One Earth

Sustainability Forum

Critical minerals are shaping future tech.
Join the Sustainability Forum to explore supply chains, reuse, replacements & circular design & help build stronger, greener systems.
http://dlvr.it/TPZl6s

The contribution of armed forces and war to climate change Many national security experts assert that climate change increases the likelihood of armed conflict. Conversely, the long-term environmental effects of war and military mobilization on climate, including military greenhouse gas emissions, are generally discounted. Militarization jeopardizes socio-economic pathways to meet the 1.5°C or 2°C targets.

Online now: The contribution of armed forces and war to climate change

Joint geochemical and microbial controls on soil particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon decomposability across the contiguous US Using continental-scale incubations with AI approaches and mechanistic modeling, this study shows that soil minerals and microbes exert strong control over soil carbon decay and microbial carbon use efficiency across the contiguous US, producing high-resolution maps that reveal geographic patterns of soil carbon decomposability.

Online now: Joint geochemical and microbial controls on soil particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon decomposability across the contiguous US

Forums on Sustainability

Forums on Sustainability
Join experts discussing supply risks, material replacements, waste recapture & circular design shaping the future of chem & energy. #CPwebinars
http://dlvr.it/TPL2St

Living beyond limits: Consequences of missing the decisive decade for preserving our planet’s life-supporting systems Humanity has pushed Earth’s life-supporting systems to the brink, accelerated by our failures over the past decade. Our only way to limit the duration and magnitude of temperature overshoot is rapid, coordinated action to mitigate impacts, reverse past damage, and turn knowledge into action to safeguard the future of our planet.

Online now: Living beyond limits: Consequences of missing the decisive decade for preserving our planet’s life-supporting systems

Designing truly sustainable polymers through an integrated three-pillar framework Today’s widely used petroleum-based polymers, which prioritize durability, performance, and disposability, overlook sustainability and result in significant environmental problems. While progress has been made in bio-based and recyclable polymers, these developments often occur individually. In this review, we examined sustainable polymers through three fundamental pillars, namely, renewability, functionality, and circularity, using an integrated “produce-performance-regenerate” framework. Through a SWOT analysis, we highlight key molecular design strategies needed to create scalable, efficient, and genuinely circular polymers that advance the vision of a sustainable materials economy.

Online now: Designing truly sustainable polymers through an integrated three-pillar framework

Beyond Paris and net-zero ledgers: Restoring trust in US forest climate solutions via tree-centric digital MRV architecture Legacy MRV frameworks are failing as US forest carbon sinks falter. This commentary argues for a paradigm shift to a tree-centric digital MRV, built as a hybrid public-private ecosystem. This new architecture can restore credibility, de-risk investment, and empower diverse stewards in a post-Paris world.

Online now: Beyond Paris and net-zero ledgers: Restoring trust in US forest climate solutions via tree-centric digital MRV architecture

Land conservation and large-scale renewable energy systems are simultaneously possible in Brazil Brazil’s rich but sensitive ecosystems face uncertainty amid deep decarbonization efforts that could drive significant land-use changes. Here, using a spatially explicit energy system model, we demonstrate that, with strategic, location-wise planning of renewable energy, including solar, wind, and biofuels, Brazil can supply extensive renewable electricity while safeguarding key conservation areas without major cost increases. Protecting and restoring these lands increases carbon sinks, delivering integrated co-benefits for energy, climate, and ecology.

Online now: Land conservation and large-scale renewable energy systems are simultaneously possible in Brazil

Online now: Long-term climate warming substantially reduces global soil microbial richness

Extreme weather. Water scarcity. Soil degradation.
How can science & policy work together for resilient agriculture? #CPwebinars
http://dlvr.it/TNx6JL

Networks of influence: Linking capitals and agency to understand actors’ roles in sustainability interventions Understanding an actor’s influence in sustainability interventions, and thus their agency, is gaining attention in sustainability science. However, coherent approaches to characterize and analyze networks of influence remain scarce. We propose an actor-process network approach to assess five types of agency based on capitals: allocating human resources, enacting political relevance, influencing financial flows, providing physical goods and assets, and steering social-ecological discourse. Our approach can contribute to discussions on how to distribute roles and responsibilities between diverse actors involved in sustainability transformations.

