Climate change and energy - Industrial emissions

Title

Reference

Volume 26, Issue 1, pages 63–69, March 2012

Author(s)

Jos Frijns

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

This paper describes the carbon footprint methodology used in assessing the global warming potential of the Dutch water sector. The assessment includes CO2 emissions from energy consumption and methane and nitrous oxide emissions from water treatment processes. There is, however, debate on the amounts and mechanism of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and a standardised approach is discussed. As a result of this approach, the contribution of GHG emissions to the total carbon footprint of the Dutch water sector appeared to be relatively high. Next to the lack of common emission factors for GHG and chemicals used, there is also no agreed-upon approach related to the system boundaries and scope of carbon footprinting of the water cycle. For reasons of benchmarking and monitoring of climate change reduction targets, a common carbon footprint assessment methodology for the water sector will be required.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Industrial emissions

Keywords

carbon footprint; GHG emissions; Netherlands; water sector

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-6593.2011.00264.x/abstract

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Contact the study author at:

jos.frijns@kwrwater.nl

Title

Reference

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Volume 184, Number 4, 1929-1952, DOI: 10.1007/s10661-011-2090-y

Author(s)

Amlan Kumar Patra

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

Enteric methane (CH4) emission in ruminants, which is produced via fermentation of feeds in the rumen and lower digestive tract by methanogenic archaea, represents a loss of 2% to 12% of gross energy of feeds and contributes to global greenhouse effects. Globally, about 80 million tonnes of CH4 is produced annually from enteric fermentation mainly from ruminants. Therefore, CH4 mitigation strategies in ruminants have focused to obtain economic as well as environmental benefits. Some mitigation options such as chemical inhibitors, defaunation, and ionophores inhibit methanogenesis directly or indirectly in the rumen, but they have not confirmed consistent effects for practical use. A variety of nutritional amendments such as increasing the amount of grains, inclusion of some leguminous forages containing condensed tannins and ionophore compounds in diets, supplementation of low-quality roughages with protein and readily fermentable carbohydrates, and addition of fats show promise for CH4 mitigation. These nutritional amendments also increase the efficiency of feed utilization and, therefore, are most likely to be adopted by farmers. Several new potential technologies such as use of plant secondary metabolites, probiotics and propionate enhancers, stimulation of acetogens, immunization, CH4 oxidation by methylotrophs, and genetic selection of low CH4-producing animals have emerged to decrease CH4 production, but these require extensive research before they can be recommended to livestock producers. The use of bacteriocins, bacteriophages, and development of recombinant vaccines targeting archaeal-specific genes and cell surface proteins may be areas worthy of investigation for CH4 mitigation as well. A combination of different CH4 mitigation strategies should be adopted in farm levels to substantially decrease methane emission from ruminants. Evidently, comprehensive research is needed to explore proven and reliable CH4 mitigation technologies that would be practically feasible and economically viable while improving ruminant production.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Livestock management
Agriculture >> Agricultural pollution >> Agricultural emissions
Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Industrial emissions

Keywords

Methane production; Ruminants; Mitigation strategies

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/p42vr86j455j2496/
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patra_amlan@yahoo.com

Title

End-user GHG emissions from energy

Reference

Reallocation of emissions from energy industries to end users 2005–2009

EEA Technical report No 19/2011

Author(s)

European Environment Agency

Study type

Report

Abstract

The objective of this report is to help improve the understanding of past greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trends in the energy sector from the demand or end-user side. To do this, the report develops a methodology to redistributes emissions from energy industries to the final users (by sector) of that energy. This reallocation is done on the basis of Eurostat's energy balances and GHG inventories for the energy sector as reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), for the period 2005–2009.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Industrial emissions

Keywords

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/end-use-energy-emissions
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http://www.eea.europa.eu/enquiries

Title

A Longitudinal Study on the Carbon Emissions of a New Residential Development

Reference

Sustainability 2011, 3(8), 1170-1189;
doi:10.3390/su3081170

Author(s)

