Transforming the Pandemic into a gateway for zeroing waste-related emissions at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

The University of Colombo (UoC) has turned the Covid-19 pandemic into a win-win situation by adopting new measures to overcome limitations the pandemic has brought in while improving its overall waste management. It has incorporated a paperless system by conducting academic work online, including applying for new courses, distributing e-learning material and submitting assignments. Every lecture, meeting, and function has been held virtually, eliminating food, paper, plastic and decoration waste. Students now study from home and employees have been reporting to work according to rosters, reducing food and office waste generation significantly. The employees now adhere to the pre- and newly included post-pandemic environmental guidelines, litterless lunches, and have been provided with shuttle services for safer commuting, leading to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Identifying the potential environmental damage through improper disposal, using reusable masks is being promoted through regular online awareness programmes; eco-friendly sanitizers are used instead of liquid soap, which consumes water and generates wastewater. Although the amount of waste generated during the pandemic is low, the UoC-owned Waste Storage Center continues to function with waste segregation and recycling, and the composting facility is currently expanding its production. The waste reduction has also caused lowered waste-related greenhouse gas emissions.Keyword: Waste Management, Paperless System, Guidelines, Waste Storage Center, Segregation and Recyclin

New distributional record of Cylindera (Oligoma) paradoxa (W. Horn, 1892) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka

Since the 19th century, Cylindera (Oligoma) paradoxa (W. Horn, 1892) has been recorded from only 10 locations in Sri Lanka, with only 2 of those recorded in the past 30 years. We recently found this species in the Keeragala estate (Ratnapura District) during field surveys. Our new record fills a gap in the knowledge of this species’ distribution in Sri Lanka

\u3ci\u3eCorrigendum to\u3c/i\u3e “Incorporation of crop phenology in Simple Biosphere Model (SiBcrop) to improve land-atmosphere carbon exchanges from croplands” published in Biogeosciences, 6, 969–986, 2009

In the above mentioned manuscript a mistake in Fig. 11 occured. The corrected version of the figure is as follows

New distributional record of Cylindera (Oligoma) paradoxa (W. Horn, 1892) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka

Since the 19th century, Cylindera (Oligoma) paradoxa (W. Horn, 1892) has been recorded from only 10 locations in Sri Lanka, with only 2 of those recorded in the past 30 years. We recently found this species in the Keeragala estate (Ratnapura District) during field surveys. Our new record fills a gap in the knowledge of this species' distribution in Sri Lanka

Evaluation of best management practices with greenhouse gas benefits for salt-affected paddy soils in South Asia

Anthropogenic climate change has caused increased soil salinity in South Asia due to saltwater intrusion caused by sea level rise, input of fertilizers with high salt index, and irrigation malpractices, etc. Salinity has a multitude of impacts on plant and soil processes, leading to alterations in gas fluxes and rice productivity. The remedial measures adopted on salt-affected soils to reduce the salinity effect could enhance future climate change if they cause an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study was conducted to find the best agricultural management practices (BMPs) for salt-affected soils in rice cropping systems (i.e. the major cropping system in Asia) in four South Asian countries (Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan) considering net GHG emissions and other socioeconomic benefits associated with the adopted measures. The salinity-affected sites were selected based on available information (e.g. agricultural statistics and maps). Site-level measurements on soil parameters and GHG emissions were made in control- and managed plots and farmer surveys were conducted. Although organic amendments ameliorated salinity, it could cause a net increase in carbon dioxide or methane emissions depending on the soil conditions, particularly during the initial stages. This impact could be ameliorated by combining organic amendments with other management practices. In the Indo-Gangetic region, poor soil drainage causing anaerobic conditions favoured nitrous oxide emission under low to medium salinity. Yield losses and emissions in high salinity sites were controlled through organic amendment, irrigation and rice-fallow cropping sequence. The combination of transplanting of rice seedlings, the addition of organic matter, and intermittent irrigated water levels was identified as the BMP for Sri Lankan farmers. The outcome of this project will be used to raise awareness among farmers and policymakers

An overview of the interactions between food production and climate change

This paper provides an overview of how food production influences climate change and also illustrates the impact of climate change on food production. To perform such an overview, the (inter)link between different parts of the food supply chain continuum (agriculture production, livestock farming, food processing, food transport and storing, retail food, and disposal of food waste) and climate change has been investigated through a bibliometric analysis. Besides UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, associated with climate change, other SDGs that are associated with this overview are goals #1, #2, #3, #6, #7, #12, and #15. Based on the evidence gathered, the paper provides some recommendations that may assist in efforts to reduce the climate-related impacts of food production

An overview of the interactions between food production and climate change

PeerReviewe

A model-data intercomparison of CO2 exchange across North America: Results from the North American Carbon Program site synthesis

Our current understanding of terrestrial carbon processes is represented in various models used to integrate and scale measurements of CO2 exchange from remote sensing and other spatiotemporal data. Yet assessments are rarely conducted to determine how well models simulate carbon processes across vegetation types and environmental conditions. Using standardized data from the North American Carbon Program we compare observed and simulated monthly CO 2 exchange from 44 eddy covariance flux towers in North America and 22 terrestrial biosphere models. The analysis period spans ∼220 site-years, 10 biomes, and includes two large-scale drought events, providing a natural experiment to evaluate model skill as a function of drought and seasonality. We evaluate models\u27 ability to simulate the seasonal cycle of CO2 exchange using multiple model skill metrics and analyze links between model characteristics, site history, and model skill. Overall model performance was poor; the difference between observations and simulations was ∼10 times observational uncertainty, with forested ecosystems better predicted than nonforested. Model-data agreement was highest in summer and in temperate evergreen forests. In contrast, model performance declined in spring and fall, especially in ecosystems with large deciduous components, and in dry periods during the growing season. Models used across multiple biomes and sites, the mean model ensemble, and a model using assimilated parameter values showed high consistency with observations. Models with the highest skill across all biomes all used prescribed canopy phenology, calculated NEE as the difference between GPP and ecosystem respiration, and did not use a daily time step. Copyright 2010 by the American Geophysical Union