Water scarcity, social power and the production of an elite suburb: The political ecology of water in Matadepera, Catalonia

This article investigates the history of land and water transformations in Matadepera, a wealthy suburb of metropolitan Barcelona. Analysis is informed by theories of political ecology and methods of environmental history; although very relevant, these have received relatively little attention within ecological economics. Empirical material includes communications from the City Archives of Matadepera (1919-1979), 17 interviews with locals born between 1913 and 1958, and an exhaustive review of grey historical literature. Existing water histories of Barcelona and its outskirts portray a battle against natural water scarcity, hard won by heroic engineers and politicians acting for the good of the community. Our research in Matadepera tells a very different story. We reveal the production of a highly uneven landscape and waterscape through fierce political and power struggles. The evolution of Matadepera from a small rural village to an elite suburb was anything but spontaneous or peaceful. It was a socio-environmental project well intended by landowning elites and heavily fought by others. The struggle for the control of water went hand in hand with the land and political struggles that culminated - and were violently resolved - in the Spanish Civil War. The displacement of the economic and environmental costs of water use from few to many continues to this day and is constitutive of Matadepera's uneven and unsustainable landscape. By unravelling the relations of power that are inscribed in the urbanization of nature (Swyngedouw, 2004), we question the perceived wisdoms of contemporary water policy debates, particularly the notion of a natural scarcity that merits a technical or economic response. We argue that the water question is fundamentally a political question of environmental justice; it is about negotiating alternative visions of the future and deciding whose visions will be produced.     

Negative externalities on property values resulting from water impairment: The case of the Pigeon River Watershed

The objective of this research was to determine whether willingness to bear the negative externality from water quality impairment differs between those who do and those who do not receive economic benefit from the impairment source. Differences were tested using a hedonic analysis of ambient water quality in two discrete housing markets in the Pigeon River Watershed, which have been polluted by the operation of a paper mill. The results suggest that North Carolina residents residing in subwatersheds with impaired portions of the Pigeon River, who experience economic benefit from the paper mill in addition to its harmful effects on water quality, do perceive the pollution as a negative externality. In contrast, the effects of both the degraded river and its contributing streams on property values are perceived as negative externalities by watershed residents in Tennessee who experience only harmful effects from the pollution. Differences in willingness to bear the water-impairment externality were not indicated by variables representing view of and proximity to impaired water bodies. The results suggest that the perception of water quality to which property owners implicitly apply value should be considered when establishing water-quality regulations.     

基于BP神经网络方法的城市土地生态安全评价——以广州市为例

选取18个指标构建城市土地生态安全评价指标体系,运用BP神经网络方法评价城市土地生态安全。研究结果:2006年及2007年广州市土地生态安全等级为Ⅲ,2008年安全等级为Ⅳ。研究结论:BP神经网络通过对历史数据的学习,能够实现城市土地生态安全评价,对探索城市土地生态安全评价方法具有重要意义。     

贸易全球化与转轨国家贸易安全研究

经济全球化和贸易自由化是当今世界经济发展的主流,转轨国家在积极融入经济全球化的进程中面临着国家经济安全的挑战。本文通过分析经济化与转轨国家经济安全的相关性及其影响,试图找出产生消极影响的症结所在,更好地提升国家的整体经济实力。     

Analysis on the Relationship between Fire Security Investments and Corporate Profits

企业的消防安全投入作为企业固定生产成本的组成部分,它意味着在为企业和社会带来效益的同时所花费的代价。对企业的消防安全投入和经济效益的分析将是消防工作需要解决的一个紧迫而且重要的课题。本文从阐述企业消防安全投入的定义、内涵与内容入手,深入分析与总结了消防安全投入给企业带来的直接与间接经济效益。     

安防通信工程对智能化小区建设的价值研究

随着科学技术和通信技术的发展,人们不再满足于传统简单的居住条件和居住功能,开始追求更重视人性化需求的高级住宅,智能化小区从而走进我们的生活.安全性作为智能化小区的首要目标,本文通过对安防通信系统的设置原则、安防通信系统的构成与应用的分析,表明了安防通信工程如何在智能化小区建设中发挥它的巨大价值.     

《中国—东盟投资协议》:成就、不足与完善

《中国—东盟投资协议》在中国—东盟自由贸易区范围内创建了统一的国际投资保护法制,在保护外国投资者私益的同时试图兼顾东道国国家主权,此为其成就。但该协议也存在重大不足,如所约束的国家行为范围过于狭窄、缺乏审慎措施条款、根本安全例外条款未受到必要的制度性约束等。目前的当务之急是有针对性地完善该协议。     

我国地方政府自主发债问题研究

目前我国保障房建设资金的短缺突显出地方资金和债务上存在问题。我国计划在广东、浙江试点实施地方自行发债,以解决地方政府融资问题,保证保障房的建设。我国地方政府在发债方面应注意清理地方债务,定期公布财务状况,完善相关法律法规。     

中国社会保障的公平与效率评估分析——基于公平与效率视角社保发展的文献综述

公平与效率是影响中国社会保障制度建设和改革的重要因素。在普惠型社会保障制度框架的建设下,能否处理好公平与效率的关系,关系到国家的发展与居民幸福指数和安全感的获得？通过回溯中国社会保障制度的发展历程,评估现有制度的问题及原因,分析国内外学者对公平与效率的立场观点和研究成果,探索社会保障制度下公平与效率的最优状态,以丰富社...     

构建社会主义和谐劳动关系面临的问题及对策分析

和谐劳动关系是社会主义和谐社会的重要组成部分,但我国目前的劳动关系构建尚有许多问题,国有企业改制,非公企业的发展,进城务工的农民工都给和谐劳动关系的构建提出了问题,本文分析了社会主义劳动关系中存在的问题及背后的原因,并且有针对性地提出了构建社会主义和谐劳动关系的对策及方法。