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1.
Assessment of Coastal Vulnerability Through the Use of GIS Tools in South Sicily (Italy) 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
This study assessed coastal erosion vulnerability along a 90-km sector, which included both erosional and accretionary beaches,
and different levels of human occupation. Two aerial photogrammetric flights were used to reconstruct coastal evolution between
1977 and 1999. During this period, extensive accretion was recorded updrift of human structures at harbors and ports, e.g.,
Scoglitti (105.6 m), Donnalucata (52.8 m), and Pozzallo (94.6 m). Conversely, erosion was recorded in downdrift areas, with
maximum values at Modica Stream mouth (63.8 m) and Point Castellazzo (35.2 m). Assessments were subsequently divided into
four categories ranging from “high erosion” to “accretion.” Several sources were examined to assess human activities and land
use. The latter was mapped and divided into four categories, ranging from “very high” to “no capital” land use. Subsequently,
coastal erosion vulnerability was assessed by combining land use categories with recorded coastline behavior. Results showed
“very high” to “high” vulnerability along 5.8% and 16.6%, respectively, of the littoral, while 20.9% and 56.7%, respectively,
was found to exhibit “medium” and “low/very low” vulnerability. A very good agreement between predicted coastal vulnerability
and coastal trend had been observed over recent years. Furthermore, several human structures and activities are located within
the “imminent collapse zone (ICZ)” which reached maximum values of 17.5 m at Modica Stream and 13.5 m at Point Braccetto. 相似文献
2.
Kenneth A. Barrick 《Environmental management》2010,45(1):192-202
Geyser basins provide high value recreation, scientific, economic and national heritage benefits. Geysers are globally rare,
in part, because development activities have quenched about 260 of the natural endowment. Today, more than half of the world’s
remaining geysers are located in Yellowstone National Park, northwest Wyoming, USA. However, the hydrothermal reservoirs that
supply Yellowstone’s geysers extend well beyond the Park borders, and onto two “Known Geothermal Resource Areas”—Island Park
to the west and Corwin Springs on the north. Geysers are sensitive geologic features that are easily quenched by nearby geothermal
wells. Therefore, the potential for geothermal energy development adjacent to Yellowstone poses a threat to the sustainability
of about 500 geysers and 10,000 hydrothermal features. The purpose here is to propose that Yellowstone be protected by a “Geyser
Protection Area” (GPA) extending in a 120-km radius from Old Faithful Geyser. The GPA concept would prohibit geothermal and
large-scale groundwater wells, and thereby protect the water and heat supply of the hydrothermal reservoirs that support Yellowstone’s
geyser basins and important hot springs. Proactive federal leadership, including buyouts of private groundwater development
rights, can assist in navigating the GPA through the greater Yellowstone area’s “wicked” public policy environment. Moreover,
the potential impacts on geyser basins from intrusive research sampling techniques are considered in order to facilitate the
updating of national park research regulations to a precautionary standard. The GPA model can provide the basis for protecting
the world’s few remaining geyser basins. 相似文献
3.
Source resolution and risk apportionment of emission source categories for risk reduction purposes can be used to enhance
the Bubble Policy of the Clean Air Act. This is performed by incorporating receptor modeling techniques of factor analysis
and chemical mass balances to assess noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic inhalation risks to a target population for certain
pollutants coming from major emission source categories in a steel plant air shed. Source resolution, using factor analysis,
statistically interprets a “source” from ambient data. By subsequently quantifying risks from identified metal emission sources
using chemical mass balances and risk apportionment, a total additive risk from main source contributors in the steel plant
is estimated. From this methodology, the Bubble Policy can be enhanced by targeting only main risk sources or by “risk-trading”
with minor impact sources to reduce the total risk (if deemed significant) without arbitrarily reducing risk for all sources
in an industrial source complex’s “bubble.” 相似文献
4.
Kimberly K. Smith 《Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics》2009,22(3):241-256
Elizabeth Anderson’s “pluralist–expressivist” value theory, an alternative to the understanding of value and rationality underlying
the “rational actor” model of human behavior, provides rich resources for addressing questions of environmental and animal
ethics. It is particularly well-suited to help us think about the ethics of commodification, as I demonstrate in this critique
of the pet trade. I argue that Anderson’s approach identifies the proper grounds for criticizing the commodification of animals,
and directs our attention to the importance of maintaining social practices and institutions that respect the social meanings of animals. Her theory alone, however, does not adequately address the role of the state in this project. Drawing on social
contract theory to fill this gap, I conclude that the state’s role in regulating the pet trade should be limited to ensuring
the welfare of animals in the stream of commerce, not prohibiting their mass marketing altogether. 相似文献
5.
