published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Real Estate and Construction

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Design / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

Domestic mineral consumption is defined as a net sum of apparent consumption plus embodied mineral contained in net imported goods. The U.S. is a net importer of copper-containing products, such as automobiles, electrical products, and construction and industrial machinery. Embodied copper which is contained in net imports of these products constitute part of domestic copper consumption. On the other hand, the U.S. is a net exporter of sulfur-using/embodying products, such as fertilizers and grains. The sulfur which is contained/employed in manufacturing exported products is not actually part of domestic sulfur consumption. Net embodied U.S. imports (exports) of copper (sulfur) are estimated. For copper, it is shown that domestic U.S. consumption is understated and increasing, intensity of use is constant rather than decreasing, and, in general, forecast increases in domestic consumption of copper are due mainly to embodied copper imports. For sulfur, it is shown that domestic consumption is overstated and declining; domestic intensity of use is also declining. The domestic copper and sulfur industries will be differentially impacted as a result of this increased reliance on overseas markets.

The purpose of this dissertation is to derive a production possibilities curve illustrating alternative choices of agricultural production and rural environmental quality for the Willow Creek area of the Columbia Plateau in Oregon. The research was done as a supplement to the USDA Oregon Rivers Cooperative River Basin Nonpoint Pollution Study. The dissertation is primarily a methodology which can be expanded to address similar trade-offs between conflicting goals. The study initially presented a methodology for measuring environmental quality. A hierarchical structure was introduced which allowed goals and subgoals to be measured in order of their importance. Linkages among these different goals were also defined. Then a preference function was introduced so that goals could be related to preferences or values. Technical indicators were used to measure how well different practices achieve various goals. Finally a model was developed which maximized the level of environmental quality subject to various profit constraints. The model used mathematical programming to develop a production possibilities frontier giving various choices of economic production and environmental quality.

The level of future agricultural production in Central Arizona depends upon the availability of land and water, the cost of water, and opportunities to grow crops yielding high returns per acre-foot of water. Suitable land is abundantly available but groundwater appurtenant to these lands is becoming increasingly costly. Opportunities to grow high-value crops are subject to the vagaries of commodity markets and government programs. This study estimates the direction and magnitude of expected agricultural adjustments in response to a declining land and water base, increasing water costs, and intra-county transfer of cotton allotments. The study region, encompassing all areas of Maricopa County relying solely or primarily upon groundwater for irrigation, is divided into two water resource areas. Area A has low-cost, poor quality water and only cotton for a high-value crop. Area B has highcost, good quality water and cotton, vegetables, and citrus for highvalue crops. Nine representative farm models are developed characterizing the structure of the agricultural sector of the economy in these two areas. Data for ten crops grown by these nine farm size groups are incorporated into linear programming models to make projections for 18 water situations distinguished on the basis of source, availability, and cost of water. Projections are made for the period 1967 to 2015. Projected adjustments show over 20 percent declines in land and water use and a 13 percent decline in net revenues over variable costs of production for the study region by 2015. These declines occur due to a loss of 68,000 acres of land to urban uses, and the abandonment of lowvalue crops made unprofitable by rising water costs. Declines in resource use and incomes are mitigated by a 10,000 acre increase in cotton production due to transfers of allotments from an adjacent region experiencing greater losses of land and water to urban uses. Projections by water resource area and water situation show 7 and 13 percent decreases in land and water use and a 7 percent increase in net revenues over variable costs for Area A. This divergent movement of resource use and revenues occurs because a 64 percent increase in cotton acreage offsets substantial reductions in sorghum and safflower acreages. Area B projections show approximately a 30 percent reduction in land and water use and a 23 percent reduction in net revenues over variable production costs. These reductions occur because all resources lost to urban uses come from this area and large acreages of low-value crops go out of production due to rising water costs. Only small acreages of short staple cotton allotments are transferred to Area B farms because Area A farmers can afford to pay more for surplus allotments. Area B experiences a net loss of cotton acreage because long staple allotments are transferred to Area A ferns when water costs make this variety of cotton unprofitable in Area B water situations. Projections by water situation within the two water resource areas vary from increases in resource use and net incomes to large decreases. The agricultural sector of Maricopa County expands until 1960, then enters a stage of decline, accelerated by large losses of land and water resources to urban uses in one irrigation district with adequate supplies of low-cost water. A comprehensive land use plan with zoning restrictions preventing urbanization of low-cost water areas would help maintain agricultural resource use and incomes at levels higher than will otherwise occur. Such a plan would also help maintain the quality of Che urban environment in Maricopa County.

No description available.

Thesis (M.A. (International Relations))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, 2016. / With sport becoming a worldwide phenomenon through the international nature of matches and events, International Relations (IR) academic writers have had to take note. States and cities are increasingly using major sporting events and activities to re-image themselves, promote development and regeneration. Therefore, this research report will highlight numerous connections sport and IR possess through examining the widely proclaimed developmental impacts of hosting a mega sporting event (MSE) such as the FIFA World Cup. The professionalization and resultant commodification of sporting events seen through the transnational actor FIFA and World Cups in South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014 will be used as case studies. These chosen cases will illustrate that in reality the FIFA World Cup is not as beneficial for host nations from the emerging or developing world as claimed. The research will be theoretically based on the perspective of neoliberalism in relation to the IR concept of Globalization. Key Words Sport, International Relations, Globalization, Neoliberalism, Mega Sporting Events, FIFA, World Cup, Development / GR 2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master in Environmental Science Johannesburg, 2015 / Quantifying ecosystem services of urban forests has become an important subject for the national and international ecological economics agenda. This is in the wake of offsetting anthropogenic emissions of CO2, while promoting urban habitability and sustainability. This study estimates above-ground tree biomass, carbon stored and the associated economic value and net economic value of carbon sequestrated by the tree planting project in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. Measurements of diameter at breast height (1.3 m) and tree height were done on all the individual trees that were recently planted (estimated to be about seven years) and other trees estimated to be over 25 years old in Petrus Molefe Park and Thokoza Park. A general allometric equation by Tietema (1993) was used to estimate above-ground biomass which was converted to carbon stocks. The economic value of carbon sequestrated was calculated at an equivalent price of R440.40 per tonne of carbon. The total above-ground biomass, carbon stored and economic value, and net economic value of the trees in Petrus Molefe Park was 7.45 tonnes, 3.35 tonnes, R1,475 and R-495,325, while the trees in Thokoza Park had 205.76 tonnes, 92.59 tonnes, R40,777 and R-312,023, respectively. The results indicated that the older trees in Thokoza Park had larger amounts of above-ground tree biomass, greater carbon storage and net economic value than the younger trees in Petrus Molefe Park. The economic values of carbon sequestrated were less than the cost of planting the trees, therefore the net economic value of carbon sequestrated were negative. The project is at an early, but promising stage, since the Greening Soweto Project provided a number of ecosystem services (i.e. beautifying the landscape, filtering air, recreation and amenity etc.), the performance of the project was evaluated by the extent to which it integrates the environmental and social benefits into the economic benefits and opportunities. Key words: Above-ground biomass, allometric equation, carbon stored, diameter at breast height, net economic value.