional and as an indication of the risk on local level, to assess the need of measures to mitigate the risk. The costs and environmental and social impacts to mitigate the risk are expected to be very high but the costs and impacts of a severe landslide are expected to be even higher. Therefore, civil servants have pronounced a need of tools to assess both the vulnerability and a more holistic picture of impacts of climate change adaptation measures. At SGI a tool for the inclusion of sustainability aspects in the decision making process on adaptation measures has been developed and is currently being tested in municipalities including central Gothenburg, and smaller municipalities in Sweden and Norway. The tool is a matrix based decision support tool (MDST) aiming for encoring discussion among experts and stakeholders. The first steps in the decision process include identification, inventory and assessment of the potential impacts of climate change such as landslides (or other events or actions). These steps are also included in general technical/physical risk and vulnerability analyses such as the risk analysis of the Göta älv valley. The MDST also includes further subsequent steps of the risk management process, and the full sequence of the MDST includes risk identification, risk specification, risk assessment, identification of measures, impact analysis of measures including an assessment of environmental, social and economical costs and benefits, a weight process and visualisation of the result. Here the MDST with some examples from the methodology for the Göta river valley analysis and the risk mitigation analysis from Sweden and Norway will be presented.

Regional climate model simulations indicate limited climatic impacts by operational and planned European wind farms.

PubMed

Vautard, Robert; Thais, Françoise; Tobin, Isabelle; Bréon, François-Marie; Devezeaux de Lavergne, Jean-Guy; Colette, Augustin; Yiou, Pascal; Ruti, Paolo Michele

2014-01-01

The rapid development of wind energy has raised concerns about environmental impacts. Temperature changes are found in the vicinity of wind farms and previous simulations have suggested that large-scale wind farms could alter regional climate. However, assessments of the effects of realistic wind power development scenarios at the scale of a continent are missing. Here we simulate the impacts of current and near-future wind energy production according to European Union energy and climate policies. We use a regional climate model describing the interactions between turbines and the atmosphere, and find limited impacts. A statistically significant signal is only found in winter, with changes within ±0.3 °C and within 0-5% for precipitation. It results from the combination of local wind farm effects and changes due to a weak, but robust, anticyclonic-induced circulation over Europe. However, the impacts remain much weaker than the natural climate interannual variability and changes expected from greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate change and environmental impacts on maternal and newborn health with focus on Arctic populations.

PubMed

Rylander, Charlotta; Odland, Jon Ø; Sandanger, Torkjel M

2011-01-01

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented a report on global warming and the impact of human activities on global warming. Later the Lancet commission identified six ways human health could be affected. Among these were not environmental factors which are also believed to be important for human health. In this paper we therefore focus on environmental factors, climate change and the predicted effects on maternal and newborn health. Arctic issues are discussed specifically considering their exposure and sensitivity to long range transported contaminants. Considering that the different parts of pregnancy are particularly sensitive time periods for the effects of environmental exposure, this review focuses on the impacts on maternal and newborn health. Environmental stressors known to affects human health and how these will change with the predicted climate change are addressed. Air pollution and food security are crucial issues for the pregnant population in a changing climate, especially indoor climate and food security in Arctic areas. The total number of environmental factors is today responsible for a large number of the global deaths, especially in young children. Climate change will most likely lead to an increase in this number. Exposure to the different environmental stressors especially air pollution will in most parts of the world increase with climate change, even though some areas might face lower exposure. Populations at risk today are believed to be most heavily affected. As for the persistent organic pollutants a warming climate leads to a remobilisation and a possible increase in food chain exposure in the Arctic and thus increased risk for Arctic populations. This is especially the case for mercury. The perspective for the next generations will be closely connected to the expected temperature changes; changes in housing conditions; changes in exposure patterns; predicted increased exposure to Mercury because of increased emissions and increased biological availability. A number of environmental stressors are predicted to increase with climate change and increasingly affecting human health. Efforts should be put on reducing risk for the next generation, thus global politics and research effort should focus on maternal and newborn health.

Traits and causes of environmental loss-related chemical accidents in China based on co-word analysis.

PubMed

Wu, Desheng; Song, Yu; Xie, Kefan; Zhang, Baofeng

2018-04-25

Chemical accidents are major causes of environmental losses and have been debated due to the potential threat to human beings and environment. Compared with the single statistical analysis, co-word analysis of chemical accidents illustrates significant traits at various levels and presents data into a visual network. This study utilizes a co-word analysis of the keywords extracted from the Web crawling texts of environmental loss-related chemical accidents and uses the Pearson's correlation coefficient to examine the internal attributes. To visualize the keywords of the accidents, this study carries out a multidimensional scaling analysis applying PROXSCAL and centrality identification. The research results show that an enormous environmental cost is exacted, especially given the expected environmental loss-related chemical accidents with geographical features. Meanwhile, each event often brings more than one environmental impact. Large number of chemical substances are released in the form of solid, liquid, and gas, leading to serious results. Eight clusters that represent the traits of these accidents are formed, including "leakage," "poisoning," "explosion," "pipeline crack," "river pollution," "dust pollution," "emission," and "industrial effluent." "Explosion" and "gas" possess a strong correlation with "poisoning," located at the center of visualization map.

Interpreting sex differences in enamel hypoplasia in human and non-human primates: Developmental, environmental, and cultural considerations.

PubMed

Guatelli-Steinberg, D; Lukacs, J R

1999-01-01

The purpose of this review is to provide a synoptic, critical evaluation of the evidence of, and potential etiological factors contributing to, sex differences in the expression of enamel hypoplasia (EH). Specifically, this review considers theoretical expectations and empirical evidence bearing on two central issues. The first of these is the impact of a theorized inherent male vulnerability to physiological stress on sex differences in EH. The second issue is the potential contribution to sex differences in EH of intrinsic differences in male and female enamel composition and development. To address this first issue, EH frequencies by sex are examined in samples subject to a high degree of physiological stress. Based on the concept of inherent male vulnerability (or female buffering), males in stressful environments would be expected to exhibit higher EH frequencies than females. This expectation is evaluated in light of cultural practices of sex-biased investment that mediate the relationship between environmental stress and EH expression. Defects forming prenatally afford an opportunity to study this relationship without the confounding effects of sex-biased postnatal investment. Data bearing on this issue derive from previously conducted studies of EH in permanent and deciduous teeth in both modern and archaeological samples as well as from new data on Indian schoolchildren. To address the second issue, fundamental male-female enamel differences are evaluated for their potential impact on EH expression. A large sex difference in the duration of canine crown formation in non-human primates suggests that male canines may have greater opportunity to record stress events than those of females. This expectation is examined in great apes, whose canines often record multiple episodes of stress and are sexually dimorphic in crown formation times. With respect to the first issue, in most studies, sex differences in EH prevalence are statistically nonsignificant. However, when sex differences are significant, there is a slight trend for them to be greater in males than in females, suggesting a weak influence of greater male vulnerability. Cultural practices of sex-biased investment in children appear to have greater impact on EH expression than does male vulnerability/female buffering. With respect to the second issue, sex differences in the composition and development of enamel were reviewed and determined to have limited or unknown impact on EH expression. Of these factors, only the duration of crown formation was expected to affect EH expression by sex within the great apes. The data support an association between higher defect counts in the canines of great ape males relative to those of females that may be the result of longer crown formation times in the canines of great ape males. This review concludes with an assessment of the nature of the evidence currently available to examine these issues and suggests future avenues for research focused on elucidating them.

78 FR 54906 - Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for a Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-06

...-FF08ECAR00] Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for a Proposed... Conservation Commission (CVCC), has prepared a joint draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (draft Supplemental EIR/EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA...

Endobronchial ultrasonography versus mediastinoscopy: a single-institution cost analysis and waste comparison.

PubMed

Andrade, Rafael S; Podgaetz, Eitan; Rueth, Natasha M; Majumder, Kaustav; Hall, Eric; Saric, Crystal; Thelen, Lynn

2014-09-01

Mediastinoscopy (MED) and endobronchial ultrasonography with transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) have similar accuracy for mediastinal lymph node sampling (MLNS). The threatened financial and environmental sustainability of our health care system mandate that surgeons consider cost and environmental impact in clinical decision making of similarly effective procedures. We performed a cost and waste comparison of MED versus EBUS-TBNA for MLNS to raise awareness of the financial and environmental implications of our practices. We conducted a retrospective review of outpatients who underwent MLNS under general anesthesia in the OR with MED or EBUS-TBNA (September 2007 to December 2009). We analyzed direct costs based on hospital charges, calculated expected payment using a decision support model, and profit margins (modeled expected payment-direct costs). Our waste comparison was measured in kilograms of solid waste per case. We performed MLNS in 148 patients (89 EBUS-TBNA, 39 MED, 20 EBUS + MED). Direct costs were lower for MED ($2,356) compared with EBUS-TBNA ($2,503), whereas expected payment was greater (MED, $3,449; EBUS-TBNA, $3,249), resulting in a profit margin that was $347 greater for MED. The amount of solid waste for each MED was 1.8 kg versus 0.5 kg for EBUS-TBNA. MED costs less than EBUS-TBNA in the OR setting but generates 3.6 times the amount of EBUS-TBNA waste. The cost of EBUS-TBNA may improve by performance in the endoscopy suite, and surgical pack revision could reduce the amount of MED solid waste. This comparison sets the stage for sophistication of our clinical decision making, taking into consideration the major threats to our health care system. Copyright © 2014 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wind Farm Recommendation Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

John Reisenauer

On April 21, 2011, an Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Land Use Committee meeting was convened to develop a wind farm recommendation for the Executive Council and a list of proposed actions for proceeding with the recommendation. In terms of land use, the INL Land Use Committee unanimously agrees that Site 6 is the preferred location of the alternatives presented for an INL wind farm. However, further studies and resolution to questions raised (stated in this report) by the INL Land Use Committee are needed for the preferred location. Studies include, but are not limited to, wind viability (6 months), batsmore » (2 years), and the visual impact of the wind farm. In addition, cultural resource surveys and consultation (1 month) and the National Environmental Policy Act process (9 to 12 months) need to be completed. Furthermore, there is no documented evidence of developers expressing interest in constructing a small wind farm on INL, nor a specific list of expectations or concessions for which a developer might expect INL to cover the cost. To date, INL assumes the National Environmental Policy Act activities will be paid for by the Department of Energy and INL (the environmental assessment has only received partial funding). However, other concessions also may be expected by developers such as roads, fencing, power line installation, tie-ins to substations, annual maintenance, snow removal, access control, down-time, and remediation. These types of concessions have not been documented, as a request, from a developer and INL has not identified the short and long-term cost liabilities for such concessions should a developer expect INL to cover these costs. INL has not identified a go-no-go funding level or the priority this Wind Farm Project might have with respect to other nuclear-related projects, should the wind farm remain an unfunded mandate. The Land Use Committee recommends Legal be consulted to determine what, if any, liabilities exist with the Wind Farm Project and INL’s rights and responsibilities in regards to access to the wind farm once constructed. An expression of interest is expected to go out soon to developers. However, with the potential of 2 years of study remaining for Site 6, the expectation of obtaining meaningful interest from developers should be questioned.« less

Environmental health training: a survey of family practice residency program directors.

PubMed

Musham, C; Bellack, J P; Graber, D R; Holmes, D

1996-01-01

The Institute of Medicine and the American College of Physicians have advocated that physicians broaden their participation in the environmental aspects of medical care. Accordingly, both organizations recommend training of future primary care physicians for greater competency in and appreciation of this area of medicine. This study assessed the present emphasis on environmental health in family practice residency programs by examining the extent program directors expect graduates to have specific competencies in environmental medicine. A written survey was mailed to directors of all 393 family practice residency programs listed in the 1993 Directory of Family Practice Residency Programs. Respondents were asked to indicate the extent to which each of eight environmental health competencies was expected of their graduates. The list of environmental health competencies was based on the literature and on interviews with family practice educators. Perceptions about the "present" and "ideal" environmental health emphasis in their programs were also measured. A total of 262 completed surveys were returned for a response rate of 67%. Respondents reported that they expected their graduates to have general knowledge of and competence in environmental health areas that pertain to patient care. Competencies with social and political implications were least likely to be expected. Two thirds of respondents indicated that "minimal emphasis" is presently placed on environmental health. Seventy percent indicated that the "ideal" amount of emphasis placed on this topic is "moderate." This survey's results suggest that family practice residency program directors expect their graduates to know basic environmental health concepts and be skilled in related aspects of patient care. The development of environmental health training programs must take into account that environmental health may be viewed as a topic of secondary importance and that in most residencies, faculty expertise in this area is limited. For this reason, a self-tutoring strategy, aimed toward the educational needs of both faculty and residents, is recommended.

Modelling climate impacts on the aviation sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Paul

2017-04-01

The climate is changing, not just where we live at ground level, but also where we fly at 35,000 feet. We have long known that air travel contributes to climate change through its emissions. However, we have only recently become aware that climate change could have significant consequences for air travel. This presentation will give an overview of the possible impacts of climate change on the aviation sector. The presentation will describe how the impacts are modelled and how their social and economic costs are estimated. The impacts are discussed in the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO's) latest Environmental Report (Puempel and Williams 2016). Some of the possible impacts are as follows. Rising sea levels and storm surges threaten coastal airports, such as La Guardia in New York, which was flooded by the remnants of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Warmer air at ground level reduces the lift force and makes it more difficult for planes to take-off (Coffel and Horton 2015). More extreme weather may cause flight disruptions and delays. Clear-air turbulence is expected to become up to 40% stronger and twice as common (Williams and Joshi 2013). Transatlantic flights may collectively be airborne for an extra 2,000 hours each year because of changes to the jet stream, burning an extra 7.2 million gallons of jet fuel at a cost of US 22 million, and emitting an extra 70 million kg of carbon dioxide (Williams 2016). These modelled impacts provide further evidence of the two-way interaction between aviation and climate change. References Coffel E and Horton R (2015) Climate change and the impact of extreme temperatures on aviation. Weather, Climate, and Society, 7, 94-102. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-14-00026.1 Puempel H and Williams PD (2016) The impacts of climate change on aviation: Scientific challenges and adaptation pathways. ICAO Environmental Report 2016: On Board A Sustainable Future, pp 205-207. http://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Pages/ENV2016.aspx Williams PD and Joshi MM (2013) Intensification of winter transatlantic aviation turbulence in response to climate change. Nature Climate Change, 3(7), pp 644-648. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1866 Williams PD (2016) Transatlantic flight times and climate change. Environmental Research Letters, 11(2), 024008. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/2/024008

Advancing strategic environmental assessment in the offshore oil and gas sector: Lessons from Norway, Canada, and the United Kingdom

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fidler, Courtney, E-mail: crfidler@gmail.com; Noble, Bram, E-mail: b.noble@usask.ca

2012-04-15

Abstract: Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) for offshore oil and gas planning and development is utilized in select international jurisdictions, but the sector has received limited attention in the SEA literature. While the potential benefits of and rationale for SEA are well argued, there have been few empirical studies of SEA processes for the offshore sector. Hence, little is known about the efficacy of SEA offshore, in particular its influence on planning and development decisions. This paper examines SEA practice and influence in three international offshore systems: Norway, Atlantic Canada and the United Kingdom, with the intent to identify the challenges,more » lessons and opportunities for advancing SEA in offshore planning and impact assessment. Results demonstrate that SEA can help inform and improve the efficacy and efficiency of project-based assessment in the offshore sector, however weak coordination between higher and lower tiers limit SEA's ability to influence planning and development decisions in a broad regional environmental and socioeconomic context. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SEA can inform and improve the efficacy and efficiency of project EA offshore Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Scope and deliverables of SEA offshore often differ from stakeholder expectations Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Considerable variability in influence of SEA output beyond licensing decisions Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sector-based SEA offshore is often too restrictive to generate expected benefits.« less

Potential Health Impacts of Bauxite Mining in Kuantan

PubMed Central

Abdullah, Noor Hisham; Mohamed, Norlen; Sulaiman, Lokman Hakim; Zakaria, Thahirahtul Asma; Rahim, Daud Abdul

2016-01-01

Bauxite mining is not known to most Malaysian except recently due to environmental pollution issues in Kuantan, Pahang. Potential impacts are expected to go beyond physical environment and physical illness if the situation is not controlled. Loss of economic potentials, and the presence of unpleasant red dust causing mental distress, anger and community outrage. More studies are needed to associate it with chronic physical illness. While evidences are vital for action, merely waiting for a disease to occur is a sign of failure in prevention. All responsible agencies should focus on a wider aspect of health determinants rather than merely on the occurrence of diseases to act and the need to emphasize on sustainable mining to ensure health of people is not compromised. PMID:27418864

Potential Health Impacts of Bauxite Mining in Kuantan.

PubMed

Abdullah, Noor Hisham; Mohamed, Norlen; Sulaiman, Lokman Hakim; Zakaria, Thahirahtul Asma; Rahim, Daud Abdul

2016-05-01

Bauxite mining is not known to most Malaysian except recently due to environmental pollution issues in Kuantan, Pahang. Potential impacts are expected to go beyond physical environment and physical illness if the situation is not controlled. Loss of economic potentials, and the presence of unpleasant red dust causing mental distress, anger and community outrage. More studies are needed to associate it with chronic physical illness. While evidences are vital for action, merely waiting for a disease to occur is a sign of failure in prevention. All responsible agencies should focus on a wider aspect of health determinants rather than merely on the occurrence of diseases to act and the need to emphasize on sustainable mining to ensure health of people is not compromised.

Hibernation for space travel: Impact on radioprotection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerri, Matteo; Tinganelli, Walter; Negrini, Matteo; Helm, Alexander; Scifoni, Emanuele; Tommasino, Francesco; Sioli, Maximiliano; Zoccoli, Antonio; Durante, Marco

2016-11-01

Hibernation is a state of reduced metabolic activity used by some animals to survive in harsh environmental conditions. The idea of exploiting hibernation for space exploration has been proposed many years ago, but in recent years it is becoming more realistic, thanks to the introduction of specific methods to induce hibernation-like conditions (synthetic torpor) in non-hibernating animals. In addition to the expected advantages in long-term exploratory-class missions in terms of resource consumptions, aging, and psychology, hibernation may provide protection from cosmic radiation damage to the crew. Data from over half century ago in animal models suggest indeed that radiation effects are reduced during hibernation. We will review the mechanisms of increased radioprotection in hibernation, and discuss possible impact on human space exploration.

Geothermal Loan Guaranty Program and its impact on geothermal exploration and development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nasr, L.H.

1978-05-01

The study showed that the Geothermal Loan Guaranty Program has had only a negligible effect on geothermal development and the response to the program was far less than expected. The streamlining of environmental regulations and leasing policies, and the granting of intangible drilling cost write-offs and depletion allowances to operators would have had a greater impact on geothermal energy development. The loan guaranty program did not promote the undertaking of any new projects that would not have been undertaken without it. The program only accelerated the pace for some development which might have commenced in the future. Included in themore » study are recommendations for improving the operation of the program thereby increasing its attractiveness to potential applicants.« less

GUIDANCE ON SELECTING AGE GROUPS FOR ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This guidance document provides a set of early-lifestage age groups for Environmental Protection Agency scientists to consider when assessing children’s exposure to environmental contaminants and the resultant potential dose. These recommended age groups are based on current understanding of differences in behavior and physiology which may impact exposures in children. A consistent set of early-life age groups, supported by an underlying scientific rationale, is expected to improve Agency exposure and risk assessments for children by increasing the consistency and comparability of risk assessments across the Agency; by improving accuracy and transparency in assessments for those cases where current practice might too broadly combine behaviorally and physiologically disparate age groups; and by fostering a consistent approach to future exposure surveys and monitoring efforts to generate improved exposure factors for children. see description

Smart Manufacturing.

PubMed

Davis, Jim; Edgar, Thomas; Graybill, Robert; Korambath, Prakashan; Schott, Brian; Swink, Denise; Wang, Jianwu; Wetzel, Jim

2015-01-01

Historic manufacturing enterprises based on vertically optimized companies, practices, market share, and competitiveness are giving way to enterprises that are responsive across an entire value chain to demand dynamic markets and customized product value adds; increased expectations for environmental sustainability, reduced energy usage, and zero incidents; and faster technology and product adoption. Agile innovation and manufacturing combined with radically increased productivity become engines for competitiveness and reinvestment, not simply for decreased cost. A focus on agility, productivity, energy, and environmental sustainability produces opportunities that are far beyond reducing market volatility. Agility directly impacts innovation, time-to-market, and faster, broader exploration of the trade space. These changes, the forces driving them, and new network-based information technologies offering unprecedented insights and analysis are motivating the advent of smart manufacturing and new information technology infrastructure for manufacturing.

77 FR 17038 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-23

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/ Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for Military Readiness Activities in the Northwest... development of an Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for the Northwest...

46 CFR 504.7 - Environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Environmental impact statements. 504.7 Section 504.7... POLICY ANALYSIS § 504.7 Environmental impact statements. (a) General. (1) An environmental impact... environmental impact statements. (1) A draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) will initially be prepared in...

Maumee Bay State Park, Ohio. Shoreline Erosion Beach Restoration Study. Final Feasibility Report and Final Environmental Impact Statement. Interim to Western Lake Erie Shore Study. Volume 2. Appendices. Revised.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-01

The vegetation is typified by a variety of vines and shrubs , including dogwood, sumac, wild plum, honeysuckle, wild grape, blackberry, honey locust...demand analysis. The SCORP studies for Ohio, Indiana , and Michigan were reviewed since most of *the Maumee Bay visitation was expected to originate...Bay State Park by State, by Zone :Distance: Zone:In Miles: Ohio Michigan : Indiana :Pennsylvania: Canada 1 : 0-25 :Lucas :Monroe :None :None :None

The genetics of exceptional longevity: Insights from centenarians.

