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Many countries have some kind of energy-system transformation either planned or ongoing for various reasons, such as to curb carbon emissions or to compensate for the phasing out of nuclear energy. One important component of these transformations is the overall reduction in energy demand. It is generally acknowledged that the domestic sector represents a large share of total energy consumption in many countries. Increased energy efficiency is one factor that reduces energy demand, but behavioral approaches (known as “sufficiency”) and their respective interventions also play important roles. In this paper, we address citizens’ heterogeneity regarding both their current behaviors and their willingness to realize their sufficiency potentials—that is, to reduce their energy consumption through behavioral change. We collaborated with three Swiss cities for this study. A survey conducted in the three cities yielded thematic sets of energy-consumption behavior that various groups of participants rated differently. Using this data, we identified four groups of participants with different patterns of both current behaviors and sufficiency potentials. The paper discusses intervention types and addresses citizens’ heterogeneity and behaviors from a city-based perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes GCAM v5.1, an open source model that represents the linkages between energy, water, land, climate, and economic systems. GCAM is a market equilibrium model, is global in scope, and operates from 1990 to 2100 in five-year time steps. It can be used to examine, for example, how changes in population, income, or technology cost might alter crop production, energy demand, or water withdrawals, or how changes in one region's demand for energy affect energy, water, and land in other regions. This paper describes the model, including its assumptions, inputs, and outputs. We then use eleven scenarios, varying socioeconomic and climate policy assumptions, to illustrate the results from the model. The resulting scenarios illustrate a wide range of potential future energy, water, and land uses. We compare the results from GCAM v5.1 to historical data and to future scenario simulations from earlier versions of GCAM and from other models. Finally, we provide information on how to obtain the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chen, L., 2020. The green building design of subtropical ocean climate adaptability. In: Li, L. and Huang, X. (eds.), Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions: A Perspective of Environment, Economy, and Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 112, pp. 50-54. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. With the increasing global warming, climate change has affected human survival and development, which has become an important problem facing the world. Therefore, green building has become the most important development trend, which is an important measure of the corresponding sustainable development strategy. Through green building, China can implement energy conservation and emission reduction strategy, which will better deal with global warming. Green building needs mult-disciplinary technology combination, which needs to set the design goal according to the local environment, form and function. By strengthening the natural regulation of climate, green buildings can better apply the environmental climate change, which will meet the requirements of energy conservation and health. This paper mainly studies the adaptability of the subtropical marine climate green building, which can better design the building in line with energy conservation, health and function. Taking Guangzhou as an example, this paper analyzes the adaptive design of green building through examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the amount of energy being spent in the construction industry and to achieve the EU Climate and Energy Package goals by 2020, new ways of constructing houses is required. This research proposes construction of bio-based nearly zero energy or passive houses as one solution. Typical house construction methods in the Balkan region are analysed and compared to current Austrian house construction methods (in particular straw bale house built to passive house standards), since Austria is now one of the leading countries in Europe when it comes to offering smart and eco-friendly construction methods. This paper aims to enhance the understanding of the environmental performance of straw bale house in the Balkan region, develop the mainstream acceptance and use of straw as a construction material by proving that, such home is not only healthier for the environment, but also economically justifiable to construct than concrete/brick homes usually built in this region of the world. This is done via energy analysis in both BIM and Baubook software and construction cost calculation and comparison of two different house types virtually placed in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a representative country of Balkan region. Type 1 is bio-based house, while Type 2 is concrete house of similar geometry. During the analysis, it was discovered that Type 1 house is in compliance with passive house standards, while Type 2 isn't. Furthermore, energy use intensity according to BIM analysis for Type 1 is half of the value of the Type 2 house. Peak heating load for Type 2 house is much larger than for the Type 1 house. Global warming potential of Type 1 house is negative, which means that bio-based materials absorb CO 2 during its life. Global warming potential for Type 2 is 435.02 kgCO 2 /m 2 . In addition to this, it costs slightly less to construct Type 1 house than Type 2 house. Therefore, this paper proves that Type 1 – Bio-based house is cheaper to construct and more energy efficient than Type 2 – Concrete house that is typically being constructed in the Balkan region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently there has been growing interest in regenerative evaporative coolers (REC), which can reduce the temperature of the supply air to below the wet-bulb of