Teachers' understanding of low-carbon economy and circular economy

Chinese name: circular economy English name: circular economy

Definition 1: abbreviation for planning, organizing and managing the production, consumption, circulation, reduction and adjustment activities of human society by imitating the whole, coordination, circulation and adaptive functions of nature. It is a network-type, evolutionary compound ecological economy that integrates self-generation, self-generation and competitive economy, and has an efficient resource metabolism process and a complete system coupling structure. Discipline: ecology (first-class discipline); Urban ecology, ecological engineering and industrial ecology (two disciplines) Definition 2: An economic mode of production in which resources needed for production can be reused through recycling, so as to realize recycling and reduce waste discharge. Discipline: resource science and technology (first-class discipline); Resource ecology (two disciplines)

Circular economy, that is, the economy of closed-loop material flow, refers to the economy that changes the traditional linear growth economy that relies on resource consumption into an economy that relies on ecological resource circulation in the whole process of resource input, enterprise production, product consumption and its abandonment.

brief introduction

An economic model with the goal of efficient utilization and recycling of resources, the principle of "reduction, reuse and recycling", the characteristics of closed-loop circulation of materials and cascade utilization of energy, and the model of material circulation and energy flow in natural ecosystems. It requires ecological laws to guide the economic activities of human society, and its purpose is to realize low or even zero pollution, protect the environment and realize the sustainable development of society, economy and environment through efficient recycling of resources. Circular economy is an economy integrating clean production and comprehensive utilization of waste, and it is essentially an ecological economy, which requires ecological laws to guide the economic activities of human society.

Circular economy is the process of reconstructing economic system according to the law of material circulation and energy flow of natural ecosystem, so that economic system can be harmoniously integrated into natural ecosystem and a new economic form can be established. Circular economy is essentially an ecological economy, which requires ecological laws to guide the economic activities of human society. It is a production activity process of comprehensive utilization of energy and its wastes under the guidance of sustainable development and in accordance with clean production. It requires economic activities to form a feedback process of "resources-products-renewable resources"; Its characteristics are low development, high utilization and low emission. Essentially, it is an ecological economy, which requires ecological laws to guide the economic activities of human society.

basic feature

Traditional economy is a one-way linear process of "resources-products-wastes". The more wealth is created, the more resources are consumed, the more waste is produced, and the greater the negative impact on environmental resources. Circular economy can obtain as many economic and social benefits as possible with as little resource consumption and environmental cost as possible, so as to coordinate the material circulation process between economic system and natural ecosystem and promote the sustainable utilization of resources. Therefore, circular economy is a fundamental change to the traditional economic model of "mass production, mass consumption and mass abandonment". Its basic characteristics are:

In the process of resource exploitation, we should vigorously improve the comprehensive development and recycling utilization of resources.

In the link of resource consumption, we should vigorously improve the efficiency of resource utilization.

In the process of waste production, comprehensive utilization of resources should be vigorously carried out.

In the production of renewable resources, we should vigorously recover and recycle all kinds of waste resources.

In social consumption, we should vigorously promote green consumption.

Mainly reflect

As a Scientific Outlook on Development and a brand-new economic development model, circular economy has its own independent characteristics, which experts believe are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

New system view

Circulation refers to the movement process in a certain system, and the circular economy system is a large system composed of people, natural resources and science and technology. The concept of circular economy requires people not to stay out of this big system when considering production and consumption, but to study the economic principles that conform to objective laws as a part of this big system, and to take ecosystem construction such as "returning farmland to lakes", "returning farmland to forests" and "returning grazing to grassland" as the basic work to maintain the sustainable development of the big system.

New economic outlook

Among the elements of traditional industrial economy, capital is circular, labor is circular, and only natural resources are not circular. The concept of circular economy requires ecological laws to guide economic activities, not just mechanical engineering laws since the 9th century. Not only the engineering bearing capacity, but also the ecological bearing capacity should be considered. In the ecosystem, the cycle of economic activities exceeding the carrying capacity of resources is a vicious cycle, which will cause ecosystem degradation; Only a virtuous circle within the carrying capacity of resources can make the ecosystem develop in a balanced way.

New values

When the concept of circular economy considers nature, it is no longer regarded as a "quarry" and a "garbage dump" like the traditional industrial economy, nor is it just an available resource, but as the basis for human survival and an ecosystem that needs to maintain a virtuous circle; When considering science and technology, we should not only consider its ability to develop nature, but also fully consider its ability to repair the ecosystem and make it a technology beneficial to the environment; When considering people's own development, we should not only consider people's ability to conquer nature, but also pay attention to people's ability to live in harmony with nature and promote people's all-round development.

