Disclosure of climate risk information by the world’s largest companies

The risks related to global climate change are seen as threats to companies, taking into consideration their impact on the return on investment. In order to mitigate climate risk and introduce new opportunities to financiers, companies need to identify, manage, and report climate risks. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the climate risks disclosed by the 100 largest companies in the world, according to the Bloomberg and Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC 2015) classification, and identify some characteristics of these companies that explain the disclosure level of such information. Preliminary results revealed that of the companies investigated, 14% did not disclose any climate risk information in the Carbon Disclosure Program (CDP) report. Also, from the companies that disclosed information according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), 9.9% did not provide information regarding policies, actions, and strategies for mitigating the risks related to climate change. The results shown by the content analysis suggested that, in general, there is still a low level of disclosure about climate risks by these companies. The final results through econometric instruments and statistical tests indicate that the size of the company or the fact that corporations are from developed countries do not necessarily explain the level of information disclosed. However, the activity sector, the continent, and the efficiency of the Board of Directors are factors that strongly explain the level of climate risk disclosure. We conclude that more effort is needed to encourage an engaging attitude from corporations to develop actions, policies, and strategies to mitigate climate change risks and threats. In addition, the world’s largest companies should make a greater investment in climate risk disclosure.     

Investigation of injury severities in single-vehicle crashes in North Carolina using mixed logit models

IntroductionRoadway departure (RwD) crashes, comprising run-off-road (ROR) and cross-median/centerline head-on collisions, are one of the most lethal crash types. According to the FHWA, between 2015 and 2017, an average of 52 percent of motor vehicle traffic fatalities occurred each year due to roadway departure crashes. An avoidance maneuver, inattention or fatigue, or traveling too fast with respect to weather or geometric road conditions are among the most common reasons a driver leaves the travel lane. Roadway and roadside geometric design features such as clear zones play a significant role in whether human error results in a crash. Method: In this paper, we used mixed-logit models to investigate the contributing factors on injury severity of single-vehicle ROR crashes. To that end, we obtained five years' (2010–2014) of crash data related to roadway departures (i.e., overturn and fixed-object crashes) from the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Safety Information System Database. Results: The results indicate that factors such as driver conditions (e.g., age), environmental conditions (e.g., weather conditions), roadway geometric design features (e.g., shoulder width), and vehicle conditions significantly contributed to the severity of ROR crashes. Conclusions: Our results provide valuable information for traffic design and management agencies to improve roadside design policies and implementing appropriately forgiving roadsides for errant vehicles. Practical applications: Our results show that increasing shoulder width and keeping fences at the road can reduce ROR crash severity significantly. Also, increasing road friction by innovative materials and raising awareness campaigns for careful driving at daylight can decrease the ROR crash severity.     

Inhibiting effects by Fe2O3 on combustion and explosion characteristics of ABS resin

The global increase in the use of, and reliance on, plastics has prompted the demand for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resin in various fields. With this increased requirement, numerous failures have occurred in the ABS process. Those incidents, resulting from electrostatic discharge, powder accumulation, heat accumulation, construction sparks, and plant fires, have caused dust fire and explosions.In this study, the ABS resin was gleaned from the site and tested for its explosion parameters, including minimum ignition temperature of dust cloud (MIT_C), minimum ignition energy (MIE), and minimum explosion concentration (MEC). To improve loss prevention in the manufacturing process, ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃) as an inert additive was added in the ABS powder. According to the MIE test, Fe₂O₃ has an apparent inhibiting effect on dust explosion for the ABS dust. With the proportion of Fe₂O₃ increased from 25 to 50 mass% in ABS, the MIE increased from 67 to 540 mJ. The explosion tests via 20-L apparatus indicated that Fe₂O₃ mixed with ABS could not increase the MEC significantly. However, the explosion pressure dropped by increasing in the ratio of Fe₂O₃ in ABS. This inerting strategy of ABS was deemed to substantially lessen the probability and severity of fire and explosion.     

Source and transport of tricresyl phosphate (TCP) isomers in Kurose river basin

Atmospheric tricresyl phosphate (TCP) isomers in Kurose river basin were determined. The concentrations of o-TCP and m-TCP were 0.13 and 0.09 ng m⁻³, respectively, while p-TCP was scarcely detected. Exhaust gases from motorcycles and automobiles were main sources for TCP isomers in the atmosphere. Exhaust gas from incinerator also contributes to atmospheric concentration of TCP isomers. Most of the TCP isomers could be estimated to be sorbed to particles, due to their low vapor pressures. The concentrations of TCP isomers were relatively high in soils collected from an open storage yard of waste PVC and near the highway and greenhouse of agricultural film. On the other hand, the concentrations were negligibly small in soil collected from the forest except for the silt-clay fraction in the soil. Dry deposition fluxes of o-TCP and m-TCP from the atmosphere was 0.2 and 0.04 μg m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively. Wet deposition flux of TCP isomers during one rainfall exceeded occasionally the dry deposition flux for two weeks. TCP isomers accumulated in soil were discharged into river by precipitation event. Their concentrations increased with an increase in river flow, characteristic of a non-point source of TCP isomers.     

