Elsevier
COP26 is the 2021 United Nations annual climate change conference. COP stands for Conference of the Parties. Parties are the signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - a treaty agreed in 1994 which has 197 Parties (196 countries and the EU). The 2021 conference, hosted by the UK, together with our partners Italy, in Glasgow, will be the 26th meeting of the Parties, which is why it's called COP26.
United Nations climate change conferences are among the largest international meetings in the world. The negotiations between governments are complex and involve officials from every country in the world as well as representatives from civil society and the global news media.
To build momentum for this pivotal event, we're sharing a curated list of impactful book chapters and journal articles that will drive research and deliver meaningful ways to take positive environmental action.
Since the launch of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, the SDGs have been widely adopted by governments and corporations in an effort to improve their sustainability. There are 17 SDGs, comprising 169 targets, which are measurable against 247 unique indicators. Despite pervasive global pollution from (micro)plastics, there is only one indicator (14.1.1b) under Goal 14, specifically related to reducing impacts from (micro)plastics.
Elsevier, Cold Fusion: Advances in Condensed Matter Nuclear Science, Volume , 14 January 2020
Long-term electrolysis with a thick Pd electrode in 0.1. M LiOD was performed. Some techniques to conduct clean and stable electrolysis are described. The surface morphology of postelectrolysis Pd electrodes was analyzed: it consisted of holes and two long faults without any crack. To understand the evolution of the morphology, the physicochemical properties of hydrated Pd have been studied by in situ potentiometric, resistance, and dilatometric measurements. The results of microstructural changes were further analyzed with reference to knowledge of hydrogen embrittlement.
Elsevier,
Design and Operation of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: The Systems Engineering Vision for Industrial Application, Volume , 1 January 2019
This book chapter advances SDG goals 7, 13, and 11 by examining the use of solid oxide fuel cells in land, marine, and aerial vehicles as a replacement for carbon emitting fossil fuel engines.
The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change are complex existential threats, unpredictable in many ways and unprecedented in modern times. There are parallels between the scale and scope of their impacts and responses. Understanding shared drivers, coupled vulnerabilities, and criteria for effective responses will help societies worldwide prepare for the simultaneous threats of climate change and future pandemics. We summarize some shared characteristics of COVID-19 and climate change impacts and interventions and discuss key policy implications and recommendations.
Elsevier,
Green Ports: Inland and Seaside Sustainable Transportation Strategies, Volume , 20 September 2018
This book chapter addresses SDG 9 and 13 by closely looking at how China's green port strategy can be seen as a model for other developed countries to alleviate waste, dust, and noise as part of port management.
Elsevier,
Encyclopedia of Sustainable Technologies, Volume , 4 July 2017
This book chapter advances SDG 15 and 11 introducing a novel agricultural practice—vertical farming/urban agriculture, highlighting how it can help deliver safe and nutritious food for a growing world population in environmentally and socially sustainable ways.
Elsevier,
Encyclopedia of Sustainable Technologies, Volume , 4 July 2017
This book chapter advances SDG 11, 15 and 9 presenting the role of adaptation of buildings in the context of climate change, the consequent implications on buildings in various climatic zones, and the possible strategies that need to be evaluated.
Elsevier,
Hybrid Nuclear Energy Systems, A Sustainable Solution for the 21st Century, Hybrid Energy Systems, 2021, Pages 23-41
This book chapter advances SDG 7 and 11 by discussing the uses of hybrid energy systems, contrasting and ranking the application capabilities of major reactor and power plant types.
Elsevier,
Nuclear Decommissioning Case Studies, Volume Two - Policies, Strategies, Planning and Knowledge Management, 2021, Pages 3-7
This book chapter advances SDG 7 and 11 by highlighting the concepts of policy, strategy, early and detailed planning, Life Cycle Management, and poor or good practices associated with nuclear decommissioning.
Elsevier, Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks, Volume 28, December 2021
By the year 2019, the number of people without access to electricity was 770 million, most of which lived in rural areas. The currently models for rural electrification are often limited in their electrical analysis, or focus on a idealistic optimal solution whilst ignoring the real hierarchical topology of power systems. This work proposes a rural electrification strategy that makes use of Geographic Information System (GIS), graph theory and terrain analysis to create the best electric network topology.
Elsevier, Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, Volume 537, 1 November 2021
Fish experiencing abnormally high or prolonged elevations in temperature can exhibit impaired reproduction, even for species adapted to warm water environments. Such high temperature inhibition of reproduction has been linked to diminished gonadal steroidogenesis, but the mechanisms whereby hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis signaling is impacted by high temperature are not fully understood.
The accessibility concept provides a suitable framework for the achievement of sustainable land use and transport systems. Environmental and climate concerns have gained particular relevance among sustainability goals in recent years, thus reshaping political agendas all over the world. Against this background, this paper explores the practical relevance of accessibility instruments for low carbon mobility planning.
Elsevier, Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks, Volume 27, September 2021
Renewable energies have been discussed as the main efficient solution for solving many issues regarding climate change. Statistics said that the share of the building sector is very high in excessive use of fossil fuels. This study aimed to utilize the natural wind to create optimal natural ventilation to achieve thermal comfort of the indoor environment through the best layout and placement of residential blocks, creating proper distance between blocks and orienting blocks properly inside a residential complex site in a summery humid climate.
Elsevier, Animal Behaviour, Volume 178, August 2021
Why is polyandry such a common mating behaviour when it exposes females to a range of significant fitness costs? Here, we investigated whether polyandry protects females against reduced male fertility caused by thermal stress from heatwave conditions. Sperm production and function are vulnerable to heat, and heatwave conditions are forecast to increase as our climate warms, so we examined these effects on female reproduction and mating behaviour in the flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, a promiscuous ectotherm model in which fertility is damaged by environmental warming.
