A Review of Environmental Sociology and the Sociology of Natural Resources： Insights for the Development of Environmental Sociology in China

Environmental sociology and the sociology of natural resources are two key subdisciplines of the sociological study on the interactions between nature and human society. Previous discussion on the relationships of these two fields has largely focused on their distinctions and synthesis in western （particularly American） academia. Environmental sociology emerged as an important sociological subdiscipline in China in the early 1990s and is under vigorous disciplinary construction at present. By contrast, the sociology of natural resources is still a novel term for most Chinese researchers. This article provides a systematic review of recent literature on the relationships between environmental and natural resource sociologies, which should provide important implications for the further development of environmental sociology in China.     

Industrialization, Environment and Health： the Impacts of Industrial SO2 Emission on Public Health in China

In this paper, we construct a model in which the impact of pollution on health is exerted through both direct and indirect channels. The indirect channel is captured by a production function in which the principal health-improving factor, income growth, can be realized only in the cost of pollution increase. This model is then tested by the aggregated chronicle disease data in over 78 Chinese counties. Our results show, after attaining the threshold of 8 μ g/m^2, continuous increase in industrial SO2 emission density will lead the ratio of population suffering chronicle diseases, among which respiratory diseases occupy a significant proportion, to rise. However, owing to technological progress in pollution control activities, the needed SO2 emission to produce one unit of GDP diminishes with time. Therefore, the negative effect from pollution augmentation on public health seems to be recompensed more and more by the positive effect of economic growth.     

Resource and Environmental Issues in Transitional China: A Perspective from the Interaction Among Market,Government and Society

Abstract

Along with the rapid growth of economy in the postreform period after 1979, China has faced severe problems of resource overusing and environmental degradation which would threaten the sustainable development of economy and society. This article explores an effective mechanism of managing resource and environment in China. It examines some major resource and environmental issues, and constructs a framework of institution innovation to cover three sectors (government, market and society). In addition, the article analyzes their experience and evaluation in resource management and environmental conservation during the transitional period. We argue that the combination of market regulation, government intervention and public participation is an effective way of allocating resource and protecting environment. Some suggestions are put forward to balance the relationship between them, including coordinating role of government and market, building platform for market operation and creating an atmosphere of public participation.     

转型期的资源与环境管理：基于市场-政府-社会三角制衡的分析

在经济体制转型期，伴随着经济的持续快速增长，我国出现了前所未有的资源破坏和环境恶化现象，严重制约未来经济社会的可持续发展。由此，构建解决经济发展需求与资源环境供给矛盾的有效机制，成为政界及学术界共同关注的重点课题。从中国经济转型期存在的主要资源与环境问题分析入手，提出资源环境管理制度构建的理想框架，通过进一步评价我国在市场机制、政府干预、公众参与3个方面的经验及教训，分别提出未来改进的方向。研究结果表明：“市场—政府—社会”三足鼎立的制度结构是我国资源环境管理制度构建的理想目标，也是适应世界资源环境保护发展的潮流。最后提出协调政府和市场作用、构建市场运作平台、营造公众参与氛围等方面的政策建议。     

转型期的资源与环境管理：基于市场-政府-社会三角制衡的分析

在经济体制转型期,伴随着经济的持续快速增长,我国出现了前所末有的资源破坏和环境恶化现象,严重制约未来经济社会的可持续发展.由此,构建解决经济发展需求与资源环境供给矛盾的有效机制,成为政界及学术界共同关注的重点课题.从中国经济转型期存在的主要资源与环境问题分析入手,提出资源环境管理制度构建的理想框架,通过进一步评价我国在市场机制、政府干预、公众参与3个方面的经验及教训,分别提出未来改进的方向.研究结果表明;"市场--政府--社会"三足鼎立的制度结构是我国资源环境管理制度构建的理想日标,也是适应世界资源环境保护发展的潮流.最后提出协调政府和市场作用、构建市场运作平台、营造公众参与氛围等方面的政策建议.     

中国未来20年资源与环境技术预见研究

阐述了技术预见的定义和发展,对中国科学院知识创新工程重要方向项目中国未来20年技术预见研究中资源与环境技术领域的德尔菲调查结果进行了概要介绍和系统分析,得出了一些初步结论:①深海油气与矿产资源开采技术得到广泛应用在综合重要度中名列第一;②从技术课题的预期实现时间分布来看.主要集中在2015-2020年;③我国资源与环境领域技术的总体研究水平远远低于国际水平,只有少量技术课题具有世界可比性;④普遍认为美国是当前资源与环境领域技术领先国家,美国、欧盟和日本三者基本上占据了资源与环境技术领域领先的主要领域;⑤从技术发展制约因素来看,研究开发投入因素影响最大.其后依次是技术可能性、法规、政策和标准、基础设施、人力资源和商业可行性.文章最后提出了若干政策建议.     

