Digital platforms and the online services that they provide have become an indispensable and ubiquitous part of modern lifestyles, mediating our jobs, hobbies, patterns of consumption and forms of communication. However, no one is steering this development, or closely looking at the impacts that it may have on remote communities in the Arctic and Nordic region, a hotspot for datacenter development.
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Both policymakers and the technology industry need to do more to combat the ever-growing demand for data and its associated energy impacts. In this study, based on novel corporate data, expert interviews, focus groups with members of the public, extensive site visits across Greenland, Iceland and Norway and a literature review, we look at the energy and climate impacts of existing and proposed datacenters, both quantitatively and in terms of stakeholder and public perceptions.
The latest IPCC report on Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, which builds upon previous IPCC’s reports, established a causal link between anthropogenic impacts and ocean acidification, by noting a significant decrease in the Ocean’s uptake of CO2, with consequent damage to Earth’s ecosystems, which in turn has traceable repercussions on the Arctic Ocean and then from the Arctic to the Planet Earth.
In July 2020, the European External Action Service of the European Commission launched a public consultation on the way forward for the European Union’s Arctic policy. The consultation was held to re-examine the role of the EU in Arctic affairs, to revise the priorities of the current Joint Communication on an integrated European Union policy for the Arctic and the actions thereunder, and to identify possible new policy areas to be developed.
At LANDMARC, we are developing methods and instruments that non-researchers can use to reliably estimate how different land-use practices contribute to climate change mitigation. In our view, this can only be done by bringing in local knowledge at every stage of the research process. Here’s why.
The Generic Quantitative Risk Assessment report described implementation of a site soil survey and consequent contamination remediation action for the Lower Botanic Gardens (Belfast, UK). The exploratory site investigation was undertaken between October-December 2022, and comprised excavation of 28 soil samples and subsequent laboratory analysis for a common contaminant suite. Results confirmed contamination distributions linked to historical industry. Risk remediation actions were proposed for features with different levels of soil exposure.
The Preliminary Risk Assessment desk survey was produced prior to soil investigations on the Lower Botanic Gardens (Belfast, UK). Planning records revealed little site development over the past 200 years, but identified multiple local historical industry-linked contaminant sources that could contribute to soil contamination. Community growers and site developers were considered most at risk from ingesting or inhaling any contaminated site soil dusts.
Rather than trying to plant as many trees as possible, research coming out of the LANDMARC project suggests that it might be better to focus on planting fewer trees and managing them well, in a way that’s good for the underlying soil.
Air pollution is a growing concern that continues to strongly affects cities worldwide, posing significant threats to both human health and the environment. Nature based solutions is an innovative approach that harness the power of nature and its inherent ability to filter, absorb and mitigate pollutants. In the frame of the Upsurge project, different NBS are being implemented to study their benefits with a focus on air quality and climate remediation.
The drastic growth of cruise tourism in the world, while potentially beneficial for economic growth in local communities, also brings concerns regarding environmental impacts. This research used the port of Ísafjörður, Iceland, a growing hotspot destination for cruise ships, as a case study to aid in understanding the potential environmental impacts from cruise ships.