Further participatory adaptation is required for community leaders to champion conservation agriculture in Africa

There is a recognized need for the participation of local communities in designing and implementing agricultural interventions for the sustainable intensification in smallholder systems. This study examines the perspectives of local community leaders towards the widely promoted, but not widely adopted, practice of Conservation Agriculture (CA) in African smallholder systems. Perceptions from 47 community leaders (both from traditional local authorities and farmer organizations) across six African countries are documented regarding how CA matches the wants, needs and capabilities of farmers in their communities. While community leaders generally perceived CA as potentially beneficial, they also indicated that CA is not currently perceived as feasible within their communities and hence has limited relevance. Three key themes were identified that limit both CA use and sustainable intensification more generally: [1] a perceived reluctance of farmers to engage with the community platform as part of a higher input, market-oriented production system; [2] informational constraints due to non-functional exchange mechanisms; and [3] a lack of local adaptation of CA underscored by the persistence of top-down, linear research and extension approaches. Through greater understanding of local perspectives, a clearer picture emerges of the need for greater participatory engagement and local adaptation if sustainable intensification of African smallholder agricultural systems is to be achieved.     

Predictors of individuals’ intention to conserve water in a lodging context: the application of an extended Theory of Reasoned Action

This study sought to develop an extended Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) model to provide a clear understanding of individuals’ intention to conserve water in a lodging context. In particular, the extended TRA incorporates two additional constructs: environmental concern and water conservation activities in everyday life, into the original TRA model. The outcomes of the present paper have shown that individuals’ attitudes, subjective norms and water conservation activities in everyday life exert a positive influence on their intention to conserve water in a lodging context. The results also revealed that environmental concern has a positive influence on individuals’ attitudes and water conservation activities in everyday life but a non-significant influence on their subjective norms. The empirical results of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated that the extended model provides a better fit of the data, and explains greater amounts of variance in individuals’ intention to conserve water in a lodging context compared to the original TRA.     

mLearning as a softer visitor management approach for sustainable tourism

With increased visitation to protected natural areas over the last four decades, there is a need for implementation of effective visitor management strategies at these sites to mitigate visitor impacts. This study explores the application of mobile learning (mLearning) in environmental interpretation and visitor education within the context of conservation and sustainable tourism. Specifically, it proposes a conceptual framework for mLearning as a visitor management tool for sustainable tourism. Current developments and innovations in mobile broadband networks, smartphone technology, and mobile software applications present opportunities for the utilization of such mobile-driven applications in interpretive programs to encourage free-choice learning and mindful visitor experiences. If effectively implemented, such interpretive programs and mLearning applications can affect visitor perceptions, attitudes, and future intentions toward conservation and environmental protection.     

Reducing tourism's threats to biodiversity: effects of a voluntary sustainability standard and training program on 106 Latin American hotels,lodges and guesthouses

The tourism industry can negatively affect wildlife, plants and natural ecosystems through habitat destruction, pollution, over-exploitation of natural resources and visitor impacts to sensitive ecosystems. One approach to mitigate such threats is the application of voluntary sustainability standards, supported by training of tourism enterprises and verified by external audits. The Rainforest Alliance standard defines 78 criteria (requirements) for sustainable environmental, social and business practices, and has been adopted by over 600 tourism enterprises – including hotels, lodges and tour boats – in 12 countries. We examined the performance of 106 hotels in six Latin American countries against 29 of the sustainable tourism criteria most directly related to biodiversity conservation. Independent audits were used to assess hotel performance at baseline followed by a repeat assessment after training, about two years later. Mean conformance with the 29 biodiversity criteria increased significantly during this interval, from 44% to 58%. Improvements were greatest for businesses in the lowest third of performance at baseline (laggards) and smallest for hotels in the highest third (leaders). The results indicate that a voluntary sustainability standard and training program can serve both to recognize existing good actors and to drive incremental improvement in enterprises that were previously less sustainable.     

