title,abstract,wosarticle__py,keywords,relevance
Carbon capture and storage using low-temperature post-combustion technologies,"To reach the short-term targets of the carbon dioxide limit, measures such as carbon capture and storage are necessary. The objective of this paper is to assess some low-temperature post-combustion technologies for the capture of CO2 from combustion gases. Two methods for the liquefaction and separation of CO2 are discussed: The use of the low-temperature exergy of liquefied natural gas (LNG), while regasifying the LNG, and a refrigeration cycle with helium as the working fluid. Each of these methods is evaluated at three CO2 concentrations: 30%, 13%, and 4%. The results showed that an increase in the concentration of CO2 in the combustion gases causes a large increase in the overall exergetic efficiency and a large decrease in the cost of CO2 capture and energy penalty of the capture process. In addition, these advantages can be seen when the liquefaction method is changed from helium refrigeration cycle to LNG regasification. For a 30% CO2 concentration using LNG, the overall exergetic efficiency is 41.2%, and the cost of CO2 capture is 45.5 $/tCO(2) with a CO2 capture rate of 96.3%.",,Carbon capture; carbon storage; post-combustion technology; exergy analysis; economic analysis,No (2)
Analytical tool for unpacking the driving forces of environmental impact: an IPAT analysis of Pakistan,"The continuous increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emission leads to an adverse climate change, that has a disastrous impact on the socio-economic lives of the human being. Therefore, to reduce the environmental impact on human life, it is necessary to provide mitigation measures for CO(2)emissions and to investigate the influence of pre-determined factors such as population, affluence, and technology (IPAT) on the environment. Hence, the current study is undertaken to ascertain the impact of the IPAT factors on environmental quality by using the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) and Log Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition techniques for Pakistan over the time period 1990-2014. The CAGR result exhibits that the 142.53 folds in CO(2)emissions are driven by the population growth which is accompanied by the income growth, while the technological effect significantly decreased the growth of CO(2)emissions by - 82.72 folds during 1990-2014, the energy induced CO(2)emissions shows a negative growth rate during the study period that is attributed to the energy crises during most of the study years. Besides, the LMDI decomposition technique shows that the impact of population and affluence leads to an increase in CO(2)emissions. Furthermore, the technological effect helps to reduce CO(2)emissions in all phases except phase 2 (1995-1999) where it has been identified as a significant contributor to CO(2)emissions.",,CO(2)emissions; Environment; IPAT analysis,No (2)
New Methods for Evaluating Energy Infrastructure Development Risks,"Many energy technologies that can provide reliable, low-carbon electricity generation are confined to nations that have access to robust technical and economic capabilities, either on their own or through geopolitical alliances. Equally important, these nations maintain a degree of institutional capacity that could lower the risks associated with deploying emergent energy technologies such as advanced nuclear or carbon capture and storage. The complexity, expense, and scrutiny that come with building these facilities make them infeasible choices for most nations. This paradigm is slowly changing, as the pressing need for low-carbon electricity generation and ongoing efforts to develop modular nuclear and carbon capture technologies have opened the door for potentially wider markets, including in nations without substantial institutional capacity. Here, using advanced nuclear technologies as our testbed, we develop new methods to evaluate national readiness for deploying complex energy infrastructure. Specifically, we use Data Envelopment Analysis-a method that eliminates the need for expert judgment-to benchmark performance across nations. We find that approximately 80% of new nuclear deployment occurs in nations that are in the top two quartiles of institutional and economic performance. However, 85% of potential low-carbon electricity demand growth is in nations that are in the bottom two quartiles of performance. We offer iconic paradigms for deploying nuclear power in each of these clusters of nations if the goal is to mitigate risk. Our research helps redouble efforts by industry, regulators, and international development agencies to focus on areas where readiness is low and risk correspondingly higher.",,Infrastructure development; readiness assessment; deep decarbonization; data envelopment analysis,No (2)
"A review of carbon farming impacts on nitrogen cycling, retention, and loss","Soil carbon (C) sequestration in agricultural working lands via soil amendments and management practices is considered a relatively well-tested and affordable approach for removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Carbon farming provides useful benefits for soil health, biomass production, and crop resilience, but the effects of different soil C sequestration approaches on the nitrogen (N) cycle remain controversial. While some C farming practices have been shown to reduce N fertilizer use in some cases, C farming could also impose an unwanted ""N penalty"" through which soil C gains can only be maintained with additional N inputs, thereby increasing N losses to the environment. We systematically reviewed meta-analysis studies on the impacts of C farming on N cycling in agroecosystems and estimated the cumulative effect of several C farming practices on N cycling. We found that, on average, combined C farming practices significantly reduced nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching from soils, thus inferring both N cycling and climate change benefits. In addition to more widely studied C farming practices that generate organic C, we also discuss silicate rock additions, which offer a pathway to inorganic C sequestration that does not require additional N inputs, framing important questions for future research.",2021,nitrogen cycling; carbon farming; nitrate leaching; nitrous oxide emissions; nitrogen availability; yield,Yes (1)
"Climate change effect on soil carbon stock in different land use types in eastern Rajasthan, India","Global change in climate might have potential effect on both SOC stock and carbon sequestration capacity in soil. Predicting soil carbon stock in future climate scenarios is crucial for implementation of adaptation methods to mitigate influence of climate change. In the current study, multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine relationship between climatic variables and soil carbon stock under land use types. To project the impact of climate change on SOC stock, we applied CarboSOIL model. Baseline and future climate data are acquired using spatial analyst tool in ArcGIS. Three global circulation models of fifth phase of the coupled model intercomparison project driven by four representative concentration pathway scenarios were selected for projecting future climate data. Time periods selected were baseline (1970-2000), 2050 (2041-2060) and 2070 (2061-2080). Six land use classes were obtained, i.e. dry deciduous forest, tropical thorn forest, scrubland, cropland, plantation and fallow land from analysis of satellite images. Regression analysis revealed that the temperature has significant influence on the variation of SOC stock under all land use types. Under dry deciduous forest and plantation, there is no significant influence of rainfall variable, whereas under other land use pattern, there is significant influence on SOC stock. Predicted vs. actual soil value showed that overall regression model was significant under all land use types. Altogether, findings from CarboSOIL model indicate that the future climate change will have an adverse impact on SOC stock in 0-30 cm of soil depth.",,CarboSOIL; Climate change scenarios; Climatic variables; Global circulation models; Land use types; SOC stock,No (2)
Investigation of different biogeochemical cover configurations for mitigation of landfill gas emissions: laboratory column experiments,"Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are a major source of anthropogenic methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which are also major greenhouse gases. Apart from greenhouse gas emissions, MSW landfills are notorious for odor, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a major contributor of odor in landfills. Recent studies have shown promise with biochar-amended soil covers to mitigate landfill CH4 emissions by enhancing microbial CH4 oxidation; however, mitigating only CH4 does not wholly resolve fugitive emissions as landfill gas (LFG) comprise of almost same proportion of CO2 as CH4. Also, H2S has very low odor threshold and numerous health risks. This study explores a novel biogeochemical MSW landfill cover integrating basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag and biochar-amended soil to mitigate CH4, CO2 and H2S simultaneously from LFG. In this regard, column studies were carried out simulating four cover profiles: 1) soil control (column 1); 2) combination of BOF slag layer and 10% (by weight) biochar-amended soil layer (column 2); 3) combination of BOF slag layer and 5% (by weight) methanotrophically activated biochar-amended soil layer (column 3); and 4) combination of mixture of sand and BOF slag layer and 10% (by weight) methanotrophically activated biochar-amended soil layer (column 4). The cover profiles were exposed to simulated LFG (48.25% CH4, 50% CO2 and 1.75% H2S) at an average flux rate of 130 g CH4/m(2)-day. Terminal batch assays were conducted on the soil and biochar-amended soil samples obtained from various depths after exhumation from the columns to evaluate potential CH4 oxidation rates. Carbonate content tests and batch tests were conducted to evaluate carbonation potential of the BOF slag. The overall gas removal efficiencies of the cover profiles were in the order of column 3 > column 2 > column 4 > column 1. The CH4 oxidation rates were the highest in the 5% activated biochar-amended soil at 143 mu g CH4/g-day or 100 mu g CH4/g-day above soil control. Higher CH4 oxidation potential was associated with high moisture retention and biochar content. The BOF slag showed a maximum CO2 removal of 145 mg CO2/g BOF slag during column operation. Carbonation of BOF slag did not impede oxygen intrusion into the underlying biochar-amended soil layer and its CH4 oxidation efficiency. Overall, biogeochemical cover provides a holistic and sustainable solution to fugitive landfill emissions.",,Activated biochar; Biochar; Biogeochemical cover; BOF slag; Carbonation; Methane oxidation,No (2)
Decarbonization: examining the role of environmental innovation versus renewable energy use,"Climate change resulting from a rapid increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is adversely affecting humanity. If the GHG emission continues to rise at the current pace, humanity will face severe consequences and reverse all the progress made. This paper, therefore, uses relevant data from 14 developing countries in Asia from 1990 to 2018 to examine the potential impact of environmental innovation on CO2 emissions by controlling globalization, urbanization, and economic growth. The number of environmental-related technology patents is used as a measure of environmental innovation. We employed a panel long-run regression model - FMOLS, PCSE, and FGLS to estimate the elasticity of CO2 emissions. For causal association among variables, we used Dumitrescu-Hurlin Granger causality tests. Our results show that renewable energy consumption and globalization have a significant impact in reducing CO2 emissions, while environmental technology innovations play a meager role in reducing emissions and only when economic growth support those type of investment. Furthermore, we found urbanization, oil consumption, and economic growth is detrimental to the environment, which is also evident in past studies. Therefore, countries should invest in renewable energy and environmental innovation aligned with the growth to reduce GHG emissions.",,Decarbonization; CO2 emissions; Environmental innovation; Environmental technology; Globalization; Renewable energy; Developing Asia economies,No (2)
Ten people-centered rules for socially sustainable ecosystem restoration,"As the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration begins, there remains insufficient emphasis on the human and social dimensions of restoration. The potential that restoration holds for achieving both ecological and social goals can only be met through a shift toward people-centered restoration strategies. Toward this end, this paper synthesizes critical insights from a special issue on ""Restoration for whom, by whom"" to propose actionable ways to center humans and social dimensions in ecosystem restoration, with the aim of generating fair and sustainable initiatives. These rules respond to a relative silence on socio-political issues in di Sacco et al.'s ""Ten golden rules for reforestation to optimize carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery and livelihood benefits"" on socio-political issues and offer complementary guidance to their piece. Arranged roughly in order from pre-intervention, design/initiation, implementation, through the monitoring, evaluation and learning phases, the 10 people-centered rules are: (1) Recognize diversity and interrelations among stakeholders and rightsholders'; (2) Actively engage communities as agents of change; (3) Address socio-historical contexts; (4) Unpack and strengthen resource tenure for marginalized groups; (5) Advance equity across its multiple dimensions and scales; (6) Generate multiple benefits; (7) Promote an equitable distribution of costs, risks, and benefits; (8) Draw on different types of evidence and knowledge; (9) Question dominant discourses; and (10) Practice inclusive and holistic monitoring, evaluation, and learning. We contend that restoration initiatives are only tenable when the issues raised in these rules are respectfully addressed.",,equity; rightsholders; social inclusion; stakeholders; tenure; UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration,No (2)
Exploring effects of novel chemical modification of biochar on soil water retention and crack suppression: towards commercialization of production of biochar for soil remediation,"Recently, incentives have been provided in developed countries for promoting commercialization of biochar production for usage in construction industry. One of the main reasons for such incentives is the carbon sequestration capacity of biochar, which can be highly useful for countries to meet their goals of carbon emission reduction by 2030. In this regard, chemical modification of biochars has also been done to enhance their surface area and functionality, which is useful for adsorption of pollutants. However, rarely any studies are conducted to explore the effect of chemical treatment of biochar on soil cracking and water retention. The major objective of this study is to explore the crack and water retention properties of chemically modified biochar amended soil. Pig manure biochar (PMB) and peach shell biochar (PSB) with contrasting compositions were modified with H3PO4 and KOH. Soils were mixed with modified biochars at four dosages (0, 2, 5, and 8%). Crack intensity factor (CIF) and moisture content were measured during drying-wetting cycles. Results showed that H3PO4-modified biochar has been found to have a higher impact on water retention as compared to KOH-modified biochar. KOH modification instead tends to reduce hydrophilic functional groups on surface of biochar. Pig manure biochar appears to have a higher crack suppression capacity than even functional biochars. In most cases, 5-8% biochar dosage is generally found to be an optimal range for reducing cracks and improving water retention. Based on the given testing conditions, the effect of chemical modification of biochar on cracking appears to be inconclusive. It should be noted that the results in this study are based on a given testing conditions and generalization requires further studies on different types of soils.",,Biochar; Chemical modification; Crack intensity factor; Water retention,Yes (1)
Responses of leached nitrogen concentrations and soil health to winter rye cover crop under no-till corn-soybean rotation in the northern Great Plains,"Winter rye (Secale cereale L.) is an important cover crop (CC) in the northern Great Plains (NGP), yet concerns over its establishment under the variable weather conditions of this region are an important limitation for its widespread adoption. This study evaluated the impacts of no-till corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation with winter rye CC established in 2017 on (a) water quality (nitrate-N [NO3--N], ammonia-N [NH4+-N], and total nitrogen [TN]) and (b) soil health parameters at the 0-to-15-cm depth. Data showed that rye CC biomass was 251 kg ha(-1) in 2018, 1,213 kg ha(-1) in 2019, and 147 kg ha(-1) in 2020, coinciding with contrasting growing degree days for rye CC (i.e., 1,458, 2,042, and 794, respectively), as a consequence of variable weather conditions. Water quality was not affected for the periods when rye growth was <300 kg ha(-1). In the season when rye CC had greater biomass (1,213 kg ha(-1)), significant reductions in leached NO3--N (19-20%) and TN (8.5-16%) concentrations were observed due to greater N uptake by rye CC (18.8 kg N ha(-1)). Rye CC showed significantly (p <= .05) higher microbially active carbon ( similar to 13%) and water-extractable organic N(similar to 11%) than the control treatment. Nonsignificant impacts on soil health indicators due to rye CC showed that the study duration (3 yr) may not be sufficient to see the beneficial impacts of CCs on soils. However, significant reductions in leached NO3--N and TN concentrations for one (2019) out of three study years suggest that rye with optimal growth has the potential of reducing N leaching and enhancing soil health for the NGP region.",,,No (2)
Carbon sequestration and nutrients improvement meditated by biochar in a 3-year vegetable rotation system,"Purpose Intensive cultivation is an agrotechnology that has become highly popular among farmers around the world. However, carbon (C) loss and nitrogen (N) loss are found because of intense and year-round crop production, high N-fertilizer application, higher temperatures and frequent irrigation in intensive cultivation system. Biochar is a more practical and suitable strategy to enhance soil quality in plastic shed. The purpose of the present study was to understand how to manipulate biochar-induced changes in soil properties. Materials and methods A consecutive 3-year field experiment was performed in experimental cells amended with four different dosages of straw biochar (0, 10, 20, and 40 Mg ha(-1)). The soil carbon characteristics and physicochemical properties were determined. Results and discussion The soil organic carbon (SOC) contents increased by 8.5-47.5% after once initial straw biochar application, which owing to the recalcitrant nature of biochar. The SOC contents gradually decreased by 4.8-35.8% after 3 years, because biochar owned the labile carbon fraction. The mechanisms that carbon contents in the proportion of micro-aggregates (< 250 mu m) increased by 81.3-89.6%, while that of macro-aggregates (> 250 mu m) decreased by 59.4-73.4% after straw biochar application resulted the carbon easily oxidized organic carbon content by 3.8-25.9%. The Electrical Conductivity, available phosphorus, and available potassium in the soil samples were enhanced by 5.9-19.3%, 6.0-14.9%, and 47.5-148.4%, respectively, after biochar application. The adsorption of biochar ensured the nutrient contents to be retained in the soil. Conclusions Field studies help in better prediction of the effects of biochar addition on soil C sequestration and soil nutrients cycling. The parameters are important when investigating the extent of the effects of soil biochar amendment for vegetable rotations in plastic shed. The 20 Mg ha(-1) straw biochar could be an appropriate dosage for vegetables cultivation to meet the purposes of carbon storage and nutrient retaining.",,Biochar; Intensive cultivation; SOC stability; Soil aggregate; Vegetable,No (2)
Multifunctional applications of biochar beyond carbon storage,"Biochar is produced as a charred material with high surface area and abundant functional groups by pyrolysis, which refers to the process of thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen. The carbon component in biochar is relatively stable, and, hence, biochar was originally proposed as a soil amendment to store carbon in the soil. Biochar has multifunctional values that include the use of it for the following purposes: soil amendment to improve soil health, nutrient and microbial carrier, immobilising agent for remediation of toxic metals and organic contaminants in soil and water, catalyst for industrial applications, porous material for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and odorous compounds, and feed supplement to improve animal health and nutrient intake efficiency and, thus, productivity. This article provides for the first time an overview of the multifunctional values and unintended consequences of biochar applications.",2022,Multifunctional values of biochar; biochar-derived catalysts; biochar for carbon storage and capturing greenhouse gases; soil health; remediation of contaminated soil; water; and air; animal feed; composite manufacturing; construction; life-cycle analysis of biochar,Yes (1)
Monitoring geological storage of CO2 using a new rock physics model,"To mitigate the global warming crisis, one of the effective ways is to capture CO2 at an emitting source and inject it underground in saline aquifers, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, or in coal beds. This process is known as carbon capture and storage (CCS). With CCS, CO2 is considered a waste product that has to be disposed of properly, like sewage and other pollutants. While and after CO2 injection, monitoring of the CO2 storage site is necessary to observe CO2 plume movement and detect potential leakage. For CO2 monitoring, various physical property changes are employed to delineate the plume area and migration pathways with their pros and cons. We introduce a new rock physics model to facilitate the time-lapse estimation of CO2 saturation and possible pressure changes within a CO2 storage reservoir based on physical properties obtained from the prestack seismic inversion. We demonstrate that the CO2 plume delineation, saturation, and pressure changes estimations are possible using a combination of Acoustic Impedance (AI) and P- to S-wave velocity ratio (Vp/Vs) inverted from time-lapse or four-dimensional (4D) seismic. We assumed a scenario over a period of 40 years comprising an initial 25 year injection period. Our results show that monitoring the CO2 plume in terms of extent and saturation can be carried out using our rock physics-derived method. The suggested method, without going into the elastic moduli level, handles the elastic property cubes, which are commonly obtained from the prestack seismic inversion. Pressure changes quantification is also possible within un-cemented sands; however, the stress/cementation coefficient in our proposed model needs further study to relate that with effective stress in various types of sandstones. The three-dimensional (3D) seismic usually covers the area from the reservoir's base to the surface making it possible to detect the CO2 plume's lateral and vertical migration. However, the comparatively low resolution of seismic, the inversion uncertainties, lateral mineral, and shale property variations are some limitations, which warrant consideration. This method can also be applied for the exploration and monitoring of hydrocarbon production.",2022,,No (2)
Gasification kinetics of char derived from metallised food packaging plastics waste pyrolysis,"This research aims to study the gasification kinetics of char derived from metallised food packaging plastics waste (MFPWs) pyrolysis. The research began with treating char mechanically to obtain uniform char powder (MSRPs) composed of aluminium (Al), undecomposed organic fraction, and carbon particles. Subsequently, the MSRPs sample was treated again chemically to remove Al, thus preparing carbon black particles (BCPs). The chemical composition and morphology of the prepared MSRPs and BCPs samples were determined using elemental and proximate analysis, SEM, and XRD. Meanwhile, thermogravimetric analyser (TGA-DTG) was used to study the thermal stability of MSRPs and BCPs samples in different CO2/N-2 concentrations: 20/80, 25/75, and 30/70 vol%. Once the tested samples stabilized at the target temperature the gasification analysis was started. Finally, gasification kinetics of MSRPs and BCPs samples were investigated using Random Pore Model (RPM) and Hybrid Modified Random Pore Model (HMRPM) based on thermogravimetric results. The proximate results showed that the MSRPs were rich in volatile matter (41.5 wt%), while ash (51.1 wt%) was the major component in the BCPs sample. The TGA-DTG gasification results revealed that MSRPs sample can decompose in three zones with a total weight loss of 45 wt%, while the BCPs samples decomposed linearly with a total weight loss of 22 wt%. The kinetic results showed that Al leaching, gasification temperature, and CO2/N-2 concentrations have a significant effect on prediction of gasification kinetics parameters and deviation of their fitting curves. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2022,Plastic waste; Metallised food packaging plastics; Pyrolysis; Biochar; Gasification kinetics; Kinetic models,No (2)
Responses of soil organic carbon to conservation practices including climate-smart agriculture in tropical and subtropical regions: A meta-analysis,"Considering the current threatening conditions of climate change, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) aims to improve the soil health and its organic carbon stocks by encouraging soil carbon sequestration through conservation practices in agricultural lands. However, the effects of these practices differ due to diverse climatic scenario, soil characteristics and management system. To identify the suitable practices that can be effective under tropical and subtropical conditions, a systematic evaluation in the form of a meta-analysis of these practices and their outcomes was performed over those regions. In this work we have included 516 observations from 84 articles published from 2000 to 2021 to analyse the influence of three CSA practices (conservation tillage, cover crop and biochar application) on the SOC (soil organic carbon) stocks over varying periods of experimentation. In addition to this, the combined effect of CSA and other conservation agronomic practices such as agroforestry has also been considered in the analysis. The results showed that biochar application had the most influence upon SOC stocks in the agricultural lands (25.38%) followed by conservation tillage (18.81%) and cover crop (15.8%). Medium term experiments (6-20 years) of these conservation practices showed about 31.00-96.15%improvement in SOC while the effects gradually diminished in long term experiments (>20 years). The combinations of these practices have been observed to have an evidently positive impact upon the SOC stocks in general. This work provides a systematic evaluation of all the widely performed CSA and other conservation practices and their effects on SOC dynamics under differing management settings. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2022,CSA practices; Climate change; SOC stocks; Tropics and subtropics; Meta-analysis,No (2)
Effects of microplastics on soil carbon dioxide emissions and the microbial functional genes involved in organic carbon decomposition in agricultural soil,"The accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in agricultural fields can not only disguise soil organic carbon (SOC) storage but also affect the production of carbon dioxide (CO2) by microbial decomposition. However, little is known about the impact of this emerging pollutant on soil CO2 emissions and the functional genes related to SOC degradation. In the present study, a short-term (30-day) microcosm experiment was performed to investigate the effects of virgin and aged low-density polyethylene (LDPE) MPs on soil CO2 emissions. We also measured functional gene abundances related to starch (sga), hemicellulose (abfA, manB and xylA), cellulose (cex) and lignin (lig and mnp) degradation through a high-throughput quantitative-PCR-based chip. Compared with the soils without MPs, low doses (0.01% and 0.1%) of both virgin and aged MPs had negligible effects on SOC decomposition, whereas a high dose (1.0%) of these two MPs significantly (p < 0.05) accelerated the production of CO2 in soils by 15-17%, showing a dose-dependent effect. The presence of MPs did not significantly affect soil dissolved organic carbon or microbial biomass carbon. A higher metabolic quotient at 1.0% MP concentration indicated that the microbes were stressed and needed more substrates and energy during their metabolic process, which could likely explain the increase in CO2 emission induced by this dose of MPs. Exposure to virgin MPs significantly reduced the functional genes related to hemicellulose (abfA and manB) degradation, whereas increasing the aged MPs concentrations significantly decreased the abundances of functional genes encoding starch (sga), hemicellulose (abfA, manB and xylA), and cellulose (cex) hydrolysis. Overall, we conclude that the low dose (<0.1%) of MPs in the soils has a negligible effect on the production of CO2, but this factor should be considered in evaluating the global C budget in future research as this contaminant reaches a certain threshold (1.0%). (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2022,Microplastics; Organic carbon decomposition; Microbial functional gene; Microbial metabolic quotient; Arable soil,No (2)
Environmental benefit assessment of steel slag utilization and carbonation: A systematic review,"The rapid increase in steel slag generation globally highlights the urgent need to manage the disposal or utilization processes. In addition to conventional landfill disposal, researchers have successfully reused steel slag in the construction, chemical, and agricultural fields. With the large portions of alkaline silicate mineral content, steel slag can also be used as a suitable material for carbon capture to mitigate global warming. This article comprehensively reviews the environmental performance of steel slag utilization, especially emphasizing quantitative evaluation using life cycle assessment. This paper first illustrates the production processes, properties, and applications of steel slag, and then summarizes the key findings of the environmental benefits for steel slag utilization using life cycle assessment from the reviewed literature. This paper also identifies the limitations of quantifying the environmental benefits using life cycle assessment. The results indicate steel slag is largely utilized in pavement concrete and/or block as a substitution for natural aggregates. The associated environmental benefits are mostly attributed to the avoidance of the large amount of cement utilized. The environmental benefits for the substitution of traditional energy-intensive material and carbonation treatment are further discussed in detail. Due to the presence of heavy metals, the potential risks to human and ecological health caused by the manufacturing process and usage stage are examined. Finally, the current challenges and global social implications for steel slag valorization are summarized. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2022,Steel slag; Life cycle assessment; Environmental assessment; Mineral carbonation; Global warming potential; Construction material,No (2)
"Assessment of livestock manure-derived hydrochar as cleaner products: Insights into basic properties, nutrient composition, and heavy metal content","Conversion of livestock manure to hydrochar through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) could fix carbon and reduce pollution. The properties of hydrochar largely determined its application; thus, it is significant to comprehensively assess the manure-derived hydrochars (MHCs). However, relatively few systematic studies on MHCs are insufficient to support agricultural research on MHCs. This study investigated the basic properties, nutrient composition and speciation, and heavy metal content in pig/cattle manure and its MHCs (PCs and CCs). Results showed that MHCs were neutral and weakly acidic, which were milder than its alkalinity manure, and could not change the soil acidity too much when applied to the soil. After HTC, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents were enriched in CCs with 3.47–21.5% N and 69.6–135% P, and in PCs with 74.1–132% P. MHCs prepared at higher temperature had stronger resistance to degradation due to rich ash content, which was conducive to carbon sequestration as soil remediation agents. Besides, the MHCs with rich ash content could also supplement macro/micronutrients for plant growth. More calcium-bound P content (2.26–2.44 times for PCs, 4.78–5.38 times for CCs) suggested that HTC promoted P fixation in MHCs, further reduced nutrient loss, and relieved the eutrophication. Most concentrated heavy metals in MHCs were still up to the biochar-based organic fertilizer standard, which could not increase heavy metal risk compared with manure. Overall, the MHCs as energy-saving and value-added products with sufficient and balanced nutrients and limited heavy metal pollution risk, which can yield valuable agricultural potential. This research would provide theoretical support for the agricultural utilization of MHCs. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd",2022,,No (2)
Commercial forest carbon protocol over-credit bias delimited by zero-threshold carbon accounting,"The validity of forest carbon offsets is increasingly called into question. However, despite the use of commercial forest carbon protocols (CFCPs) for more than two decades, claiming ∼566 MMtCO2e and a market value of ∼USD $15.7 billion, comparative analysis and quality assurance of CFCP methodology and offset results are limited. In this study, five widely used biometric-based CFCPs are characterized and compared with results of directly measured CO2 by eddy covariance, a meteorological method integrating vertical fluxes of forest and soil carbon and the only alternative non-biometric source of net forest carbon sequestration data available. We show that CFCPs share a structural feature delimiting forest carbon values by zero-threshold carbon accounting (gC m−2 y−1 or d−1 ≤ 0), confirming reported forest carbon uncertainty, elucidating the data gap across CFCPs, and emphasizing the need for urgent improvement. The CFCP pattern of values is in contrast to known natural emissions of global forest CO2 exchange that is based on direct measurement, obviating a fundamental biological constraint on net forest carbon storage (i.e., soil efflux, ecosystem respiration). Exclusion of forest CO2 sources to the atmosphere precludes net carbon accounting, resulting in unavoidable over-credit of CFCP project offsets. CFCP carbon results are significantly different from global forest CO2 net ecosystem exchange population results (FLUXNET2015 gC m−2) at the 95 to 99.99% confidence levels, inferring an annual median error of ∼247% (gC m−2), consistent with over-crediting. Given the urgency of reliably reducing CO2 emissions and achievement of net-zero and carbon neutral goals, direct CO2 measurement provides a quality-assured alternative method for commercial forest carbon products with the potential to harmonize global markets, catalyzing the role of forests in managing climate change through nature-based solutions. © 2021",2022,,No (2)
"CO2 Injection Deformation Monitoring Based on UAV and InSAR Technology: A Case Study of Shizhuang Town, Shanxi Province, China","Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, also referred to as Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS), is one of the novel climate mitigation technologies by which CO2 emissions are captured from sources, such as fossil power generation and industrial processes, and further either reused or stored with more attention being paid on the utilization of captured CO2. In the whole CCUS process, the dominant migration pathway of CO2 after being injected underground becomes very important information to judge the possible storage status as well as one of the essential references for evaluating possible environmental affects. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology, with its advantages of extensive coverage in surface deformation monitoring and all-weather traceability of the injection processes, has become one of the promising technologies frequently adopted in worldwide CCUS projects. In this study, taking the CCUS sequestration area in Shizhuang Town, Shanxi Province, China, as an example, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography measurement technology with a 3D surface model at a resolution of 5.3 cm was applied to extract the high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) of the study site in coordination with InSAR technology to more clearly display the results of surface deformation monitoring of the CO2 injection area. A 2 km surface heaving dynamic processes before and after injection from June 2020 to July 2021 was obtained, and a CO2 migration pathway northeastward was observed, which was rather consistent with the monitoring results by logging and micro-seismic studies. Additionally, an integrated monitoring scheme, which will be the trend of monitoring in the future, is proposed in the discussion.",2022,CCUS; surface deformation monitoring; InSAR; CO2 migration pathway,No (2)
"Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Capture, Storage and Utilization: Review of Materials, Processes and Technologies","Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an essential component of mitigating climate change, which arguably presents an existential challenge to our planet. Although CO2 emissions have been on the global agenda for several decades, progress has been extremely slow, insufficient and sporadic. Anthropogenic CO2 emissions are the direct result of our addiction to fossil fuels, and in 2018 accounted for 68% (or, 37.5 GtCO(2)) out of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 55.3 GtCO(2e) globally. Capturing CO2 at such massive quantities would require resources and technologies that can operate cost-effectively at the multigigaton scale, which we currently lack. Moreover, CO2 capture is an expensive and highly energy intensive process complicated further by logistics and the diversity of the emission sources that vary by volume, composition, location, type, and industry or sector. At the same time, however, such diversity also highlights that one size does not fit all, and hence, dictates the need for a multi-prong strategy that emphasizes the necessity to develop wide range of CCS technologies, materials and processes. This article presents a global overview and impartial assessment of the current state of CCS challenges in an extensive manner covered under the main headings of pre- and post-combustion CO2 capture, direct air capture, CO2 transport and storage and utilization, and carbon pricing. Materials aspects of post-combustion CO2 capture technologies are reviewed in detail. The article provides critical discussions of fundamental phenomena and recent advances in the field, as well as tutorial-type background information, where appropriate. The article reviews the status of global CO2 emissions as well as carbon sources and sinks, and examines a broad range of major technologies, methodologies, processes, and materials for CO2 capture, discusses technology options for carbon capture from fossil fuel-based power generation, presents the challenges to storage, utilization and the global pricing of CO2, and finishes with an assessment of knowledge gaps, mitigation options and opportunities for advances. The article emphasizes the fact that there are no easy fixes or cheap technological solutions to the interconnected problems of energy, CO2 emissions and climate change. The threats to Earth's ecosystems are too real and imminent to be judged and driven only by economics. In this existential context, the choice between 'pay now' or 'pay later' is clear and paying later will be much more expensive. The world must act now.",2022,Carbon dioxide; Carbon capture and storage; CO2 emissions; Pre-combustion; Post-combustion; Oxy-combustion; Direct air capture; CO2 utilization; CO2 sorbent materials; Oxygen-based conversion; Climate change,No (2)
Acid rain reduces soil CO2 emission and promotes soil organic carbon accumulation in association with decreasing the biomass and biological activity of ecosystems: A meta-analysis,"Acid rain, as one of the global environmental issues, alters the biogeochemistry of terrestrial ecosystems. However, the responses of soil greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions to acid rain remain unclear, thus creating large uncertainties in the prediction of global climate change. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis based on existing 42 studies to assess the influences of acid rain on soil GHGs emissions. Results showed that acid rain significantly decreased soil CO2 emission by 11.7%, but marginally increased soil N2O emission by 11.7%. In addition, acid rain significantly decreased soil pH, dissolved organic carbon (C), microbial biomass C, nitrate nitrogen (N), hydrolysable N and total phosphorus, while increased soil organic C, ammonium N and C/N ratio. Moreover, acid rain significantly decreased the activity of soil urease, sucrase and invertase. Acid rain significantly decreased soil bacterial and gram-negative bacterial biomass, while increased the microbial biomass of gram-positive bacteria, fungi and actinomycete, and the ratios of fungi/bacteria and gram-positive/gramnegative bacteria. Furthermore, acid rain significantly decreased the aboveground biomass and fine root biomass of vegetation. The effect size of soil CO2 emission had significantly positive relationships with that of soil pH, microbial biomass C, urease activity, and fine root biomass, while it negatively related with that of soil organic C and C/N ratio. These findings suggest that acid rain reduces soil CO2 emission and promotes soil organic C accumulation.",2022,Global climate change; Acid precipitation; Soil respiration; Soil carbon sequestration; Biogeochemistry,No (2)
Response of global farmland soil organic carbon to nitrogen application over time depends on soil type,"Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are closely coupled to regulate the cycle of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its feedback to climate change in terrestrial ecosystem. However, the response of SOC content to N input in different soil types on time scales is still less understood. Here, we did a meta-analysis by collecting global farmland data across 60 years based on soil taxonomy, as well as our long-term field agricultural experiment from 2006 to 2019 (total number of observations, n = 301). The results showed that N addition promoted the increase of SOC content on an average of 9.1% in agrosystem, but varied considerably in different soil types (5.2%-12.0%). The SOC content of Alfisols and Mollisols soils showed a significant increasing response along the time scale. Furthermore, random forest model and structural equation model analysis indicated that climate factors and soil types indirectly affect the temporal response of SOC to N application through soil properties such as TN and C:N. This study emphasizes that the temporal response of SOC content to long-term N addition depends on soil type, with an scale-up effect in soil types with relative high SOC content (like Alfisols and Mollisols), which provides a new perspective for better understanding the C sequestration as the consequence of coupling effect of C and N in farmland system under long-term human activities.",2022,Soil type; N input; SOC; Farmland ecosystem; Climate change; Long term,No (2)
Biochar mitigated more N-related global warming potential in rice season than that in wheat season: An investigation from ten-year biochar-amended rice-wheat cropping system of China,"Rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS), the major rice-based cropping system, constitutes a significant source of N-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emission due to the unique wet-dry alternation process. Biochar is often highlighted as a potential solution for reducing fertilizer N losses, hence, understanding its effects on Ngr emissions (mainly NH3 and N2O) under wet-dry conditions is critical to inform strategies for GHG mitigation. This study investigated the responses of NH3 and N2O emissions to biochar amendments during rice and wheat seasons based on in situ measurements under ten-year successive straw biochar application in RWCS. Our results indicated that 43.7% and 89.9% of N2O and NH3 emissions were emitted during rice season and 56.3% and 10.1% during wheat season, respectively. Long-term biochar amendment was found to play significant role in mitigating NH3 emissions (38.6-43.9%), which could be attributed to the disappearance of liming effect of aged-biochar on flooding water and decreased NH4+ concentrations in the soil. However, considerable variation of N2O emissions were observed in RWCS. Biochar showed a significant decreasing effect on the net global warming potential related to N2O and NH3 emissions (GWP(N)) in rice season (16.1-89.6%), and slight increased tendency in wheat season (1.43-13.1%) primarily due to its positive effects on N2O emission. Biochar amendment mainly BC22.5, significantly increased above-ground yields by 9.22% in rice season. Thus, it is a low carbon-producing and sustainable crop management method that can support crop production, C sequestration, and GHG mitigation in rice season under RWCS from the viewpoint of the Ngr mitigation. Our results suggest that emission patterns of N2O and NH3 varied with wet-dry alternation under the disturbance of long-term biochar amendment in RWCS; moreover, long-term biochar application exhibited significant potential for mitigating soil Ngr losses in rice season for RWCS.",2022,Long-term; Atmospheric pollution; Nitrogen regulation; Rice-based system,No (2)
"Biochar impacts on soil chemical properties, greenhouse gas emissions and forage productivity: A field experiment","Biochar is a promising alternative to agricultural productivity and climate change mitigation. However, quantitative data are needed to better understand the productivity and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural fields amended with biochar. To assess the impacts of the four biochars on soil properties, forage productivity, and GHG emissions, a 1-year field experiment was conducted in a Humic Haploxerands (Andisol). Three manure-derived biochars and one wood residue biochar (all pyrolyzed at 550 degrees C) were applied at rates of 1% (equivalent to 11 t ha(-1)) in two parallel and independent experiments. The changes in (i) soil chemical properties and yield of Sorghum sudangrass (S. bicolorxS. bicolor var. Sudanese) and (ii) soil CO2 and N2O emissions were monitored. Two controls, with and without NPK, were included. The added amendments produced from residues of poultry and pig systems increased soil pH by 0.73 and 0.19 units, respectively. Increased sorghumyield were associated with fertilizer and the liming potential of the added biochar. Soil total carbon (TC) increased with the addition of different biochars, especially during the wood biochar treatment. Biochar application, regardless of the feedstock, had no significant impact on the cumulative soil CO2 emitted after a year. Soil N2O fluxes decreased (23%-50%) in treatments containing biochars with low mineral N contents and high C stability (i.e., low H:OC and Cox:TC ratios). NPK treatment resulted in the highest N2O emissions. Wood residue-derived biochar has a great potential in mitigating climate change, reducing soil N2O emissions, and promoting soil C storage. Manure-derived biochars could be instrumental in circular economy livestock systems, where pyrolyzed animal manure can satisfy the demand for nutrients and/or liming of Andisols under sustainable forage models. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2022,Soil amendment; Crop yield; Soil carbon storage; Nitrous oxide emissions; Carbon dioxide emissions; Andisol,No (2)
Biochar promotes soil organic carbon sequestration and reduces net global warming potential in apple orchard: A two-year study in the Loess Plateau of China,"The Loess Plateau is China's primary apple-growing area, and the orchard is a significant source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions due to high nitrogen fertilizer input. Thus, a two-year field study was carried out to investigate the effects of apple wood derived biochar on GHGs emissions during apple orchard production, including soil organic carbon sequestration (SOCSR) and net global warming potential (NGWP) assessments. There are four treatments in this study: 20 t ha(-1) biochar in a non-fertilized plot (B); no biochar in a fertilized plot (F); 20 t ha(-1) biochar in a fertilized plot (FB); no biochar in a non-fertilized plot (CK). Results showed that the combined application of biochar and fertilizer stimulated CO2 emissions by 9.25% and 8.39% than either biochar or fertilizer alone. Meanwhile, biochar in fertilized plot increased annual N2O emissions by 32.6% as compared to fertilized plot without biochar amendment. Compared with CK, biochar had no significant effect on GHG emissions in unfertilized plot. The N2O emission factor of FB and F were 0.91% and 0.45% respectively in 2017-2018 and they were both 0.34% in 2018-2019. Moreover, compared with CK, the FB and B treatments increased the SOCSR by 316.52% and 354.78%, while, decreased the NGWP by 368.93% and 480.91%, respectively. Thus, biochar application may help reduce the impact of apple production on climate change by sequestering more soil organic carbon and decreasing the NGWP. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V.",2022,Wood biochar; Greenhouse gases; Carbon sequestration; Apple orchard; Net global warming potential,No (2)
Optimizing organic amendment applications to enhance carbon sequestration and economic benefits in an infertile sandy soil,"A thorough understanding of the agricultural, ecological, and economic benefits of organic amendment (OA) application in infertile soils is crucial for facilitating agricultural sustainability. We conducted a three-year field study to evaluate the effects of OA application on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, crop yields, and the net ecosystem economic benefit (NEEB) in a typical infertile sandy soil (with an initial SOC content of 2.56 g kg(-1)) of the ancient Yellow River alluvial plain. In addition to the control (CK; non-OA application), two types of OAs, namely, manure-based organic fertilizer (M) and spent mushroom residue (MR), were each applied at 12, 24, and 36 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1). Two scenarios of OA application practices, namely, conventional manual OA application (AMA) and mechanical OA application (AME), were considered in the economic evaluation. An increase of 1 g kg(-1) SOC content could improve the crop yield by 2.25 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1). Compared with the CK, the application of OAs enhanced the SOC content and SOC stock by 14.6%-39.8% and 8.5%-28.2%, respectively. However, the SOC sequestration efficiency of the OAs tended to decrease under high rates of OA application. MR was observed to have greater potential than M in sequestering SOC and promoting soil aggregates. OA-induced SOC sequestration could neutralize 36.6%-97.8% of greenhouse gas emissions, which resulted in a reduction in the global warming potential and its cost by 0.62-2.68 Mg CO2-eq ha(-1) yr(-1) and 15.46-65.78 CNY ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively. Nevertheless, in terms of the NEEB, the benefits of OA application on crop yield and SOC sequestration were largely offset by the increased material and labor costs. Compared with AMA, AME could save 10%-27% of agricultural costs. The AME of MR at a rate of 24 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1) achieved the highest NEEB. The results of this study suggest that a strategy involving the appropriate OA, optimal application rate, and cheapest incorporation cost for a specific individual soil should be adopted to achieve a sustainable solution for promoting crop productivity, enhancing SOC sequestration, and ensuring farmer income in infertile farming regions.",2022,Organic amendment; Infertile sandy soil; Soil organic carbon; Spent mushroom residue; Economic evaluation; Net ecosystem economic benefit,No (2)
Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal: A New Frontier in the Blue Economy,"The ocean is a key facet of climate stability and Earth's carbon cycle. Given the immense scale of atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR) necessary to achieve international climate goals, ocean-based CDR approaches (or ""ocean CDR"") warrant serious consideration. Ocean CDR is a still nascent, but cautiously promising, area of scientific research with several approaches under evaluation. Here, we examine one of the most promising approaches, ocean alkalinity enhancement, to highlight and exemplify challenges and opportunities of an emerging ocean CDR industry in the blue economy.",2022,carbon dioxide removal; ocean carbon cycle; ocean alkalinity enhancement; blue economy,No (2)
Multiple soil map comparison highlights challenges for predicting topsoil organic carbon concentration at national scale,"Soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration is the fundamental indicator of soil health, underpinning food production and climate change mitigation. SOC storage is highly sensitive to several dynamic environmental drivers, with approximately one third of soils degraded and losing carbon worldwide. Digital soil mapping illuminates where hotspots of SOC storage occur and where losses to the atmosphere are most likely. Yet, attempts to map SOC often disagree. Here we compare national scale SOC concentration map products to reveal agreement of data in mineral soils, with progressively poorer agreement in organo-mineral and organic soils. Divergences in map predictions from each other and survey data widen in the high SOC content land types we stratified. Given the disparities are highest in carbon rich soils, efforts are required to reduce these uncertainties to increase confidence in mapping SOC storage and predicting where change may be important at national to global scales. Our map comparison results could be used to identify SOC risk where concentrations are high and should be conserved, and where uncertainty is high and further monitoring should be targeted. Reducing inter-map uncertainty will rely on addressing statistical limitations and including covariates that capture convergence of physical factors that produce high SOC contents.",2022,,No (2)
Accounting for local temperature effect substantially alters afforestation patterns,"Human intervention in forested ecosystems is hoped to perform a fundamental shift within the next decade by reverting current forest loss-a major source of CO2 emissions-to net forest gain taking up carbon and thus aiding climate change mitigation. The demanded extensive establishment of forests will change the local surface energy fluxes, and with it the local climate, in addition to competing with food and fiber production for land and water. Scenario building models encompass this competition for resources but have turned a blind eye to the biogeophysical (BGP) local surface energy flux disturbance so far. We combine the benefit of CO2 sequestration of afforestation/reforestation (A/R) with the additional incentive or penalty of local BGP induced cooling or warming by translating the local BGP induced temperature change to a CO2 equivalent. We then include this new aspect in the land-use model Model for Agricultural Production and their Impact on the Environment (MAgPIE) via modifying the application of the price on greenhouse gases (GHGs). This enables us to use MAgPIE to produce A/R scenarios that are optimized for both their potential CO2 sequestration and the CO2 equivalent local BGP effect, as well as the socio-economic trade-offs of A/R. Here we show that optimal A/R patterns are substantially altered by taking the local BGP effects into account. Considering local cooling benefits of establishing forests triples (+203.4%) the viable global A/R area in 2100 from 116 to 351 Mha under the conditions of the shared socioeconomic pathway 2 (SSP2) scenario driven by the same GHG price. Three quarters (76.0%, +179 Mha) of the additionally forested area is established in tropical climates alone. Therefore, a further neglect of BGP effects in scenario building models undervalues the benefit of tropical forests while simultaneously running the risk of proposing counterproductive measures at high latitudes. However, the induced focus on tropical forestation intensifies the competition with food production where forests contribute most to mitigation. A/R related trade-offs need to be considered alongside their climate benefit to inhibit unintentional harm of mitigation efforts.",2022,afforestation; reforestation; biogeophysical effect; land-based mitigation; trade-offs,Yes (1)
Possibility for strong northern hemisphere high-latitude cooling under negative emissions,A strong decrease or collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation would cool down the northern high latitudes. This study reveals the possibility that such cooling could be amplified under deliberate CO2 removal from the atmosphere. It is well established that a collapse or strong reduction of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) would substantially cool the northern high latitudes. Here we show that there is a possibility that such cooling could be amplified under deliberate CO2 removal and result in a temporary undershoot of a targeted temperature level. We find this behaviour in Earth system models that show a strong AMOC decline in response to anthropogenic forcing. Idealized simulations of CO2 removal with one of these models indicate that the timing of negative emissions relative to AMOC decline and recovery is key in setting the strength of the temporary cooling. We show that the pronounced temperature-fluctuations at high northern latitudes found in these simulations would entail considerable consequences for sea-ice and permafrost extent as well as for high latitude ecosystems.,2022,,Yes (1)
Estimating the Employment and Fiscal Consequences of Thermal Coal Phase-Out in China,"China hosts over half of global coal-fired power generation capacity and has the world's largest coal reserves. Its 2060 carbon neutrality goal will require coal-fired electricity generation to shrink dramatically, with or without carbon capture and storage technology. Two macroeconomic areas in which the socioeconomic impact of this decline is felt are losses in jobs and tax revenues supported by thermal coal mining, transport and power generation. At the national level, under a 'baseline' (B) scenario consistent with China's carbon neutrality goal, labour productivity growth in coal mining implies that significant job losses will occur nationally in the medium term, even if all coal plants continue operating as planned. Jobs supported by the coal power industry would decline from an estimated 2.7 million in 2021, to 1.44 million in 2035 and 94,000 in 2050, with jobs losses from mining alone expected to exceed 1.1 million by 2035. Tax revenues from thermal coal would total approximately CNY 300 billion annually from 2021-2030, peaking in 2023 at CNY 340 billion. This is significantly less than estimated subsidies of at least CNY 480 billion, suggesting coal is likely a net fiscal drain on China's public finances, even without accounting for the costs of local pollution and the social cost of carbon. As coal plant retirements accelerate, from 2034 onwards, fiscal revenues begin to fall more rapidly, with rates of decline rising from 1% in the 2020s to over 10% a year by the 2040s. More aggressive climate policy and technology scenarios bring job and tax losses forward in time, while a No Transition policy, in which all currently planned coal plants are built, delays but does not ultimately prevent these losses. At the provincial level, China's major coal-producing provinces will likely face challenges in managing the localised effects of expected job losses and finding productive alternative uses for this labour. Governments of coal-producing provinces like Inner Mongolia, with an industry highly dependent on exports to other provinces, are more exposed than others to declining tax revenues from coal, and more insulated from job losses, given their high current degree of labour efficiency. Although their provincial revenues are likely to remain stable until the early 2030s under the B scenario, the possibility of increasing policy stringency underlines the need for revenue and skill base diversification. At the firm level, China's 'Big Five' state-owned power companies were responsible for over 40% of both jobs and tax revenues in 2021. The number of jobs supported by the activities of each of the largest ten firms, with one exception, will decline by 71-84% by the early 2040s, with the tax contribution of each declining by 43-69% in the same period.",2022,China; coal phase-out; climate policy; just transition; tax revenue; employment,No (2)
"The Effect of Monoculture, Crop Rotation Combinations, and Continuous Bare Fallow on Soil CO2 Emissions, Earthworms, and Productivity of Winter Rye after a 50-Year Period","One of the main goals of the 21st century's developing society is to produce the necessary amount of food while protecting the environment. Globally, particularly in Lithuania and other northern regions with similar climatic and soil conditions, there is a lack of data on the long-term effects of crop rotation under the current conditions of intensive farming and climate change. It has long been recognized that monocultures cause soil degradation compared to crop rotation. Research hypothesis: the long-term implementation of crop rotation makes a positive influence on the soil environment. The aim of our investigation was to compare the effects of a 50-year-long application of different crop rotations and monocultures on soil CO2 emissions, earthworms, and productivity of winter rye. Long-term stationary field experiments were established in 1966 at Vytautas Magnus University Experimental Station (54 degrees 53 ' N, 23 degrees 50 ' E). The study was conducted using intensive field rotation with row crops, green manure crop rotations, three-course rotation, and rye monoculture. Pre-crop had the largest impact on soil CO2 emissions, and more intensive soil CO2 emissions occurred at the beginning of winter rye growing season. Rye appeared not to be demanding in terms of pre-crops. However, its productivity decreased when grown in monoculture, and the optimal mineral fertilization remained lower than with crop rotation, but productivity remained stable.",2022,continuous bare fallow; rye; monoculture; 50-year period crop rotation; cover crop green manure; pre-crop effect,No (2)
"Prediction, validation, and uncertainties of a nation-wide post-fire soil erosion risk assessment in Portugal","Wildfires are a recurrent and increasing threat in mainland Portugal, where over 4.5 million hectares of forests and scrublands have burned over the last 38 years. These fire-affected landscapes have suffered an intensification of soil erosion processes, which can negatively affect soil carbon storage, reduce fertility and forest productivity, and can become a source of pollutants. The main objective of the present study is to produce a post-fire soil erosion risk map for the forest and shrubland areas in mainland Portugal and assess its reliability. To this end, the semi-empirical Morgan-Morgan-Finney erosion model was used to assess the potential post-fire soil erosion according to distinct burn severity and climate scenarios, and the accuracy of the predictions was verified by an uncertainty analysis and validated against independent field datasets. The proposed approach successfully allowed mapping post-fire soil erosion in Portugal and identified the areas with higher post-fire erosion risk for past and future climate extremes. The outcomes of this study comprise a set of tools to help forest managers in their decision-making for post-fire emergency stabilization, ensuring the adequate selection of areas for mitigation to minimize the economic and environmental losses caused by fire-enhanced soil erosion.",2022,,No (2)
Performance and genetic analysis of coast redwood cultivars for afforestation of converted grassland in California,"Afforestation of pasture sites results in a net reduction in atmospheric CO2. Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is well suited to carbon forestry due to its rapid growth and long-lived decay-resistant heartwood. We sought to identify redwood cultivars (clones) suitable for afforestation and rapid growth on pasture sites. Our common garden experiment replicated at three sites tested performance of 32 cultivars and a commercial seedlot. After four growing seasons, the tallest cultivar on the two more productive sites measured 6.1 m and 5.2 m and average heights were 3- and twofold that of the least productive site. Seedling heights ranked intermediate, being outperformed by >= 50% of the cultivars. Height growth differed significantly among cultivars. Compared to the seedlings, the top three cultivars averaged 15-18% greater height after four growing seasons at each site. This translated to stemwood volume gains of 106% at the best site and 68% at the second best site. There was relatively low-yet statistically significant-G x E interaction, indicating that redwood cultivars can be expected to rank consistently for growth across a range of different pasture sites. However, there may be minor benefits to specific cultivar-site matching especially under suboptimal conditions such as under partial shade on poorer sites. Overall, our results demonstrate the potential of elite cultivars for rapid afforestation of pasture sites.",2022,Forest establishment; G&#8201; &#215; &#8201; E interaction; Quantitative genetics; Sequoia sempervirens; Tree improvement; Vegetative propagation,No (2)
Simultaneous carbon storage in arable land and anthropogenic products (CSAAP): Demonstrating an integrated concept towards well below 2°C,"Additional carbon dioxide removals from the atmosphere are indispensable for controlling global warming. This study introduces two concepts: (i) ‘biopump’, plants capable of significantly transferring carbon into soils, and (ii) Carbon Storage in Arable land and Anthropogenic Products (CSAAP), the cultivation of biopumps on low-impact target areas and their conversion into long-lived anthropogenic products. It develops and demonstrates a 4-step framework applicable to any region, that allows illustrating the long-term climate effect of CSAAP strategies applied to a selected territory, tracking carbon flows, from biopump cultivation to biomaterials manufacturing and their end-of-life. Based on a list of twenty-seven biopumps uncovered from a literature review, this study first proposes a method for the regional prioritization of biopumps, considering among others their ability to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) and adaptation potential. It then demonstrates how to select target areas on a territory, and shows how to integrate the output of SOC simulations in dynamic carbon balances, that can be translated in terms of effects on global mean temperature change. This is illustrated for products encompassing a variety of lifetimes, for the case of Miscanthus grown on French target areas. A potential ranging from 11,187- 24,007 km2 target areas was identified; translating in additional SOC stocks of 0.23 to 0.49 Mt year−1, which represents 0.19%- 0.41% of the annual French carbon budget, or 13% assuming an indefinite storage in anthropogenic products. We concluded that CSAAP strategies could induce negative emissions by 2100, with efficiency strongly depending upon carbon residence time in the technosphere. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.",2022,,No (2)
"Opportunities for coastal wetland restoration for blue carbon with co-benefits for biodiversity, coastal fisheries, and water quality","Coastal wetlands are known to sequester significant amounts of carbon dioxide, while also providing valuable ecosystem services. We assessed the economic feasibility of restoring coastal wetlands for climate change mitigation by reinstating tidal flows on floodplain, agricultural land of the Wet Tropics catchments in Queensland, Australia. We assessed whether potential carbon credits would be sufficient to incentivise conversion of the land, or whether additional ecosystem service payments would be required. We explored the co-benefits for biodiversity, fisheries, and nitrogen removal using a prioritisation approach to identify profitable restoration solutions that maximise these benefits. We identified 5,046 ha of potential restorable area that could abate 221,006 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2-e) annually from carbon sequestration in vegetation and soils and avoided greenhouse gas emissions. Cost-benefit analysis over 25 years demonstrate that 3,399 ha (67%) would be profitable under conventional farm management practice using the current Australian carbon price ($13.85 per tonne CO2-e), which increased to 4,534 ha (90%) at a higher carbon price ($25 per tonne CO2-e). The profitability of coastal wetland restoration was enhanced by a higher carbon price, which can be achieved by bundling ecosystem services, or through stacking ecosystem service payments. Prioritising restoration sites by cost-effectiveness and co-benefits can achieve multiple ecosystem services for a substantial profit. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.",2022,,No (2)
Forest structure and solar-induced fluorescence across intact and degraded forests in the Amazon,"Tropical forest degradation (e.g., anthropogenic disturbances such as selective logging and fires) alters forest structure and function and influences the forest's carbon sink. In this study, we explored structure-function relationships across a variety of degradation levels in the southern Brazilian Amazon by 1) investigating how forest structural properties vary as a function of degradation history using airborne lidar data; 2) assessing the effects of degradation on solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) seasonality using TROPOMI data; and 3) quantifying the contribution of structural variables to SIF using multiple regression models with stepwise selection of lidar metrics. Forest degradation history was obtained through Landsat time-series classification. We found that fire, logging, and time since disturbance were major determinants of forest structure, and that forests affected by fires experienced larger variability in leaf area index (LAI), canopy height and vertical structure relative to logged and intact forests. Moreover, only recently burned forests showed significantly depressed SIF during the dry season compared to intact forests. Canopy height and the vertical distribution of foliage were the best predictors of SIF. Unexpectedly, we found that wet-season SIF was higher in active regenerating forests (~ 4 years after fires or logging) compared with intact forests, despite lower LAI. Our findings help to elucidate the mechanisms of carbon accumulation in anthropogenically disturbed tropical forests and indicate that they can capture large amounts of carbon while recovering. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.",2022,,No (2)
"Influence of extraction solvents on the recovery yields and properties of bio-oils from woody biomass liquefaction in sub-critical water, ethanol or water-ethanol mixed solvent","In this work, the effects of extraction solvents: acetone, ethanol, dichloromethane (DCM) and ethyl acetate (EA), on the yields and characteristics of bio-oil products obtained from liquefaction of rubberwood sawdust (RS) at 300 degrees C for 30 min in water, ethanol or water-ethanol mixed solvent (50/50, v/v) were comparatively studied. When pure water or ethanol was used as the reaction medium, the highest bio-oil yield was obtained by acetone (30.41 wt%) or EA (31.69 wt%), respectively. Besides, significantly higher bio-oil yields were observed in RS liquefaction in water-ethanol mixed solvent with the maximum bio-oil yield of 56.67 wt% obtained by acetone. But ethanol was always the least efficient in recovering bio-oil in all cases. Besides, the elemental analysis showed that DCM was conducive to recover the bio-oil products with lower oxygen contents and the higher HHVs, while the acetone-extracted bio-oils were worse in quality. However, the highest carbon recovery (CR) and energy recovery (ER) were obtained by acetone due to its higher bio-oil yield produced in water-ethanol mixed solvent. As suggested by GC-MS, GPC and TGA analysis, the extraction solvents and reaction mediums both greatly affected the chemical compositions of the bio-oil products. Phenols were dominant in bio-oil products, followed by hydrocarbons, ketones, esters, etc. Acetone tended to extract the bio-oil with larger carbon numbers and molecular weights, which might explain its higher bio-oil recovery yield in water or water-ethanol mixed solvent. DCM was beneficial to recover the bio-oil was more light compounds with smaller molecular weights and lower boiling point distribution. But for the liquefaction in pure ethanol, more similar chemical compositions were observed among different samples when compared to the cases in other reaction mediums.",2022,Liquefaction; Woody biomass; Bio-oil; Extraction solvent; Reaction medium,No (2)
"A review of technologies for carbon capture, sequestration, and utilization: Cost, capacity, and technology readiness","The continued rise in anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration has led to calls from experts, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that has estimated that global warming needs to be limited to 1.5 degrees C above preindustrial levels to avoid the worst effects of climate change, and that carbon neutrality would need to be achieved globally by 2050 to meet this target. Achieving carbon neutrality by mid-century will rely on successful implementation and widespread adoption of technologies for reducing emissions from large point sources of CO2, direct CO2 capture from the air, as well as storage and utilization technologies that would convert CO2 to a form that would ensure safety and permanency of storage. In this paper, engineering solutions for CO2 capture, utilization, and storage are reviewed with a focus on technology readiness level, and cost. (c) 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.",2022,sequestration; utilization; direct air capture; global warming; cost estimates,No (2)
Soil amendments for sustainable agriculture: Microbial organic fertilizers,"There is an enormous body of the literature, proving that soil amendments enhance plant growth/yield and prevent the impact of pathogens/toxins. To the best of our knowledge, there is no comprehensive assessment focused on the synergistic effects of microorganisms and soil amendments with biochar or compost for upgrading the current fertilizers towards a more sustainable agriculture. The main objective of the present work is to discuss the most current information needed for developing advanced soil amendments using microorganisms along with safe, sustainable and low-cost waste sourced materials. The first step in designing the biofertilizer is the selection of a microorganism from among a variety of bacterial/fungi strains that have been identified as plant growth promoting (PGP) in the literature. This study classifies the effective types of soil microorganisms with respect to their functionality to facilitate the choice of the best compatible microbial strain(s) in order to satisfy the host environment requirements. The second part is dedicated to various inorganic and organic carriers, such as perlite, peat, fly ash and compost, for delivering of microorganism into the soils. The role of carriers in the survival and the functional contribution of the microbes to soil-plant systems are investigated. Lastly, biochar is evaluated as a promising microbial carrier together with its influence on the soil biota including microorganisms and plants. The superior features of biochar, for example high surface area, porosity, customizable structure, high stability, carbon sequestration and synergy, with other fertilizers are also discussed.",2022,biochar; biofertilizer; microbial carrier; soil amendment; sustainable agriculture,No (2)
The effects of H2O2- and HNO3/H2SO4-modified biochars on the resistance of acid paddy soil to acidification,"Biochar was prepared from rice straw and modified with 15% H2O2 and 1:1 HNO3/H2SO4, respectively. The unmodified biochars and HCl treated biochars for carbonate removal were used as control. The biochars were added to the acid paddy soil collected from Langxi, Anhui Province, China at the rate of 30 g/kg. The paddy soil was flooded and then air-dried, and soil pH and Eh were measured in situ with pH electrode and platinum electrode during wet-dry alternation. Soil pH buffering capacity (pHBC) was determined by acid-base titration after the wet-dry treatment. Then, the simulated acidification experiments were carried out to study the changing trends of soil pH, base cations and exchangeable acidity. The results showed that soil pHBC was effectively increased and the resistance of the paddy soil to acidification was apparently enhanced with the incorporation of H2O2- and HNO3/H2SO4-modified biochars. Surface functional groups on biochars were mainly responsible for enhanced soil resistance to acidification. During soil acidification, the protonation of organic anions generated by dissociation of these functional groups effectively retarded the decline of soil pH. The modification of HNO3/ H2SO4 led to greater increase in carboxyl functional groups on the biochars than H2O2 modification and thus HNO3/H2SO4-modified biochars showed more enhancement in soil resistance to acidification than H2O2-modified biochars. After a wet-dry cycle, the pH of the paddy soil incorporated with HNO3/H2SO4-modified biochar increased apparently. Consequently, the addition of HNO3/H2SO4-modified biochar can be regarded as a new method to alleviate soil acidification. In short, the meaning of this paper is to provide a new method for the amelioration of acid paddy soils.",2022,Modified biochar; Paddy soil; pH buffering capacity; Soil acidification; Wet-dry alternation,No (2)
Anaerobic primed CO2 and CH4 in paddy soil are driven by Fe reduction and stimulated by biochar,"Soil C inputs and its priming effect (PE) are important in regulating soil C accumulation and mitigating climate change; however, the factors that control the direction and intensity of PE remains unclear. Soil C accumulation is strongly affected by the reductive iron status in paddy fields, while the addition of organic substances increases the emission of certain gases (CO2/CH4) under the PE, contributing to climate change. Here, we elucidated the mechanism by which Fe reduction, measured by Fe(A) production, regulates PE for CO2 and CH4 in paddy soils. Specifically, we quantified PE induced by C-13-labeled straw in anaerobic paddy soil, augmented by ferrihydrite and/or biochar, over 150 days in a laboratory experiment. The PE of CO2 was initially negative (-15.3 to -41.5 mg C kg(-1)) before 20 days of incubation and subsequently became positive. PE intensity for both gases depended on ferrihydrite or biochar application. Straw + biochar had the highest PEs (CO2, 116.5 mg C kg(-1); CH4, 309.4 mg C kg(-1)), while straw + ferrihydrite produced the lowest Hs (CO2, 41.3 mg C kg(-1); CH4, 107.8 mg C kg(-1)). Fe reduction was approximately three times higher with straw + ferrihydrite than with straw alone and was further stimulated by additional biochar. Thus, biochar appeared to accelerate Fe reduction, destabilize mineral-bound organic C, and increase nutrient availability to microbes. Enhanced microbial C and N mining led to a positive PE for CO2. Cumulative PE for CH4 was 2-3 times higher than that for CO2, indicating conversion via methanogenesis. Biochar acted as an electron shuttle, increasing Fe reduction and stimulating interspecies electron transfer, and increased CH4 production. Therefore, Fe reduction and biochar jointly increased PE intensity for CH4. In conclusion, water and fertilizer management of paddy soil could contribute toward mitigating climate change.",2022,Priming effect; Fe reduction; CH4 production; Soil enzyme activity; Electron shuttle; Paddy field soil,No (2)
Modelling a basalt reactor for direct air CO2 capture,"Ground basalt has been used as mineral fertilizer since the early thirties. Ground basalt captures CO2 from the atmosphere and the soil pore space, raises the soil pH and reduces ocean acidification. One tonne of basalt captures 0.153-0.165 tonne CO2, depending on infiltration rate (400-1200 mm/a), reactive surface area (3.7-15 m(2)/g) and CO2 partial pressure (41.1-3000 Pa). When the infiltration rate is high (1200 mm/a), the CO2 capture capacity of basalt is exhausted after 9.5-11.4 years. When the infiltration rate is low (400 mm/a), the capture capacity is exhausted after 28.2-33.1 years. With the exhaustion of the capture capacity, the newly formed carbonates that sequestered CO2 start dissolving. The dissolution is complete after 34.9-101.7 years, depending on infiltration rate, reactive surface area and CO2 partial pressure. The reaction products are transported to the ocean via surface waters. The degree to which the fugacity of CO2 controlled by the Henry constant exceeds the fugacity of atmospheric CO2 along the travel path depends on many unknowns. Thus, it is impossible to reliably predict to which degree the captured CO2 is recycled to the atmosphere, if it is recycled at all.",2022,Climate change; Carbon dioxide; CO2; Basalt fertilizer; Ocean acidification; Numerical model,No (2)
Rock weathering controls the potential for soil carbon storage at a continental scale,"As rock-derived primary minerals weather to form soil, they create reactive, poorly crystalline minerals that bind and store organic carbon. By implication, the abundance of primary minerals in soil might influence the abundance of poorly crystalline minerals, and hence soil organic carbon storage. However, the link between primary mineral weathering, poorly crystalline minerals, and soil carbon has not been fully tested, particularly at large spatial scales. To close this knowledge gap, we designed a model that links primary mineral weathering rates to the geographic distribution of poorly crystalline minerals across the USA, and then used this model to evaluate the effect of rock weathering on soil organic carbon. We found that poorly crystalline minerals are most abundant and most strongly correlated with organic carbon in geographically limited zones that sustain enhanced weathering rates, where humid climate and abundant primary minerals co-occur. This finding confirms that rock weathering alters soil mineralogy to enhance soil organic carbon storage at continental scales, but also indicates that the influence of active weathering on soil carbon storage is limited by low weathering rates across vast areas.",2022,Soil organic matter; Weathering; Soil mineralogy; Poorly crystalline minerals,No (2)
PRospective EnvironMental Impact asSEment (premise): A streamlined approach to producing databases for prospective life cycle assessment using integrated assessment models,"Prospective Life Cycle Assessment (pLCA) is useful to evaluate the environmental performance of current and emerging technologies in the future. Yet, as energy systems and industries are rapidly shifting towards cleaner means of production, pLCA requires an inventory database that encapsulates the expected changes in technologies and the environment at a given point in time, following specific socio-techno-economic pathways. To this end, this study introduces premise, a tool to streamline the generation of prospective inventory databases for pLCA by integrating scenarios generated by Integrated Assessment Models (IAM). More precisely, premise applies a number of transformations on energy-intensive activities found in the inventory database ecoinvent according to projections provided by the IAM. Unsurprisingly, the study shows that, within a given socio-economic narrative, the climate change mitigation target chosen affects the performance of nearly all activities in the database. This is illustrated by focusing on the effects observed on a few activities, such as systems for direct air capture of CO2, lithium-ion batteries, electricity and clinker production as well as freight transport by road, in relation to the applied sector-based transformation and the chosen climate change mitigation target. This work also discusses the limitations and challenges faced when coupling IAM and LCA databases and what improvements are to be brought in to further facilitate the development of pLCA. © 2022",2022,,Yes (1)
Temporal dynamics of carbon storage in a Mediterranean mountain scrubland managed by prescribed fire,"Farmland abandonment and reduction of grazing activity, mainly in mountain areas with remote access and ageing population, have been contributing to shrub encroachment in such territories and, consequently, to increase fuel load available for triggering wildfires. Accordingly, it is necessary to use vegetation management practices in order to reduce wildfire risk, prescribed fire being one of the most common techniques used in the Mediterranean region. This research focused in the effects of a prescribed fire (PF) applied in Montesinho Natural Park (PNM), NE Portugal, on the temporal dynamics of carbon storage in mineral soil, litter layer (organic horizon), and shrub biomass. Before PF and thirty-six months after PF, aboveground shrub biomass was collected in areas of 1 m2 in 11 plots randomly distributed in the experimental shrub area. Also, in the same plots, litter thickness was measured and soil samples were collected before, two, six and thirty-six months after PF, in order to assess carbon concentration, bulk density and coarse elements content. Despite low to moderate fire intensity, carbon storage changes were observed in all compartments evaluated. Thirty-six months after PF, carbon storage in aboveground biomass of shrub species (7.4 Mg C ha−1) was roughly two-thirds of that recorded prior to PF, and in litter layer (1.6 Mg C ha−1) it was about half of that in the original situation (before PF). In contrast, the mineral soil showed a 10% carbon increase (6.4 Mg C ha−1). Based on the balance between losses (shrub species and litter layer) and gains (mineral soil), at the end of the monitoring period (36 months), there was an annual positive rate of carbon storage, equivalent to 0.2 Mg C ha−1 year−1. Even after anthropogenic disturbances, such as prescribed fire, shrub communities constitute important terrestrial carbon pools; hence, these ecosystems might play an important role in mitigating climate change. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.",2022,,No (2)
Reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions through a combination of pig manure and reduced inorganic fertilizer application in a double-rice cropping system: Three-year results,"Manure amendment in croplands is common practice for soil carbon sequestration, and may also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Few studies focus on the effects of manure application on the net greenhouse gas emissions (NGHGE, the global warming impacts of soil carbon sequestration and CH4 and N2O emissions) in double-rice cropping fields. Herein, a field experiment was conducted to analyze the effects of pig manure application in combination with reduced chemical fertilizers on the NGHGE, soil properties, and yields in a double-rice paddy field in 2012–2015. Four treatments were included: 0 N (no nitrogen fertilizer); 1/2 N (chemical nitrogen fertilizer reduced by 50%); N (100% chemical nitrogen fertilizer); and 1/2 N + PM (pig manure complemented with chemical fertilizer application). The average annual CH4 emissions for 1/2 N + PM were 53%, 50%, and 32% higher than those for 0 N, 1/2 N, and N treatments, respectively (p &lt; 0.05). The soil organic carbon sequestration rates (SOCSR) for 1/2 N + PM were 224%, 208%, and 192% higher than those for 0 N, 1/2 N, and N treatments, respectively (p &lt; 0.05). The average annual N2O emissions from 1/2 N + PM were 51% lower than those from the N treatment. Compared to 0 N, 1/2 N and N treatments, the average NGHGE for 1/2 N + PM decreased by 41%, 41%, and 52%, and the average greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI, the yield-scaled NGHGE) from 1/2 N + PM reduced by 67%, 52%, and 53%, respectively. The decreases in NGHGE and GHGI were predominantly due to increased SOCSR (contributions of 187–308% and 81–325%, respectively) in 1/2 N + PM. The average soil nitrate, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, soil organic carbon contents, and pH value for 1/2 N + PM treatment were higher than those for the 1/2 N and N treatments (p &lt; 0.05). Compared to 0 N and 1/2 N treatments, 1/2 N + PM treatment significantly increased the average rice yield. However, no significant difference in average yield was observed between the 1/2 N + PM and N treatments. Gross margin analysis showed that the economic profit for 1/2 N + PM was higher than that for the other three treatments. Thus, the combined application of reduced chemical fertilizers and pig manure is an effective and economic way to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions and increase soil fertility in double-rice cropping systems. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.",2022,,No (2)
"Newly initiated carbon stock, organic soil accumulation patterns and main driving factors in the High Arctic Svalbard, Norway","High latitude organic soils form a significant carbon storage and deposition of these soils is largely driven by climate. Svalbard, Norway, has experienced millennial-scale climate variations and in general organic soil processes have benefitted from warm and humid climate phases while cool late Holocene has been unfavourable. In addition to direct effect of cool climate, the advancing glaciers have restricted the vegetation growth, thus soil accumulation. Since the early 1900’s climate has been warming at unprecedented rate, assumingly promoting organic soil establishment. Here we present results of multiple organic soil profiles collected from Svalbard. The profiles have robust chronologies accompanied by soil property analyses, carbon stock estimations and testate amoeba data as a proxy for soil moisture. Our results reveal relatively recent initiation of organic soils across the Isfjorden area. The initiation processes could be linked to glacier retreat, and improvement of growing conditions and soil stabilization. Carbon stock analyses suggested that our sites are hot spots for organic matter accumulation. Testate amoebae data suggested drying of soil surfaces, but the reason remained unresolved. If continued, such a process may lead to carbon release. Our data suggest that detailed palaeoecological data from the Arctic is needed to depict the on-going processes and to estimate future trajectories. © 2022, The Author(s).",2022,,No (2)
Interactions between climate warming and land management regulate greenhouse gas fluxes in a temperate grassland ecosystem,"Greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes from grasslands are affected by climate warming and agricultural management practices including nitrogen (N) fertiliser application and grazing. However, the interactive effects of these factors are poorly resolved in field studies. We used a factorial in situ experiment - combining warming, N-fertiliser and above-ground cutting treatments - to explore their individual and interactive effects on plant-soil properties and GHG fluxes in a temperate UK grassland over two years. Our results showed no interactive treatment effects on plant productivity despite individual effects of N-fertiliser and warming on above- and below-ground biomass. There were, however, interactive treatment effects on GHG fluxes that varied across the two years. In year 1, warming and N-fertiliser increased CO2 and reduced N2O fluxes. N-fertilised also interacted with above-ground biomass (AGB) removal increasing N2O fluxes in year one and reducing CO2 fluxes in year two. The grassland was consistently a sink of CH4; N-fertilised increased the sink by 45% (year 1), AGB removal and warming reduced CH4 consumption by 44% and 43%, respectively (year 2). The majority of the variance in CO2 fluxes was explained by above-ground metrics (grassland productivity and leaf dry matter content), with microclimate (air and soil temperature and soil moisture) and below-ground (root N content) metrics also significant. Soil chemistry (soil mineral N and net mineralisation rate), below-ground (specific root length) and microclimate (soil moisture) metrics explained 49% and 24% of the variance in N2O and CH4 fluxes, respectively. Overall, our work demonstrates the importance of interactions between climate and management as determinants of short-term grassland GHG fluxes. These results show that reduced cutting combined with lower inorganic N-fertilisers would constrain grassland C and N cycling and GHG fluxes in warmer climatic conditions. This has implications for strategic grassland management decisions to mitigate GHG fluxes in a warming world. © 2022",2022,,No (2)
Removal of atmospheric CO2 by engineered soils in infrastructure projects,"The use of crushed basic igneous rock and crushed concrete for enhanced rock weathering and to facilitate pedogenic carbonate precipitation provides a promising method of carbon sequestration. However, many of the controls on precipitation and subsequent effects on soil properties remain poorly understood. In this study, engineered soil plots, with different ratios of concrete or dolerite combined with sand, have been used to investigate relationships between sequestered inorganic carbon and geotechnical properties, over a two-year period. Cone penetration tests with porewater pressure measurements (CPTu) were conducted to determine changes in tip resistance and pore pressure. C and O isotope analysis was carried out to confirm the pedogenic origin of carbonate minerals. TIC analysis shows greater precipitation of pedogenic carbonate in plots containing concrete than those with dolerite, with the highest sequestration values of plots containing each material being equivalent to 33.7 t C ha−1 yr−1 and 17.5 t C ha−1 yr−1, respectively, calculated from extrapolation of results derived from the TIC analysis. TIC content showed reduction or remained unchanged for the top 0.1 m of soil; at a depth of 0.2 m however, for dolerite plots, a pattern of seasonal accumulation and loss of TIC emerged. CPTu tip resistance measurements showed that the presence of carbonates had no observable effect on penetration resistance, and in the case of porewater pressure measurements, carbonate precipitation does not change the permeability of the substrate, and so does not affect drainage. The results of this study indicate that both the addition of dolerite and concrete serve to enhance CO2 removal in soils, that soil temperature appears to be a control on TIC precipitation, and that mineral carbonation in constructed soils does not lead to reduced drainage or an increased risk of flooding. © 2022 The Authors",2022,,Yes (1)
Effects of tillage and straw management on grain yield and SOC storage in a wheat-maize cropping system,"Climate change significantly impacts the prevailing climatic conditions and crop productivity. Although soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration can mitigate global climate change, the SOC sequestration capacity and crop production under conservation tillage are unclear. This study assessed the dynamics and relationship between SOC storage and grain yield under conservation tillage over eight years. Four tillage and straw management treatments, including (i) no-tillage with straw retention (NTS, conservation tillage), (ii) conventional tillage with straw retention (CTS), (iii) no-tillage without straw retention (NT), and (iv) conventional tillage without straw retention (CT), were conducted. The results showed that the SOC content and storage in the 0–10 cm soil layer were significantly higher in NTS than in the other treatments. In contrast, SOC content and storage in the 10–30 cm layer were lower in NTS than in CTS (P &lt; 0.05). Overall, the average SOC storage in the 0–30 cm was significantly higher in the straw returning treatment than without straw returning (P &lt; 0.05). Moreover, SOC storage was not significantly different between NTS (35.7 Mg ha−1) and CTS (35.9 Mg ha−1). The wheat yield was lowest under NTS. Furthermore, the yield coefficient of variation under NTS was significantly lower than under CTS (P &lt; 0.05). Maize yield was not significantly different between NTS and CTS. SOC storage in the 0–10 cm soil layer had a quadratic relationship with annual yield. These results indicate that NTS can positively sequester carbon, especially for the surface layer. However, to mitigate climate change and food insecurity, further advancements in NTS technology are required to improve crop yields and carbon sequestration capacity. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.",2022,,Yes (1)
Soil management and compost amendment are the main drivers of carbon sequestration in rainfed olive trees agroecosystems: An evaluation of chemical and biological markers,"Traditional olive groves are considered at high risk of erosion and desertification due to low organic matter inputs and scarce vegetation cover coupled to highly intensity tillage, leading to a further decrease in soil organic carbon contents. In a context of climate change, carbon sequestration through waste management in the framework of a circular economy becomes of primary importance for rainfed Mediterranean agricultural soils. To unveil the mechanisms of carbon sequestration in those agroecosystems, we evaluated the effect of the application of two composts (olive waste “alperujo” and biosolid) at two different doses coupled to the sustainable soil management allowing spontaneous vegetation growing on the soil surface. With this aim, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance was used to trace the evolution of the chemical composition of compost-derived and soil-derived organic matter. Successively, the activity of soil microbial community after the compost addition was monitored by measuring two enzymatic activities (β-glucosidase and dehydrogenase) and soil CO2 respiration. Lastly, the adaptation of microbial communities was quantified using the genes encoding soil enzymes associated with C cycling -glucosidase and laccase-like multicopper oxidases. The results of this study show that biosolid compost has a higher potential for C storage at mid-term (24 to 30 months after first application) than alperujo compost, yielding up to 50% net C sequestration in the topsoil in addition to the compost-derived C applied. We attribute these results to biosolid compost chemical composition, closer to that of the native organic matter, which led to a less abrupt adaptation of soil microbial functioning (lower flushes of water soluble C, lower number of copies of genes encoding enzymatic activities) to the new C source, if compared to alperujo compost. The results encourage the reduction of soil perturbation and the use of organic amendments instead of mineral fertilizers to increase carbon storage and improve sustainability of olive groves in the Mediterranean agroecosystems. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.",2022,,No (2)
A review and meta-analysis of mitigation measures for nitrous oxide emissions from crop residues,"Crop residues are of crucial importance to maintain or even increase soil carbon stocks and fertility, and thereby to address the global challenge of climate change mitigation. However, crop residues can also potentially stimulate emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) from soils. A better understanding of how to mitigate N2O emissions due to crop residue management while promoting positive effects on soil carbon is needed to reconcile the opposing effects of crop residues on the greenhouse gas balance of agroecosystems. Here, we combine a literature review and a meta-analysis to identify and assess measures for mitigating N2O emissions due to crop residue application to agricultural fields. Our study shows that crop residue removal, shallow incorporation, incorporation of residues with C:N ratio &gt; 30 and avoiding incorporation of residues from crops terminated at an immature physiological stage, are measures leading to significantly lower N2O emissions. Other practices such as incorporation timing and interactions with fertilisers are less conclusive. Several of the evaluated N2O mitigation measures implied negative side-effects on yield, soil organic carbon storage, nitrate leaching and/or ammonia volatilization. We identified additional strategies with potential to reduce crop residue N2O emissions without strong negative side-effects, which require further research. These are: a) treatment of crop residues before field application, e.g., conversion of residues into biochar or anaerobic digestate, b) co-application with nitrification inhibitors or N-immobilizing materials such as compost with a high C:N ratio, paper waste or sawdust, and c) use of residues obtained from crop mixtures. Our study provides a scientific basis to be developed over the coming years on how to increase the sustainability of agroecosystems though adequate crop residue management. © 2022 The Authors",2022,,No (2)
Numerical evaluation on indoor environment quality during high numbers of occupied passengers in the departure hall of an airport terminal,"The rapid development of airports and the rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have brought increased attention to indoor environment quality, airflow organization, key pollutant dispersion, and ventilation modes in airport terminals. However, the characteristics of these parameters, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) and aerosol diffusion, are not fully understood. Therefore, in this study, the airflow patterns; CO2 and aerosol dispersion; and several thermal environment indices, including temperature, wind velocity, and predicted mean vote (PMV), of an airport terminal departure hall with high numbers of occupied passenger were numerically evaluated using the realizable k-ε and passive scalar models. The efficacies of three common ventilation modes, namely, up-supply and up-return, up-supply and down-return with different sides, and up-supply and down-return with the same side, were evaluated based on the CO2 removal efficiency and spreading range of aerosols. The results indicated that under high numbers of occupied passenger conditions, these ventilation modes vary slightly, with respect to create a comfortable and healthy environment. In particular, the up-supply and down-return with different sides mode was the best among the modes considered, when comparing the indices of temperature, wind speed PMV, and CO2 emission efficiency. Conversely, with respect to decreasing the risk of aerosol exposure, the up-supply and down-return with the same side mode was the best. Overall, the results from this study provide fundamental information for predicting CO2 and aerosol exposure levels and will act as a reference for the design and operation of ventilation systems in airport terminal buildings. © 2022",2022,,No (2)
Variations in water-balance components and carbon stocks in poplar plantations with differing water inputs over a whole rotation: implications for sustainable forest management under climate change,"Understanding the long-term variations of stand water balance and carbon stocks under different water inputs is crucial for sustainable forest management under climate change. However, due to the lack of in-situ data, how forest plantations respond to variation in water inputs during stand development remains poorly understood. We varied water inputs with distinct irrigation amounts and measured the water-balance components, carbon stock growth, and water productivity during a whole rotation (2015–2019) in poplar plantations. Furthermore, in 2020, soil water contents in our stand and an adjacent 37-year-old poplar plantation were measured. Under rainfed conditions, soil water storage of different layers decreased greatly year by year, especially at the 2–3 m depth, such that transpiration was curtailed in 2019, a dry year. By 2019, the 0–2 m depth layer became periodically dried, and the 2–3 m was persistently dried, which was further confirmed by observations in 2020. Additionally, serious soil desiccation occurred throughout the 0–6 m soil depth in the 37-year-old poplar stand. Increasing the water inputs avoided stand water stress and decreased the drying rate of the deep soil. Furthermore, the highest water inputs treatment brought great increases in groundwater recharge, carbon stock growth, and water productivity. This treatment also led to 67% higher soil water storage in the 0–1 m soil layer and 23% higher soil water storage in the 1–6 m layer by the end of 2019, as compared to the rainfed treatment. However, these advantages were small or disappeared if the water inputs were insufficient. Our findings will be helpful to predict water relations and facilitate sustainable forest management under climate change in water-limited regions. © 2022",2022,,No (2)
Photocatalytic reactive oxygen species generation and their mechanisms of action in pollutant removal with biochar supported photocatalysts: A review,"Wastewater treatment and energy production need low cost, efficient, sustainable and novel photocatalyst. Biochar produced by the thermochemical conversion of biomass not only helps to reduce atmospheric carbon emissions but is also an eco-friendly alternative for activated carbon. Owing to high surface porosity, crystallinity, stability, and functional groups, they find extensive applications in environmental pollution remediation. This review focuses mainly on biochar coupled photocatalysts synthesis routes and their mechanistic approaches. Modifying biochar by loading conventional photocatalytic materials produces biochar-supported photocatalysts (BSPs) which adds advantages of biochars with catalytic nanomaterials. Engineered biochars are for aqueous pollution remediation, air pollution control and microbial decontamination. While most existing reviews focus on the supportive, adsorptive and catalytic role of BSPs, much of the knowledge about the nature and types of oxidising species produced by BSPs are not well reported. Hence, the recent observations in photocatalytic mineralisation of pollutants with BSPs are first reviewed and later the nature and types of reactive oxygen species (•OH, •O2−, 1O2) produced by biochar in aqueous suspensions are detailed. Lastly, the mechanisms for improved photocatalytic activity upon forming heterojunctions with biochar are presented along with identifying recent research trends and outlook in implementing BSPs for guiding future research in this field. In the future solar energy intensified photocatalysis process needs to be experimented with and integrated into the wastewater treatment process. © 2022",2022,,No (2)
