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Abstract The main goal in this paper is to supply a national load by multiple renewable power connections to utility grid at different geographic locations. The national load demand of the country of Jordan is supplied in this case study by finding the optimal configurations and locations (near cities). Cities of higher potential for wind and/or photovoltaic (PV) energy location are selected for connecting to renewable power. The annual system cost of energy (ASCE) for this optimized renewable energy system is shown to be 32.57% less than the conventional grid energy price. Further, the Carbon Dioxide (CO 2) emissions are reduced by 80.13%. These are excellent indications for the feasibility and environmental benefits of retrofitting conventional grid with renewable power in developing countries. Multi-figure of merits (MFOM) based on a Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithms (NSGA) optimization cases are investigated which include annual emission indicator (AEI), ASCE, levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and renewable penetration (RP). Results are either two dimensions (2D) or three dimensions (3D) Pareto frontier, where various competitive non-dominant solutions exist. A sweet spot selection (triple-S) procedure is proposed to help select the best point in the two (figure of merits) FOMs Pareto frontier to have both environmental and feasible solutions. Highlights • The contributions of this paper are multi-point connection to a national grid, holistic definition and modeling of the engineering and financial problems, optimal design tool solutions to the multi-point connection problem definition and model, suggesting this as a case study of the concept of "local solutions for a global problem." Such a holistic approach is recommended especially in the developing countries. • The importance of moving toward sustainable energy stems from global climate change and the need to provide access to affordable energy to all of humanity. The ultimate goal is to satisfy a country's national load demand by establishing multiple utility grid connections to various geographic locations of high wind or solar energy resources. This is done by building a new optimization design tool which investigates economic feasibility and environmental impacts. Then, Single figure of merit and multi-figure of merits optimizations have been investigated. • A mathematical modeling is developed for each component, and the optimal configuration is determined for each city. The annual system cost of energy (ASCE) is optimized to be 32.57% less than grid energy price, and the CO 2 emissions (AEI) are reduced by 80.13%. These are excellent indications for the economic feasibility and the environmental benefits of the designed system. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE), total net present cost, renewable penetration (RP) and AEI are 0.058212 $/kWh, $8.713857 billion, 59.49817% and 4.576 Megatonne/year respectively. • A new equation to calculate the salvage cost has been developed in this paper. Moreover, a new procedure in a multi-optimization problem was developed in this paper, which is the Sweet Spot Selection (triple-S) procedure. It is developed to help select the sweet point in the two FOMs Pareto frontier to have both environmental and economic feasible solutions. • Multi-figure of merits (MFOM) optimization cases based on a non-sorting genetic algorithm are investigated such as: AEI vs. ASCE, AEI vs. LCOE, AEI vs. RP and (RP, LCOE, AEI). The MFOM optimization results are either 2D or 3D Pareto frontier, where exists various competitive non-dominant solutions. The sweet spot selection (triple-S) procedure is proposed to help select the sweet spot in the two figure of merits Pareto frontier in order to have both environmental and feasible solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid agricultural development and mechanization of agronomic diligence has led to a significant growth in energy consumption and CO2 emission. Agriculture has a dominant contribution to boosting the economy of any country. In this paper, we demonstrate carbon dioxide emissions' association with cropped area, energy use, fertilizer offtake, gross domestic product per capita, improved seed distribution, total food grains and water availability in Pakistan for the period of 1987-2017. We employed Augmented Dickey-Fuller and Phillips-Perron unit root tests to examine the variables' stationarity. An autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing technique to cointegration was applied to demonstrate the causality linkage among study variables from the evidence of long-run and short-run analyses. The long-run evidence reveals that cropped area, energy usage, fertilizer offtake, gross domestic product per capita and water availability have a positive and significant association with carbon dioxide emissions, while the analysis results of improved seed distribution and total food grains have a negative association with carbon dioxide emissions in Pakistan. Overall, the long-run effects are stronger than the short-run dynamics, in terms of the impact of explanatory variables on carbon dioxide emission, thus making the findings heterogeneous. Possible initiatives should be taken by the government of Pakistan to improve the agriculture sector and also introduce new policies to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change, especially global warming, has caused widespread concern in the international community. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) produced by human activities, are the main cause of global warming. According to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), agriculture is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions, so reduction of such emissions is of great significance to global climate change. There are many driving factors affecting agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. These factors are interrelated and interact with each other, so the mechanism of action is complicated. In this paper, first, the driving factors of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and emission sources are introduced. Second, the factors influencing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions are analyzed and summarized. Third, to clarify the factors influencing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, measures and countermeasures for reducing greenhouse gas emission are proposed, discussed, and compared. Finally, action mechanisms, action pathways, and long‐term reduction measures for agricultural greenhouse gases are described. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Over the past few decades, climate change has become a significant problem, the ramifications of which are of concern around the world. Global warming is a long-term process caused by phenomena such as increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO 2) concentration in the atmosphere, increases in rainfall, changes in relative humidity and changes in temperature. Thus, this will aggravate the degradation process of reinforced concrete (RC) structures, leading to the decrease of durability, safety and serviceability. Regarding the durability of concrete structures, carbonation-induced corrosion is definitely a significant and costly source of degradation, directly related to climatic parameters such as CO 2 , temperature and relative humidity. In Paraguay, the lack of control during the construction of buildings often leads to weak structures highly vulnerable to the attack of harmful external agents. Therefore, this paper seeks to provide an analysis of the correlation between real degradation data and a numerical carbonation model for concrete structures in the country. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, climatic parameters will increase in the future. For this reason, an analysis of the decreasing performance of these structures caused by climate change will be addressed in this paper. This research aims to choose the most accurate mathematical model that can be applied in Paraguay for the prediction of the service life of concrete structures subjected to carbonation-induced corrosion. For that purpose, parameters and variables of the selected model have been defined and subsequently validated through carbonation tests results carried out in a set of RC structures built in the country. The results of this paper should be considered as a first stage for the further formulation of maintenance strategies, which is highly necessary for Paraguay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defining an internationally equitable distribution of the burdens of reducing greenhouse gases has been one of core concerns for as long as climate policies have been debated. This paper suggests the specific formulae and indicators for four equity principles for international climate policy including the ability to pay, egalitarianism, grandfathering, and historical responsibility. We introduce the carbon trading scheme into the integrated assessment model to assess and compare the global climate policies which are based on the four principles. To be specific, the regional emission caps are determined by the four equity principles, and all regions are allowed to buy and sell permits. Results show that none of the four equity principles creates a burden sharing arrangement that completely equalizes the benefits of each nation. To be specific, grandfathering is more beneficial to developed countries, while historical responsibility benefits developing countries more. From the global perspective, the global cumulative output of the grandfathering is 8% higher than that of the historical responsibility. In addition, international cooperation on climate change mitigation