Implications For Future Sustainability Research Articles

Big data analytics in environmental impact predictions: Advancing predictive assessments in oil and gas operations for future sustainability

Big Data analytics is revolutionizing environmental impact predictions in the oil and gas industry, offering enhanced capabilities for predictive assessments and sustainable operations. This Review explores the pivotal role of Big Data analytics in advancing environmental impact predictions, focusing on its implications for future sustainability in oil and gas operations. In the oil and gas industry, environmental impact assessments are crucial for ensuring sustainable operations and minimizing ecological footprints. Traditional approaches to environmental impact predictions often rely on historical data and simplistic models, leading to limited accuracy and effectiveness. However, the advent of Big Data analytics has transformed this landscape, offering unprecedented opportunities for enhancing predictive assessments. Big Data analytics enables the processing and analysis of vast amounts of data from diverse sources, including sensor data, satellite imagery, and environmental monitoring data. By leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics techniques, Big Data analytics can identify complex patterns and trends in environmental data, providing more accurate and timely predictions of environmental impacts. One key application of Big Data analytics in environmental impact predictions is the modeling of air and water quality. By analyzing historical and real-time data on pollutant emissions, weather patterns, and environmental conditions, Big Data analytics can forecast changes in air and water quality, helping oil and gas companies mitigate potential impacts on ecosystems and human health. Furthermore, Big Data analytics can enhance the monitoring and management of biodiversity in oil and gas operations. By analyzing data on species distributions, habitat characteristics, and ecological interactions, Big Data analytics can help identify sensitive areas and develop targeted conservation strategies to protect biodiversity. Overall, Big Data analytics holds immense promise for advancing environmental impact predictions in oil and gas operations, offering a pathway towards future sustainability. By harnessing the power of Big Data analytics, oil and gas companies can make informed decisions, reduce environmental risks, and contribute to a more sustainable future for the industry.

Time series study of the sales of non-subsidised contraceptives in Kenya at times of public sector shortage: implications for future sustainability.

This paper describes volume trends of non-subsidised contraceptive commodities (NSCC) in Kenya between 2016-2019. We hypothesise that if non-subsidised contraceptive commodities volumes increased at times of public sector shortage then then we might hope for a similar response should public sector supplies reduce in response to an expected decline in donor funding. We find that non-subsidised contraceptive commodities contribute only 2% of total volume, and that these volumes are dominated by emergency contraceptives (EC) and combined oral contraceptives (COC). EC and COC volumes increased significantly during the 2017 nurses' strike, but not during those periods when the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) was out of stock. Increases in NSCC volumes were not of sufficient size, however, to compensate for the decline in public sector volumes. In short it appears that the market for NSCC is small and constrained. We recommend that further research is needed to understand why distributors of NSCCs are not able to take advantage of continuing public sector supply shortages.

Spatial and temporal patterns of modern (~100 yr) sedimentation in a tidal freshwater marsh: Implications for future sustainability

To maintain their position within the tidal frame, tidal marshes must accrete upward at approximately the same rate as relative sea-level rise (RSLR), typically accomplished through accumulation of mineral (from fluvial, estuarine, and/or coastal waters) and/or organic (plant-derived) sediments. However, accelerating RSLR and declining fluvial suspended-sediment supplies, along with other direct anthropogenic disturbances, may limit the ability of many marshes to keep pace. This study tests hypotheses addressing the relationship of marsh surface elevation and channel influence to marsh accretion and evaluating marsh response to historic mining disturbance and long-term environmental change, using Dyke Marsh Preserve, a tidal freshwater marsh located along the Potomac River estuary (Chesapeake Bay watershed) as a model system. Variability in sediment characteristics (grain size, organic content, bulk density) and decadal-scale accretion rates (using 210Pb) across the marsh platform is related to ecogeomorphic setting, anthropogenic activities (mining), and long-term changes in river sediment supply and RSLR. In general, sediment on river/tidal-channel banks accumulates faster and is more influenced by fluvially derived sediment than in the marsh interior. Accumulation rates on the banks can be predicted using proxies for sediment supply and availability most of the time; however, these relationships do not hold for the marsh interior, highlighting the role of sediment redistribution and/or complex sediment-vegetation interactions. Development of temporally variable sediment rating curves reveals that suspended-sediment loads of the Potomac River have decreased since the late 1970s, although current loads appear adequate to support accretion on the marsh platform, if net onshore sediment-transport mechanisms exist.

An Assessment of Flowering Dogwood (<i>Cornus florida</i> L.) Decline in the Eastern United States

Cornus florida L. is one of the most numerous tree species in the Eastern United States (US). Multiple studies have reported localized declines in C. florida populations following the intro-duction of the destructive fungus Discula destructiva Redlin (dogwood anthracnose), but few, if any, have documented changes in C. florida populations across the species’ entire natural range. Thus, a current assessment of the C. florida population in the Eastern US and implications for future sustainability is warranted. Our study’s goal was to present C. florida population estimates across the natural range of the species (Little, 1971) in the Eastern US for two periods based on state-level forest land inventories conducted by the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. Rangewide, C. florida populations declined by approximately 49% over the time periods studied. At the State level, population declines occurred in 17 out of 30 states and biomass declines occurred in 20 out of 30 states studied. While declines were widespread in the substate units surrounding the Appalachians, the largest declines appeared to be centered within the Appalachian ecoregion.

A Qualitative Evaluation of a Project to Enhance Pupils' Emotional Literacy Through a Student Assistance Programme

Recent policy highlights schools' responsibility for safeguarding children and promoting their health and welfare and addressing their emotional and behavioural needs. In doing so, it is anticipated that their emotional literacy and social competence might be enhanced. Recognizing that an increasing number of children exhibit emotional and behavioural difficulties affecting their learning, Wrexham Local Education Authority implemented a Student Assistance Programme (SAP). SAP offers primary prevention and early intervention to pupils who exhibit high-risk behaviours and supports those whose circumstances affect their ability to engage with others at home and school, through participation in support groups. A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of SAP. The study aimed to illuminate changes in student behaviour as described by themselves and facilitators, and to identify any wider implications of the SAP in terms of its effects on peers, teachers and family members. Using an interactive, responsive evaluation design, 11 focus group interviews were conducted involving 21 facilitators, seven head-teachers and 64 children. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed benefits, challenges and issues of sustainability. This paper discusses the findings of the study and the implications for future sustainability.