The Ocean Ranger Oil Rig Disaster: A Risk Analysis

This paper analyzes quantitatively the design of the Ocean Ranger off-shore oil drilling rig that capsized and sank on February 15, 1982 off the coast of Canada. A review of the actual disaster is also included based on evidence gathered by the Canadian Royal Commission. The risk analysis includes the construction of a failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) table, a fault tree, and a quantitative evaluation including common cause failure of the rig components. In the case of the Ocean Ranger ballast control system, it was shown that the analysis was able both to successfully model the catastrophic system failure of the portholes, the actual system failure mode, and identify a common cause failure mode of the pump system. This study represents an application of reliability and risk techniques to the oil services industry.     

基于逆向物流的餐厨垃圾回收体系构建研究

餐厨垃圾是资源性废弃物,对其进行回收再利用,不仅节约资源而且保护环境。目前,餐厨垃圾并未纳入我国资源再生产业链。本文针对餐厨垃圾回收现状及存在的问题进行分析后,指出在政府相关部门的引导下,将餐厨垃圾纳入资源化利用轨道,依据现代物流理论的反向物流思想建立有效的餐厨垃圾逆向物流回收体系,从而促进餐厨垃圾的有效回收,为资源化利用提供顺畅的原料渠道。     

关于中阿能源合作的若干思考

中阿能源合作对双方社会经济可持续发展乃至全球国际能源安全意义重大。中国要恰如其分地评估阿拉伯世界尤其是海湾国家对我国国际能源合作的重要性及难度,正确处理好我国油气进口来源多元化与经营主渠道的关系。要及时抓住国际形势演变带来的新机遇,同时正视中阿能源合作面临的严峻挑战。新形势下的中阿能源合作要以新能源安全观为指导,积极利用中阿合作论坛等各种合作机制,在互利共赢中推动中阿战略合作关系的健康发展。     

我国的石油安全与外交政策取向

当前,关于石油安全与战略储备问题已引起了人们的普遍关注。中国石油安全面临的问题和挑战来自多个方面。石油安全涉及我国的根本利益,开展对外能源合作不是单纯的商业行为,而是一种国家行为,能源外交是中国外交的重要组成部分。外交工作的目的是维护国家利益,为国内经济发展创造良好的国际和周边环境。因此,中国外交政策的取向应整体考虑。中国应采取积极的措施和政策,维护国家的石油安全和战略利益。     

Determinants of domestic waste input use in urban agriculture lowland systems in Africa: The case of Yaoundé in Cameroon

This paper suggests policy actions for safe urban and peri-urban agriculture and domestic waste recycling in urban lowland areas of Africa, in particular, in lowland areas of the capital of Cameroon, Yaoundé. We identify the explanatory variables of recycling domestic waste and their use in three selected lowland areas. Data were collected between August and September 2005 among 126 farmers. Results show that the factors contributing to the adoption of recycled fresh and decomposed kitchen waste are: vegetable production, the distance between the house and its crop field and the use of livestock waste. The factors contributing to the adoption of recycled livestock wastes are the age of the farmers, the distance between the house and its crop field, the educational level of farmers and land size. Young farmers are more likely to adopt recycled livestock wastes, and short distances between houses and crop fields are more likely to contribute to the adoption of both recycled kitchen waste and recycled livestock wastes. In this context, the implementation of transfer stations for domestic waste, inside or next to lowland areas, appears to be an adequate solution of transport and sanitary constraints faced both by farmers and municipalities in Africa.     

Black Gold and Blue Gold: The Importance of Energy in the New Power Policy of the Russian Federation

After having been forced to face a decade of economic and political difficulties, the Russian Federation is regaining a position of prestige on the international stage thanks to an astute utilization of its huge reserves of oil and natural gas. With the coming to power of Vladimir Putin—and in particular from 2004—the State has changed its policy in the energy field, aiming to come back to exert a strict control over the main companies and assets. One of the most significant consequences of this change has been the outbreak of disputes with Ukraine and Belarus about the selling price of gas, which caused fears among the entire Europe about the reliability of Russia as a supplier of that resource. Moreover, the quarrels forced many Western analysts to condemn the way Moscow is acting to try and become an “energy superpower”.

On the meaning of ‘Waste’: review and definition

Waste reduction is one of the main principles of lean, but it has been taken for granted that we have a common understanding of what waste means. We first present a critical, qualitative discussion that identifies four distinct waste concepts. We then conduct a systematic review of the literature that examines the different uses of these concepts. We find that only the classic concept of the seven wastes and the concept of waste as non-value-adding activity are widely applied. However, both concepts are, at times, not only incompatible but used in a way that leads to open contradiction. A new definition, centred on an efficient, timely transformation process seeks to consolidate the literature. We outline two distinct waste types: (i) obvious waste, to refer to any waste that can be reduced without creating another form of waste; and, (ii) buffer waste, to refer to any waste that cannot be reduced without creating another waste. The paper has important implications for practice. To reduce waste, managers must undertake three interlinked tasks: the elimination of obvious waste; the reduction of variability to transform buffers into obvious waste; and, the balancing of remaining buffers to best achieve performance targets. The paper supports managers in their endeavours to identify waste, which is an important precursor to waste reduction/elimination.     

二十一世纪中阿能源合作探析

中国和阿拉伯国家的能源合作具有厚实的发展基础。二十一世纪初中阿合作论坛的成功启动推动中阿能源合作大踏步推进。互惠共赢造就中阿能源合作强大生命力。未来双方将抓住共建“一带一路”新机遇,构建互利、安全、持久的中阿能源战略合作关系,以推动双方实现民族振兴的共同使命。     

Conveying the sense-making corporate persona: The Mobil Oil “Observations” columns, 1975–1980

Since at least the early 20th century, the corporation has arisen in the US as an entity that attempts to help individuals make sense of the world through the use of public relations. Public relations scholarship, however, tends to focus on how corporations primarily articulated their worth through touting how the products and services they offered were constructive to society. This study, however, through a review of Mobil's “Observations” advertorials that ran from 1975 through 1980, reveals how a corporation attempted to build an influential persona by offering a corporate personality, that is an empathetic fellow traveler who is also believable and aspirational. This examination of the presence of the corporate persona points to lingering concerns, especially regarding how well the corporation can realize and communicate its corporate character in a world that is increasingly complicated by the rise of non-traditional information sources (e.g., social media), and interlocking, systemic concerns (e.g., climate change, economic/ecological sustainability). Public relations can assist in better understanding such factors so that the corporate persona can act in ways that benefit stakeholders and society.     

废旧电器回收再生利用产业链中价格形成机制研究

废旧电器回收体系的建立可以保障资源的高效循环利用,同时,合理的利益分配可以保障系统的正常运转。文章在研究了欧洲各国的成功经验的基础上,结合我国国情,提出了一个符合我国国情的废旧电器回收再生利用产业链模型。深入探讨了模型中价格的形成要素,引入动态博弈理论,探讨制造商在竞争条件下的定价策略,以及政府的调控手段。该模型为计划和市场的有效结合,通过政府干预、市场调节等手段达到系统的动态平衡,促进可再生资源的充分利用。