354 results
Search Results
2. Convenience improves composting and recycling rates in high-density residential buildings.
- Author
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DiGiacomo, Alessandra, Wu, David W.-L., Lenkic, Peter, Fraser, Bud, Zhao, Jiaying, and Kingstone, Alan
- Subjects
SOLID waste ,POLLUTION ,POLLUTION prevention ,WASTE management ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
Increasing volumes of solid waste, implicated in environmental pollution and health problems, are central to the current environmental crisis. In two randomized field experiments, we demonstrate that convenience dramatically boosts recycling and composting rates in multi-family dwellings and university residences. When compost bins were placed on each floor in a multi-family residence, instead of on the ground floor, composting rates increased by 70%, diverting 27 kilograms of compost from the landfill per unit per year. When recycling stations were placed just meters from suites in student residences, instead of in the basement, recycling increased by 147% (container), and 137% (paper), and composting increased by 139%, diverting 23, 22, and 14 kilograms of containers, paper, and compost, respectively, from the landfill per person per year. Simply making recycling and composting convenient can significantly increase waste diversion, and as such this single intervention has important implications for waste management and environmental policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Does improvement in education level reduce ecological footprint? A non-linear analysis considering population structure and income.
- Author
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Wang, Qiang, Li, Lejia, and Li, Rongrong
- Subjects
ECOLOGICAL impact ,NONLINEAR analysis ,HIGH-income countries ,LOW-income countries ,SUSTAINABILITY ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the non-linear effect of education level on ecological footprint considering changes in population structure and per capita income. The results show an inhibitory effect for the level of education on increases in ecological footprint. In high-income countries, this inhibitory effect is non-linear. The inhibitory effect of education level on ecological footprint increases with increases in education level. In addition, population structure also has an inhibitory effect on the increase in ecological footprint. In both high-income and low-income countries, the inhibitory effect of population structure on the ecological footprint decreases when the population structure exceeds the threshold. However, there is a promotional effect of GDP per capita on the increase in ecological footprint. And the threshold regression results show that this promotional effect is linear in all income groups. Finally, this study suggests that countries should develop environmental sustainability policies according to the threshold range in which their education level, population structure, and per capita income are located. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Flexible, collaborative, and meaningful? The case of the US coastal nonpoint pollution control program.
- Author
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Scott, Tyler A.
- Subjects
WATER pollution ,WATER pollution prevention ,NONPOINT source pollution ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
Flexibility and collaboration are a common prescription for complex, transboundary problems such as nonpoint source (NPS) water pollution. This paper examines the case of the United States Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program (CNPCP), under which all 28 coastal states must develop comprehensive NPS management programs. The CNPCP allows states to satisfy requirements using voluntary, non-regulatory measures, and grants considerable flexibility in terms of institutional coordination and public participation. Thus, it is unclear whether compliance – which is incentivized with Federal funds – should be associated with improved environmental outcomes. Using a remotely sensed land cover census of 800 coastal counties from 1996 to 2010, this paper tests whether compliant programs – and particular participation and coordination mechanisms – are associated with different rates of forest and wetlands conversion. Approved states are associated with decreased rates of forest and wetlands conversion, but minimal differences are found with respect to specific participation and coordination strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Greening the CAP: how the improved design and implementation of agri-environment schemes can enhance the delivery of environmental benefits.
- Author
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Garrod, Guy
- Subjects
EDITORIALS ,AGRICULTURE & the environment ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
The article presents an introduction to articles in this issue and the author's views on how the delivery of environmental benefits can be enhanced by the improved design and implementation of agri-environment schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in European Union (EU). He says that these agri-environment schemes have potential to achieve some of the positive outcomes required under EU environmental policy. Two of the papers in this issue are on on contract design issues.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Are EMS environmentally effective? The link between environmental management systems and environmental performance in European companies.
- Author
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Hertin, Julia, Berkhout, Frans, Wagner, Marcus, and Tyteca, Daniel
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL management ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,DEVELOPED countries ,ENVIRONMENTAL economics ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection ,ENVIRONMENTAL sciences ,ECOLOGICAL engineering ,SUSTAINABLE development ,ENVIRONMENTALISM - Abstract
Based on the analysis of a large dataset on the environmental performance of European companies in five industrial sectors, this paper examines the question of whether the presence of an environmental management system (EMS) has a positive impact on the eco-efficiency of companies. It begins with a review of evidence about the link between EMS and environmental performance in business organisations, finding that, despite much research, there is still little quantitative evidence. The second part of the paper uses three independent statistical methods (simple correlations, Jaggi-Freedman indices and a 'trend differences' approach) to assess whether companies and production sites with EMS perform better than those without and whether performance improves after an EMS has been introduced. The paper shows that there is currently no evidence that EMS have a consistent and significant positive impact on environmental performance. Policy action based on the simple assumption that companies with an EMS perform better than those without therefore seems inappropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. The urban governance of transport and the environment in the city of Kristiansand.
- Author
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Lindseth, Gard and Reitan, Marit
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,GOVERNMENT policy ,URBAN land use ,URBAN planning ,ENVIRONMENTAL regulations ,ENVIRONMENTAL management ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection ,LAND use - Abstract
This paper studies local institutions established for better co-ordination of environmental and transport policies. The empirical case is an institution called the Land-use and Transport forum (ATP) in the city area of Kristiansand in Norway, where municipal, county and state organisations have been brought together in decision making and implementation processes. ATP's relationship with private business organisations is also analysed. It is argued that the case is an example of how groups of actors and partnerships can shape new discourses. The paper shows that urban governance relations are changing from a sectorally focused mode of governance to a more open and inclusive style in Kristiansand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Coordination, harmonization or prioritization in environmental policy integration: evidence from the case in Chongming eco-island, China.
