ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Online ISSN : 1884-5029
Print ISSN : 0915-0048
ISSN-L : 0915-0048
Volume 20, Issue 2
Displaying 1-5 of 5 articles from this issue
  • Yasuhumi MORI, Eric W. WELCH
    2007Volume 20Issue 2 Pages 87-94
    Published: March 30, 2007
    Released on J-STAGE: June 28, 2010
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    In order to find reasons of ISO14001 adoption and effects of IS014001 on environmental emissions for small and medium-sized firms (SMF) in which ISO14001 had not diffused widely yet, this study carried out a national survey and statistically analyzed collected data on differences of motives for ISO14001 adoption and of reduction targets for the emissions between the sizes of the firms. We categorized firms which had less than 300 employees as SMF. The survey was sent out from January to March of 2001. Regarding the motives, EU trade for large sized firms and top management for SMF were distinctively significant. On the target of energy and waste, the statistical results found no differences between the firms. IS014001 was significant on the both sized firms. For the targets of regulated emissions, the only one difference was that social responsibility was significant on SMF. IS014001 was also significant on the both sized firms. Perception of environmental issues by top management was more important for SMF to adopt IS014001 and improve the emissions control than for the large sized firms . Because branch facilities were included in SMF, future work should address more detailed categoriation of facilities such as size of parent company.
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  • —Analysis of Panel Surveys in 2002 and 2006—
    Sachihiko HARASHINA, Takuya SUGIMOTO, Takashi SHIMIZUTANI
    2007Volume 20Issue 2 Pages 95-106
    Published: March 30, 2007
    Released on J-STAGE: June 28, 2010
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Although it is expected that Strategic Environmental Assessment(SEA) is a vital tool for the sustainable society establishment, institutionalizing the SEA is not easy. However, some of the local governments of Japan seem to be newly making progress for instituting the SEA system. It is essential to grasp the real activities and develop the conditions for the institutionalization, in order to obtain the knowledge to institute the SEA system in Japan . Therefore, a questionnaire survey, whose structure is consistent with the preceding survey in 2002, was conducted for all the prefecture governments and ordinance-designated cities in January 2006. Based on the survey, it was found that the number of the locals governments which already institutionalized the SEA increased from 4 to 8 between 2002 and 2006, while it was revealed that respectable numbers of thelocal governments acted negatively for the SEA system establishment. With regard to the factors for institutionalization among the local governments which already established the system, some changes were observed between 2002 and 2006. Specifically, `opinions from experts' was strongly attributed to one of the major factors in 2006, while `media' corresponded to it in 2002. The fact that issues at introduction of the system such as `insufficiency of people' and `imperfection ofevaluation methods' besides `utilizing other currently available systems' were identified as factors against the institutionalization among the local governments whose attitudes were negative for the institutionalization suggests that institutionalization of the SEA has been gradually a more realistic subject. Moreover, regarding methods for evaluating alternatives, which is the core of the SEA, the fact that considering the environmental aspect with economic and social aspects was adopted among some of the local governments which already institutionalized the SEA was observed, while it was generally attributed to being `difficult to adopt'. According to the analysis of the system prescription from the aspect of easiness of realization, although the items attributed to being 'difficult to adjust' resulted in the same conclusion between 2002 and 2006, regarding the items which is 'possible to adopt', progress of realization was suggested by the fact that 'submission of opinions' and `holding a meeting for explanation' were newly added to the items identified in 2002.
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  • Yoshiki YAMAGATA, Jinya NAKAMURA
    2007Volume 20Issue 2 Pages 107-117
    Published: March 30, 2007
    Released on J-STAGE: June 28, 2010
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    In this study, we have developed a simulation model for analyzing the problem of global warming by considering the costs and benefits of carbon management, the long-term global carbon cycle change and the negotiation process over time by more than two decision makers . The main tool to analyze the simulation model is the Markovian Nash equilibrium over the dynamic system of the global warming and economic optimization. The dynamic system on this study is based on RICE (the Regional Dynamic Integrated model of Climate and the Economy) model . In addition, we consider three different type carbon cycle models to simulate the dynamic system; the first is the box-diffusion model applied on RICE, the second is deterministic decreasing carbon sink model, and the third is the stochastic abrupt carbon sink change model. We have analyzed the implications of the difference to the decision making in terms of the long-term global emission reduction pathways.
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  • Motoki KAWASHIMA, Tatsuya TOBE, Akikazu KAGA, Akira KONDO, Yoshio INOU ...
    2007Volume 20Issue 2 Pages 119-132
    Published: March 30, 2007
    Released on J-STAGE: October 21, 2011
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    In order to identify the chemicals that require a detailed risk evaluation, an environmental risk evaluation of 214 types of "PRTR Law Class 1" designated chemicals related to human health and ecosystem in Lake Biwa and Yodogawa Basin Area was performed using a simple multimedia model. Evaluating the environmental concentrations obtained from the OBM (One Box Model), acrolein was ranked as a chemical requiring a detailed evaluation due to its high chronic inhalation toxicity. Similarly, bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, chlorothalonil, cypermethrin, carbary, xylene, and hydrazine were also deemed to require further comprehensive assessment due to their high levels of ecological toxicity. The re-evaluation using an SBM (Several Box Model), consisting of several connected "one-boxes" corresponding to sub-basins, showed that the risk levels using the concentration in water by OBM were underestimated in the Yodogawa down-stream region.
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  • [in Japanese], [in Japanese], [in Japanese], [in Japanese], [in Japane ...
    2007Volume 20Issue 2 Pages 133-153
    Published: March 30, 2007
    Released on J-STAGE: March 01, 2011
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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