Environmental properties of metallic minerals and their applications in environmental protection in China

In terms of environmental mineralogy, the environmental properties of metallic minerals, including chemical activation, adsorption, pore effect and nanometer effect, have been analyzed. On the basis of the analysis of environmental properties of metallic minerals, the applications of iron-bearing sultides, iron and manganese oxides in the purification of wastewaters containing heavy metal ions （Cr^6＋ ,Hg^2＋ , Pb^2＋ , etc. ） have been summarized. Moreover, research on the application of metallic minerals in environmental protection has been anticipated. It should be a piece of dominating work for environmental mineralogie researchers in the future to lucubrate systematically the physical and chemical characteristics of the metallic mineral surfaces, further reveal the reciprocity process between metallic minerals and water surface, perfect the theory and model of the metallic minerals to remove contaminants, intensify study on the facilities and techniques of metallic minerals to remove contaminants, and entail well the extension and propagation of achievements.     

Application of remote sensing in monitoring environmental change in ore area-Take Panzhihua V-Ti magnetite as an example

Remote sensing is an effective method to monitor environmental change. To study the influence of mining and mine dump on the environment of mine, remote sensing is used to monitor the change of land use and vegetation in the ore area, and to forecast the ecological environment by considering the mining speed. Remote sensing images at different periods were collected in the study, which include MSS images in 1975, TM images in 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005, and SPOT-5 images in 2002. At the same time, relief map and geological map of the ore area were also collected as assistant data for remote sensing interpretation. After color synthesis, enhancing treatment and geometrical revision, the interpreted dynamic information on remote sensing images was edited with ARC/INFO software, to build a dynamic monitoring database for land use in the ore area from 1975 to 2005 and a database for land use in 1975, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2002 and 2005. Through interpretation, it is found that, after 30 years of mining activities, the vegetation area in the Panzhihua mining area was reduced from 9352.6 ha in 1975 to 8195.6 ha in 2005, and its grassland area from 1053 ha in 1975 to 795.5 ha in 2002. After that, the grassland area increased to 869.1 ha in 2005 because of re-cultivation of some mine dumps.     

Application of remote sensing in monitoring environmental change in ore area―Take Panzhihua V-Ti magnetite as an example

Remote sensing is an effective method to monitor environmental change. To study the influence of mining and mine dump on the environment of mine, remote sensing is used to monitor the change of land use and vegetation in the ore area, and to forecast the …     

Synergistic effects of environmental regulations on carbon productivity growth in China’s major industrial sectors

Natural Hazards - It is crucial that the implementation of environmental regulations have a positive synergistic effect on carbon productivity growth (i.e., environmentally adjusted productivity...     

Status of China’s Land Resources in 2013

正On 22nd April 2014,with the approach of the 45th World Earth Day,the Chinese Ministry of Land and Resources announced the status of China’s land resources in 2013,putting forward the implementation of strict farmland protection measures to ensure the 1.8 billion acres of arable land.This laid a solid foundation for achieving a"ten even increase"of     

Status of China’s Mineral Resources in 2013

正On 22nd April 2014,with the approach of the 45th World Earth Day,China’s Ministry of Land and resources issued the status of China’s mineral resources in 2013.The first task of the prospecting breakthrough strategy action implemented in the last five years has been completed,and China’s security capacity for mineral resources has been significantly improved.In the     

Groundwater for urban water supplies in northern China – An overview

 Groundwater plays an important role for urban and industrial water supply in northern China. More than 1000 groundwater wellfields have been explored and installed. Groundwater provides about half the total quantity of the urban water supply. Complete regulations and methods for the exploration of groundwater have been established in the P.R. China. Substantial over-exploitation of groundwater has created environmental problems in some cities. Some safeguarding measures for groundwater-resource protection have been undertaken. Received, August 1997 · Revised, February 1998 · Accepted, April 1998     

Tropospheric pyruvate changes in the remote area of northwestern China

Pyruvate is a light carboxylate in the troposphere and can act as potential cloud condensation nuclei. Due to its low concentrations, however, little work has been done on the species in precipitation. Past 43-year record of pyruvate was recovered from an ice core of Glacier 1 at 43°06′N and 86°49′E in the remote East Tianshan, northwestern China. It was revealed that pyruvate varied over a relatively large range with some below the detection limit, while part of it is so high as to be up to 70 ng·g-1. With an average concentration of 4.1 ± 8.1 ng·g-1 (mean ± 1σ, N=543), pyruvate is a minor species in comparison with other carboxylates. It is also low as compared with its precipitation in other parts of the world, suggesting a difference in its major source flux. The record revealed high pyruvate concentrations in the late halves of the 1950s and 1980s, but low in the late 1950s, late 1970s, and middle 1990s. The variation trend in the past 43 years is closely correlated with that of acetate, a major carboxylate from anthropogenic pollution to the atmosphere, indicating that tropospheric pyruvate in the remote area of northwestern China is probably a by-product in acetate formation.     

