Sustainability Commons^™

Application Of A Generative Adversarial Network To Super-Resolution Reconstruction Of Fracture Images In Logging-While-Drilling Electrical Resistivity Imaging, Han Sen, Shen Chuanhai, Xu Chen, Tian Yimeng, Zhao Biao, Wang Ze, Liu Yongkang, Kang Zhengming

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Logging-while-drilling electrical resistivity imaging (LWD-ERI) enables the intuitive presentation of geobodies near wellbores in images, representing an important approach to the fine-scale evaluation of stratigraphic parameters while also providing significant geological guidance during the drilling of fractured reservoirs. However, this technique faces the challenge of low image resolution in real-time data processing due to its limited well-to-surface data transmission rates, exerting adverse impacts on the qualitative identification of wellbore fractures and the quantitative evaluation of their parameters. To address this issue, this study proposed a super-resolution image reconstruction method based on a generative adversarial network (GAN), aiming to achieve …

A Surface Wave Inversion Method Incorporating Interface Constraints And Its Application In The Assessment Of Ground Vibrations Caused By Mining-Induced Seismicity, Li Cheng, Qian Changbao, Liu Ying, Cheng Yi, Ni Shengjun, Yao Huajian

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective In mining areas of western China, underlying interfaces with significant fluctuations affect seismic exploration accuracy while also posing challenges to the assessment of ground vibrations triggered by dynamic hazards such as mining-induced seismicity. To enhance the characterization of shallow velocity structures and to provide support for dynamic hazard prevention and control in mining areas, this study developed an inversion method incorporating prior information about geological interfaces.Methods A dense array consisting of 489 single-component and 108 three-component seismometers was deployed within a mining area in Longkou Town, Junggar Banner, Inner Mongolia. Accordingly, continuous ambient noise data for about one …

Beyond The Survey: Performance Assessments For Higher-Order Sustainability Literacy In Higher Education, Gregory Vincent Massara, Courtney B. Ryan, Mary Ellen Mallia

Educational Policy & Leadership Other Graduate Student Scholarship

Purpose This study explores how a performance-based assessment measures students’ higher-order sustainability competencies in ways that multiple-choice or scaled-survey tools, common ways to assess sustainability literacy, may not.

Design/Methodology/Approach This exploratory case study created a performance task for a first-year honors writing and critical inquiry course. Students (n=9) analyzed a scenario across environmental, social, and economic domains. A rubric measured students’ abilities to address all three domains and articulate a feasible and balanced solution supported by credible evidence.

Findings Students demonstrated proficiency in defining the three sustainability domains but tended to struggle to balance them. Choosing scenarios in familiar local …

The International Decade Of Sciences For Sustainable Development: Global Progress And China’S Actions, Lin Wang, Shaofeng Hu, Fan Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD, 2024–2033) was officially launched by the United Nations in 2024, with the aim of strengthening and demonstrating the central role of science in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This study systematically reviews the development of IDSSD, its governance structure, mechanisms for project solicitation and endorsement, as well as the thematic and regional distribution of endorsed initiatives. On this basis, it assesses China’s current participation and potential opportunities. During the first call for initiatives, IDSSD received 221 proposals from 52 countries, with 109 …

Synergistic Strategies For Regional ‘Zero-Waste City’ Construction, Xiaolong Liu, Zongguo Wen, Yanyan Tang, Xiangwan Du

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

“Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development” emphasizes deepening cross-administrative cooperation, and improving mechanisms for inter-regional planning coordination, industrial collaboration, and benefit sharing to promote regional linked development. While China’s “zero-waste city” initiative has achieved remarkable results, its long-term sustainability necessitates a shift towards coordinated regional synergy. This requires establishing enduring mechanisms for collaborative solid waste governance that transcend governmental, hierarchical, and departmental boundaries. The ultimate goal is to optimize the allocation of waste treatment resources between neighboring and even non-adjacent regions, foster a …

Combatting Desertification Scientifically: Where Feasible, Where Necessary, Bojie Fu, Yanxu Liu, Shuai Wang, Yijia Wang, Guipeng Cui, Yue Guo

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China has made remarkable achievements in combating desertification, achieving “zero net growth” in land degradation. With the goal of scientifically improving the relationship between humans and nature in drylands, the continuous exploration of new concepts, methods, and pathways for scientific desertification control will contribute to advancing the harmony between humans and nature in China’s drylands. Based on the definitions of desertification, ecological restoration baselines, and the contributions of nature to humans, we clarified the scientific implications of “controlling desertification where it is feasible and necessary”. We discussed the shift in China’s desertification prevention and control direction from “humans advancing while …

Construction Of Emerging Contaminants Risk Governance System, Cheng Li, Mingcheng Wang, Chunlei Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Emerging contaminants pose considerable risks to the ecological environment, human health, and social safety. The establishment of an emerging contaminants risk governance system constitutes a crucial component of the national ecological security strategy and the ecological civilization framework in the new era. When examined through the lens of the holistic view of national security and guided by the ecological civilization philosophy of the new era, China’s current efforts in managing emerging contaminants reveal several shortcomings—including a fragmented and incomplete risk management system, as well as preliminary stages in chemical environmental management policies and related technologies. Therefore, grounded in national conditions …

