China’s carbon neutrality: an extensive and profound systemic reform

● China has pledged ambitious carbon peak and neutrality goals for mitigating global climate change. ● Major challenges to achieve carbon neutrality in China are summarized. ● The new opportunities along the pathway of China’s carbon neutrality are discussed from four aspects. ● Five policy suggestions for China are provided. China is the largest developing economy and carbon dioxide emitter in the world, the carbon neutrality goal of which will have a profound influence on the mitigation pathway of global climate change. The transition towards a carbon-neutral society is integrated into the construction of ecological civilization in China, and brings profound implications for China’s socioeconomic development. Here, we not only summarize the major challenges in achieving carbon neutrality in China, but also identify the four potential new opportunities: namely, the acceleration of technology innovations, narrowing regional disparity by reshaping the value of resources, transforming the industrial structure, and co-benefits of pollution and carbon mitigation. Finally, we provide five policy suggestions and highlight the importance of balancing economic growth and carbon mitigation, and the joint efforts among the government, the enterprises, and the residents.     

Effects of Topographical Heterogeneity and Dispersal Limitation on Species Turnover in a Temperate Mountane Ecosystem: a Case Study in the Henan Province,China

Species turnover patterns can be inconsistent due to differences in the dispersal ability of different growth forms. Here, species of trees, shrubs, herbs, and bryophytes in the Xiaoqinling National Nature Reserve in China were analyzed to determine patterns of species turnover along an elevation and spatial gradient. Variance partitioning was used to assess the relative contribution of topographic heterogeneity and dispersal limitation to species turnover. Our results suggest that the effect of dispersal limitation is more important than topographic heterogeneity on species turnover in temperate mountane ecosystems in the study area. Dispersal limitation has a greater effect on trees species turnover than on shrubs, herbs or bryophytes species turnover.     

Contamination status and potential release of trace metals in a mangrove forest sediment in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam

Can Gio district is located in the coastal area of Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam. Discharge of wastewater from Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces to the rivers of Can Gio has led to concerns about the accumulation of trace metals (As, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the coastal sediments. The main objective of this study was to assess the distribution of As, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn in surface and core sediments and to evaluate the contamination status in relation to local background values, as well as the potential release of these selected trace metals from sediments to the water environment. Sediment characteristization, including determination of fine fraction, pH, organic matter, and major elements (Al, Fe, Ca, K, Mg, and S), was carried out to investigate which parameters affect the trace metal enrichment. Fine fraction and Al contents were found to be the controlling proxies affecting the distribution of trace metals while other sediment characteristics did not show any clear influence on trace metals’ distribution. Although As concentrations in the sediments were much higher compared to its reference value in other areas, the enrichment factor based on local background values suggests minor contamination of this element as well as for Cr, Cu, and Pb. Risk assessment suggested a medium to very high risk of Mn, Zn, and Ni under acidification. Of importance is also that trace metals in sediments were not easily mobilized by organic complexation based on their low extractabilities by ammonium-EDTA extraction.

     

Annual Nutritional Organ Mass Cycle of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bufo gargarizans</Emphasis> (Cantor, 1842) in Response to Extreme High Temperature

The annual relative mass of storage organs cycle of Bufo gargarizans in southwestern China was studied from December 2005 to November 2006. We described how those organs changed in response to extreme temperatures. Energy reservation dropped to the lowest levels after dormancy for both sexes, and then increased for period of 4.25 month. However, the mass of these organs dropped again rapidly until August (liver) and September (fat bodies) due to the constraint from extreme high temperature occurred during the summer, and then non-significantly increased before hibernation. For ovaries, varied with a different profile to those of liver and fat bodies have a resting period of four months. In addition, the toads’ ovaries kept growing when the mass of liver and fat bodies declining accordingly during hibernation. Therefore, ovarian mass increased during the hibernation and non-hibernation period.     

Technological innovation paths toward green industry in China

With the environmental carrying capacity reaching its limits and the decreasing margin benefits of traditional production factors, the green transformation and green development through technological innovations has been a major direction for the future development of Chinese industries. However, the characteristics and heterogeneities of various types of industries call for different approaches regarding technological innovations. How to choose the most effective mode of technological innovation according to the characteristics of a certain industry has been a key issue. This paper measures the green total factor productivity of 32 industrial trades using the Slacks Based Measure(SBM)-DDF method. The effects of three innovation modes in the green transformation of industrial industry, including the independent innovation(Ⅱ), the technology introduction(TI), and the government support(GS), are empirically analyzed based on industry heterogeneity. Results indicate that the green total factor productivities of different industries show significant differences if taking into account the energy input and the undesirable output of pollutant emissions. The green total factor productivities of traditional high input,high pollution, and high energy consumption industrial trades were significantly lower than those with obvious green features. The year of 2009 is a leap year for the industrial green transformation in China. For resource-intensive industries, the II and the GS are the important ways to achieve green transformation. For labor-intensive industries, the TI is the best path to achieve green transformation, while for technology-intensive industries, the II is the primary driving force for the promotion of green developments. In addition, the innovation-compensating effect of the current Chinese environmental regulations to the resource-intensive industries has been revealed. Improving the overall scale and the industrial concentration of the industries is also beneficial for the green transformation of the industries.     

