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The purpose of this thesis endeavors to discuss about the environmental perspectives of central government, local government and NGOs. By China¡¦s environment now, we can know their positons of environmental protection. The differences of the environemtal protection is because the benefit. However, the method of management in China is decentralization. It leads central government and local governemt will have different opinions about environmental protection. The role of NGOs is as the supervisor of central government and local government. It tries to develop the concept of environmental protection and promote these kinds of concepts. It is also the intermediator between central government and local governemt. The postion of NGOs helps to implement environmental policies easily. The roles of central government, local government, and NGOs are the main issue in this thesis.

The high particulate association of PAH in aquatic systems has often been attributed to the hydrophobic nature of the compounds leading to adsorption. Results presented i n this thesis strongly suggest that a significant proportion of PAH in the Tamar are particle-incorporated and unavailable for dynamic partition and physical, chemical and biological fates. The generally uniform PAH composition identified throughout the estuary is highly indicative of a combustion or road and urban runoff source. PAH distrubution in a dated Tamar Estuary sediment core showed an exponential decrease with depth and identified dramatic increases in PAH flux during the last 20 years. This suggests an association with motor vehicles probably via road runoff. No significant trends of change in PAH composition with depth were apparent, indicating unifoinnlty of source and the unimportance of PAH degradation mechanisms in the anoxic-sediment. Ibrylene displayed an anomalous distribution that could be attributed to its biogenic origin. A survey of PAH distribution in the estuarine water column identified two areas exhibiting high concentrations. The first was observed at the turbidity maximum at the head of the estuary (by virtue of particle-associated PAH) and the second as a result of an emission in the urban region during the, sampling period. A similar distribution was identified in the estuarine surface sediments which are shown to act as a sink for both riverine and urban PAH. Suspended particulates in the water column, in general, contain similar levels and compositionally reflect the higher molecular weight PAH (M>200) in the sediments. Ihis underlines the importance of particulate transport and indicates that degradation of these PAH in the water column, is of minor significance, with sediment incorporation as their primary fate. Lower MW PAH (MW<200)were enriched in soluble forms in the water column. Microbial heterotrophic degradation and volatilisation are proposed as important environmental fates of these low MW compounds.

There is considerable variation in public opinion data on the environment.  While very general items suggest concern is strong, measures focusing on steps that might be taken to promote environment protection suggest weaker public commitment to green issues. Moreover, in open-ended most important problem polls - i.e. items that measure the relative important of different issues in the public mind - concern for the environment has barely registered at all over recent years.  Different poll and survey items also provide varying impressions regarding <i>trends</i> in environmental concern. Whereas some suggest this is one the increase, others indicate that it has fluctuated and still others that it is in decline.  This thesis seeks to develop an understanding of these paradoxical findings. While in the first instance it considers ways in which the survey instrument itself promotes variation, the central focus is on the nature and origins of environmental opinions. Contrary to dominant approaches to conceptualising environmentalism, including Inglehart’s Postmaterialist thesis, it is argued that concern for the environment is not a product of individual volition but rather is externally constructed by ‘environmental meaning producing institutions’, particularly interest group and the media. Only by seeing concern in this way, it is suggested, can we begin to understand the variation summarised above. The remainder of the study explores the significance of arguments presented for wider paradigmatic debates in political science. It suggests that the constructionist perspective advanced undermines key assumptions of rational choice theory - the pre-eminent theoretical perspective in the discipline. The thesis concludes by considering implications of arguments presented for the future of environmentalism. It also considers implications for the study of public opinion and for the related field of democratic theory. On the latter point, the key argument advanced is that the conception of the individual developed in the thesis raises doubts about current calls for more public involvement in political decision making and, in particular, the new and widespread interest in deliberative democracy.

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This research was undertaken in an attempt to find new environmental management approaches, strategies and procedures suitable for the upstream Oil & Gas Industry in Thailand and which would be most applicable (practical and reasonable) and suitable to the situation of the country. Current management frameworks in various developed countries were reviewed, compared and analysed to select criteria most applicable to Thailand. The research has found that Thailand's industry is smaller scale and younger than the others, and its provisions for environmental management are only very basic in comparison. There are few laws or regulations, standards, and guidelines that deal specifically in detail with the environmental management of Thailand's upstream oil & gas industry. The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) under the Ministry of Industry is the only key authority directly acting as a 'one-stop-shop' responsible for the upstream oil & gas industry in Thailand. The functions concerned with environmental protection involve the enforcement of Petroleum Acts and Regulations, and safety and environmental standards but, because of the lack of environmental regulations, rules and standards for petroleum development, DMR can not be regarded as an active agency dealing with environmental matters. The UK has fuller and more definitive provisions, including standards and systems for levying penalties, and as such they are more akin to the command-and-control regulatory systems that have evolved in the more developed countries. There are many existing Acts and regulations affecting offshore oil & gas activities in UK. There are some strengths of the UK system which could be applied to Thailand. Pollution quality control by limiting the concentration of the discharge (standards) from oil & gas activities in the UK, USA, and the Netherlands are universal in their application and probably reasonable. Thus, these standards should be practicable for application to Thailand. On analysis of some of the new approaches (Environmental Covenants, STAR Producer Program), in the case of Thailand, it is considered that the country is not yet ready for these approaches because they require a mature environmental policy. Some part of the Asian Development Bank's recommendations however could suit Thailand in this situation. This research has lead to certain conclusions and recommendations for environmental management in Thailand. The main recommended priority is that DMR should set up a formal action team in the short-term to have specific responsibilities for driving environmental compliance and enforcement related to oil & gas activities. This team should prepare an action plan to enhance the regulatory framework and DMR capacity building. This planning is necessary for long term development and has to be implemented seriously.

This thesis examines the development and expansion of the UK onshore oil and gas pipeline network in Scotland which occurred in the 1970s and 80s as a result of the exploitation of oil and gas resources of the Central and Northern North Sea. In 1974 the first pipeline landfall in Scotland was established at Cruden bay, north of Aberdeen, and a pipeline onshore was laid to link that landfall with the Grangemouth refinery. In the period 1974-1984 the construction of major cross-country pipelines linking the north east of Scotland with the central belt and markets of England became an almost annual occurrence. The routing process and an analysis of the routes adopted is the subject of Chapter 4. It was calculated that over 2,000km of cross-country pipeline have been constructed in Scotland since 1974, involving disturbance of 2,000ha of land, 94% of which was in agricultural use, 2% woodland, 2% moorland and rough ground, 1% wetland, and 1&37 roads and railways. This research examined the impact of piplines on different land uses, and the quantification of pipeline impacts is the subject of Chapter 5. The emphasis of the research was on impacts on agriculture focussing upon intensive grazing and cereal crops in eastern Scotland, and upon extensive moorland grazing in Shetland. The analysis used a sampling approach with the selection of 13 sites in eastern Scotland and the study of the entire onshore length of the Brent and Ninian pipelines in Shetland. It was noted that in some circumstances pipelines have resulted in a decrease in crop yield and in other cases led to an increase in yield. In most cases there is no significant difference, the result of the successful reinstatement of ground conditions, and where differences do occur it is unlikely that they are any more than of statistical significance. The importance of pipeline impacts is considered in Chapter 6. The hazardous nature of the materials transported within the pipelines results in there being an impact outwith the area of disturbed land. This is the result of restrictions placed upon development in the vicinity of 'major hazards'; restrictions could apply to some 24,000ha of land in Scotland. However, because pipelines are principally routed in rural areas where other development control policies apply, pipelines have not acted as a major restriction upon rural development.