- Author
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Sheng, Rong
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL sciences ,SYMBIOSIS ,CITIES & towns - Abstract
This paper studies environmental policy integration (EPI) in eco-city/island, building an empirical model to quantify EPI levels based on decoupling analysis. EPI integration levels have been highlighted but have seldom been quantitatively probed in existing academia. It attempts to identify whether EPI, especially its prioritization, is approached in Chongming eco-city/island and identify the factors for it to be achieved. The four-quadrant decoupling model is applied and further operationalized temporally and spatially. Results show that Chongming had a strong prioritized EPI in four consecutive years in the examined years of 2012–2018 despite fluctuations in integration levels. Spatially in its 18 towns, 7 towns have prioritized EPI and one has strongly prioritized EPI, indicating optimistic empirical evidence for an eco-city/island. Contributing factors are discussed, such as EPI levels embodied in the distributed spatiality and time intervals, isolated bounded spatiality and functional symbiosis, and offsetting high costs with multi-level support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Translating strong principles into effective practice: environmental assessment in Ontario, Canada.
- Author
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Savan, Beth and Gore, Christopher
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection ,SUSTAINABLE development ,SOCIAL participation - Abstract
This paper examines two fundamental and inter-related tensions relating to environmental assessment between the desire to be proactive, promoting sustainable development and the more traditional practice of preventing harm, as well as the need to balance a predictable, expeditious and efficient process with transparency and inclusive deliberation. Proposed reforms to the environmental assessment process in Ontario, Canada, are examined as a case in point, showing how the recommendations in Ontario are consistent with international trends. In particular, over-arching principles need to be embedded in more precise sector-specific policies to enable environmental assessment processes to meet these competing goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Early adopters, firm survival, and environmental policy: dry cleaners in the South Coast Basin of California.
- Author
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Ong, Paul M. and Thomas, Ward F.
- Subjects
DRY cleaning industry ,DRY cleaning ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,AIR quality management ,BIVARIATE analysis - Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between the early adoption of new technologies, the probability of firm survival, and environmental regulations through a case study of dry cleaners in the South Coast Basin of California (SC Basin). Most dry cleaners use machines that use the toxic chemical perchloroethylene (PERC) to clean garments. PERC vapors are emitted into the ambient air during the dry cleaning process and can cause cancer in people who live and work nearby. In 2002, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) required all dry cleaners in the region to purchase a costly alternative machine that used a non-toxic cleaning solvent by the year 2020. Using bivariate and multivariate analysis, we found that the timing of the early adoption of non-PERC machines among dry cleaners was optimal, ceteris paribus, and adopting early did not have a negative effect on the probability of surviving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Pricing mechanisms for cap and trade policies: computer-assisted smart markets for air quality.
- Author
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Willett, Keith, Caplanova, Anetta, and Sivak, Rudolf
- Subjects
PRICING ,EMISSIONS trading ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,AIR pollution ,WATER pollution ,AIR quality - Abstract
The process of calculating market clearing prices for cap and trade environmental pollution policies dealing with both air and water pollution remains problematic. The permit trading processes are designed to mimic the cost minimisation outcome. In the paper we design the market process for allocating permits to achieve the same type of behaviour we observe for each decision maker in the overall cost minimisation model. We aim to develop a modelling system that would be easy and efficient to operate. We use the method which is known as a computer-assisted ‘smart market’ and has been used in a number of electric energy pricing situations. This approach has also been proposed and applied to some types of environmental quality and resource management policies. In the paper the theoretical structure of the ‘smart market’ model is provided. After the review of different models that have been used to represent permit trading situations, the smart market model structure based on the shadow prices is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Environmental innovation activities and patenting: Germany reconsidered.
- Author
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Rave, Tilmann and Goetzke, Frank
- Subjects
ECONOMETRICS ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,PATENTS & the environment ,NONRENEWABLE natural resources ,MARKETS - Abstract
This paper provides new econometric evidence on the determinants of eco-innovations by using multiple innovation indicators and by combining survey-based information and patent records at the firm level from two different time periods. We hypothesize that firms with a propensity to patent focus on future technological and market opportunities and do not directly or immediately react to incentives created by environmental policies. Based on negative binomial models, we confirm that eco-patents are stimulated by the expectation of creating technological advancement and new market opportunities. By contrast, energy cost savings can better or more easily be achieved when firms refrain from patenting and concentrate on non-patented innovations or adoption. Favorable framework conditions created by environmental policies and patent protection are also important for eco-patenting, but more in the longer term. Testing the validity of using self-reported eco-innovations, instead of patents, as the dependent variable in simple binomial probit models reveals that product eco-innovations as reported in the surveys are a relatively good proxy for eco-patents. Yet, for product eco-innovations, serving and enlarging current markets is another important reason to innovate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. The unsustainability of exurban development in London and New York: calculating transport CO 2 emissions.
- Author
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Focas, Caralampo
- Subjects
SUSTAINABILITY ,EXURBAN regions ,CARBON dioxide & the environment ,REGIONAL planning ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
London and New York have often been hailed for their sustainable planning practices. However, when one focuses on the entire city region, there is ever-increasing car-dependent development. This paper focuses on the exurban region of the two cities investigating transport-created CO2emissions. The research is based on the analysis of data of the National Travel Surveys of Great Britain and the USA through a quantification of personal travel and a top-down estimation of CO2emissions. It is the exurban region that accounts for the vast majority of CO2emissions: 77% for London and 87% for New York. In the wider region for both cities there is a policy vacuum and dearth of regional planning mechanisms to deliver policies to reduce CO2emissions. The paper argues that transport needs to be planned at the city-regional scale.ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHERCopyright of Journal of Environmental Planning & Management is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Mapping ocean governance: from ecological values to policy instrumentation.
- Author
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Knol, Maaike
- Subjects
MARINE ecosystem management ,OCEAN zoning ,MAPS ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
With the turn to integrated forms of ecosystem governance, ocean zoning is argued to be an efficient means to manage cumulative pressures and multiple spatial claims. Maps and mapping practices reflect and constitute the turn to marine ecosystem governance, wherein different actors take part to design policy instruments. This paper traces how mapping practices enacted ecosystem governance in the Barents Sea-Lofoten area in Norway. It demonstrates how ecological values and vulnerability were translated into a boundary infrastructure, which was consequently distilled into a user-oriented grid that provided a temporary framework for oil and gas activities. The paper demonstrates that mapping-perceived as an on-going process of translation-results in constant redefinations of the relationship between actors and information, and of regular reinterpretation of the reality that is created. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Urban sprawl and policy responses: a general equilibrium analysis of residential choice.
