Effects of Rock Powder Additions to Cattle Slurry on Ammonia and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

For several decades, farmers have been mixing rock powders with livestock slurry to reduce its NH3 emissions and increase its nutrient content. However, mixing rock powders with slurry is controversial, and there is currently no scientific evidence for its effects on NH3 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or on changes in its nutrient content due to element release from rock powders. The major aim of this study was therefore to analyse the effects of mixing two commercially established rock powders with cattle slurry on NH3, CO2, N2O and CH4 emissions, and on nutrient release over a course of 46 days. We found that rock powders did not significantly affect CO2 emission rates. NH3 and N2O emission rates did not differ significantly up until the end of the trial, when the emission rates of the rock powder treatments significantly increased for NH3 and significantly decreased for N2O, respectively, which coincided with a reduction of the slurry crust. Cumulative NH3 emissions did not, however, differ significantly between treatments. Unexpected and significant increases in CH4 emission rates occurred for the rock powder treatments. Rock powders increased the macro- and micronutrient content of the slurry. The conflicting results are discussed and future research directions are proposed.

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Integrating BIM with greenhouse-gas emissions in AEC: A scientometric review

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202014301008 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 143 ◽

pp. 01008

Author(s):

Mengyun Li ◽

Kun Lu ◽

Hongyu Wang ◽

Sai Wang

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Development Trend ◽

Status Quo ◽

Information Modeling ◽

Future Research ◽

Systematic Analysis ◽

Building Information ◽

The Development Trend ◽

Calculation Analysis

More and more attention has been paid to the application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the field of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC). However, systematic analysis and visualization of its development trend have not been carried out. This paper combined digital statistical method and scientometrics to analyse major documents published in the Scopus database from 2008 to September 2019 and discussed the development trend, the main journals co-citation and keywords co-occurrence of this field. And then main challenges and future research were summarized by content analysis. The results show that: (1) the number of articles related to integrating BIM with GHG emissions has increased significantly in AEC, which deserves more and more scholars to study in this field; (2) top cited journals mainly focus on built environment, BIM and clean technology; (3) BIM and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are the mainstream issues in the calculation, analysis and decisionmaking of GHG emissions. This review provides status quo and existing main challenges of knowledge system of BIM applied to GHG emissions in AEC, and also offers inspiration for future research.

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Towards a benchmarking tool for minimizing wastewater utility greenhouse gas footprints

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2012.495 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 66 (11) ◽

pp. 2483-2495 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

L. Guo ◽

J. Porro ◽

K. R. Sharma ◽

Y. Amerlinck ◽

L. Benedetti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Activated Sludge ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Treatment Plant ◽

N2o Emission ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

N2o Production ◽

Average Value ◽

And Control

A benchmark simulation model, which includes a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)-wide model and a rising main sewer model, is proposed for testing mitigation strategies to reduce the system's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The sewer model was run to predict methane emissions, and its output was used as the WWTP model input. An activated sludge model for GHG (ASMG) was used to describe nitrous oxide (N2O) generation and release in activated sludge process. N2O production through both heterotrophic and autotrophic pathways was included. Other GHG emissions were estimated using empirical relationships. Different scenarios were evaluated comparing GHG emissions, effluent quality and energy consumption. Aeration control played a clear role in N2O emissions, through concentrations and distributions of dissolved oxygen (DO) along the length of the bioreactor. The average value of N2O emission under dynamic influent cannot be simulated by a steady-state model subjected to a similar influent quality, stressing the importance of dynamic simulation and control. As the GHG models have yet to be validated, these results carry a degree of uncertainty; however, they fulfilled the objective of this study, i.e. to demonstrate the potential of a dynamic system-wide modelling and benchmarking approach for balancing water quality, operational costs and GHG emissions.

