Man-made Resources Research Articles

Design and Efficient Controller for Micro Turbine System

In this modern era, power generation seems to be a very demanding factor. New models and methods have been proposed to derive from various natural and manmade resources. In such instances, this paper gives a detailed report on the power generation from Micro Turbines. Micro turbine plays a very important role in electric power generation. Especially they are used in the combined cycle process power plants. The parameters of Rowen’s model 265-MW single shaftheavy duty gas turbines which are used in dynamic studies are estimated in this paper using the operational and performance data. These data are also used to briefly explain the extraction of parameters of the used model. Micro turbine parameters are approximated using simple thermodynamics assumptions. Micro turbine power generation seems to be an uprising and a promising source and an exact design with a perfect model is capable of producing the highest efficiency. Thus this paper is proposed on the aspects of social awareness to elaborate the control design of Micro Turbine Power Generation System. The parameters of micro turbine models are derived and the results of several simulated tests using Matlab/Simulink are presented.

Food and Nutrition Promotion: Feasibility of the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation

Zimbabwe has faced persistent droughts from around year 1990 to date posing a structural food security challenge to the populace. Recently, the government of Zimbabwe introduced a blue print to spearhead and map sustainable balance in tapping value from the available natural and man-made resources in the country. This is known as the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-economic Transformation Programme (Zim Asset). Amongst its prospects, agriculture and nutrition has been reckoned as a sustainable cluster for economic development. This study was undertaken one and half years after the implementation of Zim Asset as an evaluation mechanism on the successes and challenges faced in transforming the Zimbabwean economy with specific reference to the Food and Nutrition Cluster. The study employed both post positivism and interpretivism philosophies applying quantitative and qualitative approaches in gathering research data. The research instruments included documentary evidence, face to face in-depth interviews and focus groups. The in-depth interviews explored issues to do with resources allocation in line with the Zim Asset agriculture sustenance objectives. Focus was therefore, on the four Ministries supporting the Food and Nutrition Cluster. Eighty percent of the respondents reported that the economic blue print has not made any significant strides in improving the country’s agricultural performance and food security since the inception of Zim Asset in October 2013. It was noted that the country continued to import maize from Zambia and other countries in the region. The major reason for its lack of success was due to the unavailability of resources to support the programme and the fact that land was allocated to unproductive and cell phone farmers. There was consensus that land audit and recapitalisation of the agriculture sector were critical in achieving the desired outcomes. The study recommends that the programme be adequately funded, so that the country can become self-sufficient.

SUSTAINABILITY METRICS: MEASURING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR TOURISM

Sustainable tourism is defined as tourism that improves the quality of life of the host community, providesa high quality of experience for the visitors and maintains the quality of the environment on which both the host community and the visitor depend. In order to measure sustainability in tourism researchers use set of subjective and objective indicators. However, the analysis conducted in this paper shows both types of indicators have some weaknesses, so there is a need to use other measurement tools. As far as we know, there have been no studies of the three most commonly used sustainability measurement tools (AIChEBRIDGESworks Metrics, GEMI Metrics NavigatorTM and IChemE Sustainability Metrics) in tourism. Our study is the first one to deal with these measurement tools. The aim of this paper is to describe most commonly used sustainability measurement tools; their special requirements for tourism and to answer the question how tourism contributes to sustainable development. Analysis shows that tourism contributes to sustainable development primarily through community-driven tourism development; minimization of negative social and cultural impacts; optimization of economic benefits; protection of physical and man-made resources, ethics, policy, standards; visitor satisfaction, maintaining destination attractiveness, use of proper tools and full community participation. Methodology that is used is comparative analysis of three most common sustainability measurement tools. Results obtained by comparative analysis indicate thatAIChEBRIDGESworks Metrics, GEMI Metrics NavigatorTM and IChemE Sustainability Metrics have some common requirements for different businesses. However, requirements for tourism are very strict since it is considered as non-community based business, short-term planning, no protection of natural and human resources, huge economic benefits provider and business that has non-ethnical attitude towards environment. Conclusion states that taking into consideration the weaknesses of all analyzed tools, there is a need for further development of sustainability measurement tools in tourism.

Utilizing the participatory social learning theory as a new paradigm to evaluate the International Labour Organization (ILO) assessment of support for growth- oriented women entrepreneurs in Uganda

This manuscript highlights the participatory social learning theory (PSLT), an underutilized yet viable theory for assessing development initiatives. The PSLT is presented in this article as a means of analyzing the initiatives proposed and implemented for women’s economic growth in Uganda. It specifically analyzes the International Labour Organizations (ILO) report on support for women entrepreneurs in Uganda utilizing the five development imperatives of institution building, human resources, natural and man-made resources, technology, and investment capital. This framework assists those interested in African development to assess the quality of this initiative and ultimately make recommendations as to whether the program has the intended effect on supporting women entrepreneurs in Uganda. It ensures that the future perspectives of African development includes growth as a participatory process with local participation as essential to sustainable growth.

