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| Open AccessJet stream position explains regional anomalies in European beech forest productivity and tree growth
Here the authors show that extremes in the summer jet stream position over Europe create a beech forest productivity dipole between northwestern and southeastern Europe and can result in regional anomalies in forest carbon uptake and growth.
- Isabel Dorado-Liñán
- , Blanca Ayarzagüena
- & Valerie Trouet
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| Open AccessElectrifying passenger road transport in India requires near-term electricity grid decarbonisation
India’s plans to electrify transport is complicated by its reliance on coal-power. Here the authors call for diverse policy and technology solutions, including a focus on cleaner grids, electric 2-wheelers, and hybrid 4-wheelers in the near-term.
- Amir F. N. Abdul-Manan
- , Victor Gordillo Zavaleta
- & Amer A. Amer
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| Open AccessNew seasonal pattern of pollution emerges from changing North American wildfires
Growing emissions from Pacific Northwest wildfires have increased atmospheric carbon monoxide in August, raising questions about potential health impacts as the seasonal pattern of air quality changes for large regions of North America.
- Rebecca R. Buchholz
- , Mijeong Park
- & Sheryl Magzamen
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| Open AccessAttribution of 2020 hurricane season extreme rainfall to human-induced climate change
During the 2020 hurricane season climate change increased the extreme rainfall rates and amounts by 5–10%.
- Kevin A. Reed
- , Michael F. Wehner
- & Colin M. Zarzycki
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| Open AccessCapturing colloidal nano- and microplastics with plant-based nanocellulose networks
Nanoplastic particles in aqueous environments are challenging to quantify and characterize due to a lack of methods to capture and analyze them. Here the authors demonstrate that nanocellulose networks can be used to capture colloidal plastics and quantify them through their fluorescence and adsorption, providing kinetic information on their uptake.
- Ilona Leppänen
- , Timo Lappalainen
- & Tekla Tammelin
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| Open AccessThe world-wide waste web
The 2001–2019 web of international waste trade is investigated, allowing the identification of countries at threat of improper handling and disposal of waste. Chemical tracers are used to identify the environmental impact of waste in these countries.
- Johann H. Martínez
- , Sergi Romero
- & Ernesto Estrada
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Article
| Open AccessGlobal impacts of future urban expansion on terrestrial vertebrate diversity
Population growth in the coming decades will lead to increasing land conversion to urban areas. Here, the authors use spatially explicit projections of global urban expansion to analyze its effects on habitat changes, and terrestrial mammals, birds and amphibians under the main shared socioeconomic pathways.
- Guangdong Li
- , Chuanglin Fang
- & Xiaoping Liu
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Article
| Open AccessImpact of green clay authigenesis on element sequestration in marine settings
Here the authors show that reverse weathering reactions, such as the formation of glauconite minerals, are first-order controls on element sequestration in shallow marine sediments throughout Earth history, in particular during greenhouse periods with sea level highstand.
- Andre Baldermann
- , Santanu Banerjee
- & Thomas Zack
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Article
| Open AccessMachine learning–based observation-constrained projections reveal elevated global socioeconomic risks from wildfire
A new study develops a machine learning framework to observationally constrain CMIP6-simulated fire carbon emissions, finding a weaker increase in 21st-century global fires but higher increase in their socioeconomic risks than previously thought.
- Yan Yu
- , Jiafu Mao
- & Eric Pierce
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Article
| Open AccessSingle amino acid bionanozyme for environmental remediation
In the context of enviromental applications, refining enzymes into more minimalist structures could ease production costs, improve stability, and improve reusability. Here, the authors report a single amino acid bionanozyme that can catalyze the rapid oxidation of environmentally toxic phenolic contaminates and serves as a tool to detect biologically important neurotransmitters similar to the laccase enzyme.
- Pandeeswar Makam
- , Sharma S. R. K. C. Yamijala
- & Ehud Gazit
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Article
| Open AccessBattery technology and recycling alone will not save the electric mobility transition from future cobalt shortages
New study finds cobalt-free batteries and recycling progress can significantly alleviate long-term cobalt supply risks, however a cobalt supply shortage appears inevitable in the short- to medium-term, even under the most technologically optimistic scenario.
- Anqi Zeng
- , Wu Chen
- & Gang Liu
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Article
| Open AccessSuperlinear scaling of riverine biogeochemical function with watershed size
River networks play an important role in biogeochemical processes of the earth system. Here the authors show that cumulative river network function increases faster than watershed size for many biogeochemical processes, particularly at higher river flow, indicating large rivers contribute disproportionately to network function in the Earth System.
