Combined Heat and Power May Conflict with Decarbonization Goals-Air Emissions of Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power versus Combined Heat and Power Systems for Commercial Buildings.

This study compares the environmental impacts of a centralized natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) and a distributed natural gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) energy system in the United States. We develop an energy-balance model in which each energy system supplies the electric, heating, and cooling demands of 16 commercial building types in 16 climate zones of the United States. We assume a best-case scenario where all the CHP's heat and power are allocated toward building demands to ensure robust results.

Seven Approaches to Manage Complex Coupled Human and Natural Systems: A Sustainability Toolbox.

Since the publication of the Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987, there have been numerous studies on sustainability. These studies created new knowledge and tools for understanding and managing complex coupled human and natural systems. In this Critical Review, we used a topic modeling technique to analyze 12 526 peer-reviewed research articles and identify the research questions and the approaches that were used or developed in each of the studies.

Rapid drinking water safety estimation in cities: Piloting a globally scalable method in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Background: Systematically collected and comparable data on drinking water safety at city-scale is currently unavailable, despite the stated importance of water safety monitoring at scale under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We developed a rapid drinking water quality assessment methodology intended to be replicable across all cities and useful for monitoring towards achieving SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).

Methods: We collected drinking water samples at the point-of-consumption for basic microbial, physical and chemical water quality analysis and conducted household surveys on drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene access from 80 households in the city of Cochabamba over 1 week.

Impacts of Combined Cooling, Heating and Power Systems, and Rainwater Harvesting on Water Demand, Carbon Dioxide, and NO Emissions for Atlanta.

The purpose of this study is to explore the potential water, CO and NO emission, and cost savings that the deployment of decentralized water and energy technologies within two urban growth scenarios can achieve. We assess the effectiveness of urban growth, technological, and political strategies to reduce these burdens in the 13-county Atlanta metropolitan region. The urban growth between 2005 and 2030 was modeled for a business as usual (BAU) scenario and a more compact growth (MCG) scenario.