scholarly journals Assessing the Effect of Modifying Milking Routines on Dairy Farm Economic and Environmental Performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 266-277
Author(s):  
Michael Breen ◽  
Michael D. Murphy ◽  
John Upton
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Net Profit ◽  
Labor Utilization ◽  
Renewable Technology

The objective of this paper was to quantify the economic and environmental effects of changing a dairy farm’s milking start times. Changing morning and evening milking start times could reduce both electricity costs and farm electricity related CO2 emissions. However, this may also involve altering farmer routines which are based on practical considerations. Hence, these changes need to be quantified both in terms of profit/emissions and in terms of how far these milking start times deviate from normal operations. The method presented in this paper optimized the combination of dairy farm infrastructure setup and morning and evening milking start times, based on a weighting variable (α) which assigned relative importance to labor utilization, farm net profit and farm electricity related CO2 emissions. Multi-objective optimization was utilized to assess trade-offs between labor utilization and net profit, as well as labor utilization and electricity related CO2 emissions. For a case study involving a 195 cow Irish dairy farm, when the relative importance of maximizing farm net profit or minimizing farm electricity related CO2 emissions was high, the least common milking start times (06:00 and 20:00) were selected. When the relative importance of labor utilization was high, the most common milking start times (07:00 and 17:00) were selected. The 195 cow farm saved €137 per annum when milking start times were changed from the most common to the least common. Reductions in electricity related CO2 emissions were also seen when the milking start times were changed from most common to least common. However, this reduction in emissions was primarily due to the addition of efficient and renewable technology to the farm. It was deduced that the monetary and environmental benefits of altering farmer milking routines were unlikely to change normal farm operating procedures.

scholarly journals Modelling Sustainable Industrial Symbiosis

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1172
Author(s):  
Hafiz Haq ◽  
Petri Välisuo ◽  
Seppo Niemi
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Industrial Symbiosis ◽  
Comprehensive Model ◽  
Network Connections

Industrial symbiosis networks conventionally provide economic and environmental benefits to participating industries. However, most studies have failed to quantify waste management solutions and identify network connections in addition to methodological variation of assessments. This study provides a comprehensive model to conduct sustainable study of industrial symbiosis, which includes identification of network connections, life cycle assessment of materials, economic assessment, and environmental performance using standard guidelines from the literature. Additionally, a case study of industrial symbiosis network from Sodankylä region of Finland is implemented. Results projected an estimated life cycle cost of €115.20 million. The symbiotic environment would save €6.42 million in waste management cost to the business participants in addition to the projected environmental impact of 0.95 million tonne of CO2, 339.80 tonne of CH4, and 18.20 tonne of N2O. The potential of further cost saving with presented optimal assessment in the current architecture is forecast at €0.63 million every year.

scholarly journals A Practical Method for Assessing the Energy Consumption & CO2 Emissions of Mass Haulers

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassanean Jassim ◽  
Weizhuo Lu ◽  
Thomas Olofsson
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Practical Method ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
Planning Program ◽  
Detailed Model ◽  
Proposed Model

Mass hauling operations play central roles in construction projects. They typically use many haulers that consume large amounts of energy and emit significant quantities of CO2. However, practical methods for estimating the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of such operations during project planning are lacking. This paper presents a detailed model for estimating the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of mass haulers that integrates the mass hauling plan with a set of predictive equations. The mass hauling plan is generated using a planning program such as DynaRoad in conjunction with data on the productivity of selected haulers and the amount of material to be hauled during cutting, filling, borrowing, and disposal operations. This plan is then used as input for estimating the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of the selected hauling fleet. The proposed model will help planners to assess the energy and environmental performance of mass hauling plans, and to select hauler and fleet configurations that will minimize these quantities. The model was applied in a case study, demonstrating that it can reliably predict energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and hauler productivity as functions of the hauling distance for individual haulers and entire hauling fleets.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Global versus Local Environmental and Economic Performance of Dairying: A Case Study of Swiss Mountain Farms

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Repar ◽  
Pierrick Jan ◽  
Thomas Nemecek ◽  
Dunja Dux ◽  
Reiner Doluschitz
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Dairy Farming ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Farming Policy ◽  
Global And Local

