(Re)creating spaces for uMunthu: postcolonial theory and environmental education in southern Africa

Colonialism goes beyond territorial conquest: it affects one’s epistemological stance, worldviews and perceptions. Although most African countries gained independence in the 1960s, the impacts of colonialism continue to be present through modern-day globalization as a form of neocolonialism. Education systems in many countries in southern Africa continue to be grounded in Western viewpoints, marginalizing local Indigenous ways of knowing and being (I capitalize the word ‘Indigenous’ because it is a proper noun referring to particular people, their knowledges, ways of living, etc.). An increased number of scholars in southern Africa are engaging with counter-hegemonic strategies as frames of analysis to counter the impacts of neocolonialism. This paper reviews environmental education studies in southern Africa that have applied postcolonial theory as a frame of analysis either explicitly or implicitly. Postcolonial theory provides a platform to challenge the dominant truths espoused by Western thought. In doing so, it paves the way for other truths to have space in the knowledge discourses, including the sub-Saharan African worldview of Ubuntu/uMunthu. While many scholars are engaging with counter-hegemonic strategies, the review calls for the need for further research from postcolonial frames not only in southern Africa but also other parts of the world as well.     

Critical thinking as room for subjectification in Education for Sustainable Development

Issues of sustainability are complex and often steeped with ethical and political questions without predefined or general answers. This paper deals with how secondary and upper secondary teachers discuss these complex issues, by analysing their aims for Education for Sustainable Development. With inspiration from discourse theory, their articulations about students as political subjects are analysed. Critical thinking emerged as a nodal point in teachers’ discussions. In this study, critical thinking is articulated as having various qualitative meanings related to different epistemological views. On one hand, critical thinking is articulated to invite room for subjectification; but on the other hand, room for subjectification is challenged when critical thinking is articulated through the educational aims of qualification and socialisation. A consequence of changing epistemological view might be that political and ethical issues take a back seat.     

Environmental identity,pro-environmental behaviors,and civic engagement of volunteer stewards in Portland area parks

We conducted surveys of adults participating in municipally sponsored volunteer events in the Portland, OR metropolitan area in order to understand the range of attitudes and behaviors associated with volunteer work. We sampled 172 individuals in 18 events from February to June 2012. Principal components and factor analyses of survey responses identified three groups based on annual frequency of participation in stewardship events: first-time volunteers, mid-level volunteers (3–10 events per year), and frequent volunteers (>10 events per year). Our analyses revealed three main factors that explained the variation in survey response for the three volunteer groups: environmental identity, private pro-environmental behavior, and civic engagement. All three factors were positively correlated with frequency of participation in stewardship events, with the most frequent volunteers indicating the highest degree of attention to environmental issues, environmental identity, and self-reported pro-environmental behaviors. Frequent volunteers were more likely to feel personally attached to their local environment, believe that their efforts help solve environmental problems, and enjoy being part of community efforts. These results suggest that stewardship activities provide opportunities for volunteers to interact with others while working collectively toward restoring and maintaining parks, which may contribute to more resilient communities.     

The problems with a ‘fact’-focused approach in environmental communication: the case of environmental risk information about tidal flat developments in Japan

One of the main approaches used in communicating environmental issues to citizens is conveying ‘factual’ information about a particular environment. However, despite previous research and recommendations made by critical environmental educators, there still seems to be a belief that the more ‘factual’ information one can convey, the more citizens will become aware of the issue, and this will prompt them to change their behaviours. In this article, I will argue that continuing with a ‘fact’-focused practice in Japan and elsewhere could be problematic for three key reasons: (1) it ignores diversity in the ‘facts’ provided to people; (2) it reinforces the ‘hierarchy of knowledge’; and (3) it ignores the ‘myth of nature’ among information receivers and senders. Key recommendations for incorporating a critical environmental education approach include utilising locally available environmental information on contentious environmental issues; investigating particular terminology used and missing information (including tacit knowledge); and encouraging critical learning about statistics and pictorial representations.     

