Determination of the effect of operating cost uncertainty on mining project evaluation

Mining projects are complex businesses that demand constant risk assessment. This is because several kinds of uncertainties influence the value of a mine project, typically. These uncertainties may be classified as exploration uncertainties, economic uncertainties and engineering uncertainties. The evaluation of a mine project under these uncertainties is a complicated job, which may lead to making a wrong decision by managers and stockholders. Therefore, at first, the engineers must recognize the mining uncertainties before carrying out the project evaluation. The economic uncertainties are the most important factors, which may affect the project evaluation. Among the mentioned uncertainties, the operating cost uncertainty is an important and effective factor, which is ignored to a certain extent.     

A Quantitative Review of Urban Ecosystem Service Assessments: Concepts,Models, and Implementation

Although a number of comprehensive reviews have examined global ecosystem services (ES), few have focused on studies that assess urban ecosystem services (UES). Given that more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, understanding the dualism of the provision of and need for UES is of critical importance. Which UES are the focus of research, and what types of urban land use are examined? Are models or decision support systems used to assess the provision of UES? Are trade-offs considered? Do studies of UES engage stakeholders? To address these questions, we analyzed 217 papers derived from an ISI Web of Knowledge search using a set of standardized criteria. The results indicate that most UES studies have been undertaken in Europe, North America, and China, at city scale. Assessment methods involve bio-physical models, Geographical Information Systems, and valuation, but few study findings have been implemented as land use policy.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-014-0504-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

From Multifunctionality to Multiple Ecosystem Services? A Conceptual Framework for Multifunctionality in Green Infrastructure Planning for Urban Areas

Green infrastructure (GI) and ecosystem services (ES) are promoted as concepts that have potential to improve environmental planning in urban areas based on a more holistic understanding of the complex interrelations and dynamics of social–ecological systems. However, the scientific discourses around both concepts still lack application-oriented frameworks that consider such a holistic perspective and are suitable to mainstream GI and ES in planning practice. This literature review explores how multifunctionality as one important principle of GI planning can be operationalized by approaches developed and tested in ES research. Specifically, approaches developed in ES research can help to assess the integrity of GI networks, balance ES supply and demand, and consider trade-offs. A conceptual framework for the assessment of multifunctionality from a social–ecological perspective is proposed that can inform the design of planning processes and support stronger exchange between GI and ES research.     

Socioeconomic Driving Factors of Nitrogen Load from Food Consumption and Preventive Measures

To diagnose environmental nitrogen (N) load from food consumption and to suggest preventive measures, this study identified relationships between nitrogen load from food consumption and driving factors by examining six representative countries and regions for the period 1970–2009 as an example. The logarithmic mean Divisia index technique was used to disassemble nitrogen load growth into four driving factors: population, economic activity, food intensity of the economy, and nitrogen content of food. In all study areas, increased economic activity was the main factor driving nitrogen load increase. The positive effect of population growth was relatively small but not negligible and changes in food intensity had a decreasing effect on nitrogen load. Changes in nitrogen content of food varied between areas. Broad strategies to reduce and mitigate nitrogen loading and decouple nitrogen load from economic growth in both developed and developing countries are suggested.     

湖北省县域迁入人口的空间格局及影响因素

利用第五次和第六次人口普查分县资料,分析湖北省县际迁入人口的空间格局及变化,探讨迁入人口空间格局形成的内生机制。研究发现,2000年以来迁入人口向地级市市辖区以及与其邻接的地区集中,县际分布差异扩大,但是空间集聚程度下降,以武汉市为中心的"中心-外围"空间格局日益明显。在地区名义工资和社会发展水平等其他条件不变的情况下,差异化工业制成品和服务业产品的可获得性是人口迁入的重要原因。而推进区域一体化可以提高本地对差异化产品的可获得性,吸引人口迁入,进而诱发人口与产业向本地同向集聚。     

长江经济带市域生态文明建设现状及发展潜力初探

生态文明建设是长江经济带下一阶段的工作重点之一。从生态文明和发展潜力的内涵出发,构建了耦合协调度模型和发展潜力模型,并对长江经济带生态文明建设情况进行分析。研究发现:(1)长江经济带东中西部生态文明特征差异明显,东部为经济、社会系统优势区,中部为相对协调区,西部为自然系统相对优势区;(2)当前长江经济带生态文明格局主要受经济因素的影响;(3)协调发展地区整体上表现出最佳的生态文明发展潜力,协调发展应成为长江经济带生态文明建设的重要途径。     

APEC会议期间天津市PM_(2.5)中水溶性无机离子的污染特征

2014年11月6—11日,亚太经济合作组织(APEC)会议在北京市召开,京津冀区域采取了最高级别的空气质量保障措施。于2014年11月3—20日同步手动采集天津市PM2.5样品,对APEC会议期间(2014年11月3—11日,在此期间实施了空气质量保障措施)及会议后(2014年11月12—20日)天津市PM2.5中水溶性无机离子组分浓度、二次转化特征等进行了分析。结果表明,APEC会议期间,天津市PM2.5平均质量浓度为78μg/m3,而会议后达到87μg/m3;会议期间PM2.5中水溶性无机离子的浓度为NO-3SO2-4NH+4Cl-K+Na+Ca2+Mg2+,会议后,除Mg2+外,各项离子浓度均有不同程度的上升;会议期间,PM2.5中NO-3浓度最高,在水溶性无机离子中所占比例为38.9%,其次为SO2-4(为22.0%)、NH+4(为20.8%),3者所占比例合计为81.7%,会议后3者所占比例降至75.0%;会议期间的大气污染以流动源为主;会议后,硫氧化率和氮氧化率均不同程度减弱,说明会议期间的二次离子转化更为明显;会议期间的停工停产措施对PM2.5中一次离子来源有明显改变,城市扬尘得到明显抑制。     

Availability and bio-accessibility of metals in the clay fraction of urban soils of Sevilla

The availability of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Mn, Pb and Zn present in the finest size particles of urban soils is studied by comparing the concentrations in the clay fraction with those extracted from the whole soil by either single-extraction or sequential extraction method. Many metals are preferentially present in the finest particles as compared to coarser fractions. This is true for most metals studied, except Mn and, perhaps, Cd. Those metals present in the clay fraction are often in easily bio-accessible forms, especially Cu, Pb and Zn. The results suggest that bio-accessible forms of these three metals are distributed among the three sequential fractions, and even the fraction considered as ‘residual’ is also bio-accessible to a significant extent. The statistical analysis shows some distinctions among metals that are compared to the ‘urban’, ‘natural’, or intermediate behaviour of the various metals as proposed earlier in the literature.     

城市发展与水环境污染的研究

本文研究了城市发展与水环境污染的关系。运用灰色关联分析表明,对水污染排放的影响程度大小依次为:人口密度(γ1=0.4456)工业发展(γ3=0.3498)环保投入(γ2=0.2656)。通过弹性系数预测法分析了上海废水排放与人均GDP的发展趋势。     

Measuring the gains from improved air quality in the San Joaquin Valley

Many regions worldwide are experiencing rapid urbanization, and often along with growth in the local economy and population comes worsening air quality. Such regions typically find that addressing the additional challenge of polluted air is difficult. This paper reports the results of an assessment of the present health and related economic costs of poor air quality in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Further, it suggests how such assessments can support strategies to pursue pollution reductions that offer the largest near-term gains, by rigorously modeling the associations between pollution levels, demographic groups, and recognized adverse health effects.