Building a model of commitment to the natural environment to predict ecological behavior and willingness to sacrifice

We examined the connection between individuals’ relationships with the natural environment and their environmental behaviors with a focus on commitment to the environment, defined as psychological attachment and long-term orientation to the natural world. Commitment is theorized to emerge from structural interdependence with the environment and to lead to pro-environmental behaviors. Close relationships research has identified three key antecedents to commitment (satisfaction, alternatives, and investments). We developed environment-specific measures of these constructs, and factor analysis verified three distinct factors. A path analysis revealed that satisfaction with the environment and investments in the environment, but not alternatives to the environment, predicted commitment to the environment. Moreover, commitment mediated the effects of satisfaction and investments on general ecological behavior and willingness to sacrifice for the environment. In regression analyses, commitment predicted general ecological behavior and willingness to sacrifice for the environment, even when controlling for ecological worldview, inclusion of nature in the self, connectedness to nature, and environmental identity. Individuals who are satisfied with and invested in the natural world are likely to be committed to the environment and act with the well-being of the environment in mind.     

论政府生态环境损害赔偿责任的承担

政府承担生态环境损害赔偿责任的理论基础是政府对环境质量负责,政府对环境质量负责的实质是政府作为公共环境的管理者和控制者对维护公共环境利益所负担的安全保障义务。根据政府的环境安全保障义务,政府承担生态环境损害赔偿责任应以过错推定为归责原则,责任构成的核心是政府负有其职责范围内特定的环境安全保障义务,因未尽环境安全保障义务间接引发生态环境损害。由于政府未尽环境安全保障义务的行为并非直接也并不必然导致生态环境损害,所以政府一般仅根据自身行为的可责性及其程度对生态环境损害承担补充性的赔偿责任,只有在特殊情况下才承担连带赔偿责任,在政府不负有特定环境安全保障义务的情况下政府不承担赔偿责任。     

A life according to nature: from ancient theoretical ideal to future sustainable practice

Recent developments in environmental education in the United States reveal a noticeable tendency toward the position that every institution of higher education should make the cultivation of ecological intelligence an essential part of every student??s learning experience. But a theoretical study of the history of the idea of sustainability in the Western philosophical tradition shows that this concept has been relatively neglected in favor of the notion of a human subjugation of nature. For the idea of a human life according to nature was cultivated by a few ancient thinkers but subverted by various modern notions of the hegemony of man over nature. In light of the clear fact that sustainability is a concern increasingly shared by industry, government, and academe, there is cogent empirical evidence that a life according to nature is an idea whose time has finally come. This paper seeks to act as a catalyst for environmental education by identifying primary sources, providing theoretical frameworks, and supplying practical counsels for determining viable approaches to sustainability useful to industrial actors, governmental policy-makers, and environmental professionals. Thus the paper aims to start a dialogue between various constituencies, especially industrialists and ecologists, about the theoretical foundations and practical implications of sustainability. In doing so, the paper presents elements applicable to the education and training of interested environmentalists at different levels and in different fields, be it formal or non-formal schooling of academics, specialized training or retraining of decision-makers, or common-ground communication to the general public. Finally, the paper suggests that not only the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the technical studies, but also the humanities disciplines can make indispensable contributions to sustainability studies, and that therefore the best practices in this area will inevitably be interdisciplinary.     

Design for environment: A new framework for strategic decisions

For most of its history of environmental protection, U.S. policy has concentrated on a pollution control strategy based on single medium emissions: air, water, or land. Efforts to mitigate environmental impacts to one medium often resulted in greater impacts to others. While much environmental improvement has occurred via this system over the last quarter-century, it is generally recognized that alternative strategies which address environmental impacts across all media in an integrated manner will be necessary for continued improvement. Increasingly, regulatory strategies that result in only passive compliance will be insufficient to meet these demands. This article demonstrates why new strategies which encourage proactive behavior are necessary. A new framework for making strategic decisions—design for environment—concerning the relation between our actions and environment is necessary to ensure a sustainable future.     

