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Unuofin JO, Iwarere SA, Daramola MO. Embracing the future of circular bio-enabled economy: unveiling the prospects of microbial fuel cells in achieving true sustainable energy. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:90547-90573. [PMID: 37480542 PMCID: PMC10439864 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28717-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable development and energy security, highlighted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), necessitate the use of renewable and sustainable energy sources. However, upon careful evaluation of literature, we have discovered that many existing and emerging renewable energy systems (RESs) prioritize renewability over true sustainability. These systems not only suffer from performance inconsistencies and lack of scalability but also fall short in fully embodying the principles of sustainability and circular economy. To address this gap, we propose considering microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as a viable alternative and integral part of the renewable energy ecosystem. MFCs harness the omnipresence, abundance, and cost-effectiveness of their essential components, making them a promising candidate. Through our comprehensive analysis, we shed light on the limitations and advancements of this technology, which underscore the remarkable potential of MFCs to revolutionize our perception of clean, sustainable energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Onolame Unuofin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa.
| | - Samuel Ayodele Iwarere
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Michael Olawale Daramola
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
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Montalvo VH, Sáenz-Bolaños C, Carrillo E, Fuller TK. A review of environmental and anthropogenic variables used to model jaguar occurrence. NEOTROPICAL BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 2023. [DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.18.e98437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Jaguars (Panthera onca) are a landscape species of conservation importance and our understanding of environmental and anthropogenic drivers of jaguar occurrence is necessary to improve conservation strategies. We reviewed available literature to simply describe environmental and anthropogenic variables used and found to be significant in occurrence modeling. We reviewed 95 documents published from 1980 to 2021 that focused on jaguar occurrence and that used 39 variable types (21 anthropogenic, 18 environmental) among different techniques, scales, and approaches. In general, these variables included both anthropogenic (roads, land use, human activities, and population) and environmental (climate, vegetation, ecological interactions, topographic, water, and others) factors. Twelve variables were identified as affecting jaguar occurrence overall, eleven at local scale and seven at broad scales (regional and continental). Focusing more specifically on the variables that correlate with occurrence should help researchers to make better predictions in areas without quantitative jaguar data.
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Smith P, Arneth A, Barnes DKA, Ichii K, Marquet PA, Popp A, Pörtner HO, Rogers AD, Scholes RJ, Strassburg B, Wu J, Ngo H. How do we best synergize climate mitigation actions to co-benefit biodiversity? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2555-2577. [PMID: 34951743 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A multitude of actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural and modified ecosystems can have co-benefits for both climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation. Reducing greenhouse emissions to limit warming to less than 1.5 or 2°C above preindustrial levels, as outlined in the Paris Agreement, can yield strong co-benefits for land, freshwater and marine biodiversity and reduce amplifying climate feedbacks from ecosystem changes. Not all climate mitigation strategies are equally effective at producing biodiversity co-benefits, some in fact are counterproductive. Moreover, social implications are often overlooked within the climate-biodiversity nexus. Protecting biodiverse and carbon-rich natural environments, ecological restoration of potentially biodiverse and carbon-rich habitats, the deliberate creation of novel habitats, taking into consideration a locally adapted and meaningful (i.e. full consequences considered) mix of these measures, can result in the most robust win-win solutions. These can be further enhanced by avoidance of narrow goals, taking long-term views and minimizing further losses of intact ecosystems. In this review paper, we first discuss various climate mitigation actions that evidence demonstrates can negatively impact biodiversity, resulting in unseen and unintended negative consequences. We then examine climate mitigation actions that co-deliver biodiversity and societal benefits. We give examples of these win-win solutions, categorized as 'protect, restore, manage and create', in different regions of the world that could be expanded, upscaled and used for further innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Almut Arneth
- Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | | | - Kazuhito Ichii
- Center for Environmental Remote Sensing (CeRES), Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Pablo A Marquet
- Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alexander Popp
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Hans-Otto Pörtner
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Alex D Rogers
- Somerville College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- REV Ocean, Lysaker, Norway
| | - Robert J Scholes
- Global Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Bernardo Strassburg
- Rio Conservation and Sustainability Science Centre, Department of Geography and Environment, Pontifical Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- International Institute for Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jianguo Wu
- The Institute of Environmental Ecology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hien Ngo
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, Italy
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