Fuzzy MCDA for remediation of a uranium tailing

The Pridneprovsky Chemical Plant was a largest uranium processing enterprises, producing a huge amount of uranium residues. The Zapadnoe tailings site contains the majority of these residues. We propose a theoretical framework based on Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis and fuzzy logic to analyse different remediation alternatives for the Zapadnoe tailings, in which potentially conflicting economic, radiological, social and environmental objectives are simultaneously taken into account. An objective hierarchy is built that includes all the relevant aspects. Fuzzy rather than precise values are proposed for use to evaluate remediation alternatives against the different criteria and to quantify preferences, such as the weights representing the relative importance of criteria identified in the objective hierarchy. Finally, it is proposed that remediation alternatives should be evaluated by means of a fuzzy additive multi-attribute utility function and ranked on the basis of the respective trapezoidal fuzzy number representing their overall utility.

Comparison of Wildlife Impacts Associated with Uranium In-Situ Recovery and Wind Farms in Wyoming

Wyoming has multiple resources including non-renewable sources, renewable sources, as well as its wildlife. Two of these resources are uranium and wind. Currently wind farms in Wyoming are generating approximately 5 million MW of power, with less of an impact on wildlife than in-situ facilities. In-situ facilities in 2007 produced an estimated 32 million MW of power from uranium, with a greater impact to wildlife than wind farms. Both resources have a great potential in Wyoming and both will have an impact on wildlife. Currently wind farms show less of an impact on wildlife but they are also producing fewer megawatts. The potential for wind-generated energy over the next century shows wildlife impacts will be greater than impacts from ISR facilities.

Fiscal policy, banks and the financial crisis. National Bank of Belgium Working Paper No. 234, October 2012

This paper studies the effectiveness of Euro Area (EA) fiscal policy, during the recent financial crisis, using an estimated New Keynesian model with a bank. A key dimension of policy in the crisis was massive government support for banks—that dimension has so far received little attention in the macroeconomics literature. We use the estimated model to analyze the effects of bank asset losses, of government support for banks, and other fiscal stimulus measures, in the EA. Our results suggest that support for banks had a stabilizing effect on EA output, consumption and investment. Increased government purchases helped to stabilize output, but crowded out consumption. Higher transfers to households had a positive impact on private consumption, but a negligible effect on output and investment. Banking shocks and increased government spending explain half of the rise in the public debt/GDP ratio since the onset of the crisis.