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on Environmental Economics |
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Issue of 2019‒04‒29
fifty-two papers chosen by Francisco S. Ramos Universidade Federal de Pernambuco |
| By: | Vogt-Schilb, Adrien; Hallegatte, Stephane |
| Abstract: | Countries have pledged to stabilize global warming at a 1.5 to 2°C increase. Either target requires reaching net zero emissions before the end of the century, which implies a major transformation of the economic system. This paper reviews the literature on how policymakers can design climate policies and their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reach zero-net emissions before the end of the century in a socially and politically-acceptable manner. To get the ambition right, policymakers can use sectoral roadmaps with targets and indicators that track progress towards zero emissions (e.g. regarding renewable power or reforestation). Indeed, monitoring economy-wide emissions reductions alone would not ensure that short-term action contributes meaningfully to the long-term decarbonization goal. To get the political economy right, climate policies can be designed so that they contribute to non-climate objectives and create coalitions of supporters. For instance, revenues from carbon taxes can fund social assistance and infrastructure investment, while reducing tax evasion and informality. To minimize social and economic disruptions and avoid stranded assets, policymakers can start with a low carbon price level and use complementary policies. Designed at the sector level, complementary policies such as performance standards or feebates for cars, building norms, or moratoriums on new coal power plants can be negotiated in partnership with local stakeholders and trigger a transition to zero carbon without creating disruptive stranded assets. |
| Date: | 2017–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:8317&r=all |
| By: | Timothy Köhler (Department of Economics, University of Stellenbosch); Martin de Wit (School of Public Leadership, University of Stellenbosch) |
| Abstract: | Economic growth has been seen to be accompanied by surges in natural resource extraction rates or levels of pollution and waste. As such, many suggest that the pursuit thereof may lead to environmental degradation through increased waste generation and pollution, given a country’s technological constraints and environmental assimilative capacity. In the field of economics, the ‘Environmental Kuznets Curve’ (EKC) has served as arguably the most dominant approach to assess this relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation since its popularisation in the early 1990s (Stern, 2017:8). The EKC implies that economic activity is environmentally beneficial in the long-run, despite adversely affecting it in the short-run. International findings remain mixed at best, and only a limited amount of other studies which attempt to assess the existence of an EKC in South Africa’s context exist, all of which use the same global air pollutant for environmental quality. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the existing literature by investigating the presence of the EKC for a set of relatively diverse – three local and three global – air pollutants in South Africa for the period 1970 to 2010. This study serves as the first to estimate the relationship for any local pollutant, as well as two global pollutants, in South Africa through the EKC framework. Using OLS and ARDL regression techniques, the results of the 24 estimated models do not provide evidence of an EKC for any of the select pollutants. However, when using levels instead of logarithms, an EKC is found in one specification for one local pollutant (NH3). Otherwise, no distinction between local and global air pollutants is found. In contrast to the EKC’s inverted-U shape, the ARDL models for two global (CO2 and N2O) and two local (SO2 and PM10) pollutants indicate statistically significant U-shaped relationships at conventional significance levels. Unfortunately, the reduced-form approach utilised in this paper does not indicate any underlying causal relationship and as such, conclusive policy suggestions cannot be made. |
| Keywords: | environmental Kuznets curve, economic growth, economic development, environmental degradation, environmental quality, air pollution, South Africa |
| JEL: | O13 Q53 Q56 |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sza:wpaper:wpapers318&r=all |
| By: | Yang, Christopher; Zakerinia, Saleh; Ramea, Kalai; Miller, Marshall |
| Abstract: | Transportation is a major emitter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States accounting for 27% of the country’s emissions, second only to the electricity sector. As a result, reducing GHG emissions are essential for mitigating some of the most damaging potential impacts associated with climate change and because of the importance and relative size of the transportation sector, it would need to contribute a significant amount of emissions reduction. This report describes the development and use of an U.S. energy system optimization model (US-TIMES) in order to analyze the reductions in GHG emissions that can come about through policy targets. These policy targets induce technology investments and operation in order to satisfy the demand for energy services and environmental policy constraints (notably GHG emission targets). The model development focused on two key areas within the transportation sector, light-duty vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles. In the light-duty space, we incorporated consumer choice elements into the energy system optimization framework through increasing consumer heterogeneity and adding non-monetary decision factors such as risk and fueling inconvenience. For heavy-duty vehicles, we adopt a segmentation approach and update vehicle cost and performance assumptions from our recent work. The model is used to project scenarios for low carbon futures from a reference scenario all the way to an 80% GHG reduction target. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Carbon taxes, Electric vehicles, Emissions trading, Energy consumption, Energy resources, Greenhouse gases, Heavy duty vehicles, Hybrid vehicles, Motor fuels, Policy analysis, Pollutants |
| Date: | 2018–09–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt9cb5t3k4&r=all |
| By: | Zapata, Christina; Yang, Christopher; Yeh, Sonia; Ogden, Joan; Kleeman, Michael J. |
| Abstract: | California's goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to a level that is 80 % below 1990 levels by the year 2050 will require adoption of low-carbon energy sources across all economic sectors. In addition to reducing GHG emissions, shifting to fuels with lower carbon intensity will change concentrations of short-lived conventional air pollutants, including airborne particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and ozone (O3). Here we evaluate how business-as-usual (BAU) air pollution and public health in California will be transformed in the year 2050 through the adoption of low-carbon technologies, expanded electrification, and modified activity patterns within a low-carbon energy scenario (GHG-Step). Both the BAU and GHG-Step statewide emission scenarios were constructed using the energy–economic optimization model, CA-TIMES, that calculates the multi-sector energy portfolio that meets projected energy supply and demand at the lowest cost, while also satisfying scenario-specific GHG emissions constraints. Corresponding criteria pollutant emissions for each scenario were then spatially allocated at 4 km resolution to support air quality analysis in different regions of the state. Meteorological inputs for the year 2054 were generated under a Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 future climate. Annual-average PM2.5 and O3 concentrations were predicted using the modified emissions and meteorology inputs with a regional chemical transport model. In the final phase of the analysis, mortality (total deaths) and mortality rate (deaths per 100 000) were calculated using established exposure-response relationships from air pollution epidemiology combined with simulated annual-average PM2.5 and O3 exposure. Net emissions reductions across all sectors are −36 % for PM0.1 mass, −3.6 % for PM2.5 mass, −10.6 % for PM2.5 elemental carbon, −13.3 % for PM2.5 organic carbon, −13.7 % for NO x , and −27.5 % for NH3. Predicted deaths associated with air pollution in 2050 dropped by 24–26 % in California (1537–2758 avoided deaths yr−1) in the climate-friendly 2050 GHG-Step scenario, which is equivalent to a 54–56 % reduction in the air pollution mortality rate (deaths per 100 000) relative to 2010 levels. These avoided deaths have an estimated value of USD 11.4–20.4 billion yr−1 based on the present-day value of a statistical life (VSL) equal to USD 7.6 million. The costs for reducing California GHG emissions 80 % below 1990 levels by the year 2050 depend strongly on numerous external factors such as the global price of oil. Best estimates suggest that meeting an intermediate target (40 % reduction in GHG emissions by the year 2030) using a non-optimized scenario would reduce personal income by USD 4.95 billion yr−1 (−0.15 %) and lower overall state gross domestic product by USD 16.1 billion yr−1 (−0.45 %). The public health benefits described here are comparable to these cost estimates, making a compelling argument for the adoption of low-carbon energy in California, with implications for other regions in the United States and across the world. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–04–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt2wh1k903&r=all |
| By: | Miller, Marshall; Wang, Qian; Fulton, Lew |
| Abstract: | This report presents the results of a project to develop a truck vehicle/fuel decision choice model for California and to use that model to make initial projections of truck sales by technology out to 2050. The report also describes the linkage of this model to a broader scenarios model of road transportation energy use in California to 2050. A separate report provides the authors detailed assumptions about truck technologies, fuels, and projections to 2050 that are inputs to this choice modeling effort. The need for low carbon trucking in California, as in other states and countries of the world, is outlined in IPCC reports and the Paris Agreement. An 80% reduction in energy-related CO2 emissions worldwide is targeted in that agreement. For trucks to contribute anywhere near this level of reduction, new, zero emissions technologies, such as electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks, would need to be adopted at a large scale and at a rapid pace, both unprecedented for trucks anywhere in the world to date. Many truck models create new technology market penetration scenarios through minimizing cost or in an ad-hoc manner. This model utilizes a fleet decision choice process based on real world factors identified through discussions with trucking fleets. These factors include capital and operating costs, uncertainty (risk), model availability, refueling inconvenience, green PR (perceived benefit of environmentally beneficial technologies), and various incentives. The authors have developed a spreadsheet structured as a nested multinomial logit model that monetizes these factors to calculate a generalized cost. The authors have attempted to estimate the value of these factors to different types of fleets using a series of interviews, initial survey work, a truck choice workshop, and finally expert judgment and “basic logic†on how various factors might be valued now and in the future. The factors drive the choice analysis and are highly uncertain and likely highly variant across fleet types and even fleets within a type (early adopter, late adopter, in between), so the authors use a scenario approach to explore how this uncertainty could affect their results and projections. The authors created four scenarios and variants: 1) a business as usual (BAU), 2) a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate requiring the market share of ZEVs to reach 25% by 2050 (ZEV scenario 1a), 3) the same scenario but with a low penalty assumed for refueling time and (ZEV scenario 1b) 4) a ZEV mandate requiring the market share of ZEVs to reach 50% by 2050 (ZEV scenario 2). The authors also look at some policies that could help to spur sales growth among ZEV technologies in order to reach specific targets. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2017–11–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt1xt3k10x&r=all |
| By: | Butt, Ali A.; Harvey, John T.; Kendall, Alissa; Li, Hui; Zhu, Yuxin |
