Geoengineering and sustainability

ABSTRACT

Geoengineering is regarded by advocates as a creative and responsible technological option in the face of a climate emergency. Critics often see it as a hubristic attempt to play God, with disastrous consequences for the planet and humanity. These antipodal perspectives are represented by the ideal types of Prometheans and Gaians. Prometheans and Gaians typically talk past each other. The geoengineering debate can be made more fruitful by well articulating their respective positions and subsequently situating them in the discourse of sustainability. A sustainability orientation does not answer the troubling question whether geoengineering should be developed and deployed. But it can foster a ‘fusion of horizons’ between Prometheans and Gaians, providing common ground in an otherwise polarized debate and making a more productive dialogue possible.     

Is renewable energy still green? Shaping Australia’s renewable energy enterprise in an age of ecological modernisation

ABSTRACT

Renewable energy (RE) illustrates well the logic of ecological modernisation (EM). This logic has successfully transformed RE from a fringe idea owned by largely environmental actors to a mainstream one embraced by a broader constituency. This mainstream embrace inevitably (re)shapes the renewables enterprise. Not all renewables actors today are driven by environmental goals. Instead, key actors, particularly in corporate or community domains, nurture competing norms and aspirations. How the renewables project is envisaged and the goals it is directed to serve can thus differ considerably. Understanding these differences is important since transformations in the energy domain will not only impact climate protection but shape social futures in significant ways. The analysis proceeds in two interrelated steps: first, empirically – conducting an exploration of some of the main projects and actors in the contemporary Australian RE space; and second, theoretically – considering these empirical developments through an EM lens.     

Prospects for a multi-stakeholder dialogue on climate engineering

ABSTRACT

Lessons from the literature on multi-stakeholder dialogue (MSD) that are relevant to the debate on climate engineering (CE) are examined. MSDs have been used to prod slow-to-develop intergovernmental regulatory processes on a range of transnational and global controversies. A CEMSD might push forward anticipatory governance of CE by promoting social learning, sharpening and legitimizing governance norms, and starting to arrange the political space for governance by states. However, significant challenges and risks are also identified, including questions about the ripeness of the issue for stakeholder dialogue; difficult trade-offs in the design of dialogues, particularly around issues of participation and knowledge-power; and inherent tensions in the various purposes a CEMSD might serve. Given these challenges, steps forward that would better prepare a space for legitimate and effective dialogue are recommended.     

Effects of uncontrolled particulate matter release on precipitation under warfare conditions

This study has shown theoretical, observed and experimental evidence of pollutants released, transported and deposited during the Kosovo conflict in 1999 and their effects on precipitation in Serbia. The greatest bombardment of the chemical industry, oil refineries and fuel storage in Serbia which occurred during April, resulted in releases of many hazardous, toxic and cancerogenic substances. The number of April's days with precipitation greater or equal to 0.1 mm in 1999 are compared to those in the period from 1961 to 1990 registered at thirty meteorological stations in Serbia and especially at the Belgrade-Observatory station in the period from 1888 to 1995. The maximums of days with precipitation greater or equal to 0.1 mm were at the wider Belgrade area and at the central and southwestern parts of Serbia during April 1999. This is confirmed by using the Eta trajectory analysis.     

天山北麓地区博乐黄土磁化率、粒度特征与古气候意义

受西风控制的天山地区黄土广泛分布,是中亚重要的黄土分布区之一。这些陆相风成沉积物为研究中亚干旱区气候环境变化历史提供了重要的信息载体。本文选取天山北麓博乐地区一个厚为12.7 m的黄土剖面作为研究对象,分析了其磁化率、粒度指标的变化特征,并探讨了其古气候意义。结果表明:(1)博乐黄土粒度组成以粉砂为主,是典型的风成沉积物,成壤作用很弱;(2)博乐黄土磁化率变化主要受控于风力强度;(3)剖面粒度的环境敏感粒级为31.7μm、31.7—282.5μm,分别可能代表风暴过后的浮尘堆积和风暴过程中风力近距离搬运的沉积物组分;(4)博乐黄土MIS(海洋氧同位素)3阶段记录了多次千年尺度气候事件,能与北大西洋Heinrich事件和D-O事件对应,表明中纬度西风环流在传递北大西洋信号到东亚的过程中扮演着重要角色。     

中国江河氧化亚氮的排放及其影响因素

氧化亚氮（N₂O）是一种在大气中存留时间很长的强效温室气体,并被认为是21世纪破坏臭氧层的重要物质之一,气候预测需要对自然与人为排放的包括N₂O在内的温室气体进行全面准确地估算.内陆水体是N₂O的重要排放源,由于人为氮输入的增加,江河N₂O的排放量可能逐年升高.本研究总结了江河N₂O排放速率的研究方法,重点汇总了中国各气候带十大流域江河N₂O的溶存浓度和水气界面交换通量,并与世界其他河流进行比较.结果表明我国江河溶存N₂O浓度为0.3~1591 nmol·L^-1,N₂O释放通量为-12.2~2262.1 μmol·m^-2·d^-1,总体与世界其他江河的范围值具有可比性.在此基础上,进一步分析了江河N₂O的产生和释放机理,探讨了水中溶解性无机氮、溶解氧、有机碳以及水文、地形地貌与气象条件等对江河N₂O产生和释放的影响,并讨论了变化环境下江河N₂O的排放特征.     

