Optimal monitoring to implement clean technologies when pollution is random

We analyze a model where firms chose a production technology which, together with some random event, determines the final emission level. We consider the coexistence of two alternative technologies: a "clean" technology, and a "dirty" technology. The environmental regulation is based on taxes over reported emissions, and on penalties over unreported emissions. We show that the optimal inspection policy is a cut-off strategy, for several scenarios concerning the observability of the adoption of the clean technology and the cost of adopting it. We also show that the optimal inspection policy induces the firm to adopt the clean technology if the adoption cost is not too high, but the cost levels for which the firm adopts it depend on the scenario.

Running a conference as a clean product International Conference on Pollution Prevention, Clean Technologies and Clean Products, Washington, DC, June 10-13, 1990 /

Mode of access: Internet.

Surface X-ray studies of catalytic clean technologies

The rational design of new heterogeneous catalysts for clean chemical technologies can be accelerated by molecular level insight into surface chemical processes. In situ methodologies, able to provide time-resolved and/or pressure dependent information on the evolution of reacting adsorbed layers over catalytically relevant surfaces, are therefore of especial interest. Here we discuss recent applications of surface X-ray techniques to surface-catalysed oxidations, (de)hydrogenations, C-C coupling, dehalogenation and associated catalyst restructuring, and explore how these may help to shape future sustainable chemistry. © 2010 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Innovation and environmental policy: Clean vs. dirty technical change

We study a two sector endogenous growth model with environmental quality with two goods and two factors of production, one clean and one dirty. Technological change creates clean or dirty innovations. We compare the laissez-faire equilibrium and the social optimum and study first- and second-best policies. Optimal policy encourages research toward clean technologies. In a second-best world, we claim that a portfolio that includes a tax on the polluting good combined with optimal innovation subsidy policies is less costly than increasing the price of the polluting good alone. Moreover, a discriminating innovation subsidy policy is preferable to a non-discriminating one.

Spent coffee grounds for biodiesel production and other applications

This work evaluates the possibility of using spent coffee grounds (SCG) for biodiesel production and other applications. An experimental study was conducted with different solvents showing that lipid content up to 6 wt% can be obtained from SCG. Results also show that besides biodiesel production, SCG can be used as fertilizer as it is rich in nitrogen, and as solid fuel with higher heating value (HHV) equivalent to some agriculture and wood residues. The extracted lipids were characterized for their properties of acid value, density at 15 °C, viscosity at 40 °C, iodine number, and HHV, which are negatively influenced by water content and solvents used in lipid extraction. Results suggest that for lipids with high free fatty acids (FFA), the best procedure for conversion to biodiesel would be a two-step process of acid esterification followed by alkaline transesterification, instead of a sole step of direct transesterification with acid catalyst. Biodiesel was characterized for its properties of iodine number, acid value, and ester content. Although these quality parameters were not within the limits of NP EN 14214:2009 standard, SCG lipids can be used for biodiesel, blended with higher-quality vegetable oils before transesterification, or the biodiesel produced from SCG can be blended with higher-quality biodiesel or even with fossil diesel, in order to meet the standard requirements.

