南美风-ICOGRADA巴西设计周

巴西给人的第一印象是足球、森巴舞、嘉年华和亚马逊河……到南美洲参加国际平面设计社团协会举行的设计周(Icograda Design WeeK in Sao Paulo．Brazil 2004),飞行之旅漫长遥远。这次从香港前往圣保罗先在东京转机飞往美国西岸洛杉矶,再转乘巴西航空公司班机飞往西半球的南部,加上在机场候机室等候转机的时间,总共花了三十多个小时。     

Decision criteria for the identification of alternatives in strategic environmental assessment

The European Union Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive requires the assessment of likely significant effects on the environment of implementing plans or programmes and reasonable alternatives. While Irish SEA regulations and guidelines emphasise rigour and objectivity in the assessment of alternatives they have little to say on the actual identification of alternatives. Therefore, criteria should be established that would aid decision-makers in the identification of alternatives appropriate to the tier of decision-making. A methodology is set out in this paper for identifying generic SEA alternatives for a proposed plan or programme. Specifically, the methodology includes a set of alternatives identification criteria. The outputs from this methodology will help focus on the identification of more sustainable alternatives for SEA.     

Environmental assessment in Singapore: an enigma wrapped up in a mystery!

This paper reviews the status of the environmental assessment (EA) system in Singapore and attempts to evaluate the potential for adoption of strategic environmental assessment (SEA). In Singapore, the colonial legacy of the planning system has resulted in similar processes being adopted to the British planning system and similar resistance to that previously experienced in the UK towards EA. This research indicates that the benefits of EA are not being achieved and that the demise of the natural environment in Singapore is being severely affected as a result. The terminology of SEA is not recognised, although it is claimed that environmental considerations are included in the sophisticated concept planning system that follows a ten-year cycle. Evidence collected suggests that other considerations perceived to be more important relating to economic, technical and social issues far outweighany emphasis on the environment.     

Strategic environmental assessment in coastal zones,especially Australia's

Intense resource use and development pressure on the world's coastal zone has prompted international calls for integrated coastal management programmes. Associated with increasing coastal development has been the uncoordinated use of project-based environmental impact assessment (EIA) applied to individual coastal projects. In Australia, there is a complexity of different pieces of EIA legislation at federal and state level, and little enthusiasm to adopt the more recently developed formal strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of policies, programmes and plans. Australian coastal management has a parallel complexity of state-level legislation, although day-to-day decisions are mostly taken by local coastal managers. This paper illustrates the inadequacy of project-based EIA for coastal developments with generic environmental issues, and gives an Australian example of an SEA approach to overcome these problems.     

Assessing the impact of strategic environmental assessment

This paper examines the impact of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) – its direct impact on policies, plans and programs (PPPs) and its indirect and longer-term impacts. Criteria for assessing SEA's impact are developed and applied in the Canadian context based on a survey of SEA practitioners, and the perceived opportunities and challenges to realizing the full impact of SEA explored. Results indicate that SEA does have a direct impact on PPPs, but its indirect impacts are either constrained or difficult to distinguish from an agency's normal policies, practices and innovations. Amongst the most significant challenges to realizing the indirect impacts of SEA is the lack of shared vision for SEA by those responsible for implementation, and incongruences between the need for rapid results by way of PPP approval versus the long-term commitment required to realize many of the benefits of SEA. Indirect impacts require more explicit consideration at the outset of the SEA design process than what is currently the case if the benefits of SEA are to be fully recognized.     

Decisional environment values as the object of analysis for strategic environmental assessment

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is intended to go beyond the assessment of the likely environmental consequences of specific projects. However, SEA relies formally on a conceptual and methodological background that is centred on the analysis of likely environmental impacts of decisions related to policies, plans and programmes. This paper attempts to find a common theoretical denominator for the different demands placed on SEA when it is imposed on a case study. The concept of decisional environment values (DEVs) is the suggested approach: DEV is defined here as an objective entity that could constitute the study object of environmental assessment.     

Rationality in decision- and policy-making: implications for strategic environmental assessment

A proper integration of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) into policy-making processes is considered critical to the success of SEA. Most of the work in SEA seems to be based on the assumption that the provision of rational information will help improve decision-making, but the literature points to other characteristics of real decision-making processes, including cognitive limitations, behavioural biases, ambiguity and variability of preferences and norms, distribution of decision-making over actors and in time, and the notion of decision-making as a process of learning and negotiation between multiple actors. All these are very relevant at the planning and policy level. In the policy sciences literature, some approaches may also hold promise for SEA, such as supporting an open learning process, variety in ways to support and roles to play in these processes, and paying more attention to the actor configuration and distribution of interests, as a basis for finding implementable and effective solutions to policy problems. The elaboration of these ideas holds promises as well as challenges for SEA.     

