Carbon Footprint in Waste Sector of Hydropower Plant: A Case Study of Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Plant

While hydropower is generally considered a clean energy source, it is important to recognize that their waste can still contribute to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The purpose of this study is to assess the carbon footprint associated with the waste sector throughout the operational phase of the Nam Theun 2 hydropower plant in Laos. Understanding the environmental impact of the waste sector is crucial for ensuring the plant’s sustainability. This study utilizes the theoretical estimation method recommended in the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, as well as the Requirements for Specification with guidance at the organization level for quantification and reporting of GHG emissions and removals. We emphasize the significance of implementing sustainable waste management practices to reduce GHG emissions and minimize the environmental impact of hydropower operations. By conducting a comprehensive analysis, this paper also provides insights into the environmental implications of waste management in hydropower plants and identifies strategies to mitigate the carbon footprint in the waste sector. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the environmental sustainability of hydropower plants and provide valuable guidance for policymakers, energy producers, and environmental practitioners involved in hydropower plant design and operation.

The potential impact of increased whole grain consumption among Chinese adults on reducing healthcare costs and carbon footprint

Excessive consumption of refined grains harms human health and ecosystem viability.Whole grains,as a healthy and sustainable alternative to refined grains,can benefit individual health by providing dietary fiber,B vitamins,and bioactive substances.Additionally,they aid in improving the environment due to their higher extraction rate and lower carbon emission during the processing stage.However,few studies have attempted to evaluate the economic and social benefits of increasing the amount of whole grain in grain intake.This paper estimates the potential savings in healthcare costs and reduced food carbon footprints(CFs)that could result from a shift toward whole grain consumption following the Chinese Dietary Guidelines(CDG).We investigate hypothetical scenarios where a certain proportion(5–100%)of Chinese adults could increase their whole grain intakes as proposed by CDG to meet the average shortfall of 30.2 g.In that case,the healthcare costs for associated diseases(e.g.,type2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),cardiovascular disease(CVD),and colorectal cancer(CRC))are expected to reduce by a substantial amount,from USD 2.82 to 56.37 billion;the carbon emission levels are also projected to decrease by0.24–5.72 million tons.This study provides compelling evidence that advocating for the transition towards greater consumption of whole grain products could benefit individual health,the environment,and society,by reducing both healthcare costs and carbon emissions.

Seismology and Climatology: A Study of Seismological Impacts of Climate Change in Indonesia

Climate change has been a matter of discourse for the last several decades. Much research has been conducted regarding the causes and impacts of climate change around the world. The current research contributes to the knowledge of the influence of climate change on our environment, with emphasis on earthquake occurrences in the region of Indonesia. Using global temperature anomaly as a measure of climate change, and earthquake data in Indonesia for the period 1900-2022, the paper seeks to find a relationship (if any) between the two variables. Statistical methods used include normal distribution analysis, linear regression and correlation test. The results show peculiar patterns in the progression of earthquake occurrences as well as global temperature anomaly occurring in the same time periods. The findings also indicated that the magnitudes of earthquakes remained unaffected by global temperature anomalies over the years. Nonetheless, there appears to be a potential correlation between temperature anomalies and the frequency of earthquake occurrences. As per the results, an increase in temperature anomaly is associated with a higher frequency of earthquakes.

Climatology

Climatology is the study of the“climate”-the weather over a long time.The climate doesn’t always stay the same.It changes slowly over hundreds or even thousands of years.For example,we know that in the past large parts of the world had lots of ice and snow.This slow change is a normal part of our world,but today’s climate is changing very quickly.