is necessary, because if individual nations undertake policies which are in their national self-interests, global cumulative CO2 emission will be over two times as much as that in cooperative scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) typically track the material and energy cycles in ecosystems with finite plant functional types (PFTs). Increasingly, the community ecology and modelling studies recognize that current PFT scheme is not sufficient for simulating ecological processes. Recent advances in the study of plant functional traits (FTs) in community ecology provide a novel and feasible approach for the improvement of PFT-based DGVMs. This paper reviews the development of current DGVMs over recent decades. After characterizing the advantages and disadvantages of the PFT-based scheme, it summarizes trait-based theories and discusses the possibility of incorporating FTs into DGVMs. More importantly, this paper summarizes three strategies for constructing next-generation DGVMs with FTs. Finally, the method’s limitations, current challenges and future research directions for FT theory are discussed for FT theory. We strongly recommend the inclusion of several FTs, namely specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), carbon isotope composition of leaves (Leaf δ13C), the ratio between leaf-internal and ambient mole fractions of CO2 (Leaf Ci/Ca), seed mass and plant height. These are identified as the most important in constructing DGVMs based on FTs, which are also recognized as important ecological strategies for plants. The integration of FTs into dynamic vegetation models is a critical step towards improving the results of DGVM simulations; communication and cooperation among ecologists and modellers is equally important for the development of the next generation of DGVMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverse impact of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) over the landscape of environment is generally believed in literature. As CO2 emission acutely leads to GHGs is a major contributor for global warming, it creates a serious pressure on natural resources and ecological settings. Similarly, low-carbon (CO2) economy, plenty of energy resources, and sustainable growth are a big ask for worldwide economies in this era of mechanization. This paper analyzes the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, for Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) economies, to contend the role of mega projects in BRI as an attribute for ecological detriments. The on-hand study engages fresh data information ranging from 1981 to 2016 holding with heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence as a special deliberation. The calculated outcomes expose that, mean group estimator provides strong evidence and favor the existence of EKC approximately in every region. The long-run influence is measured by pooled mean group estimators, which shows significant outcomes in every region; additionally, the EKC hypothesis affirmed in the long run especially for developed economies. Mega projects, i.e., BRI requisite immense energy sources to accomplishing the enclosed projects efficiently and effectively. The positive association between carbon emission and energy consumption troubled the governments to make policies for restraining the magnitude of carbon emission and controls energy usage for enduring environment to its original position. Next, the valuations depicted the dense recommendations for state administrations in capacity of rigorous level supremacy, trash managing campaigns, renewable energy reliance, and advance for desirable judgments to sterilize the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide an overview of regional carbon fluxes and budgets in the marginal seas adjacent to China. The “China Seas” includes primarily the South China Sea, East China Sea, Yellow Sea, and the Bohai Sea. Emphasis is given to CO2 fluxes across the air-sea interface and their controls. The net flux of CO2 degassing from the China Seas is estimated to be 9.5±53 Tg C yr−1. The total riverine carbon flux through estuaries to the China Seas is estimated as 59.6±6.4 Tg C yr−1. Chinese estuaries annually emit 0.74±0.02 Tg C as CO2 to the atmosphere. Additionally, there is a very large net carbon influx from the Western Pacific to the China Seas, amounting to ∼2.5 Pg C yr−1. As a first-order estimate, the total export flux of particulate organic carbon from the upper ocean of the China Seas is 240±80 Tg C yr−1. This review also attempts to examine current knowledge gaps to promote a better understanding of the carbon cycle in this important region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is aimed at detecting CO2 emissions from heating process of households in Veľké Turovce. It offers solutions for 100 % and 20 % replacement of conventional fuels by solar collector systems. In the village, 242 households heat by natural gas during average length of 21 weeks a year. Average amount of energy consumed in heating process after conversion is 18,503.06 kWh per household. For 100 % replacement of natural gas, 63 units of vacuum tube solar collector type Watt CP C 9 are required. In average duration of 23 weeks a year, 12 households heat by brown coal with average consumption of 20,339.75 kWh. For complete replacement, 69 pieces of solar collectors are required. The remaining 18 households heat by firewood in average duration of 22 week a year. The consumption of one household represents in average 19,125.07 kWh. In this case, the replacement of 100 % of firewood energy requires 65 pieces of solar panels. The amounts of saved CO2 emissions by collector system replacing 100 % of natural gas represent 926,336.39 kg of CO2 for 242 households. For 12 households heated by brown coal, it represents 152,767.65 kg of saved CO2 emissions. Last but not least, 30,553.53 kg of CO2 represent the amount of saved CO2 emission for 18 households heating by firewood. Prices of collector systems in case of 100 % replacement of conventional fuels would be 37,111.45 € for natural gas, 40,356.79 € for brown coal, and 38,203.23 € in case of replacement of firewood [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synergistic governance of emission reduction between pollutants and CO2 (hereinafter referred to as synergistic governance) reflects China's proactive response to climate change and will become a central task in China's environmental governance over the next decade and beyond. Given this, this paper aims to systematically understand why synergistic governance is possible and what China has achieved in synergistic governance. In order to achieve these aims, this paper constructs a scientific indicator system based on synergistic governance theory and applies the composite system synergy model to assess the level of synergistic governance in China. The results show that China has made great progress in synergistic governance in the past decade, achieving a leaping development from mild non-synergy to moderate synergy. The achievement mainly comes from the efforts of nearly 1/3 of Chinese provinces in advancing synergistic governance, and the improvement direction of synergistic governance in these provinces is consistent with the national level, jumping from mild non-synergy to moderate synergy. However, the level of synergistic governance in some provinces has decreased rather than increased. It is worth noting that the widening gap in the level of synergistic governance within China's regions may become a vital factor that hinders the sustainable promotion of synergistic governance. This paper clarifies the operational logic of synergistic governance and provides a comprehensive evaluation method, which is beneficial to provide some references for other countries that intend to work on synergistic governance. • Theoretical explanation on synergistic governance from resource flow and energy flow. • A composite system synergy model for the synergistic governance is developed. • Spatial-temporal evolution of synergistic governance in Chinese regions is analyzed. • Widening differences will constrain the sustainability of synergistic governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Man is a researcher as well as a discoverer. Each time human being new dimensions in the comfort of mankind. But each new discovery and innovation side by side brings some ill effects on our environment. Today manmade activities are responsible for increasing the carbon foo the shift of our society from primitive agrarian economies to Carbon-Di-Oxide, Methane, Nitrous-oxides and other fluorinated Gases increased at a fast pace. These gases trap heat and are responsible for the global warming. Global warming leads to climate change and again which is responsible for the increase in carbon footprints. Both direct and indirect human activities are responsible for the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and electricity are our necessities but use of air conditioners at low temperature and unmindful use of other luxurious gadgets and technology are our greed which are a major source of beings must learn to live in harmony with their environment and should minimise their greed to conserve natural resources and maintain ecological balance so that all forms of life can sustain for a longer period of time mother earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy feedback is a widely used concept, but many who use it only focus on the positive and/or unintentional feedback effects of certain types of policy. The literature as a whole is therefore poorly equipped to make sense of the negative policy feedbacks that often appear in more regulatory areas such as climate change, where target groups are put under pressure to shoulder concentrated costs. Advocates of the 'new' policy