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Nowadays, increasing population, widespread urbanization, rise in living standards together with versatile use of polymers have caused non-biodegradable polymeric wastes affecting the environment a chronic global problem, simultaneously, the existing high energy demand in our society is a matter of great concern. Hence forth, this review article provides an insight into the technological approach of pyrolysis emphasizing catalytic pyrolysis for conversion of polymeric wastes into energy products and presents an alternative waste management technique which is a leap towards developing sustainable environment. Pyrolysis of waste non-biodegradable polymer materials involves controlled thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen, cracking their macromolecules into lower molecular weight ones, resulting into the formation of a wide range of products from hydrogen, hydrocarbons to coke. Nanocatalyzed pyrolysis is a recommended solution to the low thermal conductivity of polymers, promoting faster reactions in breaking the C-C bonds at lower temperatures, denoting less energy consumption and enabling enhancement in the process selectivity, whereby higher value added products are generated with increased yield. Nanotechnology plays an indispensable role in academic research as well as in industrial applications. Existing reviews illustrate that one of the oldest application field of nanotechnology is in the arena of nanocatalysis. Nanocatalysis closes the gap between homo and heterogeneous catalyses while combines their advantageous characteristics and positive aspects, reducing the respective drawbacks. During the current nanohype, nanostructured catalysts are esteemed materials and their exploration provide promising solutions for challenges from the perspective of cost and factors influencing catalytic activity, due to their featured high surface area to volume ratio which render enhanced properties with respect to the bulk catalyst.

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the decline in environmental quality in India, China and Brazil is due to release of toxic gases which is an effect of high energy consumption? If so, the increase in energy consumption is due to rapid economic growth led by industrialization? Also examined is what effect does excessive economic growth rates have on energy consumption levels in these countries.

SummaryCellular transport of ions, especially by ion channels, regulates physiological function. The transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, with 30 identified so far, are cation channels with high calcium permeability. These ion channels are present in metabolically active tissues including adipose tissue, liver, gastrointestinal tract, brain (hypothalamus), pancreas and skeletal muscle, which suggests a potential role in metabolic disorders including obesity. TRP channels have potentially important roles in adipogenesis, obesity development and its prevention and therapy because of their physiological properties including calcium permeability, thermosensation and taste perception, involvement in cell metabolic signalling and hormone release. This wide range of actions means that organ‐specific actions are unlikely, thus increasing the possibility of adverse effects. Delineation of responses to TRP channels has been limited by the poor selectivity of available agonists and antagonists. Food constituents that can modulate TRP channels are of interest in controlling metabolic status. TRP vanilloid 1 channels modulated by capsaicin have been the most studied, suggesting that this may be the first target for effective pharmacological modulation in obesity. This review shows that most of the TRP channels are potential targets to reduce metabolic disorders through a range of mechanisms.

Owing to degrading environmental conditions, replacement of pollution causing outdated conventional fuel cars by eco-friendly Electric Vehicles (EVs) is one of the many steps taken for improvement. There are many reasons why people are reluctant to adopt EVs. Lack of proper EV Charging Stations (EVCS) at optimum intervals just like fuel pumps for conventional cars is a major cause. In this study, different criteria from multidimensional aspects including technical, environmental, economic, and social factors affecting the construction of an EVCS were taken up. Using an integrated moduleFuzzy – Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) analysis the selected location for possible construction of an EVCS was adjudged. To showcase the results the authors adopted a Quantum Geographical Information System (Q-GIS) based approach. The results obtained after TOPSIS were further checked using a benchmark Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach to check for its validity. The methodology module proposed in this study can be adopted in any such study aiming at a similar purpose.

Abstract The co-pyrolysis of Single-use low density polyethylene (LDPE) and Eucalyptus biomass (EuBm) can be considered as a sustainable waste management technique to produce viable byproducts. This study elucidates the effects of variable temperatures (300–600 °C), residence times (90–150 minutes), and proportions of LDPE (0.25, 0.33 (w/w)) on physicochemical characteristics of LDPE - EuBm char composites. The interference of liquified polymer coating on the surface with degradation of biomass could be the reason for low nutrient extractability of chars synthesized at 300 and 400 °C. These chars were rich in volatile matter (> 68 %) and their pores were filled with partially pyrolyzed products. Interestingly however, substantial changes in properties were observed at 500 °C due to the likely synergetic effect between the feeds. The highest plant-extractable concentrations of major nutrients (Na, K, Ca, Mg, NO3−, PO43-), electrical conductivity (4.73 mS/cm), and cation exchange capacity (50.5 Cmolc/kg) of char were observed at this temperature. The optimization through regression modeling identified 524 °C, 118 min, and 31 % (w/w) of LDPE as optimal process parameters to obtain char suitable for application in soil. Soil incubation test fortified the benefits of char to soil with 3.5 times improvement in soil fertility index at 5 % (w/w) rate of application.

Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are particularly vulnerable to climate change, given dependence on agricultural production and limited adaptive capacity. Based on farm household and Participatory Rural Appraisal data collected from districts in various agroecological zones in Kenya, this paper examines farmers' perceptions of climate change, ongoing adaptation measures, and factors influencing farmers' decisions to adapt. The results show that households face considerable challenges in adapting to climate change. While many households have made small adjustments to their farming practices in response to climate change (in particular, changing planting decisions), few households are able to make more costly investments, for example in agroforestry or irrigation, although there is a desire to invest in such measures. This emphasizes the need for greater investments in rural and agricultural development to support the ability of households to make strategic, long-term decisions that affect their future well-being.

Coastal communities in the Coral Triangle are increasingly threatened by climate change. Sea-level rise (SLR) will result in biophysical and socioeconomic impacts that could increase the loss of livelihoods, cultural heritage and infrastructure. Effective adaptation requires a holistic approach that incorporates scientific knowledge together with local and traditional knowledge. Community-based adaptation built on local knowledge is of great value for environmental management, particularly when scientific data are lacking. This article reports a case study that integrated traditional and scientific knowledge using participatory three-dimensional modeling (P3DM) in BoeBoe village, Solomon Islands. P3DM is a process by which members of the local community build a physical terrain model and overlay it with the location of important resources such as protected areas or harvesting sites. Additionally, SLR inundation scenarios based on surveyed elevations were incorporated into a geographic information system (GIS), allowing for a real-time integration of science with local knowledge. Despite discrepancies in scales and accuracy, information from both the P3DM and GIS were complementary. The process, itself, provided a forum for discussion between many members of the village who would normally not be involved and highlighted the importance of community engagement when building capacity for adaptation to climate change.