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Growing food demand, environmental degradation, post-harvest losses and the dearth of resources encourage the decision makers from developing nations to integrate the economic and environmental aspects in food supply chain network design. This paper aims to develop a bi-objective decision support model for sustainable food grain supply chain considering an entire network of procurement centres, central, state and district level warehouses, and fair price shops. The model seeks to minimise the cost and carbon dioxide emission simultaneously. The model covers several problem peculiarities such as multi-echelon, multi-period, multi-modal transportation, multiple sourcing and distribution, emission caused due to various motives, heterogeneous capacitated vehicles and limited availability, and capacitated warehouses. Multiple realistic problem instances are solved using the two Pareto based multi-objective algorithms. Sensitivity analysis results imply that the decision makers should establish a sufficient number of warehouses in each producing and consuming states by maintaining the suitable balance between the two objectives. Various policymakers like Food Corporation of India, logistics providers and state government agencies will be benefited from this research study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Devising effective national-level climate action plans requires a more detailed understanding of the regional distribution of sources and sinks of greenhouse gases. Due to insufficient observations and modelling capabilities, India's current carbon source–sink estimates are uncertain. This study uses a high-resolution Lagrangian transport model to examine the potential of available CO 2 observations over India for inverse estimation of regional carbon fluxes. We use four different sites in India that vary in the measurement technique, frequency and spatial representation. These observations exhibit substantial seasonal (7.5 to 9.2 ppm) and intra-seasonal (2 to 12 ppm) variability. Our modelling framework, a high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting Model combined with the Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport model (WRF–STILT), performs better in simulating seasonal (R2=0.50 to 0.96) and diurnal (R2=0.96) variability (for the Mohali station) of observed CO 2 than the current-generation global models (CarboScope, CarbonTracker and ECMWF EGG4). The seasonal CO 2 concentration variability in Mohali, associated with crop residue burning, is largely underestimated by the models. WRF–STILT captures the seasonal biospheric variability over Nainital better than the global models but underestimates the strength of the CO 2 uptake by crops. The choice of emission inventory in the modelling framework alone leads to significant biases in simulations (5 to 10 ppm), endorsing the need for accounting for emission fluxes, especially for non-background sites. Our study highlights the possibility of using the CO 2 observations from these Indian stations for deducing carbon flux information at regional (Nainital) and suburban to urban (Mohali, Shadnagar and Nagpur) scales with the help of a high-resolution model. On accounting for observed variability in CO 2 , the global carbon data assimilation system can benefit from the measurements from the Indian subcontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper conceptualises the factors responsible for water quality change in the aquifer on the basis of a study of flow dynamics, hydro-chemical, and bacteriological processes in a gypsum, lignite, oil, and gas-rich Barmer sedimentary basin in India. The change in colouration, odour, and presence of gases in flowing wells has been analysed. The study revealed that such a change in the quality of the water is mainly occurring in those wells that are located in the transition zone between unconfined and confined parts of the same aquifer. The field and lab analyses have further revealed the presence of pyrites, other iron-rich minerals, hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) gases in the aquifer. The study suggests that changes in flow dynamics, hydro-chemical equilibrium, and microbiological processes like sulphate reduction, methanogenesis, and reverse methanogenesis are responsible for such changes in groundwater quality. The change in water quality in the unconfined parts of the aquifer is mainly due to in situ pyrite dissolution, bacteria-mediated sulphate reduction, or reverse methanogenesis taking place in the nearby confined parts of the aquifer. The presence of CH4 in non-flowing wells or while drilling new wells appears to be biogenic in nature and has migrated from deeper, confined parts of the same aquifer. The overexploitation of the aquifer has changed the flow dynamics and hydro-chemical equilibrium within the aquifer, and it has prompted the migration of gases from deeper, confined parts of the same aquifer. The water quality change is more prominent in the transitional zone between unconfined and confined parts of the aquifer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming necessitates urgent action to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Biochar, a type of carbonized biomass which can be produced from crop residues (CRs), offers a promising solution for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) when it is used to sequester photosynthetically fixed carbon that would otherwise have been returned to atmospheric CO2 through respiration or combustion. However, high‐resolution spatially explicit maps of CR resources and their capacity for climate change mitigation through biochar production are currently lacking, with previous global studies relying on coarse (mostly country scale) aggregated statistics. By developing a comprehensive high spatial resolution global dataset of CR production, we show that, globally, CRs generate around 2.4 Pg C annually. If 100% of these residues were utilized, the maximum theoretical technical potential for biochar production from CRs amounts to 1.0 Pg C year−1 (3.7 Pg CO2e year−1). The permanence of biochar differs across regions, with the fraction of initial carbon that remains after 100 years ranging from 60% in warm climates to nearly 100% in cryosols. Assuming that biochar is sequestered in soils close to point of production, approximately 0.72 Pg C year−1 (2.6 Pg CO2e year−1) of the technical potential would remain sequestered after 100 years. However, when considering limitations on sustainable residue harvesting and competing livestock usage, the global biochar production potential decreases to 0.51 Pg C year−1 (1.9 Pg CO2e year−1), with 0.36 Pg C year−1 (1.3 Pg CO2e year−1) remaining sequestered after a century. Twelve countries have the technical potential to sequester over one fifth of their current emissions as biochar from CRs, with Bhutan (68%) and India (53%) having the largest ratios. The high‐resolution maps of CR production and biochar sequestration potential provided here will provide valuable insights and support decision‐making related to biochar production and investment in biochar production capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions from combustion sources are uncertain in many places across the globe. Satellites have the ability to detect and quantify emissions from large CO 2 point sources, including coal-fired power plants. In this study, we routinely made observations with the PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa (PRISMA) satellite imaging spectrometer and the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) instrument aboard the International Space Station at over 30 coal-fired power plants between 2021 and 2022. CO 2 plumes were detected in 50 % of the acquired PRISMA scenes, which is consistent with the combined influence of viewing parameters on detection (solar illumination and surface reflectance) and