Smart nanopackaging for the enhancement of food shelf life

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Food spoilage is a major global concern due to the lack of proper packaging technology. Nanotechnology is expected to improve food packaging. Indeed, novel...     

Scarcity, growth and R&D

The limits to economic growth due to resource scarcity can be alleviated only by the development of backstop substitutes. This paper combines resource-based economic growth with R&D to reduce the cost of backstop technologies. Characterizing the entire dynamics of optimal growth and R&D processes, we find that an economy's growth prospects depend on its type, as determined by its production technology and learning ability, and by its knowledge–capital endowment. A wide variety of growth patterns emerges, ranging from cases in which an economy that without R&D eventually stagnates (converges to a steady state) is diverted by R&D onto a path of sustained growth, to cases in which R&D is not warranted. Resource scarcity is shown to encourage R&D due to the increased reliance on the backstop technology.     

Dual-reaction-center catalytic process continues Fenton’s story

• Dual-reaction-center (DRC) system breaks through bottleneck of Fenton reaction. • Utilization of intrinsic electrons of pollutants is realized in DRC system. • DRC catalytic process well continues Fenton’s story. Triggered by global water quality safety issues, the research on wastewater treatment and water purification technology has been greatly developed in recent years. The Fenton technology is particularly powerful due to the rapid attack on pollutants by the generated hydroxyl radicals (•OH). However, both heterogeneous and homogeneous Fenton/Fenton-like technologies follow the classical reaction mechanism, which depends on the oxidation and reduction of the transition metal ions at single sites. So even after a century of development, this reaction still suffers from its inherent bottlenecks in practical application. In recent years, our group has been focusing on studying a novel heterogeneous Fenton catalytic process, and we developed the dual-reaction-center (DRC) system for the first time. In the DRC system, H₂O₂ and O₂ can be efficiently reduced to reactive oxygen species (ROS) in electron-rich centers, while pollutants are captured and oxidized by the electron-deficient centers. The obtained electrons from pollutants are diverted to the electron-rich centers through bonding bridges. This process breaks through the classic Fenton mechanism, and improves the performance and efficiency of pollutant removal in a wide pH range. Here, we provide a brief overview of Fenton’s story and focus on combing the discovery and development of the DRC technology and mechanism in recent years. The construction of the DRC and its performance in the pollutant degradation and interfacial reaction process are described in detail. We look forward to bringing a new perspective to continue Fenton’s story through research and development of DRC technology.     

Regulatory attitudes and environmental innovation in a model combining internal and external R&D

The extent to which environmental regulatory institutions are either ‘green’ or ‘brown’ impacts not just the intensity of regulation at any moment, but also the incentives for the development of new pollution-control technologies. We set up a strategic model of R&D in which a polluter can deploy technologies developed in-house, or license technologies developed by specialist outsiders (an ‘eco-industry’). Polluters exert R&D effort and may even develop redundant technologies to improve the terms on which they procure technology from outside. We find that, while regulatory bias has an ambiguous impact on the best-available technology, strategic delegation to systematically biased regulators can improve social welfare.     

Strategic environmental policy; eco-dumping or a green strategy?

The Porter hypothesis claims that a strong environmental policy best serves the interests of a nation's export industry. While this hypothesis seems to be based on some form of bounded rationality, this paper argues that governments may have good reasons for setting an especially strong environmental policy even though firms are fully rational. If the available abatement technology turns the environment into an “inferior input”, competitiveness is spurred by a strong environmental policy. The government should take advantage of this, and set an especially strict emission quota or an especially high emission tax. The findings in the paper also has consequences for the desirability of international cooperation with respect to national environmental policy. If a strict environmental policy spurs competitiveness, the environment is better protected without cooperation.     

