Values and willingness-to-pay for sustainability-certified mobile phones

ABSTRACT

This study investigated whether endorsement of personal values is associated with willingness to pay more for mobile phones with an environmental or social sustainability label. Participants were students in Sweden, Norway and Germany. A self-report inventory was used to measure willingness to pay and the importance attached to values of Schwartz’s circular model. In Sweden and Norway, participants were willing to pay, on average, 18% extra for a mobile phone with labels for environmental or social sustainability. In Germany, the corresponding share was 12%. To strive for self-enhancement values, that is, social status and prestige, as well as control and dominance over people and resources, was associated with a lower willingness to pay for mobile phones with labels for environmental or social sustainability in all three countries. Furthermore, women were willing to pay more than men for mobile phones with both kinds of sustainability labels. In Sweden and Norway, participants were, on average, willing to pay more for a mobile phone with a label for social sustainability compared to a mobile phone with a label for environmental sustainability.     

Game theoretic analysis of environmental impact assessment system in China

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) system has been established in China since 1973. In present EIA cases, there are four participants in general: governments, enterprises, EIA organizations and the public. The public has held responsible for both social costs and social duties. The public supervises social costs produced by enterprises discharging pollutant in EIA. However public participation is mostly deputized by governments, which severely weaken the independence of the public as one participant in EIA. In this paper, EIA refers to the different attitudes of the participants whose optional strategies may be described by a proper game model. According to disfigurements in EIA, three sides (governments, enterprises, and EIA organizations) dynamic iterative game theory, dynamic game theory of incomplete information, and perfect Bayesian equilibrium theory to analyze the reciprocity relation among governments, EIA organizations and enterprises. The results show that in a short period, economic benefit is preponderant over social benefit. Governments and enterprises both do not want to take EIA to reveal social costs. EIA organizations’ income comes from enterprises and the collusions are built between them to vindicate economic benefit. In a long run, social benefit loss caused by environmental pollution must be recuperated sooner or later and environmental deterioration will influence the achievements of economic benefit, so both governments and enterprises are certain to pursue high social benefit and willing to take EIA, helpful to increase private benefit. EIA organizations will make fair assessment when their economic benefit are ensured. At present, the public as silent victims can not take actual part in EIA. The EIA system must be improved to break the present equilibrium of three sides, bringing the public to the equilibrium to exert public supervision.     

医学环境影响评价的规范研究

本文以医学环境影响评价的目的，内容，原则，范围及对象，评价程序，模式为主要内容，试图提出医学环境影响评价的规范，使医学环境影响评价更具有可操作性及科学性，从而对控制污染，管理环境，规划环境提供科学依据。     

Selection and integration of environmental impacts in the Danish transport infrastructure assessment process

Transport projects have numerous consequences for the environment, society and economy, and thus an EU Directive has stated a number of impacts that need to be assessed prior to any major intervention. This paper is set in a Danish context where the EU requirements have been adopted in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulation along with national requirements. In recent years, however, the EIAs have been criticised for an inconsistent inclusion of impacts and unclear assessment process. A selection of EIAs is for this reason reviewed and compared to the EU Directive and corresponding works in Sweden and the UK to identify potential opportunities for improvements. From the literature study, an overview table with all potential relevant impacts for transport projects is set up to assist the EIA process. For the sake of simplicity and transparency, the impacts selected from this table should, however, be further reduced in number to ensure that only the most important impacts are included in the process. To further increase simplicity and transparency in the EIA process, a novel framework for assessing different types of impacts is proposed. In this framework, a comprehensive decision support tool involving stakeholders is in focus. The framework is supplemented with a procedure for generating objectives and presenting results in an appropriate way to the many stakeholders involved. The impacts overview table and the assessment techniques are applied to a case study to illustrate the process, and finally, conclusions and perspectives for future work within the field are set out.     

土地整理与生态环境建设关系初探

生态环境是影响人类生存与发展的自然资源与环境状况的总称,具有重要的作用。然而,生态环境自净能力或容量是有限的,当过度消耗自然资源或环境容量时,生态环境就会恶化,将严重影响我国生态环境安全和经济社会的可持续发展。因此,进行生态环境建设是保证可持续发展的首要任务。生态环境建设是一切旨在恢复和改善生态环境的行动的总称,我国现阶段开展的土地整理是实施生态环境建设的一种重要方式。文章主要根据压力-状态-影响-响应(PSIR)的分析框架,运用综合分析法,探讨土地整理对生态环境的影响,揭示了不同的土地整理模式对生态环境的积极影响和消极影响,为在保护和改善生态环境的前提下进行土地整理提供基本分析框架。文章提出我国基于生态环境建设的土地整理战略措施,建议要积极采取建立健全综合决策机制、建立土地整理规划的生态环境影响评价体系等措施,发挥和完善土地整理的生态环境建设功能。     

