Examining Hazard Mitigation Within the Context of Public Goods

/ This paper presents a case study of an American barrier island devastated by a hurricane to show how it is addressing the free-riding problem and protecting its public goods, thereby contributing to hazard mitigation. It examines hazard mitigation and the free-riding problem within the public goods framework. Free-riding is a term used in the public choice theory and common pool resource literature. It is a term used for describing the actions of rational individuals who freely exploit a collective or public good at the expense of others. Free-riding is a major problem faced by public goods. The problem very frequently occurs in the context of hazard mitigation and coastal resource management. Very little is known about the factors that contribute to the promotion of hazard mitigation. This paper identifies some of the important factors that help local institutions provide and sustain hazard mitigation measures. Theoretical and practical implications for hazards research and disaster management policy are presented.     

The Political Import of Intrinsic Objections to Genetically Engineered Food

Many people object to genetically engineerehd (GE) food because they believe that it is unnatural or that its creation amounts to playing God. These objections are often referred to as intrinsic objections, and they have been widely criticized in the agricultural bioethics literature as being unsound, incompatible with modern science, religious, inchoate, and based on emotion instead of reason. Many of their critics also argue that even if these objections did have some merit as ethicalobjections, their quasi-religious nature means that they are entirely irrelevant when interpreted aspolitical objections regarding what public policy ought to be. In this paper, we argue that this widespread view is false. Intrinsic objections have much more political import than has previously been recognized, and indeed the requirements of political liberalism and its associated idea of liberal neutrality, once properly understood, protect intrinsic objections from many of the most common objections. That is, policy-makers may not legitimately base public policy on grounds that are inconsistent with intrinsic objections, even when they believe those objections to be flawed in the ways mentioned above. This means that in the context of a political debate about GE food, the discussion should not center on the substantive merits of the intrinsic objections themselves but rather on the appropriate political norms for achieving democratically legitimate policy on issues that touch people’s deepest religious and moral beliefs.     

Regional intergovernmental institutions: Participation benefits and costs

Evaluators frequently cite the absence of effective participation by constituent governments and the need for consensus or even unanimity prior to action as the causes of poor performance by regional resource management institutions. Major governments either will not join the regional institution, will not participate even if legally members, or will exercise a veto over many important management projects.This paper examines the variables that may cause these problems and provides an improved understanding of why rational political actors would act in ways that inhibit the efficient management of resources. Among the principal variables determining participation are expected benefits of collective decisions, perceived losses of autonomy and representation, the number and homogeneity of other participants, decision costs, and the decision rule used to determine actions. Analysis of these factors suggests why consensus and unanimity decision rules are frequently chosen and why participation is usually limited.     

ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR WATER CONSERVATION ON THE MONTEREY PENINSULA: THE MARKET PROPOSAL1

ABSTRACT: Literatures on price‐based urban water conservation and on market‐based mechanisms to manage natural resources suggest that market‐based management of urban/suburban water use may be feasible. A market‐based proposal that emerged from a water shortage on California's Monterey Peninsula is presented. In the proposal, conservation incentives arise both from an ability among end‐users of water to reduce consumption and sell use‐rights to water, and from a penalty price for consumption in excess of one's use rights. The amount of water associated with use rights is capped and varies according to hydrological, meteorological, ecological, and other criteria. Requirements for further study of the proposal are listed, and the role that similar market‐based mechanisms could play in urban water management is discussed.     

基于“90后”大学生特点的高校辅导员工作方法

经济全球化和信息网络技术的发展,为高校大学生的思想政治工作既提供了机遇,也带来了诸多挑战。面对9"0后"思想叛逆、社会意识淡薄、功力倾向严重等现象,高校辅导员思想政治工作要引导学生融入校园精神文明建设,加大心里健康教育并正确运用网络。     

Nuclear waste facilities on Tribal Land: The Yami's struggles for environmental justice

Abstract

This paper examines environmental justice in the context of nuclear waste controversies on Orchid Island, Taiwan. The Yami's anti-nuclear waste movement is a manifestation of problems of distributional inequity, lack of recognition, and limited participation of the tribespeople in decision making. These are interwoven in political and social processes. In addition, the disputes over the nuclear waste problem between the Yami and Taiwanese groups also show the historical and socioeconomic complexity of environmental justice. This study argues that a democratic and participatory procedure is likely to bring recognition or help the situation of lack of recognition improve, which could facilitate more just distribution. Building partnerships and networking within a variety of indigenous environmental organizations as well as other Taiwanese environmental organizations could help to transform the Orchid Island community and the Taiwanese society in the direction of environmental justice.     

