Renewable technologies are considered as clean sources of energy and optimal use of these resources minimize environmental impacts, produce minimum secondary wastes and are sustainable based on current and future economic and social societal needs. Sun is the source of all energies. The primary forms of solar energy are heat and light. Sunlight and heat are transformed and absorbed by the environment in a multitude of ways. Some of these transformations result in renewable energy flows such as biomass and wind energy. Renewable energy technologies provide an excellent opportunity for mitigation of greenhouse gas emission and reducing global warming through substituting conventional energy sources. In this article a review has been done on scope of CO2 mitigation through solar cooker, water heater, dryer, biofuel, improved cookstoves and by hydrogen.

https://www.beren.sakarya.edu.tr/sites/beren.sakarya.edu.tr/file/1380752545-07-RenewEn.pdf.pdf

Role of renewable energy sources in environmental protection: A review

Laboratory experiments are a widely used methodology for advancing causal knowledge in the physical and life sciences. With the exception of psychology, the adoption of laboratory experiments has been much slower in the social sciences, although during the last two decades, the use of lab experiments has accelerated. Nonetheless, there remains considerable resistance among social scientists who argue that lab experiments lack "realism" and "generalizability". In this article we discuss the advantages and limitations of laboratory social science experiments by comparing them to research based on nonexperimental data and to field experiments. We argue that many recent objections against lab experiments are misguided and that even more lab experiments should be conducted.

Lab Experiments are a Major Source of Knowledge in the Social Sciences

The major contributor to global warming is human-generated greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions that pollute the air. GHGs emissions are a global issue dominated by emission of carbon dioxide (CO2). Notably, CO2 accounts for an estimated 77% of GHGs and thus has a huge impact on the environment. The capture, sequestration, and utilization of CO2 emissions from flue gas are now becoming familiar worldwide. These methods are a promising solution to promote sustainability for the benefit of future generations. Previously, many researchers have focused on capturing and storing CO2; however, less effort has been spent on finding ways to utilize flue gas emissions. Moreover, several issues must be overcome in the field of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology, especially regarding the cost, capacity of storage and the durability of the storage reservoir. In addition, this paper addresses new technology in carbon capture and sequestration. To make CCS technology more feasible, this paper suggests a sustainable method combining CCS and biofuel production using CO2 as a feedstock. This method offers many advantages, such as CO2 emission mitigation and energy security through the production of renewable energy. Due to the many advantages of biofuels, the conversion of CO2 into biofuel is a best practice and may provide a solution to pollution while encouraging sustainability practises.

Pollution to solution: Capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) and its utilization as a renewable energy source for a sustainable future

We analyze a dynamic stochastic general-equilibrium (DSGE) model with an externality—through climate change—from using fossil energy. Our central result is a simple formula for the marginal externality damage of emissions (or, equivalently, for the optimal carbon tax). This formula, which holds under quite plausible assumptions, reveals that the damage is proportional to current GDP, with the proportion depending only on three factors: (i) discounting, (ii) the expected damage elasticity (how many percent of the output flow is lost from an extra unit of carbon in the atmosphere), and (iii) the structure of carbon depreciation in the atmosphere. Thus, the stochastic values of future output, consumption, and the atmospheric CO2 concentration, as well as the paths of technology (whether endogenous or exogenous) and population, and so on, all disappear from the formula. We find that the optimal tax should be a bit higher than the median, or most well-known, estimates in the literature. We also formulate a parsimonious yet comprehensive and easily solved model allowing us to compute the optimal and market paths for the use of different sources of energy and the corresponding climate change. We find coal—rather than oil—to be the main threat to economic welfare, largely due to its abundance. We also find that the costs of inaction are particularly sensitive to the assumptions regarding the substitutability of different energy sources and technological progress.

/pdf/optimal-taxes-on-fossil-fuel-in-general-equilibrium-120s1ibjqh.pdf

Optimal Taxes on Fossil Fuel in General Equilibrium

We develop an endogenous growth model in which clean and dirty technologies compete in production. Research can be directed to either technology. If dirty technologies are more advanced, the transition to clean technology can be difficult. Carbon taxes and research subsidies may encourage production and innovation in clean technologies, though the transition will typically be slow. We estimate the model using microdata from the US energy sector. We then characterize the optimal policy path that heavily relies on both subsidies and taxes. Finally, we evaluate various alternative policies. Relying only on carbon taxes or delaying intervention has significant welfare costs.

/pdf/transition-to-clean-technology-1k1b72kfz2.pdf

Transition to Clean Technology

http://idei.fr/sites/default/files/medias/doc/wp/2009/sequestration_1109.pdf

Climate change mitigation options and directed technical change: A decentralized equilibrium analysis

Energy Substitutions, Climate Change and Carbon Sinks

The IPCC recommends the use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies in order to achieve the Kyoto environmental goals. This paper sheds light on this issue by assessing the optimal strategy regarding the long-term use of CCS technologies. The aim is to analyze the optimal CCS policy when the sequestration rate is endogenous, being therefore one specific tool of the environmental policy. We develop a simple growth model to identify the main driving forces that should determine the optimal CCS policy. We show that, under some conditions on the cost of extractions, CCS may be a long-term solution to curb carbon emissions. We also show that over time the social planner will choose to decrease the rate of capture and sequestration. We then derive the decentralized equilibrium outcome by considering the programs of the fossil resource-holder and of the representative consumer. Finally, we determine the optimal environmental policy, i.e. the carbon tax scheme, as well as the dynamics of the fossil fuel price needed to implement it.

/pdf/optimal-carbon-capture-and-storage-policies-v80z7c779d.pdf

Gilles Lafforgue

Papers

Climate change mitigation options and directed technical change: A decentralized equilibrium analysis

Energy Substitutions, Climate Change and Carbon Sinks

Optimal Carbon Capture and Storage Policies

The Optimal Sequestration Policy with a Ceiling on the Stock of Carbon in the Atmosphere

Stochastic technical change, non-renewable resource and optimal sustainable growth