Informing the Public About Uncertain Risks

Many problems arise in connection with the communication of risk information. In this article the content of the information communicated is taken as a starting-point for analyzing the risk communication process. We studied the way in which authorities communicated health risks to local residents in Dutch soil pollution situations and found that communication problems were characterized more by misunderstanding and conflict between parties with different views and interests than by a lack of understanding. Therefore, it is important to look more closely at the way the communicators of information (in our cases, officials) select risk information from risk assessments, and to study the effects that the information selected has on the receivers (in our cases, residents). Both the process of selection by the officials and the process of interpretation by the residents will be shown to be influenced by the different institutional backgrounds. The article presents a new approach to risk communication. Both the risk information presented by the authorities and the public reactions to this risk information are considered to reflect the institutional background of authorities and residents, and can be analyzed in these terms. Such an approach has consequences for the study of risk communication and the manner in which it is practiced.     

Estimating the Risks of Smoking, Air Pollution, and Passive Smoke on Acute Respiratory Conditions

Five years of the annual Health Interview Survey, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, are used to estimate the effects of air pollution, smoking, and environmental tobacco smoke on respiratory restrictions in activity for adults, and bed disability for children. After adjusting for several socioeconomic factors, the multiple regression estimates indicate that an independent and statistically significant association exists between these three forms of air pollution and respiratory morbidity. The comparative risks of these exposures are computed and the plausibility of the relative risks is examined by comparing the equivalent doses with actual measurements of exposure taken in the homes of smokers. The results indicate that: (1) smokers will have a 55-75% excess in days with respiratory conditions severe enough to cause reductions in normal activity; (2) a 1 microgram increase in fine particulate matter air pollution is associated with a 3% excess in acute respiratory disease; and (3) a pack-a-day smoker will increase respiratory restricted days for a nonsmoking spouse by 20% and increase the number of bed disability days for young children living in the household by 20%. The results also indicate that the estimates of the effects of secondhand smoking on children are improved when the mother's work status is known and incorporated into the exposure estimate.     

Cd、Pb单一污染对龙须草干物质积累的影响

通过盆栽试验研究了Cd、Pb单一污染对龙须草生长全期干物质积累的影响。结果表明,在成熟期以前,Cd、Pb低浓度(不高于5mgCd/kg土)刺激能够促进龙须草植株干物质积累,高浓度(不低于200mgPb/kg土)刺激对龙须草干物质积累有抑制作用。被Cd、Pb污染的龙须草在成熟期时干物质积累总量比前一时期略微减小。Cd、Pb的临界浓度分别为5mgCd/kg土和200mgPb/kg土,表明龙须草干物质积累对Cd污染较Pb污染敏感。     

国际空难赔偿案件管辖权问题探究

随着航空运输迅速发展，国际空难赔偿案件日益增多，而每一起案件的解决都关系到管辖权问题。文章从区分国内空难案件与国际空难案件入手，对1929年华沙公约所规定的四种管辖权以及1999年蒙特利尔公约增加的第五种管辖权进行了分析，并在此基础上，探讨了中国法院确定国际空难赔偿案件管辖权的依据。     

Testing lack of symmetry in spatial–temporal processes

Symmetry and separability of a covariance function are common assumptions to simplify the modeling effort of spatial–temporal processes. However, many studies in environmental sciences show that real data have complex spatial–temporal dependency structures resulting from lack of symmetry or violation of other standard assumptions of the covariance function. In this study, we propose new formal tests for lack of symmetry by using spectral representations of the spatial–temporal covariance functions of regularly spaced spatial–temporal data. The advantage of the proposed tests is that classical analysis of variance (ANOVA) models can be used for detecting lack of symmetry inherent in spatial–temporal processes. We evaluate the performance of the tests with simulation studies and we apply them to air pollution data.     

Health Risks of Energy Systems

Health risks from fossil, renewable and nuclear reference energy systems are estimated following a detailed impact pathway approach. Using a set of appropriate air quality models and exposure-effect functions derived from the recent epidemiological literature, a methodological framework for risk assessment has been established and consistently applied across the different energy systems, including the analysis of consequences from a major nuclear accident. A wide range of health impacts resulting from increased air pollution and ionizing radiation is quantified, and the transferability of results derived from specific power plants to a more general context is discussed.     

我国环境税立法问题研究

改革开放三十年,我国经济突飞猛进,但严重的环境污染与生态破坏问题也随之而来.按照经济学理论,运用经济手段保护环境较传统方式更具优势.世界环境保护的发展实践用事实证明,构建环境税法律制度是解决我国当前环境保护困局的有效办法.基于现行的排污收费制度奠定的良好基础和国外开征环境税的丰富经验,我国建立环境税法律制度已具有现实可能性.汲取我国环境保护制度的经验教训,环境税不能变成政府增加其财政收入的工具,其征税对象、税率设定、征收管理等方面的设计均要体现解决环境问题、保护生态环境的设立初衷.     

马航 MH17事件与保障民航安全的国家责任

马航MH17航班被击落事件是人间悲剧,震惊世界,深受谴责。航空运输必须大力发展,保障空中航行安全是首要任务。航空器运行必须统一技术标准,空中交通必须统一规则,服从统一的空中交通管制。保障空中航行安全法规已成一定体系,保障空中航行安全技术措施成效显著,但应总结经验教训,进一步完善。国际社会是主权国家组成的社会。在国际航空关系中,主权国家发挥着重要作用。国际关系“法治化”已是大势所趋。应加强国际法治,凡违反强制性法律规范的不法行为,应承担国家责任,以杜绝民航飞机被击落悲剧的再次发生,切实保障空中航行安全。     

环境传播中的话语表征：基于报纸对土壤污染报道的分析

环境传播并非仅是环境议题的扩散,更是各种主体的话语呈现。土壤污染报道可以作为探讨环境传播中话语表征的典型案例。分析2013年1月1日至2013年12月31日期间的746篇报纸媒体土壤污染报道样本,发现：土壤污染报道中政府、专家、企业、NGO以及公众各方的话语权并不平等,其中政府占据议题的主要话语权,专家学者积极介入议题报道,企业则表现为回避突发土壤污染事件。相较于前三者的强势话语权地位,环保NGO和公众的话语权较为弱势。     

试论航空港经济概念的新发展

2013年,随着郑州航空港规划上升为国家战略,航空港经济作为一种新的经济形态,成为引领河南乃至中原地区经济发展的新引擎,但其实质仍是航空经济的"郑州模式"。因此,研究航空港经济仍然依托于航空经济。航空经济相关概念种类繁多,亟需运用概念分析方法对此进行深入研究。在经济转型、结构升级以及打造内陆开放新高地的大背景下,如何正确辨析航空经济和临空经济这两种区域经济发展的新模式,对于航空港建设实践的推进以及航空港经济的发展将具有十分重要的意义。