- Wilfred M. Wollheim
- , Tamara K. Harms
- & Jacques C. Finlay
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| Open AccessDeep learning shows declining groundwater levels in Germany until 2100 due to climate change
Future groundwater levels in Germany are expected to decrease considerably under the influence of changing climate, exacerbating the trends and patterns already occurring. Simulations also show substantially reduced effects under stringent mitigation scenarios.
- Andreas Wunsch
- , Tanja Liesch
- & Stefan Broda
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| Open AccessSubnanometric alkaline-earth oxide clusters for sustainable nitrate to ammonia photosynthesis
Photocatalytic reduction of waste nitrate offers an alternative route for ammonia production. Here the authors report BaO clusters on TiO2 for nitrate-ammonia photosynthesis with high ammonia yield.
- Jieyuan Li
- , Ruimin Chen
- & Fan Dong
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Article
| Open AccessPick up and dispose of pollutants from water via temperature-responsive micellar copolymers on magnetite nanorobots
Pesticide and heavy metal pollution in water can cause environmental and public health issues. Here, the authors report thermoresponsive magnetic nanorobots that can efficiently pick up and dispose of pollutants from water by adjusting the water temperature.
- Jayraj V. Vaghasiya
- , Carmen C. Mayorga-Martinez
- & Martin Pumera
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| Open AccessAbrupt emissions reductions during COVID-19 contributed to record summer rainfall in China
In the summer of 2020, China experienced record rainfall and flooding. Here, the authors investigate the connection between the rainfall and the abrupt decrease in emissions due to Covid-19 and find that the emission decrease may have contributed to the rainfall.
- Yang Yang
- , Lili Ren
- & Zhen-Qiang Zhou
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Article
| Open AccessPhotodissociation of particulate nitrate as a source of daytime tropospheric Cl2
This study unravels an important daytime Cl2 source in the extra-polar atmosphere and shows that photolysis of particle nitrate at high acidity produced unprecedented levels of Cl2, boosting the oxidative power and air pollutants like O3.
- Xiang Peng
- , Tao Wang
- & Jianmin Chen
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| Open AccessAccounting for interactions between Sustainable Development Goals is essential for water pollution control in China
The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are highly interrelated. This study finds 319 interactions between SDGs for the case of water pollution in China. Results show that effective pollution control requires accounting for these interactions.
- Mengru Wang
- , Annette B. G. Janssen
- & Carolien Kroeze
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Article
| Open AccessAmazon forests capture high levels of atmospheric mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining
The Peruvian Amazon is facing the highest known input of mercury pollution of any ecosystem globally. Intact forests located near artisanal gold mining are particularly at risk from this toxin.
- Jacqueline R. Gerson
- , Natalie Szponar
- & Emily S. Bernhardt
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| Open AccessGlobal climate-driven trade-offs between the water retention and cooling benefits of urban greening
Urban greening can help to mitigate both heat as well as flooding risks, but how these effects interact is not well known. Here, the authors provide a global analysis and show that most cities benefit from one of these two effects, but only few from both.
- M. O. Cuthbert
- , G. C. Rau
- & A. J. Bates
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| Open AccessThe sensitivity of simulated streamflow to individual hydrologic processes across North America
This work investigates the sensitivity of streamflow simulations to individual hydrologic processes at 3316 locations across North America, revealing common sensitivities across watersheds.
- Juliane Mai
- , James R. Craig
- & Richard Arsenault
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| Open AccessRegional trade agreement burdens global carbon emissions mitigation
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will come into force in January 2022. Here the authors quantify ex ante economic and environmental effects following RCEP tariff reductions.
- Kailan Tian
- , Yu Zhang
- & Shouyang Wang
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Matters Arising
| Open AccessReply to “A resurrection of the Haber-Weiss reaction”
- Yumeng Zhao
- , Meng Sun
- & Menachem Elimelech
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| Open AccessUncovering the reaction mechanism behind CoO as active phase for CO2 hydrogenation
Catalytic conversion of CO2 into valuable hydrocarbons is a promising way to mitigate climate change. This work uncovers that cobalt oxide nanoparticles on a titania carrier produce more C2+ hydrocarbons than their metallic cobalt counterpart by following a different reaction mechanism.
- Iris C. ten Have
- , Josepha J. G. Kromwijk
- & Bert M. Weckhuysen
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| Open AccessDecarbonising the iron and steel sector for a 2 °C target using inherent waste streams
The iron and steel industry is emissions intensive. Here the authors explore its decarbonisation potential based on recovering energy and recycling materials from waste streams in 2020-2050. 28.5% of CO2 emissions under sectoral 2 °C target requirements can be reduced in a high-potential pathway.
