Ecological and economic evaluation of reservoir-based water transfer using system dynamics

Theoretical basis, methods and techniques and typical case study are related. The core is to test and build a number of geo-information models, such as remote sensing dynamic monitoring models, GIS analysis and evaluation models, as well as statistical models and systems simulation model. With the remote sensing images extracting technology, we discussed the vegetation coverage model and soil erosion model. Comprehensive ecological security evaluation models based GIS is established, making the analysis processes and evaluation results visualized. System dynamics is used in Xishuangbanna ecological security system, dynamics models are established. Through adjusting system parameters, three schemes are simulated and In co-ordination of economic, social and ecological benefits, specific control measures of Xishuangbanna ecological safety are brought out.

Building on theories of valuation and evaluation, we develop an analytical framework that outlines six elements of the process of consolidation of an idea in the public sphere. We then use the framework to analyse the process of consolidation of the idea of climate change mitigation between 1997 and 2013, focusing on the interplay between ecological and economic evaluations. Our content analysis of 1274 articles in leading newspapers in five countries around the globe shows that (1) ecological arguments increase over time, (2) economic arguments decrease over time, (3) the visibility of environmental nongovernmental organizations as carriers of ecological ideas increases over time, (4) the visibility of business actors correspondingly decreases, (5) ecological ideas are increasingly adopted by political and business elites and (6) a compromise emerges between ecological and economic evaluations, in the form of the argument that climate change mitigation boosts, rather than hinders economic growth.

Economic and ecological evaluation of high-pressure cutting fluid supply in milling of Ti-6Al-4V

This study was conducted from ecological and economic points of view in the setting of a nature reserve of wetlands in Taiwan. The ecological data (including area, habitat and ornithological diversity, and ornithological rarity, population size, and representativeness) of 28 wetlands in Taiwan were collected, and “factor analysis” was used to regroup those attributes. The four common factors are rarity, area, representativeness, and diversity, with 36%, 36%, 15%, and 13% relative importance, respectively. A mix index is defined as the weighted average of these four factors. The ecological evaluation method and the results were introduced to the dichotomous choice with follow-up (DCF) contingent valuation questionnaire. Cameron’s expenditure function model and maximum likelihood estimation for DCF data provided by Alberini et al. were used to estimate willingness to pay values for the residents of Taiwan. The results indicate that some ecological factors are statistically significant, which shows the importance of combining ecological valuation and economic evaluation. The estimated median annual willingness to pay is NT$1069.52 with the exchange rate of US$1 ≒ NT$34.5.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of using bio-digestion waste derivatives as substitute for synthetic fertilizers and/or as P-poor equivalent for animal manure on soil and crop production. In a field trial, nutrient balances were assessed and the physicochemical soil fertility and quality were evaluated. The biogas yield of the harvested energy crops was also determined. An economical and ecological evaluation was conducted. The highest biomass yields were obtained when the liquid fraction of digestate was used as P-poor fertilizer in addition to animal manure. Furthermore, the complete substitution of synthetic fertilizer N by air scrubber waste water resulted in the highest N and P use efficiencies. Finally, for all reuse scenarios the calculated economical and ecological benefits were significantly higher as compared to the common practice using animal manure and synthetic fertilizers.

Uncertainty and variability affect economic and environmental performance in the production of biotechnology and pharmaceutical products. However, commercial process simulation software typically provides analysis that assumes deterministic rather than stochastic process parameters and thus is not capable of dealing with the complexities created by variance that arise in the decision-making process. Using the production of penicillin V as a case study, this article shows how uncertainty can be quantified and evaluated. The first step is construction of a process model, as well as analysis of its cost structure and environmental impact. The second step is identification of uncertain variables and determination of their probability distributions based on available process and literature data. Finally, Monte Carlo simulations are run to see how these uncertainties propagate through the model and affect key economic and environmental outcomes. Thus, the overall variation of these objective functions are quantified, the technical, supply chain, and market parameters that contribute most to the existing variance are identified and the differences between economic and ecological evaluation are analyzed. In our case study analysis, we show that final penicillin and biomass concentrations in the fermenter have the highest contribution to variance for both unit production cost and environmental impact. The penicillin selling price dominates return on investment variance as well as the variance for other revenue-dependent parameters.

