Evaluating the Bonn—Marrakesh agreement

Abstract

This article evaluates the environmental effectiveness and economic efficiency of the Kyoto Protocol after the Bonn Agreement and the Marrakesh Accords. The US withdrawal has by far the greatest impact in reducing the environmental effectiveness, lowering the price of traded emission permits and reducing Annex I abatement costs. The decisions on sinks imply that the Annex I CO₂-equivalent emissions without the US will come out at about 1/2% below base-year level, instead of over 4% below base-year level. Without US participation, the emission permit price is estimated to be low. Therefore, banking hot air by Russia and the Ukraine is of absolute importance for the development of a viable emissions trading market, and would also enhance the environmental effectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol.     

Climate negotiations beyond Kyoto: developing countries concerns and interests

Abstract

Five years down the road from Kyoto, the Protocol that bears that city's name still awaits enough qualifying ratifications to come into force. While attention has been understandably focussed on the ratification process, it is time to begin thinking about the next steps for the global climate regime, particularly in terms of a deeper inclusion of developing countries' concerns and interests. This paper begins doing so from the perspective of the developing countries. The principal argument is that we need to return to the basic principles outlined in the Framework Convention on Climate Change in searching for a north—south bargain on climate change. Such a bargain may be achievable if we can realign the policy architecture of the climate regime to its original stated goals of sustainable development.     

马尼拉全海笋的生态观察

对马尼拉全海笋Ｂａｒｎｅａｍａｎｉｌｅｎｓｉｓ（Ｐｈｉｌｉｐｐｉ）的生态环境、生活习性与分布等进行了观察。马尼拉全海笋在我国仅分布于南海，生活在潮间带高、中潮区风化岩石或胶粘的泥质中，生活海区的水温８～３２℃，盐度２０～３３，海水ｐＨ８．２～８．４，穴深随壳长的增长而加深，洞穴与滩面呈４５～９０°。以底栖硅藻和有机碎屑为食。壳长平均第一年为４５．１ｍｍ，第二年达５７．２ｍｍ，第三年６３．２ｍｍ。雌雄异体，繁殖期在夏季。肉可食用。     

历史上治黄治淮的环境后果

本文通过历史与现代过程的分析,探讨了历史上治黄治淮的环境效应,特别是黄河筑堤和淮河高家堰修筑所造成的环境后果。黄河筑堤为下游平原地区的开发提供了条件,但河床的抬高,地上河的形成,使黄河改道频繁,并由此控制了徽地貌的形成,影响了土壤的成土过程和分布、地表水和地下水动念、涝渍灾害和盐碱化。黄河夺淮后,高家堰的修筑使洪泽湖面积急剧扩大,水位迅速提高,并使之成为中国和世界上最早的大水库。并由此增加了洪涝灾害的机遇和频率。     

中国环境工程地质的发展现状与未来

本文对我国环境工程地质的发展简况、研究现状和末来所面临的问题等进行了回顾、概括和展望,指出我国环境工程地质问题日趋复杂。从防御和保护环境出发,我国未来的环境地质问题将以沿海地区、长江中下游沿江地带和内陆大中城市地区为重点。建立经济、社会和环境协调发展的环境工程地质的科学体系已成为当务之急。     

建设项目大气环境影响评价的Fuzzy综合评判方法

本文将Fuzzy综合评判方法应用于建设项目的大气环境影响评价,并通过与其它评价方法的比较,说明Fuzzy综合评判方法在建设项目大气环境影响评价中的可行性和客观性。     

攀枝花市大气污染物降水清除机制的研究

本文采用了主成份分析及因子分析的方法,研究了影响降水pH值的主要源及其贡献和这些源被降水清除的机制。分析结果表明:大气中一次污染物是影响降水pH及各种成分浓度的主要因素。人为污染源包括高排放源、低排放源和汽车源,它们的排放物以碱性物质为主;自然污染源包括输送物、腐烂物、自然NOx等,它们的排放物主要是酸性物质;在一般情况下,降水的pH值取决于高、低排放源排放的碱性物质的多寡;降水量越大,清除的污染物越多,在雨季各测点降水平均pH值为6.31～7.10。在高排放源影响小的地方,对持续时间长的大雨,降水后期的pH能反映自然源的影响,其值小于5.60。可见,攀枝花市酸雨几率极低甚至降水呈碱性,     

Assessing cause and effect of multiple stressors on marine systems

An operational framework is developed to serve as a guideline for investigating causal relationships between environmental stressors and effects on marine biota. Because of the complexity and variability of many marine systems, multiple lines of evidence are needed to understand relationships between stressors and effects on marine resources. Within this framework, a weight of evidence approach based on multiple lines of evidence are developed and applied in a sequential manner by (1) characterizing the study system which involves determining if target biota are impaired, assessment of food and habitat availability, and measuring contaminant levels in the environment, (2) assessing direct effects of contaminant exposure on target biota using biomarkers and assessing indirect effects of exposure using suites of bioindicators, and (3) applying standard causal criteria based on epidemiological principles and diagnostic health profiling techniques to assess potential causes. Use of multiple lines of evidence should also reduce the risk of false positives (Type I error or falsely concluding that there is a causal relationship when there is none) and false negatives (Type II error or falsely concluding there is not a causal relationship when there actually is). Understanding causal relationships and the mechanistic processes between environmental stressors and effects on biota is important in the effective management and restoration of impaired marine ecosystems.     

Impact of quarrying gypsum in a semidesert karstic area (Sorbas,SE Spain)

The Messinian gypsum of Sorbas is intensively karstified, with hundreds of dolines and numerous, highly unusual exo- and endokarstic forms. Amongst these the tumuli are especially spectacular, as are the large caverns, adorned with numerous speleothems, some of which have not been described anywhere else in the World. The extraction of the gypsum has impacted practically all the elements of the environment (landscape, water, soil, subsoil, flora, fauna, etc.) and, in particular, all of the karstic forms. In addition to endangering the caves and the natural treasures that they contain, it affects the surface waters, markedly modifying the hydrographic network. Groundwaters, which now occur in the bottom of a quarry, are also affected.     

Environmental impact of drainage of Dianzi Iron Mine on the groundwater system of the Dawu Water Supply Base

Due to growing water extraction for industry and agriculture, the Dawu Water Supply Base, in the east of Zibo, China, has been in a state of serious over-extraction. It will also be affected by the deep drainage of the Dianzi Iron Mine, which will be exploited in 2005. As to the environmental impact on the groundwater system of the Dawu Water Supply Base is concerned, this paper makes a systematic study about the influence of the mine draining on the water-supply environment of the Dawu Water Supply Base by using the numerical model of groundwater system. The result shows that the groundwater level will have an additional drawdown of 1.2–1.8 m/yr by the mine draining alone. The numerical analysis results indicate that the optimal model for determining the best extraction plan is the solution for the contradiction between water supply and water drainage.