Unconventional Determinants of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Role of Trust

[cat] Les normes socials han estat incloses en la teoria de l’acció col.lectiva per a superar les dificultats per explicar perquè la gestió del béns comuns podria ser més efectiva quan s’autoregula per les mateixes comunitats. El paper rellevant de la confiança en els altres s’ha identificat en diversos contextos d’acció social a nivell local, però només recentment s’ha considerat la idea que també podria ser rellevant en el cas de béns comuns de caire global, seguint l’evidència bàsicament descriptiva recollida per Elinor Ostrom. Però fins ara no hi havia proves quantitatives disponibles d’aquesta idea. Utilitzant un conjunt de dades de 29 països europeus durant el període 1990-2007, donem evidència empírica a favor del paper del nivell de confiança en els altres en el context dels béns públics globals. Concloem que el nivell de confiança en els altres té un impacte reductor de les emissions de gasos d’efecte hivernacle; per exemple, l’extrapolació dels resultats implicaria una reducció d’emissions d’Espanya del 12,5% si el nivell mitjà de confiança en els altres dels espanyols fos tan elevat com els dels suecs.

Unconventional Determinants of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Role of Trust

[cat] Les normes socials han estat incloses en la teoria de l’acció col.lectiva per a superar les dificultats per explicar perquè la gestió del béns comuns podria ser més efectiva quan s’autoregula per les mateixes comunitats. El paper rellevant de la confiança en els altres s’ha identificat en diversos contextos d’acció social a nivell local, però només recentment s’ha considerat la idea que també podria ser rellevant en el cas de béns comuns de caire global, seguint l’evidència bàsicament descriptiva recollida per Elinor Ostrom. Però fins ara no hi havia proves quantitatives disponibles d’aquesta idea. Utilitzant un conjunt de dades de 29 països europeus durant el període 1990-2007, donem evidència empírica a favor del paper del nivell de confiança en els altres en el context dels béns públics globals. Concloem que el nivell de confiança en els altres té un impacte reductor de les emissions de gasos d’efecte hivernacle; per exemple, l’extrapolació dels resultats implicaria una reducció d’emissions d’Espanya del 12,5% si el nivell mitjà de confiança en els altres dels espanyols fos tan elevat com els dels suecs.

Biopolttoaineiden lisäämismahdollisuudet kaukolämmön tuotannossa pienen kokoluokan tuotantolaitoksissa Lahden seudulla

Tämä diplomityö on tehty IMMU-hankkeeseen, jossa selvitetään konkreettisia keinoja ilmastonmuutoksen hillintään Lahden seudulla. Diplomityössä tarkastellaan mahdollisuuksia lisätä biopolttoaineita pienen kokoluokan kaukolämmön tuotantolaitoksissa. Teoria osuuden pohjalta luodaan skenaariot Nastolaan ja Vääksyyn (Asikkala). Skenaarioissa tarkastellaan biopolttoaineiden lisäämisen vaikutuksia kasvihuonekaasu- ja hiukkaspäästöihin käyttämällä elinkaariarviointimenetelmää. Taloudellisia seikkoja tarkastellaan laskemalla takaisinmaksuaikoja eri biolaitosratkaisuille nettonykyarvomenetelmällä. Tutkimuksen tuloksena saatiin, että kasvihuonekaasupäästöt tuotannon elinkaaren ajalta vähenevät eniten tuottamalla kaukolämmön perustuotanto Nastolassa ja Vääksyssä bio-CHP-laitoksella haketta polttamalla. Kiinteitä biopolttoaineita poltettaessa tulevat kuitenkin suurimmat hiukkaspäästöt, mikä vaikuttaa asuinympäristön viihtyvyyteen tuotantolaitoksen läheisyydessä. Bio-CHP-laitoksen investointikustannukset ovat suurimmat ja takaisinmaksuaika pisin. Nastolan kulutusperusteisiä päästöjä pystytään vähentämään eniten investoimalla biolämpölaitokseen tai bio-CHP-laitokseen. Päästöjä Nastolassa pystyttäisiin kyseisillä investoinneilla vähentämään enimmillään 6,4 %. Lahti energian kokonaispäästöjä pystyttäisiin enimmillään vähentämään noin 1,6 %. Johtopäätöksenä tutkimuksesta voidaan sanoa, että kasvihuonekaasupäästöjä pystytään vähentämään investointien avulla. Toiset ratkaisut ovat vain kalliimpia kuin toiset. Lisäksi kiinteitä biopolttoaineita käytettäessä jotkut poltto-ominaisuudet voivat heiketä esim. verrattuna maakaasun polttoon. Biopolttoaineiden lisäämisellä kuitenkin päästään irti riippuvuudesta fossiilisiin polttoaineisiin kuten öljyyn ja maakaasuun. Investointeja tehdessä on vaikea sanoa suoraan, mikä vaihtoehto on paras tapa tuottaa kaukolämpöä. Investointipäätöksiä tehdessä päätökseen vaikuttaa se, mitä tuotannon ominaispiirteitä painotetaan eniten.

