Recognizing loss of open forest ecosystems by tree densification and land use intensification in the Midwestern USA

Regional Environmental Change - Forests and grasslands have changed during the past 200 years in the eastern USA, and it is now possible to quantify loss and conversion of vegetation cover...     

Editorial foreword for "environment,development and sustainability" journal

Environment, Development and Sustainability -     

Social metrics in the process industry: background,theory and development work

Sustainable development as the leading global development paradigm and sustainability as a cornerstone of modern industrial development have guided this development work on social metrics in the process industry. This study addresses the development of social metrics in the process industry and for metal production, in particular, at the plant level. The developed social indicators are one part of the overall sustainability index that aims to present a balanced and holistic view of plant-level sustainability performance, encompassing information on all different dimensions. This development work was preceded by the benchmarking and review of existing global reporting frameworks, initiatives and the literature. Current indicators of industrial sustainability mainly satisfy the needs of corporate-level management and capital investors. Therefore, plant-level indicators are critically needed to support and fill potential gaps in corporate-level assessments and management with a special emphasis on plant-level sustainability. The purpose of our development work for social indicators was to operationalise the concept of sustainability and associated performance measurement at the plant level. The development of social indicators was carried out through workshops with industry partners. As a joint effort, eight core social indicators and their associated sub-indicators were developed. We also report the results of our benchmarking and review of existing frameworks, initiatives and the literature. The social part of the overall sustainability index provides the information on both in-plant sustainability performance and the direct and indirect impacts of plant-level operations on the surrounding society including various stakeholders, interest groups and citizens.     

Status report on standard-setting work in the area of environmental radioactivity measurement

Environmental assessment studies are regularly commissioned to study the impact of radioactive substances on the environment and the public, in response to concern about the presence of such substances. The credibility of such studies relies on the quality and reliability of radionuclide analysis as well as the sample representativity of the radiological situation. The recent expansion from national stakeholders to those involving other states requires that activity measured in effluents or environmental samples in a country are reliable and reproducible so as to be accepted by all states potentially concerned by regional contamination. The standard-setting approach, based on consensus, seemed to lend itself to a settlement of technical aspects of potential dispute. This document describes standardization organizations, French and international, the standards published, as well as standardization work under way on the measurement of radionuclides found in environmental matrices.     

Social work models for climate adaptation: the case of small islands in the Caribbean

Regional Environmental Change - Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are widely recognised as being very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In some manner, climate change will impact on...     

Driving factors and the implications of work choices of rural laborers in ecologically vulnerable areas in North China

Using rural survey data for the year 2009,we provide evidence of work choices of rural laborers in ecologically vulnerable areas in North China,and model these choices as a function of characteristics of individuals,households,and land endowments.The findings reveal large differences between males and females,and between non-farm employment and part-time farming engagement Land scarcity is still an important driving factor in non-farming participation of rural laborers in the study area;and in the current case of land productivity and the total amount of land,there are still surplus rural labor forces in the study area.Diversification of livelihood reduces the pressure on land,thus facilitating ecosystem conservation.So,the paper concludes with the argument that establishing coordination mechanisms among non-farm employment of rural laborers,agricultural production,and restoration of ecosystems are essential for mitigating the conflicts of ecological security,agricultural production,and rural development in mis area.     

