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Abstract Climate change, characterized with global warming, created severe potential threat to natural ecosystems and sustainable development of human society. Effective adaptation measures to mitigate the negative effects of climate change would affect both the ecological environment and the social economy. In this paper, we built a positive mathematical programming model to assess adaptation measures, which were divided into four aspects, to tackle climate change based on the survey data obtained from seven counties and 32 villages in the region of Hulun Buir. The results showed that, livestock breeding improvement had a positive impact on grass yield, livestock number and especially herder's household income (the most in Ewenki (11.7%) and the least in Xinzuo (2.3%)); artificial grassland project could lead to an average growth rate of 8.4% in household income among the four counties; current policies and going out for work could also increase household income, however, not a sustainable choice. To realize sustainable development in the context of global climate change, the vitality of sustainable development of animal husbandry under the premise of protecting ecological environment should be enhanced. For example, improving the safety and quality of livestock products through influencing livestock breeding, processing technology and high quality forage, and ensuring adequate forage supplement through artificial grassland project. Highlights • The pastoral regions in Hunlun Buir have a poor capability for resisting natural disasters. • We built a positive mathematical programming model to assess adaptation measures in a pastoral region. • Livestock breeding improvement and artificial grassland project had a positive impact on income. • Sustainable development of animal husbandry under the premise of protecting ecological environment should be enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In recognition of the impact of the refrigeration sector on climate change, global commitments are achieved to replace hydrofluorocarbon substances with more planet-friendly alternatives. In this regard, countries with high ambient temperatures (HAT) face additional problems in identifying suitable alternatives due to the impact of such temperatures on energy performance in vapor compression systems. This paper presents an experimental analysis using R134a and two lower global warming potential (GWP) mixtures in a small capacity vapor compression refrigeration system for HAT environments. The range of evaporating and condensing conditions was selected to simulate a refrigeration system working at HAT conditions. The experimental operating results show that although R450A values are acceptable, R513A shows better adaptation to the refrigeration system in terms of pressure ratio, discharge temperature, and mass flow rate. Then, attending to experimental energetic results, R450A energy performance (quantified by COP) and cooling capacity are lower than R513A and R134a. TEWI analysis of a small refrigeration unit shows CO 2 equivalent emission saving when using R450A in the different condensation conditions. However, taking into account the variation of cooling capacity, R513A system results in the lowest TEWI when normalizing per unit of delivered cooling capacity. Highlights • R450A and R513A are analyzed as drop-in replacements to R134a. • Selected middle condensing temperatures are 40, 50 and 60 °C. • R513A and R450A shows proper adaptation to R134a system. • R513A energy performance is comparable to R134a at most conditions. • Normalized TEWI gives better results for R513A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The effects of climate changes on biotic expansion or divergence is a widely debated topic. This discussion is particularly relevant for northern Amazonia where patches of open vegetation environments that harbor high endemic and specialized species are present in a matrix of tall closed canopy forest. This paper presents the depositional chronology and evolution of an 8.7-m thick stabilized fluvial and eolian sediment profile in a sandy plain substrate that underpins the largest open vegetation enclave in northern Amazonia. Three depositional units were identified using optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon ages coupled with grain size, magnetic susceptibility, and reflectance analyses. A lower unit of coarse fluvial silt deposited between 53 and 28 ka is overlain unconformably by a 5-m thick middle unit of fine eolian sand deposited at high accumulation rates between the Last Glacial Maximum (23–19 ka) and Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1; 18.1–14.7 ka) when persistent and long-lasting shifts of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) to the Southern Hemisphere promoted dry and windy conditions in northern South America. An upper ~2-m thick unit was deposited when the climate became wetter after HS1, promoting the formation of soils that support open vegetation habitats. This study indicates that abrupt millennial-scale climate events can induce significant changes in the Amazonian landscape, which in turn play an essential role in the distribution and diversification of specialized biota. Highlights • An open vegetation habitat in northern Amazon formed after abrupt climate events. • Persistent southern shifts of the ITCZ during the LGM and HS1 favored dune-building. • Dunes underpin white sand vegetation and cerrado habitats which harbor endemic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract High-temperature heat pumps (HTHPs) based on vapour compression can be used for industrial low-grade waste heat valorisation, which can aid in mitigating climate change. Currently, the performance of HTHPs operating at high-temperatures lifts is limited; therefore, advanced configurations become an opportunity for their utilisation. This paper presents an HTHP cascade with configurations of internal heat exchangers (IHXs) that uses low GWP refrigerants in both high-stage (HS) (HCFO-1233zd(E), HFO-1336mzz(Z), HCFO-1224yd(Z), and pentane) and low-stage (LS) (HFO-1234yf, HFO-1234ze(E), butane, isobutane, and propane) cycles. Prior to the analysis and presentation of results, an optimisation of the operating conditions is performed based on intermediate temperature and IHX effectiveness in both stage cycles. Results indicate that butane and isobutane appear to be the most convenient working LS fluids from the point of view of coefficient of performance (COP). The highest system performance is obtained using pentane and HFO-1336mzz(Z) in the HS cycle. Compared to third-generation refrigerants (HFC-245fa/HFC-134a), a slight COP improvement is obtained using HCFO-1233zd(E), and HCFO-1224yd(Z). A comparable or even lower volumetric flow rate at the HS compression suction is also observed. The use of pentane/butane achieved maximum COP (3.15), which is a 13% improvement compared to COP obtained when HFC-245fa/HFC-134a is employed. Highlights • A high-temperature heat pump cascade with the IHXs is proposed and optimised. • Synthetic and natural refrigerants with low GWPs are proposed for both stages. • The higher effectiveness of both IHXs in similar proportions increases total COP. • Pentane/butane presents maximum COP and minimum HCFO-1224yd(Z)/HFO-1234yf. • A few refrigerant pairs are comparable with HFC-245fa/HFC-134a in the stages of V ˙ s u c . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper deals with fishery management in the face of the ecological and economic effects of global warming. To achieve this, a dynamic bioeconomic model and model-based scenarios are considered, in which the stock's growth function depends on the sea surface temperature. The model is empirically calibrated for the French Guiana shrimp fishery using time series collected over the period 1993–2009. Three fishing effort strategies are then compared under two contrasted IPCC climate scenarios (RCP 8.5 and RCP 2.6). A first harvesting strategy maintains the Status Quo in terms of fishing effort. A more ecologically-oriented strategy based on the closure of the fishery is also considered. A third strategy, which relates to Maximum Economic Yield (MEY), is based on the optimisation of the net present value derived from fishing. The results first show that ‘Status Quo’ fishing intensity combined with global warming leads to the collapse of the fishery in the long run. Secondly, it turns out that the Closure strategy preserves stock viability especially under the optimistic climate scenario. Thirdly, the MEY strategy makes it possible to satisfy bioeconomic performances requirements with positive stock and profit, once again, especially under the optimistic warming scenario. Consequently, MEY emerges as a relevant bioeconomic strategy in terms of adaptation to climate change but only in connection with climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper examines the impact of climate change on the bio-economic performance of Bay of Biscay mixed fisheries and explores the capacity of alternative management strategies to cope with these impacts. A dynamic multi-species, multi-class, multi-fleet model is developed and calibrated using available biological, economic and environmental information for French fleets. Fishing and economic data have been collected within the European Data Collection Framework. Climate represented by the sea surface temperature is assumed to affect species recruitment. Three management strategies are compared in terms of bio-economic outcomes: the Status-Quo (SQ), a Multi-species Maximum Sustainable Yield (MMSY) strategy and a Multi-species Maximum Economic Yield (MMEY) strategy. These strategies are ranked with respect to two contrasted scenarios regarding the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) driving climate change. Results show that the SQ strategy is not sustainable and is characterized by a major decline of the key commercial species. By contrast, the MMSY strategy improves the ecological state and economic performance of the fishery. The MMEY strategy yields even greater bio-economic improvements. Bio-economic benefits are however altered by the effects of climate change. Under the MMEY strategy, fleets with more diversified catch structures perform better facing climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Recent global warming has not been ubiquitous: there are seasons, regions, and time periods with negligible or even negative air temperature trends (frequently referred to as warming holes). This paper presents a novel method enabling a proper localization of specific trend events, such as periods of warming holes, of a particularly strong warming, and of rapid transitions of trend amplitudes during the calendar year. The method consists in analyzing trends for periods of a