Mining amid decentralization. Local governments and mining in the Philippines

In recent years, as part of its neoliberal development paradigm, the Government of the Philippines has engaged in efforts to encourage extraction of the nation's mineral resources. The Philippines is also a country where decentralization has devolved substantial powers to local governments. Concern over potentially adverse environmental effects has led to opposition to mining by some local governments in the Philippines. This opposition has led to the withholding of consent to mining projects by local governments and, in some cases, the implementation of moratoriums banning mining. Central to this opposition have been the activities of civil society groups, and their collaboration with local governments. This collaboration has involved the drafting of legislation prohibiting mining and support of candidates for office who are opposed to mining. Collectively, Filipino local governments and civil society groups are examples of the concept of governance, a dispersed process wherein society manages itself for the betterment of all its members. For mining companies seeking to implement projects, it is no longer sufficient to have the consent of the national Government — that of local governance forces must also be considered.     

日本在循环社会和生态城市建设上的实践

文章重点介绍了近年来日本在循环社会和生态城市建设方面的实践,并试图探讨中国今后在生态城市建设上的发展方向。     

Clarifying values,risk perceptions,and attitudes to resolve or avoid social conflicts in invasive species management

Decision makers and researchers recognize the need to effectively confront the social dimensions and conflicts inherent to invasive species research and management. Yet, despite numerous contentious situations that have arisen, no systematic evaluation of the literature has examined the commonalities in the patterns and types of these emergent social issues. Using social and ecological keywords, we reviewed trends in the social dimensions of invasive species research and management and the sources and potential solutions to problems and conflicts that arise around invasive species. We integrated components of cognitive hierarchy theory and risk perceptions theory to provide a conceptual framework to identify, distinguish, and provide understanding of the driving factors underlying disputes associated with invasive species. In the ISI Web of Science database, we found 15,915 peer‐reviewed publications on biological invasions, 124 of which included social dimensions of this phenomenon. Of these 124, 28 studies described specific contentious situations. Social approaches to biological invasions have emerged largely in the last decade and have focused on both environmental social sciences and resource management. Despite being distributed in a range of journals, these 124 articles were concentrated mostly in ecology and conservation‐oriented outlets. We found that conflicts surrounding invasive species arose based largely on differences in value systems and to a lesser extent stakeholder and decision maker's risk perceptions. To confront or avoid such situations, we suggest integrating the plurality of environmental values into invasive species research and management via structured decision making techniques, which enhance effective risk communication that promotes trust and confidence between stakeholders and decision makers. Clarificar los Valores, Percepciones de Riesgo y Actitudes para Resolver o Evitar Conflictos Sociales en el Manejo de Especies Invasoras     

主观性在环境侵权案件证据和证明中的作用研究

法院在审理环境侵权案件时,往往依赖于专业鉴定、行政标准、专家意见等等客观依据来确定案件事实.但因为环境问题的复杂性,以及民事主体自身举证能力的限制,经常出现双方举证均不充分,法院无法基于现有事实和证据得出结论的情况.此时,法官应当发挥自身能动性,主动应用主观的、甚至是非科学性的因素和手段,包括容忍义务、经验法则、自由心证等等,这些因素无法被赋予客观的标准,它需要法官基于自身的理性以及经验,结合社会一般观念、习惯等因素进行判断.     

Mobilisation and protest: environmental justice in Durban,South Africa

This paper examines the ability of civil society actors to champion environmental justice in an industrial risk society in South Africa by way of mobilisation and protest action. This paper presents viewpoints from key stakeholders at the Durban city level and three local case study sites to examine social capital relations to achieve environmental justice. It explores how civil society engages in social capital for mobilisation with itself and subsequent protest actions to engage with government and industry. The paper highlights that social actor response to engage in social capital for mobilisation and protests is best understood in relation to the socio-economic and political positioning of individuals or organisations.     

Greening up: the effects of environmental standards in EU and US trade agreements

Can environmental provisions in preferential trade agreements (PTAs) foster an environmental race to the top? The ways in which different enforcement mechanisms in North–South PTAs affect the implementation of environmental standards in developing countries are examined. It is argued that environmental provisions in European Union (EU) and United States (US) PTAs will be effective in instigating policy change in partner countries, although the timing of the effect will vary significantly. Fines and sanctions in US PTAs incentivize partner countries to reform during the negotiation process. Reform in EU PTA partners is predicted to occur during agreement implementation as a result of the EU’s policy dialogue approach. Illustrative evidence is provided and the hypotheses are tested using statistical estimations of EU and US PTAs with environmental provisions on developing countries’ environmental policy reform.     

清罐油泥资源化综合利用技术应用

采用清罐含油污泥资源化综合利用技术,处理后的含油污泥经检测其灰渣重金属含量均小于我国GB 15618-1995《土壤环境质量标准》和GB 4284-84《农用污泥中污染物控制标准》,灰渣浸出液达到GB5085.3-2007《危险废物鉴别标准浸出毒性鉴别》二级标准、燃烧后产生的废气和烟尘达到GB 13271-2001《锅炉大气污染物排放标准》。解决了清罐油泥处理难的问题,同时符合国家推行清洁生产,大力发展循环经济的要求,使生产过程中的废物减量化、资源化、无害化,减小了油泥排污费用,具有显著环境效益和社会效益。     

山东半岛城市群区域经济吸引力分析与竞争力提升

城市是一个开放系统，城市的发展离不开与其它城市和区域的相互联系，研究城市的吸引力有利于城市和区域经济的空间组织，有利于明确城市实体的空间发展方向。作者理论与实证相结合，从不同的层面分别考察了山东半岛8个城市的经济吸引力，并据此就山东半岛城市群竞争力提升提出了若干战略建议。     

资源节约型社会评价指标体系的构建

建设资源节约型社会是当前中国极为迫切的任务。在分析资源节约型社会内涵基础上，根据整体性原则、针对性原则、应用性原则、可操作性原则和动态性原则，从经济节约指数、社会节约指数、科技支持指数和环境支持指数4个准则层面给出29个具体指标，基本涵盖了节约型社会的各个方面；最后从推进循环经济的发展、增强节约意识推进节约社会的发展、加快科技进步促进科技成果转化和改善、提高环境支持水平等方面，对提升资源节约型社会节约水平提出了建议。     

建设资源节约型、环境友好型社会:基于新制度经济学的视角

建设资源节约型、环境友好型社会,需要在人与自然和谐发展的共有信念下,通过制度创新和制度变迁,实现个体理性向集体理性的收敛。制度变迁是构建资源节约型、环境友好型社会的关键所在,而制度变迁的内在机理是资源相对价格和人们消费偏好的变迁。通过强制性制度变迁,建立完善的法律法规体系、政策支持体系、技术创新体系和激励约束机制,形成低投入、低消耗、低排放和高效率的节约型增长方式;通过诱致性制度变迁,唤起公众的节约意识和环保意识,从而提升整个社会的环境责任感,让足够的认知成为公众自觉行动的能力。