Historical survey and the cultivation of a new culture regarding the ecology in China's Western Provinces

The Chinese leadership in recent years has clearly indicated that priority will be given to the development of the western provinces. In view of its under-developed economy, the relative poor education of the population and the extensive mode of development, environmental pollution and ecological damage in western China are more serious than in the east. In China's industrialization process in the modern era, the blind imitation of the initial stage of industrialization in the advanced countries and the total rejection of traditional Chinese cultural values have been particularly striking. Hence, the western provinces should adopt a mode of sustainable development based on establishment of an ecological culture. Environmentalists in China would like to concentrate on reforming the modes of production and the people's lifestyles through changing their views and values. They perceive this as the major commitment for building an ecological culture and promoting sustainable development. But large-scale and concentrated damage to the environment are very often the result of neglect and mistakes by government authorities and corporations. Pessimists worry that this millennium will signal the terminal stage for natural values; but there may be an alternative: a millennium of coordinated development, respecting the environment and based on adoption of a new ecological culture.     

Organics in wheat and rye straw pulp bleaching and combined mill effluents (II) ecotoxicological screening

Potential environmental effects of the discharge of industrial wastewater from manufacturing of bleached straw pulp have been studied. Bleached neutral sulphite straw pulping results in discharges of both black cooking and spent bleaching liquors. Time proportional samples were taken from the combined bleaching effluent and the combined mill effluent, (i) Mutagenic activity of the two samples in an Ames’ test, and (ii) acute toxicity of the combined mill effluent sample towards the photosynthetic activity of natural marine phytoplankton from the receiving waters were determined. Also, acute toxicity was determined of the slowly biodegradable or persistent organics remaining after aerobic stabilization of the sample towards (ii) photosynthetic activity of natural phytoplankton, (iii) mussels (Mytilus edulis), (iv) eels (Anguilla anguilla) and, (v) crustacean (Nitocra spinipes); and furthermore, (vi) reproduction test of the crustacean and (vii) growth inhibition test of the marine diatom (Phaeodactylum tricornutum) were performed. Mutagenicity emission factors (MEF's) and toxicity emission factors (TEF's) were calculated to classify the effluents. Combined mill effluent sample showed a mutagenic activity per t₉₀ of one fourth the activity of a kraft pulp bleaching effluent, and the inhibition of the photosynthesis of natural phytoplankton was significant up to 2600 times dilution. After aerobic stabilization, inhibition was observed up to 400 times dilution. Other effects of the combined mill effluent sample were only significant below 40 times dilution. The bleaching effluent showed a mutagenic activity per t₉₀ comparable to kraft bleaching effluents. Other effects were only significant below 20 times dilution.     

Environmental regulation and competitive performance: new evidence from a sectoral study

Economic theory provides different perspectives on the relationship between environmental regulation and company environmental and competitive performance. A frequently analysed issue refers to the impact of environmental regulation on company performance. Using qualitative data collected within the recently completed Environmental regulation and Market forces Providing Incentives for Resource Efficiency (EMPIRE) project, we analysed the relationship between environmental regulation and company competitiveness, operating in the building and construction (B&C) sector. Empirical evidence from the correlation analysis emphasises that environmental regulation can be an important driver of competitive performance improvements in relevant segments of the European B&C sector.     

现代农业快速发展背景下的农业生产废弃物管理对策探析——政府与农户的动态博弈

随着农业集约化、规模化发展,农业生产废弃物的管理问题凸显。循环农业、低碳农业的发展,在一定程度上激励了农户对农业生产废弃物资源化管理,取得了一定的成绩,但是也存在一定的问题,严重制约了农业生产废弃物资源化管理。文章通过构建政府与农户的动态博弈模型,分析补贴政策对农户提高农业生产废弃物资源化管理效率的作用,并基于政府与农户的动态博弈分析提出了促进农业生产废弃物管理效率提升及其可持续发展的建议,即：（1）根据不同的资源化管理方式的差异制定并实施差别补贴政策;（2）实行区域差别补贴标准;（3）延长补贴期限,实行分年度对农户进行不同数量的补贴;（4）培养农户管理意识,加强农户技能培训。     

含石棉制品(ACM)应限制使用

石棉在建筑、制动等行业应用的弊端早已得到重视,由此引起的国际性的环境及制品污染事故均以无法弥补的生命、健康损失和天价赔偿为最终代价。根据当前各国针对含石棉物质的限量要求、检测方法和法令,提出中国应采取的积极应对措施,重点在法令、标准的宣贯、新产品的开发以及检测方法的普及。     

