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Site selection is a key factor to the success of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) project. It is a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem with a series of conflicting criteria involved. However, limited studies were found concerning this area and problems existing in classical MCDM methods tended to fail OTEC site selection decisions. Therefore, this paper proposes an extended MCDM method and establishes a new decision-making framework to select the optimal location. First, a comprehensive evaluation criteria system for OTEC site selection from the view of sustainability with 16 criteria involved is established. Second, feasible alternative sites for OTEC project are identified by PEST analysis. Third, an extended PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation) under intuitionistic fuzzy environment is proposed to avoid compensation assumptions. During the decision process, seven groups of experts shared the work and cooperated with each other according to their backgrounds. Finally, a real case is studied and sensitive analysis is conducted, demonstrating the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed method. This study can effectively improve OTEC site selection decision making quality and also extends the domains of intuitionistic fuzzy PROMETHEE applications. • A novel multi-criteria decision-making framework for site selection is proposed. • The criteria system for ocean thermal energy conversion site selection is constructed. • A case study is carried out in areas of Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral resource extraction is often accompanied by severe environmental pollution and ecological damage, hindering mining economies from achieving sustainable development. This paper aims to promote the goal of cleaner production in extractive industries from the perspective of environmental management through a more accurate understanding of how human activities affect the extractive industries. This requires more granular data for environmental damage in mining. The article proposes an ecological threat assessment framework for mining to support sustainable processes in the extractive industry. It integrates biophysical variables, technical indicators, and human activity data. The study is based on data at the mine level with 17 indicators used to evaluate the ecological impact of 13960 mines in Guangxi, China, from 2008-to 2018 in four dimensions: economic and technical indicators of mines themselves, surrounding economic activity, geological and environmental vulnerability, and ecological status of mining sites. Data from multiple sources were used to assess, map, and monitor ecological impacts in mining areas, such as high-resolution satellite images, interview data, environmental assessment reports, and mining rights data. We evaluated the ecological impact level of each mine and the extent to which spatial heterogeneity of regional economic and environmental preferences affected the degree of ecological impact. The results show that growth in population income has changed environmental preferences and driven down environmental disturbances in mines. Reduced dependence of regional economies on the industrial sector has also contributed to environmental improvements. In addition, increasing environmental regulation has limited the ecological impacts of mining, but these environmental regulation impacts are regionally heterogeneous. The effect of laws and rules is lower in cities and regions dependent on mineral resources, where resource extraction companies have more bargaining power. The results of this study will inform environmental management in the mining sector and support sustainable development in the region. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Trace elements in sphalerite and pyrite distributed in the form of solid solutions or micro-inclusions. • The mineralization in the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district was under a low-temperature condition. • The Pb-Zn deposits in the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district are MVT deposits. The Beishan Pb-Zn ore district, located in northern Guangxi, China, is a giant carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn ore district. In-situ trace element analysis was performed using LA-ICP-MS on sphalerite and pyrite from three representative Pb-Zn deposits in the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district. The analysis of these trace elements reveals the trace element compositions of the sulfides, the distributions and the substitution mechanisms of trace elements, physicochemical characteristics of the ore-forming fluids, and ore genesis. Sphalerite is enriched in Mn, Fe, Ge, and Cd, while it is poor in Co, Ni, Ga, As, In. Pyrite is enriched in Co, Ni, As, Tl, Sb, and Pb, but poor in Mn, Ga, Ge, Cd, In, Sn. Mn, Fe, Cd, Ga, Ge, Sb, Ag, and As in sphalerite enter the mineral lattice mainly by simple or coupled substitution mechanisms, while Cu and Pb can enter the mineral lattice in the form of solid solution or micro-inclusions. Mn, Co, Ni, As, Tl, and Sb in pyrite substituted Fe2+ by simple or coupled mechanisms, while Pb can enter the mineral lattice in the form of solid solution or micro-inclusions. Studies of trace elements related to temperature (e.g., Mn, Fe, Ga, Ge, In) in sphalerite and pyrite indicated that mineralization in the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district occurred under a low-temperature condition. And according to the sphalerite GGIMFis geothermometer, the mineralization temperature of the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district was 55–268 °C (average 153 °C), of which 110–230 °C(average 153 °C) in Duchuan, 92–268 °C (average 149 °C) in Beishan, and 55–243 °C (average 167 °C) in Dongyong. The Mn, Fe, Ga, Ge, and In contents of sphalerite are similar to those of MVT deposits. The combination of some binary pattern diagrams, principal component analysis (PCA), and Co/Ni ratios of pyrite, with the geological features and physicochemical properties of the ore-forming fluids, indicates that the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district is an MVT district. This paper, combined with previous studies, shows that the Co/Ni ratio of pyrite has some guiding significance for mineral exploration of this kind of Pb-Zn deposit, with Co/Ni values around 0.1 indicating that the deposit has a better prospect of developing into a large deposit, and Co/Ni much less than 0.1 indicating that the deposit may not have a good prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) forest projects are perceived as an attractive way to both help mitigate climate change and transfer income to rural poor. However, to engender participation of small-scale producers, a CDM forest project must offer sufficient incentives, while minimizing their costs of participation, all the while respecting the need for additionality. Property rights, social capital and contractual rules are critical in the success of CDM forest projects. In this paper, we ask what factors affect participation in the world's first CDM project, established in Guangxi Province, China. Using village-level surveys, we find that although the project facilitates participation through carbon pooling and a share-holding system, much of the project land remains unforested. We find that the primary reasons for the unforested regions are constrained contractual rules, property rights allocation disputes and low levels of social capital in some villages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Photovoltaic poverty alleviation project (PPAP) is initiated to reduce rural poverty and pursue cleaner production, but the lack of reasonable sustainability evaluation has become a challenge. This study evaluates the sustainability of PPAP in order to improve the poverty alleviation performance and efficiency considering an integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method combining benefits, opportunities, costs, risks (BOCR) theory, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), interval type-2 fuzzy numbers (IT2FNs), and technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS). First of all, this paper identifies 16 criteria based on BOCR theory from the perspectives of benefits, opportunities, costs, risks and constructs the criteria system. Second, an integrated BOCR-AHP-IT2FTOPSIS method is proposed and applied in processing ambiguous information and comprehensive sustainability evaluation. Third, an empirical case in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, a comparative analysis and a sensitivity analysis are used to rank the alternative PPAPs and verify the effectiveness and robustness of proposed method. The results show that the integrated MCDM method is capable to evaluate and rank the sustainability levels of PPAPs with the contribution of BOCR theory-based criteria system. The work offers a novel sustainability evaluation angle for PPAPs and has potential applications in providing understandings and making decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being located between Eurasia continent and the western Pacific Ocean, the coastal area of China (hereafter as CAC) is vulnerable to climate change and prone to climate-related disasters. Based on the daily meteorological dataset of 156 stations, variations of consecutive dry days (CDD) and consecutive wet days (CWD) and their relationships with local and remote climate drivers from 1961 to 2017 over CAC were investigated. Results showed that the multi-year averages in CDD and CWD were 22.5–93.7 and 3.4–11.8 days, generally presenting a "high north and low south" and "low north and high south" spatial pattern, respectively. The decadal trend rates in CDD and CWD were − 4.5–2.7 and − 0.7–0.6 days per decade, respectively, both showing universal insignificant change trends over CAC. There was a significant negatively correlation between CDD and precipitation at partial of meteorological stations clustered in Guangxi autonomous region, and a predominantly significant positive relationship between CWD and precipitation over CAC. Both CDD and CWD correlated significantly with Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) in parts of northern coastal areas close to the sea, while a common insignificant linkage was detected between CDD/CWD and large-scale circulation indices such as North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Northern Oscillation Index (NOI), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) over CAC. Results from this paper are anticipated to provide insights into the drought/flood disaster risk mitigation and prevention as well as water resources management in the coastal area of China. • Coastal area of China (CAC) witnessed an obvious north-south difference in consecutive dry days (CDD) and consecutive wet days (CWD). • CDD and CWD varied insignificantly with a - trend rate of − 4.5–2.7 and − 0.7–0.6 days per decade, respectively. • A predominantly significant positive linkage was found between CWD and precipitation over CAC. • CDD and CWD correlated significantly with ENSO in parts of northern coastal areas close to the sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: China is actively promoting the reform of its economic structure and industrial upgrade, and the integration of the cultural industry and the tourism industry is an important approach. It is necessary to explore the degree of coordination and coupling between the cultural industry and the tourism industry in ethnic minority areas and find ways to promote the coordinated development of the two industries. Methods/Statistical Analysis: This study selected Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as the sample, collected data from 2010 to 2018, and analyzed it based on the coupling coordination theory. Findings: The results revealed that the comprehensive development evaluation index of the cultural industry and the tourism industry basically showed a year-on-year upward trend, and the development speed of the cultural industry is slightly higher than that of the tourism industry; the coupling degree of the regional cultural industry and tourism industry was at a high level; the coordination degree of the two industries increased gradually from 0.3971 in 2010 to 0.9425 in 2018. It indicated that the coupling development of the two industries continues to improve. However, the development speed of tourism industry slightly was slower than the development speed of the cultural industry. Improvements: This study attempts to develop an index to evaluate the tourism and cultural industries in an ethnic minority region and assess the coupling and coordination degree through an empirical analysis. This study emphasizes the need to better understand the integration of the cultural industry and the tourism industry as a process to complement each other, which can produce a positive synergy effect to benefit both the economy and the environment. This paper also provides development suggestions for the culture and tourism industry stakeholders in other areas of the world from the perspective of open innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]