Pub Date : 2025-02-24DOI: 10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100205
Ye Liu , Qilong Zhou , Changli Ji , Jiangcheng Mu , Yimei Wang , Matthew Tom Harrison , Ke Liu , Yafan Zhao , Quanzhi Zhao , Jing Zhang , Ting Peng
To enhance the quality of forage-grain ratoon rice (FGR) and promote the sustainable development of both rice and livestock industries in southern China, this study investigates the microbial fermentation dynamics of co-ensiling FGR with maize or sorghum-sudangrass hybrid. Results demonstrate that co-ensiling with maize significantly improved fermentation quality, reducing fiber content and enhancing lactic acid production, compared with sorghum-sudangrass hybrid. The optimal FGR-to-maize ratio of 75:25 yielded the lowest neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber values and the highest lactic acid concentration (39.37 g/kg DM). Co-ensiling promoted the growth of beneficial lactic acid bacteria (LAB), particularly Lactobacillaceae and Sporolactobacillaceae, thus enhancing fermentation efficiency. Additionally, inoculation with Lactobacillus plantarum improved silage stability by promoting LAB growth and inhibiting the growth of undesirable Enterobacter species. This study offers a sustainable strategy to optimize rice straw utilization for livestock feed, reduce dependence on imported forages, and support agricultural sustainability in China.
{"title":"Microbial fermentation in co-ensiling forage-grain ratoon rice and maize to improve feed quality and enhance the sustainability of rice-based production systems","authors":"Ye Liu , Qilong Zhou , Changli Ji , Jiangcheng Mu , Yimei Wang , Matthew Tom Harrison , Ke Liu , Yafan Zhao , Quanzhi Zhao , Jing Zhang , Ting Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100205","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100205","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To enhance the quality of forage-grain ratoon rice (FGR) and promote the sustainable development of both rice and livestock industries in southern China, this study investigates the microbial fermentation dynamics of co-ensiling FGR with maize or sorghum-sudangrass hybrid. Results demonstrate that co-ensiling with maize significantly improved fermentation quality, reducing fiber content and enhancing lactic acid production, compared with sorghum-sudangrass hybrid. The optimal FGR-to-maize ratio of 75:25 yielded the lowest neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber values and the highest lactic acid concentration (39.37 g/kg DM). Co-ensiling promoted the growth of beneficial lactic acid bacteria (LAB), particularly <em>Lactobacillaceae</em> and <em>Sporolactobacillaceae</em>, thus enhancing fermentation efficiency. Additionally, inoculation with <em>Lactobacillus plantarum</em> improved silage stability by promoting LAB growth and inhibiting the growth of undesirable Enterobacter species. This study offers a sustainable strategy to optimize rice straw utilization for livestock feed, reduce dependence on imported forages, and support agricultural sustainability in China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34479,"journal":{"name":"Resources Environment and Sustainability","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100205"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-24DOI: 10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100203
Anissa Nurdiawati, Basit A. Mir, Sami G. Al-Ghamdi
Prospective Life Cycle Assessment (pLCA) is gaining interest due to its inherent future-oriented feature, which is an essential component of every decision-oriented life cycle assessment. Previous studies have highlighted challenges in conducting pLCA for emerging technologies, categorizing them into issues of comparability, data availability, scaling, and uncertainty and propose general frameworks to address these challenges. Accordingly, the application of pLCA is rapidly growing in recent years, with emerging methods addressing the limitations, and improving pLCA. This review study aims to compile and analyze emerging pLCA methods from scientific literature, identifying best practices and limitations to guide future research. It discusses methodological advancements in pLCA, including prospective life cycle inventory (pLCI) database, foreground modeling, scenario development and prospective life cycle impact assessment, offering insights for practitioners. While changes in background systems are increasingly addressed in pLCA studies, some, particularly earlier or less systematic ones, fall short of fully integrating nuanced future scenarios. The reviewed studies highlight that incorporating future scenarios related to the transformation of energy, material, transport, and industrial systems can significantly influence LCA outcomes, reinforcing the importance of explicitly integrating such scenarios into pLCA to ensure reliable and meaningful results. To ensure robust LCA studies, it is important to consider the use of pLCI databases, accounting for varying technology maturity levels, their improvement and diffusion rate, and incorporating spatial considerations. Yet, integrating pLCI databases with standard LCA tools remains complex, with a lack of practitioner guidance. Moreover, the interlinkage between climate change and various impact categories is a key source of uncertainty in future assessments, highlighting the need to improve both prospective inventory modeling and impact assessment. The findings call for future research to further explore the spatiotemporal effect of climate change on pLCA quantification, developing future-oriented characterization factors, expanding pLCI databases, as well as enhancing the applicability of pLCA studies through the integration of new analytical tools and models.