Developing “precise-acting” strategies for improving anaerobic methanogenesis of organic waste: Insights from the electron transfer system of syntrophic partners

Methanogenesis is the last step in anaerobic digestion, which is usually a rate-limiting step in the biological treatment of organic waste. The low methanogenesis efficiency (low methane production rate, low methane yield, low methane content) substantially limits the development of anaerobic digestion technology. Traditional pretreatment methods and bio-stimulation strategies have impacts on the entire anaerobic system and cannot directly enhance methanogenesis in a targeted manner, which was defined as “broad-acting” strategies in this perspective. Further, we discussed our opinion of methanogenesis process with insights from the electron transfer system of syntrophic partners and provided potential targeted enhancing strategy for high-efficiency electron transfer system. These “precise-acting” strategies are expected to achieve an efficient methanogenesis process and enhance the bio-energy recovery of organic waste.     

型煤防水性能的研究

型煤的吸湿性影响型煤的性能和推广范围,型煤的防水剂技术是型煤清洁高效燃烧工艺的技术关键之一,本文论述了ＧＳ防水剂的防水性能和经济性,提出了提高型煤防水性能的三种不同技术途径。应用本文所述技术生产的型煤的防水率达到８０％以上,从而保证了型煤高效能清洁燃烧。     

Toward equality of biodiversity knowledge through technology transfer

To help stem the continuing decline of biodiversity, effective transfer of technology from resource‐rich to biodiversity‐rich countries is required. Biodiversity technology as defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a complex term, encompassing a wide variety of activities and interest groups. As yet, there is no robust framework by which to monitor the extent to which technology transfer might benefit biodiversity. We devised a definition of biodiversity technology and a framework for the monitoring of technology transfer between CBD signatories. Biodiversity technology within the scope of the CBD encompasses hard and soft technologies that are relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, or make use of genetic resources, and that relate to all aspects of the CBD, with a particular focus on technology transfer from resource‐rich to biodiversity‐rich countries. Our proposed framework introduces technology transfer as a response indicator: technology transfer is increased to stem pressures on biodiversity. We suggest an initial approach of tracking technology flow between countries; charting this flow is likely to be a one‐to‐many relationship (i.e., the flow of a specific technology from one country to multiple countries). Future developments should then focus on integrating biodiversity technology transfer into the current pressure‐state‐response indicator framework favored by the CBD (i.e., measuring the influence of technology transfer on changes in state and pressure variables). Structured national reporting is important to obtaining metrics relevant to technology and knowledge transfer. Interim measures, that can be used to assess biodiversity technology or knowledge status while more in‐depth indicators are being developed, include the number of species inventories, threatened species lists, or national red lists; databases on publications and project funding may provide measures of international cooperation. Such a pragmatic approach, followed by rigorous testing of specific technology transfer metrics submitted by CBD signatories in a standardized manner may in turn improve the focus of future targets on technology transfer for biodiversity conservation.     

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.     

Trade and Environment: An Empirical Analysis of the Technology Effect in the Steel Industry

The objective of this paper is to study the impact of free trade on global environmental quality by focusing on the technology effect, that is, the relationship between trade openness and the adoption/diffusion of clean technologies. The paper attempts to empirically verify the existence of the technology effect by looking at the relationship between trade policy regime, or openness, and the speed of clean technology diffusion in the steel industry. Focusing on a cleaner steel technology, the electric arc furnace (EAF), in 30 steel-producing countries over 25 years, the results show that EAF technology is diffused faster in countries that have more open trade policy regimes, thereby supporting the existence of the technology effect for the industry considered.     