given length (10 to 90 days) that are sliding over the year with a one day step. This allows a detailed description of the annual cycle of trends. The analysis is conducted for daily maximum and minimum temperature at 135 stations in Europe in 1961–2000. Despite an overall warming in Europe, several warming holes are uncovered during various parts of the year, not only in autumn when a warming hole has already been reported. The autumn warming hole concentrates in Eastern Europe, but it changes its strength and spatial extent: it spreads into Western Europe in September and retreats to Eastern Europe in November when it intensifies especially north of the Black Sea. Three shorter warming holes are detected: In February and March, cooling occurs in the Eastern Mediterranean and Iceland, while in early April, cooling is detected over Central, Southern, and Southeastern Europe. Another large-scale cooling occurs in Central, Northern, and Northwestern Europe in mid-June. The periods of strongest warming occur around the middle of January in Eastern Europe, in early March over almost entire Europe, and in mid-May and early August mainly over Central and Western Europe. Cluster analysis of stations with respect to the annual cycles of trends demonstrates a spatial coherence of the trends; the lack of spatial coherence points to local peculiarities or data problems of individual stations. The method of sliding seasons proves to be much more effective in the identification and localization of notable trend events than the ordinary approach of trend detection for fixed calendar seasons and/or months. Highlights • Annual course of temperature trends in Europe in 1961–2000 using "moving trends" • "Subseasons" of 10–90 days shifted by 1 day during the calendar year • Shorter subseasons = higher temporal and spatial variability of temperature trends • Greatest warming in January in NE Europe due to high interannual variability • "Warming holes" (i.e. cooling) in autumn in Central&E Europe, in June in N Europe [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several theoretical studies have been reported in recent years which have indicated that large-scale wind farms can have an impact on local and regional meteorology, possibly on climate. Now evidence of it based on field observations has also begun to emerge. The present paper traces the evolution of this knowledge. It discusses the theoretical studies on the possibility of wind turbines effecting climate change, and summarizes the emerging confirmation of those predictions. The concluding part of the paper assesses the implications of these findings in the context of the world׳s past experience on global warming and its present thrust to meet substantial portions of its energy needs with renewables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increased acknowledgment of global climate change and warming, governments, consumers, and firms are responding collectively to create today's low-carbon economy. Carbon footprint labeling has developed as a meaningful instrument to motivate greenhouse gas emission reductions. This paper reviews existing research and implementation examples to understand the development of carbon labeling. This includes discussing the evolution of the carbon labeling concept, and different measurement methodologies and standards for carbon labels. These methods and standards include life cycle assessment, Public Available Standard 2050, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and International Organization for Standardization 14067. The review also considers carbon label implementation in different countries and the potential impacts of carbon labeling schemes. The paper closes with recommendations for carbon label implementation, summarizing the advantages and drawbacks of carbon labeling approaches. Governments, consumers, and firms may use this review to adjust their strategy for future carbon label implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming may cause the average atmospheric temperature to exceed 2 °C by the end of this century, instigating climate change and adversely affecting human lives. Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2) should be reduced to overcome the problems of global warming and climate change. The applications of negative emission technologies (NETs) are proposed to reduce terrestrial CO 2 and are identified as one of the prominent options for the energy system transition. Most negative emission technologies require energy to function, which has to be produced from additional energy sources. Understanding the interdependence of the energy sources and NETs for planning the carbon-constrained energy sector is essential. A novel graphical approach, founded on the concepts of Pinch Analysis, to decarbonize the energy sector is purported in this paper. The proposed method determines the minimum integration of negative emission technologies required to attain the allowed CO 2 emission limit while satisfying the energy demand. Four different examples are used to show the applicability of the suggested approach with different NETs: carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), and direct air capture (DAC). In these examples, renewable-based energy sources, fossil-based energy sources, as well as energy-producing negative emission technologies are used as compensatory energy sources. The proposed graphical approach has the potential to be used as a planning tool to decarbonize the energy sector involving interdependent energy sources and NETs. [Display omitted] • Negative emission technologies help decarbonize the energy sector. • Identified dependence between the energy sector and negative emission technologies. • A graphical method is proposed to integrate negative emissions technologies. • Determined minimum compensatory energy for adopting negative emission technologies. • The proposed graphical approach provides insight into the overall systems planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming, climate change, and resource depletion have forced us to reconsider energy usage and efficiencies over the last few decades. Residential and commercial buildings are both large energy consumers, so improving energy and material usage efficiency in this sector is a common research topic. According to a recent study, the Building Sector (BS) accounts for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. The primary objective of this paper is to examine and assess the potential of Renewable Energy Systems (RES) and their combinations for enhancing energy efficiency in the BS. Specifically, the focus will be on converting low energy-efficient buildings into highly efficient ones. The potential of the RES and their combinations for the BS is evaluated based on payback durations, energy generation, and reduction of CO 2 emissions. The optimization flow charts for the RES, feasibility studies, commercialization road maps of energy storage systems and the necessity of control mechanisms for enhancing RES efficiency were discussed. Additionally, the technology drawbacks are discussed, along with various innovative techniques recommended to direct future study in this area. Finally, this article assists the audience clear idea in the selection of the right combination of potential RES based on different conditions to achieve deep decarbonization in BSs. • Buildings sector (BS) responsible for 40% of GHG emissions. • Study assesses potential of Renewable Energy System (RES) in BS. • RES evaluated on payback, energy generation, and CO 2 reduction. • Optimization, feasibility and commercialization studies were discussed. • Article recommends right RES combinations for deep decarbonization in BS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining effects of climate change on landscapes involves numerous uncertainties. This paper presents and illustrates a protocol for climate attribution of landscape responses. The major steps are ascertaining potential climate-related responses, establishing plausibility for a climatic influence, identifying alternative or additional causes, testing possible climate and non-climate causes, and interpreting the role of climate and climate change in the landscape response. The protocol is based on existing practice in the historical and interpretive branches of Earth and ecological sciences, and explicitly considers negative (non-confirmatory) results for climate and other factors. The protocol is applied to the conversion of brackish marsh to open water in the upper Neuse River estuary, North Carolina. Conversion since at least the mid twentieth century can be attributed to relative sea-level rise, driven primarily by general climate warming, with no supporting evidence for any additional or alternative drivers. The only other factor with supporting evidence is human modification in the form of ditches, around which conversion was concentrated, though marsh loss also occurred in unditched portions. Rapid recent marsh loss is attributable to Hurricane Florence (2018), particularly the storm surge. Weak positive inferential support exists for a role of climate change in the storm, but aspects of the storm's impact not linked to climate are more important for the marsh conversions. Overall, the landscape response can be linked to climate, exacerbated by direct human impacts of marsh ditching, and strongly influenced by local place factors and the specific storm track. Recent and ongoing climate change is a significant factor, but not paramount, in determining the landscape response. The Neuse River case study is not unusual—and is probably typical—in identifying a combination of climate and other factors strongly influencing landscape response. [Display omitted] • Attributing landscape responses to climate change presents numerous complexities. • Landscape response attribution protocol based on traditional geomorphic approaches • LRA protocol applied to recent conversion of estuarine marsh to open water • Marsh loss due to sea-level rise & major storm, but non-climate factors important • LRA protocol useful to identify & evaluate climate & non-climate drivers of change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Genetic Algorithm (GA) based on Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm 2 (NSGA2) method is used for optimization. • Building optimization using passive design strategies can reduce final HVAC energy use 32% • Building optimization using passive design strategies can reduce time-integrated discomfort 46% • Overheating in nearly Zero Energy Buildings will be aggravated with continuation of global warming. • Building thermal comfort optimization does not ensure overheating mitigation during unprecedented events. It is expected that heatwaves will strike more frequently and with higher temperatures with the continuation of global warming. More