The direct conversion of methane to methanol is very promising to achieve a decarbonized future but remains a great challenge. The electrochemical activation and partial oxidation of methane to methanol are highly attractive to enable the direct conversion in a sustainable and decentralized way. In this review, we present an overview of the main strategies that have allowed to gain mechanistic insight into the electrochemical activation of methane.
Elsevier, Bone, Volume 147, June 2021
Purpose: To investigate the monthly and seasonal variation in adult osteoporotic fragility fractures and the association with weather. Methods: 12-year observational study of a UK Fracture Liaison Service (outpatient secondary care setting). Database analyses of the records of adult outpatients aged 50 years and older with fragility fractures. Weather data were obtained from the UK's national Meteorological Office.
Elsevier, General and Comparative Endocrinology, Volume 304, 1 April 2021
The clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) is a common model species in studies assessing the impact of climate changes on tropical coral fish physiology, metabolism, growth, and stress. However, the basic endocrine principles for the control of food intake and energy homeostasis, under normal and elevated sea temperatures, in this species remain unknown. In this work, we studied food intake and growth in clown anemonefish reared at different temperatures and with different food availability.
This paper presents an analysis of the path towards a clean energy transition in rural areas, from the time that households do not have electricity access from any source, to when they get access to the national electricity; considering the intermediate access to an off-grid renewable technology, as well as the post-electrification years. For this, field household-level data are collected through surveys and electricity consumption measurements in rural Kenya.
Elsevier, Current Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, Volume 4, January 2021
Porous liquids form a new class of materials, which are liquid at room temperature and possess permanent porosity. The latter is a characteristic generally associated with solid-state only. Since the idea of porous liquid was exploited over a decade ago, the researchers see an opportunity of solving the solid material's limitation in gas capture and separation. In this discussion, we present the most recent developments on porous liquids and, in our perspectives, how they can tackle energy and environmental issues by their coupling with membrane technology.
Elsevier, Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, Volume 519, 1 January 2021
The ability to maintain a (relatively) stable body temperature in a wide range of thermal environments by use of endogenous heat production is a unique feature of endotherms such as birds. Endothermy is acquired and regulated via various endocrine and molecular pathways, and ultimately allows wide aerial, aquatic, and terrestrial distribution in variable environments. However, due to our changing climate, birds are faced with potential new challenges for thermoregulation, such as more frequent extreme weather events, lower predictability of climate, and increasing mean temperature.
Elsevier, Energy Policy, Volume 147, December 2020
In this paper, we use standard scenarios focussing on renewable energy, energy efficiency and grid investments. We take stock of the literature and quantitative data on available sources of financing for clean energy to qualitatively match supply and demand of specific sources of finance in the European context. Our analysis shows that under the current investment mandates and lending criteria the required funds for a successful energy transition are available. In fact, the current landscape of financing sources can provide between two and six times what is necessary.
This synthesis paper presents the objectives, approach and cross-cutting results of the Latin American Deep Decarbonization Pathways project (DDP-LAC). It synthesizes and compares detailed national and sectoral deep decarbonization pathways (DDPs) to 2050 compatible with the Paris Agreement objectives and domestic development priorities in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru.
The pyrolysis-catalytic steam reforming of six agricultural biomass waste samples as well as the three main components of biomass was investigated in a two stage fixed bed reactor. Pyrolysis of the biomass took place in the first stage followed by catalytic steam reforming of the evolved pyrolysis gases in the second stage catalytic reactor. The waste biomass samples were, rice husk, coconut shell, sugarcane bagasse, palm kernel shell, cotton stalk and wheat straw and the biomass components were, cellulose, hemicellulose (xylan) and lignin.
The question of how to enable an effective, modern, global energy transition is garnering significant interest in both academic and policy making communities. Composite statistical indices have emerged as a useful class of tools to offer policymakers additional insights into the state and trajectory of energy transitions around the world. In this commentary, we discuss the purpose of energy indices in general and document several prominent examples. We then introduce and place in this landscape the World Economic Forum's Energy Transitions Index (ETI).
Elsevier, Energy Research and Social Science, Volume 35, January 2018
Inspired by the energy democracy movement, this conceptual review critically explores relationships between concentrated or distributed renewable energy and political power. Advocates assert that because the renewable energy transition is fundamentally a political struggle, efforts to shift from fossil fuels and decarbonize societies will not prove effective without confronting and destabilizing dominant systems of energy power.
Elsevier, Heliyon, Volume 7, July 2021
Despite the improvement in technologies for the production of alternative fuels (AFs), and the needs for using more AFs for motor vehicles for the reductions in air pollution and greenhouse gases, the number of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) in the global transportation sector has not been increasing significantly (there are even small drops for adapting some AFs through the projections) in recent years and even in the near future with projections to 2050. And gasoline and diesel fuels will remain as the main energy sources for motor vehicles.
Elsevier, Heliyon, Volume 7, July 2021
Global warming is adversely affecting the earth's climate system due to rapid emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Consequently, the world's coastal ecosystems are rapidly approaching a dangerous situation. In this study, we formulate a mathematical model to assess the impact of rapid emissions of GHGs on climate change and coastal ecosystems. Furthermore, we develop a mitigation method involving two control strategies: coastal greenbelt and desulfurization.
