Historical Changes,Contemporary Characteristics,and Five Transformations of Environmental Design in China

Starting from the characteristics of modernization in three different historical stages since the founding of the People’s Republic of China,this paper analyses the internal changes in the professional name,subordinate disciplines and categories,and professional mission of the environmental design profession,and summarizes the changes in the characteristics of the environmental design profession in 10 aspects such as subordinate disciplines,design objects,design types,cultural characteristics,and aesthetic values on the basis of the results of the analysis,and explores five transformations of the environmental design profession in the process of China’s development in the future.The five transformations in the future development of China are to serve the harmony and beauty of the three major urban and rural spaces with“small and micro-renewal and reconstruction”;to serve the transmission of Chinese culture and the spread of Chinese civilization with“spatial heritage and innovation”;to serve the balance and sufficiency of the four functions of urban and rural settlements with“friendliness and equilibrium”;to serve the intelligence,wisdom,and enjoyment of indoor and outdoor living environment space with“scientific and technological achievements”;and to serve the co-construction,co-management,and sharing of indoor and outdoor public space in urban and rural areas with“public participation.”

Responses of breeding waterbird communities to environmental changes in subsidence wetlands in the North China Plain

In the context of global degradation and loss of natural wetlands,waterbirds have been increasingly using artificial wetlands as alternative habitats.However,waterbirds are facing various threats in these artificial wetlands,due to dramatic environmental changes induced by anthropogenic activities.Exploring the effects of these changes on the temporal dynamics of the waterbird communities can help understand how waterbirds adapt to environmental changes and thus formulate effective management and conservation plans.In this study,we carried out field surveys on waterbirds and environmental factors across 20 subsidence wetlands created by underground coal mining in the Huainan coal mining area in the breeding seasons of 2016 and 2021.We predicted that the waterbird assemblages(i.e.,number of individuals,species richness,Shannon-Wiener diversity,Pielou evenness and species composition) differed between the two years,and that these differences were correlated with the temporal changes in environmental factors.Across the surveyed wetlands,we recorded 26 waterbird species in 2016 and 23 in 2021.For individual wetlands,the number of waterbird individuals and species richness increased by 71.6% and 20.1%,respectively,over the five years,with no changes in Shannon-Wiener diversity and Pielou evenness.The overall increase in the number of bird individuals was mainly caused by an increase in vegetation gleaners and gulls that adapt well to anthropogenic activities.The species composition was significantly different between the two years,which was mainly caused by changes in the number of individuals of dominant species under influence of changes in human activities.For most wetlands,the temporal pairwiseβ-diversities could be explained by species turnover rather than nestedness,probably due to high mobility of waterbird species and dramatic changes in local environments.Our study suggests that waterbird communities could respond to environmental changes in subsidence wetlands,providing important implications for waterbird conservation in human-dominated artificial wetlands.

Challenges and Countermeasures for Integrating the Protection of Environmental Rights into Actions for Addressing Climate Change

Climate change,which is the result of human activities,has wide-ranging impact.It poses a serious threat to human rights.Environmental rights are where the protection of the ecological environment and the development of human rights intersect.In view of the close relationship between the actions for addressing climate change and environmental rights,China should integrate the protection of environmental rights into the actions for addressing climate change,so as to achieve simultaneous development of both.In the process of coping with climate change,the right to climate stability that mainly pursues a“harmless”environment and the right to a more livable climate that pursues a“beautiful eco-environment”are specific manifestations of environmental rights and should be the priority of protection efforts.However,there are still some obstacles to achieving the coordinated development of the efforts to address climate change and the protection of environmental rights because traditional rights protection methods mainly give individuals subjective rights with the power to claim and are thus difficult to meet the needs of environmental rights protection in the context of climate change,and there are inherent value differences between responding to climate change and the realization of other human rights.Building a multi-level national obligation system to address climate change,giving full play to the role of courts in responding to climate change through moderate judicial activism,and coordinating the efforts to cope with climate change and the development of human rights under the guidance of a holistic system view are effective ways to overcome the aforementioned difficulties.

