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Challéat S, Farrugia N, Froidevaux JSP, Gasc A, Pajusco N. A dataset of acoustic measurements from soundscapes collected worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci Data 2024; 11:928. [PMID: 39191783 PMCID: PMC11349881 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03611-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Political responses to the COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in city soundscapes around the globe. From March to October 2020, a consortium of 261 contributors from 35 countries brought together by the Silent Cities project built a unique soundscape recordings collection to report on local acoustic changes in urban areas. We present this collection here, along with metadata including observational descriptions of the local areas from the contributors, open-source environmental data, open-source confinement levels and calculation of acoustic descriptors. We performed a technical validation of the dataset using statistical models run on a subset of manually annotated soundscapes. Results confirmed the large-scale usability of ecoacoustic indices and automatic sound event recognition in the Silent Cities soundscape collection. We expect this dataset to be useful for research in the multidisciplinary field of environmental sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Challéat
- UMR5602 GEODE (Géographie de l'environnement), CNRS, Université Toulouse 2 - Jean Jaurès, 31058, Toulouse, France.
| | - Nicolas Farrugia
- UMR6285 Lab-STICC (Laboratoire des Sciences et Techniques de l'information de la Communication et de la Connaissance), IMT Atlantique, CNRS, 29238, Brest, France.
| | - Jérémy S P Froidevaux
- University of Stirling, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, FK9 4LA, Stirling, United Kingdom
- UMR7204 CESCO (Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France
- University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Amandine Gasc
- UMR7263 IMBE (Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale), Aix-Marseille Université, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, 13080, Aix-en-Provence, France
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Nicolas Pajusco
- UMR6285 Lab-STICC (Laboratoire des Sciences et Techniques de l'information de la Communication et de la Connaissance), IMT Atlantique, CNRS, 29238, Brest, France
- UMR6613 LAUM (Laboratoire d'Acoustique de l'Université du Mans), Institut d'Acoustique - Graduate School (IA-GS), CNRS, Le Mans Université, 72085, Le Mans, France
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2
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Tavella RA, El Koury Santos J, de Moura FR, da Silva Júnior FMR. Better understanding the behavior of air pollutants at shutdown times - results of a short full lockdown. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2023; 33:1525-1532. [PMID: 35917492 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2105310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have evaluated the effects of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, but most of them have concerned large cities and regions. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamics of air pollutants during and after the implementation of a short lockdown in the medium-sized city of Pelotas, Brazil, using hourly measurements of pollutants. The evaluation period included in this study was between August 9th and 12th, 2020. A machine learning model was used to investigate the expected behavior against what was observed during the study period. All pollutants presented a gradual reduction until a dynamic plateau established 48 hours after the start of the lockdown: NO2 (↓4%), O3 (↓34%), SO2 (↓24%), CO (↓48%), PM10 (↓82%) and PM2.5 (↓82%). At the end of the restriction measures, the PM10 and PM2.5 levels continued to decline beyond expectations. Our findings show that these measures can positively affect the air quality in medium-sized cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronan Adler Tavella
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Av. Itália km 8 Bairro Carreiros, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Jéssica El Koury Santos
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Centro de Engenharias, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Fernando Rafael de Moura
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Av. Itália km 8 Bairro Carreiros, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Flávio Manoel Rodrigues da Silva Júnior
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Av. Itália km 8 Bairro Carreiros, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Centro de Engenharias, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
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3
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Kim JY, Kubo T, Nishihiro J. Mobile phone data reveals spatiotemporal recreational patterns in conservation areas during the COVID pandemic. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20282. [PMID: 37985851 PMCID: PMC10660657 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47326-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding visitation patterns is crucial in developing effective conservation strategies for protected areas, as it serves as an indicator for operating an ecosystem management plan that balances biodiversity and ecosystem services intertwined with public health and social benefits. However, limited data availability during the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the comprehensive understanding of temporal changes in realized cultural ecosystem services, particularly in recreational activities within these areas. Our study utilized GPS data from mobile phones to quantify visitor characteristics and their contribution to recreational ecosystem services in protected areas at a national scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimated the pandemic's relative impact on visitor patterns at 98 visitor centers in national parks and Ramsar sites in Japan. The total number of visitors and travel distance in various sizes of protected areas decreased after the outbreak of COVID-19. The number of visitors in the protected areas displayed a quick recovery despite the increasing positive COVID-19 cases during the following summer. Post-pandemic, visitors showed a preference for less densely populated protected areas closer to their home range. Our findings partly suggest that protecting a diverse range of conservation areas along the urban gradient could be an effective strategy for maintaining the resilience of recreational services during a prolonged pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Yoon Kim
- Department of Biological Science, Kunsan National University, Gunsan, 54150, Republic of Korea
| | - Takahiro Kubo
- Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2, Onogawa, Tsukuba, 305-8506, Japan.
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
| | - Jun Nishihiro
- Center for Climate Change Adaptation, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, 305-8506, Japan
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Li H, Zheng B, Ciais P, Boersma KF, Riess TCVW, Martin RV, Broquet G, van der A R, Li H, Hong C, Lei Y, Kong Y, Zhang Q, He K. Satellite reveals a steep decline in China's CO 2 emissions in early 2022. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg7429. [PMID: 37478188 PMCID: PMC10361590 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg7429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Response actions to the coronavirus disease 2019 perturbed economies and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The Omicron variant that emerged in 2022 caused more substantial infections than in 2020 and 2021 but it has not yet been ascertained whether Omicron interrupted the temporary post-2021 rebound of CO2 emissions. Here, using satellite nitrogen dioxide observations combined with atmospheric inversion, we show a larger decline in China's CO2 emissions between January and April 2022 than in those months during the first wave of 2020. China's CO2 emissions are estimated to have decreased by 15% (equivalent to -244.3 million metric tons of CO2) during the 2022 lockdown, greater than the 9% reduction during the 2020 lockdown. Omicron affected most of the populated and industrial provinces in 2022, hindering China's CO2 emissions rebound starting from 2021. China's emission variations agreed with downstream CO2 concentration changes, indicating a potential to monitor CO2 emissions by integrating satellite and ground measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Carbon Sequestration, Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bo Zheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Carbon Sequestration, Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Philippe Ciais
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Carbon Sequestration, Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - K. Folkert Boersma
- Department of Meteorology and Air Quality, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Climate Observations Department, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, Netherlands
| | | | - Randall V. Martin
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Gregoire Broquet
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Ronald van der A
- R&D Satellite Observations, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), De Bilt, Netherlands
| | - Haiyan Li
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Chaopeng Hong
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Carbon Sequestration, Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yu Lei
- Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Yawen Kong
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kebin He
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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5
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Gea M, Macrì M, Marangon D, Pitasi FA, Fontana M, Schilirò T, Bonetta S. Biological effects of particulate matter samples during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison with the pre-lockdown period in Northwest Italy. AIR QUALITY, ATMOSPHERE, & HEALTH 2023; 16:1-16. [PMID: 37359393 PMCID: PMC10243887 DOI: 10.1007/s11869-023-01381-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, containment measures were applied inducing potential changes in air pollutant concentrations and thus in air toxicity. This study evaluates the role of restrictions on biological effects of particulate matter (PM) in different Northwest Italy sites: urban background, urban traffic, rural, and incinerator. Daily PM samples collected in 2020 were pooled according to restrictions: January/February (no restrictions), March and April (first lockdown), May/June and July/August/September (low restrictions), October/November/December (second lockdown). The 2019 samples (pre-pandemic period) were pooled as 2020 for comparison. Pools were extracted with organic solvents and extracts were tested to assess cytotoxicity (WST-1 assay) and genotoxicity (comet assay) on BEAS-2B cells, mutagenicity (Ames test) on TA98 and TA100 Salmonella typhimurium strains, and estrogenic activity (gene reporter assay) on MELN cells. Pollutant concentrations were also analyzed (PM10, PM2.5, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). No difference was observed for PM and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations between 2020 and 2019. During lockdown months (2020), PM cytotoxicity/genotoxicity was significantly lower in some sites than during 2019, while considering PM mutagenicity/estrogenic activity some differences were detected but without statistical significance. PM extract effects decreased in some sites during 2020; this may be due to lockdowns that reduced/modified pollutant emissions and may be related also to complex PM origin/formation and to meteorological conditions. In conclusion, the study confirms that PM biological effects cannot be assessed considering only the PM concentration and suggests to include a battery of bioassay for air quality monitoring in order to protect human health from air pollution effects. Graphical Abstract Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11869-023-01381-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Gea
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Via Santena 5 Bis, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Manuela Macrì
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Daniele Marangon
- Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Piedmont (ARPA Piemonte), Via Sabaudia 164, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Francesco Antonio Pitasi
- Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Piedmont (ARPA Piemonte), Via Sabaudia 164, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Marco Fontana
- Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Piedmont (ARPA Piemonte), Via Sabaudia 164, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Tiziana Schilirò
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Via Santena 5 Bis, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Sara Bonetta
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Via Santena 5 Bis, 10126 Turin, Italy
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Ly A, Davenport FV, Diffenbaugh NS. Exploring the Influence of Summer Temperature on Human Mobility During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the San Francisco Bay Area. GEOHEALTH 2023; 7:e2022GH000772. [PMID: 37287701 PMCID: PMC10243210 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Studies on the relationship between temperature and local, small scale mobility are limited, and sensitive to the region and time period of interest. We contribute to the growing mobility literature through a detailed characterization of the observed temperature-mobility relationship in the San Francisco Bay Area at fine spatial and temporal scale across two summers (2020-2021). We used anonymized cellphone data from SafeGraph's neighborhood patterns data set and gridded temperature data from gridMET, and analyzed the influence of incremental changes in temperature on mobility rate (i.e., visits per capita) using a panel regression with fixed effects. This strategy enabled us to control for spatial and temporal variability across the studied region. Our analysis suggested that all areas exhibited lower mobility rate in response to higher summer temperatures. We then explored how several additional variables altered these results. Extremely hot days resulted in faster mobility declines with increasing temperatures. Weekdays were often more resistant to temperature changes when compared to the weekend. In addition, the rate of decrease in mobility in response to high temperature was significantly greater among the wealthiest census block groups compared with the least wealthy. Further, the least mobile locations experienced significant differences in mobility response compared to the rest of the data set. Given the fundamental differences in the mobility response to temperature across most of our additive variables, our results are relevant for future mobility studies in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amina Ly
- Department of Earth System ScienceStanford UniversityStanfordCAUSA
| | - Frances V. Davenport
- Department of Earth System ScienceStanford UniversityStanfordCAUSA
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Noah S. Diffenbaugh
- Department of Earth System ScienceStanford UniversityStanfordCAUSA
- Doerr School of SustainabilityStanford UniversityStanfordCAUSA
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Hou Z, Li Y, Zhang L, Song C, Lin J, Zhou C, Wang Y, Qu Y, Yao X, Gao P. The COVID-19 lockdown: a unique perspective into heterogeneous impacts of transboundary pollution on snow and ice darkening across the Himalayas. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad172. [PMID: 37383022 PMCID: PMC10299077 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
The Tibetan Plateau holds the largest mass of snow and ice outside of the polar regions. The deposition of light-absorbing particles (LAPs) including mineral dust, black carbon and organic carbon and the resulting positive radiative forcing on snow (RFSLAPs) substantially contributes to glacier retreat. Yet how anthropogenic pollutant emissions affect Himalayan RFSLAPs through transboundary transport is currently not well known. The COVID-19 lockdown, resulting in a dramatic decline in human activities, offers a unique test to understand the transboundary mechanisms of RFSLAPs. This study employs multiple satellite data from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer and ozone monitoring instrument, as well as a coupled atmosphere-chemistry-snow model, to reveal the high spatial heterogeneities in anthropogenic emissions-induced RFSLAPs across the Himalaya during the Indian lockdown in 2020. Our results show that the reduced anthropogenic pollutant emissions during the Indian lockdown were responsible for 71.6% of the reduction in RFSLAPs on the Himalaya in April 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The contributions of the Indian lockdown-induced human emission reduction to the RFSLAPs decrease in the western, central, and eastern Himalayas were 46.8%, 81.1%, and 110.5%, respectively. The reduced RFSLAPs might have led to 27 Mt reduction in ice and snow melt over the Himalaya in April 2020. Our findings allude to the potential for mitigating rapid glacial threats by reducing anthropogenic pollutant emissions from economic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Changqing Song
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jintai Lin
- Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chenghu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environment Information System, Institute of Geographical Science and Natural Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yuebin Wang
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ying Qu
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xin Yao