- Yongqi Sun
- , Sicong Tian
- & Zuotai Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessMorphodynamic limits to environmental signal propagation across landscapes and into strata
A new quantitative tool provides a volumetric assessment of environmental signal propagation and transfer in sediment routing systems, that could have broad applicability and utility in the field.
- Stephan C. Toby
- , Robert A. Duller
- & Kyle M. Straub
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| Open AccessThe rise of grasslands is linked to atmospheric CO2 decline in the late Palaeogene
A better understanding of how grasslands have responded to past environmental changes will help predict the outcomes of future changes. This study explores past climatic fluctuations and shifts in the diversification rate of grasses and daisies, finding strong evidence for a simultaneous increase in their diversification rates following a reduction of atmospheric CO2 in the Cenozoic.
- Luis Palazzesi
- , Oriane Hidalgo
- & Sebastian Höhna
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Article
| Open AccessRobust ultrathin nanoporous MOF membrane with intra-crystalline defects for fast water transport
The development of highly water-permeable membranes is key for the treatment of high salinity waters. Here the authors enhance the water permeability of a metal-organic framework nanoporous membrane via an intra-crystalline defect engineering strategy.
- Xueling Wang
- , Qiang Lyu
- & Yingchao Dong
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Article
| Open AccessMid-Cretaceous marine Os isotope evidence for heterogeneous cause of oceanic anoxic events
“Mid-Cretaceous experienced a series of drastic environmental perturbations called Oceanic Anoxic Events. Here, the authors asses high-resolution Os isotopic records which indicate that most of these events were associated with massive submarine volcanic episodes, but some minor ones were not.”
- Hironao Matsumoto
- , Rodolfo Coccioni
- & Junichiro Kuroda
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Matters Arising
| Open AccessReply to: On the difficulty of achieving differential privacy in practice: user-level guarantees in aggregate location data
- Aleix Bassolas
- , Hugo Barbosa-Filho
- & Jose J. Ramasco
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Article
| Open AccessApplication of copper(II)-based chemicals induces CH3Br and CH3Cl emissions from soil and seawater
Halogenated compounds impact stratospheric ozone. This study suggests agricultural application of Cu(II) chemicals induces abiotic production of methyl bromide and methyl chloride from soil and seawater, contributing to the atmospheric halogen load.
- Yi Jiao
- , Wanying Zhang
- & Robert C. Rhew
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Article
| Open AccessMicrobial enzymes induce colitis by reactivating triclosan in the mouse gastrointestinal tract
Triclosan (TCS), an antimicrobial agent commonly found in consumer products, has been reported to exacerbates colitis in animal models. Here, using in vitro and in vivo approaches, the authors show that gut bacterial enzymes can drive the metabolic activation and gut toxicity of TCS, highlighting an important role of intestinal microbial factors in the complex etiology of colitis.
- Jianan Zhang
- , Morgan E. Walker
- & Guodong Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessOptions for reforming agricultural subsidies from health, climate, and economic perspectives
Springmann and Freund use an integrated modelling framework to show that coupling agricultural subsidies to producing foods with beneficial health and environmental characteristics can improve population health and lower greenhouse gas emissions without reducing economic welfare.
- M. Springmann
- & F. Freund
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Article
| Open AccessPotential for future reductions of global GHG and air pollutants from circular waste management systems
A sustainability scenario yields major co-benefits compared to technical solution-focused scenarios, leaving 386 Tg CO2eq/yr of GHG to be released while air pollutants from open burning can be eliminated before 2050, finds study on implementation of circular municipal waste management systems.
- Adriana Gómez-Sanabria
- , Gregor Kiesewetter
- & Helmut Haberl
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Article
| Open AccessEvidence of free tropospheric and long-range transport of microplastic at Pic du Midi Observatory
Microplastics are found in the environment globally, but their atmospheric transport is not well understood. Here the authors report atmospheric microplastic pollution at the Pic du Midi Observatory, suggesting free long range transport in the troposphere.
- S. Allen
- , D. Allen
- & J. E. Sonke
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Article
| Open AccessSecondary organic aerosol association with cardiorespiratory disease mortality in the United States
Fine particle air pollution causes premature death, but the role of different fine particle components in mortality is not well characterized. Here, the authors show the secondary organic aerosol component of fine particle mass is associated with significant cardiorespiratory mortality in the U.S.
- Havala O. T. Pye
- , Cavin K. Ward-Caviness
- & Karl M. Seltzer
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Article
| Open AccessBedform segregation and locking increase storage of natural and synthetic particles in rivers
Here the authors show that hyporheic flow, bed morphology, and bed stability are intimately related, and that this relationship is expressed as distinct locked and segregated states of bedform dynamics, which carries implications for river system behavior in general and the storage of carbon, nutrients, and contaminants in particular.
