Bulte, EH 2000, 'The economics of soil nutrient stocks and cattle ranching in the tropics: optimal pasture degradation in humid Costa Rica', European Review of Agriculture Economics, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 207-226.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
View description>>
We present a model that can be used to analyse economically optimal nutrient (nitrogen) stocks in agricultural lands. The model is applied to study cattle ranching in humid Costa Rica. The numerical results indicate that, for current meat prices and discount rate, it is privately optimal to 'mine' soil nitrogen. In the long run, efficiency is consistent with degraded and abandoned pastures, as observed in the study region. Sustainable pasture management is economically efficient only for a discount rate close to zero or for meat prices at about twice the highest recorded value in 1985 - 1997. The results highlight the potential conflict between sustainability and economic efficiency. Caveats and externalities that are not included on our model are discussed.
Jazbec, M, Fletcher, DF & Haynes, BS 2000, 'Simulation of the ignition of lean methane mixtures using CFD modelling and a reduced chemistry mechanism', Applied Mathematical Modelling, vol. 24, no. 8-9, pp. 689-696.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
Mason, C 2000, 'Healthy people places and transport', Health Promotion Journal of Australia, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 190-196.
View description>>
Transport systems have recently been identified as significant social determinants of health. Because physical activity is extraordinarily effective in protecting physical and mental health, health professionals are beginning to promote 'active transport' (travel by foot, bicycle or public transport) as a sustainable positive lifestyle habit. This paper argues that a convergence of interests in health, environment protection and transport is opportune for securing more livable neighbourhoods and better public health. This paper takes a composite ecological approach to investigating the links between transport, environment and health, rather than the conventional pollution paradigm. In doing this, three issues are raised: * the scale of the health-damaging effects of current and projected transport practices; * the potential for increasing the health-promoting effects of transport; and * the potential to intervene in practical ways in the harmful trend toward sedentary car travel at the expense of active transport.
Mason, C 2000, 'Transport and health: en route to a healthier Australia?', Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 172, pp. 230-232.
View description>>
* We have been slow to recognise the impact that decisions about transport, land use and infrastructure have on health. * Apart from encouraging a sedentary lifestyle, reliance on motor vehicle transport has a range of adverse health effects (traffic accidents, air and noise pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions). * Physical activity equivalent to 30 minutes (in total) of brisk walking on all, or most, days of the week provides preventive and protective benefits for a wide range of health conditions (including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and osteoporosis). * 'Active transport' -- walking, cycling and/or using public transport instead of car travel -- could have dual health benefits by providing physical activity and reducing the adverse health effects of motor vehicle transport. * Doctors, medical administrators and health advocates can encourage the use of 'active transport', and influence community-based programs and policy development about land use planning and travel demand management.
McNevin, D, Harrison, M, King, A, David, K & Mitchell, C 2000, 'Towards an integrated performance model for subsurface flow constructed wetlands', JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH PART A-TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, vol. 35, no. 8, pp. 1415-1429.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
View description>>
Detailed investigations have been conducted on a set of four pilot scale subsurface flow (SSF) constructed wetlands in order to characterise heat transfer, mass dispersion and biological performance mechanisms. These studies have followed the beds from post construction through unplanted hydraulic base line studies to the current status of mature stands of Phragmites australis. Experimental observations indicate that in unplanted beds, daily thermal fluctuations are depth dependent and range from 1 to 9 degrees Celsius. These fluctuations result in daily thermal inversions, and enhanced mixing and oxygen transport. For planted beds, thermal fluctuations are depth independent, and have a constant amplitude of 2 degrees Celsius. Planted beds may be thermally stratified. Lithium tracer studies corroborate these results for the planted bed. In addition, performance studies indicate that organic pollutant removal is probably limited to organic suspended solids removal, with subsequent biological breakdown. Current first-order plug flow models can not account for these operational issues. A combined model is necessary to account for lateral dispersion, temperature gradients and settling of suspended solids to accurately reflect real biological removal mechanisms
Mitchell, C 2000, 'Integrating sustainability in chemical engineering practice and education: Concentricity and its consequences', Process Safety and Environmental Protection, vol. 78, no. 4, pp. 237-242.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
View description>>
This paper begins by reviewing representations of sustainability, and suggesting a revised concentric model which places techno-centric (micro economic and micro thermodynamic) concerns at the core, limited by socio-centric (macro economic) concerns, which in turn are ultimately limited by eco-centric (macro thermodynamic) concerns. This new model has important consequences for how the context and impact of engineering practice might be viewed, and therefore what engineering education priorities ought to be. Accepting this new model requires a paradigm change in engineering education: sustainability cannot be presented as an add-on in engineering curricula. The new model dictates that sustainability is presented as a way of thinking, integrated throughout the course. Accreditation processes can facilitate or stifle the use of models such as that proposed in this paper because they are important drivers for course content and delivery in professional degrees such as engineering. Recently, there have been significant changes in engineering accreditation practices in Australia and North America. A critique of current accreditation documentation shows that UK-based chemical engineering processes lag Australian and North American institutional reforms for their capacity to promote sustainability as an overarching theme. © Institution of Chemical Engineers.
