The Yellow River in transition

Like many parts of the world, the Yellow River basin has problems associated with water scarcity, pollution, and flood risk. Analyses that focus only on the physical characteristics of these problems miss some of their most important social drivers. In this paper we identify some interlocking changes that have occurred as a consequence of economic reforms begun in China in 1978, and the implications of these changes for the Yellow River. The reforms have caused changes in the organisation of household production, increasing urbanisation and urban affluence, rapid industrialisation, and large scale spatial shifts in agricultural production. Rather than specific decisions it is these gradual changes that have affected the current status of the Yellow River and its basin. Our analysis suggests that at least some solutions to water problems in the Yellow River lie outside the basin, and beyond the realm of science or technology.     

National Red Listing Beyond the 2010 Target

Abstract: Following creation of the 2010 Biodiversity Target under the Convention on Biological Diversity and adoption of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, information on status and trends of biodiversity at the national level has become increasingly important to both science and policy. National red lists (NRLs) of threatened species may provide suitable data for reporting on progress toward these goals and for informing national conservation priority setting. This information will also become increasingly important for developing species‐ and ecosystem‐based strategies for climate change adaptation. We conducted a thorough global review of NRLs in 109 countries and analyzed gaps in NRL coverage in terms of geography and taxonomy to determine priority regions and taxonomic groups for further investment. We then examined correlations between the NRL data set and gross domestic product (GDP) and vertebrate species richness. The largest geographic gap was in Oceania, followed by middle Africa, the Caribbean, and western Africa, whereas the largest taxonomic gaps were for invertebrates, fungi, and lichens. The comprehensiveness of NRL coverage within a given country was positively correlated with GDP and negatively correlated with total vertebrate richness and threatened vertebrate richness. This supports the assertion that regions with the greatest and most vulnerable biodiversity receive the least conservation attention and indicates that financial resources may be an integral limitation. To improve coverage of NRLs, we propose a combination of projects that target underrepresented taxa or regions and projects that provide the means for countries to create or update NRLs on their own. We recommend improvements in knowledge transfer within and across regions as a priority for future investment.     

Basic Framework and Conception of Promoting the Sustainability of Population,Resources, Environment and Socio-Economic Development in China

Abstract

Population, resources, environment and socio-economic development are four major issues of increasing world attention today and are also four major factors constraining China's development tomorrow. Through an analysis of the international situation and an assessment of China's actual conditions, this article proposes a basic framework and conception of promoting the sustainability of China's population, resources, environment and socio-economic development.     

A New Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Development

A critical review of the multidisciplinary literature on sustainable development reveals a lack of a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding sustainable development and its complexities. A critical review shows that the definitions of sustainable development are vague; there is a lack of operative definitions and disagreement over what should be sustained; the concept is unclear in terms of emotional commitment; and it “remains a confused topic”, “fraught with contradictions”. This article aims to theoretically synthesize the interdisciplinary literature on sustainable development, and then identify the results by broad categories. Therefore, this article uses conceptual analysis, which reviews multidisciplinary literature on sustainable development, which recognizes patterns and similarities within the literature, then it synthesizes the patterns to different categories and independent concepts, where each concept has distinctive meanings and represents close ideas on sustainability. The analytical process elaborates seven concepts that together assemble the theoretical framework of ‘sustainable development’ and each concept represents distinctive meanings of the theoretical framework.     

企、事业单位专职安技员队伍建设探讨

本文对专职安技员及队伍现状进行了分析,根据专职安技员的职业生涯三阶段客观规律,偿试将个人和组织的需要进行合理匹配,探讨提高专职安技员业务素质和安技队伍专业水平的对策.     

A framework for dependability engineering of critical computing systems

This paper presents a development model focused on the production of dependable systems. Three classes of processes are distinguished: (1) the system creation process which builds on the classical development steps (requirements, design, realization, integration); (2) dependability processes (i.e. fault prevention, fault tolerance, fault removal and fault forecasting); and (3) other supporting processes such as quality assurance and certification. The proposed approach relies on the identification of basic activities for the system creation process and for the dependability processes, and then on the analysis of the interactions among the activities of each process and with the other processes. Finally, to support the development of dependable systems, we define for each system creation activity, a checklist that specifies the key issues that need to be addressed with respect to each dependability process.     

Land Use,Land-Use Change,Forestry, and Agricultural Activities in the Clean Development Mechanism: Estimates of Greenhouse Gas Offset Potential

Activities involving land use, land-use change,forestry, and agriculture (LUCF) can help reducegreenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphereby increasing biotic carbon storage, by decreasing GHGemissions, and by producing biomass as a substitutefor fossil fuels. Potential activities includereducing rates of deforestation, increasing landdevoted to forest plantations, regenerating secondaryforest, agroforestry, improving the management offorests and agricultural areas; and producing energycrops.Policymakers debating the inclusion of a variety ofLUCF activities in the Clean Development Mechanism(CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol need to consider themagnitude of the carbon contribution these activitiescould make. Existing estimates of the cumulative GHGoffset potential of LUCF activities often take aglobal or regional approach. In contrast, land-usedecisions are usually made at the local level anddepend on many factors including productive capacityof the land, financial considerations of thelandowner, and environmental concerns. Estimates ofGHG offset potential made at a local, or at mostcountry, level that incorporate these factors may belower, as well as more useful for policy analyses,than global or large regional estimates. Whilecountry-level estimates exist for forestry activities,similar estimates utilizing local information need tobe generated for agricultural activities and biofuels,as well as for the cumulative potential of all LUCFactivities in a particular location.     

我国区域循环经济的发展模式探讨

探讨了我国区域循环经济的发展模式,结合我国已有的循环经济实践,提出并分析了企业集团型、社会功能型、城市功能型和生态功能型4种区域循环经济的发展模式。     

改善通辽市环境质量的对策与建议

本文为改善“十二五”期间通辽市环境质量和生态环境质量,从政策、技术和管理角度提出对策措施,保证区域可持续化发展。     

Development pattern and enhancing system of automotive components remanufacturing industry in China

Along with the increasing number of automotive output and End-of-Life vehicles (ELVs) in China, resources shortage and environmental pollution are aggravating, so the tremendous need to reuse automotive components gives birth to the industry. The Chinese government becomes to realize that it is necessary to build a conservation-oriented and environment-friendly harmonious society. As the ultimate form of recycling, remanufacturing will be an effective method to promote the development of Chinese circular economy. The automotive remanufacturing industry in China is just at the preliminary stage, this paper presents some problems before remanufacturing, during remanufacturing and after remanufacturing, and then it points out several barriers, such as restrictive policies and regulations, consumer acceptance, scarcity of technologies, etc. Like many other developed countries, Chinese remanufacturing industry will also experience the primary stage, growth stage and developed stage. while the emphasis of resources input will not be the same. By analyzing the resources input characteristics at different development stages, three development patterns, such as the Government Incenting Pattern, Technology Driving Pattern and Market Leading Pattern, are put forward. At present, the cooperation of the government, industry, universities and research institutes, etc, will jointly construct the enhancing system of automotive components remanufacturing industry in China. Finally, it concludes with a summary and some suggestions in the field.