Economic,ecological, and equity dimensions of brownfield redevelopment plans for environmental justice communities in the USA

ABSTRACT

This paper employs qualitative content analysis to assess 28 brownfield redevelopment plans produced as part of a US Environmental Protection Agency programme. The analysis framework followed the economic, ecological, and social equity dimensions of sustainable development. The findings illustrate that, in terms of economic dimensions, most plans discussed financing the overall project, but few mentioned site values or the pivotal cost of remediating brownfield sites or addressed questions related to liability, the transfer of ownership of sites, or the end use of remediated sites. In terms of ecological dimensions, while many plans suggested “green” uses of existing brownfields, few discussed the impacts of the plans on urban ecological issues or offered technical feasibility of remediating the sites. In terms of social equity dimensions, half of the plans described potential local jobs stemming from the proposed redevelopment, but many did not discuss the human impacts of remediating contaminated sites or the costs of doing nothing. Most plans mentioned community engagement methods but not their outcomes, making the degree to which the lessons gleaned from such engagement influenced the plans totally unclear. Despite the programme’s explicit focus on the nexus of environmental justice and local environments, many plans struggled to address the topic in favour of tackling broader economic, environmental, and equity issues. Overall, this paper contributes to the understanding of brownfield redevelopment planning by not only summarising and synthesising the tendencies of existing plans but also suggesting strategies to address areas in which current planning efforts fall short.     

论可持续发展思想对法学基础理论的影响

可持续发展思想是社会发展的必然产物 ,它必将对上层建筑产生重大影响。本文从这个意义上论述了可持续发展思想对法学基础理论的影响 ,剖析了可持续发展中环境与资源之间的相互关系 ,以期推动法理学的改革和发展 ,进而更好地保障我国可持续发展战略的顺利实施。     

系统解决环评委托代理和环评审批中公正性问题的建议

委托代理关系失范、行政干预较普遍和监督约束机制不完善等是影响环境影响评价公正性的主要因素,也是影响环境影响评价有效性的重要因素。因此,推动环评单位与环境保护行政主管部门脱钩是必需的,但简单脱钩不能从根本上解决问题,必须采取系统解决方案,其它隶属于有环境评价初审权的主管部门和行业的环评机构比照执行脱钩。不仅如此,还应理顺评价各方的关系,可参考公共支出代理理论,借鉴荷兰环评市场经验,成立单独的中立机构。同时,明确相关方职责和责任,建立健全监督约束机制和责任追究制度。     

Unintentional injury deaths in children and youth, 2010–2019

Background: Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children and youth aged 1–19 in the United States. The purpose of this report is to describe how unintentional injury death rates among children and youth aged 0–19 years have changed during 2010–2019. Method: CDC analyzed 2010–2019 data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to determine two-year average annual number and rate of unintentional injury deaths for children and youth aged 0–19 years by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, mechanism, county urbanization level, and state. Results: From 2010–2011 to 2018–2019, unintentional injury death rates decreased 11% overall—representing over 1,100 fewer annual deaths. However, rates increased among some groups—including an increase in deaths due to suffocation among infants (20%) and increases in motor-vehicle traffic deaths among Black children (9%) and poisoning deaths among Black (37%) and Hispanic (50%) children. In 2018–2019, rates were higher for males than females (11.3 vs. 6.6 per 100,000 population), children aged < 1 and 15–19 years (31.9 and 16.8 per 100,000) than other age groups, among American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) and Blacks than Whites (19.4 and 12.4 vs. 9.0 per 100,000), motor-vehicle traffic (MVT) than other causes of injury (4.0 per 100,000), and rates increased as rurality increased (6.8 most urban [large central metro] vs. 17.8 most rural [non-core/non-metro] per 100,000). From 2010–2011 to 2018–2019, 49 states plus DC had stable or decreasing unintentional injury death rates; death rates increased only in California (8%)—driven by poisoning deaths. Conclusion and Practical Application: While the overall injury death rates improved, certain subgroups and their caregivers can benefit from focused prevention strategies, including infants and Black, Hispanic, and AIAN children. Focusing effective strategies to reduce suffocation, MVT, and poisoning deaths among those at disproportionate risk could further reduce unintentional injury deaths among children and youth in the next decade.     

美欧中印“国家自主贡献”目标的力度和公平性评估

基于气候公平的不同原则,采用动态的衡量指标,建立了公平分配未来碳排放空间的综合性框架,计算了基数、平等、能力、责任和混合方案下2010~2100年全球累积碳排放配额的地区分布,并评估了美欧中印“国家自主贡献（Intended Nationally Determined Contribution,INDC）”目标的力度,提出了各国减排目标力度应当增加的程度.结果表明：美欧中印总体的INDC力度离实现2℃目标仍有差距,不同方案下的排放差距为8.0~9.6Gt CO₂,超出2030年2℃目标下全球排放的比例为20%~24%.在各自最为有利的方案下,中印能满足实现2℃目标的公平分配方案的低限要求.而在所有方案下美欧距离实现2℃目标的公平分配要求均有差距,需要进一步提高力度.公平指标的动态和静态衡量方法,以及历史责任计量起始年的选取,对公平分配的结果影响很大.     

