Seasonal Study of Methane and Nitrous Oxide in the Coastal Waters of the Southern Baltic Sea

Atmospheric and dissolved methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) were measured in the unique coastal ecosystem of theBoddenwaters, including the western Oder estuary, (southern Baltic Sea) during five campaigns between 1994 and 1997. The CH₄saturations, ranging from 105–15 500%, showed great spatial and temporal variability with maximum values in September and minimum values in December. The N₂O saturations were in the range of 91–312% with a maximum in March. Enhanced concentrations of both gases were observed only in the western Oder estuary near the mouth of the Peene River. Thus, we conclude that the distributions of CH₄and N₂O in the investigatedBoddenwaters are, directly or indirectly, linked to the Peene River runoff and not to the Oder River. Our estimate of the annual CH₄emissions from theBoddenwaters to the atmosphere indicates a significant contribution (c. 17%) to the overall CH₄emissions from the Baltic Sea. In contrast, theBoddenwaters represent only a small source for atmospheric N₂O.CH₄production rates estimated from sediment slurry experiments revealed a significant spatial variability and indicated that methanogenic activity was related to acetate consumption in the surface sediment layer. Sedimentary CH₄production might depend on different amounts of accumulation of organic material.     

低碳旅游发展的困境与对策

低碳旅游尚处于起步阶段,发展中遇到了诸多困境。该文纵览国内外相关理论研究与实践结果,从旅游者碳排放认知、旅游业碳足迹测度和碳补偿措施有效性等方面,梳理与分析了低碳旅游发展的困境。提出理论上应从澄清相关概念、界定旅游业系统、统一碳足迹测度口径、旅游业碳排放影响等方面加强研究,实践上应从政府领导、主体参与、重点领域突破、多重措施并举等方面建立低碳旅游实施机制,以期丰富旅游环境研究视角,为我国低碳旅游发展提供理论指导和实践参考。     

“7.17”西北夏季沙尘暴数值模拟

 对2005年7月17日发生在西北地区近20 a来夏季最强的沙尘暴过程进行了数值模拟研究,结果得到:①沙尘暴发生前,沙源处于高温控制下;②起沙是水平低涡和垂直涡叠加而成的一种类似于Benard对流泡的系统扫掠沙源的结果;③起沙主要发生在水平低涡移动方向的右部。     

欧盟减排《责任分担条例》修正案分析与启示

欧盟自1997年起就如何通过市场和行政手段“双轮驱动”控制碳排放总量进行不断探索,并逐步建立了较为成熟的碳排放交易体系及减排责任分担机制,已经取得了良好的减排效果。文中梳理分析《责任分担条例》修正案中关于成员国减排目标更新的内容、目标分配的原则与方法、灵活性机制,归纳了欧盟采用行政手段控制碳排放交易系统未涉及部门的温室气体排放的经验,并对中国如何构建充分考虑市场手段和行政手段的CO₂排放总量控制制度提出政策建议。     

集聚空间组织型式对中国地市尺度工业SO2排放的影响

集聚外部性是集聚影响工业污染排放的重要机制,不同的集聚空间组织型式具有不同的污染排放行为和减排效果。以中国285个地市工业SO₂排放为例,依据集聚经济理论,将集聚空间组织型式细分为集聚密度、企业地理临近度、专业化、多样性、相关多样性、非相关多样性等不同类型,在系统分析工业SO₂排放与集聚空间格局的基础上,通过构建计量经济模型,考察了不同集聚空间组织型式对工业SO₂排放强度的影响。结果表明：① 工业SO₂排放强度与工业集聚密度在空间上具有非对称性,污染排放强度西高东低,工业集聚密度、企业地理临近、多样性、相关和非相关多样性为东中高西部低;② 工业集聚对工业SO₂排放强度的影响存在空间溢出效应,相邻地区集聚密度、多样性和相关多样性水平的上升有利于本区域工业污染排放强度的下降,但专业化水平的上升则会提升本区域的工业污染排放强度;③ 提高集聚密度、引导企业集中布局有利于工业SO₂排放强度下降,多样且关联的产业组织结构有利于污染减排,而专业化和非关联产业的集中会提高污染排放强度;④ 集聚型式对工业SO₂排放强度的影响存在区域和城市规模上的异质性,集聚密度、企业地理临近、多样性和相关多样性对中西部污染减排的作用比东部明显,专业化和非相关多样性不利于东中部地区的污染减排;城区人口规模20万以下的小城市提高集聚密度、减少多样性特别是非相关多样性更有利于污染减排;城区人口规模20~50万的小城市和50~100万的中等城市,提高企业的地理接近度和多样性水平特别是相关多样性水平,有利于其降低污染排放强度;城区人口规模在100万以上的大城市,提高集聚密度和产业多样性水平在一定程度上有利于其污染减排,但其减排效果因拥挤效应而明显下降;⑤ 进一步降低工业SO₂排放强度,需要走集聚化道路,坚持提高集聚密度,因地制宜引导企业集中布局,着力提高产业在关联基础上的多样性水平,加强区域间联防联控,重视区域间的产业联系与环保合作。     

