Global Temperature Rise Research Articles

Measurement of Physicochemical Properties and CO2, N2, Ar, O2, and H2O Unary Adsorption Isotherms of Purolite A110 and Lewatit VP OC 1065 for Application in Direct Air Capture.

Direct air capture (DAC) using solid adsorbents has gained significant attention as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology to help limit global temperature rise to below 2 °C. One large area of focus is the development of new adsorbent materials for DAC. However, the necessary data needed to employ these materials in process models for adsorbent screening are rarely available. Here, we showcase Purolite A110, a commercially available amine-functionalized polymeric resin, as a new candidate adsorbent for DAC and compare its properties to a current benchmark, Lewatit VP OC 1065. For both materials, we report their chemical features and composition, skeletal, particle, and bed density, total pore volume, particle porosity, BET area, thermal stability, and specific heat capacity. We determine their equilibrium sorption properties by measuring the volumetric CO2 isotherms at 288, 298, 308, 333, 343, 353, and 393 K, N2 and H2O isotherms at 288, 298, and 308 K, and Ar and O2 isotherms at 298 K. For CO2, N2, and H2O, we also present the corresponding isotherm model fitting parameters and heats of adsorption. These data can help facilitate process modeling and optimization studies to properly assess these adsorbents at scale.

Reef building corals show resilience to the hottest marine heatwave on record in the Gulf of Aqaba

Coral reefs are facing rapid deterioration, primarily due to a global rise in seawater temperature. In conjunction, the frequency and intensity of extreme high temperature events, known as marine heatwaves (MHWs), are increasing. The Gulf of Aqaba (GoA) in the northern Red Sea is home to corals known for their thermal resilience, yet concerns have been raised regarding the potential for MHWs to put this coral refuge at risk. In summer of 2021, the hottest MHW so far occurred in the GoA, with sea surface temperatures peaking at 31°C and persisting above the local summer maximum for 34 days. To assess the physiological response of the corals Stylophora pistillata and Pocillopora damicornis to this event, we analyzed the monthly content across a year of host and symbiont proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, pre-, during, and post the MHW, as a proxy for metabolic stress. We found that the MHW was not fatal to either species and did not induce bleaching, based on algal densities and chlorophyll content. Species-specific responses were detected. In S. pistillata, host protein content decreased (33%) at the onset of the MHW (August) compared to pre-MHW levels (July). Algal symbionts of S. pistillata were unaffected by the MHW in their maximal photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) and exhibited higher carbohydrate levels (+34%) at the end of the MHW (September) compared to its onset. In contrast, no significant catabolic response was detected in P. damicornis host or symbionts, and the maximal relative electron transport rate (rETRmax) of symbionts was 37% higher during the MHW than the annual average. These results highlight the remarkable ability of common GoA corals to withstand extreme thermal anomalies, underscoring the global significance of this coral refuge.

Carbon Capture, Transportation and Sequestration, the Worldwide Effort to Control the Rise in Global Temperature

Carbon Capture, Transportation and Sequestration, the Worldwide Effort to Control the Rise in Global Temperature

Methods of Assessing Health Care Costs in a Changing Climate: A Case Study of Heatwaves and Ambulance Dispatches in Tasmania, Australia.

Anthropogenic climate change is causing a rise in global temperatures, with this trend projected to increase into the future. Rising temperatures result in an increase in the frequency and severity of heatwave events, with an associated increase in poor health outcomes for vulnerable individuals. This places an increasing strain on health care services. However, methods calculating future health care costs associated with this trend are poorly understood. We calculated health care costs attributable to heatwave events in Tasmania 2009-2019, using ambulance dispatches as a case study. We also modeled the expected health and economic burden for projected heatwave frequencies between 2010 and 2089. We developed our models based on two possible approaches to describing population adaptation to heatwaves-an adapted population calculated by determining heatwave episodes using a rolling baseline, and a non-adapted population calculated by determining heatwave episodes using a static baseline. Using a rolling baseline calculation for 2010 to 2089, we estimated additional ambulance costs averaging AUD$57,147 per year and totaling AUD$4,571,788. For the same period using a static baseline, we estimated additional ambulance costs averaging AUD$517,342 per year and totaling AUD$41,387,349. While this method is suitable for estimating the health care costs associated with heatwaves, it could be utilized for estimating health care costs related to other climate-related extreme events. Different methods of estimating heatwaves, modeling an adapted versus non-adapted population, provide substantial differences in projected costs. There is potential for considerable health system cost savings when a population is supported to adapt to extreme heat.

