Article
Ecology
Rikard Hjorth Warlenius
Summary: This paper assesses the debate between proponents of "green growth" and "degrowth", focusing on the possibility of decoupling carbon emissions and resource use from GDP growth at a sufficient rate to achieve policy goals. The claims made by degrowth scholars on the limits of decoupling are examined, and it is argued that their pessimistic view is not well-supported. Based on assumptions by leading degrowth scholars, it is suggested that reaching the desired policy targets would require drastic reductions in GDP for global north economies, making it highly unlikely. However, the paper discusses potential alternatives and outlines a realist and dynamic theory of decoupling.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Mark Stelzner
Summary: Despite the lack of correlation between income and happiness beyond a certain point, this relationship has not been adequately mathematically modeled. This paper provides a novel mathematical model that can explain empirical nuances encountered by happiness studies and helps understand the relationship between reported life satisfaction and other variables such as inequality.
JOURNAL OF HAPPINESS STUDIES
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Tomas Chaigneau, Sarah Coulthard, Tim M. Daw, Lucy Szaboova, Laura Camfield, F. Stuart I. I. I. I. I. I. Chapin, Des Gasper, Georgina G. Gurney, Christina C. Hicks, Maggie Ibrahim, Thomas James, Lindsey Jones, Nathanial Matthews, Colin McQuistan, Belinda Reyers, Katrina Brown
Summary: Well-being and resilience are considered to be related or even synergistic dimensions of sustainable development, but evidence suggests that they may actually work against each other in practice, highlighting potential trade-offs that could threaten sustainable development outcomes.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Economics
Nicholas Gunby, Tom Coupe
Summary: This study examines the impact of weather-related home damage on subjective well-being using Australian data from 2009 to 2019. The findings suggest that there is little evidence to support a significant negative effect on subjective well-being.
ENVIRONMENTAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Min Cheng, Ying Liang, Canying Zeng, Yi Pan, Jinxia Zhu, Jingyi Wang
Summary: With China's rapid economic growth, urban greening in Chinese cities, particularly in urban core areas, has significantly improved. However, rapid urbanization and economic growth have also led to a high likelihood of vegetation degradation in urban fringe regions. This study examined the spatiotemporal characteristics of nighttime light and enhanced vegetation index in urban areas from 2001 to 2020, and found a strong decoupling between economic growth and urban greenness on a national scale, with 49.15% of urban areas showing a decoupling status.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kate Burrows, Dicky C. Pelupessy, Kaveh Khoshnood, Michelle L. Bell
Summary: Residential moves due to climate-related disasters can have significant impacts on mental health. This study in Banjarnegara, Indonesia, found that displacement after landslides was associated with positive changes in economic stability, optimism, safety, religiosity, and community closeness. Factors such as age, sex, education level, income, employment, and landslide characteristics also influenced the likelihood of relocation.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah Kehler, S. Jeff Birchall
Summary: Climate change looms, impacting communities and prompting the need for adaptation. However, current adaptation efforts are fragmented and fail to address the underlying vulnerability to climate change. This is due to a socio-political status quo that prioritizes short-term economic goals over public well-being. Future research must examine how socio-political forces hinder effective adaptation and advocate for equitable protection of communities' well-being.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yiru Pei, Qing Pei, Harry F. Lee, Mengyuan Qiu, Yuting Yang
Summary: The study found that climate change significantly affected epidemics, and economic well-being was a crucial factor in determining epidemic dynamics, while the impact of population was relatively minor. This research not only expands our understanding of epidemic mechanisms within the context of human ecology, but also analyzes the role of economy in epidemic outbreaks from a pre-industrial perspective. Lessons from macro-history will offer historical references for current societies facing unprecedented global pandemics.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Amruta Nori-Sarma, Gregory A. A. Wellenius
Summary: Climate change poses a significant threat to health and well-being, and policy solutions should address historic issues of environmental justice and racism while considering equity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xianke Huang, Yujie Huang, Ruiliang Li, Wei Cheng, Yang Su, Feng Li, XianXiang Du
Summary: In the process of China's modernization, promoting the sustainable development of resource-based cities is a major strategic issue and it has now also become a worldwide issue. This study uses the coupling model to validate the coupling relationship between China's land-use net carbon flux and economic growth and population change during 2009-2017. The study for the first time draws the conclusion that the coupling degree among the three is getting lower, the correlation is gradually weaker, and the independent relationship is becoming more and more prominent. Utilizing the Tapio decoupling model, we obtained the weak decoupling conclusion that the economic growth rate is higher than the growth rate of the land-use net carbon flux, while negative decoupling of sprawl is where the rate of population growth is less than the rate of net land-use carbon flux growth.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Charles Stephen Brennan
Summary: This article introduces a series of commissioned articles that examine the impact of climate change on the food supply system and emphasize the importance of food sustainability, food security, and nutritional composition. By studying the recent research focus of researchers in the field of food science and technology, these findings can be applied to the modern food industry to reduce resource consumption.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism
Myung Ja Kim, C. Michael Hall
Summary: This study examines the relationship between walking and tourism and finds that environmental factors have a significant impact on attachment to walking. Attachment to walking and walkable places are key predictors for walkers' subjective well-being.