Temporal and geographical variation in skull size of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) in Austria

Using museum material, we studied temporal changes in skull size of 185 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758) and 71 Eurasian badgers (Meles meles Linnaeus, 1758) collected in Austria between 1866 and 2007. Four measurements were taken and combined into principal components by means of a principal components analysis. Akaike's information criterion models indicated that skull size of the red fox and the Eurasian badger is positively related to the year of collection and negatively to altitude but not to latitude or longitude. However, for the Eurasian badger, the relationship between skull size and year is only on the verge of significance. We suggest that the increase in skull size with year is a result of improved food availability during the 20th Century from man-made resources such as agricultural produce and garbage, and the decrease in skull size with altitude is possibly the result of a parallel decrease in primary productivity. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, ●●, ●●–●●.

Residents and non-residents’ perception towards the touristic image of Craiova municipality, Romania

As for every major tourist destination, the touristic image plays an important role serving to consolidate the binding between visitor and destination, being an amalgam of knowledge, feelings, expectations and impressions that people have about a location (Henderson, 2007). The destination identity is created by the sender (essentially the marketers), being sustained by the natural and man-made tourism resources, while the image, supported by the experiences and communications of the senders, is perceived by the receiver. In the touristic selection process tourists take into account tangible features such as the elements of the natural background and anthropic patrimony and intangible elements (relaxation, freedom).This study aims at exploring in which way Craiova municipality seen as a tourism destination conveys into a unique identity within the consumer’s mind, focusing on the identification and explanation of the attitudes of a sample of urban residents and non-residents towards tourism in Craiova and their grouping with respect to these attitudes. Thus this helps to identify the main tourism attractions and forms of tourism associated with this city and to further develop tourism activities.

A New Look into the Determinants of the Ecological Discount Rate: Disentangling Social Preferences

Abstract How should changes in environmental quality occurring in the future be discounted? To answer this question we consider a model of “ecological discounting”, where the representative consumer has a utility function defined over two attributes, consumption and environmental quality, which evolve stochastically over time. We characterize the determinants of the social discount rate and its behavior over time using a preference structure that disentangles attitudes towards intertemporal inequality, attitudes towards risk, and tastes over consumption and environmental quality. We show that the degree of substitutability between consumption and environmental quality, the degree of risk aversion, the degree of inequality aversion, and the rate at which these attitudes change as natural and man-made resources evolve over time are all important aspects of the ecological discount rate and its term structure. Our analysis suggests that over medium and long term horizons the ecological discount rate should be below the rate of time preference, supporting recent proposals for immediate action towards climate change mitigation.

A New Look into the Determinants of the Ecological Discount Rate: Disentangling Social Preferences

How should changes in environmental quality occurring in the future be discounted? To answer this question we consider a model of “ecological discounting,” where the representative consumer has a utility function defined over two attributes, consumption and environmental quality, which evolve stochastically over time. We characterize the determinants of the social discount rate and its behavior over time using a fairly general preference structure that explicitly disentangles tastes over consumption and environmental quality from attitudes towards risk. We show that the degree of substitutability between consumption and environmental quality, the degree of risk aversion, and the rate at which these attitudes change as natural and man-made resources evolve over time are all important aspects of the ecological discount rate and its term structure. We extend the analysis to consider a specification of social preferences that further disentangles attitudes towards risk from attitudes towards intertemporal inequality. We show that such separation is also crucial for determining the appropriate rate to discount environmental impacts.

Observations on variation in skull size of three mammals in Israel during the 20th century

Among mammals, food availability, especially during the growth period, is a key predictor in determining final body size, and improved nutrition may lead to an increase in their body size. In Israel during the last century food availability for animals commensal with humans increased greatly, due to a 16-fold increase in the human population and the accompanying changes, such as a 135-fold increase in the area of irrigated agriculture and the availability of large quantities of organic garbage.Using museum material, we studied temporal changes in skull size of a sample of 89 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758), 108 golden jackals (Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758) and 117 Cape hares (Lepus capensis Linnaeus, 1758) collected during the 20th century. Four measurements (condylobasal length, zygomatic breadth, the length of the upper cheek teeth row and the length of the mandible) were taken for each skull, and principal component analysis was used to combine the measurements into principal components.We found that skull size of the red fox increased significantly during the 20th century, possibly due to improved food availability from man-made resources such as agricultural produce and garbage. No temporal trend in body size was detected for the jackal and hare. These differences are discussed.

