SEVERAL SCIENTIFIC PROBLEMS ON ECOLOGICAL SAFETY AND AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN WEST CHINA

Ｓｉｎｃｅ 1997ｗｈｅｎＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＰｒｅｓｉｄｅｎｔＪｉａｎｇＺｅｍｉｎａｄｖｏｃａｔｅｄｔｈｅｒｅｃｏｎｓｔｒｕｃｔｉｏｎｏｆａｂｅａｕ ｔｉｆｕｌａｒｅａｏｆｔｈｅＮｏｒｔｈｗｅｓｔ,ａｈｅａｔｅｄｄｒｉｖｅｏｆｅｃｏ ｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌｃｏｎｓｔｒｕｃｔｉｏｎｗｉｔｈｔｈｅｔｈｅｍｅｓｏｆ“ｅｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌａｇｒｉｃｕｌｔｕｒｅ”ａｎｄ“ｅｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌｒｅｈａｂｉｌｉｔａｔｉｏｎ”ｈａｓｂｅｅｎｌａｕｎｃｈｅｄ .Ｈｏｗｉｓｔｈｅｗｅｓｔｅｒｎａｇｒｉｃｕｌｔｕｒｅｔｏｍｅ…     

DEBRIS FLOW IN WEST DEVELOPMENT

ＴｈｅｗｅｓｔｅｒｎｒｅｇｉｏｎｓｏｆＣｈｉｎａ (ｏｒＷｅｓｔＣｈｉｎａ)ｉｎｃｌｕｄｅ 1 2 ｐｒｏｖｉｎｃｅｓ/ａｕｔｏｎｏｍｏｕｓｒｅ ｇｉｏｎｓ/ｍｕｎｉｃｉｐａｌｉｔｉｅｓ:Ｑｉｎｇｈａｉ,Ｇａｎｓｕ ,Ｓｈａａｎｘｉ,Ｓｉｃｈｕａｎ ,Ｙｕｎｎａｎ ,Ｇｕｉｚｈｏｕ ,Ｘｉｎｊｉａｎｇ ,Ｔｉ ｂｅｔ ,Ｎｉｎｇｘｉａ ,Ｇｕａｎｇｘｉ,ＩｎｎｅｒＭｏｎｇｏｌｉａａｎｄＣｈｏｎｇｑｉｎｇ .ＳｉｎｃｅｔｈｅＰｌｅｉｓｔｏｃｅｎｅｏｆｔｈｅＱｕａｔｅｒ ｎａｒｙＰｅｒｉｏｄ ,ｔｈｅｍｏｕｎｔａｉｎｓｉｎｔｈｅｗｅ…     

地震的社会经济影响

在查阅前人研究成果的基础上,分析了地震造成社会灾害严重、影响地区经济发展的现象,认为地震灾害对一个地区所造成的影响程度与该地区的承灾力有关,并影响地区经济的可持续发展.     

县政府的责任与生态建设的理论及实践

生态县建设是实施可持续性战略的重要内容，在目前基础设施落后，资金短缺，技术力量不足的情况下，建设颇具复杂性、艰巨性，先进性和综合性的生态工程，是每个县政府的历史责任，生态建设理论的核心是社会－经济－自然复合生态系统理论、系统生态学理论，持续发展和同步建设理论三个方面的基本构架、近年来我国在农业生态工程、工业生态工程、水陆生态工程、生态县建设方面，取得了一定的经验。     

A user evaluation of biodegradable cutlery

This paper summarizes a study evaluating the acceptance and perceived performance of disposable cutlery made from starch-based biodegradable resins relative to nondegradable polystyrene cutlery. Two hundred forty-three sailors onboard three U.S. Navy vessels ate their lunch using either biodegradable cutlery made with resins manufactured by one of two commercial companies or polystyrene cutlery. The cutlery was rated on several sensory and performance dimensions as well as for overall acceptability. Results indicated that sailors rated both the biodegradable and the polystyrene utensils as easy to hold. There were also no differences in the perceived ease of using each of the spoons. However, compared to the polystyrene utensils, both types of biodegradable utensils were viewed as less sturdy, as having a less attractive color, and as being less acceptable overall. The biodegradable forks and knives were also rated as more difficult to use for piercing and cutting food than the polystyrene ones. In addition, several significant differences emerged between the two types of biodegradable cutlery. The results are discussed in terms of the need for continued consumer testing of products developed from biodegradable polymeric materials.     

Comparative Influence of Forest Management and Habitat Structural Factors on the Abundances of Hollow-Nesting Bird Species in Subtropical Australian Eucalypt Forest

We examined the impact of single-tree selective logging and fuel reduction burns on the abundance of hollow-nesting bird species at a regional scale in southeastern Queensland, Australia. Data were collected on species abundance and habitat structure of dry sclerophyll production forest at 36 sites with known logging and fire histories. Sixteen bird species were recorded with most being resident, territorial, obligate hollow nesters that used hollows that were either small (<10 cm diameter) or very large (>18 cm diameter). Species densities were typically low, but combinations of two forest management and three habitat structural variables influenced the abundances of eight bird species in different and sometimes conflicting ways. The results suggest that habitat tree management for biodiversity in production forests cannot depend upon habitat structural characteristics alone. Management histories appear to have independent influence (on some bird species) that are distinguishable from their impacts on habitat structure per se. Rather than managing to maximize species abundances to maintain biodiversity, we may be better off managing to avoid extinctions of populations by identifying thresholds of acceptable fluctuations in populations of not only hollow-nesting birds but other forest dependent wildlife relative to scientifically valid forest management and habitat structural surrogates.     

Industry Response to the Challenge of Sustainability: The Case of the Canadian Nonferrous Mining Sector

/ The paper investigates how the Canadian nonferrous sector is tackling the challenge of sustainable development. Although there is no consensus as to what sustainable development means in practice for management in the sector, at least three dimensions must be taken into account: (1) metals are recyclable, the availability of this resource is not a concern for the foreseeable future; (2) the need to minimize environmental impacts of metals exploration, extraction, transformation, consumption, and recycling; and (3) production activities should not be socially or culturally disruptive. The nonferrous mining industry faces several environmental problems. Some of the most significant are acid mine drainage, sulfur emissions, recycling, and metals toxicity. The industry has developed a number of responses to address these specific concerns as well as other more general challenges. Six strategies are described and analyzed: (1) research and development, (2) an effort of consensus building among stakeholders known as the Whitehorse Mining Initiative, (3) international networking, (4) active involvement in the development of environmental management standards, (5) management reorganization and (6) voluntary agreements. The importance of external factors in the shaping of corporate environmental management practices is discussed, in particular the role of government. Progress has been achieved in three areas: (1) managerial practices and organization, (2) reducing the impacts of ongoing operations and (3) minimizing future liabilities, but two significant fields of conflict remain, namely mining in wilderness areas and projects on aboriginal lands.KEY WORDS: Canada; Environmental management; Minerals industry; Nonferrous metals; Sustainable development; Whitehorse Mining Initiative