Devising an electronically supported heritage conservation method for the Valley of Flowers in the Indian Himalayas

The Valley of Flowers is a national park in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in India that was classified as a world natural heritage site in 1988. Around 1982, its maximum carrying capacity was fixed at 60 persons per day, which has been called excessive by experts and observers, given the extremely fragile and immensely valuable nature of the Valley's heritage. This, in monetary terms, can be put at millions of dollars, and is considerably more viewed in terms of knowledge of breeding medicinal plants in cold climates that are being affected by climate change, which its microclimate and ecology present. Given the state's poor resources and the fact that tourism is one of the most important industries for development and conservation, this research assesses the heritage value of the Valley and develops a programme for conservation, including a computerised program for permits, whose value can easily be raised from the current paltry Rs 150 per person. Accompanied by fallow periods and marketing through the Internet to aim for educated tourists, the program ensures that the maximum carrying capacity of the Valley is never exceeded, thus spreading out the number of tourists over its 3.5-month season, while allowing flexibility in booking for chance groups and small families that can pay more.     

The effectiveness of home energy audits: A case study of Jackson,Wyoming

This study examines the factors that influence households to adopt modifications recommended by home energy audits and whether these audits lead to significant reductions in electricity use. Household decisions after the audits are recorded along with the corresponding recommended modifications and the offers for co-funding. A discrete choice model of the household decision after the audit is estimated. The results indicate that the potential improvement in heating efficiency from the proposed modifications increase the probability of implementing conservation measures. Co-funding offers also significantly raise the odds of accepting the modifications but are relatively less important than anticipated efficiency improvements. Several approaches are used to determine whether and how much energy is saved after the audits. Electricity demand models are estimated using data two years before and after each household audit. For households who decide to modify their houses after the audit, monthly average electricity use per square foot decreases 7%. While there is an estimated 2% reduction in electricity use attributed to the audit by households who decided not to adopt the proposed modifications, this reduction is not statistically significant, casting doubt on the presence of modifications in behavior from the audit information itself. For all households audited, the results from the electricity demand models suggest that the LVE home energy audit program reduced household electricity use 4.7%. In contrast, a differences-in-differences approach using synthetic control groups based upon a smaller but still sizeable sample of 2000 observations finds that home energy audits reduce household electricity use by more than 10%. Overall, these findings suggest that home audits result in modest but significant reductions in energy use and that co-funding encourages investments that otherwise may not be privately optimal.     

欧盟公共机构节能管理经验对我国的启示

文章介绍了欧盟公共机构节能组织体系、管理制度和节能措施等方面的一些做法和经验。借鉴欧盟的经验,结合我国2008年颁布的《公共机构节能条例》,应在构建公共机构节能管理体系,完善节能管理制度,强化节能管理措施,进一步推广能源审计,优先采购节能产品等方面进一步做好细致的工作,以更好地推进《公共机构节能条例》的实施。     

太阳能利用与建筑一体化设计

我国城市化的速度在逐步加大,城市人口增长速度迅猛,为满足人居问题,中高层建筑成为了城市的建筑的主流,建筑耗能正在大幅增长,建筑节能相当重要;同时,城市化进程的加快,不仅仅是城市人口的增加,人们对生活的品味和质量的要求也在增大,高品位商品能源相对缺乏,为满足人们日常所需,新能源特别是太阳能的应用份额就必须加大。     

浅谈如何做好水土保持预防监督工作

人为因素引发的水土流失现象时有发生,水土保持生态环境建设形势比较严峻。新形势迫切要求加强水土保持预防监督工作,我们要充分认识水土保持预防监督工作的重要性,加大水土保持预防监督力度,充分发挥大自然生态自我修复能力,促进人与自然和谐相处。     

谈农村水利建设存在的问题及对策

水利是农业的命脉,是发展现代农业的关键。搞好农村水利建设,能够增强农业抗灾能力,推进农业产业化经营,保护和提高粮食综合生产能力,增加农民收入,改善农民生产生活条件。党中央、国务院制定出台了2011年中央一号文件《关于加快水利改革发展的决定》,这是新中国成立以来我国出台的第一份有关水利综合性政策的文件,对农村水利建设具有十分重要的战略意义。