Environmental Implications of the Erosion of Cultural Taboo Practices in Awka-South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria: 1. Forests, Trees, and Water Resource Preservation

Cultural taboos and their sanctionshave helped to check abuse of the environmentat least among the local people. The disregardfor these traditional checks and balancesespecially among Christians has adverselyaffected their enforcement at this time. Theenvironment and culture preservation inAwka-South were investigated. The faithfulobservance of the traditional laws in the studyarea was attributed to the fact that Awka-Southarea had remained occupied by the same peoplefor centuries. The study showed that thepreserved forests and their shrines in Nibotown have largely remained intact. In Nisetown, however, with nine shrines still inexistence, the rules have relaxed a little,mainly because they embraced modernization. Inthis town, the fringes of the forests may beused for farming but no felling of trees wouldbe allowed. The ``god' of the shrine in Obunaguvillage was much revered until the advent ofChristianity. This religion has had an erodingeffect on the taboos, which were put in placeto protect their forests and streams. Theabandonment of traditional cultural practicesis doing harm that goes beyond the abrogationof traditional cultural practices to seriousthreat to natural environmental structures. Thecultures of the different tribes in Nigerianeed to be revisited for evaluation and studiesto enable their integration into modernpractices that will make the environment moresustainable. This will be more productive thanthe unilateral introduction of programs,execution, and maintenance methods that arecompletely new, or in many cases run contraryto the cultural practices of the local peopleand tribes of Nigeria.     

Living with Pollution in Egypt

Environmental issues are increasingly discussed in Egypt, and there is some progress in dealing with pollution. This paper examines the environmental understandings of Egyptians living in four localities. People are preoccupied with such pollution problems as dirty streets, dirty air and water, and noise, for they aspire to live in a clean, healthy environment. To achieve this, they pressure the government, and take certain individual and collective actions themselves, although direct political action is rare.     

Food Health Policies and Ethics: Lay Perspectives on Functional Foods

Functional foods are a challenge tofood health policies, since they questioncentral ideas in the way that food healthpolicies have been developed over the lastdecades. Driven by market actors instead ofpublic authorities and focusing on the role ofsingle foods and single constituents in foodsfor health, they contrast traditional wisdombehind nutrition policies that emphasize therole of the diet as a whole for health.Sociological literature about food in everydaylife shows that technical rationality co-existswith other food related rationalities, such aspractical and economic rationalities, socialand relational rationalities, and symbolicrationalities that influence citizens' ordinaryeating habits. An examination of lay views onexpert knowledge about food and health showthat skepticism exists with respect to thebasis of and balance of expert advice. Critical points with respect to how functionalfoods may influence routines in the populationswith relevance for public health include thefact, that they promote a way of thinking offood and health that is in conflict withwell-established practical ways of ensuring abalanced diet.     

宁夏区域西夏建筑文化景观及其开发利用

蕴涵博大精深的党项族文化的西夏建筑景观表现出很高的艺术价值和独特的艺术风格，是西部难得的旅游资源。作者运用文化景观学的理论分析了宁夏区域西夏建筑文化景观，以及宁夏自然环境对西夏建筑文化景观的影响，同时指出人文社会环境与宁夏区域西夏建筑文化景观营造有更大意义。最后，作者认为宁夏区域西夏建筑文化景观的旅游开发，要在借助西夏学热，促进西夏建筑文化游的理论研究的基础上，积极展开区域协作，精心设计旅游线路，拓展旅游市场。     

反硝化真菌-细菌优化组合及其脱氮能力研究

从多种真菌中筛选到3株脱氮活性较高的真菌,并将其与一株从武汉市郊新筛选分离到的具有较强脱氮能力的细菌HS-03进行混和培养,通过正交实验确立其最佳培养条件。正交实验方差分析表明:碳源、pH值和温度3个因素对脱氮率的影响都非常显著,菌种因素对脱氮率有一定影响。实验结果表明,真菌与细菌混合脱氮的最佳培养条件为:以琥珀酸钠为碳源,NaNO3为N源,C/N为10,pH=7.5,温度30℃。细菌HS-03和真菌Fusariumoxyspurum的组合优于其它组合。在最佳培养条件下,该组合能在21h内去除10mmolNO3-,优于相同条件下细菌HS-03或真菌F.oxyspurum的反硝化能力。     

浅谈雕塑与人文环境的和谐性

雕塑和环境是密不可分的,雕塑从诞生之日起就是为环境而生.一件完美的雕塑品不仅仅是其自身造型的精美,更重要的是它能和所处环境完美结合起来,彼此衬托,交相辉映.雕塑以各种形式在各种条件的影响下融入到环境中去,追求整体的和谐,达到整合环境、美化环境的目的.     

