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• Pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS) landfill sites have GHG assessment challenges. • GHG fluxes measured by chambers with (F +) and without (F-) a frame were compared. • Flux relationships up to 80 % were shown between F- and F + chambers (the standard) • Correction factors for F- chambers were built to estimate fluxes from F + chambers. • The approach can refine GHG inventories on PPMS landfill sites. Assessments of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in managed areas are facing various challenges. A non-flow-through, non-steady-state (NFT-NSS) chamber coupled to a frame permanently inserted into the landfilled substrates is a standard method for quantifying GHG emissions in managed areas, such as pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS) landfill sites. Frequent measurements are needed to minimize uncertainties on GHG emission factors at the landfill site scale. However, maintaining a frame inserted into the substrates for a long time period is often impossible due to landfilling management operations. Therefore, GHG measurements using NFT-NSS chambers placed directly on substrates' surface could be an interesting option. Our objectives were to determine the relationships between CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O fluxes measured with (F +) and without (F-) a frame inserted in the substrates' surface and to develop correction factors for fluxes measured without a frame. Measurements were made at different PPMS landfill sites in the province of Québec, Canada. Stronger GHG flux relationships were observed at the provincial (across sites) than the specific site scale: the variance in GHG fluxes from F- chambers explained up to 80 % of variance in fluxes from F + chambers. The measured CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O fluxes in F- chambers were on average 53, 78, and 63 % lower, respectively, than those estimated by the models at provincial scale. The correction factors developed with this approach could greatly extend the number of sites where in situ GHG measurements can be done and would help refining GHG inventories at the provincial and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well-known that energy consumption is increasing around the world on a daily basis. In the construction sector, a highly effective solution for reducing energy consumption involves exploring both modern and traditional buildings designed to adapt to climate changes. One promising approach is to use paper waste and bio-sourced materials as the basis for insulation. The purpose of this study was to improve the sustainability of buildings by using recycled waste materials that have a positive impact on the environment, people, and the economy. A novel insulating material composed of recycled paper waste and Ampelodesmos mauritanicus leaves and fibers was developed and used in non-load-bearing elements. The paper waste was transformed into pulp and mixed with the bio-sourced materials to create a composite material that exhibits excellent insulation properties. The resulting material is lightweight, durable, and cost-effective. Furthermore, different mechanical and thermal analyses were performed on specimens with varying dosage ratios. The results showed that the developed material has good thermal insulation, with a value of 0.027 W/m.K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: During overwintering diapause, the gynes of paper wasps (Polistes sp.) are mainly dormant in sheltered hibernacles, protecting them against predators and adverse weather conditions but hardly against low temperatures. By measuring the temperature inside hibernacles occupied by species from both Mediterranean (Italian; P. dominula, P. gallicus) and temperate (Austrian; P. dominula) climates (mean hibernacle temperatures: 8.5 °C and 3.2 °C, respectively), we were able to calculate the energetic demand of overwintering. The cumulative energetic costs differed between the populations. Costs were lowest for the P. dominula population from the cooler Austrian winter climate and significantly higher in P. dominula and P. gallicus from the warmer Italian climate. The lower costs of the temperate species were a result of the lower winter temperature and physiological acclimation processes. Energetic calculations with an assumed temperature increase of up to 3 °C due to climate change predict a dramatic increase of up to 40% in overwintering costs in all species. Gynes of paper wasps (Polistes sp.) spend the cold season in sheltered hibernacles. These hibernacles protect against predators and adverse weather conditions but offer only limited protection against low temperatures. During overwintering diapause, wasps live on the energy they store. We investigated the hibernacles' microclimate conditions of species from the Mediterranean (Italy, P. dominula, P. gallicus) and temperate (Austria, P. dominula) climates in order to describe the environmental conditions and calculate the energetic demand of overwintering according to standard metabolic rate functions. The temperatures at the hibernacles differed significantly between the Mediterranean and temperate habitats (average in Austria: 3.2 ± 5.71 °C, in Italy: 8.5 ± 5.29 °C). In both habitats, the hibernacle temperatures showed variance, but the mean hibernacle temperature corresponded closely to the meteorological climate data. Cumulative mass-specific energetic costs over the studied period were the lowest for the temperate P. dominula population compared with both Mediterranean species. The lower costs of the temperate species were a result of the lower hibernacle temperature and acclimation to lower environmental temperatures. Model calculations with an increased mean temperature of up to 3 °C due to climate change indicate a dramatic increase of up to 40% in additional costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Civic Freedom in an Age of Diversity: The Public Philosophy of James Tully" is a book edited by Dimitrios Karmis and Jocelyn Maclure that explores the work of political philosopher James Tully. The book is structured into six sections and includes 19 chapters that cover topics such as Tully's philosophy in relation to John Rawls, feminist philosophy, civil disobedience, global governance, Indigenous views and concerns, federalism, and thinking and acting differently. The book also includes Tully's responses to each chapter, providing a comprehensive and engaging dialogue. Overall, this collection of essays serves as an excellent introduction to the work of James Tully. [Extracted from the article]

The Review of Radical Political Economics is calling for papers for a special issue on climate change and capitalism. The journal is seeking manuscripts that provide a range of critical political economic perspectives on the topic, as well as a variety of methods, approaches, and geographic focuses. They particularly encourage submissions from climate activists, scholars in the Global South, early career researchers, and scholars from historically excluded groups. The journal provides a list of possible subjects for the special issue, including theoretical and empirical interventions, historical or contemporary analyses, critiques of economic analysis, and models of climate justice and anti-capitalist struggles. Submissions must adhere to the journal's guidelines and will undergo peer review. [Extracted from the article]

