scholarly journals The carbon challenge

Biomedicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 692-693
Author(s):  
Manjula Shantaram
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Mass Migration ◽  
The World ◽  
Good For

If one has a passion for the planet, then this is the right time to drastically lower the carbon emissions. A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Some carbon emissions will probably never be eradicated entirely from certain industries, such as air travel or construction. When emissions cannot be further reduced, carbon offsetting is the next best thing, says Winters (1). Offsetting emissions is paying for or investing in organisations that can extract carbon from the atmosphere to help others reduce their footprint. It could include investing in reforestation projects or new technologies that suck carbon out of the atmosphere and sequester it underground permanently, technologies to replace jet fuel with alternative green fuels, or switching fossil-fuel-powered facilities with hydrogen-powered facilities.    Unless the global economy meets the aims of the Paris Agreement, keeping climate change well below 2°C, the world is expected to suffer extreme weather conditions leading to mass migration and global catastrophe. The argument for global companies to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is clearer than it has ever been. Business operations around the world are now subject to greater climate and transition risks. Consumers are insisting for eco-friendly products and responsible corporate behaviours. Investors are increasingly embracing capital-allocation strategies that take environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues into account. Policy makers and government organizations are exploring the potential regulation of carbon emissions. The more aggressive the targets, the better the results.   In COP26 climate summit in Glasgow held in November 2021, it was made clear that the current climate crisis has been precipitated by unsustainable lifestyles and wasteful consumption patterns mainly in the developed countries. The world needs to awaken to this reality. Globally, the building and construction sectors account for nearly 40% of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in constructing and operating buildings (2). Current building codes address operating energy but do not typically address the impacts of embodied carbon in building materials and products. However, more than half of all GHG emissions is related to materials management (including material extraction and manufacturing) when aggregated across industrial sectors (3).   In order to reduce our carbon footprint, we can start an eco-friendlier life. In winter, instead of heating, insulate the loft and walls which will make sure our home retains heat during the winter and stays cool in summer. By switching to a company that provides electricity from solar, wind, or hydroelectric energy, we can reduce our household emissions. Buy energy efficient electrical appliances. Additionally, make sure to turn off and unplug anything we are not using. It takes energy and resources to process and deliver water to our homes. So, by using less water, we can help the environment and lower our carbon footprint. The food we eat can have a significant impact on the environment. For example, meat and dairy products require a lot of land, water and energy to produce. They also create a lot of methane, a greenhouse gas. Moreover, food shipped from overseas uses a lot more resources than local produce. By eating fewer animal products, especially red meat, (or choosing a plant-based diet) and shopping for locally sourced food, we can make a big difference.  Why not support our local farmers’ market?   Powering empty rooms and office space is a huge energy drain. By making sure we turn off lights and appliances when they are not in use, we can make sure we are not wasting power. we can also request to install automatic, movement-sensing lights and energy-saving LED bulbs to address the issue. It has never been easier to collaborate with others online. Whether through sharing documents using cloud storage or video conferencing instead of travelling, we can reduce our waste and emissions. Try moving away from printed documents where possible, and encourage others to work on their digital skills for the workplace. Cycling and walking are two of the most environmentally friendly ways to travel. And, not only are they good for the planet, but they are also good for our health. If we can, choose to cycle or walk to work where possible. ‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’ is a popular slogan. Companies of all sizes use a host of different products in their day-to-day running. Whether it has things like paper, electronic devices, packaging, or water, it all has a carbon footprint. By reducing the amount of waste, we generate, reusing IT equipment, and recycling waste, we can make a real difference. Single use plastics may be convenient, yet they are fairly dreadful for the environment. Not only do they pollute our waterways and oceans, but they also require energy to produce and recycle. We can stop using things like disposable coffee cups and cutlery to reduce our company’s carbon footprint. Instead of preaching, let us practise and bring a change.

scholarly journals ESTIMATIONS OF CARBON FOOTPRINT FROM ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN AND PRE-LOCKDOWN IN BUTUAN CITY

2021 ◽  
Vol XLVI-4/W6-2021 ◽  
pp. 49-56
Author(s):  
L. C. S. Asube ◽  
R. L. Sinadjan
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Public Buildings ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Northern Areas ◽  
The Mean

