Implications of Japan’s long term climate mitigation target and the relevance of uncertain nuclear policy

Achieving long-term climate mitigation goals in Japan faces several challenges, starting with the uncertain nuclear power policy after the 2011 earthquake, the uncertain availability and progress of energy technologies, as well as energy security concerns in light of a high dependency on fuel imports. The combined weight of these challenges needs to be clarified in terms of the energy system and macroeconomic impacts. We applied a general equilibrium energy economic model to assess these impacts on an 80% emission reduction target by 2050 considering several alternative scenarios for nuclear power deployment, technology availability, end use energy efficiency, and the price of fossil fuels. We found that achieving the mitigation target was feasible for all scenarios, with considerable reductions in total energy consumption (39%–50%), higher shares of low-carbon sources (43%–72% compared to 15%), and larger shares of electricity in the final energy supply (51%–58% compared to 42%). The economic impacts of limiting nuclear power by 2050 (3.5% GDP loss) were small compared to the lack of carbon capture and storage (CCS) (6.4% GDP loss). Mitigation scenarios led to an improvement in energy security indicators (trade dependency and diversity of primary energy sources) even in the absence of nuclear power. Moreover, preliminary analysis indicates that expanding the range of renewable energy resources can lower the macroeconomic impacts of the long term target considerably, and thus further in depth analysis is needed on this aspect.

Key policy insights

• For Japan, an emissions reduction target of 80% by 2050 is feasible without nuclear power or CCS.

• The macroeconomic impact of such a 2050 target was largest without CCS, and smallest without nuclear power.

• Energy security indicators improved in mitigation scenarios compared to the baseline.

     

Confronting the nitrogen challenge: Options for governance and target setting

The release of excessive anthropogenic nitrogen contributes to global climate change, biodiversity loss, and the degradation of ecosystem services. Despite being an urgent global problem, the excess nitrogen is not governed globally. This paper considers possible governance options for dealing with excessive nitrogen through target setting, which is an approach commonly adopted to address global environmental problems. The articulation of the nitrogen problem and the numerous international institutions dealing with it, provide evidence of a nitrogen regime characterised by limited coordination and targets covering sources and impacts only partially. This calls for improving the nitrogen governance in the direction of more integrated approaches at the global scale. In this vein, the paper investigates two opposite governance options – here labelled as ‘holistic’ and ‘origin-based’ – and evaluates them for their capability to define solutions and targets for human-induced nitrogen. From the analysis, it emerges that origin-based solutions can be preferable to holistic solutions as they can be more specific and potentially have greater immediate results. Independent from which governance arrangement is chosen, what matters most is the speed at which an arrangement can deploy solutions to combat (fast-growing) nitrogen pollution.     

SEISMIC IMPACT LOADING IN INELASTIC TENSION-ONLY CONCENTRICALLY BRACED STEEL FRAMES: MYTH OR REALITY?

Tension-Only Concentrically Braced Frames (TOCBF) exhibit deteriorating pinched hysteretic behaviour during strong earthquakes. Slender braces transit between an elastic buckling state, a restraightening state, in which they carry almost no load, an elastic tensile loading state as they are suddenly taut and, finally, a tensile yielding state. It has long been suspected that the sudden increase in tensile forces in the braces of TOCBSF creates detrimental impact loading on the connections and other structural elements. No experimental evidence, however, has been provided so far to confirm, or to quantify, this impact phenomenon. This paper addresses this issue through shake table tests of half scale, two-storey, TOCBF models. By normalizing the hysteresis loops of braces obtained from shake table tests to the yield strength of steel obtained from quasi-static tests, the increase in tensile forces in the braces was obtained. Results of dynamic tensile tests on steel coupons under similar strain rates as observed during the shake table tests showed that this increase in tensile forces is not the result of impact, but is rather caused by a yield strength increase of the steel under high strain rate. A procedure is proposed to estimate and account for this increase in tensile forces in the braces at the design stage.     

遥感信息技术在公路环境评价中的应用

介绍了遥感技术在交通项目环境评价中的应用领域,并以随岳高速公路湖南段工程作为应用研究的实例,充分说明该技术是进行交通类项目环境评价中生态评价专题的有效手段之一,尤其适用于进行项目的土地利用现状调查和生态景观影响分析,它具有直观、快速、成本低等特点,值得在类似项目的评价中广泛重视和采用。     

旅游影响调适系统研究

旅游发展对目的地产生各种影响,如何调适旅游影响对目的地非常重要。该文从系统论的角度探讨旅游影响调适问题,分析旅游影响的形成机制,认为旅游影响是旅游影响动力因子模块、旅游影响应力因子模块及旅游影响规范因子模块在旅游影响场的作用下形成的。在此基础上探讨旅游影响调适机理及调适流程,指出旅游影响调适是旅游调适主体通过旅游制度创新系统对旅游利益相关者发生作用而进行的。根据调适机理和调适流程,建立旅游影响调适库,认为旅游影响调适的4个分目标(减量、扩容、治理和适应)通过旅游制度创新系统及其派生措施来实现。     

旅游开发对西安传统民俗文化的影响效应

旅游开发对目的地传统民俗文化的影响是“旅游社会文化影响”研究的重要内容,文章以西安为研究对象,分析了旅游开发对当地饮食、节庆和娱乐民俗文化产生的影响效应。文章指出旅游目的地提供给游客的往往是当地民俗文化中易于被商品化的一类;传统的民俗文化一旦被推向旅游市场,它必然要遵循市场运作的原则,为适应旅游市场的需要而发生形式和内容上的改变;对此,当地居民与游客之间存在着明显的感知差异,但这并没有影响到当地居民对“原汁原味”的传统民俗文化的认同感。     