地方安全生产条例与《安全生产法》比对分析

对全国31个省、自治区和直辖市的安全生产条例进行了收集整理,并与《安全生产法》进行了逐条对比分析。从安全理念、安全规划、监管模式、机构和人员、管理制度和方法、安全经费、处罚和其他8个方面,对地方安全生产条例中具有代表性的、新的提法或改进的做法进行了总结。在此基础上,从建立"以人为本"安全理念、将"综合治理"纳入安全生产方针;明确要求各级政府编制安全生产规划,并将其纳入国民经济和社会发展规划;清晰界定政府综合监管、行业监管和其他监管部门的职责分工;细化各类企业安全管理机构和人员配备要求;明确注册安全工程师法律地位,并在高危行业强制配备;明确劳务派遣人员的培训职责,完善从业人员培训制度;建立安全生产信息系统,构建安全生产诚信体系;明确工伤保险基金、安全生产风险抵押金、安全生产责任险等费用的缴纳及管理要求;加大对尚未导致事故发生的违法行为的处罚力度;将隐患排查治理纳入《安全生产法》10个方面提出了对《安全生产法》的修改建议。     

新常态下山东省环境规制对工业结构调整及其大气环境效应研究

论文利用动态面板的系统GMM估计方法、LMDI分解模型、历史值外推模拟及线性规划约束模型等探究了新常态下山东省环境规制对工业结构调整的影响及其大气环境效应,得到以下结论：1）2001—2013年,山东省工业比重呈现先上升后下降的趋势,污染密集型行业比重整体呈现先下降后上升的趋势,二者的环境规制强度基本呈上升趋势;2）环境规制对山东省工业比重、污染密集型行业比重和高新技术产业比重的影响系数分别为-0.043、-0.451和0.523,说明山东省环境规制的实施对工业结构的优化调整具有正向作用;3）随着山东省环境规制强度的增加,工业结构效应和技术效率效应抑制了大气污染物排放量的增加,而污染密集型行业结构效应虽然是工业结构减排的主要原因,但其减排绝对量较小;4）对比宽松、适度、严格3种环境规制情景下的预测结果,新常态下山东省工业结构的调整力度和大气污染物减排潜力依次增大。值得指出的是,适度环境规制下山东省工业结构调整更有利于经济社会的可持续发展。     

Do EPA regulations affect labor demand? Evidence from the pulp and paper industry

Any opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Census Bureau or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. All results have been reviewed to ensure that no confidential information is disclosed. We thank Wang Jin and Shital Sharma for excellent research assistance; we also thank Jim Davis at the Boston Research Data Center for his continued help, and Reed Walker and participants at the 2011 AERE Summer Conference and the Environmental Economics seminar at Harvard University?s Kennedy School for helpful comments. Any remaining errors are ours.     

Trends in Deforestation and Forest Degradation after a Decade of Monitoring in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico

We used aerial photographs, satellite images, and field surveys to monitor forest cover in the core zones of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico from 2001 to 2012. We used our data to assess the effectiveness of conservation actions that involved local, state, and federal authorities and community members (e.g., local landowners and private and civil organizations) in one of the world's most iconic protected areas. From 2001 through 2012, 1254 ha were deforested (i.e., cleared areas had <10% canopy cover), 925 ha were degraded (i.e., areas for which canopy forest decreased), and 122 ha were affected by climatic conditions. Of the total 2179 ha of affected area, 2057 ha were affected by illegal logging: 1503 ha by large‐scale logging and 554 ha by small‐scale logging. Mexican authorities effectively enforced efforts to protect the monarch reserve, particularly from 2007 to 2012. Those efforts, together with the decade‐long financial support from Mexican and international philanthropists and businesses to create local alternative‐income generation and employment, resulted in the decrease of large‐scale illegal logging from 731 ha affected in 2005–2007 to none affected in 2012, although small‐scale logging is of growing concern. However, dire regional social and economic problems remain, and they must be addressed to ensure the reserve's long‐term conservation. The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) overwintering colonies in Mexico—which engage in one of the longest known insect migrations—are threatened by deforestation, and a multistakeholder, regional, sustainable‐development strategy is needed to protect the reserve. Tendencias en la Deforestación y la Degradación de Forestal después de una Década de Monitoreo en la Reserva de la Biósfera de la Mariposa Monarca en México     

铜陵市河湖水系功能连通性评估

以铜陵市河湖水系为研究区,利用土地利用类型、植被覆盖度、降雨侵蚀力、地形等数据,分别计算了针对总氮、总磷通量的功能连通性指数,对比分析了不同流域及其河湖水系的连通性情况,并提出相应的水文连通调控措施.结果 表明:基于总氮的功能连通性指数的平均值在菜子湖、岱冲湖、连城湖、白荡湖、枫沙湖、陈瑶湖、顺安河和黄浒河分别为0.9...