网络化治理视域下的中国区域环境治理研究进展

网络化治理作为一种不同于科层—集中型和市场—分散型的新型治理方式,在环境治理中有其自身的优势。当前,区域环境公共事务的不断增长已超出政府单个主体的能力范围,需要加强政府与企业、社会组织及公众等多元主体的共同治理,构建以多元主体参与为核心的多重、复杂、交叉的网络化环境治理模式。基于网络化治理产生的背景、演变过程和内涵,围绕多元主体相互作用、行动主体的网络关系结构和模式、治理网络的运行逻辑和机制等方面系统梳理其研究进展,为推进我国现代化环境治理体系提供参考。     

区块链技术在碳交易体系中的应用研究

完善碳交易市场,优化碳交易机制是我国实现“双碳”目标的重要保障。为解决我国传统中心化碳交易市场中存在的交易低效、监管困难、行政干预过度等机制性问题,本文在剖析碳交易流程功能需求和区块链技术适用性的基础上,提出了一套基于区块链技术的去中心化、自动化、可信任的创新碳交易体系构建方案。首先从整体层面出发,依据实际业务场景设计了基于 Fabric联盟链的碳交易区块链总体架构,然后对交易体系进行细分,从碳交易二级市场框架、碳交易方法、碳交易监管、碳交易激励与惩罚四个维度探讨了身份认证、智能合约、数据溯源、信用代币等区块链技术的具体应用方法。研究表明,区块链技术的引入推动了碳资源向数字凭证转化,实现了碳交易的自动化和智能化,提升了交易效率;链式数据结构和分布式共识机制扼杀了“舞弊”和“寻租”空间,为实时动态监管和协同监管创造了条件;碳交易信用代币的发行与应用提供了更为缓和的治理方式,避免了行政强制手段对市场的过度干预,优化了政府的治理能力,也进一步提升了碳交易的效率性和公平性。     

区块链技术在京津冀大气污染治理中的应用研究

借助于区域协同治理和区块链技术的优势,来克服传统大气污染治理过程中地方政府各自为政的局面,降低大气环境治理成本,提高京津冀大气污染治理的效益.基于协同治理理论,在对京津冀大气污染治理和区块链技术的现有相关文献梳理分析之后,发现京津冀大气治理中存在组织结构分散、地方政府间的各自为政和民众的无效参与等问题.通过构建基于区块...     

基于区块链的跨域环境合作治理研究

跨域环境合作治理是新时代生态文明体制改革的重要方向,也是国家区域发展战略的重要目标。传统跨域环境治理实践呈现"权威达标型治理"的运作逻辑,在取得区域环境质量改善的同时,难免存在"人工失灵""不稳定性""弱激励性"等局限困境。为此,本文建议,基于区块链"去中心性""强信任化""高共享化"等优势特征,新时代推进跨域环境合作治理应建立全域化环境信息系统,构建协商化合作组织平台,实施精准化联合防控行动,塑造共赢化生态发展格局。     

环境分权下央地企协同减排策略演化——基于区块链技术应用视角

环境分权下，地方政府及控排企业的机会主义行为制约着降碳目标实现，而区块链技术提供了一种可信、高效的协同减排环境。为此，本研究构建了以控排企业、地方政府和中央政府为主体的演化博弈模型，探索区块链技术投入前后的协同减排策略；并借助数值仿真研究了区块链技术的监管影响系数、应用成本及地方支出系数对系统演化路径的影响。结果显示：区块链技术投入缩短了减排系统的趋稳时间；监管影响系数与中央政府对区块链技术投入的支持程度、地方及控排企业的减排参与意愿呈正相关；区块链平台应用成本与地方政府减排参与意愿呈负相关，地方支出系数与中央政府对区块链技术投入的支持程度呈正相关，且均存在最优调控区间。因此，应积极开展区块链监管试点，引导、扶持企业绿色转型，强化中央督察职能，转变地方政府发展理念，保障减排政策落地和区域经济高质量转型。     

