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Li J, Li X, Liu H, Gao L, Wang W, Wang Z, Zhou T, Wang Q. Climate change impacts on wastewater infrastructure: A systematic review and typological adaptation strategy. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 242:120282. [PMID: 37399688 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater infrastructures play an indispensable role in society's functioning, human production activities, and sanitation safety. However, climate change has posed a serious threat to wastewater infrastructures. To date, a comprehensive summary with rigorous evidence evaluation for the impact of climate change on wastewater infrastructure is lacking. We conducted a systematic review for scientific literature, grey literature, and news. In total, 61,649 documents were retrieved, and 96 of them were deemed relevant and subjected to detailed analysis. We developed a typological adaptation strategy for city-level decision-making for cities in all-income contexts to cope with climate change for wastewater structures. 84% and 60% of present studies focused on the higher-income countries and sewer systems, respectively. Overflow, breakage, and corrosion were the primary challenge for sewer systems, while inundation and fluctuation of treatment performance were the major issues for wastewater treatment plants. In order to adapt to the climate change impact, typological adaptation strategy was developed to provide a simple guideline to rapidly select the adaptation measures for vulnerable wastewater facilities for cities with various income levels. Future studies are encouraged to focus more on the model-related improvement/prediction, the impact of climate change on other wastewater facilities besides sewers, and countries with low or lower-middle incomes. This review provided insight to comprehensively understand the climate change impact on wastewater facilities and facilitate the policymaking in coping with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jibin Li
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Xuan Li
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Huan Liu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Li Gao
- South East Water, 101 Wells Street, Frankston, VIC 3199, Australia
| | - Weitong Wang
- Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Kemistintie 1, Espoo, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Zhenyao Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Ting Zhou
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Qilin Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
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İlbasmış M, Çitil M, Demirtaş F, Ali M, Barut A, Mohsin M. Does green investments improve air quality? Evidence for developed and developing European countries. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:89726-89739. [PMID: 37460882 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28544-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of green investments on air quality for developed and developing European countries. In this context, the short- and long-term effects of green investments on air quality were examined by panel generalized method of moments (GMM) and panel causality method. As a result of the GMM analysis, it has been determined that green investments negatively affect the air quality for both developed European countries and developing European countries in the short term, but this effect turns positive in developed countries in the long term. As a result of the panel causality analysis, two-way causality was determined between air quality and green investments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metin İlbasmış
- Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Aksaray University, Aksaray, Turkey
| | - Mücahit Çitil
- Siverek Faculty of Applied Sciences, Department of International Trade and Logistics, Harran University, Sanliurfa, Turkey
| | - Furkan Demirtaş
- Siverek Faculty of Applied Sciences, Department of International Trade and Logistics, Harran University, Sanliurfa, Turkey
| | - Muhammad Ali
- UCSI Graduate Business School, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Business Administration, IQRA University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Abdulkadir Barut
- Siverek Vocational School, Department of Accounting and Taxation, Harran University, Sanliurfa, Turkey.
