O clima em sua regulamentação político-econômica: o acordo de Copenhague - COP 15

We know that the Earth goes through natural cycles that influence its climate and the development of their societies. In recent decades, climate changes and nature began to call world attention to the unbridled exploitation that was carried by the current economic system, causing unrest among scientific, social, political and economic world. The theory that man causes a warming in global temperatures by the release of greenhouse gases made the headlines of major newspapers in the world. From there, it was only a matter of time before environmental concerns became ownership of capital by its excessive appropriation. The fear of nuclear threat by the bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki left in fanfare the world, which together with the devastating impact of the exploitation of man and nature gave birth to the Environmental Revolution, a way of trying to change the development patterns of the time and behavior of the population. However, based on the historical form of capitalist domination, this was another measure that was apossada the economic system being transformed into economic value and political exchange. The origin of the conventions, meetings, conferences, parliaments set up to discuss environmental issues, eventually became forums of political and economic talks focused on environmental governance, valuing an asset that is public and everyone. Environmental and climate issue now has a value, thus turning the agenda on the agenda of the United Nations (UN) for its political and economic regulation in the form of global agreement. Given the need for understanding the climate issue, was born the Conference of the Parties (COPs), a regulatory body for climate negotiations, surrounded interests, complexities, conflicts and disagreements between the parties countries, which becomes clear when we analyze their agreements...

Conforto térmico de edificações: análise crítica das tecnologias existentes

The rising in greenhouse gases emission as consequence of industrial expansion especially in developing countries is appointed as one of those reasons responsible for global warming. High-level temperatures are set as responsible for low productivity and high levels of discomfort. With the increase of worldwide energy demand, due to the population growth, this work aims to be an introductory text revising the current ventilation (mechanical and natural) and refrigeration technologies as well as low energy cooling techniques and architectural alternatives that seeks offering good ventilation and ideal buildings temperatures, making them sustainable. In addition, the text deals with the measurement instruments used to evaluate the parameters defined by international and national standards. At last, a case of study applies few concepts and technologies described in the text, introducing the results achieved, the limitations and suggestions to future works

Procedimento para homologação de sistemas ecoeficientes para obtenção de créditos de carbono

This paper deals with the homologation process for obtaining carbon credits through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), that regulates the greenhouse gases reductions under the rules of the Kyoto Protocol. The CDM evaluates projects through a project cycle, which begins with the preparation of the Project Design Document (PDD) until the project certification to receive Certified Emission Reductions (CERs), popularly known as carbon credits. This study analyzed the implementation of the system Burner Recorder System for Low Flows of Biogas (QRBBV), developed by Marcelino Junior & Godoy (2009), in an eco-friendly wastewater treatment mini-plant (miniEETERA), built at the site of UNESP - Guaratinguetá SP. The QRBBV system is low cost and high reliability, developed to burn the methane generated at sites of low and variable production of biogas, which is not economically justified their energy recovery. Currently, almost all wastewater generated at the site of the campus is being treated by miniEETERA and, as a result, the biogas originated by this activity is being released into the atmosphere. Therefore, the project activity aims to capture and burn the biogas generated by miniEETERA, reducing the negative effects caused by the methane emissions into the atmosphere and, thus, claim to receive carbon credits. This work aimed to demonstrate the project applicability under CDM through the study and preparation of the PDD, as well as an analysis of the entire project cycle required for homologation. The result of the work obtained an estimate of only 20 CERs per year and proved to be economically unviable for approval through the CDM, since the spending with the approval process would not be compensated with the sale of CERs, mainly due the low carbon price in the world market. From an environmental standpoint, the project is perfectly... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Utilização de trocadores de calor de placas em espiral em processos da indústria siderúrgica

Stricter environmental policies are shown necessary to ensure an effective pollutant emission control. It is expected for the present year of 2015, that Brazil will assume, at the 21th United Nation's Climate Change Conference (COP21), implementation of commitment to a low carbon economy. This positioning affects the industrial environment, so that is deemed necessary to search for new technologies, less aggressive to the environment, so the adequacies to the new emission policies do not cause a negative effect on production. Almost all of the processes performed in the steel industry demand burning fuel and, therefore, flue gases are sent to the atmosphere. In this present work is discussed the utilization of heat exchangers so, by recovering part of the available heat from the flue gases of certain industrial process, the combustion air is preheated. The combustion air preheat results in less energy requirement, i.e., less need of fuel consumption and, in addition, minor amount of pollutants to be emitted. Due to better fitting to the process, it is studied the utilization of spiral plate heat exchangers. The heat exchanger dimensioning is made by an iterative method implemented in the software Microsoft Excel. Subsequently are analyzed the gains in terms of process's thermal efficiency improvement and the percentage of fuel saving. The latter implies in reduction of the same percentage of greenhouse gases emission

