Sustainability Commons^™

Building The Health Silk Road Within The Belt And Road Initiative From A Systematic View, Shouyang Wang, Qin Bao, Qi Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Life and health are common challenges faced by mankind, and the building of the Health Silk Road is the fundamental content of the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. There are great differences in the level of economic and social development of the countries and regions along the Belt and Road. Under the increasingly complex and severe global biosecurity situation, scientific guidance from a systematic perspective is required for comprehensively improving the medical and health conditions and life and health quality of different countries and regions. Aiming at the challenges faced by the building of the Health Silk …

Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions In The Context Of Earth System Science, Nianzhi Jiao, Tingwei Luo, Jihua Liu, Quanrui Chen, Chenba Zhu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Comparing the records of geological events and the observations of the current climate, the debate on the main cause of global warming, which has lasted for more than 30 years, is now to an end. Along the global consensus, it is imperative to seek effective solutions to the mitigation of climate change for China and the countries along Belt and Road route, which are facing the unavoidable conflicts between development and protection. Based on these analyses, The study proposes that reasonable and legitimate transformative Ocean Negative Carbon Emission (ONCE) approach should be developed in the context of Earth system science …

Structured Decision-Making Framework For Managing Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms In New York State Parks, Jennifer Graham

Sustainability Seminar Series

Cyanobacteria increasingly are a global water-quality concern because of the potential for these organisms to develop harmful blooms that affect ecologic, economic, and public health. Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) can lead to a decrease in water quality and affect many of the recreational and ecological benefits of parks that include lakes. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) is a state agency within the New York State Executive Department charged with the operation of state parks and historic sites. Many New York State parks include lakes or other freshwater bodies, which can be susceptible …

Inner Workings Of Milankovitch Cycles, Linda A. Hinnov

Sustainability Seminar Series

Milankovitch cycles are incoming solar radiation (insolation) cycles forced by variations in Earth’s orbital eccentricity, axial obliquity and precession, and are recorded on Earth in cyclostratigraphy. Insolation undergoes major daily and annual cycles with weak modulation from the obliquity variation. Thresholds in the Earth’s climate response to insolation generate the strong precession signals commonly observed in cyclostratigraphy. Dr. Hinnov will demonstrate these and other features using the insolation equation, and will discuss the manifestation of these features in key cyclostratigraphic sections.

Hydrothermal Carbonization Of Biomass Wastes: Sustainability And Geochemistry, Michael A. Kruge, Teresa A. Centeno, Alvaro Amado-Fierro, José Manuel González-Lafuente, Ruben Forjan-Castro, José Luis Gallego

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Introduction. To reduce the stream of solid waste going to landfills, innovative means for beneficial use are essential. The diversity and volume of organic wastes pose singular problems and opportunities for recovery and circularity. Common processes for organics include conversion to biofuels and carbonization to biochar, typically done by torrefaction (dry pyrolysis). Research on biochar explores its potential as pollutant adsorbent, agricultural or polluted soil amendment, biofuel (directly or as feedstock), and for carbon sequestration (Ighalo et al., 2022; Cavali et al., 2023). Recently, other processes at lower temperatures such as hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) offer new possibilities (Seshadri et al., …

Should My Next Car Be An Ev?, Lorenzo Cena

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar on "Should My Next Car Be An EV?" by Professor Lorenzo Cena, Environmental Health Program, Department of Public Health Sciences, West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

Cultural Legacies In The Amazonian Holocene: A Paleoecological Perspective, S. Yoshi Maezumi

Sustainability Seminar Series

The extent to which Indigenous land use and cultural burning practices have altered modern ecosystems is a hotly debated topic in archaeology and paleoecology. To address this issue, an interdisciplinary approach combining archaeological, archaeobotany, palaeoecolgoy, and palaeoclimatology is used to investigate climate-human-ecosystem interactions in the Amazon. These data indicate Indigenous Amazonians employed diverse subsistence strategies that combined cultural burning, agroforestry, polyculture, and soil amelioration that maximized subsistence diversity without large-scale land clearing. These data provide evidence of resource diversification, improved food security, and sustainable anthropogenic landscapes during increased climate variability and expanding Indigenous populations during the late Holocene. These data …

