Cost and Benefit Evaluation of Graffiti Countermeasures on the Nevada Highways

Nevada is one of the major states that are currently suffering from graffiti problem. It was estimated that graffiti costs Southern Nevada around $30 million per year. The major highway structures that were suffering from graffiti were bridges, sound walls, retaining walls and traffic signs. Removing graffiti from these infrastructures was a big challenge to the maintenance division of Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). Thus, the department was looking for cost effective proactive countermeasures to prevent graffiti on highway infrastructure. This study first identified a spectrum of proactive countermeasures, and then evaluated them by conducting a cost-benefit analysis. Pedestrian fencing and chain link fence were found to be cost effective countermeasures for preventing graffiti on bridges and sound walls. However, for relative long sound walls, the chain link becomes less cost effective. Rat guard was found to be cost effective for road signs;however, it was more useful for traffic signs that are located in the area where the taggers cannot find the way to bypass the rat guard. Coating and landscaping were found to be cost effective for small structures. The security camera countermeasure was not cost effective at the locations where the reduction in graffiti was small. The software for spectrometers was relatively high cost and might hinder the cost effectiveness of this countermeasure. To reduce the cost of the software, developing the software internally could be adopted. And finally, the electronic database was recommended since it was not difficult to develop and maintain.

Evaluating cost and benefit of air pollution control policies in China:A systematic review

China has put great efforts into air pollution control over the past years and recently committed to its most ambitious climate target.Cost and benefit analysis has been widely used to evaluate the control policies in terms of past performance,future reduction potential,and direct and indirect impacts.To understand the cost and benefit analysis for air pollution control in China,we conducted a bibliometric review of more than 100 studies published over the past two decades,including the current research progress,most commonly adopted methods,and core findings.The control target in cost and benefit analysis has shifted in three stages,from individual and primary pollution control,moving to joint prevention of multiple and secondary pollutants,and then towards synergistic control of air pollution and carbon.With the expansion of the research scope,the integrated assessment model has gradually demonstrated the necessity for long-term ex-anti policy simulation,especially for dealing with complex factors.To ensure long-term air quality,climate,public health,and sustainable economic development,substantial evidence from published studies has suggested that China needs to continue its efforts in the upstream adjustment of the energy system and industrial structure with multi-regional and-sector collaboration.This cost and benefit review paper provides decision-makers with the fundamental information and knowledge gaps in air pollution control strategies in China,and direction for facing future challenges.

Integrating algae building technology in the built environment:A cost and benefit perspective

Energy consumption rates have been rising globally at an escalating pace since the last three decades.The exploration of new renewable and clean sources of energy globally is thus gaining prime importance.In Australia,coal is still the primary source of energy,which,during the process of energy production,generates greenhouse gases,subsequently resulting in environmental degradation.Within this context,the paper compares the economic and environmental benefits of utilizing two renewable energy production sources:algae building technology(ABT)and solar PV panels.A case study site for retrofitting a specified area on the front facade of a multi-storied building at the University of Technology Sydney,City Campus,Australia was thus chosen for the study.A cost and benefit analysis model using the following performance indicators;return on investment,payback period as well as net present value of the two systems,was thus initiated.Annual revenue generation of both systems which included tangible and intangible benefits of both systems were simultaneously calculated.The investment and operation and maintenance costs of both systems were calculated based on market research as well as quantitative data adapted from our literature review.Our conclusions show that closed tubular photobioreactor systems have more benefit than solar panel system from an environmental impact perspective considering Australia’s current struggle with water scarcity,drought,air pollution and carbon emission reduction goals.

Determination of the Size of a Proposed Bike-Sharing Program in Las Vegas, Nevada

Bike-share systems have been installed in cities worldwide as a way to attract travelers to use transit rather than the automobile. This has been proved to be an effective way of mitigating congestion on the road. The objective of this study is to develop a method to determine the size of the bike-share program in terms of the number of bicycles, the number and location of the stations, the number of docks at each station. To achieve the objectives of this study, a literature review was conducted on university bike-sharing systems in the U.S. and abroad. Various cases of bike-share programs were analyzed, in which each case consisted of a different number and location of bike-share stations. The demand corresponding to these stations was used as the input to a simulation model developed in this study to determine the number of docks in stations and bicycles in the system on and around campus at UNLV. These sizing parameters of the bike-share system then were used in a cost and benefit analysis to determine which cases could achieve maximum benefit, given a limitation of the initial costs. It was found that provision of one peripheral station and three internal stations at strategic locations provide relatively higher benefit cost ratio at lower initial cost.

马铃薯种植成本收益分析

采用问卷调查法和对比分析法对马铃薯种植成本和收益进行研究。根据种植规模将农户分为小户、中户和大户,分别从物质服务费用、人工成本、土地成本分析定西市安定区马铃薯种植成本,研究马铃薯各项种植成本及总种植成本,认为影响马铃薯成本最主要因素是土地成本,影响马铃薯收益最主要因素是单位产量和种植面积,并提出降低马铃薯种植成本,提高马铃薯种植产量与收购价格,发挥政府主导作用等建议,以期为提高马铃薯种植效益提供借鉴。

Ecological compensation mechanism for urban green land and its application in Shanghai, China

Urban green land compensation plays an impor-tant role in county development,ecological environment management and many other fields.The concept,methods and principles of urban green land are introduced in this paper.According to the pay fee method,the value and ecological function of various types of urban green land were analyzed.The cost-benefit analysis method(CBAM)was used to estimate different external diseconomy benefits caused by green land loss.The authors applied CBAM to estimate such benefits in the case of Shanghai,China,and calculated the actual compensation value for green land.Results indicated that in 2002,the compensation value for the green land of Shanghai was RMB 8.58×10^(5) Yuan/hm^(2).

Winter pairs of ruddy shelducks at Lashihai Lake,southwest China

It has been suggested that pairing behavior during winter in migratory ducks represents a trade-off between costs(defense of the female)and benefits(early access to females).To investigate the benefits and costs for both sexes in wintering pairs of ruddy shelducks(Tadorna ferruginea),we compared time budgets for paired males and females,and surveyed the sex ratio of the birds wintering at Lashihai Lake,southwest China.The behavior of the paired ruddy shelducks was monitored for 5 activity types:feeding,resting(including sleeping),preening,drinking and warning.Feeding was the most dominant activity.The feeding time of both sexes increased as the winter season progressed.However,the paired females always spent significantly more time feeding and less time warning than the paired males.Paired ruddy shelducks had access to better feeding grounds than unpaired individuals,resulting in a food benefit for paired individuals over single individuals.Because the sex ratio of the wintering population was strongly male biased(M:F=1.44:1.00),the paired male also gained the benefit of accessing a female in advance of the breeding season.