说说EarthTrends

工作之余写点东西，摩擦一下英文，也留几个脚印。这个EarthTrends一方面是WRI的数据库，一方面是WRI公众教育的平台。作为前者，是WRI《世界资源报告》的基础数据的提供者，作为后者，奉行开放和免费的理念，通过详细分类，检索易查，图形图表，专题关注等方式，把海洋、水、气候、人口、生态系统、经济、能源、农业、森林、治理等方面的信息整合，希望提供给普通公众一个了解最新资源、环境信息的平台。数据来源主要是UNDP, UNEP, FAO, WB, OECD等国际组织，而《世界资源》报告系列就是WRI和WB, UNDP, UNEP联合发布的，所以数据的相对客观还是可以保障的。在CU的时候，Jeff Sachs喜欢用世界地图，比方说全球气候、贫困、疟疾分布图，不想或出自于此，或在此可以找到。在检索的时候，可以使用全球、区域或国家的地图，很快建立起分布图、趋势图等等，还是比较酷的。EarthTrends最近在和Google Earth合作，将把WRI积累的一些数据以及评价指标，在Google Earth的界面上展示出来，这样转动地球的时候就可以看到世界现状和各国趋势，应该也是很炫的一件事情。借WRI在中国成立办公室的东风，EarthTrends也想在中国寻找合作伙伴，认同EarthTrends理念，对EarthTrends做的工作感兴趣的朋友，可以和Amy Cassra联系。她的生活的乐趣就是来源于分享，开放、免费，你用得越多，你觉得越有用，她越开心。再回到写的这些东西上，主要是练习英文，能介绍一点中国当然更好，不过我不能代表任何人，只能从我有限的了解，通过蹩脚的英文，希望给EarthTrends的读者对中国多一点认识和交流。尊重专题关注的风格，文章一般介于学术和新闻之间，一般也会增加一些简单的图表等，欢迎鸡蛋和板砖，更欢迎建设性的意见，比方说给我建议一下下一篇可以写什么之类的。先3K一下，嘿嘿

Gang He's blog  http://earthtrends.wri.org/updates/blog/17

Finding a Safe Level of Carbon Dioxide for the Global Atmosphere: Results of the Tallberg Forum

Submitted by Gang He on Wed, 2008-07-09 20:29.

Most discussions around international climate change—the Kyoto Protocol, the Lieberman-Warner Bill introduced on the floor of the U.S. Senate last month, and the G8 discussions taking place this week—include targets for emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases (GHG). A more direct question was addressed at the Tallberg Forum in Sweden last week: regardless of emissions, how much CO₂ can actually accumulate in the Earth's atmosphere without causing enormous and irreversible impacts on human society and the natural environment?

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Environmental Challenges after China's Sichuan Earthquake

Submitted by Gang He on Tue, 2008-06-24 15:59.

The earthquake that struck Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008 was China's most damaging earthquake since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake disaster. Sichuan, a province in western China, has been historically known as the "Land of Abundance" (Tian Fu Zhi Guo), as it is one of the major agricultural production bases of China.

The most immediate concerns after such a disaster are human casualties, injury, and property destruction. However, earthquakes and other natural disasters wreak substantial environmental damage, with consequences for human health and economy as well as biodiversity and resource availability.

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