Abstract. The electricity consumption for commercial, residential, and industrial sectors is considered the primary cause of increasing carbon dioxide emissions. To calculate the carbon footprint, the researcher used Carbon Footprint Ltd. This study aims to quantify the carbon footprint associated with the consumption of electricity by sectors (residential, commercial, industrial, public buildings, and streetlights) in Butuan City during the pre-lockdown period (January and February), and then compare these with the carbon footprint calculated during the lockdown period (March and April 2020). A GIS-based approach was applied to generate the spatial distribution across the 86 barangays of Butuan City. The study findings that the carbon footprint in the lockdown period is ∼ −17% lower than the mean carbon footprint calculated for the pre-lockdown period. In absolute values, the total estimated carbon footprint during the pre-lockdown and lockdown period was ∼ 10,947 mtCo2e and ∼ 9,138 mtCo2e, respectively. Furthermore, the findings imply that the central and northern areas have the highest impact of savings on average ∼ 130 mtCo2e of greenhouse gas avoided by barangays. This research provides quantitative insight to understand the measured generated in lockdown and pre-lockdown periods.

scholarly journals CO2 and Carbon Emissions from Cities: Linkages to Air Quality, Socioeconomic Activity, and Stakeholders in the Salt Lake City Urban Area

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (11) ◽  
pp. 2325-2339 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Lin ◽  
Logan Mitchell ◽  
Erik Crosman ◽  
Daniel L. Mendoza ◽  
Martin Buchert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Salt Lake ◽  
Salt Lake City ◽  
The United States ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
The World ◽  
Lake City

AbstractUrban areas are responsible for a substantial proportion of anthropogenic carbon emissions around the world. As global populations increasingly reside in cities, the role of urban emissions in determining the future trajectory of carbon emissions is magnified. Consequently, a number of research efforts have been started in the United States and beyond, focusing on observing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and relating its variations to carbon emissions in cities. Because carbon emissions are intimately tied to socioeconomic activity through the combustion of fossil fuels, and many cities are actively adopting emission reduction plans, such urban carbon research efforts give rise to opportunities for stakeholder engagement and guidance on other environmental issues, such as air quality.This paper describes a research effort centered in the Salt Lake City, Utah, metropolitan region, which is the locus for one of the longest-running urban CO2 networks in the world. The Salt Lake City area provides a rich environment for studying anthropogenic emissions and for understanding the relationship between emissions and socioeconomic activity when the CO2 observations are enhanced with a) air quality observations, b) novel mobile observations from platforms on light-rail public transit trains and a news helicopter, c) dense meteorological observations, and d) modeling efforts that include atmospheric simulations and high-resolution emission inventories.Carbon dioxide and other atmospheric observations are presented, along with associated modeling work. Examples in which the work benefited from and contributed to the interests of multiple stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, air quality managers, municipal government, urban planners, industry, and the general public) are discussed.

scholarly journals The role of concrete in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of US buildings and pavements

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (37) ◽  
pp. e2021936118
Author(s):  
Jeremy Gregory ◽  
Hessam AzariJafari ◽  
Ehsan Vahidi ◽  
Fengdi Guo ◽  
Franz-Josef Ulm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Critical Component ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
New Construction ◽  
Use Phase ◽  
Future Emissions

Concrete is a critical component of deep decarbonization efforts because of both the scale of the industry and because of how its use impacts the building, transportation, and industrial sectors. We use a bottom-up model of current and future building and pavement stocks and construction in the United States to contextualize the role of concrete in greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions strategies under projected and ambitious scenarios, including embodied and use phases of the structures’ life cycle. We show that projected improvements in the building sector result in a reduction of 49% of GHG emissions in 2050 relative to 2016 levels, whereas ambitious improvements result in a 57% reduction in 2050, which is 22.5 Gt cumulative saving. The pavements sector shows a larger difference between the two scenarios with a 14% reduction of GHG emissions for projected improvements and a 65% reduction under the ambitious scenario, which is ∼1.35 Gt. This reduction occurs despite the fact that concrete usage in 2050 in the ambitious scenario is over three times that of the projected scenario because of the ways in which concrete lowers use phase emissions. Over 70% of future emissions from new construction are from the use phase.

