Quantitative analysis of CO2 embodiment in international trade: An overview of emerging literatures

The increasing volume of CO₂ embodiment in international trade adds a layer of complexity to environmental policies and has raised arguments on the traditional production based responsibility for CO₂ emissions. In order to help understand the quantity of CO₂ embodiment in trade and its policy implications, this paper gives observations to recently emerging literatures that quantitatively discuss CO₂ embodiment in trade. The analytical approaches share the principle of using input and output modeling but vary dramatically in study boundary and estimation accuracy. The calculations can be roughly categorized into three types: direct quantification of CO₂ embodiments in multiregional trade, direct quantification of CO₂ embodiment in bilateral trade, and indirect analysis by comparing the scenarios with or without trade. The practical estimations strongly rely on trade partner selection and data availability. An obvious imbalance of net CO₂ embodiment in the commodity trade between major developed countries and developing economies as a whole was confirmed by these literatures. Carbon taxes and other possible limitations on CO₂ emissions have been addressed. The consistency across the calculations could be enhanced by systematic analyses in more detail to convince the international community to take binding commitments for the reduction of global CO₂ emissions.     

单级与二级BAF工艺除碳硝化效能的对比研究

在总曝气量、HRT、水温、进水水质相同的条件下,对比研究了单级(BAF C/N)和二级曝气生物液池(BAF C+N)处理生活污水的除碳硝化效能。结果表明,将除碳和硝化分级有利于提高BAF工艺的处理效能。分级后,C柱较C/N柱具有更高的COD去除容积负荷,且出水COD浓度稳定低于50 mg/L;二级BAF工艺出水NH4+-N浓度由单级BAF的5～12 mg/L降至5 mg/L以下,且N柱在pH<6.3时依然能够进行硝化;N柱中下部具有较高的微生物活性,平均比耗氧速率为32 mg O2/(g VAS·h)。二级BAF中C柱的反冲洗周期和强度与单级BAF相同,而N柱的反冲洗周期则延长至5～7 d,能够降低反冲洗能耗和用水量。     

Efficient microwave degradation of humic acids in water using persulfate and activated carbon

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Humic acids are complex mixtures of organic molecules of different sizes, molecular weights and functional groups such as phenols, carboxyls, quinones and amino...     

热喷处理污泥及其复混肥的养分效率与生物效应

采用室内分析和田间生物试验，研究了热喷处理污泥及其复混肥的养分供应能力及它们在农地上施用对土壤肥力、青菜产量及其品质的影响。结果表明：热喷处理能有效杀灭污泥中病原物，除自，并可使污泥中水溶性有机碳和速效氮含量分别提高87％，19％和35％，施用热喷污泥制成的复混肥不但比等养分的无机复合肥多增产38％，而且青菜体内Vc和水溶性总糖等营养品质也有明显的提高，NO3^-却只有无机复合肥处理的一半左右，污泥经势喷处理有利于提高污泥中养分的生物有效性，特别是热喷污泥制成的复混肥氮磷养分利用率显著高于无机复合肥，施用污泥和污泥复混肥还能提高土壤肥力，比单纯大量施用污泥要安全得多，土地使用年限可延长40倍。     

Determinant factors of corporate environmental information disclosure: an empirical study of Chinese listed companies

In order to help understand the environmental disclosure mechanism from the corporate perspective, this paper identifies the determinant factors affecting the disclosure level of corporate environmental information on the basis of stakeholder theory, and gives an empirical observation on Chinese listed companies. The corporate environmental information disclosure (EID) level appears to be marginal in current Chinese context. Nearly 40% of the sampled companies opened no substantial environmental data to the public as could be seen from the content analysis of disclosed information. The present condition is that the EID strategy of Chinese listed companies is oriented to fill up the government's environmental concerns. The corporate EID effort is significantly relative to its environmental sensitivity (a proxy of the pressure from the government) and its size. The role of other stakeholders, like shareholders and creditors tested in this study in effecting the EID, is found to be still weak. Another interesting finding is that the sampled companies are selectively opening their environmental information. Companies operating in eastern coastal regions, where the economy has been relatively developed, are more likely to disclose emission-related data. The better the company's economic performance, the more information on environmental investment and pollution control cost is disclosed. More concerns of the firm's stakeholders on environmental issues shall be promoted in order to encourage Chinese enterprises to disclose more environmental information and accordingly become more proactive for improving their environmental performance.     

