A MONTHLY TIME SERIES MODEL OF MUNICIPAL WATER DEMAND1

A multivariate time series model is formulated to study monthly variations in municipal water demand. The left hand side variable in the multivariate regression model is municipal water demand (gallons per connection per day) and the right hand side contains (explanatory) variables which include price (constant dollars), average temperature, total precipitation, and percentage of daylight hours. The application of the regression model to Salt Lake City Water Department data produced a high multiple correlation coefficient and F-statistic. The regression coefficients for the right hand side variables all have the appropriate sign. In an ex post forecast, the model accurately predicts monthly variations in municipal water demand. The proposed monthly multivariate model is not only found useful for forecasting water demand, but also useful for predicting and studying the impact of nonstructural management decisions such as the effect of price changes, peak load pricing methods, and other water conservation programs.     

中国2001年-2010年能源与环境不和谐图像及其控制对策研究

国内外10余个国家多年的统计结果表明能源弹性系数正常值在0.5左右,但我国“十五”期间能源弹性系数基本上均超过1,最高达1.73,说明我国“十五”期间能源与环境的发展模式不够和谐。结合2004年-2005年上报国家环保总局环境工程评估中心审查的火电项目总装机容量3.77×108kW,多种方案预测了我国“十一五”期间能源、特别是火电的发展与大气污染物排放,结果表明“十一五”期间我国能源与环境的发展仍然很难和谐。为逐步实现能源与环境的和谐发展,必须加大产业结构调整力度,限制能耗总量增长过快趋势,使我国能源弹性系数逐步恢复到正常值。     

A MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY INVESTMENT PROBLEM IN RHODE ISLAND1

ABSTRACT: The traditional “requirements” approach to water system planning presumes perfectly inelastic demand and arbitrarily selects a fixed water requirement per capita per day as a planning target. Economists have often pointed out that such a policy leads to over-investment in water supply facilities; a superior approach would maximize some measure of net benefits incorporating price-sensitive demand. Using a dynamic programming model to depict an investment problem in Rhode Island, we find that ambiguities about how to incorporate price-sensitive demand into a decision framework may make such an approach as arbitrary as the requirements approach. Water conservation responses may be a function of other social parameters than water price; if so, variations in these social parameters should be regarded as economic alternatives to water supply investments.     

ACHIEVING URBAN WATER CONSERVATION1

ABSTRACT: Increasing costs and competition for water have resulted in pressure to manage urban water demand through conservation programs. Metering, pricing, devices, restrictions, building code changes, and horticultural practices have all been effective in reducing average residential water use. Some conservation means are specifically aimed at reducing peak demands but these usually reduce average usage as well. Combined programs of conservation can be expected to reduce urban demand by as much as 25–30 percent over the long term. Restrictions can reduce water usage on the short term even further. The success of conservation programs is as dependent on the effectiveness of public education and information dissemination as on the conservation practices themselves.     

EFFECT OF PRICE ON THE RESIDENTIAL DEMAND FOR WATER WITHIN AN AGENCY1

ABSTRACT: This paper develops a model that can be used to forecast the residential elasticity of demand for water within a district. Long-term water conservation programs and revenue and cost decisions hinge crucially on a determination of this elasticity. This study then pools cross-sectional (census) and time series data to generate elasticity forecasts for the Oakland urban area.     

经济环境形势综合诊断研究

经济发展是造成环境污染的主要原因.经济环境形势综合诊断是基于环境指标分析经济发展中存在的问题,构建经济与环境形势诊断指标是判断经济环境发展趋势的关键,是宏观环境管理政策调整的基础.本文在分析经济环境系统关联的基础上,基于国家尺度宏观经济变化,从污染排放的空间、行业、增长速度等方面构建了包括三项集成指数的诊断指标,建立每项指标的支撑指标,并进行诊断标准划分.2005和2006年度COD和SO2的实证分析表明:污染排放的行业差异较大,经济增长速度过快,基于COD和SO2的经济环境形势不容乐观,经济的高速增长和发展方式转变缓慢将进一步加大实现主要污染物总量控制目标的难度.应重点依靠提升产业技术水平来推动中西部地区经济发展方式的转变,促进经济和环境的协调发展.     