extreme heatwaves concurrent with disruptions in the cooling system can lead to significant overheating problems in buildings affecting occupants' health, productivity, and comfort. This paper projects current and future heatwaves on an optimized nearly Zero-Energy terraced dwelling in Brussels, assuming the outage of the cooling system. Initially, a multi-objective optimization is performed considering 13 passive design strategies using the Genetic Algorithm (GA) based on the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm 2 (NSGA-II) method. It is found that high ventilation rate, low infiltration rate, high insulation, high thermal mass, integration of green roof, and application of operable roller blinds are beneficial in reducing the final HVAC energy use up to 32% and enhancing thermal comfort up to 46%. Subsequently, three optimal solutions are selected and analyzed under the highest maximal temperature heatwaves detected during the 2001–2020, 2041–2060, and 2081–2100 periods. It is found that non of the optimal solutions are able to fully suppress overheating during heatwaves and the cooling system outage. The indoor operative temperatures reach more than 29 ° C , which can cause serious health issues for the occupants. The situation will be exacerbated in the future since an increase in maximum Heat Index (HI) between 0.28 °C and 0.49 °C, an increase in the maximum operative temperature between 1.34 ° C and 2.33 ° C , and a decrease in Thermal Autonomy (TA) between 17% and 28% are estimated. Finally, some recommendations are provided for practice and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the confluence of rapidly continuing economic development and increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the frequency and severity of natural disasters caused by global warming have increased in recent years. The international Financial Stability Board established the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to provide recommendations for collecting and disclosing climate-related information that is helpful for decision-making such that investors, decision-makers and supervision units can understand and more accurately assess climate-related risks as well as opportunities. However, the TCFD recommendations only provide a general framework of risks and opportunities from which companies cannot derive specific disaster-related data for regional climate disclosures. For stakeholders in different continents and regions, there is a need to develop a disaster data-driven model that can precisely disclose regional risks. Our study develops a regional climate framework for TCFD based on natural language processing that can process and analyze data from historical local news. The paper aims to offer suitable climate recommendations for different regions and suggest possible preventive measures and responses to emergencies caused by various disasters. The contributions of this research contain: (1) using unsupervised learning to present climate change in a quantitative way; (2) helping enterprises adjust sustainable strategies according to conditions in different regions; (3) extending involvement from a small area to a large area, quantifying climate data so that investors can make decisions based on factual results; (4) combining artificial intelligence with climate change in the field of TCFD. [Display omitted] • We develop a data-driven regional climate framework for TCFD based on deep learning. • This framework can help enterprises minimize risks along with costs and can be applied to other industries. • This research supplements quantitative information in TCFD and provides a scientific climate risk management method. • The first study that applies artificial intelligence to climate change in the field of TCFD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal loads can cause significant stresses in some structures such as bridges or arch dams. Studies in arch dams show that thermal loads have the most significant effect for causing cracking than other service loads. Moreover, since researches on climate change announce that mean temperature on Earth is expected to increase, the assessment of the impact of the future temperature increase on the structural behaviour of sensitive infrastructures should be considered. This paper proposes a methodology for the assessment of the impacts of global warming on the structural behaviour of infrastructures. The paper links future climate scenarios to the thermal, stress and displacement fields of the structure. The methodology is illustrated with a case study: La Baells arch-dam. The expected stress and displacement fields of the dam under several future climatic scenarios were computed by finite element models. Concrete temperature are expected to increase up to 5.6 K, which will make annual average radial displacements increase in some cases even more than 100%. Tensile stresses are also projected to change and should be adequately monitored in the future. Finally, several adaptation strategies are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polish energy sector is mainly based on coal. More than 90% of electricity is generated in steam power or heat-and-power plants fired by hard coal or lignite. Obviously, the share of coal fired units in Poland is higher than in EU-15 countries. By taxing CO 2 generation EU enforces the development of low carbon technologies. The motivation behind this policy is to limit the global warming effect resulting from energy conversion technologies. However, the implemented system of CO 2 taxing accounts practically only for the CO 2 produced by direct combustion of fuels neglecting the remaining links of the process chain. The aim of the paper is to give a more complete picture of the influence of the power generation by resorting to the cumulative emission approach. The direct emission of CO 2 following from stoichiometry is significantly higher in the case of hard coal or lignite than of natural gas. The result of direct emission analysis are the main argument against coal technologies. As a result, natural gas technologies are treated as much climate friendly than their coal counterparts. Taking into account that in Poland and many other European countries the majority of natural gas is transported by huge distance from Siberia, it is obvious that to have a fair comparison of coal and natural gas technologies, the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation of the gas over very long distances and the leakages must be taken into account. The paper shows that when gas leakage at mining and its consumption in compressor stations of the pipeline are taken into consideration, the natural gas technologies exert similar influence on the global climate as its coal competitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has drawn great attention in recent years because of its large impact on many aspects of the environment and human activities in buildings. One area directly affected by climate change is the energy consumption for heating and cooling. To quantify the impact, this study used the HadCM3 Global Circulation Model (GCM) to generate weather data for future typical meteorological years, such as 2020, 2050, and 2080, for 15 cities in the U.S. based on three CO 2 emission scenarios. The method was validated by comparing the projected TMY3 data using HadCM3 with the actual TMY3 data. By morphing method, the weather data was downscaled to hourly data for use in building energy simulations by EnergyPlus. Two types of residential buildings and seven types of commercial buildings were simulated for each of the 15 cities. This paper is the first to systematically study the climate change impact on various types of residential and commercial buildings in all seven climate zones in the U.S. through EnergyPlus simulations and provide weighted averaged results for national-wide building stock. We also identified geographical dependency of the impact of climate change on future energy uses. There would be a net increase in source energy consumption by the 2080s for climate zones 1–4 and net decrease in climate zones 6–7 based on the HadCM3 weather projection. Furthermore, this paper investigated natural ventilation performance in San Francisco, San Diego, and Seattle with improved natural ventilation model. We found that by the 2080s passive cooling would not be suitable for San Diego because of global warming, but it would still be acceptable for San Francisco and Seattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives Public health co-benefits from curbing climate change can make greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategies more attractive and increase their implementation. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the evidence of these health co-benefits to improve our understanding of the mitigation measures involved, potential mechanisms, and relevant uncertainties. Methods A comprehensive search for peer-reviewed studies published in English was conducted using the primary electronic databases. Reference lists from these articles were reviewed and manual searches were performed to supplement relevant studies. The identified records were screened based on inclusion criteria. We extracted data from the final retrieved papers using a pre-designed data extraction form and a quality assessment was conducted. The studies were heterogeneities, so meta-analysis was not possible and instead evidence was synthesized using narrative summaries. Results Thirty-six studies were identified. We identified GHG mitigation strategies in five domains – energy generation, transportation, food and agriculture, households, and industry and economy – which usually, although not always, bring co-benefits for public health. These health gains are likely to be multiplied by comprehensive measures that include more than one sectors. Conclusions GHG mitigation strategies can bring about substantial and possibly cost-effective public health co-benefits. These findings are highly relevant to policy makers and other stakeholders since they point to the compounding value of taking concerted action against climate change and air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GHG emissions are important footprints because of increasing concern over climate change. Remediation methods produces GHGs in varying quantities based on which activities are involved through its entire life cycle and which contaminants are present, often because some contaminants are more difficult to remove from soil than others. Accounting for emissions from all phases of the project requires a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. LCA can help in choosing the best available technology to reduce the environmental burden of the remediation technology or to improve the sustainability of the technology by implementing