Elsevier, Heliyon, Volume 7, July 2021
The lock down engendered by COVID-19 pandemic has impacted positively on the environment through reduction of the emissions of green house gases, CO2, CO and other pollutants into the atmosphere below the pre-COVID-19 levels. There are fears that the gains made in the environment during COVID-19 may be frittered away as nations around the world make serious efforts to boost the COVID-19 recessed economy through massive investments in the sectors of the economy that are not environmentally friendly.
Elsevier, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 127, July 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has had growing environmental consequences related to plastic use and follow-up waste, but more urgent health issues have far overshadowed the potential impacts. This paper gives a prospective outlook on how the disruption caused by COVID-19 can act as a catalyst for short-term and long-term changes in plastic waste management practices throughout the world. The impact of the pandemic and epidemic following through the life cycles of various plastic products, particularly those needed for personal protection and healthcare, is assessed.
Global and regional trends indicate that energy demand will soon be covered by a widespread deployment of renewable energy sources. However, the weather and climate driven energy sources are characterized by a significant spatial and temporal variability. One of the commonly mentioned solutions to overcome the mismatch between demand and supply provided by renewable generation is a hybridization of two or more energy sources into a single power station (like wind-solar, solar-hydro or solar-wind-hydro).
Elsevier, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 113, October 2019
Accurate health estimation and lifetime prediction of lithium-ion batteries are crucial for durable electric vehicles. Early detection of inadequate performance facilitates timely maintenance of battery systems. This reduces operational costs and prevents accidents and malfunctions. Recent advancements in “Big Data” analytics and related statistical/computational tools raised interest in data-driven battery health estimation. Here, we will review these in view of their feasibility and cost-effectiveness in dealing with battery health in real-world applications.
This review gives a worldwide overview on Power-to-Gas projects producing hydrogen or renewable substitute natural gas focusing projects in central Europe. It deepens and completes the content of previous reviews by including hitherto unreviewed projects and by combining project names with details such as plant location.
The advent of more proactive consumers, the so-called “prosumers” with production and storage capabilities, is empowering the consumers and bringing new opportunities and challenges to the operation of power systems in a market environment. Recently, a novel proposal for the design and operation of electricity markets has emerged: these so-called peer-to-peer (P2P) electricity markets conceptually allow the prosumers to directly share their electrical energy and investment.
Research into alternative renewable energy generation is a priority, due to the ever-increasing concern of climate change. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are one potential avenue to be explored, as a partial solution towards combating the over-reliance on fossil fuel based electricity. Limitations have slowed the advancement of MFC development, including low power generation, expensive electrode materials and the inability to scale up MFCs to industrially relevant capacities. However, utilisation of new advanced electrode-materials (i.e.
Elsevier, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 100, February 2019
Blockchains or distributed ledgers are an emerging technology that has drawn considerable interest from energy supply firms, startups, technology developers, financial institutions, national governments and the academic community. Numerous sources coming from these backgrounds identify blockchains as having the potential to bring significant benefits and innovation. Blockchains promise transparent, tamper-proof and secure systems that can enable novel business solutions, especially when combined with smart contracts.
Currently, renewable energy is rapidly developing across the world in response to technical, economic and environmental developments, as well as political and social initiatives. On the other hand, excessive penetration of distributed generation (DG) systems into electrical networks may lead to various problems and operational limit violations, such as over and under voltages, excessive line losses, overloading of transformers and feeders, protection failure and high harmonic distortion levels exceeding the limits of international standards.
Wildfire is one of the most critical natural disasters that threaten wildlands and forest resources. Traditional firefighting systems, which are based on ground crew inspection, have several limits and can expose firefighters’ lives to danger. Thus, remote sensing technologies have become one of the most demanded strategies to fight against wildfires, especially UAV-based remote sensing technologies. They have been adopted to detect forest fires at their early stages, before becoming uncontrollable.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Volume 42, December 2021
Climate change's particular ‘perfect storm’ problem-nature requires educators and communicators to acknowledge that a single ‘silver bullet’ intervention that eliminates ignorance and denial regarding global warming may never emerge. However, diverse kinds of information-hunks and educational initiatives do incrementally increase acceptance (and alarm) regarding climate change, thus decreasing ignorance/denial.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Volume 42, December 2021
How can we as individuals or groups mitigate climate change? One key issue is whether motives other than the pursuit of material self-interest can be used fruitfully to reduce climate change. In this article I describe recent research that supports three deeply rooted concerns: (a) concern with other humans (prosociality), (b) concern with equality (egalitarianism), and (c) concern with animals (as part of adherence to biospheric values).
The fact that a behavior can be instrumental for multiple goals does not logically entail that people are typically propelled into action for multiple reasons. On the contrary, goal-directed behavior in the real world is, in a given instance, aimed at one focal goal. In this article, I present the Campbell paradigm, in which a particular behavior is controlled by a single reason or goal. To identify the very reason (i.e.
Environmental values and identities, at the personal and group level, motivate individuals’ climate actions. Many individuals report having strong environmental values and self-identities, and thus appear personally motivated to support and take climate action. To achieve society-wide climate action, we argue that it is critical to fully use this personal motivational base for climate action by, for instance, emphasizing the environmental benefits of climate actions and reminding people of their past pro-environmental actions.
Recent findings and emerging trends concerning the role of affect and emotion in climate change perceptions and judgments as well as their potential as drivers of sustainable action are reviewed. The affective responses people experience toward climate change are consistently found to be among the strongest predictors of risk perceptions, mitigation behavior, adaptation behavior, policy support, and technology acceptance.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Volume 42, December 2021
The mounting research on consumer behavior and climate change is gradually improving our understanding of effective ways to mobilize consumers to mitigate climate change. The relationship between consumer behavior and climate change is complex and most consumers are not capable of determining which behavior changes are worth doing. Research has come a long way identifying the most impactful behavior changes, but more research is needed to refine and situate these insights.
