Photovoltaic (PV) has proved to be one of the most compact, durable and economic power generating systems developed by mankind. The potential of solar energy is being used for sustainable development and to meet the increasing power demand. Floating solar photovoltaic (FSPV) is a comparatively newer concept of installing the PV system on the surface of water bodies. Despite its several advantages, it is found that FSPV systems in the sea need to be restricted, and multiple islanded structures should be preferred to reduce the side effects in aquatic ecosystems. The most preferred site for installing FSPV is in the reservoir of hydro plant as integration with the grid and hydro system becomes easy. The USA, the European Union and Southern and Eastern Asia mainly Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, China and India have very long coastline which can be effectively used for FSPV installation and meeting the load demand through clean and renewable sources without exhausting the land. In India, over 5000 dams are already functional with a total reservoir area of 14855.57 square kilometers. Only 2% covering the reservoirs can add a total of 89.1 TWh of energy to the grid annually during 8 h of sunlight at conversion efficiency of 25% with an underestimate of only 5 months of proper sunlight. It can be achieved with minimum installation costs and maintenance costs. Sustainable development ensures that energy production must also have minimal or nil harmful impact on nature and humankind. This paper lays emphasis on all the technical aspects of the FSPV system and reliable ways to prevent and overcome it efficiently. Moreover, the integration of FSPV with other different non-conventional sources to boost energy production is also analyzed.

The 15 years of mass balance monitoring (2010–25) on Rolleston Glacier in the Southern Alps of New Zealand has documented a mass loss of −11.5 m w.e. (−0.8 m w.e. a−1). An analysis of winter snow accumulation patterns indicated that secondary accumulation processes (avalanche and wind) contribute approximately 8% of annual accumulation. A geodetic change detection over the glacier highlighted that regardless of the additional input, the entire glacier has experienced net thinning in recent years. Assuming mass loss continues at the current accelerated rate of −1.2 m w. e. a−1 (2017–25) we estimate that Rolleston Glacier may vanish by mid-2060.

The cold, low carbon dioxide (CO2) conditions of the Pleistocene epoch fundamentally structured ecosystems, profoundly influencing the evolutionary trajectory of Homo sapiens and other large mammals. Although often considered uniquely stable, the Holocene is more usefully viewed as just another Pleistocene interglacial interval that was naturally trending towards a renewed glacial phase. However, rapid anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission rates have reversed this trajectory and might have now foreclosed the prospect of returning to cyclic glacial climates for millennia. A large set of flora and fauna has benefited from low CO2 conditions, which we define as low-CO2 dependents. By elevating atmospheric CO2 concentrations beyond levels seen for millions of years, we have accelerated global warming beyond the adaptive capacities of many species and ecosystems. African savannas and grasslands are particularly relevant in this context because this was the environment in which the human species evolved. These biomes have been previously maintained by fire and carbon scarcity but are now experiencing woody encroachment driven by rising CO2. The resultant global reforestation further threatens biodiversity adapted to open ecosystems, while rewilding initiatives must therefore pair prehistoric analogues with explicit climate-fitness tests that anticipate mid-century CO2 trajectories. Addressing these complex challenges requires both targeted local interventions and systemic policy reforms, grounded in a pragmatic recognition of the transient nature of the Holocene. Recognising the transience of any single baseline allows conservation and agriculture to plan for a dynamic, overshoot-prone future.

Shortages of kerosene, used to cook food and melt ice for drinking water on the Terra Nova Expedition of 1910–13, hastened the death of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his three remaining companions in March 1912. Various explanations for the losses have been proposed, but no definitive account has been published. This article aims to provide a reliable, authoritative and complete history of Scott’s kerosene shortages.

A review of primary expedition records (personal journals in particular) has been undertaken, assembling information about fuel shortages and related matters, and identifying and evaluating seven potential explanations for shortages. The evidence indicates that many of the potential explanations are inconsistent with trusted historical evidence, and that one appears to be based upon a widespread misinterpretation of Scott’s diary. The prevalent explanation is a complex interplay of facts, omissions, distractions and fiction, traceable to an Editor’s Note in the expedition’s official book “Scott’s Last Expedition.”

This article identifies four significant factors that contributed to fuel shortages: an intentional reduction of their fuel allowance in some depots by one third, their reduced speed of travel on later barrier stages, unseasonably cold weather and the unplanned use of fuel to cook pony meat.