Radiative forcing climate footprints in the agricultural sector: Comparison of models from the IPCC 5th and 6th Assessment Reports

To achieve the goal in the Paris Agreement of limiting mean global temperature rise to 1.5 ​°C, total anthropogenic radiative forcing (RF) should be reduced from current 2.7 to around 1.9 ​W ​m−2. A newly developed RF-based climate footprint (RFCF) indicator, which quantifies the additional contribution to RF associated with current and historical emissions, can support transparent alignment with climate stabilization targets by assessing the profile of RF over time. Nevertheless, RFCF applications to date have been based on parameters and equations from IPCC 5th Assessment Report (AR). Considering the latest updates in the IPCC 6th AR, we applied the RFCF approach for the first time in a case study involving the Australian agricultural sector. We compared the RF, RFCF and annual changes in RFCF of CH4, N2O and CO2 using both models. All the results of RF as well as RFCF calculated using the latest model were slightly lower than those obtained using the former model. The agricultural sector's contribution to RF had plateaued in recent years and is projected to reach the point of net zero increase in 2022 (IPCC 6th AR model) or 2023 (IPCC 5th AR model). Considering the latest updates in emission lifetime, radiative efficiency and indirect effects based on the background concentration (1750–2019), the assessments based on IPCC 6th AR model provide more reliable results. However, a dynamic model is required to reflect the additional RF for the pulse emission based on the relevant climate background in the same year. The RF-based footprint approach can support national greenhouse gas emission reduction policy targets, especially for sectors with substantial biogenic methane emissions.

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FOOD SECURITY

Climate change is often associated with the melting of polar ice caps or the potential extinction of certain species. However, its consequences are much more extensive and ominous than commonly understood. One of the critical implications of climate change is its detrimental effect on food production and supply, posing a significant threat to global food security. As global temperatures rise and weather patterns shift, crop yields and productivity are increasingly compromised. This situation is exacerbated by the heightened likelihood and severity of adverse climate events and natural disasters. Furthermore, air pollution contributes to the decline in crop yields, particularly affecting staple foods like rice, soybeans, and wheat. Additionally, changing weather patterns intensify water scarcity, reduce livestock productivity, and impede food access and distribution. While short-term solutions can alleviate some of the pressure, a sustained global commitment is imperative to mitigate the effect of climate change on our food safety in the long run.

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FOOD SECURITY

Climate change is often associated with the melting of polar ice caps or the potential extinction of certain species. However, its consequences are much more extensive and ominous than commonly understood. One of the critical implications of climate change is its detrimental effect on food production and supply, posing a significant threat to global food security. As global temperatures rise and weather patterns shift, crop yields and productivity are increasingly compromised. This situation is exacerbated by the heightened likelihood and severity of adverse climate events and natural disasters. Furthermore, air pollution contributes to the decline in crop yields, particularly affecting staple foods like rice, soybeans, and wheat. Additionally, changing weather patterns intensify water scarcity, reduce livestock productivity, and impede food access and distribution. While short-term solutions can alleviate some of the pressure, a sustained global commitment is imperative to mitigate the effect of climate change on our food safety in the long run. Keywords: climate change, food security, forest ecosystem, agriculture, livestock

Partnering for Climate Resilience: Exploring the Maturity of Private-Sector Efforts in the Great Lakes Region