Jennifer Welchman 《Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics》2007,20(4):353-363
Norton argues on pragmatic “Deweyan” grounds that we should cease to ask scientists for value neutral definitions of “sustainability,”
developed independently of moral and social values, to guide our environmental policy making debates. “Sustainability,” like
human “health,” is a normative concept from the start—one that cannot be meaningfully developed by scientists or economists
without input by all the stake holders affected. While I endorse Norton’s approach, I question his apparent presumption that
concern for sustainability for the future is at odds with and ought to trump concern for enhancement in the present of public opportunities to access the goods nature represents. I argue that the two are not separable in practice.
I argue for Passmore’s position that unless we take care to enhance equitable access to the good and services nature represents
in the present, we cannot succeed in promoting sustainability for future generations. 相似文献
6.
Unni Kj?rnes 《Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics》2012,25(2):145-162
The lack of consistency between people’s engagement in ethical issues and their food choices has received considerable attention.
Consumption as “choice” dominates this discourse, understood as decision-making at the point of purchase. But ideas concentrating
on individual choice are problematic when trying to understand how social and ethical issues emerge and are dealt with in
the practices of buying and eating food. I argue in this paper that “consumer choice” is better understood as a political
ideology addressing a particular way in which everyday practices can be directed so as to solve social problems. It is a way
that makes questions of power particularly challenging. Some assume consumer sovereignty, emphasizing consumer choice as a
reflection of neoliberal deregulation and commercialization. Others worry that ongoing changes increase consumers’ powerlessness.
None of these seem to capture that there is active regulation, where public as well as commercial and civil actors are making
strong efforts to make people do the right thing—voluntarily. Labeling is the key measure. In practice, the individualized
and rationalized model of responsibility depends not only on market opportunities, but even political and social expectations
and trust. People may lack concrete capabilities and power to follow up on moral calls, but they may also have a different
understanding of who is responsible and what is a “good deed,” or their actions may, in a Foucauldian sense, represent resistance.
The paper will, with examples from European empirical studies, discuss how mobilization as well as inertia and disinterest
emerge within specific political constellations and practical contexts. 相似文献
7.
Crifasi RR 《Environmental management》2005,36(5):625-639
“A skyscraper is as natural as a bird’s nest” –Alan Watts
For millennia, people have altered freshwater ecosystems directly through water development and indirectly by global change
and surrounding land-use activities. In these altered ecosystems, human impacts can be subtle and are sometimes overlooked
by the people who manage them. This article provides two case studies near Boulder, Colorado that demonstrate how perceptions
regarding these ecosystems affect their management. These examples are typical of lakes and streams along the Front Range
of Colorado that are simultaneously natural and social in origin. Although natural, many of the region’s freshwater ecosystems
are affected by ongoing ecologic, hydrologic, chemical, and geomorphic modifications produced by human activity. People and
nature are both active participants in the production of these freshwater ecosystems. The concept of “hybridity,” borrowed
from geographers and social scientists, is useful for describing landscapes of natural and social origin. Hybrid freshwater
ecosystems are features of the humanized landscape and are derived from deliberate cultural activities, nonhuman physical
and biological processes, and incidental anthropogenic disturbance. Our perceptions of “natural” freshwater ecosystems and
what definitions we use to describe them influences our view of hybrid systems and, in turn, affects management decisions
regarding them. This work stresses the importance of understanding the underlying societal forces and cultural values responsible
for the creation of hybrid freshwater ecosystems as a central step in their conservation and management. 相似文献
8.
Coal is not only an important energy source in China but also a major source of air pollution. Because of this, China’s national
sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions have been the highest in the world for many years, and since the 1990s, the territory of China’s south and southwest
has become the third largest acid-rain-prone region in the world. In order to control SO2 emissions, the Chinese government has formulated and promulgated a series of policies and regulations, but it faces great
difficulties in putting them into practice. In this retrospective look at the history of SO2 control in China, we found that Chinese SO2 control policies have become increasingly strict and rigid. We also found that the environmental policies and regulations
are more effective when central officials consistently give environmental protection top priority. Achieving China’s environmental
goals, however, has been made difficult by China’s economic growth. Part of this is due to the practice of environmental protection
appearing in the form of an ideological “campaign” or “storm” that lacks effective economic measures. More recently, better
enforcement of environmental laws and regulations has been achieved by adding environmental quality to the performance assessment
metrics for leaders at all levels. To continue making advances, China needs to reinforce the economic and environmental assessments
for pollution control projects and work harder to integrate economic measures into environmental protection. Nonetheless,
China has a long way to go before economic growth and environmental protection are balanced. 相似文献
9.
