PROJECTED EFFECTS OF ENERGY POLICIES ON AGRICULTURAL WATER USE AND IRRIGATION1

ABSTRACT: A national and interregional programming model was used in projecting the impacts of alternative energy policies and prices on agricultural production, land use, and irrigation. The alternatives analyzed include (a) natural gas deregulation, (b) natural gas curtailment, (c) doubled energy prices, and (d) tripled energy prices. These alternatives are compared with a base alternative where prices and conditions are at normal levels. Restraints in the model control availability of water, land, nitrogen fertilizers, and energy. Water production functions were used to adjust water use to conform with projected energy prices and policies. Natural gas curtailment would have the largest effect on nitrogen use on irrigated land. Values or shadow prices for lands that remains in irrigation would increase under all of the alternatives because of reduced supply. Increased energy prices generally would increase use of surface water for irrigation and reduce use of ground water due to higher pumping costs. Reductions of 50 percent or more in ground water use would occur in the South Central and Western regions of the United States. Water supply prices increase under all of the alternatives; with the amount varying by regions and the policy or price situation.     

Resource Potentials and Limitations of A Nicaraguan Agricultural Region

Food production has to be increased in a sustainable way to meet the future global demand. A key position is attributed to developing countries. A deepened understanding of their agricultural regions with specific resource endowments and constraints is therefore crucial. In this study we propose a methodology based on material flux analysis (MFA) to assess the resource potentials and limitations of a Nicaraguan agricultural region. We focus on current regional and farm resource management and explore them under two scenarios. Indicators are nitrogen and the degrees of self-sufficiency (DSS) for energy, and the staples maize and beans. As data is scarce, most information is based on interviews with farmers of four categories and key persons, and on literature. The results show that nitrogen management does not differ considerably among categories. Nitrogen is mined mostly from staple plots. Self-sufficiency for beans is given in an average year. Yet, landless and small farmers neither produce enough maize for autoconsumption, nor are they self-sufficient for firewood. Energy supply is also the core problem of the region, since the DSS is 70%. Soil nitrogen stocks last at most for three more generations. Analyses with the scenario technique show that: (a) Unlimited population growth has serious consequences in the near future e.g. severe shortage of energy and food. (b) Alternative farming systems are possible, but they require reducing the population by a factor 2, and thus the creation of jobs in a Hinterland. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

信息资源共享系统可靠性模型的研究

信息资源共享系统可以充分利用信息的传递性、共享性,支持异地协同工作,使人们获取信息更为经济、便利、迅速。信息资源共享系统有其自身的脆弱性,系统安全可靠是最重要、最基本的需求。提高系统可靠性,预防不可靠因素是信息资源共享系统设计的关键之一。笔者提出了信息资源共享系统可靠性的概念。由信息资源共享系统可靠性理论导出信息资源共享系统可靠度,建立了信息资源共享系统可靠性优化的多目标数学规划模型。为信息资源共享系统可靠性建立了定量分析方法。最后以可靠度、成本和时间3个优化目标为例,进行了计算、分析。为信息资源共享系统可靠性设计提供了新方法。     

长江流域土地资源情势及其发展战略对策

土地资源对国民经济和社会发展十分重要,在一些地区已成为制约因素。本文着重对长江流域土地资源情势进行分析,指出该流域的特点是:土地资源绝对量大,人均占有量少;土地资源态势优劣并存;土地资源形势喜忧相伴。同时提出如下几个战略对策:1.实行开源与节流并重的方针,走节约型农业发展道路;2.增加农业投资,改土治水,集约经营;3.统一规划,优势互补,联合协作,共同发展;4.完善土地法制建设,健全土地资源预测预报工作。     

中国碳排放的因素分解模型及实证分析:1995-2004

能源消费是碳排放的主要来源。随着中国经济的快速发展,能源消费的急剧增长以及以煤为主的能源结构在短期内很难改变,因此,碳排放不可避免地会出现一定幅度的增加。本文基于碳排放量的基本等式,采用对数平均权重Divisia分解法（Logarithmic mean weight Divisia method,LMD）,建立中国人均碳排放的因素分解模型,定量分析了1995-2004年间,能源结构、能源效率和经济发展等因素的变化对中国人均碳排放的影响,结果显示经济发展对拉动中国人均碳排放的贡献率呈指数增长,而能源效率和能源结构对抑制中国人均碳排放的贡献率都呈倒“U”。这说明能源效率对抑制中国碳排放的作用在减弱,以煤为主的能源结构未发生根本性变化,能源效率和能源结构的抑制作用难以抵销由经济发展拉动的中国碳排放量增长。     

The environmental impact of industrialization in East Asia and strategies toward sustainable development

The East Asian economy has been growing fast in recent years, and environmental stresses are building up rapidly. Transboundary air pollution, water shortages, drinking water contamination, freshwater and marine pollution, deforestation, climatic disasters, and other environmental problems are becoming serious threats to the well-being of people in this densely populated region. The ESI (environmental sustainability index) reported by the World Economic Forum in 2005 is a good indicator of the environmental status of the region; most East Asian countries ranked at the bottom. East Asia is not moving toward a sustainable society, and the environment will not sustain the current rate of economic development for long. The traditional culture of East Asia used to be sustainable, so we can learn much from our traditions. Land use should be planned from an ecological point of view so as to best preserve the land’s productivity and stability. There should be definite goals as to where and how much to preserve the three important ecological bases: forests, coastal wetlands and agricultural farms. The forest is the base for the terrestrial ecosystem, including flood control, water resources, and climate; the coastal wetland is the base for the marine ecosystem; farmland is the base for producing food. Within these defined goals, limits should be set on how much land can be utilized for activities like urban development, manufacturing, and recreation. Limits on the pollution load resulting from such activities should be set so as not to irreversibly damage the environment. Economic development should be planned to allow the use of energy and resources only after satisfying these constraints.

淮北市水资源保护与规划

系统论述了淮北市水资源现状和存在问题,提出了保护水资源环境、促进可持续发展而采取的有效工程措施。     

新疆麻黄资源的开发利用与保护

介绍了新疆麻黄资源的种类、分布及开发利用现状,指出新疆野生麻黄分布总面积约167hm2×104hm2,可利用量仅为蕴藏量的30%。针对目前麻黄资源严重破坏的现状,提出了今后合理开发利用和保护的具体措施。     

我国钢铁工业节能环保工作现状与展望

分析了我国钢铁企业环保工作现状,指出了节能环保工作中存在的主要问题,提出了“十五”后期节能环保工作的主要目标和对策。     

云南省锡矿资源与可持续发展

云南省锡矿资源储量居全国前列,锡产量在世界锡工业中举足轻重。虽然云南省锡矿资源开发程度高,但“四矿”(矿业、矿山、矿工、矿城)问题严重,锡矿资源的开发与可持续发展矛盾突出。需加强锡矿资源的地质勘探和宏观调控,加大人才、资金、科技投入和产业支持力度,将锡矿资源优势转化为锡工业优势,应充分利用云南省的地理优势扩大对外交流,实现锡矿资源的可持续发展。