Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Gas Emissions (gas + emission)
Kinds of Gas Emissions Selected AbstractsFREEDOM REDUCES PER CAPITA GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONSECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 1 2005Roger Bate No abstract is available for this article. [source] Teaching and Learning Guide for: The Geopolitics of Climate ChangeGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 5 2008Jon Barnett Author's Introduction Climate change is a security problem in as much as the kinds of environmental changes that may result pose risks to peace and development. However, responsibilities for the causes of climate change, vulnerability to its effects, and capacity to solve the problem, are not equally distributed between countries, classes and cultures. There is no uniformity in the geopolitics of climate change, and this impedes solutions. Author Recommends 1.,Adger, W. N., et al. (eds) (2006). Fairness in adaptation to climate change. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. A comprehensive collection of articles on the justice dimensions of adaptation to climate change. Chapters discuss potential points at which climate change becomes ,dangerous', the issue of adaptation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the unequal outcomes of adaptation within a society, the effects of violent conflict on adaptation, the costs of adaptation, and examples from Bangladesh, Tanzania, Botswana, and Hungary. 2.,Leichenko, R., and O'Brien, K. (2008). Environmental change and globalization: double exposures. New York: Oxford University Press. This book uses examples from around the world to show the way global economic and political processes interact with environmental changes to create unequal outcomes within and across societies. A very clear demonstration of the way vulnerability to environmental change is as much driven by social processes as environmental ones, and how solutions lie within the realm of decisions about ,development' and ,environment'. 3.,Nordås, R., and Gleditsch, N. (2007). Climate conflict: common sense or nonsense? Political Geography 26 (6), pp. 627,638. doi:10.1016/j.polgeo.2007.06.003 An up-to-date, systematic and balanced review of research on the links between climate change and violent conflict. See also the other papers in this special issue of Political Geography. 4.,Parry, M., et al. (eds) (2007). Climate change 2007: impacts adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. The definitive review of all the peer-reviewed research on the way climate change may impact on places and sectors across the world. Includes chapters on ecosystems, health, human settlements, primary industries, water resources, and the major regions of the world. All chapters are available online at http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/ar4-wg2.htm 5.,Salehyan, I. (2008). From climate change to conflict? No consensus yet. Journal of Peace Research 45 (3), pp. 315,326. doi:10.1177/0022343308088812 A balanced review of research on the links between climate change and conflict, with attention to existing evidence. 6.,Schwartz, P., and Randall, D. (2003). An abrupt climate change scenario and its implications for United States national security. San Francisco, CA: Global Business Network. Gives insight into how the US security policy community is framing the problem of climate change. This needs to be read critically. Available at http://www.gbn.com/ArticleDisplayServlet.srv?aid=26231 7.,German Advisory Council on Global Change. (2007). World in transition: climate change as a security risk. Berlin, Germany: WBGU. A major report from the German Advisory Council on Global Change on the risks climate changes poses to peace and stability. Needs to be read with caution. Summary and background studies are available online at http://www.wbgu.de/wbgu_jg2007_engl.html 8.,Yamin, F., and Depedge, J. (2004). The International climate change regime: a guide to rules, institutions and procedures. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. A clear and very detailed explanation of the UNFCCC's objectives, actors, history, and challenges. A must read for anyone seeking to understand the UNFCCC process, written by two scholars with practical experience in negotiations. Online Materials 1.,Environmental Change and Security Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars http://www.wilsoncenter.org/ecsp The major website for information about environmental security. From here, you can download many reports and studies, including the Environmental Change and Security Project Report. 2.,Global Environmental Change and Human Security Project http://www.gechs.org This website is a clearing house for work and events on environmental change and human security. 3.,Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) http://www.ipcc.ch/ From this website, you can download all the chapters of all the IPCC's reports, including its comprehensive and highly influential assessment reports, the most recent of which was published in 2007. The IPCC were awarded of the Nobel Peace Prize ,for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made (sic) climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change'. 4.,Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research http://www.tyndall.ac.uk The website of a major centre for research on climate change, and probably the world's leading centre for social science based analysis of climate change. From this site, you can download many publications about mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, and about various issues in the UNFCCC. 5.,United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change http://unfccc.int/ The website contains every major document relation to the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol, including the text of the agreements, national communications, country submissions, negotiated outcomes, and background documents about most key issues. Sample Syllabus: The Geopolitics of Climate Change topics for lecture and discussion Week I: Introduction Barnett, J. (2007). The geopolitics of climate change. Geography Compass 1 (6), pp. 1361,1375. United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, address to the 12th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Nairobi, 15 November 2006. Available online at http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=495&ArticleID=5424&l=en Week II: The History and Geography of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Topic: The drivers of climate change in space and time Reading Baer, P. (2006). Adaptation: who pays whom? In: Adger, N., et al. (eds) Fairness in adaptation to climate change. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, pp. 131,154. Boyden, S., and Dovers, S. (1992). Natural-resource consumption and its environmental impacts in the Western World: impacts of increasing per capita consumption. Ambio 21 (1), pp. 63,69. Week III: The Environmental Consequences of climate change Topic: The risks climate change poses to environmental systems Reading Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2007). Climate change 2007: climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability: summary for policymakers. Geneva, Switzerland: IPCC Secretariat. Watch: Al Gore. The Inconvenient Truth. Weeks IV and V: The Social Consequences of Climate Change Topic: The risks climate change poses to social systems Reading Adger, W. N. (1999). Social vulnerability to climate change and extremes in coastal Vietnam. World Development 27, pp. 249,269. Comrie, A. (2007). Climate change and human health. Geography Compass 1 (3), pp. 325,339. Leary, N., et al. (2006). For whom the bell tolls: vulnerability in a changing climate. A Synthesis from the AIACC project, AIACC Working Paper No. 21, International START Secretariat, Florida. Stern, N. (2007). Economics of climate change: the Stern review. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press (Chapters 3,5). Week VI: Mitigation of Climate Change: The UNFCCC Topic: The UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol Reading Najam, A., Huq, S., and Sokona, Y. (2003). Climate negotiations beyond Kyoto: developing countries concerns and interests. Climate Policy 3 (3), pp. 221,231. UNFCCC Secretariat. (2005). Caring for climate: a guide to the climate change convention and the Kyoto Protocol. Bonn, Germany: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat. Weeks VII and VIII: Adaptation to Climate Change Topic: What can be done to allow societies to adapt to avoid climate impacts? Reading Adger, N., et al. (2007). Assessment of adaptation practices, options, constraints and capacity. In: Parry, M., et al. (eds) Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, pp. 717,744. Burton, I., et al. (2002). From impacts assessment to adaptation priorities: the shaping of adaptation policy. Climate Policy 2 (2,3), pp. 145,159. Eakin, H., and Lemos, M. C. (2006). Adaptation and the state: Latin America and the challenge of capacity-building under globalization. Global Environmental Change: Human and Policy Dimensions 16 (1), pp. 7,18. Ziervogel, G., Bharwani, S., and Downing, T. (2006). Adapting to climate variability: pumpkins, people and policy. Natural Resources Forum 30, pp. 294,305. Weeks IX and X: Climate Change and Migration Topic: Will climate change force migration? Readings Gaim, K. (1997). Environmental causes and impact of refugee movements: a critique of the current debate. Disasters 21 (1), pp. 20,38. McLeman, R., and Smit, B. (2006). Migration as adaptation to climate change. Climatic Change 76 (1), pp. 31,53. Myers, N. (2002). Environmental refugees: a growing phenomenon of the 21st century. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 357 (1420), pp. 609,613. Perch-Nielsen, S., Bättig, M., and Imboden, D. (2008). Exploring the link between climate change and migration. Climatic Change (online first, forthcoming); doi:10.1007/s10584-008-9416-y Weeks XI and XII: Climate Change and Violent Conflict Topic: Will Climate change cause violent conflict? Readings Barnett, J., and Adger, N. (2007). Climate change, human security and violent conflict. Political Geography 26 (6), pp. 639,655. Centre for Strategic and International Studies. (2007). The age of consequences: the foreign policy and national security implications of global climate change. Washington, DC: CSIS. Nordås, R., and Gleditsch, N. (2007). Climate conflict: common sense or nonsense? Political Geography 26 (6), pp. 627,638. Schwartz, P., and Randall, D. (2003). An abrupt climate change scenario and its implications for United States national security. San Francisco, CA: Global Business Network. [online]. Retrieved on 8 April 2007 from http://www.gbn.com/ArticleDisplayServlet.srv?aid=26231 Focus Questions 1Who is most responsible for climate change? 2Who is most vulnerable to climate change? 3Does everyone have equal power in the UNFCCC process? 4Will climate change force people to migrate? Who? 5What is the relationship between adaptation to climate change and violent conflict? [source] A Spatial Analysis of Residential Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Toronto Census Metropolitan AreaJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Jared R. VandeWeghe Residential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area are spatially analyzed to determine the impact of urban form on emission-causing activities. The key finding is that over the entire region, emissions from private auto use are on par with those from fuel use for building heating. Once beyond the transit-intensive central core, private auto emissions surpass the emissions from building operations. Variation in total auto- and building-related emissions is quite significant between census tracts, ranging from 3.1 to 13.