A Yin‐Yang approach to education policy regarding health and the environment: early‐careerists' image of the future and priority programmes

Since the inception of sustainable development (SD), there has been a somewhat ignored contradiction between paradigms that are ecosystem‐based and paradigms that are human‐based or purely economic. We suggest that this contradiction can be unified through a balance of the two. The Chinese Yin‐Yang philosophy is applied as a tool or approach to seeking balance between these ecocentric and anthropocentric paradigms. Priority education policy design for the merging of ecology and health are projected through an Ecohealth lens in response to increasing SD challenges and the intention of the international Ecohealth organization to contribute to SD goals. Meeting SD goals along the nexus of health and environment is further considered through early‐careerist cultural assessments and projections. The groups considered for their professional image of the future are: members of the Ecohealth Association Student Section and Chinese early‐careerists participating in a related conference. In response to SD goals, a problem‐based learning design is suggested as an education policy priority. Rather than approaching SD as a boolean concept, for example, by either focusing on ecosystem sustainability or economic development, we suggest education policy for programmes and curriculums that will help emerging professionals balance these paradigms, so as to best address national and global challenges.     

Vulnerability and adaptation to heat in cities: perspectives and perceptions of local adaptation decision-makers in Sweden

Climate change vulnerability is disproportionately distributed between different population segments in society. This study qualitatively explores how key stakeholders in municipalities (i.e. planning and operational staff in municipalities and the vulnerable themselves) construct social vulnerability in relation to climate change with a specific focus on thermal stress (i.e. heat waves) and which adaptive responses they identify at different levels. The empirical material consists of five focus groups with actors in a large Swedish municipality where the “Vulnerability Factor Card Game” was used as stimulus material to create 10 fictional individuals. The results show that there is a substantial amount of local knowledge about vulnerability drivers and inter-relations between social factors and vulnerability. Local decision-makers also defined a wide range of possible adaptation measures at different municipal levels. Our study clearly indicates that contextualised knowledge, which could complement the quantitative approaches in research, is abundant among municipal planners, staff employed at municipal operations such as health care, and among the vulnerable themselves. This knowledge remains untapped by research to a great extent and only seems to have an insignificant influence on policy-making. In particular, how impacts vary between different social and demographic groups and how adaptation strategies that target the most vulnerable could be defined are of great interest. The present study clearly indicates that social hierarchy may produce increased inequality in the specific context of climate change, vulnerability and adaptive responses at different levels.     

Assessing local climate action plans for public health co-benefits in environmental justice communities

Climate change presents a complex environmental health and justice challenge for the field of urban planning. To date, the majority of research focuses on measuring local climate efforts and evaluating the general efficacy of adopted climate action plans (CAPs). Cumulatively, these studies argue that socio-economic and demographic variables (such as the fiscal health of cities, city size, and median household income) are important factors in implementing climate policies. Less studied are issues of environmental justice and the impacts of climate change on population health. Through interviews with urban planners and a document analysis of CAPs, this study assesses how California cities with high levels of pollution and social vulnerability address climate change and public health. The findings of this study show that CAPs in these cities rarely analyse whether greenhouse gas reduction strategies will also yield health co-benefits, such as a reduction in the co-pollutants of climate change (i.e. ozone, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides). In many instances, the net co-benefits of health are not monetised, quantified, or even identified by local governments. In California's most impacted cities, climate planning activities and work on public health are happening in a parallel manner rather than through an integrated approach. The results suggest a need for increased opportunities for interagency coordination and staff training to conduct health analyses, free and easily accessible tools, methods for prioritising funding streams, and the development of partnerships with community-based organisations for linking climate planning with public health.     

青藏高原冰川雪细菌与气候环境的关系

通过荧光显微镜测定细菌密度,利用DGGE图谱和Shannon-Weaver指数分析细菌种类多样性,对青藏高原北部老虎沟12号冰川、南部东绒布冰川和东南部海螺沟2号冰川雪坑的细菌密度和种类多样性做了差异性分析. 结果表明:老虎沟12号冰川雪坑细菌密度平均值比东绒布冰川和海螺沟2号冰川高,老虎沟12号冰川雪坑细菌种类多样性比东绒布冰川高,这与高原南、北部不同大气环流引起的大气微粒含量的差异性有关. 海螺沟2号冰川雪坑细菌种类多样性均最高,与该冰川所受的大气环流多样性最高相一致. 东绒布冰川雪坑细菌密度平均值与南极点相近,与其远离人类污染,因而大气环境本底值低有关. 海拔高的东绒布冰川雪坑细菌密度和种类多样性均比海拔低的海螺沟2号冰川和老虎沟12号冰川低,即二者与海拔高度呈反比.      