Long-term building stock survival and intergenerational management: the role of institutional regimes

Intergenerational value-management of the built environment requires preservation of both natural capital and man-made resources. A consequence is that buildings and infrastructure should be used as long as possible. Considering that built cultural heritage is mainly a ‘non-renewable’ capital, it affords a number of insights and lessons that can be more widely adapted to other parts of the built environment. The following key issues are discussed: long-term patterns and dynamics of the building stock; specific survival profiles for groups of buildings; strategies that have led to a long-term value preservation in the past; and robustness of former and existing strategies. Segments of the stock that could be used as a role model for the management of the entire stock are discussed as well as the possible contribution of public policy and institutional regimes to long-term value preservation. A related conceptual basis for an inventory of the built cultural heritage is presented in an appendix. La gestion de la valeur intergénérationnelle du cadre bâti nécessite que soient préservés à la fois le capital naturel et les ressources créées par l'homme. Cela a notamment pour conséquence que les bâtiments et les infrastructures devraient être utilisés le plus longtemps possible. Compte tenu du fait que le patrimoine culturel bâti est essentiellement un capital « non renouvelable », cela autorise un certain nombre de réflexions et de leçons qui peuvent être plus largement adaptées à d'autres parties du cadre bâti. Il est discuté des questions-clés suivantes: schémas et dynamique à long terme du parc bâti; profils de survie spécifiques aux différents types de bâtiments; stratégies qui, par le passé, ont conduit à une préservation de la valeur sur le long terme; et solidité des stratégies existantes et antérieures. Il est discuté des parties du parc qui pourraient être utilisées comme modèle pour la gestion de l'ensemble du parc, ainsi que de la contribution possible des politiques publiques et des régimes institutionnels à la préservation de la valeur sur le long terme. Une base conceptuelle connexe permettant un inventaire du patrimoine culturel bâti est présentée en annexe. Mots clés: parc bâti, environnements historiques, régimes institutionnels, politiques publiques, gestion durable, temps, valeur, préservation de la valeur

Visits to national parks and the provision of natural and man-made recreation and tourism resources

Understanding the relationship between national park characteristics and the number of visits is crucial for the planning and management of parks. Visitation, the number of visits to the park, has a key role to play in assessing the social and economic impacts of new and existing parks. This study examines how the natural characteristics of a national park, the recreation services inside it and tourism services in the surrounding communities are related to the number of visits. Parks are classified according to these three dimensions and the numbers of visitors are compared within the three types. 35 national parks in Finland form the data of the study. The results indicate that the number of visits is associated with the main nature type, implying a continuum from the highest numbers visiting mountainous (i.e. fell) parks to the lowest visiting mire parks. A high number of visits is associated with a good provision of both recreational facilities inside and tourism services outside it. In water-based parks, in particular, the effect of services on park visits is considerable.

Developing Woodlands for Tourism: Concepts, Connections and Challenges

Driven by potential economic benefits for rural communities, tourism has become an increasingly central focus of sustainable woodland management in Great Britain. Knowledge of the values and uses of woodlands for tourism, and the impacts of woodland management on tourism is, however, limited. This paper outlines qualitative research in three study areas which used in-depth interviews and discussion groups to engage with tourism providers to explore these issues. It argues that woodlands are an important constituent of ‘countryside capital’, with woodlands” imagery and accessibility, and their natural and man-made resources used directly and indirectly by tourism enterprises. A landscape-scale approach to tourism planning and development is advocated to ensure a more holistic use of woodlands for tourism. Critical issues are identified as being strategy and integration, local engagement, sharing of information, resources, costs and benefits between stakeholders, and policies and practices to stimulate innovation and growth.

Developing Woodlands for Tourism: Concepts, Connections and Challenges

Driven by potential economic benefits for rural communities, tourism has become an increasingly central focus of sustainable woodland management in Great Britain. Knowledge of the values and uses of woodlands for tourism, and the impacts of woodland management on tourism is, however, limited. This paper outlines qualitative research in three study areas which used in-depth interviews and discussion groups to engage with tourism providers to explore these issues. It argues that woodlands are an important constituent of ‘countryside capital’, with woodlands” imagery and accessibility, and their natural and man-made resources used directly and indirectly by tourism enterprises. A landscape-scale approach to tourism planning and development is advocated to ensure a more holistic use of woodlands for tourism. Critical issues are identified as being strategy and integration, local engagement, sharing of information, resources, costs and benefits between stakeholders, and policies and practices to stimulate innovation and growth.