| | - Mohammad Mohsin
- School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
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Timmermann C, Noboa E. Energy Sovereignty: A Values-Based Conceptual Analysis. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2022; 28:54. [PMID: 36329262 PMCID: PMC9633473 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-022-00409-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Achieving energy sovereignty is increasingly gaining prominence as a goal in energy politics. The aim of this paper is to provide a conceptual analysis of this principle from an ethics and social justice perspective. We rely on the literature on food sovereignty to identify through a comparative analysis the elements energy sovereignty will most likely demand and thereafter distinguish the unique constituencies of the energy sector. The idea of energy sovereignty embraces a series of values, among which we identified: (i) accessibility, to allow access to everyone, (ii) empowerment and recognition, to develop and sustain capabilities to collaboratively produce solution-oriented energy system knowledge and effectively participate in governance, (iii) stewardship and sustainability, to be able to design and manage decentralised renewable systems in view of protecting the environment, (iv) self-sufficiency, to reduce the negative shocks of exploitative business practises, (v) resilience, to maintain production capacities while withstanding socioeconomic, political, environmental and climatic shocks, (vi) peace, to establish production systems that do not involve hostile relations, (vii) transparency and self-determination, to establish democratic decision-making mechanisms that give a voice to previously underrepresented groups and limit corporate takeover (viii) gender-justice, by acknowledging the contributions of women and eliminate barriers to their empowerment. With a conceptual framework of energy sovereignty, we present a rationale that draws on the key values to be considered when formulating policy solutions for the energy sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Timmermann
- Ethics of Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Eduardo Noboa
- Sustainability and Climate Change, Universidad Andina Simón Bolivar, Quito, Ecuador
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Hlatshwayo TI, Stam EM, Collinson-Jonker WJ, Dawood A. An inventory of amphibian roadkill in the western Soutpansberg, Limpopo province, South Africa. AFR J HERPETOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2022.2115154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thabo I Hlatshwayo
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
- The Endangered Wildlife Trust, Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Eduard M Stam
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
| | - Wendy J Collinson-Jonker
- The Endangered Wildlife Trust, Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Research Fellow: South African Research Chair in Biodiversity Value and Change, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
| | - Abeda Dawood
- Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
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Life cycle assessment of hydrogen-powered city buses in the High V.LO-City project: integrating vehicle operation and refuelling infrastructure. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-021-04933-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractDuring the project High V.LO-City, which ended in December 2019, 14 hydrogen fuel cell buses were operated in four European cities. This paper aims at presenting total emissions through the lifetime of fuel cell buses with different hydrogen production options, including the refuelling stations. The environmental assessment of such bus system is carried out using the life cycle assessment methodology. Three hydrogen production pathways are investigated: water electrolysis, chlor-alkali electrolysis and steam methane reforming. Fuel economy during bus operation is around 10.25 KgH2/100 km, and the refuelling station energy demand ranges between 7 and 9 KWh/KgH2. To support the inventory stage, dedicated software tools were developed for collecting and processing a huge amount of bus data and refuelling station performance, for automating data entry and for impacts calculation. The results show that hydrogen-powered buses, compared to a diesel bus, have the potential to reduce emissions during the use phase, if renewables resources are used. On the other hand, impacts from the vehicle production, including battery pack and fuel cell stack, still dominate environmental load. Consequently, improving the emission profile of fuel cell bus system requires to promote clean electricity sources to supply a low-carbon hydrogen and to sharpen policy focus regarding life cycle management and to counter potential setbacks, in particular those related to problem shifting and to grid improvement. For hazardous emissions and resource use, the high energy intensity of mining and refining activities still poses challenges on how to further enhance the environmental advantages of fuel cells and battery packs.
