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Volume 7 Issue 2, February 2024

Recovering and resourcing from manure wastewater

Recovering ammonia from manure wastewater has multiple sustainability benefits. Qin and colleagues develop an electrochemical process that allows such removal efficiently and enables the production of decentralized fertilizers and chemicals.

See Wang et al.

Credit: Matauw, Getty Images. Cover Design: Alex Whitworth.

Editorial

  • Reforming interventions to achieve progress for all is a tough call. Success hinges on adopting a systems-based approach.

    Editorial

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Comment & Opinion

  • Rechargeable aqueous zinc metal batteries represent a promising solution to the storage of renewable energy on the gigawatt scale. For a standardized set of protocols for their electrochemical performance measurements, we highlight the current common issues and recommend practices for future studies.

    • Xiulei Ji
    • Linda F. Nazar
    Comment
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News & Views

  • Myriad structures, from purpose-built concrete modules to decommissioned petroleum platforms, have been deployed in US waters to create artificial reefs. Assessing their spatial coverage would help marine spatial planning but the task is challenging. Now a study does that and reveals some important ecological insights.

    • Sylvain Pioch
    • William F. Patterson III
    News & Views
  • Whether on a hike, in a remote disaster zone or in your own home, access to clean water is critical. Filtration of freshwater to remove ultrafine particles like micro/nanoplastics, pathogens or other toxic components is unfortunately usually quite expensive, unportable and environmentally unfriendly.

    • Talia Khan
    • Markus J. Buehler
    News & Views
  • Eco-sensitive river basins are facing pressure to reduce carbon emissions and rapidly grow their economies. Now, a study identifies the exploitable hydropower potential in low-carbon futures, and the risks of relying on large-scale hydropower projects to integrate variable renewable energy in a decarbonized world.

    • Noah Kittner
    News & Views
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Research Briefings

  • The development of electrocatalysts with high activity, selectivity and stability for seawater electrolysis remains a challenge. Through engineering of the host layer, interlayer gallery and surface, CoFe-based layered double hydroxides are shown to achieve stable seawater electrolysis for more than 2,800 h at a high current density.

    Research Briefing
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Reviews

  • Translating Earth system boundaries across scale involves scientific and normative judgements, with associated assumptions, bias and uncertainties. A protocol involving key building blocks and control steps in translation is presented with focus on businesses and cities, two understudied critical actors.

    • Xuemei Bai
    • Syezlin Hasan
    • Caroline Zimm
    Review Article
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Research

  • Independent impact evaluations of voluntary REDD+ projects to protect forests are needed to provide evidence of their effects. This study evaluates the impacts of a large voluntary REDD+ project in Sierra Leone and finds evidence of slowing deforestation with no socioeconomic harm to local people.

    • Mandy Malan
    • Rachel Carmenta
    • Maarten Voors
    Article Open Access
  • Artificial reefs provide important ecosystem services in marine environments. Accurate knowledge of the area covered by such reefs can help evaluate benefits and risks of such structures. This study describes the physical footprint of artificial reefs deployed in coastal waters of the United States.

    • Avery B. Paxton
    • D’amy N. Steward
    • J. Christopher Taylor
    Article
  • Renewable-energy-powered electrolysis of seawater provides a sustainable means of mass production of hydrogen, a critical fuel for tomorrow’s energy mix. Here the layered double hydroxide (LDH) electrocatalyst design enables ultrastable seawater splitting at industry-compatible current densities.

    • Rongli Fan
    • Changhao Liu
    • Zhigang Zou
    Article
  • Removal of ultrafine suspended solids from contaminated water in a cost-effective manner remains a global challenge. Here the authors develop an injection-driven filter system that is based on a fully bio-based biodegradable nanofibre hydrogel film to achieve such a goal.

    • Meihui Jiang
    • Chuyan Jing
    • Guihua Yu
    Article
  • Ammonia recovery from manure wastewater not only protects the aquatic ecosystem but also contributes to a sustainable nutrient cycle. Here the authors develop an electrochemical process enabling efficient ammonia recovery, with decentralized fertilizer and chemical production, from ammonia-rich manure wastewater.

    • Rui Wang
    • Kai Yang
    • Song Jin
    Article
  • Cookstove carbon offset projects can contribute to various socio-economic and environmental goals if their implementation is based on accurate emissions reductions estimations. A study assesses different methodologies for cookstove offset projects and quantifies their over-crediting.

    • Annelise Gill-Wiehl
    • Daniel M. Kammen
    • Barbara K. Haya
    Analysis
  • Hydropower is expected to expand in the coming decades as an attractive renewable energy source, but one that can have negative environmental impacts in sensitive ecosystems. Enhanced integration of variable renewable energy can offset hydropower expansion in some eco-sensitive river basins, but is mostly insufficient to offset the steep upward pressure on hydropower development that will be exerted by the low-carbon energy transition.

    • A. F. M. Kamal Chowdhury
    • Thomas Wild
    • Jonathan Lamontagne
    Analysis
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