构筑我国绿色贸易体系的对策研究

环境与贸易紧密联系相互影响。我国现行的贸易体系不仅使贸易不可持续．而且给资源环境带来了很大压力。要实现优化贸易增长和缓解资源环境压力的“双赢”目标,需要构筑绿色贸易体系。绿色贸易体系是指通过一定的环境管理政策手段来绿化或优化贸易结构、调控贸易总量、提高贸易的环境效率。最终能够减少并扭转我国贸易的资源环境逆差和促进绿色贸易发展的政策体系。绿色贸易体系的政策框架包括：从具体政策措施看．包括加征产品出口的资源环境关税、制定基于环保目的的市场准入与准出制度,设计投资的资源环境导向等环保“阀门”和手段;从政策的作用点看．包括从产品、企业、行业三个层面着手;从政策的管理看,依据环境影响的程度。对产品、企业和行业分别进行鼓励、许可、限制和禁止贸易的分类管理。     

经济学帝国主义与人口资源环境经济学学科发展

与主流经济学与时俱进是人口、资源环境经济学生存和发展的根基。通过人口、资源与环境经济学兴起和发展的简单回顾和相关研究成功案例的介绍，分析了经济学帝国主义对人口、资源与环境经济学学科发展的启示。提出高举经济学大旗，建立与主流经济学与时俱进的人口、资源与环境经济学。     

资源环境约束下构建区域技术创新决策管理体系研究

当前区域经济社会发晨面临日益突出的资源环境约束阎题，区域技术创新体系建设和技术创新能力提升。是缓解资源环境压力、实现经济社会全面协调可持续发晨的根本途径。区域技术创新决策管理体系是整个技术创新体系的重要一环。本文在阐述技术创新重要作用等基础上。提出了在资源环境约束下，构建区域技术创新决策管理体系的主要措施。     

中国水资源与农业经济增长关系研究——基于面板VAR模型

通过构建水资源与农业经济增长的面板VAR模型,利用1998-2009年中国省级面板数据,检验与分析了水资源与农业经济增长的内在依存和因果关系。研究结果表明:①东部、中部和西部地区水资源和农业经济增长之间存在长期协整关系;②无论在短期内,还是在长期内,东部、中部和西部地区的水资源均是推动农业经济增长的重要因素,并且随着时间的推移,水资源对农业经济增长的影响逐步加强;③农业经济增长对水资源的影响存在明显的区域差异。中部地区所受影响最大,东部次之,西部相对较小。因此,为实现水资源与农业经济增长的协调发展,中国应该提高农业水资源的利用效率,根据各区域水资源和农业经济增长的不同因果关系因地制宜地制定水资源政策。     

东北地区开发规模扩张的资源环境响应演变及影响因素

提出"区域开发规模扩张的资源环境响应"的概念,并构建了区域开发规模扩张的资源环境响应指数、响应度模型及评价指标体系,通过定量分析1995-2008年东北地区开发规模扩张的资源环境响应变化及影响因素,得出以下结论:1995年以来东北地区开发规模不断扩大,而资源环境水平总体呈现出"先升后降"的波动变化态势。资源环境对东北地区开发规模扩张具有由"正响应"向"负响应"转变的特征,与此相对应,区域开发规模扩张对资源环境的影响程度也呈现出由"弱促进"向"强胁迫"变化的态势,这说明近年来在东北地区开发规模加速扩展的同时,其对区域资源环境造成的压力也日益增大。1995-2008年由经济快速增长导致的资源环境压力增长是引致东北地区开发规模扩张对资源环境影响由"正向促进"向"负向胁迫"转化的重要内部因素,而区域投资的不断增长以及工业的快速发展是东北地区开发规模扩张对资源环境影响由"弱促进"向"强胁迫"变化的主要因素。     

Water Resource Management in Botswana: Balancing Sustainability and Economic Development*

Botswana is a rapidly developing country in southern Africa. Over the last three decades, diamond mining and tourism have provided double-digit rates of economic growth. Yet most of Botswana’s land is in the Kalahari desert where the climate is subject to sustained periods of severe drought. In this environment, water resources are the most crucial of all environmental resources. Water use directly affects economic development because water utilization impacts all the major national economic sectors. A sustainable water use resource management plan must stretch several decades into the future to assure the availability of adequate supplies of water to future generations while not compromising the ability of the current generation to reasonable rates of economic development. Yet thinking about sustainability is present in Botswana water policy mostly only in rhetoric. A series of cultural traditions and political constraints, coupled with bureaucratic managerial weaknesses, serve to maintain a system of water allocation that is unsustainable in the long run and inefficient in the short-term. Unless sustainable water use patterns are adopted, the results for the short-term, as well as the long-term, will be devastating. Drawing on data obtained through a series of interviews with government officials, leaders of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and water resource researchers, this paper explores water policy in Botswana within the larger context of sustainable natural resource management practice and the pressures of economic development. This research was partially funded under U.S. Department of State, College and University Affiliations Grant # ASCS-1095.