Toolbox from the EC FP7 HOSANNA project for the reduction of road and rail traffic noise in the outdoor environment

yesThis paper offers a brief overview of innovative methods for road and rail traffic noise reduction between source and receiver. These include using new barrier designs, planting of trees, treatments of ground and road surfaces and greening of building façades and roofs using natural materials, like vegetation, soil and other substrates in combination with recycled materials and artificial elements. The abatements are assessed in terms of numerically predicted sound level reductions, perceptual effects and cost–benefit analysis. Useful reductions of noise from urban roads and tramways are predicted for 1-m-high urban noise barriers and these are increased by adding inter-lane barriers. A 3 m wide 0.3 m high lattice ground treatment, a carefully planted 15-m-wide tree belt and replacing 50 m of paved areas by grassland are predicted to give similar reductions. Tree belts are shown to be very cost-effective and combining tall barriers with a row of trees reduces the negative impact of wind. Green roofs may significantly reduce the noise at the quiet side of buildings

Differences in Preferences Towards the Environment: The Impact of a Gender, Age and Parental Effect

The paper investigates empirically the differences in preferences towards protection of the environment. Using seven different dependent variables to focus on the impact of age, gender and children we use a large micro data set covering data from 33 Western and Eastern European countries. The results indicate that women have both a stronger preference towards the environment and a stronger willingness to contribute. Moreover, we observe the tendency of a negative correlation between age and environmental preferences. However, a positive effect is visible once we focus on the impact of age on social norms (environmental morale). Finally, we were not able to observe that having children is positively correlated with a stronger preference towards the environment

Cost-benefit analysis of tree belt configurations,

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„Lepiej, żeby sąsiadowi zdechła krowa, niż żebyśmy my mieli drugą”. Niechęć uczestniczenia w hipotetycznych polsko-białoruskich projektach wzmocnienia ochrony przyrody w puszczy białowieskiej

Transnarodowe obszary ochrony przyrody, których ważnym przykładem jest Puszcza Białowieska, stanowią znaczną część wszystkich aktualnych form obszarowej ochrony bioróżnorodności. Według naszego rozeznania nie było dotąd prac empirycznych dotyczących związanej z tym problematyki międzynarodowych dóbr publicznych. Staramy się wypełnić tę lukę, badając społeczne preferencje – zarówno w Polsce, jak i na Białorusi – odnośnie ochrony krajowych i zagranicznych fragmentów ekologicznego systemu puszczańskiego przedzielonego granicą państwową. Wyniki naszych eksperymentów z wyborem wskazują, że skala obecnej współpracy jest efektywna ekonomicznie, oraz pożądana społecznie. W artykule badamy zjawisko wzajemnej niechęci finansowania rozszerzenia obszarów ochrony biernej w Puszczy Białowieskiej. Tylko wśród polskich respondentów udało się zidentyfikować nieliczne osoby, które gotowe byłyby partycypować finansowo w hipotetycznym projekcie zlokalizowanym w kraju sąsiada. Ponadto, by polscy respondenci są przeciętnie gotowi podjąć się bardziej skutecznej ochrony (przynajmniej w kraju). Natomiast respondenci białoruscy wydają się być zazwyczaj usatysfakcjonowani dotychczasowymi rozwiązaniami

Insensitivity to scope in contingent valuation studies: new direction for an old problem

Griffith Health, School of MedicineNo Full Tex

Policy Instruments for Managing EU Road Safety Targets: Road Safety Impact Assessment

The Directive 2008/96/EC of European Parliament and of the Council requires the establishment and implementation of procedures relating to road safety impact assessments, road safety audits, the management of road network safety and safety inspections by the Member States. Directive aims to develop procedures with the aim of increasing safety of road infrastructures. Road Safety Impact Assessment (RSIA) is an initial part of road infrastructure safety management systems. This article describes the scope of RSIA procedures, provides detailed recommendations on qualification of auditors, implementation and execution of procedures for the EU Member States. Road safety should play an important role when routes are being selected and safety awareness should be included in the decision making during the designing/planning stage. RSIA is a very beneficial tool that could increase transparency and availability of information, consequently, it leads all parties concerned to well-informed decisions

Tourist Segments for New Facilities in National Park Areas: Profiling Tourists in Norway Based on Psychographics and Demographics

The pursuit of sustainable tourism may involve development of more facilities in the buffer zones of national parks and other pristine nature areas. Two independent samples of domestic and foreign tourists in Norway were segmented based on expressed preferences for a diversity of new facilities in an alpine national park region, all facilities potentially with different impacts on the natural habitat. One sample was recruited inside the alpine area, the other outside. Post hoc market segmentation was carried out using a combined two-stage hierarchical and nonhierarchical clustering of facility quest factors identified from a set of survey items. We assessed stability of the clusters by comparing independent sample solutions against the pooled sample and further assessing the extent to which the clusters differed with respect to demographic or psychographic characteristics