PubMed

Santos-Lozano, Alejandro; Santamarina, Ana; Pareja-Galeano, Helios; Sanchis-Gomar, Fabian; Fiuza-Luces, Carmen; Cristi-Montero, Carlos; Bernal-Pino, Aranzazu; Lucia, Alejandro; Garatachea, Nuria

2016-08-01

As the world population ages, so the prevalence increases of individuals aged 100 years or more, known as centenarians. Reaching this age has been described as exceptional longevity (EL) and is attributed to both genetic and environmental factors. Many genetic variations known to affect life expectancy exist in centenarians. This review of studies conducted on centenarians and supercentenarians (older than 110 years) updates knowledge of the impacts on longevity of the twenty most widely investigated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Future Protein Supply and Demand: Strategies and Factors Influencing a Sustainable Equilibrium

PubMed Central

Henchion, Maeve; Hayes, Maria; Mullen, Anne Maria; Fenelon, Mark; Tiwari, Brijesh

2017-01-01

A growing global population, combined with factors such as changing socio-demographics, will place increased pressure on the world’s resources to provide not only more but also different types of food. Increased demand for animal-based protein in particular is expected to have a negative environmental impact, generating greenhouse gas emissions, requiring more water and more land. Addressing this “perfect storm” will necessitate more sustainable production of existing sources of protein as well as alternative sources for direct human consumption. This paper outlines some potential demand scenarios and provides an overview of selected existing and novel protein sources in terms of their potential to sustainably deliver protein for the future, considering drivers and challenges relating to nutritional, environmental, and technological and market/consumer domains. It concludes that different factors influence the potential of existing and novel sources. Existing protein sources are primarily hindered by their negative environmental impacts with some concerns around health. However, they offer social and economic benefits, and have a high level of consumer acceptance. Furthermore, recent research emphasizes the role of livestock as part of the solution to greenhouse gas emissions, and indicates that animal-based protein has an important role as part of a sustainable diet and as a contributor to food security. Novel proteins require the development of new value chains, and attention to issues such as production costs, food safety, scalability and consumer acceptance. Furthermore, positive environmental impacts cannot be assumed with novel protein sources and care must be taken to ensure that comparisons between novel and existing protein sources are valid. Greater alignment of political forces, and the involvement of wider stakeholders in a governance role, as well as development/commercialization role, is required to address both sources of protein and ensure food security. PMID:28726744

Global trade, local impacts: lessons from California on health impacts and environmental justice concerns for residents living near freight rail yards.

PubMed

Hricko, Andrea; Rowland, Glovioell; Eckel, Sandrah; Logan, Angelo; Taher, Maryam; Wilson, John

2014-02-10

Global trade has increased nearly 100-fold since 1950, according to the World Trade Organization. Today, major changes in trade are occurring with the advent of mega-ships that can transport thousands more containers than cargo ships now in use. Because global trade is expected to increase dramatically, the railroad industry-in the U.S. alone-has invested more than $5 billion a year over the past decade to expand rail yards and enhance rail routes to transport goods from ports to retail destinations. This article describes cancer risks for residents living in close proximity to rail yards with emissions of diesel particulate matter pollution from locomotives, trucks and yard equipment. The article examines the demographics (income, race/ethnicity) of populations living in the highest estimated cancer risk zones near 18 major rail yards in California, concluding that the majority are over-represented by either lower-income or minority residents (or both). The authors also describe a review of the news media and environmental impact reports to determine if rail yards are still being constructed or expanded in close proximity to homes and schools or in working class/working poor communities of color. The paper suggests policy efforts that might provide more public health protection and result in more "environmentally just" siting of rail yards. The authors conclude that diesel pollution from rail yards, which creates significant diesel cancer risks for those living near the facilities, is an often overlooked public health, health disparities and environmental justice issue in the U.S. The conclusions are relevant to other countries where international trade is increasing and large new intermodal rail facilities are being considered.

Global Trade, Local Impacts: Lessons from California on Health Impacts and Environmental Justice Concerns for Residents Living near Freight Rail Yards

PubMed Central

Hricko, Andrea; Rowland, Glovioell; Eckel, Sandrah; Logan, Angelo; Taher, Maryam; Wilson, John

2014-01-01

Global trade has increased nearly 100-fold since 1950, according to the World Trade Organization. Today, major changes in trade are occurring with the advent of mega-ships that can transport thousands more containers than cargo ships now in use. Because global trade is expected to increase dramatically, the railroad industry—in the U.S. alone—has invested more than $5 billion a year over the past decade to expand rail yards and enhance rail routes to transport goods from ports to retail destinations. This article describes cancer risks for residents living in close proximity to rail yards with emissions of diesel particulate matter pollution from locomotives, trucks and yard equipment. The article examines the demographics (income, race/ethnicity) of populations living in the highest estimated cancer risk zones near 18 major rail yards in California, concluding that the majority are over-represented by either lower-income or minority residents (or both). The authors also describe a review of the news media and environmental impact reports to determine if rail yards are still being constructed or expanded in close proximity to homes and schools or in working class/working poor communities of color. The paper suggests policy efforts that might provide more public health protection and result in more “environmentally just” siting of rail yards. The authors conclude that diesel pollution from rail yards, which creates significant diesel cancer risks for those living near the facilities, is an often overlooked public health, health disparities and environmental justice issue in the U.S. The conclusions are relevant to other countries where international trade is increasing and large new intermodal rail facilities are being considered. PMID:24518649

Future Protein Supply and Demand: Strategies and Factors Influencing a Sustainable Equilibrium.

PubMed

Henchion, Maeve; Hayes, Maria; Mullen, Anne Maria; Fenelon, Mark; Tiwari, Brijesh

2017-07-20

A growing global population, combined with factors such as changing socio-demographics, will place increased pressure on the world's resources to provide not only more but also different types of food. Increased demand for animal-based protein in particular is expected to have a negative environmental impact, generating greenhouse gas emissions, requiring more water and more land. Addressing this "perfect storm" will necessitate more sustainable production of existing sources of protein as well as alternative sources for direct human consumption. This paper outlines some potential demand scenarios and provides an overview of selected existing and novel protein sources in terms of their potential to sustainably deliver protein for the future, considering drivers and challenges relating to nutritional, environmental, and technological and market/consumer domains. It concludes that different factors influence the potential of existing and novel sources. Existing protein sources are primarily hindered by their negative environmental impacts with some concerns around health. However, they offer social and economic benefits, and have a high level of consumer acceptance. Furthermore, recent research emphasizes the role of livestock as part of the solution to greenhouse gas emissions, and indicates that animal-based protein has an important role as part of a sustainable diet and as a contributor to food security. Novel proteins require the development of new value chains, and attention to issues such as production costs, food safety, scalability and consumer acceptance. Furthermore, positive environmental impacts cannot be assumed with novel protein sources and care must be taken to ensure that comparisons between novel and existing protein sources are valid. Greater alignment of political forces, and the involvement of wider stakeholders in a governance role, as well as development/commercialization role, is required to address both sources of protein and ensure food security.

A Consideration of the Health and Environmental Risks/Effects of Geoengineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemming, B. L.; Felgenhauer, T. N.; Miller, C. A.

2014-12-01

The views expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A number of geoengineering strategies have been proposed and, to date, a few are being seriously investigated as possible approaches to reducing the degree of climate change. Whether under the broad rubrics of solar radiation management (SRM) or carbon dioxide removal (CDR), these projects would involve major, intentional intervention in the world's climate. Even if successful in off-setting the global radiative imbalance induced by human activities, it is not at all clear how well humans and the ecosystems upon which they depend will weather the climate system perturbations induced by the implementation of a large-scale geoengineering program. It is reasonable to expect that such perturbations could exacerbate the existing health and environmental consequences of anthropogenic climate change at large and small scales, or create entirely new ones. An accounting of the derivative physical and biological effects of consequence to human health and ecosystems welfare that may result from the use of geoengineering is a necessary part of any policy-relevant analysis. However, the scientific understanding required to quantitatively assess these potential impacts is absent in most cases, and still nascent in others. Furthermore, current discussions and existing literature lack the fully integrated "systems" approach required for adequately assessing the short- and long-term impacts of geoengineering strategies on ecosystems and human populations. We present an overview of critical science questions, including broad questions concerning the potential response of the complex earth system to further human interference and those concerning potential impacts to local environmental metrics such as air and water quality and ecosystem viability.

Strategies for communicating quality expectations for environmental service contracts : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

This study explores the communication of quality expectations between the Office of Environment Services (OES) and environmental consulting firms contributing to the Plan Development Process of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). The ove...

The Sulu-Sulawesi Sea: environmental and socioeconomic status, future prognosis and ameliorative policy options.

PubMed

DeVantier, Lyndon; Alcala, Angel; Wilkinson, Clive

2004-02-01

The Sulu-Sulawesi Sea, with neighboring Indonesian Seas and South China Sea, lies at the center of the world's tropical marine biodiversity. Encircled by 3 populous, developing nations, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, the Sea and its adjacent coastal and terrestrial ecosystems, supports ca. 33 million people, most with subsistence livelihoods heavily reliant on its renewable natural resources. These resources are being impacted severely by rapid population growth (> 2% yr-1, with expected doubling by 2035) and widespread poverty, coupled with increasing international market demand and rapid technological changes, compounded by inefficiencies in governance and a lack of awareness and/or acceptance of some laws among local populations, particularly in parts of the Philippines and Indonesia. These key root causes all contribute to illegal practices and corruption, and are resulting in severe resource depletion and degradation of water catchments, river, lacustrine, estuarine, coastal, and marine ecosystems. The Sulu-Sulawesi Sea forms a major geopolitical focus, with porous borders, transmigration, separatist movements, piracy, and illegal fishing all contributing to environmental degradation, human suffering and political instability, and inhibiting strong trilateral support for interventions. This review analyzes these multifarious environmental and socioeconomic impacts and their root causes, provides a future prognosis of status by 2020, and recommends policy options aimed at amelioration through sustainable management and development.

Life cycle assessment based environmental impact estimation model for pre-stressed concrete beam bridge in the early design phase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Kyong Ju, E-mail: kjkim@cau.ac.kr; Yun, Won Gun, E-mail: ogun78@naver.com; Cho, Namho, E-mail: nhc51@cau.ac.kr

The late rise in global concern for environmental issues such as global warming and air pollution is accentuating the need for environmental assessments in the construction industry. Promptly evaluating the environmental loads of the various design alternatives during the early stages of a construction project and adopting the most environmentally sustainable candidate is therefore of large importance. Yet, research on the early evaluation of a construction project's environmental load in order to aid the decision making process is hitherto lacking. In light of this dilemma, this study proposes a model for estimating the environmental load by employing only the mostmore » basic information accessible during the early design phases of a project for the pre-stressed concrete (PSC) beam bridge, the most common bridge structure. Firstly, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted on the data from 99 bridges by integrating the bills of quantities (BOQ) with a life cycle inventory (LCI) database. The processed data was then utilized to construct a case based reasoning (CBR) model for estimating the environmental load. The accuracy of the estimation model was then validated using five test cases; the model's mean absolute error rates (MAER) for the total environmental load was calculated as 7.09%. Such test results were shown to be superior compared to those obtained from a multiple-regression based model and a slab area base-unit analysis model. Henceforth application of this model during the early stages of a project is expected to highly complement environmentally friendly designs and construction by facilitating the swift evaluation of the environmental load from multiple standpoints. - Highlights: • This study is to develop the model of assessing the environmental impacts on LCA. • Bills of quantity from completed designs of PSC Beam were linked with the LCI DB. • Previous cases were used to estimate the environmental load of new case by CBR model. • CBR model produces more accurate estimations (7.09%) than other conventional models. • This study supports decision making process in the early stage of a new construction case.« less

Links between the built environment, climate and population health: interdisciplinary environmental change research in New York City.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Joyce Klein; Sclar, Elliott D; Kinney, Patrick L; Knowlton, Kim; Crauderueff, Robert; Brandt-Rauf, Paul W

2007-10-01

Global climate change is expected to pose increasing challenges for cities in the following decades, placing greater stress and impacts on multiple social and biophysical systems, including population health, coastal development, urban infrastructure, energy demand, and water supplies. Simultaneously, a strong global trend towards urbanisation of poverty exists, with increased challenges for urban populations and local governance to protect and sustain the wellbeing of growing cities. In the context of these 2 overarching trends, interdisciplinary research at the city scale is prioritised for understanding the social impacts of climate change and variability and for the evaluation of strategies in the built environment that might serve as adaptive responses to climate change. This article discusses 2 recent initiatives of The Earth Institute at Columbia University (EI) as examples of research that integrates the methods and objectives of several disciplines, including environmental health science and urban planning, to understand the potential public health impacts of global climate change and mitigative measures for the more localised effects of the urban heat island in the New York City metropolitan region. These efforts embody 2 distinct research approaches. The New York Climate & Health Project created a new integrated modeling system to assess the public health impacts of climate and land use change in the metropolitan region. The Cool City Project aims for more applied policy-oriented research that incorporates the local knowledge of community residents to understand the costs and benefits of interventions in the built environment that might serve to mitigate the harmful impacts of climate change and variability, and protect urban populations from health stressors associated with summertime heat. Both types of research are potentially useful for understanding the impacts of environmental change at the urban scale, the policies needed to address these challenges, and to train scholars capable of collaborative approaches across the social and biophysical sciences.

Reinforced wind turbine blades--an environmental life cycle evaluation.

PubMed

Merugula, Laura; Khanna, Vikas; Bakshi, Bhavik R

2012-09-04

A fiberglass composite reinforced with carbon nanofibers (CNF) at the resin-fiber interface is being developed for potential use in wind turbine blades. An energy and midpoint impact assessment was performed to gauge impacts of scaling production to blades 40 m and longer. Higher loadings force trade-offs in energy return on investment and midpoint impacts relative to the base case while remaining superior to thermoelectric power generation in these indicators. Energy-intensive production of CNFs forces impacts disproportionate to mass contribution. The polymer nanocomposite increases a 2 MW plant's global warming potential nearly 100% per kWh electricity generated with 5% CNF by mass in the blades if no increase in electrical output is realized. The relative scale of impact must be compensated by systematic improvements whether by deployment in higher potential zones or by increased life span; the trade-offs are expected to be significantly lessened with CNF manufacturing maturity. Significant challenges are faced in evaluating emerging technologies including uncertainty in future scenarios and process scaling. Inventories available for raw materials and monte carlos analysis have been used to gain insight to impacts of this development.

A Model For Change: An Approach for Forecasting Well-Being ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Every community decision incorporates a "forecasting" strategy (whether formal or implicit) to help visualize expected results and evaluate the potential “feelings” that people living in that community may have about those results. With more communities seeking to make decisions based on sustainable alternatives, forecasting efforts that examine potential impacts of decisions on overall community well-being may prove to be valuable for not only gaging future benefits and trade-offs, but also for recognizing a community’s affective response to the outcomes of those decisions. This paper describes a forecasting approach based on concepts introduced in the development of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (US EPA) Human Well-Being Index (HWBI) (Smith, et. al. 2014; Summers et al. 2014). The approach examines the relationships among selected economic, environmental and social services that can be directly impacted by community decisions and eight domains of human well-being. Using models developed from constructed- or fixed-effect step-wise and multiple regressions and eleven years of data (2000-2010), these relationship functions may be used to characterize likely direct impacts of decisions on future well-being as well as the possible intended and unintended secondary and tertiary effects relative to any main decision effects. This paper describes an approach to using HWBI in decision making models to characterize likely impacts of decisions on fut

Potential health impacts of heavy-metal exposure at the Tar Creek Superfund site, Ottawa County, Oklahoma.

PubMed

Neuberger, John S; Hu, Stephen C; Drake, K David; Jim, Rebecca

2009-02-01

The potential impact of exposure to heavy metals and health problems was evaluated at the Tar Creek Superfund site, Ottawa County, Oklahoma, USA. Observed versus expected mortality was calculated for selected conditions in the County and exposed cities. Excess mortality was found for stroke and heart disease when comparing the exposed County to the state but not when comparing the exposed cities to the nonexposed rest of the County. However, sample sizes in the exposed area were small, population emigration has been ongoing, and geographic coding of mortality data was incomplete. In an exposed community, 62.5% of children under the age of 6 years had blood lead levels exceeding 10 microg/dl. The relationships between heavy-metal exposure and children's health and chronic disease in adults are suggestive that a more thorough investigation might be warranted. A number of possible environmental and health studies are suggested, including those focusing on possible central nervous system impacts. Unfortunately, the exposed population is dispersing. One lesson learned at this site is that health studies need to be conducted as soon as possible after an environmental problem is identified to both study the impact of the most acute exposures and to maximize study sample size-including those exposed to higher doses-and minimize the loss of individuals to follow-up.

Spectroscopic measurements of soybeans used to parameterize physiological traits in the AgroIBIS ecosystem model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, A.; Serbin, S.; Kucharik, C. J.; Townsend, P. A.

2014-12-01

Ecosystem models such AgroIBIS require detailed parameterizations of numerous vegetation traits related to leaf structure, biochemistry and photosynthetic capacity to properly assess plant carbon assimilation and yield response to environmental variability. In general, these traits are estimated from a limited number of field measurements or sourced from the literature, but rarely is the full observed range of variability in these traits utilized in modeling activities. In addition, pathogens and pests, such as the exotic soybean aphid (Aphis glycines), which affects photosynthetic pathways in soybean plants by feeding on phloem and sap, can potentially impact plant productivity and yields. Capturing plant responses to pest pressure in conjunction with environmental variability is of considerable interest to managers and the scientific community alike. In this research, we employed full-range (400-2500 nm) field and laboratory spectroscopy to rapidly characterize the leaf biochemical and physiological traits, namely foliar nitrogen, specific leaf area (SLA) and the maximum rate of RuBP carboxylation by the enzyme RuBisCo (Vcmax) in soybean plants, which experienced a broad range of environmental conditions and soybean aphid pressures. We utilized near-surface spectroscopic remote sensing measurements as a means to capture the spatial and temporal patterns of aphid impacts across broad aphid pressure levels. In addition, we used the spectroscopic data to generate a much larger dataset of key model parameters required by AgroIBIS than would be possible through traditional measurements of biochemistry and leaf-level gas exchange. The use of spectroscopic retrievals of soybean traits allowed us to better characterize the variability of plant responses associated with aphid pressure to more accurately model the likely impacts of soybean aphid on soybeans. Our next steps include the coupling of the information derived from our spectral measurements with the AgroIBIS model to project the impacts of increasing aphid pressures on yields expected with continued global change and altered environmental conditions.

Stream Health Sensitivity to Landscape Changes due to Bioenergy Crops Expansion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nejadhashemi, A.; Einheuser, M. D.; Woznicki, S. A.

2012-12-01

Global demand for bioenergy has increased due to uncertainty in oil markets, environmental concerns, and expected increases in energy consumption worldwide. To develop a sustainable biofuel production strategy, the adverse environmental impacts of bioenergy crops expansion should be understood. To study the impact of bioenergy crops expansion on stream health, the adaptive neural-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was used to predict macroinvertebrate and fish stream health measures. The Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI), Family Index of Biological Integrity (Family IBI), and Number of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera taxa (EPT taxa) were used as macroinvertebrate measures, while the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) was used for fish. A high-resolution biophysical model built using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to obtain water quantity and quality variables for input into the ANFIS stream health predictive models. Twenty unique crop rotations were developed to examine impacts of bioenergy crops expansion on stream health in the Saginaw Bay basin. Traditional intensive row crops generated more pollution than current landuse conditions, while second-generation biofuel crops associated with less intensive agricultural activities resulted in water quality improvement. All three macroinvertebrate measures were negatively impacted during intensive row crop productions but improvement was predicted when producing perennial crops. However, the expansion of native grass, switchgrass, and miscanthus production resulted in reduced IBI relative to first generation row crops. This study demonstrates that ecosystem complexity requires examination of multiple stream health measures to avoid potential adverse impacts of landuse change on stream health.

From awareness to action: Examining predictors of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activism for heterosexual people.

PubMed

Jones, K Nicole; Brewster, Melanie E

2017-01-01

In recent history, heterosexual allies have played an integral role in promoting change for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations in the United States; however, questions have been raised as to what drives heterosexual allies to promote change via activism. To delineate factors important in engagement in activism, 207 self-identified heterosexual allies completed an online survey measuring components associated with LGBT activism using Bandura's (1986) model of triadic reciprocal determinism: personal factors (ally identity, social justice self-efficacy and outcome expectations, empathetic perspective taking, and gender) and environmental factors (social justice related supports and barriers, positive marginality, and education level) to predict behaviors (LGBT activism). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed a model accounting for 62% of the variance in LGBT activism, with dimensions of ally identification, social justice self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and education level emerging as significant predictors of engagement in activism behaviors. Empathetic perspective taking and social justice related barriers predicted lack of engagement in LGBT activism, however. Supporting the notion that personal and environmental factors simultaneously impact engagement in LGBT activism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Terra incognita: The unknown risks to environmental quality posed by the spatial distribution and abundance of concentrated animal feeding operations.

