城市社区工作研究的思路和方法

社区(Community)是一个有着明确边界、范围和居住着有各方面联系的人的社会区域。社区的建设和发展是一种有目标、有计划的引导社会变迁的行动过程,是一项庞大而复杂的系统工程。本文提出了社区工作研究的总体构思;并建立了由人口、教科文、生活质量、社会保障、健康水平、妇女地位、环境保护等因素组成的社区综合发展评价指标体系;并构造了综合评价数学模型。     

Conservation Easements: Biodiversity Protection and Private Use

Abstract:  Conservation easements are one of the primary tools for conserving biodiversity on private land. Despite their increasing use, little quantitative data are available on what species and habitats conservation easements aim to protect, how much structural development they allow, or what types of land use they commonly permit. To address these knowledge gaps, we surveyed staff responsible for 119 conservation easements established by the largest nonprofit easement holder, The Nature Conservancy, between 1985 and 2004. Most easements (80%) aimed to provide core habitat to protect species or communities on-site, and nearly all were designed to reduce development. Conservation easements also allowed for a wide range of private uses, which may result in additional fragmentation and habitat disturbance. Some residential or commercial use, new structures, or subdivision of the property were permitted on 85% of sampled conservation easements. Over half (56%) allowed some additional buildings, of which 60% restricted structure size or building area. Working landscape easements with ranching, forestry, or farming made up nearly half (46%) of the easement properties sampled and were more likely than easements without these uses to be designated as buffers to enhance biodiversity in the surrounding area. Our results demonstrate the need for clear restrictions on building and subdivision in easements, research on the compatibility of private uses on easement land, and greater public understanding of the trade-offs implicit in the use of conservation easements for biodiversity conservation.     

贵州省农业生态安全性评价

为了对贵州省农业生态安全的区域分布现状进行研究,加强和重视农业生态安全的定量评价,给贵州省农业自然灾害风险管理提供定量参考,根据贵州省农业生态的特点,设计了贵州省农业生态安全评价指标体系。运用主观评价与客观评价相互综合的评价分析方法,对贵州省各县(市)的农业生态安全状况进行了综合评价。将贵州省农业生态安全划分为四个等级,相对低安全区主要分布在贵州西部高海拔地区,相对较安全区主要分布在贵州东部部分区域。得到了贵州省农业生态安全区划图,并分析了影响贵州农业生态安全的主要原因。     

Strategic Study on Integration of Port and City Development in Rizhao

Abstract

Agglomeration of the Yangtze Delta (UAYD), one of the most developed regions of China, has witnessed an increasing prevalence in building ecological cities when the ecological cities are pursued by many modern cities, and great achievements have been made in this regard. It is inevitable, however, that certain problems exist during the construction of ecological city, which include but not limited to non-harmonious development of urban complex ecosystem, and the difficulty in quantifying eco-city construction or incomplete quantification in assessing the construction of present and future eco-city. Based on the analysis on social-economic conditions and regional conditions of the UAYD, this paper attempts to set up an index system of eco-cities combining with local characteristics, and to adopt the indices of eco-city, urban harmony, and eco-city colligate to evaluate the ecological level, urban harmonious development and eco-city construction of cities within the UAYD. Results indicate that among 15 cities in UAYD, Suzhou City ranks the highest in terms of eco-city construction, whereas Nantong ranks relatively lower; sustainable eco-city construction is possible only when cities are developed in every respect of harmony.     

Circular Economy Development Mode Based on System Theory

Abstract

The paper tries to explore circular economy from the viewpoint of the system theory. Circular economy is a kind of complicated economic activity, and it is a wholly new ecotype economy proposed by Western countries after they had summed up many experiences and lessons from traditional economy. It is an entirety and has many layers. It keeps an open and dynamic balance. Because the system theory is the theoretical foundation of circular economy, we should systemically analyze and study circular economy from the macroscopic view, correctly grasp its operational laws, improve its service functions, and realize human beings' sustainable development. The paper introduces the content and general characteristics of the system theory and the idea of circular economy. Then it analyzes circular economy based on the system theory. The paper concludes that the integration of circular economy and the system theory can promote the functions of circular economy.     

