论检察机关在环境公益诉讼中的法律地位

环境的公共性和检察权的公益性决定了检察机关有义务介入环境公益诉讼。关于检察机关在环境公益诉讼中的法律地位问题,学者们提出了不同的主张。在环境公益诉讼中检察机关只以一种身份出现的观点是片面的,环境公益诉讼的多样性决定了检察机关介入环境公益诉讼法律地位的多样性。在环境公益诉讼中检察机关的恰当角色是,根据案件的类型不同,分别以支持起诉人身份、准原告人身份、公益代表人身份出现,角色混乱将会造成事与愿违的效果。     

基于社区视角下的农村环境管理探讨

市场机制对农村环境管理具有灵活性、低成本性,但是由于环境问题的外部性,市场失灵容易发生.运用政府管制手段可以加强环境管理的公平性,但是由于环境治理的政府主导型特征,政府失灵容易发生.社区作为介于政府与市场之间的第三部门,可以运用其独特的社会资本参与环境管理,以其自身所具有的灵活性、低成本性、信息优势和高效性,克服市场失灵和政府失灵现象.     

Potential of decentralized wastewater management for urban development: Case of Bangkok

Decentralized wastewater management (DWWM) has recently gained much attention in wastewater management (WWM) due to its build-as-you-go principal. Rapid urban development and the widespread impact of wastewater require sustainable ways to test the DWWM approach. This paper aims to examine and discuss the potential of Bangkok’s current WWM approaches for urban development, focusing on decentralized management approaches. General WWM approaches were examined using case study research methods. Three WWM cases were selected for detailed investigation. Residential wastewater user surveys and expert interviews were used to support system performance findings of service providers and recipients, as well as to draw lessons learned. Results show that DWWM is economically and technically efficient, demonstrating potential for sustainable urban development (SUD) in the study area. The competitive cost found is a result of less sewer line, simple technology, and limited additional costs, while the high efficiency is a result of good operation and maintenance. Also the reclaimed water has been used for landscape irrigation of the urban greenery. Sustainability of the system lies in social value of public amenity it provides, and the urban planning implication that it could be an option for smart growth. The results also show that even in an inner urban area DWWM does not conflict with any SUD considerations. Thus, the study recommends using DWWM for new development within both public and private properties based on Bangkok’s case as part of long-term urban development.     

What can microblog exchanges tell us about food safety crises in China?

The affordance of microblogging services has made them an ideal tool for communicating risk and crisis. However, research on social media and risk communication is still in its infancy. This study, following the uses and gratifications framework, attempts to give some insight into the way micro-bloggers communicate about risk by investigating food safety communications on the microblogging service in China. A content analysis was conducted on 6186 microblog posts relating to 12 recent food safety incidents in China. A series of bivariate chi-square tests was conducted to test the association between micro-bloggers and gratifications. The results indicate that different types of micro-bloggers gratify different needs. Compared to other types of micro-bloggers, the general public tends to use microblogging to express opinions on food safety incidents, regulation and/or policy, rather than simply disseminating information; members of the public enjoy fewer multimedia affordances in their microblog posting but express more negative feelings. Although we anticipate growth in the use of social media in environmental health communication, caution is still needed: communication in China still follows a traditional top-down pattern.     

The New Spatial Planning Act in Taiwan: A Messy Shift from Economic Development-Oriented Planning to Environmental Conservation-Oriented Planning?

On 18 December 2015, the spatial planning bill was finally passed by the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan. That was a special moment for planning community and authority since they had anticipated this moment for more than two decades. However, this is not the end of the story. On the contrary, the battle between the economic development promoters and environmental conservation supporters just starts. The Act introduces several new changes to secure its goal of nationwide sustainable development, but the introduction also raises some tensions. This article reviews the tensions and their socio-political context, and gives some suggestions to the Taiwanese government.     

薇拉·凯瑟拓荒小说之于生态环境的观照

美国女作家薇拉·凯瑟的<啊,拓荒者>和<我的安东妮亚>两部作品出版于美国第一次环境保护运动期间,都是以19世纪末20世纪初内布拉斯加平原为背景,展现了美国拓荒时代人类对土地那种开拓、认同、融合的关系,传达出了朦胧的自然环境保护意识.     

公民环境公益诉讼的动力机制

在分析公民环境公益诉讼的外在价值和内在价值的基础上,对公民提起诉讼动力不足的因素进行分析表明,动力不足的内在结构缺陷表现为经济理性满足度缺乏、生态理性缺失和法律理性先天不足等方面。应着力开发公民公益诉讼动力。     

The Impact of the Physical Home Environment for Family Carers of People with Dementia: A Qualitative Study

Background: The majority of people with dementia are cared for by their families at home. This study aimed to elicit family carers' perceptions on home environmental aspects and strategies with the view to identify barriers and facilitators when caring for a person with dementia at home.

Design and methods: Thirteen co-resident family carers were engaged in semi-structured in-depth walking interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: Home environments can pose a number of challenges and opportunities. Aspects of the architectural and interior environment (e.g. size, condition, layout and accessibility, familiarity) are perceived as important (Theme 1) as well as a plethora of environmental strategies that encourage independence and comfort at home (Theme 2). Carers' scepticism, timing, costs, property characteristics and mistrust to services are some barriers to implementing environmental strategies (Theme 3).

Conclusions: Carers improvised solutions via trial and error and need further education on strategies to create an enabling and comfortable home environment.     

Accounting for the Performance of Environmentally Significant Behavior: The Symbolic Significance of Recycling

The scientific community has pronounced climate change unequivocal and its consequences disastrous. Yet Americans' behavioral response to the global social problem of environmental degradation has been largely confined to the individual act of recycling. This article examines why Americans are not doing more to address climate change and other environmental issues. Taking a cognitive sociological perspective, I describe how Americans think about environmental issues and pro‐environmental behavior. I draw on Swidler's concept of a “cultural tool kit,” to examine the cultural narratives Americans use to account for the small amount of pro‐environmental behavior they perform. The act of recycling functions as a synecdoche for pro‐environmental behavior in general, allowing individuals to over‐claim the significance of a modest amount of pro‐environmental behavior. I argue that Americans' failure to engage with environmental issues at a collective level is rooted in the individualized culture of American environmentalism.     

中国城市环境治理信息型政策工具设计的模式——公共行政隐喻的视角

从公共行政作为科学隐喻的视角看,理性设计是中国城市环境治理信息型政策工具设计的模式。从公共行政作为艺术隐喻的视角看,渐进设计是中国城市环境治理信息型政策工具设计的模式。从公共行政作为社会设计隐喻的视角看,社会设计是中国城市环境治理信息型政策工具设计的模式。实际上,依赖于科学隐喻、艺术隐喻和社会设计隐喻的中国城市治理主体综合运用理性设计模式、渐进设计模式和社会设计模式对环境治理的信息型政策工具进行规划。