A Tale Of Two Cities A Comparison Of Air Pollution Governance In The Los Angeles Area Of The Usa And The Beijing Tianjin Hebei Area Of China

The successful reduction of urban air pollution is among the notable achievements of modern environmental law and policy. This remarkable study, focusing on two of the world’s most prominent cases, explores how people in the areas of Los Angeles and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) established governance processes to combat air pollution and how the major actors in each area worked to make their region a better place to live. Employing the expertise of teams of knowledgeable environmental law experts from both China and the United States, the authors identify and analyze similarities and differences in the respective legal and policy experiences as actors succeeded in greatly improving the air quality of their areas. Underpinned by a model of environmental governance developed by the authors and presenting an abundance of first-hand information from both areas, the study finds that, despite broad political and cultural differences in both regions, three political relations in governance processes emerge as enablers of effective reduction of air pollution: relation between regulators and the regulated communities; relation between all the supervisory political entities, such as legislatures, etc., and regulators; and relation between civil society (including news media and nongovernmental organizations) and polluters. Specific areas of regulation covered include transportation, ports, energy efficiency, utilities, oil refineries, building efficiency, renewable energy, coal dependency, and optimizing energy structure. With its sound, replicable model, its solid findings, and its enlightening conclusions, this incomparable work will prove of immeasurable value to administrative authorities and counsel worldwide engaged in combating air pollution. Moreover, its creative methodology is a signal contribution to the comparative study of environmental law and policy.

This book was written by undergraduate students at The Ohio State University (OSU) who were enrolled in the class Introduction to Environmental Science. The chapters describe some of Earth's major environmental challenges and discuss ways that humans are using cutting-edge science and engineering to provide sustainable solutions to these problems. Topics are as diverse as the students, who represent virtually every department, school and college at OSU. The environmental issue that is described in each chapter is particularly important to the author, who hopes that their story will serve as inspiration to protect Earth for all life.

"This publication represents the views and expert opinions of an IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risk to Humans, which met in Lyon, 8-15 October 2013."

In this unique guide to the suite of contracts published by FIDIC (The International Federation of Consulting Engineers) - the contract forms most widely used for international construction undertakings - twenty-two outstanding authorities in construction law from a wide variety of countries, describe relevant likely pitfalls (and special opportunities) for foreign lawyers in each of their jurisdictions. This very useful book will be extremely welcome to in-house counsel who must evaluate the legal disposition of a proposed or pending construction contract subject to the laws of a foreign jurisdiction. It will continue to be of service as long as the project proceeds and beyond, particularly for the optimal resolution of disputes.

"A major contribution to the study of global events in times of global media. Owning the Olympics tests the possibilities and limits of the concept of 'media events' by analyzing the mega-event of the information age: the Beijing Olympics. . . . A good read from cover to cover." —Guobin Yang, Associate Professor, Asian/Middle Eastern Cultures & Sociology, Barnard College, Columbia University From the moment they were announced, the Beijing Games were a major media event and the focus of intense scrutiny and speculation. In contrast to earlier such events, however, the Beijing Games are also unfolding in a newly volatile global media environment that is no longer monopolized by broadcast media. The dramatic expansion of media outlets and the growth of mobile communications technology have changed the nature of media events, making it significantly more difficult to regulate them or control their meaning. This volatility is reflected in the multiple, well-publicized controversies characterizing the run-up to Beijing 2008. According to many Western commentators, the People's Republic of China seized the Olympics as an opportunity to reinvent itself as the "New China"---a global leader in economics, technology, and environmental issues, with an improving human-rights record. But China's maneuverings have also been hotly contested by diverse global voices, including prominent human-rights advocates, all seeking to displace the official story of the Games. Bringing together a distinguished group of scholars from Chinese studies, human rights, media studies, law, and other fields, Owning the Olympics reveals how multiple entities---including the Chinese Communist Party itself---seek to influence and control the narratives through which the Beijing Games will be understood. digitalculturebooks is an imprint of the University of Michigan Press and the Scholarly Publishing Office of the University of Michigan Library dedicated to publishing innovative and accessible work exploring new media and their impact on society, culture, and scholarly communication. Visit the website at www.digitalculture.org.

"ICC Congress Series no. 18 comprises the proceedings of the twenty-second Congress of the International Arbitration Congress, held in Miami in 2014." -- Back cover.

In the last 30 years, China’s record economic growth lifted half a billion people out of poverty, with rapid urbanization providing abundant labor, cheap land, and good infrastructure. While China has avoided some of the common ills of urbanization, strains are showing as inefficient land development leads to urban sprawl and ghost towns, pollution threatens people’s health, and farmland and water resources are becoming scarce. With China’s urban population projected to rise to about one billion – or close to 70 percent of the country’s population – by 2030, China’s leaders are seeking a more coordinated urbanization process. Urban China is a joint research report by a team from the World Bank and the Development Research Center of China’s State Council which was established to address the challenges and opportunities of urbanization in China and to help China forge a new model of urbanization. The report takes as its point of departure the conviction that China's urbanization can become more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable. However, it stresses that achieving this vision will require strong support from both government and the markets for policy reforms in a number of area. The report proposes six main areas for reform: first, amending land management institutions to foster more efficient land use, denser cities, modernized agriculture, and more equitable wealth distribution; second, adjusting the hukou household registration system to increase labor mobility and provide urban migrant workers equal access to a common standard of public services; third, placing urban finances on a more sustainable footing while fostering financial discipline among local governments; fourth, improving urban planning to enhance connectivity and encourage scale and agglomeration economies; fifth, reducing environmental pressures through more efficient resource management; and sixth, improving governance at the local level.