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The paper compares air and sea surface temperatures in recent years on two islands in the Adriatic Sea. The data measured at the climatological station Krk on the island of Krk and the main meteorological station Lastovo on the island of Lastovo are used. The island of Krk is located in the north of the Adriatic Sea and Lastovo in the south. Since a significant increase in air and sea surface temperatures has been observed over the last thirty years, the goal is to establish how they reflect at these two stations, 313 km apart. The goal of the analysis is to monitor the changes in these two islands to reduce the negative impacts they may cause. The analysis of sea temperatures showed that global warming has a greater impact in the northern Adriatic than in the southern Adriatic. Air and sea surface temperatures have a faster upward trend on Krk than on Lastovo. Similar to the Mediterranean Sea, a positive trend was observed in the Adriatic Sea for both sea surface temperature and air temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global warming, how to measure summer climate suitability at a local scale is important for meteorological services. Considering meteorological and ecological conditions, body comfort, and the atmospheric environment, an assessment method for summer climate suitability for Zhejiang Province is proposed. In this paper, a summer suitable index (SSI) for Zhejiang is calculated, including four secondary indices: a summer cool index (SCI), a comfort days index (CDI), a good air days index (GADI) and a vegetation cover index (VCI). Using a local evaluation criterion, summer climate suitable areas are distinguished objectively according to the SSI. The results show that especially suitable regions account for 4.97% of Zhejiang Province, very suitable regions account for 22.2%, suitable regions account for 39.58%, and general regions account for 33.25%. The summer climate suitable areas are located mainly in high mountains and hills and coastal island areas while plain areas cannot be considered a suitable destination for summer tourism. By comparison and discussion, the SSI is demonstrated to capture summer climate suitability well. In contrast to a fixed evaluation index, benchmark values obtained for the SSI depend on the local climate and the index is straightforward to apply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compound droughts and heatwaves (CDHWs) are likely to cause more severe natural disasters than a single extreme event, and they have been exacerbated by rapid global warming. Based on high-resolution grid data, this study combines the daily-scale ERA5-Land dataset and the monthly-scale SPEI dataset with multiple indicators to analyze CDHWs. We calculated and analyzed the temporal and spatial modal distribution of CDHWs in Central Asia from 1981 to 2018, and in this paper, we discuss the sequence relationship between drought events, heatwave events, and CDHWs. The results show that the number of CDHWs in the study region have increased over time and expanded in terms of area, especially in eastern and southwestern Central Asia. The tsum (total frequency of CDHWs) was 0.5 times higher than the total heatwave frequency and it increased at a rate of 0.17/yr. The maximum duration of tmax (maximum duration of CDHWs in days) was 17 days. Furthermore, the occurrence rate of tmax was 96.67%, and the AH (CDHWs' accumulated heat) had a rate of 97.78%, which, upon examination of the spatial trend pattern, accounted for the largest increase in terms of area. We also found that the TAH (CDHWs' average temperature anomalies, SPEI < −0.5) shows obvious seasonality, with the increases in winter and spring being significantly greater than the increases in summer and autumn. The intensity of the CDHWs was stronger than that of a single extreme event, the temperature anomaly was higher than the average of 0.4–0.8 °C, and there was a north–south spatial pattern across the study region. In eastern and northwestern Central Asia, the AH and heatwaves (SPEI < −0.5) increased by 15–30 times per year on average. During the transition from the base period to the reference period, CDHWs increased by 25%, and the number of dry days prior to the CDHWs decreased by 7.35 days. The conclusion of our study can provide a theoretical basis for coping with climate change in arid zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jeju Island, South Korea is a biodiversity hotspot, but the vulnerability of Jeju Island fauna to climate change has not been thoroughly investigated. In this paper, we tested the adaptability of the Korean large brown frog Rana uenoi to future climate change. While increased temperatures did not affect the hatchability of frog eggs, hatched tadpoles in greenhouse treatment with less exposure to sunlight (less maximum temperature) were significantly (14%) shorter in length after three weeks of growth, indicating increased temperature of early season helps growth of tadpoles. However, right after three weeks, all tadpoles in a higher-temperature treatment (outside) died after the experiment logged a maximum temperature of 34.3°C. In the field, the average temperature of puddles without tadpoles (puddles in the middle of the rivulet with all day exposure to sunlight) was 33.2°C. During an indoor temperature elevation experiment, tadpoles suddenly died at 32.4°C. Therefore, the expected maximum survivable temperature for R. uenoi is around 32°C. Our results therefore suggest that R. uenoi tadpoles are vulnerable to elevated temperatures and could suffer mortality from climate change. Climate change will continue to cause extreme weather events like this (sudden elevation of temperature in spring), and frogs, especially tadpoles with restricted movement, will be particularly vulnerable to these events. Identifying how adaptable these amphibian species are to the weather events predicted by future climate change scenarios will be key for their conservation on Jeju Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing frequency of global warming and extreme weather, climate shocks have become a serious challenge for sustainability. The increase of residential income and the popularization of housing appliances enable residents change their energy consuming behaviors to adapt the adverse effects of climate shocks to improve living comfort. Thus, using temperature as a measure of climate shock, we evaluate how household energy consumption reacts to climatic shocks measured by cooling degree days, heating degree days and temperature intervals using panel data at city level in China. The results show that temperature changes have significantly altered household electricity consumption. 1℃ increase in annual cooling degree days and heating degree days leads to an increase of household electricity consumption by 20% and 8.5%, respectively, while the impacts on other energy types are not statistically significant. We found an asymmetric U-shaped relationship between temperature and household electricity consumption. Comparing to the 18～24°C, the impact of temperature increases on electricity consumption of summer is much larger than tempera-ture decreases in winter. It implies that global warming will have a net positive impact on electricity consumption, forming a positive feedback loop. The magnitude of response to electricity consumption on temperature changes shows a substantial heterogeneity over economic development and regional differences. This paper provides new insights for the demand-side management in the context of climate shocks, and enables government to make better informed policies in climate governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As concerns around climate change and global warming intensify, extreme weather events such as heavy rain, blizzards, and smog-induced haze have greatly impacted the commuting travel mode selection of urban residents. Such behavioral shifts have in turn led to changes of the carbon emissions generated from these residents. This paper constructs a "extreme weather (W)–travel behavior (B)–carbon emissions (C)" research framework. Using a multiple logistic regression model, the transportation mode shift model, and the econometric model of urban resident's travel behavior under the influence of extreme weather conditions were constructed. The marginal effects of weather on residents' commuter behavior, through the use of transportation type and distance of travel were also obtained. The study found that the overall carbon dioxide emission levels of daily commuting has gradually decreased due to the influence of extreme weather. However, as some travelers still adopted high-emission commuting modes through the use of taxis or ride-sharing services, there was still a slight increase in CCDE levels in certain extreme weather contexts. In particular, when haze was prevalent, vehicle restriction policies only reduced CCDE by 2.18%, while the remaining 77.83% of total CCDE remaining unchanged. This research provides a key reference point for governmental departments in urban transportation management and environmental protection to formulate policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea Level Rise (SLR) is a vital outcome of the environmental global warming phenomenon. This paper aims to investigate the basic properties of tides in Alexandria, Egypt and to analyze SLR in Egypt over a long period to examine the differences in Egypt's vertical geodetic datum. The annual relative SLR at Alexandria between 1906 and 2020 was found to be 2.6 mm/year. Moreover, the relative SLR has been 3.1 mm/y for the last two decades, 2001-2020. It could be considered the most appropriate value to be taken into consideration in Egypt's coastal management activities. Carrying out additional investigations is suggested to investigate possible major variations of MSL in Egypt at other TG sites over both the Mediterranean and Red seas. Based on available data and accomplished results, it is recommended to regard Egypt's MSL datum as a semi-kinematic rather than a fixed one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming is one of the most pressing issues the world is facing today. The refrigeration sector, one of the major contributors to global warming, needs to follow a methodological approach to address this issue. This paper evaluates the overall warming impact along with the thermodynamic performance of the different generations of refrigerants in the cascade refrigeration system. The main aim of this comparative study is to present a comprehensive outlook on the environmental impact of refrigerants. A