国际资讯

炭黑和低空臭氧加剧气候变化 联合国环境规划署和世界气象组织发布的研究报告称,炭黑（煤烟）和低空臭氧（烟雾）能加剧气候变暖。大幅度减少炭黑和臭氧的排放量,不但能限制全球气候变暖,还有助于减少呼吸系统疾病,并能减轻对农作物的损害,促进粮食产量。报告呼吁制定控制有机废物和减少煤炭和石油行业甲烷排放等方面的政策。     

我国发展低碳农业的主要措施研究

在全球气候变暖和能源危机的背景下,农业是温室气体主要排放源之一,低碳农业作为应对气候变化的农业行动,越来越受到人们的重视。低碳农业的目标是减缓温室气体,实现高效率、低能耗、低排放、高碳汇的高效农业。在推动我国低碳农业发展的措施方面,总结起来主要包括减少碳排放、增加碳汇和采用其他相应的技术措施相结合。也就是通过一系列相应的技术措施和基础设施建设,减少温室气体总量排放的同时,增加耕地、草地和林地吸收二氧化碳的量,从而实现低碳农业的可持续发展。     

航空业也致全球变暖

经常乘坐飞机的人或许不知道,这种交通工具在为人们带来便利的同时,也给地球造成严重的伤害。长期以来,科学家一直以为燃烧煤和天然气时产生的温室气体是造成气候变暖的元凶。英国约克大学斯托格尔摩研究所最近发表的一项研究报告指出,航空业是导致气候变暖的又一罪魁祸首。他们预测,到2050年,全球气候变化中有高达15%的成分是由航空旅行造成的。由于飞机在高空飞行,它所排放的污染物比地面排放的污染物对大气的影响更大,更易导致温室效应的产生和全球气候变化。报告称,飞机每年要在大气层中排放大约3亿吨温室气体,造成的温室效应大约是地面…     

解决全球气候变暖的新思路

为了应对全球气候变暖，人们已经提出和实施了许多方案，比如，大力支持太阳能和风能等绿色能源的利用，大力推广低能耗的家用电器等器具。广泛开展节能减排活动等，以减少大气保温气体的排放。但是，不少人担心，这些个体或群体所采取的措施在遏制全球气候变暖方面是否真正能够很快见效？如果按照目前的思路走下去，我们仍不能很快控制全球气候变暖的势头，那么，我们是否需要另辟蹊径，走出另一条新路？     

发展低碳农业 减缓温室气体排放

“低碳经济”是以低能耗、低污染、低排放为基础的绿色经济，成为应对全球气候变化的根本出路。农业作为同民经济的基础产业，应该积极响应气候变暖的“低碳经济”。本文概述了农业生产和气候变化问的相互关系及相互影响，并归纳出有利于减缓温室气体排放和增加碳汇的主要低碳农业措施。     

应对气候变化,那些常用名词你知多少?

正气候变化《联合国气候变化框架公约》中对气候变化的定义指"除在类似时期内所观测的气候的自然变异之外,由于直接或间接的人类活动改变了地球大气的组成而造成的气候变化"。通俗而言,气候变化是指工业革命以来,由于人为活动排放温室气体导致大气中温室气体浓度增加引起的以变暖为主要特征的全球气候变动。     

发烧的地球

正全球气候变暖,通俗地讲,就是空气给地球盖了一层棉被。而人类日常生活中排出的温室气体二氧化碳正如棉被里的棉花,排放越多,棉被就越厚,气温就越高。而温室气体排放量的增加,是城市化的必然结果。伴随着汽车、工厂数量的上升,温度气体的排放量也会随之增加。全球变暖给地球带来潜在的影响,既有正面     

全球气候变暖已对中国粮食安全造成影响

中国气象局局长郑国光在最新一期《求是》杂志撰文指出，全球气候变暖已对中国农业生产和粮食安全造成显著的影响，将导致中国主要粮食作物生产潜力下降、不稳定性增加。     

大气治理的实现路径

策划人语:在气、火、地、水四大元素中,"气"是最自由的元素,它在天地之间穿梭往来,从不固守于某个地域。因此,被"气"所裹挟的污染也不会局限于某地,蒙古高原的沙尘会飘散到遥远的日本,燃煤电厂排放的污染颗粒物会让华北全境弥漫浓重的雾霾,而二氧化碳排放更是会造成全球性的气候变暖。在日益恶化的空气污染和全     

最暖的冬天

2007年的12月,北京下了今冬的第一场雪,今年的这场雪,来的比往年都晚一些。气象部门预计,今年有可能是56年来最暖的一个冬天。这种可能性,似乎正逐渐得到证实。逐渐变暖的天气似乎提醒我们保护环境,减少排放,预防气候变暖的重要性。     

Effect of outdoor temperature, heat primes and anchoring on belief in global warming

It is generally acknowledged that global warming is occurring, yet estimates of future climate change vary widely. Given this uncertainty, when asked about climate change, it is likely that people’s judgments may be affected by heuristics and accessible schemas. Three studies evaluated this proposition. Study 1 revealed a significant positive correlation between the outdoor temperature and beliefs in global warming. Study 2 showed that people were more likely to believe in global warming when they had first been primed with heat-related cognitions. Study 3 demonstrated that people were more likely to believe in global warming and more willing to pay to reduce global warming when they had first been exposed to a high vs. a low anchor for future increases in temperature. Together, results reveal that beliefs about global warming (and willingness to take actions to reduce global warming) are influenced by heuristics and accessible schemas. Several practical implications are discussed.     