• EFIM publishes a position paper about Environment Degradation and Climate Change. • Health industry should reduce its ecological footprint. • Internists should be involved in policy decisions related to climate change. • Internists must be active agents in advocating sustainable practices for the environment. • Internists should be role models in the adoption of environmentally friendly behavior. The current data on climate change and environmental degradation are dramatic. The consequences of these changes are already having a significant impact on people's health. Physicians — as advocates of the patients, but also as citizens — have an ethical obligation to be involved in efforts to stop these changes. The European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM) strongly encourages the Internal Medicine societies and internists across Europe to play an active role in matters related to climate change and environmental degradation. At a national level, this includes advocating the adoption of measures that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and environmental degradation and contributing to policy decisions related to these issues. At a hospital level and in clinical practice, supporting actions by the health sector to reduce its ecological footprint is vital. At the level of EFIM and its associated internal societies, promoting educational activities and developing a toolkit to prepare internists to better care for citizens who suffer from the consequences of climate change. In addition to advocating and implementing effective actions to reduce the ecological footprint of the health industry, recommending the introduction of these themes in scientific programs of Internal Medicine meetings and congresses and the pre- and postgraduate medical training. At a personal level, internists must be active agents in advocating sustainable practices for the environment, increasing the awareness of the community about the health risks of climate change and environmental degradation, and being role models in the adoption of environmentally friendly behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Mar Satorras b is Urban Sustainability Researcher at the Institut Metròpoli, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain, and affiliated researcher at the Urban Transformation and Global Change Laboratory (TURBA, IN3, UOC), Barcelona, Spain. We take the nomination of Best Paper and Honourable Mention very seriously, so the selection process is a bit elaborate. Both selections are on important institutional issues that have gained salience in the twenty-first century - how to reoperate reservoirs in a highly stressed basin to meet the challenges of climate change and competing demands, and how to finance the remunicipalization of urban water. [Extracted from the article]

Sustainable degrowth offers effective alternative strategies for tackling social and environmental problems such as climate crisis, resource depletion, biodiversity loss, and species hecatomb. However, it plays a marginal role in policy. Moreover, researchers need to operationalise many degrowth proposals in a more sufficient way for the policy. This mainly conceptual-methodological article conceptualises the problem of sustainable degrowth in policy as the problem of knowledge utilisation. How well research papers on the topic adapt to the needs of policy-makers is an important factor influencing this utilisation. This adaptation is under the control of researchers and may be seen as a necessary first step in the introduction of degrowth proposals into policy-making and further implementation. I argue that translating research papers into legislative drafts by researchers can be understood as adaptation of these papers to the policy-makers' needs. This is because the law can be understood as universal basis of public policies and fundamental language to express these policies. The legal system has a systematic, hierarchical, and logical structure while its language tends to be precise, clear, and unambiguous. Legal language may also be salient for many policy-makers. I labelled this way of adaptation as the Translational Legal Approach to Knowledge Utilisation (TLA). It can be applied beyond texts on sustainable degrowth as well. Based on the literature review, I theoretically and conceptually discuss the aforementioned hypotheses by looking at the corresponding criteria of research adaptation with characteristics of law and legal language. I provide the strongest support for the theses that translation of research papers into provisions of legislative drafts can increase readability, comprehensibility, precision, and operationalisation of degrowth research proposals, as well as helps to give them more systemic nature and incorporate policy-makers' context. Future research is needed to create a methodological framework for TLA as well as to empirically verify hypotheses made in this article. • Degrowth plays a marginal role in policies and needs better operationalisation. • The role of degrowth in policy can be seen as a problem of knowledge utilisation. • Law could be a common language between researchers and policy-makers. • Translating research papers into legislative drafts adapts them for policy-makers. • Translating degrowth proposals into legislative drafts supports their utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional nature conservation has attempted to protect biodiversity, ecological integrity (i.e., composition and biomass/abundance of native species), and ecosystem services in parallel, assuming generally positive relationships among them. However, many native species are potentially weakened by and maladapted to a new, warmer climate. Such native species may not be able to offer ecosystem services at previous levels. If the relationship between ecosystem services and native species is no longer positive due to climate change, pursuing ecological integrity could be ineffective for maximizing ecosystem services. Hence, there is room to investigate future relationships among biodiversity, ecological integrity, and ecosystem services. This investigation can be done by describing the changes in ecosystem services as a function of biodiversity and ecological integrity. Herein, biodiversity and ecological integrity can be expressed by phylogenetic diversity and species intactness indices based on abundance, respectively. According to my hypothetical figure, the metrics of biodiversity and ecological integrity are potentially not positively but rather negatively related to ecosystem services. The hypothetical figure can be examined and improved using three different approaches: computer simulations (e.g., the LANDIS‐II forest simulation model), collection of actual data (e.g., measuring ecosystem services of some sites with psychrophilic and thermophilic species), and questionnaire surveys about cultural services (e.g., using digitally manipulated photographs and generative adversarial networks). Thus, we can successfully enable practitioners to understand new relationships, which will be relevant to ecosystem management under changing climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the printing and packaging industry, sustainability is defined as manufacture and practices that reflect responsibility for the environment and resources to meet the needs and expectations of future generations. In this article, raw material management, cellulose resources, industrial forests, ecological and renewable alternative fiber resources were examined in the framework of the sustainability of the printing and packaging industry. The recycling of printed materials and packaging and the effects of paper-ink types and product design in this recycling have been discussed. The effect of separation and processing at the source on the efficiency of paper recycling, economy and ecology was emphasized. The greenhouse