O clima em sua regulamentação político-econômica: o acordo de Copenhague - COP 15

We know that the Earth goes through natural cycles that influence its climate and the development of their societies. In recent decades, climate changes and nature began to call world attention to the unbridled exploitation that was carried by the current economic system, causing unrest among scientific, social, political and economic world. The theory that man causes a warming in global temperatures by the release of greenhouse gases made the headlines of major newspapers in the world. From there, it was only a matter of time before environmental concerns became ownership of capital by its excessive appropriation. The fear of nuclear threat by the bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki left in fanfare the world, which together with the devastating impact of the exploitation of man and nature gave birth to the Environmental Revolution, a way of trying to change the development patterns of the time and behavior of the population. However, based on the historical form of capitalist domination, this was another measure that was apossada the economic system being transformed into economic value and political exchange. The origin of the conventions, meetings, conferences, parliaments set up to discuss environmental issues, eventually became forums of political and economic talks focused on environmental governance, valuing an asset that is public and everyone. Environmental and climate issue now has a value, thus turning the agenda on the agenda of the United Nations (UN) for its political and economic regulation in the form of global agreement. Given the need for understanding the climate issue, was born the Conference of the Parties (COPs), a regulatory body for climate negotiations, surrounded interests, complexities, conflicts and disagreements between the parties countries, which becomes clear when we analyze their agreements...

Conforto térmico de edificações: análise crítica das tecnologias existentes

The rising in greenhouse gases emission as consequence of industrial expansion especially in developing countries is appointed as one of those reasons responsible for global warming. High-level temperatures are set as responsible for low productivity and high levels of discomfort. With the increase of worldwide energy demand, due to the population growth, this work aims to be an introductory text revising the current ventilation (mechanical and natural) and refrigeration technologies as well as low energy cooling techniques and architectural alternatives that seeks offering good ventilation and ideal buildings temperatures, making them sustainable. In addition, the text deals with the measurement instruments used to evaluate the parameters defined by international and national standards. At last, a case of study applies few concepts and technologies described in the text, introducing the results achieved, the limitations and suggestions to future works

RegCM3 nested in HadAM3 scenarios A2 and B2: projected changes in extratropical cyclogenesis, temperature and precipitation over the South Atlantic Ocean

The RegCM3 (Regional Climate Model-version 3) was nested in HadAM3 model to simulate present (1975-1989, referred hereafter as RegHad) and two future climate scenarios (A2 and B2 from 2071 to 2085, referred as RegA2 and RegB2) over the South America (SA) and South Atlantic Ocean (SAO). Projected changes in the air temperature, precipitation, low level circulation and cyclogenesis climatology were investigated. The cyclogenesis were identified using an automatic scheme for tracking based on the minimum of relative vorticity (zeta) from 10-m height wind. During summer, a general decrease (increase) in the precipitation is projected by RegA2 and RegB2 over the northeastern SA (center-west and south Brazil, north Argentina and Uruguay). For winter, an anomalous low level anticyclonic circulation is associated with the reduction in the rainfall over the central part of southern Brazil in RegA2 and RegB2 scenarios. Similar to HadAM3, RegCM3 projects larger warming in A2 scenario. For the present climate, when compared to HadAM3, RegHad defines better both the location of the main cyclogenetic areas and its annual cycle near southwestern SAO. The projections indicate a reduction in the total number of cyclones of -7.2% and -4.7% for RegA2 and RegB2, respectively, while HadAM3 reduction is -4.5% for both scenarios. The decrease is larger for initially intense cyclones (zeta <=-<= 2.5 x 10(-5) s-(1)): -20.9% (RegA2) and -11.3% (RegB2). For the lifetime, distance traveled and mean velocity of the cyclones, the A2 and B2 scenarios present mean values close to the present climate ( 3 days, 1900 km, and 9 m s(-1), respectively). Regarding the initial mean vorticity of the systems, RegB2 simulates values similar to the present climate, but they are initially weaker in RegA2. In general, RegA2 and RegB2 show a large decrease in the number of cyclones over the southern SAO due to an anticyclonic anomaly covering SAO between 30-55A degrees S. The reduction is larger in the scenario with higher concentrations of greenhouse gases (RegA2).

