Planning routes around the world: International evidence for southern route preferences

Three studies test whether the southern route preference, which describes the tendency for route planners to disproportionately select south- rather than north-going routes, can be attributed to regional elevation patterns; specifically, we ask whether this effect replicates in three topographically disparate international regions, one of which is characterized by higher elevations to the north and lower to the south (Padua, Italy), and two characterized by higher elevations to the south and lower to the north (Enschede, Netherlands; Sofia, Bulgaria). In all cases, we found strong evidence that route planners disproportionately select south- rather than north-going routes at rates exceeding chance. We conclude that the southern route preference is driven by strong associations between canonical direction and perceived effort of route traversal; these effects are somewhat perplexing given that such associations are not founded in the reality of physical space.     

Overview of the Brazilian Citriculture Certification

This study aims to characterize the different types of certification in the Brazilian citriculture as well as analyze the major changes in the market. The paper also has the objective to discuss how social and environmental factors influence the demand for food certifications and the sustainability and ethics aspects in the field. Therefore, a literature review on the subject was carried out as well as a qualitative research using interviews with certifiers, governmental institutions, farmers, cooperatives and producer associations. The certification is becoming mandatory for those working in foreign markets and for those working nationally; it can be a competitive differential. The organic certification in citriculture shows the highest number of growers. Companies with large areas of citrus and the orange juice processing industry are adhering to this certification in order to maintain themselves competitive in the market. There is an enormous potential of Brazilian citriculture certification, because the certified area is still less than 6 % of the total area. Certification reduces the asymmetry of information and consists of an important step towards sustainability although incapable of solely guaranteeing it.     

生态系统服务功能研究综述

生态系统服务功能的研究是最近生态学研究的热点领域,它体现的是可持续发展的思想.本文在参考大量前人研究的基础上,介绍了生态服务功能的定义以及发展历程,同时讨论了生态系统服务功能评估的理论基础和目前常用的评价方法.通过上述的讨论和分析说明,我国目前的生态系统服务功能的研究才刚刚起步,与国外相比还有一定的差距,所以今后需要加强这方面研究的投入,尤其要加强生态系统服务功能评估的基础理论和方法研究,促进我国生态系统服务功能的发展.     

Water management in the world of globalization

Water management is changing its paradigm. The millennia of economic indoctrination are to be replaced by the logic of ecology. The economic sector satisfying the demands for water and water‐related services guided until now by its own ideology and institutions, is gradually becoming an integral part of environmental protection and eco‐economy. Within the great diversity of national water policies, efforts towards sustainability are a dominant common objective. Discussions of the World Water Fora and other initiatives indicate that ecologically oriented water management is the emerging new challenge for achieving this objective. Ecological orientation emphasizes the unified system of the world water balance processes as transmitters of various human impacts leading to economic externalities. Water management is becoming a component of the processes of globalization primarily through its externalities requiring a comprehensive informational infrastructure as well as adequate institutional competence for their management. The paper analyzes fundamental features of the conceptual models incorporating such informational and institutional arrangements. The outlook of water is inseparably tied to the world order of the future, and water management in the world of globalization can either promote a genuine worldwide collaboration or can become a source of dangerous international tensions and conflicts.     

浅谈环境成本

本文论述了环境的资源观、价值观以及环境的商品性,介绍了环境成本概念,分析了环境成本确认、环境成本的核算。     

生态用地研究进展综述

尽管生态用地的提出时间较晚,但与生态用地相关的研究较多,主要涉及其内涵、外延、分类体系、效益和质量评价、数量和空间布局规划及保护等。对生态用地研究中急需重点解决的问题,如生态用地内涵、外延的统一界定和最优生态用地数量及空间格局的确定等进行了探讨。     

Some economic aspects of the world coal market

The basic intention of this paper is to present some new economic results pertaining to the world coal market. These results deal principally with the effect of devaluations on production; the effect of ‘volume’ and depletion on the calculation of marginal cost; and price formation in a stock flow market. Observations are also made in the paper concerning the use of combined cycle technology in coal based power plants, and present supply-demand trends in the world coal market, to include the development of (sea) freight rates.     

Controlling industrial pollution in the developing world

Industrial pollution has become a serious problem in many developing countries during the past two decades. Support for regulation of industrial pollution has remained lukewarm from many policymakers, despite research suggesting large benefits from pollution reduction even in very poor countries. Since 1993, a World Bank research team on the environment has worked in collaboration with pollution control agencies to understand existing regulatory practices, industry's environmental performance, and pollution abatement costs in developing countries. The researchers'ongoing work has already produced a large number of publicly-available research papers and datasets, and is providing the Bank team with considerable expertise and insights into the design of effective pollution control policies.     

A biotechnological agenda for the third world

Third World countries should exploit the genetic information stored in their flora and fauna to develop independent and highly competitive biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries. The necessary condition for this policy to succeed is the reshaping of their universities and hospitals—to turn them into high-caliber research institutions dedicated to the creation of original knowledge and biomedical invention. Part of the service of the Third World foreign debt should be co-invested with the lending banks in high technology enterprises. This should be complemented with an active program of investments in First World biotech companies and university research departments which could contribute to the solving of problems connected with the First World. These strategic alliances would allow effective training of molecular biologists, improvement of South American universities, and education of biotechnologists, managers, and lawyers in the complexities of high-technology business. The establishment of real joint ventures between developed and underdeveloped countries might contribute to change the present strained relations between the North and the South, and science and technology could become real forces of social and economic development.     