Carbon saving agricultural technologies and mitigation of the greenhouse,"The paper generalizes and analysis the data of soil organic carbon (SOC) amount in agricultural land on the example of the field studies carried out in 2013-2016 on the area of the Upper Volga Federal Agrarian Research Centre on the gray forest soils. The purpose of the study was to determine the stocks and the losses SOC in the agricultural land; to evaluate the factors reducing SOC in the arable soils and to show the ways to maintain and to increase the soil organic carbon; to study the influence of the technological factors on the balance of organic carbon in gray forest soils. Authors consider the transition to carbon-saving technologies of arable soils in Russia can restore almost 2.2 Gt C of the SOC and can play a significant role in the reducing of the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. This SOC value can be a significant additional reserve for achieving Russia's commitments on mitigating climate change. The result of the field experiment showed the most effective approach is the choice of agricultural crops, as the perennial grasses using the manure as an organic fertilizer and the use of resource-saving non-moldboard tillage methods. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.",2022,,No (2)
Hedge and Alder-Based Agroforestry Systems: Potential Interventions to Carbon Sequestration and Better Crop Productivity in Indian Sub-Himalayas,"Agroforestry systems (AFSs) have potential to combat climate change and to ensure food security. AFSs can sequester carbon and amend the organic matter, thereby enhancing the crop productivity. Carbon sequestration depends on the type of AFSs, climate, cropping pattern, and management practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate different AFSs for their potential to sequester carbon and impact on soil organic matter (SOM) in the eastern sub-Himalayas, India. Hedge-, alder-, and guava-based AFSs were established along with control (without any tree), and the maize–mustard–potato cropping pattern was followed in each AFS. Soil samples were collected after the fifth crop cycle and further analyzed. The results showed that crop productivity was significantly higher in all the AFSs than control. On average, soil organic carbon (SOC) was found to be significantly higher by 62 and 64% in hedge-based AFSs as compared to guava-based AFSs and control, respectively, and at par with alder-based AFSs. Particulate organic carbon (POC) was higher in all the three AFSs than in the control. For microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) contents, the trend of AFSs was expressed as alder-based AFS &gt; hedge-based AFS &gt; guava-based AFS &gt; control. Hedge- and alder-based AFSs had higher SOC stocks than guava-based AFSs and control. Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq.) emissions were greater in control than hedge-based AFSs (35.2 Mg ha−1), followed by alder-based AFSs (28.6 Mg ha−1), and the lowest was observed in guava-based AFSs. On an average, hedge species accumulated more nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), which were 60, 12, and 28 kg ha−1 yr−1, respectively. This conclusively proved that AFSs were significantly affecting SOM pools and crop productivity and had a significant role in carbon retention in the soil. Overall, hedge- and alder-based AFSs retained higher soil carbon, and hence, hedge- and alder-based AFSs may be promoted to achieve climate-smart agriculture practices in the acid soils of the Indian sub-Himalayan region. Copyright © 2022 Parmar, Vishwakarma, Padbhushan, Kumar, Kumar, Kumari, Kumar Yadav, Giri, Kaviraj and Kumar.",2022,,Yes (1)
Biochar Application Increases Labile Carbon and Inorganic Nitrogen Supply in a Continuous Monocropping Soil,"Biochar is an effective method for increasing soil carbon (C) sequestration and nitrogen (N) supply under continuous monocropping. To investigate the impact of biochar placement methods on soil C and N, a one-year field experiment with five treatments was conducted including control, mineral fertilizers only (F), biochar hole placement (BFH; biochar applied to the soil layer at 5–10 cm) + F, biochar band placement (BFB; biochar applied to the soil layer at 15–20 cm) + F, and biochar band and hole placement + F (BFBH). The results showed that, regardless of the placement method, biochar application increased soil total organic C (TOC) and C pool management index by 6.9–39.7% and 4.1–36.1%, respectively, especially for dissolved organic C (DOC; 6.9–51.3%), readily oxidizable C (ROC; 2.4–46.4%), and microbial biomass C (MBC; 10.4–41.7%). Single biochar placement methods significantly influenced DOC, MBC, and ROC contents of both soil layers in the rank order of BFH ≈ BFBH &gt; BFB at 0–15 cm and BFB ≈ BFBH &gt; BFH at 15–30 cm. Soil TN and microbial biomass N (MBN) mainly accumulated at the site of biochar placement. The increased soil TOC:TN and MBC:N ratios under biochar treatments promoted inorganic N immobilization and reduced the loss of ammonium N and nitrate N (NO3−-N) through leaching at the early stage of tobacco growth. Biochar-adsorbed N was remobilized at a later period (vigorous growth stage and maturity), possibly causing the slow decrease in NO3−-N content. Additionally, soil C and N pools were significantly influenced by the main effects of soil layer and growth stage. Overall, biochar application increased soil C and N pools and inorganic N supply through N remobilization. However, the increased labile organic C content and microbial activity may prevent C sequestration in biochar-amended soils. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",2022,,Yes (1)
The impact of corncob biochar and poultry litter on pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth and chemical properties of a silty-clay soil,"Red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most commonly cultivated vegetable in the Mediterranean region. This study evaluated the effects of biochar derived from corncob and poultry litter on growth of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and some chemical properties of a silty clay soil. The experiment consisted of two factors, i.e., biochar doses (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2%) and poultry litter doses (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2%). The number of days to 50% flowering, plant height, stem diameter, total number of leaves per plant, the number of main branches per plant, fresh root weight, root length, dry shoot weight, macro (P and K) and micro (Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn) nutrient concentrations of leaves were determined to compare the efficiency biochar and poultry litter. Moreover, post-harvest soil analysis was conducted to measure pH, organic matter, and macro and micronutrient contents. Biochar had varying impact on plant growth parameters, whereas poultry litter alone or in combination with biochar increased macro and micronutrient concentrations of soil and improved most of the growth parameters of red pepper. In contrast, sole biochar application had no significant impact on most of the growth parameters. Wider C/N ratio (107.7) of corncob derived biochar restricted the nitrogen supply for plant growth. The combination of 0.5% biochar and 2% poultry litter resulted in the highest plant height (36.7 cm) and stem diameter (0.69 cm). The results revealed that application of single biochar derived from corncob is insufficient to supply adequate nutrients for optimal plant growth. The application of biochar alone enhances carbon sequestration in soils, however most biochars like cornconb biochar do not contain sufficient available plant nutrients. Therefore, biochars should be applied along with mineral fertilizers or organic materials such as poultry manure which is rich in available plant nutrients. © 2022 The Author(s)",2022,,No (2)
Coal combustion emissions and ash formation characteristics during oxy-fuel combustion in a 100 kWth pressurized circulating fluidized bed,"Pressurised circulating fluidized bed oxy-fuel combustion (PCFB-OFC) is a promising technology for CO2 capture because of its high carbon capture efficiency and net efficiency. However, there is a lack of comprehensive experimental studies on PCFB thermal state experimental devices due to the complexity of their design, construction, and operation. In this study, a 100 kWth PCFB-OFC experimental device was developed, and a series of coal combustion experiments were conducted under 0.1 to 0.6 MPa at an average oxygen concentration of 30% with a fixed peroxygen coefficient β (1.1–1.3). The effect of combustion pressure was investigated to determine the influence of pressure on coal combustion efficiency, furnace temperature distribution, gaseous pollutant emissions, and fly ash chemical composition. The experimental results showed that the increase in pressure increased the particle concentration in the dilute phase zone and increased the temperature at the top of the furnace, with a more uniform temperature distribution. The carbon content in the fly ash and the CO emissions in the flue gas were gradually reduced, and the combustion efficiency increased to 97.3%. The emissions of NO and N2O gradually decreased with the increase in load, and the NO emissions reduced by approximately 70% at 0.6 MPa. The emission of SO2 showed a downward trend as the pressure increases. Affected by the increase in pressure, the self-desulfurization capability of fly ash was improved. In addition, lower K2O and Na2O contents may reduce the deposition of fly ash in the furnace. © 2021",2022,,No (2)
Crediting agricultural soil carbon sequestration,,2022,,No (2)
Experimental and kinetics analyses of a typical Zhundong coal reaction in O2/CO2/H2O atmosphere,"Oxy-fuel combustion is one of the most potential carbon capture technologies. The abundant high alkali Zhundong coal will serve as the backbone of energy supply for a long time in China. Oxy-fuel combustion may reduce the evaporation of alkali metals by adjusting combustion temperature, so as to alleviate the slagging and fouling of heating surface for Zhundong coal-fired boilers. The gasification of coal by high contents of CO2 and H2O in the flue gas interacts with the oxidation reaction by O2, which affects the combustion reactivity and the final combustion efficiency. However, the existing kinetic models usually ignore the gasification by CO2 and H2O, which results in insufficient prediction ability. In this study, the interaction between gasification and oxidation was obtained on a fixed bed experimental platform, and the co-gasification reaction model of CO2 and H2O was established based on the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The results show that there was no competition between char-O2 and char-CO2 (or H2O), while CO2 and H2O competed at some active sites when reacting with char. Then, based on the in-situ optical measurement system a novel method considering the chemical cooling effect for calculating char-O2 reaction rate under high temperature and complex atmosphere (O2/CO2/H2O) was proposed, and finally a comprehensive high temperature gasification reaction model was established. The reaction rate increased with the increasing flue gas temperature and O2 concentration. As CO2 concentration increased, the reaction rate first increased slightly and then decreased. The reaction rate reached the minimum value at 26% H2O concentration. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd",2022,,No (2)
Putting Bioenergy With Carbon Capture and Storage in a Spatial Context: What Should Go Where?,"This paper explores the implications of siting a bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) facility to carbon emission performances for three case-study supply chains using the Carbon Navigation System (CNS) model. The three case-study supply chains are a wheat straw derived BECCS-power, a municipal solid waste derived BECCS-waste-to-energy and a sawmill residue derived BECCS-hydrogen. A BECCS facility needs to be carefully sited, taking into consideration its local low carbon infrastructure, available biomass and geography for successful deployment and achieving a favorable net-negative carbon balance. On average, across the three supply chains a 10 km shift in the siting of the BECCS facility results in an 8.6–13.1% increase in spatially explicit supply chain emissions. BECCS facilities producing low purity CO2 at high yields have lower spatial emissions when located within the industrial clusters, while those producing high purity CO2 at low yields perform better outside the clusters. A map is also generated identifying which of the three modeled supply chains delivers the lowest spatially explicit supply chain emission options for any given area of the UK at a 1 MtCO2/yr capture scale. Copyright © 2022 Freer, Gough, Welfle and Lea-Langton.",2022,,No (2)
Unlocking Hydrogen Full Potential as ASEAN Future Energy,"Hydrogen or also known as H2 in chemical writing become one of a high potential renewable fuel, energy storage, and energy carrier. There's various types of hydrogen based on its processing, which are Black & Brown Hydrogen, Grey Hydrogen (95% of hydrogen produced from this type), Blue Hydrogen, Bio-Hydrogen, and Green-Hydrogen. Blue and green hydrogen is the suitable choices for energy application especially in ASEAN because of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology that applied on the process and greenhouse gases (GHG) free. But generally, hydrogen application in ASEAN is not optimally unlocked, only a few countries and a few sectors applied hydrogen as renewable energy sources (RESs). The main problems on these issues are hydrogen application cost is not competitive to other RESs. The high cost of hydrogen might cause by high production cost that should be lowered down by applying various technology to the production process such as CMR-SMR. This study critically research on solution of how hydrogen can be used optimally in ASEAN from technical, technology, and economics perspectives. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.",2022,,No (2)
Analysis of Korea’s Green Technology Policy and Investment Trends for the Realization of Carbon Neutrality: Focusing on CCUS Technology,"In 2008, the Republic of Korea announced the Low Carbon Green Growth vision as the national growth engine. This Green Growth vision invested in developing state-of-the-art green technologies to minimize greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. Following a change in administration, Korean green technologies were re-categorized into six core technologies for climate change response in 2014, and ten core technologies for carbon-neutrality in 2021. The government proposed the realization of an inclusive green state in the 3rd Five-Year Green Growth Plan announced in 2019. Following the Green New Deal announced in 2020, green technology policies and investments continue, with the declaration of 2050 carbon neutrality. In the past two years, government policies from the 2050 Carbon Neutrality Strategy to the 2050 Carbon-Neutral Scenario consider Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) as an important technology to reduce CO2 and meet carbon-neutral goals. This study examines major green technology policy trends, focusing on CCUS, beginning with the Green Growth era in 2008 to today. R&amp;D investment costs related to green technology during the green growth period and CCUS-related investment costs over the past 10 years (2011–2020) are utilized in statistical analyses (correlation, trend) to investigate and analyze investment volatility in green and CCUS technologies related to climate change. Finally, the study will provide basic information for establishing CCUS-related R&amp;D policies, which will continue to increase in achieving carbon neutrality. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",2022,,No (2)
Tropical Forest Landscape Restoration in Indonesia: A Review,"Indonesia has the second-largest biodiversity of any country in the world. Deforestation and forest degradation have caused a range of environmental issues, including habitat degradation and loss of biodiversity, deterioration of water quality and quantity, air pollution, and increased greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Forest restoration at the landscape level has been conducted to balance ecological integrity and human well-being. Forest restoration efforts are also aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and are closely related to Indonesia's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) from the forestry sector. The purpose of this paper is to examine the regulatory, institutional, and policy aspects of forest restoration in Indonesia, as well as the implementation of forest restoration activities in the country. The article was written using a synoptic review approach to Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR)-related articles and national experiences. Failures, success stories, and criteria and indicators for forest restoration success are all discussed. We also discuss the latest silvicultural techniques for the success of the forest restoration program. Restoration governance in Indonesia has focused on the wetland ecosystem such as peatlands and mangroves, but due to the severely degraded condition of many forests, the government has by necessity opted for active restoration involving the planting and establishment of livelihood options. The government has adapted its restoration approach from the early focus on ecological restoration to more forest landscape restoration, which recognizes that involving the local community in restoration activities is critical for the success of forest restoration. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",2022,,No (2)
Biomass/Biochar carbon materials for CO2 capture and sequestration by cyclic adsorption processes: A review and prospects for future directions,"The persistent enhancement of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere originated from anthropogenic activities, especially CO2, resulted in several serious global challenges. In this way, employing biomass, biochar, etc., as a low-cost precursor for CO2 adsorbent is promising not only in the view of hydrophobic character and abundant resources, but also is an illustrious strategy for solid wastes management as a consequence of the exponential population expansion. Herein, key concepts on adsorption technology, waste management, and different activation techniques on raw carbons materials have firstly been discussed. Afterwards, almost all accomplished studies on cyclic adsorption processes e.g. PSA, TSA, VSA, etc., which employed biomass/biochar as a source of adsorbents have been extensively reviewed, that gives a precise knowledge for large scale application of these materials. Furthermore, in the last part of this work, biomass/biochar adsorbent based samples, which have already been studied for CO2 capture, but till now, they have not been evaluated at the bench/pilot scale by cyclic adsorption process, are introduced for future directions. Also for the reader's of this work, key concepts of each section have been summarized in the form of simple figures and tables that will help to identify clearly the prominent accomplished works till now. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd",2022,,Yes (1)
Water level regulates the rhizosphere priming effect on SOM decomposition of peatland soil,"The rhizosphere priming effect (RPE) is vital in soil organic matter turnover，but its role in peatlands remains unclear, especially when considering different water levels. In this study, we measured the CO2 emission rate from rhizosphere and bulk soil of peatland at different water levels, together with isotope of 13C, to evaluate the RPE in peatland. Results showed that the decomposition of SOM was significantly affect by RPE, and the RPE varied significantly among water levels (p &lt; 0.05). Positive RPE was observed at −40 cm which soil CO2 emission increased by 59%, with rate increased 0.04 g CO2 pot−1 d−1. And negative RPE was observed at −20 cm and 0 cm, which soil CO2 emission decreased by −92% and −83%, with rate decreased 2.01 and 1.94 g CO2 pot−1 d−1, respectively. Positive RPE at −40 cm and negative RPE at −20 cm and 0 cm, suggested the RPE enhanced soil carbon accumulation at higher water level, and the RPE threat the carbon sink when water level further reduced. Our results showed that the RPE was a nonnegligible process in predicting peatlands carbon dynamic, especially with intensified climate change and peatlands degraded condition. © 2021",2022,,No (2)
Phytoprevention of Heavy Metal Contamination From Terrestrial Enhanced Weathering: Can Plants Save the Day?,"Enhanced weathering is a promising approach to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, it may also pose environmental risks through the release of heavy metals, in particular nickel and chromium. In this perspective article I explore the potential role of plants in modulating these heavy metal fluxes. Agricultural basaltic soils may be valuable study sites in this context. However, the effect of biomass harvesting on the accumulation of heavy metals is currently not well studied. Mostly caused by different parent rock concentrations, there is a large variability of heavy metal concentrations in basaltic and ultramafic soils. Hence, to minimize environmental risks of enhanced weathering, basalts with low heavy metal concentrations should be favored. Existing phytoremediation strategies may be used to “phytoprevent” the accumulation of nickel and chromium released from enhanced weathering in soils. As a result, elevated nickel and chromium concentrations in rocks must not preclude enhanced weathering in all settings. In particular, hyperaccumulating plants could be used as part of a crop rotation to periodically remove heavy metals from soils. Enhanced weathering could also be employed on fields or forests of (non-hyper) accumulating plants that have a high primary production of biomass. Both approaches may have additional synergies with phytomining or bioenergy carbon capture and storage, increasing the total amount of carbon dioxide drawdown and at the same time preventing heavy metal accumulation in soils. Copyright © 2022 Suhrhoff.",2022,,Yes (1)
High N relative to C mineralization of clover leaves at low temperatures in two contrasting soils,"Predicting N mineralization from green manure in different soil types during the cold season is instrumental for improving crop management with higher N use efficiency and reduced risks of N losses in a cool and humid climate. The objective of our work was to study the effects of low temperatures and soil type on the net nitrogen (N) mineralization and the relationship between N and carbon (C) mineralization from N-rich plant material. A silty clay loam and a sandy loam were incubated with or without clover leaves for 80 days at 0, 4, 8.5 or 15 °C. The results showed a substantial mineralization of N in clover leaves (7% of N added), unaffected by temperature, already on 3rd day. This was followed by net N immobilization for about 4 weeks in the clay soil, with similar tendencies in the sandy soil, and more severely at the higher than the lower temperatures. After 80 days of incubation, net N mineralization was only 13–22% of total N in clover leaves. The ratio of net mineralized N to C was higher at lower temperatures, and higher in the sandy than in the clay soil. After the immobilization period, the N mineralization increased, positively related to temperature, and the ratio of net mineralized N to C became constant. In conclusion, low temperature during the initial phase of mineralization altered the ratio between net N and C mineralization from easily decomposable plant material, and the net N mineralization occurred more rapidly in the sandy soil. The change in stoichiometry at low temperatures, as well as the modifying effect of soil type, should be considered when predicting N mineralization of N-rich plant material. © 2021 The Author(s)",2022,,No (2)
Global patterns of soil gross immobilization of ammonium and nitrate in terrestrial ecosystems,"Microbial nitrogen (N) immobilization, which typically results in soil N retention but based on the balance of gross N immobilization over gross N production, affects the fate of the anthropogenic reactive N. However, global patterns and drivers of soil gross immobilization of ammonium (INH4) and nitrate (INO3) are still only tentatively known. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis considering gross N production rates, soil properties, and climate and their interactions for a deeper understanding of the patterns and drivers of INH4 and INO3. By compiling and analyzing 1966 observations from 274 15N-labelled studies, we found a global average of INH4 and INO3 of 7.41 ± 0.72 and 2.03 ± 0.30 mg N kg−1 day−1 with a ratio of INO3 to INH4 (INO3:INH4) of 0.79 ± 0.11. Soil INH4 and INO3 increased with increasing soil gross N mineralization (GNM) and nitrification (GN), microbial biomass, organic carbon, and total N and decreasing soil bulk density. Our analysis revealed that GNM and GN were the main stimulators for INH4 and INO3, respectively. The structural equation modeling showed that higher soil microbial biomass, total N, pH, and precipitation stimulate INH4 and INO3 through enhancing GNM and GN. However, higher temperature and soil bulk density suppress INH4 and INO3 by reducing microbial biomass and total N. Soil INH4 varied with terrestrial ecosystems, being greater in grasslands and forests, which have higher rates of GNM, than in croplands. The highest INO3:INH4 was observed in croplands, which had higher rates of GN. The global average of GN to INH4 was 2.86 ± 0.31, manifesting a high potential risk of N loss. We highlight that anthropogenic activities that influence soil properties and gross N production rates likely interact with future climate changes and land uses to affect soil N immobilization and, eventually, the fate of the anthropogenic reactive N. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.",2022,,No (2)
Life cycle assessment of electric scooters for mobility services: A green mobility solutions,"The gradual rise in global warming owing to fossil fuels usage is causing massive environmental problems and global temperature rise and countries are focusing on the negative emissions technologies (NETs) to restrict the average global temperature rise to 1.5°C by 2050. As Italy instigates its stable recovery from the coronavirus emergency, the Italian government is offering Italian people financial support of up to €500 to buy a personal bicycle or e-scooter, to reduce dependence on private cars and global warming issues and people inItaly have greeted this opportunity for new personal e-scooters. This paper aims to employ a life cycle assessment (LCA) onthe personally owned electric scooters (PEOS) that are circulating in Turin. The results are reported for five impact categories: global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential, eutrophication potential, ozone layer depletion, and human toxicity potential. We found that the environmental load associated with the usage and charging of e-scooters is less compared with the materials and manufacturing burdens of e-scooters. Regarding the GWP, the results of Analysis methodology of the use of the PEOS generate 21 g of CO2-eq. per passenger-kilometer dominated by around 50% from materials processing, 17.5% from Li-ion battery production, 1.6% from transportation, and 30.9% from usage and charging of e-scooter. Four scenarios are compared with the base case situation, which are the substitution of alternate materials, use of 50% recycled aluminum, transportation of e-scooters via plan, and charging with solar power. Results from these scenarios are proved to be highly sensitive to baseline scenarios. Results also revealed that PEOS has higher (21 g CO2 eq./km) environmental consequences on the global warming potential as compared to bicycles (8 g CO2 eq./km) and lower (21 g CO2 eq./km) environmental impacts as compared with electric bicycles (40 g CO2 eq./km) and battery electric vehicles (80 g CO2 eq./km). © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.",2022,,No (2)
Multi-criteria optimisation of integrated power systems for low-environmental impact,"This paper presents a multi-criteria optimization of integrated power systems. Five power configurations that combines the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), gas turbine cycle (GTC), steam turbine cycle (STC), organic Rankine cycle (ORC), absorption refrigeration cycle (ARC), and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) as SOFC-GTC, SOFC-GT-STC, SOFC-GT-ST-ORC, SOFC-GT-ST-OR-ARC, and SOFC-GT-ST-OR-AR-CCS were proposed, modeled, and analyzed. The proposed plants were further subjected to the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) optimization with technical and socio-economic parameters as the decision criteria. Important results suggest that the power of the proposed systems are within 207–281 MW, while energy and exergy efficiencies are in the range of 42.93–58.13% and 42.49–57.54%, respectively. The exergy destruction rate is within 206–322.9 MW. Furthermore, SOFC-GT-ST-OR-AR-CCS that integrates all the investigated power cycles, including the carbon capture proposes a CO2 emission factor of 0.029 ton/MWh, as against 0.332–0.401 ton/MWh for the other configurations. Unit cost of energy (UCOE) for all systems are within $0.059–0.141 per kWh, with the SOFC-GT-ST-OR-AR-CCS having the highest UCOE. The cost of CO2 avoidance of $110 per ton of CO2 suggests the minimum carbon tax that will make SOFC-GT-ST-OR-AR-CCS economically competitive with the best configuration that is without carbon capture. Also, the carbon capture integrated power system has the least efficiency of 42.93% because a portion (73.5 MW) of the power generation was used in the carbon capture process. Nonetheless, the TOPSIS results suggest that at 0.7312, the SOFC-GT-ST-OR-AR-CCS is closest to the ideal solution, when compared to the other configurations which fall within 0.2238–0.7312. It is suggested that policies in Nigeria should promote (i) the integration of CCS technology in power generation; (ii) the retrofitting of simple cycle power plants with medium- and low-grade thermal power technologies; and (iii) dual-fuel power plants (natural gas and biomass) to harness the benefit of carbon neutrality in biomass and good energy density in natural gas. © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.",2022,,No (2)
Industrial agglomeration and carbon neutrality in China: lessons and evidence,"This study explored the impact of industrial agglomeration on carbon neutrality and its spatial spillover effects utilizing the expanded the output density theoretical model of Ciccone and Hall. The main findings are as follows: (1) In terms of long-term effects, industrial output has significantly reduced regional carbon emissions, while industrial labor and capital agglomeration have aggravated carbon emissions, and industrial technology agglomeration has no significant impact on carbon emissions. (2) From the perspective of lagging effects, industrial output agglomeration has significantly increased regional carbon emissions, while industrial technology agglomeration has effectively reduced carbon emissions. The lagging effects of industrial labor and capital agglomeration are not significant. (3) From the perspective of regional differences, there are significant regional differences in the impact of industrial output and capital agglomeration on regional carbon emissions, while this differential influence does not exist on industrial labor and technological agglomeration. Therefore, in carbon emissions governance, it is necessary to analyze the long-term impact of industrial agglomeration on carbon emissions but also to pay attention to the lag and regional differences of the impact. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.",2022,,No (2)
Amine-based capture of CO2 for utilization and storage,"Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology has become important due to the threat of global warming and climate change. Furthermore, the development of carbon dioxide capture and utilization (CCU) technology, which reuses the captured CO2, has been prioritized in recent years to accelerate the deployment of ""CCUS."" Amine-based CO(2)capture is a key process for realizing a carbon neutral society. Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology is an effective CO(2)fixation technology, as documented by the special report produced by Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Today, this technology has become important due to the threat of global warming and climate change. Furthermore, the development of carbon dioxide capture and utilization (CCU) technology, which reuses the captured CO2, has been prioritized in recent years to accelerate the deployment of ""CCUS."" For both utilization and storage, CO(2)capture is a key process that determines how efficiently decarbonation is able to meet the global target. Regardless of the maturity of various types of CO(2)capture technologies, amines are the most widely used chemical species. This paper contains a brief overview of CCUS followed by a discussion of several aspects of amine-based CO(2)capture technologies.",2021,,No (2)
Montane Meadows: A Soil Carbon Sink or Source?,"As the largest biogeochemically active terrestrial reserve of carbon (C), soils have the potential to either mitigate or amplify rates of climate change. Ecosystems with large C stocks and high rates of soil C sequestration, in particular, may have outsized impacts on regional and global C cycles. Montane meadows have large soil C stocks relative to surrounding ecosystems. However, anthropogenic disturbances in many meadows may have altered the balance of C inputs and outputs, potentially converting these soils from net C sinks to net sources of C to the atmosphere. Here, we quantified ecosystem-level C inputs and outputs to estimate the annual net soil C flux from 13 montane meadows spanning a range of conditions throughout the California Sierra Nevada. Our results suggest that meadow soils can be either large net C sinks (577.6 +/- 250.5 g C m(-2) y(-1)) or sources of C to the atmosphere (- 391.6 +/- 154.2 g C m(-2) y(-1)). Variation in the direction and magnitude of net soil C flux appears to be driven by belowground C inputs. Vegetation species and functional group composition were not associated with the direction of net C flux, but climate and watershed characteristics were. Our results demonstrate that, per unit area, montane meadows hold a greater potential for C sequestration than the surrounding forest. However, legacies of disturbance have converted some meadows to strong net C sources. Accurate quantification of ecosystem-level C fluxes is critical for the development of regional C budgets and achieving global emissions goals.",2021,Carbon budget; Carbon sequestration; Carbon loss; Climate change; Montane meadow; Peatland; Subalpine; Wetland,No (2)
Integration of Seed Priming and Biochar Application Improves Drought Tolerance in Cowpea,"Cowpea is a highly nutritious grain legume crop, cultivated mostly in a semi-arid environment and frequently confronts sporadic dry periods during different stages of plant growth, which drastically reduce its productivity. The current study was enacted to evaluate the biochar application and seed priming induced drought tolerance in cowpea. The seeds of cowpea were primed with CaCl2 (1% solution), water (hydropriming) (positive control), and dry seeds (absolute control), sown in pots with and without mango wood biochar. The water holding capacity (WHC) in well-watered and drought-stressed pots was maintained at 70% and 35%, respectively. Drought stress caused a delay in germination and reduced plant growth. Osmopriming enhanced seed germination, seedling growth, dry biomass production, chlorophyll contents, leaf area, soluble sugar contents, CO2 assimilation, water use efficiency (WUE), and leaf K+ concentration and inhibited the oxidative damage in cowpea under drought. The addition of biochar was effectively recuperated by the drought-induced growth reduction in cowpea. Osmopriming + biochar application increased the biomass production (115%), alpha-amylase activity (81%), chlorophyll contents (76%), total soluble sugars (60%), WUE (95%), leaf osmotic potential (25%), and leaf sap K + concentration (25%), and decreased the MDA content and total antioxidant activity by 34 and 28%, respectively, than non-primed control without biochar application under drought. Osmopriming supplemented with biochar amendment augmented the performance of cowpea under normal and water-deficit conditions through synchronized seedling emergence and better growth, chlorophyll synthesis, CO2 assimilation, osmolyte accumulation, and nutrient uptake with minimal oxidative damage, which lead to better cowpea performance in drought stress condition. Osmopriming and biochar application may prove effective in improving cowpea performance under changing climate.",2021,Carbon assimilation; Osmotic adjustment; &#945; -amylase activity; Sugar metabolism; Biomass production,No (2)
Dispersion of carbon dioxide released from buried high-pressure pipeline over complex terrain,"To quantitatively assess the risks associated with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, a better understanding of the dispersion characteristics of CO(2)released from a high-pressure pipeline is necessary. The dispersion process is complicated as CO(2)is denser than air, and the Joule-Thomson effect causes sharp drop of the temperature. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique was used to investigate the CO(2)dispersion. The CFD model is validated by simulating a full-size blasting test. The influence of topography and low temperature at the release source on the dispersion of CO(2)released from buried CO(2)pipelines over complex terrain types was studied. This study provides a viable method for the assessment of the risks associated with CCS.",2021,Carbon Capture and Storage; Pipeline; Low temperature; Dispersion; Complex terrain; Computational fluid dynamics,No (2)
"Assessment of forest fragmentation in a traditional shifting agricultural landscape in Senapati District of Manipur, Northeast India","Forest fragmentation is associated with the deterioration of the ecosystem's integrity, has negative impacts on biodiversity, degradation of forest, and spatial pattern of the landscape, and become a global conservative issue. Due to advancements in technology such as remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS), there is a wider possibility of studying, monitoring, and reporting of essential biodiversity variances. The aim of the present study is to assess and quantify the extend and pattern of forest fragmentation over the time series of 2013 and 2017 in the traditional landscape area of Senapati district of Manipur, Northeast India using multi-temporal Landsat data. The Landscape Fragmentation tool has been used to categorize the forest area into four categories: patch, edge, perforated, and core forest by assigning an edge width of 100 m. The result of the study shows that area covered by patch forest has increased by 5.54%, whereas the total core forest area has decreased by 318.5 km(2). The change matrix analysis showed the conversion of one category of the forest to another with the overall maximum changes is associated with degradation in the forest area. With the identification of such change using RS technology and GIS data, we could suggest immediate measures for reclamation and restoration of degraded forest areas to regain its original ecosystem integrity in terms of carbon storage, soil retention, water conservation, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation.",2021,Traditional landscape; Remote sensing; GIS; Forest fragmentation,No (2)
Exploring economic assessment of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis,"The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis has long been projected as one of the sustainable saviors for achieving food security for mankind. However, there exist conflicting views regarding recommending AM fungi as inocula to farmers. Fungal, host, soil and climatic factors affect AM efficacy in the field. The process of identifying, calculating and comparing the costs and benefits of AM symbioses in economic terms is of international interest from both farmer and industry perspectives. It has not yet been possible to economically quantify the benefits of AM fungi in agroecosystems. Some potential benefits such as increased yield, lower fertilizer consumption and better disease tolerance can be measured quantitatively by cost-benefit analyses, but others such as reductions in soil erosion and nutrient leaching, soil carbon sequestration, phytoremediation, renaturation and landscaping are mainly qualitative and cannot be assessed by conventional cost-benefit methodologies. We identify and explore approaches to assessing economic benefits of inoculation with AM fungi and the risks and limitations involved. To ensure that all potential benefits of AM symbioses are given due cognizance, we propose any economic evaluation should also use contingent methods as applied to economic assessment of biodiversity and afforestation. Development of a framework involving systematic measurements of factors involved in establishment and function of AM symbioses should address risks in mismeasurement and resolve issues related to incomplete knowledge and potential conflicts.",2021,Arbuscular; Mycorrhiza; Contingent assessment; Cost-benefit,No (2)
Soil organic carbon storage in a tropical freshwater wetland: the influence of vegetation type,"The impact of different vegetation communities on soil organic carbon (SOC) in a tropical freshwater wetland in Uganda was investigated. SOC content, density and storage potential were determined under three different dominant vegetation communities:Cyperus papyrusL.,Typha latifoliaL. andPhragmites mauritianusKunth. SOC content (123.7 +/- 2.6 SE g C kg(-1)dry soil) inC. papyruswas significantly higher (p< 0.05) than in bothT. latifoliaandP. mauritianus, whereas SOC density (kg C m(-2)) insignificantly varied (p> 0.05) among the three vegetation communities (C. papyrus= 7.2 +/- 0.1,T. latifolia= 6.7 +/- 0.1 andP. mauritianus= 6.2 +/- 0.1). Similarly, for the entire sampled soil depth (0-50 cm), SOC storage potential was significantly higher (p< 0.05) inC. papyrus(36 118.08 +/- 552.52 t C km(-2)), and was in the order of decreasing magnitude:C. papyrus>T. latifolia>P. mauritianus. Plant biomass density, and soil physico-chemical characteristics, bulk density, salinity, pH and temperature were significantly correlated (p< 0.05) with SOC. In conclusion, where climate change mitigation is considered as a wetland ecosystem service, restoration priorities for degraded/lost tropical freshwater wetlands need to considerC. papyrusplants. In addition, comparing SOC storage by ecosystems, Uganda's wetlands contain three times more SOC than is contained in the country's forests.",2021,carbon sequestration; climate change; C; papyrus; P; mauritianus; T; latifolia; Uganda,No (2)
Assessing the effects of wind farms on soil organic carbon.,"Wind energy is considered one of the cleanest and most sustainable resources among renewable energy sources. However, several negative environmental impacts can be observed, unless suitable sites are selected for the establishment of wind farms. The aim of this study is to determine the change in the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock resulting from land cover changes that were caused by wind farm establishments in the Karaburun peninsula. Within the scope of the study, remote sensing and geographic information system technologies were utilized. Maximum likelihood algorithm, one of the supervised classification techniques, was used to classify the land cover, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analyses were performed to determine land cover changes. The findings were correlated with the ""Turkey Soil Organic Carbon Project"" data. As a result, depending on the establishment of wind farms in the Karaburun Peninsula, a total decrease of 18,330.57tons of SOC in the study area between 2000 and 2019 was determined. It should be taken into consideration that besides many other negative effects (effects on human health, effects on the ecosystem, effects on animals, etc.), land cover changes caused by wind farms may indirectly cause important problems such as climate change. Recently, this situation shows that there is an important dilemma in terms of current implementations. Wind farms are the most invested renewable energy sources and alternative energy supply to fossil fuels in terms of preventing climate change. However, the results of this study have reviewed that lack of proper approaches and methods to establish wind farms may result in various problems such as physical, chemical, and biological degradations and an increase in the amount of atmospheric carbon. Consequently, the investments in renewable energy sources should be comprehensively reevaluated in terms of current technologies, quality in the scope of environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment processes, legal regulations and national policies, long-term environmental costs, etc.",2021,,No (2)
"Temporal variation of SOC storage and crop yield and its relationship - A fourteen year field trial about tillage practices in a double paddy cropping system, China.","Carbon (C) sequestration in agricultural systems is recommended as a beneficial measure for climate change mitigation and food security. Despite much research, the relationship between soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and sustainable crop productivity has not been identified for various agricultural ecosystems, especially in the paddy ecosystem where conservation tillage has been adopted. Thus, a long-term experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of tillage practices on SOC storage, yield, and their relationship in a double-cropped rice (Oryza sativa L.) paddy in Southern China from 2005 to 2018. Four tillage systems were investigated: no-till with residue retained on the soil surface (NTS), rotary tillage with residue retention (RTS), plow tillage with residue retention (CTS), and plow tillage with residue removed (CT). The SOC accumulation in the 0-20cm layer in tillage systems included two stages: the rapid accumulation stage (2005-2007) and the slow fluctuation stage (2007-2018), with a tendency for C saturation. After reaching C saturation, the increase in SOC storage was not obvious, even with continued C input, and the SOC storage under different tillage systems was inconsistent. In general, SOC storage under NTS was the greatest. Interannual changes were not significant, while cumulative yield (2005-2018) was highest under CTS (162.13tha-1), followed by RTS (158.46tha-1), NTS (153.99tha-1), and CT (149.70tha-1). Tillage practices had no effect on the yield stability of late rice, but a significant difference in early rice was noticed between CTS and RTS. A non-linear relationship between rice yield and SOC storage was significant (P<0.0001). With increasing SOC, yields tended to increase first and then decrease. Thus, innovative tillage strategies (such as NTS) could increase SOC storage before it reaches C saturation, but maintaining SOC storage within a reasonable range and optimizing SOC distribution might be more beneficial for crop productivity than a higher SOC storage, especially in C-rich paddy fields. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2021,,Yes (1)
The undetected loss of aged carbon from boreal mineral soils,"The boreal forest is among the largest terrestrial biomes on earth, storing more carbon (C) than the atmosphere. Due to rapid climatic warming and enhanced human development, the boreal region may have begun transitioning from a net C sink to a net source. This raises serious concern that old biogenic soil C can be re-introduced into the modern C cycle in near future. Combining bio-decay experiments, mixing models and the Keeling plot method, we discovered a distinct old pre-bomb organic carbon fraction with high biodegradation rate. In total, 34 ± 12% of water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC) in podzols, one of the dominating boreal soil types, consisted of aged (~ 1000 year) labile C. The omission of this aged (i.e., Δ14C depleted) WEOC fraction in earlier studies is due to the co-occurrence with Δ14C enriched modern C formed following 1950s nuclear bomb testing masking its existence. High lability of aged soil WEOC and masking effects of modern Δ14C enriched C suggests that the risk for mobilization and re-introduction of this ancient C pool into the modern C cycle has gone undetected. Our findings have important implications for earth systems models in terms of climate-carbon feedbacks and the future C balance of the boreal forest. © 2021, The Author(s).",2021,,No (2)
Soil organic carbon storage by shaded and unshaded coffee systems and its implications for climate change mitigation in China,"Shaded coffee systems can mitigate climate change by fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in soil. Understanding soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and the factors influencing SOC in coffee plantations are necessary for the development of sound land management practices to prevent land degradation and minimize SOC losses. This study was conducted in the main coffee-growing regions of Yunnan; SOC concentrations and storage of shaded and unshaded coffee systems were assessed in the top 40 cm of soil. Relationships between SOC concentration and factors affecting SOC were analysed using multiple linear regression based on the forward and backward stepwise regression method. Factors analysed were soil bulk density (ρb), soil pH, total nitrogen of soil (N), mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual moisture (MAM), mean annual precipitation (MAP) and elevations (E). Akaike's information criterion (AIC), coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and residual sum of squares (RSS) were used to describe the accuracy of multiple linear regression models. Results showed that mean SOC concentration and storage decreased significantly with depth under unshaded coffee systems. Mean SOC concentration and storage were higher in shaded than unshaded coffee systems at 20-40 cm depth. The correlations between SOC concentration and ρb, pH and N were significant. Evidence from the multiple linear regression model showed that soil bulk density (ρb), soil pH, total nitrogen of soil (N) and climatic variables had the greatest impact on soil carbon storage in the coffee system. Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press.",2021,,No (2)
The economic–environmental trade-off of growing apple trees in the drylands of China: A conceptual framework for sustainable intensification,"Agricultural intensification has turned the drylands-dominated Loess Plateau (LOP) of China into the world's largest apple production area, which has greatly contributed to increasing farmer's income and reducing rural poverty in the past two decades. However, substantial environmental trade-offs are evident, including (i) severe deep soil desiccation, which lowers resistance to extreme droughts; (ii) low soil organic carbon sequestration, which undermines apple tree's ability to mitigate climate change; (iii) high soil erodibility, which increases the risks for orchards suffering serious erosion; and (iv) severe residual nitrate pollution, which threatens drinking water and planetary health. We propose a conceptual framework for addressing those environmental externalities, which will incorporate a nexus of scientists and technicians, policymakers, social enterprises, and smallholder farmers (SPES) to emphasize good governance, green-production technologies (GPTs), and collaboration as the route toward sustainable intensification and the realization of SDG 1 (alleviation of rural poverty), SDG 6 (reduction of soil and water pollution), SDG 13 (provision of important carbon sinks), and SDG 15 (positive water cycling and soil and water conservation). This framework may also offer insight into the sustainable development of orchards in dryland areas with similar environmental issues. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd",2021,,No (2)
The risk of catastrophic climate change: Future energy implications,"Increasing discussion is occurring, in both the popular media and scientific research papers, about the risk of catastrophic climate change (CCC). Earth Science researchers have produced evidence that the damage function from ongoing climate change is not linear: damages rise disproportionately with global average temperature increase. This short paper explores the implications of CCC for future energy forecasting and policy. It is argued that the time available is now too short to continue framing the problem solution in terms of a shift to zero carbon fuels or carbon dioxide removal. Also, given the large uncertainties remaining in forecasting future climate—especially regional precipitation—solar radiation management is likely too risky. Instead, major reductions in global fossil fuel energy are needed, largely through energy conservation. The global response to the current pandemic shows the potential for rapid social change in the face of a crisis. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd",2021,,No (2)
The implications for energy crops under China's climate change challenges,"This study investigated future bioenergy supply and demand from energy crops in China using the GCAMintegrated assessment model under different climate policy scenarios. The results indicated that China has rich resources of energy crops and marginal land for developing bioenergy. Under future carbon related policies, bioenergy production will considerably increase as projected by the GCAM. Current marginal land can completely meet the future bioenergy demand from energy crops by the end of this century in China. Although a high carbon tax would increase the agricultural market price, the bioenergy price does not affect the production of crop residue from which energy is generated. Also cultivated land resources would not be affected by increased competition for land from energy crops. In addition, forest areas will be preserved and greatly expand in China owing to the increased value of terrestrial carbon, and cropland will increase and expand into pasture, grasslands and other arable land. This conversion peaks in 2050 and decreases until 2090 in response to the increasing incomes and population in China. Climate policies with carbon taxes that include terrestrial carbon will likely reduce emissions from land-use changes, although land-use restrictions may lead to greater upward pressure on crop prices. Net cumulative emissions of land-use changes under two mitigation policies will be negative in 2050 and further decrease thereafter. It is important to note that energy crops and BECCS cause relatively low-cost to reduce carbon emissions. Efforts on policy designing to support cultivation of energy crops and to promote research and deployment of BECCS should be ramped up. ? 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V.",2021,Energy crops; Integrated assessment; GCAM model; Carbon tax; Land-use; China,No (2)
Integrating CO2 Capture with Electrochemical Conversion Using Amine-Based Capture Solvents as Electrolytes,"Carbon dioxide (CO2) is currently considered as a waste material due to its negative impact on the environment. However, it is possible to create value from CO2 by capturing and utilizing it as a building block for commodity chemicals. Electrochemical conversion of CO2 has excellent potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reaching the Paris agreement goal of zero net emissions by 2050. To date, carbon capture and utilization technologies (i.e., capture and conversion have been studied mostly independently. In this communication, we report a methodology based on the integration of CO2 capture and conversion by the direct utilization of a CO2 capture media as the electrolyte for electrochemical conversion of CO2. This has a high potential for reducing capital and operational cost when compared to traditional methodologies (i.e., capture, desorption, and then utilization). A mixture of chemical and physical absorption solvents allowed for the captured CO2 to be converted to formate with faradaic efficiencies of up to 50% and with carbon conversion of ca. 30%. By increasing the temperature in the electrochemical reactor from 20 to 75 degrees C, the reaction rate toward formate increased by a factor of 10, reaching up to 0.7 mmol/m(2).s. The direct conversion of captured CO2 was also demonstrated for carbon monoxide formation with faradaic efficiencies of up to 45%.",2021,,No (2)
Optimizing Carbon Sequestration in Croplands: A Synthesis,"Climate change and ensuring food security for an exponentially growing global human population are the greatest challenges for future agriculture. Improved soil management practices are crucial to tackle these problems by enhancing agro-ecosystem productivity, soil fertility, and carbon sequestration. To meet Paris climate treaty pledges, soil management must address validated approaches for carbon sequestration and stabilization. The present synthesis assesses a range of current and potential future agricultural management practices (AMP) that have an effect on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and sequestration. Through two strategies-increasing carbon inputs (e.g., enhanced primary production, organic fertilizers) and reducing SOC losses (e.g., reducing soil erosion, managing soil respiration)-AMP can either sequester, up to 714 +/- 404 (compost) kg C ha(-1) y(-1), having no distinct impact (mineral fertilization), or even reduce SOC stocks in the topsoil (bare fallow). Overall, the carbon sequestration potential of the subsoil (>40 cm) requires further investigation. Moreover, climate change, permanent soil sealing, consumer behavior in dietary habits and waste production, as well as the socio-economic constraints of farmers (e.g., information exchange, long-term economic profitability) are important factors for implementing new AMPs. This calls for life-cycle assessments of those practices.",2021,4-per-mille initiative; agricultural soil management practices; climate change adaptation; climate change mitigation; long-term experiments; soil organic carbon (SOC) stock; knowledge gaps; trade-offs,No (2)
"Carbon myopia: The urgent need for integrated social, economic and environmental action in the livestock sector","Livestock have long been integral to food production systems, often not by choice but by need. While our knowledge of livestock greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation has evolved, the prevailing focus has been-somewhat myopically-on technology applications associated with mitigation. Here, we (1) examine the global distribution of livestock GHG emissions, (2) explore social, economic and environmental co-benefits and trade-offs associated with mitigation interventions and (3) critique approaches for quantifying GHG emissions. This review uncovered many insights. First, while GHG emissions from ruminant livestock are greatest in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC; globally, 66% of emissions are produced by Latin America and the Caribbean, East and southeast Asia and south Asia), the majority of mitigation strategies are designed for developed countries. This serious concern is heightened by the fact that 80% of growth in global meat production over the next decade will occur in LMIC. Second, few studies concurrently assess social, economic and environmental aspects of mitigation. Of the 54 interventions reviewed, only 16 had triple-bottom line benefit with medium-high mitigation potential. Third, while efforts designed to stimulate the adoption of strategies allowing both emissions reduction (ER) and carbon sequestration (CS) would achieve the greatest net emissions mitigation, CS measures have greater potential mitigation and co-benefits. The scientific community must shift attention away from the prevailing myopic lens on carbon, towards more holistic, systems-based, multi-metric approaches that carefully consider the raison d'etre for livestock systems. Consequential life cycle assessments and systems-aligned 'socio-economic planetary boundaries' offer useful starting points that may uncover leverage points and cross-scale emergent properties. The derivation of harmonized, globally reconciled sustainability metrics requires iterative dialogue between stakeholders at all levels. Greater emphasis on the simultaneous characterization of multiple sustainability dimensions would help avoid situations where progress made in one area causes maladaptive outcomes in other areas.",2021,adaptation; carbon dioxide removal (CDR); carbon neutral; climate change; emissions intensity; maladaptation; multidisciplinary; policy; socio-economic; sustainable development goals,No (2)
A semi-commercial case study of willow biomass production in the northeastern United States,"Shrub willow (Salix spp. and hybrids) is a biomass crop well adapted to the northeastern United States. We assessed the biomass productivity of six willow cultivars in a 14.5-ha field in Pennsylvania through two rotation cycles of 3 yr each, comparing the realized and biophysical yield potential. We also evaluated the relationship of yield with plant density and the harvest efficiency. The realized yield of the best cultivars was about 8 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1), well below the calculated harvestable potential of 14 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1). Uniform stands of willow without planting gaps may maximize yield with 8 x 10(3) plants ha(-1), but upright cultivars may benefit from higher densities. Harvest is relatively slow at 1 ha h(-1) or 20 Mg h(-1) in the longest rows with optimal ground conditions, which makes the harvest cost per hour high. Biotic stresses built up gradually during the 7 yr of the experiment affecting two cultivars severely. The cultivar S. miyabeana x S. viminalis 'Preble' was defoliated by a growing population of willow leaf beetle (Plagiodera versicolora), whereas the cultivar S. purpurea 'Fish Creek' was affected by two fungal diseases and suffered a major stand loss in the winter of 2019/2020. Both examples justify breeding for insects and diseases resistance. The moderate harvestable yield and high harvest cost imply that in the northeastern United States, the viability of willow for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage as a tool to reduce CO2 emissions may depend on the provision and monetization of additional ecosystem services.",2021,,No (2)
Biochar promotes methane production during anaerobic digestion of organic waste,"Climate change and energy demand are calling for more sustainable fuels such as biomethane produced by anaerobic digestion of organic waste. Biochar addition to waste is presumed to enhance the efficiency of methane production, yet individual reports disclose contradictory results. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of 27 selected publications containing 156 paired measurements of control and biochar-amended treatments to assess the impact of biochar on the methanogenic performance. Results show that biochar promotes biomethane production substantially with a high Hedge's d value of 5.7 +/- 1.04, yet sporadic publications report a methane decline. Methanogenic performance is statistically controlled by feedstock type, pyrolysis temperature and biochar concentration, but not controlled by pH, size, surface area and methanogen species. These findings should help to tune the parameters of anaerobic digestion with biochar to optimize biomethane productions. Moreover, our results cast some doubt on the efficiency of adding biochar to soil to sequester carbon in soils because biochar promotes methane generation and, in turn, emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere.",2021,Anaerobic digestion; Biochar; Methane; Meta-analysis; Wastewater treatment,Yes (1)
Land Use and Management Effects on Sustainable Sugarcane-Derived Bioenergy,"Bioenergy is an important and feasible option for mitigating global warming and climate change. However, large-scale land-use change (LUC) to expand bioenergy crops, such as sugarcane, raises concerns about the potential negative environmental and socioeconomic side effects. Such effects are context-specific, and depending on the LUC scenario and management practices, several co-benefits can be attained. We reviewed the literature and discussed how LUC and best management practices affect key components of sustainability (e.g., soil health, soil carbon (C) sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emissions, nutrient cycling, water quality, among others) of sugarcane-derived bioenergy production in Brazil. Sugarcane expansion has occurred predominantly over pasture areas, although converting croplands could be also an environmentally feasible option. The land transition from low-productivity pastures to sugarcane cultivation seems to be a sustainable pathway to increase bioenergy production. This LUC scenario enhances soil health and soil C sequestration over time, although soil compaction, biodiversity loss, and erosion are still challenging. Besides, adopting best management practices, such as conservation tillage, sustainable crop residue management, rational fertilization, and recycling by-products, has been fundamental to ensuring sustainable bioenergy production. Public policies and well-designed legal frameworks and regulations, such as the Forest Code and the RenovaBio legislations in Brazil, are necessary to make bioenergy production compatible with rational land use and protection. Lastly, our analysis provided insights into sugarcane expansion over a small proportion (1%) of pasture areas in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) and sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, which may result in a substantial impact on global bioenergy supply. We concluded that sugarcane-derived bioenergy is a sustainable option to tackle climate change while provisioning other key ecosystem services and promoting socioeconomic development.",2021,soil carbon sequestration; soil health; ecosystem services; ethanol; bioelectricity; RenovaBio; land-use change; Brazil,No (2)
Soil salinity under climate change: Challenges for sustainable agriculture and food security,"Soil salinity is one of the major and widespread challenges in the recent era that hinders global food security and environmental sustainability. Worsening the situation, the harmful impacts of climate change accelerate the development of soil salinity, potentially spreading the problem in the near future to currently unaffected regions. This paper aims to synthesise information from published literature about the extent, development mechanisms, and current mitigation strategies for tackling soil salinity, highlighting the opportunities and challenges under climate change situations. Mitigation approaches such as application of amendments, cultivation of tolerant genotypes, suitable irrigation, drainage and land use strategies, conservation agriculture, phytoremediation, and bioremediation techniques have successfully tackled the soil salinity issue, and offered associated benefits of soil carbon sequestration, and conservation and recycling of natural resources. These management practices further improve the socio-economic conditions of the rural farming community in salt-affected areas. We also discuss emerging reclamation strategies such as saline aquaculture integrated with sub surface drainage, tolerant microorganisms integrated with tolerant plant genotypes, integrated agro-farming systems that warrant future research attention to restore the agricultural sustainability and global food security under climate change scenarios.",2021,Salt-affected soil; Climate change; Soil reclamation; Environmental quality; Farmers' livelihood; Sustainability,No (2)
From moral hazard to risk-response feedback,"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments (IPCC) Special Report on 1.5 degrees C of global warming is clear. Nearly all pathways that hold global warming well below 2 degrees C involve carbon removal (IPCC, 2015). In addition, solar geoengineering is being considered as a potential tool to offset warming, especially to limit temperature until negative emissions technologies are sufficiently matured (MacMartin et al., 2018). Despite this, there has been a reluctance to embrace carbon removal and solar geoengineering, partly due to the perception that these technologies represent what is widely termed a ""moral hazard"": that geoengineering will prevent people from developing the will to change their personal consumption and push for changes in infrastructure (Robock et al., 2010), erode political will for emissions cuts (Keith, 2007), or otherwise stimulate increased carbon emissions at the social-system level of analysis (Bunzl, 2008). These debates over carbon removal and geoengineering echo earlier ones over climate adaptation. We argue that debates over ""moral hazard"" in many areas of climate policy are un-helpful and misleading. We also propose an alternative framework for dealing with the tradeoffs that motivate the appeal to ""moral hazard, ""which we call ""risk-response feedback.""",2021,Moral hazard; Climate policy; Climate behavior change,Yes (1)
Life cycle assessment of carbon dioxide removal technologies: a critical review,"A large number of prospective climate scenarios rely on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies to limit global warming below 2 degrees C. To date, however, a comprehensive understanding of the overall life-cycle environmental impacts of CDR technologies is missing. We present a critical review on conducted Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) of a comprehensive set of CDR technologies: afforestation and reforestation, biochar, soil carbon sequestration, enhanced weathering, ocean fertilisation, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, and direct air carbon capture and storage. One of the key observations is that emissions avoided due to substitution of certain processes (due to system expansion in LCA) can be easily misinterpreted as negative emissions, i.e. as carbon removal from the atmosphere. Based on the observed inconsistencies and shortcomings, we recommend to interpret available CDR LCA results with caution. To improve the understanding of environmental implications of CDR deployment, we recommend (1) to conduct LCAs with multiple environmental impact categories, (2) to consider the temporal aspect of emissions in biomass-related CDR technologies, (3) to focus on so far overlooked CDR technologies, (4) to be as transparent as possible regarding methodological choices, (5) to capture environmental side-effects, and (6) to distinguish between 'avoided emissions' and 'negative emissions' - only negative emissions correspond to permanent removal from the atmosphere. We conclude that more comprehensive and rigorous LCAs are needed to help inform the design of CDR technology portfolios and to aid in anticipatory governance.",2021,,Yes (1)
Potential CO2 removal from enhanced weathering by ecosystem responses to powdered rock,"The enhanced CO2 uptake by vegetation in response to powdered rock should be considered in assessing the feasibility of enhanced weathering as a negative emission technology in mitigating climate change, suggest simulations of a land surface model. Negative emission technologies underpin socioeconomic scenarios consistent with the Paris Agreement. Afforestation and bioenergy coupled with carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage are the main land negative emission technologies proposed, but the range of nature-based solutions is wider. Here we explore soil amendment with powdered basalt in natural ecosystems. Basalt is an abundant rock resource, which reacts with CO2 and removes it from the atmosphere. Besides, basalt improves soil fertility and thereby potentially enhances ecosystem carbon storage, rendering a global CO2 removal of basalt substantially larger than previously suggested. As this is a fully developed technology that can be co-deployed in existing land systems, it is suited for rapid upscaling. Achieving sufficiently high net CO2 removal will require upscaling of basalt mining, deploying systems in remote areas with a low carbon footprint and using energy from low-carbon sources. We argue that basalt soil amendment should be considered a prominent option when assessing land management options for mitigating climate change, but yet unknown side-effects, as well as limited data on field-scale deployment, need to be addressed first.",2021,,No (2)
Effects of biochar application with fertilizer on soil microbial biomass and greenhouse gas emissions in a peanut cropping system,"This study investigated the effects of biochar application with organic or mineral fertilizers on soil microbial biomass, and associated emissions of CO2 and CH4 under field settings planted with peanut. The results indicated that physicochemical properties of soil were improved under biochar application. Soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) was significantly increased with the application of biochar plus organic fertilizer compared to that of organic fertilizer only, but no significant difference of MBC was found between the treatment under biochar application plus mineral fertilizer and that under mineral fertilizer only. Biochar application did not affect the amount of microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) with either mineral or organic fertilizer. The cumulative CO2 emission did not change under biochar application, while the cumulative CH4 emission was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) by 68.67% on average with the application of organic fertilizer plus biochar compared to that of organic fertilizer only. When biochar was applied in combination with either mineral or organic fertilizer, both the net global warming potential (GWP) and the greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) were significantly decreased compared to that without biochar amendment. In all, biochar can improve soil quality, and enhance soil carbon sequestration as well as peanut yields.",2021,Biochar; fertilizer; microbial biomass; greenhouse gas emissions; peanut yield,Yes (1)
Is carbon dioxide removal 'mitigation of climate change'?,"Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is often characterized as separate from climate change mitigation. Discussion of CDR governance - despite enjoying growing interest - tends to overlook how key provisions on mitigation apply. Similarly, many climate policy processes have ignored CDR. CDR may have been discursively held separate from 'mitigation' due to a partial conceptual overlap with 'geoengineering'. We unpack how the 'mitigation of climate change' - as defined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement - includes CDR as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We point to important implications and opportunities for strengthening governance by enhanced clarity regarding parties' obligations, principled equitable distribution of removal efforts, prioritization of rapid emissions reductions and careful paths to long-term removals, and a need for considering sustainability and human rights issues in the pursuit of CDR.",2021,,No (2)
Date palm waste pyrolysis into biochar for carbon dioxide adsorption,"Mitigation of CO2 is a very popular research currently, it is ultimately beneficial to find new ways that are sustainable, low cost and gas emission friendly. Therefore, with biochar's characteristics and properties it has great potential to be used as a CO2 capture and storage media. The objectives of reducing palm waste by using the low-cost, sustainable method for reducing and storing CO2, characterize the DPL biochar through FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX, and then evaluate the efficiency of the date palm leaf waste biochar in adsorbing CO2 through the Gas-Solid analyzer technology. Date palm leaf was set in pyrolysis process at 500 degrees C peak at a 10 degrees C per min rate for 5 h. The peaks of maximum intensity are approximately 1000 to 1500 cm(-1); two peaks are approximately 1110 and 1600 cm(-1) as the transition rises when the peaks are wider and shorter. Carbonyls, Alkenes, Alkynes, and others were found in feature groups, but the maximum area with O-H and C-H bonds and vibration picks is reduced and nearly non-existent. Biochar showed porous and heterogeneous structures with various magnifications, which give a greater amount of surface for adsorption. XRD analysis indicated that cellulose could progressively be decreased. The weighing of each component was 83.56% for Carbon, 12.43% for Oxygen, 1.12% for Potassium, 1.64% for Calcium, 0,83% for Phosphorus and 0.4% for Magnesium. The presence of these metals gives a strong CO2 attraction. The area value was found to have been approximately 3.117, reflecting the total CO2 obtained by the date palm leaf biochar. This shows that 300 gr of DPL biochar have been consumed by just one third of CO2. Date palm leaf of biochar's shows a carbon dioxide adsorption efficiency of 20% and measured CO2 adsorption per g of biochar DPL of 0.017 g at 500 degrees C pyrolysis temperature and conditions set. (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2021,Biochar; Carbon dioxide; Adsorption; Date palm waste,No (2)
A systematic capacity assessment and classification of geologic CO2 storage systems in India,"With rising carbon dioxide emissions and ambitious global targets for climate change mitigation, carbon sequestration has become one of the most promising carbon dioxide removal technologies. It can prove especially beneficial to an emerging country such as India, which must balance its rapid economic growth with a reduction in emissions. A detailed assessment of the cumulative storage capacity is necessary to facilitate the development of CO2 storage pathways in India. Previous assessments for India have primarily estimated the theoretical storage capacity based on limited data. In this study, we have reviewed different methodologies for estimating storage capacities globally, and based on the most current data available, in a first, developed a systematic assessment for theoretical and effective CO2 storage capacities for different geological formations in India. Four storage pathways with adequate potential have been identified: storage through CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR), enhanced coalbed methane recovery (ECBMR), storage in deep saline aquifers, and basalt formations. The results indicate considerable potential for CO2 storage in India, especially in saline aquifers (291 Gt) and basalt (97-316 Gt). Even though the storage capacity estimated through EOR (3.4 Gt) and ECBMR (3.7 Gt) is comparatively less, it is adequate to store emissions from nearby large point sources. These methods are also highly feasible due to the ready availability of infrastructure and extensive geological information about the basins involved. In addition, we have developed novel classification systems for different basins in India to represent their prospectivity for CO2 storage.",2021,CO2 storage capacity; enhanced oil recovery; enhanced coal bed methane recovery; saline aquifers; basalt; basin classification,No (2)
"Land Use Effects on Climate: Current State, Recent Progress, and Emerging Topics","Purpose of Review As demand for food and fiber, but also for negative emissions, brings most of the Earth's land surface under management, we aim to consolidate the scientific progress of recent years on the climatic effects of global land use change, including land management, and related land cover changes (LULCC). Recent Findings We review the methodological advances in both modeling and observations to capture biogeochemical and biogeophysical LULCC effects and summarize the knowledge on underlying mechanisms and on the strength of their effects. Recent studies have raised or resolved several important questions related to LULCC: How can we derive CO2 fluxes related to LULCC from satellites? Why are uncertainties in LULCC-related GHG fluxes so large? How can we explain that estimates of afforestation/reforestation potentials diverge by an order of magnitude? Can we reconcile the seemingly contradicting results of models and observations concerning the cooling effect of high-latitude deforestation? Major progress has been achieved in understanding the complementarity of modeling, observations, and inventories for estimating the impacts of various LULCC practices on carbon, energy, and water fluxes. Emerging fields are the operationalization of the recently achieved integration of approaches, such as a full greenhouse gas balance of LULCC, mapping of emissions from global models to country-reported emissions data, or model evaluation against local biogeophysical observations. Fundamental challenges remain, however, e.g., in separating anthropogenic from natural land use dynamics and accurately quantifying the first. Recent progress has laid the foundation for future research to integrate the local to global scales at which the various effects act, to create co-benefits between global mitigation, including land-based carbon dioxide removal, and changes in local climate for effective adaptation strategies.",2021,Land use; Land management; Climate; Carbon cycle; Biogeochemical; Biogeophysical,No (2)
One-step synthesis of ZnFe2O4-loaded biochar derived from leftover rice for high-performance H2S removal,"Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a major air pollutant posing a serious threat to the environment and public health. It is highly attractive to develop state-of-the-art adsorbent to remove H2S. Herein, a novel ZnFe2O4-loaded porous biochar (RZF) with a high surface area of 1065 m2/g was synthesized via one-step carbonation activation of kitchen leftover rice with ZnCl2 and FeCl3 as activators. The optimized RZF-500-1:1 was obtained by rationally adjusting the activation ratio (the mass ratio of leftover rice and ZnFe2O4) and pyrolysis temperature. Such RZF500-1:1 delivered high-performance H2S removal with the breakthrough capacity up to 228.29 mg/g at 25 degrees C, whilst the inactivated biochar (carbonization without activator) only showed a much lower adsorption capacity at circa 12.11 mg/g of H2S. The desulfurization conditions had a significant effect on the H2S breakthrough capacity, and the adsorbent exhibited better desulfurization performance at room temperature and in the presence of oxygen. The desulfurization mechanism on the ZnFe2O4-loaded biochar was proposed to be an adsorption-catalytic oxidation coupled process. Moreover, the as-fabricated sample showed high regeneration ability, retaining 91.6% of the initial breakthrough capacity after five regeneration cycles. This novel one-step preparation method would permit a gain of time and energy to obtain efficient activated carbons intended to capture H2S.",2021,Biochar; One-step synthesis; Adsorption; Leftover rice; H2S removal; ZnFe2O4,No (2)
Pyrolysis temperature-dependent carbon retention and stability of biochar with participation of calcium: Implications to carbon sequestration,"Converting biomass waste into biochar by slow pyrolysis with subsequent soil amendment is a prospective approach with multiple environmental benefits including soil contamination remediation, soil amelioration and carbon sequestration. This study selected cow manure as precursor to produce biochar under 300 degrees C, 400 degrees C, 500 degrees C and 600 degrees C, and a remarkable promotion of carbon (C) retention in biochar by incorporation of exogenous Ca was achieved at all investigated pyrolysis temperatures. The C retention was elevated from 49.2 to 68.3% of pristine biochars to 66.1-79.7% of Ca-composite biochars. It was interesting that extent of this improvement increased gradually with rising of pyrolysis temperature, i.e., doping Ca in biomass promoted pyrolytic C retention in biochar by 16.6%, 23.4%, 29.1% and 31.1% for 300 degrees C, 400 degrees C, 500 degrees C and 600 degrees C, respectively. Thermogravimetric-mass spectrometer (TG-MS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that Ca catalyzed thermal-chemical reactions and simultaneously suppressed the release of small organic molecular substances (C2-C7) via physical blocking (CaO, CaCO3, and CaClOH) and chemical bonding (C--O and O--C-O). The catalyzation mainly occurred at 200-400 degrees C, while the suppression was more prominent at higher temperatures. Raman spectra and 2D FTIR analysis on biochar microstructure showed that presence of Ca had negative influence on carbon aromatization and thus weakened biochar's stability, while increasing pyrolysis temperature enhanced the stability of carbon structure. Finally, with integrating ""C retention"" during pyrolysis and ""C stability"" in biochar, the maximum C sequestration (56.3%) was achieved at 600 degrees C with the participation of Ca. The study highlights the importance of both Ca and pyrolysis temperature in enhancing biochar's capacity of sequestrating C.",2021,Biochar; Pyrolysis temperature; Mineral Ca; Carbon retention; Carbon stability; Carbon sequestration,No (2)
A thermomagnetic analysis of an eco-friendly nano-sized dysprosia for energy efficient cryo-cooling systems,"A substantial share of overall energy consumption in developing countries accounts for refrigeration systems and heating/air conditioning equipment. The direct emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is due to the release of refrigerants with a high global warming capacity. The efficiency of transition metal-doped nano-sized dysprosia (NSD) as a magnetic refrigerant is studied in this work. The NSD and transition-doped NSD were synthesised using the sol–gel process. Special precautions were taken to capture the toxic gases evolved from the reaction chamber during the synthetic process, thereby eliminating the environmental impact. The structural and surface morphological studies of materials revealed that the particles are spherical in shape with a body-centred cubic structure (Ia-3). The chemical analysis of materials confirms the presence of transition metal ions, which play a major role in the structural distortion of doped NSDs. The magnetic studies of NSDs revealed that antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic properties exhibited predominantly at low temperature, whereas at high-temperature, paramagnetic properties are observed. It was also found that the magnetic entropy change of NSDs at the applied magnetic field is comparatively higher, making them a suitable material for eco-friendly cryogenic systems. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.",2021,,No (2)
Effects of aging on surface properties and endogenous copper and zinc leachability of swine manure biochar and its composite with alkali-fused fly ash.,"Biochar aging is a key factor leading to the decline of biochar stability and the release of endogenous pollutants. This study investigated the effects of five artificial and simulated aging processes on the surface properties and endogenous copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) leachability of swine manure biochar and its composite with alkali-fused fly ash. Aging obviously reduced carbon (C) content on the surface of swine manure biochar and increased oxygen (O) content. Among all the aging treatments, high-temperature aging had the greatest effect on C content. Following the aging treatments, the C-C bond contents on the surfaces of swine manure biochar decreased significantly, whereas the C-O bonds increased significantly; however, there were less changes in the amounts of C-C and C-O bonds on the surfaces of modified biochar than on swine manure biochar. Aging significantly enhanced the leaching toxicity of Cu and Zn, and Zn availability and bioaccessibility in swine manure biochar and modified biochar. However, it minimized Cu availability and bioaccessibility, especially under high-temperature aging. Greater amounts of Zn than Cu were extracted from swine manure biochar and modified biochar. However, under all the aging treatments, the leaching toxicity, availability, and bioaccessibility of Cu and Zn in modified biochar were significantly lower than in swine manure biochar. This implies that modified biochar application poses lower environmental risks than swine manure biochar. Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2021,,No (2)
A Study of Gas Transport Mechanisms for CH4/CO2 Using Ceramic Membranes,"Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and their effects have been a matter of global concern over the past decade. As the demand for energy grows in developing economies, there has been a challenge in harnessing and utilising sustainable forms of energy to meet these demands, and despite the effect of global warming and the problems associated with it, the use of fossil fuels is still increasing. This problem has negatively impacted the climate because greenhouse gases evolved from burning fossil fuel increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and lead to global warming. This study investigates a method of channelling biogas for use as a sustainable energy source by using membrane technology. Initially, by observing the behaviour of biogas components as they travel selectively through the membrane support, the findings showed that both fluid and structural properties have significant impacts on the separation process. The next approach is to modify the membrane to obtain these optimal conditions. Furthermore, by introducing an agent that serves as an adsorptive medium for maximising contact between the pore walls and the gas molecules, this creates an adsorptive layer that preferentially draws the target gas to its surface to deliver both high permeability and selectivity of the membrane.</p>",2021,biogas; upgrading; sustainable; membrane characterisation; carbon dioxide capture; biomethane,No (2)
Uncertainty range of projected soil carbon responses to climate warming in China,"Soil carbon is becoming increasingly difficult to predict due to uncertainties in climate warming. The main objective of this research is to estimate the scope of uncertainties in soil carbon, which is the difference between maximal and minimal estimations of soil carbon, caused by uncertainties in climate change in China, by applying the Lund-Potsdam-Jena (LPJ) model and an improved optimization method. Based on an original optimization method (conditional nonlinear optimal parameter perturbation, CNOP-P), a cost function is revised to evaluate the scope of uncertainties in predicting soil carbon sequestration, avoiding the overestimation of uncertainties. Two types of climate change projections are obtained from 10 global circulation models (GCMs) under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 scenario using two methods. For the first type of climate change projection, the upper and lower limits of estimated future soil carbon sequestration are 102.7 and 65.5 Gt, respectively, whereas the reference soil carbon sequestration driven by an ensemble of 10 GCMs is 79.6 Gt. The estimated future soil carbon sequestration ranges from 79.4 to 91.6 Gt for the second type of climate change. The numerical results imply that these two types of climate change, constrained by the projection of 10 GCMs, are the main factors affecting the uncertainty range of estimated soil carbon.",2021,climate warming; CNOP-P; non-linear optimization method; soil carbon projection; uncertainty scope,No (2)
Application of biochar for the remediation of polluted sediments,"Polluted sediments pose potential threats to environmental and human health and challenges to water management. Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced through pyrolysis of biomass waste, which performs well in soil amendment, climate improvement, and water treatment. Unlike soil and aqueous solutions, sediments are both the sink and source of water pollutants. Regarding in-situ sediment remediation, biochar also shows unique advantages in removing or immobilizing inorganic and organic pollutants (OPs). This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current methods of in-situ biochar amendments specific to polluted sediments. Physicochemical properties (pore structure, surface functional groups, pH and surface charge, mineral components) were influenced by the pyrolysis conditions, feedstock types, and modification of biochar. Furthermore, the remediation mechanisms and efficiency of pollutants (heavy metals [HMs] and OPs) vary with the biochar properties. Biochar influences microbial compositions and benthic organisms in sediments. Depending on the location or flow rate of polluted sediments, potential utilization methods of biochar alone or coupled with other materials are discussed. Finally, future practical challenges of biochar as a sediment amendment are addressed. This review provides an overview and outlook for sediment remediation using biochar, which will be valuable for further scientific research and engineering applications.",2021,Engineering biochar; Heavy metal; Modification; Organic pollutant; Sediment remediation,No (2)
Soil carbon accumulation with increasing temperature under both managed and natural vegetation restoration in calcareous soils,"Vegetation restoration has been proposed as an effective strategy for increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. However, the responses of SOC to managed and natural vegetation restoration strategies at a large scale are poorly understood due to the varying SOC components and changing climatic conditions. Here, we measured bulk SOC, particulate organic carbon (POC), and mineral-associated organic carbon (MOC) after 15 years of vegetation restoration along an elevation gradient with a corresponding temperature gradient in the calcareous soils of karst region, Southwest China. We compared managed plantation forest and naturally recovered shrubland vegetation restoration strategies, using cropland and mature forest as references. Overall, we found that the SOC and POC densities in both plantation forest and shrubland were significantly higher than in the cropland but lower than in the mature forest. There were no significant differences in the SOC pool between the plantation forest and shrubland. Furthermore, the relative changes in the SOC and POC densities increased with increasing mean annual temperature in the plantation forest and shrubland. Our results showed that both vegetation restoration strategies, characterized by higher soil microbial abundance and exchangeable Ca concentration, were beneficial to POC but not MOC accumulation, and sufficiently compensated SOC decomposition at lower elevation with higher MAT. Our results highlight the potential of both vegetation restoration strategies for promoting SOC accumulation in warmer karst regions and emphasize the necessity to understand soil carbon stabilization mechanisms in calcareous soils. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2021,Soil organic carbon fraction; Soil microbial community; Calcium; Climatic gradient; Karst ecosystem,No (2)
Responses of greenhouse gas emissions to different straw management methods with the same amount of carbon input in cotton field,"Recycling crop straw to cropland can improve soil fertility, increase crop yield, and enhance soil carbon (C) sequestration, but also increase the risk of soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the differences in GHG emissions among different straw management methods are not well understood. Here, we investigated the responses of GHG emissions and their driving factors to the application of straw (S, 5.0 t ha-1), straw plus microbial inoculant (SI, 5.0 t ha-1), straw mulching (SM, 5.0 t ha-1), straw-biochar (SB, 3.5 t ha-1), and no straw or straw-biochar (CK) based on an equal amount of C input in a cotton field in Yancheng city, Jiangsu province, China from 2017 to 2018. Our results showed that the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from soil heterotrophic respiration were decreased markedly under SB, but increased markedly under SI and S. The response of soil methane (CH4) emissions to all treatments was similar to the CO2 emissions. Soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions were consistently decreased under SB, SI, S and SM, ranking as CK > SM > S>SI > SB. Compared with CK, SI and S significantly increased the global warming potential (GWP), whereas SB significantly decreased GWP by 17.9 %-19.8 %. Lint yield of cotton was highest in SB, followed by SI, S and SM, and lowest in CK. Consequently, SI, S and SM had no significant effects on the greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI), but SB significantly decreased GHGI by 28.4 %-35.7 %. In conclusion, straw-biochar application is an effective option for mitigating global warming and sustaining crop productivity.",2021,Straw return; Biochar; Carbon dioxide; Nitrous oxide; Greenhouse gas intensity; Cotton,No (2)
Long-term afforestation accelerated soil organic carbon accumulation but decreased its mineralization loss and temperature sensitivity in the bulk soils and aggregates,"The conversion of land use from agricultural land to forests is considered an effective measure of mitigating atmospheric CO2, but the impacts of long-term afforestation on soil organic carbon mineralization (C-m) and its temperature sensitivity (Q(10)) remain uncertain. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of different afforestation ages on OC contents and C-m and Q(10) in bulk soils and aggregates. Soils were collected from 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm depths in afforested woodlands after 10, 20, 30 and 40 yrs of establishment of Robinia pseudoacacia on abandoned farmlands on the Loess Plateau, China. C-m and Q(10) were measured in an 83-day incubation experiment at 25 degrees C and 15 degrees C. The results showed that long-term afforestation accelerated soil OC accumulation but decreased its C-m and Q(10) in bulk soils and aggregates, and the effects were greater at the 0-10 cm soil depth. Macroaggregates contributed most of the OC content (62%), but microaggregates and silt + clay contributed most of the OC mineralized (40% and 36%) in the bulk soils. The increased OC content and decreased C-m in aggregates suggested an increase in the sequestration of OC in fine soil particles. The temperature sensitivity of OC mineralization increased with increasing particle size, with a higher Q(10) value for macroaggregates (1.81 +/- 0.44) than for microaggregates (1.42 +/- 0.35) and silt + clay (1.31 +/- 0.14). Our results indicated that long-term afforestation would be conducive to the accumulation of OC and would decrease the release of CO2 from soils under future climate warming scenarios. The findings highlighted the OC dynamics in abandoned farmland were more sensitive to the temperature changes than those in forests, and the stability of OC in aggregates increased as the aggregate size decreased. This study contributed to bridging current knowledge gapes about the process underlying the observed OC budget and its response to warming scenarios in rehabilitated ecosystems.",2021,Abandoned farmland; Afforestation; Organic carbon mineralization; Soil aggregates; Temperature sensitivity,No (2)
"Potential of industrial hemp ( Cannabis sativa L. ) for bioenergy production in Canada: Status, challenges and outlook","Climate change from carbon emissions and rising energy demands poses a serious threat to global sustainability. This issue is particularly noticeable in Canada where per capita energy demands are high and fossil fuels are used. Industrial hemp can be used for bioenergy production as an alternative to fossil fuels to capture and utilize carbon, with applications in various markets at high values. Despite this, industrial hemp has faced legal barriers that have hampered its viability. This review describes industrial hemp, its status in global markets, its performance as bioenergy feedstock, and potential in Canada, so research can target gaps in available knowledge. Numerous bioenergy applications for industrial hemp exist; the production of bioethanol and biodiesel from industrial hemp has strong potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the Canadian economy. The current study found that industrial hemp can compete with many energy crops in global markets as a feedstock for many bioenergy products with solid hemp yielding 100 GJ/ha/y, allowing for economical emissions reductions for example in coal/biochar blends that can reduce emissions by 10%, and in co-production of bioethanol and grain, generating $2632/ha/y. This work also suggests industrial hemp has unique potential for growth in Canada, though processing facilities are severely lacking, and hemp growing has some negative environmental impacts related to fertilizer use. Responsible growth could be realized through incentivizing or subsidizing processing facility investment, implementing co-production where possible, and funding research to improve conversion, harvesting and polygeneration processes.",2021,Canada; Industrial hemp; Bioenergy; Second-generation biofuel; Solid waste fuels; GHG,No (2)
"The effect of land-use systems on greenhouse gas production and crop yields in Wakiso District, Uganda","Land-use systems are among the leading sources of anthropogenic GHG into the atmosphere; driving global warming, climate change, and associated extreme weather events. To estimate GHGs from the land-use systems, we measured fluxes (positive/negative emissions per unit of time) of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) from the cropping and adjacent non-cropping systems in Wakiso District, Uganda. The study comprised of 9 treatments with 2 inter-cropping systems (banana-coffee and maize-beans), 4 sole-cropped systems (banana, maize, beans, and sweet potato), and 3 non-cropping systems (fallow lands, pasture lands, and grasslands). Four management practices: mulching with no-tillage (mulched-NT); non-mulching with reduced-tillage (non-mulched-RT); non-mulching with deep-tillage (non-mulched-DT); compositing with reduced-tillage (compost-RT) were embedded in the cropping systems. The study also assessed the effect of the cropping systems and their management practices on crop yields. The GHG fluxes were monitored using the static chamber technique and analysed using a gas chromatography (G.C.). The results showed that all the land-use systems were sources of CO2 flux with sole-cropped sweet potato under non-mulched-DT (148.12 +/- 3.4 mu g C m(-2) h(-1)) as the most substantial source, and the grasslands (33.03 +/- 1.7 mu g C m(-2) h(-1)) as the weakest source. Similarly, all the land-use systems were sources of N2O flux with sole-cropped beans under non-mulched-RT (14.21 +/- 0.4 mu g N m(-2) h(-1)) as the strongest source, and grasslands (3.43 +/- 0.4 mu g N m(-2) h(-1)) as the weakest source. The management practices were sinks (any system that absorbs more GHGs than it releases) of CH4 except mulched-NT in the maize-beans intercrop, solecropped beans, and sole-cropped maize. The sole-cropped sweet potato under mulched-RT (0.3 +/- 0.01 mu g C m(-2) h(-1)) was the strongest source of CH4, while the grasslands (0.67 +/- 0.01 mu g C m(-2) h(-1)) were the strongest sink. The intercropped systems significantly reduced GHG fluxes and had a yield advantage relative to the sole-cropped systems. Our results suggested that intercropping in central Uganda could be a more sustainable and eco-friendly approach concerning GHG fluxes.",2021,Cropping systems; Non-cropping systems; Crop yields; Carbon dioxide; Nitrous oxide; Methane; Mitigation measures,Yes (1)
An unintended ecological benefit from human intervention: The enhancement of carbon storage in seagrass meadows,"Human interventions have had unintended consequences for the diverse functions of various ecosystems. Hydrological interventions have the potential to alter vegetated habitats in coastal nearshore ecosystems, but little is known about the impacts on organic carbon (C-org) sequestration, which plays an important role in climate change mitigation. We examined the effects of past human interventions through artificial inlet opening in a lagoonal seagrass meadow. The sediment profiles of geological and biogeochemical characteristics were measured to obtain the historical changes in the lagoon environment and C-org accumulation rates. Isotopic and elemental signatures and diatom assemblages showed that the interventions increased the duration of seawater exchanges and the extent of the seagrass meadow. C-org accumulation rates increased more than 1.9-fold after the intervention, resulting in additional C-org storage in the seagrass meadow during last 64 years. Synthesis and applications. Artificial opening of tidal inlet can potentially provide unintended ecological benefits, such as increased carbon sequestration in seagrass meadows. Hydrological interventions could be undertaken intentionally as a potential active intervention to sequester carbon, as well as control flood risk and provide other benefits to people in estuarine systems. Our results illustrate that physical factors such as improving salinity conditions and mineral particle supply have an impact on the feasibility of hydrological interventions for enhancing carbon sequestration. We propose that biogeochemical-physical coupled approach will help stakeholders to evaluate the ecological and social risks and synergies of implementing hydrological interventions.",2021,blue carbon; carbon sequestration; climate change strategies; ecosystem functions; intervention; seagrass meadows; tidal inlet opening; vegetated coastal habitats,No (2)
Natural gas hydrate resources and hydrate technologies: a review and analysis of the associated energy and global warming challenges,"The new scenario involving the rapid energy supply transition from oil-based to natural gas-based undoubtedly affects the future carbon capture and storage (CCS) and offers an opportunity for the use of natural gas hydrates (NGHs). NGHs account for one-third of the mobile organic carbon on Earth, acting as a carbon storage reservoir in the carbon cycle. Hydrate-based technologies including CO2 capture, CO2 separation, and natural gas storage and transportation can also be used to reduce greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4) emissions and have excellent application potential. However, the implications of the energy supply transition, NGH extraction, and hydrate-based technologies for future climate change mitigation have not been deeply recognized. This paper comprehensively discusses the global energy supply and environmental challenges and transitions, and NGHs and their role in the energy supply, carbon cycle, and historical and future climate change, and summarizes the state-of-the-art developments in hydrate-based technologies and NGH exploitation methods and their potential environmental impacts, thereby providing a perspective on the roles of NGHs and their related technologies in the future energy supply and climate change mitigation. In all of these areas, we focus on identifying future CCS challenges and the technological development risk imposed by a natural gas-based global economy and NGH utilization, which should be highlighted in the next several decades.",2021,,No (2)