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Greenhouse gas disclosures by Chinese power companies: trends, content and strategies

Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change ◽

10.1108/jaoc-07-2015-0054 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 331-358 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mahmood Ahmed Momin ◽

Deryl Northcott ◽

Mohammed Hossain

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Reputation Management ◽

Annual Reports ◽

Future Research ◽

Chinese Government ◽

Content Type ◽

Management Objectives ◽

Corporate Social ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the greenhouse gas (GHG)-related disclosure trends, content and strategies of the eight most high GHG-emitting Chinese power companies, over a period when government pressure to manage GHG emissions increased. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from the 2000-2009 annual reports, corporate social and environmental responsibility reports and websites of eight Chinese power companies. Content analysis results were supplemented with excerpts from documents written in English or Chinese. Legitimacy theory informed the interpretation of the findings. Findings GHG-related disclosures increased from 2002 when the Chinese Government ratified the Kyoto Protocol and promulgated stringent environmental regulations. However, some expected types of GHG-related disclosure were absent or rare. Disclosure practices were found to be underpinned by reputation management objectives and reflected a symbolic rather than substantive legitimation strategy. Research limitations/implications This study extends the literature on GHG-related disclosures by carbon-intensive firms and points to the need for future research to examine such disclosures in different countries to appreciate the variety in practice. Practical implications While the Chinese Government appears to have driven the emergence of GHG-related disclosure practices, companies can effect improvement by expanding the scope and content of what they disclose. Also, the growing emphasis on website disclosures may present challenges in ensuring the reliability and assurance of GHG disclosures. Originality/value This is the first study to examine GHG-related disclosure practices by Chinese power-generating companies, a sector crucial to managing the GHG effects of China’s significant economic growth.

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Alternative-Fuel-Vehicle Policy Interactions Increase U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions

10.31219/osf.io/n69tp ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Alan Jenn ◽

Inês Azevedo ◽

Jeremy Joseph Michalek

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Alternative Fuel ◽

The United States ◽

Energy Information Administration ◽

Emission Rates ◽

Passenger Cars ◽

Light Duty ◽

Alternative Fuel Vehicle ◽

Light Duty Vehicle

The transportation sector is currently the largest contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States, and light-duty vehicles produce the majority of transportation emissions. Federal standards for fleet-averaged vehicle GHG emission rates and their corresponding corporate average fuel economy standards cap GHG emissions of the US light-duty vehicle fleet. In addition, two key policies aim to encourage a future fleet transition to alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) technologies: (1) incentives that treat AFVs favorably in the federal GHG standard, and (2) state zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) policy, which mandates AFV sales in some states. While each of these AFV policies can encourage AFV adoption, we show that net GHG emissions increase when both policies are present simultaneously. Specifically, we estimate changes in life cycle GHG emissions and gasoline consumption, relative to a pure federal fleet GHG standard (without AFV incentives or mandates), resulting from the introduction of (1) AFV incentives in federal fleet GHG policy, (2) state ZEV mandates, and (3) the combination of the two. We find that under fairly general conditions the combined AFV policies produce higher GHG emissions than either policy alone. This result is a consequence of state mandates increasing AFV sales in the presence of federal incentives that relax the fleet GHG standard when AFVs are sold. Using AFV sales projections from the Energy Information Administration and the California Air Resources Board, we estimate that the combined policies produce an increase on the order of 100 million tons of CO2 emissions cumulatively for new passenger cars sold from 2012 through 2025 relative to a pure GHG standard. AFV incentives in the GHG standard conflate policy goals by encouraging AFV adoption at the cost of higher fleet GHG emissions, and they permit even higher fleet GHG emissions when other policies, such as the ZEV mandate, increase AFV adoption.

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Trends in greenhouse gas emissions from dairy cattle in Mexico between 1970 and 2010

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an12327 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 54 (3) ◽

pp. 292 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. A. Rendón-Huerta ◽

J. M. Pinos-Rodríguez ◽

J. C. García-López ◽

L. G. Yáñez-Estrada ◽

E. Kebreab

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Emission Intensity ◽

Management Practices ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

N2o Emission ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Intergovernmental Panel ◽

Enteric Methane

The objective of the present work was to estimate and assess trends in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), from dairy cows in Mexico from the base year of 1970 to 2010. Empirical and mechanistic models were used to estimate enteric methane emissions based on chemical composition of diets. Methane from manure was calculated using Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) and US Environmental Protection Agency recommended equations. N2O emission was calculated according to IPCC recommendations. Compared with the 1970s, current management practices using modern dairy cows increased feed conversion efficiency 32% and milk yield 62%. GHG emission intensity (i.e. emissions per unit of product) was reduced 30%, 25% and 30% for CH4, N2O and total emissions, respectively. The study showed that although GHG emissions in absolute terms increased in the past 40 years, emission intensity decreased due to higher level of production. This trend is likely to continue in the future, assuming milk production follows the same increasing trend as in other countries in North America.

