Significant developments for the Journal of Environmental Sciences in 2014

First of all, it is my honor to announce that Professor X. Chris Le has been appointed the Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Environmental Sciences （JES） after an international search and selection by the committee members of the Research Center of Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Professor Hongxiao Tang,

Role of science and technology in environmentally sound urbanization in China

In the process of accelerating industrialization, urbanization is inevitable and important to Chinas modernization drive. While people are cherishing the advantages of living in cities, the increasing negative impact of urbanization has to be put on the top of priority list. As urbanization proceeds, the existing pollution problem aggravates with not only increasing quantity of pollutants, but diversity as well. Science and technology have been contributing to urbanization process in both positive and negative ways. Nonetheless, the role of science and technology in promoting sustainable urbanization is increasingly important. China has been conducting environmental research and development since the early 1970s, and now is capable of supplying most technologies needed for urban environmental protection. To keep pace with the rapid urbanization process in China, environmental research and technology development should be strengthened. This is mostly dependent on domestic resources with introduction of advanced yet cost\|effective technologies from the rest of the world. With a survey of current urban environmental R & D in China and on\|going activities of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), recommendations on future UCL(University College London)\|CAS collaboration in the domain of urban environment are made.

我国环境科学领域英文期刊迈向国际:任重而道远——Journal of Environmental Sciences的国际化发展之路

【目的】比较研究我国环境科学领域英文SCI期刊和世界环境科学领域一流期刊的发展现状,介绍Journal of Environmental Sciences (JES)采取的国际影响力提升策略,为我国环境科学领域英文期刊发展提供可借鉴的做法和经验。【方法】查阅各期刊网站,结合Web of Science、JCR和Elsevier提供的数据,分析我国环境科学领域英文SCI期刊和世界环境科学领域一流期刊的差距,阐述在两期"中国科技期刊国际影响力提升计划"资助期间,JES在国际化发展上采取的办刊策略及所取得的成效。【结果】我国环境科学领域英文期刊在办刊规模、计量指标和国际影响力等方面总体上远低于世界环境科学领域一流期刊。JES采取国际化办刊策略主要包括组建国际化编委团队,采用国际采编生产系统和实施多渠道国际宣传。期刊JCR计量指标显著提升,文章在Science Direct上的下载量增加,作者国际化和读者国际化程度显著增强。【结论】国际化办刊策略显著提升JES的学术质量和国际影响力,这可为我国环境科学领域英文期刊的国际化发展提供有益参考。

Consider Science, Technology, Environment and Human Rights as a Whole to Achieve Scientific Development

The 18th National Congress of CPC, which concluded not long ago, put forward the ambitious goal ofcompletely building up a better-off society by 2020. Since the reform and opening of 1978, especially in the past decade, the human rights construction of China has made enormous achievements. The complete building up of a better-off society requires taking comprehensive consideration of many aspects, such as the economy, politics, culture,

A holistic framework for facilitating environmental and human health

In the Anthropocene,health is necessary to achieve global sustainable development.This is a challenge because health issues are complex and span from humans to ecosystems and the environment through dynamic interac-tions across scales.We find that the health issues have been mainly addressed by disciplinary endeavors which unfortunately will not result in panoramic theories or effective solutions.We recommend focusing on the intri-cate interactions between humans,ecosystems and the environment for developing common theoretical under-standings and practical solutions for safeguarding planetary health,with human health as the key indicator and endpoint.To facilitate this paradigm shift,a holistic framework is formulated that incorporates disturbances from inner Earth and our solar system,and accommodates interactions between humans,ecosystems and the environ-ment in a nested hierarchy.An integrative and transdisciplinary health science is advocated along with holistic thinking to resolve our current health challenges and to achieve the health-related sustainable development goals.

DRESS-ORNAMENTING CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ART

This paper deals with the problem of dress-ornamenting culture and environmental art,whichconsists of three parts:A.Dress-ornamenting culture and environmental art of great significanceto China’s textile industry today,B.The true essence of dress-ornamenting culture andenvironmental art in the course of production and reproduction of real life and C.A severe chal-lenge to China’s textile industry by the new development of dress-ornamenting culture andenvironmental art.

