Narrow Results

Electric vehicle (EV) has become a potential traffic tool, which has attracted researchers to explore various traffic phenomena caused by EV (e.g. congestion, electricity consumption, etc.). In this paper, we study the energy consumption (including the fuel consumption and the electricity consumption) and emissions of heterogeneous traffic flow (that consists of the traditional vehicle (TV) and EV) under three traffic situations (i.e. uniform flow, shock and rarefaction waves, and a small perturbation) from the perspective of macro traffic flow. The numerical results show that the proportion of electric vehicular flow has great effects on the TV’s fuel consumption and emissions and the EV’s electricity consumption, i.e. the fuel consumption and emissions decrease while the electricity consumption increases with the increase of the proportion of electric vehicular flow. The results can help us better understand the energy consumption and emissions of the heterogeneous traffic flow consisting of TV and EV.

This paper studies an overlapping generations (OLG) differential game on optimal emissions with continuous age structure and different types of individuals. At the (stochastic) arrival of a catastrophic climate change, the utility and the damage to the stock of pollution change for the rest of the time horizon. We derive the open-loop (OL) Nash equilibrium and show that it is subgame perfect and moreover equal to the feedback Stackelberg one. We compare the solution to the cooperative one (using the social welfare as objective function) and show the different dynamic evolutions of optimal emissions over time. Finally, we derive a time-consistent tax scheme that reaches the cooperative optimal solution in the OL Nash equilibrium. The tax scheme turns out to be heterogeneous with respect to age and type (anticipating and nonanticipating the catastrophic climate change). Setting taxes that are homogeneous across the individual type leads to an OL Nash solution that produces socially optimal total emissions, but lower individual utilities.

This study sought to investigate techniques for lowering diesel engine emissions by using waste seed as an alternative energy source in place of conventional fossil fuels. This study thoroughly investigated the process of transesterifying waste seed oil obtained from Bauhinia purpurea linn for use as fuel in a common rail direct injection (CRDI) diesel engine. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) nanoparticles serve as a combustion enhancer. The engine outcome metrics were analyzed using diesel, Bauhinia purpurea linn biodiesel (BPLB) and BPLB-BHT blends ($\mathrm{\text{BPLB}}+10\mu$m BHT 10 ppm and $\mathrm{\text{BPLB}}+20\mu$m BHT 10 ppm) without changing the operating circumstances. At full brake power, the $\mathrm{\text{BPLB}}+10\mu$m BHT 10 ppm mix outperformed the BPLB and $\mathrm{\text{BPLB}}+20\mu$m BHT 10 ppm blends, but fell short of diesel. The $\mathrm{\text{BPLB}}+10\mu$m BHT 10 ppm blend reduced smoke opacity by 39.14%, hydrocarbon (HC) emissions by 42.71%, carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by 59.03% and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions by 12.29% compared to neat diesel fuel at maximum brake power.

Driving behavior is heterogeneous for various drivers due to the different influencing factors as reaction time, gender, driving years and so on. Some existing works tried to reproduce some of the complex characteristics of real traffic flow by taking into account the heterogeneous driving behavior, and the drivers are generally divided into two classes (including aggressive drivers and careful drivers) or three classes (including aggressive drivers, normal drivers and careful drivers). Nevertheless, the classification approaches have not been verified, and the rationality of the classifications has not been confirmed as well. In this study, the trajectory data of drivers is extracted from the NGSIM datasets. By combining the K-Means method and Silhouette measure index, the drivers are classified into four clusters (named as clusters A, B, C and D, respectively) in accordance with the acceleration and time headway. The two-dimensional approach is applied to analyze the characteristics of different clusters. Here, one dimension consists of “Cautious” and “Aggressive” behaviors in terms of velocity and acceleration, and the other dimension consists of “Sensitive” and “Insensitive” behaviors in terms of reaction time. Finally, the fuel consumption and emissions for different clusters are calculated by using the VT-Micro model. A surprising result indicates that overly “cautious” and “sensitive” behaviors may result in more fuel consumption and emissions. Therefore, it is necessary to find the balance between the driving characteristics.

About 140 countries have announced or are considering net zero targets. To explore the implications of such targets, we apply an integrated earth system–economic model to investigate illustrative net zero emissions scenarios. Given the technologies as characterized in our modeling framework, we find that with net zero targets afforestation in earlier years and biomass energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology in later years are important negative emissions technologies, allowing continued emissions from hard-to-reduce sectors and sources. With the entire world achieving net zero by 2050 a very rapid scale-up of BECCS is required, increasing mitigation costs through mid-century substantially, compared with a scenario where some countries achieve net zero by 2050 while others continue some emissions in the latter half of the century. The scenarios slightly overshoot 1.5^∘C at mid-century but are at or below 1.5^∘C by 2100 with median climate response. Accounting for climate uncertainty, global achievement of net zero by 2050 essentially guarantees that the 1.5^∘C target will be achieved, compared to having a 50–50 chance in the scenario without net zero. This indicates a tradeoff between policy costs and likelihood of achieving 1.5^∘C.

