Energy efficiency and conservation for individual Americans

Americans make up only 4% of the world population, yet currently consume 25% of the world’s fossil fuels. The U.S. imports 63% of its oil and it is predicted that by 2020 the U.S. will be importing 95% of its oil resources. Over the past century, ample and affordable supplies of fossil fuels have powered the growth and prosperity of the economies of the US and other countries. Within this century, world oil supplies will decline while demand is projected to continue to increase, suggesting that we will have to transition to different fuels or become much more energy efficient or both. Looking ahead to the near decades, estimates are that consumers will have to reduce their energy use by at least 50%. This reduction will be necessary in large part due the decline in the availability of conventional oil and gas, but also because the U.S. population will continue to grow in number. Although government action is important, individuals too often discount their ability to make significant contributions to solving such major problems. This investigation identifies how informed and concerned individuals can collectively conserve fossil energy. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Mercury emission from coal-fired power plants in Poland

The paper reviews the current state of knowledge regarding sources of mercury emission in Poland. Due to the large quantities of coal burned at present, as well as taking into account existing reserves, coal remains the main energy source of energy in Poland. The data on coal consumption in Poland in the past, at present and in the future are discussed in the paper. Information on the content of mercury in Polish coals is presented.Coal combustion processes for electricity and heat production are the main source of anthropogenic mercury emission in Poland. It is expected that the current emissions will decrease in the future due to implementation of efficient control measures. These measures for emission reduction are described in the paper. Results of estimated mercury emission from coal-fired power station situated in the Upper Silesia Region, Poland are investigated. A relationship between mercury emission to the air and the mercury content in the consumed coal in power station equipped with the electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) is discussed.     

硝酸异辛酯热安定性的实验研究

使用加速量热仪(ARC)研究硝酸异辛酯(EHN)的热分解,得到热分解温度随时间的变化曲线,自放热速率、分解压力随温度的变化曲线以及分解压力随升温速率的变化曲线。分析在绝热条件下硝酸异辛酯的热分解反应动力学和热分解过程,计算表观活化能、指前因子和反应热等参数。根据绝热热分解的起始温度和反应热数据,给出硝酸异辛酯在反应危险度等级中的分类,并计算在75℃时的反应风险指数。     

乳酸乳球菌SM526产生乳链菌肽的营养调控

自酸泡菜中分离并鉴定了一株产生乳链菌肽的菌株－乳酸乳球菌（Ｌａｃｔｏｃｏｃｃｕｓ ｌａｃｔｉｓ ｓｕｂｓｐ．ｌａｃｔｉｓ）ＳＭ５２６。研究了不同种类与浓度的碳源、氮源和磷源对该菌产生乳链菌肽的影响,结果表明乳链菌肽的生物合成受碳源、氮、磷源的调控,蔗糖和磷酸二氢钾分别为其最佳碳源和磷源,大豆蛋白胨和酵母粉为其理想氮源。得用分批培养也链菌肽合成的代谢动力学则表明,乳链菌肽在ＳＭ５２６菌株的指数生长期     

Climate Change and Climate Variability: Adaptations to Reduce Adverse Health Impacts

Global climate change is likely to have a range of consequences for human health as a result of disturbance or weakening of the biosphere's natural or human-managed life support systems. The full range of potential human health impacts of global climate change is diverse and would be distributed differentially spatially and over time. Changes in the mortality toll of heatwaves and changes in the distribution of vector-borne infectious diseases may occur early. The public health consequences of sea level rise and of regional changes in agricultural productivity may not occur (or become apparent) for several decades. Vulnerability is a measure of both sensitivity to climate change and the ability to adapt in anticipation of, or in response to, its impacts. The basic modes of adaptation to climate-induced health hazards are biological, behavioural and social. Adaptation can be undertaken at the individual, community and whole-population levels. Adaptive strategies should not introduce new health hazards. Enhancement of the acknowledged public health infrastructure and intervention programmes is essential to reduce vulnerability to the health impacts of climate change. In the longer-term, fundamental improvements in the social and material conditions of life and in the reduction of inequalities within and between populations are required for sustained reduction in vulnerability to environmental health hazards.     

