China Environmental and Resource Law Review - (Volume 1)

Author: Xu Xiangmin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: In the garden of law, a new sprout—the journal of the China Society of Environmental and Resource Law, China Environmental and Resource Law Review (hereinafter referred to as Review)—is about to break through the fertile soil and stretch its tender leaves, embracing the baptism of warm sunlight after more than a year of nurturing. This is a sacred moment. Because at this moment, a new life officially declares her birth; because the new life in law born at this moment proves that the land in the garden of law is fertile and meticulously cultivated; because the tender leaves of this new life initially unfurl an era, an era adapted to the "environmental era," a legal era; because her declaration expresses the longing for sunshine and rain from law, economics, political science, management, sociology, ethics, and philosophy.
The environment represents a new era, an era neither eagerly awaited nor preventable by people, an era in which nature cannot help but show its untamed side to humanity, thereby limiting human activities and shaping social lifestyles. Review is born in this era and is defined by it. She will walk alongside the development and changes of this era. Innovation is the demand of the environmental era and also the task assigned to Review by this era. Modern environmental law, though less than half a century old, has already undergone two transformations—from pollution and public hazard prevention to source control, and then from source control and whole-process prevention to establishing a circular economy society. Without innovation, there is no way to adapt. Environmental law can only keep pace with the rhythm of changing times through continuous innovation. Review will be committed to introducing new achievements and promoting the creation of new ones.
Debating principles is the embodiment of both academia and the life of Review. Only by thoroughly exploring principles can we make them new, and only by debating them can we make them clear. "A hundred flowers in bloom" brings limitless vitality to the academic garden. Environmental law appears tender because it is "not yet deeply engaged in the world," but it is precisely because of its tender branches and leaves that it is full of vitality and dynamism. Review will embody the vigorous vitality of environmental law through its academic style of debate and discussion.
Enlightening minds is the realm that social sciences should pursue and the level Review aspires to reach. Academic journals of social sciences are stages for publishing research achievements, but this stage should not be the end of academic research, at least not the only end. It should be the spark that ignites academic interest, the flame that fuels academic passion, and the starting point for new academic explorations. The enlightenment that Review pursues also contains the meaning of "paving a path"—the effort to turn someone's "steps" into a "path." Review wishes to be a small tree because she admires how Christmas trees are always adorned with colorful decorations by those who love life. Like a pine tree leaving a new ring each year, Review publishes a volume annually. She hopes to be carved, decorated, and dressed up by more people who care about the environment and environmental resource law, just like a Christmas tree.
Review wishes to be a small bridge because she knows that bridges connect joy, friendship, and harvest. Review will connect the inside and outside of the discipline—communication between environmental law and other disciplines will spark more intellectual sparks; the collaboration between academia and practice will produce complementary effects; and the dialogue between Chinese and foreign academia in the same field will align perfectly with the need to solve common environmental problems for humanity.