systematic approaches to ensure that future developments are optimized for environmental performance throughout the life cycle. The primary objective of this paper is to review existing LCA studies that report GHG emissions (CO 2-eq ) or Global warming potential (GWP) from six ex-situ soil remediation technologies (ESRTs), including excavation and disposal, ex-situ thermal desorption, ex-situ soil vapor extraction, ex-situ bioremediation, excavation and incineration, and soil washing, and present the variability in GHG/GWP results and how this data can help in selecting an ex-situ soil remediation technology with a lower global warming potential. A second objective of this study is to compare the GWP levels of ex-situ remediation to the GWP levels of typical in situ remediation methods. Our results showed a large variation in GHG emissions of treated soil from six ESRTs varying from 3.1 × 10 −7  t to 8.2 t CO 2 -eq/m 3 . Incineration had the highest mean GHG emissions (0.7 t CO 2 -eq/m 3 ) and thermal desorption the lowest (0.07 t CO 2 -eq/m 3 ). It was also found that there was a large variation range of GHG emissions from the ex-situ excavation and disposal method soil treatment technologies, varying from 3.1 × 10 −7  t to 8.2 t CO 2 -eq/m 3 of treated soil. This knowledge provides opportunities to increase sustainability of soil remediation throughout the investigation, design, construction, operation, and monitoring phases of site remediation regardless of the selected cleanup remedy. This shows data on LCA GHGs are useful to assess the impact of different scenarios and management practices on ESRTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a macroeconomic model that combines the economic impact of climate change with the pivotal role of private debt. Using a Stock-Flow Consistent approach based on the Lotka–Volterra logic, we couple its nonlinear monetary dynamics of underemployment and income distribution with abatement costs. A calibration of our model at the scale of the world economy enables us to simulate various planetary scenarios. Our findings are threefold: 1) the +2 °C target is already out of reach, absent negative emissions; 2) the long-term (resp. short-term) results of climate change on economic fundamentals may lead to severe economic consequences without the implementation (resp. in case of too rapid an application) of proactive climate policies. Global warming (resp. too fast transition) forces the private sector to leverage in order to compensate for output and capital losses (resp. to lower carbon emissions), thus endangering financial stability; 3) Implementing an adequate carbon price trajectory, as well as increasing the wage share, fostering employment, and reducing private debt make it easier to avoid unintended degrowth and to reach a +2.5 °C target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional precipitation patterns may change in a warmer climate, thereby increasing flood and drought risks. In this paper, annual, annual maximum, intense, heavy, moderate, light, and trace precipitation are employed as indicators to assess changes in precipitation patterns under two scenarios in which the global mean temperature increases by 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C relative to pre-industrial levels using the regional climate model COSMO-CLM (CCLM). The results show that annual precipitation in China will be approximately 2.5% higher under 1.5 °C warming relative to the present-day baseline (1980–2009), although it will decrease by approximately 4.0% under an additional 0.5 °C increase in global mean temperature. This trend is spatially consistent for regions with annual precipitation of 400–800 mm, which has experienced a drying trend during the past half century; thus, limiting global warming to 1.5 °C may mitigate these drying conditions. The annual maximum precipitation continues to increase from present day levels to the 2.0 °C warming scenario. Relative to the baseline period, the frequency of trace and light precipitation days exhibits a negative trend, while that of moderate, heavy, and intense precipitation days has a positive trend under the 1.5 °C warming scenario. For the 2.0 °C warming world, the frequency of days is projected to decrease for all precipitation categories, although the intensity of intense precipitation increases. Spatially, a decrease in the number of precipitation days is expected to continue in central and northern China, where a drying trend has persisted over the past half century. Southeastern China, which already suffers greatly from flooding, is expected to face more heavy and intense precipitation with an additional 0.5 °C increase in global mean temperature. Meanwhile, the intensity of intense precipitation is expected to increase in northern China, and the contribution of light and moderate precipitation to the annual precipitation is expected to decrease in southeastern China. Therefore, flood risk in northern China and drought risk in southern China should draw more attention for a global air temperature increase from 1.5 °C to 2.0 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates life cycle environmental impacts associated with chocolate products made and consumed in the UK. The paper focuses on three representative chocolate products occupying 90% of the market: ‘moulded chocolate’, ‘chocolate countlines’ and ‘chocolates in bag’. The impacts were estimated using life cycle assessment (LCA) as a tool and following the ReCiPe impact assessment method. The water footprint was also considered. For example, the global warming potential ranges between 2.91 and 4.15 kg CO 2 eq., primary energy demand from 30 to 41 MJ and the water footprint, including water stress, from 31 to 63 l per kilogram of chocolate. The raw materials are the major hotspot across all impact categories for all three product types, followed by the chocolate production process and packaging. The raw material impacts are mainly due to milk powder, cocoa derivatives, sugar and palm oil. The sensitivity analysis shows that the results for global warming potential are sensitive to land-use change (LUC) associated with cocoa production, increasing the impact of the chocolate products by three to four times if LUC is involved. The improvement opportunities targeting the key contributing stages suggest that GWP of chocolates could be reduced by 14%–19%. Chocolate countlines have the highest contribution to the total impacts at the UK level (37%–43%), followed by chocolates in bag (28%–33%). Moulded chocolates and other chocolate confectionary make up the rest of the impacts, with a roughly equal share each. Chocolate consumption in the UK contributes 4.7% to the primary energy consumption and 2.4% to the GHG emissions from the whole food and drink sector. The results of this work will be of interest to policy makers, chocolate producers and consumers, helping them to make more informed decisions towards sustainable production and consumption of chocolate products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon pricing is an essential instrument to address climate change. However international differences in carbon control policies may cause not only carbon leakage but also competitiveness disadvantages. In this context, border carbon adjustments are a promising tool for discouraging these problems. But designing a real-world border carbon adjustment instrument implies to consider significant issues: technical feasibility, data availability, the risk of retaliation from developing countries, and its compatibility within the World Trade Organization legal framework. There are still no conclusive answers about a proper design. This paper is an attempt to address the above-mentioned challenges proposing a carbon border tax (CBT) based on avoided emissions. Such a CBT is applied at a product level and not at a sector level, and all international prices are deflated to guarantee that import ‘like’ goods received a treatment similar to ‘like’ domestic products. Using the WIOD, we simulate a CBT based on avoided emissions applied by the European Union, and we compare the results with a CBT based on embodied emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western Basin (WB) of the Bransfield Strait has a complex water mass structure derived from a variety of sources, and is located next to the Antarctic region most affected by climate change. The WB is one of the three Bransfield Strait deep basins and the one most directly influenced by the waters from the Bellingshausen Sea and Drake Passage. The objective of this paper is to study the variability of the inflow of water masses to the WB and to detect the possible impact of regional climate change. We focus on the modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW) that enters the WB through the northwestern passages. To achieve this goal, this study uses historical hydrographic data collected between 1960 and 2014. Warming (0.0161 ± 0.0079 °C yr −1 ) and lightening (−0.0023 ± 0.0010 kg m −3 yr −1 ) of the mCDW core (γ n = 27.85–28.27 kg m −3 ) are observed in the WB between 1960 and 2013. The waters within the 27.85–28 kg m −3 γ n range presented warming and salinization. Waters deeper than 500 m showed cooling and freshening between the 1960s and 1990s; however, warming and lightening are observed if 1981–2013 is considered. These trends appear to be associated with the positive SAM trend observed since the mid-20th century. Statistically significant negative correlations between θ, S and γⁿ of the mCDW core with ENSO were found between 1980 and 2014. During La Niña phases, the mCDW core extended along the southern slope of the South Shetland Islands while during El Niño phases, it was present in patches or was totally absent. Since the 2000s, the mCDW core extends southward within the WB, possibly associated to positive SAM phases. Statistically significant negative correlations between θ and S of the WB deeper waters with ENSO and SAM were found. These waters were in general more saline and denser during negative ENSO and SAM phases. Positive SAM phases with La Niña events suggest the increase (decrease) of mCDW (Weddell Sea shelf waters) contribution to the deep WB during the 2000s. Thus, high interannual variability in the thermohaline properties within the WB seem to be linked to the effect of these modes of climate variability on the source water masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mitigation requires the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The majority of the discussions on climate change policy focus exclusively on the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions but ignore other important GHGs such as methane. This paper investigates the optimal choice of policy instruments under the joint consideration of CO 2 and methane in a dynamic setting with