Valuing biodiversity: reality or mirage?

The objective of this paper was to consider the social value ofbiological diversity and explore if this value could be expressedin terms of a unidimensional metric in money. Economics distinguishes between use-values and non-use-values, which are critically evaluated for valuing biodiversity. It is shown that these utility-based valuations have severe limitations as they treat species in isolation from their ecological contexts. In contrast, ecosystem ecology regards ecosystems as an integratednon-linear and nonconvex system in which ecosystem functions canbe understood as a four-component cycle; exploitation, accumulation of biomass, creative destruction and renewal. Withinsuch a cycle, ecosystems can be seen to have two properties: stability and resilience. A good proxy for resilience is the probability of extinction of species, and social value of biodiversity can be expressed as a partial ordering with thisprobability as an index. This approach is consistent with decision theory, of which social choice is an important component, pioneered by Arrow.     

The good life of creatures with dignity some comments on the swiss expert opinion

The notion of Dignity of Creatures has been voted into the Swiss Federal Constitution by a plebiscite. Philipp Balzer, Klaus-Peter Rippe, and Peter Schaber have given an expert opinion for the Swiss government to clarify the notion of Dignity of Creatures. According to them, by voting this notion into the Swiss constitution, the Swiss have chosen for a limited biocentric approach towards biotechnology. In such an approach genetic engineering of non-human beings is only allowed insofar that their own good is not impaired. It is, however, not clear when the good of a non-human being is impaired. I defend the position that — even if we confine ourselves to animals — their good goes beyond their well being.     

The Economic Value of Open Space: A Review and Synthesis

/ Communities increasingly face development pressures that can irreversibly alter open space lands. While the monetary costs and benefits of development are typically known, the corresponding values of natural lands are complex and difficult to measure. This paper reviews different concepts of economic value in relation to open space, describes methods for quantifying these values, and presents examples of each from published literature. Open space benefits accruing to citizens as market values or consumers' surplus include market and enhancement values, production values, natural systems value, use and nonuse values, and various intangible values. Economic impacts that open space lands have on local communities and economies include fiscal impacts on municipal budgets, expenditures from open space-related activities, and impacts from employment and tax revenues. These values are not universally present within a given community, nor are they quantitatively additive. However, a comprehensive consideration of the multiple values of open space will better inform community decisions about land conservation and development. KEY WORDS: Conservation; Economic value; Land use; Open space; Zoning     

土壤重金属镉标准值差异比较研究与建议

伴随我国工农业生产的快速发展,土壤污染物超标等问题逐年加剧,由土壤镉污染导致水稻出现"镉米"等食品安全事件频发,引起社会对土壤镉环境标准的广泛关注.建立土壤环境标准是开展土壤环境质量现状评价的基础,世界各国虽皆以镉对动植物和人体健康影响的最大允许值作为定值的基础依据,但定值方法、标准应用目标各有侧重,因而标准限值差异较大.通过对国内外土壤重金属镉标准限值和我国土壤镉背景值的研究,给出了全国各省级行政区域土壤表层镉背景含量范围值和部分土壤类型镉背景含量范围值;报告了我国现行土壤镉环境质量标准存在的突出问题,提出土壤环境质量标准中应设置土壤镉梯度标准限值、有效态与总量标准限值并存以及严格区分人为污染与高背景等建议.     

基于指标规范值的环境质量引力普适指数公式

为了建立物理意义明确、科学合理、计算简单和普适通用的环境质量评价模型,借鉴自然界普遍存在的万有引力现象和物理学中的规范对称性(不变性)原理,提出环境样本之间也存在类似万有引力的聚类相互作用引力,并在适当设定指标参照值和指标值的规范变换式及"参照级"样本基础上,定义了环境样本的"规范质量"和"规范坐标"的概念,进而分别建立了基于指标规范值的水环境质量和空气环境质量的引力普适指数公式.通过若干实例对公式的实用性进行了效果检验,结果表明,基于指标规范值的环境质量的引力普适指数公式具有形式简洁、规范统一、计算简便和普适通用的特点.     

水生态系统服务功能价值评估研究综述

随着人类认识的不断进步,水生态系统服务功能价值的分类及评估方法逐渐形成。专家们对湿地、湖泊、水库等生态系统的服务功能价值进行了评估。但评估方法尚不成熟,服务功能分类缺乏统一的标准,以瞬时静态评估为主,不能充分体现各个生态系统的特征和空间异质性。     

我国城镇居民可持续消费浅析

本文通过对可持续消费的背景以及相关理论的论述,在分析我国城镇居民可持续消费存在问题的基础上,构建了符合我国城镇居民可持续消费特点的指标体系,并讨论了我国城镇居民可持续消费的测度思路.     

通风温度对生活垃圾生物干化脱水的影响

以高含水率生活垃圾为研究对象,研究了不同的通风温度(室温、40℃低温、55℃中温、65℃高温)对生物干化的影响。结果表明,通风温度变化对堆体温度影响较小;高温通风(65℃)能有效地降低垃圾含水率,但不利于有机物的降解,产物的挥发性固体(VS)和可生物降解物质(BDM)值最高,稳定度最低;经过15 d的干化作用,4组反应器垃圾含水率显著降低,水分去除率分别为77.99%,79.37%,79.85%,79.47%;另外还伴随着厨余和纸张的降解;通风温度与热值提升呈正相关关系,各组出料的湿基低位热值分别为7 202 kJ/kg,9 276.4 kJ/kg,9 358.5 kJ/kg,10 064 kJ/kg,分别提高了72.2%,122.7%,123.7%,140.6%。     

饭岛伸子环境社会学思想浅析

饭岛伸子环境社会学思想体现在她对环境社会学对象与方法、环境问题的历史与现状、环境运动的意义与价值等问题的分析中。饭岛伸子环境社会学思想的价值在于它用社会学的视角观察环境问题,用社会学的方法寻求环境问题的解决路径。饭岛伸子环境社会学思想拓展了环境问题研究的空间,开辟了环境问题研究的领域,启发了人们对环境与社会、社会与环境关系的思考,深化和升华了全球化、工业化、城市化背景下人们对环境问题的认识。受环境社会学研究现状和研究者个人志趣、价值取向等因素的影响,饭岛伸子的环境社会学思想存在一定的局限。     

宝鸡市上王地震台咸水渠泉水氡动态变化影响因素探讨

本文结合1999年以来上王地震台咸水渠泉地下流体水氡观测资料,在剔除K值影响的基础上,对水氡及其辅助测项流量、降雨的关系进行分析,得出上王地震台水氡动态变化受流量、降雨影响,呈显著的负相关性,并结合2008年汶川8．O级地震震后出现的显著异常现象得到验证。