Environmental Crisis Research Articles

Territorial capacities for the scaling of agroecological innovations

Agroecology is an alternative approach to socio-economic and environmental crises, which hinder the utilization of natural and cultural wealth in rural communities, and it requires the strengthening of territorial capacities for its scaling up. Despite the extensive literature on agroecological scaling, studies must be more comprehensive to understand the territorial capacities required in this process. A review of 37 documents was carried out in specialized databases to establish the relationship between capacities and scaling, highlighting agency, territorial governance, and co-construction of knowledge, which enable the management of natural and artificial assets. The involvement of actors seeking to participate in political advocacy through collective action was evident, but few documents emphasized the importance of natural capital and infrastructures. No works suggesting evaluations of shared knowledge construction processes were found. Hence, additional research should be developed.

Postmodern Time and Space. Eco-critical Approaches to Temporal and Spatial Collapse

This article explores the complex intersections of postmodern literature, time-space theory, and eco-criticism, particularly in portraying temporal disruption and spatial collapse amidst current environmental crises. It examines how postmodern literary works challenge the linearity of time and the stability of spatial boundaries in response to the global environmental challenges of the Anthropocene. Through an analysis of critical texts, the study explores ecological degradation as a physical reality and a conceptual issue, fragmenting our perceptions of time and space. Using an eco-critical lens, the article investigates how authors dismantle linear narratives and static settings, instead presenting cyclical or collapsed structures that metaphorically mirror the breakdown of ecosystems and natural rhythms. Focusing on Don DeLillo’s White Noise and Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake, the article critiques the socio-political ramifications of environmental crises and their reflection on postmodern aesthetics. Ultimately, it contends that the fragmentation of time and space in postmodern literature symbolises broader environmental collapse, urging readers to re-evaluate their relationship with nature, time, and space.

Belief in divine (versus human) control of earth affects perceived threat of climate change

Religious characteristics are predictive of Americans’ skepticism toward climate-related science and policy. Though attributable to a variety of interrelated factors, we propose specific religious beliefs help explain the dynamic in part. Specifically, we theorize that belief in divine (versus human) control over Earth’s climate likely engenders skepticism toward scientific claims that human behavior is leading Earth toward environmental crisis. Regression analyses with national survey data (N = 5321) demonstrate that believing “God would not allow humans to destroy the Earth” is associated with lower concern about climate change. Next, a pre-registered survey experiment (N = 3345) finds that manipulating belief in God’s—vis-à-vis humans’—control of Earth’s climate reduced the perceived severity of climate change and need for policy intervention. Our manipulation also reduced demand for climate-related information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. These results establish an important causal link between a religious belief and climate change attitudes in the U.S. public.

Unraveling the Interplay between Stability and Flexibility in the Design of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Hydrolases.

The accumulation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a widely used polyester plastic in packaging and textiles, has led to a global environmental crisis. Biodegradation presents a promising strategy for PET recycling, with PET hydrolases (PETase) undertaking the task at the molecular level. Unfortunately, PETase operates only at ambient temperatures with low efficiency, limiting its industrial application. Current engineering efforts focus on enhancing the thermostability of PETase, but increased stability can reduce the structural dynamics needed for substrate binding, potentially slowing enzymatic activity. To elucidate the balance between stability and flexibility in optimizing PETase catalytic activity, we performed theoretical investigations on both wild-type PETase (WT-PETase) and a thermophilic variant (Thermo-PETase) using molecular dynamics simulations and frustration analysis. Despite being initially designed to stabilize the native structure of the enzyme, our findings reveal that Thermo-PETase exhibits an unprecedented increase in structural flexibility at the PET-binding and catalytic sites, beneficial for substrate recruitment and product release, compared to WT-PETase. Upon PET binding, we observed that the structural dynamics of Thermo-PETase is largely quenched, favoring the proximity between the catalytic residues and the carbonyl of the PET substrate. This may potentially contribute to a higher probability of a catalytic reaction occurring in Thermo-PETase compared to WT-PETase. We suggest that Thermo-PETase can exhibit higher PET-degradation performance than WT-PETase across a broad temperature range by leveraging stability and flexibility at high and low temperatures, respectively. Our findings provide valuable insights into how PETase optimizes its enzymatic performance by balancing stability and flexibility, which may contribute to future PETase design strategies.

