DEMAND PROJECTIONS CONSIDERING CONSERVATION1

ABSTRACT: Prediction of future water demands depends on the degree to which conservation effects can be anticipated. A model developed for the Corps of Engineers shows that choosing a numerical conservation target to be achieved is more meaningful and yields more predictable results than price or price elasticity manipulations. The method developed and then applied to the Kaneohe Bay region of Oahu considers the following determinants of demand: geographic distribution of the users, indoor and outdoor requirements, time - by year and month of the year, precipitation, historical unit usage rates, gross and irrigable acreage of land uses, price for water, elasticity of demand with respect to price, source of the water supply (local private supplies vs. agency supplies), and the percentage conservation savings anticipated in each future period in indoor and outdoor uses of water in each of 40 possible land uses. While developed for use in Hawaii, the model is applicable generally.     

CONSERVATION PRACTICES AND ATTITUDES AMONG MARYLAND WATER SUPPLY MANAGERS1

ABSTRACT: In addition to offsetting water supply shortages, water conservation is recognized as serving many purposes, ranging from reduced energy consumption to lower capital costs. Since the discussion of these benefits has been a recent development and has generally excluded local water supply managers, a question arises as to whether supply managers are implementing conservation programs to exploit these benefits. A survey of the managers at 35 Maryland water utilities provides insight into the prevailing attitude toward conservation in a water rich eastern state. The results indicate that most managers continue to view conservation only as a short term response to temporary supply shortages. Only 12 Maryland utilities have undertaken any form of water conservation activity and just two systems have ongoing, comprehensive conservation programs. Institutional, perceptual, economic, political, and time constraints all contribute to the managers’attitudes and general inaction. If water conservation is to be widely practiced, these issues must be addressed and the benefits attributed to conservation must be better documented and articulated to supply managers.     

A MONTHLY TIME SERIES MODEL OF MUNICIPAL WATER DEMAND1

A multivariate time series model is formulated to study monthly variations in municipal water demand. The left hand side variable in the multivariate regression model is municipal water demand (gallons per connection per day) and the right hand side contains (explanatory) variables which include price (constant dollars), average temperature, total precipitation, and percentage of daylight hours. The application of the regression model to Salt Lake City Water Department data produced a high multiple correlation coefficient and F-statistic. The regression coefficients for the right hand side variables all have the appropriate sign. In an ex post forecast, the model accurately predicts monthly variations in municipal water demand. The proposed monthly multivariate model is not only found useful for forecasting water demand, but also useful for predicting and studying the impact of nonstructural management decisions such as the effect of price changes, peak load pricing methods, and other water conservation programs.     

长江经济带碳排放与经济增长的脱钩关系——基于生产侧和消费侧视角

构建长江经济带多区域投入产出表,并基于Tapio脱钩模型和结构分解分析,从生产侧和消费侧视角研究2002~2012年长江经济带各省市分行业碳排放与经济增长的脱钩效应及影响因素.在此基础上,研究长江经济带各省市投资、消费和出口引致的隐含碳排放与经济增长的关系.结果发现：从省市层面来看,与2002~2007年相比,2007~2012年各省市生产侧碳排放的脱钩状态有所好转,均呈现为弱脱钩.消费侧方面,2007~2012年期间5省市（江苏省、安徽省、湖北省、重庆市和贵州省）为扩张连接,云南省为扩张负脱钩,可以发现生产侧视角下存在高估脱钩状态的现象.从各省市分行业来看,中上游地区制造业在2002~2007年期间消费侧的碳排放多呈现为弱脱钩,到了2007~2012年消费侧的脱钩状态总体上较不理想.建筑业具有类似情况.2007~2012年各省市的电力行业在两视角下均实现脱钩.从消费、投资和出口的角度来看,2007~2012年下游地区出口和投资的脱钩状态趋于好转.中上游地区投资的脱钩状态趋于恶化,出口的脱钩状态好转不明显.     

