Intellectual property rights and low carbon technology transfer: Conflicting discourses of diffusion and development

Intellectual property rights (IPRs) and the transfer of low carbon technologies to developing countries have been the focus of sustained disagreement between many developed and developing country Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). We argue that this disagreement stems from two conflicting political discourses of economic development and low carbon technology diffusion which tend to underpin developing and developed countries’ respective motivations for becoming party to the Convention. We illustrate the policy implications of these discourses by examining empirical evidence on IPRs and low carbon technology transfer and highlight how the two discourses are based on an incomplete understanding of the role of technological capacity in either economic development or technology diffusion. This has important implication for the success of post-2012 international climate agreements.     

美丽中国与联合国可持续发展目标(SDGs)结合的黑河流域水资源承载力评价

水资源是制约干旱、半干旱区社会经济发展的关键因素，结合联合国可持续发展目标（SDGs）指标和美丽中国评价指标，以水资源承载力为核心，从水资源系统、社会系统、经济系统、生态环境系统、协调系统5个方面构建指标体系，基于熵权法确定权重，评价2001-2017年黑河流域各县区水资源承载力及时空分布。结果表明：（1）当前水资源利用效率水平下，2010年以来黑河流域大多数县区GDP均超过最大承载能力，而人口则在2010年以前已超载。（2）从水资源承载综合评价结果来看，2001-2015年随着生态输水工程的进一步实施，水资源承载力有所好转，但中下游波动较大，水资源形势依然十分严峻。（3）控制不断扩展的绿洲面积，减少高耗水农作物种植面积，实施合理用水总量控制和定额管理措施，是减缓水资源压力的重要措施。     

中美科技竞争力比较研究

在界定国家科技竞争力内涵的基础上，从科技人力资源竞争力、科技财力资源竞争力、科学研究竞争力、技术创新竞争力和科技国际化竞争力五个方面建构了国家科技竞争力评价指标体系，从而详细对比了中美两国在科技发展上的差异。研究发现，无论是整体竞争力还是科技投入、科学研究、技术创新、科技国际化等单项竞争力，中国都与美国都存在不小差距，中国科技竞争力虽然加速提升，但仍显著落后于美国，中国科技发展任重道远。基于中美两国科技竞争力的现状对比及趋势研判，本文认为：中国进一步提升科技竞争力，加快建设世界科技强国，既需要对标先进、参照一流，进一步深化开放式创新，充分学习和借鉴美国等科技强国的成功经验，更需要立足自身、正视短板，坚持科技创新与制度创新双轮驱动、发展速度和创新质量有机统一、自主创新与开放创新相互促进，着力推动以质量和效益为核心的创新战略，加强基础科学研究，突破关键核心技术，集聚高端科创人才，以实现国家科技竞争力的持续稳步增强。     

新疆及其邻区的地震窗前兆与短期地震预报

根据新疆及毗邻的独联体部分国家区域台网微震观测记录,通过普查与统计检验,筛选出22个具有较高短期预报效能的地震窗。较系统地研究了地震窗小震月频度的前兆特征及其用于短期地震预报的判据指标,着重介绍了近两年新疆与独联体科技合作的最新成果,同时给出若干成功预报震例,并对所得结果的可能物理机制等问题进行了讨论。     

Ground retreat and slope evolution on regraded surface-mine dumps,waunafon, gwent

Ground retreat was monitored on two vegetated and two unvegetated profiles over a five-year period. The average annual retreat of the two unvegetated profiles was 5.84 mm and 3.62 mm; that of the two vegetated profiles 2.34 mm and 2.07 mm. Slope evolution was controlled by the mid-slope-ward migration of two zones of accelerated erosion and the resulting replacement of a central rectilinear slope segment by the upper and lower slope elements.     

'Cultures of GM': discourses of risk and labelling of GMOs in the UK and EU

The debate over genetically modified foods has become one of the defining environmental and social issues of the past decade. As the public naturalize biotechnology within existing cultural systems, this produces what I term 'cultures of GM'. This paper examines how these 'cultures' are legitimized and sustained through an appraisal of divergent North American and European conceptions of risk and their translation into food labelling policies. It is argued that the dialectical relationship between risk perception and its cultural context offers an instructive vantage point for critical reflection by geographers.     

Poverty and Disasters in the United States: A Review of Recent Sociological Findings

This article synthesizes the literature on poverty and disasters in the United States and presents the results from a wide range of studies conducted over the past twenty years. The findings are organized into eight categories based on the stages of a disaster event. The review illustrates how people of different socioeconomic statuses perceive, prepare for, and respond to natural hazard risks, how low-income populations may be differentially impacted, both physically and psychologically, and how disaster effects vary by social class during the periods of emergency response, recovery, and reconstruction. The literature illustrates that the poor in the United States are more vulnerable to natural disasters due to such factors as place and type of residence, building construction, and social exclusion. The results have important implications for social equity and recommendations for future research and policy implementation are offered.     

Effects of camel grazing on the ecology of small perennial plants in the Dubai (UAE) inland desert

Camel grazing is recognized as a primary cause of ecological degradation in the UAE. A study of perennial plant species <1 m in height was conducted along a fence separating continuously camel grazed land from land in which camels had been replaced by oryx and gazelle species for 5 years (Al Maha). Vegetation regeneration in Al Maha in the absence of camels was considerable on all substrates (gravel, stable sand, and semi-stable sand) but was greatest on the gravel substratum, indicating that ecology in this habitat is most at risk. Observed regeneration was primarily through vegetative reproduction and growth of existing plants, showing that existing species can tolerate heavy grazing. Therefore, an equilibrium grazing model of continuous and reversible vegetation dynamics is most suitable for management of this ecological zone. Species richness was greater in Al Maha due to the greater number of plants, but biodiversity was unaffected. There was some evidence of localized dune stabilization within Al Maha due to increased vegetative cover. Further recovery of vegetation within Al Maha is discussed. This study highlights the need for reduced grazing pressure throughout the Dubai inland desert, and in particular on gravel substrata.     

The Impact of U.S. Government Antiterrorism Policies on Canada‐U.S. Cross‐Border Commerce: An Exploratory Study from Western New York and Southern Ontario

This article examines the extant and potential impact of U.S. antiterrorism policies on Canada‐U.S. cross‐border commerce. Particular attention is focused on the cross‐border trade that takes place between southern Ontario (Canada) and western New York (United States). Evidence from a survey of Canadian and U.S. exporters suggests that U.S. antiterrorism measures have inflated the business costs of exporters on both sides of the border. These measures have also created shipment delays that ultimately imply lost revenues for producers, as well as higher prices for consumers. Security‐related initiatives motivated by a genuine concern for the well‐being of U.S. citizens may nevertheless act as nontariff barriers to bilateral trade. We argue that a potential long‐run consequence of these additional costs is trade diversion. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the implications of the empirical findings for the geography of Canada‐U.S. bilateral trade.