This paper describes and analyzes a proposal for a pay-for-cuts carbon treaty and illustrates how it would work with numerical simulations for 186 countries. A treaty board would pay each country’s government an amount P for each CO₂ ton the country cuts by any method. Each government would decide how to get its firms and households to cut CO₂ emissions; the board would encourage a carbon tax or cap-and-trade but not require it. $R_i$ is the number of tons that country i reduces its CO₂ emissions. $R_i$ equals country i’s base emissions minus its actual emissions which are publicly available data. Country i’s government would receive $P{R}_i$ from the board. The board’s $P{R}_i$ payments would be financed by country government contributions to the board. A formula would give each country’s government the amount it must contribute each year. The formula would aim to make government contributions equal to the board’s $P{R}_i$ payments and equitably distribute the burdens from cutting world emissions. Representatives of the countries would have to approve the board’s most important decisions.

Emissions from shipping have increased significantly since the beginning of the millennium and are expected to continue growing. This is particularly worrying for the Arctic where greenhouse gas emissions have a higher environmental impact than in other regions and where shipping is projected to increase in the following decades. Arctic states have expressed their interest in reducing the emissions from shipping in the region and the majority have pledged to work towards making the industry zero-emissions by 2050. However, the concept of zero-emission shipping is relatively new and only a limited number of demonstration and pilot projects have been launched. This chapter provides an overview of the meaning and scope of the concept of zero-emission shipping with the aim of identifying the benefits and opportunities that it represents for the Arctic. The most relevant benefits would come from reducing the emissions of black carbon and greenhouse gases as well as other air pollutants emitted by shipping, such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. These emissions have a higher environmental impact in the Arctic than in other regions which highlights the relevance of prioritizing the Arctic for the adoption of zero-emission shipping. An initial step towards it could come from the creation of green shipping corridors considering that most of the Arctic states have pledged to help establish at least six such corridors by 2025. Another option could be through the establishment of a zero-emission controlled area which is an innovative concept brought forward by this chapter and that could result in significant benefits for the Arctic.

The following sections are included:

• Introduction

• The SAFIRE approach

• The scenarios investigated

• Results
  • Technical potential
  • Energy demand
  • Market potential
  • Market penetration
  • Cost-benefit assessment
    • Employment
    • Emissions

• Summary and conclusions

• References

Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is a toxic chemical produced during the burning of fossil fuels. It has been widely used in a variety of industrial processes for centuries due to its excellent performance as a reducing agent, refrigerating agent, bleaching agent and as an antioxidant. Consequently, it is a major atmospheric pollutant and has significant impact on the environment as well as human health. SO₂ is largely responsible for decreased air quality as well as acid rain. Methods of sulfur dioxide emission mitigation are described including various flue gas desulfurization (FGD) methods, liquid petroleum product desulfurization and various methods of fluidized bed incineration.

“The verdict is in. The world must act now to curb the cataclysmic effects of climate change. In NJ, we set a path to 100% clean energy by 2050, signed sweeping clean energy legislation and are protecting our land & water. Our children deserve nothing less.” — NJ Governor Murphy, November 24, 2018…

The Bloomberg Carbon Clock is a web-based and real-time estimate of the global average atmospheric CO₂ level. The work was conceived to help non-scientists understand the seasonal nature of atmospheric composition, and offers a click-through explanation of the CO₂ data’s meaning, history, and implications. The Carbon Clock was designed to satisfy both scientific rigor and aesthetic appeal.

This chapter describes how economic models are used to answer questions about policy changes, specifically in the context of a carbon fee-and-dividend system. A carbon fee-and-dividend is a price on carbon dioxide emissions that returns the revenues gained to ordinary households in the form of a monthly check. The chapter describes, in nontechnical terms, the economic models and modeling processes involved and how they are similar and different from climate models…

This paper investigates the feasibility of recycling waste heat from a diesel engine, and also the effects of using ethanol-diesel oil as an alternative fuel. Through thermodynamic analyses, the study reveals that a significant amount of energy is contained in both the exhaust gas and cooling water, and that recycling this energy will reduce emissions, conserve energy, and improve the thermal and exergy efficiency of the diesel engine. The use of ethanol-diesel oil will lead to significantly reduced exhaust emissions without significant impact on the engine's performance parameters.

In this study, effect of engine speed variation on premixed ratio, equivalence ratio and emissions of a dual fuel HCCI engine are investigated. The experiments were conducted on a variable compression ratio (VCR) single-cylinder research engine with compression ratio of 17.5:1. Premixed gasoline was introduced to inlet manifold through a carburetor which is equipped with a needle screw to adjust the gasoline mass flow rate. Results show that the CO, HC and soot emissions increases by increasing the engine speed due to less homogeneity in the mixture and decreasing the overall reactivity, also the premixed fuel and therefore the equivalence ratio increases as a result of engine speed increase in HCCI combustion.

In order to respond to the call of the national low-carbon travel, a new type of traffic pattern came into being, that is, P+R traffic model. This conversion mode can effectively reduce the road traffic pressure, reduce environmental pollution, improve the utilization rate of the road, to bring social, economic and environmental benefits to the city. This paper first puts forward the P+R traffic model, and then analyzes the factors that affect the environmental benefit of P+R mode, and then calculates the HC, CO and NO_X the reduction of P+R, P+R, and estimates the economic value of the two aspects of the parking lot.