Land use is a major threat to terrestrial biodiversity. Life cycle assessment is a tool that can assess such threats and thereby support environmental decision-making. Within the Global Guidance... Show moreLand use is a major threat to terrestrial biodiversity. Life cycle assessment is a tool that can assess such threats and thereby support environmental decision-making. Within the Global Guidance for Life Cycle Impact Assessment (GLAM) project, the Life Cycle Initiative hosted by UN Environment aims to create a life cycle impact assessment method across multiple impact categories, including land use impacts on ecosystem quality represented by regional and global species richness. A working group of the GLAM project focused on such land use impacts and developed new characterization factors to combine the strengths of two separate recent advancements in the field: the consideration of land use intensities and land fragmentation. The data sets to parametrize the underlying model are also updated from previous models. The new characterization factors cover five species groups (plants, amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles) and five broad land use types (cropland, pasture, plantations, managed forests, and urban land) at three intensity levels (minimal, light, and intense). They are available at the level of terrestrial ecoregions and countries. This paper documents the development of the characterization factors, provides practical guidance for their use, and critically assesses the strengths and remaining shortcomings. Show less
This study presents the results of a preliminary investigation on micro-botanical remains preserved on Tolai hare (Lepus tolai) teeth recovered from Yangjiesha, a site located on the north of the... Show moreThis study presents the results of a preliminary investigation on micro-botanical remains preserved on Tolai hare (Lepus tolai) teeth recovered from Yangjiesha, a site located on the north of the Loess Plateau in China, dated circa. 4900B.P. The microscopic analysis reveal that starch grains from Triticeae, millets and their wild relatives as well as wood tissue fragments were identified in dental residues This implies that, in the context of the intensive development of millet farming at about 5000B.P., hares at Yangjiesha may have been active inside or near the agricultural settlement areas and formed long-term interactions with humans against the new agricultural ecology of the north Loess Plateau. Show less
The Russia-Ukraine war has disrupted global food supply chains and driven food prices up in many parts of the world. This study applies a spatially explicit modelling approach to estimate the... Show moreThe Russia-Ukraine war has disrupted global food supply chains and driven food prices up in many parts of the world. This study applies a spatially explicit modelling approach to estimate the resilience and environmental co-benefits of a transition towards the EAT-Lancet's planetary health diets across Europe.Crises related to extreme weather events, COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have revealed serious problems in global food (inter)dependency. Here we demonstrate that a transition towards the EAT-Lancet's planetary health diet in the European Union and the United Kingdom alone would almost compensate for all production deficits from Russia and Ukraine while yielding improvements in blue water use (4.1 Gm(3) yr(-1)), greenhouse gas emissions (0.22 GtCO(2)e yr(-1)) and carbon sequestration (17.4 GtCO(2)e). Show less
Chrysafi, A.; Virkki, V.; Jalava, M.; Sandtröm, V.; Piipponen, J.; Porkka, M.; ... ; Kummu, M. 2022
Several safe boundaries of critical Earth system processes have already been crossed due to human perturbations; not accounting for their interactions may further narrow the safe operating space... Show moreSeveral safe boundaries of critical Earth system processes have already been crossed due to human perturbations; not accounting for their interactions may further narrow the safe operating space for humanity. Using expert knowledge elicitation, we explored interactions among seven variables representing Earth system processes relevant to food production, identifying many interactions little explored in Earth system literature. We found that green water and land system change affect other Earth system processes strongly, while land, freshwater and ocean components of biosphere integrity are the most impacted by other Earth system processes, most notably blue water and biogeochemical flows. We also mapped a complex network of mechanisms mediating these interactions and created a future research prioritization scheme based on interaction strengths and existing knowledge gaps. Our study improves the understanding of Earth system interactions, with sustainability implications including improved Earth system modelling and more explicit biophysical limits for future food production. Show less
Key biodiversity areas (KBAs) are critical regions for preserving global biodiversity. KBAs are identified by their importance to biodiversity rather than their legal status. As such, KBAs are... Show moreKey biodiversity areas (KBAs) are critical regions for preserving global biodiversity. KBAs are identified by their importance to biodiversity rather than their legal status. As such, KBAs are often under pressure from human activities. KBAs can encompass many different land-use types (e.g., cropland, pastures) and land-use intensities. Here, we combine a global economic model with spatial mapping to estimate the biodiversity impacts of human land use in KBAs. We find that global human land use within KBAs causes disproportionate biodiversity losses. While land use within KBAs accounts for only 7% of total land use, it causes 16% of the potential global plant loss and 12% of the potential global vertebrate loss. The consumption of animal products accounts for more than half of biodiversity loss within KBAs, with housing the second largest at around 10%. Bovine meat is the largest single contributor to this loss, at around 31% of total biodiversity loss. In terms of land use, lightly grazed pasture contributes the most, accounting for around half of all potential species loss. This loss is concentrated mainly in middle- and low-income regions with rich biodiversity. International trade is an important driver of loss, accounting for 22-29% of total potential plant and vertebrate loss. Our comprehensive global, trade-linked analysis provides insights into maintaining the integrity of KBAs and global biodiversity. Show less
