Can Labor Out-Migration Reduce Firewood Consumption by Rural Households in Western Mountainous China

The relationship between out-migration of labor in the Qinling mountain area and households’ firewood consumption is explored. Migration and remittances reduce households’ firewood consumption due to increases in both income and opportunity cost of firewood collection. Previous studies have been equivocal because they ignored uncertainty in household economy, which is widespread in forest areas of less developed countries. This study provides additional insight by considering vulnerability and subjective assessment of poverty generated by unstable income and an uncertain future. We provide evidence that the amount of firewood consumed depends on income and opportunity cost of firewood collection, but also on a prudent consumption strategy, due to farmers’ subjective assessment of their future possible poverty. We also find out-migration of labor can reduce per capita firewood consumption but subjective poverty also acts against reduction of firewood consumption.     

临安区域本底站大气甲烷浓度变化特征

通过分析2006年8月～2009年7月临安区域大气本底站Flask瓶采样获得的CH4浓度特征,结合地面风向、后向轨迹、排放清单,研究了CH4浓度变化特征和长三角地区排放源对CH4浓度的影响作用。结果表明,临安区域大气本底站的CH4浓度分布在1 7584×10-9~1 9700×10-9,具有较明显的季节波动变化特征,浓度季节变化幅度为737×10-9;CH4浓度平均年增幅达176×10-9,增速较快。东北风和东南风时,CH4浓度较高;西南风时CH4浓度较低。导致CH4高浓度分布的气团主要来自临安站的东北、偏东方向;导致CH4低浓度分布的气团集中在西南 偏南     

2000年以来中国城市化的发展格局及其与经济发展的相关性

基于对城市化概念的认识,通过测算中国各城市的人口、经济和空间城市化率及其增长速度,运用Arcgis93支持下的热点分析方法,考察2000~2008年中国城市单元城市化水平增长的空间分布特征,揭示了中国城市化的空间模式,认为2000年以来中国的城市化发展热点仍然在东部沿海,主要围绕环渤海和珠三角两大城市化热点城市群,向东北、西北、西南等冷点区中心辐射、梯度推移;城市化的发展速度与地区经济发展水平有一定的空间相关性,但与经济增长格局有较大偏差,现有经济发展水平对于城市化的拉动作用相对经济增长更为明显;城市化空间格局的形成受自然、历史、政策、经济、人口等诸多因素的影响,其作用机制主要包含政府主导的“自上而下”和市场主导的“自下而上”两种道路,未来政府作用将逐渐弱化,推力的主动力地位将进一步强化     

农地整理对农户农地固定资本投入的影响研究

农地整理是政府农村公共投入的一种,农户的农地固定资本投入是农户的私人投资,研究农地整理对农户农地固定资本投入的投入效应将为农地整理的有效实施和促进农业机械化提供理论依据。在理论分析的基础上,基于农户调查数据,分别运用Tobit和Logit模型,分析了农地整理变量对农户农地固定资本投入的现状和意愿的影响。研究结果表明:农户对农地整理的满意程度对农户农地固定资本投入有正向影响;农户参与农地整理的意愿对农户农地固定资本投入意愿有正向作用;农地整理对农户农地固定资本投入的意愿比农户农地固定资本投入现状影响更为明显。因此,需要提高农地整理的质量,确保农地整理的实施;应该完善农户参与农地整理的机制,提高农户参与农地整理项目的意识和程度,充分保障农民权益;在农地整理项目实施的基础上,应该进一步克服农业机械化的障碍,从而推动农户发展农业机械化。     

Innovative solutions for averting a potential resource crisis—the case of one-person households in England and Wales

This paper seeks to test the hypothesis that growth in one-person households will increase the domestic consumption of energy, land and household goods in England and Wales. It concludes that if current consumer behaviour of one-person households persists there will be a significant increase in the consumption of all three resources in the future. However, it argues that that many opportunities exist in England and Wales for tackling this problem. For example the new housing programme, increasing ability amongst one-person households to afford “green alternatives” and the search amongst some one-person households for alternative lifestyles (which could be potentially more resource efficient). The paper suggests that providing one-person households with opportunities to live in more resource efficient housing and adopt pro-environmental behaviour could significantly reduce their future environmental impact. Various design, fiscal and awareness-raising solutions are presented in the paper and their viability is assessed. These include ecological homes, collective housing forms, occupancy tax, relocation packages, educational programmes and targeted advertising campaigns. The paper proposes that using a combination of these more innovative solutions to the problem could significantly reduce the future environmental impact of one-person households.     

