Governing sustainability: a dialogue between Local Agenda 21 and transition management

Since the 1990s, the local level of governance has become increasingly important in addressing the challenge of sustainable development. In this article, we compare two approaches that seek to address sustainability locally, namely Local Agenda 21 and transition management. Discussing both approaches along six dimensions (history, aim, kind of change, governance understanding, process methodologies, and actors), we formulate general insights into the governance of sustainability in cities, towns, and neighbourhoods. This dialogue illustrates two related modes of thinking about sustainability governance. We touch upon the importance of an integrated perspective on sustainability transitions through which sustainability is made meaningful locally in collaborative processes. We suggest that the explicit orientation towards radical change is a precondition for governing sustainability in a way that addresses the root causes of societal challenges. Governing sustainability should address the tensions between aiming for radical change and working with status quo-oriented actors and governing settings. We conclude that governing sustainability should be about finding creative ways for opening spaces for participation, change, and experimentation, that is, for creating alternative ideas, practices, and social relations. These spaces for innovation encourage a reflexive stance on ways of working and one's own roles and attitudes, thereby preparing a fertile terrain for actors to engage in change from different perspectives.     

The promissory note: COP 21 and the Paris Climate Agreement

The 2015 UN climate negotiations in Paris resulted in an inclusive, binding treaty that succeeds the Kyoto Protocol. In contrast to the failure at Copenhagen in 2009, the Paris negotiations are therefore seen as a major diplomatic success that has regenerated faith in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as a forum for dynamic multilateralism. The Paris Agreement provides a robust framework for ratcheting up efforts to combat global warming. However, the Agreement’s value will remain unclear for some time. The historical path to the Paris accord is outlined, and a preliminary assessment is offered of its key elements and outcomes.     

硫铁矿烧渣催化类Fenton法深度处理维生素C废水

采用硫铁矿烧渣协同Fe2+催化H2O2的类Fenton法深度处理维生素C制药废水,通过正交实验考察FeSO4投加量、H2O2投加量、搅拌反应时间、曝气时间等因素对低浓度难降解有机物去除的影响程度,并结合单因素实验确定最佳反应条件。结果表明:(1)正交实验中,各因素对催化氧化反应效果的影响程度依次为H2O2投加量搅拌反应时间曝气时间FeSO4投加量;(2)单因素实验中,最佳反应条件为烧渣投加量10g/L、H2O2投加量4.9mmol/L、FeSO4投加量3.9mmol/L、搅拌反应时间20min、曝气时间20min、絮凝沉淀部分聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)投加量5mg/L。在此条件下,COD去除率最高达63.21%。     

直链烷基苯磺酸盐促进剩余污泥产生短链脂肪酸的研究

采用批试试验的方法研究了十二烷基苯磺酸钠(C12-LAS)对剩余污泥在厌氧发酵过程中产生的短链脂肪酸(SCFAs)的影响.结果表明,C12-LAS的投加极大地提高了剩余污泥厌氧发酵过程中的SCFAs产量.当C12-LAS加入量低于0.1g·g-1时,SCFAs产量随着C12-LAS加入量的增加而增加,然而,当C12-LAS加入量高于0.1g·g-1时,SCFAs产量反而有所降低.从污泥产酸量以及经济成本考虑,C12-LAS的最佳投加量为0.02g·g-1,此时剩余污泥的SCFAs最大产量出现在第6天.进一步的研究表明,C12-LAS不仅促使大量的碳水化合物和蛋白质脱离污泥颗粒并溶解到液相中,而且抑制了产甲烷菌的活性.尽管剩余污泥经历着酸化过程,但由于其释放出大量的NH4 -N,污泥在整个厌氧发酵过程中的pH值逐渐升高.     

峨眉山景区旅游商品的开发与营销模式

通过对旅游商品定义的综述,界定了旅游商品的定义、范围和功能,同时对峨眉山景区旅游商品的开发、需求、购买力等抽取420份问卷作为样本,分析了峨眉山旅游商品的需求现状,并以旅游者需求现状为依据,对峨眉山旅游商品的开发和营销提出了“4P＋4C＋4R”营销策略,以期对其它景区的旅游商品开发和营销具有一定的借鉴意义。     

铁炭复配修复地下水中NO_3~--N的条件研究

采用了铁炭复配修复地下水中NO3--N,探讨了实验条件对修复效果的影响。结果表明,在pH值近中性条件(初始pH 6.42)下,反应时间为1 h时NO3--N修复率达到60.85%;Fe/C=1∶1时介质最佳用量分别为4~5 g;Fe/C=1/1.5时修复率为72.80%;反应速率在高振荡强度下大于低振荡强度;氧化铜的催化效果最好,可使修复率提高7.5个百分点。铁炭复配介质修复地下水中NO3--N是有效可行的,修复率随反应时间的增加而提高,在Fe/C=1∶1时修复率与介质用量呈正相关,无限减小Fe/C比并不能无限提高修复率,振荡强度对修复具有显著影响,低振荡强度下的修复过程较高强度存在滞后现象,并非所有金属氧化物催化剂对铁炭修复NO3--N均有促进作用。     

The crude oil market and the gold market: Evidence for cointegration,causality and price discovery

Given that the gold market and the crude oil market are the main representatives of the large commodity markets, it is of crucial practical significance to analyze their cointegration relationship and causality, and investigate their respective contribution, from the perspective of price discovery, to the common price trend so as to interpret the dynamics of the whole large commodity market and forecast the fluctuation of crude oil and gold prices.     

The macroeconomic determinants of volatility in precious metals markets

This paper models the monthly price volatilities of four precious metals (gold, silver, platinum and palladium prices) and investigates the macroeconomic determinants (business cycle, monetary environment and financial market sentiment) of these volatilities. Gold volatility is shown to be explained by monetary variables, but this is not true for silver. Overall, there is limited evidence that the same macroeconomic factors jointly influence the volatility processes of the four precious metal price series, although there is evidence of volatility feedback between the precious metals. These results are consistent with the view that precious metals are too distinct to be considered a single asset class, or represented by a single index. This finding is of importance for portfolio managers and investors.     

Chemisorption and Physical Adsorption Roles in Cadmium Biosorption by Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of cadmium (Cd) adsorbed by microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (C.reinhardtii). The kinetic and adsorption isotherm of the process could be well described by mathematical models. Chemical modification experiments and Fourier transform infrared spectra indicated that carboxyl and amine groups were the important functional groups for adsorption of Cd. The maximum contribution of physical adsorption in the overall adsorption process was evaluated as 5.5%...     

Belowground effects of enhanced tropospheric ozone and drought in a beech/spruce forest (Fagus sylvatica L./Picea abies [L.] Karst)

The effects of experimentally elevated O₃ on soil respiration rates, standing fine-root biomass, fine-root production and δ¹³C signature of newly produced fine roots were investigated in an adult European beech/Norway spruce forest in Germany during two subsequent years with contrasting rainfall patterns. During humid 2002, soil respiration rate was enhanced under elevated O₃ under beech and spruce, and was related to O₃-stimulated fine-root production only in beech. During dry 2003, the stimulating effect of O₃ on soil respiration rate vanished under spruce, which was correlated with decreased fine-root production in spruce under drought, irrespective of the O₃ regime. δ¹³C signature of newly formed fine-roots was consistent with the differing g_s of beech and spruce, and indicated stomatal limitation by O₃ in beech and by drought in spruce. Our study showed that drought can override the stimulating O₃ effects on fine-root dynamics and soil respiration in mature beech and spruce forests.