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A promising route to transition wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs) from energy-consuming to net energy-positive is to retrofit existing facilities with process modifications, residual biosolid upcycling, and effluent thermal energy recovery. This study assesses the economics and life cycle environmental impacts of three proposed retrofits of WWTFs that consider thermochemical conversion technologies, namely, hydrothermal liquefaction, slow pyrolysis, and fast pyrolysis, along with advanced bioreactors. The results are in turn compared to the reference design, showing the retrofitting design with hydrothermal liquefaction, and an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket has the highest net present value (NPV) of $177.36MM over a 20-year plant lifetime despite 15% higher annual production costs than the reference design. According to the ReCiPe method, chlorination is identified as the major contributor for most impact categories in all cases. There are several uncertainties embedded in the techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment, including the discount rate, capital investment, sewer rate, and prices of main products; among which, the price of biochar presents the widest variation from $50 to $1900/t. Sensitivity analyses reveal that the variation of discount rates causes the most significant changes in NPVs. The impact of the biochar price is more pronounced in the slow pyrolysis-based pathway compared to the fast pyrolysis since biochar is the main product of slow pyrolysis.

Abstract Bamboo has been considered a potential feedstock of energy for the future. It can be subjected to the pyrolysis for biofuels production. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) combined with differential thermogravimetric analysis (DTG) for bamboo was carried out prior to pyrolysis. The thermal degradation of bamboo was mainly between 230 and 420 °C. The conventional pyrolysis of bamboo was investigated in a bubbling fluidized-bed reactor using silica sand. The product distribution and composition of pyrolysis bio-oil were dependent on biomass component and operating conditions such as pyrolysis temperature, fluidization velocity, and particle size of biomass. The fractional catalytic pyrolysis of bamboo was also studied to upgrade the pyrolysis vapor, using HZSM-5 and red mud. The highest yield of bio-oil was 54.03 wt% compared to 49.14 wt% and 50.34 wt% of HZSM-5 and red mud catalyst, respectively. In the red mud catalytic pyrolysis, the oxygen content was rejected from pyrolysis vapor mostly via decarboxylation to produce more CO2 than CO; in contrast, for the HZSM-5 catalytic pyrolysis, the production of CO through decarbonylation was more favored than CO2. The main composition of catalytic pyrolysis bio-oil was 4-vinylphenol, which was employed as a raw material source to synthesize valuable material for energy storage.

Abstract The hybrid pneumatic power system (HPPS) proposed in this research replaces the battery’s electric-chemical energy with flow work and optimizes the management and utilization of the energy. This power system is able to keep the internal-combustion engine working at its optimal condition and turn its waste energy into effective mechanical energy and so enhance the thermal efficiency of the whole system. Using computer simulation software ITI-SIM, this study simulates the overall dynamic characteristics of the system in accordance with the regulated running-vehicle test-mode ECE47, and, with experimental verification and analysis, proves that this system can meet the requirements of the standard running-car mode. As for recycling the waste energy, the experimental results show that this design could offset the shortcomings of the low-density of pneumatic power and so effectively enhance the efficiency of the whole system.

The work described in this report was performed under the direction of the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) at University of Texas at Arlington. The IAC at The University of Texas at Arlington is managed by Rutgers University under agreement with the United States Department of Energy Office of Industrial Technology, which financially supports the program. The objective of the IAC is to identify, evaluate, and recommend, through analysis of an industrial plant’s operations, opportunities to conserve energy and prevent pollution, thereby reducing the associated costs. IAC team members visit and survey the plant. Based upon observations made in the plant, preventive/corrective actions are recommended. At all times we try to offer specific and quantitative recommendations of cost savings, energy conservation, and pollution prevention to the plants we serve.

Due to their unique nature, construction projects are considered one of the world’s most hazardous and incident-prone industrial sectors. The present study aimed to analyze health, safety and environmental (HSE) risks relating to construction projects based on the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) and sustainability approach. This study was conducted with the participation of 30 experts, using the semi-quantitative risk assessment technique, in nine areas of the project management’s body of knowledge, based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. Risk, in this study, was estimated using a two-dimensional matrix of incident probability and severity, each of which has four sub-parameters. The HSE risks pertaining to each of the nine areas of PMBOK were identified. After that, the two dimensions of risk, including incident probability and severity, were measured. Thirty-seven risk sources associated with nine areas of the PMBOK were identified. Risk analysis revealed that 20 sources were at an unacceptable risk level, and 17 risks were at a tolerable risk level. Identifying HSE-related risk sources in accordance with the nine areas of PMBOK, and using FAHP to assess the risk of these hazards in construction projects, can lead to a more realistic estimate of risk in construction projects. The presented method in the current study can create a novel perspective in terms of the construction industry’s risk management and assessment.

The country’s unique philosophy is expressed by Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness (GNH) as the guiding principle of development. Bhutan is at a crossroads: It can maintain the current pattern of development—with rising inequality—or develop a vibrant private sector to generate jobs and diversify the economy, building resilience to future external shocks. The overarching priority of this Country Partnership Framework (CPF) is job creation. This CPF presents an integrated framework of WBG support to help Bhutan achieve inclusive and sustainable development through private sector–led job creation.