gas emissions of solvents used in inks and cleaners, the impact on climate change, water footprint and carbon footprint issues were examined. Suggestions have been made on environmental sustainability in the printing industry, what needs to be done for a competitive production, successful optimization, minimization of waste, use of existing possibilities, recycling and evaluation of alternatives and use of clean energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change represents one of the most pressing societal and scientific challenges of our time. While much of the current research on climate change focuses on future prediction, some of the strongest signals of warming can already be seen in Arctic and alpine areas, where temperatures are rising faster than the global average, and in the oceans, where the combination of rising temperatures and acidification due to increased CO2 concentrations has had catastrophic consequences for sensitive marine organisms inhabiting coral reefs. The scientific papers highlighted as part of this anniversary issue represent some of the most impactful advances in our understanding of the consequences of anthropogenic climate change. Here, we reflect on the legacy of these papers from the biotic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the broad disjunction between Amazonia and the Atlantic Forest on biodiversity has been the theme of several discussions in recent decades. Here, we evaluate the effects of dependence on humid environments and the role of historical factors on the level, distribution and structuring of genetic variation in widely distributed Neotropical insects. For such, we test whether climatically stable zones (i.e. refuges) in both Amazonia and the Atlantic Forest concentrate higher genetic diversity in the social paper wasps Angiopolybia pallens and Synoeca surinama. We found that historical events have avoided the interchange of A. pallens between both rainforests at least since the Early Pliocene and that ancient colonization in north-western Amazonia and the Bahia refuge significantly predicts genetic diversity in populations of this species. Conversely, the split between the Atlantic Forest and remaining western populations of S. surinama is more recent (Plio-Pleistocene); this species has considerably lower genetic diversity than A. pallens and such diversity is mostly concentrated in Amazonia and in the cerrado biome (savanna) than in the Atlantic Forest. Finally, we propose that the occurrence of species that exhibit such distribution patterns should be taken into consideration when establishing areas for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare contributes to environmental harm. Trainee-led Research and Audit in Anaesthesia for Sustainable Healthcare (TRA2SH) is an Australasian network focused on sustainable anaesthesia practice. TRA2SH hypothesised that trainee-led audits alongside education presented on a scheduled national day, called Operation Clean Up, can improve engagement with sustainability initiatives. This paper aims to describe the first two years of Operation Clean Up in terms of goals, achievements and data collected so far. Environmental themes for Operation Clean Up were chosen based on available evidence (life cycle analyses and observational studies). The first Operation Clean Up (OCU 2020) focused on reducing the unnecessary use of single-use disposable absorbent pads (known as 'blueys' in Australia, 'greenies' in New Zealand). OCU 2021 included: refuse desflurane, reduce bluey use, reuse drug trays, and recycle paper and cardboard. TRA2SH provided an information pack to trainees who presented educational material to their department and fed back procurement figures to quantify each item. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse de-identified pooled data submitted to a centralised database. Eight departments submitted data for OCU 2020 and six provided follow-up data. Bluey use was reduced from a median of 37 to 34 blueys per ten surgical encounters. Fifteen departments submitted pre-campaign data for OCU 2021 with follow-up data to be collected during OCU 2022. Baseline data showed a median bluey use of 31 per ten surgical encounters. Volatile-related emissions were calculated; desflurane's proportion was 70% of these emissions yet was 11% of volatile procurement. Two participating departments removed desflurane from their formulary following OCU 2021. Operation Clean Up is a practical model for implementing sustainability initiatives using trainees as eco-leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate-change-induced unpredictable weather patterns are adversely affecting global agricultural productivity, posing a significant threat to sustainability and food security, particularly in developing regions. Wealthier nations can invest substantially in measures to mitigate climate change's impact on food production, but economically disadvantaged countries face challenges due to limited resources and heightened susceptibility to climate change. To enhance climate resilience in agriculture, technological solutions such as the Internet of Things (IoT) are being explored. This paper introduces a digital twin as a technological solution for monitoring and controlling temperatures in a greenhouse tunnel situated in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The study incorporates an aeroponics trial within the tunnel, analysing temperature variations caused by the fan and wet wall temperature regulatory systems. The research develops an analytical model and employs a support vector regression algorithm as an empirical model, successfully achieving accurate predictions. The analytical model demonstrated a root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.93 °C and an R 2 value of 0.8, while the empirical model outperformed it with an RMSE of 1.76 °C and an R 2 value of 0.9 for a one-hour-ahead simulation. Potential applications and future work using these modelling techniques are then discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper has shaped society for centuries and is considered one of humanity's most important inventions. However, pulp and paper products can be damaging to social and natural systems along their lifecycle of material extraction, processing, transportation, and waste handling. The pulp and paper industry is among the top five most energy-intensive industries globally and is the fourth largest industrial energy user. This industry accounts for approximately 6% of global industrial energy use and 2% of direct industrial CO 2 emissions. The pulp and paper industry is also the largest user of original or virgin wood, with deleterious impacts on both human health and local flora and fauna, including aquatic ecosystems. This critical and systematic review seeks to identify alternatives for mitigating the climate impacts of pulp and paper processes and products, thus making the pulp and paper industry more environmentally sustainable. This study reviews 466 studies to answer the following questions: what are the main determinants of energy and carbon emissions emerging from the pulp and paper industry? What are the benefits of this industry adopting low-carbon manufacturing processes, and what barriers will need to be tackled to enable such adoption? Using a sociotechnical lens, we answer these questions, identify barriers for the pulp and paper industry's decarbonization, and present promising avenues for future research. •This review identifies carbon-intensive processes in the pulp and paper industry. •Presents decarbonizing practices, potential transformations and innovations. •Presents promising avenues for future research. •No