Assessing the macroeconomic impacts of individual behavioral changes on carbon emissions

Abstract In the last decade, instigated by the Paris agreement and United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP22 and COP23), the efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels are expanding. The required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions imply a massive decarbonization worldwide with much involvement of regions, cities, businesses, and individuals in addition to the commitments at the national levels. Improving end-use efficiency is emphasized in previous IPCC reports (IPCC 2014). Serving as the primary ‘agents of change’ in the transformative process towards green economies, households have a key role in global emission reduction. Individual actions, especially when amplified through social dynamics, shape green energy demand and affect investments in new energy technologies that collectively can curb regional and national emissions. However, most energy-economics models—usually based on equilibrium and optimization assumptions—have a very limited representation of household heterogeneity and treat households as purely rational economic actors. This paper illustrates how computational social science models can complement traditional models by addressing this limitation. We demonstrate the usefulness of behaviorally rich agent-based computational models by simulating various behavioral and climate scenarios for residential electricity demand and compare them with the business as usual (SSP2) scenario. Our results show that residential energy demand is strongly linked to personal and social norms. Empirical evidence from surveys reveals that social norms have an essential role in shaping personal norms. When assessing the cumulative impacts of these behavioral processes, we quantify individual and combined effects of social dynamics and of carbon pricing on individual energy efficiency and on the aggregated regional energy demand and emissions. The intensity of social interactions and learning plays an equally important role for the uptake of green technologies as economic considerations, and therefore in addition to carbon-price policies (top-down approach), implementing policies on education, social and cultural practices can significantly reduce residential carbon emissions.

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Optimizing a Sustainable Supply Chain Inventory Model for Controllable Deterioration and Emission Rates in a Greenhouse Farm

Mathematics ◽

10.3390/math9050495 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 495

Author(s):

Umakanta Mishra ◽

Abu Hashan Md Mashud ◽

Ming-Lang Tseng ◽

Jei-Zheng Wu

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Carbon Emissions ◽

Trade Credit ◽

Numerical Study ◽

Inventory Model ◽

Green Technology ◽

Solution Technique ◽

Emission Rates ◽

Sustainable Supply Chain ◽

Green Technologies

This study investigated how greenhouse managers should invest in preservation and green technologies and introduce trade credit to increase their profits. We propose a supply chain inventory model with controllable deterioration and emission rates under payment schemes for shortage and surplus, where demand depends on price and trade credit. Carbon emissions and deterioration are factors affecting global warming, and many greenhouse managers have focused on reducing carbon emissions. Carbon caps and tax-based incentives have been used in many greenhouses to achieve such reduction. Because of the importance of reducing carbon emissions for developing a green supply chain, various studies have investigated how firms deal with carbon emission constraints. In this continuation, we have used green technology to curb the excessive emissions from the environment or make it clean from CO2. In a seller–buyer relationship, the seller can offer a trade credit period to the buyer to manage stock and stimulate demand. Deterioration may become a challenge for most firms as they are under time constraints control, and preservation technology could help. This study proposes three novel inventory strategies for a sustainable supply chain (full backorder, partial backorder, and no backorder), linking all these important issues. The solution optimizes total annual profit for inventory shortage or surplus. We conducted a numerical study with three examples to evaluate the model’s authenticity and effectiveness and demonstrate the solution technique. The deterioration and emission rates can be included in a trade credit policy to increase greenhouse profits. The results suggest that greenhouse managers could apply the proposed model to manage real-world situations.

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Preliminary Examination of the Toxicity of Spalting Fungal Pigments: A Comparison between Extraction Methods

Journal of Fungi ◽

10.3390/jof7020155 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 155

Author(s):

Badria H. Almurshidi ◽

R.C. Van Court ◽

Sarath M. Vega Gutierrez ◽

Stacey Harper ◽

Bryan Harper ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extraction Methods ◽

