Sediment control devices (SCDs) are critical to reducing the contamination of waterways from adjacent construction sites. Perimeter sediment controls retard the flow of surface runoff water originating on site and subsequently reduce solid, nutrient, and metal concentrations suspended in the flowing water. Silt fence is a commonly used SCD comprised of geotextile filter fabric, steel or wood support posts, and wire mesh reinforcement. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) uses an extensive amount of silt fence every year, and because of high degradation of geotextile in the field, the silt fence installations are rarely recycled. This research measures the performance of five SCDs (two types of silt fence, mulch berm, compost sock, and straw bales) at suspended solid, turbidity, nutrient, and metal reduction. A life cycle analysis (LCA) is performed to identify environmental impacts associated with material production, assembly, installation, use on site, and disposal. An impact analysis is performed according to for each SCD. Results of the impact analysis are compared to determine the SCD with lowest overall environmental impact. Results of the SCD performance study show that silt fence installations performed the best at reducing suspended solids and turbidity, mulch was best at reducing nutrients, and compost was the best at reducing metal concentrations. The life cycle impact analysis indicates that a mulch berm is the SCD with the lowest overall environmental impact. The impact analysis included global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, and aquatic toxicity.

Darbe yra analizuojama poveikio aplinkai vertinimo procesą reglamentuojančios teisės aktų metodiniai aspektai, t.y. ar poįstatyminiai poveikio aplinkai vertinimo procesą reglamentuojantys dokumentai išsamiai numato visus poveikio aplinkai vertinimo proceso aspektus, ar gali būti vienareikšmiškai interpretuojami, yra aiškūs ir tikslūs. Problema - siekiant išvengti aplinkos apsaugos požiūriu nepalankių sprendimų, poveikio aplinkai vertinimo procesas turi būti tinkamai reglamentuotas bei turi būti parengti atitinkami metodiškai pagrįsti poveikio aplinkai vertinimo proceso dokumentai. Tyrimo objektas – Lietuvos Respublikos poveikio aplinkai vertinimo procesą reglamentuojančios teisinės bazės metodinė būklė. Tyrimo tikslas - nustatyti ir įvertinti ar pakankamai efektyviai yra parengta planuojamos ūkinės veiklos poveikio aplinkai vertinimo metodinę bazę. Iškeltam darbo tikslui ir uždaviniams įgyvendinti buvo naudojami anketavimo ir lyginamosios analizės metodai. / This work concentrates on the analysis of the methodical aspects of the legislation regulating the EIA process, i.e. whether the subordinate legislation regulating the EIA process comprehensively cover all the EIA process aspects, whether they can be unambiguously interpreted, whether they are clear and precise.

Since the 1970's, the increasing scale and complexity of development schemes has led to mounting public concerns about their environmental impacts. Environmental assessment and management developed out of a recognised need to protect the biophysical environment from overuse and degradation . Evidence suggests that the issues continue to become more complex and we need to equip ourselves to deal with them. The complexity of issues we face today demands a holistic and integrated management approach. This thesis highlights the weakness in the application of environmental impact assessment (EIA) to deal with current issues . The conceptualization of EIA within the ecological modernisation discourse has limited the use of the tool to adequately consider issues outside the biophysical environment. On the African continent, social issues such as HIV/AIDS are becoming more dominant than biophysical impacts. EIA must thus be re-framed to address concerns regarding the HIV/AIDS impact of development schemes. An alternative discourse of social justice is put forward as an approach that will take EIA closer to achieving sustainable development. The hypotheses put forward in the thesis were investigated through the use of both primary and secondary data sources. Extensive interviews and case studies formed the bulk of the data generated through the study. The results of the investigation showed that there are varying views on the purpose of EIA, that social issues continue to be underplayed in the process and that HIV/AIDS is considered a valid impact to be assessed in EIA. It must be noted that although HIV/AIDS is recognized as a common impact of development projects, particularly in Africa , the approach to dealing with the issue has been very different across EIAs and the issue is dealt with in an ad hoc manner. In order to expand the applicability of environmental assessment in Africa , a framework has been developed to integrate HIV/AIDS into the EIA process. The premise behind the framework is that HIV/AIDS can impact on the viability of a development scheme and conversely, development schemes can increase the transmission of HIV. The framework considers the social, economic and cultural drivers that create living and working environments, which promote the transmission of HIV. By applying the appropriate tools throughout the EIA process, one can identify potential impacts. Mitigation and management interventions can then be built into an HIV/AIDS component of the environmental management plan. This approach will allow environmental assessment practitioners; decision-makers and developers to better understand the critical issue of HIV/AIDS and ultimately contribute to managing the pandemic and further sustainable development in Africa. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

