Impact Of Changes Research Articles

Impact of Future Climate Change on Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings: A case study for representative cities in Japan

This study examines the impact of future climate change on energy consumption in residential buildings in Japan, taking into account both the current and future typical meteorological year (TMY) database. TMY data is widely used in the building sector for energy performance assessments, system sizing, and optimization. To investigate the impact of current and future TMY databases on energy consumption of buildings, the study predicts the cooling and heating loads of residential buildings in four cities of Japan under the current (2020 ver.) and future (2086 ver.) TMY databases. Results show that the use of future TMY database leads to significant changes in air-conditioning heat loads of residential buildings in Japan. It finds that the annual cooling load in residential buildings of four cites of Japan increases by approximately 12% for Tokyo, approximately 9% for Toyohashi, approximately 8% for Osaka, and approximately 7% for Nagoya, respectively, however the annual heating load decreases by approximately 8% for Tokyo, approximately 9% for Toyohashi, approximately 6% for Osaka, and approximately 5% for Nagoya, respectively, compared to the current TMY database. This finding suggests that climate change will have a significant impact on future building energy consumption, and proposes energy-efficient building design as a solution to mitigate the impact of climate change on building energy consumption.

Study of the Impact of Changes in the Acid-Base Buffering Capacity of Surface Sod-Podzolic Soils

Study of the Impact of Changes in the Acid-Base Buffering Capacity of Surface Sod-Podzolic Soils

Electric vehicle and photovoltaic advanced roles in enhancing the financial performance of a manufacturing and commercial setup

Climate change's impact on the planet forced the United Nations and governments to promote green energies and electric transportation. The deployments of photovoltaic (PV) and electric vehicle (EV) systems gained stronger momentum due to their numerous advantages over fossil fuel types. The advantages go beyond sustainability to reach financial support and stability. The work in this paper introduces the hybrid system between PV and EV to support industrial and commercial plants. This paper covers the theoretical framework of the proposed hybrid system including the required equation to complete the cost analysis when PV and EV are present. In addition, the proposed design diagram which sets the priorities and requirements of the system is presented. The proposed approach allows setup to advance their power stability, especially during power outages. The presented information supports researchers and plant owners to complete the necessary analysis while promoting the deployment of clean energy. The result of a case study that represents a dairy milk farmer supports the theoretical works and highlights its advanced benefits to existing plants. The short return on investment of the proposed approach supports the paper's novelty approach for the sustainable electrical system. In addition, the proposed system allows for an isolated power setup without the need for a transmission line which enhances the safety of the electrical network.

Quantifying the Impact of Climate Change on Peak Stream Discharge for Watersheds of Varying Sizes in the Coastal Plain of Virginia

Quantifying the Impact of Climate Change on Peak Stream Discharge for Watersheds of Varying Sizes in the Coastal Plain of Virginia

Reducing climate impacts on karst groundwater resources by constructing a cave dam. A case study from Central Taurus Karst, Türkiye

Susuz karst aquifer is a mountainous and highly karstified aquifer located at the Central Taurus karst belt, Seydişehir, Türkiye. Pınarbaşı karst spring is a major water resource of the Susuz karst aquifer which drains approximately 15 million m3 of water annually, mostly between January and July. As the Pınarbaşı spring dries up for the rest of the year, local water needs frequently emerge during the dry periods, especially for animal livestock and domestic usage. However, one major problem in the karst region is the decreasing trend in the spring discharge rate and increasing length of the dry period mainly due to the impact of climate change. For this reason, to reduce the climate impact on the karst aquifer it is essential to explore alternative engineering solutions where they are applicable. This study proposes the construction of a cave dam in the Susuz karst system to retain and store groundwater during the dry period. Based on the accumulated hydrogeological knowledge and experiences in the karst region, we first conceptualized the cave dam construction and then indicated the positive influence of the stored groundwater under changing climate considering two main climate scenarios (SSP245 and SSP585). Our findings indicate that the (proposed) cave dam potentially stores 4 million m3 of water, which equals nearly 35 % of the mean annual spring discharge under current climate conditions while this amount is also expected to rise over 50 % of the total discharge in future climate conditions.