番禺市民环境意识调查与评价研究

为了了解番禺市民环境意识的现状,把握市民环境意识的总体水平,探讨今后环境保护宣传教育的重点和方向,对番禺市21个镇区的市民的环境意识进行了抽样设想。从环境态度,环境行为,环境知识3个方面对市民的环境意识水平进行了评价,并对影响环境影响水平的个人因素进行了分析和综合评价。结果表明：现阶段番禺市民环境意识勉强进入中 等水平,而市民的环境态度已进入较高水平,环境知识为中等水平,环境行为为中等水平,市民的环境态度,环境行为,环境知识水平相互脱节,表现为意识先行,行为滞后。     

基于 DPEHA 模型生态环境健康评价体系的法治化研究

生态环境健康评价包括生态环境健康风险评估和环境治理有效性的评价,是监测生态环境质量对公众健康的潜在风险和指导决策的重要技术手段。我国至今尚未形成全面有效的生态环境健康评价体系,且在评价某一区域生态环境质量对公众健康的影响时,往往忽略了生态法治的作用。为此,本文基于驱动力—压力—环境条件—健康影响—行动(DPEHA)模型构建了一套具有生态法治特色的生态环境健康评价指标体系,并以深圳市2019年和2020年生态环境健康工作为例,对模型进行验证,以推进深圳生态环境健康保护法治化建设。未来研究要将评价体系应用至不同城市,以深入推进法治中国建设。     

Pathways to urban sustainability

The concept of sustainable development has become very much in vogue in the past decade. We have also observed a shift in the interpretation of this concept from a global perspective to a meso perspective—that is, at a local, regional or sectoral level. This paper aims at highlighting the urban dimension of environmental issues. After a sketch of urban pollution problems and of tools for economic analysis, the notion of urban sustainability will be advocated as a meaningful analytical and policy concept. Next, the main focus of this paper will be on a typological approach to urban sustainability issues on the basis of three characteristic angles, viz. strong and weak sustainability, absolute and relative decoupling and the spatial ecological footprint. Various methodological issues will also be discussed, while the paper will conclude with some perspectives on policy issues. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Psychological, sociodemographic, and infrastructural factors as determinants of ecological impact caused by mobility behavior

In this study, the relevance of psychological variables as predictors of the ecological impact of mobility behavior was investigated in relation to infrastructural and sociodemographic variables. The database consisted of a survey of 1991 inhabitants of three large German cities. In standardized interviews attitudinal factors based on the theory of planned behavior, further mobility-related attitude dimensions, sociodemographic and infrastructural characteristics as well as mobility behavior were measured. Based on the behavior measurement the ecological impact of mobility behavior was individually assessed for all participants of the study. In a regression analysis with ecological impact as dependent variable, sociodemographic and psychological variables were the strongest predictors, whereas infrastructural variables were of minor relevance. This result puts findings of other environmental studies into question which indicate that psychological variables only influence intent-oriented behavior, whereas impact-oriented behavior is mainly determined by sociodemographic and household variables. The design of effective intervention programs to reduce the ecological impact of mobility behavior requires knowledge about the determinants of mobility-related ecological impact, which are primarily the use of private motorized modes and the traveled distances. Separate regression analyses for these two variables provided detailed information about starting points to reduce the ecological impact of mobility behavior.     

The European Water Framework Directive: Water Quality Classification and Implications to Engineering Planning

The European Water framework directive (WFD) is probably the most important environmental management directive that has been enacted over the last decade in the European Union. The directive aims at achieving an overall good ecological status in all European water bodies. In this article, we discuss the implementation steps of the WFD and their implications for environmental engineering practice while focusing on rivers as the main receiving waters. Arising challenges for engineers and scientists are seen in the quantitative assessment of water quality, where standardized systems are needed to estimate the biological status. This is equally of concern in engineering planning, where the prediction of ecological impacts is required. Studies dealing with both classification and prediction of the ecological water quality are reviewed. Further, the combined emission–water quality approach is discussed. Common understanding of this combined approach is to apply the most stringent of either water quality or emission standard to a certain case. In contrast, for example, the Austrian water act enables the application of only the water quality based approach - at least on a temporary basis.     

汶川灾区居民环境意识现状与提升对策研究——以龙门山镇为例

以彭州市龙门山镇为例,实地调查、问卷调查与访谈相结合,从知识、态度和行为三个角度对灾后公众环境意识状况进行研究。当地居民环境知识水平普遍较低;对环境问题关注度较高,环境态度较好;环境行为差异较大。职业、性别、年龄和文化程度对环境意识影响主要体现在环境知识方面而对环保态度和环保行为影响不大。旅游业受地震破坏严重,灾后物资紧缺,环境教育应结合实际,针对学生、村民、公务员等不同人群分别采取对应措施。     