基于CMIP5多模式集合预估东海和南海21世纪海平面高度变化

人类活动引起的当代气候变暖已导致全球海平面显著上升,在21世纪全球气候继续变暖的背景下,东南沿海海平面的升高将对区域环境及社会可持续发展带来巨大挑战,但目前对未来区域海平面变化的预估尚存在较大的不确定性。本文基于筛选的国际耦合模式比较计划第5阶段（CMIP5）的10个模拟性能较好的气候模式输出结果,通过多模式集合预估了未来温室气体三种排放情景下21世纪东海和南海区域海平面高度的趋势变化,并分析了不同影响因子的贡献。通过计算海水热比容、盐比容和动力因子对海平面高度的影响,并在考虑冰川冰盖消融等因子的订正后,发现：21世纪东海和南海海平面高度都呈现连续上升趋势,东海和南海地区上升幅度略小于全球平均,南海上升幅度略大于东海。在温室气体低（RCP2.6）、中（RCP4.5）和高（RCP8.5）排放情景下,21世纪后期（2081—2100年）较前期（2006—2025年）东海/南海平均海平面分别上升0.26 [0.01—0.55] m/0.29 [0.05—0.55] m、0.38 [0.10—0.66] m/0.40 [0.14—0.67] m和0.52[0.15—0.89] m/0.52[0.23—0.83] m（方括号内为相应的不确定性范围）。随着温室气体排放的升高,海平面上升幅度也增大,东海海平面上升区由东南向西北扩展,南海海平面上升区由东北向西南扩展。统计分析还表明：在不同排放情景下,不同影响因子对海平面变化的贡献也不一样,随着排放强度从低到高变化,海洋比容加动力因子的相对贡献从28%—34%升高至46%—47%,而冰川冰盖消融等其他因子的相对贡献从 66%—72%降低至53%—54%。     

辽宁西部人工林油松径向生长对气候要素的响应

全球气候变化对森林生态系统产生广泛影响,特别是对气候响应敏感的农牧交错带。辽西丘陵位于我国农牧交错带东北部,为探究辽西丘陵人工林油松径向生长与气候要素的关系,基于树木年代学方法,利用树轮宽度年表,对温度、降水、scPDSI及生长期要素进行相关分析,探究气象因子对树木径向生长的影响情况。结果表明：油松标准化年表与上年7月、9月及当年5月的气温呈负相关,相关系数分别为?0.457、?0.426、?0.471（p<0.05）,与当年5月的降水量呈正相关,相关系数为0.52（p<0.05）;年表与逐月scPDSI显著正相关,并表现出相近的周期变化,表明水分胁迫是研究区油松生长的关键限制因子;在不同阈值温度下,辽西人工林油松径向生长与生长期活动积温和持续天数呈负相关,由高温引起的水分蒸发是影响其径向生长的关键因子。最低温11℃阈值下对树木生长期影响大,年表与其初日位序、积温、持续天数的相关系数分别达到0.663、?0.619、?0.732（p<0.01）;通过V-S模型模拟出辽西油松的生长对春季的9.0℃和秋季的9.5℃较敏感,生长期为4—10月,生长速率的变化受温度和土壤湿度变化的影响。因此,在进行人工油松林区经营抚育时,可适当考虑造林树种对不同气候因子响应的敏感期,注意水热合理配置,以提高林区生态林的营林质量。     

现行标准对飞机实验室气候试验的作用

文中从现行标准分析角度,研究其对我国飞机实验室气候试验的作用。对现行的装备环境相关标准进行分析,讨论其与飞机实验室气候试验的关系,探索现行标准对开展试验工作的作用和局限性。分析了顶层标准GJB 4239在试验中的指导作用,并对GJB 150和GJB 1172等在试验项目中的适用情况进行分析。现行标准不能直接用于飞机实验室气候试验,然而其体现的环境工程的大概念、试验剪裁等内容对试验有很好的指导价值。     

气候变暖背景下西南地区干旱灾害风险评估

论文利用全国基准基本站地面气温、降水资料,NCAR/NCEP土壤湿度资料及各类经济数据,采用加权综合评价法对西南地区干旱灾害风险因子进行分析,结果表明：四川和云南致灾因子危险性较高,气候变暖后四川东南部、云南和贵州西部危险性增加;西南地区中部到东南部成灾环境敏感性较高,气候变暖后四川东部、贵州及云南东部敏感性增加;承灾体易损性主要分布于西南中东部地区,人口密度、经济密度、耕地面积比重越高的地区易损性程度越高;四川中部、云南东北部、贵州南部及重庆西部防灾减灾能力较高。西南地区干旱灾害风险最高区域为云南东部、四川东部、贵州西部及重庆大部分地区;气候变暖后四川东南部、云南西部危险性明显增加。