Life cycle assessments(LCAs)of early-stage technologies can provide valuable insights about key drivers of emissions and aid in prioritizing research into further emissions-reduction opportunities.Despite this potenti...Life cycle assessments(LCAs)of early-stage technologies can provide valuable insights about key drivers of emissions and aid in prioritizing research into further emissions-reduction opportunities.Despite this potential value,further development of LCA methods is required to handle the increased uncertainty,data gaps,and confidentially of early-stage data.This study presents a discussion of the life cycle carbon footprinting of technologies competing in the final round of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition-a US$20 million competition for teams to demonstrate the conversion of CO_(2) into valuable products at the scale of a small industrial pilot using consistent deployment conditions,boundaries,and methodological assumptions.This competition allowed the exploration of how LCA can be used and further improved when assessing disparate and early-stage technologies.Carbon intensity estimates are presented for two conversion pathways:(i)CO_(2) mineralization and(ii)catalytic conversion(including thermochemical,electrochemical,photocatalytic and hybrid process)of CO_(2),aggregated across teams to highlight the range of emissions intensities demonstrated at the pilot for individual life cycle stages.A future scenario is also presented,demonstrating the incremental technology and deployment conditions that would enable a team to become carbon-avoiding relative to an incumbent process(i.e.reducing emissions relative to a reference pathway producing a comparable product).By considering the assessment process across a diverse set of teams,conversion pathways and products,the study presents generalized insights about opportunities and challenges facing carbon capture and-utilization technologies in their next phases of deployment from a life cycle perspective.展开更多
Using ligation-mediated PCR method to study the status of DNA-protein interaction at hypersensitive site 2 of locus control Region and βmaj promoter of MEL cell line before and after induction, MEL cell has been cult...Using ligation-mediated PCR method to study the status of DNA-protein interaction at hypersensitive site 2 of locus control Region and βmaj promoter of MEL cell line before and after induction, MEL cell has been cultured and induced to differentiation by Hemin and DMSO, then the live cells have been treated with dimethyl sulfate. Ligation mediated PCR has been carried out following the chemical cleavage. The results demonstrate that before and after induction, the status of DNA-protein interaction at both hypersensitive site 2 and βmaj promoter change significantly, indicating that distal regulatory elements (locus control region, hypersensitive sites) as well as proximal regulatory elements (promoter, enhancer) of β-globin gene cluster participate in the regulation of developmental specificity.展开更多
The Black Array of Broadband Absolute Radiometers Earth Radiation Imager(BABAR-ERI) is a small, adaptable nadir-pointed pushbroom imager to measure Earth-leaving broadband radiance from 0.3 µm to 100 µm with...The Black Array of Broadband Absolute Radiometers Earth Radiation Imager(BABAR-ERI) is a small, adaptable nadir-pointed pushbroom imager to measure Earth-leaving broadband radiance from 0.3 µm to 100 µm with higher information content than is currently measured by reducing radiometric uncertainty and enabling cloud-resolving spatial resolution. The three-instrument BABAR-ERI suite fits a 12U CubeSat form factor and contains co-registered science telescope channels for measuring shortwave(0.3 µm to 4.5 µm band) and total radiance(0.3 µm to 100 µm band), dualchannel on-board radiance stability monitors, and a visible-wavelength camera. Novel, 1 × 32 element, electricalsubstitution radiometer pixels image the shortwave and total radiance in 1 km × 1 km co-registered ground footprints;longwave radiance(4.5 µm to 100 µm band) is derived from subtraction of the shortwave and total radiance. The dualchannel onboard stability monitors are radiance standard detectors, and their measurements, acquired concurrently with the science telescopes and at much different duty cycles for the dual channels, will be used to track and correct the degradation of the science channels. The single-channel, mid-visible camera facilitates geolocation pointing knowledge and provides scene context information and sub-pixel variability to facilitate measurement stability studies and enable process-level science studies at high spatial resolution. The detectors for the science channels and stability monitors are absolute, ambienttemperature, micro-fabricated, electrical-substitution radiometers with near-perfect optical absorptance across the measurement range from vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. The BABAR-ERI science channels will be characterized over the full measurement range and for variable Earth scenes and deep space temperatures during extensive ground calibrations.展开更多
The airborne diffusion of saliva droplets during respiratory activities is one of the major factors in the spread of infections.During the COVID-19 pandemic,the use of protective face masks was essential to reduce the...The airborne diffusion of saliva droplets during respiratory activities is one of the major factors in the spread of infections.During the COVID-19 pandemic,the use of protective face masks was essential to reduce the risk of infection and spread of SARS-CoV-2.The face mask is able to significantly reduce the saliva droplet emission in front of the person.However,the use of masks also produces a particle leakage towards the back of the person,which could increase the infection risk of people behind the subject.Most of the experimental investigations applied invasive and/or complex experimental techniques to evaluate the face masks leakage.The primary objective of this study is to develop a novel,non-invasive methodology for assessing rearward droplet emission associated with the use of protective face masks.Specifically,a thermographic analysis of the thermal footprint released during ordinary and extraordinary respiratory activities is presented,evaluating the maximum temperature,the detection time,and the spread area of the thermal footprint.Both surgical and FFP2 face masks were tested.Two different subjects were involved in the experimentation to evaluate the influence of face conformation.The findings indicate that the area influenced by droplet dispersion is larger when wearing a surgical mask compared to an FFP2 mask,with the highest recorded temperatures observed for the surgical mask.The thermal footprint was found to be strongly dependent on individual facial morphology and mask fit.Notably,the FFP2 mask also altered the position of the thermal footprint,which was primarily confined to the region near the neck.展开更多
Green transplant refers to the realization of the importance of understanding and improving the environmental footprint of transplantation through sustainable practices.This involves assessing the entire transplantati...Green transplant refers to the realization of the importance of understanding and improving the environmental footprint of transplantation through sustainable practices.This involves assessing the entire transplantation process including preoperative evaluation,donation,organ and patient transportation,surgery,postoperative recovery,and follow-up.This is a topic that has not been fully addressed yet,but its importance is being increasingly appreciated in surgery.The aim of this study was to investigate the carbon footprint associated with transplantation and propose sustainable mitigating solutions.A comprehensive review of the existing literature on transplantation was conducted and supplemented with findings from the broader fields of surgical and perioperative care,given the scarcity of available data.The analysis identified the most involved environmental factors and attempted to offer practical solutions based on current sustainability practices.Notably,no study has yet examined the carbon footprint associated with the entire transplantation procedure.Only five studies have attempted to assess the environmental impact of kidney or liver transplants,but they focused,almost explicitly,on specific steps of the process.By employing an extrapolative methodology from the broader surgical field,we determined that the primary contributors to the environmental impact of transplantation are energy,consumables and materials,anesthesia and pharmaceuticals,transportation,and water.This review offers practical solutions utilizing the 5R framework,emphasizing sustainability to ensure transplantation remains clinically and environmentally relevant.展开更多