unknown factors (e.g., daily operational status). We compare satellite-derived emission rates to in situ stack emission observations and find average agreement to within 27 % for PRISMA and 30 % for OCO-3, although more observations are needed to robustly characterize the error. We highlight two examples of fusing PRISMA with OCO-2 and OCO-3 observations in South Africa and India. For India, we acquired PRISMA and OCO-3 observations on the same day and used the high-spatial-resolution capability of PRISMA (30 m spatial/pixel resolution) to partition relative contributions of two distinct emitting power plants to the net emission. Although an encouraging start, 2 years of observations from these satellites did not produce sufficient observations to estimate annual average emission rates within low (<15%) uncertainties. However, as the constellation of CO 2 -observing satellites is poised to significantly improve in the coming decade, this study offers an approach to leverage multiple observation platforms to better quantify and characterize uncertainty for large anthropogenic emission sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon credit is an element, which is used to aid in regulation of the amount of carbon dioxide that is being released into the air. This is the part of a global plan which has been created in an effort to reduce the global warming and its effect. This global plan works by capping the amount of total emissions that can be released by one organization. If there is a shortfall in the amount of gases that are used, there is a monetary value assigned to this shortfall and it may be traded and the trading of these carbon credits is known as Carbon Credits Trading. This research paper is focused on the Carbon Credits Trading Practices within Indian organizations. The main objective of this research paper is to explore the different carbon credits trading practices which are adopted by the Indian organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between financial instability and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in India from 1980 to 2020. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model is used to measure long-run and short-run dynamics, followed by the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to determine the causal direction. As per the findings of the study, financial instability has an insignificant effect on CO2 emissions. However, economic development, energy use, and urbanization have a detrimental effect on environmental quality because it releases a significant amount of CO2 emissions into the environment. Our empirical findings confirmed the presence of an environmental Kuznets curve. The outcomes of the VECM show that the long-run causality can be noticed in CO2 emissions, financial instability, energy use, and urbanization. Furthermore, the validity and reliability of the results were verified by using a variety of diagnostic tests. This research presents novel results that add to the current literature and may be of particular importance to the country's policymakers regarding the financial system and its importance in environmental problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Climate change has been a global challenge and BRICS countries are not excluded from these challenges which affect weather conditions and subsequently lead to disasters. Climate change is regarded as a change in climate patterns that are caused by the increase in the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels. Because of the awareness of this challenge, the purpose of the study was to look at possible ways to reduce pressure on the climate, particularly in BRICS countries. The objective of this study was to convince BRICS countries to use trade agreements to look at business models that would not put much pressure on the climate. Secondly, to ensure that companies do not produce carbon dioxide that is toxic to the climate. This study aimed to find ways to protect BRICS countries from various disasters that are caused by climate change. Business agreements between BRICS countries should, therefore, have terms and conditions that seek to protect the climate and natural resources. Because of the availability of data concerning the causes of climate change, this study applied a secondary research design. Reports, findings of the previous study, and conference findings data assisted in reaching the findings of the study. In conclusion, BRICS countries have to quickly do something about climate change. The floods that South Africa and India have experienced in 2022 should be the main reason why BRICS countries must prioritize the agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has the largest dairy industry in the world and accounts for a significant share of the global emission of livestock methane ( CH 4 ), a potent greenhouse gas (GHG). While previous works have examined the large-scale livestock CH 4 emissions in India, bottom-up studies are essential to account for the diverse farm conditions and practices across the subcontinent. We developed a Methane Calculator for Indian livestock sector using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 2 methodology for estimating methane emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management. Using this calculator, we undertook a study of emissions from four dairy farms in the tropical coastal district of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in June 2019. Livestock population and milk production data were collected from the four farms, to compute a mean CH 4 emission of 0.7183 kg CO 2 equivalents/kg of fat and protein corrected milk (kg CO 2 e/kg FPCM), with a notable farm-to-farm variability (63.3%). Having implemented the latest available guidelines outlined by the IPCC, our results are a valuable new addition to the existing body of knowledge in the measurement of dairy farm GHG emissions. We present this as a pilot study, demonstrating a simple method to perform bottom-up investigations of dairy GHG emissions and further formulate policy interventions and mitigation strategies at the farm level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon capture and storage is a necessary action for the reduction of CO2 emissions, and thereby mitigation of climate change and its impacts. Especially, in India, with its growing fuel needs and very little attention paid towards carbon capture and storage, mineral carbonation technology is a suitable option as it is cost-effective and could be retrofitted to existing plants that emit CO2. Given the development of carbon capture and storage technology, this study attempts direct mineral carbonation of steelmaking slag with flue gas. Response surface methodology was employed to design gas-solid and slurry phase aqueous carbonation experiments. A maximum reduction of about 36.1% was achieved through aqueous carbonation at 61.1 °C, 46.24 bar, and a liquid-to-solid ratio of 14.5, corresponding to a sequestration capacity of 127.4 g of CO2/kg of slag. The temperature was found to be the most vital parameter in both the aqueous and gas-solid carbonation processes. Regression models used to study the carbonation process were found to be statistically significant. The carbonated slag consisted of mineral phases, namely, calcite and dolomite. The results demonstrated the sequestration potential of Indian steelmaking slag with flue gas. Carbonation of steelmaking slag with flue gas poses to be a promising option for the development of carbon capture and storage technology in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the causality between energy consumption, carbon emissions and economic growth is helpful for policymakers to formulate energy, environmental and economic policies. For the first time, based on nonlinear dynamics, this paper employs multispatial convergent cross mapping (CCM) to revisit the energy-carbon-economy causation for