New concept of production

The production concept of traditional industrial economy is to maximize the development and utilization of natural resources, maximize the creation of social wealth and maximize profits. The production concept of circular economy is to fully consider the carrying capacity of natural ecosystem, save natural resources as much as possible, continuously improve the utilization efficiency of natural resources, recycle resources and create benign social wealth. In the production process, the concept of circular economy requires to follow the "3R" principle: the principle of reducing resource utilization, that is, investing as little natural resources as possible at the input end of production; The principle of product reuse, that is, to extend the service life of the product as much as possible and use it in many occasions; The principle of waste recycling is to minimize waste emissions, strive to achieve harmless emissions and realize resource recycling. At the same time, it is also required to replace non-renewable resources with recyclable resources as much as possible in production, such as solar energy, wind energy, farm manure, etc., so that production can reasonably rely on natural ecological cycle; Use high technology as much as possible, and replace material input with knowledge input as much as possible, so as to achieve the harmonious unity of economy, society and ecology, enable human beings to produce and live in a good environment, and truly improve people's quality of life in an all-round way.

New consumption concept

The concept of circular economy requires getting rid of the misunderstanding of "desperate production and desperate consumption" in the traditional industrial economy, advocating moderate and layered consumption of materials, taking into account the recycling of waste while consuming, and establishing the concept of circular production and consumption. At the same time, the concept of circular economy requires that the production and consumption of disposable products with non-renewable resources as raw materials be restricted through taxation and administrative means, such as disposable articles in hotels, disposable tableware and luxurious packaging in restaurants.

Research on the main ways to develop circular economy

From the organizational level of resource flow, the main ways to develop circular economy are mainly from three levels: small enterprise cycle, regional cycle and social cycle; From the technical level of resource utilization, it is mainly realized from three technical paths: efficient utilization of resources, recycling of wastes and harmless treatment.

Three organizational levels of development

From the organizational level of resource flow, circular economy can develop from three levels: the small cycle within economic entities such as enterprises and production bases, the middle cycle between enterprises and industries in industrial concentration areas, including the big cycle of the whole society in the production and life fields.

(1) Based on the material circulation within enterprises, small circulation within economic entities such as enterprises and production bases is constructed. Enterprises, production bases and other economic entities are the microscopic subjects of economic development and the smallest cells of economic activities. Relying on scientific and technological progress, give full play to the initiative and creativity of enterprises, and build a micro-construction system of circular economy with the main purpose of improving the utilization efficiency of resources and energy and reducing waste emissions.

(2) Take the material circulation in the industrial concentration area as the carrier, and construct the intermediate circulation among enterprises, industries and production areas. Taking the popularization and application of ecological park in a certain geographical area as the main form, through the rational organization of industry, the energy flow and logistics integration between enterprises and the recycling of resources are established vertically and horizontally, and the waste exchange and comprehensive utilization of resources are emphasized, so as to realize the low emission or even "zero emission" of pollutants generated in the park, form a circular industrial cluster or circular economic zone, realize the full utilization of resources between different enterprises and industries, and establish the reuse and utilization of secondary resources.

(3) Focus on the material circulation of the whole society, and build a great circulation of the whole society, including production and life. Overall planning of urban and rural development, production and life, through the establishment of circular economic circles between cities and towns, between urban and rural areas, between people and society and the natural environment, a large cycle of material energy production and consumption, including production, consumption and recycling, will be established in the whole society, so as to build a social system in line with circular economy, build a resource-saving and environment-friendly society and maximize economic, social and ecological benefits.

Three development paths of technology

From the technical aspect of resource utilization, the development of circular economy is mainly realized through three technical paths: efficient utilization of resources, recycling and harmless production.

