Beyond behaviour change: technological artefacts and characterological development

Addressing the root causes of (un)sustainability entails fundamentally changing our ways of living. This requires going beyond technology and behaviour-oriented approaches common under the umbrella of sustainable development (SD). More fundamental change is required to increase the possibility of realizing ecological and psychological well-being. Here, such change is conceptualized as ‘characterological change’. Next to SD another domain is introduced: characterological development (CD). The potential role of design-interventions in CD is explored in this article. Two studies were conducted, a literature study and experts interviews, covering the fields of Design for Sustainable Behaviour, Persuasive Technology, Practice-Oriented Design and Philosophy of Technology. The literature study shows that current research and interventions predominantly fall within the domain of SD, leaving character and related notions largely unaddressed. The expert interviews (n = 10) show a consensus that (design) research concerning the relation between technological artefacts and human character would be valuable. Research challenges and opportunities for design towards ‘living the good life within ecological means’ are discussed.     

Economic analysis of effects on cultivated land following China's entry to the WTO

Inspired by the phenomenon of heavy reduction in the area of cultivated land following the entry of Korea and Japan to the WTO,countries with a large population and inadequate amount of cultivated land similar to China,this paper raises the problem of the potential effects on cultivated land in China following its entry to the WTO.The paper attempts analysis,using economic principles,of the effects of Chinese WTO membership on cultivated land from four aspects;tariff concessions,quota increment,comparative advantage,and the substitution principle.And the conclusion is mat China's entry to WTO may lead to a reduction in cultivated land.Finally,some countermeasures are proposed to resolve the problem.     

Bioaccumulation and biological effects in the earthworm Eisenia fetida exposed to natural and depleted uranium

The accumulations of both natural (U) and depleted (DU) uranium in the earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were studied to evaluate corresponding biological effects. Concentrations of metals in the experimental soil ranged from 1.86 to 600 mg kg⁻¹. Five biological endpoints: mortality, animals’ weight increasing, lysosomal membrane stability by measuring the neutral red retention time (the NRRT), histological changes and genetic effects (Comet assay) were used to evaluate biological effects in the earthworms after 7 and 28 days of exposure. No effects have been observed in terms of mortality or weight reduction. Cytotoxic and genetic effects were identified at quite low U concentrations. For some of these endpoints, in particular for genetic effects, the dose (U concentration)-effect relationships have been found to be non-linear. The results have also shown a statistically significant higher level of impact on the earthworms exposed to natural U compared to depleted U.     

Inverse modeling of Asian Rn flux using surface air Rn concentration

When used with an atmospheric transport model, the ²²²Rn flux distribution estimated in our previous study using soil transport theory caused underestimation of atmospheric ²²²Rn concentrations as compared with measurements in East Asia. In this study, we applied a Bayesian synthesis inverse method to produce revised estimates of the annual ²²²Rn flux density in Asia by using atmospheric ²²²Rn concentrations measured at seven sites in East Asia. The Bayesian synthesis inverse method requires a prior estimate of the flux distribution and its uncertainties. The atmospheric transport model MM5/HIRAT and our previous estimate of the ²²²Rn flux distribution as the prior value were used to generate new flux estimates for the eastern half of the Eurasian continent dividing into 10 regions.The ²²²Rn flux densities estimated using the Bayesian inversion technique were generally higher than the prior flux densities. The area-weighted average ²²²Rn flux density for Asia was estimated to be 33.0 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹, which is substantially higher than the prior value (16.7 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹). The estimated ²²²Rn flux densities decrease with increasing latitude as follows: Southeast Asia (36.7 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹); East Asia (28.6 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹) including China, Korean Peninsula and Japan; and Siberia (14.1 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹). Increase of the newly estimated fluxes in Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and the southern part of Eastern Siberia from the prior ones contributed most significantly to improved agreement of the model-calculated concentrations with the atmospheric measurements. The sensitivity analysis of prior flux errors and effects of locally exhaled ²²²Rn showed that the estimated fluxes in Northern and Central China, Korea, Japan, and the southern part of Eastern Siberia were robust, but that in Central Asia had a large uncertainty.     

江苏省工业化进程中的环境效应分析

工业化快速进程中．工业污染作为工业生产在所难免的附属产物．占全国总污染负荷的70％．对资源环境构成巨大压力。经济发达地区工业产值占据了国民经济的半壁江山．使得工业结构与布局成为影响生态环境质量的主要驱动因子。本文首先以江苏省为例．分析重污染行业结构与工业布局变动对环境效应的实际效果．得出重要结论：自1990年以来工业结构与布局调整不利于环境污染控制。从生产效应和社会效应两个方面．分析工业化进程中的环境效应影响机理．通过对江苏省的实证分析．结果证实工业结构与布局是现阶段景影响环境污染的重要变量。重污染行业结构是环境效应的主要影响因素。加快工业结构调整步伐、进一步优化工业布局．着力于从工业结构调整和工业布局变动趋势中获得改善环境质量的机遇和动力是摆脱环境与发展困境的有力手段。     

Identification of close relationship between atmospheric oxidation and ozone formation regimes in a photochemically active region

