This article reviews and examines the most significant climate-change-related impacts and adaptation from the perspective of stakeholders in Greenlandic fisheries. The study was constructed as a comprehensive, multi-site, bottom-up case study around Greenlandic fisheries (south-north/offshore-inshore), where interviews and workshops with Greenlandic fishermen and stakeholders have communicated their observations of fishery changes associated with changes in the marine environment within the last decade. Key observations include: changes in sea ice cover; increased abundance of known species in North Greenland; fish species relocation and periodic absences in coastal systems; a northward movement of the shrimp fishery; new and unprecedented bycatch issues; and new fisheries. Stakeholder knowledge acknowledges the capacity of both offshore and coastal fisheries to adapt to changing seasonality and distribution. Factory capacity and decision-making as well as bycatch legislation have been identified as the most critical bottlenecks for (re)diversifying fisheries and increasing the value of the locally available resources.
The legal limbo that defines the maritime space over which the process of delimitation of the outer continental shelf is applied appears today as an eminently practical question that needs to be addressed. The institutional framework provided by UNCLOS, which establishes the existence of an internationalized space on the seabed - the area - seems limited to respond to a debate that confuses Geology with Law. This article focuses on the powers of the International Seabed Authority as an agency authorized to act on behalf of Mankind by exploring its weaknesses in its exercise of this mandate in the context of that process. By analyzing the conflict between the expansionist goals of States and the embodied principle that gives the Authority the assignment to act on behalf of Mankind in securing a space that, according to the text of the Convention, belongs to it, we conclude that there are apparent inconsistencies in the institutional framework created the Montego Bay Convention. In our exegesis of Part XI of the Convention, we work on the cogent force of that principle and raise questions about the legal legitimacy of the entire process, ie in the absence of a clear statement by the above-mentioned Authority. We conclude that the text of the Convention provides the possibility of a direct intervention by the Authority but that there are still no political conditions for such a possibility to be realised.
The expansion of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) highlights the growing need for carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline transportation. While pure CO2 is non-corrosive, impurities such as H2O and NO2 create a corrosive environment that risks pipeline integrity. This study investigates how H2O and NO2 concentrations, along with temperature, influence corrosion under CO2 pipeline conditions. The investigation was performed in an autoclave setup emulating a linear velocity of 0.96 m/s at 100 bar and temperatures of 5 °C and 25 °C, testing X52 and GR70, and a more corrosion-resistant 9Cr alloy. The results indicated that the presence of NO2 elevated the corrosion rate compared to scenarios without. Low H2O concentration led to a corrosion rate of up to five times higher at 5 °C, compared to at 25 °C, in the presence of NO2. Low to moderate corrosion was observed for the carbon steels without NO2 and with 70 ppmv H2O at both temperatures. Reducing the H2O concentration below 70 ppmv and removing NO2, while SO2 and O2 are present, will only result in low to moderate corrosion in the carbon steel CO2 pipeline. The corrosion rate for X52 and GR70 was 0.065 mm/y and 0.016 mm/y higher or 5 and 3 times greater, respectively, at 5 °C compared to 25 °C. The study concludes that H2O should be maintained below 70 ppmv and NO2 should be eliminated to prevent severe corrosion. Emphasizing the importance of CO2 specification compliance and the need for further research into CO2 compositions that align with the specifications.
A novel damping system is developed to address offshore wind turbine tower vibration exacerbated by global warming-induced coastal extreme weather. Through parametric optimization, it stabilizes nacelle displacement under normal loads and reduces responses in diverse wind conditions: 18.8% max bending stress reduction during gusts, 26.3% nacelle displacement mitigation under high turbulence, and 7.9% displacement standard deviation reductions in 50-year extreme winds. A Norwegian wind farm extends tower life by 44% at the tower top and 99.36% at the tower base. Under varying gust angles, it reduces nacelle displacement (4.3%) and bottom bending moment (3.2%), enhancing structural stability. These demonstrate their potential to cut maintenance costs and extend lifetime, which is crucial for offshore wind turbine development.
In 2020, the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food launched a new state-led ecolabelling scheme for fish originating from small-scale, 'low-environmental-impact' fisheries; "Nature-friendly". The label was introduced to a domestic market where the vast majority of the fish landed by Danish vessels was already certified by the global leader in certification of (wild caught) fish products, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). MSC's high market penetration created a situation where especially small-scale fishermen felt that MSC certification had developed into a market norm without providing fishermen the benefits of demonstrating extraordinarily sustainable practices and thereby gaining competitive advantages. Rather, MSC's market penetration was perceived as undermining efforts to brand and market fish originating from small-scale fisheries as particularly sustainable. This article explores the processes that led up to the NaturSkånsom labeling scheme by applying a 'power in planning and policy framework' as an analytical lens. Through the NaturSkånsom process, the article investigates what happens when an ecolabel becomes a market norm, how small-scale fisheries actors who feel disadvantaged by such a development and environmental organizations form alliances, mobilize support and multiple resources to strengthen their positions in the political settings. The examination of this case highlights how stakeholders traditionally thought of as less resourceful can gain political influence. The article offers a glimpse into a possible, emerging future where those who perceive themselves as the most sustainable producers may increasingly view large and dominating ecolabels simultaneously as obstacles and forces for positive change.