Toward sustainable use of natural resources: Nexus between resource rents,affluence, energy intensity and carbon emissions in developing and transition economies

Sustainable use of natural resources would entail ensuring that derived economic benefits today do not undermine the welfare of generations to come. On this basis, this study examines the nexus between natural resource rents and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions disaggregated into production and consumption-based (i.e., trade-adjusted) CO₂ emissions for a selected panel of 45 developing and transition economies over the period 1995–2017. The empirical model also incorporates the impacts of population, affluence, and energy intensity. The results show that affluence increases production-based CO₂ emissions by 1.407%, with the EKC's predicted inverted U-shaped curve only explaining consumption-based CO₂ emissions. Economic reliance on natural resource rents and energy intensification contribute 0.022% and 0.766%, respectively, to CO₂ emissions embedded in territorial production inventories and 0.035% and 0.583%, respectively, to CO₂ emissions embedded in consumption inventories. The bootstrap non-causality test shows that historical data on each variable has significant predictive power for future CO₂ emissions from both sources. The historical information about natural resource rents has significant predictive power over the future levels of affluence and energy intensity. Clearly, the results show that the environmental impact of natural resource rents is stronger when CO₂ emissions are adjusted for trade and varies among the countries, with Bangladesh, Guinea, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe among the most affected countries. Overall, this study provides motivation for policies to keep the use of natural resources within sustainable limits.     

How does eliminating mercury from artisanal and small-scale gold mining lead to achieving sustainable development goals?

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the principal anthropogenic activity that globally contributes to overloading our environment with mercury. Although the Minamata Convention, led by the United Nations, is a crucial instrument to eliminate its use progressively, novel approaches to accelerate this difficult transition are welcome. This article proposes a framework for policy-making or improvement, fostering the enforcement of mercury elimination through the lens of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the excluded artisanal and small-scale gold miners and their dependents. We move forward with a literature review of the Artisanal and Small Mining topic, taking each SDG as a unit of analysis. Understanding the problem as a puzzle of four sets of pieces, namely: (1) social, (2) environmental, (3) economic, and (4) institutional, the paper offers potential opportunities for the decision-makers and practitioners to accelerate the substitution of this heavy metal and develop sustainable futures for the ASGM communities. We conclude by proposing a pragmatic framework that synthesizes the means, actions, and ends to accelerate a sustainable transition.     

Effects of Amazonian flying rivers on frog biodiversity and populations in the Atlantic rainforest

Given the speed at which humans are changing the climate, species with high degrees of endemism may not have time to avoid extinction through adaptation. We investigated through teleconnection analysis the origin of rainfall that determines the phylogenetic diversity of rainforest frogs and the effects of microclimate differences in shaping the morphological traits of isolated populations (which contribute to greater phylogenetic diversity and speciation). We also investigated through teleconnection analysis how deforestation in Amazonia can affect ecosystem services that are fundamental to maintaining the climate of the Atlantic rainforest biodiversity hotspot. Seasonal winds known as flying rivers carry water vapor from Amazonia to the Atlantic Forest, and the breaking of this ecosystem service could lead Atlantic Forest species to population decline and extinction in the short term. Our results suggest that the selection of morphological traits that shape Atlantic Forest frog diversity and their population dynamics are influenced by the Amazonian flying rivers. Our results also suggest that the increases of temperature anomalies in the Atlantic Ocean due to global warming and in the Amazon forest due to deforestation are already breaking this cycle and threaten the biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest hotspot.     

Spatial analysis of resources and environmental carrying capacity in Iran

Urbanization and mass movement of the population from rural areas and small cities to megacities have led to environmental, economic, and social problems in Iran. In dealing with these challenges, assessing resource and environmental carrying capacity (RECC) is considered an effective method to leverage space and capital to achieve sustainable development. This study aimed to rank the provincial RECC in Iran. Toward this purpose, environmental indices were generated from remotely sensed and statistical census data. Then, the provinces were scored in terms of environmental, economic, and infrastructural carrying capacities, and RECC using the mean variance analysis method. Results demonstrated that in most areas, there is no relationship between economic and infrastructural capacities and development. Statistically, a correlation coefficient of −0.53 between economic and environmental carrying capacities indicated excessive use of environmental capacities. Moreover, the spatial distribution pattern of environmental, economic, and infrastructural carrying capacity was entirely heterogeneous between the provinces; there was a northeast–southwest pattern in terms of infrastructural capacity and an economic pattern from north to south. The distribution pattern of RECC is most consistent with the environmental capacity, pointing at the high weight of the indicators of the RECC model. In conclusion, this research offers a new vision for policymakers and provides a theoretical and applicable framework for implementing sustainable strategies in land-use planning. It is recommended that the RECC concept and tools can be used not only for planning but also for measuring the efficiency of spatial development programs and establishing land balances in the region.     