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year. Of all tracts, the top ten in terms of GHG emission are located in the lower-density suburbs, and their high emissions were largely due to private auto use. [source] Effects of E-Commerce on Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Case Study of Grocery Home Delivery in FinlandJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Hanne Siikavirta Summary In this article, we present a literature review of the general and environmental effects of e-commerce in various parts of the demand-supply chain. These are further translated into effects on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the food production and consumption system. The literature study revealed many opportunities for e-commerce to reduce GHG emissions in the food production and consumption system. Some possibly negative effects were also identified. Electronic grocery shopping (e-grocery) home delivery service was chosen as the subject of a case study because of its direct and indirect potential for reducing the GHG emissions in the food production and consumption system. GHG emission reduction potential through the implementation of various e-grocery home delivery strategies was quantified. Depending on the home delivery model used, it is possible to reduce the GHG emissions generated by grocery shopping by 18% to 87% compared with the situation in which household members go to the store themselves. We estimate that the maximum theoretical potential of e-grocery home delivery service for reducing the GHG emissions of Finland is roughly 0.3% to 1.3%; however, the current and estimated future market potential is much smaller, because the estimated market share of e-grocery services is only 10% by 2005. Narrowing the gap between the theoretical and the actual potential requires a model that would simultaneously provide additional value to the consumer and be profitable to companies. To be able to achieve significant reductions in GHG emissions, system-level innovations and changes are required. Further research is needed before conclusions can be reached as to whether e-commerce and e-grocery are useful tools in that respect. [source] Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Queensland Electricity Supply Industry: Gas and Carbon Tax ScenariosTHE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 3 2004Paul Simshauser This article examines various greenhouse gas scenarios for the electricity supply industry in the coal-rich state of Queensland. The authors use a dynamic partial equilibrium model of the Queensland electricity system to examine the effects of four alternate policy scenarios: a business-as-usual case, a centrally planned gas-fired case, and two carbon tax scenarios, the first in which the merit order of coal and gas plant is reversed, and the second in which fuel switching is undertaken. The results indicate that no scenario is capable of delivering sufficient cuts in emissions to meet a ,Kyoto equivalent' industry target. While fuel switching brought about the greatest reduction in emissions, the high cost of this scenario indicates that a more efficient outcome for the electricity supply industry in Queensland would be a broad-based Australia-wide approach to emissions abatement, so that carbon reductions can be accessed from industries capable of achieving lower cost emissions abatement. [source] Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Social Responsibility of AutomakersBUSINESS AND SOCIETY REVIEW, Issue 3 2000Donald O. Mayer First page of article [source] THE EFFICIENCY OF SEQUESTERING CARBON IN AGRICULTURAL SOILSCONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 2 2001GR Pautsch Agricultural tillage practices are important human-induced activities that can alter carbon emissions from agricultural soils and have the potential to contribute significantly to reductions in greenhouse gas emission (Lal et al., The Potential of U.S. Cropland, 1998). This research investigates the expected costs of sequestering carbon in agricultural soils under different subsidy and market-based policies. Using detailed National Resources Inventory data, we estimate the probability that farmers adopt conservation tillage practices based on a variety of exogenous characteristics and profit from conventional practices. These estimates are used with physical models of carbon sequestration to estimate the subsidy costs of achieving increased carbon sequestration with alternative subsidy schemes. [source] Assessment of methane and nitrous oxide flux from mangroves along Eastern coast of IndiaGEOFLUIDS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2008R. CHAUHAN Abstract Mangroves are considered to be a minor source of greenhouse gases (CH4 and N2O) in pristine environmental condition. However, estimates of efflux suggest that anthropogenic activities have led to a pronounced increase in greenhouse gas emission. Along the east coast of India, mangroves vary substantially in area, physiography and freshwater input, which ultimately modify the biogeochemical processes operating within this ecosystem. An attempt has here been made to elucidate the existing variation and role of climatic variability on the emission of greenhouse gases from mangroves. The flux estimates of CH4 and N2O have been quantified from Bhitarkanika mangrove accounting for spatial and temporal (seasonal) variation. The annual rates were estimated to be 0.096 × 10 9 g CH4 year,1 and 5.8 × 103g N2O year,1 for the whole mangrove area of the east coast of India. Upscaling these estimates yield an annual emission of 1.95 × 10 12 g CH4 year,1 and 1.1 × 10 11 g N2O year,1 from worldwide mangrove areas. The influence of elevated nutrient inputs through anthropogenic influence enhances the emission of greenhouse gas. The present article shows the need to develop an inventory on greenhouse gas flux from mangrove ecosystem. [source] The XMM,Newton Needles in the Haystack Survey: the local X-ray luminosity function of ,normal' galaxiesMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2005I. Georgantopoulos ABSTRACT In this paper we estimate the local (z < 0.22) X-ray luminosity function of ,normal' galaxies derived from the XMM,Newton Needles in the Haystack Survey. This is an on-going project that aims to identify X-ray-selected normal galaxies (i.e. non-AGN dominated) in the local Universe. We are using a total of 70 XMM,Newton fields covering an area of 11 deg2 which overlap with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 2. Normal galaxies are selected on the basis of their resolved optical light profile, their low X-ray-to-optical flux ratio [log (fx/fo) < , 2] and soft X-ray colours. We find a total of 28 candidate normal galaxies to the 0.5,8 keV band flux limit of ,2 × 10,15 erg cm,2 s,1. Optical spectra are available for most sources in our sample (82 per cent). These provide additional evidence that our sources are bona fide normal galaxies with X-ray emission coming from diffuse hot gas emission and/or X-ray binaries rather than a supermassive black hole. 16 of our galaxies have narrow emission lines or a late-type spectral energy distribution (SED) while