长江流域生态环境协同规制的立法诠释与意涵表达——以《长江保护法》为述评视角

为解决长江流域生态环境治理模式中“权力—权利”主体间存在的结构性冲突,《长江保护法》以专门立法的形式对流域生态环境法律体系进行了统合性建构,创设出“环境公权机关统筹主导+环境私权主体竞相参与”的长江流域生态环境协同规制的新模式。该模式的塑造既有对构建我国现代环境治理体系这一顶层设计的积极遵循,也适配于社会性规制力量蓬勃发展的客观趋向,符合“成本—效益分析”视野下流域生态环境治理成本最小化的价值追求。以对长江流域生态环境治理法律秩序的高度统摄为依归,长江流域生态环境协同规制模式一方面沿循从“宏观宣示”到“微观赋权”的渐进性立法表达路径,对国家权力统筹主导流域治理的地位进行了立法诠释;另一方面也对社会力量多元参与流域治理的功能配置与职责序构作了妥善且周延的法律安排。在学理上,可从形式、理念与要素三重维度内容出发,对长江流域生态环境协同规制模式的法律意涵予以明晰。     

跨域生态治理“碎片化”的限度审视与整体性治理机制研究

突破行政区划,构建跨域生态治理的有效实践机制是推进生态文明、建设美丽中国的迫切需要。数字技术建构了全新的治理场域,也形塑着新的治理模式。本文将跨域生态治理置于数字化时代的宏大视野,研究认为：传统跨域生态治理模式面临难以突破的“碎片化”瓶颈,主要表现为治理目标碎片化、治理资源碎片化和治理主体碎片化,究其原因在于利益失衡下的府际不合,“技”“智”缺位下的整合失力和能力动力双匮下的参与缺失。基于此,在系统解构整体性治理理论内涵的基础上,数字化时代跨域生态治理与整体性治理在价值、工具和场域方面存在高度耦合。最后,提出通过科学补偿和考核优化建立利益共享机制,通过资源整合与整体智治建立科学施策机制、信息共享与诉求回应建立多元协同机制,形塑整体性治理的协调、整合、信任机制,以期推进“碎片化”问题的弥合解决和跨域生态治理现代化的实现。     

农村垃圾分类实现善治的理论逻辑与现实路径

从政府干预、村民自治和善治的角度探讨农村垃圾分类的治理逻辑,以善治逻辑为切入点,探索我国农村垃圾分类实现善治的途径:以社会资本为基石,以多元主体为关键,以责任性为重点,以法律规范为保障,构建政府引领—基层党组织带动—村民参与—基层社会组织配合-市场协同的农村垃圾分类治理体系,以实现农村垃圾分类的善态治理.     

区域环境司法协作的实践表征及发展理路探析

环境司法协作是促进区域、流域环境整体性治理的重要保障。但当前相关研究侧重某个重点区域、流域的环境司法协作分析,亟待对京津冀、长三角、成渝、长江、黄河等区域、流域环境司法协作实践进行全面的考察和规范分析。可以依据协作目的、内容、空间,将多元化的环境司法协作样态分为政策回应型协作与程序便利型协作、纵向协作与横向协作、省（区、市）内协作与跨省协作等。针对规范性、结构性、机制性等困境,区域环境司法协作需要从纵向协作迈向纵横协作结合、从协议型协作迈向立法型协作、从低位阶协作迈向高位阶协作。未来还需要加强区域、流域、陆海统筹下的立法协同,探索“共享法庭”及其配套治理体系与能力的纳入与应用,推动大数据、区块链、人工智能等新兴技术与司法的深度融合,从而对区域环境司法协作进行全面的规范性补强、结构性调适、协同配合机制的建构及数字化司法转型。     