The Cities for Climate Protection Campaign (CCPC) and the framing of Local Climate Policy

The paper contributes to the research on understanding local global warming politics. Strategic documents from The Cities for Climate Protection Campaign (CCPC) are analysed to show how CCPC has constructed climate change protection as a local issue. The paper's premise is that the climate change issue must be translated or framed to enable actors to work with this problem in a local context, and that successful framing requires establishing a coherent method of describing social reality. CCPC emphasises that the different elements of local and global sustainable development agendas can be mutually reinforcing, and that climate change protection can be reconciled with local priorities and initiatives that reduce greenhouse gases (GHG). It is argued that this framing of climate change makes it difficult to see why and how climate change should be an important concern for local communities. The modest reductions of GHG in CCPC cities thus far highlights that finding meaningful new ways of linking the global and the local should be a core concern of CCPC.     

The Cities for Climate Protection Campaign (CCPC) and the framing of Local Climate Policy

The paper contributes to the research on understanding local global warming politics. Strategic documents from The Cities for Climate Protection Campaign (CCPC) are analysed to show how CCPC has constructed climate change protection as a local issue. The paper's premise is that the climate change issue must be translated or framed to enable actors to work with this problem in a local context, and that successful framing requires establishing a coherent method of describing social reality. CCPC emphasises that the different elements of local and global sustainable development agendas can be mutually reinforcing, and that climate change protection can be reconciled with local priorities and initiatives that reduce greenhouse gases (GHG). It is argued that this framing of climate change makes it difficult to see why and how climate change should be an important concern for local communities. The modest reductions of GHG in CCPC cities thus far highlights that finding meaningful new ways of linking the global and the local should be a core concern of CCPC.     

Modeling the Impacts of Two Bark Beetle Species Under a Warming Climate in the Southwestern USA: Ecological and Economic Consequences

Predicted climate warming is expected to have profound effects on bark beetle population dynamics in the southwestern United States. Temperature-mediated effects may include increases in developmental rates, generations per year, and changes in habitat suitability. As a result, the impacts of Dendroctonus frontalis and Dendroctonus mexicanus on forest resources are likely subject to amplification. To assess the implications of such change, we evaluated the generations per year of these species under three climate scenarios using a degree-day development model. We also assessed economic impacts of increased beetle outbreaks in terms of the costs of application of preventative silvicultural treatments and potential economic revenues forgone. Across the southwestern USA, the potential number of beetle generations per year ranged from 1–3+ under historical climate, an increase of 2–4+ under the minimal warming scenario and 3–5+ under the greatest warming scenario. Economic benefits of applying basal area reduction treatments to reduce forest susceptibility to beetle outbreaks ranged from 7.75/ha (NM) to7.75/ha (NM) to 95.69/ha (AZ) under historical conditions, and 47.96/ha (NM) to47.96/ha (NM) to 174.58/ha (AZ) under simulated severe drought conditions. Basal area reduction treatments that reduce forest susceptibility to beetle outbreak result in higher net present values than no action scenarios. Coupled with other deleterious consequences associated with beetle outbreaks, such as increased wildfires, the results suggest that forest thinning treatments play a useful role in a period of climate warming.     

Ethical issues concerning potential global climate change on food production

Burning fossil fuel in the North American continent contributes more to the CO₂ global warming problem than in any other continent. The resulting climate changes are expected to alter food production. The overall changes in temperature, moisture, carbon dioxide, insect pests, plant pathogens, and weeds associated with global warming are projected to reduce food production in North America. However, in Africa, the projected slight rise in rainfall is encouraging, especially since Africa already suffers from severe shortages of rainfall. For all regions, a reduction in fossil fuel burning is vital. Adoption of sound ecological resource management, especially soil and water conservation and the prevention of deforestation, is important. Together, these steps will benefit agriculture, the environment, farmers, and society as a whole.     

The effects of large-scale afforestation and climate change on water allocation in the Macquarie River catchment,NSW, Australia

Widespread afforestation has been proposed as one means of addressing the increasing dryland and stream salinity problem in Australia. However, modelling results presented here suggest that large-scale tree planting will substantially reduce river flows and impose costs on downstream water users if planted in areas of high runoff yield. Streamflow reductions in the Macquarie River, NSW, Australia are estimated for a number of tree planting scenarios and global warming forecasts. The modelling framework includes the Sacramento rainfall-runoff model and IQQM, a streamflow routing tool, as well as various global climate model outputs from which daily rainfall and potential evaporation data files have been generated in OzClim, a climate scenario generator. For a 10% increase in tree cover in the headwaters of the Macquarie, we estimate a 17% reduction in inflows to Burrendong Dam. The drying trend for a mid-range scenario of regional rainfall and potential evaporation caused by a global warming of 0.5 degree C may cause an additional 5% reduction in 2030. These flow reductions will decrease the frequency of bird-breeding events in Macquarie Marshes (a RAMSAR protected wetland) and reduce the security of supply to irrigation areas downstream. Inter-decadal climate variability is predicted to have a very significant influence on catchment hydrologic behaviour. A further 20% reduction in flows from the long-term historical mean is possible, should we move into an extended period of below average rainfall years, such as occurred in eastern Australia between 1890 and 1948. Because current consumptive water use is largely adapted to the wetter conditions of post 1949, a return to prolonged dry periods would cause significant environmental stress given the agricultural and domestic water developments that have been instituted.     

