The limits of ethicality in international markets: Imported second-hand clothing in India

Those of us living in the global north are increasingly urged to divert cast-off clothing from the local waste stream and donate it for reuse and recycling. It is argued that this is the right thing to do, since it is environmentally responsible behaviour, conserves resources, and supports charities via collection systems. Second-hand clothing is thereby culturally framed as waste, as a surplus, and as a morally-charged product that has a powerful redemptive capacity for donors, multiple recyclers and secondary consumers. Two-thirds of collected used clothing is commercially exported for reuse in developing countries, and it is as a freely-traded commodity that it is claimed to grow markets and support livelihoods in the global south, rather than a fairly-traded product. As policy-makers in Northern Europe seek to improve sustainable systems of textile reuse and recycling, ethical issues associated with distant destination markets in the global South are beginning to garner attention. Imported used clothing is ubiquitous in India despite highly restrictive tariff barriers, and the Indian market provides a thought-provoking example since in this case the trade is neither fair nor free. The paper evidences the complexity of the market as vertical hierarchies of dealers negotiate and expand the multiple spaces between legal and illegal commodity flows, and formal and informal economies, to build successful businesses. It reflects upon debates in India around democracy, development and neoliberal economics, and suggests that efforts to introduce ethical interventions in end markets will have to negotiate the nexus of power, politics and corruption.     

印度区域地质矿产概况

印度共和国是印度板块的主体,也是冈瓦纳大陆的重要组成部分,主要由七个古老克拉通（陆块群）、分隔克拉通的活动带与盆地等构成。自北向南依次为：①喜马拉雅活动带,主要为具有元古代基底的古近纪-新进纪活动带;②印度河-恒河平原过渡带（山前坳陷带）,主要由为第四系、古近系-新进系和第四系冲积物构成;③印度半岛克拉通,主要由西塔尔瓦尔、东塔尔瓦尔、巴斯塔、辛本,本德尔坎德、阿拉瓦利和印度南部麻粒岩地体等7个太古宙陆块（或次级克拉通）群构成;④萨德布尔活动带;⑤东高止山活动带;⑥德干高原玄武岩省（LIP）（图1）。     

Modelling long-term HFC emissions from India's residential air-conditioning sector: exploring implications of alternative refrigerants,best practices,and a sustainable lifestyle within an integrated assessment modelling framework

India's growing role in the global climate debate makes it imperative to analyse emission reduction policies and strategies across a range of GHGs, especially for under-researched non-CO₂ gases. Hydrofluorocarbons' (HFCs) usage in cooling equipment and subsequent emissions are expected to increase dramatically in India with the phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) as coolants in air-conditioning equipment. We focus on the residential air-conditioning sector in India and analyse a suite of HFC and alternative coolant gas scenarios for understanding the implications for GHG emissions from this sector within an integrated assessment modelling framework. We find that, if unabated, HFC410A emissions will contribute to 36% of the total global warming impact from the residential air-conditioner sector in India in 2050, irrespective of the future economic growth trajectory, and the remaining 64% is from energy to power residential air-conditioners. A move towards more efficient, low global warming potential (GWP) alternative refrigerants will significantly reduce the cumulative global warming footprint of this sector by 37% during the period 2010–2050, due to gains both from energy efficiency as well as low GWP alternatives. Best practices for reducing direct emissions are important, but only of limited utility, and if a sustainable lifestyle is adopted by consumers with lower floorspace, low GWP refrigerants, and higher building envelope efficiencies, cumulative emissions during 2010–2050 can be reduced by 46% compared to the Reference scenario.

Policy relevance

Our analysis has important implications for Indian climate policy. We highlight that the Indian government's amendment proposal to the Montreal Protocol is a strong signal to the Indian market that the transition away from high GWP refrigerants towards low/zero GWP alternatives will happen sooner or later. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency should extend building energy conservation code policy to residential buildings immediately, and the government should mandate it. Government authorities should set guidelines and mandate reporting of data related to air-conditioner coolant recharge frequency and recovery of scrapped air-conditioner units. For contentious issues like flammability where there is no consensus within the industry, the government needs to undertake an independent technical assessment that can provide unbiased and reliable information to the market.     