Science, the Environment and Aquaculture

This paper first analyzes the problems of natural resources, the environment and agriculture in China. Secondly, it discusses the challenge of sustaining a healthy aquaculture. Thirdly, the role of science and technology in environmental management is described in detail, explaining the interaction between research and implication for govemment policymaking and local authority implementation. Finally, the institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) concerned with studies of aquatic ecosystem management are introduced as examples.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Agricultural Science and Technology Parks Technology Diffusion: A Case Study of Yangling ASTP

Agricultural science and technology parks(ASTPs) represent an important growth pole in China’s agricultural modernization.Clarifying their diffusion laws can optimize the technological diffusion process and improve its efficiency. Our study uses disaggregated spatial information in its model to analyze ASTP technology diffusion in a heterogeneous space. We constructed a comprehensive index system to evaluate the diffusion environmental quality and introduced the heterogeneous diffusion equation to calculate the technological diffusion probability. We applied this framework to a real-world scenario: the apple planting technology diffusion of the Yangling ASTP in the Loess Plateau, China. The results indicated: (1)the technological diffusion environment of the Loess Plateau advantageous apple producing area showed strong spatial heterogeneity caused by climate, topography, and external transportation links.(2) Under the combined effects of distance and spatial heterogeneity, the spatial diffusion pattern of the Yangling ASTP apple technology was expansion diffusion supplemented by hierarchical diffusion and banded diffusion, and (3) ASTP technology diffusion showed a strong distance attenuation effect, and the frictional effect of distance can be decreased by improving the diffusion environmental quality. These laws can promote regional balanced ASTP-driven development.

The effects of science,technology,society,environment(STSE)interactions on teaching chemistry

This study aimed to investigate the effects of making Science, Technology, Society and En-vironment relations on students’ comprehen-sion of chemistry topics through teaching che-mistry using STSE approach at secondary level. The study made use of the research model where pre and post tests were administered to control and treatment groups. The Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) was used in the study. The sampling consisted of Grade 9 students studying at Anatolian High School and Voca-tional High School. Since the sampling had not been equated, in order to determine students’ logical and spatial thinking skills, they were administered Logical Thinking Skill Test and Mental Rotation test as pretests. Students were chosen randomly to take part in two control and two treatment groups. This experimental study was applied to the treatment group in teaching of “Separation of Mixtures” topic in Grade 9 Chemistry course during a four-week period. Students in the control group were taught through the traditional teaching methods. The data obtained were analyzed through the SPSS Software. As a result of the study, statistically significant increases were observed in the achievement levels of treatment group which received instruction using STSE relations. The change observed in the achievement levels of the control group was not statistically signifi-cant. The difference between the achievement levels of control and treatment groups in the posttests were favoring the treatment groups.

NEW DEVELOPMENT PATTERN AND COORDINATION WITH ENVIRONMENT FOR GREAT SHANGHAI

The urban construction of Shanghai will come into a new area since China has deciared to exploit and open Pudong. Based on the analysis on economic development of China and the world, the developmental strategy for Shanghai should take the following contents into consideration: 1) Shanghai should be built into one of the most important intemational and modern supercity in Asian-Pacifie Region. 2) Shanghai should keep the position of the largest economic center of China and important port city for international trade. 3) Shanghai should be taken as growth pole of the Changjiang River Delta. According to the considderations mentioned above, the spatial distribution patten and the management of environment are discassed.

Roles of Science and Technology in Soil and Water Conservation in the New Era

Firstly,current situation and main problems of science and technology development of soil and water conservation were analyzed,and then roles of science and technology in soil and water conservation were studied. At last,exploration ways of roles of science and technology in soil and water conservation were proposed.

