scholarly journals Environmental Geochemistry on a Global Scale

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane A. Plant ◽  
Barry Smith
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Environmental Geochemistry ◽  
The World ◽  
Political Boundaries

Recent population growth and economic development are extending the problems associated with land degradation, pollution, urbanization, and the effects of climate change over large areas of the earth’s surface, giving increasing cause for concern about the state of the environment. Many problems are most acute in tropical, equatorial, and desert regions where the surface environment is particularly fragile because of its long history of intense chemical weathering over geological timescales. The speed and scale of the impact of human activities are now so great that, according to some authors, for example, McMichael (1993), there is the threat of global ecological disruption. Concern that human activities are unsustainable has led to the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development Our Common Future (Barnaby 1987) and the establishment of a United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development responsible for carrying out Agenda 21, the action plan of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Considerable research into the global environment is now being undertaken, especially into issues such as climate change, biodiversity, and water quality. Relatively little work has been carried out on the sustainability of the Earth’s land surface and its life support systems, however, other than on an ad-hoc basis in response to problems such as mercury poisoning related to artisanal gold mining in Amazonia or arsenic poisoning as a result of water supply problems in Bangladesh (Smedley 1999). This chapter proposes a more strategic approach to understanding the distribution and behavior of chemicals in the environment based on the preparation of a global geochemical baseline to help to sustain the Earth’s land surface based on the systematic knowledge of its geochemistry. Geochemical data contain information directly relevant to economic and environmental decisions involving mineral exploration, extraction, and processing; manufacturing industries; agriculture and forestry; many aspects of human and animal health; waste disposal; and land-use planning. A database showing the spatial variations in the abundance of chemical elements over the Earth’s surface is, therefore, a key step in embracing all aspects of environmental geochemistry. Although environmental problems do not respect political boundaries, data from one part of the world may have important implications elsewhere.

Uncertainties in Safety and Security

2020 ◽  
pp. 383-412
Author(s):  
Tünde Anna Kovács ◽  
Zoltán Nyikes
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Critical Infrastructure ◽  
Critical Infrastructure Protection ◽  
Safe Operation ◽  
Infrastructure Protection ◽  
Terror Attacks ◽  
The World

In today's world, critical infrastructure encompasses facilities vital to the economy, politics, and population. Their maintenance and safe operation can ensure the supply for the population. These facilities are at risk due to climate change, natural disasters, terror attacks, or wars which are increasingly affecting countries around the world. In addition, the human factor can also cause uncertainty and damages. The function of the world depends on human activities. In this chapter the uncertainties in safety and security are introduced. Security is the most important part as it is the critical infrastructure protection and human safety . The important pillars of safety and security and these uncertainties are introduced in this chapter.

Global Overview of Tropical Dry Forests

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
G. N. Tanjina Hasnat ◽  
Mohammed Kamal Hossain
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Tropical Dry Forests ◽  
Land Conversion ◽  
Dry Period ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
The World

Forests cover almost one-third of the Earth's land surface. Tropical dry forests are the second-most-important forest type in the world covering approximately 42% of tropical and sub-tropical forest area. The main features of these forests are their deciduousness, a prolonged dry period extending 3-9 months, and little annual precipitation of 250-2,000 mm. Tropical dry forests are found in five of the eight realms in the world. More than half of the forests are distributed in the Americas, with other portions in Africa, Eurasia, Australia, and Southeast Asia. The forests are unique in nature, and provide shelter to a huge number of endemics and endangered species. Among woody plant species, about 40% are not found anywhere in the world. These forests are now the most threatened among all forest types. The conservation status of these forests is endangered. Deforestation, rapid civilization, land conversion, fire, and climate change are the major threats. Proper management with time-oriented policy could be helpful to restore these forests and protect the existing remnant areas.

scholarly journals Animals in Our Midst: An Introduction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Jozef Keulartz ◽  
Bernice Bovenkerk
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Landscape Degradation ◽  
The World ◽  
Habitat Loss And Fragmentation