China, India and the G7 countries using both aggregate data and per capita data. The findings indicate that there are significant differences between developing countries and developed countries. A bidirectional nexus between energy consumption, carbon emissions and economic growth is found in China and India, but various causal relationships are identified in the G7 countries, including bidirectional, unidirectional and neutral nexus. The results confirm that the decoupling phenomenon is common in most G7 countries. By leveraging a variety of samples and a new approach, this study provides new evidence for policy authorities to formulate country-specific policies to obtain better environmental quality while achieving sustainable economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes 14 indigenous tree/shrub species of Eastern India for fuelwood production. A fuelwood value index (FVI) was the criteria for screening of the species. Fuelwood consumption, on a decreasing trend, was high in the state of Uttar Pradesh (19.06 m/t), followed by West Bengal (14.16 m/t), Bihar (11.48 m/t), Assam (11.42 m/t), Odisha (8.89 m/t), Jharkhand (4.84 m/t), and Chhattisgarh (4.37 m/t). Similar trends were shown by the states in case of the emission of carbon dioxide. For instance, CO2emission was higher in Uttar Pradesh (31.4 t CO2) and lowest in Chhattisgarh (7.19 t CO2). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper attempts to investigate the long run and short run relationship between nuclear energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission in India within energy consumption growth-environment deterioration framework, over the period of 1969-2014 using a multivariate model wherein coal consumption, oil consumption and trade openness are also included as additional variables. The empirical results indicate that there is a long run relationship among the competing variables. We find that nuclear energy consumption indeed reduces CO2 emission in both short run and long run in India. On the other hand, non-renewable energy sources (oil and coal) increase CO2 emission in both long run and short run. Based on these findings, it is suggested that government should shift from nonrenewable energy sources to nuclear energy to attain faster, inclusive and sustained economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reported incidence of shoulder tip pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy was 30%–50%. The aim of the present randomized controlled study was to compare the effects of low-pressure (08–10 mm Hg) vs. standard-pressure (13–15 mm Hg) pneumoperitoneum in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. One hundred patients between 18 and 70 years undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were included. Group A and group B patients underwent low-pressure and standard-pressure pneumoperitoneum laparoscopic cholecystectomy respectively. Post-operative shoulder tip pain and post-operative abdominal pain were measured using visual analogue scale score at 2 h, 8 h, 24 h and 48 h after surgery. The primary outcome measures were the incidence and severity of post-operative shoulder tip pain, whereas secondary outcome measures were the incidence and severity of abdominal pain. Intergroup comparison of categorical and continuous variables was done using the chi-square test/Fisher's exact test and unpaired 't' test respectively. The incidence and severity of post-operative shoulder tip pain at 2 h, 8 h, 24 h and 48 h was significantly higher in group B as compared to group A. The incidence of post-operative abdominal pain at 48 h was significantly higher in group B as compared to group A. The severity of post-operative abdominal pain at 24 h and 48 h was significantly higher in group B as compared to group A. Low-pressure laparoscopic cholecystectomy significantly decreases the incidence and severity of post-operative shoulder tip and abdominal pain. Routine use of low-pressure pneumoperitoneum for the alleviation of post-operative pain following laparoscopic cholecystectomy is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Termites are dominant soil macro-fauna in tropical forests, yet remain an uncertain component of the carbon budget in many regions. We investigated CH4 and CO2 flux patterns from termite mounds and background soils of moist tropical deciduous forests in Indian lower Himalaya from April 2015 till March 2016 using static closed chamber technique. The relation between gas fluxes and soil moisture as well as temperature were examined. Termite (Odontotermes obesus) mounds were significant localized source of CH4 (0.38 ± 0.01 mg m−2 h−1) and CO2 (1837 ± 40 mg m−2 h−1) amidst CH4 consuming (– 0.028 ± 0.001 mg m−2 h−1) or lower CO2 emitting (1120 ± 19 mg m−2 h−1) background forest soils. Gas fluxes from termite mounds were seasonally bimodal (monsoon flux being highest followed by a second mild peak in winter) and diurnally variable. Soil moisture was a significant determinant of CH4 and CO2 fluxes from termite mounds, explaining more than 50% variability. In the case of background forest soils, the combined effect of soil moisture and temperature best explained CO2 and CH4 flux variation. On scaling up, termite mounds contributed negligibly (0.3%) to total soil CO2 emission while mound-mediated CH4 emission offset net soil CH4 uptake by 2.0%. Our results suggest considerable role of termite mounds in influencing source–sink capacity of forest soils. Present data are crucial in reducing error and uncertainty due to spatiotemporal variations in case of large-scale predictions. We suggest careful future land use decisions to minimize the contribution of mound-building termites to net soil CO2 and CH4 flux from this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to assess the air quality status in the central library of Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India. Pollutants concentrations (i.e. PM10, PM2.5, PM1 and TVOC) and comfort parameters i.e. CO2, temperature and relative humidity were monitored across all floors of the library. Air quality was found to vary significantly (P < 0.05) among the different floors of the library. The average concentration of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 was found to be highest at the first floor. On the other hand, the highest concentration of TVOC (51.7 ± 30 ppb) and CO2 (838.4 ± 99 ppm) was observed at the ground floor. Pollutant concentration was higher in the morning hours. The indoor pollutants were found positively correlated with each other except relative humidity. Indoor to outdoor ratio for PM1, TVOC and CO2 was found to be greater than 1, which indicate a substantial contribution from indoor sources. Exceedance of WHO guidelines was observed for the daily average PM2.5 concentration. Abbreviation: IAQ: indoor air quality; ASHRAE: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers; WHO: World Health Organization; PM: particulate matter; VOC: volatile organic carbon; CO2: carbon dioxide; TVOC: Total volatile organic compound; RH: relative humidity; HVAC: heating ventilation and air-conditioning; PID: Photo Ionization Detector; PTFE: Polytetrafluoroethylene; NDIR: Non-dispersive infra-red. