Climate change mitigation policy paradigms—national objectives and alignments

The aim of this paper is to assess how policy goals in relation to the promotion of green growth, energy security, pollution control and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions have been aligned in policies that have been implemented in selected countries during the last decades as a basis for discussing how a multi objective policy paradigm can contribute to future climate change mitigation. The paper includes country case studies from Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union (EU), India, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea and the United States covering renewable energy options, industry, transportation, the residential sector and cross-sectoral policies. These countries and regions together contribute more than two thirds of global GHG emissions. The paper finds that policies that are nationally driven and that have multiple objectives, including climate-change mitigation, have been widely applied for decades in both developing countries and industrialised countries. Many of these policies have a long history, and adjustments have taken place based on experience and cost effectiveness concerns. Various energy and climate-change policy goals have worked together in these countries, and in practice a mix of policies reflecting specific priorities and contexts have been pursued. In this way, climate-change mitigation has been aligned with other policy objectives and integrated into broader policy packages, though in many cases specific attention has not been given to the achievement of large GHG emission reductions. Based on these experiences with policy implementation, the paper highlights a number of key coordination and design issues that are pertinent to the successful joint implementation of several energy and climate-change policy goals.     

Municipal solid waste management in Kolkata,India – A review

Kolkata is one of four metropolitan cities in India. With an area of 187.33 sq km and a population of about 8 million, it generates around 3,000 t d^?1 of municipal solid waste (MSW) at a rate of 450–500 g per capita per day. With rapid urbanization as a result of planned and unplanned growth and industrialization, the problems associated with handling MSW have increased at an alarming rate over the past few years. No source segregation arrangement exists; there is only limited (60%) house-to-house collection; and 50–55% open vats are used in the present collection system. The operational efficiency of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) transport system is about 50%, with a fleet composed of about 30–35% old vehicles. The majority (80%) of these, particularly the hired vehicles, are more than 20 years old. The newly added areas covered by KMC have even lower collection efficiencies, and only an informal recycling system exists. The waste collected has a low energy value (3,350–4,200 kJ kg^?1) with high moisture and inert content. A 700 t d^?1 compost plant set up in 2000 has not been functioning effectively since 2003. Open dumping (without liners and without a leachate management facility) and the threat of groundwater pollution, as well as saturation of an existing landfill site (Dhapa) are the most pressing problems for the city today. KMC spends 70–75% of its total expenditures on collection of solid waste, 25–30% on transportation, and less than 5% on final disposal arrangements. The Kolkata Environmental Improvement Project, funded by the Asian Development Bank, is seen as only a partial solution to the problem. A detailed plan should emphasize segregation at the source, investment in disposal arrangements (including the use of liners and leachate collection), and an optimized transport arrangement, among improvements.     

Flow of chemical energy in Alwar jheel of Yamuna basin near Allahabad

The water quality, rate of energy transformation, chemical composition of producers and flow of chemical energy were studied in both feeding river Yamuna and Alwar jheel near Allahabad. As the river Yamuna had high value of alkalinity (210.0 mgl(-1)), conductance (518.0 micromhos), dissolved solids (260.0 mgl(-1)), hardness (162.0 mgl(-1)) and chloride (54.6 mgl(-1)) jheel also showed high values of these parameters. The rate of energy transformation from kinetic radiant energy to chemical energy was very high in the jheel 32,315 Cal m(-2) day(-1) of which 25,620 Cal m(-2) day(-1) was contributed by aquatic plants. Out of 11,764 x 10(4) Kcal ha(-1) yr(-1) total energy fixed in the system, producers stored 7,154 x 10(4) Kcal ha(-1) yr(-1) and the rest was lost as heat of respiration. The pattern of storage of energy was different in two groups of producers and thus most of the energy fixed by phytoplankton was stored as protein (56.2%) and less as carbohydrate (11.7%) while aquatic plants stored more energy as carbohydrate (40.8%) than protein (23.2%). The chemical energy obtained from the system was 1,85,000 Kcal ha(-1) yr(-1) and thus only 0.260% of the chemical energy stored by producers was harvested. The potential chemical energy resource in the jheel was 81.4 x 10(4) Kcal ha(-1) yr(-1) of which only 22.6% was harvested in the jheel and there is enough scope for further enhancement.     