A Machine Learning Approach to Understand the Impact of Temperature and Rainfall Change on Concrete Pavement Performance Based on LTPP Data

A Machine Learning Approach to Understand the Impact of Temperature and Rainfall Change on Concrete Pavement Performance Based on LTPP Data

Climate Change Impacts on Spatiotemporal Soil Water Extremes in Geophysically Diverse Watersheds: A Comparison between East and West Tennessee Watersheds

Climate Change Impacts on Spatiotemporal Soil Water Extremes in Geophysically Diverse Watersheds: A Comparison between East and West Tennessee Watersheds

The Climate Change Impact on the Development of Droughts in Ukraine

The Climate Change Impact on the Development of Droughts in Ukraine

Streamflow prediction in ungauged basins: How dissimilar are drainage basins?

Hydrological processes leading to flow in river channels are extremely complex, which is why we cannot use any fundamental law to fully explain river flow dynamics at basin scale. The general approach for hydrological modelling considers that every catchment’s response to precipitation input is unique, which means different catchments respond differently to the same precipitation input. In other words, river basins are sufficiently dissimilar to warrant having hydrological models with multiple free-parameters for predicting discharge. It is assumed that free-parameters are related to static catchment characteristics. However, past efforts to relate model parameters with observable catchment characteristics have not been very successful. We thus need a framework to quantify catchment dissimilarities exhibited by catchment characteristics because there is no need of free-parameters if we decide to ignore dissimilarities. Thus, relative role of climate and catchment characteristics in streamflow response of the basin needs to be quantified. In this study, we have considered daily data from 3534 gauging stations spread across the globe to compare HBV, a widely used hydrological model, with Dynamic Budyko (DB) model, a recently proposed calibration-free model. The HBV model assumes that both climate and catchment characteristics are important in modeling streamflow response, whereas a calibration-free DB model essentially assumes that streamflow response is largely governed by climate. The performance of HBV run with regionalized parameters and DB in terms of median coefficient of determination (R2) and weighted R2 (WR2) are (0.43, 0.45) and (0.24, 0.27), respectively. The corresponding values of R2 and WR2 from quantile-quantile comparison are (0.94, 0.94) and (0.60, 0.59). Results here seem to support of idea of developing calibration-free models by appreciating similarities between basins, particularly if the objectives are prediction in ungauged basins and assessment of climate change impact on streamflow.

Adaptation to the Impacts of Climate Change through the Adoption of Sustainable Agriculture in Bondawuna Village, Gorontalo Province

Perubahan iklim merupakan peristiwa perubahan suhu dan pola cuaca dalam jangka waktu lama yang dapat merusak ekosistem dan ekologi dunia. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk : 1. Mengetahui tingkat adopsi petani terhadap pertanian berkelanjutan, 2. Menentukan prioritas kebutuhan bahan penyuluhan mengenai pertanian berkelanjutan dan perubahan iklim, 3. Mengidentifikasi karakteristik petani yang relevan dengan adopsi petani terhadap pertanian berkelanjutan. pertanian berkelanjutan. Metode statistik yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah deskriptif kuantitatif, dengan menggunakan teknik pengumpulan data yaitu Accidental Sampling. Sasaran penelitian ini adalah petani jagung dengan sampel sebanyak 60 orang di Desa Bondawuna Kecamatan Suwawa Selatan Kabupaten Bone Bolango. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, terdapat sembilan komponen penerapan pertanian berkelanjutan dalam adaptasi perubahan iklim di Desa Bondawuna. Komponen yang paling banyak diadopsi oleh petani adalah penanaman pohon. Kemudian komponen yang tingkat adopsinya paling rendah oleh petani adalah penggunaan pupuk organik, pengurangan penggunaan pupuk kimia, dan pengurangan penggunaan herbisida. Luas lahan merupakan salah satu karakteristik demografi yang berkorelasi dengan adopsi petani, karena petani yang memiliki kepemilikan lahan luas cenderung mengadopsi komponen inovasi pertanian berkelanjutan.