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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Hallsworth JE, Udaondo Z, Pedrós‐Alió C, Höfer J, Benison KC, Lloyd KG, Cordero RJB, de Campos CBL, Yakimov MM, Amils R. Scientific novelty beyond the experiment. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:1131-1173. [PMID: 36786388 PMCID: PMC10221578 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Practical experiments drive important scientific discoveries in biology, but theory-based research studies also contribute novel-sometimes paradigm-changing-findings. Here, we appraise the roles of theory-based approaches focusing on the experiment-dominated wet-biology research areas of microbial growth and survival, cell physiology, host-pathogen interactions, and competitive or symbiotic interactions. Additional examples relate to analyses of genome-sequence data, climate change and planetary health, habitability, and astrobiology. We assess the importance of thought at each step of the research process; the roles of natural philosophy, and inconsistencies in logic and language, as drivers of scientific progress; the value of thought experiments; the use and limitations of artificial intelligence technologies, including their potential for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research; and other instances when theory is the most-direct and most-scientifically robust route to scientific novelty including the development of techniques for practical experimentation or fieldwork. We highlight the intrinsic need for human engagement in scientific innovation, an issue pertinent to the ongoing controversy over papers authored using/authored by artificial intelligence (such as the large language model/chatbot ChatGPT). Other issues discussed are the way in which aspects of language can bias thinking towards the spatial rather than the temporal (and how this biased thinking can lead to skewed scientific terminology); receptivity to research that is non-mainstream; and the importance of theory-based science in education and epistemology. Whereas we briefly highlight classic works (those by Oakes Ames, Francis H.C. Crick and James D. Watson, Charles R. Darwin, Albert Einstein, James E. Lovelock, Lynn Margulis, Gilbert Ryle, Erwin R.J.A. Schrödinger, Alan M. Turing, and others), the focus is on microbiology studies that are more-recent, discussing these in the context of the scientific process and the types of scientific novelty that they represent. These include several studies carried out during the 2020 to 2022 lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic when access to research laboratories was disallowed (or limited). We interviewed the authors of some of the featured microbiology-related papers and-although we ourselves are involved in laboratory experiments and practical fieldwork-also drew from our own research experiences showing that such studies can not only produce new scientific findings but can also transcend barriers between disciplines, act counter to scientific reductionism, integrate biological data across different timescales and levels of complexity, and circumvent constraints imposed by practical techniques. In relation to urgent research needs, we believe that climate change and other global challenges may require approaches beyond the experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E. Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological SciencesQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
| | - Zulema Udaondo
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsUniversity of Arkansas for Medical SciencesLittle RockArkansasUSA
| | - Carlos Pedrós‐Alió
- Department of Systems BiologyCentro Nacional de Biotecnología (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Juan Höfer
- Escuela de Ciencias del MarPontificia Universidad Católica de ValparaísoValparaísoChile
| | - Kathleen C. Benison
- Department of Geology and GeographyWest Virginia UniversityMorgantownWest VirginiaUSA
| | - Karen G. Lloyd
- Microbiology DepartmentUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Radamés J. B. Cordero
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and ImmunologyJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Claudia B. L. de Campos
- Institute of Science and TechnologyUniversidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP)São José dos CamposSPBrazil
| | | | - Ricardo Amils
- Department of Molecular Biology, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC‐UAM)Nicolás Cabrera n° 1, Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain
- Department of Planetology and HabitabilityCentro de Astrobiología (INTA‐CSIC)Torrejón de ArdozSpain
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Yang Z, Zhang W, Villarini G. Impact of coronavirus-driven reduction in aerosols on precipitation in the western United States. ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH 2023; 288:106732. [PMID: 37007932 PMCID: PMC10050195 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2023.106732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Among the many impacts of COVID-19, the pandemic led to improved air quality conditions in the countries under quarantine due to the shutdown of industries, drastically reduced traffic, and lockdowns. Meanwhile, the western United States, particularly the coastal areas from Washington to California, received much less precipitation than normal during early 2020. Is it possible that this reduction in precipitation was driven by the reduced aerosols due to the coronavirus? Here we show that the reduction in aerosols resulted in higher temperatures (up to ∼0.5 °C) and generally lower snow amounts but cannot explain the observed low precipitation amounts over this region. In addition to an assessment of the effects of the coronavirus-related reduction in aerosols on precipitation across the western United States, our findings also provide basic information on the potential impacts different mitigation efforts aimed at reducing anthropogenic aerosols would have on the regional climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqi Yang
- Fondazione Centro euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici - CMCC, Bologna, Italy
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Plants, Soils and Climate, Utah State University, UT, USA
| | - Gabriele Villarini
- IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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Hulkkonen M, Kaaronen RO, Kokkola H, Mielonen T, Clusius P, Xavier C, Hellén H, Niemi JV, Malila J. Modeling non-linear changes in an urban setting: From pro-environmental affordances to responses in behavior, emissions and air quality. AMBIO 2023; 52:976-994. [PMID: 36735103 PMCID: PMC9897621 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01827-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Interactions in urban environment were investigated using a multidisciplinary model combination, with focus on traffic, emissions and atmospheric particles. An agent-based model was applied to simulate the evolution of unsustainable human behavior (usage of combustion-based personal vehicles) as a function of pro-environmental affordances (opportunities for sustainable choices). Scenarios regarding changes in multi-pollutant emissions were derived, and the non-linear implications to atmospheric particles were simulated with a box model. Based on the results for a Nordic city, increasing pro-environmental affordances by 10%, 50% or 100% leads to emission reductions of 15%, 30% and 40% within 2 years. To reduce ambient particle mass, emissions from traffic should decrease by > 15%, while the lung deposited surface area decreases in all scenarios ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], correspondingly). The presented case is representative of one season, but the approach is generic and applicable to simulating a full year, given meteorological and pollution data that reflects seasonal variation. This work emphasizes the necessity to consider feedback mechanisms and non-linearities in both human behavior and atmospheric processes, when predicting the outcomes of changes in an urban system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira Hulkkonen
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 8000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Roope O. Kaaronen
- Past Present Sustainability Research Unit, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, P.O. BOX 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Harri Kokkola
- Atmospheric Research Centre of Eastern Finland, Finnish Meteorological Institute, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tero Mielonen
- Atmospheric Research Centre of Eastern Finland, Finnish Meteorological Institute, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Petri Clusius
- Faculty of Science, Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), University of Helsinki, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Carlton Xavier
- Faculty of Science, Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), University of Helsinki, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heidi Hellén
- Atmospheric Composition Research Unit, Finnish Meteorological Institute, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jarkko V. Niemi
- Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority (HSY), 00066 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jussi Malila
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 8000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
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Duan X, Yan Y, Xie K, Niu Y, Xu Y, Peng L. Impact of primary emission variations on secondary inorganic aerosol formation: Prospective from COVID-19 lockdown in a typical northern China city. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 323:121355. [PMID: 36842622 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Hourly observations in northern China city of Taiyuan were performed to compare secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA) reaction mechanisms, and emission effects on SIA during the pre-lock and COVID-19 lock days. Emission control implemented and meteorological conditions during lock days both caused beneficial impact on air quality. NO2 showed the highest decrease ratio of -49.5%, while the relative fraction of NO3- in PM2.5 increased the most (2.7%). Source apportionment revealed the top three contributors to PM2.5 were secondary formation (SF), coal combustion (CC), and vehicle exhaust (VE) during both pre-lock and lock days. EC lock/pre were all lower than 1, suggesting the overall reduction of primary emissions during lock days, while the higher ratio of (SIA/EC) lock/pre (1.01-1.36) indicated the enhanced secondary formation in lock days. The ratio of SIA of pollution to clean days during lock periods considerably higher by 23.7% compared with that in pre-lock periods, which was indicated SIA secondary formation was more pronounced and contributed great to pollution days in lock periods though secondary formation existed in pre-lock and lock periods. Enhanced secondary formation of NO3- and SO42- during lock days might be mainly due to the increased in aqueous and gas-phase reactions, respectively. Except for SF, high contribution of VE and CC were also important for high SIA concentration in pre-lock and lock days, respectively. The decreased contribution of VE weakens its contribution to SIA formation, indicating the effectiveness of VE emission control, as confirmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlights the aqueous and gas-phase reactions for nitrate and sulfate, respectively, which contributed to heavy pollution, as well as indicated the important role of VE on SIA formation, suggesting the urgent need to further strengthen controls on vehicle emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Duan
- Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Systems Optimization, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yulong Yan
- Engineering Research Center of Clean and Low-carbon Technology for Intelligent Transportation, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, China; Institute of Transport Energy and Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, China.
| | - Kai Xie
- Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Systems Optimization, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yueyuan Niu
- Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Systems Optimization, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yang Xu
- School for Energy, Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Lin Peng
- Engineering Research Center of Clean and Low-carbon Technology for Intelligent Transportation, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, China; Institute of Transport Energy and Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, China
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12
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Wang Y, Wang H, Wang P, Zhang X, Zhang Z, Zhong Q, Ma F, Yue Q, Chen WQ, Du T, Liang S. Cascading impacts of global metal mining on climate change and human health caused by COVID-19 pandemic. RESOURCES, CONSERVATION, AND RECYCLING 2023; 190:106800. [PMID: 36465718 PMCID: PMC9705201 DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly disrupted global metal mining and associated supply chains. Here we analyse the cascading effects of the metal mining disruption associated with the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, climate change, and human health. We find that the pandemic reduced global metal mining by 10-20% in 2020. This reduction subsequently led to losses in global economic output of approximately 117 billion US dollars, reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 33 million tonnes (exceeding Hungary's emissions in 2015), and reduced human health damage by 78,192 disability-adjusted life years. In particular, copper and iron mining made the most significant contribution to these effects. China and rest-of-the-world America were the most affected. The cascading effects of the metal mining disruption associated with the pandemic on the economy, climate change, and human health should be simultaneously considered in designing green economic stimulus policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Eco-Industry, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, People's Republic of China
| | - Heming Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Eco-Industry, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Wang
- Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Zhang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Eco-Industry, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhihe Zhang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Eco-Industry, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiumeng Zhong
- Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengmei Ma
- Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Yue
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Eco-Industry, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Qiang Chen
- Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Du
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Eco-Industry, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, People's Republic of China
| | - Sai Liang
- Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, People's Republic of China
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13
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Vaishya A, Raj SS, Singh A, Sivakumar S, Ojha N, Sharma SK, Ravikrishna R, Gunthe SS. Black carbon over tropical Indian coast during the COVID-19 lockdown: inconspicuous role of coastal meteorology. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:44773-44781. [PMID: 36701057 PMCID: PMC9878492 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25370-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Black carbon (BC) aerosols critically impact the climate and hydrological cycle. The impact of anthropogenic emissions and coastal meteorology on BC dynamics, however, remains unclear over tropical India, a globally identified hotspot. In this regard, we have performed in situ measurements of BC over a megacity (Chennai, 12° 59' 26.5″ N, 80° 13' 51.8″ E) on the eastern coast of India during January-June 2020, comprising the period of COVID-19-induced strict lockdown. Our measurements revealed an unprecedented reduction in BC concentration by an order of magnitude as reported by other studies for various other pollutants. This was despite having stronger precipitation during pre-lockdown and lesser precipitation washout during the lockdown. Our analyses, taking mesoscale dynamics into account, unravels stronger BC depletion in the continental air than marine air. Additionally, the BC source regime also shifted from a fossil-fuel dominance to a biomass burning dominance as a result of lockdown, indicating relative reduction in fossil fuel combustion. Considering the rarity of such a low concentration of BC in a tropical megacity environment, our observations and findings under near-natural or background levels of BC may be invaluable to validate model simulations dealing with BC dynamics and its climatic impacts in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Vaishya
- School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India
- Global Centre for Environment and Energy, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Subha S Raj
- Environmental Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Aishwarya Singh
- Environmental Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
- Center for Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Swetha Sivakumar
- Environmental Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Narendra Ojha
- Physical Research Laboratory, Space and Atmospheric Sciences Division, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Som Kumar Sharma
- Physical Research Laboratory, Space and Atmospheric Sciences Division, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Raghunathan Ravikrishna
- Center for Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Sachin S Gunthe
- Environmental Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India.
