SUSTAINABILITY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL: MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND MUNICIPAL TAX INCENTIVE MODEL

The implementation of sustainable development may seem a simple concept when written on paper. However to carry-out long term actions put forward by the Agenda 21 (AG21) at the local level represents one of the main challenges as municipal governments in general do not have the capacity to effectively implement the process. Regional environmental assessment (REA) has shown to be effective in supporting decision-making not only to correct environmental problems due to past unsustainable social-economic developments but also help local governments to implement sustainable actions. However this requires long-term investments of AG21 plans and projects. The allocation of regular and consistent financial resources is one of the main ingredients for the sustainable development process. But traditional plans and projects financed by national and/or international funds may not be sustainable in the long-term because they become dependent on external funding. Research demonstrate that innovative economic instruments such as ecotaxes represent a feasible alternative to sponsor local sustainability because taxes are collected permanently by the government and could be invested in continuous actions. Ecotaxes experiences have provided important reference to structure a municipal incentive model (MIM) to sponsor AG21’s environmental plans and projects on a long-term (permanent) basis. However sustainable development cannot be solely through economic investments. A comprehensive municipal environmental management scheme (MEMS) has been established to support the incentive model. The scheme seeks not only to improve local institutional framework but also incentive continuous participation of local stakeholders at all levels of society. Participatory events and the provision of incentives (educational and financial) are key to motivate society to protect the environment and support actively the sustainable development process as emphasised in the RIO-92 Conference.     

广东省地方污染物排放标准的特点

介绍了广东省地方污染物排放标准中的《水污染物排放限值》和《大气污染物排放限值》的主要特点 ,对今后标准修订提出了建议     

瓜尔豆胶废水预处理的方法研究

根据瓜尔豆胶在生产食品添加剂的过程中产生的废水COD的值高迭216000mg/l的特点,分别用如下方法进行处理①调pH=6.84,按0.5%质量比加入活性炭吸附剂,静止20天,此时去除率为87.7%;②用饱和硫酸铝2mL 适量的聚丙烯酰胺絮凝,去除率为36.5%;③原液先蒸馏出1/4体积后在釜液中按3%的质量比加入Ca(OH)2,计算去除率为89.6%④利用铁炭屑以5:1的质量比形成微电池的方法作用两小时后再按3%的质量比加Ca(OH)2絮凝,此条件下去除率高达91.7%.经过比较得出第四种方法是最经济有效的,对该特种废水起到了很好的预处理作用.     

CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURAL HAZARDS IN NORTHERN CANADA: INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES WITH GOVERNMENT POLICY

A study of the relationship between natural hazards and climate change in the international context provides the background for a discussion of the expected changes. In the context of this global discussion, this paper reviews the current perspectives of those natural hazards that are likely to be influenced by climate change, using northern Canada as a regional case study. The northern implications of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are examined, including the status of climate change action by the northern territorial governments, the evolving role of indigenous people, and the responsibility for climate change impacts. The difficulties surrounding natural hazards research in remote locations, and the approaches of indigenous people to natural hazards are then presented. The paper concludes with a suggested policy approach for climate change and natural hazards in northern Canada, underscoring the need for more comprehensive adaptive strategies to complement the current tendency to focus on the mitigation of greenhouse gases produced in this region.     

Annual and Diurnal Wind Patterns in the City of São Paulo

The major topographic, mesoscale, and urban influences on the wind patterns of the City of São Paulo are characterized using one year of surface wind velocity data observed at 11 surface stations within its urban limits. The data was used to study the diurnal and annual variations of wind velocity and horizontal wind divergence within the city. Results showed that the circulation over the investigated area is dominated by three major factors: sea breeze; mountain-valley circulations; and urban effects, such as roughness, building-barrier, and urban heat island. The sea breeze was found to be the dominant feature of the monthly-averaged diurnal variation of São Paulo surface winds during the eight warmest months of the year. The sea breeze front induces a velocity minimum at the time of its passage and a post-frontal afternoon velocity maximum. Mountain-valley thermal effects on the flow can be seen in the temporal divergence/convergence patterns. These thermal effects tend to be more important during colder months, at night, and when the wind velocities are low. Nighttime downslope convergent flows are present over the city during winter and spring and daytime upslope divergent flows are present over the city during summer months.     

