Sustainability and the measurement of future paths in genuine savings: case studies

This paper extrapolates future paths of genuine savings (GS) by using our integrated assessment model. The results with the base case (BC) indicate that both GS without population change (GS) and GS with population change (GSn) are almost positive in OECD countries in the twenty-first century (satisfying the necessary but insufficient condition for sustainability); those numbers are projected to be negative in 2100. Asia (ASIA), the Middle East and Africa (MEAF), the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe (FSEE), and the world show upward trends for both values, showing negative signs in 2010 and positive signs after 2050 (in ASIA, MEAF, and the world) and in 2100 (in FSEE). The values in Latin America (LAMR) remain negative throughout. We examine additional following three cases: demand reduction (DR), carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions reduction (CR), and population reduction (PR). The GSn results compared to the BC indicate that (1) GSn in DR is similar to that of BC, (2) GSn in PR is slightly higher than that of BC, and (3) GSn in CR is unexpectedly lower than that of BC. This GSn reduction in the CR case derives from the fact that the term for calculating resource depletion (especially resource rent, which equals the difference between price and cost) in GS and GSn increased, leading to a greater term being subtracted from gross savings. The resource price increases with the marginal price of natural gas, given the energy-source shift in reducing CO₂ emissions, from cheap coal to expensive natural gas.     

Do developmental initiatives influence local attitudes toward conservation? A case study from the Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve,India

We evaluated the conservation attitudes of the local villagers living adjacent to the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in southern India 6 years after implementation of a World Bank funded eco-development project. We assessed attitudes towards three facets of conservation: the tiger, an emblematic species signifying India's commitment to wildlife conservation; the forest, a principle source of fuel-wood and other products; and the Forest Department, which manages the forest. More specifically we predicted that (i) attitudes would be an effective predictor of resource use interest in the forest and (ii) benefits obtained from the EDP would create more favorable attitudes towards conservation and the protected area employees. Twelve villages located within 3 km from the reserve boundary were chosen and 2-3% of the households interviewed with regard to their attitudes towards these three facets of conservation, their household resource use patterns, wealth, sex, age and length of residency. We found significant associations between wealth, sex, age and both tiger and forest conservation. Providing benefits has not changed the underlying attitudes of the communities. The poorer sections of society, whether receiving benefits or not, tended to support tiger conservation because conserving wildlife did not affect their livelihood in any way, whereas both the rich and poor had misgivings about forest conservation due to dependency on forest products. We conclude that the eco-development project has not effectively addressed the most important of the local concerns.     

Effects of Bioengineered Streambank Stabilization on Bank Habitat and Macroinvertebrates in Urban Streams

Non-structural streambank stabilization, or bioengineering, is a common stream restoration practice used to slow streambank erosion, but its ecological effects have rarely been assessed. We surveyed bank habitat and sampled bank macroinvertebrates at four bioengineered sites, an unrestored site, and a comparatively less-impacted reference site in the urban Peachtree-Nancy Creek catchment in Atlanta, GA, USA. The amount of organic bank habitat (wood and roots) was much higher at the reference site and three of the bioengineered sites than at the unrestored site or the other bioengineered site, where a very different bioengineering technique was used (“joint planting”). At all sites, we saw a high abundance of pollution-tolerant taxa, especially chironomids and oligochaetes, and a low richness and diversity of the bank macroinvertebrate community. Total biomass, insect biomass, and non-chironomid insect biomass were highest at the reference site and two of the bioengineered sites (p < 0.05). Higher biomass and abundance were found on organic habitats (wood and roots) versus inorganic habitats (mud, sand, and rock) across all sites. Percent organic bank habitat at each site proved to be strongly positively correlated with many factors, including taxon richness, total biomass, and shredder biomass. These results suggest that bioengineered bank stabilization can have positive effects on bank habitat and macroinvertebrate communities in urban streams, but it cannot completely mitigate the impacts of urbanization.     

中国银行业与中国的碳金融发展

本文介绍了碳金融的定义以及中国构建完善碳金融体系的背景,指出我国的CDM市场虽然是全球最大的CDM市场,但碳金融还处于起步阶段,缺乏国际CERs定价权,CDM项目存在巨大的风险,这些问题亟需解决。中国的银行业作为中国金融机构的主要组成部分,在构建完善的碳金融市场上起到了十分关键的作用。分析了目前中国银行业参与碳金融的现状及存在的问题,提出了中央银行和中国商业银行介入碳金融的方法。中央银行应与商业银行相互配合使中国的碳金融市场尽快发展和完善。     

