Estimation of the water footprint of sugarcane in Mexico: is ethanol production an environmentally feasible fuel option?

Energy policies are taken throughout the world to reduce fossil fuel emissions from transportation sources. Agriculturally based biofuels are currently the only alternatives to liquid fossil fuels. However, as biofuel production spreads, so too do its cascading impacts on environment and food security. This paper analyzes the impact of Mexican ethanol-sugarcane policy on water resources. The water footprint of sugarcane (WFsc) was quantified for an agricultural region in Jalisco, Mexico, and used to estimate anthropologic water demand and stress index. This analysis was performed using historical climate data, and for projected changes under scenarios A2 and B1, using ECHAM and GFDL models. The average historical water footprint of sugarcane was estimated as 104.9 m3/ton, total average water demand as 152.3 Mm3/year and a historical water scarcity index as 59%. Under climate change, the footprint might increase 2% by 2020 and 3–4% by 2050. The available water is predicted to fall 4–7% by 2020, and 6–8% by 2050, with negative effects on water stress. Due to the strong influence of local factors on water footprint and stress, additional research is needed for all Mexican sugarcane regions, in order to evaluate the feasibility of the policy regarding the use of ethanol for transportation.

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The effects of microclimate and time resolution of meteorological data on hygrothermal analysis of wood frame building facades

10.32920/ryerson.14649723 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wai Ki Wu

Keyword(s):

Meteorological Data ◽

Weather Data ◽

Climate Data ◽

Frame Building ◽

Hourly Data ◽

Average Water ◽

Building Components ◽

Wood Frame ◽

Hygrothermal Analysis ◽

The Impact

When performing hygrothermal analysis for building envelopes, climate data is required as boundary conditions. This study investigates the effect of the microclimatic conditions using Toronto Pearson Airport and downtown hourly data. The results showed that the average water content of the wood frame building façade were similar throughout the study period. The high moisture content peaks reduced to average within days. The arithmetic averaged hourly weather data may also affect the analysis’ results. 5-minute weather data is collected from the Ryerson weather network. The hourly data is constructed from the 5-minute data by arithmetic averaging. The simulation results from both dataset followed closely to each other throughout the study period. The averaging of hourly data removed some details form the raw meteorological data. However, it does not affect the overall trend of the climate condition and the impact to the hygrothermal analysis of building components is very limited.

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The impact of climate change on Canadian archives

Records Management Journal ◽

10.1108/rmj-10-2020-0035 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Amanda Oliver

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Adaptation ◽

Disaster Planning ◽

Adaptation Strategies ◽

Records Management ◽

Climate Data ◽

Content Type ◽

Impact Of Climate Change ◽

Projected Changes ◽

The Impact

Purpose This study aims to identify Canadian archives that are at risk for climate change threats, to present a snapshot of current practices around disaster planning, sustainability and climate adaptation and to provide recommended next steps for records managers and archivists adapting to climate change. Design/methodology/approach These objectives were achieved by analyzing the geographic locations of Canadian archives in relation to projected climate data and by analyzing the results of a survey distributed to staff at Canadian archival repositories. Findings This study found that all Canadian archives will be impacted by projected changes in both annual mean temperatures and precipitation to the year 2080. Themes that emerged surrounding climate adaptation strategies include the investment in the design and efficiency of spaces housing records and the importance of resilient buildings, the need for increased training on climate change, engaging senior leadership and administrators on climate change and developing regional strategies. Preparing for and mitigating the impact of climate change on the facilities and holdings needs to become a priority. Originality/value This research underscores the importance of developing climate adaptation strategies, considering the sustainability of records management and archival professional practice, increasing the resilience of the facilities and records and strengthening the disaster planning and recovery methods.

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EU BIOFUELS POLICY—RAISING THE QUESTION OF WTO COMPATIBILITY

International and Comparative Law Quarterly ◽

10.1017/s0020589311000285 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 60 (3) ◽

pp. 713-736 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Stephanie Switzer ◽

Joseph A McMahon

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Technological Development ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