Mitchell, C 2000, 'Integrating sustainability in chemical engineering practice and education: Concentricity and its consequences', PROCESS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, vol. 78, no. B4, pp. 237-242.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
View description>>
This paper begins by reviewing representations of sustainability, and suggesting a revised concentric model which places techno-centric (micro economic and micro thermodynamic) concerns at the core, limited by socio-centric (macro economic) concerns, which in turn are ultimately limited by eco-centric (macro thermodynamic) concerns. This new model has important consequences for how the context and impact of engineering practice might be viewed, and therefore what engineering education priorities ought to be. Accepting this new model requires a paradigm change in engineering education: sustainability cannot be presented as an add-on in engineering curricula. The new model dictates that sustainability is presented as a way of thinking, integrated throughout the course. Accreditation processes can facilitate or stifle the use of models such as that proposed in this paper because they are important drivers for course content and delivery in professional degrees such as engineering. Recently, there have been significant changes in engineering accreditation practices in Australia and North America. A critique of current accreditation documentation shows that UK-based chemical engineering processes lag Australian and North American institutional reforms for their capacity to promote sustainability as an overarching theme.
Mukheibir, P 2000, 'The provision of basic services to farm-dwellers', Land and Rural Digest, vol. 10.
O'Donoghue, R, Jacobs, B, Milham, P & Havilah, E 2000, 'Phosphorus supply influences carbohydrates in dairy pasture species', Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, vol. 13, no. SUPPL. A, p. 263.
Plant, R 2000, 'Beleggingen van institutionele beleggers nauwkeuriger met kwartaalcijfers (Investments of institutional investors more accurate using quaternary data, IN DUTCH)', Financiele Maandstatistiek, vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 16-18.
Plant, RAJ 2000, 'Regional analysis of soil–atmosphere nitrous oxide emissions in the Northern Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica', Global Change Biology, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 639-653.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
View description>>
SummaryRegional analysis of greenhouse gas emissions is becoming increasingly important in answering questions related to environmental change, and typically employs a Geographic Information System (GIS) linked with a process‐based simulation model. For the Northern Atlantic Zone (NAZ) in Costa Rica (281 649 ha), a regional analysis of soil–atmosphere nitrous oxide fluxes from the dominant land‐use types forest, cattle pastures, and banana plantations was performed with both deterministic and stochastic variable representations. The stochastic representation accounted for soil and land management variability across nongeoreferenced fields within 1572 georeferenced land units in 13 relevant classes. Per class, frequency distributions of field‐scale fluxes were simulated with a process‐based model and Monte Carlo methods. Stochastic incorporation of both soil and land use variability resulted in areal (i.e. land unit‐scale) fluxes that were 14–22% lower than estimates based on averaged inputs. Soil heterogeneity was dominant.In addition, spatial flux patterns for current (1992) land use and two alternative land‐use scenarios were evaluated using stochastic inputs. With current management, the regional nitrous oxide‐N flux (standard deviation in parentheses) from agricultural land was 0.43 (0.13) Gg y−1. Replacing natural grasses with mixtures of grasses and N‐fixing species on relevant soil types and introducing different forms of banana plantation management (alternative I) increased the regional flux by 51% to 0.65 (0.22) Gg y−1. When all natural grasses were replaced by fertilized improved species and allowing different forms of banana plantation management (alternative II), the regional flux increased by 126% to 0.97 (0.68) Gg y−1.Using the revised IPCC methodology, the 1992 nitrous oxide emission from agriculture in the NA...
Toohey, KM, Crawford, S & Halbwirth, S 2000, 'Sydney's Olympic legacy and education resources', Orana, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 14-20.
White, S, Dupont, P & Robinson, DG 2000, 'Water demand management and conservation', Water Supply, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 163-175.
