A Systems Based Framework to Examine The Multi-contextural Application of the Sustainability Concept

A conceptual framework is generated through systems principles to explain sustainability’s wide diversity of interpretation and contextual application. Sustainability is reduced to a literal interpretation as the ability to sustain, and then expressed in simple systems as the ability of one system to sustain another system over time. This reinforces the importance of time in the sustainability debate, and suggests the concept can be legitimately applied to timeframes that have absolute limits. The framework is expanded to complex systems as the changing ability of one or many systems to sustain the changing requirements of one or many systems, over time. This accommodates multiple relations and system dynamics, and hints at the extraordinary complexity encompassed by the sustainability concept. Practical implications relate to the evolving meaning of sustainability, the need for continual change to remain sustainable, and that the sustainability concept can be validly applied to virtually any context or situation that exhibits a dimension of continuity. Derived criteria useful for clarifying contextual applications of sustainability include stating the how, what, why, who and for how long of sustainability, along with indicating the most appropriate hierarchical tier at which the concept is being applied.     

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。     

环境安全的新挑战:经济全球化下环境污染转移

发达国家环境污染转移主要通过两种途径实现：一是产业投资转移，二是贸易转移。从国际环境污染转移的形式来看可能完全符合市场经济原则，但却明显具有不道德性和非持续性。本文基于环境安全面临现实挑战，简要分析了环境污染国际转移产生的途径与根源，并对我国在出口推动型的增长中如何不降低对外贸易的依赖程度而保持资源与环境的优化，提出了相应的可持续发展准则与对策。     

环境友好型城市指标体系的研究

在提出环境友好型城市的基础上,阐述了环境友好型城市的基本内涵,提出了建设环境友好型城市环境指标体系的原则,并从DPSR(驱动力、压力、状态、响应)方面选取了具体指标,构成了环境友好型城市完整的环境指标体系,同时对各评价指标因子的量化标准值的确定进行了分析研究,并提出了指标体系的计算方法和今后环境指标的研究方向。     

环境友好型城市指标体系的研究

在提出环境友好型城市的基础上,阐述了环境友好型城市的基本内涵,提出了建设环境友好型城市环境指标体系的原则,并从DPSR（驱动力、压力、状态、响应）方面选取了具体指标,构成了环境友好型城市完整的环境指标体系,同时对各评价指标因子的量化标准值的确定进行了分析研究,并提出了指标体系的计算方法和今后环境指标的研究方向。     

Media messages and the needs of infants and young children after Cyclone Nargis and the WenChuan Earthquake

Infants and young children are vulnerable in emergencies. The media plays an important role in aid delivery and has a positive impact when reports are accurate. However, the media has been implicated in encouraging harmful aid in the form of donations of infant formula and other milk products. Internet‐based media reports were collected after Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and the WenChuan Earthquake in China (2008) and examined for content related to infant and young child feeding. Common messages identified included that: babies are vulnerable; stress prevents breastfeeding; and providing infant formula saves lives. Messages rarely reported included that: artificial feeding is dangerous; and breastfeeding protects infants. This analysis suggests that current patterns of media reporting may encourage harmful aid and increase child morbidity and mortality. Aid organisations should encourage the media to report accurately on the needs of infant and young children in emergencies so as to improve aid delivery.     

The humanitarian response costs of climate change

This research attempts to improve understanding of how climate change may affect international humanitarian spending, using existing international databases that track disaster occurrence and humanitarian costs. A range of potential impact scenarios is developed employing four distinct methodological approaches. The findings indicate that climate change will have a significant impact on humanitarian costs and the increase could range from a 32 per cent increase (taking into account only changes in frequency of disasters) to upwards of a 1,600 per cent increase when other criteria, such as intensity, are also taken into account. The paper further highlights that extreme weather events do not occur in isolation and the increasing interconnectedness of world economic and political systems has made disasters more complex and destructive. It makes a number of recommendations, including the need for more rigorous and systematic collection of disaster-related data and more constructive interaction between the humanitarian and climate change communities on future research, planning and action.     

元氏矿井东水仓软岩支护研究

介绍了围岩为软岩,受地应力影响情况下水仓为软岩时巷道的设计思路与支护方法,在传统支护形式不能起到有效的效果情况下,将地铁施工技术和井下常规支护相结合,控制井下水对围岩的破坏,通过预留一定的变形量,采取柔性支护和反底拱支护形式,允许巷道有一定的变形量,以抵消围岩的变形;同时将临时支护作为永久支护体的一部分,允许巷道有一定的抗变形能力,通过巷道底板的反底拱支护,控制巷道底鼓,增加巷道底板的强度,提高支护的整体能力.先通过临时柔性支护将围岩的应力释放与卸压,再进行永久刚性支护,刚、柔支护相结合,达到好的支护效果.     

Between international donors and local faith communities: Intermediaries in humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon

This paper explores the crucial part that faith‐based organisations (FBOs) play in acting as intermediaries between international donors and local faith communities (LFCs) implementing humanitarian relief projects for Syrian refugees. Humanitarian responses to the mounting Syrian refugee crisis have coincided with greater collaboration between international donors and LFCs. This cooperation often is facilitated by a complex web of non‐state intermediaries at the international, national, and local level. This study probes the breadth of roles of these intermediaries, drawing on primary data from case studies of two Christian intermediaries supporting Christian LFCs as they deliver aid primarily to Muslim Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. The results of the study are connected to the wider literature on LFCs in humanitarian response, revealing how intermediaries address issues of accountability, capacity‐building, impartiality, neutrality, and professionalism. The paper concludes by offering suggestions for further research on intermediaries as key actors in the localisation of humanitarian assistance.     

Work‐related stress in a humanitarian context: a qualitative investigation

There is a paucity of research on the subjective stress‐related experiences of humanitarian aid workers. Most evaluations of stress among these individuals focus on trauma and related conditions or adopt a quantitative approach. This interview‐based study explored how 58 humanitarian aid workers employed by a United Nations‐aligned organisation perceived the transactional stress process. The thematic analysis revealed eight main topics of interest: an emergency culture was found where most employees felt compelled to offer an immediate response to humanitarian needs; employees identified strongly with humanitarian goals and reported a high level of engagement; the rewards of humanitarian work were perceived as motivating and meaningful; constant change and urgent demands resulted in work overload; and managing work–life boundaries and receiving positive support from colleagues and managers helped to buffer perceived stress, work overload, and negative health outcomes. The practical implications of the results are discussed and suggestions made in the light of current research and stress theory.