The Ecological and Economical Performances in the Forested Area – a Need for the Future
The forests are indispensable for the natural balance on Earth. Without the existence of the forest the life is not possible because this ecosystem provides many goods and services. The many clear cut forest surfaces have led to the lack of balance of ecosystems causing risks for the environment. The globalization promotes multinational companies, which have an important role in the exploitation of the forest. Because of the many advantages, the forest must be protected from the bad influence of the globalization, a thing possible due to the fact that the world is heading to a new economic order. The paper presents the situation of the forests in Romania for the 2005-2007.
Incorporating innovation metrics in urban indices: the Sustain-LED Index
ABSTRACT This study explores a tool used to assess economic development, technological innovation, environmental sustainability and liveability in urban areas. The research employs qualitative and quantitative analysis in the development of an index – the Sustainability–Innovation–Local Economic Development Index (Sustain-LED Index) – that considers macroeconomic and environmental indicators and associated policies implemented in the largest US metropolitan areas. The Sustain-LED Index could broaden the range of tools available to policy-makers for identifying and removing obstacles for improving the quality of life, reducing inequalities and diminishing the degree of pollution in urban areas. It could represent a supporting tool for local entities to design new policies for spurring local economic development and it could be used for designing new urban policies throughout a greater understanding of the economic, social and environmental consequences caused by urbanization.
An Internet-based Real-time Heavy Rainfall Display System
A new storm warning system, which can be accessed through the Internet and by cellular phones is described. At the time of a heavy rainfall for disaster prevention, it is important that every resident understand how heavy is that rainfall. A real-time heavy rainfall display system designed for all of Japan provides such information (http://www.disaster-i.net/rain/). In that system values for 1-hour precipitation, 24-hour accumulated precipitation, etc. are displayed at every observatory. Advantages are that not only the latest observations but differences from the historical highest records can be seen. Almost all information is displayed by characters so that users have easy access to the system even when the communication network is crowded. Access date for the six months after the system opened shows that the average daily number of accesses of the top page was 306, and the largest number 3078. The maximum number for daily access to all the pages was about 21,500. This is about 2% of the number obtained on the same day for a similar system operated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (http://www.river.go.jp/).