湘南红壤丘陵区农户经济行为对土地退化的影响分析——以祁东县紫云村为例

通过在湖南省祁东县紫云材进行的土地利用及农户经济行为调查,从土地状况、从业选择、农具、农田设施、耕作方式和效益等方面,分析了湘南红壤丘陵区农户社会经济行为对土地质量的影响。结果表明：紫云村农户重“品种”轻“土壤”,水田土壤有机质含量减少,理化性状变差,土壤自然肥力降低,旱地、林地粗放经营,质量退化。改变农户只重“品种”而忽视“土壤”的观念、提高耕地复种指数、建立合理的轮作体系和水土保持型高效集约持续的耕作制度、加强林业管理和经营、加大农业投入、搞好农田水利建设是防止本区土地退化和保证本区农业可持续发展的对策。     

沙漠化地区退耕还林政策的生态经济效应分析——以民勤县为例

退耕还林是沙漠化地区生态环境治理的主要内容。论文以沙漠化严重的民勤县为例,采用环境社会学的研究方法,对民勤县农户的退耕还林意愿和退耕还林政策的生态经济效应在农户中的响应进行了典型调查和抽样调查,并搜集了相关数据。统计分析表明:退耕还林涉及到农户土地利用方式的变化,农户的退耕意愿主要取决于退耕后经济利益的得失;农户虽然在近期承受退耕地收益减少的负担,但长期可以得到退耕还林的保肥效果和减少风沙灾害损失的生态经济效果。退耕还林具有典型的外部经济性,政府应该为退耕还林的成本全部买单,同时,在调整退耕地结构、优化退耕模式的过程中还要协调好退耕还林与农户增收的关系。     

Repetitive Strain in Nonrepetitive Work: A Case Study

In a Québec factory, a woman in a nontraditional job suffered from epicondylitis whereas her male coworkers were unaffected. A study was undertaken in order to enumerate the operations at risk for epicondylitis. Workers were interviewed in order to identify difficult operations and systematic observations were done over 4 work days. Although tasks were extremely varied, certain movements at risk for epicondylitis were repeated many times. Fifty-three valves were turned against resistance as part of this job, and one valve requiring a particularly difficult movement was turned 20 times in one day. There were at least 61 operations at risk for epicondylitis per day over a 4-day period. Strain on the elbow joint was particularly intense for the woman worker because the design of the workplace gave an advantage to taller workers with larger hands. Although this case study does not permit us to conclude that the worker’s epicondylitis was due to her job, it enables us to suggest that it would be wise to adapt the dimensions of relevant equipment and worksites to a wider range of potential worker sizes. We also raise some questions about the definition of repetitive strain in epidemiological studies. We suggest that it may be necessary to consider not only the cycle time but also the total of forces exerted on a joint in order to study workplace injuries to the musculoskeletal system.     

Best practice measures assessment for construction and demolition waste management in building constructions

Currently the construction and demolition (C&D) waste collection system in Spain is managed in a decentralized manner by each sub-contracted company. This lack of comprehensive strategy for C&D waste management causes a confusing and sometimes individual attitude regarding the different measures for C&D waste. Therefore effective waste management should be enforced. Construction stakeholders have wide range of best practices in C&D waste management that can be implemented, so they need to be assessed for their effectiveness.The aim of this research study is to assist construction stakeholders in making a decision on C&D waste management. This paper carries out a survey conducted among the construction agents in order to evaluate the effectiveness of 20 best practice measures regarding C&D waste management, identifying the most suitable types of building constructions to implement these practices and also the advantages and drawbacks of their performance in a building construction project.Results of this study show that among the highly effective best practices are: the use of industrialized systems and the contract of suppliers managing the waste. In addition, distributing small containers in the work areas is also another high valued practice, although only 36% of respondents usually implement this measure in their works.