Communities and businesses continue to experience the effects of climate change as global temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent. In the United States (US), the public sector has traditionally been responsible for mitigating these risks; however, engaging the private sector is crucial, given industrial impacts on and vulnerability to climate change. Private-sector mitigation and adaptation efforts are critical in the Great Lakes Region due to aging infrastructure as well as its economic, environmental, and political importance in the US and Canada. This study explores private-sector resilience efforts in three Great Lakes cities to identify opportunities and trends that could inform climate resilience strategies in the region. Climate-related commitments and actions of nine major firms in Toronto, Chicago, and Cleveland are evaluated in relation to seven climate resilience criteria on a five-level maturity scale from January to May 2022. The results indicate a moderate level of maturity, with efforts mainly at facility and community levels of engagement. Overall, this study suggests that major firms participate in climate resilience efforts, but to a limited extent, and may have varying priorities that affect the initiatives they pursue. This study could contribute to advancing climate resilience efforts in the public and private sectors from regional to global levels.

How Do Green Investments, Foreign Direct Investment, and Renewable Energy Impact CO2 Emissions? Measuring the Role of Education in E-7 Nations

The COP27 conference establishes fresh objectives for global economies to achieve the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, which are centered on reducing carbon (CO2) emissions and constraining the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 °C. In this background, this study looks at how education has affected CO2 emissions, the economy, the use of renewable energy, green investments, and foreign direct investment in the E-7 countries from 2000 to 2021. Two unit root tests, CADF and CIPS, were used to gauge the data’s stationarity. The long-run coefficients were identified using the momentum quantile regression approach. The empirical results show a cointegration of the variables. Long-term CO2 emissions are influenced by a variety of factors, including foreign direct investment, economic growth, green investments, and education. The outcomes of reliable statistics provide support for the overall empirical study of groups and the economy. The results also suggest that there is a significant increase in education, leading to a reduction in CO2 emissions across long time periods. Additionally, the E-7 countries should place a high priority on boosting the use of renewable energy and investing in the expansion of higher education for sustainable development. To mitigate the rise in carbon dioxide emissions (CO2em), it is recommended that the governments of the E-7 nations take measures to promote the adoption of green investments. Governments must prioritize their efforts to ensure that green financing policies are able to complement environmental welfare policies and green growth policies.

Correlation modelling between land surface temperatures and urban carbon emissions using multi-source remote sensing data: A case study

Global warming has imposed substantial global negative impacts on different sectors of human societies, such as extreme weather events. In this sense, it is imperative to ascertain whether the rise in global temperature will accelerate carbon emissions simultaneously. The land surface temperature (LST) serves as a common indicator to represent the spatial temperature. In addition, urban areas account for a majority portion of global emissions. To fill this gap, selecting the central urban area of Fuzhou City as a study case, this paper aims to examine the potential correlation between LST and overall carbon emissions, based on the land use and cover change (LUCC) data and nighttime lighting remote sensing data in three years (2012, 2016, and 2020). A spatially explicit distribution model of carbon source is presented in this paper. Based on remote sensing data and land use and cover change data, this model used inverse distance weighting spatial interpolation to calculate urban carbon emissions and retrieve LST. Moreover, the potential statistical correlation between land surface temperature (LST) and urban carbon emissions is explored by both polynomial and spline regressions and a potential positive statistical correlation between LST and carbon emissions is observed in this case.urban carbon emissions generally

Metal-organic framework-based nanomaterials for CO2 storage: A review.

The increasing recognition of the impact of CO2 emissions as a global concern, directly linked to the rise in global temperature, has raised significant attention. Carbon capture and storage, particularly in association with adsorbents, has occurred as a pivotal approach to address this pressing issue. Large surface area, high porosity, and abundant adsorption sites make metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) promising contenders for CO2 uptake. This review commences by discussing recent advancements in MOFs with diverse adsorption sites, encompassing open metal sites and Lewis basic centers. Next, diverse strategies aimed at enhancing CO2 adsorption capabilities are presented, including pore size manipulation, post-synthetic modifications, and composite formation. Finally, the extant challenges and anticipated prospects pertaining to the development of MOF-based nanomaterials for CO2 storage are described.

