The role of energy sector in sustainable development in Iran

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 155-158).Generally speaking, both supply and use of energy in Iran are unsustainable. The unsustainable energy supply and use coupled with an unreliable and unsecure energy system have striking and lasing impacts on economic, social and environmental development of Iran. Natural gas and oil have dominated the total production of energy sources (TPES) in Iran for the past 50 years. Natural gas has also dominated the total final consumption (TFC) since 1999. Other alternative resources have been playing marginal roles in Iran's development. The high share of fossil fuels in energy supply and use has striking social, economic and environmental consequences. Additionally, Iran's reliance on oil and gas resources makes the energy sector in Iran vulnerable and highly unsecure. In order to address these issues, I provide indicators of energy sustainability and analyze the trends of these indicators systematically. These indicators help policy makers as well as public and private sectors get a better understanding of major driving forces that affect energy sustainability, economic prosperity as well as social and environmental well-being. Based on these indicators, I explore the impacts of energy subsidies, innovation policies, technological advancement, renewable energy development, US sanctions, international cooperation, geopolitical instability, and many other factors on Iran's sustainable development. Based on an in depth analysis of current state of energy sector in Iran and the characteristics of a sustainable energy system, I propose strategies and policies that can result in a more sustainable energy sector which in turn contributes to the economic prosperity, social and environmental well-being and higher energy security.by Zanyar Golabi.S.M

Social Happiness and Social Participation

  Introduction   Social happiness is part of the social welfare component and depends more on social and economic determinants than on psychological and medical interventions. Meanwhile , it is one of the core concepts of sustainable development. Being happy is just one of the desirable wishes of life in every society . A nation is fresher and certainly wealthier when its citizens are happy. In this type of society , citizens have optimistic attitudes towards life and things around them. From 2000 onwards, variables such as happiness, hope in future , pleasure and satisfaction have been included as key variables in UN debates to determine level of development s in countries . This phenomenon is measured by the density of social networks and relationships , in many studies is associated with social health and happiness (Kawachi, 2008). Durkheim showed that suicide rates in populations with low levels of participation and social cohesion were more than cohesive communities (Halpern, 2005). Theorists argue that when people reach to a desired location or target , they become happy . According to Lerner, new communities are participatory societies in which modernization process is advanced , a move from traditional society to participatory society is inevitable. In t his view, economic participation means increased activity in the market and an increase in income, political participation means participation in elections , cultural participation means utilization of mass media and emotional involvement means empathy and psychological mobility (Lerner 1969: 86) .     Materials & Methods   This is quantitative study based on survey. We used Descriptive statistics and indicators such as dispersion and mean , standard deviation , minimum and maximum scores. For inferential statistics and to test the hypotheses, we used Pearson 's correlation coefficient and analysis of variance . A lso for explaining the social happiness variable , a stepwise multiple regression equation was used. Research population include all students of Azad University, branch of Ardebil, whose total number was 10223 at the year 2012-1213, of whom a sample of 370 individuals was selected using stratified random sampling method.     Discussion of Results & Conclusions   The results of the research show that there is a significant relationship between participation and happiness , which is in line with the results of other empirical investigations by Akbarpour beny and colleagues (2011 ), Eliasi (2002 ) and Neshatdoost et al. (2009 ) and Haller and Hadlr (2006 ). Similar to Hezarjarib and Astinfeshan research ( 2010), social happiness in our study was in a moderate level. At the same time , this research is in line with safari's research (2010 ) regarding lack of a significant relationship between discipline and marital status with social happiness .   Likewise, the results emphasize the lack of a significant difference between males and females in social participation and happiness . But Similar to Eddington and Showmen 's research (2004 ), female subjects seem to be happier than male ones . In this study , the three dimensions of participation , and collaborative spirit have a greater impact on social happiness , which is in line with the results of Larson (2000 ) and Peterson ( 2000 ). By looking at different aspects of happiness, it becomes clear that respondents obtain high scores in personal dimension, but in social dimension this score is lower . This is consistent with Lyubomirsky and colleaguesâ research (2005).

