Research Papers
Estimating biomass and carbon mitigation of temperate coniferous forests using spectral modeling and field inventory data
Wania Akhlaq Amin, Joshi P K, Singh Ombir
| 2015
Realizing the importance of forest carbon monitoring and reporting in climate change, the present study was conducted to derive spectrally modeled aboveground biomass and mitigation using Landsat data in combination with sampled field inventory data in the coniferous forests of Western Himalaya. After conducting preliminary survey in 2009, 90 quadrats (45 each for calibration and validation) of 0.1 ha were laid in six forest types for recording field inventory data viz. diameter at breast height, height, slope and aspect.
Environmental Policy in a Federation with Special Interest Politics and Inter-Governmental Grants
Datt Divya, Mehra Meeta Keswani
| 2015
The paper explores the potential effect of intergovernmental grants (IGG) on subnational (local) environmental policy in a federal structure. In the model, a politically-inclined local government receives campaign contributions from the polluters’ lobby in return for lower pollution taxes.Abenevolent federal government uses IGG as an incentive to reduce the resulting distortion in the local pollution tax.
Enhancing viability of biofuel-based decentralized power projects for rural electrification in India.
Palit Debajit, Malhotra Ramit, Mande Sanjay
| 2015
Decentralized power generation, using locally available biofuels from nonedible oil seeds, is an option for rural electrification in many developing countries. However, due to prevailing high price of non-edible oil seeds, such as Jatropha curcas, the cost of electricity generation is very high. This paper provides detailed financial analysis of straight vegetable oil (SVO)-based decentralized power project and proposes an innovative model for enhancing their financial viability.
Energy and material flows of megacities
Kennedya Christopher A, Stewarta Iain, Facchini Angelo, Cersosimo Igor, Mele Renata, Chen Bin , Uda Mariko, Kansal Arun...(etc..all)
| 2015
Understanding the drivers of energy and material flows of cities is important for addressing global environmental challenges. Accessing, sharing, and managing energy and material resources is particularly critical for megacities, which face enormous social stresses because of their sheer size and complexity. Here we quantify the energy and material flows through the world’s 27 megacities with populations greater than 10 million people as of 2010. Collectively the resource flows through megacities are largely consistent with scaling laws established in the emerging science of cities.
Energizing rural India using micro grids:The case of solar DC micro-grids in Uttar Pradesh State, India
Palit Debajit , Malhotra Sangeeta
| 2015
Traditionally AC mini-grids have been implemented to provide electricity services in many un-electrified habitations in India, which are not covered through the main grid. However, with the advancement of LED technology and lowering cost of PV panels, the DC microgrids seem to be coming up in a significant way to enhance energy access. Many initiatives, both in private and public sector, are now taking DC micro-grid route to provide energy for basic lighting and mobile charging.
Emerging perspectives on environmental burden minimisation initiatives from anaerobic digestion technologies for community scale biomass valorisation
Tiwary A, Williams I D, Pant Dinesh Chander, Kishore V V N
| 2015
This paper provides an extensive review of anaerobic digestion(AD) systems,witha specific focus on community scale digesters for urban applications, processing either municipal organic waste exclusively or as mix feed. Emphasisis placed on reducing the systems scale environmentalimpact of AD technologies, including pre-and post-treatment stages, alongside biogas production. Developments to-date in AD system research in Europeand in the Asia region have been compared, providing a comprehensive evaluation of current practice, elucidating the areas of further potentials.
Effects of Passive Hydration on Surface Water and Groundwater Storages in Drained Ranchland Wetlands in the Everglades Basin in Florida
Goswami D, Shukla S
| 2015
Pre-(1 year) and post-(2 years) passive hydration data were used to evaluate the effects on spatiotemporal storages at two pastoral wetlands in the Lake Okeechobee (LO) watershed within the Everglades basin, Florida, United States. To partially restore the predrainage wetland storage and hydroperiod, passive hydration was implemented by raising the discharge elevation using a culvert structure with removable boards at the end of the drainage ditch that drained the wetland/upland system.
Effect of internal woven roller shade and glazing on the energy and daylighting performances of an office building in the cold climate of Shillong
Singh Ramkishore, Lazarus I J, Kishore V.V.N.
| 2015
The energy and visual performances of the façades are defined by many parameters including façade size, properties of glazings and shadings, and their arrangements as well as control strategies. In this study, a number of combinations of internal woven roller shades and four double glazings have been proposed and assessed in integrated manner in order to improve the energy efficiency and visual comfort in new or existing office buildings.
Disentangling the ranges: climate policy scenarios for China and India
Hof Andries F., Kumar Atul , Deetman Sebastiaan, Ghosh Sambita, van Vuuren Detlef P.
| 2015
Greenhouse gas emissions in China and India have been increasing rapidly over the last decade. Scenario studies can provide insight into expected future trends and the emission reduction potential in these regions. The scenarios show that growing population, gross domestic product, and energy demand are likely to lead to a further increase in emissions. At the same time, a decreasing emission intensity would still allow to create decarbonization scenarios in line with the requirements for reaching a maximal warming of 2 °C.
Development of Novel Microsatellite Markers in Jatropha curcas and Evaluation of Their Cross-Species Transferability
Sinha Pratima, Islam Md Aminul, Negi Madan Singh, Tripathi Shashi Bhushan
| 2015
Jatropha curcas has been a species of interest all over the world due to its potential as a renewable biodiesel crop. In the present paper, a set of 40 novel genomic microsatellites from Jatropha developed through cloning and sequencing are reported. The microsatellite markers were evaluated at intra-specific, inter-specific and intergeneric levels. All forty markers successfully amplified fragments from J. curcas and J. integerrima showing their potential in linkage mapping using inter-specific breeding populations involving these species.