Volcanically Driven Terrestrial Environmental Perturbations during the Carnian Pluvial Episode in the Eastern Tethys

The Carnian Pluvial Episode(CPE)fingerprints global environmental perturbations and biological extinction on land and oceans and is potentially linked to the Wrangellia Large Igneous Province(LIP).However,the correlation between terrestrial environmental changes and Wrangellia volcanism in the Ordos Basin during the CPE remains poorly understood.Records of negative carbon isotopic excursions(NCIEs),mercury(Hg),Hg/TOC,and Hg enrichment factor(HgEF)from oil shales in a large-scale terrestrial Ordos Basin in the Eastern Tethys were correlated with marine and other terrestrial successions.The three significant NCIEs in the study section were consistently correlated with those in the CPE successions of Europe,the UK,and South and North China.The U-Pb geochronology indicates a Ladinian-Carnian age for the Chang 7 Member.A comprehensive overview of the geochronology,NCIE correlation,and previous bio-and chronostratigraphic frameworks shows that the Ladinian-Carnian boundary is located in the lower part of Chang 7 in the Yishicun section.HgEF may be a more reliable proxy for tracing volcanic eruptions than the Hg/TOC ratio because the accumulation rates of TOC content largely vary in terrestrial and marine successions.The records of Hg,Hg/TOC,HgEF,and NCIEs in the Ordos Basin aligned with Carnian successions worldwide and were marked by similar anomalies,indicating a global response to the Wrangellia LIP during the CPE.Anoxia,a warm-humid climate,enhancement of detrital input,and NCIEs are synchronous with the CPE interval in the Ordos Basin,which suggests that the CPE combined with the regional Qinling Orogeny should dominate the enhanced rate of terrigenous input and paleoenvironmental evolution in the Ordos Basin.

The Role of Certificates and Labels for Cocoa in the Face of Climate Change: A Scientific Review

Climate change threatens cocoa quality, raising concerns regarding sustainable premium cocoa production. Evaluating the effectiveness of certification standards is imperative to address this concern effectively. A multi-stage method was employed for a systematic review of 39 peer-reviewed articles to highlight the impacts of climate change on the biophysical environment of cocoa and its implications for adapting Geographical Indications (GIs). Additionally, a comprehensive review was conducted on climate-relevant standards of certificates in Ecuador, Indonesia, and Ghana. The findings of this study provide practical insights into possible difficulties that cocoa-producing countries may encounter in maintaining the distinctive flavours and quality trademarks of cocoa in the face of changing climate. Moreover, the findings emphasize the need for producer countries to prioritize viable adaptation and product differentiation strategies that meet sustainable marketing standards to protect GIs or place-based intellectual property. Furthermore, the findings indicate certificates require effective multi-level climate change management and environmental-social-governance principles that promote scientifically proven mitigation strategies, such as increasing soil organic carbon, zero deforestation, and reducing emissions while striving to leverage local adaptation policies to reduce location-specific vulnerability. Finally, certificates can accelerate the expansion, intensification, and redistribution of sustainable production for gains that outweigh the inconveniences caused by climate change.

