“Perceived neighbourhood” and tolerance relations: the case of Arabs and Jews in Jaffa,Israel

This paper examines the complex social reality of mixed ethnic residential areas, as reflected in drawn perceived neighbourhoods of Jews and Arabs living in homogenous and mixed neighbourhoods in Jaffa, Tel Aviv. Through in-depth interviews conducted among 89 Jaffa's residents, it illustrates how different perceptions about the residential area and its residents (including attitudes, emotions, feeling of fear/safety, collective identity and tolerant relations) are reflected in the form, size and consensus area of residents' perceived neighbourhoods. The study finds a clear association between tolerant attitudes and the size and consensus area of the perceived neighbourhoods. Arabs perceive their neighbourhood as significantly larger than Jews do and are characterised by a larger consensus area. These findings are explained by the Arab's strong social cohesion, common national identity, rootedness in Jaffa, as well as by tolerant attitudes towards Jaffa's Jewish population. The study demonstrates the interrelation between the spatial, social and perceptual dimensions associated with the mixed residential area, and illustrates how these dimensions are reflected in drawn perceived neighbourhoods.     

The environmental state as a model for the world? An analysis of policy repertoires in 37 countries

Scholars have proposed the analytical concept of the environmental state, a state where government actively addresses negative environmental externalities of economic activities. The mapping of environmental regulatory expansion in Western countries has been central in recent attempts to identify the environmental state empirically. Surprisingly little is known, however, when it comes to the environmental regulatory expansions in non-Western countries. Are there similar trends towards the emergence of environmental states in the non-West as well? From analysing data covering 25 policies in 37 countries, it appears that regulatory expansion has also occurred in the non-Western world, and the distinction between the West and the non-West has been reduced over time. There are non-Western countries among environmental pioneers, and there is some evidence for the trend of global convergence. Future research on environmental states should take into account emerging environmental states in the non-West.     

The four faces of the environmental state: environmental governance regimes in 28 countries

The primary task for the environmental state is to address problems related to the market’s externalisation of environmental costs. It has four main resources at its disposal: regulation, redistribution, organisation, and knowledge generation. The way these four resources are deployed make up a state’s environmental governance arrangements. Using data on environmental regulation, taxes, public administrations, and knowledge production from 28 countries, and a hierarchical cluster analysis, four different types of environmental states are identified: established, emerging, partial, and weak. This is followed by some suggestions for further research on the environmental state in a comparative perspective.     

The indecisive role of the market in China’s SO2 and COD emissions trading

Governmental intervention is essential to combat environmental pollution, a phenomenon classically explained as market failure, while market-based environmental policy instruments have provided cost-effective alternatives. By examining five pilot air pollution (sulfur dioxide) and water pollution (chemical oxygen demand) trading schemes in China through a market-based theoretical framework and extensive empirical analysis, this research analyzes where a state-market boundary is defined, whether the market is performing effectively, and, critically, what leads to underperformance. Constrained by policy design, policy conflicts, and excessive state intervention, the market has not played an effective and ‘decisive’ role, resulting in low market thickness for participants and transactions, market congestion on prices, and inadequate market safety for genuine emissions trading. Better emissions trading for conventional pollutants and CO₂ requires better market-oriented rules, improved policy coordination, and stronger implementation while minimizing state intervention.     

Remedies for loss and damage caused by climate change from the dimension of climate justice

Adverse consequences to the ecological system and human health caused by impacts potentially attributable to climate change have already drawn great and widespread concern of many scientists and international organizations. However, we still have a hard time determining exactly the impact of climate change on the environment or the damage that climate change inflicts on countries comprising small islands or low-lying lands in light of today’s science and technology. The progress for dealing with the issue of loss and damage has been struggling for a long time from the beginning to the present. In this paper, the author begins by summarizing talks on the concept and the positions of commentators. The author is proposing that the development of future climate negotiations and rule-making process be based on global climate justice as a standard for measuring value. Also, the author proposes that a holistic view of climate justice be established. Generally, three aspects of climate justice can be derived. First, the dimension of human rights protection shows that protection of fundamental human rights is a logical precondition if small-island and low-lying countries are able to achieve climate justice. Second, the definite and traditional concepts of distributive justice and corrective justice hold the view that the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities should be upheld as a basic standard of allocating rights and duties associated with climate change. Third, climate justice requires that any state follow the “no-harm principle,” which is regarded as an international customary rule. According to the principle, the obligation of states to prevent the use of their territory for causing trans-boundary harm to the environment shall be a violation of state responsibility, which incurs international punishment. Then we put forward three remedial approaches in light of climate justice, including the approach of State Responsibility (SR) based on the principles and rules of international human rights law and international environmental law. Based on clear rules, the judge can determine whether the damaging behavior or the damage perpetrated by a state party constitutes a state responsibility. The International Environmental Regulation (IEB), which means solving the problems within the framework established by the Conventions on Climate Change, takes advantage of the market mechanisms and incentives such as fund and insurance support system to relieve or compensate the loss and damage. International Environmental Dispute Settlement Mechanism (IEDSM), which includes the means such as consultations, negotiations, nonmandatory ways and international arbitration, international judicial ways to solve these disputes, functions as a procedural safeguard. As an active promoter of global climate governance, China should no doubt stand by the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR) and take it as a basis for negotiations, actively strengthen the work of South-South cooperation, fulfill her international climate commitments without reservation, vigorously develop a low-carbon economy, and actively promote international negotiations on the subject of loss and damage.     