有约束应力高温全过程后混凝土轴压力学性能试验研究

采用高温抗压试验炉进行了有约束应力作用下混凝土在经历升温、降温及冷却全过程作用后的轴压力学性能试验研究,主要研究约束应力水平和温度等级对升降温及冷却全过程中的混凝土高温变形特性与高温后混凝土强度、弹性模量和应力-应变关系等性能的影响规律。结果表明:约束应力使混凝土产生明显的残余压缩变形,且对高温后混凝土抗压强度和弹性模量有显著影响;无约束应力高温后混凝土的抗压强度随着温度的升高经历低温衰退、强度恢复、高温衰退3个阶段,n≤0.4时有约束应力混凝土也表现出相同的规律;约束应力可提高高温后混凝土的弹性模量,但其值仍明显低于常温弹性模量;有约束应力高温全过程后混凝土破坏突然,明显变脆。     

Effect of stage-specific vital rates on population growth rates and effective population sizes in an endangered iteroparous plant

Effective population size (N(e)) determines the strength of genetic drift and can influence the level of genetic diversity a population can maintain. Assessing how changes in demographic rates associated with environmental variables and management actions affect N(e) thus can be crucial to the conservation of endangered species. Calculation of N(e) through demographic models makes it possible to use elasticity analyses to study this issue. The elasticity of N(e) to a given vital rate is the proportional change in N(e) associated with a proportional increase in that vital rate. In addition, demographic models can be used to study N(e) and population growth rate (λ) simultaneously. Simultaneous examination is important because some vital rates differ diametrically in their associations with λ and N(e). For example, in some cases increasing these vital rates increases λ and decreases N(e). We used elasticity analysis to study the effect of stage-specific survival and flowering rates on N(e), annual effective population size (N(a)), and λ in seven populations of the endangered plant Austrian dragonhead (Dracocephalum austriacum). In populations with λ ≥ 1, the elasticities of N(e) and N(a) were similar to those of λ. Survival rates of adults were associated with greater elasticities than survival rates of juveniles, flowering rates, or fecundity. In populations with λ < 1, N(e) and N(a) exhibited greater elasticities to juvenile than to adult vital rates. These patterns are similar to those observed in other species with similar life histories. We did not observe contrasting effects of any vital rate on λ and N(e); thus, management actions that increase the λ of populations of Austrian dragonhead will not increase genetic drift. Our results show that elasticity analyses of N(e) and N(a) can complement elasticity analysis of λ. Moreover, such analyses do not require more data than standard matrix models of population dynamics.     

太湖流域腹部地区水位对降水变化及城镇化的响应

20世纪80年代以来,在气候和人类活动因素的影响下,太湖流域汛期河网水位上升明显,洪涝频发。论文基于流域腹部地区站点日降水和水位资料,对历年降水和水位进行分等级研究,分析它们的变化趋势及差异;并采用两变量弹性分析方法探讨水位对降水变化和以城镇化为代表的人类活动响应的敏感性。结果表明:①1954-2006年汛期和非汛期高等级(8~10级)降水占相应时段总降水的贡献率呈上升趋势,而低等级(1~3级)降水贡献率呈下降趋势,即降水集中程度在增加。水位变化呈现类似特点,并且高等级水位的集中程度增加更为显著。②基准期(汛期1954-1985年,非汛期1954-1987年)水位变化对城镇化的弹性系数均未达到显著性水平,而相对期(汛期1986-2006年,非汛期1988-2006年)的城镇化弹性系数比较显著,其造成水位变化的贡献率在非讯期已接近降水的贡献率。因此,以快速城镇化为代表的人类活动影响,在研究区水位变化中发挥越来越重要的作用。     

中国城市工业污染强度与经济增长耦合关系

利用幂函数模型对中国46个重点城市1993-2006年人均GDP和7项工业污染强度指标进行曲线拟合,用于描述和分析我国城市经济发展与工业污染强度的耦合状态,经模型推导提出了“效率弹性系数”,作为度量城市经济与工业污染控制协调发展程度的指标。拟合统计结果显示,中国城市工业污染强度与经济增长的关系曲线形状有明显的幂函数特征。样本城市在“曲线簇”中的位置能揭示“后发优势”以及经济-环境耦合水平优劣的信息。对样本城市效率弹性系数的统计分析证明,该系数可以作为城市经济环境管理的决策依据。