Estudio de la gestión de la variable ambiental en la generación termoeléctrica

En la actualidad, el cambio climático es uno de los temas de mayor preocupación para la población mundial y los científicos de todo el mundo. Debido al crecimiento de la población de forma exponencial, la demanda de energía aumenta acorde con ello, por lo que las actividades de producción energética aumentan consecuentemente, siendo éstas las principales causantes de la aceleración del cambio climático. Pese a que muchos países previamente habían apostado por la producción energética mediante tecnologías limpias a partir de energías renovables, hoy en día es imposible prescindir de los combustibles fósiles pues, junto a la energía nuclear, suponen el mayor porcentaje dentro del mix energético de los países más grandes del mundo, por lo que el cambio debe ser global y con todos los países implicados al unísono. Por ello, los países desarrollados decidieron acordar una serie de leyes y normas para la regulación y el control de la expansión energética en el mundo, mediante programas de incentivo a las empresas para la producción de energía limpia, libre de emisiones, sustituyendo y mejorando los procesos tecnológicos para que garanticen un desarrollo sostenible. De esta forma, se conseguiría también reducir la dependencia energética de los países productores de los recursos fósiles más importantes y a su vez, ayudar a otros sectores a diversificar su negocio y mejorar así la economía de las áreas colindantes a las centrales de producción térmica. Gracias a estos programas de incentivo o, también llamados mecanismos de flexibilidad, las empresas productoras de energía, al acometer inversiones en tecnologia limpia, dejan de emitir gases de efecto invernadero a la atmósfera. Por tanto, gracias al comercio de emisiones y al mercado voluntario, las empresas pueden vender dichas emisiones aumentando la rentabilidad de sus proyectos, haciendo más atractivo de por sí el hecho de invertir en tecnología limpia. En el proyecto desarrollado, se podrá comprobar de una forma más extensa todo lo anteriormente citado. Para ello, se desarrollará una herramienta de cálculo que nos permitirá analizar los beneficios obtenidos por la sustitución de un combustible fósil, no renovable, por otro renovable y sostenible, como es la biomasa. En esta herramienta se calcularán, de forma estimada, las reducciones de las emisiones de CO2 que supone dicha sustitución y se hallará, en función del valor de las cotizaciones de los bonos de carbono en los diferentes mercados, cuál será el beneficio económico obtenido por la venta de las emisiones no emitidas que supone esta sustitución. Por último, dicho beneficio será insertado en un balance económico de la central donde se tendrán en cuenta otras variables como el precio del combustible o las fluctuaciones del precio de la electricidad, para hallar finalmente la rentabilidad que supondría la inversión de esta adaptación en la central. Con el fin de complementar y aplicar la herramienta de cálculo, se analizarán dos casos prácticos de una central de carbón, en los cuales se decide su suscripción dentro del contexto de los mecanismos de flexibilidad creados en los acuerdos internacionales.

Degradação fotocatalítica de petróleo e seus derivados através da utilização de nanopartículas de dióxido de titânio puro e misturado com óxido de grafeno reduzido

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia de Materiais

Integrating eco-innovation principles into regional strategy and policy: case of Päijät-Häme region, Finland

This study focuses on the integration of eco-innovation principles into strategy and policy at the regional level. The importance of regions as a level for integrating eco-innovative programs and activities served as the point of interest for this study. Eco-innovative activities and technologies are seen as means to meet sustainable development objective of improving regions’ quality of life. This study is conducted to get an in-depth understanding and learning about eco-innovation at regional level, and to know the basic concepts that are important in integrating eco-innovation principles into regional policy. Other specific objectives of this study are to know how eco-innovation are developed and practiced in the regions of the EU, and to analyze the main characteristic features of an eco-innovation model that is specifically developed at Päijät-Häme Region in Finland. Paijät-Häme Region is noted for its successful eco-innovation strategies and programs, hence, taken as casework in this study. Both primary (interviews) and secondary data (publicly available documents) are utilized in this study. The study shows that eco-innovation plays an important role in regional strategy as reviewed based on the experience of other regions in the EU. This is because of its localized nature which makes it easier to facilitate in a regional setting. Since regional authorities and policy-makers are normally focused on solving its localized environmental problems, eco-innovation principles can easily be integrated into regional strategy. The case study highlights Päijät-Häme Region’s eco-innovation strategies and projects which are characterized by strong connection of knowledge-producing institutions. Policy instruments supporting eco-innovation (e.g. environmental technologies) are very much focused on clean technologies, hence, justifying the formation of cleantech clusters and business parks in Päijät-Häme Region. A newly conceptualized SAMPO model of eco-innovation has been developed in Päijät-Häme Region to better capture the region’s characteristics and to eventually replace the current model employed by the Päijät-Häme Regional Authority. The SAMPO model is still under construction, however, review of its principles points to some of its three important spearheads – practice-based innovation, design (eco-design) and clean technology or environmental technology (environment).