- Center for Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India.
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14
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Chakraborty P, Kumar R, Karn S, Srivastava AK, Mondal P. The long-term impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on environmental health: a review study of the bi-directional effect. BULLETIN OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRE 2023; 47:33. [PMID: 36879580 PMCID: PMC9976686 DOI: 10.1186/s42269-023-01007-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND When health systems worldwide grapple with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, its effect on the global environment is also a significant consideration factor. It is a two-way process where the pre-COVID climate factors influenced the landscape in which the disease proliferates globally and the consequences of the pandemic on our surroundings. The environmental health disparities will also have a long-lasting effect on public health response. MAIN BODY The ongoing research on the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and COVID-19 must also include the role of environmental factors in the process of infection and the differential severity of the disease. Studies have shown that the virus has created positive and negative ramifications on the world environment, especially in countries most critically affected by the pandemic. Contingency measures to slow down the virus, such as self-distancing and lockdowns have shown improvements in air, water, and noise quality with a concomitant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, biohazard waste management is a cause for concern that can result in negative effects on planetary health. At the peak of the infection, most attention has been diverted to the medical aspects of the pandemic. Gradually, policymakers must shift their focus to social and economic avenues, environmental development, and sustainability. CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the environment, both directly and indirectly. On the one hand, the sudden halt in economic and industrial activities led to a decrease in air and water pollution, as well as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, the increased use of single-use plastics and a surge in e-commerce activities have had negative effects on the environment. As we move forward, we must consider the pandemic's long-term impacts on the environment and work toward a more sustainable future that balances economic growth and environmental protection. The study shall update the readers on the various facets of the interaction between this pandemic and environmental health with model development for long-term sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasenjit Chakraborty
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur-Kadi, Mehsana, Gujarat 382740 India
| | - Randhir Kumar
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur-Kadi, Mehsana, Gujarat 382740 India
| | - Sanjay Karn
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur-Kadi, Mehsana, Gujarat 382740 India
| | - Ankit Kumar Srivastava
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur-Kadi, Mehsana, Gujarat 382740 India
| | - Priya Mondal
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
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15
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Kashyap R, Kuttippurath J, Patel VK. Improved air quality leads to enhanced vegetation growth during the COVID-19 lockdown in India. APPLIED GEOGRAPHY (SEVENOAKS, ENGLAND) 2023; 151:102869. [PMID: 36619606 PMCID: PMC9805897 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2022.102869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The direct effect of pandemic induced lockdown (LD) on environment is widely explored, but its secondary impacts remain largely unexplored. Therefore, we assess the response of surface greenness and photosynthetic activity to the LD-induced improvement of air quality in India. Our analysis reveals a significant improvement in air quality marked by reduced levels of aerosols (AOD, -19.27%) and Particulate Matter (PM 2.5, -23%) during LD (2020)from pre-LD (March-September months for the period 2017-2019). The vegetation exhibits a positive response, reflected by the increase in surface greenness [Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI, +10.4%)] and photosynthetic activity [Solar Induced Fluorescence (SiF, +11%)], during LD from pre-LD that coincides with two major agricultural seasons of India; Zaid (March-May) and Kharif (June-September). In addition, the croplands show a higher response [two-fold in EVI (14.45%) and four-fold in SiF (17.7%)] than that of forests. The prolonged growing period (phenology) and high rate of photosynthesis (intensification) led to the enhanced greening during LD owing to the reduced atmospheric pollution. This study, therefore, provides new insights into the response of vegetation to the improved air quality, which would give ideas to counter the challenges of food security in the context of climate pollution, and combat global warming by more greening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Kashyap
- CORAL, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India
| | - J Kuttippurath
- CORAL, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India
| | - V K Patel
- CORAL, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India
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16
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Tavella RA, Galeao da Rosa Moraes N, Maciel Aick CD, Ramires PF, Pereira N, Soares AG, da Silva Júnior FMR. Weekend effect of air pollutants in small and medium-sized cities: The role of policies stringency to COVID-19 containment. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH 2023; 14:101662. [PMID: 36686558 PMCID: PMC9842451 DOI: 10.1016/j.apr.2023.101662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Although the pattern of air pollutants has been extensively studied during the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekend effect has been rarely investigated. In order to understand the impact of policies stringency as well as the interruption-recovery pattern, the aim of the study was to investigate the levels of air pollutants (O3, NO2, SO2, PM2.5, PM10) and PM2.5/PM10 ratio before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in four cities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, evaluating the weekend effect at these two scenarios and also identifying how the restriction measures applied locally had an impact on this effect. For this, daily data from two years of monitoring of air pollutants were collected and the weekend effect was calculated based on the levels from Monday to Friday (weekday) and Saturday and Sunday (weekend). There was a positive weekend effect for almost all criteria air pollutants in the four cities, and an intrinsic relation between the weekend effect and the restriction measures adopted. A negative weekend effect was observed in the scenario characterized by less restrictive and more permissive policies for daily and occupational activities. Conversely, when more stringent measures were implemented, this trend was reversed and higher intensities of positive weekend effect were observed as restrictions increased. In conclusion, the COVID-19 perturbation to air quality changed as regions tighten and loosen restrictions on human mobility. These insights that can guide responsible authorities about future strategies and policies for air quality control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronan Adler Tavella
- Programa de Pós-graduação Em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande, Campus Carreiros, 96200-400, Rio Grande - RS, Brazil
- Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande - FURG, Av. Itália, Km 8, Campus Carreiros, CEP, 96203-900, Rio Grande - RS, Brazil
| | - Niely Galeao da Rosa Moraes
- Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande - FURG, Av. Itália, Km 8, Campus Carreiros, CEP, 96203-900, Rio Grande - RS, Brazil
| | - Carlos Daniel Maciel Aick
- Programa de Pós-graduação Em Ciências Ambientais, Centro de Engenharias, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Praça Domingos Rodrigues, Centro, 96010-450, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Paula Florencio Ramires
- Programa de Pós-graduação Em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande, Campus Carreiros, 96200-400, Rio Grande - RS, Brazil
- Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande - FURG, Av. Itália, Km 8, Campus Carreiros, CEP, 96203-900, Rio Grande - RS, Brazil
| | - Natália Pereira
- Programa de Pós-graduação Em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande, Campus Carreiros, 96200-400, Rio Grande - RS, Brazil
- Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande - FURG, Av. Itália, Km 8, Campus Carreiros, CEP, 96203-900, Rio Grande - RS, Brazil
| | - Ana Gonçalves Soares
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Barley House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Flavio Manoel Rodrigues da Silva Júnior
- Programa de Pós-graduação Em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande, Campus Carreiros, 96200-400, Rio Grande - RS, Brazil
- Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande - FURG, Av. Itália, Km 8, Campus Carreiros, CEP, 96203-900, Rio Grande - RS, Brazil
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Bhattacharya R, Bose D. Energy and water: COVID-19 impacts and implications for interconnected sustainable development goals. ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY 2023; 42:e14018. [PMID: 36711214 PMCID: PMC9874872 DOI: 10.1002/ep.14018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic presented a chance to investigate the effects of system-wide emergencies on major global commodities such as water and energy. In terms of environmental policies and attaining supply security, these developmental goals are interrelated. Despite pandemic disruptions, there is a compelling need for a systematization in these areas for the transition to clean water access and sustainable energy. This article presents a comprehensive assessment of the effects of COVID-19 on these two sustainable development goals. Further, an integrated aspect of water and energy access for sustainable development is evaluated with insights on the effects of COVID-19 on the water-energy nexus. Additionally, technological evolution for building better water and energy supply systems is presented. An insight into developing robust healthcare systems and how the water and energy SDGs affect population dynamics is also speculated, which indicates varied short-term adaption experiences, and highlights the need for a re-evaluation of the water-energy nexus. The integrated solutions contributing to stability of the water supply chain, energy storage, and policy making during and after an outbreak are critical to achieving developmental goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riya Bhattacharya
- School of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences & BiotechnologyShoolini University of Biotechnology & Management SciencesSolanHimachal PradeshIndia
| | - Debajyoti Bose
- School of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences & BiotechnologyShoolini University of Biotechnology & Management SciencesSolanHimachal PradeshIndia
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18
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Hassan SK, Alghamdi MA, Khoder MI. Effect of restricted emissions during COVID-19 on atmospheric aerosol chemistry in a Greater Cairo suburb: Characterization and enhancement of secondary inorganic aerosol production. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH 2022; 13:101587. [PMID: 36340245 PMCID: PMC9627639 DOI: 10.1016/j.apr.2022.101587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
To prevent the rapid spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Egyptian government had imposed partial lockdown restrictions which led emissions reduction. This served as ideal conditions for a natural experiment, for study the effect of partial lockdown on the atmospheric aerosol chemistry and the enhanced secondary inorganic aerosol production in a semi-desert climate area like Egypt. To achieve this objective, SO2, NO2, and PM2.5 and their chemical compositions were measured during the pre-COVID, COVID partial lockdown, and post-COVID periods in 2020 in a suburb of Greater Cairo, Egypt. Our results show that the SO2, NO2, PM2.5 and anthropogenic elements concentrations follow the pattern pre-COVID > post-COVID > COVID partial lockdown. SO2 and NO2 reductions were high compared with their secondary products during the COVID partial lockdown compared with pre-COVID. Although, PM2.5, anthropogenic elements, NO2, SO2, SO4 2-, NO3 -, and NH4 + decreased by 39%, 38-55%, 38%, 32.9%. 9%, 14%, and 4.3%, respectively, during the COVID partial lockdown compared with pre-COVID, with the secondary inorganic ions (SO4 2-, NO3 -, and NH4 +) being the dominant components in PM2.5 during the COVID partial lockdown. Moreover, the enhancement of NO3 - and SO4 2- formation during the COVID partial lockdown was high compared with pre-COVID. SO4 2- and NO3 - formation enhancements were significantly positive correlated with PM2.5 concentration. Chemical forms of SO4 2- and NO3 - were identified in PM2.5 based on their NH4 +/SO4 2- molar ratio and correlation between NH4 + and both NO3 - and SO4 2-. The particles during the COVID partial lockdown were more acidic than those in pre-COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salwa K Hassan
- Air Pollution Research Department, Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute, National Research Centre, El Behooth Str., Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt
| | - Mansour A Alghamdi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80208, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mamdouh I Khoder
- Air Pollution Research Department, Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute, National Research Centre, El Behooth Str., Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt
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19
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Fouotsa Manfouo N, Von Fintel D. Investigating the effects of drought and lockdowns on smallholder and commercial agricultural production in KwaZulu-Natal using remotely sensed data. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11637. [PMID: 36439763 PMCID: PMC9681641 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Not many efforts have been made so far to understand the effects of both the 2015-2016 drought and the 2020 lockdown measures on the agricultural production of smallholder vis-a-vis commercial farmers in Kwazulu-Natal. Google Earth Engine, and random forest algorithm, are used to generate a dataset that help to investigate this question. A regression is performed on double differenced data to investigate the effects of interest. A k-mean cluster analysis, is also used to determine whether the distribution patterns of crop production changed with drought and disruption of agricultural production input. Results show that: (1) droughts affected the agricultural production of both areas similarly. Crop cover declined in both areas for one season after droughts were broken. Then recovery was driven by greener, more productive crops rather than the expansion of crop area. (2) The response of both areas to the COVID-19 lockdown was also similar. Both smallholder and commercial areas' Normalised Difference Vegetation Index - a proxy for crop vitality - improved in response to regulations favourable to the sector and improved rainfall. No significant adjustments in crop cover were observed. Production therefore changed primarily at the intensive margin (improved productivity of existing croplands) rather than the extensive (changing the extent of land under cultivation). (3) Cluster analysis allows for a more granular view, showing that the positive impact of lockdowns on agriculture were concentrated in areas with high rainfall and close proximity to metropolitan markets. Both smallholder and commercial farmers therefore are reliant on market access together with favourable environmental conditions for improved production.
