Potential of existing policies of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for implementing adaptation to climate change

The impacts of climate change are apparent in various regions of the world. Even though climate change may have a positive effect, it is anticipated that there will be many severely negative effects on human and natural resources in the future. Therefore, in addition to the need for stronger promotion of mitigation policies, it is urgently necessary to study and implement adaptation policies over the longer term to prepare for the possible negative impact of climate change. To implement climate change adaptation measures rapidly in Japan, it would seem practical and effective to make good use of the various countermeasures already promoted by both the national and the local governments for many sectors such as disaster prevention, environmental management, food production, and protection of the nation’s health. These countermeasures are considered to have potential for effecting climate change adaptation. This study, focusing on adaptation to climate change negative impacts, investigates to what extent the existing policies of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government could contribute to climate change adaptation, based on a comprehensive examination of targeted fields and indicators for which adaptation policies could be pursued. The results showed many of the existing policies could be useful for adaptation to climate change in many sectors. Furthermore, less than half of these policies need to take future climate change into account in order to contribute to climate change adaptation. This study proposes three basic steps that consider future climate change and local governmental propositions for the rapid implementation of adaptation policies in Japan.     

Hazard evaluation of hydrogen–air deflagration with flame propagation velocity measurement by image velocimetry using brightness subtraction

Deflagration phenomena in hydrogen–air mixtures initially filled in 1.4 m³ spherical latex balloons were measured using a high-speed digital video camera and pressure transducers. The image velocimetry using brightness subtraction was introduced to eliminate the background effects for obtaining accurate time evolution records of flame propagation velocity. The maximum flame propagation velocity of about 100 m/s was observed with maximum overpressure 15 kPa at 1 m from ignition point. According to the detailed flame propagation velocity records, there were long deceleration durations. The observed maximum overpressure was smaller than the overpressure estimated by the basis of the observed maximum flame propagation velocity and the pressure wave theories of spherical flames. A new blast curve plot of scaled overpressure vs. distance was tentatively proposed.     

Volatile attractant phytochemicals for a population of white-spotted longicorn beetles Anoplophora malasiaca (Thomson) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) fed on willow differ from attractants for a population fed on citrus

Male white-spotted longicorn beetles Anoplophora malasiaca raised on willow Salix schwerinii were preferentially attracted to the odour of wounded S. schwerinii branches when released near a female model in the laboratory. This attractiveness rapidly decreased within 2 h after wounding. Solid phase microextraction and subsequent gas chromatography analyses of volatiles from the wounded branches detected three highly volatile monoterpenes: 1,8-cineole, nerol and geraniol. Among the monoterpene compounds, nerol showed a significant attractiveness to the male beetles raised on Salix. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, which have been identified as attractants for a beetle population raised on citrus, were detected only in trace amounts in S. schwerinii branches. These results suggest that beetles raised on these two hosts use different odour cues for mate location.