Including animal to plant protein shifts in climate change mitigation policy: a proposed three-step strategy

Strong and rapid greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions, far beyond those currently committed to, are required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. This allows no sector to maintain business as usual practices, while application of the precautionary principle requires avoiding a reliance on negative emission technologies. Animal to plant-sourced protein shifts offer substantial potential for GHG emission reductions. Unabated, the livestock sector could take between 37% and 49% of the GHG budget allowable under the 2°C and 1.5°C targets, respectively, by 2030. Inaction in the livestock sector would require substantial GHG reductions, far beyond what are planned or realistic, from other sectors. This outlook article outlines why animal to plant-sourced protein shifts should be taken up by the Conference of the Parties (COP), and how they could feature as part of countries’ mitigation commitments under their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to be adopted from 2020 onwards. The proposed framework includes an acknowledgment of ‘peak livestock’, followed by targets for large and rapid reductions in livestock numbers based on a combined ‘worst first’ and ‘best available food’ approach. Adequate support, including climate finance, is needed to facilitate countries in implementing animal to plant-sourced protein shifts.

Key policy insights

• Given the livestock sector’s significant contribution to global GHG emissions and methane dominance, animal to plant protein shifts make a necessary contribution to meeting the Paris temperature goals and reducing warming in the short term, while providing a suite of co-benefits.

• Without action, the livestock sector could take between 37% and 49% of the GHG budget allowable under the 2°C and 1.5°C targets, respectively, by 2030.

• Failure to implement animal to plant protein shifts increases the risk of exceeding temperate goals; requires additional GHG reductions from other sectors; and increases reliance on negative emissions technologies.

• COP 24 is an opportunity to bring animal to plant protein shifts to the climate mitigation table.

• Revised NDCs from 2020 should include animal to plant protein shifts, starting with a declaration of ‘peak livestock’, followed by a ‘worst first’ replacement approach, guided by ‘best available food’.

     

双酚A及其类似物对哺乳动物和鱼类神经毒性效应及机制研究进展

双酚A及其类似物双酚S、双酚F、双酚AF和卤代双酚A等双酚类化合物广泛用于生产聚碳酸酯塑料和环氧树脂,生产量大且目前在各种环境介质、食品及人体内均有检出。近年来,研究发现很多神经疾病的发生与双酚类化合物的暴露密切相关,有关双酚A及其类似物的神经毒性日益受到国内外研究者关注。本研究从对动物行为、神经发育、神经递质含量及神经递质代谢等方面综述了双酚类化合物的神经毒性效应及作用机制,为今后进一步探究双酚A类似物的神经毒性作用及其安全性评价提供更多的理论参考。     

台湾浅滩西部水域海洋动物的石油烃含量和荧光光谱特征

本文报道了台湾浅滩西部水域鱼类、虾类和软体头足类动物的总石油烃含量,分析了主3类动物样品的荧光光谱特征,并将本文数据与南海其他水域海洋动物的石油烃含量作了比较。     

两个龙须菜新品系经济性状及琼胶特性的初步研究

2008年2～5月在广东省南澳县深澳海区对选育的龙须菜新品系07-1,07-2和对照组福建宁德栽培的981品系进行海上栽培比较试验,测定了3个品系的藻体日平均生长速率,试验了敌害生物(藻钩虾和团水虱)对3个品系的影响,比较了琼胶特性.结果显示,在水温11～20 ℃,盐度32.4～32.8的条件下,品系07-1,07-2的藻体日平均生长速率分别为3.8%/d和4.1%/d,宁德栽培品系的藻体日平均生长速率为3.2%/d.品系07-1,07-2的生长适应水温下限为16 ℃,比宁德栽培品系降低了2 ℃.与宁德栽培的981品系相比较,选育的龙须菜品系07-1,07-2对藻钩虾和团水虱有较强的耐受能力.品系07-1,07-2的琼胶含量比福建宁德栽培的981品系分别提高10.0%和14.4%,凝胶强度也分别提高了5.46%和14.5%,表明2个新品系具有潜在的推广应用价值.     