The potential of green manure to increase soil carbon sequestration and reduce the yield-scaled carbon footprint of rice production in southern China

Green manure(GM)has been used to support rice production in southern China for thousands of years.However,the effects of GM on soil carbon sequestration(CS)and the carbon footprint(CF)at a regional scale remain unclear.Therefore,we combined the datasets from long-term multisite experiments with a meta-analysis approach to quantify the potential of GM to increase the CS and reduce the CF of paddy soils in southern China.Compared with the fallow-rice practice,the GM-rice practice increased the soil C stock at a rate of 1.62 Mg CO_(2)-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1) and reduced chemical N application by 40%with no loss in the rice yield.The total CF varied from 7.51 to 13.66 Mg CO_(2)-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1) and was dominated by CH_(4) emissions(60.7-81.3%).GM decreased the indirect CF by 31.4%but increased the direct CH_(4) emissions by 19.6%.In the low and high CH_(4) emission scenarios,the CH_(4) emission factors of GM(EF_(gc))were 5.58 and 21.31%,respectively.The greater soil CS offset the increase in GM-derived CF in the low CH_(4) scenario,but it could not offset the CF increase in the high CH_(4) scenario.A trade-off analysis also showed that GM can simultaneously increase the CS and reduce the total CF of the rice production system when the EF_(gc) was less than 9.20%.The variation in EF_(gc) was mainly regulated by the GM application rates and water management patterns.Determining the appropriate GM application rate and drainage pattern warrant further investigation to optimize the potential of the GM-rice system to increase the CS and reduce the total CF in China.

An analysis of energy consumption and carbon footprints of cryptocurrencies and possible solutions

There is an urgent need to control global warming caused by humans to achieve a sustainable future.CO_(2) levels are rising steadily,and while countries worldwide are actively moving toward the sustainability goals proposed during the Paris Agreement in 2015,we are still a long way to go from achieving a sustainable mode of global operation.The increased popularity of cryptocurrencies since the introduction of Bitcoin in 2009 has been accompanied by an increasing trend in greenhouse gas emissions and high electrical energy consumption.Popular energy tracking studies(e.g.,Digiconomist and the Cambridge Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index(CBECI))have estimated energy consumption ranges from 29.96 TWh to 135.12 TWh and 26.41 TWh to 176.98 TWh,respectively for Bitcoin as of July 2021,which are equivalent to the energy consumption of countries such as Sweden and Thailand.The latest estimate by Digiconomist on carbon footprints shows a 64.18 MtCO_(2) emission by Bitcoin as of July 2021,close to the emissions by Greece and Oman.This review compiles estimates made by various studies from 2018 to 2021.We compare the energy consumption and carbon footprints of these cryptocurrencies with countries around the world and centralized transaction methods such as Visa.We identify the problems associated with cryptocurrencies and propose solutions that can help reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprints.Finally,we present case studies on cryptocurrency networks,namely,Ethereum 2.0 and Pi Network,with a discussion on how they can solve some of the challenges we have identified.

Carbon, Water, Ecological Footprints, Energy and Nutritional Densities of Omnivore and Vegan Culinary Preparations

This study aimed to evaluate energy and nutritional densities, water, carbon and ecological footprints, cost, of omnivorous and vegan main courses served in a university restaurant in the city of Rio de Janeiro. A cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted with 40 main dish-type preparations, 20 of which are omnivorous and 20 vegans, served at lunch, to assess energy and nutritional densities, carbon, water and ecological footprints and cost of preparations. We propose a healthy and sustainable preparation index (HSPI) to evaluate from the list, the best preparation options considering the nutritional quality combined with the impact that the food causes on the environment. Preparations with the highest HSPI were considered the best options because they have a good relation between the nutritional profile and the environmental impact. Results: Regarding energy (ED), nutritional (ND) densities and water, carbon and ecological footprints, omnivorous preparations presented much higher values when compared to the vegan ones. The omnivorous preparations had the highest average cost (R$ 3.44). Regarding the HSPI, vegan preparations showed better rates than omnivorous preparations. Food services should promote healthy and sustainable choices by offering menus with low energy density preparations, high nutritional density, and low environmental impact, considering local realities and customer needs. Conclusion: This study was able to evaluate the best preparation options, considering the nutritional profile and the food impact on the environment, using health and sustainable indicators. Obtaining indicators of preparations regarding healthiness and sustainability, in practice, translates environmental aspects in menu planning, which contribute to changes in food consumption patterns in food services, in addition to contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact. In this way, they can be used as tools added to the menu planning process for the analysis of the environmental impact of menus, in addition to nutritional and qualitative aspects.

