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The globe is now in ecological turmoil as a result of the unrelenting increase in global warming. As a result, governments worldwide are committing to decarbonizing the environment, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) playing an important role in this effort. Hence, this paper evaluates the nonlinear (asymmetric) impact of natural gas consumption on renewable energy consumption and economic growth in the KSA and the UAE utilizing data stretching from 1990 to 2020. The study also considers other drivers of renewable energy consumption and economic growth, such as trade openness and CO2 emissions. The study utilizes nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) to evaluate these associations. The outcomes of bounds nonlinear ARDL (NARDL), affirm the long-run association between the variables in both countries. The nonlinear results show that positive and negative shocks in natural gas consumption have a negative impact on renewable energy in both UAE and KSA. In contrast, positive and negative shocks in natural gas consumption impact economic growth positively. The study proposed vital policy recommendations based on these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A paradigm is a set of scientific and metaphysical beliefs that provide a theoretical framework within which scientific theories can be tested. Replacement of an existing paradigm by another is called a paradigm shift. Most of the following papers in this issue argue that an alternative paradigm is needed for the functioning of the so-called greenhouse effect of the Earth and hence for the explanation of observed climatic change. Some others contest it. The observed coincidence between global warming and rise of CO2 in the atmosphere over the last century - more accurately measured over the last 30 years of it - need not indicate a causal relationship, and it certainly need not give rise to global catastrophe. An assumed correlation is based on the expectation that the infrared radiation from CO2 contributes significantly to the greenhouse effect of the Earth. However, irregularities in the trends raise doubts of such a simple causal relationship and, at least, considerable doubt about the magnitude of such an expected effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fear of anthropogenic "global warming" can adversely affect patients' well-being. Accordingly, the state of the scientific consensus about climate change was studied by a review of the 539 papers on "global climate change" found on the Web of Science database from January 2004 to mid-February 2007, updating research by Oreskes, who had reported that between 1993 and 2003 none of 928 scientific papers on "global climate change" had rejected the consensus that more than half of the warming of the past 50 years was likely to have been anthropogenic. In the present review, 31 papers (6% of the sample) explicitly or implicitly reject the consensus. Though Oreskes said that 75% of the papers in her former sample endorsed the consensus, fewer than half now endorse it. Only 7% do so explicitly. Only one paper refers to "catastrophic" climate change, but without offering evidence. There appears to be little evidence in the learned journals to justify the climate-change alarm that now harms patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By not following standard scientific nomenclature for parts per million by volume (ppmv) and parts per million by mass (ppm), the authors of Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis (AR4), introduced confusion between these units. This confusion in AR4 has spread to the scientific community and has potential to create problems. Carbon dioxide contributed approximately 11% of the change in atmospheric warming during the period from the ice ages to the pre-industrial level of 275 ppmv. This is consistent with the current proportion of warming by carbon dioxide, and casts doubt on carbon dioxide being almost 100% of the cause of atmospheric warming from 275 to 378 ppmv. The climate sensitivity parameter calculated for the projected temperature change range of 2.9°C to 6.4°C is physically impossible to achieve. The lower temperature range is unreliable. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has an important obligation to make these problems known to policymakers and the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HFO-1234ze (E) is proposed as a near zero global warming propellant for use in metered dose inhaled (MDI) products. This paper describes the non-clinical safety assessment in mice, rats, and dogs and supplements previously reported data (genetic toxicology, short-term toxicology, and reproductive toxicology). In all species, HFO-1234ze (E) was only detectable in blood for a short period after dosing with no evidence of accumulation. HFO-1234ze (E) was without any toxicological effects at very high doses in subchronic (13-week mouse) and chronic (39-week dog) studies. Chronic (26-week) administration to rats at very high doses was associated with an exacerbation of rodent progressive cardiomyopathy, a well-documented background finding in rodents. In a 2-generation study, extremely high doses were associated with the early euthanasia of some lactating female rats. This finding was considered to be significantly influenced by a state of negative energy balance, reflecting the specific vulnerability of rats during lactation. These findings are considered to not pose a risk to humans with typical MDI use given they occurred at doses which far exceed those expected in patients. Overall, the nonclinical safety data for HFO-1234ze (E) support its further development as an MDI propellant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensor measurement uncertainty has never been fully considered in prior appraisals of global average surface air temperature. The estimated average ±0.2 C station error has been incorrectly assessed as random, and the systematic error from uncontrolled variables has been invariably neglected. The systematic errors in measurements from three ideally sited and maintained temperature sensors are calculated herein. Combined with the ±0.2 C average station error, a representative lower-limit uncertainty of ±0.46 C was found for any global annual surface air temperature anomaly. This ±0.46 C reveals that the global surface air temperature anomaly trend from 1880 through 2000 is statistically indistinguishable from 0 C, and represents a lower limit of calibration uncertainty for climate models and for any prospective physically justifiable proxy reconstruction of paleo-temperature. The rate and magnitude of 20th century warming are thus unknowable, and suggestions of an unprecedented trend in 20th century global air temperature are unsustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the literature on passive building design for improving indoor thermal comfort in tropical climates through a bibliometric analysis. The Web of Science database and CiteSpace were searched, and 722 articles were selected and analyzed to form the body of this article. An overview of the evolution of publications from 1984 to 2021 is first presented, followed by an examination of the co-citation networks of journals, countries, keywords, documents and