The European Union ◽

Policy Goals ◽

Imported Oil ◽

Biofuels Policy ◽

The Impact

Governments intervene in the energy sector using a variety of measures to pursue a range of objectives, from security of supply and energy efficiency to environmental protection. Recent concerns about the impact of fossil fuels on climate change have resulted in the increasing promotion of biofuels as an alternative to oil. While worries exist with regard to the environmental impact of biofuel production in ecologically sensitive areas, it has been argued that with an effective regulatory framework to promote sustainable production, biofuels could provide a mechanism to provide energy security in an environmentally positive way.1 The interest of the European Union (EU) in the promotion of biofuels production is a relatively recent phenomenon and it is now the world's largest producer of biodiesel and the fourth largest producer of bioethanol. At its most basic level, the promotion of biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels is part of a wider EU effort to support the use of renewable energy. The promotion of renewable energy is traceable to a number of goals, a central one of which is ensuring security of energy supply.2 Other policy goals supported by the promotion of renewable energies include reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with climate change, decreasing dependence upon imported oil, the promotion of technological development as well as regional and rural development and employment.3

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The effects of microclimate and time resolution of meteorological data on hygrothermal analysis of wood frame building facades

10.32920/ryerson.14649723.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wai Ki Wu

Keyword(s):

Meteorological Data ◽

Weather Data ◽

Climate Data ◽

Frame Building ◽

Hourly Data ◽

Average Water ◽

Building Components ◽

Wood Frame ◽

Hygrothermal Analysis ◽

The Impact

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Investigation of Biofuel as a Potential Renewable Energy Source

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12101289 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 1289

Author(s):

M. Anwar H. Khan ◽

Sophia Bonifacio ◽

Joanna Clowes ◽

Amy Foulds ◽

Rayne Holland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Energy Source ◽

Renewable Energy Source ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Production Costs ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Aviation Industry ◽

The Impact

An accelerating global energy demand, paired with the harmful environmental effects of fossil fuels, has triggered the search for alternative, renewable energy sources. Biofuels are arguably a potential renewable energy source in the transportation industry as they can be used within current infrastructures and require less technological advances than other renewable alternatives, such as electric vehicles and nuclear power. The literature suggests biofuels can negatively impact food security and production; however, this is dependent on the type of feedstock used in biofuel production. Advanced biofuels, derived from inedible biomass, are heavily favoured but require further research and development to reach their full commercial potential. Replacing fossil fuels by biofuels can substantially reduce particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, but simultaneously increase emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), resulting in debates concerning the way biofuels should be implemented. The potential biofuel blends (FT-SPK, HEFA-SPK, ATJ-SPK and HFS-SIP) and their use as an alternative to kerosene-type fuels in the aviation industry have also been assessed. Although these fuels are currently more costly than conventional aviation fuels, possible reduction in production costs has been reported as a potential solution. A preliminary study shows that i-butanol emissions (1.8 Tg/year) as a biofuel can increase ozone levels by up to 6% in the upper troposphere, highlighting a potential climate impact. However, a larger number of studies will be needed to assess the practicalities and associated cost of using the biofuel in existing vehicles, particularly in terms of identifying any modifications to existing engine infrastructure, the impact of biofuel emissions, and their chemistry on the climate and human health, to fully determine their suitability as a potential renewable energy source.

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Social Aspects of Energy Production from Renewable Sources

Problemy Ekorozwoju ◽

10.35784/pe.2021.1.07 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 61-66

Author(s):

Wojciech Czekała ◽

◽

Filip Tarkowski ◽

Patrycja Pochwatka ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Production ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Social Aspects ◽

Energy Sources ◽

The Social ◽

The Impact ◽

Positive Effect

The increased demand for energy determines the need to search for its next sources. One of them could be renewable energy sources, whose importance is increasing, among others, due to the limited resources of fossil fuels. In addition, renewable energy production has many benefits, mainly environmental and economic. Moreover, the social aspects associated with it cannot be ignored. The aim of this work was to discuss selected social benefits resulting from the production of renewable energy. Among the most important advantages of renewable energy sources is their local aspect, since energy production solves many regional problems, mainly related to its transport. The issue of energy security is also essential. In the case of biofuel production, the possibility of involving waste in energy production is extremely beneficial. The use of renewable energy itself directly affects the improvement of the environment, which in turn has a positive effect on people. Nowadays, sustainable development is one of the most critical challenges of humanity. These activities are closely related to the use of renewable energy sources. It is important to pay attention not only to subjects related to the environmental and economic aspects but also the impact of renewable energy sources on society.

