Many researchers have concluded that longer life expectancies prompt increased investment in education,as a prolonged labor supply raises the rate of return on education.Besides explaining the empirical evidence behin...Many researchers have concluded that longer life expectancies prompt increased investment in education,as a prolonged labor supply raises the rate of return on education.Besides explaining the empirical evidence behind this conclusion(at an absolute level),there is another issue to be discussed:does time spent studying and working increase proportionally with higher longevity? Building on an extended life-cycle model,this paper shows that prolonged life expectancy will cause individuals to increase their time in education but may not warrant rises in labor input.Later we show that higher improvement rate of longevity rather than initial life expectancy will promote economic growth,even we exclude the mechanism of human capital formation,and only consider growth effects of higher improvement rate of life expectancy from physical capital investment.展开更多
The main objective of this research is to integrate environmental impact optimization in the structural design of reinforced concrete slab frame bridges in order to determine the most environment-friendly design. The ...The main objective of this research is to integrate environmental impact optimization in the structural design of reinforced concrete slab frame bridges in order to determine the most environment-friendly design. The case study bridge used in this work was also investigated in a previous paper focusing on the optimization of the investment cost, while the present study focuses on environmental impact optimization and comparing the results of both these studies. Optimization technique based on the pattern search method was implemented. Moreover, a comprehensive LCA （life cycle assessment） methodology of ReCiPe and two monetary weighting systems were used to convert environmental impacts into monetary costs. The analysis showed that both monetary weighting systems led to the same results. Furthermore, optimization based on environmental impact generated models with thinner construction elements yet of a higher concrete class, while cost optimization by considering extra constructability factors provided thicker sections and easier to construct. This dissimilarity in the results highlights the importance of combining environmental impact （and its associated environmental cost） and investment cost to find more material-efficient, economical, sustainable and time-effective bridge solutions.展开更多
The way that humans think about the earth certainly affects the way that they relate and behave towards the earth and all its life forms. The various ideologies or worldviews that humanity has experienced such as dual...The way that humans think about the earth certainly affects the way that they relate and behave towards the earth and all its life forms. The various ideologies or worldviews that humanity has experienced such as dualism, capitalism, holism, animism, ubuntu, ukama, vital force, colonialism, and so forth are all different ways of thinking and relating to the earth. The paper argues that dualistic ways of thinking or viewpoints that radically separate the human as distinct from the earth are hostile to both human and earth flourishing. It further argues that the ecological crisis which has witnessed the destruction and pollution of the ecosystems and other devastations cannot be solved when humans continue to see the earth as an object for conquest and exploitation. Using a critical hermeneutics method, the paper affirms that the African principle of relationality can help in mitigating the environmental crisis. It finds and concludes that if this principle is radically practiced, a better environment will be created.展开更多
基金the POS DOC Research Fund(Grant No. 05646997) which is sponsored by the Shorenstein AsiaPacific Research Center at Stanford University
文摘Many researchers have concluded that longer life expectancies prompt increased investment in education,as a prolonged labor supply raises the rate of return on education.Besides explaining the empirical evidence behind this conclusion(at an absolute level),there is another issue to be discussed:does time spent studying and working increase proportionally with higher longevity? Building on an extended life-cycle model,this paper shows that prolonged life expectancy will cause individuals to increase their time in education but may not warrant rises in labor input.Later we show that higher improvement rate of longevity rather than initial life expectancy will promote economic growth,even we exclude the mechanism of human capital formation,and only consider growth effects of higher improvement rate of life expectancy from physical capital investment.
文摘The main objective of this research is to integrate environmental impact optimization in the structural design of reinforced concrete slab frame bridges in order to determine the most environment-friendly design. The case study bridge used in this work was also investigated in a previous paper focusing on the optimization of the investment cost, while the present study focuses on environmental impact optimization and comparing the results of both these studies. Optimization technique based on the pattern search method was implemented. Moreover, a comprehensive LCA （life cycle assessment） methodology of ReCiPe and two monetary weighting systems were used to convert environmental impacts into monetary costs. The analysis showed that both monetary weighting systems led to the same results. Furthermore, optimization based on environmental impact generated models with thinner construction elements yet of a higher concrete class, while cost optimization by considering extra constructability factors provided thicker sections and easier to construct. This dissimilarity in the results highlights the importance of combining environmental impact （and its associated environmental cost） and investment cost to find more material-efficient, economical, sustainable and time-effective bridge solutions.
文摘The way that humans think about the earth certainly affects the way that they relate and behave towards the earth and all its life forms. The various ideologies or worldviews that humanity has experienced such as dualism, capitalism, holism, animism, ubuntu, ukama, vital force, colonialism, and so forth are all different ways of thinking and relating to the earth. The paper argues that dualistic ways of thinking or viewpoints that radically separate the human as distinct from the earth are hostile to both human and earth flourishing. It further argues that the ecological crisis which has witnessed the destruction and pollution of the ecosystems and other devastations cannot be solved when humans continue to see the earth as an object for conquest and exploitation. Using a critical hermeneutics method, the paper affirms that the African principle of relationality can help in mitigating the environmental crisis. It finds and concludes that if this principle is radically practiced, a better environment will be created.
