A Global Overview of Atmospheric Acid Deposition Fluxes

This paper presents a summary of globalacid deposition flux data taken from a globalassessment report on acid deposition prepared forUNEP/WMO (Whelpdale and Kaiser, 1996). There is a largevariation in the spacial coverage and reliability ofmonitoring around the world. Many more stationsmeasure wet deposition than collect appropriate datafor estimating dry deposition. The widespread regionswith highest precipitation concentrations anddeposition fluxes of sulphate and nitrate coincideclosely with the regions of highest density ofSO₂ and NO_x precursor emissions occurringprimarily in the mid-latitude, northern hemispherebelt where a large fraction of the worlds fossilfuels is consumed. Organic acids in precipitation makea minor contribution to acidity (<20%) inindustrial regions, but in the rest of the world theyare of same order, or even exceed, inorganic acids.Less is known about dry deposition, but it appears topredominate near strong emission sources with wetdeposition predominating farther downwind. The molarratio of the N/S contribution to acidic deposition isclose to 1.0 over large areas of Europe and NorthAmerica, but is highly variable elsewhere, beinghighest in equatorial regions due to biomass burningand lowest near smelters and other large sources of SO₂.     

The Impact of Landsat Satellite Monitoring on Conservation Biology

Landsat 7s recent malfunctioning will result in significant gaps in long-term satellite monitoring of Earth, affecting not only the research of the Earth science community but also conservation users of these data. To determine whether or how important Landsat monitoring is for conservation and natural resource management, we reviewed the Landsat programs history with special emphasis on the development of user groups. We also conducted a bibliographic search to determine the extent to which conservation research has been based on Landsat data. Conservation biologists were not an early user group of Landsat data because a) biologists lacked technical capacity – computers and software – to analyze these data; b) Landsats 1980s commercialization rendered images too costly for biologists budgets; and c) the broad-scale disciplines of conservation biology and landscape ecology did not develop until the mid-to-late 1980s. All these conditions had changed by the 1990s and Landsat imagery became an important tool for conservation biology. Satellite monitoring and Landsat continuity are mandated by the Land Remote Sensing Act of 1992. This legislation leaves open commercial options. However, past experiments with commercial operations were neither viable nor economical, and severely reduced the quality of monitoring, archiving and data access for academia and the public. Future satellite monitoring programs are essential for conservation and natural resource management, must provide continuity with Landsat, and should be government operated.     

The feasibility of including sustainability in LCA for product development

The feasibility of combining the concept of sustainability principles and the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is examined. The goal is to achieve an operational tool that incorporates sustainability in product development and strategic planning. While the method outlined has the structure of LCA, it emphasises aspects and parameters often omitted from traditional LCA. The analysis and results can be either qualitative or semi-quantitative. Although a qualitative analysis is less time consuming, it can still highlight the important issues. Qualitative information, which is easily lost in a quantitative analysis, can be emphasised. One of the conclusions is that the method is well suited for screening analysis.     

综合福利视角下中国生态文明建设绩效评价及国际比较

基于强可持续研究范式,以生态经济学和可持续发展理论为基础,运用两阶段网络Super-EBM模型进行绩效测算和评价,打开生态福利转化过程的“黑箱”,基于综合福利视角将生态文明建设绩效进一步分解为生态经济效率和经济福利效率,实证研究部分选取2006-2015年的时间序列数据对中国“十一五”和“十二五”期间的生态文明建设绩效水平进行纵向分析,与此同时,选取42个国家2014年的截面数据进行横向的国际对比研究。研究表明：（1）“十一五”到“十二五”期间,中国生态文明建设绩效（0.986）整体水平一般,均未实现DEA有效,但“十二五”期间已呈现出逐年改善的利好趋势。国际比较层面,瑞士（1.647）、印度尼西亚（1.365）、爱尔兰（1.039）依次排名前三位,中国（0.297）排名相对靠后,位列倒数第二。各国之间差异较大,总体上呈现出“OECD国家（0.677）最高、G20国家（0.611）次之、金砖国家（0.417）最低”的态势。（2）从分阶段效率来看,无论是纵向分析还是横向对比,均发现第一阶段的生态经济效率明显低于第二阶段的经济福利效率,生态经济效率偏低是导致生态文明建设绩效总体水平偏低的主要原因。（3）与传统的单阶段、径向或非径向DEA模型相比,两阶段网络Super-EBM模型综合考虑了径向和松弛变量问题,测算出来的效率值更为精确,能够更为客观地反映现实。同时,对于其他领域涉及两阶段或多阶段生产系统的效率或绩效评估具有较好的借鉴价值。最后,根据上述结论提出相应的政策建议。     

