The elephant in the room – A comparative study of uncertainties in carbon offsets

The clean development mechanism (CDM) is a flexible mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol, which makes it possible for developed countries to offset their emissions of greenhouse gases through investing in climate change mitigation projects in developing countries. When the mitigation benefit of a CDM project is quantified, measurable uncertainties arise that can be minimised using established statistical methods. In addition, some unmeasurable uncertainties arise, such as the rebound effect of demand-side energy efficiency projects. Many project types related to land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) have been excluded from the CDM in part because of the high degree of statistical uncertainty in measurements of the carbon sink and risk of non-permanence. However, recent discussions within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have opened up for the possibility of including more LULUCF activities in the future. In the light of this discussion, we highlight different aspects of uncertainties in LULUCF projects (e.g. the risk of non-permanence and the size of the carbon sink) in relation to other CDM project categories such as renewables and demand-side energy efficiency. We quantify the uncertainties, compare the magnitudes of the uncertainties in different project categories and conclude that uncertainties could be just as significant in CDM project categories such as renewables as in LULUCF projects. The CDM is a useful way of including and engaging developing countries in climate change mitigation and could be a good source of financial support for LULUCF mitigation activities. Given their enormous mitigation potential, we argue that additional LULUCF activities should be included in the CDM and other future climate policy instruments. Furthermore, we note that Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) are currently being submitted to the UNFCCC by developing countries. Unfortunately, the under-representation of LULUCF in comparison to its potential is evident in the NAMAs submitted so far, just as it has been in the CDM. Capacity building under the CDM may influence NAMAs and there is a risk of transferring the view on uncertainties to NAMAs.     

A Comparison of the Short-Term Dynamics of Soil “Damage” Due to Enhanced Nitrogen Deposition As Ammonium Sulphate Or Nitric Acid

An experiment has been conducted to contrast the effects of enhanced oxidised and reduced nitrogen deposition upon key chemical parameters in a Calluna moorland podzol. A 40 cm deep podzol profile, derived from granite, was reconstructed in one hundred 4.2 cm diameter cores. for 20 weeks, the cores were subjected twice weekly to simulated rainfall containing either twice ambient nitrogen deposition in Aberdeen, or further enhanced nitrogen (further 2- and 6-fold increases) as nitric acid or ammonium sulphate. to quantify the dynamics of soil change in each horizon, randomly selected cores were destructively analysed every two weeks and the soils analysed. Increased nitrogen inputs, regardless of form, substantially and immediately reduced surface soil pH_water via the mobile anion or salt effect. for the higher nitrogen treatments, the pH reduction was seen throughout the profile. Longer term soil acidification was also seen in the pH_{calcium chloride} results over the 20 weeks. at a given nitrogen deposition rate, the effects of ammonium sulphate and nitric acid on soil pH_{calcium chloride} were similar. the ammonium sulphate treatments were especially effective at reducing base saturation throughout much of the profile, the direct base cation leaching being associated with substantial ammonium accumulation. the results suggest that the direct base cation leaching caused by ammonium deposition needs to be considered when assessing atmospheric pollution “damage” to heathland soils.     

Turbulent velocity profile in fully-developed open channel flows

The determination of velocity profile in turbulent narrow open channels is a difficult task due to the significant effects of the anisotropic turbulence that involve the Prandtl’s second type of secondary flow occurring in the cross section. With these currents the maximum velocity appears below the free surface that is called dip phenomenon. The well-known logarithmic law describes the velocity distribution in the inner region of the turbulent boundary layer but it is not adapted to define the velocity profile in the outer region of narrow channels. This paper relies on an analysis of the Navier–Stokes equations and yields a new formulation of the vertical velocity profile in the center region of steady, fully developed turbulent flows in open channels. This formulation is able to predict time averaged primary velocity in the outer region of the turbulent boundary layer for both narrow and wide open channels. The proposed law is based on the knowledge of the aspect ratio and involves a parameter C_Ar depending on the position of the maximum velocity (ξ_dip). ξ_dip may be derived, either from measurements or from an empirical equation given in this paper. A wide range of longitudinal velocity profile data for narrow open channels has been used for validating the model. The agreement between the measured and the computed velocities is rather good, despite the simplification used.     

