Dynamics and Causation of Environmental Equity, Locally Unwanted Land Uses, and Neighborhood Changes

/ Why are some environmental risks distributed disproportionately in the neighborhoods of the minorities and the poor? A hypothesis was proposed in a recent study that market dynamics contributed to the current environmental inequity. That is, locally unwanted land uses (LULUs) make the host communities home to more poor people and people of color. This hypothesis was allegedly supported by a Houston case study, whereby its author analyzed the postsiting changes of the socioeconomic characteristics of the neighborhoods surrounding solid waste facilities. I argue that such an analysis of postsiting changes alone is insufficient to test the causation hypothesis. Instead, I propose a conceptual framework for analysis of environmental equity dynamics and causation. I suggest that the presiting neighborhood dynamics and the characteristics of control neighborhoods be analyzed as the first test for the causation hypothesis. Furthermore, I present theories of neighborhood change and then examine alternative hypotheses that these theories offer for explaining neighborhood changes and for the roles of LULUs in neighborhood changes. These alternative hypotheses should be examined when analyzing the relationship between LULUs and neighborhood changes in a metropolitan area. Using this framework of analysis, I revisited the Houston case. First, I found no evidence that provided support for the hypothesis that the presence of LULUs made the neighborhoods home to more blacks and poor people, contrary to the conclusion made by the previous study. Second, I examined alternative hypotheses for explaining neighborhood changes-invasion-succession, other push forces, and neighborhood life-cycle; the former two might offer better explanation.KEY WORDS: Environmental equity and justice; Locally unwanted lane uses; Siting; Market dynamics; Invasion-succession; Neighborhood changes     

2006—2018年中国省级以上开发区的空间分布特征变化

以新的国土空间规划语境为背景,基于核密度估计、标准差椭圆法和分类统计对我国2006—2018年省级以上开发区的密度分布特征变化、发展重心轴向的变化和主体功能区视角下的分布变化做了分析。研究表明：该阶段我国省级以上开发区空间分布的东西差距得到一定缓解,仍存在东部连片集聚、西部据点集中的模式差异。开发区分布的总体重心已经向西北方向移动,发展轴向则由原来的南北轴向转向了东南—西北轴向。从主体功能区视角来看,开发区空间分布格局呈现出外围扩散与局部缩减的动态调整。开发区规模的增长主要集中在重点开发区域,缩减主要发生在生态功能区域。这些新变化将为我国国土空间土地利用优化和国土空间管控实践提供重要参考。     

世界能源百年变局与国家能源安全

在百年未有之大变局的背景下,我国当前所面临的能源形势日趋复杂,能源安全愈加成为攸关国家经济发展的重大战略。新形势下,无论是学科层面上世界能源地理与国家能源安全的科学问题、研究对象、研究方法等,还是国家现实需求上全球能源治理体系与国际能源合作等问题,都亟待专家学者们深入交流与讨论。通过“一问一答”的访谈方式,展示主持人与九位学界或业界访谈嘉宾基于不同视角的问答内容。分别围绕能源安全的内涵与全球能源治理模式、我国能源安全面临的挑战与对策、全球能源地缘政治形势的新变化、世界能源生产空间和消费空间不平等地理格局下的能源安全、全球能源低碳转型趋势下的中国能源高质量发展、重大突发公共卫生事件影响下的全球能源供需格局变化、未来能源地理学的研究前景与重要研究方向等一系列内容发表观点。以期达成一定共识,从而更好地研讨世界能源地理学的关键问题,并积极应对世界能源的百年变局,提出保障国家能源安全的应对措施等。     

Biodegradability: An assessment of commercial polymers according to the Canadian method for anaerobic conditions

The degradation of several biodegradable polymers was measured as a result of exposure to an anaerobic medium. The polymers investigated included materials based upon polylactic acid, polylactone, and poly(hydroxy butyrate/valerate) as well as those incorporating starch-based materials. The degradation was monitored by methane and carbon dioxide evolution. In addition, the physical and chemical changes were noted as a result of exposure. These measurements included changes in mass, dimension, and molecular weight. FTIR, UV-vis, proton, and¹³C NMR spectra were also recorded prior to and after exposure. The results clearly indicated that several biological and chemical degradation processes were occurring with the biodegradable polymers studied.Paper presented at the Bio/Environmentally Degradable Polymer Society—Second National Meeting, August 19–21, 1993, Chicago, Illinois.Issued as NRCC No. 37549.     

