This report is the third produced by the University of Wisconsin -Parkside's Applied Urban Field School research team regarding the potential effects on Indian cultural resources by the Intermountain Power Project electrical transmission lines. This report focuses on is concerned with the Native American cultural resources found within the revised section of the transmission line corridor.

This is the second of three reports produced for the Intermountain Power Project Native American cultural heritage resource study conducted by Richard Stoffle and members of the University of Wisconsin -Parkside Applied Urban Field School for Applied Conservation Technology, Inc. This report focuses on Southern Paiute cultural resources within the Nevada section of the Intermountain Power Project. This report analyzes what value members of Native American groups historically present in southern Nevada place upon cultural resources that may be adversely affected by construction of the proposed transmission line and associated structures. It does so by describing specific concerns expressed by contemporary Native Americans, and by presenting an ethnohistorical analysis of how intergroup relations and forced Native American demographic and cultural changes have contributed to shaping contemporary values, perceptions and attitudes. The project also conveys Native American recommendations for mitigating adverse impacts of the proposed construction upon their cultural heritage.

This is the first of three reports produced for the Intermountain Power Project Native American cultural heritage resource study conducted by Richard Stoffle and members of the University of Wisconsin -Parkside Applied Urban Field School for Applied Conservation Technology, Inc. This report focuses on Southern Paiute cultural resources within theUtah section of the Intermountain Power Project. This report analyzes what value members of Native American groups historically present in Utah place upon cultural resources that may be adversely affected by construction of the proposed transmission line and associated structures. It does so by describing specific concerns expressed by contemporary Native Americans, and by presenting an ethnohistorical analysis of how intergroup relations and forced Native American demographic and cultural changes have contributed to shaping contemporary values, perceptions and attitudes. The project also conveys Native American recommendations for mitigating adverse impacts of the proposed construction upon their cultural heritage.

This study was conducted by Cultural Systems Research, Incorporated (CSRI) for Applied Conservation Technology, Incorporated (ACT). This study has been conducted to determine which Native American groups traditionally used the area through which the Intermountain Power Agency (IPA) proposes to construct the California portion of the Intermountain -Adelanto Bipole Transmission Line, a component of the Intermountain Power Project (IPP); to determine what value these groups place on cultural resources which might be disturbed by the construction of the transmission line and associated structures; and to convey their recommendations for the mitigation of these impacts. The results of the study are intended to enable the IPA to comply with requirements of various state and federal agencies with respect to this component of the IPP. The study area for this project was an area measuring 100 feet (30 m) on either side of the center line of the right -of -way for the proposed transmission line that was proposed to run from the California- Nevada border to the vicinity of Victorville, California. The Native American groups who traditionally used the area through which the proposed IPP right -of -way would pass include the Southern Paiute, the Mojave, the Vanyume /Serrano, and the Kawaiisu. Members of various other groups have travelled through the area, and used it from time to time.

Andelen människor som flyttar till städer ökar, vilket gör att det blir allt mer konkurrens om markytan. För att skapa fler bostäder tas mark i anspråk som tidigare haft andra syften eller bestått av naturliga grönytor. När växtlighet prioriteras bort minskar ekosystemtjänster som har förmåga att rena stadsluften. Denna studie baseras på Stockholm, där den regionala översiktsplaneringen åsyftar att staden ska förtätas för att skapa mer centrala bostäder. Att stadsluften är förorenad är ett generellt problem som utsätter invånare för hälsorisker.  Detta är en fallstudie som granskar hur luftföroreningar uppmärksammas när nya bostadsprojekt är planerade att etableras. Fem fall har valts ut nära en hårt trafikerad Europaväg, för att undersöka hur luftkvaliteter beaktats i planprocesserna. Dokument har granskats och berörda aktörer har intervjuats. Riskerna med luftföroreningar omnämns ytterst lite i vissa fall, medan de anses som betydande miljöpåverkan i andra. Detta har lett till att miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar (MKB) krävts vid vissa bostadsprojekt men inte i andra, trots att liknande eller högre nivåer av luftföroreningar eller fordonsmängd uppmätts eller beräknats vid projekten som uppmärksammat aspekten minst. Resultaten i fallstudien belyser den varierande förekomsten av omnämnandet om luftföroreningar och därmed risker för människors hälsa i de olika bostadsprojekten. / The numbers of people that are living in cities are expanding. That means an arising competition of the ground surface. To create enough homes areas that earlier was filled with natural green spaces are sometimes becoming mobilized. Green space’s that seems to clean the air becomes rarer. This study is based on the city of Stockholm, that is planned to expand more towards the central parts of the city. The city air is as in many other cities polluted and citizens are exposed to health risks.  This is a case study that examines how air pollution is being noticed in new residential projects. Five projects located close to a heavy traffic road have been chosen. Documents have been surveyed and relevant stakeholders have been interviewed in reason to find out how air quality is being observed. The different concerns regarding air quality has lead to decisions that environmental impact assessment (EIA) has being required in some cases, but not in others. Thus the levels of air quality or traffic density have approximately been the same or sometimes even higher in the cases that mentioned air quality least. This case study highlights the varied mention about air pollution and thereby the risks for human health in the studied projects.