Environmental and Climate Justice in Palestine

To have a clean, safe, and functional environment is not only essential for the purpose of preservation, but also imperative for safeguarding the most fundamental of human rights. Resolution 45/94 of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly also stresses and acknowledges that: “all individuals are entitled to live in an environment adequate for their health and wellbeing” (United Nations Digital Library System, 1991). Environmental and climate justice, which: “emerged in the context of the local environmental struggles of directly oppressed groups”, is a global movement dedicated to ensuring equal protection of people’s human rights (i.e., water, health, life, etc.) in the face of the climate crisis. Moreover, health, environment and human rights are part of the 2030 agenda (in particular, SDG 1, SDG 5, SDG 6, SDG 7, SDG 13, SDG 16, SDG 17). Individually, both environmental and climate justice are rooted in an intersectional outlook, by which they highlight the common threads between communities and the people’s inclusion, irrespective of race, class, or gender, in the pursuit of justice. On the other hand, they recognise and acknowledge the role and consequences of climate change in economic, social, and political dimensions;thus, drawing emphasis on the rights of people under the emerging inequities. In the case of Palestine, the Palestinian community is increasingly becoming vulnerable to these effects and the resulting inequalities of climate change. This vulnerability stems from: 1) The right to life;clean WASH;equitable work opportunities;access to resources;and free movement;are all examples of human rights that the Israeli colonial regime infringes upon;2) Infrastructure is essential for climate adaptation: 61% of the West Bank is ultimately barred from building infrastructure (B’Tselem, 2019) and Gaza Strip has major gaps in infrastructure due to intentional destruction by Israel;3) Palestinian deprivation of the sovereign right to natural resources by Israel;4) Apartheid system in water accessibility: Israeli water usage per person is over three times higher than that of Palestinians (their usage is under the WHO recommended minimum per day) (B’Tselem, 2023);and 5) Violent settler attacks. In 2022 alone, the Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ) recorded 1527 settler attacks that targeted land, properties, livestock, agriculture and even Palestinian civilians. The ongoing neglect of these concerns and the persistent colonization of Palestine by Israel unequivocally and unwaveringly affect the human rights of Palestinians. The power dynamics at play especially hamper the Palestinian ability to exercise and fulfill their inalienable human rights and to tackle the obstacles to justice in their environment.

Climate change and human health: Last call to arms for us

Climate change,now the foremost global health hazard,poses multifaceted challenges to human health.This editorial elucidates the extensive impact of climate change on health,emphasising the increasing burden of diseases and the exacerbation of health disparities.It highlights the critical role of the healthcare sector,particularly anaesthesia,in both contributing to and mitigating climate change.It is a call to action for the medical community to recognise and respond to the health challenges posed by climate change.

Eternal Climate Change Patterns and the Causes and Countermeasures of Global Climate Change

It is an objective fact that the weather is unpredictable.Even the famous meteorologist,Academician Chu Ko Chen,has only a partial understanding of the changing laws of wind and rain.Even though ancient people summarized the 24 solar terms by observing the annual activities of the sun for a long time,because they ignored the impact of the activities of the moon on the Earth’s climate change on a small scale,the 24 solar terms they summarized often could not accurately predict the change of the Earth’s climate.Therefore,the author studied the influence of lunar activities on the Earth’s climate change,finds out the law of the influence of lunar activities on the Earth’s climate change on a small scale,and summarizes the eternal climate change pattern determined by the activities of the sun and the moon.In addition,the author also reveals the causes and countermeasures of global warming and the frequent occurrence of extreme weather as well as environmental change.

Migration and Spatiotemporal Land Cover Change: A Case of Bosomtwe Lake Basin, Ghana

Internal migration is highly valued due to its increasingly acknowledged potential for social and economic development. However, despite its significant contribution to the development of towns and cities, it has led to the deterioration of many ecosystems globally. Lake Bosomtwe, a natural Lake in Ghana and one of the six major meteoritic lakes in the world is affected by land cover changes caused by the rising effects of migration, population expansion, and urbanization, owing to the development of tourist facilities on the lakeshore. This study investigated land cover change trajectories using a post-classification comparison approach and identified the factors influencing alteration in the Lake Bosomtwe Basin. Using Landsat imagery, an integrated approach of remote sensing, geographical information systems (GIS), and statistical analysis was successfully employed to analyze the land cover change of the basin. The findings show that over the 17 years, the basin’s forest cover decreased significantly by 16.02%, indicating that population expansion significantly affects changes in land cover. Ultimately, this study will raise the awareness of stakeholders, decision-makers, policy-makers, government, and non-governmental agencies to evaluate land use development patterns, optimize land use structures, and provide a reference for the formulation of sustainable development policies to promote the sustainable development of the ecological environment.