- Author
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Bednar-Friedl, Birgit, Koland, Olivia, and Steininger, Karl N.
- Subjects
URBAN growth ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL quality ,RESIDENTIAL real estate ,HOUSING market - Abstract
This paper examines the driving forces for residential location choice of households in an urban area. To analyse the integrated choice of residence and of commuting, we extend a computable general equilibrium model of the core-periphery type for interregional housing market interactions and for effects on environmental quality. In the empirical part of the paper, we solve the model for a stylised urban centre and its surroundings, where urban sprawl leads to detrimental environmental effects. To internalise transport emissions, we compare the effects of a congestion fee and a spatial planning instrument. While both instruments reduce urban sprawl, they do so through different channels. Moreover, both policies lead to desirable environmental effects for the overall region, yet with different environmental impacts per region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Transaction costs and agri-environmental policy measures: are preferences influencing policy implementation?
- Author
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Nilsson, FredrikOlof Laurentius
- Subjects
TRANSACTION costs ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,AGRICULTURE & the environment ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection planning ,ENVIRONMENTAL management - Abstract
This paper investigates whether the level of transaction costs of a Swedish agri-environmental policy measure is attributable to technical factors or whether political factors, such as lobby groups and political majorities at the county level, influence the costs. A previous study indicated that political factors may influence the level of transaction costs, but the extreme bounds analysis performed in this paper reveals that those results are fragile. It shows that three of the technical variables are robust with respect to model specifications but that none of the political variables are. Thus, no evidence can be found that political factors influence the level of transaction costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Scalar tensions in the governance of waste: the resilience of state spatial Keynesianism.
- Author
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Davoudi, Simin
- Subjects
KEYNESIAN economics ,WASTE management ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,POLLUTION management - Abstract
There has been a heightened interest in the 'region' as a key site of economic activities. While regionalisation is often explained as part of the wider process of state scalar strategy in response to global economic restructuring, less attention has been paid to the role of the region in rescaling of environmental governance. This paper aims to fill the gap by drawing on the changing governance of municipal waste planning in the UK. Such a focus demonstrates that key elements of 'spatial Keynesianism' have been carried through, rather than superseded, in 'the new metropolitan reform'. Following a brief summary of the municipal waste problem and the influence of the EU regulatory measures in changing waste policy in the UK, the paper situates the regional institution building for waste planning in its historical and conceptual context. It then discusses the key rationales for regionalisation of waste in order to substantiate the central argument of the paper which is: the resilience of some of the key features of spatial Keynesianism in the new wave of metropolitan reforms. The final part of the paper unpicks the inherent tensions in state rescaling strategy and outlines the key factors that undermine the capacity of the state's reconfigured regional institutions to achieve their prescribed goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Why is integrating policy assessment so hard? A comparative analysis of the institutional capacities and constraints.
- Author
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Turnpenny, John, Nilsson, Måns, Russel, Duncan, Jordan, Andrew, Hertin, Julia, and Nykvist, Björn
- Subjects
ASSOCIATIONS, institutions, etc. ,GOVERNMENT policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,EVALUATION ,SUSTAINABLE development ,COMPARATIVE studies ,SOCIAL factors ,INTERNATIONAL relations - Abstract
Widely advocated as a means to make policy making more integrated, policy assessment remains weakly integrated in practice. But explanations for this shortfall, such as lack of staff training and resources, ignore more fundamental institutional factors. This paper identifies institutional capacities supporting and constraining attempts to make policy assessment more integrated. A comparative empirical analysis of functionally equivalent assessment systems in four European jurisdictions finds that there are wide-ranging institutional constraints upon integration. These include international policy commitments, the perception that assessment should support rather than determine policy, organisational traditions, and the sectorisation of policy making. This paper concludes by exploring the potential for altering these institutions to make policy assessment more integrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. The potential role of stated preference methods in the Water Framework Directive to assess disproportionate costs.
- Author
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Brouwer, Roy
- Subjects
WATER supply ,COST ,CONTINGENT valuation ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,DECISION making ,VALUATION ,TAXATION ,BENCHMARKING (Management) ,WATER quality management - Abstract
This paper examines the issue of disproportionate costs of Water Framework Directive (WFD) implementation using public surveys as a means to inform policy and decision making. Public taxpayers are asked their opinion regarding the implementation of the WFD and its costs. Taxpayers are expected to bear a large share of the cost of WFD implementation, be it through national taxation, local water pollution charges or higher market prices for water related goods and services. The paper's main objective is to illustrate the role of stated preference research to elicit public opinions and perceptions towards socially acceptable levels of water quality and public willingness to pay (WTP) for the expected environmental benefits of the WFD. Stated preference research can be used as a way to assess the concept of disproportionate costs to those who are expected to bear a large share of the costs of WFD implementation, and at the same time address the issue of public participation in the WFD. The survey results are used as a public consultation tool to inform policy and decision makers about public willingness and ability to pay for the implementation of the WFD. This measure can be used as one of the benchmarks to define disproportionate costs in a cost-benefit context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Examining state environmental regulatory policy design.
- Author
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Koski, Chris
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,STATE regulation ,GOVERNMENT policy ,ANIMAL feeding ,ENVIRONMENTAL law ,ENVIRONMENTAL regulations - Abstract
This paper develops a scheme for characterizing variation in the structure of state environmental regulatory policy design. The rules, policy tools and incentives built into regulatory policies affect the manner in which policies are implemented, and, ultimately, the actions of target populations toward the ambient environment. Variation in state concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) regulation is examined as a specific case of subnational regulatory policy design. These operations can have substantial environmental impacts on local communities and large cumulative impacts on waterways. Using a content analysis of CAFO policy across states, the paper shows state policy designs to vary on three dimensions: scope, stringency and prescription. This research calls attention to the use of more detailed measures of environmental policy design rather than unitary measures typically used in environmental policy research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Gearing-up governance for sustainable development: Patterns of policy appraisal in UK central government.