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Affiliation(s)
- N.C. Fouotsa Manfouo
- Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1 Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
| | - D. Von Fintel
- Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1 Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
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20
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Elsamadony M, Fujii M, Ryo M, Nerini FF, Kakinuma K, Kanae S. Preliminary quantitative assessment of the multidimensional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Sustainable Development Goals. JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION 2022; 372:133812. [PMID: 36061137 PMCID: PMC9418703 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The intersectoral impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on humanity raises concerns about its implications for sustainable development. Here, we examine a global quantitative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across all 17 goals using 65 proxy indicators across 72 countries collected from April 2020 to February 2021. Our data-driven analysis indicated that adverse impacts of the pandemic have been particularly concerned on gender equality (Goal 5), affordable and clean energy (Goal 7), decent work and economic growth (Goal 8), sustainable cities and communities (Goal 11), and responsible consumption and production (Goal 12) with global scores estimated to be -0.38, -0.21, -0.28, -0.22 and -0.16, respectively. Country income level was a variable that strongly differentiates the responses to the pandemic (e.g., lower incomes had 14 negative goals compared to 11 and 4 negative goals assigned to middle- and high-income countries, respectively). However, Goals 5 and 8 were highly impacted worldwide regardless of income status. Furthermore, countries that had already higher performance in SDGs were less impacted by the pandemic, highlighting the importance of progress on the SDGs in increasing societal resilience to pandemics. The findings provide insights into the reinforcement of recovery policies (e.g., protecting vulnerable groups and transitioning to a green economy) and a basis for a quantitative discussion on the sectors to be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Elsamadony
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo, 152-8552, Japan
- Department of Public Works Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, 31521, Tanta City, Egypt
| | - Manabu Fujii
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo, 152-8552, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ryo
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
- Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Francesco Fuso Nerini
- KTH Climate Action Centre & KTH Division of Energy Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kaoru Kakinuma
- Asian Demographic Research Institute, Shanghai University, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Shinjiro Kanae
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo, 152-8552, Japan
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21
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Guo X, Tu X, Huang G, Fang X, Kong L, Wu J. Urban greenspace helps ameliorate people's negative sentiments during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Beijing. BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT 2022; 223:109449. [PMID: 35937083 PMCID: PMC9339086 DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative effects on people's mental health worldwide, especially for those who live in large cities. Studies have reported that urban greenspace may help lessen these adverse effects, but more research that explicitly considers urban landscape pattern is needed to understand the underlying processes. Thus, this study was designed to examine whether the resident sentiments in Beijing, China changed before and during the pandemic, and to investigate what urban landscape attributes - particularly greenspace - might contribute to the sentiment changes. We conducted sentiment analysis based on 25,357 geo-tagged microblogs posted by residents in 51 neighborhoods. We then compared the resident sentiments in 2019 (before the COVID-19) with those in 2020 (during the COVID-19) using independent sample t-tests, and examined the relationship between resident sentiments and urban greenspace during the COVID-19 pandemic phases using stepwise regression. We found that residents' sentiments deteriorated significantly from 2019 to 2020 in general, and that urban sentiments during the pandemic peak times showed an urban-suburban trend that was determined either by building density or available greenspace. Although our analysis included several other environmental and socioeconomic factors, none of them showed up as a significant factor. Our study suggests the effects of urban greenspace and building density on residents' sentiments increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and that not all green spaces are equal. Increasing greenspace, especially within and near neighborhoods, seems critically important to helping urban residents to cope with public health emergencies such as global pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Guo
- School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology (ESPRE), Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xingyue Tu
- Institute of Environmental Information, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Ganlin Huang
- School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology (ESPRE), Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xuening Fang
- School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Lingqiang Kong
- School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology (ESPRE), Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jianguo Wu
- School of Life Sciences and School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
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22
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Zhao W, Yin C, Hua T, Meadows ME, Li Y, Liu Y, Cherubini F, Pereira P, Fu B. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the post-pandemic era. HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 9:258. [PMID: 35967482 PMCID: PMC9362700 DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01283-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose substantial challenges to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Exploring systematic SDG strategies is urgently needed to aid recovery from the pandemic and reinvigorate global SDG actions. Based on available data and comprehensive analysis of the literature, this paper highlights ongoing challenges facing the SDGs, identifies the effects of COVID-19 on SDG progress, and proposes a systematic framework for promoting the achievement of SDGs in the post-pandemic era. Progress towards attaining the SDGs was already lagging behind even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inequitable distribution of food-energy-water resources and environmental crises clearly threaten SDG implementation. Evidently, there are gaps between the vision for SDG realization and actual capacity that constrain national efforts. The turbulent geopolitical environment, spatial inequities, and trade-offs limit the effectiveness of SDG implementation. The global public health crisis and socio-economic downturn under COVID-19 have further impeded progress toward attaining the SDGs. Not only has the pandemic delayed SDG advancement in general, but it has also amplified spatial imbalances in achieving progress, undermined connectivity, and accentuated anti-globalization sentiment under lockdowns and geopolitical conflicts. Nevertheless, positive developments in technology and improvement in environmental conditions have also occurred. In reflecting on the overall situation globally, it is recommended that post-pandemic SDG actions adopt a "Classification-Coordination-Collaboration" framework. Classification facilitates both identification of the current development status and the urgency of SDG achievement aligned with national conditions. Coordination promotes domestic/international and inter-departmental synergy for short-term recovery as well as long-term development. Cooperation is key to strengthening economic exchanges, promoting technological innovation, and building a global culture of sustainable development that is essential if the endeavor of achieving the SDGs is to be successful. Systematic actions are urgently needed to get the SDG process back on track.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Caichun Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Michael E. Meadows
- Department of Environmental & Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- School of Geographic and Ocean Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- College of Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Yan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanxu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Francesco Cherubini
- Industrial Ecology Program, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Paulo Pereira
- Environmental Management Center, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Bojie Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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23
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Staehle C, Mayer M, Kirchsteiger B, Klaus V, Kult-Herdin J, Schmidt C, Schreier S, Karlicky J, Trimmel H, Kasper-Giebl A, Scherllin-Pirscher B, Rieder HE. Quantifying changes in ambient NOx, O3 and PM10 concentrations in Austria during the COVID-19 related lockdown in spring 2020. AIR QUALITY, ATMOSPHERE & HEALTH 2022; 15:1993-2007. [PMID: 35891896 PMCID: PMC9305063 DOI: 10.1007/s11869-022-01232-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
During spring 2020, unprecedented changes in local and regional emissions have occurred around the globe due to governmental restrictions associated with COVID-19. Many European countries including Austria issued partial curfews or stay-at-home order policies, which have impacted ambient air quality through reductions in non-essential transportation and energy consumption of industrial sites and work places. Here, we analyse the effect of these measures on ambient concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM10) during the first nationwide lockdown in Austria (16.03.2020 to 14.04.2020). To ensure a robust analysis, the Austrian domain is divided into four individual subsectors contingent on regional climate. For air quality analysis a novel method is applied for filtering days with comparable weather conditions during the 2020 lockdown and spring 2017 to 2019. In general, our analysis shows decreasing pollutant concentrations, although in magnitude dependent on pollutant and regional subdomain. Largest reductions are found for NOx reaching up to −68% at traffic sites reflecting the substantial decrease in non-essential transport. Changes in the O3 concentrations at background sites show a rather weak response to NOx declines varying between roughly −18 to +8% for both the median and the upper tail of the distribution. Occasional site level increases in O3 concentrations can be attributed to comparably weak titration during night-time. PM10 concentrations show the smallest response among air pollutants, attributable to manifold precursor sources not affected by the lockdown measures. However, our analysis indicates also a shift of PM10 distributions at traffic sites closer to distributions observed at background sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Staehle
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - M Mayer
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - B. Kirchsteiger
- Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - V. Klaus
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - J. Kult-Herdin
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - C. Schmidt
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - S. Schreier
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - J. Karlicky
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Atmospheric Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - H. Trimmel
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - A. Kasper-Giebl
- Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - H. E. Rieder
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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24
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Frantzeskaki N, Oke C, Barnett G, Bekessy S, Bush J, Fitzsimons J, Ignatieva M, Kendal D, Kingsley J, Mumaw L, Ossola A. A transformative mission for prioritising nature in Australian cities. AMBIO 2022; 51:1433-1445. [PMID: 35352304 PMCID: PMC8963402 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01725-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Australia is experiencing mounting pressures related to processes of urbanisation, biodiversity loss and climate change felt at large in cities. At the same time, it is cities that can take the leading role in pioneering approaches and solutions to respond to those coupling emergencies. In this perspective piece we respond to the following question: What are the required transformations for prioritising, valuing, maintaining and embracing nature in cities in Australia? We adopt the mission framework as an organising framework to present proposed pathways to transform Australian cities as nature-positive places of the future. We propose three interconnected pathways as starting actions to steer urban planning, policy and governance in Australian cities: First, cities need to establish evidence-based planning for nature in cities and mainstream new planning tools that safeguard and foreground urban nature. Second, collaborative planning needs to become a standard practice in cities and inclusive governance for nature in cities needs to prioritise Aboriginal knowledge systems and practices as well as look beyond what local governments can do. Third, for progressing to nature-positive cities, it is paramount to empower communities to innovate with nature across Australian cities. Whilst we focus on Australian cities, the lessons and pathways are broadly applicably globally and can inspire science-policy debates for the post COP15 biodiversity and COP26 climate change implementation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niki Frantzeskaki
- Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Cathy Oke
- Connected Cities Lab, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Guy Barnett
- CSIRO Land and Water, Clunies Ross Street, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Sarah Bekessy
- ICON Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001 Australia
| | - Judy Bush
- Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - James Fitzsimons
- The Nature Conservancy, Suite 2-01, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC 3053 Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC 3125 Australia
| | - Maria Ignatieva
- School of Design, the University of Western Australia, M433, Perth, WA 6001 Australia
| | - Dave Kendal
- Healthy Landscapes Research Group, School of Geography, Planning and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7000 Australia
| | - Jonathan Kingsley
- Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, 12 Wakefield Street (Swinburne Place West), Melbourne, VIC 3122 Australia
| | - Laura Mumaw
- Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Australia
- Gardens for Wildlife Victoria, 511 Burwood Hwy, Wantirna South, VIC 3152 Australia
| | - Alessandro Ossola
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW Australia
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Science, The University of Melbourne, Burnley, VIC Australia
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25