Catching the Boomerang: EM,The World Bank,and Excess Accountability: A Case Study of the Bujagali Falls Hydropower Project Uganda

The World Bank has shifted its accountability over the past two decades away from borrowing countries towards external groups, such as advocacy non-governmental organizations (NGOs). One conduit for this external accountability is the environmental impact assessment (EM) process. EIA has both theoretical and practical challenges when applied in developing countries, but is bound by Bank guidelines designed in developed countries. Using the Bujagali Falls Hydropower Project, Uganda as a case study, this paper will demonstrate that the increase in external accountability at the World Bank via EIA has a negative effect on governments and civil society in the South and on global governance.     

Analysis of the current situation of environmental policy of China and establishment of distributed environmental policy framework

In this study, China’s current macro-environmental policies as well as their implementation and management tools are analyzed. By using the basic economic methodology, detailed studies are conducted focusing on the implementation effect of contemporary China’s typical environmental policy of the total pollutant discharge quantity control type, and also the two types of environmental management tools are compared from the perspective of implementation costs and policy uncertainty. By introduction of distributed management tools into the implementation of environmental policies, market-oriented means and the methods of economic analysis are introduced into environmental policy decision-making mechanisms, which could afford a new method for changing the current relatively low efficiency of environmental policy, solving the problem of “government failure” in environmental policy implementation, and providing a new way to make environmental policy system more flexible and more efficient. It is of great practical significance to solve China's current structural, complex and accumulative environmental problems.     

Planning for Biodiversity: the Role of Ecological Impact Assessment

Abstract:  Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the process of identifying potential environmental effects of proposed development and the required mitigation measures. It is one of the most widely used planning tools today, but its ability to promote biodiversity conservation is largely unexplored. We studied the ecological component of the Israeli EIA system by reviewing a representative sample of 52 environmental impact statements (EISs) produced since 1995 and their corresponding guidelines issued by the Ministry of the Environment. Quality of both EISs and guidelines was determined using a simple scoring approach. Lack of quantitative data, meaningful analyses, and ecosystem perspective was apparent throughout. Many EISs failed to perform field surveys and their qualitative nature hampered meaningful impact prediction. Most EISs concentrated on aesthetic mitigation measures and did not assess their feasibility and likely success. Most of these flaws reflect poor standards rather than true scientific limitations. Guideline quality scores were the most important factor determining the quality of EISs; second was the involvement of an ecological consultant in preparing the EIS. We found a decreasing trend of EIS quality scores over time. Improvements in EIA procedures, particularly in ecological guidelines and the incorporation of ecological consultation, are important for upgrading ecological impact assessment so that the potential of EIA to advance biodiversity conservation can be realized.     

整全,互动和可持续的EIA：香港上水屠宰场的例案研究

以香港上水屠宰场的ＥＩＡ为例，阐述了ＥＩＡ过程须结合“清洁工艺”、“环境管理系统”、“持续生的本底监测”和“开放的公众咨询”四个重要单元，互动灵活，以增强环保效益、省时及经济。传统的ＥＩＡ较为被动，如果项目“倡议人”缺乏环保意识，就会妨碍了它的实质功能。通行的末期性公众咨询，很容易激发冲突，与西方冗长的公众参与同样妨碍进度。文章探讨互动式ＥＩＡ的优点，论证它对改善环评工序和可持续发展的重要性。     

Public perception of river fish biodiversity in four European countries

Public support for biodiversity conservation is shaped by people's values and their knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward the environment. We conducted the first multinational representative survey of the general public's perceptions of river fish biodiversity in France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. For the online survey, 1000 respondents per country were randomly selected from large panels following country-specific quotas set on age, gender, and educational level. Questions covered people's level of knowledge, beliefs, values, and attitudes toward river fish, environmental threats, and conservation measures. We found that the public had limited knowledge of freshwater fishes. Two non-native species, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), were widely perceived as native, whereas native Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was mostly classified as native in Scandinavia and largely as non-native in central Europe. These results suggest an extinction of experience paralleling the extirpation or decline of salmon stocks in countries such as Germany and France. Respondents thought pollution was the dominant threat to riverine fish biodiversity. In reality, habitat loss, dams, and the spread of non-native fishes are equally important. Despite limited biological knowledge, respondents from all countries held an overwhelmingly proecological worldview, supported conservation stocking, and appreciated native fishes, although only a minority interacted with them directly. Differences among the 4 countries related to several conservation issues. For example, threats to biodiversity stemming from aquaculture were perceived as more prevalent in Norway compared with the other 3 countries. Promoting fish conservation based on charismatic species and use values of fishes may work well in countries with a strong economic and cultural link to the freshwater environment, such as Norway. In countries where people rather abstractly care for nature, focusing conservation messaging on broader ecosystem traits and non-use values of fishes is likely to win more support.     

