scholarly journals Evaluation of the Policy Effect of China’s Environmental Interview System for Effective Air Quality Governance

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 9006
Author(s):  
Xue Jin ◽  
Ussif Rashid Sumaila ◽  
Kedong Yin ◽  
Zhichao Qi
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Interview System

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China formally proposed an environmental interview system in May 2014, which applies pressure on local governments to fulfill their responsibility toward environmental protection by conducting face-to-face public interviews with their officials. In this paper, 48 cities that were publicly interviewed from 2014–2020 were considered the experimental group and 48 cities surrounding them were the control group. First, the dynamic panel model is applied to initially determine the effect of the policy. Then, a regression discontinuity method (Sharp RD) is used to analyze the short-term and long-term effects and compare the reasons for the differences observed among the estimates of various types of samples. Finally, a series of robustness tests were also conducted. The results show that the environmental interview system can improve air quality. However, because an emergency short-term local governance system exists at present, the governance effect is not long-term and, therefore, not sustainable. Therefore, it suggests that the government should continue to improve the environmental interview system, establish an optimal environmental protection incentive mechanism, and encourage local governments to implement environmental protection policies effectively in the long term. The results of the research are of great significance to the environmental impact assessment system of the world, especially in countries with similar economic systems, which are facing a trade-off between economic growth and environmental sustainability.

Phytoplankton Adaptation to Environmental Stresses from Toxicants, Nutrients, and Pollutants — a Warning

1976 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 2089-2096 ◽  
Author(s):  
John G. Stockner ◽  
Naval J. Antia
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Pollutant Concentration ◽  
Subsequent Growth ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Test Chemical ◽  
Successful Adaptation ◽  
Shock Response ◽  
Chronic Pollution

Examples are cited from the literature of phytoplankton-related pollution and nutrition studies where the possibility of successful adaptation and subsequent growth could have been overlooked because of insufficient duration of algal exposure to the pollutant or nutrient tested. We present evidence from our investigations where: a) initial algal exposures as long as 20–40 days to the pollutant or alternative nutrient may be required for successful adaptation, and b) phytoplankters initially tolerating only a low level of pollutant concentration could be trained to accept severalfold higher levels by repeated exposure to gradually increasing pollutant concentration A plea is made for future investigators to recognize the importance of long-term bioassays ascertaining algal potential for adaptation, in order that their results may be ecologically realistic for the purpose of environmental protection against chronic pollution and eutrophication. The short-term "shock" response should be clearly distinguished from the long-term habituation response of phytoplankters to the test chemical in these bioassays. Possible problems raising questionable objections to the long-term bioassay approach are discussed.

scholarly journals Does the “Miracle Drug” of Environmental Governance Really Improve Air Quality? Evidence from China’s System of Central Environmental Protection Inspections

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruxin Wu ◽  
Piao Hu
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Treatment Effect ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Officials ◽  
The Media ◽  
Positive Effect

Central environmental protection inspections have completed their goal of full coverage of 31 provinces in China, and more than 17,000 officials have been held accountable. The media has evaluated the effectiveness of central environmental protection inspections using the notions of “instant results” and the “miracle drug of environmental governance.” Can this approach effectively promote local environmental governance? This paper takes the treatment effect of central environmental protection inspections on air pollution as an example. Using the method of regression discontinuity, central environmental protection inspections are found to have a positive effect on the air quality index (AQI), but this effect is only short term and unsustainable. Additionally, there are inter-provincial differences. Judging from the research results on sub-contaminants, the treatment effect of central environmental protection inspections on air pollution is mainly reflected in PM10, PM2.5 and CO. Under the current situation in which PM10 and PM2.5 are the main assessment indexes, this phenomenon indicates that due to the political achievements and promotion of local officials and for reasons of accountability, it is more effective for the central government to conduct specific environmental assessments through local governments than to conduct central environmental protection inspections.

scholarly journals Efficacy of a bystander intervention for preventing dating violence in Brazilian adolescents: short-term evaluation

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Brito dos Santos ◽  
Sheila Giardini Murta ◽  
Luis Gustavo do Amaral Vinha ◽  
Juliana Silva de Deus
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Dating Violence ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Brazilian Sample ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Short Term Evaluation ◽  
Term Evaluation ◽  
Brazilian Culture

