A need for incentivizing field hydrology,especially in an era of open data: discussion of “The role of experimental work in hydrological sciences – insights from a community survey”*

ABSTRACT

The sharing of data and collection of new data are both essential, but they are not inherently complementary. When data are openly available, researchers may be motivated to use those data rather than collect more because field work has costs and risks. The competitive advantage to those who do not put resources towards fieldwork may discourage field hydrology. Allocating efforts towards generating field data, which benefits hydrological sciences, is not necessarily best for individual hydrologists, especially in an era of open data. The objective of this work is to open a conversation on whether individuals’ best interests may contrast with the community’s desire for new observations. If the community wants new field observations, there is a need to consider the shifting balance of incentives and disincentives for pursuing field studies in hydrology.     

An IEEE value loop of human-technology collaboration in geospatial information science

ABSTRACT

Geosensing and social sensing as two digitalization mainstreams in big data era are increasingly converging toward an integrated system for the creation of semantically enriched digital Earth. Along with the rapid developments of AI technologies, this convergence has inevitably brought about a number of transformations. On the one hand, value-adding chains from raw data to products and services are becoming value-adding loops composed of four successive stages – Informing, Enabling, Engaging and Empowering (IEEE). Each stage is a dynamic loop for itself. On the other hand, the “human versus technology” relationship is upgraded toward a game-changing “human and technology” collaboration. The information loop is essentially shaped by the omnipresent reciprocity between humans and technologies as equal partners, co-learners and co-creators of new values.

The paper gives an analytical review on the mutually changing roles and responsibilities of humans and technologies in the individual stages of the IEEE loop, with the aim to promote a holistic understanding of the state of the art of geospatial information science. Meanwhile, the author elicits a number of challenges facing the interwoven human-technology collaboration. The transformation to a growth mind-set may take time to realize and consolidate. Research works on large-scale semantic data integration are just in the beginning. User experiences of geovisual analytic approaches are far from being systematically studied. Finally, the ethical concerns for the handling of semantically enriched digital Earth cover not only the sensitive issues related to privacy violation, copyright infringement, abuse, etc. but also the questions of how to make technologies as controllable and understandable as possible for humans and how to keep the technological ethos within its constructive sphere of societal influence.     

European capital cities as political frontiers

The capital is the centre of the established order but it always had to accept a relatively uncontrollable world of individuals redefining urban space in their own way or pioneering new means of support. As their existence is both a political nuisance and a foreshadowing of institutional changes (sometimes revolutionary) of nation-wide importance, I call such ways of life political frontiers. One may wonder what will become of political frontiers in the information society (or postmodern society) that, apart from borderless, has been described as society without a centre as well. Actually information society is the prototype of a frontier society with self-responsible groups and individuals. However, capitals – even stripped of their governmental functions – may offer a symbolical environment (a condensation of space and time) that precisely satisfies the wants of those who wish to politicise a way of life. Niches for pioneering behaviour may get dispersed over a wider territory but new types of political activity will gravitate to the capital even if the capital's official political status has dwindled.     

Sustainable Management of Electronic Waste (e-Waste)

Electronic waste or e-waste is one of the fastest growing areas of the international waste stream and is increasing at a much higher rate than all other waste streams. Fast growing electronics industries arising from the demands of information and communication technologies around the world coupled with the rapid product obsolescence and lack of end-of-life management options, have all led to the unsustainable management of the waste stream. Computers are manufactured from over 1,000 materials, many of which are toxic, and they contribute significantly to the e-waste stream, which is estimated to be ca. 20 to 50 million tonnes annually. Design for environment cleaner production, extended producer responsibility, standards and labeling, product stewardship, recycling and remanufacturing are some of the practices adopted by various countries around the world to deal with the e-waste stream. An overview of these practices is presented and the manner in which they contribute to the sustainable management of e-waste is discussed.     

