Convergence between satellite information and farmers’ perception of drought in rangelands of North-West Patagonia,Argentina

Drought is a complex natural hazard with social and environmental implications. Satellite information is increasingly used to support decision-makers in preventing or coping with the negative impacts of drought. The integration of local and scientific knowledge to support drought monitoring is still far from being the main procedure in the development of drought monitoring and early warning systems. This study aimed at assessing the degree of convergence between satellite information on the effect of droughts on rangeland vegetation, from time series analysis, and farmers’ perception of drought in North-West Patagonia, Argentina. We characterised the scientific evidence of drought in terms of duration, spatial distribution, most severe years and recovery for the period 2000–2018 by identifying inter-annual NDVI changes. Farmers’ perceptions and experiences of drought were studied with open-ending interviews, with respect to occurrence, duration and recovery for that period. Satellite information matched farmers’ perception of drought at a regional scale, emphasising the value of remote sensing tools in supporting regional policy decision-making. However, farmers’ perceptions and recall of past drought impacts were more diverse than satellite information at a local level, highlighting the need for knowledge integration at finer scales.     

Ecological Gentrification in Response to Apocalyptic Narratives of Climate Change: The Production of an Immuno-political Fantasy

Anxieties over the potential impacts of climate change, often framed in apocalyptic language, are having a profound, but little studied effect on the contemporary Western urbanscape. This article examines the ways in which current theorizations of ‘ecological gentrification’ express only half the process, describing how green space is used for social control, but not how ecology is used as a justification regime for such projects. As urbanites seek out housing and living practices that have a lower environmental impact, urban planners have responded by providing large-scale regeneration of the urbanscape. With the demand for this housing increasing, questions of inequality, displacement and dispossession arise. I ask whether apocalyptic anxiety is being enrolled in the justification regimes of these projects to make them hard to resist at the planning and implementation stages. The article shows that, in capitalizing on collective anxiety surrounding an apocalyptic future, these projects depoliticize subjects by using the empty signifier, ‘Sustainability’, leading them into an immuno-political relationship to the urbanscape. This leaves subjects feeling protected from both responsibility for, and the impacts of, climate change. Ultimately, this has the consequence of gentrification coupled with potentially worsening consumptive practices, rebound effects and the depoliticization of the environmentally conscious urbanite.     

Stability of international environmental agreements under isoelastic utility

There is now a growing consensus that ratifying International Environmental Agreements (IEAs) is the most effective way to tackle transboundary pollution problems. While the social benefit function (SBF) critically affects emission choices as well as decisions to ratify IEAs, the related economic literature has mainly concentrated on scenarios where the marginal SBF is linear. Using climatic data, I find that the linear marginal SBF case does not match data and isoelastic SBFs fit data better. In the more realistic, but not yet explored, context of isoelastic SBFs, I reconsider incentives to ratify IEAs. My analysis gives rise to novel conclusions. For instance, changes in the scale of damages do not affect the level of cooperation. When the scale of damages is small, variations of the SBF parameter reveal that large coalitions including the coalition of all countries are stable, but only when the potential gain from cooperation is sufficiently high.     

Tourism at Costalegre,Mexico: An ecosystem services-based exploration of current challenges and alternative futures

Tourism, as all human activities, is dependent on the natural environment and its respective ecosystem services (ES). Different user groups manage and consume these touristic ES differently, resulting in discrepancies and potential conflicts. Despite the urgency to find inclusive local approaches for sustainable development, tourism studies still analyze socio-economic and ecological impacts separately and lack integrated social–ecological approaches to improve foresight in tourism planning. Based on a growing concern regarding the future of Costalegre on the Jalisco coast of Western Mexico, we analyze through interviews, surveys, and participant observation the dependence of tourism on specific ecosystem services and conduct a scenario analysis which shows present and future implications for the social–ecological system. Furthermore, this analysis shows in detail how different scenarios change ES provision and people's livelihoods. Key findings include identifying freshwater provision and cultural ES as the most important touristic ES. At a regional scale, peasants in ejidos are the main ES stewards, whereas high-class tourism facilities constitute important local stewards. Benefits, mainly access to freshwater and the beach, are unequally distributed, provoking conflicts among different ES user groups that may escalate in the near future. Improved communication between all user groups and strengthening of key political actors seem to be the most immediate recommendations to ensure the long term sustainability of this particular region. This work may contribute to improved planning and decision-making as our ES based scenarios are a first step to integrate social–ecological knowledge into improved decision-making. At a local scale, the study reveals the most likely future development options and their social and ecological consequences. It could also serve as a baseline for informed policy making.     

生态消费模式合作案例研究——以樱慈有机生活体验馆为例

生态消费模式是人们为满足消费需求并实现生态平衡过程所做的一种新型探索。生态消费模式中的合作案例较多,具体可以体现为:倡导节约性消费理念、选择简捷性消费方式、明确安全化消费目标、完善和谐化消费制度等。樱慈有机生活体验馆正是以新媒体传播方式、新交流合作平台、新代际立体反馈、新消费链条构建的真实案例展现。     

大学英语教学生态模式研究

生态语言教学观是近几年西方学者将生态学理论与社会文化理论相结合而形成的。它为外语教学模式的研究提供了新的视角和更广阔的空间。大学英语教学生态模式通过对生态化教学内容和方法的选择将教师、学习者、语言和环境和谐、高效地连接起来,有利于提高英语教学质量。     

环境税的生态补偿效应分析

环境税作为解决负外部性的一个重要手段,在生态补偿过程中发挥着重要作用。本文从经济效率、收入分配、就业、社会福利等几个方面分析了环境税的生态补偿效应,从而为我国生态环境税制的建立健全提供一定的理论依据。     

沥青路面水损坏现象的影响因素及防治措施

沥青路面水损坏是一个普遍存在的问题,也决不是一个过时的话题,特别是在中国南方地区。沥青路面水损坏问题的本质是沥青与集料在静、动水压力作用下的持续粘附能力,这也是该问题的核心。为此,文章围绕沥青路面水损坏的特性及成因进行了探讨,并结合实际工作经验总结了水损坏的预防措施。     

生态建设与环境保护的政府投资战略研究

作者认为，政府投资于生态建设和环境保护的动力受其两类投资战略是否确定的影响：一是受生态安全投资战略是否确定的影响，二是受生态与环境经济投资的乘数效应战略是否确定的影响。本文探讨了政府对生态建设和环境保护的这两种投资战略和有机结合的三种方式及其相应的投资力度等问题。     

基于生态位的奥运赞助企业品牌竞争研究

在当今社会,竞争涉及社会的各个领域,尤其是经济领域。而在经济领域,最重要,最突出的竞争就是品牌竞争。所谓企业品牌生态位就是企业在其品牌生态系统中所确定的"生态位",依据企业品牌生态位的形成探讨奥运赞助企业品牌的优势生态位,以此制定出奥运赞助企业品牌国际化的"生态"策略。