China＇s Land Carrying Capacity Based on Man-grain Relationships

With population growth and increasing pressure on land resources, land carrying capacity （LCC） and food safety have been attracting great attention worldwide. From the point of man-grain relationship and by establishing LCC and land carrying capacity index （LCCI） models, this article firstly analyzes the spatial-temporal dynamics of LCC of China from 1949 to 2005 at county, provincial and national levels. Choosing 2005 as a representative year, this article then evaluates the LCC of 264 pastoral regions （semipastoral regions）, 663 urban regions and 592 poverty stricken regions of the country. The results show that： （1） from 1949 to 2005, with the increase of grain production, the LCC of China has been improved conspicuously, but due to the rapid population growth, the production can only maintain a low level grain consumption; （2） over the past 25 years （1980-2005）, the number of population overloading provinces decreased from 23 to 15 and the mangrain relationship has been improved gradually, but there were more overloading provinces than surplus provinces in China; （3） at county level, there were 1572 overloading counties in 1980 accounting for 68.26% of the total counties of the country and where were 649 million people lived, while in 1990, 2000 and 2005, the number of overloading counties were 1066, 1133 and 1087 respectively, which shows that the man-grain relationship has been improved obviously during the past 25 years; as for spatial distribution, the surplus counties were mainly concentrated in agriculture developed regions, such as Northeast Plain, North China Plain, middle and lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Plain, and overloading counties were mainly located in regions with poor natural environment and low grain production capacity, such as Northwest China, Tibetan Plateau and Loess Plateau and economically developed urban regions, such as Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai; （4） animal husbandry improved greatly the LCC of pastoral and semi-pastoral regions, while urban regions were overloading for increasing population pressure and more than half of poverty stricken regions were overloading due to critical natural environment and poor economic conditions.     

Quantitative Evaluation on Urban Ecosystem Carrying Capacity in Tianjin Binhai New Area

Based on the concept of ecosystem carrying capacity, the indicator system of quantitative assessment was set up, which consisted of support indicator system and pressure indicator system. And the factor analysis method was used to screen the indicator system. Different from the traditional indicator weight determination based on the absolute values of the coefficients of regression equation, the squares of factor loadings in the rotated component matrix were attempted to determine the weights of 40 assessment indicators. The result shows that ecological support system and pressure system in Binhai New Area are relatively balanced among six years, and the developing level of urban ecosystem is basically healthy on the whole. However, due to continuously increasing pressure of the resources consumption caused by the rapid growth of the second industry, which is the Leading Industry of Binhai New Area, the ecosystem carrying capacity reached the minimum in 2005.     

Study on Development of the West of Shandong Province Based on Overall Regional Development Planning Pattern

The overall regional development planning pattern has been considered to be a new and effective pattern as for development of provincial economy. The article analyzed the current conditions of the west of Shandong Province and tried to find the generation mechanisms of current non-balanced economic devel- opment of Shandong Province. And then approaches to regional development were put forward according to the theory of regional development pattern as a whole.     

Ecotourism Model and Benefits of Periphery Regions in Westem Sichuan Province

There are many problems in the minority regions of western Sichuan Province, such as serious soil erosion, fragile ecological environment, low levels of economy and so on. Advantages of tourism resources in the ＂periphery regions＂ should be fully utilized, and ＂multi-tourism＂ meets the characteristics and present situation of the minority regions. The ＂multi-tourism development model＂ can exert the functions of tourism as the key industry. Based on the demands and the internal linkages among different industries, the model can accelerate the development of related-industries, such as eco-agriculture, eco-industry and so on. Through implementing the multi-tourism model, we can fully utilize the advantages of the periphery regions and promote the sustainable development of regional economy.     

