Climate variations and New Zealand agriculture: the CLIMPACTS system and issues of spatial and temporal scale.

Internationally and nationally, New Zealand has a growing requirement to assess and report on the possible effects of climate change. In association with this requirement, the science of climate change is rapidly evolving requiring a capacity for rapid reassessment of effects to take account of scientific advances. Consequently, past assessment methods, which have not been computationally efficient, nor easily repeated, are becoming outdated. To address this gap, an integrated assessment model (IAM), the CLIMPACTS system, has been developed for New Zealand. The CLIMPACTS system has been developed to provide flexibility in application, to be easily updated to take account of scientific advances, and capable of providing information in a manner that is relevant to policymakers. In order to be relevant in New Zealand, it has been necessary to account for different scales of assessment, nationally, at specific sites, and regionally. Nationally, the focus is on spatial applications (e.g., changes in areas of suitability), whereas at sites, the focus is on temporal applications (e.g., changes in risk). The regional capacity in the CLIMPACTS system has required an integration of spatial and temporal applications. This paper describes briefly the capability that has been developed at these different scales of assessment, with brief examples for each. The CLIMPACTS system has enhanced New Zealand's capability to examine environmental sensitivities to climate change, as a basis for better informed policy decisions. Importantly, it is an evolving platform that can be readily extended to other sectors and updated, for example, to account for the effects of internationally agreed greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets.     

《21世纪议程》:行动与展望

1992年,联合国环境与发展大会通过了《关于环境与发展的里约热内卢宣言》、《21世纪议程》和《关于森林问题的原则声明》3项重要文件。之后,国际社会为推动"里约精神"的落实做出了积极努力:联合国可持续发展委员会每年举行会议,审议《21世纪议程》的执行情况;许多国家制定了国家和地方层面的《21世纪议程》或可持续发展战略;相关国际组织以可持续发展能力建设为主的活动也十分活跃。人类把发展与环境相协调作为行动准则,各国依据国情制定了促进环境与发展相协调的优先事项,使人类在实现可持续发展的进程中取得了积极进展:全球经济实现了大幅增长,发展中国家在全球经济格局中的地位不断上升;在消除贫困等社会发展方面取得显著效果,全球开始进入城市化时代;全球能源资源供应呈现多元化,资源节约集约利用成效显著。中国在经济发展滞后、贫困现象较严重背景下,承担了全球实施《21世纪议程》的旗舰角色;并依据本国的具体国情,选择性地学习与借鉴,摸索创造出具有自身特色的发展模式和道路,增加了世界可持续发展方式选择的多样性。20年来,尽管各个国家在可持续发展方面采取了积极行动,但是"里约精神"尚未全面转化为行动,在相关国际承诺与公约的履行方面还需付出巨大努力,仍然面临着重大挑战。如:以气候变化为代表的重大全球性环境问题对人类生存构成的直接威胁加大;生态超载背景下的发展空间争夺更趋激烈;全球性民生问题凸显,可持续发展面临的社会风险加大,等等。我们期待:通过"里约+20"大会,使得相关国际制度安排不断形成和完善,可持续发展进一步向全球行动转化;科技创新步伐加快,进一步推动全球向绿色发展转型;加快全球治理体系调整,新兴发展中国家成为全球可持续发展的重要推动力;全球共同努力解决重大资源环境问题,可持续发展领域的国际关系呈现竞争性合作。     

Can environmental regulation promote industrial innovation and productivity?Based on the strong and weak Porter hypothesis

This paper constructed extended CDM model to study the effects of environmental regulation on industrial innovation and productivity based on the perspective of strong and weak “Porter hypothesis”, by using 28 manufacturing industry panel data of 2003–2014. The findings reveal that: (1) the impact of environmental regulation on R&D intensity lags behind. In the long run, environmental regulation intensity has a significant role in promoting R&D investment in manufacturing industry. (2) The R&D has a significant role in promoting the substantial innovation of manufacturing industry, and has a strong lag and continuity. However, the R&D intensity has no obvious effect on strategic innovation of manufacturing industry. (3) The substantial innovation doesn’t significantly promote the economic performance of manufacturing industry, but it has a significant role in promoting the energy performance of manufacturing industry, and the substantial innovation plays a significant role in promoting environmental performance in the long term. The strategic innovation significantly promotes the economic performance of manufacturing industry, and it inhibits the energy performance and has no significant effect on environmental performance in the short term. It can promote the energy performance of manufacturing industry, but significantly inhibit environmental performance in the long term. (4) Environmental regulation has significantly suppressed the substantive innovation and strategic innovation of manufacturing industry, and the weak Porter hypothesis has not yet been supported. In the short term, environmental regulation inhibits manufacturing economic performance, but it can promote energy and environmental performance. In the long run, environmental regulation promotes the economic and energy performance of manufacturing industry, but it inhibits environmental performance. The establishment of strong Porter hypothesis has a certain scenario.     

