Terms Of Carbon Dioxide Emissions Research Articles

Selection of construction equipment – excavators and dump trucks in terms of minimizing the emission of CO2 by using forecasting methods

The article predicted CO2 emission by a set of machines: excavator and dump trucks. The emissivity of carbon dioxide during the execution of a specific work task depends on the performance of the machines. In the first stage, work performance of excavators was projected. The following technical and organisational data having a hypothetical influence on the performance of excavators were collected: bucket capacity, type of working tool, category of land, load capacity of a mean of transport, type of access road, work experience of an operator, humidity of the soil, distance of the soil disposal, air temperature, failure frequency. The linguistic variables were coded, the data was transformed in a way that ensures that the best results were obtained. The method of multiple regression were used for forecasting. Analysis of the autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation residues and sensitivity analysis was done. MAPE errors forecasts were calculated. On the basis of a predictive model, an example of calculation of selection of machines in terms of carbon dioxide emission was made. The calculation formula to quantify the number of kilograms of carbon dioxide produced during earthworks was formulated. Analyses showed that the criterion of minimizing carbon dioxide emissions are directly proportional to the excavator’s bucket capacity and capacity of means of transport.

A comparative thermodynamic investigation with environmental analysis of SOFC waste heat to power conversion employing Kalina and Organic Rankine Cycles

A comparative energy and exergy analysis is reported of employing Organic Rankine and Kalina cycles for waste heat recovery from hybrid SOFC/GT system. The considered SOFC/GT system, which is fed by methane, includes both external and internal reformers with anode gas recycle. Thermodynamic models are developed for SOFC/GT system and the two proposed combined cycles and the effects of important parameters are investigated on the cycles’ performances. An environmental impact assessment in terms of carbon dioxide emissions is also carried out. The results provide a good motivation for employing ORC or Kalina cycle for waste heat recovery from SOFC/GT system to enhance the overall energy conversion efficiency. The results revealed the superiority of the ORC over the Kalina cycle in this case. The results showed that an exergy efficiency of 62.35% is achievable for the combined SOFC/GT-ORC system while the exergy efficiency of the combined SOFC/GT-KC system reaches 59.53%.

The Effectiveness of Taxing Carbon Content of Energy Consumption

We estimate the long-run effect of a uniform carbon tax on energy consumption by using a new and unique dataset in which effective tax rates of OECD countries are calculated in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. The effective tax rates account for the widely discussed tax deductions for specific energy tax bases leading to a careful calculation of net tax rates faced by agents. We argue that taxation might be endogenous to energy consumption in the long run. In order to identify a causal effect, we document a positive correlation between the tax rates of neighboring countries which we then exploit in our instrumental variables estimations. Validity of our identification strategy is consistent with the strategic inter-governmental interaction theo-ries that lead to a spatial pattern in local government policies in the presence of immobile tax bases. Our instrumental variables estimations indicate that taxing carbon content of energy use can be an effective instrument for climate policy.

공동주택 공사내역서를 이용한 시공단계 유류소비량 및 탄소배출량 산출

This study attempted to estimate oil consumption and carbon dioxide emissions caused by the use of construction equipment and machine at the construction operation phase in 27 apartment construction sites. To calculate oil consumption at the construction operation phase of the apartment buildings, the construction equipment & machine-used construction items were classified using the construction statements. Then, oil consumption at the construction operation phase was obtained in 27 apartment construction sites. For carbon dioxide emissions, the construction items were categorized by construction type and building based on the estimated oil consumption. In terms of carbon dioxide emissions by building, 'welfare facilities' were the highest with <TEX>$11,508.86g-CO_2/m^2$</TEX>(27%). In terms of carbon dioxide emission by construction type, on the contrary, 'building construction' was the largest with <TEX>$5,453.25g-CO_2/m^2$</TEX>(89.34%).

