Exploiting Abstract Possibilities: A Critique of the Concept and Practice of Product Patenting

Developments in biotechnology and genomics have moved the issue of patenting scientific and technological inventions toward the center of interest. In particular, the patentability of genes of plants, animals, or humans and of genetically modified (parts of) living organisms has been discussed, and questioned, from various normative perspectives. This paper aims to contribute to this debate. For this purpose, it first explains a number of relevant aspects of the theory and practice of patenting. The focus is on a special and increasingly significant type of patents, namely product patents. The paper provides three general arguments against the concept and practice of product patenting. The first argument briefly considers the claim that patents are legitimate because they promote socially useful innovation. Against this claim, it is argued that product patents may hamper rather than promote such innovation. The second and main argument concludes that product patents are not adequately based on actual technological inventions, as they should be according to the usual criteria of patentability. The principal moral issue is that product patents tend to reward patentees for inventions they have not really made available. The final argument proposes a method for patenting the heat of the sun. Assuming that granting this patent will be generally considered absurd, the argument exposes a further, fundamental problem of the concept and practice of product patenting.     

Significant developments in sustainable development law and governance: A proposal

This article develops a practical proposal for progress on sustainable development law. It examines the prospects for an international sustainable development law to provide a framework for more effective, coherent governance. Sustainable development law is briefly defined and an analytical framework is provided. Different degrees of integration between economic, social and environmental law are described. Certain principles of international law related to sustainable development are also highlighted. It is argued that these principles may serve to guide law‐makers and jurists where social, economic and environmental law and policy conflict or overlap. Continuing, underlying questions of sustainable development governance are addressed and its global frameworks analysed. The article also focuses on the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg in August‐September 2002, and its specific mandate for the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) to take related legal developments into account. The article advances a proposal: that governments, economic, social and environmental intergovernmental organizations and other actors establish a ‘network of inquiry’ with members from relevant groups, including legal and academic organizations, and other expert groups, in order to follow, research, analyse and debate legal developments in a balanced way.     

清代后期湖南的虫灾、风灾、雹灾和冰冻雪灾

除水旱灾害之外,清代后期对湖南危害较大的灾种主要为虫灾,风灾、雹灾、冰冻雪灾偶有发生.本文对上述灾害的灾情进行了论述.     

陕西石泉ML4.9级地震建筑物震害分析

2003年4月24日陕西省石泉县红卫乡一带发生ML4.9级地震.这次地震对石泉、汉阴等县建筑物特别是农村建筑物造成一定程度的破坏,本文统计了不同类型的房屋建筑破坏情况,并对此进行了分析和探讨.     

五大连池老黑山火山的两次喷发活动

老黑山是五大连池火山群中最年轻的火山.通过对老黑山火山锥体结构及其形态分析指出,老黑山火山并非单锥,而是由先、后不同时期形成的两个锥体叠加组成的复合锥,表明它有两次喷发活动.通过对新发掘出的史料的分析,进一步指出,老黑山火山的第一次喷发时间为1720(不是1719年)-1721年,第二次可能为1776年.两次喷发活动的确认为研究老黑山火山喷发历史、喷发过程、喷发危险性评价和灾害预测等提供了新依据.     

环境政策作用机制的分析框架

了解环境政策作用机制是环境政策有效调控的前提和核心,准确理解环境政策作用的背景、成因、过程、作用机制、效应动态、演变规律等;全面而深刻地环境政策副作用和变形的生成-演变规律,了解政策副作用形成机制、传导机制、积累发展机制、作用机制、研究政策变形对环境政策适应性和效率的影响才可能准确预测环境政策所引发的变化,这些变化对社会经济的影响,进而对环境政策的反馈影响和反馈作用,才可能准确有效地设计开发政策工具和调控机制,有铲地进行环境政策调控,提高环境政策的预见性、准确性、操作性和适应性。     

论公司的环境责任

现代公司在以营利最大化为目标的前提下,必须承担一定的环境责任。公司承担环境责任与其营利性从长期看是互相促进的,但从短期看可能是相互冲突的。从公司的经济力量、公司作为社会之一员、环境问题的严重性、社区居民环境利益分析,承担环境责任是现代公司不可回避的义务。我国应建立健全公司承担环境责任的机制,强化公司的环境责任。     

飞行目标自动跟踪系统设计综述

主要介绍了GPS技术的最新发展、应用及原理，结合成熟的GPS技术，设计了一套对飞行目标的位置自动跟踪系统。该系统以C51系列单片机为数据处理核心器件，前接GPS接收机，将GPS的测量信息进行分析处理，产生控制信号，输出给后续的伺服机构，驱动伺服机构完成自动跟踪。本系统可以在森林防火指挥系统中，完成火灾监测、人员、物资调配等工作，使火灾造成的损失降低到最小。     

基于CAN总线的分布式安全报警系统

CAN总线是一种多主站局部网络 ,支持分布式控制系统或实时控制系统的通信功能 ,具有检错功能强 ,抗干扰 ,传输速率高等优点 ,广泛应用于工业控制领域。笔者以CAN总线技术为基础 ,用单片机和个人计算机组成分布式安全报警系统 ,该系统具有开放性、全分散体系结构、安装维护简单等特点。笔者介绍了该系统的总体构成及其软件和硬件设计。试验结果表明 ,该系统实现了事故现场、住户与住宅小区三者联系的安全报警功能。系统稳定性好 ,实时性强 ,报警准确。     

给水管道振动信号的小波分析及消振研究

某核发电厂部分蒸汽和给水管道振动情况非常严重 ,以致影响到正常的安全生产。笔者从给水管道的测振出发 ,并利用 3层Daubechise对振动信号进行了小波消噪、滤波、重构处理 ,以找到影响管系振动的激励源的主要频域成分。进而利用比较成熟的结构分析软件ANSYS对管系进行了模态分析 ,得到系统的低阶固有频率和振型。根据管道振动的原因 ,在不改变管系主要特征的基础上 ,给出了简单易行的消振措施 ,实际运行情况表明消振方法效果良好。