Elsevier, Public Health in Practice, Volume 2, November 2021
Cyclones and tropical storms are important threats to public health faced by countries worldwide as they are associated with infectious disease outbreaks, unsafe food and water to mention a few. To help meet these challenges, the World Health Organization encourages countries to strengthen their capacities for health emergency and disaster risk management incorporating measures for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. In this letter, we unpack the case of Zimbabwe's preparedness and response to cyclones and tropical storms.
Transitioning the energy sector to zero or net-zero emission of greenhouse gasses (GHG) and substantially reducing other pollutants is a massive, costly, and long-term effort. The typical starting point and centerpiece of energy decarbonization is the electric power sector. The sector is a large direct GHG emitter. It already has many technological, non-carbon emitting alternatives that are rapidly declining in capital and operating costs and improving in performance, making electricity the least expensive and accessible energy carrier to decarbonize.
Enabling a circular economy for plastics in Europe and beyond is an ambitious goal. To reach a fully closed loop, numerous challenges and knowledge gaps need to be overcome. This review provides a list of more than 6000 chemicals reported to be found in plastics and an overview of the challenges and gaps in assessing their impacts on the environment and human health along the life cycle of plastic products. We further identified 1518 plastic-related chemicals of concern, which should be prioritized for substitution by safer alternatives.
Hydrogen as a clean, reliable and potentially sustainable energy vector has attracted growing interest for promoting the sustainable development of both industry and society worldwide. Hydrogen is a rising enabler for a multisectorial transition toward a low-carbon economy based on renewable energy sources. Nevertheless, there is a lack of literature scientifically scrutinizing the relationships between a hydrogen economy and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Elsevier, Global Environmental Change, Volume 70, September 2021
The purpose of the present paper is to disentangle the mechanisms that connect climate change-induced disasters, inequality and vulnerability by accounting for both directions of causality. We do so by means of a simultaneous equations approach on a panel of 149 countries from 1992 to 2018. The empirical analysis reveals that countries with higher levels of income inequality suffer greater damages when hit by a natural disaster. At the same time, inequality is found to increase the number of people affected by disasters.
Elsevier, Sustainable Cities and Society, Volume 72, September 2021
Urban areas are critical in accomplishing the clean energy transition and meeting the climate goals in the Paris Agreement. The first part of this paper presents a systematic review of scientific publications on zero emission neighbourhoods, positive energy districts and similar concepts of climate friendly neighbourhoods (CFN). The second lists a selection of CFN definitions of public initiatives and research projects. The aim is to identify focus areas, research gaps and future research possibilities.
Elsevier, Energy Policy, Volume 154, July 2021
Local authorities in the United Kingdom are recognised by central government as key agents to achieving the national net zero target aimed at stabilising global temperatures at or below 1.5 degrees in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. Since 2018, over 75% of local authorities have declared climate emergencies committing to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions. This paper presents the findings of a review of official public records published by 308 local authorities, City Regions and Combined Authorities declaring climate emergencies.
Water is the fundamental natural resource that supports life, ecosystems and human society. Thus studying the water cycle is important for sustainable development. In the context of global climate change, a better understanding of the water cycle is needed. This study summarises current research and highlights future directions of water science from four perspectives: (i) the water cycle; (ii) hydrologic processes; (iii) coupled natural-social water systems; and (iv) integrated watershed management.
Greenhouse gas emissions are directly associated with climate change issues. Part of the emissions originates from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil used as an energy source for the performance of agricultural machinery's internal combustion engines. However, discussions relevant to the topic are under development in Brazil, and there is a lack of research in the academic field on the intellectual property of agricultural technologies.
Elsevier, Journal for Nurse Practitioners, Volume , 2021
Climate change is the most critical public health crisis of the 21st century. Physical and medical sequelae of climate and weather-related events are well documented and may be addressed in clinical practice. Mental health impacts of climate change are increasingly addressed in the literature but remain underrecognized by clinicians. This report focuses on mental health impacts of climate change through the theoretical framework of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
Elsevier, Materials Today Sustainability, Volume 10, December 2020
Herein, we present a multigram scale-up route for the preparation of novel polymer composite nanoparticles as potential multifunctional rechargeable material for future, sustainable batteries. The nanoparticles (20 nm) comprise three innocuous yet functional interpenetrated macromolecular networks: polypyrrole, methylcellulose, and lignin. They are uniquely assembled in strands or chains (~200 nm) such as necklace beads and show long-term stability as water dispersion.
Elsevier, Food Quality and Preference, Volume 86, December 2020
Targeted interventions have important under-explored potential for reducing meat consumption. We hypothesized that group-specific interventions targeting reduction for reducer, moderate-hindrance, and strong-hindrance meat eaters would be effective. All participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions designed for these three meat-eating groups, or to a control condition. Following the intervention, up to 28 days of food diaries were gathered to measure their consumption of animal products, which were weighted according to their greenhouse gas emissions.
Elsevier, Government Information Quarterly, Volume 37, October 2020
Nudging is seen to complement or replace existing policy tools by altering people's choice architectures towards behaviors that align with government aims, but has fallen short in meeting those targets. Crucially, governments do not nudge citizens directly, but need private agents to nudge their consumers. Based on this notion, the paper takes on an institutional approach towards nudging. Rather than looking at the relationship between nudger and nudgee, the research analyses the regulatory and market structures that affect nudge implementation by private actors, captured by the ‘budge’ idea.