Sustainable development: an empirical illustration for Saudi Arabia

The aim of this paper is to highlight the shortcoming of the standard macroeconomic framework when environment is ignored in the implementation of traditional policy practices. Many studies have identified pollution by commenting on the damages inflicted on the environment. In response, regulatory policies have been proposed to rectify and address the economic and health impacts. However, there have been very few studies centred on valuing environmental degradation and internalizing the cost of degradation to selected macroeconomic frameworks. The empirical illustration in this paper seeks to demonstrate the ease with which environmental degradation is internalized in a simple Keynesian framework with reference to a leading Gulf State – Saudi Arabia. The analysis of environmental degradation is confined to air shed depreciation in terms of carbon dioxide emissions from greenhouse gases and data is from World Development Indicators for the years 1980 to 2012. By utilizing the Keynesian framework, two income levels can be identified that is, the standard income (Y*) and sustainable income (Y**) which takes into consideration environmental depreciation. It is observed that the Kingdom’s environmental depreciation is rising for the time period on a trend basis. One important observation is the clear divergence of Y* and Y** where Y* is overstated relative to Y**. This supports the observation that Saudi Arabia’s standard income (Y*) may not be sustainable for future economic development and the Kingdom should employ sustainable income (Y**) to measure economic progress for the formulation of sustainable development policies. There are two key policy implications for the Kingdom from this study. Firstly, the Kingdom should shift away from non-renewables to renewables and whilst the renewables are being assessed for their reliability and feasibility as sources of energy; the immediate priority should focus on enhancing non-renewables efficiency and minimizing environmental degradation. Secondly, environmental capital should be maintained by investing in environmental technologies and reviewing energy options as these could potentially expand the Kingdom’s capacity through aggregated expenditure.

The ideological divide and climate change opinion: "top-down" and "bottom-up" approaches.

The United States wields disproportionate global influence in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and international climate policy. This makes it an especially important context in which to examine the interplay among social, psychological, and political factors in shaping attitudes and behaviors related to climate change. In this article, we review the emerging literature addressing the liberal-conservative divide in the U.S. with respect to thought, communication, and action concerning climate change. Because of its theoretical and practical significance, we focus on the motivational basis for skepticism and inaction on the part of some, including “top-down” institutional forces, such as corporate strategy, and “bottom-up” psychological factors, such as ego, group, and system justification. Although more research is needed to elucidate fully the social, cognitive, and motivational bases of environmental attitudes and behavior, a great deal has been learned in just a few years by focusing on specific ideological factors in addition to general psychological principles.

An index decomposition analysis of China's interregional embodied carbon flows

Abstract Being the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, China also possesses enormous regional disparities in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. Significant carbon emission flows from developed regions to undeveloped regions through inter-regional trade have been observed in China. In order to examine the determining factors of such virtual carbon flows, an index decomposition analysis was conducted to investigate emissions embodied in trades among eight regions, which were grouped with recourse to the latest available provincial I/O tables in China. This paper finds that trade balance and energy intensity are two most salient factors with regard to interregional carbon flows. In the largest outsourcing region, the northwest region of China, the two factors account for 35.6–59.1% of the total carbon surplus, respectively. Thus, China is experiencing more ‘efficiency losses’ than ‘efficiency gains’ resulting from carbon transfers. In order to switch to a future “efficiency gain” situation, policies and supports for technology innovation in and transfer to inland regions, as well as enhanced technology standards for expanded carbon intensive productions in less developed regions are suggested to complement the current policy of carbon intensity target.

Relative Contributions of the Logging, Fiber, Oil Palm, and Mining Industries to Forest Loss in Indonesia

AbstractIndonesia contributes significantly to deforestation in Southeast Asia. However, much uncertainty remains over the relative contributions of various forest‐exploiting sectors to forest losses in the country. Here, we compare the magnitudes of forest and carbon loss, and forest and carbon stocks remaining within oil palm plantation, logging, fiber plantation (pulp and paper), and coal mining concessions in Indonesia. Forest loss in all industrial concessions, including logging concessions, relate to the conversion of forest to nonforest land cover. We found that the four industries accounted for ∼44.7% (∼6.6 Mha) of forest loss in Kalimantan, Sumatra, Papua, Sulawesi, and Moluccas between 2000 and 2010. Fiber plantation and logging concessions accounted for the largest forest loss (∼1.9 Mha and ∼1.8 Mha, respectively). Although the oil palm industry is often highlighted as a major driver of deforestation, it was ranked third in terms of deforestation (∼1 Mha), and second in terms of carbon dioxide emissions (∼1,300–2,350 Mt CO2). Crucially, ∼34.6% (∼26.8 Mha) of Indonesia's remaining forests is located within industrial concessions, the majority of which is found within logging concessions (∼18.8 Mha). Hence, future development plans within Indonesia's industrial sectors weigh heavily on the fate of Southeast Asia's remaining forests and carbon stocks.

