Climate Change and Environmental Security: For Whom the Discourse Shifts

This article explores the implications of the April 2007 United Nations Security debate on the security dimensions of a changing climate for international climate change politics. Specifically, our analysis focuses on whether and how security concerns have been addressed in past international political debates on climate change and considers whether the Security Council debate, which emphasized the threat of climate-related conflict, reflects a discursive shift. We elaborate on two general discourses on the relationship between environment and security, which we call environmental conflict and environmental security . Using content and discourse analysis, we demonstrate that both the historical climate change debate and the more recent Security Council debate have been informed by the environmental security discourse, meaning that a discursive shift has not taken place. We conclude by considering the possibility of a future discursive shift to the environmental conflict perspective and argue that such a shift would be counterproductive to the search for an effective global response to climate change.     

优质旅游有效供给因素对我国旅游产业效率的影响及区域差异

优质旅游是新时代我国旅游产业发展的必然选择。通过采用三阶段DEA模型等方法,从支撑因素、产业发展及消费需求三个维度构建优质旅游有效供给的环境变量,并采用面板数据实证分析了优质旅游有效供给因素对我国旅游产业效率的影响与区域发展差异。研究结果表明,优质旅游有效供给环境变量对我国旅游产业效率影响显著,其中支撑因素水平和旅游消费水平促进效率提升,产业发展在一定程度上抑制效率增长;目前我国优质旅游有效供给总体水平不高,且不同区域及省份之间表现出一定差异。因此,应通过进一步优化支撑要素水平、建立旅游投资总量调控及质量监督机制、制定积极的消费引导政策、缩小区域差距等,促进产业效率改进,提高优质旅游有效供给总体水平。     

The Subject Status of Procuratorate in Marine Litigation on "Public Interests Protection"

The litigations of marine natural resources ormarine ecological (environmental) damages involve two different types of litigations, and the procuratorate should be involved in the litigationsas different litigation subjects. The compensatory litigation of marine natural resource damageis the private interest litigation which relieves the private interest damage of state owned natural resources. According to The Administrative Litigation Law and The Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate's Interpretation of Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Procuratorial Public Interest Litigation Cases, the procuratorate should be the supervising subject. However, the compensatory litigation of marine ecological (environmental) damage is the public interest litigation which relieves public interests, and on the basis of Marine Environment Protection Law, The Civil Procedure Law and The Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate's Interpretation of Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Procuratorial Public Interest Litigation Cases, the procuratorate should be the supplementary subject. Due to the particularity of the marine litigations, the procuratoratefiles lawsuits against the marine natural resources ormarine ecological (environmental) damages, which shall apply both to The Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues Concerning Compensation for Damages of Marine Natural Resources and Ecological Environment and The Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate's Interpretation of Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Procuratorial Public Interest Litigation Cases.     

跨界海洋环境损害的国家责任问题探讨

国家责任的承担似乎是跨界海洋环境损害责任追究的必然结果,但缘于就此领域国家责任承担的法理论与法实践的困扰和障碍,使得跨界海洋环境损害责任私法化趋势明显,而且以广泛国际合作为基础的针对跨界海洋环境损害风险预防机制的强化将弱化责任追究本身的重要性。     

Adipocere Formation in Subtropical Climate of Northern India: A Retrospective Study

Adipocere formation depends upon multiple environmental factors. In comparison with temperate countries, it usually develops early in the subtropical climate. We have studied a retrospective data of 31 cases with adipocere formation at Department of Forensic Medicine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Most of the cases were recovered during the month of May to October from closed rooms at home, open grounds, open forest areas, various water sources, and riverbanks. The time duration of recovery from the time of death was from 12 h to 7 days 12 h. In 10 cases, adipocere formation was seen within 2 days, and in four male cases among them, the adipocere formed within a day. Most of the bodies showing adipocere formation within 2 days were recovered from land. These facts showed that subtropical climate having hot and humid weather promotes early adipocere formation compared to temperate climate.     

Measuring the impact of public perceptions on child welfare workers

The Public Perceptions of Child Welfare Scale measures how the social environment influences child welfare workers, including their job satisfaction and intent to leave. Psychometric studies have validated the scale for private child welfare workers, but there are no validation studies with public agency staff. This study fills that gap, showing stigma and respect are important constructs that also predict worker intent to leave. This research found an additional construct, blame, which was not present in private worker validation studies. The scale provides an important tool for the field as we continue to build evidence for effective recruitment and retention.     

可持续发展与环境伦理探析

可持续发展理论与实践促进了环境伦理学的发展。传统意义上的环境伦理受此观念影响,从人类中心主义的环境伦理与非人类中心主义的环境伦理的分立走向人类中心主义的环境伦理、非人类中心主义环境伦理和可持续发展的环境伦理的鼎立。可持续发展观念指导下的环境伦理强调生态伦理道德和生态价值观,将环境与发展、当前利益与长远利益有机地统一起来,是环境保护唯一正确的选择。     

圆明园湖底防渗工程公众听证会的法律性质研究

《环境保护行政许可听证暂行办法》规定了环境行政许可听证制度。《环境影响评价法》规定了“专项规划编制环境影响报告书听证”和“建设项目编制环境影响报告书听证会”两类制度。另外,在我国还有环境行政处罚听证制度。圆明园湖底防渗工程公众听证会并非上述意义上的“听证”,而是类似于英国“非法定听证”的一类新型听证。现阶段立法应规定,该类听证可以参照适用《暂行办法》,予以必要的立法规制。     

环保行政不作为的深层原因与基本对策

环保行政不作为现象的深层原因表现为没有把环境权利提高到基本人权的高度来认识,没有把环境权利杠杆熔进环境管理机制;传统的发展观与考察任用干部的政绩观存在极大的偏差;环保行政处罚力度偏低,不能形成刚性硬约束。对此,需要采取三项对策加大对环境保护的宣传教育力度,提高广大公民环境意识;树立科学的发展观和政绩观,坚持以内涵扩大为主的增长方式发展循环经济;完备法制、构建刚性的责任行政机制,进一步加大行政执法力度。     

论政府对企业环境风险的规制

企业在经营过程中将面临很多风险,环境风险在环境问题备受社会关注的21世纪,将是影响企业生存和发展的一种重要因素。而现实中政府过于强调企业的环境责任,使企业受到环境伦理规范的束缚以及背负着社会和公众的环境压力,因此需要通过政府建立一种能够使企业自我规避、防范和处理环境风险的机制或法律制度,补充传统单纯依赖行政资源的规制手段。环境保险制度和企业环境风险信息公开制度的建立正体现了政府指导和经济刺激等手段,从而建立政府-企业-社会的相互作用的综合企业环境风险规制机制。