Sustainable development and cultural theory

SUMMARY

What is sustainable development? Why is at an issue? Ideally, what needs to be done? and Practically, what can be done? are answered here by relying on the cultural theory of Mary Douglas and her colleagues, more especially Aaron Wildavsky and Michael Thompson, both of whom have used the model to address sustainable development. The implications of cultural theory for sustainable development are substantial.

The article is divided into five sections. The first describes the current controversy over sustainable development. The second sets out the cultural theory model, and the third applies that model to reformulate our understanding of sustainable development. The fourth draws out the implications of a reformulated sustainable development, while the conclusion uses those implications to answer the four questions that started the article.     

Multi-formal and Information-based Emergency Resource Reserve System in China

Abstract

Emergency resources are an important basis of effective emergency response. But there are many disadvantages of the Chinese traditional material reserve method in which the resources are separately reserved in different regions and sections according to the kinds of disasters. So there comes the Multi-formal and Information- based Emergency Resource Reserve System (MIERRS) in China. The reserve body and method change from the single into the multiple forms, that is, the main reserve body changes from the single government agency into the organizations combining with the military, enterprise and society, and the reserve method changes from single material reserve into the reserve combining with market reserve, talents and technology reserve, and production capacity reserve. The content of the reserve change from material to information means to develop the Emergency Resource Management Information System realizing real-time control of resource characteristics and relevant reserve information. The MIERRS leads to a reserve system with rapid response and flexible schedule. It provides a convenient platform for resource sharing, thus avoiding duplication and waste, improving the utilization of resources, reducing the reserve loss and optimizing the structure of resource reserve.     

Biodiversity conservation through faith and tradition in India: some case studies

SUMMARY

In India, since ancient times, several members of the flora and fauna have been identified with particular personalities of the Hindu pantheon and are worshipped. Many wild animals, such as tigers, lions and elephants, and birds such as the peacock, owl and swan have been revered as the vehicles of Gods and Goddesses and worshipped. Several trees, such as mango, coconut, khejri, emblica, tamarind, ashoka, madhuca and wood apple, and herbs such as basil are considered highly sacred and worshipped. This belief and these practices continue in one form or another even today in certain sections of Indian society, particularly the rural folk and the aboriginal tribes living in the forest. Nature worship is a form of tribal belief and the faith of these laymen has helped to conserve many natural ecosystems in India. They have preserved many pristine forests—called ‘sacred groves’ in their original forms. Sacred groves are rich in biodiversity. They are the last refuge of the rare flora and fauna which have otherwise disappeared from the modern world. Sacred groves have become part of the ‘biosphere reserves’ of India.     

鄱阳湖南矶山自然保护区鲤、鲫的随机扩增多态DNA分析

利用RAPD（随机扩增多态）标记分析湖内鲤、鲫群体遗传多样性，从40个随机引物中各筛选出8个引物适合鲤、鲫群体RAPD扩增。在鲤群体中，共检测出60条带，其中多态性带42条，多态位点比率为70.00%；而在鲫群体中，共检测出61条带，其中多态性带40条，多态位点比率为65.57%。用POPGENE软件分析实验数据，结果显示：湖内鲤群体的遗传多样性水平(He=0.230 1，H0=0.391 0)和鲫群体的遗传多样性水平(He=0.218 6，H0=0.375 8)都较高，都有较大的遗传变异。而在鲤、鲫群体内，雌性群体与雄性群体相比较，其各自的遗传多样性很接近。     

太阳跟踪反射聚能户外加速曝晒方法的对比研究

目的 找出太阳跟踪反射聚能户外加速曝晒方法的特点和价值。方法 基于几种典型的透明高分子材料试样,分别在佛罗里达典型亚热带潮湿环境自然曝晒、汽车外饰实验室氙灯加速耐候试验及亚利桑那太阳跟踪反射聚能户外加速曝晒黄变结果相关性、加速性和区分度的对比分析,来比较这几种试验方法的特点。结果 户外加速曝晒和自然曝晒的相关性高于氙灯加速试验和自然曝晒的相关性。与自然曝晒相比,户外加速曝晒的平均加速倍率及不同试样的加速倍率的相对差异明显小于氙灯加速试验。自然曝晒和户外加速曝晒的区分度也明显大于实验室氙灯加速试验。结论 户外加速曝晒方法较好地均衡了相关性、加速性、加速一致性及区分度,适合高分子材料的验证性试验。     

The re-territorialisation of Biosphere Reserves: The case of Wester Ross,Northwest Scotland

Biosphere reserves, designated under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, are now regarded as key mechanisms to achieve global imperatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals. The concept of biosphere reserves has evolved significantly from the 1970s to include a larger number of functions and zones, as well as the inclusion of stakeholders in governance, as codified in the 1996 Statutory Framework for the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Its implementation has led to the re-territorialisation of 66 biosphere reserves, as they have been extended beyond the protected areas that form their ‘core areas’. One example is Wester Ross in northwest Scotland. This region has been nationally recognised for its high biodiversity and landscape values since the late 1940s, and a small biosphere reserve was established in 1976. In the current decade, as required by the MAB Programme, this biosphere reserve was extended to over 100 times its original area through a participatory process which is described in detail. Following re-territorialisation, this biosphere reserve, like others, both represents opportunities and faces challenges. These are discussed with regard to four requirements: effective communication, stakeholder engagement, participatory governance, and funding.     

自然保护区评价研究的进展

本文论述了自然保护区评价这一新学科在近30年内的发展史,同时介绍了自然保护区评价的几个组成部分和一些基本概念,分析了其存在的不足和有待解决的问题。     

Adam's place in nature: Respect or domination?

The creation story in Genesis speaks of humankind being given dominion over nature. Does this support the view that nature has solely instrumental value, and is of worth only insofar as it serves the necessities and conveniences of the human species? Does dominion amount to unfettered domination here? An interpretation of the story is advanced employing procedures of practical criticism. Three central images are focussed on: Adam's being given dominion over the other creatures, his naming of them, and his being made in God's likeness. It is argued that these images, in their qualification and enrichment of each other, develop the idea that animals are of worth independently of their usefulness to us. Other key parts of the Bible, that at first may seem to promote unfettered domination, are shown to be more properly read as supporting an animal-benign religious ethics.     

Prediction of lichen diversity in an UNESCO biosphere reserve – correlation of high resolution remote sensing data with field samples

The present study focuses on developing models to predict lichen species richness in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of the Swiss Pre-Alps following a gradient of land-use intensity combining remote sensing data and regression models. The predictive power of the models and the obtained r ranging from 0.5 for lichens on soil to 0.8 for lichens on trees can be regarded as satisfactory to good, respectively. The study revealed that a combination of airborne and spaceborne remote sensing data produced a variety of ecological meaningful variables.     

Mathematical Methods for Spatially Cohesive Reserve Design

The problem of designing spatially cohesive nature reserve systems that meet biodiversity objectives is formulated as a nonlinear integer programming problem. The multiobjective function minimises a combination of boundary length, area and failed representation of the biological attributes we are trying to conserve. The task is to reserve a subset of sites that best meet this objective. We use data on the distribution of habitats in the Northern Territory, Australia, to show how simulated annealing and a greedy heuristic algorithm can be used to generate good solutions to such large reserve design problems, and to compare the effectiveness of these methods.