An integral part of the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is carbon footprint accounting.EPA categorizes facility carbon footprints in three scopes.Scope-2 emissions include electricity,heat or steam purchased...An integral part of the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is carbon footprint accounting.EPA categorizes facility carbon footprints in three scopes.Scope-2 emissions include electricity,heat or steam purchased from a utility provider.This paper evaluates the existing calculation methods for scope-2 CO2 emissions for purchased electricity.The electricity grid in US is complex and is divided spatially into states,eGRID regions,balancing authorities(BAs),and utilities.Up to hourly temporal granularity can be obtained from available datasets.A matrix is developed that categorizes different datasets based on the complexity to calculate the carbon emission factors.Spatial and temporal variations are evaluated.There are significant spatial overlap between regions in different categories and emission factors within a region show sub-regional variation.An area analysis is done using zip-code polygons to determine whether a state or balancing authority is smaller for all the overlapping cases.Temporal variations in emission factors are significant depending on the balancing authority considered.A single method to calculate scope-2 emission factors may not be accurate and efficient in every case and a nuanced assessment of emission factors is warranted.An implementation pathway for a“smart carbon calculator”—one that gives accurate carbon footprint that is the spatially and temporally most granular is suggested.展开更多
Tourism’s link to the Sustainable Development Goals has been a continuing emphasis,adding momentum to longstandingefforts to ensure tourism’s sustainability.Tourism transport is one of the largest sources of anthrop...Tourism’s link to the Sustainable Development Goals has been a continuing emphasis,adding momentum to longstandingefforts to ensure tourism’s sustainability.Tourism transport is one of the largest sources of anthropogenic carbonemissions,driving global ecological change with profound consequences for ecosystem functioning and biodiversity.Large-scale infrastructure projects such as railway expansion are increasingly promoted for their potential to reducetourism-related carbon dioxide emissions,yet their spatial ecological impacts on regional carbon cycles and ecosystemservices remain poorly understood.This study introduces the concept of Tourism Transport Ecological Efficiency(TTEE)to assess the relationship between human infrastructure,carbon emissions,and ecological sustainability.Using panel datafrom China’s railway expansion between 2011 and 2018,the study provides spatially explicit evidence of how transportinfrastructure shapes tourism’s ecological footprint.Results show that non-Eastern regions experienced a greater increasein TTEE(8.7%)compared to Eastern regions(5.5%),highlighting regional disparities in tourism transport ecologicalsustainability.Railway density had a significant positive direct effect on TTEE,particularly pronounced in non-Easternregions.Additionally,a significant indirect effect of railway density in nearby regions was identified.These findings revealthe interconnected ecological impacts of transport systems and underscore the importance of regionally targeted railwayinvestment strategies.By bridging infrastructure development with ecological processes,this study advances understandingof how tourism transport can be aligned with global carbon reduction goals and ecosystem protection.展开更多
In daily life,keyword spotting plays an important role in human-computer interaction.However,noise often interferes with the extraction of time-frequency information,and achieving both computational efficiency and rec...In daily life,keyword spotting plays an important role in human-computer interaction.However,noise often interferes with the extraction of time-frequency information,and achieving both computational efficiency and recognition accuracy on resource-constrained devices such as mobile terminals remains a major challenge.To address this,we propose a novel time-frequency dual-branch parallel residual network,which integrates a Dual-Branch Broadcast Residual module and a Time-Frequency Coordinate Attention module.The time-domain and frequency-domain branches are designed in parallel to independently extract temporal and spectral features,effectively avoiding the potential information loss caused by serial stacking,while enhancing information flow and multi-scale feature fusion.In terms of training strategy,a curriculum learning approach is introduced to progressively improve model robustness fromeasy to difficult tasks.Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently outperforms existing lightweight models under various signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)conditions,achieving superior far-field recognition performance on the Google Speech Commands V2 dataset.Notably,the model maintains stable performance even in low-SNR environments such as–10 dB,and generalizes well to unseen SNR conditions during training,validating its robustness to novel noise scenarios.Furthermore,the proposed model exhibits significantly fewer parameters,making it highly suitable for deployment on resource-limited devices.Overall,the model achieves a favorable balance between performance and parameter efficiency,demonstrating strong potential for practical applications.展开更多
The breakthrough in super hybrid rice yield has significantly contributed to China’s and global food security.However,the inherent conflict between high productivity and environmentally sustainable agriculture poses ...The breakthrough in super hybrid rice yield has significantly contributed to China’s and global food security.However,the inherent conflict between high productivity and environmentally sustainable agriculture poses substantial challenges.Issues such as water scarcity,energy crises,escalating greenhouse gas emissions,and diminishing farm profitability threaten longterm agricultural sustainability.In response,we applied a holistic food–carbon–nitrogen–water–energy–profit (FCNWEP)nexus framework to comprehensively assess the sustainability of distinct crop management strategies across three subsites in Central China.Field experiments were conducted in Hubei and Hunan provinces from 2017 to 2021 using a widely adopted elite super hybrid rice cultivar (Y-liangyou 900).Four crop management treatments were implemented:a control(CK,0 kg N ha^(-1)),conventional crop management (CCM,210–250 kg N ha^(-1),7:3 basal:mid-tiller fertilizer ratio),and two integrated crop management (ICM) treatments (ICM1,180–210 kg N ha^(-1),5:2:3 basal:mid-tiller:panicle initiation fertilizer ratio;ICM2,240–270 kg N ha^(-1),5:2:2:1 basal:mid-tiller:panicle initiation:flowering fertilizer ratio).Variables assessed included grain yield,carbon footprint,nitrogen footprint,water footprint,energy footprint,nitrogen use efficiency,and economic benefits.Our results showed significant yield variations,with ICM2 consistently outperforming CCM and ICM1across all three sites.In Jingzhou,Suizhou,and Changsha,ICM2’s grain yield was 30.2,24.7,and 13.3%higher than CCM,respectively.Net profits under ICM2 exceeded those of CCM and ICM1 by 31.8 and 115.2%in Jingzhou,32.2 and 109.9%in Suizhou,and 15.4 and 34.0%in Changsha,respectively.Integrated crop management,particularly ICM2,demonstrated improved nitrogen and energy use efficiency,leading to reduced carbon,nitrogen,water,and energy footprints.Overall,composite sustainability scores derived from the FCNWEP framework indicated that both ICM2 and ICM1 exhibited higher sustainability levels compared to CCM.This study provides valuable insights into practical management methodologies and offers recommendations for enhancing agricultural sustainability.展开更多
Analysis of the environmental and economic performance of fishing vessels has received limited attention compared with other ship types despite their notable contribution to global greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions.This st...Analysis of the environmental and economic performance of fishing vessels has received limited attention compared with other ship types despite their notable contribution to global greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions.This study evaluates the carbon footprint(CF)and economic viability of a liquefied natural gas(LNG)-fueled fishing vessel,using real engine operation simulations to provide precise and dynamic evaluation of fuel consumption and GHG emissions.Operational profiles are obtained through the utilization of onboard monitoring systems,whereas engine performance is simulated using the 1D/0D AVL Boost^(TM)model.Life cycle assessment(LCA)is conducted to quantify the environmental impact,whereas life cycle cost assessment(LCCA)is performed to analyze the profitability of LNG as an alternative fuel.The potential impact of the future fuel price uncertainties is addressed using Monte Carlo simulations.The LCA findings indicate that LNG has the potential to reduce the CF of the vessel by 14%to 16%,in comparison to a diesel power system configuration that serves as the baseline scenario.The LCCA results further indicate that the total cost of an LNG-powered ship is lower by 9.5%-13.8%,depending on the share of LNG and pilot fuels.This finding highlights the potential of LNG to produce considerable environmental benefits while addressing economic challenges under diverse operational and fuel price conditions.展开更多
