Practical application of sustainable development in decision-making processes in the Great Lakes Basin

SUMMARY

Sustainable development has become the conceptual framework within which societal, economic and environmental issues are addressed at every level around the world. In 1993, a United States-Canada assembly of more than 250 Great Lakes leaders was convened to evaluate the efficacy of creative processes under way in the Great Lakes Basin relative to sustainable development and to identify key success factors and process characteristics which are consistent with principles of sustainable development. A combination of eight criteria for effective project management (i.e. stakeholder involvement; leadership; information and interpretation; planning; human resource development; results and indicators; review and feedback; stakeholder satisfaction) and six principles of sustainable development (i.e. long-range planning and intergenerational responsibility; carrying capacity; anticipation and prevention; full cost accounting; integration of economic, social and environmental factors; efficiency, innovation and continuous improvement) were developed to evaluate and help improve decision-making processes. Such criteria and principles may be useful in improving decision-making processes in other parts of the world.     

Benefits and challenges of streamlined life-cycle assessment for SMEs – findings from case studies on climate change impacts

ABSTRACT

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a substantial role in the economy and job creation, but they are a remarkable source of environmental impacts. SMEs often lack skills and resources to compile environmental impact assessments; Streamlined Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) can provide efficient tools for this. An application of streamlined LCA relying heavily on database data, LCA clinic, was developed and tested on 23 SMEs in Finland. The climate change impacts were mainly caused by the production of raw materials, electricity and heating, whereas packaging and transportation were not influential. A significant amount of emissions were indirect, i.e. caused by production of raw materials. Thus, decreasing emissions from raw material production or selecting raw materials with a smaller environmental load could be a more efficient way to decrease emissions than reducing direct emissions such as those from electricity use. Lack of data in the LCA-databases was considered a challenge. An access to regionally customised datasets is important for the implementation of LCA clinics. Company feedback indicated that LCA clinics were useful in climate-friendly product design and increased environmental awareness, but did not lead to immediate actions to reduce emissions because of inadequate investment capabilities. Company managers had limited possibilities to use the results in marketing as comparative assessments would require a full LCA. Many company managers were willing to pay a fee sufficient to cover the costs of an LCA clinic, but some considered that the costs should be covered by external funding sources.     

三峡小城镇污水处理厂污水处理工艺探讨

在调查研究三峡库区重庆段小城镇污水处理现状的基础上,根据库区水质特征、水环境保护的特殊要求和库区地理环境与经济条件特点,对适用污水处理工艺和技术进行比选,认为利用地形高差,采用跌水曝气式生物滤塔+氧化沟处理工艺适用于库区小城镇污水处理。     

北京山区泥石流灾害保险的风险评判方法研究

泥石流是北京山区主要的自然灾害,在1989-1999年期间,泥石流灾害造成的经济损失高达3.09亿元.对泥石流灾害保险风险的评判是首先按北京山区各区县的泥石流危险度分区划分风险区,然后对各风险区进行灾害危险性和灾害易损性评判.在危险性评判中,按各风险区的泥石流危险度等级赋予危险度评判指标值.在易损性评判中,选择国内生产总值、固定资产、人口密度和人口自然增长率等4个因素作为评判指标,并分为两个层次进行评判.第一层次是经济易损性与社会易损性评判,第二层次是泥石流灾害易损性评判.最后用泥石流灾害保险风险分析数学模型,计算出各风险区的泥石流灾害保险风险度,并由此绘制了北京山区泥石流灾害保险风险区划图.     

基于空气负离子浓度的建筑室内空气清洁度评价

对深圳某办公楼部分房间的空气负离子浓度分布进行了观测研究,利用空气离子单极系数和安倍空气离子评价指数对不同设备制冷的办公室空气质量进行了评价分析。结果表明:自然通风状态下的空气清洁度比机械通风状态下高,利用可再生能源制冷技术的室内空气质量比普通空调制冷技术的好,放置负离子发生器对室内空气质量有显著提高。因此提高室内负离子浓度可以创造舒适的空气环境,并建议把空气负离子浓度列为室内环境的监测和评价指标,为今后城乡建设规划、城市林业规划和环境能源保护提供科学依据和设计思路。     

灰色聚类法综合评价滴水湖水系环境质量

将滴水湖水系看作一个灰色系统进行研究,利用灰色聚类理论,以地表水环境标准和富营养化分级标准为基础建立灰类评价体系,确定聚类指标的隶属度和标准灰类的权重,得到各聚类指标对标准灰类的聚类系数,最大聚类系数关联的等级即水体质量等级。2010年,每2周1次对滴水湖水系11个监测点的溶解氧（DO）、化学需氧量（CODMn）、五日生化需氧量（BOD5）、总磷（TP）、总氮（TN）、氨氮（NH3-N）、透明度（SD）及叶绿素a（Chl.a）进行监测,取各指标的年均值,建立灰类评价系统。结果表明：滴水湖水源大治河及引水干道随塘河处水质属于Ⅳ类～Ⅴ类,呈富营养化和极度富营养化状态;闸外引水河芦潮引河段水质类型为Ⅲ类,为富营养化水平;闸内引水河道水质总体呈现富营养化状态,水质类型为Ⅲ类;滴水湖湖区水体质量良好,水质类型为Ⅲ类,呈中营养水平。     

