Ethanol Fuels: Energy Balance, Economics, and Environmental Impacts Are Negative

Several studies suggest that the $1.4 billion in government subsidies are encouraging the ethanol program without substantial benefits to the U.S. economy. Large ethanol industries and a few U.S. government agencies, such as the USDA, support the production of ethanol. Corn-farmers receive minimal profits. In the U.S. ethanol system, considerably more energy, including high-grade fossil fuel, is required to produce ethanol than is available in the energy-ethanol output. Specifically about 29% more energy is used to produce a gallon of ethanol than the energy in a gallon of ethanol. Fossil energy powers corn production and the fermentation/distillation processes. Increasing subsidized ethanol production will take more feed from livestock production, and is estimated to currently cost consumers an additional $1 billion per year. Ethanol production increases environmental degradation. Corn production causes more total soil erosion than any other crop. Also, corn production uses more insecticides, herbicides, and nitrogen fertilizers than any other crop. All these factors degrade the agricultural and natural environment and contribute to water pollution and air pollution. Increasing the cost of food and diverting human food resources to the costly inefficient production of ethanol fuel raise major ethical questions. These occur at a time when more than half of the world's population is malnourished. The ethical priority for corn and other food crops should be for food and feed. Subsidized ethanol produced from U.S. corn is not a renewable energy source.     

Indigenous Livelihoods and Art Income: participation,production and returns from woodcarvings in Arnhem Land,north Australia

Participation in the Indigenous visual arts sector provides one of few market opportunities for Indigenous Australians resident on remote Aboriginal lands. In this article we examine the economic factors that influence this market engagement as they relate to woodcarving in the Maningrida region of Arnhem Land. In particular, we look at the factors that affect participation, production and monetary returns using scan and focal sampling, resource accounting and sales data from the regional art centre. Artists were engaged in a range of activities of which art production was the prominent means of productive cash income generation. An artist's residence and also their language community were found to influence the amount of sculpture production undertaken, with artists residing on ‘country’ in the hinterland being more engaged in sculpture production than those living in the township of Maningrida. The annual income earned by an artist for carving was highly variable and a large proportion of woodcarvers also earned income from producing artwork in other media. Capital costs were relatively minor, with travel costs and labour the main input into carving production. Based on the average return for a single woodcarving, $160, we estimate the average hourly return to artists as between $12 and $14. Whilst this figure is relatively low and comparable to the Australian award wage for unskilled labour, the income earned from arts production makes an important contribution to people's livelihoods.     

Markets, ethnicity and environment in a vulnerable landscape: the case of small-scale vegetable production on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria, 1991–2001

This paper explores changing socio-environmental interactions in the vegetable producing areas of the Jos Plateau over the decade 1991–2001. It considers the pressures of market forces and ethnic competition and the tensions which arise as interactions between the two are played out in a fragile physical, social and institutional environment. The region has seen a remarkable expansion in irrigated vegetable production, as dry season surveys in 1991 and 2001 attest. Local farmers appear extremely positive in their perceptions of change, pointing not only to expanded production, but also to other improvements, like growing percentages of children in school and improved transport. But behind this rosy view of change there are tensions and a series of unresolved questions which may soon have to be addressed. We examine the changing nature of socio-environmental interactions over the decade and ask whether and how current levels of production can be sustained in the context of a currently largely unregulated production system and growing competition for land. Given the important role of the Plateau as a source of temperate fruit and vegetables in West Africa, these questions have significance far beyond the Plateau region itself.     

Ethanol Production Using Corn,Switchgrass, and Wood; Biodiesel Production Using Soybean and Sunflower

Energy outputs from ethanol produced using corn, switchgrass, and wood biomass were each less than the respective fossil energy inputs. The same was true for producing biodiesel using soybeans and sunflower, however, the energy cost for producing soybean biodiesel was only slightly negative compared with ethanol production. Findings in terms of energy outputs compared with the energy inputs were: • Ethanol production using corn grain required 29% more fossil energy than the ethanol fuel produced. • Ethanol production using switchgrass required 50% more fossil energy than the ethanol fuel produced. • Ethanol production using wood biomass required 57% more fossil energy than the ethanol fuel produced. • Biodiesel production using soybean required 27% more fossil energy than the biodiesel fuel produced (Note, the energy yield from soy oil per hectare is far lower than the ethanol yield from corn). • Biodiesel production using sunflower required 118% more fossil energy than the biodiesel fuel produced.     

