Traditional agriculture in transition: examining the impacts of agricultural modernization on smallholder farming in Ghana under the new Green Revolution

Following the renewed effort at achieving a new green revolution for Africa, emphasis has been placed on modernizing smallholder agriculture through the deployment of improved inputs especially mechanized technologies. In Ghana, the government has in the last decade emphasized the provision of subsidized mechanized ploughing services to farmers alongside a rapidly growing private sector tractor service market. While mechanized technology adoption rates have increased rapidly, the deployment of these technologies has been without critical analysis of the impacts on production patterns and local agrarian systems. This paper examines the distributional impacts of agriculture mechanization on cropping patterns and farm sizes of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques, and semi-structured interviews with smallholder farmers (n=60). Specifically, comparative analysis of the field sizes and cropping patterns of participant farmers prior to and after the adoption of mechanized technologies was conducted. In-depth interviews were used to contextualize the experiences of smallholder farmers toward understanding how mechanization may be impacting traditional agriculture. Our findings reveal a mechanization paradox in which farm sizes are expanding, while cropping patterns are shifting away from traditional staple crops (pearl millet and sorghum bicolor) to market-oriented crops (maize, rice and groundnuts). This transition we argue, has adverse implications on the cultural dimension of food security, the organization of social life, and climate change adaptation. We recommend a retooling of the current agricultural policy focus to ensure context sensitivity for a more robust battle against food insecurity.     

Effect of Mountain Relief and Industrial Air Pollution on Biometric Characteristics of Pine Stands

The effect of mountain relief and industrial air pollution on biometric parameters of pine stands was studied. The empirical–statistical models of the dependence of biometric characteristics on the parameters of forest sites were developed using raster modeling and multivariate analysis. The possibility of predicting changes in the biometric parameters at any site on the basis of these models is shown.     

The implications of new information and communication technologies for sustainability

This paper discusses the relationship of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) and sustainable development. It deconstructs popular myths about a sustainable information society. One myth is that telework has reduced the need to travel and hence environmental pollution. The reality is that teleworkers make up only a small share of the total workforce, telework can generate new social relationships and hence the need for more travelling, work-related travel produces only a small amount of the total carbon dioxide emissions, and that the total distance travelled per employee is constantly rising. Another myth is that information economy is weightless and dematerialized which reduces environmental impacts. The energy and resource intensities of the ICT sector are indeed lower than the one of the total economy. The ICT sector also emits less CO₂ than the total economy. But the ICT sector constitutes only a small portion of the total value added and fossil fuel combustion is still the dominant activity of modern industrial economies. Some stakeholders argue that virtual products allow resource, energy, and transport savings. But burning digital music on compact discs and DVDs, printing digital articles and books, etc. results in rebound effects that cause new material and energy impacts, computers have a low life span of 2–3 years, reusable and upgradeable computers and computer equipment are hardly used and might not be as profitable as non-reusable ones, computers are consuming much energy. Alternatives such as energy consumption labels on ICTs and green ICTs that consume less energy contradict dominant economic interests. A sustainable information society is a society that makes use of ICTs and knowledge for fostering a good life for all human beings of current and future generations by strengthening biological diversity, technological usability, economic wealth for all, political participation of all, and cultural wisdom. Achieving a sustainable information society costs, it demands a conscious reduction of profits by not investing in the future of capital, but the future of humans, society, and nature.     

长江流域水生态环境安全主要问题、形势与对策

为进一步深化长江流域水生态环境保护的系统性、整体性科学认识,围绕长江水生态环境安全的主要问题及形势进行了剖析,提出了进一步加强长江流域水生态环境安全保障的对策建议.研究表明:在水环境质量方面,磷污染成为制约水质改善的主要影响因素,农业源排放量占比高,但工业源入河对水体的影响更直接,水库群运行带来的水沙条件变化对磷污染沿程演变有明显影响;在水生态健康方面,长江水生生物资源衰退、湖库富营养化格局发生改变、湿地生态功能退化问题突出;在水环境风险方面,化工围江、航运污染风险引起广泛关注.当前长江流域面临着源头区水资源战略储备减少、区域经济发展与生态环境保护双重压力仍较大、水环境质量仍存问题隐患、水生态系统退化态势未得到根本遏制等复杂且严峻的形势,未来长江水生态环境安全保障仍有诸多挑战.建议统筹长江全流域“一盘棋”,推进区域绿色协调发展,强化磷污染点面源综合管控,着力提升水生态健康水平,同时加快水环境风险隐患排查整治,强化科技创新有效供给.      

中国化学品环境暴露评估领域的综合区划

大尺度空间（中国）化学品环境暴露多介质模型的建立需要先对空间做相应的区划.本文以ArcGIS软件为平台,通过有空间约束的聚类方法和水文分析方法相耦合,建立全国范围的综合分区.全国范围分为华南综合大区、华北综合大区、西北综合大区、华东综合大区、东北综合大区和西南综合大区6个综合大区.每个综合大区又分别包含了若干个综合小区,小区总数为38个.该研究为我国暴露评估的综合分区提供了一个方案,在多介质模型的建立中起着重要的作用.     

高等院校教育技术的发展思路探讨

本文阐述了高等院校教育技术的发展现状,分析了高等院校教育技术发展的特点,对高等院校教育技术的发展进行理性思考。认为高等院校应该在重视教育技术实践性和支持性研究的基础上,立足现实,更全面审视机构整合、教育信息化、信息资源库建设和教师培训这些热点问题。     

A regional environmental management information system for Chinese EPA—the system analysis and design

REMIS is one of key research projects sponsored by the central government. It is recommended to regional EPAs as a main tool of the environmental management. REMIS simulates the functions of the regional EPAs and aimed to improve their management level. The national environmental management information system will base on REMIS.Functional analysis is the kernel of the REMIS system analysis. Data and data flow analysis are used to support the functional analysis.Investigations on the functions of the local EPAs of eight provinces and 12 cities have been taken. The functions were carefully sorted. Modular design method was used in system analysis and system design.The system analysis included functional analysis, data analysis and data flow analysis. The system design is based on the system analysis. HIPO diagram of each modular, data base structure, menu design, selection of hardware and software environment were the main items of the system design.     

基于元数据的南宁市环境信息共享模式分析

元数据技术是目前环境信息管理的发展趋势，对基于元数据的南宁市环境信息共享模式进行了探索与研究，提出了元数据系统功能及内容框架的解决方案。     

Eco-environmental information system of Tianjin City─Design, implementation and applications

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关于防范环境突发事件的探索和思考

从环保工作实际出发,阐述了防范环境突发事件的3个长效机制,即排查潜在事故隐患,建立信息系统;依据信息指标,建立预警系统;控制污染事态,构建应急处理系统.