Perspectives on inequalities in social science research and environmental sustainability in India

While the Anthropocene has seen the dissolution of nature-society dualism, disciplinary barriers have been deep-seated and limited a complete integrated analysis of the environmental crisis. Concerned by the scarcity of literature on structural and institutional barriers that leverage upon and extend this deep-seated duality between natural and social science, this paper maps the broader field of social science research in India. It also explores the epistemic effects of such inequalities on environmental research and its ability to meaningfully engage with interactions between the social and the natural worlds.

Coupling monoclinic Pb2(CrO4)O with Mn3O4 quantum dots as oxygen vacancies-rich S-scheme photocatalysts for visible-light-driven photocatalytic CO2 reduction with H2O

Simulating natural photosynthesis to convert CO2 and H2O into fuels achieving overall reaction is a promising solution for addressing environmental problems and energy crises. Constructing an S-scheme catalyst of two or more catalytic sites with rapid electron transfer and strong redox capability may be an effective strategy for coupling photocatalytic CO2 reduction and H2O oxidation. Here, an oxygen vacancies-rich S-scheme semiconductor photocatalyst composed of monoclinic lead chromate oxide (Pb2(CrO4)O) coupled with Mn3O4 quantum dots (QDs) (Pb2(CrO4)O@Mn3O4QDs) are synthesized and tested for photoconversion of CO2 with H2O under visible light. Through the integration of Pb2(CrO4)O with Mn3O4QDs, the photocatalytic C1-evolution rate on Pb2(CrO4)O@Mn3O4QDs is radically increased by 6.0 and 8.1 times, which is much faster than that of pristine Pb2(CrO4)O and Mn3O4. The origin of the greatly raised activity is revealed by advanced characterizations, and in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirms the electron transport pathway in Pb2(CrO4)O@Mn3O4QDs with light illumination, unveiling the efficient spatial separation/transfer of charge carriers in oxygen vacancies-rich Pb2(CrO4)O@Mn3O4QDs S-scheme heterojunction. Consequently, powerful photoelectrons and holes accumulate in the Mn3O4 conduction band and Pb2(CrO4)O valence band, respectively, exhibiting prolonged long lifetimes and facilitating their involvement in CO2 photoreduction and H2O photooxidation through altering the interfacial charge dynamics.

Ferroelectric/Piezoelectric Materials in Energy Harvesting: Physical Properties and Current Status of Applications

The inevitable feedback between the environmental and energy crisis within the next decades can probably trigger and/or promote a global imbalance in both financial and public health terms. To handle this difficult situation, in the last decades, many different classes of materials have been recruited to assist in the management, production, and storage of so-called clean energy. Probably, ferromagnets, superconductors and ferroelectric/piezoelectric materials stand at the frontline of applications that relate to clean energy. For instance, ferromagnets are usually employed in wind turbines, superconductors are commonly used in storage facilities and ferroelectric/piezoelectric materials are employed for the harvesting of stray energy from the ambient environment. In this work, we focus on the wide family of ferroelectric/piezoelectric materials, reviewing their physical properties in close connection to their application in the field of clean energy. Among other compounds, we focus on the archetypal compound Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (or PZT), which is well studied and thus preferred for its reliable performance in applications. Also, we pay special attention to the advanced ferroelectric relaxor compound (1−x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3−xPbTiO3 (or PMN-xPT) due to its superior performance. The inhomogeneous composition that many kinds of such materials exhibit at the so-called morphotropic phase boundary is reviewed in connection to possible advantages that it may bring when applications are considered.

