Core-shell engineered g-C3N4@ NaNbO3for enhancing photocatalytic reduction of CO2

Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide is a technology that effectively utilizes CO2and solar energy. Sodium niobate (NaNbO3) has received much attention in the field of photocatalysis due to its excellent photocatalytic properties. However, the application of NaNbO3in the field of photocatalysis is still limited by poor reaction to visible light and easy recombination of photo-generated carriers. Heterojunction with g-C3N4to construct core-shell structure can effectively improve the above problems. Combining the two can design a core-shell composite material that is beneficial for photocatalytic reduction of CO2. Herein, we prepared a core-shell heterojunction g-C3N4/NaNbO3by uniformly impregnating urea on the surface of NaNbO3chromium nanofibers with NaNbO3nanofibers prepared by electrospinning as a catalyst carrier, and urea as a precursor of g-C3N4. The core-shell structure of g-C3N4/NaNbO3was verified by a series of characterization methods such as XPS, XRD, and TEM. It was found that under the same conditions, the methanol yield of core-shell g-C3N4/NaNbO3was 12.86μmol·g-1·h-1, which is twice that of pure NaNbO3(6.67μmol·g-1·h-1). This article highlights an impregnation method to build core-shell structures for improved photocatalytic reduction of CO2.

Identifying protective socio-ecological factors for college students in California's deadliest wildfire

Objectives: This case study examined multi-level social-ecological supports in promoting well-being through college students impacted by one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history.Participants: College students attending a large public university were surveyed (N = 354, Mage = 22.7, 76.2% female, 61% white).Methods: Measures included demographics, individual factors (mindfulness, sleep problems), social support (emotional support, family support, and friendship), and sense of community. Multiple linear regression models on well-being were constructed.Results: Findings indicated that mindfulness, sleep disturbances, emotional support, family support, number of close friends, and sense of community were significant predictors of well-being.Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of universities in proactively bolstering critical social-ecological needs of college students living in communities vulnerable to climate-change accelerated environmental disasters.

The Role of Behavioral Medicine in Addressing Climate Change-Related Health Inequities

Climate change is the greatest threat to global health in human history. It has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization and leading researchers from academic institutions around the globe. Structural racism disproportionately exposes communities targeted for marginalization to the harmful consequences of climate change through greater risk of exposure and sensitivity to climate hazards and less adaptive capacity to the health threats of climate change. Given its interdisciplinary approach to integrating behavioral, psychosocial, and biomedical knowledge, the discipline of behavioral medicine is uniquely qualified to address the systemic causes of climate change-related health inequities and can offer a perspective that is currently missing from many climate and health equity efforts. In this article, we summarize relevant concepts, describe how climate change and structural racism intersect to exacerbate health inequities, and recommend six strategies with the greatest potential for addressing climate-related health inequities.

Spectroscopic Characterization of HSO2• and HOSO• Intermediates Involved in SO2 Geoengineering

Sulfur-containing radicals HSO₂^• and HOSO^• are key intermediates involved in stratospheric sulfur geoengineering by SO₂ injection. The spectroscopic characterization and photochemistry of both radicals are crucial to understanding the chemical impact of SO₂ chemistry in the stratosphere. On the basis of the efficient generation of HOSO^• by flash pyrolysis of gaseous sulfinic acid, CHF₂S(O)OH, a strong absorption is observed at 270 nm along with a shoulder up to 350 nm for HOSO^• isolated in low-temperature noble gas matrixes (Ar and Ne). These mainly arise from the excitations from the ground state (X²A) to the C²A/D²A and A²A/B²A states, respectively. Upon a 266 nm laser irradiation, the broad absorption band in the range 320-500 nm for HSO₂^• appears, and it corresponds to the combination of three excitations from the X²A state to the first (A²A), second (B²A), and third (C²A) excited states. Assignment of the UV-vis spectra is consistent with the photochemistry of HOSO^• and HSO₂^• as observed by matrix-isolation IR spectroscopy and also by the agreement with high-level ab initio calculations.

Disentangling climatic and nest predator impact on reproductive output reveals adverse high-temperature effects regardless of helper number in an arid-region cooperative bird

Climate exerts a major influence on reproductive processes, and an understanding of the mechanisms involved and which factors might mitigate adverse weather is fundamental under the ongoing climate change. Here, we study how weather and nest predation influence reproductive output in a social species, and examine whether larger group sizes can mitigate the adverse effects of these factors. We used a 7‐year nest predator‐exclusion experiment on an arid‐region cooperatively breeding bird, the sociable weaver. We found that dry and, especially, hot weather were major drivers of nestling mortality through their influence on nest predation. However, when we experimentally excluded nest predators, these conditions were still strongly associated with nestling mortality. Group size was unimportant against nest predation and, although positively associated with reproductive success, it did not mitigate the effects of adverse weather. Hence, cooperative breeding might have a limited capacity to mitigate extreme weather effects.