Abstract Peers are the preferred source of help for Brazilian adolescents who experience dating violence. However, they are not always the best informants for effective responses for dealing with situations of violence in romantic relationships among peers. This experimental study aimed to evaluate the short-term efficacy of three aspects of a peer- and bystander approach-based intervention: the intent to offer help, empathy, and bystander attitudes in response to dating violence in a Brazilian sample of adolescents. The study’s participants were 33 adolescents randomized in two groups: experimental group (EG, n = 14) and control group (CG, n = 19). The EG underwent three weekly intervention sessions of 90 min each on the healthy versus violent romantic relationships, the quality of friendship in the peer network, and the role of the bystander, while the CG received no intervention. Evaluations were performed 1 week before and two and half months after the intervention. Statistically significant differences between EG and CG at post-test were not found in intention to help, empathy, and bystander attitudes. Future studies should include evaluations of larger samples and mid- and long-term follow-ups to identify patterns of change over the long term as well as examine barriers to utilization of bystander behaviors by adolescents in Brazilian culture.

Low Mortality of Larval Lampreys from Electrofishing, Suction-pumping, Anesthesia, and Handling

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 640-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey C. Jolley ◽  
Christina T. Uh ◽  
Gregory S. Silver ◽  
Timothy A. Whitesel
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Pacific Lamprey ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Delayed Mortality

Abstract Native lamprey populations are declining worldwide. In the Pacific Northwest focus on conservation and management of these ecologically and culturally important species has increased. Concern has emerged regarding the effects of sampling and handling of lamprey, with little to no attention given to the larval lifestage. We monitored the survival of larval Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus and Lampetra spp. after backpack electrofishing, deepwater electrofishing and suction-pumping, anesthesia, and handling. We performed survival trials on wild-caught lamprey (n = 15 larvae in each trial) collected from the Clackamas River drainage in Oregon, USA, coupled with control group trials from lamprey sourced from a hatchery (n = 10 larvae). Short-term (96 h) survival was >98% with only one observed mortality. Delayed mortality (1 wk) was observed for four individuals that had fungus; two of those were positive for the bacteria Aeromonas hyrdrophila. We recorded blood hematocrit as a secondary measure of stress. The baseline, nonstressed larvae hematocrit levels did not differ from those of fish that had undergone stress through electrofishing, suction-pumping, and handling without anesthesia. Electrofishing, suction-pumping, and anesthesia showed no short-term negative effects on larval lamprey although potential long-term effects remain unstudied. These techniques appear to provide efficient and relatively safe methods for collecting and surveying larval lamprey.

Investigation of window-opening behaviour and indoor air quality in dwellings situated in the temperate zone in China

2020 ◽  
pp. 1420326X2092474
Author(s):  
Tingxuan Deng ◽  
Xiong Shen ◽  
Xiaojie Cheng ◽  
Junjie Liu
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Temperate Zone ◽  
World Health ◽  
Formaldehyde Concentration ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Window Opening

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a key factor that could affect the indoor environment and people's health. In this study, we report a comprehensive study on IAQ in 30 dwellings in the temperate zone in China. Thirty naturally ventilated dwellings were selected in the urban area of Kunming, which is the largest city in temperate zone in China. In four seasons, short-term measurement of formaldehyde and benzene, toluene, xylenes-volatile organic compounds and air infiltration rate were conducted in these dwellings. A long-term 1-year monitoring of temperature, relative humidity, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon dioxide (CO2), window-opening behaviour and night-time air change rate (ACR) were conducted in 13 of these dwellings by remote sensors. Short-term measurements showed the mean formaldehyde concentration in summer (100.76 μg/m3), benzene concentration in winter (8.46 µg/m3), PM2.5 concentration (80.4 µg/m3) in spring of 2017 exceeded the Chinese standard, the US Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment value and the World Health Organization guidelines. The night-time ACR was the highest in summer (2.1 h−1) and the lowest in winter (1.6 h−1) in bedrooms of 13 long-term monitored dwellings due to seasonal time variation in window opening in bedrooms, which was mainly driven by CO2 concentration, indoor temperature and outdoor PM10 concentration.

