Search Results (421)

Mars is a focus of New Space Age exploration and colonisation, but there are significant challenges to successful colonisation by humankind. Environmental microbes play a key role in supporting the ecosystems of Earth, especially within the biodegradation and bioremediation sectors. However, the repurposed roles of microbes on Mars and their associated uses to colonists remain incompletely defined. The aim of this review was to examine the key roles of microbes on Earth and how they have been employed by humans to tackle four pivotal environmental challenges associated with the colonisation of Mars, namely the physical environment, the creation of a hospitable environment via terraforming, environmental sustainability and life support, and finally, renewable processing technologies. Some species of microbes were found to be tolerant of the ever-changing physical environment on Mars (freeze–thaw and UVC exposure) making them useful for bioremediation applications. Employing perchlorate-remediating microbes for their ability to bioremediate the soils of sodium perchlorate, which is present in Martian soils, in addition to their innate ability to cycle nutrients through the biosphere showed promise in establishing sustained crops to support colonists. The employment of terrestrial environmental microbes is a necessary part of overcoming key environmental challenges to successfully colonise Mars. Without this, future New Space exploration is unlikely to be successful. Full article

Sodium perchlorate is a toxic salt-based compound found both terrestrially, (due to pollution) and extraterrestrially on the surface of Mars. Perchlorate pollution poses a risk to agricultural-based activities as once it enters soils/waterways it can be passed through the food chain via bioaccumulation. The purpose of the current study was to observe the perchlorate reduction potential of putative candidate bioremediation strains; Escherichia coli 25922 and E. coli 9079, Paraburkholderia fungorum, Deinococcus radiodurans and Dechloromonas aromatica both independently and in co-cultures, when exposed to 3000 mg/L (0.3%) sodium perchlorate. This was carried out in both a minimal medium environment and within an environment void of nutrients, using Raman spectroscopy to assess their potential for the bioremediation of Martian soils. The perchlorate reducing potential of all strains was 16% higher in reverse osmosis deionised water than in minimal medium, the former having a total absence of Nitrate. It was found that E. coli 25922 is a perchlorate reducer, which has not been previously described. Additionally, co-culturing of bacterial strains was found to have a higher bioremediation potential than individual strains. These findings suggest that not only could perchlorate pollution be remediated, but that the perchlorate composition of the Martian surface may support bioremediation microbial life, aiding in future colonisation. Full article

Planetary health is an emergent transdisciplinary field, focused on understanding and addressing the interactions of climate change and human health, which offers interventional challenges given its complexity. While various articles have assessed the use of blockchain (web3) technologies in health, little consideration has been given to the potential use of web3 for addressing planetary health. A scoping review to explore the intersection of web3 and planetary health was conducted. Seven databases (Ovid Medline, Global Health, Web of Science, Scopus, Geobase, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore) were searched for peer-reviewed literature using key terms relating to planetary health and blockchain. Findings were reported narratively. A total of 3245 articles were identified and screened, with 23 articles included in the final review. The health focus of the articles included pandemics and disease outbreaks, the health of vulnerable groups, population health, health financing, research and medicines use, environmental health, and the negative impacts of blockchain mining on human health. All articles included the use of blockchain technology, with others additionally incorporating smart contracts, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning. The application of web3 to planetary health can be broadly categorised across data, financing, identity, medicines and devices, and research. Shared values that emerged include equity, decentralisation, transparency and trust, and managing complexity. Web3 has the potential to facilitate approaches towards planetary health, with the use of tools and applications that are underpinned by shared values. Further research, particularly primary research into blockchain for public goods and planetary health, will allow this hypothesis to be better tested. Full article

The attitudes and behaviors towards people living with neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, have major implications for the quality of life of affected individuals and for human progress more broadly. Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder often associated with misconceptions leading to discrimination, stigma, and burden for people living with epilepsy (PLWE) and their families. Addressing these negative factors and improving the quality of life has become a crucial area of research. This conceptual framework paper explores the potential of attitude and behavior change to enhance the quality of life for PLWE and their families. The study was conducted in rural Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces (South Africa), employing an explanatory sequential mixed method approach. Participants included were PLWE (n = 163), their family members and caregivers (n = 519), healthcare practitioners (n = 102), and community members (n = 4290). The findings revealed significant knowledge, awareness, and behavior disparities among participants, with PLWE showing better consistency. Furthermore, the study highlighted the impact of consistency and balance in knowledge, awareness, and behavior on the overall quality of life for PLWE and their families. It is important to have intentional epilepsy education and accurate information sharing to influence attitudes, positive behavior, and improved quality of life for PLWE and their families. While the primary emphasis of this study lies in epilepsy, its implications may extend to other stigmatized and discrimination-prone illnesses, especially those affecting the brain. This highlights the significance of addressing societal attitudes toward such conditions as a measure of social progress. Full article

