scholarly journals The Ecosystem Resilience Concept Applied to Hydrogeological Systems: A General Approach

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1824 ◽  
Author(s):  
África de la Hera-Portillo ◽  
Julio López-Gutiérrez ◽  
Pedro Zorrilla-Miras ◽  
Beatriz Mayor ◽  
Elena López-Gunn
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Resilience ◽  
Freshwater Systems ◽  
Delayed Effects ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
Groundwater Quantity ◽  
Hydrogeological Systems

We have witnessed the great changes that hydrogeological systems are facing in the last decades: rivers that have dried up; wetlands that have disappeared, leaving their buckets converted into farmland; and aquifers that have been intensively exploited for years, among others. Humans have caused the most part of these results that can be worsened by climate change, with delayed effects on groundwater quantity and quality. The consequences are negatively impacting ecosystems and dependent societies. The concept of resilience has not been extensively used in the hydrogeological research, and it can be a very useful concept that can improve the understanding and management of these systems. The aim of this work is to briefly discuss the role of resilience in the context of freshwater systems affected by either climate or anthropic actions as a way to increase our understanding of how anticipating negative changes (transitions) may contribute to improving the management of the system and preserving the services that it provides. First, the article presents the basic concepts applied to hydrogeological systems from the ecosystem’s resilience approach. Second, the factors controlling for hydrogeological systems’ responses to different impacts are commented upon. Third, a case study is analyzed and discussed. Finally, the useful implications of the concept are discussed.

scholarly journals Power, the Pacific Islands, and the Prestige Press: A Case Study of How Climate Reporting is Influenced by UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Summits

2021 ◽  
pp. 194016122110180
Author(s):  
Meghan M. Shea ◽  
James Painter ◽  
Shannon Osaka
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Emotional Appeals ◽  
Issue Attention ◽  
Quantitative Results

While studies have investigated UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meetings as drivers of climate change reporting as well as the geopolitical role of Pacific Islands in these international forums, little research examines the intersection: how media coverage of Pacific Islands and climate change (PICC) may be influenced by, or may influence, UNFCCC meetings. We analyze two decades of reporting on PICC in American, British, and Australian newspapers—looking at both volume and content of coverage—and expand the quantitative results with semi-structured interviews with journalists and Pacific stakeholders. Issue attention on PICC increases and the content changes significantly in the periods around UNFCCC meetings, with shifts from language about vulnerability outside of UNFCCC periods to language about agency and solutions. We explore the implications of these differences in coverage for both agenda setting and the amplification of emotional appeals in UNFCCC contexts.

scholarly journals Mosquito Host Seeking in 3D Using a Versatile Climate-Controlled Wind Tunnel System

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika Hinze ◽  
Jörgen Lantz ◽  
Sharon R. Hill ◽  
Rickard Ignell
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Flight Behavior ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Host Seeking ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Tunnel System

Future anthropogenic climate change is predicted to impact sensory-driven behaviors. Building on recent improvements in computational power and tracking technology, we have developed a versatile climate-controlled wind tunnel system, in which to study the effect of climate parameters, including temperature, precipitation, and elevated greenhouse gas levels, on odor-mediated behaviors in insects. To establish a baseline for future studies, we here analyzed the host-seeking behavior of the major malaria vector mosquito, Anopheles gambiae sensu strico, to human odor and carbon dioxide (CO2), under tightly controlled climatic conditions, and isolated from potential background contamination by the presence of an experimenter. When presented with a combination of human foot odor and CO2 (case study I), mosquitoes engaged in faster crosswind flight, spent more time in the filamentous odor plume and targeted the odor source more successfully. In contrast, female An. gambiae s. s. presented with different concentrations of CO2 alone, did not display host-seeking behavior (case study II). These observations support previous findings on the role of human host-associated cues in host seeking and confirm the role of CO2 as a synergist, but not a host-seeking cue on its own. Future studies are aimed at investigating the effect of climate change on odor-mediated behavior in mosquitoes and other insects. Moreover, the system will be used to investigate detection and processing of olfactory information in various behavioral contexts, by providing a fine-scale analysis of flight behavior.

scholarly journals Youth Engagement in Climate Change Action: Case Study on Indigenous Youth at COP24

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6299
Author(s):  
Makenzie MacKay ◽  
Brenda Parlee ◽  
Carrie Karsgaard
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Indigenous Youth ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

While there are many studies about the environmental impacts of climate change in the Canadian north, the role of Indigenous youth in climate governance has been a lesser focus of inquiry. A popularized assumption in some literature is that youth have little to contribute to discussions on climate change and other aspects of land and resource management; such downplay of youth expertise and engagement may be contributing to climate anxiety (e.g., feelings of hopelessness), particularly in remote communities. Creating opportunities for youth to have a voice in global forums such as the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP24) on Climate Change may offset such anxiety. Building on previous research related to climate action, and the well-being of Indigenous youth, this paper shares the outcomes of research with Indigenous youth (along with family and teachers) from the Mackenzie River Basin who attended COP24 to determine the value of their experience. Key questions guiding these interviews included: How did youth impact others? and How did youth benefit from the experience? Key insights related to the value of a global experience; multiple youth presentations at COP24 were heard by hundreds of people who sought to learn more from youth about their experience of climate change. Additional insights were gathered about the importance of family and community (i.e., webs of support); social networks were seen as key to the success of youth who participated in the event and contributed to youth learning and leadership development.