(1) Efficient use of resources. Relying on scientific and technological progress and institutional innovation, we will improve the level of resource utilization and the output rate of unit factors. In the field of agricultural production, first, by exploring efficient production methods, intensive use of land, saving the use of water resources and energy. For example, promoting high-efficiency cultivation techniques such as intercropping and polyculture, introducing or cultivating high-yield and high-quality seedlings and improved varieties, and implementing facilities, large-scale and standardized agricultural production can all improve the output level of unit land and water surface. By optimizing various water utilization schemes, improving water delivery systems such as ditches, improving irrigation methods, and excavating agricultural water conservation, planting water can be realized. By developing intensive water-saving aquaculture, water-saving aquaculture can be realized. The second is to improve the quality of land, water and other resources, and improve the sustainability and carrying capacity of agricultural resources. Through advanced practical means such as straw returning, soil testing formula and scientific fertilization, the conditions needed for efficient growth of crops such as soil organic matter and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium elements are improved, and soil fertility is improved. Using the principle of acid-base neutralization and advanced technology to transform coastal saline-alkali land, or planting special crops in saline-alkali land for a long time to improve the soil and improve the plantability of saline-alkali land. Control the dosage of pesticides, ban highly toxic pesticides, rationally use chemical fertilizers and agricultural films, promote degradable agricultural films, and reduce their erosion to soil; Animal manure should be treated ecologically to reduce its pollution to water. Timely adjustment of stocking density and varieties, rational feeding and fertilization to prevent the deterioration of water quality and coating quality in aquaculture waters and beaches. Reduce the use of antibiotics and other drugs to ensure that crop products and livestock and poultry products meet health standards. In the field of industrial production, the improvement of resource utilization efficiency is mainly reflected in energy-saving, water-saving, material-saving, land-saving and comprehensive utilization of resources, which is achieved through a series of substitutions and substitutions of "high" and "low", "new" and "old". Focusing on the improvement of industrial technology level, efficient management and production technology are mainly used to replace inefficient management and production technology, and high-quality energy is used to replace inferior energy and high-performance equipment. On the other hand, around the rational use of resources, in some production links, waste heat utilization, reclaimed water reuse, parts and equipment maintenance and remanufacturing, scrap metal, waste plastics, waste paper, waste rubber and other renewable resources replace primary resources, and renewable materials replace primary materials. Replace "high" with "low" and "old" with "new", thus improving the utilization efficiency of resources. In the field of daily consumption, advocate a resource-saving lifestyle and promote energy-saving and water-saving appliances. The life style of saving resources is not to cut down the necessary living consumption, but to overcome the bad behavior of wasting resources and reduce unnecessary resource consumption.

(2) Recycling of resources. By building an industrial chain for recycling resources and establishing a recycling channel for renewable resources in production and life, we can realize the effective utilization of resources, reduce the demand for natural resources, and promote the harmonious and circular development of economic social and natural. In the field of agricultural production, the cultivation of crops, livestock and poultry and aquaculture itself must conform to the laws of natural ecology. Realizing the organic coupling agricultural circular industrial chain through advanced technology is to follow the laws of nature and organize effective production according to economic laws. Including: first, the planting-feed-breeding industrial chain. According to the feeding habits of herbaceous animals, give full play to the natural feed function of crop straws in aquaculture and build a breeding chain; The second is the industrial chain of breeding-waste-planting. Through the production of livestock manure organic fertilizer, aquaculture wastes such as pig manure are processed into organic fertilizer and biogas slurry, which can provide clean and efficient organic fertilizer for cultivated crops in farmland, orchards, tea gardens and other places; Biogas residue fermented by livestock manure can also be used to grow special vegetables such as mushrooms; The third is the aquaculture-waste-aquaculture industry chain. The development and popularization of practical technologies such as silkworm rearing with silkworm excrement, shellfish rearing with chicken manure, earthworm rearing with biogas residue fermented with pig manure, etc., realize the internal circulation of aquaculture, which is beneficial to the dual effects of pollution control and resource conservation; The fourth is the ecologically compatible planting-breeding industry chain. Under the premise of controlling stocking density, using open planting space to free-range some livestock and poultry or aquatic animals that are harmless to crops and even have positive effects, and conditionally building an industrial chain compatible with "rice duck farming", "rice crab farming" and "pheasant farming" can promote both planting and breeding; The fifth is the industrial chain of waste energy or pest control. Biogas produced by biogas fermentation of livestock manure can provide farmers with clean living energy, which can be used for lighting, heating, cooking, grain storage and chicken incubation. , can also be used to provide carbon dioxide gas fertilizer for agricultural production, light trapping and other purposes. Crop waste straw is also an important raw material to form biomass energy, which can be tapped and utilized. In the field of industrial production, we should focus on centralized production areas, take industrial by-products, wastes, waste heat energy, waste water and other resources as carriers, strengthen the establishment of vertical and horizontal industrial links between different industries, and promote the recycling of resources. For example, focus on energy, implement cogeneration and regional central heating projects, develop waste heat energy utilization and organic waste energy recovery, and form a multi-channel energy cascade utilization industrial chain; Around the construction of wastewater, water manufacturing and water supply pipe network projects, rationally organize the cascade utilization of wastewater, and form an industrial chain of water resources reuse; Around the waste materials and by-products, we will establish an extended industrial chain, a recycling chain of renewable resources, a comprehensive utilization chain of waste and a maintenance and transformation chain of equipment parts, and build a comprehensive utilization chain of renewable resources. In the field of life and service industry, the key point is to build a recycling network for domestic waste materials, give full play to the circulation function of business service industry, collect and recycle second-hand products, waste materials or wastes in production and life, improve the probability of these resources returning to production, and promote the reuse or recycling of resources.