agreed consensus on the most promising technologies to achieve net-zero in the pulp and paper industry. •Pulp and paper products are associated with other sociotechnical systems that create compelling interdependencies among industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three challenges with the greatest bearing on Australia's security and prosperity each came to a head in 2020, viz. climate change; a novel coronavirus pandemic; and China. The world has become poorer, more dangerous and more disorderly. As we emerge from this crisis year, Australia's ability to project itself globally will start with its strength and vitality at home. Its favourable geography gives it the potential to become a leader in renewables. Given our geopolitical challenges, this is a strategic imperative. Yet, for now, the gap between reality and expectations has never been greater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry accounts for approximately 5% of total industrial energy consumption and contributes 2% of direct carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from industries. World paper and paperboard demand and production are increasing significantly, leading to an increase in this sector's energy use and CO 2 emissions. Although current studies identify a wide range of energy-efficiency technologies that have already been commercialized for the pulp and paper industry, information is limited or scattered regarding new energy-efficiency technologies that are not yet fully commercialized. Development of emerging or advanced energy-efficiency technologies and their deployment in the market will be crucial for this industry's mid- and long-term energy saving and climate change mitigation strategies. This paper compiles available information on energy savings, environmental and other benefits, costs, and commercialization status for 25 emerging technologies to reduce the energy use and CO 2 emissions. The purpose is to provide a well-structured comprehensive review on these emerging energy-efficiency technologies for engineers, researchers, investors, policy makers, pulp and/or paper companies, and other interested parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When asked what "type" of manuscript you are submitting, please check the box that says, "Climate Change and Capitalism." All submissions will undergo I RRPE i 's regular peer review procedures and must not be under review with any other publication. [Extracted from the article]

Recent research has indicated high economic and environmental costs of human paper usage. Technologies have been developed to reduce consumers' paper use behavior, including mechanical dispensers that institute a delay between opportunities to obtain each consecutive unit. However, there is no empirical evidence that these dispensers or delays reduce paper use. In Experiment 1, implementing a delay between paper-unit deliveries using mechanical dispensers in a university café resulted in a significant decrease in units per person, material per person, and cost per person, compared to free-access dispensers. In Experiment 2, a relatively long delay was more effective than a short delay in reducing paper consumption in a laboratory experiment using mechanical dispensers. These results indicate that delays could be used to decrease paper use in many contexts on a larger scale. More research is necessary to determine the underlying behavioral mechanisms responsible for the observed reduction and the cost–benefit relationship under different circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry is a high energy consuming and polluting sector, and carbon emissions emitted from this sector are worthy of attention. This article, based upon an analysis of China’s Pulp and Paper Industry (CPPI), provides estimates of each of the following: carbon emissions from energy consumption, pre-treatment sector, combustion of condensed black liquor, and methane emitted from incomplete aerobic digestion during sewage treatment of CPPI. During the study period (2005–2012), total CO 2 emissions ranged from 126.0 Mt to 155.4 Mt. Energy consumption was estimated to be the largest source of carbon emissions, however, due to the application of the local emission inventory rather than the IPCC inventory, energy consumption decreased by 4.7%, a lower percentage than was calculated in a previous study. According to this study’s estimation, the emissions caused by the recovery of biomass energy contributed 26–29% of the total CO 2 emissions. CH 4 generated from sewage treatment accounted for 9–11% of the total carbon emissions. The CO 2 intensity dropped during the study period, which reflected the improvement of energy efficiency in the pulp and paper industry. The outcome of this study provides not only detailed information about CPPI’s carbon emissions, but also a calculation framework for studying carbon emissions from pulp and paper sector in the other regions. It suggests that the local carbon emissions inventory should be used for estimating carbon emissions and to reduce the fossil fuel energy, increase energy recovery from biomass, and that promoting cleaner production is essential to achieve a low carbon development of the pulp and paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tick-borne diseases are a public health issue. To predict vector tick abundance and activity, it is necessary to understand the driving factors for these variables. In this study, the activity of Ixodes ricinus was investigated in forest and meadow habitats in Germany with a focus on abiotic factors. Ixodes ricinus adults, nymphs and larvae were caught by flagging over a period of 2 years. Microclimatic and weather conditions were recorded at the collection sites. Statistical models were applied to describe correlations between abiotic factors and tick activity in univariable and multivariable analyses. Tick activity was observed in a broad range of air temperature between 3 and 28 °C, and air humidity varied between 35 and 95%. In general, tick activity of nymphs and larvae was higher in forest habitats than that in meadows. With the exception of a single specimen of Dermacentor reticulatus, all ticks were Ixodes ricinus, most of them nymphs (63.2% in 2009 and 75.2% in 2010). For the latter, a negative binomial mixed-effects model fitted best to the observed parameters. The modelling results showed an activity optimum between 20 and 23 °C for air temperature and between 13 and 15 °C for ground temperature. In univariable analyses, the collection site, month, season, ground and air temperature were significant factors for the number of ticks caught and for all life stages. In the multivariable analysis, temperature, season and habitat turned out to be key drivers. Ixodes ricinus positive for RNA of tick-borne encephalitis virus was only found at a single sampling site. The results of this study can be used in risk assessments and to parameterise predictive models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the environmental impacts of the Norwegian pulp and paper industry, considering the production of pulp fibres and printing paper. The pulp fibres included in this study are thermo-mechanical pulp and kraft pulp fibres, which differ with respect to the energy consumption and chemicals used during production. The assessed paper grades were super-calendered paper and newsprint. The study was a cradle to gate approach, and corresponds to an attributional life cycle assessment (LCA). The LCA was based on data collected from main pulp and paper producers in Norway. Importantly, aspects related to the increasing use of mineral fillers in the production of newsprints were assessed. The