Microbial Ecotoxicity of Biochars in Agricultural Soil and Interactions with Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates,"Large-scale application of biochar on agricultural land offers the prospect of soil improvement and carbon sequestration for climate-change mitigation. However, negative side-effects on the soil microbial ecosystem are poorly understood, notably in relation to the functions of native microbiomes under realistic routes of biochar exposure. Due to divergent properties, different biochars might interact with soil in complex ways. This might result in decreased or increased ecotoxicity from biochar contaminants, such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Using five biochars produced from straw and wood under contrasting pyrolysis conditions, we traced their ecotoxicological dose-effect using a bioassay for potential ammonia oxidation (PAO), through microorganisms that are sensitive stress indicators. Assays were made after soil/biochar interaction for up to 3 weeks, where straw biochar with the lowest PAH content (<0.5 mg kg(-1)) showed the most pronounced dose-effects to PAO, corresponding to a 10% effect concentration (EC10) of 4.6% (dry weight biochar/dry weight soil). In comparison, straw biochar with the highest PAH content was least ecotoxic (EC10, 15.2% after 3 weeks) and wood biochars pyrolysed at high temperature (700-725 degrees C) showed no ecotoxicity to PAO. Interactions between biochars and anionic surfactants, i.e., linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, which are common soil pollutants, resulted in varying effects on PAO, but the effects were small and of limited ecological importance for soil-amended biochars. In conclusion, the results showed that short-term microbial side-effects of biochar in the soil ecosystem were minor at relevant field application rates (such as <30 Mg ha(-1) mixed into a plough layer of 20 cm), and that inherent PAHs in biochar were not a likely source of short-term ecotoxicity. However, there were notable differences in the effects eventually observed at very high biochar rates, stressing that individual biochars need specific ecotoxicological assessment before their safe application at large scale in agricultural soils.",2021,biochar; soil; ecotoxicity; LAS; ammonia oxidation; microorganisms; PTE,Yes (1)
"Sensitivity of the DSSAT model in simulating maize yield and soil carbon dynamics in arid Mediterranean climate: Effect of soil, genotype and crop management","Crop models may potentially explore alternative ways to improve agroecosystem resilience in arid regions of Middle East and North Africa. Mapping the outputs behavior as a function of the inputs and quantifying the uncertainty contribution of inputs to the variability of outputs are crucial for understanding and applying complex mathematical models to a new environment. Objectives of present research are (i) to calibrate and evaluate the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) cropping system model using detailed experimental datasets on maize production in arid sandy soils (Entisol) and (ii) to determine the model's sensitivity to soil, genotype and crop management inputs under the currently explored conditions (low fertility and water holding capacity) based on multivariate analysis and variance decomposition methods. The goodness-of-fit statistics between observed and simulated data indicated that the calibrated model reasonably well simulates maize phenology, growth and yield, evapotranspiration, soil water content, grain N concentration, and postharvest soil NO3-N in eight year site field experiments. A global sensitivity analysis using the co-inertia method was carried out to link 14 output variables and 25 soil and genotype input parameters. Maize growth and yield variables were strongly correlated with soil hydrological and fertility input parameters such as soil water upper limit (SDUL) and soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas simulation of maize phenology was largely determined by phenological genotype-specific cultivar input parameters. A strong association was also observed between the output variables of yield and soil fertility. The effect of carbon (C) related soil input parameters of initial SOC and stable SOC and crop management factors of maize residue retention and compost application under no-till system on the long-term (10 years) simulation of yield and SOC dynamics was further explored using Sobol' method. Simulated grain yield, water productivity, active SOC, and cumulative soil CO2 efflux were most sensitive to initial stable SOC and compost application. Maize residue retention significantly affected the simulation of cumulative N mineralization, SOC % in 0.2 m depth, and cumulative soil CO2 efflux through interactions effect, i.e. total-order sensitivity index (S-Ti) > 0.05, with other inputs. Compost application increased grain yield by 13 %, SOC stock by 5%, and cumulative soil CO2 efflux by 95 % compared with no application. However, compost application with maize residue retained significantly reduced cumulative soil CO2 efflux by 12 % compared with compost application with maize residue removed. Therefore, the application of compost with maize residue retained under no-till system is a plausible crop management option for agronomically improved and environmentally sound maize production in arid sandy soils.",2021,DSSAT; Sensitivity analysis; Maize; Soil carbon dynamics; Sandy soil; Arid Environments,No (2)
The influence of particle size on the potential of enhanced basalt weathering for carbon dioxide removal & nbsp;-Insights from a regional assessment,"Enhanced weathering through basalt application on agricultural land represents a proposed strategy for the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It has been shown that enhanced weathering is principally feasible on a global scale, but there is still uncertainty with respect to the predicted drawdown in a given timeframe. This information is however vital to evaluate, if enhanced weathering should be further considered as a factor to alleviate the impact of the climate crisis. With this in mind, this article reviews of the current state of research and estimates the CO2 drawdown for scenarios using basalt powders of different particle size distri-bution (<100 mu m, <10 mu m and <1 mu m). Calculated with a modified shrinking core model, the amount of powder dissolved within a timeframe of 10 years is approximately 16% (<100 mu m), 55% (<10 mu m) and 99.9% (<1 mu m). This corresponds to a gross CO2 removal of 0.045 t CO2 t-1 of rock (<100 mu m) and 0.153 t CO2 t-1 of rock, (<10 mu m). We evaluate our results on regional scale through a case study for Austria, including emissions from mining, comminution, application and transport. Assuming an average distance of 300 km from mine to field, the net CO2 drawdown decreases to approximately 0.027 t CO2 t-1 of rock (<100 mu m) or 0.096 t CO2 t-1 (<10 mu m), when rail transport is used. For truck transport, the numbers are reduced to-0.030 t CO2 t-1 of rock (<100 mu m) or 0.039 t CO2 t- 1 (<10 mu m), respectively. Accordingly, at the current CO2 intensity, transport related emissions may cancel out any drawdown if grain sizes (<100 mu m) are used. Our estimates suggest that enhanced weathering will only significantly contribute to net CO2 drawdown if grain sizes (<10 mu m) are used. Under these conditions the large-scale application of particles with a diameter <10 mu m may remove about 2% of Austria's annual Greenhouse gas emissions. We discuss challenges towards this goal, including the enormous amounts of rock needed and the energy requirement related to grinding, as well as uncertainties related to actual field weathering rates. Those uncertainties hinder the precise quantification of CO2 drawdown as of now. While enhanced weathering remains a promising path for climate change mitigation, further research at laboratory and field scale is required to put this technology to optimal use.",2021,Negative emissions; Basalt weathering rates; Carbon dioxide removal; Enhanced weathering; Soil amendment; Shrinking core model,No (2)
Controlled Grazing of Maize Residues Increased Carbon Sequestration in No-Tillage System: A Case of a Smallholder Farm in South Africa,"Despite the positive impact of no-tillage (NT) on soil organic carbon (SOC), its potential to reduce soil CO2 emission still needs enhancing for climate change mitigation. Combining NT with controlled-grazing of crop residues is known to increase nutrient cycling; however, the impacts on soil CO2 effluxes require further exploration. This study compared soil CO2 effluxes and SOC stocks from conventional tillage with free grazing (CTFG), NT with free grazing (NTFG), NT without grazing (NTNG), NT without crop residues (NTNR) and NT with controlled-grazing (NTCG), in South Africa. Soil CO2 effluxes were measured 1512 times over two years using LI-COR 6400XT, once to thrice a month. Baseline SOCs data were compared against values obtained at the end of the trial. Overall, NTCG decreased soil CO2 fluxes by 55 and 29% compared to CTFG and NTNR, respectively. NTCG increased SOCs by 3.5-fold compared to NTFG, the other treatments resulted in SOC depletion. The increase in SOCs under NTCG was attributed to high C input and also low soil temperature, which reduce the SOC mineralization rate. Combining NT with postharvest controlled-grazing showed high potential to increase SOCs, which would help to mitigate climate change. However, it was associated with topsoil compaction. Therefore, long-term assessment under different environmental, crop, and soil conditions is still required.",2021,conservative agriculture; carbon dioxide; carbon sequestration; smallholder systems; soil respiration,Yes (1)
Soil quality regeneration by grass-clover leys in arable rotations compared to permanent grassland: Effects on wheat yield and resilience to drought and flooding,"Intensive arable cropping depletes soil organic carbon and earthworms, leading to loss of macropores, and impaired hydrological functioning, constraining crop yields and exacerbating impacts of droughts and floods that are increasing with climate change. Grass and legume mixes traditionally grown in arable rotations (leys), are widely considered to regenerate soil functions, but there is surprisingly limited evidence of their effects on soil properties, resilience to rainfall extremes, and crop yields. Using topsoil monoliths taken from four intensively cropped arable fields, 19 month-old grass-clover ley strips in these fields, and from 3 adjacent permanent grasslands, effects on soil properties, and wheat yield in response to four-weeks of flood, drought, or ambient rain, during the stem elongation period were evaluated. Compared to arable soil, leys increased earthworm numbers, infiltration rates, macropore flow and saturated hydraulic conductivity, and reduced compaction (bulk density) resulting in improved wheat yields by 42-95 % under flood and ambient conditions. The leys showed incomplete recovery compared to permanent grassland soil, with modest gains in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, water-holding capacity, and grain yield under drought, that were not significantly different (P > 0.05) to the arable controls. Overall, grass-clover leys regenerate earthworm populations and reverse structural degradation of intensively cultivated arable soil, facilitating adoption of no-tillage cropping to break out of the cycle of tillage-driven soil degradation. The substantial improvements in hydrological functioning by leys will help to deliver reduced flood and water pollution risks, potentially justifying payments for these ecosystem services, especially as over longer periods, leys increase soil carbon sequestration.",2021,Sustainable agriculture; Regenerative agriculture; Soil hydrology; Climate change resilience; Soil organic matter; Earthworm population recovery,No (2)
Carbon capture and storage as a strategic reserve against China's CO2 emissions,"China has experienced economic boom over the last four decades, along with high greenhouse gas emissions because of the extensive application of fossil fuels, especially coal. To mitigate global warming, China, as one of the fastest developing economies, made decisions of peak carbon emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060. These decisions are particularly challenging for China to keep a sustainable economy while reducing carbon emissions by decreasing the use of fossil fuels, where economic growth remains the top priority of society. Energy efficiency, however, is unlikely to improve much due to ceiling effect. Carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology that prevents CO2 emitted by coal-burning factories from being delivered into the environment, is one of the best options available with large-scale capacity for China to obviously reduce CO2 emissions from factory sectors in short time. This work discussed the potential application of CCS technology to mitigate CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels, particularly coal-fired power plants, in China. We outlined the current CCS technology status, the obstacles and opportunities for application CCS in China, with emphasis on the market mechanisms and possible strategies to promote CCS in China, thus paving the way for China?s future CCS policy formulation.",2021,Carbon dioxide; Carbon capture and storage; Emission reduction; China,No (2)
Ending the Cinderella status of terraces and lynchets in Europe: The geomorphology of agricultural terraces and implications for ecosystem services and climate adaptation,"Terraces and lynchets are ubiquitous worldwide and can provide increasingly important Ecosystem Services (ESs), which may be able to mitigate aspects of climate change. They are also a major cause of non-linearity between climate and erosion rates in agricultural systems as noted fromalluvial and colluvial studies. Newresearch in the `critical zone' has shown that we must now treat soil production as an ecologically sensitive variable with implications for soil carbon sequestration. In this reviewand synthesis paperwe present a modified classification of agricultural terraces, review the theoretical background of both terraces and lynchets, and show how new techniques are transforming the study of these widespread and often ancient anthropogenic landforms. The problems of dating terraces and the time-consuming nature of costly surveys have held back the geomorphological and geoarchaeological study of terraces until now. The suite of techniques nowavailable, and reviewed here, includes Digital ElevationModels (DEMs) - Structure fromMotion (SfM) photogrammetry, Airborne and Terrestrial Laser Scanning (ALS-TLS); optically stimulated luminescence (OSL and pOSL), portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), Fourier-transform infra-red analysis (FTIR), phytoliths from plants, and potentially environmental DNA. Three process-related geomorphological questions arise from using this suite of methods; a) can they provide both a chronology of formation and use history, b) can we identify the sources of all the soil components? c) Can terrace soil formation and ecosystem services be modelled at the slope to catchment scale? The answers to these questions can also informthe management of the large areas of abandoned and under-used terraces that are resulting from both the economics of farming and rural population changes. Where possible, examples are drawn from a recently started ERC project (TerrACE; ERC-2018-2023; https://www.terrace.no/) that isworking at over 15 sites in Europe ranging from Norway to Greece. (c) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).",2021,Erosion; Agricultural soils; Soil formation; Geomorphic history,No (2)
Costs of avoiding net negative emissions under a carbon budget,"The 2 degrees C and 1.5 degrees C temperature targets of the Paris Agreement can be interpreted as targets never to be exceeded, or as end-of-century targets. Recent literature proposes to move away from the latter, in favour of avoiding a temperature overshoot and the associated net negative emissions. To inform this discussion, we investigate under which conditions avoiding an overshoot is economically attractive. We show that some form of overshoot is attractive under a wide range of assumptions, even when considering the extra damages due to additional climate change in the optimisation process. For medium assumptions regarding mitigation costs and climate damages, avoiding net negative emissions leads to an increase in total costs until 2100 of 5% to 14%. However, avoiding overshoot only leads to some additional costs when mitigation costs are low, damages are high and when using a low discount rate. Finally, if damages are not fully reversible, avoiding net negative emissions can even become attractive. Under these conditions, avoiding overshoot may be justified, especially when non-monetary risks are considered.",2021,climate damages; economic costs and benefits; IAMs; temperature overshoot; paris agreement; damage reversibility,Yes (1)
Effects of elevation and slope aspect on the distribution of the soil organic carbon associated with Al and Fe mineral phases in alpine shrub-meadow soil,"Mountain ecosystems store a large amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) sensitive to global climate change. The SOC associated with Al and Fe minerals is important for SOC retention because of the ubiquitous nature and highly reactive surface properties of these minerals. Topography is also known to impact the distribution and transformation of SOC by creating different microclimates. However, the effect of topography on the distribution of organo-mineral associations has seldom been reported. This study uses a selective dissolution method to quantify the soil carbon (C) fractions associated with Al and Fe minerals in alpine shrub-meadow soil. Na-pyrophosphate (PP), HCl-hydroxylamine (HH) and dithionite-HCl (DH) were used to quantify organo-metal complexes, SOC associated with short-range order (SRO) phases and crystalline phases, respectively. Results suggest that the Al and Fe mineral-associated C accounted for a small proportion of SOC (less than 30%) in each extraction. A higher concentration coupled with a lower percentage of SOC was found in the A horizon compared to the B horizon. A significant correlation was observed between Fe and C in PP and HH extractions, whereas Al was significantly correlated with C in DH extractions. Elevation and slope aspect strongly influenced soil biotic and abiotic parameters, as well as organo-mineral associations. The C fractions extracted by PP and HH were significantly higher in the NE slope aspect than the SW slope aspect. These fractions were positively correlated with soil water content and negatively correlated with soil pH. The C fractions extracted using DH decreased with increasing elevation and were positively correlated with DH extractable Al. Our results highlight the role of topography on the distribution of organo-mineral associations, which should be considered during the assessment of SOC stability in alpine soils. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2021,Alpine shrub-meadow soil; Soil organic carbon stability; Selective dissolution; Organo-mineral associations; Mineral phases,No (2)
ALLOMETRIC MODELS FOR ESTIMATING ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS AND CARBON STOCK IN PLANTED AQUILARIA MALACCENSIS STAND,"In Malaysia, the demand for high-value agarwood produced by Aquilaria spp. and efforts to reduce harvesting pressure on wild stands of these trees have resulted in an increase of Aquilaria plantations, which are harvested as a short-rotation (7 years) tree crop. Aquilaria spp. plantations potentially contribute to biomass accumulation as the trees are planted as reforestation and afforestation projects on marginal and idle lands but harvesting may affect their function as carbon sink. There are important environmental impact assessments of Aquilaria spp. plantations related to biomass and carbon sequestration. This study was conducted to develop an allometric model to estimate aboveground biomass and carbon stocks for plantation-grown Aquilaria spp. A census was conducted on 418 ten-year-old Aquilaria malaccencis trees on a 1-ha plot and measurements of height and stem diameter were used to categorise the trees into three diameter classes (small, medium, large). Ten trees were randomly selected for destructive sampling and developing allometric equations for estimating aboveground biomass. The recommended model, which used stem diameter as the predictor variable, estimated 23,615 kg total aboveground biomass for this 1-ha plot. Carbon analysis of stem, branches and foliage revealed an average carbon content of 40.35%. Average carbon density was 285 kg tree(-1) and 9353 kg ha(-1). The 10 destructively sampled trees stored 1046 kg CO2 equivalent. Our findings provided baseline information on the biomass and carbon stock measurements for plantation-grown A. malaccensis and supported plantation in accumulating biomass and carbon storage.",2021,Agarwood; allometric equation; carbon sequestration; destructive sampling,No (2)
Monoculture or Mixed Culture? Relevance of Fine Root Dynamics to Carbon Sequestration Oriented Mangrove Afforestation and Restoration,"Fine root dynamics have the potential to contribute to ecosystem biogeochemical cycling, especially for carbon. This is particularly true in mangroves which are the most productive and carbon-rich ecosystems of the world. However, few studies comprehensively evaluated the contribution of mangrove fine root dynamics to soil organic carbon accumulation. In southern China, while the introduced fast-growing Sonneratia apetala and native shrubby Kandelia obovata have been widely used in mangrove reforestation/afforestation programs since the mid-1980s, their implications and ecosystem services are still unclear. Here we show distinct differences in fine root dynamic among 12-year-old S. apetala, K. obovata monocultures, and their mixed stand using root coring, ingrowth core, and intact-core methods. Soil organic carbon storage was examined by soil coring method. One-year observation showed significant differences among the three mangrove plantations in fine root biomass, necromass, turnover rate, and decomposition decay rate constant. Soil organic carbon stock was 15.8 +/- 0.8, 7.8 +/- 0.5, and 11.9 +/- 1.6 Mg C ha(-1) for K. obovata, S. apetala monocultures and their mixed stand, respectively. Live fine root biomass, fine root necromass, annual fine root production and fine root mass decay rate constant are significantly correlated to soil organic carbon content across plantations. We suggest that mangrove fine root dynamics were mainly affected by soil nutrient conditions and species composition. Mixed stands may not have higher soil organic carbon storage than monocultures. The functional trait of different mangrove species is responsible to determine the carbon storage function of mixed stands. Fine roots play an important role in carbon storage, and fine root dynamics have a significant effect on carbon sequestration in mangrove ecosystems. The shrubby native K. obovata had a higher potential for belowground carbon sequestration and storage than the tall introduced S. apetala.",2021,fine root dynamics; mangrove; monoculture; mixed plantation; organic carbon storage,No (2)
"Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Storages and Their Stoichiometry Due to Mixed Afforestation with Hippophae rhamnoides in the Loess Hilly Region, China","Mixed-species tree plantations have additional ecological benefits over single-species tree plantations, such as habitat restoration and increasing biodiversity. However, changes in the soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus storages and stoichiometry after mixed afforestation with the N-fixing tree species under the ""Grain for Green Project"" in the Loess Plateau of China are not well understood. Typical restoration types, including the mixed plantations of Pinus tabuliformis with Hippophae rhamnoides (HrPt) and Robinia pseudoacacia with H. rhamnoides (HrRp), as well as the pure forests of P. tabuliformis (P-t) and R. pseudoacacia (R-p), were chosen to examine changes in the storages and stoichiometry of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in 0-100 cm soil layers. The results showed that compared with the corresponding pure forest, HrRp significantly increased the SOC content in the 0-20 cm soil layer and the SOC storage in the 0-100 cm layer, while HrPt significantly increased the SOC content in the 0-10 cm layer, but there was no significant difference for SOC storage in the 0-100 cm layer between P-t and HrPt. Similarly, HrRp significantly increased the TN content in the 0-10 cm layer and the TN storage in the 0-100 cm layer, but there was no significant difference in TN storage between P-t and HrPt. Furthermore, HrRp significantly increased the TP content in the 0-100 cm layer and TP storage was higher than that of R-p, while there were no significant differences in TP content and storage between P-t and HrPt. In the 0-10 cm soil layer, HrRp significantly reduced C:N and increased N:P, but HrPt significantly increased C:P. In addition, compared with the pure forest, the soil physical and chemical properties had a stronger control effect on the soil storages and stoichiometric ratios in the mixed forests. In summary, compared with P. tabuliformis, the introduction of N-fixing tree species into the R. pseudoacacia forest was more conducive to the accumulation of SOC, TN, and TP reserves and the improvement of the N and P utilization efficiency. These results have important implications for the restoration of degraded vegetation and scientific management of mixed plantations on the Loess Plateau and can provide basic data for the assessment of soil quality at the regional scale.",2021,mixed afforestation; pure plantation; carbon storage; nitrogen storage; phosphorus storage; stoichiometry; N-fixing tree species,No (2)
Assessment of future potential carbon sequestration and water consumption in the construction area of the Three-North Shelterbelt Programme in China,"In the background of global warming, the carbon stock of afforestation is increasingly important. However, afforestation may consume large amounts of water, putting pressure on regional water resources. How to balance the carbon stock and water consumption of afforestation is a vital problem throughout the world. The Three-North Shelterbelt may be a vital carbon pool in the future while consuming a large amount of water. Therefore, it is urgent to predict and evaluate the future carbon stock potential and water consumption of the Three-North Shelterbelt. Indicator system assessment and MaxEnt are used to predict the potential forest habitat in the construction area of the Three-North Shelterbelt program. The results show that the area of the potential forest habitat is 0.58 million km(2) in the indicator system assessment. The potential forest habitat area totals 2.22 million km(2) in the MaxEnt results, including a poorly suitable habitat with an area of 1.35 million km(2). Scenario-I is the hypothetical forest structure based on indicator system assessment, and scenarios-II and scenarios-III are based on the suitability level of MaxEnt model results. the potential carbon stock in scenario-I is 0.71 billion Mg, and its potential water consumption in the forest growing season is 261.36 billion m(3). The potential carbon stock in scenario-II and scenario-III is 3.54 billion Mg and 1.19 billion Mg, and the potential water consumption is 625.83 billion m(3) and 631.28 billion m(3), respectively. There is a strong correlation between carbon stock and water consumption, with a correlation coefficient of more than 0.718. Three-North Shelterbelt construction may bring huge carbon sink benefits, but it may also bring huge pressure to local water security.",2021,Three-North region in China; Maximum entropy model; Carbon sequestration; Transpiration; Shelterbelt forest,Yes (1)
Terrestrial ecological restoration in China: identifying advances and gaps,"Background China has made great progress in ecological restoration. However, there have been no analyses on ecological restoration for specific terrestrial ecosystems. This study identified the important knowledge gaps and advances related to terrestrial ecological restoration in China. Results 7973 papers published between 1978 and 2020 were investigated and about 962 articles were used in this analysis after manually screening. Since the first large national ecological restoration project in 1978, the most frequently studied ecosystem has shifted from farmland ecosystems in 1978-2000 to forest ecosystems after 2000. Forests were the most common ecosystem type investigated, while less attention was paid to wetlands and riparian systems. Meanwhile, the most common ecological issue shifted from environmental pollution in 1978-2000 to the declining resource-carrying capacity of ecosystems after 2000. Studies of ecoregions on the Loess Plateau catchment accounted for more than 40% of papers reviewed in this study, with predominant emphasis on soil and water conservation functionality. Besides, revegetation and afforestation characterized most ecological restoration projects in China, but the natural restoration was relatively less adopted. Additionally, the important tool of reference ecosystem was only used in four studies. Conclusions Ecological restoration has made significant progress in China. We investigated how the ecological restoration can be implemented more effectively. More projects should be implemented for restorative work in wetlands and riparian systems in future. The tradeoff between restorative activities, water resources, and carbon sink needs further research efforts. More emphasis on biodiversity conservation is warranted. Newly developed theory (e.g., stepwise ecological restoration) and the recently issued Chinese National Guidelines for Ecological Restoration Projects should be more effectively implemented in future restorative works. This study provides essential information for future restorative work in China. It also provides insights into the development of policy relevant to restoration and adaptive management during the U.N. restoration decade.",2021,Ecological restoration; Ecological rehabilitation; Restorative activities; China; Bibliometrics,No (2)
Navigating Potential Hype and Opportunity in Governing Marine Carbon Removal,"As the technical and political challenges of land-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approaches become more apparent, the oceans may be the new “blue” frontier for carbon drawdown strategies in climate governance. Drawing on lessons learnt from the way terrestrial carbon dioxide removal emerged, we explore increasing overall attention to marine environments and mCDR projects, and how this could manifest in four entwined knowledge systems and governance sectors. We consider how developments within and between these “frontiers” could result in different futures—where hype and over-promising around marine carbon drawdown could enable continued time-buying for the carbon economy without providing significant removals, or where reforms to modeling practices, policy development, innovation funding, and legal governance could seek co-benefits between ocean protection, economy, and climate. Copyright © 2021 Boettcher, Brent, Buck, Low, McLaren and Mengis.",2021,,No (2)
Reservoir characterization for uncertainty analysis and its impact on CO2 injection and sequestration in a depleted offshore carbonate gas field,"The emerging global climate change policies have necessitated the strategic need for prudent management of produced contaminants and, with cold flaring being no more the best option, Carbon Capture Utilization &amp; Storage (CCUS) technology provides opportunity for development of high CO2 contaminant fields. A typical CO2 sequestration project comprises capturing CO2 by separating from produced hydrocarbons followed by injection of CO2 into deep geological formations for long term storage. While injection ofCO2 may continue over tens of years, the long-term containment needs to be ascertained for thousands of years. Several geological and geophysical factors along with the existingwells need to be evaluated to assess the potential risks for CO2 leakage that maychallenge the long-term containment. This study considers a depleted carbonate field located offshore Sarawak as a possible long-term CO2 storage site. Elements that may lead to possible leakage of CO2over time are the existing faults or fractures, development of new fractures/faults during injection, caprock failure due to pressures exceeding fracture pressure during/after injection and possible leakage through existing wells. The risk assessment process includes identification and mapping of faults and fracture networks, mapping of seals, evaluation of seismic anomalies and gas while drilling records, pore-pressure analysis, laboratory experiments for analyzing changes in geomechanical &amp; geochemical rock properties and well integrity of existing wells. All these parameters are cross correlated, and qualitative risk categorization is carried out to determine the robustness of the reservoir for long term CO2 storage. The evaluation of available data indicates less frequent faulting occur only towards the flank with no seismic anomalies associated with them. Some seismic anomalies are observed at shallower levels, however their impact on the reservoir and overburden integrity is assessed to be minimum. There are four shale dominated formations mapped in the overburden section, which will act as potential seals. Estimated fracture pressures for the potential seals ranges between 6200-9280 psia for the deepest seal to 2910-4290 psia for the shallowest. Therefore,it is interpreted that if the post injection reservoir pressure is kept below the initial reservoir pressure of 4480 psia, it would not hold any threat to the caprock integrity.Leakage rate riskalong the existing wells was determined based on well log data. Well integrity check of legacywells helped identify two abandoned wells for rigorous remediation to restore their integrity. The subsurface risk analysis is critical to ascertain the long-term containment of injectedCO2. The integrated subsurface characterization and well integrity analysis approach adopted in this work can be applied to any other field/reservoir to validate its robustness for long-term CO2 injection and storage. © 2021, Society of Petroleum Engineers.",2021,,No (2)
Determinants of technical inefficiency in China's coal-fired power plants and policy recommendations for CO2 mitigation,"This study applies data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate the technical efficiency (TE) and CO2 emission reduction potential of 1270 coal-fired power plants in 28 Chinese provinces and municipalities. The large dataset used in the study includes 727 combined heat and power (CHP) plants and 543 thermal power plants. Results show an average TE score of 0.57 for the CHP power plants and 0.58 for the thermal power plants, suggesting a significant potential to reduce coal consumption in both types of coal-fired plants. Total CO2 emission reduction potential was estimated to be 953 Mt-CO2, or 19% of the total CO2 emissions of China's electricity and heat producing sectors, indicating that China's coal-fired power plants have a significant potential to mitigate CO2 emissions through technological improvement. In the second stage of the study, a Tobit regression analysis was conducted to identify the determinants of TE. Factors such as the plant's annual operation rate and capacity utilization rate were found to be significant influences. Based on our results, we propose that the Chinese government create a power distribution structure that generates electricity using technologically efficient equipment in areas rich in coal resources and distributes the generated electricity to other areas of the country.",2021,Technical efficiency; Coal-fired power plant; Data envelopment analysis; Tobit regression analysis; CO2; China,No (2)
The impact of network topological structures on systematic technology adoption and carbon emission reduction,"This paper investigates how the topological structure of the technological spillover network among agents affects the adoption of a new clean technology and the reduction of system's carbon emissions. Through building a systematic technology adoption model with technological spillover effect among agents from the network perspective, this paper first illustrates how the new technology diffuses from the earlier adopters to the later adopters under different network topological structures. Further, this paper examines how the carbon emission constraints imposed on pilot agents affect the carbon emissions of other agents and the entire system under different network topological structures. Simulation results of our study suggest that, (1) different topological structures of the technological spillover network have great influence on the adoption and diffusion of a new advanced technology; (2) imposing carbon emission constraints on pilot agents can reduce carbon emissions of other agents and thereby the entire system. However, the effectiveness of the carbon emission constraints is also largely determined by the network topological structures. Our study implies that the empirical research of the network topological structure among the participating entities is a pre-requisite to evaluate the real effectiveness of a carbon emission reduction policy from the system perspective.",2021,,No (2)
Evaluation on water balance and amine emission in CO2 capture,"CO2 capture using amine-based solvent is now available for large scale deployment. Water balance and amine emission are drawing more and more attention as they have significant impacts on operation stability, economic cost and environmental pollution. However, experimentally investigating a new amine solvent in a demonstration test platform is time-consuming and costly. In this paper, a shortcut method was developed based on volatility data of a solvent to evaluate water balance and amine emission in CO2 capture system. Water balance can be achieved by employing a simple water wash after absorber and regulating water wash temperature according to flue gas temperature, CO2 concentration, and CO2 removal efficiency. Simple water wash reduces monoethanolamine (MEA) emission from absorber (215-425 mg/m3) to a level below 5 mg/m3. With constant water wash temperature, increasing absorber temperature condenses more water which is beneficial for reducing amine emission. Variable amines and configurations are also evaluated. Simple water wash is not efficient for those volatile solvents such as 40% 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP), piperazine (PZ)/1-(2-Hydroxyethyl) piperidine (HEPD), MEA/N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) water-lean solvent, and 2-(diethylamino)ethanol (DEEA)/ 2-((2-aminoethyl) amino) ethanol (AEEA) biphasic solvent as their amine emissions after simple water wash are still higher than 100 mg/m3. For those solvents with moderate volatility, such as 30%MEA and 30-40%AMP, a second water wash is effective to reduce amine emission below 1 mg/m3. While for those highly volatile solvents, such as PZ/HEPD and DEEA blended biphasic solvents, acid wash for further amine emission reduction may be more competitive in view of capital cost and operation cost.",2021,CO2 capture; Water balance; Amine emission; Volatility; Water wash,No (2)
"Transformation technologies for CO2 utilisation: Current status, challenges and future prospects","To prevent global warming and climate change caused by CO2 emissions, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommends lowering CO2 emissions to limit the global temperature to 1.5 degrees C. In addition to carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, there is a growing interest to explore CO2 utilisation. Several review papers exist in the literature either focusing on one or two CO2 transformation technologies or covering only experimental studies. This review paper addresses the gap by classifying CO2 transformation technologies and looking at products from CO2 conversion. It reviews experiment and modelling/simulationbased studies for CO2 biological and chemical conversion processes to assess their technical barriers. A detailed analysis of their technology readiness level, cost, market and environmental benefits are also elaborated. Finally, the research trend and projects for CO2 transformation technologies worldwide as well as the key challenges hindering their commercial deployments are carefully outlined. The analysis of the research trend shows a significant increase in research for CO2 utilisation with hydrogenation and electrochemical reduction being the most studied technologies since 2016. 53% of the projects are laboratory projects whereas, only 14% account for commercial projects. There is currently no commercial project for plasma catalysis, photochemical, electrochemical and non-photosynthetic technologies. The USA holds the highest number of 45 projects including 8, 6, 10 and 21 commercial, demonstration, pilot and laboratory projects, respectively. The development of improved catalysts and process intensification techniques are highly needed for successful scale-up of CO2 transformation technologies.",2021,CO2 utilisation; Chemical conversion; Biological conversion; Catalyst; Modelling and simulation; Process intensification,No (2)
Balancing a budget or running a deficit? The offset regime of carbon removal and solar geoengineering under a carbon budget,"The idea of the carbon budget is a powerful conceptual tool to define and quantify the climate challenge. Whilst scientists present the carbon budget as the geophysical foundation for global net-zero targets, the financial metaphor of a budget implies figuratively the existence of a 'budget manager' who oversees the budget balance. Using this fictive character of budget manager as a heuristic device, the paper analyses the roles of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and solar radiation management (SRM) under a carbon budget. We argue that both CDR and SRM can be understood as 'technologies of offset'. CDR offsets positive carbon emissions by negative emissions, whereas SRM offsets the warming from positive greenhouse gas forcing by the induced cooling from negative forcing. These offset technologies serve as flexible budgeting tools in two different strategies for budget management: they offer the promise of achieving a balanced budget, but also introduce the possibility for running a budget deficit. The lure of offsetting rests on the flexibility of keeping up an 'appearance' of delivering a given budget whilst at the same time easing budget constraints for a certain period of time. The political side-effect of offsetting is to change the stringency of budgetary constraints from being regulated by geophysics to being adjustable by human discretion. As a result, a budget deficit can be normalised as an acceptable fiscal condition. We suggest that the behavioural tendency of policymakers to avoid blame could lead them to resort to using offset technologies to circumvent the admission of failure to secure a given temperature target.",2021,Carbon budget; Climate geoengineering; Carbon dioxide removal; Solar radiation management; Offset; Net zero,Yes (1)
Equity implications of net zero visions,"With national governments almost universally pledging to achieve net zero emissions, a key uncertainty is how net zero policies will affect global equity. It is unclear which policy measures are available for achieving net zero equitably, what the social and environmental implications of these measures will be under global pathways, or how they might be implemented in ways that advance rather than undermine equity. By means of three stylized future pathways, we show that there are potentially serious international and domestic equity effects from global net zero policies, as well as opportunities to achieve an equitable net zero future for all through appropriate policy design.",2021,Equity; Net zero; Justice; Border carbon adjustments; Carbon dioxide removal; International transfers,No (2)
Economic Potential of Bio-Ethylene Production via Oxidative Coupling of Methane in Biogas from Anaerobic Digestion of Industrial Effluents,"Brazil's large biofuels industry generates significant amounts of effluents, e.g., vinasse from bioethanol, that can effectively be used as substrate for production of biogas via Anaerobic Digestion (AD). The Oxidative Coupling of Methane (OCM) is the heterogeneous catalytic oxidation of methane into ethylene, which is a main building block for the chemical industry. This work investigates the potential and competitiveness of bio-ethylene production via OCM using biogas produced by biological anaerobiosis of vinasse as a feedstock. The proposed process can add incentive to treat of vinasse via AD and replace fossil ethylene, thus potentially reducing emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG). A process model is developed in Aspen Plus v10 software and used to design an economic Biogas-based Oxidative Coupling of Methane (Bio-OCM) process that consumes biogas and oxygen as educts and produces ethylene, ethane, and light off-gases as products. Operating conditions in the reaction section are optimized and a reaction product yield of 16.12% is reached by applying two adiabatic Packed Bed Reactors (PBRs) in series. For the downstream CO2 removal section, a standalone amine-absorption process is simulated and compared to a hybrid membrane-absorption process on an economic basis. For the distillation section, two different configurations with and without Recycle Split Vapor (RSV) are simulated and compared. The bio-ethylene production cost for a Bio-OCM plant to be installed in Brazil is estimated considering a wide range of prices for educts, utility, side products, and equipment within a Monte Carlo simulation. The resulting average production cost of bio-ethylene is 0.53 +/- 0.73 USD kg(C2H4)(-1). The production cost is highly sensitive to the sales price assigned to a light off-gas side-product stream containing mostly the un-reacted methane. A sales price close to that of Brazilian pipeline natural gas has been assumed based on the characteristics of this stream. The Monte Carlo simulation shows that a bio-ethylene production cost below or equal to 0.70 USD kg(C2H4)(-1) is achieved with a 55.2% confidence, whereas market values for fossil ethylene typically lie between 0.70USD kg(C2H4)(-1)-1.50USD kg(C2H4)(-1). Technical and economic challenges for the industrial implementation of the proposed Bio-OCM process are identified and relevant opportunities for further research and improvement are discussed.",2021,anaerobic digestion; biogas application; ethylene; methane; oxidative coupling of methane,No (2)
"Microbial fuel cell-upflow biofilter coupling system for deep denitrification and power recovery: Efficiencies, bacterial succession and interactions","The excess organic carbon is often added to meet denitrification requirements during municipal wastewater treatment, resulting in the carbon waste and increased risk of secondary pollution. In this study, microbial fuel cell (MFC) was coupled with an up-flow denitrification biofilter (BF), and the long-term performances of denitrification and power output were investigated under the different carbon source concentration. With sodium acetate (NaAc) of 600 mg/L and 300 mg/L, the favorable denitrification efficiencies were obtained (98.60%) and the stable current output was maintained (0.44 mA?0.48 mA). By supplying NaAc of 150 mg/L, the high denitrification efficiency remained in a high range (89.31%) and the current output maintained at 0.12 mA, while, the denitrification efficiency dropped to 71.34% without coupling MFC. Electron balance analysis indicated that both nitrate removal and electron recovery efficiencies were higher in MFC-BF than that in BF, verifying the improved denitrification and carbon utilization performance. Coupling MFC significantly altered the bacterial community structure and composition, and while, the diversified abundance and distribution of bacterial genera were observed at the different locations. Compared with BF, the more exoelectrogenic genera (Desulfobacterium, Trichococcus) and genera holding both denitrifying and electrogenic functions (Dechloromonas, Geobacter) were found dominated in MFC-BF. Instead, the dominating genera in BF were Dechloromonas, Desulfomicrobium, Acidovorax and etc. By coupling MFC, the more complex and diversified network and the closer interaction relationships between the dominant potential functional genera were found. The study provides a feasible approach to effectively improve the denitrification efficiency and organic carbon recovery for deep denitrification process.",2021,Microbial fuel cell; Upflow biofilter; Denitrification; Power output; Bacterial distribution; Bacterial ecological networks,No (2)
Effect of Intensity and Mode of Artificial Upwelling on Particle Flux and Carbon Export,"Reduction of anthropogenic CO2 emissions alone will not sufficiently restrict global warming and enable the 1.5 degrees C goal of the Paris agreement to be met. To effectively counteract climate change, measures to actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are required. Artificial upwelling has been proposed as one such carbon dioxide removal technique. By fueling primary productivity in the surface ocean with nutrient-rich deep water, it could potentially enhance downward fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC) and carbon sequestration. In this study we investigated the effect of different intensities of artificial upwelling combined with two upwelling modes (recurring additions vs. one singular addition) on POC export, sinking matter stoichiometry and remineralization depth. We carried out a 39 day-long mesocosm experiment in the subtropical North Atlantic, where we fertilized oligotrophic surface waters with different amounts of deep water. The total nutrient inputs ranged from 1.6 to 11.0 mu mol NO3- L-1. We found that on the one hand POC export under artificial upwelling more than doubled, and the molar C:N ratios of sinking organic matter increased from values around Redfield (6.6) to similar to 8-13, which is beneficial for potential carbon dioxide removal. On the other hand, sinking matter was remineralized at faster rates and showed lower sinking velocities, which led to shallower remineralization depths. Particle properties were more favorable for deep carbon export in the recurring upwelling mode, while in the singular mode the C:N increase of sinking matter was more pronounced. In both upwelling modes roughly half of the produced organic carbon was retained in the water column until the end of the experiment. This suggests that the plankton communities were still in the process of adjustment, possibly due to the different response times of producers and consumers. There is thus a need for studies with longer experimental durations to quantify the responses of fully adjusted communities. Finally, our results revealed that artificial upwelling affects a variety of sinking particle properties, and that the intensity and mode with which it is applied control the strength of the effects.",2021,artificial upwelling; export flux; particle properties; sinking velocity; remineralization rate; remineralization depth; carbon sequestration; mesocosm study,No (2)
In search of weakened resolve: Does climate-engineering awareness decrease individuals' commitment to mitigation?*,"As climate predictions become more dire, it is increasingly clear that society cannot rely on mitigation alone. In response, climatologists and engineers have been developing climate-engineering technology to directly intervene on the climate through strategies such as solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal. While these technologies have some encouraging features, they also involve risk on many dimensions. One behavioral risk that concerns many observers is the possibility that the prominence of climate-engineering scenarios could decrease the public's commitment to mitigation, a concern variously described as moral hazard or weakened resolve. Across 8 experiments (N = 2514) we tested whether exposure to naturalistic information about climateengineering technology decreases individuals' commitment to mitigation efforts. We did not find compelling evidence of strong or reliable effects. We draw from motivational theory to contextualize our findings in a literature characterized by mixed results, and we propose new directions for behavioral research on the weakened-resolve/moral-hazard concern with respect to climate engineering.",2021,Climate engineering; Licensing; Moral hazard; Climate change,Yes (1)
Amine-Infused Hydrogels with Nonaqueous Solvents: Facile Platforms to Control CO2 Capture Performance,"Amine-infused hydrogels provide a facile platform for developing solid sorbents with improved CO2 capture performance relative to that of their liquid counterparts. In this study, we develop hydrogel materials that can be easily manufactured at a large scale and have high flow gas permeability characteristics, fast uptake kinetics, and minimal performance degradation after recycling, properties which are particularly important for applications in direct air capture (DAC). To overcome water loss issues associated with hydrogel materials for DAC, we have introduced high-boiling-point/nonaqueous solvent systems, which significantly lowered the solvent loss, leading to dramatically improved recyclability. Among the materials devel- oped, cross-linked poly(N-2-hydroxyethylacrylamide) (PHEAA) infused with diethanolamine (DEA) exhibited 7.82 and 2.90 wt % CO2 uptake with pure CO2 and DAC, respectively. Interestingly, by changing the hydrogel platform between either a cross-linked superabsorbent [i.e., poly(acrylamide/sodium acrylate)], PHEAA, or poly(acrylamide) (PoIyAA) and impregnating with different amines/solvents, the uptake kinetics could be controlled and significantly improved. In fact, the PolyAA system impregnated with DEA in ethylene glycol showed 90% of the total capacity (6.37%) in 350 s (vs 4300 s in the case of the PHEAA/DEA system) as well as an enhanced amine efficiency (0.76 vs 0.28 mol CO2 per amine). Thus, this study demonstrates the use of different nonaqueous solvents on readily synthesized hydrogel platforms to improve the DAC uptake efficiency and kinetics. The fast kinetics enable shorter adsorption/desorption cycles, which will be advantageous in improving the CO2 uptake selectivity and reducing the sorption of water in larger-scale implementations of this approach, in both urban and industrial applications.",2021,,No (2)
A Potential Role of the Renin-Angiotensin-System for Disturbances of Respiratory Chemosensitivity in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome,"Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) represents an acute diffuse inflammation of the lungs triggered by different causes, uniformly leading to a noncardiogenic pulmonary edema with inhomogeneous densities in lung X-ray and lung CT scan and acute hypoxemia. Edema formation results in ""heavy"" lungs, inducing loss of compliance and the need to spend more energy to ""move"" the lungs. Consequently, an ARDS patient, as long as the patient is breathing spontaneously, has an increased respiratory drive to ensure adequate oxygenation and CO2 removal. One would expect that, once the blood gases get back to ""physiological"" values, the respiratory drive would normalize and the breathing effort return to its initial status. However, in many ARDS patients, this is not the case; their respiratory drive appears to be upregulated and fully or at least partially detached from the blood gas status. Strikingly, similar alteration of the respiratory drive can be seen in patients suffering from SARS, especially SARS-Covid-19. We hypothesize that alterations of the renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) related to the pathophysiology of ARDS and SARS are involved in this dysregulation of chemosensitive control of breathing.",2021,acute lung damage; respiratory chemoreflexes; neuronal control of breathing; brainstem; homeostasis,No (2)
Spatially explicit analysis identifies significant potential for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in China,"As China ramped-up coal power capacities rapidly while CO2 emissions need to decline, these capacities would turn into stranded assets. To deal with this risk, a promising option is to retrofit these capacities to co-fire with biomass and eventually upgrade to CCS operation (BECCS), but the feasibility is debated with respect to negative impacts on broader sustainability issues. Here we present a data-rich spatially explicit approach to estimate the marginal cost curve for decarbonizing the power sector in China with BECCS. We identify a potential of 222GW of power capacities in 2836 counties generated by co-firing 0.9 Gt of biomass from the same county, with half being agricultural residues. Our spatially explicit method helps to reduce uncertainty in the economic costs and emissions of BECCS, identify the best opportunities for bioenergy and show the limitations by logistical challenges to achieve carbon neutrality in the power sector with large-scale BECCS in China. China has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality in 2060. Here the authors find a promising option to abate 1.0 Gt CO2-eq yr(-)(1) of carbon emissions at a marginal cost of $69 (t CO2-eq)(-1) by retrofitting 222GW of coal power plants to co-fire with biomass and upgrading to CCS operation across 2836 counties in China.",2021,,Yes (1)
"Oxy-Fuel Combustion of Hard Coal, Wheat Straw, and Solid Recovered Fuel in a 200 kW(th) Calcium Looping CFB Calciner","The fluidized bed combustion (FBC) of biomass and solid recovered fuel (SRF) is globally emerging as a viable solution to achieve net-negative carbon emissions in the heat and power sector. Contrary to conventional fossil fuels, alternative fuels are highly heterogeneous, and usually contain increased amounts of alkaline metals and chlorine. Hence, experimental studies are mandatory in order to thoroughly characterize the combustion behavior and pollutant formation of non-conventional fuels in novel applications. This work gives an overview of experimental investigations on the oxy-fuel combustion of hard coal, wheat straw, and SRF with a limestone bed in a semi-industrial circulating fluidized bed (CFB) pilot plant. The CFB combustor was able to be operated under different fuel blending ratios and inlet O-2 concentrations, showing a stable hydrodynamic behavior over many hours of continuous operation. The boundary conditions introduced in this study are expected to prevail in carbon capture and storage (CCS) processes, such as the oxy-fuel combustion in the CFB calciner of a Calcium Looping (CaL) cycle for post-combustion CO2 capture.",2021,oxy-fuel combustion; carbon capture; biomass combustion; SRF combustion; fluidized bed combustion; co-firing,No (2)
Crystal growth of clathrate hydrate formed with H-2+CO2 mixed gas and tetrahydropyran,"Hydrate-based gas separation technology is applicable to the CO2 capture and storage from synthesis gas mixture generated through gasification of fuel sources including biomass. This paper reports visual observations of crystal growth dynamics and crystal morphology of hydrate formed in the H-2+CO2+tetrahydropyran (THP)+water system with a target for developing the hydrate-based CO2 separation process design. Experiments were conducted at a temperature range of 279.5-284.9 K under the pressure of 4.9-5.3 MPa. To simulate the synthesis gas, gas composition in the gas phase was maintained around H-2:CO2=0.6:0.4 in mole fraction. Hydrate crystals were formed and extended along the THP/water interface. After the complete coverage of the interface to shape a polycrystalline shell, hydrate crystals continued to grow further into the bulk of liquid water. The individual crystals were identified as hexagonal, tetragonal and other polygonal-shaped formations. The crystal growth rate and the crystal size varied depending on thermodynamic conditions. Implications from the obtained results for the arrangement of operating conditions at the hydrate formation-, transportation-, and dissociation processes are discussed.",2021,,No (2)
Water hyacinth for energy and environmental applications: A review,"This review is focused on the sustainable management of harvested water hyacinth (WH) via thermochemical conversion to carbonaceous materials (CMs), biofuels, and chemicals for energy and environmental applications. One of the major challenges in thermochemical conversion is to guarantee the phytoremediation performance of biochar and the energy conversion efficiency in biowaste-to-energy processes. Thus, a circular sustainable approach is proposed to improve the biochar and energy production. The co-conversion process can enhance the syngas, heat, and energy productions with high-quality products. The produced biochar should be economically feasible and comparable to available commercial carbon products. The removal and control of heavy and transition metals are essential for the safe implementation and management of WH biochar. CMs derived from biochar are of interest in wastewater treatment, air purification, and construction. It is important to control the size, shape, and chemical compositions of the CM particles for higher-value products like catalyst, adsorbent or conductor.",2021,Phytoremediation; Biowaste; Water hyacinth; Biochar; Environmental sustainability,No (2)
Mutually trading off biochar and biogas sectors for broadening biomethane applications: A comprehensive review,"The biogas sector has been in the limelight among renewable energy sources with its eco-friendly and carbon capturing characteristics for more than a century. Over the years, the sector has expanded into three major subsidiaries, namely, ""biogas production,"" ""upgradation,"" and ""bottling and dissemination"" for energy appli-cations. This review emphasizes exploring the opportunities of the carbonaceous material ""Biochar"" on how it can play a crucial role in all the three subsidiaries imparting a positive advancement in the biogas sector. The contribution of different biochar properties in the biogas sector to negotiate the challenges faced explicitly for the biogas production, syntrophic microbial activity, interspecies electron transfer, biomethane enrichment, and high-pressure bottling are extensively discussed from systematically selected literature. According to the study, the properties such as adsorption capacity, high pH, cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity etc., enhanced the various subsidiaries of the biogas sector. Results suggest that incorporating biochar in the biogas sector could unravel new opportunities in terms of biomethane applications. High-quality biochar is expected from the slow pyrolysis process from the lignin-rich substrate, while easily biodegradable substrate could be utilized for biogas production for mutual trade-offs between the sectors. Thus, a self-resource sufficient biochar-biogas closed-loop system can be developed to utilize waste biomasses efficiently. The techno-economics and sustainability of the proposed concept are also discussed. The study further gives a conclusive outlook on research gaps and future directions over the use of biochar for methane enhancement and enrichment from the biogas and its low-pressure storage.",2021,Anaerobic digestion; Biochar; Biogas; Biomethane dissemination; Efficient biomass utilization; Waste valorization,No (2)
Impact of deashing treatment on biochar physicochemical properties and sorption mechanisms of naphthalene and 1-naphthol,"To elucidate the mechanisms controlling mineral effects of biochars on sorption of organic pollutants (OPs), sorption kinetics and isotherms of naphthalene and 1-naphthol on both pristine and deashed rice straw-derived biochars obtained at 200, 400 and 600 degrees C were investigated. The organic carbon-normalized distribution coefficients (K-oc) and equilibrium sorption capacity (Q(e)) of naphthalene and 1-naphthol by biochars generally increased after deashing. This was principally because mineral removal caused less exposure of polar groups, especially the O-alkyl components, on biochar surfaces and enhancement of hydrophobic sorption domains, thus mainly facilitating hydrophobic interactions between the compounds and aromatic components within biochars relative to the alkyl carbon components. The removal of minerals in biochars, which reduced the surface polar groups, promoted diffusion of naphthalene molecules toward the surface hydrophobic domains, thereby increasing its sorption rate constant for the fast-sorbing fraction on biochars (k(fast)). In contrast, the k(fast) values of 1-naphthol decreased after deashing, which could be ascribed to the weakened fast sorption via H-bond between 1-naphthol and mineral O-containing surfaces or polar groups on biochar surfaces. Both compounds exhibited lower rate constants for the slowly sorbing fraction (k(slow)) on deashed biochars, which had higher aromaticity and larger porosity and surface area than the raw biochars and inhibited the diffusion of sorbates into condensed organic moieties and pores. Results of this work are critical for better understanding on the impact of minerals, bulk/surface polarity, and sorption domain arrangement of biochars on their efficacy for OPs removal and predicting the fate and risk of OPs. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2021,Deashed biochar; Sorption mechanisms; Kinetics; Equilibrium; Organic pollutants; Minerals,No (2)
Carbon-ZnO Composite Synthesized from ZIF-8 Depositing Vegetable Biomass for Efficient Removal of Phosphate from Aqueous Solution,"In order to combine the advantage of biochar and zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-8), the carbon-ZnO composite were prepared by calcination the hybrid of two vegetable biomasses (rape, Ra, Brassia campestris L. and Chinese cabbage, Cc, Brassica rapa pekinensis) and ZIF-8. The characterization results showed Cc-ZnO and Ra-ZnO had the random, irregular and hollow structure. The adsorptive removal of carbon-ZnO composite for aqueous phosphate was performed using batch equilibrium method. Both Cc-ZnO and Ra-ZnO showed higher adsorption capacities than the pristine biochars and ZIF-8, and Ra-ZnO can remove phosphate quickly within 60 min. The adsorption kinetic data were consistent to the pseudo-second-order equation and the isothermal data followed the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The main interactions of phosphate adsorption by Cc-ZnO and Ra-ZnO were electrostatic attraction and surface complexation. The above results indicated the carbon-ZnO composite could be used as a promising adsorbent to treat wastewater containing phosphate.",2021,Biochar; Phosphate removal; Zeolitic imidazolate framework; Nanotechnology; Adsorption,No (2)
Impacts of continuous biochar application on major carbon fractions in soil profile of North China Plain's cropland: In comparison with straw incorporation,"Although the increase of soil organic carbon (SOC) in biochar-amended soil has been well documented, there is a lack of understating on the responses of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) to biochar application in soil profile. Here, we conducted a field study to investigate the effects of 10-year application of biochar at 4.5 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1) (B4.5) and 9.0 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1) (B9.0), and straw return (SR) of 15 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1) on SOC and SIC and their dissolved fractions. Our results showed significant difference in SOC content over 0-20 cm, with an order of B9.0 (8.46 g kg(-1)) > B4.5 (7.58 g kg(-1)) > SR (6.81 g kg(-1)) > control (5.26 g kg(-1)). However, SIC content was significantly lower under biochar (1.0-2.0 g kg(-1)) and control (1.0-2.0 g kg(-1)) than straw incorporation (3.2-3.7 g kg(-1)) over 0-40 cm. On average, DOC:SOC ratio (an index of SOC desorption) was significantly lower under biochar (similar to 2.0%) and SR (2.6%) treatments than under control (3.1%), implying that both biochar and straw amendments can enhance SOC stability. Over the ten years, 62-81% of biochar-C was converted to SOC in the 0-100 cm layer, which was significantly higher than that (21%) of straw-C. Our estimation suggested that total carbon loss rate was 51-53% under biochar amendment and 70% with straw incorporation. This study highlights that biochar application has great potential for carbon sequestration in cropland of north China.",2021,Biochar amendment; Straw incorporation; Soil organic carbon; Soil inorganic carbon; Dissolved carbon fractions; Long-term experiment,No (2)
Production of Biochar from Vine Pruning: Waste Recovery in the Wine Industry,"The production of residual biomass, such as vine pruning, presents environmental problems since its elimination is usually carried out through the uncontrolled burning of the remaining materials and with the emission of greenhouse gases without any counterpart. The use of these residues to produce biochar presents several advantages. In addition to the more common energy recovery, other conversion ways allowing new uses, such as soil amendment and carbon sequestration, can be analyzed as options as well. In the present study, vine pruning biomasses are characterized to evaluate the behavior of the different constituents. Then, the different possible applications are discussed. It is concluded that materials resulting from the pruning of vineyards have excellent characteristics for energy recovery, with an increment of more than 50% in the heating value and almost 60% in the carbon content when carbonized. This recovery procedure contributes to creating new value chains for residual materials to promote sustainable practices in the wine sector.",2021,biochar; vine pruning; biomass waste; circular economy; sustainability,No (2)
Exploring long-term effects of biochar on mitigating methane emissions from paddy soil: a review,"Biochar has been reported to mitigate short-term methane (CH4) emissions from paddy soil. Currently, CH4 mitigation by biochar has primarily focused on the abundance and variations of methanogens and methanotrophs, and changes in their activities during methane production and consumption. However, long-term effects of biochar on methane mitigation from paddy soil remain controversial. This review overviewed the existing mechanisms for CH4 mitigation as a result of biochar application. In addition, the two existing opinions on the long-term CH4 mitigation effect upon biochar application were highlighted. Combining the already explored mechanisms of fresh biochar on CH4 mitigation from paddy soil and a novel discovery, the potential mechanisms of biochar on long-term methane emission response were proposed. This review also revealed the uncertain responses of biochar on long-term CH4 mitigation. Therefore, to achieve carbon neutral goal, it is important to further explore the mechanisms of long-term CH4 mitigation under biochar application.",2021,Biochar; Methane mitigation; Methanogens; Methanotrophs,No (2)
Integrated use of biochar and lime as a tool to improve maize yield and mitigate CO2 emission: A review,"Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing agronomic productivity by sustaining soil organic matter and refining soil fertility have become the main concerns for agricultural scientists. There is a new approach to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, soil C sinks, and improve soil quality using biochar. Soil acidification is improved by applying lime or other acid-neutralizing materials. Additionally, Ca and Mg can increase by applying lime. The availability of Ca, Mg, and K in the soil is significantly affected by the application rate of biochar spread separately or combined with chemical fertilizers. Soil nutrients and maize (Zea mays L.) yield are highly influenced by the use of lime and biochar. Biochar can improve the ecosystem by reducing soil CO2 emissions from agricultural practices. The inconsistent results and clarifications from various studies highlight the importance of relating the impact of different biochar rates on CO2 emissions and maize yield. This review summarizes the properties of biochar, provides the scientific reference for its application to achieve high and good quality maize and reduce CO2 emissions.",2021,Acid soil; biochar; greenhouse gas abatement; lime; soil nutrients; Zea mays,Yes (1)
Greenhouse Gas Impact of Algal Bio-Crude Production for a Range of CO2 Supply Scenarios,"Refined bio-crude production from hydrothermal liquefaction of algae holds the potential to replace fossil-based conventional liquid fuels. The microalgae act as natural carbon sequestrators by consuming CO2. However, this absorbed CO2 is released to the atmosphere during the combustion of the bio-crude. Thus, the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of refined bio-crude are linked to the production and supply of the materials involved and the process energy demands. One prominent raw material is CO2, which is the main source of carbon for algae and the subsequent products. The emissions associated with the supply of CO2 can have a considerable impact on the sustainability of the algae-based refined bio-crude production process. Furthermore, the diurnal algae growth cycle complicates the CO2 supply scenarios. Traditionally, studies have relied on CO2 supplied from existing power plants. However, there is potential for building natural gas or biomass-based power plants with the primary aim of supplying CO2 to the biorefinery. Alternately, a direct air capture (DAC) process can extract CO2 directly from the air. The life-cycle GHG emissions associated with the production of refined bio-crude through hydrothermal liquefaction of algae are presented in this study. Different CO2 supply scenarios, including existing fossil fuel power plants and purpose-built CO2 sources, are compared. The integration of the CO2 sources with the algal biorefinery is also presented. The CO2 supply from biomass-based power plants has the highest potential for GHG reduction, with a GHG footprint of -57 g CO2 eq./MJ refined bio-crude. The CO2 supply from the DAC process has a GHG footprint of 49 CO2 eq./MJ refined bio-crude, which is very similar to the scenario that considers the supply of CO2 from an existing conventional natural gas-based plant and takes credit for the carbon utilization.",2021,algae; direct air capture; bio-crude; hydrothermal liquefaction; catalytic hydrothermal gasification; life cycle analysis,No (2)
Carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals: Economic analysis of renewable syngas pathways via CO2 electrolysis,"Producing syngas, a blend of CO and H-2, is the starting point to the large-scale production of valuable chemicals including fuels and methanol. This study evaluates pathways for syngas production from air-captured and tailgas captured CO2 in terms of net CO2 emissions, energy efficiency and associated costs. We analyzed three direct air capture (DAC) to syngas plants (H-2/CO = 2.5, suitable for Fischer Tropsch or methanol synthesis) that perform the CO2-reduction step by either: i) thermocatalytic reverse water gas shift (rWGS); ii) gaseous CO2 electrolysis, and iii) direct (bi)carbonate electrolysis of the carbon capture solution. The gaseous electrolysis plant did not offer any advantage over the thermolytic rWGS because it implied similar net CO2 emissions (equivalent to 50% of the CO2 captured initially), even if renewable electricity is used. The carbon footprint of the gas CO2-electrolysis pathway originates in the calcination step for the CO2 recovery from the air and tail-gas capture solutions. Only a significant improvement in state-of-the-art single pass conversion of CO2 in gas CO2 electrolyzers (10-30%) would decrease the associated CO2 emissions. In contrast, the novel DAC-(bi)carbonate electrolysis offered the best pathway in terms of net CO2 emissions. However, it entailed higher syngas costs (1.90 $ kg(-1)) compared to gaseous electrolysis (1.30 $ kg(-1)) or the conventional rWGS (1.1 $ kg(-1)) pathways. The DAC-carbonate electrolysis plant may become cost-competitive with reasonable improvements in performance, mainly faradaic efficiency to CO and cell voltage, electricity price <= 35 $ MWh(-1) and membrane price < 450 $ m(-2). Even in the best case scenario all the CO2-based alternatives entailed a higher levelized cost of syngas, synfuel or methanol than current retail prices.",2021,Technoeconomic analysis; Electrolysis; Carbon capture; Carbon utilization; Renewable syngas; Economic analysis,No (2)
"Evaluation of Moderately Grafted Primary, Diamine, and Triamine Sorbents for CO2 Adsorption from Ambient Air: Balancing Kinetics and Capacity under Humid Conditions","Successful deployment of direct air capture (DAC) to mitigate the consequences of climate change depends on many factors, one of which is the development of kinetically efficient CO2 sorbents with a high sorption capacity, at ultralow CO2 concentrations. This work evaluated CO2 adsorption performance of primary-, diamine-, and triamine-grafted SBA-15 at pressures below 5 kPa for DAC applications, measured through volumetric sorption, followed by humid air (23% RH) adsorption by gravimetric analysis. Under humid air flow, triamines at an amine loading of 4.6 mmol/g showed the highest enhancement in adsorption, with an uptake of 26 mg/g, but the slowest average adsorption rate of 216 mu g/g/min. Diamine at an amine loading of 2.78 mmol/g had an adsorption rate of 295 mu g/g/min but demonstrated the lowest uptake of 13 mg/g. In comparison, primary amines at a loading of 2.6 mmol/g reached an equilibrium uptake of 22 mg/g, with a higher adsorption rate of 354 mu g/g/min. Triamine grafted at 3.5 mmol/g had the fastest kinetics of all samples, reaching 525 mu g/g/min. Results indicated that primary amines and moderate-to-high density triamine reagents incorporated into mesoporous media can offer a superior adsorption rate that can make up for lower adsorption capacities, by optimizing cyclic performance, and should be considered when designing for continuous DAC processes.",2021,,No (2)
Chemical Kinetics of the Autoxidation of Poly(ethylenimine) in CO2 Sorbents,"The oxidative degradation rates of a CO2 sorbent composed of a mesoporous alumina impregnated with poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) are measured under systematically varied conditions and a reaction rate law is created. Good agreement is shown between the rate of oxidation obtained via in situ calorimetric heat measurement during oxidative degradation reactions and the loss of CO2 capture performance presented as amine efficiency (mol CO2/mol amine). PEI mass loss and elemental composition are tracked over the course of the reaction and used in conjunction with the oxidation rate measurements to shed insight into the oxidation reaction(s). These data, in combination with measurements of the heat of reaction, suggest a common reaction set across the range of temperatures, oxygen concentrations, and sorbent compositions tested. The data are consistent with the basic autoxidation scheme (BAS), the accepted mechanism of autoxidation of aliphatic polymers. We propose a lumped kinetic model to describe the oxidation reaction set and estimate an activation energy of 105 kJ/mol and an oxygen reaction order of 0.5-0.7 from the data accordingly. These parameters can be incorporated into process cycle models to estimate the material lifetime, a critical uncertainty in the deployment of DAC technologies.",2021,Direct air capture; CO2 adsorption; Mesoporous materials; Oxidative degradation; Amine efficiency; Stability; Basic autoxidation scheme,No (2)
Performance-Based Payments for Soil Carbon Sequestration Can Enable a Low-Carbon Bioeconomy,"Incentivizing bioenergy crop production in locations with marginal soils, where low-input perennial crops can provide net carbon sequestration and economic benefits, will be crucial to building a successful bioeconomy. We developed an integrated assessment framework to compare switchgrass cultivation with corn-soybean rotations on the basis of production costs, revenues, and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration at a 100 m spatial resolution. We calculated profits (or losses) when marginal lands are converted from a corn-soy rotation to switchgrass across a range of farm gate biomass prices and payments for SOC sequestration in the State of Illinois, United States. The annual net SOC sequestration and switchgrass yields are estimated to range from 0.1 to 0.4 Mg ha(-1) and 7.3 to 15.5 Mg dry matter ha(-1), respectively, across the state. Without payments for SOC sequestration, only a small fraction of marginal corn-soybean land would achieve a 20% profit margin if converted to switchgrass, but $40-80 Mg-1 CO(2)e compensation could increase the economically viable area by 140-414%. With the compensation, switchgrass cultivation for 10 years on 1.6 million ha of marginal land in Illinois will produce biomass worth $1.6-2.9 billion (0.95-1.8 million Mg dry biomass) and mitigate 5-22 million Mg CO(2)e.",2021,,No (2)
Boundary Work and Interpretations in the IPCC Review Process of the Role of Bioenergy With Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) in Limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C,"Paris Agreement-compatible emissions pathways produced by integrated assessment models (IAMs) often rely on large amounts of carbon dioxide removals, especially afforestation and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). These pathways feature prominently in the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to the extent that the IAMs have been granted an interpretative privilege at the interface between climate science, economics, and policymaking. The privilege extends to and influences climate governance, including governance of BECCS. This paper contributes to recent debates about the role of the IPCC, and its framing of BECCS, at the science-policy interface. By analyzing all BECCS-related expert review comments and author responses on the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, the paper shows that boundary work influences the representation of BECCS by authors referring to: (1) a limited scope or capacity; (2) a restrictive mandate; (3) what constitutes legitimate science, and; (4) relativizing uncertainties. The responses to the review comments indicate a significant degree of compliance on behalf of the authors. Yet, the revisions do not seem to go to the heart of the unease that runs through many of the reviewer comments, i.e., that BECCS seems to be presented as a viable CDR technology at grand scale. While several revisions serve to clarify uncertainties surrounding BECCS, some fundamental aspects of the critique are deflected, through the boundary work identified. What the analysis reveals, beyond a dissatisfaction among many reviewers with the focus on integrated assessment modeling, the associated pathway literature, and analysis of BECCS, is a disagreement about how model results should be interpreted and communicated. While acknowledging the herculean task of the IPCC and the efforts to improve the pathway literature that the SR1.5 triggered within the IAM communities, we argue that the identified boundary work also risks entrenching rather than problematize dominant framings of the feasibility of BECCS. Such entrenchment can counteract the ambition of opening up the scientific work of the IPCC to include more diversity in the process of drafting reports, and arguably also influence the governance of CDR. Copyright © 2021 Hansson, Anshelm, Fridahl and Haikola.",2021,,Yes (1)
"Industrial decarbonization via hydrogen: A critical and systematic review of developments, socio-technical systems and policy options","Industrial decarbonization is a daunting challenge given the relative lack of low-carbon options available for ""hard to decarbonize"" industries such as iron and steel, cement, and chemicals. Hydrogen, however, offers one potential solution to this dilemma given that is an abundant and energy dense fuel capable of not just meeting industrial energy requirements, but also providing long-duration energy storage. Despite the abundance and potential of hydrogen, isolating it and utilizing it for industrial decarbonization remains logistically challenging and is, in many cases, expensive. Industrial utilization of hydrogen is currently dominated by oil refining and chemical production with nearly all of the hydrogen used in these applications coming from fossil fuels. The generation of low-carbon or zero-carbon hydrogen for industrial applications requires new modes of hydrogen production that either intrinsically produce no carbon emissions or are combined with carbon capture technologies. This review takes a sociotechnical perspective to examine the full range of industries and industrial processes for which hydrogen can support decarbonization and the technical, economic, social and political factors that will impact hydrogen adoption.",2021,,No (2)
"TERRAMECHANICS AND CLIMATE CHANGE, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE UK","The main aim of this paper is to identify aspects of terramechanics that link to some of the solutions for the climate change problem and to promote their discussion. The paper firstly reviews the main accepted causes and symptoms of climate change and uses analysis of the global carbon cycle to quantify the scale of the problem and the actions required to change the balance of carbon transfer between land and atmosphere. This includes ways to increase photosynthesis and to increase carbon sequestration where forest covers around 30% of global land use and agriculture covers a further 38% – the main soil terrains that are considered in terramechanics. The three main actions to combat climate change are, most significantly, the change from using fossil fuels to renewable energy, improved efficiency in the way energy is used, and the conservation and sequestration of carbon in soil and plants. The release of carbon to the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels is the most important issue to be addressed. Other considerations that currently influence action in the UK include biodiversity, environmental protection and how food policy and diet interact with these and climate change policy. The UK Climate Change Committee has set targets for areas of the UK economy including transport, forestry and agriculture but clear policy plans and legislation are still developing and emerging. Recent events have also focused on how land use can be used to ameliorate extreme weather events such as flooding and legislation has identified increasing the carbon content of the soil as an important policy tool; how soil carbon content, particularly soil organic content, will be measured and monitored is less clear. The main conclusions for terramechanics, particularly for the UK, are: electric vehicle technology will quickly dominate new vehicle sales, including off road and agricultural vehicles; more research is required on how vehicles and soil engaging machinery interact with soil and promote its carbon content through crop operations, more land greening, precision automated operations, including with small vehicles, and vehicle management such as controlled traffic farming (CTF) that limit terrain surface damage and compaction; more automation and machinery that supports forestry, including planting and selective harvesting, and particularly for more diverse tree populations. The performance of minimum tillage cultivations and tractor performance needs more study. Terramechanics is primarily concerned with the mechanical properties of soil including strength – a wider viewpoint is argued for; it is necessary to consider soil health in a wider perspective rather than primarily its soil strength and compaction properties. Ways of managing, conserving, promoting and protecting carbon storing terrain such as peatland, coastal wetlands and thawing permafrost are becoming more important. There is considerable scope for more research, particularly of a more multi-disciplinary nature involving engineering, soil science, agronomy and forestry. © ISTVS 2021. All rights reserved.",2021,,No (2)
One step methane production based on catalytic pressurized calcium looping gasification with in-situ CO2 capture and self-sustained heat supply,"Catalytic steam hydrogasification of coal is a direct method for methane production. Calcium looping concept is usually used in coal gasification process for in-situ carbon dioxide removal and heat supply. In this paper, a new process combining catalytic steam hydrogasification and calcium looping was proposed and investigated using a self designed instantaneously feeding reactor under high-temperature and pressurized conditions. The effects of operation conditions (including hydrogen concentration with a range of 0–50 vol%, gasification pressure with a range of 0.1–3.5 MPa, gasification temperature with a range of 700–800 °C, and gasification-calcination cycle number up to six) on the performance of the new process have been studied. The results show that: (i) increasing H2 concentration is beneficial to methane products; (ii) high temperature and low pressure are not conducive to methane production and carbon dioxide capture as well as the self-sustained heat supply in gasifier; (iii) the methane content and carbon conversion can be maintained at 30–40 vol% and 75–80% for the durability tests. According to the performance of gas products, 750 °C 3.5 MPa and Ca/C = 0.5 are suggested for the new process. In addition, the gasification reactivity can be affected by the Ca–K-Char interaction as indicated by the XRD, FT-IR and SEM-EDX analysis. © 2021 Energy Institute",2021,,No (2)
1.5 °C degrowth scenarios suggest the need for new mitigation pathways,"1.5 °C scenarios reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) rely on combinations of controversial negative emissions and unprecedented technological change, while assuming continued growth in gross domestic product (GDP). Thus far, the integrated assessment modelling community and the IPCC have neglected to consider degrowth scenarios, where economic output declines due to stringent climate mitigation. Hence, their potential to avoid reliance on negative emissions and speculative rates of technological change remains unexplored. As a first step to address this gap, this paper compares 1.5 °C degrowth scenarios with IPCC archetype scenarios, using a simplified quantitative representation of the fuel-energy-emissions nexus. Here we find that the degrowth scenarios minimize many key risks for feasibility and sustainability compared to technology-driven pathways, such as the reliance on high energy-GDP decoupling, large-scale carbon dioxide removal and large-scale and high-speed renewable energy transformation. However, substantial challenges remain regarding political feasibility. Nevertheless, degrowth pathways should be thoroughly considered. © 2021, The Author(s).",2021,,No (2)
Social science for the next decade of carbon capture and storage,"Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been an object of social science research for nearly two decades now. However, CCS has moved beyond coal-fired electricity, and its roles in industrial decarbonization and atmospheric carbon dioxide removal are newly valued. Is the earlier social science research on CCS applicable to the current moment, or has the context and the object of inquiry changed? This paper assesses whether existing findings are fit-for-purpose, arguing that there are some useful insights, but they have not been applied well to CCS policy and development. The early period of social science research also faces topical and methodological limitations. The paper identifies four areas for social science research for this decade of broader CCS applications — researching CCS in the context of decarbonization, tradeoffs, and a just transition; shifting the focus from “whether” to “how” questions around deployment, including benefits and environmental justice dimensions; exploring new approaches to public engagement globally; and researching how understandings of CCS evolve within the current social media and information landscape. © 2021",2021,,No (2)
The Oxymoron of Carbon Dioxide Removal: Escaping Carbon Lock-In and yet Perpetuating the Fossil Status Quo?,"There appears to be a paradox in the debate over carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies. On the one hand, CDR is recognised as a crucial technical option to offset residual carbon emissions from fossil fuel use, so that it can help a transition to the net-zero energy system. But on the other hand, a serious concern is raised about CDR as a way to circumvent necessary emissions reduction, hence perpetuating the status quo of fossil fuel use. This apparent paradox of CDR, however, has less to do with technology itself but more with the difficulty to move away from carbon lock-in—the deeply entrenched fossil-fuel-based energy system. The challenge of decarbonisation is indeed about eroding the deep lock-ins that perpetuate the production and consumption of fossil fuels. To understand the role of CDR in overcoming carbon lock-in, looking back the past debate on carbon capture and storage (CCS) is instructive. Although both CCS and CDR are criticised for keeping the fossil status quo, there is a crucial difference between them. Unlike CCS, CDR can possibly avoid the risk of reinforced lock-in, given its physical decoupling from fossil fuel use. And yet CDR has the risk of undue substitution that continues unjustly fossil carbon emissions. A change of the framing question is thus needed to puzzle out the paradox of CDR. To rightly place CDR in the challenge of rapid decarbonisation, we should ask more how CDR technologies can be used in alignment with a managed decline to fossil fuel production. Copyright © 2021 Asayama.",2021,,Yes (1)
BECCS and DACCS as Negative Emission Providers in an Intermittent Electricity System: Why Levelized Cost of Carbon May Be a Misleading Measure for Policy Decisions,"Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from the atmosphere is likely to be needed to limit global warming to 1.5 or 2°C and thereby for meeting the Paris Agreement. There is a debate which methods are most suitable and cost-effective for this goal and thus deeper understanding of system effects related to CDR are needed for effective governance of these technologies. Bio-Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) are two CDR methods, that have a direct relation to the electricity system—BECCS via producing it and DACCS via consuming. In this work, we investigate how BECCS and DACCS interact with an intermittent electricity system to achieve net negative emissions in the sector using an energy system model and two regions with different wind and solar resource conditions. The analysis shows that DACCS has a higher levelized cost of carbon (LCOC) than BECCS, implying that it is less costly to capture CO2 using BECCS under the assumptions made in this study. However, due to a high levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) produced by BECCS, the total system cost is lower using DACCS as negative emission provider as it is more flexible and enables cheaper electricity production from wind and solar PV. We also find that the replacement effect outweighs the flexibility effect. Since variations in solar-based systems are more regular and shorter (daily cycles), one could assume that DACCS is better suited for such systems, whereas our results point in the opposite direction showing that DACCS is more competitive in the wind-based systems. The result is sensitive to the price of biomass and to the amount of negative emissions required from the electricity sector. Our results show that the use of the LCOC as often presented in the literature as a main indicator for choosing between different CDR options might be misleading and that broader system effects need to be considered for well-grounded decisions. Copyright © 2021 Lehtveer and Emanuelsson.",2021,,No (2)
Temperature effects on carbon storage are controlled by soil stabilisation capacities,"Physical and chemical stabilisation mechanisms are now known to play a critical role in controlling carbon (C) storage in mineral soils, leading to suggestions that climate warming-induced C losses may be lower than previously predicted. By analysing > 9,000 soil profiles, here we show that, overall, C storage declines strongly with mean annual temperature. However, the reduction in C storage with temperature was more than three times greater in coarse-textured soils, with limited capacities for stabilising organic matter, than in fine-textured soils with greater stabilisation capacities. This pattern was observed independently in cool and warm regions, and after accounting for potentially confounding factors (plant productivity, precipitation, aridity, cation exchange capacity, and pH). The results could not, however, be represented by an established Earth system model (ESM). We conclude that warming will promote substantial soil C losses, but ESMs may not be predicting these losses accurately or which stocks are most vulnerable. © 2021, The Author(s).",2021,,No (2)
Chemodiversity of Dissolved Organic Matter and Its Molecular Changes Driven by Rhizosphere Activities in Fe Ore Tailings Undergoing Eco-Engineered Pedogenesis,"Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays an important role in soil structure and biogeochemical function development, which are fundamental for the eco-engineering of tailings-soil formation to underpin sustainable tailings rehabilitation. In the present study, we have characterized the DOM composition and its molecular changes in an alkaline Fe ore tailing primed with organic matter (OM) amendment and plant colonization. The results demonstrated that microbial OM decomposition dramatically increased DOM richness and average molecular weight, as well as its degree of unsaturation, aromaticity, and oxidation in the tailings. Plant colonization drove molecular shifts of DOM by depleting the unsaturated compounds with a high value of nominal oxidation state of carbon (NOSC), such as tannin-like and carboxyl-rich polycyclic-like compounds. This may be partially related to their sequestration by secondary Fe-Si minerals formed from rhizosphere-driven mineral weathering. Furthermore, the molecular shifts of DOM may have also resulted from plant-regulated microbial community changes, which further influenced DOM molecules through microbial-DOM interactions. These findings contribute to the understanding of DOM biogeochemistry and ecofunctionality in the tailings during early pedogenesis driven by OM input and pioneer plant/microbial colonization, providing an important basis for the development of strategies and technologies toward the eco-engineering of tailings-soil formation. © 2021 American Chemical Society",2021,,No (2)
Decarbonation in France: What consequences for our Health System?,,2021,,No (2)
Mixed monomer derived porous aromatic frameworks with superior membrane performance for CO2 capture,"Membrane separation has great potential for carbon dioxide capture, and materials play paramount important role in the membrane technology. In this paper, the mixed-monomer strategy is proposed for synthesis of a functional porous aromatic framework (PAF) named as PAF-45DPA. The monomer of diphenyl is employed for formation of the porous network and another monomer of diphenylamine is introduced to yield basic nitrogen sites. As a consequence, the prepared PAF-45DPA material possesses a surface area of 679 m2 g-1 with dominant pore size of ~0.58 nm which educes selective adsorption property toward carbon dioxide with IAST selectivity of 63.1 and CO2 uptake of ~45.3 cm3 g-1 at 298 K and 101 kPa measured from CO2 and N2 adsorptions. PAF-45DPA is subsequently used to fabricate hollow fiber membranes by hybridization with polysulfone (PSF) through the technique of dry jet-wet quench. Gas permeation analysis of CO2 and N2 reveals that the separation performance of PAF-45DPA/PSF is superior to those of PAF-45 and PDPA built from unary monomers. The PAF-45DPA/PSF membrane shows a dramatic improvement in the CO2/N2 separation factor (24.2) compared to PAF-45/PSF (15.4) and a significant enhancement in the CO2 permeance (72.6 GPU) compared to PDPA (51 GPU) at 298 K and 0.12 MPa. High stability of the PAF-45DPA/PSF membrane is also demonstrated together with its low cost and scale up production possibilities, which shed a light on advanced CO2 capture technology development for industrial gas exhausts. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.",2021,,No (2)
Machine learning deciphers CO2 sequestration and subsurface flowpaths from stream chemistry,"Endmember mixing analysis (EMMA) is often used by hydrogeochemists to interpret the sources of stream solutes, but variations in stream concentrations and discharges remain difficult to explain. We discovered that machine learning can be used to highlight patterns in stream chemistry that reveal information about sources of solutes and subsurface groundwater flowpaths. The investigation has implications, in turn, for the balance of CO2 in the atmosphere. For example, CO2-driven weathering of silicate minerals removes carbon from the atmosphere over g1/4106-year timescales. Weathering of another common mineral, pyrite, releases sulfuric acid that in turn causes dissolution of carbonates. In that process, however, CO2 is released instead of sequestered from the atmosphere. Thus, understanding long-term global CO2 sequestration by weathering requires quantification of CO2- versus H2SO4-driven reactions. Most researchers estimate such weathering fluxes from stream chemistry, but interpreting the reactant minerals and acids dissolved in streams has been fraught with difficulty. We apply a machine-learning technique to EMMA in three watersheds to determine the extent of mineral dissolution by each acid, without pre-defining the endmembers. The results show that the watersheds continuously or intermittently sequester CO2, but the extent of CO2 drawdown is diminished in areas heavily affected by acid rain. Prior to applying the new algorithm, CO2 drawdown was overestimated. The new technique, which elucidates the importance of different subsurface flowpaths and long-timescale changes in the watersheds, should have utility as a new EMMA for investigating water resources worldwide. © Copyright:",2021,,No (2)
Introduction to this special section: The role of advanced modeling in enhanced carbon storage,"The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy initiated the Carbon Sequestration Program in 1997. The National Risk Assessment Partnership of the DOE organized key technologies related to carbon capture, utilization, and storage. This program included the public release of tools relevant to CO2 storage. The broad research and development program continues to engage private industry, universities, national laboratories, small businesses, and the financial community and has made the United States the global leader in carbon capture, utilization, and storage research, development, and deployment. The ongoing ‘DOE Science-informed Machine Learning for Accelerating Real-time Decisions in Subsurface Applications’ project aims to move toward real-time decision making for the subsurface by means of machine learning.",2021,,No (2)
Carbon emission reduction technologies in China,"Environmental pollution is mainly caused by carbon emissions, so carbon emission reduction is our top priority now. Carbon-containing greenhouse gas emissions mainly come from the following aspects: (1) fossil fuel combustion; (2) leakage and volatilization in the process of fuel extraction, processing, transportation, and industrial utilization; (3) traditional biomass fuel combustion. The greenhouse effect will cause an increase in temperature, the rise of sea level, and the reduction of biodiversity. Due to little or no carbon emissions, new energy is a current research direction. It mainly includes wind energy, solar energy, hydropower, nuclear energy, and biological energy. Among them, wind power technology is quite mature, and the cost of wind power has become competitive in the market. Solar energy is an inexhaustible, nonpolluting, renewable, and clean energy source, which is gradually entering the stage of large-scale development. Hydropower is clean energy, renewable, pollution-free, and low operating costs. Nuclear energy is characterized by high efficiency and low carbon, coming from the fission energy released by the fission reaction of the fissionable material (nuclear fuel) in the nuclear reactor. Biomass resources can be divided into four categories: forest resources, crop straws, poultry manure, and household garbage, and its biggest feature is its renewability. Besides, carbon capture and carbon storage are other ways to reduce carbon emissions. Carbon capture uses chemical adsorption, physical adsorption, adsorption separation, and membrane separation to capture carbon dioxide. Carbon storage injects supercritical CO2 into a closed geological structure containing oil, gas, water, or non-commercial coal seams through pipeline technology to form long-term or permanent CO2 storage © 2021 The Authors, published by EDP Sciences.",2021,,No (2)
"Effect of biochar on soil characteristics of Yellow River Delta coastal wetland, China","Coastal wetland soil quality has been threatened due to anthropogenic disturbance and thus an effective measure is urgent to be used to reclaim the degraded wetland soils. Biochar is a promising carbonaceous material that has been proved an effective strategy for soil carbon sequestration and soil remediation. However, few researches have paid attention to effect of biochar on soil characteristics under rainfall conditions in coastal wetland. Thus, we conducted a leaching experiment to explore the effect of biochar on soil pH, EC, CEC, Ex-Na+ and ESP. The results showed that biochar addition significantly decreased soil pH, EC, Ex-Na+ and ESP, and increased soil CEC. Our findings showed that biochar could be a promising soil remediation in degraded coastal wetland ecosystems with multiple benefits. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2021.",2021,,Yes (1)
Effects of biochar on the soil carbon cycle in agroecosystems: An promising way to increase the carbon pool in Dryland,"Dryland agriculture ecosystems occupy an extremely important position in ensuring global food security. However, they have faced problems of low soil organic matter content and poor long-term soil sustainability. Biochar is regarded as a new means of soil remediation and a pathway of carbon sequestration that has improved the soil structure and function of ecosystems due to its complex physical and chemical properties. Since there are few reviews of biochar's role in the carbon cycle of agricultural ecosystems, this article examines recent research about its influence on plant carbon assimilation, soil organic carbon mineralization and storage. We highlight the direct or potential effects of biochar on the relationships between plant root architecture and carbon storage, the soil priming effect and soil aggregation, to provide new perspectives on the study of its impacts on the carbon cycle and the implications for carbon management in dryland agriculture ecosystems. © 2021 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved.",2021,,No (2)