intake air and approach its dew-point. In this paper, we designed, fabricated and experimentally tested a counter-flow REC in laboratory. The REC’s core heat and mass exchanger was fabricated using stacked sheets composed of high wicking evaporation (wickability of available materials was measured) and waterproof aluminium materials. The developed REC system has a much higher cooling performance compared to conventional indirect evaporative cooler. However, the decision to use the REC for China buildings depends on a dedicated evaluation of the net energy saved against the capital expended. Such an evaluation requires the hourly-based data on the availability of cooling capacity provided by the REC for various climates. The paper used an experiment-based method to estimate the cooling capacity and energy savings provided by the proposed REC for China’s various climates. By using the experimental results and regional hourly-based weather data, the energy saving potential of the REC against an equivalent-sized mechanical air conditioner alone was analysed. The results indicate that, for all selected regions, the REC could reduce 53–100% of cooling load and 13–58% of electrical energy consumption annually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present some basic conceptual aspects and empiric examples of urban mitigation and adaptation to climate change, of greening urban development, as there is strong need for further research and education on these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Starting with a review of the 4th IPCC report and the Stern Review, a strategy is developed on how to make cities main actors in fighting climate change. First examples of successful urban greening are presented. Findings – Cities are main drivers of climate change, and they are driven by climate change. Therefore, there is a strong need for "greening" urban development, i.e. for both mitigation and adaptation activities. Practical implications – Mitigation requires the reduction (more or less drastically) of urban energy and material flows. Adaptation requires restructure (more or less radically) of the established urban stocks. Originality/value – Until recently, cities and urban areas have not been in the focus of climate change research and climate policy. The paper shows the need for change of both theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many places extreme heat causes more deaths than floods, cyclones and bushfires. However, efforts to manage the health implications of heat and increase the adaptive capacity of vulnerable populations are in their infancy, requiring urgent attention from research and policy. This paper presents a case for research exploring the influence of social and contextual factors on vulnerable populations’ capacity to adapt to heat in the context of climate change. We argue such research is imperative given current prioritization of short-sighted policy solutions such as installation and use of greenhouse-intensive domestic air-conditioners as moderators of heat stress. Globally, vulnerability to heat stress is most often assessed by epidemiological analysis of past morbidity and mortality data; yet a range of other factors need to be accounted for in interpreting and understanding these patterns of ill-health and loss of life, and further in determining how vulnerability is created, exacerbated and alleviated by broader societal conditions. Such factors include: the cooling technologies and infrastructures available to householders, practical knowledge about how to moderate heat stress, and social and cultural understandings of comfort and vulnerability. To investigate these factors, new methodologies are required. Social practice theory, which conceptualizes the dynamic interactions between individuals and wider systems of power, infrastructure, technologies, society and culture as components of practices such as household cooling, is presented as a way forward. The development of a practice-based methodology and conceptual framework to understand adaptation to heat will provide a multidimensional, systems-oriented understanding of how vulnerability can potentially be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases can be reduced significantly using existing technologies, but stabilizing concentrations will require a technological revolution--a “revolution” because it will require fundamental change, achieved within a relatively short period of time. Inspiration for a climate-technology revolution is often drawn from the Apollo space program or the Manhattan Project, but averting dangerous climate change cannot be “solved” by a single new technology, deployed by a single government. The technological changes needed to address climate change fundamentally will have to be pervasive; they will have to involve markets; and they will have to be global in scope. My focus in this paper is not on the moderate emission reductions that can be achieved using existing technologies, but on the breakthrough technologies that are needed to reduce emissions dramatically. The challenges are formidable. Indeed, it is possible that the revolution needed to dramatically reduce emissions of greenhouse gases will fail. Should the climate change abruptly, the incentive to “engineer” the climate will be strong. There will be a climate-technology revolution, but its nature will depend on the institutions we develop to address the challenge we face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change is an important cause of biodiversity loss. The conservation, sustainable management and use of biodiversity resources are key factors that can be effectively used to minimize the adverse impacts of global climate change. Efforts to understand and address the linkages between global climate change and biodiversity loss are both urgent and timely. Integrating responses related to these two global environmental challenges is especially relevant for small island developing States (SIDS) because the adverse impacts of climate change can impose severe stresses on biodiversity resources that are fragile, vulnerable and already under stress and the people who