scholarly journals Biomass Torrefaction as a Key Driver for the Sustainable Development and Decarbonization of Energy Production

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonel J. R. Nunes ◽  
João C. O. Matias
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Change Process ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Resource Sustainability ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
Reduction Of Co2

Climate change is a reality that affects the daily lives of people around the world, with a set of effects that are systematically felt. If there is still discussion about the real cause behind these phenomena, with differing opinions defending the anthropic origin or the origin in terrestrial cycles of geological scale, it seems to be unanimously attributed to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases—particularly to CO2. That is, whatever the source of CO2, it is commonly accepted that this is the cause of the acceleration of the climate change process, and the occurrence of extreme climate phenomena. The use of energy from renewable sources, such as solar or wind, can contribute to the replacement of energy generated from fossil sources. However, these forms of energy are dependent on uncontrollable climatic factors and are, therefore, dependent on the existence of alternatives that, when in reserve, can be activated at any time as soon as the power grid requests their activation. Thus, biomass emerges as an alternative capable of providing this answer, although it also has numerous disadvantages. Torrefaction may be the technology that corrects these drawbacks and allows for the successful use of biomass in the replacement the coal used in power generation, contributing significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions. In addition to this possibility, it is necessary to introduce forest management models that effectively make use of all material flows generated during forestry operations, creating value-added chains, with a view toward a circular economy and resource sustainability.

scholarly journals Age Structure of Farm Owners and Managers: Problems and the Solutions Thereto in Latvia

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (339) ◽  
pp. 15-26
Author(s):  
Aleksejs Nipers ◽  
Irina Pilvere
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Value Added ◽  
World Population ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Agricultural Industry ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Research Show

AbstractThe research paper presents the results of research on the situation and trends in the age structure of farm owners or managers in Latvia. The growing world population and the challenges caused by climate change make farmers reconsider their traditional farming practices. Therefore, scientists believe that the aging of farmers is a major obstacle to the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas, as evidenced by the age structure of European Union (EU) farmers and other agricultural workers. Generation renewal is crucial for sustainable land management and food production. In 2018, according to statistical data, the share of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in total gross value added in Latvia was only 3.8%. However, these sectors were the main job creators and drivers of economic development in rural areas. Therefore, the aim of the present research is to assess trends in the age structure of farm managers and owners and the policy instruments applied in Latvia. The results of the research show that despite the policy instruments implemented in Latvia after its accession to the EU to support young farmers and promote early retirement of farm owners, the aging process of farm owners and managers occurs relatively fast. The median age of farm owners and managers in Latvia has increased from 53 years in 2009 to 57 years in 2019, which could hinder the development of the agricultural industry and prevent the new challenge of growing global food demand and the negative impacts of climate change from being tackled.

CURRENT SITUATION OF MANAGEMENT OF LIFE SKILLS EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND PREVENTION OF DISASTER FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THE ETHNIC MINORITIES BOARDING HIGH SCHOOLS OF THE NORTHWESTERN AREA AND ISSUES HAS BEEN POSED

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vu Thi Thu Trang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Disaster Prevention ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Northwestern Region

Through survey results on the status of management of life skills education activities to cope with climate change and disaster prevention for the sustainable development of local communities in the ethnic minority boarding high schools in the Northwestern region from 2013 to 2018, the author deeply analyzed and assessed the strengths, weaknesses, causes of strengths and weaknesses of the management of education activities on life skills to cope with climate change and disaster prevention for the sustainable development of local communities for ethnic minority students at boarding high schools for ethnic minorities in the Northwestern region in the present period and the issues raised.