中国2001年-2010年能源与环境不和谐图像及其控制对策研究

国内外10余个国家多年的统计结果表明能源弹性系数正常值在0.5左右,但我国“十五”期间能源弹性系数基本上均超过1,最高达1.73,说明我国“十五”期间能源与环境的发展模式不够和谐。结合2004年-2005年上报国家环保总局环境工程评估中心审查的火电项目总装机容量3.77×108kW,多种方案预测了我国“十一五”期间能源、特别是火电的发展与大气污染物排放,结果表明“十一五”期间我国能源与环境的发展仍然很难和谐。为逐步实现能源与环境的和谐发展,必须加大产业结构调整力度,限制能耗总量增长过快趋势,使我国能源弹性系数逐步恢复到正常值。     

A MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY INVESTMENT PROBLEM IN RHODE ISLAND1

ABSTRACT: The traditional “requirements” approach to water system planning presumes perfectly inelastic demand and arbitrarily selects a fixed water requirement per capita per day as a planning target. Economists have often pointed out that such a policy leads to over-investment in water supply facilities; a superior approach would maximize some measure of net benefits incorporating price-sensitive demand. Using a dynamic programming model to depict an investment problem in Rhode Island, we find that ambiguities about how to incorporate price-sensitive demand into a decision framework may make such an approach as arbitrary as the requirements approach. Water conservation responses may be a function of other social parameters than water price; if so, variations in these social parameters should be regarded as economic alternatives to water supply investments.     

ACHIEVING URBAN WATER CONSERVATION1

ABSTRACT: Increasing costs and competition for water have resulted in pressure to manage urban water demand through conservation programs. Metering, pricing, devices, restrictions, building code changes, and horticultural practices have all been effective in reducing average residential water use. Some conservation means are specifically aimed at reducing peak demands but these usually reduce average usage as well. Combined programs of conservation can be expected to reduce urban demand by as much as 25–30 percent over the long term. Restrictions can reduce water usage on the short term even further. The success of conservation programs is as dependent on the effectiveness of public education and information dissemination as on the conservation practices themselves.     

EFFECT OF PRICE ON THE RESIDENTIAL DEMAND FOR WATER WITHIN AN AGENCY1

ABSTRACT: This paper develops a model that can be used to forecast the residential elasticity of demand for water within a district. Long-term water conservation programs and revenue and cost decisions hinge crucially on a determination of this elasticity. This study then pools cross-sectional (census) and time series data to generate elasticity forecasts for the Oakland urban area.     

经济环境形势综合诊断研究

经济发展是造成环境污染的主要原因.经济环境形势综合诊断是基于环境指标分析经济发展中存在的问题,构建经济与环境形势诊断指标是判断经济环境发展趋势的关键,是宏观环境管理政策调整的基础.本文在分析经济环境系统关联的基础上,基于国家尺度宏观经济变化,从污染排放的空间、行业、增长速度等方面构建了包括三项集成指数的诊断指标,建立每项指标的支撑指标,并进行诊断标准划分.2005和2006年度COD和SO2的实证分析表明:污染排放的行业差异较大,经济增长速度过快,基于COD和SO2的经济环境形势不容乐观,经济的高速增长和发展方式转变缓慢将进一步加大实现主要污染物总量控制目标的难度.应重点依靠提升产业技术水平来推动中西部地区经济发展方式的转变,促进经济和环境的协调发展.     

有约束应力高温全过程后混凝土轴压力学性能试验研究

采用高温抗压试验炉进行了有约束应力作用下混凝土在经历升温、降温及冷却全过程作用后的轴压力学性能试验研究,主要研究约束应力水平和温度等级对升降温及冷却全过程中的混凝土高温变形特性与高温后混凝土强度、弹性模量和应力-应变关系等性能的影响规律。结果表明:约束应力使混凝土产生明显的残余压缩变形,且对高温后混凝土抗压强度和弹性模量有显著影响;无约束应力高温后混凝土的抗压强度随着温度的升高经历低温衰退、强度恢复、高温衰退3个阶段,n≤0.4时有约束应力混凝土也表现出相同的规律;约束应力可提高高温后混凝土的弹性模量,但其值仍明显低于常温弹性模量;有约束应力高温全过程后混凝土破坏突然,明显变脆。