Acceptance of the international compensation regime for tanker oil pollution – And its implications for China

The international compensation regime for tanker oil pollution has been successful in providing adequate and prompt compensation to pollution victims in its member states. Nevertheless, the attitudes of different countries toward acceptance of this regime have varied considerably. This paper aims to explain three main factors in the acceptance of the regime, including: (1) The level of economic development; (2) the risk of exposure to tanker oil spills; and (3) the financial burden associated with adherence to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPC). Using both fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis and an Ordered Probit model, this study found two patterns causing upper-middle and high income countries to have a high acceptance level: (a) Those facing a medium risk of oil spills and having a low financial burden; and (b) those facing a high risk of oil spills. The study reveals that, for a country with a high risk of exposure to tanker oil spills, such as China, with its improvement in economic status it is far better for it to join the IOPC Fund, so as to provide better protection both for potential pollution victims and for the marine environment. The results of this study can also be applied to other countries that are considering whether or not to accept the international compensation regime for tanker oil pollution.     

Human dignity: A fundamental guiding value for a human rights approach to fisheries?

Recently, a human rights approach has been center-staged within fisheries governance as a response to the limits of private property rights in reducing insecurity and vulnerability among fishers and fishing communities. Despite its growing adoption in international legal frameworks and among civil society organizations, the conceptual pitfalls of the human rights approach to fisheries (i.e., its neoliberal tendencies and the neglect of collective rights and social duties) raised by critical scholarship remain largely unsettled, leading to practical concerns about whether such a framework will ultimately benefit fishers on the ground. To further contribute to the debate, this article presents a nuanced discussion of the human rights perspective by introducing the concept of human dignity. Specifically, it argues that human dignity, with its greater conceptual scope and depth, could act as a foundational value with which to mitigate some of the shortcomings of the human rights approach. The purpose here is suggestive rather than definitive and is aimed at highlighting the link that has not been clearly made between human rights and human dignity. I argue that heightened attention to human dignity has the potential to create wider support for the human rights approach and ultimately help facilitate its efficacy in fisheries.     

湖南有色(贵)金属资源现状及解决途径初探

有色金属资源在国民经建设中具有不可替代的作用,我省有色金属资源日趋紧缺,要解决资源危机必须建立2个市场,采取2个措施的建议。     

Controlling the open ocean forcing of baroclinic coastal jets with a 4D-var method

An optimal control approach was carried out to investigate the influence of perturbations of baroclinic coastal jets which are located upstream of the observation site. Two academic numerical experiments were considered: the intrusion of the buoyancy anomaly within an established density current along a straight coast (experiments A), and the interaction of a coastal current with a shelf topography (experiments B). We explored the sensitivity of the forcing retrieval to the spatial distribution of observations (experiments A) and to the temporal sampling of the forcing (experiments B), using a 4D-var formalism. The sensitivity of numerical simulations is discussed in the framework of analytical solutions. The results provide insight into how observational network and data assimilation method would impact the realistic modelling of coastal jets and the shelf slope exchanges.     

颗粒分析试验研究

颗粒分析试验是测定干土中各种粒组所占该土总质量的百分数的方法,借以明了颗粒大小分布情况,供土的分类及粗略判断土的工程性质及建筑材料选料之用,其中的密度计法用于测定小于0.075 mm以下的颗粒大小及分布情况,测量的准确度直接关系到土中黏粒和胶粒的多少,在试验的角度分析了密度计法试验结果误差的原因,指出现行规范中温度校正的不合理性,提出了空白试验方法,供工程技术人员和土工试验人员参考并验证.     

Stress integration approach to evaluate damping ratio in torsional tests

The complexity of determining strain associated with shear modulus and damping ratio in torsional tests has been resolved by means of several approaches. The stress integration approach is adequate when generating the plots of equivalent radius ratio versus strain more effectively over any range of strains in resonant column and torsional shear (RC/TS) tests. The stress integration approach was applied for hyperbolic, modified hyperbolic, and Ramberg–Osgood models in evaluating damping ratio. This study showed that using a single value of equivalent radius ratio in evaluating damping ratio is not appropriate. The combined hysteretic‐nonviscous damping model was developed and employed to consider the increased damping behavior at small strains using the stress integration approach. The results suggest that adding viscous behavior has no significant effect strain calculations in RC/TS testing. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中央气象台短期降雨预报水平初步分析

该文利用1988～1993年资料，对中央气象台降雨预报水平状况进行了初步分析。结果表明:最近6年，中央气象台的有雨预报、小雨预报、中雨预报和等级综合预报的准确率和技巧水平均有不同程度的提高；暴雨和大暴雨两个等级的落点预报的准确率均超过气候概率，具有正技巧（技巧评分＞0），但技巧水平提高不明显。     

Adaptation of water resources systems to changing society and environment: a statement by the International Association of Hydrological Sciences

ABSTRACT

We explore how to address the challenges of adaptation of water resources systems under changing conditions by supporting flexible, resilient and low-regret solutions, coupled with on-going monitoring and evaluation. This will require improved understanding of the linkages between biophysical and social aspects in order to better anticipate the possible future co-evolution of water systems and society. We also present a call to enhance the dialogue and foster the actions of governments, the international scientific community, research funding agencies and additional stakeholders in order to develop effective solutions to support water resources systems adaptation. Finally, we call the scientific community to a renewed and unified effort to deliver an innovative message to stakeholders. Water science is essential to resolve the water crisis, but the effectiveness of solutions depends, inter alia, on the capability of scientists to deliver a new, coherent and technical vision for the future development of water systems.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis; ASSOCIATE EDITOR not assigned     

UTAH'S GREAT SALT LAKE: A COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTAL‐SOCIETAL SYSTEM*

ABSTRACT. The Great Salt Lake in Utah is a highly complex system, consisting of physical and chemical lake properties and environmental and societal subsystems. Components of these subsystems interact in many nonintuitive ways, with the result that changes and management decisions in one part of the lake system can produce unexpected changes elsewhere. The management history of the lake does not show serious consideration of these interconnections, although recent efforts suggest that this may be changing. Legislative and financial support will be required if integrated management of this unique resource is to succeed.     

Peak displacement demand of small to moderate magnitude earthquakes in stable continental regions

A theoretical fault‐slip model has been developed for predicting the notional peak displacement demand (PDD) of earthquakes based on a limiting natural period of 5 s, for application in stable continental regions (SCRs). The developed theoretical expression is simple and robust. Importantly, it envelops predictions arising from a number of existing empirical and seismological (stochastic) models included in the comparison. The notional PDD prediction has been made initially for hard rock crustal conditions and at a reference source–site distance of 30 km. Factors have accordingly been introduced to correct for different distances and geological conditions in completing the PDD prediction model. Assuming displacement‐controlled behaviour, the predicted notional PDD may be compared with the displacement capacity of a structure, or component, for purposes of seismic stability assessment. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.