Indirect Environmental Benefits Research Articles

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Urban Stream Restoration

The District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DC DOEE) and National Park Service (NPS) have worked in tandem on multiple stream restorations throughout the Washington DC area. Restored stream ecosystems provide a variety of direct and indirect environmental benefits, such as improved stormwater management, water quality, and recreational value.

Where will go for electric vehicles in China after the government subsidy incentives are abolished? A controversial consumer perspective

The environmental benefits of Electric Vehicles (EVs) vary greatly depending on the local power structure. A realistic question is, after the Chinese government completely abolished subsidies for EVs in 2022, whether consumers are willing to take over from the government and pay extra for the perceived green attributes of EVs? The scant literature barely provided valued information. We, explore whether consumers consider EVs as a green product based on micro-survey data. Following that, we investigate the influencing factors behind the willingness of consumers to pay for the green attributes of EVs in a scenario where subsidies are completely abolished. Based on a large sample (2454), the results show a reasonable but disappointing conclusion that consumers' perception of EV's green attributes is weak and vague, and only significant when consumers' awareness evolves from an attitude and social norm to a social responsibility. The burden of government subsidies for EVs cannot be transferred to consumers under the background of subsidies is completely abolished. We conclude by urging the government to formulate effective regulatory measures for vehicle manufacturers to further reduce the cost of electric vehicles, and publicize the EVs' indirect environmental benefits from a long-term future perspective.

Environmental sustainability of future aquaculture production: Analysis of Singaporean and Norwegian policies

To address global food demand and sustainability challenges, aquaculture has appeared as an essential element in food systems, and an increasing number of national aquaculture policies have emerged over the past decades. However, several of these policies have failed because of an often-argued inability to anticipate their far-reaching implications on environmental and socio-economic variables. To tackle this gap, we propose a step-wise framework to assess the national environmental impacts from aquaculture industries with a prospective and systemic approach. Starting from identifying policy-based national targets, the methodology relies on economic equilibrium modeling to develop realistic future-oriented scenarios of the aquaculture sector, and couples them with life cycle assessment principles. To evidence its operability, we apply the framework to two distinct case countries: Norway and Singapore. Beyond our key findings from the analyses of the policies in both countries, we observed that feed production and usage are important drivers of impacts, hence calling for new and more environmentally-friendly feed options. Our results additionally show that the development of aquaculture following existing governmental policies may not directly reduce greenhouse gases emissions and, hence, not support climate change mitigation objectives. These findings should however be cautioned as potential shifts of diets due to the increasing seafood availability might occur, leading to indirect environmental benefits. We therefore advocate the further expansion of our framework to cover the entire food system, so it can integrate such indirect effects. Meanwhile, we recommend its interim application to support policy-making and help move towards more environmentally sustainable aquaculture systems.

Policy analysis for sustainable refuse-derived fuel production in Espírito Santo, Brazil

As municipal landfills are still the prevailing option for solid waste management in Brazil, there is a high possibility to recover combustible materials from both municipal and industrial waste streams with high calorific value through Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF). RDF can be utilized as substitute fuels in cement and other industries that could, in turn, reduce energy consumption and the landfill space for waste disposal. However, relevant policies for use of RDF in Brazil are unclear due to the lack of systematic socioeconomic assessment concerning cost, benefit, and risk aspects. This paper is aimed to present a system dynamics modeling analysis to estimate the availability of potential recyclable waste streams from municipal and industrial sectors for RDF production in Brazil and discuss possible policy interventions. The model was simulated based on a 20-year timeframe in accordance with possible waste management policies in Espírito Santo (a Brazilian state). The results provide the annual waste availability from four different routes with respect to the pessimistic, intermediate, and optimistic scenarios considered. With the partial implementation of the actions indicated in the proposed solid waste management policy, it is envisioned that there will be sufficient waste streams for RDF production under dynamic uncertainties, given the limited cost-benefit-risk trade-off assessment. In addition to the direct benefits of sustainable RDF production as a substitute for fossil fuels in the cement industry, the indirect environmental benefits are salient as the regulations for circular economy can be functional in the future.