It remains unclear how the precise length of one-dimensional nanovehicles influences the characters of vaccination. Here, a unimolecular nanovehicle with tailored size and aspect ratio (AR) is... Show moreIt remains unclear how the precise length of one-dimensional nanovehicles influences the characters of vaccination. Here, a unimolecular nanovehicle with tailored size and aspect ratio (AR) is applied to deliver CpG oligodeoxynucleotide, a Toll-like receptor (TLR) 9 agonist, as an adjuvant of recombinant hepatitis B virus surface antigen (rHBsAg), for treating chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Cationic nanovehicles with fixed width (ca. 45 nm) but varied length (46 nm-180 nm), AR from 1 to 4, are prepared through controlled polymerization and are loaded with CpG by electrostatic interaction. We reveal that the nanoadjuvant with AR = 2 shows the highest retention in proximal lymph nodes. Importantly, it is more easily internalized into antigen-presenting cells and accumulates in the late endosome, where TLR9 is located. Such a nanoadjuvant exhibits the strongest immune response with rHBsAg to clear the hepatitis B virus in the CHB mouse model, showing that the AR of nanovehicles governs the efficiency of vaccination. Show less
The global agri-food system plays a critical role in food security and environmental issues. Increasing globalization has resulted in a complex international food system where production and... Show moreThe global agri-food system plays a critical role in food security and environmental issues. Increasing globalization has resulted in a complex international food system where production and consumption along the international supply chain can incorporate many geographically distinct regions. This interconnection means that it is difficult for any single producer or consumer to address these impacts. This thesis represents a step towards mapping the global food system from producers to consumers and offers several policy-relevant insights, especially in the national accounting of environmental footprints. Given that many drivers occur locally, but are traded globally, and that inter-regional differences in consumption are increasingly important, it is a natural next step to find approaches that can connect local impacts (production side) with global consumption (consumption side) through trade.Global spatially explicit multi-regional input-output (SMRIO) analyses can help identify hotspots of local production and associated social and environmental impacts driven by global consumption. In this thesis, I assess the use of SMRIO in the past and build a SMRIO model in three different case studies to assess its use. I use SMRIO models to investigate three critical issues (i.e. food security, biodiversity loss, and climate change) in the agri-food system.These sorts of assessments can help provide insights into how we might avoid catastrophic environmental problems in a globalized world. However, any of the benefits highlighted in these studies will require significant international action and collaboration. They will have to be sensitive to local conditions and the economic ramifications of rapid food transitions. Show less
Integrating the social and natural sciences to effectively tackle the intertwined challenges represented by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been advocated for years. However, the... Show moreIntegrating the social and natural sciences to effectively tackle the intertwined challenges represented by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been advocated for years. However, the practice is challenging, especially with respect to the beliefs, morals, and practices of individuals and groups or, more succinctly put, culture, which, despite attracting growing awareness, remains understated in sustainability. Here, we examine how and to what extent cultural values are linked to the achievement of the SDGs. Synthesizing knowledge from more than 300 publications, we show that cultural traits are linked to the achievement of all 17 SDGs and 79% of SDG targets. Further, empirical understanding obtained from a panel data analysis highlights that cultural values explain as much as 26% of the variations in the SDG achievements, yet the links are strikingly divergent across cultural traits and indicators. Our findings imply the need to consider more cultural contexts and nuances in sustainability science communications and policy design and to develop new cross-disciplinary solutions to sustainability challenges. Show less
Sun, Z.; Parvinen, K.; Heino, M.; Metz, J.A.J.; Roos, A.M. de; Dieckmann, U. 2020