Regional Disparities in China＇s Mainland at Provincial Level Between 2000 and 2005

Based on the methodology provided by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, we analyze regional disparities in China＇s mainland at provincial level between 2000 and 2005. It regards regional GDP growth as the joint result of contribution of a number of factors, i.e. capital productivity, capital per manpower, specialization, employment rate, active population, and population. The results show that for all provincial units, capital per manpower is a dominant contributing factor to the growth of GDP per capita during the period from 2000 to 2005 while capital productivity has quite significant negative impacts. Specialization contributes differently in different provinces. In most provincial units, employment rate and age activity have a positive impact on growth of GDP per capita, though not very significantly.     

环境承载力理论在区域规划环境影响评价中的应用

环境承载力分析是区域规划环境影响评价的评价方法之一。对环境承载力的合理分析，能够反映区域社会经济和资源环境的协调程度，准确地评估区域规划对环境造成的影响，使评价更具科学性。在环境承载力定义的基础上，通过建立一定的指标体系，结合发展变量与限制变量之间关系的描述，研究了区域环境承载力的利用强度，由此提出了一种更为直观的环境综合承载力量化方法——环境承载力综合指数。并将其应用到广州市南沙国际汽车城规划环境影响评价中，为该规划的进一步完善提出了合理的建议。该方法能够准确反映区域规划对环境的影响，为区域的协调发展提供科学依据。     

Quantitative Appraisement on Ecological Carrying Capacity in Coastal Rapid Developing Region of Hainan Province

Abstract

The ecological carrying capacity, an important indicator to evaluate the sustainable development of the ecosystem, means the potential ability of the natural ecosystem to carry socioeconomic development while the ecosystem is healthy. It is limited by the carrying capacity of natural resources and environment and the elasticity of the ecosystem. It will be greatly significant to study the ecological carrying capacity of Hainan Province, the first ecological province admitted by the State Environmental Protection Administration in China. Not only is the natural ecosystem reflected, but also the effects of human activities are emphasized by integrating the ecosystem health analysis into the ecological carrying capacity research. The research results, using the Factor Analysis tools of software SPSS, indicate that the ecological carrying capacity of Hainan Province fluctuated obviously from 1996 to 2005. The level of the ecological carrying capacity of Hainan Province was relatively high in 1996, and reached into trough from 1997 to 1999. It has steadily ascended to be above the middle level since the 21st century. The results also show that policy factors, especially the implementation of the ‘Ecological Province’ strategy, were important driving forces to influence the ecological carrying capacity. With the population rapidly increasing, the land and water resources per capita have decreased quickly. The amount of the ecological carrying capacity was promoted remarkably by socioeconomic development especially economic growth and technology applications. All of these will provide useful suggestions to establish and enact regional development policies, especially for protecting and reconstructing the ecology and environment of Hainan Province.     

Overcoming Contradictions Between Growth and SustainabiUty： Institutional Innovation in the BRICS

The recent accelerated growth rates or efforts to emulate countries that have achieved a rapid pace of economic growth are widely acclaimed as means to uplift millions from poverty. In so doing, however, this rapid economic growth is most likely to coincide with unsustainable levels of consumption, place excessive pressure on life support systems and terrestrial sinks and foreshorten options for the future. Rather than pursuing the ＂Environmental Kuznets Curve＂ （EKC） hypothesis that higher income will bring with it the means to reduce the impacts of greater consumption, ecological economists assert that buying our way out of future scarcity with fast growth is indeed contradictory with sustainability. To better understand these contradictions and explore potential institutional innovations that may enable developing nations to better confront them （in effect, ＂tunneling under＂ the EKC）, this article refers to recent experience in the BRICS countries （Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa）. Beginning with a brief comparative summary of major development and environmental indicators, pressures on resources and society in each of the BRICS are discussed, followed by identification of institutional and policy frameworks each country has evolved to confront the challenges of growth and sustainability. The article closes with general conclusions for further research and information sharing among developing nations.     