authors. Co-occurrence analysis of 391 keywords, 861 highly cited publications and the top 15 most frequently mentioned publications and most salient were used to identify research methodologies and to analyze the correlation search of articles. Some notable work on thermal comfort models and passive design strategies suitable for a warm climate is also discussed. The results show that real-time field studies compared to dynamic simulations represent the most outstanding research on passive design and thermal comfort of buildings in tropical climates. In addition, standards such as ASHRAE Standard 55 and ISO Standard 7730 have played an essential role in the evolution of the subject. The results of this study may inspire other researchers and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the possibility of using a dry fluid cooler with advanced control strategies in a vertical closed-loop GSHP system to reduce the borehole size with the intention of increasing the cost-effectiveness of the system without compromising system efficiency. The developed system is expected to be a game changer in the residential sector of the USA involving the use of high-efficiency heat pump systems as a substitute for conventional systems for space cooling and heating in hot/warm climates. The simulation results show that (1) the use of a dry fluid cooler with advanced control strategies in a GSHP system contributes to increasing or maintaining the GSHP system's efficiency in the long run by balancing the heating and cooling through charging thermal energy to the ground in hot climates; (2) the concept of integrating a dry fluid cooler into a GSHP system with advanced control strategies is proven to be effective for the studied house located in hot climates, such as Miami. In comparison to a conventional GSHP system, the initial system costs can be reduced by up to around 14% by shortening the borehole length without compromising system efficiency because of the use of a dry fluid cooler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cook et al. reported a 97% scientific consensus on anthropogenic global warming (AGW), based on a study of 11,944 abstracts in peer-reviewed science journals. Powell claims that the Cook et al. methodology was flawed and that the true consensus is virtually unanimous at 99.99%. Powell’s method underestimates the level of disagreement because it relies on finding explicit rejection statements as well as the assumption that abstracts without a stated position endorse the consensus. Cook et al.’s survey of the papers’ authors revealed that papers may express disagreement with AGW despite the absence of a rejection statement in the abstract. Surveys reveal a large gap between the public perception of the degree of scientific consensus on AGW and reality. We argue that it is the size of this gap, rather than the small difference between 97% and 99.99%, that matters in communicating the true state of scientific opinion to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of the most dangerous threats to human beings, and therefore, it is of great importance for the researchers to inform the policy makers of the threats of climate change and global warming. One of the main causes of climate change is the greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO2 emissions. In this paper, we try to find a nexus between energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and economic growth in the United States, China, and India, known as three most polluting countries in the world. For this purpose, we applied the wavelet correlation and the partial wavelet coherence approaches during the period 1971–2013. The empirical results for the United States show that the GDP is positively correlated with the CO2 emissions and energy consumption in all frequencies. For China, there is a significant positive relationship between the GDP and CO2 emissions/energy consumption for the short-term horizon. However, for India, although there is a significant positive relationship between the GDP and CO2 emissions, the nexus between the GDP and the energy consumption is not clear. Furthermore, the pollution haven hypothesis was confirmed by the obtained empirical results. Based on our study, we suggest the policy makers in these three countries making supportive decisions for the producers to use modern environment-friendly technologies and renewable energies in their products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As concerns around climate change and global warming intensify, extreme weather events such as heavy rain, blizzards, and smog-induced haze have greatly impacted the commuting travel mode selection of urban residents. Such behavioral shifts have in turn led to changes of the carbon emissions generated from these residents. This paper constructs a "extreme weather (W)–travel behavior (B)–carbon emissions (C)" research framework. Using a multiple logistic regression model, the transportation mode shift model, and the econometric model of urban resident's travel behavior under the influence of extreme weather conditions were constructed. The marginal effects of weather on residents' commuter behavior, through the use of transportation type and distance of travel were also obtained. The study found that the overall carbon dioxide emission levels of daily commuting has gradually decreased due to the influence of extreme weather. However, as some travelers still adopted high-emission commuting modes through the use of taxis or ride-sharing services, there was still a slight increase in CCDE levels in certain extreme weather contexts. In particular, when haze was prevalent, vehicle restriction policies only reduced CCDE by 2.18%, while the remaining 77.83% of total CCDE remaining unchanged. This research provides a key reference point for governmental departments in urban transportation management and environmental protection to formulate policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have risen dramatically, leading to the possibility of costly disruption from rapid climate change. This calls for greater attention and precautionary measures to be put in place, both globally and locally. Governments, business entities and consumers would be affected by the extent to which such precautionary measures are incorporated in their decision-making process. Business entities need to consider such issues as trading in carbon allowances (or permits), investing in low-carbon dioxide (CO2) emission technologies, counting the costs of carbon regularity compliance, and passing on the increased cost of carbon regulation to consumers through higher prices. Such considerations require information for informed decision making. This paper reports on a qualitative research study undertaken to consider the impact of the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms on the changing information paradigms of cost and managerial accounting. It is demonstrated that the information from strategic cost management systems will be particularly useful in this new carbon economy, especially in evaluating the ''whole-of-life'' costs of products and services in terms of carbon emissions. Similarly, the study discusses how strategic management accounting information would facilitate decisions on business policy, human resource management, marketing, supply chain management, and finance strategies and the resultant evaluation of performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the assessment made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This paper focuses on the observed changes and the different responses in natural and managed systems. The author offers his review of the highlighted and exaggerated adverse impact of global warming on humans observed by the IPCC. These theories are truly observable but they are totally ignoring the understanding of real causes and how the earth's climate has evolved over time and the geological changes. The analization of climate change impact must be given another view.