This research paper delves into the complex relationship between pro-environmental attitudes, dietary preferences, and packaging choices using a Virtual Reality (VR) restaurant scenario. The imperative is to address environmental concerns, particularly plastic waste and greenhouse gas emissions, as they pertain to sectors of the food service sector. This study seeks to understand the factors influencing environmental attitudes and behaviors, with a focus on dietary preferences and packaging choices using a VR restaurant scenario. This study explores connections between gender, education, interventions, and pro-environmental attitudes, as well as the correlation between vegetarian diets and sustainable behaviors. While the results suggest significant correlations between gender and pro-environmental attitudes and a potential connection between adopting vegetarian diets and pro-environmental attitudes, our study emphasizes the nuanced nature of these relationships. The findings underline the importance of interdisciplinary research and strategic interventions for fostering sustainable behaviors and reducing environmental impact. The use of VR simulation adds a novel dimension to understanding individuals’ choices in controlled environments, shedding light on the intricate dynamics of pro-environmental decision making. This paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on sustainable behavior by offering insights into the interplay between personal preferences, environmental awareness, and choices with significant environmental implications. Full article

Climate change (CC) poses a threat to agricultural sustainability, which is important in the Canadian Prairies, as agriculture is a major occupation and driver of the economy. Agriculture involves both the creation and mitigation of emissions related to CC. To implement adaptation and mitigation practices, producers should accept CC as fact. This study is based in Saskatchewan, Canada, where CC denial is prevalent in public comments. To assess the validity of this anecdotal impression, this study provided a snapshot of Saskatchewan agricultural producers’ perceptions and observations of CC and assessed whether views on CC are associated with characteristics of political orientation and affiliation, mental flexibility, systems thinking, time orientation, climate knowledge, climate observations, and demographic variables. A survey was developed with the following four sections: (1) individual characteristics; (2) observed changes in climate-related variables; (3) knowledge and perceptions about CC; and (4) demographic variables. The survey included multiple-choice questions and items scored on a Likert scale. The survey was completed by 330 Saskatchewan agricultural producers (i.e., farmers and ranchers). The results indicated more CC denial in Saskatchewan producers than in other Canadian samples. Individual and socioeconomic characteristics of lower levels of formal education, identifying as male, conservative political affiliation and ideation, low trust in science, and low mental flexibility were associated with less acceptance and concern of CC. It is therefore necessary to consider socioeconomic and individual characteristics of producers in measures aiming to increase the acceptance of the reality of CC. Future intervention research should target male producers with lower levels of formal education, low trust in science, low mental flexibility, and right-leaning political ideation for the improvement of CC perceptions and examine different teaching methods (e.g., lectures, workshops, webinars) and dissemination methods (e.g., online versus in-person sessions) to see how various techniques may influence learning, as well as the way the information is used by particular groups. Full article

The complexity of contemporary global challenges concerning biosocial–political wellbeing comprises humanity’s actions on many scales. Planetary Health and One Health are examples of broad fields emerging in the last decade to address these complexities. Scientific research has been focusing mainly on the biological aspect of the problem, and the role of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) as drivers of change in Planetary Health is poorly explored. Transdisciplinary approaches are needed, and, thus, it is essential to highlight the social–political side of this reality by integrating social sciences and humanities in these research communities. The Africa Community of Planetary Partners for Health and Environment (ACOPPHE), through its Art and Indigenous action team, seeks to explore this integration by interrogating and engaging in research using self-study methodologies and arts-based research methods. In traditional scientific research, it is common practice that the researcher is positioned outside of their research. The results are expected to offer complex scientific answers that are often not useful for communities in need of solutions. Frequently, the arts have not received sufficient exploration as a means for research. Another aspect of this problem is that the indigenous peoples of many places in the world have often had their knowledge of human and planet health marginalized because it was practice-based and passed down through the embodiment of knowledge and not through modern-day written knowledge. Autoethnographic and arts-based methodologies have great potential here in bridging the communication between the scientific world and the lived experience of the communities through their cultural and traditional practices. They make room for intersectionality, as well as making the knowledge from research findings valuable and explicit to the layman. Self-study methodologies offer the space for sharing lived experiences, critical dialogue, and possible solutions for the biosocial and political issues that our world faces today. Full article