results showed that a reduction of more than 18% climate change impact (kg CO2 eq.) was achieved by increasing the fraction of fillers, in the newsprint furnish. Furthermore, the total climate change impact reduction depended on the applied energy mix. Assuming that the production of printing paper was based only on Norwegian energy mix, yielded a reduction of the climate change impact by more than 44% in 2011, compared to the production based on Scandinavian and European energy mix. Additionally, the input and output transport contributed to more than 20% impact in several cases. We thus concluded that the estimated environmental impacts were affected by; i) the furnish composition of a given paper quality, ii) the input and output transport and iii) the use of different primary grid energy sources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Yearbook of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers has announced the winners of the 2022 APCG Student Paper Awards. The winners include Daniel Grafton from San Diego State University and University of California, Santa Barbara for his paper on sustainable tourism and global climate change in polar regions, Clara Atwell and Sadie Calhoun from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for their study on modeling forest transition in Taucamarca, Peru, and Andrew Wallace from California State University, Fullerton for his research on organizational challenges in municipal GIS implementations. Other winners include Danielle Gerger from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for her paper on forest plantation transitions in the Peruvian Andes, Frida Timan from the London School of Economics for her study on the political lives of 'maintenance' in San Francisco's parklets, and Olivia Cameron from Oregon State University for her research on social identity and agricultural decision making. The Association congratulates all the winners for their outstanding work. [Extracted from the article]

Ecological constraints on independent breeding are recognised as major drivers of cooperative breeding across diverse lineages. How the prevalence and degree of cooperative breeding relates to ecological variation remains unresolved. Using a large data set of cooperative nesting in Polistes wasps we demonstrate that different aspects of cooperative breeding are likely to be driven by different aspects of climate. Whether or not a species forms cooperative groups is associated with greater short-term temperature fluctuations. In contrast, the number of cooperative foundresses increases in more benign environments with warmer, wetter conditions. The same data set reveals that intraspecific responses to climate variation do not mirror genus-wide trends and instead are highly heterogeneous among species. Collectively these data suggest that the ecological drivers that lead to the origin or loss of cooperation are different from those that influence the extent of its expression within populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planetary health omics has been featured in many articles in I OMICS i over the past several years, and builds upon the rise of planetary health (Horton et al., [4]), the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the introduction of digital technologies to systems science. Planetary health omics is a new field that expands the boundaries and tools of its predecessor fields public health genomics and global health. Planetary health omics as a new field of inquiry in systems science is relevant and timely going forward with COVID-19 as an endemic disease (Katzourakis, [5]), and for both communicable and noncommunicable chronic diseases. [Extracted from the article]

V.M. Fedorov has published comments regarding my paper on the new astronomical theory of climate change developed by us and the appendix to it. In this paper, I disagree with his objections and briefly substantiate my disagreement. The new theory is based on solving problems of the evolution of orbital and rotational motions of the Earth under the influence of the Sun, planets, and the Moon. All components of the theory have been published, and the methods, programs, and calculation data are freely available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of heat waves on the productivity of the Italian food industry. Using daily weather and firm‐level data for the 2004–2019 period, we show that a heat wave causes, on average, a reduction in Total Factor Productivity (TFP) of about 3.2%. Smaller firms are more severely affected, with a reduction of approximately 7%, revealing unequal impacts within the same country and sector. The reduction in TFP can be partially attributed to lower workers' productivity, with labour input increased in order to compensate for productivity loss. The estimated effect is heterogeneous across subsectors, with some well‐known Italian products (e.g., wine production) more severely affected by heat waves. These findings have significant policy implications due to the expected increase in the frequency of heat waves caused by climate change, and are particularly important in the case of the Italian food industry, which is mainly composed of small firms. The paper highlights the need to investigate further the impacts of heat stress on the entire food system, as most of the literature has predominantly focused on the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how Australian youth climate activists experiencing ecoanxiety overcome obstacles and frustrations in their climate action initiatives by exercising meaningful political agency in the marketplace. It briefly outlines how their concerns about climate change inaction galvanised and continue to drive their engagement in climate politics, reflecting fears and anxieties about their own and the planet’s future. Despite this growing interest and engagement in climate politics, however, the efficacy of political consumerism as a strategy, particularly among young people, remains largely unexplored [Micheletti, M. 2010. Political Virtue and Shopping Individuals, Consumerism, and Collective Action. New York: Palgrave Macmillan], with limited research on their consumption habits and behaviours [Kyroglou, G., and M. Henn. 2022. “Young Political Consumers between the Individual and the Collective: Evidence from the UK and Greece.” Journal of Youth Studies 25 (6): 833–853. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2021.2012139]. Thus, this paper investigates how young activists in the study, despite their vulnerabilities and experiences of ecoanxiety, endeavour to address structural imbalances linked to climate change through political consumerist initiatives. Utilising in-depth interviews and a photo-elicitation exercise with ten participants aged 18–35, the 2022 Australian study examines youth activism and the interplay between political consumption, views on hope and sustainable lifestyle choices. It reveals that environmentally conscious consumption patterns such as buycotting, boycotting, engaging in discursive actions, and embracing lifestyle politics that young activists engage in serve as a source of hope for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beech wood, renowned for its diverse applications spanning construction, flooring, furniture, veneer, and plywood, holds a paramount position among industrial wood species. Nevertheless, the myriad of beech species worldwide, coupled with the dynamic impact of climate change, have produced structural variations within beech trees. Extensive research has scrutinized the physical and mechanical attributes of beech wood species across the globe. Findings reveal distinguishable mechanical