Pro-Environmental Civic Participation in the USA: The Effects of Social Media, Pro-Environmental Lifestyle and Climate Experiences

This study addresses the link between social media use and pro-environmental civic participation considering the moderating effect of social media affordances (public realm) on one hand, and lifestyle behaviors and climate change experiences (personal realm) on the other. We combine communication theory and behavioral models and using a sample of USA individuals (N = 7225) based on the American Trends Panel to predict variations in pro-environmental behavior. We show that social networks rather than information are more effective in predicting pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, a pro-environmental lifestyle as well as climate change experiences at the community level increase the likelihood for pro-environmental participation. However, affordances related to socioeconomic variations generate variations to pro-environmental civic participation. We conclude that in order to capture the depth of pro-environmental civic participation, it is necessary to theoretically and empirically bridge between private and public expressions of pro-environmental awareness.

Paleoenvironmental changes during the late Quaternary as inferred from foraminifera assemblages in the Laizhou Bay

Controlled by climate changes, there were three large-scale transgressions and regressions around the Bohai Sea during the late Quaternary, which were accepted by most geologists. However, a big controversy still exists about the time when the transgressions occurred separately. In order to find out the process of the paleoenvironmental changes around the Bohai Sea in the late Quaternary, the foraminifera assemblages from a new borehole Lz908 in the southern coast of the Laizhou Bay were studied, and then the transgressive strata were indentified. Combined with accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon 14C（AMS14C） and optically stimulated luminescence（OSL） ages, the occurrence time of these transgressions were re-determined. The result showed that three major large-scale transgressions occurred separately at the beginning of marine isotopic stage 7（MIS7）, the last interglacial period（MIS5） and the Holocene. In addition, a small-scale transgression occurred in the mid-MIS6, and the corresponding transgressive stratum was deposited. The transgressive deposition of MIS3 was also discovered in this study. However, the characteristics of the foraminifera indicated the environment during this period was colder than that in the MIS5. By comparison with the global sea-level changes, the paleoenvironmental changes around the Bohai Sea in the late Quaternary can be consistent with the global climate changes.

Environmental change and cultural response around 4200 cal. yr BP in the Yishu River Basin, Shandong

Neolithic culture series in the Yishu River Basin developed in the order of Beixin culture-Dawenkou culture-Longshan culture-Yueshi culture. During the early and middle stage of Longshan culture （4600-4300 cal. yr BP）, the climate in the Yishu River Basin was warm and wet. Paddy-oriented agriculture planted paddy was very developed. The society was flourishing with great amount of archaeological sites. The cooling starting in 4200 cal. yr BP made the paddies shortfall in output or even no seeds were gathered. This situation intensified the discrepancy between population and resource. The scarcity in natural resource led to substantial decrease in population and subsequent drop in archaeological sites. About 4000 cal. yr BP Longshan culture was displaced by Yueshi culture which was relatively un- derdeveloped, simple and unsophisticated.

The sources and composition of organic matter in sediments of the Jiaozhou Bay：implications for environmental changes on a centennial time scale

The Jiaozhou Bay is characterized by heavy eutrophication that is associated with intensive anthropogenic activities. Four core sediments from the Jiaozhou Bay are analyzed using bulk technologies, including sedimentary total organic carbon（TOC）, total nitrogen（TN）, the stable carbon（δ13C） and nitrogen（δ15 N） isotopic composition to obtain the comprehensive understanding of the source and composition of sedimentary organic matter and further shed light on the environmental changes of the Jiaozhou Bay on a centennial time scale.Results suggest that the TOC and TN concentrations increase in the upper core, having indicated a probable eutrophication process since the 1920 s in the inner bay and the 2000 s in the bay mouth. The TOC and TN concentrations outside the bay have also changed since 1916 owing to the variation of terrigenous input.Considering TOC/TN ratio, δ13 C and δ15 N, it can be concluded there is a mixture of terrigenous and marine organic matter sources in the study area. A simple two end-member（terrigenous and marine） mixing model usingδ13 C indicats that 45%–79% of TOC in the Jiaozhou Bay is from the marine source. The environmental changes of the Jiaozhou Bay are recorded by geochemical proxies, which are influenced by the intensive anthropogenic activities（e.g., extensive use of fertilizers, and discharge of sewage） and climate changes（e.g., rainfall）.

