Effects of the Presence of Official‐Looking Volunteers on Harassment of New Zealand Fur Seals

Abstract: An increased number of tourists viewing animals in the wild have increased stress on these animals (hereafter wildlife). Many wildlife‐viewing locations rely on voluntary compliance with posted regulations to protect animals from tourists because of the expense of employing on‐site enforcement personnel. Voluntary compliance, however, is ineffective. The presence of official‐looking volunteers may decrease the incidence of wildlife harassment by tourists. To test this possibility, we observed tourists interacting with 5‐ to 12‐month‐old New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) at the popular Ohau Stream waterfall while in the absence or presence of a young woman in plain sight wearing a neon vest (i.e., observer) and when an observer was not present. We observed 254 tourist groups at the waterfall when young seals were present. The percentage of groups in which at least one person harassed (approached, touched, or threw objects) a young seal was two‐thirds lower when the official‐looking observer was present. Frequency of harassment was inversely related to observer presence. Programs in which volunteers work at tourist sites are popular in countries with high tourism rates, such as New Zealand. Our results show that a relatively inexpensive and effective tourism‐management strategy may be to post such volunteers as observers at sites where tourists view wildlife.     

碳市场政策下企业对碳信用的支付意愿及影响因素研究

中国已经在7个省市进行了碳排放权交易市场的试点,并拟于2017年建立全国碳排放权交易市场。随着碳市场政策的逐步完善,碳排放将成为企业的总量控制目标之一。在全国碳市场即将建立的背景下,研究企业对于全国碳市场政策的预期,分析企业的响应规律,估算企业对于碳信用的支付意愿,对于保障全国碳市场的顺利建立和有效运行具有重要的意义。基于此,本研究利用多边界离散选择的方式,调查了全国范围内29个省市的555家企业,对于由于全国碳市场建立而导致的能源价格提高的接受程度,并利用多元线性回归模型分析影响企业接受程度的因素,最后估算企业对于碳市场中碳信用的支付意愿。结果显示:(1)企业可接受的能源价格提高比例的平均值为8.3%,其中碳试点企业可接受的提高比例最高,达到10.2%,非碳试点企业可接受的提高比例最低,为7.5%;(2)对企业接受程度的影响因素分析显示,企业的能源价格压力,以及企业对于全国碳市场到来的时间预期与接受程度显著负相关;企业对于碳减排技术的了解程度,以及企业对于全国碳市场控制程度的预期与接受程度显著正相关;(3)对于全国碳市场中的碳信用,企业平均愿意支付的价格为79.6元/t CO_2,其中碳试点企业的支付意愿最高,为95.9元/t CO_2,非碳试点企业的支付意愿最低,为72.6元/t CO_2。据此,为保障全国碳排放权交易市场的顺利建立,实现对企业碳排放的有效控制,政府应该注重降低企业的用能成本,引导与支持企业进行技术创新与升级,提高企业对于碳市场政策的认识和了解,并充分考虑不同地区的差异和不同企业的支付能力差别,合理设定碳价。     

Experimental design to study corrosion under insulation in harsh marine environments

Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is a serious issue in harsh marine environments. Corrosion damage can have catastrophic effects on health and safety, asset integrity, the environment, and productivity if it is not detected and managed early. Limited information is available for CUI in marine environments. To overcome this issue, three types of corrosion tests are proposed: Determination of the effect of environmental factors on CUI using laboratory simulation, field testing, and accelerated marine atmosphere testing for CUI. This paper describes the methodology for developing statistically significant data to evaluate CUI in harsh marine field conditions, develop an accelerated laboratory test procedure to simulate CUI, develop a model of CUI rate, and develop risk-based remaining life assessment model for assets under CUI attack.     

电厂循环冷却水中异养菌的检测与分析

通过对城市中水回用于火电厂循环冷却系统的微生物进行试验检测与分析,发现循环水进行前期处理后水中大肠菌群、铁细菌、硫酸盐还原菌含量分别为5个/ml、110个/ml和0.7个/ml以下,均在安全限度之内。对循环水中的异养菌检测分析发现其值在105～106个/mL范围内波动,形成火电厂循环水系统的主要危害,提出影响火电厂循环冷却系统的主要影响菌类为异养菌的结论,对循环冷却水系统微生物的控制具有一定指导意义。     

蠕虫L.variegatus在污泥减量中的作用与应用前景分析

剩余污泥已成为污水处理厂亟待解决的棘手问题。虽然现有污泥减量技术众多，但或多或少都存在着技术或经济上的不足。蠕虫——L.variegatus应用于污泥减量具有较好的实际效果以及潜在的商业利用价值，因此，近年来受到人们关注。首先，介绍L.variegatus一般习性、对污泥减量的试验效果。然后，对L.variegatus应用于大规模连续系统的要点进行了技术分析。最后，对L.variegatus应用于实际污水处理厂污泥减量的技术与经济的合理性进行分析和估算。     

