scholarly journals How scientists can reduce their carbon footprint

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Nathans ◽  
Peter Sterling

Cutting down on long-distance air travel is the best way to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by the scientific community.

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Romdhane Ben Slama

The global warming which preoccupies humanity, is still considered to be linked to a single cause which is the emission of greenhouse gases, CO2 in particular. In this article, we try to show that, on the one hand, the greenhouse effect (the radiative imprisonment to use the scientific term) took place in conjunction with the infrared radiation emitted by the earth. The surplus of CO2 due to the combustion of fossil fuels, but also the surplus of infrared emissions from artificialized soils contribute together or each separately,  to the imbalance of the natural greenhouse effect and the trend of global warming. In addition, another actor acting directly and instantaneously on the warming of the ambient air is the heat released by fossil fuels estimated at 17415.1010 kWh / year inducing a rise in temperature of 0.122 ° C, or 12.2 ° C / century.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T Batool ◽  
A Neven ◽  
Y Vanrompay ◽  
M Adnan ◽  
P Dendale

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): Special Research Fund (BOF), Hasselt University Introduction The transportation sector is one of the major sectors influencing climate change, contributing around 16% of total Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Aviation contributes to 12% of the transport related emissions. Among other climate change impacts, elevated heat exposure is associated with increased cardiac events and exposure to air pollution caused by GHG emissions has also well-known association with increased cardiovascular related morbidity and mortality. The global temperature rise should be restricted to less than 2 °C which requires keeping carbon emission (CO2) less than 2900 billion tonnes by the end of the 21st century. Assuming air travel a major contributing source to GHG, this study aims to raise the awareness about potential carbon emissions reduction due to air travel of international events like a scientific conference. Purpose Due to the global pandemic of COVID-19, the Preventive cardiology conference 2020 which was planned to be held at Malaga Spain, instead was held in virtual online way. This study aims to calculate the contribution of reduced CO2  emissions in tons due to ESC preventive cardiology conference 2020, which was then held online and air travel of the registered participants was avoided. Methods Anonymized participant registration information was used to determine the country and city of the 949 registered participants of the Preventive Cardiology conference 2020. It is assumed that participants would have travelled from the closest airports from their reported city locations to Malaga airport, Spain. At first, the closest city airports were determined using Google maps and flights information, then the flight emissions (direct and indirect CO2-equivalent emissions) per passenger for the given flight distances were calculated. The CO2 emissions (tons) were calculated for round trips in economy class from the participants of 68 nationalities (excluding 60 participants from Spain as they are assumed to take other modes of transport than airplane). Results In total, 1156.51 tons of CO2  emissions were saved by turning the physical conference into a virtual event. This emission amount is equivalent to the annual CO2 production of 108 people living in high-income countries. Conclusion The pandemic situation has forced us to rethink the necessity of trips by air and has shown us the feasibility of digitally organized events. The information from this study can add to the awareness about reduced amount of carbon emission due to air travel by organizing events in a virtual way when possible. Apart from only digitally organized events there are others options to reduce the carbon footprint of conferences such as limiting the number of physical attendees, encouraging the use of relatively sustainable transport modes for participants from nearby countries (e.g. international trains and use of active transport modes at conference venue etc.) and including CO2 emission offsetting costs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-13
Author(s):  
Radik Safin ◽  
Ayrat Valiev ◽  
Valeriya Kolesar

Global climatic changes have a negative impact on the development of all sectors of the economy, including agriculture. However, the very production of agricultural products is one of the most important sources of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. Taking into account the need to reduce the “carbon footprint” in food production, a special place is occupied by the analysis of the volume of greenhouse gas emissions and the development of measures for their sequestration in agriculture. One of the main directions for reducing emissions and immobilizing greenhouse gases is the development of special techniques for their sequestration in the soil, including those used in agriculture. Adaptation of existing farming systems for this task will significantly reduce the “carbon footprint” from agricultural production, including animal husbandry. The development of carbon farming allows not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also to significantly increase the level of soil fertility, primarily by increasing the content of organic matter in them. As a result, it becomes possible, along with the production of crop production, to produce “carbon units” that are sold on local and international markets. The paper analyzes possible greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and the potential for their sequestration in agricultural soils. The role of various elements of the farming system in solving the problem of reducing the “carbon footprint” is considered and ways of developing carbon farming in the Republic of Tatarstan are proposed


