Between Active Seekers and Non-Users: Segments of Science-related Media Usage in Switzerland and Germany

ABSTRACT

Citizens’ attitudes toward science are related to their use of science-related information from various sources. Evidence is scarce regarding citizens’ individual media repertoires for staying informed about science as segmentation studies so far have primarily focused on scientific attitudes. In this paper, we explore audience segments regarding their science-related information behavior and whether such segments are comparable or vary between two countries with similar information environments. Based on two surveys in Switzerland and Germany, we identify national audience segments that differ in their science-related information repertoires, and analyze their sociodemographic characteristics and science-related attitudes. In both countries, we find very comparable information user segments ranging from those who inform themselves frequently about science (“Active Seekers”/“Science Consumers”) to those who hardly get in contact with any information about science and research (“Non-Users”). Those segments which get in contact with information about science frequently show generally more positive attitudes.     

Protective Progressives to Distrustful Traditionalists: A Post Hoc Segmentation Method for Science Communication

ABSTRACT

This study demonstrates a post-hoc segmentation that is effective in creating distinct and robust segments of interest for researchers and practitioners in science communication. We use agglomerative hierarchical clustering to classify survey respondents based on answers to a short, five-item battery of questions drawn from variables that are frequently used in science communication. Resulting segments demonstrate strong differences in regards to demographics, issue-specific science knowledge, attention to media, sentiment toward media, and social networking site use. We assess the utility of the segments through a series of regression analyses in order to determine differences among segments with regards to intent to seek information about three science issues: fracking, nanotechnology, and synthetic biology.     

Indonesia’s Accidental Island: Composing the Environment in the Echo of Disaster

By presenting stakeholders’ competing representations of an extraordinary geological formation, an island with a surface that is comprised of runoff from an infamous mud volcano in East Java, this article explores the communicative openings and closures that arise during an environmental disaster. A particular concern is attuning communicative practices to the diverse human and nonhuman actors that not only produce disasters but also shape our understandings and responses to disasters. Drawing on the work of Bruno Latour, this article suggests that non-anthropocentric modes of inquiry present new communicative and political possibilities for pursuing both social justice and safe environments. While this article focuses on a specific set of incidents in Indonesia, this project develops tools and perspectives that can be applied to environmental conflicts at other places.     

“Science is Everywhere,but No One Knows It”: Assessing the Cultural Distance to Science of Rural South African Publics

ABSTRACT

In science communication, a prerequisite for reaching different parts of a society is to find out how these publics experience and interpret science. Since rural South African publics are perceived to exhibit a large cultural distance to science, the present exploratory study aimed to know in more detail how rural South Africans perceive and understand science in their local and social contexts. Theoretical notions on cultural distance and the methodological approach of segmentation studies were considered. Semi-structured interviews with rural South Africans were carried out in four towns (n?=?52) that differ with respect to having a large scientific installation in their vicinity, or not. Sensitively comparing local and social contexts helped identifying three different publics who differed regarding their perceptions of science; however, the large scientific installations only made a difference in perceptions for those publics who were generally less exposed to and less knowledgeable about science.     

Comparison of the daily global solar radiation from different data sources in Northwest China climate

The solar radiation data are of high importance to the solar energy systems. Conventional methods to obtain the solar radiation data are from weather stations, solar radiation models, commercial software databases, and field measurements. In the present study, a new daily global solar radiation model is proposed, by combining the quadratic function of sunshine fraction and sine function of the day of the year. The solar radiation model calculated data are then compared with China Meteorological Data Sharing System (CMDSS) data, TRNSYS data, and field-measured data in Northwest China climate. It is found that the newly proposed solar radiation model has better performance than the other nine solar radiation models in the literature. The solar radiation model calculated data fit well with the CMDSS annually average data. The TRNSYS data are a bit larger than the CMDSS annually average data in summer half year and a little smaller than those in winter half year. The solar radiation model and the CMDSS annually average data have the best correlation, whereas the TRNSYS data and the field-measured data have the worst correlation. The solar radiation model calculated data have the best correlation with the other three data sources.     

Enhancing consultation practices on Air Quality Management in local authorities

Schedule 11 of the Environment Act 1995 underpins the requirement for consultation on air quality issues. The ongoing air quality review and assessment process represents one of the largest locally based science policy and communication initiatives ever undertaken in the UK. This paper outlines the practice of consultation and communication for Air Quality Management (AQM) and reviews the interaction between Environmental Health professionals, as the leading actor in the AQM process and other stakeholders involved in air quality consultation, including the public. Results are presented from a widespread questionnaire survey of English local authorities. Data indicate that the majority of air quality consultation has been carried out with statutory consultees (by sending the review and assessment reports) and the public (via websites and leaflets) in the form of information dissemination.     

矿区生态环境遥感监测数据库系统设计与实现

以肥城矿区为背景,基于Personal Geodatabase模型构建了空间数据库,采用C#作为开发语言,借助ArcGIS Engine的控件开发了矿区生态环境遥感监测数据库系统.根据数据获取方式不同,将空间数据库分为基础地理数据库、专题数据库、实地监测数据库和表格数据库4部分,系统实现了矿区空间数据和属性数据的统一存储和管理,多时相遥感数据的对比分析,水质、土壤湿度的动态监测,矿区各类地物面积的统计分析等功能.     

基于数据库的污染场地流程管理初步设计

污染场地是工业化发展的产物,中国的污染场地修复与管理尚处于起始阶段,如何实现国家层面对污染场地的有效监管是一个重要课题。在国家污染场地信息管理数据库框架基础上,提出了以流程管理(BPM)架构技术和业务流程引擎技术为基础构建支持跨平台和跨系统的数据采集、处理和分析的BPM运行平台,设定了污染场地管理的主要机构和相应主要角色,还设计了污染场地资料入库和分类评估的管理流程,以期为中国污染场地的计算机化和网络化监管平台建设提供参考和借鉴。     

大宝山矿区水体和沉积物中重金属的污染评价

分别于丰水期和枯水期对广东省大宝山矿区铁龙拦泥坝至凉桥河段水体中溶解态的重金属进行了调查,应用EPA推荐的健康风险评价模型发现,水体中非致癌物通过饮水途径所导致平均个人年风险排列顺序是Cu〉Pb〉Zn,最大值的平均个人年风险在丰水期和枯水期的平均值分别是2.14×10-7 a-1和4.13×10-7 a-1,小于国际防辐射委员会（ICRP）推荐的最大可接受平均个人年风险5.0×10-5a-1。致癌物Cd的平均个人年风险在丰水期和枯水期的平均值分别是3.52×10-4 a-1和4.53×10-4 a-1,大于ICRP推荐的最大可接受值,同时也大于非致癌物3～4个数量级。另外,通过对枯水期沉积物的重金属总量分析,发现凉桥槽对坑支流受水体pH的影响,导致其沉积物重金属的浓度最高。根据Long和Macdonald利用生物效应数据库法建立的沉积物质量基准,发现除冷水泾外,其他采样点的平均效应中值指数（mERMQ）值都大于1.5,可见沉积物中的重金属会对当地底栖生物产生毒害作用。