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Malik S, Iqbal A, Imran A, Usman M, Nadeem M, Asif S, Bokhari A. Impact of economic capabilities and population agglomeration on PM 2.5 emission: empirical evidence from sub-Saharan African countries. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:34017-34026. [PMID: 32978733 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10907-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The utilization of economic capabilities to raise production in the economy enhances the industrial activities and use of transportation. These activities deteriorate the quality of the environment and raise the level of particulate matter (PM2.5). The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of economic capabilities and population agglomeration on PM2.5 emissions for the sample of 23 sub-Saharan African countries-a highly polluted region of the world. The study used panel regression from 2007 to 2015 and found that production capabilities are highly significant and directly effecting PM2.5 emissions. The Kuznets hypothesis does not hold in this region, and the concentration of population in urban areas is also significant. To avoid the problem of possible endogeneity in the empirical model and for robustness check, the study also utilized system GMM and found consistent results. The findings of the study are highly valuable to reduce PM2.5 and propose that the policymakers in Sub-Saharan African countries should opt for industrial specialization rather than economic complexity and ensure that the proper measures are taken to control PM2.5. Moreover, population concentrations should not be taken place in a few main urban cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Summaira Malik
- Department of Economics, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Lahore Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Asim Iqbal
- Department of Economics and Business Administration, Division of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Asma Imran
- Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Lahore Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Usman
- School of Business and Economics, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Nadeem
- National College of Business Administration and Economics, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Saira Asif
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Botany, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Murree Road, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Awais Bokhari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Lahore Campus, Defence Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
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Simulation, Optimization, and Machine Learning in Sustainable Transportation Systems: Models and Applications. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13031551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The need for effective freight and human transportation systems has consistently increased during the last decades, mainly due to factors such as globalization, e-commerce activities, and mobility requirements. Traditionally, transportation systems have been designed with the main goal of reducing their monetary cost while offering a specified quality of service. During the last decade, however, sustainability concepts are also being considered as a critical component of transportation systems, i.e., the environmental and social impact of transportation activities have to be taken into account when managers and policy makers design and operate modern transportation systems, whether these refer to long-distance carriers or to metropolitan areas. This paper reviews the existing work on different scientific methodologies that are being used to promote Sustainable Transportation Systems (STS), including simulation, optimization, machine learning, and fuzzy sets. This paper discusses how each of these methodologies have been employed to design and efficiently operate STS. In addition, the paper also provides a classification of common challenges, best practices, future trends, and open research lines that might be useful for both researchers and practitioners.
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Lopez-Arboleda E, Sarmiento AT, Cardenas LM. Systemic approach for integration of sustainability in evaluation of public policies for adoption of electric vehicles. SYSTEMIC PRACTICE AND ACTION RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11213-020-09540-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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People with Different Educational Attainment in Washington, DC, USA have Differential Knowledge and Perceptions about Environmental Issues. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12052063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
We predicted that people’s knowledge and perceptions about the interconnectedness of natural resources, climate change, economics, and socio-cultural well-being would differ among demographic groups in Washington, DC, USA, so we conducted surveys to test that prediction. We collected demographic data from 455 participants and asked them 26 questions/statements related to natural resources, climate change, economics, and health. We selected education as the focal demographic category and participants were categorized based on their level of educational attainment: (1) completion of high school or less (hereafter “high school”); (2) some trade school or university education beyond high school up to and including completion of a trade school, two-, or four-year degree (hereafter “post-high school”); and (3) completion of a Master’s, professional, or doctoral degree (hereafter “advanced education”). Participants with advanced education reported the highest connection with nature and were more likely to report that their personal welfare depended on the natural community. Participants with the least education were more likely to believe that humans do not have much influence on natural resources and placed more trust in technology and human achievements to control nature and ensure that earth will not become unlivable. Participants with the least education were also more likely to express an interest in local environmental concerns over global, jobs over natural resources, and effects of degraded local natural resources on income, health, and the environment instead of on cultural/social practices, neighborhood aesthetics, and recreation.