HYDROLOGIC EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE DELAWARE RWER BASIN1

ABSTRACT: The Thornthwaite water balance and combinations of temperature and precipitation changes representing climate change were used to estimate changes in seasonal soil-moisture and runoff in the Delaware River basin. Winter warming may cause a greater proportion of precipitation in the northern part of the basin to fall as rain, which may increase winter runoff and decrease spring and summer runoff. Estimates of total annual runoff indicate that a 5 percent increase in precipitation would be needed to counteract runoff decreases resulting from a warming of 2°C; a 15 percent increase for a warming of 4°C. A warming of 2° to 4°C, without precipitation increases, may cause a 9 to 25 percent decrease in runoff. The general circulation model derived changes in annual runoff ranged from ?39 to +9 percent. Results generally agree with those obtained in studies elsewhere. The changes in runoff agree in direction but differ in magnitude. In this humid temperate climate, where precipitation is evenly distributed over the year, decreases in snow accumulation in the northern part of the basin and increases in evapotranspiration throughout the basin could change the timing of runoff and significantly reduce total annual water availability unless precipitation were to increase concurrently.     

Projected Climate Change Effects on Winterkill in Shallow Lakes in the Northern United States

2 was obtained from the output of the Canadian Climate Center General Circulation Model. To illustrate the effect of projected climate change on lake DO characteristics, we present herein DO information simulated, respectively, with inputs of past climate conditions (1961–1979) and with a projected 2 × CO₂ climate scenario, as well as differences of those values. Specific parameters obtained were minimum under-ice and lake bottom DO concentration in winter, duration of under-ice anoxic conditions (<0.1 mg/liter) and low DO conditions (<3 mg/liter), and percentage of anoxic and low DO lake volumes during the ice cover period. Under current climate conditions winterkill occurs typically in shallow eutrophic lakes of the northern contiguous United States. Climate warming is projected to eliminate winterkill in these lakes. This would be a positive effect of climate warming. Fish species under ice may still experience periods of stress and zero growth due to low DO (<3 mg/liter) conditions under projected climate warming.     

WEATHER AND CLIMATE EXTREMES,CLIMATE CHANGE,AND PLANNING: Views of Community Water System Managers in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River Basin1

ABSTRACT: This research examines the sensitivity and vulnerability of community water systems (CWSs) to weather and climate in the Pennsylvania portion of the Susquehanna River Basin. Three key findings emerge from a survey of 506 CWS managers. First, CWSs are sensitive to extreme weather and climate, but that sensitivity is determined more by type of system than system size. CWSs that rely partly or wholly on surface water face more disruptions than do groundwater systems. Larger systems have more problems with flooding, and size is not a significant determinant of outages from storms or disruptions from droughts. Second, CWS managers are unsure about global warming. Few managers dismiss global warming; most think global warming could be a problem but are unwilling to consider it in their planning activities until greater scientific certainty exists. Third, the nature of the CWS, its sensitivity to weather and climate, and projected risks from weather and climate are insignificant determinants of how managers plan. Experienced, full-time managers are more likely to consider future weather and climate scenarios in their planning, while inexperienced and part-time managers are less likely to do so. Implications of these findings include support for efforts to move away from surface water, for clear communication of climate change information, and for the hiring and retention of full-time professional CWS managers.     

Hydropower Relicensing and Climate Change1

Viers, Joshua H., 2011. Hydropower Relicensing and Climate Change. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(4):655‐661. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00531.x Abstract: Hydropower represents approximately 20% of the world’s energy supply, is viewed as both vulnerable to global climate warming and an asset to reduce climate‐altering emissions, and is increasingly the target of improved regulation to meet multiple ecosystem service benefits. It is within this context that the recent decision by the United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reject studies of climate change in its consideration of reoperation of the Yuba‐Bear Drum‐Spaulding hydroelectric facilities in northern California is shown to be poorly reasoned and risky. Given the rapidity of climate warming, and its anticipated impacts to natural and human communities, future long‐term fixed licenses of hydropower operation will be ill prepared to adapt if science‐based approaches to incorporating reasonable and foreseeable hydrologic changes into study plans are not included. The licensing of hydroelectricity generation can no longer be issued in isolation due to downstream contingencies such as domestic water use, irrigated agricultural production, ecosystem maintenance, and general socioeconomic well‐being. At minimum, if the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is to establish conditions of operation for 30‐50 years, licensees should be required to anticipate changing climatic and hydrologic conditions for a similar period of time.