Carbon and Water Footprint Evaluation of 120Wp Rural Household Photovoltaic System: Case Study

This study uses the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate the magnitude of the environmental impact, in terms of global warming potential, and water footprint throughout the 20 years of useful life of a rural electrical energy concession comprised of 120Wp Households photovoltaic systems (HPS) in the isolated communities of San Martin, in the Peruvian Amazon region. On the other hand, due to the particular conditions of the system (installation, operation, maintenance, monthly tariff collection), it is necessary to know its real impact and sustainability;not only through the aforementioned environmental impact indicators, but also by energy intensity values required by the system throughout its life cycle. Therefore, this paper used the Cumulative energy demand (CED) method to determine the amount of energy taken from natural resources for each process involved in the LCA and calculated with this, i.e., the Energy Payback Time (EPBT) of the whole system. Likewise, the HPS has been environmentally compared to other case studies and the Peruvian Energy Mix, revealing a lower impact in the latter case and results within the range for stand-alone systems. Besides, the HPS shows a strong relation between energy production and O&M condition. Additionally, this study allows a further promotion of the use of this type of system in isolated areas, as well as the diversification of electricity generation in Peru.

Can food security and low carbon be achieved simultaneously?——An empirical analysis of the mechanisms influencing the carbon footprint of potato and corn cultivation in irrigation areas

Irrigated agriculture has tripled since 1950,accounting for 20%of the global arable land and 40%of food production.Irrigated agriculture increases food security yet has controversial implications for global climate change.Most previous studies have calculated carbon emissions and their composition in irrigated areas using the engineering approach to life-cycle assessment.By combining life cycle assessment(LCA)-based carbon emissions accounting with econometric models such as multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling(SEM),we conducted an interdisciplinary study to identify the influencing factors and internal mechanisms of the carbon footprint(CFP)of smallholder crop cultivation on irrigation reform pilot areas.To this end,we investigated corn and potato production data in the 2019–2020 crop years for 852 plots of 345 rural households in six villages(two irrigation agriculture pilot villages and four surrounding villages as controls)in Southwest China.The crop CFP in the irrigation agriculture pilot areas was significantly lower than in non-reform areas.Irrigation reforms mainly impacted the crop CFP through four intermediary effects:the project(implementation of field irrigation channels),technology(improving adoption of new irrigation technologies),management(proper irrigation operation and maintenance),and yield effects.All effects inhibited the CFP,except for the project effect that promotes carbon emissions.Among them,yield increase has the greatest impact on reducing CFP,followed by management and technology effects.Furthermore,planting practices,individual characteristics,and plot quality significantly impacted the crop CFP.This study has policy implications for understanding the food security–climate nexus in the food production industry.

Fences and hydropower:Important but overlooked Human Footprint

Human activities have impacted 77%of the terrestrial ecosystems(excluding Antarctica),and the remaining areas are becoming increasingly endangered.Mapping spatiotemporal dynamics of Human Footprint has been used to evaluate the cumulative interference on terrestrial environments globally.However,fences and hydropower,two widespread and rapidly expanding infrastructures,have not been considered regarding Human Footprint,despite their complicated and extensive effects on ecosystem functioning and species survival.Previous work has proved that fences increase habitat fragmentation,disrupt migratory routes,inadvertently trap and kill wildlife,and hinder genetic exchange.Hydropower construction also caused habitat loss,fragmentation,and degradation.These impacts have received global concern,but fences around the world are difficult to be detected due to the limitations of current cartographic technologies.Furthermore,the effect of hydropower on the terrestrial environment has been underestimated,making the research on this topic at a global scale still in its infancy.Therefore,building an observation network of global fences and hydropower is a necessary step to move forward in the assessment of the impact of human activities on our planet,but also to better provide scientific support for policy-making regarding global biodiversity conservation,the identification of protected areas,and the prioritization of ecological restoration areas.

