Eco-Labeling and ISO 14000: An Analysis of US Regulatory Systems and Issues Concerning Adoption of Type II Standards

/ Current private and public regulatory systems may not provide an optimal degree of regulation for labels bearing environmental information, and established institutions may detract from efforts to provide for better environmental management. The advent of ISO 14000 offers new opportunities for making eco-labeling a meaningful tool to encourage environmental stewardship. While new federal legislation offers the best vehicle to introduce these standards into US law, the slow pace of the legislative process may recommend an alternative system. Multinational and civic-minded firms may be expected to employ private programs to nurture benevolent environmental management practices until more definitive governmental institutions can be put in place.KEY WORDS: Eco-labels; Environmental labeling; International standards; ISO 14000     

Upstream-downstream cooperation approach in Guanting Reservoir watershed

A case study is introduced and discussed concerning water dispute of misuse and pollution between up- and down-stream parts. The relations between water usage and local industrial structures are analyzed. Results show it is important to change industrial structures of the target region along with controlling water pollution by technical and engineering methods. Three manners of upstream-downstream cooperation are presented and discussed based on the actual conditions of Guangting Reservoir watershed. Two typical scenarios are supposed and studied along with the local plan on water resources development. The best solution for this cooperation presents a good way to help the upstream developing in a new pattern of eco-economy.     

中俄跨界水体水质联合监测长期合作若干问题的思考

文章在概要阐述中俄联合监测实验内容与经过之后,提出了下一步中俄联合监测在双方统一评价标准、监测分析方法的设想。同时提出今后扩大中俄双方联合监测方面的技术交流和新的合作方式的构想。     

乙醇对硫酸盐还原-甲烷发酵效率影响的研究

针对硫酸盐还原菌（SRB）、产酸菌（AB）和产甲烷菌（MPB）的生态位特征,采用两级厌氧与循环气提吹脱工艺,以蔗糖和乙醇为有机底物（COD为6　000 mg·L^-1）,在不同COD/SO^2-₄时分别研究了底物中乙醇浓度对硫酸盐还原、有机物去除和甲烷发酵效率的影响,以及系统的硫化物吹脱效果和最佳回流率.结果表明,乙醇的添加可以促进SO^2-₄还原,并使COD/SO^2-₄降低产生的竞争性抑制作用减弱,SRB、AB和MPB菌群处于良好的协同代谢状态.乙醇/SO^2-₄从0提升至2后系统的处理效率明显改善,COD/SO^2-₄为12、 6和4时的SO^2-₄还原率分别由7.7%、 8.1%、 14.1%提高为84.7%、 87.6%、 82.5%,COD去除率由83.3%、 76.5%、 69.6%提高为92.8%、 93.5%、 89.7%,CH₄/COD由225.7、 204.6、 178.6 mL·g^-1提高至278.5、 253.7、 236.1 mL·g^-1.系统经10倍回流水稀释及气提吹脱30%～55%的硫化物后,硫化物浓度分别低于27.8、 38.4、 52.4 mg·L^-1,有效地抑制了H₂S的毒性作用.但回流率偏大（20倍）使底物浓度梯度过低,SO^2-₄还原率下降;回流率偏低（5倍）使污泥床无法充分膨胀,COD去除率降低.     

The evolution of regional cross-border water regimes,the case of Deltarhine

In this study, we look at the evolution of a cooperative water regime in the delta of the Rhine catchment. In a Dutch–German case study, we focus on cross-border cooperation on the local and regional scale, describing and analyzing how a remarkably resilient and robust transboundary water regime has evolved over the course of 50 years. Context-, interest- and knowledge-based explanations contribute important insights into the evolution of the Deltarhine regime, and it is shown that the legal, institutional and socio-economic context shapes and constrains regional cross-border cooperation. Surprisingly in this regard, we find that European water directives have not yet played a decisive, catalyzing role for policy harmonization across borders. Finally, we show that key individuals play a crucial role in regime formation and development. We suggest that the presence of entrepreneurs and leaders adds explanatory power to current conceptual frameworks in international river basin management, thus meriting further research.     