This study examined the role of gas flaring in the rapid corrosion of zinc roofs in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Four
experimental sites were set up where samples of galvanized iron sheet (popularly called “zinc roofs”) were exposed to the atmosphere. The corrosion behaviour of galvanized iron sheet through weight loss determination under
different environmental conditions was monitored. A uniform angle of inclination of 22° (which represents the mean angle of
inclination of house roofs in the study area) was chosen. The results showed that corrosion was more severe (average readings
of 25.89, 34.30, and 21.27 mg) in the three experimental sites that were located near pollution sources such as gas flare
station or sea aerosols, than at the controlled site (2.36 mg) that was located far away from pollution sources. It is recommended
that government’s policy of zero gas flaring for oil companies operating in the Niger Delta by 2010 be pursued with vigour,
so as to realize the deadline and subsequently reduce the economic burden currently suffered by the inhabitants of the Niger
Delta through frequent replacement of house roofs and incessant illnesses. In addition, individuals and companies operating
in the region should avoid bush burning, reduce the rate of fossil fuel consumption by conserving energy, and install catalytic
converters in cars and industrial chimneys, so as to reduce emissions. 相似文献
10.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), a significant percentage of residential onsite sewage
systems (OSSs) are failing at any given time. The US EPA has therefore issued a set of recommended guidelines for OSS regulatory
programs aimed at reducing overall failure rates. We conducted a survey of OSS regulatory program administrators with jurisdictions
bordering a Great Lake. Our goal was to determine their programs’ capacities to meet the US EPA’s recommendations. We found
that although some local programs meet the US EPA’s recommendations, most do not. In this article, we present our findings
and conclusions for one of the US EPA’s models, the baseline “Homeowner Awareness” model. Most areas do not have recommended
requirements that systems be inspected when properties transfer between owners. A majority do not track changes in ownership
within the computerized databases they use to record information about systems. Although most provide at least “one-time”
information to homeowners regarding proper OSS maintenance, most do not contact them periodically with reminders of needed
maintenance. We include recommendations for resolving some of the issues that our research identified. 相似文献
11.
The Concept of Farm Animal Welfare: Citizen Perceptions and Stakeholder Opinion in Flanders, Belgium
Filiep Vanhonacker Wim Verbeke Els Van Poucke Zuzanna Pieniak Griet Nijs Frank Tuyttens 《Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics》2012,25(1):79-101
Several attempts to conceptualize farm animal welfare have been criticized for diverging reasons, among them often the failure
to incorporate the public concern and opinion. This paper’s objective is to develop a conception of farm animal welfare that
starts from the public’s perception and integrates the opinion of different stakeholder representatives, thus following a
fork-to-farm approach. Four qualitative citizen focus group discussions were used to develop a quantitative questionnaire,
which has been completed by a representative sample of Flemish citizens (n = 459). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were applied to develop a conception of farm animal welfare starting
from an extended list of aspects that relate to animal production and associate with farm animal welfare in the public’s perception.
In depth interviews with stakeholder representatives were used to match and adapt the structure of the animal welfare conception
model. The resulting conception revealed seven dimensions grouped in two different levels. Three dimensions were animal-based:
“Suffering and Stress,” “Ability to Engage in Natural Behavior,” and “Animal Health.” Four dimensions were resource-based:
“Housing and Barn climate,” “Transport and Slaughter,” “Feed and Water,” and “Human-Animal Relationship.” This conception
is distinct from earlier attempts since it is based on public perceptions; it addresses the opinion of different stakeholders,
and it distinguishes empirically between animal-based and resource-based dimensions in the conceptualization of farm animal
welfare. The relevancy of a popular definition is supported by the present demand oriented economy, in which animal welfare
is a non-trade concern, and mainly left to the market where consumers still mainly act as individuals who calculate and weigh
pros and cons. 相似文献
12.
13.
Benefits-based management seeks to provide recreation benefits for recreation participants by managing the physical environments
in which recreation occurs. This study investigates the relationship between benefits desired by visitors and the physical,
social, and managerial characteristics of settings that facilitate realization of recreation benefits. Data such as perceived
benefits from recreation experiences, setting attributes that significantly influenced perceived benefits, and sociodemographic
variables were collected from 376 visitors to Sorak-san National Park in the eastern part of the Korean peninsula. Cluster
analysis was used to group visitors' desired benefits into 12 domains: relationship with nature/scenery, escaping pressure,
learning about nature, family togetherness, introspection, exploration, autonomy/achievement, being with friends, leading
others, skills/learning, risk taking, and meeting/observing new people. Multiple regression was used to link benefit domains
with the characteristics of settings. The social attribute of recreation settings was linked to eight of the ten benefit domains.