- Author
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Russel, Duncan and Jordan, Andrew
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,GOVERNMENT policy ,SUSTAINABLE development ,ENVIRONMENTAL regulations ,ECONOMIC development & the environment ,INDUSTRIAL policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection ,ENVIRONMENTAL engineering - Abstract
The UK is reportedly an international leader in the application of environmental policy appraisal (EPA). From the late 1980s until 2004, UK central government sought to produce ex ante assessments of the potential environmental impacts of different policy options. Critics maintain that EPA had a very limited impact on policy-making activities in Whitehall departments. However, the empirical basis for these claims is surprisingly thin. This paper seeks to better understand what facilitated or retarded EPA by looking at its use in Whitehall, with the aim being to draw lessons for the UK's new and more integrated appraisal regime, as well as similar systems in the European Union. The paper finds that the implementation of EPA was both weak and highly sectorised, and that there is an underlying resistance to policy appraisal per se in Whitehall. These weaknesses urgently need to be addressed otherwise new systems of integrated appraisal will not deliver what is expected of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Integrating Land-use Planning and Transportation in Belfast: A New Policy Agenda for Sustainable Development?
- Author
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McEldowney, Malachy, Ryley, Tim, Scott, Mark, and Smyth, Austin
- Subjects
LAND use ,TRANSPORTATION ,SUSTAINABLE development ,ENVIRONMENTAL engineering ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
Much of the interest in promoting sustainable development in planning for the city-region focuses on the apparently inexorable rise in the demand for car travel and the contribution that certain urban forms and land-use relationships can make to reducing energy consumption. Within this context, policy prescription has increasingly favoured a compact city approach with increasing urban residential densities to address the physical separation of daily activities and the resultant dependency on the private car. This paper aims to outline and evaluate recent efforts to integrate land use and transport policy in the Belfast Metropolitan Area in Northern Ireland. Although considerable progress has been made, this paper underlines the extent of existing car dependency in the metropolitan area and prevailing negative attitudes to public transport, and argues that although there is a rhetorical support for the principles of sustainability and the practice of land-use/transportation integration, this is combined with a selective reluctance to embrace local changes in residential environment or in lifestyle preferences which might facilitate such principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. SME environmental attitudes and participation in local-scale voluntary initiatives: some practical applications.
- Author
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Peters *, Michael and Turner, R. Kerry
- Subjects
ECONOMICS ,INDUSTRIAL efficiency ,BUSINESS enterprises ,ACCLIMATIZATION ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
This paper briefly assesses the economic efficiency case for voluntary initiatives (VIs), discusses some limitations of this type of policy instrument and goes on to consider the role that local-scale voluntary initiatives might play in assisting small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to embrace the issue of environmental performance improvement. The paper examines SME organizational management in relation to the likely effectiveness of their participation in voluntary environment programmes. An environmental attitudes survey carried out with 62 SMEs in East Anglia found that willingness to become involved in such initiatives does exist, but that a better presentation of opportunities for prospective small firms, together with a more tailored approach, will be necessary if VIs for SMEs are to become a more extensive feature of environmental policy making in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Socio-economic Impacts: Are They Still the Poor Relations in UK Environmental Statements?
- Author
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Chadwick, Andrew
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,ECONOMICS - Abstract
This paper discusses the treatment of social and economic impacts within UK environmental impact assessment (EIA). Socio-economic effects have an uncertain status in EIA, guidance on their assessment is limited and their treatment is often partial and of poor quality. This has led some commentators to view socio-economic impacts as the 'poor relations' in EIA. The paper presents the results of a recent review of the socio-economic component of UK environmental statements (ESs), which provides information on the extent, scope, balance and quality of socio-economic impact treatment. The review reveals that, although most ESs include some information on socio-economic issues, coverage tends to be narrowly focused on a small number of—primarily beneficial economic—impact types. Quantification of socio-economic impacts is also rarely attempted. The review findings are compared with those of similar studies undertaken in the mid-1990s, and the paper concludes with some recommendations for EIA practitioners relating to the treatment of socio-economic impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Voluntary Environmental Agreements: Evolution and Definition of a New Environmental Policy Approach.
- Author
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Karamanos, Panagiotis
- Subjects
CONTRACTS ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
Voluntary environmental agreements (VEAs) are agreements among the corporate, government and/or non-profit sectors not required by legislation that aim to improve environmental quality or natural resource utilization. VEAs represent a new environmental policy approach and have experienced recent growth in many countries and regions, such as the USA and the European Union. These agreements are diversified and incorporate various kinds of objectives, incentives and procedures. This paper analyses the main characteristics of VEAs, introduces a definition that identifies the main characteristics of these agreements, examines their evolution, analyses (through a classification scheme) current adoption trends, identifies some important links between VEAs and the environmental regulatory framework and makes suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Spatial environmental efficiency indicators in regional waste generation: a nonparametric approach.
- Author
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Halkos, George and Papageorgiou, George
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,WASTE management ,DATA envelopment analysis ,SUSTAINABLE development & the environment ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection - Abstract
This paper computes and analyses, for the first time, environmental efficiencies in waste generation of 116 European regions in NUTS 2 level in five European countries over the period of 2008–2010. For this reason, different data envelopment analysis (DEA) model formulations are used for modeling the pollutant in the form of waste generation as a regular output and as a regular input. In the latter case, we also use the notion of eco-efficiency. The empirical findings reveal environmental inefficiencies among the regions, indicating the lack of a uniform regional environmental policy among the European countries. This finding is observed not only for regions between different countries but also among the regions within countries, implying the need for implementation of unified appropriate municipal environmental policies in waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Analysing institutional change in environmental governance: exploring the concept of 'institutional work'.
- Author
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Beunen, R. and Patterson, J.J.
- Subjects
SOCIAL change ,INSTITUTIONAL investors ,CLIMATE change ,INSTITUTIONAL theory (Sociology) ,CORPORATE governance - Abstract
Institutional work focuses on the role of actors in creating, maintaining, or disrupting institutional structures. The concept has its origin in organisational studies. In this paper, we rethink and redefine institutional work to make it fit for use in the multi-actor and multi-level context of environmental governance. We survey key approaches to institutional change in the literature, and argue that institutional work should have a central place within this theorising. Drawing on the insights from this literature, we argue that studying institutional work should involve a look at both the actions taken by actors, as well as the resulting effects. We identify a critical need for attention to the fundamentally political character of institutional work, the cumulative effects of action taken by multiple actors, and communicative and discursive dimensions. Overall, the concept of institutional work opens up new possibilities for unpacking the longstanding challenge of understanding institutional change in environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Regulatory failures, split-incentives, conflicting interests and a vicious circle of blame: the New Environmental Governance to the rescue?