模拟生态种植槽对雨水径流的净化

为减少环湖公路路面径流对洱海水质的影响,该研究选用土壤、锯末、沙子、砾石分层装填的生态型的路面径流收集、净化和输送系统-生态种植槽(其中混合填料层锯末与沙子的配比设置3种比例1∶3、1∶4、1∶5),研究该装置对模拟雨水的净化效果,并寻求最佳填充方式.结果表明,3组种植槽适合植物移栽、自然挂膜、低污染负荷启动方式;能稳定有效地去除COD、SS.运行期COD的平均出水水质优于地表水Ⅴ类水质,SS的平均去除率均高于80％.不同混合填料比种植槽对污水中COD的净化效果从高到低排序依次为:1∶5(锯末∶沙子)＞1∶4(锯末∶沙子)＞1∶3(锯末∶沙子),方差分析显示,3组种植槽系统间COD、SS去除率无差异(P＞0.05),考虑到锯末∶沙子为1∶5时的渗透效果差,故推荐锯末∶沙子为1∶4的种植槽供后续示范工程选用.     

改性纤维素吸附剂的合成及其对铜离子的吸附

建立了一种简单方便的纤维素改性的固相合成方法。采用普遍廉价的滤纸作为原料,用固相合成法将预处理后的滤纸纤维经琥珀酸酐进行酯化改性,制备成新型的纤维素吸附剂,通过质量增比、扫描电镜、傅里叶红外光谱仪和X射线衍射仪对制备的吸附剂进行了分析表征,并且探究了离子初始浓度、溶液p H和吸附时间对改性纤维素吸附铜离子的影响。结果表明,在室温下初始离子浓度为1 000 mg/L,离子溶液体积为50 m L,加入0.1 g纤维改性剂,p H为4.0~5.0,吸附平衡时间为50 min时,滤纸纤维改性后最大吸附铜离子质量可达470 mg/g,铜离子去除率达到94%。     

活性焦吸附—曝气生物滤池处理煤气化废水生化出水

采用活性焦吸附—曝气生物滤池（BAF）工艺对煤气化废水生化出水进行深度处理。在活性焦投加量2 g/L、吸附时间2 h、BAF生化停留时间4 h的条件下,总COD去除率为85.4%,最终出水平均COD为45.2 mg/L,满足后续双膜法回用工艺要求（COD≤50 mg/L）。活性焦对致色的大分子有机物具有较好的吸附效果,吸附后废水的色度从300倍降至60倍,同时耗氧速率加快,可生化性提高。活性焦的吸附以物理吸附为主,吸附出水没有急性毒性。三维荧光光谱显示：各单元对于酚类的去除均有贡献,小分子组分中的酚类几乎全被去除。     

Uncovering context-induced status quo effects in choice experiments

In this study five design dimensions are varied systematically investigating context-induced status quo effects in choice experiments. Additionally, two structural complexity measures, entropy and the number of attribute level changes, are used to capture status quo effects from the similarity between alternatives and the number of trade-offs. A crucial finding is that the frequency of status quo choices is negatively associated with the number of alternatives indicating preference matching effects. By contrast, the probability of choosing the status quo increases with a higher number of choice tasks, a wider level range, and the similarity between alternatives. Status quo choices are further affected by the current environmental situation perceived by respondents. We also find that marginal and non-marginal welfare estimates are significantly affected by the choice design. One key finding is that the most used choice task format in environmental economics, i.e., two hypothetical and a status quo alternative, is likely to increase the propensity to choose the status quo option.     

Assessment of indoor radiation level in the environs of the uranium deposit area of West Khasi Hills District,Meghalaya, India

An estimation of the indoor background radiation dose distribution was carried out in dwellings of eleven villages located within and around the uranium mineralization area of Kylleng-Pyndensohiong, Mawthabah in West Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya, India. The ambient indoor gamma radiation level was monitored using Thermo Luminescence Dosimeters (TLDs) while the indoor radon and thoron concentration was measured using twin-cup dosimeters employing Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs). Results obtained from the study reveals that the local inhabitants of villages located close to the mining site receive higher doses than those inhabitants of villages located at a much farther distance from the mining site. The average total annual effective dose was found to be varying from 1.2 mSv y⁻¹ in the village of Langpa to 3.4 mSv y⁻¹ in the village of Nongbah Jynrin. The data obtained will serve as a reference in documenting changes to environmental radioactivity if mining is to be carried out in the future.