Atmospheric Accountants: Entrepreneurial Authority and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica F. Green
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United States ◽  
European Union ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Nongovernmental Organizations ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
The United States ◽  
The World ◽  
Corporate Level

This chapter examines a case of entrepreneurial authority in the climate change regime: the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The protocol is a set of accounting standards to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions created by individual firms. These standards were created by two nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD), and have subsequently become one of the most widely accepted accounting methodologies for measuring and reporting emissions. The chapter explains how these NGOs were able to insert themselves into the policy process while the United States and European Union were arguing about an appropriate role for emissions trading. In particular, it considers the success of WRI and WBCSD in creating the de facto standard for GHG emissions accounting at the firm (or “corporate”) level.

scholarly journals Estimasi Jejak Karbon dari Aktivitas Kampus Universitas Batanghari

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Monik Kasman ◽  
Anggrika Riyanti ◽  
Novia Rezki Apriani
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
International Panel ◽  
Law Faculty ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Every individual or agency activity will generate greenhouse gas emissions which could be countable and expressed as equivalent to carbon dioxide. One of the activities that produce carbon emissions is activities carried out on the campus, one of which is  Batanghari University. Batanghari University consists of 5 faculties, namely the Faculty of Teacher Training and Science, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Agriculture with a total population of Batanghari University of 5,582 people including 5,278 students, 210 lecturers and 94 education staff. This study aims to analyze the amount of carbon emissions generated from activities of the Batanghari University and to compare the percentage of total carbon emissions produced from each scope. Calculation of carbon emissions using the method of The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), by dividing it into 3 scopes, including calculating the carbon footprint from transportation activities, emission form the used of gas, and emissions from electricity used and the used of paper. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions calculated by using the IPCC (International Panel On Climate Change) method. The results showed that the total carbon footprint produced at the Batanghari University for 6 months was 790.24 ton.CO2-eq. The distribution of emissions based on the scope as follows : scope 1 activity of electricity consumption was 162,705 ton.CO2-eq; scope 2 activities of using LPG was 0.609 ton.CO2-eq; and the scope 3 transportation activities of lecturers, students and education staff was 625.91 ton.CO2 -eq and paper usage activity are 1.0247 ton.CO2-eq. The largest carbon footprint was generated from transportation activities at 79.2% and the smallest was the use of LPG at 0.07%.

scholarly journals REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN RUSSIA: STATE OF THE PROBLEM AND COMPENSATING MEASURES FOR RESTORATION OF FORESTS AS A NET CO2 SENSOR

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alim Galimullin ◽  
Kamil Bakhteev
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Co2 Sensor ◽  
Combat Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2 ◽  
Oil Company

The article provides an overview and analysis of the state of the problem of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Russia, considers the measures developed at the level of the country and individual corporations that issue GHG to combat climate change. Particular attention is paid to methods of carbon dioxide (CO2) compensation, including taking into account the absorbing capacity of forests. The experience of the largest Russian oil company "Tatneft" is described in the implementation of a project for the breeding and scaling of triploid aspen with an increased absorptive capacity for planting seedlings in forests in order to reduce and compensate for the carbon footprint.

scholarly journals Greenhouse gas emissions from the water–air interface of a grassland river: a case study of the Xilin River

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Hao ◽  
Yu Ruihong ◽  
Zhang Zhuangzhuang ◽  
Qi Zhen ◽  
Lu Xixi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Sand Land ◽  
Very High

AbstractGreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rivers and lakes have been shown to significantly contribute to global carbon and nitrogen cycling. In spatiotemporal-variable and human-impacted rivers in the grassland region, simultaneous carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide emissions and their relationships under the different land use types are poorly documented. This research estimated greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, N2O) emissions in the Xilin River of Inner Mongolia of China using direct measurements from 18 field campaigns under seven land use type (such as swamp, sand land, grassland, pond, reservoir, lake, waste water) conducted in 2018. The results showed that CO2 emissions were higher in June and August, mainly affected by pH and DO. Emissions of CH4 and N2O were higher in October, which were influenced by TN and TP. According to global warming potential, CO2 emissions accounted for 63.35% of the three GHG emissions, and CH4 and N2O emissions accounted for 35.98% and 0.66% in the Xilin river, respectively. Under the influence of different degrees of human-impact, the amount of CO2 emissions in the sand land type was very high, however, CH4 emissions and N2O emissions were very high in the artificial pond and the wastewater, respectively. For natural river, the greenhouse gas emissions from the reservoir and sand land were both low. The Xilin river was observed to be a source of carbon dioxide and methane, and the lake was a sink for nitrous oxide.