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Ward-Paige CA, White ER, Madin E, Osgood GJ, Bailes LK, Bateman RL, Belonje E, Burns KV, Cullain N, Darbyshire-Jenkins P, de Waegh RS, Eger AM, Fola-Matthews L, Ford BM, Gonson C, Honeyman CJ, House JE, Jacobs E, Jordan LK, Levenson JJ, Lucchini K, Martí-Puig MP, McGuire L, Meneses C, Montoya-Maya PH, Noonan RA, Ruiz-Ruiz PA, Ruy PE, Saputra RA, Shedrawi G, Sing B, Tietbohl MD, Twomey A, Florez DV, Yamb L. A framework for mapping and monitoring human-ocean interactions in near real-time during COVID-19 and beyond. MARINE POLICY 2022; 140:105054. [PMID: 35399704 PMCID: PMC8979766 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2022.105054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The human response to the COVID-19 pandemic set in motion an unprecedented shift in human activity with unknown long-term effects. The impacts in marine systems are expected to be highly dynamic at local and global scales. However, in comparison to terrestrial ecosystems, we are not well-prepared to document these changes in marine and coastal environments. The problems are two-fold: 1) manual and siloed data collection and processing, and 2) reliance on marine professionals for observation and analysis. These problems are relevant beyond the pandemic and are a barrier to understanding rapidly evolving blue economies, the impacts of climate change, and the many other changes our modern-day oceans are undergoing. The "Our Ocean in COVID-19″ project, which aims to track human-ocean interactions throughout the pandemic, uses the new eOceans platform (eOceans.app) to overcome these barriers. Working at local scales, a global network of ocean scientists and citizen scientists are collaborating to monitor the ocean in near real-time. The purpose of this paper is to bring this project to the attention of the marine conservation community, researchers, and the public wanting to track changes in their area. As our team continues to grow, this project will provide important baselines and temporal patterns for ocean conservation, policy, and innovation as society transitions towards a new normal. It may also provide a proof-of-concept for real-time, collaborative ocean monitoring that breaks down silos between academia, government, and at-sea stakeholders to create a stronger and more democratic blue economy with communities more resilient to ocean and global change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - E R White
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Emp Madin
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | | | - L K Bailes
- Biology Department, Miami University of Ohio Global Field Program, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - R L Bateman
- Murdoch University, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia
| | | | | | - N Cullain
- Marine Action Research, Zavora Marine Lab, Mozambique
| | | | | | - A M Eger
- Center for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kengsington, NSW, Australia
| | - L Fola-Matthews
- Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - B M Ford
- School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Albany, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | - C J Honeyman
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - J E House
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | | | - L K Jordan
- World Below the Waves, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - J J Levenson
- US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Washington, D.C., University of Massachusetts Boston, Oceans Forward, Boston, MA, USA
| | - K Lucchini
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Comportamento e Conservação, Departamento de Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - R A Noonan
- Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - P A Ruiz-Ruiz
- Ecology Department, Universidad Catolica de la Santisima Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
| | - P E Ruy
- Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Galway, Ireland
| | - R A Saputra
- Indonesia Biru, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
| | - G Shedrawi
- Coastal Fisheries Program, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division, Pacific Community, Noumea, Nouville New Caledonie
| | - B Sing
- Shark Guardian, Nottingham, UK
| | - M D Tietbohl
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - A Twomey
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4067, Australia
| | - Dc Vergara Florez
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Marina (BIOMMAR), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
| | - L Yamb
- Unité de Formation des Sciences de la Terre et Environnement, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
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26
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Gao Y, Lu Y, Dungait JAJ, Liu J, Lin S, Jia J, Yu G. The "Regulator" Function of Viruses on Ecosystem Carbon Cycling in the Anthropocene. Front Public Health 2022; 10:858615. [PMID: 35425734 PMCID: PMC9001988 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.858615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses act as "regulators" of the global carbon cycle because they impact the material cycles and energy flows of food webs and the microbial loop. The average contribution of viruses to the Earth ecosystem carbon cycle is 8.6‰, of which its contribution to marine ecosystems (1.4‰) is less than its contribution to terrestrial (6.7‰) and freshwater (17.8‰) ecosystems. Over the past 2,000 years, anthropogenic activities and climate change have gradually altered the regulatory role of viruses in ecosystem carbon cycling processes. This has been particularly conspicuous over the past 200 years due to rapid industrialization and attendant population growth. The progressive acceleration of the spread and reproduction of viruses may subsequently accelerate the global C cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Lu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jennifer A J Dungait
- Geography, College of Life and Environmental Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.,Carbon Management Centre, SRUC-Scotland's Rural College, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jianbao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shunhe Lin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Junjie Jia
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guirui Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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27
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Yin C, Pereira P, Hua T, Liu Y, Zhu J, Zhao W. Recover the food-energy-water nexus from COVID-19 under Sustainable Development Goals acceleration actions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 817:153013. [PMID: 35031370 PMCID: PMC8748208 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The interwoven relationship between food, energy, and water (FEW) is described as the FEW nexus. The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted the FEW nexus and impeded the progress of FEW-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (SDG 2: Zero Hunger; 6: Clean Water and Sanitation; 7: Affordable and Clean Energy). We aim to find solutions to recover the FEW nexus from COVID-19. First, we discussed the challenges faced by FEW amid COVID-19. Second, we observed responses of the FEW nexus under COVID-19's interference. Finally, we proposed the solutions that guide the FEW nexus in recovery from the pandemic by mining 164 FEW-related SDG Acceleration Actions. The key solutions include 1) building or upgrading FEW facilities and infrastructure, 2) improving nature's contribution to the FEW nexus, 3) developing digital technologies, 4) innovating the source and production of FEW, and 5) promoting community production and transforming the lifestyle. Our work highlights the importance of feasible and accelerated actions that recover the FEW nexus in the post-pandemic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caichun Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Paulo Pereira
- Environmental Management Center, Mykolas Romeris University, Ateities g. 20, LT-08303 Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Ting Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yanxu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jing Zhu
- School of Humanities and Law, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China; School of Economics, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Wenwu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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28
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Reyniers T, Buffel V, Thunnissen E, Vuylsteke B, Siegel M, Nöstlinger C, Wouters E. Increased Anxiety and Depression Among Belgian Sexual Minority Groups During the First COVID-19 Lockdown-Results From an Online Survey. Front Public Health 2022; 10:797093. [PMID: 35480568 PMCID: PMC9035515 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.797093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic most likely had a negative impact on mental health. Sexual minorities are at higher risk for adverse mental outcomes such as depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Such mental health disparities may have exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to restricted real-life social contact. The study aim was to examine changes in depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among Belgian sexual minority adults between the periods before and during the first COVID-19 lockdown. We conducted an online survey, which was disseminated by community organizations throughout Belgium in April 2020. The questionnaire included two-item Generalized-Anxiety-Disorder (GAD-2) and Patient-Health-Questionnaire (PHQ-2) measures. To assess how such symptoms and other factors (e.g., loneliness) had changed, we asked to what extent these occurred before and since the lockdown. We included 965 fully completed questionnaires in the analysis. The proportions of participants screening positive for depression and anxiety were significantly higher during the lockdown than before the lockdown, based on their reported symptoms for these periods: 29.3%% vs. 13.5% (p < 0.001), and 37.1% vs. 25.7% (p < 0.001) respectively. Lonely and young participants were more likely to acquire depression. About one in five participants reported suicidal ideation. Our findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated already existing mental health disparities between sexual minority adults and the general population. These exacerbations may be the result of increased loneliness and social isolation. The results highlight the need for stimulating and strengthening social connectedness within the LGBTQI community during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need for maintaining mental health services for such groups during pandemic restrictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thijs Reyniers
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Veerle Buffel
- Department of Sociology, Centre for Population, Family and Health University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Estrelle Thunnissen
- Department of Sociology, Centre for Population, Family and Health University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bea Vuylsteke
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Magdalena Siegel
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Edwin Wouters
- Department of Sociology, Centre for Population, Family and Health University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Centre for Health Systems Research & Development, University of the Free State, South Africa
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29
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Wei L, Lu Z, Wang Y, Liu X, Wang W, Wu C, Zhao X, Rahimi S, Xia W, Jiang Y. Black carbon-climate interactions regulate dust burdens over India revealed during COVID-19. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1839. [PMID: 35383203 PMCID: PMC8983761 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29468-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
India as a hotspot for air pollution has heavy black carbon (BC) and dust (DU) loadings. BC has been identified to significantly impact the Indian climate. However, whether BC-climate interactions regulate Indian DU during the premonsoon season is unclear. Here, using long-term Reanalysis data, we show that Indian DU is positively correlated to northern Indian BC while negatively correlated to southern Indian BC. We further identify the mechanism of BC-dust-climate interactions revealed during COVID-19. BC reduction in northern India due to lockdown decreases solar heating in the atmosphere and increases surface albedo of the Tibetan Plateau (TP), inducing a descending atmospheric motion. Colder air from the TP together with warmer southern Indian air heated by biomass burning BC results in easterly wind anomalies, which reduces dust transport from the Middle East and Sahara and local dust emissions. The premonsoon aerosol-climate interactions delay the outbreak of the subsequent Indian summer monsoon. Black carbon produced by human activities impacts climate. Here, the authors find that black carbon-climate interactions regulate Indian dust during the premonsoon season and further affect the outbreak of the subsequent Indian summer monsoon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linyi Wei
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Zheng Lu
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Weiyi Wang
- International Center for Climate and Environment Sciences, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chenglai Wu
- International Center for Climate and Environment Sciences, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xi Zhao
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Stefan Rahimi
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Wenwen Xia
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yiquan Jiang
- CMA-NJU Joint Laboratory for Climate Prediction Studies, Institute for Climate and Global Change Research, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
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30
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Guo Q, Lee DC. The ecology of COVID-19 and related environmental and sustainability issues. AMBIO 2022; 51:1014-1021. [PMID: 34279809 PMCID: PMC8287844 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01603-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Around the globe, human behavior and ecosystem health have been extensively and sometimes severely affected by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Most efforts to study these complex and heterogenous effects to date have focused on public health and economics. Some studies have evaluated the pandemic's influences on the environment, but often on a single aspect such as air or water pollution. The related research opportunities are relatively rare, and the approaches are unique in multiple aspects and mostly retrospective. Here, we focus on the diverse research opportunities in disease ecology and ecosystem sustainability related to the (intermittent) lockdowns that drastically reduced human activities. We discuss several key knowledge gaps and questions to address amid the ongoing pandemic. In principle, the common knowledge accumulated from invasion biology could also be effectively applied to COVID-19, and the findings could offer much-needed information for future pandemic prevention and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinfeng Guo
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 3041 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
| | - Danny C Lee
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 200 WT Weaver Blvd, Asheville, NC, 28804, USA
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31