URBANIZATION,INDUSTRIALIZATION, AND THE SOCIAL CREATION OF A SPACE ECONOMY: A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF LOWELL AND LAWRENCE,MASSACHUSETTS

Although the term "space economy" has been in existence for over 30 years, it remains an untheorized concept and little more than an assertion that economic relations exist within a spatial domain. In an attempt to recreate a specific context for the use of the term space economy, we examine the production relations and social interactions existing in the initial period of industrialization within particular communities. We argue that the determination of social relations by a particular form of production and the purposive actions of individuals and collectivities, plus the subsequent impact of these relations upon future forms of production and reproduction, constitutes a meaningful use of the term space economy.     

Gendered spaces - socio-spatial relations of self-employed women in craft production,Orissa, India

The present article concerns female self-employment in craft production in Orissa, India. Although industrial policies in India have attempted to address some of the socio-economic problems in local craft production through cooperative societies and subsidies, issues of the division of labour, factors of production and the processes of constructing individual gender identity are embedded in the gender structure and remain invisible to the new social order. Socio-spatial relations of gendered spaces are also deeply embedded in the traditional Brahmanical social order. The analysis is based on the individual story of one female businesswoman. The significance of the individual narrative is discussed with reference to feminist geographies and the self-reflexivity of the researchers. The story of Mami is about her struggle to become a successful businesswoman, and highlights the interrelationship between her actions, her perceptions of work and the socio-economic spaces that she has to relate to. Her story reveals that self-employed women can act as role models for other women and contribute to increasing their power in local and place-bound situations.     

The Practices and Process of Neighborhood: the (Re)Production of Riverwest,Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This article examines the practices and process that (re)produce neighborhoods. I argue that the practices producing neighborhoods in the 1970s inform the practices (re)producing neighborhoods today. Drawing upon Lefebvre's concepts of social space and spatial practice, Bourdieu's concepts of practice and habitus, and Pred's concept of place as a historically contingent process, I examine the (re)production of Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood as a process. Practices of institution building and protest were central to the production of this relatively socially inclusive and activist neighborhood. Over the past 30 years, through what could be defined as the habitus of place, the process of neighborhood (re)production continued many of the practices first established in the 1970s, as new practices addressed social and cultural changes. A focus on practices and process draws our attention to the (re)production of a relatively stable, consistent, long-term neighborhood identity.     

Soy,Cotton, and the Final Atlantic Forest Frontier

From 1945 to 2000, the extent of Paraguay's Atlantic Forest was reduced from 73,000 to 12,000 square kilometers. Deforestation rates were exceptionally high from the late 1960s through to the end of the century. During this period, dual agricultural frontiers pushed into the region from both east and west, resulting in a production landscape defined by two principal commodities: soybeans and cotton. This article considers the expansion and contraction of these industries and addresses their impacts on the region's forest cover. Findings suggest that the role of cotton and smallholder agriculture has been greatly diminished as a driver of land cover change in the region since 1990. High rates of forest loss were sustained, however, partly as a result of continued pressure for agricultural expansion for soy production.     

Negotiating Knowledge Production: The Everyday Inclusions,Exclusions, and Contradictions of Participatory GIS Research*

Although participatory approaches to geographic information system (GIS) use have significantly altered the technological and social practices of GIS‐based research and decision making, they have received relatively little attention within discussions of participatory research. This paper examines how participation and representation are negotiated in participatory GIS research through everyday practices of knowledge production. Inclusion and exclusion in the production of knowledge in participatory GIS are mediated within several intersecting arenas of research practice simultaneously, often with contradictory implications, priorities, and outputs.     

Coal resources,production, and quality in the Eastern kentucky coal field: Perspectives on the future of steam coal production

The Eastern Kentucky coal field, along with adjacent portions of Virginia and southern West Virginia, is part of the greatest production concentration of high-heating-value, low-sulfur coal in the United States, accounting for over 27% of the 1993 U.S. production of coal of all ranks. Eastern Kentucky's production is spread among many coal beds but is particularly concentrated in a limited number of highquality coals, notably the Pond Creek coal bed and its correlatives, and the Fire Clay coal bed and its correlatives. Both coals are relatively low ash and low sulfur through the areas of the heaviest concentration of mining activity. We discuss production trends, resources, and the quality of in-place and clean coal for those and other major coals in the region.     

