C balance, carbon dioxide emissions and global warming potentials in LCA-modelling of waste management systems

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 707-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas H. Christensen ◽  
Emmanuel Gentil ◽  
Alessio Boldrin ◽  
Anna W. Larsen ◽  
Bo P. Weidema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
C Balance ◽  
Global Warming Potentials

scholarly journals Estimating Causal Effects When the Treatment Affects All Subjects Simultaneously: An Application

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Chiara Binelli
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Average Global Temperature ◽  
Causal Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Robust Evidence

Several important questions cannot be answered with the standard toolkit of causal inference since all subjects are treated for a given period and thus there is no control group. One example of this type of questions is the impact of carbon dioxide emissions on global warming. In this paper, we address this question using a machine learning method, which allows estimating causal impacts in settings when a randomized experiment is not feasible. We discuss the conditions under which this method can identify a causal impact, and we find that carbon dioxide emissions are responsible for an increase in average global temperature of about 0.3 degrees Celsius between 1961 and 2011. We offer two main contributions. First, we provide one additional application of Machine Learning to answer causal questions of policy relevance. Second, by applying a methodology that relies on few directly testable assumptions and is easy to replicate, we provide robust evidence of the man-made nature of global warming, which could reduce incentives to turn to biased sources of information that fuels climate change skepticism.

scholarly journals Analysis of Carbon Tax on Selected European Countries: Does Carbon Tax Reduce Emissions?

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Ali Eren Alper
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Carbon Tax ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Environmental Taxes

Since the first days of its existence, the humanity had been using natural resources to meet its needs. Especially along with the globalization period as a result of the Industrial Revolution and the rapid development of communication technologies within the last fifty years, the production has increased significantly in the world and has created negative effects on the environment. The leading adverse effects involve the emission of greenhouse gases and the global warming, which stem from the energy supply of fossil fuels as the main inputs of production. The global warming can be described as an increase in temperature worldwide. Irreversibility is the most important feature of the global warming. Therefore, in the absence of objective measures, the future costs would be much higher than the current ones. For this reason, governments need to take various measures to reduce the volume of emissions. The most important of these measures is carbon taxes. Carbon taxation encourages individuals to use fewer fossil fuels and to find new sources of energy by increasing the cost of using fossil fuels that cause carbon dioxide emissions through the price mechanism. To this end, the impacts of carbon tax levied in 18 selected European countries on economic growth, urbanization, natural gas and petroleum usage, and CO2 emissions are examined by panel data analysis for the 1995-2015 period. The analysis results indicate that a 1% increase in environmental taxes reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 0.9%. Furthermore, it is reported that a 1% increase in natural gas and petroleum consumption among the variables included in the analysis increased carbon dioxide emissions by 0.1% and 0.7%, respectively; while a 1% increase in urbanization reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 0.9%.

scholarly journals Global warming potential of the production phase based on the example of a hotel regarding two different construction variants

2021 ◽  
Vol 2069 (1) ◽  
pp. 012232
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Engel ◽  
Manuela Walsdorf-Maul ◽  
Michael Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Global Warming Potential ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Life Cycle Assessments ◽  
Production Phase

Abstract The construction industry has a major influence on man-made carbon dioxide emissions. Being sustainable also means reducing or neutralizing our carbon dioxide pollution in the future. This research and the corresponding work are therefore guided by the following question: Is it possible and useful to conduct life cycle assessments and at the same time analyze the environmental impact of the construction sector? In the context of this work, a life cycle assessment of a building is performed using the example of a hotel building. All construction elements of the thermal envelope are examined from an environmental point of view by considering the global warming potential of each part of the construction. The aim of the study is to draw conclusions about the parameters that are decisive for the construction of a hotel building from an ecological standpoint in the production phase. Based on the results of the study, we want to drive the development of a “future” energy performance certificate forward that graphically illustrates the evaluation of buildings under both aspects - energy efficiency (final energy) and sustainability (GWP - global warming potential).

scholarly journals Identifying priority management of Ecuadorian forests based on the environmental integrated assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 169 ◽  
pp. 02015
Author(s):  
Silvia Llerena ◽  
Priscila Arias ◽  
Jhonn Cueva ◽  
Georgina Almeida ◽  
Cristian Salazar
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Integrated Assessment ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Negative Influence