We Designed A Board Game About The Future Of New York City!, Richard Reiss

Sustainability Seminar Series

Rapid, human-induced climate change presents a crisis that involves everyone, yet few people feel they have any influence or ability to change seemingly unstoppable events. City Atlas developed a cooperative game, Energetic, to teach anyone in the US – or around the world – how to practice fixing climate change with accurate, updatable information, scaling from a 2.5 hour game to a month long workshop, matched to the region in which they live. The game for NYC is now used at Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, Brown, Vanderbilt, and Bronx Science, and at Con Ed and the NYS Dept of Energy. City …

Water-Energy-Food Linkages In Community Smallholder Irrigation Schemes: Center Pivot Irrigation In Rwanda, Ankit Chandra, Derek M. Heeren, Lameck O. Odhiambo, N. Brozovic

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Water, energy, and food are linked in intricate ways in irrigated agriculture and understanding the interplay of these components is crucial for sustainable and profitable crop production, particularly in smallholder setting such as in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluates water-energy-food linkages, engineering and economic performance, irrigation decision making, and challenges faced around water management in a community-based mechanized irrigation scheme in Rwanda. The research is the first to analyze such as scheme, which uses technology typically used by large farmers in a smallholder setting. The study investigates the variation in water requirements and the relationship and impacts of this variability …

Reaction Steps In Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Oxidation Of Toluene In Gas Phase—A Review, Yerzhigit Tulebekov, Zhandos Orazov, Bagdat Satybaldiyev, Daniel D. Snow, Raphaël Schneider, Bolat Uralbekov

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

A review of the current literature shows there is no clear consensus regarding the reaction mechanisms of air-borne aromatic compounds such as toluene by photocatalytic oxidation. Potential oxidation reactions over TiO₂ or TiO₂-based catalysts under ultraviolet and visible (UV/VIS) illumination are most commonly considered for removal of these pollutants. Along the pathways from a model pollutant, toluene, to final mineralization products (CO₂ and H₂O), the formation of several intermediates via specific reactions include parallel oxidation reactions and formation of less-reactive intermediates on the TiO₂ surface. The latter may occupy active adsorption sites and …

Pumping-Induced Drawdown Of Streams In Proximity To Agricultural Wells, Sara Alina Sternberg

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

In the context of unprecedented drought and aquifer overdraft in California, understanding surface water and groundwater connectivity have become increasingly important. While there is a clear understanding of how wells induce drawdown in aquifers (Theis, 1935; Hantush, 1965), secondary effects on local streams have not fully been considered. Current mathematical models targeting aquifer drawdown do not address stream drawdown response in aquifer-stream systems with strong connectivity; instead, they assume the stream to be a constant head boundary. In the drought-stricken and summer-dry climate of California, streams often run dry for months out of the year, which is currently not reflected …

Fisheries Science Update - Western Australian Salmon Resource - September 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Key points: 2023 stock assessment outcomes:

• The latest weight of evidence stock assessment for Western Australian salmon indicates the status of the stock is adequate and the risk to the stock is low. This means that there are no sustainability concerns for the stock.
• The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) tracks our aquatic resources by undertaking weight of evidence stock assessments on a regular basis.
• This science update follows on from the previous Western Australian salmon update in 2017.
• Detailed information on the latest stock assessment is available in Fisheries Research Report No. 336.

Explaining Students’ Attitudes Towards A Sustainable Future: Evidence From Sea-Plm 2019 Data, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Petra Lietz

Global education monitoring

This report, published by the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Centre, discusses how students’ attitudes towards global issues are now crucial more than ever to build a sustainable world for future generations. The first section describes why students’ attitudes towards school and learning are important and how they are linked to the Educational Prosperity Framework (Willms & Tramonte, 2015). The second section highlights the literature about the key factors which can influence students’ attitudes towards school and learning and how they are related to students’ attitudes towards sustainable development. The third section discusses the methods used for analysing the relationships between …

Climate Stories: South Carolina, Volume 1, Kaelyn Emon, Emily Arnold, Samantha Carter, Hayden Jones, Sarah Owens, Noel A. Tufts, Tiana White, Laura Barbas Rhoden, Christine S. Dinkins

Community Based Research

In this volume, you will hear from South Carolina residents about how they have been sensing climate change throughout their lifetimes. All stories have been anonymized with the use of pseudonyms, except where participants asked for their story to be associated with their name.

