| 1. |
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Chalmers Environmental Initiative Progress Report 2001
- 2001
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Board of the Chalmers University of TechnologyFoundation decided in 1999 to invest SEK 100million in a strategic investment in the environmentwith a special focus on environmental systems analysis.This investment was entitled The ChalmersEnvironmental Initiative (CEI). Through thisenvironmental initiative Chalmers has acquired aprominent international position within environmentalsystems analysis.CEI is the result of the active research and educationthat has taken place at Chalmers over the past 10years. A broad base in combination with leadingedge technology presented the opportunity to createa very strong research programme based oninteraction between the various schools at Chalmers.As CEI is integrated into undergraduate anddoctoral programmes at Chalmers, engineers,architects and doctoral students have access, withinthe framework of their studies, to research-basedenvironmental education with a focus on asustainable society. CEI also co-operates with otherparties, such as industry, politicians, various organisationsand the general public, as a further means ofcontributing to sustainable development in society.Within CEI, seven new professors have beenappointed within the following areas:Management for SustainabilityRolf Wolff, 1 June 2000Environmental Systems TechnologyAnne-Marie Tillman, 1 September 2000Sustainable Industrial MetabolismChristian Azar, 1 September 2000Global Environmental MeasurementsDonal Murtagh, 1 November 2000Green ChemistryWilliam J. Frederick Jr, 1 August 2001Sustainable Energy SystemsFilip Johnsson, preliminary 1 October 2001Design for Sustainable Urban DevelopmentVacant: interviews during April 2001The four professors appointed in 2000 are presentedin this report as well as their declaration of intentfor the next few years. At present, the CEI professorsare involved with approximately 40 universities,institutes and industrial partners in the form ofproject co-operation and joint publications. The fourprofessors have the greater proportion of theirenvironmental research funded through externalgrants, compared to CEI. The proportion of facultyfunds and other internal Chalmers funds is at presentvery low. A summary of the financing structureis also included in this report.During 2001, various forms of co-operation wereinitiated between the professors, such as joint projectplans, doctoral students, courses and graduateschools. During autumn 2001, a residential seminaris planned for discussions within CEI as well as anopen presentation of the project and the professors.This major in-house focus on environmental researchhas attracted attention externally and contributedto the opening up of new potential in combinationwith increased expectations. Since May 1, 2000,Chalmers has been a member of the Alliance forGlobal Sustainability (AGS), an association of someof the world’s foremost universities in theenvironmental field. AGS and other platforms formthe basis for international research collaboration.CEI and other environmental activities have led tospin-off effects and contributed to increased interestin Chalmers as an environmental university.Chalmers and Göteborg University were, forexample, jointly awarded the King Carl XVI Gustafvisiting professorship in environmental science for2001-2002 and Margot Wallström received anhonorary doctorate from Chalmers in 2001. A largenumber of well-known environmental researchershave also visited Chalmers to take part inconferences and seminars, including the winners ofthe Volvo Environmental Award for 2000 and thewinner of the City of Göteborg InternationalEnvironmental Award for 2000.