农业机械化、非农就业与农民的承包地退出意愿

工业化和城镇化必然要求部分农民与农村土地"人地分离",农业生产方式的转变加快了上述进程。理论分析表明,农业机械的广泛使用,不仅可能对农民的承包地退出意愿直接产生正负两种作用,还可能会通过非农就业这一中介变量间接影响农民的退地意愿。为了考察当前我国农民的农村土地退出意愿以及农业机械化、非农就业对其造成的影响,本文首先采用两阶段随机抽样法,对河北、山东、河南三省九县(市、区)620个农户进行了问卷调查,发现相当一部分农民愿意有偿退出农村承包地,且对不同的退出方式有不同的选择偏好。利用上述农户调查数据,本文将农村承包地退出划分为"换工资收入"、"直接出售"和"被政府征用"三种具体方式,通过构建mvprobit模型,计量分析了农业机械化、非农就业与农民的承包地退出意愿之间的联系。研究发现,农业机械使用比例的提高会强化农民以承包地换养老保险等工资性收入的意愿,而农民对农机作业服务满意程度的提升,则会抑制其直接出售承包地或用之换养老保险等工资性收入的意愿。整体来看,农业机械化对农民"弃地进城"有显著的积极作用。非农就业是农业机械化影响农民退地意愿的中介变量,但它对退地意愿的作用不显著。成员非农就业较稳定的农户家庭,更愿意以一次性卖断(直接出售或被政府征用)的方式处置承包地。为了避免陷入"日韩陷阱",推动农业转型发展和农民市民化,需要实施农民的承包地退出制度,尽快为有意愿、有能力的进城农户彻底放弃农村土地提供制度出口。     

Traffic noise, work noise and cardiovascular risk factors: The Caerphilly and Speedwell collaborative heart disease studies

As part of two large heart surveys, associations between traffic noise exposure and cardiovascular risk factors were studied. The Caerphilly sample (small town, total sample) consisted of 2512 men aged 45 to 59 years and the Speedwell sample (suburb of a major city, random sample) of 2030 men of same age group. Both studies have a prospective design; cross-sectional results are presented here. Acoustic measurements were carried out in both areas. Among the possible risk factors for ischaemic heart disease studied were blood pressure, blood coagulation, blood lipids and other biochemical factors. Statistically significant noise effects were detected for systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, total triglycerides, blood viscosity, platelet count and glucose level, although not all of these were consistent with noise being a risk factor for heart disease. In a subsample, the additional influence of work noise as determined by noise dosimetry was studied in 255 men, taking the use of ear protection into account. The associations between traffic noise and risk factors were more pronounced in men who also were exposed to high work noise levels.     

International mechanism for loss and damage from climate change: recommendations for related work in China

Loss and damage (L&D) from climate change has threatened the sustainable development of humankind, while the progress of mitigative and adaptive measures carried out under the international multilateral framework has been slow. The scientific community and policymakers have placed increasing emphasis on the international L&D response mechanism as a potential direct solution. This paper reviewed the origins of such a mechanism, with an in-depth analysis of the related connotations. A review of the existing situation in China on work related to L&D arising from climate change was conducted, followed by a summary of the findings. Finally, measures and recommendations to improve China’s efforts were proposed in this issue.     

地方政府生态环境治理注意力研究——基于30个省市政府工作报告(2006—2015)文本分析

注意力代表着政府决策者对特定事务的关注,注意力的变化是政府决策选择变化的直接原因。环境治理注意力是环境治理进入议程设置,进而出台政策、实施治理的前提。政府工作报告是政府进行资源配置与精力投入的指挥棒,也是"政府将重视什么、哪些领域得到更多投入资源"的通知书和承诺书,它是政府注意力分配或者变化的重要载体。本文收集了30个省市地方政府自2006年到2015年共300份工作报告,通过文本分析方法,试图发现地方政府生态环境治理注意力的变化规律。分析结果呈现:1从时间轴上看,地方政府对于生态环境的注意力强度逐渐增加;2从地域轴上看,东、中、西部政府生态环境注意力差距并不明显,相比而言,中部处于一个稍低的位次;3从生态环境的范畴看,具体领域得到进一步扩展,中央与地方对环境具体事务保持了较高的一致性,注意力的变化与决策环境和中央宏观政策有重要相关关系。尽管在某些时间点,某些地域存在离散点,但总体而言,在中央政府强调经济发展需要与当地环境资源承载能力相协调的大背景下,地方政府将注意力大幅转向民生事务和生态环境。鉴于地方领导人任期以及注意力本身的"易变性",要保持地方政府环境治理注意力的强度和持续性,1增加制度供给,使环境治理成为法治常项;2将环境治理在公共事务治理的排序中前置,将环境治理放在突出位置;3提升环境事件的信息强度,向地方政府传导积极的环境治理压力。     

Difference among the Growth of GDP and Urbanization of the Provinces and the Cities in West China since the Reform and Opening-up