Carbon footprints in minimally invasive surgery:Good patient outcomes,but costly for the environment

Advancements in technology and surgical training programs have increased the adaptability of minimally invasive surgery(MIS).Gastrointestinal MIS is superior to its open counterparts regarding post-operative morbidity and mortality.MIS has become the first-line surgical intervention for some types of gastrointestinal surgery,such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendicectomy.Carbon dioxide(CO_(2))is the main gas used for insufflation in MIS.CO_(2)contributes 9%-26%of the greenhouse effect,resulting in global warming.The rise in global CO_(2)concentration since 2000 is about 20 ppm per decade,up to 10 times faster than any sustained rise in CO_(2)during the past 800000 years.Since 1970,there has been a steady yet worrying increase in average global temperature by 1.7℃ per century.A recent systematic review of the carbon footprint in MIS showed a range of 6-814 kg of CO_(2)emission per surgery,with higher CO_(2)emission following robotic compared to laparoscopic surgery.However,with superior benefits of MIS over open surgery,this poses an ethical dilemma to surgeons.A recent survey in the United Kingdom of 130 surgeons showed that the majority(94%)were concerned with climate change but felt that the lack of leadership was a barrier to improving environmental sustainability.Given the deleterious environmental effects of MIS,this study aims to summarize the trends of MIS and its carbon footprint,awareness and attitudes towards this issue,and efforts and challenges to ensuring environmental sustainability.

A Review on Clustering Methods for Climatology Analysis and Its Application over South America

South America’s climatic diversity is a product of its vast geographical expanse, encompassing tropical to subtropical latitudes. The variations in precipitation and temperature across the region stem from the influence of distinct atmospheric systems. While some studies have characterized the prevailing systems over South America, they often lacked the utilization of statistical techniques for homogenization. On the other hand, other research has employed multivariate statistical methods to identify homogeneous regions regarding temperature and precipitation, but their focus has been limited to specific areas, such as the south, southeast, and northeast. Surprisingly, there is a lack of work that compares various multivariate statistical techniques to determine homogeneous regions across the entirety of South America concerning temperature and precipitation. This paper aims to address this gap by comparing three such techniques: Cluster Analysis (K-means and Ward) and Self Organizing Maps, using data from different sources for temperature (ERA5, ERA5-Land, and CRU) and precipitation (ERA5, ERA5-Land, and CPC). Spatial patterns and time series were generated for each region over the period 1981-2010. The results from this analysis of spatially homogeneous regions concerning temperature and precipitation have the potential to significantly benefit climate analysis and forecasts. Moreover, they can offer valuable insights for various climatological studies, guiding decision-making processes in diverse fields that rely on climate information, such as agriculture, disaster management, and water resources planning.

煤矿充填固碳理论基础与技术构想

在国家“双碳”目标背景下,如何减少煤炭行业的碳排放、实现碳封存已成为亟待解决的难题。煤炭行业作为高碳化石能源生产者和主体碳排放源提供者,在生产和消费过程中引发的大宗固废堆存、大型采空区形成和大量CO_(2)排放是制约煤炭可持续开发利用与绿色健康发展的瓶颈所在。为协同解决二氧化碳封存与矿山固废消纳问题,将大宗固废处置、固废高值化利用、CO_(2)封存、采空区利用有机结合,提出了二氧化碳充填的理念,从碳汇能力评估角度界定了二氧化碳充填的3种类型。具体开展工作包括:①分析了CO_(2)充填料浆输运过程和矿化反应过程涉及到的基础理论,给出了各个过程的数学方程以及碳封存量计算公式,指出了温度、湿度等因素对矿化反应机理、碳封存量和充填体强度的影响规律。②总结了现阶段CO_(2)矿化的工艺方法、主要碱性工业固废的CO_(2)封存能力和CO_(2)矿化强化措施。在此基础上提出了基于直接湿法矿化和间接矿化的2种CO_(2)充填材料制备工艺,满足矿井充填的流动性、凝固特性和强度要求。③针对CO_(2)充填过程中的CO_(2)物理封存问题,提出了窄条带式胶结充填和综采架后胶结充填2种技术路径,前者通过在弱充填条带中构筑多贯通孔隙的充填体CO_(2)物理封存,后者借助充填支架和链式自行充填挡板在长壁工作面采空区中间断构筑充填带,控制顶板垮落,形成CO_(2)物理化学封存空间。④为了评估CO_(2)充填的碳平衡效果,依据全生命周期法界定了CO_(2)充填中碳足迹及碳消纳的计算边界。然后,梳理了CO_(2)充填过程中的碳足迹及碳消纳,分别考虑了CO_(2)的来源、用量、损耗、转化等因素。给出了包括原料运输、充填料浆制备、井下注入与充填等过程中的碳足迹及碳消纳计算方法。研究成果有望降低CO_(2)封存的能耗及成本,对煤炭绿色开采及其可持续开发利用具有深远的意义。