Outcomes and contextual aspects of strategic environmental assessment in a non-mandatory context: the case of Brazil

Within the ample body of literature devoted to strategic environmental assessment (SEA) outcomes and the assessment of its effectiveness, it is accepted that the performance of SEA systems is influenced by contextual aspects. Procedural aspects, objectives, guidance, approach, timing, amongst others, are reported as key components of the different dimensions of SEA effectiveness but their linkage to SEA outcomes is yet to be adequately investigated. In this paper, contextual aspects and related outcomes of a non-mandatory SEA system were identified through systematic literature review and personal interviews with key actors of SEA, aiming at the identification of the influence of contextual factors on SEA effectiveness. The findings indicate three main aspects that may explain the lengthy process of introduction of SEA in plan- and policy-making in the country: (i) lack of proper SEA legislation, (ii) the influence of Environmental Impact Assessment practice and (iii) the influence of the environmental licensing culture. Nevertheless, SEA contributes to improving communication between stakeholders along the planning process and to providing a better level of information for lower tiers of decision-making. In spite of the minor influences on the nature of the strategic action, valuable lessons credited to SEA have been learnt.     

How strategic environmental assessment can inform lenders about potential environmental risks

In this paper, we explore the potential for strategic environmental assessment (SEA) to be a useful tool for banks to manage environmental risks and inform lending decisions. SEA is an environmental assessment tool that was developed to assist strategic-level decision-makers, such as policy-makers, planners, government authorities and environmental practitioners in improving developmental outcomes, aiming to facilitate the transition to sustainable development. We propose that SEA may also be a valuable tool for banks because it has the capacity to provide information about environmental risks at a time when it can be used as an input to bank lending decisions, which can assist banks in making lending decisions with better environmental outcomes. For these reasons, we argue that in some circumstances, and particularly for project finance transactions, SEA may be a more useful environmental assessment tool for lenders than environmental impact assessment, which many banks are currently relying on to help assess and mitigate environmental risks. Furthermore, we suggest that the use of SEA by banks would contribute to the sustainability goals of SEA.     

Integrating strategic environmental assessment into the review process of a development plan in Ireland

Directive 2001/42/EC requires Member States of the European Union to strategically evaluate and address likely significant environmental effects of certain proposed plans and programmes on the environment. The applications of this process in Ireland came into effect with the adoption of SEA regulations in 2004. The experience of integrating SEA into the review of a local area development plan in Ireland is outlined and critically evaluated in this paper. The SEA process is found to have considerable potential in relation to land-use planning, especially insofar as it appears to facilitate and stimulate an enhanced degree of community participation, but the realization of its full benefits is constrained by operational factors, some of which are attributable to a lack of familiarity with this novel process. Failure to provide adequately in the plan review process for the timely consideration of SEA outputs and an apparent reticence on the part of local decision makers to fully engage with SEA appear to be adversely affecting implementation.     

Towards a national strategic environmental assessment system in Lebanon

In an effort to mainstream environmental sustainability in the national development agenda, the Government of Lebanon is among the pioneers in the Middle East to launch the development of a national strategic environmental assessment (SEA) system that caters to the particularities of the Lebanese planning, regulatory and institutional context. This paper provides a critical overview of the approach followed by the Ministry of Environment for the development of an SEA system and its regulation. It also makes recommendations for facilitating SEA implementation and presents some of the early outcomes resultingfrom awareness raising during consultation on the development of the proposed system     

On the use of risk acceptance criteria in the offshore oil and gas industry

Risk acceptance criteria, as upper limits of acceptable risks, have been used for offshore activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf for more than 20 years. The common thinking has been that risk analyses and assessments cannot be conducted in a meaningful way without the use of such criteria. The ALARP principle also applies, but the risk acceptance criteria have played a more active role in the assessment processes than seen for example in the UK. Recently there has, however, been a discussion about the suitability of risk acceptance criteria to assess and control risks. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to this discussion by presenting and discussing a risk analysis regime that is not based on the use of risk acceptance criteria at all. We believe that we can do better if cost-effectiveness (in a wide sense) is the ruling thinking rather than adoption of pre-defined risk acceptance limits. This means a closer resemblance with the ALARP principle as adopted in the UK and other countries, but is not a direct application of this practice. Also the building blocks of the common way of applying the ALARP principle are reviewed. The Norwegian offshore oil and gas industry is the starting point, but the discussion is to large extent general.     

