The Science of Natural Resource Damage Assessments

The process for conducting natural resource damage assessments (NRDAs) is supported by important scientific investigation components. The degree to which science forms the basis of NRD settlements varies by case, but all NRDAs depend to varying extents on scientific studies. While some of these investigation components have been discussed in previous papers and agency guidance, many of the scientific components remain anecdotal and poorly supported. This article presents each of several scientific components as an integrated investigation approach and gives recommendations and examples of the methodological features.     

Liability for Damage to Public Natural Resources: Standing,Damage and Damage Assessment

Netherlands International Law Review -     

自然资源法律规范的宪法原则

本文针对学术界和立法实际工作中存在的对自然资源法律规范原则的不同认识,依据宪法的有关规定,阐明宪法有关自然资源法律规范的原则.在揭示自然资源立法客观规律、分析宪法与其他法律规范关系原理、回顾我国制宪历史的基础上,归纳出我国宪法确立的有关自然资源法律规范的五项基本原则,澄清实践中对上述原则的一些模糊认识,并指出理论研究和制度建设中有待完善之处.     

Seven Government Assumptions to Challenge Regarding Natural Resource Damages

Three federal statutes (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); the Oil Pollution Act (OPA); and the Clean Water Act (CWA), as well as some state-specific statutes, allow for the pursuit of monetary or nonmonetary damages if a release of petroleum products or hazardous substances has resulted in injury to natural resources, such as waterways, wetlands areas, and wildlife, that are held in trust for the public. Placing a monetary value on these priceless resources necessarily involves subjective analysis, but some recent government claims have been for amounts far in excess of what a reasonable analysis of the facts would suggest. These claims have typically calculated monetary damages using unrealistic assumptions. Seven examples of common unrealistic assumptions include ignoring historical baseline contamination, overstating the area of resource injury, exaggerating levels of resource injury, assuming excessive timeframes for resource injury, inflating injured resource values, undervaluing restoration credit, and overstating restoration costs.     

自然资源使用权：一个反思性的检讨

自然资源使用权是我国民法和环境资源法在自然资源利用的权利建构上所采用的制度解决方案。它虽然在特定的时代条件下对我国自然资源利用秩序的规范作出了不可磨灭的贡献,但也存在着建构逻辑矛盾、权利性质背离、制度理念虚无、名称内涵模糊、民事救济缺失、立法体系错位等理论局限和实践困境,亟需在民法典诞生的前夜予以修正。     

Natural Resource Damages from Oil Spills in the United States

Large oil spills in the United States often result in some natural resource damages (NRD), which arise from injuries to natural resources and losses of their services. We use multiple regression analysis to identify the factors that explain variations in NRD settlements, including: spill amount, whether threatened and endangered species were injured, whether recreation closures occurred, some temporal factors, some geographic factors, and some characteristics of the government agencies pursuing NRD. Then, we use our preferred statistical model to predict the median and confidence interval for the NRD settlement for future oil spills with specified characteristics. Such predictions for future spills will be helpful in determining the appropriate scale for the NRD assessment and for setting aside reserves for settlement.     

Natural Resource Revenue Sharing Schemes (Trust Funds) in International Law

Netherlands International Law Review -     

自然资源统一确权登记改革的立法纾困

自然资源统一确权登记是通过重识各具体资源要素间的生态功能关联而展开的空间维度的整体性登记,其蕴含了使登记客体呈现生态性革新和空间性扩张的新趋势。确权登记改革对以保障交易安全为主线的传统物权登记功能定位形成动摇,并进一步冲击了取向于自然资源财产属性的"物的区隔化经济利用"的物权客体特定性规则。对此,有必要回应自然生态空间这一独立登记单元的程序性设置对自然资源国家所有权客体形态所产生的实体性回射影响。一方面,应确认登记功能主义对登记客体的革新效果,从公示物权秩序扩至实现生态管护,登记治理效能的扩充使其呈现空间治理的新向度;另一方面,应在引入"生态物"的物权客体判定标准的基础上,对自然资源国家所有权在客体形态和权能构造方面进行"绿化"解释。以此为依托,释明支撑自然资源统一确权登记改革的"空间治理"和"生态文明"双线逻辑。     

环境资源法学蓬勃发展、务实创新

一、学术研究概况 2006年环境资源法学的研究可谓屿彩纷呈,硕果累累.其特点主要表现在第一,立足于科学发展观,把以人为本、尊重自然、协调发展、统筹规划、注重和谐的思想贯穿到整个环境资源法学的研究中;第二,与相关学科的互动与对话进一步推动了环境资源法学这一新兴学科的全面发展,越来越多的民法、经济法、行政法、国际法等相关学科的学者开始关注并参与了环境资源法学的理论和实务研究,促进了环境法学体系的完善、理论深度的拓展、研究水平的提升;第三,理论探讨、实务研究、国际交流与合作全面发展,学术活动空前活跃;第四,与环保实际工作部门和企业之间的联系更加紧密,承担了许多重要科研课题与项目的研究,成果丰富,效益显著;第五,学术研究队伍迅速壮大,更多的中青年学者脱颖而出,学术研究成果受到学界的高度评价.     

Resource Wars

One of the most interesting questions raised in Cecile Fabre’s Cosmopolitan War concerns war for the sake of resources. Fabre argues that it is sometimes permissible to go to war for the sake of resources that the poor are entitled to. I agree with this, but I think it is true only in very restricted circumstances. I consider a number of arguments in favour of resource wars, showing many of them to fail. The most promising argument, I suggest, is that those who possess resources that have unjustly been secured are complicit in posing future threats by contributing to a market for unjustly secured resources. Whilst this argument has some promise, even it, I suggest, is in no way decisive.     

从自然正义到自然权利

本文尝试站在启蒙与现代性的立场上反思自然权利论的源起与影响,主要从政治—哲学的角度把握自近代以来的法律实证主义对西方自然法传统和法律信仰的冲击,从而形成对自然权利问题的个人反思和对这一法学思潮的现代批判。     

"自然人"的社会与"自然人"的法律

现代化的法律语境之下,“自然人”还能否有存在的位置?当法律日益与人们的本性疏离的时候,这是否是一种可欲的法律?作为调整人的特定行为的规则,法律应当与人性、人的欲望与需求相联系。简单地说,法律应当为个人的自然生存留下特定的空间,为个人的自然性的保护创造条件。     

危险犯应属实害犯的未遂形态

"危险犯是既遂犯"这一传统观点既缺乏刑法理论根基,也无法指导刑事司法实践.事实上,危险犯只是与之相对应的实害犯的未遂形态.这是刑法基本原理和刑法应有之精神所决定的.     

论纯粹精神损害赔偿

纯粹精神损害是指自然人于其民事权利未受侵害情况下遭受的精神利益损害。在受害人利益保护日益受到重视的大趋势下,纯粹精神利益损害赔偿成为各国精神损害赔偿制度难以回避的理论难题。纯粹精神损害存在两种类型:可推知的纯粹精神损害和可证实的纯粹精神损害。侵权责任法规定人身利益损害可以要求精神损害赔偿,意义重大,但应采取审慎的态度,建立多重限制规则避免纯粹精神损害赔偿的滥疡。     

基于信息公开的政府信息资源管理

信息资源是当今社会经济发展的重要资源,政府作为社会中最大的信息生产者、收集者、消费者和传播者,对信息资源的管理能力直接关系着政府的工作效率及威信。本文在阐述信息公开制度、政府信息资源以及政府资源管理内涵的基础上,探讨了我国实行信息公开制度的意义及基于信息公开的政府信息资源管理策略,旨在使政府信息资源得到进一步的开发和利用。