The Ethics of Burden-Sharing in the Global Greenhouse

The Kyoto Protocol on global warming has provoked great controversy in part because it calls for heavier burdens on wealthy countries than on developing countries in the effort to control climate change. The U.S. Senate voted unanimously to oppose any agreement that does not require emissions reductions in low-income countries. The ethics of this position are examined in this paper which shows that there are good moral reasons for supporting the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol. Such a conclusion follows easily from considerations of distributive justice but can also be supported by more narrowly self-interested arguments. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Can a key boreal Calanus copepod species now complete its life-cycle in the Arctic? Evidence and implications for Arctic food-webs

The changing Arctic environment is affecting zooplankton that support its abundant wildlife. We examined how these changes are influencing a key zooplankton species, Calanus finmarchicus, principally found in the North Atlantic but expatriated to the Arctic. Close to the ice-edge in the Fram Strait, we identified areas that, since the 1980s, are increasingly favourable to C. finmarchicus. Field-sampling revealed part of the population there to be capable of amassing enough reserves to overwinter. Early developmental stages were also present in early summer, suggesting successful local recruitment. This extension to suitable C. finmarchicus habitat is most likely facilitated by the long-term retreat of the ice-edge, allowing phytoplankton to bloom earlier and for longer and through higher temperatures increasing copepod developmental rates. The increased capacity for this species to complete its life-cycle and prosper in the Fram Strait can change community structure, with large consequences to regional food-webs.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01667-y.     

全球变暖对青藏高原腹地草地资源的影响

全球变化导致青藏高原腹地气候的暖干化趋势,也引起该区高寒草甸植被向高寒草原植被的退化。研究区内为高寒草甸一高寒草原过渡区,高寒草甸植被的退化速率为14.2km/10a,而相应地在退化区内生物总量亦呈下降趋势。气候暖干化是引起高原腹地植被退化的原因。而植被退化与区域生物总量的下降将成为影响该区环境自调能力和牧业经济发展的消极因素。     

Influence of global warming on coastal infrastructural instability

The increasing infrastructure instability is an important issue in relation to the influences of global climate change in urban areas. A serious issue pertaining to this is the dual nature of damage triggered by events combined with climate change and natural hazards. For example, catastrophic damage could result from the combination of global warming with a great earthquake, which is a worst-case scenario. Although this worst-case scenario has rarely occurred and presents a low probability of occurrence, countermeasures must be prepared in advance based on an appropriate response and adaptation strategies. After an overview of possible infrastructural instabilities caused by global warming, methodologies are proposed placing emphasis on the increasing probability of infrastructural instability triggered by natural hazards resulting from groundwater-level (GWL) variations. These effects are expected to be particularly serious in coastal regions because of the influence of the rising sea level resulting from global warming. The influence of sea-level rises (SLR) will become apparent along with land subsidence because groundwater abstraction will become severe in coastal regions. Additionally, the probability of earthquake liquefaction increases if GWL rises in accompaniment with SLR. Using case histories, we examined the possible occurrence of these natural hazards as a result of global warming. Finally, possible countermeasures and adaptation strategies for reducing and mitigating infrastructure damage accelerated by global warming are described for each case in specific regions. In particular, special attention should be paid to adaptation strategies in coastal lowlands, which particularly suffer from the effects of land subsidence.     

印度尼西亚森林大火的影响及思考

本文从空气污染、经济损失和珍稀野生动物濒临灭绝三个方面剖析了印度尼西亚森林大火给人类带来的灾难性影响,并就如何保护人类的生存环境、减少环境灾难,提出了加强国民环境意识教育、加强全球合作等措施。     

interactions amongst policies designed to resolve individual air issues

Six air issues are currently on science and policy agendas in Canadaand elsewhere. These are climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion(increased UV-B radiation), acidic deposition, SMOG (increasedground-level ozone), suspended particulate matter, and hazardous airpollutants. Atmospheric scientists and decision makers have largelyaddressed these issues individually resulting in single-issue policies. However, it is now recognized that these issues are inter-related, andthey may interact to cause negative as well as some beneficial effects,not only on the state of the atmosphere but also on societal andecological systems. This paper illustrates through several examples theatmospheric dysfunction caused by the linkages among the six airissues. It also points to potentially conflicting policies arising from thesingle-issue approach, and it emphasizes the need for better integrationof air issues. The linkages are summarized qualitatively in Table I.     

