341 research outputs found
Planetary boundaries:Governing emerging risks and opportunities
The climate, ecosystems and species, ozone layer, acidity of the oceans, the flow of energy and elements through nature, landscape change, freshwater systems, aerosols, and toxins—these constitute the planetary boundaries within which humanity must find a safe way to live and prosper. These are thresholds that, if we cross them, we run the risk of rapid, non-linear, and irreversible changes to the environment, with severe consequences for human wellbeing. The concept of planetary boundaries, though recent, has already gained traction in scientific and in some policy circles, and is generating debate more broadly. Nevertheless, despite decades of talk on sustainable development, reform of international governance and institutions has not kept pace with the scale and urgency of the global environmental crisis. The notion of planetary boundaries can be seen as a way to frame governance reform. This discussion introduces key elements of governance in a world with boundaries: deep reform of international governance, such as the United Nations system and trade treaties; emerging ecological concepts and principles in international law; the role of economics for the biosphere; and, the need to integrate different kinds of knowledge—from the local to the global. The literature is rich with ideas for solutions and real-world experiences. One recent example from south-eastern Australia demonstrates innovative approaches to knowledge sharing and communication between scientists, urban planners, and local communities for sustainable development in a changing climate. Finally, there is need for a mobilizing narrative: a story grounded in the concept of planetary boundaries, uniting the solutions, and framed in such a way as to offer opportunities for learning, innovation, and creativity at all levels, in both the North and South. There are no simple solutions to what are complex problems involving politics and trade-offs. Ongoing debate and discussion—in academia, in policy circles, and in society at large—is healthy, but we should not allow debate about the precise nature of planetary boundaries to stymie progress. Exploring these issues and the interface between different fields is a challenging task, to be sure. Still, it is essential if the concept of planetary boundaries is to fulfill its potential as a guide for human action in the Anthropocene
Kansai Daigaku Hakuen Bunko Zō Jihitsu Kōhon Kō 関西大学泊園文庫藏自筆稿本目録稿 (Manuscripts on the List of Book Titles in own hand writings Stored in Hakuen 泊園 Library at Kansai University) : The second
This article is a sequel to "Manuscripts on the List of Book Titles in Own Hand Writings Stored in Hakuen 泊園 Library at Kansai University -The first-", which was published last year, and the main subject of the work in this article is a mass of autograph manuscripts by Fujisawa Nangaku 藤澤南岳. Fujisawa Nangaku (1842-1920) was the 2nd lord of the Hakuen Library. He was a firstborn child of Togai 東畡, and his first name was "Tsune 恒", nickname "Kiminari 君成", and pseudonym "Nangaku 南岳" or "Shichikosai-shujin 七香斎主人" etc. After working as a Jukan (儒官; an official under Confucianism) in the domain of Takamatsu 高松, he re-established the Hakuen Library in Osaka in the 6th year of the Meiji 明治 period, and he had been major as a Kangakusha (漢学者; a scholar of the Chinese classic) or Bunjin (文人; a man of letters) in Osaka since then. His academic ability had been known even in Tokyo early on, so that he was requested to serve by the new Meiji government, and invited as a professor by Tokyo Imperial University 東京帝国大学. Among the autograph manuscripts owned by the Hakuen Library, more than half of them were written by Nangaku. Their contents are extensive, including not only Keigaku (経学; Confusianism) or literature, but also Japanese history. It may be said that they has been serving as an aid not only to explaining the studies in Osaka, but also to filling a vacancy in the Chinese studies\u27 history in Japan during Meiji and Taisho 大正 periods. The work in this article essentially follows the same method as the previous one. As for the explanatory note, we can refer to the author\u27s article published in Bulletin of the Institute of Oriental Occidental Studies 東西学術研究所紀要44, 2011
Kansai Daigaku Hakuen Bunko Zō Jihitsu Kōhon Kō 関西大学泊園文庫藏自筆稿本目録稿 (Manuscripts on the List of Book Titles in own hand writings Store in Hakuen 泊園 Library at Kansai University) : The first
Kansai Daigaku Hakuen Bunko Zōsho Shomoku 関西大学泊園文庫蔵書書目(The List of Book Titles Stored in Hakuen Library at Kansai University; Abbreviated as Old Book List hereafter) was edited in 1958.It was due to the donation from Fujisawa family on March in 1951,who had run the Hakuen Shoin 泊園書院(Hakuen Book Library) which had been one of the biggest library in Osaka area since the end of Edo period to the early Showa era. They had contributed books and related articles stored there to the university. Since then, number of scholars had made use of this book list in order to handle the articles stored in Hakuen Library. However, the study on catalogues and bibliography in our country had developed since the compilation of the Old Book List and book lists which fully adopted the fruits of such development have appeared one after another. As a result, the Old Book List unfortunately turned out to be one with plenty of academic