Residents＇ Attitudes Towards Tourism in a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems Pilot Site： a Case Study in China

Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems （GIAHS） is a wide program to promote the conservation and adaptive management of such systems and their associated landscapes, biodiversity, knowledge systems and cultures. Rice-Fish Systems （RFS） in Longxian village of China, as a traditional agricultural system, was selected as one of the five pilot sites of GIAHS in 2005. Researchers have paid more attention to the dynamic conservation and adaptive management of RFS because it is under severe threats from global development challenges. Tourism is suggested to be brought into the RFS conservation program as an alternative industry. This paper presents a comparative study of residents in three types of farm household in Longxian, seeking attitudes to the RFS conservation and tourism development and ways in which such information may guide future strategies. Results show residents, belonging to the household type in which most family members are abroad, have the most positive attitudes to RFS conservation and tourism development; while residents, as other household type in which less than 50% of family members are abroad, are the least sensitive group in these three household types, due to the motivation of moving abroad weakening their enthusiasm to participate in the local activities. Implications are discussed in the context of how resident attitudes will affect the future management of GIAHS conservation and tourism development, and then measures are put forward to foster tourism cooperation and multistakeholders process establishment.     

A Review of Environmental Sociology and the Sociology of Natural Resources： Insights for the Development of Environmental Sociology in China

Environmental sociology and the sociology of natural resources are two key subdisciplines of the sociological study on the interactions between nature and human society. Previous discussion on the relationships of these two fields has largely focused on their distinctions and synthesis in western （particularly American） academia. Environmental sociology emerged as an important sociological subdiscipline in China in the early 1990s and is under vigorous disciplinary construction at present. By contrast, the sociology of natural resources is still a novel term for most Chinese researchers. This article provides a systematic review of recent literature on the relationships between environmental and natural resource sociologies, which should provide important implications for the further development of environmental sociology in China.     

东营市海岸带区域综合承载力评估

随着人类对海岸带开发强度的不断提高,海岸带资源、环境问题日益突出,海岸带可持续发展成为人类共识,海岸带区域综合承载力研究作为该区域可持续发展的基础性研究,可以为海岸带区域合理开发与管理提供重要理论支撑。本文选取东营市海岸带为研究区域,以海岸带湿地遥感解译数据、浅海水质监测数据及社会经济统计数据为数据源,运用状态空间法计算了研究区2010—2014年海岸带区域的综合承载力;对东营市与潍坊市、滨州市的海岸带区域综合承载力进行了比较分析;预测了2016—2020年东营市海岸带区域综合承载力;依据研究结果探讨了海岸带可持续利用的未来途径。结果表明:在过去的2010—2014年和预测的2016—2020年东营市海岸带区域综合承载力均处于超载状态,但总趋势是向好的;同时,2010—2014年东营市海岸带在吸引外资、港口发展、海岸带生态系统服务价值、浅海海域水环境方面具有明显优势,但社会公共服务投入不平衡、不稳定。与2016—2020年东营市海岸带区域综合承载力预测结果相比较而言,2011年东营市海岸带区域综合承载力超载最明显,与该年环境压力大和社会投入不足有关。2014年东营市各县区海岸带区域综合承载力均处于超载状态,广饶县超载最明显;同时各县区自然、社会、经济发展水平差异较大,市辖区社会经济指标优于各县区。东营市海岸带区域综合承载力相比潍坊市、滨州市在资源、环境、生态方面具有明显优势,但在社会支撑方面投入不足,因此可以通过保持资源、生态优势,弥补社会投入不足等措施提高东营市海岸带可持续利用水平。     

Logic of Citizen Participation in Sustainable Development

Sustainable development, a concept which has been built with the sustainability of economic progression as a main thrust, has been a widely preferred model to traditional developmental models. However, the real meaning of what sustainable development is and should include has been an object of debate. On the one hand, differing from traditional economic developmental models, economic progress does not necessitate the practice of ‘sustainable development＇. On the other hand, current levels of science and technology are still unable to solve several problems that arise with economic development. Sustainable development has transferred the responsibility of environmental destruction to that of developing countries. Lastly, instead of utilizing the best technology and leadership into formulating excellent environmental-protection policies, it is more important to create widespread awareness to the public on the need to protect the environment and thereby engage their participation in decision-making to actually realize what is truly ‘sustainable development＇.     