城市居住小区的公路交通噪声预测与规划

城市发展、公路建设、各类机动车辆的增加导致城市噪声环境质量下降。为了改善城市人居环境,居住小区交通噪声预测与规划应当受到重视。本文提出了一种居住小区交通噪声预测与规划的新方法。该方法充分运用地理信息系统空间分析、空间建模与显示查询的能力,结合完善可靠的交通噪声预测模型,建立了具有实际应用价值的城市居住小区交通噪声预测与规划系统。该系统能为环境评价、环境规划与建筑设计提供相关的技术支持。     

Linking noninvasive genetic sampling and traditional monitoring to aid management of a trans-border carnivore population

Noninvasive genetic sampling has been embraced by wildlife managers and ecologists, especially those charged with monitoring rare and elusive species over large areas. Challenges arise when desired population measures are not directly attainable from genetic data and when monitoring targets trans-border populations. Norwegian management authorities count individual brown bears (Ursus arctos) using noninvasive genetic sampling but express management goals in the annual number of bear reproductions (females that produce cubs), a measure that is not directly available from genetic data. We combine noninvasive genetic sampling data with information obtained from a long-term intensive monitoring study in neighboring Sweden to estimate the number of annual reproductions by females detected within Norway. Most female brown bears in Norway occur near the border with neighboring countries (Sweden, Finland, and Russia) and their potential reproduction can therefore only partially be credited to Norway. Our model includes a simulation-based method that corrects census data to account for this. We estimated that 4.3 and 5.7 reproductions can be credited to females detected with noninvasive genetic sampling in Norway in 2008 and 2009, respectively. These numbers fall substantially short of the national target (15 annual reproductions). Ignoring the potential for home ranges to extend beyond Norway's borders leads to an increase in the estimate of the number of reproductions by -30%. Our study shows that combining noninvasive genetic sampling with information obtained from traditional intensive/invasive monitoring can help answer contemporary management questions in the currency desired by managers and policy makers. Furthermore, combining methodologies and thereby accounting for space use increases the accuracy of the information on which decisions are based. It is important that the information derived from multiple approaches is applicable to the same focal population and that predictions are cross-validated. When monitoring and management are constrained to administrative units, census data should be adjusted by discounting portions of individual space utilization that extend beyond the focal jurisdiction. Our simulation-based approach for making such an adjustment may be useful in other situations where management authorities target portions of trans-border populations.     

完善生态影响评估 促进中国生态资源的保护

环境影响评估对减少工业和城市发展对环境的影响起到了一定的作用，但目前的环境影响评估工作比较重视发展项目对其周围水、气污染方面的评估，对自然资源影响的评估还未受到足够的重视，文章对生态影响评估的重要性及中国内地生态影响评估的现状进行了简要的讨论，并介绍了香港生态影响评估系统，以为我国同地生态影响评估工作的管理提供参考。     

Real-time hydro-environmental modeling and visualization system for public engagement

Quantitative environmental impact assessment (EIA) provides a tool for decision makers and the public to understand issues relating to sustainable development. The use of advanced hydro-environmental modelling and visualization technology can help to provide an intuitive and interactive digital platform to better communicate EIA issues and thus promote continuous public involvement and stakeholder engagement. Such a platform must be based on a robust hydrodynamic model engine that provides seamless predictions from the near to far field. This lecture summarizes the key issues of impact assessment in urban coastal cities, and presents examples of impact assessment of several major sewage outfalls, including the Hong Kong Harbour Area Treatment Scheme. The predictions of a recently developed Distributed Entrainment Sink Approach (DESA) for dynamic coupling of the near and far fields are compared with alternative “actual source" approaches and field experiments. The conceptual elements of a real time water quality forecast and management system are outlined.     