Improving the sustainability of the dairy food chain requires a simultaneous improvement in global and local environmental performance, as well as in the economic performance of dairy farms. We investigated the effect of different structural, farm management, socio-demographic, technological and natural-environment-related factors on the economic and environmental performance of dairying. Our analysis relied on a case study of 56 Swiss alpine dairy farm observations, for which cradle-to-farm gate life cycle assessments and farm accountancy data were combined. The data refer to the years 2006 to 2008. The effect of the selected factors on farms’ economic and environmental performance was analysed by means of non-parametric statistical approaches. The results revealed the existence of some factors presenting synergies and several factors showing trade-offs in the enhancement of farm global environmental, local environmental and economic performance. More generally, the promotion of farm global environmental performance and farm economic performance was shown to be synergetic whereas the enhancement of farm global and local environmental performance turned out to be mostly antinomic. However, some factors, namely organic farming, higher agricultural education, silage-free milk production, and also, to a weaker extent, full-time farming, larger farm size and lower intensity of cattle concentrates use, showed a potential to bring simultaneous improvements in the global and local environmental performance as well as the economic performance of dairy farming. Policy-makers should be aware of the complexity of the joint improvement of farm economic and environmental performance and only promote factors capable of synergistically enhancing the environmental and economic performance of dairy farming.

scholarly journals ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS FROM CO2 REDUCTION, DUE TO MODAL REPLACEMENT: CASE STUDY ON LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE IN BRASILIA CITY

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Henrique da Silva Costa ◽  
Leisy Mikaelly Alves Teixeira ◽  
Janaína Cardoso Pinheiro ◽  
Fabiana Serra Arruda ◽  
Augusto César de Mendonça Brasil
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Co2 Reduction ◽  
Federal District ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Rail Vehicle ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2 ◽  
Reduction Of Co2

This work aims to measure the reduction of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions in atmosphere by replacing the modal urban bus by Light Rail Vehicle (VLT). In order to accomplish this objective, a case study in Brasilia, Federal District, in the stretch of VLT which passes on Via W-3 South was conducted. The Theory of Externalities that discusses the right to ownership of private and public goods and responsibilities about the positive and negative externalities caused by the agents and individuals of society was used to support the analyses. It was used the Top-Down method, which allowed the calculation the direct emissions of CO2. The values obtained on the reduction of CO2 emissions were converted into values of carbon credits as a way to economically measure such reductions.  The results showed a significant reduction in CO2 emissions per year and consequent environmental benefit.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/CIT2016.2016.3480 

scholarly journals Co-Benefits Analysis of Buildings Based on Different Renewal Strategies: The Emergy-Lca Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 592
Author(s):  
Wenjing Cui ◽  
Jingke Hong ◽  
Guiwen Liu ◽  
Kaijian Li ◽  
Yuanyuan Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Existing Building ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
M Phase ◽  
Loading Ratio ◽  
Growth And Aging

Many cities have encountered challenges associated with rapid urban development, population growth and aging, in which urban renewal has become a promising option. Different renewal strategies, such as redevelopment, refurbishment and conservation, not only contributes to quality improvement and energy consumption reduction of dilapidated urban area, but also to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation. Such integrated benefits are often termed as co-benefits. However, choosing the most co-benefits strategy to adopt requires a holistic understanding of social-economic and environmental aspects, which has been less reported in the existing literature. Under such circumstance, this article aims to shed light on the co-benefits of different renewal strategies by adopting the Emergy-Life cycle assessment method. Then, the method is applied to one case study of the refurbishment of an educational building located in Chongqing, China. Resource allocation, CO2 emissions and emergy-based indicators are calculated to assess the co-benefits during a 60-year research period, to compare the impacts of the complete demolition followed by a new one (rebuilding strategy) and the refurbishing of the existing building (refurbishment strategy). The case study shows that the annual emergy in the O&M phase of rebuilding strategy and refurbishment strategy were lower than existing building. Rebuilding and refurbishment strategies released approximately 59.1% and 80.6%, respectively, of the total CO2 emissions that would be produced by the existing building. The results reveal that substantial environmental benefits can be obtained in both the refurbishment and rebuilding strategies. On the other hand, it can be concluded that the emergy yield ratio (EYR) for the rebuilding strategy is higher than refurbishment strategy, which demonstrate the better performance of refurbishment considering that less resources are required to generate greater benefits. In addition, the value of environmental loading ratio (ELR) and emergy sustainability index (ESI) also suggests that the refurbishment strategy performs better from the perspective of the environment. Thereby, the refurbishment strategy is more suitable than the rebuilding strategy. Findings from this study can be useful to urban planners and decision-makers in choosing the most suitable strategy to improve the quality of existing buildings.