Given the ongoing migratory crisis in Latin America, we aimed to assess the relationship between human mobility and the spread of yellow fever (YF) in the Darién Gap forest. We investigated how the time taken to cross the forest affects the burden of a potential YF outbreak on people migrating through the forest, the burden on adjacent communities, and the risk to primate biodiversity. Using an SEIR-SEI deterministic compartmental model for humans, monkeys, and vectors, and numerical simulations, we considered the time taken to cross the forest as a measure of exposure. If an outbreak occurs, over 23,000 human cases are projected, with approximately 19,000 infected individuals leaving the forest. Monkeys would also be significantly affected, with the number of human deaths being determined by monkey-related parameters. The pace of crossing the forest is strongly related to the number of exposed and active cases leaving the forest. Panamanian communities must receive support to prepare themselves to protect residents and thousands of people arriving in their territory daily. It would also impact the non-human primate community within the forest, preventing a YF outbreak. This reinforces the importance of a planetary health perspective which reinforces the mutual benefits and connections between efforts to protect human health and conserve biodiversity. Full article

National-level studies present the development techniques and challenges of sustaining energy-rich economies, particularly those in the developing world. However, examples of the application and interpolation of these broad-scale analyses to the regional level are scarce. Conversely, methods used at national levels are often infeasible when using higher-resolution regional or local data. Ultimately, progress in developing, managing, and advancing regional wealth databases and models is significantly missing from the literature. Herein, proposed pathways and general development frameworks are presented based on the presumptive constancy of total capital stock. Processes are outlined for acquiring information (data) and developing models to serve as a basis for qualitative and quantitative analyses of sustainable development policymaking decisions. We present a discussion around the sustainable wealth of energy-rich regions, and we suggest potential workflow methods for developing regional wealth knowledge bases and regional wealth models (RWMs). Structural scaffolding opportunities are presented for the validation of RWMs using pilot studies, followed by the process of disseminating modeling outcomes. Finally, we offer recommendations and needed innovations to advance the development of RWMs. The objectives of this article are not to provide a comprehensive literature review or consider all potential perspectives but rather to identify tools and necessary enhancements to established methods for assessing and modeling regional wealth and provide an inroad for readers wishing to learn more. The increased awareness generated through this article will mobilize assistance and generate new information that will strengthen this emergent area of research to intensify regional wealth sustainability for future generations. Full article

Planetary Health is an expanding scientific field around the world, and actions in different areas are essential to minimize the environmental damage that compromises the future of humanity. This project report aims to describe the development of Planetary Health actions in a rural school in the Brazilian Amazon, to understand and raise awareness of themes related to Planetary Health. To implement the educational activities, a booklet entitled “Planetary Health: Guide for Rural Education” was created. Subsequently, didactic sequences were applied to 37 ninth-grade students in the first semester of 2023. The activities were diversified, including: (1) investigative activities (pre-tests, interviews with family members, ecological footprint adapted to the Amazonian riverside context), (2) interpretative activities (image reading, identification and problem-solving for Planetary Health stories in the Amazon, educational cartoons, and graphs of the sectors with the highest pollution in Brazil and diseases associated with climate change), (3) audiovisual activities (educational videos), (4) playful activities (educational games), (5) practical and field activities (forest tracking, planting seedlings, sanitation trail, construction of a school garden, preparation of a healthy school snack, greenhouse effect simulation, and basic analysis of lake water with a probe). The results of the educational actions allowed students to undergo new experiences on Planetary Health themes, as well as understand the centrality of the Amazon for the planet and how the environmental impacts in this biome are compromising the future of humanity. The experiences during the educational actions showed that young riverside residents are concerned about the future of the Amazon, especially given the environmental destruction that is frequently evident, such as deforestation, fires, illegal mining, and land grabbing. Inserting these themes into riverside education makes it possible to look at the Amazon in a resilient, responsible way and to discuss scientific and local knowledge so that students can develop initiatives to face environmental challenges in their community. We conclude that Planetary Health education needs to be an effective part of the school curriculum, prioritizing reviewing the documents that guide education to prioritize transdisciplinary actions with children and young people, as they are the voices of the future and future leaders in emerging causes. Educational actions in Planetary Health in the Amazon region are an example that can inspire actions in other places with similar characteristics. Full article

The First European Planetary Health Congress, held from 5 to 7 July 2023 at ARTIS in Amsterdam, represented a significant milestone in the global movement of Planetary Health. The event brought together 121 attendees from academia and the private sector dedicated to addressing the impact of human disruptions to natural systems on the well-being of life on Earth. Co-organized by Natura Artis Magistra (ARTIS) and the European Hub of the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA), the Congress featured five workshops: The Future of Planetary Health Cities, Impact through Synergy, Planetary Health Education, Movement Building, and Food and Microbes. Oral presentations addressed the theme of how human health and the health of human civilization depend on the natural environment, including subthemes on Earth, Water, and Food. Additionally, the subtheme of Humans reflected on how humanity can thrive within Planetary Boundaries and how to imagine a prosperous future for all life on Earth. The First European Planetary Health Congress offered a platform for fostering sustainable, just, and equitable societies within ecological limits. Accordingly, ARTIS and the European Hub aim to shape a hopeful future for generations to come. Full article

