scholarly journals Improving the Sustainability of Dairy Slurry by A Commercial Additive Treatment

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 4998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Borgonovo ◽  
Cecilia Conti ◽  
Daniela Lovarelli ◽  
Valentina Ferrante ◽  
Marcella Guarino
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Cattle Slurry ◽  
N Loss ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Environmental Impact Categories ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from livestock farms contribute to negative environmental impacts such as acidification and climate change. A significant part of these emissions is produced from the decomposition of slurry in livestock facilities, during storage and treatment phases. This research aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the additive “SOP LAGOON” (made of agricultural gypsum processed with proprietary technology) on (i) NH3 and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, (ii) slurry properties and N loss. Moreover, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method was applied to assess the potential environmental impact associated with stored slurry treated with the additive. Six barrels were filled with 65 L of cattle slurry, of which three were used as a control while the additive was used in the other three. The results indicated that the use of the additive led to a reduction of total nitrogen, nitrates, and GHG emissions. LCA confirmed the higher environmental sustainability of the scenario with the additive for some environmental impact categories among which climate change. In conclusion, the additive has beneficial effects on both emissions and the environment, and the nitrogen present in the treated slurry could partially displace a mineral fertilizer, which can be considered an environmental credit.

Estimating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Oman Using Different Frameworks

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 332-348
Author(s):  
Tariq Umar
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Organic Waste ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Gulf Cooperation Council ◽  
Council Member ◽  
Tackle Climate Change

Reduction in emissions is the key to tackle climate change issues and achieve environmental sustainability. The Gulf Cooperation Council member countries however, not only generate the highest quantity of MSW/capita when compared globally but also in most of these countries such waste is just dumped at different landfill stations. In Oman, the total quantity of MSW stood at 2.0 million tonnes/year. The emission from this waste is estimated at 2,989,467 tonnes/year (CO2 Equivalent). This article attempts to develop frameworks that considered landfilling, composting, and recycling of MSW and compared the emissions of these frameworks. The framework (F2) which proposes the landfilling and composting process for the organic waste which normally goes to landfills results in an increase of emissions by 7% as compared to landfill practice. Similarly, the samples of MSW collected in Oman show a good amount of recycling waste. The framework (F3) which considers the landfill, composting, and recycling reduced the total Greenhouse Gas emissions from 2,989,467 tonnes/year to 2,959,735 tonnes/year (CO2 Equivalent); representing a total reduction of 1% in emissions. Although composting increases the emissions, however, considering composting and recycling will not only reduce the burden on landfills but will promote agricultural and industrial activates.

scholarly journals Climate Change Impacts on Livestock Production Systems: A Review

2014 ◽  
pp. 148-189
Author(s):  
Angie Poliquit
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Livestock Production ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Indirect Impacts ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

The socio-economic contribution of livestock production to global livelihood and food security offsets its negative effects on the environment through greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Livestocks are emitters of GHGs, carbon dioxide (CO2) from land conversion and deforestation, nitrous oxide (N2O) from manure and slurry, and methane (CH4) from animal digestion which significantly contribute to climate change. Climate change has both direct and indirect impacts on animal farming. Thus, the main concern nowadays is toward the development of programs for adaptation and mitigation of GHG emissions. This review provides knowledge about climate change impacts on livestock production systems with the identification of strategies for livestock adaptation to climate change and mitigation of GHG emissions.

scholarly journals Student accommodation, environmental behaviour and lessons for property managers

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Wilkinson ◽  
Agnieszka Zalejska Jonsson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Environment Impact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effective Strategies

PurposeDespite awareness of climate change for over 3 decades, per capita energy and water consumption increase and environmental impacts grow. The built environment contributes around 40% of total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; action is vital. Whilst building code standards have increased, rating tools and technology to reduce energy and water consumption are developed; environmental impact grows because of human behaviour. In the tertiary education sector, student accommodation constitutes a large part of the property portfolio, contributing significant amounts of GHG emissions and environmental impact. Property Managers can educate and install systems and technologies to improve behaviour if they understand it.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study used a questionnaire survey to explore how student's worldviews vary and the possible limitations to behaviour in respect of climate change. In total, 71 responses from international university students living in residential accommodation on campuses in Stockholm were analysed.FindingsThe results show different perceptions about the environment and actions that are needed, and this leads to different behaviours. Limited knowledge and inability to relate environmental consequences to one's own actions, effective communication and risk averse behaviour, are critical in mitigating climate change. A deeper understanding of participants worldviews and the different resulting behaviours was achieved.Research limitations/implicationsThis pilot study involved a small number of participants and future studies should expand participant numbers, including those with more varied backgrounds, education levels and age groups.Practical implicationsIf property managers gain a deeper understanding the different behaviours of their residents, they can develop effective strategies to facilitate action that will lower the environment impact and GHG emissions of student accommodation.Originality/valueThe knowledge gained about environmental attitudes and human behaviour can help property and facility managers, policy makers and regulators to develop more effective strategies to deliver improved sustainability outcomes.

