Living with limits: growth,resources, and climate change

Is it possible for all of humanity to enjoy the standards of living of today's high-income countries? What would happen if these limits were reached, perhaps because of climate change or a shortage of natural resources essential to production? How would society manage – or fail to manage – such limits? Notwithstanding the current financial and economic crises, these are perhaps the biggest questions confronting our species (and of a host of other species, who are the victims of our decisions). The article begins by considering the biggest economic event of our lifetimes – the ‘great convergence’ and its implications for the demand for resources. The discussion then turns to a specific limit on our development, climate change, which is different from most other limits, because it involves a global public good: the atmosphere. What such limits might mean for our civilization is discussed. One can persuade people to tackle climate change only if those concerned with the dangers persuade ordinary people that action will not come at the expense of their prosperity.     

Achieving a low-carbon society

Climate change is perhaps the central challenge that faces humanity. If the concept of green growth is to be anything more than a mere rebranding of the concept of sustainability, then it must elucidate the relationship between economic activity and pollution and provide a more detailed economic account of it. The articles in this Special Issue focus on ways in which GHG emissions may be reduced while satisfying the increasing demand for energy: from global, technological or economic solutions, to sub-national, financial or regulatory ones. Although the wide disparity in income between the least and most wealthy makes it difficult to reach a consensus on the best way to achieve a low-carbon society, the scale and potential effects of climate change make it imperative that one is reached.     

The design of California's cap-and-trade and its impact on electricity markets

California is considering the adoption of a cap-and-trade regulatory mechanism for regulating the greenhouse gas emissions from electricity and perhaps other industries. Two options have been widely discussed for implementing cap-and-trade in the electricity industry. The first is to regulate the emissions from electricity at the load-serving entity (LSE) level. The second option for implementation of cap-and-trade has been called the ‘first-seller’ approach. Conceptually, under first-seller, individual sources (i.e. power plants) within California would be responsible for their emissions, as with traditional cap-and-trade systems. Emissions from imports would be assigned to the ‘importing firm’. An option that has not been as widely discussed is to implement a pure source-based system within California, effectively excluding imports from the cap-and-trade system altogether. This article examines these three approaches to implementing cap-and-trade for California's electricity sector. The article discusses many of the issues relating to measurement and the impacts on bidding and scheduling incentives that are created by the various regulatory regimes.     

Atmospheric entry profiles from the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity

Accelerometer measurements made by Spirit and Opportunity during their entries through the martian atmosphere are reported. Vertical profiles of atmospheric density, pressure, and temperature with sub-km vertical resolution were obtained using these data between 10 and 100 km. Spirit's temperature profile is ∼10 K warmer than Opportunity's between 20 and 80 km. Unlike all other martian entry profiles, Spirit's temperature profile does not contain any large amplitude, long wavelength oscillations and is nearly isothermal below 30 km. Opportunity's temperature profile contains a strong inversion between 8 and 12 km. A moderate dust storm, which occurred on Mars shortly before these two atmospheric entries, may account for some of the differences between the two profiles. The poorly known angle of attack and unknown wind velocity may cause the temperature profiles to contain errors of tens of Kelvin at 10 km, but these errors would be an order of magnitude smaller above 30 km. On broad scales, the two profiles are consistent with Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) pressure/temperature profiles. Differences exist on smaller scales, particularly associated with the near-isothermal portion of Spirit's profile and the temperature inversion in Opportunity's profile.     

协调决策表的规则提取

对数据的性质、数据之间的关系进行了讨论，并由此对决策表进行了分类。研究了协调决策表所需要的必要的数据个数，这对数据采集有着实际的指导意义和经济意义。讨论了协调决策表的数据约简，并证明其不影响进一步的属性约简和规则提取。基于数据的协调性，对协调决策表的属性约简进行了研究，并提出了一种规则提取方法。最后，用实例验证了该方法的有效性。     

Partial Reduction in the N-Body Planetary Problem using the Angular Momentum Integral