濮阳旅游资源评价与可持续开发思路

濮阳旅游资源以醇厚的历史文化资源为主 ,具有潜在性和开发难度大的特点。资源现状开发初具规模 ,但缺乏系统性和独特性 ,可持续的开发思路是历史文化资源的保护性开发 ,文化生态旅游式开发 ,多层次立体开发和区域联合式开发     

中国西藏开发中的“长江战略”问题研究

西藏地处我国西部 ,西藏开发是西部大开发的重要组成部分。通过对长江经济带和西藏开发的关系及西藏发展的历史、现状和问题的分析 ,认为长江经济带有能力 ,也有必要支持西藏自治区的发展。根据西藏目前的发展现状和存在的问题来看 ,长江经济带有必要在新的背景条件下 ,寻求更好的战略模式促进西藏开发。也即同西藏两地通过文化交流促进经济融合 ,以改变观念为出发点 ,拓展潜在市场为目标 ,达到促进西藏开发和长江经济带进一步发展的双重目的。长江战略的实施要点包括 :(1)推广双语学习 ,以文化交流促进经济融合 ;(2 )提高藏语教学的师资质量 ,改善劳动力整体素质 ;(3)让一部分藏民先富起来 ,成为西藏开发的中坚力量 ;(4)合作协助发展交通、通讯等基础设施 ,完善交流手段 ;(5 )帮助扶植西藏地区的起步产业 ,逐步培养自立发展经济的能力     

国家保护地体系建设：西方标准反思与中国路径探讨

借鉴西方标准曾对我国保护地制度的建立起到了重要作用。然而,当前国际标准对我国已建立起来的保护地体系已经显现出不适用,因此有必要对其进行反思。回溯我国及世界保护地制度的建立过程及其关联,由于我国在国际保护地标准制定过程中参与度过低,导致我国保护地的特性与发展阶段需求在国际标准中体现不足。我国保护地具有的文化景观属性,即传统的“天人合一”的环境观与西方人和自然对立的思想截然不同。我国保护地面临着保护与发展双重挑战,直接将基于特定人口状况和发展阶段的保护地所制定的标准用于其他状况下的保护地,其合理性存在着问题。应更加批判地看待西方标准,积极探讨可持续和平发展的中国路径。     

Establishing Representative No-Take Areas in the Great Barrier Reef: Large-Scale Implementation of Theory on Marine Protected Areas

Abstract:  The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, an area almost the size of Japan, has a new network of no-take areas that significantly improves the protection of biodiversity. The new marine park zoning implements, in a quantitative manner, many of the theoretical design principles discussed in the literature. For example, the new network of no-take areas has at least 20% protection per "bioregion," minimum levels of protection for all known habitats and special or unique features, and minimum sizes for no-take areas of at least 10 or 20 km across at the smallest diameter. Overall, more than 33% of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is now in no-take areas (previously 4.5%). The steps taken leading to this outcome were to clarify to the interested public why the existing level of protection was inadequate; detail the conservation objectives of establishing new no-take areas; work with relevant and independent experts to define, and contribute to, the best scientific process to deliver on the objectives; describe the biodiversity (e.g., map bioregions); define operational principles needed to achieve the objectives; invite community input on all of the above; gather and layer the data gathered in round-table discussions; report the degree of achievement of principles for various options of no-take areas; and determine how to address negative impacts. Some of the key success factors in this case have global relevance and include focusing initial communication on the problem to be addressed; applying the precautionary principle; using independent experts; facilitating input to decision making; conducting extensive and participatory consultation; having an existing marine park that encompassed much of the ecosystem; having legislative power under federal law; developing high-level support; ensuring agency priority and ownership; and being able to address the issue of displaced fishers.