Wei-Chyung Wang has been a respected researcher in global warming studies for decades. I have formally alleged that he committed fraud in some of his research, including research cited by the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC (2007) on ‘urban heat islands’ (a critical issue). Herein, the allegation is reviewed, and some of its implications are explicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the conclusion of the Stern Review that the cost of climate change could be as much as 20% of the global GDP. In this paper, I identify two major sources of variation in the estimates of the aggregate cost of climate change. One is the disagreement among the AOGCM models on the magnitude of climate change, and the other is the divergence among the economic models on how harmful these changes will be to the economy. The main conclusion of this paper is that only under the alarmist approach—which assumes both the most severe climate change and the most extreme estimate of climate change damage to the economy—we can be convinced that the cost of climate change is close to 20% of the global GDP in 2100. In most other cases, the cost will be under 1% of the global GDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global living standards are currently undergoing a stage of growth; however, such improvement also brings some challenges. Global warming is the greatest threat to all living things and attracts more and more attention on a global scale due to the rapid development of economy. Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) are the common components of greenhouse gases, which contribute to the global warming. Mitigation technologies for these gas emissions are urgently needed in every industry for the aim of cleaner production. Traditional agriculture also contributes significantly to enhance the greenhouse gases emission. Composting is a novel and economic greenhouse gases mitigation strategy compared to other technologies in terms of the organic waste disposal. Some of the European countries showed an increase of more than 50% in the composting rate. The microbial respiration, nitrification and denitrification processes, and the generation of anaerobic condition makes the emission of greenhouse gases inevitable during composting. However, although there have been a lot of papers that focused on the reduction of greenhouse gases emission in composting, none of these has summarized the methods of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases during the composting. This review discusses the benefit of composting in greenhouse gases mitigation in the organic waste management and the current methods to improve mitigation efficiency during cleaner composting. Key physical, chemical, and biological parameters related to greenhouse gases mitigation strategies were precisely studied to give a deep understanding about the emission of greenhouse gases during cleaner composting. Furthermore, the mechanism of greenhouse gases emission mitigation strategies for cleaner composting based on various external measures would be helpful for the exploration of novel and effective mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings' CO2-related indicators are essential in checking negative effects of global warming on the environment. They are required in Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) to promote low-carbon development. Most of Asian GBRS consider CO2-related evaluations. In China, Assessment Standard for Green Buildings (ASGB) includes CO2-related indicators; however, the standard lacks the necessary specification for quantisation and compulsory requirements for evaluation. There is a lack of research regarding its updated version, ASGB-2019. The objective of this paper is to propose a framework of CO2-related indicators in ASGB-2019, compared with Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) and Green Building Evaluation Manual (EEWH). CO2-related indicators were compared in terms of structure, weights, evaluation and calculation methods. CO2-related indicators cover the first and second level indexes and are included in direct and indirect evaluation in all three GBRS. While scopes of CO2-related indicators are different among these three GBRS, weights from large to small are EEWH, CASBEE and ASGB. CASBEE and EEWH would give more importance to CO2-related calculation than ASGB. The proposed framework will guide CO2-related evaluations in ASGB-2019 by combining qualitative and quantitative methods. For ASGB-2019, the scope of CO2-related indicators should be broadened to include the Required and Encouragement indicators, the weights could be around 50% for broad scope and 16% for narrow scope. The CO2 emissions calculation should be an indispensable indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses recent energy intensity trends for 40 major economies using a structural decomposition analysis. Our focus lies on the question whether improvements in energy intensity were caused by structural change towards a greener economy or by technological improvements. We account for intersectoral trade by using the World Input-Output database and adjust sectoral energy use via the environmentally extended input-output analysis. We find strong differences between consumption and production-based energy consumption across sectors, particularly in the construction and electricity industry. Using the three factor Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index method, our decomposition analysis shows that recent energy intensity reductions were mostly driven by technological advances. Structural changes within countries played only a minor role, whereas international trade by itself even increased global energy intensity. Compared to a previous study only using production-based sectoral energy data, we find structural effects on energy intensity reductions to be systematically weaker under consumption-based data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2000 a panel of the U.S. National Research Council in a report with the same title suggested, among other things, that a "substantial disparity remains" between the observed warming rates of the surface and troposphere. Also, in 2000, the climate models showed more warming of the tropical atmosphere than was observed. Many papers have been written since then. We discuss the most recent papers on this subject and using the latest data show that the differences remain unresolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the pressing current global problem of the sudden price rise in food grains all over the world which is