Opportunities and challenges in CO2 utilization

CO₂ utilizations are essential to curbing the greenhouse gas effect and managing the environmental pollutant in an energy-efficient and economically-sound manner.This paper seeks to critically analyze these technologies in the context of each other and highlight the most important utilization avenues available thus far.This review will introduce and analyze each major pathway,and discuss the overall applicability,potential extent,and major limitations of each of these pathways to util...     

The environmental challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa

Countries in sub-Saharan Africa are doing some rethinking, after decades of development that have resulted in continued poverty, international indebtedness, environmental degradation, and inappropriate Western models. Technological innovations, institutional developments, and family planning are key inputs. Development should shift to a focus on elimination of widespread poverty. Past development strategies in an African context of ample resources have harmed the environment without improving the average person's standard of living. Knowledge about Africa's environment and environmental degradation is inadequate. Recent studies have found, contrary to popular belief, that small shareholders made considerable investments in resource-based capital, which protected their farms from major environmental deterioration and negative impacts of intensification. In Nigeria field studies found that rising demand for fuelwood did not lead to greater deforestation or desertification. Severe degradation has occurred in places where density of population is greater than 500 persons per sq. km, where the land is physically or biologically vulnerable, and where socioeconomic conditions interfere with application of conservation measures. Reduced well-being and reduced food capacity is attributed to land tenure arrangements, misguided macroeconomic policies, and inadequate infrastructure. The issues of development, environment, and population are complex. Sustainable development is possible with appropriate investment priorities that will provide needed infrastructure, services, and education. Urban areas need safe water, solid waste disposal, and spatial planning to relieve congested spaces. Rural areas should focus on health education and basic sanitation. Regulatory measures and conservation measures are also important. Institutional development that promotes democracy, expands individual property rights, and increases the knowledge base offers the most hope for alleviating poverty and protecting the environment.     

Wastewater reclamation and reuse in China: Opportunities and challenges

The growing water stress both in terms of water scarcity and quality deterioration promotes the development of reclaimed water as a new water resource use. This paper reviewed wastewater reuse practices in China, and the opportunities and challenges of expanding reclaimed water use were analyzed. Rapid urbanization with the increasing of water demand and wastewater discharge provides an opportunity for wastewater reuse. The vast amount of wastewater discharge and low reclaimed water production mean that wastewater reuse still has a great potential in China. Many environmental and economic benefits and successful reclamation technologies also provide opportunities for wastewater reuse. In addition, the overall strategy in China is also encouraging for wastewater reuse. In the beginning stage of wastewater reclamation and reuse, there are many significant challenges to expand wastewater reuse in China including slow pace in adopting urban wastewater reuse programs, the establishment of integrated water resources management framework and guidelines for wastewater reuse programs, incoherent water quality requirements, the limited commercial development of reclaimed water and the strengthening of public awareness and cooperation among stakeholders.     

Landing in basal frogs: evidence of saltational patterns in the evolution of anuran locomotion

All frogs are assumed to jump in a similar manner by rapidly extending hindlimbs during the propulsive phase and rotating the limbs forward during flight in order to land forelimbs first. However, studies of jumping behavior are lacking in the most primitive living frogs of the family Leiopelmatidae. These semi-aquatic or terrestrial anurans retain a suite of plesiomorphic morphological features and are unique in using an asynchronous (trot-like) rather than synchronous “frog-kick” swimming gait of other frogs. We compared jumping behavior in leiopelmatids to more derived frogs and found that leiopelmatids maintain extended hindlimbs throughout flight and landing phases and do not land on adducted forelimbs. These “belly-flop” landings limit the ability for repeated jumps and are consistent with a riparian origin of jumping in frogs. The unique behavior of leiopelmatids shows that frogs evolved jumping before they perfected landing. Moreover, an inability to rapidly cycle the limbs may provide a functional explanation for the absence of synchronous swimming in leiopelmatids.     