This master thesis represents a life cycle impact assessment of a state of the art electrically driven power train. It is expected to be installed in a diesel engine passenger ferry boat, currently transporting passengers in downtown Stockholm archipelago. The assessment has a comparative character in between the currently operating and the new power train in order to differentiate and recognize which of the two propulsion options is the environmentally preferable choice. The scope of the study is directed towards the thorough examination of both power trains so that it can represent most closely the two specific technological cases. Studied and assessed were the three main life cycle phases of each power train – raw materials acquisition and manufacturing, use phase and end of life phase. The fundament of the study involved creating environmental models for each and every component of the drive trains, the propulsion fuel and energy used, and the services related to waste treatment in the last phase of their functional life. The environmental models were later used to build live cycle inventories that served to derive the respectful impact from the item analyzed. The data used to model the battery electric power train was provided directly from the manufacturer, where the end of life procedures carried out were assumed where possible. The main battery pack for the electric power train was not modeled in terms of  end of life procedures due to insufficiency of information. Almost no generic information was available to model the diesel engine and it was calculated by creating auxiliary simplified cad models. The rest of the data required to achieve an environmental inventory regarding the power train was available from a subcontractor. Both studied options were modeled with allocation approach that includes the avoided production of materials at the waste treatment stage where there was sufficient information to do that. There was none to model the main battery packs avoided production which is a major component of the battery electric system. To model the use phase of the diesel engine power train, research data regarding combustion emissions and waterborne emissions was utilized. A number of electricity mix models were applied to create a sensitivity analysis of the operation phase of the battery electric power train. Chosen for baseline scenarios simulating the use phases of both power trains are use of Nordel market electricity mix and the combustion of low sulfur diesel with five volumetric percent rape methyl ester additive. For the purposes of the assessment eighteen midpoint impact indicators were used to cover the areas of global warming potential, human health and quality of eco systems. The results from the study show that the estimated impact from both power trains is small enough to have almost no influence on the results from the two baseline scenarios. Based on this it was concluded that for future research of similar cases either generic information can be used or a cut-off can be applied. After the assessment, more environmentally favorable was estimated the diesel engine power train because of the large burdens from the battery manufacturing in the battery electric option. Further assessment determined that the diesel engine power train again is less environmentally intensive than the battery electric with the main battery burdens excluded. In the overall life cycle impact assessment both power train showed different results in the different impact categories, which could not place a definitive propulsion option of choice. The conclusions from the analysis are that the diesel engine power train causes higher impact in the categories related to global warming, fossil depletion and in most ecosystems quality indicators. The battery electric version in its base line scenario, on the other hand, expresses higher impact in categories related to human health and in the remaining eco system quality midpoint-scores.

Cette thèse a pour objet le développement d’un module d’utilisation des sols compatible avec le modèle NEMESIS, qui est un modèle économique détaillé de l’Union Européenne. Cette thèse a également pour objectif d’utiliser conjointement le modèle NEMESIS et le module d’allocation des sols pour analyser les effets de plusieurs politiques européennes et notamment leurs impacts sur l’économie et l’utilisation des sols. Le premier chapitre décrit d’une part la construction de la base de données d’utilisation des sols et d’autre part, explique le développement du module d’allocation des sols au niveau des États de l’Union Européenne, en utilisant des fonctions d’offre et de demande de terre agricole et un modèle d’expansion des terres urbaines. Le second chapitre traite, au travers de deux applications, du problème de la construction de scénarios en modélisation appliquée. Un premier scénario, construit suivant une approche dite tendancielle, est présenté de façon détaillée et analysé. Ce scénario sert également de référence pour les évaluations des politiques européennes. Une seconde application propose quatre scénarios élaborés suivant une approche dite « imaginative», c’est-à-dire en imaginant différentes possibilités d’évolution contrastée des principales variables motrices de la croissance économiques. Le troisième chapitre présente la construction et le fonctionnement d’une combinaison de différents modèles ou « chaîne de modèles ». Celle-ci sera utilisée pour l’évaluation économique et environnementale d’une politique de libéralisation de l’agriculture européenne avec ré-allocation des fonds aux contribuables ou à l’aide à la recherche et développement. Cette « chaîne de modèles » combinele modèle NEMESIS avec un modèle agricole détaillé (CAPRI), un modèle de gestion des forêts (EFISCEN )et un modèle détaillé d’allocation des sols (Dyna-CLUE). Enfin le dernier, et quatrième chapitre, présente, après la construction d’indicateurs sur l’utilisation des nutriments dans l’agriculture, l’évaluation des conséquences économiques de deux politiques européennes : d’une part, une politique de biodiversité caractérisée par l’augmentation des forêts protégées ou par une production agricole extensive et d’autre part une politique de soutien au développement des biocarburants au niveau européen. / This thesis aims to develop a land use module for the applied economic model NEMESIS which is a detailed model for European Union. This dissertation also proposes the use of the land use module with the NEMESIS model in order to analyse the effects of European policies especially their economic and land use impact. The first chapter describes, on one hand, the construction of a database on land use and, on another hand, explain the development of a land use module for the EU countries by using agricultural land supply and demand but also an modelling of urban land use. The second chapter regards, using two applications, the problem of scenario construction in applied modelling. A first scenario, constructed with an extrapolating approach, is presented and analysed. This scenario is also used as reference scenario for the assessment of European policies. A second application shows four scenario developed using an imaginative approach i.e. assuming different possibilities for the future change in main drivers. The third chapter presents and describes the functioning of four linked models which is used for the economic and environmental assessment of a European agriculture liberalisation with re-allocation of released funds either by consumer tax rebate or a subsidy to R&D investments. The linked models included (i) the NEMESIS model, (ii) the CAPRI model a detailed agricultural model, (iii) the EFISCEN model, a forest resource management model and(iv) the Dyna-CLUE model, a detailed model for land use allocation. Finally, the last chapter presents, after the construction of indicators about nutrient use in agriculture, the economic assessment of two European policies: firstly, a biodiversity conservation policy in forest area or in agricultural land and secondly a biofuel development policy at European level.