PubMed

Martin, Katherine L; Emanuel, Ryan E; Vose, James M

2018-06-18

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) pose wide ranging environmental risks to many parts of the US and across the globe, but datasets for CAFO risk assessments are not readily available. Within the United States, some of the greatest concentrations of CAFOs occur in North Carolina. It is also one of the only states with publicly accessible location data for classes of CAFOs that are required to obtain water quality permits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); however, there are no public data sources for the large number of CAFOs that do not require EPA water quality permits. We combined public records of CAFO locations with data collected in North Carolina by the Waterkeeper and Riverkeeper Alliances to examine the distribution of both permitted and non-permitted CAFOs across the state. Over half (55%) of the state's 6646 CAFOs are located in the Coastal Plain, a low-lying region vulnerable to flooding associated with regular cyclonic and convective storms. We identified 19% of CAFOs ≤ 100 m of the nearest stream, and some as close as 15 m to the nearest stream, a common riparian buffer width for water quality management. Future climate scenarios suggest large storm events are expected to become increasingly extreme, and dry interstorm periods could lengthen. Such extremes could exacerbate the environmental impacts of CAFOs. Understanding the potential impacts of CAFO agroecosystems will require remote sensing to identify CAFOs, fieldwork to determine the extent of environmental footprints, and modeling to identify thresholds that determine environmental risk under changing conditions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combined Sustainability Assessment and Techno-Economic Analysis for the Production of Biomass-Derived High-Octane Gasoline Blendstock

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tan, Eric C. D.; Talmadge, Michael; Dutta, Abhijit

Conversion technologies for biomass to liquid hydrocarbon fuels are being actively developed. Converting biomass into advanced hydrocarbon fuels requires detailed assessments to help prioritize research; techno-economic analysis (TEA) is a long established tool used to assess feasibility and progress. TEA provides information needed to make informed judgments about the viability of any given conceptual conversion process; it is particularly useful to identify technical barriers and measure progress toward overcoming those barriers. Expansion of the cellulosic biofuels industry at the scale needed to meet the Renewable Fuel Standard goals is also expected to have environmental impacts. Hence, the success of themore » biofuels industry depends not only on economic viability, but also on environmental sustainability. A biorefinery process that is economically feasible but suffers from key sustainability drawbacks is not likely to represent a long-term solution to replace fossil-derived fuels. Overarching concerns like environmental sustainability need to be addressed for biofuels production. Combined TEA and environmental sustainability assessment of emerging pathways helps facilitate biorefinery designs that are both economically feasible and minimally impactful to the environment. This study focuses on environmental sustainability assessment and techno-economic analysis for the production of high-octane gasoline blendstock via gasification and methanol/dimethyl ether intermediates. Results from the conceptual process design with economic analysis, along with the quantification and assessment of the environmental sustainability, are presented and discussed. Sustainability metrics associated with the production of high-octane gasoline include carbon conversion efficiency, consumptive water use, life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, fossil energy consumption, energy return on investment and net energy value.« less

Operational and biological effects zones from base stations of cellular telephony

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geronikolou, St. A., E-mail: sgeronik@bioacademy.gr; Zimeras, S., E-mail: zimste@aegean.gr; Tsitomeneas, S. Th., E-mail: stsit@teipir.gr

2016-03-25

The possible environmental impacts of cellular base stations are operational and biological. The operational effects comprise Εlectro-Μagnetic Interference (EMI), lightning alterations and aesthetic degradation. Both thermal and non-thermal biological effects depend on the absorption of UHF radiofrequencies used. We measured, calculated and estimated the impact zones. The results are: (a) The lightning lethal zone equal to the antenna height, (b) the EMI impact in a zone up to 40m and (c) the ICNIRP’s limits exceed to a zone of 8∼20m into the antenna’s radiation pattern (for 2G GSM and 3G UMTS station). Finally we conclude the adverse effects must notmore » expected in a zone of more than 150m from the radiated antenna, whereas, there is possibility of stochastic effects in intermediate distances (20/40-150m).« less

Development of economic and environmental metrics for forest-based biomass harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, F. L.; Wang, J. J.; Liu, S. H.; Zhang, S. M.

2016-08-01

An assessment of the economic, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission dimensions of forest-based biomass harvest stage in the state of Michigan, U.S. through gathering data from literature, database, and other relevant sources, was performed. The assessment differentiates harvesting systems (cut-to-length harvesting, whole tree harvesting, and motor-manual harvesting), harvest types (30%, 70%, and 100% cut) and forest types (hardwoods, softwoods, mixed hardwood/softwood, and softwood plantations) that characterize Michigan's logging industry. Machine rate methods were employed to determine unit harvesting cost. A life cycle inventory was applied to calculating energy demand and GHG emissions of different harvesting scenarios, considering energy and material inputs (diesel, machinery, etc.) and outputs (emissions) for each process (cutting, forwarding/skidding, etc.). A sensitivity analysis was performed for selected input variables for the harvesting operation in order to explore their relative importance. The results indicated that productivity had the largest impact on harvesting cost followed by machinery purchase price, yearly scheduled hours, and expected utilization. Productivity and fuel use, as well as fuel factors, are the most influential environmental impacts of harvesting operations.

The corporate impact of addressing social issues: a financial case study of a project in Peru.

PubMed

Dabbs, Alan; Bateson, Matthew

2002-05-01

Large, multinational resource development projects can affect many aspects, including social, economic and ecological realities, in the regions where they operate. Social and environmental issues that are usually ignored in such projects are increasingly affecting the financial future of multinational corporations in negative ways. In this article, we advance the argument that corporations can successfully manage these issues and that if they choose to view these management efforts as an investment rather than an expense, they may well acquire a competitive advantage over companies that do not. We describe as a case study the Camisea natural gas and condensates development project in Peru, operated by Shell Prospecting and Development Peru (SPDP). Camisea is one of the first projects anywhere in the world to conduct a detailed analysis of key industry-related social issues and the processes, required investment and financial impact of managing them. The Camisea example supports the argument that addressing social and environmental concerns makes financial sense. In present value terms, the benefit of managing these concerns was expected to surpass the cost investment by approximately US$50 million.

Study on accumulation ability of two lichen species Hypogymnia physodes and Usnea hirta at iron-steel factory site, Turkey.

PubMed

Cansaran-Duman, Demet

2011-11-01

The use of biological responses to contaminant exposure by lichen species has become a useful tool in environmental quality evaluation and risk assesment. Lichen Hypogymnia physodes and Usnea hirta samples were collected in 2006 from 10 sites around iron-steel factory in Karabük, Turkey. H. physodes and U. hirta samples from Yenice forest were used as a control. The aim of present study was to evaluate the bioaccumulation ability and to determine the environmental impact of an iron-steel factory in Karabük. Seven elements (Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd) were analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The analytical results were compared statistically by using SPSS. As expected, the study area (Yenice forest, Karabük) chosen as control site (site no 11) showed significantly lower impact in comparison to other site (site no 1-10). Compared with the two lichen species, H. physodes showed highest metal accumulating capacity while U. hirta showed lowest. These criteria attested the best suitability for H. physodes, followed by U. hirta.

Seasonality and dietary requirements: will eating seasonal food contribute to health and environmental sustainability?

PubMed

Macdiarmid, Jennie I

2014-08-01

Eating more seasonal food is one proposal for moving towards more sustainable consumption patterns, based on the assumption that it could reduce the environmental impact of the diet. The aim of the present paper is to consider the implications of eating seasonal food on the different elements of sustainability (i.e. health, economics, society), not just the environment. Seasonality can be defined as either globally seasonal (i.e. produced in the natural production season but consumed anywhere in the world) or locally seasonal (i.e. produced in the natural production season and consumed within the same climatic zone). The environmental, health, economic and societal impact varies by the definition used. Global seasonality has the nutritional benefit of providing a more varied and consistent supply of fresh produce year round, but this increases demand for foods that in turn can have a high environmental cost in the country of production (e.g. water stress, land use change with loss of biodiversity). Greenhouse gas emissions of globally seasonal food are not necessarily higher than food produced locally as it depends more on the production system used than transportation. Eating more seasonal food, however, is only one element of a sustainable diet and should not overshadow some of the potentially more difficult dietary behaviours to change that could have greater environmental and health benefits (e.g. reducing overconsumption or meat consumption). For future guidelines for sustainable diets to be realistic they will need to take into account modern lifestyles, cultural and social expectations in the current food environment.

Cumulative Impact Assessment: Approaching Environmental Capacity in Development Area Using Environmental Impact Assessment Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, N.; Lee, M. J.; Maeng, J. H.

2017-12-01

Environmental impact assessment estimates the impact of development as a business unit and establishes mitigation plan. If the development is done, its economic effects can spread to the nearby areas. So that various developments can be distributed at different time intervals. The impact of the new developments can be combined with existing environmental impacts and can have a larger impact. That is, Cumulative impact assessment is needed to consider the environmental capacity of the Nearby area. Cumulative impact assessments require policy tools such as environmental impact assessment information and cumulative impact estimation models. In Korea, environmental information (water quality, air quality, etc.) of the development site is measured for environmental impact assessment and monitored for a certain period (generally 5 years) after the project. In addition, by constructing the environmental information as a spatial database, it is possible to express the environmental impact on a regional basis spatially and to intuitively use it for development site selection. Utilizing a composite model of environmental impact assessment information and Remote Sensing data for cumulative impact estimation, That can be used as a policy decision support tool that provides quantitative information for development area management, such as time series effect and sprawl phenomenon.

Dynamic linkages between road transport energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental quality: evidence from Pakistan.

PubMed

Danish; Baloch, Muhammad Awais

2018-03-01

The focus of the present research work is to investigate the dynamic relationship between economic growth, road transport energy consumption, and environmental quality. To this end, we rely on time series data for the period 1971 to 2014 in the context of Pakistan. To use sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emission from transport sector as a new proxy for measuring environmental quality, the present work employs time series technique ARDL which allows energy consumption from the transport sector, urbanization, and road infrastructure to be knotted by symmetric relationships with SO 2 emissions and economic growth. From the statistical results, we confirm that road infrastructure boosts economic growth. Simultaneously, road infrastructure and urbanization hampers environmental quality and causes to accelerate emission of SO 2 in the atmosphere. Furthermore, economic growth has a diminishing negative impact on total SO 2 emission. Moreover, we did not find any proof of the expected role of transport energy consumption in SO 2 emission. The acquired results directed that care should be taken in the expansion of road infrastructure and green city policies and planning are required in the country.

40 CFR 227.4 - Criteria for evaluating environmental impact.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... impact. 227.4 Section 227.4 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) OCEAN... Impact § 227.4 Criteria for evaluating environmental impact. This subpart B sets specific environmental... of direct environmental impact. ...

Climate variability and change scenarios for a marine commodity: Modelling small pelagic fish, fisheries and fishmeal in a globalized market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merino, Gorka; Barange, Manuel; Mullon, Christian

2010-04-01

The world's small pelagic fish populations, their fisheries, fishmeal and fish oil production industries and markets are part of a globalised production and consumption system. The potential for climate variability and change to alter the balance in this system is explored by means of bioeconomic models at two different temporal scales, with the objective of investigating the interactive nature of environmental and human-induced changes on this globalised system. Short-term (interannual) environmental impacts on fishmeal production are considered by including an annual variable production rate on individual small pelagic fish stocks over a 10-year simulation period. These impacts on the resources are perceived by the fishmeal markets, where they are confronted by two aquaculture expansion hypotheses. Long-term (2080) environmental impacts on the same stocks are estimated using long-term primary production predictions as proxies for the species' carrying capacities, rather than using variable production rates, and are confronted on the market side by two alternative fishmeal management scenarios consistent with IPCC-type storylines. The two scenarios, World Markets and Global Commons, are parameterized through classic equilibrium solutions for a global surplus production bioeconomic model, namely maximum sustainable yield and open access, respectively. The fisheries explicitly modelled in this paper represent 70% of total fishmeal production, thus encapsulating the expected dynamics of the global production and consumption system. Both short and long-term simulations suggest that the sustainability of the small pelagic resources, in the face of climate variability and change, depends more on how society responds to climate impacts than on the magnitude of climate alterations per se.

10 CFR 51.74 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement and supplement to draft environmental impact...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement and supplement to draft environmental impact statement; news releases. 51.74 Section 51.74 Energy NUCLEAR... environmental impact statement; news releases. (a) A copy of the draft environmental impact statement will be...

10 CFR 51.74 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement and supplement to draft environmental impact...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement and supplement to draft environmental impact statement; news releases. 51.74 Section 51.74 Energy NUCLEAR... environmental impact statement; news releases. (a) A copy of the draft environmental impact statement will be...

10 CFR 51.74 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement and supplement to draft environmental impact...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement and supplement to draft environmental impact statement; news releases. 51.74 Section 51.74 Energy NUCLEAR... environmental impact statement; news releases. (a) A copy of the draft environmental impact statement will be...

10 CFR 51.74 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement and supplement to draft environmental impact...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement and supplement to draft environmental impact statement; news releases. 51.74 Section 51.74 Energy NUCLEAR... environmental impact statement; news releases. (a) A copy of the draft environmental impact statement will be...

10 CFR 51.74 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement and supplement to draft environmental impact...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement and supplement to draft environmental impact statement; news releases. 51.74 Section 51.74 Energy NUCLEAR... environmental impact statement; news releases. (a) A copy of the draft environmental impact statement will be...

43 CFR 46.400 - Timing of environmental impact statement development.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Timing of environmental impact statement... IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OF 1969 Environmental Impact Statements § 46.400 Timing of environmental impact statement development. The bureau must prepare an environmental impact...

Porous graphitic carbon nitride synthesized via direct polymerization of urea for efficient sunlight-driven photocatalytic hydrogen production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yuewei; Liu, Jinghai; Wu, Guan; Chen, Wei

2012-08-01

Energy captured directly from sunlight provides an attractive approach towards fulfilling the need for green energy resources on the terawatt scale with minimal environmental impact. Collecting and storing solar energy into fuel through photocatalyzed water splitting to generate hydrogen in a cost-effective way is desirable. To achieve this goal, low cost and environmentally benign urea was used to synthesize the metal-free photocatalyst graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). A porous structure is achieved via one-step polymerization of the single precursor. The porous structure with increased BET surface area and pore volume shows a much higher hydrogen production rate under simulated sunlight irradiation than thiourea-derived and dicyanamide-derived g-C3N4. The presence of an oxygen atom is presumed to play a key role in adjusting the textural properties. Further improvement of the photocatalytic function can be expected with after-treatment due to its rich chemistry in functionalization.Energy captured directly from sunlight provides an attractive approach towards fulfilling the need for green energy resources on the terawatt scale with minimal environmental impact. Collecting and storing solar energy into fuel through photocatalyzed water splitting to generate hydrogen in a cost-effective way is desirable. To achieve this goal, low cost and environmentally benign urea was used to synthesize the metal-free photocatalyst graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). A porous structure is achieved via one-step polymerization of the single precursor. The porous structure with increased BET surface area and pore volume shows a much higher hydrogen production rate under simulated sunlight irradiation than thiourea-derived and dicyanamide-derived g-C3N4. The presence of an oxygen atom is presumed to play a key role in adjusting the textural properties. Further improvement of the photocatalytic function can be expected with after-treatment due to its rich chemistry in functionalization. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Methods for preparing and characterizing UCN, TCN and DCN samples. Methods for examining the photocatalytic hydrogen production. FTIR, XPS, and digital photos of three products are shown in Fig. S1-6. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr30948c

Predicting the environmental impacts of chicken systems in the United Kingdom through a life cycle assessment: broiler production systems.

PubMed

Leinonen, I; Williams, A G; Wiseman, J; Guy, J; Kyriazakis, I

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to apply the life cycle assessment (LCA) method, from cradle to gate, to quantify the environmental burdens per 1,000 kg of expected edible carcass weight in the 3 main broiler production systems in the United Kingdom: 1) standard indoor, 2) free range, and 3) organic, and to identify the main components of these burdens. The LCA method evaluates production systems logically to account for all inputs and outputs that cross a specified system boundary, and it relates these to the useful outputs. The analysis was based on an approach that applied a structural model for the UK broiler industry and mechanistic submodels for animal performance, crop production, and major nutrient flows. Simplified baseline feeds representative of those used by the UK broiler industry were used. Typical UK figures for performance and mortality of birds and farm energy and material use were applied. Monte Carlo simulations were used to quantify the uncertainties in the outputs. The length of the production cycle was longer for free-range and organic systems compared with that of the standard indoor system, and as a result, the feed consumption and manure production per bird were higher in the free-range and organic systems. These differences had a major effect on the differences in environmental burdens between the systems. Feed production, processing, and transport resulted in greater overall environmental impacts than any other components of broiler production; for example, 65 to 81% of the primary energy use and 71 to 72% of the global warming potential of the system were due to these burdens. Farm gas and oil use had the second highest impact in primary energy use (12-25%) followed by farm electricity use. The direct use of gas, oil, and electricity were generally lower in free-range and organic systems compared with their use in the standard indoor system. Manure was the main component of acidification potential and also had a relatively high eutrophication potential. The LCA method allows for comparisons between systems and for the identification of hotspots of environmental impacts that could be subject to mitigation.

Environmental, health, and safety issues for the petroleum geologist

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mathis, R.E.

1993-09-01

As the oil and gas industry moves toward the twenty-first century, professional within the industry must adjust to changes placed upon them from within and without. The role of the geologist is changing, as is the focal point of attention. Environmental issues require scrutiny of those zones once passed by with little or no interest while exploring for oil and gas reservoirs at deeper and deeper horizons; shallow zones of fresh or usable water are now often the main focus of attention. Has my training prepared me for being the company [open quotes]hydrologist[close quotes] or [open quotes]environmental expert[close quotes] Whatmore » does this new role mean for me Am I to be the [open quotes]Designated Jailee[close quotes] What should I know Environmental Assessment, site characterization, permissible exposure limit, time weighted average, and like terms are new to the ears of most petroleum geologists. These and other environmental health and safety terms impact the profession. What geologists may be expected to do in regard to them are issues of major concern. This paper will try to answer these questions and more.« less

Application of an indicator based on taxonomic relatedness of ciliated protozoan assemblages for marine environmental assessment.

PubMed

Xu, Henglong; Jiang, Yong; Al-Rasheid, Khaled A S; Al-Farraj, Saleh A; Song, Weibo

2011-08-01

Ciliated protozoa play important roles in aquatic ecosystems especially regarding their functions in micro-food web and have many advantages in environmental assessment compared with most other eukaryotic organisms. The aims of this study were focused on analyzing the application of an indicator based on taxonomic relatedness of ciliated protozoan assemblages for marine environmental assessment. The spatial taxonomic patterns and diversity measures in response to physical-chemical variables were studied based on data from samples collected during 1-year cycle in the semi-enclosed Jiaozhou Bay, northern China. The spatial patterns of ciliate communities were significantly correlated with the changes of environmental status. The taxonomic distinctness (Δ*) and the average taxonomic distinctness (Δ+) were significantly negatively correlated with the changes of nutrients (e.g., nitrate nitrogen and soluble active phosphate; P<0.05). Pairwise indices of Δ+ and the variation in taxonomic distinctness (Λ+) showed a decreasing trend of departure from the expected taxonomic breadth in response to the eutrophication stress and anthropogenic impact. The taxonomic relatedness (especially the pairwise Δ+ and Λ+) indices of ciliate communities are robust as an indicator with scientifically operational value in marine environmental assessment.

10 CFR 51.29 - Scoping-environmental impact statement and supplement to environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Scoping-environmental impact statement and supplement to environmental impact statement. 51.29 Section 51.29 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED... Environmental Policy Act-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Scoping § 51.29 Scoping-environmental impact...

24 CFR 58.60 - Preparation and filing of environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... environmental impact statements. 58.60 Section 58.60 Housing and Urban Development Office of the Secretary... Environmental Impact Statements § 58.60 Preparation and filing of environmental impact statements. (a) The responsible entity must prepare the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and the final environmental...

Space Transportation System Thermal Environmental Flux Reference Book

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The information necessary to estimate the thermal environment in which proposed instruments will be expected to operate is presented in curves and tables which indicate the magnitude of the environmental fluxes which can be expected for various space transportation system missions.

Research-to-operations (R2O) for the Space Environmental Effects Fusion System (SEEFS) system-impact products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quigley, Stephen

The Space Vehicles Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/RVBX) and the Space Environment Branch of the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC SLG/WMLE) have combined efforts to design, develop, test, implement, and validate numerical and graphical products for Air Force Space Command's (AFSPC) Space Environmental Effects Fusion System (SEEFS). These products are generated to analyze, specify, and forecast the effects of the near-earth space environment on Department of Defense weapons, navigation, communications, and surveillance systems. Jointly developed projects that have been completed as prototypes and are undergoing development for real-time operations include a SEEFS architecture and database, five system-impact products, and a high-level decision aid product. This first round of SEEFS products includes the Solar Radio Burst Effects (SoRBE) on radar and satellite communications, Radar Auroral Clutter (RAC), Scintillation Effects on radar and satellite communications (RadScint and SatScint), and Satellite Surface and Deep Charge/Discharge (Char/D) products. This presentation will provide overviews of the current system impact products, along with plans and potentials for future products expected for the SEEFS program. The overviews will include information on applicable research-to-operations (R2O) issues, to include input data coverage and quality control, output confidence levels, modeling standards, and validation efforts.

Ecological mitigation measures in English Environmental Impact Assessment.