Numerical simulation of liquid CO2 accidental release at atmospheric environment,"Investigation of the transient behaviour of high-pressure CO2 sudden release is important for the pipeline transportation safety of carbon capture and storage technology. A CFD model based on the volume of fluid method and non-equilibrium phase transition is established to simulate the high-pressure liquid CO2 release at atmospheric environment, which considers the flow domain out of the opening. The pressure drop and decompression wave speed predicted by CFD are in good agreement with the ""shock tube""test results, which verifies the established CFD model. On this basis, we further investigate the transient behaviour of liquid CO2 release. The results show that the liquid-gas two-phase flow continues expanding outward from the rupture opening and sucking up the surrounding air, forming a complex three-phase under-expanded jet. It is found that the distance from rupture opening to Mach disk increases with the increase of initial pressure. It is also found that the liquid-gas CO2 mixture spurted from the rupture opening is mainly composed of liquid CO2 and a small amount of gaseous CO2 by analyzing the mass flow composition. Moreover, The static pressure and the total mass flow at the rupture opening both increase with the increase of the initial pressure, while the mass flow of the gas CO2 decreases with the increase of the initial pressure. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.",2021,,No (2)
Biochar a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment: Current status and perspectives,"The textile, printing, tanning, pharmaceutical, and food industries are the main sources of dye-containing wastewater and disposal of industrial effluent and organic contaminants without any treatment polluting the environment. Synthetic dyes have found wide application in manufacturing industries because of their easy accessibility at low price, stability, and availability of different colors compared to natural dye. The deterioration of water quality due to the presence of synthetic dyes and other contaminants poses a serious threat to ecosystem and human health. Biochar, a low-cost carbonaceous material, is emerging as an economical substitute to the activated carbon for the removal of various organic contaminants such as agrochemicals, antibiotics, polychlorinated biphenyls, and aromatic dyes. Biochar can be obtained from the thermochemical conversion of waste biomass in an oxygen-limited condition. Biochar has several unique properties such as large surface area, high porosity, the presence of functional groups and charges on the surface of biochar, which make it an efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly material for the removal of contaminants. The present chapter highlights the role of biochar in different environmental applications such as recycling of agricultural waste, soil fertility improvement, carbon sequestration, pollution remediation, wastewater treatment, etc. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.",2021,,Yes (1)
A Fair Comparison between Five Co2 Capture Technologies,"To curtail the global warming increase to less than 2°C by 2050, the IPCC highlights Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) as a vital approach. TotalEnergies, following its ambition to become a responsible energy major, invests 10% of its R&amp;D budget in CCUS to reduce the global process cost and help decarbonize our activities. TotalEnergies is both working to decarbonize its own assets and developing a transport and storage infrastructure in Europe, with notably Northern Lights an example of note. It is equally of interest how this transport/storage infrastructure can be of use for other sectors and as such how various full CCUS chains may emerge. This explains the interest to develop techno-economic tools to evaluate CO2 capture processes applied to a wide range of industries. CO2 that is an integral part of the manufacturing process, is particularly difficult to abate in any future scenario, and one particular industry, which is facing such a challenge is the cement sector. CCUS has been identified as a potential solution to help with this issue. The present paper outlines the outcomes of a techno-economic study evaluating CO2 capture technologies based on cement factory retrofitting. A literature review aimed at identifying the main characteristics of a typical European cement plant (capacity, process mode, pollutant composition in the flue gas…) was carried out. In this paper, a base case scenario of 90% absorption-based CO2 capture with monoethanolamine (MEA) is compared with four alternative CO2 capture approaches: - An absorption technology based on non-amine solvent. - An adsorption technology based on a Concentration Swing Adsorption process. - An oxyfuel technology derived from the R&amp;D works performed during the CEMCAP project (European CO2 capture project). - A Calcium Looping technology with tail-end process configuration. For each of these approaches, the whole carbon capture chain has been considered: this includes flue gas pretreatment, CO2 conditioning (including compression), steam generation, and utilities. Using process simulations, engineering studies have been carried out and have provided Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as Capital Costs, Operation Costs and Global Warming Potential (primary energy consumption per ton of CO2 avoided). It enabled mapping the technologies with regards to the cost and volume of CO2 avoided, as well as providing for each of the technologies the break-even point for an eventual CO2 tax. Based on these KPIs, several facts have been highlighted: - The need to consider the whole process (including utilities, compression…) and not only the capture unit. - The development of new materials for adsorption and contactor design is already driving down costs. - The availability of waste heat can be a game-changer to implement a CO2 capture technology. - Technology comparisons are location and site-specific and cannot be taken as a basis for concept selection. TotalEnergies approach to CCUS is collaborative. With these full-scale techno-economical assessments, generated via quotations from industrial equipment providers and using Engineering, Procurement and Construction standards, this not only gives a basis for comparison, but also assists our discussions with partners to identify key technological development pathways. © Copyright 2021, Society of Petroleum Engineers",2021,,No (2)
Numerical Modeling Study on Mineral Alteration and Sealing Performance for CO2 Geological Sequestration with Enhancing Water Recovery in Hydraulic Fractured Shale Reservoirs,"Recently, CO2 geological sequestration combined with enhancing deep saline water/brine recovery is regarded as a potential strategic choice for reduction of CO2 emissions. This technology not only achieves the relatively secure storage of CO2 which was captured during industrial processes but also can enhance the recovery of water for drinking, industrial, and agricultural utilization. However, the impact of CO2-water-rock reactions on the shale reservoir in the system is unclear and the sealing performance of mudstone caprock has not been investigated. For analyzing the mechanism of mineral alteration in the shale reservoir, a three-dimensional injection-production model in the double-fractured horizontal well pattern is established according to actual parameters of shale and mudstone layers. In addition, mineral alteration was characterized and caprock sealing performance was also assessed. Numerical results showed that the presence of CO2 can lead to the dissolution of k-feldspar, oligoclase, chlorite, and dolomite and the precipitation of clay minerals such as kaolinite, illite, and smectite (Ca-smectite and Na-smectite). Due to positive ion released by dissolved primary minerals, the precipitation of secondary carbonate occurs including ankerite and dawsonite, which induces the mineral sequestration capacity of the shale reservoir. The amount of CO2 sequestration by mineral is 51430.96 t after 200 years, which equals 23.47% of the total injection (219145.34 t). Besides, the height of the sealing gas column is used for evaluating the sealing performance of the shalemudstone interface. Results show that the height of the sealing gas column at the interface above the injection well is lower but the maximum value of CO2 gas saturation is only 0.00037 after 200 years. The height of the sealing gas column at the interface is greater than 800 m, which can be classified as level II and guarantee the security of the CO2 storage. The analysis results provide reliable guidance and reference for the site selection of CO2 geological sequestration. © 2021 Maosen Yan et al. All Rights Reserved.",2021,,No (2)
Study of the Effect of the Biochar Amendment on the Physic-Chemical Properties of a Soil Cultivated in Green Mint (Mentha Viridis L.),"The use of aromatic and medicinal plants for therapeutic, cosmetic and culinary purposes is a very old practice. Given the advantages of these plants, several efforts have been directed towards improving their yields while guaranteeing satisfactory quality. Intensification of the crop is therefore a necessity which must be supported by the optimization of the factors of production of which the most important is the improvement of the physicochemical properties of soil. In this context, the study focuses on spearmint (Mentha spicata viridis), an annual herbaceous aromatic and herbal medicinal plant for aromatic, condimental, ornamental and medicinal purposes. The interest of this crop is mainly related to the commercial importance of its essential oil, which is among the ten most traded oils in the world. The latter is used in many industries, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food and chemicals. Despite its socio-economic importance, its qualities in Tunisia do not yet meet the international norm for the use of chemical inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) for cultivation which negatively affect its production level because of the gradual decrease Of soil fertility as well physical as chemical during the last decades. Faced with these problems, the use of sustainable agriculture becomes an economically viable solution. Researchers in this field have developed studies that tend towards agriculture on a human scale, linked to a healthy soil and economical both in inputs and in means of production. Organic fertilization aims to protect and preserve the soil in the long term, thus it remains one of the techniques of sustainable agriculture. The latter must meet the needs of present generations without compromising the development of future generations, guaranteeing them the same opportunities for progress. Biochar and compost are two organic fertilizers rich in nutrients and necessary for crops. They guarantee better sequestration of carbon in the soil and optimize the majority of soil physicochemical parameters. While valorising them makes it possible to save inputs while respecting the environment. The mint fertilized with biochar gives the best yield of methanolic extract and contains the highest total polyphenol and flavonoid contents. Mint fertilized with biochar and compost separately demonstrates the highest anti-free radical activity and iron-reducing power. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.",2021,,No (2)
Numerical simulation of microscopic formation of carbon dioxide hydrate in two-phase flow,"The global warming is an important environmental concern and the carbon capture and storage (CCS) emerges as a very promising technology. Captured carbon dioxide (CO2) can be stored onshore or offshore in the aquifers. There is, however, a risk that stored CO2 will leak due to natural disasters. One possible solution to this is the natural formation of CO2 hydrates. Gas hydrate has an ice-like structure in which small gas molecules are trapped within cages of water molecules. Hydrate formation occurs under high pressure and low temperature conditions. Its stability under these conditions acts like a cap rock to prevent CO2 leaks. The main objective of this study is to understand how hydrate formation affects the permeability of leaked CO2 flows. The phase field method was used to simulate microscopic hydrate growth within the pore space of sand grains, while the lattice Boltzmann method was used to simulate two-phase flow. The results showed that the hydrate morphology within the pore space changes with the flow, and the permeability is significantly reduced as compared with the case without the flow. Copyright © 2021 by ASME.",2021,,No (2)
An optimization framework for biochar-based carbon management networks,"Biochar-based carbon management networks (BCMNs) are systems that are intended to strategically plan carbon sequestration via systematic production and allocation of biochars for long-term storage to agricultural lands and for simultaneous improvement of soil properties. Other significant potential benefit includes supply of clean energy in gaseous (biogas) or liquid (bio-oil) form. However, a challenge still exists in determining the levels of biochar contaminants that the soil can tolerate. This risk implies that adequate planning will be needed to ascertain the suitability of sinks to biochar application in order to lessen the potential for adverse effects on soil. To maximize the potential benefits of biochar, a modeling framework for BCMNs can be developed with the aid of Process Systems Engineering (PSE) techniques so as to ensure that the quality requirements set for the sinks are met. To fill this research gap in the global biochar literature, this work develops an optimization framework for BCMNs by accounting for the relevant and practical aspects of biochar research. Since the decision-maker can consider distinct degree of tolerance for every impurity and can have different preferences regarding the amount of contaminant that can be tolerated in each sink, a unique risk aversion parameter is assigned in each sink-contaminant pair. The parameter represents the extent to which the decision-maker can accept soil contamination level. To demonstrate the applicability of the framework, a representative network is explored, which attains a profit of USD 17,453,810 and a cumulative CO2 sequestration of 876,961.4 t. The results show how the framework can be used to support decision-making for the proper deployment of BCMNs. Copyright © 2021, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.",2021,,Yes (1)
An improved methodology for applying the influence function for subsidence hazard prediction,"The extraction of ore and minerals by underground mining often presents important risk for surface infrastructures. Several methods that have been developed to predict ground subsidence, and the influence function method (IFM) is one of the most efficient for predicting this phenomenon in the context of mining engineering. However, applying this method to a specific mining site requires adjustments that are difficult to achieve. In this paper, a methodology is proposed for adjusting the IFMs to each mining site. It is shown that the maximum subsidence depends on both the Width(W)/Height(H) and Length(L)/W ratios of mine panel. Moreover, the effect of the length variation becomes negligible for L/W ratio values greater than 4, but it is significant for values around 1. The influence angle of each mine panel has a significant effect on the subsidence, and a variation of 5° may lead to significant variations in the prediction. A coefficient of dimensions reduction (CDR) used for adjusting the IFM results in each mine panels is used to adjust the value of subsidence above the border of the mine panels. The appropriate influence angle and CDR parameters should be calculated for each mining region. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.",2021,,No (2)
"Cognitive dietary restraint score is associated with lower energy, carbohydrate, fat, and grain intake among female adolescent endurance runners","This cross-sectional study investigated associations between cognitive dietary restraint (CDR), energy, macronutrient and food group intake, menstrual function, and bone density in female adolescent endurance runners. Participants were forty female adolescent endurance runners. The independent variable was CDR, as assessed by the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Runners with CDR subscale scores ≥11 were classified with elevated CDR. The main outcomes measured were dietary intake measured by 24-hour recall for 7 days, menstrual history, and bone mineral density (BMD). Twelve of 40 participants (30.0%) met criteria for elevated CDR. Compared to runners with normal CDR, runners with elevated CDR scores reported consuming lower energy (kcal/kg/day) (37.5 ± 8.6 vs. 44.0 ± 9.6, p = 0.052), lower carbohydrate (g/kg/day) (5.3 ± 1.3 vs. 6.3 ± 1.3, p = 0.042), more fiber (g/day) (24.9 ± 6.7 vs. 20.0 ± 5.3, p = 0.018), more servings of fruit (3.3 ± 1.4 vs. 1.9 ± 1.2, p = 0.003), more servings of vegetables (2.7 ± 1.4 vs. 1.7 ± 0.7, p = 0.004), and fewer servings of grain (7.6 ± 2.4 vs. 9.8 ± 2.4, p = 0.009) per day. Runners with elevated CDR exhibited significantly lower lumbar spine BMD Z-scores (adjusting for BMI) (−0.78 ± 0.19 vs. −0.22 ± 0.12, p = 0.016) than runners with normal CDR. Menstrual history did not significantly differ based on CDR status. Elevated CDR may increase risk of dietary patterns associated with consuming inadequate levels of energy, key nutrients, and developing low BMD in endurance runners. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01059968 © 2020 The Authors",2021,,No (2)
Efficient microbial electrosynthesis through the barrier and shearing effect of fillers,"Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is an electrochemical reduction technology that converts carbon dioxide (CO2) efficiently into chemicals by electrically driving microorganisms attached to electrodes. However, due to the limited solubility of CO2 and hydrogen (H2), low mass transfer efficiency affects the performance of MES. In this study, fillers were introduced into the MES system and combined with a vertical or horizontal cathode. Through the barrier and shearing effect of fillers, it realized the reduction of bubbles volume, the increase of gas residence time and the optimization of mass transfer rate, thereby providing a sufficient substrate supply for the biocatalyst. The results showed that MES with horizontal cathode and 4 series of fillers generated the highest acetate production rate (0.18 gL−1 day−1), which was 1.6 times that of the control group. Furthermore, the acetate concentration reached 5.28 ± 0.2 g L−1 within 30 days. Scanning electron microscope and microbial community analyses showed that the filler was beneficial to the growth of biofilm on cathodes and fillers, and improved the enrichment of Acetobacterium. The presence of fillers significantly enhanced the performance of MES and demonstrated the potential as a new and simple strategy for the MES reactor improvement. © 2021",2021,,No (2)
Heterogeneous Reactivity of HCl on CaCO3Aerosols at Stratospheric Temperature,"Recently proposed as a possible alternative to sulfate particles for stratospheric solar radiation management (SSRM), calcite (CaCO3) aerosols have been modeled to have minimal negative impact on both stratospheric ozone level, through heterogeneous chemistry, and stratospheric temperature. However, the heterogeneous chemistry of CaCO3 aerosols with relevant trace gases, such as HCl, at stratospheric conditions is still underexamined. We studied the kinetics of HCl uptake on airborne CaCO3 aerosols at stratospheric temperature, 207 ± 3 K, by performing experiments under dry conditions using an aerosol flow tube coupled with a custom-built quadrupole chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) for HCl detection. The reactive uptake coefficient for HCl was measured to be 0.076 ± 0.009. This exceeds the reactive uptake coefficient of 0.013 ± 0.001 that we previously reported for this system at 296 K, consistent with the expected negative temperature dependence of gas uptake on solid surfaces. This finding suggests an initial strong reactive uptake of HCl gas on CaCO3 aerosol surfaces in the stratosphere. ©",2021,,No (2)
A carbon footprint assessment of multi-output biorefineries with international biomass supply: a case study for the Netherlands,"The efficient use of lignocellulosic biomass for the production of advanced fuels and bio-based materials has become increasingly relevant. In the EU, regulatory developments are stimulating the mobilization and production of bio-based chemicals / materials and biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass. We used an attributional life-cycle assessment approach based on region-specific characteristics to determine the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) performance of different supply-chain configurations with internationally sourced lignocellulosic biomass (stem wood, forest residues, sawmill residues, and sugarcane bagasse) from the USA, the Baltic States (BS), and Brazil (BR) for the simultaneous production of lactide and ethanol in a biorefinery located in the Netherlands (NL). The results are compared with a biorefinery that uses locally cultivated sugar beets. We also compared GHG emissions savings from the supply-chain configurations with the minimum GHG saving requirements in the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and relevant fossil-based counterparts for bio-based materials. The GHG emissions 'from cradle to factory gate' vary between 692 g CO2eq/kg(lactide) (sawmill residues pellets from the BS) and 1002 g CO2eq/kg(lactide) (sawmill chips from the USA) for lactide and between 15 g CO2eq/MJ(ethanol) (sawmill residues pellets from the BS) and 28 g CO2eq/MJ(ethanol) (bagasse pellets from BR) for ethanol. Upstream GHG emissions from the conversion routes have a relatively small impact compared with biomass conversion to lactide and ethanol. The use of woody biomass yields better GHG emissions performance for the conversion system than sugarcane bagasse or sugar beets as result of the higher lignin content that is used to generate electricity and heat internally for the system. Only the sugar beet from the NL production route is able to comply with RED II GHG savings criteria (65% by 2021). The GHG savings from polylactide acid (a derivate of lactic acid) are high and vary depending on choice of fossil-based counterpart, with the highest savings reported when compared to polystyrene (PS). These high savings are mostly attributed to the negative emission credit from the embedded carbon in the materials. Several improvement options along the conversion routes were explored. Efficient feedstock supply chains (including pelletization and large ocean vessels) also allow for long-distance transportation of biomass and conversion in large-scale biorefineries close to demand centers with similar GHG performance to biorefineries with a local biomass supply. (c) 2019 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.",2020,bio-based economy; GHG emissions performance; multi-output biorefineries; lignocellulosic biomass; bio-based materials,No (2)
CO2 injectivity behaviour under non-isothermal conditions - Field observations and assessments from the Quest CCS operation,"Commercial-scale deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as a viable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction technology requires that the CO2 be continuously injected at predictably significant and cost-efficient rates into geological formations (e.g. deep saline aquifers). The Quest CCS operation (located in Alberta, Canada) is a fully integrated carbon capture, transport and storage facility operated by Shell Canada. Quest continuously captures and stores about 1.1 Mt of CO2 per year, and it's expected to continue until 2040. Quest is a dedicated geological storage project (no EOR component) with multiple injectors and monitoring wells. Injection operations started in August 2015 and by mid-October 2018, more than 3.45 Mt of CO2 has been stored using only 2 out of 3 planned injection wells. To date Quest has observed significant injectivity variability relating to seasonal variation in injected CO2 and bottom-hole temperatures. The high-resolution time-series data from the Quest operations gathered over the first 3 years of CO2 injection indicate the standard models of CO2 injectivity leave out some important physics. Prior to the start of injection, theoretical CO2 injectivity at the CO2 injector wells was initially modelled and calculated to decrease by similar to 5% - 8% with decreasing CO2 bottom-hole temperature within the temperature range 20 degrees C-60 degrees C at the wellbore largely due to increased fluid viscosity at lower temperatures. However, field observations made to date at the Quest CCS site indicate an inverse relationship between CO2 injectivity and bottom-hole temperature, where injectivity increases of up to 10% due to colder CO2 have been observed in the bottom-hole temperature range of 21 degrees C-33 degrees C. This paper presents the field observations of injectivity compared to the theoretically expected and modelled 3D isothermal and non-isothermal conditions of injectivity at various CO2 bottom-hole temperatures, together with an assessment of the dominant controlling mechanisms and parameters that could influence CO2 injectivity under non-isothermal conditions. The assessment results indicate that the seasonal CO2 injectivity correlating inversely with bottom-hole temperature (BHT), cannot be explained by CO2 PVT behaviour under non-isothermal conditions. The inverse correlation is driven by near-wellbore permeability (k), relative permeability (kr) and (non-darcy) dynamic skin factor parameters varying in an inverse relationship with bottom-hole temperature through reversible temperature-driven mechanism(s) such as fluid flow regime changes, fluid-ock interactions and thermally-induced micro-fractures leading to increases in dynamic injectivity at lower CO2 bottom-hole temperatures. A full understanding of the non-isothermal processes and their relative impacts on CO2 injectivity are not only crucial for successful deployment of CCS projects but can also have wider beneficial applications in CO2-EOR modelling and operations cost optimisation.",2020,"CO2; Injectivity; Geological storage; Non-isothermal bottom-hole temperature; Quest; CCS, temperature-dependent permeability",No (2)
The future of bioenergy,"Energy from biomass plays a large and growing role in the global energy system. Energy from biomass can make significant contributions to reducing carbon emissions, especially from difficult-to-decarbonize sectors like aviation, heavy transport, and manufacturing. But land-intensive bioenergy often entails substantial carbon emissions from land-use change as well as production, harvesting, and transportation. In addition, land-intensive bioenergy scales only with the utilization of vast amounts of land, a resource that is fundamentally limited in supply. Because of the land constraint, the intrinsically low yields of energy per unit of land area, and rapid technological progress in competing technologies, land intensive bioenergy makes the most sense as a transitional element of the global energy mix, playing an important role over the next few decades and then fading, probably after mid-century. Managing an effective trajectory for land-intensive bioenergy will require an unusual mix of policies and incentives that encourage appropriate utilization in the short term but minimize lock-in in the longer term.",2020,bioenergy; bioenergy with CCS; biofuels; biomass; climate change; land scarcity; lock-in; path dependency,No (2)
Passive CO2 removal in urban soils: Evidence from brownfield sites,"Management of urban brownfield land can contribute to significant removal of atmospheric CO2 through the development of soil carbonate minerals. However, the potential magnitude and stability of this carbon sink is poorly quantified as previous studies address a limited range of conditions and short durations. Furthermore, the suitability of carbonate-sequestering soils for construction has not been investigated. To address these issues we measured total inorganic carbon, permeability and ground strength in the top 20 cm of soil at 20 brownfield sites in northern England, between 2015 and 2017. Across all sites accumulation occurred at a rate of 1-16 t C ha(-1) yr(-1), as calcite (CaCO3), corresponding to removal of approximately 4-59 t CO2 ha(-1) yr(-1), with the highest rate in the first 15 years after demolition. C and O stable isotope analysis of calcite confirms the atmospheric origin of the measured inorganic carbon. Statistical modelling found that pH and the content of fine materials (combined silt and clay content) were the best predictors of the total inorganic carbon content of the samples. Measurement of permeability shows that sites with carbonated soils possess a similar risk of run-off or flooding to sandy soils. Soil strength, measured as in-situ bearing capacity, increased with carbonation. These results demonstrate that the management of urban brownfield land to retain fine material derived from concrete crushing on site following demolition will promote calcite precipitation in soils, and so offers an additional CO2 removal mechanism, with no detrimental effect on drainage and possible improvements in strength. Given the large area of brownfield land that is available for development, the contribution of this process to CO2 removal by urban soils needs to be recognised in CO2 mitigation policies. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.",2020,Urban brownfield land; CO2 removal; Carbon precipitation; Stable isotope; Permeability; Strength,No (2)
Health co-benefits and mitigation costs as per the Paris Agreement under different technological pathways for energy supply,"This study assesses the reductions in air pollution emissions and subsequent beneficial health effects from different global mitigation pathways consistent with the 2 degrees C stabilization objective of the Paris Agreement. We use an integrated modelling framework, demonstrating the need for models with an appropriate level of technology detail for an accurate co-benefit assessment. The framework combines an integrated assessment model (GCAM) with an air quality model (TM5-FASST) to obtain estimates of premature mortality and then assesses their economic cost. The results show that significant co-benefits can be found for a range of technological options, such as introducing a limitation on bioenergy, carbon capture and storage (CCS) or nuclear power. Cumulative premature mortality may be reduced by 17-23% by 2020-2050 compared to the baseline, depending on the scenarios. However, the ratio of health co-benefits to mitigation costs varies substantially, ranging from 1.45 when a bioenergy limitation is set to 2.19 when all technologies are available. As for regional disaggregation, some regions, such as India and China, obtain far greater co-benefits than others.",2020,Deep decarbonization; Air pollution; Health; Co-benefits; Integrated assessment,Yes (1)
Implications of afforestation vs. secondary succession for soil properties under a semiarid climate,"Afforestation or secondary succession after cropland abandonment are different strategies to restore soil ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, soil conservation, and carbon sequestration. However, the studies on the effects on soil-property dynamics after land-use changes are limited in semiarid regions. In this context, an experimental area with a semiarid climate allowed the assessment and comparison of physicochemical soil properties (soil organic C [SOC], soil total N [TN], available P [AP], available K [AK], cation-exchange capacity [CEC], bulk density [BD], pH, available water-holding capacity [AWHC], and C:N ratio) after Pinus halepensis afforestation and secondary succession following agriculture abandonment in 1994. The impact of 12 soil-preparation treatments for planting on soil properties was also evaluated. For this, soil samples (0-10 cm deep) from the afforestation were taken in 1998, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016, and from abandoned cropland in 2010, 2013, and 2016. In afforestation, soil-preparation treatments did not alter differentially the soil properties after 22 years. Significant differences among years were found in SOC, TN, AP, AK, CEC, pH, and C:N. BD changes were detected neither in afforestation nor in abandoned cropland. After 22 years, only SOC, AK and the C:N ratio proved significantly higher in afforestation than in abandoned cropland. In general, soil properties improvement (i.e. SOC, TN, AP, AK, and CEC) was slow after afforestation and abandoned cropland likely due to the legacy of the previous land use (cereal crops) and the semiarid climate influence. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2020,Land-use changes; Pinus halepensis; Abandoned cropland; Mediterranean region; Soil-preparation treatments,No (2)
Tree derived soil carbon is enhanced by tree species richness and functional diversity,"Aims We assessed the impact of tree species richness (SR) and functional diversity (FD) on soil carbon (C) accumulation in plantations. Methods We selected six mixed plantations established in 1999 on continuous maize field soils. Plantations differed only in the number of species whereas climatic conditions, stand age, tree density and soil type were the same. In each plantation, four random plots of 400 m(2) each were identified. In each plot and in the nearby maize fields, we collected soil cores to quantify organic C content, soil bulk density and delta C-13. We then calculated the proportion of new and old C by using a mass balance approach. Results Total soil C stock significantly increased 19 years after tree planting (+12%). Most of this increase was detected at 0-15 cm and, on average, almost half of the soil C derived from the trees. Both SR and FD had a positive and significant effect on the proportion of C derived from the current forest vegetation. Conclusions Plantations with higher biodiversity, either in terms of SP or FD, enhance the proportion of C derived from trees.",2020,Soil C isotopes; Soil C stocks; Land use change; Leaf functional traits,No (2)
Adsorption of acetone and cyclohexane onto CO2 activated hydrochars,"Most of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are toxic and harmful to human health and environment In this study, hydrochars activated with CO2 were applied to remove VOCs. Two typical VOCs, acetone and cyclohexane, were used as the 'model' adsorbates to evaluate hydrochars' performance. Specific surface areas of pristine hydrochars were small (<8 m(2)/g), whereas activated hydrochars showed much higher values (up to 1308 m(2)/g). As a result, the adsorption of VOCs onto the pristine hydrochars (13.24 -24.64 mg/g) was lower than that of the activated ones (39.42-121.74 mg/g). The adsorption of the two VOCs onto the hydrochars was exothermal. In addition, there were significant correlations (R-2 > 0.91) between the VOC removal and hydrochars' specific surface area. These results suggest that the governing mechanism was mainly physical adsorption. Increasing experimental temperature (80-139 degrees C) desorbed the VOCs from the hydrochars. Due to its higher boiling point, cyclohexane desorption required a higher temperature than acetone desorption. The reusability of the activated hydrochars to the two VOCs was confirmed by five continuous adsorption-desorption cycles. The overall results indicated that hydrochars, particularly after CO2 activation, are sufficient for VOC abatement. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2020,Air pollution control; VOC removal; Green remediation; Engineered biochar; Activated carbon,No (2)
Is the environment-friendly factor attractive to customers when purchasing electric vehicles? Evidence from South Korea,"In a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, several countries worldwide are implementing policies to promote electric vehicles (EVs). However, contrary to expectations, the diffusion speed of EVs has been rather slow in South Korea. This study analyzes consumer preferences for the technological and environmental attributes of EVs and derives policy and environmental implications to promote market diffusion of EVs in South Korea. We conduct a choice-based conjoint survey of 1,008 consumers in South Korea and estimate the consumer utility function using a mixed logit model considering consumer heterogeneity. Based on the consumer utility function, we analyze consumers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for EV attributes such as driving range, charging method, charging time, autonomous driving function, carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction rate, and purchase price. The results indicate that the current low acceptance of EVs is due to their relatively high price and lack of a battery charging technology that satisfies consumers' expectations of the charging method and time. One interesting finding is that Korean consumers have a relatively higher WTP for the CO2 reduction rate of EVs than consumers in other countries; however, they do not consider CO2 reduction over other technological attributes when choosing EVs. This implies that the rate of CO2 reduction of EVs is not an important factor for South Korean consumers when buying EVs. We also calculate the effect of CO2 reduction with the market penetration of EVs and find that CO2 reduction through the diffusion of EVs depends on the country's electricity generation mix.",2020,conjoint analysis; consumer preference analysis; electric vehicle; greenhouse gas reduction; mixed logit model,No (2)
Support for the Deployment of Climate Engineering: A Comparison of Ten Different Technologies,"Due to the renewed increase in CO2 emissions seen in recent years, the deployment of climate engineering technologies might become necessary if the global temperature increase is to be kept within 1.5 degrees C. If climate engineering is to be deployed, however, public support is required. The present study hence compared public support for a broad range of climate engineering technologies. Further, the factors that drive public support were investigated and compared across the technologies. In an online survey conducted in Switzerland, respondents (n = 1,575) were randomly allocated to the description of 1 of 10 climate engineering technologies, of which 7 were specific carbon dioxide removal measures and 3 were solar radiation management measures. The results show that the level of public support for afforestation was the highest. The levels of public support for the other climate engineering technologies were relatively similar, although a tendency for solar radiation management to have a lower level of support was identified. Across all the investigated climate engineering technologies, the perceived benefits were an important driver of public support. Additionally, for all the technologies but afforestation, a higher level of trust in industry/science/government increased the level of public support, whereas the factor perceived risks and tampering with nature was found to be a negative predictor of support. The present findings suggest that there are opportunities available for the deployment of several climate engineering technologies in combination with other mitigation measures. Communicating the benefits of such technologies might be an effective strategy in terms of fostering increased support.",2020,Benefit perception; climate engineering; tampering with nature; technology acceptance; trust,Yes (1)
Potential contribution of fusion power generation to low-carbon development under the Paris Agreement and associated uncertainties,"Fusion energy has abundant resources, does not exhibit nuclear runaway, and it has zero-carbon emissions. Longterm strategies for fusion energy development will become critically important to promote future DEMOnstration Fusion Reactor (DEMO) projects by another largescale investment and gain social acceptance. This paper assessed the potential contribution of fusion power generation to low-carbon development, which is prescribed in the Paris Agreement, under the combination of different uncertainties of future socioeconomic development, probability of the 2 degrees C target, and development of commercial fusion power plants. Global negative CO2 emission in 2100 by drastic decarbonization of energy systems was required to achieve the 2 degrees C target, and fusion power plants were expected to be installed in the latter half of the 21st century mainly in countries with limited potentials of zero-emission energy sources, such as Japan, Korea, and Turkey, for cost-efficient climate change mitigation. If inexpensive power plants could be developed by enhanced R&D and advanced design in DEMO projects or if the establishment of fission plants in the future is low, fusion power generation will also be deployed in the EU28, India, and China. Further cost reduction by innovative design and alternative concepts are also essential to diffuse fusion plants in zero-emission resource-rich countries.",2020,Fusion energy; Low-carbon development; Climate change mitigation; Paris agreement; Global energy systems model,No (2)
Life cycle assessment of biochar-to-soil systems: A review,"The climate change and soil degradation are among the most prominent environmental issues of today and solutions need to be looked for. Pyrolysis of (waste) biomass to produce biochar that is then applied to agricultural soil could be one of the means to tackle these problems. Many authors have used the Life Cycle Assessment method to evaluate the environmental impact of biochar-to-soil projects and in this paper those studies are systematically reviewed to uncover the overall trend. Although the differences in the contexts and characteristics of these studies disallow direct comparison of results, it is still obvious that the application of biochar brings significant benefits, either to neutralize the greenhouse gas emission of agricultural production or as a carbon capture method. There is also a great potential for energy production by utilizing the co-products - syngas and bio-oil. The benefits of carbon sequestration in biochar and the energy production usually overcompensate the greenhouse gas emissions produced during feedstock production and handling. However, the effect on other impact categories needs to be evaluated and limited and the economic sustainability of the project needs to be assured. To facilitate future progress, some methodology unification would be beneficial. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd",2020,,Yes (1)
The geomorphology – sediment distribution – soil formation nexus on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: Implications for landscape evolution,"The interactions between geomorphology, sediment distribution and soil development in alpine regions are poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the spatial variations of different sediment types and corresponding soils in 15 pedosedimentary profiles across three major geomorphic units in an alpine ridge-valley basin of the Qilian Mountains, northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Particle size distribution was used to trace the sediment types. Inorganic and organic carbon concentrations were included as metrics of soil processes. Aeolian silts from both distant and proximal sources cover floodplains, hillslopes and some positions on alluvial fans, while the distribution of fluvial sediments and periglacial slope deposits are much more limited due to the coverage of loess. The soils vary in response to sediment types and climatic conditions under the influence of their geomorphic settings. The vertical distribution patterns of carbonates in soil profiles show considerable differences among different geomorphic units, reflecting their contrasting water balance and migration pathways. Soil organic carbon accumulates most extensively in aeolian silts with sufficient water supply. A special pedogenic soil horizon – the mattic epipedon is formed primarily in loessial sediments in Kobresia ecosystems. The complex entanglement of fine earths and massive grassroots make the mattic epipedon extremely resilient, which helps to preserve the soils and to shape the landscapes. By integrating geomorphology, sedimentology, ecology and pedology, the outcomes of this study promote the understanding of the evolution of typical landscapes and ecosystems of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and many other periglacial settings. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.",2020,,No (2)
Tamm Review: Deep fine roots in forest ecosystems: Why dig deeper?,"While the number of studies dealing with fine root dynamics in deep soils layers (depth > 1 m) has increased sharply recently, the phenology, the morphology, the anatomy and the role of deep fine roots are still poorly known in forest ecosystems. This review summarizes the current knowledge on fine root production, mortality and longevity in deep soil layers, mycorrhizal association with deep roots, and the role of deep fine roots on carbon, water and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. Plant species are known to be more deeply rooted in tropical ecosystems than in temperate and boreal ecosystems, but deep-rooted species are common in a wide range of climates. Deep fine roots are highly plastic in response to changes in environmental conditions and soil resources. Recent studies show that functional traits can be different for deep and shallow roots, with a possible functional specialization of deep fine roots to take up nutrients. With higher vessel diameter and larger tracheid, the anatomy of deep fine roots is also oriented toward water acquisition and transport by increasing the hydraulic conductivity. Deep fine roots can have a great impact on the biogeochemical cycles in many forests (in particular in tropical areas where highly weathered soils are commonly very deep), making it possible to take up water and nutrients over dry periods and contributing to store carbon in the soil. The biogeochemical models in forest ecosystems need to consider the specificity of deep root functioning to better predict carbon, water and nutrient cycling as well as net ecosystem productivity. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.",2020,,No (2)
Global land-use and carbon emission implications from biochar application to cropland in the United States,"Biochar has the potential to increase crop yields when applied to agricultural land. We integrate agronomic and economic simulation models to determine the expected yield increase from biochar applications in the United States. We calculate the location-specific willingness to pay of U.S. farmers to apply biochar to their cropland if biochar increases yields over 20 years. In addition to the potential benefit of higher revenue for farmers, biochar applications also have policy implications if biochar production is combined with bio-fuel production or used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from indirect land-use change. Thus, the results are then combined with an agricultural outlook model to determine the effects on global land-use change and net carbon emissions. Our results indicate that biochar application is most profitable for croplands in the Southeast U.S. due to the combination of high yield increases and availability of biomass to produce biochar. An increase in U.S. yields above trend by 1% for corn, soybeans, and wheat would decrease net total global emissions by 25-87 Tg of CO2-equivalent. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2020,Biomass; Pyrolysis; Net present value; Agricultural trade; Carbon capture and utilization; Mitigation technologies,No (2)
"Estimating the Present Value of Carbon Sequestration in U.S. Forests, 2015-2050, for Evaluating Federal Climate Change Mitigation Policies","We demonstrate an application evaluating carbon sequestration benefits from federal policy alternatives. Using detailed forest inventory data, we projected carbon sequestration outcomes in the coterminous 48 states for a baseline scenario and three policy scenarios through 2050. Alternatives included (1) reducing deforestation from development, (2) afforestation in the eastern United States and reforestation in the western United States, and (3) reducing stand-replacing wildfires. We used social cost of carbon estimates to evaluate the present value of carbon sequestration benefits gained with each policy. Results suggest that afforestation and reforestation would provide the greatest marginal increase in carbon benefit, far exceeding policy cost.",2020,afforestation; carbon sequestration; climate change mitigation and adaptation; land-use change; reforestation,Yes (1)
Long-term effects of harvest on boreal forest soils in relation to a remote sensing-based soil moisture index,"Storing a significant portion of the global carbon (C) stocks, soils of the boreal forest display a high degree of spatial heterogeneity across the landscape, arising from variation in forest structure and landscape morphology, as well as natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Because of this high degree of variability, accurately quantifying C storage in this ecosystem poses a challenge. Forestry is an important feature of Canada's natural resource-based economy, but there is still considerable uncertainty on how management practices will affect boreal soil C sequestration in the long-term. With increasing pressures due to a changing climate and intensified forest management, developing better tools and techniques to quantify soil C dynamics is of paramount importance. In this study, we measured soil C stocks and associated properties in the forest floors and mineral soils (0-7 cm) of conifer-dominated and deciduous (broadleaf)-dominated boreal forest stands, 17 years following variable retention harvest. We investigated if the We Areas Mapping-based depth-to-water (DTW) index, derived from remotely sensed Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data, was related to soil properties of unharvested stands. In addition, relationships between harvest-induced changes in soil properties and the DTW index were examined. In unharvested stands, several forest floor properties were related to DTW. However, these relationships were stand-specific. In unharvested conifer-dominated stands, forest floor C stocks were positively related to site wetness, while in harvested stands there was no relationship; this suggests that C was differentially lost from wetter sites following harvesting. Conversely, in unharvested deciduous-dominated stands, there was no relationship between forest floor C stocks and site wetness, but in harvested stands, wetter sites had higher C stocks. The DTW index was more strongly related to soil properties in the mineral soil (0-7 cm) than in the forest floor. In both forest cover types, mineral soil C and N concentrations, and C stocks, increased with increasing wetness. Relationships between mineral soil properties and DTW were not stand-specific, and were of similar magnitude under deciduous-dominated and conifer-dominated cover. In addition, harvest and forest regeneration had limited impact on the relationships between DTW and mineral soil properties. This study highlights the potential of using remote sensing and the DTW index to model forest floor and mineral soil properties in the boreal forest. In turn, this approach may be utilized in effective forest management strategies that aim to conserve boreal C stocks.",2020,Boreal mixedwood forest; Soil carbon; Long-term soil response; Tree species effects; Variable retention harvest; Depth-to-water index,No (2)
Carbon sequestration and mineralization in soil aggregates under long-term conservation tillage in the North China Plain,"Understanding the process of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and mineralization in aggregates is pertinent to mitigate climate change and minimize risks of soil degradation. Thus, soil samples were obtained after a 10-year field experiment to identify the influences of tillage on aggregate-associated SOC sequestration and mineralization in the North China Plain (NCP). Four tillage practices investigated were as follows: no-till with straw retention (NTS, conservation tillage), rotary tillage with straw incorporation (RTS), conventional tillage with straw incorporation (CTS), and conventional tillage with straw removal (CT). Significantly negative correlations were observed between SOC concentration and potentially mineralized carbon in aggregates under different treatments for the 0-10 cm soil layer. The large macro-aggregates ( > 2 mm) with the highest proportion of size distribution represented the major pool of SOC stock (47.3-51.2%) and mineralization amount (38.2-43.6%) in the 0-30 cm layer, followed by that in the small macro-aggregates (0.25-2 mm), regardless of tillage practices. However, the mineralization quotient (mineralization per unit SOC concentration) of macro-aggregates ( > 0.25 mm) was lower than that for the other size classes. The NTS enhanced the macro-aggregate formation in the 0-20 cm layer and associated SOC concentration in the 0-10 cm layer. Furthermore, NTS decreased total potential mineralization in the 0-30 cm layer compared with the other tillage practices, attributed to decrease in the large macro-aggregates (30.0-51.4%) with low particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration. The NTS with low straw inputs had higher incremental efficiency with straw incorporation than that in the RTS and CTS by 45.0% and 13.5%, respectively (P < 0.05). Overall, the higher proportion of macroaggregates recorded under NTS decreased carbon mineralization, and consequently, increased incremental efficiency with straw incorporation, and improved SOC sequestration in the surface soil layer in the NCP.",2020,Conservation tillage; Straw incorporation; Soil macro-aggregate; Carbon sequestration; Carbon mineralization,No (2)
Life cycle assessment-based multiobjective optimisation of synthetic natural gas supply chain: A case study for the Republic of Ireland,"This article provides a novel designing tool that integrates life cycle and techno-economic analysis in a spatially-explicit optimisation model for the supply chain for biomass-derived synthetic natural gas production from forestry residues, identifying the configurations, including number of plants, locations, sizes, that minimise the environmental and investment associated, necessary for a sustainable transition to a decarbonised gas network. Results show the conversion stage having the highest negative single-score environmental impact with 1725 mu Pt/MWh, mostly due to the use of rapeseed-oil methyl esters, collection of feedstock with 858 mu Pt/MWh, then feedstock transport with a maximum of 103 mu Pt/MWh. The use of rapeseed-oil methyl esters instead of mineral oil, the substitution of biomass-derived synthetic natural gas and co-produced electricity to the natural gas and electricity grids and their end-use provide a net environmental benefit of 1716 mu Pt/MWh in the conversion stage. However, the benefit is limited to climate change, ionising radiation, ozone depletion and resource depletion, while eutrophication and acidification potentials, photochemical ozone formation and particulate matter categories are damaged. The environmental impact of the supply chain per unit of MWh of biomass-derived synthetic natural gas produced is minimised when increasing the number of the plants and minimising their sizes, reducing the impact of transport. However, when the environmental impact is coupled to its cost, a single plant is the one that presents Pareto optimal solutions. Maps of the configurations that minimise the environmental impact per unit euro expended varying the number of plants are produced, confirming a 67.6 MW single plant as best solution. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2020,Life cycle assessment; Bio-SNG; GIS; Climate change mitigation; Supply chain optimisation; Renewable gas,No (2)
Disturbance Effects on Soil Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Forest Ecosystems,"Forests cover around 30% of the global land area and forest ecosystems can store over 70% of total soil organic carbon (SOC) of all terrestrial ecosystems, but SOC stocks and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions may be affected by both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Even though the changes in forest soil C pool can have a significant effect on climate change, there are some contradictory results regarding the role of forest disturbance on SOC sequestration, GHG emissions, and the mitigation of global changes. Therefore, there is a need to better understand the impact of different disturbance regimes on forest soil C storage and GHG emissions. A Special Issue was therefore organized for discussing the responses of soil C storage and GHG emissions to various types of disturbances in forest ecosystems and a total of 15 studies were accepted for this special issue to assess these responses. This Special Issue includes the effects of storms and beetle outbreaks, Karstification, rock desertification, warming, nitrogen addition, land-use change, field tillage, and biochar application on soil C dynamics and/or GHG emissions.",2020,CH4 emissions; CO2 emissions; climate change mitigation; global change; land-use change; N2O emissions; soil carbon sequestration,No (2)
Vermiculite modification increases carbon retention and stability of rice straw biochar at different carbonization temperatures,"Biochar is considered a promising material for sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere, thus helping to alleviate climate change when returned to the soil. Biochar stability is the most decisive factor determining its C sequestration potential. Mineral modification may improve biochar characteristics, but systematic research on the effect of mineral modification on the C retention and stability of biochar and the associated mechanisms is limited. Therefore, in this study, rice straw was used to produce biochar at various temperatures (300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 degrees C), with vermiculite as a modified mineral material. Several methods including thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used to evaluate the effect of vermiculite modification and carbonization temperature on biochar stability. Biochar yield and C retention ratio decreased with increasing temperatures but increased by 13.5-38.8% and 5.2-22.1%, respectively, after vermiculite modification. The ratios of C thermal weight loss, atomic H/C, and C oxidation loss in the biochar were reduced with increasing carbonization temperature, indicating improved thermal, aromatization, and chemical oxidation stability. A trade-off that did not compromise C sequestration potential was optimized at 700 and 600 degrees C for the unmodified and modified biochar, respectively. Furthermore, the total mineral content of the biochar, particularly Fe, Al, Mg, and Si, were increased by vermiculite modification. FTIR results showed that chemical bonds, such as SieOeC and FeeO, were formed or enhanced on the biochar surface after vermiculite modification. This was further certified by the XPS survey spectra. NMR results indicated that biochar stability was enhanced by increasing the aromatization rate during carbonization, that is, by the conversion of C from alkyl and carbonyl C to aromatic C. This study provides a basis for research into and the development of functional biochar and its application in C sequestration. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2020,Biochar; Stability; Mineral modification; Vermiculite; Carbon sequestration,No (2)
Contested framings of greenhouse gas removal and its feasibility: Social and political dimensions,"Prospective approaches for large-scale greenhouse gas removal (GGR) are now central to the post-2020 international commitment to pursue efforts to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C. However, the feasibility of large-scale GGR has been repeatedly questioned. Most systematic analyses focus only on the physical, technical, and economic challenges of deploying it at scale. However, social and political dimensions will be just as important, if not more so, to how possible futures play out. We conduct one of the first reviews of the international peer-reviewed literature pertaining to the social and political dimensions of large-scale GGR, with a specific focus on two predominant approaches: Biomass energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and afforestation/reforestation (AR). Our analysis of 78 studies proposes two important insights. First, it shows how six key social and political dimensions of GGR feasibility-namely economics and incentives; innovation; societal engagement; governance; complexity and uncertainty; and ethics, equity, and justice-are identifiable and are emphasized to varying degrees in the literature. Second, there are three contested ways in which BECCS and AR and their feasibility are being framed in the literature: (a) a techno-economic framing; (b) a social and political acceptability framing; and (c) a responsible development framing. We suggest this third frame will, and indeed should, become increasingly pertinent to the assessment, innovation, and governance of climate futures. This article is categorized under: The Carbon Economy and Climate Mitigation > Policies, Instruments, Lifestyles, Behavior.",2020,afforestation; biomass energy with carbon capture and storage; feasibility; framing; greenhouse gas removal; social and political dimensions,Yes (1)
The role of soil carbon in natural climate solutions,"Mitigating climate change requires clean energy and the removal of atmospheric carbon. Building soil carbon is an appealing way to increase carbon sinks and reduce emissions owing to the associated benefits to agriculture. However, the practical implementation of soil carbon climate strategies lags behind the potential, partly because we lack clarity around the magnitude of opportunity and how to capitalize on it. Here we quantify the role of soil carbon in natural (land-based) climate solutions and review some of the project design mechanisms available to tap into the potential. We show that soil carbon represents 25% of the potential of natural climate solutions (total potential, 23.8 Gt of CO2-equivalent per year), of which 40% is protection of existing soil carbon and 60% is rebuilding depleted stocks. Soil carbon comprises 9% of the mitigation potential of forests, 72% for wetlands and 47% for agriculture and grasslands. Soil carbon is important to land-based efforts to prevent carbon emissions, remove atmospheric carbon dioxide and deliver ecosystem services in addition to climate mitigation. Diverse strategies are needed to mitigate climate change. This study finds that storing carbon in soils represents 25% of land-based potential, of which 60% must come from rebuilding depleted carbon stores.",2020,,No (2)
Warming-induced permafrost thaw exacerbates tundra soil carbon decomposition mediated by microbial community,"Background It is well-known that global warming has effects on high-latitude tundra underlain with permafrost. This leads to a severe concern that decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) previously stored in this region, which accounts for about 50% of the world's SOC storage, will cause positive feedback that accelerates climate warming. We have previously shown that short-term warming (1.5 years) stimulates rapid, microbe-mediated decomposition of tundra soil carbon without affecting the composition of the soil microbial community (based on the depth of 42684 sequence reads of 16S rRNA gene amplicons per 3 g of soil sample). Results We show that longer-term (5 years) experimental winter warming at the same site altered microbial communities (p < 0.040). Thaw depth correlated the strongest with community assembly and interaction networks, implying that warming-accelerated tundra thaw fundamentally restructured the microbial communities. Both carbon decomposition and methanogenesis genes increased in relative abundance under warming, and their functional structures strongly correlated (R-2 > 0.725, p < 0.001) with ecosystem respiration or CH4 flux. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that microbial responses associated with carbon cycling could lead to positive feedbacks that accelerate SOC decomposition in tundra regions, which is alarming because SOC loss is unlikely to subside owing to changes in microbial community composition.",2020,,No (2)
Organic carbon burial and sources in soils of coastal mudflat and mangrove ecosystems,"Mangrove organic carbon is primarily stored in soils, which contain more than two-thirds of total mangrove ecosystem carbon stocks. Despite increasing recognition of the critical role of mangrove ecosystems for climate change mitigation, there is limited understanding of soil organic carbon sequestration mechanisms in undisturbed low-latitude mangroves, specifically on organic carbon burial rates and sources. This study assessed soil organic carbon burial rates, sources and stocks across an undisturbed coastal mudflat and mangrove hydrogeomorphological catena (fringe mangrove and interior mangrove) in Bintuni Bay, West Papua Province, Indonesia. Pb-210 radionuclide sediment dating, and mixing model of natural stable isotope signatures (delta C-13 and delta N-15) and C/N ratio were used to estimate organic carbon burial rates and to quantify proportions of allochthonous (i.e., upland terrestrial forest) and autochthonous (i.e., on-site mangrove forest) organic carbon in the top 50 cm of the soil. Burial rates were in the range of 0.21-1.19 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1). Compared to the fringe mangroves, organic carbon burial rates in interior mangroves were almost twice as high. Primary productivity of C3 upland forest vegetation and mangroves induced soil organic carbon burial in interior mangroves and this was consistent with the formation of the largest organic carbon stocks (179 +/- 82 Mg C ha(-1)). By contrast, organic carbon stored in the fringe mangrove (68 +/- 11 Mg C ha(-1)) and mudflat (62 +/- 10 Mg C ha(-1)) soils mainly originated from upland forests (allochthonous origin). These findings clearly indicate that carbon sequestered and cycling in mangrove and terrestrial forest ecosystems are closely linked, and at least a part of carbon losses (e.g., erosion) from terrestrial forests is buried in mangrove ecosystems.",2020,Blue carbon; Pb-210 sediment dating; Stable isotopes mixing model; Soil carbon sequestration; Climate change mitigation; Soil carbon accrual,No (2)
Waterlogging affects the mitigation of soil GHG emissions by biochar amendment in coastal wetland,"Purpose Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) have greatly impacted the global warming by altering the composition of the atmosphere. The effect of biochar on GHG mitigation has been mainly studied in amended mineral soils and agricultural soils. However, the interactive effects of waterlogging and biochar application on GHG emissions, in coastal wetlands, are still poorly understood, which is important when considering the application of biochar at specific sites. Materials and methods We carried out a soil incubation experiment for 90 days at 25 degrees C to investigate the effects of two types of biochar (Phragmites communisandSpartina alterniflora) with different application rates (0%, 1%, 5%, and 10%) (w/w) on GHG emissions from soil at two different water levels (unwaterlogged and waterlogged soils). Furthermore, soil pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus contents were analyzed after incubation to gain insights into the underlying mechanisms of the biochar's effects on CO2, CH4, and N2O evolution. Results and discussion Waterlogging significantly reduced the cumulative CO2 flux by 36.27%, had no effect on cumulative CH4 flux, and significantly increased cumulative N2O flux by 50.82%, and the corresponding global warming potential (GWP) significantly decreased by 29.72%. Biochar application reduced not only the cumulative CO2 flux, but also the cumulative CH4 absorption, which may shift soils from being CH4 sinks to sources. After biochar application, the cumulative N2O release increased from unwaterlogged soils but decreased in waterlogged soils. There was no significant difference between biochar type on GHG emissions, but differences were observed among different application rates. The GWP significantly decreased by 27.64-69.39% and 36.11-87.34% after biochar application in the unwaterlogged and waterlogged soils, respectively. Conclusions As a consequence, biochar application may significantly decrease GWP of soils due to the large reduction of CO2 release. These results suggest that biochar application is an effective way to reduce GWP in the Yellow River Delta Wetlands, especially when biochar is applied in waterlogged soils at high application rates.",2020,Biochar; Waterlogging; Greenhouse gas fluxes; Global warming potential; Yellow River Delta wetland,No (2)
Attractiveness of Cattle Dung to Coprophilous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea and Sphaeridiinae) and Their Segregation During the Initial Stages of the Heterotrophic Succession on a Pasture in Southeast Michigan,"Only a few mostly older studies analyzed the heterotrophic succession of dung beetles in the Midwestern United States. Such studies are needed to track the impacts of the climate crisis on heterotrophic succession and the associated decomposition processes that are central to soil fertility and carbon sequestration. The current study closes this knowledge gap and provides an easy and efficient method to estimate the relative attractiveness of individual dung pads during heterotrophic succession. The dung beetle community of Carpenter Farm in Adrian, Southeast Michigan was sampled for an entire year, including the winter months, using 15 pitfall traps baited with fresh cow manure. Samples were collected after 48 h and again after 72 h exposure time from the bucket content while leaving the bait unhampered. Eighty-four percent of all beetles were caught in the early sample, but only 6 species were missing in the later sample. A cluster analysis based on Pianka's niche overlap identified a statistically higher mean overlap than expected by chance in a null model (model RA3) and divided the species community clearly into three clusters separating most relocators from most dwellers. Despite using a different method, my results confirmed the successional position of most previously described species and added data for several species with poor or unknown successional state. The successional segregation between dwellers and relocators discovered by the cluster analysis was paralleled by a significantly larger body size of relocators across taxonomic groups as compared to dwellers.",2020,heterotrophic succession; segregation; Aphodiinae; Scarabaeinae; Hydrophilidae,No (2)
From fibrous plant residues to mineral-associated organic carbon - the fate of organic matter in Arctic permafrost soils,"Permafrost-affected soils of the Arctic account for 70% or 727 Pg of the soil organic carbon (C) stored in the northern circumpolar permafrost region and therefore play a major role in the global C cycle. Most studies on the budgeting of C storage and the quality of soil organic matter (OM; SOM) in the northern circumpolar region focus on bulk soils. Thus, although there is a plethora of assumptions regarding differences in terms of C turnover or stability, little knowledge is available on the mechanisms stabilizing organic C in Arctic soils besides impaired decomposition due to low temperatures. To gain such knowledge, we investigated soils from Samoylov Island in the Lena River delta with respect to the composition and distribution of organic C among differently stabilized SOM fractions. The soils were fractionated according to density and particle size to obtain differently stabilized SOM fractions differing in chemical composition and thus bioavailability. To better understand the chemical alterations from plant-derived organic particles in these soils rich in fibrous plant residues to mineral-associated SOM, we analyzed the elemental, isotopic and chemical composition of particulate OM (POM) and clay-sized mineral-associated OM (MAOM). We demonstrate that the SOM fractions that contribute with about 17 kgCm(-3) for more than 60% of the C stock are highly bioavailable and that most of this labile C can be assumed to be prone to mineralization under warming conditions. Thus, the amount of relatively stable, small occluded POM and clay-sized MAOM that currently accounts with about 10 kgCm(-3) for about 40% of the C stock will most probably be crucial for the quantity of C protected from mineralization in these Arctic soils in a warmer future. Using delta N-15 as a proxy for nitrogen (N) balances indicated an important role of N inputs by biological N fixation, while gaseous N losses appeared less important. However, this could change, as with about 0.4 kgNm(-3) one third of the N is present in bioavailable SOM fractions, which could lead to increases in mineral N cycling and associated N losses under global warming. Our results highlight the vulnerability of SOM in Arctic permafrost-affected soils under rising temperatures, potentially leading to unparalleled greenhouse gas emissions from these soils.",2020,,No (2)
Increased yield and CO2 sequestration potential with the C-4 cereal Sorghum bicolor cultivated in basaltic rock dust-amended agricultural soil,"Land-based enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a biogeochemical carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy aiming to accelerate natural geological processes of carbon sequestration through application of crushed silicate rocks, such as basalt, to croplands and forested landscapes. However, the efficacy of the approach when undertaken with basalt, and its potential co-benefits for agriculture, require experimental and field evaluation. Here we report that amending a UK clay-loam agricultural soil with a high loading (10 kg/m(2)) of relatively coarse-grained crushed basalt significantly increased the yield (21 +/- 9.4%, SE) of the important C-4 cereal Sorghum bicolor under controlled environmental conditions, without accumulation of potentially toxic trace elements in the seeds. Yield increases resulted from the basalt treatment after 120 days without P- and K-fertilizer addition. Shoot silicon concentrations also increased significantly (26 +/- 5.4%, SE), with potential benefits for crop resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. Elemental budgets indicate substantial release of base cations important for inorganic carbon removal and their accumulation mainly in the soil exchangeable pools. Geochemical reactive transport modelling, constrained by elemental budgets, indicated CO2 sequestration rates of 2-4 t CO2/ha, 1-5 years after a single application of basaltic rock dust, including via newly formed soil carbonate minerals whose long-term fate requires assessment through field trials. This represents an approximately fourfold increase in carbon capture compared to control plant-soil systems without basalt. Our results build support for ERW deployment as a CDR technique compatible with spreading basalt powder on acidic loamy soils common across millions of hectares of western European and North American agriculture.",2020,carbon removal; crop productivity; mineral weathering; negative emissions technology; reactive transport modelling; silicon; soil acidification,Yes (1)
"Emerging challenges for sustainable development and forest conservation in Sarawak, Borneo","The forests of Borneo-the third largest island on the planet-sustain some of the highest biodiversity and carbon storage in the world. The forests also provide vital ecosystem services and livelihood support for millions of people in the region, including many indigenous communities. The Pan-Borneo Highway and several hydroelectric dams are planned or already under construction in Sarawak, a Malaysian state comprising part of the Borneo. This development seeks to enhance economic growth and regional connectivity, support community access to services, and promote industrial development. However, the implications of the development of highway and dams for forest integrity, biodiversity and ecosystem services remained largely unreported. We assessed these development projects using fine-scale biophysical and environmental data and found several environmental and socioeconomic risks associated with the projects. The highway and hydroelectric dam projects will impact 32 protected areas including numerous key habitats of threatened species such as the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus), Sarawak surili (Presbytis chrysomelas), Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) and tufted ground squirrel (Rheithrosciurus macrotis). Under its slated development trajectory, the local and trans-national forest connectivity between Malaysian Borneo and Indonesian Borneo would also be substantially diminished. Nearly similar to 161 km of the Pan-Borneo Highway in Sarawak will traverse forested landscapes and similar to 55 km will traverse carbon-rich peatlands. The 13 hydroelectric dam projects will collectively impact similar to 1.7 million ha of forest in Sarawak. The consequences of planned highway and hydroelectric dams construction will increase the carbon footprint of development in the region. Moreover, many new road segments and hydroelectric dams would be built on steep slopes in high-rainfall zones and forested areas, increasing both construction and ongoing maintenance costs. The projects would also alter livelihood activities of downstream communities, risking their long-term sustainability. Overall, our findings identify major economic, social and environmental risks for several planned road segments in Sarawak-such as those between Telok Melano and Kuching; Sibu and Bintulu; and in the Lambir, Limbang and Lawas regions-and dam projects-such as Tutoh, Limbang, Lawas, Baram, Linau, Ulu Air and Baleh dams. Such projects need to be reviewed to ensure they reflect Borneo's unique environmental and forest ecosystem values, the aspirations of local communities and long-term sustainability of the projects rather than being assessed solely on their short-term economic returns.",2020,,No (2)
Geoengineering super low carbon cows: food and the corporate carbon economy in a low carbon world,"The tangible progress to address climatic change remains painfully slow. As a result, practices to deliberately manipulate the Earth's carbon and energy cycles to counteract climate change have gained traction and they are increasingly incorporated into mainstream debate. This paper examines one of the less documented examples of climate geoengineering, namely the creation of 'super low carbon cows'. Driven by the public's desire for a low carbon pint of milk or beef burger, I show how a combination of bioengineering, technological fixes and management practices have resulted in, and are informing, everyday changes to the way in which animals are bred, cared for and eaten-and in turn, how it affects the food that we consume. Thus, the role of the cow within the Anthropocene now extends from meat machine and sentient being to climate change saviour. I seek to show that super low carbon cows represent part of a wider climate 'responsibilisation' in which business interests and corporate storytelling are governing and enacting everyday mundane practices of climate engineering as part of the corporate carbon economy. Yet, as with other climate 'fixes', this paper shows that the super low carbon cow provides, at best, an imperfect correction. Critical gaps in the evidence of the efficiency of the solutions being advanced remain whilst manipulating an animal to be more climate friendly evokes unease when considering the wider sustainability and ethical impacts. Perhaps most critically, reliance on climate engineering to provide cheap and easy ways to control our climate fails to question, far less address, the ever-increasing demand, production and wastage of food. It also potentially undermines the already weak political will for other essential and more radical responses to climate change. In doing so, I contrast the extensive efforts to change the everyday behaviours of a cow with the limited attempts to meaningfully challenge the everyday practices, consumption lifestyles and dietary choices of the general public.",2020,Climate change; Geoengineering; Carbon reduction; Dairy,No (2)
Estimation of Carbon Dioxide Emissions from a Diesel Engine Powered by Lignocellulose Derived Fuel for Better Management of Fuel Production,"Managing of wastes rich in lignocellulose creates the opportunity to produce biofuels that are in full compliance with the principles of sustainable development. Biomass, as a suitable base for the production of biofuels, does not have to be standardized, and its only important feature is the appropriate content of lignocellulose, which assures great freedom in the selection of input. Biobutanol, obtained from this type of biomass, can be used as fuel for internal combustion engines, including diesel engines. In the era of strict environmental protection regulations, especially concerning atmospheric air, any new fuel, apart from good energetic properties, should also show beneficial ecological effects. This study investigates the carbon dioxide emissions from biobutanol powered diesel engine by means of use of the simulation model. The parameters of a real passenger car powered by a diesel engine were used for simulation carried out accordingly to the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure) approval procedure as the current test for newly manufactured cars. The results obtained for biobutanol were compared with simulated exhaust emissions obtained for conventional diesel and with FAME (fatty acid methyl esters)-the most popular biofuel. Biobutanol, in spite of its higher consumption, showed lower direct carbon dioxide emissions than both: the conventional diesel and FAME. In addition, a LCA (life cycle assessment) was carried out for the fuels and vehicles in question using the SimaPro package. Therefore, the implementation of butyl alcohol as a fuel provides favorable environmental effects. This result gives arguments towards biofuel production management indicating that implementation of biobutanol production technology mitigates carbon dioxide emission, as well as promotes lignocellulosic resources rather than edible parts of the plants.",2020,biobutanol; clean combustion; Scilab simulations; SimaPro; CO2 emission; fuel production management; environmental impact; non-edible resources for biofuel production,No (2)
Post-combustion CO2 capture and recovery by pure activated methyldiethanolamine in crossflow membrane contactors having coated hollow fibers,"Gas absorption and stripping using membrane contactors is one of a number of carbon capture and storage technologies being investigated for separating CO2 from flue gas. Energy consumption in CO2 absorption-stripping employing amine-containing aqueous absorbent solutions is strongly influenced by demanding stripping conditions involving higher temperatures. The utility of using pure methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) activated by piperazine as a reactive absorbent was studied using a compact hollow fiber device for the absorber as well as the stripper. Water needed for reactive absorption of CO2 in tertiary amine MDEA was obtained from simulated humidified flue gas stream which is saturated with moisture in actual practice. This study investigated also the absorption and stripping performances of aqueous absorbent solutions containing 80% and 90% activated MDEA (aMDEA). Considerable CO2 stripping from CO2-loaded pure aMDEA absorbent was achieved at 92 degrees C while absorption was carried out at 25-46 degrees C. Further, the CO2 stripping rate was far higher for pure MDEA compared to the other two aMDEA solutions with water. Results are reported for the performance of the absorption-stripping process as a function of humidified simulated flue gas flow rate and the absorbent flow rate. High values of the overall mass transfer coefficients (MTCs) have also been reported for absorption. The highest volumetric gas phase based overall MTC obtained was 0.504 sec(-1). This system has a much lower absorbent circulation load, eliminates the energy needed to heat and evaporate water present in aqueous absorbent solutions and benefits from the absence of excess water during stripping.",2020,Post-combustion CO2 capture; Membrane contactor; Hollow fiber membrane; Absorption and stripping; Pure methyldiethanolamine/piperazine,No (2)
Techno-Economic Analysis of CO2 Capture Technologies in Offshore Natural Gas Field: Implications to Carbon Capture and Storage in Malaysia,"Growing concern on global warming directly related to CO2 emissions is steering the implementation of carbon capture and storage (CCS). With Malaysia having an estimated 37 Tscfd (Trillion standard cubic feet) of natural gas remains undeveloped in CO2 containing natural gas fields, there is a need to assess the viability of CCS implementation. This study performs a techno-economic analysis for CCS at an offshore natural gas field in Malaysia. The framework includes a gas field model, revenue model, and cost model. A techno-economic spreadsheet consisting of Net Present Value (NPV), Payback Period (PBP), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is developed over the gas field's production life of 15 years for four distinctive CO2 capture technologies, which are membrane, chemical absorption, physical absorption, and cryogenics. Results predict that physical absorption solvent (Selexol) as CO2 capture technology is most feasible with IRR of 15% and PBP of 7.94 years. The output from the techno-economic model and associated risks of the CCS project are quantified by employing sensitivity analysis (SA), which indicated that the project NPV is exceptionally sensitive to gas price. On this basis, the economic performance of the project is reliant on revenues from gas sales, which is dictated by gas market price uncertainties.",2020,CO2 capture; carbon capture and storage (CCS); offshore gas field; techno-economic analysis,No (2)
Does soil organic carbon quality or quantity govern relative temperature sensitivity in soil aggregates?,"Soil aggregates govern soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. But, sparse understanding about the process leads to inaccuracy in predicting potential of soil to stabilize C in warming world. We appraised effects of 43 years of fertilization on relative temperature sensitivity of SOC decomposition (Q(10)) in soil aggregates to know whether SOC quality or quantity governs Q(10). Treatments were: fallow, control, 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (N), N and phosphorus (NP), N, P and potassium (NPK), and NPK + farmyard manure (FYM) (NPK + FYM). Macroaggregates, microaggregates and silt + clay (s + c) fractions were incubated for 16 weeks at 25, 35 and 45 degrees C, SOC quality (R-0) and Q(10) were computed. SOC mineralization from macro- and micro- aggregates were 34 and 28% higher than s + c across the treatments. The s + c fraction of NPK + FYM had ~ 41, 40 and 24% higher C decay rate than NPK plots at 25, 35 and 45 degrees C, respectively. For s + c fraction Q(10) increased over other aggregates. Mean Q(10) of s + c fraction was ~ 18.3 and 17.5% higher than macro and micro-aggregate-C, respectively. R-0 was the lowest for NPK + FYM, suggesting long-term manuring with balanced NPK significantly enhance recalcitrance of C. We observed Q(10) of macroaggregates and s + c fraction is controlled by C quality but C quantity governs Q(10) of microaggregates in Vertisol. Specifically, microaggregates of NPK + FYM were more temperature sensitive, and could be vulnerable to C loss. Hence, practices facilitating microaggregate formation should be avoided. Thus, we recommend manure application for facilitating C sequestration.",2020,Soil organic carbon mineralization; Carbon sequestration; Manure application; Vertisol,No (2)
Experimental study on fouling and slagging behaviors during oxy-fuel combustion of high-sodium coal using a high-temperature drop-tube furnace,"Zhundong coalfield occupies an important position in Chinese energy resource. However, the high-sodium content has become the hindrance for the safe use of Zhundong coal, leading to severe fouling and slagging issues. Oxy-fuel combustion is a clean combustion technology and beneficial for capturing CO2. The fouling/slagging mechanisms of Zhundong coal in oxy-fuel combustion were ambiguous and the influences of oxygen content on the slagging behaviors of high-sodium coal have yet to be fully understood. This work employed a drop-tube furnace to explore the effects of flue gas temperature and oxygen content on the fouling and slagging characteristics in oxy-fuel atmosphere, and also conducted the comparison between oxy-fuel and air cases, with the elaboration of mineral constituents, morphologies, and elemental compositions of the deposits. Experimental results showed that the fouling of the high-sodium coal worsened as the flue gas temperature rose from 900 degrees C to 1200 degrees C. The element and mineral categories of the slag were similar but the relative contents of the mineral were different between oxy-fuel and air conditions. The diffraction peak of quartz in Wucaiwan slag during oxy-fuel combustion was weaker than that in air, while the condition of Lu'an slag was different. The high sodium content and its compounds promoted the formation of initial layer and the sticky particle surface, worsening the fouling and slagging. More comprehensive understanding of slagging mechanism could be achieved through the present work, which made sense for the optimization of combustion condition and the safe utilization of Zhundong coal.",2020,oxy-fuel combustion; high-sodium coal; slagging; mineral constituent; morphology; CO2 capture technology,No (2)
CFD analysis of CO2 absorption in a microporous tube-in-tube microchannel reactor with a novel gas-liquid mass transfer model,"Due to the greenhouse effect, new technologies of CO2 capture attract wide attention. In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was employed to simulate the absorption of CO2 in a microporous tubein-tube microchannel reactor (MTMCR). Based on the eddy cell model, a novel gas-liquid mass transfer model considering the surface work was proposed and the simulated results of volumetric mass transfer coefficient agreed well with the published experimental data. In the lower turbulence range, the deviations between experimental data and predictions of k(l)a using eddy cell model are over +/- 40%. Meanwhile, results from the modified eddy cell model agree well with experimental data within +/- 10% deviation in a wide range of operating conditions. The novel gas-liquid mass transfer model could benefit for understanding the mass transfer mechanism and improving the mass transfer performance in reactors. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2020,Gas-liquid mass transfer; CFD; MTMCR,No (2)
A Multistage Sustainable Production-Inventory Model with Carbon Emission Reduction and Price-Dependent Demand under Stackelberg Game,"This paper investigated a multistage sustainable production-inventory model for deteriorating items (i.e., raw materials and finished goods) with price-dependent demand and collaborative carbon reduction technology investment under carbon tax regulation. The model was developed by first defining the total profit of the supply chain members under carbon tax regulation and, second, considering a manufacturer (leader)-retailer (follower) Stackelberg game. The optimal equilibrium solutions that maximize the manufacturer's and retailer's total profits were determined through the method analysis. An algorithm complemented the model to determine the optimal equilibrium solutions, which were then treated with sensitivity analyses for the major parameters. Based on the numerical analysis, (a) carbon tax policies help reduce carbon emissions for both the manufacturer and retailer; (b) most carbon emissions from supply chain operations negatively impact the total profits of both members; (c) the retailer may increase the optimal equilibrium selling price to respond to an increase in carbon emissions from supply chain operations or carbon tax; and (d) autonomous consumption positively affects both members' optimal equilibrium policies and total profits, whereas induced consumption does the opposite. These findings are very managerial and instructive for companies seeking profits and fulfilling environmental responsibility and governments.",2020,multistage supply chain; production-inventory model; carbon emission; price-dependent demand; Stackelberg game,No (2)
Environmental assessment of CO2 mineralisation for sustainable construction materials,"Mineral carbonation is a carbon utilisation technology in which an alkaline material reacts with carbon dioxide forming stable carbonates that can have different further uses, for instance as construction material. The alkaline material can be a residue from industrial activities (e.g. metallurgic slags) while CO2 can be recovered from industrial flue gasses. Mineral carbonation presents several potential environmental advantages: (i) industrial residues valorisation, (ii) CO2 sequestration and (iii) substitution of conventional concrete based on Portland cement (PC). However, both the carbonation and the CO2 recovery processes require energy. To understand the trade-off between the environmental benefits and drawbacks of CO2 recovery and mineral carbonation, this study presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of carbonated construction blocks from mineral carbonation of stainless steel slags. The carbonated blocks are compared to traditional PC-based concrete blocks with similar properties. The results of the LCA analysis show that the carbonated blocks present lower environmental impacts in most of the analysed impact categories. The key finding is that the carbonated blocks present a negative carbon footprint. Nonetheless, the energy required represents the main environmental hotspot. An increase in the energy efficiency of the mineral carbonation process and a CO2 valorisation network are among the suggestions to further lower the environmental impacts of carbonated blocks production. Finally, the LCA results can promote the development of policy recommendations to support the implementation of mineral carbonation technology. Further research should enable the use of mineral carbonation on a broader range and large volume of alkaline residues.",2020,Mineral carbonation; Stainless steel slag; Life cycle assessment; CO2 capture and utilisation,No (2)
Decoupling feldspar dissolution and precipitation rates at near-equilibrium with Si isotope tracers: Implications for modeling silicate weathering,"Here we show that the isotope tracer experimental method for kinetic studies, aided by the recent advance and accessibility of multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) analysis for non-traditional stable isotopes, can provide unidirectional dissolution rates at near-equilibrium conditions. For a long time, the only rates available at near-equilibrium were net reaction rates-dissolution rates minus precipitation rates. This is because the conventional experimental method of kinetic studies is based on element concentrations and can only provide net rates. The availability of unidirectional rates allows us to re-examine some fundamental concepts and practices of modeling weathering in geochemistry. In this study, we used the Si-29 isotope tracer to conduct albite and K-feldspar dissolution experiments at near-equilibrium conditions in near-neutral pH solutions at 50 degrees C. Results show that the saturation indices (SI) of solutions approached zero with respect to albite and K-feldspar after similar to 240-360 h (h), but Si-29/Si-28 ratios of the experimental solutions indicated continual dissolution for another 720-1440 h. The rates of total Si precipitation were much smaller than the rates of Si dissolution. The experimental solutions were supersaturated with respect to amorphous Al(OH)(3), gibbsite, quartz, allophane, imogolite, and kaolinite. The SI of the solutions remained constant with respect to these phases while Al concentrations slightly decreased and Si concentrations slightly increased, indicating the coupled feldspar dissolution and precipitation of secondary phases, such as albite -> amorphous Al(OH)(3) + quartz or albite -> solution + Al-Si phase(s), instead of significant albite and K-feldspar precipitation (the reverse reaction) at 50 degrees C. Reaction path modeling of the temporal evolution of Si, Al, Na, and pH revealed that albite dissolution (without significant backward reaction) coupled with the precipitation of a secondary phase with a Si:Al ratio of similar to 2:1 can successfully match the experimental data. Given the negligible feldspar precipitation reactions in low-temperature systems (e.g., T < 100 degrees C), we recommend modeling feldspar weathering using unidirectional forward rates together with secondary phase precipitation rates in near-equilibrium, feldspar-undersaturated systems. This can be accomplished with minor modifications in geochemical modeling software or input files. The coupled feldspar dissolution with secondary phase precipitation arrests the system in a near-equilibrium steady state. Using affinity-based rate equations such the classical linear Transition State Theory rate law or the Burch empirical relation together with far-from-equilibrium rate data will predict significant feldspar precipitation in solutions undersaturated but close to equilibrium with respect to feldspars, which is unlikely at near ambient temperatures. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2020,Kinetics; Feldspar; Isotope doping; Near-equilibrium; Weathering; Carbon sequestration,No (2)
Energy harvesting from amine-based CO2 capture: proof-of-concept based on mono-ethanolamine,"Amine-based processes are the leading technology for CO2 capture, but their commercial deployment is hindered by their large energy requirement. In practice, the energy consumption of this CO2 capture process is a result of an inability to offset the energy required for CO2 desorption against the enthalpy released in CO2 absorption. Here, we propose a metal-mediated CO2-regenerative amine-based battery (CRAB) to directly convert the CO2-reaction enthalpy into electrical energy. Using the benchmark mono-ethanolamine (MEA) absorbent, we developed and validated a CRAB process model that is used to predict the energy harvesting performance. We then harvested an electrical energy of 8.3 kJe/mol CO2 from the lab-scale flow battery, demonstrating the proof-of-concept of energy harvesting from amine-based CO2 capture. Techno-economic analysis indicates that the CRAB energy harvesting system improved the power generation efficiency by 1.75% and decreased the CO2 avoided cost when integrated with a coal-fired power station, suggesting its potential to improve the techno-economic competitiveness of amine-based CO2 capture process.",2020,Energy harvesting; Electrochemical; Amine; CO2 capture; Reaction enthalpy conversion; Metal-mediated,No (2)
Political Perspectives on Geoengineering: Navigating Problem Definition and Institutional Fit,"Geoengineering technologies are by definition only effective at scale, and so international policy development of some sort will be unavoidable. It is therefore important to include governability as a dimension when assessing the technologies' feasibility and potential role in addressing climate change. The few existing studies that address this question indicate that for some technologies, policy development at the international level could be exceedingly difficult. This study provides an in-depth, theoretically informed analysis of the obstacles that policymakers face when addressing geoengineering governance. Using data in the form of negotiation proceedings, observations, and interviews with government officials from seven different countries, it argues that a significant part of the challenge lies in dissonances between problem definitions that are widely used in the geoengineering governance debate and the structures and expectations that shape environmental policy making. These include a lack of institutional fit between the processbased differentiation of geoengineering technologies (carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management) and the international legal architecture, a lack of fit between the urgency of demanded governance action and prevalent scientific and political uncertainties, and a lack of fit between risk-risk trade-off narratives and the precautionary norms of environmental governance.",2020,,Yes (1)
The nexus of environmental degradation and technology innovation and adoption: an experience from dragon,"The Chinese economy traces an outstanding economics growth and development by utilizing its natural resources and cheap labor force along with environmental problems. China is focusing on policies related to technology for people's well-being. Despite this, about 2 million Chinese are going to die yearly due to air pollution regarding the Global Air Quality Report of the World Health Organization. The marginal impact of technology innovation and adoption is inaudible in the Chinese pollution equation. Therefore, this study analysis spotlights on nexuses of technology innovation and adoption CO(2)emission for the Chinese economy, respectively. The marginal impacts infer that technology innovation and trade openness are mitigating the CO(2)emission, whereas technology adoption and GDP enrich the CO(2)emission in the Chinese context. Lag periods of technology innovation and adoption also have significant linkage with CO(2)emission. Hence, an increase in technology innovation will help lessen the CO(2)emission. The introduction of green energy and efficient ICT equipment is needed to tackle environmental degradation. The policy-makers can put a carbon tax on inefficient industrial processes and products for sustainable development.",2020,CO(2)emission; China; Technology innovation; Technology adoption,No (2)
Does electricity consumption and globalization increase pollutant emissions? Implications for environmental sustainability target for China,"Giving that People's Republic of China is one of the two new frontiers of globalization, the country has continued to contend with the bottleneck of sustaining its economic growth amidst environmental hiccups arising from the drawbacks of globalization and energy consumption. By investigating the challenges of the country's drive toward environmental sustainability, the present study offers a new perspective on the role of electricity consumption and economic growth in a carbon-income function setting. This study also incorporates globalization into CO2 emissions equation for the experimental period of 1970-2014. Stationarity properties were ascertained by the Zivot and Andrew unit root test under a single structural break. Subsequently, the recent and novel combined cointegration test of Bayer and Hanck (2013) in conjunction with the Pesaran bounds testing approach is used to establish a cointegration relationship among the selected variables. Finally, the modified Wald test of the Toda-Yamamoto Granger causality test is employed to detect the direction of causality flows among the variables. Empirical piece of evidence finds a statistically positive correlation between electricity consumption and economic growth as seen in the long-run regression. This result is also affirmed by the Granger causality test. The test corroborates with the electricity-induced growth hypothesis in the case of China. However, there is an environmental trade-off, as more electricity consumptions spur increased carbon dioxide emissions (CO2). Our study finds empirical support that globalization reduced pollutant emissions in both the short and long run over our sampled period. Based on these results and outcomes, several policy prescriptions on the energy-income and environment nexus are renders for policymakers. Among such policy recommendations are (a) the need for the diversification of the Chinese energy mix to cleaner energy sources and renewables and (b) the need for decarbonization and adoption of carbon capturing and storage technologies.",2020,Globalization; Electricity consumption; Carbon emission; Energy consumption; Economic growth; China,No (2)
"Time -dependent climate impact of biomass use in a fourth generation district heating system, including BECCS","Changes to energy systems are needed in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change. This study assessed the climate change mitigation potential, in terms of temperature change over time, of a new combined heat and power (CHP) plant, including the dynamic effect on an existing fourth generation district heating system. The climate impact of combusting forest residues (tops and branches) was compared with combusting municipal solid waste (MSW), waste wood or hard coal. A scenario with wood chip combustion and carbon capture and storage (BECCS) was also assessed. The district heating system in Stockholm, Sweden, was used as a case study for the assessment. The results clearly show climate change mitigation potential of combusting wood chips, compared with hard coal and MSW, with this climate benefit increasing further with BECCS. The results also demonstrate the importance of time dynamic effects in the energy system and temperature response, highlighting the importance of not postponing implementation of climate change mitigation options if agreed climate targets are to be met on time.",2020,Bioenergy; BECCS; LCA; Forest residues; MSW,No (2)
Electrochemical Reactors for CO2 Conversion,"Increasing risks from global warming impose an urgent need to develop technologically and economically feasible means to reduce CO(2)content in the atmosphere. Carbon capture and utilization technologies and carbon markets have been established for this purpose. Electrocatalytic CO(2)reduction reaction (CO2RR) presents a promising solution, fulfilling carbon-neutral goals and sustainable materials production. This review aims to elaborate on various components in CO2RR reactors and relevant industrial processing. First, major performance metrics are discussed, with requirements obtained from a techno-economic analysis. Detailed discussions then emphasize on (i) technical benefits and challenges regarding different reactor types, (ii) critical features in flow cell systems that enhance CO(2)diffusion compared to conventional H-cells, (iii) electrolyte and its effect on liquid phase electrolyzers, (iv) catalysts for feasible products (carbon monoxide, formic acid and multi-carbons) and (v) strategies on flow channel and anode design as next steps. Finally, specific perspectives on CO(2)feeds for the reactor and downstream purification techniques are annotated as part of the CO2RR industrial processing. Overall, we focus on the component and system aspects for the design of a CO2RR reactor, while pointing out challenges and opportunities to realize the ultimate goal of viable carbon capture and utilization technology.",2020,CO2 reduction reaction; CO2RR; electrolyzer; flow cell; H-cell; industrial process; reactor design; separation; economic analysis,No (2)
