Ecological economics: themes, approaches, and differences with environmental economics

This article provides a short overview of the main themes of ecological economics (EE). It is argued that EE provides a platform that fosters multidisciplinary environmental research by bringing together the core contributing disciplines – economics and ecology. In addition, EE is regarded as a pluralistic approach to environmental research that can be set opposite to, and has indeed developed as a response to, traditional environmental and resource economics. A comparison of the two fields is presented to clarify the essential differences between them. In addition, specific themes are examined in more detail. These include: sustainable development; the growth debate; international trade; dynamic processes; and behaviour and policy. Electronic Publication     

钙基烟气脱硫剂制备的实验研究

采用正交实验 ,研究了水合制备高效钙基烟气脱硫剂时各制备条件对产物的影响。结果表明 ,水合时间、水合温度Ca(OH) 2 /CaSO4的质量比 ,以及飞灰 / (Ca(OH) 2 +CaSO4)质量比四个条件对脱硫剂比表面积的形成有显著的影响 ;从而由单因素实验得出一最佳钙基脱硫剂制备条件组合。此外 ,通过XDR分析 ,测定了脱硫剂的物相组成 ,扫描电镜观察显示飞灰和水合吸收剂具有不同的表面形态     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering for mixing state characterization of individual fine particles during a haze episode in Beijing, China

The nondestructive characterization of the mixing state of individual fine particles using the traditional single particle analysis technique remains a challenge. In this study, fine particles were collected during haze events under different pollution levels from September 5 to 11 2017 in Beijing, China. A nondestructive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique was employed to investigate the morphology, chemical composition, and mixing state of the multiple components in the individual fine particles. Optical image and SERS spectral analysis results show that soot existing in the form of opaque material was predominant during clear periods (PM_2.5 ≤ 75 µg/m³). During polluted periods (PM_2.5 > 75 µg/m³), opaque particles mixed with transparent particles (nitrates and sulfates) were generally observed. Direct classical least squares analysis further identified the relative abundances of the three major components of the single particles: soot (69.18%), nitrates (28.71%), and sulfates (2.11%). A negative correlation was observed between the abundance of soot and the mass concentration of PM_2.5. Furthermore, mapping analysis revealed that on hazy days, PM_2.5 existed as a core-shell structure with soot surrounded by nitrates and sulfates. This mixing state analysis method for individual PM_2.5 particles provides information regarding chemical composition and haze formation mechanisms, and has the potential to facilitate the formulation of haze prevention and control policies.     

某综合楼钢结构抗火安全设计与评估(Ⅰ) --人员疏散及建筑火灾温度场分析

随着建筑设计理念及建筑技术的发展,很多新型建筑超出了当前防火规范所涉及的范围,这类建筑就要根据性能化思想来进行防火设计。某综合楼为一高层钢结构建筑,采用先进的建筑理念,在建筑内部设置了很多的大空间。基于这一新颖的结构,采用性能化方法对其进行了人员疏散时间、空气升温及结构构件升温等方面的研究。其中人员疏散通过计算机疏散模型进行了研究,大空间火灾升温采用FDS软件进行了模拟,构件升温采用AN SY S软件进行了分析。结合《规范》要求,确定了火灾时合理的人员疏散时间、空气升温及构件升温。     

大样本水环境监测数据中异常数据的筛选方法研究

在对较长时间跨度内的大样本水环境监测数据进行具体分析的基础上,提出了在水环境中污染物组分变化不大的区域,运用散点分布边界特征曲线,结合计算机程序对大样本水环境监测数据中的异常数据进行筛选的方法。以期能在保证工作质量的基础上节省大样本监测数据中异常数据筛选所需时间,并为监测数据合理性分析方法的规范化、科学化奠定基础。     

Utilizing Integrity Operating Windows (IOWs) for enhanced plant reliability & safety

Several industry codes, standards and recommended practices have been developed and utilized to maintain pressure equipment integrity and improve reliability. These industry standards focus heavily on inspections (time or risk based) and guidelines for operating equipment at conditions that enable a tolerable deterioration rate. RBI (risk based inspection), in effect, utilizes process conditions at a snapshot in time to recommend inspection strategies which can cover the span of the equipment's remaining life. On a day to day level, changes that occur in process conditions (excursions and upsets) are not fed back into the risk and criticality calculation. When such changes to operating conditions affect key process variables, new damage mechanisms could be introduced that affect the remaining life of an asset or accelerate existing damage mechanisms. The increase in risk resulting from these process changes goes unaccounted for until the effect of the deterioration is captured at the next inspection.Integrity Operating Windows (IOWs) are established limits for key process variables that can affect the integrity of the equipment if the process operation deviates from the established limits. The development of these IOWs requires fundamental understanding of the process and resulting damage mechanisms and is best facilitated by a team of corrosion and process engineers along with feedback from plant operators. A well-established IOW program is designed to provide real time notification of an increased risk to the integrity of an asset so that identified actions can be taken by the operators and/or plant managers proactively in a timely manner. Combining an RBI program with an IOW program can greatly increase its effectiveness and provide early recognition of equipment risks due to process changes. This paper will focus on the development of an IOW program and the benefits of combining it with a viable RBI program.     

