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Why are small islands more vulnerable to the global and major ordeal of climate change? How do they face this huge challenge and what can we learn from their experience? These are among the crucial questions examined by Carola Klöck and Michael Fink in their recently coedited volume entitled Dealing with Climate Change on Small Islands: Toward Effective and Sustainable Adaptation, published by Universitätsverlag Göttingen. Interview by Miriam Périer, CERI.

Why are small islands more vulnerable to the global and major ordeal of climate change? How do they face this huge challenge and what can we learn from their experience? These are among the crucial questions examined by Carola Klöck and Michael Fink in their recently coedited volume entitled Dealing with Climate Change on Small Islands: Toward Effective and Sustainable Adaptation, published by Universitätsverlag Göttingen. Interview by Miriam Périer, CERI.

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The introduction of new light-duty vehicle emission limits to comply under real driving conditions (RDE) is pushing the diesel engine manufacturers to identify and improve the technologies and strategies for further emission reduction. The latest technology advancements on the after-treatment systems have permitted to achieve very low emission conformity factors over the RDE, and therefore, the biggest challenge of the diesel engine development is maintaining its competitiveness in the trade-off “CO₂-system cost” in comparison to other propulsion systems. In this regard, diesel engines can continue to play an important role, in the short-medium term, to enable cost-effective compliance of CO₂-fleet emission targets, either in conventional or hybrid propulsion systems configuration. This is especially true for large-size cars, SUVs and light commercial vehicles.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">In this framework, a comprehensive approach covering the whole powertrain is of primary importance in order to simultaneously meet the performance, efficiency, noise and emission targets, and therefore, further development of the combustion system design and injection system represent important levers for additional improvements. For this purpose, a dedicated 0.5 dm³ single-cylinder engine has been developed and equipped with, a state-of-the-art Euro 6 combustion system, and an advanced common rail fuel injection system (FIS) offering higher flexibility in terms of injection strategy and higher quantity accuracy. Three injector nozzles with different hydraulic flow rates (HF) have been selected and employed for the overall combustion process optimization.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The optimization has been performed by means of an extensive DoE-based test campaign in which the engine and FIS operating parameters have been parametrized with the aim to carry out a proper combination in terms of HF and injection strategy. The results at partial load conditions evidence significant advantages in applying an advanced injection pattern, while the HF reduction can significantly improve the smoke emission and combustion noise without fuel consumption penalties. Therefore, a proper combination and optimization of the HF and injection strategy can provide low noise and engine-out smoke while maintaining the rated power performance targets.</div></div>

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The introduction of new light-duty vehicle emission limits to comply under real driving conditions (RDE) is pushing the diesel engine manufacturers to identify and improve the technologies and strategies for further emission reduction. The latest technology advancements on the after-treatment systems have permitted to achieve very low emission conformity factors over the RDE, and therefore, the biggest challenge of the diesel engine development is maintaining its competitiveness in the trade-off “CO₂-system cost” in comparison to other propulsion systems. In this regard, diesel engines can continue to play an important role, in the short-medium term, to enable cost-effective compliance of CO₂-fleet emission targets, either in conventional or hybrid propulsion systems configuration. This is especially true for large-size cars, SUVs and light commercial vehicles.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">In this framework, a comprehensive approach covering the whole powertrain is of primary importance in order to simultaneously meet the performance, efficiency, noise and emission targets, and therefore, further development of the combustion system design and injection system represent important levers for additional improvements. For this purpose, a dedicated 0.5 dm³ single-cylinder engine has been developed and equipped with, a state-of-the-art Euro 6 combustion system, and an advanced common rail fuel injection system (FIS) offering higher flexibility in terms of injection strategy and higher quantity accuracy. Three injector nozzles with different hydraulic flow rates (HF) have been selected and employed for the overall combustion process optimization.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">The optimization has been performed by means of an extensive DoE-based test campaign in which the engine and FIS operating parameters have been parametrized with the aim to carry out a proper combination in terms of HF and injection strategy. The results at partial load conditions evidence significant advantages in applying an advanced injection pattern, while the HF reduction can significantly improve the smoke emission and combustion noise without fuel consumption penalties. Therefore, a proper combination and optimization of the HF and injection strategy can provide low noise and engine-out smoke while maintaining the rated power performance targets.</div></div>

