Marine organisms as heavy metal bioindicators in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman

In the present study, cadmium and lead concentrations were compared in barnacles, ghost shrimps, polychaetes, bivalves, and sediment from ten different locations along the intertidal zone of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The results revealed significant differences in the heavy metal concentrations between the organisms with barnacles showing, by far, the highest metal concentrations. The bioaccumulation factor of Cd in different animals follows this pattern with barnacles?>?bivalves?>?polychaetes?>?ghost shrimps, while the pattern for Pb was barnacles?>?polychaetes?>?bivalves?>?ghost shrimps. In most of the stations, sediments showed the lowest lead and cadmium concentrations. Therefore, it is concluded that barnacles with Pb concentrations between 0.17 and 2,016.1 μg/g and Cd concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 147.1 μg/g are the best organisms to be employed in monitoring programs designed to assess pollution with bioavailable metals in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.     

Comparison of lignin peroxidase and horseradish peroxidase for catalyzing the removal of nonylphenol from water

Concentrations of aqueous-phase nonylphenol (NP), a well-known endocrine-disrupting chemical, are shown to be reduced effectively via reaction with lignin peroxidase (LiP) or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide. We systematically assessed their reaction efficiencies at varying conditions, and the results have confirmed that the catalytic performance of LiP toward NP was more efficient than that of HRP under experimental conditions. Mass spectrum analysis demonstrated that polymerization through radical–radical coupling mechanism was the pathway leading to NP transformation. Our molecular modeling with the assistance of ab initio suggested the coupling of NP likely proceeded via covalent bonding between two NP radicals at their unsubstituted carbons in phenolic rings. Data from acute immobilization tests with Daphnia confirm that NP toxicity is effectively eliminated by LiP/HRP-catalyzed NP removal. The findings in this study provide useful information for understanding LiP/HRP-mediated NP reactions, and comparison of enzymatic performance can present their advantages for up-scale applications in water/wastewater treatment.     

Bioremediation assessment of diesel–biodiesel-contaminated soil using an alternative bioaugmentation strategy

This study investigated the effectiveness of successive bioaugmentation, conventional bioaugmentation, and biostimulation of biodegradation of B10 in soil. In addition, the structure of the soil microbial community was assessed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The consortium was inoculated on the initial and the 11th day of incubation for successive bioaugmentation and only on the initial day for bioaugmentation and conventional bioaugmentation. The experiment was conducted for 32 days. The microbial consortium was identified based on sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and consisted as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, and Ochrobactrum intermedium. Nutrient introduction (biostimulation) promoted a positive effect on microbial populations. The results indicate that the edaphic community structure and dynamics were different according to the treatments employed. CO₂ evolution demonstrated no significant difference in soil microbial activity between biostimulation and bioaugmentation treatments. The total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) analysis indicated a biodegradation level of 35.7 and 32.2 % for the biostimulation and successive bioaugmentation treatments, respectively. Successive bioaugmentation displayed positive effects on biodegradation, with a substantial reduction in TPH levels.     

Agroforest’s growing role in reducing carbon losses from Jambi (Sumatra), Indonesia

This paper examines the size and intensity of changes among five land categories during the two time intervals in a region of Indonesia that is pioneering negotiations concerning reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). Maps at 1973, 1993, and 2005 indicate that land-cover change is accelerating, while carbon loss is decelerating in Jambi Province, Sumatra. Land dynamics have shifted from Forest loss during 1973–1993 to Agroforest loss during 1993–2005. Forest losses account for most reductions in aboveground carbon during the both time intervals, but Agroforest plays an increasingly important role in carbon reductions during the more recent interval. These results provide motivation for future REDD policies to count carbon changes associated with all influential land categories, such as Agroforests.     

中国绿色经济发展和机制政策创新研究

通过绿色转型创造新的发展和就业机会对于摆脱经济危机、提升国家竞争力并占据全球制高点和领先地位已经成为全球共识。中国的绿色经济发展将对其未来经济繁荣乃至全球经济发展产生深远影响。转变经济发展方式,实现绿色发展,这不仅是中华民族长远发展的战略性选择和必然需要,也是对全球可持续发展的积极贡献,将对人类发展产生的重要影响。中国正逐步走向绿色发展之路,建设资源节约型社会和环境友好型社会,发展循环经济和低碳经济已经为中国的绿色发展奠定了较为坚实的基础。但是在全球化大背景下,中国正面临各种规模庞大、情况复杂的经济发展、社会转变与环境保护的挑战与机遇,尤其是在宏观层面,绿色发展的体制机制保障尚不健全,制约了中国绿色转型的成效。如何通过恰当的制度创新,进一步推进转型成本效率的提高和体制机制与政策法规质量的改善,加快并深化中国的绿色转型是目前面临的主要问题。本文针对上述问题,系统归纳总结了国际上发展绿色经济的普遍经验以及中国发展绿色经济面临的主要问题和挑战,认为发展绿色经济目前并没有一种通用的模式,解决中国发展绿色经济发展过程中所面临的资源环境制约,必须调整现行以GDP为导向的政府和官员绩效考核体系,平衡目前财政分权体系中财权和事权不对应问题,进一步明确政府和市场的作用及各自起作用的领域,同时,综合应用法律、财政、税收和价格等工具,重视不同手段的综合和协同运用,在不同的发展领域,提出具有适应性和包容性的发展策略,具体来说:①实施"差异化"区域绿色发展战略,针对不同的经济发展和资源环境基础,提出不同的发展重点,同时,建立分区域的绿色发展监测和评估体系;②通过技术进步和管理创新发展绿色农业,以保障农产品安全、生态安全和资源安全为重点,推动农业发展政策、农业生产组织、农业技术服务和农业管理体系的转型;③以资源节约和环境友好为基本原则,实施绿色创新战略,引导和推动工业结构的优化升级;④创建绿色服务业体系;⑤推行绿色消费模式,以绿色消费倒逼绿色经济转型。     