The Brazilian biofuels industry

Ethanol is a biofuel that is used as a replacement for approximately 3% of the fossil-based gasoline consumed in the world today. Most of this biofuel is produced from sugarcane in Brazil and corn in the United States. We present here the rationale for the ethanol program in Brazil, its present 'status' and its perspectives. The environmental benefits of the program, particularly the contribution of ethanol to reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, are discussed, as well as the limitations to its expansion.

Climate Change and "historical responsibilities"

The historical responsibility of countries listed in the Annex I of the Convention on Climate Change has been used extensively as a justification for the lack of action of countries not included in Annex I to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. We analyzed the contribution of non-Annex I countries to the CO2 emissions in the period 1850 - 2006 to assess their relative contribution to total CO2 emissions. In the period 1980 - 2006 non-Annex I countries represented 44% of the total but this contribution increased in the period 1990 - 2006 to 48%. If we extrapolate present trends to 2020 they will represent 56% in the period 1990 - 2020. The "historical responsibility" of Annex I countries is therefore decreasing. If we take 1990 as the starting year in which the Climate Convention recognized clearly that greenhouse gases are interfering dangerously with the climate system, it becomes very difficult to attribute "blame" and "guilt" to Annex I for their historical contributions. It becomes also quite clear the need of non-Annex I countries to engage with Annex I countries in the effort to reduce emissions. The Copenhagen Accord has no mention of "historical responsibilities".

Modelos de circulación global y procesos de mezcla en el océano

La difusividad diapicna en el océano es uno de los parámetros más desconocidos en los modelos climáticos actuales. Su importancia radica en que es uno de los principales factores de transporte de calor hacia capas más profundas del océano. Las medidas de esta difusividad son variables e insuficientes para confeccionar un mapa global con estos valores. A través de una amplia revisión bibliográfica hasta el año 2009 del tema se encontró que el sistema climático es extremadamente sensible a la difusividad diapicna, donde el escalado del Océano Pacífico Sur, con una potencia de su coeficiente de difusividad o kv de 0.63, resultó ser más sensible a los cambios en el coeficiente de difusividad diapicna que el Océano Atlántico con una potencia de kv de 0.44 , se pone de manifiesto así la necesidad de esclarecer los esquemas de mezcla, esquemas de clausura y sus parametrizaciones a través de Modelos de Circulación Global (GCMs) y Modelos de Complejidad Intermedia del Sistema Terrestre (EMICs), dentro del marco de un posible cambio climático y un calentamiento global debido al aumento de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. Así, el objetivo principal de este trabajo es comprender la sensibilidad del sistema climático a la difusividad diapicna en el océano a través de los GCMs y los EMICs. Para esto es necesario el análisis de los posibles esquemas de mezcla diapicna con el objetivo final de encontrar el modelo óptimo que permita predecir la evolución del sistema climático, el estudio de todas las variables que influyen en el mismo, y la correcta simulación en largos periodos de tiempo. The diapycnal diffusivity in the ocean is one of the least known parameters in current climate models. Measurements of this diffusivity are sparse and insufficient for compiling a global map. Through a lengthy review of the literature through 2009 found that the climate system is extremely sensitive to the diapycnal diffusivity, where in the South Pacific scales with the 0.63 power of the diapycnal diffusion, in contrasts to the scales with the 0.44 power of the diapycnal diffusion of North Atlantic. Therefore, the South Pacific is more sensitive than the North Atlantic. All this evidenced the need to clarify the schemes of mixing and its parameterisations through Global Circulation Models (GCMs) and Earth Models of Intermediate Complexity (EMICs) within a context of possible climate change and global warming due to increased of emissions of greenhouse gases. Thus, the main objective of this work understands the sensitivity of the climate system to diapycnal diffusivity in the ocean through the GCMs and EMICs. This requires the analysis of possible schemes of diapycnal mixing with the ultimate goal of finding the optimal model to predict the evolution of the climate system, the study of all variables that affect it and the correct simulation over long periods of time.