The 9/21 earthquake in Taiwan: a local government disaster rescue system1

This paper employs a three‐element model to examine how the disaster rescue system of the government of Nantou County in Middle Taiwan functioned following the earthquake of 21 September 1999. The three elements are information gathering, local government mobilisation, and inter‐organisational cooperation. The paper finds that the Nantou County government needs to address many problems associated with these three elements. Disaster information, for example, was not processed instantly because of the destruction of the electricity and telephone systems in the earthquake. Insufficient information caused ineffectiveness in the realms of mobilisation and inter‐organisational cooperation. As for mobilisation, while the Nantou County magistrate successfully used specific information to encourage flows of huge resources in the county, he did not successfully mobilise human resources there. With regard to inter‐organisational cooperation, myriad voluntary actors and international rescue teams travelled to Nantou County, but the fire and police services experienced cooperation and coordination problems.     

首都国际机场飞机排放清单的建立

将基于标准起飞着陆（LTO）循环各阶段工作时间的飞机排放量计算方法加以改进,利用AMDAR资料计算飞机的有效排放高度,进而准确计算出基于逐架飞机的大气污染物排放总量.结果表明,首都国际机场2013年飞机NO_x、CO、HC、SO₂和PM_2.5排放总量分别为7042.1t、3189.9t、295.3t、429.4t和150.4t.与传统的基于LTO循环的方法相比,修正后的首都机场飞机NO_x、CO、HC和SO₂排放增加了23.5%、2.3%、2.1%和18.1%.飞机排放的CO、HC、SO₂和PM_2.5月变化较小,NO_x排放受飞机有效排放高度影响月波动较大.1～2月飞机污染物排放量处于全年最低水平,8月各污染物排放达到峰值.此外,飞机在爬升和滑行/慢车两种模式下污染物排放比例最大,分别占排放总量的37.7%与36.8%.     

Bibliometric analysis of ecosystem monitoring-related research in Africa: implications for ecological stewardship and scientific collaboration

Regional ecosystem monitoring is a central form of knowledge sharing and collaboration amongst scientists and decision makers on environmental health, land use change, and science-policy development. Despite the proliferation of such research networks on long-term monitoring on many continents, little has been achieved in Africa. This study aims to assess and examine the spatiotemporal trend and categorical patterns in ecosystem monitoring-related research in Africa for the benefits of conserving biodiversity and sustaining natural resource sectors for well-being and livelihood security, environmental planning, and ecological stewardship. A systematic review was conducted using bibliometric tools. Based on a set of search terms and peer-reviewed publications retrieved from various ecosystem monitoring networks and journal databases, further analysis was conducted using social network approaches, mapping tools, and content analysis. About 1442 scientific publications on ecosystem monitoring and related research were documented from 1987 to 2014 mostly published in English. The number of publication increased progressively since 1992 after the Convention on Biodiversity was signed and this trend peaked till 2008. South African Journal of Science was the most leading journal and Nature the most cited. Internationally coauthored and collaborative articles represented majority of the findings with the United Kingdom at the central position in the research network due to colonial relationships. Regional collaboration amongst countries is limited owing to language barriers and other institutional constraints such as funding and short-term projects. These findings have implication for prioritizing national and regional policies toward biodiversity science and its contribution to human well-being, food security, and global change responses.     

Sub-national level of participation in international environmental cooperation: the role of Shiga Prefecture for Lake Biwa environment in Japan

From a state-centric view, sub-national level of participation at the international level can be only feasible if it is an active part of national policy. In the case of Shiga prefectural government's initiative for international lake-environmental cooperation, however, sub-national actors came to see themselves as direct players in the absence of national policy. This study examines under what conditions and in what ways such sub-national level of participation takes place by conducting a case study of Shiga's collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) over lake-environment risk reduction. The article finds that the process of Shiga's participation in transnational governance will have less chance of being duplicated effectively in other Japanese sub-national governments. Shiga's cooperation with the UNEP was primarily driven by the ad hoc bottom-up political mobilisation of the sub-national actors. In general, without institutionalised channels for sub-national governments to participate in the regional/international level, sub-national governments need to mobilise resources on such an ad hoc basis and only pioneering sub-national actors are capable of effectively engaged on unfamiliar territory with the formation process of transnational governance.     

基于熵值法的济南市可持续发展能力动态研究

为使济南市更加科学、协调、稳健地可持续发展,根据科学性、操作性、可比性、代表性等原则建立济南市可持续发展指标体系,并在此基础上,利用熵值法对济南市“十一五”期间可持续发展综合能力进行了定量评估;从系统的角度出发,对济南市社会、经济、环境各子系统在可持续发展中的作用、影响以及各子系统间的协调状态进行了分析并针对性地提出了济南市可持续发展建议.文章对其他大中城市的社会、经济、环境可持续发展能力建设具有一定的参考价值.