The Dynamics of Justification in Policy Reform: Insights from Water Policy Debates in Ireland

Policy reform can be complex and fraught with contending arguments. Although much research has been conducted into the politics of coalition formation, less attention has been devoted to legitimating logics in policy reform. Drawing on the work of Boltanski and Thévenot, this exploratory study addresses this deficit by examining the influence of justifications deployed in policy debates. The paper analyses the role of shifting reasoning in contentious debates concerning attempts to reform water policy, including the introduction of domestic water charges in Ireland. Employing data from parliamentary deliberations, the paper traces the changing forms of justification used by those favouring and opposing the reforms. This examination suggests the importance of aligning an argument’s content with the shifting context into which it is introduced. The paper highlights the benefits of an investigative approach concerning policy justification for understanding policy reform dynamics at the intersection of politics and environmental communication.     

Media Storms and Policy Expertise: How Environmental Beat Journalists Gained Influence During a Shale Gas Controversy

This article examines the conditions under which environmental beat journalists can gain credibility as expert informants. It shows that media storms foster a particular dynamic that can add to this credibility. Comparing a media storm over shale gas development in Quebec with regular coverage of the same issue in British Columbia, this article shows that the coverage space given to environmental beat journalists during a media storm can render their alliance with protest groups mutually beneficial. Beat journalists can benefit from the willingness of these groups to participate in their stories, while the groups benefit from increased visibility. Beat journalists also benefit by being perceived as expert informants in policy networks, a role that they use to encourage policy-makers to take the concerns of protest groups seriously. This dynamic also increases the negativity of the news coverage. The article makes a contribution to knowledge on the role of environmental journalists in policy-making processes.     

Double Green Process: a low environmental impact method for recycling of CdTe,a-Si and CIS/CIGS thin-film photovoltaic modules

On the basis of the method for managing the end of life of CdTe photovoltaic panels previously proposed by the authors, a new method for the recycling of all types of thin-film panels (CdTe, a-Si and CIS/CIGS) has been developed and optimised under a research project founded by Enel Foundation and CRUI Foundation. The DGP process has been developed through a feasibility study carried out from three points of view: technical, environmental and economic. The process is composed by two sub-processes matched to each other, one suitable for CdTe panels (named DGPa) and the other one for a-Si and CIS/CIGS panels (DGPb). The Double Green Panel process is based mainly on mechanical treatments with a minimum use of chemicals and it is characterised by a greater level of automation and a high flexibility in production capacity. The potential environmental impacts of various configurations of the DGP process have been extensively analysed with LCA tool in order to develop an environmentally friendly process. The economic feasibility has been assessed through the Discounted Cash Flow Analysis (DCFA) method. The revenues associated to the recovery of valuable and common materials and the recycling costs have been taken into account.     

小分子有机酸对紫色土及其溶液中Pb的赋存影响

以紫色土中铅(Pb)为研究对象,采用以0.01 mol·L~(-1)硝酸钠(NaNO_3)为背景电解质的一步提取法,研究了不同浓度下乙酸,酒石酸和柠檬酸对土壤中Pb的释放作用,并通过土壤重金属形态的分步提取法和地球化学平衡软件Visual MINTEQ v3.0,进一步分析和预测了小分子有机酸作用下土壤中Pb以及土壤溶液中Pb的形态变化.在此基础上,分析了小分子有机酸对Pb作用的环境意义与环境风险.结果表明,3种小分子有机酸均显著增加了紫色土中Pb的释放量,活化效果表现为柠檬酸酒石酸乙酸.在有机酸作用下,土壤中交换态Pb总量增加,碳酸盐结合态Pb和铁锰氧化物结合态Pb总量降低;土壤溶液中Pb以有机结合态为主,占总Pb质量的45.16%~75.05%,游离态次之,占22.71%~50.25%,且随着浓度增加,柠檬酸和酒石酸作用下的土壤溶液中的游离态Pb和无机结合态Pb增加,而有机结合态Pb减少,乙酸则呈相反趋势.总体上看,小分子有机酸提高了紫色土中Pb的生物有效性,且存在地下水的淋溶风险,其中柠檬酸的淋溶风险远大于酒石酸和乙酸.     