- Author
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van der Heijden, Jeroen
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL protection planning ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,EMISSION control ,CARBON offsetting ,CONSTRUCTION industry ,CONFLICT of interests - Abstract
This paper addresses a current trend of New Environmental Governance (NEG). It examines whether NEG is able to overcome a series of complex regulatory barriers and market shortfalls that stand in the way of carbon emissions reductions in the building sector. Building on an evaluation of 20 NEG arrangements from Australia and the Netherlands, it discusses the limits of the effective implementation and use of NEG in this sector. The paper concludes by suggesting three strategies to improve the performance of NEG arrangements in the building sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. A critical assessment of employing democratic and deliberative ideals in the environmental planning process in Bangladesh.
- Author
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Roy, Anjan Kumer Dev and Gow, Jeff
- Subjects
DELIBERATIVE democracy ,SUSTAINABLE development ,DEMOCRACY ,ECONOMIC development ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
In the 6th (2011-15) and 7th (2016-20) Five Year Plans (FYP), Bangladesh's policy makers have set ambitious national environmental targets and goals to move the country towards more a sustainable economy and society. The goals were dictated by the economic, social and political interests of the political elites. This has resulted in limited stakeholder participation in environmental policy formulation. The 6th FYP aimed at achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7: 'Ensure Environmental Sustainability'. It failed due to shortcomings in local implementation and due to a lack of community participation. The 7th FYP is based on the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 13, 14, 15. The obvious paradox within Bangladesh's environmental planning is the big gap between central government's policy making and community participation and local government involvement. This paper examines environmental policy formulation, implementation and monitoring in the last two FYPs in Bangladesh. Contemporary deliberative democratic theory provides important theoretical and applied insights that are often unexamined in the environmental planning literature. A theoretical framework is developed to analyse to what degree environmental planning arrangements incorporated deliberative elements and how they contribute to decision-making. A case study of the environmental planning process tests its effectiveness in explaining observed outcomes. Elsewhere, deliberative democratic approaches have been central to the success of the environmental planning process. The central government's failure to apply this approach produced a policy gap. Plan targets cannot be met unless local participation is ensured through the deliberative framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Use of some components of new ecological paradigm scale on congestion pricing in a recreation area.
- Author
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Gürlük, Serkan
- Subjects
CONGESTION pricing ,URBAN forestry ,PROBITS ,ENVIRONMENTAL management ,SUSTAINABLE development ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,ATTITUDES toward the environment - Abstract
Congestion is an important externality that causes negative welfare effects on individuals using a natural resource. This paper resolves congestion issues in a high-density urban forest of Turkey via probit panels using a random utility framework. Some components of the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) scale are incorporated into probit panels to understand recreationists' environmental attitudes to congestion pricing for shifting congestion levels. Those components are sensitivity to sustainable development, biodiversity and efficient resource use. The results offer important insights to policy makers who are confronted with two environmental management options, which are resource-restriction or resource-enlarging policies. Environmental attitudes dictate that resource enlarging policy may increase aggregate welfare up to US$472,500/year if the site is managed at low congestion levels. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Biofuels - tools for achieving environmental goals or green place branding? Present drivers and future visions in two Swedish municipalities.
- Author
-
Fallde, Magdalena
- Subjects
BIOMASS energy ,CITIES & towns ,PLACE marketing ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection - Abstract
This paper presents a study of two Swedish municipalities’ engagement in biogas development. To analyse the drivers of such biogas development, the conceptual framing incorporates two perspectives on local biogas policy: first, policy drivers as connected to environmental goals and, second, policy as a matter of green place branding. The results indicate that biogas engagement serves as a self-governing activity with the fulfilment of environmental goals as a driver; furthermore, it is a way of expressing the mission of municipalities as “engines” of environmental policy. In one studied municipality, biogas engagement has an important symbolic value for green identity, meaning that green place branding is a driver. Still, interviewed actors from both municipalities lack clear long-term visions of biogas. Further studies of biofuel production should critically investigate visions of the future among central and local governments and evaluate the implications of municipalities as biofuel producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Environmental management from left to right -- on ideology, policy-specific beliefs and pro-environmental policy support.
- Author
-
Jagers, Sverker C., Harring, Niklas, and Matti, Simon
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL management ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,IDEOLOGY ,FAIRNESS ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection - Abstract
Due to growing environmental challenges, the demand for effective management through pro-environmental policy measures is increasing. The effectiveness is, however, largely determined by the degree to which the policy measures are supported by the actors affected by them. A consistent finding in the literature is that ideology (or subjective positioning on the left--right dimension) affects environmental policy support, with left-leaning individuals being more pro-environmental. A major caveat with previous research is that it seldom makes a distinction between different kinds of policies. Therefore, we are concerned with investigating how different ideological positions affect attitudes towards different forms of environmental protection. Using unique survey data, we show that ideology is related to conceptions about the fairness and effectiveness of different policy tools, which in turn steer preferences. In that sense, this paper makes the discussion on the effects of ideological position on pro-environmental policy support more nuanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Environmental policies in the presence of more than one externality and of strategic firms.
- Author
-
Masoudi, Nahid
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,FISCAL policy ,TAX incentives ,EXTERNALITIES ,BUSINESS enterprises - Abstract
We first study the optimality of a committed policy mix of tax and subsidy to control pollution when firms are involved in abatement technology R&D that is subject to knowledge spillovers. Then a comparison of tax and subsidy is provided when the policy mix is not available and the regulator can use only one single policy. Two different behavioral assumptions for the firms are examined: when firms are myopic, and when they are strategic, i.e. react to the ex-ante committed policies strategically. The results suggest that using a policy mix the committed regulator can attain optimality if firms are myopic, however, a strategic reaction from the firms may compromise the efficiency of the policy mix. We also show that when the policy mix is not available to the regulator and they have to commit to only one single policy, then tax policy may have some advantages over subsidy. Moreover, our results suggest that unlike the policy mix, the single policy is more effective in the case of strategic firms rather than myopic ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Recent advances in sustainable multifunctional land and urban management in Europe: a review.