Geography and Sustainability, Volume 1, September 2020
Tillage is the most common agricultural practice dating back to the origin of agriculture. In recent decades, no-tillage (NT) has been introduced to improve soil and water quality. However, changes in soil properties resulting from long-term NT can increase losses of dissolved phosphorus, nitrate and some classes of pesticides, and NT effect on nitrous oxide (N2O) emission remains controversial. Complementary management that enhances the overall environmental benefits of NT is therefore crucial.
Elsevier, Geography and Sustainability, Volume 1, September 2020
Climate change requires joint actions between government and local actors. Understanding the perception of people and communities is critical for designing climate change adaptation strategies. Those most affected by climate change are populations in coastal regions that face extreme weather events and sea-level increases. In this article, geospatial perception of climate change is identified, and the research parameters are quantified.
Elsevier,
Geography and Sustainability, Volume 1, September 2020
Agriculture consumes huge amounts of water in China and is profoundly affected by climate change. This study projects the agricultural water use towards 2030 under the climate change mitigation target at the provincial level in China by linking a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model and a regression model.
Climate, land use and land cover (LULC) changes are among the primary driving forces of soil loss. Decoupling their effects can help in understanding the magnitude and trend of soil loss in response to human activities and ecosystem management. Here, the RUSLE model was applied to estimate the spatial-temporal variations of soil loss rate in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) area during 2001–2015, followed by a scenario design to decouple the effects of climate and LULC changes. The results showed that increasing rainfall generated as much as 2.90 × 107 t soil loss in the TGR area.
Elsevier, Materials Today Sustainability, Volume 9, September 2020
Solar light-driven water splitting provides a promising way to store and use abundant solar energy in the form of gaseous hydrogen which is the cleanest chemical fuel for mankind; therefore this field has been attracting increasing attention over the past decades.
Elsevier, Journal for Nurse Practitioners, Volume 16, June 2020
Nurse practitioners (NPs) have key roles in addressing health consequences of climate change across the lifespan for patients, families, communities, and populations. The role of the NP in the health and well-being of vulnerable populations is critical in understanding the deleterious consequences of climate change. Older adults are considered a vulnerable population for health challenges in our climate-changing world. The link between climate and health via a systems approach includes engaging in health assessment, physical examination, differential diagnoses, and plans for interventions.
Climate change will expose mammals to an array of stressors, some new, and some with increased frequency and severity. Those stressors influence endocrine and metabolic function, with potential consequences for the survival and persistence of mammalian species. Here, we review the similar consequences of climate change on the physiological function of terrestrial mammals, including direct effects of increasing air temperatures and reduced water availability, as well as the indirect effect of reduced or unpredictable food supply.
Elsevier, Telematics and Informatics, Volume 46, March 2020
Persuading individuals to engage in pro-environmental behavior is challenging. Interactive media, such as virtual environments and video games, present opportunities to minimize psychological distance and bolster perceived risks associated with environmental threats. In this experiment, we tested the effects of a serious game that allowed users to engage in environmental cleanup. In the virtual environment, participants (N = 190) navigated down a polluted river that was described as geographically and temporally close or distant.
Elsevier, World Patent Information, Volume 59, December 2019
Identification of methodologies for recycling laminated glass, especially the interlayer film, and their contextualization within the glass recycling field implicated an extensive patent search. During the last decade the technology centre L'Urederra exploited a methodology for recycling the poly-vinyl-butyral to be reused as interlayer in windscreens. Subsequent rounds of patents selection were aimed at identifying equivalent or innovative methodologies.
Elsevier, World Patent Information, Volume 59, December 2019
Detailed information on research and development (R&D) spending of the private sector is very limited, particularly when the interest is on small and medium enterprises or focuses on companies active in multiple technology areas. This lack of data poses challenges on the robustness of quantitative analyses and, as a consequence, on the reliability of evidences needed, for example, to support policy-makers in policy design. This paper proposes a patent-based method to estimate R&D expenditure in the private sector.
Elsevier, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Volume 193, May 2019
Metal halide perovskite materials have revolutionized the solution-processed solar cells and become the vanguard of research focus with an unprecedented improvement of power conversion efficiencies up to 23.3%, which pose a remarkable challenge to thin film and multicrystalline silicon photovoltaics. Nevertheless, for conventional perovskite solar cells based on lead, it is ineluctable to take the toxicity of lead and the long-term stability of the devices into consideration when the deployment of this technology in mass production is put on the agenda.
Elsevier, Biomass and Bioenergy, Volume 123, April 2019
Pyrolysis converts biomass into liquid, gaseous and solid fuels. This work reviews the existing models for biomass pyrolysis, including kinetic, network and mechanistic models. The kinetic models are based on the global reaction mechanisms and have been extensively used for a wide range of biomass under various operating conditions. Major emphases have been on the network models as these models predict the structural changes during biomass pyrolysis. Key aspects of various network models include reaction schemes, structural characteristics and applications to CFD simulations.
Elsevier, Energy Research and Social Science, Volume 35, January 2018
Looking back from 2050, this article is written in the form of a fictional speech reflecting on the impressive progress made by 2050 towards achieving the global goal of zero net emissions. The speaker also highlights the severe and ongoing ecological damage and human suffering caused by the failure to reduce emissions with sufficient urgency in the first quarter of the 21st Century – and the ongoing challenge of implementing the actions required to bring global temperatures back below 1.5 degrees. The speech identifies the following key drivers of the ‘great 21st century energy transition’.
