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Nature sustainability

Volume 3 Issue 5, May 2020

Environmental biomonitors

Heatwaves threaten biodiversity as heat stress hinders animal reproduction by killing sperm cells. Foster and colleagues found a heat-induced protein fingerprint in the spermatheca of honey bee queens that could be used as an indicator of heat stress as part of a biomonitoring program.

See Foster et al.

Image: Alison McAfee, North Carolina State University. Cover Design: Thomas Wilson.

Editorial

Editorial | 18 May 2020

Transition from pandemic

The effects of the COVID-19 outbreak are unfolding rapidly and governments around the world are seeking scientific advice to respond. Sustainability communities should be part of the process but need to up their efforts to engage with policy needs.

Comment & Opinion

Comment | 11 May 2020

Rethinking water for SDG 6

The world is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation by 2030. We urge a rapid change of the economics, engineering and management frameworks that guided water policy and investments in the past in order to address the water challenges of our time.

• Claudia W. Sadoff
• , Edoardo Borgomeo
•  & Stefan Uhlenbrook

News & Views

News & Views | 16 March 2020

Supersizing sustainability in savannas

Increasing pressure for communities to conserve wildlife in mixtures with livestock faces scepticism about whether such management is sustainable. The study by Sitters et al. shows that wildlife–livestock coexistence may be sustainable, but only if megaherbivores are included.

• Mark E. Ritchie

Reviews

Review Article | 17 February 2020

International conflict and cooperation over freshwater resources

A literature review on transboundary freshwater cooperation and conflict finds the former prevails, followed by non-violent conflict. Despite greater understanding of drivers, analysis of recent events and better datasets are needed.

• Thomas Bernauer
•  & Tobias Böhmelt

Research

Matters Arising | 23 March 2020

Practical constraints on atmospheric methane removal

• Klaus S. Lackner

Matters Arising | 23 March 2020

Reply to: Practical constraints on atmospheric methane removal

• Robert B. Jackson
• , Edward I. Solomon
• […]
•  & Sam Abernethy

Article | 16 March 2020

Negative effects of cattle on soil carbon and nutrient pools reversed by megaherbivores

Cattle are replacing wildlife in many African savannas. This field study finds that wild megaherbivores, such as elephants, increased soil carbon and nitrogen, and hence soil fertility, normally lost when only cattle are present.

• Judith Sitters
• , Duncan M. Kimuyu
• […]
•  & Harry Olde Venterink

Article | 23 March 2020

Vulnerability of honey bee queens to heat-induced loss of fertility

Heat waves can pose a threat to biodiversity as heat stress kills sperm cells across the animal kingdom. Here, honey bee queens are found to be vulnerable to temperature changes and the specific stress-response proteins activated in the spermatheca are discussed as potential indicators of heat stress.

• Alison McAfee
• , Abigail Chapman
• […]
•  & Jeffery S. Pettis

Article | 23 March 2020

Sustainability analysis of French dietary guidelines using multiple criteria

A comparison of the recommended dietary guidelines in France from 2001 and 2017 finds that the updated guidelines perform better in terms of health (nutrition) and the environment (food production), albeit with a small increase in cost.

• Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot
• , Dan Chaltiel
• […]
•  & Serge Hercberg

Article | 02 March 2020

High-purity electrolytic lithium obtained from low-purity sources using solid electrolyte

The production of lithium requires the purification of lithium chloride, which is expensive and unsustainable. A new method allows the production of high-purity electrolytic lithium from low-purity lithium chloride using solid-state electrolyte, with substantial reductions in costs and environmental impacts.

• Jialiang Lang
• , Yang Jin
• […]
•  & Yi Cui

Analysis | 16 March 2020

The role of soil carbon in natural climate solutions

Diverse strategies are needed to mitigate climate change. This study finds that storing carbon in soils represents 25% of land-based potential, of which 60% must come from rebuilding depleted carbon stores.

• D. A. Bossio
• , S. C. Cook-Patton
• […]
•  & B. W. Griscom

Analysis | 02 March 2020

CO2 mineralization and utilization by alkaline solid wastes for potential carbon reduction

CO2 mineralization and utilization via alkaline solid wastes shows promise for both stabilizing solid waste and tackling climate change, but evidence of its actual CO2 reduction potential is scant. This study estimates that CO2 mineralization and utilization could lead to a 12.5% global reduction of CO2 emissions.

• Shu-Yuan Pan
• , Yi-Hung Chen
•  & Guowei Gu

Nature Sustainability

ISSN 2398-9629 (online)