农业技术推广的进展研究

分析了国内外农业技术推广的模式，介绍了我国农业技术推广体系的发展情况和运行机制的研究情况，并指出在新时期我国农业技术推广的方向．     

ToSIA—A tool for sustainability impact assessment of forest-wood-chains

Within the forest sector, the sustainability concept has evolved from a narrow focus on sustainable wood production to a much broader evaluation of environmental, social, and economic sustainability for whole value chains. A new software tool - ToSIA - has been developed for assessing sustainability impacts of Forest-Wood-Chains (FWCs). In the approach, FWCs are defined as chains of production processes (e.g. harvesting-transport-industrial processing), which are linked with products (e.g. a timber frame house). Sustainability is determined by analysing environmental, economic, and social sustainability indicators for all the production processes along the FWC. The tool calculates sustainability values as products of the relative indicator values (i.e. indicator value expressed per unit of material flow) multiplied with the material flow entering the process. Calculated sustainability values are then aggregated for the segments of the FWC or for the complete chain. The sustainability impact assessment requires carefully specified system boundaries. ToSIA uses a data-oriented approach that is very flexible in the focus of the analysis and the selection of indicators of sustainability. An example of alternative Norway spruce management systems in Southern Germany and their effects on six sustainability indicators is presented. The less intensive management system with natural regeneration and motor-manual harvesting shows higher carbon storage and slightly less energy use. It creates more employment and higher labour costs, but the average rate of accidents is also higher. ToSIA offers a transparent and consistent methodological framework to assess sustainability impacts in the forest-based sector as affected, e.g. by changes in policies, market conditions, or technology. The paper discusses strengths and limitations of the approach and provides an outlook on further development perspectives of the methodology.     

Investment in cleaner technology and signaling distortions in a market with green consumers

I analyze the pricing and investment behavior of a firm that signals the environmental attributes of its production technology through its price to uninformed environmentally conscious consumers. I then analyze the effect of change in environmental regulation on the signaling outcome and the firm's ex ante incentive to invest in cleaner technology. When regulation is weak, a firm signals cleaner technology through higher price; in this case, the firm earns lower profit when it has cleaner technology and thus, has no incentive to invest in cleaner technology. The price charged by the clean firm declines sharply beyond a critical level of regulation. When regulation is sufficiently stringent, the firm with cleaner technology charges lower price but earns higher signaling profit, and ex ante the firm has positive incentive to invest in cleaner technology. With weak regulation, the incentive of the firm to directly disclose its environmental performance rather than signal it through price is increasing in the level of regulation; the opposite holds when regulation is sufficiently stringent.     

Investment in cleaner technology and signaling distortions in a market with green consumers

I analyze the pricing and investment behavior of a firm that signals the environmental attributes of its production technology through its price to uninformed environmentally conscious consumers. I then analyze the effect of change in environmental regulation on the signaling outcome and the firm's ex ante incentive to invest in cleaner technology. When regulation is weak, a firm signals cleaner technology through higher price; in this case, the firm earns lower profit when it has cleaner technology and thus, has no incentive to invest in cleaner technology. The price charged by the clean firm declines sharply beyond a critical level of regulation. When regulation is sufficiently stringent, the firm with cleaner technology charges lower price but earns higher signaling profit, and ex ante the firm has positive incentive to invest in cleaner technology. With weak regulation, the incentive of the firm to directly disclose its environmental performance rather than signal it through price is increasing in the level of regulation; the opposite holds when regulation is sufficiently stringent.     

Power,politics, and culture of marine conservation technology in fisheries

The term conservation technology is applied widely and loosely to any technology connected to conservation. This overly broad understanding can lead to confusion around the actual mechanisms of conservation in a technological system, which can result in neglect and underdevelopment of the human dimensions of conservation technology. Ultimately, this hinders its effectiveness as technological fixes for conservation problems. Through a process of concept mapping based on key case studies and literature, I devised precise definitions of marine conservation technology and technological marine conservation system. Concerns about the use of marine conservation technologies included unintended consequences, halfway technologies that address the symptoms but not the causes of problems, and misguided techno-optimism (i.e., technology is a panacea that can solve any problem). Technology and technological systems can have power, politics, and culture, and these characteristics can influence the contextual fit of a technology, requiring that technology be thoughtfully created or adapted to the circumstances in which it will be used. Power, politics, and culture inherent in technology can also influence the distribution of conservation risks and benefits and potentially widen gaps in wealth, privilege, opportunities, and justice. Addressing these concerns can potentially be achieved through the better integration of social sciences in marine conservation technology and technological marine conservation system design and development and the application of the social-ecological-technological systems framework. This framework melds key concepts from the socioecological systems framework and science and technology studies. It recognizes as and elevates technology to be a central actor that can shape societies and the natural world. Such a framework incorporates broader understanding, so that the values and concerns of society are more effectively addressed in the creation and implementation of marine conservation technologies and technological marine conservation systems.     

