This study aimed to evaluate energy and nutritional densities, water, carbon and ecological footprints, cost, of omnivorous and vegan main courses served in a university restaurant in the city of Rio de Janeiro. A cro...This study aimed to evaluate energy and nutritional densities, water, carbon and ecological footprints, cost, of omnivorous and vegan main courses served in a university restaurant in the city of Rio de Janeiro. A cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted with 40 main dish-type preparations, 20 of which are omnivorous and 20 vegans, served at lunch, to assess energy and nutritional densities, carbon, water and ecological footprints and cost of preparations. We propose a healthy and sustainable preparation index (HSPI) to evaluate from the list, the best preparation options considering the nutritional quality combined with the impact that the food causes on the environment. Preparations with the highest HSPI were considered the best options because they have a good relation between the nutritional profile and the environmental impact. Results: Regarding energy (ED), nutritional (ND) densities and water, carbon and ecological footprints, omnivorous preparations presented much higher values when compared to the vegan ones. The omnivorous preparations had the highest average cost (R$ 3.44). Regarding the HSPI, vegan preparations showed better rates than omnivorous preparations. Food services should promote healthy and sustainable choices by offering menus with low energy density preparations, high nutritional density, and low environmental impact, considering local realities and customer needs. Conclusion: This study was able to evaluate the best preparation options, considering the nutritional profile and the food impact on the environment, using health and sustainable indicators. Obtaining indicators of preparations regarding healthiness and sustainability, in practice, translates environmental aspects in menu planning, which contribute to changes in food consumption patterns in food services, in addition to contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact. In this way, they can be used as tools added to the menu planning process for the analysis of the environmental impact of menus, in addition to nutritional and qualitative aspects.展开更多
This study uses the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate the magnitude of the environmental impact, in terms of global warming potential, and water footprint throughout the 20 years of useful life of a rural electric...This study uses the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate the magnitude of the environmental impact, in terms of global warming potential, and water footprint throughout the 20 years of useful life of a rural electrical energy concession comprised of 120Wp Households photovoltaic systems (HPS) in the isolated communities of San Martin, in the Peruvian Amazon region. On the other hand, due to the particular conditions of the system (installation, operation, maintenance, monthly tariff collection), it is necessary to know its real impact and sustainability;not only through the aforementioned environmental impact indicators, but also by energy intensity values required by the system throughout its life cycle. Therefore, this paper used the Cumulative energy demand (CED) method to determine the amount of energy taken from natural resources for each process involved in the LCA and calculated with this, i.e., the Energy Payback Time (EPBT) of the whole system. Likewise, the HPS has been environmentally compared to other case studies and the Peruvian Energy Mix, revealing a lower impact in the latter case and results within the range for stand-alone systems. Besides, the HPS shows a strong relation between energy production and O&M condition. Additionally, this study allows a further promotion of the use of this type of system in isolated areas, as well as the diversification of electricity generation in Peru.展开更多
There is an urgent need to control global warming caused by humans to achieve a sustainable future.CO_(2) levels are rising steadily,and while countries worldwide are actively moving toward the sustainability goals pr...There is an urgent need to control global warming caused by humans to achieve a sustainable future.CO_(2) levels are rising steadily,and while countries worldwide are actively moving toward the sustainability goals proposed during the Paris Agreement in 2015,we are still a long way to go from achieving a sustainable mode of global operation.The increased popularity of cryptocurrencies since the introduction of Bitcoin in 2009 has been accompanied by an increasing trend in greenhouse gas emissions and high electrical energy consumption.Popular energy tracking studies(e.g.,Digiconomist and the Cambridge Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index(CBECI))have estimated energy consumption ranges from 29.96 TWh to 135.12 TWh and 26.41 TWh to 176.98 TWh,respectively for Bitcoin as of July 2021,which are equivalent to the energy consumption of countries such as Sweden and Thailand.The latest estimate by Digiconomist on carbon footprints shows a 64.18 MtCO_(2) emission by Bitcoin as of July 2021,close to the emissions by Greece and Oman.This review compiles estimates made by various studies from 2018 to 2021.We compare the energy consumption and carbon footprints of these cryptocurrencies with countries around the world and centralized transaction methods such as Visa.We identify the problems associated with cryptocurrencies and propose solutions that can help reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprints.Finally,we present case studies on cryptocurrency networks,namely,Ethereum 2.0 and Pi Network,with a discussion on how they can solve some of the challenges we have identified.展开更多
Irrigated agriculture has tripled since 1950,accounting for 20%of the global arable land and 40%of food production.Irrigated agriculture increases food security yet has controversial implications for global climate ch...Irrigated agriculture has tripled since 1950,accounting for 20%of the global arable land and 40%of food production.Irrigated agriculture increases food security yet has controversial implications for global climate change.Most previous studies have calculated carbon emissions and their composition in irrigated areas using the engineering approach to life-cycle assessment.By combining life cycle assessment(LCA)-based carbon emissions accounting with econometric models such as multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling(SEM),we conducted an interdisciplinary study to identify the influencing factors and internal mechanisms of the carbon footprint(CFP)of smallholder crop cultivation on irrigation reform pilot areas.To this end,we investigated corn and potato production data in the 2019–2020 crop years for 852 plots of 345 rural households in six villages(two irrigation agriculture pilot villages and four surrounding villages as controls)in Southwest China.The crop CFP in the irrigation agriculture pilot areas was significantly lower than in non-reform areas.Irrigation reforms mainly impacted the crop CFP through four intermediary effects:the project(implementation of field irrigation channels),technology(improving adoption of new irrigation technologies),management(proper irrigation operation and maintenance),and yield effects.All effects inhibited the CFP,except for the project effect that promotes carbon emissions.Among them,yield increase has the greatest impact on reducing CFP,followed by management and technology effects.Furthermore,planting practices,individual characteristics,and plot quality significantly impacted the crop CFP.This study has policy implications for understanding the food security–climate nexus in the food production industry.展开更多