strength, yet increased density leads to notable rates of shrinkage and swelling, somewhat constraining its utility in select domains. Identifying research gaps can create new efforts aimed at exploiting the potential of these wood resources. This paper outperforms a mere exploration of beech wood properties over the past two decades; it delves into the ramifications of climatic fluctuations, temperature shifts, wind dynamics, and soil composition. Given the lack of a comprehensive compendium documenting the full range of physical, mechanical, and microscopic attributes of the Fagus genus, this paper aims to compile information that integrates this multifaceted information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Forgotten crises' constitute a permanent background to any present and future global humanitarian and development efforts. They represent a significant impediment to promoting lasting peace given concurrent catastrophes exacerbated by climate change. Yet, they are routinely neglected and remain unresolved. Building on critical and feminist approaches, this paper theorises them as forgotten sites of local knowledge production. It asks: what is local knowledge of and from forgotten crises? How can it be recovered and resignified, and what lessons can such knowledge provide at the global level? Drawing on examples from the intersections of conflict, disasters, and pandemics in the Philippines, the paper makes a case for valuing local knowledge arising from forgotten crises because of its potential contribution to adapting global humanitarian and development systems to address crises on multiple fronts. Such epistemic margins are generative of vantage points that can present a fuller account of how different crises interact and how best to respond to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rahim, A.; Soeprobowati, T.R.; Putranto, T.T.; Hadiyanto, H., and Alfalah, M.H., 2024. Investigating the impact of climate and land use changes on mangrove ecosystems: A bibliometric analysis from 2013 to 2023. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(4), 768–778. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Mangroves are essential to the stability of coastal regions, especially when facing the threat of climate change. However, deforestation, land use changes, and rising sea levels destroy mangrove forests. Based on bibliometric analysis, this paper aims to gain insight into the impact of climate and land use changes on mangroves. By searching Scopus, 534 pieces of literature from 2013 to 2023 were found, and they were analyzed based on bibliometric information and article metadata. Trends and hotspots of the impact of climate and land use changes on mangrove research were explored using VOSviewer software. The results of a network co-occurrence analysis revealed that mangroves, climate change, land use change, blue carbon, and wetlands represent the most popular central areas of study. The results of this paper show that the countries with the greatest number of publications on mangroves and climate and land use changes are the United States, Australia, India, Indonesia, and China. The research findings revealed that remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) are the most recently used technologies to enhance the research field of ecosystem monitoring in mangrove research. Maintaining and increasing carbon sinks through sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems have been a potential priority in climate change and mangrove ecosystem research development. This research highlights trends in the impact of climate and land use changes on mangrove ecosystem research over the past 10 years. It identifies areas that require further research investment to promote future research collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizens' assemblies on climate change are increasingly popular to support democratic decision-making. Such Climate Assemblies (CAs) convene representative groups of citizens formulating policy proposals after hearing experts and deliberating intensely. CAs may help addressing climate policy issues more effectively partly because their members need not worry about re-election. CAs' effectiveness depends on their design such as the issues chosen (or not chosen) for deliberation. Agenda-setters exert substantial power by selecting certain issues and by choosing framings that benefit some solutions over others. In this paper I ask: What characterizes agendas that are suitable and legitimate for deliberation in CAs? The aim is to support practitioners in making informed agenda choices for CAs by providing a list of ten widely accepted guiding principles based on expert interviews, policy documents, and information gathered from the Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies (KNOCA). The paper systematically discusses trade-offs of various agenda choices in the light of different CA rationales. Results show that those with system-supporting rationales tend to favour narrower agendas tailored to political demands aiming to increase immediate policy impact; those with system-disrupting rationales prefer more open agendas allowing citizens to challenge existing political practices and worldviews. Results support earlier arguments that distinctions of entire deliberative processes in either top-down or bottom-up are too simplistic and that a tool-box approach is more useful. Insights appear relevant for debates of deliberative minipublics more generally. Future research should investigate whom to involve in setting CA agendas and with how much power. Effective agenda design hinges on rationales on how to achieve assembly objectives which depend on authorities' ambition for climate action. Given high ambition, system-supportive rationales aiming for policy impact favour narrower agendas tailored to demands of the policy process but risk low transformativeness. Given low ambition, system-disruptive rationales aiming to challenge established practices and worldviews favour more open agendas but risk low impact if assemblies are not politically embedded or able to mobilize opposition groups. Assembly designs are seldom purely supportive or disruptive but often hybrid. Agenda-setting has many dimensions allowing for productive combinations of disruptive and supportive elements tailored to contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper studies the problems brought about by Resolution 40066 of 2022 of the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Colombia, regarding the new requirements it sets up for the flaring and venting of natural gas in Colombia. These requirements, which must be followed by the investing companies, imply an investment in infrastructure and technology that may imply a contractual imbalance and a negative impact on foreign investors. From a documentary analysis method with a systematic and deductive approach, the authors analyze the problematic scenario posed by the resolution and concludes that it is necessary to find a balance between the two legal interests at stake: the environment and free enterprise. As a result, the paper supplies a comprehensive and integrative view of the State's obligation to protect the environment, but also to ensure a stable and predictable legal framework for investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article applies Rudine Sims Bishop's multicultural framework of children's literature to environmental picturebooks. The paper provides an analysis of nearly 150 picturebooks paired with preservice teachers' responses to the texts to highlight the importance of diverse narratives and storytelling in environmentalism. The paper argues for the