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Gaiser EE, Kominoski JS, McKnight DM, Bahlai CA, Cheng C, Record S, Wollheim WM, Christianson KR, Downs MR, Hawman PA, Holbrook SJ, Kumar A, Mishra DR, Molotch NP, Primack RB, Rassweiler A, Schmitt RJ, Sutter LA. Long-term ecological research and the COVID-19 anthropause: A window to understanding social-ecological disturbance. Ecosphere 2022; 13:e4019. [PMID: 35573027 PMCID: PMC9087370 DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The period of disrupted human activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, coined the "anthropause," altered the nature of interactions between humans and ecosystems. It is uncertain how the anthropause has changed ecosystem states, functions, and feedback to human systems through shifts in ecosystem services. Here, we used an existing disturbance framework to propose new investigation pathways for coordinated studies of distributed, long-term social-ecological research to capture effects of the anthropause. Although it is still too early to comprehensively evaluate effects due to pandemic-related delays in data availability and ecological response lags, we detail three case studies that show how long-term data can be used to document and interpret changes in air and water quality and wildlife populations and behavior coinciding with the anthropause. These early findings may guide interpretations of effects of the anthropause as it interacts with other ongoing environmental changes in the future, particularly highlighting the importance of long-term data in separating disturbance impacts from natural variation and long-term trends. Effects of this global disturbance have local to global effects on ecosystems with feedback to social systems that may be detectable at spatial scales captured by nationally to globally distributed research networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn E. Gaiser
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological SciencesFlorida International UniversityMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - John S. Kominoski
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological SciencesFlorida International UniversityMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - Diane M. McKnight
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research and Environmental Studies ProgramUniversity of ColoradoBoulderColoradoUSA
| | | | - Chingwen Cheng
- The Design SchoolArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - Sydne Record
- Department of BiologyBryn Mawr CollegeBryn MawrPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Wilfred M. Wollheim
- Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNew HampshireUSA
| | | | - Martha R. Downs
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and SynthesisUniversity of California Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Peter A. Hawman
- Department of GeographyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - Sally J. Holbrook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine BiologyUniversity of California Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Abhishek Kumar
- Department of Environmental ConservationUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Noah P. Molotch
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine ResearchUniversity of ColoradoBoulderColoradoUSA
| | | | - Andrew Rassweiler
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine BiologyUniversity of California Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Lori A. Sutter
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
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32
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He C, Zhou W, Li T, Zhou T, Wang Y. East Asian summer monsoon enhanced by COVID-19. CLIMATE DYNAMICS 2022; 59:2965-2978. [PMID: 35382257 PMCID: PMC8969407 DOI: 10.1007/s00382-022-06247-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic emissions decreased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its possible effect on monsoon is unclear. Based on coupled models participating in the COVID Model Intercomparison Project (COVID-MIP), we show modeling evidence that the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) is enhanced by 2.2% in terms of precipitation and by 5.4% in terms of the southerly wind at lower troposphere, and the amplitude of the forced response reaches about 1/3 of the standard deviation for interannual variability. The enhanced EASM during COVID-19 pandemic is a fast response to reduced aerosols, which is confirmed by the simulated response to the removal of all anthropogenic aerosols. The observational evidence, i.e., the anomalously strong EASM observed in 2020 and 2021, also supports the simulated enhancement of EASM. The essential mechanism for the enhanced EASM in response to COVID-19 is the enhanced zonal thermal contrast between Asian continent and the western North Pacific in the troposphere, due to the reduced aerosol concentration over Asian continent and the associated latent heating feedback. As the enhancement of EASM is a fast response to the reduction in aerosols, the effect of COVID-19 on EASM dampens soon after the rebound of emissions based on the models participating in COVID-MIP. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00382-022-06247-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao He
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Joint Laboratory of Collaborative Innovation for Environmental Quality, Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Guy Carpenter Asia-Pacific Climate Impact Centre, School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wen Zhou
- Guy Carpenter Asia-Pacific Climate Impact Centre, School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tim Li
- Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education/Joint International Research Laboratory of Climate and Environmental Change/Collaborative Innovation Center On Forecast of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
- International Pacific Research Center, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, USA
| | - Tianjun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Yuhao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education/Joint International Research Laboratory of Climate and Environmental Change/Collaborative Innovation Center On Forecast of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
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Sun X, Liu G, Hao H, Liu Z, Zhao F. Modeling potential impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global electric vehicle supply chain. iScience 2022; 25:103903. [PMID: 35187462 PMCID: PMC8837477 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The on-going COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdowns cast significant impacts on global economy in the short run. Their impact on stability of global electric vehicles (EVs) supply chain and thus our climate ambition in the long run, however, remains hitherto largely unexplored. We aim to address this gap based on an integrated model framework, including assessing supply risks of 17 selected core commodities throughout the EV supply chain and further applying the supply constraints to project future EV sales until 2030. Our model results under three pandemic development scenarios indicate that if the pandemic is effectively contained before 2024, the global EV industry will recover without fundamentally scathed and thus can maintain the same growth trend as in the no-pandemic scenario by 2030. We suggest that fiscal stimulus in the postpandemic era should be directed more toward upgrading the quality of battery products, rather than expanding the production capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Rio Tinto Joint Research Center for Resources Energy and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Gang Liu
- SDU Life Cycle Engineering, Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Han Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Rio Tinto Joint Research Center for Resources Energy and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua Automotive Strategy Research Institute, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zongwei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua Automotive Strategy Research Institute, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Fuquan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua Automotive Strategy Research Institute, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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34
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Sala MM, Peters F, Sebastián M, Cardelús C, Calvo E, Marrasé C, Massana R, Pelejero C, Sala-Coromina J, Vaqué D, Gasol JM. COVID-19 lockdown moderately increased oligotrophy at a marine coastal site. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 812:151443. [PMID: 34742983 PMCID: PMC8570446 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has led to global population lockdowns that have had indirect effects on terrestrial and marine fauna, yet little is known on their effects on marine planktonic communities. We analysed the effect of the spring 2020 lockdown in a marine coastal area in Blanes Bay, NW Mediterranean. We compared a set of 23 oceanographic, microbial and biogeochemical variables sampled right after the strict lockdown in Spain, with data from the previous 15 years after correcting for long-term trends. Our analysis shows a series of changes in the microbial communities which may have been induced by the combination of the decreased nitrogen atmospheric load, the lower wastewater flux and the reduced fishing activity in the area, among other factors. In particular, we detected a slight decrease beyond the long-term trend in chlorophyll a, in the abundance of several microbial groups (phototrophic nanoflagellates and total prokaryotes) and in prokaryotic activity (heterotrophic prokaryotic production and β-glucosidase activity) which, as a whole, resulted in a moderate increase of oligotrophy in Blanes Bay after the lockdown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Montserrat Sala
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Francesc Peters
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Marta Sebastián
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Clara Cardelús
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Eva Calvo
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Celia Marrasé
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ramon Massana
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Carles Pelejero
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joan Sala-Coromina
- Institut Català de Recerca per a la Governança del Mar, ICATMAR (Catalan Directorate-General of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs and Marine Science Institute, ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Dolors Vaqué
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Josep M Gasol
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Gibbons DW, Sandbrook C, Sutherland WJ, Akter R, Bradbury R, Broad S, Clements A, Crick HQP, Elliott J, Gyeltshen N, Heath M, Hughes J, Jenkins RKB, Jones AH, Lopez de la Lama R, Macfarlane NBW, Maunder M, Prasad R, Romero‐Muñoz A, Steiner N, Tremlett J, Trevelyan R, Vijaykumar S, Wedage I, Ockendon N. The relative importance of COVID-19 pandemic impacts on biodiversity conservation globally. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13781. [PMID: 34057250 PMCID: PMC8239704 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on almost all aspects of human society and endeavor; the natural world and its conservation have not been spared. Through a process of expert consultation, we identified and categorized, into 19 themes and 70 subthemes, the ways in which biodiversity and its conservation have been or could be affected by the pandemic globally. Nearly 60% of the effects have been broadly negative. Subsequently, we created a compendium of all themes and subthemes, each with explanatory text, and in August 2020 a diverse group of experienced conservationists with expertise from across sectors and geographies assessed each subtheme for its likely impact on biodiversity conservation globally. The 9 subthemes ranked highest all have a negative impact. These were, in rank order, governments sidelining the environment during their economic recovery, reduced wildlife-based tourism income, increased habitat destruction, reduced government funding, increased plastic and other solid waste pollution, weakening of nature-friendly regulations and their enforcement, increased illegal harvest of wild animals, reduced philanthropy, and threats to survival of conservation organizations. In combination, these impacts present a worrying future of increased threats to biodiversity conservation but reduced capacity to counter them. The highest ranking positive impact, at 10, was the beneficial impact of wildlife-trade restrictions. More optimistically, among impacts ranked 11-20, 6 were positive and 4 were negative. We hope our assessment will draw attention to the impacts of the pandemic and, thus, improve the conservation community's ability to respond to such threats in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Gibbons
- RSPB Centre for Conservation ScienceThe LodgeBedfordshireUK
- RSPB Centre for Conservation ScienceThe David Attenborough BuildingCambridgeUK
| | | | - William J. Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Biosecurity Research Initiative at St. Catherine's (BioRISC), St. Catherine's CollegeUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | | | - Richard Bradbury
- RSPB Centre for Conservation ScienceThe LodgeBedfordshireUK
- Conservation Science Group, Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jonathan Hughes
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring CentreCambridgeUK
| | | | | | - Rocio Lopez de la Lama
- Institute for Resources, Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | | | | | | | - Alfredo Romero‐Muñoz
- Geography DepartmentHumboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Fundación CohabitarSucreBolivia
| | - Noa Steiner
- Department of Agricultural EconomicsUniversity of KielKielGermany
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36
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Tavella RA, da Silva Júnior FMR. Watch out for trends: did ozone increased or decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:67880-67885. [PMID: 34694554 PMCID: PMC8542654 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17142-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Restriction measures against COVID-19 caused the environmental panorama of cities to change, especially in relation to air pollution. This scenario of severe reduction in the emission of air pollutants led to a flurry of studies about their behavior during the pandemic. The vast majority of studies pointed to a decrease in all pollutants, with the exception of ozone. However, was this highlighted ozone trend really the global trend? This discussion seeks to answer this question while addressing two major considerations that led to this trend: (1) the process of ozone formation and behavior and (2) the main reasons that led to the findings of this trend (region of the studies, meteorological conditions, and the time scale adopted for data collection). From our observations, we emphasize that a trend is not unanimity! The global trend turned out to be the opposite of what the initial studies showed, all this because the observed trend was a regional trend, affected by the reasons discussed. Thus, we raise awareness and concern with the way in which the initial "fever" of the behavior of air pollutants occurred and also toward the act of sampling highly populated areas, as this attitude could have caused biased estimations and disinformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronan Adler Tavella
- Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande - FURG, Av. Itália km 8 Bairro Carreiros, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil
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37
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Weir B, Crisp D, O’Dell CW, Basu S, Chatterjee A, Kolassa J, Oda T, Pawson S, Poulter B, Zhang Z, Ciais P, Davis SJ, Liu Z, Ott LE. Regional impacts of COVID-19 on carbon dioxide detected worldwide from space. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabf9415. [PMID: 34731009 PMCID: PMC8565902 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf9415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Activity reductions in early 2020 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic led to unprecedented decreases in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Despite their record size, the resulting atmospheric signals are smaller than and obscured by climate variability in atmospheric transport and biospheric fluxes, notably that related to the 2019–2020 Indian Ocean Dipole. Monitoring CO2 anomalies and distinguishing human and climatic causes thus remain a new frontier in Earth system science. We show that the impact of short-term regional changes in fossil fuel emissions on CO2 concentrations was observable from space. Starting in February and continuing through May, column CO2 over many of the world’s largest emitting regions was 0.14 to 0.62 parts per million less than expected in a pandemic-free scenario, consistent with reductions of 3 to 13% in annual global emissions. Current spaceborne technologies are therefore approaching levels of accuracy and precision needed to support climate mitigation strategies with future missions expected to meet those needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brad Weir
- Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD, USA
- Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - David Crisp
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Christopher W. O’Dell
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sourish Basu
- Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Abhishek Chatterjee
- Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD, USA
- Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Jana Kolassa
- Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- Science and Systems and Applications Incorporated, Lanham, MD, USA
| | - Tomohiro Oda
- Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD, USA
- Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- The Earth from Space Institute (EfSI), Universities Space Research Association, 7178 Columbia Gateway Dr, Columbia, MD 21046, USA
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, 4254 Stadium Dr, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Steven Pawson
- Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin Poulter
- Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, 4254 Stadium Dr, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Philippe Ciais
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Steven J. Davis
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Zhu Liu
- Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Lesley E. Ott
- Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
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38
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Corradini A, Peters W, Pedrotti L, Hebblewhite M, Bragalanti N, Tattoni C, Ciolli M, Cagnacci F. Animal movements occurring during COVID-19 lockdown were predicted by connectivity models. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021; 32:e01895. [PMID: 34729384 PMCID: PMC8552749 DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent events related to the measures taken to control the spread of the Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) reduced human mobility (i.e. anthropause), potentially opening connectivity opportunities for wildlife populations. In the Italian Alps, brown bears have recovered after reintroduction within a complex anthropogenic matrix, but failed to establish a metapopulation due to reduced connectivity and human disturbance (i.e. infrastructure, land use, and human mobility). Previous work from Peters et al. (2015, Biol. Cons. 186, 123–133) predicted the main corridors and suitable hot spots for road network crossing for this population across all major roads and settlement zones, to link most suitable habitats. Bears used the identified hot spots for road network crossing over the years, but major barriers such as main motor roads were not overcome, possibly due to functional anthropogenic disturbance, specifically human mobility. By analyzing 404 bear occurrences reported to local authorities (as bear-related complaints) collected between 2016 and 2020 (March 9th - May 18th), hence including the COVID-19 related lockdown, we tested the effect of human presence on brown bears' use of space and hot spots for road network crossing. Animals occupied human-dominated spaces and approached hot spots for crossing at a higher rate during the lockdown than in previous years, suggesting that connectivity temporarily increased with reduced human mobility for this population. As a result of their increased use of hot spots, bears expanded their use of suitable areas beyond the population core area. Movement of animals across structural barriers such as roads and human settlements may therefore occur in absence of active disturbance. We also showed the value of predictive models to identify hot spots for animal barrier crossing, the knowledge of which is critical when implementing management solutions to enhance connectivity. Understanding the factors that influence immigration and emigration across metapopulations of large mammals, particularly carnivores that may compete indirectly with humans for space or directly as super-predators, is critical to ensure the long-term viability of conservation efforts for their persistence. We argue that dynamic factors such as human mobility may play a larger role than previously recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Corradini
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM), University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento, TN, Italy.,Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy.,Stelvio National Park, Via De Simoni 42, 23032 Bormio, SO, Italy
| | - Wibke Peters
- Bavarian State Inst of Forestry (LWF), Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 1, DE-85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Luca Pedrotti
- Stelvio National Park, Via De Simoni 42, 23032 Bormio, SO, Italy.,Servizio Foreste e Fauna, Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Via Giovanni Battista Trener 3, 38121 Trento, TN, Italy
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, 59812 Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Natalia Bragalanti
- Servizio Foreste e Fauna, Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Via Giovanni Battista Trener 3, 38121 Trento, TN, Italy
| | - Clara Tattoni
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit (UAGRA), Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, via Jean Henry Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, VA, Italy
| | - Marco Ciolli
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM), University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento, TN, Italy.,Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
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Innovation in Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Best Practices from Five Smart Cities in Indonesia. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su132112072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In relation to innovations which help to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, the best practices of several smart cities become an important input to organize and create strategies for future cities. This research aims to identify the responses of cities to the COVID-19 pandemic; analyze their innovation in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic; and create strategies and planning for the future of the cities. This study analyzes aspects such as the use of information and communication technology (ICT), smart city implementation, the biological disaster of the COVID-19 pandemic, the environment, and spatial plans. This research was carried out in five smart cities using a case study. The results indicated that each case had innovations for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. They showed a uniqueness and local innovations adapted to the problems faced in the five case areas. The innovations were demonstrated by the use of ICT-based applications in several public services as part of smart city implementation. The concept of a smart city, which addresses the biological disaster of the COVID-19 pandemic through the existence of ship-based isolation centers and sociotechnical innovations, was then adapted in various cities throughout Indonesia. In terms of the smart environment concept, this is translated through technological and social innovation approaches to improve medical and domestic waste management, public service systems, and the socialization of environmental protection programs in cities during the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is allegedly accelerating the implementation of the smart city concept in spatial planning. There is a tendency for the use of public space in the city center to shift to local-scale service centers. Additionally, other activities are increasingly occupying the digital space so that it affects the arrangement of spatial organization and increases the need for ICT infrastructure. The efficient and flexible use of applications for supporting the implementation of smart cities needs to be broadened for the public services provided by both the government and private sectors. Meanwhile, in relation to the dimensions of a smart environment, it is necessary to take into account the waste management as a result of COVID-19. The same case is the aspect of spatial planning in which it is necessary to redesign open spaces for public use. City planning in the future also needs to be capable of the smart mitigation of non-physical disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Rillig MC, Lehmann A, Bank MS, Gould KA, Heekeren HR. Scientists need to better communicate the links between pandemics and global environmental change. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1466-1467. [PMID: 34475572 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01552-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias C Rillig
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Anika Lehmann
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael S Bank
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway.,University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Kenneth A Gould
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hauke R Heekeren
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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41
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Jensen A, Liu Z, Tan W, Dix B, Chen T, Koss A, Zhu L, Li L, de Gouw J. Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Changzhou, China. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS 2021; 48:e2021GL095560. [PMID: 34924637 PMCID: PMC8667654 DOI: 10.1029/2021gl095560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 prompted strict lockdowns, reduced human activity, and reduced emissions of air pollutants. We measured volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using a proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry instrument in Changzhou, China from 8 January through 27 March, including periods of pre-lockdown, strict measures (level 1), and more relaxed measures (level 2). We analyze the data using positive matrix factorization and resolve four factors: textile industrial emissions (62 ± 10% average reduction during level 1 relative to pre-lockdown), pharmaceutical industrial emissions (40 ± 20%), traffic emissions (71 ± 10%), and secondary chemistry (20 ± 20%). The two industrial sources showed different responses to the lockdown, so emissions from the industrial sector should not be scaled uniformly. The quantified changes in VOCs due to the lockdowns constrain emission inventories and inform chemistry-transport models, particularly for sectors where activity data are sparse, as the effects of lockdowns on air quality are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Jensen
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- School of Environmental and Chemical EngineeringShanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
- Changzhou Institute of Environmental ScienceChangzhouChina
| | | | - Barbara Dix
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | - Tianshu Chen
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
- Environment Research InstituteShandong UniversityQingdaoChina
| | | | | | - Li Li
- School of Environmental and Chemical EngineeringShanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Joost de Gouw
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
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COVID-19 lockdowns drive decline in active fires in southeastern United States. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2105666118. [PMID: 34663728 PMCID: PMC8639348 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2105666118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19, led to strict social-distancing guidelines that severely impacted human livelihood and economic activity. Workplace closures reduced travel, and early in spring 2020, improvements in air and water quality, reduced seismic activity, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions were observed. COVID-19–related shutdowns emerged at the beginning of the prescribed fire season in the southeastern United States, where 80% of fires are human caused. Using active fire satellite observations and fuel treatment statistics, we estimated a 21% reduction in active fires from March to December 2020 (up to 40% on federal lands). This reduction in active fire may increase fire risk in the future and is detrimental to biodiversity and other ecosystem services inherent to fire-dependent ecosystems. Fire is a common ecosystem process in forests and grasslands worldwide. Increasingly, ignitions are controlled by human activities either through suppression of wildfires or intentional ignition of prescribed fires. The southeastern United States leads the nation in prescribed fire, burning ca. 80% of the country’s extent annually. The COVID-19 pandemic radically changed human behavior as workplaces implemented social-distancing guidelines and provided an opportunity to evaluate relationships between humans and fire as fire management plans were postponed or cancelled. Using active fire data from satellite-based observations, we found that in the southeastern United States, COVID-19 led to a 21% reduction in fire activity compared to the 2003 to 2019 average. The reduction was more pronounced for federally managed lands, up to 41% below average compared to the past 20 y (38% below average compared to the past decade). Declines in fire activity were partly affected by an unusually wet February before the COVID-19 shutdown began in mid-March 2020. Despite the wet spring, the predicted number of active fire detections was still lower than expected, confirming a COVID-19 signal on ignitions. In addition, prescribed fire management statistics reported by US federal agencies confirmed the satellite observations and showed that, following the wet February and before the mid-March COVID-19 shutdown, cumulative burned area was approaching record highs across the region. With fire return intervals in the southeastern United States as frequent as 1 to 2 y, COVID-19 fire impacts will contribute to an increasing backlog in necessary fire management activities, affecting biodiversity and future fire danger.
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43
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Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Security and Agriculture in Iran: A Survey. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su131810103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The consequences of COVID-19 on the economy and agriculture have raised many concerns about global food security, especially in developing countries. Given that food security is a critical component that is affected by global crises, beside the limited studies carried out on the macro-impacts of COVID-19 on food security in Iran, this paper is an attempt to address the dynamic impacts of COVID-19 on food security along with economic and environmental challenges in Iran. For this purpose, a survey was conducted with the hypothesis that COVID-19 has not affected food security in Iran. To address this fundamental hypothesis, we applied the systematic review method to obtain the evidence. Various evidences, including indices and statistics, were collected from national databases, scientific reports, field observations, and interviews. Preliminary results revealed that COVID-19 exerts its effects on the economy, agriculture, and food security of Iran through six major mechanisms, corresponding to a 30% decrease in the purchasing power parity in 2020 beside a significant increase in food prices compared to 2019. On the other hand, the expanding environmental constraints in Iran reduce the capacity of the agricultural sector to play a crucial role in the economy and ensure food security, and in this regard, COVID-19 forces the national programs and budget to combat rising ecological limitations. Accordingly, our study rejects the hypothesis that COVID-19 has not affected food security in Iran.