Population structure and community characteristics of Acer catalpifolium Rehd北大核心CSCD

Acer catalpifolium Rehd., a critically endangered tree species with an extremely limited range of distribution, is one of the 120 plant species with extremely small populations, as approved by the state forestry administration of the People's Republic of China and requires urgent rescue action. In order to comprehensively understand the population status and the future developmental trend of A. catalpifolium, the plant communities were investigated from 5 sites, including Caishenmiao (CSM), Banruosi (BRS), Zhangshancun (ZSC), Fuhusi (FHS), and Baoguosi (BGS). The population structure of A. catalpifolium as well as the species composition and community characteristics of its habitat were investigated. The results showed that A. catalpifolium is mainly distributed in the evergreen broad-leaved and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests, in different community layers, namely, the tree layer, shrub layer, and herb layer, and is accompanied by 52, 74, and 52 plant species, respectively. Analyses of the distribution of population abundance revealed that BRS had the largest distribution of A. catalpifolium, accounting for 26.04% of the total population, followed by FHS, ZSC, BGS, and CSM, in that order. Analyses of the community characteristics revealed that the species diversity indices in FHS, BRS, BGS, and CSM were greater than that in ZSC. Analyses of the population age structure of A. catalpifolium revealed the gap in the distribution of the levels of seedlings and young trees. There were serious obstacles to the regeneration of the natural population. We concluded that the obstacle to the regeneration of the population of A. catalpifolium might be caused by the high competitive pressure from the dominant species and the micro-environment in the forest. Understanding the community characteristics and the population structure of A. catalpifolium could provide a theoretical foundation for its reintroduction and recovery. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

退耕还林（草）工程实施前后黄土高原植被覆盖时空变化分析

基于GIMMS NDVI3g（the third generation of Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies Normalized Difference Vegetation Index）数据,辅以趋势分析、Mann-Kendall检验、Hurst指数等方法,识别了1982—2013年及1982—1999、2000—2013年黄土高原植被覆盖时空演变特征,并探讨其驱动因素。研究发现：1）1982—2013年及1982—1999、2000—2013年期间黄土高原生长季NDVI分别以0.019/10 a（P<0.01）、0.016/10 a（P<0.05）和0.057/10 a（P<0.001）的速率增加;2）除1999年以前林地外,所有植被类型的生长季NDVI均呈现显著的增加趋势,2000—2013年尤为明显;3）黄土高原生长季NDVI呈现由东南向西北递减的趋势,1982—2013年及1982—1999、2000—2013年NDVI显著上升的面积分别占74.94%、24.26%和53.34%,主要集中在黄土高原的北部和中部地区;4）研究区未来生长季NDVI呈持续性和反持续的比重分别为33.32%和66.68%,其中持续改善和由改善变为退化的面积分别占31.08%和61.88%;5）2000年以后降水增多与生长季NDVI上升相对应,大规模的生态工程建设对2000—2013年生长季NDVI增加有重要影响。     

甘肃黄土丘陵地区农户取暖用能需求的评价

甘肃黄土丘陵地区冬季温度多处于0 ℃以下,农户取暖水平低。论文通过实地观测记录获取数据,建立趋势面模型,核算采暖期累计温差和实际用能消耗,提出以16 ℃的室内温度为小康取暖标准。参考国家相关标准,比较实际用能和应用节能技术下用能的热效率。结果表明,陇东长官村和陇中河畔村农户采暖期累计温差分别为23 002 h·℃和36 390 h·℃,实际取暖能耗分别为926 kgce/a和1 199 kgce/a。农户取暖用能数量虽不少,但目前只解决了小康水平下39.6%和46.6%的取暖需求。取暖用能的综合热效率只有17%左右。如果应用节能技术,能耗会大幅降低,提高综合热效率的潜力巨大。因此,通过住房的节能改造和用能设施的改善来提高房屋的保暖性、降低单位面积的热损耗是今后解决取暖用能问题的主要方向。     

规划环评中景观非生态功能影响评价实例

以景观概念作为融合自然与社会、科学与美学、理性与感性的结合点,研究了景观非生态功能的内涵及其评价技术理论框架,从景观功能中提炼出景观非生态功能概念,初步完成景观非生态功能评价指标体系的构建.评价技术体系设计突出环境影响评价中现状评价的客观性以及影响预测的科学性.以人感尺度下的评价对象——景观单元概念为创新点,该评价体系补充并完善了现有景观评价体系的技术链条,在保证评价精度的前提下,简化并规范了评价工作流程.该评价体系沿用现有环境影响评价所广泛采用的现状评价、影响源分析、影响预测评价及措施建议的技术思路,基本能满足现行技术规范的要求.以武汉市后官湖生态宜居新城规划环评为例,验证了该体系的可操作性,为我国规划环评在景观评价技术领域的发展提供理论和实践参考.