Digital Commons Network^™

The Nexus Of Climate Change, Covid-19, And Environmental Justice On Children's Health, Emma Pennea, Laura Anderko, Caroline Moore, Ruth Mcdermott-Levy

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Climate change poses a threat to children, who are increasingly vulnerable, depending on adults to protect them from the impacts of these changes including extreme weather events, poor air and water quality and risk to mental health. Children living in poverty carry additional burdens and risks, living in environments that consistently experience poor air and water quality from polluting industries, compounded by the effects of climate change. COVID-19 has placed additional challenges to children’s health and increases the complexity of addressing climate change and environmental justice. The intersection between climate change and COVID-19 exacerbates these existing disparities by impacting children's …

Scenario Planning For Resilient Agricultural Systems: A Process For Engaging Controversy, Crystal A. Powers, Tyler Williams, Rick R. Stowell

The Journal of Extension

Resiliency to weather extremes is already a part of farming in the North Plains, but now climate change is adding new uncertainties. Engaging farmers on this often controversial topic can be challenging given the wide range of beliefs farmers hold about climate change. Scenario planning provides a framework for Extension and agricultural system stakeholders to come together using the latest climate science to discover robust adaptive management options, prioritize Extension programming needs, and provide an open forum for starting the discussion.

Gimme A Break: The Patent Term Restoration Act Should Give Environmental Innovators A Chance To Catch A (Cleaner) Breath, Gabrielle Gravel

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

There is an abundance of frightening data painting a grim picture of Earth’s future. Humans have undoubtedly left a carbon footprint so deep, it will take drastic measures to undo our damage. To continue enjoying life as we know it, we humans must shift our focus to the powerful minds of creators and engineers to find ways to untangle our manmade webs. To generate interest and attract the best and brightest to do the challenging and time-consuming work of environmental inventions, the first step is to provide a greater incentive. This note calls upon the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office …

What Spatial Environments Mean, Thora Tenbrink

Journal of Spatial Information Science

Language is one of the most prominent means of representing human thought. Spatial cognition research has made use of this fact for decades, exploring how humans perceive and understand their spatial environments through language analysis. So far, this research has mainly focused on generic cognitive aspects underlying everyday purposes such as knowing where objects are, how they relate to each other, and how to find one's way to a familiar or unfamiliar location. However, human concepts about space can be threatened by change, as the environment changes. Across the globe, people become increasingly aware of climate-change related threats to their …

Cows V. Capitalists: Visions Of A Post-Carbon Economy, Alison Peck

Journal of Food Law & Policy

I was tempted to entitle this book review something like, "Why the Farm Bill Is the Key to Our Energy Future (Hint: It's Not About Ethanol, Methane Emissions, or Carbon Sinks)." But in addition to being too long to fit across the header of a law review page, such a title would have been slightly misleading. Actually, in Simon Fairlie's view, our future is about ethanol, methane emissions, and carbon sinks - but not in the way our current agricultural policies understand and deal with these subjects.

Global Food Security: In Our National Interest, David P. Lambert

Journal of Food Law & Policy

All Americans have a direct stake in the problem of global hunger, which has many dimensions. For most of us it is a profound moral issue, and we are guided by our faith to respond.

Impact Of Regional Climate Changes On Changes In River Water Content In Uzbekistan, A.T. Salokhiddinov, P.A. Khakimova, R.V. Toryanniova, O.A. Ashirova, A.G. Gofurov

Irrigation and Melioration

The paper presents the research results on the analysis of the climate change impacts on the potential of water resources in Central Asia. We analyzed the materials of an extensive database of monitoring data from numerous gauge stations on different river basins and satellite data information. A quantitative assessment of the transformation of river hydrographs, the growth of flow variability in the Republic of Uzbekistan's major rivers, in connection with climate change, was performed. The specific features of the impact of climate changes on changes in the water content of rivers in Uzbekistan in large and small river basins are …

The Future Of The Safe Rule And Achieving More Climate-Friendly Cafe Regulations, Maximo Lacerca-Desrosiers