藻华聚集的环境效应:对漂浮植物水葫芦光合作用的影响

利用适应性强、生物量大的水生植物来净化污染水体,已成为目前水体生态修复的一种快捷有效的方法.然而,在夏季蓝藻水华严重聚集的水体,藻华聚集后对水生植物的生理生态影响及其环境效应,尚缺乏系统研究.本研究以水葫芦为代表,模拟在高温阶段(水温WT25℃)、水华严重聚集时,对水葫芦的光合作用的影响进行研究,以揭示蓝藻水华聚集后造成的浅水生态系统中水生植物消亡的深层机制,并为减轻藻华聚集对水生植物的不良影响、充分发挥水生植物的水体净化功能提供理论依据.结果表明,藻华聚集会很快消耗掉水生植物根区内的溶氧,呈现缺氧状态(DO0.2 mg·L-1);植物根区内ORP出现明显下降现象,实验进行1 d后低于-100 m V,实验结束时达-200 m V,水体呈现强还原环境.与对照相比,根区内p H值低0.7个单位.藻华细胞在死亡、分解后释放大量的无机营养盐于水体中,植物根区内的NH+4-N含量比对照实验中高102倍;较高的NH+4-N含量(平均为45.6 mg·L-1)加之缺氧的协迫作用,导致植物机体受到破坏,植物的光合作用能力严重下降.叶片的平均净光合速率仅为对照的0.6倍,实验结束时其光合速率Pn为3.96μmol·(m2·s)-1,而同期对照实验的叶片净光合速率Pn为22.0μmol·(m2·s)-1;叶片蒸腾速率仅为对照的0.55倍,至实验结束时其蒸腾速率为1.38 mmol·(m2·s)-1,同期对照实验的叶片蒸腾速率为7.61 mmol·(m2·s)-1,表明藻华长期的聚集对植物产生了不可逆的伤害作用.在实际生产中,要避免蓝藻的严重堆积和快速消亡,以减轻藻华暴发对植物的伤害,充分发挥植物的水体净化功能.     

宁夏总量减排与环境质量改善的相关性分析

利用SPSS统计软件分析宁夏“十一五”期间主要污染物总量控制指标与环境质量数据的关联程度,并建立回归模型.结果表明:宁夏总量减排与环境质量改善存在高度关联,拟合曲线均为一元线性回归曲线.随着SO2排放总量降低,重点城市空气质量稳步改善,两者呈现同向变化的趋势;随着COD排放总量降低,黄河宁夏段水环境质量稳步改善,两者亦呈现同向变化的趋势.宁夏总量减排在环境质量改善上成效已显现,污染防治政策较为成功,环保成绩显著.     

Credibility and advocacy in conservation science

Conservation policy sits at the nexus of natural science and politics. On the one hand, conservation scientists strive to maintain scientific credibility by emphasizing that their research findings are the result of disinterested observations of reality. On the other hand, conservation scientists are committed to conservation even if they do not advocate a particular policy. The professional conservation literature offers guidance on negotiating the relationship between scientific objectivity and political advocacy without damaging conservation science's credibility. The value of this guidance, however, may be restricted by limited recognition of credibility's multidimensionality and emergent nature: it emerges through perceptions of expertise, goodwill, and trustworthiness. We used content analysis of the literature to determine how credibility is framed in conservation science as it relates to apparent contradictions between science and advocacy. Credibility typically was framed as a static entity lacking dimensionality. Authors identified expertise or trustworthiness as important, but rarely mentioned goodwill. They usually did not identify expertise, goodwill, or trustworthiness as dimensions of credibility or recognize interactions among these 3 dimensions of credibility. This oversimplification may limit the ability of conservation scientists to contribute to biodiversity conservation. Accounting for the emergent quality and multidimensionality of credibility should enable conservation scientists to advance biodiversity conservation more effectively.     

辽宁矿山固体废弃物对环境影响遥感调查分析

辽宁矿种繁多,矿山固体废弃物产出量巨大。为了加强生态环境建设,在矿山固体废弃物对生态环境影响遥感调查的基础上,论述了矿山固体废弃物调查对象与内容、技术路线与工作方法,并分析了辽宁矿山固体废弃物产出量及矿山固体废弃物对环境的影响。     

辽宁省经济发展与环境关系的实证研究

维持经济的持续稳定增长是我国的重要政策目标,然而面对日趋严峻的资源、环境制约,大力推进生态文明建设已刻不容缓。相应地,在理论方面,研究经济增长与环境污染的双向作用机制也非常必要。利用VAR模型,研究了辽宁省经济发展与环境之间的关系,发现两者之间的关系并不是EKC理论中所说的倒u型曲线,而是呈现w型、N型等更加复杂的曲线形状。实验结果也表明辽宁省环境与经济存在双向作用机制,其中,废气与废水对辽宁省经济增长影响最大。     

辽河流域水环境压力及污染治理模式研究

系统分析了辽河流域近十年社会经济和水污染物排放之间的关系,基于污染物排放强度和人均GDP指标,建立辽河流域COD和氨氮环境学习曲线;结合情景分析法预测在现有治污水平下,辽河流域未来水污染物排放趋势及水环境压力。结果表明,辽河流域水环境压力巨大。根据辽河流域污染治理中存在的实际问题,提出新时期的污染治理模式。