(Not) talking about justice: justice self-recognition and the integration of energy and environmental-social justice into renewable energy siting

Renewable energy often provokes heated debate on climate change, energy security and the local impacts of developments. However, how far such discussions involve thorough and inclusive debate on the energy and environmental-social justice issues associated with renewable energy siting remains ambiguous, particularly where government agendas prioritise renewable energy and planning systems offer limited opportunities for public debate on value-based arguments for and against renewable energy developments. Using the concept of justice self-recognition, we argue for greater attention to public discussion of the justice dimensions of renewable energy to assist in developing mechanisms to integrate distributive and procedural fairness principles into renewable energy decision-making. To explore how justice is currently invoked in such contexts, we examine recent U.K. policies for renewable energy and public submissions to applications for small-scale wind energy projects in Cornwall, U.K. The analysis of public comments revealed that justice concerns were rarely discussed explicitly. Comments instead did not raise concerns as justice issues or focused implicitly on distributive justice, stressing local aesthetic, community and economic impacts, clean energy and climate change. However, the findings indicated limited discussion of procedural or participatory justice, an absence that hampers the establishment of coherent procedures for deciding acceptable impacts, information standards, public participation and arbitrating disputes. We conclude by suggesting procedural reforms to policy and planning to enable greater public expression of justice concerns and debate on how to negotiate tensions between energy and environmental-social justice in renewable energy siting decisions.     

The effectiveness of surrogate taxa to conserve freshwater biodiversity

Establishing protected areas has long been an effective conservation strategy and is often based on readily surveyed species. The potential of any freshwater taxa to be a surrogate for other aquatic groups has not been explored fully. We compiled occurrence data on 72 species of freshwater fishes, amphibians, mussels, and aquatic reptiles for the Great Plains, Wyoming (U.S.A.). We used hierarchical Bayesian multispecies mixture models and MaxEnt models to describe species’ distributions and the program Zonation to identify areas of conservation priority for each aquatic group. The landscape‐scale factors that best characterized aquatic species’ distributions differed among groups. There was low agreement and congruence among taxa‐specific conservation priorities (<20%), meaning no surrogate priority areas would include or protect the best habitats of other aquatic taxa. Common, wideranging aquatic species were included in taxa‐specific priority areas, but rare freshwater species were not included. Thus, the development of conservation priorities based on a single freshwater aquatic group would not protect all species in the other aquatic groups.     

Repeatability,Sensitivity, and Uncertainty Analyses of the BANCS Model Developed to Predict Annual Streambank Erosion Rates

Accelerated streambank erosion caused by channel instability can be the leading cause of sediment impairment of streams. Obtaining accurate streambank erosion rates for sediment budgeting and prioritizing mitigation efforts can be difficult and costly. One approach to quantifying streambank erosion rates is through the development and implementation of an empirically derived “Bank Assessment for Non‐point Source Consequences of Sediment” (BANCS) model. This study aims to improve the BANCS model application by evaluating repeatability between users and identifying sensitive and/or uncertain model inputs. Statistical analysis of streambank evaluations conducted by 10 different individuals suggests the implementation of the BANCS model may not be repeatable. This finding may be due to sensitive model inputs, such as streambank height and near‐bank stress level prediction method selection, and/or uncertain model inputs, such as bank material identification and the associated adjustment of erosion potential. Furthermore, it was found assessing streambanks as a group by obtaining a measure of central tendency from individual evaluations, as well as obtaining a higher level of training, may improve model implementation precision. Application of these suggestions may result in improved prediction of streambank erosion rates utilizing the BANCS model methodology.     

太湖资源综合开发与利用分区研究

目前，太湖已成为社会经济和环境发展中一切矛盾的集中区，在分析太湖资源利用现状及存在问题的基础上，根据资源综合开发利用分区原则和划分指标，提出了太湖资源综合开发利用的分区意见。     

Regional economic disparities in Belgium and regional,national and supra‐national policies: an analysis of collective failure

Two kinds of regional disparities can be distinguished in Belgium. First there is the internationally well‐known dispute between Flanders and Wallonia. Secondly, there are large disparities within the regions. Three policy levels deal with these disparities: the (Flemish) regional level, the national government level and the EEC level. The purpose of this paper is to sketch the regional problems in Belgium, to analyse the policies that deal with them, to consider the co‐ordination problems between them and to shed some light on the public choice aspects of government interventions. It is concluded that regional policy in Belgium is a highly politicised affair. Furthermore public attention paid to regional policies has outgrown the importance of our regional disparities. Even other forms of micro‐economic policy are jeopardised by regional disparities and the resulting pressure.     

A Scottish approach to training for the unemployed: work‐start Ltd., Dundee

This article discusses the structure and performance of Work‐Start Ltd., a company located in Dundee and providing training for the unemployed. The company has attracted national and international attention by its innovative approach. Set up to meet the specific problems of peripheral housing estates, it is now responding to rapid changes in the local labour market.     

土地利用规划在风景名胜保护中的应用研究

探讨了土地利用规划与风景名胜保护的关系，并以武汉市为例。进行了实证分析。将武汉市土地利用风景名胜资源分为极度、重度、中度、轻度和非敏感区5个等级。并提出了相应的保护对策。为该市的土地利用规划修编提供科学依据。     

基于灰色模糊理论的流域水电规划环境影响综合评价

结合模糊优选理论和灰色关联分析方法，提出灰色模糊综合评价法，该方法将灰色关联分析作为优属度确定的隶属度计算方法；提出理想环境序列建立遵循的原则，引入梯形模糊数实现定性指标量化并采用变异系数法确定评价指标权重。应用灰色模糊综合评价法对黄河流域河段水电规划的高坝方案和多级开发方案进行了比选研究，计算了两个方案的优属度及其开发性因子、稳定性因子、保护性因子、经济活力因子、社会可接受因子、环境风险因子等6个指标层优属度，结果表明，多级开发方案总体优于高坝方案；多级开发方案的保护性远好于高坝开发方案，而高坝方案的开发性略好于多级开发方案，稳定性、经济活力、社会可接受、环境风险等因子两种方案比较接近。评价结果与流域实际情况比较符合，证明该方法是一种有效的方法。