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| 2. |
- Karlsson, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
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External Costs and Taxes in Heat Supply System
- 2003
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Ingår i: Energy Policy. - 0301-4215 .- 1873-6777. ; 31:14, s. 1541-1560
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A systems approach was used to compare different heating systems from a consumer perspective. The whole energy system was considered from natural resources to the required energy services. District heating, electric heat pumps, electric boilers, natural-gas-, oil- or pellet-fired local boilers were considered when supplying heat to a detached house. The district heat production included wood-chip-fired and natural-gas-fired cogeneration plants. Electricity other than cogenerated electricity was produced in wood-chip- and natural-gas-fired stand-alone power plants. The analysis includes four tax scenarios, as well as the external cost of environmental and health damage arising from energy conversion emission based on the ExternE study of the European Commission. The most cost efficient systems were the natural-gas and oil boiler systems, followed by the heat pump and district heating systems, when the external cost and taxes were excluded. When including the external costs of CO2 emission, the wood-fuel-based systems were much more cost efficient than the fossil-fuel-based systems, also when CO2 capture and storage were applied. The external costs are, however, highly uncertain. Taxes steer towards lowering energy use and lowering CO2 emission if they are levied solely on all the fossil-fuel-related emission and fuel use in the systems. If consumer electricity and heat taxes are used, the taxes have an impact on the total cost, regardless of the fuel used, thereby benefiting fuel-based local heating systems. The heat pump systems were the least affected by taxes, due to their high energy efficiency. The electric boiler systems were the least cost efficient systems, also when the external cost and taxes were included.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Wallbaum, Holger, 1967
(författare)
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Denk- und Kommunikationsansätze zur Bewertung des Nachhaltigen Bauens und Wohnens anhang der Ökologischen Wohnsiedlung Flintenbreire in Lübeck
- 2002
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- It is the aim of the present study to detect the reasons for these grievances, taking as an example the new Ecological Housing Estate Flintenbreite, and to demonstrate alternative solutions. For this purpose, different concepts of assessment are employed which meet the requirements of a full life cycle analysis. From the ecological perspective, these are the software tool GaBi of the University of Stuttgart, the MIPS concept of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy as well as the software tool GEMIS from the Eco Institute. In order to assess the quantity and quality of the area consumption, a special calculation method was developed on the basis of “Hemerobiestufen”, which illustrate the degree of naturalness of a surface area. The BKI Kostenplaner of the Baukosteninformationszentrum is used to analyze the economic factors. In order to assess social aspects, a special assessment method on the basis of national and international discussions is developed and applied. Apart from taking into account generally accepted ecological indicators, this study also attempts to develop economic indicators as well as indicators for measuring social sustainability of housing development concepts. By means of a working example the practicability of these indicators is examined. For assessing the degree of sustainability reached at the Ecological Housing Estate Flintenbreite 15 indicators are used. These are:•The Total Material Requirement (TMR)•The Accumulated Expenditure of Energy (KEA)•The Global Warming Potential related to 100 years (GWP 100)•Area consumption•Water consumption•Planning and implementation costs•Costs of construction and production•Costs of utilization including maintenance costs•Costs of pulling down, disposal and restoration•Average renting costs•Age composition of the residents•Income structure of the residents•Unemployment rate of the residents•Quota of women employed•Possibilities of participation of the residentsFor assessing and visualizing the several indicators, the COMPASS method, developed at the Wuppertal Institute, is applied.Since the process of construction at the Ecological Housing Estate Flintenbreite has been delayed as a result of the insolvencies of two of the developing companies, up to date only 26 of the planned 119 housing units have been completed. Therefore, in order to obtain valuable results the scientific approach had to be reduced in the course of this study. As the central elements of the approach the building above ground and the sewage concept, which has been used on a larger scale for the first time and which is based on a vacuum technique, are focused on. Apart from savings in water (only 1 liter per flush), this trend-setting, integrated sewage concept takes into account the utilization of nutrients and the energy content of excrements and biological waste. For that purpose, the flows grey water (residues without excrements), black water (toilet residues), rainwater and biological waste are dealt with separately within the whole concept. Through the fermentation of biological waste and excrements, biogas is won which is then used for power production in the housing estate’s own cogeneration plant. Three filters (constructed wetlands in the form of sand filters planted with reeds) are used for clearing the grey water. Using hollows on the 4.9 hectare wide housing development area, rainwater can seep away directly. The liquid manure remaining after anaerobic treatment is collected in a reservoir and used for agricultural means. Thus, nutrient cycles can be completed.Despite partly positive results it must be stated that these building measures, with regard to the building above ground, do not make a valuable contribution as far as more sustainable building is concerned. The sewage concept appears to be more apt to meet this requirement, although optimizing steps have yet to follow.Stakeholders from many different fields can take such steps in their respective discipline but also with regard to the interdisciplinary perspective. The chance to act beyond the boundaries of one’s own discipline, the ability to communicate as a key to joint action as well as the ability to see and open up new paths require new approaches and possibilities of acting. Thus, it is the duty of private persons, functionaries and elected candidates alike to help ensure corresponding education and qualification.Apart from that, on the international level, it is essential to initiate a changed, honest and consistent orientation of the rules of the WTO, the ILO and the UNEP without which a sustainable development will continue to be a utopia. And perhaps we may even have to go one step further and overcome an economy of interest and compound interest that is destroying resources, in order to be able to live the dream of a sustainable economic system.