Sustainable Development: A Transdisciplinary Overview of the Literature

The literature on sustainable development has burgeoned. Over the past decade, concern about sustainability has been raised within such a wide range of social and natural science discourses that a comprehensive overview of this work is hard to find. Literature reviews that are available typically have a disciplinary focus-such as ecological economics or environmental science-or they have an applied social science/ policy emphasis. This paper bridges the multiple discourses by arraying them as interlocked parts of a grand puzzle. Ten fields of discourse are identified and conceptually mapped. The review is critical, yet constructive. It outlines a political ecology of sustainable development by articulating four key challenges concerning: (1) holism and co-evolution; (2) social justice and equity; (3) empowerment and community building; and (4) sustainable production and reproduction.     

A world in balance

The objectives of this paper are to define the scope of global population growth within the uncompromising everyday realities of technology, economies, and politics and to demonstrate the intimate between the human population problem and the increasing problem of Nature's destruction. It is hoped that the human species will come to its sense in time to create an adequate standard of living of all of its members in peace and environmental balance. The number of people the world can support is considered in terms of 1) the provision for a standard of living adequate for everyone's health and wellbeing, 2) consideration for wildlife and nature, and 3) reliance on existing levels of technology and politics. Standards of living are suggested for the affluent and the austere. The focus on the discussion is on standards of living, global carrying capacity, the imperatives of population control and respect for nature, humans versus wildlife, and the need for a universal declaration of respect for nature. Carrying capacity is determined by total land area, cultivated land area, forest land area, cereals (grain), and wood. Use per capita of each of the 5 essentials is determined for the affluent or austere standard of living. An affluent standard means that world population would be limited to 2 billion, which is 50% of the current population. An austere standard of living means a limit of 3 billion, or 33% less than the existing population. The unfortunate reality is that today's total population of 4.5 billion is increasing at an annual rate of 1.9% and is not expected to level off until it has increased 3 times. This population growth occurs at the expense of wildlife. Of the total terrestrial animal biomass, humans constitute 4% and domestic livestock 15%, which, in 40 years, will reach a combined 40% and lead to more species extinction. One species of bird or mammal will become extinct for each increase of 220 million people, which happens every 3 years. The solution is a radical stop, reversal, and stabilization of population to achieve one which is lower than today's 4.5 billion.     

Desertification around Hirakud reservoir

Summary A comparative study of Survey of India topo-maps of 1929 and land satellite imageries in False Colour Combination (FCC) of 1975 indicates a loss of 43% and 46% of the reserved forest around Sambalpur and Jharsuguda respectively, besides other forest types in a radius of twenty miles. Deforestation is found to be an accelerating process where the rate of loss is estimated to be more during 1970–75 and 1960–70 in comparison to 1950–60 from a semilogarithmic trend curve between 1929 and 1975. This curve also fits to a hypothesis that the rate of deforestation is faster after 1950 (after developmental plan periods came into force). An analysis of the climatic data indicates a decrease in rainfall and number of rainy days, and morning relative humidity. The mean minimum and maximum temperature, evening relative humidity and atmospheric pressure show increasing trends. Relationships between forest loss and climatic parameters are significant for morning relative humidity, rainy days, maximum temperature and atmospheric pressure. Considering the loss of storage capacity of the Hirakud reservoir due to severe deforestation in the catchment area, suggestions are given for natural forest preservation. Arttabandhu Mishra graduated in Science (Zoology Honours) and Education from Utkal University; postgraduated from Berhampur University, India. At present he is a Lecturer in School of Life Sciences, Sambalpur University and Secretary of Orissa Environmental Consciousness Society. His fields of interests are Productivity and Energetics of Forest Ecosystems, Environmental Education and Community Education. He has published seven papers on the above fields and a number bf popular articles. He tries to use folk literature as media to carry scientific messages. Madhab C. Dash, obtained his B.Sc. (Hens), M.Sc. from Utkal University, India and Ph.D. from University of Calgary, Canada. At present he is Professor and Head, School of Life Sciences, Sambalpur University, a fellow of the Zoological Society of India, the National Institute of Ecology and the National Academy of Sciences, India. His major areas of research and writing are on the functional role of soil organisms in the decomposer subsystem of ecosystems, He has published seventy-five papers on taxonomy, biology, population ecology, metabolic functions, energy flow modelling, role in soft fertility and waste conditioning ability of Oligochaetes, nematodes, protozoa and soil microorganisms. Professor Dash has contributed specialised chapters in major treaties published by Cambridge University Press, UK; John Wiley and Sons, USA; and Academic Press, New York, USA.     

The world energy situation

The oil crisis has ended on a worldwide scale. Risks of excessive price rises have disappeared. Between now and the year 2000, oil resources costing less than $15/bbl (1988 dollars) will be abundant. Twenty to 25% of the oil consumed in 2000 for thermal uses will be replaced by less costly natural gas and coal. Consumption of these last two energy sources will increase if the cost of oil rises above $20/bbl (1988 dollars). The cost of oil will rise sharply when it becomes reserved for the uses for which it is irreplaceable, ie transport, petrochemicals, the Third World and non-energy uses — probably after 2010.