Sustainable development’s wide scale adoption has resulted in the rapid emergence of the field Sustainability Science. This trans-disciplinary field of research attempts to understand the interconnectedness, relationships and complexity between the natural environment and society. To understand these relationships and integration between the natural environment, the economy and society within a sustainability context, an ecosystem goods and services (EGS) approach can be taken. EGS research is being incorporated into mainstream environmental decision-making and strategic thinking, particularly within the corporate sector, however, adoption has been slow. The Corporate Ecosystem Services Review (ESR) is a framework, developed by the World Research Institute (WRI), which aims to assess the dependence and impact that a company has on EGS through a systematic approach. This methodological framework can be adapted into a tool that assists in more informed environmental decision-making at a local government level. This adapted tool highlights EGS issues within particular open spaces and links these issues to sustainability targets and identifies risks and opportunities for local government. For this research, the ESR tool was tested on open spaces within the Msunduzi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, by adapting the ESR methodological framework to relate to local government decision-making and by incorporating existing tools and strategic documents, namely the Environmental Management Framework (EMF) and the Spatial Development Framework (SDF), into the EGS assessment tool. Site-specific EGS issues were identified at two open space study sites through posing different development scenarios, and results from testing the tool revealed linkages between EGS and risks and opportunities for sustainability. The tool has applicability to local level decision-making, particularly in the early stages of development planning, by providing a more holistic input into the environmental decision-making process. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

This dissertation analyses the history of the politics of pollution and petroleum refining in South Africa during the first decade of Apartheid, focusing on the country's first two oil refineries, both of which were built by multinational oil companies in Durban in the 1950s and 60s. It traces the origins of the development of environmental regulation in relation to oil refinery pollution. The dissertation outlines the development of a sense of disillusionment caused by the persistence of pollution problems associated with petroleum refining in the face of failed attempts at technological and expert interventions. The study identifies the existence of a civic culture amongst Bluff residents founded on ratepayer and landowner identities, through which they were able to exercise considerable purchase on the local State. Ultimately, the story of how two petroleum refineries ended up in the midst of residential communities in south Durban's represents a reiteration of the importance of race to the development of local urban landscapes during Apartheid. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004

The aim of this research is to find out what environmental impact a wave power park has on the Swedish west coast by creating a consultation paper (”Samrådsunderlag”) for the Lysekilproject at Uppsala University. To highlight the complexity of the problem a system analytic approach was used and illustrated by a Causal Loop Diagram. The overall assessment of the Lysekilprojects wave power park at the Swedish west coast is that it will have a low impact on the environment. This is due to the relative small size of the wave power park and some technical solutions made with the environmental aspect in mind. Artificial reefs and a sanctuary for marine species are effects created by the wave power park and in the longer term the impact will give access to an untapped source of renewable energy, wave energy. Thus reducing the need of fossil fuels and making it possible to reach the Swedish national environmental goals. / Lysekilsprojektet