Global Health and International Development

2018 ◽  
pp. 216-235
Author(s):  
Andrew Harmer ◽  
Jonathan Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Economic System ◽  
International Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Global Population

This chapter explores the relationship between international development and global health. Contrary to the view that development implies ‘good change’, this chapter argues that the discourse of development masks the destructive and exploitative practices of wealthy countries at the expense of poorer ones. These practices, and the unregulated capitalist economic system that they are part of, have created massive inequalities between and within countries, and potentially catastrophic climate change. Both of these outcomes are detrimental to global health and the millennium development goals and sustainable development goals do not challenge these dynamics. While the Sustainable Development Goals acknowledge that inequality and climate change are serious threats to the future of humanity, they fail to address the economic system that created them. Notwithstanding, it is possible that the enormity and proximity of the threat posed by inequality and global warming will energise a counter movement to create what Kate Raworth terms ‘an ecologically safe and socially just space’ for the global population while there is still time.

scholarly journals Contrasting Evolution Patterns of Endorheic and Exorheic Lakes on the Central Tibetan Plateau and Climate Cause Analysis during 1988–2017

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 1962
Author(s):  
Zhilong Zhao ◽  
Yue Zhang ◽  
Zengzeng Hu ◽  
Xuanhua Nie
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
Climate Change Research ◽  
Mean Temperature

The alpine lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are indicators of climate change. The assessment of lake dynamics on the TP is an important component of global climate change research. With a focus on lakes in the 33° N zone of the central TP, this study investigates the temporal evolution patterns of the lake areas of different types of lakes, i.e., non-glacier-fed endorheic lakes and non-glacier-fed exorheic lakes, during 1988–2017, and examines their relationship with changes in climatic factors. From 1988 to 2017, two endorheic lakes (Lake Yagenco and Lake Zhamcomaqiong) in the study area expanded significantly, i.e., by more than 50%. Over the same period, two exorheic lakes within the study area also exhibited spatio-temporal variability: Lake Gaeencuonama increased by 5.48%, and the change in Lake Zhamuco was not significant. The 2000s was a period of rapid expansion of both the closed lakes (endorheic lakes) and open lakes (exorheic lakes) in the study area. However, the endorheic lakes maintained the increase in lake area after the period of rapid expansion, while the exorheic lakes decreased after significant expansion. During 1988–2017, the annual mean temperature significantly increased at a rate of 0.04 °C/a, while the annual precipitation slightly increased at a rate of 2.23 mm/a. Furthermore, the annual precipitation significantly increased at a rate of 14.28 mm/a during 1995–2008. The results of this study demonstrate that the change in precipitation was responsible for the observed changes in the lake areas of the two exorheic lakes within the study area, while the changes in the lake areas of the two endorheic lakes were more sensitive to the annual mean temperature between 1988 and 2017. Given the importance of lakes to the TP, these are not trivial issues, and we now need accelerated research based on long-term and continuous remote sensing data.

scholarly journals Strengthening the Participation of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in the Decision-Making of National Government and the United Nations: Further Analyses of the International Disability Alliance Global Survey

Disabilities ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-217
Author(s):  
Joanne McVeigh ◽  
Malcolm MacLachlan ◽  
Delia Ferri ◽  
Hasheem Mannan
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
National Government ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Survey ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Development Goals

The participation of organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) is crucial at each stage of policy processes at the local, regional, and international levels. However, decision-making mechanisms have traditionally excluded OPDs, failing to consult with them on decisions that impact on their daily lives. The overall aim of this study was to examine the participation of persons with disabilities and OPDs in development programmes and policies by exploring recommendations from a sample of OPDs on ways to strengthen their participation with government and the UN. Secondary data analysis was conducted using a global survey on the participation of OPDs, administered by the International Disability Alliance to OPD representatives. Two open-ended items were analysed, which explored participants’ recommendations on ways to strengthen their participation with government and the UN. Data were analysed using the descriptive and interpretive qualitative methods. Respondents provided recommendations on how to strengthen their participation with their national government and the UN, focusing on several issues including accessibility, human rights, and the need for inclusion of all OPDs and all groups of persons with disabilities. The synergy between the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals presents opportunities for OPDs to increase their participation in development policies and programmes. It is vital, however, to dismantle the barriers to participation in decision-making by OPDs and persons with disabilities.

scholarly journals Assessing the Sensitivity of Main Crop Yields to Climate Change Impacts in China

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 172
Author(s):  
Yuan Xu ◽  
Jieming Chou ◽  
Fan Yang ◽  
Mingyang Sun ◽  
Weixing Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Climatic Data ◽  
The South ◽  
The North ◽  
Output Elasticity ◽  
The Impact

