Impacts of climate variability and changes on domestic water use in the Yellow River Basin of China

We present a methodology for using a domestic water use time series that were obtained from Yellow River Conservancy Commission, together with the climatic records from the National Climate Center of China to evaluate the effects of climate variability on water use in the Yellow River Basin. A suit of seven Global Circulation Models (GCMs) were adopted to anticipate future climate patterns in the Yellow River. The historical records showed evidences of rises in temperature and subsequent rises in domestic water demand in the basin. For Upstream of Longyangxia region, the impact was the least, with only 0.0021?×?10⁸ m³ for a temperature increase of 1 °C; while for Longyangxia-Lanzhou region, domestic water use was found to increase to 0.18?×?10⁸ m³ when temperature increases 1 °C. Downstream of Huayuankou was the region with the most changes in temperature that gave the highest increase of 1.95?×?10⁸ m³ in domestic water demand for 1 °C of change of temperature. Downstream of Huayuankou was identified as the most vulnerable area, where domestic water demand increases nearly by 42.2 % with 1 °C increase of temperature. Judging from the trends of temperature range, we concluded that future temperature in Yellow River Basin has an increasing tendency. This could worsen the existing issues of domestic water demand and even more to trigger high competition among different water-using sectors.     

Diagnosing institutional barriers and opportunities for adaptation to climate change

Institutions are one of the decisive factors which enable, constrain and shape adaptation to the impacts of climate change, variability and extreme events. However, current understanding of institutions in adaptation situations is fragmented across the scientific community, evidence diverges, and cumulative learning beyond single studies is limited. This study adopts a diagnostic approach to elaborate a nuanced understanding of institutional barriers and opportunities in climate adaptation by means of a model-centred meta-analysis of 52 case studies of public climate adaptation in Europe. The first result is a novel taxonomy of institutional attributes in adaptation situations. It conceptually organises and decomposes the many details of institutions that empirical research has shown to shape climate adaptation. In the second step, the paper identifies archetypical patterns of institutional traps and trade-offs which hamper adaptation. Thirdly, corresponding opportunities are identified that enable actors to alleviate, prevent or overcome specific institutional traps or trade-offs. These results cast doubt on the validity of general institutional design principles for successful adaptation. In contrast to generic principles, the identified opportunities provide leverage to match institutions to specific governance problems that are encountered in specific contexts. Taken together, the results may contribute to more coherence and integration of adaptation research that we need if we are to foster learning about the role of institutions in adaptation situations in a cumulative fashion.     

Increasing the application of gas engines to decrease China’s GHG emissions

This paper employs a review of the technical literature to estimate the potential decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that could be achieved by increasing the application of gas engines in China in three sectors: urban public transport vehicle; shipping; and thermal power plants. China’s gas engine development strategies and three types of gas resource are discussed in the study, which indicates that gas engines could decrease GHG emissions by 520 megatonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO_2e) by 2020. This would account for 9.7 % of the government’s target for decreasing GHG emissions and is dominated by methane recovery from the use of coal mine gas (CMG) and landfill gas (LFG) for power generation. In the public urban transport vehicle and shipping sectors the low price of natural gas and the increasing demand for the control of harmful emissions could spur the rapid uptake of gas engine vehicles. However, the development of CMG- and LFG-fuelled power plants has been limited by the unwillingness of local enterprises to invest in high-performance gas engine generators and the associated infrastructure. Therefore, further compulsory policies that promote CMG use and LFG recovery should be implemented. Moreover, strict regulations on limiting methane leakage during the production and distribution of gas fuels are urgently needed in China to prevent leakage causing GHG emissions and largely negating the climate benefits of fuel substitution. Strategies for increasing the application of gas engines, promoting gas resources and recovering methane in China are instrumental in global GHG mitigation strategies.     

An empirical analysis of energy efficiency measures applicable to cities,regions, and local governments,based on the case of South Korea’s local energy saving program

As highlighted in the outcome of the Paris Agreement at the 21st Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change there has been a recent push for the stronger mitigation actions of cities, regions, and local governments. Energy efficiency is a tool that can be leveraged by not only industry or national governments but also cities, regions, and local governments for mitigation purposes. However, studies on energy efficiency as a mitigation tool thus far have focused on the national or transnational scale, and on certain sectors of industry. The purpose of this paper is to find the most cost-efficient energy efficiency measures (EEMs) at the city, region, and local government level. To that end, this paper examines the yearly energy savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction intensity, as well as energy savings and GHG reduction efficiency, in the case of EEMs conducted by South Korean local governments. Yearly energy savings intensity and GHG reduction intensity are estimated to be in the range of 0.094～0.375 tonne of oil equivalent (TOE)/M-KRW (million Korean won) and 0.287～1.180 tCO2e/M-KRW. Results show that inverter installation at water and sewage treatment plants and improvement of pump efficiency are the most cost-efficient EEMs. Moreover, energy savings efficiency and GHG reduction efficiency are within the range of 18.29～45.31 %, at an average of 30.5 % GHG reduction potential. If this reduction potential is applied to the buildings and facilities regulated and run by cities/local governments, there is a worldwide reduction potential of 1.023 billion tCO₂ compared to 2020 business as usual levels.     