different perspective on refrigerant selection to reduce global warming is also discussed. R600a, R290, R12, R22, R134a, R152a, R245fa, R1234yf, and R1234ze are used in the high-temperature circuit, while R32 is used in the low-temperature circuit. Exergy and energy analyses are done for thermodynamic performance, and total equivalent warming impact (TEWI) assessment is carried out to show global warming produced. While the refrigerant couple R152a/R32 shows the best thermodynamic performance with maximum COP, minimum exergy destruction, and maximum second law efficiency, R1234yf/R32 displays the worst thermodynamic performance. R12/R32 shows maximum TEWI while R290/R32 shows minimum TEWI. The firstgeneration refrigerants are found to be most environmentally friendly followed by the third and fourth. Fourthgeneration refrigerants have the highest indirect emissions, which make their TEWI comparable to R134a. It is concluded that thermodynamic performance plays a significant role in reducing TEWI as indirect emissions account for the major part of the TEWI, and therefore, the global warming potential cannot be the only basis for refrigerant selection. This study suggests that first-generation refrigerants and R152a can be better alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a vital market mechanism to mitigate global warming, the emissions trading system (ETS) has critical research and practice value. According to articles from Web of Science's core collection, quantitative statistics are used to analyze the ETS, including statistics on the number of articles, distributions of time and geography, journals and subjects, productive authors and institutions, academic collation, article citations, and hot topics. Moreover, this paper presents a qualitative analysis of research on the ETS, exploring hot issues, including its origin, allowance allocation, the impact of allowance allocation, and the ETS in the power sector. The results show that it is necessary to launch ETS to mitigate climate change effectively and reduce emissions at a low cost. Allowance allocation as its critical component has also caused heated discussion among scholars. In allowance allocation, exploring a desire to assign the future allowable carbon emissions reasonably and efficiently is vital, yet scholars widely do not accept this. Moreover, free allocation can only be applied to the transitional stage, and auctioning will be inevitable. In addition, scholars have studied the impact of different allowance allocation schemes from macro and micro perspectives and take the power sector, namely the largest emitter, as an example, by linear programming, equilibrium modeling, and multi-agent modeling. However, the quota allocation scheme needs improvement due to firms' accuracy of emission data. Finally, governments are encouraged to launch the ETS to reduce emissions and combat climate change. The ETS should be improved gradually, including aspects such as cap setting, covering sectors, and the allocation method. Additionally, some key emission sectors and regions can be taken as the research and practice objects in the initial stage of the ETS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming is a critical crisis threatening human survival and development. International organizations and countries worldwide are introducing policies and practices to achieve carbon neutrality. In China, numerous carbon neutrality policies have been established; however, a systematic understanding of the underlying policy logic is lacking. Using the institutional analysis and development (IAD) framework, this paper analyzes selected carbon neutrality policies in China. We conducted a bibliometric visualization analysis of the texts of 20 policies and matched their logic to the elements of the IAD framework. We established 90 keywords with occurrences of no less than 10 times in China's carbon neutrality policies. The network visualization analysis identified six clusters. We discuss implementation challenges of China's carbon neutrality policies, address the policy implementation, and finally outline impacts on China's carbon neutrality governance. This study responds to the global concern over China's carbon neutrality commitments by clarifying the institutional logic of China's policies and actions. This study could provide a reference for countries worldwide that are designing and introducing carbon neutrality policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different current reasons, like global warming due to greenhouse gases and high energy prices, creates the necessity to make the heating systems in large cities more efficient. The present paper presents a real situation for an urban agglomeration, regarding the transition from a centralized heating system to a decentralized one. Two types of decentralized possibilities are discussed and analyzed taking into account especially the CO2 emissions, during several recent years. In this respect, a calculus of CO2 emissions from the former heating system, compared to the present heating systems is also presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorides and their CO 2 mixtures are considered as promising choices of SF 6 -substitute gases due to their low global warming potentials and high dielectric strength. This paper investigates physical and chemical properties and breakdown characteristics of different common fluorides and their mixtures for application in the power system. For dielectric characteristics of fluorides and their mixtures, their power frequency breakdown voltages are determined experimentally, and the results are compared with SF 6 . For physical and chemical characteristics, the saturated vapor pressures, global warming potentials (GWPs), toxicities, prices of fluorides and their mixtures are calculated, and the corresponding characteristic curves are obtained. Based on characteristics mentioned above, a method for obtaining the optimal gas parameters of a specific fluoride mixture is proposed, which can be used as a feasible solution to find an SF 6 alternative gas that meets the application requirements. The results show that CO 2 mixtures with hexafluoropropene (HFP), 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a) and perfluoroisobutyronitrile (C4-PFN) are three types of good SF 6 -substitute gases. HFP/CO 2 mixtures with HFP component ratios 0.32 to 0.6 are suitable for applications at 0.1 to 0.3 MPa. HFC-134a/CO 2 mixtures (HFC-134a component ratios from 0.16 to 0.2) are suitable for applications at 0.3 to 0.5 MPa. C4-PFN/CO 2 mixtures (C4-PFN component ratios from 0.09 to 0.12) could be used for the applications at 0.1 to 0.5 MPa, regardless of the gas price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To avoid the potential adverse impacts of climate change from global warming, it is suggested that the target of net zero emissions should be reached by this mid-century. Thailand is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Since electricity generation is one of the largest producers of carbon dioxide emission, the associated emissions must be greatly reduced to achieve the targets mentioned above. Thus, new generation expansion plans must be well developed. This paper discusses the development of generation expansion plans considering Thailand's latest policies along with enhancement of the existing multi-period linear programming model, allowing new electricity generation technologies having low emissions, e.g., solar PV with battery and hydrogen blending in natural gas, to be integrated into generation expansion planning. Then, four generation expansion plans with different levels of hydrogen blending in natural gas are proposed and discussed. It is found that Thailand can achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 by promoting more use of renewable energy altogether with trade-off between land for solar PV installation and amount of hydrogen blended in natural gas. The lesson learned from this study provides crucial information about possible pathways to achieve carbon neutrality in the electricity sector for policy makers in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global warming, the decline in the Arctic sea ice has been accelerating over the last 4 decades, with a rate that was not anticipated by climate models. To improve these models, there is the need to rely on comprehensive field data. Seismic methods are known for their potential to estimate sea-ice thickness and mechanical properties with very good accuracy. However, with the hostile environment and logistical difficulties imposed by the polar regions, seismic studies have remained rare. Due to the rapid technological and methodological progress of the last decade, there has been a recent reconsideration of such approaches. This paper introduces a methodological approach for passive monitoring of both sea-ice thickness and mechanical properties. To demonstrate this concept, we use data from a seismic experiment where an array of 247 geophones was deployed on sea ice in a fjord at Svalbard, between 1 and 24 March 2019. From the continuous recording of the ambient seismic field, the empirical Green function of the seismic waves guided in the ice layer was recovered via the so-called "noise correlation function". Using specific array processing, the multi-modal dispersion curves of the ice layer were calculated from the noise correlation function, and then inverted for the thickness and elastic properties of the sea ice via Bayesian inference. The evolution of sea-ice properties was monitored for 24 d, and values are consistent with the literature, as well as with measurements made directly in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reliance of aquaculture production on the ambient environment suggests its vulnerability to climate change. Global warming has led to the increase in water temperatures hence exerting a direct and indirect effect on several aquaculture species. Temperature is one of the major abiotic driving factors of the growth and survival of aquatic organisms. Extreme temperatures above their thermal threshold tend to lower their performance, health, and productivity. This paper, therefore, aims to give a detailed and comprehensive review on the influence of anthropogenic temperature increase on the general animal physiology, growth performance, survival, reproduction, digestive enzyme activity, immunity, differential expression of microRNAs and apoptosis-associated genes as well as gut and skin microbiome of aquaculture species. Likewise, the impacts of increasing water temperature on aquatic ecosystems with regards to pathogen-associated