Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Evolution and comparative assessment of ambient air quality standards in China","authors":"Bingtao Zhao, Yaxin Su, S. He, Mei Zhong, Guomin Cui","doi":"10.1080/1943815X.2016.1150301","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2016.1150301","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Ambient air pollution has become one of the key issues in China because it is highly associated with economic development, energy consumption, the atmospheric environment, and public health. Ambient air quality standards are guidelines of environmental management and fundamentals of air pollution emission control. To adapt to the changing environmental situation, China’s ambient air quality standard GB 3095 was established in 1982, amended in 1996, again in 2000, and most recently in 2012. This article presents a historical analysis on the evolution of China’s ambient air quality standards focusing on the critical pollutants and their concentration thresholds, as well as a comparative analysis that illustrates the differences to important developed countries and international organizations. The results show that the ambient air quality standard in China features a progressive update in pollutant items, more stringent concentration thresholds, and more scientific planning. Although there are differences in the economic, technological, and environmental development levels, China’s latest ambient air quality standard GB 3095-2012 is found to be comparable with other important standards. However, the support of macro policies and technical measures are necessary to ensure the standard is implemented more effectively.","PeriodicalId":16194,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2016-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75488033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strifes of the frontier: an assessment of Acacia mearnsii related park-community conflicts in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, South Africa","authors":"G. Mukwada, W. Chingombe, P. Taru","doi":"10.1080/1943815X.2015.1130062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2015.1130062","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study coins the “reality-worldview” framework to examine park-community conflicts arising from the expediency to protect the environmental integrity of a South African national park from bio-invasion. The study used remote sensing data to investigate the state of vegetation cover along the northern fringes of the park and an adjacent communal grazing area to determine differences in plant based resource endowments between the two areas. The study also involved the discriminant analysis of survey responses from park officials and local communities regarding perceptions about the environmental impacts of Acacia mearnsii invasion, as well as how the species spreads and how the species can be controlled. The objective of the study was to assess park-community conflicts arising from initiatives to limit community access to park resources on the justification of the need to prevent the invasion of the park by A. mearnsii. The study concludes that even though uncontrolled movement of people and livestock creates the obvious danger of invasion of the park by the species, the extent to which the species is viewed as an environmental threat depends on the “worldviews” of the stakeholders, the bridging of which can only be achieved through negotiation, environmental awareness and education campaigns and provision of training in conflict resolution to the belligerents.","PeriodicalId":16194,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2016-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78160321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenging economic development: the case study of teaching alternative cultural values in business education","authors":"H. Kopnina","doi":"10.1080/1943815X.2016.1150300","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2016.1150300","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Environmental educators distinguish between normative, instrumental and liberal approaches. This article offers anthropological insights into environmental education (EE) involving all three perspectives based on the discussion of indigenous culture within sustainable business course in The Netherlands. The case study described here uses ethnographic insights to illustrate the evolution of thought when western students are presented with philosophies and information that allow them to reflect upon their own cultural positions and ideologies. A combination of normative and instrumental instructional approaches, as well as open and reflexive pedagogical engagement has helped students to learn to appreciate the value of cultural and natural diversity beyond the writing assignments’ requirements and socially acceptable or lecturer-desired views.","PeriodicalId":16194,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2016-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87821317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate action in Indian cities: an emerging new research area","authors":"J. Beermann, A. Damodaran, K. Joergensen, M. Schreurs","doi":"10.1080/1943815X.2015.1130723","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2015.1130723","url":null,"abstract":"India is