Effects of bisphenol A on energy balance and accumulation in brown adipose tissue in rats

Some environmental contaminants have the potential to affect humans or animals by mimicking the effects of hormones. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a weak estrogen agonist when tested using in vitro or in vivo bioassays. In addition to the well documented effects of estrogens on reproductive functions, ovarian hormones also have salient effects on mammalian energy balance and feeding behavior. In this study, we investigated the effects of BPA on body weight and food intake of ovariectomized adult female rats. Treatment with doses of 4 or 5 mg/day for 15 days resulted in a significant reduction of body weight gain with no reduction in food intake. A dose of 1 mg/day did not affect feeding or weight gain. BPA was detected in the blood, brain and adipose tissues of the BPA-treated animals but not in the vehicle control group. There was a preferential concentration of BPA in brown adipose tissue. These results indicate that BPA can affect energy balance and that brown adipose tissue may be a primary tissue into which BPA accumulates in mammals.     

清洁生产审计方案评估技术方法探讨

清洁生产审计方案评估是对已获得的清洁生产方案作出科学的，系统的和全面的评估，文章对清洁生产审计方案评估技术方法进行了探讨，提出了清洁生产审计方案评估技术方法包括方案分类评价，方案筛选和可行性分析等内容。     

沈阳市能源需求预测及潜力分析

本文采用逐步回归分析法预测能源需求，结果表明能源消费量与国民生产总值显著相关，预测到２０００年，沈阳市短缺能源达２００万吨标煤．为此，文中进一步提出了提高能源开发、利用潜力的途径和措施及其环境效益．     

燃煤掺烧固硫中的节能探讨

本文对燃煤掺烧固硫中的节能问题进行了探讨.试验表明:掺烧适量的钙基固硫剂,不但能提高灰渣熔点,改善结焦性能,强化燃烧,而且可以使总发热量有所提高.因此,掺烧固硫具有节能效果.     

Perceptual Indicators of Environmental Health, Future Land Use, and Stewardship

There are important linkages between the health of humans and theenvironment, restoration of degraded lands, and long-term stewardship of public lands, yet most environmental indicators deal only with assessing the physical and biological aspects ofecosystems. In this article, we examine the ratings of perceptionsof several environmental problems for their utility as indicatorsof environmental quality, and examine perceptions of future land use by people interviewed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, near the Department of Energy's (DOE) Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Overall, people with lower incomes rated environmental problems as more severe than others, were more willing to spend federal funds to solve them, and were consistent in their ratingsof severity of environmental problems and their willingness to spend federal funds. Cleaning up LANL and other Department of Energy sites, received the highest rating for expenditure of federal funds. The highest rated future uses for DOE sites were for recreation and for National Environmental Research Parks. People with less education generally gave higher ratings to mostfuture land uses for DOE than did those with more education. However, those with higher education gave higher ratings to nuclear reprocessing, and nuclear material storage. Where there were differences, the people interviewed at Santa Fe rated all environmental problems (except pesticides) as more severe than did those previously interviewed in Albuquerque (located fartherfrom the LANL site), and they were more willing to spend federalfunds on these problems. Ratings for all future land uses did notdiffer between the Santa Fe and Albuquerque respondents. These perception-based indicators show general agreement among peopleliving close and farther away from LANL with respect to cleaningup LANL and the future land uses for the site. These indicators should be considered by regulators, site personnel, and policy makers in future management and land use decisions.     

化工污泥中放射性核素226Ra，232Th 的辐射环境行为

目的以化工生产下游企业排放含重金属污泥中放射性核素的分布与含量为研究对象,考察工业生产末端随物料流下行的重金属及其中携带的放射性核素对环境的影响。方法在重金属排放较为显著的电池、电镀化工企业采集含重金属污泥进行分析研究。利用高纯锗(HPGe)γ能谱仪系统分析不同类别污泥中放射性核素~(228)Ac,~(~(212))Pb,~(~(212))Bi,~(208)Tl,~(214)Pb,~(214)Bi和40K的活度和含量,选用蒙特卡罗模型(Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code)剂量转化因子计算化工企业污泥的年有效剂量率,通过计算富集因子得到放射性核素~(232)Th,~(~(226))Ra在化工污泥中的富集水平,通过皮尔森系数将测量得到污泥中Pb,Cr等重金属含量以及相应的~(232)Th含量或镭当量活度Ra_(eq)相互关联,分析其中的数学相关性。结果来自电池、电镀化工企业的污泥中放射性有效剂量率为44.8μSv·a~(-1)。放射性核素~(232)Th,~(~(226))Ra的富集因子(EF-Th和EF-Ra)数值范围分别为0.478~2.217和2.509~4.115,表明放射性核素~(232)Th在含铬污泥中存在富集,而~(~(226))Ra在污泥中均存在明显富集。皮尔森系数的分析显示,重金属元素Pb和Cr与Ra_(eq)的相关性可达到0.8以上,在监测工作中可利用污泥中Pb,Cr含量推算含重金属污泥的放射性水平。结论该研究工作对辐射环境的快捷监测和TENORM的评价均有实际应用价值。     

