• Energy Research
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The resource consumption of the Chinese society from 1981 to 2001 is investigated using ecological footprint (EF) and emergetic ecological footprint (EEF). The latter is a newly development modification of ecological footprint based on ecological thermodynamics. Individual sectors in society are described in detail corresponding to the EF and EEF components based on different views of ecological production. The EF and EEF intensities are also presented to depict the resource consumption level corresponding to unit economic output. Finally, EEF is suggested to serve as a modified indicator of EF to illustrate the resource, environment, and population activity, and thereby reflecting the ecological overshoot of the general ecological system.

Resource consumption of the Chinese society from 1981 to 2001 is represented by ecological footprint (EF) as an aggregate indicator. The debate, advances and implications of EF are investigated in detail. EF intensity is also provided to depict the resource consumption level corresponding to unit economic output. The results show that the EF per capita always exceeded the biocapacity and the EF intensity increased steadily over the study period. In addition, sectoral analysis for each EF component is also conducted. The appropriation in the global ecological sense of Chinese society with the second largest energy consumption in the world is therefore quantified and evaluated.

Abstract For the Chinese industry as the mainstay of the national economy and dominant energy user and carbon emitter, an integrative assessment is performed from major energy policy perspectives of energy security, energy efficiency and carbon emission. Extensive systems indicators, including oil dependence ratio, average oil growth rate; indices of energy diversity, of carbonization and of oil growth risk; ratios of energy use to output, to value added and to compensation for laborers; ratios of carbon emission to output, to value added and to compensation for laborers, are devised to assess the Chinese industry 2002–2007 with most recent statistics availability. Combined indicators are identified by sparse principle component analysis to characterize sector performances. The industrial sectors are classified into five clusters and the main features of each cluster are pinpointed using fuzzy clustering algorithm. Concrete results facilitate comparisons of sectors to enable more accurate policy recommendations.

Abstract The cumulative exergetic method is used in this study to identify the renewability of the total corn-ethanol production in China when capturing all natural nonrenewable resources consumed in the integrated process including agricultural crop production, corn transportation, industrial conversion and waste treatment. A modified exergy-based indicator is thereby proposed to quantify the renewability of corn-ethanol production process. For the conditions prevailing in China, the renewability indicator as suggested by Berthiaume et al. is calculated to be −4.58, denoting the production process is highly nonrenewable. In addition, a novel indicator is also presented to reveal the environmental cost-effectiveness of the corn-ethanol process as supplement to the renewability indicator. Finally, the sensitivity analysis shows that the defined system boundaries, electricity-generation structure of the country, and technological constraints and choices of production process influence the renewability evaluation results.

Abstract Presented in this paper is an overview of energy consumption in rural China in view of temporal and spatial variations. Characterized by steadily decreased proportion of biomass use and increased percentage of coal and electricity use, coal and biomass are still the major energy sources in rural areas, accounting for nearly 80% of the total rural energy consumption. Moreover, the energy consumption varies significantly across provinces both in total sum and by fuel types due to diversities of geographic features, economic development levels and local energy source availability. Three statistical groups are clustered associated with quantitative change and structural change, exhibiting evident transition from noncommercial energy pattern to commercial energy pattern. Much more work need to be done to cope with the forthcoming dramatic changes associated with booming rural economy and newly released policy from the points of both energy security and environmental pressure in China.

Abstract A unified evaluation integrating various forms of energy sources and natural resources, products and services, and imports and exports is carried out systematically at the national scale for the booming Chinese economy 1978–2005, based on the ecological measure of solar emergy. The development of the economy is shown heavily dependent on the consumption of nonrenewable natural resources. Of the total resources use, the indigenous resources contribute the most, along with the increasing imports of nonrenewable resources. The development of the Chinese economy is characterized with the recovery stage during 1978–1981, transformation stage during 1981–1991, steady growth stage during 1991–2000, and accelerated increase stage after 2000, with specific distinctive systems indications.

The resource consumption of the Chinese society is investigated by ecological footprint (EF) as an aggregate indicator. Based on the theory of ecological thermodynamics, a modified calculation of ecological footprint termed as exergetic ecological footprint (EEF) in contrast to the conventional one is performed and related overall trends of the Chinese society are analyzed. The annual policy for the individual sector is described in detail corresponding to the variations of the EF and EEF components. Comparison of the conventional EF and the EEF is outlined. The EF intensity and EEF intensity are also presented to depict the resource consumption level corresponding to unit economic output. Finally, EEF is suggested to serve as a supplemented indicator of EF towards illustrating the productions of the resource, environment, population, and thereby reflecting the ecological overshoot of the general ecological system.

Abstract The resource consumption of the Chinese society from 1981 to 2001 is investigated by ecological footprint (EF) as an aggregate indicator. Based on the theory of ecological thermodynamics, a modified calculation of ecological footprint termed as embodied exergy ecological footprint (EEEF) in contrast to the conventional one is performed and related overall trends of the Chinese society 1981–2001 are analyzed. The annual policy for the individual sector is described in detail corresponding to the EF and EEEF components. Comparison of the conventional EF and the EEEF based on different views of ecological production is outlined. The EF intensity and EEEF intensity are also presented to depict the resource consumption level corresponding to unit economic output. Finally, EEEF is suggested to serve as a modified indicator of EF towards illustrating the productions of the resource, environment, population and thereby reflecting the ecological overshoot of the general ecological system.

Abstract Presented in this study is an empirical analysis of embodied carbon dioxide emissions induced by fossil fuel combustion for the world divided into three supra-national coalitions, i.e., G7, BRIC, and the rest of the world (ROW), via the application of a multi-region input–output modeling for 2004. Embodied emission intensities for the three coalitions are calculated and compared, with market exchange rate and purchase power parity separately used to investigate the difference between nominal and real production efficiencies. Emissions embodied in different economic activities such as production, consumption, import, and export are calculated and analyzed accordingly, and remarkable carbon trade imbalances associated with G7 (surplus of 1.53 billion tons, or 36% its traded emissions) and BRIC (deficit of 1.37 billion tons, or 51% its traded emissions) and approximate balance with ROW (deficit of 0.16 billion tons, or 3% its traded emissions) are concretely revealed. Carbon leakages associated with industry transfer and international trades are illustrated in terms of impacts on global climate policies. The last but not least, per capita consumption based emissions for G7, BRIC, and ROW are determined as 12.95, 1.53, and 2.22 tons, respectively, and flexible abatement policies as well as equity on per capita entitlement are discussed.