Noaa's civil penalty policy: Time for a change

Abstract

This article explores the lack of uniform penalty assessment in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) civil penalty policy under the Fishery Conservation and Management Act (the Magnuson Act). The author sugests that NOAA's inconsistent penalty assessment invites noncompliance by fishers because they view the penalties as unfair and arbitrary. In particular, deterrence is undermined by the absence of a provision that removes the economic benefits of noncompliance. NOAA's policy is contrasted with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) civil penalty policy, which uniformly assesses penalties while tailoring the penalty to the individual facts of the case and effectively removing the economic incentives of noncompliance. If NOAA implemented a policy similar to EPA's, NOAA would secure increased Magnuson Act compliance and higher penalty amounts.     

Atmospheric Emissions from Shipping: The Need for Regulation and Approaches to Compliance

Shipping has traditionally been viewed as the least environmentally damaging mode of freight transport. Recent studies have increasingly questioned this perception, as attention has focused on both the greenhouse gas emissions (mainly CO₂) and the emission of health-damaging pollutants (such as sulphur, nitrogen oxides and particulates) by ships. This paper reviews the available evidence on the atmospheric emissions of shipping. It proposes that the profit objective has prompted the pursuit of greater fuel efficiency within the sector, but that reliance on market forces alone is insufficient to deliver on the environmental imperative. The paper outlines the current and planned regulatory regime for the atmospheric emissions from ships and posits that greater, and more diverse, market regulation is required. Alternative general approaches to regulatory compliance are categorised as ‘alternative sources of energy’ or ‘abatement technologies’ and the characteristics of a range of specific options are analysed. The paper concludes that although the shipping industry has been slow to improve its environmental credentials, a combination of regulation and technological innovation provides it with significant potential to dramatically reduce its environmental impact.     

通航环境危险度影响因子评价与研究

分析确定了在通航环境中影响船舶安全运输的因子,综合理论与实践确定了各评价因子的分级标准,采用模糊综合评判法和层次分析法建立通航环境安全评价模型、确定了各影响因子的权重,对实现安全高效的海上运输具有重要意义.     

Do changes in neighborhood characteristics lead to changes in travel behavior? A structural equations modeling approach

Suburban sprawl has been widely criticized for its contribution to auto dependence. Numerous studies have found that residents in suburban neighborhoods drive more and walk less than their counterparts in traditional environments. However, most studies confirm only an association between the built environment and travel behavior, and have yet to establish the predominant underlying causal link: whether neighborhood design independently influences travel behavior or whether preferences for travel options affect residential choice. That is, residential self-selection may be at work. A few studies have recently addressed the influence of self-selection. However, our understanding of the causality issue is still immature. To address this issue, this study took into account individuals’ self-selection by employing a quasi-longitudinal design and by controlling for residential preferences and travel attitudes. In particular, using data collected from 547 movers currently living in four traditional neighborhoods and four suburban neighborhoods in Northern California, we developed a structural equations model to investigate the relationships among changes in the built environment, changes in auto ownership, and changes in travel behavior. The results provide some encouragement that land-use policies designed to put residents closer to destinations and provide them with alternative transportation options will actually lead to less driving and more walking.

Modeling residential sorting effects to understand the impact of the built environment on commute mode choice

This paper presents an examination of the significance of residential sorting or self selection effects in understanding the impacts of the built environment on travel choices. Land use and transportation system attributes are often treated as exogenous variables in models of travel behavior. Such models ignore the potential self selection processes that may be at play wherein households and individuals choose to locate in areas or built environments that are consistent with their lifestyle and transportation preferences, attitudes, and values. In this paper, a simultaneous model of residential location choice and commute mode choice that accounts for both observed and unobserved taste variations that may contribute to residential self selection is estimated on a survey sample extracted from the 2000 San Francisco Bay Area household travel survey. Model results show that both observed and unobserved residential self selection effects do exist; however, even after accounting for these effects, it is found that built environment attributes can indeed significantly impact commute mode choice behavior. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the model findings for policy planning.

基于界壳理论的交通环境系统运行机理初探

从界定交通环境系统的界壳论域出发,分析交通环境系统的界壳支撑结构和界壳行为,定义界壳开放度、界壁抵抗力以及界门开关速度、界门交换率等描述交通环境系统界壳功能的参数。研究表明,界壳论在降低路网建设对交通环境系统破环程度、调控交通污染排放与环境自净化能力的协调运行等方面具有较好的应用前景。     

中梁山公路隧道通风效果测试分析

中梁山隧道是在20世纪80年代中后期开始设计修建的我国第1条特长公路隧道,已开通营运15 a。研究了该隧道原有通风系统运行状况。对洞内CO浓度、烟雾能见度和风速等现场测试数据的分析表明,右线隧道现有通风模式能满足现在交通的需求;左线隧道在现有通风模式下,烟雾能见度大大超出现规范规定,营运环境极差,已不能满足现在交通的需求,需进行改造。并提出了改善营运条件的技术建议。     

我国企业内部控制存在的问题及改善措施

俭业内部控制基本规范》的颁布,拉开了我国全面、系统地完善企业内控管理制度的序幕。文章从对企业内部控制的不同认识出发,阐述建立和完善企业内部控制的必要性;并通过对目前我国企业内部控制存在问题的分析,从控制环境、风险评估、控制活动、信息与交流和监督评审等五个方面入手,提出相应改善措施。     

两大法系环境刑法重大问题的比较与借鉴

日益严重的环境问题已经引起世界各国的关注,运用刑事法律手段对环境犯罪加以制裁成为各国共识。由于历史文化与法律发展进程不同,两大法系国家的环境刑法亦有差异,但其宏观上仍有共通之处。我国环境的刑法保护起步较晚,法律规定有相当缺漏。本文通过对英美法系与大陆法系典型国家有关环境刑法的若干问题分析研究,希望对我国环境刑法的发展与完善有所裨益。     

关于中国特色的会计与国际会计协调的几点思考

文章从会计环境入手,充分论证了我国的会计应该具有中国特色,阐明在现实情况下,采用统一企业会计制度,是现实的选择,是与国际会计充分协调的必然结果。