Speleoco: An Open, Low-Cost Arduino Co₂ Datalogger For Cave Microclimate Monitoring, Christos Pennos, Dimitrios Christaras

International Journal of Speleology

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) dynamics in caves are critical for karst processes, speleothem growth and dissolution, microclimate regulation, and caver safety. In cave atmospheres, CO₂ commonly derives from soil respiration, epikarst degassing, microbial activity, and, in tectonically active regions, deep-seated fault-related emissions. Fault-related CO₂ degassing may also track tectonic activity. However, continuous monitoring remains limited due to the cost and inflexibility of commercial instruments. Here we present an open-source, low-cost Arduino-based CO₂ datalogger designed for cave applications. The logger integrates a COZIR NDIR CO₂ sensor, a DS1337 real-time clock, microSD storage, and power-gating for extended deployment in humid environments. Firmware and …

Analysis Of Traditional Wisdom For Ecological Sustainability In Tanzania: A Case Study Of Metaphorical Source Domains In Pangwa Ritual Texts, Winne Stephen Mtega, Angelus Mnenuka

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Campaigns for ecological sustainability have gained a great currency in the contemporary academic discourse. Nonetheless, from time immemorial, Africans have pushed the ecological sustainability agenda through cultural taboos and regulated resource harvesting. Many African societies have embedded ecological consciousness in daily life expressions, and have intricately expressed it through literary and ritual texts. This study focuses on ecological awareness in the ritual texts of the Pangwa community. It analyses how environmental domains—such as land, seeds, and fruits—serve as the basis for metaphors in the Pangwa community to prove the use of wisdom to promote and sustain ecological practices (ecocriticism). The …

Peruvian Pinniped Teeth Trace Element Data-Tracking Ecosystem Variabilites Through Trace Element Record Found In Peruvian Pinniped Dentin, Dimitrios Giarikos, Amy Hirons, Ally E. Sheehan, Radleigh Santos

SECLER Data

The South American sea lion (Otaria byronia; SASL) and the Peruvian fur seal (Arctocephalus australis; PFS) are apex predators within the Humboldt Current ecosystem, where population dynamics respond to both natural variability and anthropogenic pressures, including El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events and coastal mining. This study quantified 18 trace elements (TEs) in canine dentin from both species collected at Punta San Juan, Peru using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to evaluate long-term environmental exposure. Because dentin is deposited incrementally, it preserves a chronological chemical archive reflecting ontogenetic shifts in diet and habitat use. Overall, TE concentrations were broadly similar …

Digital Transformation And Esg Performance In China: The Mediating Role Of Green Innovation, Zhou Yanyu

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study explores the relationship between digital transformation and ESG performance in Chinese A-share listed companies, focusing on the mediating role of green innovation. From the view of resource-based theory, the digital transformation is found to the first enhances ESG performance and how green innovation serves as a key transmission mechanism. Using fixed-effects regression analysis based on 6,763 firm-year observations from 2015 to 2023. The empirical results indicate that digital transformation improves ESG performance by fostering green innovation, which in turn partially mediates this effect. These findings provide theoretical insights on how digital capabilities drive corporate sustainability and offer practical …

Everyone Works On The Sustainability Team: Power Structures And Brand Communication In Sustainable Consumption, Sofia Johansson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In response to growing concerns about the way in which consumption practices negatively degrade the environment and contribute to climate change, this thesis explores the role in which brands may counteract this. There are two significant issues pertaining to environmental marketing: (1) current efforts to promote green consumerism, through which consumer brands market products as “eco-friendly” with only marginal reductions in climate impact and misleading labels, are insufficient in mitigating climate change. (2) Additionally, this kind of consumption is unjust, whereby it is marked up in price, limiting access to merely individuals in higher income brackets. Given the insufficiencies of …

Identifying Priorities To Guide Extension Water Quality Programming In Utah, Clare Entwistle, Sarah Erwin, Stephanie Vaughn

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University Extension water quality faculty conducted a statewide water quality needs assessment to identify priority contaminants and resource gaps. The results found that elevated nutrient levels and sedimentation were the top concerns where additional resources would be beneficial. In addition, insufficient funding for improvements and low public engagement were identified as key challenges in addressing water quality issues. Results revealed current unmet needs with regional variation to inform Extension resource allocation and programming.