This article presents the evaluation of the UPC Student Tutorial Service of for students with a poor academic performance and who are at risk of being dismissed from the university. This study aims at investigating the students perception of the tutorial service when they are at academic risk, taking into account their attendance and how they overcame the risk. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 24 students at academic risk and the study of their perceptions was based on four dimensions: general services, methodology, facilitator and suggestions. The results reveal that most students regardless of their risk status or attendance, appreciate the service, especially the support provided by the university and the facilitator as well as providing their suggestions to implement the service. The results are discussed based on the theoretical approach of the tutorial services provided. / Se presenta la evaluación del servicio tutorial que se brinda a los alumnos de la Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) que tienen dificultades académicas y, por ello, se encuentran en riesgo de ser separados de la universidad. El objetivo del estudio es indagar, desde un enfoque cualitativo, la percepción que tienen los estudiantes sobre el servicio de asesoría de riesgo académico, en función de la condición de asistencia y superación de riesgo. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a 24 estudiantes en situación de riesgo académico sobre su percepción en base a cuatro dimensiones: dimensión general del servicio, metodología, facilitador y sugerencias. Los resultados reflejan que en general los alumnos tienen una percepción favorable del servicio, sobre todo en lo relacionado al apoyo brindado por la universidad y por el facilitador; además brindan sugerencias para mejorar el servicio. Los resultados son discutidos en base al planteamiento teórico sobre la acción tutorial en la universidad.

There is a vision in the EU for a transition to a low carbon society, including a carbon-neutral energy system, containing a high share of renewable energy. However, this vision is not isolated from other political goals, such as halting the loss of biodiversity by 2020. Both of these goals are accompanied by EU legislation promoting their respective aims. One of the central challenges, in light of this transition, is the very nature of the legal system – that it is rather fragmented – both regarding the substantive law applicable to renewable energy activities and the legal processes that renewable energy activities face. The aim is therefore to discuss certain challenges arising from the fragmented legal system applicable to renewable energy activities. The dissertation is based on EU and Swedish law. First, I investigate the EU’s competence in the field of renewable energy and address how such policy may better reflect the protection of biodiversity. Thereafter, in a Swedish context, I analyse the relationship between protection of biodiversity and promotion of renewable energy. Finally, I address the problems arising from the fragmented legal procedures of renewable energy activities, with the main example of wind power installations and new transmission lines. In general, this study suggests that the current system lacks consistency between renewable energy and nature protection legislation and there is a coordination problem with regards to the permit processes of the development of renewable energy activities. These conclusions point towards a need for a broader perspective on the development of renewable energy activities, which could include: a more integrated planning system for renewable energy activities; exploring the use of derogation rules from the Water Framework Directive; and a more integrated EU renewable energy policy with specific sustainability criteria.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the dispersion of ammonia (NH3) from three Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in western Kentucky, as well as to investigate the Weather Research and Forecasting – Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model’s sensitivity response to initial NH3 concentrations under both wet conditions (significant precipitation) and dry conditions (no precipitation). As expected, pollutant concentrations generally were significantly higher near their points of origin and generally declined away from the sources. Contrary to expectations, ammonia tended to rise through the planetary boundary layer (PBL) regardless of atmospheric conditions. Results showed modeled NH3 pollution levels at the surface generally to be higher under wet conditions. A GIS-based analysis method was developed to investigate model sensitivity to initial NH3 concentrations. Using this method, it was found that WRF-Chem exhibits an exponential relation between initial NH3 concentration and the final amount of NH3 produced by the model.