| Abstract: | Urban hardscapes can be defined as human-altered surfaces in contact with the earth in urban areas other than alterations for horticulture. Hardscape covers large portions of the urban surface area, and has potentially large influence on air emissions, truck traffic and its associated problems, and the potential for flooding. Modeling the inflows of hardscape materials and the outflows of demolished hardscape and other rock-based products from buildings and other civil infrastructure is expected to provide a means to find solutions for reducing these flows and their impacts. Modeling of urban hydrology with respect to the effects of hardscape on surface and groundwater flows from precipitation is expected to provide a means to find solutions that will reduce the risk of flooding and improve groundwater recharge. The goal of this white paper is to advocate that researchers and policy-makers use the analytical approach of combining urban (UM), material flow analysis (MFA) and elements of life cycle assessment (LCA) to measure and improve the efficiency of urban hardscape in large urbanized areas with respect to environmental impacts affecting global warming, safety and quality of life through use of alternative hardscape structure and materials and more permeable hardscape. The white paper provides details on the proposed UM-LCA framework. Additionally, several data sources and modeling tools were identified that can be used in the UM-LCA framework to quantify material and energy flows and environmental impacts including water flows. An effort was also made to identify data for a few of the cities in California in order to demonstrate parts of the data collection and presentation process. The framework developed is not limited to a single U.S. state, rather it can be used in any geographic region of the U.S. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Building materials, Built environment, Environmental monitoring, Life cycle analysis, Metabolism, Paving materials, Precipitation (Meteorology), Runoff, Urban areas |
| Date: | 2018–12–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt77g742tq&r=all |
| By: | Laurence J. Kotlikoff; Felix Kubler; Andrey Polbin; Jeffrey D. Sachs; Simon Scheidegger |
| Abstract: | Carbon taxation has been studied primarily in social planner or infinitely lived agent models, which trade off the welfare of future and current generations. Such frameworks obscure the potential for carbon taxation to produce a generational win-win. This paper develops a large-scale, dynamic 55-period, OLG model to calculate the carbon tax policy delivering the highest uniform welfare gain to all generations. The OLG framework, with its selfish generations, seems far more natural for studying climate damage. Our model features coal, oil, and gas, each extracted subject to increasing costs, a clean energy sector, technical and demographic change, and Nordhaus (2017)’s temperature/damage functions. Our model’s optimal uniform welfare increasing (UWI) carbon tax starts at $30 tax, rises annually at 1.5 percent and raises the welfare of all current and future generations by 0.73 percent on a consumption-equivalent basis. Sharing efficiency gains evenly requires, however, taxing future generations by as much as 8.1 percent and subsidizing early generations by as much as 1.2 percent of lifetime consumption. Without such redistribution (the Nordhaus “optimum”), the carbon tax constitutes a win-lose policy with current generations experiencing an up to 0.84 percent welfare loss and future generations experiencing an up to 7.54 percent welfare gain. With a six-times larger damage function, the optimal UWI initial carbon tax is $70, again rising annually at 1.5 percent. This policy raises all generations’ welfare by almost 5 percent. However, doing so requires levying taxes on and giving transfers to future and current generations ranging up to 50.1 percent and 10.3 percent of their lifetime consumption. Delaying carbon policy, for 20 years, reduces efficiency gains roughly in half. |
| JEL: | F0 F20 H0 H2 H3 J20 |
| Date: | 2019–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:25760&r=all |
| By: | Zapata, Christina; Yang, Christopher; Yeh, Sonia; Ogden, Joan; Kleeman, Michael J. |
| Abstract: | The California Regional Multisector Air Quality Emissions (CA-REMARQUE) model is developed to predict changes to criteria pollutant emissions inventories in California in response to sophisticated emissions control programs implemented to achieve deep greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. Two scenarios for the year 2050 act as the starting point for calculations: a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario and an 80% GHG reduction (GHG-Step) scenario. Each of these scenarios was developed with an energy economic model to optimize costs across the entire California economy and so they include changes in activity, fuels, and technology across economic sectors. Separate algorithms are developed to estimate emissions of criteria pollutants (or their precursors) that are consistent with the future GHG scenarios for the following economic sectors: (i) on-road, (ii) rail and off-road, (iii) marine and aviation, (iv) residential and commercial, (v) electricity generation, and (vi) biorefineries. Properly accounting for new technologies involving electrification, biofuels, and hydrogen plays a central role in these calculations. Critically, criteria pollutant emissions do not decrease uniformly across all sectors of the economy. Emissions of certain criteria pollutants (or their precursors) increase in some sectors as part of the overall optimization within each of the scenarios. This produces nonuniform changes to criteria pollutant emissions in close proximity to heavily populated regions when viewed at 4km spatial resolution with implications for exposure to air pollution for those populations. As a further complication, changing fuels and technology also modify the composition of reactive organic gas emissions and the size and composition of particulate matter emissions. This is most notably apparent through a comparison of emissions reductions for different size fractions of primary particulate matter. Primary PM2.5 emissions decrease by 4% in the GHG-Step scenario vs. the BAU scenario while corresponding primary PM0.1 emissions decrease by 36%. Ultrafine particles (PM0.1) are an emerging pollutant of concern expected to impact public health in future scenarios. The complexity of this situation illustrates the need for realistic treatment of criteria pollutant emissions inventories linked to GHG emissions policies designed for fully developed countries and states with strict existing environmental regulations. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–04–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt87p8r455&r=all |
| By: | Kim, Daejin; Guin, Angshuman; Rodgers, Michael O; Guensler, Randall |
| Abstract: | Since heavy-duty truck operations can significantly affect traffic congestion, especially on road grade, the creation of exclusive lanes for trucks has been viewed as a potential alternative to reduce congestion delay, fuel consumption, and emissions. However, few studies have rigorously evaluated the effectiveness of truck-only lanes in achieving these benefits. This study demonstrates a model framework that combines a microscopic traffic simulation with emissions and microscale dispersion models to quantify the potential impacts of truck-only lanes on fuel consumption, emissions, and near-road pollutant concentrations. As a case study, the framework was used to evaluate a proposed $2 billion project to construct 40-miles of truck-only lanes on Interstate 75 (I-75) between Atlanta and Macon, Georgia (USA). The findings of this study suggest that truck-only lanes could significantly improve the traffic flow, and reduce energy, emissions, and pollutant concentrations. The research team expects that the extensive simulation results of this study help to understand the performance of truck-only lanes on a large-scale network with a heavy mixture of truck and general purpose lane traffic. The methodology and framework developed in this study can be effectively and efficiently applied to a wide variety of scenarios to evaluate the environmental impacts of other transportation projects under various conditions. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Air quality, Fuel consumption, Genetic algorithms, Greenhouse gases, Pollutants, Traffic flow, Traffic models, Traffic simulation, Truck lanes, Trucks |
| Date: | 2018–11–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt56m5b78f&r=all |
| By: | Harvey, John T.; Kendall, Alissa; Saboori, Arash; Ostovar, Maryam; Butt, Ali A.; Hernandez, Jesus; Haynes, Bruce |
| Abstract: | A multitude of goals have been stated for complete streets including non-motorized travel safety, reduced costs and environmental burdens, and creation of more livable communities, or in other words, the creation of livable, sustainable and economically vibrant communities. A number of performance measures have been proposed to address these goals. Environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) quantifies the energy, resource use, and emissions to air, water and land for a product or a system using a systems approach. One gap that has been identified in current LCA impact indicators is lack of socio-economic indicators to complement the existing environmental indicators. To address the gaps in performance metrics, this project developed a framework for LCA of complete streets projects, including the development of socio-economic impact indicators that also consider equity. The environmental impacts of complete streets were evaluated using LCA information for a range of complete street typologies. A parametric sensitivity analysis approach was performed to evaluate the impacts of different levels of mode choice and trip change. Another critical question addressed was what are different social goals (economic, health, safety, etc.) that should be considered and how to consider equity in performance metrics for social goals. This project lays the foundation for the creation of guidelines for social and environmental LCAs for complete streets. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Complete streets, life cycle assessment, equity, social goals, environmental impacts |
| Date: | 2018–12–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt0vw335dp&r=all |
| By: | Ritter, Hendrik; Runkel, Marco; Zimmermann, Karl |
| Abstract: | We analyze a n-country, two-period Nash tax competition game to evaluate Sinn’s proposal to use capital income taxation as a means to decelerate fossil fuel ex- traction (Sinn, 2008). The interest and discount rate is determined on a perfectly competitive consumer loan market on which the resource extractor acts as the loan supplier. Our first result is that, with perfectly identical countries, tax rates are inefficiently low in the Nash equilibrium of the tax competition game since the tax distortion and the environmental externality are not taken into account. The sec- ond result is that, in an asymmetric setting with resource-exporting and -importing countries, the tax can turn into a subsidy in the exporting country. Moreover, we show that partial cooperation of the importers is always beneficial to them, but can be harmful to the exporter. Finally, we identify cases where full cooperation is self-enforcing. |
| Keywords: | Capital taxation,Green paradox,Non-renewable resources |
| JEL: | H21 H23 Q38 Q54 |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:195172&r=all |
| By: | Durbin, Thomas D; Karavalakis, Georgios; Johnson, Kent C; Cocker, David R; Yang, Jiacheng; Jiang, Yu; Kumar, Sachin |
| Abstract: | Some of the most important questions in the development of sustainable transportation are identify fuels that will reduce emissions, provide diversification from fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, be produced from renewable sources, and that can be produced in a sustainable manner. An alternative diesel fuel that could be used for particulate matter (PM) reductions and be produced from renewable sources could represent a key advance for the transportation sector in terms of sustainability, diversification for the marketplace for the alternative fuels, emissions reductions, and reductions in greenhouse gases. Dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is a potentially new fuel that could represent an important advance in the diesel fuel area. DMC can be produced from renewable sources such as grass, manure, or trees. Preliminary tests at the University of California at Riverside have also indicated PM reductions of about 76% at only a 20% blend with diesel fuel, which is about double or triple the reductions typically found for biodiesel at a comparable blend level, and comparable to the reductions found for diesel particulate filters (DPFs). Although these preliminary results indicate the promise of DMC as a PM mass reduction strategy, it is important to more completely characterize the emissions and viability of DMC before it can be more widely used in the fuel market or for in-field demonstrations. The objective of this study was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the viability of DMC as a transportation fuel for fleet and wider applications. This included a literature review to address questions related to air emissions, impact on vehicle system durability and parts, and any potential storage issues. This study also included some additional emissions testing to evaluate any emissions of toxic species, and to look at some optimization of blend level in terms of a full range of emissions components. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2017–06–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt9rm104c0&r=all |
| By: | Karner, Alex; Rowangould, Dana; Wu, Yizheng; Igbinedion, Ofurhe; London, Jonathan |