Green manure(GM)has been used to support rice production in southern China for thousands of years.However,the effects of GM on soil carbon sequestration(CS)and the carbon footprint(CF)at a regional scale remain unclea...Green manure(GM)has been used to support rice production in southern China for thousands of years.However,the effects of GM on soil carbon sequestration(CS)and the carbon footprint(CF)at a regional scale remain unclear.Therefore,we combined the datasets from long-term multisite experiments with a meta-analysis approach to quantify the potential of GM to increase the CS and reduce the CF of paddy soils in southern China.Compared with the fallow-rice practice,the GM-rice practice increased the soil C stock at a rate of 1.62 Mg CO_(2)-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1) and reduced chemical N application by 40%with no loss in the rice yield.The total CF varied from 7.51 to 13.66 Mg CO_(2)-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1) and was dominated by CH_(4) emissions(60.7-81.3%).GM decreased the indirect CF by 31.4%but increased the direct CH_(4) emissions by 19.6%.In the low and high CH_(4) emission scenarios,the CH_(4) emission factors of GM(EF_(gc))were 5.58 and 21.31%,respectively.The greater soil CS offset the increase in GM-derived CF in the low CH_(4) scenario,but it could not offset the CF increase in the high CH_(4) scenario.A trade-off analysis also showed that GM can simultaneously increase the CS and reduce the total CF of the rice production system when the EF_(gc) was less than 9.20%.The variation in EF_(gc) was mainly regulated by the GM application rates and water management patterns.Determining the appropriate GM application rate and drainage pattern warrant further investigation to optimize the potential of the GM-rice system to increase the CS and reduce the total CF in China.展开更多
Human activities have impacted 77%of the terrestrial ecosystems(excluding Antarctica),and the remaining areas are becoming increasingly endangered.Mapping spatiotemporal dynamics of Human Footprint has been used to ev...Human activities have impacted 77%of the terrestrial ecosystems(excluding Antarctica),and the remaining areas are becoming increasingly endangered.Mapping spatiotemporal dynamics of Human Footprint has been used to evaluate the cumulative interference on terrestrial environments globally.However,fences and hydropower,two widespread and rapidly expanding infrastructures,have not been considered regarding Human Footprint,despite their complicated and extensive effects on ecosystem functioning and species survival.Previous work has proved that fences increase habitat fragmentation,disrupt migratory routes,inadvertently trap and kill wildlife,and hinder genetic exchange.Hydropower construction also caused habitat loss,fragmentation,and degradation.These impacts have received global concern,but fences around the world are difficult to be detected due to the limitations of current cartographic technologies.Furthermore,the effect of hydropower on the terrestrial environment has been underestimated,making the research on this topic at a global scale still in its infancy.Therefore,building an observation network of global fences and hydropower is a necessary step to move forward in the assessment of the impact of human activities on our planet,but also to better provide scientific support for policy-making regarding global biodiversity conservation,the identification of protected areas,and the prioritization of ecological restoration areas.展开更多
Advancements in technology and surgical training programs have increased the adaptability of minimally invasive surgery(MIS).Gastrointestinal MIS is superior to its open counterparts regarding post-operative morbidity...Advancements in technology and surgical training programs have increased the adaptability of minimally invasive surgery(MIS).Gastrointestinal MIS is superior to its open counterparts regarding post-operative morbidity and mortality.MIS has become the first-line surgical intervention for some types of gastrointestinal surgery,such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendicectomy.Carbon dioxide(CO_(2))is the main gas used for insufflation in MIS.CO_(2)contributes 9%-26%of the greenhouse effect,resulting in global warming.The rise in global CO_(2)concentration since 2000 is about 20 ppm per decade,up to 10 times faster than any sustained rise in CO_(2)during the past 800000 years.Since 1970,there has been a steady yet worrying increase in average global temperature by 1.7℃ per century.A recent systematic review of the carbon footprint in MIS showed a range of 6-814 kg of CO_(2)emission per surgery,with higher CO_(2)emission following robotic compared to laparoscopic surgery.However,with superior benefits of MIS over open surgery,this poses an ethical dilemma to surgeons.A recent survey in the United Kingdom of 130 surgeons showed that the majority(94%)were concerned with climate change but felt that the lack of leadership was a barrier to improving environmental sustainability.Given the deleterious environmental effects of MIS,this study aims to summarize the trends of MIS and its carbon footprint,awareness and attitudes towards this issue,and efforts and challenges to ensuring environmental sustainability.展开更多
As the upstream of high-energy consumption industries such as metallurgy and chemical enterprises, the “carbon neutrality” ability of mining and mining enterprises can have a strong influence on the progress of Chin...As the upstream of high-energy consumption industries such as metallurgy and chemical enterprises, the “carbon neutrality” ability of mining and mining enterprises can have a strong influence on the progress of China’s non-ferrous metal industry to achieve the “double carbon” goal. According to the Global Mining Development Report 2021, although mining occupies an important position in global economic development, it also accounts for 4% to 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, as an important part of promoting China’s economic development and energy structure transformation, mining will also face scale adjustment. By investigating and studying the carbon emission sources of mining enterprises at the current stage at home and abroad, the carbon neutrality method that has been implemented in mines, and the future low-carbon technologies to be developed, this paper provides the thoughts and prospects for promoting the development of green mines, as well as the reference value for the transformation of China’s mining industry.展开更多
In arid areas,ecological degradation aroused by over-exploitation of fresh water,expansion of artificial oasis and shrinkage of natural oasis,has drawn attention of many scholars and officials.The water and ecological...In arid areas,ecological degradation aroused by over-exploitation of fresh water,expansion of artificial oasis and shrinkage of natural oasis,has drawn attention of many scholars and officials.The water and ecological footprints can be used to quantitatively evaluate the water consumption of social-economic activities and their influence on the eco-environments.In addition,increase of the water footprint indicates the expansion of artificial oasis,and the influence on the natural oasis could be reflected by the variation of the ecological footprint.This study was conducted to answer a scientific question that what is the quantitative relationship between the expansion of the artificial oasis and the degradation of the natural oasis in the arid environments of Xinjiang,China.Thus,based on the social-economic data,water consumption data and meteorological data during 2001–2015,we calculated the water and ecological footprints to express the human-related pressure exerted on the water resources and arid environments in Xinjiang(including 14 prefectures and cities),and explore the relationship between the water and ecological footprints and its mechanism by using the coupling analysis and Granger causality test.The results show that both the water and ecological footprints of Xinjiang increased significantly during 2001–2015,and the increasing rate of the ecological footprint was much faster than that of the water footprint.The coupling degree between the water and ecological footprints was relatively high at the temporal scale and varied at the spatial scale.Among the 14 prefectures and cities examined in Xinjiang,the greater social-economic development(such as in Karamay and Urumqi)was associated with the lower coupling degree between the two footprints.Increases in the water footprint will cause the ecological footprint to increase,such that a 1-unit increase in the consumption of water resources would lead to 2–3 units of ecological degradation.The quantitative relationship between the increases of the water and ecological footprints,together with the intensities of water consumption both in the natural and artificial oases of Tarim River Basin,have approved the fact that the formation and expansion of 1 unit of the artificial oasis would bring about the degradation of 2 units of the natural oasis.These conclusions not only provide a technical basis for sustainable development in Xinjiang,but also offer a theoretical guide and scientific information that could be used in similar arid areas around the world.展开更多
