A Non-confrontational Approach to Socially Responsible Air Pollution Control: The electoral experience of Kitakyushu

Social scientists have described Japan's urban anti-pollution protests in the 1960s as a national phenomenon. However, in Kitakyushu, Japan's most polluted industrial city at that time, no distinct citizens' movement developed. Because local politics and economics were so dominated by large industry, its citizens were reluctant to directly challenge these industries. Instead, local women's groups studied local pollution problems and presented their general findings to the public. These activities raised public awareness and resulted in increased support for local leftist politicians because leftist administrations had succeeded in cutting pollution in their cities. Kitakyushu's conservative mayor and local industry both became concerned that leftists would win the next local elections if pollution was not reduced. Thus the municipal government utilised scientific pollution data and prepared individualised pollution reduction recommendations in sulphur oxide pollution control agreements, which were accepted and complied with by all local industries. The result was a significant reduction in air pollution without the need for active intervention from Kitakyushu's citizenry. Cientificos sociales han descrito las protestas anti-polución urbana de Japon en los años 60 como un fenómeno nacional. Sinembargo, en Kitakyushu, ciudad industrial japonesa más polucionada en ese tiempo, no se desarrollóningún movimiento ciudadano evidente. Debido a que las políticas locales y económicas eran dominadas por la gran industria, sus ciudadanos no estaban dispuestos a retar directamente estas industrias. En lugar de eso, grupos locales de mujeres estudiaron problemas locales de polución y presentaron sus resultados al público. Estas actividades despertaron conciencia pública y resultaron en el incremento del apoyo para políticos izquierdistas locales debido a que las administraciones izquierdistas habían triunfado en la reducción de la polución en sus ciudades. El alcalde conservador y la industria local de Kitakyushu empezaron a preocuparse que los izquierdistas ganarían las próximas elecciones locales si la polución no era reducida. Asíque, el Gobierno Municipal utilizó información científica sobre polución y preparó recomendaciones de reducción de polución individualizada en acuerdos de control de polución en oxído sulfurico, los cuales fueron aceptados y obedecidos por todas las industrias locales. El resultado fue una significativa reducción en la polución del aire sin la necesidad de la intervención activa de parte de la ciudadania de Kitakyushu.     

Technology advance and discounting of the historical emission responsibilities

Solving the dispute over historical greenhouse gases emission responsibility is critical for the future climate agreement.This article borrows the methodology from the carbon budget proposal,but further develops this approach by proposing discount of the historical responsibility due to the technology advance.Firstly,it studies the Annex I countries’mitigation and financial responsibilities of the historical emission in the carbon budget proposal;furthermore,it analyzes the results and implications of the discount approach.Results show that the discount method significantly reduces the burden of the mitigation and financial responsibilities of the Annex I countries.Thus,we claim that the discount approach is a systematic,pragmatic,and fair approach to solve the historical responsibility dispute and financial problems for the post-2020international climate institutions.     

关于QUAL系列模型研究与应用的中文文献统计与分析研究

收集、整理了关于QUAL系列模型的108篇中文文献,从文献统计的角度对其进行分析综述。在近20年中,关于QUAL系列模型的文献数量有着一定的增长趋势。参与文献研究的作者隶属于76个机构,其中以高等院校为主。这些文献分布在60种不同的期刊上,共有244人参与文献研究。随着QUAL系列模型在中国的实际应用越来越流行,介于模型的诸多优势,QUAL系列模型在国内的应用也越来越广泛。     

环境污染加剧石质文物风化:机理、过程及防护措施

石质文物的风化问题由来已久,在影响石质文物风化的各类因素中,环境恶化对石质文物的风化影响日益严重,但现有研究大多忽略了环境污染加剧的影响。在此背景下,本文从酸性气体排放、温度效应和水体污染三个方面阐述了环境污染加剧对石质文物风化的影响和作用机理,并对现有石质文物的防护措施进行综合比较分析,提出石质文物的保护建议和措施,为新形势下石质文物的保护研究提供新的思路。     

浅谈四级环境监测站档案管理工作

简述了环境监测档案在环境保护、生态建设、社会经济发展中的重要价值,分析了当前四级环境监测档案管理中人员培养、信息化建设、保密管理等存在问题,提出,应完善档案管理设备,引进档案管理专业人才,落实档案管理职责,制定相关制度,加强档案密级管理,加快档案信息化建设.     

2009年秋至2010年春我国西南地区干旱及与历史场次干旱对比分析

2009年10月至2010年4月,我国西南地区由于受厄尔尼诺影响,气温偏高、降雨偏少,发生了秋冬春三季连旱,耕地受旱面积占全国同期耕地受旱面积的78%,受灾人口和大牲畜饮水困难头数都达到了近十年来该地区的最高水平.通过对比本次和历史场次干旱发现,西南干旱并非稀遇现象,195l～1990年的40年间该地区曾发生干旱12次...     

