Insiders and outsiders: local government and NGO engagement in disaster response in Guimaras,Philippines

This paper examines local government and non‐governmental organisation (NGO) engagement in disaster response in the wake of the M/T Solar 1 oil spill in Guimaras, Western Visayas, Philippines, on 11 August 2006. It assesses the response activities of these two entities as well as the institutional factors that affected their interaction on the ground. Local government and NGO engagement was shaped by multi‐layered, overlapping, and oftentimes contending government‐designed response frameworks. Within these frameworks, government actors played the role of primary implementer and provider of relief, allowing them to determine who could be involved and the extent of their involvement. The absence of formal roles for NGOs in these frameworks not only undermines their ability to work in a setting where such institutional set‐ups are operational but also it reaffirms their ‘outsider’ status. This study of the Guimaras oil spill illustrates the complexity and the institutional difficulties inherent in disaster response and coordination in the Philippines.     

Biofuels and agriculture: a past perspective and uncertain future

The US corn ethanol industry has grown from virtually nothing in the early 1980s to over 14 billion gallons in 2011. Subsidies have been an important impetus for the industry, and they have existed in one form or another throughout the life of the industry. This paper provides (1) a brief look at the history of the linkages between energy and agriculture and how they have changed with biofuels; (2) a review of some of the major impacts of the US corn ethanol program; and (3) analysis of prospective impacts of cellulosic biofuels. There is no doubt that biofuels have brought about a new era for global agriculture. Historically, the prices of agricultural and energy products moved in response to supply and demand factors relevant to each market, but moved largely independent of one another. Corn ethanol has changed that, and today there is a link between crude oil and corn that is driven by the demand side. Since agricultural commodity prices are linked both on the demand and supply sides, the corn–crude oil link spills over to other agricultural commodities as well. Development of cellulosic biofuels has been much slower than hoped. The feedstocks are more expensive than initially believed. Conversion technologies remain uncertain and expensive. There are many uncertainties through the cellulosic supply chain, and government policy remains uncertain as well. Thus, the future of the cellulosic biofuels industry is, at this point, an open question.     

经济转型期安全生产监管机制研究

安全生产监管机制是否健全对于安全监管工作落实具有非常重要的影响,在当前经济转型发展的特殊背景下,建立科学合理的长效监管机制具有重要现实意义。分析伴随经济转型而来的安全生产快速发展现象,进而涌现出的许多生产安全新问题及其相互关系,对此总结得出安全生产各方面监管机制存在的不足。从安全生产监管机制薄弱环节出发并结合经济转型的发展特点,提出建立宏观调控监管机制体系的发展对策,并重点对该机制下的基层监管运行方式进行相应研究。有关研究内容有助于安全监管长效机制的建立,对提高监管水平具有重要的作用。     

突发性油污染应急响应体系的运作模式

突发性油污染发生突然,危害严重,有必要建立一套有效的应急响应体系.笔者提出了针对突发性油污染应急响应体系的模式构想.     

The understanding and role of uncertainty and risk in climate change adaptation: local and central authorities in Norway

A common claim is that emerging and future climate change is rendering traditional conceptions of uncertainty and risk obsolete. This is because a changing climate makes it quite a challenge to calculate uncertainties, establishing the measurable uncertainty as the basis for quantifying risk. Approaches that are capable of accommodating and possibly countering the wickedness caused by increasing uncertainty are necessary, the argument holds. Following up on previous studies of learning–knowledge and adapting to a changing climate, this article provides an analysis of how differences in the understanding of uncertainty and risk inform and determine governmental adaptation policies and actions of the local and central government in Norway, also discussing governance implications. The study finds that the understanding of uncertainty and risk generally is poor at the local level, but better at the state level, especially among highly educated staff with a background in, for example, natural sciences and engineering. On the other hand, a traditional understanding of uncertainty and risk is dominating: seeking to establish measurable uncertainty as a basis for quantifying risk. The article discusses combining different approaches of uncertainty and risk, thereby introducing a broader basis for governance, also implying multi-level network governance. On the one hand, this may help the local–central government in handling wicked problems of adapting to a changing climate but on other hand, it also possibly nurture struggles between different knowledge bases and stakeholder interest, thereby fuelling the wickedness of adaptation policies.     

Friends and family vs. government: who does the public rely on more to prepare for natural disasters?

This paper examines what organizations and groups individuals rely on to help prepare for natural disasters and how reliance differs vis-à-vis demographic characteristics. Using data gathered from 2,008 individuals employed in the United States, the results revealed that individuals are significantly more likely to rely on friends and family than government organizations at the local, state, and federal level. The findings also suggest that this reliance varies across demographic groups. For example, data from the present study suggest that women and minority groups as well as individuals who are older and less educated are significantly more likely to rely on organizations to help prepare for natural disasters. This study contributes to the disaster management and risk communication literatures by offering key insights into the organizations and groups the American public in general, and certain demographic groups in particular, rely on when it comes to preparing for natural disasters. Knowledge about the organizations and groups that individuals rely on to help prepare for natural disasters can help policymakers and practitioners target those organizations as conduits to deliver critical preparedness information, as well as other information related to disaster mitigation, response, and recovery.     