imperfections. In addition, the Old Book List left the lists for the books and articles by Fujisawa Togai 藤澤東畡, Nangaku 南岳,Kokoku 黄鵲,and Koha 黄坡 in their own hand writings, which could be understood as the main articles amongst Hakuen Library, unedited. In Kansai Daigaku Hakuen Bunko Jihitsu Kōhon Mokuroku ni Tsuite 関西大学泊園文庫目録について(About the List of Books and Articles in Handwritings Stored by Hakuen Library at Kansai University) [In Ajia Bunka Kōryū アジア文化交流研究(Journal of Studies on Cultural Alliance among Asia) Vol 5.2010], Azuma Jyuji 吾妻重二 insisted on that without arranging these books and articles in handwritings, it would be impossible to investigate the core points amongst the history of Kangaku 漢学(Study on China)in Osaka which developed with Hakuen Book Library as its centre. However, the compilation of book lists for books and articles in handwritings which is the primal step for arranging these manuscripts has not yet done at the moment. Therefore, we do not even have a clue to approach a fraction of the history of Kangaku in Osakain the status quo. Therefore, the next step is to arrange the book list for the books and articles in handwriting which was not fulfilled in the Old Book List and then to retrieve flaws in the Old Book List. By so doing, the truly completed Old Book List will be attempted. Yet, the books and articles written in handwritings are very difficult to decipher and therefore it would be hard to arrange them. Hida Kōzo 肥田晧三,who was an authoritative scholar in the field of modern bibliography and had been working in our university, had already compiled a bibliography of some books and articles in handwritings for the purpose to create a book list. However, his bibliography only contains small amount of books and articles amongst the whole and it is pity that his work hints that there had been left much more to research. It is, nonetheless, only to show us how difficult to arrange the books and articles in question had been. Under these circumstances, the author decided to compile a bibliography for the book list in order to create a new The List of Book Titles Stored in Hakuen Library at Kansai University. Each chapter will be open to the public once it has been compiled, so to invite the advices and comments from other experts. As the author who is attempting to arrange the books and articles lacks knowledge and ability, there would be number of mistakes. Thus, it would be greatly appreciated to have any comments and advices
Policy Making and Implementation of Environmental Regulations of Automobiles in the European Union : Focusing on the Forms and the Transformation of Technical Standards, the Management of Standards Setting Process and the Accountability Mechanism
1980年代までは,欧州における自動車関連環境規制のための技術的基準(自動車排出基準,燃料品質基準)は緩やかなものであったが,1990年代以降,急激に強化されていった.その際,燃料品質基準策定の基礎となったオート・オイル・プログラムや,温暖化対応のための自主協定という新たな方式が活用された.オート・オイル・プログラムは,石油業界と自動車業界の参加の下,適切な政策手段の組み合わせを費用対効果の観点から抽出するという目的を持つとともに,両業界の負担分担の調整を担っていた.また,欧州委員会と各自動車工業会との自主協定は,長期的な業界平均での目標値を設定するものであった.このような政策プロセスにおいては,自動車業界や石油業界といったステークホルダーの役割が明示的に重要になりつつある.しかし,政策プロセスの民主化の要請からは,どのようなステークホルダーをどのような段階で参加させるのか,欧州議会の役割をどのように位置づけるのかが課題となる.Technical standards related to the environmental regulations of automobiles have been strengthened especially after 1990 in the EU. New mechanisms such as Auto-Oil Program and voluntary agreements were invented for the last decade. Auto-Oil Program was the mechanism for calculating best mixes of technical standards involving the auto industry and the oil industry and coordinating burdens among them. Voluntary agreement among European Commission and respective automobile associations such as ACEA is the flexible mechanisms for setting long term target of average CO_2 emission for each association. In the policy process above, involvement of stakeholders such as auto industry and oil industry is important, but it is also necessary to pay attentions to the choice of stakeholders, process design and the role of European Parliament
Distance from the Skin to the Epidural Space at the First Lumbar Interspace in a Japanese Obstetric Population
We prospectively examined the distance from the skin to the epidural space (SE distance) in 95 Japanese parturient women who underwent epidural anesthesia at the L1-2 interspace, and studied the correlation between various physical factors and SE distance. The same anesthesiologist inserted the epidural tubing with the patient in the right lateral decubitus position. An epidural needle was introduced into the skin vertically via the midline approach. The epidural space was located using the loss-of-resistance technique. SE distance was measured to the nearest 0.5 cm using centimeter markings on the shaft of the epidural needle. The median value of SE distance was 3.5 cm, with a range of 2.5 to 6.5 cm, and in 800f cases SE distances were 3 to 4 cm. The correlation of body weight with SE distance was the highest of the physical factors (r^2 = 0.800, p = 0.0001), and a simple regression equation was formulated to aid in predicting SE distance: 'SE distance (cm) = 0.05 × body weight (kg) + 0.36'. This formula will be a useful clinical guide for administering epidural anesthesia in Japanese parturient women. In conclusion, the SE distance in most Japanese parturient women is between 3 and 4 cm at the L1-2 interspace and this value is most closely correlated with their body weight
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