{"title":"Recent advancements in prospective life cycle assessment: Current practices, trends, and implications for future research","authors":"Anissa Nurdiawati, Basit A. Mir, Sami G. Al-Ghamdi","doi":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100203","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100203","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prospective Life Cycle Assessment (pLCA) is gaining interest due to its inherent future-oriented feature, which is an essential component of every decision-oriented life cycle assessment. Previous studies have highlighted challenges in conducting pLCA for emerging technologies, categorizing them into issues of comparability, data availability, scaling, and uncertainty and propose general frameworks to address these challenges. Accordingly, the application of pLCA is rapidly growing in recent years, with emerging methods addressing the limitations, and improving pLCA. This review study aims to compile and analyze emerging pLCA methods from scientific literature, identifying best practices and limitations to guide future research. It discusses methodological advancements in pLCA, including prospective life cycle inventory (pLCI) database, foreground modeling, scenario development and prospective life cycle impact assessment, offering insights for practitioners. While changes in background systems are increasingly addressed in pLCA studies, some, particularly earlier or less systematic ones, fall short of fully integrating nuanced future scenarios. The reviewed studies highlight that incorporating future scenarios related to the transformation of energy, material, transport, and industrial systems can significantly influence LCA outcomes, reinforcing the importance of explicitly integrating such scenarios into pLCA to ensure reliable and meaningful results. To ensure robust LCA studies, it is important to consider the use of pLCI databases, accounting for varying technology maturity levels, their improvement and diffusion rate, and incorporating spatial considerations. Yet, integrating pLCI databases with standard LCA tools remains complex, with a lack of practitioner guidance. Moreover, the interlinkage between climate change and various impact categories is a key source of uncertainty in future assessments, highlighting the need to improve both prospective inventory modeling and impact assessment. The findings call for future research to further explore the spatiotemporal effect of climate change on pLCA quantification, developing future-oriented characterization factors, expanding pLCI databases, as well as enhancing the applicability of pLCA studies through the integration of new analytical tools and models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34479,"journal":{"name":"Resources Environment and Sustainability","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100203"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100201
George Bishop , Carmen Girón-Domínguez , James Gaffey , Maeve Henchion , Réamonn Fealy , Jesko Zimmermann , Wriju Kargupta , David Styles
Understanding the environmental impacts of bio-based feedstock production is essential for sustainable bioeconomy development. Consequential life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluates environmental sustainability, often identifying “hidden” impacts incurred through market displacements. However, it is often impractical to screen multiple bioeconomy feedstocks and value chains using full consequential LCA early in project conceptualisation, owing to high requirements in terms of time, data, and expertise. As a result, critical environmental risks may not be discovered until too late in project development to redirect investment towards more sustainable options. This paper introduces the Bio-based feedstock Environmental Risk Assessment (Bio-ERA) Framework, designed to support early screening of potential upstream environmental risks associated with increased demand for bio-based feedstocks. The Bio-ERA Framework comprises a decision tree that systematically guides stakeholders through consequential life cycle thinking, elucidating sometimes hidden (indirect) pathways of impact among feedstock sourcing decisions. Seven important environmental aspects are addressed: Finite Resource Inputs, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions, Air Quality, Water Quality, Ecosystem Diversity, Terrestrial Carbon Storage, and Indirect Land Use Change. Criteria are proposed to structure evaluation of (i) probability and (ii) severity of environmental impact, in relation to four categories of feedstock: primary (determining product), high-value by-product, low-value by-product, and waste. Example applications demonstrate how the framework can generate an environmental risk profile for specific feedstocks sourced in specific contexts. Bio-ERA does not avoid the need for detailed LCA evaluation of full bioeconomy value chains, but promotes deeper interrogation and awareness of potential environmental risks associated with feedstock sourcing, in a manner that is accessible to all stakeholders. This could support earlier screening of strategic investment decisions necessary to develop a sustainable bioeconomy.