The footprints that remain on the seabed after offshore jack-up platforms completed operations and moved out provide a significant risk for any futurej ack-up installation at that site. Detrimental horizontal and/or r...The footprints that remain on the seabed after offshore jack-up platforms completed operations and moved out provide a significant risk for any futurej ack-up installation at that site. Detrimental horizontal and/or rotational loads will be induced on the base cone of the jack-up platform leg (spudcan) in the preloading process where only vertical loads are normally expected. However, there are no specific guidelines on design of spudcan re-installation very close to or partially overlapping existing footprints. This paper presents a rational design approach for assessing spudcan-footprint interaction and the failure process of foundation in a single layer based on nonlinear finite element method. The rela- tionship between the distance between the spudcan and the footprint and the horizontal sliding force has been obtained. Comparisons of simulation and experimental results show that the model in this paper can deal well with the combined problems of sliding friction contact, fluid-solid coupling, and convergence difficulty. The analytical results may be useful to jack-up installation workovers close to existing footprints.展开更多
Greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions and reactive nitrogen(Nr)releases are central environmental problems,which are closely linked to climate change,environmental ecology and crop production.Sustainable development of agricul...Greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions and reactive nitrogen(Nr)releases are central environmental problems,which are closely linked to climate change,environmental ecology and crop production.Sustainable development of agriculture plays an important role in GHG emissions and Nr loss.The life cycle assessment(LCA)method was used to calculate the product and farm carbon footprints(CFs)and nitrogen footprints(NFs)in rice,wheat and maize production in China based on farm survey data.The results pinpointed that the CFs of rice,wheat and maize were 0.87,0.30 and 0.24 kg/kg.Meanwhile,the computed NFs were 17.11,14.26 and 6.83 g/kg,respectively.Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer applications and methane(CH4)emissions were dominant CF sources,while ammonia(NH3)volatilization was the main NF contributor.Moreover,significant decreases in CF and NF by 20%–54%and 33%–61%,respectively,were found in large-size farms(>20 hm^(2))when compared to small-size farms(<0.7 hm^(2)).Furthermore,the significantly positive relationships between CF and NF indicated the potential for simultaneous mitigation in the regions with high agricultural inputs,like amounts of fertilizer.Based on our results,some effective solutions would be favorable toward mitigating climate change and eutrophication of the major cereal crop production in China,especially optimizing fertilizer use and farm machinery operation efficiencies,as well as developing large-size farms with intensive farming.展开更多
[Objective] The research aimed to calculate and analyze ecological footprint of the urban agglomeration in Pearl River Delta in 2009. [Method] 9 cities in Pearl River Delta as research zone, by using calculation model...[Objective] The research aimed to calculate and analyze ecological footprint of the urban agglomeration in Pearl River Delta in 2009. [Method] 9 cities in Pearl River Delta as research zone, by using calculation model of the ecological footprint, ecological footprint and security of the urban agglomeration in Pearl River Delta were calculated. Current situation and sustainable development condition of the ecological environment in Pearl River Delta were conducted quantitative analysis. [Result] Except construction land and woodland, other 4 kinds of lands were all in ecological deficit states in Pearl River Delta. Especially arable land and fossil fuel land had obvious ecological deficit. [Conclusion] Biological resource consumption level and energy consumption level in Pearl River Delta were higher. We ought to take a variety of measures to reduce ecological deficit, making development manner turn toward sustainable direction.展开更多
In Kuwait, dairy farming faces challenges due to its significant water demands. The current study assessed seasonal patterns of water use to estimate the blue water footprint (WF) and grey WF per kg of fat protein cor...In Kuwait, dairy farming faces challenges due to its significant water demands. The current study assessed seasonal patterns of water use to estimate the blue water footprint (WF) and grey WF per kg of fat protein corrected milk (FPCM) for confined dairy farming systems in Kuwait. Blue and grey WFs were evaluated using data from three operational farms. The average blue WF (L<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span>kg<sup>-1</sup> FPCM) was estimated to be 54.5 ± 4.0 L<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span>kg<sup>-1</sup> in summer and 19.2 ± 0.8 L<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span>kg<sup>-1</sup> in winter. The average grey WF (generated from milk house wastewater) was assessed on bimonthly basis and determined based on its phosphate (PO4) concentration (82.2 ± 14.3 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span>L<sup>-1</sup>) which is the most limiting factor to be 23.0 ± 9.0 L<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span>kg<sup>-1</sup> FPCM d<sup>-1</sup>. The outcomes indicate that enhancing the performance of dairy cows and adopting alternative water management strategies can play a role in minimizing the impacts of confined dairy farming systems in Kuwait on water quality and quantity.展开更多
This article uses the conventional ecological footprint method and its improved model of ecological footprint to analyze the state of the sustainable development of Wuhan City in 2009, the results show that the per ca...This article uses the conventional ecological footprint method and its improved model of ecological footprint to analyze the state of the sustainable development of Wuhan City in 2009, the results show that the per capita ecological deficit calculated by the method of emergy ecological footprint is 3.8629 hm2, and the per capita ecological deficit calculated by the method of conventional ecological footprint is 2.0169 hm2. The results obtained by the two methods respectively show that current development of Wuhan is unsustainable. The emergy ecological footprint method introduces the energy flow to reflect the relationship between human resource demand and supply of nature to human and adopts parameters—emergy conversion rate and energy density to calculate the ecological carrying capacity data which is more accurate.展开更多