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| 6. |
- Bardouille, Pepukaye
(författare)
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A Framework for Sustainable Strategic Energy Company Investment Analysis and Decision-support: Towards the Operationalisation of Sustainable Energy Systems
- 2001
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In addition to being a key criterion of the sustainable development proviso, for business, the integration of social- and ecological considerations into decision-making is of growing importance for minimising future environmentally-related risk and associated economic costs, as well as gaining a share in growing markets favouring products and companies focusing upon social responsibility and ecological protection. The study focuses upon addressing the research question: how can socio-ecological considerations be incorporated into energy companies' formal strategic investment analysis and decision-making processes, so as to facilitate the development of sustainable energy systems?. To this end, the research methodology builds upon four elements: (i) normative- or prescriptive theory on strategic decision-making, derived from the literature; (ii) principles for sustainable- development; -energy systems; and -strategic energy company investment decision-making, derived from primary- and secondary data collection; (iii) opportunities for improvement in and lessons learned from current decision-making procedures, based upon two Swedish energy sector case studies; and (iv) the needs of energy company strategic decision-makers aiming to make sustainable power plant investments, established through interviews. The tangible output of the study is a framework for sustainable strategic energy company investment analysis and decision-support, which draws from the array of available environmentally-oriented decision aids-notably total cost assessment-, full cost accounting-, and multi-attribute decision analysis models. The decision-support framework comprises ten steps, namely: (i) decision problem definition; (ii) objectives-, decision criteria-, and evaluation measures development; (iii) investment alternatives identification; (iv) alternatives modelling in terms of risks and uncertainties; (v) systems characterisation in social-, ecological-, and economic terms; (vi) identification of immediate internal environmental costs; (vii) valuation of externalities; (viii) identification of likely future internalised environmental costs; (ix) ranking of each investment option vis à vis stakeholder sustainability preferences; and (x) evaluation of hard-to-quantify environmental impacts of each alternative in qualitative terms. Initial evaluation by energy company managers reveals that the Framework emerging from the research has several useful characteristics which could be applied to future decision processes, both in terms of its overall structure, and specific components. However, in order to determine its practical applicability in facilitating sustainable decision-making, the Framework should be assessed using a real decision case.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Gustavsson, Leif, et al.
(författare)
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Heating Detached Houses in Urban Areas
- 2003
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Ingår i: Energy. - 0360-5442 .- 1873-6785. ; 28:8, s. 851-875
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- District heating systems using cogeneration, as well as local fuel-based and electric heating systems for detached houses, are analysed. The analysis includes the whole energy system, from the natural resource to the end user, with respect to primary energy use, emission and cost. The end-use technologies studied are heat pumps, resistance heaters and boilers. It was assumed that the base-load electricity, except for the cogenerated electricity, was produced in stand-alone power plants using wood chips or natural gas, while peak-load electricity and fuel used for transportation were produced from crude oil. The heat pump and district heating systems are found to be most energy efficient, followed by the local fuel-based systems. The wood-fuel-based systems emit about one tenth of the greenhouse gases emitted by the natural-gas-based systems. The sulphur and nitrogen oxide emission, however, is higher for wood-fuel-based systems. Systems based on natural gas are less expensive than the corresponding wood-fuel-based systems. Decarbonization and carbon dioxide sequestration, however, do not reduce the carbon dioxide emission to the low level of the wood-fuel-based systems and, in addition, make the natural-gas-based systems more expensive than the wood-fuel-based systems.
