scholarly journals Saving the planet with appropriate biotechnology: 1. Diagnosing the problems

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
David Moore ◽  
◽  
Matthias Heilweck ◽  
Peter Petros ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Plain Language ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Short Account ◽  
Dangerous Anthropogenic Interference

We give a plain language guide to the Earth’s carbon cycle by briefly summarising the observations and origins of increased levels of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2 but including CH4 and N2O, in our atmosphere. The only tenable explanation for our atmosphere’s present state is that it is the consequence of mankind’s excessive use of fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution onwards. We deal with the arguments that deny the truth of this, then illustrate the Earth’s global carbon cycle, which was almost exactly in equilibrium for several thousand years while humans were evolving, before industrial humans intervened. We describe how the excess greenhouse gas emissions are projected to change the global climate over this century and beyond and discuss ‘dangerous anthropogenic interference’ (DAI), ‘reasons for concern’ (RFCs) and climate tipping points. Finally, we give a short account of the various improved management, engineering and natural climate solutions advocated to increase carbon storage and/or avoid greenhouse gas emissions across global forests, wetlands, grasslands, agricultural lands, and industry. This review concludes with our basic message, which is that cultivation of aquatic calcifiers (coccolithophore algae, corals, crustacea and molluscs) offers the only effective and permanent carbon sequestration strategy.

8. Solutions

2014 ◽  
pp. 136-164
Author(s):  
Mark Maslin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Alternative Energy Sources

‘Solutions’ examines three types of solution to climate change. The first is adaptation, which is simply providing protection for the population, as we already know that there will be climate change even if emissions are radically cut back to 1990 levels. Second is mitigation, which would involve cutting our carbon footprint and thus reversing the trend that currently exists of ever increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels need to be replaced with renewable or alternative energy sources that will not produce greenhouse gas emissions. Third is geoenginnering that involves large-scale extraction of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or modification of the global climate.

Model for Calculating Regional Energy use, Industrial Production and Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Evaluating Global Climate Scenarios

Image 2.0 ◽  
1994 ◽  
pp. 79-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. J. M. de Vries ◽  
J. G. J. Olivier ◽  
R. A. van den Wijngaart ◽  
G. J. J. Kreileman ◽  
A. M. C. Toet
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Industrial Production ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Climate Scenarios ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Regional Energy

Comparison of time series approaches for prediction of energy consumption focusing on greenhouse gases emission in Iran

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 486-499
Author(s):  
Maryam Doroodi ◽  
Alireza Mokhtar
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Energy Carriers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Double Exponential ◽  
Double Exponential Smoothing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to predict the amount of energy consumption by using a suitable statistical method in some sectors and energy carriers, which has shown a significant correlation with greenhouse gas emissions. Design/methodology/approach After studying the correlation between energy consumption rates in different sectors of energy consumption and some energy carriers with greenhouse gas distribution (CO2, SO2, NOX and SPM), the most effective factors on pollution emission will be first identified and then predicted for the next 20 years (2015 to 2004). Furthermore, to determine the appropriate method for forecasting, two approaches titled “trend analysis” and “double exponential smoothing” will be applied on data, collected from 1967 to 2014, and their capabilities in anticipating will be compared to each other contributing MSD, MAD, MAPE indices and also the actual and projected time series comparison. After predicting the energy consumption in the sectors and energy carriers, the growth rate of consumption in the next 20 years is also calculated. Findings Correlation study shows that four energy sectors (industry sector, agriculture, transportation and household-general-commercial) and two energy carriers (electricity and natural gas) have shown remarkable correlation with greenhouse gas emissions. To predict the energy consumption in mentioned sectors and carriers, it is proven that double exponential smoothing method is more capable in predicting. The study shows that among the demand sectors, the industry will account for the highest consumption rate. Electricity will experience the highest rate among the energy careers. In fact, producing this amount of electricity causes emissions of greenhouse gases. Research limitations/implications Access to the data and categorized data was one of the main limitations. Practical implications By identifying the sectors and energy carriers that have the highest consumption growth rate in the next 20 years, it can be said that greenhouse gas emissions, which show remarkable correlation with these sectors and carriers, will also increase dramatically. So, their stricter control seems to be necessary. On the other hand, to control a particular greenhouse gas, it is possible to focus on the amount of energy consumed in the sectors and carriers that have a significant correlation with this pollutant. These results will lead to more targeted policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Social implications The tendency of communities toward industrialization along with population growth will doubtlessly lead to more consumption of fossil fuels. An immediate aftermath of burning fuels is greenhouse gas emission resulting in destructive effects on the environment and ecosystems. Identifying the factors affecting the pollutants resulted from consumption of fossil fuels is significant in controlling the emissions. Originality/value Such analyses help policymakers make more informed and targeted decisions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make safer and more appropriate policies and investment.