Technological Progress, Structural Change and China＇s Energy Efficiency

China has witnessed rapid economic development since 1978, and during the time, energy production and consumption developed at a tremendous speed as well. Energy efficiency which can be measured by energy consumption per unit of GDP, however, experienced continuous decrease. Theoretically, the change of energy efficiency can be attributed to industry structural change and technological change. In order to explain the transformation of Chinese energy efficiency, we adopt logarithmic mean Divisia index techniques to decompose changes in energy intensity in the period of 1994-2005. We find that technological change is the dominant contributor in the decline of energy intensity, but the contribution has declined since 2001. The change in industry structure has decreased the energy intensity before 1998, but raised the intensity after 1998. Decomposed technological effects for all sectors indicate that technological progresses in high energy consuming industries such as raw chemical materials and chemical products, smelting and pressing of ferrous metals, manufacture of non-metallic mineral products and household contribute are the principal drivers of China＇s declining energy intensity.     

Integrating Sustainable Development into Global Institutions： Reforming the United Nations

This article will briefly outline the origins, structure and functions of United Nations Environment Program and the Commission on Sustainable Development in the context of the goals of ecologically sustainable development （ESD）. Economic development, social development and environmental protection form the three interconnected parts of ESD. The achievements of the key UN environmental institutions and programs in opening up the global system to civil society, the private sector and a diversity of actors and interests, promoting the role of poverty alleviation as part of ESD through the Millennium Development Goals, and facilitating important Multilateral Environmental Agreements should be recognized. However, with these notable exceptions, organizations such as United Nations Environment Program and the Commission on Sustainable Development have become weak in scientific and technical leadership, global policy, co-ordination （inside and outside the UN） and has few achievements in the inter- national and national implementation of obligations and standards in Global Environmental Governance - including enforcement, compliance and effectiveness. This article will outline the key reasons for this inadequacy. Attention will also be focused on the way forward through of a new United Nations Environment Organization. This will require a clarification of purpose and function （within the UN system and as part of global governance structures） as well as consideration of whether it depends on system-wide UN reform. It is recommended that medium and long term strategies for reform are necessary.     

Urbanization in China Based on International Comparison： A Discussion with Two Prevalent Views

Two prevalent views are reviewed on China＇s urbanization firstly. Then, this article highlights the characteristics and pattern of urbanization in the world based on the quadrants map, using data of 118 countries or areas. The results indicate that the process of urbanization in the world excluding the data of China has slowed down gradually. A further exploration examines China＇s urbanization process and economic development over time, which reveals that both urbanization level and the level of economic development belong to the low-grade coordination pattern. The low level of urbanization is closely connected with the low level of economic development. Actually, China＇s urbanization gap appeared during 1985-1995, but it has been eliminating this urbanization gap since 1995 as a result of rapid urbanization growing. The complicated realities revealed in this analysis challenge the existing two prevalent views.     

武汉城市圈水资源及水环境承载力分析

水资源及水环境承载力是衡量区域可持续发展的一项重要指标,对区域经济的发展规划具有重要的指导意义。以可承载的人口数量和GDP作为承载力的表征指标,分别运用单位GDP综合用水量评判法和河流一维水质模型及湖库均匀混合模型计算武汉城市圈不同水平年的水资源及水环境承载力,并用承载度来评价水资源及水环境的承载状态。结果表明:2012、2020和2030年武汉城市圈水资源承载力都处于合理承载状态,但是其水环境承载力处于轻度超载状态。可见,水环境承载力对武汉城市圈的用水限制更为严格。随着社会经济的发展及污水处理技术的进步,水环境状况虽然会有所好转,但与水资源数量这一因素相比,水环境仍是制约武汉城市圈经济社会发展的关键因素。     

