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This article examines land-use, market and welfare implications of lignocellulosic bioethanol production in Hawaii to satisfy 10% and 20% of the State's gasoline demand in line with the State's ethanol blending mandate and Alternative Fuels Standard (AFS). A static computable general equilibrium (CGE) model is used to evaluate four alternative support mechanisms for bioethanol. Namely: (i) a federal blending tax credit, (ii) a long-term purchase contract, (iii) a state production subsidy financed by a lump-sum tax and (iv) a state production subsidy financed by an ad valorem gasoline tax. We find that because Hawaii-produced bioethanol is relatively costly, all scenarios are welfare reducing for Hawaii residents: estimated between -0.14% and -0.32%. Unsurprisingly, Hawaii.s economy and its residents fair best under the federal blending tax credit scenario, with a positive impact to gross state product of $49 million. Otherwise, impacts to gross state product are negative (up to -$63 million). We additionally find that Hawaii-based bioethanol is not likely to offer substantial greenhouse gas emissions savings in comparison to imported biofuel, and as such the policy cost per tonne of emissions displaced ranges between $130 to $2,100/tonne of CO2e. The policies serve to increase the value of agricultural lands, where we estimate that the value of pasture land could increase as much as 150% in the 20% AFS scenario.

With the increasing scale and scope of global trade, the magnitude of the CO2 flows embodied in goods and services through international trade has aroused great concern among researchers and governments. In this study, we established a global network model of these CO2 transfers from 2001 to 2010 using ecological network analysis and data from the World Input-Output Database for 40 selected countries whose GDP accounted for more than 85% of the total global GDP. Based on the utility analysis, we determined the ecological relationships among the countries involved in the global trade network and their changes during the study period. The analysis revealed that competition and exploitation/control relationships dominated the global network, with each accounting for more than 40% of the total relationships throughout the study period; mutualism accounted for the smallest proportion (less than 4%). More than 80% of the competition and 75% of the exploitation/control relationships were within Europe or involved flows from Europe to North America or Asia. Finland, France, Japan, Greece, and Spain had the largest proportions of competition relationships. In Denmark, Luxembourg, Malta, and Switzerland, exploitation was dominant, whereas in Russia, Indonesia, and India, control was dominant. Our analysis identifies the key nodes of the many adverse ecological relationships within the global CO2 network and those with more mutual relationships. Our work provides a scientific basis for developing more ecologically sustainable national and global CO2 flows through trade.

Abstract At present, energy and fertilizer requirements of many of the developing countries are largely met by locally available, non-commercial sources, such as firewood and farm wastes. Extensive use of firewood is one of the factors that can lead to deforestation. When organic farm wastes are burnt, soil nutrients, which should return to soil, are lost and this can severely affect agricultural production. The problem of efficient utilization of these locally available resources, therefore, needs to be studied in a systematic manner. As an option for efficient utilization of local resources, bio-gas plants are considered, taking India as a case study. In these plants, animal dung and agricultural byproducts are utilized to obtain both methane and fertilizer through anaerobic fermentation. This is an example of appropriate technology for rural environments, which requires low investment, which does not need highly skilled labor and which can be operated with local materials and self-help in the 576,000 villages of India. The economic benefits to a family using a bio-gas plant and the impact of its widespread acceptance on a national scale are evaluated. It is felt, however, that the scope of such individual family bio-gas plants is likely to be limited for a number of reasons. To realize the potential of bio-gas fully, village plants of about 200 m3 capacity for approx. 100 families are needed. The introduction of such seemingly sensible new technologies has failed in the past for want of appropriate management and organizational structures and, consequently, for want of social participation by persons of various income groups in the successful operation of such community plants. To remedy this, a pricing policy for purchase of farmwastes and distribution of gas and fertilizer has been suggested as an essential tool to ensure that no-one is worse off by the introduction of bio-gas plants and thus to motivate the required participation in the scheme. Given a different organizational set-up, the idea could also be tried out for providing energy and sanitation in urban areas. The impact of full-scale adoption could mean that, by 2000 ad, almost 90% of the rural energy requirements of the domestic sector could be met; at present, this accounts for about 45% of the total energy consumption in India. The consequent reduction in firewood consumption would help to prevent deforestation. In addition, organic manure containing two million tons of additional nitrogen would be available every year to enhance soil nutrients, hence boosting food production and helping to solve the problem of sanitation at the same time.

AbstractPlant-based animal product alternatives are increasingly promoted to achieve more sustainable diets. Here, we use a global economic land use model to assess the food system-wide impacts of a global dietary shift towards these alternatives. We find a substantial reduction in the global environmental impacts by 2050 if globally 50% of the main animal products (pork, chicken, beef and milk) are substituted—net reduction of forest and natural land is almost fully halted and agriculture and land use GHG emissions decline by 31% in 2050 compared to 2020. If spared agricultural land within forest ecosystems is restored to forest, climate benefits could double, reaching 92% of the previously estimated land sector mitigation potential. Furthermore, the restored area could contribute to 13-25% of the estimated global land restoration needs under target 2 from the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by 2030, and future declines in ecosystem integrity by 2050 would be more than halved. The distribution of these impacts varies across regions—the main impacts on agricultural input use are in China and on environmental outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. While beef replacement provides the largest impacts, substituting multiple products is synergistic.