城市生活垃圾分类强制实施背景下“一主多元”治理模式的主体策略演化分析

随着经济不断发展和人民消费水平提升,垃圾分类治理问题日益严峻。实践经验表明,强制实施背景下政府主导与承包商、公众和环保组织为核心的多元主体共同参与的“一主多元”协作模式,对于我国垃圾分类治理具有较好适用性。但该模式也存在“一主”突出、“多元”不足及其他系统性冲突。为明确多元主体参与策略对“一主多元”治理模式稳定性的影响,首先,本文分析了城市生活垃圾分类强制实施背景下该模式运行机制及主体动因。然后,构建以承包商、公众和环保组织为主体的三方演化博弈系统,对不同策略组合下系统的演化结果进行演绎。最后,借助数值仿真分析了参与成本、环境收益和政府补贴对主体策略选择及系统稳定性的影响。结果表明：环保组织参与垃圾分类治理的积极性最高,公众最低;对于系统运行风险,承包商属于风险偏好者,环保组织属于风险回避者,公众属于风险中立者;承包商对参与成本最敏感,对政府补贴最不敏感,公众则正好与之相反;环境收益的提升有助于提高多元主体的参与积极性。这些发现对于如何提升多元主体参与垃圾分类治理的积极性及“一主多元”治理模式的运行效能具有启示意义。     

Conversion of temperate forests into heaths: Role of ecosystem disturbance and ericaceous plants

Fire and logging in nutrient-poor temperate forests with certain ericaceous understory plants may convert the forests into heaths. The process of disturbance-induced heath formation is documented by using examples ofCalluna in western Europe,Kalmia in Newfoundland, andGaultheria (salal) in coastal British Columbia. In a cool, temperate climate, rapid vegetative growth ofCalluna, Kalmia, and salal following disturbance results in increasing organic accumulation (paludification), nutrient sequestration, soil acidification, and allelochemicals. These are thought to be the main reasons to conifer regeneration failure in disturbed habitats. If continuation in forest is a land-use objective, then temperate forests with an ericaceous understory should not be logged unless effective silvicultural methods are devised to control the ericaceous plants and restore forest regeneration. Preharvest vegetation control may be considered as an option. Failure to control the understory plants may lead to a long-term vegetation shift, from forest to heathland, particularly in nutrient-poor sites. Successful methods of controllingKalmia andGaultheria, however, have yet to be developed. While theKalmia- andGaultheria- dominated heathlands are undesirable in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, a wide range ofCalluna heathlands of western Europe are being conserved as natural and seminatural vegetation.     

Urban ecological systems: scientific foundations and a decade of progress

Urban ecological studies, including focus on cities, suburbs, and exurbs, while having deep roots in the early to mid 20th century, have burgeoned in the last several decades. We use the state factor approach to highlight the role of important aspects of climate, substrate, organisms, relief, and time in differentiating urban from non-urban areas, and for determining heterogeneity within spatially extensive metropolitan areas. In addition to reviewing key findings relevant to each state factor, we note the emergence of tentative "urban syndromes" concerning soils, streams, wildlife and plants, and homogenization of certain ecosystem functions, such as soil organic carbon dynamics. We note the utility of the ecosystem approach, the human ecosystem framework, and watersheds as integrative tools to tie information about multiple state factors together. The organismal component of urban complexes includes the social organization of the human population, and we review key modes by which human populations within urban areas are differentiated, and how such differentiation affects environmentally relevant actions. Emerging syntheses in land change science and ecological urban design are also summarized. The multifaceted frameworks and the growing urban knowledge base do however identify some pressing research needs.     

Neighbourhood characteristics and urban gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area: staffing and voluntarism,food production,infrastructure, and sustainability practices

Urban gardens are important sources of sustenance for communities with limited access to food. Hence, this study focuses on food production in gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area in Northwest Ohio. We administered surveys to 150 garden managers from November 2014 to February 2015 in our attempt to better understand how neighbourhood racial composition and poverty levels are related to staffing and voluntarism, food production and distribution, the development of infrastructure, and the adoption of sustainability practices in urban gardens. The results from 30 gardens are presented in this paper. We used Geographic Information Systems to map the gardens and overlay the map with 2010 census data so that we could conduct demographic analyses of the neighbourhoods in which the gardens were located. Though the gardens were small – two acres or less – up to 46 varieties of food were grown in a single garden. Gardens also operated on small budgets. Food from the gardens was gifted or shared with friends, family, and neighbourhood residents. Gardens in predominantly minority neighbourhoods tended to have fewer institutional partners, less garden infrastructure, and had adopted fewer sustainable practices than gardens in predominantly White neighbourhoods. Nonetheless, residents of predominantly minority and high-poverty neighbourhoods participated in garden activities and influenced garden operations. Volunteering and staffing were racialised and gendered.     