depend upon them. This paper argues that comprehensive assessments of adverse impacts of global climate change on the biodiversity resources of SIDS, and an improved understanding of relevant climate change related adaptation measures and sustainable energy policies (that are based on the principles of conservation, sustainable management and use of biodiversity resources) will enable SIDS to become more resilient and to develop better response capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermally activated building system (TABS) is a hydronic cooling system, in which cold water is circulated through pipes embedded in the building structure to remove the heat from the indoor space. This paper proposes a hybrid passive cooling system, in which TABS is integrated with a cooling tower. The performance of this integrated system greatly depends on the climatic conditions of the geographical area. Hence, the feasibility of the proposed system to provide thermal comfort in twelve Indian cities spread over five different climatic regions is investigated using COMSOL Multiphysics. Different cooling scenarios like Roof and Floor cooled TABS (RF) and All Surfaces cooled TABS (AS) are compared. The proposed system performs well in arid and semi-arid regions, and the RF scenario is sufficient to achieve thermal comfort. The system is able to reduce the indoor operative temperature by 14 °C for the arid climatic conditions of Jaipur. In the other three regions, i.e., humid subtropical, tropical wet and dry and tropical wet regions, the performance of the proposed system is relatively low and the AS scenario is required to achieve thermal comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of waste materials to the overall energy savings in buildings with single-layer ceramic envelopes is twofold. They can not only enhance the thermal properties of the brick blocks but also reduce the total energy necessary for the brick production. In this paper the contribution of waste products to the energy performance is demonstrated for a typical brick family house in the climatic conditions of Prague, Czech Republic. The energy calculations are conducted using Energy Plus with pre-calculated parameters given by the PHPP model. Specific computational modules for the calculation of effective thermal conductivity of brick blocks are utilized as integral parts of the energy performance calculation tool. Five different types of external walls are analyzed. They are made of solid clay bricks, sawdust-lightweighted solid clay bricks and a new type of highly perforated ceramic block with improved geometry which was developed recently by a Czech brick producer in three versions, having the cavities filled with air, waste polyurethane and mineral wool. The obtained results show that perforating the bricks, together with lightening their body and applying thermal insulating cavity fillers, can reduce the specific heating demands of the analyzed building up to 79.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat gain through the windows is of great importance as it is the main part of cooling load in the hot summer and cold winter climate. This paper attempts to find out the most efficient energy saving technology for windows by analysing the thermal process of the south and west oriented windows in Shanghai. By numerical calculation, the ratios of different compositions are compared to find out which is the main source of heat gain of windows. The calculation result shows that solar radiation heat gain is much bigger than the heat transmission caused by temperature difference between indoor and outdoor air. Solar heat gain for west windows is much higher than for south windows after 12:00. For south windows, diffuse radiation and reflected radiation from ground are the main source of solar heat gain. As for west windows, direct radiation heat gain takes up most of solar heat gain after 12:00. Therefore different strategies should be taken according to different orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Due to the increase in living standard and demand, energy conservation has become important in industrialized countries. In view of rational use of energy, the present paper reviews intelligent building construction with the aid of passive solar architecture approach, which makes use of specific building design principles and reduces the artificial energy requirements for achieving indoor thermal comfort. As a climate responsive architecture, building design criteria has been studied with the help of several parameters like geographic location and climatic conditions, building shape, orientation, selection of construction materials, building openings viz. windows, selection of suitable sunshades, etc. All the salient building design parameters are studied and important findings and recommendations are suggested as the outcome of the study. The study in turn is useful for various resource persons involved in the construction activities for designing energy efficient intelligent buildings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To cope with the sustainability and conservation needs, window technology is currently under rapid evolution. A number of innovations in recent years have given window glazing a revised identity as well as a wide range of design options. This paper gives a brief overview of the developed as well as emerging advanced window technology for cooling-demand climates. The physical structure and energy performance are discussed and compared through numerical computation. Then the innovative concept of water-flow window is introduced and the potential areas of application are discussed. Our results indicate that this new design is able to support hot water supply system, reduce air-conditioning load and enhance thermal and visual comfort. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Energy requirements in India, and in all developing countries, are rising at over 10 per cent annually and may double after 2020. With the Energy Crisis there is a demand for the promotion of greater saving in energy and efficient use of available energy. This not only has the potential to meet the ever-increasing demand but it must be recognized as an important and sustainable solution for the energy crisis as energy saved is energy produced. Many studies have shown that, to the occupants, the most important consideration is thermal comfort. Thermal comfort is defined by ASHRAE, as that state of mind, which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment. The context of the study of thermal comfort is the multi-billion dollar air-conditioning (AC) industry. The need to define ‘comfortable environments’ arose from this industry. Before air-conditioning buildings were built on the experience of countless builders of the past, experience being passed down the generations. One of the more contentious theoretical issues in the applied research area of thermal comfort has been the dialectic between “adaptive” and “static” models. Apart from having disparate methodological bases (the former laboratory-experimental, the latter field-based), the two approaches have yielded starkly differing prescriptions for how the indoor climate of buildings should be managed. These prescriptions carry implications for the types of permissible building designs, the means by which their thermal environments are controlled, and the amounts of energy they consume in the production of habitable indoor climates. Static models have led to indoor climate standards that have been universally applied across all building types, are characterized by minimal recognition of outdoor climatic context, and are contributing to an increased reliance on mechanical cooling. In contrast, proponents of adaptive models have advocated variable indoor temperature standards that more fully exercise the adaptive capabilities of building occupants. This approach potentially leads to more responsive environmental control algorithms, enhanced levels of occupant comfort, reduced energy consumption, and the encouragement of climatically responsive building design. Despite these apparent differences, our review of the research literature emerging from both approaches indicated that this seemingly irreconcilable split was primarily the result of narrow definitions of the term “thermal adaptation”, and that there were opportunities to bridge some of the gap between the hypotheses. This paper attempts to discuss the methods of evaluating the thermal preferences of the people of composite climate for developing an adaptive model of thermal comfort and preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change is now accepted to be the most serious environmental threat facing human race. One of the solution of the problem is improving renewable energy sources. Many countries see the development of renewable energy as a way of mitigation climate change. At this stage , to understand renewable energy development potential haz become very important. Thus, This paper argues the contribution of renewable energy sources with mitigation global warming. Each source is examined independently the others from perspective of progress in short and long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improper urban planning has been proven to produce excessive environmental impacts in urban areas, such as urban flooding and urban heat islands. A new approach to protecting the urban environment brought forward the idea of low-impact urban development, which uses rainwater-control devices such as cisterns, permeable pavements and green roofs. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of green roofs in two important environmental dimensions: thermal and hydrological. An experimental study was conducted at the Federal University of Pará Guamá Campus, Belém, Brazil. Hydrological and thermal data from a green roof and a fibre-cement roof were collected and compared to analyse the performance of the roofs. The results showed extensive green roofs to be an effective tool for reducing rainfall run-off at the roof scale, particularly for small-storm events, as well as an efficient thermal roof insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high temporal variability of wind power generation represents a major challenge for the realization of a sustainable energy supply. Large backup and storage facilities are necessary to secure the supply in periods of low renewable generation, especially in countries with a high share of renewables. We show that strong climate change is likely to impede the system integration of intermittent wind energy. To this end, we analyze the temporal characteristics of wind power generation based on high-resolution climate projections for Europe and uncover a robust increase of backup energy and storage needs in most of Central, Northern and North-Western Europe. This effect can be traced back to an increase of the likelihood for long periods of low wind generation and an increase in the seasonal wind variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach based on energy conservation principle for satellite gravimetry mission has been developed and yields more accurate estimation of in situ geopotential difference observables using K-band ranging (KBR) measurements from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) twin-satellite mission. This new approach preserves more gravity information sensed by KBR range-rate measurements and reduces orbit error as compared to previous energy balance methods. Results from analysis of 11 yr of GRACE data indicated that the resulting geopotential difference estimates agree well with predicted values from official Level 2 solutions: with much higher correlation at 0.9, as compared to 0.5-0.8 reported by previous published energy balance studies. We demonstrate that our approach produced a comparable time-variable gravity solution with the Level 2 solutions. The regional GRACE temporal gravity solutions over Greenland reveals that a substantially higher temporal resolution is achievable at 10-d sampling as compared to the official monthly solutions, but without the compromise of spatial resolution, nor the need to use regularization or post-processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data on wind stress, significant height of combined