CONFLICTS IN ATTAINING NATIONAL GOALS FOR BOTH WATER QUALITY AND ENERGY PRODUCTION1

ABSTRACT: The “policy environment” is defined herein as the institutional setting in which planning is conducted and policy decisions are made with regard to meeting two of the Nation's high priority goals: water quality protection and energy independence. The simultaneous pursuit of these goals has resulted in numerous conflicts among the energy industry, environmentalists, and government. An analysis of selected energy development-water quality conflicts shows that these conflicts can be described in terms of one or more of the following policy environment characteristics: resource scarcity, sense of urgency, lack of experience, administrative complexity, uncertainty about future policies and regulations, technological complexity, and uncertainty about impacts. These characterics provide a useful framework for formulating potential strategies for the resolution of energy development-water quality conflicts.     

Research on Coupling Mechanism of China’s Wind Power Industry Chain

ABSTRACT

Firstly, on the basis of literature research, sort out and summarize the critical coupling relationship among the upstream, middle, and downstream enterprises in the wind power industry chain. Secondly, the evaluation index system of coupling coordination degree of China’s wind power industry chain was established. Based on entropy weight method and subsystem efficiency function, the capacity coupling (CC) coefficient model of wind power industry chain subsystem was established. The coupling coordination degree between the upstream subsystem and the midstream subsystem of the wind power industry chain, and between the midstream subsystem and the downstream subsystem is dynamically evaluated, and the coupling coordination degree evaluation model of the wind power industry chain in China is proposed. Thirdly, according to the relevant statistical data of China from 2010 to 2017, this paper conducts an empirical study on the coupling of the upstream, middle and downstream subsystems of the wind power industry chain. Finally, based on the collaborative coupling study of China’s wind power industry chain, this paper analyzes the key factors influencing the collaborative development of wind power industry chain, and puts forward Suggestions on the optimization of the collaborative development of China’s wind power industry chain.     

Unsafe waters: the hydrosocial cycle of drinking water in Western Mexico

ABSTRACT

Mexico faces multiple water quality challenges, both in terms of the water supplied to the population as well as surface and underground water sources. Problems with drinking water supply affect the population in diverse ways, from associated health risks to high levels of intermittency in service to the poor perception of the quality of piped water – leading to high levels of bottled water consumption. In this text we explore the issue of drinking water quality in three contexts in the state of Jalisco: in Guadalajara, the state’s main urban area, in the peri-urban municipality of El Salto, and in the mid-sized city of San Juan de los Lagos. Our analysis explores drinking water regulations, the water quality monitoring undertaken by state and local authorities, access to information, as well as the actions and perceptions of water service providers. Looking at cases of indirect reuse of wastewater as well as groundwater sources with high levels of fluoride and arsenic, we argue that the foregrounding of water quality is key to illuminating social inequalities in access to water and in teasing out power relations prevailing in current hydrosocial regimes. We conclude that this hydrosocial cycle of drinking water is characterised by prioritising access to water for economic actors, facilitated by lax regulations and minimal enforcement, as well as by the systematic neglect by government authorities at all levels of the protection of watersheds and aquifers, and of water quality issues generally.     

国外几次震后火灾的对比研究

震后起火是国外几次大的普遍现象。本文通过对国外几次震后火灾的对比分析,归纳总结了引发震后火灾的主要因素及震后火灾的特点。震后火灾与生命线系统的破坏有密切关系,本文从震后火灾的机理出发,提出了用事件树模型预测供气供电系统引发震后火灾的方法。     

