Which “fairness”, for whom,and why? An empirical analysis of plural notions of fairness in Fairtrade Carbon Projects,using Q methodology

Fairness is a relative concept with multiple, subjective and competing notions of what it is, how to achieve it, and for which beneficiaries. Fairtrade International's collaborative efforts to develop a standard to certify Fairtrade Carbon Credits (FCCs) brought together multiple stakeholders in a deliberative context. This paper uses Q methodology to empirically assess the notions of fairness this wider consultation group held. Three distinct ‘factors’ (or perspectives) are identified, and discussed in relation to a multi-dimensional framework for exploring fairness. The first factor prioritises development delivered through organisations, participation in decision-making and use of minimum prices to adjust trade imbalances. The second factor conceptualises a non-exclusive approach maximising generation and sales of FCCs, involving a commodity chain where everyone performs their optimum function with financial transparency and information-sharing to facilitate negotiations. The third factor involves minimising intervention, allowing carbon commodity chains and project set-ups to function efficiently, and make their own adjustments to enhance benefits access and quality received by beneficiaries. The three factors reflect debates within carbon and fair trade spheres about who should be playing which roles, who should be accessing which benefits, and how people should be supported to interact on an uneven playing field. Communicating findings to standards organisations enables a more open and inclusive policy process. Our research provides a critical reflection on these plural notions of fairness, identifying areas of (dis)agreement within the FCC dialogue, and provides a wider, yet manageable, set of inputs for supporting the FCC process during its inception and subsequent implementation. Clearer definitions of “fairness” are also useful for standards organisations in reviewing ex post whether “fairness” goals have been met.     

A new tool to map the major worldviews in the Netherlands and USA,and explore how they relate to climate change

For addressing climate change, public support for changes in policy is needed, as well changes in individual lifestyles. Both of these appear to be intimately related with people’s worldviews. Understanding these worldviews is therefore essential. In order to research and ‘map’ them, we translated the theoretical ‘Integrative Worldview Framework’ (IWF) into an empirical, quantitative approach. We constructed a worldview-scale aiming to distinguish between four major worldviews – labeled traditional, modern, postmodern, and integrative – and explored their interface with opinions and behaviors with respect to climate change. The survey was conducted with representative samples of citizens in the Netherlands and the USA (n = 527 and n = 556). The hypothesized worldviews were found in the data with a reasonable degree of reliability, especially in the Dutch sample. We also found consistent relationships between these worldview-clusters and a range of opinions, political priorities, and behaviors. In both countries postmoderns and integratives displayed significantly more concern about climate change as well as more sustainable behaviors, compared with moderns and traditionals. The implications of these findings for environmental policy and social science are noteworthy.     

Framing an independent,integrated and evidence-based evaluation of the state of Australia's biophysical and human environments

A new approach was developed for Australia's 2011 national State of the Environment (SoE) report to integrate the assessment of biophysical and human elements of the environment. A Common Assessment and Reporting Framework (CARF) guided design and implementation, responding to jurisdictional complexity, outstanding natural diversity and ecosystem values, high levels of cultural and heritage diversity, and a paucity of national-scale data. The CARF provided a transparent response to the need for an independent, robust and evidence-based national SoE report. We conclude that this framework will be effective for subsequent national SoE assessments and other integrated national-scale assessments in data-poor regions.     