unprecedented. This has mainly arisen from use of food crops such as corn, sugar cane etc as bio-fuels. This paper suggests use of solar energy which is not only widely abundant, it also does not cause global warming, a harmful effect due to the combustion of fuels whether bio-fuels or fossil. This paper also suggests use of other forms of vehicles which are far more economical to use. In addition, this paper shows results of an efficient process of conversion of solar energy into useful forms; this process is the solar tracking process. If used world wide, one would obtain about 36% more energy whose cost is touching the sky these days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change caused by global warming, and the growing scarcity of nonrenewable energy sources, have driven Pakistan to shift from a traditional energy consumption pattern to a renewable-energy-use pattern. The per capita energy consumption in rural Pakistan is very low, especially in rural areas heavily relying on traditional energy sources. This paper presents the extent of biogas technology adoption by Pakistani rural households and the factors affecting their decision to adopt the technology in three selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The data were collected by interviewing 480 respondents by using a pretested and designed questionnaire. The results show that the household adoption rate of biogas technologies is low. The factors affecting the adoption decision of households included household income, access to credit, cultivated land area, the number of cattle in the household, education, and family size. The study also found fundamental barriers to the household adoption of biogas technologies, such as a lack of proper technical services by implementing organizations and insufficient governmental support. The authors make recommendations based on the findings to increase the adoption rate of biogas technologies in rural Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide emissions abatement in a group of countries can result in increased emissions in non-abating countries. This effect has been referred to as carbon leakage. The Kyoto Protocol calls for a number of industrialized countries to limit their emissions while other countries have no abatement commitments. This paper assesses the sectoral and regional determinants of the leakage in a static multi-sector, multi-regional computable general equilibrium model. In baseline estimates based on our model, the Kyoto Protocol leads to a carbon leakage rate of 10 percent. A decomposition technique is applied which attributes increases in CO[sub 2] emissions by non-participating countries to specific sectors in the abating countries. This information is important for the debate on the tax exemptions for certain industries in the participating countries as it provides information for the most- and least-leakage contributing sectors of the economy. Additional calculations indicate the need for caution in the carbon tax design. Exemptions of any sector from a carbon tax are not justified because they lower welfare in a region. The degree of sectoral and regional data disaggregation, and international capital mobility do not change the leakage rate significantly. Fossil-fuel supply elasticities and trade substitution elasticities are crucial determinants for projecting the total Worm emissions of CO[sub 2]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to radical reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, large-scale removal of anthropogenic CO2 will be required to mitigate the impacts of global warming. However, many greenhouse gas removal (GGR) methods remain at a nascent stage of development. A case study was carried out on the application of the collective intelligence (CI) model to the UK GGR sector and the need to scale up and accelerate development in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way. Through systems mapping, thematic analysis, workshops and semi-structured interviews, a rich dataset was formed on the existing level of and potential for CI within the UK GGR ecosystem. It was found that implementing CI thinking could address the need for increasing the visibility of the system and its workings to participants and the public. This would contribute to the formation of coherent, shared vision for the role of GGR in the UK's net zero strategy. It is proposed that these risks could be mitigated by creating a publicly accessible 'commons' to visualise the UK GGR ecosystem process, dynamics, components, and goals, allowing innovation policy to be more responsive to innovator and net zero policy needs. Increasing ecosystem awareness could lay the foundations for sharing of information, promotion of a more collective culture, and increased transparency and accountability, all of which are critical building blocks in establishing a robust GGR sector for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically reflects on the research portfolio by the ecological economist Clive Spash who has helped pinpoint specific and systemic blindspots in a political-economic system that prioritises myopic development trajectories divorced from ecological reality. Drawing on his published work and collaborations it seeks to make sense of the slow, or absent, progress in averting global warming and ecological destruction. Three strands of key concern and influence are identified and discussed with reference to their orientation and explicit expression regarding Ontology, Epistemology and Axiology. Some complementary points about indeterminacy and holism are presented to further strengthen the arguments for a transition towards a social-ecological economic system that puts values and principles back into focus. While Clive Spash's work has made a strong case within the economic community and appealing to ecology professionals, the value-myopia or value-vacuum has to be tackled across all disciplines, politics and society for a meaningful and urgently required transformation in decision making. Hence, the article finishes with some suggestions for the (higher) education system, and highlights the importance of simplicity and sufficiency, as well as strong sustainability-driven citizen and community action as necessary catalysts of change in this social-ecological transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Report: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) set a goal global warming of 1.5°C on global temperature change. Extreme climate changes have increased the demand for electricity consumption by people and enterprises. In fact, China's total power generation in 2019 exceeded 25% of the world's amount, and its thermal power generation accounted for more than 70%. Although past research on electricity efficiency seldom discusses the issue of climate change, the topic still remains important. This research thus considers extreme temperature days (climate change variable) as exogenous variable and uses the Two-Stage Meta Under exogenous undesirable EBM model to examine power efficiency in China. The results are as follows. (1) In the west only Qinghai's GDP, CO2, PM2.5, and electricity consumption have technology gap ratio (TGR) efficiency values of 1 in the 5 years. (2) China's electricity consumption has the same trend with the TGR efficiency of CO2 and