(3) Harmless discharge of waste. Through the harmless treatment of waste, the impact of production and living activities on the ecological environment is reduced. In the field of agricultural production, clean agriculture is mainly implemented by popularizing ecological agriculture methods. Using biogas fermentation technology, the manure produced by livestock and poultry breeding is treated to turn harm into benefit and produce biogas and organic agricultural fertilizer; Control the use of drugs in aquaculture, popularize scientific feeding, and reduce the pollution of aquaculture to water. Explore ecological complementary aquaculture, strengthen the harmless treatment of livestock and poultry feed, epidemic detection and prevention; Implement agricultural cleaner production, adopt comprehensive biological and physical pest control, reduce the use of pesticides, reduce pesticide residues in crops and the accumulation of pesticide toxins in soil; Use degradable agricultural film, implement agricultural film recycling, and reduce land residue. In the field of industrial production, we will promote waste emission reduction and cleaner production technologies, apply dust removal, desulfurization and denitrification technologies of coal-fired boilers, and do a good job in the decomposition, biochemical treatment and incineration of industrial waste oil, wastewater and organic solids, thus greatly reducing the output of waste gas, waste liquid and solid waste in industrial production. Expand the application proportion of clean energy and reduce the emission of harmful substances in energy production and use. In the field of daily consumption, we advocate reducing the consumption mode of disposable articles and cultivating the habit of garbage sorting.

source and course

The concept of circular economy can be traced back to the rise of environmental protection in the 1960s. 1962, rachel carson, an American ecologist, published Silent Spring, pointing out the dangers faced by living things and human beings. The term "circular economy" was first put forward by American economist K. Paulding, which mainly refers to transforming the traditional linear growth economy that relies on resource consumption into an economy that relies on the recycling of ecological resources in the whole process of resource input, enterprise production, product consumption and its abandonment. His "spaceship economy theory" can be regarded as an early representative of circular economy. The general content is: the earth is like a spaceship flying in space, relying on the constant consumption of its limited resources to survive. If resources are not developed rationally and the environment is destroyed, it will be destroyed like a spaceship. Therefore, the spacecraft economy needs a new concept of development: first, the past "growth" economy must be transformed into a "reserve" economy; Second, change the traditional "consumption economy" and replace it with a rest economy; Third, implement welfare economy and abandon the economy that only focuses on production; Fourth, we should establish a "circular" economy that will neither run out of resources nor cause environmental pollution and ecological damage, and can recover various substances to replace the "single plan" economy in the past.

After 1990s, developing knowledge economy and circular economy has become two major trends in the international community. China began to introduce the concept of circular economy in 1990s. Since then, the theoretical research and practice of circular economy have been deepened.

1998 introduced the concept of German circular economy and established the central position of the "3R" principle. 1999 integrates the development model of circular economy from the perspective of sustainable production; In 2002, the development significance of circular economy was recognized from the perspective of new industrialization; In 2003, circular economy was brought into Scientific Outlook on Development, and the development strategy of reduction was established. In 2004, it was proposed to vigorously develop circular economy from different spatial scales of cities, regions and countries.

Related thinking research

Main points 1

Circular economy is an economic growth model that conforms to the concept of sustainable development. It has grasped the crux of the current relative shortage and massive consumption of resources in China, and has urgent practical significance for solving the resource bottleneck constraint of China's economic development.

Main point 2

The importance of "3R", the principle of "reduction, reuse and recycling" in circular economy, is not juxtaposed, but arranged in scientific order. Now the academic circles have put forward the principles of "4R", "5R" and "6R", such as adding "reorganization", "reflection", "remanufacturing" and "repair" to "3R". We believe that these principles are specific, targeted, reasonable and targeted for some different levels or fields, such as management level, consciousness level or some industry fields.