Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Massachusetts Environmental Industry: Facing The Challenges Of Maturity, Betty J. Diener, David Terkla, Erick Cooke

David G. Terkla

For most of the past 20 years, the environmental industry has been a very significant one, both in Massachusetts and across the country. Some have placed it alongside the electronics, computer hardware, software, biotechnology, fiber optics, and composite materials industries as part of the high-technology sector that has diversified and strengthened the state’s economy. Nationally, environmental industry employment exceeded that of several major manufacturing industries, including chemicals, paper, and aerospace. In the late 1990s, however, the momentum of the environmental movement began to wane. A decline in both employment and sales suggests that many of the most pressing environmental concerns …

Planning Framework Options For The Massachusetts Ocean Plan (Draft), Jack Wiggin, Kristin Uiterwyk, Steve Bliven, Dan Hellin, John Duff, David Terkla, Robert E. Bowen, Andrew A. Rosenberg, Jennie Harrington, Jill H. Swasey, Suzanne Iudicello, Robert O’Boyle, Porter Hoagland, Hauke L. Kite-Powell, Di Jin, Fara Courtney, Rich Delaney, Pat Hughes, Tracey Morin Dalton, Suzanne Goulet Orenstein, Charles N. Ehler, Fannie Douvere, Les Kaufman, Charles T. Mccaffrey Jr., Nicholas Napoli, Stephanie Moura, Kim Starbuck

David G. Terkla

The Massachusetts Ocean Partnership (MOP) Planning Frameworks Team, in consultation with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), and based on collective experience and a review of ocean, coastal and resource management programs from the US and other countries, suggests that nine elements are essential components of the framework for the Massachusetts Ocean Plan and its implementation. While management plans and programs generally have these elements in common, there are a range of options for carrying out each program component. These options were presented to structure and inform the development of the Massachusetts Ocean Plan. For the …

Using Social Media To Build Community Disaster Resilience (Powerpoint), Neil Dufty

Neil Dufty

No abstract provided.

Examination Of The Total Flood Warning System In Victoria (Report), Neil Dufty

Neil Dufty

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Evapotranspiration Upon Recharge Using The Stable Isotopes Of Oxygen And Hydrogen In The Carbonate Aquifers Of The Cumberland Plateau In Southeast Kentucky, Lee J. Florea

Lee J Florea, PhD, P.G.

In this brief manuscript, we consider the variation of the stable isotopes of oxygen, δ18O, and hydrogen, δ2H, in samples collected during 2010 and 2011 from precipitation and shallow groundwater along the Cumberland Plateau of southeast Kentucky. These data from the 1,900-ha Redmond Creek karst aquifer lend insight into the source and timing of recharge to shallow groundwater in the epigenic karst of the U.S midcontinent. Specifically, we find that only 43% of precipitation remains as potential recharge after accounting for evapotranspiration, and 85% of this potential recharge occurs during only four two-week sampling periods. The isotopic composition of precipitation …

Wind Charged Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, John Patten, Nathan Christensen, Steven Srivastava, Gary Nola

john a patten

With the emergence of electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid vehicles HVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) from a variety of automotive manufacturers, the electrical grid will need to meet new challenges in supplying the electricity required to charge these vehicles. To help supply the electricity needed by these vehicles, we compared the electricity consumption of a modified Toyota Prius (PHEV) and the output of a small residential wind turbine over the course of one year. Our research seeks to determine whether a small residential wind turbine can supply the necessary electricity demanded by the PHEV annually.

The Impact Of Driving Conditions On Phev Battery Performance, Nathan Christensen, John Patten, Steven Srivastava, Gary P. Nola

john a patten

The battery performance of a modified Prius with a 5 kWh plug-in battery was documented for a year to determine the impact of environmental conditions and user attributes on vehicle performance. Both fuel economy and pure electrical efficiency were compared to ambient temperature. The fuel economy has a positive relationship with ambient temperature until approximately 70˚F where the efficiency begins to drop. Electrical performance has a positive linear relationship with ambient temperature. With the emergence of electric vehicles (EVs) and PHEVs from a variety of automotive manufacturers, information on EV and PHEV performance for consumers will become more important.