Advancements and challenges in catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass: A comprehensive review

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is one of the leading technologies for converting lignocellulosic biomass waste into liquid bio-oil to meet the growing energy demands and alleviate environmental crises. In this comprehensive review, an examination and comparison were conducted on three distinct technologies: HTL, Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Liquefaction (MA-HTL), and Co-hydrothermal Liquefaction (Co-HTL). The assessment encompassed various parameters, including production efficiency, bio-oil quality, production cost, and operational conditions. Furthermore, the pivotal role of catalysts in enhancing the bio-oil quality was explored. The corresponding catalytic attributes, spanning homogenous, heterogeneous, and combined catalysts, along with the associated mechanisms such as depolymerization, decarboxylation, decarbonylation, hydrogenation, dehydration, deoxygenation, and hydrodeoxygenation, were thoroughly examined. Additionally, the review delved into upgrading technologies and potential applications of bio-oil to broaden its utility. The current challenges and future prospects concerning bio-oil production using HTL technologies were also addressed.

Exploring the Adaptability of 4D Printed Shape Memory Polymer Featuring Dynamic Covalent Bonds.

4D printing (4DP) of high-performance shape memory polymers (SMPs), particularly using digital light processing (DLP), has garnered intense global attention due to its capability for rapid and high-precision fabrication of complex configurations, meeting diverse application requirements. However, the development of high-performance dynamic shape memory polymers (DSMPs) for DLP printing remains a significant challenge due to the inherent incompatibilities between the photopolymerization process and the curing/polymerization of high-strength polymers. Here, a mechanically robust DSMP compatible is developed with DLP printing, which incorporates dynamic covalent bonds of imine linking polyimide rigid segments, exhibiting remarkable mechanical performance (tensile strength ≈41.7MPa, modulus ≈1.63GPa) and thermal stability (Tg ∼ 113°C, Td ∼ 208°C). More importantly, benefiting from the solid-state plasticity conferred by dynamic covalent bonds, 4D printed structures demonstrate rapid network adaptiveness, enabling effortless realization of reconfiguration, self-healing, and recycling. Meanwhile, the extensive π-π conjugated structures bestow DSMP with an intrinsic photothermal effect, allowing controllable morphing of the 4D configuration through dual-mode triggering. This work not only greatly enriches the application scope of high-performance personalized configurations but also provides a reliable approach to addressing environmental pollution and energy crises.

Optimizing Solar Potential Analysis in Cuba: A Methodology for High-Resolution Regional Mapping

The development of solar energy at a regional scale necessitates a thorough understanding of available resources. Cuba, facing prolonged economic, environmental, and energy crises, urgently needs to enhance its sustainability through solar energy. Although solar resource mapping is widespread, Cuba lacks extensive field measurements, often relying on models that may not be ideally suited for large regions, like Matanzas province. Spanning over 12,000 km² with nearly 150 km between its northern and southern extremes, Matanzas presents challenges for high-resolution solar mapping. This study introduces a methodology that integrates various methods and databases to achieve the maximum resolution in the resulting solar map. This approach is designed for large areas, where conventional high-resolution models fall short. By optimizing calculation times and parameterizing the entire surface latitudinally, a high-resolution solar resource map for Matanzas has been developed. This map significantly enhances the understanding of solar resources in Cuba and enables the proposal of new methodologies for analyzing solar potential in similarly large regions.

