资讯

聚焦:冰川消融,后果堪忧针对气候变暖危害人类和地球的严重状况,联合国环境规划署确定今年世界环境日的主题为“冰川消融,后果堪忧”,旨在促使各国坚定采取行动防止气候变暖的     

全球升温加速 世界亟待行动

2月2日，联合国政府间气候变化专门委员会（IPCC）在法国巴黎向全世界领导人发出了最严厉的警告：人类活动，尤其对化石能源的无节制使用，正是气候变化的最主要元凶，全球升温威胁就在眼前。这份报告认为，在过去50年中，“很可能”是人类活动导致了全球气候变暖。在IPCC的用词中，“很可能”表示可能性至少在90‰以上，这是IPCC成立以来，首次使用这样严重的措辞形容人类活动与气候变暖之间的关联。IPCC在2001年发布的上一次全球气候变化评估报告中使用的词语是“可能”，表示60％的可能性。     

人类有没有"后天"

本期之所以将“全球变暖”这个老生常谈的话题再度提出,是因气候专家日前公布的一份报告显示:全球气温目前正处于至少400年以来的最高点,北半球地表平均温度仅在20世纪就上升了0.6oC。报告指出,人类的活动是这一现状的罪魁祸首。这意味着地球已经“病患”且人类该觉醒了!     

国际资讯

东亚因气候变化面临风险;2013年“地球卫士奖”揭晓;人类活动是全球变暖主因;美国颁布二氧化碳排放新规;泰国举行无车日活动     

全球变暖对人类健康的影响与对策研究

全球变暖是当前人类所面临的一个非常严重的环境问题。全球变暖等环境问题的产生是与人类的各种活动息息相关的，环境的恶化必将给人类的健康带来严重的后果。本文吸收了较新的科学发现对全球变暖成因进行了阐述；综合该领域近年的研究进展，将全球变暖对人类健康的影响纳为三个方面，并作了比较详尽的分析；从多个方面探讨了应对策略。     

全球变暖环境下的心理障碍

应对气候变暖,成本太高,而收益太渺茫,人类个体的努力似乎无济于事……应对全球变暖其实是消费者的一种个人选择有生之年,我目睹了人类生存所面     

“气候变暖”对雅砻江水资源的影响

本文引入几种统计模型探讨“气候变暖”对水资源的影响。这些模型经实测资料验证，模拟和预测效果了。在一定环境条件下，利用它们预估“气候变暖”对雅砻江未来水资源的影响，获得令人满意的成果。     

全球气候变暖带来商机

全球气候变暖在给人类生活带来威胁的同时,也给人类提供了一些投资机会,比如,投资开发风能、太阳能等可再生能源。     

关于职业学校引入低碳教育的探讨

全球气候变暖对人类生存和发展提出严峻挑战。解决气候变暖问题,发展低碳经济,实现可持续发展,必须通过低碳教育培养全民的低碳意识。     

科学技术的双重效应与可持续发展

工业文明以来,科学技术日益凸现为文明进步的历史杠杆,生产力的迅猛发展为人类创造了巨大的物质财富。但立足于20世纪90年代的今天,回首整个文明史时,我们会发现人类在利用科学技术推动文明进步时又同时出现了无法预计的代价。全球性气候变暖、臭氧层损耗、生物多样性锐减等各式各样的环境问题几乎都是人类文明进程中的伴生物。人类依赖科学技术去征服自然界,掠夺性开发自然资源,无节制地发展自己,致使人类赖以生存的地球环境遭受严重破坏和污染,以至于这只杠杆可能将人类文明推到濒临“末日”的尴尬境地。本世纪30至70年代,在欧美…     

Effect of outdoor temperature, heat primes and anchoring on belief in global warming

It is generally acknowledged that global warming is occurring, yet estimates of future climate change vary widely. Given this uncertainty, when asked about climate change, it is likely that people’s judgments may be affected by heuristics and accessible schemas. Three studies evaluated this proposition. Study 1 revealed a significant positive correlation between the outdoor temperature and beliefs in global warming. Study 2 showed that people were more likely to believe in global warming when they had first been primed with heat-related cognitions. Study 3 demonstrated that people were more likely to believe in global warming and more willing to pay to reduce global warming when they had first been exposed to a high vs. a low anchor for future increases in temperature. Together, results reveal that beliefs about global warming (and willingness to take actions to reduce global warming) are influenced by heuristics and accessible schemas. Several practical implications are discussed.     

Dead indoor plants strengthen belief in global warming

Studies have revealed that heuristics and accessible schemas may affect people's judgments about global warming. In two studies, participants were asked to report on beliefs regarding global warming while seated in a room in which a small tree or several trees had been placed. In one experimental condition, the tree possessed its foliage whereas in the other, the branches were bare. It was found that participants were more likely to believe in global warming in presence of the tree without foliage (Study 1), that this belief increased in presence of three rather than one tree without foliage (Study 2), and that other beliefs not related to global warming were not affected by the experimental conditions. These results reveal that surrounding physical cues do affect beliefs about global warming. The spreading activation theory is used to explain these results.     

Collective guilt mediates the effect of beliefs about global warming on willingness to engage in mitigation behavior

The present research examines whether collective guilt for an ingroup's collective greenhouse gas emissions mediates the effects of beliefs about the causes and effects of global warming on willingness to engage in mitigation behavior. In Study 1, we manipulate the causes and effects of global warming and then measure collective guilt. Results demonstrate that collective guilt for Americans' greenhouse gas emissions is stronger when participants believe that global warming is caused by humans and will have minor effects. Study 2 employs the same manipulations and then measures collective guilt and collective anxiety, as well as willingness to conserve energy and pay green taxes. This study replicates the effect from Study 1 and rules out collective anxiety as a plausible alternative mediator. Collective guilt for Americans' greenhouse emissions was the only reliable mediator of the effect of beliefs about global warming on willingness to engage in mitigation behaviors. The importance of collective guilt as a tool for promoting global warming mitigation is discussed.     

