Anthropocene Science最新文献

Is it possible to achieve a sustainable Anthropocene? Yes, if we adopt the correct key for understanding the mechanisms that connect the three dimensions of sustainability, the environmental, the social and the economic. The road to sustainability is made even harder than it was at the beginning of the sustainable development discourse by the fact that nowadays the three dimensions have problems that have time spans that tend to become equally urgent. This paper offers a vision of sustainability that underlines the cause-effect-feedback relationships among the dimensions and shows examples of the functioning of these linkages. This calls for a redefinition of priorities and for a different set of “rules of the house” (economy) to be fit for a world with almost 8 billion people and an endangered natural basis of survival.

Ecosystem services (ES) concept has gained global momentum as they hold immense importance for human well-being. On the other hand, direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity loss have led to deterioration of ecosystem health and their capacity to deliver ecosystem services. Worldwide, ES assessments have been increasingly used by administrators to formulate sustainable and environment centric policies. Similarly, there has been continuous expansion of ES related work in India to capture the material and non-material benefits derived from diverse ecosystems in the country. In the current paper, 105 research articles/reports have been reviewed to assess the growing trajectory of ES research and also to map their methodological approaches. The lacunae in the studies and literature have been critically examined. Analysis of the study shows that ES derived from forests have been captured widely while marine ecosystems have not received appropriate scholarly attention. Similarly, dearth of studies focusing on long- and short-term implications of climate change and other environmental challenges on the ES delivery was also evident. A strong need is felt to integrate interdisciplinary approaches for holistic ES assessment. Also, future ES assessments must assimilate traditional as well as indigenous knowledge systems within ES assessment framework to ensure formulation of tangible, sustainable policies.

Twenty years ago, Paul Crutzen suggested declaring the present a new geological era and naming it the Anthropocene. While this suggestion is still disputed, we argue that the current state of the Earth system is deviating so dynamically from the status quo of the Holocene, that acknowledging a new era has begun is very plausible. However, that leaves open the question if ‘Anthropocene’ is an appropriate name, since the logic behind it differs from the standard chronostratigraphic terminology. As far as the term is intended to highlight the direct and/or indirect drivers causing the emergence of a new geological era, it could have been baptised as initially ‘Populocene’ and now ‘Consumocene’ as first population growth and now growing consumption per capita are the decisive drivers, with the technology providing efficiency gains insufficient to compensate for the impacts of consumption growth. However, behind the prevailing consumption and production patterns and their complex dynamics, capitalism has been identified as the higher-level driver. Some authors argue that the capitalist system depends on permanent economic growth and that the crisis of planetary health can not be overcome without first overcoming capitalism. We argue that this view is based on oversimplifications of economic theory, and that by capping resource consumption by political means, it is possible to steer the economy and society back into the environmental space provided by the planetary boundaries. On the consumption side, this requires a turn to sufficiency-based consumption, facilitated through sufficiency policies protecting and offering access to public goods. However, the impact on the economic system would be profound: not the end of capitalism, but the end of capitalism as we know it.