Freshwater use is recognized as one of the nine planetary boundaries. However, water scarcity is a local or regional phenomenon, meaning that the global boundary must be spatially downscaled to... Show moreFreshwater use is recognized as one of the nine planetary boundaries. However, water scarcity is a local or regional phenomenon, meaning that the global boundary must be spatially downscaled to reflect differences in water availability. In China, as in most countries, irrigation is the major freshwater user, closely linking food security to the freshwater boundary. To provide evidence supporting environmentally sustainable water use in China's food production, this study explores how a grain production shift affects the national water-scarcity footprint (WSF) and the potential to reach sustainable water use limits while maintaining the current grain production level. We found that the historical breadbasket shift towards water-scarce northern regions has increased the WSF by 40% from 1980 to 2015. To operate within the boundary, national irrigation needs to be reduced by 18% in hotspot regions, with implications of a 21% loss of grain production. However, this loss can be reduced to around 8% by closing yield gaps in water-rich regions. It demonstrates the high potential of integrating crop redistribution and closing yield gaps to achieve grain production goals within freshwater boundaries. This Chinese case study can be representative of the challenges faced by many of the world's countries, where pressures on land and water resources are high and a sustainable means of increasing food supply must be found. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. Show less
This thesis is concerned with the constitution of chiral responsive matrix assemblies that may undergo light-driven conformational changes and self-select vibrations to develop vibronic states for... Show moreThis thesis is concerned with the constitution of chiral responsive matrix assemblies that may undergo light-driven conformational changes and self-select vibrations to develop vibronic states for driving semi-classical coherent transfer with nearly 100% yield in a lossless NCAP process. In this work, a truncated CsmA derived from the CsmA protein from the baseplate of the Chlorobaculum tepidum has been used to engineer a chiral matrix around a zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) chromophore (Chapter 2). After the study of the specific structure of tCsmA-ZnPP complex, the mechanism of self-assembly was resolved (Chapter 3 and Chapter 4). Expression and purification of tCsmA in E.coli was explored to pave the way for other methods, such as NMR (Chapter 5). Show less
International trade plays a critical role in global food security, with global consumption having highly localized environmental impacts. It has been difficult to gain insights into these effects... Show moreInternational trade plays a critical role in global food security, with global consumption having highly localized environmental impacts. It has been difficult to gain insights into these effects due to the diversity of food production, and complexity of supply chains in international trade. We present a Spatially-explicit Multi-Regional Input-Output (SMRIO) model which couples primary crops and livestock at a high spatial resolution with a global Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) model. We then identify hotspots (the most significant production regions) for primary crops and livestock driven by international consumption. We present the method and data behind this approach, and provide illustrative case studies for Indonesian palm oil and Brazilian soy and beef production. Regionally, China is the largest primary crop consumer, while the EU28 is the largest livestock consumer. Primary crops and livestock hotspots are highly unequal, and the embodied primary crops and livestock for high-income countries are distributed over larger areas when compared to lower-income countries since high-income countries have more numerous trade links. Identified hotspots could allow for increased cooperation between consumers (high-income countries) and producers (lower-income countries) to improve sustainability programs for global food security. Show less
Sun, Z.; Diebolder, C.A.; Renault, L.L.R.; Groot, H.J.M. de 2019
Environmentally Extended Input-Output databases (EEIOs) provide an effective tool for assessing environmental impacts around the world. These databases have yielded many scientific and policy... Show moreEnvironmentally Extended Input-Output databases (EEIOs) provide an effective tool for assessing environmental impacts around the world. These databases have yielded many scientific and policy relevant insights, especially through the national accounting of impacts embodied in trade. However, most approaches average out the spatial variation in different factors, usually at the level of the nation, but sometimes at the subnational level. It is a natural next step to connect trade with local environmental impacts and local consumption. Due to investments in earth observation many new datasets are now available, offering a huge potential for coupling environmental datasets with economic models such as Multi-Region Input-Output (MRIO) models. A key tool for linking these scales are Spatially-explicit Input-Output (SIO) models, which provide both demand and supply perspectives by linking producers and consumers. Here we define an SIO model as a model having a resolution greater than the underlying input-output transaction matrix. Given the increasing interest in this approach, we present a timely review of the methods used, insights gained, and limitations of various approaches for integrating spatial data in input-output modelling. We highlight the evolution of these approaches, and review the methodological approaches used in SIO models so far. We investigate the temporal and spatial resolution of such approaches and analyze the general advantages and limitations of the modelling framework. Finally, we make suggestions for the future development of SIO models Show less
