Amount Of Greenhouse Gases Research Articles

Estimating the long-term effects of different passenger car technologies on energy/fuel consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases in Europe

This paper estimates the prospective long-term effects of innovative and new passenger car technologies such as hybrid vehicles, battery electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on energy/fuel consumption and related emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in a given region – Europe. For such purposes, a methodology for estimating these effects is developed consisting of three models: (1) a model for determining the volumes of passenger car use; (2) a model for calculating energy consumption of particular passenger car technologies; and (3) a model for quantifying emissions of GHG by these passenger car technologies under given conditions. The methodology is applied to the region of the 27 Member States of the European Union using the ‘what-if?’ scenario approach. Results include estimates of the annual and cumulative quantities of GHGs in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents emitted under the given scenarios.

Human Responses to Climate Change will Seriously Impact Biodiversity Conservation: It's Time We Start Planning for Them

The consequences for biodiversity of human-driven climate change cannot be ignored. The rate at which the earth is warming is accelerating, and it is likely to take centuries for the climate system to sync back to a natural climate cycle, regardless of the mitigation policies implemented. The quantity of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is such that climate change can now no longer be considered a ‘future threat’. Across the planet we are already witnessing, among other things, change in species’ phenology, distributions and abundance, mass coral bleaching events, changes in fire frequency, and the loss of ecosystems due to rapid de-glaciation and sea-level rise. The chorus of concern on what climate change means for biodiversity has driven an extraordinary increase in research into both impacts and, sometimes, potential solutions. Over the past decade the number of articles published in the peer-reviewed conservation literature has grown on average by 20% per annum. This growth is both staggering and laudable as it highlights how serious the conservation science community is about tackling the threat that human-driven climate change poses. Nevertheless, a quick examination of the climate change literature reveals that when assessing how, where and why species and ecosystems are vulnerable to climate change, and the different adaptation strategies that need to be implemented to cope with the challenges climate change presents, most conservation scientists usually ignore the single most significant impact: how humans are likely to respond and adapt. In almost all impact and planning assessments published to date, the reality that many species’ abilities to respond to climate change is already impaired by a myriad of interacting threatening processes driven by human activities (e.g., habitat destruction, fragmentation, altered fire regimes) is ignored. Furthermore, as humans continue to respond to a changing climate, these threatening processes are likely to either change and/or intensify in both space and time. The ways in which humans respond to climate change is already driving many of the climate-related

The rise of carbon emissions trading in China: a panacea for climate change?

The carbon emissions trading scheme (ETS) has become one of the most important and universal measures adopted to mitigate climate change. As the largest emitter and a major developing country, China is also preparing for the introduction of a mandatory cap-and-trade pilot scheme. This article takes a close look at the ETS for China from a legal perspective. If China is to have a new carbon market, that market will undoubtedly need to have a legal basis. The following three central pillars of the legal basis for a cap-and-trade programme are analysed under China's legislative framework: first, the government should have power to set limits on the total amount of certain greenhouse gas (GHG); second, the regulated entities must be under obligation to reduce emissions; and third, the participating entities should have legitimate interests of legal right to emit certain amounts of GHG. It can be found that policy and principle of carbon trading in China are clear and definite, but the legal basis and legal support for operating the carbon market are quite obscure. Without explicit legal provisions and prudent regulatory authority, it is doubtful that emissions trading can be successfully applied to address climate change.

The roles of livestock in developing countries

Livestock play a significant role in rural livelihoods and the economies of developing countries. They are providers of income and employment for producers and others working in, sometimes complex, value chains. They are a crucial asset and safety net for the poor, especially for women and pastoralist groups, and they provide an important source of nourishment for billions of rural and urban households. These socio-economic roles and others are increasing in importance as the sector grows because of increasing human populations, incomes and urbanisation rates. To provide these benefits, the sector uses a significant amount of land, water, biomass and other resources and emits a considerable quantity of greenhouse gases. There is concern on how to manage the sector's growth, so that these benefits can be attained at a lower environmental cost. Livestock and environment interactions in developing countries can be both positive and negative. On the one hand, manures from ruminant systems can be a valuable source of nutrients for smallholder crops, whereas in more industrial systems, or where there are large concentrations of animals, they can pollute water sources. On the other hand, ruminant systems in developing countries can be considered relatively resource-use inefficient. Because of the high yield gaps in most of these production systems, increasing the efficiency of the livestock sector through sustainable intensification practices presents a real opportunity where research and development can contribute to provide more sustainable solutions. In order to achieve this, it is necessary that production systems become market-orientated, better regulated in cases, and socially acceptable so that the right mix of incentives exists for the systems to intensify. Managing the required intensification and the shifts to new value chains is also essential to avoid a potential increase in zoonotic, food-borne and other diseases. New diversification options and improved safety nets will also be essential when intensification is not the primary avenue for developing the livestock sector. These processes will need to be supported by agile and effective public and private institutions.

Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Potential of Sugarcane Field Residues Power Generation in Thailand

This paper presents an approach to evaluate the net energy potential of sugarcane field residues in Thailand. It was estimated that around 13,595 ktons of sugarcane field residues was burned in the field annually in the country. Assuming 100% collection efficiency, this amount could be converted to 210.46 PJ through power generation. The quantity of greenhouse gases (GHGs) including CO2, CH4, and N2O emitted from open burning of sugarcane residues was compared to that released from power production using life cycle analysis methodology for the estimation. It was found that the avoided GHG emissions obtained for power generation represent 11,836 ktons CO2equivalent, based on the country specific emission factor of electricity production using coal as fuel of 1.09 kg CO2/kWh. Although this enormous potential for energy production in Thailand, sugarcane field residues availability is subject to seasonal variability, which limits its capacity to serve as fuel for power generation. The total avoided GHG emissions were therefore 11,836 ktons CO2eq and 8,285 ktons CO2eq annually for collection efficiency of 100% and 70%, respectively. Comparatively to the national CO2 emissions from coal power generation of 34,532 ktons CO2eq in 2011, the avoided GHG emissions would be about 34% and 24% for collection efficiency of 100% and 70%, respectively. Index Terms—Greenhouse gas (GHG), sugarcane field residues, power generation, open burning, emission reduction.

Optimum Decision Policy For Replacement of Conventional Energy Sources by Renewable Ones

With the increase of world population and industrial growth of developing countries, demand for energy, in particular electric power, has gone up at an unprecedented rate over the last four decades. To meet the demand, electric power generation by use of fossil fuel has increased enormously thereby producing increased quantity of greenhouse gases contributing more and more to atmospheric pollution which, climate Scientists believe, can adversely affect the global climate, and health and welfare of world population. In view of these, there is global awareness of looking for alternate sources of energy such as natural gas, hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal and finally biomass etc. It is recognized that this requires replacement of existing infrastructure with new systems, which cannot be achieved overnight. Optimal control theory has been widely used for the last five decades in diverse areas of physical sciences, medicine, engineering, economics and social sciences. The main motivation of this article is to use this theory to find the optimum strategy (decision or policy) for integration of all currently available renewable energy sources with the existing electric power generating systems with the ultimate goal of elimination of fossil fuel. Eight main energy sources such as Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas, Conventional Hydro, Wind, Solar, Geothermal and Biomass are considered in a dynamic model. The state of the dynamic model represents the level of power generation from each of the sources at any time t. The proposed objective function is based on the desired target level of power generation from each of the available sources at the end of the plan period while reducing the production of greenhouse gasses. Pontryagin Minimum principle is used to determine the optimal control or decision policy. Official released data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration is used as a case study. Based on this data and a mathematical model proposed in a paper (Miah, Ahmed and Chowdhury, 2012) published by Energy Economics combined with the minimum principle, an optimal policy is presented for integration of renewable energy sources to the national power grid.

Impact of climate change on health and strategies for mitigation and adaptation.