The rice ratooning system has attracted increasing attention in southern China due to its low carbon emissions and high yield potential.However,the net carbon budget and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.Three rice...The rice ratooning system has attracted increasing attention in southern China due to its low carbon emissions and high yield potential.However,the net carbon budget and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.Three rice cropping systems were established in this trial experiment conducted from 2021 to 2022 in Fuzhou(25°05'N,119°13'E),Southeast China:ratooning rice(RR:MC+RSR)pattern for rice ratooning,single-cropping rice(LR_(1)),and double-cropping rice(DC:ER+LR_(2)).The closed static dark box gas collection,dry matter determination,life cycle assessment(LCA)etc.approaches were utilized to investigate the mechanism of“high carbon fixation–low emissions”mechanism in RR.A comprehensive assessment was conducted across multiple dimensions,including crop yield,greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions,carbon and nitrogen footprints,resource use efficiency,carbon sequestration capacity,and carbon budget balance.Results showed that the average daily yield of ratoon season rice(RSR)across RR treatments from 2021 to 2022 was 28.21–47.40%higher than that of the main crop(MC)and LR_(1),and the average daily yield of RR was 13.50–27.76%higher than DC.This yield advantage was attributed to a 32.32–39.26%increase in the allocation of^(13)C-labeled photosynthetic products(including non-structural carbohydrates,NSCs)to panicle organs,and a 21.77–43.51%reduction in allocation to underground roots and soil.Furthermore,the average daily global warming potential(GWP)was 16.44 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for RR,24.99 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for LR_(1),and 21.32 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for DC.Specifically,the average daily GWP of ratoon rice was 34.21%lower than that of LR_(1) and 22.90%lower than double-cropping rice.Similarly,the average daily greenhouse gas intensity(GHGI)of ratoon rice was 62.28%lower than LR_(1) and 28.96%lower than double-cropping rice.In terms of carbon and nitrogen footprints,the ratoon rice system exhibited average daily values of 34.54 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)and 0.47 kg N ha^(–1),respectively.In comparison,LR_(1) had values of 45.63 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)and 0.49 kg N ha^(–1),while double-cropping rice showed 43.38 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)and 0.53 kg N ha^(–1).These values represent reductions of 24.30%in carbon footprint and4.28%in nitrogen footprint relative to LR_(1),and 20.38 and 11.45%relative to double-cropping rice,respectively.Moreover,the average annual carbon budget surplus across systems was 22,380.01 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for ratoon rice(MC+RSR),11,228.54 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for LR_(1),and 23,772.15 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for DC.Consequently,the resource utilization efficiency of the RR was 24.42 and 47.50%higher than that of single-cropping and double-cropping systems,respectively.Average daily economic returns also increased by 32.71 and 80.75%,respectively.These findings provide a robust theoretical foundation and practical guidance for advancing agricultural carbon neutrality technologies and ensuring food security.展开更多
China is the most important steel producer in the world,and its steel industry is one of themost carbon-intensive industries in China.Consequently,research on carbon emissions from the steel industry is crucial for Ch...China is the most important steel producer in the world,and its steel industry is one of themost carbon-intensive industries in China.Consequently,research on carbon emissions from the steel industry is crucial for China to achieve carbon neutrality and meet its sustainable global development goals.We constructed a carbon dioxide(CO_(2))emission model for China’s iron and steel industry froma life cycle perspective,conducted an empirical analysis based on data from2019,and calculated the CO_(2)emissions of the industry throughout its life cycle.Key emission reduction factors were identified using sensitivity analysis.The results demonstrated that the CO_(2)emission intensity of the steel industry was 2.33 ton CO_(2)/ton,and the production and manufacturing stages were the main sources of CO_(2)emissions,accounting for 89.84%of the total steel life-cycle emissions.Notably,fossil fuel combustion had the highest sensitivity to steel CO_(2)emissions,with a sensitivity coefficient of 0.68,reducing the amount of fossil fuel combustion by 20%and carbon emissions by 13.60%.The sensitivities of power structure optimization and scrap consumption were similar,while that of the transportation structure adjustment was the lowest,with a sensitivity coefficient of less than 0.1.Given the current strategic goals of peak carbon and carbon neutrality,it is in the best interest of the Chinese government to actively promote energy-saving and low-carbon technologies,increase the ratio of scrap steel to steelmaking,and build a new power system.展开更多
The conversion of forests to pastures is the most important human intervention that has shaped the natural landscape into the Anthropocene environment.The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP),which has both forest drought-lines...The conversion of forests to pastures is the most important human intervention that has shaped the natural landscape into the Anthropocene environment.The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP),which has both forest drought-lines and alpine treelines with specific ecotone structures,including isolated trees in treeless plant-covers that represent ever existed forest cover according to‘Lonely Tooth Hypothesis’,offers an excellent model in which to examine the extent and timing of human activity on the conversion of forest to pasture.The objectives of this paper are to review(1)palaeo-environmental records of the Early Holocene that indicate when forests were first converted to‘alpine meadows’,and(2)current records of the changing treeline ecotone in the region.‘Alpine meadows’of the QTP are part of the largest conversion of mountain forests into pastures worldwide.This change in forest cover is possibly a consequence of the agro-pastoral transition and the dawn of the Anthropocene on the QTP.To date,however,there is an interdisciplinary gap in knowledge of 5000 years between the palaeo-ecological and the archaeolocical and zoo-archaeological records.Rapid changes of the rural economy and the exodus from remote highland villages to down-country cities have diminished the age-old impacts of summer grazing and pasture management by fire;reforestation is obvious,but often seen exclusively as an effect of Anthropocene global warming.We believe that more interdisciplinary collaborations on the QTP are necessary to increase our understanding of the treelines of the Anthropocene in High Asia.展开更多
Agricultural practices significantly contribute to greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions,necessitating cleaner production technologies to reduce environmental pressure and achieve sustainable maize production.Plastic film mulc...Agricultural practices significantly contribute to greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions,necessitating cleaner production technologies to reduce environmental pressure and achieve sustainable maize production.Plastic film mulching is commonly used in the Loess Plateau region.Incorporating slow-release fertilizers as a replacement for urea within this practice can reduce nitrogen losses and enhance crop productivity.Combining these techniques represents a novel agricultural approach in semi-arid areas.However,the impact of this integration on soil carbon storage(SOCS),carbon footprint(CF),and economic benefits has received limited research attention.Therefore,we conducted an eight-year study(2015-2022)in the semi-arid northwestern region to quantify the effects of four treatments[urea supplied without plastic film mulching(CK-U),slow-release fertilizer supplied without plastic film mulching(CK-S),urea supplied with plastic film mulching(PM-U),and slow-release fertilizer supplied with plastic film mulching(PM-S)]on soil fertility,economic and environmental benefits.The results revealed that nitrogen fertilizer was the primary contributor to total GHG emissions(≥71.97%).Compared to other treatments,PM-S increased average grain yield by 12.01%-37.89%,water use efficiency by 9.19%-23.33%,nitrogen accumulation by 27.07%-66.19%,and net return by 6.21%-29.57%.Furthermore,PM-S decreased CF by 12.87%-44.31%and CF per net return by 14.25%-41.16%.After eight years,PM-S increased SOCS(0-40 cm)by 2.46%,while PM-U decreased it by 7.09%.These findings highlight the positive effects of PM-S on surface soil fertility,economic gains,and environmental benefits in spring maize production on the Loess Plateau,underscoring its potential for widespread adoption and application.展开更多