Banded Application of Phosgard 0-40-0 to a representative area in Guam’s Pago Watershed

Water quality and coral reef health in Guam are greatly affected by surface runoff from sedimentation. Mitigation strategies (i.e. tree planting) are difficult to implement in highly degraded settings. We propose to conduct research testing mitigation strategies focusing on ameliorative soil enrichment. We hypothesize that increasing the soils’ resiliency in Guam’s Pago Watershed by banded application of Phosgard 0-40-0 will address critical soil fertility deficiencies (i.e. phosphorus, organic matter, and pH levels). Subsequent landscape scale mitigation projects on Guam may better address reduction from the damaging energy in surface water runoff resulting in extreme soil erosion and sedimentation. These actions are important to support landscape scale restoration of native forest plants. In a representative area of 100’ x 50’, a treatment area of 40’ x 50’ with a slope of 5-7%, Phosgard 0-40-0 (0.5lb) will be applied to three treatment contour lines (20’L x 0.5’W x 0.25’H). Baseline data collection will include line transect and reference photo plots. Specialized tools will be used to take before treatment soil samples which will be analyzed to measure nutrient content, organic matter, and pH level. Data regarding vegetative response to banding of Phosgard 0-40-0 will be collected and used to determine treatment effectiveness. This method of applying Phosgard 0-40-0 may be further refined and simplified in the future, which will permit the public to assist in conservation efforts. For future studies, the effectiveness of limestone quarry dust may be tested as a low cost locally available soil amendment for landscape scale mitigation projects

Evaluation of Agricultural Land Resources for Irrigation in the Ramhormoz Plain by using GIS

The main objective of this research is to compare different irrigation methods based upon a parametric evaluation system in an area of 45,000 ha in the Ramhormoz plain located in the Khuzestan Province, in the southwest of Iran. The soil properties of the study area such as texture, depth, electrical conductivity, drainage, calcium carbonate content and slope were derived from a semi-detailed soil study carried out on the Ramhormoz plain on a scale of 1:20,000. Once the soil properties were analyzed and evaluated, suitability maps were generated for surface, sprinkler and drip irrigation methods using Remote Sensing (RS) Techniques and Geographic Information System (GIS). The results demonstrated that by applying sprinkler irrigation instead of surface and drip irrigation methods, the arability of 39,625 ha (87.98%) in the Ramhormoz Plain will improve. In addition by applying drip Irrigation instead of surface and sprinkler irrigation methods, the land suitability of 2925 ha (6.57%) of this Plain will improve. The comparison of the different types of irrigation techniques revealed that the sprinkler and drip irrigations methods were more effective and efficient than the surface irrigation methods for improving land productivity. However, the main limiting factor in using surface irrigation methods in this area were salinity, drainage and carbonate content and the main limiting factor in using sprinkler and drip irrigation methods in this area were salinity and carbonate content

Evaluation of Agricultural Land Resources for Irrigation in the Ramhormoz Plain by using GIS

The main objective of this research is to compare different irrigation methods based upon a parametric evaluation system in an area of 45,000 ha in the Ramhormoz plain located in the Khuzestan Province, in the southwest of Iran. The soil properties of the study area such as texture, depth, electrical conductivity, drainage, calcium carbonate content and slope were derived from a semi-detailed soil study carried out on the Ramhormoz plain on a scale of 1:20,000. Once the soil properties were analyzed and evaluated, suitability maps were generated for surface, sprinkler and drip irrigation methods using Remote Sensing (RS) Techniques and Geographic Information System (GIS). The results demonstrated that by applying sprinkler irrigation instead of surface and drip irrigation methods, the arability of 39,625 ha (87.98%) in the Ramhormoz Plain will improve. In addition by applying drip Irrigation instead of surface and sprinkler irrigation methods, the land suitability of 2925 ha (6.57%) of this Plain will improve. The comparison of the different types of irrigation techniques revealed that the sprinkler and drip irrigations methods were more effective and efficient than the surface irrigation methods for improving land productivity. However, the main limiting factor in using surface irrigation methods in this area were salinity, drainage and carbonate content and the main limiting factor in using sprinkler and drip irrigation methods in this area were salinity and carbonate content

Optimal Extraction of Geothermal Energy

This study is concerned with the optimal extraction of energy from a hot water geothermal field. In view of the relative "commercial" availability of the many energy sources alternative to geothermal, it is possible that a socially "best" extraction policy may not include producing geothermal energy as fast as the current technology will permit. Rather, a truly "optimal" policy will depend on, among other things, the costs and value of geothermal energy in the future and the analogous values of other energy sources. Hence, a general approach to this problem would make the policy contingent on pertinent information on alternative sources. A good example of this approach is given in Manne's (1976) Energy Technology Assessment Model, where he points out that "Each energy source has its own cost parameters and introduction date, but is interdependent with other components of the energy sector." (Manne (1976), p. 379). But by their large dimensions, such relativity macro-analyses tend to preclude a close look at the specific technology of a process is important in developing meaningful resource management models, we substitute for a macro model the increasing value over time of the energy extracted. In this contact we seek an extraction rate (and an economic life) that maximizes the net discounted value of the energy extracted. [DJE-2005