Behind the Paper
The real stories behind the latest research papers, from conception to publication, the highs and the lows
Protected area personnel and ranger numbers are insufficient to deliver global expectations
An apparently simple question about how many people work in the world's protected areas became a complex four-year investigation. The results have major implications for efforts to ensure conservation of at least 30 per cent of the planet.
The Circular Economy in China: achievements, challenges and potential implications for decarbonisation
Much has been said about a circular economy in China - yet, a paper on underlying drivers and limitations has been missing and addressing net zero carbon too. It is also timely witnessing geopolitical tensions over supply chain security and interest in China's internal structures.
Portable and High-yield Atmospheric Water Harvesters for Emergency Water Supply
By 2025, almost two billion people will live in areas with absolute scarcity. To alleviate worldwide water shortage, scientists at Shanghai Jiao Tong University have developed a low-cost and scalable hygroscopic material and deployed it into a portable water harvester for a stable water supply.
Randomised national land management pathways for net-zero emissions: An Irish case study
Global scenario modelling to achieve “net-zero” emissions lacks national resolution, especially in the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector. This makes effective climate policymaking extremely difficult. Using Ireland as a case study, we have assessed 850 randomized scenarios of activity combinations for Ireland’s AFOLU sector in the year 2050 and evaluated associated greenhouse gas fluxes to the year 2100, using a GWP100 net-zero greenhouse gas definition.
Do dietitians in Canada prescribe carbohydrate restriction? A survey of knowledge, use and barriers
Before 2020, diabetes nutrition care excluded carbohydrate restriction but growing evidence supports this approach now included in Canada’s Clinical Practice Guidelines. We assessed the knowledge, use and barriers of dietitians to improve diabetes nutrition care in Canada.
Magnetic aerogel for hazardous dye and toxic metals remediation
A group of academic principle investigator's from multiple countries (Poland, Taiwan and India) were developed an efficient adsorbent of magnetite nanoparticles decorated PVA-modified PEI-h-BNNSs aerogel (adsorbent) for efficiently capturing of heavy metals and organic dyes from an aqueous solution.
Fairly sharing the effort in the EU’s Green Deal
Just today we’ve learned that the European Council agreed on a number of issues in the Fit for 55 Package; a proposal to reach the goal of reducing emissions by 55% compared to 1990 by the year 2030. We developed a tool to be used in negotiations and reflect on the fairness of the current proposal.
Modelling systemic COVID-19 impacts in cities
Cities are complex systems with interacting technical, social, and natural parts which are vulnerable to hazards.