Fortentwicklung des europäischen Luftreinhalterechts

In einer Mitteilung an den Rat und das Europ?ische Parlament hat die Europ?ische Kommission am 21.9.2005 eine Thematische Strategie zur Luftreinhaltung vorgelegt, die u.a. einen Vorschlag für eine Richtlinie über die Luftqualit?t und saubere Luft in Europa enth?lt. Mit diesem Richtlinienvorschlag sollen die Luftqualit?ts-Rahmenrichtlinie und die hierzu erlassenen vier Tochterrichtlinien zusammengefasst und auch inhaltlich fortentwickelt werden. Ausgehend von den bisherigen Regelungen stellt der Beitrag in einem ersten überblick den Kommissionsvorschlag vor.     

Tierfäkalien auf öffentlichen Straßen, Plätzen und in öffentlichen Grünanlagen

Die Verunreinigung ?ffentlicher Stra?en, Pl?tze und in ?ffentlichen Grünanlagen durch Tierf?kalien stellt ein zunehmendes Problem für die ?ffentliche Reinlichkeit dar, das wegen der in den F?kalien oftmals enthaltenen Krankheitserreger auch Auswirkungen auf die menschliche Gesundheit haben kann. Im st?dtischen Bereich tritt das Problem in erster Linie durch Hundekot auf, au?erdem durch Taubenkot, der zudem aufgrund seiner ?tzenden Wirkung zu massiven Sch?den gerade an historischer Bausubstanz führen kann. In l?ndlichen Gegenden spielen Verschmutzungen ?ffentlicher Stra?en durch Viehtrieb eine Rolle.     

Die Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfung bei Rodungen und Erstaufforstungen

In Umsetzung der europarechtlichen Vorgaben aus der UVP-Änderungsrichtlinie erfuhr das UVP-Gesetz des Bundes mit Wirkung ab 3. 8. 2001 umfangreiche Änderungen, die auch eine Anpassung zahlreicher landesrechtlicher Vorschriften erforderlich machten. So wurden mit Gesetz vom 25. 5. 2003 in das Bayerische Waldgesetz neue Vorschriften eingefügt, die bestimmte Rodungen und Erstaufforstungen der Pflicht zur Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfung (UVP) unterwerfen. Im folgenden Beitrag wird am Beispiel der Rechtslage in Bayern aufgezeigt, welche Rodungen und Erstaufforstungen UVP-pflichtig sind und wie sich das Verfahren im Einzelnen ausgestaltet. *) Der Verfasser ist am Landratsamt Neustadt an der Waldnaab als Jurist u. a. für Forstrecht zuständig.

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Adolescent Bystander Behavior in the School and Online Environments and the Implications for Interventions Targeting Cyberbullying

The aim of this study was to add to the emerging knowledge about the role of bystanders in cyberbullying. To differentiate online versus offline bystander behaviors, 292 Australian children (mean age = 15.2; female = 54.4%) reviewed hypothetical scenarios experimentally manipulated by bystander sex, relationship to target and perpetrator, and severity of bullying incident. In both environments, bystander helping behaviors were more likely when the target was a close friend, perceived harm to the target was high, and when bystanders were female. Bystanders also reported being less likely to approach teachers or publicly defend targets in online versus offline environments. This suggests programs designed to encourage positive bystander behaviors online can be similar to face-to-face approaches, but they need to recognize some aspects unique to the online environment.     

The changing nature of urban affirmative action programs: the search for race-neutral alternatives

In January, 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court cast in doubt the legality of minority set-aside programs. The Court required government set-aside programs to meet a “strict-scrutiny” standard of review and required cities to first explore race-neutral means for increasing minority firm participation prior to utilizing any type of rigid quota system. This paper examines how four cities have reacted quite differently, with some cities continuing old practices, and others developing a mixture of new policies and implementation structures. It is argued that the Supreme Court's decision will have only a minor impact on minority contracting programs, with cities seeking to combine affirmative action contracting programs with those that stress economic development.     

Recovery efficiencies of anthrax spores and ricin from nonporous or nonabsorbent and porous or absorbent surfaces by a variety of sampling methods*

The 2001 anthrax letter cases brought into focus the need to establish the most effective environmental sampling procedures. Results are presented from two studies aimed at establishing the best procedures for everyday surfaces likely to be contaminated after the release of environmentally stable bioaggressive agents, as exemplified by anthrax spores and ricin. With anthrax spores, contact plates, with mean retrieval rates of 28-54%, performed better than other methods by a wide margin for flat nonporous, nonabsorbent surfaces. They also proved best on flat porous, absorbent materials, although recoveries were low (<7%). For both agents, dry devices (swabs, wipes, Trace Evidence Collection Filters) had universally poor retrieval efficiencies with no significant differences between them. Among moistened devices (wipes, swabs, and Sample Collection and Recovery Devices), wipes were generally best, albeit with considerable cross-over among individual readings (highest mean recoveries for anthrax spores and ricin 5.5% and 2.5%, respectively, off plastic).     

ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR COST EFFECTIVE POLLUTION ABATEMENT: THE NEED FOR IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS

After examining policies and proposals designed to achieve cost-effective pollution abatement, the authors argue that design of economically elegant solutions to pollution control problems needs implementation analysis if the policies are to be successfully carried out. They review some institutional obstacles to implementation and conclude that these impediments should not prevent adoption.     

Leaders,coalition politics,and policy‐formulation in China: The great leap forward revisited

This article is a detailed critique of the thesis contained in David Bachman's book on the origins of the Great Leap Forward (GLF). By adopting the so‐called “neo‐institutional” approach, Bachman argues that Li Fuchun and Bo Yibo, leaders of a “Planning and Heavy Industry Coalition” “which had defeated a rival “Finance Coalition “ in 1957, were responsible for initiating and determining the development strategy of the GLF. It follows that Mao's role in the “leap” was very limited; the GLF was made possible when he gave official blessing to the programs of the victorious coalition. The author examines the historical and documentary sources on the GLF to demonstrate the contradictions contained in Bachman's theoretical framework, and the many faulty ways he interprets the data. He argues that Bachman's attempt to debunk the Mao‐dominant model in policy‐making during the GLF is a failure.