scholarly journals Deficit, Decay and Deprioritization of Transport Infrastructure in Nigeria: Policy Options for Sustainability

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lionel Effiom ◽  
Peter Ubi
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Common Knowledge ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Road Infrastructure ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sub Saharan

<p>It is common knowledge that Nigeria’s road infrastructure, and indeed the general infrastructure of sub-Saharan Africa, is in a most despicable condition. This paper formalises this observation by providing current data to support the hypothesis. By deploying descriptive and theoretical methodological approaches, it demonstrates that road infrastructure is not only deteriorating but also suffers from a twin evil of deficit and deprioritisation in the public sector’s preferential scale–a state of indifference of sorts. Long and short term policy choices have to be made to urgently address the issue. In the short term, infrastructure concessions, public private partnerships (PPP), pension funds, sovereign wealth fund, savings from reduction in fuel subsidies, leveraging on the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) mechanism–are part of the portfolio of choices that government can readily choose from. In the long term however, the paper recommends increase in the statutory allocation to the states and local governments which would ensure that component units of the federation control more resources to deploy and develop infrastructure in their immediate domain.</p>

Insulin resistance caused by amylin in conscious rats is independent of induced hypocalcemia and fades during long-term exposure

1993 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 360-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clemens Fürnsinn ◽  
Peter Nowotny ◽  
Michael Roden ◽  
Madeleine Rohac ◽  
Thomas Pieber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Resistance ◽  
Insulin Sensitivity ◽  
Glucose Tolerance ◽  
Glucose Intolerance ◽  
Tolerance Test ◽  
Zucker Rats ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Euglycemic Hyperinsulinemic Clamp

To compare the effect of short- vs long-term amylin infusion on insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance and serum calcemia, euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (26 pmol·kg−1·min−1) and glucose tolerance tests (2.4 mmol/kg over 30 min) were performed in lean Zucker rats. Three infusion protocols were employed: control group: 24 h of iv saline; short-term amylin exposure: 22 h of iv saline followed by 2 h of iv amylin (20 μg/h); long-term amylin exposure: 24 h of iv amylin (20 μg/h). Insulin resistance was induced by short-term amylin infusion during euglycemic clamping, as shown by a 41% decrease in space-corrected glucose infusion rates (μmol·kg−1·min−1; control group, 106.0±15.0; short-term iv amylin, 62.7±15.0; p<0.00 5). After long-term amylin exposure, insulin sensitivity was identical to control values (109.9±6.7). This fading action of amylin was confirmed by data from the glucose tolerance test, demonstrating glucose intolerance after short- but not after long-term amylin exposure. Serum calcium concentration decreased during short-term (2 h) amylin infusion (from 2.52±0.15 to 2.09±0.12 mmol/l; p<0.01) and hypocalcemia of a similar extent also was present after 22 h and 24 h of amylin exposure (2.10±0.09 and 2.04±0.14 mmol/l, respectively). The data demonstrate that short-term amylin infusion induces insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, both of which vanish during long-term (>22 h) amylin exposure, being apparently independent of induced hypocalcemia.

scholarly journals Can Chinese Central Government Inspection on Environmental Protection Improve Air Quality?

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1025
Author(s):  
Ling-Yun He ◽  
Meng-Meng Geng
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Inner Mongolia ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Jiangsu Province ◽  
Jiangxi Province ◽  
Autonomous Region ◽  
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Environmental pollution is one of the major sustainability problems in China. As a major institutional innovation to supervise local governments to implement environmental governance measures, the effect of central environmental protection inspection needs to be carefully investigated. In this paper, the environmental protection inspection in July 2016 was used as a quasi-natural experiment to estimate the effect of central environmental protection inspection on air quality by using the synthetic control method. The study found that not all regions under inspection have significantly reduced the Air Quality Index (AQI). For the four inspected regions, the AQI decreased in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Jiangsu Province during the period of inspection. But the inspection does not affect Henan Province and Jiangxi Province. In terms of individual pollutants, for Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Jiangsu Province where AQI has declined, not all individual pollutant concentrations have decreased. The treatment of specific individual pollutants still needs to be concerned.

scholarly journals Effects of meteorology and emissions on urban air quality: a quantitative statistical approach to long-term records (1999–2016) in Seoul, South Korea