- J. Dallmann
- , C. B. Phillips
- & A. I. Packman
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| Open AccessTrend towards virtual and hybrid conferences may be an effective climate change mitigation strategy
Moving conferences from in-person to virtual and hybrid modes may have emissions reductions benefits. Here the authors find that the switch to virtual and hybrid conferencing reduces the carbon footprint by 94% when it comes to the switch to virtual conferencing, and 67% for hybrid conferences with carefully selected hubs.
- Yanqiu Tao
- , Debbie Steckel
- & Fengqi You
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Article
| Open AccessRapid increase in dichloromethane emissions from China inferred through atmospheric observations
Dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) is an unregulated ozone depleting substance whose emissions have strongly increased in recent years. Here, the authors show that rising emissions of dichloromethane in China between 2011 and 2019 can explain much of this global increase.
- Minde An
- , Luke M. Western
- & Matthew Rigby
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| Open AccessComparison of potential drinking water source contamination across one hundred U.S. cities
In the U.S. today nearly no surface waters are drinkable without treatment. Here, the authors demonstrate that four-fifths of cities that withdraw surface water are supplying water that includes a portion of treated wastewater, concentrated in the Midwest, the South, and Texas.
- Sean W. D. Turner
- , Jennie S. Rice
- & Landon Marston
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| Open AccessStable isotopes in global lakes integrate catchment and climatic controls on evaporation
An isotope synthesis of 1257 global lakes revealed on average 20% of inflow is lost to evaporation, but 10% of Earth’s lakes show extreme evaporative losses. Stable water isotope monitoring is an effective way to detect comparative climatic and catchment-scale impacts on lake water-balance budgets.
- Yuliya Vystavna
- , Astrid Harjung
- & Leonard I. Wassenaar
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Article
| Open AccessSustainable intensification for a larger global rice bowl
Increasing rice yield while improving resource use efficiency is of great importance. This study examines cropping systems globally to highlight areas where rice production can be improved by prioritizing R&D strategies.
- Shen Yuan
- , Bruce A. Linquist
- & Patricio Grassini
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| Open AccessPricing indirect emissions accelerates low—carbon transition of US light vehicle sector
New research shows how large–scale adoption of electric vehicles due to expected technological change may not only reduce emissions from tailpipes, but also indirect emissions stemming from energy and battery production.
- Paul Wolfram
- , Stephanie Weber
- & Edgar G. Hertwich
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| Open AccessAssessing costs of Indonesian fires and the benefits of restoring peatland
Deforestation and drainage have made Indonesian peatlands susceptible to burning. Here the authors find that Indonesia’s 2015 fires resulted in economic losses totaling US$28 billion, while the area burned and emissions released could have been significantly reduced had restoration been completed.
- L. Kiely
- , D. V. Spracklen
- & H. A. Adrianto
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| Open AccessProduction of hydrogen from offshore wind in China and cost-competitive supply to Japan
Hydrogen is regarded as important to Japan’s clean energy transition. Here the authors consider the production of hydrogen by electrolysis fueled by offshore wind power in China, and the potential for delivery to Japan as part of Japan’s transition.
- Shaojie Song
- , Haiyang Lin
- & Michael B. McElroy
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Article
| Open AccessMulti-decadal increase of forest burned area in Australia is linked to climate change
The degree to which wildfire activity in Australia is affected by climate change is not well quantified. Here, the authors show that the frequency of forest fires and the area burned have increased significantly over recent decades, mainly due to an increase in dangerous fire weather conditions through warmer temperature and circulation changes.
- Josep G. Canadell
- , C. P. (Mick) Meyer
- & Vanessa Haverd
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| Open AccessGlobal predictions of primary soil salinization under changing climate in the 21st century
Excess salt accumulation in the root zone causes soil salinization influencing soil health, biodiversity and food security. Authors used machine learning algorithms to predict global scale soil salinization under changing climate in the 21st century.
- Amirhossein Hassani
- , Adisa Azapagic
- & Nima Shokri
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Article
| Open AccessAn abiotic source of Archean hydrogen peroxide and oxygen that pre-dates oxygenic photosynthesis
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been proposed as an electron donor for photosynthesis before water, however, the amount of H2O2 available on early Earth was thought to be limited. Here the authors propose a new abiotic pathway wherein abrasion of quartz surfaces would have provided enough H2O2.
- Hongping He
- , Xiao Wu
- & Kurt O. Konhauser