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| 9. |
- Andersson, Eva Ingeborg Elisabeth, 1956, et al.
(författare)
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Pulp-mill integrated biorefineries: a framework for assessing net CO2 emission consequences
- 2004
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Ingår i: Proceedings, AIChE 2004 Fall Annual Meeting. Nov 7-12, 2004, Austin, Texas, USA. ; , s. p 203-208, s. 203-208
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- There is currently much interest in producing biofuel-based transportation fuels. However, since biofuel is a limited renewable resource, it is important to assess whether such fuels are both produced and used as efficiently as possible. Efficient production can be achieved in the future by integrated biorefinery operations at pulp mill sites, co-producing pulp and biofuel-based energy products. This paper compares production of transportation fuel with other biorefinery options for future pulp mills. The comparison is based on net CO2 emissions, i.e. accounting for off-site consequences associated with changes in the net flows of electricity, biofuel and biofuel-based transportation fuel entering or leaving the mill. The most important conclusion is that system variables (e.g. assumptions regarding the reference fuel and engine efficiency for future transportation systems) are of decisive importance for the net CO2 emissions associated with pulp mill biorefinery operations. This paper illustrates such aspects and underlines the importance of a system perspective in process engineering research.
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| 10. |
- Hansson, P.A., et al.
(författare)
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Air emissions from the fuel supply system of a Swedish CHP plant and the effects of stricter emission regulations
- 2003
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Ingår i: Biomass and Bioenergy. - 1873-2909 .- 0961-9534. ; 24:1, s. 59-68
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this work was to quantify the energy use and production of air emissions by supply systems for different biofuels used in a typical Swedish combined heat and power plant. In addition, the effects of the future reductions in the total amounts of exhaust gas emissions, as a result of stricter emission regulations for transport and off-road equipment, were studied. A model was developed and used for the calculations. Input data were collected from a plant situated some 100 km from Stockholm in Sweden. Biofuels used by the plant include chips from limbs and tops, by-products from sawmills and chips from willow energy plantations. The results show that residues from sawmills are very favourable in terms of the studied environmental parameters. Air emissions from limbs and tops is 5-8 times greater than that from sawmills. The use of a terminal for temporary storage means that additional transport and loading operations are necessary which result in a 30% increase in air emissions. The most important effects of the stricter emission regulations are that emissions of nitrous oxides (NOx) caused by the supply system will decrease by up to 70% within 10 years and that the unburned hydrocarbon (HC) emissions will decrease by 30-35%. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Karlsson, Mikael
(författare)
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Biosafety Principles for GMOs in the Context of Sustainable Development
- 2003
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Ingår i: International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology 10, 15-27. - : Taylor & Francis. ; 10:1, s. 15-26
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- If genetically modified organisms are to contribute to welfare they must be considered in the context of sustainable development. Biosafety implies considering the environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainable development. These dimensions can be interpreted through the principles of precaution, polluter pays and public participation. In this article, these key biosafety principles are operationalised and ways of implementing them in society is discussed. A comparison is made between the principles and the present EU law for deliberate release of GMOs. It is concluded that several improvements in the EU policy are necessary to ensure sustainable development really is promoted
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Möllersten, Kenneth, 1966-, et al.