Recycling of Organic Wastes in Agriculture: An Environmental Perspective

Inadequate organic waste management leads to a plethora of problems such as environmental pollution, eutrophication, esthetic damage to urban landscape, greenhouse gases emission and effects on human health. Unwise and non-scientific disposal of wastes not only poses a grave threat to environmental quality but also results in loss of economic value of wastes. Since organic wastes are an abundant pool of organic matter and valuable plant nutrients, agricultural recycling of these wastes appears to be a promising alternative enabling value addition and their resourceful utilization. Land application of organic wastes stabilized through techniques such as composting, vermicomposting and anaerobic digestion yielding excellent organic fertilizer like compost augments soil fertility and crop yield. Additionally, the practice incorporates indirect environmental benefits such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions, land conservation due to reduced landfilling of wastes and substitute to chemical fertilizers. Economically also, agricultural utilization of organic wastes reduces the cost of landfilling, transportation of wastes, imports and production cost of chemical fertilizers and opens avenues for rural employment. However, effective utilization of organic wastes for agricultural purposes requires thorough and strict risk assessment to prevent the adverse effects of contaminants like heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants to ensure agro-environmental sustainability. The present article aims to enlist the positives and negatives associated with this practice enabling to devise an approach or strategy deriving maximum environmental and economic benefits.

Indirect environmental benefits of a variable set-point for HCl emission in waste-to-energy flue gas cleaning

Hydrogen chloride (HCl) is a typical contaminant generated in waste combustion, whose emission is strictly regulated. In order to cope with severe limits issued by local authorities on the annual mass flow of HCl emitted, several European waste-to-energy plants perform at least a two-stage abatement of the pollutant and operate with a set-point for HCl concentration at stack well below the hourly emission limit imposed by the Industrial Emissions Directive. Even though the operating conditions in a WtE facility are highly variable (both in terms of HCl release from the burnt waste and of operating temperature of the HCl removal system), it is common industrial practice to keep both the set-point for HCl concentration at stack and the set-point for HCl concentration between the two abatement stages at a constant value. However, this might force the abatement system to operate far from its design conditions and from the optimal reactivity window of the adopted HCl removal agent, thus increasing the consumption rate of reactant and the consequent generation rate of process residues. Both the supply chain of reactants and the management of residues generate environmental impacts. The present work demonstrates that the adoption of variable values for both set-points can provide cost savings and indirect environmental benefits, thanks to the reduction of reactant consumption and residue generation. By considering as case study a WtE plant equipped with a two-stage dry HCl removal system, a year of operation of the plant was analysed. The operating costs and life cycle impacts generated by the actual operation of the HCl treatment system with constant set-points were compared with those generated if the plant had operated with variable set-points, simulated with a semi-empirical model for HCl removal tuned on historical process data from the plant. A 13 % reduction of the life cycle global warming impact and an 8 % reduction of the life cycle acidification impact, in addition to 10 % cost savings, were associated to the utilisation of variable set-points.

Consumer acceptance of food biotechnology based on policy context and upstream acceptance: evidence from an artefactual field experiment

The European Commission recently proposed new rules allowing ‘opt-outs’ by member states from a Europe-wide approval system for genetically modified (GM) foods. An artefactual field experiment was performed in Sweden to test whether changing the policy context and acceptance by upstream actors influenced consumer acceptance of a GM product with direct tangible health benefits and indirect environmental benefits. The results indicated that acceptance was lower in more restrictive policy scenarios and higher in less restrictive contexts. Moreover, acceptance of upstream actors was policy context-dependent and differed between participants opposed to or accepting the technology.