Adaptations to the dynamics of rural water supply from natural sources: A village example in semi-arid Nigeria

Domestic and agro-economic activities in the semi-arid region of Nigeria rely exclusively on rainfall, streamflow and groundwater in deep and alluvial (fadama) aquifers. Such water supply systems are subject to considerable seasonal and inter-annual variability. However, a combination of the various sources may mitigate the effects of water scarcity. This study describes the dynamics of the water sources for a village in northeastern Nigeria as an example that demonstrates the linkages between rainfall, streamflow and groundwater. Such linkages are important for developing strategies to mitigate the effects of climatic variation. Long-term records of rainfall were not available at the site so that the short-term data was interpreted in the context of the long-term climatic experience of the region. The stratigraphic profile of the aquifer was developed from resistivity methods, to supplement information obtained from well level hydrographs. Field observations and analysis of the data reveal that the beginning of the rainy season is a precarious period because none of the water sources are reliable. Rainfall infiltration recharges the shallow aquifers while lateral water flux from the floodwater-saturated fadama also contributes to water level rises in the deep wells. A study of the water level changes in response to deepening of the wells suggests that the wells are fed by an assortment of water-bearing lenses, separated by layers of low transmissivity. One major finding of this study is that there exists a close association between the wells in this riparian community and the recharge processes within the fadama. Upstream diversion, abstraction or impoundment could therefore undermine the viability of aquifer exploitation by the communities in the riparian zone. Analysis of the interactions among the various sources of water leads to the identification of several potential adaptation strategies for confronting the problem of water scarcity.     

近50年丝绸之路经济带中国境内冰川变化

冰川是丝绸之路经济带中国境内重要的水资源,对该区农业建设和经济发展至关重要。基于修订后的中国第一次冰川编目数据和最新发布的第二次冰川编目数据,对丝绸之路经济带中国境内冰川变化进行分析。结果表明：（1）丝绸之路经济带中国境内现有冰川22523条,面积25516.80 km²,冰储量约2592.85 km³,分别占我国冰川相应总量的46.37%、49.22%和57.39%,其中新疆维吾尔自治区冰川储量最为丰富,共计2366.25 km³。（2）丝绸之路经济带中国境内冰川以面积<0.5 km²的冰川数量最多,共计15519条,占冰川总数量的68.90%;面积则以介于1~5 km²冰川为主,共计6833.71 km²,占冰川总面积的26.78%;各山系的冰川退缩海拔高度不同,面积减少速度在各个高度带均有差异。（3）近50年间丝绸之路经济带中国境内冰川面积共减少4527.43 km²,变化百分比为-20.88%,有3114条冰川消失,冰川冰储量损失约419.35 km³。（4）丝绸之路经济带中国境内冰川变化整体呈现自西向东加快趋势,减少速率整体上有自西南向东北加快趋势;冰川朝北消失数量大于朝南消失数量,东北方向面积减少最多,东南方向面积减少最快。（5）近50年间丝绸之路经济带中国境内有暖湿化趋势,冬季气温升高速率大于夏季且降水增加幅度小于夏季的气候组合模式,不利于冰川的积累从而导致冰川退缩;冰川发育规模对冰川退缩也有一定影响,但各山系冰川变化驱动力具有空间差异。     

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.     

球形棕囊藻(Phaeocystis globosa Scherffel)赤潮成因分析

对1997年冬季和1999年夏季发生于广东省饶平枯林湾海域的棕囊藻赤进行了现场调查和监测，结果表明，棕囊藻赤潮的爆发是海洋环境变化和棕囊藻自身特性共同决定的，长期集约化养殖引起枯林湾海域的N、P、Fe、Mn浓度较高，特别是Fe浓度明显高于广东沿海的其它海区，为赤潮的爆发提供了物质基础，棕囊藻增殖过程中对DIN（可溶性无机氮）的需求量较高，特别对NO3^－-N有明显的主动吸收，与DIP（可溶性无机氮）相比，海水DIN浓度恢复速率较慢。可能成为限制棕囊藻赤潮的规模和持续时间的关键因子，海水温度的异常增高及降雨量偏少，与棕囊藻赤潮的发生紧密相关。     

葛洲坝工程对宜昌地区地下水的影响

分析了葛洲坝工程对宜昌地区地下水的影响,论证了由此而产生的物理、化学、水动力条件等诸方面变化规律。并着重对造成影响较大的水文地质问题进行了综合评价。     

Implications of Land Use Changes on Carbon Dynamics and Sequestration—Evaluation from Forestry Datasets, India

Forests and soils are a major sink of carbon, and land use changes can affect the magnitude of above ground and below ground carbon stores and the net flux of carbon between the land and the atmosphere. Studies on methods for examining the future consequences of changes in patterns of land use change and carbon flux gains importance, as they provide different options for CO₂ mitigation strategies. In this study, a simulation approach combining Markov chain processes and carbon pools for forests and soils has been implemented to study the carbon flows over a period of time. Markov chains have been computed by converting the land use change and forestry data of India from 1997 to 1999 into a matrix of conditional probabilities reflecting the changes from one class at time t to another class time t+1. Results from Markov modeling suggested Indian forests as a potential sink for 0.94 Gt carbon, with an increase in dense forest area of about 75.93 Mha and decrease of about 3.4 Mha and 5.0 Mha in open and scrub forests, if similar land use changes that occurred during 1997–1999 would continue. The limiting probabilities suggested 34.27 percent as dense forest, 6.90 as open forest, 0.4 percent mangrove forest, 0.1 percent scrub and 58 percent as non-forest area. Although Indian forests are found to be a potential carbon sink, analysis of results from transition probabilities for different years till 2050 suggests that, the forests will continue to be a source of about 20.59 MtC to the atmosphere. The implications of these results in the context of increasing anthropogenic pressure on open and scrub forests and their contribution to carbon source from land use change and forestry sector are discussed. Some of the mitigation aspects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use change and forestry sector in India are also reviewed in the study.