Planetary Protection (PP) is the practice of protecting solar system bodies from Earth life and Earth from possible extraterrestrial life forms. Spacecraft surfaces are cleaned and routinely sampled to determine the bioburden and ensure compliance with PP requirements. Bulk materials, like adhesives, are destructively assayed, or a NASA specification value in lieu of direct sampling is applied, to estimate the bioburden. Currently, no specification value exists for liquids. The closest analog is the assumed value of 30 spores/cm3 for non-electronic solid materials; however, applying this assumption to liquids is problematic, as it can lead to a substantial total spore burden that rapidly consumes the allowable bioburden margin for a given mission, particularly when large volumes are involved. CFC-11 (Freon) is a refrigerant commonly used in spacecraft to provide cooling for the Heat Redistribution System (HRS). The HRS Mechanical Ground Support Equipment (MGSE), designed for the Europa Clipper spacecraft, delivers CFC-11 to the spacecraft. The system utilizes three 2.0 µm filters. This design is markedly different from the Mars 2020 and Mars Science Laboratory mission, which utilized a 0.2 µm filter specifically to remove spores, which typically have diameters around 1 µm. Thus, an analysis was required to measure the bioburden of the CFC-11 for the Europa Clipper HRS. For our study, we used 90 mm Millipore filter holders that were connected directly to the HRS MGSE system. In total, 3 L of CFC-11 were flowed through the filter holders. The 90 mm filters within the filter holders were processed using the NASA Standard Assay, with membrane filtration as the culture-based technique, to enumerate colony-forming units. Using these experimental results as one of the inputs, a probabilistic mathematical model of the CFC-11 and bio-load transfer process was developed to provide a predictive probability distribution of the number of spores transferred to the HRS and ultimately substantiates that a 0.2 filter is not necessary within the system to lower bioburden, a feature that saves the project significant time regarding fill operations. This probabilistic mathematical model may be used to inform the MGSE design for future missions, such as the Mars Sample Return Sample Retrieval Lander, regarding the choice to replace the 2.0 µm filters with 0.2 µm filters. This study recommends a mean value of 0.04 spores/L of CFC-11 transferred into the Europa Clipper HRS and for future missions that intend to use the same HRS MGSE design.

This study presents the first nationwide assessment of vanished glaciers in Switzerland. By comparing the Swiss Glacier Inventories SGI1973 and SGI2016, we identify 1019 vanished glaciers, representing more than 40% of all glaciers inventoried in 1973 and accounting for 13% (47±3 km²) of total glacier area loss. Glacier disappearance was most widespread along the main Alpine divide, in regions with relatively low peak elevations. Most vanished glaciers were very small (<0.10 km2) and steep, south- or east-facing glaciers more often vanished with respect to the initial glacier distribution. In the 2300–2550 m elevation band, vanished glaciers contributed over 30% of total area loss. Regionally, the Rhine basin hosts the largest number of vanished glaciers (423), while the Po (39%) and Danube (55%) basins have the highest share of glaciers disappearing with respect to the initial number. These findings underscore the relevance of systematically including vanished glaciers in change assessments. With a new inventory underway and two extreme melt years in 2022 and 2023, this study provides a benchmark for tracking continued glacier extinction in the Swiss Alps.

Improving the thermal and rheological limitations of traditional natural hydrogels remains a key challenge for their medical use. Inorganic and organic elements were combined synergistically to develop natural hydrogels, and subsequently subjected to comprehensive thermal and rheological analysis for potential applications in physical medical treatments. The primary objective of this study was to optimize the technological, biopharmaceutical, and therapeutic properties of these innovative hydrogels, constituted by an inorganic framework of clay particles entrapping organic components from peat extracts. The hydrogels underwent thorough mineralogical and chemical characterization, confirming the pharmaceutical-grade quality of the clay component, which was predominantly composed of montmorillonite and saponite. Rheological evaluations revealed non-Newtonian viscoplastic behavior, with viscosity and thixotropy increasing significantly with higher clay concentrations and prolonged swelling durations. Thermal analyses demonstrated that the hydrogels possess adequate heat-transfer capabilities, ensuring effective maintenance of skin temperature during therapeutic application. Elemental analysis and cation exchange capacity determinations highlighted the substantial water retention and ion exchange properties of the hydrogels, contributing to their stability and functional performance. The integration of organic and inorganic constituents enhanced synergistically the mechanical strength, thermal stability, and therapeutic efficacy of the hydrogels. These advancements position the formulated hydrogels as promising candidates for innovative applications in physical medical treatments, offering enhanced mechanical and thermal properties essential for effective therapeutic outcomes.

The Lunana region in Bhutan, which hosts four large glacial lakes with significant hazard potential, has undergone rapid changes over the past decade. Using PlanetScope satellite scenes, we mapped ice velocities at monthly intervals from 2017 to 2023. We reveal that the disintegration of Thorthormi Glacier’s terminus in 2022 coincided with year-on-year acceleration with mean surface velocities as high as 448 ± 10.0 m a−1 by 2021, and seasonal variability in surface velocity magnitude >144.6 ± 10.0 m a−1. This acceleration is attributed to a reduction in basal drag as the terminus reached flotation, evidenced by the calving of tabular icebergs. While Bechung, Raphstreng and Lugge exhibited a similar interannual velocity trend, the upper regions of Bechung and Raphstreng showed a higher seasonal range (31% and 19.9% from their mean) compared to Lugge (4.2%). In the upper regions, we also find a decelerating velocity trend (3.5–20.6% over the 6 years), which is attributed to surface thinning and reducing driving stresses. We show that accelerating trends in velocity can be a precursor to higher rates of retreat and rapid lake expansion, demonstrating the importance of continuous monitoring of lake-terminating glacier ice velocities in the Himalaya.