There were two statistically strong multiple regression correlations: (1) between domain of “relationship with nature /scenery”
and the attributes “forest/water,”“attractive nature,” and “facility/maintenance” and (2) between the domain of “escaping
pressure” and the attributes “attractive nature” and “social.” The results of this study are useful to managers in their efforts
to provide recreation opportunities for visitors to achieve beneficial outcomes. 相似文献
14.
Rapid growth in marine sand mining for construction and other uses poses environmental challenges to coastal nations virtually
worldwide. Yet the development of management policies, such as a system of fees imposed on operators for damage caused by
mining, has been frustrated by a lack of studies to support such measures. Adapting a Beverton-Holt bioeconomic model, this
paper attempts to contribute to the estimation of external costs to commercial fisheries due to marine mining. Using the major
mining area of Ongjin in Korea as a case study, we estimate economic losses in use value of commercial fisheries through the
time to recovery of the injured resource stocks. Present value of lost catch over a 1-year period from mining to resource
recovery is estimated at $38,851 for a single “prototype” mining site. Estimated cumulative damages due to recurring mining
for 5 and 10 years are $1.5 million and $2.2 million, respectively, at 20 mining sites. Sensitivity analyses are used to examine
the effects of alternative assumptions to assess the many sources of uncertainty. Using a form of meta-analysis, dose-response
information is used to assess the excess mortality the mining sediment plume has on eggs and larvae and, ultimately, on the
value of lost catch ($841). Also addressed is the importance of specifying the appropriate “premining” conditions against
which to assess environmental losses at the mining site. Damages estimated with premining fish populations are $23,066 higher
than is the case using postmining conditions. Overall, the illustrative results suggest the variety of complex conditions
which influence damage to fisheries from mining and which can benefit from further study to improve management guidelines.
An erratum to this article can be found at 相似文献
15.
With 207 million ha of forest covering 22% of its land area, China ranks fifth in the world in forest area. Rapid economic
growth, climate change, and forest disturbances pose new, complex challenges for forest research and management. Progress
in meeting these challenges is relevant beyond China, because China’s forests represent 34% of Asia’s forests and 5% of the
worlds’ forests. To provide a broader understanding of these management challenges and of research and policies that address
them, we organized this special issue on contemporary forest research and management issues in China. At the national level,
papers review major forest types and the evolution of sustainable forestry, the development of China’s forest-certification
efforts, the establishment of a forest inventory system, and achievements and challenges in insect pest control in China.
Papers focused on Northern China address historical, social, and political factors that have shaped the region’s forests;
the use of forest landscape models to assess how forest management can achieve multiple objectives; and analysis and modeling
of fuels and fire behavior. Papers addressing Central and South China describe the “Grain for Green” program, which converts
low productivity cropland to grassland and woodland to address erosion and soil carbon sequestration; the potential effects
of climate change on CO2 efflux and soil respiration; and relationships between climate and net primary productivity. China shares many forest management
and research issues with other countries, but in other cases China’s capacity to respond to forest management challenges is
unique and bears watching by the rest of the world. 相似文献
16.
Use of Soil and Water Protection Practices Among Farmers in Three Midwest Watersheds 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Data were collected from 1011 farmers in three Midwestern watersheds (Ohio, Iowa, and Minnesota) to assess factors that influence
the use of conservation production systems at the farm level. The “vested interests” perspective used to guide the investigation
was derived from elements of social learning and social exchange theories. Respondents were asked to indicate their frequency
of use for 18 agricultural production practices that could be adopted on Midwestern farms at the time of the study. Responses
to the 18 items were summed to form a composite variable, termed “conservation production index,” for use as the dependent
variable in multivariate analysis. Eleven independent variables were identified from the theory as likely predictors of conservation
adoption, including respondents' perceptions about production costs, output and risks, and perceived importance of access
to subsidies, technical assistance, and informational/educational programs. Regression analysis was used to assess the performance
of the independent variables in explaining variance in the conservation production index. Explained variance in the three
regression models ranged from 2% in the Minnesota watershed to 19% in the Ohio watershed. The researchers concluded that the
model had limited utility in predicting adoption of conservation production systems within the three study watersheds. Findings
are discussed in the context of conservation programs within the three areas. 相似文献
17.
