scholarly journals Assessing the Impact of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on Economic Profitability of Arable, Forestry, and Silvoarable Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3637
Author(s):  
Kristina J. Kaske ◽  
Silvestre García de Jalón ◽  
Adrian G. Williams ◽  
Anil R. Graves
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Financial Model ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Market Values ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Safe Model

This study assesses the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sequestration of a silvoarable system with poplar trees and a crop rotation of wheat, barley, and oilseed rape and compares this with a rotation of the same arable crops and a poplar plantation. The Farm-SAFE model, a financial model of arable, forestry, and silvoarable systems, was modified to account for life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from tree and crop management were determined from life-cycle inventories and carbon storage benefits from the Yield-SAFE model, which predicts crop and tree yields in arable, forestry, and silvoarable systems. An experimental site in Silsoe in southern England served as a case study. The results showed that the arable system was the most financially profitable system, followed by the silvoarable and then the forestry systems, with equivalent annual values of EUR 560, 450 and 140 ha−1, respectively. When the positive and negative externalities of GHG sequestration and emissions were converted into carbon equivalents and given an economic value, the profitability of the arable systems was altered relative to the forestry and silvoarable systems, although in the analysis, the exact impact depended on the value given to GHG emissions. Market values for carbon resulted in the arable system remaining the most profitable system, albeit at a reduced level. Time series values for carbon proposed by the UK government resulted in forestry being the most profitable system. Hence, the relative benefit of the three systems was highly sensitive to the value that carbon was given in the analysis. This in turn is dependent on the perspective that is given to the analysis.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Potential for Reducing Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Motor Fuels

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3744
Author(s):  
Delfina Rogowska ◽  
Artur Wyrwa
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Fuel Production ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Motor Fuels ◽  
Process Heating ◽  
The Impact

The assessment of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of motor fuels is important due to the legal obligations and corporate social responsibility of the petroleum industry. Combining the Life-Cycle Assessment with optimization methods can provide valuable support in the decision-making process. In this paper, a mathematical model of a refinery was developed to analyze the impact of process optimization on GHG emissions at the fuel production stage. The model included ten major refinery units. Fuel production costs were minimized by taking into account the number of constraints. The analysis was performed in two steps. First, the model was run for the reference case of fuels composition. Then, more than twelve thousand model runs were performed. In each model, the fuel composition was changed. This change represented the exogenous pressures and resulted in different flows of mass, energy and GHG emission at the refinery. The most favorable results in terms of GHG emissions were then identified and analyzed. Additionally, the impact of using low-carbon fuels for process heating was evaluated. The study showed that fuel blending management could lead to the reduction of GHG emissions by 0.4 gCO2-eq/MJ while the use of low-carbon fuel for process heating results in a reduction of GHG emissions by 2 ca. gCO2-eq/MJ.

scholarly journals Environmental Changes Produced by Household Consumption

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (18) ◽  
pp. 5730
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Martínez ◽  
Ángeles Cámara
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Household Consumption ◽  
Retail Trade ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

This paper analyzes the impact of the fall in household consumption after an economic crisis in Spain on greenhouse gas emissions. To this end, household consumption is differentiated by the age of the main provider by using a conversion matrix that relates consumption groups to activity sectors. A multisectoral model was used to quantify and compare the environmental impact caused by the consumption of each age group, indicating that the older the age of the main household provider, the smaller the reduction in GHG emissions associated with their consumption. The results facilitate an analysis of how the greenhouse gas emissions of the different sectors of the Spanish economy, associated with the population under study, varied before and after the 2008 crisis, and confirm that the sectors with the greatest reduction in emissions were, in this order, extractive industries, construction, manufacturing industry, wholesale and retail trade and transport and storage. This is relevant for decision making in the field of environmental policies in crises, akin to the one the world is currently experiencing.

Life Cycle Inventory Data Development for Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Thailand's Electricity Grid Generation Systems

2008 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viganda Varabuntoonvit ◽  
Yucho Sadamichi ◽  
Seizo Kato ◽  
Thumrongrut Mungcharoen
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Life Cycle Inventory ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Generation System ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Electricity Grid ◽  
The Impact

LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) is a well known methodology to assess the impact on the environment over the life cycle of a product, process, or activity. This methodology is based on the LCI (Life Cycle Inventory) database, a data set of all resources (material and energy) that are consumed or emitted in order to produce 1 unit of the product. Because electricity is a basic infrastructure, a Thailand electricity grid LCI database is needed to assess the environmental impact not only for the product used in Thailand, but also for any product that is exported to other countries. A complete LCI database for the electricity grid in Thailand is not yet available, and the LCI database developed in this work applies from the fuel acquisition stage to the production stage. The analysis shows the unique characteristics of the Thailand electricity grid. An LCI database for each type of fuel and for each electricity generation system was developed. The characteristics of each type of fuel and electricity generation system are indicated in terms of Life Cycle GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions to reflect their global warming potential. Data on the Life Cycle GHG emission per kWh of electricity produced are also provided. The first Thailand LCI database for the fuels used in the electricity generation system was developed using data obtained from the EGAT (Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand), IPPs (Independent Power Producers), and PTT (Petroleum Authority of Thailand) during the Thai fiscal year 2005 (from October 2004 to September 2005). The database was used to analyze the current situation and the characteristics of the electricity generation system in Thailand and to compare it with the systems used in other developed countries.