design have an opportunity to address this gap by exploring how policy makers approach the design of policies that intentionally generate positive policy feedbacks and/or are resilient to negative ones. This paper contributes to that effort by identifying the conditions under which specific instrument designs are likely to have opportunity enhancing and/or constraining effects. It relates these expectations to a design situation where positive feedback seemed unlikely, and hence, the challenge of designing locked-in policies was correspondingly greater. It concludes by drawing on the findings of this exploratory case to investigate what the 'new' policy design can do better to explicate the temporal aspects of design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate negotiations have been going on for the last two decades and the awareness for impacts of climate change has improved substantially. However, the trends of global CO2 emissions did not reveal any encouraging signs, with developing countries emitting even more CO2 and industrialized nations showing no signs of reducing emissions to below their 1990 levels. In order to meet the ambitious targets set by the Stern report for the next two decades, it is important to find new and path-breaking approaches to climate change. This paper attempts to analyze the use of carbon/development space historically, at present and in the future with a focus on equity. Trends analysis focuses on the last two decades (Post Rio) and the carbon budget based analysis considers a period of 1850-2050. Industrialized countries are found to have significantly overshot their budgeted allocation for the last 160 years. Both the developing and industrialized countries are overshooting the present budget estimates based on world per capita budget for the next forty years and proportional to the population of each country. It is important for the industrialized countries to bring down their emissions to meet their carbon budgets while the developing countries use their development space as a guideline for their development path. Furthermore, this paper presents aggressive and regressive scenarios for the industrialized countries to compensate for the climate debt they have created. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change seems to have had a notable effect on the environment. Natural disasters such as flooding are occurring more frequently but the human effect on the built environment and transportation is the greatest single cause of greenhouse gas emissions. The construction industry consumes a large amount of energy and natural resources, especially in construction materials. Hence, action is needed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, increase recycling and the reuse of materials and reduce water consumption. In this paper, the negative effect of the construction industry on climate is examined and remedial actions are proposed. A review of construction-related effects on climate change and sustainable construction is followed by a presentation of the authors' research on low-carbon dioxide concrete. Some examples of actions taken in Algeria to mimimise the effects of the industry on climate through research and practice are given. This mainly includes the use of cement replacement materials, recycling and efficient utilisation of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Context: Projecting changes in forest productivity in Europe is crucial for adapting forest management to changing environmental conditions. • Aims: The objective of this paper is to project forest productivity changes under different climate change scenarios at a large number of sites in Europe with a stand-scale process-based model. • Methods: We applied the process-based forest growth model 4C at 132 typical forest sites of important European tree species in ten environmental zones using climate change scenarios from three different climate models and two different assumptions about CO effects on productivity. • Results: This paper shows that future forest productivity will be affected by climate change and that these effects depend strongly on the climate scenario used and the persistence of CO effects. We find that productivity increases in Northern Europe, increases or decreases in Central Europe, and decreases in Southern Europe. This geographical pattern is mirrored by the responses of the individual tree species. The productivity of Scots pine and Norway spruce, mostly located in central and northern Europe, increases while the productivity of Common beech and oak in southern regions decreases. It is important to note that we consider the physiological response to climate change excluding disturbances or management. • Conclusions: Different climate change scenarios and assumptions about the persistence of CO effects lead to uncertain projections of future forest productivity. These uncertainties need to be integrated into forest management planning and adaptation of forest management to climate change using adaptive management frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important cause of global warming, CO2 concentrations and their changes have aroused worldwide concern. Establishing explicit understanding of the spatial and temporal distributions of CO2 concentrations at regional scale is a crucial technical problem for climate change research. High accuracy surface modeling (HASM) is employed in this paper using the output of the CO2 concentrations from weather research and forecasting-chemistry (WRF-CHEM) as the driving fields, and the greenhouse gases observing satellite (GOSAT) retrieval XCO2 data as the accuracy control conditions to obtain high accuracy XCO2 fields. WRF-CHEM is an atmospheric chemical transport model designed for regional studies of CO2 concentrations. Verified by ground- and space-based observations, WRF-CHEM has a limited ability to simulate the conditions of CO2 concentrations. After conducting HASM, we obtain a higher accuracy distribution of the CO2 in North China than those calculated using the classical Kriging and inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation methods, which were often used in past studies. The cross-validation also shows that the averaging mean absolute error (MAE) of the results from HASM is 1.12 ppmv, and the averaging root mean square error (RMSE) is 1.41 ppmv, both of which are lower than those of the Kriging and IDW methods. This study also analyses the space-time distributions and variations of the XCO2 from the HASM results. This analysis shows that in February and March, there was the high value zone in the southern region of study area relating to heating in the winter and the dense population. The XCO2 concentration decreased by the end of the heating period and during the growing period of April and May, and only some relatively high value zones continued to exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) into value‐added chemicals is a promising strategy to reduce CO2 emission and mitigate climate change. One of the most serious problems in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2R) is the low solubility of CO2 in an aqueous electrolyte, which significantly limits the cathodic reaction rate. This paper proposes a facile method of catholyte‐free electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to avoid the solubility limitation using commercial tin nanoparticles as a cathode catalyst. Interestingly, as the reaction temperature rises from 303 K to 363 K, the partial current density (PCD) of formate improves more than two times with 52.9 mA cm−2, despite the decrease in CO2 solubility. Furthermore, a significantly high formate concentration of 41.5 g L−1 is obtained as a one‐path product at 343 K with high PCD (51.7 mA cm−2) and high Faradaic efficiency (93.3 %) via continuous operation in a full flow cell at a low cell voltage of 2.2 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world runs a serious risk of sliding into catastrophic climate change. It is to all practical purposes impossible to bring the emissions of greenhouse gases to a halt straight away. This article discusses a number of sources of uncertainty and the possibility of bias in climate forecasting. It identifies a specific approach towards rapid decarbonization combined with a systematic reduction in fossil fuel extraction: the manufacture of synthetic hydrocarbon compounds for use as fuel as well as plastics, using carbon dioxide from power stations and cement factories as feedstock during a transitional phase. Policymakers and even researchers working on renewable energy seem to be insufficiently aware of the potential of this mature chemical technology to reduce emissions. The paper also surveys several economic and managerial issues regarding the implementation of the transition to a world using only renewable energy, and provides some information concerning the latest state of the technology of renewable electricity generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the estimation of the sea-air CO2 flux based on a commonly used bulk formula in terms of the mean wind speed at the 10-meter (10-m) elevation above the sea surface. Results are exemplified by using data on long-term mean wind speed statistics from the North Sea, the North Atlantic, and the North West Shelf of Australia. The present method can be used to estimate and assess the sea-air CO2 flux based on e.g. global wave statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future predictions are imperative for environmental planning decisions as ecosystem changes take time to have an effect. In this paper, on the basis of a scenario approach to expose common frameworks and legitimacy, we quantitatively and qualitatively reviewed scientific papers to assess the future condition of ecosystem services. Of