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Topic Review
Influence of Digital Economy on Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Massive emissions of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, are endangering not only sea level rise and extreme weather but also agricultural production and human life. Digital technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence have been increasingly integrated into different commercial and social domains. The subsequent wave of the digital economy has become a massive force in transforming the traditional economic model, restructuring the global value chain, and promoting the economy’s green transformation. 
  • 785
  • 02 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Sustainability Monitoring with Robotic Accounting
The production of farm sustainability indicators is vital for all actors in the food chain. Robotic accounting could assist in the monitoring and compliance of farm performance, to assess the various aspects of sustainability. Robotic process automation (RPA) is aimed at the automatic execution of administrative tasks that reproduce the work that humans do, comparable to robotics in manufacturing.
  • 779
  • 30 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Climate Smart Forestry in the Southern United States
In the United States, Climate Smart Forestry (CSF) has quickly become a popular topic within the academic, political, and industry realms. Southern plantation forests in the United States are one of the most globally productive timberland systems.
  • 775
  • 22 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Renewable Power and Heat for the Decarbonisation
Renewable energy (RE) solutions have been classified into technologies based on the use of renewable electricity and those used to produce heat for multiple industrial processes. Electrification will be key thanks to the gradual decrease in renewable power prices and the conversion of natural-gas-dependent processes. Industrial processes that are not eligible for electrification will still need a form of renewable heat. Among them, the following have been identified: concentrating solar power, heat pumps, and geothermal energy. These can supply a broad range of needed temperatures. Biomass will be a key element not only in the decarbonisation of conventional combustion systems but also as a biofuel feedstock. Biomethane and green hydrogen are considered essential. Biomethane can allow a straightforward transition from fossil-based natural gas to renewable gas. Green hydrogen production technologies will be required to increase their maturity and availability in Europe (EU). Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs)’ decarbonisation will occur through the progressive use of an energy mix that allows EU industrial sectors to remain competitive on a global scale. Each industrial sector will require specific renewable energy solutions, especially the top greenhouse gas-emitting industries. 
  • 775
  • 17 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Sustainable Diets
A calorie-balanced diet mainly based on food of plant origin that would allow the attainment of 60% of daily caloric requirements and a low protein intake from animal foods (focusing in fish and poultry) could significantly reduce global morbi-mortality and the dietary environmental impact maintaining a framework of sustainability conditioned by the consumption of fresh, seasonal, locally produced and minimally packaged products. The implementation of sustainable diets requires working on the triangulation of concepts of food–health–environment from schools and that is permanently reinforced during all stages of the life by healthcare workers, who should establish the appropriate modifications according to the age, gender and health situation. 
  • 770
  • 23 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Climate Change Impacts, Public Attitudes, and Climate Action
European member states have high emission reduction potential. They send a strong signal to the rest of the world with their action or inaction on climate change. Yet, within the EU, national-level climate policies (NLCP) lag behind the EU Commission’s overall climate goals. Transparency of and accountability for climate action requires an integrative perspective.
  • 767
  • 23 May 2023
Topic Review
Adsorption of PAHs and PCDD/Fs in Microplastics
Plastics are synthetic organic polymers that are malleable and can be molded into solid objects of various kinds. Furthermore, they are strong, light, durable and inexpensive, properties that make them suitable for the manufacture of a wide range of products. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, and furans (PCDD/Fs), these compounds have also been detected in products made from plastics and in recycled plastics by different procedures.
  • 766
  • 27 Jul 2022
Topic Review
CH4 and NOx from Marine LNG Engine Exhaust
Compared to diesel, liquefied natural gas (LNG), often used as an alternative fuel for marine engines, comes with significant advantages in reducing emissions of particulate matter (PM), SOx, CO2, and other pollutants. Promoting the use of LNG is of great significance for achieving carbon peaking and neutrality worldwide, as well as improving the energy structure.
  • 766
  • 24 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Development and Effects of Organic Farms in Poland
Organic farms should, by definition, place particular emphasis on the protection of agricultural soils, landscape care and activities aimed at producing high-quality agricultural products. In Poland, its development strength largely depends on the presence of areas facing natural or other specific constraints (ANCs). Nearly ¾ of organic utilized agriculture area (UAA) is located in communes with a large share of them. Organic farms achieve lower production effects in comparison to conventional farms, and their disproportions also depend on the quality of natural farming conditions. In Poland, the personal competences of farmers are also an important determinant in joining organic farming.
  • 765
  • 26 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Methods for Monitoring and Studying Forest Vulnerability
Forests around the world are facing climate change. Increased drought stress and severe heat waves have negatively impacted on forest health, making them more vulnerable and prone to dieback and mortality phenomena. Although the term vulnerability is used to indicate an increased susceptibility of forests to climate change with a worsening of their vigour status that can compromise their ability to respond to further climate extreme events, there are still uncertainties on how to evaluate it. Indeed, evaluation of forest vulnerability is complex both because of some critical issues in the estimation methods used and because of the multiple factors influencing the response of forests to ongoing climate change. A way to assess the vulnerability to environmental stresses is by combining remote sensing and dendroecological data.
  • 763
  • 06 Jun 2023
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Optimization Examples for Water Allocation, Energy, Carbon Emissions, and Costs
The field of Water Resources Management (WRM) is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, realizing its direct connections with energy, food, and social and economic sciences, among others. Computationally, this leads to more complex models, wherein the achievement of multiple goals is sought. Optimization processes have found various applications in such complex WRM problems. This entry considers the main factors involved in modern WRM, and puts them in a single optimization problem, including water allocation from different sources to different uses and non-renewable and renewable energy supplies, with their associated carbon emissions and costs. The entry explores the problem mathematically by presenting different optimization approaches, such as linear, fuzzy, dynamic, goal, and non-linear programming models. Furthermore, codes for each model are provided in Python, an open-source language. This entry has an educational character, and the examples presented are easily reproducible, so this is expected to be a useful resource for students, modelers, researchers, and water managers.