Construction of the ecological compensation mechanism is an important approach to put the“Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Coordinated Development Plan”into practice and improve the ecological environment of the Beijing-Tianji...Construction of the ecological compensation mechanism is an important approach to put the“Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Coordinated Development Plan”into practice and improve the ecological environment of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.This paper constructs an ecological compensation mechanism for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region based on the footprint balance and footprint deficit after clarifying ecological governance objectives.First,this paper proposes to establish a uniform,hierarchical and classified supply mechanism of ecosystem services according to the classification of land resources,water resources and forest resources for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.Then,the“Authority with Corresponding Responsibility”for the supply of ecosystem services in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region can be realized through a footprint balance and footprint deficit indicator circulation mechanism.Finally,the scientific and rational ecological compensation standard can be guaranteed through establishing the integrated governance mechanism for ecological compensation in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and improving the“ecological compensation standard”.The results of this paper can provide sound theoretical support for effectively promoting the improvement of ecosystem services and human well-being in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.展开更多
Human-environment relationship is a focus of academic researches and an understanding of the rela- tionship is important for making effective policies and decisions. In this study, based on rural household survey data...Human-environment relationship is a focus of academic researches and an understanding of the rela- tionship is important for making effective policies and decisions. In this study, based on rural household survey data of Taibus Banner, Duolun county and Zhengxiangbai Banner in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China, we identified the impact of livelihood diversification on ecosystems in these agro-pastoral areas by using the ecological footprint theory and methodology together with the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation analysis methods. In 2011, the total ecological footprint of consumption (EFC) was 0.665 g hm2, and the total ecological footprint of production (EFP) was 2.045 g hm2, which was more than three times the EFC. The ecological footprint of arable land consumption (EFAC) accounted for a large proportion of the EFC, and the ecological footprint of grassland production (EFGP) occupied a large proportion of the EFP. Both the ecological footprint of grassland consumption (EFGC) and EFGP had a significant positive correlation with the income, indicating that income was mainly depended on livestock production and the households with higher incomes consumed more livestock prod- ucts. The full-time farming households (FTFHs) had the highest EFP, ecological footprint of arable land production (EFAP), EFGP and EFGC, followed by the part-time farming households (PTFHs) and non-farming households (NFHs), which indicated that part-time farming and non-farming employment reduced the occupancy and con- sumption of rural households on local ecosystems and natural resources to some extent. When farming households engaged in livestock rearing, both the EFAP and EFAC became smaller, while the EFP, EFC, EFGC and EFGP increased significantly. The differences in ecological footprints among different household groups should be taken into account when making ecosystem conservation policies. Encouraging the laborers who have the advantages of participating in non-farming employment to move out of the rural areas and increasing the diversification of liveli- hoods of rural households are important in reducing the environmental pressures and improving the welfare of households in the study area. Moreover, grassland should be utilized more effectively in the future.展开更多
Wear and mileage performance are the foremost performances for truck bus radial (TBR) tires. There are a lot of researches about the tire wear performance as well as the contact patch phenomenon by using finite elemen...Wear and mileage performance are the foremost performances for truck bus radial (TBR) tires. There are a lot of researches about the tire wear performance as well as the contact patch phenomenon by using finite element analysis (FEA) method or testing. But there is little published data on the correlations between the footprint geometry and the tread wear performance of tires. In this paper, an experiment on tire-ground performance of TBR tires is carried out by using Tekscan. The real-time changes of contact-area pressure distribution that occurred during the process of continuous load and unload are recorded. Three types of tires that act differently in behavior under normal usage are analyzed. A new method of researching in tire tread wear, which focuses on the geometrical characters of the footprint, is put forward. The experimental results of the three tires are described by using footprint geometrical characters. On the basis of studying the changing laws of footprint geometrical characters during the loading process and considering consumer survey and factory feedback information, the correlations between the geometrical character of footprints and tread destruction form are built. The analyzed results show that a greater contact area coefficient and a steady coefficient of contact result in a better wear performance for TBR tires. The footprint-shape coefficient changing laws in the process of loading are found to have a very good coincidence with the tread wear of the three types of tires. Tires with a smaller footprint-shape coefficient are likely to have an average tread wear while avoiding the shoulder wear first. The proposed research provides a new solution to predict tire-ground performance at the point of footprint and several useful references for improving tire design.展开更多
T he ecological footprint of China's provinces is calculated in this pap er. In general, China's development is not sustainable because its ecological footprint is beyond its bio-capacity. The sustainability s...T he ecological footprint of China's provinces is calculated in this pap er. In general, China's development is not sustainable because its ecological footprint is beyond its bio-capacity. The sustainability status of each pr ovince in China is presented. Ulanowicz's development capacity formula w as introduced to discuss the relationship of development and ecological footprin t's diversity. The diversity of ecological impacts is related to the e fficiency with which an economy uses the source and sink services of the environment and, in this view, should be a factor in economic output. Developme nt capacity, calculated from the ecological footprint and its diversity , is used to examine the relationship of economic output with the st ructure of the ecological footprint. China and its provinces are prese nted as a case study to investigate this relationship. The analysis s hows that footprint capacity is significant in predicting economic outp ut. Increasing the ecological footprint's diversity is presented as another way to increase development capacity.展开更多
Sustainable development has become a primary objective for many countries and regions throughout the world now. The ecological footprint (EF) is a kind of concise method of quantifiably measuring the natural capital c...Sustainable development has become a primary objective for many countries and regions throughout the world now. The ecological footprint (EF) is a kind of concise method of quantifiably measuring the natural capital consumption and it can reflect the goal of sustainability. In this paper, the concept, the theory and method of ecological footprint are introduced. On this basis, the study brings forward the method of ecological footprint and capacity prediction. The method is employed for the ecological footprint prediction combining consumption model with population model and the technique is adopted for the ecological capacity (EC) prediction uniting the Geographical Cellular Automata (Geo CA) and Geographic Information System (GIS). The above models and methods are employed to calculate EF and EC in 1995 and 2000 and predict them in 2005 in Hexi Corridor. The result shows that EF is continually increasing, and EC ascended in the anterior 5 years and will descend in the posterior 5 years. This suit of method is of the character of accuracy and speediness.展开更多
