Climate Change Reporting in Great Lakes Region Newspapers: A Comparative Study of the Use of Expert Sources

This study focuses on the use of science sources as experts in news stories about climate change coverage in the Great Lakes region of the US and Canada. We examine, using the hierarchy of influences model, whether the use of scientific sources in climate change coverage may be related to factors such as geographic location, reporting frequency, and authorship, in the prestige press as well as regional and local media. The study found that as many or more non-scientists than scientists are selected as sources regardless of geographic location, reporting frequency, or authorship. However, the study also found that the more stories reporters produce on this topic, the more likely their stories are to use and give prominence to science sources. In addition, the articles included few denier sources, but denier views are more likely to appear in a more prominent location in the articles than supporters when stories are framed as conflict over global warming. These results highlight the need for additional research examining the expertise of climate scientists in news stories to better understand news decision-making in the context of complex scientific reporting.     

Muting the Voice of the Local in the Age of the Global: How Communication Practices Compromised Public Participation in India's Allain Dunhangan Environmental Impact Assessment

Public participation is widely lauded as a way to make environmental decisions more democratic, to improve their quality, and to enhance their legitimacy. Scholars and citizens around the world repeatedly complain, however, that public participation frequently serves primarily as a pro forma exercise to defend predetermined decisions rather than as a meaningful opportunity for the affected public to influence decision-making. These critiques persist despite considerable research suggesting ways to improve the quality of public participation. This essay explores this problem by analyzing citizen involvement in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes for the Allain Duhangan hydropower project in northern India. It describes how meaningful public involvement was compromised—despite repeated objections by citizens and independent consultants—by four communication practices: (1) failing to provide adequate access to information; (2) predetermining EIA outcomes by controlling the definition of issues (“definitional hegemony”); (3) privileging scientific/technical discourse; (4) utilizing “consultative” forms of communication that promote one-way flows of information rather than more interactive forms that encourage the joint construction of information and values. This study further argues that these practices persist because they serve as acts of power that privilege dominant actors and interests in the larger socio-political context. This analysis thus suggests that altering communication practices that compromise the quality of public participation may require attending to the interaction between communication practices, relations of power, and the larger socio-political context in which public participation takes place.     

全球气候变化与区域气象及空气质量的关系研究——以成都市为例

区域气象条件及空气质量或与全球气候变化关系密切。研究通过分析不同气候条件下成都地区1951～2017年主要气象要素及其2013～2017年大气污染物浓度变化趋势,并结合大数据挖掘技术探究厄尔尼诺/拉尼娜事件与成都地区气象及空气质量的关系。结果表明,全球气候变化对区域气象及空气质量影响明显。异常气候造成成都地区气温、降水、风速、日照时长等气象条件发生明显变化。这些变化通常利于大气扩散条件的改善而使污染物浓度下降,但相应时期的臭氧浓度却有所升高。研究同时利用KNN大数据挖掘算法评估不同气候条件下气象和减排对空气质量改善的贡献。结果显示,在全球厄尔尼诺发生频繁的2015年,成都地区重污染天数明显减少,气象和减排的贡献率分别为27%和73%;而在全球拉尼娜现象频发的2016年,成都地区空气质量也有明显改善,重污染天数的减少有42%归功于气象条件的变化,几乎与大气污染物的减排贡献相当。因此,为实现空气质量的有效改善,空气质量改善管理政策的制定,既要从源头上控制污染物的排放,同时也应考虑全球气候变化的影响。     

Public Participation and Effective Water Governance at the Local Level: A Case Study from a Small Under-Developed Area in Chile

The concept of participation in rural development has been evolutionary for the past two decades with those involved, such as development agencies and governments, particularly in rural water supply, re-evaluating their active role. The move towards effective community participation has encouraged a shift from the traditional top-down to a bottom-up approach whereby there is a decentralisation of unevenly distributed resources and power to empower a community and allow mobility of ‘people participation’. The Molinos water project is the first large-scale development project of its kind introduced into the village of Molinos in an under-developed area of Chile, where there has been no tradition of people participation. The project objective was to implement a low technology, low budget water treatment plant to the village of Molinos. Various aspects have hindered the continued development of the project including both technical and financial. In terms of people participation, the initial approach used was the top-down approach. There was a failure to fully integrate the community or inform the community in a formal manner about the project and consult them regarding key project issues. This case study illustrates that the lack of comprehensive consultation and the low level of participation of the community on the participatory scale does not achieve much in terms of people-centred benefits. For governance at the local level to be effective, participation should be inclusive and communicative so as to enhance transparency throughout the project lifetime. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Media Access and Political Efficacy in the Eco-politics of Climate Change: Canadian National News and Mediated Policy Networks