Assessing Nutrient Use Efficiency and Environmental Pressure of Macronutrients in Biobased Mineral Fertilizers

Contaminants in landfill soils – Reliability of prefeasibility studies

Developing a system dynamic plus framework for water-land-society nexus modeling within urban socio-hydrologic systems

Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source, and geothermal heating is a livelihood project, so a resource tax can protect resources and regulate prices. Reasonable geothermal energy resource tax collection standards are conducive to high-quality industrial development. This paper takes 15 provinces and cities that clearly levy geothermal resource taxes in China as the research object, constructs an System Dynamics model of geothermal resource tax, and studies the impact of geothermal resource tax on the income of geothermal enterprises and CO2 emission reduction. Then, the forecast simulates the economic and environmental benefits brought about by the use of geothermal resources from 2021 to 2035. The research results show that using geothermal resources for heating can significantly reduce CO2 emissions, and the higher the proportion of geothermal use is, the greater the CO2 emission reduction before 2035. The fifteen provinces and cities that clearly levy geothermal resource taxes will find it difficult to achieve corporate profits at the current residential heating utilization price and geothermal energy resource tax rate; that is, to achieve a balance of income and expenditures for geothermal enterprises without financial subsidies, the price of geothermal heating will be significantly higher than the heating price of traditional central heating and the price of electric self-heating.

ObjectivesLimited evidence exists for strategic actions in improving the youth population-level mental health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study investigates the health and economic impacts of inter-sectoral mental health programs to inform the optimal suite of interventions for young people in Bogotá, Colombia, where many are at risk of mental disorders and lack access to appropriate health services. MethodsThis study examined nine interventions compared to business-as-usual over a projected 10-year time horizon using a system dynamics model developed through a participatory process involving diverse local stakeholders. Sensitivity analyses were performed to account for uncertainties from a healthcare payer perspective. ResultsAnti-bullying, community-based rehabilitation, and online mental health programs were dominant. GP mental health training and gatekeeper suicide prevention training could significantly improve mental health outcomes at an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) below the threshold of 4,890 USD/QALY. However, simultaneously implementing all nine strategies could produce a synergistic effect, yielding the greatest benefit relative to business-as-usual with an incremental net monetary benefit of USD 465 million and an ICER of USD 586 per QALY gained. ConclusionsCombined intersectoral mental health strategies were synergistic and resulted in optimum health outcomes relative to business-as-usual. System dynamics approach offers additional attributes to economic evaluation in mental health settings by considering capacity constraints, unintended consequences, and interactions between multiple interventions. It is a valuable approach for decision-makers to effectively and efficiently prioritise and allocate scarce resources in complex public health systems.

With increased market competition and the development of Industry 4.0, production operations is being driven towards increased flexibility. Multi-product flow and variable production processes on the shop floor complicate waste identification, analysis, and reduction. To continuously improve based on real-time information in dynamic production processes, this paper proposes an integrated approach of dynamic value stream mapping and hybrid simulation(DVSM-HS). The dynamic value stream mapping(DVSM) is extended from time temporal and economic dimensions respectively to decompose and integrate work-in-process sequences and processes. A dynamic cost model is constructed based on time-driven activity-based costing to extract the variable costs of production resources. By combining hybrid simulation of discrete events and system dynamics, variations in multi-product flows are captured and mapped, and their economic impact over time is quantified. A case study in an automotive painting workshop demonstrates the practical application of waste reduction and decision-making across different scenarios. The results show that the proposed DVSM-HS can address process variability by identifying the temporal and spatial characteristics of waste. Based on waste localisation and economic evaluation, this study supports managers diagnose problems and conduct Lean improvements in real-time operations, optimising resource and capability allocation to enhance production profitability.

Sustainable municipal solid waste (MSW) management is a critical issue that requires planning in accordance with population growth, urbanization, and living standards. An evaluation that integrates system dynamics (SD) is newly built for identifying the interactions between social activities to predict future MSW generation. In this study, SD-based greenhouse gas (GHG), energy, and economic evaluations were conducted for MSW management in the Southern Tai Lake Watershed (STWL) area in China. The considered SD factors include the gross domestic product (GDP) growth, total population, population growth, MSW generation per capita, and MSW generation charges. The results indicate that the current MSW strategy (S1) does not perform well in GHG, energy, and cost evaluation, and the current landfill capacity will be depleted in 2022. Co-processing the landfilled waste with fresh MSW in incineration plants (S7) is the most favorable strategy, which indicates the current landfill capacity will be sufficient for the ash generated from incineration over the next decade. S7 also emits 1.5–3 times less GHG, recovers 2–3.2 times more energy, and obtains 1.3–2.0 times more economic benefits than S1 during 2020–2030. This study offers valuable insights regarding the dynamics of MSW generation and an approach to determine an optimal MSW management strategy for the future.

One of the measures to eliminate the consequences of the Chernobyl accident was the exclusion of highly contaminated land from agricultural use. Due to the positive dynamics of the radiation situation, the issue of land return becomes relevant. However, in the period of exclusion of these lands the land clearance degradation processes were developing. The second part of the article is devoted to the issue of economic evaluation of the expediency of land return and the mutual coordination of the results of separate stages of complex ecological and economic evaluation. The research was carried out in Mogilev branch Institute of radiology (Republic of Belarus).

Ecoresponsible actions in operating rooms: A health ecological and economic evaluation