is higher than PM2.5. (3) The national overall efficiency, meta overall efficiency, and TGR overall efficiency are the worst in China's west region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present millennium records the most devastating effects of global warming than what was evident in the pre-industrial era. The pervasive effects of global warming have raised concerns about the sustainability of the present and future generations. Hence, researchers are working assiduously towards proffering the most effective method of halting the surging emissions from global, regional, and national angles. This study contributes to the extant literature by providing the first empirical verification of how renewable energy, technological innovations, trade openness, and transport services impact carbon emissions in Germany. The empirical evidence is anchored on annual time series data from 1990 to 2020 estimated using the novel nonlinear ARDL to explore the positive and negative shocks associated with the short and long-run nexus. The wavelet coherence estimator is equally for ascertaining the multiple time scales in the time series and extends the knowledge frontier to the literature. The following findings are eminent from the overall analyses. First, long-run cointegration is supported among the variables of interest Second, only the adverse effects of renewable energy and technology are substantial enough to mitigate carbon emissions. The trade-induced emissions are established with the positive impacts of trade openness on carbon emissions. Transport services contribute significantly to carbon emissions in the long-run and short-run periods. However, mitigating effects of small magnitude are apparent in the long-run due to the perceived transition to green transportation. Policy implications supporting the transition to 100% renewable energy and green transportation are significant steps towards achieving Germany's carbon neutrality target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The validity of the manmade global warming alarm requires the support of scientific forecasts of (1) a substantive long-term rise in global mean temperatures in the absence of regulations, (2) serious net harmful effects due to global warming, and (3) cost-effective regulations that would produce net beneficial effects versus alternatives policies, including doing nothing. Without scientific forecasts for all three aspects of the alarm, there is no scientific basis to enact regulations. In effect, the warming alarm is like a three-legged stool: each leg needs to be strong. Despite repeated appeals to global warming alarmists, we have been unable to find scientific forecasts for any of the three legs. We drew upon scientific (evidence-based) forecasting principles to audit the forecasting procedures used to forecast global mean temperatures by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - leg "1" of the stool. This audit found that the IPCC procedures violated 81% of the 89 relevant forecasting principles. We also audited forecasting procedures, used in two papers, that were written to support regulation regarding the protection of polar bears from global warming - leg "3" of the stool. On average, the forecasting procedures violated 85% of the 90 relevant principles. The warming alarmists have not demonstrated the predictive validity of their procedures. Instead, their argument for predictive validity is based on their claim that nearly all scientists agree with the forecasts. This count of "votes" by scientists is not only an incorrect tally of scientific opinion, it is also, and most importantly, contrary to the scientific method. We conducted a validation test of the IPCC forecasts that were based on the assumption that there would be no regulations. The errors for the IPCC model long-term forecasts (for 91 to 100 years in the future) were 12.6 times larger than those from an evidence-based "no change" model. Based on our own analyses and the documented unscientific behavior of global warming alarmists, we concluded that the global warming alarm is the product of an anti-scientific political movement. Having come to this conclusion, we turned to the "structured analogies" method to forecast the likely outcomes of the warming alarmist movement. In our ongoing study we have, to date, identified 26 similar historical alarmist movements. None of the forecasts behind the analogous alarms proved correct. Twenty-five alarms involved calls for government intervention and the government imposed regulations in 23. None of the 23 interventions was effective and harm was caused by 20 of them. Our findings on the scientific evidence related to global warming forecasts lead to the following recommendations:1. End government funding for climate change research.2. End government funding for research predicated on global warming (e.g., alternative energy; CO2 reduction; habitat loss).3. End government programs and repeal regulations predicated on global warming.4. End government support for organizations that lobby or campaign predicated on global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the IPCC SRES scenarios against fossil fuel depletion models and proposes attainable carbon emissions trajectories. The contemporary carbon feedback cycle is then evaluated in light of recent studies and attainable carbon emissions. In light of deficiencies in the contemporary carbon feedback cycle, a parametric carbon feedback model is constructed that is consistent with empirical evidence. A radiative feedback model, that overestimates transient response when used in conjunction with equilibrium climate sensitivity, is then used in sensitivity studies to calculate the range of plausible global warming responses. The model predicts a maximum atmospheric concentration of CO2 in the range of 500-560ppm and a maximum global mean surface temperature increase of 1.5-2°C relative to year 2000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the monthly instrumental temperature records from 5 stations in the northern hemisphere, each of which are reliable, local and well over 200 years in length, as well as two reconstructed long-range yearly records - from a stalagmite near Innsbruck and from tree rings in the northern hemisphere that are about 2000 years long. In the instrumental records, the steepest fall in 100-year linear regression lines happened in the 19th century and the steepest rise in the 20th century, both events being of about the same magnitude. Evaluation by fluctuation analysis (FA) and detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) revealed that both the 19th century fall and the 20th century rise have very small natural probabilities and must therefore be trends caused by external forcings. In contrast to this, the reconstructed records show far steeper 100-year rises and falls as quite common during the last 2000 years. Consequently, their DFA evaluation revealed far greater Hurst exponents. These results contradict the hypothesis of an unusual (anthropogenic) global warming during the 20th century. The cause of the different Hurst exponents for the instrumental and the reconstructed temperature records is not known. As a speculative hypothesis, the sun's magnetic field, which is correlated with sunspot numbers, could be put forward as an explanation. The long-term low-frequency fluctuations in sunspot numbers are not detectable by FA/DFA in the monthly instrumental records, resulting in low Hurst exponents. The same does not hold true for the 2000-year-long reconstructed records, which explains both their higher Hurst exponents and the higher probabilities of strong 100-year temperature fluctuations being quite common. A long-term synthetic record that embodies the reconstructed sunspot number fluctuations includes the different Hurst exponents of both the instrumental and the reconstructed records and, therefore, corroborates the conjecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including global warming, environmental regulation, and greenhouse effect.