The purpose of this study was to contribute to filling the knowledge gap in public opinion and knowledge about forest and its certification in Japan, as well as to identify key elements and the possible role of public opinion within integrated bottom-up policies, bridging the sectors of forest, environment and energy. For the study 1930 questionnaires were disseminated in a small town in early 2007. Results from the statistical analysis indicated that forest was perceived as an ecosystem with a protective function against e.g. soil erosion or flooding, rather than a place that might serve for wood production and providing jobs. Forest certification and bioenergy from forest were identified as key elements for future integrated bottom-up policies that need to concentrate on facilitating the linkage between forestry and renewable energy as well as on promoting environmentally sound management and forest certification.

Cities are perhaps one of the most challenging and yet enabling arenas for sustainable development goals. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasize the need to monitor each goal through objective targets and indicators based on common denominators in the ability of countries to collect and maintain relevant standardized data. While this approach is aimed at harmonizing the SDGs at the national level, it presents unique challenges and opportunities for the development of innovative urban-level metrics through big data innovations. In this article, we make the case for advancing more innovative targets and indicators relevant to the SDGs through the emergence of urban big data. We believe that urban policy-makers are faced with unique opportunities to develop, experiment, and advance big data practices relevant to sustainable development. This can be achieved by situating the application of big data innovations through developing mayoral institutions for the governance of urban big data, advancing the culture and common skill sets for applying urban big data, and investing in specialized research and education programs.

Le secteur des transports traverse une transition rapide vers les véhicules électriques afin de minimiser notre dépendance aux combustibles fossiles et de réduire les émissions de CO2. Cela se produit également dans le secteur du transport de marchandises, avec un déploiement rapide des camions électriques. Ce document propose que le remplacement des camions diesel par des camions électriques ait lieu d'abord sur les itinéraires où la cargaison est livrée d'un endroit à une altitude plus élevée à un endroit à une altitude plus basse. De cette façon, le système de freinage à récupération du camion peut recharger complètement la batterie du camion. Cet article étudie des scénarios où les camions électriques pourraient fonctionner indéfiniment sans électricité du réseau pour charger leurs batteries. Ce concept a été nommé camion électrique à mouvement perpétuel (PMET). Les résultats montrent qu'avec une pente moyenne de 5 %, une vitesse de 60 km/h, le poids de la cargaison doit être au moins 1,32 fois le poids du camion, ce qui permet d'atteindre la PMET. Le PMET est une alternative intéressante pour réduire la demande d'électricité et accroître la durabilité du secteur des transports. El sector del transporte está pasando por una rápida transición a los vehículos eléctricos para minimizar nuestra dependencia de los combustibles fósiles y reducir las emisiones de CO2. Esto también está sucediendo en el sector del transporte de carga, con un rápido despliegue de camiones eléctricos. Este documento propone que el reemplazo de camiones diésel por camiones eléctricos debe ocurrir primero en rutas donde la carga se entrega desde un lugar con mayor altitud a un lugar con menor altitud. De esta manera, el sistema de frenado regenerativo del camión puede recargar completamente la batería del camión. Este documento investiga escenarios en los que los camiones eléctricos podrían operar indefinidamente sin electricidad de la red para cargar sus baterías. Este concepto se denominó camión eléctrico de movimiento perpetuo (PMET). Los resultados muestran que con una pendiente media de la carretera del 5%, velocidad de 60 km/h, el peso de la carga debe ser al menos 1.32 veces el peso del camión, se puede lograr PMET. El PMET es una alternativa interesante para reducir la demanda eléctrica y aumentar la sostenibilidad del sector del transporte. The transportation sector is going through a rapid transition to electric vehicles to minimize our reliance on fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions. This is also happening in the cargo transport sector, with a rapid deployment of electric trucks. This paper proposes that the replacement of diesel trucks with electric trucks should first happen on routes where cargo is delivered from a location with a higher altitude to a location with a lower altitude. This way, the regenerative braking system of the truck can completely recharge the truck's battery. This paper investigates scenarios where electric trucks could operate indefinitely without grid electricity to charge their batteries. This concept was named perpetual motion electric truck (PMET). Results show that with an average road slope of 5 %, 60 km/h speed, the weight of the cargo should be at least 1.32 times the weight of the truck, PMET can be achieved. PMET is an interesting alternative to reduce electricity demand and increase the sustainability of the transport sector. يمر قطاع النقل بمرحلة انتقال سريعة إلى السيارات الكهربائية لتقليل اعتمادنا على الوقود الأحفوري وتقليل انبعاثات ثاني أكسيد الكربون. ويحدث هذا أيضًا في قطاع نقل البضائع، مع الانتشار السريع للشاحنات الكهربائية. تقترح هذه الورقة أن يتم استبدال شاحنات الديزل بالشاحنات الكهربائية أولاً على الطرق التي يتم فيها تسليم البضائع من موقع ذي ارتفاع أعلى إلى موقع ذي ارتفاع أقل. وبهذه الطريقة، يمكن لنظام الكبح المتجدد للشاحنة إعادة شحن بطارية الشاحنة بالكامل. تبحث هذه الورقة في السيناريوهات التي يمكن أن تعمل فيها الشاحنات الكهربائية إلى أجل غير مسمى بدون كهرباء الشبكة لشحن بطارياتها. أطلق على هذا المفهوم اسم الشاحنة الكهربائية ذات الحركة الدائمة (PMET). تظهر النتائج أنه مع متوسط انحدار الطريق بنسبة 5 ٪، وسرعة 60 كم/ساعة، يجب أن يكون وزن الحمولة 1.32 مرة على الأقل من وزن الشاحنة، ويمكن تحقيق PMET. تعد PMET بديلاً مثيرًا للاهتمام لتقليل الطلب على الكهرباء وزيادة استدامة قطاع النقل.