{"title":"A life cycle thinking-based environmental risk framework for screening sustainable feedstocks in early-stage bioeconomy projects","authors":"George Bishop , Carmen Girón-Domínguez , James Gaffey , Maeve Henchion , Réamonn Fealy , Jesko Zimmermann , Wriju Kargupta , David Styles","doi":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the environmental impacts of bio-based feedstock production is essential for sustainable bioeconomy development. Consequential life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluates environmental sustainability, often identifying “hidden” impacts incurred through market displacements. However, it is often impractical to screen multiple bioeconomy feedstocks and value chains using full consequential LCA early in project conceptualisation, owing to high requirements in terms of time, data, and expertise. As a result, critical environmental risks may not be discovered until too late in project development to redirect investment towards more sustainable options. This paper introduces the Bio-based feedstock Environmental Risk Assessment (Bio-ERA) Framework, designed to support early screening of potential upstream environmental risks associated with increased demand for bio-based feedstocks. The Bio-ERA Framework comprises a decision tree that systematically guides stakeholders through consequential life cycle thinking, elucidating sometimes hidden (indirect) pathways of impact among feedstock sourcing decisions. Seven important environmental aspects are addressed: Finite Resource Inputs, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions, Air Quality, Water Quality, Ecosystem Diversity, Terrestrial Carbon Storage, and Indirect Land Use Change. Criteria are proposed to structure evaluation of (i) probability and (ii) severity of environmental impact, in relation to four categories of feedstock: primary (determining product), high-value by-product, low-value by-product, and waste. Example applications demonstrate how the framework can generate an environmental risk profile for specific feedstocks sourced in specific contexts. Bio-ERA does not avoid the need for detailed LCA evaluation of full bioeconomy value chains, but promotes deeper interrogation and awareness of potential environmental risks associated with feedstock sourcing, in a manner that is accessible to all stakeholders. This could support <u>earlier</u> screening of strategic investment decisions necessary to develop a sustainable bioeconomy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34479,"journal":{"name":"Resources Environment and Sustainability","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100201"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143480224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100202
Fangdi Chang , Hongyuan Zhang , Peiyi Zhao , Na Zhao , Jiashen Song , Ru Yu , Jing Wang , Xiquan Wang , Dongxun Han , Hanjiang Liu , Jie Zhou , Yuyi Li
The growing global demand for grain drives a greater need for nitrogen (N) input. Yet, it contributes to nitrous oxide (O) emissions, aggravating global climate change. To tackle this dual challenge of fulfilling crop demands while maintaining or reducing O emissions, a field study was performed in wheat-green manure cropping system to assess the effects of varying fertilizer application (N100, N90 and N80: N fertilizer reduced by 0%, 10% and 20%) combined with green manure return strategy (GMR: green manure roots return, GMRS: green manure roots and shoots return), and wheat fallow after harvest (CK) on wheat yield and yield stability from 2020 to 2024, O emissions, as well as O emission intensity from 2022 to 2024. Results showed that, although N fertilizer combined with green manure return strategy increased spring wheat yield by 8%–22% by increasing soil mineral N contents, it decreased yield stability compared with CK. Soil O emissions were mainly negatively and positively regulated by pH and NO-N content in saline-alkali soil, respectively. N80 decreased cumulative soil O emission and O intensity by 20% and 10% compared with N100, respectively. Irrespective of the variations in N fertilizer levels, GMR decreased cumulative O emission and O intensity by 20%–34% and 22%–38% compared with GMRS, respectively. Overall, the findings highlighted N fertilizer reduced by 20% (160 kg N ha −1) with green manure roots returned in relative to normal rate (200 kg N ha −1) is a viable option to ensure spring wheat yield and alleviate soil O emission in saline-alkali agroecosystem.