| Abstract: | Plans crafted by metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) lay out how billions of dollars in transportation investments will be made over a 20 to 30-year time horizon. Federal transportation authorizations require MPOs to identify and track key indicators of system performance (e.g. collision rates, emissions, congestion) to ensure that they are stewarding public funds wisely to meet specific goals related to safety, environmental performance, and congestion mitigation, among other areas. Concerns related to preventing discriminatory impacts of planning activities, motivated by Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, also compel agencies to assess the impacts of plans on different demographic groups. At the same time, there is a growing desire among transportation planning agencies to develop transportation and land use plans that shift travel behavior away from driving and towards more active travel modes. Research has shown that living in areas where walking and bicycling are convenient leads to greater use of those modes, which can lead to improved health outcomes due to increases in physical activity. But increasing non-motorized travel can also increase active travelers’ risk of traffic injury and exposure to air pollution. Analytical tools that assess the tradeoffs between transportation plan alternatives are needed to inform public debate and ensure that gains in some health outcomes are not being undermined by losses elsewhere. Additionally, questions remain about who will benefit from plans that promote increases in active travel. The aim of this project is to investigate the distribution of public health impacts resulting from a regional transportation plan in the six-county Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) region. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2017–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt58q1w9k8&r=all |
| By: | Sanguinetti, Angela |
| Abstract: | Driver behavior has an immense impact on vehicle fuel economy and emissions, yet it has historically been treated as random error in models of fuel economy and neglected in energy and environmental policy-making regarding fuel efficiency. Recently, concern about fossil fuel depletion and climate change, as well as the critical role of driver behavior in achieving the fuel economy benefits of new hybrid and electric vehicles, has created interest in eco-driving. Eco-driving refers to suites of behavior a driver can engage in to improve fuel economy. The most common strategy used to promote eco-driving is feedback that conveys information about fuel efficiency to the driver. Feedback is typically visual and provided on-board the vehicle via digital screens (dash or instrument cluster displays, after-market devices, or web apps on personal smartphones or tablets). No policies exist requiring manufacturers to provide eco-driving feedback, yet feedback systems of increasing variety are appearing in vehicles, likely due to advances in telematics and decreasing costs of new technologies. The rapidly increasing prevalence and complexity of in-vehicle information systems, along with concern for driver distraction, suggest standardization of eco-driving feedback may be warranted in the near future. Thus, there is a need to understand what types of eco-driving feedback are effective. This white paper presents a statistical meta-analysis of eco-driving feedback studies in order to determine a pooled estimate of the impact on fuel economy and explore how characteristics of feedback interventions influence their impact. It provides the most accurate estimate to-date of the average impact of in-vehicle feedback on fuel economy and summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding characteristics of eco-driving feedback interventions that determine effectiveness. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, eco-driving, eco-feedback, in-vehicle display, onboard feedback, meta-analysis, review |
| Date: | 2018–09–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt99m5j3q7&r=all |
| By: | Witcover, Julie |
| Abstract: | From 2011–2017, the share of alternative fuels in California’s transportation energy grew from 6.1 percent to 8.5 percent. Of alternative fuel energy, the portion coming from non-liquid fuels increased from 7.6 percent to 13.5 percent over the period. Through 2018 Q1, total emissions reduction requirements under the regulation were 28.9 million tons (MMT) CO2e. Actual reported emissions reductions were 38.3 MMT CO2e, representing overcompliance of 9.3 MMT CO2e, creating a system-wide credit “bank†that can be used to meet future targets. In 2017 and 2018 Q1, program deficits exceeded credits for the first time, by 0.1 MMT CO2e and 0.4 MMT CO2e, respectively, drawing down the credit “bank.†Increases in alternative fuel use and declines in carbon intensity (CI) rating came primarily from the diesel pool. Biomass-based diesel—biodiesel and renewable diesel—accounted for 0.4 percent of liquid diesel fuel by volume in 2011 and 15.6 percent in 2018 Q1. Natural gas in transportation grew 111 percent from 2011–2017 to 178.1 gasoline gallon equivalent (gge). Of this natural gas, biogas use was close to nil in 2011 but approximately two-thirds in 2017. Among gasoline substitutes, electricity use grew from less than 0.5 percent of alternative energy in 2011 to 4.5 percent in 2018 Q1. Use of ethanol, the largest renewable fuel by volume, remained close to a “blendwall†of 10 percent blended with gasoline. Prices of LCFS compliance credits (each representing 1 MMT CO2e) fluctuated. Average per- credit price increased from $20 to $80 in 2013, ranged between $20 and $30 in 2014 and 2015 under a frozen standard of 1%, rose above $100 in 2016 when the freeze was lifted, and exceeded $160 in summer 2018 as the California Air Resources Board (CARB) was in the process of adopting more stringent targets for 2030. LCFS amendments to be voted on at the September 26-27, 2018, CARB board meeting to take effect in 2019, include: a 2030 target of 20 percent CI reduction below 2010 levels; independent verification and monitoring of fuel pathway CI rating inputs; allowing alternative aviation fuel to generate program credits; a protocol for carbon capture and sequestration credits; credits for low- or zero-carbon intensity electricity use; requiring use of a portion of residential electricity credits to fund a statewide point-of-sale incentive program to electric vehicle (EV) buyers if such a program is approved by the California Public Utilities Commission; and introducing capacity credits for EV fast chargers and hydrogen fuel stations. The “capacity credit†provision would permit credit generation untied to current emissions reductions and favor particular fuels (those used in zero emission vehicles, which have no tailpipe emissions) for the first time. LCFS-like programs are in development in Canada (a Clean Fuel Standard to cover transportation, industry, and building sectors) and Brazil (the RenovaBio program focused on renewable liquid fuels and biogas). Neither plans to account for indirect land use change emissions in carbon intensity lifecycle analysis at program outset. Implementation of the Oregon and British Columbia LCFS programs is proceeding. Click here to see all the California LCFS status reviews |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–09–24 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt445815cd&r=all |
| By: | Suzi Kerr (Motu Economic and Public Policy Research); Steffen Lippert (University of Auckland); Edmund Lou (Motu Economic and Public Policy Research) |
| Abstract: | We investigate the impact of side-payments to countries that have a low net benefit from participating in efficient climate cooperation in a repeated games framework with investment in different technologies. We consider different timings of these payments and different degrees of commitment. If countries cannot commit ex ante to transfer funds to low-benefit participants to an agreement, then there is a trade-off. Investment based agreements, where transfers occur before emissions are realized, but after investments have been committed, maximize the scope of cooperation. Results-based agreements minimize transfers whenever these agreements implement cooperation. If countries can commit to transfer funds, then agreements in which countries with high benefits of climate cooperation pre-commit to results-based payments to countries with low benefits both maximize the scope of cooperation and minimize transfers. |
| Keywords: | Game theory, cooperation, repeated games, climate change, international agreement |
| JEL: | Q54 Q56 Q58 F55 F53 |
| Date: | 2019–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mtu:wpaper:19_04&r=all |
| By: | Davis, Steven J; Lewis, Nathan S.; Shaner, Matthew; Aggarwal, Sonia; Arent, Doug; Azevedo, Inês; Benson, Sally; Bradley, Thomas; Brouwer, Jack; Chiang, Yet-Ming; Clack, Christopher T.M.; Cohen, Armond; Doig, Stephen; Edmonds, Jae; Fennell, Paul; Field, Christopher B.; Hannegan, Bryan; Hodge, Bri-Mathias; Hoffert, Martin I.; Ingersoll, Eric; Jaramillo, Paulina; Lackner, Klaus S.; Mach, Katharine J.; Mastrandrea, Michael; Ogden, Joan M.; Peterson, Per F.; Sanchez, Daniel L.; Sperling, Daniel; Stagner, Joseph; Trancik, Jessika E.; Yang, Chi-Jen; Caldeira, Ken |
| Abstract: | Models show that to avert dangerous levels of climate change, global carbon dioxide emissions must fall to zero later this century. Most of these emissions arise from energy use. Davis et al. review what it would take to achieve decarbonization of the energy system. Some parts of the energy system are particularly difficult to decarbonize, including aviation, long-distance transport, steel and cement production, and provision of a reliable electricity supply. Current technologies and pathways show promise, but integration of now-discrete energy sectors and industrial processes is vital to achieve minimal emissions. Net emissions of CO2 by human activities - including not only energy services and industrial production but also land use and agriculture - must approach zero in order to stabilize global mean temperature. Energy services such as light-duty transportation, heating, cooling, and lighting may be relatively straightforward to decarbonize by electrifying and generating electricity from variable renewable energy sources (such as wind and solar) and dispatchable ("on-demand") nonrenewable sources (including nuclear energy and fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage). However, other energy services essential to modern civilization entail emissions that are likely to be more difficult to fully eliminate. These difficult-to-decarbonize energy services include aviation, long-distance transport, and shipping; production of carbon-intensive structural materials such as steel and cement; and provision of a reliable electricity supply that meets varying demand. Moreover, demand for such services and products is projected to increase substantially over this century. The long-lived infrastructure built today, for better or worse, will shape the future. Here, we review the special challenges associated with an energy system that does not add any CO2 to the atmosphere (a net-zero emissions energy system). We discuss prominent technological opportunities and barriers for eliminating and/or managing emissions related to the difficult-to-decarbonize services; pitfalls in which near-term actions may make it more difficult or costly to achieve the net-zero emissions goal; and critical areas for research, development, demonstration, and deployment. It may take decades to research, develop, and deploy these new technologies. DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aas9793 |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–06–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt7qv6q35r&r=all |
| By: | Fofie, Emmanuel A; Karavalakis, Georgios; Asa-Awuku, Akua |
| Abstract: | In this study, the authors evaluate the hygroscopicity and droplet kinetics of fresh and aged emissions from new generation gasoline direct injector engines retrofitted with a gasoline particulate filter (GPF). Furthermore, ageing and subsequent secondary aerosol formation is explored in (NH4)2SO4-seeded and non-seeded experiments. The authors explore the impacts on measured and predicted hygroscopicity, CCN-activity, and droplet kinetics of secondary aerosol mixed with initially insoluble carbonaceous materials versus very soluble (NH4)2SO4 seed. The chemical composition and density of the secondary aerosol (SA) formed from aging is measured with an HR-TOF-AMS and a custom-built APM-SMPS system. The supersaturated and subsaturated hygroscopicity of the fresh and aged emission is measured with a DMT Streamwise Thermal Gradient CCN counter and a hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA), respectively. The measurements show that the fresh gasoline emissions are only slightly hygroscopic in both supersaturated and subsaturated environments. Photochemical aging and subsequent condensation of the secondary aerosol formed from the co-emitted gas phase precursors increases the hygroscopicity of gasoline emissions. Without the GPF, both subsaturated and supersaturated hygroscopicity. When the engine was retrofitted with the GPF, the secondary aerosol (SA) experiments were seeded with (NH4)2SO4. In these experiments the presence of the condensing SA depresses the hygroscopicity of the salt-secondary aerosol mixture. The hygroscopicity was also depressed in the subsaturated regime with time. These changes in the hygroscopicity with aging were additionally sensitive to aerosol dry size distribution. The authors also used threshold droplet growth analysis (TDGA) to evaluate the effects of the condensing SA on droplet kinetics. These results have important implications for the assessment of cloud-aerosol indirect effects of salt-seeded and black carbonaceous aerosol cores. The authors concluded that in the new generation GDI vehicles the point of aerosol emissions will have significant influence on the impacts of the secondary and primary aerosols on climate. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2017–12–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt1g123779&r=all |
| By: | David Boto-Garcìa (University of Oviedo); Alessandro Bucciol (Department of Economics (University of Verona)) |