Climate change and its negative impacts on health are now globally recognized. A wide variety of diseases and health conditions - ranging from heat and radiation-related illnesses to water and vector-borne diseases, under-nutrition, respiratory and cardiac problems, drowning, injuries and mental stress arising from extreme and sudden weather events and their resultant population displacements - all have been associated with various components of changing climate. However, the exact nature and extent of such impacts are yet to be firmly established since many other non-climate factors also produce or affect similar outcomes. This calls for more research specially from the underdeveloped countries, where such impacts are disproportionately more but reliable data are remarkably less. Recognizing the importance of human influences on global warming, almost all countries in the world have undertaken some kind of policies and measures to mitigate adverse climatic changes. Unfortunately, even without further addition of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in our climate, the amount of GHGs already released has the potential to continue the damages for many more decades to come. Thus, all countries should also place priorities in assessing their own vulnerabilities from climate change and take adaptive measures accordingly. As climate change exerts its impact simultaneously in many non-health sectors as well, this would require strong intersectoral cooperation at various levels.

Using GATT Flexibilities to Produce a WTO-Consistent Shift Toward More Climate-Friendly Consumption Patterns: An Analysis of GATT Article III from the Perspective of Greenhouse Gas Consumption Taxes

Taxes on goods according to the quantity of greenhouse gases or energy they contain are capable of addressing some of the most significant failings of the multilateral effort to mitigate global climate change. By focussing on consumption and including the greenhouse gases effectively embedded in imports, such measures tackle the mounting problem of so-called carbon leakage and afford developed countries committed to combating climate change an opportunity to influence a far greater portion of global greenhouse gas emissions than those that their action under the production-based developed country focussed UNFCCC regime address. However, by altering the consumption patterns of domestic and imported goods according to their embedded greenhouse gas content, such measures are subject to the constraints of international trade law. The present article undertakes an in-depth analysis of the GATT’s anti-discrimination rules in an effort to identify the policy space afforded to greenhouse gas consumption taxes, undoubtedly one of the most effective consumption-based climate change policies. The complex situation that would be created by a comprehensive greenhouse gas consumption tax programme reveals several important and heretofore under-analysed issues of WTO law including questions as to which products must be compared to establish de facto discrimination and the precise meaning of the “so as to afford protection” requirement for the rule in GATT article III: 2 second sentence. A balanced reading of the relevant WTO jurisprudence and how the GATT’s anti-discrimination rules would apply to greenhouse gas consumption taxes reveals several flexibilities for certain types of nonetheless effective environmental tax measures. It is accordingly submitted that, by crafting any unilateral climate change consumption-based policy around such flexibilities in the fundamental GATT anti-discrimination rules, WTO Members may comply with WTO law even without what would be somewhat dangerous reliance on the general exceptions of GATT article XX. If greenhouse gas consumption-based regulation indeed constitutes a potential way forward for the stalled international effort to mitigate climate change, this article shows that WTO law will not stand in the way of implementations of even some of the more potent forms of such regulation.

Modelling of greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste disposal in Africa

Data on waste management in Africa are poor. There is uncertainty over the quantity of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from waste management, notably from waste disposal. Data have been collected on solid waste management for territories in Africa and a multi-phase first order decay (FOD) model has been prepared to calculate GHG emissions from waste disposal in accordance with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidance. The multi-phase FOD model calculates the GHG emissions from waste disposal as 8.1% of the total GHG emissions in Africa in 2010. This is similar to the last published figure of 6.8% for 2004 data but considerably more than the world average figure of 3% GHG emissions from landfill. Probability modelling of the data used to calculate the multi-phase FOD model demonstrates that the data are variable, with a high standard deviation. The GHG emission rate from waste disposal in African territories will increase leading to further climate change as the population increases and becomes more urbanised. Whilst the UNFCCC is dedicated to minimise climate change globally, this paper demonstrates the need for the creation, at the African level, of a waste management body to assess the situation country by country with the objective to elaborate country specific recommendations for waste management.

Greenhouse gas emissions from New Zealand agriculture: issues, perspectives and industry response

The prosperity of New Zealand (NZ) rests to a large extent on agriculture. Although our total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are unusually small for a developed nation, agricultural emissions make up almost half of the total emissions from NZ. Emissions from NZ agriculture have been rising at close to 1% a year since 1990 and by 2010, the midpoint of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, they are projected to be 7.2 Mt per year higher than the 1990 baseline. This excess has a potential cost of over NZ$0.5 billion. Despite the continued rise in absolute emissions, emissions intensity, the amount of GHG produced per unit of food produced, has been dropping and the emissions intensity of NZ agriculture goods compares favourably with that of other developed nations. The NZ agricultural sector has actively engaged in the search for cost-effective mitigation solutions and, in partnership with the government, has funded research through the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium (PGGRC). The PGGRC has been in existence since 2002 and has invested NZ$16 million in research into reducing methane and nitrous oxide emissions from pastoral agriculture. The structure of this research funding body, its objectives, achievements and future challenges are briefly outlined.