The influence of environmental policy on the decisions of managers to adopt G-SCM practices

This article explores the reasons that affect the decisions of managers of firms to adopt management practices in order to green their supply chain management. Under the context of environmental policy, the relationship between policy instruments (‘command and control’, market-based, and self-regulated) and the decisions of managers to adopt green supply chain management (G-SCM) practices is examined. The results show that in some cases the environmental legislation, market-based instruments and self-regulated incentives could play a critical role in the decisions of managers to adopt some specific G-SCM practices, while in other cases environmental policy instruments have not seemed to affect the decisions of managers regarding some other G-SCM practices.

Avaliação de diferentes processos oxidativos avançados no tratamento de resíduos de petróleo

The petroleum industry deals with problems which are difficult to solve because of their relation to environmental issues. This is because amounts of residue are generated which vary in type and danger level. The soil contamination by non aqueous liquid phase mixtures, specifically hydrocarbon petroleum has been a reason for great concern, mainly the aromatic and polycyclic aromatic, which present risk to human health due to its carcinogenic and mutagenic character. The Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOP) are efficient technologies for destruction of organic compounds of difficult degradation and, often, they are present in low concentrations. They can be considered clean technologies, because there is no formation of solid by-products or the transfer of pollutor phases. This work focuses on the study of the degradation of petroleum industrial waste, by Advanced Oxidation Processes. Treatments tackling petroleum residues, contaminated soil, and water occurring in the production of petroleum reached the following Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) degradation levels: solid residues 100% in 96 treatment hours; water residue - 100% in 6 treatment hours; soil contamination (COT degradation) - 50.3% in 12 treatment hours. AOP were effective in dealing with petroleum residues thus revealing themselves to be a promising treatment alternative

Protocolo de Quioto e as possibilidades de inserção do Brasil no Mecanismo de Desenvolvimento Limpo por meio de projetos em energia limpa

Este artigo pretende estudar a inserção do Brasil no Mecanismo de Desenvolvimento Limpo (MDL) do Protocolo de Quioto, por meio de projetos em energia limpa, enfatizando a cooperação entre países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento e visando as ações práticas que esse mecanismo permite desenvolver para se alcançar o desenvolvimento sustentável e para conter o aquecimento global. Para isto, realizou-se extensa revisão bibliográfica dos acordos internacionais referentes às mudanças climáticas e de livros e artigos sobre a inserção brasileira no Protocolo de Quioto e no Mecanismo de Desenvolvimento Limpo. O Protocolo de Quioto é um acordo internacional que prevê a redução das emissões de gases de efeito estufa por intermédio de mecanismos flexibilizadores. O Mecanismo de Desenvolvimento Limpo é o único que permite a participação de países em desenvolvimento, para que eles reduzam emissões por meio de projetos que busquem o desenvolvimento sustentável. Neste contexto, o Brasil surge como um país atrativo para o recebimento destes projetos, por sua vocação para desenvolver fontes alternativas de energia e pela sua liderança no processo negociador do Protocolo. O MDL configura-se, portanto, em uma grande oportunidade para o Brasil, visto que esses projetos representam uma fonte de recursos financeiros para que o país busque o desenvolvimento sustentável, além de incentivarem um maior conhecimento científico e a adoção de novas tecnologias.

A sustainable alternative for cooling the machining processes using a refrigerant fluid in recirculation inside the toolholder

This article presents a cooling system for cutting tool in turning based in a toolholder with cooling fluid flowing inside its body being that this fluid must necessarily be able to phase change due to heat generated from machining processes. In this way, the fluid evaporates just under the cutting tool allowing a heat transfer more efficient than if were used a fluid without phase change once the latent heat of evaporation is beneficial for removal heat. Following, the cooling fluid evaporated passes through a condenser located out of the toolholder where it is condensated and returns to the toolholder again and a new cycle is started. In this study, the R-123, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) fluid, was selected for the turning of a Cr-Ni-Nb-Mn-N austenitic steel of hard machinability. The machining tests were carried out under three different machining conditions: dry machining, external cutting fluid (conventional method), and with the toolholder proposed. As result, the developed system allows a surface roughness up to 10% better than dry machining and a tool life close to the conventional method, but 32% superior to dry machining; moreover, there are environmental and economics advantages once the cooling fluid is maintained in a loop circuit.

Synthesis, characterization, and application of modified silica in the removal and preconcentration of lead ions from natural river water

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)