A ‘delivery-democracy dilemma’? Mapping and explaining policy change for public engagement with energy infrastructure

Understanding how governments orchestrate public engagement in energy infrastructure decisions has important implications for the relationship between energy transitions, democracy and justice, but existing research is deficient in focusing mainly on single case studies. In response, we conduct a multi-sectoral, comparative analysis for the first time to assess how UK governments have engaged publics, applying a novel mapping methodology that is systematic, longitudinal and cross-technology. Moreover, our focus embraces mechanisms of consultation and support measures (e.g. community benefits) and seeks to explain patterns of change using a pragmatist sociology framework. Findings indicate trends towards a reduced scope for public engagement alongside expanded encouragement of community benefits, but also important sectoral differences. On-shore wind moved towards giving local decision-makers significant control over decisions. Gas-fired power stations experienced continuity, with central government controlling consents and limited interest in community benefits. Fracking facilities received intense promotion of community benefits, alongside incremental moves to restrict local decision-making. We argue that the patterns observed reflect government beliefs about the scope for depoliticisation in concrete situations, in which the conjunction of technologies, sites and publics affects how and whether arrangements for public engagement change. These results raise challenges for how researchers seek to connect energy transitions and democracy.     

建立和发展生态工业的策略

党的十五大把环境保护问题作为基本国策,并强调:“正确处理经济发展同人口、资源、环境的关系”。这表明生态问题已经引起高度重视,建立和发展生态工业已成为当前一项重要任务。本文在介绍生态工业定义的基础上,说明了建立和发展生态工业的必要性及其如何建立和发展生态工业。     

Cars and fuels for tomorrow: a comparative assessment

Light duty vehicles, i.e. passenger cars and light trucks, account for approximately half of global transportation energy demand and, thus, a major share of carbon dioxide and other emissions from the transport sector. Energy consumption in the transport sector is expected to grow in the future, especially in developing countries. Cars with alternative powertrains to internal combustion engines (notably battery, hybrid and fuel-cell powertrains), in combination with potentially low carbon electricity or alternative fuels (notably hydrogen and methanol), can reduce energy demand by at least 50%, and carbon dioxide and regulated emissions much further. This article presents a comparative technical and economic assessment of promising future fuel/vehicle combinations. There are several promising technologies but no obvious winners. However, the electric drivetrain is a common denominator in the alternative powertrains and continued cost reductions are important for widespread deployment in future vehicles. Development paths from current fossil fuel based systems to future carbon-neutral supply systems appear to be flexible and a gradual phasing-in of new powertrains and carbon-neutral fluid fuels or electricity is technically possible. Technology development drivers and vehicle manufacturers are found mainly in industrialised countries, but developing countries represent a growing market and may have an increasingly important role in shaping the future.     

Renewable Energy Legislation in China: Political and Institutional Strategy for Effective Implementation

Abstract

Over the past decade, the Chinese government has developed several plans regulations and policy measures related to the development of renewable energy technologies and has implemented a series of pilot projects. Chinese policymakers have spent several years studying how renewable energy policy models that have been used internationally could be implemented in China. Programs are currently underway to implement pilot renewable portfolio standards, or mandatory market shares (MMS) for renewable energy, in several provinces. This paper examines the primary institutions that are involved in promoting renewable policies in China, the structure of the policies that currently are being drafted, and the status of the complementary, national-level renewable energy law being drafted to provide a legal basis for ongoing local and national-level policies. It then examines the legal requirements for promoting renewable energy legislation under the Chinese law-making system. Finally, it provides recommendations for strategies to ensure the smooth implementation of a multi-faceted national renewable energy policy and legal framework.