Carbon and water relations in perennial Kernza (Thinopyrum intermedium): An overview,"Perennial crops have been proposed as a more sustainable alternative to annual crops, because they have extended growing seasons, continuous ground cover, reduced nutrient leakage, and sequester more carbon in the soils than annual crops. One example is intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium), a perennial crop that has been used as a cool-season forage throughout the USA and Canada and also across its native range in Eurasia. Since the 1980's, intermediate wheatgrass has been under domestication to improve seed fertility and grain yield. Commercial products are being sold under the trade name Kernza, owned by The Land Institute, located in Salina, Kansas, USA. This review provides a comprehensive framework about the physical and biological aspects involving the water and carbon cycles in Kernza plants. The main aspects we highlight here are based on previous findings regarding Kernza: i) the ability of maintaining a relatively high water-use efficiency throughout the whole growing season, which is beneficial to mitigate water stress, representing an important physiological mean to acclimate under severe, unfavorable weather conditions, and ii) its higher evapotranspiration (ET) and net carbon uptake rates, particularly when compared to annual counterparts. Only a thorough multifaceted assessment of the repercussion for carbon and water fluxes of a shift from annual crops to Kernza will allow assessing the perspectives of such novel perennial crop to support food security and a number of ecosystem services, particularly under future climates.",2020,Intermediate wheatgrass; Evapotranspiration; Net ecosystem carbon balance; Water-use efficiency,No (2)
Mineral nitrogen captured in field-aged biochar is plant-available,"Biochar may serve as a tool to sustainably mitigate climate change via carbon sequestration and by improving soil fertility. Biochar has shown to retain nitrate in its pores, which increases with an organic coating of the inner surfaces and residence time in soil (""aging""). Here we investigated the plant accessibility of the captured nitrate in field-aged biochar, as a pre-requisite for developing carbon-based N fertilization techniques with environmental benefits. Based on previous results, we hypothesized that part of the biochar-captured nitrate would remain unavailable for plants. A two-factorial greenhouse experiment was designed, where the N was applied either as Ca(NO3)(2) or as N captured in field-aged biochar at five increasing N doses to quinoa and perennial ryegrass in pots. Interestingly, the biochar-captured N was as plant available as the mineral nitrate, except for the highest dosage. Refuting our hypothesis, no significant amounts of N were extractable at the end of the study from the biochar-soil mixtures with repeated-extraction protocols. Thus, N captured by biochar may improve the N use efficiency in agriculture. Further research should evaluate the role of biochar particle size, root morphology, mycorrhization, and soil moisture (variations) for nitrate retrieval from biochar particles by plants because the captured biochar N was less available in the field as under present controlled conditions.",2020,,No (2)
An equitable redistribution of unburnable carbon,"The rapid phase-out of fossil fuels is critical to achieving a well-below 2 degrees C world. An emerging body of research explores the implications of this phase-out for fossil fuel producing countries, including the perceived tension between least-cost and most-equitable pathways. Here we present modelling, which re-distributes remaining fossil fuel production towards developing countries. We show that redistribution is challenging due to large economic disincentives required to shift production, and offers limited economic benefit for developing countries given the long timeframe required to effect change, and the wider impact of rising fuel import and energy systems costs. Furthermore, increases in production shares are offset by shrinking markets for fossil fuels, which are part dependent on carbon capture and storage (CCS). We argue that while there is a weak economic case for redistribution, there is a clear role for equity principles in guiding the development of supply side policy and in development assistance. The allocation of remaining fossil fuel production has stimulated a discussion around issues of equitable allocation but the implications of different options are unclear. Here the authors show that shifting production to low-medium human development regions has limited economic benefits under strong climate policy.",2020,,No (2)
The Ethics of Geoengineering: A Literature Review,"Geoengineering as a technological intervention to avert the dangerous climate change has been on the table at least since 2006. The global outreach of the technology exercised in a non-encapsulated system, the concerns with unprecedented levels and scales of impact and the overarching interdisciplinarity of the project make the geoengineering debate ethically quite relevant and complex. This paper explores the ethical desirability of geoengineering from an overall review of the existing literature on the ethics of geoengineering. It identifies the relevant literature on the ethics of geoengineering by employing a standard methodology. Based on various framing of the major ethical arguments and their subsets, the results section presents the opportunities and challenges at stake in geoengineering from an ethical point of view. The discussion section takes a keen interest in identifying the evolving dynamics of the debate, the grey areas of the debate, with underdeveloped arguments being brought to the foreground and in highlighting the arguments that are likely to emerge in the future as key contenders. It observes the semantic diversity and ethical ambiguity, the academic lop-sidedness of the debate, missing contextual setting, need for interdisciplinary approaches, public engagement, and region-specific assessment of ethical issues. Recommendations are made to provide a useful platform for the second generation of geoengineering ethicists to help advance the debate to more decisive domains with the required clarity and caution.",2020,Geoengineering; Ethics; Solar radiation management; Carbon dioxide removal; Negative emission; Justice; Research-ethics; Lesser evil; Moral hazard,Yes (1)
Potential of crop-livestock integration to enhance carbon sequestration and agroecosystem functioning in semi-arid croplands,"While characteristics of semi-arid climates place limitations on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, there is opportunity and urgency for increasing the quality and long-term persistence of cropland SOC content within these agroecosystems. Livestock re-integration into cropland shows potential to improve semi-arid agroecosystem functioning through shifts in biogeochemical processes and the facilitation of multiple ecosystem services involved in carbon and nutrient cycling and use-efficiency. Here we review the characteristics of grazing-based Integrated Crop-Livestock (ICL) systems and how various associated management practices may interplay with semi-arid agroecological and biogeochemical dynamics to influence soil microbial ecology and SOC accumulation and stabilization. We argue that livestock re-integration holds notable potential to increase cropland SOC through controls on landscape net primary productivity, allocation of biomass belowground, efficient recycling of residual crop nutrients, and soil biological activity related to a suite of soil ecosystem services. Achieving the full SOC accumulation potential of ICL management will require site-specific consideration of feedbacks between herbivory, soil microbial ecology, soil disturbance, and forage species interactions. Future research should focus on optimizing plant-soil-grazer feedbacks and understanding of mechanistic drivers of ICL system outcomes to optimize the design and management of semi-arid regional ICL systems for enhanced SOC quality and persistence.",2020,Integrated crop-livestock; Plant-soil-grazer interactions; Agroecology; Soil organic carbon; Soil microbial ecology; Biogeochemistry,No (2)
Techno-economic evaluation of indirect carbonation for CO2 emissions capture in cement industry: A system dynamics approach,"CO2 emissions in the cement industry account for about 8% of the total CO2 emissions worldwide. They mainly originate from limestone calcination and fossil fuel combustion in clinker production. To avoid the 2 °C increase in global temperature compared with the pre-industrial global temperature, which was proposed in the COP21 agreement in 2015, the cement industry should reduce CO2 emissions by 24%. Thus, this study evaluates an indirect carbonation CO2 capture and utilization technology for CO2 emissions abatement in the clinker production. The indirect carbonation process was assessed using different hydroxides (Na, Ba, and Ca) as absorbent precursors. Technical evaluation shows that the carbonation process using Na and Ba hydroxides was feasible between 50 and 70 °C, with CO2 capture efficiencies of 98% and 65%, respectively. On the contrary, the Ca-based process only obtained an efficiency of 0.5% due to the low solubility of Ca(OH)2 in water, resulting in technical impracticality. The estimated costs of CO2 capture for Na and Ba processes were assessed at 65 and 140 USD/t CO2, respectively. Moreover, the economic impact of implementing the CO2 capture carbonation technology in a cement plant and the effect of market and governmental conditions on the overall cement plant cashflow were analyzed by integrating technical results and economic evaluation in a system dynamics model. This model was developed to appraise the overall economic impact of CO2 capture on a referential cement plant profits under different market scenarios and a CO2 tax economic policy. System dynamics results showed that market factors, such as the carbonate demand, limit the CO2 capture potential of the indirect carbonation technology. Moreover, it was noticed that the implementation of the NaOH and Ba(OH)2 carbonation technologies reduces cement plant profits by 55% and 5%, respectively, when CO2 emissions were reduced by 65% in both scenarios. Furthermore, the application of a CO2 tax between 20 and 80 USD/t CO2 emitted will encourage the implementation of CO2 capture technologies, with the aim to reduce its emissions by 24% via cement plants. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd",2020,,No (2)
Integration of hydrothermal liquefaction and carbon capture and storage for the production of advanced liquid biofuels with negative CO2 emissions,"The technical and economic feasibility to deliver sustainable liquid biocrude through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) while enabling negative carbon dioxide emissions is evaluated in this paper, looking into the potential of the process in the context of negative emission technologies (NETs) for climate change mitigation. In the HTL process, a gas phase consisting mainly of carbon dioxide is obtained as a side product driving a potential for the implementation of carbon capture and storage in the process (BECCS) that has not been explored yet in the existing literature and is undertaken in this study. To this end, the process is divided in a “standard” HTL base and a carbon capture add-on, having forestry residues as feedstock. The Selexol™ technology is adapted in a novel scheme to simultaneously separate the CO2 from the HTL gas and recover the excess hydrogen for biocrude upgrading. The cost evaluation indicates that the additional cost of the carbon capture can be compensated by revenues from the excess process heat and the European carbon allowance market. The impact in the MFSP of the HTL base case ranges from −7% to 3%, with −15% in the most favorable scenario, with a GHG emissions reduction potential of 102–113% compared to the fossil baseline. These results show that the implementation of CCS in the HTL process is a promising alternative from technical, economic and environmental perspective in future scenarios in which advanced liquid biofuels and NETs are expected to play a role in the decarbonization of the energy system. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd",2020,,No (2)
An overview of innovation and entrepreneurship to address climate change,"Opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship to address the existential challenge of climate change are reviewed, focusing on two themes. (a) The processes and strategies to mitigate the effects of projected climate changes arising from global anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions, and (b) the future security of food, water, and energy specifically in the Arab Middle East. It is appreciated that implementation of these changes will be dependent on peaceful and politically stable conditions. Also, the Region is connected to neighbouring countries and shares the atmosphere with the rest of the world so there is a need for concerted multilateral action. All forward projections are subject to numerous uncertainties including the advent of conceptually new forms of disruptive technology and the adaptive capacity of Arab nations. Although the timing and quantification of risks are unclear, a prudent approach is essential to safeguard financial stability of international markets and national economies. Background information is presented on greenhouse gases, fossil fuels, and renewable energy. Climate-change predictions at the general level and specifically for the Arab region are outlined, along with mitigation and adaption strategies and climate engineering. Specific processes and strategies for the Arab Middle East are discussed with detailed proposals for agriculture and food security, water security, energy security, industrial biotechnology, social development, carbon storage and trading, and global biodiversity. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are considered in relation to climate change, followed by examination of the terms sustainable and sustainability. Finally, international climate-change negotiations and agreements are briefly reviewed. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.",2020,,Yes (1)
Two-phased collapse of the shallow-water carbonate factory during the late Pliensbachian–Toarcian driven by changing climate and enhanced continental weathering in the Northwestern Gondwana Margin,"The end Pliensbachian–Toarcian is characterized by several carbon-cycle perturbations and faunal turnovers (e.g., ammonites and foraminifera), which are most likely triggered by pulses of the Karoo-Ferrar-Chon Aike large igneous province. The majority of information about these events is based on detailed studies of sites deposited in deep-water settings, which leaves vast uncertainties about the expression of, and response to, these events in shallow-marine ecosystems. Here, we present a comprehensive assessment of paleoclimatic impacts on neritic depositional environments from the latest Pliensbachian through the middle Toarcian in the central High Atlas Basin, Morocco, and compare those with changes observed in coeval neritic environments within the western Tethyan realm. A total of four new stratigraphic sections were investigated in the southern part of central High Atlas Basin and these new sections are synthesized with six previously published sections, distributed over eight localities. Correlations between sections are based on biostratigraphy, chemostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy. In Morocco, two episodes of carbonate factory shutdown are observed, spanning the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary and the Polymorphum/Levisoni transition. Each carbonate factory collapse correlates to well-documented environmental disturbances during the latest Pliensbachian–middle Toarcian interval, including the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE). Moreover, each episode of carbonate factory shutdown coincides with an interval characterized by a significant increase of coarse siliciclastic input in the basin, further demonstrating the link between global warming, increased continental weathering, and ecosystem turnovers. Furthermore, these two episodes of carbonate factory shutdown are each followed by episodes of renewed carbonate production, showing the resilience of the neritic carbonate factory in this region. The first recovery interval, occurring during the late Polymorphum Zone, is associated with a mixed siliciclastic‑carbonate system. The second episode of carbonate recovery quickly follows the shutdown associated with the onset of the T-OAE. It is associated with an abiotic-dominated carbonate production mode, resulting in an elevated ooid production. A full recovery of biotic carbonate production only occurs in the late stage of the T-OAE. Although biotic turnover occurs at both events, from a shallow-marine perspective, the major biotic and abiotic crisis occurred at the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary and not during the T-OAE. This is in contrast to the deep-marine record, where the T-OAE is often inferred to be the most significant event. An enhanced hydrological cycle and the subsequent increase of continental nutrient shedding might have triggered the most severe changes of the carbonate productivity at the Pliensbachian/Toarcian transition; whereas, ocean acidification and increased storm activity likely played a significant role at the onset of the T-OAE. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.",2020,,No (2)
"An integrated techno-economic, environmental and social assessment of the solar thermochemical fuel pathway","Solar fuels could solve one of the most pressing energy-related issues of the present time: the switch to a renewable energy base in the transportation sector. Especially aviation and heavy-duty transport will mostly rely on liquid fuels, which makes solar fuels an enabling technology for future mobility. Here, an analysis of the solar thermochemical fuel pathway that converts CO(2)and H2O into liquid ""drop-in""-capable fuels is presented, taking into account its life-cycle, economic, environmental and social performance. For a baseline plant layout in Morocco, nominal production costs of 1.97 euro per litre of jet fuel are estimated, with greenhouse gas emission savings of 80% with respect to conventional fuel. Social concerns such as child labour or forced labour arise mostly through the import of materials and components from other developing countries. Alternative production locations are analysed, finding that in Chile - the country with the highest solar irradiation - nominal production costs of 1.72 euro per L could be attained at an improved environmental life-cycle performance but at a higher risk of permitting child labour. The potential use of fossil CO2(instead of CO(2)directly captured from the air) is discussed and it is found that it cannot be used for the production of solar fuels with significantly lower emissions than conventional fuels. Regarding the potential use of grid electricity (instead of on-site concentrated solar power), the specific carbon intensity should be lower than 0.15 kg CO(2)eq. per kW h to meet the EU RED II targets. Overall, the solar thermochemical fuel pathway using both renewable energy and CO(2)has the potential to supply sustainable fuels to aviation in principally unlimited amounts.",2020,,No (2)
Combustion Characteristics of Hydrochar and Pyrochar Derived from Digested Sewage Sludge,"In this paper, hydrochars and pyrochars were produced at 260 degrees C under different residence times (2 and 4 h) using anaerobic digested sewage sludge (SSL) as initial feedstock. The effect of reaction time on the fuel properties of hydrochars and pyrochars was evaluated. Moreover, the combustion kinetics of raw SSL and the derived pyrochars and hydrochars without coal blending were determined at two different air flows (20 and 90 mL/min) and compared. In the same conditions, the yield of hydrochar was significantly lower than that of pyrochar, confirming the different reaction pathways followed in each process. The results showed hydrochars have lower carbon recovery and energy yield than pyrochars, making the latter more suitable for energy purposes. The thermogravimetric combustion study showed that both thermochemical treatments increased the ignition temperature but decreased the burnout temperature, which results in higher stability during handling and storage. However, raw SSL is better for combustion than hydrochar according to the combustibility index. In addition, the kinetic study showed that the activation energy of the combustion of biochars, especially pyrochar, is lower than that of raw SSL, which is advantageous for their combustion.",2020,sewage sludge; hydrothermal carbonization; slow pyrolysis; combustion characteristics; combustion kinetics,No (2)
Assessing the climate and eutrophication impacts of grass cultivation at five sites in Sweden,"In this study, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was combined with the agro-ecosystem model DNDC to assess the climate and eutrophication impacts of perennial grass cultivation at five different sites in Sweden. The system was evaluated for two fertilisation rates, 140 and 200 kg N ha(-1). The climate impact showed large variation between the investigated sites. The largest contribution to the climate impact was through soil N2O emissions and emissions associated with mineral fertiliser manufacturing. The highest climate impact was predicted for the site with the highest clay and initial organic carbon content, while lower impacts were predicted for the sandy loam soils, due to low N2O emissions, and for the silty clay loam, due to high carbon sequestration rate. The highest eutrophication potential was estimated for the sandy loam soils, while the sites with finer soil texture had lower eutrophication potential. According to the results, soil properties and weather conditions were more important than fertilisation rate for the climate impact of the system assessed. It was concluded that agro-ecosystem models can add a spatial and temporal dimension to environmental impact assessment in agricultural LCA studies. The results could be used to assist policymakers in optimising use of agricultural land.",2020,Carbon sequestration; DNDC model; greenhouse gas emissions; life cycle assessment (LCA); perennial cropping systems; soil N2O emissions,No (2)
Utilization of CO2 in thermochemical conversion of biomass for enhanced product properties: A review,"CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities. CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels increased by approximately 2.7 percent in 2018, after global emissions of 35.8 Gt in 2017. Thus, finding energy and cost-effective methods to use the CO2 generated from industries for productive purposes is crucial, abating CO2 emissions while producing economic benefits. This paper aims to comprehensively review the effects of CO(2 )on syngas, biochar and bio-oil from gasification and pyrolysis processes. It was found that the utilization of CO2 during gasification and pyrolysis provides both control over syngas H-2/CO ratio and biochar with enhanced properties for high value applications. Furthermore, it was determined that co-gasification under CO2 atmosphere can enhance synergistic effects. Results also showed that the presence of CO2 can increase the hydrocarbon concentration of bio-oil due to the different reactions that can occur between biomass and CO2 compared to biomass and N-2. The use of CO2 as a feedstock also reduces the net CO2 emissions and therefore provides environmental benefits. However, the utilization of CO2 during biomass gasification and pyrolysis currently has some limitations, including the endothermic nature of gasification reactions, resulting in large energy and compressed CO2 inputs, which can be expensive. It is recommended that comprehensive studies to address the current limitations of the utilization of CO2 in biomass gasification and pyrolysis processes be conducted. Promoting the use of CO2 is integral to global CO2 emission reduction, aiding in efforts to achieve CO(2 )emission regulations outlined by the Paris Agreement (PA).",2020,CO2 mitigation; Tar reduction; CO2 gasification; CO2-assisted pyrolysis; Biochar; Carbon capture and utilization (CCU),No (2)
Mapping Conservation Management Practices and Outcomes in the Corn Belt Using the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) and the Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) Model,"Identifying and quantifying conservation-practice adoption in U.S. cropland is key to accurately monitoring trends in soil health regionally and nationally and informing climate change mitigation efforts. We present the results of an automated system used across 645 counties in the United States Corn Belt from 2005 to 2018, mapped at field-scale and summarized for distribution at aggregated scales. Large-scale mapping by OpTIS (Operational Tillage Information System), a software tool that analyzes remotely sensed data of agricultural land, provides trends of conservation tillage (defined as >30% residue cover), cover cropping, and crop rotations, while modeling by DNDC (Denitrification-Decomposition), a process-based model of carbon and biogeochemistry in soil, provides estimates of the ecosystem outcomes associated with the changes in management practices mapped by OpTIS. Ground-truthing data acquired via OpTIS mobile, a roadside field-surveying app, were used for verification in 30 counties. OpTIS results for the Corn Belt show adoption of cover crops after planting corn and soy increased from 1% to 3% of the mapped area when comparing 2006 to 2018. Comparison of trends for conservation tillage use from 2006 to 2018 shows a slight decrease in conservation tillage adoption, from 46% to 44%. Results from DNDC show these soils sequestered soil organic carbon (SOC) at an area-weighted mean change in SOC (dSOC) rate of 161 kgC/ha/year. Comparatively, in a scenario modeled without the adoption of soil health management practices, the same soils would have lost SOC at an area-weighted rate of -65 kgC/ha/year. As many factors affect changes to SOC, including climate and initial SOC in soils, modeling counterfactual scenarios at the field scale demonstrates outcomes of current soil health management in comparison to regional management practices and best management practices, with respect to SOC sequestration. Regional trends in adoption rates of conservation agriculture and resulting soil health implications are of great use for a wide range of stakeholders. We demonstrate the capability of OpTIS remote sensing to deliver robust, large-scale, multi-sensor, ground-verified monitoring data of current and historical adoption of conservation practices, and of DNDC process-based modeling to provide assessments of the associated environmental outcomes across regions in U.S. cropland.",2020,carbon sequestration; climate change mitigation; conservation tillage; cover crop; DNDC model; OpTIS; regenerative agriculture; remote sensing; soil carbon modeling; soil health,No (2)
"Modelling and Prediction of Organic Carbon Dynamics in Arable Soils Based on a 62-Year Field Experiment in the Voronezh Region, European Russia","Organic carbon (OC) accumulation in soil mitigates greenhouse gases emission and improves soil health. We aimed to quantify the dynamics of OC stock in soils and to justify technologies that allow annual increasing OC stock in the arable soil layer by 4 parts per thousand. We based the study on a field experiment established in 1936 in the 9-field crop rotation with a fallow on Chernozem in European Russia. The RothC version 26.3 was used for the reproducing and forecasting OC dynamics. In all fertilizer applications at FYM background, there was a decrease in the OC stock with preferable loss of active OC, except the period 1964-1971 with 2-5 parts per thousand annual OC increase. The model estimated the annual C input necessary to maintain OC stock as 1900 kg center dot ha(-1). For increasing OC stocks by 4 parts per thousand per year, one should raise input to 2400 kg center dot ha(-1). The simulation was made for 2016-2090 using climate scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Crop rotation without fallowing provided an initial increase of 3 parts per thousand and 6 parts per thousand of stocks in the RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 scenarios accordingly, followed by a loss in accumulated OC. Simulation demonstrates difficulties to increase OC concentration in Chernozems under intensive farming and potential capacity to rise OC stock through yield management.",2020,soil health; soil organic matter; greenhouse gases; climatic change scenarios; Chernozems; long-term experiment,No (2)
Carbon Dioxide Fluxes and Carbon Stocks under Conservation Agricultural Practices in South Africa,"Understanding the impacts of agricultural practices on carbon stocks and CO2 emission is imperative in order to recommend low emission strategies. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of tillage, crop rotation, and residue management on soil CO2 fluxes, carbon stock, soil temperature, and moisture in the semi-arid conditions in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The field trial was laid out as a split-split-plot design replicated three times. The main plots were tillage viz conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT). The sub-plots were allocated to crop rotations viz maize-fallow-maize (MFM), maize-oat-maize (MOM), and maize-vetch-maize (MVM). Crop residue management was in the sub-sub plots, viz retention (R+), removal (R-), and biochar (B). There were no significant interactions (p > 0.05) with respect to the cumulative CO2 fluxes, soil moisture, and soil temperature. Crop residue retention significantly increased the soil moisture content relative to residue removal, but was not different to biochar application. Soil tilling increased the CO2 fluxes by approximately 26.3% relative to the NT. The carbon dioxide fluxes were significantly lower in R- (2.04 mu moL m(-2)s(-1)) relative to the R+ (2.32 mu moL m(-2)s(-1))and B treatments (2.36 mu moL m(-2)s(-1)). The carbon dioxide fluxes were higher in the summer (October-February) months compared to the winter period (May-July), irrespective of treatment factors. No tillage had a significantly higher carbon stock at the 0-5 cm depth relative to CT. Amending the soils with biochar resulted in significantly lower total carbon stock relative to both R+ and R-. The results of the study show that NT can potentially reduce CO2 fluxes. In the short term, amending soils with biochar did not reduce the CO2 fluxes compared to R+, however the soil moisture increases were comparable.",2020,conservation agriculture; biochar; soil organic carbon; greenhouse gas,No (2)
Rethinking standards of permanence for terrestrial and coastal carbon: implications for governance and sustainability,"Governance is essential to the structure of incentives and the accounting necessary for large-scale deployment of methods for carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere, particularly in light of the urgency to upscale carbon removal to stay below the 2 degrees C global climate change target. A key governance challenge is operationalizing standards for the permanence of carbon sequestered in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. There are multiple risks of reversal of carbon storage in these ecosystems and release of carbon back to the atmosphere. This paper reviews issues of permanence in four approaches for carbon removal focusing on carbon uptake and potential side-effects of long-term land commitments. Recognizing that permanence is a considerable barrier to large-scale application of land-based carbon removal, we argue that temporary carbon storage can still provide climate benefits in the short run. A multilateral governance framework should redefine permanence requirements and reflect principles of sustainability, polycentricity, and land stewardship.",2020,,Yes (1)
Tree planting has the potential to increase carbon sequestration capacity of forests in the United States,"Several initiatives have been proposed to mitigate forest loss and climate change through tree planting as well as maintaining and restoring forest ecosystems. These initiatives have both inspired and been inspired by global assessments of tree and forest attributes and their contributions to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Here we use data from more than 130,000 national forest inventory plots to describe the contribution of nearly 1.4 trillion trees on forestland in the conterminous United States to mitigate CO2 emissions and the potential to enhance carbon sequestration capacity on productive forestland. Forests and harvested wood products uptake the equivalent of more than 14% of economy-wide CO2 emissions in the United States annually, and there is potential to increase carbon sequestration capacity by similar to 20% (-187.7 million metric tons [MMT] CO2 +/- 9.1 MMT CO2) per year by fully stocking all understocked productive forestland. However, there are challenges and opportunities to be considered with tree planting. We provide context and estimates from the United States to inform assessments of the potential contributions of forests in climate change mitigation associated with tree planting.",2020,carbon; climate; emissions; removals; forest inventory,Yes (1)
What Fluorine Can Do in CO(2)Chemistry: Applications from Homogeneous to Heterogeneous Systems,"CO(2)chemistry including capture and fixation has attracted great attention towards the aim of reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and CO(2)accumulation in the atmosphere. ""CO2-philic"" materials are required to achieve good performance owing to the intrinsic properties of the CO(2)molecule, that is, thermodynamic stability and kinetic inertness. In this respect, fluorinated materials have been deployed in CO(2)capture (physical and chemical pathway) or fixation (thermo- and electrocatalytic procedure) with good performances, including homogeneous (e. g., ionic liquids and small organic molecules) and heterogeneous counterparts (e. g., carbons, porous organic polymers, covalent triazine frameworks, metal-organic frameworks, and membranes). In this Minireview, these works are summarized and analyzed from the aspects of (1) the strategy used for fluorine introduction, (2) characterization of the targeted materials, (3) performance of the fluorinated systems in CO(2)chemistry, and comparison with the nonfluorinated counterparts, (4) the role of fluorinated functionalities in the working procedure, and (5) the relationship between performance and structural/electronic properties of the materials. The systematic summary in this Minireview will open new opportunities in guiding the design of ""CO2-philic"" materials and pave the way to stimulate further progress in this field.",2020,CO(2)capture; CO(2)fixation; fluorinated materials; heterogeneous catalysis; homogeneous catalysis,No (2)
Techno-economic analysis of low-carbon hydrogen production by sorption enhanced steam methane reforming (SE-SMR) processes,"Hydrogen is an attractive energy carrier that will play a key role in future global energy transitions. This work investigates the techno-economic performance of six different sorption enhanced steam methane reforming (SESMR) configurations integrated with an indirect natural gas or biomass-fired calciner, oxy-fuel combustion and chemical-looping combustion for large-scale blue and carbon-negative hydrogen production. The technoeconomic performance of the proposed cases was evaluated by their net efficiency, CO2 capture efficiency, levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH), and costs of CO2 avoided and removal. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted to evaluate the key parameters and explore existing uncertainties that can affect the economic performance of the proposed SE-SMR processes. The results revealed that the proposed systems were comparable with conventional steam methane reforming (SMR) with carbon capture and storage (CCS). The LCOH of the proposed SE-SMR plants ranged from 1.90-2.80 pound/kg, and the costs of CO2 avoided and removal ranged from 33-69 pound/tonne and 58-10(7) pound/tonne, respectively. By applying a carbon price (16 pound/tonne CO2), the costs of CO2 avoided and removal for the proposed SE-SMR processes could be significantly reduced. The results of cumulative discounted cash flow of SE-SMR plants at a hydrogen selling price of 3.00 pound/kg indicated that all the investment of the proposed cases could be paid back after eight years, even if the carbon tax is zero.",2020,Blue hydrogen production; Sorption enhanced steam methane reforming; Carbon capture; Techno-economic analysis,No (2)
CO2 geological storage: Critical insights on plume dynamics and storage efficiency during long-term injection and post-injection periods,"In the quest for net-zero greenhouse gas emission, CO2 capture and storage technologies play a prominent role. Estimates suggest a potential of sequestering up to several thousand metric gigatons of CO2. However, some of the main challenges in its development are an assessment of reservoir-specific storage capacities due to variabilities and heterogeneities in the underlying properties (structure, formations, facies, petrophysics, reservoir architecture, and others) and understanding the migration of CO2 in the subsurface. This article critically investigates CO2 plume characteristics and determines the evolving contributions of different trapping mechanisms during a 100-year injection and 200-year post-injection periods. CO2 can reside in various forms in saline aquifers. To account for these, we characterized CO2 plumes in multiple ways based on dissolved CO2 in the aqueous phase, free phase CO2, pH change, and finally, change in solid-phase saturation (due to precipitation and dissolution of salts and calcite). Based on how we define the plumes, the sizes, and the shapes of the plumes differ. Emphasis is on the characterization of the plume, its evolution, and the contributing trapping mechanisms. Additionally, we ascertain the impact of various uncertain variables, including heterogeneity and anisotropy in geological formation properties, reservoir-brine composition, and molecular diffusion on CO2 plume dynamics and storage via statistical Design of Experiments. Simulation results indicate that lateral propagation of the CO2 plume is much larger than vertical dispersion typically attributed to the presence of flow baffles and vertical stratification. The ratio of average lateral to vertical propagation ranged between 7 and 44. In general, various geometries and growth patterns evolved for the CO2 plume and are strongly influenced by the total amount of CO2 injected and the permeability directional anisotropies. On average, for all case scenarios investigated, free phase CO2 is the dominant trapping mechanism (in terms of the amount of CO2 stored) during the injection period, storing up to 60% of the CO2 injected. Both residual (20%) and solubility (16%) trapping storage ratios exhibited higher storage with time than structural trapping (10%). Effectively little mineral trapping transpires during the 100-year injection period. Another important observation is the fact that facies-dependency on saturation functions appears to have a substantial effect on different trapping mechanisms. Shale-dominant facies manifests more residual trapping than other facies.",2020,CO2 storage; CO2 plume dynamics; Trapping mechanisms; Numerical simulation; Uncertainty analysis,No (2)
A hyperbox classifier model for identifying secure carbon dioxide reservoirs,"Carbon management technologies such as carbon dioxide capture and storage and direct air capture systems will be needed to mitigate climate change in the coming decades. Both of these technologies will depend on the availability of secure geological storage sites that can permanently hold carbon dioxide with minimal risk of leakage. Machine learning tools that can characterize candidate storage sites based on geological data can aid decision-makers in planning carbon management networks. In this work, a mixed integer linear programming model is developed to generate a binary hyperbox classifier for determining the integrity of a candidate storage site. The model is calibrated and validated using literature data on natural carbon dioxide reservoirs, resulting in a set of IF-THEN rules that are readily interpreted by decision-makers. The approach developed here also includes rule simplification features and the capability to account for statistical Type I (false positive) and Type II (false negative) errors. Different sets of rules can be generated using the model based on user-defined number of hyperboxes. The best set of rules can be selected based on a combination of its performance with the validation data and consistency with expert knowledge. Using the case study for identifying secure CO2 reservoirs, the set of rules which resulted in zero false positives using the validation data was generated using three hyperboxes. However, an alternative set of rules which falsely predicted two out of three insecure sites as positive provides simpler rules indicating CO2 density and reservoir depth as the most important criteria. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2020,Carbon sequestration; CO2 storage; Machine learning; Mixed integer linear programming; Classifier,No (2)
Predicting water retention of biochar-amended soil from independent measurements of biochar and soil properties,"Biochar is black carbon produced from pyrolysis of biomass and may be added to soil to sequester carbon and improve soil water retention. To date models to predict changes in soil water retention with biochar amendment are still missing and therefore direct measurements are required for every biochar/soil combination, which can be time-consuming. Here, a predictive model for biochar's effect on soil water retention was developed and tested that includes water retained in biochar intrapores and biochar's impact on interpores between particles. The independently measured parameters needed for the model are the particle size distributions (PSDs) and particle densities for biochar and soil, water retention data for biochar-free soil, biochar intrapore volume distribution from mercury porosimetry, amount of biochar added, bulk density of the biochar/soil mixture, and dew point potentiometer measurements of biochar. The model was tested using poultry litter and wood biochars amended to two soils (sand and sandy loam) at 2 and 7% mass fraction. The model predicted changes in the soil water characteristic well for the biochar amendment, with RMSE decreasing by similar to 50% when the full model was used. Model predictions of the change in available water capacity with biochar amendment for eight biochar/soil combinations had an average absolute error of 0.017 +/- 0.006 and an average relative error of 1 (0) over bar0 +/- 40%. The model correctly predicted the increase in available water content when sandy loam was amended with wood biochar, and the decrease if amended with poultry litter biochar. The model provides an improved understanding of the mechanisms by which biochar alters water retention, and a means to estimate the initial change in available water capacity for a particular biochar/soil combination if necessary biochar and soil properties are measured.",2020,Water retention; Biochar; Model; Available water capacity; Soil water characteristic,No (2)
"Rate of soil organic carbon sequestration in a millennium coastal soil chronosequence in northern Jiangsu, China","The '4 per mille' initiative, launched in 2015, highlighted the crucial role of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in food security and climate change adaptation and mitigation. The objectives of this study were to investigate the changes in the SOC stock (SOCs) with depth and time and explore the SOC accumulation process, in a millennium chronosequence derived from marine sediments. Chronofunctions were formulated based on SOCs at different depths to evaluate the effects of sampling depth on chronofunctions and the rates of SOC sequestration. The depth distribution of SOCs showed that SOC accumulation occurred mainly in the top 40 cm, with 69% of the SOC being distributed in the upper 0-40 cm layers. The chronofunctions yielding the best fits changed from linear to power and then to logarithmic, suggesting that sampling depth affected the chronofunction type. The SOCs for the entire profile (0-100 cm) could be estimated from that in the 0-20 cm or 0-50 cm, which can potentially aid the estimation of legacy SOC data. The SOC sequestration rates were found to be high at the beginning of development, gradually slowing down with time. The soil in this area can sequestrate SOC for more than 2000 years, at a rate greater than 0.4%. Spectroscopy and digital soil mapping methods can provide accurate and acceptable SOC data pertaining to agriculture and climate change and could be a potential technology for global SOC monitoring.",2020,Soil organic carbon (SOC); Carbon sequestration; Chronosequence; Chronofunctions; Coastal soil,No (2)
Carbon dioxide-enhanced geothermal systems for heat and electricity production: Energy and economic analyses for central Poland,"The pursuit of economically feasible and socially acceptable carbon capture technologies is often focused on the permanent storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). Among well-established CO2 capture, utilisation, and storage technologies such as enhanced oil recovery, some have recently gained interest for application in the energy sector. One such technology is the use of CO2 as a working fluid in enhanced geothermal systems. The potential benefits of this technology will strongly depend on the parameters of the geological reservoir. The use of supercritical CO2 as a working fluid can provide additional benefits because of the occurrence of partial sequestration of CO2. The main goal of this study is to investigate which of the geological and wellbore parameters of an enhanced geothermal system have the most significant impact on the energy and economic performances of the investigated power generation systems. This paper presents the results of energy assessment of the analysed power generation systems together with the economic effects of their operation. The presented results suggest that CO2-enhanced geothermal systems can be a feasible candidate for the utilisation of the captured CO2 and can simultaneously be a valid source of heat and/or electricity. The analysed process configurations prove that the optimal design of the surface part of the CO2-enhanced geothermal system strongly depends on the parameters of the geological reservoir as well as on the availability of heat sinks (e.g. a low-temperature district heating system), and that this design provides a payback time of 10-12 years in the most optimistic scenario. The analysed enhanced geothermal systems, when compared with conventional geothermal energy systems, are characterised by a higher cost of electricity generation (average-weighted levelized cost of electricity of about 110-170 EUR/MWh as compared with 60 EUR/MWh for conventional systems), mainly because of the significantly higher (1.5 times) total installation costs of the former.",2020,Supercritical CO2 cycles; CO2-enhanced geothermal systems; CO2 utilisation; Geothermal energy; Brayton cycle,No (2)
Fast Power Emulation Approach to the Operation of Photovoltaic Power Plants Made of Different Module Technologies,"This paper gives a comprehensive approach to the emulation of photovoltaic (PV) plants made of different module technologies as well as varying peak power through the advanced fast PV power emulation technique. Even though PVs are recognized as a technology for CO2 emissions mitigation, the proposed emulation technique provides the opportunity to replicate PV plant operation without a carbon footprint because of its working principle. The process of PV power plant emulation consists of several stages which are described in detail. An algorithm for determining PV power plant configuration based on the technical characteristics of the PV emulation system equipment is developed and presented, as well as an algorithm for preparing data on the current-voltage (i-v) characteristics used as input data into programmable sources that mimic the power plant PV array. A case study of a single day operation of PV power plants made of two different topologies and technologies was carried out with the fast PV power emulation approach and the results are evaluated and presented.",2020,PV power emulation; PV module; power plant; algorithm; current&#8211; voltage characteristic,No (2)
Targeted policy proposals for managing spontaneous forest expansion in the Mediterranean,"Recent forest expansion in Euro-Mediterranean countries predominantly results from secondary succession in abandoned farmland, rather than from artificial afforestation. This major forest transition involves the delivery of both ecosystem services and disservices, which must be balanced through new land-use planning and policy approaches. Ecosystem services arising from this expansion of forests include increased carbon sequestration, water infiltration, provision of forest products, soil retention and forest coalescence. Nevertheless, ecosystem disservices such as reductions in water yield, landscape homogenisation, increased wildfire risk and/or the loss of high nature value managed habitats caution against generalisation of the benefits of such expansion. Most EU funds related to forests are being allocated to conservation, restoration, or fire prevention and extinction efforts, whereas sustainable forest management and the maintenance of multifunctional agro-silvo-pastoral mosaics are hampered by the lack of financial incentives and by environmental regulations. Policy implications. We advocate for more-targeted policies based on landscape planning that favours multifunctionality while reducing environmental and economic uncertainties and maximising the ecosystem service/disservice ratio. The following recommendations follow from this approach: (a) a climate-smart policy favouring fire-resistant landscapes and enhancing value chains that stimulate active forest management; (b) the adoption of a territorial perspective, beyond forest and farm-based measures and payments, that relies on management actions and minimises socio-ecological tensions; (c) refocusing CAP Pillar II grants from afforestation and forest protection measures to sustainable forest management; (d) transforming the CAP direct payments to support multifunctional farming systems (e.g. agroforestry); (e) a more balanced inclusion of different land uses in the Natura 2000 network and intensification of the support for High Nature Value farming in less-favoured areas.",2020,ecosystem disservices; ecosystem services; forest expansion; Mediterranean forest; mosaic landscapes; multifunctionality&#8208; oriented policy; wildfire risk,No (2)
"Relevance and magnitude of 'Blue Carbon' storage in mangrove sediments: Carbon accumulation rates vs. stocks, sources vs. sinks","Mangrove ecosystems store large amounts of 'Blue Carbon', in particular in the sediment. Research in the past decade has emphasized the quantitative significance of carbon storage in mangrove forests in climate change mitigation, mainly by determining carbon stocks and calculating potential CO2 emissions caused by mangrove degradation. However, while this approach focuses on the total amount of carbon that can be lost to degradation, it fails to capture the amount that is sequestered annually. Therefore, carbon accumulation in mangrove sediments also needs to be taken into account. This study (i) explains the differences between carbon stocks and carbon accumulation rates (CAR), (ii) it addresses the geographical variation of carbon storage and underlying factors and (iii) it assesses the global relevance of 'Blue Carbon' sequestration in mangrove sediments. Results indicate that reducing uncertainties in carbon storage estimates of individual systems requires a representative set of data that covers within-system variability. An example from Indonesia illustrates that a mangrove ecosystem with a high C stock can have a low CAR and vice versa. It is therefore conceivable that coastal environmental settings with high allochthonous supply of mineral sediment, organic matter and nutrients mostly have low carbon stocks, but high CARs. As these settings represent >80% of the global mangrove area they are most important in terms of long-term carbon storage. While a C stock is a measure of the ""vulnerability potential"" in the case of ecosystem degradation or total loss, a CAR is rather a measure of the ""mitigation potential"" of carbon storage in mangrove ecosystems. The global carbon storage in mangrove sediments of 32 Tg yr(-1) estimated from CARs in this study is at the upper end of the range of global budgets (14.6-31.1 Tg yr(-1), mean 22.9 Tg yr(-1)). It highlights that the mangrove carbon sink may be larger than previously thought, but the high variation in the global average CAR of 233 +/- 280 g C m(2) yr(-1) also indicates the need for further data.",2020,Mangroves; Blue carbon; Sediments; Carbon stock; Carbon accumulation rate; Climate change mitigation,No (2)
Sorption of urea hydrogen peroxide by co-pyrolysed bone meal and cow dung slowed-down phosphorus and nitrogen releases but boosted agronomic efficiency,"Co-pyrolysis of animal manure biomass with bone meal (BM) and soaking of the resultant biochar in urea containing solutions may offer a sustainable and cheap way of formulating slow-release nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilisers. This method can lead to optimisation of the carbon sequestration capacity of the biochar, abatement of environmental pollution by P and N and alleviation of the severity of the projected future scarcity of P. A few studies have indicated that sorption can create efficient slow-release fertilisers although all of them utilised charged moieties such as ammonium ions to formulate them and as a result, there is a paucity of data concerning the efficiency of fertilisers formulated using uncharged compounds like urea. It's against that background that we examined the possibility of leveraging co-pyrolysis and sorption with urea containing solutions to formulate slow-release N and P fertilisers along with assessing the agronomic efficiency of the formulated fertilisers through cultivating lettuce in pots for two seasons. Both urea-hydrogen peroxide (UHP) and urea were utilised as N sources. UHP (CDBM-UHP) and urea (CDBM-Urea) containing biochars averagely released 64.40% and 87.00% of the added N, respectively over the 28-day incubation period with the amount of N released decreasing with increasing concentrations of BM in the biochar. Lettuce yields and nutrient use efficiencies of N and P were higher in the CDBM-UHP than in the CDBM-Urea treatments. It's therefore clear that sorption of UHP by BM containing biochar concomitantly slows-down releases of N and P and boosts the agronomic efficiency of the fertilisers.",2020,Agronomic efficiency; Biochar; Real nutrient use efficiency; Slow-release fertilisers; Sorption,No (2)
From pools to flow: The PROMISE framework for new insights on soil carbon cycling in a changing world,"Soils represent the largest terrestrial reservoir of organic carbon, and the balance between soil organic carbon (SOC) formation and loss will drive powerful carbon-climate feedbacks over the coming century. To date, efforts to predict SOC dynamics have rested on pool-based models, which assume classes of SOC with internally homogenous physicochemical properties. However, emerging evidence suggests that soil carbon turnover is not dominantly controlled by the chemistry of carbon inputs, but rather by restrictions on microbial access to organic matter in the spatially heterogeneous soil environment. The dynamic processes that control the physicochemical protection of carbon translate poorly to pool-based SOC models; as a result, we are challenged to mechanistically predict how environmental change will impact movement of carbon between soils and the atmosphere. Here, we propose a novel conceptual framework to explore controls on belowground carbon cycling:ProbabilisticRepresentation ofOrganicMatterInteractions within theSoilEnvironment (PROMISE). In contrast to traditional model frameworks, PROMISE does not attempt to define carbon pools united by common thermodynamic or functional attributes. Rather, the PROMISE concept considers how SOC cycling rates are governed by the stochastic processes that influence the proximity between microbial decomposers and organic matter, with emphasis on their physical location in the soil matrix. We illustrate the applications of this framework with a new biogeochemical simulation model that traces the fate of individual carbon atoms as they interact with their environment, undergoing biochemical transformations and moving through the soil pore space. We also discuss how the PROMISE framework reshapes dialogue around issues related to SOC management in a changing world. We intend the PROMISE framework to spur the development of new hypotheses, analytical tools, and model structures across disciplines that will illuminate mechanistic controls on the flow of carbon between plant, soil, and atmospheric pools.",2020,biogeochemical model; organic matter; organo-mineral interactions; pore structure; soil carbon; soil microbes,No (2)
Effect of Extended Aging and Oxidation on Linear Poly(propylenimine)-Mesoporous Silica Composites for CO2 Capture from Simulated Air and Flue Gas Streams,"Physical aging or degradation of amine-containing polymers and supported amine adsorbents is a critical issue that could limit the practical application of such materials for CO2 capture. However, to date, there is a scarcity of studies that evaluate the long-term stability of amine-based sorbents without the exclusive use of accelerated aging tests. Here, we demonstrate that extended aging (similar to 2 years) of linear poly(propylenimine) (LPPI) confined in mesoporous silica (SBA-15) supports does not drastically impact the CO(2 )adsorption performance under simulated flue gas (10% CO2) and direct air capture (DAC, 400 ppm CO2) conditions, although the behavior of the aged sorbents and polymers in the two CO2 concentration regimes differs. The sorbents made with aged LPPI have modestly decreased CO2 uptake performance (less than or similar to 20% lower) compared to the fresh polymers, with overall good CO2 cycling performance. The data indicate that only slow degradation occurs under the deployed ambient storage conditions. Even after extended aging, the LPPI-based sorbents preserved their ability to display stable temperature-swing cycling performance. In parallel, the impact of blending LPPI polymers of different number-average molecular weights, M-n, is evaluated, seeking to understand its impact on adsorbent performance. The results demonstrate that the blends of two M-n aged LPPI give similar CO2 adsorption performance to adsorbents made from a single-M-n LPPI, suggesting that molecular weight will not negatively impact adsorbent performance in the studied M-n range. After an accelerated oxidation experiment, the aged LPPI sorbents retained a larger portion of the samples' original performance when cycling under simulated flue gas conditions than under DAC conditions. However, in each case, the oxidized sorbents could be cycled repeatedly with consistent uptake performance. Overall, these first of their kind extended aging tests suggest that LPPI-based amine adsorbents offer promise for long-term, stable use in carbon capture applications.",2020,CO2 capture and separation; polymers; composite materials; mesoporous materials; flue gas; direct air capture; carbon dioxide; oxidation degradation,No (2)
SCALING UP CROP DIVERSIFICATION AMONG FARMING COMMUNITIES FOR FOOD SECURITY UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE: A CASE STUDY OF THE KENYAN PELIS PROGRAMME,"Climate change poses significant risks to food security globally with predictions of 1020 % decline in rain-fed crop yields by 2050. Sub-Saharan Africa remains highly susceptible to food shortage since over 95 % of the region's total cropland is rain-fed. Kenya's overreliance on rain-fed agriculture predisposes the country to climate-induced food insecurity. Murang'a County in Kenya is experiencing climate change challenges manifested in prolonged droughts and floods. The consequences, are failed cropping seasons, soil erosion, landslides, altered crop suitability and a resurgence of human, livestock, crop pests, and diseases, culminating into food insecurity. This study was conducted with Kimandi-Wanyaga community in the Gatanga Sub-County in Murang'a County, Kenya. Residents are smallholder subsistence rain-fed farmers. The study explored the potential of up-scaling crop diversification under the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS) for food security vis-à-vis climate change. The community's climate change coping strategies were explored to account for the need to up-scale crop diversification under PELIS. A mixed methods research design was applied whereby a systematic sampling method was used to select 281 household-heads. Three key informants were purposively selected and primary data were collected through a household survey, in-depth key stakeholder interviews, focus group discussions and on-farm trials. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data were analysed using thematic and content analysis. The study established that 92.9 % of the community perceived climate change and its impacts. They had adopted a combination of coping strategies most of which, were found to be informed by short-term survival and hence, considered inadequate for long-term adaptation. The PELIS approach had been piloted in Murang'a County and was found to be a promising strategy for crop diversification and food security among forest-adjacent communities. However, only 11 % of the studied community participated in the scheme. Therefore, the study endeavoured to work with the community to promote cultivation of traditional vegetables under PELIS for crop diversification and food security in the face of climate change. The PELIS beneficiaries who adopted cultivation of Black nightshade, Amaranths and Cowpeas managed to produce enough for household consumption and sale of surplus for income. The PELIS, therefore, possesses the cobenefits of climate change adaptation through crop diversification for food security and climate change mitigation through afforestation for carbon sequestration. © 2020. All Rights Reserved.",2020,,No (2)
Synergy of Thermochemical Treatment of Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles with Bioethanol Production for Increased Sustainability and Profitability,"The bioethanol industry continues improving sustainability, specifically focused on plant energy and GHG emission management. Dried distiller grains with solubles (DDGS) is a byproduct of ethanol fermentation and is used for animal feed. DDGS is a relatively low-value bulk product that decays, causes odor, and is challenging to manage. The aim of this research was to find an alternative, value-added-type concept for DDGS utilization. Specifically, we aimed to explore the techno-economic feasibility of torrefaction, i.e., a thermochemical treatment of DDGS requiring low energy input, less sophisticated equipment, and resulting in fuel-quality biochar. Therefore, we developed a research model that addresses both bioethanol production sustainability and profitability due to synergy with the torrefaction of DDGS and using produced biochar as marketable fuel for the plant. Our experiments showed that DDGS-based biochar (CSF-carbonized solid fuel) lower calorific value may reach up to 27 MJ.kg(-1)d.m. (dry matter) Specific research questions addressed were: What monetary profits and operational cost reductions could be expected from valorizing DDGS as a source of marketable biorenewable energy, which may be used for bioethanol production plant's demand? What environmental and financial benefits could be expected from valorizing DDGS to biochar and its reuse for natural gas substitution? Modeling indicated that the valorized CSF could be produced and used as a source of energy for the bioethanol production plant. The use of heat generated from CSF incineration supplies the entire heat demand of the torrefaction unit and the heat demand of bioethanol production (15-30% of the mass of CSF and depending on the lower heating value (LHV) of the CSF produced). The excess of 70-85% of the CSF produced has the potential to be marketed for energetic, agricultural, and other applications. Preliminary results show the relationship between the reduction of the environmental footprint (similar to 24% reduction in CO(2)emissions) with the introduction of comprehensive on-site valorization of DDGS. The application of DDGS torrefaction and CSF recycling may be a source of the new, more valuable revenues and bring new perspectives to the bioethanol industry to be more sustainable and profitable, including during the COVID-19 pandemic and other shocks to market conditions.",2020,biofuel; biorenewables; corn; DDGS; ethanol; sustainability; torrefaction; waste-to-energy; waste-to-carbon; CSF,No (2)
"MANGROVE BLUE CARBON IN THE FACE OF DEFORESTATION, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND RESTORATION","Coastal wetlands have disproportionately high carbon densities, known as blue carbon, compared to most terrestrial ecosystems. Mangroves and their blue carbon stocks are at risk globally from land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) activities such as aquaculture, alongside biophysical disturbances such as sea-level rise and cyclones. Global estimates of carbon emissions from mangrove loss have been previously unable to differentiate between the variable impacts of different drivers of loss. This article discusses the impacts that different LULCC activities and biophysical disturbances have on carbon stocks (biomass and soil) and greenhouse gas fluxes (CO2 and CH4). The dynamics of carbon stocks and fluxes depends on the type of LULCC; aquaculture often results in biomass and soil carbon removal, and some forms of agriculture can substantially increase methane emissions. Natural disturbances have mixed impacts on mangrove carbon; sea-level rise will drown some mangroves and their carbon stocks but provide opportunities for new carbon accumulation, while cyclones can have immediate negative impacts on stocks but positive impacts on sequestration during recovery. Mangrove rehabilitation practices can actively restore carbon stocks and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from previous land uses. It is critical to consider the type of LULCC when estimating carbon emissions due to mangrove loss or rehabilitation. Mangrove blue carbon is now high on the international conservation policy agenda, and a better understanding of how carbon stocks and fluxes respond to anthropogenic and biophysical disturbance may provide better incentives for mangrove conservation and sustainable management.",2020,carbon sequestration; carbon stock; cyclone; degradation; land-use and land-cover change (LULCC); nature-based solution; payments for ecosystem services (PES); rehabilitation; sea-level rise,No (2)
The rate of absorption of carbon dioxide and moisture content in Linggua (Pterocarpus indicus willd.) for climate change management,"The Linggua (P. indicus) is a multipurpose tree with a considerable distribution; nevertheless, the IUCN has classified it as an endangered species. The tree species has great potential to be included in the REDD + mitigation program in handling climate change. REDD + has made it possible to implement carbon trading. Thus, countries that can manage forest properly, and implement reforestation, are able to partake in carbon trading with the rest of the world. Therefore, research was conducted to determine the level of absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and water content (H2 O), as this is a preliminary step in determining the allometric equation for the Linggua tree type. The sampling of tree species through damage (destructive sampling) was carried out by cutting down 3 young trees. The methods used include field observation and laboratory analysis for the determination of water content and biomass in the treatment, which involved the use of a spectrophotometer. The results of the water content P. indicus starting from the roots, base of stem, middle, tip and successive leaves: 79.99%; 72.40%; 82.44%; 80.34% and 83.45%. The Total biomass content on 3 tree samples is: the chest diameter of 15 cm, 15.5 cm and 16 cm respectively, 34.9589, 43.7536 and 52.4008 tons. If only the biomass on the ground alone is 34.9552, 43.7484 and 52.3998 tons. Total Carbon stock on trees with diameter at breast height of 15 cm, 15.5 cm and 16 cm are 12.7040; 19.3348 and 24.5020 tons respectively and CO2 Carbon sinks: 46.6239589, 43.7536 and 52.4008 tons respectively. © EM International.",2020,,No (2)
"A critical review on the biochar production techniques, characterization, stability and applications for circular bioeconomy","There is an upsurge enthusiasm for utilizing biochar produced from waste-biomass in different fields, to address the most important ecological issues. This review is focused on an overview of remediating harmful contaminants utilizing biochar. Production of biochar utilizing various systems has been discussed. Biochar has received the consideration of numerous analysts in building up their proficiency to remediate contaminants. Process parameters are fundamentally answerable for deciding the yield of biomass. Biochar derived from biomass is an exceptionally rich wellspring of carbon produced from biomass utilizing thermal combustion. Activating biochar is another particular region for the growing utilization of biochar for expelling specific contaminations. Closed-loop systems to produce biochar creates more opportunities. Decentralized biochar production techniques serve as an effective way of providing employment opportunities, managing wastes, increasing resource proficiency in circular bioeconomy. This paper also covers knowledge gaps and perspectives in the field of remediation of toxic pollutants using biochar. © 2020",2020,,No (2)
Aquatic plant-derived biochars produced in different pyrolytic conditions: Spectroscopic studies and adsorption behavior of diclofenac sodium in water media,"The ubiquitous prevalence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in water has aroused enormous public concerns. The development of promising materials for eliminating such contaminants in the water environment has attracted extensive attention in the scientific community. In this study, three (350 degrees C, 450 degrees C, and 600 degrees C, respectively) pyrolytic conditions were developed to prepare biochars (BCs), which were mainly prepared from the wastes of the overgrown plants (i.e., vallisneria natans, potamogeton malaianus, phragmites australis, potampgeton crispus, and river sediment additional). BCs were thoroughly characterised by various important properties (i.e., porosity and superficial functional group) and applied to remove diclofenac sodium (DS) drug from water media. Results indicated that the BCs adsorption capacity were remarkably improved when pyrolytic temperature was 450 degrees C and the adsorption equilibrium could be reached after 4 h (with BCs of 0.12 g/L and DS concentration of 12 mg/L). Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated a fit of Pseudo-second order (R-2 = 0.992-0.996) and the Langmuir adsorption isotherm (R-2 = 0.981-0.989) was suitable. The thermodynamic parameters derived from the fitting procedure point out the adsorption processes were all spontaneous and endothermic. The overall adsorption mechanism was regarded as pore filling, pi-pi interaction, van der Waals force, and pi-electron attraction. This study stress out the main DS adsorption behavior using the above-mentioned materials was chemisorption predominated, but the adsorption capacity differs with different material properties. The prepared BCs can serve as potential carbonaceous porous adsorbents for removing DS from water media.",2020,Low cost adsorbent; Spectroscopic studies; Biochars; Diclofenac sodium; Adsorption behavior; Isotherm kinetics,No (2)
Ranking negative emissions technologies under uncertainty,"Existing mitigation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are inadequate to reach the target emission reductions set in the Paris Agreement. Hence, the deployment of negative emission technologies (NETs) is imperative. Given that there are multiple available NETs that need to be evaluated based on multiple criteria, there is a need for a systematic method for ranking and prioritizing them. Furthermore, the uncertainty in estimating the techno-economic performance levels of NETs is a major challenge. In this work, an integrated model of fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and interval-extended Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is proposed to address the multiple criteria, together with data uncertainties. The potential of NETs is assessed through the application of this hybrid decision model. Sensitivity analysis is also conducted to evaluate the robustness of the ranking generated. The result shows Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) as the most optimal alternative for achieving negative emission goals since it performed robustly in the different criteria considered. Meanwhile, energy requirement emerged as the most preferred or critical criterion in the deployment of NETs based on the decision-maker. This paper renders a new research perspective for evaluating the viability of NETs and extends the domains of the fuzzy AHP and interval-extended TOPSIS hybrid model.",2020,Chemical engineering; Environmental science; Negative emission technologies; Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution; Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process; Uncertainty; Decision analysis,No (2)
Perspectives of Scaling Up the Use of Zeolites for Selective Separations from Lab to Industry,"Different synthetic zeolites can be obtained by varying the composition, porosity, and active centers, making them of great interest in industry, especially as adsorbents in gas separation and purification processes. On the other hand, adsorption separation processes are increasingly common in industrial applications due to the technical and economic advantages of this technology. In this context, zeolites have emerged as promising candidates for these processes due to their high temperature stability, resistance to harsh environments combined with unique molecular sieve characteristics, ion exchange, and selective adsorption. In this chapter, we will focus on two cases, paraffin/olefin separation (ethane/ethylene and propane/propylene) and carbon dioxide/methane separation. Some innovative alternatives to replace conventional distillation have emerged for paraffin/olefin separation, with emphasis on simulated moving bed (SMB) technology. A wide variety of zeolites has been studied for this process, such as zeolites 13X, 4A, and 5A. The second case study is the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from natural gas stream. Adsorption processes are considered a competitive solution, once the adsorbent can be regenerated either by TSA or PSA. Concerning the use of zeolites for CO2 removal, natural chabazite, zeolite 4A, H-mordenite, and zeolite 13X are the ones with more available information in literature. In this review, we will focus on the strategy and importance of the lab/pilot scale with perspectives of scaling up adsorptive gas-phase separations using zeolites. The main methods adopted in lab/pilot scale studies include adsorbent characterization, adsorption equilibrium, adsorption dynamic studies, and process simulation and optimization.",2020,13X; Adsorption; Cryo-PTSA; Gas phase; Industrial; Laboratorial; PSA; SMB; Zeolites,No (2)
STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION AND THERMAL DECOMPOSITION OF LIME BINDERS ALLOW ACCURATE RADIOCARBON AGE DETERMINATIONS OF AERIAL LIME PLASTER,"Radiocarbon (C-14) dating of anthropogenic carbonates (CaCO3) such as ash, lime plaster and lime mortar, has proven a difficult task due to the occurrence of a number of contaminants embedded within the CaCO3 pyrogenic binder. These include C-14-free geologic components and/or secondary phases bearing an unknown amount of C-14, and thus the alteration of the original pyrogenic isotopic signature of the material results in major age offsets when carbon recovery is performed through acid hydrolysis. Here we present a characterization/quantification approach to anthropogenic carbonates that includes Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, thin section petrography, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy coupled with high-resolution cathodoluminescence, with which we identified the pyrogenic CaCO3 fraction in an aerial lime plaster and two hydraulic mortars. The preserved pyrogenic component was then isolated by density separation and its purity checked again using FTIR. Carbon was recovered through thermal decomposition in vacuum. The resulting C-14 age matches the expected age of the lime plaster, whereas hydraulic mortars are slightly offset due to the carbonation of calcium hydroxide lumps. This approach highlights the importance of a dedicated characterization strategy prior to dating and may be applied to aerial lime plasters to obtain accurate ages.",2020,calcite; carbonate; hydraulic; lime mortar; lime plaster,No (2)
Coordinated G&TEP and carbon capture and storage expansion planning model for emission constrained power systems,"Fossil fuel-fired power plants are still the principal power producers in most power systems. Retrofitting these pollutant generators with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology can be a key solution to decarbonisation, especially for power systems with low expansion potential for renewable and hydroelectric energy resources. This study presents a coordinated generation and transmission expansion planning (G&TEP) and CCS expansion planning model for carbon emission constrained power systems. The proposed model determines the optimal order and time of retrofitting carbon emitter generators with CCS technology coordinated with the G&TEP. The limits on renewable resources capacity expansion potential and the yearly emission reduction targets are considered. Additionally, the proposed model allows for determining the incentives that are to be offered by the central planning authority to the pollutant generators to incentivise their participation in emission reduction through CCS retrofitting. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model and is decomposed into a master and three subproblems to tackle the large-scale nature of the developed optimisation problem. Numerical results demonstrate that a coordinated G&TEP and CCS expansion planning is a least-cost planning solution for emission constrained power systems with low expansion capacity potential for renewable and hydroelectric resources.",2020,maintenance engineering; power generation planning; carbon capture and storage; air pollution control; integer programming; power generation economics; power transmission planning; coal-fired power stations; hydroelectric power stations; CCS retrofitting; mixed-integer linear programming model; coordinated G and TEP; CCS expansion planning model; least-cost planning solution; carbon emission constrained power systems; low expansion capacity potential; carbon capture and storage expansion planning model; fossil fuel-fired power plants; pollutant generators; low expansion potential; renewable energy resources; hydroelectric energy resources; coordinated generation; retrofitting carbon emitter generation units; CCS technology; renewable resources capacity expansion potential; emission reduction targets; central planning authority; transmission expansion planning; optimal order; optimisation problem,No (2)
Magnetic bio-activated carbon production from lignin via a streamlined process and its use in phosphate removal from aqueous solutions,"Lignin and ferrous salt were mechanically mixed, melted, carbonized and steam activated to produce magnetic bio-activated carbons (MBACs). Phosphate adsorption capacity measurement was conducted on representative MBAC, which has a high surface iron oxide proportion and mesoporous volume. The results indicate that iron species are embedded into the carbon matrix by lignin melting. Steam is not only an activation agent for pore generation and widening but is also effective for the oxidization of Hagg iron carbide produced via ferrous salt decomposition and subsequent reduction during the carbonization process to form magnetite. The porous and magnetic properties and surface iron oxide content of the produced MBACs can be modified by controlling the steam/magnetic biochar (MBC) ratio. The MBAC production process is streamlined and novel, compared with conventional coprecipitation or impregnation methods. The maximum phosphate adsorption onto the representative MBAC product using the best fitting model, i.e., the Langmuir-Freundlich model, is estimated to be 21.18 mg/g, suggesting that the representative MBAC product has a comparable phosphate adsorption capacity to most of the reported MBCs and MBACs. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2020,Magnetic bio-activated carbon; Lignin; Melting; Steam activation; Phosphate adsorption,No (2)
Black carbon-enhanced transformation of dichloroacetamide safeners: Role of reduced sulfur species,"Dichloroacetamide safeners are commonly included in herbicide formulations to protect crops from unintended herbicide toxicity, but knowledge of their environmental fate is scarce. Hydrogen sulfide, a naturally-occurring nucleophile and reductant, often coexists with black carbon (e.g., biochar, soot) in subsurface environments and could influence the fate of these safeners. In this study, we demonstrated that graphite powder, a model black carbon, significantly accelerated the transformation of three dichloroacetamide safeners (AD-67, benoxacor, and dichlormid) and two chloroacetamide herbicides (metolachlor and acetochlor) by hydrogen sulfide. Chloride was formed together with an array of sulfur-substituted products, suggesting a nucleophilic substitution pathway. Our results suggest that the electron-accepting capacity of black carbon can oxidize hydrogen sulfide species to elemental sulfur, which can further react with bisulfide to form polysulfide, likely accounting for the observed accelerated transformation of (di)chloroacetamides in systems containing black carbon and hydrogen sulfide. Moreover, our product analyses indicate that dimerization and/or trimerization of (di)chloroacetamides is possible in the presence of hydrogen sulfide and graphite, which is anticipated to decrease the mobility of these products in aquatic environments relative to the parent compounds. Herein, we also discuss how the structure and concentration of (di)chloroacetamides can influence their reactivity in the presence of black carbon and reduced sulfur species. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2020,Halogenated agrochemical fate; Nucleophilic dechlorination; Polysulfides; Subsurface environments,No (2)
Silicon fertilizer and biochar effects on plant and soil PhytOC concentration and soil PhytOC stability and fractionation in subtropical bamboo plantations,"The use of exogenous silicon (Si) amendments, such as Si fertilizers and biochar, can effectively increase crop Si uptake and the formation of phytoliths, which are siliceous substances that are abundant in numerous plant species. Phytolith-occluded carbon (C) (PhytOC) accumulation in soil plays an important role in long-term soil organic C (SOC) storage. Nevertheless, the effects of both Si fertilizer and biochar application on PhytOC sequestration in forest plant-soil systems have not been studied. We investigated the impact of Si fertilizer and biochar applications on 1) the PhytOC pool size, the solubility of plant and soil phytoliths, and soil PhytOC in soil physical fractions (light (LFOM) and heavy fractions of organic matter (HFOM)) in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forests: and 2) the relationships among plant and soil PhytOC concentrations and soil properties. We used a factorial design with three Si fertilizer application rates: 0 (50), 225 (S1) and 450 (52) kg Si ha(-1), and Iwo biochar application rates: 0 (B0) and 10 (B1) t ha(-1). The concentrations of PhytOC in the bamboo plants and topsoil (0-10 cm) increased with increasing Si fertilizer addition, regardless of biochar application. Biochar addition increased the soil PhytOC pool size, as well as the LFOM- and HFOM-PhytOC fractions, regardless of Si fertilizer application. The Si fertilizer application increased or had no effect on soil phytolith solubility with or without biochar application, respectively. Soil PhytOC was correlated with the concentration of soil organic nitrogen (R-2 = 0.32), SOC (R-2 = 0.51), pH (R-2 = 028), and available Si (R-2 = 0.23). Furthermore, Si fertilizer application increased plant and soil PhytOC by increasing soil available Si. Moreover, biochar application increased soil PhytOC concentration in LFOM-PhytOC and the unstable fraction of PhytOC. We conclude that Si fertilizer and biochar application promoted PhytOC sequestration in the plant-soil system and changed its distribution in physical fractions in the Moso bamboo plantation in subtropical China. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2020,Biochar; Moso bamboo; PhytOC; Phytolith; Silicon fertilizer,No (2)
Biochar and compost effects on soil microbial communities and nitrogen induced respiration in turfgrass soils,"We examined the effect of a labile soil amendment, compost, and recalcitrant biochar on soil microbial community structure, diversity, and activity during turfgrass establishment. Two application rates of biochar (B1 at 12.5 t ha(-1) and B2 at 25 t ha(-1)), a 5 centimeter (cm) green waste compost treatment (CM) in top soil, a treatment with 12.5 t ha(-1) biochar and 5 cm compost (B1+CM), and an unamended control (CK) treatment were prepared and seeded with tall fescue. Overall, results of phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) profiling and Illumina high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes amplified from soil DNA revealed significant shifts in microbial community structures in the compost amended soils whereas in biochar amended soils communities were more similar to the control, unamended soil. Similarly, increases in enzymatic rates (6-56%) and nitrogen-induced respiration (94%) were all largest in compost amended soils, with biochar amended soils exhibiting similar patterns to the control soils. Both biochar and compost amendments impacted microbial community structures and functions, but compost amendment, whether applied alone or co-applied with biochar, exhibited the strongest shifts in the microbial community metrics examined. Our results suggest application of compost to soils in need of microbiome change (reclamation projects) or biochar when the microbiome is functioning and long-term goals such as carbon sequestration are more desirable.",2020,,No (2)
Biochar amendment controlled bacterial wilt through changing soil chemical properties and microbial community,"Long-term continuous cropping has led to epidemic of bacterial wilt disease in Southern China. Bacterial wilt disease is caused by Ralstonia solanacearum and difficult to control. In order to control bacterial wilt, rice hull biochar was applied to soil with different doses (0, 7.5, 15, 30 and 45 t ha(-1)) in a field trial. After three years, the influence of biochar on soil properties, incidence of bacterial wilt and microbial community were characterized. Biochar amendment significantly suppressed bacterial wilt through changing soil chemical properties and microbial composition. Compared with control, disease incidence and index of biochar amendments (7.5, 15, 30, and 45 t ha(-1)) significantly decreased. Disease incidence and index of biochar amendment (15 t ha(-1)) were the lowest. Compared to the unamended control, contents of soil organic matter in biochar amendments (15, 30 t ha(-1)), available nitrogen in biochar amendment (15 t ha(-1)), and urease activity in biochar amendments (7.5, 15 t ha(-1)) significantly increased. Biochar amendments (15, 30, and 45 t ha(-1)) increased the relative abundances of potential beneficial bacteria (Aeromicrobium, Bacillus, Bradyrhizobium, BurIcholderia, Chlorochromatium, Chthoniobacter, Corynebacterium, Geobacillus, Leptospirillum, Marisediminicola, Microvirga, Pseudoxanthomonas, Telmatobacter). Biochar amendments (7.5, 30, and 45 t ha(-1)) reduced the relative abundances of denitrifying bacteria (Noviherbaspirillum, Reyranella, Thermos). Biochar amendments (7.5, 15, and 45 t ha(-1)) significantly decreased pathogen Ralstonia abundance. Overall, application of biochar effectively controlled bacterial wilt through sequestering more carbon and nitrogen, enriching specific beneficial bacteria and decreasing pathogen abundance. This study revealed the potential of biochar in control of bacterial wilt.",2020,Bacterial wilt; Ralstonia solanacearum; Biochar; Soil properties; Microbial community,No (2)
Behavioural frameworks to understand public perceptions of and risk response to carbon dioxide removal: Behavioral Framework for CDR,"The adoption of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies at a scale sufficient to draw down carbon emissions will require both individual and collective decisions that happen over time in different locations to enable a massive scale-up. Members of the public and other decision-makers have not yet formed strong attitudes, beliefs and preferences about most of the individual CDR technologies or taken positions on policy mechanisms and tax-payer support for CDR. Much of the current discourse among scientists, policy analysts and policy-makers about CDR implicitly assumes that decision-makers will exhibit unbiased, rational behaviour that weighs the costs and benefits of CDR. In this paper, we review behavioural decision theory and discuss how public reactions to CDR will be different from and more complex than that implied by rational choice theory. Given that people do not form attitudes and opinions in a vacuum, we outline how fundamental social normative principles shape important intergroup, intragroup and social network processes that influence support for or opposition to CDR technologies. We also point to key insights that may help stakeholders craft public outreach strategies that anticipate the nuances of how people evaluate the risks and benefits of CDR approaches. Finally, we outline critical research questions to understand the behavioural components of CDR to plan for an emerging public response. © 2020 The Author(s).",2020,,Yes (1)
Protocols for the preparation and characterization of decellularized tissue and organ scaffolds for tissue engineering,"Extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds are extensively used in tissue engineering studies and numerous clinical applications for tissue and organ reconstructions. Due to the global severe shortage of human tissues and organs, xenogeneic biomaterials are a common source for human tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Traditional methods for decellularization often disrupt the 3D architecture and damage the structural integrity of the ECM scaffold. To efficiently obtain natural ECM scaffolds from animal tissues and organs with intact architecture, we have developed a platform decellularization process using supercritical CO2 and tested its potential application in tissue engineering. A combination of human mesenchymal stem cells with a decellularized dermal matrix scaffold allowed complete regeneration of skin structure in a porcine full-thickness wound model. © 2020 Future Science. All rights reserved.",2020,,No (2)
Battery scrap and biochar utilization for improved metal recoveries in nickel slag cleaning conditions,"Cobalt is a critical, high-value metal used extensively in batteries and other sustainable technologies. To secure its supply in future, it is utmost important to recover cobalt efficiently from industrial wastes and recycled End-of-Life batteries. This study aims at finding ways to improve the reduction of cobalt as well as valuable metals nickel and copper in nickel slag cleaning furnace conditions by using both traditional fossil-based coke and a more sustainable option, low-CO2 footprint biochar, as reductants. A cobalt-rich fraction of battery scrap (25.5 wt% Co) was also used as a secondary feed. The experimental technique consisted of reduction experiments with different times at 1400◦C under inert atmosphere, quick quenching and Electron Probe X-ray Microanalysis. The use of biochar resulted in faster reaction kinetics in the reduction process, compared to coke. Moreover, the presence of battery scrap had a clear impact on the behavior and reduction kinetics of the elements and/or enhanced settling and separation of matte and slag. The addition of scrap increased notably the distribution coefficients of the valuable metals but consequently also the iron concentration in matte which is the thermodynamic constraint of the slag cleaning process. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",2020,,No (2)
Land Use and Agriculture: Pitfalls and Precautions on the Road to Net Zero,"Land use is a crucial sector in delivering enhanced carbon sequestration globally. At the same time food production is a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions. As pressure mounts for all nations to increase their levels of ambition under the Paris Climate Agreement, so the pressure to radically reduce emissions from the agriculture sector and enhance carbon sequestration in the land use sector also ramps up. This trend is most clearly evident in the drive for “net zero” where unavoidable emissions, such as those from food production, are balanced by more sequestration via land use change. Here we examine some of the major risks, applicable safeguards, and potential pathways for agriculture and land use in realizing net zero. Using the UK as an example we highlight the importance of governance, finance, skills, research and technology, and society in this transition. We conclude that successful land use policy for net zero will require extremely demanding levels of integration and spatial resolution, and that the research community has a vital role to play in providing a robust evidence base for this. We also invoke the Cancun safeguards as a basis on which a more sustainable and just transition to net zero might be based. Finally, we warn of unintended distortions to policy and markets if the drive for net zero is too blinkered. Copyright © 2020 Reay.",2020,,Yes (1)
CO2 utilization for combined gasification and sorption enhanced water-gas shift for syngas production of biochar,"Searching for alternative renewable energy to serve high demand of energy consumption has been of interest for decades. However, the production of energy comes with an emission of large amount of CO2, the main cause of global warming problem. As a consequence, improvement of energy production process in terms of increasing high efficiency and reducing CO2 emission are required [1]. This research verified the combined systems: biochar gasification and sorption-enhanced water gas shift reaction for the production of synthesis gas. The effect of calcium precursor on CaO-based sorbents, type of metal on multifunctional materials, and amount of co-feed CO2 as gasifying agent on process performances were focused on this work. Fixed-bed reactors were used for both gasification and sorption-enhanced water-gas shift experiments. Performances of the system were analyzed in terms of %biochar conversion, H2/CO ratio, and CO2 emission. The temperature used in the gasification process was fixed at 900°C and sorption-enhanced water-gas shift was 600°C at 1 atm. The results showed the sorbent CaO/Caj2Alj4O33 derived from calcium nitrate displayed the best performance for CO2 capture, whose CO2 capture capacity is 0.34 gCO2/g sorbent at 30%CO2v/v at 600°C. For the combined gasification and sorption-enhanced water-gas shift reaction, 98% biochar conversion can be obtained. Ni/CaO-Caj2Ali4O33 offered higher H2/CO ratio and CO2 emission when compared to Cu/CaO-Ca12Al14O33 at fixed feed molar ratio of H2O:CO2:O2:C = 0.5:0.5:0.125:1. The utilization of CO2 as gasifying agent at feed molar ratio of H2O:CO2:O2:C = 0.5:0.1:0.125:1 demonstrated the reduction of CO2 emission with the production of H2/CO ratio = 0.23. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.",2020,,No (2)
Simultaneous removal of carbon dioxide and multi-pollutants from flue gas by cryogenic pentane scrubbing,"In this study, a novel cryogenic Pentane scrubbing process is developed to achieve carbon dioxide capture and multi-pollutants removal simultaneously. Flue gas with water moisture can be directly cooled to cryogenic temperatures by pentane scrubbing without dehydration pretreatment. H2O, CO2and pollutants in their solid or liquid phase can be separated from liquid pentane due to their insolubility with each other. Process modeling study is conducted by Aspen PlusTM based on a 600MWecoal-fired unit to evaluate the capture rate of CO2, removal efficiency of pollutants, and overall energy penalty. At a scrubbing temperature of -117°, a capture rate of 90% is achieved for CO2, and a removal rate close to 100% is reached for pollutant component SO2, SO3, NO2, HCl, HF and Hg. A three-stage cooling process is adopted, in which H2O, SO2and CO2are removed and recovered successively. The overall energy penalty is around 0.97 MJe/kgCO2if the captured CO2 is recovered as liquid and is reduced to 0.68 MJe/kgCO2if the captured CO2is recovered as gas, which is about 30% lower than that of amine-based CO2capture technology. © 2020 PCC 2020 - 37th Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conference. All rights reserved.",2020,,No (2)
Differences in soil organic matter and humus of sandy soil after application of biochar substrates and combination of biochar substrates with mineral fertilizers,"The effort to achieve the sustainable farming system in arable soil led to the intensive search for a new solution but an inspiration can also be found in the application of traditional methods of soil fertility improvement as it is shown in numerous examples in history. Recently many scientific teams have focused their attention on the evaluation of biochar effects on soil properties and crop yields. Since there are a lot of knowledge gaps, especially in explanations how biochar can affect soil organic matter (SOM) and humus substances, we aimed this study at the solution of these questions. Therefore, the objective of the experiment was to evaluate the impact of two biochar substrates (B1 – biochar blended with sheep manure, and B2 – biochar blended with sheep manure and the residue from the biogas station) at two rates (10 and 20 t ha-1) applied alone or in combination with mineral fertilizers (Urea was applied in 2018, at rate 100 kg ha-1, and Urea at rate 100 kg ha-1 + AMOFOS NP 12-52 at 100 kg ha-1 were applied in 2019) on the quantity and quality of SOM and humus of sandy soil (Arenosol, Dolná Streda, Slovakia). The results showed that application of the biochar substrates together with mineral fertilizers (MF) had more pronounced effect on the organic matter mineralization in the sandy soil which resulted in low accumulation of soil organic carbon (Corg) and labile carbon compared to biochar substrates treatments without MF. The share of humic substances in Corg significantly decreased by 16, 50, 16 and 24% in B1 at 10 t ha-1, B1 at 20 t ha-1, B2 at 10 t ha-1 and B2 at 20 t ha-1 treatments, respectively, compared to the control. A similar tendency was observed for biochar substrates treatments + MF, compared to MF control. The carbon content of humic substances (CHS) was equal to 4.40 – 5.80 g kg-1 and the biochar substrates had statistically significant influence on CHS content. On average, there was a smaller decrease of CHS in B1 at rate 10 t ha-1 than at rate 20 t ha-1 and no effect of B2 compared to control. The carbon content of fulvic acid (CFA) was 9% higher in B1 at 10 t ha-1, and 20 t ha-1, 47% higher in B2 at 10 t ha-1 and 17% higher in B2 at 20 t ha-1 compared to control. As a result of biochar substrates + MF application, the reduction in CFA was observed. The results showed a decrease of CHA : CFA ratio with association to biochar substrates alone application compared to control on one hand, and a wider of CHA : CFA ratio in biochar substrates + MF treatments in comparison to MF control on the other hand. Humus stability was increased in biochar substrates alone treatments compared to control, on the other hand, compared to MF control, the application of biochar substrates + MF resulted in a lower humus stability. © 2020 Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. All rights reserved.",2020,,No (2)
A case study of SACROC CO2 flooding in marginal pay regions: Improving asset performance,"Since the beginning of injection in 1972, carbon dioxide has been utilized at the SACROC Unit of the Kelly-Snyder Field to improve and enhance oil recovery. As one of the first fields in the world to attempt this technique, SACROC provides a unique opportunity to study, learn from, and improve upon the development of this technology. Between initial gas injection and the year 2000, approximately 1 TCF of CO2 had been injected into the Canyon Reef reservoir. While multiple pilot programs from this time period reported incremental response following CO2 injection, many of these volumes are now attributed to residual waterflood affects as many of these projects were not truly miscible CO2 floods. Since that time, advances in technology, improvements in reservoir knowledge, and increases in scale have expanded the boundaries of economically viable enhanced oil recovery. As a result, projects that were once considered marginal in reservoir quality and redevelopment potential are now exhibiting improved recovery responses across the field. Since taking over as operator at SACROC in 2000, Kinder Morgan has redeveloped more than 25 major project areas including more than 600 patterns within the unit. Under Kinder Morgan operations, cumulative CO2 injection has surpassed 7 TCF yielding a cumulative enhanced oil recovery of over 180 million barrels. This case study will review the history of enhanced oil recovery at SACROC, discuss changes in theory over time, and provide a forward look at what remains for this field. This analysis will focus on the first CO2 injection pilot programs, dimensionless oil and CO2 recovery performance and their impact on forecasting, and inclusion of the transition zone and other marginal pay areas in redevelopment. Additionally, this study will highlight the major operational issues encountered over time and the associated improvements that have contributed to enhanced oil recovery. These advancements include conformance improvements, upgraded field surveillance, and proper management of the overall injection- production system. In conclusion, the case will review the Hawaii and East Flank CO2 Flood Expansions: two recently developed marginal pay projects undergoing miscible CO2 flooding at SACROC. Successful redevelopment of these marginal pay projects is allowing for expansion to areas of the field once considered marginal in quality and accordingly uneconomic. © 2020, Society of Petroleum Engineers.",2020,,No (2)
Matching policy and science: Rationale for the ‘4 per 1000 - soils for food security and climate’ initiative,"At the 21st session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, COP21), a voluntary action plan, the ‘4 per 1000 Initiative: Soils for Food Security and Climate’ was proposed under the Agenda for Action. The Initiative underlines the role of soil organic matter (SOM) in addressing the three-fold challenge of food and nutritional security, adaptation to climate change and mitigation of human-induced greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions. It sets an ambitious aspirational target of a 4 per 1000 (i.e. 0.4%) rate of annual increase in global soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, with a focus on agricultural lands where farmers would ensure the carbon stewardship of soils, like they manage day-to-day multipurpose production systems in a changing environment. In this paper, the opportunities and challenges for the 4 per 1000 initiative are discussed. We show that the 4 per 1000 target, calculated relative to global top soil SOC stocks, is consistent with literature estimates of the technical potential for SOC sequestration, though the achievable potential is likely to be substantially lower given socio-economic constraints. We calculate that land-based negative emissions from additional SOC sequestration could significantly contribute to reducing the anthropogenic CO 2 equivalent emission gap identified from Nationally Determined Contributions pledged by countries to stabilize global warming levels below 2 °C or even 1.5 °C under the Paris agreement on climate. The 4 per 1000 target could be implemented by taking into account differentiated SOC stock baselines, reversing the current trend of huge soil CO 2 losses, e.g. from agriculture encroaching peatland soils. We further discuss the potential benefits of SOC stewardship for both degraded and healthy soils along contrasting spatial scales (field, farm, landscape and country) and temporal (year to century) horizons. Last, we present some of the implications relative to non-CO 2 GHGs emissions, water and nutrients use as well as co-benefits for crop yields and climate change adaptation. We underline the considerable challenges associated with the non-permanence of SOC stocks and show how the rates of adoption and the duration of improved soil management practices could alter the global impacts of practices under the 4 per 1000 initiative. We conclude that the 4 per 1000 initiative has potential to support multiple sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. It can be regarded as no-regret since increasing SOC in agricultural soils will contribute to food security benefits that will enhance resilience to climate change. However, social, economic and environmental safeguards will be needed to ensure an equitable and sustainable implementation of the 4 per 1000 target. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.",2019,Carbon sequestration; Climate change; Soil organic carbon; Agronomy; Carbon dioxide; Climate change; Economics; Environmental regulations; Food supply; Forestry; Global warming; Greenhouse gases; Organic carbon; Sustainable development; Adaptation to climate changes; Carbon sequestration; Climate change adaptation; Environmental safeguard; Soil management practices; Soil organic carbon; Stabilize global warming; United nations framework convention on climate changes; Soils; action plan; adaptive management; agricultural land; carbon dioxide; carbon sequestration; climate change; emission; food security; greenhouse gas; organic carbon; soil carbon; soil organic matter; United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,Yes (1)
