scholarly journals Environmental risks and power plant suspensions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangsiyu Lu ◽  
Xiaoyan Zhou ◽  
Blake Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Environmental Risks ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Power Sector ◽  
The Past ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Chinese Overseas ◽  
Financial Losses ◽  
Shed Light

Abstract Power sector investment is crucial to accelerate a sustainable energy transition, but not all investments are successful. To shed light on investment trends, we examine 1393 Chinese overseas electric power projects spanned around 78 countries over the past two decades. We identify 5% have been cancelled or delayed, with coal and hydro projects having much higher failure rates than solar and wind projects. We find the suspension is associated with technology-specific, georeferenced environmental risks. Coal projects located in more densely populated areas where more people are exposed to air pollutants, in countries with more fatalities from extreme weather events, and in places with environmental protests, are more likely to be suspended. Additionally, hydro projects closer to protected areas have a higher suspension rate. Our results suggest that restraining from investing in environmentally risky projects helps mitigate environmental damages and prevent financial losses due to cancellation and postponement.

scholarly journals Assessing social capacity and vulnerability of private households to natural hazards – integrating psychological and governance factors

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1613-1628 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Werg ◽  
T. Grothmann ◽  
P. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Minority Status ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Private Households ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors ◽  
Financial Losses

Abstract. People are unequally affected by extreme weather events in terms of mortality, morbidity and financial losses; this is the case not only for developing, but also for industrialized countries. Previous research has established indicators for identifying who is particularly vulnerable and why, focusing on socio-demographic factors such as income, age, gender, health and minority status. However, these factors can only partly explain the large disparities in the extent to which people are affected by natural hazards. Moreover, these factors are usually not alterable in the short to medium term, which limits their usefulness for strategies of reducing social vulnerability and building social capacity. Based on a literature review and an expert survey, we propose an approach for refining assessments of social vulnerability and building social capacity by integrating psychological and governance factors.

Future Climate Projection and Zoning of Extreme Temperature Indices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Askari Zadeh ◽  
Gholamali Mozaffari ◽  
Mansoureh Kouhi ◽  
Younes Khosravi
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Extreme Temperature ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Base Period ◽  
The Past ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
The Future ◽  
Temperature Indices ◽  
Future Climate Projection

Abstract Global warming due to increasing carbon dioxide emissions over the past two centuries has had numerous climatic consequences. The change in the behavior and characteristics of extreme weather events such as temperature and precipitation is one of the consequences that have been of interest to researchers worldwide. In this study, the trend of 3 extreme indices of temperature: SU35, TR20, and DTR over two future periods have been studied using downscaled output of 3 GCMs in Razavi Khorasan province, Iran. The results show that the range of temperature diurnal variation (DTR) at three stations of Mashhad, Torbat-e-Heydarieh and Sabzevar during the base period has been reduced significantly. The trend of the number of summer days with temperatures above 35°C (SU35) in both Mashhad and Sabzevar stations was positive and no significant trend was found at Torbat-e-Heydarieh station. The number of tropical nights index (TR20) also showed a positive and significant increase in the three stations under study. The results showed highly significant changes in temperature extremes. The percentage of changes in SU35 index related to base period (1961–2014) for all three models (CNCM3, HadCM3 and NCCCSM) under A1B and A2 scenarios indicated a significant increase for the future periods of 2011–2030 and 2046–2065. TR20 is also expected to increase significantly during the two future periods. The percentage of changes of DTR into the future is negligible.

Sensitivity Analysis of the Index of a Rural Municipality’s Vulnerability to Losses Resulting from Extreme Weather Events

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Kocur-Bera
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Input Variables ◽  
Numerical Indicator ◽  
Financial Losses

Vulnerability index describes, in the form of a numerical indicator, the vulnerability of rural areas to financial losses resulting from extreme weather events. The index can also be used for the management, planning and administration of a space. A sensitivity analysis is a technique used to determine the response of the index under study to a change to either the value or the number of variables. This technique is used within specified boundaries which depend on one or more input variables. The main aim of the study was to conduct a sensitivity analysis of the vulnerability index depending on the number of variables making up this index. Results show that the excess of features under consideration results in the distortion of the level of the index of vulnerability to financial losses resulting from extreme weather events, while the determination of vulnerability on the sole basis of the arising financial losses may lead to erroneous conclusions.

