The response of industry to environmental regulations in Alexandria, Egypt

The response of industry to current environmental regulations in Alexandria, Egypt was investigated. Environmental officers in 55 industrial firms completed a questionnaire examining their opinions about current environmental regulations, the statuses of their companies' compliance with those regulations, and the environmental management progress and problems in their companies. Although Egyptian industrialists had positive opinions about environmental regulations, their companies were not in satisfactory compliance with those regulations. The context in which environmental concern started in Egypt and the economic environment of Egyptian industry had lead to 'soft' enforcement and implementation of environmental regulations. The response of Alexandria's industrial firms to the issued environmental regulations was limited to adopting symbolic 'end-of-pipe' environmental protection measures. Progress in environmental management and problems in industries of Alexandria were also investigated.     

Examining the interpersonal process and consequence of leader–member exchange comparison: The role of procedural justice climate

Individuals are always sensitive to their relative standing in interpersonal comparison processes of leader–member exchanges (LMXs) in teams. Little research, however, has investigated whether coworkers with a higher LMX influence the emotional and behavioral reactions of individuals with a lower LMX in different dyads. Drawing on social comparison theory and the symbolic model of procedural justice (PJ) climate, we conducted 2 independent studies—an experimental study focusing on the self‐perceived upward LMX comparison (i.e., an individual perceives that a coworker's LMX is higher than the LMX that he or she has with the supervisor; N = 203; Study 1: American working adults) and a field survey study focusing on the other‐perceived downward LMX comparison (i.e., a coworker perceives that his or her own LMX is higher than the LMX that the individual has with the supervisor; N = 177; Study 2: Chinese software engineers). Results from these studies consistently revealed that a coworker's higher LMX elicits an individual's hostile emotions when the PJ climate is low but that this relationship is buffered when the PJ climate is high. Results of both studies also showed that the coworker's higher LMX arouses the individual to direct harmful behavior toward that coworker (via the individual's feelings of hostility) when the PJ climate is low but not when it is high.     

制定南京市机动车污染防治地方性法规的思考

简述了南京市机动车污染现状,分析了目前机动车污染防治规章在实施过程中存在的问题。借鉴国内其他城市机动车污染防治相关法规的规定及其成功经验,提出应建立部门联动机制,加强尾气执法监管,强化定期检测和监督抽测,确保达标排放,启动环保标志管理,积极推进区域限行,完善管理手段,逐步淘汰高污染车辆,建立信息平台,加强对在用车维修治理工作的监管。     

Compensatory Mitigation for Streams Under the Clean Water Act: Reassessing Science and Redirecting Policy1

Doyle, Martin W. and F. Douglas Shields, 2012. Compensatory Mitigation for Streams Under the Clean Water Act: Reassessing Science and Redirecting Policy. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(3): 494-509. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00631.x Abstract: Current stream restoration science is not adequate to assume high rates of success in recovering ecosystem functional integrity. The physical scale of most stream restoration projects is insufficient because watershed land use controls ambient water quality and hydrology, and land use surrounding many restoration projects at the time of their construction, or in the future, do not provide sufficient conditions for functional integrity recovery. Reach scale channel restoration or modification has limited benefits within the broader landscape context. Physical habitat variables are often the basis for indicating success, but are now increasingly seen as poor surrogates for actual biological function; the assumption “if you build it they will come” lacks support of empirical studies. If stream restoration is to play a continued role in compensatory mitigation under the United States Clean Water Act, then significant policy changes are needed to adapt to the limitations of restoration science and the social environment under which most projects are constructed. When used for compensatory mitigation, stream restoration should be held to effectiveness standards for actual and measurable physical, chemical, or biological functional improvement. To achieve improved mitigation results, greater flexibility may be required for the location and funding of restoration projects, the size of projects, and the restoration process itself.     

Response of Algal Biomass to Large‐Scale Nutrient Controls in the Clark Fork River,Montana, United States1

Suplee, Michael W., Vicki Watson, Walter K. Dodds, and Chris Shirley, 2012. Response of Algal Biomass to Large‐Scale Nutrient Controls in the Clark Fork River, Montana, United States. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(5): 1008‐1021. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2012.00666.x Abstract: Nutrient pollution is an ongoing concern in rivers. Although nutrient targets have been proposed for rivers, little is known about long‐term success of programs to decrease river nutrients and algal biomass. Twelve years of summer data (1998‐2009) collected along 383 km of the Clark Fork River were analyzed to ascertain whether a basin‐wide nutrient reduction program lowered ambient total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations, and bottom‐attached algal biomass. Target nutrient and algal biomass levels were established for the program in 1998. Significant declines were observed in TP but not TN along the entire river. Downstream of the city of Missoula, TP declined below a literature‐derived TP saturation breakpoint and met program targets after 2005; TN was below targets since 2007. Algal biomass also declined significantly below Missoula. Trends there likely relate to the city’s wastewater facility upgrades, despite its 20% population increase. Upstream of Missoula, nutrient reductions were less substantial; still, TP and TN declined toward saturation breakpoints, but no significant reductions in algal biomass occurred, and program targets were not met. The largest P‐load reduction to the river was from a basin‐wide phosphate laundry detergent ban set 10 years before, in 1989. We document that nutrient reductions in rivers can be successful in controlling algal biomass, but require achievement of concentrations below saturation and likely close to natural background.     