Large-scale energy storage system: safety and risk assessment

The International Renewable Energy Agency predicts that with current national policies, targets and energy plans, global renewable energy shares are expected to reach 36% and 3400 GWh of stationary energy storage by 2050. However, IRENA Energy Transformation Scenario forecasts that these targets should be at 61% and 9000 GWh to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and limit the global temperature rise within the twenty-first century to under 2 °C. Despite widely known hazards and safety design of grid-scale battery energy storage systems, there is a lack of established risk management schemes and models as compared to the chemical, aviation, nuclear and the petroleum industry. Incidents of battery storage facility fires and explosions are reported every year since 2018, resulting in human injuries, and millions of US dollars in loss of asset and operation. Traditional risk assessment practices such as ETA, FTA, FMEA, HAZOP and STPA are becoming inadequate for accident prevention and mitigation of complex energy power systems. This work describes an improved risk assessment approach for analyzing safety designs in the battery energy storage system incorporated in large-scale solar to improve accident prevention and mitigation, via incorporating probabilistic event tree and systems theoretic analysis. The causal factors and mitigation measures are presented. The risk assessment framework presented is expected to benefit the Energy Commission and Sustainable Energy Development Authority, and Department of Standards in determining safety engineering guidelines and protocols for future large-scale renewable energy projects. Stakeholders and Utility companies will benefit from improved safety and reliability by avoiding high-cost asset damages and downtimes due to accident events.

Analysis on CO2 emissions, green hydrogen requirement and geo-storage potential of hydrogen for decarbonization of industrial operations in southeastern coast of India

In aiding India's effort to become carbon neutral, this research focusses on its Southeastern (SE) region, investigating its potential for decarbonization and using of green hydrogen as alternate fuel for industrial operations. The study analyzed the total CO2 emissions from the power and industrial sectors in the region, and estimated an annual emissions of 307.8 million tonnes. Considering different GDP growth scenarios, this study estimated the demand for energy and green hydrogen until 2050 for achieving energy transition. Based on the region's renewable energy capacity, an optimal energy mix of 5% small hydro, 45% wind and 50% solar power is recommended for green hydrogen production. This study found that the Cauvery and Krishna-Godavari basins have the storage potential to continuously deliver the stored hydrogen for seven years to the region, ensuring energy security. Finally, by decarbonizing industrial operations in SE region, the global temperature rise could be reduced by 0.003842 °C.

The impact of power outages on households in Zambia

As global average temperatures rise, so does the frequency and intensity of El Niño-induced droughts, which in turn threaten the reliability of hydropower. 1.4 billion people live in countries where hydropower constitutes more than a quarter of the electricity production and which have experienced El Niño droughts, meaning many more power outages can be expected around the world. Little research has been conducted on the impact of power outages on mental health. This study takes Zambia as its case study to examine the impact that El Niño droughts have had on the lives of householders connected to a highly hydropower-dependant electricity grid, and includes the impact it has had on their physical and self-reported mental health. Using 54 online responses to a survey, we found that the greatest impacts of outages spoiled food, compromised entertainment, compromised ability to work and limitation in cooking options. More than a fifth of respondents reported experiencing self-reported depression to a major degree or all of the time due to power outages, with individuals writing their own responses that they felt debilitated, experienced reduced communication and reduced activities, and stress. Using Bayesian inference, we found that changes in sleeping patterns arising from power outages was a statistically significant predictor of self-reported depression. 63% of surveyed households were willing to pay approximately USD 0.10/kWh as of the end of 2019, about double the tariff that they did, to ensure reliable electricity supply. Household income was a statistically significant predictor of willingness to pay more.

A new climate externalities food knowledge test validated by item response theory and behavioural data prediction (Validación de una nueva prueba de conocimientos sobre la externalidad climática de los alimentos mediante la teoría de respuesta al ítem y la predicción a partir de datos conductuales)

ABSTRACT Research underscores the imperative for global dietary shifts to curb global temperature rise within the Paris Agreement’s 2°C limit. Understanding human dietary behaviour is crucial for effective environmental policies promoting pro-environmental actions. A significant obstacle is the lack of awareness regarding the CO2 implications of meat and dairy consumption, hindering sustainable diet adoption. Thus, evaluating knowledge-based interventions requires reliable tools to quantify climate impact knowledge related to food consumption. Unfortunately, existing pro-environmental knowledge measurement instruments lack domain specificity, leaving a void in assessing climate-conscious food choice knowledge. Addressing this void, our climate externalities food knowledge test was developed. It underwent calibration via item response theory with a German university student sample and validation across one German and two Chilean student samples. The resulting scale exhibited a strong approximate model fit, acceptable item fit metrics, good reliability and the ability to predict climate-relevant food-choice patterns and expert group performance. However, notable differential item functioning was observed based on cultural context. Our instrument provides a valuable contribution to understanding and promoting sustainable food choices on a global scale.