the remaining 12 present only absorption lines or an early-type SED. Combining our XMM,Newton sample with 18 local (z < 0.22) galaxies from the Chandra Deep Field North and South surveys, we construct the local X-ray luminosity function of normal galaxies. This can be represented with a Schechter form with a break at L,, 3+1.4,1.0× 1041 erg s,1 and a slope of ,, 1.78 ± 0.12. Using this luminosity function and assuming pure luminosity evolution of the form ,(1 +z)3.3 we estimate a contribution to the X-ray background from normal galaxies of ,10,20 per cent (0.5,8 keV). Finally, we derive, for the first time, the luminosity functions for early- and late-type systems separately. [source] , -model and cooling flows in X-ray clusters of galaxiesMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2000Stefano Ettori The spatial emission from the core of cooling-flow clusters of galaxies is inadequately described by a , -model. Spectrally, the central region of these clusters is well approximated with a two-temperature model, where the inner temperature represents the multiphase status of the core and the outer temperature is a measure of the ambient gas temperature. Following this observational evidence, I extend the use of the , -model to a two-phase gas emission, where the two components coexist within a boundary radius rcool and the ambient gas alone fills the volume shell at a radius above rcool. This simple model still provides an analytic expression for the total surface brightness profile (Note in the first term the different sign with respect to the standard , -model.) Based upon a physically meaningful model for the X-ray emission, this formula can be used (i) to improve significantly the modelling of the surface brightness profile of cooling flow clusters of galaxies when compared to the standard , -model results, (ii) to constrain properly the physical characteristics of the intracluster plasma in the outskirts, like, e.g., the ambient gas temperature. [source] Operation of a municipal solid waste co-combustion pilot plantASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2007V. K. C. Lee Abstract The co-combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a novel and highly integrated design combining cement manufacturing, thermal processing of MSW and energy/electricity production (termed the Co-Co process). This novel design of the Co-Co process was developed in 2003,2004 and a pilot plant with a capacity of 40 tonnes per day was constructed and commissioned in 2005. The pilot plant was operated for a period of 10 weeks during 2005. Various feed protocols, namely, MSW as received and after removal of recyclables, were tested. Stack emissions were monitored either continuously (gas emission) or periodically (dioxins and heavy metal emissions). Solid residues including bottom ash and fly ash were also sampled and analysed for heavy metals and dioxins periodically. It was found that the levels of dioxins in the stack emissions and fly ash were below normal MSW thermal treatment processes, and government environmental and international limits (more than 1000 times less). Other gases, such CO, NOx, SOx and HCl, were also well below government environmental licence limits as defined by a best practical means (BPM). In addition, the materials recovery and recycling facility (MRRF) was tested. It demonstrated that different fractions, including metals, plastics and glass, of the MSW could be separated and recovered. The Co-Co process was successfully demonstrated and its emission levels were well below normal MSW thermal treatment processes. Copyright © 2007 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Economic Growth and Biodiversity Loss in an Age of Tradable PermitsCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2006JON ROSALES comercio de emisiones; límite y comercio; proceso ciencia-política; Protocolo de Kyoto Abstract:,Tradable permits are increasingly becoming part of environmental policy and conservation programs. The efficacy of tradable permit schemes in addressing the root cause of environmental decline,economic growth,will not be achieved unless the schemes cap economic activity based on ecological thresholds. Lessons can be learned from the largest tradable permit scheme to date, emissions trading now being implemented with the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol caps neither greenhouse gas emissions at a level that will achieve climate stability nor economic growth. If patterned after the Kyoto Protocol, cap-and-trade schemes for conservation will not ameliorate biodiversity loss either because they will not address economic growth. In response to these failures to cap economic growth, professional organizations concerned about biodiversity conservation should release position statements on economic growth and ecological thresholds. The statements can then be used by policy makers to infuse these positions into the local, national, and international environmental science-policy process when these schemes are being developed. Infusing language into the science-policy process that calls for capping economic activity based on ecological thresholds represents sound conservation science. Most importantly, position statements have a greater potential to ameliorate biodiversity loss if they are created and released than if this information remains within professional organizations because there is the potential for these ideas to be enacted into law and policy. Resumen:,Cada vez más, los permisos comerciables son parte de la política ambiental y de los programas de conservación. La eficacia de los esquemas de permisos comerciables para atender la causa principal de la declinación ambiental,crecimiento económico,será baja a menos que los esquemas limiten la actividad económica con base en umbrales ecológicos. Se pueden aprender lecciones del mayor esquema de permisos comerciables a la fecha, la comercialización de emisiones implementada con el Protocolo de Kyoto. El Protocolo de Kyoto no limita a las emisiones de gases a un nivel que logre la estabilidad climática ni al crecimiento económico. Si se sigue el modelo del Protocolo de Kyoto, los esquemas de límite y comercio tampoco reducirán las pérdidas de biodiversidad porque no considerarán al crecimiento económico. En respuesta a estas fallas para limitar el crecimiento