To make agricultural systems sustainable in terms of their greenness and efficiency,optimizing the tillage and fertilization practices is essential.To assess the effects of tilling and fertilization practices in wheat...To make agricultural systems sustainable in terms of their greenness and efficiency,optimizing the tillage and fertilization practices is essential.To assess the effects of tilling and fertilization practices in wheat-maize cropping systems,a three-year field experiment was designed to quantify the carbon footprint(CF)and energy efficiency of the cropping systems in the North China Plain.The study parameters included four tillage practices(no tillage(NT),conventional tillage(CT),rotary tillage(RT),and subsoiling rotary tillage(SRT))and two fertilizer regimes(inorganic fertilizer(IF)and hybrid fertilizer with organic and inorganic components(HF)).The results indicated that the most prominent energy inputs and greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions could be ascribed to the use of fertilizers and fuel consumption.Under the same fertilization regime,ranking the tillage patterns with respect to the value of the crop yield,profit,CF,energy use efficiency(EUE)or energy productivity(EP)for either wheat or maize always gave the same sequence of SRT>RT>CT>NT.For the same tillage,the energy consumption associated with HF was higher than IF,but its GHG emissions and CF were lower while the yield and profit were higher.In terms of overall performance,tilling is more beneficial than NT,and reduced tillage practices(RT and SRT)are more beneficial than CT.The fertilization regime with the best overall performance was HF.Combining SRT with HF has significant potential for reducing CF and increasing EUE,thereby improving sustainability.Adopting measures that promote these optimizations can help to overcome the challenges posed by a lack of food security,energy crises and ecological stress.展开更多
The increasing population and continuous urbanization make food security a key consideration in sustainable development.Efficient farming strategies with low environmental footprints are thus increasingly required to ...The increasing population and continuous urbanization make food security a key consideration in sustainable development.Efficient farming strategies with low environmental footprints are thus increasingly required to meet food demands.This study presents a design for environmentally friendly,economical,and modular vertical farming systems,in which vegetables are cultivated in a carbon dioxide(CO_(2))-enriched atmosphere enabled by direct air capture(DAC)and subjected to artificial light exposure.We established a vertical farming setup and conducted experiments to identify productive cultivation strategies by regulating lighting,CO_(2)concentration,biochar application,and plant species.Additionally,a self-developed DAC rotary adsorber was utilized to achieve stable and efficient CO_(2)enrichment.Compared with the control group,the fresh weight of the vegetables in the experimental groups increased by up to 57.5%.Furthermore,we performed a comprehensive evaluation of the design and demonstrated that integrating photovoltaic-thermal(PVT)and DAC units increased the system’s net present value(NPV)by 157%compared with a conventional design without these units.Importantly,we found it possible to maintain the low carbon footprint of the system(0.468 kg-CO_(2)equivalent·kg−1(CO_(2)eq·kg−1)-vegetable)in the production process.Parametric studies and an application analysis on a global scale reveal the wide adaptability of this strategy to diverse conditions.These findings,together with the modular characteristics of vertical farming systems,highlight the promising potential of this design to increase food security and foster sustainable agriculture.展开更多
Reducing greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions to address climate change is a global consensus,and municipal wastewater treatment plants(MWWTPs)should lead the way in low-carbon sustainable development.However,achieving efflue...Reducing greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions to address climate change is a global consensus,and municipal wastewater treatment plants(MWWTPs)should lead the way in low-carbon sustainable development.However,achieving effluent discharge standards often requires considerable energy and chemical consumption during operation,resulting in significant carbon footprints.In this study,GHG emissions are systematically accounted for,and the driving factors of carbon footprint growth in China’s MWWTPs are explored.In 2020,a total of 41.9 million tonnes(Mt)of carbon dioxide equivalent(CO_(2)-eq)were released by the sector,with nearly two-thirds being indirect emissions resulting from energy and material usage.The intensity of electricity,carbon source,and phosphorus removing agent consumption increasingly influence carbon footprint growth over time.Through statistical inference,benchmarks for electricity and chemical consumption intensity are established across all MWWTPs under various operational conditions,and the potential for mitigation through more efficient energy and material utilization is calculated.The results suggest that many MWWTPs offer significant opportunities for emission reduction.Consequently,empirical decarbonization measures,including intelligent device control,optimization of aeration equipment,energy recovery initiatives,and other enhancements to improve operational and carbon efficiency,are recommended.展开更多
Accurate quantification of life-cycle greenhouse gas(GHG)footprints(GHG_(fp))for a crop cultivation system is urgently needed to address the conflict between food security and global warming mitigation.In this study,t...Accurate quantification of life-cycle greenhouse gas(GHG)footprints(GHG_(fp))for a crop cultivation system is urgently needed to address the conflict between food security and global warming mitigation.In this study,the hydrobiogeochemical model,CNMM-DNDC,was validated with in situ observations from maize-based cultivation systems at the sites of Yongji(YJ,China),Yanting(YT,China),and Madeya(MA,Kenya),subject to temperate,subtropical,and tropical climates,respectively,and updated to enable life-cycle GHG_(fp)estimation.The model validation provided satisfactory simulations on multiple soil variables,crop growth,and emissions of GHGs and reactive nitrogen gases.The locally conventional management practices resulted in GHG_(fp)values of 0.35(0.09–0.53 at the 95%confidence interval),0.21(0.01–0.73),0.46(0.27–0.60),and 0.54(0.21–0.77)kg CO_(2)e kg~(-1)d.m.(d.m.for dry matter in short)for maize–wheat rotation at YJ and YT,and for maize–maize and maize–Tephrosia rotations at MA,respectively.YT's smallest GHG_(fp)was attributed to its lower off-farm GHG emissions than YJ,though the soil organic carbon(SOC)storage and maize yield were slightly lower than those of YJ.MA's highest SOC loss and low yield in shifting cultivation for maize–Tephrosia rotation contributed to its highest GHG_(fp).Management practices of maize cultivation at these sites could be optimized by combination of synthetic and organic fertilizer(s)while incorporating 50%–100%crop residues.Further evaluation of the updated CNMM-DNDC is needed for different crops at site and regional scales to confirm its worldwide applicability in quantifying GHG_(fp)and optimizing management practices for achieving multiple sustainability goals.展开更多
The 2025 International Standardization(Chilin)Forum was held in Nanjing city,East China’s Jiangsu province,on April 16 with the theme of“Towards carbon peak and carbon neutrality:international carbon footprint stand...The 2025 International Standardization(Chilin)Forum was held in Nanjing city,East China’s Jiangsu province,on April 16 with the theme of“Towards carbon peak and carbon neutrality:international carbon footprint standards driving green and low-carbon development”.展开更多
基金Funding for the study was provided by the XPRIZE Foundation.
