Genetically Modified (GM) Crops: Precautionary Science and Conflicts of Interests

Risk governance of GM plants and GMfood products is presently subject to heatedscientific and public controversies. Scientistsand representatives of the biotechnologyindustry have dominated debates concerningsafety issues. The public is suspicious withregard to the motives of scientists, companies,and political institutions involved. Thedilemmas posed are nested, embracing valuequestions, scientific uncertainty, andcontextual issues. The obvious lack of data andinsufficient information concerning ecologicaleffects call for application of thePrecautionary Principle (PP). There are,however, divergent opinions among scientistsabout the relevance of putative hazards,definition of potential ``adverse effects,' andwhether actions should be taken to preventharm. The reliance on the concept ofsubstantial equivalence in safety evaluation ofGM food is equally controversial. Consequently,value assumptions embedded in a scientificframework may be a barrier for employment ofthe PP. One of our major conclusions is thatprecautionary GMP usage requires riskassessment criteria yet undeveloped, as well asbroader and more long-term conceptions of risk,uncertainty, and ignorance. Conflicts ofinterest and public participation are otherissues that need to be taken intoconsideration. GMP governance regimes that arejustifiable from a precautionary and ethicalpoint of view must transcend traditionalscientific boundaries to include alternativescientific perspectives as well as publicinvolvement.     

You Are What You Eat: Genetically Modified Foods, Integrity, and Society

Thus far, the moral debateconcerning genetically modified foods (GMF) hasfocused on extrinsic consequentialist questionsabout the health effects, environmental impacts,and economic benefits of such foods. Thisextrinsic approach to the morality of GMF isdependent on unsubstantiated empirical claimsand fails to account for the intrinsic moralvalue of food and food choice and theirconnection to the agent's concept of the goodlife. I develop a set of objections to GMFgrounded in the concept of integrity andmaintain that food and food choice can beintimately connected to the agent's personalintegrity. I argue that due to the constitutionof GMF and the manner in which they areproduced, such foods are incompatible with thefundamental values and integrity of certainindividual moral agents or groups. I identifythree types of integrity that are threatened byGMF: religious, consumer, and integrity basedon certain other moral or metaphysical grounds.I maintain that these types of integrity aresufficiently important to provide justificationfor political and societal actions to protectthe interests of those affected. I conclude byproposing specific steps for handling GMFconsistent with the moral principles ofinformed consent, non-maleficence, and respectfor the integrity of all members of society.They include mandatory labeling of GMF, theimplementation of a system for control andregulations concerning such foods, andguaranteed provision of conventional foods.     

复杂人——机系统中的人因失误

随着人——机系统变得越来越多，装置的可靠性越来越高，人因失误已成为重要的潜在事故源。本文描述了复杂人——机系统的特征，探讨了该系统中人因失误的定义、分类、数据采集和事故模型。这些研究有助于对人因失误的预测、预防和减少。     

平衡调温调湿方式中变流量冷冻水系统设计

通过对变流量冷冻水系统的分析指出，在运用平衡调温调湿方式的空调系统中，应用变流量冷冻水系统可以较大地节约能源和投资；并提出了实现这种应用的方法。     

布袋式除尘器在电厂输煤系统上的应用

针对胜利电厂皮带输煤系统粉尘浓度高、污染环境、影响职工身体健康的问题，用布袋式除尘器替代原有的静电除尘器，并对布袋除尘器辅助系统进行了多处改进和完善，提高了运行的可靠性。投运后粉尘质量浓度由原来的18．3mg／m^3降低至1．68mg／m^3，除尘效率达到了98％以上。     

海啸预警系统及我国海啸减灾任务

2004年12月26日印度洋海啸引发了新一轮海啸预警系统的研究。简述了地震海啸预警的原理，分析了海啸数值模拟的一些基本方法，综述了目前世界上多个国家海啸预警系统的建设情况，通过对我国海啸灾害研究现状的分析，明确了我国当前海啸防灾减灾工作的主要任务。     

城市地下空间与节约型和谐社会建设——论中国城市地下空间的发展战略选择

进入“十一五”规划期,中国的大城市正面临着“建构资源节约型、环境友好型和谐社会”的重大战略转型。城市地下空间资源的综合开发利用是实现这一伟大战略目标的重要保障之一。作者在研究总结国外大城市地下空间资源综合开发利用成功经验与教训的基础上,分析未来中国城市发展趋势,论述城市地下空间资源综合开发利用的发展方向与战略目标,创造性的提出了实现这一伟大战略目标应该创建的中国式综合管理的体制、机制与法制。本文可供政府决策参考。     

珠江三角洲经济区污水系统设计原则

分析了珠江三角洲经济区水环境现状；阐述了城市污水分散处理与集中处理的利弊；指出污水深度处理与回用是形成良性水循环的有效途径，更是经济可持续发展的必然要求；通过对已建排水系统存在问题的分析，探讨了珠江三角洲经济开发区污水系统的设计原则，认为污水系统规划要改变传统设计方法，应方便再生水回用，由经济、技术、地理等综合因素确定排水分区、污水厂厂址与数量，选择适合各排水区域水质水量的工艺流程，预留污水厂与再生水回用管线分期发展的空间，应优先选用国产污水处理设备，尽可能维持城市河涌自然生态。     

基于GIS技术的海塘防洪减灾信息系统

海塘工程的规划、设计、建设、维护和管理,对沿海省份经济发展和人民生命财产的安全十分重要,历来受到政府和沿海居民的高度重视.介绍了基于GIS技术的海塘防洪减灾信息系统的主要功能及逻辑结构,分析了海塘数据库的特点,详细讨论了海塘属性和空间数据库的建库内容及方法.最后通过应用实例,验证了系统技术路线的合理性、正确性和实用性.     

Food Security in Complex Emergencies: Enhancing Food System Resilience

This paper explores linkages between food security and crisis in different contexts, outlining the policy and institutional conditions needed to manage food security during a crisis and to rebuild the resilience of food systems in periods of relative peace. The paper reviews experiences over the past decade of countries in protracted crisis and draws lessons for national and international policy. It assesses the different alternatives on offer in fragile countries to address, for example, the disruption of institutional mechanisms and the decreasing level of support offered by international donors with respect to longer-term expectations. It proposes a Twin Track Approach to enhance food security resilience through specific policies for protracted crises that link immediate hunger relief interventions with a long-term strategy for sustainable growth. Finally, the article analyses policy options and the implications for both short- and longer-term responses vis-à-vis the three dimensions of food security: availability; access; and stability.