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Animal nutrition strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in dairy cattle

Acta Universitaria ◽

10.15174/au.2018.1766 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (5) ◽

pp. 34-41

Author(s):

Juan Antonio Rendon-Huerta ◽

Juan Manuel Pinos-Rodríguez ◽

Ermias Kebreab

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cattle ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Dietary Protein ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

N2o Emission ◽

Nitrogen Excretion ◽

Animal Nutrition ◽

Intergovernmental Panel ◽

Ch4 And N2o ◽

Forage:Concentrate Ratio

The objective of this study was to analyze different animal nutrition strategies from published papers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in dairy cattle. Ration data used (n = 32 diets) was obtained from 15 published papers selected according to differences between forage:concentrate ratio and crude protein (CP) content. An empirical model was used to estimate enteric methane emissions based on fiber and CP content in the diets. The N2O emission was calculated according to Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) recommendations. Differences between CH4 and N2O affected by FC or CP content were analyzed through a variance analysis. Furthermore, a correlation analysis was carried out to compare CP content and nitrogen excretion in feces, urine and milk. Estimations of enteric CH4 were not significantly different between diets with various forage content levels. Diets with high concentrate content had lower GHG intensity. Nitrogen excretion in feces and urine increased linearly as dietary protein level was increased from the lowest to the highest concentrations, but conversion of nitrogen intake to nitrogen excreted in milk was not affected by increasing dietary protein. In conclusion, dietary manipulation could decrease GHG emissions by unit of produced milk.

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Determinants of greenhouse gas assurance provider choice

Meditari Accountancy Research ◽

10.1108/medar-08-2016-0072 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 114-135 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Wendy Green ◽

Stuart Taylor ◽

Jennifer Wu

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Future Research ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Accounting Firms ◽

Content Type ◽

Provider Choice ◽

Geographical Dispersion ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose This paper surveys corporate officers responsible for greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting and assurance to determine the attributes that influence their choice between an accounting and a non-accounting GHG assurance provider. Differences in the relative importance of these attributes between those selecting accounting and non-accounting assurers are also explored. Design/methodology/approach A survey questionnaire was completed by 25 corporate officers responsible for reporting and voluntarily assurance of GHG emissions in Australia. The questionnaire asked the respondents to indicate the relative importance of 41 company and assurer attributes in influencing their assurance provider choice. Findings Results indicate that attributes related to the assurance provider, such as team and team leader assurance knowledge, reputation, objectivity and independence, are more influential than attributes related to the nature of the company or the nature of the GHG emissions. Attributes such as geographical dispersion of operations were found to be differently important to this decision between companies purchasing assurance from accounting and non-accounting firms. Research limitations/implications The study’s main limitation is the small number of participants. Future research may extend this study by exploring the conditions under which companies voluntarily assure GHG emissions as well the motivations of responsible officers in their assurer choice. Practical implications This paper provides valuable insights to GHG assurers to assist their understanding of the attributes that are important to potential GHG assurance clients. Originality/value The study makes unique contributions to the assurer choice literature by not only addressing this issue in the context of the dichotomous GHG assurance market but also by addressing it from the perspective of the assurance purchaser.

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Estimation of Greenhouse Gas Emission from Hanwoo (Korean Native Cattle) Manure Management Systems

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11080845 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 845

Author(s):