Anthropogenic impacts, such as deforestation, soil erosion, and carbon dioxide emissions, have a negative influence over global warming due to the increase of CO2 levels in the atmosphere. The sustainable forest management is a way to mitigate climate change owing to the carbon storage capacity of forests. This study highlights the priority of forest management according to the integrated assessment of carbon storage under anthropogenic impacts in the administrative units of Ecuador. In the obtained map, the provinces Guayas, Esmeraldas, and Manabí showed the highest values of 25, 22.85 and 19.9, respectively, followed by two Amazon provinces, Morona Santiago and Sucumbíos. Therefore, we concluded that deforestation, soil erosion, and carbon dioxide emissions were more pronounced on the coast mainly due to agriculture and livestock activities and the forests in these provinces must have priority management. This analysis is useful for planning environmental practices in order to increase carbon storage as a strategy of mitigation for global warming.

A review on materials and processes for carbon dioxide separation and capture

2021 ◽  
pp. 0958305X2110509
Author(s):  
R Maniarasu ◽  
Sushil Kumar Rathore ◽  
S. Murugan
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Global Warming Potential ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Carbon Capture And Storage ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Continuous Increase ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
And Storage

In today’s world, owing to industrial expansion, urbanization, the rapid growth of the human population, and the high standard of living, the utilization of the most advanced technologies is unavoidable. The enhanced anthropogenic activities worldwide result in a continuous increase in global warming potential, thereby raising a global concern. The constant rise in global warming potential forces the world to mitigate greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is considered as the primary contributor responsible for global warming and climatic changes. The global anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere can eventually deteriorate the environment and endanger the ecosystem. Combating global warming is one of the main challenges in achieving sustainable development. Carbon capture and storage is a potential solution to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. There are three main methods for carbon capture and storage: post-combustion, pre-combustion, and oxy-fuel combustion. Among them, post-combustion is used in thermal power plants and industrial sectors, all of which contribute a significant amount of carbon dioxide. Different techniques such as physical and chemical absorption, physical and chemical adsorption, membrane separation, and cryogenic distillation used for carbon capture are thoroughly discussed and presented. Currently, there are various materials including absorbents, adsorbents, and membranes used in carbon dioxide capture. Still, there is a search for new and novel materials and processes for separating and capturing carbon dioxide. This review article provides a comprehensive review of different methods, techniques, materials, and processes used for separating and capturing carbon dioxide from significant stationary point sources.

Green for ICT, Green by ICT, Green by Design

2021 ◽  
pp. 96-121
Author(s):  
Joël Penhoat ◽  
Mikko Samuli Vaija ◽  
Dinh-Thuy Phan-Huy ◽  
Guillaume Gérard ◽  
Zakaria Ournani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Telecommunication Companies ◽  
Network Equipment ◽  
Set Up

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change claims that global warming can be avoided by “reaching net zero carbon dioxide emissions globally around 2050 and concurrent deep reductions in emissions of non-carbon dioxide forcers, particularly methane.” To protect the planet and guarantee prosperity for all, The United Nations has set up a sustainable development program made up of 17 goals. Among them, Goal 12 establishes sustainable consumption and production patterns so that a social and economic growth does not increase the pressure on Earth's resources, and Goal 13 constrains global warming. This chapter explores some actions the telecommunication companies have implemented: assessing the issues of mineral resources on network equipment, improving data centre energy consumption, reducing the average electricity intensity of the transmitting data, contributing to the energy transition.

Greenhouse-gas emissions from Amazonian hydroelectric reservoirs: the example of Brazil's Tucuruí Dam as compared to fossil fuel alternatives

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
PHILIP M. FEARNSIDE
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Transmission Lines ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Time Horizon ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Better Than

