Reflections on the current state of global climate response

What is the significance of the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali? The formal outcomes, especially the ‘Bali Action Plan’, are described and commented on, along with the challenges for negotiating a post-2012 agreement in Copenhagen during 2008 and 2009. The article concludes that the outcome of the Bali meeting is insufficient when compared to the nature of the challenge posed by climate change. However, it can nevertheless be considered a success in terms of ‘Realpolitik’ in paving the way for the negotiations ahead, because some real changes have been discerned in the political landscape. The challenges for the road towards Copenhagen are manifold: the sheer volume and complexity of the issues and the far-reaching nature of decisions such as differentiation between non- Annex I countries pose significant challenges in themselves, while the dependency on the electoral process in the USA introduces a high element of risk into the whole process. The emergence of social justice as an issue turns climate policy into an endeavour to improve the world at large—thereby adding to the complexity. And, finally, the biggest challenge is the recognition that the climate problem requires a global solution, that Annex I and non-Annex I countries are mutually dependent on each other and that only cooperation regarding technology in combination with significant financial support will provide the chance to successfully tackle climate change.     

Landscape for change? International climate policy and energy transitions: evidence from sub-Saharan Africa

What is the role of the climate regime in facilitating rapid decarbonization of the world’s energy systems? We examine how core assumptions concerning the roles of the nation state, carbon markets and finance and technology in international climate policy are being challenged by the realities of how transitions in the energy systems are unfolding. Drawing on the critical region of sub-Saharan Africa, we examine the potential for international climate policy to foster new trajectories towards decarbonization.

Policy relevance

The international regime for climate policy has been in place for some twenty years. Despite significant changes in the landscape of energy systems and drivers of global GHG emissions over this time, the core principles and tools remain relatively stable – national governments, carbon markets, project-based climate finance and the transfer of technological hardware. Given the diversity of actors and drivers and the limited direct reach and influence of international climate policy, however, there is an urgent need to consider how the climate regime can best support the embryonic transitions that are slowly taking form around the world. To do this effectively requires a more nuanced understanding of the role of the state in governing these transitions beyond the notion of a cohesive state serving as rule-enforcer and transition manager. It also requires a broader view of technology, not just as hardware that is transferred, but as a set of practices and networks of expertise and enabling actors. Likewise, though markets have an important role to play as vehicles for achieving broader ends, they are not an end in themselves. Finally on finance, while acknowledging the important role of climate aid, often as a multiplier or facilitator of more ambitious private flows, it is critical to differentiate between the types of finance required for different transitions, many of which will not be counted under, or directed by, the climate regime. In sum, the (low-) carbon economy is being built in ways and in numerous sites that the climate regime needs to be cognizant of and engage with productively, and this may require fundamental reconsideration of the building blocks of the international climate regime.     

Sustainable development policies and measures: institutional issues and electrical efficiency in South Africa

An innovative approach is introduced for helping developing countries to make their development more sustainable, and also to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a co-benefit. Such an approach is proposed as part of the multilateral framework on climate change. The concept of sustainable development policies and measures (SD-PAMs) is outlined, making clear that it is distinct from many other approaches in starting from development rather than explicit climate targets. The potential of SD-PAMs is illustrated with a case-study of energy efficiency in South Africa, drawing on energy modelling for the use of electricity in industry. The results show multiple benefits both for local sustainable development and for mitigating global climate change. The benefits of industrial energy efficiency in South Africa include significant reductions in local air pollutants; improved environmental health; creation of additional jobs; reduced electricity demand; and delays in new investments in electricity generation. The co-benefit of reducing GHG emissions could result in a reduction of as much as 5% of SA's total projected energy CO₂ emissions by 2020. Institutional support and policy guidance is needed at both the international and national level to realize the potential of SD-PAMs. This analysis demonstrates that if countries begin to act early to move towards greater sustainability, they will also start to bend the curve of their emissions path.     

Economics of climate change: risk and responsibility by world region

The impacts of predicted climate change will not be distributed evenly around the world. As post-Kyoto negotiations unfold, relating the geographical distribution of projected impacts to responsibility for emissions among world regions is essential for achieving an equitable path forward. This article surveys the current knowledge of regional climate consequences, and delves into the regional predictions of economic assessment models to date, examining how the uncertainties, assumptions and ethical dimensions influence the portrayal of risk at this scale. The few studies that quantitatively compared regional risk and responsibility are reviewed, and the analytical framework from one such study is applied to the 2006 Stern Review's projections to give the first regional comparison to take purchasing power and welfare considerations into account. Synthesizing burden and blame in this way is informative for policy makers; the world's most vulnerable communities—in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Latin America, and small island states—accounted for less than 33% of global greenhouse gas emissions over the period 1961–2000, but may experience more than 75% of the ensuing climate damages this century. This analysis reinforces the call for industrialized nations to lead mitigation efforts, and to do so decisively and swiftly.     

