Geologic vs. geographic constraints on cement resources

This study evaluates the importance of geologic and geographic factors in constraining the location of limestone mining operations for the production of cement in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Cities and their infrastructure require abundant cement, which is manufactured from limestone and other quarry products, but expansion of cities limits the locations of these operations. Possible locations of limestone and cement operations are controlled by geologic factors including distribution and mineralogy of geologic formations as well as depth of overburden, and geographic factors including location of wetlands, cities, and other surface features that preclude development of quarries and manufacturing operations. Overlay analysis was used to evaluate the importance of these factors. Results show that, although limestone underlies about a third of the region, almost 50 percent of this limestone is unavailable for quarrying due to coverage by the built environment, protected natural areas, or excessive overburden thickness. When characteristics such as limestone quality are also accounted for, accessible resources shrink to as little as 2 percent of the total land area. Although the remaining 2 percent of land area may supply local needs for some years, geologic factors clearly must be included in long-term regional land use planning.     

Why Should We Calculate Complex Indices of Ozone Exposure? Results from Mediterranean Background Sites

While moving towards a flux-based approach, exposure-based ozone metrics are still a practical measure for summarising ambient air quality. Ozone hourly concentrations for the period 2000–2004 from sites in the Mediterranean Italy (≤600 m a.s.l.) were examined to define the O₃ summary statistic in the area, and to determine how O₃ exposure indices correlate to each other. Thirty-four of the most common O₃ exposure metrics were calculated. The results show that background O₃ pollution in Italy exceeds the European and North American standards. The exceedances of the target value, information and alert thresholds set by the 2002/3/CE Directive should encourage Italy to take the appropriate measures to reduce the risk. All the O₃ exposure indices, except the maximum permissible ozone concentration (MPOC) for forests, point to the potential for negative effects on vegetation and human health across Italy. As indices evaluated significantly correlated with each other, we suggest use of the most biologically meaningful metric when summarizing air quality information.     

On technical change in the elasticities of resource inputs

This article analyses growth of an economy where the substitutability between non-renewable and renewable resource inputs changes over time. We allow for exogenous technical change in the elasticity of substitution (EoS) between these two types of resources as well as for biased factor-augmenting technical change. Our main results are: (1) sustained technical change in the EoS is enough to overcome resource constraints; (2) productivity-enhancing technical change is most beneficial when directed to the resource which is currently most important for production; (3) the speed of productivity-enhancing technical change is crucial for its usefulness to overcome resource constraints; (4) sustainability depends critically on the type of technical change.     

Adapting the bioblitz to meet conservation needs

When conservation strategies require new, field‐based information, practitioners must find the best ways to rapidly deliver high‐quality survey data. To address this challenge, several rapid‐assessment approaches have been developed since the early 1990s. These typically involve large areas, take many months to complete, and are not appropriate when conservation‐relevant survey data are urgently needed for a specific locale. In contrast, bioblitzes are designed for quick collection of site‐specific survey data. Although bioblitzes are commonly used to achieve educational or public‐engagement goals, conservation practitioners are increasingly using a modified bioblitz approach to generate conservation‐relevant data while simultaneously enhancing research capacity and building working partnerships focused on conservation concerns. We term these modified events expert bioblitzes. Several expert bioblitzes have taken place on lands of conservation concern in Southern California and have involved collaborative efforts of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, botanic gardens, museums, and universities. The results of expert bioblitzes directly informed on‐the‐ground conservation and decision‐making; increased capacity for rapid deployment of expert bioblitzes in the future; and fostered collaboration and communication among taxonomically and institutionally diverse experts. As research and conservation funding becomes increasingly scarce, expert bioblitzes can play an increasingly important role in biodiversity conservation.     

International environmental agreements with support

We augment the standard cartel formation game from non-cooperative coalition theory, often applied in the context of international environmental agreements, with the possibility that singletons support coalition formation without becoming coalition members themselves. We assume their support takes the form of a monetary transfer to the coalition, in order to induce larger coalitions, higher levels of public good provision and higher payoffs. We show that, under mild conditions on the costs and benefits of contributing to the public good (e.g. abatement of greenhouse gas emissions), there exist equilibria with support. Allowing for support increases payoffs to each of three types of agents: members, supporters and free-riders.     