Analyzing and Pondering on the Regulation of Urban Construction Land Expansion

Along with the economic development and the acceleration of urbanization, urban construction land expands rapidly in China, and has resulted in a series of socio-economic problems. This article summarized the major points of controlling the unchecked and rash expansion of construction land in the academic circle, and analyzed the problems of regulating the expansion of construction land from three aspects. First, this article analyzed the relationships between socio-economic development and urbaniza- tion from the historical viewpoints, and pointed out that the expan- sion of construction land is a historical phenomenon which will be surely appeared in the development of human race. Second, the authors utilized two-sector model to analyze the importance of urbanization in the socio-economic development from the academic angles. At last, the authors utilize four-quadrant model and bidrent curve model to analyze the influence that brought by the strict control of construction land expansion. Through analysis, this article drew some conclusions. First, the expansion of construction land is a phenomenon which will surely appear in the social development. It is impossible to accomplish the national modernization on the basis of dualistic structure between urban and rural areas. Second, under the function of rent gradient gap, strict control of construction land expansion will not only obtain the anticipated effects, but also cause a series of socio-economic problems, such as land-levying contradiction, the appearance of limited property right house, and being dependant on lease instead of expropriation. Third, unreasonable policies and governmental behaviors are the roots of the unchecked and rash expansion of urban construction land. Based on these conclusions, this article proposed that three transformations should be realized to regulate the unchecked and rash expansion of construction land： transfers from quantity regulation to quality regulation, from direct regulation to indirect regulation, and from single-measure regulation to multi-measures regulation.     

Climate-induced Changes in Spring Maize Water Requirement in Xiliaohe River Watershed

Xiliaohe River watershed plays an important role in regional and national grain security. With the development of society and economy, water consumption that increased dramatically causes water shortages. Crop water requirement can provide quantitative basis for making regional irrigation scheme. In this study, spring maize water requirement is calculated by using PenmanMonteith formula and spring maize coefficient from May to September at 10 meteorological stations in Xiliaohe River watershed from 1951 to 2005. The variation trend of the spring maize water requirement during the whole growing stage, water requirement in every month, and meteorological influencing factors are obtained by using Mann-Kendall method, and the degree of grey incidence between the water requirement and meteorological influencing factors are shown. The results are the spring maize water requirement during the whole growing stages increases at half of the stations in Xiliaohe River watershed, and are remarkably affected by the water requirement in May. The monthly mean, maximum and minimum air temperature form May to September show an increasing trend in Xiliaohe River watershed in recent 55 years. The monthly mean and minimum air temperature increases notably. The relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed and sunshine show a decreasing trend with variety for different months. The monthly maximum air temperature, wind speed, sunshine and monthly mean air temperature have the highest correlation degree with spring maize water requirement from May to September.     

Population and Environment： Necessary Transition Initiatives for Developing Countries

Now environment is an important topic in academic field. Many researches focus on the negative outcomes of nature which are being continually created by human and much attention has been paid to how the environment is protected through integrated research, movement and policy. But few studies are concentrated on population and environment and are to find out the interconnectivity and underlying mechanism that have an effect on people＇s preferring additional children and perception to environment. Many researchers claim that population growth is a great problem for environment but they do not provide the indepth integrated knowledge and mechanism that influence fertility trend and environmental problems. It is very crucial to develop practical and concrete initiatives to confirm a transition to reduce population growth and redirect the perception on population and environment.     

Promoting Sustainability with Ecological, Economic and Social Dimensions in Developing Countries

Sustainable development is one of the most important ideas, and goals of our time. It is defined as ＂development which meets the needs and aspirations of the current generation and develops safe and sound society for future generation＂. Achieving sustainable development thus involves a vigorous and urgent debate on different dimensions. The different dimensions of sustainability as a framework involve all issues such as science, technology, economic growth and development, health, education, finance investment and trade, politics, natural disasters, population growth and terrorism, etc. No single dimension is responsible to develop sustainable society. This article mainly described the integrated relationship among the three dimensions ofsustainability.