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Badulescu D, Simut R, Badulescu A, Badulescu AV. The Relative Effects of Economic Growth, Environmental Pollution and Non-Communicable Diseases on Health Expenditures in European Union Countries. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16245115. [PMID: 31847367 PMCID: PMC6949912 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16245115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
National and global health policies are increasingly recognizing the key role of the environment in human health development, which is related to its economic and social determinants, such as income level, technical progress, education, quality of jobs, inequality, education or lifestyle. Research has shown that the increase of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita can provide additional funds for health but also for environmental protection. However, often, economic growth is associated with the accelerated degradation of the environment, and this in turn will result in an exponential increase in harmful emissions and will implicitly determine the increasing occurrence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mainly cardiovascular diseases, cancers and respiratory diseases. In this paper, we investigate the role and effects of economic growth, environmental pollution and non-communicable diseases on health expenditures, for the case of EU (European Union) countries during 2000–2014. In order to investigate the long-term and the short-term relationship between them, we have employed the Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method. Using the Pedroni-Johansen cointegration methods, we found that the variables are cointegrated. The findings of this study show that economic growth is one of the most important factors influencing the health expenditures both in the long- and short-run in all the 28 EU countries. With regards to the influence of CO2 emissions on health expenditure, we have found a negative impact in the short-run and a positive impact on the long-run. We have also introduced an interaction between NCDs and environmental expenditure as independent variable, a product variable. Finally, we have found that in all the three estimated models, the variation in environmental expenditure produces changes in NCDs’ effect on health expenditure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Badulescu
- Department of Economics and Business, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania; (D.B.); (R.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Ramona Simut
- Department of Economics and Business, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania; (D.B.); (R.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Alina Badulescu
- Department of Economics and Business, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania; (D.B.); (R.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Andrei-Vlad Badulescu
- Faculty of Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +40-752-304056
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How Energy Consumption and Pollutant Emissions Affect the Disparity of Public Health in Countries with High Fossil Energy Consumption. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16234678. [PMID: 31771259 PMCID: PMC6926815 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16234678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Public health issues are a global focus, but recent research on the links between fossil energy consumption, pollutant emissions, and public health in different regions have presented inconsistent conclusions. In order to quantify the effect of fossil energy use and pollutant emissions on public health from the global perspective, this paper investigates 33 countries with high GDP and fossil energy consumption from 1995 to 2015 using a fixed effect model. Further, this paper utilizes heterogeneity analysis to characterize the disparity of countries with different features. Empirical results indicate that total fossil energy consumption is beneficial to the life expectancy of the population (LEP), but pollutant emissions (PM10 concentration and greenhouse gas scale) have a negative effect on LEP. Moreover, the heterogeneity test indicates that pollutant emissions lowers LEP in net energy importers more than in net energy exporters, and the effect of such emissions in low- and middle-income countries on public health is more harmful than that in high-income countries. These findings suggest that it is a greater priority for governments to strengthen the control of pollutant emissions through enhancing the efficiency of energy consumption, rather than by reducing its scale of use in low- and middle-income, and net energy importing countries. Additionally, governments also need to focus on the volatility of pollutant emissions in high-income countries with necessary control measures.
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Zhu S, Horne JR, Mac Kinnon M, Samuelsen GS, Dabdub D. Comprehensively assessing the drivers of future air quality in California. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 125:386-398. [PMID: 30743145 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In this study we analyze the impact of major drivers of future air quality, both separately and simultaneously, for the year 2035 in three major California air basins: the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB), the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA), and the San Joaquin Valley (SJV). A variety of scenarios are considered based on changes in climate-driven meteorological conditions and both biogenic and anthropogenic emissions. Anthropogenic emissions are based on (1) the California Air Resources Board (CARB) California Emissions Projection Analysis Model (CEPAM), (2) increases in electric sector emissions due to climate change, and (3) aggressive adoption of alternative energy technologies electrification of end-use technologies, and energy efficiency measures. Results indicate that climate-driven changes in meteorological conditions will significantly alter day-to-day variations in future ozone and PM2.5 concentrations, likely increasing the frequency and severity of pollution periods in regions that already experience poor air quality and increasing health risks from pollutant exposure. Increases in biogenic and anthropogenic emissions due to climate change are important during the summer seasons, but have little effect on pollutant concentrations during the winter. Results also indicate that controlling anthropogenic emissions will play a critical role in mitigating climate-driven increases in both ozone and PM2.5 concentrations in the most populated areas of California. In the absence of anthropogenic emissions controls, climate change will worsen ozone air