Hydroelectric dams in tropical forest areas emit carbon dioxide and methane. How these emissions and their impacts should be calculated, and how comparisons should be made with global warming contributions of alternative energy sources such as fossil fuels, can lead to sharp differences in conclusions on the relative advantages of these options. The example of Brazil's Tucuruí Dam is examined to clarify these differences. The present paper extends an earlier analysis to 100 years and explores the differences between these and comparable fossil fuel emissions.Factors considered here in calculating emissions for Tucuruí Dam include the initial stock and distribution of carbon, decay rates and pathways (leading to carbon dioxide and methane), and losses of power in transmission lines. Factors not considered include forest degradation on islands and reservoir shores, nitrous oxide sources in drawdown zones and transmission lines, additional methane emission pathways for release from standing trees, water passing through the turbines, etc. Construction-phase emissions are also not included; neither are emissions from deforestation by people displaced by and attracted to the project. A complete accounting of the alternative landscape is also lacking. Standardization of the level of reliability of the electricity supply is needed to compare hydroelectric and thermoelectric options.Types of emission calculations commonly used include the ultimate contribution to emissions, the annual balance of emissions in a given year, and emissions over a long time horizon (such as 100 years). The timing of emissions differs between hydroelectric and thermal generation, hydro producing a large pulse of carbon dioxide emissions in the first years after filling the reservoir while thermal produces a constant flux of gases in proportion to the power generated. The impacts of emissions are related to the atmospheric load (stocks) of the gases rather than to the emissions (flows), and therefore last over a long time. According to the calculations in the present paper, the average carbon dioxide molecule in the atmospheric load contributed by Tucuruí was present in the atmosphere 15 years earlier than the average molecule in the comparable load from fossil fuel generation. This means that, considering a 100-year time horizon, a tonne of CO2 emitted by Tucuruí has 15% more global warming impact than a tonne emitted by fossil fuel, assuming no discounting. If discounting is applied, then the relative impact of the hydroelectric option is increased.Time preference, either by discounting or by an alternative procedure, is a key factor affecting the attractiveness of hydroelectric power. At low annual discount rates (say 1–2%), the attractiveness of Tucuruí, although less than without discounting, is still 3–4 times better than fossil-fuel generation. If the discount rate reaches 15%, the situation is reversed, and fossil-fuel generation becomes more attractive from a global-warming perspective. Tucuruí, with a power density (installed capacity/reservoir area) of 1.63 W m-2 is better than both the 0.81 W m-2 average for Brazilian Amazonia's 5500 km2 of existing reservoirs and the 1 W m-2 estimated by Brazil's electrical authorities as the mean for all planned hydroelectric development in the region.

scholarly journals Bio-Mitigation of Carbon Dioxide Using Desmodesmus sp. in the Custom-Designed Pilot-Scale Loop Photobioreactor

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9882
Author(s):  
Abhishek Anand ◽  
Kaustubh Tripathi ◽  
Amit Kumar ◽  
Suresh Gupta ◽  
Smita Raghuvanshi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Lipid Content ◽  
Algal Biomass ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Biomass Productivity ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Fixation Rate ◽  
Chl A

Today’s society is faced with many upfront challenges such as the energy crisis, water pollution, air pollution, and global warming. The greenhouse gases (GHGs) responsible for global warming include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NOx), water vapor (H2O), and fluorinated gases. A fraction of the increased emissions of CO2 in the atmosphere is due to agricultural and municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems. There is a need for a sustainable solution which can degrade the pollutants and provide a technology-based solution. Hence, the present work deals with the custom design of a loop photobioreactor with 34 L of total volume used to handle different inlet CO2 concentrations (0.03%, 5%, and 10% (v/v)). The obtained values of biomass productivity and CO2 fixation rate include 0.185 ± 0.004 g L−1 d−1 and 0.333 ± 0.004 g L−1 d−1, respectively, at 10% (v/v) CO2 concentration and 0.084 ± 0.003 g L−1 d−1 and 0.155 ± 0.003 g L−1 d−1, respectively, at 5% (v/v) CO2 concentration. The biochemical compositions, such as carbohydrate, proteins, and lipid content, were estimated in the algal biomass produced from CO2 mitigation studies. The maximum carbohydrate, proteins, and lipid content were obtained as 20.7 ± 2.4%, 32.2 ± 2.5%, and 42 ± 1.0%, respectively, at 10% (v/v) CO2 concentration. Chlorophyll (Chl) a and b were determined in algal biomass as an algal physiological response. The results obtained in the present study are compared with the previous studies reported in the literature, which indicated the feasibility of the scale-up of the process for the source reduction of CO2 generated from waste management systems without significant change in productivity. The present work emphasizes the cross-disciplinary approach for the development of bio-mitigation of CO2 in the loop photobioreactor.

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