We use a discourse network analysis approach to answer two questions about national news coverage of climate change policy debate in Canada during the period 2006–2010. First, what is the media visibility of actors relevant to policy development and advocacy on climate change? Second, given the political and economic context of climate policy-making in Canada, does greater or lesser media visibility reflect effectiveness in climate policy advocacy? Multiple interpretive frameworks characterize Canadian political discourse about climate change, with fragmentation between the federal government, opposition political parties, provincial governments, and environmental organizations. Contrary to expectations, environmental organizations had high levels of media visibility while the relative invisibility of fossil fuel corporations was notable in the media coverage of Canadian climate discussions. Our findings challenge optimistic accounts of the relationship between media power and political power, and suggest that media power does not necessarily translate to political efficacy.     

Global Journalism in Decision-Making Moments: A Case Study of Canadian and American Television Coverage of the 2009 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen

Climate change is a phenomenon with global causes but local effects, and thus global climate change decision-making moments provide ideal opportunities to examine how local and global discourses work together—or do not—through global journalism. This case study investigates the globally focused vs. culturally bound frames used in television news coverage, in Canada and the USA, of the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Initial quantitative findings that Canadian media used many more culturally bound sources than did American media contradict the past findings and suggest Canadian media engaged less in producing global journalism than did American media. A follow-up qualitative analysis not only found more global framing in the American stories, but also concluded that global sources did not necessarily create global journalism; instead, a global orientation is required.     

干旱地区土地利用结构变化与生态服务价值的关系研究——以酒泉市为例

利用酒泉市1997-2006年土地利用变更调查数据和相关统计资料,计算土地利用结构异质性指数和生态服务价值,分析土地利用结构与生态服务价值的变化及其相互关系.结果表明:1997-2006年酒泉市耕地、林地、园地面积在增加,其中耕地增加最多,增加了9 803.15hm2,牧草地、水域和未利用地面积不断减小,其中牧草地减少最多,减少了207 470.56 hm2;酒泉市土地利用结构多样性指数和均匀度增加而优势度降低,土地利用趋于多样化和均匀化;各类土地的生态服务价值都有不同程度的增加,土地利用生态服务价值总体呈增加趋势;土地利用生态服务价值与土地利用结构线性相关,通过增加牧草地、水域和耕地等生态用地面积,提高土地利用集约度,调整土地利用结构促进土地利用的多样化、均匀化,可以增加生态系统稳定性和提高生态系统服务功能的经济价值.     

山地城市边缘土地利用格局与变化的地形梯度分布特征分析——以重庆市巴南区为例

地形作为重要的自然基底因子,在很大程度上影响土地利用变化与空间格局形成。以重庆市巴南区为例,借助GIS和RS手段,利用Landsat TM遥感数据和DEM数据,采用地形位指数、分布指数和土地利用程度综合指数等计算方法,对巴南区2000、2010和2015年土地利用格局与变化的地形梯度分布特征进行了分析,探讨了土地利用格局与变化和地形梯度的相互关系,以期为相似地形条件下的山地城市边缘区的人地关系研究提供支撑或参考。研究结果表明：（1）巴南区土地以中、高级地形位为主,海拔200 m以下,坡度8°以下的土地资源较为匮乏;（2）研究期内,中、低级地形位区间内大量耕地转变为建设用地,土地分布结构变化导致二者的分布优势区间均向更高级地形位区间转移;（3）土地利用程度综合指数曲线呈倒“V”型,波峰逐渐向中级地形位区间移动,可以印证在研究期内巴南区低丘缓坡区域内土地利用强度逐渐提升。     

新农村建设及特色产业发展中的金融支持问题研究——以甘肃省平凉市为例

建设社会主义新农村,是党中央运用科学发展观破解三农问题的新理念和新实践,是中国特色社会主义现代化的必然要求,是建设社会主义和谐社会的战略举措,也是增进农民福祉、惠及广大农民群众的民心工程。金融作为现代经济的核心,责无旁贷,义不容辞的要充分发挥杠杆作用,肩负起支持新农村建设与特色产业可持续发展的历史重任,紧密结合当地实际,不断创新金融产品,积极优化信贷结构,着力提升服务水平,切实解决金融支持乏力、担保机构缺位、农业保险缺失、信用环境不佳等诸多困难与问题,尚需研究和解决。本文以平凉市为例,进行了实证分析与思考。     