Thoughts and Prospects for Promoting Energy-Saving and Carbon Footprint Reduction in the Non-Ferrous Metal Industry

As the upstream of high-energy consumption industries such as metallurgy and chemical enterprises, the “carbon neutrality” ability of mining and mining enterprises can have a strong influence on the progress of China’s non-ferrous metal industry to achieve the “double carbon” goal. According to the Global Mining Development Report 2021, although mining occupies an important position in global economic development, it also accounts for 4% to 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, as an important part of promoting China’s economic development and energy structure transformation, mining will also face scale adjustment. By investigating and studying the carbon emission sources of mining enterprises at the current stage at home and abroad, the carbon neutrality method that has been implemented in mines, and the future low-carbon technologies to be developed, this paper provides the thoughts and prospects for promoting the development of green mines, as well as the reference value for the transformation of China’s mining industry.

2022年广东省气候特征及其影响

2022年全省年平均气温22.2℃,与常年基本持平,但各月气温起伏波动大;高温日数31.8 d,为历史第2多,其中7月出现历史第2强高温过程。年平均降水量2 057.6 mm,较常年偏多14%,但阶段性明显。3月24日开汛,较常年偏早18 d,前汛期出现了近20年最强5月暴雨过程以及有气象记录以来第3强“龙舟水”,北江发生超百年一遇洪水。初台偏晚,全年共有5个台风登陆和1个台风严重影响,登陆个数较历史平均偏多1.3个。2月出现历史同期少见的持续低温阴雨寡照天气。9—10月温高雨少,气象干旱严重。灰霾日数继续维持较低水平。2022年广东省气象灾害严重,气候影响综合评价为较差年景。

广东省2024年4月气候概况及极端性分析

2024年4月,广东省平均气温创历史4月新高,4月降水为有气象记录以来最多,但空间分布不均,呈北多南少。月内出现2次冷空气过程,同时先后出现了1981年以来最强的3轮4月份强降水过程,具有强对流明显、暴雨区重叠、累积雨量大、极端性显著的特点。

工业智能化与全球碳减排

基于1993—2019年51个国家的平衡面板数据,运用双重固定效应模型、中介效应模型和门槛效应模型,分析了工业智能化对全球碳减排的影响和内在机理。研究发现:工业智能化能够显著推动全球碳减排,经过一系列稳健性检验后该结论依然成立。中介效应回归结果表明,工业智能化可以通过制造业高端化和产业结构升级渠道推动全球碳减排。门槛效应回归结果表明,全球碳减排不仅受工业智能化自身发展水平的动态影响,工业集聚度在其中也发挥着调节作用。进一步研究发现,工业智能化能够更大幅度降低全球富裕国家和富裕群体的人均碳足迹,有助于缓解全球碳排放的不平等。因此,应当推动人工智能技术在工业领域的广泛应用,通过跟踪碳足迹评估政策的实际环境影响,推动工业智能化与碳减排领域的国际合作。