PubMed

Drayson, Katherine; Thompson, Stewart

2013-04-15

Built development is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss in the UK. Major built developments usually require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be conducted, which frequently includes an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) chapter. By identifying the flaws in EcIA mitigation measure proposals and their implementation in completed developments, it may be possible to develop measures to reduce biodiversity loss and help meet the UK's EU obligation to halt biodiversity loss by 2020. A review of 112 English EcIAs from 2000 onwards was conducted to provide a broad-scale overview of the information provision and detail of ecological mitigation measures. Audits of seven EIA development case study sites provided finer-scale detail of mitigation measure implementation, and the effectiveness of their grassland and marginal habitat creation and management measures was assessed using standard NVC methodology. Despite higher than expected levels of mitigation measure implementation in completed developments, EcIA mitigation proposal information and detail has seen little improvement since a 1997 review, and the effectiveness of the habitat mitigation measures studied was poor. This suggests that measures to improve ecological mitigation measures are best targeted at ecological consultants. A recommendation for EcIA-specific training of Competent Authorities is also made. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

23 CFR 771.125 - Final environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Final environmental impact statements. 771.125 Section... ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND RELATED PROCEDURES § 771.125 Final environmental impact statements. (a)(1..., economic, or environmental impacts of the action may need to be more fully explored; (iii) the impacts of...

Climate Change in the North American Arctic: A One Health Perspective.

PubMed

Dudley, Joseph P; Hoberg, Eric P; Jenkins, Emily J; Parkinson, Alan J

2015-12-01

Climate change is expected to increase the prevalence of acute and chronic diseases among human and animal populations within the Arctic and subarctic latitudes of North America. Warmer temperatures are expected to increase disease risks from food-borne pathogens, water-borne diseases, and vector-borne zoonoses in human and animal populations of Arctic landscapes. Existing high levels of mercury and persistent organic pollutant chemicals circulating within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in Arctic latitudes are a major concern for the reproductive health of humans and other mammals, and climate warming will accelerate the mobilization and biological amplification of toxic environmental contaminants. The adverse health impacts of Arctic warming will be especially important for wildlife populations and indigenous peoples dependent upon subsistence food resources from wild plants and animals. Additional research is needed to identify and monitor changes in the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens in humans, domestic dogs, and wildlife species of critical subsistence, cultural, and economic importance to Arctic peoples. The long-term effects of climate warming in the Arctic cannot be adequately predicted or mitigated without a comprehensive understanding of the interactive and synergistic effects between environmental contaminants and pathogens in the health of wildlife and human communities in Arctic ecosystems. The complexity and magnitude of the documented impacts of climate change on Arctic ecosystems, and the intimacy of connections between their human and wildlife communities, makes this region an appropriate area for development of One Health approaches to identify and mitigate the effects of climate warming at the community, ecosystem, and landscape scales.

Review of wildlife resources of Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Breininger, David R.

1989-01-01

Wildlife resources are reviewed for purposes of developing a Base Biological Monitoring Program (BMP) for Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in Santa Barbara County, California. The review and recommendations were prepared by review of applicable scientific literature and environmental documents for VAFB, discussing information needs with natural resource management professionals at VAFB, and observations of base field conditions. This process found that there are 29 federally listed vertebrates (endangered, threatened, or Category 2) that occur or may occur in the vicinity of VAFB. There are also 63 other state listed or regionally declining species that may occur in the vicinity of VAFB. Habitats of VAFB represent a very valuable environmental resource for rare and declining wildlife in California. However, little information is available on VAFB wildlife resources other than lists of species that occur or are expected to occur. Recommendations are presented to initiate a long-term wildlife monitoring program at VAFB to provide information for environmental impact assessment and wise land use planning.

Research on common methods for evaluating the operation effect of integrated wastewater treatment facilities of iron and steel enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bingsheng, Xu

2017-04-01

Considering the large quantities of wastewater generated from iron and steel enterprises in China, this paper is aimed to research the common methods applied for evaluating the integrated wastewater treatment effect of iron and steel enterprises. Based on survey results on environmental protection performance, technological economy, resource & energy consumption, services and management, an indicator system for evaluating the operation effect of integrated wastewater treatment facilities is set up. By discussing the standards and industrial policies in and out of China, 27 key secondary indicators are further defined on the basis of investigation on main equipment and key processes for wastewater treatment, so as to determine the method for setting key quantitative and qualitative indicators for evaluation indicator system. It is also expected to satisfy the basic requirements of reasonable resource allocation, environmental protection and sustainable economic development, further improve the integrated wastewater treatment effect of iron and steel enterprises, and reduce the emission of hazardous substances and environmental impact.

Environmental scanning as a moderator of strategy-performance relationships: an empirical analysis of physical therapy facilities.

PubMed

Davis, Mark A; Miles, Grant; McDowell, William C

2008-05-01

To date, strategic management research in health care is largely confined to the acute care sector of the industry. This research examines the linkages among environmental scanning, competitive strategy and performance in physical therapy facilities. Nontrivial differences between acute and subacute care firms suggest the role of environmental scanning may change in non-acute care settings. Consistent with previous research, these results indicate that the frequency of internal and external scanning is related to the strategic orientation of physical therapy facilities. Contrary to the expectations, broader scope of scanning is positively related to an increasing market-focused and increasing efficiency strategic orientation. A key objective of the research is to test the impact of strategy/scanning alignment on facility performance. These findings support predictions on the moderating role of scanning activities in the strategy-performance relationship. However, a paradoxical pattern of results has possible implications for clinician managers in subacute care settings as well as the interpretation of scanning activities.

Enhancing the Environmental Legacy of the International Polar Year 2007- 2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tin, T.; Roura, R.; Perrault, M.

2006-12-01

The International Geophysical Year (IGY) left a legacy of peace and international cooperation in the form of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. Since the IGY, the 1991 Protocol of Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed and entered into force. The Protocol establishes that the protection of the environment and the wilderness values of Antarctica "shall be fundamental considerations in the planning and conduct of all activities in the Antarctic Treaty area". Fifty years on, the IPY 2007-08 can, in turn, leave behind a positive environmental legacy - where the sharing of facilities and logistics are encouraged, the human footprint in Antarctica is minimized and a future generation of environmentally aware scientists, logisticians and visitors is fostered. Based on an analysis of all Expressions of Interest submitted to the IPY, we found that about three-quarters of IPY's Antarctic projects plan to have fieldwork components. About one-third of these field projects expect to leave physical infrastructure in Antarctica. A number of projects plan to develop large-scale infrastructure, such as stations and observatories, in hitherto pristine areas. Fewer than one percent of Antarctic field projects address the issue of their environmental legacy: four projects indicated that the site will be cleaned up or the equipment will be removed at the end of the project; two projects indicated that their results may be useful for the management of the Antarctic environment, e.g., in the control of invasive species or setting up of marine protected areas. With the goal of increasing the environmental awareness of Antarctic field scientists, our contribution will review current research on the impacts of human activities science, tourism, exploitation of marine resources and global climate change - on the Antarctic environment. A preliminary analysis of the cumulative impacts of IPY activities will be presented. Case studies of scientific projects in Antarctica with a potentially positive environmental legacy will be highlighted, and suggestions of actions that could be taken to increase the environmental friendliness of scientific projects will be discussed.

Hydrogeologic controls on water quality at a university dairy farm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKay, L. D.; Hunter, R. W.; Lee, J.

2010-12-01

Dairy farms typically produce large quantities of manure and other waste products which are often stored or treated in lagoons and then applied to local fields as fertilizer. Contamination of nearby streams by dairy farm wastes through surface runnoff, drainage tile discharge, direct release of wastes or inundation of waste storage facilities during seasonal flooding have long been recognized as major environmental concerns. However, much less attention has been paid to fate and transport of dairy wastes in the subsurface and their potential impact on water quality in aquifers or in groundwater discharge to streams. One of the challenges in evaluating the environmental impact of dairy operations is that there are relatively few field research sites where all of the potential pathways for waterborne transport of dairy wastes are monitored and quantititatively evaluated. There are even fewer sites where extensive baseline water quality monitoring programs were established prior to operation of the dairy. This is essential to distinguish between environmental impacts from dairy operations and other nearby sources, such as beef production and human sewage from septic fields. This talk describes the development of a an integrated hydrogeologic/hydrologic site assessment and groundwater/surface water quality monitoring program at the University of Tennessee - Little River Dairy Farm, located near Townsend, TN. The dairy is currently under construction and the first cows are expected to arrive in late 2010. Hydrologic/hydrogeologic investigations of streams and groundwater at the site have been underway for more than 3 years, and these are expected to provide background data for assessing impacts of dairy wastes and for testing the effectiveness of different management practises. The lower half of the ~180 ha site consists of low-relief fields used for row crops, which are underlain by 4 - 8 m of alluvial deposits (mainly interbedded silt and fine-grained sands) on top of by black shale or limestone. Several active sinkholes are present in the portion of the fields underlain by limestone. The fields are bounded on two sides by the Little River, a popular recreational river, and on the third side by Ellejoy Creek, which is on the state’s 303(d) list for impairment by nutrients, sediment and fecal microorganisms, which are derived from upstream agricultural and rural residential development. These fields will be fertilized with treated dairy wastes and are the main area of concern for offsite migration of contaminants through groundwater, drainage ditches and (eventually) a tile drain system. A secondary area of concern is the dairy waste treatment pond which is located, along with the dairy barns, on the upland portion of the site, which is underlain by 1-2 m of clay-rich residual soils developed on fractured shale bedrock. Long term water quality monitoring of runnoff, streams, drainage ditches and groundwater is planned, with the intent of measuring environmental impact of dairy operations and testing the effectiveness of different management practises.

Thermal Resilience of Feeding Kinematics May Contribute to the Spread of Invasive Fishes in Light of Climate Change.

PubMed

Turingan, Ralph; Sloan, Tyler

2016-11-25

As a consequence of global warming, tropical invasive species are expected to expand their range pole-ward, extending their negative impacts to previously undisturbed, high-latitude ecosystems. Investigating the physiological responses of invasive species to environmental temperature is important because the coupled effects of climate change and species invasion on ecosystems could be more alarming than the effects of each phenomenon independently. Especially in poikilotherms, the rate of motion in muscle-driven biomechanical systems is expected to double for every 10 °C increase in temperature. In this study, we address the question, "How does temperature affect the speed of jaw-movement during prey-capture in invasive fishes?" Kinematic analysis of invasive-fish prey-capture behavior revealed that (1) movement velocities of key components of the feeding mechanism did not double as water temperature increased from 20 °C to 30 °C; and (2) thermal sensitivity (Q10 values) for gape, hyoid, lower-jaw rotation, and cranial rotation velocities at 20 °C and 30 °C ranged from 0.56 to 1.44 in all three species. With the exception of lower-jaw rotation, Q10 values were significantly less than the expected Q10 = 2.0, indicating that feeding kinematics remains consistent despite the change in environmental temperature. It is conceivable that the ability to maintain peak performance at different temperatures helps facilitate the spread of invasive fishes globally.

Thermal Resilience of Feeding Kinematics May Contribute to the Spread of Invasive Fishes in Light of Climate Change

PubMed Central

Turingan, Ralph; Sloan, Tyler

2016-01-01

As a consequence of global warming, tropical invasive species are expected to expand their range pole-ward, extending their negative impacts to previously undisturbed, high-latitude ecosystems. Investigating the physiological responses of invasive species to environmental temperature is important because the coupled effects of climate change and species invasion on ecosystems could be more alarming than the effects of each phenomenon independently. Especially in poikilotherms, the rate of motion in muscle-driven biomechanical systems is expected to double for every 10 °C increase in temperature. In this study, we address the question, “How does temperature affect the speed of jaw-movement during prey-capture in invasive fishes?” Kinematic analysis of invasive-fish prey-capture behavior revealed that (1) movement velocities of key components of the feeding mechanism did not double as water temperature increased from 20 °C to 30 °C; and (2) thermal sensitivity (Q10 values) for gape, hyoid, lower-jaw rotation, and cranial rotation velocities at 20 °C and 30 °C ranged from 0.56 to 1.44 in all three species. With the exception of lower-jaw rotation, Q10 values were significantly less than the expected Q10 = 2.0, indicating that feeding kinematics remains consistent despite the change in environmental temperature. It is conceivable that the ability to maintain peak performance at different temperatures helps facilitate the spread of invasive fishes globally. PMID:27897997

10 CFR 51.85 - Draft environmental impact statement-rulemaking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-rulemaking. 51.85... Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Rulemaking § 51.85 Draft environmental impact... Commission has determined to prepare an environmental impact statement. ...

10 CFR 960.3-4 - Environmental impacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Environmental impacts. 960.3-4 Section 960.3-4 Energy... REPOSITORY Implementation Guidelines § 960.3-4 Environmental impacts. Environmental impacts shall be... process. The DOE shall mitigate significant adverse environmental impacts, to the extent practicable...

10 CFR 51.94 - Requirement to consider final environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Requirement to consider final environmental impact...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Final Environmental Impact Statements-General Requirements § 51.94 Requirement to consider final environmental impact statement. The final environmental impact statement...

44 CFR 10.10 - Preparation of environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Procedures § 10.10 Preparation of environmental impact statements. (a) Scoping. After determination that an environmental impact statement will be prepared and publication of the notice of intent, the Regional... environmental impact statement. Detailed procedures for preparation of the environmental impact statement are...

23 CFR 771.130 - Supplemental environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Supplemental environmental impact statements. 771.130... ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND RELATED PROCEDURES § 771.130 Supplemental environmental impact statements... significant environmental impacts that were not evaluated in the EIS; or (2) New information or circumstances...

NASA Tools for Climate Impacts on Water Resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toll, David; Doorn, Brad

2010-01-01

Climate and environmental change are expected to fundamentally alter the nation's hydrological cycle and water availability. Satellites provide global or near-global coverage using instruments, allowing for consistent, well-calibrated, and equivalent-quality data of the Earth system. A major goal for NASA climate and environmental change research is to create multi-instrument data sets to span the multi-decadal time scales of climate change and to combine these data with those from modeling and surface-based observing systems to improve process understanding and predictions. NASA and Earth science data and analyses will ultimately enable more accurate climate prediction, and characterization of uncertainties. NASA's Applied Sciences Program works with other groups, including other federal agencies, to transition demonstrated observational capabilities to operational capabilities. A summary of some of NASA tools for improved water resources management will be presented.

10 CFR 51.86 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Rulemaking § 51.86 Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. Copies of the draft environmental impact statement and any...

10 CFR 51.86 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Rulemaking § 51.86 Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. Copies of the draft environmental impact statement and any...

10 CFR 51.81 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Materials Licenses § 51.81 Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. Copies of the draft environmental impact statement and...

10 CFR 51.81 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Materials Licenses § 51.81 Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. Copies of the draft environmental impact statement and...

10 CFR 51.81 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Materials Licenses § 51.81 Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. Copies of the draft environmental impact statement and...

10 CFR 51.81 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Materials Licenses § 51.81 Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. Copies of the draft environmental impact statement and...

10 CFR 51.86 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Rulemaking § 51.86 Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. Copies of the draft environmental impact statement and any...

10 CFR 51.86 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Rulemaking § 51.86 Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. Copies of the draft environmental impact statement and any...

10 CFR 51.86 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Rulemaking § 51.86 Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. Copies of the draft environmental impact statement and any...

32 CFR 989.16 - Environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Environmental impact statement. 989.16 Section... PROTECTION ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS PROCESS (EIAP) § 989.16 Environmental impact statement. (a) Certain classes of environmental impacts normally require preparation of an EIS (40 CFR 1501.4). These include...

49 CFR 520.28 - Preparation of final environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Preparation of final environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.28 Preparation of final environmental impact statements. (a) If the... for the action shall prepare a final environmental impact statement (FEIS), taking into account all...

10 CFR 51.91 - Final environmental impact statement-contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Final environmental impact statement-contents. 51.91... Implementing Section 102(2) Final Environmental Impact Statements-General Requirements § 51.91 Final environmental impact statement—contents. (a)(1) The final environmental impact statement will include responses...

10 CFR 51.81 - Distribution of draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Materials Licenses § 51.81 Distribution of draft environmental impact statement. Copies of the draft environmental impact statement and...

40 CFR 197.14 - What is a reasonable expectation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true What is a reasonable expectation? 197.14 Section 197.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAMS PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION PROTECTION STANDARDS FOR YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA...

40 CFR 197.14 - What is a reasonable expectation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What is a reasonable expectation? 197.14 Section 197.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAMS PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION PROTECTION STANDARDS FOR YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA...

40 CFR 197.14 - What is a reasonable expectation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What is a reasonable expectation? 197.14 Section 197.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAMS PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION PROTECTION STANDARDS FOR YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA...

40 CFR 197.14 - What is a reasonable expectation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What is a reasonable expectation? 197.14 Section 197.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAMS PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION PROTECTION STANDARDS FOR YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA...

10 CFR 51.118 - Final environmental impact statement-notice of availability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Final environmental impact statement-notice of... environmental impact statement—notice of availability. (a) Upon completion of a final environmental impact statement or any supplement to a final environmental impact statement, the appropriate NRC staff director...

10 CFR 51.118 - Final environmental impact statement-notice of availability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Final environmental impact statement-notice of... environmental impact statement—notice of availability. (a) Upon completion of a final environmental impact statement or any supplement to a final environmental impact statement, the appropriate NRC staff director...

10 CFR 51.118 - Final environmental impact statement-notice of availability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Final environmental impact statement-notice of... environmental impact statement—notice of availability. (a) Upon completion of a final environmental impact statement or any supplement to a final environmental impact statement, the appropriate NRC staff director...

76 FR 12342 - Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-07

... Final Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for Gulf of Mexico Range... set forth in Alternative 2, described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (OEIS) as the Preferred Alternative. The purpose for the proposed action is to...

10 CFR 51.70 - Draft environmental impact statement-general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-general. 51.70... Implementing Section 102(2) Environmental Impact Statements § 51.70 Draft environmental impact statement—general. (a) The NRC staff will prepare a draft environmental impact statement as soon as practicable...

10 CFR 51.70 - Draft environmental impact statement-general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-general. 51.70... Implementing Section 102(2) Environmental Impact Statements § 51.70 Draft environmental impact statement—general. (a) The NRC staff will prepare a draft environmental impact statement as soon as practicable...

10 CFR 51.70 - Draft environmental impact statement-general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-general. 51.70... Implementing Section 102(2) Environmental Impact Statements § 51.70 Draft environmental impact statement—general. (a) The NRC staff will prepare a draft environmental impact statement as soon as practicable...

10 CFR 51.70 - Draft environmental impact statement-general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-general. 51.70... Implementing Section 102(2) Environmental Impact Statements § 51.70 Draft environmental impact statement—general. (a) The NRC staff will prepare a draft environmental impact statement as soon as practicable...

10 CFR 51.70 - Draft environmental impact statement-general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-general. 51.70... Implementing Section 102(2) Environmental Impact Statements § 51.70 Draft environmental impact statement—general. (a) The NRC staff will prepare a draft environmental impact statement as soon as practicable...

10 CFR 51.71 - Draft environmental impact statement-contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-contents. 51.71... Implementing Section 102(2) Environmental Impact Statements § 51.71 Draft environmental impact statement—contents. (a) Scope. The draft environmental impact statement will be prepared in accordance with the scope...

10 CFR 51.118 - Final environmental impact statement-notice of availability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Final environmental impact statement-notice of... environmental impact statement—notice of availability. (a) Upon completion of a final environmental impact statement or any supplement to a final environmental impact statement, the appropriate NRC staff director...

10 CFR 51.117 - Draft environmental impact statement-notice of availability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-notice of... environmental impact statement—notice of availability. (a) Upon completion of a draft environmental impact statement or any supplement to a draft environmental impact statement, the appropriate NRC staff director...

49 CFR 520.25 - External review of draft environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false External review of draft environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.25 External review of draft environmental impact statements. (a... by law or special expertise with respect to the possible environmental impact involved, and from the...

49 CFR 520.25 - External review of draft environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false External review of draft environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.25 External review of draft environmental impact statements. (a... by law or special expertise with respect to the possible environmental impact involved, and from the...

49 CFR 520.25 - External review of draft environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false External review of draft environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.25 External review of draft environmental impact statements. (a... by law or special expertise with respect to the possible environmental impact involved, and from the...

49 CFR 520.25 - External review of draft environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false External review of draft environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.25 External review of draft environmental impact statements. (a... by law or special expertise with respect to the possible environmental impact involved, and from the...

49 CFR 520.25 - External review of draft environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false External review of draft environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.25 External review of draft environmental impact statements. (a... by law or special expertise with respect to the possible environmental impact involved, and from the...

40 CFR 8.9 - Measures to assess and verify environmental impacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... environmental impacts. 8.9 Section 8.9 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES IN ANTARCTICA § 8.9 Measures to assess and verify environmental impacts. (a) The operator shall conduct appropriate monitoring of key environmental indicators as...

32 CFR 651.23 - Environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Environmental impact statement. 651.23 Section...) ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ARMY ACTIONS (AR 200-2) Records and Documents § 651.23 Environmental impact statement. An Environmental Impact statement (EIS) is a detailed written statement required...