全球粮食需求的增长推动了对氮(N)投入的更大需求。然而，它导致一氧化二氮（N2O）排放，加剧了全球气候变化。为了解决在满足作物需求的同时保持或减少N2O排放的双重挑战，在小麦-绿肥种植系统中进行了一项实地研究，以评估不同施肥（N100、N90和N80：氮肥减少0%、10%和20%）与绿肥返还策略(GMR：绿肥根返还，GMRS：绿肥根、芽回归)和小麦收获后休耕（CK）对2020 - 2024年小麦产量及产量稳定性、2022 - 2024年N2O排放及N2O排放强度的影响。结果表明，虽然氮肥配绿肥还田策略通过提高土壤矿质氮含量使春小麦产量提高8% ~ 22%，但与对照相比，其产量稳定性下降。盐碱地土壤N2O排放主要受pH和NO3−-N含量的负向和正向调节。与N100相比，N80使土壤累积N2O排放量和N2O强度分别降低20%和10%。无论氮肥水平如何变化，与GMR相比，GMR的累积N2O排放量和N2O强度分别降低了20% ~ 34%和22% ~ 38%。总体而言，研究结果表明，在盐碱农业生态系统中，减少20%的氮肥（160 kg N ha - 1），同时以正常水平（200 kg N ha - 1）还根，是保证春小麦产量和减少土壤N2O排放的可行选择。
{"title":"Nitrogen reduction with green manure roots return maintains spring wheat yield and alleviates soil N2O emission in saline-alkali agroecosystem","authors":"Fangdi Chang , Hongyuan Zhang , Peiyi Zhao , Na Zhao , Jiashen Song , Ru Yu , Jing Wang , Xiquan Wang , Dongxun Han , Hanjiang Liu , Jie Zhou , Yuyi Li","doi":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100202","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100202","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing global demand for grain drives a greater need for nitrogen (N) input. Yet, it contributes to nitrous oxide (<span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O) emissions, aggravating global climate change. To tackle this dual challenge of fulfilling crop demands while maintaining or reducing <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O emissions, a field study was performed in wheat-green manure cropping system to assess the effects of varying fertilizer application (N100, N90 and N80: N fertilizer reduced by 0%, 10% and 20%) combined with green manure return strategy (GMR: green manure roots return, GMRS: green manure roots and shoots return), and wheat fallow after harvest (CK) on wheat yield and yield stability from 2020 to 2024, <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O emissions, as well as <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O emission intensity from 2022 to 2024. Results showed that, although N fertilizer combined with green manure return strategy increased spring wheat yield by 8%–22% by increasing soil mineral N contents, it decreased yield stability compared with CK. Soil <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O emissions were mainly negatively and positively regulated by pH and NO<span><math><msubsup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo></mrow></msubsup></math></span>-N content in saline-alkali soil, respectively. N80 decreased cumulative soil <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O emission and <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O intensity by 20% and 10% compared with N100, respectively. Irrespective of the variations in N fertilizer levels, GMR decreased cumulative <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O emission and <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O intensity by 20%–34% and 22%–38% compared with GMRS, respectively. Overall, the findings highlighted N fertilizer reduced by 20% (160 kg N ha <sup>−1</sup>) with green manure roots returned in relative to normal rate (200 kg N ha <sup>−1</sup>) is a viable option to ensure spring wheat yield and alleviate soil <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O emission in saline-alkali agroecosystem.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34479,"journal":{"name":"Resources Environment and Sustainability","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100202"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-17DOI: 10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100194
Hanjie Wang , Xiulong Zhang , Jianhua Zhang , Jianwen Yin , Weikai Bao
The assessment of ecosystem service losses is crucial for ecological impact assessment and the practice of ecological compensation restoration projects. However, few studies on assessing losses have focused on ecosystem services, and the existing knowledge is fragmented. This review synthesizes the research status, methods, and key findings in the field. It outlines the research status by categorizing studies into human, natural and comprehensive disturbance assessments by disturbance events. A basic framework for future research is established by summarizing assessment procedures and methods. Comparisons of the magnitude of losses and analyses of driving factors in existing studies have been discussed, and recommendations for future research directions have been proposed. Research indicates that since 2010, studies related to this topic have gradually increased, with a predominant focus on the losses caused by human disturbance. Regulatory services are the most frequently assessed type. Most results suggest that the magnitude of losses varies across different types of ecosystem services, ecosystems, and stages of ecosystem degradation. The regularity of these losses remains to be explored. Land use and climate change are two major driving factors, and distinguishing between their impacts is crucial. Therefore, future research should enhance assessments at multiple scales, promote more accurate assessments from aspects of data acquisition and evaluation methods, and deepen the exploration of loss regularity and drivers. This review fills the gap in systematic understanding of ecosystem service losses, offering a comprehensive reference for further research and the establishment of standards for ecological restoration and compensation.