The reintroduction and reinterpretation of the wild 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Eileen O’Rourke 《Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics》2000,13(1-2):145-165
This paper is concerned with changing social representations of the “wild,” in particular wild animals. We argue that within
a contemporary Western context the old agricultural perception of wild animals as adversarial and as a threat to domestication,
is being replaced by an essentially urban fascination with certain emblematic wild animals, who are seen to embody symbols
of naturalness and freedom. On closer examination that carefully mediatized “naturalness” may be but another form of domestication.
After an historical overview of the human-animal, domestic-wild construction, an anthropological approach is used to interpret
the social representation of wild animals held by different social actors — farmers, hunters, and tourists — within the context
of an inhabited National Park, that of the Cévennes in south east France. Within the Park, the domestic and the wild, along
with agriculture, hunting, conservation, re-introduced wild animals, and tourists cohabit. It is argued that changes in the
representation of “wildness” may well be an important indicator of changes in the social representation of nature. 相似文献
18.
This article responds to Gray’s (2002) call for normative research on social and environmental accounting (SEA) and Parker’s (2005) call for active engagement in the process of designing SEA systems. More specifically, our investigation focuses on the
study of boundary setting for triple bottom line (TBL) reporting, an issue that has been given more attention by practitioners
than by researchers. The study reviews the consequences of boundary setting for the discharge of organizational accountability,
from which it develops a framework to investigate TBL reporting boundaries and then reports on an empirical survey of best
practice. It concludes that organizations are strategically setting and disclosing their boundaries instead of discharging
their accountability and argues that such strategies have far-reaching consequences, because reporting boundaries are not
only reflective of organizations but also have a constitutive role in their definition. A further consequence is that it calls
into question the use of voluntary labeling, such as “in accordance” with Global Reporting Initiative; one implication being
that further research into technical developments in TBL reporting could contribute to the discharge of organizational accountability. 相似文献
19.
At first ‘sustainable mining’ could be perceived as a paradox—minerals are widely held to be finite resources with rising consumption causing pressure on known resources. The true sustainability of mineral resources, however, is a much more complex picture and involves exploration, technology, economics, social and environmental issues, and advancing scientific knowledge—predicting future sustainability is therefore not a simple task. This paper presents the results from a landmark study on historical trends in Australian mining, including ore milled, ore grades, open cut versus underground mining, overburden/waste rock and economic resources. When complete data sets are compiled for specific metals, particular issues stand out with respect to sustainability—technological breakthroughs (e.g. flotation, carbon-in-pulp), new discoveries (e.g. uranium or U), price changes (e.g. Au, boom/bust cycles), social issues (e.g. strikes), etc. All of these issues are of prime importance in moving towards a semi-quantitative sustainability model of mineral resources and the mining industry. For the future, critical issues will continue to be declining ore grades (also ore quality and impurities), increased waste rock and associated liabilities, known economic resources, potential breakthrough technologies, and broader environmental constraints (e.g. carbon costs, water). For this latter area, many companies now report annually on sustainability performance—facilitating analysis of environmental sustainability with respect to production performance. By linking these two commonly disparate aspects—mining production and environmental/sustainability data—it becomes possible to better understand environmental sustainability and predict future constraints such as water requirements, greenhouse emissions, energy and reagent inputs, and the like. This paper will therefore present a range of fundamental data and issues which help towards quantifying the resource and environmental sustainability of mining—with critical implications for the mining industry and society as a whole. 相似文献
20.
M. L. J. Wissenburg 《Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics》2011,24(6):557-573
Theories of intergenerational obligations usually take the shape of theories of distributive (social) justice. The complexities
involved in intergenerational obligations force theorists to simplify. In this article I unpack two popular simplifications:
the inevitability of future generations, and the Hardinesque assumption that future individuals are a burden on society but
a benefit to parents. The first assumption obscures the fact that future generations consist of individuals whose existence
can be a matter of voluntary choice, implying that there are individuals who are responsible and accountable for that choice
and for its consequences. The second assumption ignores the fact that the benefits and burdens of future individuals are complex,
and different for different “beneficiaries” or “victims.” Introducing individual responsibility for procreation as a (crucially)
relevant variable, and allowing a more sophisticated understanding of the impact of new individuals, generates grounds to
prioritize the individual’s interest in responsibility for (creating and equipping) future individuals over any collective
intergenerational obligation. I illustrate this by introducing a series of moral duties that take precedence over, and perhaps
even void, possible collective redistributive duties. 相似文献