甘肃温室葡萄生产的能量利用与碳足迹研究

【目的】探明甘肃温室葡萄生产的能量投入和碳足迹构成,识别主要的碳排放贡献因子,为温室葡萄清洁生产提供依据。【方法】以甘肃温室葡萄为研究对象,将温室葡萄栽培区分为兰州市永登县及武威市凉州区、古浪县、天祝县华藏寺镇和天祝县哈溪镇5个不同海拔区域,通过农户调查获得2019年葡萄生产数据,核算温室葡萄生产各环节的能量输入、能量输出和碳排放,对比分析不同海拔区域温室葡萄生产的能量利用效率、能量生产率、净能量、比能和碳足迹。【结果】甘肃温室葡萄生产的能量输入为273862~434421 MJ/hm^(2),能量输出为170723~327962 MJ/hm^(2),葡萄产量为14460~27793 kg/hm^(2),属于高投入高产出型。甘肃温室葡萄生产的能量利用效率为0.45~1.13,能量生产率为0.038~0.096 kg/MJ,净能量为-263798~2496 MJ/hm^(2),比能为13.51~44.85 MJ/kg;直接能量投入和可再生能量投入占比低,间接能量投入和不可再生能量投入占比高。单位面积碳足迹和单位产量碳足迹分别为32959~55075 kg/hm^(2)和1.59~5.70 kg/kg,碳足迹很大程度上来源于氮肥的投入,其占比达45.5%~62.4%。不同区域相比,天祝县哈溪镇温室葡萄生产的能量输入低,能量输出和产量较高,能量利用效率和能量生产率也较高,净能量最大且为正值,比能最小,单位面积碳足迹和单位产量碳足迹均最小;天祝县华藏寺镇能量利用指标最差,碳足迹最大。【结论】甘肃温室葡萄生产的能量利用效率较低,碳足迹较高,能量利用效率的提高和碳足迹的降低空间均较大。因此应采取降低氮肥使用量、优化氮肥与有机肥配比等科学合理的管理措施,提高甘肃温室葡萄生产的能量利用效率,降低碳足迹,改善其环境效应。

新气候态下广东省高温特征及影响

基于1951-2021年广东省86个国家站的逐日高温资料,采用常规时序、空间统计等方法对新气候态下广东省高温的时空特征进行分析,结果表明:广东省年高温日数1951-2021年呈显著增加趋势,尤其进入21世纪以来高温日数增加趋势明显;高温天气主要发生在6-9月,集中在7-8月,其中也包括各地极端最高气温。广东省年平均高温日数呈南低、北高的空间分布,并存在3个高值中心;极端最高气温从西北向沿海递减。高温天气对生产生活将产生诸多不利影响,如气象敏感性疾病高发,火灾风险加大,农作物产量、质量降低,能源供应压力和用电负荷增加,道路交通事故频发等。

江苏水稻种植方式碳足迹和经济效益综合评价

系统分析水稻不同种植方式碳足迹及经济效益对水稻生产碳减排和发展低碳农业具有重要意义,目前在省级尺度上关于不同水稻种植方式碳足迹和经济效益综合评价的研究尚少见报道。基于江苏水稻农情调查数据,利用生命周期评价方法定量分析江苏水稻不同种植方式碳足迹及经济效益。结果表明,2016-2020年不同水稻种植方式单位面积碳足迹为11.28~14.39t·hm^(-2),单位产量碳足迹为1.30~1.52kg·kg^(-1),单位产值碳排放为0.49~0.58kg·yuan^(-1),单位面积碳足迹、单位产量碳足迹和单位产值碳足迹从大到小依次为抛秧水稻或手插水稻、机插水稻、直播水稻。机插水稻和手插水稻生产单位面积碳足迹随年份的增加呈下降趋势。机插水稻、手插水稻和直播水稻单位产量碳足迹随年份的变化呈下降趋势。不同水稻生产种植方式碳足迹中占比最大的是稻田甲烷排放,其次为氮肥施用导致的碳足迹、稻田氧化亚氮排放和灌溉用电导致的碳足迹。氮肥和灌溉用电是影响不同水稻种植方式碳足迹差异的主要驱动因素。不同水稻种植方式总收益为2.51×10^(3)~2.75×10^(3)yuan·hm^(-2),资源投入成本为1.88×10^(3)~1.99×10^(3)yuan·hm^(-2),碳排放成本为0.20×10^(3)~0.25×10^(3)yuan·hm^(-2),考虑碳排放的净收益(NI-CO_(2))为0.39×10^(3)~0.64×10^(3) yuan·hm^(-2)。机插水稻NI-CO_(2)低于其他三种水稻种植方式,这与机插水稻较高的总收益和较低的资源投入成本和较低的碳排放成本有关。综上所述,仅考虑碳排放,直播水稻是最为低碳的水稻种植方式,综合碳排放和经济效益,机插水稻优于手插、直播和抛秧水稻。