Using Paleo Reconstructions to Improve Streamflow Forecast Lead Time in the Western United States

In water stressed regions, water managers are exploring new horizons that would help in long‐range streamflow forecasts. Oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations have been shown to influence streamflow variability. In this study, long‐lead time streamflow forecasts are made using a multiclass kernel‐based data‐driven support vector machine (SVM) model. The extended streamflow records based on tree ring reconstructions were used to provide a longer time series data. Reconstructed data were used from 1658 to 1952 and the instrumental record was used from 1953 to 2007. Reconstructions for oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations included the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and North Atlantic Oscillation. Streamflow forecasts using all four oscillations were made with one‐year to five‐year lead times for 21 gages in the western United States. This is the first study that uses both instrumental and reconstructed data of oscillations in SVM model to improve streamflow forecast lead time. SVM model was able to provide “satisfactory” to “very good” forecasts with one‐ to five‐year lead time for the selected gages. The use of all the oscillation indices helped in achieving better predictability compared to using individual oscillations. The SVM modeling results are better when compared with multiple linear regression model forecasts. The findings are statistical in nature and are expected to be useful for long‐term water resources planning and management.     

Predicting deer-vehicle collisions in an urban area

Collisions with deer and other large animals are increasing, and the resulting economic costs and risks to public safety have made mitigation measures a priority for both city and wildlife managers. We created landscape models to describe and predict deer-vehicle collision (DVCs) within the City of Edmonton, Alberta. Models based on roadside characteristics revealed that DVCs occurred frequently where roadside vegetation was both denser and more diverse, and that DVCs were more likely to occur when the groomed width of roadside right-of-ways was smaller. No DVCs occurred where the width of the vegetation-free or manicured roadside buffer was greater than 40 m. Landscape-based models showed that DVCs were more likely in more heterogeneous landscapes where road densities were lower and speed limits were higher, and where non-forested vegetation such as farmland was in closer proximity to larger tracts of forest. These models can help wildlife and transportation managers to identify locations of high collision frequency for mitigation. Modifying certain landscape and roadside habitats can be an effective way to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.     

AN APPLICATION RUNOFF MODEL STRATEGY FOR UNGAGED WATERSHEDS1

ABSTRACT: Mathematical models for predicting watershed surface flow responses are available, most of which are elaborate nonlinear numerical surface and channel flow models linked with infiltration models. Such models may be used to make predictions for ungaged areas, assuming an acceptable fitting of the model to the topography and roughness of the real system. For some application purposes, these models are impractical because of their complexity and expensive computer solutions. A procedure is developed that uses a complex model of an ungaged area to derive a simpler parametric nonlinear system model for repetitious simulation with input sequences. The predicted flow outputs are obtained with the simpler model at significant savings of money and time. The procedures for constructing a complex kinematic model of a 40 acre (161,880 m²) reference watershed and deriving the simpler system model are outlined. The results of predictions from both models are compared with a selected set of measured events, all having essentially the same initial conditions. Peak discharges ranged from 3 to 118 ft³/sec (0.085 to 3.34 m³/sec), which includes the largest event of record. The inherent limitations of lumped systems models are demonstrated, including the bias caused by their inability to model infiltration losses after rainfall ceases. Computer costs and times for the models were compared. The derived simple model has a cost advantage when repeated use of a model is required. Such an applications hydrologic model has an engineering tradeoff of reduced accuracy, and lumping bias, but is more economical for certain design purposes.     