wind waves and swell, potential temperature, salinity and seawater velocity, as well as objectively-analyzed in situ temperature and salinity, we established a global ocean dataset of calculated wind- and tide-induced vertical turbulent mixing coefficients. We then examined energy conservation of ocean vertical mixing from the point of view of ocean wind energy inputs, gravitational potential energy change due to mixing (with and without artificially limiting themixing coefficient), and K-theory vertical turbulent parameterization schemes regardless of energy inputs. Our research showed that calculating the mixing coefficient with average data and artificial limiting the mixing coefficient can cause a remarkable lack of energy conservation, with energy losses of up to 90% and changes in the energy oscillation period. The data also show that wind can introduce a huge amount of energy into the upper layers of the Southern Ocean, and that tidesdo so in regions around underwater mountains. We argue that it is necessary to take wind and tidal energy inputs into account forlong-term ocean climate numerical simulations. We believe that using this ocean vertical turbulent mixing coefficient climatic dataset is a fast and efficient method to maintain the ocean energy balance in ocean modeling research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of moral distress can be extended from clinical settings to larger environmental concerns affecting health care. Moral distress-a common experience in complex societies-arises when individuals have clear moral judgments about societal practices, but have difficulty in finding a venue in which to express concerns. Since health care is large in scale and climate change is proving to be a major environmental problem, scaling down health care is inevitably a necessary element for mitigating climate change. Because it is extremely challenging to discuss these concerns in health care settings, those concerned about climate change and health care experience distress. This article outlines some philosophical concepts and perspectives that may be useful in mitigating this distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting renewable energy sources (RES) has been addressed a key strategy for mitigating climate change, the governing in which has turned out a challenging and protracted task for the EU. There is often an implicit assumption that concern for climate change drives energy policy, but a closer look at the development of European RES policy indicates how EU governors have had to confront a range of governance dilemmas in trying to balance various objectives and conflicting interests. Therefore, while energy security and environmental concerns have provided a rationale for crafting renewable energy as a specific EU policy domain, the main driver for RES policy coordination has been internal market concerns, and not the concern about an impending climate catastrophe. More recently, rising concerns about energy insecurity and climate change have forced the EU to seek greater policy coordination in the context of more integrated energy markets. Although seemingly propitious for further harmonisation, it is doubtful whether the Member States and their citizens are yet prepared to accept new efforts towards deeper integration of European energy policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop an urban canopy scheme coupled to a mesoscale atmospheric numerical model and evaluate the simulated climate of an Australian city. The urban canopy scheme is based on the Town Energy Budget approach, but is modified to efficiently represent the predominately suburban component of Australian cities in regional climate simulations. Energy conservation is improved by adding a simple model of air-conditioning to prevent the urban parametrization acting as an energy sink during the Australian summer. In-canyon vegetation for suburban areas is represented by a big-leaf model, but with a largely reduced set of prognostic variables compared to previous approaches. Although we have used a recirculation/venting based parametrization of in-canyon turbulent heat fluxes that employs two canyon wall energy budgets, we avoid using a fixed canyon orientation by averaging the canyon fluxes after integrating over 180° of possible canyon orientations. The urban canopy scheme is evaluated by simulating the climate for Melbourne, Australia after coupling it to The Air Pollution Model. The combined system was found to predict a realistic climatology of air temperatures and winds when compared with observations from Environmental Protection Authority monitoring stations. The model also produced a plausible partitioning of the urban energy budget when compared to urban flux-tower studies. Overall, the urban canyon parametrization appears to have reasonable potential for studying present and predicting changes in future Australian urban climates in regional climate simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade and a half, state governments have assumed greater responsibility over demand-side management (DSM) operations. Whereas DSM programs formerly were initiated primarily by utilities or state public utility commissions, they are now becoming increasingly state-initiated and incentivized through funding mechanisms or efficiency-level mandates. The supporting literature, however, has yet to respond to these changes and to verify that DSM funding or mandates are effective policy mechanisms. Furthermore, the supporting literature has yet to resolve some of the research design and methodological challenges that traditionally plague DSM evaluations. As states continue to expand their energy and climate policy efforts, and the federal government considers the possibility of national decarbonization policies, of which DSM is a key strategy, the need for empirical research on the effectiveness of DSM programs will grow. This essay describes the current status of DSM efforts in the U.S. and explores how these programs affect electricity operations. The relationship between DSM policy and program efforts and the amount of saved electricity is tested with a methodological