diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 4610fea2c..5e76c4a98 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -47,14 +47,14 @@ repos:
       - id: remove-tabs
         exclude: ^docs/make.bat$|^docs/Makefile$|^dev/dags/dbt/jaffle_shop/seeds/raw_orders.csv$
   - repo: https://github.com/asottile/pyupgrade
-    rev: v3.15.1
+    rev: v3.15.2
     hooks:
       - id: pyupgrade
         args:
           - --py37-plus
           - --keep-runtime-typing
   - repo: https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff-pre-commit
-    rev: v0.3.3
+    rev: v0.3.5
     hooks:
       - id: ruff
         args:
diff --git a/cosmos/operators/azure_container_instance.py b/cosmos/operators/azure_container_instance.py
index 397a47551..d8427b2fb 100644
--- a/cosmos/operators/azure_container_instance.py
+++ b/cosmos/operators/azure_container_instance.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     )
 
 
-class DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator(AzureContainerInstancesOperator, AbstractDbtBaseOperator):  # type: ignore
+class DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator(AbstractDbtBaseOperator, AzureContainerInstancesOperator):  # type: ignore
     """
     Executes a dbt core cli command in an Azure Container Instance
     """
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def __init__(
     def build_and_run_cmd(self, context: Context, cmd_flags: list[str] | None = None) -> None:
         self.build_command(context, cmd_flags)
         self.log.info(f"Running command: {self.command}")
-        result = super().execute(context)
+        result = AzureContainerInstancesOperator.execute(self, context)
         logger.info(result)
 
     def build_command(self, context: Context, cmd_flags: list[str] | None = None) -> None:
@@ -79,13 +79,13 @@ def build_command(self, context: Context, cmd_flags: list[str] | None = None) ->
         self.command: list[str] = dbt_cmd
 
 
-class DbtLSAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtLSMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):
+class DbtLSAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtLSMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):  # type: ignore
     """
     Executes a dbt core ls command.
     """
 
 
-class DbtSeedAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtSeedMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):
+class DbtSeedAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtSeedMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):  # type: ignore
     """
     Executes a dbt core seed command.
 
@@ -95,14 +95,14 @@ class DbtSeedAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtSeedMixin, DbtAzureContainerInsta
     template_fields: Sequence[str] = DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator.template_fields + DbtRunMixin.template_fields  # type: ignore[operator]
 
 
-class DbtSnapshotAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtSnapshotMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):
+class DbtSnapshotAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtSnapshotMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):  # type: ignore
     """
     Executes a dbt core snapshot command.
 
     """
 
 
-class DbtRunAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtRunMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):
+class DbtRunAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtRunMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):  # type: ignore
     """
     Executes a dbt core run command.
     """
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class DbtRunAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtRunMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanc
     template_fields: Sequence[str] = DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator.template_fields + DbtRunMixin.template_fields  # type: ignore[operator]
 
 
-class DbtTestAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtTestMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):
+class DbtTestAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtTestMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):  # type: ignore
     """
     Executes a dbt core test command.
     """
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ def __init__(self, on_warning_callback: Callable[..., Any] | None = None, **kwar
         self.on_warning_callback = on_warning_callback
 
 
-class DbtRunOperationAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtRunOperationMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):
+class DbtRunOperationAzureContainerInstanceOperator(DbtRunOperationMixin, DbtAzureContainerInstanceBaseOperator):  # type: ignore
     """
     Executes a dbt core run-operation command.
 
