A new process of combined pretreatment and dyeing: REST

Use of enzymes in textile processes has many advantages as far as the environmentally friendly processes are concerned. These advantages include water and energy savings, less chemical use, less fabric damage, mild and environmentally friendly process conditions. In this work, C.I. Reactive Yellow 15, C.I. Reactive Red 21 and C.I. Reactive Blue 19 were used to dye untreated woven cotton fabric in a laboratory scale dyeing machine, on a pilot scale jig and on a pilot scale winch by using a single bath combined process, in which various enzymes, namely, amylase, pectinase, and catalase were employed. This new process was named as the “Rapid Enzymatic Single-bath Treatment” (REST), since it was completed almost in half of the conventional dyeing time, and all of the stages, namely, desizing, scouring, bleaching and dyeing were carried out in a single bath without replacing the process water with fresh water until the end of the dyeing. In the REST process, the untreated, starch-sized fabric was first desized by amylase enzyme, and this was followed by a pectinase treatment in the same bath. The fabric was then bleached by H₂O₂ in the same bath, and after the hydrogen peroxide bleaching; the catalase enzyme was added to the bath to remove H₂O₂ residues before reactive dyeing. Without carrying out intermediate washings/rinsings between these processes, the reactive dyeing was carried out in a conventional way in the same bath, and finally, the fabric was taken from the bath and washed out. The colour yield was compared with the dyeings which were carried out conventionally in separate baths. Finally, the REST has many benefits in terms of water saving, reduced process time and energy consumptions compared to the conventional preparatory and dyeing process of cotton fabrics.     

Carbon footprint of food - approaches from national input-output statistics and a LCA of a food portion

The aim of the study, on which this paper is based, was to provide guidance to consumers to make environmentally responsible choices in their food consumption, to assist food supply chain stakeholders to identify the key areas for environmental improvements, and to provide policy makers with a tool for monitoring the potential impacts on climate change resulting from developments within the food sector. At the macro level, the EIO-LCA model was developed specifically for the Finnish food chain; at the micro level, LCAs were performed on 30 lunch portions. The contribution of the Finnish food chain to climate change was 14%, which comprised 40% CO₂ emissions, 25% CH₄ emissions, and 34% N₂O emissions. The share of impacts from domestic agricultural processes was the highest, at 69%. The impact of a single lunch portion ranged between 0.65 and 3.80 kg of equivalent CO₂. According to the EIO-LCA model, the average impact was 7.7 kg CO₂ eq/person daily. The consumer phase accounted for between 8 and 47% of the climate change impacts for homemade portions. In ready-to-eat portions industry and retail phases were emphasized, representing 25-38% of climate change impacts. We present an approach to steer the Finnish food sector onto an environmentally sustainable path; practical tools for consumers and farmers will especially need to be developed further.     

LCA of eucalyptus wood charcoal briquettes

This paper sets out to describe the environmental impact assessment for wood charcoal briquettes produced from eucalyptus wood in Brazil, with specific reference to those impacts associated with Global Warming Potential. To achieve that objective, the work was undertaken in accordance with ISO 14040 "Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework" which describes essential LCA characteristics and good practices. Charcoal briquettes are produced from two basic raw materials, charcoal fines and starch. The fines result from the production of charcoal from sustainably managed eucalyptus plantations. Starch is extracted from babaçu pulp in the Amazon region. Multi-output processes were allocated based on income from the different by-products. The results showed that more than 90% of incoming CO₂ was due to biomass production for charcoal, and the remainder to starch biomass production. Based on Brazilian data, as well as information provided by the GaBi4.3 database, it turned out that supplying the energy content of 1 kg of briquettes resulted in the sequestration of 3.9690 kg of CO₂, i.e. around 4 kg of CO₂ per kg of briquettes produced. CO₂ emissions throughout the briquette production process are totally compensated for by the environmental quality of the raw materials used.     

1950-2009年洞庭湖流域农业水灾演变特征及分异规律

洞庭湖流域为我国重要农业生产区,而农业水灾却一直是制约农业可持续发展的最大障碍因素。以1950-2009年水灾统计资料为依据,用定性与定量相结合的方法,系统分析了该流域农业水灾演变特征及区域分异。结果表明:①年年发生流域性或区域性的农业水灾,其中重灾、特大水灾频率呈增大趋势;②在长时间尺度演变过程中,受灾率异常指数岀现2个波峰期和4个波谷期,成灾率异常指数岀现3个波峰期和3个波谷期,且水灾受灾率与成灾率大体上呈同步变化,但短时间內受灾率与成灾率却呈反向波动;③农业水灾具有突变性,但总体演变呈增加趋势;④受孕灾环境、洪涝致灾因子及经济发展水平组合差异的制约,农业相对灾情与绝对灾情在空间上的分布均呈明显的南北分异与东西分异。     