An examination of long-term historic temperature records shows that they conform closely to a Normal frequency distribution curve. The frequency of high temperatures has remained the same both before and after the advent of anthropogenic CO2 in the mid 19th century. The present high temperatures are therefore in all probability another warm temperature cycle which is confirmed by a fall in 2007 and 2008 annual temperatures. This paper also describes how frequency distribution can be employed for monitoring whether climate change is occurring or there is a continuing cycle of high and low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pressure to prove that anthropogenic global warming is real, and happening now has become so strong, that in spite of major and irresolvable uncertainties in climate models, there is a daily renewal and re-inforcement of the idea of scientific certainty in the mainstream media. Whilst uncertainties are often acknowledged in the body of scientific reports, they are rarely seen in press releases and executive summaries. This paper examines how an almost mass acceptance of imminent and potentially catastrophic global warming by politicians, the media and the public, has come about and highlights the role of various UK agencies such as the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and the Met Office in producing this result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shared challenges can bring out the best in people, but they can also do the opposite. Global climate change is an archetypal shared challenge for humanity, and although the threat has inspired a substantial amount of international co-operation, efforts to moderate it have already proven divisive. These divisions go beyond economically-driven haggling over who must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by what amount. Attempts to mitigate human civilisation's effects on the climate raise questions of political principle. Moreover, these questions have the specific potential to mobilise certain states and quasi-states against certain other ones, and this has implications for the field of security studies. Thus, climate change threatens to revive ideological dispute among armed, organised economically-developed societies. Although the idea of a world war over carbon remains far-fetched, the parallels with the international politics of the mid-20th century are disturbing. Policymakers would be wise to take the political questions of climate change more seriously than they appear to have done in the past. Scholars may note that disputes over global warming challenge influential models of contemporary global politics. This paper explores the reasons why controversies over climate policy are likely to prove particularly divisive in international politics. The first section discusses the relative ideological consensus that has prevailed among developed societies since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Even pessimistic theorists initially took this consensus for granted. As of 2005, however, this consensus is stretched thin on numerous issues. One of these issues is climate policy. A second section of this paper discusses the stakes in the climate debate, suggesting that this dispute is likely to be a particularly important one. The third section notes that attempts to limit global carbon dioxide emissions raise questions about citizens' relationships to each other and to the state. Historically, such questions have raised issues of principle. These issues have had moral and emotional implications that run far beyond the material issues involved. Many nations, notably the US, have resolved these issues by adopting the political system known as republicanism. A fourth section discusses the concept of a republic and the problems it presents for those who wish to develop an international policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The fifth section notes that a broad, if informal, movement in early 21st century politics directly challenges republicanism. Debates over climate policy have already served to deepen this division. A conclusion sums up the paper's findings and reflects on their implications. Future work in the field of security studies will need to address the potential friction between republican and anti-republican political entities, and this paper highlights one of the forms this friction may take. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a non-technical examination of some aspects of global warming that are generally neglected in the academic economics literature. The discussion features several basic issues considered by Goodstein (2004) in his short and easily read book, and particularly the serious consequences that might result from a peaking of the global oil output. The same topic is considered to a lesser extent in my energy economics textbook (2000). In addition I have emphasized that, as David Victor (2001) makes clear, the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol are meaningless unless emissions trading is effective. A key argument here is that since exchange-based financial instruments have been unsatisfactory in the electricity markets, to include those associated with the Nordic Electricity Exchange (Nordpool), it could happen that the trading of exchange-based emission permits will also be ineffectual: for example, the emissions trading program broached by the European Union is likely to result in serious problems for the electricity-intensive industries of countries like Sweden, since one result of that program is that a large increase in electricity prices may be unavoidable. Furthermore, it may also be the true that even if there is no man-made component of global warming, the curtailing of greenhouse gas emissions (by e.g. reducing the use of fossil fuels, and increasing energy efficiencies) could result in sizable economic and social gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have shown that fuel demand is quite elastic and that the best way to reduce fuel use (to tackle climate issues) is by taxing fuel. Yet it seems almost impossible to do so, particularly in those countries with low prices and high demand, The purpose of this paper is to cast light on the difficulties of raising gasoline taxes by analyzing the determinants of gasoline taxation. We believe that one of the reasons for the difficulties is that political pressure influences the political decisions regarding taxation of gasoline consumption. Not only do low taxes and thus low prices encourage high consumption, but high levels of consumption also lead to considerable pressure against raising the taxes. Our findings also point to the significance of other factors such as government debt (a higher debt leads to a higher gasoline tax rate). