Research Papers
Benchmarking sustainability using indicators: An Indian case study
Kwatra Swati, Kumar Archna,Sharma Prateek, Sharma Sumit, Singhal Shaleen
| 2015
This paper develops an index to measure sustainability based on the broad themes of social, economy and environment. Nineteen appropriate indicators were selected based on relevance, data availability, and periodicity for each leg of sustainable development. A correlation analysis was carried out to assess relationships between the 19 indicators representing different parameters under the three themes. These parameters were then normalized using Z-score technique. The Z -scores computed for each of these parameters were then used to develop a Sustainable Development Index (SDI).
Assessment and mitigation of the environmental burdens to air from land applied food-based digestate
Tiwary A, Williams I D, Pant Dinesh Chander, Kishore V V N
| 2015
Anaerobic digestion (AD) of putrescible urban waste for energy recovery has seen rapid growth over recent years. In order to ascertain its systems scale sustainability, however, determination of the environmental fate of the large volume of digestate generated during the process is indispensable. This paper evaluates the environmental burdens to air associated with land applied food-based digestate in terms of primary pollutants (ammonia, nitrogen dioxide) and greenhouse gases (methane and nitrous oxide).
Assessing the lignocellulosic biomass resources potential in developing countries: A critical review
Ullah Kifayat, Sharma Vinod Kumar, Dhingra Sunil, Braccio Giacobbe,Ahmad Mushtaq , Sofia Sofi
| 2015
This review paper analyses the potential environmental impacts and economic viability of producing biofuel from lignocellulosic biomass resources in various countries of the world. In many developed and developing countries, lignocellulosic biomass is a significant feedstock for bioenergy used in industrial sector for power generation but the fact remains that the detail study on current status of lignocellulosic utilization for bioenergy industry is still estimated and partial.
As Green Delhi Turns Grey
Bandyopadhyay Kaushik Ranjan, Das Kasturi
| 2015
The joint study by economists from the University of Chicago, Harvard,and Yale (Michael Greenstone et al, “Lower Pollution, Longer Lives: Life Expectancy Gains if India Reduced Particulate Matter Pollution,” EPW, 21 February 2015) has reignited the debate on the issue of unsustainable air pollution in Indian cities, particularly Delhi.
Analysis of genetic diversity and fatty acid composition in a prebreeding material of Jatropha
Sinha Pratima, Islam Md Aminul, Negi Madan Singh, Tripathi Shashi Bhushan
| 2015
Genetic and fatty acid variability in four datasets of accessions and prebreeding lines of Jatropha curcas was analyzed. The datasets were comprised of J. curcas accessions (13), BC1 (28), BC1F2 (12) and single seeds (12). The BC1, BC1F2 and single seed dataset were derived from an interspecific cross between J. curcas and J. integerrima. The average within-group (within dataset) polymorphism revealed by AFLP markers was 28.5 %. The average genetic similarity within the four datasets, namely, J.
An overview of local credit systems and their implications
Gerber Julien-Franc¸ois
| 2015
Credit and debt are bound to play a central and challenging role in a post-growth economy, seen as an economy that seeks to stabilize or downscale production and consumption for more well-being and sustainability. This is so because on one hand the current credit system is widely seen as the major engine behind the unsustainable imperative of growth. On the other hand, access to credit is essential for the survival of countless low-income households worldwide. In this context, what kind of credit arrangement is compatible with a sustainable and equitable economy?
An inclusive strategy to trigger solar technology market: Case studies of rural distribution models from Ethiopia
Garimella Arvind, Palit Debajit , Effah Rita , Assefa Etsub
| 2015
The paper is based on study of the distribution chain in Ethiopia. The changes in sale, flow of inputs and the partnerships triggered through incentive- based funding is analyzed over a period of almost one year. The findings show that there has been a growth in sales, an increase in frequency of marketing and promotional activity at the final consumer level through the micro and small enterprise network, a development of customized financial products and also an initiation of new channels and strategies of distribution.
An exploratory analysis of occupational accidents and risks from nuclear reactors in India
Goswami Anandajit, Ram Mohan M P
| 2015
Modeling analysis of rare events like occupational accidents from nuclear power plants are crucial to understand potential risks. India is poised for a major expansion of civil nuclear energy in the coming decades; such an analysis with this background becomes more important. With this background, this paper explores the pattern of the historical data on severity and frequency of accidents in the select nuclear power plants of India.
An Assessment of Lighting a Billion Lives Program in Karnataka
Gopal Lasya, Rao Swaroop
| 2015
TERI's 'Lighting a Billion Lives' initiative envisions toprovide clean and affordable source oflight to un-electrified or poorly electrified villages of India through the establishment of energy enterprises (solar charging stations). An assessment study was conducted to understand the impact of solar charging stations (SCS) on the social dimension of the SCS entrepreneurs and user families.
Agriculture biomass in India: Part 2. Post-harvest losses, cost and environmental impacts
Cardoena Dennis, Joshi Piyush, Diels Ludo, Sarma Priyangshu M, Pant Deepak
| 2015
The growing bioeconomy sector aims to reduce the amount of waste generated and to promote the unavoidable waste generated as a resource and achieve higher levels of recycling and safe disposal. Post-harvest losses contribute to a substantial proportion of the loss that the agricultural biomass undergoes in India. It is therefore important to make an assessment of this loss and assign a certain cost to it.