Realist climate ethics: Promoting climate ambition within the Classical Realist tradition,"What is a Classical Realist analysis of climate ethics and politics? Classical Realist ethical analysis differs from ideal normative theory in that it addresses state decision-makers rather than individuals, assumes highly imperfect compliance with the demands of justice, and is concerned with feasibility and transition rather than end-states. Classical Realists urge leaders to prioritise state security over private moral concerns, to assess rival policies against their likely consequences and to seek the 'lesser evil' among feasible choices. But how does Realism respond when the prudent pursuit of state security risks rendering much of the planet uninhabitable? In the 1950s, the development of the hydrogen bomb created just such a dilemma as status quo politics now carried a significant risk of thermonuclear omnicide. In response, Hans Morgenthau argued that states should manage systemic risk by working in concert to safeguard expanded, collective national interests. The Classical Realist mode of thought suggests an analogous response to systemic climate risks: states' conceptions of national interest must expand to include cooperative system-preservation alongside traditional security concerns. Classical Realist arguments might then be mobilised to overcome resistance from vested interests and to support state-directed low carbon innovation, adaptation and mitigation agreements that prioritise ambition over distributional justice.",2019,Realism; Paris Agreement; Consequentialism; Climate Change; Solar Geoengineering,No (2)
Energy and exergy analysis of acid gas removal processes in the LNG production chain,"In the energy transition towards a zero-carbon energy sector, natural gas grows much faster than either oil or coal, since it is an environmentally-friendly fuel supported by the continuing expansion of LNG, increasing the availability of gas globally. In recent years, the substantial growth in the world energy demand has increased the interest in the exploitation of natural gas reservoirs previously deemed undesirable due to their high acid gas content. Existing technologies for natural gas purification, such as chemical absorption with alkanolamine solvents, may be not suitable for treating highly contaminated natural gas due to the required higher solvent circulation rate and, consequently, to the energy demand for solvent regeneration. Over the last decades attention has been devoted to the study and development of low-temperature CO2 removal processes. With these new technologies, CO2 is separated as a high-pressure liquid making it easier to be pumped underground for sequestration or utilization in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) projects. The aim of this work is to analyze natural gas purification technologies and liquefaction schemes for the production of LNG starting from the same acid natural gas stream. In particular, two CO2 removal technologies are considered to bring CO2 concentrations down to levels suitable for LNG production: the conventional chemical absorption technology with activated-MDEA (aMDEA) as solvent and the recently patented Dual Pressure Low-Temperature (DPLT) distillation technology. Different commercial technologies are taken into account for the liquefaction of the purified natural gas: Propane-Mixed Refrigerant (C3MR), Mixed Fluid Cascade (MFC), and Single Mixed Refrigerant (SMR). However, since these liquefaction processes are designed for a sweet gas obtained using a conventional acid gas removal technology, some adjustments have been made for their application to a low-temperature sweet gas. The choice to compare a conventional technology with a novel low-temperature one has been made to understand if the synergy between a CO2 removal technology operated at low-temperature and the downstream liquefaction process is advantageous, despite the need for refrigeration also in the CO2 removal step. The different process schemes resulting from the combination of the two CO2 removal technologies with the liquefaction ones have been simulated in Aspen HYSYS (R) V10 and their performances are assessed and compared by means of energy and exergy analyses, respectively based on the ""net equivalent methane"" approach and on the exergy efficiency concept. Results suggest that, although the aMDEA absorption process and the DPLT distillation one with downstream NGLs recovery have about the same specific energy consumption when applied to the natural gas stream taken into account in this work considering the CO2 removal step only, the overall process (including the liquefaction of the purified natural gas stream) involving the DPLT distillation technology is characterized by lower consumptions and a higher exergy efficiency.",2019,Natural gas purification; Carbon dioxide; Activated-MDEA; Low-temperature distillation; Liquefaction; LNG,No (2)
Variation in annual carbon fluxes affecting the SOC pool in hemiboreal coniferous forests in Estonia,"Estimation of soil-related carbon (C) fluxes is needed to understand the dynamics of the soil organic carbon pool, to determine changes in the carbon balance and functioning of forest ecosystems, and to support climate change policies. The objective of the study was to analyse the variation in the most dynamic soil C input (tree and understory above- and belowground litter production) and output (soil respiration) fluxes, in addition to the forest floor, understory and fine root biomass stocks, in eight different Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L) Karst) sites growing on mineral soils in Estonia. Further, the impact of soil C input and output fluxes on the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool was examined, and the net ecosystem production (NEP) of the stands was estimated. Fine root production (FRP) of the trees constituted 53% and 28% and needle litter constituted 25% and 28% of the total annual C input to the soil in the Norway spruce and Scots pine stands, respectively. The total FRP of the trees and the understory roots and rhizomes ranged from 211 to 1040 g m(-2) yr(-1), of which the understory comprised up to 28%. The mean annual soil respiration (Rs) rate was 5.7 +/- 0.3 and 6.5 +/- 0.3 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) in the pine and spruce stands, respectively, and did not differ significantly between the two groups of stands. The SOC pool of the studied stands depended significantly on both the above- and belowground C input fluxes. Tree-derived litter had the strongest effect on the SOC pool, while the Rh as the main soil C output flux showed no significant impact. The NEP ranged from 4.2 to - 1.8 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) and demonstrated a strong negative correlation with stand age. The results affirm the importance of belowground as well as aboveground litter production on carbon accumulation in forest soils.",2019,Fine roots; Soil respiration; SOC; Net ecosystem production; Picea abies; Pinus sylvestris,No (2)
To burn or retain crop residues on croplands? An integrated analysis of crop residue management in China,"Crop residue burning influences human health and global climate change. In China-the world's largest crop residue producer-farmers burn almost one quarter of their crop residues in the field after harvest, despite the government providing financial incentives such as subsidies to retain crop residues. This study combined economic analyses with simulations of soil carbon accumulation and carbon emission reduction associated with different residue management practices to determine the minimum level of incentives needed for Chinese farmers to shift from burning to retaining crop residues for generating carbon benefits. Simulation results showed that [1] the density of topsoil organic carbon in China's croplands would have increased from about 21.8 t ha(-1) in 2000 to 23.9 t ha(-1) in 2010, and soil organic carbon sequestration would have reached 24.4 Tg C yr(-1) if farmers had shifted from burning to retaining crop residues on croplands during this period; and [2] retaining crop residues would have avoided about 149.9 Tg of CO2 emission per year. Economic analyses showed that [1] existing subsidies in all regions of China, except Northeast China, only accounted for 18-82% of the incentives required for farmers to shift from burning to crop residue retention; [2] Northeast China required the lowest incentive (287 CNY ha(-1)), while eastern China required the highest (837 CNY ha(-1)); and [3] the prevailing market prices (1.4-60.2 CNY tCO(2)e(-1)) in China's seven pilot carbon markets seem to be below the required incentives (39.6-189.1 CNY tCO(2)e(-1)). Our study suggests that the Chinese government should increase subsidies or seek innovative incentive schemes to encourage farmers to change their crop residue management practices for global climate change mitigation and health benefits. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.",2019,Crop residue management; Soil carbon; Carbon emissions; Economic analysis; China,No (2)
"Carbon dynamics and land use carbon footprints in mangrove-converted aquaculture: The case of the Mahakam Delta, Indonesia","Mangroves provide a number of important ecosystem services to humanity but their persistence is threatened from deforestation, conversion, and climate change. The Mahakam Delta was once among the largest mangrove forests in Southeast Asia comprising 2% of Indonesia's total mangroves. Currently, about 62% of this extensive mangrove in the Mahakam Delta has been lost mainly due to conversion into aquaculture. To understand the impacts of mangrove conversion on carbon losses and therefore their values in climate change mitigation, we sampled 10 intact mangroves and 10 abandoned shrimp ponds to quantify: (1) the total ecosystem carbon stocks; (2) potential CO2 emissions arising from mangrove conversion to shrimp ponds; and (3) the land use carbon footprints of shrimp production. The mean ecosystem carbon stocks in shrimp ponds (499 +/- 56 Mg C ha(-1)) was less than half of the relatively intact mangroves (1023 +/- 87 Mg C ha-1). This equates to a potential annual emission factor over 16 years following mangrove conversion of 120 Mg CO(2)e ha(-1) yr(-1), which is similar with the total carbon loss from land conversion in freshwater tropical peat swamp forests. Inclusion of C losses from land use/cover change in a life cycle analysis (i.e., the land use carbon footprint) resulted in an estimated 2250 kg CO2-e emitted for every kg of shrimp produced in mangrove-converted ponds. Conversion of mangroves to shrimp ponds in the Mahakam Delta resulted in a carbon loss equivalent to 226 years of soil carbon accumulation in natural mangroves. Conservation of mangroves are of great value for inclusion in climate change mitigation strategies because of their large carbon stocks, the large carbon emissions generated from land use, and the potentially long period of time required to recover carbon stocks following abandonment.",2019,Carbon dynamics; Ecosystem carbon stocks; CO2 emissions; Emission factor; Mangroves; Aquaculture; Carbon footprint; Climate change,No (2)
Thermodynamic exploration of temperature vacuum swing adsorption for direct air capture of carbon dioxide in buildings,"Abrupt climate change such as the loss of Arctic sea-ice area urgently needs negative emissions technologies. The potential application of direct air capture of carbon dioxide from indoor air and outdoor air in closed buildings or crowded places has been discussed in this paper. From the aspects of carbon reduction and indoor comfort, the ventilation system integrating a capture device is of great value in practical use. For ultra-dilute carbon dioxide sources, many traditional separation processes have no cost advantages, but adsorption technologies such as temperature vacuum swing adsorption is one of suitable methods. Thermodynamic exploration has been investigated regarding minimum separation work and second-law efficiency at various concentrations in the air. The influence of concentration, adsorption temperature, desorption temperature and desorption pressure on the energy efficiency has also been evaluated. Results show that the minimum separation work for the level of 400 ppm is approximately 20 kJ/mol. The optimal second-law efficiencies are 44.57%, 37.55% and 31.60%, respectively for 3000 ppm, 2000 ppm and 1000 ppm. It means that a high energy-efficiency capture device in buildings merits attention in the exploration of the possibility of approaching negative carbon buildings.",2019,Thermodynamics; Second-law efficiency; NETs; Direct air capture; TVSA; Buildings,No (2)
Injection of in-situ generated CO2 microbubbles into deep saline aquifers for enhanced carbon sequestration,"Carbon sequestration into deep saline aquifers has been considered a promising technology for mitigating heavy atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration. When gaseous CO2 is continuously injected into these aquifers, resident brine near a wellbore area is rapidly evaporated while precipitating significant amounts of salt at pores, thereby damaging the aquifer media unfavorable for subsequent CO2  injection. In addition, the continuous injection of CO(2 )at a large volume significantly hinders dissolution of CO2  into brine. In this study, we propose a new method of sequential water injection with gaseous CO2  for in-situ generation of micro-sized CO2  bubbles that minimizes the brine drying-out and simultaneously accelerates CO2  dissolution. We observed that, with this method, a partial volume of CO2  dissolves effectively into the co-injected water during pumping, thereby decreasing the rate of brine drying-out at pores. Another benefit of sequential injection is the significantly increased rate of CO2  hydration induced by the large surface-to-volume ratio of tiny bubbles at micro to nanoscale. To further accelerate CO2  hydration, we investigated reactive dynamics of bubble-driven CO2  hydration at different frequencies of sequential injection and pH levels of the solution. Operation at a higher frequency with higher basicity proved to be the most effective in decreasing the bubble size and therefore accelerating CO2  hydration into brine, which is a more feasible CO2  storage plan.",2019,Carbon sequestration; CO2 dissolution; CO2 injectivity; Deep saline aquifers; Microfluidics,No (2)
A roadmap for China to peak carbon dioxide emissions and achieve a 20% share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy by 2030,"As part of its Paris Agreement commitment, China pledged to peak carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions around 2030, striving to peak earlier, and to increase the non-fossil share of primary energy to 20% by 2030. Yet by the end of 2017, China emitted 28% of the world's energy-related CO2 emissions, 76% of which were from coal use. How China can reinvent its energy economy cost-effectively while still achieving its commitments was the focus of a three-year joint research project completed in September 2016. Overall, this analysis found that if China follows a pathway in which it aggressively adopts all cost-effective energy efficiency and CO2 emission reduction technologies while also aggressively moving away from fossil fuels to renewable and other non-fossil resources, it is possible to not only meet its Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments, but also to reduce its 2050 CO2 emissions to a level that is 42% below the country's 2010 CO2 emissions. While numerous barriers exist that will need to be addressed through effective policies and programs in order to realize these potential energy use and emissions reductions, there are also significant local environmental (e.g., air quality), national and global environmental (e.g., mitigation of climate change), human health, and other unquantified benefits that will be realized if this pathway is pursued in China.",2019,China; Energy efficiency; CO2 emissions reduction; Non-fossil fuels; Paris Agreement,No (2)
Structural Evolution of the UK Electricity System in a below 2 degrees C World,"We employ an electricity system model to determine the least-cost transition necessary to meet a given carbon dioxide removal (CDR) burden in the UK. The results show that, while sufficient in the medium term, a system dominated by intermittent renewable energy technologies (IRES) cannot deliver CDR at the scale required in a cost-effective manner. The marginal value of IRES for climate change mitigation diminishes with time, especially in the context of the Paris Agreement. Deeper decarbonization precipitates a resurgence of thermal generation from bioenergy and gas (with carbon capture and storage) and nuclear. Such a system is inherently centralized and will require maintenance of existing transmission and distribution infrastructure. Current policy direction, however, encourages the proliferation of renewables and decentralization of energy services. To avoid locking the power system into a future where it cannot meet climate change mitigation ambitions, policy must recognize and adequately incentivize the new technologies (CCS) and services (CDR) necessary.",2019,,No (2)
Dynamics and scenarios of carbon emissions in China's construction industry,"Given the major contribution of the construction industry to carbon emissions in China, scientific prediction of carbon emissions in China's construction industry is important for creating carbon reduction policies, and examining whether China can achieve its 2020 carbon intensity target in this sector. This paper investigates the influence of different economic growth rates and different carbon reduction technology policy factors on carbon emissions, and carbon intensity of GDP by a system dynamics method. The results show that carbon emissions are mainly determined by indirect emissions and increase with an increase in industrial GDP. A higher economic growth rate will lead to more carbon emissions, whereas the carbon intensity will decrease with an increase in economic growth rate. Promoting carbon reduction technology development can mitigate carbon emissions and intensity. We assume a conservative rate of economic growth, a 2% reduction relative to the base scenario level; meanwhile, the impact of carbon reduction policy on the decrease in the carbon emission factor is assumed to be 5%. Carbon emissions are lowest under the two assumptions. In all scenarios, the 40–45% reduction in carbon intensity level of 2005 is accomplished. Policies encouraging low-carbon technology would help achieve the objectives of carbon mitigation. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd",2019,,No (2)
"Studying the integration of solar energy into the operation of a semi-autogenous grinding mill. Part I: Framework, model development and effect of solar irradiance forecasting","Grinding is one of the most energy-demanding processes of copper mines. Declining ore grades and harder rocks will further intensify this demand. Periods of stressed copper prices, high energy costs and climate change mitigation targets additionally motivate the search for alternative energy sources in mining. In Chile, many copper operations are located in the Atacama Desert, hence solar energy systems are an attractive solution. However, the mineral hardness is variable and uncertain in time and space, which adds challenges to planning energy systems with high solar shares. More specifically, here a stochastic optimization model is developed. It sizes the solar photovoltaic (PV), battery energy storage system (BESS) and the contracted power, based on the solar radiation, mineral hardness, and costs. Using Markov Chains, different years of solar radiation are generated from historical records. These solar scenarios are used to test the impact of individual years with long periods of cloudy/rainy days on the sizing of the system, in contrast to planning with an average year or planning with many-year time horizons in a stochastic approach. The novelties lie in the developed model, and in understanding the impact of the uncertainty and variability of rock hardness and solar irradiation on the optimal sizing of the PV-BESS system and the power capacity contract. Furthermore, the impact of a larger variability of ore hardness is evaluated in one scenario. PV-BESS can cost-effectively provide energy to the grinding mill. Different planning approaches lead to significant differences in the recommended power supply. In contrast to planning with the average solar year, using a conservative solar year (many cloudy days) yields significantly smaller sizes of PV and BESS (20% and 55%) and a higher reliance on the grid (larger contracts and imports); and the stochastic approach follows a similar line (10% and 25% smaller). Despite its increased grid dependency, the one-year stochastic approach provides more robust solutions regarding costs and sizes (avoiding penalties). The variability of the rock hardness also impacts the size of all components of the PV-BESS system, especially the battery energy capacity. Its relevance for battery sizing motivates to perform further studies with a focus on the uncertainty and variability of the ore. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd",2019,,No (2)
The spatial distribution of blue carbon in the coastal wetlands of China,"Coastal wetland losses in China are globally-relevant issues, as formerly sequestered soil organic carbon is released as CO2 into the atmosphere. Wetland losses also reduce the primary production by plants that would otherwise bury carbon in the future. More than 50% of these ecosystems have been lost globally over the last half century, with this number approaching 58% in China. The negotiation of international accords such as the Paris Climate Agreement rely on the accurate assessment of ecosystem-held carbon quantities. Our objective was to provide the first national scale survey of coastal wetland-based carbon in China. The average soil organic carbon stock (Mg SOC ha(-1)) across all three types of ecosystems was 236.91, with an average of 344.67 for mangroves, 175.14 for seagrass, and 134.37 for salt marshes. The SOC stock was greatest at 30-60 cm of depth in the case of mangroves, as opposed to 0-20 cm of depth for salt marshes. In terms of the carbon content of the standing aboveground and belowground biomass (Mg C ha(-1)), mangroves contained by far the most with an average of 253.98 and 83.96, respectively. Carbon burial rates, or the annual flux of SOC into the soil column (Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1)), were 2.26 +/- 0.39 for mangroves, 1.38 +/- 0.38 for seagrass, and 2.18 +/- 0.24 for salt marshes. Through our work, we found a total of 48.12-123.95 Tg of C in China's coastal wetlands (down to 1 m of soil column depth), with an annual burial of 0.84 Tg yr(-1). We estimate the average annual emissions of CO2 to be on the order of 6.83 Tg CO2 yr(-1), due to ongoing and extensive wetland loss and conversion.",2019,Blue carbon; Coastal wetland; Carbon stocks; Soil organic carbon; Spatial distribution; China,No (2)
A review on biochar modulated soil condition improvements and nutrient dynamics concerning crop yields: Pathways to climate change mitigation and global food security,"The beneficial role of biochar on improvement of soil quality, C sequestration, and enhancing crop yield is widely reported. As such there is not much consolidated information available linking biochar modulated soil condition improvement and soil nutrient availability on crop yields. The present review paper addresses the above issues by compilation of world literature on biochar and a new dimension is introduced in this review by performing a meta-analysis of published data by using multivariate statistical analysis. Hence this review is a new in its kind and is useful to the broad spectrum of readers. Generally, alkalinity in biochar increases with increase in pyrolysis temperature and majority of the biochar is alkaline in nature except a few which are acidic. The N content in many biochar was reported to be more than 4% as well as less than 0.5%. Poultry litter biochar is a rich source of P (3.12%) and K (7.40%), while paper mill sludge biochar is higher in Ca content (31.1%) and swine solids biochar in Zn (49810 mg kg(-1)), and Fe (74800 mg kg(-1)) contents. The effect of biochar on enhancing soil pH was higher in Alfisol, Ferrosol and Acrisol. Soil application of biochar could on an average increase (78%), decrease (16%), or show no effect on crop yields under different soil types. Biochar produced at a lower pyrolysis temperature could deliver greater soil nutrient availabilities than that prepared at higher temperature. Principal component analysis (PCA) of available data shows an inverse relationship between [pyrolysis temperature and soil pH], and [biochar application rate and soil cation exchange capacity]. The PCA also suggests that the original soil properties and application rate strongly control crop yield stimulations via biochar amendments. Finally, biochar application shows net soil C gains while also serving for increased plant biomass production that strongly recommends biochar as a useful soil amendment. Therefore, the application of biochar to soils emerges as a 'win-win strategy' for sustainable waste management, climate change mitigation and food security. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2019,Biochar; Nitrogen; Phosphorus; Potassium; Micronutrients; Crop yields,Yes (1)
Can biochar link forest restoration with commercial agriculture?,"The commercial use of low-value forest-origin biomass has long been considered for its potential to offset the cost of reducing wildfire hazard. The production of biochar simultaneously consumes low-value forest biomass and produces stable charcoal that, when applied to dryland agricultural soils, can increase water holding capacity and crop yield. In this way the production of forest-origin biochar has the potential to promote forest restoration, foster forest-related employment, increase agricultural competitiveness, and sequester carbon. Biochar offers the greatest opportunity where dryland food crops, limited water availability, existing energy transmission infrastructure, and high-fire hazard forests share the same landscape. In this paper we describe a landscape-level study based on this scenario to optimize wildfire hazard reduction treatments, biochar facility locations, and agroeconomic outcomes to evaluate the potential benefits needed to carry the costs of biochar production.",2019,biochar production and costs; Forest resilience; Food security,Yes (1)
Tools of the trade: practices and politics of researching the future in climate engineering,"Making sense of the implications of climate engineering approaches (solar radiation management, SRM; and carbon dioxide removal, CDR) at planetary scales occurs via a host of methods that calculate, project, and imagine the future in distinct ways. We take a systemic and synthesizing view of some of the (inter)disciplinary methods by which these futures are derived: climate and integrated assessment modeling, deductive' modes of social science inquiry, deliberative stakeholder engagement, and foresight-based scenarios. We speak to the epistemologies, objectives, and user communities surrounding these research practices, highlighting that different modes of constructing and interpreting evidence about an unformed future yield different kinds of results and signals for actions to be taken. We show how different methods for exploring futures' form an evolving history of how the risks of CE have been assessed (or constructed), and conclude by echoing calls for a stronger shared understanding of the practices and politics that underpin future-oriented research.",2019,Futures; Climate engineering; Methodology; Research practice; Epistemology; Risk,Yes (1)
Agroforestry is paying off - Economic evaluation of ecosystem services in European landscapes with and without agroforestry systems,"The study assessed the economic performance of marketable ecosystem services (ES) (biomass production) and non-marketable ecosystem services and dis-services (groundwater, nutrient loss, soil loss, carbon sequestration, pollination deficit) in 11 contrasting European landscapes dominated by agroforestry land use compared to business as usual agricultural practice. The productivity and profitability of the farming activities and the associated ES were quantified using environmental modelling and economic valuation. After accounting for labour and machinery costs the financial value of the outputs of Mediterranean agroforestry systems tended to be greater than the corresponding agricultural system; but in Atlantic and Continental regions the agricultural system tended to be more profitable. However, when economic values for the associated ES were included, the relative profitability of agroforestry increased. Agroforestry landscapes: (i) were associated to reduced externalities of pollution from nutrient and soil losses, and (ii) generated additional benefits from carbon capture and storage and thus generated an overall higher economic gain. Our findings underline how a market system that includes the values of broader ES would result in land use change favouring multifunctional agroforestry. Imposing penalties for dis-services or payments for services would reflect their real world prices and would make agroforestry a more financially profitable system.",2019,Biomass production; Carbon storage; Soil loss; External cost; Nutrient loss; Pollination deficit,No (2)
Including aesthetic and recreational values in cost-effectiveness analyses of land use change based nitrogen abatement measures in Denmark,"In recent years there has been an increased focus on including aspects such as greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity in cost-effectiveness analyses of nitrogen (N) abatement measures. Side-effects such as aesthetic and recreational benefits generated by the land use changes implied by some N abatement measures, such as afforestation and constructed wetlands, are included in ecosystem service approaches, but seldom explicitly in cost-effectiveness analyses. While several studies have estimated these values for e.g. forests and wetlands, per se, few have studied how these effects are valued by the general population when generated through the implementation of land use changes driven by measures aimed at reducing the loss of nitrogen from agriculture. The land use changes implied by the N abatement measures have different characteristics to that of the evaluations of forests for recreation or larger wetlands created or maintained for biodiversity, mainly because the area affected varies considerably in size and shape. In this paper, we estimate the welfare economic impacts of some of the potential side-effects, such as recreational and aesthetic effects, of three N abatement measures related to agricultural land use change: afforestation, constructed wetlands or energy crops. We incorporate the value of these side-effects in a standard cost-effectiveness analysis and discuss the policy implications. This allows us to evaluate to what extent the inclusion of these side-effects change the ranking of the measures and the cost levels used. We thereby provide a more holistic approach to the cost-effectiveness analysis of land use change based N abatement measures, and discuss the challenges relating to the spatial aspects that arise when accounting for the value of the analyzed side-effects. The analysis shows that public access to the area largely determine whether the selected measures are perceived as positive or negative. The impact of the analyzed side-effects on the cost-effectiveness analysis critically depends on the size of the affected population, as the value of the side-effects are measured per household.",2019,Nutrient loss; Agri-envionmental measures; Landscape; Preferences; Willingness to pay,No (2)
"Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks along the altitudinal gradient of the Darjeeling Himalayas, India","Soil is the largest terrestrial carbon pool and has been increasingly recognized to play crucial role to mitigate global warming resulting from climate change and land use and land cover change. The carbon cycle is closely linked with nitrogen cycles and needs to be studied together for their important implications for mitigating land degradations and associated declining productivity. Within the global biodiversity hotspot ofHimalayas, which constitutes more than one third of India's carbon pool, the Eastern Himalayas in spite of having highest forest cover, protected area network coverage, biodiversity, and endemicity have been understudied for soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. The present study was designed to assess the patterns and determinants of soil carbon stock, SOC stocks, nitrogen stocks, and carbon/nitrogen (C:N) ratio along the altitudinal gradient, forest type, and depth in Darjeeling Himalayas, India. We followed standard protocol for soil sampling and analysis. The soil carbon stocks (257.02 to 527.79MgCha(-1)), SOC stocks (152.55 to 398.88MgCha(-1)), and soil nitrogen stocks (15.10 to 32.38MgNha(-1)) increased (but C:N ratio 15.13 to 19.12 declined) along the altitudinal gradient (154 to 3170m), forest types (tropical moist deciduous forest: MWLS < East Himalayan temperate forest: NVNP < East Himalayan sub-alpine forest: SNP) and annually (year 1<year 2); however, opposite pattern was observed with increase in depths. The soil carbon stocks, SOC stocks, soil nitrogen stocks, and C:N ratio showed strong effects of forest type, depth, elevation, NDVI, bulk density, MI, and AET. Additionally, there was strong relationship of MAP with soil carbon stock and SOC stock, MAT with C:N ratio, and year of sampling with SOC stocks and C:N ratio. The soil carbon stocks, SOC stocks, and soil nitrogen stocks showed negative correlation with different environmental factors (MAT, MAP, NDVI, MI, AET), but positive correlation with elevation, however, C:N ratio had weakpositive correlation. We conclude that the different forests types of Darjeeling Himalayas encompassing wide elevation gradient have high levels of soil carbon stocks, SOC stocks, soil nitrogen stocks, and C:N ratio, and hence must be properly managed to maximize their soil carbon sequestration potential.",2019,Eastern Himalayas; Soil carbon stocks; Nitrogen stocks; SOC stocks; C:N ratio; Elevation,No (2)
Assessing negative carbon dioxide emissions from the perspective of a national “fair share” of the remaining global carbon budget,"We present an assessment of the plausible Paris-aligned fair share nett cumulative carbon dioxide (CO2) quota for an example nation state, the Republic of Ireland. By Paris-aligned, we mean consistent with the Paris Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, at Paris, France, in December 2015 (UNFCCC 2015). We compare and contrast this quota with both the aspirations expressed in the current Irish National Policy Position and current national emission projections. The fair share quota is assessed as a maximum of c. 391 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2), equal to 83 tonnes of carbon dioxide (tCO2) per capita, from 2015, based on a precautionary estimate of the global carbon budget (GCB) and specific interpretation of global equity. Given Ireland’s high current CO2 per capita emission rate, this would correspond to sustained year-on-year reductions in nett annual CO2 emissions of over − 11% per year (beginning as of 2016). By contrast, the CO2 mitigation target indicated in the National Policy Position corresponds to nett annual reduction rates in the range of only −4.7% per year (low ambition) up to a maximum of − 8.3% per year (high ambition), and projections based on current and immediately planned mitigation measures indicate the possibility, instead, of sustained increases in emissions at a rate of the order of + 0.7% per year. Accordingly, there is a large gap between Paris-aligned ambition and current political and policy reality on the ground, with a significant risk of early emergence of “CO2 debt” and tacit reliance on rapid deployment of currently speculative (at a relevant scale and feasible cost) negative CO2 emission technologies to actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere. While the detailed policy situation will clearly differ from country to country, we suggest that this methodology, and its CO2debt framing, may be usefully applied in other individual countries or regions. We recommend that such framing be incorporated explicitly into a global mitigation strategy via the statements of nationally determined contributions required to be submitted and updated by all parties under the Paris Agreement processes. © 2019, Springer Nature B.V.",2019,,No (2)
Natural climate solutions versus bioenergy: Can carbon benefits of natural succession compete with bioenergy from short rotation coppice?,"Short rotation plantations are often considered as holding vast potentials for future global bioenergy supply. In contrast to raising biomass harvests in forests, purpose-grown biomass does not interfere with forest carbon (C) stocks. Provided that agricultural land can be diverted from food and feed production without impairing food security, energy plantations on current agricultural land appear as a beneficial option in terms of renewable, climate-friendly energy supply. However, instead of supporting energy plantations, land could also be devoted to natural succession. It then acts as a long-term C sink which also results in C benefits. We here compare the sink strength of natural succession on arable land with the C saving effects of bioenergy from plantations. Using geographically explicit data on global cropland distribution among climate and ecological zones, regionally specific C accumulation rates are calculated with IPCC default methods and values. C savings from bioenergy are given for a range of displacement factors (DFs), acknowledging the varying efficiency of bioenergy routes and technologies in fossil fuel displacement. A uniform spatial pattern is assumed for succession and bioenergy plantations, and the considered timeframes range from 20 to 100 years. For many parameter settings—in particular, longer timeframes and high DFs—bioenergy yields higher cumulative C savings than natural succession. Still, if woody biomass displaces liquid transport fuels or natural gas-based electricity generation, natural succession is competitive or even superior for timeframes of 20–50 years. This finding has strong implications with climate and environmental policies: Freeing land for natural succession is a worthwhile low-cost natural climate solution that has many co-benefits for biodiversity and other ecosystem services. A considerable risk, however, is C stock losses (i.e., emissions) due to disturbances or land conversion at a later time. © 2019 The Authors. GCB Bioenergy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd",2019,,No (2)
A sorbent-focused techno-economic analysis of direct air capture,"Direct air capture, the removal of carbon dioxide from air, requires special sorbents, with high capture capacity, fast kinetics and long lifetime. Beyond that they also need to be affordable. However, since air capture is still in an early development stage, costs are still uncertain. We present a techno-economic model to value a sorbent based on the CO2 market price and the most important sorbent characteristics: cycle time, loading capacity, and rate of degradation. The model gives a net present value equation for any air capture sorbent, whether it uses a moisture swing, pressure swing or thermal swing for regeneration and makes it possible to estimate the maximum allowable budget for any air capture sorbent, i.e., the sorbent value. The analysis aims to focus the rapidly growing field of air capture sorbent development onto the most important parameters. The value of a sorbent is dramatically affected by its longevity. To be economically viable, the typical sorbent must survive tens if not hundreds of thousands of loading and unloading cycles. The model can also be used to investigate the interactions between different sorbent parameters. For example, the correlation between loading capacity and cycle time makes it possible to determine the cycle time that optimizes the economics of an air capture device. Our analysis highlights the significance of some neglected parameters in air capture cost analysis such as cycle duration and stability of the sorbent. Finally, the analysis can also be adapted to post-combustion flue gas sorbents. © 2019",2019,,No (2)
"Assessing resilience to underpin implementation of Land Degradation Neutrality: A case study in the rangelands of western New South Wales, Australia","Land degradation through loss of ground cover, wind erosion and woody scrub encroachment affects rangelands globally, threatening the resilience of communities and ecosystems. Climate change is anticipated to exacerbate land degradation in the rangelands, through increased incidence of drought. In the semi-arid rangelands of Australia, land managers have limited capacity to manage land degradation. Recent Australian climate policy initiatives could provide opportunities to improve land management, and increase resilience of rangeland pastoral systems. The Australian government's Emissions Reduction Fund enables landholders to obtain carbon credits for sequestering carbon in vegetation and soil. In western New South Wales (NSW), landholders have received funding for avoiding clearing or allowing the regrowth of native vegetation. These carbon farming projects could provide financial resources for landholders to manage drivers of land degradation and thus contribute to achieving “land degradation neutrality” (LDN). However, the impacts of carbon farming, particularly at regional level, are highly uncertain. The conceptual framework for LDN proposes that planning for LDN should be underpinned by assessment of resilience of the current and alternative lands use, using tools such as the Resilience Adaptation Pathways and Transformation Approach (RAPTA). RAPTA is a framework developed to guide the application of resilience concepts in management of social-ecological systems. It encourages a systems approach to identify critical linkages in the system, that become the focus of assessment of the system's resilience, and development of management plans to enhance resilience, and facilitate transformation where required. We present a case study of the application of RAPTA to support assessment of the resilience of current management and alternative land use strategies involving carbon farming. RAPTA facilitated a holistic assessment of social, biophysical and economic impacts of carbon farming in western NSW, that improved understanding of the opportunities, trade-offs, synergies and risks. RAPTA was found to be an effective tool to support LDN planning. Constraints to application of RAPTA include gaps in knowledge of thresholds, and resource requirements to enable effective stakeholder engagement, to inform integrated landscape management. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd",2019,Carbon farming; INS; Invasive native species; RAPTA; Resilience adaptation pathways and transformation approach; carbon; tenidap; agricultural worker; Article; Australia; conceptual framework; degradation; grazing; land use; landscape; priority journal; rangeland; season; soil; stakeholder engagement; vegetation; wind erosion,No (2)
Effects of Agricultural Practices on Carbon Emission and Soil Health,"The agricultural sector is a source of greenhouse gas emissions that directly affect the global problem of climate change and contribute approximately 11% in total greenhouse gas emissions in the world and in Croatia too. Irregular and irresponsible agricultural practices, such as excessive tillage and improper fertilization often lead to soil carbon loss and increased carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. This field study provides results how agricultural practices affect carbon dioxide emissions from soil, carbon sequestration and soil quality during the cultivation of winter wheat. The field experiment was conducted in a temperate continental climate on distric Stagnosol. Four investigated treatments were: organic fertilization, mineral fertilization, control treatment and black fallow. The lowest carbon dioxide emission was recorded on bare soil and the highest on organic fertilization treatment. The application of manure, mineral fertilizers and calcification rendered significant effect on some soil chemical characteristics and daily carbon dioxide flux.",2019,Soil respiration; Yield; Soil flux; Mineral and organic fertilization; Soil quality,Yes (1)
"Application of nuclear magnetic resonance technology to carbon capture, utilization and storage: A review","Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is considered as a very important technology for mitigating global climate change. Carbon dioxide (CO2) injected into an underground reservoir will induce changes in its physical properties and the migration of CO2 will be affected by many factors. Accurately understanding these changes and migration characteristics of CO2 is crucial for selecting a CCUS project site, estimating storage capacity and ensuring storage security. In this paper, the basic principles of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies are briefly introduced in the context of laboratory experiments related to CCUS. The types of NMR apparatus, experimental samples and testing approaches applied worldwide are discussed and analyzed. Then two typical NMR core analysis systems used in CCUS field and a self-developed high-pressure, low-field NMR rock core flooding experimental system are compared. Finally, a summary of the current deficiencies related to NMR applied to CCUS field is given and future research plans are proposed. (C) 2019 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.",2019,Geologic carbon storage; Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR); Core flooding; Experimental apparatus; Low-field NMR; High-field NMR,No (2)
"Hydro-Geochemistry of the River Water in the Jiulongjiang River Basin, Southeast China: Implications of Anthropogenic Inputs and Chemical Weathering","This study focuses on the chemical weathering process under the influence of human activities in the Jiulongjiang River basin, which is the most developed and heavily polluted area in southeast China. The average total dissolved solid (TDS) of the river water is 116.6 mg/ L and total cation concentration (TZ +) is 1.5 meq/ L. Calcium and HCO 3 followed by Na + and SO2 4 constitute the main species in river waters. A mass balance based on cations calculation indicated that the silicate weathering (43.3%), carbonate weathering (30.7%), atmospheric (15.6%) and anthropogenic inputs (10.4%) are four reservoirs contributing to the dissolved load. Silicates (SCW) and carbonates (CCW) chemical weathering rates are calculated to be approximately 53.2 ton/ km2/ a and 15.0 ton/ km2/ a, respectively. When sulfuric and nitric acid from rainfall affected by human activities are involved in the weathering process, the actual atmospheric CO2 consumption rates are estimated at 3.7 105 mol/ km2/ a for silicate weathering and 2.2 105 mol/ km2/ a for carbonate weathering. An overestimated carbon sink (17.4 Gg C/ a) is about 27.0% of the CO2 consumption flux via silicate weathering in the Jiulongjiang River basin, this result shows the strong effects of anthropogenic factors on atmospheric CO2 level and current and future climate change of earth.",2019,chemical weathering; major ions; human activities; Jiulongjiang River; southeast China,No (2)
Comprehensive review on production and utilization of biochar,"The on-farm burning of crop residues and biomass results in numerous environmental issues and affects human beings. Crop residues have considerable energy potential if utilized appropriately. Crop residues can be converted into biochar through thermo-chemical routes; conversion helps in the managing and handling of biomass. Biochar reactors usually operate at temperatures between 400 and 600 degrees C with fixed carbon contents ranging from 60 to 85%. The application of this biochar to soil improves the physiochemical characteristics of soil because biochar is rich in organic carbon content, which makes the soil more fertile and acts as a carbon sequestration agent over the long term. Biochar itself is considered a source nutrient and can alter the soil nutrient pools and availability. Biochar applied up to 10 cm depth of soil may decrease the denitrification potential and lower N2O emission, greatly controlling leaching of mobile nutrients such as potassium, thus improving water use efficiency, nutrient availability and plant growth. Furthermore, it reduces the leaching of nitrogen into the groundwater and increases the water retention and cation-exchange capacity while moderating the soil's acidity, resulting in improved soil fertility. This article discusses different biochar production processes and various feedstocks and characteristics of biochar. The factors affecting biochar production and advantages of the utilization of biochar in soil are also reviewed.",2019,Biomass; Biochar; Slow pyrolysis; Soil health; Greenhouse gas mitigation,No (2)
Optimizing carbon storage and biodiversity co-benefits in reforested riparian zones,"Climate change and biodiversity loss are two global challenges that can be addressed simultaneously through reforestation of previously cleared land. However, carbon markets can encourage reforestations that focus on maximizing carbon storage, potentially at the expense of biodiversity conservation. To identify opportunities to optimize reforestation design and management to meet both goals, we examined the forest stand features associated with carbon stocks in biomass and soil, as well as bird abundance and diversity, in remnant and restored riparian forest stands in central California, U.S.A. Within three decades of reforestation, both planted and naturally regenerating riparian forest stands provided significantly greater carbon storage and avian biodiversity benefits compared to baseline conditions. They were also similar to a remnant riparian forest stand. We identified a synergy between carbon storage and biodiversity benefits in their positive associations with understorey cover, but we also identified a trade-off in their relationships to forest stand density. Biomass carbon stocks were strongly positively related to stand density, while bird density and diversity suffered at the highest stand densities. The variability in understorey cover across forest stands indicates an opportunity for further enhancement of carbon and biodiversity benefits in areas where understorey cover is low, while the variability in stand density suggests an opportunity to re-examine reforestation goals and consider thinning to achieve those goals. Synthesis and applications. We identified synergies and trade-offs between carbon storage and biodiversity in their relationships to forest stand features, indicating opportunities to optimize reforestation design and management to achieve multiple goals. Our approach can be adapted to other reforestation efforts intended to simultaneously address the global challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.",2019,biodiversity conservation; bird community; carbon sequestration; habitat restoration; reforestation; riparian forest; stand density; understorey cover,Yes (1)
Analysis of broad leaved forest carbon sinks changes and forest economics and management in China,"The international community is paying more and more attention to the role of forests in CO2 absorption. This study aims the broad leaved forest carbon sinks in China, on the basis of research on coniferous forest carbon sinks in 1981 and 2014, the paper analyses the changes in broad leaved forest carbon sinks and the relations between the changes and the forest economics and management from 1981 to 2015 using the forest stock volume conversion method. The paper selects the common indexes of forest economics and management such as investment in forestry-fixed assets in silviculture and afforestation, the annual gross domestic product (GDP) values for the forestry sector, and management level improvement. The paper first of all establishes carbon sink estimates, and then analyses recent carbon sink trends of the dominant species of broad leaved forest which is based on six times inventories of China’s forest resources. The inventory data cover the four dominant broad-leaved species which are named as Oak, Betula, Populus, and others, such as Eucalyptus, Camphor, and Linden. The paper shows that a significant effect has been made by the forest carbon sinks of these species and investment in forestry-fixed assets in silviculture and afforestation, management level improvement etc. though with a lag of 4–7 years, and there raises a lot of discussions of various problems regarding forest carbon sinks and forest management and economic development. This study has important implications for forest resource management and climate change mitigation. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.",2019,,No (2)
"Lake-specific controls on the long-term stability of mining-related, legacy arsenic contamination and geochemical baselines in a changing northern environment, Tundra Mine, Northwest Territories, Canada",,,,No (2)
Environmental impacts of household consumption in Europe: Comparing process-based LCA and environmentally extended input-output analysis,"The environmental impacts generated by household consumption are generally calculated through footprints, allocating the supply-chain impacts to the final consumers. This study compares the result of the Consumer Footprint indicator, aimed at assessing the impacts of household consumption in Europe, calculated with the two standard approaches usually implemented for footprint calculations: (i) a bottom-up approach, based on process-Life cycle assessment of a set of products and services representing household consumption, and (ii) a top-down approach, based on environmentally extended input-output tables (EXIOBASE 3). Environmental impacts are calculated considering 14 environmental impact categories out of the 16 included in the EF2017 impact assessment method. Both footprints show similar total values regarding climate change, freshwater eutrophication and fossil resource use, but in the meantime very large differences (more than a factor 2) regarding particulate matter, photochemical ozone formation, land use and mineral resource use. The exclusion of services in the bottom-up approach can explain only to some extent these differences. However, the two approaches converge in identifying food as the main driver of impact in most of the impact categories considered (with a generally lower contribution in top-down compared to bottom-up). Housing and mobility are relevant as well for some impact categories (e.g. particulate matter and fossil resource depletion). Some substances are identified as hotspot by both approaches, e.g. the emission of NH3 to air (for acidification and terrestrial eutrophication), of NOx to air (for acidification, marine and terrestrial eutrophication, and, to some extent, photochemical ozone formation), of P to water and to soil (for freshwater eutrophication) and of fossil CO2 to air (for climate change). Significant differences at the inventory side are key drivers for the differences in total impacts. These include: (i) differences in the intensity of emissions, (ii) differences in the coverage of elementary flows, (iii) differences in the level of detail relative to elementary flows. Overall, the key converging results from both approaches (in particular regarding most contributing areas of consumption and substances) can be considered as a robust basis to support the definition of policies aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of household consumption in Europe. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2019,Life cycle assessment; Consumer footprint; Basket of products; Input-output analysis; EXIOBASE 3; Household consumption,No (2)
The Potential Role of Direct Air Capture in the German Energy Research Program-Results of a Multi-Dimensional Analysis,"A significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions will be necessary in the coming decades to enable the global community to avoid the most dangerous consequences of man-made global warming. This fact is reflected in Germany's 7th Federal Energy Research Program (EFP), which was adopted in 2018. Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies used to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere comprise one way to achieve these reductions in greenhouse gases. DAC has been identified as a technology (group) for which there are still major technology gaps. The intention of this article is to explore the potential role of DAC for the EFP by using a multi-dimensional analysis showing the technology's possible contributions to the German government's energy and climate policy goals and to German industry's global reputation in the field of modern energy technologies, as well as the possibilities of integrating DAC into the existing energy system. The results show that the future role of DAC is affected by a variety of uncertainty factors. The technology is still in an early stage of development and has yet to prove its large-scale technical feasibility, as well as its economic viability. The results of the multi-dimensional evaluation, as well as the need for further technological development, integrated assessment, and systems-level analyses, justify the inclusion of DAC technology in national energy research programs like the EFP.",2019,Direct Air Capture; DAC; sector coupling; negative emission technologies; carbon dioxide removal; Power-to-X; energy transition; climate change,No (2)
A Boundary Plane Approach to Map Hotspots for Achievable Soil Carbon Sequestration and Soil Fertility Improvement,"Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is important in the global carbon cycle and an integral part of many initiatives and policies to mitigate climate change. For efficient targeting of measures leading to SOC sequestration, it is necessary to know the actual SOC content (%) and a realistic target SOC content (in contrast to the saturation content, which may not be easily achievable) under local biophysical and socioeconomic conditions. We developed a new method for the practical assessment of achievable SOC sequestration concerning soil texture based on a non-linear boundary plane approach, also applicable for mapping of SOC sequestration hotspots. The method was tested at two spatial scales (a 125 km(2) catchment and a 4 km(2) sub-area of that catchment) in a region in Western Kenya characterized by smallholder farming. Moreover, we assessed the associated benefits of increasing the SOC content from a crop production perspective and found significant correlations between SOC and other soil properties (pH, cation exchange capacity, and various plant-available macro- and micronutrients). This indicates a possible improvement in soil fertility when the SOC content is raised to the modeled target levels, which should be attainable without major changes in land use or agricultural systems.",2019,soil organic carbon; soil texture; SOC sequestration; hotspot; Western Kenya,Yes (1)
Direct Air Capture of CO2: A Key Technology for Ambitious Climate Change Mitigation,,,,No (2)
Contribution To Climate Change Of Forest Fires In Spain: Emissions And Loss Of Sequestration,,,,No (2)
Do climate engineering experts display moral-hazard behaviour?,"Discourse analyses and expert interviews about climate engineering (CE) report high levels of reflectivity about the technologies' risks and challenges, implying that CE experts are unlikely to display moral hazard behaviour, i.e. a reduced focus on mitigation. This has, however, not been empirically tested. Within CE experts we distinguish between experts for radiation management (RM) and for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and analyse whether RM and CDR experts display moral hazard behaviour. For RM experts, we furthermore look at whether they agree to laboratory and field research, and how they perceive the risks and benefits of one specific RM method, Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI). Analyzing experts' preferences for climate-policy options, we do not find a reduction of the mitigation budget, i.e. moral hazard, for RM or CDR experts compared to climate-change experts who are neither experts for RM nor for CDR. In particular, the budget shares earmarked for RM are low. The perceptions of risks and benefits of SAI are similar for RM and climate-change experts. Despite the difference in knowledge and expertise, experts and laypersons share an understanding of the benefits, while their perceptions of the risks differ: experts perceive the risks to be larger. Key policy insights Experts surveyed all prioritize mitigation over carbon dioxide removal and in particular radiation management. In the views of the experts, SAI is not a viable climate policy option within the next 25 years, and potentially beyond, as global field-testing (which would be a precondition for long-term deployment) is widely rejected. In the case of SAI, greater knowledge leads to increased awareness of the uncertainty and complexity involved. Policy-makers need to be aware of this relationship and the potential misconceptions among laypersons with limited knowledge, and should follow the guidelines about communicating risks and uncertainties of CE that experts have been advised to follow.",2019,Stratospheric Aerosol injection (SAI); climate engineering; geoengineering; risk perception; expert perception; moral hazard,Yes (1)
Geochemical Reactions of Na-montmorillonite in Dissolved scCO(2) in Relevance of Modeling Caprock Behavior in CO2 Geological Storage,"One of the challenges of the present century is to limit the greenhouse gas emissions for the mitigation of climate change which is possible for example by a transitional technology, CO2 geological storage. Clay minerals are considered to be responsible for the low permeability and sealing capacity of caprocks sealing off stored CO2. However, their reactions are not well understood for complex simulations. This work aims to create a kinetic geochemical model of Na-montmorillonite standard SWy-2 supported by solution and mineral composition results from batch experiments. Such experimentally validated numerical models are scarce. Four 70-hours experiments have been carried out at atmospheric conditions, and with CO2 supercritical phase at 100 bar and 80 degrees C. Solution samples have been taken during and after experiments and their compositions were measured by ICP-OES. The treated solid phase has been analyzed by XRD and ATR-FTIR and compared to in-parallel measured references (dried SWy-2). Kinetic geochemical modelling of the experimental conditions has been performed by software PHREEQC. Experiments and models show fast reactions under the studied conditions and increased reactivity in presence of scCO(2). Solution composition results cannot be described by the change of the uncertain reactive surface area of mineral phases. By considering the clay standard's cation exchange capacity divided proportionally among interlayer cations of Na-montmorillonite, the measured variation can be described on an order of magnitude level. It is furthermore indicated that not only the interlayer cations take part in this process but a minor proportion of other, structural ions as well, differently in the reference and scCO(2) environments.",2019,CO2 geological storage; Na-montmorillonite; laboratory batch experiments; kinetic geochemical modeling; PHREEQC,No (2)
Quantifying Impacts of National-Scale Afforestation on Carbon Budgets in South Korea from 1961 to 2014,"Forests play an important role in regulating the carbon (C) cycle. The main objective of this study was to quantify the effects of South Korean national reforestation programs on carbon budgets. We estimated the changes in C stocks and annual C sequestration in the years 1961-2014 using Korea-specific models, a forest cover map (FCM), national forest inventory (NFI) data, and climate data. Furthermore, we examined the differences in C budgets between Cool forests (forests at elevations above 700 m) and forests in lower-altitude areas. Simulations including the effects of climate conditions on forest dynamics showed that the C stocks of the total forest area increased from 6.65 Tg C in 1961 to 476.21 Tg C in 2014. The model developed here showed a high degree of spatiotemporal reliability. The mean C stocks of the Cool forests and other forests increased from 4.03 and 0.43 Mg C ha(-1), respectively, to 102.43 and 73.76 Mg C ha(-1) at a rate of 1.82 and 1.36 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) during the same period. These results imply that, although the total Cool forest area of South Korea occupied only about 12.3% (772,788 ha) of the total forest area, the Cool forests play important roles in C balances and forest ecosystems in South Korea. Annual C sequestration totals are projected to decrease at a low rate in the near future because the overall growth rate of a mature forest decreases as the stand ages. Our results quantified forest C dynamics in South Korean forests before and after national reforestation programs. Furthermore, our results can help in development of regional and national forest management strategies to allow for sustainable development of society and to cope with climate change in South Korea.",2019,afforestation; national forest inventory; forest carbon stock; carbon sequestration; Cool forest,No (2)
Green solvents for CO2 capture,"The development of specific 'green' solvents with unique combination of properties and associated techniques for target applications, capable of minimizing the environmental impact from their use in chemical production or by developing sustainable and renewable energy and resources, has been gathering increasing attention over the last years. Emerging alternatives or undervalued self-claimed greener solvents, such as ionic liquids, amino acid-functionalized ionic liquids, ionic liquid-mixed solvents, and eutectic solvents, have been proposed as promising materials with unique properties not achievable by means of any other material. Nonetheless, in spite of all these greener compounds' outstanding properties and potential for acid gas separation, important limitations have hampered the development of separation units and processes capable of fulfilling industrial demands. This study intends to carry a critical analysis upon the solvents proposed for CO2 capture and the pursued technologies to make carbon capture, utilization, and storage a reality.",2019,,No (2)
Urban soil management of marginalized lands: recognizant of history,"Urban agriculture (UA) forms a crucial part of the urban food chain in many cities in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). As urbanization continues, it becomes increasingly important to acknowledge the role of UA within the socioeconomic fabric of the city, and build inclusive business models to empower its practitioners. A crucial constraint for this is that various stakeholders in UA often take conflicting stances on the phenomenon. Some see it as an illegal, unsustainable practice leading to pollution and soil degradation. Others claim that it sustainably increases food security and offers employment opportunities, particularly for the urban poor. This leads to a conflict in perception and value sets between the various stakeholders involved in UA, which inhibits the further development of UA into a sustainable, more inclusive business. Recently we also see an emerging view that UA can help address the issue of climate change by sustainable management of soil carbon stocks in addition to providing food and other services. An element that is mostly ignored in the discussion surrounding UA is land-use history and its effect on composition and nutrient status of UA soils, and with it the potential for sustaining UA and mitigating climate change. We propose that the sustainability of UA can only be understood within the context of land-use practices during and before UA. Only by understanding and acknowledging this context can UA be part of inclusive business practices in the urban environment. Here we review scientific literature on UA sites in SSA to unravel the extent of the knowledge gap in this area, and derive a guiding framework to integrate land-use history effects in the discussion on UA within the context of developing inclusive business models for its practitioners.",2019,,No (2)
Implementing land-based mitigation to achieve the Paris Agreement in Europe requires food system transformation,"Land-based mitigation, particularly through afforestation, reforestation and avoided deforestation, is an important component of the Paris Agreement to limit average global temperature increases to between 1.5 degrees C and 2 degrees C. However, the specific actions that would ensure sufficient carbon sequestration in forests remain unclear, as do their trade-offs against other land-based objectives. We use a regional integrated assessment model to identify the conditions under which European forests reach the extent required by mitigation targets. We compare stylised scenarios of changes in meat demand, bioenergy crop production, irrigation efficiency, and crop yield improvement. Only 42 out of 972 model simulations achieved minimum levels of food provision and forest extent without the need to change dietary preferences, but relied on crop yield improvements within Europe of at least 30%. Maintaining food imports at today's levels to avoid the potential displacement of food production and deforestation required at least a 15% yield improvement, or a drastic reduction in meat consumption (avg. 57%). The results suggest that the large-scale afforestation/reforestation planned in European targets is virtually impossible to achieve without transformation of the food system, making it unlikely that Europe will play its required role in global efforts to limit climate change without utilising land beyond its borders.",2019,the 1.5 degrees C Paris target; negative emissions technologies; dietary change; reforestation; afforestation; food consumption,Yes (1)
Enhanced carbon dioxide removal from coupled direct air capture-bioenergy systems,"Engineered carbon dioxide (CO2) removal technologies-such as direct air capture (DAC) and bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS)-require significant advancements to reduce costs and increase scale without environmental or social harm. Up until this point, advancements in BECCS and DAC technologies have progressed independently of each other, despite the ability of BECCS to provide carbon-negative heat and power to DAC processes. Here, we demonstrate synergistic integration of BECCS and DAC systems decreases costs, increases carbon removal, and extends the impact of scarce biomass resources. We estimate biomass integrated DAC systems can increase net CO2 removal by 109-119% at lower costs than standalone reference systems. If hybrid BECCS-DAC systems were deployed across the US using biomass resources co-located with geologic storage, 1.5 Gt of CO2 could be sequestered annually without long-distance biomass or CO2 transport in 2030. Innovation in the design and implementation of coupled BECCS-DAC systems would have a profound impact on CO2 removal, if realized.",2019,,No (2)
Towards Zero Emissions from Fossil Fuel Power Stations,"It is projected that net zero carbon emissions are required early in the second half of this century to maintain global temperature increase to below 2 degrees C. To achieve this, the CO2 capture rates in CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) chains would need to be higher than most current design values, ranging from 85% to 90%. In this study, results from previous studies were assessed to explore the potential to increase CO2 capture rates across the range of capture routes for power stations including post-/ pre-combustion capture and oxyfuel. Next, using the most advanced technology for CO2-capture from power stations, i. e. liquid absorbent based post-combustion CO2-capture, the techno-economic performance of a capture process at higher capture rates (>90%) has been assessed. The work has focused on an initial standard design using a 30 wt% Monoethanolamine (MEA) solution and investigated the impact of increasing capture rates on the technical performance, in particular the specific reboiler duty. It was then extended to a number of cases studies, also allowing for process design modifications that aimed to minimise reboiler duty. The overall results are compared to the standard design in terms of process performance, capital costs and operational costs. Additionally, the use of biomass in combination with CCS by co-combustion was incorporated and the impact of fuel prices was assessed.",2019,,No (2)
Enhanced CO2 capture through reaction with steel-making dust in high salinity water,"Mineral carbonation (MC) is evolving as a possible technology for sequestering CO2 from medium-sized emission point sources. Industrial wastes have been recently used as an effective source for MC that have higher reactivity than natural minerals; they are also inexpensive and readily available in proximity to CO2 emitters. In this work, accelerated carbonation of electric arc furnace (EAF) baghouse dust (BHD) in a reject brine medium was evaluated in a novel reactor system, specially designed for contacting gases and liquids. This approach is environmentally friendly and eliminates the cost associated with pre-treatment. Experimental design was utilized to determine the effect of the operating parameters (solid to liquid ratio, CO2 gas flowrate and inert particles fraction) on the CO2 uptake. Analysis of the experimental results indicated that the studied factors had a significant impact on CO2 uptake, which was observed to be in the range of 0.1-0.18 gCO(2)/g BHD. At ambient conditions (24 degrees C and 1 atm) and at optimum operating parameters, the optimum CO2 uptake was 0.22 g CO2/g BHD. A higher CO2 uptake performance of 1 +/- 0.04 gCO(2)/g BHD was achieved at ambient temperature and pressure of 5 bar. Thermal gravimetric analysis of the solid products revealed that a variety of carbonate products have been produced, particularly, calcium and magnesium carbonates.",2019,Carbon capture; CO2 sequestration; Steel-making waste; Steel dust; Brine,No (2)
Concentrating lactate-carbon flow on medium chain carboxylic acids production by hydrogen supply,"Upgrading lactate/carbohydrate-rich waste biomass into medium-chain carboxylic acids (MCCAs) by chain elongation (CE) technology exhibits economic and environmental benefits. However, the largely dispersive lactate-carbon-flow decreases MCCAs yield. This work discovered appropriate H-2 supply could significantly reduce lactate-carbon-flow loss and improve MCCAs production (similar to 1.65 times) when the system is not operated according to well-defined operating conditions, and revealed corresponding mechanism. Hydrogen (H-2) supply largely enhanced electron efficiency and electron transfer capacity, and H-2 could reduce propionate (from competing acrylate pathway, which should be prevented, but when not possible, the carbon recovery from propionate is possible) to propanol, which was used as electron donor to elongate acetate and propionate. Moreover, H-2 could react with CO2 (from CE process) to sequentially generate acetate and ethanol, which further contributed to caproate/caprylate generation. Comparing with non-H-2-supplemented test, the lactate-carbon-flow used for MCCAs production was enhanced by similar to 28.4% after H-2 supply, and Clostridium spp. were the key discriminative microorganisms.",2019,Chain elongation; Medium chain carboxylic acids; Caproate; Heptylate; Lactate,No (2)
Highly efficient and stable calcium looping based pre-combustion CO2 capture for high-purity H-2 production,"Economically-viable CO2 capture is the most significant challenge for producing high-purity H-2 from fossil fuels. In this work, calcium looping (CaL) is explored as a low-cost, pre-combustion CO2 capture scheme for modifying fuel gas produced by gasification and water-gas shifting. The efficiency reveals that average sorption capacities as high as 401 mg-CO2/g-CaO are achieved. Extremely high CO2 removal rates and high-purity H-2 streams approaching 100% are achieved due to the uniquely high CO2 selectivity of the CaL-based CO2 capture technology. By using optimal sorption and desorption temperatures, the CaL technology also demonstrated an exceptionally high CO2 carrying capacity of 51%, and the stability of the sorbent through 20 CO2 sorption-desorption cycles in this work is 2 and 3 times better than the best and second best state-of-the-art CaO sorbents, respectively. The implications of the present results are that the CaL technology discussed here could lead to a significant decrease in energy consumption associated with CO2 capture. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2019,H-2 production; Carbon capture; Calcium looping; Pre-combustion,No (2)
Challenges and opportunities for adsorption-based CO2 capture from natural gas combined cycle emissions,"In recent years, the power sector has shown a growing reliance on natural gas, a cleaner-burning fuel than coal that emits approximately half as much CO2 per kW h of energy produced. This rapid growth in the consumption of natural gas has led to increased CO2 emissions from gas-fired power plants. To limit the contribution of fossil fuel combustion to atmospheric CO2 levels, carbon capture and sequestration has been proposed as a potential emission mitigation strategy. However, despite extensive exploration of solid adsorbents for CO2 capture, few studies have examined the performance of adsorbents in post-combustion capture processes specific to natural gas flue emissions. In this perspective, we emphasize the importance of considering gas-fired power plants alongside coal-fired plants in future analyses of carbon capture materials. We address specific challenges and opportunities related to adsorptive carbon capture from the emissions of gas-fired plants and discuss several promising candidate materials. Finally, we suggest experiments to determine the viability of new CO2 capture materials for this separation. This broadening in the scope of current carbon capture research is urgently needed to accelerate the deployment of transformational carbon capture technologies.",2019,,No (2)
Microbial utilization of low molecular weight organic carbon substrates in cultivated peats in response to warming and soil degradation,"Peatlands store vast amounts of carbon (C) within the global terrestrial biosphere. Drainage and cultivation of peat soils lead to rapid soil degradation and C losses, and this may worsen under warming as the soils are no longer protected by anaerobic conditions. To predict the rates of soil C loss and design effective mitigation strategies, it is important to understand what controls organic matter mineralization in these soils. Using the 0-10 cm soil depth of thick and thin (degraded) agricultural peat soils, we investigated the fate of low molecular weight organic substrates (LMWOS) and how the microbial biomass consuming these substrates responded to temperature. We incubated the soils under increasing temperatures (4, 10, 20, and 30 degrees C) for 72 h. Either C-14-labelled glucose or amino acids were added to the soils and their speed of breakdown, partitioning into anabolic/catabolic processes and microbial C use efficiency (CUE) were determined. The total (CO2)-C-14 loss from soil increased significantly with increasing temperature during 72-h incubation, regardless of peat layer thickness. Warming altered the dynamics of LMWOS mineralization by changing C allocation and the turnover rate of different microbial C pools. The half-life of LMWOS decreased more than 50% when temperature increased from 4 to 30 degrees C for both substrates. CUE was always higher for thin than thick peat soil and both declined by 0.002-0.005 degrees C-1 with increasing temperature. Thin peat decreased substrate C allocation into the fast cycling C pool compared to the thick peat, but had no overall effect on pool turnover rate. Our work suggests that climate warming will accelerate C mineralization and soil loss in drained peat soils, with larger effects expected in thick peat soil. This study provides an important initial step in characterizing the response of the microbial utilization of labile C to temperature change and soil degradation in cultivated peatlands.",2019,Carbon sequestration; Climate warming; Dissolved organic matter; Histosol; Turnover rate,No (2)
Influence of various carbon capture technologies on the performance of natural gas-fired combined cycle power plants,"Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has been studied actively in recent years to address global warming. This paper aimed to make a consistent comparison of different capture technologies applied to the natural gas-fired combined cycle (NGCC). Multiple power plant systems based on a standard NGCC using three different carbon capture technologies (post-combustion, pre-combustion, and oxycombustion) were proposed, and their net performance was compared. The optimal pressure ratio of the oxy-combustion technology system was obtained. The variations in the net cycle performance of the three systems were compared using the specific CO2 capture. The net power of the post-combustion capture scheme is lower than that of all other systems, but it has the highest efficiency. However, its biggest disadvantage is a much lower CO2 capture rate than the oxy-combustion capture which exhibits nearly 100 % capture rate. The conclusion is that the oxy-combustion capture would provide both the highest net efficiency and power output if a high capture rate of over 92 % was required.",2019,Carbon capture; MEA process; Gas turbine; Natural gas combine cycle; Semi-closed oxy-combustion combined cycle,No (2)
Variation in fine root biomass along a 1000 km long latitudinal climatic gradient in mixed boreal forests of North-East Europe,"The geographical patterns in the distribution of fine root biomass (FRB) and in the contribution of fine roots to below-ground nitrogen and carbon stocks are poorly documented. Here, we examined FRB and the ecological factors that govern it, along a 1000 km long latitudinal gradient in unmanaged mixed boreal forests in North-East Europe. We sampled fine roots (diameter >= 2 mm; trees and field layer vegetation combined) twice per growing season in 2015 and 2016 from ten sites spaced one degree of latitude between 60 degrees N (near St. Petersburg) and 69 degrees N (near Murmansk, Russia). We separated living fine roots. The roots were dried and weighed; tissue carbon and nitrogen concentrations were measured. The obtained values were correlated with climatic, plant community and soil characteristics. Among-site variation in the total FRB and carbon and nitrogen concentrations were not explained by latitude or by climatic, plant community or soil characteristics. However, fine root density in the organic layer increased towards the north. The more superficial root system in the north than in the south may indicate a poleward increase in the vulnerability of boreal forests to abiotic risks (forest fires, drought). Our results suggest that the future climate may shift fine roots as well as carbon and nitrogen cycling from the organic layer to mineral soils, thereby increasing the volume of soil utilized by fine roots for water and nutrient uptake.",2019,Below-ground biomass; Fine root nitrogen and carbon concentration; Plant community characteristics; Albic podzol soil; Organic layer; Weather conditions,No (2)
Metaphenomic Responses of a Native Prairie Soil Microbiome to Moisture Perturbations,"Climate change is causing shifts in precipitation patterns in the central grasslands of the United States, with largely unknown consequences on the collective physiological responses of the soil microbial community, i.e., the metaphenome. Here, we used an untargeted omics approach to determine the soil microbial community's metaphenomic response to soil moisture and to define specific metabolic signatures of the response. Specifically, we aimed to develop the technical approaches and metabolic mapping framework necessary for future systematic ecological studies. We collected soil from three locations at the Konza Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) field station in Kansas, and the soils were incubated for 15 days under dry or wet conditions and compared to field-moist controls. The microbiome response to wetting or drying was determined by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics, and the resulting shifts in taxa, gene expression, and metabolites were assessed. Soil drying resulted in significant shifts in both the composition and function of the soil microbiome. In contrast, there were few changes following wetting. The combined metabolic and metatranscriptomic data were used to generate reaction networks to determine the metaphenomic response to soil moisture transitions. Site location was a strong determinant of the response of the soil microbiome to moisture perturbations. However, some specific metabolic pathways changed consistently across sites, including an increase in pathways and metabolites for production of sugars and other osmolytes as a response to drying. Using this approach, we demonstrate that despite the high complexity of the soil habitat, it is possible to generate insight into the effect of environmental change on the soil microbiome and its physiology and functions, thus laying the groundwork for future, targeted studies. IMPORTANCE Climate change is predicted to result in increased drought extent and intensity in the highly productive, former taligrass prairie region of the continental United States. These soils store large reserves of carbon. The decrease in soil moisture due to drought has largely unknown consequences on soil carbon cycling and other key biogeochemical cycles carried out by soil microbiomes. In this study, we found that soil drying had a significant impact on the structure and function of soil microbial communities, including shifts in expression of specific metabolic pathways, such as those leading toward production of osmoprotectant compounds. This study demonstrates the application of an untargeted multi-omics approach to decipher details of the soil microbial community's metaphenotypic response to environmental perturbations and should be applicable to studies of other complex microbial systems as well.",2019,metaphenome; metatranscriptome; multi-omics; soil microbiome,No (2)
Formation and elimination of nitrosamines and nitramines in freshwaters involved in post-combustion carbon capture process,"Anthropogenic CO2 emissions have enforced policymakers on the proper CO2 capture technologies planning. One of the well-established technologies for CO2 capture is the amine-based post-combustion CO2 capture. During the CO2 capture process, amines have been found to undergo nitrosation, producing nitramines and nitrosamines, which are potentially carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic. Investigations on the formation of nitrosamines, nitramines and their destruction are at the state of the art for amine-based post-combustion CO2 capture technology. However, significant literature is available on this issue based on water treatment practices. Nitrosamines are more potent carcinogenic than nitramines. Whereas, nitramines are more stable than nitrosamines. Formation of nitrosamines through post-combustion CO2 capture within the process operating premises is mainly a function of NOx content in flue gas. Moreover, other contaminants like SOx and chlorine (Cl) also affect nitrosamines formation. Atmospheric formation of nitrosamines and nitramines is due to loss of amine to the environment through aerosols, amines mist, and amine vapors. All the available technologies for the elimination of nitramines and nitrosamines have certain limitations. However, photolysis and UV treatment through advanced oxidation processes are more effective. This study provides an alarmist situation of nitrosamines and nitrosamines formation from amine-based post-combustion CO2 capture technology based on the literature available for water treatment as well as CO2 capture. The manuscript discusses the concerns, formation and elimination of nitramines and nitrosamines.",2019,Amines; CO2 capture; Carcinogenic; Nitramines; Nitrosamines,No (2)
The Treadmill of Information Development of the Information Society and Carbon Dioxide Emissions,"The world is facing a crisis of global warming due to the release of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses by human activities. Many scholars and stakeholders argue that information and communication technology (ICT) development will mitigate CO2 emissions. Advocacy of technological solutions to CO2 mitigation is consistent with ecological modernization theory's assertion that reflexive societies will modernize sustainably. In contrast, we define the ""treadmill of information"" as the unique contribution of ICT development to environmental degradation. We examine the impact of ICT development on total CO2 emissions and source-sector emissions from electricity, buildings, manufacturing, and transportation using a multilevel growth model for panel data from 113 countries split into the world, developed country, and less-developedcountry samples. We find that the level of fixed telephone development is a strong predictor of higher CO2 emissions in less-developed countries, while internet use predicts higher CO2 emissions in developed countries. The effect of mobile telephone development is not significant. Thus, it appears that ICTs are not having an ameliorative effect on global warming as expected by ecological modernization theorists, and instead reinforce the treadmill of production's negative effect.",2019,information and communication technology; development; carbon dioxide emissions; climate change; treadmill of information,No (2)
Impact of zero-till residue management and crop diversification with legumes on soil aggregation and carbon sequestration,"We evaluated the long-term impact of zero tillage (ZT) in post-rainy seasons (winter and summer) crop/s, crop residue management, and crop diversification on soil aggregation and carbon sequestration. The field experiment (started in 2009) was undertaken in split-plot design for seven consecutive years on a sandy loam soil of Kanpur, India. The experiment comprised of four tillage and crop residue management treatments: PTR - conventional tillage (CT) without crop residue (PTR-CT), PTR-ZT without crop residue (PTR-ZT-R), PTR - CT with crop residue incorporation (PTR-CT + R), and PTR - ZT with surface crop residue retention (PTR-ZT + R) in main plot, and three cropping systems: rice-wheat (RW), rice-chickpea (RC), and rice-chickpea-mungbean (RCMb) in subplot. Treatment PTR-ZT + R resulted in 13% (p < 0.05) higher water stable macroaggregate over the PTR-CT. Meantime, PTR-ZT + R increased carbon content in macro- aggregate (28%) and meso-aggregate (39%) over the PTR-CT, because of added carbon through the surface-laden crop residue. The tillage and crop residue management followed the sequence of PTR-ZT + R > PTR-ZT-R > PTR-CT + R > PTR-CT (p < 0.05) across the soil depths for active and passive carbon pools. After seven years, PTR-ZT + R enhanced soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) by 70 and 56% over PTR-CT, respectively. The RCMb and RC rotations increased (p < 0.05) the macro- and meso- aggregates, and aggregate mean weight diameter compared to the RW rotation in both soil depths. Crop rotations had the following trend: RCMb > RC > RW (p < 0.05) for SMBC and POC. Notably, treatment PTR-ZT + R with RCMb or RC rotations largely increased the carbon management index compared to the PTR-CT and RW systems. The structural indices and soil carbon parameters were significantly correlated to the rice grain yield, except microaggregated carbon. Thus, crop diversification with grain legume/s, zero tillage in post rainy season crop/s, and crop residue retention provided not only higher soil aggregation but also increased carbon sequestration in Inceptisol of subtropical humid climate.",2019,Aggregate associated carbon; Carbon management index; Carbon pools; Macroaggregate; Microbial biomass carbon; Particulate organic carbon,Yes (1)
Genetic diversity and population structure of Brachiaria brizantha (A.Rich.) Stapf accessions from Ethiopia,"Brachiaria is a tropical, warm-season grass native to Africa. It is an extensively cultivated forage in the tropics with proven benefits on livestock productivity. Brachiaria is well-known for high biomass production, animal nutrition, carbon sequestration, biological nitrification inhibition, soil conservation, and adaptation to drought and low fertility soils. However, the use of Brachiaria grass for fodder production in Africa has been little explored largely due to lack of cultivars suitable to different production environments. The exploration and use of natural diversity is fundamental for an efficient Brachiaria breeding program. We analysed genetic diversity and population structure of 112 Ethiopian Brachiaria brizantha accessions using 23 microsatellite markers. A total of 459 alleles were detected with an average polymorphic information content of 0.75 suggesting high discriminating ability of these markers. The molecular variance analysis showed a high contribution (86%) of within-cluster differences to the total variation. Three allelic pools revealed by STRUCTURE analysis in 112 accessions were in agreement with the clustering patterns seen in neighbor-joining tree and principal coordinates analyses. A core collection of 39 B. brizantha accessions was constituted. This study concludes a high genetic diversity of Ethiopian B. brizantha accessions and their importance in Brachiaria breeding programs.",2019,accessions; Brachiaria brizantha; core collection; genetic diversity; population structure,No (2)
Characteristics of wood-derived biochars produced at different temperatures before and after deashing: Their different potential advantages in environmental applications,"Ash in biochar has great influence on the characteristics of biochars. This study systematically compared the differences in physico-chemical properties between pristine biochars (PBCs) and deashed biochars (DBCs) produced at different temperatures (300-900 degrees C), and specifically analyzed their different advantages in environmental applications. In terms of all the PBCs and DBCs. PBC of 900 degrees C and the corresponding DBC have the highest degree of graphitization that is recalcitrant in environment, they are be for carbon sequestration. PBC of 300 degrees C and the corresponding DBC have the highest content of O-containing functional groups and aliphaticity that is labile in environment, they are potential carbon source for the growth of soil organisms. PBCs of 300-400 degrees C have the greatest releasable PO43- content (0.418-0.441 mg/g), and PBCs of 700-900 degrees C have highest pH (9.28-9.59) and mineral elements content (1158-12.64 mg/g), they are potential provision of P. and acid soil amendments with potential provision of mineral elements, respectively. DBCs of 300-400 degrees C possess less competitive cations including Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, and Zn (1.49-2.01 mg/g) and highest content of O-containing functional groups, they are good sorbents for heavy metals, meanwhile these DBCs have the lowest pH (4.49-4.70) that are potential amendments for alkaline soil. Moreover, DBCs of 900 degrees C have the highest surface area (SA) (351 m(2)/g), the most developed porosity, and the highest releasable NI4+ content (0.052 mg/g), they are good sorbents for hydrophobic organic pollutants and potential provision of N. This study gives an effective guidance for selecting the suitable biochars-design (deashing or non-deashing) according to their applications in environment. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2019,Ash; Biochars; Pyrolysis temperature; Mineral compositions; Potential application,No (2)
Biological and chemical treatment technologies for waste amines from CO2 capture plants,"Amine-based carbon dioxide capture is the most mature technology for reducing flue gas CO2 emissions. It has been postulated and observed during commercialisation of this technology that significant quantities of waste amines are produced. Further industrial implementation of this technology requires adequate disposal or valorisation options for this waste. This review presents an analysis of seven biological and chemical technologies for waste amine amelioration or valorisation. Of these, the biological treatments are identified as being more mature for industrial application with the capacity for marketable product generation. Slow speed is the main drawback of the biological processes but this does not hinder their commercial viability. Using waste amine for NOx reduction in power stations is a secondary option, where it seems probable that the amount of waste amine generated in the CO2 capture plant is sufficient to fulfil the DeNOx requirements of the flue gas. This route, however, requires investigation into the impact of waste amine impurities on the power station and the CO2 capture plant operations.",2019,Biorefinery; Carbon dioxide capture; DeNOx; Industrial ecology; PCC; Waste amine; Waste management,No (2)
Biochar and earthworms working in tandem: Research opportunities for soil bioremediation,"Intensive use of agrochemicals is considered one of the major threats for soil quality. In an attempt to mitigate their side-effects on non-target organisms and soil functioning, many engineering and biological remediation methodologies are currently available. Among them, the use of biochar, a carbonaceous material produced from pyrolysing biomass, represents an attractive option enhancing both remediation and soil carbon storage potentials. Currently, activation of biochar with chemical or physical agents seeks for improving its remediation potential, but most of them have some undesirable drawbacks such as high costs and generation of chemical wastes. Alternatively, the use of biological procedures to activate biochar with extracellular enzymes is gaining acceptance mainly due to its eco-friendly nature and cost-effectiveness. In these strategies, microorganisms play a key role as a source of extracellular enzymes, which are retained on the biochar surface. Recently, several studies point out that soil macrofauna (earthworms) may act as a biological vector facilitating the adsorption of enzymes on biochar. This paper briefly introduces current biochar bioactivation methodologies and the mechanisms underlying the coating of biochar with enzymes. We then propose a new conceptual model using earthworms to activate biochar with extracellular enzymes. This new earthworm-biochar model can be used as a theoretical framework to produce a new product ""vermichar"", vermicompost produced from blended feedstock, earthworms, and biochar that can be used to improve soil quality and remove soil contaminants. This model can also be used to develop innovative in-situ ""vermiremediation"" technologies utilizing the beneficial effects of both earthworms and biochar. Since biochar may contain toxic chemicals generated during its production stages or later concentrated when applied to polluted soils, this paper also highlights the need for an ecotoxicological knowledge around earthworm-biochar interaction, promoting further discussion on suitable procedures for assessing the environmental risk of this conceptual model application in soil bioremediation. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2019,,No (2)
Long-term effects of vegetation management on biomass stock of four coniferous species in the Pacific Northwest United States,"Silvicultural treatments applied during the early stages of stand development can have long-lasting impacts on forest ecosystem structure. Forest vegetation management (VM) is an important component of many reforestation programs and although several studies have demonstrated the benefits of VM on planted conifer growth and survival, few reports have been published on the long-term effects of VM treatments on total ecosystem biomass accumulation. In this study we assessed the effects of two contrasting VM treatments on total tree and ecosystem biomass stock for Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, and grand fir growing in Oregon's central Coast Range (CR) and Douglas-fir and western redcedar growing in Oregon's Cascade foothills (CF). The assessments were made at age 16 years, 11 years after treatment application ended. The study contained two vegetation management treatments: control (C) and vegetation management (VM). Both the C and VM plots received a pre-planting herbicide site preparation treatment. The VM plots had, additionally, sustained vegetation control using herbicides during the first 5 years after planting. At age 16 years, at the CR site, the VM treatment increased the biomass stock of crop trees by 26.5, 91.2, 44.7, and 96.1 Mg ha(-1) for Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, and grand fir, respectively. At the same age, at the CF site, the VM treatment increased crop tree biomass stock by 48.1 Mg ha(-1) for Douglas-fir and 42.2 Mg ha(-1) for western redcedar. When other ecosystem components were considered, however, total ecosystem biomass did not differ between C and VM treated plots for western hemlock, western redcedar and grand fir at the CR site largely due to the development of an abundant hardwood midstory. On the other hand, VM treatments increased the ecosystem biomass stock of Douglas-fir and western redcedar at the site with a low abundance of hardwood midstory (CF site). Midstory biomass of C plots at the CR site averaged 52.9, 64.7, and 36.0 Mg ha(-1), for western hemlock, western redcedar, and grand fir, respectively. At the CF site, midstory biomass of C plots averaged 1.2 and 5.9 Mg ha(-1), for Douglas-fir and western redcedar, respectively. The results of this study demonstrate that sustained VM treatments during the first 5 years of stand establishment increases the biomass stock of crop trees, directing site resources towards planted crop trees.",2019,Douglas-fir; Westem hemlock; Western redcedar; Grand fir; Above ground biomass; Competing vegetation; Intensive silviculture; Stand productivity; Carbon sequestration,No (2)
MEA-based CO2 capture integrated with natural gas combined cycle or pulverized coal power plants: Operability and controllability through integrated design and control,"Post-combustion solvent-based carbon capture is a promising technology that potentially can offset the greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-driven power generation systems. The challenge is that CO2 absorption (similar to other CCS technologies) imposes energetic penalties, and constrains the operational flexibility. In this paper, we build upon our recent contributions in the field (Sharifzadeh et al., 2016; Sharifzadeh and Shah, 2016), and study the dynamic response of such process to the electricity load changes in the power plant. The key research question is to investigate if the steady-state integrated process design and control framework applied in the previous studies, can also ensure controllability under a wide range of disturbances. The present study considers the mutual interactions between the power plant and capture process. Other features of interest include the implications of key design and operational decisions such as reboiler temperature, solvent circulation flow rate, solvent concentration and the rate of power load change or CO2 setpoint tracking for flexible process operation. The results suggest that the capture process exhibits a high degree of flexibility and the integrated design and control framework could be the key enabler for the commercialization of post-combustion solvent-based carbon capture. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2019,Post-combustion solvent-based carbon capture; Integrated process design and control (IPDC); Operability and controllability,No (2)
Direct Air Capture of CO2 with Aqueous Amino Acids and Solid Bis-iminoguanidines (BIGs),"We report a bench-scale direct air capture (DAC) process comprising CO, absorption with aqueous amino acid salts (i.e., potassium glycinate, potassium sarcosinate), followed by room-temperature regeneration of the amino acids by reaction with solid meta-benzene-bis(iminoguanidine) (m-BBIG), resulting in crystallization of the hydrated m-BBIG carbonate salt, (m-BBIGH(2))(CO3)(H2O) (n = 3-4). The CO, is subsequently released by mild heating (60-120 degrees C) of the carbonate crystals, which regenerates the m-BBIG solid quantitatively. This low-temperature crystallization-based DAC process circumvents the need to heat the aqueous amino acid sorbents, thereby minimizing their loss through thermal and oxidative degradation. The CO2 cyclic capacity for the sarcosine/m-BBIG system, measured over three consecutive absorption/regeneration cycles, is in the range of 0.12-0.20 mol/mol. The regeneration energy of m-BBIG, comprising the enthalpy of CO2 and water release, and the sensible heat, is 360 kJ/mol (8.2 GJ/ton CO2). Alternatively, the aqueous amino acids can be regenerated by boiling under reflux, with measured cyclic capacities of up to 0.64 mol/mol.",2019,,No (2)
Organic Carbon Sequestration in Soil Humic Substances As Affected by Application of Different Nitrogen Fertilizers in a Vegetable-Rotation Cropping System,"Little is known on the effect of application of different nitrogen (N) fertilizers on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in soil humic substances (HS). We investigated HS molecular characteristics in an Orthic Acrisol, southwestern China, under 2-year field fertilization of a urea (U), a polymer-coated urea (PCU) and a biochar-coated urea (BCU) using (13)CCPMAS-NMR spectroscopy. Results showed that N fertilization promoted SOC sequestration into HS and favored alkyl-C and aromatic-C rather than O-alkyl-C and carbonyl-C for humic acids and humin in soil. Application of PCU and BCU may better enhance vegetable yield, SOC sequestration, and HS stability than the U application, which may benefit from longer time of N existence and higher total N in soil. Among the N treatments, BCU application mostly affected the compositions and stability of SOC in the HS for the OC input and prime effect of biochar for SOC transformation.",2019,Slow-release nitrogen fertilizers (SRNF); biochar; nitrogen addition; soil organic matter; C-13-CPMAS-NMR spectroscopy,No (2)
Feedstock-induced changes in composition and stability of biochar derived from different agricultural wastes,"Biochar is a carbon-rich organic amendment often used to sequester carbon and sustain soil productivity. The characteristics and the potential benefits of biochars depend upon their feedstock type. Therefore, changes in stability and composition of biochars derived from different agricultural wastes viz. sugarcane filter cake (SF), farmyard manure (FM), and rice husk (RH) were investigated in this study. The feedstocks were pyrolyzed at 350 degrees C, and the resultant biochars (SF-BC, FM-BC, and RH-BC) were characterized for yield, proximate (moisture, volatile matter, fixed carbon, ash content) and ultimate (CEC & elemental composition) analyses, surface area (BET), surface morphology (SEM), structural and functional groups (FTIR), and thermal stability (TG-DTA). Results revealed that SF-BC exhibited the highest yield (42.18%), lower bulk density and particle density (0.131 g cm(-3) and 0.583 g cm(-3), respectively), and higher porosity (76.56%) while the FM-BC had highest contents of fixed carbon (46.83%). The pH was slightly neutral for SF-BC and RH-BC but alkaline for FM-BC. The electrical conductivity and TDS were considerably higher in FM-BC while the CEC was higher in RH-BC (28.24 cmol kg(-1)). The recalcitrance index (R-50) showed that all the biochars were minimally degradable (0.7 > R-50 >= 0.5). The SF-BC exhibited highest stability with R-50 value of 0.64 and also showed highest C sequestration potential (43.68%). Hence, it is concluded that thermal conversion of sugarcane filter cake waste into biochar might serve as a potential candidate to increase soil organic C pool if applied as soil amendment.",2019,Biochar properties; Carbon sequestration; Feedstock types; Persistence; Soil productivity,No (2)