Modeling the effects of riparian planting strategies on stream temperature: Increasing suitable habitat for endangered Formosan Landlocked Salmon in Shei‐Pa National Park,Taiwan

Reducing or stabilizing the stream temperature of ChiChiaWan Creek is a crucial work for Formosan Landlocked Salmon because ChiChiaWan Creek is the only one habitat for this endangered species. Planting trees in the riparian zone would be one of the alternatives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of several planting strategies on daily maximum stream temperature along the river. The results showed the effective vegetative shading angles should be more than 50° along ChiChiaWan Creek to reduce the direct solar radiation heating effectively. Upstream planting with 70° vegetative shading angle could be the most effective way among all the scenarios. However, this planting strategy could not improve the worst situations in summer because of the large solar elevation angles. The upstream planting in ChiChiaWan Creek was strongly recommended because the canopies could be easier to extend to totally cover the narrow width of river producing the most effective shades. Practicing the upstream planting with 90° vegetative shading angle can increase more than 1 km long suitable habitats for the endangered Salmon in summer. Alternatively, the west‐side planting scenario was the second effective way for temperature reduction. Our result provided a useful suggestion for the authorities in charge of saving the Formosan Landlocked Salmon, particularly under the stress of global warming. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A ‘mathematical’ spider living on gravel plains of the Namib Desert

In certain areas of the Namib gravel plains a new Ariadna sp. was discovered. It rims its vertical burrow with a stone circle, made on average of seven quartz stones. Some mathematical relationships between hole diameter, stone sizes and weight, and animal size were studied. A correlation was found, and stone selection by this spider postulated. Different hypotheses on the adaptive value of stone circle are suggested.     

Comparative analysis of cladoceran microfossils in the Don and Scarborough Formations,Toronto, Canada

Pleistocene deposits at Toronto, consisting of Don Formation (considered to be of Sangamonian interglacial age) and Scarborough Formation (interpreted to be Early Wisconsinan, >50 000 years B.P.) were examined at three sites: Don Valley Brickyard, Leaside, and at the south end of Brimley Road at the foot of the Scarborough Bluffs. Comparison of the cladoceran microfossil assemblages described from these sites has enabled reconstruction of the lacustrine environment of the region.Cladoceran microfossil evidence from each site confirmed the disparity in community composition and structure, and in environmental conditions that existed during deposition of the Don and Scarborough Formations. Cladocera community composition averaged 40–45% remains of littoral species in the warmer Don interval at all three sites. The Scarborough Formation contained a more homogeneous cladoceran assemblage, with higher community similarity across sites than observed in the Don Formation. However, there was greater variation in the littoral: planktonic ratio among sites, ranging from >0.90 at Leaside to <0.10 at Brimley Road.Stratigraphically constrained cluster analysis of cladoceran microfossil assemblages clearly separated the communities in the Don Formation from those in the Scarborough Formation at each site. During the interglacial, the Don Brickyard site appears to have been a shallow, protected embayment on the lake shore, whereas the other sites are more distinctly lacustrine. The Scarborough assemblage at each site is representative of deeper, oligotrophic, subarctic lakes.     

浙江天目山自然保护区珍稀濒危植物及其利用与保护

天目山是浙江省珍稀濒危植物最丰富的地区，共有国家保护的珍稀濒危植物２５科、３４属、３７种，其中属二级保护１３种，三级保护２４种．论述了天目山珍稀濒危植物的区系特点、类型及地理分布，列举了它们的一些利用价值，最后提出了保护天目山珍稀濒危植物的一系列建议．     

浙江山区珍稀濒危植物的分布特征与保护

浙江山区的珍稀濒危植物较为丰富，有６７科、１０８属、１２５种．论述了当地珍稀濒危植物的特点、地理分布、属和种的地理成分，探讨了珍稀濒危植物的就地保护、迁地保护和离体保存．     

南方集约农区农牧结合对农业可持续发展的作用

为寻求该区农业可持续发展的途径,作者在分析其农业可持续发展的主要制约因素基础上,对农牧结合在实现农业可持续发展中的功能作了全面论述。结果表明,农牧结合是实现该区农业可持续发展的一条有效途径。最后还提出了该农区农牧结合的可行途径及有效措施