Competitiveness, welfare and eco-efficiency. Perspectives for spatial structure and land use in Finland

This document presents views on the long-term development of land use and spatial structure in Finland. In the future, especially globalisation and economic development based on know-how, but increasingly also the ageing of the population and the climate change will have an impact on the location of functions and activities. Since decisions on land use and spatial structure have long-time effects, they should be given a sustainable direction so as to support competitiveness, ecological sustainability and the well-being of the citizens. For Finland to be successful in the global economy, the spatial structures should be linked to developments in Europe and the adjacent areas. Advantage should be taken of the opportunities offered by the Baltic Sea, and the emergence of cross-border development zones should be promoted. A polycentric spatial structure will support the strengths of each region and the utilisation of advantages in location and existing structures. Improved accessibility requires inputs, but these should be environmentally safe. Finnish regions have a particular strength in their varied environments, which provide an excellent framework for high-quality living environments, more extensive tourism, and the utilisation of natural resources

Go Green Ontario’s Action Plan On Climate Change

This report outlines Ontario's Go Green Action Plan for Climate Change and its five-point action plan

Climate Regime Beyond 2012: Key Perspectives (Long-Term Targets), 2nd Interim Report

This report presents the international developments related to Long-Term Targets for controlling climate change, the significance of establishing Long-Term Targets, the conditions precedent to debating Long-Term Targets, temperature increases and related impacts due to climate change, the approaches to establishing Long-Term Targets, and the agenda for the future

Use of Pulsed-UV Processes to Destroy NDMA

About five years ago, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) began to be detected in drinking water sources. Typically an oxidative degradation product of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine, NDMA is a component of rocket fuel and is also formed during numerous industrial manufacturing processes as a byproduct of reactions involving chemicals called alkylamines. The US Environmental Protection Agency has identified NDMA as a probable human carcinogen. However, because NDMA had not historically been considered a common drinking water contaminant, no federal or state drinking water standards were established for it until 1998 in California. In addition to its presence in drinking water, it has recently been suggested that NDMA may be present in sewage and reclaimed water after chlorination, as well as surface water processed by conventional drinking water treatment methods. The mechanisms of NDMA formation appear to be associated with the chlorination process. Therefore, an urgent need has developed for technologies that can remediate drinking water sources contaminated by this compound. This need sparked a growing interest in the potential of pulsed-ultraviolet (UV) and pulsed-UV/hydrogen peroxide treatment processes for removing NDMA from drinking water. The authors of this article evaluated the effectiveness of these treatments for NDMA removal. The results showed that NDMA can be reduced with UV light treatment. This finding will help drinking water utilities to better comply with state and federal standards and to more effectively protect public health