the 464 recent papers on biodiversity and ecosystem service changes, we extracted 106 papers by excluding papers that only examined climate change and/or carbon dioxide. Of the 106 papers, most used three scenarios to assess changes in from two to four ecosystem services over the next 20 to 30 years. Overall, not all of the scenarios were used in a predictive capacity, and of the ecosystem services examined, regulating and provisioning services were analyzed more frequently than cultural services. In practice, when using the outcomes of this scenario approach, either an administrative unit or a basin approach is an advisable scale for decision making. As a basin includes various micro ecosystems and various stakeholders, a participatory approach is the most favored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Climate change has been described as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. The atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, have increased significantly since the start of the Industrial Era around 1750, with much of this increase occurring over just the last 50 years or so. This is resulting in warming of the climate system as well as changes in precipitation and weather and climate extremes. These changes in climate are having wide‐ranging impacts on the Earth’s physical, biological and human systems, including human health. It is these impacts of climate change on human health that are the focus of this paper, particularly the impacts on allergens and allergic diseases. Such impacts are particularly significant in many countries where the prevalence of such diseases is high and/or increasing. There is now compelling evidence that rising air temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations are, in some plant species, resulting in increased pollen production and allergenicity and advancement and lengthening of the pollen season. Changes in extreme events, such as thunderstorms and tropical cyclones, will also have impacts on allergic diseases, with, for example, the flooding associated with tropical cyclones leading to proliferation of mould growth in damp homes. The article also considers a range of responses to these health threats, including greenhouse gas mitigation, and adaptation strategies, such as enhanced environmental monitoring and health surveillance and adequate planning for the future medical workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review was undertaken to draw together research on how climate change impacts sugarcane production, and to assess the implications of climate change for the sugarcane industry, as well as possible response options. Much of the extant research examines how changes in climate lead to changes in primary production; however, few studies consider how climate change translates into industry-wide impacts and economic consequences across the sugarcane value chain. Of the 90 studies we reviewed (published as journal articles, proceedings, and book chapters), 61 assess observed and/or projected impacts of climate change on sugarcane production. These studies reach largely different conclusions regarding how increases in air temperature or atmospheric carbon dioxide levels impact sugarcane production. These mixed results can be attributed to differences between the studies in terms of methods, time frames, and growing regions, which all limit cross-study comparability. A total of 17 studies focus on the adaptation to observed and/or projected impacts of climate change, such as changed management procedures or farming practices, but there is limited evidence regarding successful adaptation outcomes. In addition, a separate stream of papers discusses mitigating energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the sugarcane production process, often with a view to reducing environmental impacts. Our review concludes by outlining the pathways for future research, highlighting that further insights are needed in particular regarding the economic consequences of climate change for the sugarcane industry. WIREs Clim Change 2018, 9:e498. doi: 10.1002/wcc.498 This article is categorized under: Future of Global Energy > Evaluating Future Impacts of Climate Change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO 2 capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) are critical technical measures to effectively mitigate the global climate change problem. However, most of the existing research has focused on the capture end and lacks in-depth analysis of subsequent processes such as compression, leading to limitations in the improvement of system economics. Therefore, a novel CCS system for a 300 MW coal-fired power plant was proposed in this paper with two strategies: (1) a CCS system integrating CO 2 refrigeration cycle (CFPP-CCS-CRC); and (2) a CCS co-generation plant integrating CO 2 refrigeration cycle (CHP-CCS-CRC). The proposed systems' performance was comparatively evaluated by applying energy, exergy, and economic (3E) analyses. The results demonstrated that at different CO 2 capture percentages (13.1 %∼72.9 %), the CHP-CCS-CRC system has improved energy utilization efficiency by 1.2 %∼5.6 % and exergy efficiency by 7.7 %∼25.8 %, compared to the conventional CCUS system (CFPP-CCS). In particular, at a percentage of 13.1 %, the combined energy consumption of the CHP-CCS-CRC system was 0.39 GJ/tCO 2 , a 79 % reduction compared to 1.87 GJ/tCO 2 of the CFPP-CCS system, which resulted in a static payback period of less than 2 years. In general, the newly proposed system features more adequate energy utilization, lower operating costs, and higher economic efficiency. [Display omitted] • A novel CCUS system coupled with CO 2 refrigeration were proposed. • The performance of the proposed systems is comparatively evaluated by 3E analysis. • The energy consumption of the proposed CCUS systems is reduced by 29.24 %–79 %. • The exergy efficiency of the proposed CCUS systems is reduced by 7.7 %–25.8 %. • The static payback period for the proposed systems is reduced to less than 2 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the increasingly severe challenges of global climate change and sustainable development, accurate prediction of daily carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions has become crucial. However, current research on real-time daily forecasts remains relatively scarce, often limited to annual predictions and point estimates. This paper proposes an innovative integrated model, based on quantile regression and Attention-Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BILSTM), specifically designed for probabilistic prediction of daily carbon emissions. Testing the model on daily carbon emission data from major carbon-emitting countries including China, the United States, India, Russia, and Italy has demonstrated its superior performance across various metrics, including mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), coefficient of determination (R2), and normalized average width of prediction intervals (PINAW), compared to other benchmark models. This achievement not only highlights the model's effectiveness in predicting daily carbon emissions but also provides policymakers with a powerful tool for real-time monitoring and assessment of carbon emissions. Furthermore , the application of probabilistic forecasting methods enables decision-makers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the potential range of future carbon emissions, providing strong support for the formulation of targeted policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural tractors may idle from 10 to 43% of their entire operating life and this inoperative time must be minimised because it is detrimental to the environment, public health, fuel economy, and engine lifespan (Perozzi et al., 2016). On passenger cars, start and stop (SS) systems have been extensively used, but they are not currently installed in any commercial tractor. Studies show that for very short idling stops SS systems might be ineffective for the additional energy required for re-starting the engine. This study aims to investigate the potential advantages of SS systems on agricultural tractors. To this aim, the energy required for engine start-up and the subsequent emissions were measured and then compared with the energy and the emissions during idling. Moreover, a predefined control strategy of the SS system was developed, and its potential fuel and emission savings were estimated using real-world data. In terms of fuel consumption and CO emission, turning off the engine is recommended for stops longer than 4 s and 134 s, respectively. From the collected real-world data, the tractor was run on idle for 21.7% of the entire operating duration. The results obtained with the SS control strategy developed in this paper applied to the US area, where there are 1.2 million tractors of the same power level of the tractor used in this study with a yearly usage up to 850 h, would permit to save 285.6 million litres of fuel, and, respectively of 16.5 and 754 tons of CO and CO 2. • Turning off the engine for idling stops longer than 4 s leads to fuel savings. • Turning off the engine for idling stops longer than 134 s leads to CO savings. • 45% of idling time could be avoided by farmers. • Start and Stop systems are an effective way for saving fuel and emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential evapotranspiration (PET) is an important factor that needs to be considered in regional water management and allocation; thus, the reasonable estimation of PET is an important topic in hydrometeorology and other related fields. There is evidence that increased CO2 concentration alters the physiological properties of vegetation and thus affects PET. In this study, changes in PET with and without the CO2 effect over