Longitudinal environmental justice analysis: Co-evolution of environmental quality and deprivation in England, 1960–2007

We describe contemporaneous changes in environmental quality and social deprivation in English local authority districts over four decades, using secondary source GIS modelled data on environmentally intrusive development. The distribution of this development is described with respect to the Townsend material deprivation score, corroborated against the Breadline Britain index. Spatial patterns of environmental intrusion and material deprivation change markedly over the period, although a clear environmental inequality remains throughout. However, it is not the most deprived who experience the greatest decline in their environmental quality, as most of the increase in environmental intrusion occurs in those districts whose population were amongst the most affluent in the early 1960s. We note that the environmental justice implications of these observations are dependent upon conceptions of justice held, and reflect on the challenge of testing, through empirical longitudinal analysis, the notion that environmental sustainability and social justice are incompatible.     

Buyer-driven greening? Cargo-owners and environmental upgrading in maritime shipping

In this article, we examine the relations between global value chain governance and environmental upgrading in maritime shipping. Drawing from interviews with global shipping companies and major buyers of shipping services (cargo-owners), we reveal the key issues and challenges faced in improving the environmental performance of maritime transportation. Contributing to the Global Value Chain (GVC) literature, we compare and analyze the influence of three main external drivers on environmental upgrading in the tanker, bulk and container shipping segments: regulation, cooperation and buyer demands. Our findings suggest that environmental upgrading is more likely to occur when global value chains are characterized by unipolar governance and where the lead firms are consumer-facing companies with reputational risks. Furthermore, environmental upgrading in shipping is not likely to materialize without clear and enforceable global regulation and stronger alignment between regulation and voluntary sustainability initiatives.     

How successful are analogue models in addressing the influence of pre-existing fabrics on rift structure?

Sandbox models have been widely used to investigate normal fault geometries, evolution and propagation. As modelling attempts to investigate more aspects of normal faulting, the effects of pre-existing fabrics on normal fault geometry developed within the brittle upper crust have become a topic of interest. Analogue models have been developed for oblique rifting and the influence of pre-existing fabrics on transfer zone geometry. These models use pre-cut geometries in underlying plates to impose `pre-existing' fabrics on the developing normal fault system. However, to really mimic natural systems it is the sand itself that should contain the pre-existing fabrics. The problem is that cohesionless sand has no tensile strength, while the influence of pre-existing fabrics on rift structure in the upper crust attests to the important role played by relatively small variations in rock strength anisotropy caused by pre-existing fabrics. Consequently it is necessary to assess how significant the departures are between model and natural examples and whether a new approach to modelling pre-existing rift structures is required.     

State power and environmental initiatives in China: Analyzing China’s green building program through an ecological modernization perspective

This paper applies the ecological modernization (EM) framework to analyze China’s green building program. EM focuses on the effective institutionalization of environmental objectives into respective political and economic systems, and thus provides valuable insights into the roles of the state and other stake holders in environmental regulation. Since the mid-2000s, the Chinese government has advanced an aggressive green building campaign, which is distinguished by its speed, scale, and evolution from one of voluntary participation to a top-down implementation through administrative hierarchies. While this has resulted in a remarkable growth of green building projects, questions remain about the effectiveness and sustainability of such a state-centered approach. Though interviews with officials, planners, architects, real estate developers, and property managers in several Chinese cities, data analysis of the green building stock, and surveys of architects, this paper analyzes Chinese green building patterns and situates such patterns among the contradictory motivations of different levels of government and their relationships to different stake holders. This research finds that the top-down state apparatus is not sufficient to overcome these contradictions and the profit motives of the property developers. However, many under-developed opportunities exist to leverage property developers, building professionals, and the public to engage in green building practices. In the end, I argue that the state must embrace reform to build flexible and collaborative movements with other parties with strong public participation. China’s ecological modernization process may feature a stronger state and faster changes, but it is not exempted from the need of political modernization.     

Finding common ground? Spaces of dialogue and the negotiation of Indigenous interests in environmental campaigns in Australia

Critiquing the usefulness of cosmopolitanism this paper argues that we need a more nuanced and subtle understanding of how commonalities are found, created and maintained across difference. This paper uses two juxtapositions of perspective (around place and environment) to explore how such boundaries of difference can be negotiated. It uses an examination of the ways in which environmental groups in Australia have sought to negotiate Indigenous interests through creating spaces of dialogue and changing working practices. It is based on 30 interviews with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous activists across two case regions; Cape York (Queensland) and Barmah-Millewa (Victoria/New South Wales). Four issues were identified that have proved particularly contentious in negotiations to build collaborative campaigns: language; power and ownership; scale and timeframes; and economics. There are examples of both successes and ongoing problematic practices across these tensions. However there is also a growing mutual ownership of the issues. Moving beyond a colonial paternal sense of responsibility, to a dynamic and engaged mutuality of concern for both processes and outcomes has resulted in gradual, small, and progressive steps forward in Indigenous/non-Indigenous collaborative environmental campaigning.     