Golden Gate University Environmental Law Journal

On April 30, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) issued a final rule called the “Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger and Light Trucks” (“SAFE Rule”) to amend the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (“CAFE”) ratings. CAFE standards are regulations first enacted nearly fifty years ago to promote greater fuel efficiency in car manufacturing through a system of incentives and penalties. While the CAFE standards have been revised many times over the years, the SAFE Rule rolled back the more stringent 2012 CAFE standards that sought to align fuel …

Trade And Environment In Nafta’S Replacement: An Old Gas Guzzler Gets A Paint Job, Geoffrey Garver

Golden Gate University Environmental Law Journal

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)2 is now history, and, depending on where you are, as of July 1, 2020, the Canada- United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in Canada, the United- States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) in the United States, or the Tratado entre M´exico, Estados Unidos y Canad´a (T-MEC) is in force. The renegotiation of NAFTA fulfilled candidate Donald Trump’s promise to scrap or renegotiate NAFTA in order to protect and restore United States jobs and industrial capacity and increase economic growth, themes that consistently helped define his trade agenda politically as President. But what about the environment? When NAFTA was finalized …

Supporting A Mountain As It Changes: People, Climate, And The Absence Of Trees, Caroline Ailanthus

Appalachia

A science writer shows how Monadnock’s landscape tells the story of climate change and calamity.

Sequoias And Redwoods In A Hotter World: When Trees As High As 30-Story Buildings "Die On Their Feet," Something's Wrong, Christopher Johnson

Appalachia

Scientists in two pioneering research projects are examining how climate change affects the iconic ancient trees of California, by Christopher Johnson.

Ancestral Comprehensions For A Policy For The Future Of The Earth: The Narrative Of The South American Andes In The Face Of The Global Climate Crisis, Erick Pajares G., Eduardo Calvo B., Jorge Iván Palacio P., Juan José Munar M., Carlos Loret De Mola, Darío Espinoza M., Yuri Godoy P., Gustavo Mora R.

Pace Environmental Law Review

No abstract provided.

Addressing Correlations Between Gender-Based Violence And Climate Change: An Expanded Role For International Climate Change Law And Education For Sustainable Development, Achinthi C. Vithanage

Pace Environmental Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Carbon Storage Future Of Public Lands, Tara Righetti, Jesse Richardson, Kris Koski, Sam Taylor

Pace Environmental Law Review

To meet the climate and energy goals set forth by the Biden Administration and the Paris Agreement, the United States must dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Use of public lands for carbon dioxide removal activities, including carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), has the potential to advance carbon reduction goals and concurrently provide economic revitalization opportunities to communities dependent on fossil industries. Current federal law presents numerous challenges and opportunities associated with utilization of federal pore space for CCUS. Although federal grant programs and tax incentives encourage deployment of CCUS technologies, legal and land-management issues related to public lands have received …

Environmental Refugees And The Human-Environment Relationship, Nelson Araque

Journal of Hispanic / Latino Theology

No abstract provided.

From Glass Ceiling To Green Canopy: An Intersectional Model Of Feminist Sustainability In Fondes Amandes, Trinidad, Rachel Mulroy

Journal of International Women's Studies

The Fondes Amandes Community Reforestation Project is a sustainable model of agro-forestry that emerged contemporaneously with the more globally familiar Permaculture Design. Although the FACRP model has been recognized for their contributions to the Caribbean region and worldwide sustainability and environmental movements, they are not well known in the global North and West. Akilah and Kemba Jaramogi stress the importance of grassroots involvement as critical to adaptation and mitigation in combating climate impacts. However, there is a lack of acknowledgement and reciprocity within the movement that is linked to broader discourses on race, gender, and geography. The influence of these …

What Can Indonesian Businesses Learn From The We Mean Business Initiative To Address Climate Change?, Erla Mychelisda, Nur Firdaus

BISNIS & BIROKRASI: Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi dan Organisasi