Cob can serve as an alternative building material to concrete in Nicaragua. Cob is an unbaked earth-based building technique with low global warming potential that suits the humid climate in Nicaragua. It can be constructed by hand by inexperienced people using materials such as; clay, straw, sand and water. The cob technique is relatively little studied and the exact cost of cob is unclear. The purpose of this thesis was thus to provide new information that will help assessing the economic sustainability and the environmental impact of the natural building technique cob in comparison to the conventional technique concrete. The thesis was carried out by a case study of two houses in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. The results are showing that the cob technique has cheap materials that support the Nicaraguan economy of Nicaragua but takes a lot of labour force and time in comparison to concrete. The cob technique also allows the builder to make the house personal adapted, with furniture and details, fitted to the owners need. The cob has also a great potential of a long lifespan with low needs of maintenance in comparison with concrete. Concrete also has a higher local environmental impact, more CO2-emissions and higher external costs. The conclusion is thus that cob is a more sustainable technique for building residential houses in Matagalpa. / Den naturliga byggtekniken cob kan vara ett alternativ till den mer konventionella tekniken betong i Nicaragua. Cob är en jordbaserad byggnadsteknik med låg globaluppvärmningspotential som lämpar sig i det fuktiga klimatet i Nicaragua. Cob består mestadels av; lera, halm, sand och vatten, och kan byggas för hand av oerfaren arbetskraft. Cob-tekniken är relativt lite studerad och den exakta kostnaden är osäker. Syftet med denna studie var därför att tillhandahålla ny information som ska underlätta bedömningen av den ekonomiska hållbarheten och miljöpåverkan hos den naturliga byggtekniken cob i jämförelse med den konventionella tekniken betong. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av en fallstudie av två hus i Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Resultatet visar att cob-tekniken har billiga material som stöder den lokala ekonomin, men kräver mycket arbetskraft och tid jämfört med betongtekniken. Cob-tekniken låter även byggaren att göra huset personligt anpassat, med möbler och finesser efter ägarnas behov. Den potentiella livstiden hos cob är lång, med ett lågt underhållsbehov i jämförelse med betong. Betong har också en större lokal miljöpåverkan, mer CO2-utsläpp och högre externa kostnader. Slutsatsen är således att cob är en mer hållbar teknik att använda för att bygga bostadshus i Matagalpa. / Cob puede servir como un material de construcción alternativo al concreto en Nicaragua. Cob es una técnica de construcción a base de tierra sin quemar con bajo potencial de calentamiento global que se adapta al clima húmedo en Nicaragua. Puede ser construido a mano por personas sin experiencia utilizando materiales tales como; arcilla, paja, arena y agua. La técnica de cob es relativamente poco estudiada y el coste exacto no está claro. El objetivo de esta tesis ha sido por lo tanto proporcionar nueva información que ayudará a evaluar la sostenibilidad económica y el impacto ambiental de los recursos naturales de la técnica de construcción cob en comparación con la técnica convencional de concreto. La tesis fue realizada por un estudio de caso de dos casas en Matagalpa, Nicaragua.  Los resultados muestran que la técnica de cob tiene materiales baratos que apoyan la economía local de Nicaragua, pero requiere de mucha fuerza y ​​tiempo de trabajo en comparación con el concreto. La técnica de cob también permite al constructor hacer la casa de manera más personal adaptándola con muebles y detalles, ajustada a las necesidades de los propietarios. El cob tiene también un gran potencial de larga vida con pocas necesidades de mantenimiento en comparación con el concreto. Concreto también tiene un mayor impacto ambiental local, más emisiones de CO2 y el aumento de los costos externos. La conclusión es de este estudio es que la técnica de cob es más sostenible para la construcción de viviendas residenciales en Matagalpa.

Vis labiau kreipiamas dėmesys taip pat ir į namų poveikį sveikatai, todėl vis svarbesnė tampa ekologinė statyba. Kasmet Lietuvoje auginami javai ir kaip atliekos lieka šiaudai. Taigi didžiausias dėmesys skirtas atsinaujinančių žaliavų, tokių kaip šiaudai, linų pakulos, kanapių pluoštas, fizikinių savybių ir tinkamumo statybai tyrimai. Šiluminiu požiūriu (kuris yra svarbiausias), atlikus pirminius šilumos laidumo bandymus, nustatyta, kad tinkamiausi yra šiaudai, nes jų šilumos laidumo koeficientas mažiausias. Bandymai atlikti siekiant nustatyti šilumos laidumo koeficiento priklausomybė nuo šiaudų tankio, taip pat drėgmės poveikį šiaudų šilumos laidumui ir šiaudų susispaudžiamumą. / It is more important issue for house effects on people health so more important becomes ecological construction. Every year hay is been raised in Lithuania and as waste is left hay straw. So the biggest focus is on renewable raw materials such as hay straw, flax tow, hemp physical conditions and suitability for construction. Thermally which is most important after held the initial thermal conductivity tests it was found that the most suitable are hay straws because its thermal transfer coefficient is smallest.Tests havebeen held to determine heat transfer coefficient dependence on the density on hay straw as well as the impact of moisture on thermal conductivity of straw and straw compresibility.

