A Dual-Channel Supply Chain Coordination under Carbon Cap-and-Trade Regulation.

We consider a dual-channel supply chain coordination under a carbon cap-and-trade regulation. The dual-channel refers to the traditional retail channel and the network direct channel, and both two channels' selling prices can affect the market demand. We formulate the problem as a supplier-Stackelberg game model and obtain the optimal pricing decisions and corresponding profits in centralized and decentralized systems. We explore the effects of cap-and-trade regulation on optimal decisions and profits. To improve the performance of the decentralized system, we propose online channel price discount and offline channel price discount contracts to coordinate dual-channel supply chain and provide a transfer payment mechanism to make win-win of both sides. Moreover, we investigate how carbon regulation affects the coordination performance. Numerical examples illustrate the process to find the appropriate price discount coefficient and show the coordination effects of two contracts.

Environmental evaluation of the life cycle of elephant grass fertilization-Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone-using chemical fertilization and biosolids.

Law 12305/10, National Solid Waste Policy of Brazil, banned the disposal in landfills of any solid waste that could be converted to another use. Sludge produced at Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plants, which contains components characteristic of fertilizers, falls into this category. This type of sludge, also known as a biosolid, has great potential to replace commercial chemical fertilization. The use of biosolids in agriculture allows for compliance with new legislation, reducing the burden on landfills and reusing a waste product. The present paper utilizes the life cycle assessment methodology to compare the carbon footprint associated with the use of different quantities of biosolid and selected chemical fertilizers in the production of elephant grass. The IPCC 2013 GWP 100a method, which is based on data published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, was selected as the environmental assessment method. The method expresses the emissions of greenhouse gases generated, in kilograms of CO2 equivalent, over a time horizon of 100 years. The biosolid quantities used were based on the Brazilian Environment Council Resolution 375. The chemical fertilizer used contained urea, simple superphosphate, and potassium chloride. The use of biosolids in the amounts calculated according to Brazilian standards resulted in a carbon footprint approximately 17.7% lower than the use of the chemical fertilization mix, with similar productivity in both cases. The transportation of biosolids to the experimental area was responsible for the majority of emissions associated with the use of biosolids. Urea synthesis was the largest contributor to emissions resulting from the use of commercial chemical fertilizer, accounting for 73.6% of total emissions.

Agricultural anaerobic digestion power plants in Ireland and Germany: policy and practice.

The process of anaerobic digestion (AD) is valued as a carbon-neutral energy source, while simultaneously treating organic waste, making it safer for disposal or use as a fertilizer on agricultural land. The AD process in many European nations, such as Germany, has grown from use of small, localized digesters to the operation of large-scale treatment facilities, which contribute significantly to national renewable energy quotas. However, these large AD plants are costly to run and demand intensive farming of energy crops for feedstock. Current policy in Germany has transitioned to support funding for smaller digesters, while also limiting the use of energy crops. AD within Ireland, as a new technology, is affected by ambiguous governmental policies concerning waste and energy. A clear governmental strategy supporting on-site AD processing of agricultural waste will significantly reduce Ireland's carbon footprint, improve the safety and bioavailability of agricultural waste, and provide an indigenous renewable energy source. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Healthcare and Climate Change: Do No Harm.

The increased frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change can cause casualties and put healthcare delivery at risk. Ironically, healthcare is a significant source of the very greenhouse gas emissions that lead to climate change. The Vancouver Island Health Authority case study shows the value of targets, energy management and innovation in new construction. Efforts have yielded great results to date with $2 million a year saved in utilities, and are nearing the target of reducing emissions by 33% below 2007 levels by 2020.

Low energy--bridging the Great Divide.

Professor Mathew Bacon, MD of The Conclude Consultancy, argues that with healthcare facilities required to play a considerable part in helping the UK meet tough carbon reduction targets, a new approach to designing large acute hospitals is required that takes significantly greater account of such facilities' 'In-use' energy consumption. Equally, he believes, designing hospitals that meet lower carbon consumption goals requires greater dialogue between clinicians and engineers so that the resulting clearer perspective on clinical processes can be leveraged to inform the engineering design, and achieve 'a close coupling' between the engineering design strategy and the working practice needs of users.

Research developments in methods to reduce the carbon footprint of the food system: a review.

Global warming is a worldwide issue with its evident impact across a wide range of systems and sectors. It is caused by a number of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions, in which food system has made up of a large part. Recently, reduction of GHG emissions has become an urgent issue to be resolved in the food system. Many governments and organizations are making great endeavors to alleviate the adverse effect of this phenomenon. In this review, methods to reduce the carbon footprint within the life cycle of a food system are presented from the technical, consumption behavior and environmental policies perspectives. The whole food system including raw material acquisition, processing, packaging, preservation, transportation, consumption, and disposal are covered. Improving management techniques, and adopting advanced technology and equipment are critical for every stage of a food system. Rational site selection is important to alleviate the influence of land use change. In addition, environmental choices of packaging stage, reduction in refrigeration dependence, and correct waste treatment are essential to reduce the total carbon footprint of the production. However, only technical methods cannot radically reverse the trend of climate change, as consumption behaviors present a great deal of influence over climate change. Appropriate purchase patterns and substitution within food product categories by low carbon products can reduce GHG emissions. Development of methods to calculate the carbon footprint of every kind of food and its processing technology enable people to make environmental choice. Policy can shape and cultivate the new code of consumption and influence the direction of emerging technology and science. From political perspectives, government intervention and carbon offset are common tools, especially for carbon tax and a real or implicit price of carbon. Finally, by mitigating the methodologies described above, the rate and magnitude of climate changes can be also reduced to some extent.

The effect of framing and normative messages in building support for climate policies.

Deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are required to mitigate climate change. However, there is low willingness amongst the public to prioritise climate policies for reducing emissions. Here we show that the extent to which Australians are prepared to reduce their country's CO2 emissions is greater when the costs to future national income are framed as a "foregone-gain"--incomes rise in the future but not by as much as in the absence of emission cuts--rather than as a "loss"--incomes decrease relative to the baseline expected future levels (Studies 1 & 2). The provision of a normative message identifying Australia as one of the world's largest CO2 emitters did not increase the amount by which individuals were prepared to reduce emissions (Study 1), whereas a normative message revealing the emission policy preferences of other Australians did (Study 2). The results suggest that framing the costs of reducing emissions as a smaller increase in future income and communicating normative information about others' emission policy preferences are effective methods for leveraging public support for emission cuts.