asymmetric information and pollutant correlations. We develop a dynamic programming model with two state variables and calibrate it to the global warming case. The results show that it is optimal to levy tax on both CO 2 and methane. A mixed strategy that implements a tax on CO 2 and a quota on methane is the second-ranked choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is the country with the most population in the world, and its climate is extremely diverse due to tremendous differences in latitude, longitude, and altitude, ranging from tropical in the far south to subarctic in the far north and alpine in the higher elevations of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Accurate assessment of its modern climate change is conductive to addressing global warming threat. Along with the development of Past Global Changes (PAGES) research, the focus has changed from paleo-climate reconstructions to using paleo-data for assessing the present and predicting the future. Previous studies have been devoted to climate change assessment using modern climate observations and simulations. This paper presents a new assessment approach based on the mid-Holocene, which provides a naturally oriented warming that can be compared to modern human-made global warming. A variety of climatic data, including modern observations, paleo-climate records, CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5) and PMIP3 (Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project 3) simulations, as well as lake level models, were applied in this synthesis. Numerical climate classification was introduced to evaluate climate change impacts to Chinese climate zones on various time scales. The results show that winter and summer seasons have different response to the naturally oriented mid-Holocene warming but human-made global warming makes the warming trend appear in all seasons. Temperate and continental dry winter climates expand dramatically during the mid-Holocene warm period; however, the future global warming could have few impacts to Chinese climate zones. Furthermore, the East Asian summer monsoon was strengthened obviously by the mid-Holocene warm climate and strong low-latitude insolation. There is no consistent trend both for the winter and summer monsoon on the background of human-made global warming. In this study, a new benchmark was established based on paleo-climate to evaluate the impacts of human-made global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings account for 40% of total energy consumption in the UK and more than 55% of this energy is used by heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems. This significant energy demand and the ascending trend in utilising HVAC&R systems together with the global need to impose energy-efficiency measures underline the importance of selecting the most appropriate HVAC&R system during the design process. This paper reviewed and classified a broad range of principal multiple attribute decision making methods. Among them, the fuzzy multiple attribute decision making approach was adopted to develop a decision making tool for HVAC&R systems selection. This was mainly due to the ability of this method to deal with the uncertainties and imprecisions of the linguistic terms involved in the decision making process. In order to make a decision on HVAC&R systems selection, 58 alternative systems, including both primary and secondary parts, were examined. The scope of this study enabled the consideration of all 18 climate regions in the UK and included the effects of climate change. In addition, the Government’s electricity decarbonisation plans were integrated within the developed decision making model for HVAC&R systems selection in office buildings in the UK. Finally, the model was transferred into a computational tool with a user-friendly interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To mitigate the impact of climate change and global warming, the use of renewable energies is increasing day by day significantly. A considerable amount of electricity is generated from renewable energy sources since the last decade. Among the potential renewable energies, photovoltaic (PV) has experienced enormous growth in electricity generation. A large number of PV systems have been installed in on-grid and off-grid systems in the last few years. The number of PV systems will increase rapidly in the future due to the policies of the government and international organizations, and the advantages of PV technology. However, the variability of PV power generation creates different negative impacts on the electric grid system, such as the stability, reliability, and planning of the operation, aside from the economic benefits. Therefore, accurate forecasting of PV power generation is significantly important to stabilize and secure grid operation and promote large-scale PV power integration. A good number of research has been conducted to forecast PV power generation in different perspectives. This paper made a comprehensive and systematic review of the direct forecasting of PV power generation. The importance of the correlation of the input-output data and the preprocessing of model input data are discussed. This review covers the performance analysis of several PV power forecasting models based on different classifications. The critical analysis of recent works, including statistical and machine-learning models based on historical data, is also presented. Moreover, the strengths and weaknesses of the different forecasting models, including hybrid models, and performance matrices in evaluating the forecasting model, are considered in this research. In addition, the potential benefits of model optimization are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The so-called Paris Agreement, signed by 195 countries, has led to the setting of some ambitious target reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by most developed countries. The over-arching goal of those reduction targets is to limit global warming to less than 2 o C compared to pre-industrial levels. Yet, despite these commitments from the highest governance levels, there is still no deterministic model on how these national target reductions will be cascaded down to the commercial sector, which accounts for the lion's share of these emissions. In this paper, we present a novel framework which enables the setting, measurement and tracking of the emissions performance of every commercial entity based on a single metric. We further present empirical evidence from the automotive industry to illustrate how the model helps to readily identify the low versus high performers. The model also reveals one car company that stands out as the industry benchmark by already exceeding the performance required by the 2025 emissions target set by the US. The model proves successful in achieving the objectives of being: science-based, goal-driven, equitable, comparable and actionable, and as such can be readily used to accurately compare competitors from the same industry and provide the basis of a more equitable, performance-based carbon tax market, as well as the ability to assess accurately how well a specific country is meeting its reduction quota and how the various industry sectors are impacting that goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil fuel consumption, luxurious lifestyles, population and economic growths are drivers of climate change. Rampant rise in Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions drives the big wheel of climate change which affects human societies, animal habitats and woodlands by flash floods, glacial melts, acidic rains, droughts, famines, wildfires, epidemics, heat and cold waves. South Asia is one of the most severely affected regions on the planet due to its demographics. The per capita impact of climate change on the millions of Pakistanis is very high compared to their diminutive per capita share of global GHG emissions. Environmental issues of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries include deforestation, air pollution, desertification, glacial melts, sea level rise, water contamination and loss of biodiversity. Pakistan is among the top ten countries worst hit by climate change, where native populations of lions, leopards, dolphins, tortoise and vultures face extinction threat. Acacia and rosewood tree forests in Sindh, Punjab and Pak-Afghan precincts have already dried by dieback disease during 1998–2005. Hundreds of people succumb to death annually by heat waves in South during summer and cold waves in North during winter. Climate change is a global phenomenon; nevertheless, higher GHG emissions first affect local and regional territories and later impact worldwide. Pakistan's CO 2 emissions are greater than least developed SAARC countries but much lower than the nearby Himalayan slope countries. This paper reports impact of CO 2 emissions on society, forests, crops and wildlife in Pakistan recounting adaptation and mitigation strategies in SAARC countries. We present simulation results for a future super smart grid connecting Central Asian States (CAS) to SAARC countries for bilateral electricity trade, progress in carbon capture and storage technologies in SAARC countries, and original research on utilizing CO 2 (R744) for water heating in extremely cold regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of climate change policy is of great interests to economists, policy makers, producers and consumers. Using the daily market data for a 65-month period of 01/01/2011–05/31/2016, this empirical paper documents that the California Independent System Operator’s day-ahead prices have a CO 2 premium approximately equal to natural-gas-fired generation’s marginal cost of CO 2 emissions. This finding prevails in the six time-of-day periods developed to match the pricing periods used by the state’s local distribution companies and the bilateral trading of wholesale electricity in the Western Interconnection, a large electricity grid serving the western portion of North America and a Mexican state. Our findings suggest that the California cap-and-trade (C&T) program is effective in internalizing CO 2 emission costs of the in-state natural-gas-fired generation. However, the program’s economic efficiency is compromised by the unintended consequence of power laundering under inter-regional trading of wholesale electricity. While the program encourages the Pacific Northwest’s hydro export that displaces California’s natural-gas-fired generation, it also induces output increases by non-California coal- and natural-gas-fired generators in the Western Interconnection. Hence, reducing the overall CO 2 emissions in the Western Interconnection requires expanding the program’s geographic scope to meaningfully address the global warming problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban heat island (UHI) and global warming effects will raise the ambient temperature of cities and increase building energy consumption. This paper discusses the residential cooling energy variations imposed by urban warming in the present and future. Data from a dynamically downscaled hourly meteorological model with a grid resolution of 5 km and for time slices 1979–2003, 2015–2039, and 2075–2099 were used for dynamic building energy simulation against a typical residential apartment in the central Taiwan region. The meteorological grids were classified as 4 city grids, 25 town grids, and 31 countryside grids based on their urban morphology attributes. The values from 20 countryside grids with lower average ambient temperatures during cooling seasons were selected as reference. The spatial and temporal distributions of the impact of indoor overheating risk and annual cooling energy consumption by UHI and global warming effects were quantified against the reference value. Furthermore, because the energy penalty can be used to rapidly estimate the urban warming impact on total cooling energy consumption of a given city, the linear correlation of the energy penalty and the magnitude of the UHI effect was also established and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ordovician-Silurian (O S) transition witnessed dramatic tectonic, climatic, marine, and biological coevolution, during which organic-rich black shale was widely deposited and is considered an important source rock. However, the potential links between the differential enrichment pattern of organic matter and climate fluctuations and paleoenvironmental evolution during this period are still unclear. In this paper, the Late Ordovician-early Silurian black shale in a JieLong (JL) section in South China was identified by graptolitic fossils, total organic carbon (TOC) content, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and geochemical analysis. The results show that the provenances of sedimentary rocks are all granodiorite-like. According to the variations in the TOC content and geochemical indicators, four layers are delineated. Under warm and humid climatic conditions, sea level rise and unstable seasonal upwelling led to Unit 1 organic matter enrichment controlled by high primary productivity, anoxic conditions and effective smectite production. Unit 2 organic matter burial was controlled by cold, arid and oxic environmental conditions, but primary productivity was still relatively high. After the end of the glacial period, warm and humid climatic conditions and rapid transgression were the main factors affecting the burial of organic matter in Unit 3. Under hot and humid climate conditions, higher terrigenous detrital inputs and unfavourable preservation environments, the dilution of organic matter in Unit 4 was accelerated. The corrected chemical index of alteration (CIA corr) values show that the study area experienced a climate change of alternating cold and warm conditions in response to the climate fluctuation during the glacial-interglacial period. The CIA corr value is negatively correlated with the TOC content, while the generation of available clay minerals (smectite) in warm and humid climates is usually consistent with the enhanced burial flux of organic matter, supporting the important role of climate fluctuations in the accumulation of organic matter. Finally, a comparison of the data from the present study with geochemical data from different profiles in South China reveals the role of climatic fluctuations during the O S transition in controlling paleoenvironmental evolution and organic matter enrichment, while such a heterogeneous factor is usually associated with global or regional geological events. Our study highlights this differential enrichment mechanism as a combined response of multiple factors and provides important implications for glacial-interglacial organic matter enrichment mechanisms. • Rapid changes of weathering indices imply climatic fluctuations during the Late Ordovician-Early Silurian. • Four different patterns were established for organic matter accumulation across the O/S. • Climate fluctuations and the heterogeneity nature of ocean systems explain the regional variations of OM accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme climate warmth (hyperthermal) events through deep-time offer prescient insights into how the Earth may respond to present-day warming related to greenhouse gas emissions. This special issue deals with Paleoenvironmental changes across the Mesozoic–Paleogene hyperthermal events and comprises 25 interdisciplinary research articles. In this review paper, we summarise the contents of the special issue, placing it into a wider context, and demonstrate that Mesozoic–Paleogene hyperthermal events were among the most devastating and extreme climate modes in the geological record. Key findings are as follows: (1) Multi-proxy geochemical and sedimentological analyses reveal that widespread deoxygenation of oceans and megalakes was a common accompanying feature of most hyperthermals. (2) Evidence exists for complex linkages between volcanism, warm climate conditions, contemporary carbon cycles, aquatic biogeochemical cycles, wildfire activities, and climate-modulated hydrological and terrestrial weathering changes operating at seasonal, orbital and/or tectonic timescales. (3) Pronounced and rapid biological turnovers in the ocean during hyperthermals may have been linked to seawater acidification and shifts in nutrient availability, while promoting significant alterations in primary productivity, biological pump and ecosystem structures. Despite these advances, future interdisciplinary studies are needed to deliver a more comprehensive understanding of the nature and mechanism of complex environmental interactions within the Earth system, as well as the internal and external drivers that may have triggered hyperthermal events. • Marine and lacustrine deoxygenation was a common feature of Mesozoic–Paleogene hyperthermal events. • The temporal link is often observed between hyperthermals and Large igneous province emplacement and intense volcanism. • Large-scale greenhouse gas emissions induced strong positive climate feedbacks and global–scale biogeochemical extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper examines the deep minimum of solar cycle 23 and its potential impact on climate change. In addition, a source region of the solar winds at solar activity minimum, especially in the solar cycle 23, the deepest during the last 500years, has been studied. Solar activities have had notable effect on palaeoclimatic changes. Contemporary solar activity are so weak and hence expected to cause global cooling. Prevalent global warming, caused by building-up of green-house gases in the troposphere, seems to exceed this solar effect. This paper discusses this issue. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Over the last decades, fighting global warming has become the most important challenge humanity has to face. Therefore technologies of carbon dioxide capture, sequestration and recycling are equally important in order to tackle the global climate change stakes. Among recycling technologies, photocatalytic processes reducing CO2 with H2O back to fuels or to other useful organic compounds, have the potential to be part of a renewable energy system. Indeed these processes can help to control CO2 emissions and eventually eliminate CO2 in excess. This perspective paper describes a large size device, able simultaneously: • to proceed to direct air capture (DAC) of CO2; • to transform part of it into useful chemicals, like hydrocarbons or syngas; • and to produce renewable energy, thus preventing future CO2 emissions. Synergies between solar chimney power plants (SCPPs) and semiconductor photocatalysis in order to create giant photocatalytic reactors for artificial photosynthesis are discussed, as well as scale economies for unconventional carbon capture directly from the atmosphere. This paper presents a carbon negative emission technology obtained by coupling SCPPs with DAC systems which allows many scale economies, and also synergies to proceed to solar-to-chemical energy-conversion process by photocatalytic reduction of atmospheric CO2 under sunlight. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) simulations, this paper evaluated the performance of the state-of-the-art climate models in simulating the interannual variability of the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH), East Asian jet (EAJ) and East Asian summer rainfall (EASR), and further projected their potential changes in a future warmer world. The results show that the multimodel ensemble mean (MME) simulation has good ability to model the interannual variability of the WNPSH, EAJ and EASR, although some discrepancy exists among the individual models. The MME simulation can also reasonably capture the observed relationship of the EASR with the WNPSH and the EAJ. Under the RCP4.5 and the RCP8.5 scenarios, the interannual variability in WNPSH, EAJ and EASR is projected by the MME to increase in the 21st century. In addition, the WNPSH and EAJ would still be the dominant systems influencing the East Asian summer precipitation under global warming scenarios. But the linkage of the EASR to the WNPSH may be slightly weaker and that to the EAJ may be slightly stronger in the 21st century as compared to the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming and other adverse climate change impacts induced by anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions are a major public policy concern around the world including transitional economies. This paper, therefore, examines the impacts of market-based economic reforms on per capita CO 2 emissions in the European and Central Asian transition economies where environmental degradation was pervasive prior to these reforms. A dynamic panel data model is employed for this purpose for 28 countries covering 22 years from 1990 to 2012. Our overall results suggest that economic openness may not necessarily result in sustainable development although reforms in competition policy and corporate governance were the significant drivers of emissions reductions in the region. Hence, advances in competition policy and governance reforms are desirable given the available scope to extend these reforms. The structural shift to and emergence of light industries also contributed to declining CO 2 emissions in the transition process. The direct impact of the Kyoto Protocol in reducing emissions is debatable which also raises doubts on the effectiveness of the Paris agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent climate change, global warming, environmental disasters and the economic crisis are only the first signs of the failure of an economic system