- Author
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Scholz, Miklas, Hedmark, Åsa, and Hartley, William
- Subjects
SUSTAINABLE urban development ,LAND management ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection planning ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
This review discusses high impact research in sustainable urban and land management. The focus is on large European projects that have a holistic and multi-disciplinary assessment approach towards the total environment. This paper clearly indicates that many projects propose decision-making tools partly supported by numerical models. Successful projects were identified as applying the following criteria: a communicative and holistic approach involving economic, environmental and social sciences throughout the project; sufficient geographic coverage; engagement of stakeholders from a wide variety of sectors; and plans for dissemination of project outcomes and active knowledge sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Policy integration strategy and the development of the 'green economy': foundations and implementation patterns.
- Author
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Hamdouch, Abdelillah and Depret, Marc-Hubert
- Subjects
MILITARY strategy ,SUSTAINABLE development ,ECOLOGY ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,GREEN technology - Abstract
In several countries, the remarkable development of the 'green economy' in recent years has gone hand in hand with the implementation of strategies of integration (more or less rapid and thorough) of public policies linked to the environment. This policy integration strategy is generally a necessary condition for the encouragement and viable development of new environmental technologies and competitive green sectors. However, as emerges from the extended review of the theoretical and empirical literature on which this paper is based, the success of this policy integration strategy is based more on the design, timing, coherence (spatial and temporal) and the pragmatism of policies undertaken by the public authorities, than on the scale of the resources committed - even if the latter count. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Characterising the landscape of state environmental review policies and procedures in the United States: a national assessment.
- Author
-
Ma, Zhao, Becker, DennisR., and Kilgore, MichaelA.
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL law ,LEGISLATIVE bills ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection - Abstract
Following the intent of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, many states have adopted policies and procedures directing state agencies and local government units to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of development projects prior to their undertaking. In contrast to a rich literature on federal requirements, current understanding of state environmental review is narrowly focused and outdated. This paper seeks to provide information on the landscape of state environmental review policy frameworks. The paper identifies 37 states with formal environmental review requirements through a document review of state statutes, administrative rules and agency-prepared materials, and confirms this finding through a survey of state administrators. A two-tier classification is used to distinguish states based on the approach taken to address environmental review needs and the scope and depth of relevant policies and procedures implemented. This paper also provides a discussion of policy and programme attributes that may contribute to effective practice, and of the potential for adopting relevant legislation in states where environmental review is currently lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Measuring private transaction costs of European agri-environmental schemes.
- Author
-
Mettepenningen, Evy, Verspecht, Ann, and Van Huylenbroeck, Guido
- Subjects
TRANSACTION costs ,AGRICULTURE ,EXTERNALITIES ,WAGES ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,WORKING hours ,METHODOLOGY - Abstract
Recent changes in European agri-environmental policy allow farmers' transaction costs (TCs), also called private TCs, to be taken into account when calculating compensation payments for agri-environmental schemes (AESs). This gives rise to questions as to the significance of these costs and the methodologies used to measure them. In this paper, private TCs are measured and analysed using two methodologies: (1) through a survey of general perceptions of TCs and (2) through a one-year registration system for monitoring labour hours, operational and administrative costs and differences in revenue between a parcel of land in an AES and a comparable area of land not in a comparable scheme. The results obtained with both methodologies show that private TCs are significant and not to be underestimated. They represent about 15% of the total AES-related costs and about 25% of the compensation payment. The most important cost factor resulting from an AES-uptake is the income foregone which represents more than 50% of the total costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Proximity economics and environment: assessment and prospects.
- Author
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Torre, André and Zuindeau, Bertrand
- Subjects
ECONOMICS ,RESEARCH ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,MANAGEMENT science ,LAND use ,ECOLOGY - Abstract
The use of the theoretical tools provided by proximity economics to address environmental questions, and the emergence of analyses revitalising the role of the spatial dimension in environmental problems, date from the late 1990s. This paper first aims to provide a review of the research conducted in this field and second to suggest some future research directions concerning the respective roles of geographical proximity and organised proximity in the production and management of environmental problems. First, it deals with the topic of 'geographical proximity and land-use conflicts', a topic that is currently the most researched in this field. This is followed by a discussion of the role of organised proximity in the regulation of environmental problems. The paper then explores the relation between the uncertainty associated with environmental issues and relations of organised proximity. Next it outlines a few possible research directions, focusing more particularly on the roles of geographical proximity as a mode of regulation of environmental problems, and on the possible role of organised proximity in their production. The concluding section draws an overview of the departures and extensions that have resulted from taking into account environmental issues in the paradigm of proximity economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. How do green charges transform industrial behaviour? An explorative case study of institutionalisation and transition in post-Communist Poland.
- Author
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Kræmer, TrinePipi
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL management ,INSTITUTIONAL theory (Sociology) ,ENVIRONMENTAL sciences ,ECOLOGICAL engineering ,INDUSTRIAL management ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,SUSTAINABLE development ,ENVIRONMENTAL economics - Abstract
Based on three explorative case studies of industrial environmental practices in Poland, this paper examines how green charges alter the situated knowledge of companies' environmental managers. The study illustrates that following the Communist collapse, companies began to take the environmental authorities seriously because more severe enforcement and higher levels of green charges were implemented. However, the study also develops the hypothesis that environmental managers' comprehension of environmental problems is determined by the chemicals imposed with a duty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Incorporating Complex Adaptive Systems Theory into Strategic Planning: The Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
- Author
-
Higgins, TanyaL. and Duane, TimothyP.