China is investigated using seven CMIP6-GCMs outputs under seven shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) based scenarios (SSP1-1.9, SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, SSP4-3.4, SSP4-6.0, and SSP5-8.5), as well as the contribution rate of CO2 on PET in different climatic regions. Changes in estimated PET based on modified Penman–Monteith (PM) method that considers the CO2 effect is compared with the traditional PM method to examine how PET quantity varies (differences) between these two approaches. The results show that the PET values estimated by the two methods explored opposite trends in 1961–2014 over entire China; it decreases with consideration of CO2 but increases without consideration of CO2. In the future, overall PET is projected to increase under all scenarios during 2015–2100 for China and its three sub-regions. PET generally tends to grow slower when CO2 is taken into account (modified PM approach), than when it is not (traditional PM method). In terms of differences in the estimated PET by the two methods, the difference between the two adopted methods increased in China and its sub-regions for the 1961–2014 period. In the future, the difference in estimated PET is anticipated to continuously increase under SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5. Spatially, a much greater extent of difference is found in the arid region. Across the arid region, the PET difference is projected to be the highest at 138% in the mid-term (2041–2060) with respect to the 1995–2014 period, whereas it tends to increase slower in the long-term period (2081–2100). Importantly, CO2 is found to be the most dominant factor (−154.2% contribution) to have a great effect on PET changes across the arid region. Our findings suggest that ignorance of CO2 concentration in PET estimation will result in significant overestimation of PET in the arid region. However, consideration of CO2 in PET estimation will be beneficial for formulating strategies on future water resource management and sustainable development at the local scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a linguistic approach to narrative analysis, illustrated through a quantitative/qualitative lexico-semantic study of sustainability reports by BP, Equinor, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil. It contributes novel insights into how major CO2 emitters present themselves in climate narratives. My aim is, first, to show how the basic components of narratives (Complication, Reaction, and Resolution) and the classic character set (victim, villain, and hero) may be identified through linguistic features, and second, to consider how the special nature of climate change impacts on the enactment of this character set. The study considers whether the companies acknowledge their reputation as villains in the global climate narrative, or whether they are discursively shying away from this script. I find that the reports share a basic climate narrative, representing a techno-optimistic approach to maintaining a profitable business in a carbon-constrained society, with gas representing a narrative Complication as well as a Resolution. The global villain role is acknowledged, but typically softened through a dual villain/hero role. The hero role in fact turned out to be the most conspicuous in the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional (3-D) physical-biogeochemical-carbon cycle coupled model is used to investigate the interannual variability of the air-sea carbon dioxide (CO2) flux (FCO2) in the Northern Yellow Sea (NYS) from 2009 to 2018. The verification of the model indicate that the simulation results for multiple variables exhibit consistency and fit well with the observed data. The study show that although the multi-year average FCO2 in the NYS is close to the source-sink balance, there are obvious interannual differences between different years. In particular, a relatively strong source of atmospheric CO2 (1.0 mmol m-2 d-1) is exhibited in 2014, while a relatively strong sink of atmospheric CO2 (-0.7 mmol m-2 d-1) emerges in 2016. Mechanism analysis indicates that the abnormally high temperature is the main controlling factor for the relatively high CO2 efflux rate in the NYS in 2014, while the abnormally low dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration is the main factor contributing to the relatively high CO2 influx rate in 2016. Further analysis reveals that the primary reason for the low DIC concentration since the onset of winter in 2016 is the high net decrease rate of DIC in the NYS in 2015, influenced by net community production in the summer and advection processes during the autumn. The abnormally high primary production during the summer of 2015 results in the excessive reduction of DIC concentration through biological processes. In addition, due to the strong northeasterly wind event in November 2015, low-concentration-DIC water from the Yellow Sea (YS) extends into the Bohai Sea (BS). This further leads to higher DIC flux from the NYS into the BS in the upper mixed layer and increases the inflow of low-concentration-DIC water from the Southern Yellow Sea (SYS) into the NYS. These ultimately result in the abnormal reduction of DIC concentration in the upper mixed layer of the NYS during the autumn of 2015. This study enriches our understanding of interannual variability of FCO2 in the NYS, which will not only help to further reveal the variations of FCO2 under human activities and climate change, but also provide useful information for guiding the comprehensive assessment of the carbon budget. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All pathways which limit global temperature rise to <2°C above pre-industrial temperatures now require carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in addition to rapid greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Novel and durable CDR strategies need to rapidly scale over the next few decades in order to reach Paris Agreement Targets. Terrestrial enhanced weathering (EW) involves the acceleration of natural weathering processes via the deployment of crushed rock feedstocks, typically Ca- and Mg-rich silicates, in soils. While models predict this has the potential to remove multiple gigatonnes of CO2 annually, as an open-system pathway, the measurement (monitoring), reporting, and verification (MRV) of carbon removal and storage is challenging. Here we provide a review of the current literature showing the state-of-play of different methods for monitoring EW. We focus on geochemical characterization of weathering processes at the weathering site itself, acknowledging that the final storage of carbon is largely in the oceans, with potential losses occurring during transfer. There are two main approaches for measuring EW, one focused on solid phase measurements, including exchangeable phases, and the other on the aqueous phase. Additionally, gas phase measurements have been employed to understand CO2 fluxes, but can be dominated by short-term organic carbon cycling. The approaches we review are grounded in established literature from the natural environment, but implementing these approaches for EW CDR quantification has strengths and limitations. The complexity inherent in open-system CDR pathways is navigable through surplus measurement strategies and well-designed experiments, which we highlight are critical in the early stage of the EW CDR industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon capture and storage is vital for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. Most projects involve the permanent geological storage of CO2 within deep sedimentary rock formations, but accurately constraining storage capacity usually involves detailed and computationally demanding reservoir modeling and simulation. Efficiency factors can also be used but these often lead to capacity overestimations. To address this, a workflow is proposed harnessing various existing, reduced complexity models that account for the surface topography and dynamic fluid behavior in a computationally efficient manner. This workflow was tested in an area of the Malay Basin mapped from three-dimensional seismic data but with illustrative reservoir parameters. A static analysis was first undertaken using algorithms within MRST-co2lab. Structural traps, spill paths and spill regions were identified using the reservoir topography. This provided initial indications into optimal well placement and led to refinement of the total capacity of the area into the capacity available within structural traps. This was followed with a dynamic analysis, also within MRST-co2lab, using computationally efficient Vertical Equilibrium models. Hundreds of simulations were undertaken and the optimal well placement was determined based on the maximum storage efficiency achieved. The results indicated that the amount that can be contained within this area is 15 times less than equivalent predictions using static storage efficiency factors. The advantage of such a light approach is that sensitivity and uncertainty analysis can be carried out at speed, before targeting certain parameters/areas for more detailed study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The air–sea exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) on a global scale is a key factor in understanding climate change and predicting its effects. The magnitude of sea spray's contribution to this flux is currently highly uncertain. Constraining CO2's diffusion in sea spray droplets is important for reducing error margins in global estimates of oceanic CO2 uptake and release. The timescale for CO2 gas diffusion within sea spray is known to be shorter than the timescales for the droplets' physical changes to take place while aloft. However, the rate of aqueous carbonate