that, for too long, shows an uncontrolled utilization of the planet wealth. The Italian electricity market, which is strongly dependent on hydrocarbons, only in recent years has seen a first attempt to change towards renewable resources for electricity production aimed at self-consumption and for feeding into the grid. This paper presents an economic analysis whose purpose is to evaluate the profitability of investments in renewable technologies for the production of electricity. Each renewable source has its own profitability dependent on a number of factors and subject to market fluctuations, cost and frequent changes in the incentive policies. Applying Portfolio Theory is possible to select the right mix of renewable energy sources and simulate its evolution. Moreover the presented analysis can be useful for energy planners to select future green scenarios finalized to the reduction of emissions and energy imports through the increasing use of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Over the last two decades; technical, economic and environmental benefits of hydroelectric power make it an important contributor to the future world energy mix, particularly in the developing countries. Turkey has a total gross hydropower potential of 433GWh/yr, but only 125GWh/yr of the total hydroelectric potential of Turkey can be economically used. By the commissioning of new hydropower plants, which are under construction, 36% of the economically usable potential of the country would be tapped. Turkey''s total economically usable small hydropower potential is 3.75GWh/yr. It is expected that the demand for electric energy in Turkey will be about 580 billion kWh by the year 2020. Turkey is heavily dependent on expensive imported energy sources that place a big burden on the economy and air pollution is becoming a great environmental concern in the country. In this regard, renewable energy resources appear to be the one of the most efficient and effective solutions for clean and sustainable energy development in Turkey. Environmentally friendly energy development has enormous implications for developing countries as major emitters due to their rapid economic and population growth. With some possible options, the paper concludes that the reduction of emissions can only be achieved when policies are supportive and well targeted, standards and incentives are realistic and flexible, and the public is actively responsive to environmental degradation. Turkey''s high rate of energy-related carbon emissions growth is expected to accelerate, with emissions climbing from 57 million tons in 2000 to almost 210 million tons in 2020. Carbon intensity in Turkey is higher than the western developed nation average. In this regard, renewable energy resources appear to be one of the most efficient and effective solutions for clean and sustainable energy development in Turkey. This paper deals with Turkey''s renewables energy sources for sustainable environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since the Global Warming Potential (GWP) was first presented in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) First Assessment Report, the metric has been scrutinized and alternative metrics have been suggested. The IPCC Fifth Assessment Report gives a scientific assessment of the main recent findings from climate metrics research and provides the most up-to-date values for a subset of metrics and time horizons. The objectives of this paper are to perform a systematic review of available midpoint metrics (i.e. using an indicator situated in the middle of the cause-effect chain from emissions to climate change) for well-mixed greenhouse gases and near-term climate forcers based on the current literature, to provide recommendations for the development and use of characterization factors for climate change in life cycle assessment (LCA), and to identify research needs. This work is part of the ‘Global Guidance on Environmental Life Cycle Impact Assessment’ project held by the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative and is intended to support a consensus finding workshop. In an LCA context, it can make sense to use several complementary metrics that serve different purposes, and from there get an understanding about the robustness of the LCA study to different perspectives and metrics. We propose a step-by-step approach to test the sensitivity of LCA results to different modelling choices and provide recommendations for specific issues such as the consideration of climate-carbon feedbacks and the inclusion of pollutants with cooling effects (negative metric values). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes of permafrost not only affect regional and global water circulation, carbon deposit and climate warming, but also influence ground ecological, geophysical, and biogeochemical processes in cold region. Monitoring surface deformation over permafrost will help to understand the dynamics of these processes, assess climate changes, and prevent potential damages to engineering structures underlain by permafrost. This article employs an improved small baseline subset Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SBAS-InSAR) technique to monitor the surface deformation over the Danxiong-Yangbajing area in the southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), with emphasis on climatic factors modeling. A new deformation model considering both the external (mainly climatic) and internal factors (such as tectonic activities and thermal character of frozen soil) is constructed and introduced into the SBAS-InSAR to estimate the surface deformation over permafrost. The results show that the peak-to-peak annual deformation over natural surface is 3.6–5.0 cm, while that along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway (QTH) and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) is 2.8–3.7 cm. We also find that the surface deformation over frozen soil is negatively correlated to air temperature and precipitation, with the correlation being − 0.80 to − 0.45 and − 0.95 to − 0.75, respectively. The root mean squares (RMSs) of the residual (un-modeled) deformation got by the proposed method are much smaller than that by the existing methods. We also successfully examine a time lag of about 60 days between the retrieved maximal subsidence and the highest air temperature in warm seasons (from May to September). After compensating for this time lag, the RMSs of the residual deformation reduce significantly and the correlation between the deformation and the temperature rises considerably, varying from − 0.95 to − 0.65. The method presented in this paper is more suitable to model and analyze the surface deformation in permafrost areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper proposes a novel and fast sizing method under the constant daily load profile for sizing a stand-alone PV system. The term “efficient sizing” means that the approach did not use simulation but could get the result as good as those employing simulation. So, the sizing method is more efficient than the others. Traditionally, a typical day or a typical year’s solar irradiation profile is employed for the sizing task. However, facing the global warming crisis as well as the fact that no 2years would have the same weather condition for a single site, this approach statistically models the trend of climate change year by year and put it into the sizing formula, so that the results are optimal for the current weather condition and for the future as well. Hence, the suitable size for the PV array and the number of batteries are obtained by purely computation. This is different from the traditional sizing curve method. Although the traditional sizing curve method were satisfactory in the normal cases, they might fail in the extreme climate condition. This paper concludes the behavior of the extreme climate for at least 20years. So, the derived system may have statistical confidence for at least 20years of operation. A new reliability index (Loss of Power Probability) in terms of Extreme Value Theory is introduced. LPP provides upper bound reliability for application and rich information for many extreme events. A technological and economical comparison among the traditional daily energy balance method, sizing curve method and this approach is conducted and shows the usefulness of this approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: In a globally warming climate, observed rates of atmospheric evaporative demand have declined over recent decades. Several recent studies have shown that declining rates of evaporative demand are primarily governed by trends in the aerodynamic component (primarily being the combination of the effects of wind speed (u) and atmospheric humidity) and secondarily by changes in the radiative component. A number of these studies also show that declining rates of observed near-surface u (termed ‘stilling’) is the primary factor contributing to declining rates of evaporative demand. One objective of this paper was to review and synthesise the literature to assess whether stilling is a globally widespread phenomenon. We analysed 148 studies reporting terrestrial u trends from across the globe (with uneven and incomplete spatial distribution and differing periods of measurement) and found that the average trend was −0.014ms−1 a−1 for studies with more than 30 sites observing data for more than 30years, which confirmed that stilling was widespread. Assuming a linear trend this constitutes a −0.7ms−1 change in u over 50years. A second objective was to confirm the declining rates of evaporative demand by reviewing papers reporting trends in measured pan evaporation (E pan) and estimated crop reference evapotranspiration (ET o); average trends were −3.19mma−2 (n =55) and −1.31mma−2 (n =26), respectively. A third objective was to assess the contribution to evaporative demand trends that the four primary meteorological variables (being u; atmospheric humidity; radiation; and air temperature) made. The results from 36 studies highlighted the importance of u trends. We also quantified the sensitivity of rates of evaporative demand to changes in u and how the relative contributions of the aerodynamic and radiative components change seasonally over the globe. Our review: (i) shows that terrestrial stilling is widespread across the globe; (ii) confirms declining rates of evaporative demand; and (iii) highlights the contribution u has made to these declining evaporative rates. Hence we advocate that assessing evaporative demand trends requires consideration of all four primary meteorological variables (being u, atmospheric humidity, radiation and air temperature). This is particularly relevant for long-term water resource assessment because changes in u exert greater influence on energy-limited water-yielding catchments than