AbstractIn this introduction we describe how the world has changed for animals in the Anthropocene—the current age, in which human activities have influenced the planet on a scale never seen before. In this era, we find many different types of animals in our midst: some—in particular livestock—are both victims of and unwittingly complicit in causing the Anthropocene. Others are forced to respond to new environmental conditions. Think of animals that due to climate change can no longer survive in their native habitats or wild animals that in response to habitat loss and fragmentation are forced to live in urban areas. Some animals are being domesticated or in contrast de-domesticated, and yet others are going extinct or in contrast are being resurrected. These changing conditions have led to new tensions between humans and other animals. How can we shape our relationships with all these different animals in a rapidly changing world in such a way that both animal welfare and species diversity are not further affected? We describe how animal ethics is changing in these trying times and illustrate the impacts of Anthropocene conditions on animals by zooming in on one country where many problems, such as biodiversity loss and landscape degradation, converge, the Netherlands. We conclude by giving an overview of the different chapters in this volume, which are organised into five parts: animal agents, domesticated animals, urban animals, wild animals and animal artefacts.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Contributions of Environmental Factors to Wind Characteristics over 2000–2019 in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 515
Author(s):  
Yuming Lu ◽  
Bingfang Wu ◽  
Nana Yan ◽  
Weiwei Zhu ◽  
Hongwei Zeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Sunshine Duration ◽  
Central Area ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Human Beings

Global climate change and human activities have resulted in immense changes in the Earth’s ecosystem, and the interaction between the land surface and the atmosphere is one of the most important processes. Wind is a reference for studying atmospheric dynamics and climate change, analyzing the wind speed change characteristics in historical periods, and studying the influence of wind on the Earth-atmosphere interaction; additionally, studying the wind, contributes to analyzing and alleviating a series of problems, such as the energy crisis, environmental pollution, and ecological deterioration facing human beings. In this study, data from 697 meteorological stations in China from 2000 to 2019 were used to study the distribution and trend of wind speed over the past two decades. The relationships between wind speed and climate factors were explored using statistical methods; furthermore, combined with terrain, climate change, and human activities, we quantified the contribution of environmental factors to wind speed. The results show that a downward trend was recorded before 2011, but overall, there was an increasing trend that was not significant; moreover, the wind speed changes showed obvious seasonality and were more complicated on the monthly scale. The wind speed trend mainly increased in the western region, decreased in the eastern region, was higher in the northeastern, northwestern, and coastal areas, and was lower in the central area. Temperature, bright sunshine duration, evaporation, and precipitation had a strong influence, in which wind speed showed a significant negative correlation with temperature and precipitation and vice versa for sunshine and evapotranspiration. The influence of environmental factors is diverse, and these results could help to develop environmental management strategies across ecologically fragile areas and improve the design of wind power plants to make better use of wind energy.

scholarly journals Our Global Environment and the World Campaign for the Biosphere

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Polunin
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Global Environment ◽  
Biosphere Reserves ◽  
The World ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Organizational Involvement

After a requested account of how, starting from his student days, he had come gradually to ‘care about our Only One Biosphere’ and think globally (even if commonly acting only locally), the Author presents his ‘thoughts on what might best be done to [foster a World Campaign for the Biosphere] and make it operationally effective’. This Campaign should be world-wide and have the objective of educating everybody everywhere to full realization of the following facts and their often imperatively grave implications: (1) The Biosphere constitutes a single integrated whole of which all parts are often intricately interdependent, (2) we humans form an integral part of the Biosphere but are becoming far too numerous and heavily dominant for its or our own good, (3) we are absolutely dependent on the health of the Biosphere for our own subsistence and more as it constitutes our sole life-support, (4) The Biosphere in part or even in toto is in several ways fragile, but (5) it is gravely threatened by various human activities and out-sized capabilities such as those of nuclear weaponry which are said to be sufficient to destroy our civilization several times over, and conceivably even the entire Biosphere.The second, longer part of the article is devoted to consideration of the following chosen ‘round dozen’ recommended activities through which it is thought the Campaign might best be advanced, at least in its early stages: (1) Publishing and broadcasting pertinent information and support by all appropriate means; (2) Using other vehicles of desirable publicity, including posters and stickers; (3) Instructive advertising and audienceattracting showmanship; (4) Books on the Biosphere and illustrated study manuals; (5) Specialist research and its vigorous application; (6) Need to control human numbers and behaviour; (7) National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, and Biological Gardens, etc.; (8) Pertinent conferences, meetings, and other ‘free’ deliberations; (9) Need to change human attitudes and priorities; (10) Need to establish due ethics and laws; (11) Institutional and organizational involvement towards survival; and (12) ‘Guardians of the Biosphere’ recognition and awards.The above 12 points largely follow those presaged in the Editorial in our preceding issue, since completion of which it has emerged that this Campaign should be socalled (without reference to any time-scale), and that it might best be furthered by two United Nations agencies, an intergovernmental one, and at least one nongovernmental one—all hopefully working in concert.