disease outbreaks, aquatic parasites, vaccine efficacy as well as toxicity, and uptake of heavy metals and pesticides are presented. To provide examples of how increasing water temperatures will impact the global trends of aquaculture production, a couple of freshwater, euryhaline, and marine species, as well as cold-water and warm water species, have been chosen to give a broader perspective on how different aquaculture species respond to temperature fluctuations above their thermal threshold. In the same regard, mitigation strategies for climate change adaptation in the context of global warming such as nutrition, genetics, selective breeding, aquaculture biotechnology, aquaculture nanotechnology, and bacteriophage therapy as well as management and husbandry practices are discussed to ensure a sustainable and continued aquaculture productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To combat global warming, "carbon neutrality" has gradually become a consensus. Some countries have constructed domestic and regional carbon trading markets, and links to global carbon markets are receiving increasing attention. Blue carbon, an important component of nature-based solutions (NbS), has not received the attention it deserves and is still isolated from the carbon trading market. Based on summarizing the existing achievements of blockchain application in carbon trading, this paper analyzes how to make each participating body provide services in the process of blue carbon production, circulation and trading, and designs the architectural diagram of the blue carbon system under peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions based on the theoretical framework of blockchain 3.0. Utilizing the advantages of decentralization, high transparency and non-tamperability of blockchain, we can realize a highly efficient, low-cost and intelligent blue carbon trading management system. Thus, we can make the world pay more attention to the development and utilization of marine resources and increase investment in blue carbon sink projects; and promote the development of blue carbon market, enrich the carbon trading market, and help achieve "emission reduction without reduction in production". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evapotranspiration (ET) plays an important role in the study of regional long-term water cycles. The water cycle in Mongolia has been seriously affected by global warming and the intensification of human activities. A significant relationship exists between climate factors and ET. In this paper, the temporal and spatial fluctuations and stability of ET in Mongolia from 2001 to 2020 were studied by using MOD16A2 ET, MOD13A2 NDVI and the climate data of ERA5-Land. ET trends were analysed by using the Breaks for Additive Season and Trend (BFAST) software package, Theil–Sen median trend analysis, Mann–Kendall method and Hurst index. The correlations between ET and temperature (Tem), precipitation (Pre), net solar radiation (Nsr), soil moisture (Swl) and human activities were determined by partial correlation analysis and a geographic detector. In the past 20 years, ET increased significantly in 49.4% of Mongolia, and NDVI also showed a significant increasing trend. BFAST detected two mutation years. ET decreased rapidly from 2006 to 2007 and increased rapidly from 2015 to 2016. In addition to winter, the meteorological factor that had a significant positive impact on ET in the east and west was Pre, whereas the impact of Tem was more obvious in central Mongolia. In winter, Tem had a great impact on ET. In the vegetation growing season, the joint action of NDVI and Pre greatly positively contributed to ET. The geographical detector showed that the influence of annual human factors on ET was weakened by changes in NDVI and Pre. In the growing season, Tem and Nsr increased nonlinearly to ET, and other natural and human factors showed bivariate enhancement. These results will help to understand the responses of ET changes to natural factors and human activities in Mongolia and provide data support for future research on ET and the water cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early studies, northern vegetation response to global warming recognised both increases in biomass/cover and shrinking of species' distributional ranges. Subsequent field measurements focussed on vegetation cover and biomass increases ("greening"), and more recently decreases ("browning"). However, satellite observations show that more than 50% of arctic vegetation has not changed significantly despite rapid warming. While absence of change in remote sensing data does not necessarily mean no ecological change on the ground, the significant proportion of the Arctic that appears to be stable in the face of considerable climate change points to a greater need to understand Arctic ecosystem stability. In this paper, we performed an extensive review of the available literature to seek balances or imbalances between research focussing on "greening", "browning" and "stability/no change". We find that greening studies dominate the literature though two relatively small areas of the Arctic are disproportionately represented for this main change process. Critically, there are too few studies anywhere investigating stability. We highlight the need to understand the mechanisms driving Arctic ecosystem stability, and the potential longer-term consequences of remaining stable in a rapidly changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arctic was a relevant hotspot during the Cold War. Years later, the global warming derived from climate change is producing transformations that reveal different possibilities to exploit the Arctic's wealth: natural resources, new trade routes, and tourist activities. This range of opportunities has raised tensions among Russia and United States and European countries. Since 2008, the European Union has been developing its own policy for the Arctic space, being security one of the main challenges that it has to tackle as an international organization. This paper, examines this European Arctic policy through the Conventions Theory to identify the evolution of security issues in the European Union's discourse on the Arctic territory. In order to analyze the situation, we use N-Vivo software to encode the content of fundamental documents published by the EU up to 2021 concerning the Arctic region. The results reflect how security and defense issues have gone from being of secondary importance to being one of the fundamental axes of the current European Arctic policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ministerial circulars call not only for awareness-raising, but for a real "youth mobilisation" against global warming. These recommendations concern the neutrality of the school space within the republican framework. In order to depart from recurring debates in France, we propose here to take a detour through America, with the Little Rock affair and the Hannah Arendt's paper about claims of the State to initiate the process of social desegregation by ordering public high schools to integrate black students. But engaging youth in adults political struggles, it is not betraying education?Yet many tensions into Arendt's political philosophy suggest resting the problem of school neutrality in a less radical way when the subject concerns preservation of life, that is a necessary, although insufficient, condition of education. But, on the other hand, what to think mobilizing students by inculcating "good practices" without promoting reflection? In short, if the school, as an institution, is to serve as a relay for public policies, how should it perform the role assigned to it? Shouldn't youth mobilization take other forms than enrollment? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As awareness grows of global warming and ecological degradation, words such as "climate anxiety", and "eco-anxiety" enter our vocabularies, describing the impact of climate change on human mental health and spiritual wellbeing. Distress over climate change disproportionately impacts children, who also are more susceptible to the broader health, economic, and social effects brought about by environmental harm. In this paper, I explore children's vulnerability to climate change and climate anxiety through the lens of ecofeminist practical theology. Ecofeminism brings the liberatory concerns of feminist theologies into engagement with those theologies focused on the life of the planet. Drawing on ecofeminism, practical theology must continue and deepen its own ecological conversion, and practical theologies of childhood must take seriously the work of making an ecological home, oikos, in which children are embedded as a part of the wider ecology that includes the more-than-human world. This requires foregrounding religious education with children toward the inhabitance of the earth in good and just ways. However, these theologies also must address children's lived realities of increased anxiety over planetary changes that endanger life through practices of spiritual care with children that engage and support them in their distress toward participatory empowerment for change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grounding of a 400-meter long container vessel, called Ever Given, in the Suez Canal blocked the busiest shipping lane, which is responsible for 12% of seaborne trade, for 6 days. Some shipping companies had to divert their vessels and they had to take a much longer route around Africa to reach European ports. The concerned shipping industry started to look for alternative sea route to the Suez Canal with lesser risk of blockage, without a need to go around Africa. Such routes, which connect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, exist in the Arctic and the warming of the global climate makes them more accessible over time but the assessment of their viability requires a multifaceted analysis based on available professional navigational publications, scientific papers, and knowledge of polar shipping realities. Several nautical aspects are taken into account with the purpose of choosing a polar route that is most suitable as an alternative to the Suez Canal. Three routes are under consideration. One of them is the Northern Sea Route in the eastern part of the Arctic Ocean, along the coast of the Russian Federation. The second route is the Northwest Passage through the western part of the Arctic, passing waters belonging to Greenland, Canada, and the United States. The third one passes near the North Pole, a prospective route that may become available for commercial