Determining the value and influence of informal strategic advice for environmental impact assessment: Western Australian perspectives

Formal processes for environmental impact assessment (EIA) have been established throughout the world and dominate research and practice papers. In Western Australia informal strategic advice, which sits outside of the legally binding project-based EIA, is used to inform the pre-project stages of development. Through interviews with 29 practitioners who have been involved in the formulation or use of this advice, this research investigated the value and influence of informal non-binding strategic advice. Strategic advice was considered valuable in providing upfront early guidance although practitioners would prefer greater certainty and clarity on what is acceptable. Identified limitations in its use included the cost, time and resources required in providing advice; currency and shelf life; uptake; and issues with implementing non-enforceable recommendations. Provision of clear objectives, improvements in the timing and relevance of advice and making more use of advice during EIA were identified as positive ways forward. Overall results recognise the value of informal strategic advice as a means to complement formal EIA and as a useful tool to assist with making better informed decisions earlier in the assessment process.     

Alcohol-related traffic accidents with fatal outcomes in the city of Sao Paulo

Aims

The aims of the present study were to characterize fatal traffic accident victims in a major urban center in Brazil and their association with alcohol consumption.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of 907 fatal traffic accident victims in Sao Paulo, in 2005.

Results

Adult males between the ages of 25 and 54 represented the majority of cases with positive blood alcohol concentrations (BAC). Overall, males had a higher proportion of BAC and mean BAC than females. Pedestrians, particularly those with no detectable BAC, were typically older than other victims. Most accidents (total and BAC-positive) happened on weekends between midnight and 6 a.m. Considering all victims, 39.4% were positive (BAC over 0.1 g/l). When only drivers (automobile, motorcycle and bicycle) were evaluated, 42.3% had BAC over the legal limit (0.6 g/l).

Conclusions

Alcohol is associated with nearly half of all traffic accident deaths in the city of Sao Paulo, especially for days and times associated with parties and bars (weekends between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.).     

农业重组微生物生物安全研究进展

综述了近年来农业重组微生物的研究现状和进展 ,详细介绍农业重组微生物环境释放的监控方法以及对环境的冲击作用 ,对一些有关生物安全研究的热点问题进行了探讨     

On the consistency of risk acceptance criteria with normative theories for decision-making

In evaluation of safety in projects it is common to use risk acceptance criteria to support decision-making. In this paper, we discuss to what extent the risk acceptance criteria is in accordance with the normative theoretical framework of the expected utility theory and the rank-dependent utility theory. We show that the use of risk acceptance criteria may violate the independence axiom of the expected utility theory and the comonotonic independence axiom of the rank-dependent utility theory. Hence the use of risk acceptance criteria is not in general consistent with these theories. The level of inconsistency is highest for the expected utility theory.     

Transboundary impact assessment: frameworks,experiences and challenges

Transboundary impact assessment has been carried out for many years but only now is it becomingnormal practice in Europe at the project level. This is occurring because of clear legal frameworks, including bilateral and multilateral agreements, and long experience in finding solutions to the many practical problems. However, many challenges remain, especially (a) in regions with unclear or weak provisions for transboundary impact assessment; and (b) for more strategic decisions for which we have little experience in transboundary impact assessment, notably for policies, plans and programmes likely to have significant transboundary effects and for transboundary activities.     

Socio-economic impact assessment of industrial projects in India

Socio-economic impact assessment (SEIA) is conducted in advance to determine the socioeconomic consequences of industrial projects. The focus is on the project-affected people. All possible data is collected from census information and academic institutions. Personal interviews are also conducted with the local people and their administrative heads. The main phases of the project addressed are pre- construction, construction and operation. Issues addressed include compensation payment for the land, provision of employment, and alternative accommodation for the people affected. A decision on the acceptability of the project is taken after assessing the positive and negative socio-economic impacts.     

Environmental impact assessment and the urban planning crisis in Turkey

In Turkey, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is generally conducted after the location for a new development is selected: it then becomes only an inventory of the expected damage to the enviroment. EIA should be applied more often, and Turkey should change its laws to integrate planning and EIA.     

Practice report: Assessing the economic impacts of roads passing through ecologically sensitive areas: a case study in Cape Town,South Africa

A recent environmental impact assessment of a proposed new toll road in Cape Town, South Africa raised some interesting questions, particularly with respect to the impacts of routing a road through an environmentally sensitive area. The paper discusses the challenges encountered in assessing the economic implications of this routing and how workable methodological solutions were arrived at. Our approach was to investigate the longer-term opportunity costs associated with the preferred routing. This was done through focusing on the strategic importance of the area without necessarily engaging in detailed quantification.