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In rural areas of northeast China, residents often use a traditional Chinese kang for domestic heating. However, this heating method is associated with an uncomfortable thermal environment and poor indoor air quality. Therefore, this paper proposes a glazed transpired collector (GTC) based solar wall system, as a solution. Similar to air conditioning systems, the GTC is able to generate various airflow settings, which is one creative concept of the proposed system. Experimental and numerical studies were conducted to investigate the space heating and indoor air-quality improving performance of the system. The experimental results show that the average indoor temperatures can be increased from 12.12 °C to 16.17–18.19 °C, relevant to the various operating modes. The return-air mode reduces the concentrations of CO, CO 2 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 by 34.8%, 20.3%, 14.4%, and 11.6%, respectively. The reductions relevant to the mixture mode are 69.6%, 28.0%, 45.0%, and 41.6%, respectively, and those to the fresh-air mode are 73.9%, 42.7%, 56.2%, and 58.1%, respectively. By numerically simulating the distributions of indoor air temperature and the concentrations of CO, CO 2 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 , the GTC-based solar wall system is able to enhance the uniformity of temperature distribution and dilute indoor pollutant concentrations. To conclude, a summary of the simple and easy operating manual of the solar wall system is presented in this paper. The solar wall system can solve the problem of unacceptable indoor thermal comfort and indoor environmental pollution in rural dwellings in cold climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper proposes to optimize the resource allocation of the food and energy waterl;. • Deepen the reform of the supply side of agriculture to alleviate the stress on water resources;. • The contradiction of water shortage will become more prominent in Northeast China. The production and consumption of grain and energy need physical water resources which causes the virtual water circulation. The recycling of water requires energy, and the food production is associated with the consumption of biomass energy, which competes with the energy production for water. This paper uses the water footprint of food production and Water pressure index corrected to calculate Production and transfer of food and energy in Northeast China. The results show that the energy water footprint of the Northeast region was 4.3 × 108 m3 In 2000, it reached a maximum value of 4.39×108 m3 in 2012, and whereafter the energy water footprint fell to only 3.73×108 m3 in 2015. In Northeast China, more water is embedded in the outflow of food and in the inflow of energy. In 2000, the energy water footprint outflow was 1.54×108 m3, and the energy water footprint inflow in 2015 reached 1.89×108 m3. With the expansion of the food and energy production in Northeast China, water resources stress continues to rise. Except for Liaoning Province, the water resources pressure indices of Heilongjiang Province and Jilin Province are much higher than the national average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies on regional haze pollution over China come up in general with strong variability of main causes of heavy polluted episodes, in linkage with local specificities, sources and pollution characteristics. This paper therefore aims at elucidating the main specific sources and formation mechanisms of observed strong haze pollution episodes over 1–15 November 2015 in Northeast region considered as one of biggest megacity clusters in China. The Northeast China mega-city cluster, including Heilong Jiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, is adjacent to Russia in the north, Mongolian at the west, North Korea at east, and representing key geographical location in the regional and transnational air pollution issues in China due to the presence of heavy industries and intense economic activities. The present study, based on air quality monitoring, remote sensing satellite data and sensitivity experiments carried on the Nested Air Quality Prediction Modeling System (NAQPMS), quantitatively assesses the impact of meteorological conditions and potential contributions from regional chemical transport, intensive energy combustion, illegal emission and biomass burning emissions to PM 2.5 concentration variation. The results indicate strong inversion occurrence at lower atmosphere with weak near-surface wind speed and high relative humidity, leading to PM 2.5 concentration increase of about 30–50%. Intensive energy combustion (plausibly for heating activities) and illegal emission also significantly enhance the overall PM 2.5 accumulation by 100–200 μg m −3 (60–70% increase), against 75–100 μg m −3 from the biomass burning under the northeast-southwest transport pathway, corresponding to a contribution of 10–20% to PM 2.5 concentration increase. Obviously, stagnant meteorological conditions, energy combustion, illegal emission and biomass burning are main drivers of strong haze formation and spatial distribution over Northeast China megacity cluster. In clear, much effort on emission abatement at both local and regional scales is still an urgent imperative to overcome current critical haze pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I use a transborder lens to investigate the region encompassed by the Russian Far East, northeast China, eastern Mongolia, northern Korea, and the Sea of Japan. We need to transcend the framework of nation-states and restore the region's historical agency in a broader geographic, geopolitical, and economic context. We also need to view the socioeconomic development of the area in terms of a protracted process in which various indigenous groups played crucial roles. Recognizing the historical dynamic of this region helps to reconceptualize its present and future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]