Examining the Viability of Corporate Recycling Initiatives and Their Overall Environmental Impact: The Case of Nike Grind and the Reuse-A-Shoe Program

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Alexander Curtis ◽  
Amanda Hansson
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Closed Loop System ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives

The Reuse-A-Shoe program and Nike Grind are sustainability initiatives run by Nike to improve their environmental performance through the recycling of worn out shoes and surplus manufacturing materials into various surface materials. However, the positive environmental benefits associated with recycling may be offset by the negative impacts caused by the extensive logistics associated with these programs. This case study provides an overview and breakdown of both Nike and its recycling programs. It addresses the positive and negative environmental impacts of these programs, such as reduced waste to landfill and increased greenhouse gas emissions from increased transportation. The analysis concludes that these programs have limited potential in achieving any significant positive environmental impact and that Nike should investigate alternative models focusing more on biodegradable materials or a closed-loop system where materials are upcycled rather than downcycled, and where both material use and greenhouse gas emissions are considered.

scholarly journals A Decision Support Approach to Provide Sustainable Solutions to the Consumer, by Using Electrical Appliances

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1143 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Matias ◽  
Ricardo Santos ◽  
Antonio Abreu
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Evolutionary Algorithms ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Optimization Technique ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Knowing That

The diversity of energy efficiency appliances existent on the market, with all its different issues, contributes to the existence of several tradeoffs (e.g., energy and water consumption vs. initial investment), which make the consumer’s choices in the market difficult. This becomes even more relevant, by knowing that nowadays a consumer tries to get a solution from the market, with a good compromise between the economic, social and environmental dimensions, and according to its priorities and specific needs, which can be different from other consumers. By adopting a multicriteria approach, combined with an optimization technique, based on evolutionary algorithms (EA), it will be possible to provide a set of sustainable solutions from the market to the consumer, that respects the compromise referred before. In this work, it will be presented an approach to support a decision-agent (DA) (consumer), by performing a set of sustainable choices based on electrical appliances, from the market and suitable to its needs. The method will be applied to a case study, to demonstrate its application. Regarding the obtained solutions, several savings are achieved (electrical and water consumption, CO2 emissions) by taking into account the consumer’s relative importance, regarding each dimension considered.

scholarly journals Assessment of Cold Ironing and LNG as Mitigation Tools of Short Sea Shipping Emissions in Port: A Spanish Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 2050
Author(s):  
Alba Martínez-López ◽  
Alejandro Romero ◽  
José A. Orosa
Keyword(s):  
Calculation Method ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Liquefied Natural Gas ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Electricity Supply ◽  
Short Sea Shipping ◽  
Fuel Burning ◽  
Electricity Grids ◽  
Lag Times

By the end of 2025 European ports are required to provide (Directive 2014/94/EU) facilities to ensure the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) use and on-shore electricity supply for vessels (Cold Ironing—CI). Even though this involves considerable port investment, many uncertainties about CI and LNG performance exist because their application depends on vessel operators’ willingness. Additionally, lag times for CI connection/disconnection along with methane emissions from LNG undermine their feasibility for Short Sea Shipping (SSS). Since, among the SSS aims are the reduction in berthing times and its effectiveness for inter-islands’ traffic where, land electricity grids are frequently dependent on the fuel burning generation by penalizing the CI performance. This paper introduces a calculation method to evaluate the pollution savings in monetary terms by CI and LNG use in SSS. The method is applied to three European routes by testing the environmental performance of two fleets: feeder and Ro-Pax vessels. The results show that feeders reach higher environmental improvements by using port mitigation than Ro-Pax vessels. Additionally, the need for ensuring the sustainability of on-shore grids before the CI implementation was evinced, especially in insularity frameworks, where the environmental benefits from LNG use proved to be more effective.

Corporate Social Responsibility Practices in Indian Petroleum Companies: A Case Study of Selected PSUs

Think India ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 13-18
Author(s):  
Abhijit Ranjan Das ◽  
Subhadeep Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Net Worth ◽  
Net Profit ◽  
Petroleum Companies ◽  
Corporate Social

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not a very new concept, it is an old concept. Earlier, in India it was optional to the company that they may contribute voluntarily towards CSR but after the Companies Act 2013, it was formally introduced in the business environment and was made mandatory for those companies whose net worth and profit cross a threshold limit. They should contribute 2% of the average net profit of just preceding three years profit. This paper primarily focuses on CSR practices of some selected public sector petroleum companies in India. The study has been conducted based on the Annual Reports of seven selected public sector companies. Five years of data on CSR spending from 2009–10 to 2014–15 were examined. Moreover, the pattern of expenses was also examined. Since petroleum companies are giants of the India economy and contribute significantly towards the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of our country. Thus it is necessary to look into how these companies are contributing towards CSR. An attempt has been made to examine the early impact of Section 135 of the Companies Act.

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