“污水-微藻-能源”串联技术新进展

水资源危机和能源危机给人类社会的可持续发展带来前所未有的挑战。微藻具有特殊的生理生态功能和突出的优点,是开展污水净化和生物质能源生产的不二选择。文章在简介微藻清除水体氮磷的特点、作用机理及其影响因素、微藻生产生物质能源的优势、油脂积累机制及其影响因素的基础上,提出一种基于微藻为中介以实现污水氮磷去除与生物质能源开发的串联技术体系。该＂污水-微藻-能源＂串联技术体系从微藻自身的生理生态特色出发,将其在污水净化与生物质能源生产上的优势有机结合起来,实现从污水中索要营养物质供微藻生长需要,以低成本、高效开发利用微藻生物质能源,为共同协调解决水资源危机和能源危机提供了新的思路与途径。通过探讨＂污水-微藻-能源＂串联技术体系的核心理念与开发基础,指出串联技术体系必须重视优质微藻品种的选育、光合生物反应器优化、耦合系统的完善以及高附加值胞内物质后续开发等几个关键技术环节。文章最后展望其发展趋势与应用前景。＂污水-微藻-能源＂串联技术体系的开发应用,有望缓解当前社会面临的水环境污染和能源紧缺双层压力,实现社会、经济、资源与环境的可持续发展,具有极其广阔的应用前景。     

计算机网络安全中的防火墙技术研究

介绍一些经常性的网络安全问题,以及用一种相应的防御对策——网络防火墙,它技术的核心思想是在不安全的网络环境中构造一个相对安全的子网环境．讨论了实现防火墙的两种主要技术手段：一种是基于分组过滤技术（Packet filtering）,它的代表是在筛选路由器上实现的防火墙功能;一种是基于代理技术（Proxy）,它的代表是应用层网关上实现的防火墙功能．参5．     

A very brief history of hydraulic technology during antiquity

Hydraulic technology began during antiquity long before the great works of such investigators such as Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), Evangelista Torricelli (1608–1647), Blaise Pascal (1623–1662), Isaac Newton (1642–1727), Daniel Bernoulli (1700–1782), and Leonhard Euler (1707–1783). The history of hydraulic technology even began long before Archimedes (287–212 BC). It is amazing to see what was accomplished in the application of hydraulic technology during antiquity, millenniums before the development of the concepts of conservation of mass, energy, and momentum used in present-day hydraulic design. The first developments of hydraulic technology occurred with the development of irrigation for agriculture, followed by the development of urban centers. A brief history is given of the development of hydraulic technology during antiquity.     

广东省农业现代化科技示范区的能值分析与评价指标研究

为了从生态经济学角度揭示农业现代化示范区园区的生态经济运行质量,探索一条能更客观、更简单地评价农业科技园区的新途径,文章运用能值理论和方法,分析和评价了广东省农业现代化科技示范区的能值投资率、能值产出率、能值密度、人均能值用量、环境负载率、能值生产率、每万元产值消耗能值和基于能值分析的可持续发展指数等指标,并从中筛选出其能值评价的主要指标。主要结果如下,(1)从2000—2004年,广东省农业现代化科技示范区的总投入能值和总产出能值呈现快速增加的趋势,能值密度和环境负载率持续增加,人均能值使用量,能值投资率和能值生产率呈波动增加的趋势,而能值产出率,可持续发展指数和每万元产值消耗能值呈波动下降的趋势。这说明该示范区总体上呈现快速发展的趋势,经济实力和科技竞争力不断增加。(2)本研究运用主成分分析法、因子分析法和实证对比研究法提出评价农业现代化科技示范区的最佳指标是人均能值使用量和环境负载率。