Willetts, JRM, Ashbolt, NJ, Moosbrugger, RE & Aslam, MR 2000, 'The use of a thermophilic anaerobic system for pretreatment of textile dye wastewater', Water Science and Technology, vol. 42, no. 5-6, pp. 309-316.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
View description>>
A thermophilic up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor was investigated for the decolouration of a synthetic textile wastewater. Textile wastewater is produced at high temperature and dyes are amenable to decolourisation under anaerobic conditions, however this is the first report of the use of such a thermophilic system to aid in the treatment of this wastewater. The decolouration efficiency and robustness of the thermophilic system were compared with a corresponding mesophilic anaerobic system to study the reduction of a selection of reactive dyes, the toxic effect of increasing influent dye concentration (up to 0.64 g.L-1), and the response during acclimation to high salinity conditions (up to 20 g.L-1 as sodium chloride) in three separate stages of experimentation. It was shown that compared with the mesophilic system, the thermophilic UASB treatment gave considerably higher dye decolouration with all the dyes tested, and under all operating conditions investigated. No loss in decolourisation potential was observed during an increase in influent dye concentration. However, toxicity effects were evident, noted by a decrease in COD removal and methane gas production. Acclimation to high salt concentrations also showed an adverse effect upon COD removal and gas production, however dye removal again remained virtually 100 % efficient.
Edgerton, BD, McNevin, D, Wong, CH, Menoud, P, Barford, JP & Mitchell, CA 1970, 'Strategies for dealing with piggery effluent in Australia: the sequencing batch reactor as a solution', WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 4th IAWQ International Specialised Conference on Small Wastewater Treatment Plants, PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, STRATFORD AVON, ENGLAND, pp. 123-126.
View description>>
Currently the accepted practice for swine wastewater disposal is lagoon stabilisation followed by land application. This disposal method can exacerbate odour emissions and contribute to soil contamination and eutrophication of waterways. Intensification of the pig industry has increased the impact of individual piggeries; this combined with tightening legislation is causing the pig industry in Australia to look at alternative treatment methods. A pilot scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was built to treat piggery wastewater. It achieved NH4+ and odour reductions of greater than 99% as well as 79% removal of COD and a 49% reduction of PO43-on a mass balance basis. The reactor experienced problems with foaming for the first 2 months of operation, which was controlled with vegetable oil until the foaming stopped. Struvite formation also occurred within the reactor and influent pipes but it was calculated that sufficient nutrients were removed to prevent precipitation down stream of the SBR.
Fane, SA & Ashbolt, NJ 1970, 'A methodology for assessing comparative pathogen impact from novel wastewater recycling systems', Water Recycling Australia, CSIRO Land and Water, Adelaide, Australia.
Malmqvist, P, Ashbolt, NJ, Fane, SA, Hellstrom, D, Jeppsson, U & Soderberg, H 1970, 'Assessing alternative wastewater systems in Hammarby Sjostad Stockholm', Decision Making in Urban and Civil Engineering, Lyon, France.
Mason, C 1970, 'Mobility management in Australia: reflections on programs by trip generators for intra-city accessibility', 4th European Conference on Mobility Management, 4th European Conference on Mobility Management, Bregenz, Austria.
McNevin, D & Mitchell, CA 1970, 'Water cycle management and life cycle assessment: on-site vs centralised sewage treatment systems', Second National Conference on Life Cycle Assessment: Pathways to EcoEfficiency, Second National Conference on Life Cycle Assessment: Pathways to EcoEfficiency, Melbourne.
Jazbec, M & Haynes, BS 2000, Low temperature H2S oxidation in the presence of NOx, International Symposium on Combustion Abstracts of Accepted Papers, p. 382.
View description>>
Trace amounts of H2S, which are present in natural gas, can be emitted in the atmosphere as H2S or in the oxidized form as SOx. The low-temperature oxidation of H2S was studied experimentally in an isothermal plug flow reactor at an interval of 150°-550°C and 1 atm and analyzed the interaction of 100 ppm H2S with 0-100 ppm NO, 0-100 ppm NO2 with or without O2 present (0-20%). NO and NOx concentrations were also determined using a chemiluminescent NOx analyzer. NO2 reacted readily with H2S in the absence of O2 even at 150°C. The products detected were H2O, SO2, NO, NO2, O2, and trace amounts of H2. In the presence of O2, SO2 was the main sulfur product. However, in the absence of O2, S2O formation occurred when H2S reacted with NO2.
Plant, R Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) 2000, Inventarisatie Methoden en Technieken Integraal Afwegen (Inventory of Integrated Assessment Methods, IN DUTCH), Apeldoorn.
View description>>
Rapportnr, R 2000/456, TNO-MEP, Apeldoorn
White, S, Hendriks, C & Riedy, C Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS 2000, Waste Management and Minimisation Strategies, pp. 1-36, Sydney.
View description>>
Waste minimisation can potentially decrease the amount of waste to landfill by approximately 80%, using readily available means. This project examines ways in which a similar reduction could be achieved at the Australian Technology Park (ATP) and put the ATP at the forefront of waste reduction in NSW. The limitations of the current solid waste management system at the ATP include the lack of recycling services and the poor location of the communal waste facilities.