黄土高原地区生态建设的关键问题

从黄土高原地区水土保持生态建设的实际情况出发,结合历史经验教训,探讨了生态建设与农业发展、农民脱贫致富的关系.指出生态环境问题归根结底是人的问题,减少人类对生态环境的破坏和干扰,因地制宜地进行植被建设和生态恢复,激励广大农民自觉参与生态建设对黄土高原地区水土保持生态建设成败至关重要.     

对火电厂烟气脱硫设计总平面布置的探讨

火电厂烟气脱硫工程往往是在场地或其他条件受到诸多限制的情况下进行的，设计中总平面布置的作用显得尤其突出。以几个电厂脱硫工程的设计为例，探讨如何充分利用已有务件，协调脱硫与整个厂区总平面布置的关系，以使设计合理，经济。     

地震灾害对中国农村居民的影响研究--以云南省大姚县为例

通过对2003年7月21日和10月16日分别发生6.2和6.1级地震的云南省大姚县居民的问卷调查,分析了地震灾害对中困农村居民的影响,了解了我国农村居民尤其是地震多发区农村居民对地震灾害的风险意识以及在地震灾害中的反应.调查结果表明:中国农村居民是地震灾害的最大受害者和风险承担者.虽然他们会在地震灾害中汲取经验教训,增强风险防范意识,但是由于经济水平、自然环境等客观条件的影响,他们只能被动地承受地震灾害,而不能从根本上改变承灾体的脆弱性.中国农村地震减灾、防灾能力的加强需要政府管理部门的积极参与.     

Societal implications of sustainable energy action plans: from energy modelling to stakeholder learning

This article investigates the potential impact of sustainable energy action plans (SEAPs) on local development through a two-step methodology involving participatory planning and quantitative analysis. The first phase relies on a participatory system mapping (PSM) approach and generates a causal structure at the basis of the urban model. In the second phase, we transform the qualitative map into a system dynamic model which evaluates the effect of the SEAP on social, economic and environmental indicators. This methodology was applied to the case of Cascina Municipality (Italy). Through scenario analysis, we show that some indirect feedback can harm the achievement of the 20% emission reduction target. This process allows the local authority and stakeholders to evaluate the impact of emission reduction policies on CO₂ emissions and local development, thereby generating collective learning on the systemic implications of the plan. We show that this method can enhance the ambition of emission mitigation efforts by small towns.     

Industrial pollution,spatial stigma and economic decline: the case of Asopos river basin through the lens of local small business owners

This paper explores the notion of environmentally induced spatial stigma through an analysis of data from interviews across public attitudes to pollution within the Asopos river basin in central Greece. The area has a 40 year plus history of legal and illicit industrial waste disposal and public debate on the associated environmental degradation. The study focuses on the perceptions and beliefs of a sector of the community likely to be directly and negatively affected by stigma, that is small business owners in the tourism and hospitality sector. The qualitative analysis explores awareness and viewpoints on environmental degradation and water quality within the local context, implications for the local economy and the individual's own enterprise, views on industrial environmental management as well as corporate responsibility and future prospects for the environmental problems of Asopos. Findings reveal a noticeable variation in views on industrial pollution and ecosystem deterioration among the respondents, but overall a strong environmentally induced stigmatization of the area. They also uncover an information asymmetry and lack of credible commitment by government bodies and industry members in disclosing accurate information, a situation likely to increase speculation and uncertainty within the community. The paper concludes by addressing implications of the findings to policy-making and managerial considerations, along with future research perspectives which aim to increase considerations of sustainability aspects for local development.