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The global drive towards sustainability has ushered in a new era of transportation, prominently featuring the rise of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). The rapid rise of BEVs has been widely hailed as a crucial milestone in promoting sustainable transportation and combating climate change. The existing empirical evidence provides undeniable support for the essential role of BEVs to support net zero targets. However, like any disruptive technology, BEVs are not without their hidden effects. This paper seeks to explore and analyse these lesser-known repercussions (i.e., externalities) of BEV adoption. In doing so, it sheds light on the environmental, infrastructure, socio-economic and safety externalities of BEVs, aiming to foster a holistic understanding of their impact and facilitate informed decision-making. Furthermore, it highlights the critical role of public awareness and user education in maximising the benefits of BEVs and the importance of maintaining a balance of information in developing such campaigns. Empowering individuals, communities, and policymakers with accurate information, dispelling misconceptions, and fostering responsible BEV practices are essential for realising maximal environmental impacts of BEVs. The discussion emphasises the need for moving beyond climate-change targets that are merely based on tailpipe emissions, towards life-cycle-based approaches.

The global drive towards sustainability has ushered in a new era of transportation, prominently featuring the rise of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). The rapid rise of BEVs has been widely hailed as a crucial milestone in promoting sustainable transportation and combating climate change. The existing empirical evidence provides undeniable support for the essential role of BEVs to support net zero targets. However, like any disruptive technology, BEVs are not without their hidden effects. This paper seeks to explore and analyse these lesser-known repercussions (i.e., externalities) of BEV adoption. In doing so, it sheds light on the environmental, infrastructure, socio-economic and safety externalities of BEVs, aiming to foster a holistic understanding of their impact and facilitate informed decision-making. Furthermore, it highlights the critical role of public awareness and user education in maximising the benefits of BEVs and the importance of maintaining a balance of information in developing such campaigns. Empowering individuals, communities, and policymakers with accurate information, dispelling misconceptions, and fostering responsible BEV practices are essential for realising maximal environmental impacts of BEVs. The discussion emphasises the need for moving beyond climate-change targets that are merely based on tailpipe emissions, towards life-cycle-based approaches.

Pathogens represent a significant threat to human health leading to the emergence of strategies designed to help manage their negative impact. We examined how spiritual beliefs developed to explain and predict the devastating effects of pathogens and spread of infectious disease. Analysis of existing data in studies 1 and 2 suggests that moral vitalism (beliefs about spiritual forces of evil) is higher in geographical regions characterized by historical higher levels of pathogens. Furthermore, drawing on a sample of 3140 participants from 28 countries in study 3, we found that historical higher levels of pathogens were associated with stronger endorsement of moral vitalistic beliefs. Furthermore, endorsement of moral vitalistic beliefs statistically mediated the previously reported relationship between pathogen prevalence and conservative ideologies, suggesting these beliefs reinforce behavioural strategies which function to prevent infection. We conclude that moral vitalism may be adaptive: by emphasizing concerns over contagion, it provided an explanatory model that enabled human groups to reduce rates of contagious disease.

Pathogens represent a significant threat to human health leading to the emergence of strategies designed to help manage their negative impact. We examined how spiritual beliefs developed to explain and predict the devastating effects of pathogens and spread of infectious disease. Analysis of existing data in studies 1 and 2 suggests that moral vitalism (beliefs about spiritual forces of evil) is higher in geographical regions characterized by historical higher levels of pathogens. Furthermore, drawing on a sample of 3140 participants from 28 countries in study 3, we found that historical higher levels of pathogens were associated with stronger endorsement of moral vitalistic beliefs. Furthermore, endorsement of moral vitalistic beliefs statistically mediated the previously reported relationship between pathogen prevalence and conservative ideologies, suggesting these beliefs reinforce behavioural strategies which function to prevent infection. We conclude that moral vitalism may be adaptive: by emphasizing concerns over contagion, it provided an explanatory model that enabled human groups to reduce rates of contagious disease.

Abstract Hydrogen, as a carbon-free fuel and reducing agent, has the potential to mitigate carbon dioxide emission in BF ironmaking and the shaft injection is one of the promising and feasible processes; however, its effects on non-renewable fossil fuels saving in ironmaking process and the in-furnace phenomena are still not clear. In this study, a multi-fluid BF model is adopted to study hydrogen shaft injection's influence on in-furnace phenomena and BF performance, including flow-thermal-chemical behaviors and fossil fuel rate saving. The computational domain includes the industrial-scale BF regions from the slag surface in the hearth to the stock line near the furnace top, and the study is carried out under a fixed bosh gas flow rate. The simulation results show that compared with regular BF operation, hydrogen shaft injection can considerably affect BF performance, including the gas flow field, thermal field, and reduction behaviors. It is found that, as the injection rate increases, the penetration depth of hydrogen shows an increasing trend; the apex of cohesive zone shifts to a higher position with a more concave-shaped profile; moreover, both the reduction degree of iron oxides and thermal conditions in the shaft can be improved, which are accompanied with a significantly decreased fossil fuel rate. This study provides a quantitative tool to understand and optimize the hydrogen shaft injection into BFs towards a low-carbon ironmaking process.

Abstract Hydrogen, as a carbon-free fuel and reducing agent, has the potential to mitigate carbon dioxide emission in BF ironmaking and the shaft injection is one of the promising and feasible processes; however, its effects on non-renewable fossil fuels saving in ironmaking process and the in-furnace phenomena are still not clear. In this study, a multi-fluid BF model is adopted to study hydrogen shaft injection's influence on in-furnace phenomena and BF performance, including flow-thermal-chemical behaviors and fossil fuel rate saving. The computational domain includes the industrial-scale BF regions from the slag surface in the hearth to the stock line near the furnace top, and the study is carried out under a fixed bosh gas flow rate. The simulation results show that compared with regular BF operation, hydrogen shaft injection can considerably affect BF performance, including the gas flow field, thermal field, and reduction behaviors. It is found that, as the injection rate increases, the penetration depth of hydrogen shows an increasing trend; the apex of cohesive zone shifts to a higher position with a more concave-shaped profile; moreover, both the reduction degree of iron oxides and thermal conditions in the shaft can be improved, which are accompanied with a significantly decreased fossil fuel rate. This study provides a quantitative tool to understand and optimize the hydrogen shaft injection into BFs towards a low-carbon ironmaking process.