Global change drivers that modify the quality and quantity of litter inputs to soil affect greenhouse gas fluxes, and thereby constitute a feedback to climate change. Carbon cycling in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) River Delta, a subarctic wetland system, is influenced by landscape variations in litter quality and quantity generated by herbivores (migratory birds) that create ‘grazing lawns’ of short stature, nitrogen-rich vegetation. To identify the mechanisms by which these changes in litter inputs affect soil carbon balance, we independently manipulated qualities and quantities of litter representative of levels found in the Y-K Delta in a fully factorial microcosm experiment. We measured carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes from these microcosms weekly. To help us identify how litter inputs influenced greenhouse gas fluxes, we sequenced soil fungal and bacterial communities, and measured soil microbial biomass carbon, dissolved carbon, inorganic nitrogen, and enzyme activity. We found that positive correlations between litter input quantity and CO2 flux were dependent upon litter type, due to differences in litter stoichiometry and changes to the structure of decomposer communities, especially the soil fungi. These community shifts were particularly pronounced when litter was added in the form of herbivore feces, and in litter input treatments that induced nitrogen limitation (i.e., senesced litter). The sensitivity of carbon cycling to litter quality and quantity in this system demonstrates that herbivores can strongly impact greenhouse gas fluxes through their influence on plant growth and tissue chemistry.

These data are part of a data portal that accompanies the special issue ‘Climate change adaptation needs a science of culture,’ published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B in 2023. To access the data portal, please visit: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bnzs7h4h4. This code represents a computational model investigating the dynamics of coupled and decoupled resource use and efficiency gains. It can be used to simulate the effects of exploration-exploitation strategies on efficiency, consumption and sustainability, considering different levels of direct and indirect rebound effects. The model simulates a population of agents who make decisions on whether to explore or exploit a natural resource. These agents become more efficient over time based on their chosen strategy, affecting resource consumption. Different scenarios are considered, including various rebound effects, which influence how efficiency gains impact resource use. The key elements of the model include agents' uncertainty about the efficiency of their actions, the operationalization of efficiency as a reward, and the calculation of resource consumption based on efficiency gains and rebound effects. The model provides insights into how agents' decisions and resource use evolve over time under different conditions. This computational framework offers a valuable tool for exploring the complex dynamics of resource consumption and management in the face of environmental challenges. It can be applied to gain a deeper understanding of the Jevons Paradox and its implications for sustainable resource use. This computational model simulates the dynamics of exploration and exploitation strategies within a population of agents. These agents make decisions on whether to explore new solutions or exploit existing ones, with a focus on maximizing efficiency. The model employs a N-armed bandit problem approach, where agents select actions to maximize efficiency gains. Efficiency is operationalized as a reward, and agents use sample means to estimate expected efficiency. A balance between exploration and exploitation is maintained through a probability-based algorithm. The code also encompasses resource domains, representing different resources and their dynamics, along with computations of resource consumption, existing resources, and sustainability indices. The simulations consider various parameter combinations to examine the model's behavior. Overall, the code serves as a tool for studying the interplay between exploration, exploitation, efficiency, and resource consumption within a population of agents across different scenarios, making it valuable for investigating the effects of rebound effects on resource consumption and sustainability. The simulations run a comprehensive set of parameter combinations to explore the model's behavior thoroughly. # Code from: Efficiency traps beyond the climate crisis: Exploration-exploitation tradeoffs and rebound effects. Python scripts to run the model, as described in: Segovia-Martin J, Creutzig F, Winters J. 2023 Efficiency traps beyond the climate crisis: exploration–exploitation tradeoffs and rebound effects. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 378: 20220405. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2022.0405 The code and supplementary materials are all freely accessible at the following link: [https://github.com/School-of-Collective-Intelligence/Jevons-Paradox-and-Cultural-Evolution](https://github.com/School-of-Collective-Intelligence/Jevons-Paradox-and-Cultural-Evolution) The simulator can be accessed via the following links: [https://jevons-collectiveintelligence.pythonanywhere.com/](https://jevons-collectiveintelligence.pythonanywhere.com/) or [https://jsegoviamartin.pythonanywhere.com/](https://jsegoviamartin.pythonanywhere.com/) The DOI of this Dryad repository: [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qjq2bvqnk](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qjq2bvqnk) ##

This is the Global Fuel Exploitation Inventory (GFEI) which provides a 0.1 x 0.1 degree grid of methane emissions of fugitive emissions related to oil, gas, and coal activities (IPCC Sector 1B1 and 1B2). Subsector emissions are provided from exploration to distribution of the resource. The inventory emissions are based on individual country reports submitted in accordance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). For those countries that do not report we estimate emissions following IPCC methods. Emissions are allocated to infrastructure locations including mines, wells, pipelines, compressor stations, storage facilities, processing plants, and refineries. This version of the inventory (GFEI v3) inventory is for 2020 and presents an update of GFEI v2 and v1 which were for 2019 and 2016, respectively. Emission grids are also available for 2010-2019. In GFEI v3, for each sector (oil, gas, coal) and subsector (exploration, production, etc.) there are emission grids. File names are in netcdf format and should start with "Global_Fuel_Exploitation_Inventory_v3_2020_" followed by the sector or subsector name. Please contact us if you would like emissions for an alternate year. We will also make input data and code available upon reasonable request.