Comparative Study of the Carbon Emission Situation and Goals between China and India

As the two large developing and populous countries, China and India face the dual challenges of economic development and climate change. Both of them are active in carbon emissions reduction, while India also bears the pressure of being “benchmarked” against China. With taking China and India as the sample of a comparative analysis, and the statistical value of a long sequence as the basic analysis data, based on the detailed analysis and comparison of carbon emissions history, the carbon emissions situation of the two countries from various dimensions including economic development, energy reserves and consumption, etc. were comparatively analyzed. The carbon intensity and energy structure after achieving the objectives were measured and compared by focusing on the carbon emissions reduction targets in China and India. The comparative results show that: China’s total carbon emissions are greater than India’s, but the growth rate of emissions, per capita emissions are significantly lower than India’s, while the carbon intensity decreases significantly faster than that of India. China has taken more efforts to make commitments to carbon reduction than India. With India’s energy structure adjustment, the situation will be gradually better than that in China.     

When Is Asia?

Recently, in geography and related disciplines, there has been a call to generate conceptual frameworks from the Global South. Such a call does not imply cataloging the diversity and plurality of the world but rather requires new understandings of relationalities and transformations. In this article, I contribute to these ongoing endeavors by thinking from Asia. In doing so, I interpret Asia not as a bounded geographical location but instead as interconnected space. In particular, I pay attention to how such interconnections reference Asian models of development, thereby creating a politics of futurity. A study of the making of Asian futures allows a broader understanding of the renewal of development in a rearranged south–north world.     

Tracking temporal palynofloral changes close to Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in Deccan volcanic associated sediments of eastern part of central Deccan volcanic province

Deccan volcanic sequences( DVS) in the central Deccan volcanic province( CDVP) are designated as Sahyadri Group having ~ 500 m thick lava pile associated with multiple sedimentary beds at different stratigraphic levels. In the eastern part of CDVP between the latitude 19 °55 '--20 °25 ' N and the longitudes 78 °15 '--78 °30 ' E,palynological investigation of the intertrappean sedimentary beds at five stratigraphic levels was carried out. The study was basically aimed for tracking the floral and environmental changes across the Deccan transition. The resulting finds indicate that the intertrappean sediments at the lowest stratigraphic level between the earliest lava flows are characterized by presence of marker Maastrichtian palynomorphs- Gabonisporis vigourouxii,Aquilapollenites bengalensis,Azolla cretacea and Farabeipollis associated with triporate and tricolpate pollen grains,phytoliths of Oryzeae of Poaceae family and peridinoid dinoflagellate cysts. The increasing volcanism deteriorated the existing flora as evident by absence of pollen-spores and presence of only structured biodegraded organic matter,fungal spores,acritarchs and algal( Botryococcus) remains in the sediments of higher-up in the sequence. For chronostratigraphic constraints on the lava flows magnetic polarity of the flows bracketing the intertrappean beds was investigated. The results indicated presence of N-R-N-R magnetic polarity in the basal lava pile that are interpreted as representing the magnetochron C30 N to C28 R( Maastrichtian-Paleogene). The floral change begins with the onset of volcanism in the chron C30 N and floral deterioration is observed in C29 N with increasing volcanism and it is only in the chron C28 R( Danian) that some evidence of recovery of flora is recorded. The current study shows that in eastern part of CDVP the post Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary eruptions represent the main phase of eruptions that triggered deterioration of the flora.     

Geochemical characterization of the Paleoproterozoic (ca. 1.98-1.97) Darguwan-Surajpura mafic sills within the Bijawar basin,North-Central India: Genetic aspects and geodynamic implications

The widespread records of mafic intrusives (both sills and dykes) are reported from the Proterozoic sedimentary basins of the Indian Shield. Amongst them, the Bijawar basin is also intruded by Paleoproterozoic (ca. 1.98−1.97 Ga) mafic sills. We provide first hand information on petrological and geochemical characteristics of these mafic sills together with a few NW-trending mafic dykes belong to the Jhansi swarm emplaced within the Bundelkhand craton, adjacent to the Bijawar basin. These Paleoproterzoic mafic intrusive rocks, i.e. sills and dykes, are believed to be integral parts of the Jhansi LIP, identified in the Bundelkhand craton. The studied mafic magmatic samples are medium- to coarse-grained and contain doleritic mineral compositions and textures. Geochemically, the mafic sill samples of the Bijawar basin, which belong to the Darguwan-Surjapura mafic sills (DSMS), are sub-alkaline basaltic-andesite to andesite in character. They are co-genetic in nature and show close geochemical similarities with a set of NW-trending mafic dykes (low-Ti) emplaced in the Bundelkhand craton. On the other hand, another set of NW-trending mafic dykes (high-Ti) of the Bundelkhand craton have distinct geochemical nature; likely to have different genetic history. The rare-earth element contents and trace-element modeling suggest that the DSMS and low-Ti dyke samples are likely to be derived from a melt generated ≥20 % melting of a shallower mantle source (spinel stability field), whereas the high-Ti dyke samples show their derivation from a melt generated through ≤15 % melting of the similar mantle source but at deeper level (garnet or garnet-spinel transition stability field); with a substantiate percentage of olivine fractionation of melts before crystallization. Their emplacement in an intracratonic tectonic regime and role of plume in the genesis of these rocks are suggested. The geochemical signature also indicates the role of an ancient (Archean) subduction event that has metasomatized the mantle before the cratonization. Their spatiotemporal correlation with other similar magmatic events of the globe indicate that the Bundelkhand craton was closer to the Karelia-Kola craton (Baltica Shield), North China craton and northern Superior craton, which could be part of the Columbia supercontinent, during its assembly.     