薄膜扩散梯度技术在重金属生物有效态监测中的应用

重金属生物有效性是评估重金属元素迁移性、生物可利用性和生态影响的关键参数。薄膜扩散梯度技术(DGT)是一种原位被动采样技术,因其具有原位富集性、形态选择性,可提供被监测物质在监测时间段内的平均浓度等优点,可作为生物对重金属摄取的模拟替代物对环境介质中重金属的生物可利用度进行预测,已被广泛应用于环境介质中重金属生物有效性的测定。研究主要介绍了DGT技术的原理、组成和特点,评述了其近年来在水体、土壤、沉积物中重金属生物有效态应用方面的新进展,提出了DGT技术未来要提高抗生物污染能力及寻找可与DGT技术联用的相关技术的观点。     

北京首都机场绿色滑行时间估算

采用北京首都机场2014年实际CDM地面放行数据确定航空器的污染物排放量与离场排队飞机数量和落地滑入飞机数量的强关联性,构建包含这两个解释变量为影响因素的多元线性回归模型,用以估算几种常见机型在首都机场地面运行时的最小污染物排放量和绿色滑行时间。对比实际污染物排放量与最小污染物排放量,得出首都机场离场地面污染物排放量远远超过最小污染物排放量。     

磺胺氯哒嗪在海水中的间接光降解

以有色溶解有机物(CDOM)作为主要光敏剂研究磺胺氯哒嗪(SCP)间接光降解行为和机理,分析CDOM组成、盐度和pH值对SCP间接光降解的影响.SCP间接光降解速率随CDOM浓度升高而逐渐加快.CDOM产生的光化学反应活性中间体对SCP间接光降解的贡献率不同,其中³CDOM^*起主要作用,对SCP间接光降解的贡献率高达77.94%.所用CDOM由4种荧光组分组成,包含3种外源腐殖质(C1,C2,C3)和1种内源腐殖质(C4), SCP间接光降解去除率和³CDOM^*浓度分别与荧光组分的相关性大小顺序均为C3>C2>C4>C1.其中C3和C2与[³CDOM^*]具有较高线性相关性(R²>0.97),是³CDOM^*的主要贡献者.盐度和pH值对SCP间接光降解的影响作用显著.在盐度为15‰时,SCP的间接光降解速率最大.在低盐度范围(0~15‰)内,离子强度效应对间接光降解的促进作用大于无机阴离子带来的抑制作用,使得间接光降解速率随着盐度的升高而加快.溶液pH=(5.00±0.10)时,SCP的间接光降解速率最大.SCP的间接光降解速率随着溶液pH值的升高而减慢,中性和碱性环境不利于SCP的间接光降解.     

压力容器制造监检中对若干问题的处理

针对压力容器制造监检中某些受检单位在法规标准的理解上存在误区或者疏忽、不知如何进行后续整改工作的现状,笔者结合多年压力容器监督检验的工作经验,提出自己的解决方案,以供参考,也希望广大读者在遇到类似情况时能够正确理解并执行相关法规标准。     

Emerging applications of green coconut: A promising lignocellulosic biomass

Waste accumulation is a grave concern and becoming a transboundary challenge for environment. During Covid-19 pandemic, diverse type of waste were collected due to different practices employed in order to fight back the transmission rate of the virus. Covid-19 was proved to be capricious catastrophe of this 20th century and even not completely eradicated from the world. The havoc created by this imperceptible quick witted, pleomorphic deadly virus can't be ignored. Though a number of vaccines have been developed by the scientists but there is a fear of getting this virus again in our life. Medical studies prove that immunity drinks will help to reduce its reoccurrences. Coconut water is widely used among all drinks available globally. Its massive consumption created an incalculable pile of green coconut shells around the different corners of the world. This practice generating enormous problem of space acquisition for the environment. Both the environment and public health will benefit from an evaluation of quantity of coconut waste that is being thrown and its potential to generate value added products. With this context, present article has been planned to study different aspects like, coconut waste generation, its biological properties and environmental hazards associated with its accumulation. Additionally, this review illustrates, green technologies for production of different value added products from coconut waste.     

Zinc recovery from hazardous construction wastes via an integrated process of the air classification,alkaline leaching,and water washing

Zinc- and lead-containing wastes are often mixed with construction and demolition wastes in many factories, generating abundant of heavy metal-enriched hazardous waste. In the present study, a novel integrated process of air classification, alkaline leaching, and water washing dechlorination was proposed for the efficient recycling of Zinc (Zn) resources. The first air classification process was realized via venturi tube, wherein the content of Zn could increase by 20 wt.%. After that, the product underwent an alkaline leaching process. Results showed that Zn recovery rate increased with fine particle sizes, and a 65% recovery rate was obtained under the following conditions of 5 mol/L NaOH, liquid/solid 10:1, and leaching time 1 h. Finally, water washing associated with microwave and ultrasonic treatments could remove over 85% of Cl and other water-soluble salts. All the results indicated that the integrated method had an excellent recovery rate for Zn resources from construction and demolition wastes.