- Subjects
STRATEGIC planning ,NATURE reserves ,SUSTAINABLE development ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
Conservation organizations rely increasingly on integrated planning approaches that explicitly address social and economic goals while pursuing ecological conservation. Moreover, the spatial and temporal scale at which these organizations operate is growing. The Sierra Nevada Conservancy, established as a new state agency by California legislation in 2004 to pursue social, economic and ecological sustainability across a 25 million acre region, exemplifies this large-scale, integrated approach. Therefore, the new agency faces a complex set of policy objectives that must be pursued across a widely varying geography of social, economic and ecological conditions. Using the Conservancy's fire management program area as an example, the paper illustrates how application of an analytic framework from complex adaptive systems theory can guide the Conservancy to deploy its resources more effectively than broader-scale application of a single, agency-wide strategy relying on a more static model. Therefore, the complex adaptive systems framework offers promise in strategic planning. The paper illustrates how the model's four-stage cycle can be applied at the sub-regional and programmatic level to identify opportunities for agency intervention that address varying local conditions. This approach is likely to increase the effectiveness of programs for agencies facing similar complexities and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Integrating Wetland Management into Sustainable Water Resources Allocation: The Case of Akrotiri Wetland in Cyprus.
- Author
-
Birol, Ekin, Koundouri, Phoebe, and Kountouris, Yiannis
- Subjects
CONTINGENT valuation ,ENVIRONMENTAL economics ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,VALUATION ,WETLAND conservation - Abstract
This paper employs a contingent valuation (CV) study to estimate the value of the economic benefits generated by the Akrotiri wetland in Cyprus. It aims to show how CV estimation results can inform efficient, effective and sustainable wetland conservation policies, as required by the European Union's Water Framework Directive, and to suggest economic instruments that can facilitate the implementation of such policies. The results indicate that the design of these instruments require the capturing of both the use and non-use values generated by wetland services and functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Setting rational environmental goals: Five Swedish environmental quality objectives.
- Author
-
Edvardsson, Karin
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL quality ,MARINE resources conservation ,COASTAL zone management ,HILLSIDE landscape architecture ,ACIDIFICATION ,BUILT environment ,ENVIRONMENTAL management - Abstract
Goals and performance targets are commonly used as tools in the policy-implementation process. In Sweden, environmental policy is operationalized through a system of environmental quality objectives that were adopted by the Swedish Riksdag in the late 1990s. The objectives describe what level of environmental quality Sweden should aim for within a generation, and are designed to guide decision making in all sectors of society. However, to guide decision making toward improved environmental quality, these objectives should satisfy a set of rationality (functionality) criteria; they should be precise, evaluable, approachable, motivating and coherent. In this paper, five Swedish environmental quality objectives are investigated through an application of the suggested criteria: (1) a balanced marine environment, flourishing coastal areas and archipelagos; (2) a magnificent mountain landscape; (3) a non-toxic environment; (4) natural acidification only; and (5) a good built environment. The aim of the paper is to bring the rationality of the objectives up for discussion, and to illustrate the range of issues and difficulties that are involved in choosing and assessing environmental policy goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. Evaluating regional sustainable development: Approaches, methods and the politics of analysis.
- Author
-
Roberts, Peter
- Subjects
SUSTAINABLE development ,STRATEGIC planning ,RESEARCH ,ECONOMIC development & the environment ,METHODOLOGY ,SOCIOECONOMICS ,INDUSTRIAL policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,CONSERVATION of natural resources - Abstract
One of the by-products of the culture of targets, performance and assessment, is the introduction of uniform methods for the evaluation of the success of policy interventions. Such an approach has been applied to attempts to evaluate regional sustainable development, often with unsatisfactory results. This paper reviews some of the fundamental requirements for the evaluation of regional sustainable development and provides research evidence that indicates the need for procedural and institutional innovation. The evidence in support of innovation reflects the need for assessment procedures and methods to be tailored-to-fit the environmental, social and economic conditions obtaining in an individual region. An additional consideration in analysing the evaluation of regional sustainable development is the extent of socio-political influence over the choice of procedures and methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Regional electricity transmission planning and SEA: The case of the electricity company ScottishPower.
- Author
-
Marshall, Ross and Fischer, ThomasB.
- Subjects
ELECTRIC power ,ELECTRIC utilities ,ELECTRIC power distribution ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection ,PRIVATE sector ,CORPORATE governance - Abstract
Since 21 July 2004, formal strategic environmental assessment (SEA) requirements are in place for certain plans and programmes in European Union member states. Many public plans and programmes have been identified to fall under these requirements, and there has been a range of research activities particularly in land use and transport planning. However, the way in which SEA is to be applied in the private sector has remained largely unclear. Furthermore, to date there has been comparatively little reported private sector experience and the concrete benefits that SEA may deliver to private companies have not yet been discussed to any large extent. In order to address this shortcoming, the paper looks at SEA application in electricity transmission planning, taking the specific case of the privatized company ScottishPower as an example. Based on the evidence obtained, it is suggested that a structured SEA process can strengthen the environmental component and improve private sector decision-making processes. Corporate governance can be improved, if SEA is applied in a tiered system, addressing different issues and tasks at distinct stages in a clearly defined decision making hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Community-based Environmental Planning: Operational Dilemmas, Planning Principles and Possible Remedies.
- Author
-
Lane, Marcus B and McDonald, Geoff
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL management ,ENVIRONMENTAL sciences ,ECOSYSTEM management ,ECOLOGICAL engineering ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection - Abstract
The operational dilemmas and challenges associated with the practice of community-based environmental planning (CBEP) are examined. The paper examines the frequently invoked ‘bottom-up’ versus ‘top-down’ dichotomy and argues that environmental governance is more complex, dynamic and multi-scalar than this simple dichotomy implies. The paper identifies six key problems with the CBEP approach: (i) the conceptualization of ‘community’ which poorly accounts for difference; (ii) problems of inequality; (iii) the organizational capacity and efficacy of community groups; (iv) the scale of CBEP; (v) the types of knowledge utilized by communities in environmental management; and (vi) the potential for parochial concerns to dominate the priorities and agenda of community organizations. The paper analyses each of these issues, identifies planning principles that may aid resolution, and suggests possible remedies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Use of Ecological Risk Data in the Development of Visions, Conceptual Site Models and Maps for Department of Energy Lands: Ensuring Sustainability of Protecting Human and Ecological Health.
