The economics of tire remanufacturing

The world market for tires is described to identify the current material flow from raw materials to tires and the used tire disposal problem. Then, I describe the value-adding operations in the tire production process and in the tire retreading process. Once retreading is identified as the only recovery alternative that maximizes tire utilization, I explain why heat generation is the only recovery alternative, when retreading is not technically feasible. The economic values of heat generation in electric plants and in cement kilns are discussed. The paper culminates with the case of retreading, the tire remanufacturing process and the recommendation of a simple decision rule for selecting the number of times a tire should be retreaded to maximize its utilization.     

铜胁迫对不同基因型谷子幼苗基因组DNA多态性的影响

采用室内盆栽土培法,以4种基因型谷子(D2-8、安06、黄米、朝谷)为供试材料,研究了不同浓度Cu2+胁迫对谷子幼苗体内可溶性糖、脯氨酸、丙二醛(MDA)含量和基因组DNA多态性的影响.结果表明,经50~400 mg·kg-1Cu2+处理30 d后,4种谷子幼苗体内可溶性糖含量与对照相比呈现先上升后下降的趋势,在50 mg·kg-1时达到最大值.当浓度为200mg·kg-1以上时,4种谷子的可溶性糖含量的平均降幅为对照的32.44%~56.5%.脯氨酸则表现为低含量(≤50 mg·kg-1)的促进和高含量(≥100 mg·kg-1)的抑制效应,MDA含量均有增加且与对照差异显著(P<0.05).Cu2+胁迫下不同基因型谷子幼苗基因组DNA的RAPD图谱发生明显变化,表现为单条或多条RAPD谱带的增加和缺失或者荧光强度的改变,细胞中基因组模板DNA的稳定性下降,DNA多态性变化与Cu2+浓度之间存在剂量-效应关系.不同基因型谷子对Cu2+胁迫的生理和遗传损伤响应存在差异.利用RAPD技术获得的DNA多态性变化可作为检测Cu2+遗传毒性效应的生物标记物.     

溪源宫水源保护区浮游植物群落结构分析研究

文章主要对2011年8月至12月溪源宫水源保护区浮游植物群落结构进行调查分析。溪源宫水体共鉴定出浮游植物6门51属137种,主要都是以绿藻门、硅藻门、蓝藻门为主。通过采用浮游植物生物量以及多样性指数对研究区域水体进行了评价,结果表明溪源宫水源保护区水质状况较好。同时还将溪源宫水源保护区、闽江、山仔水库等不同水源地的浮游植物群落结构进行对比分析,发现不同营养状态下,水体中浮游植物群落结构有显著的不同。     

Sustainability issues in sheet metal forming processes: an overview

Environmental sustainability in manufacturing is nowadays an urgent and remarkable issue and the main concerns are related to more efficient use of materials and energy.In sheet metal forming processes there is still a lack of knowledge in this field mainly due to the need of a proper modelling of sustainability issues and factors to be taken into account. The aim of this paper is mainly to underline the state of the art from a forming point of view about the sustainability contributions offered in any phase of a product life cycle. Actually, a lack in terms of comprehensive contributions is present in the technical literature, thus, the authors try to give a sort of holistic vision aimed to provide basic guidelines in order to help in identifying the possible solutions with regard to all the phases of a forming product life cycle. The main attention was paid to sheet metal forming technologies. The paper gives an overview of the main topics concerning sheet metal forming problems related to energy and resource efficiency with the aim to stress the principal contributions which may derive from such processes to environmental performances of manufacturing.     

Specific features of phenetic structure of the terrestrial snail <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cepaea vindobonensis</Emphasis> (Pulmonata; Helicidae) in urbanized and natural populations

The phenetic structure of natural and urbanized populations of the terrestrial snail Cepaea vindobonensis has been studied with respect to polymorphism in the shell-band color and pattern. It is noted that C. vindobonensis snails populating different artificial habitats in the city of Nikolaev and its suburbs are characterized by a higher level of both intra-and interpopulation diversity with respect to the type of this polymorphism. In addition, urban populations show a very wide range of variation in the frequencies of particular morphs or their groups. Conversely, natural populations are characterized by a more uniform frequency structure with respect to polymorphism of the shell banding pattern.     

