The terms of trade debate and the policy implications for primary product producers

The terms of trade debate initiated by Raul Prebisch and Hans Singer over 60 years ago continues to this day and is unlikely to be resolved soon. However, even if Prebisch and Singer are right and the terms of trade of countries exporting primary products are falling, to suggest that these countries should diversify away from the production of mineral commodities and other primary products, as many have done, may be poor policy advice, encouraging countries to abandon a promising source of wealth with which to foster economic development.     

Lithium availability in the EU27 for battery-driven vehicles: The impact of recycling and substitution on the confrontation between supply and demand until2050

The adverse impacts of climate change are widely recognized as well as the importance of the mitigation of carbon dioxide (CO₂). Battery driven vehicles are expected to have a bright future, since GHG emissions can be reduced. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries appear to be the most promising, due to their high energy density. Recently, the discussion concerning adequate lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) resources is resolved. The current challenge is the needed increase in flow rate of Li₂CO₃ into society to foresee in forecasted demand. This research determines ten factors which influence the availability of Li-ion batteries for the EU27 in the coming decades. They are used in a system dynamics analysis. The results of this research show that undersupply can be expected in the EU27 until 2045 somewhere between 0.5 Mt and 2.8 Mt. Substitution of Li₂CO₃ in other end-use markets and recycling can relieve the strain on Li₂CO₃ supply to some extent. In 2050, 20% of the vehicle fleet in the EU27 can be battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The lack of resources in the EU27 and the geographical distribution of lithium in politically sensitive areas suggest that the shares of lithium available for the EU27 will be less than assumed in this research. The increase in flow rate shows to be the bottle-neck for a transition to (partly) battery driven vehicles in the EU27, at least when Li-ion batteries are used. Focusing on large-scale application of BEVs with Li-ion batteries in order to substantially mitigate CO₂ emissions in transport is a futile campaign.     

The impact of monetary liquidity on Chinese aluminum prices

By expanding Frankel and Rose's (2009) theoretical model to consider the interaction of commodity prices with both money liquidity and expectation formation, this paper empirically studies the long-run relationship and short-term dynamics between aluminum prices and money liquidity via Vector autoregressive (VAR) and Impulse Response Function methodologies. Our results show that: (1) a cointegration relationship between money liquidity and Chinese aluminum prices exists, and monetary liquidity positively significantly influences the price over long periods; (2) a structural change has been found during the 2008 Financial Crisis and the change of Chinese monetary policies; and (3) the negative impact of production capacity mechanism on aluminum prices coexists with the positive impact of financial asset returns mechanism, to allow for varied market expectations on aluminum prices within and outside China.     

Cultivating collaboration: Lessons from initiatives to understand and manage cumulative impacts in Australian resource regions

Australia has experienced rapid development within its resource regions, with traditional mining sectors like coal, iron-ore and natural gas expanding and new industries such as coal seam gas emerging. As a result, there is an increasing prevalence and awareness of the cumulative impacts of the extractive resource industries on the society, environment and economy of these regions. Collaborative governance is emerging as a means of addressing cumulative impacts. This article undertakes an analysis of 30 case studies of collaborative governance in the resources sector of Australia. The initiatives analysed range from those focussed on information exchange and coordination to higher degrees of collaboration that involve shared resources and shared risks. The study demonstrates that there are challenges in using collaborative approaches to tackle cumulative impacts, but that significant benefits can be realised. The study highlights the need to nurture and cultivate collaborative relationships in order to provide the foundation for long-term solutions.     

渭河断陷盆地及邻区Q值分布与地震灾害关系的初步研究

本文研究了渭河断陷盆地及邻近地区介质品质因子的分布特征，探讨了其与该区域速度场、地质构造和地震灾害分布之间的关系。结果表明该区域介质品质因子分布与速度场之间存在着较好的对应关系，并与该区域的地震灾害分布密切相关。     

Long-term monitoring and source apportionment of PM2:5/PM10 in Beijing, China

During 2001-2006,PM2.5 (particle matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microns) and PM10 (particle matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 microns) were collected at the Beijng Normal University (BNU) site,China,and in 2006,at a background site in Duolun (DL).The long-term monitoring data of elements,ions,and black carbon showed that the major constituents of PM2.5 were black carbon (BC) crustal elements,nitrates,ammonium salts,and sulfates.These five major components accounted for 20%-80% of...     

我国南北方城市空气环境质量对比分析

依据国家环境监测部门公布的空气环境质量日报,对27个省会城市、4个直辖市城市的2004年-2006年空气质量数据进行分析。结果显示：我国城市空气污染指数（API）时空差异明显,冬、春季节API值高于夏季和秋季,北方城市的API均值高于南方城市;PM10是大气环境的主要污染物,作为首要污染物出现所占比例南、北方城市分别是66．64％和83．97％;SO2为首要污染物所占比例南、北方城市分别是7．28％和6．19％;北方城市平均Ⅰ级和Ⅱ级天数所占百分比之和为77．00％,重污染级天数所占比例达到1．02％;南方城市平均Ⅰ级和Ⅱ级天数所占百分比之和为87．24％,重污染天数所占百分比是0．04％;城市空气质量优、良天数呈增加趋势。     

福州市春冬季灰霾天气PM10和PM2．5污染水平和气象特征分析

分析和探讨了福州市霾日和非霾日气溶胶PM10和PM2.5污染水平,无论春季或冬季,霾日福州市气溶胶PM10和PM2．5的质量浓度是非霾日的1．6倍;通过对霾日与非霾日的天气形势与及地面气象要素场的分析,揭示了福州市灰霾天气形成原因。为政府用空气扩散能力来对大气污染物排放进行调控,为开展相应的大气污染防治工作提供科学依据。     

10kV配电站电磁场对周边环境的影响分析

介绍了极低频电磁场对人体的影响,结合城市居民对10kV配电站电磁场的投诉情况,分析了10kV配电站电磁场对周边居民的影响,提出了对10kV配电站的电磁辐射防治对策。     

遥感影像小波特征与城市大气污染相关性对比分析

PM10质量浓度是表征城市空气质量最为重要的污染指标之一.快速了解其浓度和大范围的分布状况,有利于控制PM10质量浓度,并最终提高空气质量.卫星遥感可在瞬间获取大区域的地表和大气信息,在污染监测上具有广泛的应用前景.本文在对覆盖杭州市2004年至2007年的MODIS数据进行了小波分析的基础上,建立了小波系数与同期PM10质量浓度实测数据的回归模型,并进一步比较了不同空气质量条件下的相应图像特征.初步实验表明,MODIS遥感影像特征与PM10浓度存在相关关系.