scholarly journals A Perspective of the Cumulative Risks from Climate Change on Mt. Everest: Findings from the 2019 Expedition

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1928
Author(s):  
Kimberley R. Miner ◽  
Paul Andrew Mayewski ◽  
Mary Hubbard ◽  
Kenny Broad ◽  
Heather Clifford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Pollution ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Human Waste ◽  
National Geographic ◽  
Glacier Melt ◽  
Cumulative Risks

In 2019, the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest expedition successfully retrieved the greatest diversity of scientific data ever from the mountain. The confluence of geologic, hydrologic, chemical and microbial hazards emergent as climate change increases glacier melt is significant. We review the findings of increased opportunity for landslides, water pollution, human waste contamination and earthquake events. Further monitoring and policy are needed to ensure the safety of residents, future climbers, and trekkers in the Mt. Everest watershed.

Tending this Fragile Earth, Our Island Home: The Pope's Encyclical in Dialogue with Ecomimesis, a Design Model for Conservation Stewardship

2018 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 745-766
Author(s):  
Lillian C. Woo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Pollution ◽  
Anthropogenic Impact ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Design Solution ◽  
World Population ◽  
Natural Ecosystem ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The World

In the last fifty years, empirical evidence has shown that climate change and environmental degradation are largely the results of increased world population, economic development, and changes in cultural and social norms. Thus far we have been unable to slow or reverse the practices that continue to produce more air and water pollution, soil and ocean degradation, and ecosystem decline. This paper analyzes the negative anthropogenic impact on the ecosystem and proposes a new design solution: ecomimesis, which uses the natural ecosystem as its template to conserve, restore, and improve existing ecosystems. Through its nonintrusive strategies and designs, and its goal of preserving natural ecosystems and the earth, ecomimesis can become an integral part of stabilizing and rehabilitating our natural world at the same time that it addresses the needs of growing economies and populations around the world.

Glaciohydrology of the Himalaya-Karakoram

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. eabf3668
Author(s):  
Mohd. Farooq Azam ◽  
Jeffrey S. Kargel ◽  
Joseph M. Shea ◽  
Santosh Nepal ◽  
Umesh K. Haritashya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Snow Melt ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Critical Knowledge ◽  
Glacier Melt ◽  
Sustainable Water Resources Management ◽  
The Himalaya ◽  
Sustainable Water Resources

Understanding the response of Himalayan-Karakoram (HK) rivers to climate change is crucial for ~1 billion people who partly depend on these water resources. Policymakers tasked with the sustainable water resources management for agriculture, hydropower, drinking, sanitation, and hazards require an assessment of rivers’ current status and potential future changes. This review demonstrates that glacier and snow melt are important components of HK rivers, with greater hydrological importance for the Indus than Ganges and Brahmaputra basins. Total river runoff, glacier melt, and seasonality of flow are projected to increase until the 2050s, with some exceptions and large uncertainties. Critical knowledge gaps severely affect modeled contributions of different runoff components, future runoff volumes and seasonality. Therefore, comprehensive field- and remote sensing-based methods and models are needed.

The Use of Complementary Virtual and Real Scientific Models to Engage Students in Inquiry

2017 ◽  
pp. 30-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan Feldman ◽  
Molly Nation ◽  
Glenn Gordon Smith ◽  
Metin Besalti
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
School Science ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Scientific Models ◽  
Academic Science ◽  
Classroom Change

This chapter reports on a four-year study to change how climate change science is taught and learned in schools. The goal of the Climate Change Narrative Game Education (CHANGE) project is to take what is known about reform-based practices, incorporating students' lived experiences into the curriculum, and the integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) into the classroom. CHANGE uses the following: scientifically realistic text narratives (text stories with local characters, 50-100 years in the future, a local, place-based approach, a focus on the built environment, the use of simulations and games based on scientific data, and a web-based “intermedia” eBook narrative where sections of narrative text alternate with simulations and computer games. The chapter reports on the ways that we have used the above principles to connect classrooms and communities and school science with academic science to facilitate student inquiry into climate science by combining virtual serious educational games with in class, hands-on inquiry using scientific models.

Nurses, Healthcare, and Environmental Pollution and Solutions

2015 ◽  
pp. 174-197
Author(s):  
A. Elaine McKeown
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Pollution ◽  
Environmental Pollution ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Forward Movement ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Knowledge Resources ◽  
Change Climate ◽  
Fossil Fuel Energy

Many nurses may not be aware of the role that healthcare plays in the cycle of harm. Healthcare participates in the cycle of harm by mismanaging waste, using fossil fuel energy and offering meat-based diets. Lack of knowledge, resources and empowerment potentiate this participation. Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use and meat-based diets, with resultant water pollution, contribute to climate change. Climate change and healthcare source pollution in water from mismanaged waste, contributes to illnesses of community members. Once sickened, individuals come to the healthcare center for treatment. This illness care then contributes to more environmental pollution. Specific human health consequences of resultant water pollution and climate change will be discussed. With healthcare professionals collaborating with others concerned, the connections potentiating this cycle of harm can be broken. Recommendations will be offered for healthcare's forward movement to help create the solutions to the pollution.

scholarly journals Livelihood Vulnerability and Adaptation Capacity of Rice Farmers under Climate Change and Environmental Pressure on the Vietnam Mekong Delta Floodplains