A strategic design approach to develop sustainable product service systems: examples taken from the ‘environmentally friendly innovation’ Italian prize

The product service systems’ (PSS) sustainability potential is described in the framework of the new types of stakeholder relationships and/or partnerships, producing new convergence of economic interests, and a potential concomitant systemic resources optimization.In this perspective, it is argued that the design competencies should move towards those of the ‘strategic design’, thus introducing the concept of ‘strategic design for sustainability’: the design of an innovation strategy, shifting the business focus from designing (and selling) physical products only, to designing (and selling) a system of products and services which are jointly capable of fulfilling specific client demands, while re-orienting current unsustainable trends in production and consumption practices.Some examples of PSS are presented and discussed using the PSS categories ‘services providing added value to the product life cycle’, ‘services providing final results to customers’, and ‘services providing enabling platforms for customers’. The cases derive from an analysis of the ‘environmental friendly innovation’ yearly endowed prize submissions. The Politecnico di Milano University together with the Bocconi University and Legambiente (an environmental NGO) promotes the initiative in Italy.     

生态经济持续性的度量和趋势预测——以甘肃武威市为例

应用生态占用模型,对武威市生态经济的可持续性进行了评价。对武威的生物资源、能源资源和制成品资源消费的生态占用的计算结果表明,1999年武威市人均占用生物生产性空间为1.589423hm₂,调整后的武威实际生产空间供给为0.856876hm₂/人。1999年武威生态赤字0.73254hm₂/人。对于世界56个国家和地区的人均生态占用和人均GDP数据进行分析,认为二者高度相关。用幂指数模型进行趋势拟合,具有较好的拟合优度和理论一致性。武威生态占用处于强的扩张时期,到2015年,人均生态占用将会达到2.60142hm₂/人,而当年实际生态承载力阈值预测值为1.0657hm₂/人。人均生态赤字扩大到1.5357hm₂/人。生态经济系统的运行是以过度消耗自然资本为代价的。     

Concept of common interests of mankind in the global environmental protection

The concept of common interests of mankind in the environmental protec-tion spurred -by the internationalized and globalized environmental problems are discussed in this paper. While making challenges for many principles and rules of international law and the traditional conception of national security, the concept does play its role in strengthening the environmental protection. However, it cannot be neglected that diflerent national interests pose an obstacle to the realization of the common interests of mankind in the envirormental protection. The article concludes that whether the concept plays its greater role in the environmental protection will depend on many factors, such as the spread of environmental awareness, the revision of the traditional conception and the balanced development of the world economy.     

Concurrency: a system design approach to environmental management and sustainability

The lessons of history indicate that mismanagement of natural resources and the environment often leads to potentially adverse consequences.The increasing interest in economic development,particularly in the developing countries of the world coupled with increasing population pressures and the globalization of economic activity is placing noticeable stresses on the ultimate sustainability of both human and environmental systems.Sustainable development is not a new concept.It has been an area of concern for different elements of society for some time.Yet efforts to understand the implications of sustainable development have not,until recently,been formalized.We have focused singularly on economic development and environmental quality as if they were mutually exclusive.This paper focuses on the concept of concurrency as both a conceptual framework and practicable method of understanding and implementing the ecology and economy of sustainability.     

Climatic change and urbanization effect in China

Climatic change and urbanization effect in China during the last 39 years were investigated. It is found that a warming of about 0.23℃ for the annual temperature has been noticed from 1951 to 1989. The warmings of about 0.78 ℃ in winter and 0.34 3℃ in spring have been shown. It is also presented that a cooling of about -0.27℃ in summer has been indicated. The bigger cities are warmer than smaller cities in China. The dried trends in the annual precipitation during the last 39 years were presented. The precipitation decreased obviously in summer all over China. The bigger cities were drier than smaller cities.     

Sensitivity experiments and assessment of climatic changes in China induced by greenhouse effect

Climatic changes can be separated into two parts: natural changes -and human activity influenced on climatic changes. The observed data could not only show the effects caused by human activity. Several simulated results as simulated by the GCMs induced by the greenhouse effects in China .have been analysed. It is shown that an obvious warming of about 3-6℃ in winter and 2-5℃ in summer in China as simulated by the GCMs induced by doubling CO2 have been found. There are getting drier or wetter regions in China due to doubled CO2 as simulated by most of models. Comparing the simulated results with the observed data in China, some simulated results are able to be believed. The GCMs should be improved, especially in the regional areas.