BACKGROUND As we know from modern species, nursery areas are essential shark habitats for vulnerable young. Nurseries are typically highly productive, shallow-water habitats that are characterized by the presence of juveniles and neonates. It has been suggested that in these areas, sharks can find ample food resources and protection from predators. Based on the fossil record, we know that the e...

With respect to the limitations of fossil energy resources, different types of electric vehicles (EVs) are developed as suitable alternatives. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cells play an extremely important role in EVs due to their unique features. But they need a thermal management system (TMS) to maintain their surface temperature uniformity and avoid them from thermal runaways. In the current...

A strong analogy exists between over/under consumption of energy at the level of the human body and of the industrial metabolism of humanity. Both forms of energy consumption have profound implications for human, environmental, and global health. Globally, excessive fossil-fuel consumption, and individually, excessive food energy consumption are both responsible for a series of interrelated det...

Heating, electricity and transportation are the three components of urban systems final energy consumption. Geothermal energy and biomass are two promising renewable energy resources that can be used for the production of heat, electricity and biofuels, thus allowing a reduction of fossil fuel consumption and of the associated greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of this paper is to assess the po...

The bio-based economy relies on sustainable, plant-derived resources for fuels, chemicals, materials, food and feed rather than on the evanescent usage of fossil resources. The cornerstone of this economy is the biorefinery, in which renewable resources are intelligently converted to a plethora of products, maximizing the valorization of the feedstocks. Innovation is a prerequisite to move a fo...

In recent years there has been a move in the majority of industrialized countries to invest in renewable resources for the production of energy. This move has come about as people worldwide are more aware of negative effects of fossil fuel sources of energy on the environment including the release of green house gases such as CO2. Utilization of renewable sources of energy, for instance harness...

The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have both large fossil fuel resources and vast renewable energy potentials. Here, we investigate in a literature meta-analysis and a survey, whether there is a need for renewables in the GCC, what barriers and risks presently deter investments, and what possible policy-solutions could be. We find that there is a long-term need for renewables, ...

The issue of environmental performance of bio-plastics has attracted a large number of researchers over the last two decades. This is a natural result of the fact that bio-plastics have an intrinsic economic disadvantage compared to fossil-based polymers due to higher raw material costs, production processes still in relatively early stages of technical development, and smaller production units...