北太平洋地区沙尘沉降与海洋生物兴衰的关系

通过对2001年4月中亚强沙尘暴过程在中国、韩国、日本和北美大陆地面PM10观测结果进行统计分析,推算出了北太平洋PAPA地区的沙尘沉降通量,结合同期PAPA地区的海洋表层有机碳和叶绿素观测结果,探讨了北太平洋沙尘与海洋生物兴衰的关系.结果表明,本次强沙尘暴过程可以给PAPA地区带去大约3.1～5.8μg/m³的风成Fe元素,它激发了海洋生物泵,引起海洋浮游植物的快速繁盛.     

近30年来中国气候湿润程度变化的空间差异及其对生态系统脆弱性的影响

论文利用近30 a中国756个气象站点日观测数据计算中国陆地表层潜在蒸散和湿润指数现状及变化趋势,然后划分湿润程度变化对不同自然地带生态系统脆弱性影响的等级,并应用于农田、林地和草地三大生态系统脆弱性变化分析,结果显示:近30 a中国陆地表层平均年潜在蒸散为754 mm,平均湿润指数为-5.6,湿润指数平均变化率为-4.4/10 a,反映中国陆地表层湿润程度总体具有下降趋势。近30 a中国陆地表层气候湿润程度变化导致生态系统脆弱性增加的面积约占中国陆地面积的43.7%,主要集中在东北地区西南部、华北地区、西北地区东部,以及青藏高原的西部、北部和东部。总体上,近30 a中国陆地表层气候湿润程度变化对农田、林地和草地生态系统脆弱性具有不利影响。其中草地生态系统脆弱性增加的面积最大,约占草地生态系统总面积的63.2%;其次为农田生态系统,约占31.6%;林地生态系统脆弱性受影响面积最小,约占17.7%。     

两级混合稳定表流湿地处理生活污水

为了提高一级稳定表流湿地(stable surface flow wetland,SSFW)的出水水质,在单级稳定表流湿地后串联一级潜流人工湿地,构成两级混合稳定表流湿地(two steps hybrid stable surface flow wetland,TSHSSFW),研究气候变化对其净化效果的影响,并同一级潜流人工湿地(one step subsurface flow wetland,OSSFW)进行对比。研究表明,气候变化对TSHSSFW的COD和总磷去除率影响较小,去除率均在80%左右;而对氨氮和总氮的去除率影响比较大,夏季TSHSSFW的氨氮和总氮去除率分别为87.77%和77.74%,而冬季氨氮和总氮的去除率分别为54.07%和48.84%。相比单级潜流人工湿地(OSSFW),有SSFW作为前处理的潜流人工湿地对氨氮和总氮的去除率较高。     

中国气候变化影响研究概况

介绍了目前我国在未来气候变化影响研究方面的概况,气候影响研究采用的方法多为政府间气候变化专业委员会(IPCC)第二工作组提出的气候变化影响评价方法。未来气候变化影响研究是在大气中C0₂浓度加倍,或气温、降水变化的情景下,进行未来农业、林业、水资源、生态环境以及海平面上升等方面的潜在影响研究,其中有模型研究、实验室研究、宏观研究和适应对策研究等。这些研究采用的未来气候情景多为GCM模型预测的气候情景。      

上海城市热岛效应的特征分析

根据上海市城区和郊区的６个Ｄａｖｉｓ自动气象观测仪，１９９８、１９９９年两年观测记录，分析了近年来上海市城市热岛的变化特征。结果表明：上海市全年出现城市热岛的概率为８５．１３％，大多数的热岛强度约为２～３℃，有时可以达到３～５℃，最大热岛强度可达７．３７℃；上海市城市热岛可分为Ａ、Ｂ两大类，Ａ类日变化较平稳，强度较弱，主要发生在春夏季节；而Ｂ类有明显的日变化，强度较大，基本上发生在秋冬季节，上海市     

发达国家温室气体减排现状及对我国的启示

气候变化是当前全世界关注的焦点问题,大气中温室气体浓度的不断升高与人类活动存在密切的联系.温室气体的历史排放主要是由发达国家产生的,发达国家对气候变化负有主要的责任.目前发达国家温室气体减排履约的整体情况不容乐观,主要发达国家的排放量呈上升趋势,但一些发达国家的减排经验还是值得借鉴的.本文在总结发达国家温室气体减排政策和措施的基础上,结合我国实际情况,提出了我国温室气体减排的可能对策.