文摘This study aimed to evaluate energy and nutritional densities, water, carbon and ecological footprints, cost, of omnivorous and vegan main courses served in a university restaurant in the city of Rio de Janeiro. A cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted with 40 main dish-type preparations, 20 of which are omnivorous and 20 vegans, served at lunch, to assess energy and nutritional densities, carbon, water and ecological footprints and cost of preparations. We propose a healthy and sustainable preparation index (HSPI) to evaluate from the list, the best preparation options considering the nutritional quality combined with the impact that the food causes on the environment. Preparations with the highest HSPI were considered the best options because they have a good relation between the nutritional profile and the environmental impact. Results: Regarding energy (ED), nutritional (ND) densities and water, carbon and ecological footprints, omnivorous preparations presented much higher values when compared to the vegan ones. The omnivorous preparations had the highest average cost (R$ 3.44). Regarding the HSPI, vegan preparations showed better rates than omnivorous preparations. Food services should promote healthy and sustainable choices by offering menus with low energy density preparations, high nutritional density, and low environmental impact, considering local realities and customer needs. Conclusion: This study was able to evaluate the best preparation options, considering the nutritional profile and the food impact on the environment, using health and sustainable indicators. Obtaining indicators of preparations regarding healthiness and sustainability, in practice, translates environmental aspects in menu planning, which contribute to changes in food consumption patterns in food services, in addition to contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact. In this way, they can be used as tools added to the menu planning process for the analysis of the environmental impact of menus, in addition to nutritional and qualitative aspects.
文摘This study uses the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate the magnitude of the environmental impact, in terms of global warming potential, and water footprint throughout the 20 years of useful life of a rural electrical energy concession comprised of 120Wp Households photovoltaic systems (HPS) in the isolated communities of San Martin, in the Peruvian Amazon region. On the other hand, due to the particular conditions of the system (installation, operation, maintenance, monthly tariff collection), it is necessary to know its real impact and sustainability;not only through the aforementioned environmental impact indicators, but also by energy intensity values required by the system throughout its life cycle. Therefore, this paper used the Cumulative energy demand (CED) method to determine the amount of energy taken from natural resources for each process involved in the LCA and calculated with this, i.e., the Energy Payback Time (EPBT) of the whole system. Likewise, the HPS has been environmentally compared to other case studies and the Peruvian Energy Mix, revealing a lower impact in the latter case and results within the range for stand-alone systems. Besides, the HPS shows a strong relation between energy production and O&M condition. Additionally, this study allows a further promotion of the use of this type of system in isolated areas, as well as the diversification of electricity generation in Peru.
基金supported by the SERB ASEAN project CRD/2020/000369 received by Dr.Vinay Chamolasupported by a 2021-2022 Fulbright U.S.scholar grant award administered by the U.S.
文摘There is an urgent need to control global warming caused by humans to achieve a sustainable future.CO_(2) levels are rising steadily,and while countries worldwide are actively moving toward the sustainability goals proposed during the Paris Agreement in 2015,we are still a long way to go from achieving a sustainable mode of global operation.The increased popularity of cryptocurrencies since the introduction of Bitcoin in 2009 has been accompanied by an increasing trend in greenhouse gas emissions and high electrical energy consumption.Popular energy tracking studies(e.g.,Digiconomist and the Cambridge Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index(CBECI))have estimated energy consumption ranges from 29.96 TWh to 135.12 TWh and 26.41 TWh to 176.98 TWh,respectively for Bitcoin as of July 2021,which are equivalent to the energy consumption of countries such as Sweden and Thailand.The latest estimate by Digiconomist on carbon footprints shows a 64.18 MtCO_(2) emission by Bitcoin as of July 2021,close to the emissions by Greece and Oman.This review compiles estimates made by various studies from 2018 to 2021.We compare the energy consumption and carbon footprints of these cryptocurrencies with countries around the world and centralized transaction methods such as Visa.We identify the problems associated with cryptocurrencies and propose solutions that can help reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprints.Finally,we present case studies on cryptocurrency networks,namely,Ethereum 2.0 and Pi Network,with a discussion on how they can solve some of the challenges we have identified.
基金financially supported by the Key Research and Development Program of Joint Research and Development Project Under the Sino–Thai Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation(2017YFE0133000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(72104239)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Public Welfare Research Institutes,China(Y2022ZK03)the Science and Technology Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences(ASTIP-IAED-2022-04)。
文摘Irrigated agriculture has tripled since 1950,accounting for 20%of the global arable land and 40%of food production.Irrigated agriculture increases food security yet has controversial implications for global climate change.Most previous studies have calculated carbon emissions and their composition in irrigated areas using the engineering approach to life-cycle assessment.By combining life cycle assessment(LCA)-based carbon emissions accounting with econometric models such as multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling(SEM),we conducted an interdisciplinary study to identify the influencing factors and internal mechanisms of the carbon footprint(CFP)of smallholder crop cultivation on irrigation reform pilot areas.To this end,we investigated corn and potato production data in the 2019–2020 crop years for 852 plots of 345 rural households in six villages(two irrigation agriculture pilot villages and four surrounding villages as controls)in Southwest China.The crop CFP in the irrigation agriculture pilot areas was significantly lower than in non-reform areas.Irrigation reforms mainly impacted the crop CFP through four intermediary effects:the project(implementation of field irrigation channels),technology(improving adoption of new irrigation technologies),management(proper irrigation operation and maintenance),and yield effects.All effects inhibited the CFP,except for the project effect that promotes carbon emissions.Among them,yield increase has the greatest impact on reducing CFP,followed by management and technology effects.Furthermore,planting practices,individual characteristics,and plot quality significantly impacted the crop CFP.This study has policy implications for understanding the food security–climate nexus in the food production industry.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFD1700200)the earmarked fund for China Agriculture Research System(CARS-22).