Green Energy ◽

Future Research ◽

Green Technologies ◽

Preliminary Examination ◽

Significant Toxicity ◽

Natural Colorants ◽

Industrial Adoption ◽

Synthetic Colorants ◽

Fungal Pigments

Spalting fungal pigments have shown potential in technologies ranging from green energy generation to natural colorants. However, their unknown toxicity has been a barrier to industrial adoption. In order to gain an understanding of the safety of the pigments, zebrafish embryos were exposed to multiple forms of liquid media and solvent-extracted pigments with concentrations of purified pigment ranging from 0 to 50 mM from Chlorociboria aeruginosa, Chlorociboria aeruginascens, and Scytalidium cuboideum. Purified xylindein from Chlorociboria sp. did not show toxicity at any tested concentration, while the red pigment dramada from S. cuboideum was only associated with significant toxicity above 23.2 uM. However, liquid cultures and pigment extracted into dichloromethane (DCM) showed toxicity, suggesting the co-production of bioactive secondary metabolites. Future research on purification and the bioavailability of the red dramada pigment will be important to identify appropriate use; however, purified forms of the blue-green pigment xylindein are likely safe for use across industries. This opens the door to the adoption of green technologies based on these pigments, with potential to replace synthetic colorants and less stable natural pigments.

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Towards A Sustainable Green Design for Next-Generation Networks

10.21203/rs.3.rs-485556/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Isiaka Ajewale Alimi ◽

Romilkumar K. Patel ◽

Akeem O. Mufutau ◽

Nelson J. Muga ◽

Armando N. Pinto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Wireless Networks ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emission ◽

Green Energy ◽

Green Communications ◽

Resource Allocation Algorithm ◽

Allocation Algorithm

Abstract The evolution in the Information and Communications Technologies industry results in excessive energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission in the wireless networks. In this context, energy efficiency in mobile networks has been attracting considerable attention as green communications and operational expenditures reduction depend on it. Although the Internet of Things is to be supported by devices that are low-energy consuming, the power consumption of the huge number to be connected for several applications and services demand significant attention. To offer insights into green communications, this paper reviews various energy efficiency improvement techniques. Also, we consider a hybrid model in which the main grid power and dynamically harvested green energy from renewable energy sources can be leveraged to support the energy demand of the radio access network. In this regard, we reformulate the energy consumption model and consider an energy-efficient power allocation algorithm for green energy optimization. Numerical results show that with resource allocation algorithm exploitation, the energy efficiency can be enhanced. Besides, the amount of the grid energy consumption can be considerably minimized, resulting in the greenhouse gas emissions reduction in the wireless networks.

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The Bhāgavata Speaks of Woman

Māyā in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198856993.003.0006 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 123-136

Author(s):

Gopal K. Gupta

Keyword(s):

Gender Roles ◽

Social Norms ◽

Gender Studies ◽

Crucial Role ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

Indian Society ◽

Subaltern Studies ◽

Gender Discourse ◽

Positive Light

Indic texts have played a crucial role in constructing, and greatly influencing, gender roles and social norms in Indian society. Scholarship on these texts has identified problems of identity and hegemony that are thoroughly discussed in such fields as subaltern studies, gender studies, cultural studies, and the like. Because of cultural practices such as satῑ‎ and religious laws for widows, Hinduism and some of its associated texts tend to have a reputation for patriarchal misogyny. In her Encyclopedia of Feminism, Lisa Tuttle advises scholars to ask “new questions of old texts;” following her lead, this chapter intends to examine the gender discourse contained in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, focusing on the text’s characterization of women as māyā, which we have here defined as God’s deluding or covering potency. The analysis should make it plain that while the Bhāgavata does support patriarchal institutions and practices, on a deeper level it portrays women in a far more positive light, holding them in a more esteemed position than one may assume.

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Compact Wearable Meta Materials Antennas for Energy Harvesting Systems, Medical and IOT Systems

Electronics ◽

10.3390/electronics8111340 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 1340 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Albert Sabban

Keyword(s):

Energy Harvesting ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Dynamic Range ◽

Green Energy ◽

Ring Resonators ◽

Green Technologies ◽

Continuous Growth ◽

Harvesting Systems ◽

Low Efficiency ◽

Line Design

Demand for green technologies and green energy is in continuous growth in the last decade. Compact efficient radiators are very important for energy harvesting portable systems. Small antennas have low efficiency. The efficiency of communication and energy harvesting systems may increase by using efficient passive and active antennas. The system dynamic range may be improved by connecting amplifiers to the printed antenna feed line. Design, design considerations, computed and measured results of wearable meta-materials antennas with high efficiency for energy harvesting applications are presented in this paper. The antennas electrical parameters on human body were analyzed by using commercial full-wave software. The wearable antennas are compact and flexible and are 1.6 mm thick. The directivity and gain of the antennas with Split-ring resonators (SRR), is higher by 2 dB to 3 dB than the antennas without SRR. The resonant frequency of the antennas without SRR is higher by 5% to 10% than the antennas with SRR.