A Chronology of Nitrogen Deposition in the UK Between 1900 and 2000

Measurements of the concentrations of nitrogen compounds in air and precipitation in the UK have been made since the mid-19th century, but no networks operating to common protocols and having traceable analytical procedures were established until the 1950s. From 1986 onwards, a high-quality network of sampling stations for precipitation chemistry was established across the UK. In the following decade, monitoring networks provided measurement of NO₂, NH₃, HNO₃ and a satisfactory understanding of the dry deposition process for these gases allowed dry deposition to be quantified. Maps of N deposition for oxidized and reduced compounds at a spatial scale of 5 km × 5 km are available from 1986 to 2000. Between 1950 and 1985, the more limited measurements, beginning with those of the European Air Chemistry Network (EACN) provide a reasonable basis to estimate wet deposition of NO ₃ ^– –N and NH ₄ ⁺ –N. For the first half of the century, estimates of deposition were scaled with emissions assuming a constant relationship between emission and deposition for each of the components of the wet and dry deposition budget at the country scale. Emissions of oxidized N, which dominated total nitrogen emissions throughout the century, increased from 312 kt N annually in 1900 to a peak of 787 kt for the decade 1980–1990 and then declined to 460 kt in 2000. Emissions of reduced N, largely from coal combustion were about 168 kt N in 1900, increasing to a peak of 263 kt N in 2000 and by now dominated by agricultural sources. Reduced N dominated the deposition budget at the country scale, increasing from 163 kt N in 1900 to 211 kt N in 2000, while deposition of oxidized N was 66 kt N in 1900 and 191 kt N in 2000. Over the century, 68 Mt (Tg) of fixed N was emitted within the UK, 78% as NO _x , while 29 Mt of nitrogen was deposited (43% of emissions), equivalent to 1.2 t N ha^–1, on average, with 60% in the reduced form. Deposition to semi-natural ecosystems is approximately 15 Tg N, equivalent to between 1 and 5 t N ha^–1, over the century and appears to be accumulating in soil. The N deposition over the century is similar in magnitude to the total soil N inventory in surface horizons.     

Refuge‐Effect Hypothesis and the Demise of the Dodo

The Dodo was last sighted on the inshore island of Ile d'Ambre in 1662, nearly 25 years after the previous sighting on the mainland of Mauritius. It has been suggested that its survival on the inshore island is representative of the refuge effect. Understanding what constitutes significant persistence is fundamental to conservation. I tested the refuge‐effect hypothesis for the persistence of the Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) on an inshore island beyond that of the mainland population. For a location to be considered a refuge, most current definitions suggest that both spatial and temporal isolation from the cause of disturbance are required. These results suggest the island was not a refuge for the Dodo because the sighting in 1662 was not temporally isolated from that of the mainland sightings. Furthermore, with only approximately 350 m separating Ile d'Ambre from the mainland of Mauritius, it is unlikely this population of Dodos was spatially isolated. Hipótesis del Efecto Refugio y la Desaparición del Dodo     

Predicting the time needed for environmental systematic reviews and systematic maps

Systematic reviews (SRs) and systematic mapping aim to maximize transparency and comprehensiveness while minimizing subjectivity and bias. These are time-consuming and complex tasks, so SRs are considered resource intensive, but published estimates of systematic-review resource requirements are largely anecdotal. We analyzed all Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE) SRs (n = 66) and maps (n = 20) published from 2012 to 2017 to estimate the average number of articles retained at each review stage. We also surveyed 33 experienced systematic reviewers to collate information on the rate at which those stages could be completed. In combination, these data showed that the average CEE SR takes an estimated 164 d (full-time equivalent) (SD 23), and the average CEE systematic map (SM) (excluding critical appraisal) takes 211 d (SD 53). While screening titles and abstracts is widely considered time-consuming, metadata extraction and critical appraisal took as long or longer to complete, especially for SMs. Given information about the planned methods and evidence base, we created a software tool that predicts time requirements of a SR or map with evidence-based defaults as a starting point. Our results shed light on the most time-consuming stages of the SR and mapping processes, will inform review planning, and can direct innovation to streamline processes. Future predictions of effort required to complete SRs and maps could be improved if authors provide more details on methods and results.     

Identifying Anomalous Reports of Putatively Extinct Species and Why It Matters

Abstract:  As species become very rare and approach extinction, purported sightings can stir controversy, especially when scarce management resources are at stake. We used quantitative methods to identify reports that do not fit prior sighting patterns. We also examined the effects of including records that meet different evidentiary standards on quantitative extinction assessments for four charismatic bird species that might be extinct: Eskimo Curlew ( Numenius borealis ), Ivory-billed Woodpecker ( Campephilus principalis ), Nukupu`u ( Hemignathus lucidus ), and O`ahu `Alauahio ( Paroreomyza maculata ). For all four species the probability of there being a valid sighting today, given the past pattern of verified sightings, was estimated to be very low. The estimates of extinction dates and the chance of new sightings, however, differed considerably depending on the criteria used for data inclusion. When a historical sighting record lacked long periods without sightings, the likelihood of new sightings declined quickly with time since the last confirmed sighting. For species with this type of historical record, therefore, new reports should meet an especially high burden of proof to be acceptable. Such quantitative models could be incorporated into the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List criteria to set evidentiary standards required for unconfirmed sightings of "possibly extinct" species and to standardize extinction assessments across species.