the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, following China, the United States, and the European Union. Although India still has a low per capita carbon level, due to its large population and growing economy, its share of global greenhouse gas emissions is rising. India is, thus, a particularly important country to examine in relation to climate change. This article investigates one particular aspect of India’s climate policy: the role its cities play within its multi-tiered climate governance system. India is still a predominantly agricultural society with two-thirds of its population (about 850 million people) living in rural areas. Urbanization is, however, progressing; estimates are that India will add over 400 million urban dwellers between 2014 and 2050 bringing the urban population to over 800 million (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division 2014). This article aims to shed light on the challenges, capabilities and limitations of India’s urban areas to deal with mitigating climate change. It complements the other articles in this special issue which focus on subnational state and provincial level climate policy. It takes as its starting point the academic multi-level climate governance debate and also looks at the role the co-benefit concept plays at the urban level. The article highlights key actors, drivers, and institutions of city climate action and considers how local climate policy and programs are enabled and constrained by India’s federal political system. Finally, the role of international city partnerships in supporting climate activities is considered. To explore the conditions shaping climate action in India’s cities this article builds on a literature review and discussions held at an Indian-German expert meeting which took place in Bangalore in April 2015.","PeriodicalId":16194,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2016-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89029060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Farmers' perceptions of climate change and the proposed agriculture adaptation strategies in a semi arid region of south India","authors":"D. P, Ramachandran A","doi":"10.1080/1943815X.2015.1062031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2015.1062031","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change is recognised as one of the leading challenges affecting the performance of agriculture and the livelihood of people. Farmers are the hardest hit as they have to continuously respond to climatic variations. In order to understand farmers' perceptions of climate change and its impacts, and to identify adaptation needs, focus group discussions and semi-structured questionnaire surveys were carried out at the end of the south-west monsoon season in 2012 (Kharif cropping season in India). This helped to gather their immediate responses soon after the poor performance of south-west monsoon 2012. Khariff cultivation is locally known as ‘Kuruvai’ and is always under the influence of the south-west monsoon rainfall. Farmers' have perceived climate variability, and identified increasing temperature, delayed onset, intermittent dry spells and decreasing soil moisture as the critical factors affecting their cultivation. Some of them have started to adapt to these changes by cultivating only short-duration crops such as pulses, vegetables and flowers especially jasmine, but there is also a trend to put more land under fallow and abandoning the major cereal production. This study reveals that the farmers' perceptions are in accordance with the real trends analysis done on meteorological variables using Mann–Kendall test and Sens's slope estimator test, but not exactly matches with rainfall. Farmers have indicated their specific adaptation needs, a number of which could be incorporated into site-specific adaption strategies and policies.","PeriodicalId":16194,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2016-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79293119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of climate change on food security in Malaysia: economic and policy adjustments for rice industry","authors":"N. Vaghefi, M. Shamsudin, Alias Radam, Khalid B Abdul Rahim","doi":"10.1080/1943815X.2015.1112292","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2015.1112292","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Rice paddies production in Malaysia, as in other parts of the world, is extremely vulnerable to weather changes and extreme conditions such as drought and flooding. Such situations forced Malaysia to maintain a protectionist regime with respect to its rice industry to better ensure food security for the country. In this study, a crop simulation model (DSSAT) and system dynamics approach were used to assess the impact of climate change on future rice production, self-sufficiency level of rice, and farmers’ gross income in Malaysia. Results from the DSSAT model show that during the main and off growing seasons, increase in temperature and changes rainfall pattern can be expected to reduce the rice yield by 12 and 31.3%, respectively, until the year 2030. Based on the system dynamics’ results, the reduction in rice yield was expected to reduce farmers’ gross income and the rice self-sufficiency level of the country. The study suggested two different policy scenarios to overcome these adverse