Z-scheme flower-like Ag/AgCl/NiZnAl-LDH for high efficiency removal of Methylene Blue: Performance and mechanism insights

3D flower-like NiZnAl-LDH was prepared, and then the Z-scheme Ag/AgCl/NiZnAl-LDH heterojunctions were further constructed by loading different amounts of AgCl on NiZnAl-LDH surface. The structure, morphology and photoelectric properties were characterized by a variety of advanced techniques, such as XRD, XPS, SEM, HRTEM and EIS. Furthermore, methylene blue, abbreviated MB, was used as the target pollutant, and the photocatalytic degradation activity of Ag/AgCl/NiZnAl-LDH on it was explored. Results displayed that the Ag/AgCl/NiZnAl-LDH photocatalysts displayed excellent photocatalytic degradation activity for MB dye compared with AgCl and NiZnAl-LDH, and the loading of different AgCl on the surface of NiZnAl-LDH has a considerable influence on the photocatalytic performance. The alkaline condition and low concentration of MB are more conducive to the photocatalytic degradation of MB by Ag/AgCl/NiZnAl-LDH. The photocatalytic process conforms to the first-order kinetic model with a rate constant of 0.0082 min−1, which is about 3.4 times that of AgCl and NiZnAl-LDH. Compared with AgCl and NiZnAl-LDH, it is found that Ag/AgCl/NiZnAl-LDH increases the separation rate of photogenerated electrons and holes, the photogenerated carrier recombination is inhibited, and the electrochemically active area is increased. The outstanding photocatalytic activity and stability make Ag/AgCl/NiZnAl-LDH a perfect material to ease the environmental crisis. Besides, combined with free radical trapping experiments, a possible photocatalytic mechanism was raised.

Literature-based database to inform policy making on marine plastic pollution in ASEAN+3

The ASEAN+3 countries urgently need to present actual data on the state of their marine plastics pollution, so that they can respond to the criticisms of being the top-5 global sources of marine plastics based on modeled predictions, as well as to develop effective response policies based on sound data. While the research outputs on marine plastic pollution have increased spectacularly across these countries, their overall resource capacity to access the data remains lacking. This study describes a robust framework developed to use >700 peer-reviewed research publications from the region that can inform policy-making. First, detailed metadata fields were developed for this database focused on extracting information from the publications that are relevant to regional policy questions being asked to adequately respond to the threats posed by marine plastics. Second, the curation of research publications in this database greatly depended on a team of regional researchers, who were apt in the subject matter and a native language speaker. The latter was critical in the capture of non-English articles to boost the quality of database. Some of the key findings from the broad analyses included the rapid increase in research efforts on marine plastics between 2014 and 2021, which coincided with the growing concerns of this environmental crisis, the dominant publication language was English despite the diversity of countries, and the dominant research topic appeared to be of policy response measures. Overall, the database produced adequate and immediate data, where policy-makers can leverage for urgent actions. For example, the output on the status of marine plastic pollution is ever-increasing, but the region could start to focus on knowledge gaps (e.g., sampling in critical sensitive habitats like seagrasses and coral reefs). Finally, this study presented a comprehensive summary of the current state of marine plastic pollution and knowledge gaps (e.g., technical capacity and equipment) of the region that can facilitate discussions among target audience including the governments as well as international and regional regulating bodies, the research community and plastic waste management professionals.

Megacity urban green space equity evaluation and its driving factors from supply and demand perspective: A case study of Tianjin

Urban green space (UGS) equity is crucial for sustainable urban development, social harmony, and stability. Given the escalating environmental justice crisis in megacity UGS, ensuring spatial justice and social equity in these areas is vital for sustainable development. This study analyzes the equity of UGS in megacity by assessing both spatial equity from the supply perspective and social equity from the demand perspective while exploring key factors driving this equity. This study found that: 1) The green Gini coefficient in Tianjin's central city, stands at 0.7787, indicating significant spatial inequity, with small UGS exhibiting the highest, followed by medium and large spaces. 2) There is a varying perception of UGS equity across different socioeconomic groups, most pronounced in the center urban area, then in the encircling urban area and remote urban area, indicating a gradual diffusion of green equity from the city center outward. 3) Key external factors influencing UGS equity include economic development, population density, traffic patterns, and local environmental quality, while internal factors like accessibility and size also play a role in spatial equity. Thus, enhancing UGS equity in megacities requires not only top-down supply interventions but also bottom-up demand feedback mechanisms.