环境规制与经济增长:基于“两控区”政策的实证研究

以中国258个城市为研究样本,运用双重差分模型,利用1993—2017年城市统计数据分析了“两控区”政策与产业聚集度对经济的影响。研究结果表明:“两控区”政策与产业聚集度对工业总产值均有积极的促进作用,且这种促进作用存在显著的区域异质性;固定资产投资总额对经济增长具有显著的促进作用。因此,要加强环境规制和固定资产的投资力度,从而实现产业聚集、环境规制以及经济增长的共赢局面。     

体育直播平台社群文化对电子口碑生成动机影响:情感与环境刺激的链式中介效应

为深入探究体育直播平台社群文化、环境刺激、情感刺激对电子口碑生成动机影响,并检验情感刺激与环境刺激的链式中介效应。本文采用文献资料、问卷调查、因子分析和结构方程等方法,构建并检验了体育直播平台社群文化对电子口碑生成动机影响的结构方程模型。结果表明社群文化、环境刺激、情感均对电子口碑生成动机均具有显著正向影响;在社群文化影响电子口碑生成动机时,环境刺激、情感均具有显著的中介效应;环境刺激—情感的链式中介效应亦显著。鉴于此,本研究从搭建优质体育直播平台社群文化、优化平台社群环境、增强平台社群用户情感,提出促进体育直播平台电子口碑生成动机的对策与建议,以期为体育直播平台未来长远发展予以理论支撑和实践启示。     

从化学物质管理到产品管理的最新技术体系

介绍化学品从传统的物质管理到产品管理的体系现状,从物质使用环节入手,减少有害化学物质的倒逼化学品环境管理模式,以至实现有毒有害化学物质的全过程管控。发达国家通过实施政策法规和环境标签非强制手段,提供化学物质管控的技术、建立替代评估模型,在引导公众自愿前提下倡导企业在更广泛的产品和化学物质领域开展信息收集和公开制度。借鉴国外产品中化学品管理的丰富经验,在法律规定下由少到多分别列明管控的物质清单和产品清单,以替代评估为技术支持,引导公众自愿推进管理,为我国化学品管理决策提供有力支持。     

环境约束下要素集聚对区域创新能力的影响——基于GWR模型的实证分析

要素集聚对区域创新能力的推动作用,有助于实现区域经济发展方式由"粗放型"向"集约型"的转变。本文以我国各省市为例,利用GWR模型分析了物质资本集聚、人力资本集聚、能源足迹强度和环境规制水平等变量影响区域创新能力的空间分异规律。结果表明,物质资本集聚带来的资本深化并未转化为技术深化,对区域创新能力没有促进作用;而人力资本集聚通过溢出效应增强了知识创造和知识获取能力,对区域创新能力表现出明显的促进作用;能源足迹强度对区域创新能力具有显著的制约作用;环境规制对区域创新能力具有双重效应,当期环境规制政策不利于区域创新能力的提高,而滞后期环境规制对区域创新能力的激励作用正在凸显,超过了环境成本负效应。其中,人力资本集聚、能源足迹强度和当期环境规制对区域创新能力的影响强度存在较大的空间异质性。     

环境约束下的中国城镇化效率及其影响因素研究

运用超越对数生产函数随机前沿模型,以2003—2010年中国279个地级及以上城市的面板数据为基础,将环境污染作为投入要素纳入城镇化效率评价体系,从人口、经济、空间、社会四个角度测算了环境约束下的中国城镇效化率,分析了环境约束下人口密度、产业结构、政府政策和市区规模等因素对城镇化效率的影响。结果显示:(1)比较而言,考察期间经济、空间及社会城镇化效率较高,人口城镇化效率较低,各类型的城镇化效率值在空间分布上整体呈现为东高西低的状态。(2)人口密度、产业结构和政府政策对人口及社会城镇化效率的影响均为正,而市区规模对前者的影响为负,对后者的影响则不显著;同时,市区规模对经济城镇化效率的影响也为负;产业结构和市区规模对空间城镇化效率的影响为正,人口密度为负。最后,本文建议,应通过统筹协调各影响因素来提升区域城镇化综合效率。     

环境管制与中国农业全要素生产率增长研究

利用中国省际面板数据,将农业面源污染和碳排放作为"坏产出"指标纳入农业全要素生产率测算中,采用Malmquist-Luenberger指数分析2001—2010年考虑环境因素下中国30个省市区的农业全要素生产率及其分解成分,并探讨考虑环境因素下中国农业全要素生产率演变的影响因素。研究结果表明:考虑环境因素的中国农业全要素生产率呈增长趋势,但表现出较大的波动性,其动力主要来源于技术进步;从地区差异来看,考虑环境因素下中国农业全要素生产率呈现东、中、西部地区依次递减;农村经济发展水平、农业产业结构变动、农业基础设施投资对考虑环境因素下中国农业全要素生产率有显著影响,而环境管制影响则不显著。