Sustainable consumption and production: Trends, challenges and options for the Asia-Pacific region

This paper highlights current trends in consumption and production patterns in Asian developing countries and emerging economies. It describes the main challenges and opportunities for Asian countries making the transition towards sustainable consumption and production patterns. The main challenge for Asian economies is to address the unsustainable consumption patterns of urban consumers, which entails a policy shift from the current focus on pollution and inefficient industrial production. In view of future consumption trends and the global convergence of consumption patterns, the characteristics of the emerging 'global consumer class' are examined, with particular focus on urban ecological footprints and carbon emissions. Furthermore, the difference between urban and rural consumption is discussed, together with opportunities for low-carbon urban development in the megacities of Asian developing countries. To conclude, the paper presents an overview of current policy measures taken in Asian countries to green economic development and realise sustainable consumption and production patterns.     

Methods to empirically estimate direct and indirect rebound effect of energy-saving technological changes in households

Energy efficiency policies have a special importance within carbon emission reduction policies to mitigate the climate change effects. However, potential reductions of energy consumption and, consequently, its resulting emissions, can be offset through the so called “rebound effect”. The concept of “rebound effect” refers to a set of mechanisms whereby the improvement of efficiency reduces the cost of the energy service and this results in the household energy consumption rising and totally or partially negating the reduction achieved by the energy efficiency improvement. This paper provides a methodology to estimate the static direct plus indirect rebound effect of energy efficiency improvements in the use of energy in households. It is based on the combination of econometric estimations of energy demand functions, re-spending modelling and generalised intput-output of energy modelling. It also provides estimations for Catalonia.     

The role of learning in sustainable communities of practice

This paper adds to the literature on skills for sustainable communities by examining the role and processes of learning in “communities of practice” that exist within a “grassroots association”. Interviews were conducted with participants in the communities of practice of a student group called Green Action, which engages with environmental issues in practical ways. The findings demonstrate how learning occurred in the communities of practice, how participants gained skills and knowledge for sustainable consumption, and how learning in the communities of practice appeared to help Green Action to sustain itself in the long-term. This paper could serve as a useful demonstration to others as to how to apply the theories and concepts from the literature on communities of practice when researching skills and knowledge for sustainable communities. It also has some value for grassroots associations themselves in understanding their own activities.     

我国能源消耗对人群PM2.5暴露水平的随机影响效应分析

能源燃烧产物是PM2.5暴露水平提高的重要因素,燃烧不同种类的能源对PM2.5形成的影响机理不同,但各类能源消耗量对人群PM2.5暴露水平的影响程度尚不明确.基于2003-2010年的PM2.5质量浓度与煤炭、焦炭、原油、汽油、煤油、柴油、燃料油、天然气和电力消耗数据组成的面板数据,建立了不同种类能源消耗影响我国人群PM25暴露水平的随机效应模型.结果表明,我国2003-2010年多数省(市、自治区)的年均PM2.5质量浓度超过了世界卫生组织的标准.在研究时间段内,不同种类能源消耗量对人群PM2.5暴露水平的影响具有较大差异,煤炭、焦炭、汽油和煤油消耗对人群PM2.5暴露水平具有正影响,其中,正向影响最大的为焦炭消耗量,表明工业消耗焦炭对形成PM2.5的促进作用比较明显;与焦炭消耗量具有相近的影响效果的因素是汽油消耗,表明改进机动车和航空燃油技术同样非常重要;原油、柴油、燃料油、天然气和电力消耗对人群PM2.5暴露水平具有负影响,其中负向影响最大的为电力消耗量,表明电力作为一种清洁能源,有利于降低人群PM2.5暴露水平.     

Global population collapse in a superabundant migratory bird and illegal trapping in China

Persecution and overexploitation by humans are major causes of species extinctions. Rare species, often confined to small geographic ranges, are usually at highest risk, whereas extinctions of superabundant species with very large ranges are rare. The Yellow‐breasted Bunting (Emberiza aureola) used to be one of the most abundant songbirds of the Palearctic, with a very large breeding range stretching from Scandinavia to the Russian Far East. Anecdotal information about rapid population declines across the range caused concern about unsustainable trapping along the species’ migration routes. We conducted a literature review and used long‐term monitoring data from across the species’ range to model population trend and geographical patterns of extinction. The population declined by 84.3–94.7% between 1980 and 2013, and the species’ range contracted by 5000 km. Quantitative evidence from police raids suggested rampant illegal trapping of the species along its East Asian flyway in China. A population model simulating an initial harvest level of 2% of the population, and an annual increase of 0.2% during the monitoring period produced a population trajectory that matched the observed decline. We suggest that trapping strongly contributed to the decline because the consumption of Yellow‐breasted Bunting and other songbirds has increased as a result of economic growth and prosperity in East Asia. The magnitude and speed of the decline is unprecedented among birds with a comparable range size, with the exception of the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), which went extinct in 1914 due to industrial‐scale hunting. Our results demonstrate the urgent need for an improved monitoring of common and widespread species’ populations, and consumption levels throughout East Asia.     