scholarly journals Assessing the impact of climate change on vector-borne viruses in the EU through the elicitation of expert opinion

2009 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. GALE ◽  
A. BROUWER ◽  
V. RAMNIAL ◽  
L. KELLY ◽  
R. KOSMIDER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Expert Opinion ◽  
Rift Valley Fever Virus ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Fever Virus ◽  
Management Options ◽  
The World ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

SUMMARYExpert opinion was elicited to undertake a qualitative risk assessment to estimate the current and future risks to the European Union (EU) from five vector-borne viruses listed by the World Organization for Animal Health. It was predicted that climate change will increase the risk of incursions of African horse sickness virus (AHSV), Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) into the EU from other parts of the world, with African swine fever virus (ASFV) and West Nile virus (WNV) being less affected. Currently the predicted risks of incursion were lowest for RVFV and highest for ASFV. Risks of incursion were considered for six routes of entry (namely vectors, livestock, meat products, wildlife, pets and people). Climate change was predicted to increase the risk of incursion from entry of vectors for all five viruses to some degree, the strongest effects being predicted for AHSV, CCHFV and WNV. This work will facilitate identification of appropriate risk management options in relation to adaptations to climate change.

scholarly journals Handling Societal Complexity: A Study of the Theory of the Methodology of Societal Complexity and the COMPRAM Methodology

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Sorta Mauli Nababan ◽  
Nelson Siahaan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Environmental Problem ◽  
The World ◽  
Societal Problem ◽  
Compram Methodology ◽  
Societal Problems ◽  
Determining Factor ◽  
Human Problem

Awareness of the world is confronted daily with societal problems as a determining factor affecting global safety has steadily grown since the last 3 decades. It is becoming increasingly obvious that human activities in the economic sphere are responsible for environmental problem such as climate change that in turn are affecting global safety. Thus there are important but often neglected interrelationships between societal problems, and environmental systems. Handling Societal Complexity is an inside look at what goes on some aspects of complex societal problem and some aspects of human problem handling in general. This book is a significant contribution toward understanding these relationships, focuses on a wider spectrum of the problem handling process than most methodologies.

Arbitral Institutions and the Enforcement of Climate Change Obligations for the Benefit of all Stakeholders: The Role of ICSID

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Miles ◽  
Merryl Lawry-White
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
World Bank ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
International Investment ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
World Bank Group ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
The World ◽  
Bank Group