The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of building a coherent frame for the identification of local environmental urban vulnerabilities, coping with heat waves’ increasing threats, and adopting specific adaptation policies in the Emilia-Romagna region. A microclimate model (ENVI-met) was used to simulate temperature regimes in five areas of Bologna, providing ex ante maps enabling us to locate the most vulnerable areas. Adaptation measures were suggested with the support of WMO Guidance 1234 and included recommendations about the introduction of high-albedo building materials and nature-based solutions. The step-by-step methodology developed, coupling local vulnerabilities with adaptation recommendation, integrates a scientific methodology into a political decision. The results, allowing us to widely represent this city’s vulnerability, are considered outstanding with respect to supporting the city’s adaptation ambitions and are now part of the running Bologna General Urban Plan (PUG), which regulates building interventions, introducing the obligation for enterprises to respect or ameliorate the microclimate in all the areas in which they intervene. This tool can be replicated and adapted to any municipal area, as it integrates authoritative WMO solutions with accurate microclimate assessment, thus providing locally tailored adaptation interventions. This paper aims to support the vision, shared by both science and policy makers, of transforming cities into widely resilient systems. Full article

In this study, we used a combination of AI-assisted analysis of social media discourse and collaboration with industry experts to delve into the key research needs associated with the Bitcoin mining industry. We identified primary threats, opportunities, and research questions related to the Bitcoin mining industry and its wider impacts, focusing on its energy use and environmental footprint. Our findings spotlight the industry’s move towards increasingly greater energy efficiency and an emerging commitment to renewable energy, highlighting its potential to contribute to the coming energy transition. We underscore the transformative potential of emerging applications in the Bitcoin mining sector, especially regarding demand response, grid flexibility, and methane mitigation. We suggest that targeted research on Bitcoin can serve policymakers, private sector decision-makers, research funding agencies, environmental scientists, and the Bitcoin industry itself. We propose that filling key information gaps could help clarify the risks and benefits of Bitcoin mining by encouraging collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders and conducting research that provides baseline peer-reviewed evidence surrounding Bitcoin’s production and impacts. A collaborative approach could help mitigate the risks and realize the benefits of Bitcoin mining, including potentially positive and substantive contributions in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

The Anthropocene epoch marks a critical phase in the history of humanity, where anthropogenic activities have profoundly impacted our planet. Alongside remarkable ecological crises, the Anthropocene worldview has raised existential questions, with a cultural and ethical discourse that recognizes the intrinsic value and calls for more responsible sustainable living. Addressing these collective challenges necessitates a broader perspective guided by a unified sense of purpose toward personal and planetary health. In this context, the role of religious leaders in shaping the social and environmental worldviews of their followers cannot be underestimated. Religious teachings provide a moral framework for promoting climate action, global ethics, the rights of Indigenous peoples, peace, and justice, and other aspects of planetary health. By examining the global ecological crises through the lens of Islam, the Religion of Nature, or Din al-Fitrah, and its environmental and spiritual teachings, we can gain valuable insights into humanity’s connection to the fabric of creation and its interaction with the world. These principles, rich in moral values, are intertwined with accountability and social cohesiveness. Therefore, the role of Muslim religious leaders considering the planetary-scale threats warrants further elucidation, recognizing that many other faiths and faith leaders can similarly contribute together for the common good. Full article

The advent of the COVID-19 vaccine signified a historic milestone in the field of vaccinology, showcasing remarkable scientific collaboration and global solidarity. However, the most prominent hurdle in maximizing the global public health impact of vaccines remains the absence of comprehensive and inclusive health systems in both high- and low-resource settings. Our discussion centers around the major contributing factors that played a key role in formulating the rapid and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines. Simultaneously, we illuminate the disparities that have marred the vaccine delivery process throughout the pandemic. In particular, we highlight the case scenarios of two minority and vulnerable communities from the Global South and North—the undocumented migrants in Thailand and the Roma community in Europe—who continue to experience inequitable vaccine access regardless of their location. We note that a crucial programmatic solution that is rooted in inclusive and equitable global public health policy, characterized by empathy and trust and bolstered by digital innovation, is lacking. These examples underscore the significance of establishing a comprehensive and integrated health system at multiple levels across countries and the entire world. Furthermore, we highlight the need for both local and global actors to collaboratively engage in vaccine distribution efforts. By gaining a concise grasp of these intricacies, the global community will be better poised to effectively combat future pandemics and emerging health challenges. Full article