石油类物质的湿沉降及其对区域水环境的影响:以正构烷烃为指示物

为评估含有机污染物的湿沉降对区域水环境污染的贡献,在广州市3个采样点(海珠区、天河区和萝岗区)采集了2010年湿沉降样品(157个),并在天河点采集了12个干沉降、11个地表径流及10个气溶胶样品,并对其中指示化合物正构烷烃的浓度、来源和通量进行分析.正构烷烃(包括从C20—C34的15种同系物)总浓度范围为0.6—292μg·L-1;从季节上看,其在雨季(4—9月)的浓度低于旱季(1—3月和10—12月).碳优势指数和主成分分析结果表明,广州市的正构烷烃主要来源于石油产品的消费(50%),暗示石油产品消耗是主要污染源;其次来自植物排放(38%).此外,广州市在2010年有55±80 t(平均值±标准偏差)正构烷烃经干沉降和湿沉降至地表,其中湿沉降的贡献为39±80 t.同时,大约有224±296 t正构烷烃通过地表径流进入到珠江,反映了面源污染对区域水环境影响很大.因此,控制石油产品的消费和治理地表径流,是抑制面源污染、改善区域水环境的两个途径.     

Fenton 试剂处理草酸化工废水的实验研究

利用Fenton工艺对草酸化工废水进行预处理,试验结果表明：针对该废水,温度为制约其反应的最重要的影响因素,升温至40℃时,可达到最佳处理效果;Fenton预反应后可能出现pH不升反降的现象,pH＝3时处理效果较好;对沉淀时间较长的间歇式处理,絮凝剂PAM的投加意义不大。试验表明,在温度为40℃,pH＝3,投加2％的双氧水（双氧水和硫酸亚铁的摩尔比为1：4）时,COD总去除率可达到78％。     

基于灰色预测模型的水资源可持续利用研究——以常州武进区为例

基于常州武进区2008年-2013年用水量,建立灰色预测GM(1,1)模型,并利用该模型预测了武进区2015年-2020年的用水量.根据武进区供水能力的现状,并结合预测结果,对武进区2015年-2020年日用水量进行供需平衡分析,以发现水资源供需缺口,然后提出解决对策,缓解供需矛盾.结果表明2017年武进区开始出现供水不足现象,缺口为6.8万m3/d.为实现水资源可持续利用,提出新增滆湖供水水量,落实工业、农业和社会生活的节水措施,提高污水资源化率的三项策略.     

高校能源消耗建模研究与应用

针对高校能源消耗建模研究与应用问题,文中介绍了高校能耗日益增长现状,给出了高校能耗模型构建,为节约能源必须做好精准能耗预测.建立了灰色径向基函数神经网络高校能耗预测模型,并采用基于排序等分法赌盘规则选择算子的遗传算法对该模型进行全局优化,进一步用实例对比分析评估了模型的有效性.实践表明,优化后的模型能有效预测能耗,与传统单一的建模方式相比,有更好的拟合性、稳定性、预测精度和更快的收敛速度,为节能评估和设计提供了决策依据.     

ABR-MBR一体化工艺节能降耗措施优化研究

能耗高和膜污染是限制膜生物反应器(MBR)广泛应用的重要因素.为降低工艺运行能耗和延缓膜污染,以厌氧折流板反应器(ABR)-MBR工艺处理生活污水为例,对工艺结构和脱氮除磷运行条件进行优化.结果表明,通过优化ABR-MBR工艺结构,可降低43%的运行能耗,同时可保持较高的COD、NH+4-N、TN和TP去除效果,平均去除率分别为91%、85%、76%和86%.另外,添加颗粒填料可有效延缓膜污染,不过也改变了膜污染的形成过程,膜内部污染物含量显著增多,碳水化合物含量增加,而蛋白质含量减少,碳水化合物/蛋白质比明显增大.最终,增强了MBR反应器的实际应用性能.