Parallelle procedures en misbruik van procesrecht onder de EEX-Verordening II

Vlas, P. [Promotor

Comparison of bioassessment results and costs between preserved and unpreserved macroinvertebrate samples from streams

The choice to use or not use a preservative before sorting macroinvertebrate samples (i.e., dead specimens vs. living specimens) is based on studies not solely focused on the effects of preservation. Using identical sample processing protocols, we compared preserved and unpreserved samples for the following parameters: (1) the number of taxa and individuals for each major macroinvertebrate group, (2) ecological quality classes calculated with a multimetric index developed for the assessment of small Dutch lowland streams, and (3) costs of sample processing. We collected macroinvertebrate samples from three lowland streams in the Netherlands. At each site, we collected six replicate samples, of which three samples were preserved and three were not. Significantly different numbers of Ephemeroptera individuals and Hydracarina taxa and individuals were collected from preserved samples compared to unpreserved samples. In assessments based on these individual metrics, standardization of sample processing will be required. In streams with Ephemeroptera, the preservation of samples is necessary to optimize the number of Ephemeroptera individuals collected. In streams that contain Hydracarina, the preservation of samples will result in an underestimation of the number of Hydracarina taxa and individuals present. In only one instance there was a difference in ecological quality between preserved and unpreserved samples, indicating that assessing small Dutch lowland streams does not require standardization of sample preservation as part of the sample processing protocol. We detected no significant differences in sample processing costs between preserved and unpreserved samples

Rise and reduction of induced earthquakes in the Groningen gas field, 1991-2018:statistical trends, social impacts, and policy change

Over 320 induced earthquakes with magnitude M1.5, including 38 with M2.5 in the Groningen gas field, the Netherlands, are statistically analysed, and their societal impacts and recent policy changes reviewed. Increased seismicity indicates that the 900km(2) large, 3km deep and 100m thick sandstone reservoir has become increasingly vulnerable to further extraction, especially after 2001 and 60% depletion of the total 2800billion cubic meters (bcm). Regardless of stepwise reductions in annual extraction: from 54 bcm in 2013 to 20 bcm in 2018, well-fitting trends over 1991-2018 reveal a steady growth of seismic activity per unit of gas extraction. This would imply that, before full resource depletion, some 500 more earthquakes with M1.5 might occur, including 50 with M2.5, 6 with M3.5, and 1 with M4.5. Meanwhile, thousands of residents have been suffering from advanced building damage, diminishing property values, disturbing home reinforcement, and various stress-related health complaints. This has spurred a cascade of judgements, decisions and actions by responsible authorities during 2013-2018, topped by the Dutch cabinet's March 2018 decision to reduce Groningen gas extraction to below 12 bcm in 2022 and to end all field operations by 2030. This would reduce the remaining number of risky earthquakes with M2.5 to some seven or eight, with one expected M-max approximate to 4.0. Until 2022, however, seismic hazard and risk would only decrease under average' winter conditions. By December 2018, there has been considerable uncertainty about the actual course of decreasing extraction. Meanwhile, a controversial building-reinforcement programme is being greatly reduced

Effects of revenue use and perceived effectiveness on acceptability of transport pricing policies

Car use causes various collective problems, such congestion and increasing CO2-emmisions. One way to manage these problems is to influence people’s car use. Pricing policies aimed at making car use more expensive, such as implementing congestion or kilometre charges, may be effective strategies to influence people’s car use. However, significant pricing policies are not easily implemented, since they are not acceptable to the public. Acceptability levels may dependent on the type of pricing policy being implemented. In this study we examined two policy characteristics that may affect the acceptability of pricing policies: revenue use and price level. It is hypothesised that pricing policies are more acceptable if price increases are rather low, and if revenues benefit individual car users rather than the general public. Further, we examined the relationship between policy acceptability and effectiveness. On the one hand we assume that policies are not acceptable if they are not effective in changing people’s car use. In that case, people experience the disadvantages of the policies while at the same time problems resulting from car use, such as congestion, are not being solved. On the other hand, policies that are very effective in changing one’s own car use are probably also not acceptable, because this seriously threatens people’s freedom to move. Thus, we hypothesise policies are acceptable if they reduce the problems of car use, without seriously affecting people’s own car use and freedom of choice.

Chemistry, availability and mobility of molybdenum in Colorado soils, The

December 1975.Covers not scanned.Includes bibliographical references.Print version deaccessioned 2022.The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of molybdenum contamination in irrigation water on soils and pastures in Colorado. The chemistry, availability and mobility of Mo was studied in the laboratory, greenhouse, and field. These results were incorporated into a dynamic computer simulation model that predicts Mo accumulation in forages. Solubility diagrams were constructed from thermodynamic data for naturally occurring molybdenum minerals. The solubility of molybdenum in selected Colorado soils was compared with that predicted by the solubility diagrams. Molybdenum minerals were found to control the solubility of Mo in only one of the thirteen soils studied. Addition of wulfenite (PbMoO4), the most stable Mo mineral, raised the Mo solubility to conform to the solubility isotherm of wulfenite in soils. In the remaining twelve soils the solubility of Mo was controlled by specific adsorption processes, and changed with the degree of Mo saturation and pH. The Freundlich adsorption isotherm was extended with a pH term to describe the solubility relationship of Mo in soils. The availability of Mo in soils was studied in both greenhouse and field. Additions of Na2MoO4 to soils increased the uptake of Mo by alfalfa, clover, and bluegrass; the uptake increased with alkalinity. Water-extractable or (NH4)2CO3-extractable soil Mo accurately predicted the concentration of Mo in alfalfa grown on neutral and alkaline soils (r= .97 in the greenhouse, and r= .85 in the field). The information obtained in the laboratory and greenhouse studies was used to develop a computer model to simulate the impact of high-Mo irrigation water on soils and forages. The model used simulated daily growth of alfalfa under climatic conditions typical for Colorado. Changes in the Mo content of the rhizosphere were evaluated daily by considering inputs from irrigation water and losses from leaching and plant uptake. The impact of Mo contamination on forage was shown to depend on the quality and amount of irrigation water applied to the field, as well as on the type and leachability of the soil. Toxic levels of Mo were predicted for alfalfa grown on a clayey soil after 15 years of irrigation with 300 mm of water containing 100 ppb Mo. It was demonstrated that most soils irrigated with water containing more than 25 ppb Mo will eventually produce toxic forages

Are pricing policies effective to change car use?

The effectiveness of transport pricing was considered in two studies regarding intended changes in car use if pricing policies were implemented. In the first study, respondents kept a travel diary for four days, noting all their car trips. Next, they indicated to what extent various pricing policies would affect the trips noted in the diary. In the second study, respondents indicated their intention to change their car use for various types of trips if pricing measures were implemented. By using tailored questionnaires, accurate feedback was provided about the financial consequences of pricing for each respondent separately.Results revealed that under pricing policies most people did not intend to change their car use. Pricing policies were relatively more effective when prices increased significantly. Especially visiting and shopping trips were affected, while commuting trips were hardly affected. Moreover, respondents were most likely to reduce their car use for short trips, which are an important source of CO2 emissions and local air pollution