Since the reform and opening-up, the difference between the development of the west region and the other regions in China is increasing. In addition, the condition of the development of cities in west China needs amelioration. Developing conditions of the west provinces and its cities using economic barometers (e.g. gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita GDP) and urban population datum (e.g. urbanization level and city primary degree) have been analyzed in this article. Five indexes have been chosen to work on the development of the provinces, for example, the contribution degree of the increment in GDP, the contribution degree of the increment of per capita GDP, urbanization level, city primary degree, city primacy ratio. Conclusions are as follows. (1) The growth of the GDP and per capita GDP of the western provinces is in a poor way; moreover, it is not steady going. (2) The comparability among the characteristics of the urbanization level growth of the provinces is at a low level. (3) The urbanization levels of Inner Mongolia province and Sinkiang province are more-sensitive responders to the growth of per capita GDP, whereas those of Guangxi province and Tibet province are less-sensitive responders. (4) The urban population in most of the provinces are highly concentrated, which can be shown by city primary degrees and city primacy ratios. While working on these cities in west China, some earlier zone-organic cities are chosen as sample cities, and these cities are also analyzed using economic barometers and population datum. By analyzing the difference among the cities and comparing the research findings of Professor Zhou and the author, the following conclusions are made: (1) the growth of the GDP and per capita GDP of the cities are mostly not steady going; (2) the middle and big cities are more-sensitive responders to the growth of economy, whereas the small and mega cities are less-sensitive responders; (3) the sizes of southwest cities have a higher speed than those of northwest ones, and furthermore, the differences between them are still increasing.     

退耕还林工程费用有效性的影响因素分析

费用有效性评价是工程评价的重要方面。从政策制定和执行角度对退耕还林的费用有效性及其影响因素进行分析。具有重要的意义。利用实地调研数据和相关统计数据．从退耕地选择和造林入手对退耕还林工程实施的费用有效性殛其影响因素进行考察．并尝试对这些因素的作用机制进行了分析。研究指出由于缺乏长期的和有效的退耕还林规划以及相关政策措施的缺失．使得退耕还林费用有效性的损失在微观层面和宏观层面广泛存在。而各利益主体的利益不相害性是影响工程有效实施的基本矛盾。有必要在遇耕还林中确立明确的规划、清晰的退耕地选择标准。建立和完善管理信息系统和及时有效的反馈和控制机制。构建协调多方利益的长期稳定的生态补偿机制。从而改进退耕还林工程的费用有效性。     

Public Discourse and the Rhetorical Construction of the Technospecter

Modern technological disasters and their human and environmental consequences often defy the imagination in their immensity and complexity. As such, their rhetorical constructions often lack tangibility and a sense of material reality for those not directly involved. These amorphous constructions are consolidated into a view of technological disaster and threats of disaster in which the rhetorical dimensions are analogous to those of ghosts portrayed in popular literature and film—a view the author terms the “technospecter.” Drawing on the public discourse surrounding a tragic pipeline explosion near Carlsbad, New Mexico, this study identifies the rhetorical dimensions of the technospecter and discusses how the construction of the specter reinforces the meta-narratives that constrain pro-environmental action.     

Sustainable Development and the Role of the Financial World

The incapacity to finance sustainable development through philanthropic official assistance turned the Johannesburg Summit to business world and the financial industry. Pioneering financial institutions – including development banks and private banks – have developed a wide range of innovations that can support sustainable development. This article highlights a few innovative products and markets and focuses on the progress made by financial players on the level of standards, metrics and guidelines to improve sustainability management systems, reporting and accounting practices and the multi-stakeholder dynamic. The role of the socially responsible investing (SRI) community has been underexposed by the Summit. Through its voice and market success, SRI has moved from a green market niche to the mainstream, however not becoming mainstream. The invaluable levering effect of SRI has just been discovered by authorities and market regulators and is becoming instrumental. In order to show the business case of Corporate Social Responsibility and to prove the financial viability of the People, Planet, Prosperity investing approach, the SRI community should critically reflect on its own quality assurance systems, sound disclosure and verification practices.