Sulla ricerca del minimo dei consumi per vetture sportive

La ricerca oggetto di questa tesi, come si evince dal titolo stesso, è volta alla riduzione dei consumi per vetture a forte carattere sportivo ed elevate prestazioni specifiche. In particolare, tutte le attività descritte fanno riferimento ad un ben definito modello di vettura, ovvero la Maserati Quattroporte. Lo scenario all’interno del quale questo lavoro si inquadra, è quello di una forte spinta alla riduzione dei cosiddetti gas serra, ossia dell’anidride carbonica, in linea con quelle che sono le disposizioni dettate dal protocollo di Kyoto. La necessità di ridurre l’immissione in atmosfera di CO2 sta condizionando tutti i settori della società: dal riscaldamento degli edifici privati a quello degli stabilimenti industriali, dalla generazione di energia ai processi produttivi in senso lato. Nell’ambito di questo panorama, chiaramente, sono chiamati ad uno sforzo considerevole i costruttori di automobili, alle quali è imputata una percentuale considerevole dell’anidride carbonica prodotta ogni giorno e riversata nell’atmosfera. Al delicato problema inquinamento ne va aggiunto uno forse ancor più contingente e diretto, legato a ragioni di carattere economico. I combustibili fossili, come tutti sanno, sono una fonte di energia non rinnovabile, la cui disponibilità è legata a giacimenti situati in opportune zone del pianeta e non inesauribili. Per di più, la situazione socio politica che il medio oriente sta affrontando, unita alla crescente domanda da parte di quei paesi in cui il processo di industrializzazione è partito da poco a ritmi vertiginosi, hanno letteralmente fatto lievitare il prezzo del petrolio. A causa di ciò, avere una vettura efficiente in senso lato e, quindi, a ridotti consumi, è a tutti gli effetti un contenuto di prodotto apprezzato dal punto di vista del marketing, anche per i segmenti vettura più alti. Nell’ambito di questa ricerca il problema dei consumi è stato affrontato come una conseguenza del comportamento globale della vettura in termini di efficienza, valutando il miglior compromesso fra le diverse aree funzionali costituenti il veicolo. Una parte consistente del lavoro è stata dedicata alla messa a punto di un modello di calcolo, attraverso il quale eseguire una serie di analisi di sensibilità sull’influenza dei diversi parametri vettura sul consumo complessivo di carburante. Sulla base di tali indicazioni, è stata proposta una modifica dei rapporti del cambio elettro-attuato con lo scopo di ottimizzare il compromesso tra consumi e prestazioni, senza inficiare considerevolmente queste ultime. La soluzione proposta è stata effettivamente realizzata e provata su vettura, dando la possibilità di verificare i risultati ed operare un’approfondita attività di correlazione del modello di calcolo per i consumi. Il beneficio ottenuto in termini di autonomia è stato decisamente significativo con riferimento sia ai cicli di omologazione europei, che a quelli statunitensi. Sono state inoltre analizzate le ripercussioni dal punto di vista delle prestazioni ed anche in questo caso i numerosi dati rilevati hanno permesso di migliorare il livello di correlazione del modello di simulazione per le prestazioni. La vettura con la nuova rapportatura proposta è stata poi confrontata con un prototipo di Maserati Quattroporte avente cambio automatico e convertitore di coppia. Questa ulteriore attività ha permesso di valutare il differente comportamento tra le due soluzioni, sia in termini di consumo istantaneo, che di consumo complessivo rilevato durante le principali missioni su banco a rulli previste dalle normative. L’ultima sezione del lavoro è stata dedicata alla valutazione dell’efficienza energetica del sistema vettura, intesa come resistenza all’avanzamento incontrata durante il moto ad una determinata velocità. Sono state indagate sperimentalmente le curve di “coast down” della Quattroporte e di alcune concorrenti e sono stati proposti degli interventi volti alla riduzione del coefficiente di penetrazione aerodinamica, pur con il vincolo di non alterare lo stile vettura.

Climate change and the tourism sector: the clean development mechanism, a market instrument under the Kyoto Protocol to achieve multiple objectives

The main objective of this research is to demonstrate that the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), an instrument created under a global international treaty, can achieve multiple objectives beyond those for which it has been established. As such, while being already a powerful tool to contribute to the global fight against climate change, the CDM can also be successful if applied to different sectors not contemplated before. In particular, this research aimed at demonstrating that a wider utilization of the CDM in the tourism sector can represent an innovative way to foster sustainable tourism and generate additional benefits. The CDM was created by Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and represents an innovative tool to reduce greenhouse gases emissions through the implementation of mitigation activities in developing countries which generate certified emission reductions (CERs), each of them equivalent to one ton of CO2 not emitted in the atmosphere. These credits can be used for compliance reasons by industrialized countries in achieving their reduction targets. The logic path of this research begins with an analysis of the scientific evidences of climate change and its impacts on different economic sectors including tourism and it continues with a focus on the linkages between climate and the tourism sector. Then, it analyses the international responses to the issue of climate change and the peculiar activities in the international arena addressing climate change and the tourism sector. The concluding part of the work presents the objectives and achievements of the CDM and its links to the tourism sector by considering case studies of existing projects which demonstrate that the underlying question can be positively answered. New opportunities for the tourism sector are available.