中国冰雪资源高质量开发：理论审视、实践转向与挑战应对

推动冰雪资源高质量开发,是实现联合国可持续发展目标的新路径与新模式,是践行“两山理论”的重要环节,也是落实全民健身国家战略、助力体育强国建设的重要手段。在实际建设的理论指导层面,社会学所倡导的幸福感理论明确了冰雪资源高质量开发的终极目标,资源经济学的资源价值理论为冰雪资源的价值认识及价格核算提供了科学工具,地理学的人地关系理论是探究空间分异规律及人地系统耦合路径的理论基石。基于我国冰雪资源开发实践的系列转变及现实挑战,提出我国冰雪资源高质量开发的实现路径,即坚持观念创新的发展方式、多重协调的发展要求、积极开放的发展理念以及主客共赢的发展目标。     

我国生态环境资产负债表编制框架研究*

本文根据生态环境资产负债表的基本概念和理论,提出了生态环境资产负债表编制的总体框架,同时,针对环境容量资产、环境质量产品、生态产品资产的特点,分别建立了相应框架体系,提出了环境资产负债表的应用决策方向。本文研究成果对于确立统一的生态环境资产核算标准和方法、使我国生态环境资产负债核算工作逐步规范化、制度化的轨道具有重要的现实意义。     

旋流式脱水器分离最小水滴理论计算

介绍了旋流式的构造和工作原理,分析了影响性能的因素。通过对脱水器构造的剖析,找出叶片形状影响脱水效果的关键所在,从理论分析入手,推导出旋流式脱水器分离最小直径水滴的计算方法,并根据工程实践进行了检验。工程实践表明,实际应用效果与理论计算相符合。     

从生物群落到生态系统综合保护：国家公园生态系统完整性保护的理论演变

自然保护事业已经进入人与自然和谐的综合保护阶段,突破传统生物群落保护的要素式思维,从生态特征、生态系统健康和自组织能力等视角系统实施生态系统完整性保护,已基本成为共识。中国经历了长期部门化割裂管理,在国家公园体制建设过程中开始由分散走向统一,要求将山水林田湖草作为生命共同体进行生态系统完整性保护。基于集合种群等空间生态学理论,提出国家公园生态系统完整性不仅意味着内部自然空间的完整,更需着眼国家生态安全的大局和自然保护地体系的战略布局。国家公园只有成为生态地理区的节点并辐射周边区域,有效平衡行政区域之间以及人与自然之间的关系,才能真正实现完整生态系统的长效保护。目前,国内既有研究在指导全域布局和平衡人地关系方面仍考虑不足,试点过程中还存在管理型技术方法欠缺、空间边界受限于行政边界、未能从全局着眼构建以国家公园为核心的生态系统完整性网络、未充分考虑差异化的人地关系等问题。未来需要着眼大局,有效平衡国家公园及其周边区域的关系、不同行政区域之间的关系、国家公园人与自然的关系,从而实现生态系统完整性的长效保护。     

经济发展成本分析:可持续发展经济学的理论基础

可持续发展战略存在着理论与实践上的严重反差，其主要原因是可持续发展经济缺乏统一的理论基础，本文通过对经济学不同流派关于可持续发展问题研究的评析，认为可持续发展经济学需要建立一个统一的理论基础，并提出经济发展成本分析是可持续发展经济学的理论基础，围绕这一理论基础对可持续发展的概念进行了重新界定，并主张要把制度的激励与约束以及政策的引导纳入可持续发展经济途径研究的视野之中。     

Theoretical equation of gas desorption of particle coal under the non-uniform pressure condition and its analytical solution

Based on the second Fick’s law, the theoretical equation of gas desorption of particle coal under the non-uniform pressure condition was developed in this paper. The analytical solution of the theoretical equation and the method of gas desorption quantity of particle coal under non-uniform pressure condition were obtained.     

Exploring the information literacy of professionals in safety management

With the rapid development of increasingly complex technology and large scale industrial projects, all kinds of safety problems become extremely intricate in daily safety management (SM). It is therefore indispensable to effectively collect, analyze, assess, and synthesize information that is relevant to accident risk. In this paper, the concept of the information literacy (IL) of professionals in SM is proposed, and a conceptual framework is put forward. Further, determinants of the IL of safety professionals are suggested, including individual attributes, safety climate and culture, information infrastructure, information technology (IT) human resources, production technology and management, and national information policy, law and ethics. Of course, further research on the IL of safety professionals should be carried out for effective SM.