Environmental change since mid-Pleistocene recorded in Shangshan achaeological site of Zhejiang

At about 173 ka BP of the late period of mid-Pleistocene, the second terrace of the river had been formed as a result of uplift happening in Shangshan area because of the climate, sea level change and tectonic action. Between 173-75 ka BP, aeolian deposited on the terrace, a layer of reticulate red clayey soil about 80-100 cm thick deposited and developed under the warmer and higher temperature. In the last glacial period, the drop of the temperature and the decrease of the precipitation induced the dust-storms increased, A layer of Xiashu loess about 1.0-1.5 m thick accumulated on Shangshan terrace in the last glacial, which has the reticulate red clayey soil buried. At the beginning of the Holocene （11500 a BP-）, temperature went higher gradually and precipitation got more, the pre-persons moved on the Shangshan terrace （11,400-8600 a BP）, which is one of the most important archaeological sites, and can connect the paleolithic culture with Neolithic culture. It could be assumed from the results that the lower reaches of the Yangtze River are the home of rice cultivation, too. The lower place to the west of the Shangshan site experienced the two cycles process of the fluvial facies and the lacustrine facies, indicating that the water source of the pre-historical Shangshan is the river water or lake water. Two AMS 14C age proved the water source disappeared more than 1000 years ago.

Environmental changes during modern period from the record of Gaoyou Lake sediments, Jiangsu

Based on analysis of parameters of cores taken from Gaoyou Lake, including magnetic susceptibility, grain-size characteristics and sedimentary rate, environmental changes during the modern period were examined with the assistance of historical records and Gaoyou Lake water level materials. It is concluded that during the modern period a higher value of magnetic susceptibility and a lower sediment grain size coincided with a wet climate, while a lower value of magnetic susceptibility and a higher grain size were related with a dry climate. The results indicate that the climate in the 123 years period from 1880 to 2003AD can be divided into four stages： two low water level stages （1880-1915AD, 1948-1981AD） and two high water level stages （1915-1948AD, 1981-2003AD）. It appears that the regional climate generally underwent a dry-wet-dry-wet pattern in 30-year cycles. At present, it is at the end of a wet period, so the regional climate is expected to become dry in the near future. This conclusion corresponds with the climate records in the historical literature of the Gaoyou area, and it also matches with the climatic changes in North Jiangsu area.

Impact of Holocene environmental change on temporal-spatial distribution of Neolithic sites in Huaihe River Basin, Anhui Province

The Huaihe River basin of Anhui is not only a transitional zone of physical geography, but also a convergent area of many cultures in China. It is one of the sensitive ecotones to global changes and the birthplace of Chinese civilization. Using the field archaeological data and the sporo-pollens and the age data of the drilling cores, we analysed Neolithic cultural development and environmental evolution in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui. According to the combination of some research results in archaeology with environmental evolution research, this paper discusses the relationship between culture and environment in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui. The Neolithic cultural development was strongly impacted by the environmental change. The primitive culture （Shishanzi） was developed in the beginning of the Holocene Megathermal Period with distinct regional feature of the culture. From 6.5 kaBP to 5.5 kaBP, the climate changed warmer and wetter. The frequent occurrence of flood and waterlog due to such a climate regime and high sea level caused the earth＇s surface environment deteriorated in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui and the interruption of the Neolithic cultural development, hence a lack of archaeological sites. From 5.5 kaBP to 4.0 kaBP, the climate changed from wet to dry, the natural environment was propitious to human survival. Dawenkou Culture and Longshan Culture flourished in this period. The Neolithic cultural development, the number of the sites and their distribution characteristics of the sites in the study area differed apparently from those in Central China and Shandong Province.

