China\u27s inter-regional spillover of carbon emissions and domestic supply chains

In this study, we apply the inter-regional input–output model to explain the relationship between China’s inter-regional spillover of CO2 emissions and domestic supply chains for 2002 and 2007. Based on this model, we propose alternative indicators such as the trade in CO2 emissions, CO2 emissions in trade, regional trade balances, and comparative advantage of CO2 emissions. The empirical results not only reveal the nature and significance of inter-regional environmental spillover within China’s domestic regions but also demonstrate how CO2 emissions are created and distributed across regions via domestic production networks. The main finding shows that a region’s CO2 emissions depend on not only its intra-regional production technique, energy use efficiency but also its position and participation degree in domestic and global supply chains

Drivers of fluctuating embodied carbon emissions in international services trade

Service industries are generally considered “green” because of their marginal direct emissions; however, they account for 65% of the world gross domestic product and over 20% of total global trade in 2019. Here, we quantify the evolution of carbon emissions embodied in services trade from 2010 to 2018 and identify the driving factors of emission change at the global and regional scales. The annual growth rate of embodied emissions exported from the Global South (2.0%) is double that of the Global North (1.0%), with a different trade structure. We further identify three trade patterns of service export in the Global South based on the bilateral trade partnership and annual growth rate. Three kinds of specific emission mitigation policies are proposed based on the characters of services trade and different trade structures between different regions. The results provide quantitative evidence currently lacking and critical to policy decision making

A novel esterase gene cloned from a metagenomic library from neritic sediments of the South China Sea

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Marine microbes are a large and diverse group, which are exposed to a wide variety of pressure, temperature, salinity, nutrient availability and other environmental conditions. They provide a huge potential source of novel enzymes with unique properties that may be useful in industry and biotechnology. To explore the lipolytic genetic resources in the South China Sea, 23 sediment samples were collected in the depth < 100 m marine areas.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A metagenomic library of South China Sea sediments assemblage in plasmid vector containing about 194 Mb of community DNA was prepared. Screening of a part of the unamplified library resulted in isolation of 15 unique lipolytic clones with the ability to hydrolyze tributyrin. A positive recombinant clone (pNLE1), containing a novel esterase (Est_p1), was successfully expressed in <it>E. coli </it>and purified. In a series of assays, Est_p1 displayed maximal activity at pH 8.57, 40°C, with ρ-Nitrophenyl butyrate (C₄) as substrate. Compared to other metagenomic esterases, Est_p1 played a notable role in specificity for substrate C₄(<it>k</it>_cat/<it>K</it>_mvalue 11,500 S^-1m M^-1) and showed no inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, suggested that the substrate binding pocket was suitable for substrate C₄and the serine active-site residue was buried at the bottom of substrate binding pocket which sheltered by a lid structure.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Esterase, which specificity towards short chain fatty acids, especially butanoic acid, is commercially available as potent flavoring tools. According the outstanding activity and specificity for substrate C₄, Est_p1 has potential application in flavor industries requiring hydrolysis of short chain esters.</p

Interprovincial reliance for improving air quality in China:A case study on black carbon aerosol

Black carbon (BC) is of global concern because of its adverse effects on climate and human health. It can travel long distances via atmospheric movement and can be geographically relocated through trade. Here, we explored the integrated patterns of BC transport within 30 provinces in China from the perspective of meteorology and interprovincial trade using the Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF/Chem) model and multiregional input-output analysis. In general, cross-border BC transport, which accounts for more than 30% of the surface concentration, occurs mainly between neighboring provinces. Specifically, Hebei contributes 1.2 μg·m(-3) BC concentration in Tianjin. By contrast, trade typically drives virtual BC flows from developed provinces to heavily industrial provinces, with the largest net flow from Beijing to Hebei (4.2 Gg). Shanghai is most vulnerable to domestic consumption with an average interprovincial consumption influence efficiency of 1.5 × 10(-4) (μg·m(-3))/(billion Yuan·yr(-1)). High efficiencies (∼8 × 10(-5) (μg·m(-3))/(billion Yuan·yr(-1))) are also found from regions including Beijing, Jiangsu, and Shanghai to regions including Hebei, Shandong, and Henan. The above source-receptor relationship indicates two control zones: Huabei and Huadong. Both mitigating end-of-pipe emissions and rationalizing the demand for pollution-intense products are important within the two control zones to reduce BC and other pollutants

Embodied greenhouse gas emissions from building China’s large-scale power transmission infrastructure

China has built the world’s largest power transmission infrastructure by consuming massive volumes of greenhouse gas- (GHG-) intensive products such as steel. A quantitative analysis of the carbon implications of expanding the transmission infrastructure would shed light on the trade-offs among three connected dimensions of sustainable development, namely, climate change mitigation, energy access and infrastructure development. By collecting a high-resolution inventory, we developed an assessment framework of, and analysed, the GHG emissions caused by China’s power transmission infrastructure construction during 1990–2017. We show that cumulative embodied GHG emissions have dramatically increased by more than 7.3 times those in 1990, reaching 0.89 GtCO -equivalent in 2017. Over the same period, the gaps between the well-developed eastern and less-developed western regions in China have gradually narrowed. Voltage class, transmission-line length and terrain were important factors that influenced embodied GHG emissions. We discuss measures for the mitigation of GHG emissions from power transmission development that can inform global low-carbon infrastructure transitions.

Molecular and cellular mechanisms of neutral lipid accumulation in diatom following nitrogen deprivation

Abstract Background Nitrogen limitation can induce neutral lipid accumulation in microalgae, as well as inhibiting their growth. Therefore, to obtain cultures with both high biomass and high lipid contents, and explore the lipid accumulation mechanisms, we implemented nitrogen deprivation in a model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum at late exponential phase. Results Neutral lipid contents per cell subsequently increased 2.4-fold, both the number and total volume of oil bodies increased markedly, and cell density rose slightly. Transcriptional profile analyzed by RNA-Seq showed that expression levels of 1213 genes (including key carbon fixation, TCA cycle, glycerolipid metabolism and nitrogen assimilation genes) increased, with a false discovery rate cut-off of 0.001, under N deprivation. However, most light harvesting complex genes were down-regulated, extensive degradation of chloroplast membranes was observed under an electron microscope, and photosynthetic efficiency declined. Further identification of lipid classes showed that levels of MGDG and DGDG, the main lipid components of chloroplast membranes, dramatically decreased and triacylglycerol (TAG) levels significantly rose, indicating that intracellular membrane remodeling substantially contributed to the neutral lipid accumulation. Conclusions Our findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms of neutral lipid accumulation and the key genes involved in lipid metabolism in diatoms. They also provide indications of possible strategies for improving microalgal biodiesel production.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112455/1/13068_2012_Article_291.pd