Journal of Environmental Information Science Vol. 2017(2017) No. 1
Journal of Environmental Information Science

Energy is an extremely important basic industry. China is a developing country where coal accounts for around 75% of primary energy. Although the level of global economic integration is increasing, the energy needed to support economic development must mainly come from domestic sources. Therefore, the use of coal as the main energy source for long-term development is inevitable(Lu, J., 2010). Energy issues are always important from the perspective of sustainable development, and coal-based energy supply forms the core of China's energy issues. As far as major coal-based pollution in China is concerned, promoting electric power and increasing the conversion ratio of coal to electricity are the important and effective measures to reduce air pollution, protect the environment, and develop the circular economy(Wang, S., 2009).This paper introduced the power industry’s cycle of economic development, analyzed industry-specific economic characteristics using cycle indicators. According to the characteristics of the power industry, established an index system suitable for the industry features, and calculated using the analytic hierarchy process right weight value. Taking the Tianjin SDIC power plant as an example, its characteristic cycle of economic development was introduced. Combined with the evaluation index system of power industry circular economy, the level of economic development cycle was evaluated using a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method, and the application of the index system was described.

This study examines the risk of cultivating betel leaf, a popular cash crop in the region of southern Bangladesh, and reveals its effect on income generation in connection with forest degradation. We analyzed panel data from farmers for 2010 and 2014 and revealed that betel leaf cultivation has widened income disparity and does not necessarily contribute to income generation, in particular for poorer farmers. Such farmers have undertaken risks including disease, climate change, and price fluctuations, and yet they continue to engage in cultivation. In conclusion, this study provides evidence of poor farmers’ myopic risk-seeking behavior, which contradicts past findings.

Coastal areas have recently been revaluated to understand the relationship between ecosystem services and humans. However, devastation from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan might have limited the use of ecosystem services. Thus, we investigate the effects of the earthquake and tsunami on the use of tidal flats. We used questionnaires to evaluate changes in the number and anxiety of users for each type of use of the Sanbanze tidal flat in the innermost part of Tokyo Bay. We also conducted a field survey to verify the trends. We found that clamming and walking or jogging were the most common uses in the surveyed area. However, clamming activity decreased after the earthquake as indicated by field observation (73% decrease in spring long holiday season) and questionnaires (64%). Other clamming ground in Tokyo Bay also showed a similar decrease (62%). Many visitors were anxious about the damaged infrastructure. Compared to other types of use such as swimming or total tourism in the tourism statistics, the recovery phase was slower for clamming using the data of other locations. Considering these evidence, the innermost part of Tokyo Bay can be classified as an earthquake-devastated area, from the view point of ecosystem services.