Cleantech clusters: Transformational assemblages for a just,green economy or just business as usual?

The rhetorical zeal for green enterprise as a global fix for the tripartite challenges of economic recession, environmental degradation and social inequality is increasingly visible in state and non-state pronouncements around the globe under the banner of ‘The Green Economy’. In particular, many policy-facing statements call for transitions leading to a transformation in development practices. Yet there is little detail either in policy or research regarding the types of transitions needed and how they are to be initiated, nor agreement about what a transformed economy might look like. Despite this, there are emergent activities within the cleantech arena which are being heralded as actually existing examples of green economy activities. One means through which these activities are seeking to exert influence over development trajectories is by clustering both at the subnational and transnational level. While diverse in formation, many of these clusters are hybridised, involving actors from public, private and civil society sectors. Critiquing the efficacy of mainstream industrial cluster theory to analyse hybridised cleantech clustering, this paper presents a unique synthesis of current thought on multiscalar environmental governance and socio-spatial formations to explore the practices and potentialities of these hybridised cleantech clusters. Surveying the landscape of cleantech clustering and meta-clustering, before focusing in depth on one case study, the contribution of clustering to transitioning towards a transformed green economy is considered. Despite strong forces, both within and beyond cleantech clusters, for maintaining neoliberalised approaches to cleantech activity, it is concluded that for as long as cleantech clusters remain open and inclusive of actors proposing alternative pathways they do represent potential, albeit provisional, assemblages for transformation.     

First international payment for marine ecosystem services: The case of the Banc d’Arguin National Park,Mauritania

This article investigates whether the European Union-Mauritania fisheries agreement, which allocates part of the Europe's financial contribution to the conservation of marine ecosystems located within the Banc d’Arguin National Park, can be regarded as a payment for ecosystem service. A framework for qualification as such payment scheme was established based on an extensive literature review. The criteria identified for the qualification as a payment to ecosystem service pertain to: (1) the definition of the ecosystem service(s) involved; (2) the mechanism involved by the payment; and (3) the nature of the transaction. Interviews with local beneficiaries and subsequent data analysis led to the conclusion that this mechanism could be regarded as a payment to ecosystem service and so, through the European Union-Mauritania Fisheries agreement, the European Union were investing to protect local fish resources that could be exploited by its fishing fleet. This agreement, involving the first International Payment to Ecosystem Service of this kind, marks an important step towards better consideration of marine conservation in international public policy and foreign fishing policy in particular. However, this payment is small when compared to revenues generated through the exploitation of developing countries’ fishing grounds by fishing countries. Nevertheless it opens the door for more detailed applications of payment to ecosystem service schemes to other ecosystems contexts, and can provide a useful alternative source of financing of marine biodiversity conservation.     

From Kyoto via Moscow to nowhere?

Abstract

Since the World Climate Change Conference held in the autumn of 2003 in Moscow, Russian Federation, the fate of international climate policy architecture designed around the Kyoto Protocol hangs in the balance. After the withdrawal of the USA from the Kyoto Protocol, the condition of its ratification cannot be met without the Russian Federation. There has been a considerable uncertainty as to Russia's intentions regarding ratification of Kyoto. In this contribution, an attempt is made to identify the Russian motives and concerns, and explain their attitudes regarding the Kyoto Protocol. Pressures against and for ratification are discussed. Finally, a few comments are made about the future of the efforts to solve the global environmental problem of protecting the Earth's climate.     

A multidisciplinary multi-scale framework for assessing vulnerabilities to global change

Terrestrial ecosystems provide a number of vital services for people and society, such as food, fibre, water resources, carbon sequestration, and recreation. The future capability of ecosystems to provide these services is determined by changes in socio-economic factors, land use, atmospheric composition, and climate. Most impact assessments do not quantify the vulnerability of ecosystems and ecosystem services under such environmental change. They cannot answer important policy-relevant questions such as 'Which are the main regions or sectors that are most vulnerable to global change?’ 'How do the vulnerabilities of two regions compare?’ 'Which scenario is the least harmful for a sector?’This paper describes a new approach to vulnerability assessment developed by the Advanced Terrestrial Ecosystem Analysis and Modelling (ATEAM) project. Different ecosystem models, covering biodiversity, agriculture, forestry, hydrology, and carbon sequestration are fed with the same Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios based on the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES). Each model gives insights into specific ecosystems, as in traditional impact assessments. Moreover, by integrating the results in a vulnerability assessment, the policy-relevant questions listed above can also be addressed. A statistically derived European environmental stratification forms a key element in the vulnerability assessment. By linking it to other quantitative environmental stratifications, comparisons can be made using data from different assessments and spatial scales.     

单站GPS遥感水汽含量范围的确定及结果分析

随着GPS技术的日益成熟和研究的不断深入,GPS的定位精度得到了大幅度的提高,为其在测绘、交通、林业资源、石油勘探、精细农业等行业的应用提供了更广阔的空间。GPS气象学(GPS/Meteorology简称GPS/MET)的诞生改善了原有大气监测技术的局限性,极大的提高了气象监测的时空分辨率,但是在将这项技术由试验阶段向推广普及应用的过程中,单站地基GPS监测的有效范围以及水汽解的精度一直为广大气象学家们所忽略,本文在对以往GPS气象数据收集和整理的基础上,根据理论计算和实际验算,得出了一些有益的结论。     

环境同位素记录中共生碳酸盐氧同位素分馏差值的影响

湖泊化学沉积碳酸盐δ18O是研究区域气候演变的重要环境指标之一。青海湖等闭流湖泊的研究结果证实,在对δ18O环境记录进行共生碳酸盐氧同位素分馏效应校正时,应依据具体情况,采用0-1‰的分馏差值。由高温实验结果推断出的常温分馏差值(4‰-7‰)不能被应用到自然条件下湖泊共生碳酸盐氧同位素分馏效应的校正。     

利用GPS反解大气水汽含量

介绍地基和空基ＧＰＳ气象技术,简要讨论了ＧＰＳ遥感大气水汽含量对误差源。     

湖泊磷的核磁共振(NMR)分析——1环境标准样品的31P-NMR表征

通过对环境标准样进行31P-NMR测试,研究了磷的化学结构与化学位移的关系.结果表明:无机正磷酸盐(PO43-)化学位移在6.412×10-6,焦磷酸盐的化学位移在-4.353×10-6;多聚磷的化学位移分布特点是:主链末端磷化学位移在-3.53×10-6至-4.40×10-6之间,中间磷在-18.159×10-6至-20.246×10-6之间,有机磷中单酯和二醑的化学位移分别在4.3540×10-6至6.3652×10-6和-0.107×10-6至2.195×10-6之间,部分二脂不稳定,会降解为单脂;膦酸盐的化学位移在18.670×10-6至21.460×10-6之间,磷酸肌酸位于-0.380×10-6,有机多聚磷中α-P的化学位移在-8.833×10-6至-9.449×10-6之间,由于偶合作用产生P峰的裂分,P峰的偶合符合核磁中n 1的规则.结构环境影响31P的化学位移值的偏移.