STATE LEGISLATIVE CONSTRAINTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF WATER RESOURCES POLICY1

ABSTRACT: Legislative constraints on the development of water resources policy fit into three broad categories-political, institutional, and informational. The political category encompasses constituency needs and preferences, satisfaction with existing water management practices and policies, and the necessity for legislators to blend political ambition with public problem solving. Constraints fitting into the institutional category include differences in legislative behavior and attitudes that stem from one's location in the legislature (e.g., senate-house, leader-follower, or committee activity), the dynamics of scheduling and organization, and the capability to manage complex issues. Informational constraints refer to the availability of information and the use to which it is put by lawmakers in formulating decisions on waterrelated issues. These constraints are approached from a behavioral perspective by examining several constituency, institutional, and information hypotheses that “explain” legislative involvement with water resources issues. The data are drawn from a recent study of water resources decision making in West Virginia. Eighty-three of the 134 members of the 1975–76 West Virginia Legislature participated in the study.     

我国生物多样性行政管理体制改革方案研究

本研究针对环境管理体制中最核心最重要的行政管理体制问题,运用制度经济学与组织理论的决策、咨询、执行与监督机制的基本分析框架,分析了现行的生物多样性行政管理体制运行状况,回顾总结评估了2008年环保机构改革,在分析总结地方及香港特别行政区实践与借鉴它国经验的基础上,本研究设计出我国生物多样性改革体制改革的四个方案,力图为未来政府环境行政管理体制改革提供相应的政策建议。     

基于文献计量学的“十三五”生态环境监测研究热点分析

利用科学计量与可视化相关工具,以《中文核心期刊要目总览(2017年版)》27种环境科学类核心期刊发表的2016—2020年生态环境监测论文数据为基础,从载文量分布、高被引论文、高产机构分布和技术主题分布等方面分析了"十三五"期间我国生态环境监测研究热点。结果表明:"十三五"期间生态环境监测论文数量有所增加,主要载文期刊分布于《环境科学》《中国环境监测》《环境科学与技术》;主要发文机构是中国环境科学研究院、中国环境监测总站、中国科学院大学;排名前10位的技术主题词分别是PM_(2.5)、重金属、土壤、污染特征、颗粒物、挥发性有机物、生态风险、臭氧、沉积物、多环芳烃,结合"十三五"前期和中后期热点主题词变化分析了生态环境监测研究关注点的变化趋势。     

A PARTICIPATORY APPROACH TO WATERSHED MANAGEMENT: THE BRAZILIAN SYSTEM1

ABSTRACT: Brazil is currently facing the challenge of implementing a new water resources management system to promote the rational and sustainable use of the country's waters. This system is based on the following principles of water management: (2) stakeholders' participation; (2) the watershed as the planning and management unit; and (3) the economic value of water. Stakeholders' participation and the involvement of civil society in the decision making process is guaranteed by permanent seats in the watersheds' management committees. These committees are the highest decision level for the establishment of water policy and for planning its use. The executive branch of the committees is the watershed agency or the water agency. This paper presents the recently approved Brazilian water resources management system and discusses the participatory approach followed to validate and to ensure prompt response to decisions regarding water use by all stakeholders. The formulation of the National Water Law (January/1998) was also supported by extensive consultation with civil society, professional associations, state and municipal governments as well as with federal governmental agencies and private sector organizations. It also presents an overview of the formulation of the National Water Law. Finally, as watershed committees have been created and are already operating in a limited number of watersheds, some of the major obstacles to the success of the new system are discussed along with alternatives for overcoming such obstacles.