Replacing Traditional Materials with More Sustainable Ones: The Use of Arundo Donax, L. As Bio-Building Material and Pellet

Considering the hazardous future scenarios outlined for the environment by the scientific community and various institutions, embracing more sustainable production methodologies is imperative. This is especially vital within the construction and energy sectors, which stand as significant contributors to climate change and environmental impact. The topic presented herein aligns with this direction. Specifically, the aim of this study is to highlight the benefits of transforming conventional agriculture into a technologically advanced and environmentally sustainable practice. The proposed study demonstrates new ways of using reeds (Arundo Donax, L.) in two strategic sectors - i.e., building and heating fuel - promoting the reduction of environmental impacts compared to traditional materials. The study explored the utilization of reeds as a material for roofing or wall coverings and as pellets for heating stoves. A Life Cycle Assessment was performed to investigate environmental impacts in all the phases of the processes. In the first case (i.e., reeds used in the building sector), a reduction of environmental impacts within the construction phase was found, followed by an enhancement of performance in the buildings on which the reed panels were installed. In fact, they contribute to minimizing heat losses, leading to a subsequent decrease in fuel consumption for heating and cooling, and help to mitigate acoustic problems. In the second scenario (i.e., reeds used as heating fuel), the goal of the study was to detect if Arundo Donax was suitable for pellet production. In this instance, all the production processes were analyzed (e.g., harvesting, shredding, drying, pelletizing) together with the intrinsic characteristics of the pellets (e.g., calorific power, content of carbon, etc.). This analysis enabled the evaluation of substituting traditional materials with reeds.

The impact of multi-decadal changes in VOC speciation on urban ozone chemistry: a case study in Birmingham, United Kingdom

Abstract. Anthropogenic non-methane volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the United Kingdom have been substantially reduced since 1990, which is, in part, attributed to controls on evaporative and vehicle tailpipe emissions. Over time, other sources with a different speciation (for example, alcohols from solvent use and industry processes) have grown in both relative importance and, in some cases, in absolute terms. The impact of this change in speciation and the resulting photochemical reactivities of VOCs are evaluated using a photochemical box model constrained by observational data during a summertime ozone event (Birmingham, UK) and apportionment of sources based on the UK National Atmospheric Emission Inventory (NAEI) data over the period 1990–2019. Despite road transport sources representing only 3.3 % of UK VOC emissions in 2019, road transport continued being the sector with the largest influence on the local O3 production rate (P(O3)). Under case study conditions, the 96 % reduction in road transport VOC emissions that has been achieved between 1990 and 2019 has likely reduced daytime P(O3) by ∼ 1.67 ppbv h−1. Further abatement of fuel fugitive emissions was modeled to have had less impact on P(O3) reduction than abatement of VOCs from industrial processes and solvent use. The long-term trend of increased emissions of ethanol and methanol has somewhat weakened the benefits of reducing road transport emissions, increasing P(O3) by ∼ 0.19 ppbv h−1 in the case study. Abatement of VOC emissions from multiple sources has been a notable technical and policy success in the UK, but some future benefits (from an ozone perspective) of the phase-out of internal combustion engine passenger cars may be offset if domestic and commercial solvent use of VOCs continue to increase.

Impact of Surface Composition Changes on the CO2-Reduction Performance of Au-Cu Aerogels.

Over the past decades, the electrochemical CO2-reduction reaction (CO2RR) has emerged as a promising option for facilitating intermittent energy storage while generating industrial raw materials of economic relevance such as CO. Recent studies have reported that Au-Cu bimetallic nanocatalysts feature a superior CO2-to-CO conversion as compared with the monometallic components, thus improving the noble metal utilization. Under this premise and with the added advantage of a suppressed H2-evolution reaction due to absence of a carbon support, herein, we employ bimetallic Au3Cu and AuCu aerogels (with a web thickness ≈7 nm) as CO2-reduction electrocatalysts in 0.5 M KHCO3 and compare their performance with that of a monometallic Au aerogel. We supplement this by investigating how the CO2RR-performance of these materials is affected by their surface composition, which we modified by systematically dissolving a part of their Cu-content using cyclic voltammetry (CV). To this end, the effect of this CV-driven composition change on the electrochemical surface area is quantified via Pb underpotential deposition, and the local structural and compositional changes are visually assessed by employing identical-location transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analyses. When compared to the pristine aerogels, the CV-treated samples displayed superior CO Faradaic efficiencies (≈68 vs ≈92% for Au3Cu and ≈34 vs ≈87% for AuCu) and CO partial currents, with the AuCu aerogel outperforming the Au3Cu and Au counterparts in terms of Au-mass normalized CO currents among the CV-treated samples.