基于CMIP6强迫模拟分析人为气溶胶的气候效应(一)——介绍NUIST模式评估结果

为减少不同气候模式评估气溶胶气候效应的差异,第六次耦合模式比较计划(Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6,CMIP6)直接给定了人为气溶胶强迫数据。因此,有必要基于此强迫数据重新评估气溶胶气候效应。本研究首先将CMIP6给出的描述人为气溶胶强迫的模块引入南京信息工程大学(Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology,NUIST)的地球系统模式(The NUIST Earth System Model,NESM)。之后,利用NESM模式评估地球辐射收支平衡对此人为气溶胶强迫的响应,并分析模式模拟结果的不确定性。评估给出的人为气溶胶有效辐射强迫为-0. 45(±0. 28) W·m~(-2)。其中,气溶胶直接辐射效应为-0. 34(±0. 01) W·m~(-2),与第二次气溶胶比较计划(The second phase of Aerosol Comparisons between Observations and M odels,Aero ComⅡ)的评估结果基本一致;气溶胶对云辐射强迫的影响(包括半直接效应和间接效应)为-0. 10(±0. 30) W·m~(-2),明显受到模式内部变率的干扰,具有较大的不确定性。     

鄱阳湖水面蒸发量的计算与变化趋势分析(1955-2004年)

利用器测折算法与气候模式法,分别计算鄱阳湖周围康山、棠荫、都昌、星子、湖口5站的单站水面蒸发量,以5站两种方法计算值的平均值代表鄱阳湖大湖面的水面蒸发量,求得鄱阳湖1955-2004年各月的水面蒸发量和蒸发水量,结果为：多年平均年蒸发量1081．2 mm．年蒸发水量27．06×10~8 m~3．对年、月水面蒸发量在近50年来的变化趋势进行了分析,表明除5月份外,其他各月蒸发量和年蒸发量均呈逐渐减少趋势,年蒸发量平均每年减小2．79 mm,年蒸发水量平均减少0．05×10~8 m~3,对湖区水资源持续利用和湖泊环境将产生明显影响．对水面蒸发量递减原因进行了初步探讨．     

全球重大疫情对经济系统的影响及其响应的比较研究

新型冠状病毒疫情扩散范围广、感染人数多,被世界卫生组织列为“国际公共卫生紧急事件”。以2003年中国非典型肺炎、2009年墨西哥甲型H1N1流感、2015年韩国中东呼吸道综合症和截至目前的2020年全球新冠疫情作为典型案例,比较全球重大疫情的经济影响与各地的响应措施,有助于积极探索更好地应对本次新冠疫情经济影响的政策响应途径。在历次疫情影响下,中国、墨西哥、韩国、美国等国家的经济系统都受到了突发疫情的重大影响。2003年中国第二季度GDP增速环比降低1.98%,交通运输、住宿、餐饮等第三产业首当其冲;墨西哥2009年GDP增长率降至-5.286%,旅游、零售餐饮与猪肉行业受到较大冲击;韩国2015年GDP增速由2014年的3.3%降至2.79%,旅游业与零售业的市场需求受到极大抑制;美国2020年第二季度实际GDP按年率计算下滑32.9%,是自1947年以来的最大降幅。为此,各国政府积极响应和应对,多策并举减轻疫情对经济系统的短期冲击：一是通过设立专项资金、增加财政预算,全面支持经济复苏;二是通过为企业提供经营补贴、延缓税收缴纳等举措,减轻企业尤其中小企业的经营负担;三是通过电商平台、城市宣传、简化签证手续等举措,振兴旅游业和商业发展。为了更好地应对此次新型冠状病毒疫情对经济系统的影响,各国应当统筹疫情防控与经济发展,积极采取减费降税、减少企业负担、扶持第三产业等响应举措,尽快恢复正常的世界经济秩序。     

长江口扁担沙动力地貌变化过程研究

河口浅滩不仅为人类提供宝贵湿地资源,而且是调控河势演变的重要因素。研究河口浅滩动力地貌演变规律对航道整治、湿地生态开发及岸堤防护等具有重要价值。本文利用最近150多年的长江口历史海图资料、实测水深与水文泥沙数据,分析长江口南支最大的浅滩—扁担沙动力地貌演变格局及其变化机制。结果表明:(1) 1860?2016年期间,扁担沙反复历经淤积?冲刷?淤积,浅滩由最初水下阴滩发育出露而形成纺锤状沙体,随后演变为细长扁担状,沙尾切滩成爪状沙体,下扁担沙则伴随爪状缝隙被不断填充而淤长;(2)自1954年洪水到目前,扁担沙?2 m、?5 m等深线包络的面积与体积整体上均呈现增长态势,其中面积年均增长率分别为0.88 km2/a和0.81 km2/a,体积年均增长率分别为1.3×106 m3/a和5×106 m3/a;扁担沙浅滩在不同时期冲淤变化不同,其中1998年出现大幅度冲刷,平均冲刷厚度达到1.4 m;(3)扁担沙体积变化和长江入海泥沙的增减无直接联系,但与入海径流量的变化密切相关;(4)白茆沙“南强北弱”的河势、南北港分流工程以及东风西沙水库的建立导致扁担沙向北推移。