| Abstract: | We study at the individual level the connection between actions meant to reduce energy use and beliefs about personal responsibility on climate change mitigation. In addition, we also examine the role of human values and cross-country differences in shaping beliefs and behaviours. Using data from 23 (mostly) European countries, we find large heterogeneity in both beliefs and values, with richer countries being more likely to exhibit more concern about the environment. Personal responsibility and actual energy saving are positively correlated, but the correlation is not high. As regards human values, self-transcendence and openness are positively correlated with responsibility, while self-enhancement and conservation are negatively correlated. Values are instead not as correlated with energy saving, since we find only a positive correlation with conservation and a negative correlation with self-enhancement. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, Energy saving, Personal responsibility, Human values |
| JEL: | Q54 D91 |
| Date: | 2019–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ver:wpaper:02/2019&r=all |
| By: | Rodier, Caroline; Michaels, Julia |
| Abstract: | Automated vehicles (AVs) may significantly disrupt our transportation system, with potentially profound environmental effects. This policy brief outlines the mechanisms by which AVs may affect the environment through influencing travel demand, as well as the magnitude of these effects on vehicle miles travelled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Personal AVs and AV taxis (or ride-hailing services) are likely to increase VMT and GHG, exacerbate traffic congestion in city centers, and potentially lead to suburban sprawl. Electrification and vehicle sharing may reduce some of these environmental effects, but targeted policies must be put in place to ensure that these solutions are effective. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Greenhouse gases, Highway capacity, Intelligent vehicles, Travel behavior, Travel costs, Travel demand, Vehicle miles of travel |
| Date: | 2018–09–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt27p0k44g&r=all |
| By: | Sciara, Gian-Claudia; Strand, Sarah |
| Abstract: | An unprecedented effort to improve regional coordination and land use governance has been underway in California since 2008, when the state passed the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (Senate Bill 375). The law complements earlier state policy (Assembly Bill 32) to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions across an array of sectors. SB 375 specifically encourages regional land use planning that, when coupled with supportive transportation investments, would help to reduce automobile dependent patterns of land use and sprawl. Implementation of these new regional land use visions and the GHG reductions they promise depend largely on local government land use and development actions. This report explores the responses of California cities and counties to this experiment in order to understand what may make local governments more or less likely to collaborate with regionally oriented policies. It reports on a survey of California local governments administered in early 2017 and explores two main questions: (1) to what extent are California local governments adopting local land use policy and development decisions that reflect the MPO’s regional land use vision, and (2) what factors make some local governments more likely to cooperate with regional land use visions, and what factors make others less likely to do so? |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2017–08–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt0qr4350c&r=all |
| By: | Dowds, Jonathan; Aultman-Hall, Lisa; Vallett, Carol; McRae, Glenn |
| Abstract: | This report is one of two NCST Research Reports produced as part of a project to evaluate the state of practice and adequacy of technical tools for resiliency and adaptation planning. A companion report, Network Requirements for Assessing Criticality for Climate Adaptation Planning, focuses specifically on the technical challenges of conducting criticality assessment for climate adaptation and resiliency planning. Because climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of many extreme weather events, climate adaptation and resiliency planning are increasingly important tasks for transportation agencies at all levels of government. While specific climate threats and adaptation needs varies by location throughout the United States, all agencies face challenges in terms of resource availability (including staffing levels and staffing expertise) and the quality of the technical tools for adaptation planning. In 2015, the University of Vermont Transportation Research Center conducted a survey of planning organizations in the U.S. concerning climate adaptation planning intended to assess the adaptation planning capacity, workforce development needs, and current preparation levels of local and state agencies as well as the adequacy of currently available technical tools. The survey consisted of 14 multiple choice or open-ended questions and garnered 154 respondents, including representatives from planning organizations, state transportation agencies and others involved in transportation planning. Respondents in this study affirmed that workforce development is an important part of advancing climate adaptation and resiliency planning. More work is needed in examining the workforce development needs of transportation agencies by factors such as region and type of organization. In addition, a higher level of specificity of the skills and qualifications is needed to inform development of new training, new hires, and educational curriculum that prepares the future workforce. The authors' recommendations include additional targeted funding, developing a continuum of workforce development offerings, developing professional communities of practice and using online technology as a platform for climate adaptation planning workforce development. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2017–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt8x18014k&r=all |
| By: | Circella, Giovanni; Lee, Yongsung; Alemi, Farzad |
| Abstract: | In the last decade, advances in information and communication technologies and the introduction of the shared economy engendered new forms of transportation options and, in particular, shared mobility. Shared mobility services such as carsharing (e.g., Zipcar and Car2go), dynamic ridesharing (e.g., Carma), ridehailing (e.g., Uber and Lyft), and bike/scooter sharing (e.g., CitiBike, Jump Bike, Bird, and Lime) have gained growing popularity especially among subgroups in the population including college-educated or urban-oriented young adults (e.g., millennials). These emerging transportation services have evolved at an unprecedented pace, and new business models and smartphone applications are frequently introduced to the market. However, their fast-changing nature and lack of relevant data have placed difficulties on research projects that aim to gain a better understanding of the adoption/use patterns of such emerging services, not to mention their impacts on various components of travel behavior and transportation policy and planning, and their related environmental impacts. This report builds on an on-going research effort that investigates emerging mobility patterns and the adoption of new mobility services. In this report, the authors focus on the environmental impacts of various modality styles and the frequency of ridehailing use among a sample of millennials (i.e., born from 1981 to 1997) and members of the preceding Generation X (i.e., born from 1965 to 1980). The total sample for the analysis included in this report includes 1,785 individuals who participated in a survey administered in Fall 2015 in California. In this study, the researchers focus on the vehicle miles traveled, the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for transportation purposes of various groups of travelers. They identify four latent classes in the sample based on the respondents’ reported use of various travel modes: drivers, active travelers, transit riders, and car passengers. They further divide each latent class into three groups based on their reported frequency of ridehailing use: non-users, occasional users (who use ridehailing less than once a month), and regular users (who use it at least once a month). The energy consumption and GHG emissions associated with driving a personal vehicle and using ridehailing services are computed for the individuals in each of these groups (12 subgroups), and the authors discuss sociodemographics and economic characteristics, and travel-related and residential choices, of the individuals in each subgroup. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Demographics, Energy consumption, Greenhouse gases, Mobility, Mode choice, Travel behavior, Travel surveys, Vehicle sharing |
| Date: | 2019–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt31v7z2vf&r=all |
| By: | Raju, Arun; Roy, Partho S |
| Abstract: | Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is an important alternative fuel that can help the State of California meet several GHG and renewable energy targets. Despite considerable potential, current RNG use on national and state levels are not significant. As part of this grant, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) has established a research center dedicated to the development of technologies that will enable RNG production and use in substantial quantities in California and elsewhere. The new center, referred to as the Center for Renewable Natural Gas (CRNG), leverages on-going research and collaborations at the Bourns College of Engineering – Center for Environmental Research & Technology (CE-CERT) at UCR to maximize the impact. RNG production potential in California through thermochemical conversion was evaluated as part of this project by assessing technical biomass availability in the state. Biomass feedstocks are defined broadly and include most carbonaceous matter including waste. The types of waste biomass available in the state are classified into three categories: municipal solid waste (MSW), agricultural residue and forest residue. A total of 32.1 million metric tonnes per year (MMT/year) of biomass is estimated to be technically available in the state. The energy content of this biomass is equivalent to approximately 602.4 million mmbtu/year. A survey of current renewable electricity generation and curtailment trends in California was conducted. Real-time data show significant curtailment throughout the year totaling approximately 440 GWh over a twelve month period from November 2016 to October 2017. Power to gas and other forms of long term storage integrated into the electric grid can mitigate these losses and enable smooth integration of additional renewables into the grid. Oxygen/air blown gasification, hydrogasification and pyrolysis are the three major technology options available for thermochemical biomass conversion to a gaseous fuel, including RNG. A literature survey of available thermochemical conversion technologies was conducted. Although there are no commercial thermochemical biomass to RNG conversion facilities in operation, a number of gasification and pyrolysis technologies are undergoing pilot scale demonstration and development. Design basis for two thermochemical and power to gas conversion projects were developed as part of this project. Significant research, development, and deployment efforts are necessary to achieve successful commercialization of thermochemical RNG production. Outreach and education activities including a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Center for Renewable Natural Gas and an RNG themed symposium were also conducted as part of the project. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Biomass fuels, Electric power transmission, Energy storage systems, Natural gas, Natural gas distribution systems, Renewable energy sources, Thermal power generation |
| Date: | 2018–09–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt0055g3kb&r=all |
| By: | Sun, Yongling; Delucchi, Mark A.; Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia L.; Ogden, Joan M. |
| Abstract: | Estimating the producer surplus – the revenue above the average long-run cost – is an important part of social cost-benefit analyses of changes in petroleum use. This paper estimates the producer surplus associated with changes in gasoline fuel use in the United States, and then applies the estimates of producer surplus to two kinds of social cost-benefit analyses related to petroleum use: (1) estimating the wealth transfer from consumers to producers as a result of policies that affect oil use and oil imports to the US, and (2) comparing the actual average cost of gasoline with the average cost of environmentally superior alternatives to gasoline, such as hydrogen. Our results show that a 50% reduction in gasoline use in the US in 2004 would have saved the US $72 billion in producer surplus payments to foreign oil producers. Applying our estimates to the comparison of the social lifetime cost of hydrogen vehicles versus gasoline vehicles, we find that inconsistently counting producer surplus from a US national perspective while counting climate change damages from a global perspective can overstate the present value lifetime costs of gasoline vehicles by $2,200 to $9,800 per vehicle. |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, oil, marginal costs, producer surplus, gasoline, wealth transfer, drilling costs, exploratory wells, development wells |
| Date: | 2019–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt0591r5x3&r=all |