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification of greenhouse gas emissions is a critical research gap for space cooling and refrigeration applications in Indian commercial buildings. This is especially relevant as these services are expected to grow rapidly in future driven by economic growth and urbanisation. This paper focuses on these two applications which are highly energy and emission intensive, and quantifies their carbon dioxide (CO) and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions through soft-linking a top-down model with a bottom-up approach. An integrated assessment modelling framework Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM)-IIM is used for modelling energy-related emissions under a business-as-usual scenario. In addition to CO emissions occurring from electricity use, cooling and refrigeration in commercial buildings emit another set of highly potent greenhouse gases, emanating from application of HFCs as coolant. HFCs substitute their ozone-depleting precursors in these applications. Countries across the world have agreed to phase down HFCs under the Montreal Protocol. Before we can analyse cost-effective options to bring down these emissions, it is important to quantify and assess the amount of emissions that could be avoided in the future. Our research sets up a baseline for carbon dioxide and HFC emissions from India for the commercial air-conditioning and refrigeration sectors and finds the potential HFC emission mitigation due to the Kigali Amendment. A detailed bottom-up modelling of these emissions is undertaken and it is found that, if unabated, the HFC emissions from commercial sector will surge from mere 1.8 million tonne (Mt) COe in 2015 to 211 Mt COe in 2050, whereas energy-related CO emissions from commercial air-conditioning and refrigeration will rise from 37 to 297 Mt COe in the same period. We also highlight the role of management practices and regulation for curbing HFC emissions which is especially relevant for the commercial building sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate carbon mitigation cost (CMC) and the factors determining change in CMC using environmental production function. The CMC index is defined as the ratio of maximum production of electricity under unregulated and regulated production technology. Change in CMC index is decomposed into technical change, scale change and change in the level of CO2 emissions. The production function is estimated for 45 coal-fired thermal power plants over the period of 2008–2012 using data envelopment analysis. Decomposition of CMC change reveals that impacts of changes in scale of operation and CO2 emissions were more than the reduced costs realized due to technical changes. We find that the sample plants in Indian coal-fired thermal power sector had to sacrifice about 3.5% of electricity production amounting to 2005US$ 1702 million of revenue loss over the 5 years due to regulation of CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleocene lavas of the Dianzhong Formation preserved in the Linzhou Basin of South Tibet provide a unique opportunity to constrain the initial geometry of the India‐Asia collision; however, earlier studies argued a complex magnetic signature resulting from thermal and/or chemical remagnetizations. To better characterize the remanences obtained from the Dianzhong lavas, we carried out an intraformational conglomerate test on a previously‐studied section in the Linzhou Basin. The positive conglomerate test suggests that the characteristic remanences reported from the Dianzhong Formation are primary. The updated Paleocene pole confirms a paleolatitude of 6.7° ± 4.4°N for the Lhasa terrane and positions the southern margin of Asia in the equatorial humid belt. An initial collision, between India, Asia and an intra‐oceanic arc in the equatorial humid belt, may have intensified silicate weathering and resulted in an extra consummation of carbon dioxide, which contributes to a long‐term cooling of the Earth during the Cenozoic. Plain Language Summary: The locus of the initial India‐Asia collision can be constrained using paleomagnetic studies on the Paleocene volcanics from the Linzhou Basin, South Tibet. However, the primary nature of the magnetic signature previously reported from the Dianzhong Formation was questioned. This study carries out an intraformational conglomerate test collected from the middle part of the Dianzhong Formation. The stable remanences isolated from a layer of intercalated lava cobbles yield a random distribution in contrast to the well‐grouped directions obtained from the over‐ and underlying lava layers resulting in a positive conglomerate test. We therefore argue for a primary nature for the characteristic remanence recorded by the Dianzhong lavas from the Linzhou Basin. Our study confirms a low latitude of ∼7°N, that is, within the equatorial humid belt, for the southern margin of Asia during ∼64–60 Ma. An initial low‐latitude collision between India and Asia is critical for understanding the tectonic and climatic significance of the India‐Asia collision. Key Points: Characteristic remanences reported from the Dianzhong lavas in the Linzhou Basin are primary in originThe updated Paleocene pole confirms a low latitude of ∼7°N for the Lhasa terraneAn initial collision between India, Asia and an oceanic arc in the equatorial humid belt may contribute to the Cenozoic cooling of the Earth [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, large quantities of organic amendments such as crop residues (550 mt yr-1), municipal solid waste (48 mt yr-1), animal manures (182 mt yr-1) and other sources are produced. Recycling these organic amendments in agriculture has several beneficial effects such as improving plant growth, yield, soil carbon content, and microbial biomass and activity. Nevertheless, organic amendment applications have some disadvantages such as nutrient eutrophication and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Agriculture sector emits substantial quantities of GHGs (carbon dioxide-CO2, methane-CH4, and nitrous oxide-N2O). Though quantity wise CH4 and N2O emissions are less than CO2, they have higher global warming potential. Although there have been studies on the role of chemical fertilizer application on GHG emission, there have been very few studies on the effect of organic amendments application on GHG emission in agricultural soils. We reviewed quantification of various organic amendments used in agriculture that include manures, municipal solid waste, green manuring, crop residues and other miscellaneous organic amendments, major processes for GHG emission, and impact of organic amendment application on GHG emission from soil. The article aims to highlight the management practices to mitigate the emission and the future research needs in relation to nitrogen and carbon dynamics in soil for judicious use of organic amendments in agriculture to maintain soil health with minimum impact on GHG emission from agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amongst all the anthropogenically produced greenhouse gases (GHGs), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the most important, owing to their maximum contribution to the net radiative forcing of the Earth. India is undergoing rapid economic development, where fossil fuel emissions have increased drastically in the last three decades. Apart from the anthropogenic activities, the GHGs dynamics in India are governed by the biospheric process and monsoon circulation; however, these aspects are not well addressed yet. Towards this, we have measured CO2 and CH4 concentration at Sinhagad, located on the Western Ghats in peninsular India. The average concentrations of CO2 and CH4 observed during the study period are 406.05 ± 6.36 and 1.97 ± 0.07 ppm (µ ± 1σ), respectively. They also exhibit significant seasonal variabilities at this site. CH4 (CO2) attains its minimum concentration during monsoon (post-monsoon), whereas CO2 (CH4) reaches its maximum concentration during pre-monsoon (post-monsoon). CO2 poses significant diurnal variations in monsoon and post-monsoon. However, CH4 exhibits a dual-peak like pattern in pre-monsoon. The study suggests that the GHG dynamics in the western region of India are significantly influenced by monsoon circulation, especially during the summer season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high yielding perennial herbaceous legume fodder variety Desmanthus CO 2 was developed at the Department of Forage Crops, Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. It is a gamma ray mutant of Desmanthus CO 1. The mutant was identified