Extraction capacity and the optimal order of extraction

The least-cost-first extraction rule for deposits with different extraction costs previously has been shown to be invalid in general equilibrium. This paper demonstrates that this rule also does not hold in partial equilibrium when extraction capacity is limited. Necessary and sufficient conditions for several surprising extraction orders are presented. If extraction from a high-cost resource is constrained, it may be optimal to begin extraction from a high-cost deposit (or backstop) strictly before extracting from a lower-cost deposit. If extraction from a low-cost resource is limited, it may be optimal to exhaust a high-cost deposit strictly before the low-cost deposit is exhausted or to abandon extraction temporarily from a high-cost deposit and then to exhaust it later. The analysis demonstrates how extraction constraints affect the order of extraction and shows that certain cost reversals are caused by limited extraction capacity rather than by the general equilibrium definition of extraction costs.     

Set-up costs and the existence of competitive equilibrium when extraction capacity is limited

Although set-up costs are prevalent and substantial in natural resource extraction, it is known that a Walrasian competitive equilibrium cannot exist in simple extraction models with set-up costs. This paper demonstrates that this result is sensitive to the assumption of unlimited extraction capacity and derives sufficient conditions for existence. An equilibrium exists if extraction is limited such that each firm earns sufficient surplus to cover its set-up costs or if firms choose extraction capacity subject to non-increasing returns. The resulting competitive equilibrium price either grows at the rate of interest when total extraction is below industry capacity or is constant when industry capacity is fully utilized. In the equilibrium, identical deposits are opened simultaneously, and set-up costs for new deposits are incurred when the industry has excess capacity rather than when capacity is fully utilized.     

中国的太阳能资源及应用潜力

太阳能资源被认为是21世纪最引人注目的可再生能源和洁净能源，为了经济的可持续发展，应该把环境保护和长期利益作为研究目标，文章估算了中国14个城市的太阳能资源，分析了太阳能热水系统和PIVP系统的经济性，研究结果表明，中国的太阳能利用潜力很大，政府应该对其发展发挥重要作用。     

天津可持续发展的水资源约束与对策

天津是资源型缺水城市，水资源严重短缺、水质污染以及过量开采地下水导致的地面沉降等问题成为天津社会经济快速发展的制约因素。在对天津水资源现状及相关问题分析基础上，提出建立节水型经济结构、建立健全水资源行政管理体系等水资源可持续利用的对策。     

Incorporating the Effects of Socioeconomic Uncertainty into Priority Setting for Conservation Investment

Abstract:  Uncertainty in the implementation and outcomes of conservation actions that is not accounted for leaves conservation plans vulnerable to potential changes in future conditions. We used a decision-theoretic approach to investigate the effects of two types of investment uncertainty on the optimal allocation of global conservation resources for land acquisition in the Mediterranean Basin. We considered uncertainty about (1) whether investment will continue and (2) whether the acquired biodiversity assets are secure, which we termed transaction uncertainty and performance uncertainty, respectively. We also developed and tested the robustness of different rules of thumb for guiding the allocation of conservation resources when these sources of uncertainty exist. In the presence of uncertainty in future investment ability (transaction uncertainty), the optimal strategy was opportunistic, meaning the investment priority should be to act where uncertainty is highest while investment remains possible. When there was a probability that investments would fail (performance uncertainty), the optimal solution became a complex trade-off between the immediate biodiversity benefits of acting in a region and the perceived longevity of the investment. In general, regions were prioritized for investment when they had the greatest performance certainty, even if an alternative region was highly threatened or had higher biodiversity value. The improved performance of rules of thumb when accounting for uncertainty highlights the importance of explicitly incorporating sources of investment uncertainty and evaluating potential conservation investments in the context of their likely long-term success.     

水利建设中的国家与政府职能

水利建设是我国的基础产业。在水资源持续发展目标的引导,基于水资源开发和利用水害防治和水环境保护过程的社会经济特点,提出了水利建设中国家与政府的三项职能;保障公共物品供给,提高社会经济效益;国有资产监督管理;水利建设综合管理与服务。     

大清河流域社会经济发展与水资源供需能力分析

本文着重研究了大清河流域社会经济发展与水资源之间的相互关系,运用可持续发展的观点,对大清河流域的发展进行了预测,并结合预测方案提出了解决问题的建议。     

辽东山区微型小流域“特色农业”开发──以清源县大石沟村为例

本文立足于辽东山区微型小流域的地域空间,以经营开发“特色农业”为主线,着眼于山区小流域的特产资源的培育与开发。通过资源培育和对初级产品的深加工,将山区小流域的资源优势转化为产品优势和商品优势,从而实现山区流域经济运行的良性循环。     

四川的能源问题与可持续发展

可持续发展战略的实施不能忽视能源问题。四川是一个能源生产与消费大省,能源问题对全省可持续发展有很大影响,改变能源消费结构、开发新能源和增强能源意识,对于四川走可持续发展的能源道路是十分重要的。     

省（区）自然资源综合评价研究：以山西省为例

本文以山西省为例,对省区自然资源进行了综合评价研究,分析了自然资源的相关结构,研究了各类资源的开发潜力,最后对自然资源的总体特征作了简要概括。