  • 762
  • 08 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Constructed Wetlands to Treat Effluents for Water Reuse
Urban and industrial wastewater discharges remain a major source of pollution worldwide. Urban runoff, stormwater overflows, and untreated sewage discharges are increasingly important sources of pollution. Population growth and the change in annual rainfall patterns associated with climate change make it increasingly difficult to meet the growing demand for recreational, industrial, agricultural, and domestic purposes. Thus, the regeneration of used water with the aim of giving it a second use is increasingly imperative. Solutions based on nature, such as constructed wetlands (CWs), offer high possibilities for the sustainable use of water, facilitating its treatment and reuse in situ, as well as contributions to adaptation to climate change through the use and promotion of vegetation, both in urban and rural areas. The circular economy criteria and objectives require opting for technologies and configurations that allow the recovery of nutrients and other resources contained in wastewater while allowing the reuse or recycling of the water itself for different uses. CWs offer very interesting benefits regarding both sustainability and circularity.
  • 759
  • 27 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Strategies of Selenium Biofortification
Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and animals. Biofortification is a quick, efficient, and sustainable way to lower micronutrient deficiencies. The strategies of biofortification are the approaches employed to achieve biofortification. Plants and animal produce are classified as biofortified when there is an increase in the Se content in the edible portions of plants and food animals.
  • 758
  • 10 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Exposure Assessment of Nanoplastics
Nanoplastics (NPs) are particles ranging in size between 1 and 1000 nm, and they are a form of environmental contaminant of great ecotoxicological concern. The detection of these contaminants in complex matrices is a real challenge. Developing suitable and reliable analytical methods for quantifying the environmental occurrences of NPs is pivotal. 
  • 753
  • 13 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Power Shift
Power Shift is an annual youth summit which has been held in New Zealand, Australia , Canada , the United Kingdom and the United States . Other Power Shift Conferences are also being organised by members of the International Youth Climate Movement including Africa, Japan and India . The focus of the events is on climate change policy.
  • 752
  • 20 Oct 2022
Topic Review
The Relevance of Perception in Landscape Framework
The relationship with bicycle infrastructure is lacking in current empirical research on user perceptions, which, on the contrary, studies emphasize aesthetic quality or visual surveys.  As the cycling infrastructure is a key area for commuting, shopping, entertainment, and recreation in urban communities, a thorough understanding of users’ perceptions of the environment is needed. Landscape and bicycle infrastructure cause a different perception as psychological factors interact based on the function of use. Bicycle spaces are small, enclosed, and lack contact with nature because they are often designed with inappropriate criteria. The bicycle infrastructure is seen in full harmony and potential with the landscape if there is contact with nature. These physical elements affect the sorts of landscape- or user-oriented policies and procedures that attempt to increase user satisfaction levels for the former and landscape promotion for the latter, in addition to cultural and psychological considerations.
  • 752
  • 22 May 2023
Topic Review
Microplastics: Tiny Particles, Massive Impact
Microplastics are synthetic polymer particles measuring less than 5 millimeters in diameter that originate from the degradation of larger plastic materials or are manufactured at small sizes for industrial and consumer applications. They are classified as primary microplastics (intentionally produced, such as microbeads) and secondary microplastics (formed through the breakdown of larger plastic debris). Microplastics are persistent in the environment, can accumulate in organisms, and pose potential risks to ecosystems and human health.
  • 752
  • 24 Apr 2025
Topic Review
Modeling the Visual Landscape
Modeling the perception and evaluation of landscapes from the human perspective is a desirable goal for several scientific domains and applications. Human vision is the dominant sense, and human eyes are the sensors for apperceiving the environmental stimuli of our surroundings. Therefore, exploring the experimental recording and measurement of the visual landscape can reveal crucial aspects about human visual perception responses while viewing the natural or man-made landscapes. Landscape evaluation (or assessment) is another dimension that refers mainly to preferences of the visual landscape, involving human cognition as well, in ways that are often unpredictable.
  • 751
  • 19 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Brush Management Using Fire in Grassland National Parks
The grasslands of North America are threatened by woody encroachment. Restoring historical fire regimes has been used to manage brush encroachment. However, fire management may be insufficient due to the nonlinear and hysteretic responses of vegetation recovery following encroachment and the social–political constraints affecting fire management. 
  • 750
  • 20 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Plant Ecological Treatment Technology for Livestock Wastewater
After antibiotics are used in livestock and poultry, on the one hand, selection pressure will be formed to make the intestinal microorganisms of livestock and poultry develop resistance, thus making livestock and poultry manure carry a large amount of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG); on the other hand, about 30-90% of antibiotics will be discharged into the environment with livestock and poultry manure, and the antibiotics entering the environment will not only cause chemical pollution, but most importantly, may induce antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and ARG in the environment generation in the environment. The sources of ARGs in livestock wastewater may be threefold: (1) livestock wastewater receives ARGs already present in livestock manure; (2) pollutants such as antibiotics and heavy metals in wastewater induce microorganisms to produce ARGs; and (3) proliferation of microbial host bacteria leads to proliferation of ARGs. Unlike traditional chemical pollutants, which exhibit unique environmental behaviors such as replicability, transmissibility, and environmental persistence due to their inherent biological properties, ARGs are promoted by mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, transposons, integrons, insertion sequence common regions, and complex integrons. These ARGs are transmitted between different microorganisms in environmental media through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) mechanisms and may enter the food chain and humans through direct or indirect routes, increasing human drug resistance and endangering human public health.
  • 745
  • 21 Mar 2023
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