Bird Migration Under Climate Change - A Mechanistic Approach Using Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, James A.; Blattner, Tim; Messmer, Peter

2010-01-01

The broad-scale reductions and shifts that may be expected under climate change in the availability and quality of stopover habitat for long-distance migrants is an area of increasing concern for conservation biologists. Researchers generally have taken two broad approaches to the modeling of migration behaviour to understand the impact of these changes on migratory bird populations. These include models based on causal processes and their response to environmental stimulation, "mechanistic models", or models that primarily are based on observed animal distribution patterns and the correlation of these patterns with environmental variables, i.e. "data driven" models. Investigators have applied the latter technique to forecast changes in migration patterns with changes in the environment, for example, as might be expected under climate change, by forecasting how the underlying environmental data layers upon which the relationships are built will change over time. The learned geostatstical correlations are then applied to the modified data layers.. However, this is problematic. Even if the projections of how the underlying data layers will change are correct, it is not evident that the statistical relationships will remain the same, i.e. that the animal organism may not adapt its' behaviour to the changing conditions. Mechanistic models that explicitly take into account the physical, biological, and behaviour responses of an organism as well as the underlying changes in the landscape offer an alternative to address these shortcomings. The availability of satellite remote sensing observations at multiple spatial and temporal scales, coupled with advances in climate modeling and information technologies enable the application of the mechanistic models to predict how continental bird migration patterns may change in response to environmental change. In earlier work, we simulated the impact of effects of wetland loss and inter-annual variability on the fitness of migratory shorebirds in the central fly ways of North America. We demonstrated the phenotypic plasticity of a migratory population of Pectoral sandpipers consisting of an ensemble of 10,000 individual birds in response to changes in stopover locations using an individual based migration model driven by remotely sensed land surface data, climate data and biological field data. With the advent of new computing capabilities enabled hy recent GPU-GP computing paradigms and commodity hardware, it now is possible to simulate both larger ensemble populations and to incorporate more realistic mechanistic factors into migration models. Here, we take our first steps use these tools to study the impact of long-term drought variability on shorebird survival.

Contaminated land and wetland remediation in Nigeria: Opportunities for sustainable livelihood creation.

PubMed

Sam, K; Zabbey, N

2018-10-15

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is one of the most crude oil impacted deltas globally. The region has experienced over five decades of oil related contamination of the total environment (air, soil, water and biota). In 2011, UNEP released a seminal report on oil impact on Ogoniland environments, which up scaled demands for urgent clean up and restoration of degraded bio-resource rich environments of the Niger Delta, starting from Ogoniland. The Nigerian Government demonstrated renewed political will to remediate contaminated sites in Ogoniland with a launch of the clean-up exercise in June 2016. Stakeholders' expectations from the clean-up include not only environmental remediation but also restoration and creation of sustainable livelihood opportunities to reduce poverty in the region. Most studies have focused on the environmental restoration aspect and identified bioremediation as the likely appropriate remediation approach for Ogoniland, given its low environmental footprints, and low-cost burden on the weak and overstretched economy of Nigeria. This study mapped opportunities for sustainable livelihood creation during the Ogoniland remediation and restoration exercise. Given the value chain of bioremediation and its ancillary activities, the study analysed opportunities and mechanisms for skilled and unskilled job creation and prospects for sustainable livelihoods and knock-on effects. It is anticipated that the clean-up process would lead to economic prosperity and mitigate resource-driven conflicts in the Niger Delta. The study provides an exemplar for waste-to-wealth transformation in regions where natural resource mining has impacted communities, and has dislocated local economies and age-old livelihood structures. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Construction of shipping channels in the Detroit River—History and environmental consequences

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bennion, David H.; Manny, Bruce A.

2011-01-01

The Detroit River is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the Great Lakes basin. It has been an important international shipping route since the 1820s and is one of the busiest navigation centers in the United States. Historically, it supported one of the most profitable Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes. Since 1874, the lower Detroit River has been systematically and extensively modified, by construction of deepwater channels, to facilitate commercial shipping. Large-scale dredging, disposal of dredge spoils, and construction of water-level compensating works has greatly altered channel morphology and flow dynamics of the river, disrupting ecological function and fishery productivity of the river and influencing Great Lakes water levels. From 1874 to 1968, major construction projects created 96.5 kilometers (60 miles) of shipping channels, removed over 46,200,000 m3 of material, covered 4,050 hectares (40.5 square kilometers) of river bottom with dredge spoils, and built 85 hectares of above-waterline compensating works at a total cost of US$283 million. Interest by industries and government agencies to develop the river further for shipping is high and increasing. Historically, as environmental protection agencies were created, construction impacts on natural resources were increasingly addressed during the planning process and, in some cases, assessments of these impacts greatly altered or halted proposed construction projects. Careful planning of future shipping-channel construction and maintenance projects, including a thorough analysis of the expected environmental impacts, could greatly reduce financial costs and ecological damages as compared to past shipping-channel construction projects.

Impact of pozzolanic binder addition on stabilization of polluted dredged sediments on its potential reuse as a new material resource for road construction in Basse Normandie, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silitonga, E.

2018-02-01

Due to the increase of the amount of marine dredged sediments (MDS) and the cost of managing the disposal site is very high, a reutilization of dredged sediment is urgently needed in France. The primary goal of this research is to find a domain for reuse of MDS materials as a new material regarding the environmental issues, and other requirement needed. In this study, the MDS was used as replacement material in road construction. Hence, various tests need to be realized to identify if MDS could achieve the requirement needed in this domain. The secondary objective is to enhance the geotechnical characteristic and to reduce the pollution content of the MDS, by incorporating binders and sediments, and revealed the geotechnical characteristic. The geotechnical test result shows that the stabilization by hydraulics binders improve the geotechnical characteristic and could fulfil the requirement needed. The present of Fly Ash and Silica Fume in this study is aimed to reduce the pollution level, especially the heavy metal content. After the geotechnical study in laboratory results shows as expected then the study to identify the chemical characteristic was realized. In order to evaluate the environmental impacts, leaching test was performed. The Leaching test result shows that with 7% of Silica Fume and 10% of Fly Ash capable to fulfil the criteria needed, hence, the use of MDS is consider safe in term of geotechnical and environmental impact, as a new material in road construction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The US Department of Energy is funding an underground coal gasification (UCG) project in steeply dipping coal beds (SDB), at North Knobs, about 8 miles west of Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming. The project is being conducted to determine the technical, economic and environmental viability of such a technology. The development of SDB is an interesting target for UCG since such beds contain coals not normally mineable economically by ordinary techniques. Although the underground gasification of SDB has not been attempted in the US, Soviet experience and theoretical work indicate that the gasification of SDB in place offers all the advantagesmore » of underground gasification of horizontal coal seams plus some unique characteristics. The steep angle of dip helps to channel the produced gases up dip to offtake holes and permits the ash and rubble to fall away from the reaction zone helping to mitigate the blocking of the reaction zone in swelling coals. The intersection of SDB with the surface makes the seam accessible for drilling and other preparation. The tests at the North Knobs site will consist of three tests, lasting 20, 80 and 80 days, respectively. A total of 9590 tons of coal is expected to be gasified, with surface facilities utilizing 15 acres of the total section of land. The environmental effects of the experiment are expected to be very small. The key environmental impact is potential groundwater contamination by reaction products from coal gasification. There is good evidence that the surrounding coal effectively blocks the migration of these contaminants.« less

Implementation Plan. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-01-01

In accordance with the Department of Energy`s National Environmental Policy Act implementing procedures in Volume 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1021,312, the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Implementation Plan has two primary purposes: to provide guidance for the preparation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and to record the issues resulting from the scoping and the extended public participation process. The Implementation Plan identifies and discusses the following: background of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities, the purpose of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, and the relationship of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statementmore » to other Departmental initiatives (Chapter 1); need and purposes for action (Chapter 2); scoping process and results of the public participation program in defining the scope of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, including a summary of the comments received and their disposition (Chapter 3); planned scope and content of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Chapter 4); consultations with other agencies and the role of cooperating agencies (Chapter 5); planned schedule of major Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement milestones (Chapter 6); and responsibilities for preparation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Chapter 7).« less

Environmental and health impacts of February 14, 2014 radiation release from the nation's only deep geologic nuclear waste repository.

PubMed

Thakur, P; Lemons, B G; Ballard, S; Hardy, R

2015-08-01

The environmental impact of the February 14, 2014 radiation release from the nation's only deep geologic nuclear waste repository, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) was assessed using monitoring data from an independent monitoring program conducted by the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring & Research Center (CEMRC). After almost 15 years of safe and efficient operations, the WIPP had one of its waste drums rupture underground resulting in the release of moderate levels of radioactivity into the underground air. A small amount of radioactivity also escaped to the surface through the ventilation system and was detected above ground. It was the first unambiguous release from the WIPP repository. The dominant radionuclides released were americium and plutonium, in a ratio that matches the content of the breached drum. The accelerated air monitoring campaign, which began following the accident, indicates that releases were low and localized, and no radiation-related health effects among local workers or the public would be expected. The highest activity detected was 115.2 μBq/m(3) for (241)Am and 10.2 μBq/m(3) for (239+240)Pu at a sampling station located 91 m away from the underground air exhaust point and 81.4 μBq/m(3) of (241)Am and 5.8 μBq/m(3) of (239+240)Pu at a monitoring station located approximately one kilometer northwest of the WIPP facility. CEMRC's recent monitoring data show that the concentration levels of these radionuclides have returned to normal background levels and in many instances, are not even detectable, demonstrating no long-term environmental impacts of the recent radiation release event at the WIPP. This article presents an evaluation of almost one year of environmental monitoring data that informed the public that the levels of radiation that got out to the environment were very low and did not, and will not harm anyone or have any long-term environmental consequence. In terms of radiological risk at or in the vicinity of the WIPP site, the increased risk from the WIPP releases is exceedingly small, approaching zero. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Greenhouse gas emissions and energy use associated with production of individual self-selected US diets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heller, Martin C.; Willits-Smith, Amelia; Meyer, Robert; Keoleian, Gregory A.; Rose, Donald

2018-04-01

Human food systems are a key contributor to climate change and other environmental concerns. While the environmental impacts of diets have been evaluated at the aggregate level, few studies, and none for the US, have focused on individual self-selected diets. Such work is essential for estimating a distribution of impacts, which, in turn, is key to recommending policies for driving consumer demand towards lower environmental impacts. To estimate the impact of US dietary choices on greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and energy demand, we built a food impacts database from an exhaustive review of food life cycle assessment (LCA) studies and linked it to over 6000 as-consumed foods and dishes from 1 day dietary recall data on adults (N = 16 800) in the nationally representative 2005–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Food production impacts of US self-selected diets averaged 4.7 kg CO2 eq. person‑1 day‑1 (95% CI: 4.6–4.8) and 25.2 MJ non-renewable energy demand person‑1 day‑1 (95% CI: 24.6–25.8). As has been observed previously, meats and dairy contribute the most to GHGE and energy demand of US diets; however, beverages also emerge in this study as a notable contributor. Although linking impacts to diets required the use of many substitutions for foods with no available LCA studies, such proxy substitutions accounted for only 3% of diet-level GHGE. Variability across LCA studies introduced a ±19% range on the mean diet GHGE, but much of this variability is expected to be due to differences in food production locations and practices that can not currently be traced to individual dietary choices. When ranked by GHGE, diets from the top quintile accounted for 7.9 times the GHGE as those from the bottom quintile of diets. Our analyses highlight the importance of utilizing individual dietary behaviors rather than just population means when considering diet shift scenarios.

76 FR 28480 - Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Exemption From Certain...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-17

.... ACTION: Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT... environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement. This environmental assessment was prepared for... environmental impacts. There will be minor savings of energy and vehicular use associated with the security...

Isoperms: An Environmental Management Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sebera, Donald K.

A quantitative tool, the isoperm method, is described; it quantifies the effect of environmental factors of temperature (T) and percent relative humidity (%RH) on the anticipated useful life expectancy of paper-based collections. The isoperm method provides answers to questions of the expected lifetime of the collection under various temperature…

18 CFR 707.5 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... fullest extent practicable the Environmental Assessment or, when required, Environmental Impact Statement.... For each environmental assessment and impact statement, the appropriate RFO will establish a specific...) Environmental Impact Statements. Environmental Impact Statements (EIS's) as required under Section 102(2)(C) of...

18 CFR 707.5 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... fullest extent practicable the Environmental Assessment or, when required, Environmental Impact Statement.... For each environmental assessment and impact statement, the appropriate RFO will establish a specific...) Environmental Impact Statements. Environmental Impact Statements (EIS's) as required under Section 102(2)(C) of...

Health Impacts in a Changing Climate - An Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louis, V. R.; Phalkey, R. K.

2016-05-01

In the past decades the topic of climate change has been subjected to intense scientific scrutiny, and since the mid-1990's it has become an increasingly political issue. Because of increased temperatures and more frequent and intense extreme weather events, the number of direct injuries and deaths will increase, along with infectious diseases, whether food, water or vector-borne; respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are expected to rise due to worsened air pollution and extreme heat. In a context of on-going environmental degradation, local food-producing systems, both marine and terrestrial, will be affected and the risk of malnutrition, especially in children, will increase. These impacts on health and livelihood are expected to be significant factors in the spread of regional social crises, potentially leading to forced migration, conflicts and increased poverty. The link between health and climate change operates through a variety of pathways that are now well established. In addition to taking climate mitigation measures, it will also be necessary to take adaptation measures, such as strengthening health systems, improving preparedness and developing early warning systems. There is now a broad scientific consensus on the issue and the science is sufficiently robust to enable a coordinated response to meet this global challenge.

Significance of Perceived Social Expectation and Implications to Conservation Education: Turtle Conservation as a Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo, Alex Y.; Chow, Alex T.; Cheung, Sze Man

2012-11-01

The likelihood of participating in wildlife conservation programs is dependent on social influences and circumstances. This view is validated by a case study of behavioral intention to support conservation of Asian turtles. A total of 776 college students in China completed a questionnaire survey designed to identify factors associated with their intention to support conservation. A regression model explained 48 % of variance in the level of intention. Perceived social expectation was the strongest predictor, followed by attitudes toward turtle protection and perceived behavioral control, altogether explaining 44 %. Strong ethics and socio-economic variables had some statistical significant impacts and accounted for 3 % of the variance. The effects of general environmental awareness, trust and responsibility ascription were modest. Knowledge about turtles was a weak predictor. We conclude that perceived social expectation is a limiting factor of conservation behavior. Sustained interest and commitment to conservation can be created by enhancing positive social influences. Conservation educators should explore the potential of professionally supported, group-based actions that can nurture a sense of collective achievement as part of an educational campaign.

The future of sustainable food production.

PubMed

Ronald, Pamela; Adamchak, Raoul

2010-03-01

By the year 2050, the number of people on Earth is expected to increase from the current 6.7 to 9.2 billion. What is the best way to produce enough food to feed all these people? If we continue with current farming practices, vast amounts of wilderness will be lost, millions of birds and billions of insects will die, farm workers will be at increased risk for disease, and the public will lose billions of dollars as a consequence of environmental degradation. Clearly, there must be a better way to resolve the need for increased food production with the desire to minimize its impact.

Lava tubes - Potential shelters for habitats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horz, F.

Natural caverns occur on the moon in the form of 'lava tubes', which are the drained conduits of underground lava rivers. The inside dimensions of these tubes measure tens to hundreds of meters, and their roofs are expected to be thicker than 10 meters. Consequently, lava tube interiors offer an environment that is naturally protected from the hazards of radiation and meteorite impact. Further, constant, relatively benign temperatures of -20 C prevail. These are extremely favorable environmental conditions for human activities and industrial operations. Significant operational, technological, and economical benefits might result if a lunar base were constructed inside a lava tube.

Third Conference on Fibrous Composites in Flight Vehicle Design, part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The use of fibrous composite materials in the design of aircraft and space vehicle structures and their impact on future vehicle systems are discussed. The topics covered include: flight test work on composite components, design concepts and hardware, specialized applications, operational experience, certification and design criteria. Contributions to the design technology base include data concerning material properties, design procedures, environmental exposure effects, manufacturing procedures, and flight service reliability. By including composites as baseline design materials, significant payoffs are expected in terms of reduced structural weight fractions, longer structural life, reduced fuel consumption, reduced structural complexity, and reduced manufacturing cost.

10 CFR 51.72 - Supplement to draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Supplement to draft environmental impact statement. 51.72... Implementing Section 102(2) Environmental Impact Statements § 51.72 Supplement to draft environmental impact statement. (a) The NRC staff will prepare a supplement to a draft environmental impact statement for which a...

10 CFR 51.72 - Supplement to draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Supplement to draft environmental impact statement. 51.72... Implementing Section 102(2) Environmental Impact Statements § 51.72 Supplement to draft environmental impact statement. (a) The NRC staff will prepare a supplement to a draft environmental impact statement for which a...

10 CFR 51.72 - Supplement to draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Supplement to draft environmental impact statement. 51.72... Implementing Section 102(2) Environmental Impact Statements § 51.72 Supplement to draft environmental impact statement. (a) The NRC staff will prepare a supplement to a draft environmental impact statement for which a...

10 CFR 51.72 - Supplement to draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Supplement to draft environmental impact statement. 51.72... Implementing Section 102(2) Environmental Impact Statements § 51.72 Supplement to draft environmental impact statement. (a) The NRC staff will prepare a supplement to a draft environmental impact statement for which a...

10 CFR 51.72 - Supplement to draft environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Supplement to draft environmental impact statement. 51.72... Implementing Section 102(2) Environmental Impact Statements § 51.72 Supplement to draft environmental impact statement. (a) The NRC staff will prepare a supplement to a draft environmental impact statement for which a...

Mending the Med.

PubMed

Batisse, M

1994-01-01

In 1975, the Barcelona Convention to Protect the Sea was signed with an action plan to deal with marine pollution and halting land-based contributions to water pollution. Specifically, the Blue Plan aimed to attack the interaction between population, natural resources, environmental degradation, and economic development for the entire Mediterranean region. Scenarios were constructed to depict demographic, international economic, and national development prospects. Population was expected to grow from 357 million in 1985 to 575 million in 2025. Population concentration was expected to decline from 66% in the north to 22% in 2025. The populations in the south and east would grow to 5 times the 1950 figures. Fertility rates are expected to fall in the south, as educational levels of women rise. The decline in population in the north will mean an aging population in the north and a young population in the south with employment imbalances. Rapid urbanization will be a problem throughout the region, and particularly in the coastal areas. The demand for water, waste disposal, and conflicting pressures on use of sea and land will be the consequences. Tourism will aggravate general population conditions. The coastal regions currently receive about 100 million international and domestic tourists annually. Under poor economic conditions, scenarios would project tourism increases to 170 million by 2025. Under sustainable development scenarios, the numbers would increase even higher to 340 million tourists, mostly domestic. The environmental impact of tourism centers on the pressure on water resources, space use, and solid and liquid waste, during the summer when the water supply is low and the forests are dry. Most countries rely heavily on tourism for balance of payments and as a source of hard currency for food imports. The expectation is that the coastal areas, though fragile, are the primary asset for Mediterranean countries. Coast management thus far has contributed to erosion, deforestation, and erratic concrete surfacing of shore areas. Delays in sustainable development will only contribute to further pollution. The entire Mediterranean region could face social and ecological disruption in the future if population development needs are not met. Environmental and development issues threaten long-term peace and stability.

28 CFR 91.62 - Preparing an Environmental Assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... FACILITIES Environmental Impact Review Procedures for VOI/TIS Grant Program Environmental Review Procedures... issue a Finding of No Significant Environmental Impact (FONSI) or prepare an Environmental Impact... requires considering all potential impacts associated with the construction of the correctional facility...

Colour polymorphism is associated with lower extinction risk in birds.

PubMed

Ducatez, Simon; Giraudeau, Mathieu; Thébaud, Christophe; Jacquin, Lisa

2017-08-01

Colour polymorphisms have played a major role in enhancing current understanding of how selection and demography can impact phenotypes. Because different morphs often display alternative strategies and exploit alternative ecological niches, colour polymorphism can be expected to promote adaptability to environmental changes. However, whether and how it could influence populations' and species' response to global changes remains debated. To address this question, we built an up-to-date and complete database on avian colour polymorphism based on the examination of available data from all 10,394 extant bird species. We distinguished between true polymorphism (where different genetically determined morphs co-occur in sympatry within the same population) and geographic variation (parapatric or allopatric colour variation), because these two patterns of variation are expected to have different consequences on populations' persistence. Using the IUCN red list, we then showed that polymorphic bird species are at lesser risk of extinction than nonpolymorphic ones, after controlling for a range of factors such as geographic range size, habitat breadth, life history, and phylogeny. This appears consistent with the idea that high genetic diversity and/or the existence of alternative strategies in polymorphic species promotes the ability to adaptively respond to changing environmental conditions. In contrast, polymorphic species were not less vulnerable than nonpolymorphic ones to specific drivers of extinction such as habitat alteration, direct exploitation, climate change, and invasive species. Thus, our results suggest that colour polymorphism acts as a buffer against environmental changes, although further studies are now needed to understand the underlying mechanisms. Developing accurate quantitative indices of sensitivity to specific threats is likely a key step towards a better understanding of species response to environmental changes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Environmental issues of petroleum exploration and production: Introduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kharaka, Yousif K.; Dorsey, Nancy S.