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates that global warming can be explained without recourse to the greenhouse theory. This explanation is based on a simple model of the Earth's climate system consisting of three layers: the surface, a lower and an upper atmospheric layer. The distinction between the atmospheric layers rests on the assumption that the latent heat from the surface is set free in the lower atmospheric layer only. The varying solar irradiation constitutes the sole input driving the changes in the system's energy transfers. All variations in the energy exchanges can be expressed in terms of the temperature variations of the layers by means of an energy transfer matrix. It turns out that the latent heat transfer as a function of the temperatures of the surface and the lower layer makes this matrix next to singular. The near singularity reveals a considerable negative feedback in the model which can be identified as the 'Klimaverstärker' presumed by Vahrenholt and Lüning. By a suitable, yet realistic choice of the parameters appearing in the energy transfer matrix and of the effective heat capacities of the layers, the model reproduces the global warming: the calculated trend in the surface temperature agrees well with the observational data from AD 1750 up to AD 2000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming (GW) refers to the gradual increase in Earth's average surface temperature caused by human activities. This phenomenon has far-reaching consequences that affect the environment, society, and economy and has created a multitude of challenges for the wine industry, affecting grape cultivation, wine production, aging, and quality management. To analyze the negative impact of GWon the wine industry and to examine the equilibrium that maximizes welfare and profit in the face of climate change. A mathematical model that considers the various stages of wine production to examine the wine industry's equilibrium that maximizes welfare and profit. Global warming impacts the wine industry's equilibrium, causing measurable distortions and an inefficient market solution. However, our analysis also indicates that adaptation to GW is possible by adopting and adjusting new agricultural practices. Our findings suggest that GW has a notable negative impact on the wine industry. Winemakers should consider adapting their agricultural practices. In addition, policymakers need to take action to mitigate the effects of climate change on the wine industry. Policymakers should promote the adoption of renewable energy sources and sustainable farming practices in the wine industry and provide financial incentives and regulatory support to maximize welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the recognition that questions of discourse and power are vital components in analysing the public participation in environmental governance, this paper examines the ways in which dominant scientific discourses about the Earth's climate inform the types of public talk facilitated in and by minipublics, particularly when they are 'scaled up' to address environmental issues such as climate change. World Wide Views on Global Warming (WWViews) serves as a case study. Conceived and organised by the Danish Board of Technology, WWViews was a historically unprecedented public forum in which participants, invited from a range of nations, were given the opportunity to deliberate on key themes addressed in the negotiations taking place during the United Nations Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen (COP 15). The overarching purpose of this analysis is to invite reflection on the practices and assumptions that serve to make up publics in relation to issues that have been framed, predominantly, as scientific, universal and global. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arguments put forth in favor of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) are frequently lacking in objectivity due to the use of imprecise terms and unwarranted extrapolations. A salient characteristic of such arguments is, moreover, the seemingly arbitrary attribution of causes to certain phenomena [Singer, 2012a]. As a result, such arguments run counter to the reasoning that is a hallmark of the scientific method. The purpose of this paper is to reason about some of those erroneous arguments in order to better inform people about pitfalls from a misuse of the scientific method in arguments about AGW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is among the most pressing problems of our time, yet it remains a marginal topic in sociology. This study draws on citation network analysis, qualitative coding, and computational text analysis of articles published between 2015 and 2020 in select journals in U.S. elite sociology, environmental sociology, and science and technology studies (STS) to better understand differences and similarities in how these (sub)fields approach—or ignore—climate change. We map the structural relations of the research on climate change in these (sub)fields and analyze patterns in the substantive and theoretical engagement with the topic. Building on our analysis, we conclude by suggesting potential paths for stimulating further climate change research at the intersection of environmental sociology and STS and to propose tentative strategies for researchers to bring climate change into the sociological mainstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely believed that international cooperation can arise through strategies of reciprocity. In this paper, we investigate whether citizens in the United States and 25 other countries support reciprocity to deal with climate change. We find little public enthusiasm for intrinsic reciprocity, in which countries restrain their consumption of fossil fuels if and only if other countries do the same. In contrast, we find significant support for extrinsic reciprocity, in which countries enforce cooperation by linking issues. Citizens support economic sanctions against polluters and are willing to shame them in international forums, especially when the polluters are violating a treaty. Cooperation could, therefore, emerge from efforts to link climate with other issues and to embed climate commitments in international law. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In late 2009, e-mails from a server at the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia were released that showed some climate scientists in an unfavorable light. Soon this scandal was known as “Climategate” and a highly charged debate started to rage on blogs and in the mass media. Much of the debate has been about the question whether anthropogenic global warming was undermined by the revelations. But ethical issues, too, became part and parcel of the debate. This article aims to contribute to this debate, assessing the e-mail affair in the light of two normative analyses of science, one proposed by Robert Merton (and developed further by some of his followers), the second by a recent suggestion to use the concept of honest brokering in science policy interactions. On the basis of these analyses, different aspects of malpractice will be discussed and possible solutions will be suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I investigate the ethical problem of mitigation of climate change, to the extent this change is caused by animal production. First, I give an overview of various views of the nature and scale of the impact of animal production on climate change: the life cycle model, the complex impact model and the additional emissions model. Second, I analyse various approaches to mitigation of climate change to the extent it is caused by animal production, such as different technological solutions and more or less radical proposals for reduction of livestock numbers. Third, I carry out a preliminary investigation of ethical aspects to be taken into consideration in assessing the mitigation approaches: intergenerational justice, intragenerational justice, animal welfare, potential, and feasibility. Finally, I propose a kind of 'contraction and convergence' policy, i.e., a policy of reducing meat consumption to a certain level in developed countries while allowing people in developing countries to increase their consumption up to this level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a claim that, by the end of this century, Australian coastal communities will experience rising sea levels of up to more than 1 metre because of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions causing global warming. This is the major argument supporting the Australia's Carbon Tax set to become law early next year. Under this legislation, 500 large Industrial manufacturers who emit carbon dioxide will be compelled to pay, from profitable income, for every tonne of carbon dioxide. Most of these emitters are electrical power generation and mining companies and heavy industry manufacturers. To compensate households for projected rising costs, due to the increased taxing pricing caused by this Carbon Tax, the government will cut income tax for smaller industries, boost payments to pensioners and offer various lump sum payments to small companies. This Australian scheme covers approximately 60% of Australia's emissions, making it the most broad-based scheme presented to the world. This carbon pricing will affectively apply to the 22.6 million Australians (2011) living in a 7,682,300 square kilometres country which is a relatively small number, proportional to the 7 billion people worldwide. The paper shows that locally and globally measured data, collected over short and long time scales, prove that the claim of sea level sharply accelerating is false. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential harms associated with global climate change demand an urgent response. But at the same time, the nature and extent of both the problem and our proper response to it are continually contested, within the academic community and wider society. What should be the ethical import of this disagreement? In this paper I set out John Rawls' theory of reasonable disagreement as a way of analysing such contestation. On Rawls' account, reasonable disagreement is founded in diversity rather than straightforward error. I argue that many aspects of the scientific and ethical debate on climate change can be usefully viewed from within such a perspective. This raises, I suggest, serious problems fordeciding what the human response to global warming must be. Lastly, I survey two responses which might be thought to cope with such pervasive disagreement. Neither, however, is clearly effective. In my conclusion I suggest that reasonable disagreement might be tackled best in a model of deliberative democracy. Such a model, however, does not generate easy answers to the problems of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are concerns about the impact that global warming will have on our environment, and which will inevitably result in expanding deserts and rising water levels. While a lot of underwater vehicles are utilized, AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) were considered and chosen, as the most suitable tool for conduction survey concerning these global environmental problems. AUVs can comprehensive survey because the vehicle does not have to be connected to the support vessel by tether cable. When such underwater vehicles are made, it is necessary to consider about the following things. 1) Seawater and Water Pressure Environment, 2) Sink, 3) There are no Gas or Battery Charge Stations, 4) Global Positioning System cannot use, 5) Radio waves cannot use. In the paper, outline of above and how deal about it are explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea Level Rise (SLR) in response to the present and future warming of the earth's surface is probably the most contentious issue being debated at present. This brief commentary surveys the most recent literature on ongoing SLR and on the major factors contributing to future rise. It is concluded that the best guess value of SLR for the next 100 years is a relatively modest 23 cm +/- 5 cm which poses little threat to coastal areas of the world either at present or in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of greenhouse gases (to which CO2 contributes over 60%) to stop global warming is now a major priority for governments around the world. One approach, described in this paper, concerns the ''clean energy'' or ''zero-emission'' technologies. An original concept of a semi-closed zero emission ion transport membrane oxygen power (ZEITMOP) cycle is being developed. It can be compared to other research initiatives such as clean energy systems and zero-emission natural gas, as a response to the wellrecognised challenges. As an answer to the crucial question of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions we propose new zero-emission fuel-fired power plants and boiler houses (''ZEITMOP Boiler & Air Cooler'' and ''Zero Emission Membrane Smokeless Heating''). Zero-emission co-generation of power and heat allows such plants to be located in densely populated areas close to the consumer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States Environmental Protection Agency is working to improve all aspects of the environment, as are other agencies around the globe. The use of more environmental friendly products will help to control the increasing issues related to the health of our planet. Reduced consumption of natural resources and use of processes that are environmentally friendly will, reduce the need for landfills, improve air and water quality, and fight pollution and global warming. Improved environment control will be accomplished by a combination of legislation and economics. Demand for low cost high quality products, often conflict with the need for improved environmental control, therefore a balance is required. The use of injection moulding simulation and process optimisation products have been shown to reduce material consumption, reduce production scrap, assist in recycling existing materials, create better quality products that have a prolonged life and reduce energy consumption required during the manufacturing process. This paper will provide an overview of aspects where injection moulding simulation has helped to design environmentally friendly products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]