Impacts of methanol fuel on vehicular emissions: A review

● Methanol effectively reduces CO, HC, CO₂, PM, and PN emissions of gasoline vehicles. ● Elemental composition of methanol directly affects the reduction of emissions. ● Several physicochemical properties of methanol help reduce vehicle emissions. The transport sector is a significant energy consumer and a major contributor to urban air pollution. At present, the substitution of cleaner fuel is one feasible way to deal with the growing energy demand and environmental pollution. Methanol has been recognized as a good alternative to gasoline due to its good combustion performance. In the past decades, many studies have investigated exhaust emissions using methanol-gasoline blends. However, the conclusions derived from different studies vary significantly, and the explanations for the effects of methanol blending on exhaust emissions are also inconsistent. This review summarizes the characteristics of CO, HC, NO_x, CO₂, and particulate emissions from methanol-gasoline blended fuels and pure methanol fuel. CO, HC, CO₂, particle mass (PM), and particle number (PN) emissions decrease when methanol-blended fuel is used in place of gasoline fuel. NO_x emission either decreases or increases depending on the test conditions, i.e., methanol content. Furthermore, this review synthesizes the mechanisms by which methanol-blended fuel influences pollutant emissions. This review provides insight into the pollutant emissions from methanol-blended fuel, which will aid policymakers in making energy strategy decisions that take urban air pollution, climate change, and energy security into account.     

机动车污染排放模型研究综述

过去几十年,为了掌握机动车污染排放的规律和特征,向决策者提供科学有效的机动车污染控制措施,研究者们致力于研究机动车污染物排放的物化原理和影响机动车污染的主要因素,并据此建立多种尺度的机动车排放模型,以模拟城市区域或者街道的污染物排放.为了分析机动车的瞬态排放特征,目前的机动车排放模型研究正逐渐从宏观向微观发展,排放测试方法注重获取逐秒的排放数据,排放模型模拟的时间尺度和空间尺度逐步趋向微观.此外,机动车模型研究正趋向与交通模型进行耦合,从而揭示机动车在实际道路交通流中的排放特征.从机动车排放的主要影响因素、机动车排放测试、机动车排放因子模型及机动车排放清单等4个方面综述了国内外机动车排放研究现状和发展动向,对比并评价各种机动车排放模型方法的优缺点和适用范围,对我国的机动车排放模型发展方向进行了展望.     

Anthropogenic mercury emissions in China

An inventory of mercury emissions from anthropogenic activities in China is compiled for the year 1999 from official statistical data. We estimate that China's emissions were 536 (±236) t of total mercury. This value includes open biomass burning, but does not include natural sources or re-emission of previously deposited mercury. Approximately 45% of the Hg comes from non-ferrous metals smelting, 38% from coal combustion, and 17% from miscellaneous activities, of which battery and fluorescent lamp production and cement production are the largest. Emissions are heaviest in Liaoning and Guangdong Provinces, where extensive smelting occurs, and in Guizhou Province, where there is much small-scale combustion of high-Hg coal without emission control devices. Emissions are gridded at 30×30 min spatial resolution. We estimate that 56% of the Hg in China is released as Hg⁰, 32% as Hg²⁺, and 12% as Hg^p. Particulate mercury emissions are high in China due to heavy burning of coal in residential and small industrial settings without PM controls. Emissions of Hg²⁺ from coal-fired power plants are high due to the absence of flue-gas desulfurization units, which tend to dissolve the soluble divalent mercury. Metals smelting operations favor the production of elemental mercury. Much of the Hg is released from small-scale activities in rather remote areas, and therefore the activity levels are quite uncertain. Also, emissions test data for Chinese sources are lacking, causing uncertainties in Hg emission factors and removal efficiencies. Overall, we calculate an uncertainty level of ±44% (95% confidence interval) in the estimate of total emissions. We recommend field testing of coal combustors and smelters in China to improve the accuracy of these estimates.     

