As a member of the Annex 1 countries to the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Japan is committed to reducing 6% of the greenhouse gas emissions. In order to achieve this commitment, Japan has undertaken several major mitigation measures, one of which is the domestic measure that includes ecologically friendly lifestyle programs, utilizing natural energ...

infrastructure development often leads to considerable changes in the land use. these changes are major causes of habitat fragmentation and ecosystem loss. moreover, decrease of the environmental impacts on biodiversity is among the most important objectives of sustainable development. for this purpose, environmental impact assessment (eia) along with the other appropriate tools can be applied ...

To develop industry-specific policies for mitigating environmental pressures, previous studies primarily focus on identifying sectors that directly generate large amounts of environmental pressures (a.k.a. production-based method) or indirectly drive large amounts of environmental pressures through supply chains (e.g., consumption-based method). In addition to those sectors as important environ...

Green roofs (with plant cover) are gaining attention in the United States as a versatile new environmental mitigation technology. Interest in data on the environmental performance of these systems is growing, particularly with respect to urban heat island mitigation and stormwater runoff control. We are deploying research stations on a diverse array of green roofs within the New York City area,...

The increasing use of in-vehicle information systems (IVISs), such as navigation devices and MP3 players, can jeopardize safety by introducing distraction into driving. One way to address this problem is to develop distraction mitigation systems, which adapt IVIS functions according to driver state. In such a system, correctly identifying driver distraction is critical, which is the focus of th...

The European and UK legislation on environmental assessment (EA) J as well as requiring assessment of significant ecological effects, also requires development proponents to recommend mitigation measures for adverse impacts. Drawing on a review of proposed ecological mitigation measures in 194 environmental statements (ES) for UK development proposals, this paper highlights problems with the cu...

The role of noise as an environmental pollutant and its impact on health are being increasingly recognized. Beyond its effects on the auditory system, noise causes annoyance and disturbs sleep, and it impairs cognitive performance. Furthermore, evidence from epidemiologic studies demonstrates that environmental noise is associated with an increased incidence of arterial hypertension, myocardial...

urban sinks accumulate phosphorus and other elements and may serve as sources of secondaryraw materials. this paper evaluates phosphorus sources based on their environmental impact. in a life cycleassessment (lca) the conventional production was used as a yardstick against which tomeasure the performanceof two recycling options: spreading of sewage sludge and phosphorus recovery from municipal ...

Note: The views expressed in this discussion paper are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the members or staff of the Puget Sound Regional Council. 2 Informational Paper on "Compact Growth and Adverse Health Impacts" This paper was developed by University of Washington Doctoral Student Gail Sandlin under a contract with the Puget Sound Regional Council. The scope of the contra...

In Northern and Central Europe, short-rotation coppices (SRC) have become a profitable agricultural production alternative, particularly for marginal fields with suitable groundwater levels. The replacement of fossil fuels by the wood chips produced in SRC contributes to the mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Due to heterogeneous regional production conditions, the impacts on economy, produ...