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Environments
Special Issues
Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Green Energy Utilization
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Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Green Energy Utilization

A special issue of Environments (ISSN 2076-3298).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2024 | Viewed by 4739

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Syu-Ruei Jhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Safety,Health and Environmental Engineering, National United University, Miaoli 360301, Taiwan
Interests: greenhouse gas monitoring; renewable energy; air pollution; life cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, energy utilization is linked to various economic activities and environmental challenges, such as global climate change, air pollution, forest destruction, ozone depletion, acid precipitation, greenhouse gases (GHGs), water and land use, wildlife loss, and radioactive emissions. In order to reach a promising and brighter energy future while mitigating environmental burdens, these challenges need to be addressed together. For this purpose, we should turn our thinking toward green energy utilization, which could reduce the associated environmental, economic, and social issues.

Therefore, we kindly invite contributions addressing different current topics related to green energy utiliztion and their impact on GHGs, energy use as well as emission impact, alternative and green fuel application, emission control strategies, comparative assessment of energy use and energy consumption from a policy perspective.

Dr. Syu-Ruei Jhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Environments is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • greenhouse gases (GHGs)
  • green energy
  • emission reduction
  • emission control strategies
  • alternative and green fuel application

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3581 KiB  
Article
Characterization of the Dominant Stages at Which Gas Flaring Is Introduced: Impacts and Policy Options to Ameliorate Them
by Nwabueze Emekwuru
Environments 2024, 11(7), 158; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11070158 - 22 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1511
Abstract
Information on associated gas flaring in the Niger Delta is analyzed to characterize the various stages in the lifecycle of an oil exploration and production facility through which gas flaring is introduced into an area, leading to ecological, health, and economic impacts, and [...] Read more.
Information on associated gas flaring in the Niger Delta is analyzed to characterize the various stages in the lifecycle of an oil exploration and production facility through which gas flaring is introduced into an area, leading to ecological, health, and economic impacts, and possible policies and implementation strategies for the reduction of the flared gas are offered. Gas flaring is currently occurring at a rate of 5318 million m3 per year in the Niger Delta region. The impacts of gas flaring on the ecological, human, and economic systems include poor air quality, acid rain, and soil degradation. Other impacts include decreased crop yield, increased incidences of respiratory diseases amongst inhabitants in the area, and losses of billions of USD yearly in economic costs. Three dominant stages in the introduction of gas flaring are characterized in this study, using the concept of the management of the invasion of non-native species into an ecosystem and it is determined that the cheapest method of minimizing gas flaring is to incorporate mitigation measures during the design stage of the oil exploration/production facility, rather than after flaring has commenced, as is the common emphasis. During the early periods of oil production, gas flaring is largely localized, and the gas utilization measures can still be implemented to good effect. However, once the facility is established, gas flaring becomes pervasive, stretching kilometers beyond the flare points. Current policies like the imposition of flare-out years on the oil producers have helped, but they have been insufficient as the intensity of gas flaring in the region continues at double the average global levels. Working with relevant stakeholders, a realistic flare-out deadline should be agreed upon, clear and specific gas flaring legislation should be drawn up that includes measures to mitigate gas flaring for each proposed oil facility, and proper data collection and management services would enable the implementation of the policies to be based on robust evidence. These policies would shift the costs of gas flaring away from the inhabitants of the region back to the operators of the facilities that are the sources of the flares. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Green Energy Utilization)
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18 pages, 2209 KiB  
Article
A Resource-Bound Critical Analysis of the Decarbonisation Roadmaps for the UK Foundation Industries by 2050
by Hisham Hafez, Michal P. Drewniok, Anne P. M. Velenturf and Phil Purnell
Environments 2024, 11(7), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11070153 - 18 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1383
Abstract
The foundation industries in the UK were responsible for emitting 42 Mt CO2eq in 2020, which is approximately 10% of the yearly territorial greenhouse gas emissions. The UK government decarbonisation roadmap issued in 2015 predicted that high-tech strategies such as carbon capture [...] Read more.
The foundation industries in the UK were responsible for emitting 42 Mt CO2eq in 2020, which is approximately 10% of the yearly territorial greenhouse gas emissions. The UK government decarbonisation roadmap issued in 2015 predicted that high-tech strategies such as carbon capture and utilisation, hydrogen and biofuels, as well as electrification of processes are key for achieving the climate mitigating targets by 2050. In this study, a critical assessment was performed on the limitations to achieve these high-tech strategies such as biomass availability, capital investment, and technology readiness. The study is the first to use the UK carbon budget values as the resource limit for the high-tech decarbonisation strategies. The findings show that the significant uncertainty associated with the high-tech scenarios limits their decarbonisation potential by 2050. More importantly, to stay within the mid-century carbon budget for the foundation industries, 20–40% reduction in production, through circular economic strategies such as material efficiency and/or changes in product specifications, is required in order to achieve the decarbonisation targets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Green Energy Utilization)
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15 pages, 3182 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Emission Assessments of Solar and Energy Efficiency Improvements at Small Water Resource Recovery Facilities
by Matthew Thompson and Bruce Dvorak
Environments 2024, 11(6), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11060118 - 3 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1064
Abstract
Small water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) account for the majority of centralized systems in the world and have higher energy intensities than large facilities. This study compares potential greenhouse gas emission reductions based on on-site solar energy and energy efficiency (E2) improvements made [...] Read more.
Small water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) account for the majority of centralized systems in the world and have higher energy intensities than large facilities. This study compares potential greenhouse gas emission reductions based on on-site solar energy and energy efficiency (E2) improvements made at small WRRFs. Case study data from 31 existing small WRRFs in Nebraska were collected and included 35 site-specific energy efficiency (E2) recommendations and on-site solar renewable energy systems integrated at three facilities, and the data were used to compare the benefits of on-site solar energy and E2 improvements made at small WRRFs. Improvements in E2 (e.g., improved aeration control) presented the largest reduction in emissions per dollar invested. They often exhibited shorter paybacks, with operational changes in aeration strategies showing the highest impact (up to 0.2 kg CO2eq/m3 treated water). On-site solar systems showed the largest net potential for reducing environmental footprint (0.35 kg CO2eq/m3) but often showed the smallest emissions reduction per cost. While the use of both E2 improvements and the integration of on-site solar renewable energy can significantly improve the sustainability of small WRRFs, on-site solar has advantages for small facilities in that it often requires less operational involvement, allows for greater facility resiliency, and presents less uncertainty in terms of environmental benefit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Green Energy Utilization)
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