Determining Nutrient And Sediment Critical Source Areas With Swat: Effect Of Lumped Calibration, Ruoyu Wang

Ruoyu Wang

Application Of A Cave Inventory System To Stimulate Development Of Management Strategies: The Case Of West-Central Florida, Usa, Leslie North

Leslie North

Effects Of Hurricane Katrina On Freshwater Fish Assemblages In A Small Coastal Tributary Of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, Martin O'Connell

Martin T O'Connell

Hurricane Katrina struck southeastern Louisiana on 29 August 2005 and thereby created an opportunity to examine the effects of a catastrophic storm on fish assemblages in a coastal stream. Bayou Lacombe is a small (46.1 river kilometers), primarily freshwater stream that drains into the northeastern portion of Lake Pontchartrain, a large oligohaline estuary located north of New Orleans. In summer 2005 (prior to the hurricane), three upstream and three downstream reaches of Bayou Lacombe were surveyed by electrofishing. These same six reaches were resurveyed in the summer of 2006 to assess the effects of the hurricane on fish assemblages. There …

After The Storm: Post-Katrina Reflections From Afs Members In Louisiana And Mississippi, Martin O'Connell

Martin T O'Connell

No abstract provided.

Ichthyofaunal And Habitat Associations Of Distinct Populations Of Southern Redbelly Dace, Phoxinus Erythrogaster (Teliostei: Cyprinidae) In Mississippi, Martin O'Connell

Martin T O'Connell

Twenty-two field sites in W-central Mississippi were surveyed for southern red- belly dace Phoxinus erythrogaster to characterize habitat and ichthyofaunal associations of these 'endangered' disjunct populations. Phoxinus erythrogaster occurred at only six sites. Data assessed similarity among all sites and described microhabitat associations of P erythro- gaster. Five species, including Semotilus atromaculatus, Campostoma anomalum, Etheostoma whipplei, P erythrogaster and Pimephales notatus, comprised 95% of the total number of in- dividuals collected at P erythrogaster sites. Standardized abundance (number per seine haul) for S. atromaculatus was consistently high among all P erythrogaster sites, whereas standard- ized abundance for C. anomalum, P …

Fish Assemblage Stability Over Fifty Years In The Lake Pontchartrain Estuary; Comparisons Among Habitats Using Canonical Correspondence Analysis, Martin O'Connell, Robert Cashner, Christopher Schieble

Martin T O'Connell

We assessed fish assemblage stability over the last half century in Lake Pontchartrain, an environmentally degraded oligohaline estuary in southeastern Louisiana. Because assemblage instability over time has been consistently associated with severe habitat degradation, we attempted to determine whether fish assemblages in demersal, nearshore, and pelagic habitats exhibited change that was unrelated to natural fluctuations in environmental variables (e.g., assemblage changes between wet and dry periods). Collection data from three gear types (trawl, beach seine, and gill nets) and monthly environmental data (salinity, temperature, and Secchi depth) were compared for four collecting periods: 1954 (dry period), 1978 (wet period), 1996–1998 …

Freshwater Fishes Of South Carolina By Fred C. Rohde, Rudolf G. Arndt, Jeffrey W. Foltz, And Joseph M. Quattro With Photographs By Fred C. Rohde-Book Review, Martin O'Connell

Martin T O'Connell

No abstract provided.

New Nanosystem Mixed Reactor For Urban Wastewater Treatment, Masoud Rastegar, Kamran Rahmati Shadbad

Masoud Rastegar

No abstract provided.

How Do Environmental And Natural Resource Economics Texts Deal With The Simple Model Of The Intertemporal Allocation Of A Nonrenewable Resource, Robert Main

Robert S. Main

Textbooks in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics invariably deal with the problem of allocating a non-renewable resource over time. The simplest version of that problem is the case of a resource that is to be allocated over two periods. The resource has a constant Marginal Extraction Cost (MEC). Most textbooks treat this case before moving on to more complex and realistic cases. This paper suggests the results that should be emphasized and the method that should be used to arrive at those results. It also points out the possible confusions that should be avoided. Finally, it examines how several well-known …

Using Social Media For Natural Disaster Resilience (Booklet), Neil Dufty

Neil Dufty

No abstract provided.

