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Agricultural expansion to grow food, fibre and biofuel will further threaten biodiversity. This study finds that almost 90% of terrestrial vertebrate species will lose habitat to such expansion, but proactive food policies could reduce these threats.
Assessing the performance of an economy in times of crisis is a difficult task. This study presents an agent-based model capturing the behaviour of firms facing transport and supply disruptions due to natural disasters, and shows possible paths to reinforce infrastructure and supply chain resilience.
The field of battery chemistry must embrace abundant elements such as Mn for improved sustainability. Here the authors engineer the orientation of Mn 3d orbitals, resulting in excellent performance in LiMnO2 cathodes.
Banning the sale of rinse-off cosmetics containing plastic microbeads to protect the environment requires understanding the lifetime environmental impacts of potential substitutes. By comparing the environmental performance of alternatives, this study finds viable substitutes and those with adverse effects.
An analysis of 177 studies and expert opinions about instruments for ocean protection shows that a combination of tools is needed to achieve all of the ocean SDG targets.
Climate-oriented goals in air quality and clean energy policies can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly if shifting to biomass cooking and addressing emissions from brick production and agricultural residue burning.
The Indus river basin in South Asia is water stressed, energy insecure and intensively farmed, and research on this region often lacks a systemic approach to the issues. This study shows how the path to development in the region could be made less costly and more environmentally friendly by fostering transboundary cooperation.
An analysis of spatially explicit historical data shows notable regional differences in the benefits in reduced emissions from integrating renewable energy across the United States.
The impacts of wildfires in the western United States have been increasing for decades. Combining physical, epidemiological and economic models, this study finds that the economic damage of California wildfires in 2018 was roughly 1.5% of California’s annual gross domestic product.
Perovskite solar cells could be a game-changing energy technology. However, the solvents involved during fabrication pose sustainability concerns. Here, the authors provide an analysis of human health toxicity and environmental implications of handling solvents, recommending dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as the green choice for large-scale production.
A large survey in 19 US states covering just over a decade shows that values regarding wildlife are shifting toward seeing it as one’s community, as opposed to a resource to use for human benefit.
Oysters clean nutrient-polluted waters, but their populations have crashed. This study synthesizes research on oyster impacts and finds that they help remove excess nitrogen and promote nutrient recycling without contributing greatly to greenhouse gas emissions.
Soil nitrogen is vital for terrestrial ecosystems. This study finds that soil nitrogen increases with the number and age of plant species, suggesting another benefit from conserving plant diversity.
Continued carbon-intensive development is unsustainable. This study assesses how cloudiness and weather variability, enhanced by climate change, will affect photovoltaic output, finding that conditions are likely to worsen by mid-century over the Arabian Peninsula while improving over southern Europe.
Agricultural landscapes have become more simplified as crop production has risen. This study finds that pesticide use rises with crop area and field size but falls with crop diversity.
Here the authors design an electrolysis reactor to generate H2O2 which could be further catalytically activated by Cu single atoms to yield hydroxyl radicals. Combining the two reactions enables a system that could treat organic wastewater, providing a path toward sustainable advanced oxidation processes.
An analysis of 643 cases of community forest management shows that most led to improved environmental and income outcomes, but access and resource rights often deteriorate when formalizing such management.
A discourse analysis across time shows how reformist and transformative proponents have been competing over the purpose of biodiversity offsetting, which requires stronger institutional commitments to advance.
Big data and mobile technology are considered a growing boon for small-scale farmers. This study finds that only 24–37% of farms of <1 ha are currently served by third generation (3G) or 4G services, compared to 74–80% of farms of >200 ha, and that regions with poor yields and low food security have poor service coverage.
