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Various theories and approaches have been introduced in the debate on how to address sustainable consumption. In this study, we first discuss different theoretical perspectives on sustainable consumption, particularly developed in the fields of economics, social psychology and environmental sociology. We argue that neither an ‘individualist’ nor a system- or structural perspective alone is sufficient for understanding and analysing the transition towards sustainable consumption. Therefore, we propose to apply the Social Practices Approach (SPA) that combines both human agency and social structures to understand sustainable consumption issues. Following the SPA framework, we review and summarize research on sustainable consumption in China in particular on three consumption fields: food, housing energy and mobility. It is found that introducing more efficient production technology is commonly taken as the focal point in these sectors when sustainable consumption was introduced to China. Despite a rising interest in consumers' perceptions of products' sustainability in recent years, research has rarely paid any attention to consumers' behavioural change or to the transition dynamics towards sustainable consumption. In general, ‘individualist’ perspectives have largely dominated Chinese sustainable consumption research. This paper proposes to move attention to a better understanding of Chinese consumption issues by emphasizing the link between the provision of sustainable products and the diverse sustainable consumption practices. Also, images of food, energy, mobility and other consumption products that are undergoing transitions need to be considered in future research as these have consequences for socio-technical changes, material infrastructures and for ‘lifestyle’ innovations.

Abstract Electrolyte-free fuel cell (EFFC) which holds the similar function with the traditional solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) but possesses a completely different structure, has draw much attention during these years. Herein, we report a complex of MZSDC–LNCS (Mg 0.4 Zn 0.6 O/Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 2− δ –Li 0.3 Ni 0.6 Cu 0.07 Sr 0.03 O 2− δ ) for EFFC that demonstrates a high electrochemical power output of about 600 mW cm −2 at 630 °C. The co-doped MZSDC is synthesized by a co-precipitation method. Semiconductor material of LNCS is synthesized by direct solid state reaction. The microstructure and morphology of the composite materials are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). The performance of the cell with a large size (6 × 6 cm 2 ) is comparable or even better than that of the conventional solid oxide fuel cells with large sizes. The maximum power output of 9.28 W is obtained from the large-size cell at 600 °C. This paper develops a new functional nanocomposite for EFFC which is conducive to its commercial use.

Six hydrothermal liquefaction experiments on Nannochloropsis salina and Spirulina platensis at subcritical and supercritical water conditions (220–375 °C, 20–255 bar) were carried out to explore the feasibility of extracting lipids from wet algae, preserving nutrients in lipid-extracted algae solid residue, and recycling process water for algae cultivation. GC–MS, elemental analyzer, FT-IR, calorimeter and nutrient analysis were used to analyze bio-crude, lipid-extracted algae and water samples produced in the hydrothermal liquefaction process. The highest bio-crude yield of 46% was obtained on N. salina at 350 °C and 175 bar. For S. platensis algae sample, the optimal hydrothermal liquefaction condition appears to be at 310 °C and 115 bar, while the optimal condition for N. salina is at 350 °C and 175 bar. Preliminary data also indicate that a lipid-extracted algae solid residue sample obtained in the hydrothermal liquefaction process contains a high level of proteins.

Developing bioenergy from plant feedstocks is considered an opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and secure biofuel supply. This study is an assessment of the availability of field crop residues for bioenergy feedstocks in northwest China (NWC) and southwest China (SWC). The amount of field crop residues was calculated by analyzing statistical data on crop acreages and yields at the provincial and county levels in the NWC and SWC regions. Total residue mass varied from 58.1 to 62.0 million tons (Mt) in NWC and from 92.8 to 97.2 Mt in SWC from 2008 to 2010. Field residues accounted for 86 % in NWC and 94 % in SWC of the total residue mass; the process residue mass accounted for 14 and 6 % of the total residue mass in the NWC and SWC, respectively. In the NWC region, wheat, maize, and cotton were the main crops, providing 17.0, 14.0, and 8.1 Mt of the field residue mass, respectively. In the SWCregion, rice, maize, and canola provided 30.6, 15.2, and 9.7 Mt of the total residue mass, respectively. In NWC, maize cob (1.98 Mt) and cotton seed hull (1.93Mt) formed the majority of the process residues. In SWC, rice hull (5.9 Mt), maize cob (3.7 Mt), and sugarcane bagasse (3.2 Mt) were the main contributors. Most crop residues became available from August to September in the NWC region, whereas harvesting was spread over the whole year in the SWC region. Converted to standard coal equivalent (SCE), total residues in the NWC region amounted to 32.6–34.1 Mt SCE, with 30.7 Mt of field residues and 2.7 Mt of process residue mass. In the SWC region, the total residue mass was equivalent to 48.7–50.8 Mt SCE, including 42.5 Mt of field residues and 7.2 Mt of process residues. Total crop residue availability for biofuels amounted to 16.9 and 28.1 Mt of field residues in NWC and SWC, respectively. Considering transport conditions, surplus amounts, residue densities, and harvest timings, Chongqing Municipality and Shaanxi province showed the best conditions for producing biofuel feedstocks.