Constraints to smallholders production of frankincense in Metema district, North-western Ethiopia

Frankincense, an aromatic exudate obtained from several Boswellia species, is an important commodity with the potential to invigorate economic development of the drylands of Ethiopia. Local people have been producing and trading frankincense for centuries to diversify their income sources. However, local people's involvement in the production of frankincense varies considerably among the producing dryland regions of the country. The objectives of this study were to investigate: (i) the potential of frankincense production, (ii) socio-cultural, economic and policy factors affecting the involvement of local people in the production of frankincense, and (iii) the current status of Boswellia woodlands in Metema district, which is one of the major frankincense producing areas in Ethiopia. The results showed that Boswellia papyrifera comprised 51% of the species composition of the vegetation of the district with 253.5 kg/ha/year production potential. The total annual frankincense production potential of the district was estimated to be 79,168 tons. However, almost all inhabitants do not benefit economically from the species due to: (i) cultural influence (67%), (ii) unattractiveness of income from frankincense compared to other economic activities in the area (38%), property tenure (27%), government policy on incense production (20%), poor knowledge on frankincense production (19%) and unawareness of the potential of frankincense as a source of income (5%). The absence of direct economic benefits for the local people from the woodlands is triggering their widespread degradation mostly from human induced fire, improper forest use and agricultural land expansion.     

中国北方农牧交错带农业经营方向初探——以晋陕蒙甘宁青地区为例

农业(包括农林牧副渔业等)是对生态环境依附性很强、影响又大的基础产业。要使农业快速、稳定发展,又不损害生态环境,实现可持续农业发展,必须选择正确的农业经营方向。从农牧交错带的资源状况、农业生产对生态环境的负面影响以及建立特色产业3个方面,肯定了研究区宜牧而不宜农,探讨了牧农错位的原因和过程,以及由以农为主向以牧为主经营方向转变的有利条件,并提出了大力发展草食性畜牧业的对策建议。     

普兰县农牧结合潜力分析（英文）

农牧结合是高寒牧区放牧系统的一项重要的实践,具有实现农业和牲畜业可持续生产的重大潜力。然而,目前青藏高原的农牧业分离已经导致集约化农业、草地退化和饲料短缺的问题产生。因此,为探索高山放牧系统中农牧结合的潜力,本研究以中国普兰县为例,基于多数据源,分析了牧草生产潜力和牲畜产量,并从饲草供给角度评估了农牧结合的潜力。结果表明:普兰县可用于人工种草的潜在边际土地约560公顷,基本位于环境条件较好的普兰镇周边。而积温是牧草种植的主要环境限制因子,今后牧草种植应注重品种的抗寒性和生长周期,同时也要注意人工草地建立后的退化和沙化问题。另外,虽然2012–2016年普兰县牲畜数量明显下降,但高寒草地放牧牲畜数量依然高于农牧景观的牲畜放牧数量。该地区目前放牧牲畜数量一般维持在约11万只羊单位,而人工草地和作物秸秆能够提供约1.1万只羊单位的饲料,约占农牧景观中牲畜数量的一半。普兰县农牧结合可以适当补充放牧条件下牲畜饲料的缺额,尤其是在农牧区的普兰镇。本研究结果对未来牧草生产和发展农牧结合具有重要的指导意义。     

无锡光伏产业链中的全球-本地联系

以无锡市为例,通过实地调研当地光伏产业链中多晶硅生产、电池元件生产、组件制造、相关设备生产、光伏设备运维服务,以及光伏用户等不同环节,从全球生产网络的视角,考察全球-本地联系在当地光伏产业链形成演化和技术发展动态中的具体表现。结论指出：① 无锡光伏产业在短短10 a之内从“两头在外”的发展模式到形成全产业链竞争优势,体现了新兴技术的全球生产网络技术加速更新和产业快速转移的新特点;② 本地相关产业集群通过技术引进、消化和改进为新技术突破规模化瓶颈,获取市场竞争力打下基础,并由此对全球光伏技术发展的路径产生了关键影响;③ 产业进一步发展需要针对能源转型的长期目标,着重探索能源消费侧的技术转型路径。     