shipping in the future due to Arctic ice shrinkage, and it is known as the Transpolar Route. Analysis of these routes unambiguously point to the Northern Sea Route as the only viable option. Most prospective alternatives to the Suez Canal are technically feasible with the new generation of cargo vessels and they are experiencing a growth in maritime traffic together with a steady development of associated infrastructure. The existing simplified analyses of the transit costs, assuming strait passage in polar waters without any course deviation and the additional fuel that is burnt to overcome increased friction during passage in ice, shows that under present conditions that the Suez Canal Route is still cheaper than any polar transit and, moreover, offers year-round availability. It cannot be ruled out that the upcoming warming of the Arctic climate, and a lowering of the transit tariffs by the Russian Federation may tip the balance in favor of the Northern Sea Route. Presented here is an analysis of the competitiveness of the Arctic Routes in comparison to the Suez Canal from the perspective of the mariner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption is steadily increasing with the ever-growing population, leading to a rise in global warming. Building energy consumption is one of the major sources of global warming, which can be controlled with renewable energy installations. This paper deals with an advanced evacuated hybrid solar photovoltaic–thermal collector (PVT) for simultaneous production of electricity and domestic hot water (DHW) with lower carbon emissions. Most PVT projects focus on increasing electricity production by cooling the photovoltaic (PV). However, in this research, increasing thermal efficiency is investigated through vacuum glass tube encapsulation. The required area for conventional unglazed PVT systems varies between 1.6–2 times of solar thermal collectors for similar thermal output. In the case of encapsulation, the required area can decrease by minimizing convective losses from the system. Surprisingly, the electrical efficiency was not decreased by encapsulating the PVT system. The performance of evacuated PVT is compared to glazed and unglazed PVTs, and the result shows a 40% increase in thermal performance with the proposed system. All three systems are simulated in ANSYS 18.1 (Canonsburg, PA, USA) at different mass flow rates and solar irradiance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate whether the relationship between the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation and tropical cyclone (TC) rain rate over the western North Pacific (WNP) changes between the global warming slowdown (2001–2012) and resumption (2013–2020) periods. Using high‐resolution satellite rainfall data, we show that the average TC rain rate increases by 9% but decreases by 14% during the recent El Niño and La Niña years (since 2013), respectively. During the El Niño years, the increase is related to higher TC track density at lower latitudes, where more water vapor and stronger convergence are present. On the other hand, the decrease in TC rain rate during the recent La Niña years is mainly related to an increase in track density at higher latitudes and a decrease in TC intensity. These changes in TC track density and intensity are both associated with the strengthening of the subtropical high since 2013. Plain Language Summary: The impacts on various weather phenomena associated with the global surface warming slowdown (or "hiatus": 1998–2012) and its subsequent resumption since 2013 have been extensively investigated. An unresolved issue is whether the tropical cyclone (TC) rain rate over the western North Pacific (WNP) basin has also changed, especially during the El Niño (or La Niña) years. Considering the availability of high‐resolution satellite rainfall data, we mainly focus on the period of 2001–2020 (slowdown period: 2001–2012; resumption period: 2013–2020). Our results show that, consistent with the increase in atmospheric water vapor after the global warming resumption, the average TC rain rate has increased by ∼2%. However, TC rain rate increases in El Niño years but decreases in La Niña years during the resumption period. This opposite change in TC rain rate is mainly influenced by the strengthened WNP subtropical high. Our findings suggest that it is necessary to properly consider the influence of the subtropical high on the projections in TC migration, intensity, and rain rate under global warming. Key Points: Compared with El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) years in the global warming slowdown period, tropical cyclone (TC) rain rate increases and decreases in recent El Niño and La Niña yearsThis opposite change in TC rain rate in recent ENSO years is mainly affected by the changes in TC track density and TC intensityChanges in TC track density and intensity are both influenced by the extremely strengthened subtropical high since 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the context of global warming, compound dry and hot events (CDHEs) will increase and bring serious losses to society and the economy. The projection of CDHEs is of great significance for policy-making and risk assessment. In this paper, two large ensemble simulations, CanESM2-LE and CESM-LE, are used to estimate the risk of extreme CDHEs under different warming scenarios in China. First, the biases of the model in the simulation of the temperature and precipitation over the China region are corrected, and the index of CDHEs is established based on a copula function. The results show that extreme CDHEs will occur more often in China with the increase in global warming and the more severe extreme CDHEs are, the greater the risk will be in the future with higher uncertainties. Events that would be attained once every 50 and 100 years in the current climate from CESM-LE (CAanESM2-LE) will be 1.2/1.6 (1.1/1.5) times and 1.3/2.3 (1.5/2.0) times more likely to occur in a 1.5°C/2.0°C warmer climate, respectively. Northwestern China will experience the greatest increase in the risk of extreme CDHEs. Extreme CDHEs expected once every 100 years in the current period over NW China are expected to occur approximately every 5 and 4 years under a 4.0°C warmer world in CanESM2-LE and CESM-LE, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sci (ISSN 2413-4155) is an international, open-access journal that covers most fields of scientific research. It has set out to challenge the conventional single- and double-blind peer review processes by adopting a post-publication public peer review (P4R) model. The model faced some difficulties with indexing and archiving services, prolongated the peer review process and its transparency received some opposition. It was therefore necessary to revisit the P4R model and modify it, resulting in the hybrid model (P4R hybrid) which is implemented in Sci today. Sci remains open to the whole scientific community as an inclusive and multidisciplinary scientific journal. In this context, we present you with six valuable contributions to the first Special Issue of Feature Papers Editors Collection 2020. The topics of the contributions address relevant and compelling issues ranging from data protection, material science, COVID-19 to the environment and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of different primary energy sources in human society has led to two major polluting emissions in the environment: energy (mostly heat), and chemical substances (mostly carbon dioxide). In this paper, a new approach, based on the similarity between sensible heat and CO2 transfer properties, was used to determine the effect of anthropogenic heat release on the global air temperature. The total global anthropogenic emissions of sensible heat were divided into two separate streams: directly transferred to: (1) water and land, and (2) to the atmosphere. The direct emissions of heat to the atmosphere during the industrial era (years 1850-2018) were determined and their effect on the change of global atmospheric temperature was calculated. The global atmospheric temperature increase caused by anthropogenic heat emissions was estimated. The resulting calculations showed that at least half of the actual atmospheric temperature rise recorded during the last 170-year period, was due to the anthropogenic heat release. These results suggest that the temperature change of the atmosphere (global warming) is strongly affected by anthropogenic heat emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arid region of northwest China (ARNC) is one of the most sensitive areas to global warming. However, the performance of new Global Climate Models (GCMs) from phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) in simulating climate in this region, especially in the subregions, is not clear yet. Based on the temperature dataset from historical runs of CMIP6, this paper analyzed and evaluated the simulation ability of 29 GCMs in reproducing the annual mean temperature (tas), annual mean maximum temperature (tasmax) and annual mean minimum temperature (tasmin) in the ARNC and subregions from 1961 to 2014. The results show that (1) the correlation coefficients (CCs) between simulation and observation time series for the mean of two model ensembles (MME for equal-weight multi-model ensemble and PME for preferred-model ensemble) are generally better than those of 29 individual GCMs, with CCs ranging from 0.38 to 0.87 (p < 0.01). (2) All the models can simulate the significant warming trend of the three temperature elements in the study area well. However, the warming magnitude simulated by most of the models (41%) is smaller than the observations except for tasmax, which is also shown in the MME. (3) The spatial pattern of the three temperature elements can be better reflected by most models. Model simulation ability for the ARNC is better compared to that of the four subregions, with a spatial CC greater than 0.7 (p < 0.01). Among the subregions, the simulation performance of the north of Xinjiang for spatial pattern is superior to that of the other regions. (4) The preferred models for each subregion are various and should be treated differently when used. Overall, the PME outperforms both the MME and the individual models; it can not only simulate the linear trend accurately but also reduce the deviation effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unexpected observations of strong radiowave scatter at a ~85–90 km altitude with very high frequency radars were explained in the early 1990s, when it was demonstrated that these were due to special turbulent and small-scale scatterers