CURRENT ISSUES IN TOURISM
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ian McCallum, Christopher Conrad Maximillian Kyba, Juan Carlos Laso Bayas, Elena Moltchanova, Matt Cooper, Jesus Crespo Cuaresma, Shonali Pachauri, Linda See, Olga Danylo, Inian Moorthy, Myroslava Lesiv, Kimberly Baugh, Christopher D. Elvidge, Martin Hofer, Steffen Fritz
Summary: Using satellite nighttime lights and world settlement data, researchers found that 19% of global settlement areas had no artificial radiance associated with them. Africa had the majority of unlit settlement areas, accounting for 39%, rising to 65% in rural areas, as well as numerous unlit areas in the Middle East and Asia. Developed countries also had significant unlit settlement areas. The percent of unlit settlement areas was used to predict and map the wealth class of households in 49 countries with an overall accuracy of 87%.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sergey Andronov, Andrey Lobanov, Andrey Popov, Ying Luo, Olga Shaduyko, Anatoliy Fesyun, Lilia Lobanova, Elena Bogdanova, Irina Kobel'kova
Summary: The diet of Indigenous Peoples in north-western Siberia is rich in traditional foods necessary for surviving in the Arctic environment. Climate change has disrupted the seasonal consumption of local foods, leading to a decrease in their intake and adverse health effects such as increased hypertension. Establishing food stocks and year-round sales are essential steps to ensure food security and health in the region.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Richard P. Taylor, Richard York
Summary: Climate change affects human psychological/emotional well-being, particularly through the changes in the esthetic properties of environments. Research shows that humans respond to the fractal dimension of scenes and prefer moderate fractal complexity. Therefore, the impact of climate change on human emotional well-being varies across regions depending on the changes in the fractal character of landscapes and cloud patterns.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nouman Afzal, Stavros Afionis, Lindsay C. Stringer, Nicola Favretto, Marco Sakai, Paola Sakai
Summary: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 SDGs, will guide national development plans up to 2030. Goals such as No Poverty, Zero Hunger, and Affordable and Clean Energy are crucial for addressing the needs of the poor. Crops like sweet potato have untapped potential to improve food, nutrition, and energy security for smallholder farmers, but further research is needed to fully harness this potential.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jason Hickel, Paul Brockway, Giorgos Kallis, Lorenz Keysser, Manfred Lenzen, Aljosa Slamersak, Julia Steinberger, Diana Urge-Vorsatz
Summary: Post-growth approaches may offer an easier path to achieving rapid mitigation and improving social outcomes compared to traditional growth-based scenarios. Climate modellers should explore these alternatives to traditional economic growth assumptions.
Article
Economics
Jaime Nieto, Hector Pollitt, Paul E. Brockway, Lucy Clements, Marco Sakai, John Barrett
Summary: Since 2011, the UK has been bound by EU energy reduction targets, reducing energy use by 18% by 2019. Post-Brexit, the UK can now choose its own 2030 energy target, with a 40% reduction offering the largest economic and employment benefits. Careful policy considerations are needed to ensure overall energy efficiency improvements.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Felix Creutzig, Leila Niamir, Xuemei Bai, Max Callaghan, Jonathan Cullen, Julio Diaz-Jose, Maria Figueroa, Arnulf Grubler, William F. Lamb, Adrian Leip, Eric Masanet, Erika Mata, Linus Mattauch, Jan C. Minx, Sebastian Mirasgedis, Yacob Mulugetta, Sudarmanto Budi Nugroho, Minal Pathak, Patricia Perkins, Joyashree Roy, Stephane de la Rue du Can, Yamina Saheb, Shreya Some, Linda Steg, Julia Steinberger, Diana Urge-Vorsatz
Summary: The study highlights the significant potential of demand-side measures in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and improving human well-being outcomes, with largely positive effects.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
William F. Lamb, Michael Grubb, Francesca Diluiso, Jan C. Minx
Summary: While global greenhouse gas emissions are still increasing, some countries have successfully achieved sustained reductions in their emissions, primarily in the energy sector. Though the total reductions of these countries are insignificant compared to global emissions growth, their experiences demonstrate the possibility of significant emissions reductions even with moderate climate action, while maintaining sustainable economic growth.