Effect of Land Use Change on Molecular Composition and Concentration of Organic Matter in an Oxisol.

Land use change from native vegetation to cropping can significantly affect the quantity and quality of soil organic matter (SOM). However, it remains unclear how the chemical composition of SOM is affected by such changes. This study employed a sequential chemical extraction to partition SOM from an Oxisol into several distinct fractions: water-soluble fractions (ultrapure water (W)), organometal complexes (sodium pyrophosphate (PP)), short-range ordered (SRO) oxides (hydroxylamine-HCl (HH)), and well-crystalline oxides (dithionite-HCl (DH)). Coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS), the impact of land use change on the molecular composition of different OM fractions was investigated. Greater amounts of OM were observed in the PP and HH fractions compared to other fractions, highlighting their importance in SOM stabilization. The composition of different OM fractions varied based on extracted phases, with lignin-like and tannin-like compounds being prevalent in the PP and HH fractions, while aliphatic-like compounds dominated in the DH fraction. Despite changes in the concentration of each OM fraction from native vegetation to cropping, there was little influence of land use change on the molecular composition of OM associated with different mineral phases. No significant selective loss or preservation of organic carbon compounds was observed, indicating the composition of SOM remained unchanged.

Has climate change promoted the high-quality development of financial enterprises? Evidence from China

Climate change has become a critical global issue and challenge, with significant implications for financial enterprises as an integral part of economic activities. A thorough analysis of the impact of climate change on the high-quality development of financial enterprises is of great importance for financial sustainability. This paper first conducts an in-depth mathematical analysis of the intrinsic mechanisms through which climate change affects the high-quality development of financial enterprises by establishing a game theory model. Secondly, using data from listed companies for the years 2000–2020, an econometric model is constructed to empirically examine the relationship between climate change and the high-quality development of financial enterprises. The research findings demonstrate that climate change significantly inhibits the high-quality development of financial enterprises, as evidenced by robust results obtained through various methods such as data truncation, variable substitution, and changes in sample periods. Furthermore, this study addresses the endogeneity of the regression model using propensity score matching (PSM), instrumental variable methods, and system generalized method of moments (GMM). Additionally, climate change impacts the high-quality development of financial enterprises through technological innovation. Given the backdrop of climate change, understanding the relationship and logic between climate change and the high-quality development of financial enterprises and discerning the channels and mechanisms through which climate change affects their development are crucial. This research provides a new perspective and expands the research frontier on the high-quality development of financial enterprises, enriching the theoretical foundations in this field.

Impact of Landuse and Landcover Changes on Population Dynamics in Flood-prone Majuli Island, Assam, India

Impact of Landuse and Landcover Changes on Population Dynamics in Flood-prone Majuli Island, Assam, India

Revealing the Effect of Stereocontrol on Intermolecular Interactions between Abiotic, Sequence-Defined Polyurethanes and a Ligand.

The development of precision polymer synthesis has facilitated access to a diverse library of abiotic structures wherein chiral monomers are positioned at specific locations within macromolecular chains. These structures are anticipated to exhibit folding characteristics similar to those of biotic macromolecules and possess comparable functionalities. However, the extensive sequence space and numerous variables make selecting a sequence with the desired function challenging. Therefore, revealing sequence-function dependencies and developing practical tools are necessary to analyze their conformations and molecular interactions. In this study, we investigate the effect of stereochemistry, which dictates the spatial location of backbone and pendant groups, on the interaction between sequence-defined oligourethanes and bisphenol A ligands. Various methods are explored to analyze the receptor-like properties of model oligomers and the ligand. The accuracy of molecular dynamics simulations and experimental techniques is assessed to uncover the impact of discrete changes in stereochemical arrangements on the structures of the resulting complexes and their binding strengths. Detailed computational investigations providing atomistic details show that the formed complexes demonstrate significant structural diversity depending on the sequence of stereocenters, thus affecting the oligomer-ligand binding strength. Among the tested techniques, the fluorescence spectroscopy data, fitted to the Stern-Volmer equation, are consistently aligned with the calculations, thus validating the developed simulation methodology. The developed methodology opens a way to engineer the structure of sequence-defined oligomers with receptor-like functionality to explore their practical applications, e.g., as sensory materials.

