Cost shifting and other perverse incentives in biodiversity offsetting in India

Biodiversity offsetting aims to compensate for development‐induced biodiversity loss through commensurate conservation gains and is gaining traction among governments and businesses. However, cost shifting (i.e., diversion of offset funds to other conservation programs) and other perverse incentives can undermine the effectiveness of biodiversity offsetting. Additionality—the requirement that biodiversity offsets result in conservation outcomes that would not have been achieved otherwise—is fundamental to biodiversity offsetting. Cost shifting and violation of additionality can go hand in hand. India's national offsetting program is a case in point. Recent legislation allows the diversion of offset funds to meet the country's preexisting commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). With such diversions, no additional conservation takes place and development impacts remain uncompensated. Temporary additionality cannot be conceded in light of paucity of funds for preexisting commitments unless there is open acknowledgement that fulfillment of such commitments is contingent on offset funds. Two other examples of perverse incentives related to offsetting in India are the touting of inherently neutral offsetting outcomes as conservation gains, a tactic that breeds false complacency and results in reduced incentive for additional conservation efforts, and the clearing of native vegetation for commercial plantations in the name of compensatory afforestation, a practice that leads to biodiversity decline. The risks accompanying cost shifting and other perverse incentives, if not preempted and addressed, will result in net loss of forest cover in India. We recommend accurate baselines, transparent accounting, and open reporting of offset outcomes to ensure biodiversity offsetting achieves adequate and additional compensation for impacts of development.     

A habitat‐based approach to predict impacts of marine protected areas on fishers

Although marine protected areas can simultaneously contribute to biodiversity conservation and fisheries management, the global network is biased toward particular ecosystem types because they have been established primarily in an ad hoc fashion. The optimization of trade‐offs between biodiversity benefits and socioeconomic values increases success of protected areas and minimizes enforcement costs in the long run, but it is often neglected in marine spatial planning (MSP). Although the acquisition of spatially explicit socioeconomic data is perceived as a costly or secondary step in MSP, it is critical to account for lost opportunities by people whose activities will be restricted, especially fishers. We developed an easily reproduced habitat‐based approach to estimate the spatial distribution of opportunity cost to fishers in data‐poor regions. We assumed the most accessible areas have higher economic and conservation values than less accessible areas and their designation as no‐take zones represents a loss of fishing opportunities. We estimated potential distribution of fishing resources from bathymetric ranges and benthic habitat distribution and the relative importance of the different resources for each port of total catches, revenues, and stakeholder perception. In our model, we combined different cost layers to produce a comprehensive cost layer so that we could evaluate of trade‐offs. Our approach directly supports conservation planning, can be applied generally, and is expected to facilitate stakeholder input and community acceptance of conservation.     

汶川8.0级地震所引发的防震减灾工作启示

1966年邢台地震和2008年汶川8.0级地震,对中国防震减灾事业的方针政策已经产生和正在产生深刻影响。汶川8.0级地震的惨痛教训进一步说明,在地震预报不过关或还不可靠的前提下,震灾预防是减轻地震灾害的最有效途径。汶川地震的灾情和云南省减隔震技术研究应用、农村民居抗震、城中村改造三大工程加速了中国防震减灾结构的调整——应把建构筑物抗震设防摆在更重要的位置。     

Impacts of charcoal characteristics on sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Sorption of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, phenanthrene, anthracene and pyrene) on three charcoals and their precursor substance (sawdust) was studied. The charcoals obtained by heating at 400 0;C for different periods were different in chemical composition and structure. Sorption characteristics were described by a Polanyi013;Dubinin013;Manes model combined with poly-parameter linear free energy relationships. The results revealed that though partition could not be neglected for sawdust and charcoal containing large sawdust residue, adsorption controlled the sorption of PAHs on matured charcoals, where <0;013;<0; electron donor013;acceptor (EDA) exerted as the main molecular-scale interactions. Charring elevated partition coefficients (K_oc) of the three PAHs more than one order of magnitude, which ranged from 10^5.74 to 10^6.58 on charcoals (for PAHs at equilibrium concentration C_e = 0.005S_w). Adsorption increased with the aromaticity of the charcoals, however, polar aromatic structure may stimulate sorption of PAHs due to the presence of <0;013;<0; EDA interactions.     