文摘Life cycle assessments(LCAs)of early-stage technologies can provide valuable insights about key drivers of emissions and aid in prioritizing research into further emissions-reduction opportunities.Despite this potential value,further development of LCA methods is required to handle the increased uncertainty,data gaps,and confidentially of early-stage data.This study presents a discussion of the life cycle carbon footprinting of technologies competing in the final round of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition-a US$20 million competition for teams to demonstrate the conversion of CO_(2) into valuable products at the scale of a small industrial pilot using consistent deployment conditions,boundaries,and methodological assumptions.This competition allowed the exploration of how LCA can be used and further improved when assessing disparate and early-stage technologies.Carbon intensity estimates are presented for two conversion pathways:(i)CO_(2) mineralization and(ii)catalytic conversion(including thermochemical,electrochemical,photocatalytic and hybrid process)of CO_(2),aggregated across teams to highlight the range of emissions intensities demonstrated at the pilot for individual life cycle stages.A future scenario is also presented,demonstrating the incremental technology and deployment conditions that would enable a team to become carbon-avoiding relative to an incumbent process(i.e.reducing emissions relative to a reference pathway producing a comparable product).By considering the assessment process across a diverse set of teams,conversion pathways and products,the study presents generalized insights about opportunities and challenges facing carbon capture and-utilization technologies in their next phases of deployment from a life cycle perspective.
文摘Using ligation-mediated PCR method to study the status of DNA-protein interaction at hypersensitive site 2 of locus control Region and βmaj promoter of MEL cell line before and after induction, MEL cell has been cultured and induced to differentiation by Hemin and DMSO, then the live cells have been treated with dimethyl sulfate. Ligation mediated PCR has been carried out following the chemical cleavage. The results demonstrate that before and after induction, the status of DNA-protein interaction at both hypersensitive site 2 and βmaj promoter change significantly, indicating that distal regulatory elements (locus control region, hypersensitive sites) as well as proximal regulatory elements (promoter, enhancer) of β-globin gene cluster participate in the regulation of developmental specificity.
基金supporting the BABAR array development and the BABAR-ERI instrument development (80NSSC20K0320)。
文摘The Black Array of Broadband Absolute Radiometers Earth Radiation Imager(BABAR-ERI) is a small, adaptable nadir-pointed pushbroom imager to measure Earth-leaving broadband radiance from 0.3 µm to 100 µm with higher information content than is currently measured by reducing radiometric uncertainty and enabling cloud-resolving spatial resolution. The three-instrument BABAR-ERI suite fits a 12U CubeSat form factor and contains co-registered science telescope channels for measuring shortwave(0.3 µm to 4.5 µm band) and total radiance(0.3 µm to 100 µm band), dualchannel on-board radiance stability monitors, and a visible-wavelength camera. Novel, 1 × 32 element, electricalsubstitution radiometer pixels image the shortwave and total radiance in 1 km × 1 km co-registered ground footprints;longwave radiance(4.5 µm to 100 µm band) is derived from subtraction of the shortwave and total radiance. The dualchannel onboard stability monitors are radiance standard detectors, and their measurements, acquired concurrently with the science telescopes and at much different duty cycles for the dual channels, will be used to track and correct the degradation of the science channels. The single-channel, mid-visible camera facilitates geolocation pointing knowledge and provides scene context information and sub-pixel variability to facilitate measurement stability studies and enable process-level science studies at high spatial resolution. The detectors for the science channels and stability monitors are absolute, ambienttemperature, micro-fabricated, electrical-substitution radiometers with near-perfect optical absorptance across the measurement range from vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. The BABAR-ERI science channels will be characterized over the full measurement range and for variable Earth scenes and deep space temperatures during extensive ground calibrations.
文摘The airborne diffusion of saliva droplets during respiratory activities is one of the major factors in the spread of infections.During the COVID-19 pandemic,the use of protective face masks was essential to reduce the risk of infection and spread of SARS-CoV-2.The face mask is able to significantly reduce the saliva droplet emission in front of the person.However,the use of masks also produces a particle leakage towards the back of the person,which could increase the infection risk of people behind the subject.Most of the experimental investigations applied invasive and/or complex experimental techniques to evaluate the face masks leakage.The primary objective of this study is to develop a novel,non-invasive methodology for assessing rearward droplet emission associated with the use of protective face masks.Specifically,a thermographic analysis of the thermal footprint released during ordinary and extraordinary respiratory activities is presented,evaluating the maximum temperature,the detection time,and the spread area of the thermal footprint.Both surgical and FFP2 face masks were tested.Two different subjects were involved in the experimentation to evaluate the influence of face conformation.The findings indicate that the area influenced by droplet dispersion is larger when wearing a surgical mask compared to an FFP2 mask,with the highest recorded temperatures observed for the surgical mask.The thermal footprint was found to be strongly dependent on individual facial morphology and mask fit.Notably,the FFP2 mask also altered the position of the thermal footprint,which was primarily confined to the region near the neck.
文摘Green transplant refers to the realization of the importance of understanding and improving the environmental footprint of transplantation through sustainable practices.This involves assessing the entire transplantation process including preoperative evaluation,donation,organ and patient transportation,surgery,postoperative recovery,and follow-up.This is a topic that has not been fully addressed yet,but its importance is being increasingly appreciated in surgery.The aim of this study was to investigate the carbon footprint associated with transplantation and propose sustainable mitigating solutions.A comprehensive review of the existing literature on transplantation was conducted and supplemented with findings from the broader fields of surgical and perioperative care,given the scarcity of available data.The analysis identified the most involved environmental factors and attempted to offer practical solutions based on current sustainability practices.Notably,no study has yet examined the carbon footprint associated with the entire transplantation procedure.Only five studies have attempted to assess the environmental impact of kidney or liver transplants,but they focused,almost explicitly,on specific steps of the process.By employing an extrapolative methodology from the broader surgical field,we determined that the primary contributors to the environmental impact of transplantation are energy,consumables and materials,anesthesia and pharmaceuticals,transportation,and water.This review offers practical solutions utilizing the 5R framework,emphasizing sustainability to ensure transplantation remains clinically and environmentally relevant.