Do mitigation strategies reduce global warming potential in the northern U.S. corn belt?

Agricultural management practices that enhance C sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emission (nitrous oxide [N?O], methane [CH?], and carbon dioxide [CO?]), and promote productivity are needed to mitigate global warming without sacrificing food production. The objectives of the study were to compare productivity, greenhouse gas emission, and change in soil C over time and to assess whether global warming potential and global warming potential per unit biomass produced were reduced through combined mitigation strategies when implemented in the northern U.S. Corn Belt. The systems compared were (i) business as usual (BAU); (ii) maximum C sequestration (MAXC); and (iii) optimum greenhouse gas benefit (OGGB). Biomass production, greenhouse gas flux change in total and organic soil C, and global warming potential were compared among the three systems. Soil organic C accumulated only in the surface 0 to 5 cm. Three-year average emission of N?O and CH was similar among all management systems. When integrated from planting to planting, N?O emission was similar for MAXC and OGGB systems, although only MAXC was fertilized. Overall, the three systems had similar global warming potential based on 4-yr changes in soil organic C, but average rotation biomass was less in the OGGB systems. Global warming potential per dry crop yield was the least for the MAXC system and the most for OGGB system. This suggests management practices designed to reduce global warming potential can be achieved without a loss of productivity. For example, MAXC systems over time may provide sufficient soil C sequestration to offset associated greenhouse gas emission.     

Energy balance and global warming potential of corn straw-based bioethanol in China from a life cycle perspective

As the second largest corn producer in this world, China has abundant corn straw resources. The study assessed the energy balance and global warming potential of corn straw-based bioethanol production and utilization in China from a life cycle perspective. The results revealed that bioethanol used as gasoline and diesel blend fuel could reduce global warming potential by 10%–97% and 4%–96%, respectively, as compared to gasoline and diesel for transport. The total global warming potential, net global warming potential, net energy, and Net Energy Ratio per MJ ethanol generated from corn straw-based bioethanol system are estimated to be 0.20 kg CO₂-eq, 0.012 kg CO₂-eq, 0.60 MJ, and 1.87, respectively. By using sensitivity analysis, we found that the collected coefficient and compressing density of straw have a more obvious influence on energy balance; transportation distance has a more obvious influence on global warming potential emission factor. The by-products may be utilized as fertilizer, animal feed, cement replacement, or high-value lignin chemicals, which make a contribution to offsetting 0.28 MJ per MJ ethanol of energy consumption.     

The Impact of Local versus National Framing on Willingness to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: a case study from central Pennsylvania

This paper explores the impact of the frame in which people interpret global warming. In 1999, 637 respondents completed a mail survey in five counties in central Pennsylvania. Half of the sample received questionnaires that framed global warming in terms of the local impacts of mitigation policies, whereas the other half received questionnaires that framed global warming in terms of the national impacts of mitigation policies. The results show a statistically significant but small difference between the local and national frames in the respondents' willingness to support government policies, as well as to take voluntary actions to mitigate climate change.     

How Science Contributes to Environmental Reporting in British Newspapers: A Case Study of the Reporting of Global Warming and Climate Change

This article examines the role of science in environmental reporting in a number of British newspapers. The findings indicated that in reporting about global warming and climate change, the views of scientists were used to give legitimacy to the content of articles. However, in both the tabloids and broadsheets, there was little evidence provided, in the form of data, to substantiate the claims being made. Furthermore, uncertainties about global warming were not explored effectively. Newspaper reports tended to focus on the potential consequences of global warming, but made little attempt to address the suspected causes that would inevitably involve criticism of highly consumptive lifestyles in the west.     

The Impact of Local versus National Framing on Willingness to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A case study from central Pennsylvania

This paper explores the impact of the frame in which people interpret global warming. In 1999, 637 respondents completed a mail survey in five counties in central Pennsylvania. Half of the sample received questionnaires that framed global warming in terms of the local impacts of mitigation policies, whereas the other half received questionnaires that framed global warming in terms of the national impacts of mitigation policies. The results show a statistically significant but small difference between the local and national frames in the respondents' willingness to support government policies, as well as to take voluntary actions to mitigate climate change.     

Global Warming and Global Dioxide Emission: An Empirical Study

In this paper, the dynamic relationship between global surface temperature (global warming) and global carbon dioxide emission (CO₂) is modelled and analyzed by causality and spectral analysis in the time domain and frequency domain, respectively. Historical data of global CO₂emission and global surface temperature anomalies over 129 years from 1860–1988 are used in this study. The causal relationship between the two phenomena is first examined using the Sim and Granger causality test in the time domain after the data series are filtered by ARIMA models. The Granger causal relationship is further scrutinized and confirmed by cross-spectral and multichannel spectral analysis in the frequency domain. The evidence found from both analyses proves that there is a positive causal relationship between the two variables. The time domain analysis suggests that Granger causality exists between global surface temperature and global CO₂emission. Further, CO₂emission causes the change in temperature. The conclusions are further confirmed by the frequency domain analysis, which indicates that the increase in CO₂emission causes climate warming because a high coherence exists between the two variables. Furthermore, it is proved that climate changes happen after an increase in CO₂emission, which confirms that the increase in CO₂emission does cause global warming.