with high Schmidt number. Studies of these phenomena have primarily been concentrated in polar regions, and the events seem most prominent in regions of very cold air (below 140 K). Such radar echoes are referred to as polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE), and are rare at lower latitudes. In this paper we report observations of similar scatterers at sites below 50° latitude. The nature of these scatterers is discussed and results are compared to observations at the polar site of Eureka, Canada. Mid-latitude observations at frequencies of 48.92 and 45.47 MHz were made, respectively, at Abitibi Canyon (49.9° N latitude) and Markstay (46.5° N latitude) in Ontario, Canada. In particular, we look at the relationship of these scatterers to geophysical parameters, especially the Ap index. Our results suggest that mesospheric air with temperatures less than 140 K now exists below 50° latitude. This may be an indication of an equator-ward creep of global mesospheric cooling (which is associated with the well-known tropospheric global warming), but the scatterers at lower latitudes also demonstrate correlation with the Ap index. On the other hand, the polar scatterers at Eureka demonstrated no correlation of any significance with Ap. The importance of these results in regard to the global distribution of mesospheric temperatures is discussed, and comparisons to other measurements are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in high‐performance computing have enabled large‐eddy simulations (LES) of turbulence, convection, and clouds. However, their potential to improve parameterizations in global climate models (GCMs) is only beginning to be harnessed, with relatively few canonical LES available so far. The purpose of this paper is to begin creating a public LES library that expands the training data available for calibrating and evaluating GCM parameterizations. To do so, we use an experimental setup in which LES are driven by large‐scale forcings from GCMs, which in principle can be used at any location, any time of year, and in any climate state. We use this setup to create a library of LES of clouds across the tropics and subtropics, in the present and in a warmer climate, with a focus on the transition from stratocumulus to shallow cumulus over the East Pacific. The LES results are relatively insensitive to the choice of host GCM driving the LES. Driven with large‐scale forcing under global warming, the LES simulate a positive but weak shortwave cloud feedback, adding to the accumulating evidence that low clouds amplify global warming. Plain Language Summary: Clouds remain one of the largest uncertainties in our understanding and in predictions of climate change because it is challenging to represent their small‐scale dynamics in climate models. However, high‐resolution simulations can provide faithful simulations of clouds and turbulence in limited areas, and these can be used to calibrate climate models. So far, only a limited set of simulations has been used for calibration of climate models, with focus on a few specific locations. This study presents an experimental setup that allows the high‐resolution simulations to be run anywhere on the globe, in any climate state, driven by output from different climate models. The setup is used to create a library of high‐resolution simulations of clouds across the tropics and subtropics in both the current and a warmer climate. The library substantially expands the data set available for the calibration and evaluation of climate models. Key Points: A library of high‐resolution simulations of clouds is created with large‐eddy simulations (LES) driven by a few global climate models (GCMs)Clouds simulated by LES driven by different GCMs are more similar to one another than the corresponding GCM‐simulated cloudsUnder global warming, LES‐simulated low clouds exhibit a weak but positive feedback on warming [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using four reanalysis data sets and ground‐based observations, this paper uncovers that on average, 30% of the time, Northern Hemisphere snow cover experiences unfrozen bottom soil. It is demonstrated that the probability of occurrence of unfrozen soils is correlated with the snow types and is maximum over the ephemeral followed by the maritime and prairie snow. The results based on reanalysis data unveil that the seasonal evolution of the unfrozen soil areas is not synchronous with the snow cover extent and exhibits sub‐annual bi‐modality with two annual maxima in April and October. Interannual trend analyses indicate that shrinkage of spring snow in the past few decades has been accompanied by an increase in the proportion of unfrozen bottom soils, more significantly over polar climate regimes dominated by the tundra and taiga snow. The findings imply that the snowpack basal melting could have increased due to global warming. Plain Language Summary: Unfrozen bottom soils below snow layers play an important role in the persistence and stability of snowpack, yet less knowledge is known about its spatial variability and seasonal evolution on a global scale. This study uncovers that, on average, around 30% of annual Northern Hemisphere's snow cover extent is over unfrozen soils with a spatial variability that is highly correlated with snow types. Specifically, unfrozen soils appear more frequently below the ephemeral followed by the maritime and prairie snow. In addition, it is demonstrated that the unfrozen soil areas exhibit different seasonal evolution from snow cover extent with two annual peaks in April and October. The results show that the areas of unfrozen soils are expanding in spring as the snow cover extent is shrinking. Key Points: On average 30% of the year the soil below global snowpack is unfrozenSeasonal evolution of the areas of unfrozen soil below snowpack is not synchronous with snow cover extentBasal snowpack melting could have increased in a warming climate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart technology has potential in tracking the key challenges based on population based on the sustainable future. In today's cultures, a smart approach enables for the integration of information needed to address crucial concerns. The critical challenge is to limit the effects of global warming while maintaining a balanced economic growth. The impact of global warming mitigates the fundamental problem while ensuring the balance economic development. Intense research efforts should be directed toward balanced resource utilization, renewable energy system integration, efficient energy conversion technologies, effective process integration, effective techniques to enable a circular economy framework, and other issues that are important to the population. This paper finds the latest technology in the field of smart grid technologies which focused on the effective enhancement and efficient utilization of resource. The issues and challenges in using sustainable future are discussed and bring new ideas towards the sustainable future base on the application of smart technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on Asian monsoon projection with CMIP5 multi-model outputs. A large-scale monsoon herewith is defined as a vector field of vertically integrated moisture flux from the surface to 500 hPa. Results demonstrate that the model ensemble mean underestimated the summer monsoon and overestimated slightly the winter monsoon over South Asia in both CMIP5 historical climate simulation and the monsoon projection for 2006–2015. The major of the bias is the model climate drift (MCD), which is removed in the monsoon projection for 2016–2045 under scenarios RCP4.5 for reducing the uncertainty. The projection shows that two increased moisture flows northward appeared across the Equator of Indian Ocean, the first is nearby Somalia coast toward northwestern part of South Asia, leading to excess rainfall in where the wet jet could reach, and the second starts from the equatorial Sect. (80°E–100°E) toward northeastern Bay of Bengal, leading to more rainfall spreading over the northwestern coast of Indochina Peninsula. In addition, a westward monsoon flow is intensified over the Peninsula leading to local climate moisture transport belt shifted onto South China Sea, which would reduce moisture transport toward Southwest China on one hand, and transport more moisture onto the southeast coast of the China mainland. The anomalous monsoon would result in a dry climate in Northwest China and wet climate in the coast belt during summer monsoon season for the period. Besides, the Asian winter monsoon would be seemingly intensified slightly over South Asia, which would bring a dry winter climate to Indian subcontinent, Northwest China, but would be more rainfall in southeast part of Arabian Peninsula with global climate warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two economic activities have been integrated in southern Brazil: olive cultivation and sheep farming. The favorable edaphoclimatic conditions in the southern region for cultivating olive trees and cultural preferences for the consumption of sheep meat make this integration a valuable strategy. Considering that every activity causes environmental impact and the exploitation of natural resources, new systems that promote sustainable development and the efficient use of these resources become necessary. This paper presents the first study of the carbon footprint of the life cycle of integrating of sheep and olive farming, with the objective to build an inventory based on primary data collected on olive and sheep farms in Brazil, determine the carbon footprint of the conventional and integrated system and estimate the potential for mitigating GHG emissions. The evaluation was performed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The study focuses on the detailed analysis of the processes and activities that are responsible for GHG emissions, including enteric methane emissions, methane emissions from manure management, emissions from nitrogen fertilizer use and limestone application and energy consumption. For this, two major scenarios were considered, the first centered around on the traditional olive cultivation and sheep farming systems individually, and the second involved their synergistic integration. The findings indicate that the conventional system is associated with a global warming impact of 6.8 kg CO 2 eq per liter olive oil and kg live weight. In contrast, the integrated system demonstrates a significant mitigation potential of 27.7%, resulting in a reduced global warming impact of 4.92 kg CO 2 eq. This advantage is a