待开发区域的主导产业选择思路研究——以营口经济技术开发区为例

从区域经济发展的角度出发,系统研究待开发区域主导产业选择的基本思路.依据主导产业选择原则(发展基础原则、战略分工原则、区域适宜性原则),通过比较研究确定区域发展的产业方向,构建区域主导产业选择的指标体系,采用AHP分析方法对指标进行衡量,最终得出主导产业推荐方案.同时,对营口经济技术开发区进行实证研究,运用上述方法选择适合该区域发展的产业为:港口物流业、冶金钢材业、输变电设备制造业、重型装备制造业、电子信息业和休闲旅游业.本研究为我国待开发区域的主导产业选择提供了一种新思路,其实证分析结果也为营口经济技术开发区的主导产业选择提供了科学依据.     

颗粒活性炭去除水中甲基叔丁基醚的可行性研究

随着甲基叔丁基醚（MTBE）作为汽油添加剂被持续大量使用，其已成为一种地下水中常见的有机污染物。本文通过纯净水、自来水和地下水中MTBE的平衡吸附容量和微型快速穿透实验（MCRB），比较了5种不同种类活性炭对MTBE的吸附性能。结果显示，苯酚值可准确预测活性炭样品对MTBE的平衡吸附容量大小次序，而丹宁酸值则可大致估计活性炭在实际处理应用时的吸附速度和吸附容量利用率。水样中共存的有机成分降低了活性炭对纯净水中MTBE的吸附容量，在背景TOC较低的去离子水中，活性炭对于MTBE的吸附性能反而比在地下水中降低得更多。穿透实验数据显示双柱串联的处理方式是高效应用活性炭吸附水中MTBE的优选工艺。使用环境友好的竹质活性炭去除地下水中MTBE具有良好的可行性和较高的性价比。     

Investigating public preferences for managing Lake Champlain using a choice experiment

The Lake Champlain Basin in Vermont and New York, USA and Quebec, Canada includes a large lake and watershed with complex management issues. A transboundary comprehensive management plan prepared for the lake includes 11 goals across many issue areas. We developed a choice experiment to examine public preferences for alternative Lake Champlain management scenarios across these issue areas. Five ecosystem attributes (water clarity-algae blooms, public beach closures, land use change, fish consumption advisories and the spread of water chestnut, an invasive plant) were varied across three levels and arrayed into paired comparisons following an orthogonal fractional factorial design. Two thousand questionnaires were distributed to basin residents, each including nine paired comparisons that required trading off two, three or four attributes. Completed surveys yielded 6541 responses which were analyzed using binary logistic regression. The results showed that although water clarity and beach closures were important, safe fish consumption was the strongest predictor of choice. Land use pattern and water chestnut distribution were weaker but also significant predictors, with respondents preferring less land development and preservation of the agricultural landscape. Current management efforts in the Lake Champlain Basin are heavily weighted toward improving water clarity by reducing phosphorus pollution. Our results suggest that safe fish consumption warrants additional management attention. Because choice experiments provide information that is much richer than the simple categorical judgments more commonly used in surveys, they can provide managers with information about tradeoffs that could be used to enhance public support and maximize the social benefits of an ecosystem management program.     

Willingness to Pay for Improving the Residential Waste Disposal System in Korea: A Choice Experiment Study

This study attempts to apply choice experiments with regard to the residential waste disposal system (RWDS) in Korea by considering various attributes that are related to RWDS. Using data from a survey conducted on 492 households, the empirical analysis yields estimates of the willingness to pay for a clean food-waste collection facility, the collection of small items (such as obsolete mobile phones and add-ons for personal computers), and a more convenient large waste disposal system. The estimation results of multinomial logit models are quite similar to those of nested logit models. The results reveal that residents have preferences for the cleanliness of facilities and the collection of small items. In Korea, residents are required to purchase and attach stickers for the disposal of large items; they want to be able to obtain stickers at not only village offices but also supermarkets. On the other hand, the frequency of waste collection is not a significant factor in the choice of the improved waste management program.

Assessing visitor satisfaction with tourism rejuvenation policies: the case of Rimini,Italy

This paper assesses the appeal of potential interventions on the tourism offer of Rimini, a popular Italian seaside holiday destination, by means of a choice modelling analysis. Tourism can be viewed as a composite good, its overall utility depending on the arrangement of the component characteristics. The discrete choice experiments here incorporate as attributes a number of possible changes to current tourist activities (the subject of public debate), including them in hypothetical alternative holiday packages. The conditional logit analysis indicates that tourists show lesser preference for interventions aimed at protecting the environmental integrity of the beach and greater preference for those, such as the creation of a pedestrianised seafront with late-night opening of amenities and facilities, that are likely to diminish the role of the traditional sea, sun and sand component of the overall holiday experience.