Fred Curtis

Communications on energy Household energy conservation

Abstract This study assesses the influence of attitudinal and socio-economic factors on household energy conservation actions. A household interview survey in Regina, Saskatchewan found that respondents perceive an energy problem, although no association with energy conservation actions was determined. Two attitudinal and five socio-economic variables influence household energy conservation. Energy and monetary savings are available to households through energy conservation. Public awareness of household energy conservation through the media can reinforce existing energy conservation actions and encourage new actions.

Assignment of Responsibility and Flood Hazard in Catahoula County, Louisiana:

This exploratory study tested the proposition that the worse the consequences of a geophysical event, the greater the tendency of observers to assign responsibility for the disaster to some appropriate person. More specifically, the investigation tested the hypothesis that a fictitious official in charge of levee maintenance would be assigned increasing responsibility for a riverine flooding as its severity increased. Results were in line with the hypothesis, but for women only. Subsequent analyses of alternative variables suggested that in men assignment of responsibility is related to the degree to which the subjects were certain that the official had performed his job, rather than to severity of consequences.

Trait Anxiety, Perception of Potential Nuclear Hazard, and State Anxiety:

89 residents of an area located near a designated nuclear site took part in an investigation of the relationship between trait-anxiety and perceptions of potential nuclear disaster and between such perceptions and state anxiety. No significant correlation was found between trait-anxiety and expectation of future accidents or between this measure of anxiety and estimation of potential damage. Expectation of an accident and estimation of damage were significantly related to state anxiety.

An environmental assessment procedure for siting solid waste disposal sites

Virtually every small community in Saskatchewan has a waste disposal facility. Of the approximately 900 sites, many are improperly operated or poorly sited, with some being considered environmentally hazardous (Dillon and Murray, 1983). This paper discusses a procedure for siting waste disposal sites. The Saskatchewan Department of the Environment, under whose jurisdiction waste management falls, encourages the development of regional sanitary landfills rather than the development of numerous modified landfills. However, the strongly autonomous nature of the prairie community seems to conflict with this end, and department officials seem less than optimistic that any immediate progress will be made in this direction (Clark, 1984). Development is primarily at the local level; thus, it is appropriate that the investigation and decision for a waste disposal site be initiated by those immediately involved in the selection process. Any small municipality desiring to expand or develop landfill facilities has a relatively complex task. ~ The site selection process for the disposal of domestically generated wastes is no longer limited to acquiring the least expensive and most accessible land. Current decisions must take into account and satisfy st

TRAIT ANXIETY AND RESPONSE TO POTENTIAL FLOOD DISASTER

81 subjects participated in a study examining the relationship between trait-anxiety, as measured by the trait subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and perceptions of or responses to potential floodhazard, as evaluated by an objective questionnaire. In assessing these relationships the interactive effects of a number of relevant variables were investigated. Correlations suggested that trait-anxiety was negatively related to expectation of flooding and to acknowledged anxiety. Moreover, trait-anxiety acted as a suppressor variable in the estimation of future damages.

Federal EIA in Canada: EARP as an evolving process

While US planners, administrators, and scientists struggled with initial problems in applying the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Canadians also tested the environmental impact assessment (EIA) waters for the first time. However, the federal Environmental Assessment and Review Process (EARP) began slowly by way of a Cabinet directive and Department of Fisheries and Environment (now Environment Canada) policy rather than through new legislation. Since implementation of the policy on April 1, 1974, EARP has been scrutinized and adapted to meet perceived shortcomings in procedural requirements and to respond more aptly to stated objectives of EIA at the federal level. The purpose of this paper is to examine the changing role of EARP during its first 10 years of implementation and to assess the success or failure of the process, including its 1984 amendments.

Monitoring the presence of asbestos in a residential apartment building

Asbestos was once frequently used in building materials, but airborne fibres are now associated with serious health risks. This paper discusses the properties of asbestos and the ways in which certain forms can cause disease. Risks to the health of residents of asbestos-containing building are also explored. The detection, measurement and control of airborne asbestos demands careful monitoring. A case study is presented which describes the various procedures used to investigate the potential risks to residents of an asbestos-containing apartment building. Based on this investigation, recommendations are outlined for precautionary measures, mitigation techniques and further monitoring.

Demand and Supply Considerations for Evaluating a New Distance Education Program in Natural Resources Planning and Management in North America.

SummaryThis paper describes the demand and supply information requirements to determine whether a curriculum for a new program, Natural Resources Planning and Management (NRPM), should be developed by Athabasca University (AU). Demand considerations assist in determining forecasted job opportunities and student needs. Supply considerations, including the type and location of existing natural resource programs and their student enrollment levels, assist in determining the enrollment level, the type of degree program, and that the student profile of AUs NRPM graduates will be high, particularly in western Canada. AU has, therefore, been advised to offer an undergraduate bachelors degree in NRPM. This paper also serves as a model, for organizing demand and supply information for any new university or college program.

Resource problems in the eighties: An essay

SummaryThis article presents a brief overview of the more severe problems which must be addressed by natural resource planners and managers in the eighties.

Computer-aided procedures for subdivision design and evaluation

Abstract Design and management of residential subdivisions are described using a case study in Regina, Saskatchewan. Capital, operation and maintenance costs of physical services and fuel costs for intra-subdivision trips are compared for four subdivision layouts using the procedures. The solar superblock layout is the lowest subdivision layout. Future procedures to assist subdivision design engineers and planners are summarized.