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Summary: This paper is concerned with innovative approaches to renewable energy sources computation methodologies, which provide more refined results than the classical alternatives. Such refinements provide additional improvements especially for replacement of fossil energy usages that emit greenhouse gas (GHG) into the atmosphere leading to climate change impact. Current knowledge gap among each renewable energy source calculation is rather missing fundamentals of plausible, rational, and logical explanations for the interpretation of results. In the literature, there are rather complicated and mechanically applicable methodologies, which require input and output measurement data match with missing physical explanations. The view taken in this review paper is to concentrate on quite plausible, logical, rational, and effectively applicable innovative energy calculation methodologies with simplistic fundamentals. For this purpose, a set of renewable energy methodological approaches is revisited with their innovative structures concerning solar, wind, hydro, current, and geothermal energy resources. With the increase in the renewable energy utilizations to combat the undesirable impacts of global warming and climate change, there is a need for better models that will include physical environmental conditions and data properties in the probabilistic, statistical, stochastic, logical, and rational senses leading to refined and more reliable estimations with application examples in the text. Finally, new research directions are also recommended for more refined innovative energy system calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate projections under the high-emission representative concentration pathway "RCP-8.5" scenario are used to show the effects of global warming on the energy production of two similar concentrated solar tower power plants in Spain and Chile from 2025 to 2060. Results show a reduction of the annual energy production of almost 1.8% for Chile and an increase of almost 6% in the Spanish plant, but an increase of 10% water consumption due to both the increase in dry- and wet-bulb temperatures and changes in the direct normal irradiation caused by climate change. When the effect of water restrictions is included in the model caused by the foreseen reduction in water availability in Spain, the increase of the annual energy production is only 2%. Finally, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) calculated during the whole power plant lifetime (35 years) with respect to the LCOE obtained at the beginning of the project is increased by 1.1% in the Chilean plant, whereas in the Spanish plant, it can be reduced more than 2.5% if there are no water restrictions, while a reduction of 0.4% is expected in a scenario with water restrictions. Results show that careful consideration of climate projections should be considered to properly estimate the economic viability of solar tower plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is recognised as a significant public health issue that will impact on food security. One of the major contributors to global warming is the livestock industry, and, relative to plant-based agriculture, meat production has a much higher environmental impact in relation to freshwater use, amount of land required, and waste products generated. Promoting increased consumption of plant-based foods is a recommended strategy to reduce human impact on the environment and is also now recognised as a potential strategy to reduce the high rates of some chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Currently there is a scant evidence base for policies and programs aiming to increase consumption of plant-based diets and little research on the necessary conditions for that change to occur and the processes involved in such a change. This paper reviews some of the environmental and health consequences of current dietary practices, reviews literature on the determinants of consuming a plant-based diet, and provides recommendations for further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and the wish to reduce the dependence on oil are the incentives for the development of alternative energy sources. The use of lignocellulosic biomass together with cellulosic processing technology provides opportunities to produce fuel ethanol with less competition with food and nature. Many studies on energy analysis and life cycle assessment of second-generation bioethanol have been conducted. However, due to the different methodology used and different system boundary definition, it is difficult to compare their results. To permit a direct comparison of fuel ethanol from different lignocelluloses in terms of energy use and environmental impact, seven studies conducted in our group were summarized in this paper, where the same technologies were used to convert biomass to ethanol, the same system boundaries were defined, and the same allocation procedures were followed. A complete set of environmental impacts ranging from global warming potential to toxicity aspects is used. The results provide an overview on the energy efficiency and environmental performance of using fuel ethanol derived from different feedstocks in comparison with gasoline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming increases global average precipitation and evaporation, causing extreme climate and hydrological events to occur frequently. Future changes in temperature, precipitation, and runoff from 2021 to 2050 in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River were analyzed using a distributed hydrological model, the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool), under a future climate scenario. Simultaneously, future variation characteristics of extreme climate hydrological elements in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River were analyzed using extreme climate and runoff indicators. The research shows that the frequency and intensity of the extreme temperature warming index will increase, while those of the extreme temperature cooling index will increase and then weaken in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River under a future climate scenario. The duration of precipitation, the intensity of continuous heavy precipitation, and the frequency of heavy precipitation will increase, whereas the intensity of short-term heavy precipitation and the frequency of heavy precipitation