Climate variations in greenhouse cultivated with gerbera and relationship with external conditions

Black meshes used in greenhouses provide shade to plants, affecting photosynthesis and presenting certain properties that change the microclimatic conditions in these environments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the variation in climate elements in greenhouse cultivated with gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii, Vr. Rambo) in relation to external conditions and the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) at Teresina, State of Piauí, Brazil. The measurements were obtained from July to October 2007 by an automatic data acquisition system installed inside and outside the greenhouse. The global solar radiation, evapotranspiration, precipitation, temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed were estimated. The results showed that major effect of the shading occurred on the mean air temperature during the 120 days, making it higher than the external environment. Inside the greenhouse, mean values of relative air humidity, reference evapotranspiração, global solar radiation and wind speed were lower compared to those outside the greenhouse.

Computer tools applied to analysis of solar water heaters

The simulation programs are important tools to analyze the different energetic alternatives, including the use of renewable energy. The objective of this study was to analyze comparatively the different computer tools available for modeling of solar water heaters. Among the main simulation software of solar thermal systems, there are: RETScreen International, EnergyPlus, TRNSYS, SolDesigner, SolarPro, e T*SOL. Among the tools mentioned, only EnergyPlus and RETScreen International are free, but they allow obtaining interesting results when applied together. The first one has a detailed module of energy analysis of solar water heaters, while the second one provides an detailed economic feasibility study and an assessment of emissions of greenhouse gases. RETScreen International and EnergyPlus programs are aimed at a diverse audience, including designers, researchers and energy planners.

Spin-Dynamics in Cold Gases of 87Rb and Atomic Hydrogen. The spins they are a-changin’

In this thesis the dynamics of cold gaseous atoms is studied. Two different atomic species and two different experimental techniques have been used. In the first part of the thesis experiments with Bose-Einstein condensates of Rb-87 are presented. In these experiments the methods of laser cooling and magnetic trapping of atoms were utilized. An atom chip was used as the experimental technique for implementation of magnetic trapping. The atom chip is a small integrated instrument allowing accurate and detailed manipulation of the atoms. The experiments with Rb-87 probed the behaviour of a falling beam of atoms outcoupled from the Bose-Einstein condensate by electromagnetic field induced spin flips. In the experiments a correspondence between the phases of the outcoupling radio frequency field and the falling beam of atoms was found. In the second part of the thesis experiments of spin dynamics in cold atomic hydrogen gas are discussed. The experiments with atomic hydrogen are conducted in a cryostat using a dilution refrigerator as the cooling method. These experiments concentrated on explaining and quantifying modulations in the electron spin resonance spectra of doubly polarized atomic hydrogen. The modifications to the previous experimental setup are described and the observation of electron spin waves is presented. The observed spin wave modes were caused by the identical spin rotation effect. These modes have a strong dependence on the spatial profile of the polarizing magnetic field. We also demonstrated confinement of these modes in regions of strong magnetic field and manipulated their spatial distribution by changing the position of the field maximum.

Automatic traffic sign inventory- and condition analysis

This thesis researches automatic traffic sign inventory and condition analysis using machine vision and pattern recognition methods. Automatic traffic sign inventory and condition analysis can be used to more efficient road maintenance, improving the maintenance processes, and to enable intelligent driving systems. Automatic traffic sign detection and classification has been researched before from the viewpoint of self-driving vehicles, driver assistance systems, and the use of signs in mapping services. Machine vision based inventory of traffic signs consists of detection, classification, localization, and condition analysis of traffic signs. The produced machine vision system performance is estimated with three datasets, from which two of have been been collected for this thesis. Based on the experiments almost all traffic signs can be detected, classified, and located and their condition analysed. In future, the inventory system performance has to be verified in challenging conditions and the system has to be pilot tested.