Potential of CO2-EOR for Near-Term Decarbonization,"This paper provides an overview of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) and its ability to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (even to the point of negative emissions), the role it needs to play in the challenge of decarbonization, and the need to scale up implementation and deployment in order to meet climate goals. Limitations in current legal and regulatory frameworks for CO2 injection are explored for both economic and environmental purposes, as well as the economic implications of combining CO2-EOR with geologic carbon storage. Results from a recent study, which demonstrate that all CO2-EOR operations produce negative emissions oil during the first several years of production, are analyzed in the context of the urgency of climate change mitigation. Acknowledging that fossil fuels currently provide the energy foundation upon which global societies function, and that a sudden shift in the composition of that foundation can potentially destabilize the global economy and key elements of modern society, we bring CO2-EOR to the fore as it can supply reduced carbon oil to support the current energy foundation as it steadily transitions toward decarbonization. In order to meet this urgent transition, greater fiscal, and regulatory incentives are needed to begin scaling CO2-EOR with storage around the globe. A viable and large-scale CO2-EOR/storage industry depends upon significant capital investments for CO2 capture and transportation infrastructure. Policy consistency and predictability, combined with targeted subsidies, will help to achieve this goal. Copyright © 2019 Núñez-López and Moskal.",2019,,No (2)
The Environmental Performance of Torrefied Microalgae Biomass using Torrefaction Severity Factor,"Torrefaction is a thermochemical process for upgrading raw biomass into a more energy-dense fuel. However, the production of torrefied microalgae biochar may include environmental impact as it consumes raw materials and energy. In this study, a life cycle assessment study was conducted to understand and assess the corresponding global warming potential associated with the production of torrefied microalgae biomass, using a cradle-to-gate scope. Using different scale models of torrefied microalgae biomass production, this study identifies the contribution of the torrefaction process to the overall environmental impact. Using the experimental data, the study was able to analyze the impact of the torrefaction process on biomass thermal degradation using the torrefaction severity factor. The inclusion of the torrefaction severity factor shows that there was a strong relationship on the resulted global warming potential. It revealed that the influence of the torrefaction temperature was higher as compared to the torrefaction duration. Result of the study shows that the torrefaction process had a minimal contribution of 1-20% to the resulted overall environmental impacts. The overall impact shows that up-scaling production can result in a negative carbon dioxide emission.",2019,Life cycle assessment; torrefaction; microalgae; negative GWP,No (2)
CO2 and O-2 removal during continuous veno-venous hemofiltration: a pilot study,"BackgroundCarbon dioxide (CO2) accumulation is a challenging issue in critically ill patients. CO2 can be eliminated by renal replacement therapy but studies are scarce and clinical relevance is unknown. We prospectively studied CO2 and O-2 behavior at different sample points of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) and build a model to calculate CO2 removal bedside.MethodsIn 10 patients receiving standard CVVH under citrate anticoagulation, blood gas analysis was performed at different sample points within the CVVH circuit. Citrate was then replaced by NaCl 0.9% and sampling was repeated. Total CO2 (tCO(2)), CO2 flow (V.CO2) and O-2 flow (V.O-2) were compared between different sample points. The effect of citrate on transmembrane tCO(2) was evaluated. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test was performed to evaluate significance of difference between 2 data sets. Friedman test was used when more data sets were compared.ResultsV.CO2 in the effluent (26.0ml/min) correlated significantly with transmembrane V.CO2 (24.2ml/min). This represents 14% of the average expired V.CO2 in ventilated patients. Only 1.3ml/min CO2 was removed in the de-aeration chamber, suggesting that CO2 was almost entirely cleared across the membrane filter. tCO(2) values in effluent, before, and after the filter were not statistically different. Transmembrane tCO(2) under citrate or NaCl 0.9% predilution also did not differ significantly. No changes in V.O-2 were observed throughout the CVVH circuit. Based on recorded data, formulas were constructed that allow bedside evaluation of CVVH-attributable CO2 removal.ConclusionA relevant amount of CO2 is removed by CVVH and can be quantified by one simple blood gas analysis within the circuit. Future studies should assess the clinical impact of this observation.Trial registrationThe trial was registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov with trial registration number NCT03314363 on October 192,017.",2019,Continuous renal replacement therapy; Continuous veno-venous hemofiltration; Carbon dioxide removal; Oxygen removal; Citrate,No (2)
Amine-Based Latex Coatings for Indoor Air CO2 Control in Commercial Buildings,"High levels of indoor air CO2 in commercial buildings can lead to various health effects, commonly known as sick building syndrome. Passive control of indoor air CO2 through solid adsorbents incorporated into the paint offers a high potential to handle CO2 without utilizing much energy. This study focuses on incorporating silica-supported aminopolymers into a polyacrylic-based latex that could be used as a buffer material for the passive control of CO2 in enclosed environments. To maximize the effect of the pigment (adsorbent), paints were all prepared at critical pigment volume concentration (CPVC) levels. CO2 at 800 and 3000 ppm were used to asses both low and high level contaminations. The removal efficiency of the surface coatings was evaluated within typical time frames (10 h for adsorption and desorption). Our laboratory-scale chamber results indicated that the silica-tetraethylenepentamine-based paint with 70 wt % loading exhibits the best adsorption performance, comparable to that of the powder-based sorbent, with only a similar to 2.0% decrease in the adsorption efficiency. Our results also revealed that the optimization of paint formulation is critical in passively controlling indoor air CO2. The findings of this study highlight the potential of amine-based adsorbents as pigments in high PVC paints for indoor CO2 control in commercial buildings.",2019,indoor air; latex coating; aminosilica; CO2 removal; passive control,No (2)
The relative importance of different carbon structures in biochars to carbamazepine and bisphenol A sorption,"Biochar, a carbon-rich material, has attracted immense attention owing to its applications in soil remediation. However, the mechanisms by which heterogeneous carbon structures of biochars immobilize organic contaminants are not yet fully understood. In this study, the noncondensed aromatic components in biochars were selectively removed through bleaching. Different techniques, such as C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance, were applied to characterize the biochar compositions, and thus the role of the different carbon structures in organic contaminant sorption was discussed. The aromatic carbon structures in biochars were gradually developed and evolved from noncondensed to condensed structure with increasing pyrolytic temperatures from 300 to 700 degrees C. Based on elemental analysis, the carbon removed by bleaching decreased from 43.9% to 5.92% with increasing temperatures. After the surface area normalization of the apparent sorption, bleaching increased the sorption of carbamazepine and bisphenol A on biochars produced at 500 degrees C, but not for those produced at 300 and 700 degrees C. Bleaching removed noncondensed aromatics and enriched condensed aromatics, which resulted in increased sorption. However, bleaching also resulted in the blockage of micropores in biochars with abundant condensed aromatics, causing decreased sorption. The apparent sorption was determined by the balancing of these two opposite effects.",2019,Biochar; Bleaching; Carbon forms; Organic contaminants; Sorption,No (2)
Challenges and Opportunities of Bioenergy With Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) for Communities,"Purpose of Review: What do we know about community scale perceptions and desirability of BECCS? What does research on the governance of BECCS say about policy relevant to community scale challenges and opportunities? Recent Findings: The social acceptability of BECCS is influenced by contextual factors such as the source and use of the CO2, and the policy environment. Sustainable BECCS has a particular geography, and communities may be affected by its system boundaries and requirements in terms of feedstocks, transport, and infrastructure design. Summary: BECCS cannot be viewed on just the community scale without considering how national and global scales influence system design. The limited research relevant to BECCS on the community scale looks at public acceptance or social license, rather than opportunities for communities. Future research can move beyond “social impact” to study “social demand” for BECCS, and identify opportunities for communities along the farm-to-underground or farm-to-product chain. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.",2019,,Yes (1)
Measurement of the anisotropic elastic properties of shale: uncertainty analysis and water effect,"The static anisotropic elastic properties of shales can be measured by performing uniaxial compression on core specimens with bedding planes of different inclination angles (or anisotropy angles). However, these measurements differ when different numbers of specimens are tested, mainly because of the heterogeneity of shales. This study aimed to quantify the uncertainties of the anisotropic elastic properties of a shale when testing different numbers of specimens with distinct anisotropic angles. Three sets of room-dried core samples were prepared, and each set consisted of seven specimens with incremental anisotropic angles of 15°. Uniaxial compression measurements were used to determine the anisotropic elastic properties for a given number (2–7) of specimens in each set. The results indicated that the uncertainties of the determined anisotropic elastic properties decreased monotonically as the number of measurements was increased. The results also suggested that at least five specimens with different anisotropic angles should be tested in order to obtain accurate elastic properties (uncertainty <10%). An additional set of wet specimens of the same shale were also tested and analyzed. It was found that water absorption significantly decreased Young’s moduli, increased Poisson’s ratios, and had a limited effect on the shear modulus. The wet specimens also displayed a slightly stronger anisotropic ratio of the elastic moduli compared to the room-dried specimens. Finally, the alteration of the anisotropic elastic properties of shales upon water absorption was tentatively related to the mineralogy and microstructure heterogeneity. The findings of this study have major implications for many geoengineering operations where the anisotropic elastic properties of shales must be considered. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.",2019,,No (2)
Chemically oxidized biochar increases ammonium-15N recovery and phosphorus uptake in a grassland,"Soil amendment with biochar is shown to be a low-cost carbon sequestration option while its properties contribute to nutrient dynamics. The properties of biochar can be purposefully modified using different techniques including chemical oxidation. A change in biochar functionality, to an equivalent state of natural aging, could alter plant nutrient use efficiency, particularly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), which however has not been examined yet. Here, we examined 15N recovery and P uptake in mixtures of clover (Trifolium repens) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne) after biochar amendment at different oxidation states (i.e., fresh, 5%OBC and 15%OBC, oxidized with 5 and 15% H2O2, respectively) and addition of 15NH4 +-N and 15NO3 −-N. Overall, after 30 days of growth, the total 15N recovery in plant and soil was 41% greater with NH4 +-N than with NO3 −-N addition. However, the 15N recovery from NH4 +-N addition was greater in the oxidized biochar treatments than the control and fresh biochar treatments (a significant biochar × N interaction). Chemical oxidation also increased leaching of NO3 −-N and phosphate-P while greater plant P uptake occurred in the 15%OBC treatment with NH4 +-N addition. An increase in cation exchange sites with oxidized biochar may have increased NH4 +-N retention and biomass production (N uptake) and, thus, 15N recovery. The increase in P availability may further have increased plant biomass production in the 15%OBC treatment with NH4 +-N. Our results suggest that oxidized biochar could increase primary productivity by increasing NH4 +-N use efficiency and P availability while increasing the risk of NO3 −-N and phosphate-P leaching. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.",2019,,Yes (1)
Integration of biological pre-treatment methods for increased resource replace resource with energy recovery from paper and pulp biosludge,"The paper and pulp industry (PPI) produces high quantities of solid and liquid discharge and is regarded as the most polluting industry in the world causing adverse effects to environments and human beings. Hence changes in the way PPI sludge and waste materials are treated is urgently required. Nearly, 10 million tons of waste is generated per year, however PPI waste is enriched with many organic chemicalscontaining a high percentage of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose which can be used as valuable raw materials for the production of bioenergy and value-added chemicals. Pretreatment of complex lignocellulosic materials of PPI waste is difficult because of the cellulose crystallinity and lignin barrier. At present most of this waste is recycled in a conventional treatment approach through biological and chemical processes, incurring high cost and low returns. Henceefficient pretreatment techniques are required by which complete conversion of PPI waste is possible. Therefore, the present chapter provides the scope of integration of pretreatment methods through which bioenergy recovery is possible during the PPI waste treatment. Detailed information is presented on the various pre-treatment techniques (chemical, mechanical, enzymatic and biological) in order to increase the efficiency of PPI waste treatment and energy recovery from PPI waste. Along with acid and alkali based efficient chemical treatment process, physical methods (i.e. shearing, high-pressure homogenization, etc.), biochemical techniques (whole cell-based and enzyme-based) and finally biological techniques (e.g. aerobic and anaerobic treatment) are discussed. During each of the treatment processes, scope of energy recovery and bottlenecks of the processes were elaborated. The review thus provides systemic insight into developing efficient pretreatment processes which could increase carbon recovery and treatment efficiency of PPI waste. © 2019",2019,,No (2)
"Challenges and proposed solutions to meet obligatory gas specification in complex gas field, offshore Southwest Vietnam","The execution of the Blocks B&48/95 and 52/97 project has special meaning for Vietnam, providing clean energy to fuel the country's economic growth and socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta area. However, unlike conventional gas fields in the Northeast and Southeast areas offshore Vietnam, Blocks B&48/95 and 52/97 have a unique and complex geology with thousands of separate gas accumulations in fault-bounded clastic reservoirs. Gas composition includes variable quantities of CO2 and N2 that combined generally increase with depth from 5% up to 50%. To meet the obligatory sales gas specification of below 23% inert gas at power plants without CO2 removal equipment in surface production facility, it faces many challenges and uncertainties. The Operator developed a robust plan, tool and process ready to manage uncertainty and be able to quickly respond to the changes that may happen. It is an evergreen process which requires close integration between subsurface, drilling & completion, operation and planning. This paper summarizes the challenges and proposes a systematic methodology to overcome the challenges and to manage uncertainties for meeting the sales gas specifications. © EAGE 2019.",2019,,No (2)
Negative emission technologies,"Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important greenhouse gas (GHG), which concentration in the atmosphere has been rising since the Industrial Revolution due to emissions from anthropogenic activities (mainly burning of fossil fuels). The continuous CO2 emissions may lead to a potentially irreversible climate change (global warming) and ocean acidification. Even if CO2 emissions could be cut to zero today, the environmental impacts would persist in the future due to the long residence time of this GHG. Therefore an international agreement was signed, aiming to limit the increase of the global temperature at 2°C. In this context, CO2 capture from large point sources is gaining the attention of the scientific community as a mitigation option. The pure stream obtained can be transported and stored, avoiding the emission of high amounts of CO2. However, since half of the CO2 emissions come from diffuse sources, capturing CO2 from the atmosphere may be also needed to fulfill the mitigation targets. Despite the higher costs when compared to CO2 capture from large sources, negative emission technologies (NETs) present several advantages: (1) it can capture CO2 emitted from different sources at different locations and time, and (2) the sequestration site can be placed anywhere, avoiding infrastructures’ transportation. NETs can be divided into two routes: (1) direct air capture-using physicochemical processes and (2) indirect air capture-using biological processes. This chapter aims to present an overview of the main NETs, demonstrating their advantages and drawbacks. Currently, there is no single process that can be considered the only solution to achieve the mitigation goals. Research efforts should be made to completely assess the environmental impacts and reduce its costs, possibly through a process integration. © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.",2019,,Yes (1)
CO2 enhanced geothermal system for heat and electricity production - process configuration analysis for central Poland,"The pursuit of more economically feasible and socially acceptable CO2 capture technologies often focus around the utilization of capture carbon dioxide. Among well-established CO2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies like enhanced oil recovery, there are some new ones that are of interest for industry sectors. One of those promising technologies is the CO2 Enhanced Geothermal Systems (CO2-EGS), where two main concepts can be distinguished. The supercritical CO2 (sCO2) may be utilised as the circulating heat exchange fluid (in combination with Organic Rankine Cycle) or the circulating CO2 could be used directly as the working fluid in the sCO2 power cycle (e.g. Bryton cycle). Combination of both approaches can also be applied. The benefit of the first solution is that due to the significant difference in density between the cold CO2 flowing down the injection wells and the hot CO2 flowing up the production wells eliminates the need for a circulation pump. Within the second option, higher energy efficiencies are expected. But it needs to be remembered that all of the potential benefits will strongly depend on the parameters of the geological reservoir. When the sCO2 is used as the working fluid, additional benefit can be obtained, as the partial sequestration of CO2 will take place. The paper presents the results of design and optimisation of power generation systems to work with supercritical CO2 together with the economic effects of the CO2-EGS operation. Two issues have been addressed in order to perform a comprehensive analysis of the CO2-EGS - the geothermal reservoir numerical modelling and the mathematical modelling of the sCO2 power cycle. The presented results prove that the CO2-EGS can be a feasible option for the utilization of the CO2, and at the same time can be a valid source of heat and/or electricity. The analysed process configurations prove that the optimal design of subsurface part of the system (sCO2 power cycle) strongly depends on the parameters of the geological reservoir, as well as availability for heat sink (e.g. low-temperature district heating system). © 2019 Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems.All rights reserved.",2019,,No (2)
Economic analysis of the finishing of lambs under confinement conditions using licuri cake (Syagrus coronata Mart. Becc.),"The present study endeavors to determine the impact of the inclusion of licuri tart in the diet of finishing lambs, Santa Ines mestizos, by evaluating the economic parameters. For this purpose, a total of 44 lambs, including both uncastrated as well as vaccinated and wormed lambs, with an average age of six months and a mean body weight of 21.2 kg ± 2.7 kg, were employed. Initially, the lambs were fed on the diet which consisted of 40% Tifton-85 hay and 60% of a concentrated mixture, mainly composed of ground corn grain, soybean meal, mineral premix, being further followed by the inclusion of the licuri cake at four different levels (a) 0.0, (b) 8.0,(c) 16.0, and (d) 24% with respect to the dry matter. Principally, the soybean meal and milled corn were replaced by the licuri cake with these levels, thereby constituting four treatments and 11 replicates (11 lambs per treatment) in a completely randomized design. Further, for subjecting the lambs to the above mentioned four different levels of treatment, the lambs were confined for 70 days. The analysis of various economic parameters revealed that upon including the licuri cake up to the level of 24%, the operation cost decreases, which in turn results in higher profitability. However, its cost at the time of use will eventually determine its use for feeding lambs, because of the possible price variations of the ingredients used to formulate the diets along with the model of production of the rural property. © 2019 Universidade Federal da Bahia.",2019,,No (2)
Stochastic supply chain optimization with risk management,"This paper presents the hypothetical case study of supply-chain management of the carbon dioxide-utilization products where its feedstock is sewage gas containing mostly methane and CO2. This supply chain begins with three suppliers sending sewage gas of different average CO2 compositions to two acid gas removal units (AGRUs) for CO2 removal. CO2 from AGRUs is transferred to two CO2-utilization plants; producing products. The products are transferred to two distribution centers (DCs) from where they are sent to customers at three market places. The uncertainties occur in the compositions of sewage-gas from three suppliers and customer demands from three markets. The stochastic supply chain optimization under uncertainties with maximum expected profit is applied to find the optimal mass flow rates of sewage gas and CO2 from suppliers to AGRUs and optimal mass flow rate of products between CO2-utilization plants, DCs, and markets. The stochastic supply chain model is compared to deterministic one using fifteen random sets of the sewage-gas compositions and customer demands for thirty daily scenarios. For the validation part, the results show that the optimal stochastic supply chain mostly gives a higher profit than deterministic one about eight out of ten sets of random data. To be more practical, the supply-chain optimization using the risk model is developed to design a stochastic supply chain with high chance to achieve profit larger than the targeted profit. Copyright © 2019, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.",2019,,No (2)
"Anatomical, chemical, and mechanical properties of fibrovascular bundles of Salacca (Snake Fruit) frond","This research presents the anatomical, chemical, and mechanical properties of fibro-vascular bundles (FVBs) from two species of Salacca (snake fruit) frond: Salaccca sumatrana Becc. and Salacca zalacca Gaert (Voss). The anatomical properties were observed in the cross-section by light microscopy and digital microscopy. The anatomical observation focused on the location of the inner and outer vascular system. In the chemical analysis, FVBs were characterized for cellulose, hemicellulose, Klason lignin, and extractive content. Tensile strength and Young's modulus were investigated, and the structural implications were considered. The FVBs from salacca frond contained vascular tissue in the cross section had new and different vascular type. Generally, the vascular tissue has a wider area than the sclerenchyma tissue. The FVBs of S. sumatrana and S. zalacca contained 41.75 and 44.60 wt% cellulose, 31.36 and 36.39 wt% hemicellulose, and 27.90 and 33.00 wt% lignin, respectively. The hot water solubility and ethanol-toluene solubility of FVBs of S. sumatrana and S. zalacca showed that extractive content were 2.96 wt% and 5.55 wt%; 18.54 wt% and 25.00 wt.%, respectively. As the diameter of FVBs increased, the tensile strength and Young's modulus decreased. Increased FVB density will directly increase tensile strength and Young's modulus. Based on the result, it was concluded that the FVBs of salacca type had significantly different properties compared to other palms' FVBs, and this study confirmed the correlation between the physical and mechanical properties of the FVBs from salacca frond. © 2019 BioResources.",2019,,No (2)
Process integration and optimization of CO2 removal from natural gas using cryogenic distillation system,"The development of CO2 separation technologies will enable the monetization of undeveloped gas fields with a high level of CO2, thus providing commercial enterprises a superior competitive edge for future international field acquisitions. The cryogenic distillation system has been identified as one of bulk CO2 separation technologies for high CO2 removal from natural gas. It is a more favourable CO2 separation technology than chemical or physical absorption due to its independence from absorbents, which require a greater footprint, weight and energy. It is targeted for bulk CO2 removal from the natural gas stream 80% down to 20%, and it must be efficient and cost-effective to ensure that the overall economics of a development are positive. In-house process simulation software was used to model a cryogenic distillation column system, while an experimentally validated thermodynamic model was used to verify the phase behaviour of the components, potential CO2 solidification and hydrate formation at the operating pressure and temperature conditions. This modelling encompassed critical operating conditions such as high operating pressure and low operating temperature. This is crucial especially at lower temperature and blowdown condition to prevent piping and equipment blockage which might lead to catastrophic equipment failure. A pilot scale cryogenic distillation unit was studied in this paper with pre-mixed feed consists of CO2 and natural gas to investigate separation performance as well as to examine the operational aspects of the technology. Efforts should be made to reduce energy consumption for such applications. In this paper, pinch analysis tool is utilized to analyse and optimized the Heat Exchanger Network (HEN) of the Cryogenic Distillation System for bulk CO2 separation. Column operating pressure, condenser and reboiler temperatures and feed conditions were varied to examine the effect on energy consumptions and for comparison with process simulation results. It was found that condenser duty decreased by 50% while reboiler duty increased by 100% when operating pressure was increased from 35 bar to 50 bar to achieve the same product specification. Substantial energy reduction for external cooling was attained through pinch technology by taking advantage of the Joule-Thomson effect when expanding high pressure liquid CO2 stream to a lower pressure. Optimal operating conditions, the effect of impurities and alternative refrigeration systems are identified as current gaps in this study. Operational issues were identified and mitigated in this study, which will further the understanding and scaling-up of commercial plants, particularly blowdown study and CO2 solid and hydrate formations and potential mitigations. © 2019, Society of Petroleum Engineers.",2019,,No (2)
The first chemical identification of polyolefin (PO) waste blends using infrared spectroscopy,"Locally, the State of Kuwait is in need of good practices and national strategies that can take advantage of the accumulated solid waste, ridding the environment of various issues and stressors. In this work, compounded rolls of the various samples originating from plastic solid waste were used for the preparation of the test specimens. Samples were compounded to have the following percentages of virgin linear low density polyethylene and plastic film waste (wt./wt.%): 100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100. The samples were compounded using blown film extrusion with a die head temperature of 175°C. Films of the different formulations were exposed to accelerated weathering in accordance with test method ASTM D 4329. Samples were mounted on the racks facing the ultra violet lamps with no empty spaces in the panels. This is in order to maintain a uniform repeatable test condition in accordance with cycle A procedure. The chemical printing of the evolved chemicals was achieved using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and the spectra were recorded with a resolution of 4 cm -1 using Diamond Universal ATR attachment. Four interferogram scans were averaged to give the spectra from 500 to 5000 cm -1 using the Attenuated Total Reflection technique. A noted reduction in the carbonyl index determined from the FTIR spectra of the 75/25 samples supports the claim of the relative stability of the blend. This can lead to the development of a product from waste plastic material that reduced the burden of accumulation in developing and developed societies alike. In addition, the thermal properties determined along with the degradation kinetics parameters estimation revealed after the execution of this research project, have shown the stability of the blend for further development as a standalone product. © 2019 WIT Press",2019,,No (2)
Who are “climate refugees”?: Academic engagement in the post-truth era,"People have always wandered around the world. Human mobility responds to multiple factors-socioeconomic and political conditions, demographic or cultural evolutions, as well as, naturally, underlying environmental changes, among others. In recent decades, the environment in which we live has been increasingly affected by the way we live, especially “we” in high-income societies. The concept of Anthropocene, as a new geological era, was developed to reflect the idea that humans are now the greatest force that alters planetary systems, in particular (but not only) the climate system.1 It is almost tautological that, in the Anthropocene, human mobility is being affected by our impact on the global environment. © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Simon Behrman and Avidan Kent; individual chapters, the contributors.",2018,,No (2)
Ratcheting ambition to limit warming to 1.5 degrees C-trade-offs between emission reductions and carbon dioxide removal,"Mitigation scenarios to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C or less in 2100 often rely on large amounts of carbon dioxide removal (CDR), which carry significant potential social, environmental, political and economic risks. A precautionary approach to scenario creation is therefore indicated. This letter presents the results of such a precautionary modelling exercise in which the models C-ROADS and En-ROADS were used to generate a series of 1.5 degrees C mitigation scenarios that apply increasingly stringent constraints on the scale and type of CDR available. This allows us to explore the trade-offs between near-term stringency of emission reductions and assumptions about future availability of CDR. In particular, we find that regardless of CDR assumptions, near-term ambition increase ('ratcheting') is required for any 1.5 degrees C pathway, making this letter timely for the facilitative, or Talanoa, dialogue to be conducted by the UNFCCC in 2018. By highlighting the difference between net and gross reduction rates, often obscured in scenarios, we find that mid-term gross CO2 emission reduction rates in scenarios with CDR constraints increase to levels without historical precedence. This in turn highlights, in addition to the need to substantially increase CO2 reduction rates, the need to improve emission reductions for non-CO2 greenhouse gases. Further, scenarios in which all or part of the CDR is implemented as non-permanent storage exhibit storage loss emissions, which partly offset CDR, highlighting the importance of differentiating between net and gross CDR in scenarios. We find in some scenarios storage loss trending to similar values as gross CDR, indicating that gross CDR would have to be maintained simply to offset the storage losses of CO2 sequestered earlier, without any additional net climate benefit.",2018,carbon dioxide removal; Paris Agreement; climate change mitigation; mitigation pathways; GHG emission pathways; climate model,Yes (1)
Hydrogen production with integrated CO2 capture in a membrane assisted gas switching reforming reactor: Proof-of-Concept,"This paper presents a new membrane reactor concept for ultra-pure hydrogen production with integrated CO2 capture: the membrane-assisted gas switching reforming (MA-GSR). This concept integrates alternating exothermic and endothermic redox reaction stages in a single fluidized bed consisting of catalytically active oxygen-carrier particles, by switching the feed between air and methane/steam, where the produced hydrogen is selectively removed via Pd-based membranes. This concept results in overall autothermal conditions and allows easier operation at high pressure compared to alternative novel technologies. In this work, the MA-GSR concept is demonstrated at lab scale using four metallic supported membranes (Pd-Ag based) immersed into a fluidized bed consisting of a Ni-based oxygen carrier. The performance of the reactor has been tested under different experimental operating conditions and high methane conversions (>50%) have been obtained, well above the thermodynamic equilibrium conversion of a conventional fluidized bed as a result of the selective H-2 extraction, with (ultra-pure) H-2 recoveries above 20% at relatively low temperatures (<550 degrees C). These results could be further improved by working at elevated pressures or by integrating more membranes. Even though the concept has been successfully demonstrated, further research is required to develop suitable membranes since post-mortem membrane characterization has revealed defects in the membrane selective layer as a consequence of the frequent exposure to thermal cycles with alternating oxidative and reducing atmospheres. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2018,Gas switching; Reforming; Palladium membrane; Experimental demonstration; Proof of concept; Hydrogen production,No (2)
Sustainable synthesis of amino acids by catalytic fixation of molecular dinitrogen and carbon dioxide,"The industrial process of nitrogen fixation is complex and results in a huge economic and environmental impact. It requires a catalyst and high temperature and pressure to induce the rupture of the strong N-N bond and subsequent hydrogenation. On the other hand, carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere has become a priority objective due to the high amount of global carbon dioxide emissions (i.e. 36 200 million tons in 2015). In this work, we fix nitrogen from N-2 and carbon from CO2 and CH4 to obtain both glycine and alanine (D/L racemic mixture), the two simplest amino acids. The synthesis, catalyzed by polarized hydroxyapatite under UV light irradiation and conducted in an inert reaction chamber, starts from a simple gas mixture containing N-2, CO2, CH4 and H2O and uses mild reaction conditions. At atmospheric pressure and 95 degrees C, the glycine and alanine molar yields with respect to CH4 or CO2 are about 1.9% and 1.6%, respectively, but they grow to 3.4% and 2.4%, when the pressure increases to 6 bar and the temperature is maintained at 95 degrees C. Besides, the minimum temperature required for the successful production of detectable amounts of amino acids is 75 degrees C. Accordingly, an artificial photosynthetic process has been developed by using an electrophotocatalyst based on hydroxyapatite thermally and electrically stimulated and coated with zirconyl chloride and a phosphonate. The synthesis of amino acids by direct fixation of nitrogen and carbon from gas mixtures opens new avenues regarding the nitrogen fixation for industrial purposes and the recycling of carbon dioxide.",2018,,No (2)
"Negative emissions-Part 2: Costs, potentials and side effects","The most recent IPCC assessment has shown an important role for negative emissions technologies (NETs) in limiting global warming to 2 degrees C cost-effectively. However, a bottom-up, systematic, reproducible, and transparent literature assessment of the different options to remove CO2 from the atmosphere is currently missing. In part 1 of this three-part review on NETs, we assemble a comprehensive set of the relevant literature so far published, focusing on seven technologies: bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), afforestation and reforestation, direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS), enhanced weathering, ocean fertilisation, biochar, and soil carbon sequestration. In this part, part 2 of the review, we present estimates of costs, potentials, and side-effects for these technologies, and qualify them with the authors' assessment. Part 3 reviews the innovation and scaling challenges that must be addressed to realise NETs deployment as a viable climate mitigation strategy. Based on a systematic review of the literature, our best estimates for sustainable global NET potentials in 2050 are 0.5-3.6 GtCO(2) yr(-1) for afforestation and reforestation, 0.5-5GtCO(2) yr(-1) for BECCS, 0.5-2GtCO(2) yr(-1) for biochar, 2-4 GtCO(2) yr(-1) for enhanced weathering, 0.5-5 GtCO(2) yr(-1) for DACCS, and up to 5GtCO(2) yr(-1) for soil carbon sequestration. Costs vary widely across the technologies, as do their permanency and cumulative potentials beyond 2050. It is unlikely that a single NET will be able to sustainably meet the rates of carbon uptake described in integrated assessment pathways consistent with 1.5 degrees C of global warming.",2018,climate change mitigation; negative emission technologies; carbon dioxide removal; scenarios,Yes (1)
The point of no return for climate action: effects of climate uncertainly and risk tolerance,"If the Paris Agreement targets are to be met, there may be very few years left for policy makers to start cutting emissions. Here we calculate by what year, at the latest, one has to take action to keep global warming below the 2 K target (relative to pre-industrial levels) at the year 2100 with a 67 % probability; we call this the point of no return (PNR). Using a novel, stochastic model of CO2 concentration and global mean surface temperature derived from the CMIP5 ensemble simulations, we find that cumulative CO2 emissions from 2015 onwards may not exceed 424 GtC and that the PNR is 2035 for the policy scenario where the share of renewable energy rises by 2 % year(-1). Pushing this increase to 5 % year(-1) delays the PNR until 2045. For the 1.5 K target, the carbon budget is only 198 GtC and there is no time left before starting to increase the renewable share by 2 % year(-1). If the risk tolerance is tightened to 5 %, the PNR is brought forward to 2022 for the 2 K target and has been passed already for the 1.5 K target. Including substantial negative emissions towards the end of the century delays the PNR from 2035 to 2042 for the 2 K target and to 2026 for the 1.5 K target. We thus show how the PNR is impacted not only by the temperature target and the speed by which emissions are cut but also by risk tolerance, climate uncertainties and the potential for negative emissions. Sensitivity studies show that the PNR is robust with uncertainties of at most a few years.",2018,,No (2)
Impacts on terrestrial biodiversity of moving from a 2 degrees C to a 1.5 degrees C target,"We applied a recently developed tool to examine the reduction in climate risk to biodiversity in moving from a 2 degrees C to a 1.5 degrees C target. We then reviewed the recent literature examining the impact of (a) land-based mitigation options and (b) land-based greenhouse gas removal options on biodiversity. We show that holding warming to 1.5 degrees C versus 2 degrees C can significantly reduce the number of species facing a potential loss of 50% of their climatic range. Further, there would be an increase of 5.5-14% of the globe that could potentially act as climatic refugia for plants and animals, an area equivalent to the current global protected area network. Efforts to meet the 1.5 degrees C target through mitigation could largely be consistent with biodiversity protection/enhancement. For impacts of land-based greenhouse gas removal technologies on biodiversity, some (e.g. soil carbon sequestration) could be neutral or positive, others (e.g. bioenergy with carbon capture and storage) are likely to lead to conflicts, while still others (e.g. afforestation/reforestation) are context-specific, when applied at scales necessary for meaningful greenhouse gas removal. Additional effort to meet the 1.5 degrees C target presents some risks, particularly if inappropriately managed, but it also presents opportunities. This article is part of the theme issue 'The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels'.",2018,biodiversity; climate change targets; land; greenhouse gas removal,Yes (1)
Satellite-Observed Major Greening and Biomass Increase in South China Karst During Recent Decade,"Above-ground vegetation biomass is one of the major carbon sinks and provides both provisioning (e.g., forestry products) and regulating ecosystem services (by sequestering carbon). Continuing deforestation and climate change threaten this natural resource but can effectively be countered by national conservation policies. Here we present time series (1999-2017) derived from complementary satellite systems to describe a phenomenon of global significance: the greening of South China Karst. We find a major increase in growing season vegetation cover from 69% in 1999 to 81% in 2017 occurring over similar to 1.4 million km(2). Over 1999-2012, we report one of the globally largest increases in biomass to occur in the South China Karst region (on average +4% over 0.9 million km(2)), which accounts for similar to 5% of the global areas characterized with increases in biomass. These increases in southern China's vegetation have occurred despite a decline in rainfall (-8%) and soil moisture (-5%) between 1999 and 2012 and are derived from effects of forestry and conservation activities at an unprecedented spatial scale in human history (similar to 20,000km(2)yr(-1) since 2002). These findings have major implications for the provisioning of ecosystem services not only for the Chinese karst ecosystem (e.g., carbon storage, water filtration, and timber production) but also for the study of global carbon cycles.",2018,China karst; conservation; afforestation; passive microwaves; ecological engineering; vegetation optical depth,No (2)
"Electric sector policy, technological change, and US emissions reductions goals: Results from the EMF 32 model intercomparison project","The Energy Modeling Forum (EMF) 32 study compares a range of coordinated scenarios to explore implications of U.S. climate policy options and technological change on the electric power sector. Harmonized policy scenarios (including mass-based emissions limits and various power-sector-only carbon tax trajectories) across 16 models provide comparative assessments of potential impacts on electric sector investment and generation outcomes, emissions reductions, and economic implications. This paper compares results across these policy alternatives, including a variety of technological and natural gas price assumptions, and summarizes robust findings and areas of disagreement across participating models. Under a wide range of policy, technology, and market assumptions, model results suggest that future coal generation will decline relative to current levels while generation from natural gas, wind, and solar will increase, though the pace and extent of these changes vary by policy scenario, technological assumptions, region, and model. Climate policies can amplify trends already under way and make them less susceptible to future market changes. The model results provide useful insights to a range of stakeholders, but future research focused on intersectoral linkages in emission reductions (e.g., the role of electrification), effects of energy storage, and better coverage of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) can improve insights even further. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2018,Climate policy; Energy-economic modeling; Model intercomparison; Market-based environmental policy; Technology; Electric sector,No (2)
Enhanced biochars can match activated carbon performance in sediments with high native bioavailability and low final porewater PCB concentrations,"A bench scale study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of in situ amendments to reduce the bioavailability of pollutants in sediments from a site impacted with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and cadmium. The amendments tested included fine and coarse coal-based activated carbons (AC), an enhanced pinewood derived biochar (EPB), organoclay, and coke dosed at 5% of sediment dry weight. Strong reductions in total PCB porewater concentrations were observed in sediments amended with the fine AC (94.9-99.5%) and EPB (99.6-99.8%). More modest reductions were observed for the coarse AC, organoclay, and coke. Strong reductions in porewater PCB concentrations were reflected in reductions in total PCB bioaccumulation in fresh water oligochaetes for both the fine AC (91.9-96.0%) and EPB (96.1-96.3%). Total PAH porewater concentrations were also greatly reduced by the fine AC (>96.1%) and EPB (>97.8%) treatments. EPB matched or slightly outperformed the fine AC throughout the study, despite sorption data indicating a much stronger affinity of PCBs for the fine AC. Modeling EPB and fine AC effectiveness on other sediments confirmed the high effectiveness of the EPB was due to the very low final porewater concentrations and differences in the native bioavailability between sediments. However, low bulk density and poor settling characteristics make biochars difficult to apply in an aquatic setting. Neither the EPB nor the fine AC amendments were able to significantly reduce Cd bioavailability. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2018,Biochar; Activated carbon; Sorption; Bioavailability; Remediation,No (2)
Comprehensive Evaluation of Coal-Fired Power Units Using Grey Relational Analysis and a Hybrid Entropy-Based Weighting Method,"In recent years, coal-fired power plants contribute the biggest part of power generation in China. Challenges of energy conservation and emission reduction of the coal-fired power plant encountering with a rapid growth due to the rising proportion of renewable energy generation in total power generation. Energy saving power generation dispatch (ESPGD) based on power units sorting technology is a promising approach to meet the challenge. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a reasonable and feasible multi-index comprehensive evaluation (MICE) framework for assessing the performance of coal-fired power units accessed by the power grid. In this paper, a hierarchical multiple criteria evaluation system was established. Except for the typical economic and environmental indices, the evaluation system considering operational flexibility and power quality indices either. A hybrid comprehensive evaluation model was proposed to assess the unit operational performance. The model is an integration of grey relational analysis (GRA) with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and a novel entropy-based method (abbreviate as BECC) which integrates bootstrap method and correlation coefficient (CC) into entropy principle to get the objective weight of indices. Then a case study on seven typical 600 megawatts coal-fired power units was carried out to illustrate the proposed evaluation model, and a weight sensitivity analysis was developed in addition. The results of the case study shows that unit 4 has the power generating priority over the rest ones, and unit 2 ranks last, with the lowest grey relational degree. The weight sensitivity analysis shows that the environmental factor has the biggest sensitivity coefficient. And the validation analysis of the developed BECC weight method shows that it is feasible for the MICE model, and it is stable with an ignorable uncertainty caused by the stochastic factor in the bootstrapping process. The elaborate analysis of the result reveals that it is feasible to rank power units with the proposed evaluation model. Furthermore, it is beneficial to synthesize the updated multiple criteria in optimizing the power generating priority of coal-fired power units.",2018,coal-fired power units; GRA; bootstrap; entropy; AHP; sensitivity analysis,No (2)
Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems,"Beef cattle have been identified as the largest livestock-sector contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Using life cycle analysis (LCA), several studies have concluded that grass-finished beef systems have greater GHG intensities than feedlot-finished (FL) beef systems. These studies evaluated only one grazing management system - continuous grazing - and assumed steady-state soil carbon (C), to model the grass-finishing environmental impact. However, by managing for more optimal forage growth and recovery, adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing can improve animal and forage productivity, potentially sequestering more soil organic carbon (SOC) than continuous grazing. To examine impacts of AMP grazing and related SOC sequestration on net GHG emissions, a comparative LCA was performed of two different beef finishing systems in the Upper Midwest, USA: AMP grazing and FL. We used on-farm data collected from the Michigan State University Lake City AgBioResearch Center for AMP grazing. Impact scope included GHG emissions from enteric methane, feed production and mineral supplement manufacture, manure, and on-farm energy use and transportation, as well as the potential C sink arising from SOC sequestration. Across-farm SOC data showed a 4-year C sequestration rate of 3.59 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) in AMP grazed pastures. After including SOC in the GHG footprint estimates, finishing emissions from the AMP system were reduced from 9.62 to -6.65 kg CO2-e kg carcass weight (CW)(-1), whereas FL emissions increased slightly from 6.09 to 6.12 kg CO2-e kg CW-1 due to soil erosion. This indicates that AMP grazing has the potential to offset GHG emissions through soil C sequestration, and therefore the finishing phase could be a net C sink. However, FL production required only half as much land as AMP grazing. While the SOC sequestration rates measured here were relatively high, lower rates would still reduce the AMP emissions relative to the FL emissions. This research suggests that AMP grazing can contribute to climate change mitigation through SOC sequestration and challenges existing conclusions that only feedlot-intensification reduces the overall beef GHG footprint through greater productivity.",2018,Life cycle assessment; Greenhouse gas emissions; Soil carbon sequestration; Beef production; Adaptive multi-paddock grazing; Feedlot finishing,Yes (1)
Catalyst-TiO(OH)(2) could drastically reduce the energy consumption of CO2 capture,"Implementing Paris Climate Accord is inhibited by the high energy consumption of the state-of-the-art CO2 capture technologies due to the notoriously slow kinetics in CO2 desorption step of CO2 capture. To address the challenge, here we report that nanostructured TiO(OH)(2) as a catalyst is capable of drastically increasing the rates of CO2 desorption from spent monoethanolamine (MEA) by over 4500%. This discovery makes CO2 capture successful at much lower temperatures, which not only dramatically reduces energy consumption but also amine losses and prevents emission of carcinogenic amine-decomposition byproducts. The catalytic effect of TiO(OH)(2) is observed with Raman characterization. The stabilities of the catalyst and MEA are confirmed with 50 cyclic CO2 sorption and sorption. A possible mechanism is proposed for the TiO(OH)(2)-catalyzed CO2 capture. TiO(OH)(2) could be a key to the future success of Paris Climate Accord.",2018,,No (2)
The role of CCS and biomass-based processes in the refinery sector for different carbon scenarios,"This paper studies technological pathways in the refinery sector, such as fuel switching, carbon capture and storage (CCS), energy efficiency as well as retrofit decisions (i.e. upgrading, scaling-up, and equipment modernisation) with the aim of decarbonisation. A global refinery outlook is presented for a 2.5 degrees C and 2 degrees C climate target scenario from 2010 through to 2050. The results highlight that a full portfolio of technologies (non-conventional processes, gas-/coal- based, with/without CCS, and biomass- based process) is necessary. Among the conventional refineries, only the most efficient ones or those investing in CCS to increase competitiveness and reducing emissions, can stay in the market.",2018,refinery; energy; emissions; carbon capture and storage,No (2)
Life cycle assessment and life cycle cost of university dormitories in the southeast China: Case study of the university town of Fuzhou,"The aim of this paper is to assess university dormitories in terms of life cycle environmental impact and cost, as part of the university campuses sustainable development in southeast China. This life cycle assessment follows the ISO 14040/44 methodology, considering the construction, operation, maintenance and demolition stages. The reference unit of this study is defined as 'one useful square meter university dormitories with 50 years life time'. This study estimates the life cycle inventory by: 1) tenders information of university dormitories built in the university town of Fuzhou during 2007-2011, 2) water and energy bills of those building over past 5 years, 3) damage and maintenance report of dormitories in Fuzhou University and Fujian University of traditional Chinese medicine during 2004-2014. The Ecoinvent database provides the background data to the analysis. The results indicate that 1) the use stage, including operation and maintenance is the dominate part of the life cycle environmental impacts and cost of university dormitories. 2) The consumption of electricity constitutes the main elements causing the environmental impacts over the life cycle of university dormitories. The technology for more energy efficient building is more important than other factors. 3) The window, concrete, steel, and cement have the largest contribution to the embodied environmental impacts but with the relative small contribution to the life cycle cost. Therefore, two main improving opportunities for reducing the environmental impacts of Chinese university dormitories development are identified: 1) improving building with deep renovation for current dormitories and implementing low energy buildings standards for new built dormitories the buildings energy efficiency and 2) increasing the use of low environmental impacts building material by implementing the carbon tax on main building material and introducing timbers as structure material. Moreover, policies to promote the more renewable energy supply and the implementation of carbon capture and storage technology constitute another import issue. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2018,Life cycle assessment; Life cycle cost; CO2; University dormitories; China,No (2)
Simulation of Soil Organic Carbon Effects on Long-Term Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Production Under Varying Fertilizer Inputs,"Soil organic carbon (SOC) has a vital role to enhance agricultural productivity and for mitigation of climate change. To quantify SOC effects on productivity, process models serve as a robust tool to keep track of multiple plant and soil factors and their interactions affecting SOC dynamics. We used soil-plant-atmospheric model viz. DAISY, to assess effects of SOC on nitrogen (N) supply and plant available water (PAW) under varying N fertilizer rates in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) in Denmark. The study objective was assessment of SOC effects on winter wheat grain and aboveground biomass accumulation at three SOC levels (low: 0.7% SOC; reference: 1.3% SOC; and high: 2% SOC) with five nitrogen rates (0-200 kg N ha(-1)) and PAW at low, reference, and high SOC levels. The three SOC levels had significant effects on grain yields and aboveground biomass accumulation at only 0-100 kg N ha(-1) and the SOC effects decreased with increasing N rates until no effects at 150-200 kg N ha(-1). PAW had significant positive correlation with SOC content, with high SOC retaining higher PAW compared to low and reference SOC. The mean PAW and SOC correlation was given by PAW% = 1.0073 x SOC% + 15.641. For the 0.7-2% SOC range, the PAW increase was small with no significant effects on grain yields and aboveground biomass accumulation. The higher winter wheat grain and aboveground biomass was attributed to higher N supply in N deficient wheat production system. Our study suggested that building SOC enhances agronomic productivity at only 0-100 kg N ha(-1). Maintenance of SOC stock will require regular replenishment of SOC, to compensate for the mineralization process degrading SOC over time. Hence, management can maximize realization of SOC benefits by building up SOC and maintaining N rates in the range 0-100 kg N ha(-1), to reduce the off-farm N losses depending on the environmental zones, land use and the production system.",2018,grain yield; DAISY model; nitrogen; plant available water; pedotransfer functions; long-term experiment; crop productivity,No (2)
Public perceptions about climate change mitigation in British Columbia's forest sector,"The role of forest management in mitigating climate change is a central concern for the Canadian province of British Columbia. The successful implementation of forest management activities to achieve climate change mitigation in British Columbia will be strongly influenced by public support or opposition. While we now have increasingly clear ideas of the management opportunities associated with forest mitigation and some insight into public support for climate change mitigation in the context of sustainable forest management, very little is known with respect to the levels and basis of public support for potential forest management strategies to mitigate climate change. This paper, by describing the results of a web-based survey, documents levels of public support for the implementation of eight forest carbon mitigation strategies in British Columbia's forest sector, and examines and quantifies the influence of the factors that shape this support. Overall, respondents ascribed a high level of importance to forest carbon mitigation and supported all of the eight proposed strategies, indicating that the British Columbia public is inclined to consider alternative practices in managing forests and wood products to mitigate climate change. That said, we found differences in levels of support for the mitigation strategies. In general, we found greater levels of support for a rehabilitation strategy (e.g. reforestation of unproductive forest land), and to a lesser extent for conservation strategies (e.g. old growth conservation, reduced harvest) over enhanced forest management strategies (e.g. improved harvesting and silvicultural techniques). We also highlighted multiple variables within the British Columbia population that appear to play a role in predicting levels of support for conservation and/or enhanced forest management strategies, including environmental values, risk perception, trust in groups of actors, prioritized objectives of forest management and socio-demographic factors.",2018,,Yes (1)
Field-warmed soil carbon changes imply high 21st-century modeling uncertainty,"The feedback between planetary warming and soil carbon loss has been the focus of considerable scientific attention in recent decades, due to its potential to accelerate anthropogenic climate change. The soil carbon temperature sensitivity is traditionally estimated from short-term respiration measurements - either from laboratory incubations that are artificially manipulated or from field measurements that cannot distinguish between plant and microbial respiration. To address these limitations of previous approaches, we developed a new method to estimate soil temperature sensitivity (Q(10)) of soil carbon directly from warming-induced changes in soil carbon stocks measured in 36 field experiments across the world. Variations in warming magnitude and control organic carbon percentage explained much of field-warmed organic carbon percentage (R-2 = 0.96), revealing Q(10) across sites of 2.2 [1.6, 2.7] 95% confidence interval (CI). When these field-derived Q(10) values were extrapolated over the 21st century using a post hoc correction of 20 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) Earth system model outputs, the multi-model mean soil carbon stock changes shifted from the previous value of 88 +/- 153 Pg carbon (weighted mean +/- 1 SD) to 19 +/- 155 Pg carbon with a Q(10)-driven 95% CI of 248 +/- 191 to 95 +/- 209 Pg carbon. On average, incorporating the field-derived Q(10) values into Earth system model simulations led to reductions in the projected amount of carbon sequestered in the soil over the 21st century. However, the considerable parameter uncertainty led to extremely high variability in soil carbon stock projections within each model; intra-model uncertainty driven by the field-derived Q(10) was as great as that between model variation. This study demonstrates that data integration should capture the variation of the system, as well as mean trends.",2018,,No (2)
Soil organic carbon pool's contribution to climate change mitigation on marginal land of a Mediterranean montane area in Italy,"To evaluate the mitigation potential provided by the SOC pool, we investigated the impact of woody encroachment in the 0-30 cm depth of mineral soil across a natural succession from abandoned pastures and croplands to broadleaves forests on the central Apennine in Italy. In parallel, to assess the effect of the land use change (WC) from cropland to pasture, a series of pastures established on former agricultural sites, abandoned at different time in the past, were also investigated. Our results show that woody encroachment on former pastures and croplands contributes largely to mitigate climate change, with an increase of the original SOC stock of 45% (40.5 Mg C ha(-1)) and 120% (66.5 Mg C ha(-1)), respectively. Also the LUC from croplands to pastures, greatly contributes to climate change mitigation trough a SOC increase of about 80% of the original SOC (45.9 Mg C ha(-1)). The management of abandoned lands represent a crucial point in the mitigation potential of agriculture and forestry activities, and particularly the role of the SOC pool. A policy effort should focus on minimizing the risk of speculative management options, particularly when the value of woody biomass become convenient to supply new energy systems allowing monetizing a long term forests productivity. In conclusion, despite both the land abandonment and the LUC can have a different impact on the SOC pool under different climatic conditions, these results can be useful to improve the SOC estimates in the National greenhouse gases Inventory at country level. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2018,,No (2)
Metal fractionation in marine sediments acidified by enrichment of CO2: A risk assessment,"Carbon-capture and storage is considered to be a potential mitigation option for climate change. However, accidental leaks of CO2 can occur, resulting in changes in ocean chemistry such as acidification and metal mobilization. Laboratory experiments were performed to provide data on the effects of CO2-related acidification on the chemical fractionation of metal(loid)s in marine-contaminated sediments using sequential extraction procedures. The results showed that sediments from Huelva estuary registered concentrations of arsenic, copper, lead, and zinc that surpass the probable biological effect level established by international protocols. Zinc had the greatest proportion in the most mobile fraction of the sediment. Metals in this fraction represent an environmental risk because they are weakly bound to sediment, and therefore more likely to migrate to the water column. Indeed, the concentration of this metal was lower in the most acidified scenarios when compared to control pH, indicating probable zinc mobilization from the sediment to the seawater.",2018,Acidification; Metal(loid)s; Carbon capture and storage; Sequential extraction procedure; Speciation; Contamination,No (2)
"Promoting revegetation and soil carbon sequestration on decommissioned forest roads in Colorado, USA: A comparative assessment of organic soil amendments","Forest roads are commonly decommissioned and revegetated to decrease erosion, prevent weed encroachment, manage recreation and improve overall watershed condition on federal lands, but may also provide a complementary opportunity to sequester carbon (C) in soils. Soils on decommissioned roads are typically compacted with limited capacity for water retention, decreased mineral nitrogen (N) availability and low organic matter content, impairing revegetation and soil C sequestration efforts. We evaluated the effects of an organic fertilizer, wood strand mulch and a woody biochar on soil physical, chemical and biological processes to improve revegetation and C sequestration on decompacted forest roads. We monitored plant and soil responses to the treatments and their combinations over three growing seasons on four decommissioned road segments in northern Colorado. The organic fertilizer increased plant available mineral N for the first year of the study and resulted in a 21% increase in total plant cover and 67% increase in root biomass. The wood strand mulch increased total plant cover and root biomass to a similar extent, but had no effect on soil water content or mineral N availability. Instead, mulch stimulated soil microbial respiration and increased soil C content, two of the best predictors of plant cover and biomass. The woody biochar increased soil water content by 26% and elevated mineral N availability throughout the study, but did not improve plant cover, above- or belowground biomass. Mulch, biochar and their combined treatments sequestered C, but through distinct pathways. Microbial processing of wood strand mulch added C to the mineral soil fraction, whereas biochar added C directly to the coarse particulate fraction with no effect on mineral soil C or soil respiration. Restoration practitioners can utilize these results to inform management decisions and guide further research on different rates and combinations of organic amendments to revegetate and sequester C on decommissioned forest roads.",2018,,No (2)
Feasibility of biodiesel production and CO2 emission reduction by &ITMonoraphidium dybowskii&IT LB50 under semi-continuous culture with open raceway ponds in the desert area,"Background: Compared with other general energy crops, microalgae are more compatible with desert conditions. In addition, microalgae cultivated in desert regions can be used to develop biodiesel. Therefore, screening oil-rich microalgae, and researching the algae growth, CO2 fixation and oil yield in desert areas not only effectively utilize the idle desertification lands and other resources, but also reduce CO2 emission.& para;& para;Results: Monoraphidium dybowskii LB50 can be efficiently cultured in the desert area using light resources, and lipid yield can be effectively improved using two-stage induction and semi-continuous culture modes in open raceway ponds (ORPs). Lipid content (LC) and lipid productivity (LP) were increased by 20% under two-stage industrial salt induction, whereas biomass productivity (BP) increased by 80% to enhance LP under semi-continuous mode in 5 m(2) ORPs. After 3 years of operation, M. dybowskii LB50 was successfully and stably cultivated under semi-continuous mode for a month during five cycles of repeated culture in a 200 m(2) ORP in the desert area. This culture mode reduced the supply of the original species. The BP and CO2 fixation rate were maintained at 18 and 33 g M-2 day(-1), respectively. Moreover, LC decreased only during the fifth cycle of repeated culture. Evaporation occurred at 0.9-1.8 L M-2 day(-1), which corresponded to 6.5-13% of evaporation loss rate. Semi-continuous and two-stage salt induction culture modes can reduce energy consumption and increase energy balance through the energy consumption analysis of life cycle.& para;& para;Conclusion: This study demonstrates the feasibility of combining biodiesel production and CO2 fixation using microalgae grown as feedstock under culture modes with ORPs by using the resources in the desert area. The understanding of evaporation loss and the sustainability of semi-continuous culture render this approach practically viable. The novel strategy may be a promising alternative to existing technology for CO2 emission reduction and biofuel production.",2018,Microalgae; Lipid production; Semi-continuous culture; CO2 fixation; Open raceway ponds; Desert area; Evaporation,No (2)
Charge-modulated CO2 capture of C3N nanosheet: Insights from DFT calculations,"Increasing concerns about the atmospheric CO2 concentration and its impact on the environment promote developing new materials and technologies for efficient CO2 capture and conversion. Here, for the first time we investigate the CO2 adsorption on C3N nanosheet with different charge states by means of density functional theory calculations. It is found that injecting extra negative electrons instead of positive electrons can extremely improve CO2 adsorption capacity of C3N nanomaterial. The adsorption strength of CO2 molecules on this 3 e(-) negatively charged nanomaterial is 20 times of that on neutral surface while there is little difference between these on positively charged surface and the neutral surface. Interestingly, CO2 molecules can spontaneously adsorb and desorb from C3N sorbent with appropriate charge density range by injecting and removing extra negative charges. Importantly, this negatively charged C3N exhibits highly selective adsorption for CO2/C2H2, CO2/CH4, CO2/H-2, C2H2/CH4 and C2H2/H-2 mixtures through tuning charge density. Our theoretical results could provide guidance for designing high-capacity and high-selectivity CO2 capture materials.",2018,Density functional theory; CO2 capture; Charge-controlled; Polarization; Adsorption energy,No (2)
"Adsorption artificial tree for atmospheric carbon dioxide capture, purification and compression","The current concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere demands for development of negative emission solutions such as direct carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere (air capture). Many well established processes can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but the real technological challenge consists of concentrating and compressing carbon dioxide at the conditions for long term geological storage, with efficient use of non-fossil energy sources. A thermally-driven, negative-carbon adsorption process for capture, purification and compression of carbon dioxide from air is proposed. The process is based on a series of batch adsorption compressors of decreasing size to deliver a compressed carbon dioxide stream to a final storage. Thermodynamic analysis of the process shows that, by exploiting the equilibrium properties of commercial and non-commercial materials, carbon dioxide can be produced at specifications appropriate for geological storage. By operating the process with zeolite 13X at regeneration temperature of 95 degrees C a final storage vessel can be pressurized with carbon dioxide at purities >0.95 mol fraction and specific energy consumption <2.2 MJ(th), mol(CO2)(-1). Tailored materials provide a step-change in performance. When the process operates with zeolite NaETS-4, carbon dioxide can be purified at values >0.97 mol fraction. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2018,Direct air capture; Temperature swing adsorption; Atmosphere; Negative emission technology; Atmospheric carbon dioxide,No (2)
Development of a Rigorous Modeling Framework for Solvent-Based CO2 Capture. 1. Hydraulic and Mass Transfer Models and Their Uncertainty Quantification,"Rigorous process models are critical for reducing the risk and uncertainty of scaling up a new technology. It is essential to quantify uncertainty in key submodels so that uncertainty in the overall model can be appropriately characterized. In solvent-based postcombustion CO2 capture technologies, mass transfer and column hydraulics are key factors affecting the performance of the absorber. Developing submodels for mass transfer, column hydraulics, and reactions is a challenging multiscale problem since the phenomena are tightly coupled and it is difficult to design experiments to isolate each properly. In particular, simultaneous mass transfer coupled with fast reaction kinetics makes it difficult to measure the mass transfer rate and reactions rate individually. The typical approach to solving this issue is to use proxy systems to conduct experiments under mass-transfer-limited or reaction-limited conditions. This approach can lead to inaccurate mass transfer submodels. In this paper, a novel simultaneous regression approach is proposed where submodels for mass transfer, diffusivity, interfacial area, and reaction kinetics are optimally identified using experimental data from multiple scales and operating conditions. Since all models have some level of uncertainty, a rigorous uncertainty quantification (UQ) technique is implemented for the hydraulic and mass transfer submodels based on Bayesian inference. Posterior distributions of submodel parameters are propagated through the column model to obtain the uncertainty bounds on critical performance measures.",2018,,No (2)
Limited effect of organic matter on soil available water capacity,"Soil water-holding capacity is an important component of the water and energy balances of the terrestrial biosphere. It controls the rate of evapotranspiration, and is a key to crop production. It is widely accepted that the available water capacity in soil can be improved by increasing organic matter content. However, the increase in amount of water that is available to plants with an increase in organic matter is still uncertain and may be overestimated. To clarify this issue, we carried out a meta-analysis from 60 published studies and analysed large databases (more than 50 000 measurements globally) to seek relations between organic carbon (OC) and water content at saturation, field capacity, wilting point and available water capacity. We show that the increase in organic carbon in soil has a small effect on soil water content. A 1% mass increase in soil OC (or 10 g C kg(-1) soil mineral), on average, increases water content at saturation, field capacity, wilting point and available water capacity by: 2.95, 1.61, 0.17 and 1.16 mm H2O 100 mm soil(-1), respectively. The increase is larger in sandy soils, followed by loams and is least in clays. Overall the increase in available water capacity is very small; 75% of the studies reported had values between 0.7 and 2 mm 100 mm(-1) with an increase of 10 g C kg(-1) soil. Compared with reported annual rates of carbon sequestration after the adoption of conservation agricultural systems, the effect on soil available water is negligible. Thus, arguments for sequestering carbon to increase water storage are questionable. Conversely, global warming may cause losses in soil carbon, but the effects on soil water storage and its consequent impact on hydrological cycling might be less than thought previously.",2018,,No (2)
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE FERTILIZER POTENTIAL OF SLAUGHTERHOUSE CATTLE PAUNCH,"In Australia, recycling of paunch waste to farmland has been suggested as a cost-effective and practicable environmental option, but little is known about its agronomic value. Experimental work was undertaken to assess potential risks due to weed seed contamination, determine the agronomic response of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) to soil incorporation of paunch, and investigate short-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Five types of paunch with compost ages between 2 and 16 weeks were compared with urea (46% N) and applied at field equivalent rates of 0 (control), 150, and 300 kg ha(-1) N. The risk of weed contamination from paunch applied to soil appeared to be negligible; however, techniques that enable seed viability to be determined may be required to fully discard such risk. Average dry matter yield with paunch was similar to 30% higher than untreated grass, but similar to 35% lower than with urea. Dry matter yield in paunch-treated grass was between 2500 and 3250 kg ha-1 over five cuts conducted at 25-day intervals. Paunch N responses were between 1.12 and 3.25 kg DM kg(-1) N depending on compost age, but lower than with urea N (similar to 6.5 kg DM kg-(1) N). Nitrogen use efficiency of paunch ranged between 3% and 20%, compared to about 35% with urea. Nitrogen fertilizer replacement value (NFRV) of paunch was highest in the 6-week-old compost (similar to 60%) and ranged between 20% and 55% across all other organic materials. Short-term N2O emissions were similar (p > 0.05) with both mineral and organic amendments; however, CH4 emissions were higher (p < 0.05) from paunch compared with urea-treated soil. Overall, there appears to be potential for paunchderived products to be used as a source of C and nutrients in crop production. Industry quality specifications for compost are available, but they need to be expanded to incorporate guidelines relevant to paunch. There is a requirement for the value proposition to industry to be determined, including reduced cost of paunch disposal via gate fees.",2018,Byproducts; Composting; Fertilizer replacement value; Nutrient recovery; Nutrient use efficiency; Recycling of abattoir-derived waste,No (2)
Solubility of CO2 in aqueous solutions of glycerol and monoethanolamine,"For decades, carbon dioxide emissions have been an environmental and health issue. Amines like Monoethanolamine (MEA) have long been favoured in strategies based on chemical absorption aimed at CO2 capture and thus reduction of its harmful environmental impacts. However, some drawbacks, such as toxicity, low stability and high cost limit widespread adoption of this technology. New and green solvents are a possible solution to this issue. As a part of the present study, CO2 solubility in aqueous solutions of different molar ratios of MEA and glycerol as a green solvent was studied. The CO2 absorption was performed at three different temperatures (303, 318, and 333 K) at normal atmospheric pressure, while CO2 partial pressure was varied from 1 to 15 kPa, and the gas flow rate in the mixture was changed from 350 to 700 ml/min. The response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD) was used to design the experiment and explore the effects of four independent parameters (molar concentration of MEA, molar concentration of glycerol, temperature, and gas flow rate) on the solubility of CO2 in solution. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed a good agreement between the experimental data and the statistical model. The maximum solubility occurred for 4 M MEA + 2 M glycerol at 333 K and 350 ml/min CO2 flow rate. The CO2 solubility values pertaining to different pressures and concentrations were in good agreement with the general absorption trend. However, as the temperature increased, so did the loading. The findings further revealed that the optimum CO2 solubility was obtained at low glycerol to MEA ratio, as this ensured the solubility at elevated temperatures. As glycerol is a viscous fluid, it can be confirmed that it is a suitable solvent at low pressures and high temperatures. Therefore, it can be a viable alternative solution for post-combustion CO2 capture. In addition, an artificial neural network (ANN) model and correlations of CO2 solubility with CO2 partial pressure for all the studied solvent mixtures were developed in this study. Both the ANN model and the correlations fit the experimental CO2 solubility data reasonably well. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2018,Carbon dioxide; Monoethanolamine (MEA); Glycerol; Response surface methodology; ANN; CO2 loading,No (2)
Evaluation of the performance of the EPIC model for yield and biomass simulation under conservation systems in Cambodia,"Limited field studies have been performed to evaluate the impacts of conservation agriculture (CA) on crop yields and soil organic carbon sequestration in tropical conditions. In this study, we used the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model to evaluate the impact of CA and conservation tillage (CT) on crop yields in tropical conditions for unique upland rice, soybean, and cassava cropping systems in Cambodia. New crop parameters were developed and tested for cassava, sesame, banana, sunn hemp, stylo, and congo grass. The results show that EPIC successfully replicated crop yields of soybean, upland rice, maize, and cassava based on R-2 statistics ranging from 0.62 to 0.88 and percent bias (PBIAS) values a <= 10%. However, it cannot be concluded that the model can accurately capture the biomass for all the individual crops due to limitations in the observed biomass data. The cassava and maize biomass were simulated satisfactorily, resulting in R-2 values of 0.81 and 0.75, respectively. However, the computed PBIAS for the biomass estimates of the two crops were > 25%. In contrast, the predicted rice and soybean biomass met PBIAS criteria (<= 23%) but resulted in weak R-2 statistics of <= 0.20, indicating inaccurate replications of the measured biomass. Similarly, the cover crop mean biomass and PBIAS statistics were acceptable but the R-2 values were not. Overall, the model tended to overestimate the measured crop biomass. No significant difference was found in the simulated crop yields between the CA and CT treatments. However, the predicted rice and soybean results reflect an increased yield trend over time for the CA treatments, versus no discernible trend for the cassava and maize yields.",2018,Conservation agriculture; Cassava; Upland rice; Soybean; Maize; EPIC model,No (2)
"Biochar composite membrane for high performance pollutant management: Fabrication, structural characteristics and synergistic mechanisms","Biochar, a natural sourced carbon-rich material, has been used commonly in particle shape for carbon sequestration, soil fertility and environmental remediation. Here, we report a facile approach to fabricate freestanding biochar composite membranes for the first time. Wood biochars pyrolyzed at 300 degrees C and 700 degrees C were blended with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) in three percentages (10%, 30% and 50%) to construct membranes through thermal phase inversion process. The resultant biochar composite membranes possess high mechanical strength and porous structure with uniform distribution of biochar particles throughout the membrane surface and cross-section. The membrane pure water flux was increased with B300 content (4825-5411 +/- 21 L m(-2) h(-1)) and B700 content (5823-6895 +/- 72 L m(-2) h(-1)). The membranes with B300 were more hydrophilic with higher surface free energy (58.84-60.31 mJ m(-2)) in comparison to B700 (56.32-51.91 mJ m(-2)). The biochar composite membranes indicated promising adsorption capacities (47-187 mg g(-1)) to Rhodamine B (RhB) dye. The biochar membranes also exhibited high retention (74-93%) for E. coli bacterial suspensions through filtration. After simple physical cleaning, both the adsorption and sieving capabilities of the biochar composite membranes could be effectively recovered. Synergistic mechanisms of biochar/PVdF in the composite membrane are proposed to elucidate the high performance of the membrane in pollutant management. The multifunctional biochar composite membrane not only effectively prevent the problems caused by directly using biochar particle as sorbent but also can be produced in large scale, indicating great potential for practical applications. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2018,Biochar; Membrane; Adsorption; Filtration; Regeneration; Synergistic mechanism,No (2)
The greenhouse gas cost of agricultural intensification with groundwater irrigation in a Midwest US row cropping system,"Groundwater irrigation of cropland is expanding worldwide with poorly known implications for climate change. This study compares experimental measurements of the net global warming impact of a rainfed versus a groundwater-irrigated corn (maize)-soybean-wheat, no-till cropping system in the Midwest US, the region that produces the majority of U.S. corn and soybean. Irrigation significantly increased soil organic carbon (C) storage in the upper 25 cm, but not by enough to make up for the CO2-equivalent (CO(2)e) costs of fossil fuel power, soil emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), and degassing of supersaturated CO2 and N2O from the groundwater. A rainfed reference system had a net mitigating effect of -13.9 (+/- 31) g CO(2)e m(-2) year(-1), but with irrigation at an average rate for the region, the irrigated system contributed to global warming with net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 27.1 (+/- 32) g CO(2)e m(-2) year(-1). Compared to the rainfed system, the irrigated system had 45% more GHG emissions and 7% more C sequestration. The irrigation-associated increase in soil N2O and fossil fuel emissions contributed 18% and 9%, respectively, to the system's total emissions in an average irrigation year. Groundwater degassing of CO2 and N2O are missing components of previous assessments of the GHG cost of groundwater irrigation; together they were 4% of the irrigated system's total emissions. The irrigated system's net impact normalized by crop yield (GHG intensity) was +0.04 (+/- 0.006) kg CO(2)e kg(-1) yield, close to that of the rainfed system, which was -0.03 (+/- 0.002) kg CO(2)e kg(-1) yield. Thus, the increased crop yield resulting from irrigation can ameliorate overall GHG emissions if intensification by irrigation prevents land conversion emissions elsewhere, although the expansion of irrigation risks depletion of local water resources.",2018,agriculture; carbon; corn; global change; greenhouse gas; groundwater; intensification; irrigation; maize; nitrous oxide; soybean; wheat,No (2)
Response of soil organic carbon and water-stable aggregates to different biochar treatments including nitrogen fertilization,"Recent studies show that biochar improves physical properties of soils and contributes to the carbon sequestration. In contrast to most other studies on biochar, the present study comprise a long-term field experiment with a special focus on the simultaneous impact of N-fertilizer to soil structure parameters and content of soil organic carbon (SOC) since SOC has been linked to improved aggregate stability. However, the question remains: how does the content of water-stable aggregates change with the content of organic matter? In this paper we investigate the effects of biochar alone and in a combination with N-fertilizer (i) on the content of water-stable macro- (WSA(ma)) and micro-aggregates (WSA(mi)) as well as soil structure parameters; and (ii) on the contents of SOC and labile carbon (C-L) in water-stable aggregates (WSA). A field experiment was conducted with different biochar application rates: BO control (0 t ha(-1)), B10 (10 t ha(-1)) and B20 (20 t ha(-1)) and 0 (no N), 1st and 2nd level of nitrogen fertilization. The doses of level 1 were calculated on required average crop production using the balance method. The level 2 included an application of additional 100% of N in 2014 and additional 50% of N in the years 2015-2016 on silty loam Haplic Luvisol at the study site located at Dolna Malanta (Slovakia). The effects were investigated after the growing season of spring barley, maize and spring wheat in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively. The results indicate that the B10N0 treatment significantly decreased the structure vulnerability by 25% compared to BONO. Overall, the lower level of N combined with lower doses of biochar and the higher level of N showed positive effects on the average contents of higher classes of WSA(ma) and other soil structure parameters. The content of SOC in WSA in all size classes and the content of C-L in WSA(ma) 3-1 mm significantly increased after applying 20 t ha(-1) of biochar compared to B0N0. In the case of the B20N1 treatment, the content of SOC in WSA(ma) within the size classes >5 mm (8%), 5-3 mm (19%), 3-2 mm (12%), 2-1 mm (16%), 1-0.5 mm (14%), 0.5-0.25 mm (9%) and WSA(mi )(12%) was higher than in B0N1. We also observed a considerably higher content of SOC in WSA(ma) 5-0.5 mm and WSA(mi) with the B10N1 treatment as compared to B0N1. Doses of 20 t biochar ha(-1) combined with second level of N fertilization had significant effect on the increase of WSA(ma )and WSA(mi )compared to the B0N2 treatment. A significant increase of C-L in WSA was determined for size classes of 2-0.25 mm and WSA(mi) in the B20N2 treatment. Our findings showed that biochar might have beneficial effects on soil structure parameters, SOC, C-L in WSA and carbon sequestration, depending on the applied amounts of biochar and nitrogen.",2018,Soil structure; Soil organic carbon; Labile carbon; Aggregate stability; Biochar; N fertilizer,No (2)
Artificial lakes as a climate change adaptation strategy in drylands: evaluating the trade-off on non-target ecosystem services,"Drylands are very susceptible to the effects of climate change due to water stress. One possible climate change adaptation measure is the construction of lakes to increase water availability for drinking and irrigation (food production) and decrease fire risk. These lakes can also increase local biodiversity and human well-being. However, other non-target services such as carbon (C) storage, water purification, and sediment retention might also change. Our main aim was to evaluate the trade-offs on non-targeted ecosystem services due to lakes construction in drylands. This was done using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) modeling tools, comparing a Mediterranean area located in southwest (SW) Europe, with and without artificial lakes. Results showed that the construction of artificial lakes caused an increase of 9.4% in C storage. However, the consequent increase in agricultural area decreased water purification and sediment retention services. This could diminish the life span of the lakes changing the initial beneficial cost-benefit analysis on lakes as adaptation measures to climate change. As a global measure for mitigation and adaptation to climate change strategy, we consider lake construction in drylands to be positive since it can store C in sediments and reduces the vulnerability to water scarcity. However, as a general recommendation and when built to support or increase agriculture in semi-arid landscapes, we consider that lakes should be complemented with additional measures to reduce soil erosion and nutrient leaching such as (i) locate agricultural areas outside the lakes water basin, (ii) afforestation surrounding the lakes, and (iii) adopt the best local agriculture practices to prevent and control soil erosion and nutrient leaching.",2018,Carbon sequestration; InVEST modeling; Mediterranean drylands; Water purification; Sediment retention,No (2)
"Economic optimisation of European supply chains for CO2 capture, transport and sequestration, including societal risk analysis and risk mitigation measures","European large stationary sources are currently emitting more than 1.4 Gt of CO2 every year. A significant decrease in greenhouse gases emissions cannot be achieved without carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies. However, although being practiced for over 30 years, CO2 transportation is intrinsically characterised by the risk of leakage. This study proposes to assess and tackle this issue within the CCS design problem, by proposing a spatially explicit mixed integer linear programming approach for the economic optimisation of a European supply chain for carbon capture, transport and geological storage, where societal risk assessment is formally incorporated within the modelling framework. Post-combustion, oxy-fuel combustion and pre-combustion are considered as technological options for CO2 capture, whereas both pipelines (inshore and offshore) and ships are taken into account as transport means. Both inland-inshore and offshore injection options are available for carbon geological sequestration. Risk mitigation measures are considered in the design of the transport network. The overall supply chain is economically optimised for different minimum carbon reduction scenarios. Results demonstrate that accounting for societal risk may impact the overall carbon sequestration capacity, and that the proposed approach may represent a valuable tool to support policy makers in their strategic decisions.",2018,Supply chain optimisation; Carbon capture and storage; Societal risk analysis; Risk mitigation measures; Hazardous CO2 transport,No (2)
Cattle producer willingness to afforest pastureland and sequester carbon,"The beef industry can mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with cattle production and increasing carbon sequestration on grazing lands. One alternative for increasing carbon sequestration is to convert pasture to forest while either reducing animal numbers or increasing cattle stocking density on more productive pastureland. This study uses data from a survey of beef cattle producers in the eastern United States to determine: (i) interest in afforesting pastureland; (ii) contingent upon interest, willingness to participate in a hypothetical afforestation program; and (iii) contingent upon willingness to participate, participation intensity in the form of enrolled acres. Less than one-third of producers were interested in afforesting pasture. Producer interest was associated with beliefs about the on- and off-farm effects of afforestation, risk aversion, age, educational attainment, opportunity costs, forest ownership, and previous experience with afforestation. Willingness to participate in the program was influenced by the incentive offered, household income, and opportunity costs. Respondents willing to participate in the program were willing to afforest an average of 55 acres, given the incentive offered. Producers with larger farms were willing to enroll more acres. Extrapolating these results to the population of beef cattle producers in the eastern United States provides a measure of the potential for pasture afforestation and carbon sequestration.",2018,Willingness-to-afforest; Carbon sequestration; Pasture; Triple-hurdle regression,Yes (1)
Land use options for staying within the Planetary Boundaries - Synergies and trade-offs between global and local sustainability goals,"In this paper we develop and assess alternative global land use patterns, guided by the Planetary Boundaries framework, to quantify land use opportunities for staying within the safe environmental operating space. Through a simulation based multi-criteria land use optimisation procedure, we determine the potential upper bounds of improved terrestrial carbon storage and of biodiversity conservation, while also meeting the Planetary Boundaries of land and water use and ensuring improved food supply for a population of 9 billion people. We present alternative global land use scenarios that could simultaneously yield better outcomes on all of these goals, in particular if substantial increases in agricultural productivity are realised. Terrestrial carbon sequestration potentials reach 98 GtC, whereas the potential reduction of the risk to biodiversity is 53%. Furthermore, we analyse the potential synergies and trade-offs of these global land use scenarios with national- and local-level environmental and developmental goals such as those specified in the SDGs, e.g. related to nature conservation, afforestation, bioenergy, employment and equity. This model-based information on synergies and trade-offs between different sustainability goals at different scales can be used in scientific assessments of transformation pathways, in policy making, in support of improved horizontal and vertical policy coherence and multi-level institutional solutions, as well as in SDG implementation, sustainable production and consumption (SDG 12) and global partnership mechanisms (SDG 17).",2018,Land use; Optimisation; Biodiversity; Carbon sequestration; Planetary Boundaries; Sustainable Development Goals,Yes (1)
Using measured stocks of biomass and litter carbon to constrain modelled estimates of sequestration of soil organic carbon under contrasting mixed-species environmental plantings,"Reforestation of agricultural land with mixed-species environmental plantings of native trees and shrubs contributes to abatement of greenhouse gas emissions through sequestration of carbon, and to landscape remediation and biodiversity enhancement. Although accumulation of carbon in biomass is relatively well understood, less is known about associated changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) following different types of reforestation. Direct measurement of SOC may not be cost effective where rates of SOC sequestration are relatively small and/or highly spatially-variable, thereby requiring intensive sampling. Hence, our objective was to develop a verified modelling approach for determining changes in SOC to facilitate the inclusion of SOC in the carbon accounts of reforestation projects. We measured carbon stocks of biomass, litter and SOC (0-30 cm) in 125 environmental plantings (often paired to adjacent agricultural sites), representing sites of varying productivity across the Australian continent. After constraining a carbon accounting model to observed measures of growth, allocation of biomass, and rates of litterfall and litter decomposition, the model was calibrated to maximise the efficiency of prediction of SOC and its fractions. Uncertainties in both measured and modelled results meant that efficiencies of prediction of SOC across the 125 contrasting plantings were only moderate, at 39-68%. Data-informed modelling nonetheless improved confidence in outputs from scenario analyses, confirming that: (i) reforestation on agricultural land highly depleted in SOC (i.e. previously under cropping) had the highest capacity to sequester SOC, particularly where rainfall was relatively high (> 600 mm year(-1)), and; (ii) decreased planting width and increased stand density and the proportion of eucalypts enhanced rates of SOC sequestration. These results improve confidence in predictions of SOC following environmental reforestation under varying conditions. The calibrated model will be a useful tool for informing land managers and policy makers seeking to understand the dynamics of SOC following such reforestation. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2018,Biomass; FullCAM; Decomposition; Litter; Reforestation; RothC,No (2)
Modeling the effects of farming management practices on soil organic carbon stock at a county-regional scale,"Farming management practices are paramount for soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in carbon cycling at different scales. However, due to a lack of detailed data, estimating the impacts of different farming management alternatives on overall SOC stock remains inadequately quantified, especially at the county-regional scale. Here, an agricultural county-region, Yucheng County, which covers an area of 988.5 km(2) in the North China Plain, was selected as a case to estimate the impacts of different farming management practices on SOC stock using explicit spatial information and the DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model. We constructed a database by creating 524 polygon-based homogeneous modeling units using climate, soil and farming management information, which were linked to the DNDC to support the county-regional-scale simulations. Four experiments lasting from 2003 or 2004 to 2010 and 247 soil samples collected in 2009 from a soil depth of 0-20 cm across the study area were used for field- and regional-scale model validation, respectively. Validation results indicated that the DNDC model was acceptable for modeling SOC stock in Yucheng County. Seven farming management scenarios were designed for predicting the SOC stock from 1980 to 2020. Simulation results indicated that the changes in fanning management practices had strong effects on carbon sequestration, with the maximum SOC stock ranging from 3.99 to 6.34 Mt. C across the county. The simulation results improved our understanding of the comprehensive impacts of management practices on the soil C pool when upscaling to larger regional or national scales.",2018,DNDC; Soil organic carbon; Validation; Simulation; Farming management scenario,No (2)
Climate resilient crops for improving global food security and safety,"Food security and the protection of the environment are urgent issues for global society, particularly with the uncertainties of climate change. Changing climate is predicted to have a wide range of negative impacts on plant physiology metabolism, soil fertility and carbon sequestration, microbial activity and diversity that will limit plant growth and productivity, and ultimately food production. Ensuring global food security and food safety will require an intensive research effort across the food chain, starting with crop production and the nutritional quality of the food products. Much uncertainty remains concerning the resilience of plants, soils, and associated microbes to climate change. Intensive efforts are currently underway to improve crop yields with lower input requirements and enhance the sustainability of yield through improved biotic and abiotic stress tolerance traits. In addition, significant efforts are focused on gaining a better understanding of the root/soil interface and associated microbiomes, as well as enhancing soil properties.",2018,abiotic stresses; climate change; food safety; food security; oxidative stress,No (2)
"Thermogravimetric, thermochemical, and infrared spectral characterization of feedstocks and biochar derived at different pyrolysis temperatures","Biochar is a promising biomass product for soil amendment, remediation, and carbon sequestration. In this study, the effect of pyrolysis temperature and feedstock type on biochar physiochemical properties including stability, recalcitrance, and surface functionality were investigated through thermogravimetric, thermochemical, and infrared spectral analyses. It is concluded in this research that pyrolysis temperature was the dominating factor determining the inherent characteristics of the derived biochar. High temperature pyrolysis (>= 600 degrees C) derived the biochar with a high pH, stability, recalcitrance, and higher heating value (HHV). On the other hand, the biochar produced from low-temperature pyrolysis (<= 400 degrees C) had a larger mass yield, energy recovery, more volatile content, and diverse surface functional groups. The different biochar characteristics will lead to different agricultural and environmental applications. Also in this research, a carbon-based recalcitrance index (R-50.c) based on a novel multi-element scanning thermal analysis (MESTA) was proposed to improve the current recalcitrance index (R-50) based on the conventional thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for the evaluation of biochar's carbon sequestration potential. The direct comparison of the two indexes, as well as the results from the infrared spectral analysis and ultimate analysis, indicated that R-50,R-c was better at characterizing biochar's recalcitrance, especially when the mineral content of the feedstock was high. In addition, the cost breakdown indicated that the pretreatment of feedstock was the costliest process during biochar production. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2018,Biochar characterization; Thermogravimetric analysis; Thermochemical analysis; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); Carbon sequestration; Cost analysis,No (2)
Impacts of climate change adaptation options on soil functions: A review of European case-studies,"Soils are vital for supporting food security and other ecosystem services. Climate change can affect soil functions both directly and indirectly. Direct effects include temperature, precipitation, and moisture regime changes. Indirect effects include those that are induced by adaptations such as irrigation, crop rotation changes, and tillage practices. Although extensive knowledge is available on the direct effects, an understanding of the indirect effects of agricultural adaptation options is less complete. A review of 20 agricultural adaptation case-studies across Europe was conducted to assess implications to soil threats and soil functions and the link to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The major findings are as follows: (a) adaptation options reflect local conditions; (b) reduced soil erosion threats and increased soil organic carbon are expected, although compaction may increase in some areas; (c) most adaptation options are anticipated to improve the soil functions of food and biomass production, soil organic carbon storage, and storing, filtering, transforming, and recycling capacities, whereas possible implications for soil biodiversity are largely unknown; and (d) the linkage between soil functions and the SDGs implies improvements to SDG 2 (achieving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture) and SDG 13 (taking action on climate change), whereas the relationship to SDG 15 (using terrestrial ecosystems sustainably) is largely unknown. The conclusion is drawn that agricultural adaptation options, even when focused on increasing yields, have the potential to outweigh the negative direct effects of climate change on soil degradation in many European regions.",2018,agricultural adaptation; DPSIR; regional case-studies; soil degradation; Sustainable Development Goals,No (2)