{"title":"Assessing ecosystem service losses—A review of progress and problems","authors":"Hanjie Wang , Xiulong Zhang , Jianhua Zhang , Jianwen Yin , Weikai Bao","doi":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100194","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100194","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The assessment of ecosystem service losses is crucial for ecological impact assessment and the practice of ecological compensation restoration projects. However, few studies on assessing losses have focused on ecosystem services, and the existing knowledge is fragmented. This review synthesizes the research status, methods, and key findings in the field. It outlines the research status by categorizing studies into human, natural and comprehensive disturbance assessments by disturbance events. A basic framework for future research is established by summarizing assessment procedures and methods. Comparisons of the magnitude of losses and analyses of driving factors in existing studies have been discussed, and recommendations for future research directions have been proposed. Research indicates that since 2010, studies related to this topic have gradually increased, with a predominant focus on the losses caused by human disturbance. Regulatory services are the most frequently assessed type. Most results suggest that the magnitude of losses varies across different types of ecosystem services, ecosystems, and stages of ecosystem degradation. The regularity of these losses remains to be explored. Land use and climate change are two major driving factors, and distinguishing between their impacts is crucial. Therefore, future research should enhance assessments at multiple scales, promote more accurate assessments from aspects of data acquisition and evaluation methods, and deepen the exploration of loss regularity and drivers. This review fills the gap in systematic understanding of ecosystem service losses, offering a comprehensive reference for further research and the establishment of standards for ecological restoration and compensation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34479,"journal":{"name":"Resources Environment and Sustainability","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100194"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143429021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Existing methods for resource nexus analysis do not cover all aspects of complex resource management problems. Key methodological challenges include setting the scale, scope, and resolution of a nexus analysis, as well as adequately representing the quantity and quality of resource interactions. Additionally, determining the degree of collaborative governance for resource management, accounting for the role of existing policies, and developing robust scenarios for future predictions are also crucial constraints. To address these limitations, we developed a conceptual model of the resources nexus for Otta valley in Norway, an area characterized by resource use trade-offs across interconnected systems. We introduced the concept of “resource scapes” which is the physical availability, key interactions, management networks, and policies governing a resource at a specific time and place. We defined resource scapes for water, energy, and biomass resources in the studied area. Employing stock and flow loops, social network analysis, material flow accounting, and policy reviews, we developed the model in a layered topology using the coupled component modeling approach. In addition, we developed future resource scenarios nested within national pathways – the Norwegian nexus pathways (NNPs) – aligned with the five globally adopted shared-socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), using a narrative downscaling approach. Our results show that annual variations in resource balances are connected to changing externalities. A low Network External-Internal (EI) index (0.392) indicates weak overall collaborative governance of nexus resources. Our modeling framework (1) addresses limitations in current nexus methods, (2) facilitates testing of alternative policy interventions under future scenarios, and (3) provides a framework for development of integrated assessment models. This approach merges the concept of nexus governance with integrated assessment modeling, thereby enhancing the application of nexus approach for efficient resource management which will be crucial in future as climate and socioeconomic conditions evolve.