Denna studie behandlar Turkiets turistdestination Alanya utifrån ett hållbarhetsperspektiv. Vidare om all-inclusivehotellens påverkan på destinationen. Syftet med studien är att undersöka de sociala, ekonomiska och miljömässiga faktorerna. För att analysera detta använder vi oss av teorier som berör hållbar utveckling och hållbar turism samt positiva och negativa aspekter av all-inclusivekonceptet. Metoden för undersökningen är kvalitativ där en fält- och intervjustudie genomförs i Alanya. För att studera den sociala påverkan på destinationen undersöks turister och lokalbefolkningen samt arbetsvillkoren för anställda. Dessutom undersöks de internationella reseföretagen och all-inclusivehotellens ekonomiska och miljömässiga påverkan på destinationen. Resultat visar att Alanya inte bara är en charterdestination utan en all-inclusivedestination. Den snabba uppkomsten av all-inclusivehotell har lett till en ohållbar utveckling för destinationen. / This essay concerns the tourist destination Alanya in Turkey from a sustainable perspective and the impact all-inclusivehotels have on the destination. The purpose of the essay is to examine social, economic and environmental impacts in Alanya. To analyse it we use theories of sustainable development and sustainable tourism together with theories of all-inclusivehotels benefits and disadvantages. A field- and interview survey was conducted in Alanya to study the social effect on the destination. Tourist, locals and employees working condition are examined. Furthermore the essay analyses international travel agencies and all-inclusivehotels environmental and economic impacts. Conclusion of the essay presents that Alanya is not only a charter destination, it’s an all-inclusive destination. The rapid grow of all-inclusivehotels in Alanya have affected an unsustainable development in the destination.

The St Lucia estuarine lake system in South Africa is part of a UN- ESCO World Heritage site and a Ramsar wetland of international importance. Like many estuarine systems worldwide St Lucia has experienced signi cant anthropogenic impacts over the past century including catchment land use changes, water diversions/abstractions and inlet manipulation. In addition, the system has recently su ered losses in species diversity and abundance following unprecedented hy- persaline conditions and desiccation. Questions regarding its sustain- ability have motivated a reevaluation of management decisions made in the past and of options for the future. To understand the func- tioning of the system, it is necessary to analyse it holistically in terms of the physical processes and their interaction with the biology. This study focusses on aspects of the biophysical interactions in the estu- arine complex, and aims to provide new knowledge to underpin the development of improved models for predicting the response of the system to anthropogenic interventions. A model for the water and salt budgets was used to investigate what if scenarios in terms of past anthropogenic interventions, in particular the e ects of diverting the Mfolozi River from St Lucia. Furthermore, the risks of hypersalinity and desiccation were assessed for each sce- nario. Integrating these modeled scenarios with observed biological responses to physicochemical changes suggested that large long-term changes in the ecological structure can be expected in the di erent management scenarios. To validate this, the ecosystem response to changing environmental responses was quantitatively assessed using ecological network analysis. Long-term simulations show that the separation of the Mfolozi and St Lucia mouths had a signi cant impact on the functioning of the St Lucia system. The Mfolozi plays a pivotal role in maintaining a more stable mouth state regime and provides a vital source of freshwater during dry conditions. The con guration of the Mfolozi/St Lucia inlet plays a key role in the physico-chemical environment of the system and in uences the system's susceptibility to desiccation and hypersaline conditions. Ecosystem indices revealed that the water level, salinity and mouth state have a signi cant impact on species abundance and diversity as well as the ecological structure and functioning of the system. In addition, ecosystem indices show that the system recovers rapidly during favourable conditions. The arti cial separation of the St Lucia and Mfolozi inlets underpins the most signi cant impacts on the water and salt budget of the lake and its reversal is key to the sustainability of the system. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.