The maquiladora electronics industry on Mexico’s northern border and the environment

The electronic sector, in particular, the computing industry, has become an increasing concern because of the environmental impact of its products throughout their life cycle. The United States, Europe and Japan as the greatest consumers of electronic goods have given special attention to this issue. The fast computer obsolescence and its difficult confinement, because of the hazardous substances contained, have required a special effort of technical innovation. Nevertheless, this effort seems to respond mainly to the standards required by the countries in which these goods are produced, consumed and confined, which are radically different in developed and developing countries. Though an important part of the production process (assembling) is done in developing countries, little attention has been paid to the environmental quality at this production stage. This study examines the environmental problems and strategy of the electronic assembly industry in the three northern border cities of Mexico. Almost half of 200 electronic maquiladora enterprises surveyed had not undertaken any active environmental policy and there was a limited environmental standards enforcement. Evidence was found that the firms that had operated for a longer period of time had better chances of taking better care of the environment. Environmental firm policies became weaker as one descended from the head office to the subsidiaries and then to their suppliers. It is also found that some transnational corporations operate with double standards in Mexico and thus strong national policies on environmental standards in Mexico are required to change this practice.

Nonchemical Suffocation Deaths in Forensic Setting: A 6‐Year Retrospective Study of Environmental Suffocation,Smothering, Choking,and Traumatic/Positional Asphyxia*

Abstract: There are still several areas of forensic pathology mainly based on tradition, with textbooks explaining and describing common knowledge that is not supported by modern research data. This study is intended to contribute to evidence‐based data on nonchemical suffocation deaths in the forensic population aged more than 1 year. From 2000 to 2005, all autopsy cases were reviewed: age, gender, type of suffocation, and manner of death were compiled for all victims (96 cases). In general, the results from this study are concordant with the textbook literature, therefore supporting common knowledge related to manner of death in nonchemical suffocation. However, discrepancies have been underscored in smothering: smothering, contrary to the general belief, is probably not mostly homicidal, and accidental smothering is probably not that unusual. Furthermore, new data without actual literature correlates were obtained in the conducting of this study and are presented here.     

Recovery of Environmental Human DNA by Insects*,†

Abstract: We tested the hypotheses that foraging insects can acquire human DNA from the environment and that insect‐delivered human DNA is of sufficient quantity and quality to permit standard forensic analyses. Houseflies, German cockroaches, and camel crickets were exposed to dusty surfaces and then assayed for human mitochondrial and nuclear loci by conventional and qPCR, and multiplex STR amplification. Over two experiments, 100% of insect groups and 94% of dust controls tested positive for human DNA. Of 177 individuals, 33–67% tested positive and 13 yielded quantifiable human DNA (mean = 0.022 ± 0.006 ng; mean dust control = 2.448 ± 0.960 ng); four had at least one positive allele call for one or more locus; eight others showed multiple peaks at some loci. Results imply that application to routine forensic casework is limited given current detection methodology yet demonstrate the potential use of insects as environmental samplers for human DNA.     

Assessment of Silicone Polymer Composites for Environmental Forensic Applications: A Proof of Concept Study*

Abstract: This study evaluates the use of polydimethylsiloxane polymer composites (PDMS, Fe–PDMS) as a passive sampling media to preconcentrate analytes found in environmental settings. Samplers were made using commercially available silicone products. The composite samplers were assessed for their sorption properties using Atrazine and Irgarol 1051 as model compounds. The initial study assessed the utility of PDMS sheets as adsorption material by following analyte depletion from spiked water samples by solid‐phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Follow‐up studies conducted at high and low concentrations using lab manufactured iron‐ PDMS rods (Fe–PDMS) showed effective uptake at differential rates from concentrations ranging between 1 μg/L and 10 μg/L. Adsorption mechanism was reversible, and compounds were recovered from the exposed materials and analyzed by liquid–liquid extraction‐GC/MS. Both composites showed better affinity for Irgarol 1051, 100% removal, than for Atrazine, 30% removal, likely representing their K_OW differences, 3.6 and 2.6, respectively. This “proof of concept” study demonstrates the positive implications for the use of silicon polymer composites as a monitoring tool for environmental forensic purposes.     

环境公益诉讼原告资格分析

环境公益诉讼制度是实现对自然权利维护的有效途径。实现对自然权利的司法救济,其关键之处就在于原告起诉资格的适当放宽,允许公众为了自然的权利而向法院提起诉讼。鉴于我国环境诉讼中原告资格的立法现状,我国环境诉讼中对原告资格立法应进一步完善。     

排除危害环境民事责任类型化探析

＂排除危害＂是我国环境保护法规定的一种民事责任形式。这一立法模式既引起了学术的纷争,又带来了司法判决的不便。事实上,它应是环境侵害排除的一系列责任的总称,它既包括了我国现行环境保护法中民事责任的＂排除危害＂,也包括了环境行政责任中的责令停业、关闭等。我国应将排除危害责任在环境民事责任形式中类型化,将其分为完全排除侵害、部分排除侵害和代替性赔偿三种责任形式,并规定相应的适用原则和标准。     

Environmental effects of GATT/WTO membership: an empirical evaluation

ABSTRACT

One of the great questions for scholars of international relations and economics concerns the relationship between the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the natural environment. Does membership in the multilateral trade regime constrain environmental regulation and increase the environmental burden of national economies? Do countries pay a heavy environmental price for trade liberalization? Although this question has been debated extensively, there is little statistical evidence to contribute the debate. We provide a comprehensive statistical analysis of the environmental effects of joining the multilateral trade regime. We collected data on a variety of environmental policies, institutions, and outcomes that should be influenced by the General Agreementon Tariffs and Trade (GATT)/WTO membership if the predictions of environmental pessimists or optimists are valid. A wide range of statistical models designed to identify the causal effect of the GATT/WTO on the environmental indicators shows that joining the GATT/WTO does not have negative effects on environmental quality.     

Southern African governments,multilateral development banks,non-state actors,and sustainable infrastructure: Managing changing relationships

There is a need for the countries of Southern Africa to invest in building infrastructure, for which purpose they can be expected to utilise the services of multilateral development banks (MDBs). MDB-funded infrastructure projects often become arenas for debate over the roles and responsibilities of different actors in the development process. This article discusses the fact that there is no longer a clear consensus on the relative responsibilities of governments, MDBs and non-state actors in regard to infrastructure projects, and analyses how these new tensions in the relations between these three actors could complicate efforts to develop the infrastructure so urgently needed in Southern Africa.     

着力提升农村环境保护的法制化水平

农村环境保护问题已成为国家政策和立法推进的重点和难点之一。保护农村环境要遵守农村环境法定原则、政府责任原则、农民利益至上原则。农村环境保护法制化的主要领域涉及水源保护、垃圾处理等。实践中,由于农村环境保护的专门立法缺失,加之修改《环境保护法》困难重重等,因此,加强我国农村环境保护法制化建设,必须建立健全农村环境保护专门立法体系,着力完善相关法律法规,进一步强化行政监督管理。     

环境运动和环境组织在生态文明建设中的作用

环境运动和环境组织的兴起与世界范围内日益凸显的环境和生态问题以及政府和市场在生态文明建设中存在的失灵现象紧密相连。环境运动和环境组织在我国生态文明建设中发挥着积极的作用,具有扩大群众参与、反映群众诉求、增强社会自治的功能。环境运动和环境组织是我国生态文明建设中的薄弱环节,要推动其健康有序发展,必须将党的领导、人民当家作主和依法治国有机统一起来。