Coordinating environmental protection and agricultural development: a village-based case study for promoting green transformation

Balancing ecological preservation with sustainable agricultural practices is a global issue. Erhai Lake has felt this challenge keenly. To address it, in 2022, a Science and Technology Backyards(STBs) project was launched in Gusheng Village. The goal of this is to care for the environment while ensuring that farms and farmers can thrive sustainably. The uniqueness of the Erhai STB arises from its interdisciplinary integration, encompassing fields such as ecology, agronomy and social science, resulting in specifically-designed solutions for the Erhai context. While this model aligns with broader STB paradigms, its distinctive edge lies in technological innovation and robust support mechanisms for local agricultural stakeholders. This paper describes the methodology and outcomes of the STB initiative, highlighting its pivotal role in spearheading sustainable transition in Erhai. Preliminary findings underscore the potential of the STB model as an efficacious tool for harmonizing environmental conservation and agricultural practices, that are both financially and environmentally sustainable, rendering it a potential model for comparable regions in China and other counties.

IRP/DSM and Sustainable Development

This paper introduces the energy consumption status in China, elaborate the affects of the unreasonable energy consumption structure on energy environment and sustainable development of economy. Simultaneously, it points out the solution, i.e., to implement integrated resources planning (IRP)/demand side management (DSM), and gives some recommendations on the way of implementing IRP/DSM.

What Do the Cited and Citing Environments Reveal about Advances in Atmospheric Physics?

The networking status of journals reflects their academic influence among peer journals. This paper analyzes the cited and citing environments of this journal, Advances in Atmospheric Sciences （Adv. Atmos. Sci.）, using methods from social network analysis. Since its initial publication, Adv. Atmos. Sci. has been actively participating in the international journal environment and international journals are frequently cited in Adv. Atmos. Sci. Particularly, this journal is intensely interrelated with its international peer journals in terms of their similar citing patterns. The international influence of Adv. Atmos. Sci. is comparatively bigger than other Chinese SCI journals in atmospheric sciences as reffected by total cites to Adv. Atmos. Sci. and the total number of international journals citing it. The academic visibility of Adv. Atmos. Sci. is continuing to improve in the international research community as the number of reference citation it receives in its peer journals internationally increases over time.

Progress of Materials Science in Space Technology in China(2020-2022)

In this paper,the main research work and related reports of materials science research in China’s space technology field during 2020-2022 are summarized.This paper covers Materials Sciences in Space Environment,Materials Sciences for Space Environment,Materials Behavior in Space Environment and Space experimental hardware for material investigation.With the rapid development of China’s space industry,more scientists will be involved in materials science,space technology and earth science researches.In the future,a series of disciplines such as space science,machinery,artificial intelligence,digital twin and big data will be further integrated with materials science,and space materials will also usher in new development opportunities.

Environment management,Baosteel's choice,practice and consideration

From the view of the domestic and international energy,environment and operation situation,the paper analyses the confronted problems of iron and steel industry,answers why baosteel has been fulfilling environment operation strategy,and proceed to the introduction of its environment management practice and future outlooks.The environment management is essentially a green value creation,which emerges the environmental protection into the whole business enterprise operates process in order to create its value.The environment management is a kind of management creation,is a kind of active environment management, which promotes the main sense of energy conservation and emission mitigation.

Valuing water quality in China:purpose,approach and policy

The economic valuation of water quality in a rapidly developing country such as China should be undertaken to determine when the benefits from rapid growth begin to exceed the costs from the same. The best approach is to ascertain the total economic valuation of the environmental resource. This includes all of the various uses of the resource, and even those values that are unconnected to individual use (e.g. natural and aesthetic values). A method known as contingent valuation (CV) is used to ascertain these forms of value. This approach is demonstrated here in an application to river water quality in the Beijing area. A CV study is reported in which Beijing area citizens reported an average willingness to pay about 1.3% of annual income in order to prevent further deterioration of river water quality. Aggregation over the representative population indicates that the perceived cost of further river quality deterioration is in the neighbourhood of USD 60 million. Such a measure provides some indication of the socially desired “stopping point”—— in the pursuit of economic growth at the expense of environmental quality.

