Search

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.03.013 Byline: Berta Martin-Lopez, Erik Gomez-Baggethun, Pedro L. Lomas, Carlos Montes Abbreviations: (CI), Confidence interval; (CS), Consumer's surplus; (NPAs), Natural protected areas; (TCM), Travel cost method; (TNBIN), Truncated negative binomial Abstract: The monetary valuation of ecosystem services has proved to be a powerful tool for influencing management decisions, as it can be used to quantify the relative importance of various ecosystem functions. However, these valuation methods are rarely implemented with adequate care; in particular, they do not consider spatial and temporal variations in the services offered and demanded. This paper examines the effect of heterogeneity on the valuation of cultural services offered by the DoA[+ or -]ana natural protected area in Spain. We apply the zonal travel cost method at various spatial scales, and the individual travel cost method at various temporal scales. We conclude that economic valuation techniques must account for spatial and temporal heterogeneity if they are to provide accurate and realistic information. Author Affiliation: Social-Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology, c. Darwin, 2. Edificio Biologia, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain Article History: Received 6 February 2007; Revised 12 March 2008; Accepted 27 March 2008

The plastic bottles that are used for packaging water are harmful to the environment. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of consumers' environmental concern on both their intention to reduce consumption of water sold in single-use plastic bottles and their actual behaviour. An extended version of the theory of planned behaviour is used as the main theoretical framework. Structural equation modelling is employed based on data gathered in 2020 from 1011 Polish respondents to test the study's hypotheses. The results support the model, as all tested relations are statistically significant. More specifically, we confirm the indirect impact of environmental concern on both intention and behaviour concerning bottled water consumption (BWC): environmental concern is positively related to attitudes towards reducing BWC, subjective norms regarding reduction in BWC, perceived behavioural control over BWC, and perceived moral obligation to protect natural resources, all of which, in turn, are positively related to intention to reduce BWC. We also prove that intention to reduce BWC is positively related to consumption of non-bottled water. The results may serve to guide decision makers seeking to promote ecologically friendly behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, sudden global energy demand has led to the gradual exhaustion of fossil fuel, the world's main energy resource. With the negative impact of fossil fuel on the environment, governments and organizations have increased R&D funding on renewable energy resources such as solar and wave energy. Vietnam has a great potential for developing wave energy projects owing to the presence of a long coastline and vast ocean. Choosing an optimal location for wave-based power plant projects is a multicriteria decision that requires understanding the quantitative and qualitative elements for assessing the balance of factors when trying to reach the most accurate result. This study proposes a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model, fuzzy-analytic hierarchical process (FAHP), and weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) in evaluating potential wave energy stations at the Vietnamese coastline. The authors identify all criteria and sub-criteria affecting the wave power plant location selection process through literature review and expert interview. Selection criteria include wave height, the distance between two waves, number of waves, wind speed, wind duration, ocean depth, turbulence, water quality, coastal erosion, shipping density, protection laws, labor resources, safety conditions, and other related factors. FAHP was used to determining the weights of the identified criteria in the first stage of this study. Finally, the WASPAS model was employed to rank all the alternatives involved in making an effective decision. This study aimed to develop a tool to enhance decision-making when solving fuzzy multi-criteria problems. We propose a real-world model for the effectiveness of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]