Sustainable development and the water–energy–food nexus: A perspective on livelihoods

The water–energy–food nexus is being promoted as a conceptual tool for achieving sustainable development. Frameworks for implementing nexus thinking, however, have failed to explicitly or adequately incorporate sustainable livelihoods perspectives. This is counterintuitive given that livelihoods are key to achieving sustainable development. In this paper we present a critical review of nexus approaches and identify potential linkages with sustainable livelihoods theory and practice, to deepen our understanding of the interrelated dynamics between human populations and the natural environment. Building upon this review, we explore the concept of ‘environmental livelihood security’ – which encompasses a balance between natural resource supply and human demand on the environment to promote sustainability – and develop an integrated nexus-livelihoods framework for examining the environmental livelihood security of a system. The outcome is an integrated framework with the capacity to measure and monitor environmental livelihood security of whole systems by accounting for the water, energy and food requisites for livelihoods at multiple spatial scales and institutional levels. We anticipate this holistic approach will not only provide a significant contribution to achieving national and regional sustainable development targets, but will also be effective for promoting equity amongst individuals and communities in local and global development agendas.     

Do mucilage events influence pico- and nanoplankton size and structure in the Adriatic sea?

Temporal changes in abundance and biomass of picophytoplankton, heterotrophic pico-eukaryotes, and nanoplankton assemblages were investigated along a transect crossing the Adriatic Sea, from the Italian to the Croatian coast. This 15-months (June 1999-August 2000) investigation allowed comparing microbial parameters during summer 1999 (year without mucilage) and summer 2000 when a major mucilage event occurred. Pico- and nanoplankton assemblages displayed significant differences between the 2 summer periods. The main differences can be summarized as: (i) presence of cyanobacterial blooms (up to 10⁸ cells l^-1) in summer 2000, absent in summer 1999; (ii) an increasing fraction of heterotrophic pico-eukaryotes (up to 5.0 × 10⁶ cells l^-1) and heterotrophic nanoplankton (size 2-5 µm) during mucilage event; (iii) a reduced abundance of small-sized (2-3 µm) phototrophic nanoplankton in summer 2000. Changes in community structure were signals of changes in trophic condition of the system, which resulted in a competitive advantage for small sized pico- and nanoheterotrophs. Data presented here indicated that mucilage events are associated with changes in microbial community structure and functioning in ambient water and induced the amplification of 3-step microbial food chain. The potential use of the heterotrophic pico-eukaryotes for describing alterations of the trophic pathways during mucilage events is discussed.     

基于PCR-TGGE技术的餐厨垃圾厌氧消化微生物群落结构解析

为了解不同负荷下单相餐厨垃圾厌氧消化反应器内微生物群落结构演替特征,在单相厌氧消化反应器负荷为2.0～8.5kg·m-·3d-1(以VS计)的不同负荷条件下取样,运用16SrDNA的PCR-TGGE技术对反应器内微生物进行动态追踪.同时,运用Dice系统和NMDS软件对PCR-TGGE图谱进行分析.结果表明,负荷为4.0～6.0kg·m-·3d-1时,微生物群落结构变化不大;负荷为6.0～7.0kg·m-·3d-1时,微生物群落结构变化较为明显;负荷分别为7.0～8.0kg·m-·3d-1及8.5kg·m-·3d-1时,微生物群落结构变化最为明显.纵观整个过程,在餐厨垃圾厌氧消化反应器有机负荷在2.0～8.5kg·m-·3d-1下厌氧反应器内的微生物群落结构存在明显的阶段性演替;负荷为7.0kg·m-·3d-1时微生物群落结构的丰富度最好.     

杂质对废塑料裂解产物及污染物排放的影响

从垃圾中分选出的废塑料混有大量杂质,杂质对现有废塑料裂解工艺有直接的影响.针对这一问题,对混有厨余、纸、织物和渣土等杂质的废塑料裂解产物和污染物排放进行了研究.同时检测和分析了厨余、纸、织物和沙土等常见杂质所含N、Cl、S元素向裂解油、裂解气中的迁移规律.研究表明,厨余的混入将对裂解油的产物产生严重不利影响,如热值降低至27 MJ/kg,油品的含水率高达25%以及多环芳烃含量大大提高,因而应在分选过程中除去.厨余、织物和纸张等杂质的混入导致裂解气体中污染物浓度的显著上升.渣土的混入对气体产物有有利影响,对油品无明显不利影响.     