2-萘酚生产废水综合治理与资源化利用工程实例

针对2-萘酚生产废水p H值低、色泽深,亚硫酸盐和萘磺酸盐高、COD浓度高的特点,采用酸化脱硫-两级络合萃取-氧化絮凝工艺处理,介绍了专利工艺的流程设计,给出了主要工艺设计参数及投资运行成本。工程运行结果表明,该工艺设计合理、技术成熟、处理效果稳定,2-萘酚生产废水经处理后达到GB 8978—1996《污水综合排放标准》一级排放标准要求;回收的萘磺酸钠固体可返回2-萘酚生产系统套用;反萃取黑液经蒸发浓缩,合成的减水剂产品各项指标达到或超过GB 8076—2008《混凝土外加剂》高效减水剂指标要求。     

Critical environmental indicators: performance indices and assessment models for sustainable rural development planning

Sustainable development planning must be based on environmental and biophysical baseline indices that effectively define comparative development potential and environmental constraints. As such, indices must define the comparative advantage of the natural resource base and measure the fundamental capacity to sustain production rates of natural resource goods and services used to create societal well being. Complex biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics affect the identification and selection of sustainable development strategies. When derived from effective baseline indicators, indices may be used to define the spatial and temporal distribution of economically viable production opportunities and may be expressed in derived indices that realistically describe basic production opportunities and guide the selection of feasible, long-term development strategies. Specifically, representative indices are critical in the identification of development goals and realistic objectives and can be used to evaluate, select and implement sustainable development strategies and plans. It is stressed that the relevancy and effectiveness of public policies depend on the identification of representative evaluation models and baseline indices to define development strategies that are both environmentally sustainable and economically viable. In this context, the role of baseline indicators that define natural resource production capacities is discussed. This includes potential resource uses, derived benefits and their economic and environmental impacts. Key thematic indicators are suggested that may be especially useful in identifying development alternatives and impacts. This suggested that clearly defined environmental pollution limits or impact standards be used to define public risk tolerance limits and carrying capacity constraints. It is argued that these measures may be more effective in directing policy choices than economic valuation of non market goods and services that represent environmental externalities associated with resource exploitation options and economic development strategies. To this end, examples of thematic indicators and derived indices are introduced that may prove effective in resource assessment, economic evaluation and strategic development planning.     

Harmony Hurts: Participation and Silent Conflict at an Indonesian Fish Pond

Participatory environmental and resource management is premised on open communication to reach consensus. However, deliberate and open communication cannot adequately address silent conflict. This begs two questions. First, how is the existence of covert communication and silent conflict to be recognized and addressed? Second, how are the wider social relations and traditions that encompass communication and conflict to be described and explained? These questions revolve around communicative power. Communication of environmental knowledge is deeply embedded in social power structures, with direct implications for participatory resource planning and implementation. Ethnographic research conducted at a failed community-managed fish farming project in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia shows that a culture of harmony and respect for authority can silence environmental conflict in the hierarchical “community.” Three propositions are offered. First, communication amnesia and exclusion jeopardize participation. Second, cultures of harmony and silent conflict shape planning processes and outcomes. Third, the weak use manipulation and communication strategy to acquire a “voice” while preserving harmony. These propositions address five unresolved issues in participatory resource management: analysis of groups, contextuality, social relationships, nonparticipants, and informal communication. Power, tradition, and social networks affect the valuing of knowledge relative to the power of different individuals and institutions to communicate priorities, values, and needs. These factors are critical to the inclusion of both participants and nonparticipants.     

Impacts of Surface Gold Mining on Land Use Systems in Western Ghana

Land use conflicts are becoming increasingly apparent from local to global scales. Surface gold mining is an extreme source of such a conflict, but mining impacts on local livelihoods often remain unclear. Our goal here was to assess land cover change due to gold surface mining in Western Ghana, one of the world’s leading gold mining regions, and to study how these changes affected land use systems. We used Landsat satellite images from 1986–2002 to map land cover change and field interviews with farmers to understand the livelihood implications of mining-related land cover change. Our results showed that surface mining resulted in deforestation (58%), a substantial loss of farmland (45%) within mining concessions, and widespread spill-over effects as relocated farmers expand farmland into forests. This points to rapidly eroding livelihood foundations, suggesting that the environmental and social costs of Ghana’s gold boom may be much higher than previously thought.