Influence of physiological and environmental factors on the diurnal variation in emissions of biogenic volatile compounds from Pinus tabuliformis

Biological volatile organic compounds(BVOCs) have a large influence on atmospheric environmental quality, climate change and the carbon cycle. This study assesses the composition and diurnal variation in emission rates of BVOCs from Pinus tabuliformis, using an enclosure technique. Environmental parameters(temperature and light intensity) and physiological parameters(net photosynthetic rate, P_n; stomatal conductance, g_s; intercellular CO_2 concentration, C_i; and transpiration rate, T_r) that may affect emission behavior were continuously monitored. The 10 most abundant compound groups emitted by P. tabuliformis were classified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The dominant monoterpenoid compounds emitted were α-pinene, β-myrcene, α-farnesene and limonene. The diurnal emission rate of BVOCs changed with temperature and light intensity, with dynamic analysis of BVOCs emissions revealing that their emission rates were more affected by temperature than light. The variation in monoterpene emission rates was consistent with estimates of P_n, g_s and T_r. Basal emission rates(at 30 °C,) of the main BVOCs ranged from 0.006 to 0.273 μg~(-1)/(hr g),while the basal ER standardization coefficients ranged from 0.049 to 0.144 °C~(-1). Overall, these results provide a detailed reference for the effective selection and configuration of tree species to effectively prevent and control atmospheric pollution.     

Sheepfolds as “hotspots” of nitric oxide (NO) emission in an Inner Mongolian steppe

We investigated nitric oxide (NO) fluxes at a summer and a winter sheepfold in the Baiyinxile livestock farm, near Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, which are a typical feature of the regional husbandry. Using a manual static opaque chamber/chemiluminescence measuring system, we intermittently observed fluxes in the summer sheepfold between May 28th and September 26th 2005 and in both winter and summer sheepfolds between March 8th and October 18th 2006. During these periods, mean NO emissions (±S.E., in terms of mass of nitrogen) were 124.0 ± 28.7, 134.6 ± 23.3 (summer sheepfold) and 214.4 ± 79.6 μg NO–N m⁻² h⁻¹ (winter sheepfold), respectively, and thus, three magnitudes higher than observed steppe NO emissions in the same region. The NO fluxes were not significantly different between the 2 years, but in summer they were much higher than in spring (p < 0.05). Temperature and moisture of the faeces layer significantly regulated the NO fluxes (p < 0.01). The direct NO emission factor (EF) for faeces and urine excreted in the sheepfolds was 0.7 g NO–N_emitted kg⁻¹ N_excreted, which was almost 37 times lower than a recently reported N₂O EF. We estimated the total NO emission from the sheepfolds of the Baiyinxile livestock farm to be 1.82 ± 0.43 tons NO–N year⁻¹, which accounts to approximately 12.3% of the total NO emission from this steppe region. With the rapid increase of livestock numbers, sheepfold NO emissions may further increase and contribute to high N deposition in confined areas around sheepfolds.     

半地下有轨电车车站火灾自然排烟模式研究

为确定半地下有轨电车车站火灾情况下自然排烟模式的排烟效果,以某城市有轨电车典型车站为研究对象,采用数值模拟法建立全尺寸模型进行计算,研究半地下有轨电车车站在列车火灾情况下采用自然排烟模式时,车站空间内温度分布、排烟口与楼扶梯口流速等特征参数演化特征,分析半地下有轨电车车站火灾发生时,采用自然排烟模式的气流流场、烟气运动...     

北京市典型排放源PM2.5中多环芳烃成分谱特征

采用稀释通道采样系统对北京市部分污染源排放的PM2.5进行了采集,用气相色谱-质谱-质谱法分析了PM2.5中24种多环芳烃(PAHs)的浓度,获得典型排放源PM2.5中PAHs成分谱。结果表明,不同种类污染源排放的PAHs的组分浓度差异比较大,形成的百分浓度轮廓图有各自的特征。生物质燃烧和化石燃烧排放的PM2.5中PAHs含量高于其他污染源;燃煤电厂和供暖/工业锅炉排放的PM2.5中低环数的PAHs比例较高,而生物质燃烧和餐饮源则是高环数的污染物比例较高。燃烧温度高,燃烧较充分,采用布袋除尘方式的污染源排放的PAHs含量要低于其他污染源。