中国的能源发展与应对气候变化

我国当前经济社会发展既受到资源环境的瓶颈性制约,也受到全球应对气候变化、减缓碳排放的严峻挑战.我国大力推进节能和减缓CO2排放,GDP的CO2强度下降速度为世界瞩目,但由于工业化阶段GDP快速增长,CO2排放仍呈增长快、总量大的趋势.我国把国内可持续发展与全球应对气候变化相协调,实现绿色、低碳发展.加强产业结构的战略性调整,进行产业升级,促进结构节能；大力推广节能技术,淘汰落后产能,提高能源效率;积极发展新能源和可再生能源,优化能源结构,降低能源结构的含碳率,中近期以大幅度降低GDP的能源强度和CO2强度为主要目标,到2030年前后要努力使CO2排放达到峰值,到2050年再有较大幅度的下降,以适应全球控制温升不超过2℃长期减排目标下国际合作应对气候变化的进程和形势.“十二五”期间将进一步强化措施,进行能源消费总量控制,建立CO2排放统计、核算和考核体系,积极推进碳交易市场机制,这也将成为加快转变经济发展方式的重要着力点.     

Radioecology, radiobiology, and radiological protection: frameworks and fractures

A framework for the protection of the general public has been in existence for a very long time, although steps have recently been made by the ICRP to ensure that it is more fully comprehensive with regard to all actual and potential exposure situations. Protection of the environment, however, has only recently begun to be addressed in a structured manner, and is still an evolving subject. Nevertheless, it needs to be centred around some form of parallel framework to that which has evolved for the protection of human beings, although clearly on a different scale. It also needs to be embedded within the basic science of radiobiology, and form a central part of radioecology.     

Understanding levels and trends of BDE-47 in the UK and North America: an assessment of principal reservoirs and source inputs

Despite increasing interest in the occurrence of Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the environment, there has been only limited effort expended to identify principal source input reservoirs and pathways into the environment. Taking a single congener BDE-47, an important component of the penta commercial product, we have estimated principal contemporary reservoirs and emissions in two regions with very different historical use patterns. In North America, production and use of the penta-product has been rising steadily for the last 20 years, whilst in the UK, use has been restricted over the last 10 years, and most recently, there has been an EU ban on use. Mass balance models have been applied using our contemporary emission estimates to predict environmental levels. Results highlight that contemporary emissions to air can account for contemporary air concentrations but cannot account for measured concentrations in principal reservoirs such as soils and sediments. Future efforts are needed to improve our knowledge of the stocks of PBDEs in use, and emission factors from those stocks, to better understand/predict past and likely future trends.     

CAD and DFM: enablers of sustainable product design

Sustainability has been regarded as an important concept for survival in the contemporary scenario. Modern design engineers are in need of approaches for creating sustainable products. In this context, this paper reports a case study carried out in an Indian modular switches manufacturing organisation. The existing handle of the switch has been modelled using computer-aided design (CAD). Then, the sustainability analysis has been carried out for determining the environmental impact. This is followed by the redesign of the handle using design for manufacturability (DFM) principles. The sustainability has been measured in terms of carbon footprint, energy consumption and air–water impacts. It has been found that the redesigned handle possesses minimal environmental impact. It could be inferred from the results of the case study that CAD and DFM could lead to the development of sustainable product design with minimal impact on the environment.     

