Title: Impact of environmental education on mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions: a modelling study

Authors: A.K. Misra; Maitri Verma

Addresses: Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi – 221 005, India ' Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi – 221 005, India

Abstract: Human activities have contributed significantly to the menace of global warming by enhancing the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide (CO₂). Environmental education is an avenue to persuade people to reduce their CO₂ emissions. Comprehension of the impact of environmental education on the reduction of CO₂ emissions aids in devising effectual environmental education policies. In this view, we have formulated a non-linear mathematical model to study the impact of educational programmes on the abatement of CO₂ emissions. It is considered that the educational programmes are implemented at a rate proportional to the increase in atmospheric concentration of CO₂ due to human activities. Model is analysed by using stability theory of differential equations. Model analysis reveals that the educational programmes are helpful in reduction of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. But if reduction rate of carbon footprint by educated people is small, increase in execution rate of educational programmes and/or dissemination rate of education among people cannot effectively curtail CO₂ emissions. Moreover, for high values of reduction rate coefficient of carbon footprint, atmospheric concentration of CO₂ may not get stabilised. Numerical simulation is carried out to illustrate the theoretical findings.

Keywords: mathematical modelling; CO2; carbon dioxide; environmental education; stability theory; carbon emissions; emissions reduction; global warming; nonlinear modelling; carbon footprint; numerical simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2015.070046

International Journal of Global Warming, 2015 Vol.7 No.4, pp.466 - 486

Received: 27 Nov 2013
Accepted: 24 Dec 2013
Published online: 26 Jun 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article