owing to its superior performance in station trials conducted from 2013 to 2015. It was evaluated in Multi Location during 2015-17 and in On Farm Trial during 2016-18. Simultaneously it was also tested under the All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Forage Crops and Utilization Trials during 2016-18. The variety CO 2 (mutant TND 1308) registered an overall green fodder yield of 91.04 t/ha in all the trials which were 14.18 per cent increase over the national check CO 1. The mean dry matter yield was 115.1 q/ ha which was 15.15 per cent over the national check CO 1. Similarly, it has the mean dry matter yield of 0.55 q/ha/day, the crude protein content of 15.58 per cent, Acid Detergent Fibre of 40.80 per cent, Neutral detergent fibre of 54.38 per cent and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of 60.06 per cent ensuring increased palatability, digestibility and intake rate. It ranked first at All India level during 2016 to 2018 for a green fodder yield (44.18 t/ha), dry matter yield (115.1 q/ha) and DMY (0.55 q/ha/day) which was 12.78, 15.15 and 14.58 per cent superior over the national check CO 1, respectively. Considering the green fodder yield and fodder quality of the culture TND 1308, it was proposed and identified for release as Desmanthus CO 2 for general cultivation throughout India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is the world's third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide and is developing rapidly. While India has pledged an emissions-intensity reduction as its contribution to the Paris Agreement, the country does not regularly report emissions statistics, making tracking progress difficult. Moreover, all estimates of India's emissions in global datasets represent its financial year, which is not aligned to the calendar year used by almost all other countries. Here I compile monthly energy and industrial activity data allowing for the estimation of India's CO2 emissions by month and calendar year with a short lag. Emissions show clear seasonal patterns, and the series allows for the investigation of short-lived but highly significant events, such as the near-record monsoon in 2019 and the COVID-19 crisis in 2020. Data are available at 10.5281/zenodo.3894394 (Andrew, 2020a). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization, industrialization and human population explosion not only increased the global power demand, but also led to global warming, pollution and climate change. This encouraged production of power from renewable sources, and thus, hydropower development has been focused. Today, there is more than 1300 GW of installed hydropower across the world, and most of the hydroelectric projects (HEPs) are multi-purpose which includes irrigation, flood and drought mitigation and tourism. Although credited as cheap, clean and green, recent studies demonstrate that the reservoirs of HEPs produce enormous quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs), including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). A large number of estimates on the amount of GHGs from HEPs are available from across the globe. India is next only to USA and China in terms of number of large dams, and thousands of new dams are being planned or constructed, especially in the northeastern part. However, none of these projects have been analyzed in terms of production of GHGs, which is an essential prerequisite for developing such projects and to determine whether carbon emission reduction credits can be accorded or not. The present study was conducted to determine greenness of some of the HEPs of Northeast India in terms of emission of GHGs, and eligibility of the projects for carbon emission reduction credits. Further, the emission of different GHGs through various processes from the Tipaimukh HEP (Manipur) was estimated. In view of the findings, we have provided recommendations, which may be helpful in decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correspondence among energy use, carbon dioxide emissions, and growth is a matter of discussion among policymakers, economists, and researchers. It is not possible to deny that the concept of sustainable development inspires their enquiry into this arena. The primary aspiration of this work is to use machine learning techniques in the prediction of carbon dioxide emissions and growth by taking energy use as the input variable. Our findings suggest that the prediction accuracy of the relation between CO2 emission and growth can improve by using machine learning techniques. In this case, prediction using Adam optimization is better than stochastic gradient descent (SGD) in the context of carbon dioxide emissions and growth. Furthermore, the result highlights that the change from fossil fuel use to renewable energy use is a possible way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions without sacrificing economic growth. Hence, the policy has to be articulated in such way as to reduce fossil fuel use or increase energy efficiency, and at the same time, new investment has to be initiated in the renewable energy sector to promote economic growth in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pink Stem Borer, Sesamia inferens Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) incidence has increased on graminaceous crops in the north-western plains of India during recent years. To understand the effect of climate change on the northward spread of the pest, studies on the growth and development of S. inferens on maize (Zea mays L.) were planned with combinations of temperature and CO2. The combinations were 27: 22 °C and 375 ppm of CO2, 32: 26 °C and 375 ppm of CO2, 27: 22 °C and 450 ppm of CO2 and 32: 26 °C and 450 ppm of CO2. Various developmental parameters of S. inferens were analyzed using analysis of variance for the main effects of temperature and CO2 and their interactions. At elevated temperature, the growth of egg, larval and pupal stages were faster and the developmental period decreased by 30.9%. At elevated CO2, the larval and pupal development delayed and there was 5.7% increase in developmental period. Both temperature and CO2 individually and in combination significantly influenced adult longevity. Adult longevity reduced 24.9% and 21.7% in male and female, respectively at elevated temperature. Whereas, at elevated CO2, adult longevity increased 7.6% in male and 6.8% in female, respectively. The fecundity was positively influenced (+10.8%) by elevated temperature and negatively (−14.4%) by elevated CO2. The effects of temperature and CO2 on the development of pink stem borer were opposite, with temperature being positive and predominant in influencing the biology of S. inferens. So, it is probable that the faster development of S. inferens on maize in the warm climate might slightly get mitigated by the adverse effect of elevated CO2. The overall effect of rapid development of pest population and damage on maize on large area basis needs to be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface water partial pressure of carbon dioxide [pCO2 (water)], total alkalinity (TA), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and air–water CO2 flux were measured in two estuaries of the Bay of Bengal namely Mahanadi and Dhamra. Though the annual average air–water CO2 fluxes at the Mahanadi and the Dhamra Estuaries were − 3.9 ± 21.4 (mean ± standard deviation) µmol m−2 h−1 and − 2.9 ± 11.6 µmol m−2 h−1, respectively, the intra-annual variation of air–water CO2 fluxes in the two estuaries was contrasting. Nonetheless, from the perspective of net primary productivity, the surface water of both the estuaries were found autotrophic throughout the study period with varying rates at different seasons and highest during summer months. Mahanadi Estuary acted as a CO2 source toward atmosphere during monsoon months, whereas, Dhamra Estuary acted as a source during pre-monsoon months. On the