necessity for reading broadly and prioritizing diverse representations of which stories are told regarding environmentalism. Bishop's framework prioritizes the depth and breadth of who can be protagonists in environmentalism narratives, real and imagined, as well as how those protagonists enact responses to climate crises and the range of environmental issues that they respond to. The paper underscores the role of educators in fostering critical perspectives on environmentalism, advocating for disrupting single stories, and ensuring that a collection of texts that includes justice‐oriented and intersectional narratives is used with young readers. The article challenges dominant cultural narratives and promotes inclusivity in environmental activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate movement has mobilised unprecedented numbers of people to address the issue of climate change. Notably, this movement has seen significant participation from young people who, as they will bear the brunt of the climate crisis in the coming decades, have voiced the urgency of the situation. By representing the future, these young climate activists have made the effects of the climate crisis tangible and personal. Drawing on feminist and constructivist representation theory, this paper examines the role of representative claims about future generations by young people in global environmental and climate politics. In their interactions with fora such as UNFCCC meetings , young people often find themselves marginalised. Despite this relative powerlessness, I argue that through their descriptive claims to represent future generations, they have appropriated and reshaped the concept of intergenerational justice. This paper details the intricate interplay between marginalisation and representation experienced by youth-led environmental groups. It contributes to the conceptualisation of political representation as a discursive practice of future-making by marginalised actors in the context of global climate politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the connection between climate change and energy security in Europe and provides empirical evidence that these issues are the two faces of the same coin. Using a panel of 39 European countries during the period 1980–2020, the empirical analysis presented in this paper indicates that increasing the share of nuclear, renewables, and other nonhydrocarbon energy and improving energy efficiency could lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions and improve energy security throughout Europe. Accordingly, policies and reforms aimed at shifting away from hydrocarbons and increasing energy efficiency in distribution and consumption are key to mitigating climate change, reducing energy dependence, and minimizing exposure to energy price volatility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standards for the design of bridges, buildings and other infrastructure specify design loads for climatic hazards such as temperature, snow, wind, and floods based on return periods presented in maps or tables that account for regional differences. These design loads were developed from statistical analyses of historical hazard data under the assumption that the past is representative of the future. Climate change may affect the frequencies and intensities of environmental hazards which, depending on regional variations, raises questions as to whether structures designed to current specifications will meet minimum safety standards over their future service lives. This paper critically appraises issues related to using historical hazard data for future designs. It reviews basic principles of uniform reliability, that modern design codes use as the basis for ensuring minimum levels of safety, describing the relationship between hazard return periods, structural reliability, risk and the maximum loads expected within a structure's service life. Simple examples involving wind effects on structures demonstrate how to calibrate structural design hazard maps for climate-related extreme events to meet the minimum standards of safety implied in current specifications. The paper also introduces a possible practical approach to account for climate change when designing new structures and assessing the safety of existing facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractClimate security is gaining significant traction in global discourses on how to respond urgently to the challenges brought on by climate change. In Southeast Asia, however, the term ‘climate security’ raises concerns about the unintended consequences of securitisation to frame the complex and cross-cutting impact of climate change. This paper examines these concerns against the evolving discourses on climate security. It argues that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN’s) reservations about invoking the language of security on climate change are underpinned by concerns about sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs. The paper also argues that ASEAN’s hesitance to adopt ‘climate security’ downplays the critical need to build regional capacity for anticipatory climate action, including the ability to respond to potential climate-induced conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many nature‐based solutions (NBS), including urban greenspaces, urban agriculture and agroforestry, depend upon animal‐pollinated plants to sequester carbon or to provide other ecosystem services. Thus, long‐term success of these solutions also depends upon resilient pollinator communities. Despite their importance to functioning communities, a literature search revealed that 0%–3% of papers on NBS and related topics considered pollinators or pollination. Pollinators were more likely to be considered in the subgroup of papers on NBS related to agricultural production, where 12.5% considered pollination. Conservation of species interactions is essential to conservation of biodiversity and the sustained benefits of NBS. By applying our understanding of the ecology of plant‐pollinator mutualisms to the implementation of NBS, we can promote their functioning under future climatic conditions. In particular, we point to the need to identify keystone plants and pollinators, those species that contribute most to biodiversity maintenance, community stability and ecosystem function, and to leverage these species and their interactions in NBS and conservation efforts. We further advocate for the use of phylogenetic trait‐based analyses to understand the characteristics associated with keystoneness. Synthesis: Resilience of pollination services rests upon the responses of keystone species and their partners, and the likelihood that they continue to express traits that confer mutual benefit under future climates. By understanding the traits of species of outsized importance to their communities, we gain insight into the mechanisms underlying the resilience of pollination services and the NBS that rely on those services in a changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of a challenging climate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) higher education that is resistant to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts aimed to increase and retain students from historically excluded groups (HEGs), there is a critical need for a support structure to ensure students from HEGs continue to be recruited retained. The Biology Undergraduate and Master's Mentorship Program (BUMMP) embodies this commitment to fostering scientific identity, efficacy, and a sense of belonging for first‐generation and historically underserved undergraduate and master's students at UC San