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3282
Author(s):  
Dung Duc Tran ◽  
Chau Nguyen Xuan Quang ◽  
Pham Duy Tien ◽  
Pham Gia Tran ◽  
Pham Kim Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Pollution ◽  
Mekong Delta ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
The Body ◽  
Production Methods ◽  
Environmental Pressure ◽  
Adaptation Capacity ◽  
Rice Farmers ◽  
Production Factors

Agricultural production is the primary source of income and food security for rural households in many deltas of the world. However, the sustainability of farm livelihoods is under threat, due to the impacts of climate change and environmental pressure, including shifting hydrological regimes, droughts, water pollution, land subsidence and riverbank erosion. This study evaluated the livelihood sustainability and vulnerability of triple rice farmers on the floodplains of the Vietnam Mekong Delta (VMD). We focused on the perceptions of rice farmers, based on a survey of 300 farmers. Increasing temperatures, drought, water pollution and sediment shortages were the four factors considered by farmers to have the most impact on their agricultural livelihoods. We analyzed farmers’ capacity to sustain their livelihoods and adapt to the changing environment. Results show relatively low vulnerability of rice farmers overall, though many of those surveyed reported very low incomes from rice production. Factors of most concern to farmers were rising temperatures and more frequent droughts. Farmers were already taking steps to adapt, for example, increasing production inputs and investing more labor time, as well as switching production methods. Yet, our findings suggest that policymakers and scientists have a role to play in developing more sustainable adaptation paths. The research clarifies the livelihood vulnerability of triple rice farmers on the VMD floodplains, while more generally contributing to the body of literature on farming and climate change and environmental pressure.

'Islands of excellence’ in catastrophe & disaster risk data, tools and services in the face of the climate change crisis – how can innovation systems advance stakeholder understanding and use of catastrophe and disaster sciences?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Irvine
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Insurance Industry ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Academic Institutions ◽  
The World ◽  
The Face ◽  
Innovation Approach ◽  
Systems Transformation ◽  
Science Innovation

<p>New catastrophe and disaster risk data, tools and services can often include complex science and algorithms that offer profoundly important information on understanding risk or can inform climate adaption. However, if few people know about or understand how and in what context to use these tools, they remain on the databases of academic institutions and in scientific journals across the world. How many tools that could transform the world’s understanding of risk and ways to adapt to that risk already exist or are currently under development? The answer is likely to be in the hundreds. But, how many of those tools have ever been used beyond one or two scientific case studies? The answer is likely to be, in most cases, very few.</p><p> </p><p>Academic institutions often administer barriers on access to their data and tools through institutional data management and by specifically implementing non-commercial use licensing in the dissemination of tools once scientific studies are completed. In addition, very commonly, insufficient thought is put to the exploitation strategies of these tools. The gaps in understanding and trust between academia and the needs of business sometimes feel insurmountable on both sides. Is ‘custom’ defying reason in the face of the climate change crisis and the need for rapid systems transformation globally?</p><p> </p><p>The Oasis family, offers new approaches around transparency, collaboration, dissemination and exploitation and the encouragement of intereoperability by providing platforms that allow for comparative approaches to scientific data and tools.</p><p> </p><p>Firstly, "OASIS LMF is an open source platform for developing, deploying and executing catastrophe models to enable the “plug and play” of hazard and vulnerability modules (along with exposure and insurance policy terms) by way of a set of data standards that describe a model. It has been built in collaboration with the insurance industry (https://oasislmf.org/)." Oasis Palmtree offers support to enable access to this system.</p><p> </p><p>Secondly, Oasis Hub, has designed science innovation approaches to bringing tools and data to wider, diverse audiences in collaboration with scientific institutions. We discuss "OASIS Hub, as a global window and conduit to free and commercial environmental, catastrophe and risk data, tools and services (https://oasishub.co/) as an example of a new innovation approach.</p>

Environmental Management - The Double Edged Sword: A Perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (01) ◽  
pp. 35-45
Author(s):  
Durgesh Upadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Pollution ◽  
Environmental Management ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Ultraviolet Rays ◽  
Underdeveloped Countries ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
Dangerous Level

Incessant floods and deluge, sudden droughts, tsunami, continuously warming up of the weather, asthma, allergy, breathlessness, time and again, remind of severe problems taking place in our environment. Air pollution and water pollution have kept on baffling us over a period of time since long ages. Initially the advanced countries went for uncontrolled industrialisation ignoring their aftermath on the environment. Dangerous gases mounted up in the environment increasing the pollution in air as well as in water. Not only was it in CO2 and CO mounting up to the above dangerous level but slowly and steadily, damaging the ozone layer too thereby, permitting the ultraviolet rays to reach to the human civilization. Afterwards, the underdeveloped nations have also been following the same path of industrialisation, thereby, adding up to the already preserved prolonged diseases of environment. The developed countries blame developing nations for the pollution issues and greenhouse effect. And the underdeveloped countries cross blame the developed ones for the same. Overall, the environmental issues have come up as the most important issues for the survival of the mankind if the suitable step is not taken to preserve the climate and the environment. Government and the industries have to join hands to combat this menace. This paper proposes to discuss the reasons for the environmental problems and the possible solutions to combat them specially global warming and the climate change.

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