A multi-data ensemble approach for predicting woodland type distribution: Oak woodland in Britain

Interactions between soil, topography, and climatic site factors can exacerbate and/or alleviate the vulnerability of oak woodland to climate change. Reducing climate-related impacts on oak woodland habitats and ecosystems through adaptation management requires knowledge of different site interactions in relation to species tolerance. In Britain, the required thematic detail of woodland type is unavailable from digital maps. A species distribution model (SDM) ensemble, using biomod2 algorithms, was used to predict oak woodland. The model was cross-validated (50%:50% - training:testing) 30 times, with each of 15 random sets of absence data, matching the size of presence data, to maximize environmental variation while maintaining data prevalence. Four biomod2 algorithms provided stable and consistent TSS-weighted ensemble mean results predicting oak woodland as a probability raster. Biophysical data from the Ecological Site Classification (forest site classification) for Britain were used to characterize oak woodland sites. Several forest datasets were used, each with merits and weaknesses: public forest estate subcompartment database map (PFE map) for oak-stand locations as a training dataset; the national forest inventory (NFI) "published regional reports" of oak woodland area; and an "NFI map" of indicative forest type broad habitat. Broadleaved woodland polygons of the NFI map were filled with the biomod2 oak woodland probability raster. Ranked pixels were selected up to the published NFI regional area estimate of oak woodland and matched to the elevation distribution of oak woodland stands, from "NFI survey" sample squares. Validation using separate oak woodland data showed that the elevation filter significantly improved the accuracy of predictions from 55% (p = .53) to 83% coincidence success rate (p < .0001). The biomod2 ensemble, with masking and filtering, produced a predicted oak woodland map, from which site characteristics will be used in climate change interaction studies, supporting adaptation management recommendations for forest policy and practice.

Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion: Results from GEOS-Chem

The burning of fossil fuels - especially coal, petrol, and diesel - is a major source of airborne fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), and a key contributor to the global burden of mortality and disease. Previous risk assessments have examined the health response to total PM_2.5, not just PM_2.5 from fossil fuel combustion, and have used a concentration-response function with limited support from the literature and data at both high and low concentrations. This assessment examines mortality associated with PM_2.5 from only fossil fuel combustion, making use of a recent meta-analysis of newer studies with a wider range of exposure. We also estimated mortality due to lower respiratory infections (LRI) among children under the age of five in the Americas and Europe, regions for which we have reliable data on the relative risk of this health outcome from PM_2.5 exposure. We used the chemical transport model GEOS-Chem to estimate global exposure levels to fossil-fuel related PM_2.5 in 2012. Relative risks of mortality were modeled using functions that link long-term exposure to PM_2.5 and mortality, incorporating nonlinearity in the concentration response. We estimate a global total of 10.2 (95% CI: -47.1 to 17.0) million premature deaths annually attributable to the fossil-fuel component of PM_2.5. The greatest mortality impact is estimated over regions with substantial fossil fuel related PM_2.5, notably China (3.9 million), India (2.5 million) and parts of eastern US, Europe and Southeast Asia. The estimate for China predates substantial decline in fossil fuel emissions and decreases to 2.4 million premature deaths due to 43.7% reduction in fossil fuel PM_2.5 from 2012 to 2018 bringing the global total to 8.7 (95% CI: -1.8 to 14.0) million premature deaths. We also estimated excess annual deaths due to LRI in children (0-4 years old) of 876 in North America, 747 in South America, and 605 in Europe. This study demonstrates that the fossil fuel component of PM_2.5 contributes a large mortality burden. The steeper concentration-response function slope at lower concentrations leads to larger estimates than previously found in Europe and North America, and the slower drop-off in slope at higher concentrations results in larger estimates in Asia. Fossil fuel combustion can be more readily controlled than other sources and precursors of PM_2.5 such as dust or wildfire smoke, so this is a clear message to policymakers and stakeholders to further incentivize a shift to clean sources of energy.

Chronic Mental Health Sequelae of Climate Change Extremes: A Case Study of the Deadliest Californian Wildfire

Introduction. Weather-related disasters, such as wildfires exacerbated by a rise in global temperatures, need to be better studied in terms of their mental health impacts. This study focuses on the mental health sequelae of the deadliest wildfire in California to date, the Camp Fire of 2018. Methods. We investigated a sample of 725 California residents with different degrees of disaster exposure and measured mental health using clinically validated scales for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Data were collected at a chronic time-point, six months post-wildfire. We used multiple regression analyses to predict the mental health outcomes based on self-reported fire exposure. Additionally, we included vulnerability and resilience factors in hierarchical regression analyses. Results. Our primary finding is that direct exposure to large scale fires significantly increased the risk for mental health disorders, particularly for PTSD and depression. Additionally, the inclusion of vulnerability and resilience factors in the hierarchical regression analyses led to the significantly improved prediction of all mental health outcomes. Childhood trauma and sleep disturbances exacerbated mental health symptoms. Notably, self-reported resilience had a positive effect on mental health, and mindfulness was associated with significantly lower depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion. Overall, our study demonstrated that climate-related extreme events, such as wildfires, can have severe mental illness sequelae. Moreover, we found that pre-existing stressful life events, resilient personality traits and lifestyle factors can play an important role in the prevalence of psychopathology after such disasters. Unchecked climate change projected for the latter half of this century may severely impact the mental wellbeing of the global population, and we must find ways to foster individual resiliency.