Correction
Environmental Sciences
William F. Lamb, Thomas Wiedmann, Julia Pongratz, Robbie Andrew, Monica Crippa, Jos G. J. Olivier, Dominik Wiedenhofer, Giulio Mattioli, Alaa Al Khourdajie, Jo House, Shonali Pachauri, Maria Figueroa, Yamina Saheb, Raphael Slade, Klaus Hubacek, Laixiang Sun, Suzana Kahn Ribeiro, Smail Khennas, Stephane de la Rue du Can, Lazarus Chapungu, Steven J. Davis, Igor Bashmakov, Hancheng Dai, Shobhakar Dhakal, Xianchun Tan, Yong Geng, Baihe Gu, Jan Minx
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael Jakob, Stavros Ationis, Max Ahman, Angelo Antoci, Marlene Arens, Fernando Ascensao, Harro van Asselt, Nicolai Baumert, Simone Borghesi, Claire Brunel, Justin Caron, Aaron Cosbey, Susanne Droege, Alecia Evans, Gianluca Iannucci, Magnus Jiborn, Astrid Kander, Viktoras Kulionis, Arik Levinson, Jaime de Melo, Tom Moerenhout, Alessandro Monti, Maria Panezi, Philippe Quirion, Lutz Sager, Marco Sakai, Juan Sesmero, Mauro Sodini, Jean-Marc Solleder, Cleo Verkuijl, Valentin Vogl, Leonie Wenz, Sven Willner
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Stuart Capstick, Aaron Thierry, Emily Cox, Oscar Berglund, Steve Westlake, Julia K. Steinberger
Summary: This passage highlights the limited time available to secure a livable and sustainable future. It points out that inaction from governments, industry, and civil society is leading to a significant increase in global temperature, with cascading and catastrophic consequences. It raises the question of when civil disobedience by scientists becomes justified.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Marta Baltruszewicz, Julia K. Steinberger, Jouni Paavola, Diana Ivanova, Lina I. Brand-Correa, Anne Owen
Summary: The study investigates the relationship between household energy footprint and well-being in the UK, filling the research gap on how energy relates to human need satisfaction. The results show that car and air transportation contribute the most to high-income and high-energy users' total energy footprint. There are significant inequalities in energy use distribution, and the top energy users with high well-being are driving excess energy use. Additionally, individuals with protected characteristics are particularly vulnerable to energy poverty, and their contribution to overall energy demand is negligible. Focusing on well-being raises questions about sufficiency, overconsumption, and the context of need satisfaction. Addressing energy poverty and inequalities is crucial for reducing energy demand and should be treated as a matter of climate justice.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicola Cerutti, William F. Lamb, Monica Crippa, Adrian Leip, Efisio Solazzo, Francesco N. Tubiello, Jan C. Minx
Summary: The food system plays a significant role in global greenhouse gas emissions and requires mitigation efforts to prevent dangerous global warming. This article summarizes the trends and drivers of food system emissions from 1990 to 2018, highlighting regional diversity and the highest global emitters. While some regions have seen stabilized emissions, global emissions continue to increase due to certain sectors and countries outweighing emissions reductions. Livestock rearing is a major contributor to global emissions, and post-production emissions are steadily increasing in all regions. The article also emphasizes the insufficient policy activity to address climate change mitigation and the specific impact of livestock and post-production emissions. The research lays the groundwork for country-level inquiries into optimal policy pathways for emission reductions.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Felix Schenuit, Matthew J. Gidden, Miranda Boettcher, Elina Brutschin, Claire Fyson, Thomas Gasser, Oliver Geden, William F. Lamb, M. J. Mace, Jan Minx, Keywan Riahi
Summary: Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) is crucial for achieving the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement and national net-zero emissions targets. The credibility of certification schemes is essential for effective CDR policy.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Piers M. Forster, Christopher J. Smith, Tristram Walsh, William F. Lamb, Robin Lamboll, Mathias Hauser, Aurelien Ribes, Debbie Rosen, Nathan Gillett, Matthew D. Palmer, Joeri Rogelj, Karina von Schuckmann, Sonia I. Seneviratne, Blair Trewin, Xuebin Zhang, Myles Allen, Robbie Andrew, Arlene Birt, Alex Borger, Tim Boyer, Jiddu A. Broersma, Lijing Cheng, Frank Dentener, Pierre Friedlingstein, Jose M. Gutierrez, Johannes Guetschow, Bradley Hall, Masayoshi Ishii, Stuart Jenkins, Xin Lan, June-Yi Lee, Colin Morice, Christopher Kadow, John Kennedy, Rachel Killick, Jan C. Minx, Vaishali Naik, Glen P. Peters, Anna Pirani, Julia Pongratz, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, Sophie Szopa, Peter Thorne, Robert Rohde, Maisa Rojas Corradi, Dominik Schumacher, Russell Vose, Kirsten Zickfeld, Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Panmao Zhai
Summary: IPCC assessments are a trusted source of scientific evidence for climate negotiations, but the time gap between report cycles creates an information gap. To fill this gap, we compile monitoring datasets based on IPCC report methods to provide annually updated reliable global climate indicators.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Marta Baltruszewicz, Julia K. Steinberger, Anne Owen, Lina Brand-Correa, Jouni Paavola
Summary: This study explores household energy use in Zambia and its relationship with basic well-being. It finds significant differences in energy use between the poorest households and high-income urban households, emphasizing the importance of access to provisioning systems over income for need satisfaction.
ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Y. Oswald, J. K. Steinberger, D. Ivanova, J. Millward-Hopkins
Summary: Global income inequality has a direct impact on household energy consumption, influencing both the quantity and composition of overall energy demand. Incorporating income distribution into energy system models and policies is essential for addressing energy consumption disparities across different income groups.
GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