锰三角地区电解锰压滤渣高温可控脱硫生产活性微粉项目经济效益与社会效益分析

电解锰压滤渣是工业生产金属锰过程中采用湿法酸浸电解工艺产生的一种工业废渣。这种传统的废渣处理处置方式,极易造成严重的环境污染和地质灾害的发生。本次研究将电解锰压滤渣通过焙烧生产活性微粉、产生的脱硫烟气制硫酸,是一种能有效解决电解锰压滤渣处理处置和综合利用的方法。本文对"锰三角"地区拟建20万吨电解锰压滤渣焙烧生产活性微粉、脱硫烟气制硫酸生产示范线项目,进行了区域市场调研,对项目的经济效益与社会效益进行分析。该项目年均可实现销售收入4162.7万元,为当地循环经济和锰产业可持续发展探索了一条新的出路。     

旅游业的发展对丽江古城社会文化的影响

旅游业的发展对旅游目的地的社会文化产生的影响是巨大的.丽江古城也遭受着同样的命运,这种影响集中表现在丽江古城功能的转变、社会网络的变迁和文化的涵化.这些影响都是由于旅游业的迅速发展引起的,而且还在加深.只有认识到以上的影响才能为下一步采取措施来控制这些影响提供前提保障.     

曼春满村寨民族旅游中村民社会角色变化调查研究

民族旅游是云南省的主体旅游之一，在民族旅游中，云南农村广大村民的社会角色在许多方面发生了较大的变化。西双版纳傣族自治州景洪市勐罕镇曼春满村寨旅游景点旅游开发价值高，景点开发较早，旅游业发展较快，经历了从起步到较成熟的4个阶段。村民在参与旅游业的过程中，传统产业被放弃或减少；家庭经济收入逐步转变为以旅游业为主；家庭消费更多地投入精神产品；村民人际关系中融入了经济因素和竞争意识；夫妻家庭劳动分工中，从事旅游业的妻子已基本不干农活和少做家务；以儿媳为代表的女性在家庭中的地位空前提高；村民思想意识等方面受到外来者的影响，拉近了村民与城市居民的距离。     

SOCIAL THEORY AND THE FUTURE OF URBAN GEOGRAPHY*

Three themes that seem likely to be influential in the near future have recently characterized the work of geographers using social theories as the basis of their explanations of urban phenomena. They are (1) the debates about structure and human agency. (2) the claims of feminists about the analytical significance of the social construction of gender roles, and (3) the demand that we now use our social theories more actively to explain experienced reality. In continuing our use of social theory in urban geography, we must prevent its marginalization as one specific substantive topic; the alternative epistemologies of this type of work can guide new interpretations of every substantive issue in urban geography.     

Risks of shifting baselines highlighted by anecdotal accounts of New Zealand's snapper (Pagrus auratus) fishery

Anecdotal data sources may constitute an important component of the information available about an exploited species, as record keeping may not have occurred until after exploitation began. Here, we aimed to fill any gaps in the exploitative history of the sparid snapper (Pagrus auratus), using social and historical research methods. Social research consisted of interviews with recreational fishers, focusing on the most and largest snapper they had caught. In addition, the diary‐logs of two recreational fishers were analysed. Historical research consisted of investigation of old books, photos, archives and unpublished sources unconventional to fishery science. Interviews with fishers demonstrated no or weak trends in snapper abundance or size, and were likely impeded by a lack of ability to detect change in a fish stock that may still be considered abundant. The fishers’ perception of change, however, largely reflected recent experiences (last c. 10 years), when biomass is understood to have increased, and mostly did not consider experiences before the 1980s. Alternatively, diary‐logs of fisher catch rates produced a pattern that matched formal stock assessments of snapper biomass, suggesting declines in abundance up until the 1990s and an increase in biomass after that time. Historical research, although more qualitative, had the ability to investigate periods where formal records were not kept and described a fishery vastly different from the current one. Snapper were easily caught, in great abundance and in unusual locations. Localised depletion of snapper was first noticed in the early 20th century, despite spectacular catches of snapper occurring after that time. Snapper behaviour was also likely different, with visual sightings of snapper by onlookers a common occurrence. Although predictions from stock assessment models are consistent with that of the anecdotes listed here (i.e., high biomass in the past), these anecdotes are valuable as they explain lost biomass in a perspective meaningful to all. This perspective may be valuable for managers trying to consider the non‐financial value of a shared fishery but, if unrecognised, represents a shifting baseline.