(författare)
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Efficient energy systems with CO2 capture and storage from renewable biomass in pulp and paper mills
- 2004
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Ingår i: Renewable energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-1481 .- 1879-0682. ; 29:9, s. 1583-1598
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper investigates the impact of combining CO2 capture and storage with alternative systems for biomass-based combined heat and power production (CHP) in Kraft pulp and paper mills. We compare heat, power, and CO2 balances of systems with alternative configurations of the CHP and CO2-capture systems. Because the captured CO2 comes from renewable biomass, the studied systems yield negative CO2 emissions. It is shown that pulp mills and integrated pulp and paper mills have the potential to become net exporters of biomass-based electricity while at the same time removing CO2 from the atmosphere on a net basis. The study shows that that the overall best CO2 abatement is achieved when CO2 capture is carried out within a biomass integrated gasifier with combined cycle where the syngas undergoes a CO-shift reaction. This configuration combines efficient energy conversion with a high CO2 capture efficiency. Furthermore, cost curves are constructed, which show how the cost of CO2 capture and storage in pulp and paper mills depends on system configuration and the CO2 transportation distance.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Rehnström, Carina, et al.
(författare)
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Energy Spells Trouble for Life Cycle Assessment
- 2004
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Rapport (refereegranskat)abstract
- For most products and production processes, several quite different forms of energy are involved in different stages in the life cycle. In a recently performed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) case study, twelve types of energy-related problems for LCA methodology were encountered. We discuss possibilities for resolving these problems and some of the fundamental thermodynamic roots of some of the problems. In this, we also analyse the limitations for the use of the exergy concept in LCA. We also discuss some of the principal difficulties associated with different forms of energy when making use of the results of an LCI or an LCIA in a process development project. We conclude that a large methodology development effort is necessary and that it needs a scientific basis embracing both LCA theory and thermodynamics
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| 19. |
- Björklund, Anna, 1971-
(författare)
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Environmental System Analysis of Waste Management : Experiences from Applications of the ORWARE Model
- 2000
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Waste management has gone through a history of shiftingproblems, demands, and strategies over the years. In contrastto the long prevailing view that the problem could be solved byhiding or moving it, waste is now viewed as a problem rangingfrom local to global concern, and as being an integral part ofseveral sectors in society. Decisive for this view has beensociety’s increasing complexity and thus the increasingcomplexity of waste, together with a general development ofenvironmental consciousness, moving from local focus on pointemission sources, to regional and global issues of more complexnature. This thesis is about the development and application orware;a model for computer aided environmental systems analysis ofmunicipal waste management. Its origin is the hypothesis thatwidened perspectives are needed in waste managementdecision-making to avoid severe sub-optimisation ofenvironmental performance. With a strong foundation in lifecycle assessment (LCA), orware aims to cover the environmentalimpacts over the entire life cycle of waste management. It alsoperforms substance flow analysis (SFA) calculations at a ratherdetailed level of the system. Applying orware has confirmed the importance of applyingsystems perspective and of taking into account site specificdifferences in analysis and planning of waste manage-ment,rather than relying on overly simplified solutions. Somefindings can be general-ised and used as guidelines to reduceenvironmental impact of waste management. Recovery of materialand energy resources from waste generally leads to netreductions in energy use and environmental impact, because ofthe savings this brings about in other sectors. Waste treatmentwith low rate of energy and materials recovery should thereforebe avoided. The exact choice of technology however depends onwhat products can be recovered andhow they are used. Despite the complexity of the model and a certain degree ofuser unfriendliness, involved stakeholders have expressed thevalue of participating in orware case studies. It providesimproved decision-basis, but also wider understanding of thecomplexity of waste management and of environmental issues ingeneral. The thesis also contains a first suggestion of a frameworkto handle uncertainty in orware, based on a review of types ofuncertainty in LCA and tools to handle it.
