An approach for analysing the potential for material efficiency improvement

Material efficiency improvement saves energy and reduces the consumption of primary resources and reduces the volume of waste. In this article an approach for analysing the potential for material efficiency improvement is proposed and discussed. In this approach the product functions performed by the materials and various improvement measures are taken into account. The potential for material saving and associated energy saving is assessed and evaluated economically. In this paper the approach is tested in an analysis of the potential for material efficiency improvement with respect to plastic packaging in the Netherlands. The technical reduction potential is found to be 34 ± 7% (157 ± 30 ktonne virgin plastics). Realization of this potential would improve the energy efficiency of the lifecycle of plastic packaging by 31% (10 PJ in 1988). From our study we conclude that our approach can indeed be used to investigate the potential for material efficiency improvement. However, a reliable technical and particularly an economical assessment of reduction measures cannot be made until more detailed data become available.     

Metals recycling in the United States

Twenty-two metals for which secondary recovery is important, in terms of quantity and/or value, were compared and ranked for rate and efficiency of recycling, and availability of recycled metal. In general, their recycling rates trended upward over the period 1970–1993. Iron, aluminum, copper, gold, platinum, and lead accounted for most of the value of all secondary metal produced, while iron and steel dominated in terms of quantity produced and exported. The factors most influential on recycling rates are profitability, public support, organization of infrastructure, sortability, legislative support, and scrap purity. The share of supply accounted for by secondary metals is expected to surpass that of primary metals sometime in the next decade.     

Estimation of the shadow prices of pollutants with production/environment inefficiency taken into account: a nonparametric directional distance function approach

This paper deals with the estimation of the shadow prices of pollutants with a nonparametric directional distance function approach, where the inefficiency involved in the production process is taken into account unlike the previous studies. The directional vector, which is critical to the estimation and subject to the criterion for an appropriate efficiency rule proposed here, is calculated by using the annual plans of power plants in terms of production and environment. In the empirical study for Korea's electric power industry during the period of 1990-1995, we find that the average shadow prices of sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and total suspended particulates (TSP) are approximately 10% lower than those calculated under the assumption of full efficiency. The methodology we propose and the findings obtained in the empirical study allow us to undertake better decision-making over a broad range of environmental policy issues.     

ROLE OF IRRIGATION WATER IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION: SOME RESOURCE USE ISSUES1

ABSTRACT: A partial production function for corn that considers the time and amount of water applications is determined. Examples are worked out by using data on site specific parameters for nine soil sites in the Great Plains Region repesenting various combinations of water holding capacity, pan evaporation, and average rainfall. It is found that soils with a low water holding capacity are more water and energy intensive in crop production and thus more vulnerable to fluctuations in net returns due to declining water tables or energy shortages. Despite this, farmers of low water holding capacity soils are likely to opt for irrigation. This points to the existence of a necessary, but sufficient, condition for socially inefficient use of ground water resources. This calls to question the property right concept in water created through the appropriation doctrine and the “law of capture.” This paper indicates the type of analysis that must be undertaken in order to make appropriate changes in laws governing water use.     

EFFICIENCY PROBLEMS FROM USER FEES IN MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT1

ABSTRACT: The Environmental Protection Agency administers a construction grant program to encourage abatement of wastewater pollution by sharing with municipalities the costs of wastewater treatment facilities. The enabling legislation (P.L. 92–500) specifies that EPA's cost share will be 75% of construction costs. It further requires municipalities to collect user fees from industrial users of the facilities to repay that part of the federal grant allocable to the treatment of industrial wastewater. The municipality must return half of the user fees collected to the U.S. Treasury; the municipality is allowed to retain the remaining half. Retention by municipalities of these user fees lowers their effective cost shares and results in the following consequences: (1) a bias for municipalities to select certain kinds of abatement techniques regardless of whether or not they are the least-cost techniques from the national perspective; (2) a bias for municipalities to select larger-than-optimal scales of abatement facilities; (3) a hidden federal subsidy to industry; and (4) grants that favor industrial communities. This article examines the legislative and regulatory requirements for user charges, derives the algebraic expressions for calculating the real federal, municipal, and industrial cost shares with user fees; computes municipal cost shares for selected values of the determinant factors; evaluates efficiency and other consequences of current user fee arrangements; and concludes that the efficiency distortions brought about by the impacts of user fees on cost sharing could be eliminated by requiring that all user fees collected from industry against the federal cost share be returned to the U.S. Treasury.     

AN OPTIMIZATION MODEL FOR EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF URBAN WATER RESOURCES1

ABSTRACT: A mathematical programming model is proposed to determine economically efficient urban water resource allocation and pricing policy by maximizing the sum of the consumer and producer surplus. The optimization of this nonlinear problem is accomplished by the use of linear programming algorithm. The feasibility of using recycled water for municipal purposes is examined in a planning context. The impact of higher water quality discharge standards on pricing and allocation of water is analyzed and the attractiveness of water reuse option is demonstrated.     

地震学综合定量预报方法在华东地区地震预测中的应用研究

本文应用地震学综合定量预报方法,结合区域地震活动特点,在华东地区进行了分区实际预报效能检验.结果表明该方法在华东地区有5个区域通过R值检验,效果较好,有4个区域未能通过R值检验;并对通过检验的区域地震活动趋势进行了分析.     

微孔扩散管曝气试验

本文综术字在污水处理站使用离心鼓风机穿孔管大气泡浅 支暴气所引起的溶解氧不足。     

不同配方复合肥对胡椒生长效应的研究

1988—1990年在我国重要的胡椒产区——海南省万宁县,进行胡椒施用不同配方复合肥的田间试验。结果表明,N:P_2O_5:K_2O为12:6:13加微肥的配方是胡椒专用肥的较佳配方,施用效果柑当或优于N、P、K比为15:15:15的进口复合肥,比当地常规施肥增产20.2％,能节省肥料成本,有显著的经济效益,可在试区大面积推广。     

中国工业废水治理效率评价

基于投入产出的思想,应用DEA模型对2008年中国工业废水治理效率进行静态评价,得出各地区当前工业废水治理效率.用Malmquist指数对中国2003-2008年工业废水治理效率进行动态评价,分别得出近几年中国工业废水治理的名义全要素生产率和实际全要素生产率.结果表明,中国工业废水平均治理效率仅为0.630,2008年达到DEA有效的地区仅占16.7％,几乎所有地区都处在规模收益递减;2003-2008年间的中国工业废水治理名义T下P为0.922,实际TFP为0.943,即分别在此期间平均每年下降7.8％和5.7％,造成逐年下降的主要原因是技术的落后.