Self-Reported Consumption Of Bottled Water V. Tap Water In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Kentucky, Jason W. Marion

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Quantitative studies on drinking water perceptions in Appalachia are limited. High-profile water infrastructure failures in the U.S. and Eastern Kentucky, coupled with human-made and natural disasters in the Appalachian Region, have likely impacted opinions regarding tap water.

Purpose: To use existing unexplored data to describe baseline tap water v. bottled water consumption in Kentucky.

Methods: Telephone-based cross-sectional data were obtained from the 2013 Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP) directed by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Among many items in KHIP, self-reported consumption of bottled water over tap water, reasons for bottled water use, and demographic data were obtained. …

Mining-Induced Shear Deformation And Permeability Evolution Law Of Crushed Rock Mass In Fault Zone, Li Qiang, Ma Dan, Zhang Jixiong, Liu Yong, Hou Wentao

Coal Geology & Exploration

To explore the mechanism of water inrush induced by fault activation under mining, experimental studies were conducted on the shear deformation and permeability evolution of crushed rock mass in fault zone. Specifically, a set of compression-shear-seepage test system for crushed rock mass was designed according to the principle of fluid-solid coupling, with the coupling process of shear deformation and seepage realized. On this basis, the shear-seepage coupling test was carried out for the crushed rock mass under the influence of multiple factors. Thus, the influence of particle size distribution and initial porosity of crushed rock mass on porosity and permeability …

Stimulation Effect Of Pulsed Ultrasonic Excitation On Coal Pores With Full-Scale Pore Sizes, Lin Haifei, Qiu Yue, Han Shuangze, Gao Haidong, Yang Erhao, Wang Ruizhe, Yan Min

Coal Geology & Exploration

This study aims to further investigate the stimulation effect of pulsed ultrasonic excitation on coal pore structures. Using an ultrasonic excitation test system for gas-containing coals, this study conducted ultrasonic excitation tests on coals under continuous and interactive pulses with ultrasonic power of 800 W and 1000 W. Through low-pressure CO₂ adsorption tests, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption tests, and the mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) tests, this study explored the evolutionary patterns of parameters of various coal pores with full-scale pore sizes, including macropores (> 50 nm), mesopores (2‒50 nm), and micropores (< 2 nm). The test results are as follows: (1) Pulsed ultrasonic waves can expand coal pores. The pore volume of coals was primarily provided by micropores and macropores, with mesopores representing a small proportion. The specific surface area of various coal pores was in the order of micropores > mesopores > macropores. (2) Compared with those having …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Sealing Performance Analysis And Structure Optimization Of Pressure-Preserved Controller For Pressure-Preserved Coring In Deep Coal Mine, Wang Tianyu, Li Jianan, Zhang Yiwei, Li Ju, Xie Heping

Coal Geology & Exploration

As the pressure-preserved controller is a core component of the deep coal in-situ pressure-preserved coring device, its sealing design plays a decisive role in the effect of pressure-preserved coring. In order to obtain the optimal sealing structure, a two-dimensional axisymmetric nonlinear contact model was established for the sealing structure of the pressure-preserved controller. On this basis, the effects of different groove design, cone angle selection and friction coefficient on the sealing performance were analyzed by orthogonal test method. Meanwhile, the stress changes of the sealing ring under different closing stages and medium pressures were studied. The results show that: the …

Pressure Relief Mechanisms And Effects Of Liberation Seam Mining In 1000-M-Deep Coal Mines: A Case Study Of The Huafeng Coal Mine In Tai’An, China, Gao Yanan, Zhang Yao, Zhang Defei, Zhang Yudong, Zhao Weidong, Yu Liyuan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Liberation seam mining serves as an important approach to the prevention of deep dynamic disasters such as coal and gas outbursts, as well as rock bursts. Based on the Nos. 2613 and 2412 mining faces of a 1000-m-depth coal mine in the Huafeng Coal Mine in Tai’an, Shandong, this study investigated the engineering scientific issues such as the pressure relief mechanisms and effect evaluation of liberation seam mining through physical and numerical simulations. As a result, it determined the movement law of overburden strata and the characteristics of underground pressure after the mining of the liberation seam and ascertained the …