Mining and corruption

This study examines the links between mineral dependency and corruption. Specifically, it develops a cross-section econometric model that estimates the effects of per capita income, fuel exports, non-fuel exports, and average per unit value of mineral exports on corruption.     

Citizen funds and Dutch Disease in developing countries

Are Alaska-style citizen revenue distribution funds the solution to the resource curse in developing countries as their proponents conjecture? Unfortunately it appears not. First, it is questionable whether developing countries have the institutional capacity to implement and operate such funds successfully. Second, citizen funds are unlikely to have any substantial impact on governance and their macroeconomic effects are uncertain. Finally, as a comparative case study of the three natural resource-intensive economies that successfully steered clear of excessive real appreciation and crowding out of the non-minerals tradables sector—Botswana, Indonesia and Norway—shows, citizen funds are likely to carry detrimental indirect effects on the ability of governments to surmount the Dutch Disease.     

Concentrations,Cumulative Exposure and Critical Levels of Ozone in Ireland

Concentrations of tropospheric ozone(O₃) and exceedance of critical levels to vegetationhave been investigated and mapped for Ireland. Hourlyozone concentration data (1995–1997) at 7 sevenmonitoring stations and the CORINE landcover database,supported by a Geographical Information System, wereused. AOT40 (Accumulated exposure Over a Threshold of 40ppb) was calculated for daylight hours for each station,and mapped using surface interpolation. Average O₃concentrations vary from year to year, and were estimatedto be 28 ppb, 26 ppb and 24 ppb for 1995, 1996 and 1997respectively. Ozone concentrations show a large diurnalvariation, with a maximum in the afternoon and a minimumat night-time. The critical level for crops and (semi-)natural vegetation was exceeded in all years examined.The highest exceedance occurred in 1995, where thecritical level was exceeded for almost 35% of the mappedarea. Approximately 15% and 1% of the mapped area wasexposed to exceedance levels during 1996 and 1997respectively. The maximum cumulative exposures (AOT40)were approximately 5000, 3890 and 3230 ppbh in 1995, 1996and 1997 respectively. The critical level for forests wasnot exceeded during the period of investigation.     

典型工业沿海区域的大气环境腐蚀性评价

目的 利用现役金属材料对工业沿海区域所处不同大气环境进行环境腐蚀性评价,并研究不同金属材料的腐蚀行为差异性,探讨工业沿海大气环境下金属材料的耐蚀性选择。方法 在不同大气环境下,选择现役金属材料Q235、16MnNi和L415开展1 a的户外曝晒试验,并利用质量损失分析、扫描电镜等手段,通过对金属基材进行腐蚀机理研究,评价大气环境的腐蚀性。结果 Q235、16MnNi和L415等3种钢在不同区域沿海工业大气环境下的腐蚀行为受大气腐蚀环境的影响较大,腐蚀产物中含有一定量的Cl和S。同种金属材料表面锈层的特殊结构,使得其基体与大气环境中的腐蚀因子相接触,引发了金属材料在不同大气腐蚀环境中不同腐蚀行为的差异性。结论 工业沿海区域的大气环境中,大气腐蚀性差异由酸循环腐蚀机制形成。3种钢材在腐蚀初期,由于锈层多孔隙结构和可溶性腐蚀产物形成,加重了腐蚀程度。黄岛区域、曹妃甸区域、岚山区域和湛江区域的大气腐蚀等级分别为C2、C3、C2、C3级。     

天然海水中铜离子的添加对EH40钢腐蚀的影响

目的 研究天然海水中添加1.5、15 mmol/L铜离子对EH40钢腐蚀速率、腐蚀产物形貌及成分的影响规律,并揭示其作用机制.方法 采用天然海水实验室挂片的方式进行4周的腐蚀实验,定期对试样进行表征,并检测海水环境参数.结果 在海水中添加1.5、15 mmol/L铜离子后,EH40钢的腐蚀速率加快,同时表面腐蚀产物出现特殊分层现象,并包含铜单质层.结论 海水中添加1.5、15 mmol/L铜离子,对EH40钢腐蚀的促进作用主要通过三种机制,铜离子水解形成酸性腐蚀环境、铁和铜离子的置换反应消耗试样基体、Fe-Cu电偶腐蚀池加速阳极铁的溶解.