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A critical appraisal of individual social capital in crisis response
Get PDFMorsut, Claudia, Christian Kuran, Bjørn Ivar Kruke,Tor‐Olav Nævestad, Kati Orru, and Sten Hansson. 2022.“A Critical Appraisal ofIndividual Social Capital in Crisis Response.”Risks Hazards Crisis Public Policy13, 176–199.https://doi.org/10.1002/rhc3.12236INDIVIDUAL SOCIAL CAPITAL RESPONSE|199publishedVersio
Environmental life cycle implications of upscaling lithium-ion battery production
Get PDFChordia, M., Nordelöf, A. & Ellingsen, L.AW. Environmental life cycle implications of upscaling lithium-ion battery production. Int J Life Cycle Assess 26, 2024–2039 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-021-01976-0Purpose Life cycle assessment (LCA) literature evaluating environmental burdens from lithium-ion battery (LIB) production facilities lacks an understanding of how environmental burdens have changed over time due to a transition to large-scale production. The purpose of this study is hence to examine the effect of upscaling LIB production using unique life cycle inventory data representative of large-scale production. A sub-goal of the study is to examine how changes in background datasets affect environmental impacts. Method We remodel an often-cited study on small-scale battery production by Ellingsen et al. (2014), representative of operations in 2010, and couple it to updated Ecoinvent background data. Additionally, we use new inventory data to model LIB cell production in a large-scale facility representative of the latest technology in LIB production. The cell manufactured in the small-scale facility is an NMC-1:1:1 (nickel-manganese-cobalt) pouch cell, whereas in the large-scale facility, the cell produced in an NMC-8:1:1 cylindrical cell. We model production in varying carbon intensity scenarios using recycled and exclusively primary materials as input options. We assess environmental pollution–related impacts using ReCiPe midpoint indicators and resource use impacts using the surplus ore method (ReCiPe) and the crustal scarcity indicator. Results and discussion Remodelling of the small-scale factory using updated background data showed a 34% increase in greenhouse gas emissions — linked to updated cobalt sulfate production data. Upscaling production reduced emissions by nearly 45% in the reference scenario (South Korean energy mix) due to a reduced energy demand in cell production. However, the emissions reduce by a further 55% if the energy is sourced from a low-carbon intensity source (Swedish energy mix), shifting almost all burden to upstream supply chain. Regional pollution impacts such as acidification and eutrophication show similar trends. Toxic emissions also reduce, but unlike other impacts, they were already occurring during mining and ore processing. Lastly, nickel, cobalt, and lithium use contribute considerably to resource impacts. From a long-term perspective, copper becomes important from a resource scarcity perspective. Conclusions Upscaling LIB production shifts environmental burdens to upstream material extraction and production, irrespective of the carbon intensity of the energy source. Thus, a key message for the industry and policy makers is that further reductions in the climate impacts from LIB production are possible, only when the upstream LIB supply chain uses renewable energy source. An additional message to LCA practitioners is to examine the effect of changing background systems when evaluating maturing technologies.publishedVersio
Weight-based pay-as-you-throw pricing model: Encouraging sorting in households through waste fees
No full textAino Ukkonen, Olli Sahimaa, Weight-based pay-as-you-throw pricing model: Encouraging sorting in households through waste fees, Waste Management, Volume 135, 2021, Pages 372-380, ISSN 0956-053X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2021.09.011 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X21005006)Municipal solid waste is associated with different systemic challenges, such as climate change, resource scarcity, and ocean plastic pollution. European countries are striving towards more circular material use and the European Commission has advocated the use of economic incentives to boost recycling. The pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) scheme is an economic instrument that applies the ‘polluter pays’ principle by charging for waste according to the actual amount of generated waste. Volume-based PAYT fees have shown to be potentially less effective in waste prevention and recycling than weight-based fees. This paper illustrates how waste management operators can price residual waste with weight-based fees that encourage recycling, are fair with respect to service levels, and cover the current income for municipal waste operators. The result, obtained by forming equations satisfying the above conditions, is a model with a linear, discrete price function, where the price of the residual waste generated by the citizen is a function of the service level. This model encourages efficient source separation through internal subsidies, wherein a citizen can decrease the price of household waste by 32% if they increase the sorting efficiency from a default of 40% to 80% efficiency. The application of the model was illustrated in a case example. The model developed in this study can be used to implement weight-based PAYT schemes locally, thereby supporting the formulation of waste management systems that facilitate waste reduction and recycling.publishedVersio