{"title":"Introducing the concept of “resource scapes” to account for water, energy and biomass resources’ nexus dependencies and governance","authors":"Zeeshan Tahir Virk , Jessica Fennell , Ali Torabi Haghighi , Bjorn Klove","doi":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100199","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100199","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Existing methods for resource nexus analysis do not cover all aspects of complex resource management problems. Key methodological challenges include setting the scale, scope, and resolution of a nexus analysis, as well as adequately representing the quantity and quality of resource interactions. Additionally, determining the degree of collaborative governance for resource management, accounting for the role of existing policies, and developing robust scenarios for future predictions are also crucial constraints. To address these limitations, we developed a conceptual model of the resources nexus for Otta valley in Norway, an area characterized by resource use trade-offs across interconnected systems. We introduced the concept of “resource scapes” which is the physical availability, key interactions, management networks, and policies governing a resource at a specific time and place. We defined resource scapes for water, energy, and biomass resources in the studied area. Employing stock and flow loops, social network analysis, material flow accounting, and policy reviews, we developed the model in a layered topology using the coupled component modeling approach. In addition, we developed future resource scenarios nested within national pathways – the Norwegian nexus pathways (NNPs) – aligned with the five globally adopted shared-socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), using a narrative downscaling approach. Our results show that annual variations in resource balances are connected to changing externalities. A low Network External-Internal (EI) index (0.392) indicates weak overall collaborative governance of nexus resources. Our modeling framework (1) addresses limitations in current nexus methods, (2) facilitates testing of alternative policy interventions under future scenarios, and (3) provides a framework for development of integrated assessment models. This approach merges the concept of nexus governance with integrated assessment modeling, thereby enhancing the application of nexus approach for efficient resource management which will be crucial in future as climate and socioeconomic conditions evolve.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34479,"journal":{"name":"Resources Environment and Sustainability","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100199"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143453116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-06DOI: 10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100197
Yang Zheng , Kao Wang , Runmei Hao
With resource extraction and transformational development, the hindering effect of land use spatial conflict (LUSC) on mining city development is significant, highlighting the importance of exploring the dynamic mechanism of LUSC for sustainable development. This study integrates the multidimensional attributes of LUSC, constructs a LUSC assessment framework based on “element- pattern-effect”, and proposes theoretical hypotheses on the dynamic mechanism of LUSC. Taking Xintai City, a typical mining city in China, as an example, we analyzed the characteristics of LUSC evolution from 2000 to 2020 and explored the impact mechanism of LUSC by using the SEM model. Results show that the high risk of LUSC in mining cities is clustered in mining-city intertwined zones, and the growth rate of LUSC risk increases significantly with the transition period. The dynamic mechanisms of LUSC in mining cities are mutually driven by natural and anthropogenic factors and are dominated by anthropogenic factors. On the impact pathway, ecological environment, socio-economic environment, and resource extraction have stable and significant direct effects on LUSC. With improvements in technology and policy, the constraints on land use imposed by the natural environment have gradually decreased, and the impacts on LUSC are mostly indirect. This study proposes a research framework for the dynamic mechanism of LUSC in mining cities to provide theoretical guidance and suggestions for promoting urban transformation and development.
{"title":"Dynamic mechanisms of land use spatial conflicts in mining cities: A case study of Xintai City, China","authors":"Yang Zheng , Kao Wang , Runmei Hao","doi":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100197","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100197","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With resource extraction and transformational development, the hindering effect of land use spatial conflict (LUSC) on mining city development is significant, highlighting the importance of exploring the dynamic mechanism of LUSC for sustainable development. This study integrates the multidimensional attributes of LUSC, constructs a LUSC assessment framework based on “element- pattern-effect”, and proposes theoretical hypotheses on the dynamic mechanism of LUSC. Taking Xintai City, a typical mining city in China, as an example, we analyzed the characteristics of LUSC evolution from 2000 to 2020 and explored the impact mechanism of LUSC by using the SEM model. Results show that the high risk of LUSC in mining cities is clustered in mining-city intertwined zones, and the growth rate of LUSC risk increases significantly with the transition period. The dynamic mechanisms of LUSC in mining cities are mutually driven by natural and anthropogenic factors and are dominated by anthropogenic factors. On the impact pathway, ecological environment, socio-economic environment, and resource extraction have stable and significant direct effects on LUSC. With improvements in technology and policy, the constraints on land use imposed by the natural environment have gradually decreased, and the impacts on LUSC are mostly indirect. This study proposes a research framework for the dynamic mechanism of LUSC in mining cities to provide theoretical guidance and suggestions for promoting urban transformation and development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34479,"journal":{"name":"Resources Environment and Sustainability","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100197"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-06DOI: 10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100196
Zipeng Lin , Peng Wang , Linbin Tang , Zilin Wang , Jon Mckechnie , Bo Li , Wei-Qiang Chen , Faith Ka Shun Chan
The intensifying demand for energy transition minerals (ETMs) has triggered global concern over water-related issues in mining regions. However, localized and generalizable metrics are lacking to help companies and governments manage social licenses to operate (SLO). In this study, we propose an analytical method that combines digital media data from the Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone (GDELT) with high-resolution mining data to analyze social awareness. LightGBM with Shapley additive explanations models are introduced to uncover key factors influencing public sentiment. This approach was applied to analyze media attention and public sentiment on five categories of water issues across 12 mineral types and 511 mines from 2016 to 2023. Our findings show a 40% increase in water-related events linked to ETM mining since 2020. Regions such as East and Southeast Asia, and Central and South America exhibit rising but negative sentiment, while public discontent in Southern Africa remains consistently high. Cobalt, platinum, and vanadium have the most negative sentiment, particularly concerning water quality and pollution. Manganese shows the most negative sentiment due to concerns over drought and desertification. Model results indicate that the Goldstein scale of events, which reflects the magnitude of cooperation or conflict, was the most influential factor in shaping public sentiment. Precipitation has a significant positive impact on sentiment in drought- and flood-related events, while higher runoff improved sentiment in drought events but negatively affected flood- and water quality-related events. Socio-economic factors, such as educational expenditure and unemployment rates, also demonstrated varied effects across categories. Finally, this study introduces the water sentiment index (WSI) as a proxy for water-related SLO concerns, offering a new tool to track social awareness in ETM regions and providing actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to mitigate social risks and ensure sustainable mining practices.