文摘An integral part of the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is carbon footprint accounting.EPA categorizes facility carbon footprints in three scopes.Scope-2 emissions include electricity,heat or steam purchased from a utility provider.This paper evaluates the existing calculation methods for scope-2 CO2 emissions for purchased electricity.The electricity grid in US is complex and is divided spatially into states,eGRID regions,balancing authorities(BAs),and utilities.Up to hourly temporal granularity can be obtained from available datasets.A matrix is developed that categorizes different datasets based on the complexity to calculate the carbon emission factors.Spatial and temporal variations are evaluated.There are significant spatial overlap between regions in different categories and emission factors within a region show sub-regional variation.An area analysis is done using zip-code polygons to determine whether a state or balancing authority is smaller for all the overlapping cases.Temporal variations in emission factors are significant depending on the balancing authority considered.A single method to calculate scope-2 emission factors may not be accurate and efficient in every case and a nuanced assessment of emission factors is warranted.An implementation pathway for a“smart carbon calculator”—one that gives accurate carbon footprint that is the spatially and temporally most granular is suggested.
文摘Tourism’s link to the Sustainable Development Goals has been a continuing emphasis,adding momentum to longstandingefforts to ensure tourism’s sustainability.Tourism transport is one of the largest sources of anthropogenic carbonemissions,driving global ecological change with profound consequences for ecosystem functioning and biodiversity.Large-scale infrastructure projects such as railway expansion are increasingly promoted for their potential to reducetourism-related carbon dioxide emissions,yet their spatial ecological impacts on regional carbon cycles and ecosystemservices remain poorly understood.This study introduces the concept of Tourism Transport Ecological Efficiency(TTEE)to assess the relationship between human infrastructure,carbon emissions,and ecological sustainability.Using panel datafrom China’s railway expansion between 2011 and 2018,the study provides spatially explicit evidence of how transportinfrastructure shapes tourism’s ecological footprint.Results show that non-Eastern regions experienced a greater increasein TTEE(8.7%)compared to Eastern regions(5.5%),highlighting regional disparities in tourism transport ecologicalsustainability.Railway density had a significant positive direct effect on TTEE,particularly pronounced in non-Easternregions.Additionally,a significant indirect effect of railway density in nearby regions was identified.These findings revealthe interconnected ecological impacts of transport systems and underscore the importance of regionally targeted railwayinvestment strategies.By bridging infrastructure development with ecological processes,this study advances understandingof how tourism transport can be aligned with global carbon reduction goals and ecosystem protection.
文摘In daily life,keyword spotting plays an important role in human-computer interaction.However,noise often interferes with the extraction of time-frequency information,and achieving both computational efficiency and recognition accuracy on resource-constrained devices such as mobile terminals remains a major challenge.To address this,we propose a novel time-frequency dual-branch parallel residual network,which integrates a Dual-Branch Broadcast Residual module and a Time-Frequency Coordinate Attention module.The time-domain and frequency-domain branches are designed in parallel to independently extract temporal and spectral features,effectively avoiding the potential information loss caused by serial stacking,while enhancing information flow and multi-scale feature fusion.In terms of training strategy,a curriculum learning approach is introduced to progressively improve model robustness fromeasy to difficult tasks.Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently outperforms existing lightweight models under various signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)conditions,achieving superior far-field recognition performance on the Google Speech Commands V2 dataset.Notably,the model maintains stable performance even in low-SNR environments such as–10 dB,and generalizes well to unseen SNR conditions during training,validating its robustness to novel noise scenarios.Furthermore,the proposed model exhibits significantly fewer parameters,making it highly suitable for deployment on resource-limited devices.Overall,the model achieves a favorable balance between performance and parameter efficiency,demonstrating strong potential for practical applications.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32172108 and 32301940)the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by the China Association for Science and Technology (2023QNRC001)+2 种基金the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M710489)the Chinese Scholarship Council (202310930003)the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFD2301004)。
文摘The breakthrough in super hybrid rice yield has significantly contributed to China’s and global food security.However,the inherent conflict between high productivity and environmentally sustainable agriculture poses substantial challenges.Issues such as water scarcity,energy crises,escalating greenhouse gas emissions,and diminishing farm profitability threaten longterm agricultural sustainability.In response,we applied a holistic food–carbon–nitrogen–water–energy–profit (FCNWEP)nexus framework to comprehensively assess the sustainability of distinct crop management strategies across three subsites in Central China.Field experiments were conducted in Hubei and Hunan provinces from 2017 to 2021 using a widely adopted elite super hybrid rice cultivar (Y-liangyou 900).Four crop management treatments were implemented:a control(CK,0 kg N ha^(-1)),conventional crop management (CCM,210–250 kg N ha^(-1),7:3 basal:mid-tiller fertilizer ratio),and two integrated crop management (ICM) treatments (ICM1,180–210 kg N ha^(-1),5:2:3 basal:mid-tiller:panicle initiation fertilizer ratio;ICM2,240–270 kg N ha^(-1),5:2:2:1 basal:mid-tiller:panicle initiation:flowering fertilizer ratio).Variables assessed included grain yield,carbon footprint,nitrogen footprint,water footprint,energy footprint,nitrogen use efficiency,and economic benefits.Our results showed significant yield variations,with ICM2 consistently outperforming CCM and ICM1across all three sites.In Jingzhou,Suizhou,and Changsha,ICM2’s grain yield was 30.2,24.7,and 13.3%higher than CCM,respectively.Net profits under ICM2 exceeded those of CCM and ICM1 by 31.8 and 115.2%in Jingzhou,32.2 and 109.9%in Suizhou,and 15.4 and 34.0%in Changsha,respectively.Integrated crop management,particularly ICM2,demonstrated improved nitrogen and energy use efficiency,leading to reduced carbon,nitrogen,water,and energy footprints.Overall,composite sustainability scores derived from the FCNWEP framework indicated that both ICM2 and ICM1 exhibited higher sustainability levels compared to CCM.This study provides valuable insights into practical management methodologies and offers recommendations for enhancing agricultural sustainability.
文摘Analysis of the environmental and economic performance of fishing vessels has received limited attention compared with other ship types despite their notable contribution to global greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions.This study evaluates the carbon footprint(CF)and economic viability of a liquefied natural gas(LNG)-fueled fishing vessel,using real engine operation simulations to provide precise and dynamic evaluation of fuel consumption and GHG emissions.Operational profiles are obtained through the utilization of onboard monitoring systems,whereas engine performance is simulated using the 1D/0D AVL Boost^(TM)model.Life cycle assessment(LCA)is conducted to quantify the environmental impact,whereas life cycle cost assessment(LCCA)is performed to analyze the profitability of LNG as an alternative fuel.The potential impact of the future fuel price uncertainties is addressed using Monte Carlo simulations.The LCA findings indicate that LNG has the potential to reduce the CF of the vessel by 14%to 16%,in comparison to a diesel power system configuration that serves as the baseline scenario.The LCCA results further indicate that the total cost of an LNG-powered ship is lower by 9.5%-13.8%,depending on the share of LNG and pilot fuels.This finding highlights the potential of LNG to produce considerable environmental benefits while addressing economic challenges under diverse operational and fuel price conditions.