| By: | Martin Roffeis |
| Abstract: | Résumé Une demande croissante sans cesse de produits alimentaires à base d’animaux influence la productivité des systèmes mondiaux de production alimentaire, et des mesures indispensables pour freiner la dégradation de l’environnement promettent des effets similaires. Si les scénarios de demande future peuvent être satisfaits de manière durable, cela dépend notamment de la possibilité de réduire de manière significative l'impact de l'aquaculture et de l'élevage sur l'environnement. Des recherches récentes suggèrent que l'utilisation d'aliments à base d'insectes (IBF) pourrait apporter une contribution significative à cet égard, et des arguments valables sont avancés pour soutenir cette hypothèse. Les larves de mouches, comme celles des mouches domestiques (Musca domestica) ou des mouches soldat noir (Hermetia illucens), sont en mesure de puiser des nutriments dans un large éventail de ressources organiques, y compris celles impropres à la consommation humaine. Cela crée la possibilité de convertir (et de réduire considérablement) les déchets organiques de faible valeur, tels que le fumier ou le sang animal, en protéines de haute qualité et en énergie alimentaire, qui se sont avérés appropriés pour nourrir différents poissons d'aquaculture et du bétail monogastrique.Bien que le concept IBF promet d’importants avantages et ait démontré sa faisabilité technique, il n’existe encore aucun système établi permettant de tester les avantages supposés en termes de durabilité. Dans cette thèse, nous avons essayé de surmonter cette lacune par la modélisation de tels systèmes. Notre objectif central était d'identifier les aspects influençant le potentiel d'application des IBF dans différents contextes géographiques et de définir des voies d'optimisation pour une mise en œuvre durable. En nous basant sur des données expérimentales recueillies lors d'essais d'élevage menés en Europe (Espagne et Slovaquie) et en Afrique de l'Ouest (Ghana et Mali), nous avons formulé la conception d'un ensemble de versions de systèmes améliorés élevant M. domestica et H. illucens sur différents substrats organiques de faible valeur. Les modèles de production génériques ont servi comme base d’une analyse du cycle de vie ex ante, dans laquelle nous avons exploré les performances des systèmes à l’aide d’analyse du cycle de vie environnementale (ACV) et de l’analyse des coûts du cycle de vie (ACCV).Les ACVs et ACCVs ont montré que les performances environnementales et économiques des IBF sont largement fonction de l’efficacité de conversion des systèmes, de l’organisation du processus de production (c’est-à-dire de l’apport de main-d’œuvre et d’équipements technologiques) et du contexte géographique. La combinaison de ces facteurs a fourni des avantages pour les configurations simplistes utilisées dans la production de M. domestica en Afrique occidentale tropicale dans des conditions de ponte naturelle (c'est-à-dire d'inoculation de substrat par le biais de mouches présentes à l'état naturel). L'inoculation artificielle (c'est-à-dire l'inoculation du substrat par le biais de larves nourries provenant d'une colonie d'adultes en captivité), utilisée dans la production de H. illucens en Afrique de l'Ouest et de M. domestica dans le sud de l'Espagne, a favorisé une efficacité de conversion élevée, mais a augmenté les impacts environnementaux et les coûts, parce que le système complexe et l'organisation de processus à forte intensité de main-d'œuvre ont considérablement accru les intrants de main-d'œuvre et d'infrastructures de production.Une comparaison avec des aliments conventionnels riches en protéines a mis en évidence des inconvénients environnementaux et économiques pour les modèles de production actuels des IBF, notamment en ce qui concerne les aliments végétaux (par exemple, le tourteau de soja). Les disparités entre les alimentations IBF et conventionnelles reflètent l’utilisation des capacités sub-optimaux des systèmes (effet d’économie d’échelle insuffisant), ainsi que la perte d’énergie et de biomasse le long de la chaîne trophique (producteurs autotrophes vs consommateurs hétérotrophes). Les résultats soulèvent des doutes légitimes sur les avantages en termes de durabilité d’une mise en œuvre d'insectes dans les chaînes de valeur agricoles actuelles. Le succès commercial dépend en grande partie du niveau de salaire spécifique au contexte, des prix des substrats d'élevage et de la manière dont les marchés évaluent les multiples fonctions que les insectes sont capables de fournir. S'agissant de la performance environnementale, nos résultats nous amènent à conclure que la production d'IBF ne présente aucun avantage par rapport aux aliments conventionnels.L’évaluation de systèmes de production encore hypothétiques impliquait une bonne quantité d’hypothèses et d’approximations. Étant donné ces multiples sources d'incertitude et compte tenu du fait que seul un nombre limité de conceptions de systèmes possibles sont prises en compte, les déclarations sur le potentiel d'application d'IBF n'ont aucune validité universelle et doivent être interprétées avec prudence. Cependant, nos résultats contribuent à une meilleure compréhension des facteurs influant sur le potentiel d’application des systèmes de production d’insectes et constituent un point de référence précieux pour les discussions scientifiques et les activités de recherche et développement futures visant à mettre en place des modes de production alimentaire durables.Bien que nos recherches n’apportent aucun soutien aux avantages environnementaux ou économiques supposés de l’utilisation d’insectes dans l’alimentation animale, il est possible que leur utilisation comme aliment destiné à la consommation humaine directe (c’est-à-dire comme substitut possible aux produits à base de poisson et de viande) constitue une solution durable aux problèmes actuels et futurs. Nous recommandons donc aux recherches futures de se concentrer sur les techniques permettant d'exploiter les insectes comme nourriture. |
| Keywords: | sustainable product development, eco-design, ex-ante assessment, life cycle costing, life cycle assessment, life cycle management, insect based feed, fishmeal |
| Date: | 2019–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulb:ulbeco:2013/285521&r=all |
| By: | Sanguinetti, Angela |
| Abstract: | Driver behavior has a significant impact on vehicle fuel economy and emissions. Eco-driving refers to anything a driver can do to improve on-road fuel economy. The most common strategy used to promote eco-driving is an in-vehicle display that provides the driver with feedback about their fuel efficiency, typically in real-time. This policy brief summarizes findings from an extensive review and analysis of many studies of eco-driving feedback conducted to determine the average impact of feedback on fuel economy and improve understanding of what types of feedback are most effective. The study provides the most accurate estimate to-date of the average impact of in-vehicle feedback on fuel economy and summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding characteristics of eco-driving feedback interventions that determine effectiveness. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Behavior, Ecodriving, Exhaust gases, Feedback control, Fuel consumption, Graphical user interfaces, Instrument panels, Vehicle design |
| Date: | 2019–02–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt8f881319&r=all |
| By: | Giuliano, Genevieve |
| Abstract: | The METRANS Transportation Center has been providing technical assistance to the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in support of implementing the California Sustainable Freight Action Plan (CSFAP). The work is focused on Action 6 of the CSFAP: Convene industry stakeholder working groups to identify a target or targets and deploy strategies that consider commercial viability and promote the competitiveness of California’s statewide and local freight transport system. Develop economic growth and competitiveness metrics, models, and other tools and data to analyze benefits and impacts of actions, including costs, and develop and implement a suite of quantitative metrics to track progress in order to ensure that the impacts of actions on economic growth and competitiveness are considered throughout the development and implementation process. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2017–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt94k244cp&r=all |
| By: | Hao, Peng; Wang, Chao |
| Abstract: | Traffic congestion at arterial intersections and freeway bottlenecks degrades the air quality and threatens the public health. Conventionally, air pollutants are monitored by sparsely distributed Quality Assurance Air Monitoring Sites. Sparse mobile crowd-sourced data, such as cellular network and Global Positioning System (GPS) data, contain large amount of traffic information, but have low sampling rate and penetration rate due to the cost limit on data transmission and archiving. The sparse mobile data provide a supplement or alternative approach to evaluate the environmental impact of traffic congestion. This research establishes a framework for traffic-related air pollution evaluation using sparse mobile data and traffic volume data from California Performance Measurement System (PeMS) and Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT). The proposed framework integrates traffic state model, emission model and dispersion model. An effective tool is developed to evaluate the environmental impact of traffic congestion for both arterials and freeways in an accurate, timely and economic way. The proposed methods have good performance in estimating monthly peak hour fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) concentration, with error of 2 ug/m3 from the measurement from monitor sites. The estimated spatial distribution of annual PM 2.5 concentration also matches well with the concentration map from California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen), but with higher resolution. The proposed system will help transportation operators and public health officials alleviate the risk of air pollution, and can serve as a platform for the development of other potential applications. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–02–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt7q6760rz&r=all |
| By: | Sciara, Gian-Claudia; Lee, Amy |
| Abstract: | California has established itself as a leader in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation. At the same time, the state has not reflected its ambitious policies for GHG reduction and climate action in its practices for allocating state transportation funding. This white paper reviews the complex systems through which California generates and allocates state revenue for transportation investment. It finds that the state’s framework for funding transportation is disconnected from its climate goals. The paper also suggests preliminary steps for revising this framework to reinforce GHG reduction goals. Such recommendations are particularly salient given the state’s recently completed study of road user charges as an alternative transportation revenue source. Implementation of road charges – or any other new or revised transportation revenue source – would need to address the disposition of revenues generated. The paper argues that California should use any such opportunity to align the distribution of state transportation dollars with its climate objectives, not fall back on status quo allocation practices. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt9jp6d597&r=all |
| By: | Rodier, Caroline; Michaels, Julia |
| Abstract: | Ride-hailing services, which allow consumers to order and pay for rides through smart phone applications, have grown to a substantial proportion of the transportation market. Today, an estimated 15% of adults across the U.S. and 21% living in major U.S. cities have used ride-hailing services. The growth of ride-hailing services has raised questions about their overall effects on the transportation system. While they clearly offer a new form of mobility, there is concern they may increase congestion and air pollutant emissions. A limited number of studies have attempted to quanitfy changes associated with the increased use of ride hailing services. UC Davis researchers examined how ride-hailing affects the total amount of driving (measured in vehicle miles traveled, VMT) as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The researchers developed a framework of categories for analyzing the multiple aspects of transportation that may be affected by ride-hailing. These categories are: automobile ownership; number of vehicle trips generated; choice of mode of travel; empty (passenger-less) travel between drop-off and pick-up points, known as “network travel†; and destination choice and land use. Thirteen (13) studies were analyzed using this new framework: 8 used surveys of riders or recorded data on rider and driver activity; and 5 used simulated (“modeled†) travel in and around cities by automated taxis. By compiling multiple studies in the framework, stronger and more certain conclusions could be reached. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Automobile ownership, Greenhouse gases, Mode choice, Travel behavior, Trip generation, Vehicle miles of travel |
| Date: | 2019–02–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt4vz52416&r=all |
| By: | Rodier, Caroline J |