Is environmental efficiency trade inducing or trade hindering?

Global efforts to identify strategies for sustainable economic growth and development underline the need for understanding important links between environmental policies and international trade. In this paper, by constructing an environmental efficiency index for 111 countries from 1980 to 2009, we are able to empirically test for one such link. An improvement in the environmental efficiency index in terms of carbon dioxide emissions reflects a decrease in the cost of efforts to mitigate the environmental costs associated with growth. Countries that improve their environmental efficiency are found to experience strong international trade effects, both through increased exports and increased imports. While the positive link between efficiency improvements and exports is supportive of the Porter hypothesis, the positive link between efficiency improvements and imports is supportive of strong positive income effects on account of environmental efforts. These results, which are robust to alternative estimation strategies, lend strong support to global efforts to improve countries' environmental efficiencies.

Influence of climatic conditions and control logic on NOx and CO emissions of a micro-cogeneration unit serving an Italian residential building

The increasing diffusion of micro-cogeneration systems is raising the need for studying their environmental impact in order to assess their sustainability. The adoption of the systems for the combined production of heat and power may provide a significant reduction of global impact in terms of carbon dioxide emissions with respect to the separate production of electricity and heat. However, a comprehensive environmental evaluation of this technology should take into account as well the impact due to the presence of plants spread over the territory that could increase the local pollution, in particular due to nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, and thus could worsen the local air quality.In this paper the nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide emissions of a residential building-integrated micro-cogeneration system were evaluated; a 6.0 kWel natural gas fuelled internal combustion engine-based micro-cogeneration unit was coupled with a multi-family house compliant with the transmittance values suggested by the Italian Law. The analyses were carried out by using the whole building simulation software TRNSYS upon varying the city where the building is located (four Italian cities representative of different climatic regions were considered) as well as the control logic of cogeneration device (electric and thermal load-following strategies). The simulated performance of the proposed system was compared with those of a conventional system composed of a natural gas-fired boiler (for thermal energy production) and a power plant mix connected to the central electric grid (for electricity production) in order to assess the suitability of the cogeneration-based system in reducing the local emissions.

Sustainable energy systems for a remote island community

This paper evaluates the potential of integrating renewable energy technological resources for tri-generation applications in an island. The integrated tri-generation system has to be self-sustaining in delivering cooling, heating and power. Several CCHP (combined cooling heating and power) systems at different penetration levels were proposed. The CCHP systems comprising key prime movers include microturbines, photovoltaic, solar Stirling dish, fuel cell system, biomass power generator and an absorption cooling technology. The systems are judiciously designed to provide the island’s tri-generation needs. Three different operational schemes of varying renewable energy penetration were considered – peak shaving, 20% and 40% renewable energy penetration. Key results have suggested that reductions of approximately 20% in primary energy savings are realizable for all three cases. Additionally, a renewable energy penetration level of 40% yielded the largest reduction in terms of carbon dioxide emission. In terms of cost benefits for the proposed system combinations, peak shaving and 20% renewable energy penetration can realize savings of up to USD $150,000 per annum.

European cycle tourism: a tool for sustainable regional rural development

We present an economic impacts model based on direct expenditures for European cycle routes, originally designed in 2009 as part of a study commissioned by the European Parliament. At its request, the study was updated in 2012, including a refined version of our model which takes some limitations of the former model into account. Our main findings are that cycle tourists’ daily spending is comparable to that of other tourists, and that cycle tourism can contribute significantly in particular to rural economies that have not previously enjoyed mainstream tourism development. (European) cycle tourism thus proves to be useful as an (additional) tool for regional rural development. We arrived at a total estimated direct expenditures in Europe of almost €44 billion (€35 billion from day trips and €8.94 billion from overnight trips). We applied the model to the routes of EuroVelo, the European cycle route network which is currently being developed, showing their considerable economic potential of over €7 billion in direct expenditures. Furthermore, cycle tourism has a far lower negative impact on the environment (in terms of carbon dioxide emissions) than other forms of tourism. Cycle tourism is therefore a good example of a low carbon tourism product which could be developed as a major slow travel opportunity across (rural) Europe.