Which Local Jurisdictions Are Environmental Policy Entrepreneurs? Insights from Israel

Environmental challenges demand local-level engagement. This study delves into the often overlooked entrepreneurial role played by “off-the-map” local authorities in environmental policy. By examining factors influencing Local Environmental Policy Initiatives (LEPIs), including demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, environmental impact, and promotion strategies, we offer a comprehensive analysis. In contrast to studies that spotlight prominent cities, we prioritize the majority—ordinary local governments. Leveraging Israel as a case study, we employ a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, to validate prior hypotheses suggesting that economically stable and larger authorities tend to initiate more LEPIs. Nevertheless, our research reveals a pro-environmental inclination, even among authorities traditionally not categorized as entrepreneurial. Consequently, smaller and less influential authorities adopt tailored approaches such as problem-framing and terminology strategies to drive environmental initiatives forward. These findings underscore the critical role of local authorities in advancing environmentally sustainable practices, emphasizing their significance in the broader landscape of environmental policy. Notably, they highlight the imperative nature of targeting strategies toward untypical entrepreneurial authorities, to maximize the potential impact of widespread environmental change from the bottom up.

Promoting transdisciplinary collaboration in academia: uniting for climate-resilient health

In a world where some regions are directly experiencing the effects of the climate change, while others are more vulnerable; this article dives into the deep and frequently catastrophic impact of the climate change on vulnerable countries. This review emphasizes the need for transdisciplinary academic collaboration, including social scientists, healthcare professionals, engineers, policy experts, and climate scientists, and underscores academia’s potential role in advancing climate-resilient health systems in these areas. The study promotes inclusive research that prioritizes at-risk groups, involves communities, and supports culturally sensible methodologies. Beyond their traditional tasks, academia has an obligation for action, learning, innovation, and change. To address the complex health concerns brought on by the planetary crisis, collaboration across academic fields and in tandem with communities, governments, and international organizations is crucial. Ongoing collaboration between academia, governments, and stakeholders is crucial to developing healthcare systems and technologies that are climate resilient. The complex role of academia involves developing pioneering solutions in healthcare for a sustainable future, advocating for policies based on evidence, and educating the next generation of professionals.

Media and social media sentiment and CEO pay cuts

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between media and social media sentiment and the likelihood of CEO pay cuts. The purpose is to examine whether and how these pay cuts influence market reactions. The study aims to provide insights into how external sentiment affects corporate decision-making and market perceptions, particularly in the context of CEO compensation.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 6,331 firm-year observations from 2015 to 2021, this paper employs quantitative analysis to assess the association between media and social media sentiment and CEO pay cuts. We utilise company DEF14A SEC filings to identify CEO pay cut dates and capture traditional media and Twitter sentiment 30-days prior to these filing dates.FindingsWe find a negative association between media and social media sentiment and CEO pay cuts, indicating that firms facing more negative sentiment are more likely to engage in pay cuts. We find evidence that CEO pay cuts are negatively correlated with market reactions, suggesting markets generally do not seem to favour decisions to cut CEO pay. This relationship, however, is complex and influenced by multiple factors, including the nature of sentiment and the specific components of CEO compensation.Research limitations/implicationsThe study faces limitations in identifying the varying degrees of pay cuts and their motivations. Additionally, the content of news articles and Twitter posts used to measure sentiment was not specifically identified, which may affect the accuracy of sentiment measurement.Practical implicationsThis research offers valuable insights for managers and corporate decision-makers, highlighting the potential impact of public sentiment on critical executive compensation decisions.Social implicationsThe study underscores the influence of media and social media in shaping public opinion and driving corporate actions, highlighting the growing intersection between social perceptions and corporate governance. This has broader implications for how firms engage with media platforms and manage their public image, particularly in the realm of executive compensation.Originality/valueWe are the first to study the impact of media and social media sentiment on CEO compensation decisions and market reactions. By employing DEF14A filings as event dates for market reaction studies, we offer a novel approach to analysing the impact of executive compensation changes on market behaviour.