Understanding ozone (O₃) formation regime is a prerequisite in formulating an effective O₃ pollution control strategy. Photochemical indicator is a simple and direct method in identifying O₃ formation regimes. Most used indicators are derived from observations, whereas the role of atmospheric oxidation is not in consideration, which is the core driver of O₃ formation. Thus, it may impact accuracy in signaling O₃ formation regimes. In this study, an advanced three-dimensional numerical modeling system was used to investigate the relationship between atmospheric oxidation and O₃ formation regimes during a long-lasting O₃ exceedance event in September 2017 over the Pearl River Delta (PRD) of China. We discovered a clear relationship between atmospheric oxidative capacity and O₃ formation regime. Over eastern PRD, O₃ formation was mainly in a NO_x-limited regime when HO₂/OH ratio was higher than 11, while in a VOC-limited regime when the ratio was lower than 9.5. Over central and western PRD, an HO₂/OH ratio higher than 5 and lower than 2 was indicative of NO_x-limited and VOC-limited regime, respectively. Physical contribution, including horizontal transport and vertical transport, may pose uncertainties on the indication of O₃ formation regime by HO₂/OH ratio. In comparison with other commonly used photochemical indicators, HO₂/OH ratio had the best performance in differentiating O₃ formation regimes. This study highlighted the necessities in using an atmospheric oxidative capacity-based indicator to infer O₃ formation regime, and underscored the importance of characterizing behaviors of radicals to gain insight in atmospheric processes leading to O₃ pollution over a photochemically active region.     

Comprehensive and high-resolution emission inventory of atmospheric pollutants for the northernmost cities agglomeration of Harbin-Changchun, China: Implications for local atmospheric environment management

Using a bottom-up estimation method, a comprehensive, high-resolution emission inventory of gaseous and particulate atmospheric pollutants for multiple anthropogenic sectors with typical local sources has been developed for the Harbin-Changchun city agglomeration (HCA). The annual emissions for CO, NOx, SO₂, NH₃, VOC_S, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, BC and OC during 2017 in the HCA were estimated to be 5.82 Tg, 0.70 Tg, 0.34 Tg, 0.75 Tg, 0.81Tg, 0.67 Tg, 1.59 Tg, 0.12 Tg and 0.26 Tg, respectively. For PM₁₀ and SO₂, the emissions from industry processes were the dominant contributors representing 54.7% and 49.5%, respectively, of the total emissions, while 95.3% and 44.5% of the total NH₃ and NOx emissions, respectively, were from or associated with agricultural activities and transportation. Spatiotemporal distributions showed that most emissions (except NH₃) occurred in November to March and were concentrated in the central cities of Changchun and Harbin and the surrounding cities. Open burning of straw made an important contribution to PM_2.5 in the central regions of the northeastern plain during autumn and spring, while domestic coal combustion for heating purposes was significant with respect to SO₂ and PM_2.5 emissions during autumn and winter. Furthermore, based on Principal Component Analysis and Multivariable Linear Regression model, air temperature, relative humidity, electricity and energy consumption, and the urban and rural population were optimized to be representative indicators for rapidly assessing the magnitude of regional atmospheric pollutants in the HCA. Such indicators and equations were demonstrated to be useful for local atmospheric environment management.     

藻华聚集的环境效应:对漂浮植物水葫芦光合作用的影响

利用适应性强、生物量大的水生植物来净化污染水体,已成为目前水体生态修复的一种快捷有效的方法.然而,在夏季蓝藻水华严重聚集的水体,藻华聚集后对水生植物的生理生态影响及其环境效应,尚缺乏系统研究.本研究以水葫芦为代表,模拟在高温阶段(水温WT25℃)、水华严重聚集时,对水葫芦的光合作用的影响进行研究,以揭示蓝藻水华聚集后造成的浅水生态系统中水生植物消亡的深层机制,并为减轻藻华聚集对水生植物的不良影响、充分发挥水生植物的水体净化功能提供理论依据.结果表明,藻华聚集会很快消耗掉水生植物根区内的溶氧,呈现缺氧状态(DO0.2 mg·L-1);植物根区内ORP出现明显下降现象,实验进行1 d后低于-100 m V,实验结束时达-200 m V,水体呈现强还原环境.与对照相比,根区内p H值低0.7个单位.藻华细胞在死亡、分解后释放大量的无机营养盐于水体中,植物根区内的NH+4-N含量比对照实验中高102倍;较高的NH+4-N含量(平均为45.6 mg·L-1)加之缺氧的协迫作用,导致植物机体受到破坏,植物的光合作用能力严重下降.叶片的平均净光合速率仅为对照的0.6倍,实验结束时其光合速率Pn为3.96μmol·(m2·s)-1,而同期对照实验的叶片净光合速率Pn为22.0μmol·(m2·s)-1;叶片蒸腾速率仅为对照的0.55倍,至实验结束时其蒸腾速率为1.38 mmol·(m2·s)-1,同期对照实验的叶片蒸腾速率为7.61 mmol·(m2·s)-1,表明藻华长期的聚集对植物产生了不可逆的伤害作用.在实际生产中,要避免蓝藻的严重堆积和快速消亡,以减轻藻华暴发对植物的伤害,充分发挥植物的水体净化功能.     

市政污泥热解过程中重金属迁移特性及环境效应评估

以昆明某市政污泥为原料,研究生物炭制备过程中重金属Fe、Zn、Mn和Ni的迁移特性,并基于其潜在环境风险确定污泥基生物炭制备的最佳热解温度.本实验选择总量较高的4种重金属Fe、Zn、Mn和Ni,采用BCR提取法测定不同热解温度下4种重金属的形态和含量变化,得到各金属的形态分布变化规律和迁移路径,利用潜在生态风险指数(P...     

秦皇岛市大气颗粒物来源解析研究

对秦皇岛海港区和山海关区的颗粒物来源进行了定性识别和定量解析。并考察了重点污染源——我国最大的煤码头秦皇岛港煤码头对市区扬尘和TSP中的碳的影响。得出秦皇岛市海港区和山海关区TSP主要来源为风沙、扬尘,其次为燃煤飞灰和海盐尘。气象条件特别是风向对TSP各源分担率的影响很大,秦皇岛市煤码头是该区域TSP中碳的主要来源。不同气象条件下,煤码头对海港区和山海关区的影响程度明显不一样。