scholarly journals Municipal Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Evidence from U.S. Cities on the U.S.-Mexico Border

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4763
Author(s):  
Sylvia Gonzalez-Gorman ◽  
Sung-Wook Kwon ◽  
Dennis Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Border Region ◽  
Vehicular Emissions ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

In this study, we examine municipal efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by focusing on emissions from vehicular sources. We compare what different cities have done to address the problem of GHG emissions from vehicles by using atmospheric data to assess the impact policy efforts have had on actual GHGs. We focus on an area overlooked in the literature, U.S. cities on the U.S.-Mexico transborder region. Using GHG vehicular emissions data from the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) and an ordinary least square model, this research foundcities have reduced levels of GHGs, especially when municipal efforts are supported by state policies to reduce GHG emissions. While GHG in general are transboundary and a global issue by nature, communities in the U.S. border region are directly impacted by vehicular emissions due to cross-border trade that is not prevalent in interior communities. However, one of the main limitations in this type of study is the lack of reportable environmental data for less populated cities on the U.S.-Mexico border. Future studies need to develop alternative approaches to sustainability that could provide a more nuanced examination of some of the challenges or success in the U.S. transborder region.

Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through the Shift From Fossil Fuels to Electricity in the Mass Transport System in Guayaquil, Ecuador

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel D. Ramirez ◽  
Danilo Arcentales ◽  
Andrea Boero
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Partial Replacement ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Carbon Intensity ◽  
Gas Emissions

Climate change is a serious threat to sustainability. Anthropogenic climate change is due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere beyond natural levels. Anthropogenic GHG emissions are mostly associated with carbon-dioxide (CO2) originated in the combustion of fossil fuels used for heat, power, and transportation. Globally, transportation contributes to 14% of the global GHG emissions. The transport sector is one of the main contributors to the greenhouse gas emissions of Ecuador. In Guayaquil, the road mass transportation system comprises regular buses and the bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Electricity in Ecuador is mostly derived from hydropower, hence incurs relatively low GHG emissions along its life cycle. Therefore, electrification of transport has been seen as an opportunity for mitigation of GHG emissions. In this study, the effect of partial replacement of the bus rapid system fleet is investigated. Feeders have been chosen as the replacement target in five different scenarios. GHG emissions from diesel-based feeders have been calculated using the GREET Fleet Footprint Calculator tool. The GHG emissions associated with the electricity used for transportation is calculated using the life cycle inventory of the electricity generation system of Ecuador. Three energy mix scenarios are used for this purpose. The 2012 mix which had 61% hydropower; the mix of 85% hydropower and the marginal electricity scenario, which supposed the extreme case when the new demand for electricity occurs during peak demand periods. Results indicate that mitigation of GHG emissions is possible for almost all scenarios of percentage fleet replacement and all mix scenarios. Electric buses efficiency and the carbon intensity of the electricity mix are critical for GHG mitigation.

Energy use, "food miles" and greenhouse gas emissions from New Zealand dairying - how efficient are we?

2007 ◽  
pp. 223-228
Author(s):  
S.F. Ledgard ◽  
C. Basset-Mens ◽  
S. Mclaren ◽  
M. Boyes
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Food Miles ◽  
Whole Life Cycle

Assessment of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with dairy products needs to account for the whole life cycle of the products, particularly with the debate about "food miles"(the transportation of product from producer to consumer). A life cycle assessment (LCA) of an average NZ dairy farm for 2005 showed that total energy use per kg milk from the "cradle-tomilk- in-the-vat" was 45-65% of that from EU farms. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or carbon footprint showed similar relative trends although differences were smaller due, at least in part, to lower methane efficiency from lower-producing NZ cows. Energy use associated with shipping dairy product (e.g. cheese) from NZ to UK is equivalent to about one-quarter of the on-farm use. Even when added together, the energy use from the NZ farm and from shipping would still be less than onfarm energy use for the EU farms. However, this is affected by intensification and the Dexcel Resource Efficient Dairying trial showed that increasing maize silage use, and nitrogen fertiliser use in particular, increased the energy use and GHG emissions per kg milk by up to 190% and 23%, respectively. Thus, the trend for intensification on NZ dairy farms means that our comparative advantage with EU farms is diminishing. A focus on improved farm system practices and integration of mitigation options is required to reverse this trend. Keywords: food miles, greenhouse gases, energy, life cycle assessment, milk, New Zealand, efficiency

scholarly journals Carbon footprint of selected building structures

2021 ◽  
Vol 1209 (1) ◽  
pp. 012015
Author(s):  
J Budajová
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Global Warming Potential ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In general, we can call the carbon footprint as emissions of gases that affect the Earth’s climate, while being used by humans. The impact of construction, building materials, structures, or the overall life cycle of a building on the environment is great. Sustainable architecture is gaining more prominence, using reduced carbon footprint. Today’s construction industry is increasingly moving towards sustainable construction, which is constantly being formed. The great weather fluctuations that take place from day to day are forcing us to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The global warming potential GWP (global warming potential) caused by these greenhouse gas emissions is increased to carbon dioxide CO2 and expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent CO2eq. Using GWP we can determine the carbon footprint of a product. The aim of this paper is to change the three compositions of the perimeter walls using LCA analysis (life cycle assessment) and to choose the composition that has the best carbon footprint and is therefore more advantageous. The need for a sustainable built environment is urgent due to its positive impact on the environment.

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