Biogas production from anaerobic waste stabilisation ponds treating dairy and piggery wastewater in New Zealand

New Zealand has over 1000 anaerobic wastewater stabilisation ponds used for the treatment of wastewater from farms and industry. Traditional anaerobic ponds were not designed to optimise anaerobic digestion of wastewater biomass to produce biogas and these uncovered ponds allowed biogas to escape to the atmosphere. This release of biogas not only causes odour problems, but contributes to GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and is wasteful of energy that could be captured and used. Biogas production from anaerobic stabilisation ponds treating piggery and dairy wastewater was measured using floating 25 m2 HDPE covers on the pond surface. Biogas composition was analysed monthly and gas production was continually monitored. Mean areal biogas (methane) production rates from piggery and dairy anaerobic ponds were 0.78 (0.53) m3/m2/d and 0.03 (0.023) m3/m2/d respectively. Average CH4 content of the piggery and dairy farm biogas were 72.0% and 80.3% respectively. Conversion of the average volume of methane gas that could be captured from the piggery and dairy farm ponds (393.4 m3/d and 40.7 m3/d) to electricity would reduce CO2 equivalent GHG emissions by 5.6 tonnes/d and 0.6 tonnes/d and generate 1,180 kWh/d and 122 kWh/d. These results suggest that anaerobic ponds in New Zealand release considerable amounts of GHG and that there is great potential for energy recovery.

GHG accounts in Italy: alternative frameworks on the basis of producer or consumer responsibility

In a previous work we have analysed the relationship between trade flows and Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emissions for Italy and the results revealed large embodiments of GHGs in imports. These results indicate that a different accounting scheme and responsibility principle should be considered. Therefore, this paper looks at what would be the amount of GHG for which Italy would be responsible under two different GHG accounting frameworks, which are based on the responsibility of either the producer or the consumer. Through an Input-Output (IO) model, the Pollution Terms of Trade (PTTs) for Italy towards different geo-economic areas and the GHG trade balance have been estimated for a time series covering the past decade (1991?2002), in order to determine what scenarios Italy would experience if its contribution to global warming would be based on the principle of the responsibility of the consumer or of the producer.

Greenhouse gas emissions from livestock waste: China evaluation

Greenhouse gases (GHG), including CH 4 and CO 2, are emitted from livestock. The quantity of GHG from different animal manure treatment is estimated in this paper, based on animal quantity from China Yearbook 2004, and the factors affected GHG emission from different animals and different manure-management system. It showed that GHG emission from animal manure could be greatly decreased by anaerobic treatment. About 50% of GHG could be reduced if all the livestock manure were treated by anaerobic process. At the same time, 10 million tons of CH 4, which is equal to about 50 to 60 million tons of mineral coal, would be produced, assuming efficiency of coal utilization is 50%.

The contribution of waste management to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with applications in the city of Bucharest

Waste management is a key process to protect the environment and conserve resources. The contribution of appropriate waste management measures to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the city of Bucharest was studied. An analysis of the distribution of waste flows into various treatment options was conducted using the material flows and stocks analysis (MFSA). An optimum scenario (i.e. municipal solid waste stream managed as: recycling of recoverable materials, 8%; incineration of combustibles, 60%; landfilling of non-combustibles, 32%) was modelled to represent the future waste management in Bucharest with regard to its relevance towards the potential for GHG reduction. The results indicate that it can contribute by 5.5% to the reduction of the total amount of GHGs emitted from Bucharest.