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A Comparative Study on the Routing Problem of Electric and Fuel Vehicles Considering Carbon Trading

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16173120 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (17) ◽

pp. 3120 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Wenzhu Liao ◽

Lin Liu ◽

Jiazhuo Fu

Keyword(s):

Vehicle Routing ◽

Electric Vehicles ◽

Carbon Emissions ◽

Great Influence ◽

Carbon Price ◽

Initial Population ◽

Carbon Trading ◽

Trading Costs ◽

Battery Capacity ◽

The Impact

In order to explore the impact of using electric vehicles on the cost and environment of logistics enterprises, this paper studies the optimization of vehicle routing problems with the consideration of carbon trading policies. Both the electric vehicle routing model and the traditional fuel vehicle routing model are constructed aiming at minimizing the total costs, which includes the fixed costs of vehicles, depreciation costs, penalty costs for violating customer time window, energy costs and carbon trading costs. Then a hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA) is proposed to address these two models, the advantages of greedy algorithm and random full permutation are combined to set the initial population, at the same time, the crossover operation is improved to retain the excellent gene fragments effectively and the hill climbing algorithm is embedded to enhance the local search ability of HGA. Furthermore, a case data is used with HGA to carry out computational experiments in these two models and the results indicate that first using electric vehicles for distribution can indeed reduce the carbon emissions, but results in a low customer satisfaction compared with using fuel vehicles. Besides, the battery capacity and charge rate have a great influence on total costs of using electric vehicles. Second, carbon price plays an important role in the transformation of logistics companies. As the carbon price changes, the total costs, carbon trading costs, and carbon emissions of using electric vehicles and fuel vehicles are affected accordingly, yet the trends are different. The changes of carbon quota have nothing to do with the distribution scheme and companies’ transformation but influence the total costs of using electric and fuel vehicles for distribution, and the trends are the same. These reasonable proposals can support the government on carbon trading policy, and also the logistics companies on dealing the relationship between economic and social benefits.

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Energy Demand Management and Social Norms

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13153779 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 3779

Author(s):

Bernadeta Gołębiowska ◽

Anna Bartczak ◽

Mikołaj Czajkowski

Keyword(s):

Social Norms ◽

Financial Incentives ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Consumer Preferences ◽

Demand Management ◽

Electricity Consumption ◽

External Control ◽

Revealed Preferences ◽

Personal Norms ◽

The Impact

The main objective of our study was investigating the impact of norms and financial motivation on the disutility of energy management for Polish households. We analyzed consumer preferences and willingness to accept demand-side management (DSM) programs. Choice experiment was applied for electricity contracts including external control of electricity consumption. Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior provided the theoretical framework of the study, which tested hypotheses about the impact of social norms on consumer choices of electricity contracts. We show that people with higher descriptive social norms about electricity consumption are less sensitive to the level of compensation and more responsive to the number of blackouts. People willing to sign a contract for financial reasons were less sensitive to the external control of electricity consumption and less inclined toward the status quo option. Injunctive social norms and personal norms had a non-significant impact on consumer decisions. We conclude that financial incentives can reduce the effect of the norms. Social and personal norms seem to be more important when we analyze the revealed preferences. European countries face significant challenges related to changes in energy policy. This study contributes to understanding the decisions of households and provides insights into the implementation of DSM.

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But I AM normal: safe? driving in Vietnam

Journal of Social Marketing ◽

10.1108/jsocm-07-2013-0048 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 105-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Duong Trong Hue ◽

Linda Brennan ◽

Lukas Parker ◽

Michael Florian

Keyword(s):