Jukka Heinonen, Antti Säynäjoki  and Seppo Junnila

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Buildings account for nearly 50% of all greenhouse gases globally. While this has been widely recognized, the GHG mitigation strategies have traditionally concentrated on reducing the use phase emissions, as over 90% of the emissions are generated during the use phase according to several studies. However, two current developments increase the importance of the construction phase emissions and the embodied emissions of the building materials. Firstly, the improvements in the energy efficiency of buildings directly increase the relative share of the construction phase emissions. Secondly, the notification of the temporal allocation of the emissions increases the importance of the carbon spike from construction. While these perspectives have been noted, few studies exist that combine the two perspectives of the construction and the use phase. In this paper, we analyze the implications of low-carbon residential construction on the life cycle emissions of a residential area with a case study. Furthermore, we demonstrate that when the temporal allocation of the emissions is taken into account, the construction phase emissions can hinder or even reverse the carbon mitigation effect of low-carbon buildings for decades.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Industrial emissions
Urban environment >> Urban planning >> Construction

Keywords

life cycle assessment; carbon; climate change; buildings; construction

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/3/8/1170/
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Contact the study author at:

jukka.heinonen@aalto.fi

Title

Is Biodegradability a Desirable Attribute for Discarded Solid Waste? Perspectives from a National Landfill Greenhouse Gas Inventory Model

Reference

Environmental Science & Technology, 2011; : 110527020106046
DOI: 10.1021/es200721s

Author(s)

W. Levis, Morton A. Barlaz.

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the use of biodegradable materials because they are believed to be 'greener'. In a landfill, these materials degrade anaerobically to form methane and carbon dioxide. The fraction of the methane that is collected can be utilized as an energy source and the fraction of the biogenic carbon that does not decompose is stored in the landfill. A landfill life-cycle model was developed to represent the behavior of MSW components and new materials disposed in a landfill representative of the U.S. average with respect to gas collection and utilization over a range of environmental conditions (i.e., arid, moderate wet, and bioreactor). The behavior of materials that biodegrade at relatively fast (food waste), medium (biodegradable polymer) and slow (newsprint and office paper) rates was studied. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyoctanoate) (PHBO) was selected as illustrative for an emerging biodegradable polymer. Global warming potentials (GWP) of 26, 720, -1000, 990, and 1300 kg CO₂e wet Mg-1 were estimated for MSW, food waste, newsprint, office paper, and PHBO, respectively in a national average landfill. In a state-of-the-art landfill with gas collection and electricity generation, GWP's of -250, 330, -1400, -96, and -420 kg CO₂e wet Mg-1 were estimated for MSW, food waste, newsprint, office paper and PHBO, respectively. Additional simulations showed that for a hypothetical material, a slower biodegradation rate and a lower extent of biodegradation improve the environmental performance of a material in a landfill representative of national average conditions.

Policy theme(s)

Waste >> Waste management >> Landfill
Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Industrial emissions

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es200721s
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jwlevis@ncsu.edu

Title

Impact of Power Generation Mix on Life Cycle Assessment and Carbon Footprint Greenhouse Gas Results

Reference

Journal of Industrial Ecology

Author(s)

Joe Marriott, H. Scott Matthews, and Chris T. Hendrickson

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The mix of electricity consumed in any stage in the life cycle of a product, process, or industrial sector has a significant effect on the associated inventory of emissions and environmental impacts because of large differences in the power generation method used. Fossil-fuel-fired or nuclear-centralized steam generators; large-scale and small-scale hydroelectric power; and renewable options, such as geothermal, wind, and solar power, each have a unique set of issues that can change the results of a life cycle assessment. This article shows greenhouse gas emissions estimates for electricity purchase for different scenarios using U.S. average electricity mix, state mixes, state mixes including imports, and a sector-specific mix to show how different these results can be. We find that greenhouse gases for certain sectors and scenarios can change by more than 100%. Knowing this, practitioners should exercise caution or at least account for the uncertainty associated with mix choice.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Industrial emissions

Keywords

carbon emissions, electric utilities, energy footprint, energy use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, industrial ecology

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1530-9290.2010.00290.x/abstract
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Contact the study author at:

marriott@pitt.edu