Kamaraj Sathish-Kumar’s Post

Strategic Innovations for Environmental Sustainability: Solutions to Global Challenges - ## Introduction: The Importance of Environmental Sciences in Facing Global Challenges Environmental challenges facing humanity are increasing at an unprecedented rate, as our planet is subjected to rising pressures resulting from human activities that have led to climate change, mass extinction, and pollution of natural resources. The report of the “Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change” \(IPCC\) indicates the necessity of taking immediate and radical actions to address these pressing issues. Innovation in the field of environmental sciences is not an option but a necessity to achieve a sustainable future. By reviewing the successful experiences of countries like Sweden and Denmark, it becomes evident that comprehensive policies supporting environmental innovations significantly contribute to improving quality of life and enhancing environmental sustainability. This article reflects the urgent need for research and exploration of innovative solutions in the field of environmental sciences as a key step towards achieving sustainable development goals and ensuring the sustainability of the Earth for future generations. ## Global Environmental Challenges Human activities such as industry, agriculture, and poor resource management have exacerbated environmental issues. Global warming is considered one of the largest challenges, causing rising average global temperatures and altering climate patterns. This, in turn, affects ecosystems and human communities, leading to food security deterioration and increasing natural disasters. Furthermore, biodiversity faces significant threats due to human activity, as deforestation, industrial urbanization, and climate change lead to the extinction of many species. The loss of biodiversity weakens the ability to adapt to environmental pressures, adversely affecting the ecosystem on which humans rely for food, water, and other resources. ## The Role of Environmental Sciences in Sustainable Solutions Environmental sciences are the field that studies the relationship between living organisms and their environment, and it is a crucial part of developing solutions to face environmental challenges. By utilizing environmental data and research, scientists can develop effective strategies to protect the environment and promote sustainability. These studies involve exploring new methods for more effective resource utilization, such as developing sustainable agricultural techniques that reduce the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and implementing renewable energy technologies like solar and wind energy. Environmental science illustrates how technological innovation can reduce environmental impact and improve quality of life. ## Innovations in Environmental Policy Countries rely on environmental policies as a means to stimulate innovations in environmental sciences. Countries like Sweden and Denmark have followed ...

" we have invited a few field specialists to share their thoughts with us on the nature of their work and their commitment to addressing the SDGs. These experts translate science into realities that can provide solutions to social challenges and nurture the grass-root community collaboration. We asked how they address issues directly related to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation. Here we are sharing the thoughts of Alexandros Stefanakis from the School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete in Greece who is also Editor-in-Chief of Circular Economy and Sustainability What is the focus of your research work? I specialize on the use of nature-based solutions and ecological engineering for the circular management and reuse of water/wastewater and waste resources. I also study the contents and scope of the transition to a circular economy and how this concept can be brought into real life. I am both active in research, participating in various international research projects in many countries, as well as a professional engineer in the design and implementation of such facilities. How would you define societal impact when it comes to research? The social impact is and should be an integral part of research. It expresses and measures the actual benefit for society of the research output, something that is important in order to develop holistically functional solutions. The ultimate beneficiary of research should be society, the economy, thus it is important to produce research output that will be not only technically effective but also socially beneficial. How important is societal impact to your research? The social aspect is always part of my research. As engineers, we develop new ideas and new technologies solutions to solve the modern environmental issues. However, the optimum solution is not necessarily the most technically efficient. We need to assess the effects our solutions and research output will have on the society, who will benefit, what is the spread of this benefit in order to make sure that this solution will work. Otherwise, we just develop solutions that stay in the lab. Which UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) does your work most closely relate to? I wouldn’t say it’s only one SDG that my work relates to. SGD 6 (clean water and sanitation) is the one that I focus on a lot, but I have and am still working on SDG 3 (good health, wellbeing), 8 (industry-innovation), 11 (sustainable cities), 13 (climate action), 14 (life on land). What do you think is the most relevant way to measure success against the SDG(s) in your field? There are many ways to measure the success rate. One could be the number of projects that use ecological engineering and technology, their contribution to climate change mitigation, the rate of water reuse and others CLICK AND READ ON ... 👇 This proves that #puresciencepurifies ❗️ 👇 #ershadspeak

Looking for examples on how to include equity in modeling? I really love this PNAS paper titled "Equity and modeling in sustainability science: Examples and opportunities throughout the process" Topics covered include water, energy systems, air quality, & conservation. https://lnkd.in/eKRrpkqG #energyJustice #WaterResearch #academicResearch

I love this post and totally appreciate the question that Destenie Nock, PhD poses here. I often ask whether we can create a new real asset valuation model that includes nature based services, climate risks and resiliency, future equity enhancements, reparation of historic inequities, and supporting healthy interdependencies. Would love your thoughts Daniel Aronson, Tony G. Reames, PhD., Leon Jacobs, Daniel Smith, MBA, Andrew Buck, AICP, Ryan Prime, and Donny Goris-Kolb.