CONSERVATIONAL WATER PRICING FOR INCREASED WATER SUPPLY BENEFITS1

ABSTRACT: A study was undertaken to see if benefits from water supply could be increased by utilizing price-usage information in reservoir design studies. Three pricing policies were examined. The first policy assumed no price-use relationship, and quantity demanded was based on existing community usage with a low water rate. The price of water was set to recover system costs. A price-use relationship was assumed in the second policy and the water rate was constant. The price of water was determined from the associated system which provided maximum expected net benefits. The third policy assumed the price-use relationship and the price charged for water during each billing period was a non-linear function of storage which increased as the amount of water in storage at the beginning of the period decreased. It was found that the use of the conservation pricing policies substantially reduced storage requirements while providing demonstrable net benefits to the community and a large average supply. The conservation pricing policies substantially lowered the average price paid for water. The effect of uncertainty in consumer response to changes in price was studied by using a probabilistic price-use relationship. This uncertainty did not significantly reduce the effectiveness of the conservation policy. It was concluded that demand management by the use of a proper pricing policy could significantly increase net water supply benefits to a community.     

建立环保产业价值链解决资金瓶颈问题

介绍为解决我国环保产业发展中的资金瓶颈问题，需要建立和完善融资服务→建设服务→运营服务的环保产业的价值链，以解决资金瓶颈问题，促进环保产业的发展。     

AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE WATER USE STRATEGIES AT CATCHMENT LEVEL TAKING INTO ACCOUNT AN INSTREAM FLOW REQUIREMENT1

ABSTRACT: A mathematical model of agricultural water use and a hydrological and economic simulation model were linked to quantify the economic and hydrological impact of deficit irrigation, increased water application efficiency, and farm storage dams when maintaining an IFR (instream flow requirement) under stochastic water supply conditions. The main finding was that a water conservation policy aimed at reducing the amount of water withdrawn from the river could bring more pressure to bear on stream flow. Water can only be saved if consumptive use is reduced. Increased water application efficiency is detrimental to other users as a result of reduced return flow. The economic cost of maintaining a specific IFR increases with the use of all three strategies as the probability of maintaining the IFR increases. Because of the control that can be exercised over the supply of water, a farm storage dam is the best strategy for minimizing the costs for irrigators. The interaction between water legislation, water policy administration, technology, hydrology, and human value systems necessitates an integrated approach to facilitate water management at catchment level and to formulate policies that will be in the interest of society.     

Human actions, the survival of keystone species, and the resilience of ecological–economic systems

Human (managerial) actions affect the survival probabilities of the keystone species of an ecological–economic system. In turn, the well-being of these keystone species translates into the well-being or the resilience of the underlying ecological–economic system. What are the theoretical connections between human actions, keystone species survival, and the resilience of ecological–economic systems? In this note, we construct a simple stochastic model to draw out the links between this trinity.     

座舱减压时间对应急供氧参数的影响

通过实验和理论计算的方法对座舱爆炸减压过程中压力变化进行了研究 ,推导了座舱减压时间的计算公式 ;并就座舱减压时间的变化对应急供氧参数进行了分析。结果表明 :减压时间与座舱的容积成正比 ,与爆炸孔的有效面积成反比 ;减压时间的不同 ,对爆炸减压峰值有影响 ,而对剩余压力、稳定值影响不大。研究结果为今后进行供氧系统的爆炸减压实验提供了依据     

论土壤侵蚀对山地致灾因子链的复合效应——以湖南四水流域中上游地区为例

土壤水力侵蚀兼重力侵蚀是本研究区的主要土壤侵蚀类型。通过对水力、重力侵蚀以及它们交替、复合侵蚀过程的分析表明:(1)土壤水力、重力侵蚀的直接表现形式即面蚀、沟浊、滑坡、崩塌、泥石流等侵蚀形态,对山区社会经济及资源环境具有不同程度的破坏能力,故称之为山地致灾因子;(2)水力侵蚀与重力侵蚀在时间上的交替混合,在空间上的复合叠加,既增强了诸种致灾因子自身的致灾能力,又助长了致灾因子彼此间的诱发或转化作用,进而形成与发展了山地致灾因子链;(3)土壤侵蚀是一综合性的山地致灾因子系列,各类致灾因子链对承灾体的连续性破坏,导致社会经济损失累积值增大。