quality throughout the state, increasing exceedances of ambient air quality standards. If planned reductions in anthropogenic emissions are implemented, ozone air quality throughout the less urban areas of the state may be improved in the year 2035, but regions such as the SoCAB and the east SFBA will likely continue to experience high ozone concentrations throughout the summer season. Climate change and anthropogenic emissions controls are both found to decrease wintertime PM2.5 concentrations in the SJV, eliminating nearly all exceedances of PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the year 2035. However, reductions in anthropogenic emissions are unable to fully mitigate the impact of climate change on PM2.5 concentrations in the SoCAB and east SFBA. Thus, while future air quality in the SJV is projected to be improved in the year 2035, air quality in the SoCAB and east SFBA will remain similar or marginally worsen compared to present day levels. Conversely, we find that aggressive adoption of alternative energy technologies including renewable resources, electrification of end-use technologies, and energy efficiency measures can offset the impacts of climate change. Overall, the two main drivers for air quality in 2035 are changes in meteorological conditions due to climate change and reductions in anthropogenic emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shupeng Zhu
- Computational Environmental Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Jeremy R Horne
- Computational Environmental Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Michael Mac Kinnon
- Advanced Power and Energy Program, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - G S Samuelsen
- Advanced Power and Energy Program, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Donald Dabdub
- Computational Environmental Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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Vázquez-Rowe I, Kahhat R, Larrea-Gallegos G, Ziegler-Rodriguez K. Peru's road to climate action: Are we on the right path? The role of life cycle methods to improve Peruvian national contributions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 659:249-266. [PMID: 30599344 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Most developing nations have had to perform a swift transition from the voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation actions engaged in the Copenhagen Accord, to the relatively ambitious mitigations signed in the frame of the Paris Agreement. Consequently, Peru is currently creating its national structure to combat climate change through mitigation and adaptation actions. Nationally-determined contributions (NDCs) are the planned interventions that nations report for intended reductions in GHG emissions. In fact, Peru has now committed to reduce its annual GHG emissions by 30% in 2030 with respect to a business-as-usual estimation for that same year. The 76 NDCs have been divided into six main sectors: energy, transport, industrial processes, agriculture, forestry and waste. In this context, the main goal of this study is to provide a critical review of the validity and effectiveness of current mitigation NDCs proposed by the Peruvian government to comply with the Paris Agreement. Moreover, the analysis is accompanied by a discussion on how the use of life-cycle methods, namely Life Cycle Assessment, can be of utility in terms of policy support to evaluate the mitigation potential of these NDCs, as well as in the identification of additional contributions in sectors where the mitigation potential has been obviated. The expansion of system boundaries beyond the national context to account for the globalized nature of current market flows or the modelling of indirect impacts of a particular policy appear as relevant advantages of including life-cycle methods in public climate policy. The analysis, which is intended to be of utility to policy-makers in Peru and in other developing and emerging economies across the world, suggests that life-cycle methods arise as adequate tools to monitor the environmental appropriateness of adopting or adapting low-carbon technology to the local context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Vázquez-Rowe
- Peruvian LCA Network, Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Avenida Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima 15088, Peru.
| | - Ramzy Kahhat
- Peruvian LCA Network, Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Avenida Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima 15088, Peru
| | - Gustavo Larrea-Gallegos
- Peruvian LCA Network, Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Avenida Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima 15088, Peru
| | - Kurt Ziegler-Rodriguez
- Peruvian LCA Network, Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Avenida Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima 15088, Peru
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15
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Erickson LE. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality: Two global challenges. ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY 2017; 36:982-988. [PMID: 29238442 PMCID: PMC5719981 DOI: 10.1002/ep.12665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
There are many good reasons to promote sustainable development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other combustion emissions. The air quality in many urban environments is causing many premature deaths because of asthma, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and dementia associated with combustion emissions. The global social cost of air pollution is at least $3 trillion/year; particulates, nitrogen oxides and ozone associated with combustion emissions are very costly pollutants. Better air quality in urban environments is one of the reasons for countries to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. There are many potential benefits associated with limiting climate change. In the recent past, the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have been increasing and the number of weather and climate disasters with costs over $1 billion has been increasing. The average global temperature set new record highs in 2014, 2015, and 2016. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the transition to electric vehicles and electricity generation using renewable energy must take place in accord with the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. This work reviews progress and identifies some of the health benefits associated with reducing combustion emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry E. Erickson
- Department of Chemical EngineeringKansas State University, Durland HallManhattanKansas66506
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