Greener growing: assessing the influence of gardening practices on the ecological viability of community gardens in South East Queensland,Australia

While claims about the environmental benefits of community gardens abound, few researchers have systematically assessed the ecological integrity of gardening practices. This study investigated gardening practices in 50 community gardens in Brisbane and Gold Coast cities, Australia. The study aimed to better understand how gardening practices might affect the ecological viability of community gardens. Factors investigated included: garden bio-physical characteristics, operators’ motivations, gardeners’ socio-demographic backgrounds, garden facilities and types of plants grown. Two broad types of gardens were identified: permaculture (21 gardens) and non-permaculture (29 gardens). Permaculture gardens used lower-impact gardening practices. Findings have policy implications for environmental planning and management.     

政府采购环境标志电子产品的环境效益分析

实施政府绿色采购,引导和推动消费和生产向更可持续的方向发展是解决环境问题,实现经济社会全面可持续发展的必然要求.进行绿色采购成本效益分析是政府绿色采购政策可持续推进发展的有力保障.本文在介绍了中国环境标产品政府采购的现状和国外相关政府绿色采购环境效益研究的基础上,针对电子产品展开了相应的环境效益分析,最后对国内广泛开展此项工作的存在的问题和挑战进行了总结.     

What shapes municipalities’ perceptions of fairness in windpower developments?

ABSTRACT

Siting controversies have become familiar in windpower development. Process and outcome fairness in the form of economic benefits to local communities and inclusion in decision-making processes are recognised as important elements in local acceptance of windpower installations. To these, we add the concept of “relative fairness” influencing perceptions of overall fairness. In this article, we examine why Norwegian municipalities agree to host windpower, and the role of process, outcome and relative fairness in this decision. Municipalities are central in providing welfare services, and in ensuring a viable local economy and local workplaces. Process fairness is important, as is evident when municipalities have little influence in the detailed planning of the plants. Also, outcome fairness, in the form of economic compensation – particularly through property tax – is decisive for positive attitudes towards windfarms, as municipalities can strengthen their role as welfare providers and boost local economic activities. Less emphasised are the effects on global climate and national climate goals. However, effects on local landscape and nature are also important for municipalities, as became clear when the national government proposed withdrawing the municipalities’ possibilities of levying property taxes. The municipalities argue that it is only fair to receive something in return for hosting windmills, and relative fairness is important to their argument for equal treatment regarding hydro- and wind-power electricity production in the form of a natural resource tax.     

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY IMPACTS OF A WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT1

ABSTRACT: At a time in history when water resource development in the United States is being condemned as both economically inefficient and an environmental disaster, perhaps economists need to look back at previous development to see what the fruits of water development (be they sweet or sour) have been. The Boise Project of south-western Idaho is 70 years old and to some people it represents a gross error in resource use, while to others it represents a means of livelihood and well being. A recent research project at the University of Idaho attempted to measure not only the direct economic income benefits of the project (from irrigation), but also the indirect or secondary income benefits (from the food processing industry). Periodic regional input-output tables were constructed to assess the income generated from irrigation and food processing over the period from 1946 to 1970. Input-output analysis allowed researchers to evaluate the direct and indirect impacts of both the irrigation sector and the food processing sector and to compare their growth over time.     

AN APPLICATION OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH METHODS TO BEACH RENOURISHMENT PROJECTS1

ABSTRACT: Mathematical models have been widely used in business to minimize cost and maximize profit. In this paper such models are used to help determine the optimum strategy for a beach renourishment project including the initial and subsequent fill quantities and the length of a complete renourishment cycle. The importance of considering economic factors is emphasized, and the sensitivity of the optimal values to changes in the basic parameters of the models are discussed. The possible extensions and limitations of the models are considered.     

生态旅游:实现山区可持续发展的理想途径--以临安市为例

以临安市生态旅游发展实践为例,通过参与性农村快速评估方法(PRRA),实证分析了生态旅游对开发企业、当地农民和政府带来的经济效益,以及对改善生态环境、增加就业、提高农民素质等方面发挥的生态效益与社会效益,指出准确的市场定位、参与式市场运作、政府重视和支持是临安生态旅游发展的成功经验.说明生态旅游业作为最终需求产业,在具备一定资源优势和区位优势的山区,是实现山区经济、生态、社会协调发展的理想途径.     

综合整治府南河走可持续发展之路

府南河工程带动成都市城市基础设施建设,产生了巨大 在的社会效益,促进了环境保护及城市生态的良性循环,造就了成都市建设现代化商贸中心的前提条件,为成都市的可持续发展奠定了基础。     

MEASURING THE SITE-SPECIFIC RECREATION BENEFITS RESULTING FROM IMPROVED WATER QUALITY: AN UPPER BOUND APPROACH1

The estimation of the value of recreation benefits resulting from improved water quality is required for many purposes. In particular, the Water Pollution Control Act of 1980 requires the consideration of the reasonableness of costs of reducing water pollution in relation to benefits to be derived from establishing effluent standards (Clean Water Act of 1977). Recreation is often the most important benefit resulting from water quality improvement. Current methods used to calculate recreation benefits are either not site-specific or are expensive and controversial. This paper presents a relatively simple, inexpensive, and less controversial method of calculating site-specific recreation benefits resulting from improved water quality. It does this by producing an upper bound estimate which often is adequate for the relevant decision. The upper bound estimates is based on two assumptions: 1) there are alternative equivalent substitute sites for the newly augmented water quality site, and 2) the new augmented recreation opportunities at the site will be used to their maximum supply capacity. Clearly, if an upper bound benefit estimate in a cost-benefit ratio does not produce a favorable ratio, no other benefit estimate will. In cases where this estimate produces an ambiguous result resort must be had to other more precise methods of estimation.     

黄河中游水保措施对入黄干支流泥沙特性的影响:Ⅱ.减沙效益分析

应用文献［１］关于不同地貌类型及不同水保措施条件下黄河干支流中泥沙粒径分布的研究结果,可以对相应条件下的减沙效益进行有效的分析。利用文献［１］模型,本文不仅探讨了在给定地貌类型条件下各类水保措施实施前后流域汇入黄河干支流的泥沙总量的变化,而且还在扣除降雨变化的影响之后,预测了各类组合条件下非均匀泥沙中减沙效果最佳的粒径级和相应粒径级泥沙的减沙量,预测结果得到了黄河干支流各站所有实测资料的验证。文中还简要讨论了人类活动（主要是开矿）对减沙效益的影响。     

Economic viability study of a separate household waste collection in a developing country

This article reports a study of the economic viability of a separate household waste collection project, and considers its social and environmental benefits. The study was developed from the database obtained through the pilot project on separate collections in João Pessoa, the capital of Paraíba, in the northeast region of Brazil. The pilot project had been supported by the local municipal council since September 2000. The methodology applied to this study of economic viability is based on the economic quantification of the benefits and costs involved in the process of a separate collection of household waste. The benefits to the environment, owing to the reduction of the final disposal of household waste, were also evaluated. The results of this research are encouraging for the benefit cost relation (B/C) of both the quantified economic components and the environmental aspects. The values found for the relation B/C ranged from 1.27 to 1.77 depending on the economic quantification of the direct and indirect benefits to the components involved in the project, i.e., the waste collectors, the municipal council, the sellers of recycled material, and the recycling industry.