Multivariate climate departures have outpaced univariate changes across global lands

Changes in individual climate variables have been widely documented over the past century. However, assessments that consider changes in the collective interaction amongst multiple climate variables are relevant for understanding climate impacts on ecological and human systems yet are less well documented than univariate changes. We calculate annual multivariate climate departures during 1958-2017 relative to a baseline 1958-1987 period that account for covariance among four variables important to Earth's biota and associated systems: annual climatic water deficit, annual evapotranspiration, average minimum temperature of the coldest month, and average maximum temperature of the warmest month. Results show positive trends in multivariate climate departures that were nearly three times that of univariate climate departures across global lands. Annual multivariate climate departures exceeded two standard deviations over the past decade for approximately 30% of global lands. Positive trends in climate departures over the last six decades were found to be primarily the result of changes in mean climate conditions consistent with the modeled effects of anthropogenic climate change rather than changes in variability. These results highlight the increasing novelty of annual climatic conditions viewed through a multivariate lens and suggest that changes in multivariate climate departures have generally outpaced univariate departures in recent decades.

Control of the Hydraulic Load on Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Cascade Reservoirs

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions show large variability among dam reservoirs, which makes it difficult to estimate N₂O contributions to global greenhouse gases (GHGs). Because river damming alters hydraulic residence time and water depth, the hydraulic load (i.e., the ratio of the mean water depth to the residence time) was hypothesized to control N₂O emissions from dam reservoirs. To test this hypothesis, we investigated N₂O fluxes and related parameters in the cascade reservoirs along the Wujiang River in Southwest China. The N₂O fluxes showed obvious temporal and spatial variations, ranging from -7.86 to 337.22 μmol m^-2 d^-1, with an average of 12.76 μmol m^-2 d^-1. Nitrification was the main pathway of N₂O production in these reservoirs, and seasonal dissolved oxygen (DO) stratification played an important role in regulating the N₂O production. The reservoir N₂O flux had a significant negative logarithmic relationship with the hydraulic load, suggesting its control of the N₂O emission. This was because the hydraulic load was a prerequisite for regulating the nitrification-denitrification and the DO stratification in the dam reservoirs. This empirical relationship will help to estimate the contribution of reservoir N₂O emissions to global GHGs.

Global warming has increased global economic inequality

We find that global warming has very likely exacerbated global economic inequality, including ∼25% increase in population-weighted between-country inequality over the past half century. This increase results from the impact of warming on annual economic growth, which over the course of decades has accumulated robust and substantial declines in economic output in hotter, poorer countries—and increases in many cooler, wealthier countries—relative to a world without anthropogenic warming. Thus, the global warming caused by fossil fuel use has likely exacerbated the economic inequality associated with historical disparities in energy consumption. Our results suggest that low-carbon energy sources have the potential to provide a substantial secondary development benefit, in addition to the primary benefits of increased energy access.

Understanding the causes of economic inequality is critical for achieving equitable economic development. To investigate whether global warming has affected the recent evolution of inequality, we combine counterfactual historical temperature trajectories from a suite of global climate models with extensively replicated empirical evidence of the relationship between historical temperature fluctuations and economic growth. Together, these allow us to generate probabilistic country-level estimates of the influence of anthropogenic climate forcing on historical economic output. We find very high likelihood that anthropogenic climate forcing has increased economic inequality between countries. For example, per capita gross domestic product (GDP) has been reduced 17–31% at the poorest four deciles of the population-weighted country-level per capita GDP distribution, yielding a ratio between the top and bottom deciles that is 25% larger than in a world without global warming. As a result, although between-country inequality has decreased over the past half century, there is ∼90% likelihood that global warming has slowed that decrease. The primary driver is the parabolic relationship between temperature and economic growth, with warming increasing growth in cool countries and decreasing growth in warm countries. Although there is uncertainty in whether historical warming has benefited some temperate, rich countries, for most poor countries there is >90% likelihood that per capita GDP is lower today than if global warming had not occurred. Thus, our results show that, in addition to not sharing equally in the direct benefits of fossil fuel use, many poor countries have been significantly harmed by the warming arising from wealthy countries’ energy consumption.