The Dynamics of Justification in Policy Reform: Insights from Water Policy Debates in Ireland

Policy reform can be complex and fraught with contending arguments. Although much research has been conducted into the politics of coalition formation, less attention has been devoted to legitimating logics in policy reform. Drawing on the work of Boltanski and Thévenot, this exploratory study addresses this deficit by examining the influence of justifications deployed in policy debates. The paper analyses the role of shifting reasoning in contentious debates concerning attempts to reform water policy, including the introduction of domestic water charges in Ireland. Employing data from parliamentary deliberations, the paper traces the changing forms of justification used by those favouring and opposing the reforms. This examination suggests the importance of aligning an argument’s content with the shifting context into which it is introduced. The paper highlights the benefits of an investigative approach concerning policy justification for understanding policy reform dynamics at the intersection of politics and environmental communication.     

Adaptation of Climate Model Projections of Streamflow to Account for Upstream Anthropogenic Impairments

A statistical procedure is developed to adjust natural streamflows simulated by dynamical models in downstream reaches, to account for anthropogenic impairments to flow that are not considered in the model. The resulting normalized downstream flows are appropriate for use in assessments of future anthropogenically impaired flows in downstream reaches. The normalization is applied to assess the potential effects of climate change on future water availability on the Rio Grande at a gage just above the major storage reservoir on the river. Model‐simulated streamflow values were normalized using a statistical parameterization based on two constants that relate observed and simulated flows over a 50‐year historical baseline period (1964–2013). The first normalization constant is a ratio of the means, and the second constant is the ratio of interannual standard deviations between annual gaged and simulated flows. This procedure forces the gaged and simulated flows to have the same mean and variance over the baseline period. The normalization constants can be kept fixed for future flows, which effectively assumes that upstream water management does not change in the future, or projected management changes can be parameterized by adjusting the constants. At the gage considered in this study, the effect of the normalization is to reduce simulated historical flow values by an average of 72% over an ensemble of simulations, indicative of the large fraction of natural flow diverted from the river upstream from the gage. A weak tendency for declining flow emerges upon averaging over a large ensemble, with tremendous variability among the simulations. By the end of the 21st Century the higher‐emission scenarios show more pronounced declines in streamflow.     

二噁英类物质CALUX报告基因法在造纸行业的应用探究

选择典型造纸厂,采用化学激活报告基因法(CALUX)测定造纸过程中废水和纸浆中的二噁英类物质,并将部分样品测定结果与高分辨气相色谱-高分辨质谱(HRGC-HRMS)法测定结果作线性回归,换算系数为0.21,表明CALUX可用于造纸行业废水中二噁英类物质的快速筛查。将CALUX用于测定造纸厂废水中二噁英类物质,结果表明用含元素氯的漂白工艺会产生大量二噁英类物质,其中漂白废水中的目标物毒性当量浓度最高,经处理后可达到国家排放标准;而用无元素氯的漂白工艺,二噁英类物质的产生量会大幅降低。     

张家港河凤凰段水质达标整治方案研究

张家港河凤凰段位于张家港市凤凰镇,受上游、支流水质以及区域生活污染源等影响,河道出入境断面水质达标率较低,主要超标因子为氨氮和总磷。本文通过水质现状分析和现场调研,总结了水质难达标的主要原因,提出了针对性较强的水质提升整治方案,对改善张家港河水环境具有非常重要的意义。     

城市黑臭水体的产生原因及治理对策

在我国经济发展势头如此迅猛的背景下,城市污染问题日益严重。城市黑臭水体对城市生态环境造成严重影响,如果不能及时进行治理,则会对原有水生态循环系统造成破坏,影响城市居民正常生活。本文首先对城市黑臭水体产生原因进行分析,然后提出有效的治理对策。     

工业水处理中节能优化控制的研究

工业水的处理一直以来都是环境工程当中十分重要的一个环节,而要做好这一环节就需要针对其中存在的问题进行科学合理的优化控制过程,本文从这一点出发,提出工业水处理过程中相关的工作内容。     

河湖水环境问题及管理和治理模式

本文首先介绍了我国当前的河湖水环境现状,分析了我国水资源存在的一系列问题,主要问题包括水体污染和富营养化;河湖面积严重萎缩,河湖水的功能逐渐退化;难以降解的有机污染物污染量加大。有针对性地提出了改善我国河湖水环境的管理以及治理模式,进一步落实了保护河湖水环境工作,加强水资源周围生态环境的文明建设,实现河湖水环境的可持续发展。     

生态环境损害赔偿诉讼：定义与定位矫正

面对生态环境损害赔偿诉讼这一新型诉讼形式,准确把握其定义和定位至关重要。现有生态环境损害赔偿诉讼按国家自然资源所有权私权化路径进行制度构建,其现行定义为特殊私益诉讼,现行定位为环境行政替代工具。这种定义与定位导致其与环境公益诉讼割裂,运行序位上优先于环境民事公益诉讼,引起国家机关角色错位。生态环境损害赔偿诉讼与环境民事公益诉讼的诉讼标的相同,救济和保护的利益均为环境公益,其定义应回归公益诉讼本位;政府在环境公益保护上有着广泛的职权和手段,是环境公共治理的优先主体,仅在少数行政不能的情形下才有借助司法的必要性和合理性,其在定位上应作为环境行政执法的补充机制在有限范围内发挥作用。据此,生态环境损害赔偿诉讼在制度体系上应与既有环境民事公益诉讼置于同一诉讼系属统筹立法,在诉讼序位上应让位于社会组织提起的环境民事公益诉讼。     

基于复式记账的土地资源资产核算与报表编制研究

借鉴会计学复式记账核算的优点,在国际资源核算体系的基础上,根据我国自然资源资产核算需求,提出土地资源资产核算的复式记账体系和报表编制框架。研究认为,基于复式记账的土地资源资产核算和报表编制要以“摸清家底、反映自然资源负债、提供土地资源审计和绩效考核信息”为目标,明确区、县级自然资源局为土地资源资产受托管理和进行土地资源资产核算与报表编制的核算单位。在界定土地资源资产、负债和权益相关概念的基础上,提出土地资源资产属性变化的核算内容和每次土地资源资产实物量变化必须遵循占补平衡的基本原则,进行过程核算。以YC县土地资源资产变化为例,对土地资源资产变化进行了基于复式记账的土地资源资产核算与报表编制实证研究,确定核算的事项类型和特征及其借贷核算流程,编制出土地资源资产负债表,并同时进行实物量核算和价值量核算的报表编制,结果表明:YC县土地资源资产实物量1485 km^2,2018年末价值量5639874.22万元、经济权益5271874.22万元、生态权益367991.6万元,土地资源负债8.40万元,通过土地资源资产用途调整,土地资源资产价值量增加21319.42万元,但在调整过程中,形成了土地资源负债0.07 km^2(8.4万元),在以后土地整治中需要增加园地。     

以Hartwick准则破解“资源的诅咒”

一些资源禀赋较高的国家或地区,一直以来经济社会发展未充分享受自然资源带来的红利,甚至陷入贫困和动荡,这一现象被称作"资源的诅咒";在我国,也有不少资源型城市在发展过程中由于资源的耗竭而陷入困境。经济学家Hartwick对资源枯竭区域发展进行了深入研究,并提出"Hartwick准则"对这一类区域的发展进行了理论指导。本文对Hartwick准则进行简要介绍,以这一准则在非洲国家博茨瓦纳的钻石开发中的应用进行分析,并依据理论和经验,对我国一些资源型区域的发展提出建议。