contrary, Mahanadi and Dhamra Estuaries acted as CO2 sink during pre-monsoon months and monsoon months, respectively. The salinity in Mahanadi Estuary was much lower compared to Dhamra, which indicated significant freshwater discharge rich in organic carbon, and the remineralization of this carbon to DIC during summer and monsoon months explained the CO2 source character. Whereas, in Dhamra, reduced freshwater flow and high turbidity were held accountable for net heterotrophic character of the water column during the post-monsoon months. The annual data set of air–water CO2 fluxes from these two estuaries produced from this study could be utilized in future to fill the data gap and upscale the Indian estuaries scenario from the perspective of blue carbon budgeting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy and energy services are the backbone of growth and development in India and is increasingly dependent upon the use of fossil based fuels that lead to greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and related concerns. Algal biofuels are being evolved as carbon (C) -neutral alternative biofuels. Algae are photosynthetic microorganisms that convert sunlight, water and carbon dioxide (CO) to various sugars and lipids Tri-Acyl-Glycols (TAG) and show promise as an alternative, renewable and green fuel source for India. Compared to land based oilseed crops algae have potentially higher yields (5-12 g/m/d) and can use locations and water resources not suited for agriculture. Within India, there is little additional land area for algal cultivation and therefore needs to be carried out in places that are already used for agriculture, e.g. flooded paddy lands (20 Mha) with village level technologies and on saline wastelands (3 Mha). Cultivating algae under such conditions requires novel multi-tier, multi-cyclic approaches of sharing land area without causing threats to food and water security as well as demand for additional fertilizer resources by adopting multi-tier cropping (algae-paddy) in decentralized open pond systems. A large part of the algal biofuel production is possible in flooded paddy crop land before the crop reaches dense canopies, in wastewaters (40 billion litres per day), in salt affected lands and in nutrient/diversity impoverished shallow coastline fishery. Mitigation will be achieved through avoidance of GHG, C-capture options and substitution of fossil fuels. Estimates made in this paper suggest that nearly half of the current transportation petro-fuels could be produced at such locations without disruption of food security, water security or overall sustainability. This shift can also provide significant mitigation avenues. The major adaptation needs are related to socio-technical acceptance for reuse of various wastelands, wastewaters and waste-derived energy and by-products through policy and attitude change efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The micrometeorological technique of eddy covariance is a powerful tool for characterizing the carbon (C) budget of terrestrial ecosystems. Eddy covariance method was used for estimating Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide between atmosphere and revegetated manganese mine spoil dump at Gumgaon, India. In this paper, we analyzed the diel CO flux pattern and its response to various physical environmental conditions. The carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems is particularly sensitive to climatic changes. Study of diel pattern of CO flux showed that carbon uptake was dependent on sunlight. Effect of temperature and latent heat on the CO flux showed that rate of CO uptake increased proportionally, but later declined due to various factors like stomatal response, high evaporative demand, circadian rhythm and/or a combination of all three. Net ecosystem production of revegetated land was found to be 28.196 KgC/ha/day whereas average net carbon release by the ecosystem, through respiration was observed to be 5.433 KgC/ha/day. Thus, quantifying net carbon (C) storage in degraded land is a necessary step in the validation of carbon sequestration estimates and in assessing the possible role of these ecosystems in offsetting adverse impacts of fossil fuel emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents projections of motor vehicles, oil demand, and carbon dioxide (CO) emissions for India through the year 2040. The populations of highway vehicles and two-wheelers are projected under three different scenarios on the basis of economic growth and average household size in India. The results show that by 2040, the number of highway vehicles in India would be 206-309 million. The oil demand projections for the Indian transportation sector are based on a set of nine scenarios arising out of three vehicle-growth and three fuel-economy scenarios. The combined effects of vehicle-growth and fuel-economy scenarios, together with the change in annual vehicle usage, result in a projected demand in 2040 by the transportation sector in India of 404-719 million metric tons (8.5-15.1 million barrels per day). The corresponding annual CO emissions are projected to be 1.2-2.2 billion metric tons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton is one of the principal commercial fibercrop. India is highest in terms of agricultural land involved in cotton production but second highest in production. Decadal yield data reveals that its productivity is 243 kg/ha lesser than the global average. Weather aberrations is one of the paramount reasons for the productivity loss. The present study aims at estimating the implications of increasing temperature and CO2 concentrations on cotton yield using a crop model DSSAT. Three different Bt-cotton varieties Pancham-541, RCH-791 and SP-7007 are considered for the study with three sowing dates 10th May, 21st May and 6th June. For Pancham-541 variety, rise in 1°C of temperature with 50 ppm CO2 is beneficial, but further rise is harmful. Whereas for RCH-791 and SP-7007, productivity decreases gradually with increasing temperature and CO2. Generally, yield decreases with increase in temperature (by 1°C), but no significant effect observed with increasing CO2 (50 ppm) cumulatively. The adverse effects of rising temperature is moderated due to increase of CO2 with the increase in photosynthesis when considered together. The leaf area index as well as evapotranspiration rate increase with increasing temperature and CO2 for all varieties in all sowing dates. Whereas, the harvest index and maturity dates decrease in general. Therefore, increasing temperature at the present rate will be harmful for the productivity of cotton with the changing climate. Although this effect is abated with simultaneously rising CO2 but yet the adversity due to global rise in temperature is partially mitigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of environmental condition on the desired performance of trans-critical CO2 refrigeration system in typical Indian conditions. Environmental concerns and enactments of Montreal and Kyoto Protocol for sustainable growth enforce research for ecologically safe and natural refrigerants and cost effective designs of refrigeration systems. Carbon dioxide is one of the rediscovered sustainable options, as CFCs and HFCs are now in the list of regulated substances and are gradually to be phased out. Success of CO2 as a refrigerant demand, cost effective and widely acceptable technology operatable at various environmental conditions. In this work various issues of gas cooler design is analyzed for Trans-critical CO2 refrigeration system for major cities of India with their outside design conditions. An idealized steady state energy model is developed to predict and analyze the performance of the system for different temperature zones in major cities across India. This study leads to formulate the guidelines for design of commercial and large capacity trans-critical refrigeration systems