effects. The overall policy implication is that the Malaysian rice industry cannot be sustained if government takes no action to change its current policies.","PeriodicalId":16194,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2016-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85505998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global mitigation potential and costs of reducing agricultural non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions through 2030","authors":"R. Beach, Jared Creason, S. Ohrel, Shaun Ragnauth, S. Ogle, Changsheng Li, P. Ingraham, W. Salas","doi":"10.1080/1943815X.2015.1110183","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2015.1110183","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Agricultural emissions account for 53% of 2010 global non-CO2 emissions and are projected to increase substantially over the next 20 years, especially in Asia, Latin America and Africa. While agriculture is a substantial source of emissions, it is also generally considered to be a potential source of cost-effective non-CO2 GHG abatement. Previous “bottom-up” analyses provided marginal abatement cost (MAC) curves for use in modeling these options within economy-wide and global mitigation analyses. In this paper, we utilize updated economic and biophysical data and models developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate regional mitigation potential for major sources of agricultural GHG emissions. In addition, we explore mitigation potential available at costs at or below the estimated benefits of mitigation, as represented by the social cost of carbon. Key enhancements over previous regional assessments include incorporation of additional mitigation options, updated baseline emissions projections, greater spatial disaggregation, and development of MAC curves through 2030. For croplands and rice cultivation, biophysical, process-based models (DAYCENT and DNDC) are used to simulate yields and net GHG emissions under baseline and mitigation scenarios while the livestock sector is modeled by applying key mitigation options to baselines compiled by EPA. MAC curves are generated accounting for net GHG reductions, yield effects, livestock productivity effects, commodity prices, labor requirements, and capital costs where appropriate. MAC curves are developed at the regional level and reveal large potential for non-CO2 GHG mitigation at low carbon prices, especially in Asia.","PeriodicalId":16194,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2015-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86646177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of rice cultivars on yield-scaled methane emissions in a double rice field in South China","authors":"X. Qin, Yu’e Li, Hong Wang, Jianlin Li, Y. Wan, Qingzhu Gao, Y. Liao, Meirong Fan","doi":"10.1080/1943815X.2015.1118388","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2015.1118388","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Rice cultivar is the most influential factor affecting methane emissions from double rice fields. A two-year field experiment was conducted at Huizhou, Guangdong province, South China, to identify from among nine cultivars those cultivars with high-yield potential and lower yield-scaled methane emissions (YSMEs). Methane emissions were measured using the static chamber – gas chromatograph method. Results indicate that the cultivars Qihuazhan (QH), Yexianzhan 8 (YX8) and Yue’erzhan (YE) provide higher rice grain yield (8.69%) with lower YSME (30.27%) compared to the other six cultivars (Yexianzhan 6, Yuejingsimiao, Hefengzhan, Huangsizhan, Huangruanzhan and Huangxiuzhan) (p < 0.05). In particular, QH has the highest yield potential (6777 kg ha−1) and lowest methane emission intensity (0.36 kg kg−1 yield) capacity. Methane emissions from the double rice field was found to be significantly (p < 0.05) and positively correlated with tiller number, culm biomass and soil organic matter, dissolved soil organic carbon and total carbon content, but negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with rice harvest index (HI), and root and panicle biomass, suggesting that organic source strength provides the substrate of methane production while the oxidation potential in the rhizosphere and the methane transport capacity of rice roots and culm dominate the emissions of methane from soil to the atmosphere. Multivariate decision regression tree (DRT) analysis showed a significant class difference between QH, YX8 and YE with the other six cultivars. These three cultivars are suitable for promotion of low carbon agriculture in South China. DRT analysis also successfully illustrated a potential way to identify rice varieties for low YSME by decisive parameters of tiller number (<15), HI (>0.43) and nitrogen assimilation of leaves (<40). These findings suggest that optimization of rice cultivars may represent an effective way to address both food demand and climate change concerns by improving rice yields while simultaneously minimizing the impact of climate change per unit yield.","PeriodicalId":16194,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2015-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86091234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global mitigation of non-CO2 greenhouse gases: marginal abatement costs curves and abatement potential through 2030","authors":"Shaun