Sustainable water resource management: the science behind the scene

Sustainable water resource management: the science behind the scene

Labour, land and capital in Ghana: from slavery to free labour in Asante, 1807-1956

This is a study of the changing rules and relationships within which natural, human and man-made resources were mobilized for production during the development of an agricultural export economy in Asante, a major West African kingdom which became, by 1945, the biggest regional contributor to Ghana's status as the world's largest cocoa producer. The period 1807-1956 as a whole was distinguished in Asante history by relatively favorable political conditions for indigenous as well as (during colonial rule) for foreign private enterprise. It saw generally increasing external demands for products that could be produced on Asante land. This book, which fills a major gap in Asante economic history, transcends the traditional divide between studies of precolonial and of twentieth-century African history. It analyses the interaction of coercion and the market in the context of a rich but fragile natural environment, the central process being a transition from slavery and debt-bondage to hired labor and agricultural indebtedness.It contributes to the broad debate about Africa's historic combination of emerging 'capitalist' institutions and persistent 'precapitalist' ones, and tests the major theories of the political economy of institutional change. It is written accessibly for an inter-disciplinary readership. Gareth Austin is a Lecturer in Economic History, London School of Economics and Political Science, and Joint Editor of the Journal of African History

Carrying capacities and standards as bases towards urban infrastructure planning in India: A case of urban water supply and sanitation

Assessment of urban carrying capacities with respect to their basic infrastructure provisions like water supply and sanitation helps to determine the relative potentials of individual urban centres across regions for sustainable growth and also provides a framework for rational sectoral and spatial allocations of resources for infrastructure development. While carrying capacities should be assessed against acceptable norms and standards for provision of the basic services, there is ample scope for further development of minimum standards for urban water supply and sanitation in India. There has been a multiplicity of recommendations of standards with wide disparity across them and the rationale behind these recommendations are not explicit. The paper develops an array of indicator measures through which the natural and man-made resources and assimilative capacities of urban areas with respect to water supply, sewerage, drainage and solid waste disposal can be assessed in quantitative and qualitative terms. Another set of indicators have been developed to assess the financial and managerial capacities of various local institutions in the provision of these utilities. A framework for the use of these urban carrying capacity measures in spatial planning has been suggested. The author suggests further research to test the applicability of these indicator measures through real-life case studies of Indian cities based on available environmental information base.

リサイクリング 人工資源の現状

Man-made resources which should be utilized valuably and effectively is generated from each industryall over the world. This paper describes the following subjects:(1) The generation, disposal and utilization of man-made resources; and (2) New strategies and future trends for information management of manmade resources.First subject includes a situation of present problems and difference of waste definition for industrial waste in the world. Second subject includes outline of waste information and information management system in our country.

Systems Engineering Case Study: A Software‐Driven Whole‐Farm Management Information System

AbstractFarming involves complex interaction among natural and manmade resources. This results in high‐risk decision‐making for farm managers. A farm‐based management information system would aid the manager by providing records of past farm operations and production, in addition to forecasting possible outcomes of future management decisions. This paper presents an attempt to use systems engineering principles for the design and construction of a farm management information system. Improved understanding of farm problems and system requirements have resulted from intimate involvement with users and a prototyping process to capture requirements. Design, prior to software coding, is being implemented and has enabled clearer and more complex communications between the designer and programmer. These systems engineering principles are directly responsible for the increased functionality and usability of the software‐driven system.

Highway Accessibility and Regional Tourist Expenditures

This study attempted to quantify the contribution of highway infrastructure to tourism's economic impact. When natural and man-made resources were held constant, counties with more miles of highway received more tourist expenditures. Further analysis of only the rural counties showed that the transportation system alone explained a significant amount of variation in tourist expenditures. Implications of the findings for tourism development strategies in rural areas are discussed.

Covenants with and without a Sword: Self-Governance Is Possible

Contemporary political theory often assumes that individuals cannot make credible commitments where substantial temptations exist to break them unless such commitments are enforced by anexternalagent. One such situation may occur in relation tocommon pool resources, which are natural or man-made resources whose yield is subtractable and whose exclusion is nontrivial (but not necessarily impossible). Examples include fisheries, forests, grazing ranges, irrigation systems, and groundwater basins. Empirical evidence, however, suggests that appropriators in common pool resources develop credible commitments in many cases without relying on external authorities. We present findings from a series of experiments exploring (1) covenants alone (both one-shot and repeated communication opportunities); (2) swords alone (repeated opportunities to sanction each other); and (3) covenants combined with an internal sword (one-shot communication followed by repeated opportunities to sanction each other).