scholarly journals Human–Environment Natural Disasters Interconnection in China: A Review

Climate ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rawshan Ali ◽  
Alban Kuriqi ◽  
Ozgur Kisi
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Events ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Quantitative Review ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Critical Studies ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Financial Losses

This study aimed to assess the interrelationship among extreme natural events and their impacts on environments and humans through a systematic and quantitative review based on the up-to-date scientific literature. Namely, the main goal was to add additional knowledge to the existing evidence of the impacts related to floods, droughts, and landslides on humans and the environment in China; this in order to identify knowledge gaps in research and practice to aid in improving the adaptation and mitigation measures against extreme natural events in China. In this study, 110 documents were analyzed in the evaluation of several impacts triggered by extreme events. Records were obtained from Scopus and Web of Science and examined with a text mining instrument to assess the pattern of publications over the years; the problems linked to extreme weather events were investigated, and the study gaps were discussed. This paper extends work by systematically reviewing recent evidence related to floods, droughts, and landslides in China. We listed the critical studies that focused on the impact of extreme events on both humans and the environment described in current reviews. The findings revealed that goods safety, social safety, and financial losses are of significant concern to the scientific community due to extreme natural events, which from our analysis resulted in being more frequent and intense. It is still underdeveloped to implement distant sensing and imaging methods to monitor and detect the impact of severe weather occurrences. There are still significant study gaps in the fields of the effects of extreme weather events. The analysis result shows that extreme events are increased during the time, so more in-depth investigation and efforts on adaptation, mitigation measures, and strategical governance plans are desperately required.

scholarly journals Without Environmental Justice, the Renewable Energy Transition Will Leave Low-Income and BIPOC Communities Behind

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Ramírez
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
The United States ◽  
Power Grids ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Communities Of Color ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
The Cost

As extreme weather events become more common in the United States due to the worsening effects of climate change, access to utilities like electricity and water will be continually strained. Blackouts and intermittent utility interruptions impact low-income and communities of color most negatively. While renewable energy technologies promise alleviation of emissions and pollution, high cost and a lack of equitable energy infrastructure make it harder for low-income and communities of color to access renewable energy benefits. I propose a series of policies to address the cost barriers of renewable energy, improve reliability and access to power grids, and standardize household weatherization for people from all communities.

scholarly journals A Statistical Procedure for Analyzing the Behavior of Air Pollutants during Temperature Extreme Events: The Case Study of Emilia-Romagna Region (Northern Italy)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 8266
Author(s):  
Maria Ragosta ◽  
Mariagrazia D’Emilio ◽  
Luciana Casaletto ◽  
Vito Telesca
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Statistical Procedure ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Historical Series ◽  
Emilia Romagna Region

Meteorological conditions play a crucial role in air pollution by affecting both directly and indirectly the emissions, transport, formation, and deposition of air pollutants. Extreme weather events can strongly affect surface air quality. Understanding relations between air pollutant concentrations and extreme weather events is a fundamental step toward improving the knowledge of how excessive heat impacts on air quality. In this work, we developed a statistical procedure for investigating the variations in the correlation structure of four air pollutants (NOx, O3, PM10, PM2.5) during extreme temperature events measured in monitoring sites located of Emilia Romagna region, Northern Italy, in summer (June–August) from 2015 to 2017. For the selected stations, Hot Days (HDs) and Heat Waves (HWs) were identified with respect to historical series of maximum temperature measured for a 30-year period (1971–2000). This method, based on multivariate techniques, allowed us to highlight the variations in air quality of study area due to the occurrence of HWs. The examined data, including PM concentrations, show higher values, whereas NOx and O3 concentrations seem to be not influenced by HWs. This operative procedure can be easily exported in other geographical areas for studying effects of climate change on a local scale.

scholarly journals GIS-Based Material Stock Analysis (MSA) of Climate Vulnerabilities to the Tourism Industry in Antigua and Barbuda

