Geographical Environment for the Safe Production of Food

Food is essential for human survival, but harmful, toxic substances in food damage and threaten human health. Food production is inseparable from the place where the food is produced; that is, from the geographical environment that consists of natural and human environments, two parts of a unified whole. China’s territory is vast and its geographical environment is complex and diverse. Food production patterns in different parts of the country vary significantly, as do local socio-economic and cultural conditions. Such differences have an enormous impact on food safety. Based on the geographical area where food is produced in China, this paper reveals the main environmental problems arising from industrial and agricultural production activities, and related risks for food safety and health. In concluding, we make some recommendations for countermeasures. The main food safety related environmental problems include the excessive application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides; high background levels of heavy metals; discharge of wastewater and heavy metals; and excessive use of additives and antibiotics in livestock and poultry breeding and aquatic products. All these issues can lead to huge risks for food safety and thus health. These are not simply scientific issues, but also political, economic and legal issues, as well as social problems that differ from region to region. Therefore, comprehensive studies are needed to identify risks to food safety and health hazards in different areas. Systematic and comprehensive risk assessments of health problems caused by changing ecosystems, environmental pollution, nutrition problems and lifestyle, and especially comprehensive risk assessments of regional environmental changes and health risks are needed. Measures based on an understanding of local conditions must be put forward to protect food safety and health, to strengthen multi-sectoral management, and to improve environmental quality     

When does economic development promote mitigation and why?

Is economic development compatible with mitigation? On the one hand, development should promote effective climate policy by enhancing states’ capacities for mitigation. On the other hand, economic growth creates more demand for production, thereby inhibiting emissions reduction. These arguments are often reconciled in the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) thesis. According to this approach, development initially increases emissions in poor economies, but begins to lower emissions after a country has attained a certain level of development.

The aim of this article is to determine empirically whether the EKC hypothesis seems plausible in light of emissions trends over the birth and implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. Drawing on data from the World Bank World Development Indicators and World Resources Institute Climate Data Explorer, it conducts a large-N investigation of the emissions behaviour of 120 countries from 1990 to 2012. While several quantitative studies have found that economic factors influence emissions activity, this article goes beyond existing research by employing a more sophisticated – multilevel – research design to determine whether economic development: (a) continues to be a significant driver once country-level clustering is accounted for and (b) has different effects on different countries. The results of this article indicate that, even after we account for country-level clustering and hold constant the other main putative drivers of emissions activity, economic development tends to inhibit emissions reduction. They also provide strong evidence that emissions trends resemble the EKC, with development significantly constraining emissions reduction in the South and promoting it in the North.

POLICY RELEVANCE

This article contributes to the understanding of the (changing) role of economic development in shaping emissions activity. It demonstrates the need for a contextualized, country-specific approach for evaluating the effectiveness of economic development in promoting emissions reduction and uncovers new evidence in support of the EKC hypothesis.     

Evolution and changes of permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the Late Quaternary

Due to the uplift of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP), the cryosphere gradually developed on the higher mountain summits after the Neocene, becoming widespread during the Late Quaternary. During this time, permafrost on the QTP experienced repeated expansion and degradation. Based on the remains and cross-correlation with other proxy records such as those from glacial landforms, ice-core and paleogeography, the evolution and changes of permafrost and environmental changes on the QTP during the past 150,000 years were deduced and are presented in this paper. At least four obvious cycles of the extensive and intensive development, expansion and decay of permafrost occurred during the periods of 150–130, 80–50, 30–14 and after 10.8 ka B.P.. During the Holocene, fluctuating climatic environments affected the permafrost on the QTP, and the peripheral mountains experienced six periods of discernible permafrost changes:(1) Stable development of permafrost in the early Holocene(10.8 to 8.5–7.0 ka B.P.);(2) Intensive permafrost degradation during the Holocene Megathermal Period(HMP, from 8.5–7.0 to 4.0–3.0 ka B.P.);(3) Permafrost expansion during the early Neoglacial period(ca. 4,000–3,000 to 1,000 a B.P.);(4) Relative degradation during the Medieval Warm Period(MWP, from 1,000 to 500 a B.P.);(5) Expansion of permafrost during the Little Ice Age(LIA, from 500 to 100 a B.P.);(6) Observed and predicted degradation of permafrost during the 20 th and 21 st century. Each period differed greatly in paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, and permafrost distribution, thickness, areal extent, and ground temperatures, as well as in the development of periglacial phenomena. Statistically, closer dating of the onset permafrost formation, more identification of permafrost remains with richer proxy information about paleoenvironment, and more dating information enable higher resolution for paleo-permafrost reconstruction. Based on the scenarios of persistent climate warming of 2.2～2.6 °C in the next 50 years, and in combination of the monitored trends of climate and permafrost changes, and model predictions suggest an accelerated regional degradation of plateau permafrost. Therefore, during the first half of the 21 st century, profound changes in the stability of alpine ecosystems and hydro(geo)logical environments in the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers may occur. The foundation stability of key engineering infrastructures and sustainable economic development in cold regions on the QTP may be affected.     

