No abstract

International conflicts cause global energy price fluctuations and supply disruptions, which can threaten energy security and economic growth in energy-importing countries, including China. However, the implications and impact mechanisms of international conflicts on the energy security and economy of oil-importing countries have been poorly explored. Using US economic sanctions on Iran as a case, a global energy-extended computable general equilibrium model, GTAP-E, is employed to assess the impacts of international conflicts on China’s energy production, trade and supply, sectoral outputs, and economic growth. The results indicate that the USA–Iran tension would threaten China’s energy security, mainly due to the instability of the energy supply and the consequent upsurge of energy prices. However, if increased oil exports from other Persian Gulf countries compensate for the global oil supply shortages, China’s energy supply would be generally assured. Moreover, because of the close energy cooperation links between Iran and China, the sanctions could decrease the Chinese outputs of non-energy sectors and economic growth. Nevertheless, compared with sole-sanction situations, the results from a possible USA–Iran tension escalation, going as far as Iran’s closure of the Hormuz Strait, could pose a more serious risk to China’s energy security and economic growth.

Abstract-To assess the impact of heavy metal contamination on the soil-rice agricultural ecosystem, the distribution of heavy metals in Zhangjiagang City was analyzed by taking samples from the paddy fields. The result show that contents of Cu, Pb in soil were increased and here are analogous pollution sources due to the similar spatial distribution of Cr and Zn. Concentration of heavy metals vary in different organs of rice, and the bioaccumulation pattern is root > leaf > grain. The enrichment capabilities for different heavy metal elements in same rice organ followed an order of Cu>Pb>Zn>Cr for root, Pb>Zn>Cu>Cr for leaf, and Zn is slightly higher than Cu in grain. The comprehensive pollution index of the soil was lower than 1;The grain of the rice is slightly polluted by Cr in the sampling point of HPC and its single factor indexes of Cu and Zn were both higher than the other sampling sites, while the rice grain is less polluted in other study areas. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure grain quality safety based on the accumulation coefficient characteristics and the spatial distribution of heavy metal pollution. This research offers scientific evidences and data references for local policy makers to rightly maintain the safety and sustainability of agriculture ecosystem in Zhangjiagang City.