R&D And Experimental Research Of Pressure-Preserved Triggering Device For Horizontal Pressure-Preserved Coring In Coal Mines, Huang Wei, Chen Ling, Li Jianan, Fan Dong, Yang Mingqing, Liu Guikang, Xu Qing, Ma Changliang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Gas content is an important evaluation index of safe coal mining, as well as the exploitation and utilization of coalbed methane resources. Pressure-preserved coring is an effective way to improve the measurement accuracy of gas content in coal seams. Aiming at the special operating conditions of horizontal pressure-preserved coring in coal mines and based on the principle and technology of pressure- and gas-preserved coring in coal mines, this study developed a pressure-preserved triggering device and systematically designed the key components of the device, such as the sealing and pressure-preserved unit, the hydraulic drive module, and the salvager-unstuck mechanism between the …

Principle And Technology Of In-Situ Magnetically Controlled Multidirectional Pressure-Preserved Coring In The Coal Mine, Liu Guikang, Li Cong, You Zhenxi, Hu Yunqi, Huang Wei, Wang Ruize, Xu Meng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Obtaining the in-situ physical and mechanical parameters of coal-rock mass is the primary task for the development of deep coal resource. Accurate measurement of the in-situ parameters of gas is the basic guarantee to realize the safe mining of coal. In view of the technical challenges of inaccurate measurement of in-situ gas parameters in coal mine, the idea of multi-directional pressure-preserved coring technology based on magnetic force control was proposed with consideration to the technical characteristics of coring in underground coal mines. Specifically, a self-triggered magnetically controlled pressure-preserved controller was designed based on the characteristics of the composite magnetic field. …

Simulation Optimization And Applications Of Pressure-Preserved Triggering Device For Coring In Deep Coal Mines, Shi Xiaojun, Li Minghui, Liu Guikang, You Zhenxi, Guo Lihua, Hou Lele, Zhao Xiang

Coal Geology & Exploration

The pressure-preserved controller is the core component of pressure- and gas-preserved coring equipment used in deep coal mines. Its pressure-preserved capability and sealing performance are the key to pressure- and gas-preserved coring technology. Given that the existing pressure-preserved controller exhibits low initial sealing specific pressure and poor sealing performance when its initial sealing force is provided only by gravity, this study innovatively designed a pressure-preserved triggering device for coring, aiming to provide initial sealing specific pressure required for the sealing of the pressure-preserved controller. Then, this study conducted numerical simulations of the operating process of the triggering device using the …

Development Of Self-Locking Transfer Mechanism For Coal Samples From Pressure-Preserved Coring In Deep Mining, Zhu Pengfei, Li Jianan, Li Ju, Fu Chenghang, Ye Banghua

Coal Geology & Exploration

Pressure-preserved coring technology can directly store the collected deep coal samples at the bottom of the hole, so as to minimize the gas loss during the coring process. Besides, pressure transfer and testing of the pressure-preserved rock core is a technical prerequisite for the accurate determination of gas content. Then, how to achieve the precise docking from pressure-preserved coring to pressure transfer and testing has become a key technical difficulty that needs to be overcome urgently. Therefore, the research was carried out around the self-locking transfer mechanism, which is the core component of the docking transfer between the pressure-preserved coring …

Closure Trajectory Model Of Pressure-Preserved Controller For Coring In Coal Seam Surface Well, Guo Da, Zhang Yiwei, Wang Dingming, Fang Xin, Yang Bengao, Guo Lihua, Hou Lele, Zhao Xiang

Coal Geology & Exploration

The traditional method of coal exploration is to obtain coal samples using an open coring tool and estimate the gas loss through theoretical calculations. However, the measured gas content of these coal samples is generally low, significantly impeding the development and utilization of coalbed methane and compromising the safety of coal mining operations. To meet the demands of deep coal exploration, an innovative pressure-preserved coring tool was specifically designed for the coal seam surface wells. This tool has a total length of 6.7 m and can extract a 3 m long pressure-preserved coal core sample at a single time. In …