资源环境承载能力预警城市化地区专项评价——以京津冀地区为例

资源环境承载能力预警评价中,除基础评价外,还需针对城市化地区存在的特殊问题开展专项评价。但现有相关研究大多较为复杂、难以操作,且较少考虑目前中国城市化地区之间存在的发展水平差异,难以满足实际应用需求。本文根据近年来中国城市化地区资源环境凸显的主要问题,从城市人居环境入手,选取城市黑臭水体和PM2.5超标天数2个要素设计城市水气环境黑灰指数,作为城市化地区专项评价的主要指标;同时考虑到优化开发区域和重点开发区域的主体功能导向差异,以京津冀城市化地区为例开展试评价分析,结果显示：京津冀城市化地区的104个区县中,47个区县为重警,46个中警,仅11个为轻警,整体形势不容乐观。其中,重警区县主要集中在京广高铁沿线,与地区主要交通线路分布及钢铁工业聚集格局一致;轻警区县主要分布在北部的张承地区及东部沿海,工业相对较少,且地理位置有利于污染物迅速扩散。城市化地区专项评价作为基础评价的补充,能更清晰地反映现阶段影响城市人居环境的主要制约因子以及不同发展水平地区间的差异,评价结果可为城市化地区开展国土空间规划、城镇发展战略研究和产业结构调整等提供科学依据。     

曹娥江下游XYC孔粒度特征及沉积记录

基于曹娥江下游星一村钻孔(XYC)1717个沉积物样品的粒度分析,探讨钱塘江南岸地区全新世沉积环境记录。初步结论如下：①基于粒度组成,XYC孔沉积物分为粉砂质砂、砂质粉砂、粉砂、粘土质粉砂等4种岩性,自下而上分为9个单元,组成多个粒度粗细变化旋回。其中,第1、4两层为粉砂质砂,砂含量高于粉砂,粘粒含量10%~15%,分选差,动力条件复杂;第3、5两层属砂质粉砂,粉砂为主但含量不超过70%,砂含量20%以上,粘粒含量低;第2、7、9三层为粉砂,粉砂含量超过70%,粘粒、砂含量均低于20%;第6、8两层为粘土质粉砂,粉砂含量高于70%,粘粒含量20%以上。②基于C-M图最大搬运动能和平均搬运动能强弱及其变化幅度分析,初步识别出4种沉积相,自下而上依次为河流相、潮坪相、浅海相、湖沼相。第1、2两层为高能且不稳定的水动力搬运环境,属河流相沉积;第3~7层,最大搬运动能减弱,搬运动力与上虞近海滩涂样品SYTT相似,为潮坪相沉积;第8~9层,搬运动能低且变幅小,属低能静水沉积环境;第8层下段为浅海相,该层上段至第9层为湖沼相。③粒度纵向变化表明,粘粒含量自下而上波动增加;砂含量自下而上波动减少,平均粒径向上变细、分选性向上变好。XYC孔记录了该地区9690~5131 cal.a BP时段海面上升,达到高海面继而又海退的过程。研究结果有利于进一步探索钱塘江流域的古环境演变特征。     

资源环境承载能力预警的超载成因分析方法及应用

建立资源环境承载能力监测预警机制和对超载区域实行限制性措施是中央全面深化改革的一项重大任务,而超载成因分析既是资源环境承载能力监测预警技术方法的重要组成内容,也是制定超载区域限制性政策的基础。本文在搭建超载成因分析总体框架、阐述关键因素识别和成因分析方法的基础上,梳理总结了陆域/海域基础和专项评价结果以及综合预警超载成因分析的要点,进而在京津冀地区进行了实证应用。研究结果表明,导致京津冀地区资源环境超载的因素涉及自然、发展和管理各个类别,但关键因素的作用程度及其组合叠加状况在基础评价结果、专项评价结果和综合预警超载成因方面存在较大差异;水资源严重短缺、地形和气象等自然条件是导致超载的基础原因;人口和产业过度集聚以及低端产业、能源消费结构等发展类因素是超载的首要原因;内海净化能力差和海域生态退化、海岸开发强度大综合导致了海域生态环境超载;现行的资源环境管理政策尚不具备有效遏制和解决资源环境超载的能力。既有的超载成因分析框架、方法及要点可供各省、市、自治区开展资源环境承载能力监测预警借鉴。     