water-limited ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Global climate change is a change in the long-term weather patterns that characterize the regions of the world. Scientists state unequivocally that the earth is warming. Natural climate variability alone cannot explain this trend. Human activities, especially the burning of coal and oil, have warmed the earth by dramatically increasing the concentrations of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. The more of these gases humans put into the atmosphere, the more the earth will warm in the decades and centuries ahead. The impacts of warming can already be observed in many places, from rising sea levels to melting snow and ice to changing weather patterns. Climate change is already affecting ecosystems, freshwater supplies, and human health. Although climate change cannot be avoided entirely, the most severe impacts of climate change can be avoided by substantially reducing the amount of heat-trapping gases released into the atmosphere. However, the time available for beginning serious action to avoid severe global consequences is growing short. This paper reviews assessing of such climate change impacts on various components of the ecosystem such as air, water, plants, animals and human beings, with special emphasis on economy. The most daunting problem of global warming is also discussed. This paper, further reviews the mitigation measures, with a special focus on carbon sequestration and clean development mechanism (CDM). The importance of synergy between climate change mitigation and adaptation has been discussed. An overview of the relationship between economy and emissions, including Carbon Tax and Emission Trading and the policies are also presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ecophysiological models are widely used to forecast potential impacts of climate change on future agricultural productivity and to examine options for adaptation by local stakeholders and policy makers. However, protocols followed in such assessments vary to such an extent that they constrain cross-study syntheses and increase the potential for bias in projected impacts. We reviewed 221 peer-reviewed papers that used crop simulation models to examine diverse aspects of how climate change might affect agricultural systems. Six subject areas were examined: target crops and regions; the crop model(s) used and their characteristics; sources and application of data on [CO2] and climate; impact parameters evaluated; assessment of variability or risk; and adaptation strategies. Wheat, maize, soybean and rice were considered in approximately 170 papers. The USA (55 papers) and Europe (64 papers) were the dominant regions studied. The most frequent approach used to simulate response to CO2 involved adjusting daily radiation use efficiency (RUE) and transpiration, precluding consideration of the interacting effects of CO2, stomatal conductance and canopy temperature, which are expected to exacerbate effects of global warming. The assumed baseline [CO2] typically corresponded to conditions 10–30 years earlier than the date the paper was accepted, exaggerating the relative impacts of increased [CO2]. Due in part to the diverse scenarios for increases in greenhouse gas emissions, assumed future [CO2] also varied greatly, further complicating comparisons among studies. Papers considering adaptation predominantly examined changes in planting dates and cultivars; only 20 papers tested different tillage practices or crop rotations. Risk was quantified in over half the papers, mainly in relation to variability in yield or effects of water deficits, but the limited consideration of other factors affecting risk beside climate change per se suggests that impacts of climate change were overestimated relative to background variability. A coordinated crop, climate and soil data resource would allow researchers to focus on underlying science. More extensive model intercomparison, facilitated by modular software, should strengthen the biological realism of predictions and clarify the limits of our ability to forecast agricultural impacts of climate change on crop production and associated food security as well as to evaluate potential for adaptation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since the global warming and climate change are recognized as real concerns, attention of power system planners and operators, energy policy makers and regulators as well as developers around the world including Australia is focused on using alternative and low emission energy technologies for electric power production. Renewable energy and energy efficient technologies have many advantages including reducing climate change, increasing sustainability in power sector, and increasing security of power supply. This paper presents an overview on both current electricity grid and future grid. Experts believe that in future more distributed generation (DG) will be integrated into the low to medium electricity grid. This paper will also review the key drivers in relation to integration of increased DG technologies in general and the renewable energy-distributed generation (RE-DG) technologies in particular, into the electric power system and the opportunities and challenges linked to these technologies. This paper also reviews possible connection location of RE-DG into the grid and its impact on system voltage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rapid, or abrupt, climate change is regarded as a change in the climate system to a new state following the crossing of a threshold. It generally occurs at a rate exceeding that of the change in the underlying cause. Episodes of rapid climate change abound in the recent geological past (defined here as the interval between the last glacial maximum, dated to approximately 20,000years ago, and the present). Rapid climate changes are known to have occurred over time periods equal to or even less than a human lifespan: moreover, their effects on the global system are sufficiently large to have had significant societal impacts. The potential for similar events to occur in the future provides an important impetus for investigating the nature and causes of rapid climate change. This paper provides a brief overview of rapid climate change and an introduction to this special issue, which presents results generated by the palaeoclimatic component of the UK Natural Environment Research Council''s rapid climate change programme, called RAPID. The papers in the special issue employ palaeoclimatic proxy data-sets obtained from marine, ice core and terrestrial archives to reconstruct rapid climate change during the last glacial cycle, its subsequent termination and the ensuing Holocene interglacial; some papers also report new attempts to match the palaeoclimate data to hypothesised causes through numerical modelling. The results confirm the importance of freshwater forcing in triggering changes in Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) and the close links between MOC and rapid climate change. While advancing our understanding of these linkages, the RAPID research has highlighted the need for further research in order to elucidate more specific details of the mechanisms involved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Methane from livestock manure accounts for ∼6.6% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States, and 1.1% of total emissions in Canada. Methane is 25 times more potent than CO2 as a GHG and is emitted into the atmosphere from enteric emissions and manure. Livestock operators can reduce CH4 emissions and may qualify for credits for its capture by utilizing manure management practices such as anaerobic digesters. Thus, livestock producers can play a role in reducing GHG emissions while also earning C offset credits. This paper has two related objectives. First, using data from Canada, we explore the economics of adoption of anaerobic digesters for Canadian dairy and hog producers. Second, using this example, we explore the institutional framework in place for livestock based GHG emissions and the sources of uncertainties facing both producers and consumers with regard to C offsets. From these two objectives we hope to better understand the potential gains for livestock producers, and consumers of CH4 based offsets, and identify potential institutional innovations needed to allow the offset market to function efficiently. This paper is part of the special issue entitled: Greenhouse Gases in Animal Agriculture – Finding a Balance between Food and Emissions, Guest Edited by T.A. McAllister, Section Guest Editors; K.A. Beauchemin, X. Hao, S. McGinn and Editor for Animal Feed Science and Technology, P.H. Robinson. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During the last decade, Sustainability Reporting (SR) has been increasingly adopted by corporations worldwide. This is evidenced by the adoption of several guidelines, such as the ISO 14000 series, the Social Accountability 8000 standard, and the GRI Sustainability Guidelines. SR shows promise to help corporate leaders and their employees to contribute towards achieving sustainable societies. However, most of the guidelines and standards address sustainability issues through comparmentalisation, thereby, leading to the separation of the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Due to these divisive approaches, holistic assessments of the effects of their efforts are seldom properly integrated into coporate decisions and procedures to make improvements for example through Cleaner Production, Worker Health and Safety, Consumer Safety, and reductions in the negative short and long-term Social and Environmental Impacts. This paper analyses SR reports from three companies with the help of Grounded Theory''s constant comparative analysis. This analytical framework helped the authors to systematically assess the degree to which the companies addressed economic, ecological and social issues separately or in an integrated and inter-linked manner. From the inter-linkages found, a new category is proposed to be added to future SR. This new category can help corporate SR planners and researchers on sustainability reports to better understand how the company leaders understand their responsibilities with regard to SD. These inter-connectednesses are highly relevant in many short and long-term dimensions of supply chain management, global warming, ecological disruption and societal equity issues, especially with regard to the local, national and global energy issues of fuels and oils, the central themes of the conference at which this paper was originally presented. It also plays a key role in real, long-term changes towards Sustainability, where the time dimension plays a key role in human survival on Planet Earth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]