{"title":"Public water risk concerns triggered by energy-transition-mineral mining","authors":"Zipeng Lin , Peng Wang , Linbin Tang , Zilin Wang , Jon Mckechnie , Bo Li , Wei-Qiang Chen , Faith Ka Shun Chan","doi":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100196","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100196","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The intensifying demand for energy transition minerals (ETMs) has triggered global concern over water-related issues in mining regions. However, localized and generalizable metrics are lacking to help companies and governments manage social licenses to operate (SLO). In this study, we propose an analytical method that combines digital media data from the Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone (GDELT) with high-resolution mining data to analyze social awareness. LightGBM with Shapley additive explanations models are introduced to uncover key factors influencing public sentiment. This approach was applied to analyze media attention and public sentiment on five categories of water issues across 12 mineral types and 511 mines from 2016 to 2023. Our findings show a 40% increase in water-related events linked to ETM mining since 2020. Regions such as East and Southeast Asia, and Central and South America exhibit rising but negative sentiment, while public discontent in Southern Africa remains consistently high. Cobalt, platinum, and vanadium have the most negative sentiment, particularly concerning water quality and pollution. Manganese shows the most negative sentiment due to concerns over drought and desertification. Model results indicate that the Goldstein scale of events, which reflects the magnitude of cooperation or conflict, was the most influential factor in shaping public sentiment. Precipitation has a significant positive impact on sentiment in drought- and flood-related events, while higher runoff improved sentiment in drought events but negatively affected flood- and water quality-related events. Socio-economic factors, such as educational expenditure and unemployment rates, also demonstrated varied effects across categories. Finally, this study introduces the water sentiment index (WSI) as a proxy for water-related SLO concerns, offering a new tool to track social awareness in ETM regions and providing actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to mitigate social risks and ensure sustainable mining practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34479,"journal":{"name":"Resources Environment and Sustainability","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100196"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143445522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-06DOI: 10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100198
Shangpei Yong, Yan Lin
Due to the advantages of high energy density, high conversion efficiency, and rapid response speed associated with power lithium batteries, there has been a significant expansion in their use. However, industry forecasts indicate that if large quantities of waste lithium-ion batteries are not managed properly, it could lead to serious environmental pollution issues as these batteries reach the end of their life cycle. Therefore, developing highly efficient and environmentally friendly recycling technologies is urgently needed. This paper proposes a green and efficient selective lithium extraction process integrating leaching technology with electrochemical methods. This approach enables the separation of Li and FePO4 within an electrolyte through electric field assistance while effectively minimizing waste liquid generation. The effects of various factors on Li and Fe’s leaching rates were investigated using orthogonal and single factor experiments. Under optimal conditions, the leaching rate of Li reached 98.85%, while that for Fe was only 0.22%, resulting in a selectivity ratio (Li/Fe) of 99.78%, which demonstrates successful selective extraction of lithium. Furthermore, we assessed the feasibility of this experiment through potentiometric-pH diagrams. We elucidated its mechanism using XPS, XRD, and SEM. Unlike conventional destructive leaching methods, the Li extraction process facilitated by the electric-field-induced assistance resembles the charging process of LiFePO4 batteries. Ultimately, Li was recovered as Li2CO3, while Fe and P present in the slag were subsequently retrieved as FePO4 with battery-grade purity through a hydrothermal method. This study presents an environmentally sustainable and economically viable approach for recovering spent LiFePO4 batteries.