| Abstract: | In much the same way that the automobile disrupted horse and cart transportation in the 20th century, automated vehicles (AVs) hold the potential to disrupt our current system of transportation and the fabric of our built environment in the 21st century. Experts predict that vehicles could be fully automated by as early as 2025 or as late as 2035. The public sector is just beginning to understand AV technology and to grapple with how to accommodate it in our current transportation system. Research on AVs is extremely important because AVs may significantly disrupt our transportation system with potentially profound effects, both positive and negative, on our society and our environment. However, this research is very hard to do because fully AVs have yet to travel on our roads. As a result, AV research is largely conducted by extrapolating effects from current observed behavior and drawing on theory and models. Both the magnitude of the mechanism of change and secondary effects are often uncertain. Moreover, the potential for improved safety in AVs drive the mechanisms by which vehicle miles traveled (VMT), energy, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions may change. We really don’t know whether AVs will achieve the level of safety that will allow for completely driverless cars, very short headways, smaller vehicles, lower fuel use, and/or reduce insurance cost. We don’t know whether AV fleets will be harmonized to reduce energy and GHG emissions. In this white paper, the available evidence on the travel and environmental effects of AVs is critically reviewed to understand the potential magnitude and likelihood of estimated effects. The author outlines the mechanisms by which AVs may change travel demand and review the available evidence on their significance and size. These mechanisms include increased roadway capacity, reduced travel time burden, change in monetary costs, parking and relocation travel, induced travel demand, new traveler groups, and energy effects. They then describe the results of scenario modeling studies. Scenarios commonly include fleets of personal AVs and automated taxis with and without sharing. Travel and/or land use models are used to simulate the cumulative effects of scenarios. These models typically use travel activity data and detailed transportation networks to replicate current and predict future land use, traffic behavior, and/or vehicle activity in a real or hypothetical city or region. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Greenhouse gases, Highway capacity, Intelligent vehicles, Travel behavior, Travel costs, Travel demand, Vehicle miles of travel |
| Date: | 2018–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt9g12v6r0&r=all |
| By: | Kendall, Alissa; Ambrose, Hanjiro; Maroney, Erik; Deng, Huijing |
| Abstract: | In the United States, the transportation sector is responsible for 36% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with light-duty vehicles (LDVs) comprising the largest contribution. Globally, transportation is responsible for approximately 24% of energy-related GHG emissions, of which road transport constitutes over 70%. In addition to other measures, rapid and extensive deployment of renewable and energy-efficient technologies is seen as a crucial intervention necessary to reduce transportation sector emissions in coming decades. This report documents the cumulative results of the project and presents both published findings and ongoing research. To understand the potential for developing and implementing life cycle-based policies for LDVs we must first develop the appropriate modeling tools, and we must understand how LCA or life cycle thinking has been implemented in policy contexts in the past. Thus, the rest of this report is divided into sections that summarize the work conducted on (i) developing LCA sub-models that will be integrated in the coupled system dynamics and LCA model, (ii) a review of the global market for PEVs with a focus on U.S. and China and implications for materials and manufacturing, (iii) a review of LCA and life cycle thinking in policy in the United States and around the world, and implications for life cycle-based vehicle policy, and (iv) the development of a new life cycle inventory to demonstrate the feasibility of a summary of findings from a Transportation Research Board (TRB) workshop on this topic conducted in January 2017. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Electric batteries, Electric power plants, Electric vehicles, Exhaust gases, Greenhouse gases, Life cycle analysis, Manufacturing, Plug-in hybrid vehicles, Regulations, Sales, Standards |
| Date: | 2018–08–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt49g4h212&r=all |
| By: | Salvador Pueyo |
| Abstract: | Central to the official "green growth" discourse is the conjecture that absolute decoupling can be achieved with certain market instruments. This paper evaluates this claim focusing on the role of technology, while changes in GDP composition are treated elsewhere. Some fundamental difficulties for absolute decoupling, referring specifically to thermodynamic costs, are identified through a stylized model based on empirical knowledge on innovation and learning. Normally, monetary costs decrease more slowly than production grows, and this is unlikely to change should monetary costs align with thermodynamic costs, except, potentially, in the transition after the price reform. Furthermore, thermodynamic efficiency must eventually saturate for physical reasons. While this model, as usual, introduces technological innovation just as a source of efficiency, innovation also creates challenges: therefore, attempts to sustain growth by ever-accelerating innovation collide also with the limited reaction capacity of people and institutions. Information technology could disrupt innovation dynamics in the future, permitting quicker gains in eco-efficiency, but only up to saturation and exacerbating the downsides of innovation. These observations suggest that long-term sustainability requires much deeper transformations than the green growth discourse presumes, exposing the need to rethink scales, tempos and institutions, in line with ecological economics and the degrowth literature. |
| Date: | 2019–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1904.09586&r=all |
| By: | Guillaume Allegre |
| Abstract: | On 25 September 2015, 193 UN Member States adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. The SDGs define multiple aims: well-being, poverty, health, education, gender equality, decent work, economic growth, reduction of inequalities, innovation, infrastructure investment, inclusive cities, clean water, clean energy, preserving biodiversity, climate change, peace, justice and strong institutions. For their advocates, the SDGs represent a major shift from the Millennium Development Goals adopted in 2000, in terms of ambition, elaboration and policy making. However, with such a long list of objectives it's hard to identify priorities, trade-offs and synergies among different goals. Well-designed policies can build synergies to simultaneously achieve better social protection, lower unemployment and better working conditions. The Nordic model is an example of success in this regard. The unemployment rate has returned to its pre-crisis level in the EU but significant differences persist between countries. In particular, the unemployment rate remains well above its pre-crisis level in Greece, Spain and Italy. Moreover, the material well-being of the poorest 10 percent did not improve between 2008 and 2018, even in countries where unemployment has not increased. Beyond the recovery of employment, there is a need for justice and social sustainability. Inequalities can be reduced through social transfers. Social transfers are not necessarily bad for growth and jobs. In addition, equal access to high-quality public goods at low cost is an important way of promoting social cohesion and reducing inequalities. In particular, spending on social investment (education, health, housing) is linked to lower unemployment rates. Social investment reduces income inequality without damaging employment. It is also necessary to mitigate primary inequalities. Higher wages and a lower dispersion of primary income are also elements for reducing poverty and income inequality. Governments and the EU should promote stronger forms of coordinated wage-setting rather than implementing policies that limit the coverage of collective bargaining. In the end, the SDGs have too many goals to be able to be efficiently tracked. It is important to highlight the trade-offs between the different goals and their interrelationship. Policy makers should implement policies that reduce poverty, inequality and unemployment simultaneously. In the short run, social transfers may play that role while social investments would reduce inequalities without adverse effects on employment in the long run. |
| Keywords: | Social investment; Income equality; Unemployment rate; Collective bargaining |
| Date: | 2019–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/75ruokehhl8d7rsg8indff2vnq&r=all |
| By: | Michel Pech; Kristell Jegou |
| Abstract: | [paper in French]. Facing budgetary restrictions, public environmental policies are turning to innovative schemes that meet objectives of results, a better adequacy of actions in the territories will allow access to new sources of financing, especially private ones. This is reflected at European level by a desire to move towards more contractualisation (CAP 2020). It is in this context that the payments for environmental services (PES) appear in France as an attempt to modernize the agri-environmental policy, aiming at looking for a "fairer" payment for the farmers but also seeking a greater efficiency environmental. At the same time, many innovative financing tools are being developed (crowdfunding platforms, local complementary currencies, etc.) to respond to a growing desire of local actors to become involved in environmental decisions and to reclaim the use of their investments in a more equitable economy. From this observation, we have been able to draw an empirical model of PES implementation based on a concrete case (Breton agribusiness) that works. On the other hand, if contract law allows a simple and flexible implementation of adequate agri-environmental actions, it implies: i) An upward collective logic around a territorial project ii) A match between explicit local supply and demand for environmental services (ES) iii) A regulator to organize the marketing of ES (place of negotiation, communication and information) iv) To assess the compatibility between private and public payments (WTO rules) |
| Keywords: | payments for environmental services (PES), agri-environment, innovative financing, contract law, environmental economics |
| JEL: | K1 Q5 |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rae:wpaper:201902&r=all |
| By: | Guensler, Randall; Liu, Haobing; Xu, Xiaodan; Lu, Hongyu; Rodgers, Michael O. |
| Abstract: | The MOtor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) model was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to estimate emissions from on-road and off-road vehicles in the United States. The MOVES model represents a significant improvement over the older MOBILE series of modes, primarily because emission rates are now truly modal in nature. Emission rates are now a function of power surrogates, which depend on speed and acceleration. Traffic simulation model outputs and smartphone GPS data can provide second-by-second vehicle activity data in time and space, including vehicle speed and acceleration. Coupling high-resolution vehicle activity data with appropriate MOVES emission rates further advances research efforts designed to assess the environmental impacts of transportation design and operation strategies. However, the MOVES interface is complicated, and the structure of input variables and algorithms involved in running MOVES to assess operational improvements makes analyses cumbersome and time consuming. The MOVES interface also makes it difficult to assess complicated transportation networks and to undertake analyses of large-scale systems that are dynamic in nature. The MOVES-Matrix system developed by the research team can be used to perform emissions modeling activities in a fraction of the time it takes to perform even one single individual MOVES run. The MOVES-Matrix approach involves running the MOVES model iteratively, across all potential input variable combinations, and using the resulting multidimensional array of pre-run MOVES outputs in emissions modeling. The research team configured MOVES to run on a distributed computing cluster, obtaining MOVES energy consumption and emission rate outputs for each vehicle class, model year, and operating condition, by calendar year, fuel composition (summer, winter, and transition fuels), local Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) program, meteorology, and other variables of interest. The team ran MOVES 146,853 times to generate the on-road emission rate matrices for Atlanta. More than 90 billion emission rates populate the primary output matrix, but implementation tools developed by the team generate matrix subsets for specific applications to speed up the analytical processes. In 2017-2018, the team developed MOVES-Matrix 2.0, which now integrates engine start, soak, evaporative, and truck hoteling emissions. The resulting emission rate matrices allow users to link emission rates to assess big data projects (such as regional emissions for emission inventory development) and to support near-real-time evaluations of changes in emissions for large, dynamic transportation systems. In the case study applications performed by the team, emission rate generation with MOVES-Matrix is 200-times faster than using the batch mode of MOVES graphic user interface in the same computer environment and the process predicts exactly the same emissions result. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Computer programs, Energy consumption, Greenhouse gases, Matrices (Mathematics), Pollutants, Simulation, Traffic data, Traffic simulation, Travel patterns |