Growing up and cleaning up: The environmental Kuznets curve redux

Borrowing from the Kuznets curve literature, researchers have coined the term “environmental Kuznets curve” or EKC to characterize the relationship between pollution levels and income: pollution levels will increase with income but some threshold of income will eventually be reached, beyond which pollution levels will decrease. The link between the original Kuznets curve, which posited a similar relationship between income and inequality, and its pollution-concerned offspring lies primarily with the shape of both curves (an upside-down U) and the central role played by income change. Although the EKC literature has burgeoned over the past several years, few concrete conclusions have been drawn, the main themes of the literature have remained constant, and no consensus has been reached regarding the existence of an environmental Kuznets curve. EKC research has used a variety of types of data and a range of geographical units to examine the effects of income levels on pollution. Changes in pollution levels might also be at least partly explained by countries’ position in the demographic transition and their general population structure, however little research has included this important aspect in the analysis. In addition, few analyses confine themselves to an evaluation for one country of the long-term relationship between income and pollution. Using United States CO₂ emissions as well as demographic, employment, trade and energy price data, this paper seeks to highlight the potential impact of population and economic structure in explaining the relationship between income and pollution levels.     

Ecological Modernization or Aristocratic Conservation? Exploring the Impact of Affluence on Carbon Emissions at the Local Level

Social scientists have debated how affluence impacts carbon emissions at the national level. We conduct an exploratory study at the subnational level to expose another dimension of the affluence–emissions debate. Based on the notion of aristocratic conservation, we hypothesize that affluence is positively related to carbon emissions from consumption activities but negatively related to emissions from production activities. We test these hypotheses using county-level data in the United States for the year 2002. A spatial regression analysis demonstrates that median household income is positively associated with consumption-based emissions; nevertheless, we find evidence of an environmental inequality Kuznets curve in the relationship between median household income and production-based emissions. This finding suggests that the wealthiest counties are able to displace certain types of emissions, specifically those related to energy and industrial production. We discuss the theoretical and political implications of these results.     

区域土地利用影响地表CO2浓度异质性特征的动力学机制

本文综合应用高斯方程和拉姆齐模型,针对京津冀地区2000年以来10 km×10 km栅格尺度的地表CO₂浓度开展研究,分析了区域土地利用影响地表CO₂浓度异质性特征的动力学机制。研究发现：① 地表CO₂浓度与土地利用类型密切相关。2000—2018年京津冀地区CO₂浓度的高值区主要集中于经济较发达的快速城镇化地区;② 土地利用强度及土地利用效率上的时空分异为地表CO₂扩散提供了潜在的势能。京津冀地区地表CO₂排放及扩散存在明显的空间异质性,距离CO₂排放高值区越近,其相应的CO₂浓度越高并随时间推移及空间拓展呈逐步减小的态势;③ 京津冀地区在土地利用结构调整、格局优化及效率提升后,CO₂排放强度增幅明显减弱,其区域间的增幅差异也逐渐缩小。产业转型发展、土地利用格局优化、土地利用效率提高有效地抑制了京津冀地区地表CO₂排放强度的提升并促进了该区域的内涵式增长与高质量发展。     

Reducing fishing vessel fuel consumption and NOX emissions

There is a growing concern with the impact of marine operations on the environment. This requires reducing fuel consumption and vessel pollution during operation. On-board computers and satellite communications will enable the operator to reduce fuel consumption and NO_X emissions during vessel operations.This paper presents the results of a study on this problem and how such an on-board system could be implemented to reduce fuel consumption and engine NO_X emissions.     

Achieving additional emission reductions under a cap-and-trade scheme

Over the last decade, cap-and-trade emissions schemes have emerged as one of the favoured policy instruments for reducing GHG emissions. An inherent design feature of cap-and-trade schemes is that, once the cap on emissions has been set, no additional reductions beyond this level can be provided by the actions of those individuals, organizations and governments within the covered sectors. Thus, the emissions cap constitutes an emissions floor. This feature has been claimed by some to have undesirable implications, in that it discourages ethically motivated mitigation actions and preempts the possibility that local, state and national governments can take additional mitigation action in the context of weak national or regional targets. These criticisms have become prominent in Australia and the US within the public debate regarding the adoption of an emissions trading scheme (ETS). These criticisms and their potential solutions are reviewed. A set-aside reserve is proposed to automatically retire ETS permits, which would correspond to verified and additional emissions reductions. This minimizes the possibility that ethically motivated mitigation actions are discouraged, allows for additional action by other levels of government, while providing transparency to other market participants on the level of permit retirements.