Nowadays, the configuration of the world economy faces a deep productivetechnological reorganization, which main feature is the appearance on the scene of the emerging economies of the semi-periphery (Brazil, Russia, India, China, among others). The rise of these economies should result in the medium and long term in a reset level of the International Division of Labor and the relationship "cor...

[1] Aerosol absorption of sunlight, in particular by black carbon soot and dark organic material produced from incomplete combustion of fossil fuel and from vegetation fires, is emerging as a key component of climate forcing. However, global characterization of black carbon emissions, distribution and absorption of sunlight cannot be determined within a factor of 5. Here we propose that the oce...

Decisions on future energy supply systems should be made with regard to the alternatives available. Therefore, information is needed on the risks and benefits of these systems. The risks of nuclear power have been discussed at great length; in this discussion, nuclear power has played the role of a symbol expressing concern about technological development in general Ref [1]. However, to arrive ...

All forms of economic production and exchange involve the use of energy directly and in the transformation of materials. Until recently, cheap and seemingly limitless fossil energy has allowed most of society to ignore the importance of contributions to the economic process from the biophysical world as well as the potential limits to growth. This paper centers on assessing the energy costs of ...

The renewable energy sources have increased significantly due to environmental issues and fossil fuels elevated cost. Integration of renewable energy sources to utility grid depends on the scale of power generation. Large scale power generations are connected to transmission systems where as small scale distributed power generation is connected to distribution systems. There are certain challen...

1. Bioenergy electricity and any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel that is produced through the processing of biomass may provide an alternative to the expansion of fossil fuels consumption. With careful strategies and under appropriate regulatory frameworks, bioenergy, and in particular biofuels, may be instrumental to slowing down the process of global warming and enhancing energy security, as we...

Bioenergy plays a major role in the energy mix in Africa today, but both the human health and environmental impacts associated with reliance on this fuel structure are significant. This article looks at a number of scenarios for the widespread use of sustainable forest management practices, charcoal production, the use of improved stoves, as well as to more rapid introductions of fossil-fuel en...

Understanding the drivers of changes in CO2 emissions is vital for a range of stakeholders. Hence, this paper explores the main drivers of CO2 emissions in China using structural decomposition analysis based on constant price and non-comparative input-output tables. The driving forces at both nationwide and industrial levels are divided into nine effects. To investigate the effects from an ener...

This paper discusses the perspective of renewable energy (wind, solar, wave and biomass) in the making of strategies for a sustainable development. Such strategies typically involve three major technological changes: energy savings on the demand side, efficiency improvements in the energy production, and replacement of fossil fuels by various sources of renewable energy. Consequently, large-sca...

Biodiesel is a promising fuel alternative compared to traditional diesel obtained from conventional sources such as fossil fuel. Many flowsheet alternatives exist for the production of biodiesel and therefore it is necessary to evaluate these alternatives using defined criteria and also from process intensification opportunities. This work focuses on three main aspects that have been incorporat...