Climate risk and carbon emissions: Examining their impact on key energy markets through asymmetric spillovers

The global energy sector faces crucial challenges in the wake of climate change and the escalating emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Recent months have witnessed substantial fluctuations in energy prices, attributed to various factors, including surging demand from emerging economies, geopolitical tensions in regions like Russia and Iran, and progressive efforts to phase out fossil fuels. The alarming pace of climate change is leading to a rise in global temperatures, intensifying severe weather phenomena like droughts and hurricanes. In this context, this empirical research article aims to explore the asymmetric spillovers of climate risk and carbon emissions uncertainty on key energy markets, namely natural gas, electricity, coal, oil, and diesel. Employing the time- and frequency-domain methodologies introduced by Diebold and Yilmaz (2014) and Baruník and Kˇrehlík (2018) (BK), we conduct an in-depth analysis of the monthly and daily frequency of climate policy uncertainty (CPU) and carbon emissions (CO), respectively. These measurements allow us to assess the time-varying spillover effects, directional spillovers, net directional spillovers, and connectedness network across short-term (1–3 months), medium-term (3–6 months), and long-term horizons (6 months-inf). Our research outcomes reveal that, based on the BK framework, the overall connectedness for CO and energy prices is most pronounced at the 3–6 months horizon, with a magnitude of 39.01%. For the CPU-based model, the overall connectedness exhibits an increasing trend over time, ranging from 33.84% for 1 month to 47.91% for 6 months and beyond. Furthermore, our investigation indicates that CPU predominantly serves as a net transmitter to energy prices for 1–3 months, whereas the net transmission of CO varies across different time frames. Specifically, CO acts as a net transmission for natural gas (NG) for 1 month and 1–3 months, while for 3–6 months, CO emerges as a net transmitter for WTI crude (WTI) and Brent Oil (BRENT). In addition, the results of the frequency-based Granger causality analysis demonstrate that CPU Granger causes NG, WTI, and BRENT for all frequencies, while CO Granger causes NG, WTI, BRENT, and ULS diesel (ULSD) across all frequencies. The implications of our findings are particularly significant for policymakers and energy importers, urging them to differentiate their short- and long-term strategies and procurement contracts. In the long run, policymakers should be cognizant of the influence of climate change and emissions on energy demand, while formulating prudent policies and sustainability initiatives.

Variability of Extreme Air Temperatures and Precipitation in Different Natural Zones in Late XX and Early XXI Centuries According to ERA5 Reanalysis Data

Global temperature rise on the planet is accompanied by an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events, which can lead to significant disturbances in plant metabolic processes and the functioning of plant communities. Depending on the type of vegetation and climatic conditions, the extent and nature of this impact can vary significantly. Therefore, the aim of this work was to identify areas with different types of plant communities that have been most affected by extreme temperatures and precipitation in recent decades. To identify regions with temperature and precipitation extremes, we estimated the frequency of exceeding a given threshold (less than 5% quantile or greater than 95% quantile) for selected theoretical probability density functions for the air temperature and precipitation series. The number of cases of exceeding the extreme threshold is calculated for the whole globe, their spatial and temporal variability in different seasons of the year and in the first decades of the XXI century compared to the end of the XX century is analysed. The regions with different types of plant communities with the most pronounced amplification of extreme temperature and precipitation regimes under changing climate conditions were identified.