Climate changes expose crops to frequent harsh environmental conditions, thereby decreasing food production. During the last few decades, several efforts have been made to generate stress-tolerant and climate-resilient crops and increase yield to meet the food demands of the increasing global population. Therefore, a nano-based approach is a promising tool for the sustainable development of agriculture and has many advantages over conventional approaches and products. In addition to their use as carrier systems for bioactive molecules, some nanoparticles have intrinsic properties that can increase plant growth and stress tolerance. This article focuses on the potential use of a nano-based approach to increase crop resilience against climate change and improve productivity for sustainable agriculture development. In addition, the challenges of reproducing laboratory results in the field are discussed.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II Report on Adaptation, Impacts and Vulnerability identifies the urgent need to embark upon Climate Resilient Development Pathways. Climate Resilient Development acknowledges that adaptation needs to be undertaken together with mitigation and development, in joined-up, inclusive, just and equitable ways, across multiple arenas of engagement. In highly vulnerable systems with complex development contexts, such as drylands, where globally, warming is already exceeding that of humid areas, urgent action is vital, as the window of opportunity for Climate Resilient Development is rapidly closing. This paper considers challenges and opportunities in charting Climate Resilient Development Pathways in the world’s drylands. It highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement and partnership building to harness diverse knowledge sources, situating equity and justice concerns at the core of decision making and actions such as land restoration. It notes that while technological solutions offer potential to advance Climate Resilient Development, they need to be developed in an inclusive manner and used in ways that do not undermine Indigenous knowledge and local knowledge or exacerbate inequalities. Many of the challenges to Climate Resilient Development go beyond technology to include highly contextual differences in understanding, environment, institutions and access to finance. Adequate assessment of trade-offs in Climate Resilient Development actions in drylands remains vital to the framing of Climate Resilient Development Pathways for different groups. The paper concludes by identifying major urgent research gaps considering upscaling, stakeholder responsibilities and governance, the magnitude of investment that is necessary, and the need for appropriate monitoring, evaluation and learning.

Emission reduction and environmental quality improvement have become global priorities to support sustainable growth and mitigate the harmful consequences of global warming and climate change. However, there is limited research employing econometric methodologies to investigate the potential of emission reduction components, particularly in India. Thus, the current research examined the dynamic impacts of economic growth, renewable energy usage, urbanization, industrialization, tourism, agricultural productivity, and forest area on carbon dioxide emissions in India. The Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares method was used to analyze time series data from 1990 to 2020. The empirical results revealed that economic growth, urbanization, industrialization, and tourism all contribute to environmental deterioration by increasing carbon dioxide emissions in India, whereas enhanced renewable energy use, agricultural productivity, and forest area improve the quality of the environment by lessening carbon dioxide emissions. The results provided insights into the possibility of renewable energy utilization, agricultural output, and forest areas to accomplish environmental sustainability in India. This article offers policymakers more reliable and detailed content for designing effective measures focusing on low-carbon economies, promoting renewable energy utilization, sustainable urbanization, green industrialization, eco-friendly tourism, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable forest management in India. Additionally, the findings of the study may guide other developing nations seeking to implement effective sustainability approaches while also increasing climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.

Increasing agroforestry areas is an important step to adapt to climate change, increase food security, and have many ecological and socio-economical benefits. Proper planning and strategies are required for the assessment of land potential and selection of suitable land for the multifunctional benefits of agroforestry. Remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) tools are widely used to identify the priority areas for agroforestry and policy-making. The multi-high resolutions of Google pro mosaicked images were used as a base map for precision, detailed analysis, and valid interpretation. To identify the farm landscape suitability areas in the Belpada block of Belangiri district, Odisha, a GIS modeling approach was used based on satellite data measurement. The post-monsoon multi-date monthly cloud-free Landsat-8 data and products of the Digital Elevation Model were used to understand the farm landscape characteristics of agroforestry. Soil wetness, slope, drainage, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were used in the preparation of landscape suitability analysis. Overall 27.8% (134.16 sq. km) of land was highly suitable, 50.0% (241.85 sq. km) of land was moderately suitable and 19.7% (94.98 sq. km) was marginally suitable and the remaining 2.5% (12.01 sq. km) of land was found unsuitable for agroforestry. Out of 116 villages, 14 villages are found with high (greater than 70%) farmland potentiality, the highest is found in the Jalia village. The moderate and highly suitable land/villages should be given preference for tree-based farming in various agroforestry arrangements. The high-resolution farm landscape potential grid maps were produced for the first time which was earlier a research gap in the past that will support micro-level agroforestry planning. There is a need for a robust synergic approach when integrated with native and multifunctional trees in potentially suitable agroforestry farmland with adequate watershed management and conservation practices enriched with indigenous knowledge that will significantly support achieving the many sustainable development goals (SDGs) up to the smallest unit (village) level.