基于代际公平的碳排放权分配研究

以1901~2005年作为历史碳排放分配时间段,从历史代际和代内公平的角度考虑,利用全球132个国家的人口、GDP和碳排放数据,通过基尼系数优化模型对全球132个国家的历史碳排放配额进行优化分配,同时对各国未来的碳排放权做了公平分配.研究结果表明,基于GDP和人口的各国历史碳排放配额Gini系数值均低于实际的Gini系数值,并且低于0.4的警戒值,获得综合考虑各国的GDP和人口的历史碳排放配额最优分配结果.对各国的历史碳排放的赤字量和剩余量分析表明,美国是历史碳排放赤字最多的国家,印度、中国是历史碳排放剩余最多国家;同时考虑各国的历史碳排放情况得到各国未来的碳排放权,其中中国、印度等国家人口最多,经济所占全球比例也较高,在未来能获得最多的碳排放权.     

Perceptions of the local community on the outcome of community fishery management in Krala Peah village,Cambodia

Since fishery resources are regarded as an important source of income and food security, these resources need to be protected and conserved for sustainable use. To do this, the government of Cambodia has revised its policies, shifting management and responsibility to the local level. In response to government policy, Krala Peah village community fishery was established to manage resources within the area. The purpose of this study was to assess the outcome of community fishery management. Moreover, community fishery management was assessed through face-to-face interview and a participatory approach. The major findings of this study indicate that community fishery has led to a more equitable and efficient fishery within Krala Peah village. Although it has not led to improvements in fishing habitats and fish catch, it has reduced some factors that adversely affected sustainability. Furthermore, it has caused a reduction in illegal fishing, which was the main objective of the fishers.     

A case for gender equity in governance of the Okavango Delta fisheries in Botswana

Fish is a major source of livelihood for the majority of people living around the Okavango Delta in northwestern Botswana. Gender dynamics and governance regimes determine differential access to, and control of, resources between women and men in the area. The purpose of this case study is to critically assess the embeddedness of gendered inequities in the governance of Okavango Delta fishery. Primary data was collected through focus group discussions and face‐to‐face interviews of 96 basket fishers from five villages along the Panhandle area of the Okavango River. The study found that past and present Okavango Delta fishery policy and programme interventions tended to entrench rather than minimize gendered disparities between women and men fishers' access to and control over fish resources, asset accumulation and employment opportunities. Basket fishers have intimate knowledge of flood variability, fish migration and habitat and use this knowledge to make decisions about when and where to harvest what fish species. Women fishers' ecological knowledge, interests and concerns however, have been excluded from current zoning and closed season regulations and co‐management structures. The paper concludes that past and current development interventions as well as the regulatory framework continue to entrench pre‐existing gender relations in the fishery sector which excludes, disempowers and marginalizes women fishers. We recommend innovative co‐management and local based structures which recognize the diversity of interests and interest groups.     

环境公平问题既有研究述评及研究框架思考

环境不公平问题,日益成为经济发展现实中的一个重要问题,也日益成为环境经济学的一个着重关注领域,但既有的研究尚缺乏系统性和理论基础。本文系统梳理了国内外关于环境公平定义的代表性观点,在此基础上提出了作者对环境公平的认识。然后笔者在各种形式的环境不公平研究(包括不同群体间的环境不公平问题的研究和不同区域间的环境不公平问题的研究)、环境公平问题的研究方法(主要指基于地理信息系统获取相应的变量数据进而用计量模型的方法和借鉴收入差距的分析方法)等既有研究进行梳理和简要评述的基础上,提出:环境不公平问题的实质是经济利益不公平问题的转化与延伸,应在这一认识前提下来探讨环境公平问题、来建立环境公平问题的研究框架。进而提出:以经济学方法讨论利益主体之间如何实现公平享有环境利益、公平分配使用环境容量、公平承受环境破坏后果、公平分担环境维护责任、公平分担环境治理成本,是环境公平问题研究的主要方向。     

公平和效率维度下中国省际碳权分配原则分析

区域碳权分配原则决定了中国省际碳减排的压力,也是激励各地区转向清洁能源及减排技术创新的基础。本文运用非径向方向性距离函数(NDDF)测算了2011-2014年中国省际全要素碳排放效率(TFC)与技术差距比(CTGR),以分析各地区基于效率最优的碳减排潜力(CRC),进而确定中国区域碳权分配原则。结果表明,各地区减排潜力呈现出与经济发展水平相似的空间分布特征;"十二五"期间海南与安徽两地已处于减排的前沿面,但单一的公平原则挫伤了其持续减排的积极性,而其它低效率省市短时间内无法通过技术效率提升减排能力;无论是单一的公平原则还是单一的效率原则均无法保证各地区碳减排的合理性、稳定性与持久性;而兼顾公平与效率的原则在增加绝对碳排放效率的同时,减少了地区差异。公平与效率原则的动态混合机制更符合中国省际碳减排现状,初期应遵循"公平优先,兼顾效率",随着经济企稳,应转向"效率优先,兼顾公平"。