Seunggun Won ◽

Youngbin Yoon ◽

Muhammad Mahboob Ali Hamid ◽

Arif Reza ◽

Soomin Shim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

N2o Emission ◽

Management Systems ◽

Manure Management ◽

Monthly Average ◽

Emission Fluxes ◽

Native Cattle ◽

Ch4 And N2o ◽

Country Specific

The agricultural sector is considered one of the major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. The livestock industry as a significant contributor, is accounting for about 18% of GHG emissions measured in carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent from agricultural practices. Depending on farming practices and climatic conditions, GHGs such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from livestock agriculture can vary significantly. Country-specific emission factors are, therefore, needed for a precise estimation of GHG emissions and to avoid uncertainties. This study was aimed at estimating the CH4 and N2O emission fluxes from Hanwoo (the most famous and popular Korean native cattle) manure management systems. CH4 and N2O emission fluxes from litter in the Hanwoo cattle barn and composting lot were monitored and calculated for 52 weeks using the dynamic chamber method. The calculated monthly average fluxes of CH4 and N2O from litter in the cattle barn ranged from 0.0 to 30.0 ± 13.7 and 0.896 ± 0.557 to 2.925 ± 2.853 μg/m2 s, respectively during the whole measurement period. While during the composting period, the monthly average of CH4 and N2O emission fluxes were varied from 1.449 ± 0.783 to 86.930 ± 19.092 and 0.511 ± 0.410 to 2.629 ± 1.105 μg/m2 s, respectively. The calculated emission fluxes of CH4 and N2O from manure management systems in this study were almost 5.4 and 2.1 times, respectively higher than the values reported for the Asian, South and North American countries in the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Overall, this study initiates the process along with signifies the importance of developing country-specific GHG inventories for the effective reduction of GHG emissions from the livestock sector in Korea.

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Technology choices in scaling up sanitation can significantly affect greenhouse gas emissions and the fertiliser gap in India

Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development ◽

10.2166/washdev.2017.005 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 466-476 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Michal Kulak ◽

Nimish Shah ◽

Niteen Sawant ◽

Nicole Unger ◽

Henry King

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Source Separation ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Scaling Up ◽

Future Research ◽

Batch Reactors ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽

Available Nitrogen ◽

Large Variability ◽

Country Level

Nearly 800 million people in India lack access to adequate sanitation. The choice of technology for addressing this need may have important sustainability implications. In this study, we used life cycle assessment to compare environmental impacts and nutrient recovery potentials of four different options for providing everyone in India with access to improved sanitation: (i) centralised wastewater treatment with sequential batch reactors (SBR), (ii) twin-pit latrines, (iii) latrines with source separation only and (iv) latrines with source-separation of urine and faeces connected to biogas plants. Results revealed large variability. Closing the sanitation gap through pit latrines would be expected to cause large increases of India's annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, equivalent to 7% of current levels. Source separation only and centralised plants with SBR will be associated with lower GHG emissions, while the biogas scenario shows a potential to provide net emission reduction. The study revealed that source separating systems can provide significant quantities of plant available nitrogen and phosphorus at the country level. Future research should include more technological options and regions. Methodology piloted in this study can be integrated into the planning and design processes for scaling up sanitation in India and other countries.

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Effects of Fertilizer Placement on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Sun and Shade Grown Ornamental Crop1

Journal of Environmental Horticulture ◽

10.24266/0738-2898-37.3.74 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 74-80

Author(s):

Anna-Marie Murphy ◽

G. Brett Runion ◽

Stephen A. Prior ◽

H. Allen Torbert ◽

Jeff L. Sibley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Production Systems ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Fertilizer Application ◽

N2o Emission ◽

Plant Production ◽

Pot Size ◽

Ornamental Crops ◽

Sun And Shade

Abstract The level to which ornamental plant production impacts rising atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations remains unknown. Research to date has focused on developing baseline estimations of GHG emissions from plant-pot production systems and their contribution to global warming potential. To date, pot size, irrigation delivery method and fertilizer application method have been evaluated in the production of common woody ornamental crops. In this study, two perennial herbaceous plants, full-sun-grown ‘Stella D'Oro' daylily (Hemerocallis × ‘Stella D'Oro' L.) and shade-grown ‘Royal Standard' hosta (Hosta × ‘Royal Standard') (Hosta plantaginea Aschers × Hosta sieboldiana N.Fujita) were grown utilizing one of three common fertilizer application methods (dibbled, incorporated or top-dressed). Plants were grown in 3.8 L (1 gal) nursery containers in a 6:1 pinebark:sand substrate with standard amendments. Gas samples were collected in situ according to standard GRACEnet protocols weekly for five months. Cumulative emissions for both CO2 and N2O were least for plant-pot systems using the dibbled fertilizer method, regardless of species. Cumulative CO2 emissions were highest for plants fertilized by incorporation, followed by those fertilized by top-dressing. No differences were observed between N2O efflux measurements for systems fertilized by either the incorporated or top-dressed methods. Results suggest that dibbling fertilizer could significantly decrease both CO2 and N2O emission. Index words: carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, trace gas. Species used in this study: ‘Stella D'Oro' daylily (Hemerocallis × ‘Stella D'Oro' L.); ‘Royal Standard' hosta [(Hosta × ‘Royal Standard') (Hosta plantaginea Aschers × Hosta sieboldiana N.Fujita)].

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