城市地质调查钻探地质编录的实践和体会

钻探是城市地质调查的重要技术手段,钻探编录则是直接获取第一手原始资料的重要环节,城市地质调查钻探编录不同于传统的矿产勘探地质编录,内容更为丰富和复杂。文中通过在编录中的实践,向从事此项工作的同行介绍一些心得体会。     

基于环境因素约束的农户土地利用效率及影响因素分析 ——以河南省粮食生产核心区为例

在农户土地利用引起的环境问题日益严重的背景下,如果农户土地利用效率的测度只考虑“好”产出,而忽略“非意欲”的环境产出,可能造成测度结果不准确。因此,将“非意欲”产出引入农户土地利用效率评价模型,利用河南省粮食生产核心区农户抽样调查数据测度环境因素约束下的农户土地利用效率,并探讨其效率状况及影响因素。主要的结论如下：① 调查区域环境因素约束下的农户土地利用效率平均值仅为0.612,效率值总体不高,有较大的提升空间。不同规模农户的土地利用效率差异较大,二者呈现“U型”变化趋势。② 环境因素约束下的农户土地利用效率的影响因素来自多个方面。其中,农户生计方式兼业化在一定程度上降低了环境约束下的农户土地利用效率;种植结构调整虽然能够增加农户农业收入,但不利于环境因素约束下的农户土地利用效率的提升;农地经营规模扩大对环境约束下的农户土地利用效率产生正面影响,但现实中普遍存在的小规模化经营和土地细碎化消减了正面影响。土地产权的稳定性能够提升环境约束下的农户土地利用效率,但无论是集体土地产权还是承包经营权以及农户间非正式的土地流转产权关系稳定性较差,不利于环境约束下的农户土地利用效率的提高。     

“全球—国家—地方”尺度下的国际贸易环境效应研究进展

贸易与环境关系是理解人地关系的重要方面,是“人—地”相互作用复杂性与不确定性的集中体现。国际贸易环境效应研究旨在探究自由贸易和环境保护之间的互补或互斥关系,由此催生了一系列具有关联性和竞争性的理论假说。本文结合全球化过程中全球联系强化、地方力量崛起和国家力量变革等特征,分别从全球联系、国家力量和地方发展3个层面梳理了现有贸易环境效应理论假说和实证研究,指出贸易环境效应是贸易过程(流量变化)与贸易影响(存量累积)共同作用下的结果。建立在比较优势基础上的存量因素包括经济增长、环境规制与地理区位,而贸易与投资一体化的特征则揭示了产业内贸易的重要性。由此,本文发现既有研究更多地建立在比较优势的基础上探讨全球与国家层面的贸易环境效应,表现出“自上而下”的特征,强调环境规制的作用。同时,也存在局限于南北国家关系、对地方化特征关注较少、对贸易政策与环境规制协调机制的理解有待深化等不足。据此,本文提出全球地方化进程中的区域发展分析将为贸易环境效应研究提供有益补充,其作用为：①实现对贸易引致的区域不均衡性的考量;②满足产业内与产业间贸易并存的分析需要;③为协调环境规制与贸易政策提供合宜的尺度。     

"地下水科学与工程"学科形成的历史沿革及其发展前景

人类由逐水而居到凿井取用地下水是人类文明史的一大转折。和地表水相比,地下水具有分布广泛、水质良好、变化稳定、便于利用、不容易受污染等优点,因此它是理想的供水水源。地下水本身既是人类生存不可或缺的重要资源,同时也是一种地质营力、信息载体、生态环境因子和灾害因子。因此开展地下水的形成、赋存、运动规律的研究,以及合理开发、利用的工程技术、布局设计和实施等水文地质研究是一门关系到人类生活、社会需求和发展的重要学科。笔者着重论述了“地下水科学与工程”学科形成的历史是和人类社会的诞生、繁衍和发展紧密相关的。随着科学进步和国民经济的发展,该学科已从原来的基础学科逐渐向应用基础学科和应用学科相结合的方向发展。因此,今后在加强水文地质基础研究的同时,还应该十分重视满足国民经济需求和面向市场应用的研究。最后,从世界面临严重缺水和水污染的现实、科学发展的必然和国际学术组织和学者对地下水学科的重视,以及当前人才市场对该学科人才需求等方面指出,21世纪“地下水科学与工程”学科的发展具有很大的空间和十分广阔的前景。