Made in conflict. Local residents' construction of a local environmental problem

The aim of this paper is to understand how local residents participate in the construction of local environmental problems and to evaluate a particular analytical approach in environmental sociology to study this phenomenon. The paper is based on an interview study with a sample of local residents. The analysis demonstrates how the local residents attempt to construct a local environmental problem. In particular, the study focuses on how involved actors are positioned, how different sorts of knowledge claims are used, and how the neglect the residents perceive from the authorities affects the attempt to construct a local environmental problem. The study shows that the local residents play a central role in the construction of the situation and that the evaluated model could be very helpful as an analytical tool in the investigation of local residents' participation in the construction of environmental problems.     

Exploring the lay/expert divide: the attribution of responsibilities for coal ash pollution in Tuzla,Bosnia and Herzegovina

Invoking expert knowledge is a common strategy in attempts to settle environmental disputes. However, the validity of expertise is contingent upon the context in which an actor is recognised as an expert. In complex environmental conflicts the distinction between lay and expert knowledge is not always fixed a priori. However, as conflicts unfold, intervening parties tend to present their cases in ways that reinforce this distinction. This is apparent in the attribution of environmental responsibilities. This paper presents an empirical case of an environmental conflict related to land contamination due to coal ash disposal in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The analysis revealed two polar positions in the conflict: the first one, mainly held by scientists and industry representatives, invoked expert knowledge and presented a distributed approach to the attribution of responsibilities; the second one, mainly held by local residents and municipal officials, presented an experiential understanding of pollution, as lay knowledge, and attributed direct responsibilities to the local energy industry. The paper concludes that the persistence of the distinction between expert and lay knowledge is a manifestation of the social structures that underlie the conflict.     

How to Constrain Multi‐Objective Calibrations of the SWAT Model Using Water Balance Components

Accurate discharge simulation is one of the most common objectives of hydrological modeling studies. However, a good simulation of discharge is not necessarily the result of a realistic simulation of hydrological processes within the catchment. We propose an evaluation framework that considers both discharge and water balance components as evaluation criteria for calibration of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). In this study, we integrated average annual values of surface runoff, groundwater flow, and evapotranspiration in the model evaluation procedure to constrain the selection of good model runs for the Little River Experimental Watershed in Georgia, United States. For evaluating water balance and discharge dynamics, the Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and percent bias (PBIAS) were used. In addition, the ratio of root mean square error and standard deviation of measured data (RSR) was calculated for individual segments of the flow duration curve to identify the best model runs in terms of discharge magnitude. Our results indicate that good statistics for discharge do not guarantee realistic simulations of individual water balance components. Therefore, we recommend constraining the ranges of water balance components to achieve a more realistic simulation of the entire hydrological system, even if tradeoffs between good statistics for discharge simulations and reasonable amounts of the water balance components are unavoidable. Editor's note : This paper is part of the featured series on SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges. See the February 2017 issue for the introduction and background to the series.     

美国清洁空气战略规划

为维护和改善空气质量,2003年美国EPA制定了未来5年的清洁空气战略规划,包括室外空气、室内空气、大气改善、辐射防护以及科学研究5个组成部分.EPA的战略规划措施为:①强调与州、地方、部落之间的紧密合作,加大与非政府组织和专业团体间交流;②采取创新的方法制定出有关政策、规章和非规章性措施,包括绩效方法、激励与自愿计划、环境管理系统、提高环境工作者积极性措施等;③继续加大国际间协作,减少越境污染的发生.      

国际土壤质量研究热点与趋势——基于大数据的Citespace可视化分析

论文利用文献计量学方法定量分析了土壤质量研究领域的科学文献,结果显示国际土壤质量研究热点从有机质及其组分对管理措施的响应、微生物指标敏感性、土壤质量定义到土壤质量评价方法、评价指标和框架的完善,在农业生产和环境保护中的应用性不断加强。目前,土壤质量的监测及其对土壤修复、全球气候变化的响应是未来研究热点。主要研究趋势有：1）发展中国家将在土壤质量研究领域中发挥重要作用;2）土壤质量对土壤修复、全球气候变化的响应以及应对措施成为未来的研究重点;3）可持续发展仍然是土壤质量研究的主题,不同国家及地区应根据自身特点进行土壤质量评价、监测、修复研究,制定法律,保障土壤管理的规范化和可持续化。     

光伏企业低碳发展目标指标和实施路径研究

企业低碳发展是实现低碳经济的重要途径,有助于企业降低生产和运营成本,提升企业竞争力。结合国内外企业低碳发展经验和国内低碳发展政策背景,以光伏企业为案例,通过调查企业碳排放数据,建立企业低碳发展目标和关键目标指标体系,研究了企业低碳发展的实施路径,并提出企业低碳发展的建议和思考。     

安全工程专业本科教育培养模式的探讨

本文分析了当前安全工程专业本科教育存在的一些问题，如本科基础知识教育欠系统和规范，知识结构的行业限制性过重，课程设置不甚合理等，这些问题对培养高素质安全科学人才及本专业自身的发展不利，笔者就合理的培养模式作了探讨，提出本科教育应有明确的目标，业务能力应有具体要求，专业知识结构应划分为四个层次。     

基于特征和知识的自由锻CAPP系统

建立了基于特征和知识的自由锻CAPP系统模型 ,论述了特征、基于知识的工艺决策等有关问题。通过总结几年来开发该系统的经验 ,从系统原理、专家系统等方面探讨了该系统的开发研制 ,并简单介绍了该系统的主要功能和特色     

Socially robust knowledge in coastal projects

Interactive modes of knowledge production offer a strategy for seeking solutions to complex environmental problems. The outcome of such knowledge production is socially robust knowledge. Social robustness refers to knowledge that is relevant and accepted by actors in the context of its application. This is achieved when knowledge is credible, salient and produced in a legitimate way. To date, only limited research has focused on how social robustness is achieved. As coastal problems are characterised by conflicting interests and major uncertainties, the coastal zone represents a relevant domain for studying socially robust knowledge. This paper analyses and presents three conditions that need to be in place if one is to achieve socially robust knowledge in coastal projects. The conditions are based on theories related to socially robust knowledge, boundary spanning, project arrangements and knowledge arrangements. The conditions specify how social robustness can be achieved through knowledge testing by boundary spanners, the involvement of diverse actors and a close connection between knowledge production and the evolving project. In a case study, these conditions are compared to developments in a Dutch coastal project involving spatial developments near the Ems estuary. The comparison highlights the relevance of the three conditions in achieving socially robust knowledge. In addition, a fourth aspect is empirically uncovered: the role of boundary spanning among project partners prior to producing knowledge. These four conditions clarify how social robustness may be achieved in coastal solutions. As such, this paper contributes to the theoretical and empirical understanding of socially robust knowledge.     

CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURAL HAZARDS IN NORTHERN CANADA: INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES WITH GOVERNMENT POLICY

A study of the relationship between natural hazards and climate change in the international context provides the background for a discussion of the expected changes. In the context of this global discussion, this paper reviews the current perspectives of those natural hazards that are likely to be influenced by climate change, using northern Canada as a regional case study. The northern implications of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are examined, including the status of climate change action by the northern territorial governments, the evolving role of indigenous people, and the responsibility for climate change impacts. The difficulties surrounding natural hazards research in remote locations, and the approaches of indigenous people to natural hazards are then presented. The paper concludes with a suggested policy approach for climate change and natural hazards in northern Canada, underscoring the need for more comprehensive adaptive strategies to complement the current tendency to focus on the mitigation of greenhouse gases produced in this region.