{"title":"Electric-field-induced assists in the preferential extraction of lithium from spent LiFePO4","authors":"Shangpei Yong, Yan Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Due to the advantages of high energy density, high conversion efficiency, and rapid response speed associated with power lithium batteries, there has been a significant expansion in their use. However, industry forecasts indicate that if large quantities of waste lithium-ion batteries are not managed properly, it could lead to serious environmental pollution issues as these batteries reach the end of their life cycle. Therefore, developing highly efficient and environmentally friendly recycling technologies is urgently needed. This paper proposes a green and efficient selective lithium extraction process integrating leaching technology with electrochemical methods. This approach enables the separation of Li and FePO<sub>4</sub> within an electrolyte through electric field assistance while effectively minimizing waste liquid generation. The effects of various factors on Li and Fe’s leaching rates were investigated using orthogonal and single factor experiments. Under optimal conditions, the leaching rate of Li reached 98.85%, while that for Fe was only 0.22%, resulting in a selectivity ratio (Li/Fe) of 99.78%, which demonstrates successful selective extraction of lithium. Furthermore, we assessed the feasibility of this experiment through potentiometric-pH diagrams. We elucidated its mechanism using XPS, XRD, and SEM. Unlike conventional destructive leaching methods, the Li extraction process facilitated by the electric-field-induced assistance resembles the charging process of LiFePO<sub>4</sub> batteries. Ultimately, Li was recovered as Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>, while Fe and P present in the slag were subsequently retrieved as FePO<sub>4</sub> with battery-grade purity through a hydrothermal method. This study presents an environmentally sustainable and economically viable approach for recovering spent LiFePO<sub>4</sub> batteries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34479,"journal":{"name":"Resources Environment and Sustainability","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100198"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143386386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Refrigeration has significantly enhanced human well-being but comes with notable environmental impacts, particularly due to ozone-depleting substances and hydrofluorocarbons with high global warming potential. Solar Thermal Adsorption Refrigeration (STAR) has emerged as a promising alternative, especially in rural and off-grid regions where conventional refrigeration systems face energy limitations. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in adsorption refrigeration technologies, including novel adsorbents like activated carbon–ethanol, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), and composite materials designed to overcome critical challenges in heat and mass transfer. A particular emphasis is placed on the size limitations of adsorbers and the thermal efficiency of working pairs. Additionally, we critically analyze the life cycle environmental impacts of adsorption refrigeration systems, evaluating their sustainability compared to conventional vapor compression technologies. Unlike previous reviews, this paper integrates both technological developments and life cycle assessments, offering a unique perspective on STAR’s viability for sustainable refrigeration solutions. Finally, we present two novel bench-scale STAR systems, compare their environmental performance to traditional systems, and highlight key design improvements that address scalability challenges.
{"title":"Comprehensive reviews on technological and life cycle environmental aspects of solar–thermal adsorption refrigerator","authors":"Jun-Ki Choi , Anup Paudel , Bipin Karki , Katie Bradley , Natalie Quinn , Amy Ciric","doi":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100195","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100195","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Refrigeration has significantly enhanced human well-being but comes with notable environmental impacts, particularly due to ozone-depleting substances and hydrofluorocarbons with high global warming potential. Solar Thermal Adsorption Refrigeration (STAR) has emerged as a promising alternative, especially in rural and off-grid regions where conventional refrigeration systems face energy limitations. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in adsorption refrigeration technologies, including novel adsorbents like activated carbon–ethanol, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), and composite materials designed to overcome critical challenges in heat and mass transfer. A particular emphasis is placed on the size limitations of adsorbers and the thermal efficiency of working pairs. Additionally, we critically analyze the life cycle environmental impacts of adsorption refrigeration systems, evaluating their sustainability compared to conventional vapor compression technologies. Unlike previous reviews, this paper integrates both technological developments and life cycle assessments, offering a unique perspective on STAR’s viability for sustainable refrigeration solutions. Finally, we present two novel bench-scale STAR systems, compare their environmental performance to traditional systems, and highlight key design improvements that address scalability challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34479,"journal":{"name":"Resources Environment and Sustainability","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100195"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143349315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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