江苏省能源需求预测及二氧化碳减排研究

近年来,江苏省社会经济进入新的发展期,在经济高速发展的背后是能源的高消耗以及温室气体的大量排放。根据江苏省实际情况,运用LEAP模型建立了JSLEAP模型,并采用情景分析的方法,根据影响江苏省能源需求的因素设定了参照情景和可持续发展情景两个情景,系统地、全面地对江苏省未来能源需求和碳排放的发展趋势进行了分析,并提出了江苏省中长期能源发展对策,对江苏省制定正确的能源发展规划、实现可持续发展具有重要意义。研究表明：在两种情景下江苏省未来能源需求总量将持续增加,直到2045年后才有所下降;居民生活、第一产业、第二产业、第三产业各部门能源需求情况都将有所变化;人均CO2排放量、单位GDP的CO2排放量都将降低。但是无论是能源需求或碳排放方面,可持续发展情景都优于参照情景     

能源持续利用、环境治理和内生经济增长

能源可持续利用和环境保护是一国经济可持续发展的重要内容。中国经济要保持长期快速增长，就必须维护环境质量。避免能源耗蝎。本文把能源和环境引入生产函数。建立了一个在能源和环境双重约束下的内生经济增长模型，并借助该模型讨论经济可持续增长和能源持续利用的条件。研究环保投资在环境保护和经济增长中的作用，分析我国环保投资和能源开发中存在的问题。结果表明：在能源和环境的双重约束下，维持经济可持续增长必须促进人力资本积累，提高环保投资效率及其对改善环境质量的贡献率，降低能源强度并加大可再生能源开发。因此。只有建立能源节约和再利用的循环经济。依靠技术进步支撑经济增长方式转变，保护自然环境和生态平衡。我国才能实现经济可持续增长。     

近40年气候变化对江西自然植被净第一性生产力的影响

根据全球气候变化的趋势,采用植被净第一性生产力模型,对江西省南昌、吉安、赣州3地近40年气候变化对自然植被净第一性生产力（NPP）的影响进行研究,并模拟了3地自然植被NPP在未来气候3种水热条件下的变化趋势。此外还以1980年江西全省自然植被NPP为例分析了自然植被NPP的区域分布特征,结果表明：3地近40年自然植被NPP平均值分别为1319 、1311和1320 t/hm2〖DK1〗·a,总体上都呈上升的趋势。 当年均气温增加2℃且降水量增加20%时,NPP值增加了149%~1585%;随着年均气温增加2℃且降水量减少20%,NPP减少了477%~516%;当年均气温增加2℃且降水量不变时,NPP增加了530%~569%。江西自然植被NPP区域分布特征由东、南、西3个方向向北呈放射状分布,随着地形由高山向丘陵、平原的方向变化而减小。     

Anaerobic biodegradation of benzene series compounds by mixed cultures based on optional electronic acceptors

A series of batch experiments were performed using mixed bacterial consortia to investigate biodegradation performance of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and three xylene isomers （BTEX） under nitrate, sulfate and ferric iron reducing conditions. The results showed that toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene and o-xylene could be degraded independently by the mixed cultures coupled to nitrate, sulfate and ferric iron reduction. Under ferric iron reducing conditions the biodegradation of benzene and p-xylene could be occurred only in the presence of other alkylbenzenes. Alkylbenzenes can serve as the primary subs＇rates to stimulate the transformation of benzene and p-xylene under anaerobic conditions. Benzene and p-xylene are more toxic than toluene and ethylbenzene, under the three terminal electron acceptors conditions, the degradation rates decreased with toluene 〉 ethylbenzene 〉 m-xylene 〉 o-xylene〉 benzene 〉 p- xylene. Nitrate was a more favorable electron acceptor compared to sulfate and ferric iron. The ratio between sulfate consumed and the loss of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene was 4.44, 4.51, 4.42, 4.32, 4.37 and 4.23, respectively; the ratio between nitrate consumed and the loss of these substrates was 7.53, 6.24, 6.49, 7.28, 7.81, 7.61, respectively; the ratio between the consumption of ferric iron and the loss of toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene was 17.99, 18.04, 18.07, 17.97, respectively.     

Treatment of tannery wastewater by electrocoagulation

Treatment of tannery wastewater by electrocoagulation with low cell current(≤1A)and soluble electrodes(mild steel electrodes and aluminum electrodes)was studied.Compared with aluminum electrodes,mild steel electrodes were more effective for the removal of sulfide,with a removal efficiency of over 90%.But during the treatment process,black color precipitate typical to iron(Ⅱ)sulfides was produced.While aluminum electrodes were effective to eliminate the colority of the effluent,the removal efficiency of sulfide was lower than 12%.The mechanisms of the removal of chemical oxygen demand,ammonia,total organic carbon,sulfide and colority with the two soluble electrodes(mild steel and aluminum electrodes)were discussed in detail.In order to exert the predominance of diffenent types of electrodes,the tannery wastewater was treated using mild steel electrodes first followed by the filter and finally by the aluminum electrodes,the elimination rates of chemical oxygen demand,ammonia,total organic carbon,sulfide and colority were 68.0%,43.1%,55.1%,96.7% and 84.3%,respectively,with the initial concentrations 2413.1 mg/L,223.4 mg/L,1000.4 mg/L,112.3 mg/L and 256 dilution times,respectively.The absorbance spectra and energy consumption during electrocoagulation process were also discussed.