Search results for "Emissions"
showing 10 items of 294 documents
A Blockchain-based Platform for Positive Energy Districts
2022
The reduction of climate change effects (mitigation) is now mainly driven by the limitation of CO2 emissions which is currently becoming increasingly necessary and urgent to achieve. In this context, within the past Horizon 2020 program, the Urban Europe Joint Programming Initiative aimed to promote the development and deployment of at least 100 Positive Energy Districts by 2025. The latter are flexible, energy-efficient urban areas or groups of buildings that produce zero net CO2 emissions and actively manage annual renewable energy surplus production at the local or regional level. As they are connected to the electric power system, Positive Energy Districts have the ability to offer flex…
Life Cycle Energy Consumption and Air Emissions Comparison of Alternative and Conventional Bus Fleets in Vietnam
2022
The study (a) assesses the life cycle energy consumption and air emissions impacts of battery electric buses (e-buses) and conventional buses operated in Vietnam, and (b) compares them with those of hydrogen buses. The results indicate that e-buses and hydrogen buses are preferred options compared to conventional buses in terms of energy consumption, GHG emissions and other air quality impacts over their whole life cycle. Life cycle energy consumption of diesel buses is triple that of e-buses, and is significantly higher than that of hydrogen buses. Replacing conventional buses with e-buses can reduce energy consumption by 50%. For GHG emissions and air quality impacts, the adoption of elec…
BIOCHARS IN SOILS: TOWARDS THE REQUIRED LEVEL OF SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING
2017
The special issue on Biochar as an Option for Sustainable Resource Management Key priorities in biochar research for future guidance of sustainable policy development have been identified by expert assessment within the COST Action TD1107. The current level of scientific understanding (LOSU) regarding the consequences of biochar application to soil were explored. Five broad thematic areas of biochar research were addressed: soil biodiversity and ecotoxicology, soil organic matter and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, soil physical properties, nutrient cycles and crop production, and soil remediation. The highest future research priorities regarding biochar’s effects in soils were: functional …
Soil gas prospection of He,222Rn and CO2: Vulcano Porto area, Aeolian Islands, Italy
1997
Abstract In March 1994, soil gases were sampled in the area of Vulcano Porto, on the island of Vulcano, using a grid of about 200 points/km 2 . Analysed gases were CO 2 , He and 222 Rn and, over a smaller area, H 2 S. Some of the samples were also analysed for the isotope composition of CO 2 C. Three anomalous CO 2 degassing areas were identified: Grotta dei Palizzi, the area near the Telephone Exchange, and the area near the beach fumaroles. The behaviour of He and 222 Rn is different in these 3 areas. The concentration of He is much lower than that of atmospheric He (down to −3950 ppb) in the isthmus, and only in the area near Grotta dei Palizzi does it have values significantly higher th…
Diffuse and focused carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the Sousaki geothermal system, Greece
2006
[1] We report first data on chemical composition of the gas emitted by the geothermal system of Sousaki, Greece. Gas manifestations display typical geothermal gas composition with CO2 as the main component and CH4 and H2S as minor species. Soil gas composition derives from the mixing of two end-members (atmospheric air and geothermal gas). Soil CO2 fluxes range from<2 to 33,400 g m−2 d−1. The estimated diffuse output of hydrothermal CO2, estimated for an area of 0.015 km2, is about 630 g s−1, while a tentative estimation of CH4 diffuse output gave a value of about 1.15 g s−1. Point sources accounted for lower flux values of ∼26 g s−1 of CO2, ∼0.1 g s−1 of CH4 and ∼0.02 g s−1 of H2S.
Nano- to Global-Scale Uncertainties in Terrestrial Enhanced Weathering.
2022
Enhanced weathering (EW) is one of the most promising negative emissions technologies urgently needed to limit global warming to at least below 2 °C, a goal recently reaffirmed at the UN Global Climate Change conference (i.e., COP26). EW relies on the accelerated dissolution of crushed silicate rocks applied to soils and is considered a sustainable solution requiring limited technology. While EW has a high theoretical potential of sequestering CO2, research is still needed to provide accurate estimates of carbon (C) sequestration when applying different silicate materials across distinct climates and major soil types in combination with a variety of plants. Here we elaborate on fundamental …
The crucial interactions between climate and soil
2022
Since the birth of soil science, climate has been recognized as a soil-forming factor, along with parent rock, time, topography, and organisms (from which humans were later kept distinct), often prevalent on the other factors on the very long term. But the climate is in turns affected by soils and their management. This paper describes the interrelationships between climate – and its current change – and soil, focusing on each single factor of its formation. Parent material governs, primarily through the particle size distribution, the capacity of soil to retain water and organic matter, which are two main soil-related drivers of the climate. Time is the only unmanageable soil-forming facto…
A comparative empirical assessment of roundabouts operations in rural areas: impacts on congestion-specific vehicle speed profiles, pollutant and noi…
2020
Increasing concern about global warming and air quality has meant an increasing use of energetic and environmental indicators in roundabout design. The main objective of this paper is to compare different rural roundabouts in terms of traffic performance, pollutant and noise emissions through an integrated empirical assessment. Field measurements were carried out with a light duty vehicle in single-lane (SL), compact two-lane (CTL) and multi-lane (ML) roundabouts using Portable Emission Measurements Systems, OBD scan tool and Sound Level Meter, to measure real-world exhaust emissions, engine activity and acoustic data, respectively. Road traffic scene at roundabouts were obtained from video…
Respiratory Effects of Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollutants During Exercise
2020
Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is increasing worldwide. Habitual physical activity is known to prevent cardiorespiratory diseases and mortality, but whether exposure to TRAP during exercise affects respiratory health is still uncertain. Exercise causes inflammatory changes in the airways, and its interaction with the effects of TRAP or ozone might be detrimental, for both athletes exercising outdoor and urban active commuters. In this Mini-Review, we summarize the literature on the effects of exposure to TRAP and/or ozone during exercise on lung function, respiratory symptoms, performance, and biomarkers. Ozone negatively affected pulmonary function after exercise, especially after co…
Recupero sostenibile nel centro storico di Petralia Soprana: strategie per il retrofit energetico.
2013
The valorization of building in the historical centers of limited territorial environment, such as the ones in the Madonie’s Park, represents a requirement of mountain communities, which are the witnesses of a gradual abandonment of historical buildings, representative of the local cultural heritage, mainly because they are inadequate to ensure indoor comfort. Also for the recovery of these buildings, technological, energy and economic issues have to be evaluated, compatibly with the historical value. In particular this urban area, typical of the Madonie’s Park, is an architectural, historical and material heritage that merges with the natural and scenic values of the area, representing the…