Review Of Community Bushfire Warnings (Report), Neil Dufty

Neil Dufty

No abstract provided.

Engagement Or Education?, Neil Dufty

Neil Dufty

No abstract provided.

Resolving Conflicts Between Green Technology Transfer And Intellectual Property Law, Robert V. Percival, Alan Miller

Robert Percival

This paper examines claims that intellectual property law, which is designed to create incentives for innovation, actually may inhibit the transfer to developing countries of green energy innovations. Although the paper cannot find significant examples of green energy technologies whose diffusion has been hindered by existing intellectual property protections, it explores strategies, such as compulsory licensing schemes, for responding to such problems if and when they arise in the future. The paper concludes that intellectual property law need not be an obstacle to a global transformation toward a green energy infrastructure that can promote economic development while advancing new levels …

New Developments In The Area Of Nonstationary And Sorption-Enhanced Catalytic Processes, Andrey N. Zagoruiko

Andrey N Zagoruiko

The presentation is dedicated to catalytic processes performed under artificially created catalyst nonstationarity. It is shown that the highest technological effect can be achieved for a controlled combination of the thermal nonstationarity with the composition nonstationarity of the catalyst surface. Prospective for application of unsteady catalytic and sorption-catalytic processes are analyzed for different case applications: VOC incineration, hydrogen production by steam conversion of hydrocarbons and organic feedsctock, selective anaerobic oxidation of hydrocarbons. In general, unsteady state and sorption-catalytic ideology discovers new degrees of freedom for process development and may become the basement for new generation of highly-efficient catalytic technologies in …

Part I: Policy Dimensions Of Offshore Wind Energy Development, Erik Nordman Ph.D., Betty Gajewski, Paul Isely Ph.D., John Koches, Kurt Thompson, Jon Vandermolen, Yue Fan, Sara Damm, Aaron Ferguson, Ryan Gajewski, Claire Schoolmaster

Erik Edward Nordman

The deployment of thousands of wind energy facilities required to meet various renewable energy targets will bring changes to the nation’s landscapes, communities, and economies.

The intent of this integrated assessment project is to comprehensively analyze the benefits and challenges to wind energy development in one particular region of coastal West Michigan, including Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan counties.

By combining science and public participation, our integrated assessment will empower citizens and local governments to make informed decisions about wind energy facilities in their communities. Our project will enhance local capacity to mitigate conflicts surrounding wind energy development, and will …

Iron Geochemical Zonation In A Tidally Inundated Acid Sulfate Soil Wetland, Scott G. Johnston, Annabelle F. Keene, Richard T. Bush, Edward D. Burton, Leigh A. Sullivan, Lloyd S. Isaacson, Angus E. Mcelnea, Colin R. Ahern, C Douglas Smith, Bernard Powell

Professor Edward D Burton

Tidal inundation is a new technique for remediating coastal acid sulfate soils (CASS). Here, we examine the effects of this technique on the geochemical zonation and cycling of Fe across a tidally inundated CASS toposequence, by investigating toposequence hydrology, in situ porewater geochemistry, solid-phase Fe fractions and Fe mineralogy. Interactions between topography and tides exerted a fundamental hydrological control on the geochemical zonation, redistribution and subsequent mineralogical transformations of Fe within the landscape. Reductive dissolution of Fe(III) minerals, including jarosite (KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6), resulted in elevated concentrations of porewater Fe2+ (> 30 mmol L−1) in former sulfuric horizons in the upper-intertidal zone. …

Mobility Of Arsenic And Selected Metals During Re-Flooding Of Iron- And Organic-Rich Acid-Sulfate Soil, Edward D. Burton, Richard T. Bush, Leigh A. Sullivan, Scott G. Johnston, Rosalie K. Hocking

Professor Edward D Burton

The drainage-induced oxidation of iron-sulfide minerals in acid-sulfate soils has adversely affected large areas of coastal floodplains. Re-flooding of these soils, via the re-establishment of more natural drainage regimes, is a potential remediation approach. Here we describe the mobility of Al, As, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn during controlled re-flooding of an Fe- and organic-rich acid-sulfate soil material. Soil re-flooding caused the onset of microbially-mediated Fe(III)-reduction, which raised the pH of the initially acidic (pH 3.4) soil to pH 6.0 to 6.5, thereby immobilizing Al. The process of Fe(III)-reduction released high concentrations of FeII and was associated with significant mobilization …