快速工业化区域建设用地问题与制度优化研究——以佛山市南海区为例

快速工业化区域是工业化快速发展、工业化水平迅速提升、经济社会结构急剧变化的新兴地域类型。普遍存在着建设用地总量急剧扩张、空间无序分散、城乡缺乏统筹等问题。本文从佛山市南海区典型案例入手，运用新制度经济学原理。归纳和解析了快速工业化区域城乡建设用地的主要问题，认为双二元管理体制、农村土地产权不完善、城乡土地市场发育不平衡和部门规划不协调等是建设用地发展的主要体制性障碍因素，并从管理、产权、市场、规划等方面系统提出相应的制度优化对策。     

城乡建设用地增减挂钩中拆旧地块选址适宜性评价研究——以辽宁省桓仁县华莱镇为例

为了更加合理的选择拆旧地块,以辽宁省桓仁县华莱镇为例,通过实际分析与特尔菲法选取14个评价指标,通过层次分析法确定指标的权重,采用加权指数和法计算评价得分,并运用累积曲线分级法将评价对象分为四类区域。结果表明最适宜拆旧区占居民点总面积的4.14%,适宜拆旧区占居民点总面积的6.16%,不适宜拆旧区占居民点总面积的31.91%,最不适宜拆旧区占居民点总面积的57.79%。     

Mutual Conversion of Land Use between Urban and Rural Area in the Process of Urbanization: A Case Study of Shandong Province

Urbanization is one of the driving forces for the land use change in type and structure, and its prominent effect is to convert rural land to urban land. This paper takes Shan-dong Province as an example to analyze the current situation of the mutual conversion between the urban and rural areas from the aspects of the structure of land use, the decreasing tendency of the cultivated land, the changes of land use in urban and rural residential areas. It points out that cultivated land is converted to residential area land, industrial and/or mining area land. The relationship between the urban area land and the cultivated land is more direct; meanwhile, the changes of rural residential area lag behind obviously. The decrease of the cultivated land and the decline of soil quality will be the two difficult problems in the process of urbanization.     

Mutual Conversion of Land Use between Urban and Rural Area in the Process of Urbanization: A Case Study of Shandong Province

Abstract

Urbanization is one of the driving forces for the land use change in type and structure, and its prominent effect is to convert rural land to urban land. This paper takes Shandong Province as an example to analyze the current situation of the mutual conversion between the urban and rural areas from the aspects of the structure of land use, the decreasing tendency of the cultivated land, the changes of land use in urban and rural residential areas. It points out that cultivated land is converted to residential area land, industrial and/or mining area land. The relationship between the urban area land and the cultivated land is more direct; meanwhile, the changes of rural residential area lag behind obviously. The decrease of the cultivated land and the decline of soil quality will be the two difficult problems in the process of urbanization.     

中国西部生态脆弱区产业结构调整的污染风险分析——以青海省为例

实现产业结构的调整升级是当今世界各国经济发展的普遍趋势,也是提升经济增长速度和水平的有效途径。青海省作为我国西部重要省份之一,不仅经济发展水平相对落后,而且生态环境也十分脆弱。随着西部大开发进程的不断推进,青海省经济加速发展,由此产生的污染风险也日趋提高。因此,研究青海省产业结构调整对提炼西部生态脆弱区协调经济增长与污染排放的关系并实现污染风险的有效监管具有重大意义。本文依据经济增长-环境质量回归模型研究了青海省产业结构升级与污染物排放的关系,发现青海省经济增长与污染物排放之间存在倒U型曲线关系。研究发现,青海省仍然处于污染物排放随经济增长而增长的阶段,且距离拐点仍有一定的距离。此外,本文分析了青海省不同产业随时间的变化趋势,虽然三大产业均有增长的态势,但是各占GDP比例变化却各不相同。其中,第一产业的比例不断下降,第二产业的比例不断增长,而第三产业在增长到一定比例后,有小幅减少的趋势。在此基础上,本文利用青海省不同产业占全国相同产业的比例,分析了青海省产业结构的变化趋势,并利用环境投入-产出模型计算了产业结构调整和升级过程中造成的污染物排放量,评价了产业结构升级可能带来的污染风险。虽然青海省第一产业占该区域GDP比例呈减少态势,但占全国比例并未发生明显变化,这表明了青海省农林牧渔业的发展趋势和速度基本与全国平均水平持平;第二产业占全国比例大部分呈减少的态势,而第三产业却有一定的增长态势,这在一定程度上反映了青海省产业发展正在向加大第三产业的发展并控制污染较严重的第二产业的发展的方向转变。产业结构的提升对不同产业污染物的排放也产生了不同的影响。其中,机械电子设备制造业、住宿餐饮和零售业和房地及租赁产业的提升导致了污染物排放小幅增长,而其他产业尤其是建筑业、金属制品业等的扩张则对污染物排放均有不同程度的抑制作用。因此,虽然其经济发展会在一定程度上加重环境污染风险,并且污染排放量会随经济的进一步发展而不断加大,但2002-2007年青海省产业结构变化对废水、废气等污染的排放产生了一定的控制作用,从而降低了青海省环境污染的风险。研究结论为青海省调整产业结构以抑制环境污染风险并保障区域经济发展和环境保护的协调提供重要的决策参考信息。     