陕西旬阳地区小河金矿硫铅同位素组成及地质意义

小河金矿是近年来在南秦岭中带发现的中型金矿床,矿石类型为微细浸染型,矿床受地层和构造双重控制。在野外工作基础上,根据矿物组合及穿插关系划分了4个成矿阶段:Ⅰ,成矿早期少硫化物石英脉成矿阶段;Ⅱ,石英脉、黄铁矿、毒砂成矿主阶段;Ⅲ,石英脉-多金属硫化物成矿主阶段;Ⅳ,方解石、石英脉成矿晚阶段。其中Ⅱ、Ⅲ阶段是主要金矿化阶段。不同阶段样品的原位硫同位素结果显示:成矿早阶段石英脉期的黄铁矿δ³⁴S值为20.80‰~25.77‰,均值为23.59‰;主成矿期II阶段中黄铁矿、毒砂δ³⁴S值为15.46‰~19.12‰,均值为17.5‰;主成矿期Ⅲ阶段中方铅矿、闪锌矿δ³⁴S值为11.35‰~16.78‰,均值为13.88‰。硫同位素特征指示硫以沉积硫为主,成矿过程可能存在低δ³⁴S值热液的持续加入。金属硫化物Pb同位素测试结果显示²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb为17.882 1~18.367 4,²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb为15.614 0~15.674 1,²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb为38.016 3~38.934 2,指示小河金矿铅主要源于地壳,同时伴随幔源铅的混入。综合矿床地质特征及硫、铅同位素地球化学特征,认为小河金矿成矿过程可能存在流体混合作用。     

砾石在分析盆地物源区迁移与湖岸线演化中的作用*

中国中西部盆地的盆山结合部位,勘探程度较低、钻井少、地震成像复杂,致使利用传统的地震相、测井相、岩心资料等研究原型盆地岩相古地理特征较为困难。基于露头中巨厚砾岩发育层段对应盆地内储集层平面展布范围最广这一认识,运用“将今论古”方法,建立南天山前现代冲积扇、扇三角洲平原、河流等沉积体系中砾石与搬运距离关系,以及不同沉积相类型中砾石发育产状与湖岸线远近关系,定量计算了准噶尔盆地多条重点剖面侏罗系—白垩系现今位置与沉积物源区和湖岸线演化的距离,恢复了侏罗纪—白垩纪物源区范围与湖岸线演化过程。认为侏罗纪—早白垩世砂砾岩储集体向盆地内延伸范围最大时期的湖岸线,明显与现今盆地边缘线有一向西北方向敞开的夹角,该认识对在编制岩相古地理图过程中以盆地边缘线即为湖岸线的观念提出了不同见解,为恢复准南等低勘探程度区原型盆地的岩相古地理特征、预测有利储集体的展布提供参数依据。建立的刻画物源区变化和湖岸线迁移的定量评价方法与参数,是对传统沉积学研究的有益补充。     

BP人工神经网络在青藏铁路南段地壳稳定性定量评价中的应用

将BP人工神经网络方法引入区域构造活动性、区域地壳稳定性研究领域,对青藏铁路南段沿线的构造活动性进行定量分析.选用断层运动速率、地震震级、温泉温度及剪切应变4个关键影响因子作为BP人工神经网络的输入向量,构造活动强度(α)作为输出向量,以α为定量判据,将全区划分为相对稳定区(α＜0.22)、较不稳定区(α≈0.22～0.38)、不稳定区(α≈0.38～0.69)、极不稳定区或强烈构造活动区(α≥0.69).在青藏铁路南段沿线划分出格仁错、崩错、当雄-羊八井、错那湖、唐古拉山口南、聂荣东北、聂荣西北、雅鲁藏布江断裂沿线、萨迦等不稳定区,在不稳定区内部进一步划分出申扎、蓬错、尼木、桑雄、羊八井5个极不稳定区.