Climate change and forests in India: adaptation opportunities and challenges

Climate change is projected to lead to shift of forest types leading to irreversible damage to forests by rendering several species extinct and potentially affecting the livelihoods of local communities and the economy. Approximately 47% and 42% of tropical dry deciduous grids are projected to undergo shifts under A2 and B2 SRES scenarios respectively, as opposed to less than 16% grids comprising of tropical wet evergreen forests. Similarly, the tropical thorny scrub forest is projected to undergo shifts in majority of forested grids under A2 (more than 80%) as well as B2 scenarios (50% of grids). Thus the forest managers and policymakers need to adapt to the ecological as well as the socio-economic impacts of climate change. This requires formulation of effective forest management policies and practices, incorporating climate concerns into long-term forest policy and management plans. India has formulated a large number of innovative and progressive forest policies but a mechanism to ensure effective implementation of these policies is needed. Additional policies and practices may be needed to address the impacts of climate change. This paper discusses an approach and steps involved in the development of an adaptation framework as well as policies, strategies and practices needed for mainstreaming adaptation to cope with projected climate change. Further, the existing barriers which may affect proactive adaptation planning given the scale, accuracy and uncertainty associated with assessing climate change impacts are presented.     

生物多样性保护面临的新问题和新挑战

"生物多样性"是动物、植物、微生物与环境形成的生态复合体,包括生态系统多样性、物种多样性和基因多样性三个层次.生物多样性是人类社会发展的战略资源,是衡量一个国家可持续发展能力的指旨标,维护了自然界的生态平衡,在减缓气候变化、保护和涵养水源、维护生态功能、保障生态安全方面具有重要作用,是建设美丽中国的重要基础.本文回顾了全球生物多样性现状,总结了生物多样性保护国际形势,重点介绍了包括生物多样性与气候变化、企业参与生物多样性、海洋生物多样性保护、生物多样性与合成生物学等当前生物多样性面临的新问题和新挑战,并就新形势下我国生物多样性保护的措施提出建议.     

Recent experiences and challenges in promoting cleaner production investments in developing countries

The paper presents on the experience of the first year of implementation of the UNEP project ‘Strategies and mechanisms for promoting cleaner production (CP) investments in developing countries’. An insight into the experience gained in two developing countries, Guatemala and Zimbabwe is given in separate cases.The paper attempts a preliminary—by no means exhaustive—analysis of the current status of CP awareness among the financial community in selected developing countries and the main barriers to funding CP from a financial sector perspective. The experience gained in five developing countries allows to better investigate the ways whereby the financial community could, and perhaps should, more effectively promote financing of CP, thus contributing to the spread of the CP concept and measures at the macro (government), medium (industry associations, chambers of commerce) and micro (enterprises) levels. In doing so, the paper indirectly emphasises the role of other key stakeholders.Suggestions and recommendations expressed in the paper have to be taken clearly with a pinch of salt, as each country in the developing world has its distinct economic, political, social and cultural features.     

碳中和——中国发展转型的机遇与挑战

碳中和是《巴黎协定》提出的到21世纪末在全球范围内实现人为活动排放的温室气体排放总量与大自然吸收总量相平衡,这是《联合国气候变化框架公约》应对气候变化问题的终极目标。本文从碳中和的目的、本质和进展分析入手,提出了在实现碳中和问题上中国的机遇与挑战。     

Solution-oriented global environmental assessments: Opportunities and challenges

This article provides an introduction to the Special Issue dedicated to “Solution-oriented Global Environmental Assessments: Opportunities and Challenges”. In the follow-up to the Paris climate agreement and the adoption and early implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals involving many synergies and trade-offs, the need to shift the focus from environmental problem analysis towards the exploration of specific solution options can be observed in international environmental governance debates. To remain policy-relevant, credible and legitimate, global environmental assessments (GEAs) must carefully adapt to a rapidly evolving governance landscape. This Special Issue sheds light on the potential utility and implications of increased solution-orientation of GEAs. It builds on the research project “The Future of Global Environmental Assessment Making” that was jointly initiated in 2013 by UN Environment and the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change. The article collection includes research on the coevolution of GEAs and the increasingly solution-oriented governance context; conditions of success for contemporary GEAs; the treatment of divergent viewpoints, stakes and stakeholders in solution-oriented GEAs; knowledge aggregation; and the enhanced measurement of GEA effectiveness in the emerging governance landscape.     