MANGANESE CYCLE IN IMPOUNDMENT WATER

Manganese entering impounded water will undergo a cyclic transformation. Oxidation precipitates manganese from top waters. At the bottom of the lake, biological activity will render manganese soluble by both intracellular as well as extracellular activity. The study was made to demonstrate that biological reduction and transformation, organometallic complexation, together with the presence of carbon dioxide and the lowering of pH all have some effect on the solubility of manganese. Dissolved manganese may be brought back to top waters during the lake overturn and therefore deteriorates the water quality.     

Surface applied water treatment residuals affect bioavailable phosphorus losses in Florida sands

Water treatment residuals (WTR) can reduce runoff P loss and surface co-application of P-sources and WTR is a practical way of land applying the residuals. In a rainfall simulation study, we evaluated the effects of surface co-applied P-sources and an Al-WTR on runoff and leacheate bioavailable P (BAP) losses from a Florida sand. Four P-sources, namely poultry manure, Boca Raton biosolids (high water-soluble P), Pompano biosolids (moderate water-soluble P), and triple super phosphate (TSP) were surface applied at 56 and 224kgPha(-1) (by weight) to represent low and high soil P loads typical of P- and N-based amendments rates. The treatments further received surface applied WTR at 0 or 10gWTRkg(-1) soil. BAP loss masses were greater in leachate (16.4-536mg) than in runoff (0.91-46mg), but were reduced in runoff and leachate by surface applied WTR. Masses of total BAP lost in the presence of surface applied WTR were less than approximately 75% of BAP losses in the absence of WTR. Total BAP losses from each of the organic sources applied at N-based rates were not greater than P loss from TSP applied at a P-based rate. The BAP loss at the N-based rate of moderate water-soluble P-source (Pompano biosolids) was not greater than BAP losses at the P-based rates of other organic sources tested. The hazards of excess P from applying organic P-sources at N-based rates are not greater than observed at P-based rates of mineral fertilizer. Results suggest that management of the environmental P hazards associated with N-based rates of organic materials in Florida sands is possible by either applying P-sources with WTR or using a moderate water-soluble P-source.     

Sources and Transport of Phosphorus to Rivers in California and Adjacent States,U.S., as Determined by SPARROW Modeling

The SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes) model was used to simulate annual phosphorus loads and concentrations in unmonitored stream reaches in California, U.S., and portions of Nevada and Oregon. The model was calibrated using de‐trended streamflow and phosphorus concentration data at 80 locations. The model explained 91% of the variability in loads and 51% of the variability in yields for a base year of 2002. Point sources, geological background, and cultivated land were significant sources. Variables used to explain delivery of phosphorus from land to water were precipitation and soil clay content. Aquatic loss of phosphorus was significant in streams of all sizes, with the greatest decay predicted in small‐ and intermediate‐sized streams. Geological sources, including volcanic rocks and shales, were the principal control on concentrations and loads in many regions. Some localized formations such as the Monterey shale of southern California are important sources of phosphorus and may contribute to elevated stream concentrations. Many of the larger point source facilities were located in downstream areas, near the ocean, and do not affect inland streams except for a few locations. Large areas of cultivated land result in phosphorus load increases, but do not necessarily increase the loads above those of geological background in some cases because of local hydrology, which limits the potential of phosphorus transport from land to streams.     

Animal Consciousness and Ethics in Asia and the Pacific

The interactions between humans, animals and the environment have shaped human values and ethics, not only the genes that we are made of. The animal rights movement challenges human beings to reconsider interactions between humans and other animals, and maybe connected to the environmental movement that begs us to recognize the fact that there are symbiotic relationships between humans and all other organisms. The first part of this paper looks at types of bioethics, the implications of autonomy and the value of being alive. Then the level of consciousness of these relationships are explored in survey results from Asia and the Pacific, especially in the 1993 International Bioethics Survey conducted in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, The Philippines, Russia, Singapore and Thailand. Very few mentioned animal consciousness in the survey, but there were more biocentric comments in Australia and Japan; and more comments with the idea of harmony including humans in Thailand. Comparisons between questions and surveys will also be made, in an attempt to describe what people imagine animal consciousness to be, and whether this relates to human ethics of the relationships. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.