Environmental benefits from ridesharing: A case of Beijing

Emerging ridesharing travel could be an effective way in China to reduce travel demand by cars, which can further seek to shift personal transportation choices from an owned asset to a service used on demand and lessen the traffic jam and emissions. Drawing on the raw observed ridesharing trip data provided by DiDi Chuxing company, this study evaluated the direct environmental benefits of ridesharing resulted from the travel mode shift and the indirect environmental benefits resulted from the attitude change towards car purchase behavior. The megacity Beijing is taken as the empirical context given its more serious situation of traffic congestion and difficulties for car purchase. Estimation results show that direct annual energy savings made by ridesharing are approximately 26.6 thousand tce, and annual emission reductions of CO2 and NOx are approximately 46.2 thousand tons and 253.7tons, respectively. Besides, using ridesharing service will lead to substantial energy savings and emission reductions from the long-term perspective attributing to the weakening willingness on purchasing new cars. Promoting EVs among ridesharing vehicles and switching to clean electricity generation as well as improving vehicle efficiency can further enhance the environmental benefits of ridesharing, with maximum effects amounting to 67% of energy savings and 57% of CO2 emission reductions compared to 2016 level of the fuel-related energy consumption and emissions made by ridesharing.

Challenges and Perspectives on Carbon Fixation and Utilization Technologies: An Overview

This paper provides an overview of state-of-the-art carbon fixation and utilization technologies. Several carbon capture processes, such as chemical absorption and chemical looping, are reviewed and illustrated. In addition, various types of chemicals and fuels that can be produced using concentrated CO_2 (or other forms) through physical, chemical, or enhanced biological methods are presented. Among those carbon conversion methods, two promising approaches, i.e., microalgae ponds and accelerated carbonation using alkaline solid wastes, are reviewed in detail. Microalgae are fast-growing and ubiquitous photosynthetic organisms, which are rich in protein and can be converted to biodiesel fuel. They have been recognized as an alternative feedstock not only because they use CO_2 from the atmosphere but also due to their high lipid content per biomass compared to other plants. In this study, for the microalgae technologies, the principles and applications of open pond systems are discussed in terms of both technological and economic considerations. The important operation parameters affecting productivity of microalgae, including light intensity, temperature, mixing, CO_2 delivery, accumulation of dissolved oxygen, and salinity are summarized. On the other hand, accelerated carbonation technologies are an attractive and feasible approach to integrating alkaline solid waste treatment with CO_2 fixation and utilization. In this study, the performance of various carbonation processes is critically reviewed from the perspectives of process design, energy consumption, and environmental benefits. The carbonated solid product can also be used as supplementary cementitious materials in a blended cement or concrete block. Accordingly, the performance of cement pastes with carbonated product, in terms of workability and strength development, are evaluated from the cement chemistry point of view. Cement manufacturing is an energy and material intensive process, with high annual production. It is noted that, through the accelerated carbonation process, significant indirect environmental benefits can be realized.

Benefits Derived from Rehabilitating a Degraded Semi‐Arid Rangeland in Communal Enclosures, Kenya

AbstractCombating land degradation in the semi‐arid rangeland of sub‐Saharan Africa is essential to ensure the long‐term productivity of these environments. In the Lake Baringo basin in Kenya, communities and individual farmers restored indigenous vegetation inside enclosures in an effort to combat severe land degradation and address their livelihood problems. This study quantified the benefits of rangeland rehabilitation using yearly communal enclosures' utilisation data compiled by Rehabilitation of Arid Environments (RAE) Trust over a 6‐year period (2005–2010). Results showed that communal enclosures provide a source of income through the sale of fattened livestock, harvested grass seeds, hay, honey and charcoal, among other products. Regression analysis showed an increasing total enclosure income with time. The enclosures also provide grasses for thatching, livestock feed and dry season grazing. Indirect products like milk, blood and meat are essential for household nutrition and food security. These benefits reinforce the management through incentive to maintain existing enclosures and establish new ones and therefore the increasing trend in rangeland enclosure. Increased soil and biomass carbon storage could come with other indirect environmental benefits including improvement in soil quality, land productivity for pasture production and food security, and prevention of land degradation, thus leading to economic, environmental and social benefit for the local agropastoralist communities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Forest biomass resources and utilization in China