scholarly journals Climate change, environmental sustainability and health care quality

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans C Ossebaard ◽  
Peter Lachman
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Healthcare Service ◽  
Health Care Quality ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Climate Crisis

Abstract The challenges for health care continue to grow and in the 21st century healthcare policymakers and providers will need to respond to the developing impact of global warming and the environmental impact of healthcare service delivery. This cannot be viewed apart from the current Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which is likely to be linked to the climate crisis.

scholarly journals Strategies for Sustainable Substitution of Livestock Meat

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1227
Author(s):  
Guihun Jiang ◽  
Kashif Ameer ◽  
Honggyun Kim ◽  
Eun-Jung Lee ◽  
Karna Ramachandraiah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Climate Impact ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
By Products

The consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly discernible everywhere, and initiatives have been taken worldwide to mitigate climate change. In agriculture, particularly meat production from the livestock sector is known to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that drive climate change. Thus, to mitigate climate impact, strategies that include a shift in consumption patterns, technological advancements and reduction in food wastes/losses have been discussed. In this review, strategies that focus on meat consumption patterns are evaluated from the technological feasibility, environmental impact and consumer acceptance viewpoints. While plant-based substitutes have efficient nutrient conversion and lower GHG emissions, consumer perception, cost, and other trade-offs exist. Although cultured meat precludes the need of any animals and large land areas, its environmental impact is not clear and is contingent upon production systems and the achievement of decarbonization. Reducing wastes and the re-use of meat processing by-products have the potential to lower the environmental impact. Valuable proteins, heat, electricity and biofuels extracted from wastes and by-products not only reduce the disposal of wastes but also offset some GHG emissions. Perception related challenges that exist for all substitution strategies require specific consumer target marketing strategies. Policy measures such as taxation of meat products and subsidies for alternatives are also met with challenges, thereby requiring reforms or new policies.

scholarly journals Mitigation activities to reduce emission of agricultural greenhouse gases in Hungary

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 115-119
Author(s):  
János Lazányi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Environmental Load ◽  
Environmental Care ◽  
Rural Development Programme ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Pressure on natural resources and the global environment have been identified as the most important challenges to maintain prosperity and improve environmental care. Agriculture is responsible for only a small proportion of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but the sector is more closely associated with emissions of other greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). The global warming potential of agricultural activities defined as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in CO2 equivalents is relatively low in Hungary, when calculated per land area. However this difference decline, when a GHG emission is calculated per product unit, as yields are lower then in West European countries. Environmental load caused by agriculture is also low in Hungary, where increasing part of EU resources are used for the long-term preservation of natural resources and for the raising of awareness of sustainable farming. The strength of the environmental situation of Hungary, consist of several elements, such as the rich bio-diversity, the significant size of territories falling under natural protection, the extent and importance of forests and the low environmental load from crop production. Among the weaknesses the nitrate load of the animal husbandry farms, the increasing water and wind erosion, the soil compaction and degradation have to be taken into consideration. Climate change has high risk potential and the mitigation activities of the New Hungary Rural Development Programme (HRDP) are investigated in this paper with the aim to increase mitigation activities in rural area and reduce the causes of climate change.  

scholarly journals Environmental sustainability of biofuels: a review

2020 ◽  
Vol 476 (2243) ◽  
pp. 20200351
Author(s):  
Harish K. Jeswani ◽  
Andrew Chilvers ◽  
Adisa Azapagic
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Methodological Choices

