环境统计在环境保护中的应用

环境统计是用数字反映并计量人类活动引起的环境变化和环境变化对人类影响的工作。从统计工作实践出发,通过能源环境统计数据、环境质量统计数据和污染源排放统计数据在日常环境管理中的应用实例,总结出环境统计在环境保护中的应用价值,以期引起对环境统计工作的重视。     

异构环保信息资源整合及归档系统的开发与应用

随着环保信息资源的不断丰富,不同应用系统生成的各种异构数据日益增多,信息孤岛现象十分严重。异构环保信息资源整合及归档系统将分散的信息系统进行有效整合,在异构平台上实现了信息收集、流转及共享利用,全面提升了环保档案的信息化建设水平,为新时期下环保档案信息管理工作提供了一条新途径。     

县域土地利用规划生态环境影响评价研究——以陇县为例

以生态服务价值理论为指导,从土地利用变化动态度、生态系统服务总价值和生态价值敏感度3个方面评价陇县土地利用总体规划(2006～2020年)对区域生态环境的影响。结果表明,林地、耕地在规划期内生态系统服务价值都呈增长趋势,区域生态系统服务总价值增加了30700万元。     

喀什地区环境库兹涅茨曲线特征分析

用1991～2005年间喀什地区的环境经济数据,通过对人均GDP数据与大气污染物、水污染和固体废弃物等数据进行回归拟合,构建了喀什地区环境库兹涅茨曲线,分析了环境指数与人均GDP之间的关系。结果表明:喀什地区降尘和总悬浮颗粒物与人均GDP之间的相关性较高,而二氧化硫和氮氧化物排放量与人均GDP的相关系数较低。从库兹涅茨曲线的变化趋势来看,大气中的污染物与人均GDP之间的EKC曲线的变化类型可分为3种;随着人均GDP的增加,人均GDP与水污染指数的拟合曲线呈现出先下降后上升的趋势,其转折点出现在2001年;从相关系数来看,工业固体废弃物产生量与人均GDP呈弱的正相关关系;从近似函数关系曲线的变化趋势来看,工业固体废弃物产生量与人均GDP之间呈现出典型的"U"型曲线。     

房地产新建项目的环境影响预测评价

根据房地产开发项目环境影响评价的方法和准则,分析了新建住宅类建设项目施工期和营运期对环境产生的不良影响,及外环境对住宅小区的环境影响,预测和评价了运营期的大气污染、废水污染及施工期和运营期的噪声污染。结果表明,运营期排放的废水可以满足国家污水排放标准,氮氧化物是运营期大气污染物的主要成分,施工期土石方阶段和结构阶段的噪声排放能满足昼间噪声限值,其余噪声污染全部超出了标准限值。提出了相应的环保措施,总结了住宅建设项目环境影响评价的特点。     

《环境影响评价法》第31条新解

《环境影响评价法》第31条一直是该法备受关注和饱受争议的对象,如何全面正确地认识这一条款的规定才能更好地实施和完善环境影响评价制度？通过对31条两种情形下建设单位行为的主观恶性的再分析、对照环境影响评价的价值和目的对该责任条款的再认识、对环境影响评价执法难的根源追寻等方面来探讨对31条的全新认识和补充完善。     

Tropical deforestation in a future international climate policy regime—lessons from the Brazilian Amazon

The possibility of adopting national targets for carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from tropical deforestation in a future international climate treaty has received increasing attention recently. This attention has been prompted by proposals to this end and more intensified talks on possible commitments for developing countries beyond the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Kyoto Protocol. We analyze four main scientific and political challenges associated with national targets for emissions from tropical deforestation: (1) reducing the uncertainties in emission inventories, (2) preserving the environmental integrity of the treaty, (3) promoting political acceptance and participation in the regime, and (4) providing economic incentives for reduced deforestation. We draw the following conclusions. (1) Although there are large uncertainties in carbon flux from deforestation, these are in the same range as for other emissions included in the current Kyoto protocol (i.e., non-CO₂ GHGs), and they can be reduced. However, for forest degradation processes the uncertainties are larger. A large challenge lies in building competence and institutions for monitoring the full spectrum of land use changes in developing countries. (2 and 3) Setting targets for deforestation is difficult, and uncertainties in future emissions imply a risk of creating ‘tropical hot air’. However, there are proposals that may sufficiently deal with this, and these proposals may also have the advantage of making the targets more attractive, politically speaking. Moreover, we conclude that while a full carbon accounting system will likely be politically unacceptable for tropical countries, the current carbon accounting system should be broadened to include forest degradation in order to safeguard environmental integrity. (4) Doubts can be cast over the possible effect a climate regime alone will have on deforestation rates, though little thorough analysis of this issue has been made.

An abbreviated alternatives assessment process for product designers: a children’s furniture manufacturing case study

Alternatives assessment is becoming increasingly popular to evaluate the potential environmental and human health hazards of materials. A three step process was used to identify and evaluate alternative products for a children's furniture manufacturer. An alternatives assessment framework was developed to analyze alternative mattresses. The framework specifically addresses those environmental and safety attributes applicable to the product and the product components in accordance with the product’s intended use. The result of the assessment allowed the manufacturer to select the most environmentally friendly alternative and eliminate polyvinyl chloride from their product.     

ISO 14001 certification and financial performance: selection-effect versus treatment-effect

The paper explores the bi-directional relationship between ISO 14001 certification and financial performance with the aim of shedding light on whether better performance is due to the beneficial effects of ISO 14001 or due to selection-effects where better performance precedes accreditation. The study uses a five year longitudinal analysis to compare the financial performance of firms in Spain before and after certification. The results of a multivariate panel data analysis find that firms with better than average performance have a greater propensity to pursue accreditation but there is no evidence that improvements in performance follow certification. This suggests that the inference that environmental variables cause improved financial performance may be unwise in research studies that can only measure association.     

The evolution of climate policies - the role of learning and evaluations

All member states of the EU have had to develop climate strategies following the commitment to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. The evolution of the strategies provides insights into the learning that takes place at the level of policy development and offers material for analysing how ex ante and ex post evaluations have contributed to this learning. In the analysis, Finland is used as a case demonstrating different levels and types of learning, from deeper reframing to political learning. The results show that the full potential of the evaluations has not been utilised, partly because they have been constrained by their mandate. Greater openness and transparency in the policy processes would create favourable conditions for independent evaluations that could provide additional input to the policy processes. This would support social and reflexive learning and allow for greater adaptability.