Testing FCM technique for the wind energy scenarios in Finland

In the latter days, human activities constantly increase greenhouse gases emissions in the atmosphere, which has a direct impact on a global climate warming. Finland as European Union member, developed national structural plan to promote renewable energy generation, pursuing the aspects of Directive 2009/28/EC and put it on the sharepoint. Finland is on a way of enhancing national security of energy supply, increasing diversity of the energy mix. There are plenty significant objectives to develop onshore and offshore wind energy generation in country for a next few decades, as well as another renewable energy sources. To predict the future changes, there are a lot of scenario methods developed and adapted to energy industry. The Master’s thesis explored “Fuzzy cognitive maps” approach in scenarios developing, which captures expert’s knowledge in a graphical manner and using these captures for a raw scenarios testing and refinement. There were prospects of Finnish wind energy development for the year of 2030 considered, with aid of FCM technique. Five positive raw scenarios were developed and three of them tested against integrated expert’s map of knowledge, using graphical simulation. The study provides robust scenarios out of the preliminary defined, as outcome, assuming the impact of results, taken after simulation. The thesis was conducted in such way, that there will be possibilities to use existing knowledge captures from expert panel, to test and deploy different sets of scenarios regarding to Finnish wind energy development.

Stochastic processes and their applications semi-markov analysis of some inventory and queuing problems

This thesis analyses certain problems in Inventories and Queues. There are many situations in real-life where we encounter models as described in this thesis. It analyses in depth various models which can be applied to production, storag¢, telephone traffic, road traffic, economics, business administration, serving of customers, operations of particle counters and others. Certain models described here is not a complete representation of the true situation in all its complexity, but a simplified version amenable to analysis. While discussing the models, we show how a dependence structure can be suitably introduced in some problems of Inventories and Queues. Continuous review, single commodity inventory systems with Markov dependence structure introduced in the demand quantities, replenishment quantities and reordering levels are considered separately. Lead time is assumed to be zero in these models. An inventory model involving random lead time is also considered (Chapter-4). Further finite capacity single server queueing systems with single/bulk arrival, single/bulk services are also discussed. In some models the server is assumed to go on vacation (Chapters 7 and 8). In chapters 5 and 6 a sort of dependence is introduced in the service pattern in some queuing models.

An observing system simulation experiment for climate monitoring with GNSS radio occulation data: setup and testbed study

The long-term stability, high accuracy, all-weather capability, high vertical resolution, and global coverage of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) suggests it as a promising tool for global monitoring of atmospheric temperature change. With the aim to investigate and quantify how well a GNSS RO observing system is able to detect climate trends, we are currently performing an (climate) observing system simulation experiment over the 25-year period 2001 to 2025, which involves quasi-realistic modeling of the neutral atmosphere and the ionosphere. We carried out two climate simulations with the general circulation model MAECHAM5 (Middle Atmosphere European Centre/Hamburg Model Version 5) of the MPI-M Hamburg, covering the period 2001–2025: One control run with natural variability only and one run also including anthropogenic forcings due to greenhouse gases, sulfate aerosols, and tropospheric ozone. On the basis of this, we perform quasi-realistic simulations of RO observables for a small GNSS receiver constellation (six satellites), state-of-the-art data processing for atmospheric profiles retrieval, and a statistical analysis of temperature trends in both the “observed” climatology and the “true” climatology. Here we describe the setup of the experiment and results from a test bed study conducted to obtain a basic set of realistic estimates of observational errors (instrument- and retrieval processing-related errors) and sampling errors (due to spatial-temporal undersampling). The test bed results, obtained for a typical summer season and compared to the climatic 2001–2025 trends from the MAECHAM5 simulation including anthropogenic forcing, were found encouraging for performing the full 25-year experiment. They indicated that observational and sampling errors (both contributing about 0.2 K) are consistent with recent estimates of these errors from real RO data and that they should be sufficiently small for monitoring expected temperature trends in the global atmosphere over the next 10 to 20 years in most regions of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). Inspection of the MAECHAM5 trends in different RO-accessible atmospheric parameters (microwave refractivity and pressure/geopotential height in addition to temperature) indicates complementary climate change sensitivity in different regions of the UTLS so that optimized climate monitoring shall combine information from all climatic key variables retrievable from GNSS RO data.

Techno-economic modelling and cost functions of CO2 capture processes

The paper presents the techno-economic modelling of CO2 capture process in coal-fired power plants. An overall model is being developed to compare carbon capture and sequestration options at locations within the UK, and for studies of the sensitivity of the cost of disposal to changes in the major parameters of the most promising solutions identified. Technological options of CO2 capture have been studied and cost estimation relationships (CERs) for the chosen options calculated. Created models are related to the capital, operation and maintenance cost. A total annualised cost of plant electricity output and amount of CO2 avoided have been developed. The influence of interest rates and plant life has been analysed as well. The CERs are included as an integral part of the overall model.