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Garrido-Cumbrera M, Foley R, Braçe O, Correa-Fernández J, López-Lara E, Guzman V, González Marín A, Hewlett D. Perceptions of Change in the Natural Environment produced by the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic across Three European countries. Results from the GreenCOVID study. URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING 2021; 64:127260. [PMID: 34493937 PMCID: PMC8414052 DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Although different studies have evaluated the positive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on reducing noise pollution and traffic levels and improving air quality, how populations have perceived such changes in the natural environment has not been adequately evaluated. The present study provides a more in-depth exploration of human population perception of enhanced natural exposure (to animal life and nature sounds) and reduced harmful exposure (by improved air quality and reduced traffic volume) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The data is drawn from 3,109 unselected adults who participated in the GreenCOVID survey from April to July 2020 in England, Ireland, and Spain. The findings suggest that the positive impacts to the natural environment as a result of the lockdown have been better received by the population in Spain and Ireland, in comparison to England. Participants who resided in urban areas had better perceived improvements in nature sounds, air quality, and traffic volume compared to those in rural areas. Older populations and those with lower smoking and alcohol consumption were found to perceive this improvement the most. Furthermore, the greater perception of improvements in environmental elements was also associated with better self-perceived health and improved wellbeing. In the binary logistic regression, living in Ireland or Spain, urban areas, female gender, older age, and good overall wellbeing were associated with a greater perception of improvements in the natural environment, while the factors most associated with a greater perception of reduced harmful exposure were living in Spain, had a good self-perceived health status and older age.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ronan Foley
- Department of Geography, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Olta Braçe
- Health and Territory Research, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
| | | | | | - Viveka Guzman
- Division of Population Health, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Denise Hewlett
- PeopleScapes Research Group, University of Winchester, United Kingdom
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45
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Chowdhury RB, Khan A, Mahiat T, Dutta H, Tasmeea T, Binth Arman AB, Fardu F, Roy BB, Hossain MM, Khan NA, Amin ATMN, Sujauddin M. Environmental externalities of the COVID-19 lockdown: Insights for sustainability planning in the Anthropocene. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 783:147015. [PMID: 34088121 PMCID: PMC9616981 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly halted the Anthropocene's ever-expanding reign for the time being. The resulting global human confinement, dubbed as the Anthropause, has created an unprecedented opportunity for us to evaluate the environmental consequences of large-scale changes in anthropogenic activities. Based on a methodical and in-depth review of related literature, this study critically evaluates the positive and negative externalities of COVID-19 induced lockdown on environmental components including air, water, noise, waste, forest, wildlife, and biodiversity. Among adverse impacts of the lockdown, increased amount of healthcare waste (300-400%), increased level of atmospheric ozone (30-300%), elevated levels of illicit felling in forests and wildlife poaching were prominent. Compared to the negative impacts, significant positive changes in various quality parameters related to key environmental components were evident. Positive impacts on air quality, water quality, noise level, waste generation, and wildlife were apparent in varying degrees as evaluated in this study. By presenting a critical overview of the recommendations given in the major literature in light of these documented impacts, this paper alludes to potential policy reforms as a guideline for future sustainable environmental management planning. Some of the key recommendations are e.g., enhance remote working facilities, cleaner design, use of internet of things, automation, systematic lockdown, and inclusion of hazardous waste management in disaster planning. The summarized lessons of this review, pertinent to the dynamic relationship between anthropogenic activities and environmental degradation, amply bring home the need for policy reforms and prioritization of Sustainable Development Goals in the context of the planetary boundaries to the environmental sustainability for a new post-pandemic world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ayushi Khan
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Tashfia Mahiat
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Tahana Tasmeea
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Afra Bashira Binth Arman
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Farzin Fardu
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Bidhan Bhuson Roy
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Department of Wood Science, Faculty of Forestry, The University of British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Niaz Ahmed Khan
- Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - A T M Nurul Amin
- Department of Economics and Social Sciences, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Sujauddin
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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46
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Abstract
We leverage the unparalleled changes in human activity during COVID-19 and the unmatched capabilities of the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument to understand how lockdowns impact ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution disparities in the United States. The least White communities experienced the largest NO2 reductions during lockdowns; however, disparities between the least and most White communities are so large that the least White communities still faced higher NO2 levels during lockdowns than the most White communities experienced prior to lockdowns, despite a ∼50% reduction in passenger vehicle traffic. Similar findings hold for ethnic, income, and educational attainment population subgroups. Future strategies to reduce NO2 disparities will need to target emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. The unequal spatial distribution of ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2), an air pollutant related to traffic, leads to higher exposure for minority and low socioeconomic status communities. We exploit the unprecedented drop in urban activity during the COVID-19 pandemic and use high-resolution, remotely sensed NO2 observations to investigate disparities in NO2 levels across different demographic subgroups in the United States. We show that, prior to the pandemic, satellite-observed NO2 levels in the least White census tracts of the United States were nearly triple the NO2 levels in the most White tracts. During the pandemic, the largest lockdown-related NO2 reductions occurred in urban neighborhoods that have 2.0 times more non-White residents and 2.1 times more Hispanic residents than neighborhoods with the smallest reductions. NO2 reductions were likely driven by the greater density of highways and interstates in these racially and ethnically diverse areas. Although the largest reductions occurred in marginalized areas, the effect of lockdowns on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic NO2 disparities was mixed and, for many cities, nonsignificant. For example, the least White tracts still experienced ∼1.5 times higher NO2 levels during the lockdowns than the most White tracts experienced prior to the pandemic. Future policies aimed at eliminating pollution disparities will need to look beyond reducing emissions from only passenger traffic and also consider other collocated sources of emissions such as heavy-duty vehicles.
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47
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Zhang F, Wang Z, Vijver MG, Peijnenburg WJGM. Probing nano-QSAR to assess the interactions between carbon nanoparticles and a SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragment. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 219:112357. [PMID: 34044308 PMCID: PMC8133531 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is rampant in the world and is a serious threat to global health. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been detected in various environmental media, which speeds up the pace of the virus becoming a global biological pollutant. Because many engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are capable of inducing anti-microbial activity, ENMs provide excellent solutions to overcome the virus pandemic, for instance by application as protective coatings, biosensors, or nano-agents. To tackle some mechanistic issues related to the impact of ENMs on SARS-CoV-2, we investigated the molecular interactions between carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) and a SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragment (i.e., a model molecule of frameshift stimulation element from the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome) using molecular mechanics simulations. The interaction affinity between the CNPs and the SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragment increased in the order of fullerenes < graphenes < carbon nanotubes. Furthermore, we developed quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models to describe the interactions of 17 different types of CNPs from three dimensions with the SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragment. The QSAR models on the interaction energies of CNPs with the SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragment show high goodness-of-fit and robustness. Molecular weight, surface area, and the sum of degrees of every carbon atom were found to be the primary structural descriptors of CNPs determining the interactions. Our research not only offers a theoretical insight into the adsorption/separation and inactivation of SARS-CoV-2, but also allows to design novel ENMs which act efficiently on the genetic material RNA of SARS-CoV-2. This contributes to minimizing the challenge of time-consuming and labor-intensive virus experiments under high risk of infection, whilst meeting our precautionary demand for options to handle any new versions of the coronavirus that might emerge in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden 2300 RA, The Netherlands
| | - Zhuang Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, PR China
| | - Martina G Vijver
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden 2300 RA, The Netherlands.
| | - Willie J G M Peijnenburg
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden 2300 RA, The Netherlands; Centre for Safety of Substances and Products, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720 BA, The Netherlands.
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48
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Sumasgutner P, Buij R, McClure CJW, Shaw P, Dykstra CR, Kumar N, Rutz C. Raptor research during the COVID-19 pandemic provides invaluable opportunities for conservation biology. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2021; 260:109149. [PMID: 35722248 PMCID: PMC9188743 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Research is underway to examine how a wide range of animal species have responded to reduced levels of human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this perspective article, we argue that raptors (i.e., the orders Accipitriformes, Cariamiformes, Cathartiformes, Falconiformes, and Strigiformes) are particularly well-suited for investigating potential 'anthropause' effects: they are sensitive to environmental perturbation, affected by various human activities, and include many locally and globally threatened species. Lockdowns likely alter extrinsic factors that normally limit raptor populations. These environmental changes are in turn expected to influence - mediated by behavioral and physiological responses - the intrinsic (demographic) factors that ultimately determine raptor population levels and distributions. Using this population-limitation framework, we identify a range of research opportunities and conservation challenges that have arisen during the pandemic, related to changes in human disturbance, light and noise pollution, collision risk, road-kill availability, supplementary feeding, and persecution levels. Importantly, raptors attract intense research interest, with many professional and amateur researchers running long-term monitoring programs, often incorporating community-science components, advanced tracking technology and field-methodological approaches that allow flexible timing, enabling continued data collection before, during, and after COVID-19 lockdowns. To facilitate and coordinate global collaboration, we are hereby launching the 'Global Anthropause Raptor Research Network' (GARRN). We invite the international raptor research community to join this inclusive and diverse group, to tackle ambitious analyses across geographic regions, ecosystems, species, and gradients of lockdown perturbation. Under the most tragic of circumstances, the COVID-19 anthropause has afforded an invaluable opportunity to significantly boost global raptor conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Sumasgutner
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ralph Buij
- The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, ID 83709, USA
- Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Phil Shaw
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | | | - Nishant Kumar
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
- Mansfield College, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, UK
- Wildlife Institute of India, Uttarakhand 248001, India
| | - Christian Rutz
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
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49
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Howarth A, Jeanson AL, Abrams AEI, Beaudoin C, Mistry I, Berberi A, Young N, Nguyen VM, Landsman SJ, Kadykalo AN, Danylchuk AJ, Cooke SJ. COVID-19 restrictions and recreational fisheries in Ontario, Canada: Preliminary insights from an online angler survey. FISHERIES RESEARCH 2021; 240:105961. [PMID: 36540896 PMCID: PMC9754797 DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2021.105961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding public health mitigation strategies have altered many facets of human life. And yet, little is known about how public health measures have impacted complex socio-ecological systems such as recreational fisheries. Using an online snowball survey, we targeted resident anglers in Ontario, Canada, to obtain preliminary insights on how the pandemic has impacted recreational fishing and related activity. We also explored angler perspectives on pandemic-related restrictions and other aspects of fisheries management. Our results point to the value of recreational fisheries for the mental and physical well-being of participants, as well as the value and popularity of outdoor recreation during a pandemic. Although angling effort and fish consumption appeared to decline during the early phases of the pandemic, approximately 21 % of the anglers who responded to our survey self-identified as new entrants who had begun or resumed fishing in that time. Self-reported motivations to fish during the pandemic suggest that free time, importance to mental and physical health, and desires for self-sufficiency caused some anglers to fish more, whereas a lack of free time, poor or uncertain accessibility, and perceived risks caused some anglers to fish less. Respondents also expressed their desires for more clear and consistent communication about COVID-19 fishing restrictions from governments, and viewed angling as a safe pandemic activity. Information on recreational angler behaviours, motivations, and perspectives during the pandemic may prove valuable to fisheries managers and policy makers looking to optimize their strategies for confronting this and other similar crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Howarth
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - A L Jeanson
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - A E I Abrams
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - C Beaudoin
- School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - I Mistry
- School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - A Berberi
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - N Young
- School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - V M Nguyen
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
- Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - S J Landsman
- Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - A N Kadykalo
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - A J Danylchuk
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - S J Cooke
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
- Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
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50
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Ukhurebor KE, Singh KR, Nayak V, Uk-Eghonghon G. Influence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: a review from the climate change perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2021; 23:1060-1078. [PMID: 34132283 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00154j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Ever since the global outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19) in the early part of 2020, there is no doubt that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has placed great tension globally and has affected almost all aspects of human endeavors. There are presently several research studies on the atmospheric environmental and economic effects of this dreaded virus. Supposedly, the responses ought to have also present innovations that would advance scientific research to mitigate its impacts since most of the ensuing consequences impact the atmospheric climatic conditions. Even when it appears that economic events would possibly return in no time, the circumstances will change. Specifically, from the existing literature, it appears that not much has been done to study the influence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on climate change. Hence, this present review article will explore the possible connection between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and climate change. The utilization of various scientific domains for climate change studies during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and exploring the positive influences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and measures to avoid the negative impacts on climate change owing to SARS-CoV-2 have also been discussed.
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