What is a successful environmental geochemical study?

A successful piece of applied research will not only influence the related problem perception within the scientific community, but also lead to much better understanding of a complex challenge, including the delivery of solutions. Ideally it may contribute significantly to reducing possible risk situations for people and/or the natural environment. In short, a successful study will have a broader impact beyond the sphere of science. Planning, timing, funding, networking, communication, and interdisciplinarity are identified as key aspects for a successful project and are being examined in their scope and boundary conditions, while not neglecting the particular role of local and regional people and authorities.Defining what makes a successful environmental geochemical study is clearly based upon experience and evidence found, and not upon any particular theoretical concept. Here, experience is drawn from the outcome of many projects and specifically first-hand from the complex ARSENEX project in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Against the backdrop of both perceived and real arsenic contamination of environmental compartments, including local people, all subsequent project steps and proposals were set up using a three-prong approach that sought to a) understand the processes, b) educate and inform the public and all other stakeholders and c) remediate the situation.     

Payments for environmental services as neoliberal market-based forest conservation in Vietnam: Panacea or problem?

Recently in Vietnam, a coalition of international NGOs, donors and government officials have been promoting market-based forest conservation projects in the form of payments for environmental services (PES) as a win–win for both conservation and development objectives; Vietnam is now the first country in Southeast Asia with a national law on PES. This article provides a macro survey of how market-based instruments for forest conservation have expanded in Vietnam, particularly in relation to a long dominant state sector. Yet an assessment of Vietnam’s PES pilot projects indicates that they do not follow predicted orthodox “neoliberalization of nature” approaches in their use of market instruments, particularly in regards to privatization, retreat of the state, and capitalization of commodities. The article explores how it is that a strong state role in forest management can continue to dominate even in more market-oriented approaches. Finally, the article analyzes PES’s potential for success or failure in tackling the underlying causes for forest degradation. Ultimately, the article argues that PES is likely to be unable to tackle several of the key underlying causes for deforestation, namely, uneven land tenure and a lack of participation by local communities in conservation, given that PES is unlikely to be considerably different than past attempts at forest management.     

Environmental properties of metallic minerals and their applications in environmental protection in China

In terms of environmental mineralogy, the environmental properties of metallic minerals, including chemical activation, adsorption, pore effect and nanometer effect, have been analyzed. On the basis of the analysis of environmental properties of metallic minerals, the applications of iron-bearing sultides, iron and manganese oxides in the purification of wastewaters containing heavy metal ions （Cr^6＋ ,Hg^2＋ , Pb^2＋ , etc. ） have been summarized. Moreover, research on the application of metallic minerals in environmental protection has been anticipated. It should be a piece of dominating work for environmental mineralogie researchers in the future to lucubrate systematically the physical and chemical characteristics of the metallic mineral surfaces, further reveal the reciprocity process between metallic minerals and water surface, perfect the theory and model of the metallic minerals to remove contaminants, intensify study on the facilities and techniques of metallic minerals to remove contaminants, and entail well the extension and propagation of achievements.     

What has Corruption Got to do with it? Understanding the Persistence of Rural-Urban and Inter-Regional Inequalities in Ghana and Zimbabwe

Inequalities are no respecter of countries, including the affluent ones. Nevertheless, these problems appear to prevail more in the developing countries, which have the dubious distinction of having the highest degrees of inequalities in the world. Inequalities exist between urban and rural areas, as well as between the various regions. This paper discusses inequalities in Ghana and Zimbabwe, emphasizing the rural–urban dichotomy. Using data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys (GDHS) and the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Surveys (ZDHS) conducted by the respective statistical authorities of both countries and Macro International, the paper analyses existing inequalities in both countries. The paper also attempts to elucidate and understand the causes. It concludes that the traditional explanation of disparities that attribute the conditions to aberrations in the operations of market forces, while having some validity, may not provide a full explanation for Ghana and Zimbabwe’s predicament. It argues that whilst the existing disparities may be rooted in history, their persistence and worsening in the post-independence era could only be understood with reference to the corruption, nepotism and the mismanagement that have characterized these states since they gained their independence.     

Is shrinking groundwater resources leading to socioeconomic and environmental degradation in Central Ganga Plain,India?