可持续发展新里程:问题与探索——参加“里约+20”联合国可持续发展大会之思考

"里约+20"峰会成果文件《我们憧憬的未来》重申了"共同但有区别的责任"原则;决定启动可持续发展目标讨论进程;肯定绿色经济是实现可持续发展的重要手段之一;决定建立更加有效的可持续发展机制框架;敦促发达国家履行官方发展援助承诺。这是"里约+20"峰会取得的重要成果,这项成果开启了可持续发展的新里程,其理论探索和实践总结将是学术界不懈努力的方向。在《我们憧憬的未来》的框架下,整合现有可持续发展的相关政策,综合考虑各国独特的社会、经济发展和环境保护问题的特殊性,认为可持续发展研究需要在以下6个方面做出努力:①绿色经济的概念、发展模式与政策创新研究,主要包含了绿色经济的内涵;绿色经济与可持续发展之间的关系;绿色经济与就业、脱贫等之间的关系;衡量绿色经济的具体指标体系;对不同区域和不同行业经济发展绿化程度的测度;绿色壁垒的形式以及对我国国际贸易的影响;发展绿色经济对国际政治经济格局的影响;绿色经济的发展模式与政策创新研究等。②自然资本核算、生态补偿机制与政策研究,主要包含了自然资本的内涵;自然资本与可持续发展之间的关系;各种生态服务之间的耦合关系;如何建立基于自然资本核算方法体系的多层次多元化的生态补偿投融资及其运行机制和生态补偿方式;如何从法律、体制、机制、政策等多层面构建一套完整、具有可操作性的生态补偿政策和制度保障体系等。③可持续发展的全球治理机制研究,主要包含了可持续发展领域的国际合作与冲突机制及有效的全球环境治理机制和可持续发展的国际管理体制的研究;中国、巴西、印度等新兴经济体应该如何应对在未来全球可持续发展中面临的压力和责任及经济全球化对于可持续发展的负面影响等。④科技创新与可持续发展研究,主要包含了科技创新对可持续发展的贡献度;各类型产业可持续发展技术(或者是低碳技术、绿色技术等)的识别、评价和预测;可持续发展技术的创新机制研究;如何通过加强可持续技术的研发和应用,促进绿色产业发展和民生改善等。⑤可持续发展的投融资机制研究,主要包含了提高可持续发展中转移支付、生态环境保护专项资金(基金)、生态税、税收差异化等财政手段效率的体制和机制创新问题;如何推进投融资渠道和方式多元化,实现资金供给与资本结构优化的协调互动和资金配置与运作效率的高效互动等。⑥可持续发展利益相关方的有效参与机制研究,主要包含了系统研究可持续发展利益相关者参与机制创新的可行路径,建立中国可持续发展利益相关者参与的分析框架;研究与设计能够在宏观(或共性)层面和微观(或个性)层面有效运行的参与机制;研究可持续发展利益相关者参与机制创新的制度相容性和实践可行性。     

Development Model of Tourism Companies Based on the Concept of Circular Economy

This paper summarizes the circular economy development model of tourism companies,and explores the support system which guaranteed the development of circular economy in tourism companies.It takes Xiedao Resort as an example to summarize its development model of circular economy.     

Post-flooding disaster crop diversity recovery: a case study of Cowpea in Mozambique

To restore food security to a traditional African cropping system following a sudden loss of seed, genetic diversity must be re-established. This study examines the extent to which Cowpea diversity was reinstated two years after a flood disaster in Gaza Province, Mozambique. The contribution that seed from various sources made to the recovery was assessed using semi-structured interviews and morphological and molecular data. Data suggest that diversity had recovered to some extent yet there was evidence of a narrowing of the genetic base, with fewer rare alleles and differences in the distribution of allele frequencies. Although the main channels for accessing seed after the flood were seed relief and markets, these sources contributed to minimal and different diversity. It appears that diversity was regained primarily through social networking in the form of loans or gifts of seed from friends and relatives. The results of the study are discussed in relation to seed relief approaches.