Climate change has been a much-discussed topic around the globe, and all stakeholders, including the business sector, must take collective and serious actions. The We Mean Business (WMB) initiative is a non-profit organisation that supports companies to develop policies and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy and achieve sustainable business. On the other hand, Indonesia, as one of the world biggest emitters and signed the Paris Agreement, are also required to meet its climate pledge. Unfortunately, not many Indonesian businesses have shown their contribution to climate change. This study aims to analyse the companies’ commitments under the WMB coalition …

Water Banks In Washington State: A Tool For Climate Resilience, Jennifer J. Seely

Washington Law Review

Water banks—a tool for exchanging senior water rights and offsetting new ones—can address multiple problems in contemporary water law. In the era of climate change, water banks enable needed flexibility and resilience in water allocation. As growing cities require new water rights, water banks can repurpose old water for new uses. These advantages should lead the Washington State Legislature to incentivize water banks, but in the 2018 “Hirst fix” it embraced habitat restoration as a false equivalent for water. The Legislature is rightfully concerned about the speculation that some private water banks allow. But overall, water banks enable new and …

Reimagining Exceptional Events: Regulating Wildfires Through The Clean Air Act, Emily Williams

Washington Law Review

Wildfires are increasing in both frequency and severity due to climate change. Smoke from these fires causes serious health problems. Land managers agree that prescribed burns help mitigate these negative consequences. Prescribed burns are lower-intensity fires that are intentionally ignited and managed for an ecological benefit. They reduce the amount of smoke produced and limit wildfire damage to natural systems and human property.

The Clean Air Act (CAA) is designed to regulate air pollution to protect public health, yet it exempts wildfire smoke through the exceptional events designation while imposing strict regulations on prescribed burns. Congress and the Environmental Protection …

Is Climate Change A Threat To International Peace And Security?, Mark Nevitt

Michigan Journal of International Law

The climate-security century is here. Both the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”) and the U.S. Fourth National Climate Assessment (“NCA”) recently sounded the alarm on climate change’s “super-wicked” and destabilizing security impacts. Scientists and security professionals alike reaffirm what we are witnessing with our own eyes: The earth is warming at a rapid rate; climate change affects international peace and security in complex ways; and the window for international climate action is slamming shut.

Impact Assessment, Sustainability, And Climate Change: Lessons From Lower Churchill, Adebayo Majekolagbe

Dalhousie Law Journal

The attainment of sustainability is the overarching objective of impact assessment (IA). Over the years, IA has evolved from being a predominantly biophysical- environment assessment venture to a multicentric undertaking including hundreds of IA modes. IA’s proliferation has been attributed to the inadequacy of previously dominant modes (e.g. Environmental Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment) to cater to other areas of humanity’s concerns or recent phenomena. Climate change is one of such phenomena and the conceptualization of climate change impact assessment has been the response of the IA movement. Drawing lessons from the Lower Churchill project in Newfoundland and Labrador …

Optimised Retrofit Strategies For Energy Reduction And Comfort In Dwellings For Future Climate Scenario In Southeast England, Bahaa El Dine Abou El Khoudoud

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

This paper aims to find an optimum retrofit scheme utilising adaptation and mitigation techniques to a Sub-urban English old house, for an inevitable future climate change. It seeks its aims by investigating the energy performance, as well as the summertime comfort of old dwellings in current and future weather predictions. Studies shows that pre-1990 building stock represents one of the least energy-efficient, as these houses were built before the introduction of building envelope directives in building regulation. Specifically, uninsulated semi-detached houses of the inter-war period can potentially be an essential target for retrofits to reach the 2030 carbon emission goal. …

Book Review: Rebekkah Smith Aldrich's Sustainable Thinking: Ensuring Your Library's Future In An Uncertain World, Samantha Hamilton