Fractal Theory-Based Permeability Model Of Fracture Networks In Coals, Xia Binwei, Liao Chuanbin, Luo Yafei, Ji Kainan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Fractures in coal reservoirs, which act as the major seepage pathways for coalbed methane (CBM), determine the permeability and CBM productivity of coal reservoirs. Research on the relationships between fracture structures and reservoir permeability is of great theoretical and practical significance for the accurate prediction of CBM productivity. Based on the classical cubic law-based permeability model, as well as the fractal theory, fracture network structures, and effective stress, this study built a permeability model containing complex bending fractures, which was then combined with the S & D (Shi-Durucan) model to build the permeability model of fractured coals under the action …

A Method For Classification Of Surrounding Rock Based On The Excavatability Performance And Adaptability Of Tunnel Boring Machines And Its Applications, Liu Jiawei, Zhang Sheng, Chen Zhao, Yang Zhanbiao, Ji Panjun, Wei Yonghui

Coal Geology & Exploration

The varying geological conditions of the surrounding rocks of coal mine roadways influence the wide application of full-face rock tunnel boring machines (TBMs). Therefore, accurately assessing the excavatability of rock masses in coal mines and the rock adaptability of TBMs is crucial for the efficient operation of TBMs. Based on the evaluation results of the parameters and excavatability of rock masses, this study built a classification model for rock mass excavatability using the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). Furthermore, combining the correlation analysis between the [BQ] values of different geological conditions and the utilization ratio …

Drillability And Mechanical Parameters Of Laser Hot Cracking Sandstones, Yang Lei, Yang Bengao, Liu Junjun, Zhou Xuemin, Xie Jing, Wang Chen, Guo Chenchen, Gao Mingzhong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Over recent years, shallow coal resources that can be easily mined have been gradually exhausted. As a result, conventional drilling techniques tend to face challenges such as low rock-breaking efficiency, high drilling costs, and environmental pollution in the exploration and exploitation of deep coal resources. Therefore, there is an urgent need to introduce a new auxiliary rock-breaking technique for drilling. Focusing on the new laser-assisted rock-breaking technology, this study systematically conducted mechanical and drillability tests on sandstones after laser irradiation for different durations, aiming to explore the temporal and spatial evolution of the temperature field of hard sandstones, the propagation …

Physical And Mechanical Properties Of Thermal Insulation Materials For In-Situ Temperature-Preserved Coring Of Deep Rocks, Xue Shouning, He Zhiqiang, Li Cong, Yu Bo, Lu Xuelian, Liu Wenyue, Yang Jianping, Wei Zijie

Coal Geology & Exploration

High temperature affects deep coal mining and other engineering activities. However, conventional coring methods for terrestrial hard rocks lack temperature-preserved measures, ignoring the effects of temperature on the physical and mechanical properties of rocks. Consequently, the parameters obtained are subjected to distortion, affecting the safe and efficient mining of resources such as deep coals. To make breakthroughs in the development of in-situ temperature-preserved coring technologies for deep rocks, this study proposed using the hollow glass microsphere/epoxy resin (HGM/EP) as thermal insulation materials and the physical and mechanical properties. The results are as follows: (1) With an increase in the HGM …

Research Advances On The In-Situ Pressure-Preserved Coring And Gas Parameter Determination For Deep Coal Seams, Xie Heping, Cui Pengfei, Shang Delei, Fan Dong, Chen Ling, Yang Mingqing, Du Lin, Gao Mingzhong

Coal Geology & Exploration

The in-situ gas pressure and content of coal seams are critical for the safe production of deep coal mines and the accurate evaluation of coalbed methane resources. To address the technical challenges of accurately determining in-situ gas content in deep coal seams, this study proposed brand-new principles of in-situ pressure coring and the tests of in-situ gas content and pressure. It also derived a calculation method for in-situ gas content in coal seams and a method for determining the in-situ gas pressure while considering the effects of moisture content and multiple gas components. Given the in-situ stress environment deep in …