will decrease. However, spatial distribution of flood in the upper reaches is different, and thus flood risk in the upstream source area will still tend to increase. Particular attention should be given to the increase in autumn flood risk in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the analysis of the feature of Asian continent becoming cold in the early 21st century winter under the background of global warming, the Asian Warming Hole (AWH) index is proposed in this paper to measure the intensity during the cold events process. Result shows that the Asian continent is indeed experiencing a cold stage in the early 21st century winter, but it is just in a cold phase and will become warmer in the future. In recent years the activity of the winter cold events has an obvious quasi-four-year cycle, which can be reflected by atmospheric circulation, and AO (Arctic Oscillation) may play a very important role. It is credible that Asian surface temperature will be higher in the coming 3-4 years compared with 2011 winter, signifying that the precipitation may increase correspondingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the “urban minus rural” (UMR) and the “observation minus reanalysis” (OMR) methods were used to quantify the potential impacts of urbanization on regional temperature changes in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei metropolitan area in China. DMSP/OLS nighttime light imagery and population census data were used to classify stations into four classes: rural, small city, medium city, and large city groups. The regional average annual mean temperature was estimated to increase by 0.12°C decade−1 derived from urban warming, accounting for 40% of total climate warming from 1960 to 2009 using the UMR method. The OMR method also indicates that rapid urbanization has a significant influence on surface warming trend although the urban warming intensity is dependent on reanalysis dataset. The seasonal cycle patterns from all three datasets are consistent with each other, which is contrary to the UMR result owing to the cooling effect of agriculture activity in the rural stations confusing the UMR result. So in this paper we found a deficiency of the UMR method where it would underestimate the effects of urbanization in summer. In this regard, the results from the OMR method are relatively more convincing although we admit it still has many other problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing concern of climate change and global warming has in turn given rise to a thriving research field dedicated to finding solutions. One particular area which has received considerable attention is the lowering of carbon dioxide emissions from large-scale sources, that is, fossil fuel power. This paper focuses on ionic liquids being used as novel media for CO2 capture. In particular, solubility data and experimental techniques are used at a laboratory scale. Cited CO2 absorption data for imidazolium-, pyrrolidinium-, pyridinium-, quaternary-ammonium-, and tetra-alkyl-phosphonium-based ionic liquids is reviewed, expressed as mole fractions (χ) of CO2 to ionic liquid. The following experimental techniques are featured: gravimetric analysis, the pressure drop method, and the view-cell method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grapevine reproductive development extends over two seasons, and the genotypic expression of yield potential and fruit composition is subject to environmental impacts, which include viticultural manipulations, throughout this period. This paper reviews current knowledge on yield formation and fruit composition and attempts to identify challenges, opportunities and priorities for research and practice. The present analysis of published information gives a critical appraisal of recent advances concerning variables, especially as they relate to global climate change, that influence yield formation and fruit composition at harvest. Exciting discoveries in fundamental research on the one hand and an increasing focus on outcomes and knowledge transfer on the other are enabling the development and implementation of practical recommendations that will impact grape production in the future. Future research should aim to minimise seasonal variation and optimise the profitable and sustainable production of high-quality fruit for specific uses in the face of climate change, water and labour shortages, shifting consumer preferences and global competition. Better control of product quantity and quality, and differentiation to meet consumer demands and market preferences will enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of the global grape and wine industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of the main drivers of biodiversity decline worldwide, through shifting or shrinking habitats of species. Predicting the distribution of suitable habitats for species under climate change is essential for conservation planning. Cyamophila astragalicola is a specialist psyllid dependent on a spiny shrub, endemic to Zagros Mountains of Iran. The current study represents a modeling approach for lesser‐known small invertebrates to assess their threat status. Ecological niche modeling was used to assess current suitable habitats of C. astragalicola, to develop model‐based predictions of its habitat suitability under different climatic scenarios, and to assess the extinction risk of the species based on IUCN Red List criteria. Results revealed a sharp decline in suitable habitats (97.26% and 99.8% for the years 2050 and 2070, respectively) under the scenario of RCP 8.5. Further, under the two RCP scenarios, C. astragalicola was classified as IUCN Threat 2. A shift toward higher altitudes with lower temperature and higher precipitation was predicted. Results of modeling are based on abiotic factors only. Human interactions are not modeled; hence, the status of the species may be even more dramatic than the models may reveal. Generally, the results of this study indicate the high sensitivity of C. astragalicola to global warming. The narrow distribution range of the species coupled with the low dispersal ability can increase the risk of extinction. Ecological, economic, and social risks associated with the extinction need to be further evaluated to formulate future management policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study summer heat waves and winter cold spells and their links to atmospheric circulation in an ensemble of