Elsevier, General and Comparative Endocrinology, Volume 157, July 2008
All organisms respond to environmental cues that allow them to organize the timing and duration of life history stages that make up their life cycles. Superimposed on this predictable life cycle are unpredictable events that have the potential to be stressful. Environmental and social stresses have deleterious effects on life history stages such as migration, reproductive function and molt in vertebrates. Global climate change, human disturbance and endocrine disruption from pollutants are increasingly likely to pose additional stresses that could have a major impact on organisms.
Elsevier, eClinicalMedicine, Volume 37, July 2021
Background: Because of the limited epidemiological evidence on the association between acute air pollutants and allergy, there is a need to investigate this association, especially between the short-term exposure to air pollution and the serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergy. Methods: A total of 39,569 IgE test results and demographic characteristics were obtained in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between August 2012 and September 2019. Ninety-nine specific allergens were tested according to clinical diagnosis.
Elsevier, The Lancet Planetary Health, Volume 5, February 2021
Background: nationally determined contributions (NDCs) serve to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement of staying “well below 2°C”, which could also yield substantial health co-benefits in the process. However, existing NDC commitments are inadequate to achieve this goal. Placing health as a key focus of the NDCs could present an opportunity to increase ambition and realise health co-benefits.
Elsevier, Food Quality and Preference, Volume 86, December 2020
Targeted interventions have important under-explored potential for reducing meat consumption. We hypothesized that group-specific interventions targeting reduction for reducer, moderate-hindrance, and strong-hindrance meat eaters would be effective. All participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions designed for these three meat-eating groups, or to a control condition. Following the intervention, up to 28 days of food diaries were gathered to measure their consumption of animal products, which were weighted according to their greenhouse gas emissions.
Elsevier, Geography and Sustainability, Volume 1, September 2020
Climate change requires joint actions between government and local actors. Understanding the perception of people and communities is critical for designing climate change adaptation strategies. Those most affected by climate change are populations in coastal regions that face extreme weather events and sea-level increases. In this article, geospatial perception of climate change is identified, and the research parameters are quantified.
Elsevier,
The Journal of Climate Change and Health, Volume 4, 2021,100038,
A declaration from regional, national, and international pediatric organizations—together with multidisciplinary child health professionals, child advocates, youth, and families—to address the climate crisis and its adverse effects on child health.
Elsevier,
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition, Volume 1, 2021,100001,
Rapid climate action is urgently necessary, but it poses risks to justice. Major justice risks relate to fossil fuel phase-out, increased resource use, distribution of economic impacts, human needs. To mitigate against this we need to be inclusive of diverse voices and able to deal with radical ideas. This paper outlines a way we can do this.
Elsevier,
Public Health in Practice, Volume 2, 2021,100095,
A call for research into how planetary health, specifically public health, is linked to climate change and how humans are changing the planet. Climate change and biodiversity loss are impacting human immunity and disease outbreaks
As large renewable capacities penetrate the European energy system and the climate faces significant alterations, the future operation of hydropower reservoirs might deviate from today. In this work, we first analyze the changes in hydropower operation required to balance a wind- and solar-dominated European energy system. Second, we apply runoff data obtained from combining five different global circulation models and two regional climate models to estimate future reservoir inflow at three CO2 emissions scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5).
Low- and moderate-income (LMI) households remain less likely to adopt rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) than higher-income households. A transient period of inequitable adoption is common among emerging technologies but stakeholders are calling for an accelerated transition to equitable rooftop PV adoption. To date, researchers have focused on demand-side drivers of PV adoption inequity, but supply-side factors could also play a role. Here, we use quote data to explore whether PV installers implement income-targeted marketing and the extent to which such strategies drive adoption inequity.
Heliyon, Volume 7, Issue 9, 2021, e07838,
Many inhabited Greek/Mediterranean islands are unsustainable without mainland support due to lack of access to clean water and energy. This case study establishes the feasibility of sustainable green energy solutions for these settlements.
Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, Volume 2,2021,100008,
Limiting climate change requires effective policy solutions. In democratic societies, voting for candidates who support climate policy solutions is arguably the most important action citizens can take. Therefore, understanding the dynamics of global warming as a voting issue is crucial for building public and political will for climate solutions.
Europeans are not only exposed to direct effects from climate change, but also vulnerable to indirect effects from infectious disease, many of which are climate sensitive, which is of concern because of their epidemic potential. Climatic conditions have facilitated vector-borne disease outbreaks like chikungunya, dengue, and West Nile fever and have contributed to a geographic range expansion of tick vectors that transmit Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis.
Elsevier,
The Journal of Climate Change and Health, Volume 4, 2021, 100058
This paper presents an initial qualitative exploration of United States physicians’ perspectives with regard to whether, why and how physicians might discuss the health effects of global environmental change, climate change in particular, with their patients and what would need to change in healthcare systems to facilitate this.
The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 2021, 100065
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has developed a unique Climate Change Curriculum Infusion Project (CCCIP) designed to incorporate information on climate health into an existing undergraduate preclinical curriculum.
Elsevier,
The Journal of Climate Change and Health, Volume 4, 2021, 100070
The healthcare industry is the second leading contributor of waste in the United States. This study reports a waste audit to identify key waste generators in an outpatient practice and start immediately reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
Elsevier,
The Journal of Climate Change and Health, Volume 4, 2021, 100050
To prevent the most catastrophic health effects of climate change, urgent reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are needed from all sectors to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, along with those of the Race to Zero: to halve emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The health care sector is not exempt from this charge.
Elsevier, eClinicalMedicine, Volume 37, July 2021
Background: Because of the limited epidemiological evidence on the association between acute air pollutants and allergy, there is a need to investigate this association, especially between the short-term exposure to air pollution and the serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergy. Methods: A total of 39,569 IgE test results and demographic characteristics were obtained in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between August 2012 and September 2019. Ninety-nine specific allergens were tested according to clinical diagnosis.