Precipitation-chemistry measurements from the California Acid Deposition monitoring program, 1985–1990

The configuration of the California Acid Deposition Monitoring Program (CADMP) precipitation network is described and quality assurance results summarized. Comparison of CADMP and the National Acid Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) data at four parallel sites indicated that mean depth-weighted differences were less than 3 μeq ℓ⁻¹ for all ions, being statistically significant for ammonium, sulfate and hydrogen ion. These apparently small differences were 15–30% of the mean concentrations of ammonium, sulfate and hydrogen ion. Mean depth-weighted concentrations and mass deposition rates for the period 1985–1990 are summarized; the latter were highest either where concentrations or precipitation depths were relatively high.     

Interdependence of the slopes and intercepts from log-log correlations of measured gas-particle paritioning and vapor pressure—I. theory and analysis of available data

Gas-particle partitioning is examined using a partitioning constant K_p = (F/TSP)/A, where F (ng m⁻³) and A (ng m⁻³) are the particulate-assiociated and and concentrations, respectively, and TSP is the total suspended particulate matter level (μg m⁻³). At a given temperature and for a given sample of particulate matter, compound-dependent values of K_p tend to be correlated with the sub-cooled liquid vapor pressure (p_L⁰, toor according to log K_p = m_r log p_L⁰+b_m. Theory predicts that b_r values should be somewhat similar, and that m_r values should be near −1. This is supported by field and laboratory work. However, there is still noticeable variability in reported m_r and b_r values, even when obtained by the same researchers sampling in the same location. Three possible thermodynamic sources of variability include variability in the compound-to-compound differences in the thermodynamics of adsorption, event-to-event variability in the specific surface area of the aerosol and event-to-event variability in the ambient temperature. Non-thermodynamic sources of variability include sorption of gaseous analytes to the filters used in differentiating between F and A, the presence of non-exchangeable component in the measured F values, within-event adsorption/desorption kinetics, within-event changes in contaminant levels, and within-event changes in temperature. Each of these sources of variability operate in their own way to cause variability in m_r and b_r. In general, one can expect there to be a correlation in the obseved m_r and b_r of the form b_r = m_sm_r+b_s. For the study of Yamasaki et al. (1982, Envir. Sci. Technol. 16, 189–194), one obtains m_s = 5.77 and b_s = −2.18, with r² = 0.91. In the presence of such a correlation, one can expect that all log (F/TSP)/A vs log p_L⁰ plot will tend to intersect at the same (x,y) poitn given by (−m_s, b_s. Exisiting field and laboratory data show this tendency.     

Flow and dispersion of pollutants within two-dimensional valleys

Wind tunnel experiments and a theoretical model concerning the flow structure and pollutant diffusion over two-dimensional valleys of varying aspect ratio are described and compared. Three model valleys were used, having small, medium, and steep slopes. Measurements of mean and turbulent velocity fields were made upstream, within and downwind of each of these valleys. Concentration distributions were measured downwind of tracer sources placed at an array of locations within each of the valleys. The data are displayed as maps of terrain amplification factors, defined as the ratios of maximum ground-level concentrations in the presence of the valleys to the maxima observed from sources of the same height located in flat terrain. Maps are also provided showing the distance to locations of the maximum ground-level concentrations. The concentration patterns are interpreted in terms of the detailed flow structure measured in the valleys. These data were also compared with results of a mathematical model for treating flow and dispersion over two-dimensional complex terrain. This model used the wind tunnel measurements to generate mean flow fields and eddy diffusivities, and these were applied in the numerical solution of the diffusion equation. Measured concentration fields were predicted reasonably well by this model for the valley of small slope and somewhat less well for the valley of medium slope. Because flow separation was observed within the steepest valley, the model was not applied in this case.     

An empirical parametrization of internal seiche amplitude including secondary effects

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - An internal wave is a propagating disturbance within a stable density-stratified fluid. The internal seiche amplitude is often estimated through theories that...     

Nexus between polymer support and metal oxide nanoparticles in hybrid nanosorbent materials (HNMs) for sorption/desorption of target ligands

Metal oxide nanoparticles like hydrated ferric oxide (HFO) or hydrated zirconium oxide (HZrO) are excellent sorbents for environmentally significant ligands like phosphate, arsenic, or fluoride, present at trace concentrations. Since the sorption capacity is surface dependent for HFO and HZrO, nanoscale sizes offer significant enhancement in performance. However, due to their miniscule sizes, low attrition resistance, and poor durability they are unable to be used in typical plug-flow column setups. Meanwhile ion exchange resins, which have no specific affinity toward anionic ligands, are durable and chemically stable. By impregnating metal oxide nanoparticles inside a polymer support, with or without functional groups, a hybrid nanosorbent material (HNM) can be prepared. A HNM is durable, mechanically strong, and chemically stable. The functional groups of the polymeric support will affect the overall removal efficiency of the ligands exerted by the Donnan Membrane Effect. For example, the removal of arsenic by HFO or the removal of fluoride by HZrO is enhanced by using anion exchange resins. The HNM can be precisely tuned to remove one type of contaminant over another type. Also, the physical morphology of the support material, spherical bead versus ion exchange fiber, has a significant effect on kinetics of sorption and desorption. HNMs also possess dual sorption sites and are capable of removing multiple contaminants, namely, arsenate and perchlorate, concurrently.