approach aimed at minimizing the selection bias that is inherent in the nonexperimental research design. Results confirm that state-run DSM efforts contribute to electricity savings across the country. Public benefit funds coupled with performance incentives are found to encourage utility participation in DSM programs. Energy efficiency portfolio standards and performance incentives effectively promote electricity savings, but public benefit funds without the support of other DSM policies are not significant drivers of either DSM program participation or total DSM electricity savings. © 2011 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aging of society is an inescapable trend that some neighborhoods, municipalities, and counties are admitting needs their attention. As the extent of the changes required to become senior friendly, let alone sustainable, are being realized, many communities are experiencing pushback from voters, old-guard city and county staff, and even elected officials. While initially appearing counter-intuitive, if we plan for the aging of society along with four other first-time-ever, equally inescapable trends-peak oil, water scarcity, obesity, and climate change-we come to realize the critical role of the built environment as a common denominator in preparing for a future very different than most of us have anticipated. As such, changes to the built environment that move a community closer to realizing sustainable senior living also contribute to lower energy needs and costs, a smaller carbon footprint, water savings, and an overall healthier population. By focusing on the built environment as the key to sustainable senior living communities, we are able to build more inclusive collaborative work teams, reach out to two underutilized resources in retirees and college and university students, and leverage the planned-for changes in ways that help finance future modifications. Clarified below, these ideas, strategies, and actions are, in the end, described as part of a five-year, ongoing, service learning partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Daylighting is one of the basic components of passive solar building design and its estimation is essential. In India there are a few available data of measured illuminance as in many regions of the world. The Indian climate is generally clear with overcast conditions prevailing through the months of July to September, which provides good potential to daylighting in buildings. Therefore, an analytical model that would encompass the weather conditions of New Delhi was selected. Hourly exterior horizontal and slope daylight availability has been estimated for New Delhi using daylight modeling techniques based on solar radiation data. A model to estimate interior illuminance was investigated and validated using experimental hourly inside illuminance data of an existing skylight integrated vault roof mud house in composite climate of New Delhi. The interior illuminance model was found in good agreement with experimental value of interior illuminance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information regarding the current global trends in energy supply and consumption. It discusses two central energy challenges faced currently including securing the supply of reliable and affordable energy, and effecting a rapid transformation to a low-carbon, efficient and environmentally benign system of energy supply. It mentions that decisive action is needed to expand energy access and to arrest the potential impacts of climate change in poor countries. It reports that due to the absence of new policies, global trends in energy supply and consumption are unsustainable. It also presents the use of fuelwood, charcoal, agricultural waste and animal dung by the people to meet most of the daily energy needs for cooking and heating.

The author reflects on climate change and on the impact that climate change has on the built environment and public health. She suggests that the effects of climate change are experienced in the built environments which surround most individuals. She argues that as the effects of climate change become more apparent greater attention and approaches to increase awareness and reduce climate change are necessary to protect public health.

Nowadays, awareness concerning the need to use energy efficiently is increasing significantly worldwide, thus, improving the energy efficiency levels in the building sector has acquired high importance because of their energy saving potential. However, several intervention options are available to achieve high energy efficiency levels in buildings, and the choice must be made considering the efficiency of the solution and the costs involved. Considering this, the present research aimed to develop a parametric study of several energy retrofit solutions for buildings located in the hot-humid climate of Paraguay, in order to analyse their efficiency in terms of comfort rates and cooling energy needs. Furthermore, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is employed as a decision-making method to choose the most suitable intervention considering the investment costs required. Thus, threshold values of thermal transmittance for the building thermal envelope components are established through a parametric study and sensitivity analysis of the simulations results. Considering that Paraguay does not have national building energy codes, the outcomes of this research will constitute a support and contribute for the thermal parameters regulation of buildings aiding to improve the energy efficiency of Paraguayan buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that Bob Inglis, a former U.S. legislator, has started an institution to promote conservative approaches to mitigate climate change and achieving energy security for the U.S. Inglis, whose Energy and Enterprise Initiative is housed within George Mason University, says if fuel producers are held fully accountable for the health, productivity, and environmental costs of their products, free enterprise will naturally give rise to the cleanest, most sustainable fuels. INSET: Hidden Costs of Fossil Fuels.