Online now: Networks of influence: Linking capitals and agency to understand actors’ roles in sustainability interventions

Potential expansion of wheat planting areas driven by climate warming offsets yield losses and enhances global production Climate change alters both wheat yields and where the crop can be grown. This study shows that warming could expand suitable wheat-growing regions by up to 15.7% and that such spatial shifts have the potential to offset climate-induced yield losses, highlighting the importance of including area dynamics in future projections.

Online now: Potential expansion of wheat planting areas driven by climate warming offsets yield losses and enhances global production

Meet experts shaping the future of sustainable farming.
Jason White, Iseult Lynch, Kimberly Parker, Anna Paltseva, Erik Mathijs.
http://dlvr.it/TNsG7w

Join us, Oct 29, for “Securing a resilient future for agriculture".
Explore solutions for sustainable agriculture. @fao.org
http://dlvr.it/TNjSR9

Growing compound-flood risk, driven by both climate change and land subsidence, challenges flood risk reduction in major delta cities Many flood-prone cities occur in deltas. Sea-level rise, land subsidence, and intensifying storm surges threaten larger and more frequent floods. While prior studies assessed individual flood components, none integrated the effect of all flood drivers. Using Shanghai as an example, we employed a dynamically-linked model to evaluate compound flooding. The possibility of a 200-year flood event potentially increases by up to 80% by 2100, far exceeding projections considering single flood components. We discuss the implications for other delta cities, including adaptation needs.

Online now: Growing compound-flood risk, driven by both climate change and land subsidence, challenges flood risk reduction in major delta cities

Improved global air quality health index reveals ozone and nitrogen dioxide as main drivers of air-pollution-related acute mortality Despite well-established risks from air pollution, consistent quantification of joint health risks and individual pollutant contributions across countries/territories remains lacking. Using health surveillance data from 12 countries/territories, this study introduces an improved index that could more accurately capture and communicate the mortality risks of air pollution than currently used indices. Highlighting O3 and NO2 as emerging key drivers of the risk index across countries/territories, the findings underscore the need for refined risk metrics and more targeted air quality management policies.

Online now: Improved global air quality health index reveals ozone and nitrogen dioxide as main drivers of air-pollution-related acute mortality

Getting into the doughnut: A framework for assessing systemic resilience in the global food system This paper presents a framework to assess models and policies for system resilience of the global food system. By evaluating widely used modeling strategies, it highlights significant gaps in adequately capturing systemic resilience and advocates for improving preparedness through new and bespoke models and the communication of limitations and assumptions to stakeholders.

Online now: Getting into the doughnut: A framework for assessing systemic resilience in the global food system

Online now: Safe and sustainable croplands

Material price surges threaten an equitable and timely renewable energy transition Achieving climate targets hinges on rapid solar and wind expansion, especially in developing economies. Rising material prices threaten the affordability of this transition, while their long-term impacts remain poorly explored. Here, we incorporate material price dynamics into an integrated assessment model through 2050 and show that long-term price spikes could raise global annual installation costs by up to $228 billion and delay PV and wind power deployment in developing regions by 5–8 years, undermining efficient and equitable transitions.

Online now: Material price surges threaten an equitable and timely renewable energy transition

Imported solar photovoltaics contributed to health and climate benefits in the United States Global supply chains have helped drive the rapid deployment of solar photovoltaics, but their broader societal benefits are often overlooked. Here, we estimate that imported solar panels in the US displaced 305 TWh of fossil generation, avoided 178 million tons of CO2, and prevented 595 premature deaths between 2014 and 2022. These findings highlight how the international clean energy supply chain delivers substantial climate and health benefits—critical evidence for informing energy policy and supply chain resilience debates.