2005-01-01

Energy is the lifeblood of our planet Earth, an essential commod- ity that powers the expanding global economy. Starting in the 1950s, oil and natural gas became the main sources of primary energy for the increasing world population, and this dominance is expected to continue for several more decades (Edwards, 1997; Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2004). In the United States, petroleum production started in 1859 when Drake's well was drilled near Titusville, Pennsylvania, and oil and natural gas currently supply approximately 63% of the energy consumption; forecasts indicate that by 2025, their use will increase by about 40% to 28.3 million bbl/day and to 31.4 tcf/yr (EIA, 2004). The clear benefits of petroleum consumption, however, can carry major environmental impacts that may be regional or global in scale, in- cluding air pollution, global climate change, and oil spills. This vol- ume of Environmental Geosciences, covering environmental impacts of petroleum exploration and production, does not address these major impacts directly because air pollution and global warming are issues related primarily to petroleum and coal uses, and major oil spills are generally attributed to marine petroleum transportation, such as the Exxon Valdez's 1989 spill of 260,000 bbl of oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska. Exploration for and production of petroleum, however, have caused local detrimental impacts to soils, surface and groundwa- ters, and ecosystems in the 36 producing states in the United States (Richter and Kreitler, 1993; Kharaka and Hanor, 2003). These im- pacts arose primarily from the improper disposal of some of the large volumes (presently estimated at 20 billion bbl/yr total pro- duced) of saline water produced with oil and gas, from accidental hydrocarbon and produced-water releases, and from abandoned oil wells that were orphaned or not correctly plugged (Kharaka et al., 1995; Veil et al., 2004). Impacts and ground-surface disturbances, in the order of several acres per well, can also arise from related activities such as site clearance, construction of roads, tank bat- teries, brine pits and pipelines, and other land modifications nec- essary for the drilling of exploration and production wells and construction of production facilities. The cumulative impacts from these operations are high, because a total of about 3.5 million oil. 

Essays in environmental economics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartz-Marvez, Sherry L.

This body of work contributes to the literature on two current topics in environmental economics: (1) the relationship between economic development and environmental degradation; and (2) the effectiveness of mandatory information disclosure as a regulatory instrument. For the first topic, we link theoretical and empirical Environmental Kuznets Curve research by using calibration and simulation to test a growth model with environmental quality as a normal good and emissions as a factor of production. We use U.S. macroeconomic, emissions and compliance data to calibrate parameters representing preferences for environmental quality and marginal abatement costs. We simulate the model starting from a less-developed initial condition and compare the predicted pollution-income relationship with that in the data. Our results are mixed. Some support exists for the theory that an inverted U-shape results from a corner solution in which less developed countries do not abate pollution. However, pollution peaks at a level of per capita income which is much lower than that observed in the U.S. data. For the second topic, we study the effectiveness of mandatory information disclosure as environmental regulation. Community-right-to-know programs such as the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) use mandatory information disclosure to "shame" dirty firms into reducing emissions. The idea is that the public---armed with previously unavailable emissions information---will pressure firms with higher-than-expected emissions to "clean-up." We use the electricity industry to study the impact of price-and-entry deregulation on the effectiveness of the TRI. Using event studies, we find that, on average, utilities experience losses in firm value immediately following TRI announcements. Using panel regressions, we show that toxic emissions released in regulated states are associated with decreases in firm value while those released in deregulated states are associated with increases in firm value. We then estimate the impact of changes in firm value on subsequent emissions, finding that releases of most TRI pollutants are reduced in regulated states, but not in deregulated states.

77 FR 56840 - Meeting of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board-Public Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-14

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9727-8] Meeting of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board... meeting. SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Financial... expected on the following topics: Clean air technology; tribal environmental programs; transit-oriented...

Long- and short-term influence of environment on recruitment in a species with highly delayed maturity.

PubMed

Nevoux, Marie; Weimerskirch, Henri; Barbraud, Christophe

2010-02-01

Short-term effects of environmental perturbations on various life history traits are reasonably well documented in birds and mammals. But, in the present context of global climate change, there is a need to consider potential long-term effects of natal conditions to better understand and predict the consequences of these changes on population dynamics. The environmental conditions affecting offspring during their early development may determine their lifetime reproductive performance, and therefore the number of recruits produced by a cohort. In this study, we attempted to link recruitment to natal and recent (previous year) conditions in the long-lived black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys) at Kerguelen Islands. The environmental variability was described using both climatic variables over breeding (sea surface temperature anomaly) and non-breeding grounds (Southern Oscillation index), and variables related to the colony (breeding success and colony size). Immature survival was linked to the breeding success of the colony in the year of birth, which was expected to reflect the average seasonal parental investment. At the cohort level, this initial mortality event may act as a selective filter shaping the number, and presumably the quality (breeding frequency, breeding success probability), of the individuals that recruit into the breeding population. The decision to start breeding was strongly structured by the age of the individuals and adjusted according to recent conditions. An effect of natal conditions was not detected on this parameter, supporting the selection hypothesis. Recruitment, as a whole, was thus influenced by a combination of long- and short-term environmental impacts. Our results highlight the complexity of the influence of environmental factors on such long-lived species, due to the time-lag (associated with a delayed maturity) between the impact of natal conditions on individuals and their repercussion on the breeding population.

Environmental impacts of lighting technologies - Life cycle assessment and sensitivity analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Welz, Tobias; Hischier, Roland, E-mail: Roland.Hischier@empa.ch; Hilty, Lorenz M.

2011-04-15

With two regulations, 244/2009 and 245/2009, the European Commission recently put into practice the EuP Directive in the area of lighting devices, aiming to improve energy efficiency in the domestic lighting sector. This article presents a comprehensive life cycle assessment comparison of four different lighting technologies: the tungsten lamp, the halogen lamp, the conventional fluorescent lamp and the compact fluorescent lamp. Taking advantage of the most up-to-date life cycle inventory database available (ecoinvent data version 2.01), all life cycle phases were assessed and the sensitivity of the results for varying assumptions analysed: different qualities of compact fluorescent lamps (production phase),more » different electricity mixes (use phase), and end-of-life scenarios for WEEE recycling versus municipal solid waste incineration (disposal phase). A functional unit of 'one hour of lighting' was defined and the environmental burdens for the whole life cycle for all four lamp types were calculated, showing a clearly lower impact for the two gas-discharge lamps, i.e. the fluorescent and the compact fluorescent lamp. Differences in the product quality of the compact fluorescent lamps reveal to have only a very small effect on the overall environmental performance of this lamp type; a decline of the actual life time of this lamp type doesn't result in a change of the rank order of the results of the here examined four lamp types. It was also shown that the environmental break-even point of the gas-discharge lamps is reached long before the end of their expected life-span. All in all, it can be concluded that a change from today's tungsten lamp technology to a low-energy-consuming technology such as the compact fluorescent lamp results in a substantial environmental benefit.« less

Evaluating Aggregate Terrestrial Impacts of Road Construction Projects for Advanced Regional Mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorne, James H.; Girvetz, Evan H.; McCoy, Michael C.

2009-05-01

This study presents a GIS-based database framework used to assess aggregate terrestrial habitat impacts from multiple highway construction projects in California, USA. Transportation planners need such impact assessment tools to effectively address additive biological mitigation obligations. Such assessments can reduce costly delays due to protracted environmental review. This project incorporated the best available statewide natural resource data into early project planning and preliminary environmental assessments for single and multiple highway construction projects, and provides an assessment of the 10-year state-wide mitigation obligations for the California Department of Transportation. Incorporation of these assessments will facilitate early and more strategic identification of mitigation opportunities, for single-project and regional mitigation efforts. The data architecture format uses eight spatial scales: six nested watersheds, counties, and transportation planning districts, which were intersected. This resulted in 8058 map planning units statewide, which were used to summarize all subsequent analyses. Range maps and georeferenced locations of federally and state-listed plants and animals and a 55-class landcover map were spatially intersected with the planning units and the buffered spatial footprint of 967 funded projects. Projected impacts were summarized and output to the database. Queries written in the database can sum expected impacts and provide summaries by individual construction project, or by watershed, county, transportation district or highway. The data architecture allows easy incorporation of new information and results in a tool usable without GIS by a wide variety of agency biologists and planners. The data architecture format would be useful for other types of regional planning.

Evaluating aggregate terrestrial impacts of road construction projects for advanced regional mitigation.

PubMed

Thorne, James H; Girvetz, Evan H; McCoy, Michael C

2009-05-01

This study presents a GIS-based database framework used to assess aggregate terrestrial habitat impacts from multiple highway construction projects in California, USA. Transportation planners need such impact assessment tools to effectively address additive biological mitigation obligations. Such assessments can reduce costly delays due to protracted environmental review. This project incorporated the best available statewide natural resource data into early project planning and preliminary environmental assessments for single and multiple highway construction projects, and provides an assessment of the 10-year state-wide mitigation obligations for the California Department of Transportation. Incorporation of these assessments will facilitate early and more strategic identification of mitigation opportunities, for single-project and regional mitigation efforts. The data architecture format uses eight spatial scales: six nested watersheds, counties, and transportation planning districts, which were intersected. This resulted in 8058 map planning units statewide, which were used to summarize all subsequent analyses. Range maps and georeferenced locations of federally and state-listed plants and animals and a 55-class landcover map were spatially intersected with the planning units and the buffered spatial footprint of 967 funded projects. Projected impacts were summarized and output to the database. Queries written in the database can sum expected impacts and provide summaries by individual construction project, or by watershed, county, transportation district or highway. The data architecture allows easy incorporation of new information and results in a tool usable without GIS by a wide variety of agency biologists and planners. The data architecture format would be useful for other types of regional planning.

32 CFR 651.42 - Actions normally requiring an EIS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... significant impacts are socioeconomic, with no significant biophysical environmental impact). (f) Training...) ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ARMY ACTIONS (AR 200-2) Environmental Impact Statement § 651.42... substances that have the potential to cause significant environmental impact. (d) Land acquisition, leasing...

7 CFR 1794.61 - Environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Environmental impact statement. 1794.61 Section 1794..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Procedure for Environmental Impact Statements § 1794.61 Environmental impact statement. An EIS shall be prepared in accordance with...

40 CFR 1508.11 - Environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Environmental impact statement. 1508.11 Section 1508.11 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TERMINOLOGY AND INDEX § 1508.11 Environmental impact statement. Environmental impact statement means a detailed written...

7 CFR 1948.62 - Environmental impact requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Environmental impact requirements. 1948.62 Section... Development Assistance Program § 1948.62 Environmental impact requirements. (a) The policies and regulations... studied for environmental impacts. (c) Boundaries shall define the area within which the environmental...

Pathways of Understanding: the Interactions of Humanity and Global Environmental Change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, Harold K.; Katzenberger, John; Lousma, Jack; Mooney, Harold A.; Moss, Richard H.; Kuhn, William; Luterbacher, Urs; Wiegandt, Ellen

1992-01-01

How humans, interacting within social systems, affect and are affected by global change is explored. Recognizing the impact human activities have on the environment and responding to the need to document the interactions among human activities, the Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) commissioned a group of 12 scientists to develop a framework illustrating the key human systems that contribute to global change. This framework, called the Social Process Diagram, will help natural and social scientists, educators, resource managers and policy makers envision and analyze how human systems interact among themselves and with the natural system. The Social Process Diagram consists of the following blocks that constitute the Diagram's structural framework: (1) fund of knowledge and experience; (2) preferences and expectations; (3) factors of production and technology; (4) population and social structure; (5) economic systems; (6) political systems and institutions; and (7) global scale environmental processes. To demonstrate potential ways the Diagram can be used, this document includes 3 hypothetical scenarios of global change issues: global warming and sea level rise; the environmental impact of human population migration; and energy and the environment. These scenarios demonstrate the Diagram's usefulness for visualizing specific processes that might be studied to evaluate a particular global change issues. The scenario also shows that interesting and unanticipated questions may emerge as links are explored between categories on the Diagram.

Climatic Change, Conflict and Peace in Transboundary River Basins - A Theoretical Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegfried, T. U.; Beck, L.; Koubi, V.; Bernauer, T.

2011-12-01

Recent research shows that one of the most significant risk for societal development pertains to water availability and that the greatest risks for unrest stemming from economic deprivation and the erosion of livelihoods is found in transboundary river basins in poor and politically unstable parts of the world. While until now, historic linkages between water scarcity and conflict were weak at best, there is growing fear that environmental change will increasingly lead to an entanglement of conflict and resources dynamics in the future. Where resources are not jointly managed in a cooperative way and resources sharing mechanisms not legislated by sound international institutions and were significant impacts from environmental change are expected, these developments give rise to concern. To study environmental change and conflict interlinkages, we develop a formal hydro-climatological model for transboundary freshwater resources and investigate theoretically how climate change translates into potential for conflict and peace, contingent on configurations of power between riparians. The model accounts for how upstream countries exercise power by using water whereas downstream countries use power to obtain water. We show that equilibrium water allocation outcomes are biased towards the more powerful riparian, and that absolute upstream or downstream river basin dominance are limiting cases of our general model. Our model suggests that the basin-wide conflict potential is always more sensitive to changes in relative power between riparian states than to impacts from climatic changes.

10 CFR 51.93 - Distribution of final environmental impact statement and supplement to final environmental impact...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Distribution of final environmental impact statement and supplement to final environmental impact statement; news releases. 51.93 Section 51.93 Energy NUCLEAR... statement and supplement to final environmental impact statement; news releases. (a) A copy of the final...

10 CFR 51.93 - Distribution of final environmental impact statement and supplement to final environmental impact...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Distribution of final environmental impact statement and supplement to final environmental impact statement; news releases. 51.93 Section 51.93 Energy NUCLEAR... statement and supplement to final environmental impact statement; news releases. (a) A copy of the final...

10 CFR 51.93 - Distribution of final environmental impact statement and supplement to final environmental impact...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Distribution of final environmental impact statement and supplement to final environmental impact statement; news releases. 51.93 Section 51.93 Energy NUCLEAR... statement and supplement to final environmental impact statement; news releases. (a) A copy of the final...

10 CFR 51.93 - Distribution of final environmental impact statement and supplement to final environmental impact...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Distribution of final environmental impact statement and supplement to final environmental impact statement; news releases. 51.93 Section 51.93 Energy NUCLEAR... statement and supplement to final environmental impact statement; news releases. (a) A copy of the final...

10 CFR 51.93 - Distribution of final environmental impact statement and supplement to final environmental impact...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Distribution of final environmental impact statement and supplement to final environmental impact statement; news releases. 51.93 Section 51.93 Energy NUCLEAR... statement and supplement to final environmental impact statement; news releases. (a) A copy of the final...

Environmentally relevant microplastic exposure affects sediment-dwelling bivalves.

PubMed

Bour, Agathe; Haarr, Ane; Keiter, Steffen; Hylland, Ketil

2018-05-01

Most microplastics are expected to sink and end up in marine sediments. However, very little is known concerning their potential impact on sediment-dwelling organisms. We studied the long-term impact of microplastic exposure on two sediment-dwelling bivalve species. Ennucula tenuis and Abra nitida were exposed to polyethylene microparticles at three concentrations (1; 10 and 25 mg/kg of sediment) for four weeks. Three size classes (4-6; 20-25 and 125-500 μm) were used to study the influence of size on microplastic ecotoxicity. Microplastic exposure did not affect survival, condition index or burrowing behaviour in either bivalve species. However, significant changes in energy reserves were observed. No changes were observed in protein, carbohydrate or lipid contents in E. tenuis, with the exception of a decrease in lipid content for one condition. However, total energy decreased in a dose-dependent manner for bivalves exposed to the largest particles. To the contrary, no significant changes in total energy were observed for A. nitida, although a significant decrease of protein content was observed for individuals exposed to the largest particles, at all concentrations. Concentration and particle size significantly influenced microplastic impacts on bivalves, the largest particles and higher concentrations leading to more severe effects. Several hypotheses are presented to explain the observed modulation of energy reserves, including the influence of microplastic size and concentration. Our results suggest that long-term exposure to microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations can impact marine benthic biota. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

28 CFR 91.58 - Timing of the environmental review process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... would either have an adverse impact on the environment or limit the choice of reasonable alternative... CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES Environmental Impact Review Procedures for VOI/TIS Grant Program Environmental Review... anticipated environmental impacts, an environmental impact statement should be initiated. (c) Design phase...

10 CFR 51.85 - Draft environmental impact statement-rulemaking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-rulemaking. 51.85 Section 51.85 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS FOR... Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Rulemaking § 51.85 Draft environmental impact...

10 CFR 51.85 - Draft environmental impact statement-rulemaking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-rulemaking. 51.85 Section 51.85 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS FOR... Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Rulemaking § 51.85 Draft environmental impact...

10 CFR 51.85 - Draft environmental impact statement-rulemaking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-rulemaking. 51.85 Section 51.85 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS FOR... Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Rulemaking § 51.85 Draft environmental impact...

10 CFR 51.85 - Draft environmental impact statement-rulemaking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-rulemaking. 51.85 Section 51.85 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS FOR... Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Rulemaking § 51.85 Draft environmental impact...

28 CFR 91.63 - Preparing an Environmental Impact Statement

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Preparing an Environmental Impact... CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES Environmental Impact Review Procedures for VOI/TIS Grant Program Environmental Review Procedures § 91.63 Preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (a) Initial determination. OJP will determine...

Turkey energy and environmental review - Task 7 energy sector modeling : executive summary.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conzelmann, G.; Koritarov, V.; Decision and Information Sciences

2008-02-28

Turkey's demand for energy and electricity is increasing rapidly. Since 1990, energy consumption has increased at an annual average rate of 4.3%. As would be expected, the rapid expansion of energy production and consumption has brought with it a wide range of environmental issues at the local, regional and global levels. With respect to global environmental issues, Turkey's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have grown along with its energy consumption. Emissions in 2000 reached 211 million metric tons. With GDP projected to grow at over 6% per year over the next 25 years, both the energy sector and the pollution associatedmore » with it are expected to increase substantially. This is expected to occur even if assuming stricter controls on lignite and hard coal-fired power generation. All energy consuming sectors, that is, power, industrial, residential, and transportation, will contribute to this increased emissions burden. Turkish Government authorities charged with managing the fundamental problem of carrying on economic development while protecting the environment include the Ministry of Environment (MOE), the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MENR), and the Ministry of Health, as well as the Turkish Electricity Generation & Transmission Company (TEAS). The World Bank, working with these agencies, is planning to assess the costs and benefits of various energy policy alternatives under an Energy and Environment Review (EER). Eight individual studies have been conducted under this activity to analyze certain key energy technology issues and use this analysis to fill in the gaps in data and technical information. This will allow the World Bank and Turkish authorities to better understand the trade-offs in costs and impacts associated with specific policy decisions. The purpose of Task 7-Energy Sector Modeling, is to integrate information obtained in other EER tasks and provide Turkey's policy makers with an integrated systems analysis of the various options for addressing the various energy and environmental concerns. The work presented in this report builds on earlier analyses presented at the COP 6 conference in Bonn.« less

A unified theory of impact crises and mass extinctions: quantitative tests.

PubMed

Rampino, M R; Haggerty, B M; Pagano, T C

1997-05-30

Several quantitative tests of a general hypothesis linking impacts of large asteroids and comets with mass extinctions of life are possible based on astronomical data, impact dynamics, and geological information. The waiting times of large-body impacts on the Earth derived from the flux of Earth-crossing asteroids and comets, and the estimated size of impacts capable of causing, large-scale environmental disasters, predict the impacts of objects > or = 5 km in diameter (> or = 10(7) Mt TNT equivalent) could be sufficient to explain the record of approximately 25 extinction pulses in the last 540 Myr, with the 5 recorded major mass extinctions related to impacts of the largest objects of > or = 10 km in diameter (> or = 10(8) Mt events). Smaller impacts (approximately 10(6) Mt), with significant regional environmental effects, could be responsible for the lesser boundaries in the geologic record. Tests of the "kill curve" relationship for impact-induced extinctions based on new data on extinction intensities, and several well-dated large impact craters, also suggest that major mass extinctions require large impacts, and that a step in the kill curve may exist at impacts that produce craters of approximately 100 km diameter, smaller impacts being capable of only relatively weak extinction pulses. Single impact craters less than approximately 60 km in diameter should not be associated with detectable global extinction pulses (although they may explain stage and zone boundaries marked by lesser faunal turnover), but multiple impacts in that size range may produce significant stepped extinction pulses. Statistical tests of the last occurrences of species at mass-extinction boundaries are generally consistent with predictions for abrupt or stepped extinctions, and several boundaries are known to show "catastrophic" signatures of environmental disasters and biomass crash, impoverished postextinction fauna and flora dominated by stress-tolerant and opportunistic species, and gradual ecological recovery and radiation of new taxa. Isotopic and other geochemical signatures are also generally consistent with the expected after-effects of catastrophic impacts. Seven of the recognized extinction pulses seem to be associated with concurrent (in some cases multiple) stratigraphic impact markers (e.g., layers with high iridium, shocked minerals, microtektites), and/or large, dated impact craters. Other less well-studied crisis intervals show elevated iridium, but well below that of the K/T spike, which might be explained by low-Ir impactors, ejecta blowoff, or sedimentary reworking and dilution of impact signatures. The best explanation for a possible periodic component of approximately 30 Myr in mass extinctions and clusters of impacts is the pulselike modulation of the comet flux associated with the solar system's periodic passage through the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy. The quantitative agreement between paleontologic and astronomical data suggests an important underlying unification of the processes involved.

Research gaps related to the environmental impacts of electronic cigarettes.