Social Norms ◽

Social Marketing ◽

Social Dynamics ◽

Adult Males ◽

Injunctive Norms ◽

Marketing Practice ◽

Safe Driving ◽

Content Type ◽

The Social ◽

Social Marketing Campaigns

Purpose – This paper aims to elucidate perceptions of safe driving and social norms in relation to driving motorbikes in the Vietnamese context. Design/methodology/approach – A series of focus groups was undertaken in relation to driving practices from a number of groups: adolescents, families and adult males and females. The discussion centred on how driving behaviours were socialised within the various groups. Findings – The research highlighted some very interesting social dynamics in relation to how safe driving habits are established and supported within the social context. In particular, the separation of descriptive and injunctive norms and the role such norms play in socialising driving behaviours, safe or otherwise. Practical implications – The implications for social marketing practice are considerable, especially in the Vietnamese context where injunctive norms are difficult to portray, given the dynamics of the media landscape. Social marketing campaigns will need to have a broader consideration of how to establish descriptive norms, bearing in mind the social milieu in which the behaviours occur. Originality/value – This research is the first of its kind in the Vietnamese context. While much practice-led innovation is occurring in the region, there is little extant research on the topic of social norms and the socialisation of behaviours within the Southeast Asian region.

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Economic perspective of hybrid wind-diesel technology for commercial loads of Dhahran Saudi Arabia: A step towards sustainable future

Thermal Science ◽

10.2298/tsci120128083s ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 167-178

Author(s):

S.M. Shaahid

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Hybrid Systems ◽

Carbon Emissions ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Wind Farm ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Economic Feasibility ◽

Commercial Building

The governments world-wide are deliberating to promote renewable energy sources such as wind to mitigate increasing demand of energy and to overcome effects of pollution due to to use of fossil fuels. Integration of wind turbine generators (WTG) with the diesel plants is pursued widely to reduce dependence on fossil-fuels and to reduce carbon emissions. Literature indicates that commercial/residential buildings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (K.S.A) consume an estimated 10 - 40% of the total electric energy generated. The aim of this study is to analyze wind-speed data of Dhahran (East-Coast, K.S.A.) to assess the economic feasibility of utilizing hybrid wind-diesel power systems to meet the load requirements of a typical commercial building (with annual electrical energy demand of 620,000 kWh). The monthly average wind speeds range from 3.3 to 5.6 m/s. The hybrid systems simulated consist of different combinations of 100 kW commercial WTG supplemented with diesel generators. NREL?s (HOMER Energy?s) HOMER software has been employed to perform the techno-economic analysis. The simulation results indicate that for a hybrid system comprising of 100 kW wind capacity together with 175 kW diesel system, the wind penetration (at 37 m hub-height, with 0% annual capacity shortage) is 25%. The cost of generating energy (COE, $/kWh) from this hybrid wind-diesel system has been found to be 0.121 $/kWh (assuming diesel fuel price of 0.1$/liter). The study exhibits that for a given hybrid configuration, the number of operational hours of diesel gensets decreases with increase in wind farm capacity. Emphasis has also been placed on wind penetration, un-met load, energy production and COE, excess electricity generation, percentage fuel savings and reduction in carbon emissions (relative to diesel-only situation) of different hybrid systems, cost break-down of wind-diesel systems, COE of different hybrid systems, etc.

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A cautionary approach in transitioning to ‘green’ energy technologies and practices is required

Reviews on Environmental Health ◽

10.1515/reveh-2016-0004 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Puleng Matatiele ◽

Mary Gulumian

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Technological Development ◽

Essential Elements ◽

Green Energy ◽

Potential Contribution ◽

Green Technologies ◽

Green Jobs ◽

Renewable Energy Technologies ◽

Energy Technologies

AbstractRenewable energy technologies (wind turbines, solar cells, biofuels, etc.) are often referred to as ‘clean’ or ‘green’ energy sources, while jobs linked to the field of environmental protection and energy efficiency are referred to as ‘green’ jobs. The energy efficiency of clean technologies, which is likely to reduce and/or eliminate reliance on fossil fuels, is acknowledged. However, the potential contribution of green technologies and associated practices to ill health and environmental pollution resulting from consumption of energy and raw materials, generation of waste, and the negative impacts related to some life cycle phases of these technologies are discussed. Similarly, a point is made that the green jobs theme is mistakenly oversold because the employment opportunities generated by transitioning to green technologies are not necessarily safe and healthy jobs. Emphasis is put on identifying the hazards associated with these green designs, assessing the risks to the environment and worker health and safety, and either eliminating the hazards or minimizing the risks as essential elements to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green technologies. The perception that it is not always economically possible to consider all risk factors associated with renewable energy technologies at the beginning without hampering their implementation, especially in the poor developing countries, is dismissed. Instead, poor countries are encouraged to start implementing environmentally sound practices while transitioning to green technologies in line with their technological development and overall economic growth.

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