which need to be tuned to region wise varying environment conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuelwood plays an important role in the rural economy of the developing countries of Asia and Africa. Optimizing energy fixation in forest trees through high density energy plantations (HDEP), gasification of wood, and conversion of forest tree biomass, are some of the potential areas whereby additional research and development input for efficient management of atmospheric carbon in our energy system can be incorporated. For example, the photosynthetic efficiency of forest trees is rarely above 0.5%, which on the basis of theoretical considerations can be increased by up to 6.6%. Thus there is an ample scope to improve the efficiency up to 1%, which amounts to doubling of the productivity of the forests. Recent policy changes and experiences with wood-based bio-energy programmes in several countries indicate that woodfuels may become increasingly attractive as industrial energy sources. Use of biodiesel and the formulation of a project for undertaking 13.4 million ha of Jatropha plantations in India highlight the seriousness with which the Government of India is promoting carbon neutral energy plantations. The cost of establishment of plantations primarily for fuel production and its conversion to energy are major deterrents in this pursuit. Some of the issues in developing countries, like low productivity on marginal lands, degraded forest lands, and unorganized units for biomass energy conversion, result in cost escalation as compared to other energy sources. This paper revisits the scope for raising energy plantations, a comparison of the direct and indirect mitigation potential uses of plantations as an adaptation strategy through reforestation and afforestation projects for climate change mitigation and socio-economic issues to make this venture feasible in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study reports the characterization results of settled dust particles in different indoor micro-environments of an academic institution in India. Field emission scanning electron microscope analysis of indoor dust revealed the presence of mineral particles, fly ash, and soot particles of different morphologies. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis of indoor dust indicated that crystal particles are comprised of elements such as C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, and Ti. These elements accounted for more than 99% of the samples. The average content of O (42.7%) and C (18.9%) in the dust particles was found to be higher than their natural abundances. The concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 were observed in the range of 88-58, 37-33, 23-29 µg/m3, respectively. Except temperature, other parameters such as volatile organic carbon, carbon dioxide concentration, and relative humidity were found to be within comfort limits of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Abbreviations: ASHRAE: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers; CO2: carbon dioxide; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; EDX: energy-dispersive X-ray; FESEM: field emission scanning electron microscope; FTIR: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; IAP: indoor air pollution; IAQ: indoor air quality; HAP: household air pollution; OAP: outdoor air pollution; PM: particulate matter; VOC: volatile organic carbon; WHO: World Health Organization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in the number of distressed bridges and the limited financial resources emphasize the need for an efficient bridge management system (BMS) for India. Assessment of the remaining life of bridges becomes an essential step in BMS, which involves modeling of complex deterioration mechanisms in concrete due to chemical attacks, such as carbonation, chloride, sulfate, and so on. Lack of information on material properties used in bridge construction, construction techniques, exposure condition, and maintenance quality adopted make the remaining life assessment of bridges more complicated. Therefore, a parametric study has been carried out to understand the deterioration of concrete bridges due to carbonation. Effect of carbonation on the initiation and propagation time of corrosion was also included in the study. Based on the study, modifications are suggested in the clauses of Indian concrete bridge design standard IRC: 21 (2000) so as to enhance the service life of bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main emissions from coal combustion at thermal power plants are carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and airborne inorganic particles such as fly ash and soot; CO2, methane, and CFCs are greenhouse gases. These emissions are considered to be partially responsible for harmful global climate change. This review summarizes the status of thermal power plants in India and their various types of emissions that directly or indirectly produce harmful effects on the environment and human health. Moreover, it focuses on various types of preventive measures used to avoid/minimize emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active solar distillation system integrated with solar pond is the green energy system for desalination without negative environmental impact. This clean technology has potential to contribute a lot to water security, sustainable development, and world stability. In this article, results of the energy as well as exergy analysis performed on this novel system integrated with solar pond are presented. This theoretical analysis is carried out in the climatic conditions of New Delhi (India) during a typical summer day. The model and procedures can be helpful in the design, and performance investigation of the actual system anywhere in the world. The daily productivity, energy, and exergy efficiency of the passive solar still are found to be 5 L/m, 38.63 %, and 2.71 %, respectively, corresponding to a sum total of 24.436 MJ/m day solar energy input in passive mode. With the integration of solar pond in the active solar still, the daily productivity, energy, and exergy efficiency rises to about 9.5 L/m, 46 %, and 14.81 % respectively, for thermal energy input from 100 to 500 W/m during off-sunshine hours. The further improvement in the performance of the same system is observed if the thermal energy is supplied continuously (24 h) to the solar still in addition to incident solar radiation. The proposed system will meet the demand of freshwater in both rural and urban areas and help in reducing the load of CO emission on the environment, saving high grade energy consumed for desalination through conventional devices and technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The above canopy carbon dioxide and water vapour fluxes were measured by micrometeorological gradient technique at three distant stations, within the world's largest mangrove ecosystem of Sundarban (Indian part), between April 2011 and March 2012. Quadrat analysis revealed that all the three study sites are characterized by a strong heterogeneity in the mangrove vegetation cover. At day time the forest was a sink for CO, but its magnitude varied significantly from −0.39 to −1.33 mg m s. The station named Jharkhali showed maximum annual fluxes followed by Henry Island and Bonnie Camp. Day time fluxes were higher during March and October, while in August and January the magnitudes were comparatively lower. The seasonal variation followed the same trend in all the sites. The spatial variation of CO flux above the canopy was mainly explained by the canopy density and photosynthetic efficiency of the mangrove species. The CO sink strength of the mangrove cover in different stations varied in the same way with the CO uptake potential of the species diversity in the respective sites. The relationship between the magnitude of day time CO uptake by the canopy and