Public acceptance of the oceanic carbon sequestration

CO₂ ocean sequestration may be an effective option for mitigating global warming. There are risks associated with this process, particularly the local impact on deep-sea environments. Public acceptance is required for the implementation of this technology, even though the impacts have been proven to be trivial. In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted to find the correlation between public acceptance of CO₂ sequestration and influential factors by covariance structure analysis. In addition, risk communication via the Internet was carried out. These analyses revealed that careful investigation of the target oceanic site and field experiments are important in gaining public acceptance of CO₂ sequestration.     

A copula-based closed-form binary logit choice model for accommodating spatial correlation across observational units

This study focuses on accommodating spatial dependency in data indexed by geographic location. In particular, the emphasis is on accommodating spatial error correlation across observational units in binary discrete choice models. We propose a copula-based approach to spatial dependence modeling based on a spatial logit structure rather than a spatial probit structure. In this approach, the dependence between the logistic error terms of different observational units is directly accommodated using a multivariate logistic distribution based on the Farlie-Gumbel-Morgenstein (FGM) copula. The approach represents a simple and powerful technique that results in a closed-form analytic expression for the joint probability of choice across observational units, and is straightforward to apply using a standard and direct maximum likelihood inference procedure. There is no simulation machinery involved, leading to substantial computation gains relative to current methods to address spatial correlation. The approach is applied to teenagers’ physical activity participation levels, a subject of considerable interest in the public health, transportation, sociology, and adolescence development fields. The results indicate that failing to accommodate heteroscedasticity and spatial correlation can lead to inconsistent and inefficient parameter estimates, as well as incorrect conclusions regarding the elasticity effects of exogenous variables.

Positioning fisheries in a changing world

Marine capture fisheries face major and complex challenges: habitat degradation, poor economic returns, social hardships from depleted stocks, illegal fishing, and climate change, among others. The key factors that prevent the transition to sustainable fisheries are information failures, transition costs, use and non-use conflicts and capacity constraints. Using the experiences of fisheries successes and failures it is argued only through better governance and institutional change that encompasses the public good of the oceans (biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, sustainability) and societal values (existence, aesthetic and amenity) will fisheries be made sustainable.     

深圳市公共文化场所空间分布格局研究

随着深圳市逐步实施文化立市的发展战略，公共文化场所的设置和选址变得日益重要。利用ArcGIS和SPSS软件，通过定性描述与定量分析相结合的方法探究深圳市公共文化场所的空间分布格局，得出区际差异大，集中程度高，总体上呈现以特区内为核心、特区外为边缘地带的分布格局．外向型公共文化场所集中化分布的特征更为显著，公共文化场所的空间分布格局呈更加均衡的发展趋势等是其主要特征，进而分析了居民生活品质、人口分布、交通区位、政府行为等因素对现有分布格局的影响，并建议应适度加大政府行为因素对分布格局的影响等。     

Prospects for the Development and Application of the Earthquake Monitoring Network

With the rapid development of the economy in China, the seismic network has been changing rapidly, in that the capability of instruments, technological systems and network density are approaching those of developed countries and a large quantity of observation data has been accumulated. How to apply these resources to economic construction and public safety has become an important issue worth studying. In order to improve earthquake prediction and earthquake emergency response, it is suggested in this paper that extracting valuable precursor information, improving earthquake rapid reporting ability and extending rapid intensity reporting function are key issues. Integrating network resources, building unified standards and a multifunction seismic monitoring network are preconditions of establishing a public safety service platform and earthquake observation resources will contribute significantly to the fields of engineering, ocean, meteorology, and environmental protection. Thus, the future directions of the development of the seismic network are exploring monitoring resources, enhancing independent innovation, constructing a technological platform and enlarging the service field.     

Barriers perceived to engaging with climate change among the UK public and their policy implications

This paper reports on the barriers that members of the UK public perceive to engaging with climate change. It draws upon three mixed-method studies, with an emphasis on the qualitative data which offer an in-depth insight into how people make sense of climate change. The paper defines engagement as an individual's state, comprising three elements: cognitive, affective and behavioural. A number of common barriers emerge from the three studies, which operate broadly at ‘individual’ and ‘social’ levels. These major constraints to individual engagement with climate change have implications for achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gases in the UK. We argue that targeted and tailored information provision should be supported by wider structural change to enable citizens and communities to reduce their carbon dependency. Policy implications for effective engagement are discussed.     