Author(s):  
Hamad Alwashmi ◽  
Jay F. Kunze

In many parts of the world, drinking water is not available except through desalination. Most of these areas have an abundance of solar energy, with few cloudy periods. Energy is required for desalination and for producing electricity. Traditionally this energy has been supplied by fossil fuels. However, even in those parts of the world that have abundant fossil fuels, using them for these purposes is being discouraged for two reasons: 1) the emission of greenhouse gases from combustion of fossil fuels, and 2) the higher value of fossil fuels when used for transportation. Nuclear power and solar power are both proposed as replacements for fossil fuels in these locations. Both of these energy systems have high capital costs, and negligible fuel costs (zero for solar) Instead of these two primary forms of energy competing, this paper shows how they can compliment each other, especially where a significant part of the electricity demand is used for desalination.


2020 ◽  
pp. 169-182
Author(s):  
Sangeeta Lenka ◽  
Narendra Kumar Lenka ◽  
Himanshu Pathak

Rapid urbanization in developing countries causes the emission of greenhouse gases. A major part of emission is released by infrastructure construction sites. construction process involves excavation, (which is a significant area of study, given that it involves changing the site by disturbing and removing vegetation. The main gases which are associated with excavation include carbon dioxide(CO2), methane(CH4) and nitrous oxide(N2O). These gases (greenhouse gases) are responsible for global warming. Nearly about 22.6% emission of co2 is due to earthwork on the construction site. Although excavation is economical in terms of delivering a flat base for raft construction, the environmental outcome of this approach needs to be examined more carefully in terms of influencing the environment. The air quality in India according to a WHO one of the polluted country in the world. In this situation, controlling and reducing pollution is an area of prime concern


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Marszałek ◽  
Zygmunt Kowalski ◽  
Agnieszka Makara

Abstract Pig slurry is classified as a natural liquid fertilizer, which is a heterogeneous mixture of urine, faeces, remnants of feed and technological water, used to remove excrement and maintain the hygiene of livestock housing. The storage and distribution of pig slurry on farmland affect the environment as they are associated with, among others, the emission of various types of gaseous pollutants, mainly CH4, CO2, N2O, NH3, H2S, and other odorants. Methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are greenhouse gases (GHGs) which contribute to climate change by increasing the greenhouse effect. Ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are malodorous gases responsible for the occurrence of odour nuisance which, due to their toxicity, may endanger the health and lives of humans and animals. NH3 also influences the increase of atmosphere and soil acidification. The article presents the environmental impact of greenhouse gases and odorous compounds emitted from pig slurry. Key gaseous atmospheric pollutants such as NH3, H2S, CH4, CO2 and N2O have been characterized. Furthermore, methods to reduce the emission of odours and GHGs from pig slurry during its storage and agricultural usage have been discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 2102106
Author(s):  
Ashley Woodcock ◽  
Kai M. Beeh ◽  
Hironori Sagara ◽  
Simon Aumônier ◽  
Emmanuel Addo-Yobo ◽  
...  

When selecting the best inhaler and drug combination for a patient with respiratory disease, a number of factors should be considered. While efficacy and safety of medical treatments are always a priority, in recent years the environmental impacts of all aspects of life have become an increasingly necessary consideration and inhaled therapies are no exception. The carbon footprint of an item, individual, or organisation, is one of the most important and quantifiable environmental impacts, assessed by the amount of greenhouse gases (often expressed in terms of CO2 equivalents) generated throughout the life cycle. The two most commonly prescribed and manufactured inhaler types worldwide are pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) containing hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) propellants and dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Most of the carbon footprint of current pMDIs is a result of the propellants that they contain (HFC-134a and HFC-227ea, which are potent greenhouse gases). In comparison, the powder in DPIs is dispersed by the patient's own inhalation, meaning DPIs do not contain a propellant and have a lower carbon footprint than most pMDIs currently available. Soft mist inhalers are another propellant-free option: the device contains a spring, which provides the energy to disperse the aqueous medication. In this review, we will examine the published data on carbon footprint data for inhalers, providing an analysis of potential implications for treatment decision making and industry initiatives.


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