The limits of environmental remediation protocols for environmental justice cases: lessons from Vieques,Puerto Rico

The United States Federal Government has repeatedly put the people of Vieques, Puerto Rico in harm’s way due to the injurious after-effects of air-to-ground weapons testing. Most of the harm happened during the Navy’s 70 years on the island. Yet, the harm continues today considering that aspects of the cleanup count as continued acts of environmental injustice, viewed within the context of the island’s colonial history. Usually, this harm deals with public health issues, but the remediation protocols do not account for considerations such as cultural identity and heritage. This paper shows how the procedures for environmental remediation in Vieques qualify as a case of environmental injustice according to Robert M. Figueroa’s ‘environmental justice paradigm.’ The aim of employing this kind of approach is to pinpoint the underlying reasons why this is a case of environmental injustice.     

霸权的逻辑：美国亚太安全战略的多边转向

二战后,美国在亚太地区构筑起双边联盟体系,但近年来对于加强多边安全合作更为积极。美国近几届政府在亚太安全战略方面作出了重大调整,从奥巴马政府到拜登政府都在推动双边合作转向多边合作,而为何发生这一转变值得探讨。美国在权力优势明显时,倾向于采取双边合作;当美国权力优势缩小时,更加重视多边合作,其安全合作形式是接近于联盟还是相对松散的安全合作,则取决于外部威胁性质和内部分歧大小。美国亚太安全合作形式的调整取决于中美实力差距、外部威胁变化和成员国分歧,多边形式可以更大范围地进行国际动员,最大程度地维护自身的霸权地位。美国在亚太地区的多边安全合作拥有稳固的合作基础、灵活的多边形式和共同的身份认同,有助于美国调动战略资源和联合应对共同关注的威胁。亚太多边安全合作增强了美国的安全动员能力,冲击了亚太地区秩序,给中国带来较大的安全压力。但不同合作机制也面临合作程度不一、成员战略分歧和合作议题分散的影响,合作进程存在着不确定性。     

基于环境的管制措施与间接征收的冲突和协调

晚近处理间接征收的国际实践中,政府的环境管制措施未作为例外对待。环境征收措施基于企业社会责任、污染者负担原则、治安权例外、条约义务、预防原则、国家环境义务优先的理由应具有不予补偿的合法性。我国投资协定间接征收条款中对环境例外应予明确规定,并细化具体判断标准。     

非法采矿牵连环境犯罪研究

非法采矿与侵害矿业环境是孪生关系,山体滑坡、地陷、毁林以及污染水源等损害价值特别巨大。但损害环境从未定罪而仅以非法采矿罪判刑,罪刑不相适应导致违法成本少于非法采矿的收益,催生非法采矿现象蔓延。因此,应认定非法采矿牵连系列矿业环境犯罪形态：毁坏财物罪、污染环境罪、滥伐林木罪以及非法占用耕地罪等。牵连犯罪广泛,不应有统一的处断原则,对于社会危害性较大、牵连关系度松散的非法采矿牵连矿业环境犯罪,应适用数罪并罚原则;对恢复环境、消除危险、填平损失等,还应适用非刑罚措施。     

环境犯罪立法完善研究——以截短的犯罪构成为视角

为了应对环境犯罪的新挑战,充分发挥刑法防范风险的机能,刑法的介入时间必须提前,介入范围必须扩大。以截短的犯罪构成理论为视角,分析我国环境犯罪的立法现状,提出了转变立法理念、改进罪刑体系与犯罪构成要件,以及完善污染环境罪、破坏植物资源犯罪、与环境相关联的走私犯罪、渎职犯罪等个罪的建议。     

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。