We present a new set of variables for the reduction of the planetary n-body problem, associated to the angular momentum integral, which can be of any use for perturbation theory. The construction of these variables is performed in two steps. A first reduction, called partial is based only on the fixed direction of the angular momentum. The reduction can then be completed using the norm of the angular momentum. In fact, the partial reduction presents many advantages. In particular, we keep some symmetries in the equations of motion (d'Alembert relations). Moreover, in the reduced secular system, we can construct a Birkhoff normal form at any order. Finally, the topology of this problem remains the same as for the non-reduced system, contrarily to Jacobi's reduction where a singularity is present for zero inclinations. For three bodies, these reductions can be done in a very simple way in Poincaré's rectangular variables. In the general n-body case, the reduction can be performed up to a fixed degree in eccentricities and inclinations, using computer algebra expansions. As an example, we provide the truncated expressions for the change of variable in the 4-body case, obtained using the computer algebra system TRIP.     

Radon reduction in homes constructed on saprolite in the Central Appalachians

 A 3-year study of indoor radon in more than 1000 homes in northern Virginia and southern Maryland was conducted using 3-month exposure alpha-track monitors. In a study set of 200 homes, first-floor indoor radon concentrations, which most closely approximates home exposure levels, averaged slightly more than 3 pCi/l. In a study set of 100 homes, sub-slab ventilation was used to reduce indoor radon concentrations. Interest in remediation was related to public perception of the hazardous nature of radon; people living in homes with indoor radon measurements of more than 4 pCi/l were more likely to participate in the remediation phase of the project. Sub-slab ventilation was successful in more than 90% of the homes in reducing indoor radon from concentrations as high as 30 pCi/ to less than 4 pCi/l, at least for the entire year of post-remediation radon measurements. Received: 29 February 1996 · Accepted: 29 May 1996     

光子计数资料处理方法的比较

本文通过对天体测量仪器光子计数模拟资料的处理,比较了13种不同的平滑模型和两种定心算法对最终精度的影响;提出了利用频率域滤波和修正矩方法相结合的最佳处理方法;并对比较结果进行了多方面的讨论。     

AIPS对综合孔径展源的图象处理

本文介绍了用美国国立射电天文台图象处理软件系统—AIPS对综合孔径VLA观测数据的处理方法,特别是对展源,要得到高质量的图象,在编辑及成图中要注意的事项。作者根据自己的实际工作,总结了用AIPS进行图象处理的经验。     

The U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program: A Successful State–Federal Partnership

The U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) is a State/Federal partnership created to reduce tsunami hazards along U.S. coastlines. Established in 1996, NTHMP coordinates the efforts of five Pacific States: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington with the three Federal agencies responsible for tsunami hazard mitigation: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). In the 7 years of the program it has, 1. established a tsunami forecasting capability for the two tsunami warning centers through the combined use of deep ocean tsunami data and numerical models; 2. upgraded the seismic network enabling the tsunami warning centers to locate and size earthquakes faster and more accurately; 3. produced 22 tsunami inundation maps covering 113 coastal communities with a population at risk of over a million people; 4. initiated a program to develop tsunami-resilient communities through awareness, education, warning dissemination, mitigation incentives, coastal planning, and construction guidelines; 5. conducted surveys that indicate a positive impact of the programs activities in raising tsunami awareness. A 17-member Steering Group consisting of representatives from the five Pacific States, NOAA, FEMA, USGS, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) guides NTHMP. The success of the program has been the result of a personal commitment by steering group members that has leveraged the total Federal funding by contributions from the States and Federal Agencies at a ratio of over six matching dollars to every NTHMP dollar. Twice yearly meetings of the steering group promote communication between scientists and emergency managers, and among the State and Federal agencies. From its initiation NTHMP has been based on the needs of coastal communities and emergency managers and has been results driven because of the cycle of year-to-year funding for the first 5 years. A major impact of the program occurred on 17 November 2003, when an Alaskan tsunami warning was canceled because real-time, deep ocean tsunami data indicated the tsunami would be non-damaging. Canceling this warning averted an evacuation in Hawaii, avoiding a loss in productivity valued at $68M.