reactions relative to these timescales has not been assessed. This study investigates the timescales of droplet physical changes to those of chemical transformations across the H2CO3/HCO3−/CO32− sequence. We found that physical timescales are rate limiting and that evaporation drives carbonate species into gaseous CO2, promoting the production and evasion of CO2 from sea spray droplets. This has important implications for carbon cycling and feedback in the surface ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric tracers are often used to interpret the local CO 2 budget, where measurements at a single height are assumed to represent local flux signatures. Alternatively, these signatures can be derived from direct flux measurements or by using fluxes derived from measurements at multiple heights. In this study, we contrast interpretation of surface CO 2 exchange from tracer measurements at a single height to measurements at multiple heights. Specifically, we analyse the ratio between atmospheric O 2 and CO 2 (exchange ratio, ER) above a forest. We consider the following two alternative approaches: the exchange ratio of the forest (ER forest) obtained from the ratio of the surface fluxes of O 2 and CO 2 derived from measurements at multiple heights, and the exchange ratio of the atmosphere (ER atmos) obtained from changes in the O 2 and CO 2 mole fractions over time measured at a single height. We investigate the diurnal cycle of both ER signals to better understand the biophysical meaning of the ER atmos signal. We have combined CO 2 and O 2 measurements from Hyytiälä, Finland, during spring and summer of 2018 and 2019 with a conceptual land–atmosphere model to investigate the behaviour of ER atmos and ER forest. We show that the CO 2 and O 2 signals as well as their resulting ERs are influenced by climate conditions such as variations in soil moisture and temperature, for example during the 2018 heatwave. We furthermore show that the ER atmos signal obtained from single-height measurements rarely represents the forest exchange directly, mainly because it is influenced by entrainment of air from the free troposphere into the atmospheric boundary layer. The influence of these larger-scale processes can lead to very high ER atmos values (even larger than 2), especially in the early morning. These high values do not directly represent carbon cycle processes, but are rather a mixture of different signals. We conclude that the ER atmos signal provides only a weak constraint on local-scale surface CO 2 exchange, and that ER forest above the canopy should be used instead. Single-height measurements always require careful selection of the time of day and should be combined with atmospheric modelling to yield a meaningful representation of forest carbon exchange. More generally, we recommend always measuring at multiple heights when using multi-tracer measurements to study surface CO 2 exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations (UN), rise in atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) due to anthropogenic factors is considered as the primary driver for global climate change. With almost every major corporation around the world working towards their "net-zero goals", it is becoming increasingly important to have more technologies that can help reduce carbon footprint. Achieving sequestration of CO 2 in the subsurface through Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technologies like CO 2 -Enhanced Oil Recovery, CO 2 -Enhanced Geothermal Systems, CO 2 -Enhanced Coal Bed Methane, etc. is well accepted. We introduce yet another attractive CCUS opportunity through well rehabilitation. Aqua Freed® and Aqua Gard® are well-known well rehabilitation and preventive well maintenance technologies that utilize (inject underground) liquid CO 2 for the purpose. The goal of this study was to quantify the storage capacity of Aqua Freed® and Aqua Gard®, and establish their CCUS credentials. Depending on the well being serviced, these technologies can inject up to 40 US tons of CO 2 per well. Based on field data collection and statistical modeling, we estimated that 82–96% (median 90%) of the injected CO 2 remains in the subsurface post injection. Overall, our results and analysis of the US market suggest that using CO 2 for well rehabilitation and maintenance has a storage potential of several megatonnes of CO 2 annually in the US alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensive use of single-atom catalysts (SACs) has appeared as a significant area of investigation in contemporary study. The single-atom catalyst, characterized by its maximum atomic proficiency and great discernment of the transition-metal center, has a unique combination of benefits from both heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts. Consequently, it effectively bridges the gap between these two types of catalysts, leveraging their distinctive features. The utilization of SACs immobilized on graphene substrates has garnered considerable interest, primarily because of their capacity to facilitate selective and efficient photocatalytic processes. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the progress and potential uses of SACs made from graphene in photocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction and hydrogen (H2) generation. The focus is on their contribution to converting solar energy into chemical energy. The present study represents the various preparation methods and characterization approaches of graphene-based single-atom photocatalyst This review investigates the detailed mechanisms underlying these photocatalytic processes and discusses recent studies that have demonstrated remarkable H2 production rates through various graphene-based single-atom photocatalysts. Additionally, the pivotal roleof theoretical simulations, likedensity functional theory (DFT), to understand the structural functional relationships of these SACs are discussed. The potential of graphene-based SACs to revolutionize solar-to-chemical energy conversion through photocatalytic CO2 reduction and H2 production is underscored, along with addressing challenges and outlining future directions for this developing area of study. By shedding light on the progress and potential of these catalysts, this review contributes to the collective pursuit of sustainable and efficient energy conversion strategies to mitigate the global climate crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology has emerged as a pivotal measure in mitigating global climate change. Notably, CO2-EOR is esteemed for its dual function of sequestering CO2 and enhancing oil recovery. However, this process presents challenges related to asphaltene deposition during CO2 flooding, leading to reservoir damage, such as pore plugging. This study systematically manipulated the factors inducing CO2-induced asphaltene deposition, elucidating the mechanisms and magnitudes of asphaltene precipitation. Additionally, the study investigated the efficacy of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) in mitigating asphaltene deposition. Experimental findings indicated a positive correlation between asphaltene deposition and level of asphaltene content, CO2 injection ratio, and temperature. Moreover, with an increase in experimental pressure, the asphaltene deposition rate demonstrated an initial increase followed by a subsequent decline. Leveraging their favorable compatibility with asphaltene, CQDs effectively suppressed the aggregation behavior of asphaltene. In the presence of CQDs, the onset of asphaltene precipitation was delayed from 45 V% to 55 V%, with the highest inhibition rate reaching approximately 36% at an optimal CQD concentration of 20 mg/L. This study proposes a novel approach to address asphaltene deposition issues in CO2-EOR processes, contributing to the enhancement of recovery rates in low-permeability reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several developing countries in Asia are relying on agricultural practices in which climate change is a challenging concern. The trends change in atmospheric parameters and vegetation indices are questioned and vague. Consequently, the trend variations of the environmental characteristics were introduced in the first decade of 21 century to better understand the trend changes and envisage the relationship between the atmospheric parameters and the vegetation cover. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder provide several atmospheric parameters, e.g., Air Temperature, Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), and Carbon Dioxide (CO2). In addition, NDVI was estimated and aimed at the role of the interactions among the atmospheric parameters based on statistical analysis. The results showed that AOD and NDVI were air temperature dependent; meanwhile, AOD, NDVI, and air temperature were exchanging and influencing one another. Furthermore, the average minimum air temperature of the region increased during this period and carbon dioxide was a time-dependant parameter that was rising at a steep slope, which may lead to environmental crises. The trend analysis outlines what policies, programs, and procedures should be used to balance the ecosystem and mitigate the climatic negative effects. The Current research strengthens on the social awareness and the international cooperation to reduce socio-economic and political harm and loss in the face of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since industrialization, global temperatures have continued to rise. Human activities have resulted in heavy metals being freed from their original, fixed locations. Because of global warming, glaciers are melting, carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing, weather patterns are shifting, and various environmental forces are at play, resulting in the movement of heavy metals and alteration of their forms. In this general context, the impact of heavy metals on ecosystems and organisms has changed accordingly. For most ecosystems, the levels of heavy metals are on the rise, and this rise can have a negative impact on the ecosystem as a whole. Numerous studies have been conducted to analyze the combined impacts of climate change and heavy metals. However, the summary of the current studies is not perfect. Therefore, this review discusses how heavy metals affect ecosystems during the process of climate change from multiple perspectives, providing some references for addressing the impact of climate warming on environmental heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments are the trusted source of scientific evidence for climate negotiations taking place under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Evidence-based decision-making needs to be informed by up-to-date and timely information on key indicators of the state of the climate system and of the human influence on the global climate system. However, successive IPCC reports are published at intervals of 5–10 years, creating potential for an information gap between report cycles. We follow methods as close as possible to those used in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) Working Group One (WGI) report. We compile monitoring datasets to produce estimates for key climate indicators related to forcing of the climate system: emissions of greenhouse gases and short-lived climate forcers, greenhouse gas concentrations, radiative forcing, the Earth's energy imbalance, surface temperature changes, warming attributed to human activities, the remaining carbon budget, and estimates of global temperature extremes. The purpose of this effort, grounded in an open-data, open-science approach, is to make annually updated reliable global climate indicators available in the public domain (10.5281/zenodo.11388387, Smith et al., 2024a). As they are traceable to IPCC report methods, they can be trusted by all parties involved in UNFCCC negotiations and help convey wider understanding of the latest knowledge of the climate system and its direction of travel. The indicators show that, for the 2014–2023 decade average, observed warming was 1.19 [1.06 to 1.30] °C, of which 1.19 [1.0 to 1.4] °C was human-induced. For the single-year average, human-induced warming reached 1.31 [1.1 to 1.7] °C in 2023 relative to 1850–1900. The best estimate is below the 2023-observed warming record of 1.43 [1.32 to 1.53] °C, indicating a substantial contribution of internal variability in the 2023 record. Human-induced warming has been increasing at a rate that is unprecedented in the instrumental record, reaching 0.26 [0.2–0.4] °C per decade over 2014–2023. This high rate of warming is caused by a combination of net greenhouse gas emissions being at a persistent high of 53±5.4 Gt CO 2 e yr -1 over the last decade, as well as reductions in the strength of aerosol cooling. Despite this, there is evidence that the rate of increase in CO2 emissions over the last decade has slowed compared to the 2000s, and depending on societal choices, a continued series of these annual updates over the critical 2020s decade could track a change of direction for some of the indicators presented here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), an important tropical crop, is affected by extreme climatic events, including rising CO2 levels. We evaluated the short-term effect of elevated CO2 concentration (ECO2) (600, 800 and 1000 ppm) on the photosynthetic efficiency of 14 cassava genotypes. ECO2 significantly altered gaseous exchange parameters (net photosynthetic rate (P n), stomatal conductance (g s), intercellular CO2 (C i) and transpiration (E)) in cassava leaves. There were significant but varying interactive effects between ECO2 and varieties on these physiological characteristics. ECO2 at 600 and 800 ppm increased the P n rate in the range of 13–24% in comparison to 400 ppm (ambient CO2), followed by acclimation at the highest concentration of 1000 ppm. A similar trend was observed in g s and E. Conversely, C i increased significantly and linearly across increasing CO2 concentration. Along with C i, a steady increase in water use efficiency [WUEintrinsic (P n/ g s) and WUEinstantaneous (P n/ E)] across various CO2 concentrations corresponded with the central role of restricted stomatal activity, a common response under ECO2. Furthermore, P n had a significant quadratic relationship with the ECO2 (R 2 = 0.489) and a significant and linear relationship with C i (R 2 = 0.227). Relative humidity and vapour pressure deficit during the time of measurements remained at 70–85% and ~0.9–1.31 kPa, respectively, at 26 ± 2°C leaf temperature. Notably, not a single variety exhibited constant performance for any of the parameters across CO2 concentrations. Our results indicate that the potential photosynthesis can be increased up to 800 ppm cassava varieties with high sink capacity can be cultivated under protected cultivation to attain higher productivity. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) exhibited a positive response to elevated CO2 levels (ranging from 600 to 1000 ppm) compared to the ambient concentration of 400 ppm CO2. Most of the photosynthetic parameters showed steady improvement up to 800 ppm, followed by down-regulation at the highest concentration. The physiological water use efficiency of fourteen cassava varieties was enhanced at 1000 ppm due to restricted stomatal activity and reduced transpiration rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geological carbon storage is considered to be an effective measure to mitigate climate crisis. The method in which CO2 is stored depends on its phase state and the depth at which it is injected. In this study, the fault-reservoir system is constructed to elucidate the fault leakage behaviors and CO2 migration in different geological storage environments. Whether CO2 is buoyant or sinking depends on the fluid density difference between CO2 and H2O. When carbon dioxide is injected into deep saline aquifer, CO2 would preferentially migrate upward along the fault plane due to CO2 buoyancy forces, and CO2 plume accumulates beneath the caprock and floats at the top of the reservoir eventually. For CO2 storage in deep ocean reservoir and volcanic basalt, no upward migration of CO2 plume is observed during carbon storage. Fault plane is the preferential pathway for carbon downward transportation during ocean-based CO2 storage, providing a virtually unlimited environment. Compared with deep ocean storage, the much shorter sinking times makes volcanic basalt for carbon storage safer and more effective. It is illustrated that the fluid density difference between CO2 and H2O is the decisive factor in determining CO2 sinking velocity. This investigation of searching CO2 sinking reservoirs provides a promising alterative reference for remove and storage large volumes of the greenhouse gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concern about climate change has led to policy to reduce CO2 emissions although it is likely that policy will have differential regional impacts. While regional impacts will be politically important, very little analysis of them has been carried out. This paper contributes to the analysis of this issue by building a small model involving two regions, incorporating the right to emit CO2 as a factor of production with the level of permitted emissions set by the national government. We argue that there is likely to be pressure on governments to use other policies to offset the possible adverse regional economic consequences of the pollution-reduction policy; we also consider a range of such policies. Using numerical simulation, we find that a 10 per cent reduction has relatively small but regionally differentiated economic effects. Standard fiscal policies are generally ineffective or counterproductive while labour market policies are more useful in offsetting the adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil infrastructure, including the highway maintenance sector, is under increasing pressure to deliver 'low-carbon' services. Reducing this sector's 'carbon footprint' can help to meet targets set under the Kyoto Protocol. Carbon dioxide emissions reduction is now a legal requirement under the UK's Climate Change Act; infrastructure clients therefore require their supply chains to provide carbon footprint information. A new, more holistic, project-specific carbon footprinting approach is urgently needed to account for carbon in an integrated manner, identifying areas of carbon hot spots and developing a reduction hierarchy to support business decision making. In this paper a process-based carbon footprinting framework based on the PAS2050:2011 protocol is adopted. Results of case studies (focusing on the carbon footprint) of 'typical' UK highway maintenance processes are provided, namely pavement resurfacing, pavement marking, bulk lamp changing and grass cutting. These processes were selected across urban, semi-urban and rural site locations to investigate the significance of these locations on the carbon footprint. The results indicate the robustness of the PAS2050-compliant framework for highway maintenance carbon footprinting; areas of carbon hotspots and related reduction opportunities can be identified to inform the reduction hierarchy across the processes value chain. The research presented can be used as a framework to plan, evaluate and manage highway maintenance programmes and carbon budgets over the maintenance processes value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that during CO geological storage, density-driven convective activity can significantly accelerate the dissolution of injected CO into water. This