Applying student-generated theories about global change and energy demand

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 258-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert Ahamer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Change ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Climate Protection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Highly Nonlinear

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how learning technology could be applied to the development of educational tools for global climate change. The task to be performed in an informed dialogue is to assess the causes and drivers for global climate change and to produce an improved basis of scientific understanding for the implementation of the climate protection targets suggested for each country. By character, this approach integrates the political and the scientific level. Design/methodology/approach – The paper applies learning theories and options for educational technologies to socio-economic, technological, biospheric, political and scientific themes relevant to present climate change. Findings – Drivers, effects and subsequent measures are subject to highly nonlinear effects. Thus, the combination of a (scientific, fact based) “Global Change Data Base” and a (dialogic, communication based) discourse (in the spirit of “Surfing Global Change”) seems best suitable to produce solutions for the seemingly unresolvable issues of climate protection. This combination of approaches is entitled “Tackle the Task of a Transition through Technological Targets (T5)” and allows the application of hypotheses generated by students in a scaffolded setting of discursive learning. Social implications – Suggestions for CO2 abatement measures are currently passing the process of political negotiation in all countries in the world. The different views and patterns of ethical values are harmonised during the T5 learning process and symbolise the required political process of consensus finding among and between different ministries, countries and global interest groups. Originality/value – This approach includes social and natural driving factors such as population, land use, economics, politics, energy systems, the global carbon cycle, biosphere and climate, and thus offers a more comprehensive learning endeavour than many other approaches.

scholarly journals Demographic determinants of energy consumption in the European Union: Econometric analysis results

Stanovnistvo ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Predrag Petrovic ◽  
Goran Nikolic ◽  
Ivana Ostojic
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Senior Citizens ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Human Society

Over the past several decades there has been a strong intensifying trend of human society impact on ecosystems, consumption of natural resources and global change. The environmental impact of the society is fully apparent and dominantly implemented through various greenhouse gases emissions (GHG), leading towards global climate change with considerably spread harmful effects. Global climate change includes the earth and ocean surface and atmospheric warming, but also melting of snow and ice, increase of sea levels and ocean acidity, as well as ever more common natural phenomena extremes (winds, various forms of rainfall/precipitation, extremely low or high temperatures, etc.). Scientists are well-familiarized with the fact that use of fossil fuels, such as oil derivatives and coal, is the main generator of harmful gases. In addition, possible substitutions for fossil fuels in the form of other energy sources are very limited, and it should be remembered that other energy sources also have certain adverse environmental effects. Bearing in mind climate change caused by products of fossil fuels combustion, as well as inevitable depletion of natural crude oil resources, management of growing global energy demand becomes one of the key goals and challenges of 21st century. If these reasons are coupled with obligations emanating from Kyoto Protocol, it is clear that attention of researches should be more than reasonably focused on the main determinants of energy consumption. This study is focused on illumination of key demographic and economic determinants of energy consumption in 28 EU member states in the period 1960- 2014. The results obtained demonstrate that population positively and quite strongly influence total energy consumption. An increase of population of 1% will result in an increase of energy consumption of 1.59% to 1.76%. Such relation most probably can be explained by the fact that demographic growth of the society aggravates and complicates planning processes of efficient energy consumption, diminishing the ability of society to be energy efficient. The population effect of persons aged 65 and above to energy consumption is also positive. An increase in share of this age group of 1% will result in an increase in energy consumption of approximately 0.43%. Positive elasticity coefficient should be understood as a proof that European societies with higher share of senior citizens consume more energy that societies with higher share of younger population, not necessarily as an argument that senior citizens use more energy than younger population. The explanation for such nature of a cause-andeffect relation could be that high share of senior citizens influences the structure of production and consumption, spatial distribution of population, transport infrastructure and social services provided. A significant influence on energy consumption in the EU is made by the level of economic development of countries, which is in accordance with the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), suggesting a relation of inverted letter ?U?. The amount of income per capita needed to have the EKC expressed ranges between 54,183 and 81,552 dollars.

What Islamic contributions have been made to climate change action and how useful are they in promoting environmental justice?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elle Turnbull
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Justice ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Culturally Specific ◽  
Religious Perspective ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Environmental

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore Islamic contributions to discussions on climate change action and environmental justice. The author argues that Islamic approaches to this issue provide a unique cultural and religious perspective which can effectively address the issue of climate change. Design/methodology/approach Beginning with a discussion of the concepts central to this essay, the author moves to discuss why she has chosen to move away from approaches founded in criminal law, instead of arguing that it is important to focus on culturally specific approaches to environmental justice. The author then explores some of the approaches taken by mainstream Muslim organisations working towards environmental justice. In particular, the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change and responses from Islamic Relief Worldwide, considering both the benefits and flaws of these approaches. Findings The author concludes by arguing that Sharīʿah has potential for developing Muslim environmental justice further, using Islamic legal rulings from Indonesia as an example. In this way, Islamic contributions can further aid global environmental justice. The author finds that culturally specific approaches to climate change, founded in legal mechanisms such as the Islamic juridical process (fiqh), have vast potential in securing environmental justice across the globe. Originality/value Islamic contributions to climate change are often relegated to the background, while approaches from the perspective of legal mechanisms and criminal law have been favoured. The author believes that an Islamic approach is not only a starkly different approach, but also one which can provide an impetus for change. This is particularly true for the contributions of Islamic jurists.