consequence of the synergy between the systems, as they now occupy the same area, which allows the sharing of agricultural activities and agrochemical inputs, in addition to optimizing nutrient recycling and complementing each other. Additionally, the results of a sensitivity analysis showed that enteric methane from sheep and the application of limestone to the soil are the most influential parameters on the carbon footprint, indicating that they are key parameters for the development of GHG mitigation strategies, some of which were discussed in the article. • First life cycle assessment of integration between olive and sheep farming in Brazil. • The inventory was constructed with primary data collected in situ. • The study assesses the carbon footprint of the olive and sheep farming system. • The results show environmental advantages of the integration of olive and sheep farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quest for sustainability and reduction of human impact on the planet has led to discussions about environmental efficiency in the manufacture and use of automotive vehicles. The advancement of environmental and government laws has encouraged the automotive industry to seek constant improvements in safety, fuel economy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve these goals, reducing the weight of vehicles has been considered a relevant strategy, with several research and development efforts in search of high-tech materials and innovative design. The assessment of the life cycle of vehicles, from the extraction of raw materials to the end of their useful life, is essential for estimating environmental impacts. In this context, this paper focuses on the life cycle analysis of vehicles with new generation steel structures (Body in White Solution) compared to current steels (Body in White Baseline), aiming at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing of the thickness of the steel plates, maintaining the mechanical properties necessary to guarantee the safety of the vehicle. The methodology of this study was divided into the evaluation of Body in White (BIW) mass in current steels (Baseline) and in advanced high resistance steels (Solution); detailing the vehicular life cycle from the extraction of materials to its end of life; in the estimation of greenhouse gas emissions through simulation and in the comparison of vehicle emissions with BIW in current steels and in advanced high resistance steels. As a result, it was possible to observe that, in the comparison of the CO 2 footprint, modeled in the Eco Audit, there is a 15% reduction in emissions in the CO 2 footprint for the BIW solution, as well as a 7% reduction in the C eq total , in the on-site test and a saving of 260.40 L in fuel consumption, that is, the reduction in vehicle weight plays a significant role in reducing CO 2 emissions, providing a mitigation factor for global warming. [Display omitted] • There is a 15% reduction in emissions in the CO2 footprint for the BIW solution. • There is a 7% reduction in the Ceq total, in the on-site test. • Reduction in vehicle weight plays a significant role in reducing CO2 emissions. • Providing a mitigation factor for global warming. • There is a fuel economy of 260.4 L over the vehicle's life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Significantly changes of LAI and GPP mostly occurred in eastern and southern China. • Divergence between LAI and GPP were found in regions with dense vegetation coverage. • The importance of VPD, SM, and PT to vegetation indices increased as latitude decreases. Climate change notably boosts terrestrial hydraulic redistribution pattern, which could directly affect the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of vegetation productivity. However, the spatiotemporal evolution pattern of long-term hydrometeorological controls of vegetation productivity is still not fully understood. This paper comprehensively explored the impacts of hydrometeorological controls on leaf area index (LAI) and gross primary productivity (GPP) in China during 1982–2015 using both satellite observations and reanalysis. Vapor pressure deficit (VPD), evapotranspiration (ET), precipitation (PT), and soil moisture (SM) were used as representative indicators during investigation. The dynamics of LAI and GPP displayed increasing trends on the whole. And significantly changes mostly occurred in eastern and southern China, accompanied by moderate to dense vegetation coverage. An accelerated increasing trend for LAI could be observed since September 2003 (+0.175 per decade), while the growth rate of GPP (+16.76 g C/m2 per decade) basically maintained stable. In terms of hydrometeorological controls, VPD and ET showed consistently increasing trend and SM presented falling trend in the context of warming climate. Through analysis of feature importance index established by Random Forest, the importance of VPD, SM, and PT obviously increased as latitude decreases, which implied the high sensitivity of vegetation in semi-humid\humid regions to water availability. Additionally, divergence between LAI and GPP can be found in southern Tibet Plateau region and coastal regions, which provides compelling evidence that in the case of high LAI, increasing LAI could weaken the improvement effect on GPP. Findings of this study is expected to promote the understanding of long-term vegetation responses to hydrometeorological variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

· Most marine turtles have a typical annual nesting season, and the number of nests laid during a season can be used as a proxy for population size to define trends and conservation status. · However, in some cases, two peaks in female emergences are detected during single year. · We show that estimates that fail to consider this bimodality into account can provide biased results both in terms of describing the phenology and quantifying the number of nests. · The shifts in nesting could be a strategy to adapt to present-day incubation temperatures, hatching success rates, and sex ratios in the context of climate warming. The seasonality of egg-laying in marine turtles is a well-known phenomenon that has been used to determine population trends based on an integration of the number of female emergences or nests during a season. However, in some cases, several peaks in female emergences are detected during single year. In this paper, we explore three such situations, two involving leatherback turtles laying eggs in French Guiana and in Northwest Coast of Papua, Indonesia and another involving green turtles in the Indian Ocean. In the three cases, we demonstrate the existence of a bimodal nesting season using a new statistical model. With this model, we show that estimates that fail to consider this bimodality into account can provide biased results both in terms of describing the phenology and quantifying the number of nests. The origin of these different groups of females is discussed based on the available information. This new model opens the door to a more rigorous analysis of egg-laying seasonality in marine turtles. Such rigor is essential in the current context of climate change, where shifts in seasonality can have a major influence on these species due to their temperature-sensitive sex determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies on the relationship between global warming and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) rely on simulation experiments, but they have produced contradictory results, which cannot guarantee the reliability of the experimental findings. To address this challenge, we approached the issue from the perspective of objective ENSO and global warming signals. The effects of global warming on ENSO are not limited to the Earth's surface, but also present in the atmosphere. While objective monitoring indices exist for surface global warming and ENSO signals, objective ENSO and global warming signals in the atmosphere are difficult to obtain. To obtain high-precision ENSO and global warming signals in the atmosphere, we propose using the strategy of ICA (Independent Component Analysis) combined with a non-parametric method. The results of the objective ENSO and global warming signals suggest that the global warming signal leads the ENSO signal by approximately three months and exhibits a clear positive correlation with the ENSO signal, especially the occurrence of strong ENSO events is closely related to global warming, indicating that global warming promotes the occurrence of ENSO events. Under the influence of global warming, the frequency and intensity of ENSO increase, the characteristics and complexity of ENSO atmospheric teleconnections may be altered, and there is a greater tendency for more destructive El Niño events to occur. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the probability of ENSO event has increased significantly. Furthermore, moderate or strong ENSO events tend to develop earlier, and extreme ENSO events not only develop earlier but also prolong their decay phase, leading to an extended lifespan of ENSO events. This paper investigates the effect of global warming on ENSO from the perspectives of objective ENSO and global warming signals, which well supplements the objective factual basis for the previous simulation experimental studies. • Most simulation studies on the relationship between global warming and ENSO cannot guarantee the authenticity ofresults • We investigated the relationship between global warming and ENSO from the perspective of objective signals. • To obtain ENSO and global warming signals, we proposed the strategy of ICA combined with a non-parametric method. • The results suggest that the global warming signal exhibits a clear positive correlation with the ENSO signal. • Under influence of global warming, frequency, lifespan, intensity and atmospheric teleconnections of ENSO may be altered [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an innovative framework is introduced for assessing the impact of climate change on coastal structures, with a primary emphasis on modeling future climate conditions. The framework encompasses several key components: the development of a new climate emulator to facilitate multivariate extreme value analysis; a hybrid statistical–numerical wave propagation strategy; and the integration of a novel compound modeling approach specific to coastal structure sites. These advancements are designed to effectively manage multiple climate scenarios and models within the context of high uncertainty. The methodology is applied and validated for a coastal structure located on the Mediterranean