负载V2O5-WO3／TiO2掺炭纤维脱除烟气中Hg^0

通过固定床实验系统研究烟气脱除零价汞的实验,首先研究了滤袋常用的聚苯硫醚（polyphenylene sulfide,PPS）以及活性炭纤维（activated carbon fiber,ACF）在不同温度、不同气体组分下负载V2O5-WO3／TiO2催化剂,对模拟燃煤烟气中零价汞（Hg^0）的脱除效果。然后对比研究了活性炭纤维协同滤袋常用纤维负载催化剂后,对模拟燃煤烟气中Hg^0的脱除性能。结果表明,在汞蒸气人口浓度为50μg／m^3,纯N2气氛下,当温度为25℃时,两者脱除率均能达到99％,当温度为200℃,负载催化剂的活性炭纤维脱除率在30％左右,PPS纤维仅为10％左右。在200℃情况下,模拟烟气的组分为N2＋O2时,2种纤维的Hg^0脱除率提高了10％～20％,当在混合气体中添加0．01％。后,负载催化剂的PPS纤维Hg^0脱除率能达到80％,活性炭纤维Hg^0脱除率能达到98％。当温度为200℃,模拟烟气的组分为N2＋O2＋HCl时,不同性能掺炭纤维负载催化剂后Hg^0脱除率在69％～95％范围之间变化,其中PPS掺炭纤维对Hg^0脱除效率最高达到95％,因此,负载V2O5-WO3／TiO2催化剂的PPS掺炭纤维能在高温烟气中保持较高的Hg^0脱除率。     

飞灰-氢氧化钙/聚苯硫醚(PPS)滤料对烟气中单质汞的脱除

在汞固定床实验台上进行了飞灰-氢氧化钙和PPS滤料负载飞灰-氢氧化钙吸附单质汞,以及不同温度、气体成分对滤料负载吸附剂脱除汞影响的实验研究。实验结果表明,质量配比为2∶1的飞灰-Ca(OH)2吸附剂对Hg0的脱除效果最好,最高可达到34.5%左右,比纯飞灰条件下的脱除效率提高了近10%。120℃条件下,PPS滤料负载飞灰-Ca(OH)2吸附剂对汞的脱除率最高达72%,远高于滤纸薄膜上吸附剂的脱除率。随着温度升高,PPS滤料负载吸附剂的脱除效率降低。HCl、SO2和NO对PPS负载吸附剂脱除汞表现出不同程度的促进作用,HCl具有很强的促进作用,少量HCl足以大幅度提高脱除效果,SO2有一定的促进作用,NO的促进效果并不明显。     

负载V2O5-WO3/TiO2掺炭纤维脱除烟气中Hg0

通过固定床实验系统研究烟气脱除零价汞的实验,首先研究了滤袋常用的聚苯硫醚（polyphenylene sulfide,PPS）以及活性炭纤维（activated carbon fiber,ACF）在不同温度、不同气体组分下负载V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂催化剂,对模拟燃煤烟气中零价汞（Hg⁰）的脱除效果。然后对比研究了活性炭纤维协同滤袋常用纤维负载催化剂后,对模拟燃煤烟气中Hg⁰的脱除性能。结果表明,在汞蒸气入口浓度为50 μg/m³,纯N₂气氛下,当温度为25℃时,两者脱除率均能达到99%,当温度为200℃,负载催化剂的活性炭纤维脱除率在30%左右,PPS纤维仅为10%左右。在200℃情况下,模拟烟气的组分为N₂+O₂时,2种纤维的Hg⁰脱除率提高了10%~20%,当在混合气体中添加0.01‰后,负载催化剂的PPS纤维Hg⁰脱除率能达到80%,活性炭纤维Hg⁰脱除率能达到98%。当温度为200℃,模拟烟气的组分为N₂+O₂+HCl时,不同性能掺炭纤维负载催化剂后Hg⁰脱除率在69%~95%范围之间变化,其中PPS掺炭纤维对Hg⁰脱除效率最高达到95%,因此,负载V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂催化剂的PPS掺炭纤维能在高温烟气中保持较高的Hg⁰脱除率。     

汶川8.0级地震都江堰市天然气系统震害分析及救灾过程

四川都江堰市地处龙门山主山前边界大断裂上,在汶川8.0级地震烈度分布图中属于Ⅸ度区,是地震受灾最严重的城市之一。作为城市生命线的天然气供应链在本次地震中遭遇了一定的破坏。通过对都江堰市天然气系统的基本构成、震害情况以及应急救灾过程等的调查与整理,对都江堰燃气系统中门站、CNG加气站、中压配气管网及低压配气支管各组成部分在地震中的震害情况进行了分析,对震后的应急处置措施、供气恢复策略及灾后重建工作进行了综述,总结了汶川地震中都江堰天然气系统的应灾经验及救灾环节中的不足之处,并就如何提高燃气系统的抗震应灾能力提出建议。     

汶川8.0级地震非承重墙体震害调查分析

通过对汶川8.0级地震发生后西安、成都地区(地震烈度为Ⅵ～Ⅶ度区)的高层建筑震害调查,以某小区震后建筑物非承重墙体裂缝为实例,给出了高层建筑震害易发生的部位和楼层,分析了非承重墙体裂缝产生的原因。震害调查表明:汶川地震中,在抗震设防烈度为Ⅵ～Ⅷ度区,当地震烈度为Ⅵ～Ⅶ度时,非承重墙抗震性能的表现不尽如人意。提出了应对非承重墙体制定设防目标,且非承重结构构件的抗震设防目标应与主体结构设防目标相适应,使建筑结构设计,对非承重墙的抗震设防有据可依,使灾后有可能对设计与施工的质量进行评估,通过有区别地加强非承重墙的抗震构造措施,减小建筑物的震害损失。