Growth, yield and elements content of wheat (Triticum aestivum) grown in composted municipal solid wastes amended soil

A commercial formulation of composted municipal solid wastes (MSW) was used for amending soil at 0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 kg ha⁻¹ in which wheat had been grown (field experiments) and element residues of amended soil and plant parts were enumerated. MSW amendment caused a significant improvement in soil quality. Growth (shoot length, leaf number, leaf area, tiller number, plant dry weight and chlorophyll contents of leaves) and yield (length of panicle, number of panicles per plant and grain yield per plant) of wheat increased gradually up to the MSW-amendment level of 200 kg ha⁻¹. Elements, Ni, Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, and Pb accumulated in plants from MSW amended soil, but the degree of metal accumulation was the least in seeds in comparison to other plant parts (root, stem and leaf). Moreover, Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb, were in high concentration in all plant parts. It is recorded that the level of 200 kg ha⁻¹ MSW amendment caused better growth and yield of wheat, but progressive levels of metal accumulation in plant parts were recorded due to increase in amendment levels. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Change of Flood Patterns in China under the Influences of Climate Change and Human Activities

Based on the flood affected area （FA） data of the provinces in China from 1950 to 2005, the article discusses the change of the flood patterns in China, and investigates its relationship with climate change and human activities. The flood center shifted from North China and the Yangtze-Huaihe basin in the 1950s towards the south, north and west of China, and located in the south of the Yangtze River and South China after the 1990s. The FA in the western provinces was continuously on the rise since the 1950s. There are two characteristics for the future flood pattem in China. The pattern of ＂flood in the south and drought in the north＂ depends on the north-south shift of the maximum rainfall region in eastern China. The flood intensification to the west of Hu Huanyong＇s line mainly results from the increase of rainfall, extreme precipitation and the melting of glaciers under the background of human activity magnification.     

Carbon Embodied in International Trade of China and Its Emission Responsibility

Carbon emissions embodied in international trade of China during 1997-2007 are accounted by input-output method based on Chinese input-output table and global trade analysis project database.It is revealed that carbon emissions embodied in imports and exports both increased during 1997-2007,but carbon emissions embodied in exports are greater than those embodied in imports,China is a net export nation in embodied carbon.The net exports of embodied carbon account for about 10.82% of the total carbon emissions in 1997,dropped to 7.15% in 2002,increased to13.13% in 2006,and slightly dropped to 12.64% in 2007.Low-end position of international industry division is an objective factor of being a net exporter of embodied carbon for China,and usage of a large amount of obsolete energy-using equipments wasted much energy and increased carbon emissions embodied in exports.Importers should take more responsibilities for carbon emissions embodied in trade,and China should take a certain responsibility for unreasonable energy dissipations too.     

《巴黎协定》后的气候资金测量、报告和核证体系构建研究

气候资金测量、报告和核证产生于《联合国气候变化框架公约》(简称《公约》)之下,2009年以来一直是全球气候谈判的重点之一,也是未来全球共同应对气候变化和不断增进国际信任的重要环节。《巴黎协定》达成的"每两年通报"的决定,将推动气候资金测量、报告和核证得到不断的加强和完善。本文通过梳理最新的气候资金机制以及测量、报告和核证的文献资料和智库报告,分析了气候资金测量、报告和核证的内涵、目标和最新进展,以及公约框架下面临的挑战。分析指出,目前不同的气候资金统计和核算机构的资金分类标准存在差异,数据可比性有待改善;缺乏从资金上游到下游的反馈机制,影响气候资金测量、报告和核证体系的完整性;气候资金计量体系虽然正在发展和完善之中,但仍然难以提供准确的资金"支付"数据。据此,文章提出了构建综合性的国际气候资金测量、报告和核证体系的重点任务:建立具有统一数据基础和核算口径的气候资金测量体系,建立操作指南更为详细、形式更为标准统一的气候资金报告体系,以及"自上而下"和"自下而上"相结合的气候资金核证机制。最后,文章指出国际气候资金测量、报告和核证体系的构建需要发达国家和发展中国家在坚持公约资金机制的基础上共同参与和协作。作为国际上少数几个向GEF捐资的发展中国家之一,中国在参与过程中应力争体现发展中国家对气候资金性质的主张以及对测量、报告和核证机制的关键概念和范围界定的主张,影响国际气候资金机制的运营规则和技术规则。     

The impact of climate changes on mass events in China

There is an increasing number of “mass events” in mainland China. My study extends the current studies to the context of China and tries to examine the potential impacts of climate changes on human conflicts in China. The results suggest a strong linkage between the deviation of monthly mean temperature from the historical mean and the number of mass events in a province. If the current trend of warming persists, in the next 6–8 decades, the number of mass events in China will increase by over 8.8%.     