地方政府灾害应急管理问题研究——以灾区某市政府地震灾害应急管理为例

为了建立健全我国突发公共事件应急管理体制,提高各级政府应对突发事件的能力,分析和研究各级政府在突发公共事件应急管理过程中存在的问题显得非常重要。本文通过对九江地区5.7级地震发生后灾区某市政府在应急救灾抢险方面所展开的各项管理工作的调查研究,对灾区政府从启动初动体制到全面展开应急救灾工作的应急管理过程进行了详细分析。在此基础上,以灾区某市政府地震灾害应急管理为例,就我国各级政府在灾害管理过程中普遍存在的有应急预案但没有相应的防灾规划实施细则、灾后受灾应急评估体系不健全、应急避难与应急救灾物资缺少规划管理等问题进行了探讨和分析,并就如何加强我国地方政府灾害应急管理能力提出了相应的建议和方法。     

政府推动型城镇化对企业污染排放的影响研究

现阶段,资源过度消耗与环境恶化成为中国经济与社会可持续发展的障碍。虽然现有研究从多方面探究了环境污染的治理机制,但对政府推动型城镇化这一重要的宏观政策的关注不足。本文以中国工业企业为研究样本,利用撤县设区改革的准自然实验构建双重差分模型,考察政府推动型城镇化对企业污染排放的影响。实证结果显示,撤县设区改革显著地减少了原县辖区内企业的污染排放量,即政府推动型城镇化对企业污染排放具有“治理效应”。异质性分析发现,撤县设区改革对企业污染排放的“治理效应”来源于主动推动型撤县设区而非被动实施型撤县设区;相比于在非重污染行业的企业以及隶属于县级以上的企业中,撤县设区改革对企业污染排放的“治理效应”在重污染行业的企业以及隶属于县级以下的企业中更强。影响机制分析发现,撤县设区改革后,原县级政府的财政收入显著下降、基础建设性财政支出显著减少而民生性财政支出显著增加,说明撤县设区后,原县级政府财政收入的经济激励弱化,财政支出目标亦从基础设施建设转变为提供公共服务,从而有助于治理企业污染排放问题。     

基于职能特征分类的政府部门安全生产绩效测量评估机制研究

政府部门工作绩效测量是对政府部门工作开展的效率、效益、公平、秩序等方面进行评估,安全生产工作作为政府部门的主要工作职责,应当开展科学合理的绩效评估。基于政府职能部门的职能划分,分析其在履行职责、责任落实等方面的典型特征,进行绩效评估对象的分类,针对各类部门确定评估指标设计思路,建立评估结果测算模型,设计绩效测量流程,并在华东某省进行实证应用。基于职能特征分类的政府部门安全生产绩效测量评估机制的建立,能够科学、客观分析政府部门安全生产工作落实情况,促进党委政府领导责任、部门监管责任、企业责任、员工责任的层层压实。     

碳排放交易制度与企业创新质量:抑制还是促进

近年来,有关环境规制与企业创新关系的研究大量涌现,但基于中国碳排放交易制度,尤其是从微观企业层面考察碳排放交易制度对企业创新质量影响的研究仍有待丰富和深化。有鉴于此,采用2008—2016年中国A股上市公司面板数据,以专利申请总量表示创新数量,以发明专利申请和实用新型专利申请分别表示高质量创新和低质量创新,进而采用DID模型构建中国碳排放交易制度对企业创新质量影响的准自然实验框架。同时,为增强实证结果的解释力,采用PSM-DID方法对实证结果进行了稳健性检验、异质性检验以及政府补贴方式的创新激励机制检验。结果表明:①碳排放交易制度在提高"处理组"企业创新数量的同时,也能促使企业兼顾创新质量,但从影响程度来看,碳排放交易制度对低质量创新促进作用更为强劲。②从企业所有权和规模异质性来看,碳排放交易制度主要对国有股份企业和大规模企业创新质量有促进作用,而对民营企业和小规模企业进行高质量创新的诱导力度较小或不显著。③机制检验结果表明,政府补贴政策能够有效弥补碳排放交易制度对高质量创新诱导乏力的不足,但创新激励效果因政府补贴方式而异,其中政府事前补贴优于政府事后补偿;此外,碳排放交易制度通过促使政府为被规制企业提供更多的政府事前补贴,从而有效缓解企业"遵循成本"压力,推动企业转向高质量创新。由此认为,加大对小规模民营企业高质量创新补贴、采取更具灵活性和针对性的创新补贴方式,应是进一步助力碳排放交易制度诱导企业转向高质量创新的政策制定方向。