Applicazione di strumenti e metodi per la gestione ambientale di un territorio vasto - Sviluppo di un sistema di gestione ambientale in un ente pubblico secondo lo schema europeo EMAS e analisi di un sistema energetico territoriale

Environmental Management includes many components, among which we can include Environmental Management Systems (EMS), Environmental Reporting and Analysis, Environmental Information Systems and Environmental Communication. In this work two applications are presented: the developement and implementation of an Environmental Management System in local administrations, according to the European scheme "EMAS", and the analysis of a territorial energy system through scenario building and environmental sustainability assessment. Both applications are linked by the same objective, which is the quest for more scientifically sound elements; in fact, both EMS and energy planning are oftec carachterized by localism and poor comparability. Emergy synthesis, proposed by ecologist H.T. Odum and described in his book "Environmental Accounting: Emergy and Environmental Decision Making" (1996) has been chosen and applied as an environmental evaluation tool, in order complete the analysis with an assessment of the "global value" of goods and processes. In particular, eMergy syntesis has been applied in order to improve the evaluation of the significance of environmental aspects in an EMS, and in order to evaluate the environmental performance of three scenarios of future evolution of the energy system. Regarding EMS, in this work an application of an EMS together with the CLEAR methodology for environmental accounting is discussed, in order to improve the identification of the environmental aspects; data regarding environmental aspects and significant ones for 4 local authorities are also presented, together with a preliminary proposal for the integration of the assessment of the significance of environmental aspects with eMergy synthesis. Regarding the analysis of an energy system, in this work the carachterization of the current situation is presented together with the overall energy balance and the evaluation of the emissions of greenhouse gases; moreover, three scenarios of future evolution are described and discussed. The scenarios have been realized with the support of the LEAP software ("Long Term Energy Alternatives Planning System" by SEI - "Stockholm Environment Institute"). Finally, the eMergy synthesis of the current situation and of the three scenarios is shown.

In-situ DRIFT/MS study of the conversion of ethanol on mixed Mg/Si oxides

Due to the high price of natural oil and harmful effects of its usage, as the increase in emission of greenhouse gases, the industry focused in searching of sustainable types of the raw materials for production of chemicals. Ethanol, produced by fermentation of sugars, is one of the more interesting renewable materials for chemical manufacturing. There are numerous applications for the conversion of ethanol into commodity chemicals. In particular, the production of 1,3-butadiene whose primary source is ethanol using multifunctional catalysts is attractive. With the 25% of world rubber manufacturers utilizing 1,3-butadiene, there is an exigent need for its sustainable production. In this research, the conversion of ethanol in one-step process to 1,3-butadiene was studied. According to the literature, the mechanisms which were proposed to explain the way ethanol transforms into butadiene require to have both acid and basic sites. But still, there are a lot of debate on this topic. Thus, the aim of this research work is a better understanding of the reaction pathways with all the possible intermediates and products which lead to the formation of butadiene from ethanol. The particular interests represent the catalysts, based on different ratio Mg/Si in comparison to bare magnesia and silica oxides, in order to identify a good combination of acid/basic sites for the adsorption and conversion of ethanol. Usage of spectroscopictechniques are important to extract information that could be helpful for understanding the processes on the molecular level. The diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy coupled to mass spectrometry (DRIFT-MS) was used to study the surface composition of the catalysts during the adsorption of ethanol and its transformation during the temperature program. Whereas, mass spectrometry was used to monitor the desorbed products. The set of studied materials include MgO, Mg/Si=0.1, Mg/Si=2, Mg/Si=3, Mg/Si=9 and SiO2 which were also characterized by means of surface area measurements.

Environmental Assessment of the Agricultural Sector

One of the main problems recognized in sustainable development goals and sustainable agricultural objectives is Climate change. Farming contributes significantly to the overall Greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere, which is approximately 10-12 percent of total GHG emissions, but when taking in consideration also land-use change, including deforestation driven by agricultural expansion for food, fiber and fuel the number rises to approximately 30 percent (Smith et. al., 2007). There are two distinct methodological approaches for environmental impact assessment; Life Cycle Assessment (a bottom up approach) and Input-Output Analysis (a top down approach). The two methodologies differ significantly but there is not an immediate choice between them if the scope of the study is on a sectorial level. Instead, as an alternative, hybrid approaches which combine these two approaches have emerged. The aim of this study is to analyze in a greater detail the agricultural sectors contribution to Climate change caused by the consumption of food products. Hence, to identify the food products that have the greatest impact through their life cycle, identifying their hotspots and evaluating the mitigation possibilities for the same. At the same time evaluating methodological possibilities and models to be applied for this purpose both on a EU level and on a country level (Italy).