Successful Strategies For Aviation Wildlife Mitigation, Paul Eschenfelder

Paul F. Eschenfelder

Between October, 2007 and January, 2009 there were four catastrophic aircraft accidents in the United States caused by collisions between birds and aircraft. Four aircraft were destroyed and 15 people killed in these accidents. In North America we place great importance on airport wildlife control, however none of these accidents would have been prevented by improved airport wildlife control. This reveals a gap in our safety management plan for preventing/reducing wildlife hazards to aircraft. This paper explains, using case studies, successful aviation mitigation methodologies used in the past to mitigate other aviation hazards such as wind shear, volcanic ash, winter …

Reduction Of Risk: A Flight Crew Guide To The Avoidance And Mitigation Of Wildlife Strikes To Aircraft, Paul Eschenfelder, Steve Hull

Paul F. Eschenfelder

Each year the world’s airlines lose between $1 billion to $2 billion due to wildlife strikes to aircraft. This is roughly the same level of loss as the carriers pay out each year for lost luggage. One US airline cites its losses at $2 million a month due to engine ingestion alone. The last several years have seen both hull losses to air carrier aircraft and lesser damage caused by such actions as loss of control and runway excursions. Wildlife strike mitigation is a defense in depth: airplane certification/construction standards; action by airport operators to minimize wildlife on and around …

Let No New Thing Arise: Wildlife Hazards To Aviation, Paul Eschenfelder (Capt.)

Paul F. Eschenfelder

Aviation today faces another, new, thing: wildlife hazards. Since 1995 we have, worldwide, over 90 people dead from collisions between their aircraft and wildlife. It is truly a worldwide problem: the General of the Air Force in India worries about elephants on his runways; flamingos cause engine failure on a wide body aircraft in Kenya; Lan Chile has 2 B767s with destroyed engines in one week in Santiago due to bird ingestion; the Israeli Air Force has lost more aircraft to bird strikes than to air-air combat; an Air Ontario twin turboprop has both props shattered at Toronto City after …

Jet Engine Certification Standards, Paul Eschenfelder

Paul F. Eschenfelder

The ability of modern jet engines to ingest birds and continue to operate is largely misunderstood or not contemplated at all in the aviation industry. Currently, there is not one jet engine operating in the world that is certified to ingest one large bird (goose, swan, stork, pelican, vulture, etc) and continue to operate. The effort to harmonize bird ingestion rules between the FAA and JAA has failed. Controversy erupted in recent certification meetings regarding the database being used to certify engines. Additionally, should only rotating engine parts meet certain standards, or all engine parts exposed to impact meet standards? …

Training For Airport Wildlife Control Personnel: The Ibsc Recommendation, Paul Eschenfelder, Anastasios Anagnostopoulos

Paul F. Eschenfelder

ICAO Annex 14, chapter 9.4, sets as a worldwide standard the control of airport wildlife hazards by ‘competent’ airport personnel. Unfortunately ICAO provides no guidance as to what constitutes competence or properly trained personnel. The International Birdstrike Committee sought to develop a ‘best practice’ for the training of airport wildlife control personnel by forming a Working Group to develop a training recommendation. Surprisingly the Working Group found almost no state guidelines worldwide and little in the way of informal training guidelines among ICAO states reviewed. Using input from various national regulatory agencies, informal programs and the working group’s wildlife control …

Letter To The Faa Regarding Modified Standards For Bird Strike Impacts, Paul F. Eschenfelder

Paul F. Eschenfelder

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), representing the safety interests of 53,000 professional airline pilots flying for 51 airlines in the United States and Canada, has reviewed the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the referenced docket. The NPRM proposes modified standards to which engines are certified with respect to their ability to withstand impacts from birds or similar wildlife hazards. We feel the proposed standard is a step in the right direction, but cannot under any circumstances be considered attainment of a goal. As outlined below, the data used in developing the NPRM has been superseded by more accurate …