Sustainability: a Dissent

Abstract:  Broadly conceived and considered in its many usages, sustainability has grave defects as a planning goal, particularly when used by conservationists: it confuses means and ends; it is vague about what is being sustained and who or what is doing the sustaining; it is uninspiring; it is little more than Pinchot-era conservation (and thus ignores the many lessons learned since then); it need not be linked to land, to the land's functioning, or to any ecological science; it need not include a moral component; it is consistent with the view of humans as all-powerful manipulators of the planet; and, in general, it is such a malleable term that its popularity provides only a facade of consensus. When sustainability is defined broadly to include the full range of economic and social aspirations, it poses the particular risk that ecological and biodiversity concerns will be cast aside in favor of more pressing human wants. Given these many defects, the conservation movement should discard the term in favor of a more alluring goal, attentive to nature and its ecological functioning. A sound goal would incorporate and distill the considerable ecological and moral wisdom accumulated since Pinchot's day while giving conservationists the rhetorical tools needed to defend the land against competing pressures. In our view, conservation would be well served by an updated variant of "land health," Aldo Leopold's ecologically grounded goal from the 1940s. Land health as an independent understanding should set the essential terms of how we live and enjoy the earth, providing the framework within which we pursue our many social and economic aims.     

高级氧化技术机理及在水处理中的应用进展

综述了近年来发展迅速的高级氧化技术，主要包括Fenton法、臭氧氧化法、湿式氧化技术、超临界水氧化法、纳米光催化氧化法电化学催化降解法及超声降解法等。介绍了各种高级氧化技术的基本原理及在废水处理中的应用进展，并对其特点进行了评述。     

在污染条件下生物的生态效应

主要就污染物对动物、植物及人体健康的危害，以及在污染条件下生物的适应与进化作一综述。     

云南省土壤污染状况调查中样品的保存与管理

主要介绍了土壤污染状况调查中,应通过规范要求土壤样品的保存与管理步骤,确保土壤污染状况调查数据的准确性与可比性。     

西藏自治区土地资源的适宜性评价与利用

本文综合评价了西藏自治区土地资源的适宜性及其质量．阐明了影响土地资源潜力发挥的主要限制因素，分析了土地资源利用现状、存在问题和开发潜力。并在此基础上、提出了西藏自治区土地资源合理开发利用的方向、对策和措施。     

岷江上游半干旱河谷土壤成土特征研究：以大沟流域为例

岷江上游半干旱河谷位于新构造运动活动带，其土壤形成和发育过程有着鲜明的区域特征。本文结合该区域的自然地理特点，综合分析各成土因素和土壤性状，对该区域土壤的成土特征进行了深入的分析和研究。     

水入渗条件下边坡破坏离心模型试验研究

水的人渗能对土体强度产生较大的影响,它是造成边坡破坏的一个主要因素.不同含水量土质边坡的离心模型试验表明:边坡的破坏类型与其含水量大小有关,且主要存在两种破坏类型:一种是含水量较小时形成的拉裂缝破坏,另一种是含水量较大时形成的整体滑塌破坏;同时,含水量与边坡的最大稳定高度呈非线性关系.进一步的损伤力学分析表明,随着土体含水量的增加,损伤变量增大,并存在一个突变点;通过同离心模型试验结果比较,发现该突变点对应的含水量可作为两种破坏类型的判据.     

New Metal Emission Patterns in Road Traffic Environments

The increased awareness of traffic as a major diffuse metal emission source emphasizes the need for more detailed information on the various traffic-related sources and how and where the metals are dispersed. In this study, metal emission patterns in the road traffic environment were examined from the perspective of different surrounding factors, e.g. the importance of intersections, deceleration, vehicle speed and traffic density. A total of 148 topsoil samples from 18 south Swedish roads were analysed (using GFAAS) for traffic-emitted metals, i.e. Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb and Zn. The roadside topsoil metal concentrations were used to examine correlations between metals and surrounding factors. The studied metals were divided into three groups corresponding to different emission sources: metals from decelerating activities (Cu, Sb and Zn), metals as historical residues from the combustion of petrol (Pb and Cd), and non-source-specific metals (Cr and Ni). It was found that Cu and Sb, despite their rather short history as traffic-emitted metals, have increased more than eightfold in roadside soils compared to background levels. The major source of road traffic related Cu and Sb is brake linings. The significant increase of Cu and Sb in roadside topsoil stresses the need for metal transport studies as well as effect studies of these metals. Metals emitted due to decelerating activities were not correlated to elevated concentrations near road junctions. Emission patterns of traffic-related metals alongside roads are crucial in order to be able to evaluate the optimal localization of storm water treatment ponds.