Kartlegging av miljøtilstanden i delområde Sørfjorden - Hemnes kommune. Tema: Overgjødsling og miljøgifter

Vannområde Ranfjorden: Delområde Sørfjorden er et av to pilotområder i Nordland som er valgt ut i forbindelse med implementeringen av Eus vanndirektiv i Norge. NIVA gjennomførte i oktober 2008 en undersøkelse av vannkvaliteten i øvre deler av Bleikvassli-vassdraget, langs Røssåga med viktige sidevassdrag og ut i tilhørende marine fjordområder, samt i utløpet av Bjerka- og Elsfjord-vassdraget. Dette ble gjort for å kartlegge miljøtilstanden mhp. overgjødsling og miljøgifter. Utvalgte grunnvannsområder ble også undersøkt mhp mulig forurensingseksponering. Oppdaterte data var nødvendig for å kunne utarbeide en operativ forvaltningsplan innen 2009 og for å få kunne enten friskmelde de enkelte vannforekomstene eller plassere dem i den gruppen hvor det er fare for at de ikke vil nå målet om god miljøtilstand innen 2015. Dataene er vurdert opp mot SFTs kvalitetskriterier og VD klassegrenser der disse var klare. Rapporten sammenstiller, typifiserer og karakteriserer miljøtilstanden i disse vannforekomstene

Developing a Theoretical Framework to Explain the Social Acceptability of Wind Energy

The social acceptability of wind farms has been researched for several decades now, with the first research tracing back to the 1980s. This paper aims to deliver a literature review within the structural framework proposed by the paper of variables influencing the acceptability of wind farms. The large amount of research published on the social acceptability of wind farms requires an effort to identify and categorise variables to deliver a holistic understanding of opposition and support to wind energy. We classify the variables into three main categories: first, ‘psychological variables’, including perceived benefits and costs, emotions, and attitudes; second, ‘contextual variables’, including community energy schemes and media influence; and finally, third, ‘personal resources’, including income or wealth, place of residence, and relevant knowledge in relation to the wind farm. In agreement with other scholars, we argue that NIMBYism (not in my backyard) is an outdated and simplistic explanation for opposition to wind farms. Instead, we provide a theoretical framework to explain the acceptability of wind energy and show how these variables might influence both acceptance and opposition

Characterisation and engineering properties of Tiller clay

A detailed characterisation of the quick clay underlying the NTNU research site at Tiller, Trondheim is presented. The objective of the work is to provide guidance on quick clay parameters to engineers and researchers working with similar clays in Scandinavia and North America especially on landslide hazard assessment. The material is lightly overconsolidated and is characterised by its high degree of structure and very high sensitivity (quick clay). Clay and water contents are both about 40%. The plasticity index is low (5%). This relates to the low active minerals of the clay and silt fractions (illite/chlorite and quartz/feldspars respectively). Undrained shear strength is of the order of 30 kPa to 50 kPa (medium stiff) and increases with depth. The deposit is consistent across the site and its properties are similar to other Norwegian quick clays. Significant efforts have been made into examining sample disturbance effects on the material. It was found that thin walled steel fixed piston samples can yield results similar to those of block samples provided the work is carried out with extreme care and storage time is minimised. The piezocone (CPTU) test proved very useful in characterising the material.Deposited by bulk impor

Designing urban knowledge:competing perspectives on energy and buildings

The author engages with debates about buildings, energy efficiency, and the innovation process-issues that are of great significance for urban sustainability because buildings are such an important constituent of urban energy consumption. Within this context, the author explores what it might mean to develop an interdisciplinary understanding of technical change. Questioning conventional accounts, he develops a sociotechnical perspective on competing energy knowledges and contexts of design, development, and consumption. It is argued that energy research and policy-making for the built environment is underpinned by a common understanding of technical change, which fails to take account of the contextual nature of energy-related choice. Describing cultural, organisational, and commercial factors shaping technological innovation, the author explores how more-or-less energy-efficient choices influencing urban development are made in response to changing opportunities and practices which sometimes favor energy efficiency, sometimes not. The author draws upon sociological accounts of technical change and illustrates both a sociotechnical perspective on energy and buildings and a key role for sociologists in the field of architecture, energy, and environmental studies