Population growth，economic growth，technology changes in relation to environmental changes──A theoretical modelling analysis of environmental changes

This paper mainly deals with the impact of three major factors , namely population growth,economic growth and technology changes, on the changes of environmental quality. It presents a curve ofenvironmental changes in relation to demographic transition and process of industrialization. It concludesthat a major way of improving environmental quality is to intensify pollution decreasing technical factorsand that control of population growth will also reduce the pressure on the environment.

ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES SINCE LATE PLEISTOCENE IN ESTUARINE PLAIN OF JIULONG RIVER, FUJIAN PROVINCE

Based on the evidences of lithostratigraphy, palynology, micropaleontolopy and geochronology, paleoenvironments since the Late Pleistocene in the study area have been reconstructed. One of the most important inferences is that two marine transgressions have occurred, one in Wurm Sub-interglacial and the other Postglacial. The former had caused the study area to be in an estuary-bay envirment over the transgression maximum, with a sea level of no less than 10 m below present; foe latter reached its maximum over the Atlantic stage, with sedimentary environments of estuary-bay, hay or shallow sea, and the sea level arrived at the highest elevation in about 6 - 5 ka B.P. Furthermore, it is notable that, during the Late Wurm Glacial, the study area area had principally been in an estuary-bay environment, although the climate, like many other areas, turned cold and dry, It reflects a general trend of crustal subduction in Jiulong Estudrine Plain over this pened.

Remote sensing-based dynamic monitoring and environmental change of wetlands in southern Mongolian Plateau in 2000‒2018

The environmental change in the wetlands in the southern Mongolian Plateau has important impacts on the environment of North China and even the entire Northeast Asia,from which the global climate change can be understood on a large scale,especially the climate change in the Mongolian Plateau.This study extracted the information on the wetlands from three stages of remote sensing images(also referred to as RS images)of the study area,including Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus(ETM+)images of 2000,TM images of 2010,and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager(OLI)images of 2018.As indicated by the extraction results,the area of wetlands decreased from 796.90 km^(2) of 2000 to 666.24 km^(2) of 2018 at a rate of 7.26 km^(2)/a.The reduced area is 130.66 km^(2),which is about 16.4%reduction.And the patch number of wetlands decreased from 731 of 2000 to 316 of 2018 in the study area,approximately 56.8%reduction(415 patches),and the decrease in the area of the wetlands mainly occurred in the northwest endorheic region.In terms of wetland types,the change of the wetlands was dominated by the decrease of lacustrine wetlands,of which the area and patch number decreased by 106.2 km^(2) and 242,respectively.Furthermore,the area of the lacustrine wetlands decreased at the highest rate of 8.70 km^(2)/a in 2010‒2018.From the perspective of spatial distribution,the wetlands in the western part shrunk more notably than those in the eastern part as a whole in the study area.According to local meteorological data,the precipitation gently decreased and the temperature increased(about 1.7℃)from 1975-2018.Overall,the decrease in the area of the wetlands and the temperature rises in the study area were mainly driven by the Mongolian monsoon climate,reduction in precipitation,and human activities.

Climate change impacts on environmental geosciences: Introduction

Climate change and its impacts have become topical issues of global news,scientific research and conferences.Environmental Geosciences incorporate the various disciplines of geosciences and their multifaceted interactions with life.Research discussions on the interaction of climate change,geosciences and environment may often be blur,and Schmidt-Thoméet al.(2010)stated that“Often past climate changes that can be deduced from geological records may help in understanding the speed of potential climate change effects,i.e.how quickly have sea levels changed,how drastic has nature reacted to ups and downs in temperature,etc.These analyses of past events help in giving outlooks on potential changes in our living environment.It is also of important to understand the magnitude and potential effects of extreme events,such as droughts and floods”.