Pesticides and trace elements in cannabis: Analytical and environmental challenges and opportunities

Cannabis is increasingly used for both medicinal and recreational purposes with an estimate of over 180 million users annually. Canada has recently legalized cannabis use in October 2018, joining several states in the United States of America (e.g., Colorado, California, and Oregon) and a few other countries. A variety of cannabis products including dry flowers, edibles, and oil products are widely consumed. With high demand for cannabis products worldwide, the quality of cannabis and its related products has become a major concern for consumer safety. Various guidelines have been set by different countries to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of cannabis products. In general, these guidelines require control of contaminants including pesticides, toxic elements, mycotoxins, and pathogens, as well as residual solvents in regard to cannabis oil. Accordingly, appropriate analytical methods are required to determine these contaminants in cannabis products for quality control. In this review, we focus on the current analytical challenges and method development for detection of pesticides and toxic elements in cannabis to meet various guidelines.     

Carbon storage and sequestration potential of selected tree species in India

A dynamic growth model (CO2FIX) was used for estimating the carbon sequestration potential of sal (Shorea Robusta Gaertn. f.), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus Tereticornis Sm.), poplar (Populus Deltoides Marsh), and teak (Tectona Grandis Linn. f.) forests in India. The results indicate that long-term total carbon storage ranges from 101 to 156 Mg C?ha^?1, with the largest carbon stock in the living biomass of long rotation sal forests (82 Mg C?ha^?1). The net annual carbon sequestration rates were achieved for fast growing short rotation poplar (8 Mg C?ha^?1?yr^?1) and Eucalyptus (6 Mg C?ha^?1?yr^?1) plantations followed by moderate growing teak forests (2 Mg C?ha^?1?yr^?1) and slow growing long rotation sal forests (1 Mg C?ha^?1?yr^?1). Due to fast growth rate and adaptability to a range of environments, short rotation plantations, in addition to carbon storage rapidly produce biomass for energy and contribute to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. We also used the model to evaluate the effect of changing rotation length and thinning regime on carbon stocks of forest ecosystem (trees?+?soil) and wood products, respectively for sal and teak forests. The carbon stock in soil and products was less sensitive than carbon stock of trees to the change in rotation length. Extending rotation length from the recommended 120 to 150 years increased the average carbon stock of forest ecosystem (trees?+?soil) by 12%. The net primary productivity was highest (3.7 Mg ha^?1?yr^?1) when a 60-year rotation length was applied but decreased with increasing rotation length (e.g., 1.7 Mg ha^?1?yr^?1) at 150 years. Goal of maximum carbon storage and production of more valuable saw logs can be achieved from longer rotation lengths. ‘No thinning’ has the largest biomass, but from an economical perspective, there will be no wood available from thinning operations to replace fossil fuel for bioenergy and to the pulp industry and such patches have high risks of forest fires, insects etc. Extended rotation lengths and reduced thinning intensity could enhance the long-term capacity of forest ecosystems to sequester carbon. While accounting for effects of climate change, a combination of bioenergy and carbon sequestration will be best to mitigation of CO₂ emission in the long term.     

自然保护区社区发展存在的问题、挑战及对策研究

我国自然保护区保护与社区发展关系紧密,如何统筹协调处理好二者之间的关系成为广受关注的问题。本文在总结自然保护区社区发展存在的问题与面临的挑战基础上,从建立社区沟通与参与机制、构建生态补偿机制、改善社区社会服务水平、弘扬传统文化、带动区域协调发展五个方面为自然保护区的社区发展提出了具体对策。本研究旨在推动自然保护区健康可持续发展,促进保护区社区发展与自然和谐共生。     

Air quality management in China: Issues, challenges, and options

This article analyzed the control progress and current status of air quality,identified the major air pollution issues and challenges in future,proposed the long-term air pollution control targets,and ...