The role of a knowledge broker in improving knowledge and understanding of climate change in the Australian rangelands

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary-Anne Healy ◽  
Kate Forrest ◽  
Gary Bastin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Knowledge Broker ◽  
Project Delivery ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Climate Change Information ◽  
Project Objectives ◽  
Science And Research

This paper considers the role of a knowledge broker to coordinate and connect activity within a cross-disciplinary project to deliver climate change science and research to regional natural resource management (NRM) planning in the Australian rangelands. We use the Rangelands Cluster Project as a case study. Due to the additional challenges facing project delivery in the rangelands such as remoteness, distance and low and sparsely distributed population, the project development phase included the central role of a knowledge broker to support the project objectives: identifying climate change information needs, providing quality information that can be incorporated into NRM planning, and establishing networks of researchers and NRM planners across the rangelands. The knowledge broker facilitated a process that included face-to-face meetings, workshops, surveys, email and teleconferencing to establish relationships and identify priorities as well as to refine project outputs. This facilitation allowed clearer communication between parties who were very remote from each other and worked in different disciplines, ensuring the different expertise was brought into the project, connections made and relationships formed.

Low carbon transition – potentials and limitations for tour operators

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Stroebel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Political Economy ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Consumer Interests ◽  
Productive Environment ◽  
Political Economy Approach

There is little doubt that emissions from tourism must be reduced. A low carbon transition tends to be debated within the existing growth-centred and fossil fuel-driven political economy; this offers potentials but also sets limitations. The role of businesses in climate change is complex. From a political economy perspective, businesses are crucial actors in reducing emissions, simply through their decisions around products and operations. Yet a political economy approach also sees governance and business as interlinked. Businesses can influence governance, though they do not shape rules and norms in isolation. They are influenced by the dynamic regulatory, discursive, technological, and productive environment, in which they operate. This case study provides evidence from tour operators, which are addressing emissions from their products and operations, but also demonstrates that the context in which tourism businesses operate sets limitations to how much change may be implemented. The chapter argues that debates around a low carbon transition for tourism need to take into consideration the complexity of corporate, economic, environmental, political, and consumer interests and their links and interactions.

Achieving a low carbon transition in Japan, the role of motor vehicle lifetime

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigemi Kagawa ◽  
Daisuke Nishijima ◽  
Yuya Nakamoto
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Policy Tool ◽  
Using Data

In order to achieve climate change mitigation goals, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Japan’s household sector is critical. Accomplishing a transition to low carbon and energy efficient consumer goods is particularly valuable as a policy tool for reducing emissions in the residential sector. This case study presents an analysis of the lifetime of personal vehicles in Japan, and considers the optimal scenario in terms of retention and disposal, specifically as it relates to GHG emissions. Using data from Japan, the case study shows the critical importance of including whole-of-life energy and carbon calculations when assessing the contributions that new technologies can make towards low carbon mobility transitions. While energy-efficiency gains are important, replacing technologies can overlook the energy and carbon embedded in the production phase. Without this perspective, policy designed to reduce GHG emissions may result in increased emissions and further exacerbate global climate change.

Cooperation for Climate Mitigation in Amazonia: Brazil’s Emerging Role as a Regional Leader

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 401-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Antonia Tigre
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Climate Change Negotiations ◽  
Common But Differentiated Responsibilities ◽  
Nationally Determined Contributions ◽  
Self Differentiation

AbstractSince their inception, climate change negotiations have stalled because of the scope of parties’ mitigation responsibilities under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The concept of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC) became a core principle of the framework to ensure consensus on a global climate policy in 1992 and to promote differentiation. By letting each country assess its current responsibilities and capacities for climate mitigation through their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), the Paris Agreement has built on the principle of CBDR-RC and promoted self-differentiation. As the concept evolved, the role of emerging economies has been a particular focus of discussions. Academia is still grappling with the revised meaning of CBDR-RC and the newly introduced NDCs. This article contributes to the discussion by analyzing the role of emerging economies in climate governance through the lens of regional responsibility. In particular, it discusses how cooperation can be a more effective way to ensure differentiation, especially by distinguishing emerging economies from other developing countries with fewer capacities. The article uses the Amazon rainforest as a case study, discussing Brazil’s role within the region. Building on lessons from regional schemes that have successfully promoted climate mitigation, the article looks at the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) as an avenue for enhanced cooperation at the regional level.

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