Analysis of an oasis microclimate in China’s hyperarid zone

The microclimate of a desert oasis in China’s hyperarid zone was monitored, analysed and compared to that of nearby forested lands. Factors associated with differences in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) between clear, cloudy and dust storm days are discussed. Desert oases were shown to fulfill ecological functions such as altering solar radiation, adjusting near-ground and land surface temperatures, reducing temperature differences, lowering wind velocity, and increasing soil and atmospheric humidity. Total solar radiation within the oasis was roughly half that above the forest canopy. During the growing season, air temperatures in Populus euphratica Olivier and Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb. woodlands were, on average, 1.62 and 0.83°C lower, respectively, than that in surrounding woodlands. The greater the forest cover, the greater was the difference in temperature. Air temperature was higher at the upper storey than that at the lower storey of the community, i.e., air temperature increased with increasing height above the soil surface. During the growing season, relative humidity was higher in woodlands than in surrounding areas: relative humidity in P. euphratica and T. ramosissima woodlands were, on average, 8.5 and 4.2% higher, respectively, than that in the surrounding area. Mean wind velocity in the P. euphratica forest land was 0.33 m/s, 2.31 m/s lower than that in the surrounding area. On dust storm days PAR and total radiation, Q, were significantly lower than that on cloudy or clear days. Their ratio, η _Q  = PAR/Q, was larger and much more variable on dust storm days than that on clear or cloudy days.     

Central–local conflicts in China’s environmental policy implementation: the case of the sloping land conversion program

Deforestation since the 1980s has led to substantial loss of ecological services in China. As a responsive strategy, China launched the most ambitious reforestation efforts in the developing world. However, like many other environmental policies, forestry policy has not been effectively implemented, mainly due to the fragmentation nature in China’s environmental governance institution. This paper highlights the impact of central–local conflicts on forestry policy implementation. With insufficient motivation, local governments tend to minimize their efforts in planning, monitoring, and supporting reforestation activities, which poses great challenges on the sustainability of the reforestation benefits. With extensive field experiences, this paper also raises three innovative strategies to solve the financial dilemma that leads to the effort minimization phenomenon, with both the advantages and disadvantages for each strategy critically discussed. It finally recommends ways by which the central government could improve design of reforestation policies, or other large-scale ecological programs, which involve local governments as a key liaison.     

State power and environmental initiatives in China: Analyzing China’s green building program through an ecological modernization perspective

This paper applies the ecological modernization (EM) framework to analyze China’s green building program. EM focuses on the effective institutionalization of environmental objectives into respective political and economic systems, and thus provides valuable insights into the roles of the state and other stake holders in environmental regulation. Since the mid-2000s, the Chinese government has advanced an aggressive green building campaign, which is distinguished by its speed, scale, and evolution from one of voluntary participation to a top-down implementation through administrative hierarchies. While this has resulted in a remarkable growth of green building projects, questions remain about the effectiveness and sustainability of such a state-centered approach. Though interviews with officials, planners, architects, real estate developers, and property managers in several Chinese cities, data analysis of the green building stock, and surveys of architects, this paper analyzes Chinese green building patterns and situates such patterns among the contradictory motivations of different levels of government and their relationships to different stake holders. This research finds that the top-down state apparatus is not sufficient to overcome these contradictions and the profit motives of the property developers. However, many under-developed opportunities exist to leverage property developers, building professionals, and the public to engage in green building practices. In the end, I argue that the state must embrace reform to build flexible and collaborative movements with other parties with strong public participation. China’s ecological modernization process may feature a stronger state and faster changes, but it is not exempted from the need of political modernization.     

Lithium Resources in Brine of China’s Sea Salt Field Operations

正Objective With the rapid development of mobile power and electronic vehicles,the application of lithium is in the ascendant,and the contradiction between its supply and demand is prominent.     

Status of China’s Geological Survey and Geological Environments in 2013

正With the approach of the 45th World Earth Day,China’s Ministry of Land and Resources issued the status of the Chinese geological survey and environments on 22nd April 2013.Regional geological survey in 2013 achieved new results—(why was oceanic in twice?)polar and oceanic expedition were fully completed,a national census of geography was begun,and     

Development of tomographic technology for the Earth’s crust in the shelf regions

On the basis of experimental data obtained during a comprehensive experiment in Vityaz Bay of the Sea of Japan using onshore laser strainmeters and a low-frequency hydroacoustic emitter generating complex phase-manipulated signals with a central frequency of 33 Hz, we developed the basic principles of contactless tomography of the Earth’s crust in the shelf regions of various seas, including those covered by ice, making it possible to determine efficiently the structure and composition of the upper Earth’s crust under seas.