scholarly journals Tourism, Transport and Climate Change: The Carbon Footprint of International Air Traffic on Islands

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1795
Author(s):  
Pedro Dorta Antequera ◽  
Jaime Díaz Pacheco ◽  
Abel López Díez ◽  
Celia Bethencourt Herrera
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Canary Islands ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Average Distance ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Relative Weight ◽  
Air Transport ◽  
Small Islands ◽  
The World

Many small islands base their economy on tourism. This activity, based to a large extent on the movement of millions of people by air transport, depends on the use of fossil fuels and, therefore, generates a large amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this work, these emissions are evaluated by means of various carbon calculators, taking the Canary Islands as an example, which is one of the most highly developed tourist archipelagos in the world. The result is that more than 6.4 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 are produced per year exclusively due to the massive transport of tourists over an average distance of more than 3000 km. The relative weight of these emissions is of such magnitude that they are equivalent to more than 50% of the total amount produced by the socioeconomic activity of the archipelago. Although, individually, it is travelers from Russia and Nordic countries who generate the highest carbon footprint due to their greater traveling distance, the British and German tourists account for the greatest weight in the total, with two-thirds of emissions.

scholarly journals The carbon footprint of dietary guidelines around the world: a seven country modeling study

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany Kovacs ◽  
Lindsey Miller ◽  
Martin C. Heller ◽  
Donald Rose
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dietary Guidelines ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Us ◽  
The World

Abstract Background Do the environmental impacts inherent in national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) vary around the world, and, if so, how? Most previous studies that consider this question focus on a single country or compare countries’ guidelines without controlling for differences in country-level consumption patterns. To address this gap, we model the carbon footprint of the dietary guidelines from seven different countries, examine the key contributors to this, and control for consumption differences between countries. Methods In this purposive sample, we obtained FBDG from national sources for Germany, India, the Netherlands, Oman, Thailand, Uruguay, and the United States. These were used to structure recommended diets using 6 food groups: protein foods, dairy, grains, fruits, vegetables, and oils/fats. To determine specific quantities of individual foods within these groups, we used data on food supplies available for human consumption for each country from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s food balance sheets. The greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) used to produce the foods in these consumption patterns were linked from our own database, constructed from an exhaustive review of the life cycle assessment literature. All guidelines were scaled to a 2000-kcal diet. Results Daily recommended amounts of dairy foods ranged from a low of 118 ml/d for Oman to a high of 710 ml/d for the US. The GHGE associated with these two recommendations were 0.17 and 1.10 kg CO2-eq/d, respectively. The GHGE associated with the protein food recommendations ranged from 0.03 kg CO2-eq/d in India  to 1.84 kg CO2-eq/d in the US, for recommended amounts of 75 g/d and 156 g/d, respectively. Overall, US recommendations had the highest carbon footprint at 3.83 kg CO2-eq/d, 4.5 times that of the recommended diet for India, which had the smallest footprint. After controlling for country-level consumption patterns by applying the US consumption pattern to all countries, US recommendations were still the highest, 19% and 47% higher than those of the Netherlands and Germany, respectively. Conclusions Despite our common human biology, FBDG vary tremendously from one country to the next, as do the associated carbon footprints of these guidelines. Understanding the carbon footprints of different recommendations can assist in future decision-making to incorporate environmental sustainability in dietary guidance.

Making the world’s longest subsea tunnel sustainable

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ketil Søyland ◽  
Christer Wolden ◽  
Christopher Garmann ◽  
Debbie Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Subsea Tunnel ◽  
Engineering Practices

<p>How can large-scale infrastructure projects be sustainable? The purpose of this paper is to discuss how engineering practices were changed in order to reduce the carbon footprint of the E39 Rogfast project, the world’s longest roadway sub-sea tunnel. The project will generate greenhouse gas (GHG)-emissions exceeding 1% of Norway’s total annual GHG-emissions. The paper covers the project process, including some of the challenges to be overcome.</p>

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