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| 20. |
- Åhman, Max
(författare)
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Cars in Transition - An Assessment of Future Vehicle Technologies
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The transport sector is facing serious challenges in meeting long-term sustainability criteria. Radical changes in the design of vehicles to attain competitive vehicles with substantially better environmental performance will probably constitute an important part in a future sustainable transport sector. The aim of the study described in this thesis is to assess the long-term options currently under discussion such as EVs, HEVs and FCEVs, and to analyse what role public policy has had in fostering their development. All the alternatives studied have a substantial potential to reduce the emission of pollutants and to reduce energy use. No single winner among the currently proposed alternatives can be seen from environmental or energy perspectives. The electric drivetrain is, however, a common denominator that will be an enabling technology for further development. In the EU, the USA and Japan, governments have supported the development of alternative powertrains. The emergence of the HEV as a commercial option is a result of industry strategy (mainly Toyota) facilitated by the sustained support of the Japanese Government. In the development process in Japan, market-creating initiatives have been as important for the development process as the targeted R&D efforts. Based on the understanding of technical change it is wise for governments to adopt a rather flexible policy and to focus on technologies that will solve a number of problems at once. This will increase the probability of support being sustained over a long time, which is necessary for successful development.
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| 21. |
- Ljunggren Söderman, Maria, 1967
(författare)
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A Systems Engineering Approach to National Waste Management
- 2000
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- During recent decades, waste management has gradually shifted focus, from waste disposal to integrated waste management of potentially valuable resources and residues. The number and variety of waste streams to handle is large, as well as the diversity of treatment options available. This makes finding cost-effective and environmentally acceptable waste management solutions a complex task. Moreover, recovering resources from waste leads to interaction with sectors beyond waste management, such as the markets for material and energy, which increases the scope to analyse when looking for new waste management solutions. Systems engineering models for waste management can serve as tools to assist decision-makers in the planning of waste management. A systems engineering model for strategic planning of national waste management, NatWaste (National Waste), is presented in this thesis. NatWaste is a tool for finding synergistic waste management solutions and analysing the potential effect of different policy instruments and uncertainties in the system environment on a national level. Economic and environmental aspects are addressed. Decision-makers in strategic planning of national waste management are the potential target audience for the NatWaste model. A waste management study, performed in a real planning context in a Swedish region, provided important knowledge for developing NatWaste. Within the study, a decision basis that the region could use for waste management planning was also developed. The use of the NatWaste model is demonstrated in studies of current issues in Swedish national waste management. Technical options for waste management and the potential influence of waste management policy on the choice of these options were central in all applications. The economic and potential global warming implications of recovering energy from waste in Sweden were analysed and compared from two perspectives - the waste management and the district heating perspectives. The effect of including indirect environmental impacts on the choice of waste management solutions on a Swedish national level was demonstrated. The studies show that the economic and environmental viability of waste management solutions are not only issues from the point of view of waste management. Knowledge about the sectors that interact with waste management, such as district heating, power and material, and how they might develop can be crucial. This indicates that there is a potential for co-ordinating interacting sectors in both economic and environmental aspects. Systems engineering models for waste management, like the NatWaste model, are tools that can assist in planning of such strategies. However, information from these models needs to be complemented with that of tools addressing interacting sectors.
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| 22. |
- Palmqvist, Anders, 1966, et al.
(författare)
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LOTUS: A co-operation for low temperature urea-based selective catalytic reduction of NOx
- 2004
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Ingår i: SAE Technical Papers. - 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA, United States : SAE International. - 0148-7191 .- 2688-3627. ; 20014
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The European research co-operation Lotus is presented. The main objectives of the project were i) to show the potential for a urea-based SCR system to comply with the EU standard of years 2005 and 2008 for heavy-duty Diesel engines for different driving conditions with optimal fuel consumption, ii) to reach 95 % conversion of NOx at steady state at full load on a Euro III. engine, iii) to reach 75 % NOx reduction for exhaust temperatures between 200-300°C, and 85 % average NOx reduction between 200-500°C. The energy content of the consumed urea should not exceed 1.0 %, calculated as specific fuel consumption. These targets were met in May 2003 and the Lotus SCR system fulfilled the Euro V NOx legislative objectives for year 2008. Copyright © 2004 SAE International.