scholarly journals Residential Consumers’ Willingness to Pay Price Premium for Renewable Heat in South Korea

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee-Hoon Kim ◽  
Seul-Ye Lim ◽  
Seung-Hoon Yoo
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Price Premium ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Residential Heating ◽  
The Cost

Heat accounts for about one-third of the final energy use and it is mostly produced using fossil fuels in South Korea. Thus, heat production is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions. However, using renewable heat that is directly produced from renewable energy, such as bioenergy, geothermal, or solar heat can save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, rather than transforming conventional fuel into heat. Therefore, an energy policy for renewable heat urgently needs to be established. It is such situations that this paper attempts to assess the consumers’ additional willingness to pay (WTP) or the price premium for renewable heat over heat that is produced from fossil fuels for residential heating. To that end, a nationwide contingent valuation survey of 1000 households was conducted during August 2018. Employing the model allowing for zero WTP values, the mean of the additional WTP or premium for one Gcal of heat produced using renewable energy rather than fossil fuels was estimated to be KRW 3636 (USD 3.2), which is statistically meaningful at the 1% level. This value represents the price premium for renewable heat over heat that is based on fossil fuels. Given that the heat price for residential heating was approximately KRW 73,000 (USD 65.1) per Gcal at the time of the survey, the additional WTP or the price premium corresponds to about 5% of that. When considering that the cost of producing renewable heat is still significantly higher than the cost of producing fossil fuels-based heat, more efforts to lower the production costs of renewable heat as well as financial support of the government for producing and supplying renewable heat are needed to ensure residential consumers’ acceptance of renewable heat.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Evolution of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Transferring via Trade: Influencing Factors and Policy Implications

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (14) ◽  
pp. 5065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhangqi Zhong ◽  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Weina Gao
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Energy Structure ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Factors Influencing

Global climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from anthropogenic activities have already become the focus of the world. A more systematic and comprehensive analysis on the factors influencing the changes of global GHGs transferring via trade have not been fully discussed. To this end, employing spatial econometric regression models and multi-regional input-output models, this paper reveals factors influencing the GHGs transferring via trade changes in 39 major economies, so as to develop the relevant GHGs reduction policies. The results indicate that regions with the highest net outflow of GHGs transferring via trade are primarily Russia and Canada, and the adverse effects of promoting GHGs reduction on the national economy could be avoided by these regions owing to trade relations. Additionally, factors influencing the changes in GHGs transferring via trade have significant spatial autocorrelation, and population size and energy structure exert significant spatial spillover effects on the changes in the GHGs transferring via trade. On this basis, this paper suggests that one more effective way to prevent trade from the rigorous demands of environmental governance measures while preserving the economic benefits of international trade may be to facilitate cooperation between countries on GHGs mitigation. Further, we articulate more balanced environment governance policies, including conducting the sharing of advanced energy technologies and developing clearer production technologies.

scholarly journals Defining Genomic and Predicted Metabolic Features of the Acetobacterium Genus

mSystems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel E. Ross ◽  
Christopher W. Marshall ◽  
Djuna Gulliver ◽  
Harold D. May ◽  
R. Sean Norman
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Anaerobic Bacteria ◽  
Global Carbon Cycle ◽  
Acetyl Coa ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Autotrophic Metabolism ◽  
Fuels And Chemicals ◽  
Global Carbon

Acetogens are anaerobic bacteria capable of fixing CO2 or CO to produce acetyl-CoA and ultimately acetate using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP). This autotrophic metabolism plays a major role in the global carbon cycle and, if harnessed, can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, the data presented here provide a framework for examining the ecology and evolution of the Acetobacterium genus and highlight the potential of these species as a source for production of fuels and chemicals from CO2 feedstocks.

scholarly journals Carbon Emissions of Hotels: The Case of the Sri Lankan Hotel Industry

Buildings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udara Willhelm Abeydeera ◽  
Karunasena
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change

