320 research outputs found
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Green and Growing: Building A Green And Prosperous Future For Manitoba Families
Green and Growing is a strategic framework that will continue to be developed and expanded as we go forward. Through this strategic framework, we hope to provide Manitobans, and the world, with a better understanding of the Manitoba government’s overall approach to the environment as well as the health and well-being of our province and its families. Our goal is to build a future that promises to be both green and growing for the benefit of all Manitobans
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Linkages to the Mining Sector in Colombia
At the request of the Colombian Government and with the support of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), CCSI prepared a policy brief focused on linkages from the mining sector in Colombia. The brief gives an overview of existing regulatory requirements, government policies and company programs to foster economic and infrastructure linkages. Based on the findings, the brief provides suggestions for next steps if the government is to develop a more comprehensive linkage creation program
Risks of Coal Seam and Shale Gas Extraction on Groundwater and Aquifers in Eastern Australia
In the developed world there are growing concerns about water security due to the increase in exploration and production of coal seam and shale gas in peri-urban areas using both the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technique of gas production and the method of extraction of naturally occurring groundwater by pumping it from coal formations to release coal seam gas (CSG). In Australia there is a competing prerequisite to maintain and increase the natural resource base as well as the need to protect and sustain the supply of potable and agricultural groundwater in peri-urban areas. One identified issue for this chapter is whether the increasing popularity of fracking in peri-urban and semi-rural areas in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland poses a risk to the quality of groundwater supply as well as its contamination. The other main issue is whether the extraction of groundwater from coal seams where fracking is not needed has a major impact on groundwater depletion; and, if so, investigating the appropriate risk assessment and risk management approaches
The impact of climate change and urban growth on urban climate and heat stress in a subtropical city
Urban residents face increasing risk of heat stress due to the combined impact of climate change and intensification of the urban heat island (UHI) associated with urban growth. Considering the combined effect of urban growth and climate change is vital to understanding how temperatures in urban areas will change in the future. This study investigated the impact of urban growth and climate change on the UHI and heat stress in a subtropical city (Brisbane, Australia) in the present day (1991–2000) and medium term (2041–2050; RCP8.5) during summer. A control and urban growth scenario was used to compare the temperature increase from climate change alone with the temperature increase from climate change and urban growth. Average and minimum temperatures increased more with climate change and urban growth combined than with climate change alone, indicating that if urban growth is ignored, future urban temperatures could be underestimated. Under climate change alone, rural temperatures increased more than urban temperatures, decreasing the effect of the UHI by 0.4 °C at night and increasing the urban cool island by 0.8 °C during the day. With climate change, the number of hot days and nights doubled in urban and rural areas in 2041–2050 as compared to 1991–2000. The number of hot nights was higher in urban areas and with urban growth. Dangerous heat stress, defined as apparent temperature above 40 °C, increased with climate change and occurred on average 1–2 days every summer during 2041–2050, even in shaded conditions. There was higher temperature increases with urban growth and climate change than with climate change alone, indicating that reducing the effect of the UHI is vital to ensuring urban growth does not increase the heat stress risks that urban residents will face in the future
Large scale integration of renewable energy sources (RES) in the future Colombian energy system
The diversification of the energy matrix, including larger shares of Renewable Energy Sources (RES), is a significant part of the Colombian energy strategy towards a sustainable and more secure energy system. Historically, the country has relied on the intensive use of hydropower and fossil fuels as the main energy sources. Colombia has a huge renewables potential, and therefore the exploration of different pathways for their integration is required. The aim of this study was to build a model for a country with a hydro-dominated electric power system and analyse the impacts of integrated variable RES in long-term future scenarios. EnergyPLAN was the modelling tool employed for simulating the reference year and future alternatives. Initially, the reference model was validated, and successively five different scenarios were built. The results show that an increase in the shares of wind, solar and bioenergy could achieve an approximate reduction of 20% in both the CO2 emissions and the total fuel consumption of the country by 2030. Further, in the electricity sector the best-case scenario could allow an estimated 60% reduction in its emission intensity
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