| Date: | 2018–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt3xp5z35t&r=all |
| By: | Pike, Susan; Krantz, Kelila |
| Abstract: | The motivations for this study stem from an uncertainty about whether on-demand ridehailing services such as Uber, Lyft and others, will exacerbate existing transportation issues, or help alleviate them. To that end, the goals of the project were to learn about the perspectives of stakeholders from a variety of sectors, on their reactions to policies and other actions that might enable on-demand services to help alleviate existing transportation issues including congestion, emissions and inequality of access and mobility. This study aims to address the following three questions: How well do stakeholders in different sectors and regions, agree about the potential outcomes related to on-demand ridehailing and sustainable transportation goals? What are stakeholder perspectives on the policies and strategies that might facilitate emerging on-demand transportation services to most effectively enhance sustainability and mobility outcomes? What decision making venues and approaches are supported by different stakeholders in the process, and how can these approaches be pursued in order to realize policy goals related to sustainability of on-demand ridehailing? I.e., what venues, and at what level can most effective policies be introduced to facilitate sustainability improvements in transportation by embracing on-demand ridehailing services. To answer these questions, a series of interviews were completed with stakeholders from California Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPAs), from state agencies, the ridehailing industry, and local planning agencies or transportation divisions of cities. The results of this study indicate that policy makers must consider the varied systems and contexts throughout the state; and likely throughout the US. Further, there is an existing dialogue on these topics among transportation professionals, public interest groups, academics and policy makers. In this study, the researchers took a systematic approach to documenting this dialogue and identifying meaningful messages and policy guidance that is not possible without a rigorous scientific approach. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Demand responsive transportation, Exhaust gases, Interviewing, Metropolitan planning organizations, Mobility, Policy analysis, Stakeholders, Sustainable transportation, Traffic congestion, Travel demand, Vehicle miles of travel |
| Date: | 2018–09–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt6599q98n&r=all |
| By: | Turrentine, Thomas; Tal, Gil; Rapson, David |
| Abstract: | California is one of the first markets in the world to have a significant secondary market for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), which includes both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). This study examines the status of the nascent secondary PEV market in California. The authors examine who purchases these vehicles and how used PEVs are utilized. They examine the role of PEV purchase incentives both via surveys of used PEV buyers and through econometric analysis of detailed micro data. Results suggests that California PEV buyers have significantly higher incomes than the average household. If California seeks to broaden the used PEV market, lower income buyers must be brought into the market. On this count, the used PEV market appears to be beneficial, attracting buyers with slightly lower incomes than in the new PEV market. Results also indicate that used PHEV owners (and, more precisely, short-range used PEV owners) are charging their vehicles less than they could. In addition, results show that early used PEV buyers have significant knowledge gaps, such as being unaware of new PEV purchase incentives, which reduce their ability to compare price options. Overall, the early used PEV buyers were satisfied with the PEV technology and would redo their purchase or buy another PEV. This bodes well for the future of the PEV market. High occupancy vehicle stickers were a powerful motivator for a subset of PHEV used buyers, perhaps due to the lack of new stickers being available at the time of and preceding the survey. Our econometric analysis shows that the presence of new BEV purchase subsidies correlates with a small net outflow of used PEVs to states that do not offer new BEV subsidies. If this modest exit of PEVs grows overtime, it could make it more difficult to achieve state level environmental goals, such as local pollution abatement or state-level GHG reduction targets. Our analysis finds that PEV sales to minority groups show no clear signs of market access discrimination in the new or used PEV markets. Finally, our findings show that PHEV and BEV markets and consumers operate differently from each other, suggesting the need to be careful about treating them identically in analysis and policy-formation. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt8wj5b0hn&r=all |
| By: | Ioannou, Petros; Zhang, Yihang |
| Abstract: | The aim of this project is to use intelligent transportation system (ITS) technologies that take into account the presence of trucks in the traffic flow, in order to improve impact on the environment by reducing fuel consumption and pollution levels in areas where the truck volume is relatively high. The work is divided into two parts. In the first part, we propose an integrated variable speed limit (VSL), ramp metering (RM) and lane change (LC) controller using feedback linearization. The proposed integrated controller keeps the bottleneck flow at the maximum level and homogenizes the density and speed of the traffic flow along the highway sections. This improvement of the traffic flow characteristics lead to improved fuel economy and reduction in tailpipe emissions of both trucks and passenger vehicles. In order to evaluate the performance of the integrated traffic controller, a microscopic traffic simulation network of the I-710 highway, which is connected to the Ports of Long Beach/Los Angeles and has high truck volume, is developed. We use Monte-Carlo traffic flow simulations to demonstrate that the integrated traffic controller can generate consistent improvements with respect to travel time, safety, fuel economy and emissions under different traffic conditions. In the second part, we compared the proposed feedback linearization controller with the widely-used model predictive traffic controller in terms of performance and robustness with respect to perturbations on traffic demand, model parameters and measurement noise. Results show that both controllers are able to improve the total time spent, which leads to improvements in fuel economy and emissions, under different levels of perturbation and noise. The feedback linearization controller however, guarantees good performance and robustness properties than the model predictive controller with much less computational effort. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Feedback control, Fuel consumption, Lane changing, Monte Carlo method, Pollutants, Ramp metering, Traffic flow, Trucks, Variable speed limits |
| Date: | 2018–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt2rr3b8mz&r=all |
| By: | Park, Chan Seung; Roy, Partho |
| Abstract: | A portable, economic and reliable sensor for the Natural Gas (NG) fuel quality has been developed. Both Wobbe Index (WI) and Methane Indexes (MI) as well as inert gas content (inert%) of the NG fuel can be measured in real time within 5% accuracy. This sensor is targeting to be used in any equipment that involves NG combustion including NG vehicle, boiler, building HVAC, various consumer level gas appliance and Variable Natural Gas Vehicle (VNGV). The VNGV is an NG vehicle that can operate on any arbitrary mixture of CH4 and CO2, thus allowing the use of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) including biogas for transportation without comprehensive gas cleanup/upgrading. The technology behind is to predict the “Value of Interests†(WI, MI and inert%) by the signals from easily “Measurable Physical Properties†(such as thermal conductivity, temperature, etc..), as shown in the figure. Prediction of “Value of Interest†by data mining (esp. Multivariate Analysis and/or Artificial Neural Network) is the key idea of the concept. This technology is non-invasive, rugged, and small in size promising to overcome limitations and shortcomings such as bulky size and intrusive nature of conventional measurement technology. VNGV technology will enable widespread use of RNG as a transportation fuel, resulting in significant reductions in GHG emissions in the transportation sector. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2017–12–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt2927d8hr&r=all |
| By: | Jung, Heejung; Li, Chengguo |
| Abstract: | Exposure to particulate matter (PM) and pollutant gas (NOx) is associated with increased cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality. Mobile source emissions contribute to PM and NOx emissions significantly in urban areas. Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) plays an important role to reduce emissions. While sales of electric vehicles has been increasing, electric vehicles have to overcome issues with charging time, driving range, and production/sales cost for more widespread market penetration. Hybrid electric vehicles have a potential to serve as a bridge technology between current internal combustion engine powered vehicles and zero emissions vehicles such as electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. Current regulations require emissions to be tested on a chassis dynamometer. However, it is known that on-road emissions can be quite different from that those measured on regulatory driving cycles in the lab. In this study, emissions from two HEVs with different combustion technologies (gasoline direction injection vs port fuel injection) were compared using PEMS (portable emissions measurement system) and tailpipe sensors under cold weather conditions. The study has found the frequency and duration of re-ignition events vary depending on the type of HEV. Prius (PFI HEV) showed more frequent re-ignition events compared to Sonata (GDI HEV) for both city and highway driving conditions. Prius re-ignited almost every one minute while Sonata re-ignited every two minutes on average during the city driving condition. Reignition events affected emissions profile significantly during the city driving condition. As a result, Prius showed higher NOx emissions during the city driving condition while Sonata showed higher NOx emissions during the cold-cold start and highway driving condition. For PM emissions, PFI technology is known to make minimal amount of soot which is shown in the cold-cold start result while GDI technology is more prone to generating soot. This gap is reduced in city and highway driving condition due to more frequent re-ignition events of the PFI HEV (referring to Prius). Future studies should include more vehicles to understand whether the re-ignition events are vehicle specific or technology specific. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–02–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt0c4842fp&r=all |
| By: | Guillaume Allegre |
| Abstract: | Le 25 septembre 2015, 193 États membres des Nations Unies ont adopté les Objectifs de développement durable (ODD) pour 2030. Les objectifs sont multiples : bien-être, pauvreté, santé, éducation, égalité des sexes, travail décent et croissance économique, réduction des inégalités, industrie, innovation et infrastructures, villes inclusives, eau propre, énergie propre, biodiversité, changement climatique et la paix, la justice et des institutions fortes. Pour leurs défenseurs, les ODD constituent un changement majeur par rapport aux Objectifs pour le millénaire pour le développement adoptés en 2000, à la fois en termes d'ambition, de concept, d'élaboration et de politique. Toutefois, avec une longue liste d'objectifs, les priorités, les synergies et les arbitrages font défaut. Des politiques bien conçues peuvent établir des synergies pour atteindre simultanément une meilleure protection sociale, un faible taux de chômage et de meilleures conditions de travail. Le modèle nordique constitue un exemple de réussite à cet égard. Le taux de chômage a retrouvé son niveau d'avant la crise dans l'UE. Toutefois, des différences significatives persistent entre les pays. En particulier, le taux de chômage reste nettement supérieur aux niveaux enregistrés avant 2008 en Grèce, en Espagne et en Italie. En outre, une augmentation des inégalités est observée entre 2008 et 2018 parmi la moitié la plus pauvre de la population y compris dans des pays où le chômage n'a pas augmenté. Au-delà de la reprise de l'emploi, il y a un besoin de justice et de soutenabilité sociale. Ceci pose la question des politiques publiques. Les inégalités peuvent être réduites par le biais de transferts sociaux. Ceci n'est pas nécessairement mauvais pour la croissance et l'emploi. En outre, l'égalité d'accès aux biens et services publics de haute qualité à un coût faible est un moyen important de promouvoir la cohésion sociale et de réduire les inégalités. En particulier, les dépenses d'investissement social (éducation, santé, logement) sont liées à des taux de chômage moins élevés. L'investissement social réduit les inégalités de revenus sans détériorer l'emploi. Il est aussi nécessaire d'atténuer les inégalités avant redistribution. La limitation de la dispersion des salaires et des traitements versés avant impôts et transferts est aussi un élément important de la réduction des inégalités de revenus. Les gouvernements et l'UE devraient promouvoir un renforcement des formes coordonnées de négociation et de fixation des salaires, au lieu de mettre en œuvre des politiques qui limitent la couverture des négociations collectives. Au final, les ODD ont trop d'objectifs pour pouvoir être contrôlés de manière significative. Il convient de souligner les arbitrages entre les différents objectifs et les interrelations entre les objectifs. Des synergies existent entre les objectifs de réduction de la pauvreté, des inégalités et du chômage. À court terme les transferts sociaux et à long terme les investissements sociaux réduisent les inégalités sans effets défavorables sur l'emploi. |