Developments in the Framing of Climate Change as a Public Health Issue in US Newspapers

News media are major channels for the transmission of information to the public and deliver news about the latest developments regarding health issues such as climate change. How the media frame such information may enhance public understanding and enable appropriate responses by individuals and communities. This study follows up on previous research examining media portrayals of climate change in US newspapers from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2008. Here, we content analyze 270 news stories on climate change as a public health issue from five US newspapers between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2012. Findings indicate that the total number of articles about climate change declined while emphasis on the public health dimension of climate change increased. The types of generic news frames (i.e., dramatic/substantive) most frequently used did not considerably change across the two time periods, however. To explain this, we discuss ways in which people may assess and spark change in news framing of public issues to better reach and influence a range of audiences.     

Press Briefings in International Climate Change Negotiations

Press conferences are an important element of a government's communication strategy at climate change summits. From a theoretical perspective, press conferences should serve two main functions: exerting pressure in negotiations and informing the public. These functions correspond to two logics of action: a logic of consequence where governments use press conferences as negotiation tools and a logic of appropriateness where governments organize press conferences to increase transparency. Based on new data from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change archives, we find limited support for these two logics of action. Neither democracies, which, we argue, are more likely to follow a logic of appropriateness, nor vulnerable countries, which are more likely to follow a logic of consequence, organize systematically more press conferences. Other factors, such as capacity and a government's function in the negotiation structure, seem to play a more important role.     

气候变化对西苕溪流域未来洪水影响研究——Ⅱ.情景分析

研究表明VIC模型在西苕溪流域具有良好的适用性,特别是对汛期洪水的模拟。应用陆面水文模型VIC与区域气候模式PRECIS耦合,探讨了西苕溪流域未来洪水对气候变化的响应。结果表明：横塘村水文站月平均流量与月最大洪峰流量的关系较为密切,相关系数均在0.85以上,在一定程度上可以表征洪水的变化特征;基于PRECIS生成的气候情景,未来时期西苕溪流域洪水对气候变化的响应比较明显,尤其是汛期流量增加趋势较显著;结合P-Ⅲ型分布频率分析,西苕溪流域2021~2050年发生洪水极值事件的频率及量级都较基准期增大,且A2情景比B2情景相对更容易触发较大洪水,基准期50 a一遇洪水在未来两种情景下分别缩短为27 a一遇和32 a一遇,说明流域洪水对于气候变化的响应程度增大。     

汉江上游金水河流域近50年气候变化特征及其对生态环境的影响

利用5年滑动平均距平分析、线性回归分析、相关分析及Autoregression 模型等统计分析方法,分析了近50年（1957~2004年）汉江上游金水河流域年度和春、夏、秋、冬4季气温和降水变化特征及其对流域生态环境的影响。结果显示：近50年来金水河流域气候变化呈现气温升高、降水量减少的暖干化趋势。年平均气温总体上升了111℃,同时在上世纪90年代到本世纪初,年平均气温增幅最大,达到06℃;季节变化中,冬季增温最显著（〖WTBX〗p〖WTBZ〗<001）。年平均降水量总体下降了1196 mm,在1985~1997年间,降水量呈现显著波动下降趋势,最大降幅为3452 mm;而季节变化中,夏季下降最明显。在未来10年,流域内气温将持续增加,年平均气温将增加013℃,降水量将逐年减少,年平均降水量将减少78%。金水河流域过去近50年的气候变化对流域内的生态环境产生了较大的影响,从而加剧了流域生态系统的脆弱性,从一定程度上对南水北调中线工程的水资源安全构成了威胁。     

广东省水稻产量关键影响气候因子识别与气候影响估算

农业是受气候变化影响最显著的国民经济行业,农业生产不仅关乎一个国家粮食供给安全,也为其他产业部门提供基础原材料,因此在全球气候变化的大背景下研究气候变化对农业产量的影响是评估气候变化影响经济的重要方面,受到学界普遍关注.以极端气候多发的水稻主产区之一广东省为例,基于作物生产函数模型并引入月度气候因子变量,综合测度农用物...