Integrating agricultural and forestry GHG mitigation response into general economy frameworks: Developing a family of response functions

An econometrically estimated family ofresponse functions is developed forcharacterizing potential responses togreenhouse gas mitigation policies by theagriculture and forestry sectors in theU.S. The response functions are estimatedbased on results of anagricultural/forestry sector model. Theyprovide estimates of sequestration andemission reductions in forestry andagriculture along with levels of sectoralproduction, prices, welfare, andenvironmental attributes given a carbonprice, levels of demand for agriculturalgoods, and the energy price. Sixalternative mitigation policiesrepresenting types of greenhouse gasoffsets allowed are considered. Resultsindicate that the largest quantity ofgreenhouse gas offset consistently appearswith the mitigation policy that pays forall opportunities. Restricting carbonpayments (emission tax or sequestrationsubsidy) only to aff/deforestation or onlyto agricultural sequestration substantiallyreduces potential mitigation. Highercarbon prices lead to more sequestration,less emissions, reduced consumer and totalwelfare, improved environmental indicatorsand increased producer welfare.

A review of CO2 emissions from marine seismic surveys

Hydrocarbon exploration and production activities, including seismic operations, emit significant quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs). These gases, which occur in the earth's atmosphere, absorb and reemit infrared radiation, and are a product of both natural and human-influenced processes. The major GHG is water vapor. Other primary GHGs include carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxides (N2O), methane, ozone (O3) and chlorofluorocarbons. Recently, higher concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere have been associated with human activity, and linked with climate change that has occurred due to rising earth temperature. In view of widespread concern over the effects of climate change several major oil and gas companies have taken proactive preventative measures, which includes reducing the level of emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere from their operations. This paper documents the results of a review of CO2 emissions from seismic survey vessels operated by BP during the period 4Q 1999 through 2Q 2001.

한·일 LNG의 LCI(CO2) 비교, 분석

The Green-House Effect stands out in bold relief as an essential issue in the world's society. The produced quantity of green house gas (GHS) by using fossil fuels has taken a big portion of Green-House Effect. This research computes carbon emission rates with a standard of grass heating values through a life cycle inventory analysis of LNG, which is a clean energy in fossil fuels and the rate of consumption is increasing, from production to consumption, and is compared with a situation in Japan. Also this research can help work out countermeasures in relation to UNFCC and also can help research life cycle assessments in connected areas by using a basic material

ASSESSING THE DICE MODEL: UNCERTAINTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE EMISSION AND RETENTION OF GREENHOUSE GASES

Analysis of the DICE model indicates that it contains unsupported assumptions, simple extrapolations, and misspecifications that cause it to understate the rate at which economic activity emits greenhouse gases and the rate at which the atmosphere retains greenhouse gases. The model assumes a world population that is 2 billion people lower than the ’base case' projected by demographers. The model extrapolates a decline in the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted per unit of economic activity that is possible only if there is a structural break in the economic and engineering factors that have determined this ratio over the last century. The model uses a single equation to simulate the rate at which greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere. The forecast for the airborne fraction generated by this equation contradicts forecasts generated by models that represent the physical and chemical processes which determine the movement of carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean. When these unsupported assumptions, simple extrapolations, and misspecifications are remedied with simple fixes, the economic impact of global climate change increases several fold. Similarly, these remedies increase the impact of uncertainty on estimates for the economic impact of global climate change. Together, these results indicate that considerable scientific and economic research is needed before the threat of climate change can be dismissed with any degree of certainty.

A Proposed Structure for an International Convention on Climate Change

Formal negotiations toward an international convention on climate change will begin shortly after completion of the interim report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); presentation of the report to the Second World Climate Conference will be this fall. In a 25 May speech responding to greenhouse warming predictions made by the IPCC science working group, Margaret Thatcher said that Britain would reduce the proposed growth of its CO{sub 2} emissions enough to stabilize them at 1990 levels by 2005 if other countries did their part. Yet the United States, Japan, and other countries that emit substantial quantities of greenhouse gases continue to resist potentially expensive emission-reduction targets or control measures, citing continuing uncertainties about the extent, timing, and distribution of future climate change and its economic consequences. Similarly, developing countries are unlikely to agree to emissions targets or control measures that they perceive as impeding their economic development and will almost certainly condition their participation on a commitment by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries to provide additional development assistance. A central task for a climate convention will be to provide the international community with a permanent mechanism for coordinating its efforts to deal withmore » climate change.« less