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| 23. |
- Jonasson, Karl, et al.
(författare)
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Time and Scale Aspects in Life Cycle Assessment of Emerging Technologies: Case Study on Alternative Transport Fuels
- 2004
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Life cycle assessments (LCAs, including well-to-wheel studies) that are to support decisions that strive to change large technical systems need to consider time- and scale-related factors that are given little attention in standard LCA procedures. We suggest that it is important to look beyond the current situation and study many possible future states, what we call stylised states, to explore general technology differences. We choose to address three issues in this report. Our case study deals with alternative fuels for transportation, and relates to a recent well-to-wheel study performed by CONCAWE, EUCAR and JRC. The methodological results, though, could be of equal importance when studying other major technologies.First, shifting time frame gives room for technical development that should affect not only the choice of performance data, but perhaps also the functional unit and the selection of technologies under study.Second, background systems such as heat and power production change over time, and we exemplify by using three different systems, mainly based on coal, natural gas and short rotation forestry, respectively. Increased production volumes may for some technologies also change the background system, which is of particular importance for technologies that are used in their own production processes. We show that for biofuels changes in background systems have consequences not only for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and agricultural land use for each fuel chain, but also for the ranking order of e.g. wheat ethanol and RME, in terms of GHG emissions. We use what we call a net output approach, which implies that a fraction of the produced biofuel is used for its own production. Accordingly, the functional unit used in this study is 1 MJ fuel available for other purposes than producing fuel.Finally, different types of feedstock are available in different quantities and different by-product markets vary in size. Allocation of environmental impact between product and by-products is here made through system expansion, and we study some possible markets for by-products. To give an example of by-product effects, current key markets for ethanol by-products in EU-15 correspond to an ethanol production that covers about 2 % of demand, and for RME about 3 %, that is, well below the 5.75 % EU biofuel target for 2010. Therefore, the GHG emissions and agricultural land use allocated to the fuels differ between a low and a high market penetration.Combining the results, we show that time and scale are important factors for the ranking of wheat ethanol, RME and wood methanol in terms of GHG emissions and agricultural land use, as the results are dependent on assumptions regarding background system and by-product markets. We indicate that agricultural land use results can be weighted in GHG terms in several ways, e.g. by using short rotation forestry or solar panels as a reference, an approach that would require further research.
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| 24. |
- Helby, Peter
(författare)
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Environmental agreements at European Community level - reflections based on member state experience
- 2002
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - 0959-6526. ; 10:2, s. 183-193
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The experience from five national environmental agreement schemes, all about energy efficiency in manufacturing industries, is discussed in relation to the potential for similar action at the European Community level. Agreements at the Community level could have significant advantages. But success at the national level depends on parameters that would be difficult to reproduce or substitute at the Community level, e.g. extensive administrative capacity, substantial political threats, large economic benefits, and/or the capacity to grant tax relief. To overcome such problems, and gain some of the advantages of Community action, one option would be to focus Community action on the best bets, namely a few energy-intensive industries with good capacity for collective action. Another option would be the combination of Community action with national action. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 25. |
- Karlsson, Mikael
(författare)
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Ethics of Sustainable Development ' a Study of Swedish Regulations for Genetically Modified Organisms
- 2003
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Ingår i: Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 16, 51-62. ; 16:1, s. 51-62
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In spite of stricter provisions in the new EU directive on deliberate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), critics still advocate a moratorium on permits for cultivation of GMOs. However, in an attempt to meet concerns raised by the public, the directive explicitly gives Member States the possibility to take into consideration ethical aspects of GMOs in the decision-making. This article investigates the potential effects of such formulation by means of an empirical analysis of experiences gained the last years from similar Swedish regulations for GMOs, aiming at promoting sustainable development. The faulty implementation shown in the Swedish case indicates that legal stipulations for ethics as such have limited importance. It is suggested that public participation is an important factor for successful implementation of the ethics of sustainable development
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