Diego. The mission of BUMMP is to cultivate a sense of belonging, instill confidence, and nurture a strong scientific identity amongst all its participants. At its core, the three pillars of BUMMP are (1) mentorship, (2) professional development, and (3) research. Quality mentorship is provided where students receive personal guidance from faculty, graduate students, postdocs, and industry leaders in navigating their career pathways. Complementing mentorship, BUMMP provides paid research opportunities and prioritizes professional development by offering workshops designed to enhance students' professional skills. These three pillars form the backbone of BUMMP, empowering students from all backgrounds and ensuring their retention and persistence in STEM. So far, we've served over 1350 mentees, collaborated with 809 mentors, and had over 180 mentees actively engaged in BUMMP‐sponsored research activities. The primary focus of this paper is to provide a programmatic guideline for the three pillars of BUMMP: mentorship, professional development, and research. This will offer a blueprint for other institutions to establish similar mentorship programs. Additionally, the paper highlights the impact of the BUMMP program and surveyed mentees who have participated in the mentorship and research component of BUMMP. We showed that mentorship and research experience enhance students' sense of belonging, science identity, and science efficacy, which are key predictors of retention and persistence in pursuing a STEM career. Overall, BUMMP's expansive efforts have made a tremendous impact at UC San Diego and will continue to foster a community of future leaders who will be prepared to make meaningful contributions to the scientific community and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched its Futures of Education policy initiative in early 2020. The process sought to open a sustained global policy debate on educational futures in a world typified by climatological instability, social inequity, and political unrest. Drawing on Deleuze and Guattari’s theory of assemblages, this paper explores how the Futures of Education initiative simultaneously produces, captures, and reroutes flows of desire by opening its policymaking process to global consultation. Following this line of thinking, the paper introduces a speculative method for critical policy analysis that utilises AI-powered tools to generate expressive images and imaginaries of education futures based on UNESCO’s three stages of policy development. The authors argue that this method enables a step beyond conventional interpretations of a policy’s discursive content toward a speculative analysis of its processual dynamics and expressive potentials. Ultimately, the paper underscores the generative possibilities of AI-assisted methods for tracking flows and expressions of desire within education policy assemblages under conditions of climatological and political upheaval. The authors encourage further experimentation with plugging emerging technologies into global policy assemblages to better understand how desire is invested into particular images and imaginaries of educational futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive psychology has had an impressive first 25 years. However, it and related wellbeing sciences are at risk of being rendered futile at a time of staggering crises across psychological, social, political, and environmental domains. This paper is a call for a new science of wellbeing, a Regenerative Positive Psychology, that reorients the field toward protecting and expanding the growth and health of the life-sustaining systems necessary for our wellbeing. This paper asks whether life has improved significantly since the launch of positive psychology, appraises the field’s disproportionate emphasis on individual wellbeing, describes regenerative approaches in other fields, and proposes Three Pillars for a Regenerative Positive Psychology that is better equipped to take on the daunting challenges ahead. As fields rooted in strengths, hope, and purpose, positive psychology together with wellbeing sciences are ideally suited to take greater leadership in facing the world’s crises and building more positive futures for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper approaches climate change as a superordinate concern that should guide a holistic transformation of formal schooling towards integration and sustainability. The call for climate change education (CCE) has been amplified by international organizations and youth protestors alike, united by a shared concern for our planet. By combining CCE with principles of transformative learning (TL), the paper outlines a framework for transformative climate change education (TCCE). If climate change fits the description of a super wicked problem, this is also true of TCCE, which requires the simultaneous transformation of curricula, pedagogies, and assessment systems. The paper argues that the implementation of TCCE faces significant challenges because it disputes the underlying values of our transmissive educational systems. Those challenges are formulated here as a series of questions, which are followed by a discussion of sustainability pedagogies that help learners build capacity for understanding and acting on climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nurses, the largest healthcare workforce, are well placed to provide leadership in initiatives that promote planetary health. Yet, few practical examples of nurse leadership in the health sector's response to climate change are evident in the scholarly literature. The aim of this discussion paper is to profile Australian nurses who are leading initiatives designed to champion planetary health and promote sustainable practice. The paper presents a series of case studies derived from interviews conducted in October and November 2023. The nurses' experiences and insights, along with the challenges they have encountered, are presented as evidence of Kouzes and Posner's five practices of exemplary leadership. The case studies demonstrate that appointment of more nurses with climate and sustainability expertise will accelerate the implementation of responsive strategies that target waste management, emissions reduction and climate resilience across healthcare organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the capacity to mourn is ubiquitously acknowledged as critical for individual psychic functioning, the impact of this capacity on a collective social level has been examined to a very limited extent in the psychoanalytic literature to date. The two papers that take up this this topic thus bring various critical and complex issues to our attention. After reviewing and commenting on these papers, I discuss how these issues are particularly relevant today to society in general and psychoanalysis in particular. I believe that the ability to mourn is under siege in the Western world at present, with respect to both "macro" mourning that is, mourning for significant losses such as a beloved person, ideal, or country, and "micro" mourning or mourning for losses inherently and unavoidably implicated in choices we make in everyday life. These mourning processes are undermined by the impact of complex socioeconomic parameters on psychic functioning, as evidenced by various internal problems and symptomatology characteristic of our times. In turn, difficulties in mourning contribute to social problems including social injustice, wars and the climate crisis. As psychoanalysts we are called upon to address these issues in our clinical work as well as in our global community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]