photosynthetic photon flux was defined by a non-linear exponential curve (R ranging from 0.51 to 0.60). Water vapour fluxes varied between 1.4 and 69.5 mg m s. There were significant differences in magnitude between day and night time water vapour fluxes, but no spatial variation was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities across the globe are considered as major anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases (GHG), yet very few efforts has been made to monitor ambient concentration of GHG in cities, especially in a developing country like India. Here, variations in the ambient concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO) and methane (CH) in residential, commercial, and industrial areas of Delhi are determined from fortnightly daytime observations from July, 2008 to March, 2009. Results indicate that the average daytime ambient concentration of CO varied from 495 to 554 ppm in authorized residential areas, 503 to 621 ppm in the slums or jhuggies in the unauthorized residential areas, 489 to 582 ppm in commercial areas, and 512 to 568 ppm in industrial areas with an average of 541 ± 27 ppm. CH concentration varied from 652 to 5,356 ppbv in authorized residential areas, 500 to15,220 ppbv in the unauthorized residential areas, 921 to 11,000 ppbv in the commercial areas, and 250 to 2,550 ppbv in the industrial areas with an average of 3,226 ± 1,090 ppbv. A low mid-afternoon CO concentration was observed at most of the sites, primarily due to strong biospheric photosynthesis coupled with strong vertical mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide, water vapour, air temperature and wind measurements at 10 Hz sampling rate were carried out over the coast of Arabian Sea, Goa (15°21′N, 73°51′E) in India. These observations were collected, in association with the surface layer turbulent parameters for the Arabian Sea Monsoon Experiment (ARMEX). In the summer monsoon period, concentration of CO was in the range of 550-790 mg m whereas the water vapour was in the range of 17.5-24.5 g m. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis has been performed on these observations to investigate the spectral behaviour of CO and water vapour. The relation between CO and water vapour on various atmospheric scales has been proposed. CO and water vapour observations confirmed the existence of periodicities of large (11, 8 days), meso (5 days) and micrometeorological (20 min) scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hydrological Sciences Journal/Journal des Sciences Hydrologiques is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizers, by both very energy-intensive manufacture and inefficient N use in farm soils, contribute rationally to emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and, thus, climate change. India consumes ∼14Mt of synthetic N per year, of which about 80 per cent is produced, and is the second-largest producer and consumer in the world, after China. We estimate that GHG emissions from synthetic N fertilizer in India reached ∼100Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) in 2006/2007; about half of these emissions resulted from the 11Mt of synthetic N produced in the country that year (48Mt of CO2-e) and the other half resulted from the 14Mt of N applied to Indian farm soils in the same year (51 Mt of CO2-e, ranging between 28 and 163Mt of CO2-e). Emissions from synthetic N fertilizers represent 6 per cent of India's total anthropogenic emissions, comparable to cement industry and to the whole road transport system. There is significant potential to mitigate these emissions: savings from increased N use efficiency and from shifting away from synthetic fertilizer could reduce total fertilizers emissions to 37Mt of CO2-e, and the contribution of fertilizers to India's emissions would drop from 6 to 2 per cent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the threat of global climate change grows increasingly dire, we are faced with the challenge of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) (the leading greenhouse gas) emissions to the atmosphere. There is much debate about what are the most effective strategies for meeting this challenge. In this debate, one prominent question centers on whether reducing the carbon intensity of the economy (CO2 emissions per dollar of gross domestic product) will help reduce total CO2 emissions. Some argue that improvements in the carbon efficiency of the economy will allow us to reduce CO2 emissions even in the face of economic growth. Others suggest that improving carbon efficiency may not only be insufficient to counter the effects of economic growth, it may actually spur the expansion of production and consumption, and thereby lead to an escalation of CO2 emissions. Here, I address this issue by examining trends in carbon intensity and total CO2 emissions in the world as a whole and in the five nations that emit the most CO2: China, the United States, Russia, India, and Japan. I find that in recent years the carbon intensity of the world as a whole and in these major emitters has generally declined (i.e., carbon efficiency has improved), yet total emissions have generally risen. This suggests that improving efficiency is unlikely to reduce total CO2 emissions. Therefore, in order to reduce CO2 emissions it will likely be necessary to challenge the growth ideology common to the modern era and shift societies to economic systems that are not dependent on growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Development Research is the property of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aims: Global climate change and ongoing plant invasion are the two prominent ecological issues threatening biodiversity world wide. Among invasive species, Lantana camara and Hyptis suaveolens are the two most important invaders in the dry deciduous forest in India. We monitored the growth of these two invasive species and seedlings of four native dry deciduous species (Acacia catechu, Bauhinia variegata, Dalbergia latifolia and Tectona grandis) under ambient (375–395 μ mol mol−1) and elevated CO2 (700–750 μ mol mol−1) to study the differential growth response of invasive and native seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Evapotranspiration (ET) is likely to be greatly affected by global warming because of the dependence of ET on surface temperature. The increasing atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases is expected to increase precipitation and evaporation proportionally. However, a few studies have shown a decreasing trend for evaporation over the last 50 years globally. In India, earlier works showed that there was a significant increasing temporal trend in surface temperature and a decreasing trend in grass reference ET (ETo). To study the temporal trend of ETo along with its regionwise spatial variation, 32 years (1971–2002) monthly meteorological data were collected for 133 selected stations evenly distributed over different agro-ecological regions (AERs) of India. ETo was estimated by the globally accepted Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Penman Monteith (PM) method (FAO-56 PM). These ETo values were then analyzed by a nonparametric Mann–Kendall (MK) test (with modified effective sample size approach for serially correlated data) and Sen slope to determine the existence and magnitude of any statistically significant trend over the time period considered in this study. The same analysis was also performed on governing meteorological variables to identify the cause of existence of such trend in ETo. A significant decreasing trend was found in ETo all over India during the study period, which was mainly caused by a significant increase in the relative humidity and a consistent significant decrease in the wind speed throughout the country. However, a general increase in rainfall was not found in recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]