重大事故根源分析的周易社会层级模型研究

重大事故的发生有着多重的致因因素,目前国内流行的事故调查与分析主要是针对企业或者组织内部的人因与管理失误,缺乏对事故社会原因的分析与探讨。将国际上流行的事故致因理论与中国的传统文化周易相结合,提出了重大事故根源分析的"周易社会层级模型"假设,将重大生产安全事故的致因调查与根源分析划分为六个社会层级因素与防护屏障,包括直接原因(危险监控层)、间接原因(作业控制层)、系统原因(管理体系层)以及社会原因(公司治理层、标准规范层和法律法规层),并以此为基础开发出周易社会层级模型的重大事故根源分析工具。通过该模型在重大事故调查与根源分析实际案例中的应用,结果表明该模型不仅可以分析时间事件链中每个关键事件或状态的直接原因、间接原因和系统原因,还能找到公司治理、标准规范和法律规范等方面的社会原因,可为重大事故的调查与根源分析提供参考思路、方法和工具。     

自适应智能电磁防护材料测试方法研究

目的在强电磁场环境下研究自适应智能电磁防护材料的相变特性。方法针对自适应智能电磁防护材料相变前后电导率的变化范围大、需要强场激励状况,考虑测试系统强场生成、大动态范围、测试精度以及相应的绝缘性和较高的安全性要求,采用电容充放电原理设计强场激励测试电路,搭建绝缘环境,确保操作的安全性和测试数据的可靠性。结果利用测试系统对现有商业化电阻器进行验证试验,得到的特性曲线与理论相一致。结论测试系统能够满足自适应智能电磁防护材料相变特性试验的需求,可获取有效且可靠的测试数据。     

外浮顶原油储罐VOCs排放核算参数对排放量的影响研究

依据美国环保署颁布的储罐VOCs排放量核算公式,从环境参数、原油参数和储罐结构参数3个方面对外浮顶储罐VOCs排放的影响进行了研究,其中包括了边缘密封排放挂壁排放、浮盘附件排放和浮盘着陆期间排放等几个相关排放核算数学公式。结果表明:环境风速增大,环境温度升高或太阳辐射强度提高均导致排放量增大;原油温度升高或原油周转量增加也导致排放量增加;储罐直径增加,罐漆颜色浅,或者罐壁锈蚀情况好会降低VOCs排放量。     

重庆市突发环境事件时空格局及影响研究

基于2009年-2015年重庆市突发环境事件统计数据,研究了重庆市近7年突发环境事件的动态变化趋势、空间分布格局及污染影响特征,讨论了引发突发环境事件内外部因素之间的关系.结果表明:重庆市7年内共发生突发环境事件134起,且呈波动下降趋势,春季和夏季为交通事故和自然灾害高发期;突发环境事件空间上主要集中在主城九区及相邻的区县,渝西、渝东南及渝东北各区县发生次数较少.道路交通事故、设备故障和操作不当是导致突发环境事件的主要因素,主要发生形式为泄漏.污染类型主要为水污染和水气复合污染,污染物出现频率大小为:油类>酸碱类>液氨>苯及其化合物>减水剂>其他各种污染物.     

数显型电热板加热法在河流高锰酸盐指数应急监测中的应用研究

高锰酸盐指数常被作为地表水体受有机污染物和还原性无机物质污染程度的综合指标.采用数显型电热板加热法测定水中高锰酸盐指数,通过实验确定了加热时间和加热温度.并分别采用水浴法和电热板加热法对应急样品进行了高锰酸盐指数的测定,两种测定方法的比对研究结果表明,应急监测时采用数显型电热板加热法测定耗时更短,检测结果与国标法测定没有显著差异,是可行且有效的应急监测替代方法.     

酸性水储罐安全性研究

为预防酸性水储罐气相空间闪爆事故的发生,取样分析了某炼厂酸性水罐气相空间组成,根据气相组成配制了3种混合可燃气体,利用5 L爆炸极限测试仪测定了混合可燃气体在不同氧含量条件下的爆炸极限,根据爆炸极限数据计算出3种混合可燃气体的极限氧含量。结果表明:随着体系中氧含量增加,爆炸上限明显升高,爆炸下限无明显变化;烃类物质含量高时,混合可燃气体的爆炸上下限均降低,爆炸极限宽度变小;硫化氢和氢气含量高时,混合可燃气体爆炸上下限均升高,爆炸极限宽度变大;3种气相组成的极限氧含量分别为:8.1%、9.9%和10.3%,为防止罐顶气相组成发生闪爆,建议氧含量浓度控制在4%以内,当氧含量浓度到达5%时建议启动氮气联锁进行惰化和稀释。