Public–Private Partnerships for Solid Waste Management Services

The increasing cost of municipal solid waste (MSW) management has led local governments in numerous countries to examine if this service is best provided by the public sector or can better be provided by the private sector. Public–private partnerships have emerged as a promising alternative to improve MSW management performance with privately owned enterprises often outperforming publicly owned ones. In Lebanon, several municipalities are transforming waste management services from a public service publicly provided into a public service privately contracted. In this context, a regulated private market for MSW management services is essential. The present study examines a recent experience of the private sector participation in MSW management in the Greater Beirut Area. The results of a field survey concerning public perception of solid waste management are presented. Analysis of alternatives for private sector involvement in waste management is considered and management approaches are outlined.     

基于MPRR和模糊SPA模型的家庭旅馆火灾风险评价

火灾风险评价作为灾害源头管理的主要环节,对家庭旅馆火灾隐患管控起到至关重要的作用,但合理开展家庭旅馆火灾风险评价却面临较大的挑战。针对家庭旅馆火灾风险评价中缺乏科学评价指标、评价过程较为主观的现状,基于MPRR模型构建火灾风险指标体系,尝试利用特征值偏离度赋予指标客观权重,最后选择某景区家庭旅馆为评价对象,采用改进的SPA模型进行了火灾风险分析。结果表明:被评价家庭旅馆的火灾风险联系数为"0.3904",风险等级为V,风险较大;Ma~Pb顶层指标属I级同势较弱,系数分别为0.456 9、0.372 0、0.412 4、0.400 0;Ra~Rb顶层指标属V级反势较强,系数为0.704 7、0.457 0。该评价结果能够较好地凸显家庭旅馆火灾风险的特征,与调研结果吻合。     

略论国际投资与贸易中的环境法律问题

本文分析了环境与国际经济贸易的关系，国际条约、公约中有关环境与贸易关系的规定，环境问题对我国外经贸事业的影响以及我国应采取的相应法律对策等。     

浅论现代企业安全管理中的十个关系

从安全工程学、安全经济学、人机工程学入手,结合金川公司安全生产工作的实际,对现代企业安全管理中的十个关系进行了探讨。     

土地复垦投资

讨论了土地复垦投资内涵、特点、基本原则、基本运行过程、基本模式及国内外土地复垦投资现状及问题。     

环境保护投资的市场化运作

环境保护投资是解决环境问题的重要保障。分析了我国环境保护投资存在的主要问题及其原因，对我国环境保护投资的市场化运作进行分析，提出了社会主义市场经济体制下筹集环境保护投资、环境保护管理及环境保护设施管理的主要措施。     

GIM（1）灰色模型预测环保投资趋势的可行性探析

环保投资作为环保系统的一个子系统，并不一定具有指数函数规律。本文利用ＧＩＭ（１）灰色模型，探析了它在环保投资趋势预测应用中的可行性。初步应用表明，在序列不完全满足光滑化条件时，ＧＩＭ（１）灰色模型对系统变量的“白化”能力较ＧＭ（１，１）强，而与ＧＳＭ（１）灰色模型相当，信息利用率高，是分析、预测环保投资动态发展趋势一条切实可行的途径。     

生态价值的整体性研究

生态价值的自然基础是生态系统，生态系统、生态系统功能和能值衡量都具有整体性特征。生态价值的主体意识体现着人类的需求，生态恢复和生态消费需要社会整体的规划和管理。生态价值的自然基础和主体需要决定了它的整体性特征，这对宏微观经济发展都具有重要的指导意义。     

Biodiversity conservation incentive programs for privately owned forests

In many countries, a large proportion of forest biodiversity exists on private land. Legal restrictions are often inadequate to prevent loss of habitat and encourage forest owners to manage areas for biodiversity, especially when these management actions require time, money, and other resources. Environmental programs encouraging these actions through economic incentives can be used instead of additional legal restrictions, although to be efficient and successful, an incentive program must be thoughtfully developed and its conservation goals must be clear. In addition to being economically efficient, programs must be acceptable to landowners and ecologically appropriate, especially with respect to the case-specific objectives and the ecosystems in question. We introduce a sample of voluntary incentive programs for private forests in Europe and North America. We briefly describe the economic, social, and ecological characteristics of the programs and the forests they aim to conserve, and evaluate the success of these programs with respect to their explicitly stated goals and the ecological status of the forests in that country or state. Important factors contributing to program success include an allowance for some economic productivity in enrolled forests, a long period since time of program inception, and little interference from other incentive programs.     

Female house martins (Delichon urbica) reduce egg androgen deposition in response to a challenge of their immune system

Female birds deposit in the yolks of eggs substantial amounts of androgens, such as testosterone and androstenedione. These androgens have been shown to speed up nestling development, induce a fast development of ornaments and increase dominance in adults. Experiments in several species have reported that females invest greater amounts of androgens in the eggs fathered by attractive males, suggesting that yolk androgen is a costly investment for either the offspring or the mother. There is some evidence that nestling immunocompetence may be partially suppressed by high levels of yolk androgens, but it is not known whether this is also the case for females. We tested this hypothesis in the house martin by inducing an immune challenge through an injection of sheep red blood cells, a standard challenge of the humoral immune system. Experimental birds laid eggs with lower amounts of yolk androstenedione than controls, and there was a similar non-significant trend for testosterone. Furthermore, the probability of laying a replacement clutch was higher for birds that had laid a first clutch with relatively high levels of yolk testosterone. These results suggest that yolk androgen deposition is limited by immune costs in the female, and that only females in good condition may afford to invest high levels of androgen in eggs in this species.