Bus stop design and traffic safety: An explorative analysis
Get PDFOne way to prioritize public transport over private vehicle mobility, is to implement curbside rather than layby bus stop designs. There is, however, uncertainty about the consequences of implementing curbside rather than layby stops for traffic collision risks. To begin investigating this issue, we describe an exploratory analysis in which national data describing bus stops, road properties, traffic collisions and built-up areas were merged based on geographical location. Analysis of the resulting data set suggests that the relative rates of traffic collisions resulting in personal injury within 60 m of the bus stop, is higher for curbside than for layby stops in built-up areas (0.32 vs. 0.22 collisions per ten million passing vehicles, respectively). Our analyses suggest that the higher risk of nearby collisions for curbside stops is not necessarily due to bus stop design, but rather because they tend to be located closer to junctions and side roads, where collisions are more likely. Our data are not consistent with hypotheses that curbside stops are associated with greater shares of head-on or rear-end collisions than layby stops, nor that layby stops are associated with greater shares of side-on collisions than curbside stops. The limitations of this exploratory analysis, and of the use of national-level data for studying the effects of bus stop design on collision risk, are related to lack of control of bus stop design features other than curbside vs. layby, statistical power, data registration and compromises made when coupling data based on geographical location. Future work should attempt to build on our approach, and supplement database analyses with analysis of in-depth reports of bus stop collisions, observations of road user conflicts near bus stops, and before-after studies following conversion from layby to curbside stops or from curbside to layby stops.publishedVersio
Paint It Red - A Multimethod Study of the Nudging Effect of Coloured Cycle Lanes
Get PDFMany countries colour their cycle lanes, but there is still a lack of research into the impact of this policy. Rather than constraining or regulating movement, coloured asphalt conveys information, and can serve as a good example of a “nudge”. In transport, there are few good examples of effective nudges for improved safety or sustainability. We used a multi-method approach to study the behaviour and experiences of cyclists before and after cycle lanes were coloured using red asphalt. Video data were collected and analysed to measure the extent to which motorists stopped in the cycle lane; motorist distance from the cycle lane on passing; and bicycle placement in the cycle lane. Cyclists (n = 1583) were asked how they experienced the cycle lane in field surveys. GPS data from cyclists (n = 2448) was used to measure whether colouring the cycle lanes resulted in a change of cyclists’ route choice. Video data showed no significant decrease in the share of passing motorists who stopped in the cycle lane. However, there was a significant decrease in the share of motorists stopping in the cycle lane rather than in the car lane or on the pavement. After recoating, motorists also kept a greater distance from the cycle lane; a greater share of cyclists chose to cycle in the cycle lane and a lower share cycled on the pavement. Analysis of survey data showed that visibility, perceived safety and ease of visualisation improved more in the recoated streets than in control streets. Analysis of the GPS data revealed a significant increase in cycling in the first streets to get red asphalt, with mixed results for the later streets. We discuss possible mechanisms behind the effects observed, and whether coloured cycle lanes can be considered as a form of nudging.publishedVersio
Costs and benefits of implementing an Environmental Speed Limit in a Nordic city