| Keywords: | Objectifs de développement durable; Protection sociale; Chômage; Conditions de travail; Politiques publiques |
| Date: | 2019–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/6gadvbpd6n8m2bdbu135g0raka&r=all |
| By: | Koessler, Ann-Kathrin; Engel, Stefanie |
| Abstract: | This paper discusses how policy interventions not only alter the legal and financial framework in which an individual is operating, but can also lead to changes in relevant beliefs. We argue that such belief changes in how an individual perceives herself, relevant others, the regulator and/or the activity in question can lead to behavioral changes that were neither intended nor expected when the policy was designed. In the environmental economics literature, these secondary impacts of conventional policy interventions have not been systematically reviewed. Hence, we intend to raise awareness of these effects. In this paper, we review relevant research from behavioral economics and psychology, and identify and discuss the domains for which beliefs can change. Lastly, we discuss design options with which an undesired change in beliefs can be avoided when a new policy is put into practice. |
| Keywords: | environmental policies,behavioral economics,beliefs,policy intervention |
| JEL: | D01 D80 D90 H23 Q58 |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:195522&r=all |
| By: | Endler, Malte Johannes; Wolf, André |
| Abstract: | The main purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to the methodological approach and current insights of the ELCA literature related to plastic from the point of view of a non-technician. Concerning potential remedies, we set our focus on the question to what extent the use of biomass as an alternative feestock in plastic production can contribute to a reduction of the environmental burden. |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:hwwipp:n116&r=all |
| By: | Yuta Toyama (School of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan and Research Institute for Environmental Economics and Management, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan) |
| Abstract: | While the cap-and-trade program was originally proposed as a static regulation, its implementation introduces dynamic incentives such as saving (banking) of emissions per- mits. I examine the performance of the program by accounting for dynamic regulatory design and firms' incentives in the context of the US Acid Rain Program. I develop and estimate a dynamic equilibrium model of abatement investment and permit trading and banking, subject to transaction costs. Simulations reveal that although permit banking improves the cost-e fficiency, the aggregate level of banking is excess due to transaction costs. Distribution of emissions would be more dispersed in the first best. |
| Keywords: | Cap-and-trade regulation, dynamic equilibrium model, gains from trade, permit banking, transaction costs, electricity industry |
| JEL: | D22 L94 Q52 Q58 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:was:dpaper:1902&r=all |
| By: | Turrentine, Tom; Hardman, Scott; Garas, Dahlia |
| Abstract: | To achieve carbon reduction goals for 2040 and 2050, plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) policy must be worldwide and involve multi-decade policy programs. One policy is a broadening commitment to ending fossil fuels for light-duty vehicles; this will solidify the direction and accelerate investments in zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) and decapitalization of internal combustion drivetrain production so as to enable the climate driven timetable of the transition. Another proposed policy is up to two decades of financial signals to buyers and producers, sized to keep the market tilted toward PEVs while production costs decline. Additional privileges in road, parking and electricity systems are needed to attract more conservative segments of buyers and sellers. PEV manufacturers could commit to at least three generations of PEV design, and investment and product rollout into all market segments and vehicle designs. Outreach and education campaigns lasting through those three generations of potential consumers could also be implemented, including leveraging the enthusiastic desire of the first few million buyers to educate coworkers and neighbors. Inclusion of energy transitions in the education system is also necessary. The retail sector, primarily dealers included in the policy, could also have education and incentive programs. Efforts of OEMs, governments and power companies could be coordinated to meet charging needs and wants of the expanding market. This will need to include the greening of the grid and integration of PEVs in the system optimization of renewables. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt1w3836d3&r=all |
| By: | Lawell, Cynthia Lin; Yi, Fujin; Thome, Karen E |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the effects of government subsidies and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on the U.S. ethanol industry. The authors first develop a stylized theory model of subsidies in which they examine which types of subsidies are more cost-effective for inducing investment in firm capacity, and how the presence of a mandate affects the relative cost-effectiveness of different types of subsidies. The authors then empirically analyze how government subsidies and the Renewable Fuel Standard affect ethanol production, investment, entry, and exit by estimating a structural econometric model of a dynamic game that enables us to recover the entire cost structure of the industry, including the distributions of investment costs, entry costs, and exit scrap values. The authors use the estimated parameters to evaluate three different types of subsidy: a production subsidy, an investment subsidy, and an entry subsidy, each with and without the RFS. While conventional wisdom and some of the previous literature favor production subsidies over investment subsidies, and while historically the federal government has used production subsidies to support ethanol, our results show that, for the ethanol industry, investment subsidies and entry subsidies are more cost-effective than production subsidies for inducing investment that otherwise would not have occurred. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2017–11–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt73n0t4pv&r=all |
| By: | MUKHERJEE, KRISHNENDU |
| Abstract: | The purpose of the paper is to integrate supply base consolidation, rationalization, and buyer’s perspective about its suppliers to reveal more insight to implement sustainable procurement in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries like India. In this paper an attempt has been made to integrate Constrained Optimization of Frobenius Norm by Genetic Algorithm (COFGA) with traditional spend, and value risk analysis to consolidate and rationalize supply base w.r.t fifteen triple bottom line indicators (TBL). This paper shows that spend analysis is justified in crisp domain and becomes myopic in limited data environment. Spend analysis becomes more ineffective to deal imprecise and vague qualitative data. Integrated approach of multiple criteria decision analysis,spend analysis, and value risk analysis, thus, an alternative approach to give better insight to sustainable procurement in fuzzy environment. Finally, a case study is discussed to use proposed method. |
| Keywords: | Sustainable supplier selection; small and medium enterprises (SMEs); genetic algorithm(GA);spend analysis; triple bottom line (TBL); multiple criteria decision analysis; value risk analysis |
| JEL: | C61 C63 |
| Date: | 2019–03–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:93277&r=all |
| By: | Shilling, Fraser; Collins, Amy; Louderback-Valenzuela, Annabelle; Farman, Parisa; Guarnieri, Mia; Longcore, Travis; Banet, Benjamin; Knapp, Harrison |
| Abstract: | Wildlife crossing structures (WCS) over or under highways have been proposed as a solution for road-related habitat fragmentation and wildlife collisions. To assure the efficacy of WCS, road related negative impacts that could cause animals to avoid WCS, such as noise and light, need to be considered. Human-sourced noise can affect habitat occupancy, and a suite of animal behaviors such as vigilance, communication, and predation efficiency, while artificial light, especially at night, can change animal’s perception of resources, foraging, mate selection, and navigation. Furthermore, the impact of noise and light varies among wildlife species, leading to differential responses within wildlife communities. To test whether traffic noise impacts species’ use of WCS, the authors quantified overnight (afternoon to early morning) road traffic noise, measured as dB(A), at 20 WCS positioned along four central California highways (I-5, I-80, 680 and 280), as well as historical WCS mammal use for 20 recorded days during the summer of 2012, 2015, and 2016. Using species richness inclusive of all taxa as the response variable, the only significant explanatory variable was annual average daily traffic (AADT) (p 800m from the highway) were monitored over a 20-day period, to further examine the impact of noise on WCS use. Species richness was greater (p |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–06–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt8893d8zw&r=all |
| By: | Shilling, Fraser |
| Abstract: | Roads and highways act as barriers to wildlife. They disrupt movement of wildlife populations and connectivity between communities of interacting species. Transportation organizations and many wildlife agencies see highway crossing structures for wildlife as critical to mitigating highway barrier effects. These structures are optimistically assumed to be effective for most species, most of the time, but are seldom critically investigated. Wildlife use of highway crossing structures can be highly variable and dependent on structural attributes, human use, and traffic conditions. Studies of animal behavior suggest that wildlife aversion to roadways—and possibly to crossing structures—could be related to traffic noise and light. If transportation organizations and wildlife agencies can confirm this effect they may be able to design more effective wildlife crossing structures and manage existing structures to increase their use by wildlife. This policy brief discusses findings from research that measured traffic noise levels and used camera traps placed at 20 bridges and culverts in California that were known from previous work to pass at least one species. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Bridges, Cameras, Culverts, Data collection, Habitat (Ecology), Highways, Street lighting, Traffic noise, Wildlife, Wildlife crossings |
| Date: | 2018–06–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt1w33s9p5&r=all |
| By: | Rodier, Caroline |
| Abstract: | Towards the close of the first decade of the 21st Century, ride-hailing services began to enter the transportation market through smart phone applications that allowed consumers to hail and pay for a ride from drivers using their own vehicle. The information and communication technologies used by these platforms allow for more reliable service, to more locations, with shorter wait times, and at a lower cost than traditional taxi services and, perhaps, public transit. Today, an estimated 15% of adults across the U.S. and 21% in major cities have personally used these services. The successful entrance of ride-hailing services into the transportation market has raised questions about their effect on the overall transportation system, including congestion, total vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Reliable answers are limited, in large part, because of their rapid expansion and the lack of publicly available data from these private ride-sharing companies. However, there is now a small body of research, most conducted in 2016 and 2017, that provides some initial evidence on the impacts of these services. This research includes population representative survey data, targeted ride-hailing user survey data, and measured ride-hailing driver and passenger activity data. In addition, the recent interest in automated vehicles has produced modeling studies that also provide insight into the potential effects of ride-hailing services. The following framework was developed to identify the range of possible travel effects, both positive and negative, on users of ride-hailing services. This includes the effects of ride-hailing on auto ownership, trip generation, destination choice, mode choice, network vehicle travel, and land use. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt2rv570tt&r=all |