Impacts of changing frost regimes on Swedish forests: Incorporating cold hardiness in a regional ecosystem model

Understanding the effects of climate change on boreal forests which hold about 7% of the global terrestrial biomass carbon is a major issue. An important mechanism in boreal tree species is acclimatization to seasonal variations in temperature (cold hardiness) to withstand low temperatures during winter. Temperature drops below the hardiness level may cause frost damage. Increased climate variability under global and regional warming might lead to more severe frost damage events, with consequences for tree individuals, populations and ecosystems. We assessed the potential future impacts of changing frost regimes on Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) in Sweden. A cold hardiness and frost damage model were incorporated within a dynamic ecosystem model, LPJ-GUESS. The frost tolerance of Norway spruce was calculated based on daily mean temperature fluctuations, corresponding to time and temperature dependent chemical reactions and cellular adjustments. The severity of frost damage was calculated as a growth-reducing factor when the minimum temperature was below the frost tolerance. The hardiness model was linked to the ecosystem model by reducing needle biomass and thereby growth according to the calculated severity of frost damage. A sensitivity analysis of the hardiness model revealed that the severity of frost events was significantly altered by variations in the hardening rate and dehardening rate during current climate conditions. The modelled occurrence and intensity of frost events was related to observed crown defoliation, indicating that 6-12% of the needle loss could be attributed to frost damage. When driving the combined ecosystem-hardiness model with future climate from a regional climate model (RCM), the results suggest a decreasing number and strength of extreme frost events particularly in northern Sweden and strongly increasing productivity for Norway spruce by the end of the 21st century as a result of longer growing seasons and increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. However, according to the model, frost damage might decrease the potential productivity by as much as 25% early in the century.     

Coping with complex and dynamic systems. An approach to a transdisciplinary understanding of coastal zone developments

Complexity and uncertainty play important roles in coastal management. Economic development may push the coastal system beyond its resilience thresholds as a result of interactions between environmental and socio-economic processes. The concepts in this paper link processes of system change, natural evolutionary processes observed in coastal zones, to processes of social evolution. An indicator based on calculating an ecological footprint for coastal zones is presented to guide decision-making in spatial and economic planning. The suggested indicator may support a range of methods linking economic valuation and environmental impact analysis.     

城市环境影响模拟的系统动力学研究

城市化进程的加快已导致严重的环境问题。对城市环境影响的模拟研究是确定合理的城市发展规模和制定科学的发展规划的重要依据,以采取措施从源头控制环境质量的恶化。城市环境属于复合多动态系统,传统的一些方法可以实现城市环境影响的模拟预测,但参数调控方面的功能较不完善。文章将基于信息反馈控制理论的系统动力学引入城市环境影响模拟中,构建城市环境、社会、经济之间的系统动力学模型,通过调整环保投入、科技投入、经济增长速率以及单位能耗等系统变量,对武汉市未来发展的主要污染物（SO2、COD）排放量和主要资源消耗量（能源、水）等进行了四种情景动态模拟。结果表明：（1）系统动力学适合于研究复杂系统行为,具有较强的模拟和调控能力,同时可以避免繁琐的计算和信息成本高等缺点;（2）＂两型＂发展模式（Ⅳ）下的资源消耗量和污染物排放量明显低于其它3种情景,但仍处于较高的水平。武汉市污染物削减、生态环境保护任务依然繁重,开发新的替代能源、提高资源利用率仍是今后工作的重点。     

风景名胜区开发建设项目环境影响评价程序和指标体系——以本溪水洞国家级重点风景名胜区为例

文章以本溪水洞国家级重点风景名胜区为例 ,对山岳型风景资源开发建设项目环境影响评价程序和指标体系进行了研究。评价程序分三个层次进行。规划指标和人为自然灾害指标为第一个层次 ;景观指标和生态指标为第二个层次 ;环境质量和环境感应指标为第三个层次。每个层次和指标体系都赋予了内涵。     

建设项目环境影响评价中污染物排放总量控制评价方法

本文提出了在建设项目环境影响评价中关于污染物排放总量控制评价所应包含的内容,介绍了清洁生产纳入环评中的方法,确定了在技术经济合理,污染物排放满足环境质量与排放标准前提下的排放总量,并对其合理性论证方法做了介绍,提出总量控制目标实现的对策。     

The Environmental Impact Assessment process in Singapore with particular respect to coastal environments and the role of NGOs

The recent history of industrial and urban development in Singapore, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, and the way EIAs are used in development planning is briefly reviewed. EIAs are carried out in secret when, and if the Government deems them necessary. Coastal ecosystems are used as examples to show that an almost total loss of mangrove, sandy beach and coral reef systems has taken place at the expense of development, and in a political environment where the EIA is supposedly utilized. The role of the main Non-Government Organisation (NGO) of Singapore, the Nature Society of Singapore, in affecting conservation is also discussed.