económico, las organizaciones profesionales preocupadas por la conservación de la biodiversidad deberían emitir declaraciones sobre su posición respecto a umbrales ecológicos y de crecimiento económico. Las declaraciones luego pueden ser usadas por políticos para infundir estas posiciones en el proceso ciencia ambiental-política a nivel local, nacional e internacional cuando estos esquemas estén siendo desarrollados. La infusión de lenguaje que demanda la limitación de actividades de crecimiento económico con base en umbrales ecológicos es ciencia de la conservación sólida. Más notablemente, las declaraciones de posición tienen un mayor potencial para reducir las pérdidas de biodiversidad si son creadas y publicadas que si esta información permanece dentro de las organizaciones profesionales porque existe el potencial para que estas ideas se constituyan en leyes y políticas. [source] Native wildlife on rangelands to minimize methane and produce lower-emission meat: kangaroos versus livestockCONSERVATION LETTERS, Issue 3 2008George R. Wilson Abstract Ruminant livestock produce the greenhouse gas methane and so contribute to global warming and biodiversity reduction. Methane from the foregut of cattle and sheep constitutes 11% of Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Kangaroos, on the other hand, are nonruminant forestomach fermenters that produce negligible amounts of methane. We quantified the GHG savings Australia could make if livestock were reduced on the rangelands where kangaroo harvesting occurs and kangaroo numbers increased to 175 million to produce same amount of meat. Removing 7 million cattle and 36 million sheep by 2020 would lower Australia's GHG emissions by 16 megatonnes, or 3% of Australia's annual emissions. However, the change will require large cultural and social adjustments and reinvestment. Trials are underway based on international experiences of managing free-ranging species. They are enabling collaboration between farmers, and if they also show benefits to sustainability, rural productivity, and conservation of biodiversity, they could be expanded to incorporate change on the scale of this article. Farmers have few options to reduce the contribution that livestock make to GHG production. Using kangaroos to produce low-emission meat is an option for the Australian rangelands which would avoid permit fees under Australia's Emissions Trading Scheme, and could even have global application. [source] Climate-Change Mitigation Revisited: Low-Carbon Energy Transitions for China and IndiaDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 6 2009Frauke Urban China and India are heavily dependent on high-carbon fossil fuels. This article elaborates the implications of low-carbon energy transitions in the two countries, which can mitigate their serious contribution to climate change while allowing economic growth. Three modelling case studies are presented: for the Chinese power sector, the economy of Beijing and rural Indian households without access to electricity. They demonstrate a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, while costs are likely to increase. Financial assistance and technology transfer will be needed to support their efforts towards a climate-friendly low-carbon economy. [source] Greenhouse gas buildup, sardines, submarine eruptions and the possibility of abrupt degradation of intense marine upwelling ecosystemsECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 11 2004Andrew Bakun Abstract Widespread hypoxia and massive eruptions of noxious, radiatively active gases currently characterize the world's strongest eastern ocean upwelling zone. Theory, modelling results and observations suggest that the world's coastal upwelling zones will undergo progressive intensification in response to greenhouse gas buildup. This presents the prospect of progressive development of similarly degraded marine ecosystems in additional regions and of a contributing feedback loop involving associated additions to the global buildup rate of greenhouse gases, resulting further increases in upwelling intensity, creation of additional sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and so on. Abundant sardine stocks might be a mitigating factor opposing the process. [source] Is it simply getting worse?ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 4 2008Agriculture, Swedish greenhouse gas emissions over 200 years This paper challenges the idea that emissions of greenhouse gases simply increase over time with income. It adopts a 200-year perspective and includes the important flows of greenhouse gases related to agriculture, not just the CO2 from fossil fuels. The result is that the pattern of Swedish total greenhouse gas emissions over time resembles an N. In contrast, when only emissions from fossil fuels are counted, the pattern over time resembles an inverted U. Among the most important factors generating emissions in agriculture, forest management was especially important, but in addition, draining of wetlands for agriculture played a substantial role. [source] Evidence-based policy or policy-based evidence gathering?ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 5 2010Biofuels, the 10% target, the EU Abstract The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive mandates EU member-states' road transport fuel to comprise a minimum of 10% renewable content by 2020. This target is expected to be met predominantly from biofuels. However, scientific evidence is increasingly questioning the ability of biofuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when factors such as indirect land-use change are taken into consideration. This paper interrogates the 10% target, critically assessing its political motivations, use of scientific evidence and the actions of an individual policy entrepreneur who played a central role in its adoption. We find that the commitment of EU decision-making bodies to internal guidelines on the use of expertise and the precautionary principle was questionable, despite the scientific uncertainty inherent in the biofuels debate. Imperatives located in the political space dominated scientific evidence and led to a process of ,policy-based evidence gathering' to justify the policy choice of a 10% renewable energy/biofuels target. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Adaptation to climate change in the European union: efficiency versus equity considerationsENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2010Stine Aakre Abstract EU climate policy based on reduction (mitigation) of greenhouse gas emissions is coupled with measures aimed at responding efficiently to the unavoidable consequences of climate change (adaptation). However, as the European Commission stated recently in its Green and White Papers on adaptation in Europe, there is still need to develop an overall EU adaptation strategy. Moreover, such a strategy should take into consideration both efficiency and equity concerns. In this article we propose a framework for EU adaptation policy that addresses the two concerns and which enables a transparent decision-making process. In the proposed scheme universal weightings of the individual policy objectives have to be agreed upon prior to actual decision-making. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Examining the use of subsidies for the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions through experimental simulationsENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 4 2006Lars E. Olsson Abstract A market experiment was designed to empirically investigate the potential effectiveness of a governmental subsidy system to reduce sales and therefore production of environmentally harmful products. The important issue of whether the subsidy system preserves competitiveness was also examined. In the experiment two levels of a subsidy for unsold units were compared with no subsidy. To simulate the way in which subsidy levels may vary across time in real markets, the effects of high and low uncertainty regarding the subsidy level were also investigated. The results showed that subsidies, whether known and fixed or uncertain and varying, did not erode competition but nevertheless led to higher prices, which resulted in fewer sales. In the control condition a price war resulting in decreasing prices and increasing sales were observed. Several ways in which the proposed subsidy system may be implemented in the transport sector and other sectors are discussed. It is suggested that subsidies may make the adjustment process toward sustainable production less costly for the regulated parties. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Combining policy instruments to curb greenhouse gas emissionsENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2001Olivier Bahn The Kyoto Protocol has set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for selected countries. To comply with these reduction requirements, decision-makers may use market-based instruments on a national or international basis. This paper advocates the combining of national emission taxes with international trade of emission permits. As a numerical application, this paper analyses macro-economic impacts of such a strategy for Switzerland. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [source] Bioethanol from agricultural waste residuesENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 1 2008Pascale Champagne Abstract Under the Kyoto Protocol, the Government of Canada has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 6% from 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. Ethanol-blended gasolines have the potential to contribute significantly to these emission reductions. Ethanol is derived from biologically renewable resources and can be employed to replace octane enhancers and aromatic hydrocarbons or oxygenates. To date, the ethanol production industry in Canada is comprised mainly of small-scale plants producing ethanol primarily from agricultural crops as feedstock. Research interests in the area of bioethanol production from organic waste materials emerged in the late 1980. Significant advances in lignocellulosic material extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis have been reported in the last decade, however, continued research efforts are essential for the development of technically feasible and economically viable large-scale enzyme-based biomass-to-ethanol conversion processes. This research aims to develop and test an enzyme-based biomass-to-ethanol conversion process, which employs organic waste materials, such as livestock manures, as alternative sources of cellulosic material feedstock. The source of the livestock manure, manure management practices and cellulose extraction procedures have a significant impact on the quantity and quality of the cellulosic materials derived. As such, raw feedstock materials must be carefully characterized to assess the impact of these factors on the yield of bioethanol and residual end products. The success of cellulose-to-ethanol conversion processes for cellulose extracted from these waste materials as feedstock is generally a function of cellulose fiber pretreatment, enzyme selection and operating conditions. These will differ depending on the source of the waste material feedstock. The long-term benefits of this research will be to introduce a sustainable solid waste management strategy for a number of livestock manure and other lignocellulosic waste materials; contribute to the mitigation in greenhouse gases through sustained carbon and nutrient recycling; reduce the potential for water, air, and soil contamination associated with land disposal of organic waste materials; and to broaden the feedstock source of raw materials for the ethanol production industry. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2008 [source] Implementing a global greenhouse gas emissions trading programENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 4 2002Ryan ZarnitzArticle first published online: 20 APR 200 The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 loosely outlines a variety of possible greenhouse gas emissions trading plans. Emissions trading has been used successfully in the U.S. to reduce emissions of SO2, NOx, and CFCs, and to eliminate use of leaded gasoline. A brief review of these programs is presented, followed by a discussion of the elements that made them successful. These success factors will then be discussed in the context of a global greenhouse gas trading system. Trading may help substantially reduce emissions by channeling funds to the location where the most reduction per unit of currency is achieved. However, the effectiveness of the Kyoto protocol is in severe jeopardy due to a lack of interest by the U.S. government. [source] Identity of active methanotrophs in landfill cover soil as revealed by DNA-stable isotope probingFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Aurélie Cébron Abstract A considerable amount of methane produced during decomposition of landfill waste can be oxidized in landfill cover soil by methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. The identity of active methanotrophs in Roscommon landfill cover soil, a slightly acidic peat soil, was assessed by DNA-stable isotope probing (SIP). Landfill cover soil slurries were incubated with 13C-labelled methane and under either nutrient-rich nitrate mineral salt medium or water. The identity of active methanotrophs was revealed by analysis of 13C-labelled DNA fractions. The diversity of functional genes (pmoA and mmoX) and 16S rRNA genes was analyzed using clone libraries, microarrays and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that the cover soil was mainly dominated by Type II methanotrophs closely related to the genera Methylocella and Methylocapsa and to Methylocystis species. These results were supported by analysis of mmoX genes in 13C-DNA. Analysis of pmoA gene diversity indicated that a significant proportion of active bacteria were also closely related to the Type I methanotrophs, Methylobacter and Methylomonas species. Environmental conditions in the slightly acidic peat soil from Roscommon landfill cover allow establishment of both Type I and Type II methanotrophs. [source] Assessment of Fuel-Cell-Based Passenger CarsFUEL CELLS, Issue 3 2004T. Grube Abstract Highly efficient energy conversion systems with fuel cells for vehicles, as well as for stationary and portable applications, are currently being discussed all over the world. Fuel cell technology is expected to help reduce primary energy demand and emissions of limited and climate-relevant pollutants. The high flexibility of fuel cell systems with respect to energy carriers opens up possibilities of modifying the energy sector in the long term. Introducing new fuels based on low-carbon, or in the long term carbon-free, energy carriers can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as locally and regionally active atmospheric pollutants. The use of hydrogen as feed gas for fuel cells on the basis of it being a non-fossil, renewable energy, leads to special benefits with respect to conserving resources and climate protection, but at present still represents a medium- to long-term prospect. A major milestone on the road to market success for all energy conversion systems with fuel cells is the reduction of costs. The definition of the ,appropriate" fuel represents a serious obstacle to the market introduction of fuel-cell-powered vehicles. Presenting data from a well-to-wheel analysis of various vehicle fuel systems at FZJ this article aims to discuss the potential benefits of future vehicle concepts with fuel cells in terms of primary energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Results from a comparison of international studies on this subject will be used to identify relevant assumptions that lead to different answers in the evaluation process. [source] Hydrogen for the Mobility of the Future Results of GM/Opel's Well-to-Wheel Studies in North America and EuropeFUEL CELLS, Issue 3 2003U. Winter Abstract General Motors conducted two well-to-wheel studies for fundamental clarification on the question of which is the cleanest and most environmentally sustainable source of energy for the mobility of the future. In both studies the complete energy chains were analyzed from fuel production using primary energy to the actual consumption of the fuel in the car, i.e. from the well up to the wheels of the vehicle (well to wheel). The aim of the studies was to evaluate total energy consumption on the one hand and, on the other, the total greenhouse gas emissions arising between the production of a fuel and its final use to power an automobile. The results of the studies clearly show that fuel cell vehicles can greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars or, if they run on hydrogen from renewable energy sources, they can eliminate them entirely. Regenerative fuels, however, will be more expensive than current products. With the fuel cell, because of its superior efficiency (35 , 45% less energy consumption well to wheel), it will be possible to keep individual mobility affordable in the future. [source] Greenhouse gas emissions from four bioenergy crops in England and Wales: Integrating spatial estimates of yield and soil carbon balance in life cycle analysesGCB BIOENERGY, Issue 4 2009JONATHAN HILLIER Abstract Accurate estimation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential of bioenergy crops requires the integration of a significant component of spatially varying information. In particular, crop yield and soil carbon (C) stocks are variables which are generally soil type and climate dependent. Since gaseous emissions from soil C depend on current C stocks, which in turn are related to previous land management it is important to consider both previous and proposed future land use in any C accounting assessment. We have conducted a spatially explicit study for England and Wales, coupling empirical yield maps with the RothC soil C turnover model to simulate soil C dynamics. We estimate soil C changes under proposed planting of four bioenergy crops, Miscanthus (Miscanthus×giganteus), short rotation coppice (SRC) poplar (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray ×P. trichocarpa, var. Trichobel), winter wheat, and oilseed rape. This is then related to the former land use , arable, pasture, or forest/seminatural, and the outputs are then assessed in the context of a life cycle analysis (LCA) for each crop. By offsetting emissions from management under the previous land use, and considering fossil fuel C displaced, the GHG balance is estimated for each of the 12 land use change transitions associated with replacing arable, grassland, or forest/seminatural land, with each of the four bioenergy crops. Miscanthus and SRC are likely to have a mostly beneficial impact in reducing GHG emissions, while oilseed rape and winter wheat have either a net GHG cost, or only a marginal benefit. Previous land use is important and can make the difference between the bioenergy crop being beneficial or worse than the existing land use in terms of GHG balance. [source] A semimechanistic model predicting the growth and production of the bioenergy crop Miscanthus×giganteus: description, parameterization and validationGCB BIOENERGY, Issue 4 2009FERNANDO E. MIGUEZ Abstract Biomass based bioenergy is promoted as a major sustainable energy source which can simultaneously decrease net greenhouse gas emissions. Miscanthus×giganteus (M.