Abstract The single component fuel cell (SCFC) is a novel physical-electrochemical device for energy conversion which is recently discovered. The functional composite materials of Li0.15Ni0.25Cu0.3Zn0.3O2−δ (LNCZO) and Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (SDC)-carbonate are proved as unique materials in SCFC (or one-layer fuel cell). In this work, the microstructure and morphology of two composite materials of LNCZO-SDC-Na2CO3 (LNCZO-NSDC) and LNCZO-SDC-(Li/Na)2CO3 (LNCZO-LNSDC) are investigated by SEM-EDX and HR-TEM. Their catalytic activities for both hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction are studied by H2-TPR and O2-TPD, respectively. It is discovered for the first time that binary carbonates as ionic conductor mixing with semiconductor homogenously help to form unique semiconducting-ionic microstructure. The particle arrangement and interface conduction in the microstructure significantly influences on the SCFC performances due to different catalytic activity and polarization resistance. Even this, O2 reduction reaction (ORR) for the single homogeneous layer still predominates in the redox reaction and binary carbonates are in favor of the oxygen conduction and desorption. These fin dings are essential to exactly understand the connections among structure, catalytic activities and performances underlying SCFC.

This study proposed an efficient way of direct sewage pre-concentration by a combined coagulation microfiltration (CCM) system and an optimal operational strategy of aeration. Compared to two typical technologies for sewage pre-concentration, i.e. direct sewage microfiltration (DSM) and continuous aerated sewage microfiltration (ASM), the CCM system under optimal aeration strategy showed higher concentration efficiency and slower permeability decline (i.e. better control of membrane fouling), and easier collection of retained organic matter (OM). A lab-scale CCM reactor was running continuously for 295 h, and a concentrate of about 16,000 mg COD/L was produced at an average net flux of 13.3 L/(m2 h) and an influent OM recovery of nearly 70%, which was higher than the concentrate produced by a high-loaded membrane bioreactor (MBR) with one day solids retention time. The use of chemical coagulant was found to have little impact on the following anaerobic digestion (AD) process, for anaerobic biodegradability of the concentrate is 56.5% (close to the typical value for blackwater). The integration of the CCM and AD processes could achieve a net energy production of 0.0098 kW h/m3 after deduction of 0.0919 kW h/m3 required for the operation of the CCM system, thus showing promise as an effective OM concentration method for energy recovery from sewage.

In a combined experimental and theoretical study, we probe the dissociative electron attachment in isocyanic acid HNCO. The experimental absolute cross section for the NCO^{-} fragment shows a sharp onset and fine structures near the threshold. The autoionizing state responsible for the dissociative attachment is found in both the R-matrix calculation and using analytic continuation in the coupling constant. The involved A^{'} resonance has a mixed π^{*}/σ^{*} character along the dissociating bond and thus combines the effects of nonzero electron angular momentum and dipole-supported states. This leads to unusual behavior of its width at various geometries. Because the potential energy gradient of the autoionizing state points essentially in the direction of the N─H bond, nuclear dynamics can be described by a one-dimensional nonlocal model. The results agree with the experiment both quantitatively and qualitatively. The present system may be a prototype for interpretation of the dissociative electron attachment process in a number of other polyatomic systems.

Fuel moisture limits the availability of fuel to wildfires in many forest areas worldwide, but the effects of climate change on moisture constraints remain largely unknown. Here we addressed how climate affects fuel moisture in pine stands from Catalonia, NE Spain, and the potential effects of increasing climate aridity on burned area in the Pyrenees, a mesic mountainous area where fire is currently rare. We first quantified variation in fuel moisture in six sites distributed across an altitudinal gradient where the long-term mean annual temperature and precipitation vary by 6-15 °C and 395-933 mm, respectively. We observed significant spatial variation in live (78-162%) and dead (10-15%) fuel moisture across sites. The pattern of variation was negatively linked (r = |0.6|-|0.9|) to increases in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and in the Aridity Index. Using seasonal fire records over 2006-2020, we observed that summer burned area in the Mediterranean forests of Northeast Spain and Southern France was strongly dependent on VPD (r = 0.93), the major driver (and predictor) of dead fuel moisture content (DFMC) at our sites. Based on the difference between VPD thresholds associated with large wildfire seasons in the Mediterranean (3.6 kPa) and the maximum VPD observed in surrounding Pyrenean mountains (3.1 kPa), we quantified the "safety margin" for Pyrenean forests (difference between actual VPD and that associated with large wildfires) at 0.5 kPa. The effects of live fuel moisture content (LFMC) on burned area were not significant under current conditions, a situation that may change with projected increases in climate aridity. Overall, our results indicate that DFMC in currently fire-free areas in Europe, like the Pyrenees, with vast amounts of fuel in many forest stands, may reach critical dryness thresholds beyond the safety margin and experience large wildfires after only mild increases in VPD, although LFMC can modulate the response.