Extrapolating cetacean densities to quantitatively assess human impacts on populations in the high seas

As human activities expand beyond national jurisdictions to the high seas, there is an increasing need to consider anthropogenic impacts to species inhabiting these waters. The current scarcity of scientific observations of cetaceans in the high seas impedes the assessment of population‐level impacts of these activities. We developed plausible density estimates to facilitate a quantitative assessment of anthropogenic impacts on cetacean populations in these waters. Our study region extended from a well‐surveyed region within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone into a large region of the western North Atlantic sparsely surveyed for cetaceans. We modeled densities of 15 cetacean taxa with available line transect survey data and habitat covariates and extrapolated predictions to sparsely surveyed regions. We formulated models to reduce the extent of extrapolation beyond covariate ranges, and constrained them to model simple and generalizable relationships. To evaluate confidence in the predictions, we mapped where predictions were made outside sampled covariate ranges, examined alternate models, and compared predicted densities with maps of sightings from sources that could not be integrated into our models. Confidence levels in model results depended on the taxon and geographic area and highlighted the need for additional surveying in environmentally distinct areas. With application of necessary caution, our density estimates can inform management needs in the high seas, such as the quantification of potential cetacean interactions with military training exercises, shipping, fisheries, and deep‐sea mining and be used to delineate areas of special biological significance in international waters. Our approach is generally applicable to other marine taxa and geographic regions for which management will be implemented but data are sparse.     

Resilience-based approach to safety barrier performance assessment in process facilities

The performance assessment of safety barriers is essential to find vulnerable elements in a safety barrier system. Traditional performance assessment approaches mainly focus on using several static indicators for quantifying the performance of safety barriers. However, with the increasing complexity of the system, emerging hazards are highly uncertain, making it challenging for the static indicators to assess the performance of safety barriers. This paper proposes a resilience−based performance assessment method for safety barriers to overcome this problem. Safety barriers are classified according to their functions first. The dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) is then introduced to calculate the availability function under normal and disruption conditions. The ratio of the system's availability, when affected by the disruption, to the initial availability, is used to determine the absorption capacity of the system. The ratio of the quantity of availability recovery to the total quantity of system represents the adaptation and restoration capacity of the system. The system's resilience is represented by the sum of absorption, adaptation, and restoration capacities. The wax oil hydrogenation process is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methodology.     

Avoiding Re‐Inventing the Wheel in a People‐Centered Approach to REDD+

One important debate regarding Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) in developing countries concerns the manner in which its implementation might affect local and indigenous communities. New ways to implement this mechanism without harming the interests of local communities are emerging. To inform this debate, we conducted a qualitative research synthesis to identify best practices (BPs) from people‐centered approaches to conservation and rural development, developed indicators of BPs, and invited development practitioners and researchers in the field to assess how the identified BPs are being adopted by community‐level REDD+ projects in Latin America. BPs included: local participation in all phases of the project; project supported by a decentralized forest governance framework; project objectives matching community livelihood priorities; project addressing community development needs and expectations; project enhancing stakeholder collaboration and consensus building; project applying an adaptive management approach; and project developing national and local capacities. Most of the BPs were part of the evaluated projects. However, limitations of some of the projects related to decentralized forest governance, matching project objectives with community livelihood priorities, and addressing community development needs. Adaptive management and free and prior informed consent have been largely overlooked. These limitations could be addressed by integrating conservation outcomes and alternative livelihoods into longer‐term community development goals, testing nested forest governance approaches in which national policies support local institutions for forest management, gaining a better understanding of the factors that will make REDD+ more acceptable to local communities, and applying an adaptive management approach that allows for social learning and capacity building of relevant stakeholders. Our study provides a framework of BPs and indicators that could be used by stakeholders to improve REDD+ project design, monitoring, and evaluation, which may help reconcile national initiatives and local interests without reinventing the wheel. Evitar la Reinvención de la Rueda en un Acercamiento a REDD+ Centrado en Personas