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Key Scientific And Technical Issues In Earth System Science Towards Achieving Carbon Neutrality In China, Zhaonan Cai, Lijing Cheng, Tingting Li, Xunhua Zheng, Lin Wang, Shenghui Han, Kai Wang, Xia Qu, Fei Jiang, Yongyu Zhang, Jianhua Zhu, Shangmin Long, Yang Sun, Binghao Jia, Wenping Yuan, Tianyi Zhang, Qing Zhang, Jinbo Xie, Jiawen Zhu, Zhiqiang Liu, Lin Wu, Dongxu Yang, Ke Wei, Lin Wu, Wen Zhang, Yi Liu, Junji Cao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The carbon neutrality strategy will be the largest orderly human activity in this century, which requires strong scientific supports. This study introduces some key scientific questions and remaining knowledge gaps in earth system science (i.e. atmosphere, land, ocean science), and also discusses some key techniques and the associated challenges, including Earth System Model, climate metrics, greenhouse gasses monitoring techniques, carbon inventories from regional to global scales. On this basis, this study recommends to construct climate monitoring system and platform in China, better describe and understand the earth system coupling processes and mechanisms. To consolidate the techniques for carbon neutrality, this …

Microbial Evolution Of Cryosphere And Biosecurity Concerns, Jingyang Xu, Qianggong Zhang, Yi Shi

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The unique and extreme ecological environment of cryosphere acts as a gigantic reservoir of microorganisms, which preserves precious records of the diversity and evolutionary history of ancient microbes. Climate change and human activities have made significant impacts on the ecological system. Global warming causes melting of the cryosphere that remained frozen for thousands of years and releases microorganisms, some of them are recovered to life and constitute a potential threat to the ecological environment and human health. It is urgent to combine multidisciplinary research forces to investigate the microbial ecology of cryosphere, analyze the microbe pathogenesis and transmission mechanisms, as …

Deforestation Of The Brazilian Amazon Under Jair Bolsonaro’S Reign: A Growing Ecological Disaster And How It May Be Reduced, Richard Perez

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Duty To Update Corporate Emissions Pledges, Nathan Campbell

Vanderbilt Law Review

Facing both internal and external market pressures, a rapidly growing number of private companies are making public, voluntary, and ambitious pledges to reduce or outright eliminate by a certain date or benchmark their greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, ambition and necessity notwithstanding, nonfulfillment of these emission reduction targets (“ERTs”) is a looming, if not an already realized, concern for markets, which are noticeably and increasingly attuned to the long-term value and climate performance of companies. In the absence of a comprehensive disclosure regime for climate performance and risk, this Note highlights the duty to update—a judicial doctrine that polices forward-looking statements, …

The Rule Of Five Guys, Lisa Heinzerling

Michigan Law Review

A Review of The Rule of Five: Making Climate History at the Supreme Court. by Richard J. Lazarus.

Assessment And Determination Of The Dynamics Of Changes In Salinization Of Irrigated Lands Under The Influence Of Climate Change (In The Case Of Syrdarya Province), Sarvar Akramovich Odilov, Sayidjahon Zokir Ogli Hasanov, Rashid Anarovich Kulmatov, Jasur Ashiralievich Mirzaev

Bulletin of Gulistan State University

In irrigated lands of the Aral Sea Basin, salt-affected areas are increasingly rising and this negatively impacts agricultural development and food security in such countries located in the basin. Drivers, increasing salt-affected areas, are assumed to be climate change, unregulated high groundwater levels and its increased mineralization, poor functioning of the collector-drainage system, and insufficient compliance with agro-technical requirements. These drivers, in turn, lead to the withdrawal of arable land from agricultural purposes and a significant drop in crop yields. This is especially the case in the irrigated areas of the lower reaches of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya …

Assessment Of The Impact Of Climate Change On Hydrological Processes In The Chirchik River Basin, Kh.Sh. Gafforov, Sh.D. Sh.D.Tursunboev

Irrigation and Melioration

The importance of assessing past and future climate differences plays an important role in future planning in relation to climate change. This situation requires urgent and concerted action in several areas: technology, infrastructure, politics, economics, and the environment. The article evaluates the impact of changes in precipitation intensity on the water level in the global circulation model (GCM) RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios in the 2030s, 2050s, and 2070s. This study is a useful reference for improving water resource management and ensuring the sustainability of agricultural products in the future, as well as for improving operational water management and agricultural …