coast in Spain. Focusing on compound wave and sea-level events, the projections indicate an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme conditions, exacerbating coastal impacts such as wave overtopping. For instance, the present-day 500-year coastal flooding level would be associated with a return period of 50 years by mid-century under a stabilization scenario and would be further reduced to 25 years under a high-emission global warming scenario, resulting in important consequences for structure performance if no adaptation is implemented. • Develops a framework for assessing the impact of climate change on coastal structures. • It develops a new climate emulator to facilitate multivariate extreme value analysis. • It encompasses a hybrid statistical–numerical wave propagation strategy. • It integrates a novel compound modeling approach specific to coastal structures sites. • It has been applied and validated for a coastal structure in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organophosphonates (OPs) are a unique group of natural and synthetic compounds, characterised by the presence of a stable, hard-to-cleave bond between the carbon and phosphorus atoms. OPs exhibit high resistance to abiotic degradation, excellent chelating properties and high biological activity. Despite the huge and increasing scale of OP production and use worldwide, little is known about their transportation and fate in the environment. Available data are dominated by information concerning the most recognised organophosphonate – the herbicide glyphosate - while other OPs have received little attention. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge about natural and artificial OPs is presented (including glyphosate). Based on the available literature, a number of knowledge gaps have been identified that need to be filled in order to understand the environmental effects of these abundant compounds. Special attention has been given to GHG-related processes, with a particular focus on CH 4. This stems from the recent discovery of OP-dependent CH 4 production in aqueous environments under aerobic conditions. The process has changed the perception of the biogeochemical cycle of CH 4, since it was previously thought that biological methane formation was only possible under anaerobic conditions. However, there is a lack of knowledge on whether OP-associated methane is also formed in soils. Moreover, it remains unclear whether anthropogenic OPs affect the CH 4 cycle, a concern of significant importance in the context of the increasing rate of global warming. The literature examined in this review also calls for additional research into the date of OPs in waste and sewage and in their impact on environmental microbiomes. [Display omitted] • Artificial organophosphonates (OPs) are commonly released into the environment. • The degradation patterns and environmental impact of artificial OPs are unknown. • Knowledge about the impact of OPs on GHG emission is limited. • The release of OPs into the environment may require legislative actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has accentuated the effects of extreme heat on health. Health insurance, functioning as a risk management tool, has the potential to alleviate these impacts. Consequently, this paper investigates the correlation between extreme heat events and the demand for health insurance in China. Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, we have observed a substantial increase in the likelihood of residents purchasing health insurance during extreme heat events. To be specific, for every extra day of extreme heat events annually, there is a 0.3% increase in the probability of purchasing health insurance. This effect is not uniform across different demographic groups. It is particularly pronounced among middle-aged and elderly individuals, rural residents, those with lower educational levels, higher income brackets, and individuals residing in underprivileged areas with limited access to green spaces and healthcare facilities. Furthermore, our study indicates that the increased frequency of extreme heat events not only impacts individuals' physical health but also triggers negative emotions, which in turn drive risk-averse behavior related to health insurance purchases. These findings carry substantial policy implications for mitigating the economic consequences of climate change. • Extreme heat increases the likelihood of residents purchasing health insurance. • Each additional day of extreme heat boosts health insurance purchases by 0.3%. • This effect varies among different populations. • Mechanistic analyses indicate extreme heat impacting physical and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The extent of flooding in China is greater than in any other country. • Nearly 66% of China's landmass is submerged by flooding. • Financial toll of flooding accounts for approximately 1.42% of the annual GDP. • Various forms of climatic change contribute to flooding. The extent of flooding in China is more significant than in any other country. Our research reveals that approximately 66 % of China's landmass is submerged by flooding, affecting about 50 % of the population. Furthermore, the financial toll of flooding now accounts for approximately 1.42 % of the annual gross domestic product (GDP), which is almost 40 times higher than the corresponding figure for the United States. We have observed that Zhengzhou city in Henan province, which faced a devastating flood in 2021, received a significant amount of rainfall, specifically a total of 552.5 mm within a 24-hour period. The floods in Henan province in 2021 caused considerable damage, including impacting nearly 15 million people, resulting in almost 400 deaths, damaging over 10,000 square kilometers of agricultural land, causing almost $19 billion in economic losses, and leading to the collapse of over 35,000 households and damage to various properties. In a similar manner, the significant flooding that occurred in southern China in 2020 impacted approximately 7.1 million individuals across eight provinces and resulted in 54 fatalities, the collapse of 6,700 houses, and incurred a direct economic loss of US$3.33 billion. We found that rainstorms have significantly increased to 10 % in the last 60 years in China. In this paper, we delved into exploring the existing published articles, reports, and government and authoritative legal texts to analyze the causes and impacts of flooding in China's flood-prone regions and potential mitigation strategies to reduce the repercussions of distressing flood events. We believe this study will help policymakers by providing new insights while formulating policy to reduce the loss caused by high-level flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood has always been used by man for his means of transport. It is only since the beginning of the 20th century that it has fallen into disuse due to the industrial production of concrete, steel and plastic materials. However, with global warming becoming undeniable, the societal challenge of decarbonizing transport may bring wood back into the spotlight. In this article, after a brief historical review, arguments about its availability and durability in a bio-economic context are put forward. The main mechanical properties of wood and plywood are then reviewed, along with the main factors influencing both their static and dynamic characteristics, the latter being important for the transport sector. Plywood is extensively detailed in this review paper, as it has been widely used in transport applications in the past, and presents potential optimized mechanical characteristics and eco-friendly resource utilization. Some mechanical models are also presented and put into perspective. A brief panorama of wood associations with natural or technical fibre composites is also proposed. Then, selected recent examples show that wood still has its place in naval, automotive, aeronautical, and even space applications. Finally, some conclusions are drawn and numerous research prospects in this vast and resurgent field are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the use of distributed energy resources has accelerated to deal with global warming. As these resources are decentralized, the current centralized energy market must be modified to accommodate their characteristics. Advances in information technology have made it possible to implement peer-to-peer (P2P) markets. However, completely removing the distribution system operator from P2P exchanges can risk the network's security. Conversely, establishing network security only by the operator can decline the independence of agents. This paper proposes a decentralized framework for implementing the P2P market based on the alternating direction method of multipliers, which maintains the distribution system's constraints, considering the agents' independent nature. The agents reach convergence with minimal exchange of information while maintaining the network constraints, including voltage and current limits. The network constraints are included using a proposed sensitivity approach in the sub-problem of each agent. In this approach, by calculating the sensitivity coefficients of voltage and current, the network security can be evaluated with the changes of active and reactive powers by agents. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed framework can efficiently maintain network constraints. The short running time of the P2P trading with the proposed framework makes it feasible for practical applications. • Developing a new P2P trading framework under distribution network constraints. • Preserving the independent nature of P2P participants. • The alternating direction method of multipliers is applied in the framework. • Applying the network constraints using a sensitivity approach in the sub-problems. • The studies prove the efficacy of the framework in maintaining network constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities and towns are the social constructs in regional settings. They physically manifest and exist as power centres through various layers of culture, economy, politics, and religion. There was a symbiotic relationship between the 'setting' and the 'construct' in the past. With time and advent of technology, haphazard developments led to degradation of ecological systems and have become a confronted affair. Global warming, its adverse effects and the constant references to the words 'sustainability' and 'resilience' pose questions on the existing planning models. Small towns experiencing a tremendous pressure of urbanisation and rich in natural resources, coherence and identity are fast changing. An indispensable change in the planning models is necessary to mitigate this existential crisis and condition the emerging urbanism in small towns sustainably. This paper unearths the role and possibilities of bioregional planning as a sustainable urban development paradigm and suggests few indicative parameters for envisioning bioregionalism in small towns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming is one of the most discussed topics today by society, due to its consequences for humanity, and drought is one of its results. That said, the present article analyzed the drought impact on the health dimension of Firjan Index of Municipal Development in Northeast of Brazil, during the period between 2005 and 2016. In order to achieve this result, it was used the conceptual approaches of drought, public spending, and municipal development. As methodology, this paper selected a quantitative method by using a Panel Data econometric model composed by the dependent variable IFDM_SAUDE; drought as the independent variable of interest; public spending, population and time as variables of control. To generate the indicator drought, it was used the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), created by McKee, Doesken and Kleist (1993). Thus, it was concluded that drought, public spending and time were 95% relevant regarding municipal development index with a positive impact and population with a negative impact, evidencing that the larger volume of public spending towards a policy of drought effects mitigation, the best results for municipal development in health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the spatial and temporal regularities of the course of ice processes in the White Sea, derived from satellite data observations, for the period 2004-2020. The dependences, defining indicative dates of the White Sea ice regime of air temperature regime over its water area are given, which can be used for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. It was found that the rate of breaking (2.11%/day) of the Sea ice cover is 1.24 times higher than the rate of formation (1.70%/day). It is noted that the connection with the Barents Sea has a significant impact on the course of the ice regime of the White Sea, in particular on the beginning freeze-up phase and the beginning break-up phase. Comparative analysis of seasonal variations in ice coverage in the White Sea indicates that the course of the ice regime in recent years was slightly different from that recorded in the second half of the XX century. The average duration of the ice period decreased by 10 days, and the average values of the ice coverage decreased by 3-7% throughout the entire period of ice phenomena, which is in line with the global warming trend. Also, the effects of an abnormally warm winter on the formation of the White Sea ice regime in the 2019-2020 period are presented. The differences in the indicative dates of the ice regime, such as the dates of the beginning and the end of the period of ice phenomena in 2019-2020, compared to the average for the period 2004-2019, are +1 and -8 days, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate warming impact on excessive nitrogen (N) load in sediment favours cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic waters. The nitrate (NO 3 −-N) and ammonium (NH 4 +-N) are two forms of N loads that contribute to algae blooms. However, little attention is paid to the impact of environmental factors on N loads variations at different time scales. This paper used a well-calibrated and validated EFDC model to investigate the temporal patterns and trends of ammonium and nitrate from June 2016 to June 2017. This paper presented the relationship and effects between these variations and environmental factors using data from satellite and reanalysis-based observations obtained for six meteorological parameters. The relationship and effects between these variations and environmental factors were also examined at different timescales (i.e., daily, monthly and seasonal scales). Model calibration results indicated that measured values reasonably matched simulated values. T he validation results revealed that relative error (RE) values were within an acceptable range. The REs of ammonium at East Taihu (S12) and Xu Lake (S23) sampling sites were 55.83% and 57.61%, while that of nitrate was 24.37% (S12) and 41.08%, respectively. The daily analysis of NH 4 +-N and NO 3 −-N variations was 7.318 ± 3.876 (g/m2/day) and 0.0275 ± 0.222 (g/m2/day), respectively. The monthly analysis showed NH 4 +-N and NO 3 −N range from 2.04 to 12.04 (g/m2/day) and 0.0008 to 0.064 (g/m2/day), respectively. The magnitude NH 4 +-N and NO 3 −-N varied and showed distinct inter-monthly variations. , The relationship between sediment fluxes and meteorological parameters showed the magnitude of correlation coefficient (r) and strength of correlation varied significantly. At daily scales, the relationship of NH 4 +-N and NO 3 −-N had a significant positive correlation with all meteorological parameters. At monthly, the correlation coefficient (r) of NH 4 +-N and NO 3 −N were heterogenous. At daily and monthly scales, air temperature and wind speed are the main drivers affecting sediment N loads' dynamics; however, the influence of relative humidity, precipitation, and evaporation on N loads are smaller. The study demonstrates the contribution of meteorological conditions to the magnitude and timing of N loadings variability in water bodies. The findings provide more insight into lake ecosystem protection and environmental remediation. [Display omitted] • The simulated nitrate and ammonium nitrogen were calibrated and validated with field observation data. • The driving factors influencing nitrogen variations were quantified, and their impacts were identified. • Five meteorological variables significantly correlated with Nitrogen variations. • The strength of the correlation coefficient (r) varied across the multiple time scales. • Changes in meteorological conditions affect the timing and magnitude of nitrogen variations in Taihu lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper aims at quantifying the factors affecting vegetation growth in the western of Inner Mongolia, and judging the relative contribution of natural factors and man-made factors. • It is obtained through geodetectors (GD) that Rainfall is the most important driving factor, with the q-value of 0.77 and GDP also having a huge impact on vegetation growth, q-value of 0.64. • Different from most studies, human activity also has a positive effect on vegetation growth. • The relative contribution of human activities reached 51.75%, slightly exceeding the influence of natural factors. Vegetation is an essential component of terrestrial ecosystems, and understanding the drivers of vegetation change is of great importance for ecological management. In recent years, vegetation growth has increased under the combined effect of global warming and human activities in Inner Mongolia. The net primary productivity (NPP) was used as an indicator to study the spatial and temporal changes in vegetation in the Qimeng Region (QR). The residual trend analysis method was used to analyze the relative contributions of climate variations (CV) and human activities (HA) to NPP changes across the QR, while their drivers were explored using a geographical detector approach to quantify the driving forces of NPP. The results show that (1) NPP exhibited a fluctuating growth trend from 2003 to 2020, with an overall growth rate of 2.91%/year. (2) Precipitation, GDP and population density were the dominant driving factors for the spatial distribution of NPP. The combined explanatory power of any two dominant factors exceeded the power of any dominant individual factor, and the interaction between climate and human factors had a significant effect on NPP. (3) The change in NPP was influenced by the combined effect of HA and CV, accounting for 37.69% of the total area, with the relative contribution of HA being 51.75%. Finally, the relative contribution of human activities was slightly higher than that of climate change, confirming the initial success of the Grain to Green Program as well as ecological conservation projects. This paper provides a scientific basis for the local government to carry out the conversion of cropland to forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food, energy, and water, as the basic resources supporting human survival, are fundamental to the sustainable development of humanity. Urban space plays an influential role in promoting the sustainable development of the three resources. As environmental problems such as global warming, ecological destruction, and resource shortages become increasingly severe, there is also a growing recognition of the importance of community as the fundamental component of urban space in sustainable development. In order to systematically understand the impact between food–energy–water nexus and community spatial planning, this paper provides a comprehensive literature review to bridge the current gaps in this area. This paper uses the nexus approach to summarize the trends and results of the food–energy–water nexus research in the community space field from the following five aspects: spatial scale, spatial interface, interactions, synergistic effects, and research methods. The results show that food–energy–water systems in community space are closely related to each other. However, the existing studies mostly focus on resource interaction and environmental impact, and lack of discussion on how food–energy–water nexus affects community spatial planning and its optimization. Finally, based on the current results, this paper proposes a conceptual research framework of the food–energy–water nexus in community space including influential mechanisms, space utilization, disciplinary integration, new technology application, data and methods. Therefore, the major findings of this review highlight the importance of the impact between food–energy–water nexus and community spatial planning and develop a conceptual framework for research. • This paper reviewed the FEW nexus research in the community space field. • It shows that FEW systems in community space are closely related to each other. • Researchers mainly focus on interactions of the FEW but rarely on other constraints. • It summarized new FEW system integration approaches to promote synergistic effects. • A conceptual research framework for the FEW nexus in community space is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]