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Technoeconomic and Policy Analysis for Corn Stover Biofuels

ISRN Economics ◽

10.1155/2014/515898 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Ryan Petter ◽

Wallace E. Tyner

Keyword(s):

Fossil Fuels ◽

Private Investment ◽

Monte Carlo Analysis ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Investment Risk ◽

Selling Price ◽

Fuel Price ◽

The Public ◽

Capital Subsidies ◽

The Impact

Conventional fossil fuels dominate the marketplace, and their prices are a direct competitor for drop-in biofuels. This paper examines the impact of fuel selling price uncertainty on investment risk in a fast pyrolysis derived biofuel production facility. Production cost specifications are gathered from previous research. Monte Carlo analysis is employed with uncertainty in fuel selling price, biomass cost, bio-oil yield, and hydrogen price parameters. Experiments reveal that fuel price has a large impact on investment risk. A reverse auction would shift risk from the private sector to the public sector and is shown to be more effective at encouraging private investment than capital subsidies for the same expected public cost.

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Estimation of Water Footprint for Major Agricultural and Livestock Products in Korea

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11102980 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 2980 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ik Kim ◽

Kyung-shin Kim

Keyword(s):

Water Demand ◽

Water Footprint ◽

The Self ◽

Agricultural Products ◽

Domestic Water ◽

Self Sufficiency ◽

Severe Water Stress ◽

Average Water ◽

The Republic ◽

Livestock Products

The Republic of Korea is the only country classified with severe water stress among the 34 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries. Additionally, the self-sufficiency rate of grain in Korea is 27%, which is 1/3 the average of OECD member countries. Because food cannot be produced without water, demand-driven water management of agricultural and livestock products applying water footprints is needed for food security. For this, this study estimates the water footprints of 42 agricultural products and three livestock products. Based on the results, the water footprint of the vegetables grown in facility such as a greenhouse is 7.9 times larger per ton than the footprint of the vegetables cultivated in the open field. Furthermore, the water footprint per ton of beef is about 4.2 times the average water footprint per ton of vegetables grown in facility. Based on the water footprint data of 45 agricultural and livestock products, the footprint of total agricultural and livestock products in 2014 is approximately 27.9% of the total domestic water resources consumed in Korea.

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Environmental Impact Associated with the Supply Chain and Production of Grounding and Roasting Coffee through Life Cycle Analysis

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10124598 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 4598 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mario Giraldi-Díaz ◽

Lorena De Medina-Salas ◽

Eduardo Castillo-González ◽

Rosario León-Lira

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Life Cycle Analysis ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Water Footprint ◽

Product System ◽

Carbon Footprints ◽

Residual Biomass ◽

The Impact

Coffee is the beverage resulting from the infusion of roasted and ground seeds of the coffee fruit. It is one of the most commercialized products in the world and represents a high interest agro-industrial product in Mexico. The demand for this product has grown in great measure in the last decade, thus it is becoming more important to make environmental and energetic evaluations of its manufacturing process. In this sense, life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful tool for the purposes of this study, as it quantifies the wake of environmental impacts associated to the production and supply chain from its inputs and outputs of the product system. Therefore, the impact categories studied were carbon, energetic, and water footprints. The cultivation phase led to global contributions between 61% and 67% in magnitude for energy and carbon footprints, respectively; meanwhile, the coffee benefit process was the phase with the most contributions to the water footprint (54%). The residual biomass from the product system used as the energy supply within the coffee drying sub-phase represented energy savings of around 41% in comparison to the use of conventional fossil fuels, thus reducing the global impact associated to the system’s product.

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Public Policy and Biofuels: Energy, Environment and Food Trilemma

Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism ◽

10.14505//jemt.v10.3(35).01 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 479 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hryhorii KALETNIK ◽

Viktor PRYSHLIAK ◽

Natalia PRYSHLIAK

Keyword(s):

Public Policy ◽

Food Security ◽

Energy Use ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Biofuel Policy ◽

The Public ◽

Production And Consumption ◽

Energy Environment ◽

The Impact

Current policies in energy sector address issues including environmentally friendly technologies, clean and renewable energy supplies and encourage more efficient energy use. The biofuel policy aims to promote production and consumption of fuels made from biomass. Despite the presence of both positive and negative effects of biofuels the world production and consumption of biofuels have been increasing significantly. To a large extent, this is due to an active public policy in the field of stimulating the production and consumption of biofuels. The volume of biofuel production in the leading countries (USA, Brazil and the EU) has been analyzed. The influence of public policy in the sphere of biofuel production and consumption on energy, environment and food security of the state has been examined. Multivariable and paired correlation as well as regression analysis aimed to determine the price dependence of the main crops used as feedstock for biofuels production, the volume of their production or processing for biofuels and the volumes of biofuel production have been carried out. As a result of this analysis the impact of the public policies in biofuels on the еnergy, environment and food security has been identified.

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