This study examines the impact of manufacturing import and export on overall CO2 emissions, using the extended environmental Kuznets curve model. By conducting an empirical analysis of twenty-two developed countries for the years 1980-2011, this study reveals that manufacturing imports ratio to domestic production has a significantly negative impact on overall domestic CO2 emission, while the impact of manufacturing exports ratio to domestic production on overall domestic CO2 emissions has not been recognized. Furthermore, breaking down the import of manufacturing goods into imports in each production stage (primary goods, intermediate goods, and final goods), this study shows that the import of primary goods contributed to decrease in overall domestic CO2 emissions, while the import of final goods has a significantly positive impact on overall domestic CO2 emission. The impact of the import of intermediate goods depends on specification models. This implies that the pollution haven effect for a global pollutant (CO2), or carbon leakage is recognized.

This study developed an instructional method for planning education based on a future scenario-making approach for a first-year course at a Japanese university. In environmental policy-making, such as that regarding climate change, energy use, community development, and so on, a multi-collaboration and planning approach was implemented to promote United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On the other hand, planning education methodology in the Japanese context has not yet been sufficiently discussed. Based on the discussion in the European context and existing research, this paper focuses on a future scenario-making approach as an instructional method in planning education. For the research process, minilectures and group discussions were conducted in two lessons with three different classes, and two surveys, a worksheet analysis, and interviews were conducted with the participants. The results of this study implied the need for the following educational design in planning education: (1) to direct the students' attention to the mitigation of and adaptation to possible negative future events and scenarios, (2) to promote multilateral consideration using self-checking of the students' homework and consideration of future events and scenarios, and (3) to stimulate critical thinking on the basis of (1) and (2).

Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) is used to select the most appropriate algorithm when using multiple parameters. In this study, AIC was applied to assess the surface chlorophylla concentration in Lake Shikotsu, a typical oligotrophic lake in Hokkaido, Japan, using LANDSAT/TM data. Multiple regression analyses were conducted for all 63 patterns of combinations of bands 1–5 and 7 obtained from the Landsat/TM. Water sample data were set as the objective variable of chlorophyll-a concentrations. The AIC of three channels (band 1, 3, 7) was smallest and there was a significant correlation between the chlorophyll-a concentration measured in water samples and that determined based on bands of 1, 3 and 7 of the Landsat/TM (R=0.74, P<0.01). The algorithm selected using AIC tended to underestimate when the chlorophyll-a concentration was over 0.6 µg L^-1 and overestimate when the concentration was under 0.2 µg L^-1. The algorithm selected by AIC revealed seasonal variations in chlorophyll-a concentration distribution in Lake Shikotsu, as well as lower levels throughout the lake in winter. The chlorophyll-a concentration increased in April and peaked in May and June, then decreased from July, reaching levels similar to winter lows in October.

Haze pollution is a persistent, devastating and harmful problem in Indonesia and the Southeast Asian Region. Although a substantial body of research has discussed haze pollution, relatively few studies have focused on the issue of law enforcement, especially in the judicial system. This paper investigates the influence of the gravity of haze pollution as environmental harm on judicial sanctioning decisions in the case of land/forest fires. We adopt a novel approach to analyze judicial sanctioning decisions on criminal offenders based on different types of defendant occupations and burning site locations. Using a qualitative approach based on content analysis, we observe that the actual gravity of the environmental harm does not consistently affect the pattern of judicial sentencing decisions. More specifically, the gravity of the judicial sanction imposed on the plantation company and its director and manager is less consistent with the goal of internalizing the harm caused by the offense. In contrast, in the case of the estate employee, laborer and farmer/landowner, the judicial sanction is relatively consistent with the gravity of the environmental harm. Overall, judicial sanctioning decisions that are insensitive to the degree of the environmental harm that should be internalized underlie the persistent and devastating haze problem in Indonesia.

Trust is often regarded as one of the most important factors for achieving social acceptance of the siting of a spent nuclear fuel repository in Finland. This study analyzes the trust-building of local residents of the candidate municipalities in the Finnish nuclear companies carrying out a nuclear waste management project. Trust built in Finland was analyzed by two components of trust, i.e., competence and care. These components of trust were theoretically conceptualized and empirically developed in the field of hazard-related trust studies. This analysis, based on the Finnish context, shows that a well-defined institutional framework, i.e., the Nuclear Energy Act, directly and indirectly influenced the local people’s trust in the competence and care of the nuclear companies. The Nuclear Energy Act facilitated fostering the competence of the nuclear company as well as providing a platform to address the local residents’ concerns and needs. In the Finnish context, the local people’s trust in the competence and care of the nuclear companies played a decisive role in gaining social acceptance of the siting of the planned spent nuclear fuel repository.

This study treats 8 parks in the Republic of China as research objects. According to landform differences, these parks are divided into three categories: slope, hybrid, and flat parks. The pathway and facility configurations on different slopes in different parks constitute various spaces. The sloping park is mainly with low-density pathway in linear, tree-like and circular form and single or scattered facilities, thus forming entertainment space for cultural education, physical exercise and relaxation on gently sloping land, and appreciation space for park management and forest touring on moderately sloping land. The hybrid park is mostly with linear, circular and grid-like pathway of high-density and single and scattered facilities. On flat land, there are spaces for which park management and physical exercise are major functions, with appreciation and relaxation taking an ancillary role, while on gently sloping land, there are spaces for forest relaxation and children to play. The flat park is generally with grid-like, radial and circular pathway of high-density and aligned and symmetrical facilities, thus creating relaxation and park management spaces on flat land, as well as spaces where games are the main function and rest a minor one on gently sloping land.

Mount Fuji (3,776m) and Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia (4,095m) are iconic UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHSs) both attracting increasing numbers international climbers. Both involve non-technical, overnight climbs with a pre-dawn start to see sun-rise from the summit. A comparative survey was conducted to investigate climbers’ profile, motivation, and influence of WHS status. At Fuji, questionnaires were distributed in English, Japanese and Chinese to descending climbers at Fuji-Yoshida, the busiest of the four trails. A total 733 questionnaires were collected from 4–7 August 2016. At Kinabalu, 560 questionnaires in English and Malay were collected from 27 March – 11 May 2017 at Laban Rata Lodge. The refusal rate (44%) was equivalent to Fuji’s (50%). Results show similar profiles dominated by young, first-time male climbers. Significant differences were observed in prior climbing experience and mean scores of motivation among both sets of international and domestic climbers. Kinabalu climbers claimed to be more motivated by WHS status and education, but self-scored higher overall, so further research is needed to assess if WHS did indeed exert a greater influence on motivation levels.

Japan’s Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines have long histories. Many are surrounded by sizable groves that have been carefully preserved and are regarded today as sacred. We investigated whether soil acidification might be causing tree decline at the Awaga Shrine (Hyogo, Kansai, Japan). The shrine site is more than 1000 years old and has a large sacred grove of Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa). This species has extremely durable wood, and some buildings built with it have stood for more than 1000 years. We found serious to severe tree decline in the Awaga cypress grove. The shrine’s soils have undergone acidification, which was significantly correlated with cypress decline. Chemical analysis of the shrine’s soils suggests that their nutritional status has declined relative to the national average. This suggests that soil acidification may be related to the cypress decline.