Get PDFPublished by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license.We present a comprehensive study on the impacts and associated changes in costs resulting from the implementation of Environmental Speed Limits (ESLs), as a measure to reduce PM10 and associated health effects. We present detailed modelled emissions (i.e., CO2, NOx, PM2.5 and PM10), concentration levels (i.e., PM2.5 and PM10) and population exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 under three scenarios of ESL implementation for the Metropolitan Area of Oslo. We find that whilst emissions of NOx and CO2 do not seem to show significant changes with ESL implementation, PM10 emissions are reduced by 6–12% and annual concentration levels are reduced up to 8%, with a subsequent reduction in population exposure. The modelled data is used to carry out a detailed analysis to quantify the changes in private and social costs for the roads in Oslo where ESL are implemented today. This involves assessments related to human health, climate, fuel consumption, time losses and the incidence of traffic accidents. For a scenario using actual speed data from ESL implementation, our study shows a net benefit associated with the implementation of ESLs, whilst for a theoretical scenario with strict speed limit compliance we find a net increase in costs. This is largely due to variation in costs due to time losses between the scenarios, although uncertainties are high.publishedVersio
The influence of residential wood combustion on the concentrations of PM2.5 in four Nordic cities
Get PDFResidential wood combustion (RWC) is an important contributor to air quality in numerous regions worldwide. This study is the first extensive evaluation of the influence of RWC on ambient air quality in several Nordic cities. We have analysed the emissions and concentrations of PM2.5 in cities within four Nordic countries: in the metropolitan areas of Copenhagen, Oslo, and Helsinki and in the city of Umeå. We have evaluated the emissions for the relevant urban source categories and modelled atmospheric dispersion on regional and urban scales. The emission inventories for RWC were based on local surveys, the amount of wood combusted, combustion technologies and other relevant factors. The accuracy of the predicted concentrations was evaluated based on urban concentration measurements. The predicted annual average concentrations ranged spatially from 4 to 7 µg m−3 (2011), from 6 to 10 µg m−3 (2013), from 4 to more than 13 µg m−3 (2013) and from 9 to more than 13 µg m−3 (2014), in Umeå, Helsinki, Oslo and Copenhagen, respectively. The higher concentrations in Copenhagen were mainly caused by the relatively high regionally and continentally transported background contributions. The annual average fractions of PM2.5 concentrations attributed to RWC within the considered urban regions ranged spatially from 0 % to 15 %, from 0 % to 20 %, from 8 % to 22 % and from 0 % to 60 % in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Umeå and Oslo, respectively. In particular, the contributions of RWC in central Oslo were larger than 40 % as annual averages. In Oslo, wood combustion was used mainly for the heating of larger blocks of flats. In contrast, in Helsinki, RWC was solely used in smaller detached houses. In Copenhagen and Helsinki, the highest fractions occurred outside the city centre in the suburban areas. In Umeå, the highest fractions occurred both in the city centre and its surroundings.publishedVersio
Vehicle choices and urban transport externalities. Are Norwegian policy makers getting it right?
No full textThis is an open access article under the CC BY license.Norway has the world’s highest share of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in its passenger car fleet, thanks to a set of policies that has included high purchase taxes for fossil fueled cars, and no tolls, no VAT, and free parking for BEVs. This paper uses a very stylized transport model for the greater Oslo area to give insights into the effects of different transport policies. With this model we go beyond the market penetration studies for EVs, as it brings together both car choice and transport patterns with mode choice for a set of heterogeneous representative model agents. We illustrate the possible effects of current policies on congestion, CO2 emissions and other urban transport externalities, public transport use and crowding, tax revenues and welfare. On this basis, we explore other road toll, public transport fare and tax policies that can lead to better outcomes for the Oslo transport market while still respecting the CO2-cap that reflects the goals of Norwegian policy makers.publishedVersio
Mandatory periodic training for professional drivers: A Norwegian study of implementation and effects
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Patterns of E-Scooter Use in Combination with Public Transport
Get PDFShared e-scooters may complement public transport by offering a solution to the first/last mile problem by easing, or increasing the radius of, access and egress trips. We have gathered real time e-scooter supply and demand data and performed a web survey of e-scooter users in Oslo, Norway. We find that e-scooters stand out as a popular first/last mile mode to many public transport passengers. E-scooters can play an even stronger such role if the two modes are integrated further.acceptedVersio