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Research to date has suggested that both individual marine species and ecological processes are expected to exhibit diverse responses to the environmental effects of climate change. Evolutionary responses can occur on rapid (ecological) timescales, and yet studies typically do not consider the role that adaptive evolution will play in modulating biological responses to climate change. Investigations into such responses have typically been focused at particular biological levels (e.g., cellular, population, community), often lacking interactions among levels. Since all levels of biological organisation are sensitive to global climate change, there is a need to elucidate how different processes and hierarchical interactions will influence species fitness. Therefore, predicting the responses of communities and populations to global change will require multidisciplinary efforts across multiple levels of hierarchy, from the genetic and cellular to communities and ecosystems. Eventually, this may allow us to establish the role that acclimatisation and adaptation will play in determining marine community structures in future scenarios.

AbstractAccelerated warming and melting of Arctic sea-ice has been associated with significant increases in phytoplankton productivity in recent years. Here, utilizing a multiproxy approach, we reconstruct an annually resolved record of Labrador Sea productivity related to sea-ice variability in Labrador, Canada that extends well into the Little Ice Age (LIA; 1646 AD). Barium-to-calcium ratios (Ba/Ca) and carbon isotopes (δ13C) measured in long-lived coralline algae demonstrate significant correlations to both observational and proxy records of sea-ice variability, and show persistent patterns of co-variability broadly consistent with the timing and phasing of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Results indicate reduced productivity in the Subarctic Northwest Atlantic associated with AMO cool phases during the LIA, followed by a step-wise increase from 1910 to present levels—unprecedented in the last 363 years. Increasing phytoplankton productivity is expected to fundamentally alter marine ecosystems as warming and freshening is projected to intensify over the coming century.

This paper explores institutional responses from Regional Fisheries Bodies (RFBs) to climate change. Fisheries management is highly dependent on the stability or predictability of targeted fish populations. Oceanic changes occurring as a result of climate change will see continuing and potentially irreversible deviations from the conditions of fisheries past. These changes present challenges to fisheries management at all scales – from local to international – relating to food security, sustainability, and ecological integrity. Areas of measurably warmer ocean, or ‘hotspots’, are a very clear indicator of direct climate change effects. RFBs with hotspots in their areas of competence were chosen for this study. Three levels of institutional engagement were developed: Awareness of climate change; Learning about climate change; Action taken by the institutions. While 94% of institutions demonstrated awareness of climate change and 82% demonstrated learning about climate change, only 41% demonstrated some form of action; and these were mainly procedural and administrative. Only two of the RFBs considered made explicit statements about incorporating climate change into future fishing management plans. The inference is that RFBs are largely practising business-as-usual, with the implication that many exploited fish populations will face additional survival pressure as the sea around them alters.

Indicators of sustainability and environmental performance can be useful for comparing modes, discerning trends, and formulating appropriate policies. This paper considers the performance of U.S. transportation service sectors through use of 1992 and 1997 benchmark input–output models. Use of these models permits assessment of not only the direct performance of the sectors but also the supply chain impacts required for operation of the transportation sectors. Consideration of indirect impacts is critical for assessment of the overall costs and impacts of particular products or services. Six transportation service sectors (air, rail, water, truck, transit, and pipeline) are examined. Economic impact, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and toxic emissions are examined. The transportation sectors use large amounts of energy, both in total and per dollar of output and on a per service basis. Pipeline and water transportation have particularly large energy requirements per dollar of output, likely reflecting higher energy intensity and lower labor intensity in these modes. Truck transportation is the most energy intensive of the freight transportation modes per ton-mile of service, but it has a trend toward greater energy efficiency. For greenhouse gas emissions, truck, water, and air transportation have the highest emissions per dollar of output. Water transportation freight rates are sufficiently low that emissions on a per ton-mile basis would be correspondingly low. Finally, the supply chain (indirect) toxic emissions per dollar of output are highest for rail and pipeline transportation. There is considerable work to be done to improve the overall sustainability of the different transportation modes.

In this study, a mixed integer linear programming model that integrates multimodal transport—truck and rail—into the switchgrass-based bioethanol supply chain was formulated. The objective of this study was to minimize the total cost for cultivation and harvesting, infrastructure, the storage process, bioethanol production, and transportation. Strategic decisions, including the number and location of intermodal facilities and biorefineries, and tactical decisions, such as the amount of biomass shipped, processed, and converted into bioethanol, were validated by using North Dakota as a case study. It was found that the multimodal transport scenario was more cost effective than a single mode of transport (truck) and resulted in a lower cost for bioethanol. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to demonstrate the impact of key factors in the decision to use multimodal transport in a switchgrass-based bioethanol supply chain and on the cost of bioethanol.

Traffic congestion is a perpetual problem for the sustainability of transportation development. Traffic congestion causes delays, inconvenience, and economic losses to drivers, as well as air pollution. Identification and quantification of traffic congestion are crucial for decision-makers to initiate mitigation strategies to improve the overall transportation system’s sustainability. In this paper, the currently available measures are detailed and compared by implementing them on a daily and weekly traffic historical dataset. The results showed each measure showed significant variations in congestion states while indicating a similar congestion trend. The advantages and disadvantages of each measure are identified from the data analysis. This study summarizes the current road traffic congestion measures and provides a constructive insight into the development of a sustainable and resilient traffic management system.

The World Bank Group (WBG) has focused on reducing the environmental impacts of its internal operations and improving corporate environmental practices since 2002, when the WBG President announced WBG's commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The objective of this document is to summarize the actions WBG has taken thus far to reduce environmental impacts from internal operations and present an action plan to further integrate sustainability into WBG's internal operations. Although this work focuses on the environmental impact associated with WBG daily operations, the links between WBG policies and actions related to environmental management and the financial/social considerations are significant. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) footprint and World Bank corporate responsibility teams facilitate the sustainability commitment of the WBG and monitor and track its progress. These teams provide technical information and research support to a dedicated group of champions throughout the WBG who implement emission reduction activities. Budget for these activities flows primarily through the environment department, the general services department, and IFC facilities management and administration. The environment department and IFC facilities management each resource one staff member to provide back-up research support and to monitor and report on environmental metrics, with building engineers and managers and project officers from across the WBG contributing.