As indicated by various scientific organizations—the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the World Health Organization, and World Wide Fund for Nature, among others, the earth is in an accelerated process of socio-environmental degradation. This is due to the enormous quantity of greenhouse gases that humanity has poured into the atmosphere for more than two centuries which has resulted in anthropogenic global warming, the sixth mass extinction of the species, and a generalized contamination of air, water, and soil.
From a global standpoint, the interplay between air quality and climate change represents a critical environmental issue, with profound implications for health, ecosystems, and economies across the planet. This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the complex interplay between air pollution and climate change, examining their sources, impacts, and strategies for mitigation. It delves into the direct and indirect health effects of air pollutants and greenhouse gases, emphasizing the vulnerabilities of different populations.
Rising human populations and energy demands have triggered the scientific community to explore renewable and sustainable energy sources, along with enhancing technologies associated with energy storage and electrocatalytic applications. Nanoclay has gained significant attention in recent years for various applications, of which energy storage and electrocatalytic applications are the most significant domains.
This chapter includes a brief overview of the historical development of public health and the emergence of the planetary health movement. Since the 1960s, human behavior has been central to public health concerns and functions.
This chapter intends to systematize the trends and approaches that will inspire local policymaking in response to climate change challenges and to meet European guidelines and recommendations for sustainable development and quality of life improvement. The analysis explores relevant components for promoting health and sustainable behavior, namely smart living, smart health (as a part of the smart economy), and smart governance (i.e., participatory, anticipatory, and innovative).
Solar panels are a good alternative to fossil fuels. However, despite their numerous advantages, their most important limitation is dependence on environmental conditions. To solve this problem, energy storage systems are used with solar panels. To set a fixed output voltage requires designing a strong switching system to use stored energy when solar energy drops below the required value due to environmental conditions, and to store it in a storage system when there is a surplus of solar energy.
Climate change is accepted as the biggest challenge for the European Union (EU) and for this reason being a climate-neutral continent by 2050 is a priority for Europe. Deploying more renewables, increasing energy efficiency and electrification are the most important tools serving to this policy. With the support of innovation, renewable energy sectors could be more effective in climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. In this study, the two most mature renewable energy sectors; solar photovoltaic and wind energy in European countries are examined.
Algal biodiesels have emerged as a promising renewable energy source with numerous advantages over conventional fossil fuels. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of diverse production processes, drawbacks, and benefits of the algal biofuel production process while also critically assessing the potential gaps in the field. With a plethora of advantages like cost-effectiveness, nutrient cycling, yield benefits, sustainability, and versatility required for commercial usage, several challenges are yet to be addressed for effective implementation.
In this episode of the "World We Want" podcast, Márcia Balisciano interviews Filip Neele, Lead Scientist at TNO in Utrecht, the Netherlands. They discuss carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology as a “key” in energy transition and its role in supporting global sustainability.
The cascading effects of biodiversity decline on human well-being present a pressing challenge for sustainable development. Conservation efforts often prioritize safeguarding specific species, habitats, or intact ecosystems but overlook biodiversity's fundamental role in providing Nature's Contributions to People (NCP) in human-modified landscapes.