Analysis of observed and perceived climate change and variability in Arsi Negele District,Ethiopia

Climate change and variability has been detected in Ethiopia. Smallholder and subsistence farmers, pastoralists and forest-dependent households are the most hit by climate-related hazards. They have to have perception of climate change in order to respond it through making coping and/or adaptation strategies. Local perceptions and coping strategies provide a crucial foundation for community-based climate change adaptation measures. This study was specifically designed to (1) assess households’ perception and knowledge in climate change and/or variability, and (2) establish the observed changes in climate parameters with community perceptions and climate anomalies. Purposive stratified random sampling method has been used to gather information from 355 sample households for individual interviews supplemented by group discussion and key informants interviews. The analysis of observed and satellite climate data for the study district showed that mean maximum and minimum temperature for the period 1983–2014 has increased by 0.047 and 0.028 °C/year, respectively. However, the total rainfall has declined by 10.16 mm per annum. Seasonally, the rainfall has declined by 2.198, 4.541, 1.814 and 1.608 mm per annum for Ethiopian summer, spring, autumn and winter seasons, respectively. Similarly, the mean maximum temperature of the study area had showed an increment of 0.035, 0.049, 0.044 and 0.065 °C per year for spring, winter, autumn and summer seasons, respectively. The observed climate variation has been confirmed by people’s perception. Considering what had been the existed situations before 30 years ago as normal, an increase in temperature, an increase in drought frequency, a decrease in total rainfall, erratic nature of its distribution and the tardiness of its onset had been perceived by 88, 70, 97, 80 and 94% of the respondents, respectively, at current time—2015. Deforestation as a casual factor of climate change and variability had been perceived by 99.7% of the respondents. This had been also confirmed by scientific studies as it emits carbon dioxide and is the main driver of climate change and variability. Indigenous knowledge, including climate predictions, has been used by people to implement their day-to-day agricultural activities. Therefore, science should be integrated with the perception and indigenous knowledge of people to come up with concrete solution for climate change and variability impacts on human livelihoods.     

碳排放的人文发展绩效指标与实证分析

随着气候问题的日益凸显,发展低碳经济已成为全球共识.因此,提高碳排放绩效便成为题中应有之义.既有的关于碳排放绩效的研究主要围绕碳生产率指标展开,问题在于碳生产率测度的是碳排放的经济绩效,而非经济社会福利绩效.本文综合排放总量、人均排放以及发展阶段三个因素,构建碳排放的人文发展绩效指标,在此基础上对二十国集团1990-2006年的碳排放绩效进行分析,结果显示历年绩效平均值排前五名的国家是印度尼西亚、巴西、阿根廷、土耳其和墨西哥.七个国家的碳排放绩效呈现上升的趋势,其中德国和英国碳排放绩效增速较快,且在控制碳排放的同时保持了人类发展水平的提高,值得其他国家效仿.人类发展指数和碳排放绩效二维组合的国家分类表明,碳排放绩效不高是各国普遍存在的问题.无论从动态还是静态角度来看,中国目前都不具备低碳竞争优势.最后对中国如何提高碳排放绩效提出了从技术、制度与理念三方面进行创新的政策建议.     

能源价格变动对中国节能降耗的影响效应

在分析我国能源比价扭曲对能耗强度影响效应的基础上,建立了Bayesian时变动态回归模型,测算了能源价格变动对能耗的影响效果及变动趋势。主要结论为:①能源比价关系的调整比单种能源价格的国际接轨更为重要。相比国际市场的能源比价结构,中国能源商品价格结构的扭曲度提高了中国的能耗强度,促进了第二产业的增长。②能源价格的变动对单位GDP能耗的影响效应具有显著的时变特征。在电力、煤炭、石油三种能源中,电力价格的变动对能耗强度的影响最大。电力价格变化对单位GDP能耗的影响边际效应在逐年下降,但节能的效果仍很显著。煤电价格联动制约及"从量计征"的资源税偏低使得煤炭价格的上涨反而加大了能耗强度,且1996年以来煤炭价格的提高对单位GDP能耗上升的影响效应还在不断加强,原油价格的提高对单位GDP能耗的影响在不同的时间段有不同的作用,但相对煤炭及电力价格来说,石油价格的影响效应最小。2002年以前石油价格的上升对能耗的上升起助推作用,2003年后石油价格的上升对能耗的上升起降低作用且强度逐年加大。     

