Sustainability: a Dissent

Abstract:  Broadly conceived and considered in its many usages, sustainability has grave defects as a planning goal, particularly when used by conservationists: it confuses means and ends; it is vague about what is being sustained and who or what is doing the sustaining; it is uninspiring; it is little more than Pinchot-era conservation (and thus ignores the many lessons learned since then); it need not be linked to land, to the land's functioning, or to any ecological science; it need not include a moral component; it is consistent with the view of humans as all-powerful manipulators of the planet; and, in general, it is such a malleable term that its popularity provides only a facade of consensus. When sustainability is defined broadly to include the full range of economic and social aspirations, it poses the particular risk that ecological and biodiversity concerns will be cast aside in favor of more pressing human wants. Given these many defects, the conservation movement should discard the term in favor of a more alluring goal, attentive to nature and its ecological functioning. A sound goal would incorporate and distill the considerable ecological and moral wisdom accumulated since Pinchot's day while giving conservationists the rhetorical tools needed to defend the land against competing pressures. In our view, conservation would be well served by an updated variant of "land health," Aldo Leopold's ecologically grounded goal from the 1940s. Land health as an independent understanding should set the essential terms of how we live and enjoy the earth, providing the framework within which we pursue our many social and economic aims.     

土壤矿物固定态铵研究进展

主要从土壤中粘土矿物组成、有机物质、土壤水分、Fe的氧化还原、钾素状况及土壤粘粒的不同层面电荷、净表面电荷、表面电荷均匀性等方面就土壤中固定态铵的固定机制及其对作物的有效性的影响进行了综述;并对近年来土壤中固定态铵的测定方法作一评述。     

The Subjective Rating Scales for Measurement of Mental Workload—Thurstonian Scaling

Subjective rating scales for measuring work demands and individual capabilities to cope with work requirements were developed using the Thurstonian procedure. The scales measure six dimensions of mental workload: mental difficulties, feeling of responsibility, awareness of risk, interpersonal conflicts, monotony, and time pressure. Individual scale results make it possible to assess the level of mental workload understood as a relation between the subjective rating of work demands and individual capabilities in each of the six dimensions. Two versions of scales were prepared: classic and modified ones. To assess the level of reliability of the particular scales, 481 participants were examined twice at a 1-month interval. A procedure to prepare scales for the measurement of other dimensions of mental workload is also presented.     

The Influence of Anchor Devices on the Performance of Retractable Type Fall Arresters Protecting Against Falls From a Height

Retractable type fall arresters are part of the equipment used for protecting people against falls from a height. They are an intermediate part between full body harness worn by a man and the structural anchor at the worksite. The most important task of retractable type fall arresters is to arrest people’s falls and to reduce their harmful consequences. Information received from users as well as laboratories testing protective equipment indicates that the performance of such equipment is incorrect under specific conditions. The paper is concerned with an analysis of the conditions in which retractable type fall arresters demonstrate intermittent performance and with an explanation of that phenomenon. The results of tests investigating anchor devices and the performance of retractable type fall arresters are presented. External and internal factors contributing to intermittent performance have been determined and guidelines for safer use of these devices have been developed.     

The determinants of employee participation in occupational health and safety management

This article focuses on employee direct participation in occupational health and safety (OHS) management. The article explains what determines employee opportunities to participate in OHS management. The explanatory framework focuses on safety culture and safety management at workplaces. The framework is empirically tested using Estonian cross-sectional, multilevel data of organizations and their employees. The analysis indicates that differences in employee participation in OHS management in the Estonian case could be explained by differences in OHS management practices rather than differences in safety culture. This indicates that throughout the institutional change and shift to the European model of employment relations system, change in management practices has preceded changes in safety culture which according to theoretical argument is supposed to follow culture change.     

高速铁路信号系统的安全管理评价研究

高速铁路信号系统要通过安全管理来保障其开发与运行中的安全相关活动符合系统安全计划的要求。为了评估安全管理活动的可信性,提出基于系统安全分析技术的安全管理评价方法。通过建立安全管理流程与系统安全功能相关联的概念模型,使用安全文化危险与可操作性研究(SCHAZOP)辨识出安全管理流程中的行为偏差,基于失效传导转换符号(FPTN)建立管理角色的安全文化失效模型,最终将管理行为失效模式转换成组件故障树作为安全管理评价证据。研究结果表明,安全管理行为偏差体现了信号系统开发与运营过程中的安全文化特征;辨识与分析安全文化失效,为信号系统安全管理活动的可信性提供了评价依据。     

煤矿企业的安全文化建设探索与实践

煤矿的安全生产与企业安全文化有着内在的联系,两者相辅相成、相互联系。结合莒山煤矿对安全文化建设进行探索与实践,坚持以“三个代表”重要思想为指导,通过健全管理组织体系,完善各项规章制度,采取丰富多样的宣传手段,装备有效的安全设施以及强化安全基层基础管理等途径,倡导和树立安全发展理念,激发员工“关注安全、关爱生命”的本能意识,塑造正确的安全价值观,建成能充分保障员工安全与健康的安全文化体系。     

潮土施镍对小白菜的生物效应及其临界值研究

研究潮土施Ni对盆栽蔬菜的生态效应,并通过小白菜生物量的变化、地上部茎叶Ni质量比及土壤有效态Ni质量比来表征土壤Ni污染的毒性临界值.结果表明,潮土施Ni对蔬菜未表现出增产效应.施Ni量低于25 mg/kg,其生物产量无明显降低.随施Ni量的增加,生物产量呈显著下降,生物量变化与Ni质量比呈高度负相关.潮土施Ni增加茎叶和根系中Fe,Mn,Ca,Mg元素质量比,降低Cu,Zn元素质量比.4种性质不同的提取试剂提取的土壤有效态Ni质量比与植物Ni吸收均呈高度正相关,较好地反映了植物的危害状况,且以DTPA提取效果最佳.以生物减产量突变点为依据,确定潮土施Ni毒害临界值为:土壤全量Ni为41.86 mg/kg,有效态Ni质量比为2.55mg/kg(DTPA)和茎叶Ni质量比为22.39 mg/kg.     

When apologizing hurts: Felt transgression and restoration efforts

Apologizing is important for conflict resolution and relationship reconciliation, yet apologies often fail to restore the damaged relationship. While much research has been devoted to investigating the victims' reactions upon receiving an apology, in this paper, we adopt an apologizer-centric approach and explore the phenomenon of apologizing with no felt transgression (vis-à-vis when there is felt transgression) along with its affective and reconciliation outcomes for the apologizer. Based on Appraisal Tendency Framework, we predict that apologizing with no felt transgression will lead to reduced guilt and increased anger in the apologizer, which will result in a decreased level of their restoration efforts towards the victim. In addition, we further hypothesize about the role of organizational conflict cultures in influencing the relationship between apologizing and restoration efforts via guilt and anger. Study 1 uses a micro-narrative procedure and an inductive data analysis approach to demonstrate the varied situations and motivations of employees apologizing with (no) felt transgression, Study 2 utilizes an experimental design to examine the mediation effect, and Study 3 employs the critical incident technique to test our whole research model. Our hypotheses were largely supported across our studies. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.