Online now: Imported solar photovoltaics contributed to health and climate benefits in the United States

Upcycling trace amounts of biomass waste into flash graphene can boost crop yields by more than a quarter and offer climate benefits Scaling biochar for soil fertility, carbon sequestration, and food security faces challenges due to biomass limitations and energy-intensive production. Nano-enabled foliar feeding offers promise but lacks field-scale validation for overall sustainability. We propose an on-site platform producing flash graphene (FG) from a miniscule volume of crop residues. Field applications of just 18 g FG per hectare increased yields by 9%–27% across four staple crops over two seasons while significantly reducing costs and emissions. This innovation paves the way for scalable and sustainable nano-enabled agriculture.

Online now: Upcycling trace amounts of biomass waste into flash graphene can boost crop yields by more than a quarter and offer climate benefits

Long-term moderate warming shifts soil carbon cycling but maintains carbon sinks in a subtropical forest Climate warming increases both above- and below-ground temperatures, altering plant-soil interactions and reshaping soil organic carbon dynamics. This study offers rare experimental evidence on how these interactions influence the responses of different soil organic carbon fractions to warming over time.

Online now: Long-term moderate warming shifts soil carbon cycling but maintains carbon sinks in a subtropical forest

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Join a special panel discussion exploring the plastics economy, and ask your publishing questions to our experienced Cell Press editors Vjekoslav Dekaris (Chem) & Xiaoxiao Qiao (Chem Catalysis) @CellSymposia #CSPlastics2025
Register: http://dlvr.it/TNVYYg

Join us Oct 22, 2025, 9:30am ET for the Cell Press Forum on Sustainability: Urban decarbonization – Priorities for COP30. #CPWebinars
http://dlvr.it/TNS9BL

Online now: Leave no one behind in the UN Ocean Decade

Socioeconomic well-being losses of Australia’s Black Summer fires (2019–2020): Burden by burned area, poverty, and gender This study examines the impact of the 2019–2020 Australian Black Summer wildfires on socioeconomic well-being across poverty, gender, and geographical areas. Using a quasi-experimental approach, the authors find that poorer communities faced greater housing pressure and unpaid work burden, while urban-wildland zones experienced sharp income declines. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating well-being metrics—beyond physical damage—in wildfire recovery planning and provide globally relevant insights for equitable climate disaster response.

Online now: Socioeconomic well-being losses of Australia’s Black Summer fires (2019–2020): Burden by burned area, poverty, and gender

Global flux of perfluoroalkyl acids from glaciers in a warming climate Global warming is accelerating the release of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) from melting glaciers, yet their release fluxes remain poorly quantified on a global scale. This study combines field and literature data with machine learning and a glacier mass balance model to estimate PFAA fluxes from glaciers worldwide. By quantifying fluxes in both dissolved and particle-bound phases under three warming scenarios, the study identifies regional hotspots of concern and defines a critical time window for action. These findings shed light on PFAA cycling in the cryosphere and inform policy responses.

Online now: Global flux of perfluoroalkyl acids from glaciers in a warming climate

Managing the reduction of soil phosphorus can prolong global reserves of fertilizer phosphorus and improve water quality Phosphorus fertilizer helps crops grow but comes from limited resources. Many farms have used too much, raising soil levels beyond what is needed, thus increasing phosphorus losses to rivers and lakes and causing harmful algal blooms. By stopping unnecessary use, soil phosphorus drops over time. A global study found this could save large amounts of fertilizer, worth around 230 billion USD, and improve water quality for about 3 billion people, all while still supporting strong crop growth. Efficient phosphorus use means less waste, lower costs, and less pollution.

Online now: Managing the reduction of soil phosphorus can prolong global reserves of fertilizer phosphorus and improve water quality

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Continued global warming from aviation even under high-ambition mitigation scenarios The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has set ambitious CO2 mitigation goals, but the ultimate climate effects are unclear. Here, we use a climate model to analyze the resulting global temperature change from the aviation sector, considering also non-CO2 emissions that are not included in the ICAO goals. The results indicate that aviation-induced warming will more than double by 2070, even under the most ambitious mitigation scenario that ends the use of fossil jet fuels by 2040, due to residual life cycle CO2 emissions and non-CO2 effects.

Online now: Continued global warming from aviation even under high-ambition mitigation scenarios