Quantitatively assessing the spatial divergence of the sensitivity of crop yield to climate change is of great significance for reducing the climate change risk to food production. We use socio-economic and climatic data from 1981 to 2015 to examine how climate variability led to variation in yield, as simulated by an economy–climate model (C-D-C). The sensitivity of crop yield to the impact of climate change refers to the change in yield caused by changing climatic factors under the condition of constant non-climatic factors. An ‘output elasticity of comprehensive climate factor (CCF)’ approach determines the sensitivity, using the yields per hectare for grain, rice, wheat and maize in China’s main grain-producing areas as a case study. The results show that the CCF has a negative trend at a rate of −0.84/(10a) in the North region, while a positive trend of 0.79/(10a) is observed for the South region. Climate change promotes the ensemble increase in yields, and the contribution of agricultural labor force and total mechanical power to yields are greater, indicating that the yield in major grain-producing areas mainly depends on labor resources and the level of mechanization. However, the sensitivities to climate change of different crop yields to climate change present obvious regional differences: the sensitivity to climate change of the yield per hectare for maize in the North region was stronger than that in the South region. Therefore, the increase in the yield per hectare for maize in the North region due to the positive impacts of climate change was greater than that in the South region. In contrast, the sensitivity to climate change of the yield per hectare for rice in the South region was stronger than that in the North region. Furthermore, the sensitivity to climate change of maize per hectare yield was stronger than that of rice and wheat in the North region, and that of rice was the highest of the three crop yields in the South region. Finally, the economy–climate sensitivity zones of different crops were determined by the output elasticity of the CCF to help adapt to climate change and prevent food production risks.

scholarly journals 13.D. Workshop: SDGs in the focus of environmental and health issues

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The World ◽  
Environmental And Health Issues ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This workshop is dedicated on SDGs in the focus of environmental and health issues, as very important and actual topic. One of the characteristics of today's societies is the significant availability of modern technologies. Over 5 billion (about 67%) people have a cellphone today. More than 4.5 billion people worldwide use the Internet, close to 60% of the total population. At the same time, one third of the people in the world does not have access to safe drinking water and half of the population does not have access to safe sanitation. The WHO at UN warns of severe inequalities in access to water and hygiene. Air, essential to life, is a leading risk due to ubiquitous pollution and contributes to the global disease burden (7 million deaths per year). Air pollution is a consequence of traffic and industry, but also of demographic trends and other human activities. Food availability reflects global inequality, famine eradication being one of the SDGs. The WHO warns of the urgency. As technology progresses, social inequality grows, the gap widens, and the environment continues to suffer. Furthermore, the social environment in societies is “ruffled” and does not appear to be beneficial toward well-being. New inequalities are emerging in the availability of technology, climate change, education. The achievement reports on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also point out to the need of reviewing individual indicators. According to the Sustainable Development Agenda, one of the goals is to reduce inequalities, and environmental health is faced by several specific goals. The Global Burden of Disease is the most comprehensive effort to date to measure epidemiological levels and trends worldwide. It is the product of a global research collaborative and quantifies the impact of hundreds of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in countries around the world. This workshop will also discuss Urban Health as a Complex System in the light of SDGs. Climate Change, Public Health impacts and the role of the new digital technologies is also important topic which is contributing to SDG3, improving health, to SDG4, allowing to provide distance health education at relatively low cost and to SDG 13, by reducing the CO2 footprint. Community Engagement can both empower vulnerable populations (so reducing inequalities) and identify the prior environmental issues to be addressed. The aim was to search for public health programs using Community Engagement tools in healthy environment building towards achievement of SDGs. Key messages Health professionals are involved in the overall process of transformation necessary to achieve the SDGs. Health professionals should be proactive and contribute to the transformation leading to better health for the environment, and thus for the human population.

scholarly journals A meta-analysis of the literature on climate change and migration

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-52
Author(s):  
Michel Beine ◽  
Lionel Jeusette
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Displacement Effect ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Econometric Methods ◽  
And Migration