Electrical and electronic waste management in China: progress and the barriers to overcome.

Serious adverse impacts on the environment and human health from e-waste recycling have occurred in the past and continue to occur in China today, due to a lack of national management strategies. China has made great efforts to face the challenges of the approaching peak increase in the domestic generation of e-waste and the illegal shipment of e-waste from other countries. This study examined recent progress and analysed the main problems associated with this issue in China. It was found that the material and the financial flows of e-waste in China had their own specific characteristics. Nearly 60% of the generated e-wastes were sold to private individual collectors and passed into informal recycling processes. More than 90% of Chinese citizens are reluctant to pay for the recycling of their e-waste. This is due to their traditional understanding that there remained value in these end-of-life products. Regulations concerning e-waste in China have been drafted but their deficiencies are obvious. The extended producer responsibilities (EPR) have been introduced but are not well defined. Eight formal facilities have been planned and are under construction or are in operation along the eastern coast of China but it will be difficult for them to compete with the informal processes for the reasons identified during the study.     

贵阳市生活垃圾处理现状与对策研究

贵阳市生活垃圾处理存在公众环保意识不强、垃圾处理方式单一、设施落后和资金不足等问题,可从加强宣传与垃圾处理技术研究、推进管理体制建设和制定法律法规等方面改善贵阳市生活垃圾处理现状,以全面落实各项政策,推进城市生活垃圾处理工作,促进城市可持续发展。     

Quantitative analysis of CO2 embodiment in international trade: An overview of emerging literatures

The increasing volume of CO₂ embodiment in international trade adds a layer of complexity to environmental policies and has raised arguments on the traditional production based responsibility for CO₂ emissions. In order to help understand the quantity of CO₂ embodiment in trade and its policy implications, this paper gives observations to recently emerging literatures that quantitatively discuss CO₂ embodiment in trade. The analytical approaches share the principle of using input and output modeling but vary dramatically in study boundary and estimation accuracy. The calculations can be roughly categorized into three types: direct quantification of CO₂ embodiments in multiregional trade, direct quantification of CO₂ embodiment in bilateral trade, and indirect analysis by comparing the scenarios with or without trade. The practical estimations strongly rely on trade partner selection and data availability. An obvious imbalance of net CO₂ embodiment in the commodity trade between major developed countries and developing economies as a whole was confirmed by these literatures. Carbon taxes and other possible limitations on CO₂ emissions have been addressed. The consistency across the calculations could be enhanced by systematic analyses in more detail to convince the international community to take binding commitments for the reduction of global CO₂ emissions.     

Environmental activisms of firm’s neighboring residents: an empirical study in China

This paper develops an analytical framework based on the reasoned action theory and discusses the environmental activism (EA) of residents living close to the polluting companies. The data was collected by a questionnaire survey conducted in August of 2009 in Suzhou city of Jiangsu Province, China, which successfully obtained a total of 343 valid responses. The survey suggests that the residents are reluctant to act against their neighboring polluters. Nearly 10% respondents have never taken any action against the polluters, and the occasional EA participators account for 66.2% of the total. The items of EA, which require the residents to directly communicate with the governments or polluters, achieve very low ratios of participations (with a range of 5–25%). The path analysis confirms that there are large influences of certain attitudinal components on EA involvement. Understanding of corporate environmental information significantly determines the resident’s intention of EA practices. The residents have an obvious tendency to act collectively against the polluters. An essential message of this study is that the strategy of corporate environmental information disclosure may effectively increase the resident’s readiness of EA participation. The government shall responsively support the residents’ EA efforts since successful environmental protests will greatly convince them to jointly act against their neighboring polluters.     

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on Cold-Chain Food: Precautions Can Effectively Reduce the Risk

Food and Environmental Virology - The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a new era in the world, also in the food safety. Up to now, there is no evidence to suggest that people can infect COVID-19 via...