Under the context of climate change, persistent high oil prices and rapidly growing dependence on imported oil prompt China to pay much more attention to biofuels that provide environmental benefits besides fuel. China has rich biodiversity with 30 thousand high plant species and 154 kinds of energy trees could produce seeds containing more than 40% of oil, with total production of the seeds totaling 5 million t, and 200 x10 9 t of biomass production per year, which is equal to 2 x 10 9 t of petroleum. There are over 2000 types of wild and cultivated firewood plants in the country. So far there is 4 million ha raising oil-bearing trees planted on some land in different regions. Another 57 million ha of waste land are available and suitable for planting trees for the production of forest bioenergy. On part of these lands, the central government plans to cultivate a total of 13 million ha of high-grade bioenergy forests by 2020. This will yield 6 million tons of diesel that would be enough to fuel power plants with a combined capacity of 11 GW each year. Moreover, forest biomass plantations potentially offer many direct and indirect environmental benefits. In view of climate change their globally significant environmental benefits may result from using forest biomass for energy rather than fossil fuels. Key words : Biomass energy, China, forest biomass resources.

Management of mangroves in Brisbane Water, Gosford, New South Wales

The management of mangroves in Brisbane Water is currently being given high priority by Gosford City Council. Mangroves have often been regarded as wastelands fit only for reclamation, drainage and development. However, they are not being recognised as vital components of estuary and wetland ecology with both direct and indirect environmental benefits to humans. Mangroves are threatened by processes which can be controlled and regulated via informed and effective management. Currently two processes are being used to plan for the management of mangroves within Brisbane Water. One is an overall policy based approached using a Plan of Management for the total estuary. The second approach is specific management of mangroves and other coastal wetlands within Brisbane through the implementation of the Brisbane Water Wetland Management Study. Both of these planning and management approaches are supported by Council and are being undertaken by two committees with broad membership from Council, government departments and the local community.

Biogas from waste materials as transportation fuel–benefits from an environmental point of view

In this paper various biogas systems based on waste materials have been analysed from an environmental point of view. The analyses are based on Swedish conditions using a systems analysis approach from an energy and life cycle perspective. The biogas produced is used as a transportation fuel replacing petrol in light-duty vehicles. The overall aims are to quantify the potential environmental effects when current waste handling and transportation fuel systems are replaced. A general conclusion is that the indirect environmental benefits (e.g. reduced emissions of ammonia and methane, and nitrogen leaching) from altered handling of organic waste materials and land-use may often significantly exceed the direct environmental benefits achieved when biogas replaces petrol (e.g. reduced emissions of carbon dioxide and air pollutants). Such indirect benefits are seldom considered when biogas is evaluated from an environmental point of view. However, the environmental impact from different biogas systems can vary significantly due to factors such as the waste materials utilised, different reference systems being replaced, and local conditions.

Environmental systems analysis of biogas systems—Part II: The environmental impact of replacing various reference systems

This paper analyses the overall environmental impact when biogas systems are introduced and replace various reference systems for energy generation, waste management and agricultural production. The analyses are based on Swedish conditions using a life-cycle perspective. The biogas systems included are based on different combinations of raw materials and final use of the biogas produced (heat, power and transportation fuel). A general conclusion is that biogas systems normally lead to environmental improvements, which in some cases are considerable. This is often due to indirect environmental benefits of changed land use and handling of organic waste products (e.g. reduced nitrogen leaching, emissions of ammonia and methane), which often exceed the direct environmental benefits achieved when fossil fuels are replaced by biogas (e.g. reduced emissions of carbon dioxide and air pollutants). Such indirect benefits are seldom considered when biogas is evaluated from an environmental point of view. The environmental impact from different biogas systems can, however, vary significantly due to factors such as the raw materials utilised, energy service provided and reference system replaced.

The potential of rail as an environmental solution: Setting the agenda

Rail is often advanced as an environmentally superior alternative to road transportation. A market segmentation analysis shows rail has a relative advantage in regular long distance trips to high density nodes. Yet, such trips are a limited and shrinking share of the total transport market. Rail's direct environmental benefits as a substitute for the car may thus be limited in time and space. Rail may have some indirect environmental benefits through its effects on metropolitan structure within comprehensive transport and land use programs. An analysis of these issues raises several unanswered questions, which are suggested as a research agenda to evaluate rail's long term potential as an environmental solution.