diff --git a/cosmos/operators/base.py b/cosmos/operators/base.py
index 94d5d4a8c..b9f25758d 100644
--- a/cosmos/operators/base.py
+++ b/cosmos/operators/base.py
@@ -43,10 +43,11 @@ class AbstractDbtBaseOperator(BaseOperator, metaclass=ABCMeta):
         environment variables for the new process; these are used instead
         of inheriting the current process environment, which is the default
         behavior. (templated)
-    :param append_env: If False(default) uses the environment variables passed in env params
-        and does not inherit the current process environment. If True, inherits the environment variables
+    :param append_env: . If True (default), inherits the environment variables
         from current passes and then environment variable passed by the user will either update the existing
-        inherited environment variables or the new variables gets appended to it
+        inherited environment variables or the new variables gets appended to it.
+        If False, only uses the environment variables passed in env params
+        and does not inherit the current process environment.
     :param output_encoding: Output encoding of bash command
     :param skip_exit_code: If task exits with this exit code, leave the task
         in ``skipped`` state (default: 99). If set to ``None``, any non-zero
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ def __init__(
         db_name: str | None = None,
         schema: str | None = None,
         env: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
-        append_env: bool = False,
+        append_env: bool = True,
         output_encoding: str = "utf-8",
         skip_exit_code: int = 99,
         partial_parse: bool = True,
diff --git a/dev/dags/example_cosmos_sources.py b/dev/dags/example_cosmos_sources.py
index 1a85b6d9f..346f37370 100644
--- a/dev/dags/example_cosmos_sources.py
+++ b/dev/dags/example_cosmos_sources.py
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from airflow.models.dag import DAG
-from airflow.operators.dummy import DummyOperator
+
+try:  # available since Airflow 2.4.0
+    from airflow.operators.empty import EmptyOperator
+except ImportError:
+    from airflow.operators.dummy import DummyOperator as EmptyOperator
 from airflow.utils.task_group import TaskGroup
 
 from cosmos import DbtDag, ProfileConfig, ProjectConfig, RenderConfig
@@ -38,21 +42,21 @@
 
 
 # [START custom_dbt_nodes]
-# Cosmos will use this function to generate a DummyOperator task when it finds a source node, in the manifest.
+# Cosmos will use this function to generate an empty task when it finds a source node, in the manifest.
 # A more realistic use case could be to use an Airflow sensor to represent a source.
 def convert_source(dag: DAG, task_group: TaskGroup, node: DbtNode, **kwargs):
     """
-    Return an instance of DummyOperator to represent a dbt "source" node.
+    Return an instance of a desired operator to represent a dbt "source" node.
     """
-    return DummyOperator(dag=dag, task_group=task_group, task_id=f"{node.name}_source")
+    return EmptyOperator(dag=dag, task_group=task_group, task_id=f"{node.name}_source")
 
 
-# Cosmos will use this function to generate a DummyOperator task when it finds a exposure node, in the manifest.
+# Cosmos will use this function to generate an empty task when it finds a exposure node, in the manifest.
 def convert_exposure(dag: DAG, task_group: TaskGroup, node: DbtNode, **kwargs):
     """
-    Return an instance of DummyOperator to represent a dbt "exposure" node.
+    Return an instance of a desired operator to represent a dbt "exposure" node.
     """
-    return DummyOperator(dag=dag, task_group=task_group, task_id=f"{node.name}_exposure")
+    return EmptyOperator(dag=dag, task_group=task_group, task_id=f"{node.name}_exposure")
 