The need to mitigate climate change has become a major global concern, and greenhouse gas emissions are a major cause of global climate change. Therefore, the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions has been well recognized by global researchers, policymakers and academics. Carbon emissions of hotel operations have seized the attention of global researchers. However, carbon emissions of the hotels in developing countries remain to be a less explored domain. Therefore, carbon emissions of Sri Lankan hotels were explored using a case study approach. Five hotels in the Colombo suburb were explored, which revealed that each hotel released more than 7000 tons of carbon annually. Results further indicated the use of purchased electricity as the dominant source of carbon emissions. Emissions caused by transport activities were not included in the calculations due to the unavailability of data. Recommendations were made to overcome the issues identified during data collection as well as to reduce the carbon emissions from hotel operations. Wider adoption of the methodology used in this research will benefit the hotels to keep track of the carbon emissions using a systematic approach.

scholarly journals The Production of Gaseous Biofuels Using Biomass Waste from Construction Sites in Recife, Brazil

Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 457
Author(s):  
Sergio Peres ◽  
Eduardo Loureiro ◽  
Humberto Santos ◽  
Fabio Vanderley e Silva ◽  
Alexandre Gusmao
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Wood Waste ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Biomass Waste ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Gaseous Fuels ◽  
Lower Heating Value

Due to climate change problems caused by greenhouse gas emissions generated by fossil fuels and from waste disposition, fuel alternatives for power generation are being extensively researched. Currently, in Brazil and in many countries, wood waste is disposed in landfills. However, due to lignin, one of the major constituents of biomass, which prevents wood waste from suffering microbial degradation, there is no significant mass degradation, even over decades, when landfilled. Hence, landfilling is not a solution to discard wood waste. Hence, one of the solutions to get rid of the great amount of wood waste is to use it as feedstock in waste-to-electricity (WTE) projects. WTE projects are in high demand in the world, as they can replace fossil fuels and they reduce two major environmental problems (greenhouse gas emissions due to the use of fossil fuels and the accumulation of waste in landfills), while generating biofuels and/or electricity. One of the residues that can be used in WTE projects is biomass residue from construction sites (CCbiowaste). CCbiowaste could be converted into gaseous biofuels through pyrolysis or gasification. These gaseous biofuels can be used in Otto engines connected to an electricity generator (gensets) to produce electricity and/or heat (cogeneration applications). Hence, the objective of this research was to characterize (physically, chemically, and energetically) civil construction biomass wastes (CCbiowaste), produced in a residential building construction site in Recife, Brazil, and to use these wastes in a bench-scale gasifier to produce gaseous biofuels at the temperatures of 700 °C, 800 °C, and 900 °C. The gaseous fuels were collected in the gasifier and analyzed in a gas chromatograph equipped with a thermal conductivity detector (TCD) to determine their composition and heating values. The lower heating value (LHV) results varied from 8.07 MJ∙m−3 to 10.74 MJ∙m−3 for 700 °C to 900 °C gasification temperature. These gaseous fuels were tested in an adapted Otto cycle engine connected to an electricity generator to prove the feasibility of this application. The highest total energy per ton of biomass was obtained for mixed wood and Pinus at 900 °C, with approximately 13 GJ∙ton−1. Hence, the use of CCbiowaste can become an option for the reuse of wasted wood instead of simply dumping in a landfill.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Refrigeration Equipment in Malaysia

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Saidur ◽  
MA Sattar ◽  
H.H. Masjuki ◽  
M.Y. Jamaluddin
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Air Conditioner ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Refrigeration Equipment

This paper presents an analysis of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from refrigeration equipment. The refrigeration equipments use refrigerants such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons HFCs, which are believed to contribute the ozone depletion and global warming. Refrigeration equipment thus contributes indirectly through emission due to electricity consumption and directly due to the emission of refrigerants. Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuels are quantified and presented in this paper. The calculation was carried out based on emissions per unit electricity generated and the type of fuel used. The direct emission of refrigerant was calculated based on emission factor and according to the procedure of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USA. A study was conducted to evaluate the refrigerant losses to the atmosphere and the CO2 emission from fossil fuels to generate power to run the refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. In this paper, total appliance annual energy consumption by refrigerator-freezer and air conditioner as well as emission has been estimated for a period of 19 years (1997–2015) using the survey data. Energy savings and emission reductions achievable by raising thermostat set point temperature have been calculated for a period of 10 (i.e. 2005–2015) years.

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