Events of decadal thermocline variations in the South Pacific Ocean

1 INTRODUCTION It has been suggested that interior thermal anomalies that subduct into the subtropics of the North Pacific may propagate to the equatorial region of the Pacific (Russell, 1994; Deser et al., 1996; Gu and Philander, 1997; Huang and Huang an…     

GEOCHEMICAL STUDY OF THE CORE S01 IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

Si, Ti, Al, Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, K, Na, P and Sr, Ba, Rb, Ga, V, Zr, Cr, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Pb,Nb, Y, Th, La in the core S01 were analyzed and the pattems of their enrichment are discussed.Enrichment of Na, Fe, Mn, Ba, Cu elements in the core indicates volcanic material are an importantsoarce of the sediments in the area. The enrichment frequently varying with the deposition processshows bottom volcanism is frequent in the area and that the studied area is a margin basin with distinctoceanic characteristics. The abnormal enrichment of Mn at the layers(0-15 cm and 665-670 cm) of the core could beclosely related to and so, indicate, the wide deposition hiatus that have occurred in the West PacificOcean and adjacent margin seas since Late Pleistocene.     

南秦岭勉略蛇绿构造混杂带辉长辉绿岩类微量-稀土元素地球化学

应用元素地球化学方法．研究了勉略带中辉长辉绿岩的相关特征．结果表明．勉略蛇绿构造混杂带内的辉长岩属高铝强碱质辉长岩类，是地幔橄榄岩部分熔融的产物。辉绿岩墙群属强碱铝质基性岩类，过渡族元素蛛网图与辉长岩类几乎完全相同，其不相容元素与辉长岩类总体趋势相一致．反映了一种递进岩浆演化趋势。因此，本区辉长岩与辉绿岩墙群具同源岩浆分异演化的地球化学特征．其均为勉略蛇绿岩的重要组成端元。     

南秦岭主要类型热水沉积岩的REE地球化学

南秦岭泥盆纪沉积柱中产有多种类型海底热水沉积岩．它们的ΣＲＥＥ偏低（平均６３．０９×１０－６），ＲＥＥ配分曲线平缓右倾，Ｌａ／Ｙｂ＝２～８，Ｃｅ亏损，总体上与海水相似。产于Ｓｅｄｅｘ含矿层中的热水沉积岩具有正Ｅｕ异常，与现代海底热液及红海热液沉积物可比；而产在Ｓｅｄｅｘ含矿层以下地层中的热水沉积岩Ｅｕ亏损，与ＥＰＲ热液沉积物相似。ＲＥＥ地球化学研究和岩石学研究结果一致，支持热水沉积岩ＲＥＥ来源于海水及部分下伏沉积柱（包括基底），含矿热水沉积岩是盆地热演化到一定阶段具有一定深度和规模的循环对流体系在海底的化学沉积，而Ｓｅｄｅｘ含矿层以下地层中的热水沉积岩则是浅部热水对流循环的海底显示．成岩和变质作用对岩石的ＲＥＥ未造成影响。     

Historical Changes and Characteristics of Rehabilitation, Management and Utilization of Forest Resources in South Korea

This study analyzed the causes of forest devastation, the characteristics of forest rehabilitation process, and the success factors of reforestation. And it reviewed the management of rehabilitated forest resources and identified the income sources of mountain villages in South Korea. The devastation of forest starting from the early twentieth century was continued to the 1950＇s. The main causes of deforestation were the illegal cutting of trees for fuel and the slash-and-burning agriculture in forest. The success factors of reforestation were the decrease in the dependence on forest of fuel source, strict administration system and national participation. Sustainable forest management could be made possible through the practical use of social issues like public work project for prevention of landslide damages caused by the thinned logs left in the forest. Also it could be possible by making people realize that the public benefit was obtained from forest and the income sources of mountain villages were supplemented by non-timber forest products and tourism. Food and Agriculture Organization indicated Korea as the country that forestation was succeeded in a very short period. Korea seems to be not ordinary because economic growth was accomplished with rehabilitating natural environment. Korean forestation can become a good prototype of combining environmental rehabilitation and economic development.     

CONSIDERATION OF HYDRODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS,SEDIMENTS & ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OF MUDDY COAST IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIANYUNGANG HARBOUR

After nearly 20 years of construction,we have successfully solved a series of hydrologic sedimentaryand environment problems encountered during the construction of the big deep water harbour inLianyungang which can now accommodate ships of 50000 tonnage.With the economic development,the channel of 50000 tonnage will be built soon, and of 100000 tonnage is under planning. Theconstruction of the international container shipping hub at the harbour is being accelerated in anticipationof the opening of the second Eurasian land bridge.The future development of the harbour will givegreat impetus to the local economy of Lianyungang City and make it an international city.