EURO-CORDEX RCMs in Central Europe. Results of 19 simulations were compared against observations over 1980–2005. Atmospheric circulation was represented by circulation types and supertypes derived from daily gridded mean sea level pressure. We examined observed and simulated characteristics of hot and cold days (defined using percentiles of temperature anomalies from the mean annual cycle) and heat waves and cold spells (periods of at least three hot/cold days in summer/winter). Although the ensemble of RCMs reproduces on average the frequency and the mean length of heat waves and cold spells relatively well, individual simulations suffer from biases. Most model runs have an enhanced tendency to group hot/cold days into sequences, with several simulations leading to extremely long heat waves or cold spells (the maximum length overestimated by up to 2-3 times). All simulations also produce an extreme winter season with (often considerably) higher number of cold days than in any observed winter. The RCMs reproduce in general the observed circulation significantly conducive to heat waves and cold spells. Zonal flow reduces the probability of temperature extremes in both seasons, while advection of warm/cold air from the south-easterly/north-easterly quadrant plays a dominant role in developing heat waves/cold spells. Because of these links, the simulation of temperature extremes in RCMs is strongly affected by biases in atmospheric circulation. For almost all simulations and all circulation supertypes, the persistence of supertypes is significantly overestimated (even if the frequency of a given supertype is underestimated), which may contribute to development of too-long heat waves/cold spells. We did not identify any substantial improvement in the EURO-CORDEX RCMs in comparison to previous ENSEMBLES RCMs, but the patterns of the biases are generally less conclusive as to general RCMs' drawbacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Climate change is advancing grape ripening and decoupling sugar and phenolic maturity, impacting wine typicity. The aim of this study was to test whether late leaf removal (LLR) under different watering regimes delayed harvest of two Spanish red cultivars in a semi‐arid and temperate‐warm climate. Methods and Results: In two trials carried out in eastern Spain with the Bobal and Tempranillo cultivars, vines were partially defoliated above the bunch zone shortly before veraison under rainfed and deficit irrigation conditions during two seasons. The rate of grape ripening in both cultivars was significantly affected by LLR under either watering regime, consequently delaying harvest. Vine water status and leaf photosynthetic rate were improved by LLR. The reduction in leaf area‐to‐fruit ratio resulting from the LLR treatments was found to be more limiting for the accumulation of anthocyanin than for TSS. Consequently, LLR negatively affected wine colour intensity. In addition, yield was constrained by LLR in Tempranillo due to a reduction in bunch and berry mass. Conclusions: The reduction in the rate of accumulation of grape TSS provoked by LLR did not necessarily result in a more balanced berry maturity. The effectiveness of the LLR technique appears to depend on its final impact on leaf area‐to‐fruit ratio and vine water status, the cultivar photosynthetic compensation capacity and the environmental conditions. Significance of the Study: Late leaf removal might not be effective for coupling anthocyanin and TSS in berries under moderate water stress conditions, given the observed reductions in red wine colour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) results in global warming and climate change. The extent to which developing countries contribute to GHG emissions is not well known. This study reports findings on the effects of different land-use systems on GHG emissions (CO2 in this case) from two locations in the southern zone of Ghana, West Africa. Site one (located at Kpong) contained a heavy clay soil while site two (located at Legon) contained a light-textured sandy soil. Land-use systems include cattle kraals, natural forests, cultivated maize fields, and rice paddy fields at site one, and natural forest, woodlots, and cultivated soya bean fields at site two. CO2 emissions were measured using the gas entrapment method (PVC chambers). Trapping solutions were changed every 12–48 h and measurement lasted 9 to 15 days depending on the site. We found that, for the same land-use, CO2 emissions were higher on the clay soil (Kpong) than the sandy soil (Legon). In the clay soil environment, the highest average CO2 emission was observed from the cattle kraal (256.7 mg·m−2·h−1), followed by the forest (146.0 mg·m−2·h−1) and rice paddy (140.6 mg·m−2·h−1) field. The lowest average emission was observed for maize cropped land (112.0 mg·m−2·h−1). In the sandy soil environment, the highest average CO2 emission was observed from soya cropped land (52.5 mg·m−2·h−1), followed by the forest (47.4 mg·m−2·h−1) and woodlot (33.7 mg·m−2·h−1). Several factors influenced CO2 emissions from the different land-use systems. These include the inherent properties of the soils such as texture, temperature, and moisture content, which influenced CO2 production through their effect on soil microbial activity and root respiration. Practices that reduce CO2 emissions are likely to promote carbon sequestration, which will consequently maintain or increase crop productivity and thereby improve global or regional food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature increment is one of the most visible aspects of climate change. Reservoirs in northern Patagonia are the main location for rainbow trout cage aquaculture activities in Argentina and here, surface water temperature shows an increment that despite leading towards better growth rates, also provokes lack of ovulation, atresia and a partial or total absence of spawning during the breeding season. During the early life history, low survival rates at hatching and first feeding are also observed. The increase in market size (>2 kg) has changed management practices, minimizing the difference between brood stock and individuals destined for consumption. Thus, the present situation differs deeply from carrying capacities forecasted few years ago and this analysis attempts to contribute to management policies including the idea of adaptation to climate change in the making of decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]