长江经济带城镇化与生态环境耦合协调效应测度与交互胁迫关系验证

基于长江经济带9省2市2000～2017年数据,建立长江经济带城镇化与生态环境交互耦合协调发展评价体系,运用耦合协调模型和交互胁迫模型,探究二者的动态关系。结果表明:在时间序列上,2000～2017年,长江经济带的城镇化与生态环境之间的协调性呈现稳步上升态势,整体处于良好耦合协调阶段。研究期初,生态环境综合指数高于城镇化综合指数;研究期末,城镇化综合指数高于生态环境综合指数。在空间格局上,二者的协调发展态势存在由东部区域沿中西部区域下降的空间差异特征。长江经济带的城镇化与生态环境之间存在交互胁迫关系,演变状态符合双指数函数特征。长江经济带区域内各省市存在城镇化与生态环境动态耦合关系的空间分布不均衡,经济较发达地区城镇化水平较高,经济欠发达地区生态环境受恶化风险较大。     

人口与消费对碳排放影响的分析模型与实证

从消费压力人口视角探讨碳排放问题,有利于正确判断和把握气候变化压力的人文因素,以及人口与消费可持续发展的动力学机制.本文通过对STIRPAT模型的扩展,应用岭回归方法计量分析人口、消费及技术因素对碳排放的影响.对我国1980至2007年碳排放情况的统计实证结果表明,扩展的STIRPAT模型对中国国情有较高的解释力.居民消费水平、人口城市化率、人口规模三个因素对我国碳排放总量的变化影响明显;现阶段我国居民消费水平与人口结构变化对碳排放的影响力已高于人口规模变化的影响力,居民消费水平与消费模式等人文因素的变化有可能成为我国碳排放的新的增长点;技术进步因素在此模型中对我国该阶段碳排放的解释力有限,表明我国未来通过技术进步减缓碳排放的潜力巨大.     

Sustainable design of sprocket using CAD and Design Optimisation

The contemporary manufacturing organisations recognise sustainability as a vital concept for survival in the competitive scenario. The modern design engineers are in need of approaches for creating environmentally friendlier products. In this context, this project reports a case study carried out in an Indian sprocket manufacturing organisation. The existing sprocket has been created using Computer Aided Design (CAD). Then, the sustainability analysis has been performed for determining the environmental impact. This is followed by the optimisation of sprocket design using Design Optimisation. The environmental impact has been measured in terms of carbon footprint, energy consumption and air/water impacts. It has been found that the optimised sprocket design possess minimal environmental impact. The results of the case study indicated that CAD and Design Optimisation could lead to the development of sustainable design with minimal impact to the environment.     

The DNA damage activity (DDA) assay and its application to river waters and diesel exhausts

An extremely sensitive assay has been developed for DNA-damaging chemicals using a DNA repair-deficient strain of Escherichia coli. Considerable DNA-damaging activity has been demonstrated by this assay in natural surface-water samples and in diesel-exhaust particulate extracts.     

Establishing Eco-compensation System in China: Practice, Problems and Strategies

At present, main objective of Chinese government is building a harmonious society, which needs great efforts to promote harmonious development between people and nature as well as people and people. Implementing eco-compensation has been proven effective for achieving the objective. In fact, Chinese government has begun groping for establishing eco-compensation system since the beginning of 1980's and has obtained some experiences until now. However, eco-compensation system in China is still unperfected and has not played an important role for building a harmonious society and promoting sustainable development in today's China. An integrated and effective methodology system is still not formed, and there are still many problems need to be resolved. Based on these problems and experiences from China and other countries, this study attempts to give some suggestions for perfecting eco-compensation system of Chinese government.     

Routes and intensity of geese migration over northern Sakhalin and the mainland part of Tatar Strait

The intensity of geese migration has increased since 2005, and its routes have shifted eastward. The main migration route of the geese previously passed over the northwestern Sea of Okhotsk, far from the coast; since 2005, however, a major migration flow has been recorded over northern Sakhalin and the mainland part of Tatar Strait. A probable factor accounting for this shift is a change in weather conditions and, in particular, in the circulation of air masses over the northwestern Sea of Okhotsk.     