基金funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016yfd30300508,2017YFD0301602,and 2018yfd0301105)the Science&Technology Development Fund of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University,China(kf2015043)。
文摘The rice ratooning system has attracted increasing attention in southern China due to its low carbon emissions and high yield potential.However,the net carbon budget and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.Three rice cropping systems were established in this trial experiment conducted from 2021 to 2022 in Fuzhou(25°05'N,119°13'E),Southeast China:ratooning rice(RR:MC+RSR)pattern for rice ratooning,single-cropping rice(LR_(1)),and double-cropping rice(DC:ER+LR_(2)).The closed static dark box gas collection,dry matter determination,life cycle assessment(LCA)etc.approaches were utilized to investigate the mechanism of“high carbon fixation–low emissions”mechanism in RR.A comprehensive assessment was conducted across multiple dimensions,including crop yield,greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions,carbon and nitrogen footprints,resource use efficiency,carbon sequestration capacity,and carbon budget balance.Results showed that the average daily yield of ratoon season rice(RSR)across RR treatments from 2021 to 2022 was 28.21–47.40%higher than that of the main crop(MC)and LR_(1),and the average daily yield of RR was 13.50–27.76%higher than DC.This yield advantage was attributed to a 32.32–39.26%increase in the allocation of^(13)C-labeled photosynthetic products(including non-structural carbohydrates,NSCs)to panicle organs,and a 21.77–43.51%reduction in allocation to underground roots and soil.Furthermore,the average daily global warming potential(GWP)was 16.44 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for RR,24.99 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for LR_(1),and 21.32 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for DC.Specifically,the average daily GWP of ratoon rice was 34.21%lower than that of LR_(1) and 22.90%lower than double-cropping rice.Similarly,the average daily greenhouse gas intensity(GHGI)of ratoon rice was 62.28%lower than LR_(1) and 28.96%lower than double-cropping rice.In terms of carbon and nitrogen footprints,the ratoon rice system exhibited average daily values of 34.54 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)and 0.47 kg N ha^(–1),respectively.In comparison,LR_(1) had values of 45.63 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)and 0.49 kg N ha^(–1),while double-cropping rice showed 43.38 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)and 0.53 kg N ha^(–1).These values represent reductions of 24.30%in carbon footprint and4.28%in nitrogen footprint relative to LR_(1),and 20.38 and 11.45%relative to double-cropping rice,respectively.Moreover,the average annual carbon budget surplus across systems was 22,380.01 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for ratoon rice(MC+RSR),11,228.54 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for LR_(1),and 23,772.15 kg CO_(2)-eq ha^(–1)for DC.Consequently,the resource utilization efficiency of the RR was 24.42 and 47.50%higher than that of single-cropping and double-cropping systems,respectively.Average daily economic returns also increased by 32.71 and 80.75%,respectively.These findings provide a robust theoretical foundation and practical guidance for advancing agricultural carbon neutrality technologies and ensuring food security.
基金supported by Ningbo’s major scientific and technological breakthrough project“Research and Demonstration on the Technology of Collaborative Disposal of Secondary Ash in Typical Industrial Furnaces” (No.20212ZDYF020047)the central balance fund project“Research on Carbon Emission Accounting and Emission Reduction Potential Assessment for the Whole Life Cycle of Iron and Steel Industry” (No.2021-JY-07).
文摘China is the most important steel producer in the world,and its steel industry is one of themost carbon-intensive industries in China.Consequently,research on carbon emissions from the steel industry is crucial for China to achieve carbon neutrality and meet its sustainable global development goals.We constructed a carbon dioxide(CO_(2))emission model for China’s iron and steel industry froma life cycle perspective,conducted an empirical analysis based on data from2019,and calculated the CO_(2)emissions of the industry throughout its life cycle.Key emission reduction factors were identified using sensitivity analysis.The results demonstrated that the CO_(2)emission intensity of the steel industry was 2.33 ton CO_(2)/ton,and the production and manufacturing stages were the main sources of CO_(2)emissions,accounting for 89.84%of the total steel life-cycle emissions.Notably,fossil fuel combustion had the highest sensitivity to steel CO_(2)emissions,with a sensitivity coefficient of 0.68,reducing the amount of fossil fuel combustion by 20%and carbon emissions by 13.60%.The sensitivities of power structure optimization and scrap consumption were similar,while that of the transportation structure adjustment was the lowest,with a sensitivity coefficient of less than 0.1.Given the current strategic goals of peak carbon and carbon neutrality,it is in the best interest of the Chinese government to actively promote energy-saving and low-carbon technologies,increase the ratio of scrap steel to steelmaking,and build a new power system.
基金support of the German Research Council(DFG)since 1976 and the cooperation with Sichuan University,Yunnan University,and the Institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)in Kunming,Chengdu,Lanzhou,Xining,and Beijing.Udo Schickhoff is also grateful to the DFG for funding treeline-related research(SCHI 436/14e1)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant numbers U20A2080 and 31622015)Sichuan University(Institutional Research Fund,2021SCUNL102,Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,SCU 2022D003)。
文摘The conversion of forests to pastures is the most important human intervention that has shaped the natural landscape into the Anthropocene environment.The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP),which has both forest drought-lines and alpine treelines with specific ecotone structures,including isolated trees in treeless plant-covers that represent ever existed forest cover according to‘Lonely Tooth Hypothesis’,offers an excellent model in which to examine the extent and timing of human activity on the conversion of forest to pasture.The objectives of this paper are to review(1)palaeo-environmental records of the Early Holocene that indicate when forests were first converted to‘alpine meadows’,and(2)current records of the changing treeline ecotone in the region.‘Alpine meadows’of the QTP are part of the largest conversion of mountain forests into pastures worldwide.This change in forest cover is possibly a consequence of the agro-pastoral transition and the dawn of the Anthropocene on the QTP.To date,however,there is an interdisciplinary gap in knowledge of 5000 years between the palaeo-ecological and the archaeolocical and zoo-archaeological records.Rapid changes of the rural economy and the exodus from remote highland villages to down-country cities have diminished the age-old impacts of summer grazing and pasture management by fire;reforestation is obvious,but often seen exclusively as an effect of Anthropocene global warming.We believe that more interdisciplinary collaborations on the QTP are necessary to increase our understanding of the treelines of the Anthropocene in High Asia.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32071980)the Key Projects of Shaanxi Agricultural Collaborative Innovation and Extension Alliance(No.LMZD202201)+1 种基金the Key R&D Project in Shaanxi Province(No.2021LLRH-07)Shaanxi Natural Scientific Basic Research Program project(No.2022JQ-157).
文摘Agricultural practices significantly contribute to greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions,necessitating cleaner production technologies to reduce environmental pressure and achieve sustainable maize production.Plastic film mulching is commonly used in the Loess Plateau region.Incorporating slow-release fertilizers as a replacement for urea within this practice can reduce nitrogen losses and enhance crop productivity.Combining these techniques represents a novel agricultural approach in semi-arid areas.However,the impact of this integration on soil carbon storage(SOCS),carbon footprint(CF),and economic benefits has received limited research attention.Therefore,we conducted an eight-year study(2015-2022)in the semi-arid northwestern region to quantify the effects of four treatments[urea supplied without plastic film mulching(CK-U),slow-release fertilizer supplied without plastic film mulching(CK-S),urea supplied with plastic film mulching(PM-U),and slow-release fertilizer supplied with plastic film mulching(PM-S)]on soil fertility,economic and environmental benefits.The results revealed that nitrogen fertilizer was the primary contributor to total GHG emissions(≥71.97%).Compared to other treatments,PM-S increased average grain yield by 12.01%-37.89%,water use efficiency by 9.19%-23.33%,nitrogen accumulation by 27.07%-66.19%,and net return by 6.21%-29.57%.Furthermore,PM-S decreased CF by 12.87%-44.31%and CF per net return by 14.25%-41.16%.After eight years,PM-S increased SOCS(0-40 cm)by 2.46%,while PM-U decreased it by 7.09%.These findings highlight the positive effects of PM-S on surface soil fertility,economic gains,and environmental benefits in spring maize production on the Loess Plateau,underscoring its potential for widespread adoption and application.