文摘Green manure(GM)has been used to support rice production in southern China for thousands of years.However,the effects of GM on soil carbon sequestration(CS)and the carbon footprint(CF)at a regional scale remain unclear.Therefore,we combined the datasets from long-term multisite experiments with a meta-analysis approach to quantify the potential of GM to increase the CS and reduce the CF of paddy soils in southern China.Compared with the fallow-rice practice,the GM-rice practice increased the soil C stock at a rate of 1.62 Mg CO_(2)-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1) and reduced chemical N application by 40%with no loss in the rice yield.The total CF varied from 7.51 to 13.66 Mg CO_(2)-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1) and was dominated by CH_(4) emissions(60.7-81.3%).GM decreased the indirect CF by 31.4%but increased the direct CH_(4) emissions by 19.6%.In the low and high CH_(4) emission scenarios,the CH_(4) emission factors of GM(EF_(gc))were 5.58 and 21.31%,respectively.The greater soil CS offset the increase in GM-derived CF in the low CH_(4) scenario,but it could not offset the CF increase in the high CH_(4) scenario.A trade-off analysis also showed that GM can simultaneously increase the CS and reduce the total CF of the rice production system when the EF_(gc) was less than 9.20%.The variation in EF_(gc) was mainly regulated by the GM application rates and water management patterns.Determining the appropriate GM application rate and drainage pattern warrant further investigation to optimize the potential of the GM-rice system to increase the CS and reduce the total CF in China.
基金the Second Scientific Expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(Grant No.2019QZKK0405)the investiga-tion and monitoring project on Rational construction and utilization of grassland fence in China National Park(QHXH-2021-07-19-package 2).
文摘Human activities have impacted 77%of the terrestrial ecosystems(excluding Antarctica),and the remaining areas are becoming increasingly endangered.Mapping spatiotemporal dynamics of Human Footprint has been used to evaluate the cumulative interference on terrestrial environments globally.However,fences and hydropower,two widespread and rapidly expanding infrastructures,have not been considered regarding Human Footprint,despite their complicated and extensive effects on ecosystem functioning and species survival.Previous work has proved that fences increase habitat fragmentation,disrupt migratory routes,inadvertently trap and kill wildlife,and hinder genetic exchange.Hydropower construction also caused habitat loss,fragmentation,and degradation.These impacts have received global concern,but fences around the world are difficult to be detected due to the limitations of current cartographic technologies.Furthermore,the effect of hydropower on the terrestrial environment has been underestimated,making the research on this topic at a global scale still in its infancy.Therefore,building an observation network of global fences and hydropower is a necessary step to move forward in the assessment of the impact of human activities on our planet,but also to better provide scientific support for policy-making regarding global biodiversity conservation,the identification of protected areas,and the prioritization of ecological restoration areas.
文摘Advancements in technology and surgical training programs have increased the adaptability of minimally invasive surgery(MIS).Gastrointestinal MIS is superior to its open counterparts regarding post-operative morbidity and mortality.MIS has become the first-line surgical intervention for some types of gastrointestinal surgery,such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendicectomy.Carbon dioxide(CO_(2))is the main gas used for insufflation in MIS.CO_(2)contributes 9%-26%of the greenhouse effect,resulting in global warming.The rise in global CO_(2)concentration since 2000 is about 20 ppm per decade,up to 10 times faster than any sustained rise in CO_(2)during the past 800000 years.Since 1970,there has been a steady yet worrying increase in average global temperature by 1.7℃ per century.A recent systematic review of the carbon footprint in MIS showed a range of 6-814 kg of CO_(2)emission per surgery,with higher CO_(2)emission following robotic compared to laparoscopic surgery.However,with superior benefits of MIS over open surgery,this poses an ethical dilemma to surgeons.A recent survey in the United Kingdom of 130 surgeons showed that the majority(94%)were concerned with climate change but felt that the lack of leadership was a barrier to improving environmental sustainability.Given the deleterious environmental effects of MIS,this study aims to summarize the trends of MIS and its carbon footprint,awareness and attitudes towards this issue,and efforts and challenges to ensuring environmental sustainability.
文摘As the upstream of high-energy consumption industries such as metallurgy and chemical enterprises, the “carbon neutrality” ability of mining and mining enterprises can have a strong influence on the progress of China’s non-ferrous metal industry to achieve the “double carbon” goal. According to the Global Mining Development Report 2021, although mining occupies an important position in global economic development, it also accounts for 4% to 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, as an important part of promoting China’s economic development and energy structure transformation, mining will also face scale adjustment. By investigating and studying the carbon emission sources of mining enterprises at the current stage at home and abroad, the carbon neutrality method that has been implemented in mines, and the future low-carbon technologies to be developed, this paper provides the thoughts and prospects for promoting the development of green mines, as well as the reference value for the transformation of China’s mining industry.