Pedosphere and Its Effect on Global Changes

With development of modern geoscience, particularly development of environmental sciences, the contemporary soil science is undergoing great changes in both research contents and scope. Soil is not onlya certain substance or a certain independent natural historical body but also a spheric layer with peculiarstructure and functions in the earth system. From the viewpoint of the geo-biosphere system of earth, soilscience does deal not only with the soil substances per se but also more importantly with the relationshipsamong soil, the other spheres and the human survival environment in view of the "pedosphere". This is thenew orientation of soil science today and will affect profoundly the studies on the human survival environmentand global changes. To throw more light on this subject, the present paper intends to address the conceptionof pedosphere and its role in global changes. Also addressed are series of environmental issues in China andtheir relations to the global changes. Moreover, research orientation and priorities are indicated, includingexploitation and protection of the soil resources, soil fertility and sustainable agricultural development, construction of the ecological environment, and the material cycling in pedosphere and its relation to globalchanges.

Human Factor Based Leadership: Critical Leadership Tools to Reduce Burnout and Latent Error in a Time of Accelerating Change

The majority of errors in healthcare are from systems factors that create the latent conditions for error to occur. The majority of occupational stressors causing burnout are also the result of systemic factors. Advances in technology create new levels of stress and expectations on healthcare workers (HCW) with an endless infusion of requirements from multiple authoritative sources that are tracked and monitored. The quality of care and safety of patients is affected by the wellbeing of HCWs who now practice in an environment that has become more complex to navigate, often expending limited neural resource (brainpower) on classifying, organizing, constantly making decisions on how and when they can accomplish what is required(extraneous cognitive load) in addition to direct patient care. New information demonstrates profound biological impact on the brains of those who have burnout in areas that affect the quality and safety of the decisions they make-which affects risk to patients in healthcare. Healthcare administration curriculum currently does not include ways to address these stress-induced problems in healthcare delivery. The science of human factors and ergonomics (HFE) promotes system performance and worker wellbeing. Patient safety is one component of system performance. Since many requirements come without resource to accomplish them, it becomes incumbent upon health system leadership to organize the means for completion of these to minimize the needless loss of brain power diverted away from the delivery of patient care. Human Factor-Based Leadership (HFBL) is an interactive, problem solving seminar series designed for healthcare leaders. The purpose is to provide relevant human factor science to integrate into their leadership and management decisions to make HCWs occupational environment more manageable and sustainable-which makes safer conditions for clinician wellbeing and patient care. After learning the content, a cohort of healthcare leaders believed that adequately addressing HFE in healthcare delivery would significantly reduce clinician burnout and risk of latent errors from upstream leadership decisions. An overview of the content of the seminars is described. Leadership feedback on usability of these seminars is reported. Three HFBL seminars described are Human Factor Relevance in Leadership, Biopsychosocial Approach to Wellness and Burnout, Human Factor Based Leadership: Examples and Applications.

Geological environment in the South China Sea

The South China Sea(SCS),situated in southern China,at the junction of the Pacific Plate,the Eurasian Plate,and the Indian Ocean Plate,is a northeast-southwest trending semi-enclosed sea.It spans an area of approximately 3.5 million square kilometers and has an average water depth of about 1200 m,its deepest point reaching 5559 m.In 2021,a scientific expedition(called as U1 voyage)in the South China Sea was organized by the Innovation Research Team of Guangdong Special Key Program from March to April,this marks the first comprehensive scientific research voyage to the southern Uboundary corridor.Consisting of a total of 30 papers,this special issue is to share a portion of the research findings from this scientific expedition U1 voyage,covering six aspects:1)characteristics of the marine ecosystem in the SCS and its response to marine dynamic processes;2)multi-scale marine dynamic processes,sea-air interactions,and forecasting techniques in the SCS;3)geomorphology and geological structure;4)sedimentary processes and resource potential in the SCS;5)geostrategy,rights and interests maintenance and strategic countermeasures in the SCS;6)marine scientific instruments.By integrating the scientific research with the study of history,jurisprudence and international strategies,this issue presents new insights into the formation history and scope evolution of the SCS,and it also seeks to establish a new scientific framework based on the marine governance and development of the SCS.