The iron industry is the largest energy-consuming manufacturing sector in the world, emitting 4–5% of the total carbon dioxide (COsub.2). The development of iron-based systems for COsub.2 capture and ...storage could effectively contribute to reducing COsub.2 emissions. A wide set of different iron oxides, such as hematite (Fesub.2Osub.3), magnetite (Fesub.3Osub.4), and wüstite (Fesub.(1−y)O) could in fact be employed for COsub.2 capture at room temperature and pressure upon an investigation of their capturing properties. In order to achieve the most functional iron oxide form for COsub.2 capture, starting from Fesub.2Osub.3, a reducing agent such as hydrogen (Hsub.2) or carbon monoxide (CO) can be employed. In this review, we present the state-of-the-art and recent advances on the different iron oxide materials employed, as well as on their reduction reactions with Hsub.2 and CO.
Natural and human-induced groundwater dynamics in hyper-arid aquifers play a crucial role in the evolution of the landscape. The area overlying the Saq Aquifer, in particular the Al-Qassim area ...within the central part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has witnessed numerous land deformation (land subsidence and fissures) events throughout the last two decades. An integrated remote sensing and hydrogeologic approach is adapted to identify areas affected by the land deformation and also to better understand the role of human-induced groundwater dynamics in the formation of these deformation features. A fourfold approach was implemented including: (1) conducting field surveys to collect observations and validate the reported deformation features, (2) applying a spatial correlation in a GIS environment for the reported damaged locations together with surface and subsurface geological features and groundwater extraction. (3) extracting the subsidence rates using SBAS radar interferometric technique using ENVISAT data sets, and (4) correlating these subsidence rates spatially and temporally with GRACE mass variations data. The results show that high subsidence rates of − 5 to − 12 mm/year along a northwest–southeast direction coincident with areas witnessing a significant drawdown in the fossil groundwater levels (up to 150 m) and a depletion (−10.1 ± 1.2 mm/year) in GRACE-derived terrestrial water storage. Findings from the present study draw attention to the quick responses of landscapes to human-induced groundwater dynamics under hyper-arid conditions.
Synthetic polymers have shown a great impact on every aspect of our life and attained an exponential rise in their production and utilization in the past decades due to their durability, flexibility, ...moldability, and inexpensive nature. However, the use of natural polymers or development of safe and environment-friendly synthetic bio-based polymers is continuously undergoing for a sustainable future owing to the exhaustion of petroleum-based resources or fossil-based materials, disposal and economical concerns, including government guidelines. In this regard, the development of new sustainable polymers or materials will step up and build a genuinely circular economy by decreasing manufacture or utilization of fossil-based materials as limited reserves.
The impact of fossil fuel subsidies on environmental degradation has not been adequately examined in the existing literature. However, environmental degradation is often suggested as one of the ...causes of climate change. This paper examines the factors driving environmental degradation, emphasising the role of fossil fuels, in 35 emerging and developing countries. The ecological footprint is used as a proxy for environmental degradation. Using Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), the results show that an increase in fossil fuel subsidies leads to an increase in ecological footprint. Specifically, a 10% increase in fossil fuel subsidies will increase the ecological footprint by between 0.3% and 1.5%. The results further suggest that variables such as population size, real GDP per capita, urbanisation and the non-dependent population also boost environmental degradation. It is also shown that primary energy supply per capita, industry share, resource rent and globalisation have a positive effect on environmental degradation. However, the global oil price and human capital development do not have a significant impact on environmental degradation. The implications of these empirical findings are analysed in the paper.
•Environmental degradation is linked to many factors including fossil fuel subsidies•An increase in fossil fuel subsidies leads to an increase in ecological footprint•There are several drivers of ecological footprint
Abstract
Despite China’s emissions having plateaued in 2013, it is still the world’s leading energy consumer and CO
2
emitter, accounting for approximately 30% of global emissions. Detailed CO
2
...emission inventories by energy and sector have great significance to China’s carbon policies as well as to achieving global climate change mitigation targets. This study constructs the most up-to-date CO
2
emission inventories for China and its 30 provinces, as well as their energy inventories for the years 2016 and 2017. The newly compiled inventories provide key updates and supplements to our previous emission dataset for 1997–2015. Emissions are calculated based on IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) administrative territorial scope that covers all anthropogenic emissions generated within an administrative boundary due to energy consumption (i.e. energy-related emissions from 17 fossil fuel types) and industrial production (i.e. process-related emissions from cement production). The inventories are constructed for 47 economic sectors consistent with the national economic accounting system. The data can be used as inputs to climate and integrated assessment models and for analysis of emission patterns of China and its regions.