中国城市化发展阶段与CO2排放的关系研究

目前节能减排已经成为中国“十二五”规划面临的主要任务之一,相关部门在进行决策时不能不考虑城市发展水平与CO2排放的关系.通过协整理论及修正误差模型分析结果表明,由于中国经历着经济转轨和社会转型,虽然1949-2007年城市化与CO2排放并不存在长期均衡关系,但改革开放前后城市化和CO2排放量都呈现出长期稳定的比例关系,即CO2排放随着城市化水平的提高而不断提高,且改革开放前后城市化水平对CO2排放影响存在差异.另外,尽管从短期来看,CO2排放不受当年城市化变动的影响,但从长期来看,不论改革开放前还是改革开放以后,城市化与CO2排放之间具有长期的稳定关系.城市化对CO2排放的影响存在一定的滞后性.因此,相关政府部门在进行决算时不能脱离城市化发展阶段,即要考虑短期影响,更要在战略高度进行长期规划,可通过把握城市化的进程来控制CO2排放增长的速度.     

国外棕地价值评估的方法与实践综述

在我国日益推进的城市化进程中,土地污染问题日益凸显,污染对于土地造成的价值损失也越来越引起人们的关注。因此,在土地的价值评估中如何纳入环境因素成为当前亟待解决的技术问题。而国外的棕地(即污染土地)价值评估起步较早,实践较为丰富,本文在参考大量外文文献的基础上,结合国外评估师的实践经验,对主要的国外棕地价值评估方法进行系统梳理总结,并针对市场比较法、收益还原法、成本逼近法和内涵定价法等四种不同方法的具体实践应用,筛选出有代表性的国外案例进行探讨,以期为国内的棕地价值评估提供方法与实践的参考。在此基础上,本文也就学术界的争论对棕地价值评估方法中的污名、清理期间和风险评估等三个方面的问题进行了总结和讨论,提出棕地价值评估对我国四个方面的启示和借鉴:重视环境因素,为促进和激励土地环境整治提供依据;出台相关政策,加强土地用途转换过程中的环境风险评估;公开环境数据,为棕地价值评估提供数据支撑;积累和借鉴经验,提高评估结果的准确性。     

Urbanisation Without Development: Environmental and Health Implications in African Cities

Sustainable development advocates for a balance between socio-economic development and the environment in the pursuit of human advancement. In Africa, high population growth and inadequate infrastructure in urban areas exert pressure on the environment and this threatens the health and wellbeing of urban residents. The population of the African continent until the 1960s was predominantly rural. This scenario has taken a swift turn and some of the major shifts in the global urbanisation process are taking place on the continent. Factors including natural increase in the population, rural–urban migration, strife and hunger leading to the internal displacement of populations have exacerbated the urbanisation process in Africa. The situation has been worsened by the imposition of Western development policies, including structural adjustment programmes on African nations, which has eroded the subsistence base of rural agricultural communities and further ignited rural urban migration. The failure of industry to absorb the increasing labour force has created massive unemployment and deepening poverty crisis in urban centres. Inadequate provision of infrastructure and services to meet the growth in urban populations has resulted in inefficient spatial development of urban centres, the proliferation of squatter settlements, inadequate basic amenities including potable water, sanitation and waste disposal. Poor environmental sanitation has resulted in the upsurge of infectious diseases and deteriorating urban health. Urban populations in Africa are also the worst affected by newly emerging diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS. The poor bear a disproportionately large share of the problems due to their particular vulnerability to environmental and health risks. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Subjectivity and social-ecological systems: a rigidity trap (and sense of place as a way out)

The fundamental point of this paper is that constructs such as system identity stability and changes (tips, transitions, transformations from one identity to another), are subjectively perceived, and acted upon by the social actors that occupy these systems. However, social-ecological systems (SES) research has not yet adequately engaged this subjectivity. I argue, here, that this relative lack of recognition of subjectivity has become a “rigidity trap” for SES scholars. Subjectivity is messy and difficult, and does not fit particularly well within the systems perspectives that characterize resilience work. As such, this lack of engagement has led to self-reinforcing perspectives that emphasize some elements and de-emphasize others, creating a systematic neglect of some principles that might productively challenge existing notions and expand our thinking. Sense of place theory, which emphasizes the creation of meaning as systematically distributed throughout society, is offered as a mechanism for helping SES researchers more fully engage subjectivity.