Public perceptions of sharks: Gathering support for shark conservation

With increasing evidence of the destructive impacts of human activities on the ocean there is a growing call for stronger public engagement in marine governance. An understanding of marine issues and pro-environmental values are key elements that influence an individual׳s engagement in conservation and pro-environmental behaviour. This paper presents a study on public perceptions of sharks and shark conservation in the UK. The study investigated knowledge of and attitudes towards sharks of a group of individuals with a clear interest in the marine environment, as well as possible factors that might influence their perceptions of sharks, in order to make recommendations on how to foster engagement in shark conservation. The key finding was that important prerequisites for engagement in shark conservation exist among parts of the UK public. However, this does not seem to be enough to motivate actual engagement. The study discusses a number of specific challenges with regard to sharks which might be influencing the way in which society connects to shark related issues. It concludes with priority recommendations for further investigation into potential catalysts for public engagement in shark conservation.     

Studying local climate adaptation: A heuristic research framework for comparative policy analysis

Climate change poses a significant risk for communities, and local governments around the world have begun responding by developing climate adaptation policies. Scholarship on local adaptation policy has proliferated in recent years, but insufficient attention has been paid to operationalization of the unit of analysis, and methods employed are typically inadequate to draw inferences about variation across cases. This article seeks to contribute to the conceptual and methodological foundations of a research agenda for comparative analysis of local adaptation policies and policy-making. Synthesizing insights from policy studies literature and existing adaptation research, the article identifies and operationalizes two aspects of public policy—policy content and policy process—which are salient objects of comparative analysis that typically vary from one community to another. The article also addresses research design, outlining a comparative case study methodology that incorporates various qualitative analytical techniques as the vehicle to examine these policy elements in empirical settings.     

Multidimensional social trust and regional entrepreneurial activities: Based on data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS)北大核心CSCD

社会信任作为非正式制度环境的核心构成要素对区域创业活动有复杂而重要的影响。由于社会距离、交往对象的不同,社会信任在表现形式和作用机制方面差异明显,但现有研究鲜有关注社会信任不同维度对区域创业的影响。论文从普遍信任、亲缘信任、制度信任3个维度构建社会信任框架,利用中国家庭跟踪调查(CFPS)2012、2014、2016、2018年4期面板数据和企业工商注册信息微观数据进行实证分析,研究发现：(1)在全国尺度,亲缘信任显著提高了区域创业活跃度,而普遍信任、制度信任对区域创业活跃度的作用不明显。(2)交互效应结果显示,普遍信任、亲缘信任与经济发展之间存在替代效应;普遍信任与政府干预互为补充,政府干预越弱,普遍信任对区域创业的激励作用越强;而制度信任与政府干预表现为相互促进的互动关系,共同促进了区域创业活跃度。(3)分样本异质性检验表明,东部地区创业活跃度对社会信任的依赖度较弱;中西部地区创业活跃度受到普遍信任、亲缘信任的积极影响;政商关系良好城市的创业活跃度受到制度信任的促进作用,创业政策红利得到有效释放;在政商关系普通城市,普遍信任能够显著促进创业,激发创业活力。研究证实了不同维度社会信任...     

Unjust and unsustainable: A case study of the Açu port industrial complex

Given their potential for social and ecosystem disruption along with job creation and economic stimulus, the proliferation of extremely large-scale investment projects worldwide has created a dilemma for policymakers and public authorities. Although one method of balancing the varied interests of stakeholders is to require that development projects be sustainable, the definition of this concept has become muddled and few practical frameworks for its implementation have emerged. One strategy that does exist, however, is the just sustainability framework. The present study sought to assess the just sustainability of the Açu industrial seaport megaproject in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil through the application of a questionnaire among 60 active marine artisan fishers of a nearby community. The results indicate that the megaproject was not sustainable. Furthermore, the results of the just sustainability indicators triangulated both with the study's primary fisher ethnographic data and with peer-reviewed scientific assessments of similar projects, thus confirming the potential value of the just sustainability framework for assessment and policy formulation.