Changes in earth’s dipole

The dipole moment of Earth’s magnetic field has decreased by nearly over the past 150 years and by about 30% over the past 2,000 years according to archeomagnetic measurements. Here, we explore the causes and the implications of this rapid change. Maps of the geomagnetic field on the core–mantle boundary derived from ground-based and satellite measurements reveal that most of the present episode of dipole moment decrease originates in the southern hemisphere. Weakening and equatorward advection of normal polarity magnetic field by the core flow, combined with proliferation and growth of regions where the magnetic polarity is reversed, are reducing the dipole moment on the core–mantle boundary. Growth of these reversed flux regions has occurred over the past century or longer and is associated with the expansion of the South Atlantic Anomaly, a low-intensity region in the geomagnetic field that presents a radiation hazard at satellite altitudes. We address the speculation that the present episode of dipole moment decrease is a precursor to the next geomagnetic polarity reversal. The paleomagnetic record contains a broad spectrum of dipole moment fluctuations with polarity reversals typically occurring during dipole moment lows. However, the dipole moment is stronger today than its long time average, indicating that polarity reversal is not likely unless the current episode of moment decrease continues for a thousand years or more.     

Chemical fractionation and heavy metal accumulation in the plant of Sesamum indicum (L.) var. T55 grown on soil amended with tannery sludge: Selection of single extractants

A pot experiment was carried out to study the single and sequential extractions of metals in different tannery sludge amendment and the potential of the plant of Sesamum indicum L. var. T55 (sesame) for the removal of metals from tannery waste contaminated site. The metal extraction efficiency obtained with each extractants was slightly different and follow the order; EDTA>DTPA>NH(4)NO(3)>NaNO(3)>CaCl(2). The correlation analysis between extractable metals in the different amendments of sludge and metal accumulation in the plant (lower and upper parts) showed better correlation for most of the tested metals with EDTA extraction. In this study, a sequential extraction technique was applied on different amendments of tannery sludge. The results showed that Mn, Zn, Cr and Cd were mostly associated with Fe-Mn oxide fraction in most of the amendments, K and Ni was found in residual (RES) fraction, Fe and Cu was bound with organic matter (OM) and RES fractions and Na was associated with carbonate (CAR) fraction. The metal accumulation after 60 d of growth of the plant was found in the order of K>Na>Fe>Zn>Cr>Mn>Cu>Pb>Ni>Cd and its translocation was found less in upper part. The accumulation of toxic metals (Cr, Ni and Cd) in the plants was found to increase with increase in sludge ratio, in contrast, the accumulation of Pb decreased. In view of growth parameters and metal accumulation in the plant, it was observed that lower amendments (25%) of tannery sludge were found suitable for the phytoremediation of most of the studied metals.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations and related carcinogenic potencies in soil at a semi-arid region of India

A study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface soil was conducted at selected locations in Agra (semi-arid region of India) for a span of one year in order to ascertain the contamination levels. The concentrations of PAH were measured at four locations in the city of Agra, which covers industrial, residential, roadside and agricultural areas. The samples were extracted with hexane by ultrasonic agitation. The extracts were then fractioned on a silica-gel column and the aromatic fraction was subjected to HPLC. The average concentration of total PAH in all samples was 12.1 microg g(-1) and the range was from 3.1 microg g(-1) to 28.5 microg g(-1). The maximum concentrations of PAHs were found to be in winter season. The concentration of PAH decreased in the order chrysene > benzo(b)fluoranthene > fluoranthene. Factor analysis suggests that the mixed signature of all the sources are intermediate between vehicular and combustion activities.     

Release of persistent organic contaminants from carcasses of Lake Ontario Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

About 20,000 Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from Lake Ontario enter the Credit River, Ontario, Canada every fall to spawn and die. In this study, samples of muscle and eggs collected from female Chinook salmon entering the Credit River contained total PCBs, DDT compounds and other organochlorine (OC) compounds at mug/kg concentrations. Semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were deployed at a reference site above the spawning grounds and at two downstream sites at intervals over a 14-month period that spanned two spawning runs. There was an increase in the concentrations of total PCBs, total DDT and other classes of OCs in the SPMDs deployed at the two downstream sites during and after both spawning runs; indicating that the decay of salmon releases contaminants into the river. Based upon the concentrations of contaminants in the salmon tissues, approximately 75 g of total PCBs and 35 g of total DDT compounds would be transported annually into the Credit River from this source.