餐厨垃圾综合资源化处理技术实例研究

在目前餐厨垃圾处理现状基础上,介绍了一种餐厨垃圾处理工艺,采用机械生物处理技术,包括收运系统、粉碎分选预处理、厌氧发酵生物处理、沼气热电联供、有机堆肥、废水处理、除臭系统多个环节,分离出油脂进行回收,垃圾厌氧发酵产生沼气发电,沼渣进行堆肥,以期实现餐厨垃圾减量化、无害化、资源化,解决"垃圾猪"、"地沟油"问题。     

施用餐厨垃圾调理剂对果园土壤有机碳组分的影响

为研究施用餐厨垃圾调理剂对土壤有机碳组分的影响,以果园土壤为研究对象,从时间、空间维度解析长期施用餐厨垃圾调理剂对土壤有机碳积累、组成及其分布规律的影响,结合CPMI（碳库管理指数）和相关性分析,揭示施用餐厨垃圾调理剂对土壤碳汇的影响机制.结果表明,施用餐厨垃圾调理剂可显著提高土壤中w（TOC）（TOC为总有机碳）,并随施用时间的增加逐渐向深层土壤迁移,改善TOC分布状况.随着施用餐厨垃圾调理剂时间的增加,0~20 cm土壤层中w（NOC）（NOC为非活性有机碳）和30~40 cm土壤层中w（AOC）（AOC为活性有机碳）呈增加趋势,AOC分配比例低于NOC分配比例.随着施用时间的增长,0~30 cm土壤层中w（POC）（POC为颗粒有机碳）显著提高,最大值为42.94 mg/g,MOC（矿质结合态有机碳）分配比例与POC分配比例呈相反变化趋势,有利于提高土壤碳稳定性.各土壤层中CPMI均大于空白对照组,最大值为154.437,表明施用餐厨垃圾调理剂有利于提升土壤肥力.相关性分析表明,w（POC）与pH呈负相关,与含水率、EC（电导率）、w（OM）（OM为有机质）呈正相关,其中与含水率相关性最高（R=0.91）.可见,长期施用餐厨垃圾调理剂对提高果园土壤碳汇、改善土壤肥力具有重要意义,研究结果有助于进一步提升土壤碳汇的新型土壤调理剂的研发与应用.      

基于生态足迹的中国可持续食物消费模式

随着人们饮食需求的不断多样化,可持续食物消费已成为一个全球关注的重要议题。为了探寻可持续的食物消费模式,重点分析了中国食物消费结构演变趋势及特征,运用生态足迹模型量化中国食物消费结构的环境压力动态变化;基于可持续食物消费的内涵,结合中国均衡膳食和环境的可持续性指标,构建食物生态承载级别衡量标准,并据此建立了符合中国食物消费习惯、满足营养摄入需求、环境压力小的可持续食物消费模式。结果显示：中国食物消费生态环境压力不断增大,1978-2013年中国食物消费人均生态足迹增长了154.49%,2008年出现生态赤字,2013年赤字值为0.0705 ghm²;食物生态承载级别持续恶化,2008年生态承载级别由“较高”下降到“中等”;可持续食物消费模式的构建使得人均生态足迹下降了12.92%,表明转变食物消费模式是解决食物消费生态环境压力这一矛盾问题的最有效途径。     

人口与可持续发展

有限的资源不能支撑无限增加的人口，面对高速增长的人口，人们产生了种种不同的认识。本文分析了人口增长与食物供给，人口增长与生态环境和经济发展的矛盾；阐述了最大人口容量及经济最优人口计算需要考虑的因素和基本；提出我国必须坚持严格控制人口增长的政策，这是可持续发展的需要。     

我国沿海城市的生态危机与调控机制 --以长江三角洲城市群为例

本文以长江三角洲城市群为例。研究了我国沿海城市的生态危机、剖析了生态危机的根源并提出了调控机制。由于沿海城市的生态问题存在着较大的共性。本文提出的措施对其他沿海城市解决生态危机也有一定借鉴作用。     

论长江流域生态危机与生态建设的对策

揭示了长江流域大面积山丘、水系生态系统普遍恶化,特别是中上游地区水土流失严重,以及因此而带来的一系列严重后果。根据史料、统计资料及实测成果等,分析了生态环境恶化的原因,着重研究了水土流失等生态失调现象与森林植被的紧密关系及其演变规律,探讨了进行绿色生态建设的必要性、可能性与可行性。最后提出了建设长江流域防护林体系的宏观战略和微观措施。