WAGE RATES,OCCUPATION STAFFING PATTERNS,AND THE LOCATION OF THE COMPUTER AND SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRIES: SOME TESTS OF A CITY-SIZE,INDUSTRIAL LOCATION SORTING MODEL

This research first develops a paradigm relating technology adoption, plant function, and location in different areas. It then examines empirically some of the paradigm's postulates dealing with occupation staffing patterns and wage rates in headquarters and production plants in different size cities and regions of the country using survey data. The research found that plants in large cities, headquarters plants, and plants in innovative regions paid higher wages than plants in small cities, production plants, and those in innovation-lagging regions. Headquarters plants and plants in large cities and innovative regions had a significantly larger number of scientists, engineers, and technicians on their staffs but few production workers. Production plants and those in small cities and towns and lagging regions had few professional workers but a significant number of production workers. For all types of plants an inverse relationship existed between plant size and city size. The postulated direct relationship between plant size and wage rates was not clearly evident in the survey data except for low skilled occupations. Neither was the relationship clearly evident in the U.S. Census data for the computer and semiconductor industries, as it was for total U.S. manufacturing.     

福建建瓯万木林柑橘与锥栗凋落物数量、组成及动态

2010年1-12月,对福建省建瓯市万木林保护区内的柑橘（CitrusreticulataBlanco）和锥栗（Castaneahenryi）凋落物的组成及动态进行观测研究,结果表明：柑橘和锥栗的年凋落物量分别为2315．47±149．02kg·hm^-2·a^-1和2414．62±211．05kg·hm^-2·a^-1,凋落物均以落叶为主,分别占到年总凋落物量的57．6％和50．7％,落花和落果在凋落物中所占比例较大;经方差分析检验,柑橘和锥栗的落枝、落花和杂物差异显著（P〈0．05）,其他组分差异不显著;柑橘与锥栗凋落物量季节变化曲线均呈双峰型,柑橘凋落物量在3月和7月出现2次较大峰值,而锥栗凋落物量峰值则出现在6月和11月．     

福建建瓯万木林柑橘与锥栗凋落物数量、组成及动态

2010年1-12月,对福建省建瓯市万木林保护区内的柑橘（CitrusreticulataBlanco）和锥栗（Castaneahenryi）凋落物的组成及动态进行观测研究,结果表明：柑橘和锥栗的年凋落物量分别为2315．47±149．02kg·hm^-2·a^-1和2414．62±211．05kg·hm^-2·a^-...     

Subsistence production,autonomy and development

An analysis of economic and social changes in a village in the highlands of Papua New Guinea from 1976 to 1981 illustrates the impact of economic boom and bust cycles on peasant production patterns, the relationship and potential conflict between subsistence and commodity production can be understood only in light of fluctuations in the degree of rural commercial involvement over time. The impact of the commercial economy on the diet is complex, having both positive and negative aspects linked to boom and bust cycles. The nature of peasant response to boom and bust cycles is influenced by the degree of local autonomy. Maintaining local autonomy and a viable subsistence system provides a crucial buffer insulating peasants from economic downturns.     

Prospect Analysis and Hydrocarbon Reservoir Volume Estimation in an Exploration Field,Shallow Offshore Depobelt,Western Niger Delta,Nigeria

Natural Resources Research - The daunting challenge in the exploration and production of oil and gas in the face of continual rise in the world’s energy consumption has long been how to...     

Domestic Residential Garden Food Production in Melbourne,Australia: a fine-grained analysis and pilot study

Even though cities cover approximately only 3 per cent of the earth's land area, they are often located on what previously was prime agricultural land. In line with what was common historically, many cities around the world are now deliberately seeking to promote and expand agricultural production within their borders. Pressure for change is coming from a number of sources, including both governments and private citizens. Potentially, community gardens and domestic backyard food production have an important role to play in this process, but while there now exists a sizeable body of research on the former, there is a serious lack of data on current productive practices in private domestic gardens. While other researchers have asked householders to estimate garden production, we believe this to be the first project to carefully document measured output by multiple households. The paper presents the results of a fine-grained study of 15 selected householders in metropolitan Melbourne. Participants collected detailed daily information about their food production over a three-month period. In addition, two of the respondents had been keeping daily production records continuously for one or more years. The results demonstrate enormous diversity in the food harvested, as well as some extremely high levels of productivity from relatively small domestic spaces. Participants were also questioned about their motivations for engaging in backyard food production and dealing with surpluses.