The Frontier Research System for Global Change—The International Arctic Research Center (Frontier-IARC): its Origin and Tentative Science Plan

1999 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-84
Author(s):  
Jinro Ukila ◽  
Moloyoshi Ikeda
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Change ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Research Center ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research System

The Frontier Research System for Global Change—the International Arctic Research Center (Frontier-IARC) is a research program funded by the Frontier Research System for Global Change. The program is jointly run under a cooperative agreement between the Frontier Research System for Global Change and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The aim of the program is to understand the role of the Arctic region in global climate change. The program concentrates its research effort initially on the areas of air-sea-ice interactions, bio-geochemical processes and the ecosystem. To understand the arctic climate system in the context of global climate change, we focus on mechanisms controlling arctic-subarctic interactions, and identify three key components: the freshwater balance, the energy balance, and the large-scale atmospheric processes. Knowledge of details of these components and their interactions will be gained through long-term monitoring, process studies, and modeling; our focus will be on the latter two categories.

China-US deal sets stage for new climate change regime

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United States ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bilateral Agreement ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Game Changer

Significance The United States has already committed, in an unprecedented deal with China in November 2014, to reducing its emissions to 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025 (an improvement on its previous 17% goal). China in return pledged that its emissions would peak around 2030. This agreement is a game-changer for combating global climate change, since the two countries are the world's largest sources of carbon emissions, together accounting for 40% of the total, and were not covered under the now-expired Kyoto Protocol. Impacts Washington is poised to reclaim its place, lost after Kyoto, as a leader in global efforts against climate change. US-China climate cooperation initiatives could serve as templates for other developing countries. There are new opportunities for trilateral cooperation involving the EU. Fears that the bilateral agreement makes the UNFCCC obsolete are unwarranted, but it could preclude more ambitious efforts.

Knowledge management and global climate change regime negotiations

foresight ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Zakaria
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Climate Change Negotiations ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the important factors that negotiators and policy-makers need to take into account while putting their strategies to negotiate global climate change regimes. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on qualitative research using the deductive approach. Integrating the theoretical and empirical material in the analysis is used to enhance the readers’ value and interest in the paper. Findings – Without deep understanding of why some international negotiations related to climate change have previously failed, it is difficult to successfully negotiate them in the future. Flexibility and openness during negotiations and to consider the views and concerns of all global actors in finding optimum solutions and cooperation are among the many essential factors that bring the world leaders into a compromise agreement and a global climate change regime. Knowledge management including taking into account the discussed factors may help the negotiators and public to be more prepared to understand the obstacles that may complicate negotiating the international climate change regimes. Research limitations/implications – This paper is not intended for those who have years of experience in climate change negotiations nor for those seeking deep theoretical knowledge about this topic. Practical implications – This paper has practical implications as it combines the theories of international relations with practical evidences from previous Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Social implications – This paper is an essential read to students and young scientists, as well as to young policy-makers within the environmental politics. Originality/value – The paper deals with a very important and current issue and little has been published on the process of preparation for negotiating climate change negotiation. It covers some critical issues and determining factors in such negotiations.

Energy Demand and Supply in Metropolitan New York with Global Climate Change

1996 ◽  
Vol 790 (1 The Baked App) ◽  
pp. 139-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
SAMUEL C. MORRIS ◽  
GARY A. GOLDSTEIN ◽  
A. SANGHI ◽  
DOUGLAS HILL
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New York ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Demand And Supply

Can Educational Approaches Help to Revolutionize Quantitative Solutions for Climate Change?

2018 ◽  
pp. 243-261
Author(s):  
Gilbert Ahamer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Change ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Co2 Emission ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Co2 Reduction ◽  
Global Sustainability ◽  
Didactic Strategies ◽  
Supported Education

In order to apply web-supported education to solve one of the foremost issues revolutionizing our life on the planet Earth, this chapter focuses on global climate change and its driving forces from a both didactic and scientific perspective. It describes how to “tackle the task of a transition through technological targets” (T5). It suggests a technology-oriented quantitative approach based on the “Global Change Data Base” for the sharing of hypotheses, scenarios, political applications, and didactic strategies related to planning, developing, managing, using and evaluating technological targets towards climate protection and global sustainability in academia, administration, education and policy consulting. The complete logical chain of cause and effect from social drivers to CO2 emission and climate change is used as an educational basis for advocating the global necessity and potential technological feasibility of CO2 reduction. Students negotiate global structural transitions and a set of CO2 abatement measures (similar to the game “Surfing Global Change”).