生态环境对我国居民幸福感的影响机制与实证研究

深入揭示生态环境与居民幸福感的内在关系对创造人民美好生活具有重要的理论与现实意义。本研究基于幸福感产生机制对生态环境影响居民幸福感的机制进行了深入的理论探讨,利用2013-2014年我国居民大样本调查数据,定量分析了水、大气,绿化三个关键生态环境要素对我国居民幸福感的影响。研究认为,生态环境对居民幸福感的影响受制于经济发展与居民收入水平及居民对环境价值的认知与重视程度;尽管研究期居民对生态环境质量满意度不高,但生态环境对我国居民幸福感的并没造成显著影响;比较而言,水环境对居民幸福感的影响小于空气环境,而空气环境的影响又小于绿化环境。为提升我国居民生态幸福感并激励居民亲环境行为,应通过科普教育切实提高居民对环境及其价值的认知度,努力营建人地和谐的文化氛围;应在普遍提高居民收入和物质生活水平的基础上,引导和促进居民向环境审美消费需求的升级;当前应重视生态补偿等经济手段的运用,通过影响居民经济利益激发居民环保行为;应优先解决居民直观感知明显且反映强烈的环境问题。     

陕北能源开发生态环境补偿对策研究

本文从陕北能源开发入手,通过对生态破坏、经济损失的分析,论述了生态环境补偿的必要性和迫切性,提出了生态环境补偿的依据。从生态学的角度分析了生态的损失补偿是企业产品成本的构成部分,而不应是社会责任承担。阐明了补偿费征收管理办法主要应包括征收范围、征收机构、征收标准、管理使用和罚则等五个方面。     

论环境刑事诉讼上诉期间生态修复行为的法律定性

环境刑事诉讼上诉期间的生态环境修复行为逐渐被一些地方法院在二审程序中作为从宽减刑的情节考察。虽然此举有益于激励环境刑事被告人积极履行环境恢复义务,然则在未有明文规定的先决条件下贸然将其纳入从宽量刑考量,也许会打破传统二审救济纠错的应然功能设计,使得环境刑事诉讼二审功能的实现存在矛盾偏差。由是对于上诉期间发生的生态修复行为的法律定性,应明确归属于判决后刑罚执行阶段的减刑情节予以考量,并且为配合化解此类矛盾,我国须及时制定相应的专门法规、适用原则和配套制度措施,从而最大限度发挥生态修复行为在环境刑事诉讼中的效用。     

Land use in Korean tidal wetlands: impacts and management strategies

The coastal landscapes in southwestern Korea include a diverse array of tidal wetlands and salt marshes. These coastal zones link the ecological functions of marine tidal wetlands and freshwater ecosystems with terrestrial ecosystems. They are rich in biological diversity and play important roles in sustaining ecological health and processing environmental pollutants. Korean tidal wetlands are particularly important as nurseries for economically important fishes and habitats for migratory birds. Diking, draining, tourism, and conversion to agricultural and urban uses have adversely affected Korean tidal wetlands. Recent large development projects have contributed to further losses. Environmental impact assessments conducted for projects affecting tidal wetlands and their surrounding landscapes should be customized for application to these special settings. Adequate environmental impact assessments will include classification of hydrogeomorphic units and consideration of their responses to biological and environmental stressors. As is true worldwide, Korean laws and regulations are changing to be more favorable to the conservation and protection of tidal wetlands. More public education needs to be done at the local level to build support for tidal wetland conservation. Some key public education points include the role of tidal wetlands in maintaining healthy fish populations and reducing impacts of nonpoint source pollution. There is also a need to develop procedures for integrating economic and environmental objectives within the overall context of sustainable management and land uses.     

ECO-ENGINEERING-THE CHALLENGE OF RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT1

It is presumed that the present environmental thrust is not a wholly transitory fad; that there will be a residual impact on American society which will demand greater consideration in the future of ecological and environmental values by resource developers and public works agencies. An example is cited to show the validity of the environmental thrust and the severe consequences of ignoring it under the present emphasis on this aspect of resource development. An attempt is made to understand some of the reasons for the dramatic change in public attitude toward the environment and opposition to projects of apparent benefit to society. It is suggested that basic changes in philosophy and concept will be necessary in the field of resource development. Some broad ecological and developmental guidelines are provided in the interest of implementing environmental considerations. Finally, those involved in resource development and public works are challenged to accept the concept of eco-engineering; a concept combining the competing elements of resource development and conservation.     