Under global warming, extreme events have been increasing in the last decade and are projected to increase in the future with every increment of global warming. The potential increase in compound drought and hot events may induce a complex web of impacts on societies, ecosystems, and economies, including crop failure, wildfires, and water scarcity. This is particularly concerning for Brazil, where it has been demonstrated to be vulnerable to recent extreme climate events. Using an ensemble of CORDEX-CORE simulations over Tropical Brazil, we investigate changes in compound events inresponse to changes in radiative forcing and their impact on climate extreme events, including drought and extreme heat. The simulations are conducted at a 25 km horizontal grid spacing using lateral and lower boundary forcing from three Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) climate models. Each model covers the period from 1980 to 2100 under two Radiative Concentration Pathways (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) in the 21st-century projection period. We used observed data from the Brazilian Daily Weather Gridded Data (BR-DWGD) to evaluate the simulations and perform a quantitative assessment of areas affected by these compound events during the present day. The study finds a generally good agreement between RCM simulations and observed data, with moderate to high correlation coefficients for precipitation, though the strength of these correlations varies across different regions and seasons. The analysis emphasizes the prevalence of compound climate events during the Austral summer season and projects a significant increase in both extreme heat and drought events in the coming decades. These findings underscore Brazil’s vulnerability to compound climate events, highlighting the need for adaptive strategies and policy interventions to mitigate the socio-economic and environmental impacts across various sectors. Fil: Bettolli, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y los Océanos; Argentina. Instituto Franco-Argentino sobre Estudios del Clima y sus Impactos; Argentina Fil: Pereira Llopart, Marta. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Feldman Firpo, Mári Ândrea. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais; Brasil Fil: Chimborazo Guerron, Oscar V.. State University of New York; Estados Unidos Fil: Muniz Alves, Lincoln. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais; Brasil Fil: Avilés Añazco, Alex. Universidad de Cuenca; Ecuador Fil: Hasson, Shabeh. Universitat Hamburg; Alemania

Under global warming, extreme events have been increasing in the last decade and are projected to increase in the future with every increment of global warming. The potential increase in compound drought and hot events may induce a complex web of impacts on societies, ecosystems, and economies, including crop failure, wildfires, and water scarcity. This is particularly concerning for Brazil, where it has been demonstrated to be vulnerable to recent extreme climate events. Using an ensemble of CORDEX-CORE simulations over Tropical Brazil, we investigate changes in compound events inresponse to changes in radiative forcing and their impact on climate extreme events, including drought and extreme heat. The simulations are conducted at a 25 km horizontal grid spacing using lateral and lower boundary forcing from three Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) climate models. Each model covers the period from 1980 to 2100 under two Radiative Concentration Pathways (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) in the 21st-century projection period. We used observed data from the Brazilian Daily Weather Gridded Data (BR-DWGD) to evaluate the simulations and perform a quantitative assessment of areas affected by these compound events during the present day. The study finds a generally good agreement between RCM simulations and observed data, with moderate to high correlation coefficients for precipitation, though the strength of these correlations varies across different regions and seasons. The analysis emphasizes the prevalence of compound climate events during the Austral summer season and projects a significant increase in both extreme heat and drought events in the coming decades. These findings underscore Brazil’s vulnerability to compound climate events, highlighting the need for adaptive strategies and policy interventions to mitigate the socio-economic and environmental impacts across various sectors. Fil: Bettolli, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y los Océanos; Argentina. Instituto Franco-Argentino sobre Estudios del Clima y sus Impactos; Argentina Fil: Pereira Llopart, Marta. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Feldman Firpo, Mári Ândrea. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais; Brasil Fil: Chimborazo Guerron, Oscar V.. State University of New York; Estados Unidos Fil: Muniz Alves, Lincoln. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais; Brasil Fil: Avilés Añazco, Alex. Universidad de Cuenca; Ecuador Fil: Hasson, Shabeh. Universitat Hamburg; Alemania

The potential for global forest cover The restoration of forested land at a global scale could help capture atmospheric carbon and mitigate climate change. Bastin et al. used direct measurements of forest cover to generate a model of forest restoration potential across the globe (see the Perspective by Chazdon and Brancalion). Their spatially explicit maps show how much additional tree cover could exist outside of existing forests and agricultural and urban land. Ecosystems could support an additional 0.9 billion hectares of continuous forest. This would represent a greater than 25% increase in forested area, including more than 200 gigatonnes of additional carbon at maturity.Such a change has the potential to store an equivalent of 25% of the current atmospheric carbon pool. Science , this issue p. 76 ; see also p. 24

The potential for global forest cover The restoration of forested land at a global scale could help capture atmospheric carbon and mitigate climate change. Bastin et al. used direct measurements of forest cover to generate a model of forest restoration potential across the globe (see the Perspective by Chazdon and Brancalion). Their spatially explicit maps show how much additional tree cover could exist outside of existing forests and agricultural and urban land. Ecosystems could support an additional 0.9 billion hectares of continuous forest. This would represent a greater than 25% increase in forested area, including more than 200 gigatonnes of additional carbon at maturity.Such a change has the potential to store an equivalent of 25% of the current atmospheric carbon pool. Science , this issue p. 76 ; see also p. 24