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Database Green: Software, Environmentalism and Data Flows in China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2017

Matteo Tarantino  and
Basile Zimmermann
Matteo Tarantino
Affiliation:
University of Geneva, Switzerland. Email [email protected].
Basile Zimmermann
Affiliation:
University of Geneva, Switzerland. Email [email protected].
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Abstract

Significant efforts towards environmental transparency have been made by the Chinese government since 2008. This paper focuses on the technical decisions shaping a database of official pollution information built and operated by a Chinese NGO known as the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE). Issues of standardization, power distribution and institutional fragmentation are discussed. The paper illustrates a case of NGOs integrating enforcement capabilities as data centres amidst the growing reliance on processes of informational governance of environmental issues.

摘要

自 2008 年始, 中国政府为使环境信息透明做出了巨大的努力。这篇论文主要研究一个官方污染信息数据库的技术发展, 以及其信息公开渠道。这个数据库由一个名为“公众环境研究中心”的中国民间组织建立和管理。 此文讨论了标准化、权力分配和机构分割问题。这篇文章论证了民间组织弥补环境制度化执行的可行性; 以及在对环境问题“信息管理”重要性增加过程中非政府组织如何作为数据中心获得新的能动力量。

Keywords

pollutionenvironmentinformation disclosureChinasoftwaredatabasestandardsNGOsIPE污染环境信息公开软件数据库标准化民间组织公众环境研究中心
Type
Research Reports
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 229 , March 2017 , pp. 205 - 217
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Copyright
Copyright © SOAS University of London 2017 

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