Biofuels are being promoted as a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels as they could help to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the related climate change impact from transport. However, there are also concerns that their wider deployment could lead to unintended environmental consequences. Numerous life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have considered the climate change and other environmental impacts of biofuels. However, their findings are often conflicting, with a wide variation in the estimates. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review and analyse the latest available evidence to provide a greater clarity and understanding of the environmental impacts of different liquid biofuels. It is evident from the review that the outcomes of LCA studies are highly situational and dependent on many factors, including the type of feedstock, production routes, data variations and methodological choices. Despite this, the existing evidence suggests that, if no land-use change (LUC) is involved, first-generation biofuels can—on average—have lower GHG emissions than fossil fuels, but the reductions for most feedstocks are insufficient to meet the GHG savings required by the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED). However, second-generation biofuels have, in general, a greater potential to reduce the emissions, provided there is no LUC. Third-generation biofuels do not represent a feasible option at present state of development as their GHG emissions are higher than those from fossil fuels. As also discussed in the paper, several studies show that reductions in GHG emissions from biofuels are achieved at the expense of other impacts, such as acidification, eutrophication, water footprint and biodiversity loss. The paper also investigates the key methodological aspects and sources of uncertainty in the LCA of biofuels and provides recommendations to address these issues.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study on the RFS Program of Korea with the US and UK

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung-Yull Shin ◽  
Gun-Woo Kim ◽  
Janet S. Zepernick ◽  
Kyu-Young Kang
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Policies ◽  
Transportation Sector ◽  
The Us ◽  
Carbon Neutral ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Uk

In 2016, the global environmental impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was 49.3 gigatons in CO2equivalent. Worldwide, the transportation sector is responsible for 14% of GHG. Electric vehicles powered by less-polluting energy sources are one way to reduce the environmental impact of the transportation sector, but immediate transportation demands cannot be met by existing electric vehicle technology. Use of less polluting biofuel in place of petroleum-based gasoline or diesel fuel to power the existing transportation fleet is a widely accepted transitional solution, including in the Republic of Korea. The purpose of this project is to investigate approaches to biofuels in the US and the UK to evaluate Korea’s current energy policies related to use of biofuels and to make recommendations for strengthening Korea’s energy policy. This project addresses only policies for use of biodiesel rather than ethanol (widely used in the US) because ethanol is not used in Korea. This research shows that Korea calculates GHG using the principle that biofuel is carbon neutral, but energy policies in the US and the UK treat biofuel as not entirely carbon neutral. Korea should examine how to calculate GHG from biodiesel according to the standard set by the UK. In detail, the project’s findings relate to environmental sustainability.

Holistic renovation of historic and heritage buildings: comparing New Zealand and international scenarios

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Paschoalin ◽  
Nigel Isaacs
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Cultural Significance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Built Heritage ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
Zero Carbon

PurposeHolistic renovation of historic and heritage buildings involving different stakeholders has the potential to reduce environmental impact. Climate change concerns are emphasizing environmental issues of cultural built heritage leading to new policies, guidelines and methods dealing with the challenge on how to lessen the environmental impact of built heritage without damaging its cultural significance. The purpose of this paper is to review existing international and New Zealand holistic guidelines for renovation of historic and heritage buildings.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review is used to identify international projects, methods and criteria within the holistic approach. Secondly, the New Zealand context is explored and compared with best international practices.FindingsFor instance, in New Zealand one increasingly important issue is the many vacant heritage and historic buildings in provincial town centres that need action to deal with building code seismic changes. Upgrades and adaptive reuse are opportunities to make them more sustainable and climate change resilient. However, the lack of national holistic guidelines regarding the challenge of reducing environmental impact whilst keeping the heritage values is a critical gap which urgently needs to be resolved. The need is further increased within the context of the recently passed Zero Carbon Act 2019, which aims for national zero carbon emissions by 2050.Originality/valueThese shared responsibilities for conserving historic and heritage buildings to maintain life in provincial towns on one hand, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the other, have the potential to contribute to a sustainable development of cities and communities.

scholarly journals E-Retailers and Environmental Sustainability

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 457-468
Author(s):  
Peter Jones ◽  
Daphne Comfort ◽  
David Hillier
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Management ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Corporate Web Sites ◽  
Empirical Material

The aim of this paper is to offer an exploratory review of the extent to which the world’s leading e-retailers are communicating the environmental impact of their business and their environmental sustainability agendas to their customers. The paper draws its empirical material from the most recent information on environmental sustainability posted on the world’s leading e-retailers’ corporate web sites. The findings reveal that the majority of the world’s leading e-retailers publicly report on their commitment to environmental sustainability which embraces climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, waste management, water management, bio-diversity and nature conservation. However the authors argue that these commitments can be interpreted as being driven as much by business imperatives and the search for efficiency gains as by any genuine commitment to environmental sustainability and that they are couched within existing business models centred on continuing growth. As such E-retailers are currently pursuing a ‘weak’ rather than a ‘strong’ model of sustainability.

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