Life cycle assessment of soil stabilization using cement and waste additives

Environmental measures show that the effect of global temperature rise goes beyond the natural cycle of the Earth’s environmental system, which affects the social, economical, and health conditions of humanity. In this respect, initially, the UN’s sustainable development goals were adopted where, more recently, a UN net-zero coalition was formed to cut greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible by 2050 to resist foreseen catastrophic outcomes. As a result of these overwhelming goals and regulations, many nations are setting policies to achieve those targets. Nevertheless, such targets, to the best of our knowledge, have not penetrated well into construction applications. In this study, in addition to the mechanical responses of three different waste additives (bottom ash, marble dust and tire rubber powder to replace cement to stabilize problematic soils, a life-cycle assessment was performed to evaluate environmental impacts. Furthermore, a novel impact-performance approach has been introduced to satisfy safety, performance, and sustainability criteria. In this respect, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), initial stiffness (G0), accumulated loss of mass (ALM) due to wet-dry cycles, and life-cycle analysis (LCA) were performed on artificially cemented (7%, 10%, and 13%) clay specimens, compacted at 1600 and 1800 kg/m3 and cured for 28 days. Further, bottom ash (BA) (10% and 20%), marble dust (MD) (20% and 40%), and tire rubber powder (TRP) (2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) were used to replace the cement, which is known for its great environmental impact. It is reported in this study that 2.5% TRP replacement of cement at low density seems to be the optimum dosage and additive, among others, to provide the best performance (UCS, G0, and ALM). Furthermore, the increase in cement content and density results in a positive contribution to performance indicators and a negative contribution to environmental impact. However, when impact-performance is considered, the opposite was observed, i.e., the rise in cement content, additive content, and density results in favourable contributions.

(Invited) Electro-Swing Adsorption for CO2 Emissions Mitigation – from Concept to Start-up

The increasingly devastating effects of changing climate patterns can be attributed largely to global warming through the continuing accumulation in the environment of anthropogenic greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. While reduction of CO2 emissions at relatively concentrated (4-20%) point sources is a crucial component of mitigation strategies for the abatement of the CO2 impact on global temperature rise, it has become increasingly evident that direct removal of accumulated CO2 (at 420ppm, 0.042%) from the environment will also be needed if we wish to limit the global temperature rise by the turn of the century to less that 2°C. Legacy carbon capture processes rely on thermal swings, with elevated temperatures required to break the chemical bonds formed during the cooler capture stage to liberate the CO2 as a pure product stream and regenerate the sorbent. There has recently been a surge of interest in using electrochemically mediated processes for carbon capture and release which can be operated isothermally, are modular, with easy scale out, and can be installed without need for complex heat integration processes. Moreover, they can use renewable and other non-carbon energy resources.In this presentation, we will trace the development of an electrochemical swing adsorption approach for the capture of CO2, originally conceived in 2015, through to the incorporation of a start-up, Verdox, in 2019 to exploit the technology in both point source and direct air capture applications. This approach exploits the ability of certain redox species, such as quinones, to bind strongly with CO2 when in a reduced state, but which have no affinity for the acid gas when oxidized. The activation by reduction and subsequent de-activation by oxidation of the capture agent can be achieved electrochemically with the redox species either in solution or immobilized on electrode surfaces; it is this latter strategy that we will discuss here. The challenges in electrode development, including the identification and economical synthesis of appropriate redox species for the binding of the CO2, and enhancement of chemical and physical robustness with acceptable uptake kinetics, will be discussed, with projections on the future introduction to industrial applications.

Rapid increase in the risk of heat-related mortality

Heat-related mortality has been identified as one of the key climate extremes posing a risk to human health. Current research focuses largely on how heat mortality increases with mean global temperature rise, but it is unclear how much climate change will increase the frequency and severity of extreme summer seasons with high impact on human health. In this probabilistic analysis, we combined empirical heat-mortality relationships for 748 locations from 47 countries with climate model large ensemble data to identify probable past and future highly impactful summer seasons. Across most locations, heat mortality counts of a 1-in-100 year season in the climate of 2000 would be expected once every ten to twenty years in the climate of 2020. These return periods are projected to further shorten under warming levels of 1.5 °C and 2 °C, where heat-mortality extremes of the past climate will eventually become commonplace if no adaptation occurs. Our findings highlight the urgent need for strong mitigation and adaptation to reduce impacts on human lives.