Background monitoring and long-range transport of atmospheric CFC-11 and CFC-12 at Kosan, Korea

The background concentrations of atmospheric CFC-11 and CFC-12were monitored to assess their impact on stratospheric ozone depletion and global warming from September 1995 to March 1999 at Kosan, Korea, located at eastern margin of the Asian Continent. The concentrations of atmospheric CFC-11 at Kosan have decreased slightly, at a rate of –2.5 pptv yr^-1, over the period in response to the Montreal Protocol. The CFC-12 mixing ratio at Kosan continues to increase in the atmosphere at a rate of 5.7 pptv yr^-1 despite international regulations, because of its extreme atmosphere persistence. Recent trends ofthese two chlorofluorocarbons at Kosan, Korea were concordant with those of the northern hemispheric background monitored unitat Mauna Loa, Hawaii. The maximum seasonal mean mixing ratios of CFC-11 and CFC-12 at Kosan, Korea, were 270±4 pptv inthe spring and 538±9 pptv in the winter, and the corresponding seasonal minima were 267±7 and 529±12 pptv. This occurred in the summer and was due to southeasterlywinds from the northwestern Pacific Ocean. By performing a three-day isentropic backward trajectory analysis, it was shownthat air masses at Kosan, and with the exception of summer, mainly originated from central and northern China. In particular, the mixing ratios of these two contaminant speciesare closely related with their air mass trajectories.     

高原喀斯特土壤有机碳短期稳定的温度作用机制

探明有机碳稳定的温度作用机制,是评估全球变化背景下土壤碳源/汇演变趋势的关键.应用土壤密度分组和酸水解技术,采用红外线辐射增温法,对比研究不同升温情景下高原喀斯特土壤及其物理和生化组分中有机碳密度的短期(4a)变化特征.升温情景包括不升温(对照)、对称升温(全年同步升温2.0℃)和非对称升温(冬春/夏秋季升温幅度为2.5℃/1.5℃、3.0℃/1.0℃、3.5℃/0.5℃和4.0℃/0℃,低度、中度、高度和极端非对称升温),其中中度非对称升温与该区域多年升温情景类似.结果表明,不同升温情景下表层(0~15 cm)土壤有机碳密度在1.95~2.02 kg·m-2之间,其差异不显著,且与对照(1.94 kg·m-2)差异不显著.升温处理间土壤轻组和重组碳密度、重组顽固性碳密度差异不显著,且与对照差异不显著.5个升温处理轻组顽固性碳平均密度是对照的1.18倍,其中对称升温、低度和中度非对称升温处理显著高于对照.轻组顽固性碳密度和轻组顽固性碳指数随升温的非对称性增加而降低,其中对称升温处理均显著高于中度、高度和极端非对称升温.亚表层(15~30 cm)土壤及其物理和生化组分中有机碳密度对短期升温均不敏感.研究揭示:短期内,升温提高了高原喀斯特土壤非保护组分中有机碳顽固性.基于对称升温情景并不一定会误估全球变暖对土壤有机碳数量和土壤碳物理保护能力的影响,但可能会高估表层土壤(0~15 cm)非保护组分有机碳顽固性.     

论天然气水合物与海底地质灾害、气象灾害和生物灾害的关系

论述了天然气水合物与海底滑坡、全球变暖和海底生物灭绝等地质、气象、生物灾害的关系。海底天然气水合物的分解能够减小沉积物的胶结强度,并导致沉积层孔隙压力的过剩,进而诱发海底滑坡的发生。天然气水合物与全球变暖关系密切。从天然气水合物释放出来的甲烷可使地球温度升高4℃至8℃,升温的结果一方面可能中和全球变冷的趋势,另一方面也可能加剧全球变暖的趋势。全球天然气水合物大规模的分解,导致了海底单细胞生物大量灭亡,对海底生物多样性的保持构成巨大危害。在天然气水合物开发利用的设计阶段和实施阶段,必须有足够的防范意识和技术措施,防止或尽可能减少天然气水合物开发利用造成的各种环境灾害。     

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.