基金supported by the National Key Technology Research and Development Program of China(2017YFC0404301,2016YFA0601602)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51479209,51609260)
文摘In arid areas,ecological degradation aroused by over-exploitation of fresh water,expansion of artificial oasis and shrinkage of natural oasis,has drawn attention of many scholars and officials.The water and ecological footprints can be used to quantitatively evaluate the water consumption of social-economic activities and their influence on the eco-environments.In addition,increase of the water footprint indicates the expansion of artificial oasis,and the influence on the natural oasis could be reflected by the variation of the ecological footprint.This study was conducted to answer a scientific question that what is the quantitative relationship between the expansion of the artificial oasis and the degradation of the natural oasis in the arid environments of Xinjiang,China.Thus,based on the social-economic data,water consumption data and meteorological data during 2001–2015,we calculated the water and ecological footprints to express the human-related pressure exerted on the water resources and arid environments in Xinjiang(including 14 prefectures and cities),and explore the relationship between the water and ecological footprints and its mechanism by using the coupling analysis and Granger causality test.The results show that both the water and ecological footprints of Xinjiang increased significantly during 2001–2015,and the increasing rate of the ecological footprint was much faster than that of the water footprint.The coupling degree between the water and ecological footprints was relatively high at the temporal scale and varied at the spatial scale.Among the 14 prefectures and cities examined in Xinjiang,the greater social-economic development(such as in Karamay and Urumqi)was associated with the lower coupling degree between the two footprints.Increases in the water footprint will cause the ecological footprint to increase,such that a 1-unit increase in the consumption of water resources would lead to 2–3 units of ecological degradation.The quantitative relationship between the increases of the water and ecological footprints,together with the intensities of water consumption both in the natural and artificial oases of Tarim River Basin,have approved the fact that the formation and expansion of 1 unit of the artificial oasis would bring about the degradation of 2 units of the natural oasis.These conclusions not only provide a technical basis for sustainable development in Xinjiang,but also offer a theoretical guide and scientific information that could be used in similar arid areas around the world.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51379214)the National Science and Technology Major Project (Grant No. 2011ZX05027-005-001)
文摘The footprints that remain on the seabed after offshore jack-up platforms completed operations and moved out provide a significant risk for any futurej ack-up installation at that site. Detrimental horizontal and/or rotational loads will be induced on the base cone of the jack-up platform leg (spudcan) in the preloading process where only vertical loads are normally expected. However, there are no specific guidelines on design of spudcan re-installation very close to or partially overlapping existing footprints. This paper presents a rational design approach for assessing spudcan-footprint interaction and the failure process of foundation in a single layer based on nonlinear finite element method. The rela- tionship between the distance between the spudcan and the footprint and the horizontal sliding force has been obtained. Comparisons of simulation and experimental results show that the model in this paper can deal well with the combined problems of sliding friction contact, fluid-solid coupling, and convergence difficulty. The analytical results may be useful to jack-up installation workovers close to existing footprints.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province,China(Grant No.LQ21C130002)the Engineering Science and Technology Development Strategy Consulting and Research Project of China(Grant No.Js2019-zd01)the Central Public-Interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund of China(Grant No.CPSIBRF-CNRRI-202130)。
文摘Greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions and reactive nitrogen(Nr)releases are central environmental problems,which are closely linked to climate change,environmental ecology and crop production.Sustainable development of agriculture plays an important role in GHG emissions and Nr loss.The life cycle assessment(LCA)method was used to calculate the product and farm carbon footprints(CFs)and nitrogen footprints(NFs)in rice,wheat and maize production in China based on farm survey data.The results pinpointed that the CFs of rice,wheat and maize were 0.87,0.30 and 0.24 kg/kg.Meanwhile,the computed NFs were 17.11,14.26 and 6.83 g/kg,respectively.Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer applications and methane(CH4)emissions were dominant CF sources,while ammonia(NH3)volatilization was the main NF contributor.Moreover,significant decreases in CF and NF by 20%–54%and 33%–61%,respectively,were found in large-size farms(>20 hm^(2))when compared to small-size farms(<0.7 hm^(2)).Furthermore,the significantly positive relationships between CF and NF indicated the potential for simultaneous mitigation in the regions with high agricultural inputs,like amounts of fertilizer.Based on our results,some effective solutions would be favorable toward mitigating climate change and eutrophication of the major cereal crop production in China,especially optimizing fertilizer use and farm machinery operation efficiencies,as well as developing large-size farms with intensive farming.
基金Supported by Special Item of the Public Service Industry Science Research for Environmental Protection,China(201009063)
文摘[Objective] The research aimed to calculate and analyze ecological footprint of the urban agglomeration in Pearl River Delta in 2009. [Method] 9 cities in Pearl River Delta as research zone, by using calculation model of the ecological footprint, ecological footprint and security of the urban agglomeration in Pearl River Delta were calculated. Current situation and sustainable development condition of the ecological environment in Pearl River Delta were conducted quantitative analysis. [Result] Except construction land and woodland, other 4 kinds of lands were all in ecological deficit states in Pearl River Delta. Especially arable land and fossil fuel land had obvious ecological deficit. [Conclusion] Biological resource consumption level and energy consumption level in Pearl River Delta were higher. We ought to take a variety of measures to reduce ecological deficit, making development manner turn toward sustainable direction.
文摘In Kuwait, dairy farming faces challenges due to its significant water demands. The current study assessed seasonal patterns of water use to estimate the blue water footprint (WF) and grey WF per kg of fat protein corrected milk (FPCM) for confined dairy farming systems in Kuwait. Blue and grey WFs were evaluated using data from three operational farms. The average blue WF (L<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span>kg<sup>-1</sup> FPCM) was estimated to be 54.5 ± 4.0 L<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span>kg<sup>-1</sup> in summer and 19.2 ± 0.8 L<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span>kg<sup>-1</sup> in winter. The average grey WF (generated from milk house wastewater) was assessed on bimonthly basis and determined based on its phosphate (PO4) concentration (82.2 ± 14.3 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span>L<sup>-1</sup>) which is the most limiting factor to be 23.0 ± 9.0 L<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span>kg<sup>-1</sup> FPCM d<sup>-1</sup>. The outcomes indicate that enhancing the performance of dairy cows and adopting alternative water management strategies can play a role in minimizing the impacts of confined dairy farming systems in Kuwait on water quality and quantity.
文摘This article uses the conventional ecological footprint method and its improved model of ecological footprint to analyze the state of the sustainable development of Wuhan City in 2009, the results show that the per capita ecological deficit calculated by the method of emergy ecological footprint is 3.8629 hm2, and the per capita ecological deficit calculated by the method of conventional ecological footprint is 2.0169 hm2. The results obtained by the two methods respectively show that current development of Wuhan is unsustainable. The emergy ecological footprint method introduces the energy flow to reflect the relationship between human resource demand and supply of nature to human and adopts parameters—emergy conversion rate and energy density to calculate the ecological carrying capacity data which is more accurate.
