A New Modus Operandi for the Agricultural Economics Profession

Agricultural economics has, until the 1990s, enjoyeda reputation for relevance and usefulness to theagri-food industry and policy-makers. Thatreputation has been jeopardized by a growinginfatuation with models and quantification, and aconcomitant underemphasis placed on many complexproblems and issues of society. An illustrativeexample is explored, using agriculturalactivity-related damage to the natural resourcebase, environment and ecology. Agriculturaleconomists are urged to respond by broadening theirterms of reference and joining forces with otherdisciplines.     

Credibility and advocacy in conservation science

Conservation policy sits at the nexus of natural science and politics. On the one hand, conservation scientists strive to maintain scientific credibility by emphasizing that their research findings are the result of disinterested observations of reality. On the other hand, conservation scientists are committed to conservation even if they do not advocate a particular policy. The professional conservation literature offers guidance on negotiating the relationship between scientific objectivity and political advocacy without damaging conservation science's credibility. The value of this guidance, however, may be restricted by limited recognition of credibility's multidimensionality and emergent nature: it emerges through perceptions of expertise, goodwill, and trustworthiness. We used content analysis of the literature to determine how credibility is framed in conservation science as it relates to apparent contradictions between science and advocacy. Credibility typically was framed as a static entity lacking dimensionality. Authors identified expertise or trustworthiness as important, but rarely mentioned goodwill. They usually did not identify expertise, goodwill, or trustworthiness as dimensions of credibility or recognize interactions among these 3 dimensions of credibility. This oversimplification may limit the ability of conservation scientists to contribute to biodiversity conservation. Accounting for the emergent quality and multidimensionality of credibility should enable conservation scientists to advance biodiversity conservation more effectively.     

污染场地绿色可持续修复理念、工程实践及对我国的启示

经过近30年的污染场地修复实践,越来越多的人意识到传统的修复理念存在很多不足。在可持续发展的社会背景下,欧美各国积极倡导绿色可持续修复理念,全面考查污染场地的修复行为对环境、社会和经济造成的所有影响,从而使修复行为的效益最大化。本文介绍了绿色可持续修复的概念与发展情况、评估指标和方法,并分析了一个从多方面贯彻绿色可持续修复原则的工程实践案例。最后,从加强行业和公众的教育培训、构建基于国情的绿色可持续修复评估框架、强化场地前期调查、提高社会利益相关方的参预性等几方面,对我国推进绿色可持续修复的发展提出建议。     

IWRM视角下污水治理体系问题系统诊断与对策研究——以浙江省为例

基于集成水资源管理理念框架,较系统地构建了污水治理体系问题诊断指标体系并明确了诊断标准.实证研究表明,浙江省污水治理体系仍存在政策不协调,投资结构不合理,体制横向不协调、纵向不到位、职责分散,民主参与决策与监督机制不健全,排污行为监测监管不到位,经济激励不够、行业自律不足等问题.建议浙江省应进一步协调区域发展政策,优化污水治理城乡投融资结构,完善机构设置,优化部门协调,加强政府监测监管等,以提高污水治理绩效.     

中国环评制度有效性评估指标的思考

中国环评制度备受关注,亦饱受争议。如何客观看待一项制度,其有效性是重要的判定依据。环评有效性体现在制度建设、制度执行和发挥效力全过程,具有多个维度的内涵。围绕经济、社会、环境可持续发展目标,从制度有效性、程序有效性、实质有效性和认知有效性4个维度,按照“制度基础→实践过程→发挥作用→社会认知”逻辑,探索构建了中国环评制度有效性评估框架,并结合中国环评制度设计和运行模式,提出了一套科学、适用,兼具可操作和灵活性的中国环评有效性评估指标,为客观系统看待中国环评制度提供了思路,也为建立中国环评制度有效性跟踪评估机制提供参考,支撑环评制度改革优化。

     

物质代谢分析框架及其研究述评

追溯了物质代谢概念的起源和发展,剖析了不同学科视角下物质代谢内涵的共性和差异性,并将物质代谢划分为生命代谢、生态代谢和经济或社会代谢等三大类.在此基础上,根据研究重点和目标不同,将物质代谢分析划分为代谢主体分析和代谢物质分析两大类,并进一步细分为组织代谢、区域代谢、物质分析、材料分析;对主要的物质代谢分析方法的适用范围、研究对象进行了比较和界定.基于物质代谢分析框架,对国内外相关研究系统地进行了归纳和总结,客观分析和评价了当前研究存在的问题和不足,并展望了物质代谢研究的重点领域和发展方向.      

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。     

Indicators of sustainable production: framework and methodology

This paper presents a new tool for promoting business sustainability — indicators of sustainable production. It first introduces the concept of sustainable production as defined by the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, University of Massachusetts Lowell. Indicators of sustainable production are discussed next, including their dimensions and desirable qualities. Based on the Lowell Center Indicator Framework, the authors suggest a new methodology of core and supplemental indicators for raising companies' awareness and measuring their progress toward sustainable production systems. Twenty-two core indicators are proposed and a detailed guidance for their application is included. An eight-step model provides a context for indicator implementation. The paper concludes with a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology as well as recommendations for testing the indicators.     

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.     

The role of scientists in statutory interpretation of the U.S. Endangered Species Act

Like many federal statutes, the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) contains vague or ambiguous language. The meaning imparted to the ESA's unclear language can profoundly impact the fates of endangered and threatened species. Hence, conservation scientists should contribute to the interpretation of the ESA when vague or ambiguous language contains scientific words or refers to scientific concepts. Scientists need to know at least these 2 facts about statutory interpretation: statutory interpretation is subjective and the potential influence of normative values results in different expectations for the parties involved. With the possible exception of judges, all conventional participants in statutory interpretation are serving their own interests, advocating for their preferred policies, or biased. Hence, scientists can play a unique role by informing the interpretative process with objective, policy‐neutral information. Conversely, scientists may act as advocates for their preferred interpretation of unclear statutory language. The different roles scientists might play in statutory interpretation raise the issues of advocacy and competency. Advocating for a preferred statutory interpretation is legitimate political behavior by scientists, but statutory interpretation can be strongly influenced by normative values. Therefore, scientists must be careful not to commit stealth policy advocacy. Most conservation scientists lack demonstrable competence in statutory interpretation and therefore should consult or collaborate with lawyers when interpreting statutes. Professional scientific societies are widely perceived by the public as unbiased sources of objective information. Therefore, professional scientific societies should remain policy neutral and present all interpretations of unclear statutory language; explain the semantics and science both supporting and contradicting each interpretation; and describe the potential consequences of implementing each interpretation. A review of scientists’ interpretations of the phrase “significant portion of its range” in the ESA is used to critique the role of scientists and professional societies in statutory interpretation.