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 16121-16137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihoon Seo ◽  
Doo-Sun R. Park ◽  
Jin Young Kim ◽  
Daeok Youn ◽  
Yong Bin Lim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Meteorological Variables ◽  
Urban Air ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Long Term Trends ◽  
Local Emissions

Abstract. Together with emissions of air pollutants and precursors, meteorological conditions play important roles in local air quality through accumulation or ventilation, regional transport, and atmospheric chemistry. In this study, we extensively investigated multi-timescale meteorological effects on the urban air pollution using the long-term measurements data of PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3 and meteorological variables over the period of 1999–2016 in Seoul, South Korea. The long-term air quality data were decomposed into trend-free short-term components and long-term trends by the Kolmogorov–Zurbenko filter, and the effects of meteorology and emissions were quantitatively isolated using a multiple linear regression with meteorological variables. In terms of short-term variability, intercorrelations among the pollutants and meteorological variables and composite analysis of synoptic meteorological fields exhibited that the warm and stagnant conditions in the migratory high-pressure system are related to the high PM10 and primary pollutant, while the strong irradiance and low NO2 by high winds at the rear of a cyclone are related to the high O3. In terms of long-term trends, decrease in PM10 (−1.75 µg m−3 yr−1) and increase in O3 (+0.88 ppb yr−1) in Seoul were largely contributed by the meteorology-related trends (−0.94 µg m−3 yr−1 for PM10 and +0.47 ppb yr−1 for O3), which were attributable to the subregional-scale wind speed increase. Comparisons with estimated local emissions and socioeconomic indices like gross domestic product (GDP) growth and fuel consumptions indicate probable influences of the 2008 global economic recession as well as the enforced regulations from the mid-2000s on the emission-related trends of PM10 and other primary pollutants. Change rates of local emissions and the transport term of long-term components calculated by the tracer continuity equation revealed a decrease in contributions of local emissions to the primary pollutants including PM10 and an increase in contributions of local secondary productions to O3. The present results not only reveal an important role of synoptic meteorological conditions on the episodic air pollution events but also give insights into the practical effects of environmental policies and regulations on the long-term air pollution trends. As a complementary approach to the chemical transport modeling, this study will provide a scientific background for developing and improving effective air quality management strategy in Seoul and its metropolitan area.

Can Environmental Protection in Ecological Functional Zones Break Free from the Constraints of Focusing Just on Economic Benefits? — A Case Study of the Plateau Ecological Zone’s Tiamitcheen

2018 ◽  
Vol 06 (03) ◽  
pp. 1850018
Author(s):  
Wei JIANG
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Ecological Protection ◽  
Functional Zones

Following the 2015 publication and revision of the 2008 National Ecological Functional Division, China, in 2017, added 240 counties (cities, districts, and banners) to its national key ecological functional zone system. Ecological functional zones, in practice, are often caught in a dilemma between environmental protection and economic development, with actions aimed at the promotion of locally-based economic advances frequently conflicting with the goals of ecological functional divisions. To investigate this dilemma, the paper selected Tiamitcheen County in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, a key ecological function zone, as the site for a field investigation, case study. The primary methodologies applied in this study included a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews. Based on the observation of three main reasons for the dilemma between environmental protection and economic development, the author proposed that ecological functional zones should be further subdivided based on the National Ecological Functional Division according to the zones’ respective characteristics at the local level. More efforts should also go into better specifying the scope of ecological “red lines”, and to the demarcation of the boundaries of ecological functional core zones, buffer zones, and experimental zones. This would help in the formulation of local development planning, while at the same time increasing the support directed to ecological protection zones. In addition, “differentiated” and “greening” zoning assessment mechanisms should also be fully implemented, whereby different assessment factors and weights are established according to the characteristics of the different functional zones. An expanded array of economic indicators should also be delineated, which more specifically indicates the differences between ecological functional zones and other functional zones. This would, via a “differentiated” and “green” assessment system, help to ease the conflicts arising between local governments’ efforts at both economic promotion and ecological protection. Within ecological functional zones, it would also encourage local governments to break through the need to adhere strictly to efforts at economic promotion so as to ensure ecological security.

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