Elsevier,
Sustainability of Life Cycle Management for Nuclear Cementation-Based Technologies, Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy, 2021, Pages 181-232
This book chapter advances SDG 7 and 11 by analysing the sustainability of cementitious structures, systems, and components (SSC’s), with a particular focus on the impact of long-term environmental stressors, and how to predict and model degradation damage.
Elsevier, Energy Research and Social Science, Volume 35, January 2018
Looking back from 2050, this article is written in the form of a fictional speech reflecting on the impressive progress made by 2050 towards achieving the global goal of zero net emissions. The speaker also highlights the severe and ongoing ecological damage and human suffering caused by the failure to reduce emissions with sufficient urgency in the first quarter of the 21st Century – and the ongoing challenge of implementing the actions required to bring global temperatures back below 1.5 degrees. The speech identifies the following key drivers of the ‘great 21st century energy transition’.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Non-economic loss and damage induced by climate change in the Pacific Islands region has been reported as fears of cultural loss, deterioration of vital ecosystem services, and dislocation from ancestral lands, among others. This paper undertakes an in-depth systematic review of literature from the frontlines of the Pacific Islands to ascertain the complexities of non-economic loss and damage from climate change.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
The multifaceted relationships that exist between communities and the environment in Fiji are increasingly threatened by the cross-temporal impacts of climate change. Recent literature on the relocation of vulnerable communities as a means to avoid slow-onset climate change impacts in Fiji highlights the complexity of these relationships and the range of considerations that must be factored in when assessing relocation options and strategies.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
This article synthesizes recent empirical literature on human mobility linked to slow-onset impacts of climate change. Through a review of the CLIMIG database from 2015 to 2020, it assesses the state of knowledge on human mobility related to slow onset events by distilling peer-reviewed articles across world regions, with particular attention given to developing country contexts.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
This paper advances the literature on multiple knowledge systems, showing how Traditional and Local Knowledge (TLK) systems can collaborate with scientific knowledge to advance understanding of the slow-onset effects of climate change adaptation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Such an approach implies acknowledging the cultural heterogeneity of traditional (e.g. indigenous) knowledge and local knowledge, and how this can link to practical actions to adapt to climate and global change.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Slow onset events by definition occur gradually and it might be expected that policy-makers as a result pay less attention to them than to immediate risks or ‘shock’ crises. If this is true and what can be done about it are important issues for climate change policy-making, given the gradual nature of many climate related issues.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
This paper explores physical, psychological, social, and institutional vulnerabilities associated with slow-onset events (SoEs) of climate change. Based on review of interdisciplinary research in the context of Pakistan, this paper reviews the relevance of multi-level vulnerabilities and how they exacerbate impacts of SoEs of climate change. The physical vulnerabilities of climate change have been relatively well researched; however, research on the psychological, social, and institutional vulnerabilities and their intersectional associations with SoEs have been rare.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Sea-level rise poses a significant threat to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) due to the concentration of people, assets, and infrastructure in coastal zones. This review assesses literature on key emerging topics in sea level rise including: the lasting impact of near-term mitigation on long-term sea-level rise; new global coastal vertical elevation data and their impact on existing sea-level rise projections; and the interaction of sea-level rise with other hazards, including salinization, tropical cyclones and extreme precipitation.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Sea level rise and land subsidence — induced flooding are projected to have severe impacts on highly populated Asian deltaic cities. These cities are already suffering from frequent floods, though few comparative analyses have been conducted on the similarities and differences of their adaptation approaches. Thus, this study aims to investigate the current adaptation pathways of Asian deltaic cities to flooding induced by slow onset events such as urbanization-induced land subsidence and sea level rise, by looking at Tokyo, Jakarta, Manila, and Ho Chi Minh City as case studies.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
The association of melting Himalayan glaciers and planetary health is complex. Climate change has accelerated the melting of Himalayan glaciers, with profound impacts on the planetary health realms of the Himalayan region and that now threaten hundreds of millions of people. Using a complex adaptive systems framework based on a systematic literature review, this complexity has been captured and mapped in nine subsystem categories: ecological services, disaster, water security, food security, energy security, livelihood and culture, migration, conflict and public health.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
This paper reviews the evidence on slow-onset events presented in the Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL) and the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC), both published in 2019. It analyses how the reports, and recent literature cited in them, deal with the eight types of slow-onset events, specified by the UNFCCC: increasing temperatures, sea level rise, salinization, ocean acidification, glacial retreat, land degradation, desertification and loss of biodiversity.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
A growing scientific evidence reaffirms that slow onset climate events such as desertification, sea level rise and loss of biodiversity will place an increasing number of people at risk of poverty and social marginalization. Establishing national social protection systems aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement could be a key policy approach to address increasing risks from long-term changes to the climate system.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Many studies have assessed the concept of geodiversity. Most studies have focused on large spatial scales, ranging from watersheds to landscapes. Recent studies from the Israeli drylands indicate that shrubs and trees growing in low-geodiversity sites experience mass mortality following long-term droughts, whilst those in high-geodiversity sites demonstrate high durability. Our objective was to review the relevance of small-scale geodiversity to the slow onset effects of climate change defined by the UN-FCCC, including land and forest degradation, biodiversity loss, and desertification.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Based on a systematic review of journal articles, books and book chapters, and policy papers, we evaluate possible sources of finance for addressing loss and damage from slow onset climate events in developing countries. We find that most publications explore insurance schemes which are not appropriate for most slow onset events. From this, we determine that only a few sources are sustainable. Levies and taxes are seen as relatively fair, predictable, adequate, transparent, and additional.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