沈阳市利用国家开发银行贷款推动环保产业发展浅析

沈阳市政府从2005年开始到2007年11月末,通过沈阳恒信国有资产经营有限公司融资平台从国家开发银行融入贷款资金近295．17亿元用于老工业基地改造。据统计,共有139亿元开发银行贷款用于沈阳市“沈阳西部污水治理工程（西部细河改造）”等环保工程、环境治理等项目,占全市开行贷款总数的47％。项目的实施改善了我市的生产和生活环境,对提高沈阳市的城市品位,完善城市功能起到了积极的促进作用。但由于部分项目前期准备工作不充分、管理主体缺位、二级平台不健全、配套资金筹措不及时等原因,影响了项目进展和资金有效使用,为提高沈阳政府融资信誉,有关部门应通过建立我市开行贷款项目的储备制度、加强二级平台建设、多渠道筹集配套资金、建立有效的防范债务风险的机制等项措施,努力防范和化解财政风险。     

上海世博会环境空气质量状况和原因分析

通过2001—2010年世博会同期上海市环境空气质量变化趋势和特征分析,简析上海世博会期间环境空气质量改善和世博后空气污染反弹问题的原因。结果表明,世博期间上海市环境空气质量优良率高达98.4%,为历年同期最佳;大气污染防控措施成效显著,尤其是脱硫措施实施效果明显;世博后由于季节变换、沙尘影响和监管力度减弱等因素导致空气污染有所反弹。     

WTO对与环境有关的贸易争端的解决机制

环境与贸易的联系日趋紧密,与环境有关的国际贸易争端将越来越多.WTO为解决这类争端做出了有益尝试和不懈努力,并初见成效.该组织的争端解决机制包括法律渊源、参与争端解决的机构、解决纠纷的程序三个方面,其中解决纠纷的程序包括磋商、成立专家小组、专家小组工作、专家小组报告、上诉、复审、仲裁,已有明显的司法化特点.这一机制仍有许多不足之处,应从多方面进行完善和发展.但它使国际贸易法史上有了一个能有效进行国际环境、贸易争端处理的超国家机构,具有重大意义.中国入世后,更要研究这一机制,利用其规则维护国家环境权益.     

关注国际经贸中的环境因素

当今世界环境问题倍受关注，环境问题在国际经贸中的影响日益突出，环境壁垒即绿色壁垒极有可能成为国际贸易中最重要的贸易壁垒。本文着重论述环境因素对国际经贸的影响并对本国企业如何应对提出个人对策建议。     

Vocal alliances in Chacma baboons (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Papio hamadryas ursinus</Emphasis>)

Theory predicts that females in species with matrilineal dominance hierarchies should use nepotistic support systems to maintain their family’s rank. Female Old World monkeys, however, form alliances against other females at surprisingly low rates. Nonetheless, in many species, females utter threat vocalizations when observing others’ disputes, suggesting that these vocalizations may function as ‘vocal alliances’. We describe a playback experiment testing the efficacy of vocal alliances in free-ranging female baboons. Subjects were played the same female’s threat-grunts under three separate conditions: after being threatened by the signaller’s close relative to mimic kin support, after being threatened by a female maternally unrelated to the signaller to mimic non-kin support, and after a friendly interaction with the signaller’s close relative as a control. Subjects responded more strongly to the playback and avoided the signaller and her matrilineal relatives for a longer period of time in kin support trials than in either non-kin support or no aggression trials. In contrast, there was no difference in subjects’ behaviour between non-kin support and no aggression trials. These results corroborate observational data showing that vocal support occurs at a higher rate than physical support in female baboons, and that kin are more likely to provide vocal support than non-kin. We conclude that vocal support plays a similar role as physical support in the alliances of female baboons.     

Environmental economics reality check: a case study of the Abanico Medicinal Plant and Organic Agriculture Microenterprise Project

This paper presents a case study of the Abanico Medicinal Plant and Organic Agriculture Microenterprise Project in the Arenal Conservation Area, Costa Rica. Microenterprise is the Sustainable Development and the Women in Development model for gender equity and environment of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and large non-government organizations, like the World Wildlife Fund-Canada. The authors of this paper argue that debt-for-nature investment in microenterprise and ecological economic models are not distinct from neoclassical economic and development models that created the environmental, social and cultural crises in the first place. This case study shows that the world market accommodates only one model of development: unsustainable export-oriented production based on flexible labour markets, low wages, indebtedness and low cost production. Working standards in those micro-enterprises are eroded due to many factors,including indebtedness. What happened at a national level in non-industrial countries with the international debt crisis is now mirrored in individual indebtedness through microenterprise. Is current development policy creating a new form of indentured servitude? Medicinal plants, prior to commodification, were a source of women's power and upon commodification in international development projects, are the source of their exploitation.