PubMed

Chang, Hoshing

2014-05-01

To consider the research gaps related to the environmental impacts of electronic cigarettes due to their manufacture, use and disposal. Literature searches were conducted through December 2013. Studies were included in this review if they related to the environmental impacts of e-cigarettes. Scientific information on the environmental impacts of e-cigarette manufacturing, use and disposal is very limited. No studies formally evaluated the environmental impacts of the manufacturing process or disposal of components, including batteries. Four studies evaluated potential exposure to secondhand e-cigarette aerosol, an indication of impacts on indoor air quality. A 2010 survey of six e-cigarette models found that none of the products provided disposal instructions for spent cartridges containing nicotine. Notably, some e-cigarette manufacturers claim their e-cigarettes are 'eco-friendly' or 'green', despite the lack of any supporting data or environmental impact studies. Some authors argue that such advertising may boost sales and increase e-cigarette appeal, especially among adolescents. Little is known about the environmental impacts of e-cigarettes, and a number of topics could be further elucidated by additional investigation. These topics include potential environmental impacts related to manufacturing, use and disposal. The environmental impacts of e-cigarette manufacturing will depend upon factory size and the nicotine extracting method used. The environmental impacts of e-cigarette use will include chemical and aerosol exposure in the indoor environment. The environmental impacts of disposal of e-cigarette cartridges (which contain residual nicotine) and disposal of e-cigarettes (which contain batteries) represent yet another environmental concern.

It is getting hotter in here: determining and projecting the impacts of global environmental change on drylands

PubMed Central

Maestre, Fernando T.; Salguero-Gómez, Roberto; Quero, José L.

2012-01-01

Drylands occupy large portions of the Earth, and are a key terrestrial biome from the socio-ecological point of view. In spite of their extent and importance, the impacts of global environmental change on them remain poorly understood. In this introduction, we review some of the main expected impacts of global change in drylands, quantify research efforts on the topic, and highlight how the articles included in this theme issue contribute to fill current gaps in our knowledge. Our literature analyses identify key under-studied areas that need more research (e.g. countries such as Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Somalia, and deserts such as the Thar, Kavir and Taklamakan), and indicate that most global change research carried out to date in drylands has been done on a unidisciplinary basis. The contributions included here use a wide array of organisms (from micro-organisms to humans), spatial scales (from local to global) and topics (from plant demography to poverty alleviation) to examine key issues to the socio-ecological impacts of global change in drylands. These papers highlight the complexities and difficulties associated with the prediction of such impacts. They also identify the increased use of long-term experiments and multidisciplinary approaches as priority areas for future dryland research. Major advances in our ability to predict and understand global change impacts on drylands can be achieved by explicitly considering how the responses of individuals, populations and communities will in turn affect ecosystem services. Future research should explore linkages between these responses and their effects on water and climate, as well as the provisioning of services for human development and well-being. PMID:23045705

It is getting hotter in here: determining and projecting the impacts of global environmental change on drylands.

PubMed

Maestre, Fernando T; Salguero-Gómez, Roberto; Quero, José L

2012-11-19

Drylands occupy large portions of the Earth, and are a key terrestrial biome from the socio-ecological point of view. In spite of their extent and importance, the impacts of global environmental change on them remain poorly understood. In this introduction, we review some of the main expected impacts of global change in drylands, quantify research efforts on the topic, and highlight how the articles included in this theme issue contribute to fill current gaps in our knowledge. Our literature analyses identify key under-studied areas that need more research (e.g. countries such as Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Somalia, and deserts such as the Thar, Kavir and Taklamakan), and indicate that most global change research carried out to date in drylands has been done on a unidisciplinary basis. The contributions included here use a wide array of organisms (from micro-organisms to humans), spatial scales (from local to global) and topics (from plant demography to poverty alleviation) to examine key issues to the socio-ecological impacts of global change in drylands. These papers highlight the complexities and difficulties associated with the prediction of such impacts. They also identify the increased use of long-term experiments and multidisciplinary approaches as priority areas for future dryland research. Major advances in our ability to predict and understand global change impacts on drylands can be achieved by explicitly considering how the responses of individuals, populations and communities will in turn affect ecosystem services. Future research should explore linkages between these responses and their effects on water and climate, as well as the provisioning of services for human development and well-being.

21 CFR 25.42 - Environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) Alternatives to the action; (4) The relationship between local short-term uses of the environment and the... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Environmental impact statements. 25.42 Section 25... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT CONSIDERATIONS Preparation of Environmental Documents § 25.42 Environmental impact...

21 CFR 25.42 - Environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) Alternatives to the action; (4) The relationship between local short-term uses of the environment and the... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Environmental impact statements. 25.42 Section 25... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT CONSIDERATIONS Preparation of Environmental Documents § 25.42 Environmental impact...

36 CFR 220.5 - Environmental impact statement and record of decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Environmental impact..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) COMPLIANCE § 220.5 Environmental impact statement and record of decision. (a) Classes of actions normally requiring environmental impact statements...

21 CFR 25.52 - Environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Environmental impact statements. 25.52 Section 25... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT CONSIDERATIONS Public Participation and Notification of Environmental Documents § 25.52 Environmental impact statements. (a) If FDA determines that an EIS is necessary for an action involving...

49 CFR 520.24 - Internal processing of draft environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Internal processing of draft environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.24 Internal processing of draft environmental impact statements. Before... that a potentially significant environmental effect exists; (b) Attach the DEIS; (c) Identify the...

10 CFR 51.29 - Scoping-environmental impact statement and supplement to environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Scoping-environmental impact statement and supplement to environmental impact statement. 51.29 Section 51.29 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS FOR DOMESTIC LICENSING AND RELATED REGULATORY FUNCTIONS National...

Assessing Environmental Impact: A Secondary School Learning Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nous, Albert P.

This packet contains information on teaching about environmental impact. Background information is included on the role of environmental impact on our society and environmental risk is also discussed. Environmental impacts are studied using Stages of Assessment. Learning activities and seven lesson plans include: (1) "The Community…

"I had a good time when I was young": Interpreting descriptions of continuity among older people.

PubMed

Breheny, Mary; Griffiths, Zoë

2017-04-01

Messages describing how best to age are prominent in gerontological theory, research and the media. These prescriptions for ageing may foster positive experiences in later life; however, they may also obscure the social and situated nature of expectations for ageing well. Continuity Theory proposes ageing well is achieved through continuity of activity and stability of relationships and identity over the life course. Continuity seems adaptive, yet prioritising continuity may not match the expectations, desires and realities of older people. To understand continuity among older people, the present study used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to analyse transcripts from eleven participants over the age of 79 years. Continuity was important for older people in this study, who described a range of practices that supported internal and external continuity. Participants acknowledged both positive and negative changes in roles and obligations as they aged which impacted on continuity of identity. Continuity of identity was linked both to being 'just like always' and 'just like everyone else'. Examining these accounts shows how they are tied to expectations that older people should both maintain earlier patterns of behaviour while also negotiating changing social expectations for behaviour that are linked to age. These tensions point to the balance between physical, environmental and interpersonal change and the negotiation of social expectations which together structure possibilities for ageing well. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The impact of petrochemical industrialisation on life expectancy and per capita income in Taiwan: an 11-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Chen, Ya-Mei; Lin, Wan-Yu; Chan, Chang-Chuan

2014-03-12

Petrochemical industries have been identified as important sources of emissions of chemical substances, and adverse health outcomes have been reported for residents who live nearby. The purpose of the current study was to examine the adverse effects of petrochemical industrialization in Taiwan on the life expectancy and personal income of people living in nearby communities. This study compared life expectancies and personal income between one industrial county (Yunlin County) and one reference county (Yilan County), which had no significant industrial activity that might emit pollutants, in Taiwan through analysis of 11 year long and publicly available data. Data from before and after the petrochemical company in the industrial county started (year 1999) operating were compared. Residents of the industrialized county had lesser increases in life expectancy over time than did residents of a similar but less-industrialized county, with difference means ranging from 0.89 years (p<0.05) to 1.62 years (p<0.001) at different stages. Male residents were more vulnerable to the effects of industrialization. There were no significant differences in individual income between the two counties. Countries, including Taiwan and the U.S., embracing petrochemical industries now face the challenge of environmental injustice. Our findings suggested that life expectancy lengthening was slowed and income growth was stalled for residents living in the industrial communities.

49 CFR 520.30 - Availability of final environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... grantees, and at appropriate State, regional, and metropolitan clearinghouses and, where the impact is... 49 Transportation 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Availability of final environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.30 Availability of final environmental impact statements. (a) Pending...

49 CFR 520.30 - Availability of final environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... grantees, and at appropriate State, regional, and metropolitan clearinghouses and, where the impact is... 49 Transportation 6 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Availability of final environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.30 Availability of final environmental impact statements. (a) Pending...

49 CFR 520.30 - Availability of final environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... grantees, and at appropriate State, regional, and metropolitan clearinghouses and, where the impact is... 49 Transportation 6 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Availability of final environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.30 Availability of final environmental impact statements. (a) Pending...

49 CFR 520.30 - Availability of final environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... grantees, and at appropriate State, regional, and metropolitan clearinghouses and, where the impact is... 49 Transportation 6 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Availability of final environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.30 Availability of final environmental impact statements. (a) Pending...

49 CFR 520.30 - Availability of final environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Availability of final environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.30 Availability of final environmental impact statements. (a) Pending... grantees, and at appropriate State, regional, and metropolitan clearinghouses and, where the impact is...

Anger and retribution after collective overuse: the role of blaming and environmental uncertainty in social dilemmas.

PubMed

de Kwaadsteniet, Erik W; van Dijk, Eric; Wit, Arjaan; De Cremer, David

2010-01-01

This article investigates how group members respond to one another when collective overuse occurs. The authors argue that interpersonal reactions after overuse in a common-resource dilemma are largely determined by the environmental characteristics of the social dilemma. More specifically, under environmental certainty they expect people to show more anger to group members than under uncertainty (Study 1). Additionally, they expect stronger retributive reactions to high harvesters than to moderate harvesters, and they expect this difference to be larger under certainty than under uncertainty (Study 2 and 3). Moreover, they predict that these effects are mediated by blaming. The results of three experiments corroborate these predictions.

Cruise Speed Sensitivity Study for Transonic Truss Braced Wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, Douglas P.

2017-01-01

NASA's investment and research in aviation has led to new technologies and concepts that make aircraft more efficient and environmentally friendly. One aircraft design operational concept is the reduction of cruise speed to reduce fuel burned during a mission. Although this is not a new idea, it was used by all of the contractors involved in a 2008 NASA sponsored study that solicited concept and technology ideas to reduce environmental impacts for future subsonic passenger transports. NASA is currently improving and building new analysis capabilities to analyze advanced concepts. To test some of these new capabilities, a transonic truss braced wing configuration was used as a test case. This paper examines the effects due to changes in the design cruise speed and other tradeoffs in the design space. The analysis was baselined to the Boeing SUGAR High truss braced wing concept. An optimization was run at five different design cruise Mach numbers. These designs are compared to provide an initial assessment space and the parameters that should be considered when selecting a design cruise speed. A discussion of the design drivers is also included. The results show that the wing weight in the current analysis has more influence on the takeoff gross weight than expected. This effect caused lower than expected wing sweep angle values for higher cruise speed designs.

Assessing the potential environmental impact of Athabasca oil sands development in lakes across Northwest Saskatchewan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahad, J. M.; Cumming, B. F.; Das, B.; Sanei, H.

2011-12-01

The continued development of Canada's Athabasca oil sands poses a significant environmental challenge. Low buffered boreal lakes located downwind of the prevailing eastward wind direction may be threatened by acidification and elevated inputs of airborne contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). An accurate assessment of the impact that increased levels of bitumen production may have on lakes in the region requires an understanding of the historic variability within these systems prior to at least the past several decades. Here we report concentrations of PAHs, δ13C and δ15N of organic matter (OM), Rock-Eval pyrolysis analyses, and distributions of n-alkanes in dated sediment cores from ten lakes located across NW Saskatchewan. Concentrations of PAHs were relatively low (< 100 ng/g for Σ 16 EPA Priority PAHs at each lake) and in general showed no substantial increases over the past 30 years. Retene, which is often associated with the combustion of coniferous wood, was generally the most abundant PAH amongst those reported, demonstrating the importance of forest fires as a principal PAH source. Plots of Hydrogen Index (HI) versus Oxygen Index (OI) fell within a relatively narrow range typical for sediments containing a high content of algal-derived OM. Relatively lower C/N ratios and higher abundances of C17 n-alkane in more recent sediments pointed to an increasingly larger component of algal-derived OM. In all ten lakes δ13C showed gradual upcore depletions that fell within the expected range for fossil fuel combustion (i.e., Suess effect), although this alone may not explain the up to ~3% depletion observed in several of the lakes. In conjunction with the other upcore trends these data may suggest a possible increase in primary productivity over the past several decades in many of the lakes studied. δ15N signatures were more variable, showing upcore increases in some lakes and upcore depletions in others. The increasingly lighter values observed in more recent sediments in some lakes suggest a potential input of depleted bioavailable nitrogen, as might be expected from anthropogenic NOx emissions. This study implies that thus far it appears that oil sands industry related emissions have had only a minor environmental impact on lakes in NW Saskatchewan.

40 CFR 8.9 - Measures to assess and verify environmental impacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES IN ANTARCTICA § 8.9 Measures to assess and verify environmental impacts. (a) The operator shall conduct appropriate monitoring of key environmental indicators as proposed in the CEE to assess and verify the potential environmental impacts of activities which are the...

10 CFR 51.80 - Draft environmental impact statement-materials license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-materials license. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Materials Licenses § 51.80 Draft environmental impact statement—materials license. (a) The NRC staff will either prepare a draft environmental...

16 CFR 1.84 - Draft environmental impact statements: Availability and comment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statements... Environmental Policy Act of 1969 § 1.84 Draft environmental impact statements: Availability and comment. Except for proposals for legislation, environmental impact statements shall be prepared in two stages: Draft...

10 CFR 51.117 - Draft environmental impact statement-notice of availability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-notice of...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Public Notice of and Access to Environmental Documents § 51.117 Draft environmental impact statement—notice of availability. (a) Upon completion of a draft environmental impact...

10 CFR 51.117 - Draft environmental impact statement-notice of availability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-notice of...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Public Notice of and Access to Environmental Documents § 51.117 Draft environmental impact statement—notice of availability. (a) Upon completion of a draft environmental impact...

10 CFR 51.117 - Draft environmental impact statement-notice of availability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-notice of...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Public Notice of and Access to Environmental Documents § 51.117 Draft environmental impact statement—notice of availability. (a) Upon completion of a draft environmental impact...

10 CFR 51.80 - Draft environmental impact statement-materials license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-materials license. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Materials Licenses § 51.80 Draft environmental impact statement—materials license. (a) The NRC staff will either prepare a draft environmental...

10 CFR 51.80 - Draft environmental impact statement-materials license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-materials license. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Materials Licenses § 51.80 Draft environmental impact statement—materials license. (a) The NRC staff will either prepare a draft environmental...

16 CFR 1.84 - Draft environmental impact statements: Availability and comment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statements... Environmental Policy Act of 1969 § 1.84 Draft environmental impact statements: Availability and comment. Except for proposals for legislation, environmental impact statements shall be prepared in two stages: Draft...

16 CFR 1.84 - Draft environmental impact statements: Availability and comment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statements... Environmental Policy Act of 1969 § 1.84 Draft environmental impact statements: Availability and comment. Except for proposals for legislation, environmental impact statements shall be prepared in two stages: Draft...

10 CFR 51.117 - Draft environmental impact statement-notice of availability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-notice of...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Public Notice of and Access to Environmental Documents § 51.117 Draft environmental impact statement—notice of availability. (a) Upon completion of a draft environmental impact...

10 CFR 51.80 - Draft environmental impact statement-materials license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-materials license. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Materials Licenses § 51.80 Draft environmental impact statement—materials license. (a) The NRC staff will either prepare a draft environmental...

16 CFR 1.84 - Draft environmental impact statements: Availability and comment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statements... Environmental Policy Act of 1969 § 1.84 Draft environmental impact statements: Availability and comment. Except for proposals for legislation, environmental impact statements shall be prepared in two stages: Draft...

24 CFR 58.53 - Use of prior environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Use of prior environmental impact... RESPONSIBILITIES Environmental Review Process: Environmental Impact Statement Determinations § 58.53 Use of prior environmental impact statements. Where any final EIS has been listed in the Federal Register for a project...

76 FR 65541 - Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Exemption From Certain...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-21

... Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact. FOR FURTHER... the action does not require either an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement... adverse environmental impacts. The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability or...

49 CFR 520.29 - Internal review of final environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Internal review of final environmental impact... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Procedures § 520.29 Internal review of final environmental impact statements. (a) Upon... office originating the action, the final environmental statement shall be accompanied by a brief cover...

10 CFR 51.80 - Draft environmental impact statement-materials license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-materials license. 51...-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) Draft Environmental Impact Statements-Materials Licenses § 51.80 Draft environmental impact statement—materials license. (a) The NRC staff will either prepare a draft environmental...

16 CFR 1.84 - Draft environmental impact statements: Availability and comment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statements... Environmental Policy Act of 1969 § 1.84 Draft environmental impact statements: Availability and comment. Except for proposals for legislation, environmental impact statements shall be prepared in two stages: Draft...

76 FR 37842 - Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Exemption for the Peach...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-28

...: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant Impact. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Hickman... an environmental impact statement. This environmental assessment was prepared for the part of the... will allow the licensee to conserve resources for decommissioning activities. Environmental Impacts of...

43 CFR 46.445 - Preparing a legislative environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OF 1969 Environmental Impact Statements § 46.445 Preparing a legislative environmental impact statement. When required under 40 CFR 1506.8, the Department must ensure that a legislative environmental impact statement is included as a part of the formal...

39 CFR 775.12 - Time frames for environmental impact statement actions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 39 Postal Service 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Time frames for environmental impact statement... NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT PROCEDURES § 775.12 Time frames for environmental impact statement... environmental impact statements received in that office during the preceding week. The minimum time periods for...

16 CFR 1021.5 - Categories of CPSC actions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... effects and therefore, normally require environmental assessments but not necessarily environmental impact... an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required. (These categories are... environmental effects. Therefore, there are no actions for which an environmental impact statement is normally...

16 CFR 1021.5 - Categories of CPSC actions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... effects and therefore, normally require environmental assessments but not necessarily environmental impact... an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required. (These categories are... environmental effects. Therefore, there are no actions for which an environmental impact statement is normally...

16 CFR 1021.5 - Categories of CPSC actions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... effects and therefore, normally require environmental assessments but not necessarily environmental impact... an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required. (These categories are... environmental effects. Therefore, there are no actions for which an environmental impact statement is normally...

16 CFR 1021.5 - Categories of CPSC actions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... effects and therefore, normally require environmental assessments but not necessarily environmental impact... an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required. (These categories are... environmental effects. Therefore, there are no actions for which an environmental impact statement is normally...

Air pollution shortens life expectancy and health expectancy for older adults: the case of China.

PubMed

Wen, Ming; Gu, Danan

2012-11-01

Outdoor air pollution is one of the most worrying environmental threats China faces today. Comprehensive and quantitative analyses of the health consequences of air pollution in China are lacking. This study reports age- and sex-specific life expectancy and health expectancies (HEs) corresponding to different levels of air pollution based on associations between air pollution and individual risks for a host of health conditions and mortality net of individual- and community-level confounders. This is a multilevel prospective cohort study based a nationally representative sample of Chinese elders. The main outcome measures in this study include life expectancy estimated from mortality and HEs based on five health conditions including activity of daily living, instrumental activity of daily living, cognitive status, self-rated health, and chronic conditions. Net of the controls, exposure to outdoor air pollution corresponded to subsequent reductions of life expectancy and HEs for all five health conditions. These detrimental pollution effects were stronger for women. The gap in life expectancy between areas with good air quality and moderately heavily polluted areas was 3.78 years for women of age 65 and 0.93 years for men. The differences in HEs at age 65 were also large, ranging from 1.47 years for HE for good self-rated health in men to 5.20 years for activity of daily living disability-free HE in women. Air pollution has devastating health impacts on Chinese elders reducing longevity and shortening HEs. Women are more vulnerable than men. More strict air policy should be implemented to pursue sustainable development in China.

Effects of environmental temperature on the gut microbial communities of tadpoles.

PubMed

Kohl, Kevin D; Yahn, Jeremiah

2016-05-01

Numerous studies have investigated the effects of diet, phylogeny and immune status on the gut microbial communities of animals. Most of these studies are conducted on endotherms, especially mammals, which maintain constant body temperature in the face of environmental temperature variability. However, the majority of animals and vertebrates are ectotherms, which often experience fluctuations in body temperature as a result of their environment. While there have been several studies investigating the gut microbial diversity of ectotherms, we lack an understanding of how environmental temperature affects these communities. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing to inventory the gut microbial communities of tadpoles exposed to cool (18°C) or warm (28°C) temperature treatments. We found that temperature significantly impacted the community structure and membership of the tadpole gut. Specifically, tadpoles in the warm treatment exhibited higher abundances of the phylum Planctomycetes and the genus Mycobacterium. These results may be due to the direct effects of temperature, or mediated through changes in host physiology. Given that environmental temperatures are expected to increase due to global climate change, understanding the effects of temperature on the diversity and function of gut microbial communities is critical. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Importance of context in adoption and progress in application of strategic environmental assessment: Experience of Thailand

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wirutskulshai, Uma, E-mail: st104686@ait.ac.th; Sajor, Edsel, E-mail: esajor@ait.ac.th; Coowanitwong, Nowarat

Following the example of other developed countries, strategic environmental assessment (SEA) tool is now being introduced in developing countries, with the expectations, among others, that it will influence decision-making process in planning, and also usher in the participatory and collaborative planning towards a more sustainable track in development. This article examines Thailand's own recent introduction of SEA. The authors underscore the particularity of the Thai planning context as well as the broader governance structure and processes in the country as the critical factor influencing the extent, substance and form of adoption of SEA. Top-down tradition of planning and serious limitationmore » of public participation opportunity structures and institutional culture have minimized the tool's positive impact and influence in development planning. Thailand's experience in SEA introduction thus reaffirms the important lesson from a number of other developing countries: that legal framework for SEA is necessary and critical especially in its initial adoption; and, that public participation needs to be supported too and institutionalized for the tool to fulfill its promise of improving environmental governance and optimizing potentials of development projects vis-a-vis various social and environmental concerns.« less

Herbicide-related signaling in plants reveals novel insights for herbicide use strategies, environmental risk assessment and global change assessment challenges.