南方红壤丘陵区粮食生产的完全成本 ——以湖南省祁阳县为例

针对目前我国农业生产中的资源环境问题,指出粮食生产成本核算的不完整性,粮食生产造成的资源耗减和环境降级得不到补偿。运用环境经济学原理和可持续发展理论对粮食生产的完全成本进行分析,提出粮食生产的完全成本除包括直接生产成本外,还应包括粮食生产的资源环境成本。论文以南方红壤丘陵区的湖南省祁阳县为研究对象进行案例分析,研究表明,2008年该区域粮食生产的资源环境成本相当于当年农业总产值的36.55%;早、中、晚稻的完全成本分别达到4.27、3.84和4.40元·kg^-1,其中资源环境成本分别为1.38、 1.65和1.64元·kg^-1,直接生产成本分别为2.89、 2.19和2.76元·kg^-1,而实际市场价格分别仅有1.76、 1.90和1.84元·kg^-1。研究结果对有关部门制定相关农业政策、调整粮食生产布局、促进区域粮食生产和可持续发展具有一定的参考价值。     

后寨河流域岩溶含水层脆弱性及其对土地利用方式的响应

由于强烈的溶蚀作用,岩溶地区溶蚀裂隙、管道等高度发育,并相互贯通,形成岩溶区特有的地下、地表“双层空间”结构体系,地下空间成为地下水存储和运移的重要场所。岩溶地区由于土层浅薄或缺失,并且溶蚀裂隙、管道、落水洞、竖井等高度发育,使含水层更易受地表状况的影响,土地利用/覆被变化在很大程度上影响着地下水的水质、水量,岩溶水质的变化能集中反映人类活动胁迫下岩溶含水层脆弱性程度的增加。以典型岩溶单元--贵州普定后寨河流域为例,分析了流域水文地质背景下的岩溶含水层本质脆弱性,结合流域地下河水近20年的水化学资料,分析了含水层脆弱性对土地利用变化的响应。结果显示：土地利用/覆被变化、农业活动、城镇建设及居民活动都对地下水质变化有明显影响。因此,调整土地利用结构,恢复岩溶植被,改善生态环境是保护和改善岩溶水资源的重要途径。     

中国地区经济差距及其演化的产业变动因素

20世纪90年代以来中国地区经济差距扩大具有深刻的产业变动原因。以人均GDP为基本指标,通过对基尼系数进行产业分解和对泰尔指数进行地区分解,深刻分析了1990~2004年中国地区经济差距的动态变化、地区构成和产业构成,揭示了中国地区经济差距及其演变的产业结构变动与产业地区集中因素。结果表明,1990年以来中国地区经济差距的决定性因素是第二产业发展水平的地区差距,而非农产业向东部沿海地区的集中又是推动中国地区经济差距扩大的主导性因素。20世纪90年代以来,随着以制造业为主的非农产业向东部沿海地区集中,中西部地区逐渐沦落为以农业与采掘业为主的外围区域,中国的地区经济差距也由此持续扩大。基于此,认为缩小地区差距的关键是推进中西部地区制造业发展,缓解非农产业地区分布的不平衡状况。     

可持续发展中的代际关系研究

人类社会的发展是一个世代发展的过程。因此．代际公平是可持续发展的根本所在。根据“代际”一词有不同的理解。“公平”在不同的社会有不同的含义,尤其是对代际公平的含义、原则进行了探讨。代际公平实现的策略是：基于压力-状态-反应的人力资源可持续开发;基于艾奇沃斯方框图分析的自然资源可持续利用;鉴于客观上当代具有优先权,代际之间在环境污染上则采用非合作博弈。     

制度变迁框架下的耕地生态环境变化研究

从制度安排的角度考察耕地生态环境．通过设计关于农业发展和耕地生态环境的相关指标,从理论和实证角度分析我国建国以来历次制度变迁对农民行为和耕地生态环境的影响。认为土地制度和其他制度决定农民对“用地”和“养地”行为的选择。分析结果表明,不同的制度安排对我国耕地的数量和质量变化呈现出不同效应,地权的稳定性和其他制度会影响农民的用地行为．从而影响耕地生态环境。所以．保护耕地既要严格控制农用地转为建设用地的总量。又要设计适宜的农地产权制度和其他制度以促进农民主动养护耕地。     

基于PPI的河段水体潜在污染研究

提出了一种预报河段水体潜在污染的方法——河段潜在污染指数法(riversection potential pollution index,R-PPI),并在北京市山区3个典型小流域进行应用.河流水体污染是我国目前最为突出的水环境问题,在治理工作开展前需要确定重点污染河段、区域和污染源,而基于河流水质监测的水质评价方法难以确定重点污染源.因此引入了潜在非点源污染指数(potential non-point pollution index,PNPI)法,进行了土地利用类型扩展、土地利用分类比对和土壤渗透性分级3个方面改进,得到潜在污染指数(potential pollution index,PPI),并在此基础上建立了河段潜在污染指数法.通过在3个小流域的应用研究可知,该方法具有所需监测资料少、操作简单、便于确定重点污染源、综合性强等特点,可为流域污染治理提供科学指导.