- Author
-
Burger, Joanna
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL risk assessment ,PRECAUTIONARY principle ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,POLLUTANTS ,ENVIRONMENTAL engineering ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection - Abstract
Recent interest in understanding the human and ecological health risks of contaminants on lands in the United States has led some managers and public policy makers to use extensive narratives associated with maps and Conceptual Site Models (CSM) in their Vision statements. While narratives are descriptive, CSMs can graphically depict the sources, releases, transport and exposure pathways, and receptors, together with possible barriers to block pathways and reduce exposure. In most situations, vision statements and CSMs are developed for one site, providing no opportunity to understand how they function generally. This paper reviews a set of 31 Vision statements and CSMs developed for Department of Energy (DOE) sites to examine the use and importance of ecological data in the process. This analysis provides a framework for evaluating ecological resources and risk at contaminated sites generally. While data on human health risks were usually extensive, data on specific ecological receptors were sparse. Less than 70% of the sites mentioned endangered or threatened species, less than 40% provided even partial species lists for their sites, and less than 40% provided information on unique habitats. Almost no sites mapped the distribution of endangered/threatened species. Ecological receptors were treated as a class, without regard to whether they were terrestrial or aquatic, or sedentary or migratory. Only 29% of the sites referred to specific ecological risk assessments. Confusion existed with respect to routes of exposure, pathways of exposure, and media for exposure. Overall, the ecological information presented was not consistent across sites, making it difficult to compare ecological resources at risk, effects of remediation on ecological resources complex-wide, or to determine which resources were most important to protect if monetary resources are limited. One of the objectives of DOE in having sites develop these Vision statements was to achieve uniformity in information available for the public, managers, policy-makers, and decision-makers. Any variances from previously agreed-upon remediation will likewise require this detailed ecological information. The dataset indicates a clear need to delineate the key ecological information required for these stakeholders before effective decisions can be made across a wide complex of contaminated sites, and a list of potential indicators is suggested. This ecological information can be both qualitative and quantitative. Finally, the information developed for Vision statements (CSMs, maps) will be useful in ensuring continued human and ecological protection, and will contribute to the sustainable safety of remaining contamination on sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. ‘Short Cut’ Techniques to Incorporate Environmental Considerations into Project Appraisal: An Exploration Using Case Studies.
- Author
-
Knowler, Duncan
- Subjects
NATURAL resources ,DEVELOPING countries ,ENVIRONMENTAL management ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection ,COST accounting ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
Incorporating environmental and natural resource impacts into the benefit-cost analysis of projects in the developing world now relies on a solid body of theory and recommended techniques, but there remain concerns with how this is done in practice. One aspect arises when time and resource constraints make highly sophisticated analysis difficult or impossible. This paper discusses situations where analyses can be improved using relatively simple ‘short cut’ techniques that substitute for more formal analysis that cannot be undertaken realistically or provide an added perspective on project viability. Case studies are employed to illustrate the techniques, based upon the author's experience with appraisals at the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It is shown that short cut techniques can dramatically alter the outcome of an appraisal at relatively little cost. However, caution is advised since such techniques can be misused, so that the development of suitable protocols is desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. From Forest Regulation to Participatory Facilitation: Forest Employee Perspectives on Organizational Change and Transformation in India.
- Author
-
Matta, Jagannadha Rao, Kerr, John, and Chung, Kimberly
- Subjects
FORESTS & forestry ,NATURAL resources management ,AGRICULTURE ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
Despite the critical role of government agencies in decentralizing natural resource governance, little work to date has focused on the organizational aspects of the responsible government bureaucracies. Based on a qualitative investigation of the perspectives of Forest Department employees involved in India's Joint Forest Management (JFM) program, this paper aims to provide an understanding of these internal dynamics. Elaborating on why bureaucracies with a learning orientation are essential if participatory natural resource management is to succeed, the paper underlines the constraints to transforming forest agencies' hierarchical work cultures. Foresters describe JFM as a radical departure from traditional forest governance, but suggest that corresponding transformation within the Forest Department has not occurred. Foresters cite as reasons: (1) a target-based incentive system that leaves little room for establishing the relationships with local people needed for collaborative management; (2) rigid rules and regulations that prevent the flexibility needed for adaptive, site-specific problem-solving; (3) a hierarchical, top-down style of communication that prevents the upper administration from learning what is happening on the ground and stifles initiative by field staff; (4) the need for a committed leadership to reverse this hierarchical culture. They point to the few such team-oriented leaders as the key to transforming the Forest Department and enabling participatory forest management to succeed. The authors also recommend accompanying changes in training and reward systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. Procedural Integration in Support of Environmental Policy Objectives: Implementing Sustainability.
- Author
-
Keysar, Elizabeth
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,SUSTAINABLE development ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection ,ENVIRONMENTAL engineering ,ECONOMIC development - Abstract
Translating sustainability policy goals into concrete action has proven to be a complex challenge for government agencies, municipalities and businesses. Existing planning and decision-making methods, such as Comprehensive Planning, Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Systems, are being used to address this focus on sustainability. United States Army policy requires the use of these three procedures by installation planners and managers, providing a unique opportunity for innovation. This paper examines the applicability of these procedures for implementing the Army's sustainable operations policy goals, and explores how the current independent and disconnected implementation can be improved through integration. Included in this analysis is a review of organizational barriers to integrated planning and management. The analysis is applicable outside the Army as these three decision-making procedures are used in many contexts, and installation management shares many characteristics with local government land use planning, federal land management, and corporate business operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Encouraging ‘Environmental Action’ by Exhortation: Evidence from a Study in Devon.
- Author
-
Gilg, Andrew and Barr, Stewart
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,ENVIRONMENTAL protection ,ENVIRONMENTAL engineering - Abstract
National and local campaigns to encourage ‘Environmental Action’ use a range of media to increase the levels of activities such as recycling, energy saving and water conservation. These are conventionally focused on the population as a whole. The research reported in this paper suggests that such an approach, based on a belief that general campaigns are effective, might not be very effective and could be modified to take account of how different groups of people behave. In addition, the focus of campaigns on sectoral activities like water and energy saving might also be inappropriate given our findings, which are based on a survey of 1265 households in Devon. This found that three major types of behaviour characterise ‘Environmental Action’: purchasing, habitual activities and recycling behaviour. In addition, demographically and attitudinally defined clusters of individuals point to very different types of behaviour across the population. These findings suggest that more focused campaigns and a re-evaluation of how ‘Environmental Action’ is segmented would greatly assist policy makers in developing effective strategies for enhancing ‘Environmental Action’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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