It's important to cultivate a mindset where every decision, from equipment procurement to daily operations, is made with sustainability at its core. I want to say a huge thank you to Kathryn Ramirez-Aguilar, PhD and Lisa O'Fee for providing expert commentary for this article. #sustainability #carbonemissions #laboratoryefficiency

#CO2NSTRUCT is going to the 2024 International Conference on Resource Sustainability (#icRS2024) in Bangkok, Thailand, November 5-8! We are hosting a session entitled: Circular Economy for Climate Mitigation – Modeling, experience-base and predictive studies (CE for mitigation) - Please mention this session when you submit your abstract! We are welcoming contributions on the following topics: * Quantification of #CircularEconomy practices #climate, #social and/or #environmental impacts * #Climatemitigation attempts to integrate CE practices into #models * Attempts to estimate #resource #indicators regarding CE practices * Mapping #supplychains to embed #circular options into Climate Mitigation models * The role of closed and open-loop supply chains for improving strategic #decisionmaking in climate change mitigation * Reducing input and use of #natural #resources and increasing resource efficiency. Increasing share of #renewable and recyclable resources. * #LCA and #MFA of #construction #materials * Integrating circularity #assessment #tools such as LCA and MFA, supporting the development of indicator-based methods allowing measuring quantitatively the effectiveness of CE strategies * Models and methods aimed at evaluating and assessing the magnitude of potential circular #rebound #effects * #Consumer #behaviour analysis on CE practices in the #constructionsector. * Key-#stakeholder (e.g., #industry, #policy-makers) perceptions toward CE practices in the construction sector. We would like to meet you in Bangkok this Fall! If you would like to attend, please note that the deadline for abstracts is August 1st.   You can read more about the conference here: https://lnkd.in/gG4jPYzD   And submit your abstract here: https://lnkd.in/ddx_SZdK

🌍 Exciting news in honor of Earth Day! 🌎 Professor Jillian Goldfarb at Cornell Engineering has partnered with IPG Mediabrands to lead a unique climate initiative. As the only higher education institution among the inaugural collection of participating organizations, Cornell will provide IPG Mediabrands' clients the opportunity to support world-class research to drive industry climate solutions forward. IPG Mediabrands unveiled a new Climate Action Accelerator Program to provide their clients and media partners with streamlined access to sustainability solutions. This program will enable CSR funding to support Cornell research, among other strategic sustainability efforts. "We must all work together to create durable, meaningful and measurable climate solutions," said Martin Bryan, the global chief sustainability officer of IPG Mediabrands. Let's take action and build a sustainable future!" "Cornell Engineering is developing the tools, the knowledge and the workforce necessary to build a sustainable future,” said Jillian Goldfarb, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and the lead faculty member for this initiative. "I deeply appreciate IPG Mediabrands’ recognition and promotion of Cornell Engineering’s innovative research that can help companies build lasting change within and beyond their organizations to advance sustainable solutions to pressing challenges,” she said. In her own lab, Goldfarb upcycles wastes to sustainable materials to keep excess carbon out of the atmosphere. Her collaborations with industry partners have helped bring biochars made from wood waste in upstate New York and New England to market and convert industrial process waste into new materials for water purification. Read more about the partnership and Professor Goldfarb's research here: https://lnkd.in/gKXgsDgg. To find out how your company can benefit from partnerships with Cornell Engineering, email me at k.herleman@cornell.edu. #EarthDay #Sustainability #ClimateActionAcceleratorProgram

In today’s fast-paced scientific landscape, the pursuit of #sustainability is not just an option—it’s a necessity. Laboratories play a crucial role in advancing scientific knowledge, but they also have a significant environmental impact. Addressing this requires a dedicated effort to implement sustainable practices that not only enhance research outcomes but also reduce ecological footprint. In Triumvirate Environmental's latest blog post, learn how the upcoming My Green Lab Global Summit will elevate your lab's sustainability efforts through collaboration and education. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/giX6uRNm

In June 2023 the UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition began scoping humanities-led sustainability science projects from different regions around the world that address the realities of vulnerable communities and regional territories impacted by social and environmental pressures.  Drawing on the networks of the coalition’s member organisations and founding partners (UNESCO, CIPSH and Humanities for the Environment), this effort has been undertaken to provide a proof of concept for a signature project now being designed by BRIDGES to make community-anchored and humanities-driven sustainability science, education and action more visible and accessible to the wider scientific community, as well as actionable to policymakers and society more generally.  The result of these preliminary efforts has been the production of a brochure (August 2023) that offers an indicative overview of humanities-led sustainability science projects that actively address challenges increasingly associated with climate change, biodiversity loss, and the pollution and warming of marine, terrestrial and atmospheric systems. We welcome you to take some time to read through the UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition Mapping brochure: https://lnkd.in/eHSEA95W #communityprojects #transdisciplinary #adaptations #humanitiesdriven #humanitiesled #sustainabilityscience #BRIDGESCoalition #climatechange UNESCO University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Our open access book 'Positive Tipping Points Towards Sustainability' is out, https://lnkd.in/d-jC4TA9. We delve into systemic and transformative change, approaching it from a social interdisciplinary perspective, linking extensive and diverse empirical work with theory development. We unveil narratives and visions, transformative capacities as well as deliberate strategies and collective actions that at one point in time have been able - or prevented - to tip a given social-ecological system towards low-carbon, sustainable trajectories in diverse high-intensive carbon regions around the world.