Automated Machine Learning For High-Resolution Daily And Hourly Methane Emission Mapping For Rice Paddies Over South Korea: Integrating Modis, Era5-Land, And Soil Data, Jiah Jang, Seung Hee Kim, Menas Kafatos, Jaeil Cho, Gayoung Yoo, Sujong Jeong, Yangwon Lee

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

Agriculture is a major global source of methane (CH4), and accurate emission estimates are essential for refining national greenhouse gas inventories and supporting climate-resilient policies. This study develops a high-resolution estimation framework for CH4 emissions from Korean rice paddies by integrating multi-source datasets, including Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation indices, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Reanalysis Version 5 (ERA5)-Land meteorological variables, and Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD) soil properties. Using CH4 flux observations from four global rice ecosystems (Italy, Japan, South Korea, and USA), we constructed parallel daily and hourly machine learning models using an automated machine …

Development Potential Of The Ucg-Eg Industry In Guizhou Province, China, Wang Lingxia, Zhou Ze, Yi Tongsheng, Qin Yong, Yang Lei, Kong Weimin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods This study aims to promote the sustainable development of the underground coal gasification (UCG) industry and to extend the industrial chain of syngas development and utilization. To this end, this study analyzed the UCG-electricity generation (UCG-EG) potential of Guizhou Province based on the evaluation results of resources allowing UCG and the current status of energy and electric power structures of this province. A 3D analytical principle model for UCG-EG industry scenarios in Guizhou was constructed through scenario modelling. Using this model, the prospects of the UCG industry under low, medium, high, and ultra-high scenarios were quantitatively depicted. …

Factors Influencing Productivity And Production System Optimization For Deep Coalbed Methane In The Daning-Jixian Block, Ordos Basin, Zhao Haifeng, Jia Zhaojie, Chen Mengqi, Yang Ziyi, Wang Bin, Lin Hongliang, Yang Yanfeng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Deep coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs are characterized by ultra-low porosity, ultra-low permeability, and super saturation, rendering it impractical to copy the productivity models of shallow coalbed methane and shale gas. Furthermore, the production performance of deep CBM varies significantly across different well sections. However, the impacts of different factors on the productivity of deep CBM remain poorly understood. This study conducted a numerical simulation analysis of the productivity of deep CBM in the Daning-Jixian block along the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin based on the geological characteristics of the block, aiming to explore the impacts of various key …

Influence Mechanisms Of Cleats On Hydraulic Fracture Propagation In Deep Coalbed Methane Reservoirs, Wang Haiyang, Lu Chen, Su Xu, Wang Yufei, Zhou Desheng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Creating large-scale fracture networks through hydraulic fracturing serves as an important approach to the commercial development of deep coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs. However, these reservoirs contain extensively developed cleats. The significantly different cementation strengths of cleat fillings lead to complex interactions between cemented cleats and major hydraulic fractures during fracture propagation. Therefore, clarifying the mechanisms underlying the influence of cemented cleats on hydraulic fracture propagation is critical to improving the simulation effects of deep CBM reservoirs. Methods Using particle flow code (PFC) discrete element method, combined with quasi-triaxial mechanical test results of the No.8 coal seam within the Yichuan …

Seepage Dynamics And Damage Characteristics Of Shaft Lining Concrete Under Hydraulic Coupling, Xue Weipei, Zhou Yaya, Cheng Hua, Yao Zhishu, Rong Chuanxin, Wang Zhongjian, Wu Hao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Concrete serves as a lining material for support structures used in vertical shafts in coal mines, and its seepage performance and mechanical characteristics play a crucial role in ensuring structural safety. Furthermore, shaft lining concrete is placed under the groundwater level, subjected to a stress environment significantly different from that of surface concrete.Methods To investigate the impacts of groundwater seepage on the performance of shaft lining concrete under triaxial stress conditions, hydraulic coupling tests were conducted using a servo pressure testing machine equipped with a seepage apparatus, yielding data on permeability, elastic volumetric strain, crack volumetric strain, and …

Evolutionary Mechanisms And Control Strategies For Surrounding Rock Stability Of Inclined Shafts Under Groundwater Seepage, Zhang Cun, Zhao Xiangyu, Chen Yanhong, Ren Zhaopeng, Wu Runze

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The western coal mining area has emerged as China’s primary coal production base. In this area, multiple ten-million-ton-scale coal mines are constructed using inclined shafts. Since inclined shafts run through multiple aquifers, many of them are subjected to shaft wall rupture and water inrushes to varying degrees.Methods This study aims to determine the impacts of groundwater seepage on the surrounding rock stability of inclined shafts. Using field survey, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulation, this study investigated the shaft wall stability of the main inclined shaft in water-rich sections in the Xiaojihan Coal Mine.Results and Conclusions Theoretical analysis …

Surface-Borehole Resistivity Tomography For Seepage Detection In Earth-Rock Dams, Tan Lei, Hu Xiongwu, Zhang Pingsong, Jiang Xiaoyi, Dong Ya, Liu Fuda, Li Chunyang, Xu Hu

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Resistivity methods allow for effective detection of seepage in reservoir dams. However, when used to detect the hidden hazards of dams, the surface resistivity method fails to accurately identify vulnerable areas across an entire dam due to blind spots near both dam abutments and insufficient resolutions for deep parts. Methods This study proposed a seepage detection technique for earth-rock dams based on surface-borehole resistivity tomography, followed by the analysis of the distribution of surface-borehole resistivity under the lateral and vertical variations in a seepage zone through numerical simulations. This technique was applied to the Shibi reservoir dam. Using the …