基金supported by research grants from the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province,China(ZR2020MC092)the Key Research and Development Project of Shandong Province,China(2019TSCYCX-33)the Key Research and Development Project of Shandong Province,China(LJNY202025).
文摘To make agricultural systems sustainable in terms of their greenness and efficiency,optimizing the tillage and fertilization practices is essential.To assess the effects of tilling and fertilization practices in wheat-maize cropping systems,a three-year field experiment was designed to quantify the carbon footprint(CF)and energy efficiency of the cropping systems in the North China Plain.The study parameters included four tillage practices(no tillage(NT),conventional tillage(CT),rotary tillage(RT),and subsoiling rotary tillage(SRT))and two fertilizer regimes(inorganic fertilizer(IF)and hybrid fertilizer with organic and inorganic components(HF)).The results indicated that the most prominent energy inputs and greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions could be ascribed to the use of fertilizers and fuel consumption.Under the same fertilization regime,ranking the tillage patterns with respect to the value of the crop yield,profit,CF,energy use efficiency(EUE)or energy productivity(EP)for either wheat or maize always gave the same sequence of SRT>RT>CT>NT.For the same tillage,the energy consumption associated with HF was higher than IF,but its GHG emissions and CF were lower while the yield and profit were higher.In terms of overall performance,tilling is more beneficial than NT,and reduced tillage practices(RT and SRT)are more beneficial than CT.The fertilization regime with the best overall performance was HF.Combining SRT with HF has significant potential for reducing CF and increasing EUE,thereby improving sustainability.Adopting measures that promote these optimizations can help to overcome the challenges posed by a lack of food security,energy crises and ecological stress.
基金the National Research Foundation(NRF),Prime Minister’s Office,Singapore,under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise(CREATE)program(A-0001032-01-00)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52376011).
文摘The increasing population and continuous urbanization make food security a key consideration in sustainable development.Efficient farming strategies with low environmental footprints are thus increasingly required to meet food demands.This study presents a design for environmentally friendly,economical,and modular vertical farming systems,in which vegetables are cultivated in a carbon dioxide(CO_(2))-enriched atmosphere enabled by direct air capture(DAC)and subjected to artificial light exposure.We established a vertical farming setup and conducted experiments to identify productive cultivation strategies by regulating lighting,CO_(2)concentration,biochar application,and plant species.Additionally,a self-developed DAC rotary adsorber was utilized to achieve stable and efficient CO_(2)enrichment.Compared with the control group,the fresh weight of the vegetables in the experimental groups increased by up to 57.5%.Furthermore,we performed a comprehensive evaluation of the design and demonstrated that integrating photovoltaic-thermal(PVT)and DAC units increased the system’s net present value(NPV)by 157%compared with a conventional design without these units.Importantly,we found it possible to maintain the low carbon footprint of the system(0.468 kg-CO_(2)equivalent·kg−1(CO_(2)eq·kg−1)-vegetable)in the production process.Parametric studies and an application analysis on a global scale reveal the wide adaptability of this strategy to diverse conditions.These findings,together with the modular characteristics of vertical farming systems,highlight the promising potential of this design to increase food security and foster sustainable agriculture.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52200228 and 72022004)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFC3200205 and 2022YFC3203704).
文摘Reducing greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions to address climate change is a global consensus,and municipal wastewater treatment plants(MWWTPs)should lead the way in low-carbon sustainable development.However,achieving effluent discharge standards often requires considerable energy and chemical consumption during operation,resulting in significant carbon footprints.In this study,GHG emissions are systematically accounted for,and the driving factors of carbon footprint growth in China’s MWWTPs are explored.In 2020,a total of 41.9 million tonnes(Mt)of carbon dioxide equivalent(CO_(2)-eq)were released by the sector,with nearly two-thirds being indirect emissions resulting from energy and material usage.The intensity of electricity,carbon source,and phosphorus removing agent consumption increasingly influence carbon footprint growth over time.Through statistical inference,benchmarks for electricity and chemical consumption intensity are established across all MWWTPs under various operational conditions,and the potential for mitigation through more efficient energy and material utilization is calculated.The results suggest that many MWWTPs offer significant opportunities for emission reduction.Consequently,empirical decarbonization measures,including intelligent device control,optimization of aeration equipment,energy recovery initiatives,and other enhancements to improve operational and carbon efficiency,are recommended.
基金jointly supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2022YFE0209200)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.U22A20562,42330607 and 41761144054)the National Large Scientific and Technological Infrastructure“Earth System Science Numerical Simulator Facility”(Earth-Lab)(https://cstr.cn/31134.02.EL)。
文摘Accurate quantification of life-cycle greenhouse gas(GHG)footprints(GHG_(fp))for a crop cultivation system is urgently needed to address the conflict between food security and global warming mitigation.In this study,the hydrobiogeochemical model,CNMM-DNDC,was validated with in situ observations from maize-based cultivation systems at the sites of Yongji(YJ,China),Yanting(YT,China),and Madeya(MA,Kenya),subject to temperate,subtropical,and tropical climates,respectively,and updated to enable life-cycle GHG_(fp)estimation.The model validation provided satisfactory simulations on multiple soil variables,crop growth,and emissions of GHGs and reactive nitrogen gases.The locally conventional management practices resulted in GHG_(fp)values of 0.35(0.09–0.53 at the 95%confidence interval),0.21(0.01–0.73),0.46(0.27–0.60),and 0.54(0.21–0.77)kg CO_(2)e kg~(-1)d.m.(d.m.for dry matter in short)for maize–wheat rotation at YJ and YT,and for maize–maize and maize–Tephrosia rotations at MA,respectively.YT's smallest GHG_(fp)was attributed to its lower off-farm GHG emissions than YJ,though the soil organic carbon(SOC)storage and maize yield were slightly lower than those of YJ.MA's highest SOC loss and low yield in shifting cultivation for maize–Tephrosia rotation contributed to its highest GHG_(fp).Management practices of maize cultivation at these sites could be optimized by combination of synthetic and organic fertilizer(s)while incorporating 50%–100%crop residues.Further evaluation of the updated CNMM-DNDC is needed for different crops at site and regional scales to confirm its worldwide applicability in quantifying GHG_(fp)and optimizing management practices for achieving multiple sustainability goals.
文摘The 2025 International Standardization(Chilin)Forum was held in Nanjing city,East China’s Jiangsu province,on April 16 with the theme of“Towards carbon peak and carbon neutrality:international carbon footprint standards driving green and low-carbon development”.