A virtually-induced overview effect? How seeing the world from above through a simulated space tour is related to awe, global identity and pro-environmental behaviour

Global environmental crises require concerted action around the globe. Previous research has suggested that salient global identity (i.e. identification with and concern for people all over the world) might motivate such action, as it is positively related to pro-environmental behaviour. However, little is known about how to strengthen global identity. Inferred from astronauts' experiences when seeing our planet from space (i.e. the overview effect), we hypothesised that a virtual reality (VR) space tour elicits awe (i.e. an experience of extraordinary vastness associated with feeling moved, amazed and overwhelmed), makes global identity more salient and motivates pro-environmental behaviour. We compared the effect of the VR simulation to that of music, a stimulus unrelated to nature. In a preregistered laboratory experiment, participants of a convenience sample in Germany (N = 128) were randomly assigned to four groups, using a 2 (VR: yes vs. no) × 2 (music: yes vs. no) design, and answered a self-report questionnaire. We found that both the VR space tour and music elicited awe, but that the effects of VR were stronger. We found neither significant main nor interaction effects of VR and music on global identity. However, both the VR simulation and music indirectly predicted stronger global self-investment (i.e. one dimension of global identity reflecting solidarity and concern for people world-wide) through a stronger awe experience. Neither the VR simulation nor music impacted people's pro-environmental behaviour in terms of their willingness to sign a petition asking the government to prioritise the Paris climate agreement. However, they both indirectly predicted willingness to sign the petition through a stronger awe experience. We discuss the role of awe for global identity and pro-environmental behaviour, and elaborate on the idea that a greater portion of global identity may be a stable trait rather than a variable state. We also discuss how useful VR simulations are for encouraging pro-environmental behaviour.

Role of the Catholic Church in addressing environmental crisis in Chuka Igambang’ombe Sub-county, Kenya

Role of the Catholic Church in addressing environmental crisis in Chuka Igambang’ombe Sub-county, Kenya

The Shattered Realm: Reshaping Law and Lawyers in the Anthropocene

The constitutional tradition is based in normality, which allows to think in a general social ordination through a constitutional document. Against the backdrop of the global environmental crisis, which has been described as a transition to a new geological era, as the Anthropocene; scholars and policy-makers are bound to cope with the new situation through the creation of some kind of new constitutional order as an ecological constitution indeed. But, the global transformation produced by the growing entanglement between society and biosphere is generating such a complex scenario that the pretension of order seems out of place. This paper tries to draw some insights from taking this new complexity and uncertainty that it creates seriously. The proposal is to see (constitutional) law rather as an event than an order, in the assumption of a permanent state of exception.

Algal Biofuels: A Comprehensive Review and Analysis

The depletion of fossil fuels and increased atmospheric CO2 levels have precipitated a global energy and environmental crisis. The cultivation of microalgae offers a viable remedy by utilizing solar energy and assimilating CO2 for biofuel production via photosynthesis. Microalgae demonstrate rapid growth in diverse environments, rendering them a dependable biomass source for large-scale biofuel generation. Furthermore, their biofuel production can be tailored through the manipulation of growth conditions or genetic engineering. This review aims to highlight the variety of biofuels produced from microalgae and the methodologies to optimize their yield. This review also explores the economic implications of algal biofuel production in both open ponds and closed photobioreactors. Various strategies for the photo-production of biohydrogen utilizing the hydrogenase enzyme from green algae are investigated. Additionally, certain microalgae species are recognized for their potential as biodiesel sources due to their high lipid content. The lipid profiles of leading oil-producing algal strains under optimal conditions are assessed. This review further examines the potential of microalgae in synthesizing petroleum-based chemicals and in generating bioethanol and biogas from algal biomass.