In India, agriculture is a source of livelihood for over 64 % of the country's population. Indo-Gangetic Plains of North India support good cultivation and provides livelihood to several hundred million people. The climatic change studies have documented changes in precipitation pattern which can alter the flow pattern discharge to the reservoirs and availability of water for agriculture. The reduction in groundwater recharge through reduced rainfall and irregularity in surface water availability has increased dependence on groundwater resources causing its overexploitation. Consequently, pumping from deeper groundwater conditions need more energy and pump efficiency for abstraction which ultimately requires huge capital investment. Moreover, volatile fuel prices make the agricultural society vulnerable to economic losses. The repercussions of water level decline are likely to disseminate an additional economic burden to the groundwater user community. To cope with higher energy demands, increase in fuel consumption has led to environmental degradation through higher carbon emission. Thus, the groundwater depletion is likely to have far-reaching socioeconomic and environmental impacts which are not confined to the Central Gangetic Plain. In the present study, attempts have been made to analyze the effect of groundwater depletion as a commodity in the social framework of the region.     

High precision Fe isotope measurement and applications in aquatic environmental studies

In aquatic environment, iron redox reaction may occur through a） microbial activity and b） photo-chemistry. Iron chemistry plays a significant role in the health of aquatic ecosystems. For example, Fe^2＋ is more mobile than Fe^3＋. Iron can be bound to dissolved organic carbon （DOC）, and when Fe^2＋ is oxidized to Fe^3＋ （biotically or abiotically）, Fe is precipitated and induce co-precipitation of the DOC. Furthermore, iron is a major nutrient to aquatic organisms. Because Fe^2＋ is more bioavailable than Fe^3＋, iron redox chemistry can be a controlling factor in biological production, such as algae bloom which can be a public health concern. Experiments have shown that Fe redox reactions, biotically or abiotically, can generate significant Fe isotope fraction among different Fe species. Accordingly, analysis of Fe isotope composition of phytoplanktons can be a valuable tool in studying Fe dynamics in ecosystems. Precise measurement of Fe isotope, however, presents some challenges. Recent advances in mass spectrometry, specifically high resolution MC-ICP-MS, allow measurement of Fe isotopes free of interferences.     

Characteristics of trace elements in contaminated rivers and their environmental significance

Several rivers researched around Taihu Lake in Chinese eastern plain are distributed to the west of the lake. Pollutants of different types from tributaries and inlets flow directly into the main rivers and finally into the lake. They change trace elements of rivers fi＇om which we can analyze. Researches about trace elements are helpful for understanding the pollutant characteristics, industrial structure and agricultural cultivation in the area of network rivers in the plain of China. Samples of water column, suspended matter and sediment were collected fi＇om the west rivers of Taihu Lake, which represent three typical rivers. Observation in the field and the primary composition analysis showed the Caoqiao River was mainly contaminated by industrial wastewater, the Liangxi River was discharged by domestic sewage and the Dapu River was principally input by farmland runoff. REE concentrations and their normalized curves showed obvious characters for rivers discharged by different sewages. The contents of total REE in water column followed the order of the Caoqiao River, the Dapu River and the Liangxi River fi＇om high to low. TREEs in suspended matter and sediments follow the order of the Dapu River 〉 the Caoqiao River 〉 the Liangxi River. REE normalized curves （for Australia shale） suggested that significant diversities were presented in water column, suspended matter and sediments, i.e., heavy REE enrichment in water, middle REE enrichment in suspended matter, and smooth curves for sediments. But the heavy pollution resulted in several anomalous curves in the same rivers. Some element ratios were selected as indices for polluted rivers based on their geochemical properties and diversities between rivers. The results displayed the discriminative indices for water column, suspended matter and sediment. The effective indices were Pb/Fe, Cr/Fe, Ni/Fe, Pb/Ni, Zn/Ni for water column, Cu/Al, Cu/Fe, Zn/Fe, K/Ca, K/Na, Pb/Co, Zn/Co for suspend matter and Pb/Fe, K/Ca, Ca/Mg, Zn/Ni for sediment, respectively. In general, rivers mainly discharged by industrial sewage have high ratios of Pb/Ni, K/Ca, are enriched in the middle REE and have positive Gd anomaly. The domestic sewage flowing into rivers reveals high ratios of Zn/Ni, Pb/Fe, and is enriched in the heavy REE, and has the positive Eu anomaly. If runoff of farmland enters into the rivers, it will have high ratios of Ca/Mg, K/Na, high lanthanum, and show the smooth normalized curves of REE.     

Spillover or crowding out? The effects of environmental regulation on residents’ willingness to pay for environmental protection

Natural Hazards - Existing researches about environment regulation mainly focus on its effect on enterprises’ production decision-making behavior but neglects the effect on the individual and...     

The exploration of indicator system establishment in ecotourism environmental impact assessment

Ecotourism environmental impact assessment is a traveling activity relevant influence prediction and appraisal. And the setting-up of the index system is very important to implement the appraisal of environmental impact of ecological travel. According to …     

Application of ASTER data in characterization of environmental pollution in Takab area, NW Iran

The Takab area in NW of Iran is an important gold mineralized region with a long history of gold mining. In this study ASTER data is used to evaluate environmental effects of gold mining. The results show that mining activities have resulted in release of…