Ragnauth, Jared Creason, Jameel Alsalam, S. Ohrel, Jeffrey E. Petrusa, R. Beach","doi":"10.1080/1943815X.2015.1110182","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2015.1110182","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Greenhouse gases (GHGs) other than carbon dioxide (CO2) play an important role in the effort to understand and address global climate change. Approximately 25% of Global warming potential-weighted GHG emissions in the year 2005 comprise the non-CO2 GHGs. The report, Global Mitigation of Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases: 2010–2030 provides a comprehensive global analysis and resulting data-set of marginal abatement cost curves that illustrate the abatement potential of non-CO2 GHGs by sector and by region. The basic methodology – a bottom-up, engineering cost approach – builds on the baseline non-CO2 emissions projections published by EPA, applying abatement options to the emissions baseline in each sector. The results of the analysis are MAC curves that reflect aggregated breakeven prices for implementing abatement options in a given sector and region. Among the key findings of the report is that significant, cost-effective abatement exists from non-CO2 sources with abatement options that are available today. Without a price signal (i.e. at $0/tCO2e), the global abatement potential is greater than 1800 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Globally, the energy and agriculture sectors have the greatest potential for abatement. Among the non-CO2 GHGs, methane has the largest abatement potential. Despite the potential for project level cost savings and environmental benefits, barriers to mitigating non-CO2 emissions continue to exist. This paper will provide an overview of the methods and key findings of the report.","PeriodicalId":16194,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2015-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81331899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The importance of non-CO2 greenhouse gases","authors":"C. Kroeze, T. Pulles","doi":"10.1080/1943815X.2015.1118131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2015.1118131","url":null,"abstract":"The importance of non-CO2 greenhouse gases The IPCC Synthesis Report states that reducing emissions of non-CO2 agents can be an important element of global mitigation strategies. The non-CO2 greenhouse gas symposium (NCCG7) shows how this could be possible. Global warming is caused by several greenhouse gases. The focus of science and policy is mostly on carbon dioxide (CO2). But there are more greenhouse gases. Non-CO2 greenhouse gases are important contributors to radiative forcing of the atmosphere and include methane (CH4), fluorocarbons and SF6 and nitrous oxide (N2O). The effects of black carbon (BC) and the so-called indirect gases, contributing to tropospheric ozone formation and aerosols add to this list. The latest IPCC Synthesis Report states that the human influence on the climate system is clear and growing (IPCC 2014). It also states that implementing stringent mitigations activities can ensure that the impacts of climate change remain within a manageable range, creating a brighter and more sustainable future. To keep a good chance of staying below 2 °C our emissions should drop by 40–70% globally between 2010 and 2050, falling to zero or below by 2100. The chair of IPCC (RK Pachauri) added to this that “we have that opportunity, and the choice is in our hand” (press release, 2 November 2014). Ambitious emission reduction is possible, but the window for action is rapidly closing. Leo Meyer (PBL, The Netherlands and IPCC Technical Support Unit) indicates that 65% of our carbon budget compatible with a 2° warming goal is already used (Figure 1). This implies that if we want to limit global warming to 2°, some fossil fuels will have to stay underground (Pulles 2015). The economic consequences of such measure moderate. Business as usual scenarios typically assume an economic growth of a few percent per year. In scenarios consistent with a 2° warming this economic growth is hardly affected (Meyer 2014). Reducing emissions of non-CO2 agents can be an important element of mitigation strategies. However, the IPCC Synthesis report is not very explicit about how to achieve this. Emissions of non-CO2 gases (methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases) contributed by about 27% to the anthropogenic global emissions of Kyoto gases in 2010. The week following the publication of the IPCC Synthesis Report, the 7th non-CO2 Greenhouse Gas Symposium (NCGG7) was organized. More than 200 scientists from all over the world presented their work. Following are some highlights from the conference. Several illustrative 2° scenarios exist according to Niklas Höhne (New Climate Institute; 2014). These typically assume that fossil CO2 emissions are reduced to zero and that CO2 from forestry is becoming negative (indicating a carbon sink). Non-CO2 greenhouse gases are typically stabilizing or slightly reducing, assuming that it will be difficult to reduce emissions of CH4 and N2O from food production. Nevertheless, about half of the avoided warming in a recently","PeriodicalId":16194,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2015-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88932186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}