Abstract Recent surveys of the literature on climate change and migration emphasize the important diversity of outcomes and approaches of the empirical studies. In this paper, we conduct a meta-analysis in order to investigate the role of the methodological choices of these empirical studies in finding some particular results concerning the role of climatic factors as drivers of human mobility. We code 51 papers representative of the literature in terms of methodological approaches. This results in the coding of more than 85 variables capturing the methodology of the main dimensions of the analysis at the regression level. These dimensions include authors' reputation, type of mobility, measures of mobility, type of data, context of the study, econometric methods, and last but not least measures of the climatic factors. We look at the influence of these characteristics on the probability of finding any effect of climate change, a displacement effect, an increase in immobility, and evidence in favor of a direct vs. an indirect effect. Our results highlight the role of some important methodological choices, such as the frequency of the data on mobility, the level of development, the measures of human mobility and of the climatic factors as well as the econometric methodology.

scholarly journals Strong controls of daily minimum temperature on the autumn photosynthetic phenology of subtropical vegetation in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peixin Ren ◽  
Zelin Liu ◽  
Xiaolu Zhou ◽  
Changhui Peng ◽  
Jingfeng Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Minimum Temperature ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Daily Minimum Temperature ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Cumulative Precipitation

Abstract Background Vegetation phenology research has largely focused on temperate deciduous forests, thus limiting our understanding of the response of evergreen vegetation to climate change in tropical and subtropical regions. Results Using satellite solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and MODIS enhanced vegetation index (EVI) data, we applied two methods to evaluate temporal and spatial patterns of the end of the growing season (EGS) in subtropical vegetation in China, and analyze the dependence of EGS on preseason maximum and minimum temperatures as well as cumulative precipitation. Our results indicated that the averaged EGS derived from the SIF and EVI based on the two methods (dynamic threshold method and derivative method) was later than that derived from gross primary productivity (GPP) based on the eddy covariance technique, and the time-lag for EGSsif and EGSevi was approximately 2 weeks and 4 weeks, respectively. We found that EGS was positively correlated with preseason minimum temperature and cumulative precipitation (accounting for more than 73% and 62% of the study areas, respectively), but negatively correlated with preseason maximum temperature (accounting for more than 59% of the study areas). In addition, EGS was more sensitive to the changes in the preseason minimum temperature than to other climatic factors, and an increase in the preseason minimum temperature significantly delayed the EGS in evergreen forests, shrub and grassland. Conclusions Our results indicated that the SIF outperformed traditional vegetation indices in capturing the autumn photosynthetic phenology of evergreen forest in the subtropical region of China. We found that minimum temperature plays a significant role in determining autumn photosynthetic phenology in the study region. These findings contribute to improving our understanding of the response of the EGS to climate change in subtropical vegetation of China, and provide a new perspective for accurately evaluating the role played by evergreen vegetation in the regional carbon budget.

scholarly journals The Productive Landscape in the Desert Margin for the Sustainable Development of Rural Settlements: An Innovative Greenbelt for Maranjab Desert in Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2077
Author(s):  
Mahnaz Sarlak ◽  
Laura Valeria Ferretti ◽  
Rita Biasi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
Green Belt ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
New Form ◽  
Low Levels

About two billion rural individuals depend on agricultural systems associated with a high amount of risk and low levels of yield in the drylands of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Human activities, climate change and natural extreme events are the most important drivers of desertification. This phenomenon has occurred in many regions of Iran, particularly in the villages in the periphery of the central desert of Iran, and has made living in the oases so difficult that the number of abandoned villages is increasing every year. Land abandonment and land-use change increase the risk of desertification. This study aims to respond to the research questions: (i) does the planning of green infrastructures on the desert margin affect the distribution and balance of the population? (ii) how should the green belt be designed to have the greatest impact on counteracting desertification?, and (iii) does the design of productive landscape provide the solution? Through a wide-ranging and comprehensive approach, this study develops different scenarios for designing a new form of green belt in order to sustainably manage the issues of environmental protection, agricultural tradition preservation and desertification counteraction. This study proposes a new-traditional greenbelt including small low-cost and low-tech projects adapted to rural scale.

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