Inequality as an obstacle to sustainable electricity and transport energy use

The Australian state of Western Australia could follow a number of different paths to satisfy its future energy needs with each path meeting different criteria for sustainable development. A number of energy use scenarios were analysed, including the present case of high fossil fuel use, in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, water consumption, and financial impact on households with incomes at different levels. Scenarios had different combinations of electricity generation sources and vehicle type. It was found that health costs from vehicle emissions are a significant cost of energy use for households relative to other costs (e.g., cost of fuel). Because of high income inequality and the effects of vehicle emissions on health, it was found that the most sustainable use of energy for society overall requires households to use energy differently according to their income levels. Low-median income households have the most to gain from overall electric vehicle uptake, but these same households cannot afford to adopt these vehicles. We show that the differential effects of current energy use on households with different income levels is increasing inequality between households, and that inequality both results from, and is a cause of unsustainable energy use. The conclusion is that income inequality is an obstacle to the uptake of electric vehicles, and can therefore be an obstacle to sustainable energy use.

Quantifying the Carbon Footprint of Lean Waste

The objective of this paper is to provide a method of quantifying lean wastes in terms of carbon dioxide emissions by using value stream mapping. Lean manufacturing, based on waste identification and reduction, is a growing trend in industry and a proven method of lowering costs. The environmental impact of these wastes can be quantified in a new way by treating green waste as an outcome of lean wastes. Growing environmental concerns are prompting federal government regulation of greenhouse gas or carbon dioxide emissions, as introduced in the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. This bill would have a significant economic impact on manufacturing businesses. And while many carbon footprint calculators are available for citizens to quantify their own emissions, there are currently none available for manufacturing companies to use in order to accurately quantify their carbon dioxide emissions to meet impending governmental regulations.

Global warming implications of facade parameters: A life cycle assessment of residential buildings in Bahrain

On a global scale, the Gulf Corporation Council Countries (GCCC), including Bahrain, are amongst the top countries in terms of carbon dioxide emissions per capita. Building authority in Bahrain has set a target of 40% reduction of electricity consumption and associated CO2 emissions to be achieved by using facade parameters. This work evaluates how the life cycle CO2 emissions of buildings are affected by facade parameters. The main focus is placed on direct and indirect CO2 emissions from three contributors, namely, chemical reactions during production processes (Pco2), embodied energy (Eco2) and operational energy (OPco2). By means of the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, it has been possible to show that the greatest environmental impact occurs during the operational phase (80–90%). However, embodied CO2 emissions are an important factor that needs to be brought into the systems used for appraisal of projects, and hence into the design decisions made in developing projects. The assessment shows that masonry blocks are responsible for 70–90% of the total CO2 emissions of facade construction, mainly due to their physical characteristics. The highest Pco2 emissions factors are those of window elements, particularly aluminium frames. However, their contribution of CO2 emissions depends largely on the number and size of windows. Each square metre of glazing is able to increase the total CO2 emissions by almost 30% when compared with the same areas of opaque walls. The use of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) walls reduces the total life cycle CO2 emissions by almost 5.2% when compared with ordinary walls, while the use of thermal insulation with concrete wall reduces CO2 emissions by 1.2%. The outcome of this work offers to the building industry a reliable indicator of the environmental impact of residential facade parameters.

Ligno-ethanol in competition with food-based ethanol in Germany

Abstract First-generation biofuels are often challenged over their potentially adverse impact on food prices. Biofuels that use nonfood biomass such as lignocellulose are being promoted to ease the conflict between fuels and food. However, their complex processes mean that the total costs of lignocellulosic ethanol may be high in comparison. This might undermine the economic soundness of plans for its use. Another potential advantage of lignocellulosic ethanol is seen in an enhanced contribution to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Yet the increasing attractiveness of lignocellulosic biofuels may also lead to changes in land use that induce additional carbon emissions. For this reason, the environmental impacts of such plans are not straightforward and depend on the affected category of land. The objective of this paper is to compare the economic perspectives and environmental impact of lignocellulosic ethanol with food-based ethanol taking into account market constraints and policy measures. The analysis of the environmental impact focuses on carbon dioxide emissions. In the medium run, i.e., by 2020, lignocellulosic ethanol could enter the gasoline market, crowding out inter alia food-based ethanol. In terms of carbon dioxide emissions, lignocellulosic ethanol seems to be environmentally desirable in each of the analyzed cases. The findings depend crucially on the market conditions, which are influenced inter alia by crude oil, the exchange rate, and technology conditions.