Empowerment Through Sustainable Journalism Practices in Africa: A Walkthrough of EcoNai + and Ushahidi Digital Platforms

ABSTRACT In this article, we address the question of sustainable journalism through the case studies of two leading digital journalism platforms in Africa: Ushahidi and EcoNai + . We draw on the walkthrough method to examine the extent to which these two journalism platforms address social, economic, and environmental crises in Africa and how they co-balance these issues with the crisis facing media and journalism itself. We achieve this by examining how audiences use these platforms. This method guarantees direct engagement with an app's interface to examine its technological mechanisms and embedded cultural references, thereby understanding how it guides users and shapes their experiences. Findings suggest that both platforms demonstrate sustainable journalism practices that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and emphasize citizen engagement. Challenges include functionality issues and sustainable business model concerns. Nonetheless, they contribute significantly to journalism practices addressing the SDGs. As a result, this study makes three important contributions to academic scholarship and practices. First, it provides meaningful insights into how African digital media platforms uniquely cover sustainability issues. Second, it examines the user experience issues surrounding the applications. Finally, it contributes to the growing body of research on sustainable journalism, especially in the Global South.

PEZy-miner: An artificial intelligence driven approach for the discovery of plastic-degrading enzyme candidates

Plastic waste has caused a global environmental crisis. Biocatalytic depolymerization mediated by enzymes has emerged as an efficient and sustainable alternative for plastic treatment and recycling. However, it is challenging and time-consuming to discover novel plastic-degrading enzymes using conventional cultivation-based or omics methods. There is a growing interest in developing effective computational methods to identify new enzymes with desirable plastic degradation functionalities by exploring the ever-increasing databases of protein sequences. In this study, we designed an innovative machine learning-based framework, named PEZy-Miner, to mine for enzymes with high potential in degrading plastics of interest. Two datasets integrating information from experimentally verified enzymes and homologs with unknown plastic-degrading activity were created respectively, covering eleven types of plastic substrates. Protein language models and binary classification models were developed to predict enzymatic degradation of plastics along with confidence and uncertainty estimation. PEZy-Miner exhibited high prediction accuracy and stability when validated on experimentally verified enzymes. Furthermore, by masking the experimentally verified enzymes and blending them into homolog dataset, PEZy-Miner effectively concentrated the experimentally verified entries by 14∼30 times while shortlisting promising plastic-degrading enzyme candidates. We applied PEZy-Miner to 0.1 million putative sequences, out of which 27 new sequences were identified with high confidence. This study provided a new computational tool for mining and recommending promising new plastic-degrading enzymes.

Tuning Rigid Polyurethane Foam with Eco-friendly Cellulose Nanocrystals from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches as Energy-Efficient Material Composites for Buildings

The development of novel materials based on renewable materials with beneficial properties that assist with energy efficiency and conservation has been encouraged by increasing consciousness of environmental issues. This research intends to use sustainable cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) obtained from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) as reinforcement to enhance the properties of rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF). RPUF reinforcement with varied CNC concentrations (0.25–1 wt%) was examined by foaming behavior, surface morphology, mechanical properties, thermal insulation properties, dimensional stability, efficiency energy study, and CO2 reduction through their thermal conductivity values. The results achieved an optimal improvement of mechanical properties of the RPUF composite by around 23.53% compared to RPUF control, at the addition of 0.5 wt% of CNC concentration while maintaining the density of 37–39 kg/m3. Further, incorporating CNC improved thermal insulating performance by 9.95%, as reflected by decreased thermal conductivity from 0.0292 W/mK to 0.0269 W/mK and decreased cell size by 28.12%. Finally, based on the energy and cost efficiency studies, RPUF-CNC composites offer up to 0.78 kWh/m2 and 0.031 kWh/m2 compared to conventional wall materials made of concrete and wood, respectively. Furthermore, it contributed to reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 110 and 7.2 kg CO2/year compared to concrete and wood, respectively. This work demonstrates the promising use of eco-friendly building insulation materials to mitigate the energy and environmental crisis.