Both biofuels and bioplastics are often regarded as sustainable solutions to current environmental problems such as climate change, fossil depletion and acidification. However, both have been ...criticized for being economically costly, competing with other societally beneficial goods such as food, and offering limited environmental benefits compared to their fossil counterparts. This study provides a comparative environmental Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) for 100% bio-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, versus fully fossil-based and partially bio-based PET bottles. An attributional life cycle assessment (aLCA) and sensitivity analysis of key assumptions is carried out to compare cradle-to-factory-gate impacts (i.e. feedstock extraction, component production and product manufacturing) of twelve PET bottle production scenarios. Results indicate that woody-biomass based PET bottles have 21% less global warming potential and require 22% less fossil fuel than their fossil based counterparts, but perform worse in other categories such as ecotoxicity and ozone depletion impacts. Results are sensitive to impact allocation assumptions as well as parameter input assumptions related to isobutanol production. In most categories, with avoided impact credits considered, forest residue feedstocks result in overall better environmental performance than corn stover feedstocks for bio-PET bottle production. The variability in avoided burdens could alter the relative environmental rankings for fossil and bio-PET bottles. Depending on the biomass feedstock, extraction and pre-processing are likely more emission-intensive than the corresponding fossil refinery processes due to the significant upstream emissions embodied in the application of fertilizers, and the significant chemical and energy inputs required to break recalcitrant lignocellulosic bonds.
•Evaluated impacts of terephthalic acid produced from bio-based paraxylene.•Wood-PET bottles performs better than their corn stover counterparts.•Environmental performance of bio-PET bottles rely on displacement credits.•Biomass processing are often more emission-intensive than fossil refinery processes.
Energy and transport Woodcock, James, MSc; Banister, David, Prof; Edwards, Phil, PhD ...
The Lancet (British edition),
09/2007, Letnik:
370, Številka:
9592
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Summary We examine the links between fossil-fuel-based transportation, greenhouse-gas emissions, and health. Transport-related carbon emissions are rising and there is increasing consensus that the ...growth in motorised land vehicles and aviation is incompatible with averting serious climate change. The energy intensity of land transport correlates with its adverse health effects. Adverse health effects occur through climate change, road-traffic injuries, physical inactivity, urban air pollution, energy-related conflict, and environmental degradation. For the world's poor people, walking is the main mode of transport, but such populations often experience the most from the harms of energy-intensive transport. New energy sources and improvements in vehicle design and in information technology are necessary but not sufficient to reduce transport-related carbon emissions without accompanying behavioural change. By contrast, active transport has the potential to improve health and equity, and reduce emissions. Cities require safe and pleasant environments for active transport with destinations in easy reach and, for longer journeys, public transport that is powered by renewable energy, thus providing high levels of accessibility without car use. Much investment in major road projects does not meet the transport needs of poor people, especially women whose trips are primarily local and off road. Sustainable development is better promoted through improving walking and cycling infrastructures, increasing access to cycles, and investment in transport services for essential needs. Our model of London shows how increased active transport could help achieve substantial reductions in emissions by 2030 while improving population health. There exists the potential for a global contraction and convergence in use of fossil-fuel energy for transport to benefit health and achieve sustainability.
The Mesozoic is a key era for the rise of the modern insect fauna. Among the most important evolutionary events in Mesozoic insects are the radiation of holometabolous insects, the origin of eusocial ...and parasitoid insects, diversification of pollinating insects, and development of advanced mimicry and camouflage. These events are closely associated with the diversification of insect ecological behaviors and colonization of new ecospaces. At the same time, insects had evolved more complex and closer ecological associations with various plants and animals. Mesozoic insects played a key and underappreciated ecological role in reconstructing and maintaining terrestrial ecosystems. A greater understanding of the history of insects may help to mitigate future changes in insect diversity and abundance.
Holometabolous insects underwent a distinct radiation during the Early–Middle Triassic because they were probably more resilient to environmental disturbance.Four lineages of insects (termites, ants, corbiculate bees, and wasps) had evolved eusociality at least by the Cretaceous.The Mid-Mesozoic Parasitoid Revolution, a dramatic radiation of parasitoid lineages during the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, is a major biological event in terrestrial food-web history.Insect pollination of gymnosperms was already widespread prior to the rise of angiosperms and was an evolutionary and ecological prelude to later interactions between early angiosperms and their insect pollinators during the mid-Cretaceous.Mimicry and camouflage among insects went through an increasingly sophisticated evolution in the Mesozoic in response to selective pressures.
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