The targeting of rural environmental policies: an assessment of agri‐environmental schemes in the UK

The targeting of environmental policies holds the key to their effectiveness and value for money. In this paper we look specifically at the targeting of the various agri‐environmental schemes likely to be on offer to UK farmers under a reformed Common Agricultural Policy. The manner in which these schemes are targeted—at groups of farmers or areas of land—and the precision with which target groups or target land is identified will be critical in their success or failure. One approach is to target the farming systems thought most environmentally sensitive. This avoids drawing lines on a map and may allow policy makers to channel money into the hands of economically disadvantaged farmers or those vulnerable to policy change. But there is also a need for a more radical and geographically‐targeted approach if problems like soil erosion and aquifer protection—requiring drastic land use shifts within specified areas—are to be tackled effectively. We assess the scope for using existing datasets to identify land that should be targeted under an American‐style Conservation Reserve Programme in the UK.     

“一带一路”视域下环境保护问题的战略定位与治理体系

环境保护是"一带一路"建设的重要议题,它所面临的挑战更多源于沿线国家和地区经济发展任务繁重与生态环境先天脆弱之间的矛盾。仅仅依靠单个政府部门或某一政策,或者仅仅依靠单个国家或地区的某一倡议与行动,均不足以应对"一带一路"建设中的跨国环境风险,这将倒逼国内与国际社会提升环境保护的战略地位,构建新型环境治理体系。"一带一路"沿线的各地政府不仅要发挥生态环保的示范作用,还要建立横向若干部门和纵向各级政府的协同治理机制,完善环境保护跨国合作制度,鼓励企业、NGO组织与民间力量、智库共同参与环境治理。     

Examining the place of ecological integrity in environmental justice: A systematic review

Environmental justice research is predominately an anthropocentric endeavour, and it is unclear whether this research captures injustices to other species or the integrity of ecological systems that support all life on earth. The purpose of this article is three-fold. First, we systematically review the environmental justice literature to identify the epistemological perspectives from which environmental justice is conveyed. Second, we examine definitions of environmental justice to determine how the concept is operationalised across these paradigms. Third, we document under what conditions these definitions purposely acknowledge the interdependency of all species in order to elucidate the place (or absence) of ecological integrity in our understanding of environmental justice. We conclude with a discussion of the value of going beyond mainstream expressions of environmental justice that typically do not include ecological integrity as a way to begin addressing the problem in a more holistic way.     

Integrating Environmental Restoration and Ecological Restoration: Long-Term Stewardship at the Department of Energy

With the ending of the Cold War, several federal agencies are reclaiming land through remediation and restoration and are considering potential future land uses that are compatible with current uses and local needs. Some sites are sufficiently contaminated that it is likely that the responsible federal agency will retain control over the land for the foreseeable future, providing them with a stewardship mission. This is particularly true of some of the larger Department of Energy (DOE) facilities contaminated during the production of nuclear weapons. The use of the term “restoration” is explored in this paper because the word means different things to the public, ecologists, and environmental managers responsible for contaminated sites, such as Superfund sites and the DOE facilities. While environmental restoration usually refers to remediation and removal of hazardous wastes, ecological restoration refers to the broader process of repairing damaged ecosystems and enhancing their productivity and/or biodiversity. The goals of the two types of restoration can be melded by considering environmental restoration as a special case of ecological restoration, one that involves risk reduction from hazardous wastes, and by broadening environmental restoration to include a more extensive problem-formulation phase (both temporal and spatial), which includes the goal of reestablishing a functioning ecosystem after remediation. Further, evaluating options for the desired post remediation result will inform managers and policy-makers concerning the feasibility and efficacy of environmental restoration itself.     

土壤微塑料污染及其分析方法

微塑料作为环境介质中的新型污染物,其对生态系统的影响越来越受到关注。土壤是环境中微塑料的重要蓄积库,结合近些年来国内外关于土壤中微塑料的研究,针对土壤中微塑料的来源、生态效应、分析方法及污染防治进行综述,以便更全面的了解土壤中微塑料污染的现状及其潜在的生态环境风险。塑料包装废弃物、农用地膜破碎、大气沉降是土壤中微塑料的主要来源。微塑料可吸附土壤中的重金属和有机物,作为其他污染物的载体危害生态环境健康,并会随着食物链逐渐富集,从而影响人类健康。土壤中的微塑料可通过筛分干燥后采用密度分离法、加压流体萃取法、石油提取法等进行分离,并通过消解去除土壤中的有机质。土壤中微塑料的识别与表征可采用目检法、红外光谱法、拉曼光谱法、扫描电镜法等。此外,根据土壤微塑料的生态效应提出污染治理措施与未来研究方向展望。