action could limit the escape of supercritical CO from the storage formation through vertical pathways such as fractures, faults and abandoned wells, consequently increasing permanence and security of storage. First, we investigated the effect of numerical perturbation caused by time and grid resolution and the convergence criteria on the dissolution-diffusion-convection (DDC) process. Then, using the model with appropriate spatial and temporal resolution, some uncertainty parameters investigated in our previous paper such as initial gas saturation and model boundaries, and other factors such as relative liquid permeability and porosity modification were used to examine their effects on the DDC process. Finally, we compared the effect of 2D and 3D models on the simulation of the DDC process. The above modeling results should contribute to clear understanding and accurate simulation of the DDC process, especially the onset of convective activity, and the CO dissolution rate during the convection-dominated stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to examine the effects of climate change and sea level rise on the marine ecosystem. We demonstrated that warmer earth temperature that might be caused by CO2 emissions and less predictable rainfall are increasingly threatening the oceans, making livelihood more difficult for marine communities during sea level rise. The study shows plankton species are commercially exploited, and can be affected by the global warming causes disturbance in sea food chain. Our analyses emphasized that as temperature rises in the future, the oceans are expanding and species abundance will shift according to the thermal tolerance and adapt. We reviewed results from recent studies have highlighted carbon dioxide concentration increases are expected from pre-industrial level 280 to approximately 970 ppm. by 2100 may have positive impacts in photosynthesis and negative impacts on ozone layer. The consumption of energy is set to rise 70% between now and 2030 due to global population growth and economic development might lead to 30-50% of global species extinction. Physically and chemically driven changes, and changes in biodiversity and species composition were also discussed. We conclude that it should be kept in mind that intensive carbon dioxide emission in the atmosphere is still the key factor in rising sea level that lead many marine organisms go extinct over the long-term. The paper attempted to clarify that atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions concentrations have subsequent impacts on marine environment by driving rapid distribution shifts in marine ecosystems. It suggests ongoing programs worldwide will act as sentries to recognize the marine ecosystems changes that may happen as a result of rising sea level. Building stronger relationships between UN organizations and governments and financial institutions to respond mechanisms such as joint programs and budget support to save marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CO2 capture and storage (CCS) technology is since more than ten years considered one of the key options for the future climate change mitigation. This paper discusses the implications for the further development of CCS, particularly with respect to climate change policy in an international geopolitics context. The rationale for developing CCS should be the over-abundance of fossil fuel reserves (and resources) in a climate change context. From a geopolitical point, it can be argued that the most important outcome from the successful commercialisation of CCS will be that fossil fuel-dependent economies with large fossil fuel resources will find it easier to comply with stringent greenhouse gas reduction targets (i. e. to attach a price to CO2 emissions). This should be of great importance since, from a geopolitical view, the curbing on greenhouse gas emissions cannot be isolated from security of supply and economic competition between regions. Thus, successful application of CCS may moderate geopolitical risks related to regional differences in the possibilities and thereby willingness to comply with large emission cuts. In Europe, application of CCS will enhance security of supply by fuel diversification from continued use of coal, especially domestic lignite. Introduction of CCS will also make possible negative emissions when using biomass as a fuel, i. e. in so called Biomass Energy CCS (BECCS). Yet, the development of BECCS relies on the successful development of fossil fuelled CCS since BECCS in itself is unlikely to be sufficient for establishing a cost efficient CCS infrastructure for transport and storage and because BECCS does not solve the problem with the abundant resources of fossil fuels. Results from research and development of capture, transport and storage of CO2 indicate that the barriers for commercialization of CCS should not be technical. Instead, the main barriers for implementation of CCS seem to be how to reach public acceptance, to reduce cost and to establish a high enough price on CO2 emissions. Failure to implement CCS will require that the global community, including Europe, agrees to almost immediately to start phasing out the use of fossil fuels, an agreement which seems rather unlikely, especially considering the abundant coal reserves in developing economies such as China and India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full understanding of the causes of the severe drought seen in the Sahel in the latter part of the twentieth-century remains elusive some 25 yr after the height of the event. Previous studies have suggested that this drying trend may be explained by either decadal modes of natural variability or by human-driven emissions (primarily aerosols), but these studies lacked a sufficiently large number of models to attribute one cause over the other. In this paper, signatures of both aerosol and greenhouse gas changes on Sahel rainfall are illustrated. These idealized responses are used to interpret the results of historical Sahel rainfall changes from two very large ensembles of fully coupled climate models, which both sample uncertainties arising from internal variability and model formulation. The sizes of these ensembles enable the relative role of human-driven changes and natural variability on historic Sahel rainfall to be assessed. The paper demonstrates that historic aerosol changes are likely to explain most of the underlying 1940-80 drying signal and a notable proportion of the more pronounced 1950-80 drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary focus of this paper is the analysis of the roles of long-term increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) and sea surface temperatures (used as indicators of climate change) and man-made halocarbons (indicators of chemical ozone depletion linked to halogens) in explaining the observed trend of ozone in the tropical lower stratosphere and implications for related variables including temperature and tropopause height. Published estimates indicate a decrease of approximately 10% in observed ozone concentrations in this region between 1979 and 2005. Using a coupled chemistry–climate atmosphere model forced by observed sea surface temperatures and surface concentrations of long-lived greenhouse gases and halocarbons, the authors show that the simulations display substantial decreases in tropical ozone that compare well in both latitudinal and vertical structure with those observed. Based on sensitivity simulations, the analysis indicates that the decreases in the lower stratospheric (85–50 hPa) tropical ozone distribution are mostly associated with increases in CO2 and sea surface temperatures, in contrast to those at higher latitudes, which are largely driven by halocarbon increases. Factors influencing temperature trends and tropopause heights in this region are also probed. It is shown that the modeled temperature trends in the lower tropical stratosphere are also associated with increases in CO2 and sea surface temperatures. Following the analysis of lower stratospheric tropical temperature trends, the secondary focus of this paper is on related changes in tropopause height. Much of the simulated tropopause rise in the tropical zone as measured by tropopause height is found to be linked to increases in sea surface temperatures and CO2, while increases in halocarbons dominate the tropopause height changes in the subtropics near 30°; both drivers thus affect different regions of the simulated changes in the position of the tropopause. Finally, it is shown that halocarbon increases dominate the changes in the width of the region where modeled total ozone displays tropical character (as indicated by low values of the column abundance). Hence the findings suggest that climate changes and halocarbon changes make different contributions to different metrics used to characterize tropical change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted global rise in temperature and carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. The cement industry contributes approximately five per cent of the total CO2 emitted worldwide. Ewekoro cement Plant, located in Ewekoro, Ogun State was used as a case study to evaluate the results of various modifications on cement plants operation that can impact on the plant CO2 emissions. An economic model which objective is to highlight the best selection strategy to reduce CO2 emissions with the least cost was developed using the industry data as part of this paper. The cement Plant achieved a significant result of 23.6 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions per tonne of cement produced. The results were achieved mainly by applying a progressive approach prioritizing project implementation effort and feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]