小尺度上蜜蜂传粉服务与耕地利用集约水平之间权衡关系研究

传粉作为重要的生态系统服务之一,对维持野生植物群落和粮食生产至关重要。近年来随着全球农业投入迅速增加,耕地利用集约化程度大幅提高,昆虫传粉能力受到严重影响。由于全世界约2/3的主要粮食作物依赖传粉服务,因此传粉服务的下降将威胁着全球粮食安全。然而,传粉服务与耕地利用集约水平的相互关系有待在全球各地区进行进一步验证,尤其在中国这种农业大国。以鄱阳湖滨湖区典型村落为研究对象,基于高精度土地利用数据、传粉蜜蜂生物物理数据、区域社会经济以及实地调研数据,采用InVEST模型、GIS分析工具、数理统计和回归分析方法。定量揭示小尺度上耕地集约利用与蜜蜂传粉服务之间的权衡关系。结果显示:(1)研究村落2000年和2013年蜜蜂传粉服务丰度平均值分别为0. 127和0. 108,期间下降幅度为15. 50%。总体上,研究村落蜜蜂传粉服务有较明显的削弱。(2)受退耕还林、退田还湖以及耕地撂荒等因素的综合影响,研究村落耕地利用区域减少了37. 66 hm~2,约占村落土地总面积的13. 55%。但由于农药、化肥、机械以及劳动力等投入的增加,该村各耕地利用类型的集约度分值均有大幅度提高,增幅均高达2倍以上。(3)耕地利用集约度变化与蜜蜂传粉服务变化回归系数为-0. 164,两者呈负相关关系,也即两者之间存在此消彼长的权衡关系。研究村落耕地利用集约度的提高削弱了蜜蜂传粉服务功能。     

Designing a policy package for the promotion of servicising: A case study of vineyard crop protection in Galicia (Spain)

The servicising approach in vineyard protection is considered a valid alternative to achieve decoupling between the economic and environmental performance of viticulture. In this paper, a policy package is designed to promote the uptake of a servicised model of vineyard protection in an area of smallholding viticulture. In doing so, a specific methodology based on a step by step protocol has been followed that aims to come up with a package that is effective, implementable and socially as well as politically acceptable. The paper concludes on the importance of combining several policy instruments in a policy package to realise the political objective. The proposed viable policy package includes incentives that support the companies’ shift towards offering crop protection solutions, further development of IPM solutions and instruments that encourage farmers to reduce the use of pesticides and collectively hire crop protection services.     

集输油环境氟橡胶O形圈老化行为实验研究*

为研究氟橡胶O形圈在集输油环境中的老化行为特征，以长庆油田使用的氟橡胶O形圈(位于非金属复合管连接接头处)为研究对象，采用宏观与微观相结合的方法，通过挂片实验分析氟橡胶O形圈在不同介质（采出油，采出水）、温度（25，50 ℃）、压力条件（0.1,4,6 MPa）下老化后的形貌、质量、拉伸性能及硬度。结果表明:采出油、采出水均能引起O形圈发生溶胀，从而降低O形圈的强度、韧性、硬度；采出水引起的溶胀显著高于采出油更易导致O形圈表面产生坑洞缺陷；渗透速率随温度升高而急剧增加，压力对渗透速率的影响不明显；硬度降低较小，最大降幅为4.17%。结合现场服役813 d的密封圈SEM形貌，证实集输介质渗透会引起氟橡胶圈溶胀、导致表面产生坑洞等缺陷。     

Dimensional analysis and scaling in mechanical mixing for fabrication of metal matrix nanocomposites

For a successful enhancement of mechanical properties of metal matrix nanocomposites, a homogeneous nanoparticle dispersion and distribution in the solidified metal is required. Mechanical mixing can be used for initial break-up of agglomerates, and its study can be simplified with dimensional analysis. Using this technique, mixing time and vortex height were assessed while varying fluid properties, impeller angle, and angular speed. Three relevant dimensionless numbers were recognized: the Reynolds (Re), Froude and Galilei (Ga) numbers. Based on blade and impeller shaft angles, a modified Froude number (Fr*) was defined. These parameters were calculated experimentally, varying angular speed from 200 to 1000 rpm for three different impeller angles: 0°, 15° and 30°. This procedure was performed with three fluids: water, and two aqueous glycerin solutions (25% and 50% by volume). Digital images were taken and processed to measure vortex height. Mixing time was measured for water at 0° impeller angle, angular speed ranging from 200 to 1200 rpm. Results showed an optimal dimensionless mixing time with respect to Re. A linear relationship was found between dimensionless vortex height and Fr*. The first had a second order polynomial relationship with the product ReFr*, regardless of impeller angle. This relationship, together with the Ga, specific for each fluid, allows scaling the results to other fluids such as molten pure aluminum. This study allows experimenting in simpler systems that involve transparent fluids, room temperature and low cost, to then elaborate a prediction of vortex height in fluids where measurements are difficult and costly, such as molten metals.     

浅析石化行业环境风险高发原因及对策建议

从"十一五"末至今,中国石化行业安全事故及环境风险事件频发,影响区域生态环境安全和人民群众健康。从产业布局来看,中国石化企业及与之相关的化工园区分布相对集中,主要布置在沿海沿江地区。中国石化行业目前存在的布局分散、单体规模小等突出问题,如不加控制,行业发展将面临更大的环境风险和环境污染问题。应开展全面梳理排查隐患,提高区域环境风险联防联控水平;大力支持集群化发展、淘汰落后产能,缓解结构性环境风险;统筹规划,优化布局,强化管理,广泛征求社会公众意见,以减缓石化行业的环境风险。