基金This research is supporteded by the Major Project of Humanities and Social Science Research of the Hebei Education Department(Grant No.ZD201907)the Young Scientists Fund of the Hebei College Science and Technology Research Program(Grant No.QN2018252)the Young Scientists Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos..51909052,41807169).
文摘Construction of the ecological compensation mechanism is an important approach to put the“Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Coordinated Development Plan”into practice and improve the ecological environment of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.This paper constructs an ecological compensation mechanism for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region based on the footprint balance and footprint deficit after clarifying ecological governance objectives.First,this paper proposes to establish a uniform,hierarchical and classified supply mechanism of ecosystem services according to the classification of land resources,water resources and forest resources for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.Then,the“Authority with Corresponding Responsibility”for the supply of ecosystem services in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region can be realized through a footprint balance and footprint deficit indicator circulation mechanism.Finally,the scientific and rational ecological compensation standard can be guaranteed through establishing the integrated governance mechanism for ecological compensation in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and improving the“ecological compensation standard”.The results of this paper can provide sound theoretical support for effectively promoting the improvement of ecosystem services and human well-being in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41161140352, 41471092)
文摘Human-environment relationship is a focus of academic researches and an understanding of the rela- tionship is important for making effective policies and decisions. In this study, based on rural household survey data of Taibus Banner, Duolun county and Zhengxiangbai Banner in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China, we identified the impact of livelihood diversification on ecosystems in these agro-pastoral areas by using the ecological footprint theory and methodology together with the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation analysis methods. In 2011, the total ecological footprint of consumption (EFC) was 0.665 g hm2, and the total ecological footprint of production (EFP) was 2.045 g hm2, which was more than three times the EFC. The ecological footprint of arable land consumption (EFAC) accounted for a large proportion of the EFC, and the ecological footprint of grassland production (EFGP) occupied a large proportion of the EFP. Both the ecological footprint of grassland consumption (EFGC) and EFGP had a significant positive correlation with the income, indicating that income was mainly depended on livestock production and the households with higher incomes consumed more livestock prod- ucts. The full-time farming households (FTFHs) had the highest EFP, ecological footprint of arable land production (EFAP), EFGP and EFGC, followed by the part-time farming households (PTFHs) and non-farming households (NFHs), which indicated that part-time farming and non-farming employment reduced the occupancy and con- sumption of rural households on local ecosystems and natural resources to some extent. When farming households engaged in livestock rearing, both the EFAP and EFAC became smaller, while the EFP, EFC, EFGC and EFGP increased significantly. The differences in ecological footprints among different household groups should be taken into account when making ecosystem conservation policies. Encouraging the laborers who have the advantages of participating in non-farming employment to move out of the rural areas and increasing the diversification of liveli- hoods of rural households are important in reducing the environmental pressures and improving the welfare of households in the study area. Moreover, grassland should be utilized more effectively in the future.
基金supported by Jiangsu Provincial Innovation Program of Graduate Student of China (Grant No. CXZZ11_0551 )
文摘Wear and mileage performance are the foremost performances for truck bus radial (TBR) tires. There are a lot of researches about the tire wear performance as well as the contact patch phenomenon by using finite element analysis (FEA) method or testing. But there is little published data on the correlations between the footprint geometry and the tread wear performance of tires. In this paper, an experiment on tire-ground performance of TBR tires is carried out by using Tekscan. The real-time changes of contact-area pressure distribution that occurred during the process of continuous load and unload are recorded. Three types of tires that act differently in behavior under normal usage are analyzed. A new method of researching in tire tread wear, which focuses on the geometrical characters of the footprint, is put forward. The experimental results of the three tires are described by using footprint geometrical characters. On the basis of studying the changing laws of footprint geometrical characters during the loading process and considering consumer survey and factory feedback information, the correlations between the geometrical character of footprints and tread destruction form are built. The analyzed results show that a greater contact area coefficient and a steady coefficient of contact result in a better wear performance for TBR tires. The footprint-shape coefficient changing laws in the process of loading are found to have a very good coincidence with the tread wear of the three types of tires. Tires with a smaller footprint-shape coefficient are likely to have an average tread wear while avoiding the shoulder wear first. The proposed research provides a new solution to predict tire-ground performance at the point of footprint and several useful references for improving tire design.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.40235053 No.40201019
文摘T he ecological footprint of China's provinces is calculated in this pap er. In general, China's development is not sustainable because its ecological footprint is beyond its bio-capacity. The sustainability status of each pr ovince in China is presented. Ulanowicz's development capacity formula w as introduced to discuss the relationship of development and ecological footprin t's diversity. The diversity of ecological impacts is related to the e fficiency with which an economy uses the source and sink services of the environment and, in this view, should be a factor in economic output. Developme nt capacity, calculated from the ecological footprint and its diversity , is used to examine the relationship of economic output with the st ructure of the ecological footprint. China and its provinces are prese nted as a case study to investigate this relationship. The analysis s hows that footprint capacity is significant in predicting economic outp ut. Increasing the ecological footprint's diversity is presented as another way to increase development capacity.
基金Knowledge Innovation Project of CAS No.KZCX-10-09+1 种基金 Project of Office of the Leading Group for Western Region Development of the State Council No.[2002]11
文摘Sustainable development has become a primary objective for many countries and regions throughout the world now. The ecological footprint (EF) is a kind of concise method of quantifiably measuring the natural capital consumption and it can reflect the goal of sustainability. In this paper, the concept, the theory and method of ecological footprint are introduced. On this basis, the study brings forward the method of ecological footprint and capacity prediction. The method is employed for the ecological footprint prediction combining consumption model with population model and the technique is adopted for the ecological capacity (EC) prediction uniting the Geographical Cellular Automata (Geo CA) and Geographic Information System (GIS). The above models and methods are employed to calculate EF and EC in 1995 and 2000 and predict them in 2005 in Hexi Corridor. The result shows that EF is continually increasing, and EC ascended in the anterior 5 years and will descend in the posterior 5 years. This suit of method is of the character of accuracy and speediness.