PubMed

Alberto, Diana; Serra, Anne-Antonella; Sulmon, Cécile; Gouesbet, Gwenola; Couée, Ivan

2016-11-01

Herbicide impact is usually assessed as the result of a unilinear mode of action on a specific biochemical target with a typical dose-response dynamics. Recent developments in plant molecular signaling and crosstalk between nutritional, hormonal and environmental stress cues are however revealing a more complex picture of inclusive toxicity. Herbicides induce large-scale metabolic and gene-expression effects that go far beyond the expected consequences of unilinear herbicide-target-damage mechanisms. Moreover, groundbreaking studies have revealed that herbicide action and responses strongly interact with hormone signaling pathways, with numerous regulatory protein-kinases and -phosphatases, with metabolic and circadian clock regulators and with oxidative stress signaling pathways. These interactions are likely to result in mechanisms of adjustment that can determine the level of sensitivity or tolerance to a given herbicide or to a mixture of herbicides depending on the environmental and developmental status of the plant. Such regulations can be described as rheostatic and their importance is discussed in relation with herbicide use strategies, environmental risk assessment and global change assessment challenges. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Noble metals: a toxicological appraisal of potential new environmental contaminants.

PubMed Central

Brubaker, P E; Moran, J P; Bridbord, K; Hueter, F G

1975-01-01

The public health benefits expected by reducing known hazardous emissions from mobile sources should not be compromised by increasing levels of other potentially hazardous unregulated emissions. Catalytic converters are going to be used to meet the statutory requirements on carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions from light duty motor vehicles. Platinum and palladium metals are the catalytic materials to be used in these emission control devices. Preliminary experimental evidence and analysis of the impact of these control devices on the future use and demand for platinum indicates that this metal may appear at detectable levels in the environment by the end of this decade. At the present time, platinum and palladium are not present in the public environment and represent potentially new environmental contaminants as a consequence of use of this new abatement control technology. There is relatively little information available to adequately assess the potential health hazards that may be associated with exposure to these metals and their compounds. Analysis of the environmental problems and concerns associated with possible new environmental contaminants are discussed. Limited estimates are made on community exposure by use of a meteorological dispersion model. Biodegradation potential and attention is also given to the limited toxicological information available. PMID:50939

Why climate change will invariably alter selection pressures on phenology.

PubMed

Gienapp, Phillip; Reed, Thomas E; Visser, Marcel E

2014-10-22

The seasonal timing of lifecycle events is closely linked to individual fitness and hence, maladaptation in phenological traits may impact population dynamics. However, few studies have analysed whether and why climate change will alter selection pressures and hence possibly induce maladaptation in phenology. To fill this gap, we here use a theoretical modelling approach. In our models, the phenologies of consumer and resource are (potentially) environmentally sensitive and depend on two different but correlated environmental variables. Fitness of the consumer depends on the phenological match with the resource. Because we explicitly model the dependence of the phenologies on environmental variables, we can test how differential (heterogeneous) versus equal (homogeneous) rates of change in the environmental variables affect selection on consumer phenology. As expected, under heterogeneous change, phenotypic plasticity is insufficient and thus selection on consumer phenology arises. However, even homogeneous change leads to directional selection on consumer phenology. This is because the consumer reaction norm has historically evolved to be flatter than the resource reaction norm, owing to time lags and imperfect cue reliability. Climate change will therefore lead to increased selection on consumer phenology across a broad range of situations. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

The role of environmental accidental risk assessment in the process of granting development consent.

PubMed

Kontic, Branko; Gerbec, Marko

2009-11-01

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a procedure that must be followed for certain types of development before they are granted development consent. The procedure requires the developer to compile an environmental impact report (EIR) describing the likely significant effects of the project on the environment. A regulatory requirement in Slovenia is that an accidental risk assessment for a new installation should be a part of an EIR. The article shows how risk assessment (RA) related to accidental release of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) or a polyvalent alcohol mixture from a new planned unit of a chemical factory in the Alpine region of Slovenia was performed in the framework of an EIA for the purpose of obtaining a construction permit. Two accidental scenarios were considered: (a) a spill of 20 m(3) of MDI or polyvalent alcohol mixture into the river Soca (the river runs close to the chemical factory) and (b) a fire in the warehouse storing the raw material, where emission of toxic gases HCN, NO(x), and CO is expected during combustion of MDI. One of the most important results of this case is the agreement among the developer, the competent authority, and a consultant in the field of EIA and RA to positively conclude the licensing process despite the absence of formal (regulatory) limit values for risk. It has been approved that transparent, reasonably uncertain, and semi-quantitative environmental risk assessment is an inevitable component of an EIA, and an essential factor in informed, licensing-related decision making.

Joint environmental assessment 1997--2001 of the California Department of Food and Agriculture Curly Top Virus Control Program for Bureau of Land Management and Department of Energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-03-01

The DOE, Naval Petroleum reserves in California (NPRC), proposes to sign an Amendment to the Cooperative Agreement and Supplement with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to extend the term of the Curly Top Virus Control Program (CTVCP) in California. This program involves Malathion spraying on NPRC lands to control the beet leafhopper, over a five year period from 1997 through 2001. It is expected that approximately 330 acres on Naval Petroleum Reserve Number 1 (NPR-1) and approximately 9,603 acres on Naval Petroleum Reserve Number 2 (NPR-2) will be treated with Malathion annually by CDFA during the coursemore » of this program. The actual acreage subject to treatment can vary from year to year. Pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, the potential impacts of the proposed action were analyzed in a Joint Environmental Assessment (DOE/EA-1011) with the US Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) acting as lead agency, in consultation with the CDFA, and the DOE acting as a cooperating agency. Based on the analysis in the EA, DOE has determined that the conduct of the Curly Top Virus Control Program in California is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of the NEPA. Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not required and DOE is consequently issuing a FONSI.« less

Hibernation for space travel: Impact on radioprotection.

PubMed

Cerri, Matteo; Tinganelli, Walter; Negrini, Matteo; Helm, Alexander; Scifoni, Emanuele; Tommasino, Francesco; Sioli, Maximiliano; Zoccoli, Antonio; Durante, Marco

2016-11-01

Hibernation is a state of reduced metabolic activity used by some animals to survive in harsh environmental conditions. The idea of exploiting hibernation for space exploration has been proposed many years ago, but in recent years it is becoming more realistic, thanks to the introduction of specific methods to induce hibernation-like conditions (synthetic torpor) in non-hibernating animals. In addition to the expected advantages in long-term exploratory-class missions in terms of resource consumptions, aging, and psychology, hibernation may provide protection from cosmic radiation damage to the crew. Data from over half century ago in animal models suggest indeed that radiation effects are reduced during hibernation. We will review the mechanisms of increased radioprotection in hibernation, and discuss possible impact on human space exploration. Copyright © 2016 The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tennol, Inc. - loan-guarantee application: Marion County, Tennessee. Environmental assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1982-12-01

Tennol, Inc., is requesting a loan guarantee to build a fuel ethanol plant having an annual capacity of 95,000 m/sup 3/ (25 x 10/sup 6/ gal) in Jasper, Tennessee. The plant will wet-mill corn (255 Gg/year) for feedstock and will burn coal (43 Gg/year) for process heat. Marketable by-products include corn gluten feed (61 Gg/year), corn gluten meal (17 Gg/year), and carbon dioxide (71 Gg/year). Dehydration of the product alcohol will be azeotropic distillation with diethyl ether, and denaturation will be with unleaded gasoline. No degradation of local or regional air quality is anticipated. A combination of wetlands, old fields,more » and bottomland hardwood forest provides excellent wildlife habitat. Over 75% of the site will remain undisturbed, and construction activity will be confined to the northern end of the site. Because no wet areas will be disturbed and all liquid effluent releases will be to the Jasper wastewater treatment plant, no impact on aquatic organisms or water quality is anticipated. Impact to terrestrial organisms will be minor, and no rare or endangered species will be affected. Water will be supplied by the town of Jasper and by onsite wells. Tennol will represent about 3% of total ground water use in Marion County, but no impact is anticipated since the region has abundant groundwater resources. Although both historic and archaeological sites occur on the property, these sites lie outside the area of construction impact. Socioeconomic impact will be positive. Approximately 200 people will be employed at the peak of construction, and practically all are expected to commute. Of the 100 to 120 permanent jobs that will be created, most are expected to go to local people.« less

43 CFR 46.415 - Environmental impact statement content, alternatives, circulation and filing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Environmental impact statement content... Impact Statements § 46.415 Environmental impact statement content, alternatives, circulation and filing requirements. The Responsible Official may use any environmental impact statement format and design as long as...

78 FR 4135 - Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Training Mission and Mission Support...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-18

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the... Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate the impacts of current and future training and... (NEPA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of proposed alternatives for implementing the training and...

43 CFR 46.415 - Environmental impact statement content, alternatives, circulation and filing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Environmental impact statement content... Impact Statements § 46.415 Environmental impact statement content, alternatives, circulation and filing requirements. The Responsible Official may use any environmental impact statement format and design as long as...

78 FR 13082 - Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Statement...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-26

... Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Statement, Upper Truckee River and Marsh Restoration Project, El... Statement (EIR/EIS/EIS) for the Upper Truckee River Restoration and Marsh Restoration Project (Project). The... prepare email comments for the Project. The public hearings will be held at 128 Market Street, Stateline...

75 FR 38822 - Notice of Intent To Prepare Four Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements for the Northern...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-06

... Four Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements for the Northern Border Between the United States and...: Notice of Intent to Prepare Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements; Request for Comments; and... four Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (PEISs) to identify and assess potential impacts upon...

Microbial Impact on Success of Human Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pierson, Duane L.; Ott, C. Mark; Groves, T. O.; Paloski, W. H. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify microbiological risks associated with space exploration and identify potential countermeasures available. Identification of microbial risks associated with space habitation requires knowledge of the sources and expected types of microbial agents. Crew data along with environmental data from water, surfaces, air, and free condensate are utilized in risk examination. Data from terrestrial models are also used. Microbial risks to crew health include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. Adverse effects of microbes include: infections, allergic reactions, toxin production, release of volatiles, food spoilage, plant disease, material degradation, and environmental contamination. Risk is difficult to assess because of unknown potential changes in microbes (e.g., mutation) and the human host (e.g., immune changes). Prevention of adverse microbial impacts is preferred over remediation. Preventative measures include engineering measures (e.g., air filtration), crew microbial screening, acceptability standards, and active verification by onboard monitoring. Microbiological agents are important risks to human health and performance during space flight and risks increase with mission duration. Acceptable risk level must be defined. Prevention must be given high priority. Careful screening of crewmembers and payloads is an important element of any risk mitigation plan. Improved quantitation of microbiological risks is a high priority.

Faculty Development in Context: Changing Learning Cultures in Higher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feixas, Mònica; Zellweger, Franziska

At present, research on the effectiveness of initial training programs for novice faculty is limited, and results fail to offer apparent evidences on the impact of such programs in changing teachers' practices and, at a larger scale, teaching and learning cultures at universities. In addition to faculty development initiatives, the wider organizational context should be considered in order to foster transfer of acquired teaching competences into teaching practice. In this article, we suggest a conceptual framework that includes a description of prevailing teaching cultures in European higher education; a discussion on what we mean by faculty development and its relationship to teaching cultures; a definition of learning cultures; and a framework of the environmental factors affecting learning transfer. Among the outcomes, we expect to adapt Holtons' model to the higher education context and design a set of instruments to identify primarily environmental factors influencing the impact of faculty development. Results might show the necessity to pay greater attention to the conditions under which novice teachers teach, the importance of peer and coordinator support, and all aspects that contribute in the end to changed teaching and learning cultures in higher education.

Using networks to detect regime changes in aquatic communities across nutrient gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taranu, Z. E.

2015-12-01

Networks capture links or interactions between organisms within ecological webs. When an environmental stress occurs, rapid changes in ecosystem state are expected in food webs with highly connected networks and functionally redundant species. These networks can dissipate local disturbances quickly and provide resistance to change at first until a threshold is reached, at which point, a critical transition occurs (nodes shift in synchrony). In contrast, in low connectivity (modular) heterogeneous networks, the response in ecosystem state to an environmental stressor is gradual. Given that these ecosystem-level shifts can be difficult to predict, hard to reverse and can have undesirable consequences, there is considerable interest in identifying what type of response (gradual vs. hysteresis) is most likely in nature. In this work, we thus aimed to test for the support for a bifurcated response in aquatic ecosystem across a landscape of human impact and track which of the above scenarios was most common. More specifically, using the US EPA National Lake Assessment water quality dataset (2007 sampling), we quantified differences in food-web structures across a spatial gradient of human impact (eutrophication). Preliminary results indicate that certain network properties vary nonlinearly with respect to nutrient enrichment.

Ecologically relevant levels of multiple, common marine stressors suggest antagonistic effects.

PubMed

Lange, Rolanda; Marshall, Dustin

2017-07-24

Stressors associated with global change will be experienced simultaneously and may act synergistically, so attempts to estimate the capacity of marine systems to cope with global change requires a multi-stressor approach. Because recent evidence suggests that stressor effects can be context-dependent, estimates of how stressors are experienced in ecologically realistic settings will be particularly valuable. To enhance our understanding of the interplay between environmental effects and the impact of multiple stressors from both natural and anthropogenic sources, we conducted a field experiment. We explored the impact of multiple, functionally varied stressors from both natural and anthropogenic sources experienced during early life history in a common sessile marine invertebrate, Bugula neritina. Natural spatial environmental variation induced differences in conspecific densities, allowing us to test for density-driven context-dependence of stressor effects. We indeed found density-dependent effects. Under high conspecific density, individual survival increased, which offset part of the negative effects of experiencing stressors. Experiencing multiple stressors early in life history translated to a decreased survival in the field, albeit the effects were not as drastic as we expected: our results are congruent with antagonistic stressor effects. We speculate that when individual stressors are more subtle, stressor synergies become less common.

Ecotoxicological impact of pharmaceuticals found in treated wastewaters: study of carbamazepine, clofibric acid, and diclofenac.

PubMed

Ferrari, Benoît; Paxéus, Nicklas; Lo Giudice, Roberto; Pollio, Antonino; Garric, Jeanne

2003-07-01

In four countries (France, Greece, Italy, and Sweden) occurrence in sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents and ecotoxicity of the pharmaceuticals carbamazepine, clofibric acid, and diclofenac were investigated. Bioassays were performed on bacteria, algae, microcrustaceans, and fishes in order to calculate their predicted no-effect concentrations (PNEC) and to perform a first approach of risk characterization. For this aim, risk has been estimated by the predicted environmental concentration/PNEC ratio and the measured environmental concentration/PNEC ratio. First, regarding the PNEC, carbamazepine appears to be the more hazardous compound. Second, even though it is demonstrated that carbamazepine, clofibric acid, and diclofenac have been detected in effluents, only carbamazepine have been detected in all sewage treatment plants with the greatest concentrations. Third, risk quotients greater than unity were calculated only for carbamazepine, suggesting that risk for the water compartment is expected.

Environmental quality of Korean coasts as determined by modified Shannon-Wiener evenness proportion.

PubMed

Yoo, Jae-Won; Lee, Yong-Woo; Ruesink, Jennifer L; Lee, Chang-Gun; Kim, Chang-Soo; Park, Mi-Ra; Yoon, Kon-Tak; Hwang, In-Seo; Maeng, Jun-Ho; Rosenberg, Rutger; Hong, Jae-Sang

2010-11-01

The coast of the Korean peninsula experiences a range of human impacts, including pollution, shipping, reclamation, and aquaculture, that have motivated numerous local studies of macrobenthic organisms. In this paper, 1,492 subtidal stations were compiled from 23 studies (areas) to evaluate environmental quality on a broader scale. A common index in biomonitoring, Shannon-Wiener evenness proportion (SEP), could not incorporate azoic or single-species samples. This shortcoming was overcome by developing an inverse function of SEP (ISEP), which was positively correlated with independent measures of water quality available for nine sites and was not biased by the size of the sampling unit. Additionally, at Shihwa Dike, where samples were collected before and after reinstating a tidal connection with the ocean, ISEP values improved over time, as expected. Thus, it is now possible to assign Korean subtidal sites to seven ISEP "grades" and to use their values and trends to guide coastal management.

28 CFR 91.62 - Preparing an Environmental Assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... environmental analysis. Any state or local environmental impact review requirements should also be incorporated... laws and regulations as well as similar state and local environmental impact review requirements. (e... FACILITIES Environmental Impact Review Procedures for VOI/TIS Grant Program Environmental Review Procedures...

Research gaps related to the environmental impacts of electronic cigarettes

PubMed Central

Chang, Hoshing

2014-01-01

Objective To consider the research gaps related to the environmental impacts of electronic cigarettes due to their manufacture, use and disposal. Methods Literature searches were conducted through December 2013. Studies were included in this review if they related to the environmental impacts of e-cigarettes. Results Scientific information on the environmental impacts of e-cigarette manufacturing, use and disposal is very limited. No studies formally evaluated the environmental impacts of the manufacturing process or disposal of components, including batteries. Four studies evaluated potential exposure to secondhand e-cigarette aerosol, an indication of impacts on indoor air quality. A 2010 survey of six e-cigarette models found that none of the products provided disposal instructions for spent cartridges containing nicotine. Notably, some e-cigarette manufacturers claim their e-cigarettes are ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘green’, despite the lack of any supporting data or environmental impact studies. Some authors argue that such advertising may boost sales and increase e-cigarette appeal, especially among adolescents. Conclusions Little is known about the environmental impacts of e-cigarettes, and a number of topics could be further elucidated by additional investigation. These topics include potential environmental impacts related to manufacturing, use and disposal. The environmental impacts of e-cigarette manufacturing will depend upon factory size and the nicotine extracting method used. The environmental impacts of e-cigarette use will include chemical and aerosol exposure in the indoor environment. The environmental impacts of disposal of e-cigarette cartridges (which contain residual nicotine) and disposal of e-cigarettes (which contain batteries) represent yet another environmental concern. PMID:24732165

40 CFR 227.2 - Materials which satisfy the environmental impact criteria of subpart B.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... environmental impact criteria of subpart B. 227.2 Section 227.2 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... DUMPING OF MATERIALS General § 227.2 Materials which satisfy the environmental impact criteria of subpart... satisfies the environmental impact criteria set forth in subpart B, a permit for ocean dumping will be...

32 CFR 989.12 - AF Form 813, Request for Environmental Impact Analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false AF Form 813, Request for Environmental Impact... FORCE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS PROCESS (EIAP) § 989.12 AF Form 813, Request for Environmental Impact Analysis. The Air Force uses AF Form 813 to document the need for...

43 CFR 46.420 - Terms used in an environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Terms used in an environmental impact... IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OF 1969 Environmental Impact Statements § 46.420 Terms used in an environmental impact statement. The following terms are commonly used to describe concepts...

18 CFR 380.7 - Format of an environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... environmental impact statement. 380.7 Section 380.7 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY... ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT § 380.7 Format of an environmental impact statement. In addition to the requirements for an environmental impact statement prescribed in 40 CFR 1502.10 of the regulations of the Council...

76 FR 50323 - Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-12

... Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement for the California High-Speed Train Project Fresno...-Speed Train (HST) Project Fresno to Bakersfield Section (Project). FRA is the lead Federal agency and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) is the lead state agency for the environmental...

Oral health disparities and the workforce: a framework to guide innovation.

PubMed

Hilton, Irene V; Lester, Arlene M

2010-06-01

Oral health disparities currently exist in the United States, and workforce innovations have been proposed as one strategy to address these disparities. A framework is needed to logically assess the possible role of workforce as a contributor to and to analyze workforce strategies addressing the issue of oral health disparities. Using an existing framework, A Strategic Framework for Improving Racial/Ethnic Minority Health and Eliminating Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities, workforce was sequentially applied across individual, environmental/community, and system levels to identify long-term problems, contributing factors, strategies/innovation, measurable outcomes/impacts, and long-term goals. Examples of current workforce innovations were applied to the framework. Contributing factors to oral health disparities included lack of racial/ethnic diversity of the workforce, lack of appropriate training, provider distribution, and a nonuser-centered system. The framework was applied to selected workforce innovation models delineating the potential impact on contributing factors across the individual, environmental/community, and system levels. The framework helps to define expected outcomes from workforce models that would contribute to the goal of reducing oral health disparities and examine impacts across multiple levels. However, the contributing factors to oral health disparities cannot be addressed by workforce innovation alone. The Strategic Framework is a logical approach to guide workforce innovation, solutions, and identification of other aspects of the oral healthcare delivery system that need innovation in order to reduce oral health disparities.