Abstract In 2015, States concluded the landmark Paris Agreement, which committed to a long-term goal of “holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels”. The Paris Agreement galvanises all signatory nations in a common cause — combating climate change and adapting to and investigating its effects, and with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so. As such, it charts a new course in the global climate effort. The goals of the Paris Agreement will only be achieved through massive investment in pursuit of a common objective. According to the International Finance Corporation, an estimated US$90 trillion investment is required to implement the Paris Agreement. The current regime of international investment agreements (IIAs) provides an invaluable opportunity to promote the investment required to achieve the Paris Agreement objectives, including mitigation, adaptation and transition from fossil fuels. However, users must take care to ensure that investment is, in fact, protected and encouraged, and to maintain critical progress in promoting international climate change policy. ICSID is one of the five arms of the World Bank Group, which recognises that “[c]limate change is a threat to the core mission of the World Bank Group”. The ICSID Convention is also designed to promote international private investment. As such, ICSID sits at an important nexus in this discussion. This article: (i) provides an overview of several influential arbitration decisions relating to international environmental disputes, and the way in which the existing climate change regime uses arbitration as a dispute resolution mechanism; (ii) examines the evolution of investment treaties, prior decisions, especially in the field of renewable energy, and the tools available within IIAs for tribunals to promote the Paris Agreement objectives; (iii) discusses what arbitral institutions have done to date, in terms of tools, procedures, rules and other mechanisms, to promote climate change expertise and facilitate the resolution of disputes in a way that is consistent with climate change concerns; and (iv) considers ICSID's position as an arm of the World Bank, particularly in light of the WBG Climate Change Action Plan commitment to scaling up climate action and aligning internal processes with intentionally agreed climate change goals.

scholarly journals Strengthening protected areas for biodiversity and ecosystem services in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (7) ◽  
pp. 1601-1606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weihua Xu ◽  
Yi Xiao ◽  
Jingjing Zhang ◽  
Wu Yang ◽  
Lu Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Threatened Species ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Nature Reserves ◽  
Western China ◽  
Source Areas ◽  
Regulating Services

Recent expansion of the scale of human activities poses severe threats to Earth’s life-support systems. Increasingly, protected areas (PAs) are expected to serve dual goals: protect biodiversity and secure ecosystem services. We report a nationwide assessment for China, quantifying the provision of threatened species habitat and four key regulating services—water retention, soil retention, sandstorm prevention, and carbon sequestration—in nature reserves (the primary category of PAs in China). We find that China’s nature reserves serve moderately well for mammals and birds, but not for other major taxa, nor for these key regulating ecosystem services. China’s nature reserves encompass 15.1% of the country’s land surface. They capture 17.9% and 16.4% of the entire habitat area for threatened mammals and birds, but only 13.1% for plants, 10.0% for amphibians, and 8.5% for reptiles. Nature reserves encompass only 10.2–12.5% of the source areas for the four key regulating services. They are concentrated in western China, whereas much threatened species’ habitat and regulating service source areas occur in eastern provinces. Our analysis illuminates a strategy for greatly strengthening PAs, through creating the first comprehensive national park system of China. This would encompass both nature reserves, in which human activities are highly restricted, and a new category of PAs for ecosystem services, in which human activities not impacting key services are permitted. This could close the gap in a politically feasible way. We also propose a new category of PAs globally, for sustaining the provision of ecosystems services and achieving sustainable development goals.

The Politics of the Anthropocene

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
John S. Dryzek ◽  
Jonathan Pickering
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Catastrophic Failure ◽  
Earth System ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The World

The Politics of the Anthropocene is a sophisticated yet accessible treatment of how human institutions, practices, and principles need to be re-thought in response to the challenges of the Anthropocene, the emerging epoch of human-induced instability in the Earth system and its life-support capacities. However, the world remains stuck with practices and modes of thinking that were developed in the Holocene – the epoch of around 12,000 years of unusual stability in the Earth system, toward the end of which modern institutions such as states and capitalist markets arose. These institutions persist despite their potentially catastrophic failure to respond to the challenges of the Anthropocene, foremost among them a rapidly changing climate and accelerating biodiversity loss. The pathological trajectories of these institutions need to be disrupted by advancing ecological reflexivity: the capacity of structures, systems, and sets of ideas to question their own core commitments, and if necessary change themselves, while listening and responding effectively to signals from the Earth system. This book envisages a world in which humans are no longer estranged from the Earth system but engage with it in a more productive relationship. We can still pursue democracy, social justice, and sustainability – but not as before. In future, all politics should be first and foremost a politics of the Anthropocene. The arguments are developed in the context of issues such as climate change, biodiversity, and global efforts to address sustainability.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document