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 8090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johnella Bradshaw ◽  
Simron Jit Singh ◽  
Su-Yin Tan ◽  
Tomer Fishman ◽  
Kristen Pott
Keyword(s):  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
The Past ◽  
Economic Vulnerability ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
New Material ◽  
The Caribbean

In the past decades, the Caribbean economy has transformed to rely primarily on tourism with a vast amount of infrastructure dedicated to this sector. At the same time, the region is subject to repeated crises in the form of extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent, deadly, and costly. Damages to buildings and infrastructure (or the material stocks) from storms disrupt the local economy by an immediate decline in tourists and loss of critical services. In Antigua and Barbuda (A&B), tourism contributes 80% to the GDP and is a major driver for adding new material stocks to support the industry. This research analyzes A&B’s material stocks (MSs) in buildings (aggregates, timber, concrete, and steel) using geographic information systems (GIS) with physical parameters such as building size and footprint, material intensity, and the number of floors. In 2004, the total MSs of buildings was estimated at 4.7 million tonnes (mt), equivalent to 58.5 tonnes per capita, with the share of non-metallic minerals to be highest (2.9 mt), followed by aggregates (1.2 mt), steel (0.44 mt), and timber (0.18 mt). Under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) 2 meter (m) sea level rise scenario, an estimated 4% of the island’s total MSs would be exposed. The tourism sector would disproportionately experience the greatest exposure of 19% of its MSs. By linking stocks to services, our research contributes to the understanding of the complexities between the environmental and economic vulnerability of island systems, and the need for better infrastructure planning as part of resilience building.

scholarly journals Climatic history of the northeastern United States during the past 3000 years

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1355-1379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer R. Marlon ◽  
Neil Pederson ◽  
Connor Nolan ◽  
Simon Goring ◽  
Bryan Shuman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Vegetation Growth ◽  
The Past ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
History Of ◽  
Paleoclimate Records

Abstract. Many ecosystem processes that influence Earth system feedbacks – vegetation growth, water and nutrient cycling, disturbance regimes – are strongly influenced by multidecadal- to millennial-scale climate variations that cannot be directly observed. Paleoclimate records provide information about these variations, forming the basis of our understanding and modeling of them. Fossil pollen records are abundant in the NE US, but cannot simultaneously provide information about paleoclimate and past vegetation in a modeling context because this leads to circular logic. If pollen data are used to constrain past vegetation changes, then the remaining paleoclimate archives in the northeastern US (NE US) are quite limited. Nonetheless, a growing number of diverse reconstructions have been developed but have not yet been examined together. Here we conduct a systematic review, assessment, and comparison of paleotemperature and paleohydrological proxies from the NE US for the last 3000 years. Regional temperature reconstructions (primarily summer) show a long-term cooling trend (1000 BCE–1700 CE) consistent with hemispheric-scale reconstructions, while hydroclimate data show gradually wetter conditions through the present day. Multiple proxies suggest that a prolonged, widespread drought occurred between 550 and 750 CE. Dry conditions are also evident during the Medieval Climate Anomaly, which was warmer and drier than the Little Ice Age and drier than today. There is some evidence for an acceleration of the longer-term wetting trend in the NE US during the past century; coupled with an abrupt shift from decreasing to increasing temperatures in the past century, these changes could have wide-ranging implications for species distributions, ecosystem dynamics, and extreme weather events. More work is needed to gather paleoclimate data in the NE US to make inter-proxy comparisons and to improve estimates of uncertainty in reconstructions.

What Does Florida Weather during the Past 20 Years Look Like? Florida Weather Represented by the Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN)

EDIS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Satbyeol Shin ◽  
Young Gu Her ◽  
Geraldina Zhang ◽  
William Lusher
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Tropical Storms ◽  
Biological Engineering ◽  
The Past ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Spatial Trends ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Temporal And Spatial Trends

This 8-page document gives an overview of Florida temperature and rainfall during the past 20 years based on historical FAWN data to provide information about the temporal and spatial trends of Florida weather and the frequency and size of extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and drought. This document also investigates the characteristics of drought and heavy rainfall in relation to hurricanes and tropical storms. Written by Satbyeol Shin, Young Gu Her, Geraldina Zhang, and William Lusher, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, January 2020.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae537

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