×giganteus), a C4 perennial grass with high nitrogen, water, and light use efficiencies, is regarded as a promising energy crop for biomass production. Mathematical models which can accurately predict M.×giganteus biomass production potential under different conditions are critical to evaluate the feasibility of its production in different environments. Although previous models based on light-conversion efficiency have been shown to provide good predictions of yield, they cannot easily be used in assessing the value of physiological trait improvement or ecosystem processes. Here, we described in detail the physical and physiological processes of a previously published generic mechanistic eco-physiological model, WIMOVAC, adapted and parameterized for M.×giganteus. Parameterized for one location in England, the model was able to realistically predict daily field diurnal photosynthesis and seasonal biomass at a range of other sites from European studies. The model provides a framework that will allow incorporation of further mechanistic information as it is developed for this new crop. [source] From renewable energy to fire risk reduction: a synthesis of biomass harvesting and utilization case studies in US forestsGCB BIOENERGY, Issue 3 2009A. M. EVANS Abstract The volatile costs of fossil fuels, concerns about the associated greenhouse gas emissions from these fuels, and the threat of catastrophic wildfires in western North America have resulted in increased interest and activity in the removal and use of woody biomass from forests. However, significant economic and logistical challenges lie between the forests and the consumers of woody biomass. In this study, we provide a current snapshot of how biomass is being removed from forests and used across the United States to demonstrate the wide variety of successful strategies, funding sources, harvesting operations, utilization outlets, and silvicultural prescriptions. Through an analysis of 45 case studies, we identified three themes that consistently frame each biomass removal and utilization operation: management objectives, ecology, and economics. The variety and combination of project objectives exemplified by the case studies means biomass removals are complex and difficult to categorize for analysis. However, the combination of objectives allows projects to take advantage of unique opportunities such as multiple funding sources and multiparty collaboration. The case studies also provide insight into the importance of ecological considerations in biomass removal both because of the opportunity for forest restoration and the risk of site degradation. The national view of the economic aspects of biomass removal provided by this wide variety of case studies includes price and cost ranges. This study is an important first step that helps define woody biomass removals which are becoming an essential part of forestry in the 21st century. [source] Exelon engages employees in climate-change challengeGLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 3 2010Howard N. Karesh Exelon Corporation, one of the first U.S. utilities to advocate for federal climate-change legislation, has moved into uncharted territory as it seeks to fully engage employees in its ambitious goal for significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and its roadmap to a low-carbon future. Despite a multipronged internal communications program, enterprise-level efforts did not sustain the employee enthusiasm that accompanied the July 2008 launch of the Exelon 2020 low-carbon roadmap, and the company went back to the drawing board. The Exelon 2020 Engagement Team,this time rechartered around action rather than conversation about employee environmental initiatives,has driven a second round of efforts. The early success of an employee film festival, a contest around at-home energy conservation, and empowering local green councils to run with the ball has fueled cautious optimism that employees are finally jumping aboard. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Ecosystem,atmosphere exchange of CH4 and N2O and ecosystem respiration in wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeastern ChinaGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009CHANGCHUN SONG Abstract Natural wetlands are critically important to global change because of their role in modulating atmospheric concentrations of CO2, CH4, and N2O. One 4-year continuous observation was conducted to examine the exchanges of CH4 and N2O between three wetland ecosystems and the atmosphere as well as the ecosystem respiration in the Sanjiang Plain in Northeastern China. From 2002 to 2005, the mean annual budgets of CH4 and N2O, and ecosystem respiration were 39.40 ± 6.99 g C m,2 yr,1, 0.124 ± 0.05 g N m,2 yr,1, and 513.55 ± 8.58 g C m,2 yr,1 for permanently inundated wetland; 4.36 ± 1.79 g C m,2 yr,1, 0.11 ± 0.12 g N m,2 yr,1, and 880.50 ± 71.72 g C m,2 yr,1 for seasonally inundated wetland; and 0.21 ± 0.1 g C m,2 yr,1, 0.28 ± 0.11 g N m,2 yr,1, and 1212.83 ± 191.98 g C m,2 yr,1 for shrub swamp. The substantial interannual variation of gas fluxes was due to the significant climatic variability which underscores the importance of long-term continuous observations. The apparent seasonal pattern of gas emissions associated with a significant relationship of gas fluxes to air temperature implied the potential effect of global warming on greenhouse gas emissions from natural wetlands. The budgets of CH4 and N2O fluxes and ecosystem respiration were highly variable among three wetland types, which suggest the uncertainties in previous studies in which all kinds of natural wetlands were treated as one or two functional types. New classification of global natural wetlands in more detailed level is highly expected. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||