农村集中居住:发生机制、发展阶段及拆迁补偿——基于新桥镇的案例研究

集中居住往往被认为是在中国人地关系高度紧张的基本国情下既不影响粮食安全又能为工业化供给土地的一种有效途径,由此,集中居住工程便在农村地区大规模地展开。然而,随着社会主义新农村建设的提出,地方政府实施集中居住的动力机制已经发生了较大变化。为了进一步认识这些变化以及寻求解决集中居住过程中拆迁补偿困境的方法,本文基于江苏省丹阳市新桥镇的实地调查,研究了农村集中居住的发生机制、发展阶段以及拆迁补偿等问题。研究结果表明工业化是目前集中居住的主要动力,但并不是唯一动力,农村公共设施供给效率和公共建设项目的推进等因素开始成为集中居住的诱发和推动力量,并且其作用程度逐渐加强。伴随着集中居住的不断推进,集中居住的具体模式及特征也开始发生变化,主要包括:上级政府对集中居住干预力量加大;发生在工业扩张之前的集中居住所占比重越来越高;土地集约程度逐渐提升;集中居住区建设投入逐步加大。最后本文对如何化解拆迁困境提出了政策建议。     

Research on the Variation of Population Distribution and Its Characteristics Based on Spatial Autocorrelation Method: A Case Study of Poyang Lake Region in Jiangxi Province

Abstract

According to Statistical Yearbook of Jiangxi Province (2001~2006), We analyze the time-space variation of population distribution of Poyang Lake region from the two points of view. The former is quality of population, which involves culture structure, occupational structure, age structure and sex structure of population. The latter is quantity of population, which only involves the amount of population. Furthermore, we can reveal the internal relations and action mechanism of variation of population distribution by analyzing the regional economic development, population urbanization, land use and ecological landscape of Poyang Lake region. It is important to provide help for region planning, ecological landscape planning and environmental protection by correct understanding the man-land relationship of natural-human ecosystem in Poyang Lake region.     

Research on the Variation of Population Distribution and Its Characteristics Based on Spatial Autocorrelation Method: A Case Study of Poyang Lake Region in Jiangxi Province

According to Statistical Yearbook of Jiangxi Province (2001-2006), We analyze the time-space variation of population distribution of Poyang Lake region from the two points of view.The former is quality of population, which involves culture struc-ture, occupational structure, age structure and sex structure of pop-ulation. The latter is quantity of population, which only involves the amount of population. Furthermore, we can reveal the internal relations and action mechanism of variation of population distribu-tion by analyzing the regional economic development, population urbanization, land use and ecological landscape of Poyang Lake region. It is important to provide help for region planning, ecological landscape planning and environmental protection by correct understanding the man-land relationship of natural-human ecosys-tem in Poyang Lake region.     

The State of Protected Forest Communities in the European Forest–Steppe Zone of Russia and Prospects for Their Reconstruction: A Case Study of Specially Protected Areas of Penza Oblast

The structure of most forest communities in the European forest–steppe, including protected areas, has been disturbed. The adverse consequences of these disturbances include the incomplete age structure of the populations of cenosis-forming species and the irreversibility of successions. The conservation of biodiversity in the structurally disturbed communities is impossible without human intervention, which must be aimed at restoring their age heterogeneity with regard to their specific ecological features.