Impacts of the Rising Opportunity Cost of Farm Labor on Agricultural Land Use Structure: Theory and Empirical Evidences

Abstract

Nowadays the rising of opportunity cost of farm labor comes to the forefront of attention in China. In order to understand its impact on agricultural land-use structure, a theoretical framework of household economics is formulated drawn on Low’s model. Under the theoretical framework, the impact of the rising opportunity cost of on-farm on cropping structure is deduced in theory. And then, using statistic and survey data, taking mountain area of southern Ningxia as an example, the theoretical assumes are verified. The results show that the rise of opportunity cost of farm labor leads to less diversified cropping structure.     

Decision support for sustainable manufacturing using decision guidance query language

Sustainability has become a very significant research topic as it impacts many different manufacturing industries. Therefore, the technologies for monitoring, analysing, evaluating and optimising the sustainability performance of manufacturing processes and systems are very critical for decision makers on the shop floor. This paper introduces a decision guidance management system that provides actionable recommendations through quantitative analysis of the sustainability measures of manufacturing processes and systems based on life cycle assessment. The system determines decision preferences through dynamically collected data and decision makers' responses, taking into account the prevailing constraints. Optimal decisions can be derived using mathematical and constraint programming. By using decision guidance query language, this methodology allows users to make optimal decisions without an extensive mathematical or operations research background. Knowledge of relational databases is sufficient for a user to formulate the optimisation problem and obtain optimal solutions. The methodology is demonstrated with a machining operation case study, in which a list of sustainability metrics are identified and sustainability modelling methods are proposed. Important sustainable machining performance measures are optimised, resulting in actionable recommendations.     

Feasibility analysis of renewable hybrid energy supply options for Masirah Island

In this paper, the assessment and modelling of alternative renewable energy systems for Masirah Island is considered. The hybrid system that is simulated comprises various combinations of wind turbines and/or photovoltaic (PV) supplemented with diesel generators and short-term battery storage. It was found from the analysis that the PV–wind–diesel hybrid system, with battery unit, has the lowest cost values as compared to solar-only or wind–diesel hybrid systems. Furthermore, the study illustrates that for a given hybrid system the presence of battery storage will reduce diesel consumption. The decrease in carbon emission, the percentage of fuel savings, the cost of energy production and the effect of wind and PV penetration are also addressed in this paper. The PV–wind–diesel hybrid option is techno-economically viable for the electrification of the Masirah Island.     

Developing a fuzzy linear programming model for locating recovery facility in a closed loop supply chain

In this research a closed loop supply chain is designed which incorporates reverse logistics and forward logistic system simultaneously. In the design of reverse logistic system, recovery options are embedded in traditional supply chain for treating returned products. The recovery system includes collection centres, remanufacturing plants and disposal centres. Since the product return is supply driven, there is an uncertainty about it. In the proposed configuration for closed loop supply chain, the optimised configuration for supply chain in terms of locating recovery plants is developed. Accordingly, a fuzzy mixed integer linear programming model develops to deal with the uncertainty of returning products by customers. A general-purpose solver (LINGO 8.0) and a Meta heuristic approach (genetics algorithm) are implemented to solve the proposed model. The answers are compared by defining indexes and then the optimal answer, configuration and variables are identified. This solution will suggest a new design of supply chain network in which waste of materials is minimised and the new raw materials are necessary only when the used products may not be recovered by recovery options.     

Holistic well-being and sustainable organisations – A review and argumentative propositions

Abstract

This article discusses holistic well-being in a balanced work system theory framework. Holistic well-being is a combination of well-being in both work and non-work domains. Theories of balanced work systems and balanced organisations are retold in light of holistic well-being to show how different individuals in organisations can contribute to achieving desired outcomes at different process levels. Further, this article provides new insights and research challenges to the balanced organisation theory by including a sustainability aspect and by proposing a new concept of balanced value networks.