Can Educational Approaches Help to Revolutionize Quantitative Solutions for Climate Change?

2016 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert Ahamer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Change ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Co2 Emission ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Co2 Reduction ◽  
Global Sustainability ◽  
Didactic Strategies ◽  
Supported Education

In order to apply web-supported education to solve one of the foremost issues revolutionizing our life on the planet Earth, this chapter focuses on global climate change and its driving forces from a both didactic and scientific perspective. It describes how to “tackle the task of a transition through technological targets” (T5). It suggests a technology-oriented quantitative approach based on the “Global Change Data Base” for the sharing of hypotheses, scenarios, political applications, and didactic strategies related to planning, developing, managing, using and evaluating technological targets towards climate protection and global sustainability in academia, administration, education and policy consulting. The complete logical chain of cause and effect from social drivers to CO2 emission and climate change is used as an educational basis for advocating the global necessity and potential technological feasibility of CO2 reduction. Students negotiate global structural transitions and a set of CO2 abatement measures (similar to the game “Surfing Global Change”).

Sills Sautéing Shales: Did Karoo Intrusions into the Ecca Formation cause the Toarcian Ocean Anoxic Event?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean P. Gaynor ◽  
Urs Schaltegger ◽  
Henrik Svensen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Change ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Short Pulse ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Large Igneous Province ◽  
Oceanic Anoxic Event ◽  
Karoo Basin ◽  
Anoxic Event ◽  
Intrusive Activity

<p>Eruptions of Large Igneous Provinces (LIP) are commonly correlated with global climate change, and environmental, as well as biological, crises. However, establishing a causative link via chemical and physical proxies for global change is more complicated and often ambiguous. As technical improvements have allowed for increasingly higher precision dates especially in U/Pb dating, it is possible to better assess hypotheses connecting LIP’s and environmental impact via their contemporaneity. Here, we focus on the early Jurassic period, which includes a period of global change known as the Toarcian oceanic anoxic event (TOAE), as well as emplacement of the Karoo Large Igneous Province (K-LIP). Previous work has tied these two events together due to overlapping chronology and observed metamorphism and degassing (e.g., Svensen et al., 2012; Sell et al., 2014), and excellent exposure allows for extensive sampling of both the intrusive and extrusive components of the K-LIP. Therefore it is possible to directly study the influence of intrusive LIP magmatism on potential climate forcing.</p><p>The K-LIP is comprised of a suite of basaltic lava flows, sills, dike swarms, centered in southern Africa. Approximately 340,000 km<sup>3</sup> of sills are interlaid within the Karoo Basin, and therefore served as significant heat source to the basin upon emplacement. While much of the sedimentary rocks of the basin are siliciclastic, the Ecca Group contains organic-rich facies and hosts 160,000 km<sup>3</sup> of basaltic sills (Svensen et al., 2012). This unit is therefore uniquely capable of generating large volumes of thermogenic gas through thermal metamorphism of the organic matter of the shale. Previous mass balance calculations indicate that between 7,000 and 27,000 Gt of CO<sub>2</sub> equivalents was released through metamorphic reactions in contact aureoles within the Ecca Group (Svensen et al. 2007). If intrusive magmatism was short lived within this formation, causing rapid volatilization and degassing from the shales, than this event could represent a mechanism to drive a short pulse of global climate change. Previous studies have shown that intrusions are coeval with the TOAE (Svensen et al., 2012; Corfu et al. 2016), however higher-precision geochronology data from the sills is necessary to determine if the flux and timing of thermogenic gases from the basin was sufficiently high to destabilize Earth’s climate. In order to test the hypothesis, we present single crystal U-Pb zircon dates from sills across the Ecca Group. These data will be used (i) to quantify the duration and flux rate of carbon gas during the intrusive event, and (ii) to better understand how and to what extent K-LIP intrusive activity and associated thermogenic gas release of Ecca wall rocks were able to drive global climate change.</p><p> </p><p>Corfu, F., et al., (2016) EPSL, 434, 349-352.</p><p>Sell, B., et al., (2014) EPSL, 408, 48-56.</p><p>Svensen, H., et al., (2007) EPSL, 3-4, 554-566.</p><p>Svensen, H., et al., (2012) EPSL, 325-326, 1–9.</p>

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