碳关税对中国出口贸易的影响及应对策略

碳关税是美国提出的针对国际贸易中高能耗进口产品征税的一种新型绿色贸易壁垒。从表面上看,碳关税的提出是为了缓解全球气候变暖的现实,促进全球贸易的公平竞争。实质上,碳关税的提出是美国国内政治经济博弈的结果,其目的是为了夺取世界经济新的话语权,同时也是为了制衡中国在内的发展中国家。碳关税对我国出口的影响机制有二:第一,碳关税产生的价格效应促使出口商品成本上升,出口量下降,造成出口国净福利损失。第二,长期来看,碳关税的环境规制效应会促使出口企业实施创新、改进效率,企业竞争力增强。但是,就短期来说,由于我国尚不具备"波特假说"成立的前提条件,碳关税会促使成本上升,出口产品竞争力下降。本文系统分析了我国出口商品结构和地理方向,指出碳关税的推出将对我国当前出口贸易形成严峻的挑战,长期看将有利于我国市场结构、产业结构和出口结构的改善。基于以上的分析,文章提出了政府"环境外交"、逐步开征国内碳税、构建绿色制造体系等政策建议。     

Inorganic arsenic levels in baby rice are of concern

Inorganic arsenic is a chronic exposure carcinogen. Analysis of UK baby rice revealed a median inorganic arsenic content (n = 17) of 0.11 mg/kg. By plotting inorganic arsenic against total arsenic, it was found that inorganic concentrations increased linearly up to 0.25 mg/kg total arsenic, then plateaued at 0.16 mg/kg at higher total arsenic concentrations. Inorganic arsenic intake by babies (4-12 months) was considered with respect to current dietary ingestion regulations. It was found that 35% of the baby rice samples analysed would be illegal for sale in China which has regulatory limit of 0.15 mg/kg inorganic arsenic. EU and US food regulations on arsenic are non-existent. When baby inorganic arsenic intake from rice was considered, median consumption (expressed as μg/kg/d) was higher than drinking water maximum exposures predicted for adults in these regions when water intake was expressed on a bodyweight basis.     

化工园区安全规划发展历史回顾

系统回顾了化工园区安全规划的发展历史,简要介绍不同国家化工园区安全规划的分区制思想以及相应的法律法规要求。以1970年代中期为界,化工园区安全规划历史大体可分为两个阶段。第一阶段基本确立了土地利用规划分区制的思想,风险越大,工业活动就建设在距人居环境越远的区域。但由于没有量化的理论和方法支持,因此,不能准确确定合适的安全距离。第二阶段从科学的土地利用规划开始并得益于定量风险评价的日趋成熟和广泛使用。由于能够定量计算出比较准确的安全距离和可承受风险,因而可以更好地进行工业活动分区和安全规划。目前单纯基于风险的安全规划暴露出一定的局限性,人们不仅要考虑工业活动的潜在风险,而且需要综合考虑经济、社会、环境、生态以及人文历史等诸多因素,因此,急需研究能够综合处理复杂问题的安全规划理论和方法。回顾历史并分析和比较,笔者认为,科学的安全规划是预防重特大事故的根本措施之一,健全的法制基础是实施安全规划的必要保障,风险评价技术是实施安全规划的有力武器。取得的研究成果对我国化工园区以及其他工业园区的建设具有一定的借鉴和启迪作用。     

国内外游乐设施法规标准比较研究

我国已成为世界上最大游乐设施新型市场。为了促进国内游乐设施行业的发展,提高我国游乐设施产品的国际竞争力,制定符合我国国情的游乐设施法规标准,选择美国、欧盟、德国、澳大利亚和中国的游乐设施法规标准体系和主要标准作为比较研究的对象,并按照我国游乐设施标准GB8408—2008《游乐设施安全规范》的章节顺序和主要条款内容与国外相对应的游乐设施标准逐一分析比较,形成国内外游乐设施标准内容要素比较汇总表。根据研究结果,对我国现有游乐法规标准体系建设和标准的制修订工作提出改进建议。     

英国职业卫生法规、监管及统计体系

英国按照《职业安全和卫生法(1974)》,以职业安全卫生执行局(HSE)为执法和调查统计的主管机构,建立了以RIDDOR95规程为基础的企业雇主对其作业场所职业卫生记录和报告制度,同时HSE采取多种形式的政府主动调查,形成了较为完善的职业卫生调查统计体系。目前,我国职业卫生的调查统计体系尚未形成。以系统的方法和思路,从英国的职业卫生法规、监管入手,分析其调查统计体系,并采用对比分析的方法,将英国的体系与美国进行对比,学习工业发达国家的共同经验,为我国建立职业卫生统计体系提供借鉴。研究认为,上层法律及配套规范齐全、形成了政府主动调查与企业雇主主动记录和报告相结合的统计方式,以及调查统计数据定期向公众发布和实现信息共享是英美两国体系的共同特征。