The processes of salinisation and alkalinisation of soil that caused the formation of different types of saline (halomorphic) soils are characteristic of the northern part of Serbia — the area of Vojvodina. These soils are characterized by poor physical and chemical properties due to a high content of salt and/or adsorbed Na+ ions because of which are being used to a limited extent in agricultural production, and more as pastures.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Effective management of slow-onset impacts such as coastal erosion, desertification and sea level rise and their often-transformative impacts on communities and countries has remained relatively unexplored in terms of policy and finance responses. Drawing on relevant global experience, this paper investigates recent approaches to planned relocation as one possible response to climate change impacts and considers principles to inform the design of a fair and effective funding system.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Slow-onset events (SOE) such as sea level rise, desertification, salinisation, ocean acidification, loss of biodiversity and forests or glacial retreat fall under loss and damage (L&D) from climate change impacts under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and are increasingly threatening the environment and people's livelihoods. Irreversible SOE are closely linked to non-economic losses (NEL) such as health, human mobility or loss of ecosystem services. Neither L&D from SOE nor NELs have a dedicated funding stream.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
The negative effects of slow onset events (SOEs) related to climate change are already affecting developing countries, with the resulting impacts likely to increase significantly. With an increasing urgency to act on SOEs, this paper systematically reviewed and synthesized literature on SOEs in Southeast Asia (SEA), which is a region of several highly climate vulnerable countries.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
The climate policy discourse on Loss and Damage has been considering options for averting, minimizing and addressing critical and increasingly systemic climate-related risks in vulnerable countries. Research has started to identify possible finance sources and mechanisms, but stopped short of positioning those options along a comprehensive risk management framework in line with the whole scope of Loss&Damage.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Slow onset processes have been increasingly linked to human mobility in the global policy space. Yet, land and forest degradation and desertification (LFDD) as a driver of human displacement and its implications for long-term development policy have received less attention. This paper aims to fill this gap by investigating to what extent the topic has been integrated into the national climate and desertification policy frameworks of countries in Latin American and the Caribbean – a region threatened by significant LFDD.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
As sea level rise drives saltwater farther inland, drinking water supplies of some coastal cities will be contaminated. This paper evaluates how climate change is shifting the location of ‘salt lines,’ the zone where coastal fresh water meets the ocean, and implications for drinking water management. It focuses on changes from climate, as opposed to water overuse or water quality mismanagement, and reviews recent literature along three dimensions. Firstly, the paper reviews regulations on salinity in drinking water.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
This review article assesses evidences published in the past two years on the links among slow-onset events, food security and poverty as well as the strategies focused on reducing specific problems, those implemented in the countries of the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region. It is here, where slow-onset events related to Climate Change pose significant challenges intricately linked to poverty and food security; mainly as a result of a great economic and social dependence, strongly conditioned by environmental factors.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
The Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage has identified increasing temperatures as a key slow onset event. However, it is the resulting increases in short-term heat events — heatwaves — that have so far been the primary focus of risk assessment and policy, while gradual and sustained increases in temperature have received less attention. This is a global issue but particularly important in tropical and subtropical regions already chronically exposed to extreme heat.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Droughts are significant drivers of land degradation, which in turn has adverse effects on resource-dependent rural populations and can potentially lead to livelihood losses and subsequent migration out of affected areas. Linkages between land degradation and migration are complex and not particularly well documented, as they occur within a larger context of multi-scale interactions of socio-economic, political, demographic, and environmental processes. Given these uncertainties, further research in this field is needed.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Loss and Damage studies have tended to focus on rapid-onset events with lesser attention to slow-onset events such as drought. Even when discussed, narratives around droughts emphasize implications on rural populations and there remain empirical and conceptual gaps on drought impacts in urban areas. We focus on losses and damages associated with urban drought and water insecurity through a review of interventions and policies in seven Asian countries. We find evidence of urban droughts leading to tangible losses (e.g. groundwater over-extraction, economic impacts) and intangible losses (e.g.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Oceans and the Cryosphere in a Changing Climate suggests sea level rise may be best understood as a slow onset disaster for Pacific Island countries and, in particular, low lying atoll nations. Sea-level rise, coastal flooding and surge inundation is an increasingly pressing problem across the urban Pacific.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Droughts are extreme events that have major impacts on communities, ecosystems and economies due to slow onset and complex processes. Land and ecosystem degradation increase the risks of loss and damage during droughts, whereas well-adapted practices and policies can enable society to (re)build resilience. This review highlights actions needed to connect and fill gaps in the present systems for ecological and hydrological monitoring, governance, and alignment of economic incentives at regional, national and local scales.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Responding to climate change requires radical transformations in social, political, economic and social-ecological systems. Recent research has argued that individuals can drive transformations at scale through changes in beliefs and values that affect political activity. We draw from sociological and psychological perspectives on mental health outcomes among survivors of violence and abuse, taking a gendered approach, to show how potential for individual transformation is differentially constructed through personal life trajectories and intersectional social relations.
Elsevier, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 50, June 2021
Climate change has affected diverse spheres and its impact is being witnessed worldwide. Soil, the basis of human sustenance, is both directly and indirectly affected by climate change. Soil erosion, vegetation degradation and soil salinisation are becoming prevalent, causing a threat to future food security. Saline soils are found mainly in North and Central Asia, Africa and South America. Various factors such as excess irrigation and poor drainage, groundwater salinity, sea level rise and intrusion, irregular rainfall contribute to the process of soil salinisation.