 
 # Use `RenderConfig` to tell Cosmos, given a node type, how to convert a dbt node into an Airflow task or task group.
diff --git a/tests/operators/test_azure_container_instance.py b/tests/operators/test_azure_container_instance.py
index 01fa3e20e..84d733ce3 100644
--- a/tests/operators/test_azure_container_instance.py
+++ b/tests/operators/test_azure_container_instance.py
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ def test_dbt_azure_container_instance_operator_get_env(p_context_to_airflow_vars
         name="my-aci",
         resource_group="my-rg",
         project_dir="my/dir",
+        append_env=False,
     )
     dbt_base_operator.env = {
         "start_date": "20220101",
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ def test_dbt_azure_container_instance_operator_check_environment_variables(
         resource_group="my-rg",
         project_dir="my/dir",
         environment_variables={"FOO": "BAR"},
+        append_env=False,
     )
     dbt_base_operator.env = {
         "start_date": "20220101",
@@ -143,3 +145,25 @@ def test_dbt_azure_container_instance_build_command():
             "start_time: '{{ data_interval_start.strftime(''%Y%m%d%H%M%S'') }}'\n",
             "--no-version-check",
         ]
+
+
+@patch("cosmos.operators.azure_container_instance.AzureContainerInstancesOperator.execute")
+def test_dbt_azure_container_instance_build_and_run_cmd(mock_execute):
+    dbt_base_operator = ConcreteDbtAzureContainerInstanceOperator(
+        ci_conn_id="my_airflow_connection",
+        task_id="my-task",
+        image="my_image",
+        region="Mordor",
+        name="my-aci",
+        resource_group="my-rg",
+        project_dir="my/dir",
+        environment_variables={"FOO": "BAR"},
+    )
+    mock_build_command = MagicMock()
+    dbt_base_operator.build_command = mock_build_command
+
+    mock_context = MagicMock()
+    dbt_base_operator.build_and_run_cmd(context=mock_context)
+
+    mock_build_command.assert_called_with(mock_context, None)
+    mock_execute.assert_called_once_with(dbt_base_operator, mock_context)
diff --git a/tests/operators/test_docker.py b/tests/operators/test_docker.py
index ad3ec5485..2cfb6b835 100644
--- a/tests/operators/test_docker.py
+++ b/tests/operators/test_docker.py
@@ -73,10 +73,7 @@ def test_dbt_docker_operator_get_env(p_context_to_airflow_vars: MagicMock, base_
     If an end user passes in a
     """
     dbt_base_operator = base_operator(
-        conn_id="my_airflow_connection",
-        task_id="my-task",
-        image="my_image",
-        project_dir="my/dir",
+        conn_id="my_airflow_connection", task_id="my-task", image="my_image", project_dir="my/dir", append_env=False
     )
     dbt_base_operator.env = {
         "start_date": "20220101",
diff --git a/tests/operators/test_kubernetes.py b/tests/operators/test_kubernetes.py
index 75739111f..d0be2acad 100644
--- a/tests/operators/test_kubernetes.py
+++ b/tests/operators/test_kubernetes.py
@@ -81,10 +81,7 @@ def test_dbt_kubernetes_operator_get_env(p_context_to_airflow_vars: MagicMock, b
     If an end user passes in a
     """
     dbt_kube_operator = base_operator(
-        conn_id="my_airflow_connection",
-        task_id="my-task",
-        image="my_image",
-        project_dir="my/dir",
+        conn_id="my_airflow_connection", task_id="my-task", image="my_image", project_dir="my/dir", append_env=False
     )
     dbt_kube_operator.env = {
         "start_date": "20220101",
@@ -254,7 +251,7 @@ def cleanup(pod: str, remote_pod: str):
 
 
 def test_created_pod():
-    ls_kwargs = {"env_vars": {"FOO": "BAR"}, "namespace": "foo"}
+    ls_kwargs = {"env_vars": {"FOO": "BAR"}, "namespace": "foo", "append_env": False}
     ls_kwargs.update(base_kwargs)
     ls_operator = DbtLSKubernetesOperator(**ls_kwargs)
     ls_operator.hook = MagicMock()
diff --git a/tests/operators/test_local.py b/tests/operators/test_local.py
index 956c2a8d1..17b98ee56 100644
--- a/tests/operators/test_local.py
+++ b/tests/operators/test_local.py
@@ -329,9 +329,7 @@ def test_dbt_base_operator_get_env(p_context_to_airflow_vars: MagicMock) -> None
     If an end user passes in a
     """
     dbt_base_operator = ConcreteDbtLocalBaseOperator(
-        profile_config=profile_config,
-        task_id="my-task",
-        project_dir="my/dir",
+        profile_config=profile_config, task_id="my-task", project_dir="my/dir", append_env=False
     )
     dbt_base_operator.env = {
         "start_date": "20220101",