Paper use in research ethics applications and study conduct

Application for Research Ethics Committee (REC) approval and the conduct of medical research is paper intensive. This retrospective study examined all applications to a single REC in the south of England over one year. It estimated the mass of paper used, comparing the proportional paper consumption of different trial types and during different stages of the research process, quantifying the consumption in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. In 2009, 68 trials were submitted to the REC. Total paper consumption for the REC process and study conduct was 176,150 sheets of A4 paper (879 kg), equivalent to an estimated 11.5 million sheets (88 tonnes, 2100 trees) a year for the U.K.; the REC process accounted for 26.4%. REC applications and the conduct of approved trials generate considerable environmental impact through paper consumption contributing to the NHS's carbon footprint. Paper use might be reduced through the implementation of digital technologies and revised research methods, namely changing attitudes in both researchers and ethics committees.

A cost valuation model based on a stochastic representation of the IPAT equation

Within the framework of models for human-driven environmental impact based on the IPAT equation, we develop a model for the evolution of impact (expressed in terms of carbon dioxide emissions) and for the valuation of the economic cost associated to its reduction. We use a stochastic representation of the IPAT equation that is alternative to the STIRPAT model. This first step leads to a stochastic differential equations model that describes trends in carbon dioxide emissions on the basis of economic and demographic dynamics. As an example, we estimate the model parameters for the United States. We then use this framework to build a model for the assessment of the economic costs related to a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions for a country committed to respect an international agreement, such as the Kyoto protocol. In particular, we show that the adherence to an environmental treaty may be traced back to a problem of cost valuation and to a decision under risk. This allows us to use the mathematical tools that have been developed in quantitative finance, in the context of option pricing, to determine the expected investment that is required to reduce the emissions of a country by a certain amount and within a well-defined temporal frame.

Is relative sustainability relevant?

The term ‘sustainability’ is often used as a woolly term for everything that is good and desirable. Besides, ‘sustainability’ is a subjective area, which can be difficult to quantify. Any construction project has a wide range of environmental impacts, each of which may have been measured in a different way. Energy may have been measured in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, whereas wood or mineral extraction is generally measured volumetrically, making comparisons between environmental impacts difficult to determine. Various methodologies seek to standardise impacts for comparative purposes and the guiding principle for any environmental assessment is a comparison to the existing building stock, and a result is invariably in terms of a building's relative sustainability. However, to some it is not a matter of being ‘more’ or ‘less’ sustainable. You either are or you are not, therefore relative sustainability is not a valid concept. The discussion of sustainability in this paper is not a debate on the semantics of the term, but ultimately the purist's view does lead to the question whether there can ever be such a thing as a sustainable building and indeed what the role of architecture in the context of sustainability is.

Modelling a district heating system: Introduction of waste incineration, policy instruments and co-operation with an industry

The capacity for waste incineration in Swedish municipalities is increasing due to regulations aimed at decreasing landfill with waste. This has a large impact on the municipal energy systems, since waste is an important fuel for district heating production. The object of this study is a municipality, Skövde, which is planning to build a waste incineration plant to produce electricity and heat. The municipality is also planning to extend the district heating grid to include a large industrial heat consumer. The economic effect on the energy system of these measures is analysed as well as environmental effects in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. The consequences of two different policy instruments, green electricity certificates and a tax on waste incineration, are also studied. Economic optimisations show that the advantage of co-operation with industry is twofold: lower heat production costs and a considerable reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. It is economically feasible to invest in a waste incineration plant for heat production. An important measure to lower carbon dioxide emissions is to introduce combined heat and power production on the assumption that locally produced electricity replaces electricity produced by coal condensing power.