Modelling of source term from accidental release of pressurised CO2,"Storage and transportation in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology involve dealing with CO2 at high pressures, which can lead to accidental releases. To assess and control risks and to calculate the minimum safe distance from tanks and pipelines to populated areas, the source term model of the leakage is extremely important, as it serves as input to model the dispersion of CO2 into the atmosphere. The modelling of high pressurised CO2 releases is relatively complex due to its thermofluidynamics particularities. Its triple point pressure is higher than the atmospheric pressure and it has a relatively high Joule-Thomson coefficient depending on the temperature and pressure conditions. Hence, it might lead to a two-phase flow and to solid formation when the depressurisation to atmospheric pressure occurs. Also, the molecular vibration of CO2 might be important in some leakage scenarios. There are several approaches in the literature which address differently the aspects of the flow, specially regarding thermal and mechanical equilibrium or non-equilibrium. The present work provides an innovative approach for the discharge calculation in accidental high pressure releases. The Homogeneous Non-Equilibrium Model (HNM) is proposed, which accounts for non-equilibrium effects regarding not only metastability but also vibrational relaxation of the molecule. It considers the possible phase transitions and dry ice formation and it is applicable to steady-flow conditions. The model was tested with experimental data from CO2PIPETRANS project, HSE experiments and Cooltrans research programme. It was found that the model works well leading to results which agree with available experimental data. The proposed source model is relatively simple to implement and it does not demand numerical effort. The discussed discharge approach for CO2 releases emerges as a good alternative to existing models. (C) 2017 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2018,CO2; Accidental releases; Source term; Multiphasic flow; Non-equilibrium; Vibrational relaxation; Metastability,No (2)
"CQESTR-Simulated Response of Soil Organic Carbon to Management, Yield, and Climate Change in the Northern Great Plains Region","Traditional dryland crop management includes fallow and intensive tillage, which have reduced soil organic carbon (SOC) over the past century, raising concerns regarding soil health and sustainability. The objectives of this study were: (i) to use CQESTR, a process-based C model, to simulate SOC dynamics from 2006 to 2011 and to predict relative SOC trends in cropping sequences that included barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.), and fallow under conventional tillage or no-till, and N fertilization rates through 2045; and (ii) to identify best dryland cropping systems to increase SOC and reduce CO 2 emissions under projected climate change in eastern Montana. Cropping sequences were conventional-till barley-fallow (CTB-F), no-till barley-fallow (NTB-F), no-till continuous barley (NTCB), and no-till barley-pea (NTB-P), with 0 and 80 kg N ha(-1) applied to barley. Under current crop production, climatic conditions, and averaged N rates, SOC at the 0- to 10-cm depth was predicted to increase by 1.74, 1.79, 2.96, and 4.57 Mg C ha(-1) by 2045 for CTB-F, NTB-F, NTB-P, and NTCB, respectively. When projected climate change and the current positive US barley yield trend were accounted for in the simulations, SOC accretion was projected to increase by 0.69 to 0.92 Mg C ha(-1) and 0.41 to 0.47 Mg C ha(-1), respectively. According to the model simulations, adoption of NT, elimination of fallow years, and N fertilizer management will likely have the greatest impact on SOC stocks in the top soil as of 2045 in the Northern Great Plains.",2018,,No (2)
Recent advances in polymeric membranes for CO2 capture,"Membrane and membrane process have been considered as one of the most promising technologies for mitigating CO2 emissions from the use of fossil fuels. In this paper, recent advances in polymeric membranes for CO2 capture are reviewed in terms of material design and membrane formation. The selected polymeric materials are grouped based on their gas transport mechanisms, i.e., solution-diffusion and facilitated transport. The discussion of solution-diffusion membranes encompasses the recent efforts to shift the upper bound barrier, including the enhanced CO2 solubility in several rubbery polymers and novel methods to construct shape-persisting macromolecules with unprecedented sieving ability. The carrier-bearing facilitated transport membranes are categorized based on the specific CO2-carrier chemistry. Finally, opportunities and challenges in practical applications are also discussed, including post-combustion carbon capture (CO2/N-2), hydrogen purification (CO2/H-2), and natural gas sweetening (CO2/CH4). (C) 2018 The Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China, and Chemical Industry Press. All rights reserved.",2018,Carbon capture; Polymeric membrane; Gas separation,No (2)
The synergistic effect of calcium on organic carbon sequestration to ferrihydrite,"Sequestration of organic carbon (OC) in environmental systems is critical to mitigating climate change. Organomineral associations, especially those with iron (Fe) oxides, drive the chemistry of OC sequestration and stability in soils. Short-range-ordered Fe oxides, such as ferrihydrite, demonstrate a high affinity for OC in binary systems. Calcium commonly co-associates with OC and Fe oxides in soils, though the bonding mechanism (e.g., cation bridging) and implications of the co-association for OC sequestration remain unresolved. We explored the effect of calcium (Ca2+) on the sorption of dissolved OC to 2-line ferrihydrite. Sorption experiments were conducted between leaf litter-extractable OC and ferrihydrite at pH 4 to 9 with different initial C/Fe molar ratios and Ca2+ concentrations. The extent of OC sorption to ferrihydrite in the presence of Ca2+ increased across all tested pH values, especially at pH >= 7. Sorbed OC concentration at pH 9 increased from 8.72 +/- 0.16 to 13.3 +/- 0.20 mmol OC g(-1) ferrihydrite between treatments of no added Ca2+ and 30 mM Ca2+ addition. Batch experiments were paired with spectroscopic studies to probe the speciation of sorbed OC and elucidate the sorption mechanism. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy analysis revealed that carboxylic functional moieties were the primary sorbed OC species that were preferentially bound to ferrihydrite and suggested an increase in Fe-carboxylate ligand exchange in the presence of Ca at pH 9. Results from batch to spectroscopic experiments provide significant evidence for the enhancement of dissolved OC sequestration to 2-line ferrihydrite and suggest the formation of Fe-Ca-OC ternary complexes. Findings of this research will inform modeling of environmental C cycling and have the potential to influence strategies for managing land to minimize OM stabilization.",2018,Organic carbon; Iron oxide; Climate change; Ternary complexes; Soil,No (2)
Experimental investigation on the coal combustion in a pressurized fluidized bed,"Pressurized oxy-coal combustion is considered as one of the most promising carbon capture technologies in terms of high carbon capture efficiency and low cost. However, practical operational experience with pressurized coal combustion in a fluidized bed, especially with continuous coal feeding, is still very limited. In this study, a pressurized fluidized bed combustion system was developed and a series of coal combustion experiments were carried out with continuous coal feeding under the pressures from 0.1 to 0.4 MPa. The effects of the combustion pressure and stoichiometric air coefficient on the fluidized bed combustion performances of a Chinese lignite in terms of the temperature distribution profile, apparent solid holdup, combustion efficiency, conversion ratio of carbon in coal to (CO2) and ash composition were investigated. The experimental results show that an increase in pressure is beneficial to the improvement of combustion efficiency, and the positive effect of increasing stoichiometric air coefficient on the conversion ratio of carbon in coal to CO2 is more obvious with a lower combustion pressure. The bottom ash and fly ash have similar chemical compositions under different pressures. Based on the experimental data, a correlation as the functions of pressure and stoichiometric air coefficient is proposed to predict the conversion ratio of carbon in coal to CO2. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2018,Pressurized coal combustion; Fluidized-bed; Stoichiometric air coefficient,No (2)
Negative CO2 emissions through the use of biofuels in chemical looping technology: A review,"In order to limit the increase in the global average temperature to 2 degrees C or below, the Paris Agreement proposed the reduction of CO2 emissions throughout this century. Bioenergy with CO2 capture and storage (BECCS) technologies represent an interesting option in order to allow this goal to be metgoal, because they are able to achieve negative CO2 emissions. Chemical looping (CL) is recognized as one of the most innovative CO2 capture technologies owing to its low energy penalty. CL processes permit the utilization of renewable fuels in a nitrogen-free atmosphere, given that the required oxygen is supplied by solid oxygen carriers. The present work presents an overview of the status of development of the use of biofuels in chemical looping technologies, including chemical looping combustion (CLC) and chemical looping with oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) for the production of heat/electricity, as well as chemical looping reforming (CLR), chemical looping gasification (CLG) and chemical looping coupled with water splitting (CLWS) for syngas/H-2 generation. The main milestones in the development of such processes are shown, and the future trends and opportunities for CL technology with biofuels are discussed.",2018,Negative CO2 emissions; BECCS; Biofuels; CO2 capture; Chemical looping,Yes (1)
Impact of land use changes on the storage of soil organic carbon in active and recalcitrant pools in a humid tropical region of India,"Quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics is important in understanding changes in soil properties and carbon (C) fluxes. However, SOC measures all C fractions and it is not adequate to distinguish between the active C (AC) and recalcitrant or passive C (PC) fractions. It has been suggested that PC pools are the main drivers of long term soil C sink management. Therefore, the present study was undertaken with the objective of determining whether or not SOC fractions vary with land use changes under a humid tropical climate in the North East India. A chronosequence study was established consisting of natural forest, Imperata cylindrica grassland and 6, 15, 27 and 34 yr old rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations to determine changes in the different fractions of SOC and total SOC stock. SOC stocks significantly varied with soil depth in each land use practice. SOC stocks increased from 106 Mg ha(-1) under 6 yr to 130 Mg ha(-1) under 34 yr old rubber plantations. The SOC stocks under 34 yr old plantations were 20% higher than that under I. cylindrica grassland, but 34% lower than SOC stocks recorded under natural forest soil. The proportion of AC pools decreased with increase in plantation age, AC pools being 59% of SOC stock in 6 yr old stands and 33% of SOC stocks in 34 yr old plantations. In contrast, the proportion of PC pools increased from 41% of SOC stock in 6 yr old plantation to 67% of SOC in 34 yr old plantation. In the 50-100 cm soil depth, the PC pool under 27-34 yr old plantations was comparable with that under natural forest but much higher than in I. cylindrica grassland. Therefore, it is concluded that old rubber plantations can play a significant role in long term soil C sink management. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2018,Chronosequence; Carbon fractions; Degraded land; Lability,No (2)
"Soil Evolution and Mass Flux of Basaltic Cinder Cones in a Cool, Semi-Arid Climate","Soil developmental processes on young volcanic cinders in cool, semiarid climates are not well understood and previously under-studied, but present a unique setting within which to study neoformation of soils under well-dated time constraints. This study investigates the development of physical, chemical, and mineralogical soil properties on a chronosequence of basaltic cinder cones, aged approximately 2.1, 6.9, and 13.9 ka, at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in southern Idaho. Representative parent material, coarse fragments, and soil samples were analyzed using selective dissolutions and total elemental digests. Elemental mass balance data were used together with the soil physicochemical data to investigate weathering and secondary mineral formation within each soil profile. The highest degree of weathering was identified on the 13.9 ka profile, followed by the 6.9 and 2.1 ka soils. Short-range ordered minerals, including allophane and ferrihydrite, dominate the colloidal fraction of all soils, with greatest proportions in the oldest soil. Dominant soil-forming processes documented along the chronosequence of basalt-derived soils are the accumulation of organic carbon, weathering of rock fragments, loss of base cations, redistribution of Fe, Al, and Ti, and the accumulation of secondary short-range order and crystalline minerals. This study provides critical information to elucidate rates and processes of early stage weathering, dust influence, and soil evolution on cinders in cool and dry climates.",2018,,No (2)
New services and roles of biodiversity in modern agroecosystems: A review,"Ecosystem services and biodiversity are critical to ensure sustainable development of agricultural activities. Based on available scientific knowledge, high shares of biodiversity are followed by more carbon sequestration, reduced soil erosion risk, improved production and food security. This review aims to detect biodiversity services in three aspects; (1) providing ecosystem services in modern agroecosystems in response to future challenges, (2) the ability of biodiversity to support agroecosystems, and (3) the agenda for future research on biodiversity. To address our research objectives, we conducted a widespread literature search to estimate new services and roles of biodiversity in modern agroecosystems. The search was set from the date of the first relevant article until the end of the year 2017. Biodiversity is measured by many indices. Many recent studies have proposed new methods and software for biodiversity assessment such as BioFTF, BAT, LaDy and Entropart. According to the present literature review, biodiversity has a pervasive role in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Levels of biodiversity, such as genetic, species and ecosystem, can affect pest control in several ways such as biological control, resulting in complex multi-trophic interactions. The relationships between land use and biodiversity are fundamental in understanding the links between people and their environment. Two models have been planned to increase production in agroecosystems whilst minimizing the consequences for biodiversity: land sharing and land sparing. Studies have shown how biodiversity can be integrated into Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on a global scale. LCA mainly introduces biodiversity as an endpoint category modeled as a loss in species richness due to the conversion and management of land in time and space. This review shows that ecological restoration of agroecosystems is generally effective and can be recommended as a way to increase biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems. The conservation, management, and sustainable use of these services require specific attention and a coherent global policy approach. In conclusion, to protect biodiversity in agroecosystems, a policy consonance and strategic support to ecosystems should be considered. This review suggests that advanced research are needed on relationships between biodiversity and genetic erosion, map of life, pest control and urban agriculture.",2018,Agrobiodiversity; Agroecosystems; Biodiversity review; Climate change; Food security; Sustainable agriculture,No (2)
Provision of ancillary services in future low-carbon UK electricity system,"Integration of intermittent RES into the electricity system imposes a considerable demand for additional flexibility. This paper analyses the challenges on the provision of ancillary services and potential solutions from emerging flexible technologies (including flexible generation, energy storage, demand side response and interconnection) in the future UK electricity system. The results suggest that the cost of reserve and response services in 2030 may increase up to 1.23 B£ and 1.04 B£, respectively. Alternative flexible technologies have been demonstrated to play an important role in the provision of ancillary services, although the benefits vary among different technologies. Furthermore, these flexible technologies can also reduce carbon emission and hence the required amount of high-cost low-carbon generation to achieve the same carbon target. © 2017 IEEE.",2018,Ancillary services; Renewable energy; Stochastic scheduling; Carbon; Electric power transmission networks; Smart power grids; Stochastic systems; Additional flexibilities; Ancillary service; Carbon emissions; Demand side response; Electricity system; Flexible technologies; Renewable energies; Electric energy storage,No (2)
A software-based predictive model for greenhouse gas mitigation: towards environmental sustainability,"In the last years research-based programs relevant to sustainability have been developed. Some technological research programs are focused on the design of systems and processes that can be useful for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions as CO2. To diminish the negative impact caused by CO2 for global warming, its chemical transformation in Dimethyl Carbonate is a promising technology. Dimethyl Carbonate is a solvent with low toxicity and due to oxidative capacity can be used as fuel additive. In this work, the membrane reactor technology to improve the Dymethyl Carbonate production is explored from the perspective of modelling and simulation. As a result, a software-based model is implemented, in order to develop and couple different models for describing the membrane reactor. Simulation results showed that the membrane reactor, compared with conventional reactor, increase the reaction conversion and Dymethyl Carbonate production up to 67% and 78%, respectively. Finally, it can be seen that the solution obtained from software-based model allows to conclude that membrane reactor is a promising technology to mitigate CO2 emissions, allowing to achieve environmental sustainability.",2018,Sustainability; Greenhouse emission; green reagent; simulation; membrane reactor technology,No (2)
The Development and Validation of a Closed-Loop Experimental Setup for Investigating CO2 and H2O Coadsorption Kinetics under Conditions Relevant to Direct Air Capture,"A closed-loop experimental setup was developed to investigate the kinetics of CO2 and H2O coadsorption onto a differential bed comprising amine-functionalized nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) under conditions relevant to direct air capture. The temporal sorbate uptake profiles were determined in the absence of external heat and mass transfer intrusion based on the mass balance in the constant-volume gas phase. The uncertainty of the mass balance calculations caused by the inherent nonuniform gas pressure and temperature within the tubing, valves, and instrumentation was decreased 4-fold with incorporation of a large perfectly mixed gas tank that occupied 94% of the total volume of the closed loop. The preliminary results have revealed the half-times for H2O and CO2 adsorptions of the order of tens of seconds and tens of minutes, respectively. This finding implies that coadsorption on amine-functionalized NFC can be investigated by considering that the H2O loading on the sorbent is at any instance in the equilibrium with the surrounding humidity. Because of the much faster kinetics, the H2O adsorption becomes intruded by mass transfer at a ∼10 mm sorbate particle size while the CO2 adsorption remains unaffected. The design and validation methodologies presented in this work may serve as reference for the development of batch experimental setups for measuring kinetics of gas-solid reactions. © 2018 American Chemical Society.",2018,Kinetics; Mass transfer; Particle size; CO2 adsorption; Constant volumes; Functionalized; Gas-solid reaction; Heat and mass transfer; Mass-balance calculations; Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC); Validation methodologies; Carbon dioxide,No (2)
CO2 neutral fuels,"CO2 is a valuable resource, life on Earth depends on it. Rather than wasting it to the atmosphere, or burying it underground, CO2 can be combined with water and turned into valuable chemicals and fuels, the process being powered by renewable electricity. Renewable electricity generated by wind and photovoltaics (PV) is making big strides, but is limited by ill-matched supply and demand. In addition, electricity only makes up 20% to 30% of total energy demand. Domestic heating, high temperature/pressure Industrial processes and mobility/transportation gobble up the rest. Mobility and transportation prove particularly difficult to decarbonise. Aviation is a case in point. Battery-powered aircraft are unlikely to become feasible by 2050. Hydrogen has too low an energy density and is haunted by safety issues. Current policy, therefore, is directed at bio fuels. One problem, there is not enough of it. The Fuel vs. Food vs. Flora trilemma of bio-based fuel is unlikely to gain public acceptance. By converting renewable electricity into fuel, power to molecules (P2M), two birds are killed with one stone: providing fuel for long haul transportation and enabling long-term, large-scale energy storage to cover the seasonal mismatch between supply and demand of renewable electricity. Feedstock consists of air-captured carbon or nitrogen and water. Chemically combined, it creates a liquid fuel with greatly enhanced energy density, such as kerosene or ammonia, or gaseous fuel like methane which can replace natural gas in the existing gas network. Direct air capture of CO2 is currently being commercialised. The conversion technology of water and CO2 by electrolysis has recently been extended to novel plasma technology, the sub ject of this paper. For CO2 splitting by plasmolysis, the reduced electric field has been identified as the key parameter explaining and improving the energy efficiency. Energy efficiency by plasmolysis is similar to that of electrolysis, but offers advantages in energy density, upscaling and switching in response to intermittent power with no use of scarce material. A simple model explains the inverse relation between energy efficiency and particle conversion and relates input microwave power to CO2 gas density, plasma dimension and ionisation degree, allowing design parameters for a 100 kW pilot reactor to be specified. Recycling CO2 in combination with P2M is a game-changing technology to meet overall CO2 emission reduction targets. It takes advantage of existing, inexpensive infrastructure for energy storage, transport and distribution. Existing internal combustion engine technology can be maintained where necessary. Close coupled to a remote solar array or an off-shore wind farm it offers a solution to decentralised renewable fuel production at the renewable electricity source. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2018.",2018,,No (2)
The Effects of Carbon Dioxide Removal on the Carbon Cycle,"Increasing atmospheric CO2 is having detrimental effects on the Earth system. Societies have recognized that anthropogenic CO2 release must be rapidly reduced to avoid potentially catastrophic impacts. Achieving this via emissions reductions alone will be very difficult. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) has been suggested to complement and compensate for insufficient emissions reductions, through increasing natural carbon sinks, engineering new carbon sinks, or combining natural uptake with engineered storage. Here, we review the carbon cycle responses to different CDR approaches and highlight the often-overlooked interaction and feedbacks between carbon reservoirs that ultimately determines CDR efficacy. We also identify future research that will be needed if CDR is to play a role in climate change mitigation, these include coordinated studies to better understand (i) the underlying mechanisms of each method, (ii) how they could be explicitly simulated, (iii) how reversible changes in the climate and carbon cycle are, and (iv) how to evaluate and monitor CDR.",2018,Climate change; Carbon dioxide removal (CDR); Mitigation; Carbon cycle; Negative emissions; Carbon cycle feedbacks; Climate feedbacks,Yes (1)
Synergies and environmental benefits of lignite gasification in ptolemais with combined CO2 sequestration and enhanced oil recovery in the prinos oil fields in Macedonia-Greece,"Lignite is Greece’s main fossil fuel source and accounts about 30 % of primary energy consumption. The Ptolemais lignite fired power complex in Western Macedonia-Greece uses lignite and it is the main Greek power generation complex. The lignite thermoelectric power generation units in Ptolemais are among the most polluting in the European Union in terms of relative emissions per produced KWh, releasing significant quantities of green-house effect gases, CO2, CH4, and toxic ash and dust. However, the worst coal fired power stations in absolute emissions causing severe environmental problems are in Central and North Europe. All the coal fired power stations in Europe need upgrading of their technology. Hence, the Canadian industry has an ideal opportunity to export field tested Canadian carbon capture technology. Prinos sour oil fields in Eastern Macedonia-Greece are mature oil fields with declining oil production approaching the field economic limit. Water-flooding has been implemented to the Prinos oil field from the production start-up. High residual oil saturation indicates significant EOR potential by injection of gases, such as CO2 and H2S, which may exceed 100 MM Bbls of recoverable oil. Synergies of an initial coal bed methane production followed by lignite gasification or oxy-combustion and CO2 sequestration in the Prinos fields combined with enhanced oil recovery (EOR) can be examined. The proposed carbon capture and sequestration technology is an improved one but similar to the Weybourne EOR and CO2 sequestration project in Canada/US, which is combined with lignite gasification in North Dakota, USA and it is valuable technological experience for European projects. The Carbon capture technology for the Ptolemais-Prinos lignite gasification and EOR/CO2 sequestration will solve the severe environmental problems by eliminating the lignite ash and dust and the released of green-house gases in the atmosphere in Ptolemais, while significant incremental Prinos petroleum production will be recovered. The implementation of the proposed technology will allow CO2 sequestration from future coal fired power plants in Eastern Macedonia-Greece using indigenous coal. Additional environmental benefits of the Ptolemais-Prinos project may include CO2 sequestration of the CO2 emissions from the industrial area of Thessaloniki in central Macedonia-Greece. The compliance to Kyoto protocol obligations by Greece and other European Union countries is unachievable without the implementation of the carbon capture technology in power stations. The approved plans to build new hard coal power plans without carbon capture is a step to the wrong direction, which instead of reducing will increase at an increased rate the emission of green-house gases at national level. Geothermal power plants can provide the required expansion in power generation capacity and replace partially existing coal fired power stations. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy with zero carbon foot-print. The Greek geothermal power generation may exceed 4 GW and the relevant reduction in CO2 emissions to the atmosphere may exceed 30 metric tonnes CO2 per annum by replacing coal fired power plants. © Canadian International Petroleum Conference 2008. All Rights Reserved.",2018,,No (2)
Carbon sequestration in the urban areas of Seoul with climate change: Implication for open innovation in environmental industry,"This study estimates the impact of potential climate change, and human interference (anthropogenic deforestation), on temperate forest carbon pool change in the capital area of South Korea, using a dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM). Additionally, the characteristics of forest carbon pool change were simulated based on a biogeochemical module. The change of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration is deeply related to the change of the forest carbon pool, which is estimated with the measures of Net Primary Productivity (NPP), and Soil Carbon Storage (SCS). NPP and SCS were estimated at 2.02-7.43 tC ha-1 year-1 and 34.55-84.81 tC ha-1, respectively, during the period 1971-2000. SCS showed a significant decreasing tendency under the conditions of increasing air temperature, and precipitation, in the near future (2021-2050), and far future (2071-2100), which were simulated with future-climate scenario data without any human interference. Besides, it is estimated that the temporal change in NPP indicates only a small decrease, which is little influenced by potential climate change. In the case of potential climate change plus human interference, the decrease rate of NPP and SCS were simulated at 17-33% and 21-46%, respectively, during 2000-2100. Furthermore, the effect of potential human interference contributes to 83-93% and 61-54% of the decrease rate of NPP and SCS, respectively. The decline in the forest carbon pool simulated in this study can play a positive role in increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Consequently, the effect of potential human interference can further accelerate the decline of the temperate forest carbon pool. For the effective reduction of carbon dioxide emissions in urbanizing areas, it would be more effective to control human interference. Consequently, this study suggests that a rate of reforestation corresponding to the deforestation rate should be at least maintained, with long term monitoring and modeling-related studies, against climate change problems. © 2018 by the authors.",2018,,No (2)
"Outlook of the European forest-based sector: forest growth, harvest demand, wood-product markets, and forest carbon dynamics implications","A comprehensive assessment of European forest-based biomass harvest potentials, their future utilization and implications on international wood product markets and forest carbon dynamics requires the capability to model forest resource development as well as global markets for wood-based commodities with sufficient geographical and product detail and, most importantly, their interactions. To this aim, we apply a model framework fully integrating a European forest resource model and a global economic forest sector model. In a business-as-usual (BaU) scenario, European Union harvests increase seven percent by 2030 compared to past levels (485 million m(3) on 2000-2012 average and 517 million m3 in 2030). The subsequent annual carbon stock change is a ten percent reduction by 2030 compared to 2000-2012 average (equal to 119.3 Tg C yr(-1)), corresponding to decreasing carbon-dioxide removal by the European forests. A second, high mobilization scenario (HM), characterized by the full utilization of the potential wood supply and a doubling of EU wood pellets consumption, was designed to explore potential impacts on forest carbon dynamics and international wood product markets under intensive exploitation of biomass resources. In the HM scenario, harvest increases by 55% (754 million m(3) in 2030) compared to the BaU scenario. Fuelwood accounts for this increase in harvest levels as overall competition effects from increased wood pellets consumption outweighs synergies for material uses of wood, resulting in slightly reduced harvests of industrial roundwood. As expected, this increasing harvest level would significantly impair carbon-dioxide forest sequestration from the atmosphere in the medium term (-83% in 2030, compared to 2000-2012 average).",2018,Biomass; Carbon Stock Change; Forest; Fuelwood; Harvest; Wood-based Products,No (2)
Ecosystem services for wine sustainability: A case in point of sustainable food systems,"This study investigates the concept of ecosystem services in an Australian grape and wine company and explores risks and opportunities to achieve environmental sustainability in this organization. Ecosystem service approach is an emerging paradigm to address natural resource degradation and achieve sustainability in agribusiness organizations. A case study method is used to identify environmental issues at one of the premium wine organizations based in South Australia. This study conducts semi-structured interviews with multiple informants to analyze how this organization integrates ecosystem services approach in their management systems. These semi-structured interviews with multiple informants identified three categories of environmental issues: (1) primary (water use efficiency, soil health, carbon emissions), (2) secondary (energy, water availability), and (3) tertiary (waste water recycling, salinity in soil, loss of biodiversity, impacts due to climate change projections, winery waste management, soil carbon). We used Ecosystem Based Business Risk Analysis Tool (EBBRAT) and found freshwater availability as a major risk for this organization. This tool led to the identification of key areas, such as biological control of insect pests, maintaining biodiversity and management of soil, as an opportunity for the wine company to enhance sustainability. This study highlights ecosystem service approach to achieve sustainability in wine and other agribusiness organizations. This case study is followed by two interactive exercises to illustrate the application of the ideas discussed in the chapter. The chapter concludes with lessons learnt to develop sustainable food systems and some questions that reflect the ideas presented in the chapter and are aimed at shifting the focus toward food sustainability. © Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018. All rights reserved.",2018,,No (2)
Crop Residue Management and Greenhouse Gases Emissions in Tropical Rice Lands,,,,No (2)
Soil carbon sequestration of biochar pellet in agricultural practice,"This chapter focuses on an estimation of absorption capacity of NH4- N and PO4-P, nitrogen transformation, carbon sequestration and profit analysis of CO2-equiv emission reduction in soils incorporated with organic composts and biochar during corn cultivation. Characteristics of biochar pellet such as absorption kinetics and nutrient leaching are discussed. Furthermore, the effect of plant responses in soil incorporated biochar pellet was investigated. For ammonium nitrogen absorption, the sorption of NH4-N and PO4- P to biochar produced from rice hull well fitted the Langmuir model. The largest adsorption amount of NH4-N (qm) and binding strength constant (b) were calculated as 0.4980 mg g-1, and 0.0249 L mg-1, respectively. The maximum PO4-P adsorption amount (qm) and binding strength constant (b) were calculated as 0.10 mg g-1 and 0.06 L mg-1, respectively. In kinetic models of ammonium nitrogen using biochar in sandy loam soil, the sorption of NH4-N to biochar well fitted the Langmiur model because it was observed that the dimensionless constant (RL) was 0.48. The maximum adsorption amount (qm) and binding strength constant (b) were calculated as 4.1 mg g-1 and 0.01 L mg-1 in the Langmuir isotherm, respectively. The pseudo-second order kinetic model was more appropriate than the pseudo-first order kinetic model as can be seen from the high correlation coefficient (r2) of the pseudo-second order kinetic model. Regarding the kinetic of NH4-N in relation to the biochar pellet, it was observed that NH4-N adsorbed fast at a 9:1 combination rate of biochar pellet in both the pseudo-first and second-order kinetics. It was further observed that the more the biochar contained in the biochar pellet, the greater the adsorption of NH4-N. Regarding N mineralization and nitrification rates, it was shown that these were generally low in the soil incorporated with biochar as compared to the application plots of different organic composts only. For the biannual experimental results, it was observed that applications of aerobic swine digestate (AD), cow compost (CC), and pig manure compost (PMC) can sequester C by 70.0%, 78.5% and 67.4%, respectively, in soil which incorporates biochar from rice hulls. It was estimated that mitigation of CO2-equiv emission through biochar application ranged from 7.3 tons ha-1 to 8.4 tons ha-1, and the profitability of 0.2% biochar application applied to corn cultivation ranged from $7.2 to $8.4 at lowest, from $57.2 to $66.6 at medium and from $139.7 to 162.7 at the highest price per hectare regardless of organic compost types used. For agricultural practice in Korea, it was estimated that the market price of CO2 from corn cultivation with 0.2% biochar application ranged from $57.2 to $162.7 per hectare on the KCX Exchange. The total biomass of peppers was significantly different between the control and the 2:8 (biochar: pig compost) biochar pellet application plot even if the other treatments were low. For lettuce cultivation, yields in the treatments of 9:1, 8:2 and 4:6 biochar pellet application plots were increased from 9.5% to 11.4%. This indicates that the application of biochar pellets regardless of biochar content might be useful for soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation in relation to agricultural practices. © 2018 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.",2018,,No (2)
Towards a cultural political economy of mitigation deterrence by negative emissions technologies (NETs),"Non-technical summary. In the face of limited carbon budgets, negative emissions technologies (NETs) offer hopes of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. It is difficult to determine whether the prospect of NETs is significantly deterring or delaying timely action to cut emissions. This paper sets out a novel theoretical perspective to this challenge, enabling analysis that accounts for interactions between technologies, society and political and economic power. The paper argues that, seen in this light, the scope of NETs to substitute for mitigation may be easily exaggerated, and thus that the risk of harm from mitigation deterrence should be taken seriously. Technical summary. This paper offers a new theoretical perspective on the risk that geoengineering interventions might deter or delay mitigation (previously typically described as moral hazard). Drawing on a brief review of mitigation deterrence (MD) in solar geoengineering, it suggests a novel analytical viewpoint going beyond and contrasting with the methodological individualist, managerialist and economist analyses common in the literature. Three distinct registers to assist identification and interpretation of situations and processes through which MD might arise are elaborated and compared. The paper shows that moving from a realist register via a cultural register to a cultural political economy register, makes it clearer how and why misperceived substitutability (between negative emissions technologies (NETs) and mitigation) and narrow climate policy goals matter for MD. We have also identified several plausible mechanisms for MD under a neoliberal political regime. The paper argues that MD cannot be overcome simply by better informing decision makers (the 'realist' response), or even by opening up the standard techno-economic framing of climate change and our responses (the 'cultural' response). The paper also concludes that the entire political regime that has evolved alongside specific economic interests is implicated in MD, and that the likelihood and significance of MD probably remain underappreciated and understudied.",2018,climate geoengineering; cultural political economy; mitigation deterrence; moral hazard; negative emissions technologies,Yes (1)
Direct catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of spirulina to biofuels with hydrogen,"We report herein on acquiring biofuels from direct catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of spirulina. The component of bio-oil from direct catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction was similar to that from two independent processes (including liquefaction and upgrading of biocrude). However, one step process has higher carbon recovery, due to the less loss of carbons. It was demonstrated that the yield and HEW of bio-oil from direct catalytic algae with hydrothermal condition is higher than that from two independent processes.",2018,,No (2)
A new model for predicting the decompression behavior of CO2 mixtures in various phases,"The pipeline transportation has been considered as the best way to transport pressurized CO2 and plays an important role in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. The risk of ductile fracture propagation increases when a CO2 pipeline is ruptured or punctured, and CO2 decompression behavior must be determined accurately in order to avoid the catastrophic failure of the pipeline and to estimate the proper pipe toughness. Thus in this work, a new decompression model based on GERG-2008 equation of state was developed for modeling the CO2 decompression behavior. And for the first time, a relaxation model was implemented to calculate the sound speed in two-phase region. The model predictions were in excellent agreement with experimental 'shock tube' test data in the literature. Furthermore, via modeling, it has been demonstrated how impurities in the CO2 and initial temperatures would affect the CO2 decompression wave speed in various phases. The results obtained show that the effects of these factors on supercritical and gaseous CO2 mixtures are absolutely different while liquid CO2 mixtures behave very similarly when compared to supercritical CO2 mixtures, which indicate that the toughness required to arrest fracture propagation is highly based on the initial phase states of CO2 fluid. (C) 2018 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2018,CO2 pipelines; Decompression wave speed; CO2 mixtures; Fracture propagation control; Equation of state,No (2)
"Magnetic biochar catalyst derived from biological sludge and ferric sludge using hydrothermal carbonization: Preparation, characterization and its circulation in Fenton process for dyeing wastewater treatment","To solve sludge disposal and management problems during dyeing wastewater treatment, the produced excess biological sludge and ferric sludge were fabricated into a magnetic biochar composite (MBC) under the optimal hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) conditions. With ferric sludge mixing, the generated MBC contained paramagnetic Fe3O4, showed a smaller diameter of approximately 200 nm, a smaller pore size, a larger specific surface area and a higher carbonization degree than BC prepared using a single biological sludge process under the same HTC conditions. Additionally, biochar and Fe3O4 in the MBC were found to be tightly combined through chemical bonding, imparting MBC with its own property of magnetic recycling. The stable high Methylene Blue (MB) degradation performance in a Fenton reaction after recycling designated it as a good catalyst. The MB degradation pathway was proposed based on GC MS results. When the MBC was used to treat actual dyeing wastewater through a Fenton process, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiencies reached 47 +/- 3.3%and 49 +/- 2.7%, respectively. Therefore, MBC could be recycled as a catalyst in dyeing wastewater treatment. And a methodology is described that minimizes the produced sludge and enables sludge internal recycling in a dyeing wastewater treatment plant. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2018,Hydrothermal; Ferric sludge; Biological sludge; Magnetic biochar catalyst; Heterogeneous Fenton reaction,No (2)
Mechanistic insights into adsorption and reduction of hexavalent chromium from water using magnetic biochar composite: Key roles of Fe(3)o(4) and persistent free radicals,"Magnetic biochar (MBC) has been used to remove hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from water, but the roles of Fe3O4 and persistent free radicals (PFRs) in MBC in Cr(VI) removal are still less investigated. In this work, the MBC synthesized by microwave co-pyrolysis of solid-state FeSO4 and rice husk was employed to remove Cr(VI) from water. In comparison to the rice husk biochar (BC), the MBC exhibits the 3.2- and 11.7-fold higher adsorption and reduction efficiency of Cr(Vl), resulting in the higher Cr(VI) removal efficiency (84.3%) and equilibrium adsorption capacity of MBC (8.35 mg g(-1)) than that (26.5% and 2.63 mg g(-1)) of BC. Multiple characterization results revealed that the high Cr(Vl) removal performance of MBC was mainly attributed to the presence of active Fe3O4 and carbon-centered PFRs in the porous and graphitic MBC. The Fe3O4 not only provided active chemisorption/reduction sites for Cr(VI) via its Fe(II)(oct) and Fe(III)(oct) coordination, but also facilitated the generation of more active electron donating carbon-centered PFRs than carbon-centered PFRs with an oxygen atom in the graphitic structure to reduce Cr(VI). The presence of Fe3O4 also elevated 36.7 m(2) g(-1) of BET P-surface area and 0.043 cm(2) g(-1) of pore volume of MBC, promoting the Cr(VI) removal. The Fe3O4 and carbon-centered PFRs contributed to similar to 81.8% and similar to 18.2% of total Cr(III) generation, respectively. In addition, the initial solution pH was responsible for determining the relative significance of Cr(VI) adsorption and reduction. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms of Cr(VI) removal from water by the MBC. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2018,Magnetic biochar; Hexavalent chromium; Synergistic removal; Magnetite; Persistent free radicals,No (2)
Contrasting effects of biochar nanoparticles on the retention and transport of phosphorus in acidic and alkaline soils,"Land application of biomass-derived biochar has been increasingly recommended as a beneficial soil amendment for nutrients (such as N, P) retention. However, the small-scale biochar particles, especially those in the nano-scale range, may carry nutrients downward the soil profile, reducing nutrition retention and posing a potential risk to the groundwater. In this study, column experiments were conducted to investigate the retention and transport of phosphorus (P) in two acidic and two alkaline soils as affected by wood chip-derived biochar nanoparticles (NPs). In acidic paddy and red soils, biochar NPs facilitated the retention of P, increasing by about 24% and 16%, respectively, compared to the biochar absence. It is because biochar NPs stabilize soil Fe/Al oxides and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), thereby reducing the release of Fe/Al oxides- and DOC-associated P. In contrast, in alkaline huangmian and chao soils, retention of P was reduced in the presence of biochar NPs, decreasing by about 23% and 18%, respectively. It was mainly due to the increased transport of Fe/Al oxides-associated P in effluents. Moreover, biochar NPs could also act as a P carrier, mediating the retention of P. The diffusive gradients in thin films provided in-suit measurement of labile P in soil profiles, showing much lower labile P from retained P in acidic soils than that from alkaline soils though the labile P with biochar NPs presence was increased in all soils. Our findings indicate that biochar NPs have contrasting effects on the retention of P in acidic and alkaline soils, implying the cautious land applications of biochar for nutrients retention in soils with different acidities. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2018,Biochar nanoparticles; Phosphorus; Acidic soil; Alkaline soil; Retention; Transport,No (2)
Basic Performance Tests of the MILL Intravascular CO2 Removal Catheter,"Currently available treatment methods for acute lung failure show high rates of complications. There is an urgent need for alternative treatment methods. A catheter device which can be minimal invasively inserted into the vena cava for intracorporeal gas exchange was developed. Main components of the device are a drive unit and a membrane module. In this study, the flow behavior in a vena cava model with inserted catheter prototype was investigated in experiments and basic computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations. Main findings are that the miniature blood pump has suitable characteristics and generates sufficient power to overcome the pressure drop induced in the membrane module, and that the design of the membrane outlet might be critical to avoid additional pressure losses. Parts manufactured with a high resolution 3D printer have proven to be suitable for the prototyping process. © 2018 IEEE.",2018,,No (2)
Iowa Fertilizer Company (IFCo) ammonia plant uses first application of the KBR shift effluent scrubber for reduced methanol emissions,"Methanol is a byproduct produced from side reactions in the front-end of ammonia plants, mainly across the Low Temperature Shift (LTS) catalyst. Some of this methanol passes through to the CO2 Removal System where it eventually comes out with the CO2 product and atmospheric vent. Methanol is classified as a Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) in the US. New plants emitting more than 10 ST/year of methanol qualify as a major HAP source, generally requiring the use of Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) to limit the emission. For ammonia plants with significant process CO2 venting, limiting emissions below the trigger for MACT regulations is challenging. The IFCo 2200 MTPD Ammonia Plant represents the first application of the KBR Shift Effluent Scrubber system for controlling methanol emissions. This paper presents the system in detail and reviews performance of the unit as measured during the plant's first year of operation. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers. All rights reserved.",2018,,No (2)
CO2/CH4 separation by using carbon membranes,"CO2 is one of the greenhouse gases produced from the extensive burning of fossil fuels, which is also an element in natural gas. The main functions of CO2 elimination from CH4 gas is to produce a fuel with better energy input and to prevent erosion complications in the gas transference scheme. Moreover, it also led to the growth of CO2 separation process field in conjunction with CO2 implications toward the environment. The totally emitted greenhouse gases consists of 72% of CO2, 18% of CH4, and 9% of nitrous oxide (NOx). CO2 emissions are therefore the most important contributor to global warming issues. CO2 emissions to the atmosphere can be reduced by capturing and storing the CO2. Therefore, the development of efficient technologies to capture CO2 is required. Membrane-based technology has extensively practised inventions and developments throughout the past decades. Membrane technology is a fast-growing industrial development contributing substantial benefits involving low energy necessities, capital reserves, easy to be conducted, and compacted apparatus, which are in contrast with the traditional methods. Carbon membranes have been discovered in the 1970s and are still offering capable outcomes for the applications of processes including gas separation for sieving properties. Numerous kinds of gas separation, practically in single or mixed gas separation, have been conducted using carbon membrane. In this chapter, recent progress in the development of carbon membrane for CO2/CH4 separation is presented. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.",2018,,No (2)
"TCO macro view - Monetary valuation of environmental, social & economic impacts of NGV development and case study of France","To meet the challenges related to global warming, transition to low carbon technologies are underway in most economic activities. Government energy and climate policies are the core to achieve the target of limiting the rise in global temperature to well below 2°C, as set out in the Paris Agreement. Besides, low carbon technologies cannot only help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also contribute to job creation, nation's competitiveness, and improvement of air quality. Thus, the co-benefits (externalities) should also be monetarized in order to be able to compare them to the costs and benefits already expressed in currency and support the decision making process of policy makers and public authorities. Natural gas and renewable gas are identified as one of the most efficient alternative fuels in the transport sector with benefits like: less emissions of greenhouse gases, less emissions of air pollutions, lower noises as well as the job creation in emerging sectors around NGV (natural gas vehicle) and trade balance of energy import. A topic of Working Group 5.3 of IGU (International Gas Union) has been to build a tool to monetarize the co-benefits of NGV development with combining environmental, social and economic impacts to allow members to simulate their national cases. © 27th World Gas Conference, WGC 2018. All rights reserved.",2018,,No (2)
Facilitated transport membranes for CO2 removal from natural gas,"Compared with commercial polymeric membranes for natural gas (NG) sweetening, the facilitated transport (FT) membranes present a great potential to reduce methane loss with the improved CO2/CH4 selectivity at high pressure operation. Different types of FT membranes together with their advantages and challenges have been reviewed. The carbon nanotube-reinforced polyvinylamine-based fixed-site-carrier membranes were identified as one of the most promising materials in this application. This chapter also provided a clear overview on the process parameter influences on the membrane separation performance for CO2 removal from NG. The technology feasibility was also discussed from the process simulation point of view. Finally, the future perspective on the membrane material and process development for NG sweetening was described. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.",2018,,No (2)
Soil carbon and sewage water,"The soil carbon pool plays a major role in the global carbon cycle, in the context of climate change. Small changes in the soil carbon pool can increase or decrease greenhouse gas. One of the ways to mitigate to rise in atmospheric CO2 is sequestration of C by soils. In the SW of Romania, in Timis county, there are 32 industrial zootechnical piggery complexes, with a daily number of 449904 per capita. From these complexes results about 5.7 mill m3/year sewage water, which produced by biochemically transformation 2.13 mill m3/year CO2. The sewage water is settled in the ponds for decanting and after 3-5 months are used as fertilize application by placement. The scientific researches were made on the piggery complex Parta which has 37225 pigs. Sewage water is added in a favorable period, with a set of cistern – scarifier, on March 15th and October 31th, in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. The number of plots varied per anum: in the year 2015 – 156 plots with an area of 568 ha; in the year 2016 – 30 plots with 350 ha; in the year 2017 – 67 plots with 146 ha. On the basis of a soil and agrochemical survey, with 44 principal soil profiles, were sampling 229 soil samples. The main soil analyses were: pH, humus, mobile phosphorus and potassium degree of base saturation. For the liquid organic manure, the chemical analyses were: pH, Ntotal, P2O5, K2O, organic matter content and humidity. Contamination of soils can also occur at all scales and we oversee the phenomena, in order to protect soil. The contamination risk is really especially on the plots where the sewage water application was made with 70-100 cubic metres on hectare, and the soil has a great permeability and the ground water layer is at 1-2 m depth. Apart from the sequestration of carbon by soils, sewage water represents a source of nutrients. The liquid organic manure contains: Ntotal (0.15-0.16%), P2O5 (0.0087-0.046%), K2O (0.11-0.28%), SOM (62.5-72.05%, from dry matter), and water content (98-99%). © SGEM 2018.",2018,,Yes (1)
Measurement of CO2 absorption in a 4 m aqueous solution of 3-amino-1-propanol for CO2 removal,"Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission into the atmosphere causes environmental concern. The main sources of CO2 come from industries such as power generation. The current technology to remove CO2 effectively is carbon capture and storage or CCS especially absorption with aqueous amine solutions. The commonly used amine solutions are monoethanolamine (MEA) and methyldiethanolamine (MDEA). They have some disadvantages like low capacity and high energy consumption. A new solvent such as 3-amino-1-propanol (AP) has been designed to be used as an alternative solvent for CO2 removal. This solvent should provide the absorption and cyclic capacities close or higher than the commercial ones. The objective of this research is to measure the CO2 absorption in a 4 M aqueous solution of AP at the temperature from 303.15 K to 353.15 K and CO2 partial pressures ranging from 5 to 100 kPa and the absorption results of CO2 in AP solution are compared with that of aqueous solution of MEA. From the experiment, the results present that AP at 4 M provides the performance relatively close to that of MEA. The cyclic capacities of AP are relatively lower than that of MEA for 26.83 and 2.73 % for CO2 partial pressure at 15 and 100 kPa. The absorption capacity of AP is higher when CO2 partial pressure increases and reduces as temperature increases. AP can be considered as an alternative solvent for CO2 removal at high CO2 partial pressure. Other properties like kinetics, mass transfer, energy penalty for solvent regeneration as well as other criteria have to be investigated for AP before it can be used for commercial purposes. Copyright © 2018, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.",2018,,No (2)
The role of soil management in sequestering soil carbon,"Soils are an important component of the global carbon cycle and serve as a large reservoir of terrestrial carbon. The amount of carbon in any soil is a function of the soil forming factors including: climate, relief, organisms, parent material, and time. Over the centuries, humans, usually included as part of the “organisms” factor, have profoundly influenced the dynamics and sequestration of carbon in soils by their land use and management practices. These practices include cultivation, deforestation, and draining wet soils. In general, human activities have decreased the amount of carbon held in the affected soils. With the concern over increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, humans need to consider how soil management affects greenhouse gas emissions from soil and the sequestration of carbon in soils, and to look for ways to protect and manage soil carbon. This paper examines soil management practices and their effects on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration. Included is an analysis of how management practices affect the physical and chemical environment of soil and how these in turn affect greenhouse gas emissions and the soil carbon sequestration potential. © 1995 by CRC Press, Inc.",2018,,Yes (1)
Perceptions of enhanced weathering as a biological negative emissions option,"This paper addresses the social acceptability of enhanced weathering, a technology that would involve spreading silicate particles over terrestrial surfaces in order to boost the biological processes that currently sequester CO2 as part of the earth's natural carbon cycle. We present the first exploration of British attitudes towards enhanced weathering, using an online survey (n = 935) of a representative quota sample of the public. Baseline awareness of weathering was extremely low. Many respondents remained undecided or neutral about risks, although more people support than oppose weathering. Factors predicting support for weathering and its research included feelings about the technology and trust in scientists. Over half of the sample agrees that scientists should be able to conduct research into effectiveness and risks, but with conditions also placed upon how research is conducted, including the need for scientific independence, small-scale trials, strict monitoring, risk minimization and transparency of results. Public engagement is needed to explore in more detail why particular individuals feel either positive or negative about weathering, and why they believe particular conditions should be applied to research, as part of wider responsible research and innovation processes for biological and other types of negative emissions technologies.",2017,public perceptions; enhanced weathering; biological negative emissions,Yes (1)
Corrosion behaviour of X65 carbon steel in supercritical-CO2 containing H2O and O2 in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology,"Corrosion behaviour of X65 carbon steel in supercritical-CO2 (SC-CO2) containing H2O and O2 was studied by weight loss test, electrochemical measurements, and surface analysis. A setup was developed for in situ electrochemical measurements in H2O-saturated SC-CO2 phase by using Ag/AgCl reference electrode. It is demonstrated that there is no essential difference in the electrochemical corrosion mechanism between SC-CO2 and non-SC-CO2 environments. The presence of small amount of O2 inhibits the formation of protective FeCO3 film and promotes the formation of non-protective Fe oxide, which leads to obvious increase of corrosion rate in SC-CO2 phase. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd.",2017,,No (2)
Global zero emissions scenarios: The role of biomass energy with carbon capture and storage by forested land use,"We investigate the prospects of three zero-emission scenarios for achieving the target of limiting global mean temperature rise to 2 degrees C or below, and compare them with the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario involving no climate policy intervention. The ""2100 zero"" emissions scenario requires zero emissions after 2100 until 2150. The ""350 ppm zero"" emissions scenario entails zero emissions in the latter half of this century, which can be achieved by the cumulative emissions constraints of the Wigley-Richels-Edmonds (WRE) 350 from 2010 to 2150. Finally, the ""net zero"" scenario requires zero cumulative emissions from 2010 to 2150, allowing positive emissions over the coming several decades that would be balanced-out by negative emissions in the latter half of the century. The role of biomass energy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) with forested land is also assessed with these scenarios. The results indicate that the 2 degrees C target can be achieved in the ""net zero"" scenario, while the ""350 ppm zero"" scenario would result in a temperature rise of 2.4 degrees C. The ""2100 zero"" scenario achieved a 4.1 degrees C increase, while the BAU reached about 5.2 degrees C. BECCS contributed to achieving zero-emission requirements while providing a limited contribution to energy supply. The findings indicate substantial future challenges for the management of forested land. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Zero emission scenarios; Biomass energy carbon capture and storage (BECCS); Forested land use,Yes (1)
Quantifying the trade-off between carbon sequestration and albedo in midlatitude and high-latitude North American forests,"Afforestation is a viable and widely practiced method of sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, because of a change in surface albedo, placement of less reflective forests can cause an increase in net-absorbed radiation and localized surface warming. This effect is enhanced in northern high latitudes where the presence of snow cover exacerbates the albedo difference. Regions where afforestation could provide a climate benefit are determined by comparing net ecosystem production and net radiation differences from afforestation in midlatitude and high latitude of North America. Using the dynamic vegetation model Integrated Biosphere Simulator, agricultural version (Agro-IBIS), we find a boundary through North America where afforestation results in a positive equivalent carbon balance (cooling) to the south, and a negative equivalent carbon balance (warming) to the north. Including the effects of stand age and fraction cover affect whether a site contributes to mitigating global warming.",2017,,Yes (1)
Soil carbon stocks along an altitudinal gradient in different land-use categories in Lesser Himalayan foothills of Kashmir,"The carbon sequestration potential of soils plays an important role in mitigating the effect of climate change, because soils serve as sinks for atmospheric carbon. The present study was conducted to estimate the carbon stocks and their variation with altitudinal gradient in the Lesser Himalayan foothills of Kashmir. The carbon stocks were estimated in different land use categories, namely: closed canopy forests, open forests, disturbed forests, and agricultural lands within the altitudinal range from 900 to 2500 m. The soil carbon content was determined by the Walkley-Black titration method. The average soil carbon stock was found to be 2.59 kg m(-2). The average soil carbon stocks in closed canopy forests, open forests, and disturbed forests were 3.39, 2.06, and 2.86 kg m(-2), respectively. The average soil carbon stock in the agricultural soils was 2.03 kg m(-2). The carbon stocks showed a significant decreasing trend with the altitudinal gradient with maximum values of 4.13 kg m(-2) at 900-1200 m a.s.l. and minimum value of 1.55 kg m(-2) at 2100(-2)400 m a.s.l. The agricultural soil showed the least carbon content values indicating negative impacts of soil plowing, overgrazing, and soil degradation. Lower carbon values at higher altitudes attest to the immature character of forest stands, as well as to degradation due to immense fuel wood extraction, timber extraction, and harsh climatic conditions. The study indicates that immediate attention is required for the conservation of rapidly declining carbon stocks in agricultural soils, as well as in the soils of higher altitudes.",2017,carbon sequestration; altitudinal gradient; erosion; slope; deforestation; soil bulk density,No (2)
A RECONNAISSANCE-SCALE GIS-BASED MULTICRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE BIOCHAR USE: POLAND AS A CASE STUDY,"Although increasing numbers of research papers regarding biochar are being published worldwide, in some countries growing interest in biochar has only recently been observed; this is true of Poland. We analysed information on biochar research in Poland alongside lessons learned elsewhere in order to identify the significant opportunities and risks associated with biochar use. This data fed into a GIS-based multicriteria analysis to identify areas where biochar application could deliver greatest benefit. We found that 21.8% of agricultural land in Poland has at least moderate indication for biochar use (soil organic matter below 2% and pH below 5.5), while 1.5% was categorized as a priority as it also exhibited contamination. Potential barriers identified included biomass availability and associated risks of indirect land-use change due to possible national and transnational biomass production displacement. Biochar use could have positive global consequences as a climate change mitigation strategy, particularly relevant in a country with limited alternatives. Scaling up a mitigation technology that is viable on account of its co-benefits might be cost-effective, which could, in turn, adjust national perspectives and stronger involvement in developing mitigation policies at the regional level. Biochar has much promise in temperate conditions and further research should therefore be assigned to explore biochar's environmental and socio-economic impacts.",2017,biochar; carbon sequestration; GIS-based multicriteria analysis; land remediation; sustainable agricultural production,Yes (1)
Life-cycle assessment of biochar production systems in tropical rural areas: Comparing flame curtain kilns to other production methods,"A life-cycle assessment (LCA) using end point methods was performed for the generation and sequestration of one kg biochar by various pyrolysis methods suitable for rural tropical conditions. Flame curtain kilns, a novel, simple and cost-effective technology of biochar generation, were compared to earth mound non-improved kilns, retort kilns with off-gases combustion, pyrolytic cook-stoves allowing the use of the gas flame for cooking purposes, and iv) gasifiers with electricity production. The impact categories of climate change, particulate matter emissions, land use effects, minerals and fossil fuels were combined to provide the overall impact of biochar generation. In the LCA ranking, earth mound kilns were shown to have negative potential environmental impacts because of their gas and aerosol emissions. Flame curtain kilns had slightly lower potential impact than retort kilns and much lower impact than earth-mound kilns because of the avoidance of start-up wood and low material use and gas emissions. Making biochar from flame curtain kilns was observed to be environmentally neutral in a life-cycle perspective, as the production emissions were compensated for by carbon sequestration. Pyrolytic cook-stoves and gasifiers showed the most positive potential environmental impact in the LCA due to avoided firewood consumption and emissions from electricity generation, respectively. The generation and sequestration of biochar per se by flame curtain kilns was not found to result in direct environmental benefits. Co-benefits in the form of rural applicability, cost-efficiency and agricultural effects due to soil improvement are needed to warrant biochar implementation by this method. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2017,Biochar; Life cycle assessment; Cook-stove; Gasifier; Retort kiln; Earth-mound kiln; Flame curtain Kon Tiki kiln; Gas emissions,No (2)
Does private investment in the transport sector mitigate the environmental impact of urbanisation? Evidence from Asia,"Urbanisation serves as a pillar for creating prosperous economies, but its impacts on infrastructure and the environment have been a concern for policy makers. There are numerous studies that examine the impact of urbanisation on the environment but no known study has analysed whether the impact of urbanisation on the environment is dependent on the characteristics of available infrastructure. To address this gap, this study uses the STIRPAT model, panel cointegration and fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) estimator as well as panel data of eight Asian countries to analyse whether private sector investment in the transport sector and transport infrastructure mode influences the impact of urbanisation on transport CO2 emissions. We find that the effect of urbanisation on transport CO2 emissions depends on the covariates in the model and interactions with other factors. Increase in income and population increases transport CO2 emissions while technological improvements reduces CO2 emissions from the transport sector. Private sector investment in the transport sector and availability of rail infrastructure reduce transport CO2 emissions; and given the same level of urbanisation, Asian countries with more rail infrastructure and private sector investment in the transport sector tend to have lower CO2 emission from the transport sector. Policy makers in Asia should make efforts to boost private sector participation in the transport sector and also promote the construction and improvement of rail infrastructure in order to reduce urbanisation-induced transport CO2 emissions. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd",2017,,No (2)
Climate change mitigation: potential benefits and pitfalls of enhanced rock weathering in tropical agriculture,"Restricting future global temperature increase to 2 degrees C or less requires the adoption of negative emissions technologies for carbon capture and storage. We review the potential for deployment of enhanced weathering (EW), via the application of crushed reactive silicate rocks (such as basalt), on over 680 million hectares of tropical agricultural and tree plantations to offset fossil fuel CO2 emissions. Warm tropical climates and productive crops will substantially enhance weathering rates, with potential co-benefits including decreased soil acidification and increased phosphorus supply promoting higher crop yields sparing forest for conservation, and reduced cultural eutrophication. Potential pitfalls include the impacts of mining operations on deforestation, producing the energy to crush and transport silicates and the erosion of silicates into rivers and coral reefs that increases inorganic turbidity, sedimentation and pH, with unknown impacts for biodiversity. We identify nine priority research areas for untapping the potential of EW in the tropics, including effectiveness of tropical agriculture at EW for major crops in relation to particle sizes and soil types, impacts on human health, and effects on farmland, adjacent forest and stream-water biodiversity.",2017,carbon dioxide removal; global temperature; negative emissions technologies; oil palm; agroecosystems and monoculture tree plantations; silicate weathering,Yes (1)
Bio-Energy with CCS (BECCS) performance evaluation: Efficiency enhancement and emissions reduction,"In this study we evaluate the feasibility of the recovery of waste heat from the power plant boiler system of a pulverised fuel power plant with amine-based CO2 capture. This recovered heat can, as a function of fuel type and solvent selection, provide up to 100% of the heat required for solvent regeneration, thus obviating the need for withdrawing steam from the power plant steam cycle and significantly reducing the efficiency penalty imposed upon the power plant by the CO2 capture process. In studying the thermochemistry of the combustion process, it was observed that co-firing with low moisture biomass achieved higher adiabatic flame temperatures (AFT) than coal alone. The formation and emission of SOx reduced as biomass co-firing proportion increased, whereas NOx emissions were observed to be a function of AFT. The power generation efficiency of a 500 MW 50% co-firing BECCS system increased from 31%(HHV) with a conventional MEA solvent, to 34%(HHV) with a high performance capture solvent. The heat recovery approach described in this paper enabled a further efficiency increase up to 38%(HHV) with the high performant solvent. Such a system was found to remove 0.83 Mt(CO2) from the atmosphere per year at 90% capacity factor. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Bio-energy; Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS); BECCS; Greenhouse gas removal (GGR); Negative emissions technologies (NETs),No (2)
"Biochars as Potential Adsorbers of CH4, CO2 and H2S","Methane gas, as one of the major biogases, is a potential source of renewable energy for power production. Biochar can be readily used to purify biogas contaminants such as H2S and CO2. This study assessed the adsorption of CH4, H2S, and CO2 onto four different types of biochars. The adsorption dynamics of biochars were investigated in a fixed-bed column, by determining the breakthrough curves and adsorption capacities of biochars. The physicochemical properties of biochars were considered to justify the adsorption performance. The results showed that CH4 was not adsorbed well by the subjected biochars whereas CO2 and H2S were successfully captured. The H2S and CO2 breakthrough capacity were related to both the surface adsorption and chemical reaction. The adsorption capacity was in the following order: perilla > soybean stover > Korean oak > Japanese oak biochars. The simultaneous adsorption also leads to a competition of sorption sites. Biochars are a promising material for the biogas purification industry.",2017,adsorption; biochar; carbon dioxide; hydrogen sulphide,No (2)
Enhanced weathering of olivine in seawater: The efficiency as revealed by thermodynamic scenario analysis,"Enhanced weathering of olivine has been suggested as a measure to lower the atmospheric CO2 level and it might also mitigate ocean acidification. This study aimed to characterise how olivine can weather in seawater, to elucidate the role of secondary precipitation and to ascertain the efficiency in terms of molar CO2 removal per mole of olivine dissolution. Geochemical thermodynamic equilibrium modelling was used, which considered both the variable mineralogical composition of olivine and the kinds of secondary precipitates that may be formed. The advantage is that such an approach is independent from local or regional factors as temperature, related kinetics, mineralogy, etc. The results show that the efficiency falls when secondary precipitates are formed. When Fe-bearing olivine undergoes weathering in an oxic environment, Fe(III) hydroxides will inevitably be formed, and as a result of this acidifying process, CO2 could be released to the atmosphere. This might also enhance ocean acidification when Fe-rich olivine becomes used. Ocean alkalinisation only happens when more than 1 mol/kg(H2O) Mg-rich olivine weathers. Maintenance of supersaturation for calcite or aragonite as holds in seawater reduces the efficiency by about a factor of two compared to the efficiency without secondary precipitation. Precipitation of sepiolite as Mg silicate reduces the efficiency even more. Magnesite precipitation has a similar effect to Ca carbonate precipitation, but according to the literature magnesite precipitation is improbable at ambient conditions and relatively low supersaturation. When less than 0.05 mmol olivine/kg(seawater) weathers the efficiency is slightly different than at higher intensities, due to strong buffering by seawater alkalinity. (C) 2016 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V.",2017,Enhanced weathering; Ocean acidification; Geochemical modelling; Calcium carbonate; Sepiolite; Olivine; CO2,No (2)
Increased soil organic carbon stocks under agroforestry: A survey of six different sites in France,"Agroforestry systems are land use management systems in which trees are grown in combination with crops or pasture in the same field. In silvoarable systems, trees are intercropped with arable crops, and in silvopastoral systems trees are combined with pasture for livestock. These systems may produce forage and timber as well as providing ecosystem services such as climate change mitigation. Carbon (C) is stored in the aboveground and belowground biomass of the trees, and the transfer of organic matter from the trees to the soil can increase soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Few studies have assessed the impact of agroforestry systems on carbon storage in soils in temperate climates, as most have been undertaken in tropical regions. This study assessed five silvoarable systems and one silvopastoral system in France. All sites had an agroforestry system with an adjacent, purely agricultural control plot. The land use management in the inter-rows in the agroforestry systems and in the control plots were identical. The age of the study sites ranged from 6 to 41 years after tree planting. Depending on the type of soil, the sampling depth ranged from 20 to 100 cm and SOC stocks were assessed using equivalent soil masses. The aboveground biomass of the trees was also measured at all sites. In the silvoarable systems, the mean organic carbon stock accumulation rate in the soil was 0.24 (0.09-0.46) Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) at a depth of 30 cm and 0.65 (0.004-1.85) Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) in the tree biomass. Increased SOC stocks were also found in deeper soil layers at two silvoarable sites. Young plantations stored additional SOC but mainly in the soil under the rows of trees, possibly as a result of the herbaceous vegetation growing in the rows. At the silvopastoral site, the SOC stock was significantly greater at a depth of 30-50 cm than in the control. Overall, this study showed the potential of agroforestry systems to store C in both soil and biomass in temperate regions. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2017,Alley cropping; Soil organic carbon storage; Equivalent soil mass; Aboveground biomass; Belowground biomass,No (2)
Environmental hotspots in the life cycle of a biochar-soil system,"A life cycle assessment was conducted to study the environmental effects of a biochar-soil system and to identify the main environmental hotspots. Six scenarios were evaluated, which included the production of biochar from agricultural and forestry residual biomass pyrolyzed at 300, 400, and 500 degrees C, using a functional unit of 1 t of produced biochar. Modeling of the system and evaluation of impacts were performed using SimaPro selecting impact categories of climate change, human toxicity, freshwater eutrophication, and fossil depletion. According to the results, the climate change impact category presented the greatest relative importance in the life cycle of biochar, with greenhouse gas emission reductions of up to 2.74 t CO2 eq t(-1) biochar when the biochar applied to soil is produced from forestry residual biomass at 500 degrees C. In relation to hotspots in the life cycle of biochar, transportation was the only stage identified that contributes environmental loads to the system, in contrast, carbon storage, natural gas avoided and urea avoided generate environmental benefits. Carbon storage in biochar is the main hotspot in the system associated to climate change, while the avoided use of natural gas and urea have great influence on fossil depletion, freshwater eutrophication, and human toxicity categories. These categories are highly sensible to allocation methodology options and the assumptions associated to the system boundaries expansion. This finding requires a comprehensive justification and to guarantee the data quality when the system expansion is considered in a LCA study of a biochar-soil system, including energy balance and syngas use, as well as, avoided urea estimation. This study considered one agricultural season, and future works should consider biochar amounts used as soil amendment in each agricultural season for evaluating residual effects of biochar use regarding fertilizers savings. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Biochar; LCA; Residual biomass; Pyrolysis; Soil amendment,No (2)
The limits to global-warming mitigation by terrestrial carbon removal,"Massive near-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction is a precondition for staying ""well below 2 degrees C"" global warming as envisaged by the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, extensive terrestrial carbon dioxide removal (tCDR) through managed biomass growth and subsequent carbon capture and storage is required to avoid temperature ""overshoot"" in most pertinent scenarios. Here, we address two major issues: First, we calculate the extent of tCDR required to ""repair"" delayed or insufficient emissions reduction policies unable to prevent global mean temperature rise of 2.5 degrees C or even 4.5 degrees C above pre-industrial level. Our results show that those tCDR measures are unable to counteract ""business-as-usual"" emissions without eliminating virtually all natural ecosystems. Even if considerable (Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 [RCP4.5]) emissions reductions are assumed, tCDR with 50% storage efficiency requires >1.1 Gha of the most productive agricultural areas or the elimination of > 50% of natural forests. In addition, > 100 MtN/yr fertilizers would be needed to remove the roughly 320 GtC foreseen in these scenarios. Such interventions would severely compromise food production and/or biosphere functioning. Second, we reanalyze the requirements for achieving the 160-190 GtC tCDR that would complement strong mitigation action (RCP2.6) in order to avoid 2 degrees C overshoot anytime. We find that a combination of high irrigation water input and/or more efficient conversion to stored carbon is necessary. In the face of severe trade-offs with society and the biosphere, we conclude that large-scale tCDR is not a viable alternative to aggressive emissions reduction. However, we argue that tCDR might serve as a valuable "" supporting actor"" for strong mitigation if sustainable schemes are established immediately. Plain Language Summary In 2015, parties agreed to limit global warming to "" well below"" 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. However, this requires not only massive near-term greenhouse gas emissions reductions but also the application of "" negative emission"" techniques that extract already emitted carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Specifically, this could refer to the establishment of extensive plantations of fast-growing tree and grass species in combination with biomass conversion to carbon-saving products. Although such deployment is seen as promising, its carbon sequestration potentials and possible side-effects still remain to be studied in depth. In this study, we analyzed two feasibility aspects of such a negative emissions approach using biomass plantations and carbon utilization pathways. First, we show that biomass plantations with subsequent carbon immobilization are likely unable to ""repair"" insufficient emission reduction policies without compromising food production and biosphere functioning due to its space-consuming properties. Second, the requirements for a strong mitigation scenario staying below the 2 degrees C target would require a combination of high irrigation water input and development of highly effective carbon process chains. Although we find that this strategy of sequestering carbon is not a viable alternative to aggressive emission reductions, it could still support mitigation efforts if sustainably managed.",2017,,Yes (1)
New Coal-Fired Plants Jeopardise Paris Agreement,"Global greenhouse gas emissions need to peak soon and be reduced practically to zero in the second half of this century in order to not exceed the climate targets adopted in the Paris Agreement. However, there are currently numerous coal-fired power stations around the world at different stages of construction and planning that could be completed in the next decade. If all these plants are actually built, their expected future emissions will make it very difficult to reach these targets, even in an optimistic scenario with the deployment of carbon capture and storage technologies. Policy makers around the world need to react quickly and help to redirect investment plans for new coal-fired power stations towards low-carbon technologies.",2017,Paris Agreement; mitigation; coal plants; CO2 commitment; carbon budget; Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS),No (2)
Carbon dioxide removal and the futures market,"Futures contracts are exchange-traded financial instruments that enable parties to fix a price in advance, for later performance on a contract. Forward contracts also entail future settlement, but they are traded directly between two parties. Futures and forwards are used in commodities trading, as producers seek financial security when planning production. We discuss the potential use of futures contracts in Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) markets; concluding that they have one principal advantage (near-term price security to current polluters), and one principal disadvantage (a combination of high price volatility and high trade volume means contracts issued by the private sector may cause systemic economic risk). Accordingly, we note the potential for the development of futures markets in CDR, but urge caution about the prospects for market failure. In particular, we consider the use of regulated markets: to ensure contracts are more reliable, and that moral hazard is minimised. While regulation offers increased assurances, we identify major insufficiencies with this approach-finding it generally inadequate. In conclusion, we suggest that only governments can realistically support long-term CDR futures markets. We note existing long-term CDR plans by governments, and suggest the use of state-backed futures for supporting these assurances.",2017,forward contracts; futures markets; carbon dioxide removal; negative emissions technologies; voluntary carbon offsets,No (2)
Technical feasibility and carbon footprint of biochar co-production with QCrossMark tomato plant residue,"World tomato production is in the increase, generating large amounts of organic agricultural waste, which are currently incinerated or composted, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. Organic waste is not only produced from conventional but also urban agricultural practices due recently gained popularity. An alternative' to current waste management practices and carbon sequestration opportunity is the production of biochar (thermally converted biomass) from tomato plant residues and use as a soil amendment. To address the real contribution of biochar for greenhouse gas mitigation, it is necessary to assess the whole life cycle from the production of the tomato biomass feedstock to the actual distribution and utilisation of the biochar produced in a regional context. This study is the first step to determine the technical and environmental potential of producing biochar from tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum arawak variety) waste biomass and utilisation as a soil amendment. The study includes the characterisation of tomato plant residue as biochar feedstock (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and metal content); feedstock thermal stability; and the carbon footprint of biochar production under urban agriculture at pilot and small-scale plant, and conventional agriculture at large-scale plant. Tomato plant residue is a potentially suitable biochar feedstock under current European Certification based on its lignin content (19.7%) and low metal concentration. Biomass conversion yields of over 40%, 50% carbon stabilization and low pyrolysis temperature conditions (350-400 degrees C) would be required for biochar production to sequester carbon under urban pilot scale conditions; while large-scale biochar production from conventional agricultural practices have not the potential to sequestrate carbon because its logistics, which could be improved. Therefore, the diversion of tomato biomass waste residue from incineration or composting to biochar production for use as a soil amendfnent would environmentally be beneficial, but only if high biochar yields could be produced. (C)2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Tomato plant feedstock; Biochar; Carbon footprint; Heavy metals; Urban agriculture,No (2)
Can BECCS deliver sustainable and resource efficient negative emissions?,"Negative emissions technologies (NETs) in general and bioenergy with CO2 capture and storage (BECCS) in particular are commonly regarded as vital yet controversial to meeting our climate goals. In this contribution we present a whole-systems analysis of the BECCS value chain associated with cultivation, harvesting, transport and conversion in dedicated biomass power stations in conjunction with CCS, of a range of biomass resources - both dedicated energy crops (miscanthus, switchgrass, short rotation coppice willow), and agricultural residues (wheat straw). We explicitly consider the implications of sourcing the biomass from different regions, climates and land types. The water, carbon and energy footprints of each value chain were calculated, and their impact on the overall system water, carbon and power efficiencies was evaluated. An extensive literature review was performed and a statistical analysis of the available data is presented. In order to describe the dynamic greenhouse gas balance of such a system, a yearly accounting of the emissions was performed over the lifetime of a BECCS facility, and the carbon ""breakeven time'' and lifetime net CO2 removal from the atmosphere were determined. The effects of direct and indirect land use change were included, and were found to be a key determinant of the viability of a BECCS project. Overall we conclude that, depending on the conditions of its deployment, BECCS could lead to both carbon positive and negative results. The total quantity of CO2 removed from the atmosphere over the project lifetime and the carbon breakeven time were observed to be highly case specific. This has profound implications for the policy frameworks required to incentivise and regulate the widespread deployment of BECCS technology. The results of a sensitivity analysis on the model combined with the investigation of alternate supply chain scenarios elucidated key levers to improve the sustainability of BECCS: (1) measuring and limiting the impacts of direct and indirect land use change, (2) using carbon neutral power and organic fertilizer, (3) minimising biomass transport, and prioritising sea over road transport, (4) maximising the use of carbon negative fuels, and (5) exploiting alternative biomass processing options, e.g., natural drying or torrefaction. A key conclusion is that, regardless of the biomass and region studied, the sustainability of BECCS relies heavily on intelligent management of the supply chain.",2017,,Yes (1)
Opportunity and challenge of seaweed bioethanol based on life cycle CO2 assessment,"Seaweed bioethanol technology is being developed to mitigate climate change and to overcome economic and environmental drawbacks that terrestrial bioethanol has: biomass demand competition for food and energy, and land-use change impacts. To investigate whether seaweed bioethanol is better than terrestrial bioethanol, we compare the global warming potentials (GWPs) of seaweed and terrestrial bioethanols from a life cycle perspective including land-related GWP effects from carbon debt, soil carbon sequestration, and N2O emission. Our results demonstrated that seaweed bioethanol has lower GWP in the long term than terrestrial bioethanols from corn grain, corn stover, and switchgrass, primarily because seaweed cultivation does not consume fertilizers and incur carbon debt and N2O emission. It was noted that future R&D strategy for low-carbon seaweed bioethanol needs to be directed to developing biomaterial-based cultivation equipment and reusing existing equipment, as well as enhancing bioethanol conversion yield and biomass productivity. Due to the vast sea available for seaweed cultivation, seaweed bioethanol could significantly contribute to mitigating climate change. (c) 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 36: 200-207, 2017",2017,seaweed; terrestrial biomass; bioethanol; global warming potential; life cycle assessment,No (2)
Biochar for crop production: potential benefits and risks,"Purpose: Biochar, the by-product of thermal decomposition of organic materials in an oxygen-limited environment, is increasingly being investigated due to its potential benefits for soil health, crop yield, carbon (C) sequestration, and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. Materials and methods: In this review, we discuss the potential role of biochar for improving crop yields and decreasing the emission of greenhouse gases, along with the potential risks involved with biochar application and strategies to avoid these risks. Results and discussion: Biochar soil amendment improves crop productivity mainly by increasing nutrient use efficiency and water holding capacity. However, improvements to crop production are often recorded in highly degraded and nutrient-poor soils, while its application to fertile and healthy soils does not always increase crop yield. Since biochars are produced from a variety of feedstocks, certain contaminants can be present. Heavy metals in biochar may affect plant growth as well as rhizosphere microbial and faunal communities and functions. Biochar manufacturers should get certification that their products meet International Biochar Initiative (IBI) quality standards (basic utility properties, toxicant assessment, advanced analysis, and soil enhancement properties). Conclusions: The long-term effects of biochar on soil functions and its fate in different soil types require immediate attention. Biochar may change the soil biological community composition and abundance and retain the pesticides applied. As a consequence, weed control in biochar-amended soils may be difficult as preemergence herbicides may become less effective. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.",2017,,Yes (1)
"Linking the Belowground Microbial Composition, Diversity and Activity to Soilborne Disease Suppression and Growth Promotion of Tomato Amended with Biochar","Biochar, in addition to sequestering carbon, ameliorating soil, and improving plant performance, can impact foliar and soilborne plant diseases. Nevertheless, the mechanisms associated with suppression of soilborne diseases and improved plant performances are not well understood. This study is designed to establish the relationships between biochar-induced changes in rhizosphere microbial community structure, taxonomic and functional diversity, and activity with soilborne disease suppression and enhanced plant performance in a comprehensive fashion. Biochar suppressed Fusarium crown and root-rot of tomato and simultaneously improved tomato plant growth and physiological parameters. Furthermore, biochar reduced Fusarium root colonization and survival in soil, and increased the culturable counts of several biocontrol and plant growth promoting microorganisms. Illumina sequencing analyses of 16S rRNA gene revealed substantial differences in rhizosphere bacterial taxonomical composition between biochar-amended and non-amended treatments. Moreover, biochar amendment caused a significant increase in microbial taxonomic and functional diversity, microbial activities and an overall shift in carbon-source utilization. High microbial taxonomic and functional diversity and activity in the rhizosphere has been previously associated with suppression of diseases caused by soilborne pathogens and with plant growth promotion, and may collectively explain the significant reduction of disease and improvement in plant performance observed in the presence of biochar.",2017,,No (2)
Carbon balance and Life Cycle Assessment in an oak plantation for mined area reclamation,"The studied plantation is a post-mining site located in Central Italy, between Firenze and Arezzo as a part of an activity of land reclamation and re-establishment of native plant species focus on ecosystem restoration of an area where lignite was extracted since 1863. In the 1980's once the mining activity ceased, an afforestation activity was started on 1287 ha using several indigenous species. This research work focused on a plantation of English oak (Quercus robur L.), planted in November 1979 on a homogeneous mine spoil bank with an initial density of 1111 trees ha(-1), gradually reduced to 157 trees ha-1 in February 2014. The carbon sequestered by the oak plantation biomass, during the whole life spam, was calculated and the environmental impact (in terms of global warming) due to management operations were measured through a Life Cycle Assessment on the basis of its international references (i.e. ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, 2006). Thus both human and biological processes were investigated to get respective CO2-eq sources and sinks. The actual carbon stock and the age beyond Which cumulated removals exceed emissions were determined. In addition, the ""hotspots"" in the life cycle, i.e. treatments and processes that had the greater impacts were found. The estimated standing total C at 34 years old was 92.623 t ha(-1), that correspond at a total CO2-eq of 339.925 t ha(-1). The studied plantation English oak shows high growth performance in the 34th years after planting and low Carbon footprint, with CO2-eq absorption being higher than CO2-eq emissions since the 4th year after planting. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Afforestation; Carbon sequestration; English oak; Life Cycle Assessment; Carbon footprint,No (2)
Biochar-Rhizosphere Interactions - a Review,"Biochar is a solid material of biological origin obtained from biomass carbonization, designed as a mean to reduce greenhouse gases emission and carbon sequestration in soils for a long time. Biochar has a wide spectrum of practical utilization and is applied as a promising soil improver or fertilizer in agriculture, or as a medium for soil or water remediation. Preparations of biochar increase plant growth and yielding when applied into soil and also improve plant growth conditions, mainly bio, physical and chemical properties of soil. Its physical and chemical properties have an influence on bacteria, fungi and invertebrates, both in field and laboratory conditions. Such effects on rhizosphere organisms are positive or negative depending on biochar raw material origin, charring conditions, frequency of applications, applications method and doses, but long term effects are generally positive and are associated mainly with increased soil biota activity However, a risk assessment of biochar applications is necessary to protect food production and the soil environment. This should be accomplished by biochar production and characterization, land use implementation, economic analysis, including life cycle assessment, and environmental impact assessment.",2017,biochar; rhizosphere; soil bacteria; soil microbiota; soil quality,Yes (1)
To what extent are genetic resources considered in environmental service provision? A case study based on trees and carbon sequestration,"Planting trees to sequester carbon dioxide mitigates climate change, but it has been contended that insufficient attention is given to the quality of the germplasm established in afforestation/reforestation programmes, limiting sequestration opportunities. To understand current practices in the choice, sourcing and delivery of tree planting material, we undertook a desk review of 38 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) afforestation/reforestation project design documents (PDDs) from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Detailed examination indicated most PDDs identified for planting species that could be locally appropriate, with a large number of indigenous taxa as well as exotics chosen. The number of indigenous species in some designs appeared however to be unrealistic in terms of ensuring germplasm access. Reference to an online germplasm supplier database and comparison with the available literature supported the hypothesis that many PDDs pay insufficient attention to the choice, sourcing and delivery of planting material, which is likely to impact on the quality of the trees planted. Moving forward, it is clear that greater attention to available sources, more local testing of germplasm and working in closer relationship with local communities in nursery development are among the interventions required to support tree-based sequestration initiatives. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group",2017,,No (2)
Increase in soil organic carbon in a Mollisol following simulated initial development from parent material,"Better understanding of the effects of land use and agricultural management on organic carbon (C) sequestration is needed to optimize the restoration of fertility in degraded soil, maintain agricultural sustainability and mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases with C sequestration. Most current studies of C sequestration focus on mature soil, whereas there has been little research on soil development from C-poor parent material. The aim of this study was to assess soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and C sequestration rates during the early stages of development of a Mollisol from parent material under different types of vegetation, fertilizer application regimes and organic matter inputs, and to compare the results with C sequestration of a mature Mollisol under similar management. Carbon stocks were recorded from 2004 to 2012 in the parent material of a Mollisol under natural fallow (NatF), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) (Alfa) or soya beans (Glycine max (Merrill.) L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) (S-M) rotations with and without fertilizer application and crop residues returned or removed at harvest. There was a positive non-linear relation between C inputs and SOC stocks; increases in SOC stocks decreased with larger additions of C. After 8 years of treatments, the SOC stocks at 0-20-cm depth had increased in the order S-M + fertilizer + all residues returned (61%) > Alfa (60%) > S-M + fertilizer + part of residues returned (50%) > NatF (30%) > S-M + fertilizer without residue return (17%) > S-M without fertilizer or residue return (7%). These increases in SOC stocks corresponded to annual C sequestration rates of 0.02-0.83 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1). In contrast, SOC stocks in the 0-20-cm layer of the mature Mollisol changed little under similar treatments in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-maize-soya bean rotation. Our results have practical implications for how vegetation and agricultural practices could be used to optimize soil restoration and C sequestration in a temperate continental monsoon climate. Highlights What management practices and vegetation lead to carbon sequestration during soil development? Use of a subsoil (parent material) to study soil development. Carbon stocks increased as much in alfalfa as in soya bean-maize rotations with residue return. Perennial legume systems sequester carbon comparable to annual systems with larger carbon inputs.",2017,,No (2)
"Crop Biomass, Soil Carbon, and Nitrous Oxide as Affected by Management and Climate: A DayCent Application in Brazil","A current national research priority in Brazil is the assessment of potential climate change impacts in agriculture. In this study, the DayCent model was used to predict changes in crop biomass, soil C stocks, and N2O fluxes of a major agricultural area in Brazil. The model was calibrated and validated using datasets from 30-yr-old experiments. Simulations of current and alternative management practices to 2100 using IPCC climate scenarios A2 and B1 were conducted. Predicted crop biomass increases ranged from 5% (sorghum [B1]) to 65% (soybean [A2]). DayCent simulated higher soil organic carbon stocks in the wheat-soybean system (VAL1) than in the wheat-soybean-vetch-sorghum system (VAL2) in both climate scenarios. Soil organic carbon accumulation by 2100 (+/- 16 Mg C ha(-1) above current 46 Mg C ha(-1)) was forecast in cropping systems with pastures (Cynodon sp.), regardless of the climate scenario. Daily N2O fluxes were underestimated by +/- 41% (0.85 g N-N2O ha(-1) d(-1)) in VAL1 and overestimated by 17.5% (0.28 g N-N2O ha(-1) d(-1)) in VAL2. Cumulative N2O fluxes produced mixed results, which were 29% lower than observed in VAL1 and 5% higher in VAL2 but within the range of values reported in other greenhouse gas studies in southern Brazil. Simulations of N2O fluxes to 2100 with IPCC climate change scenarios B1 and A2 in southern Brazilian indicated higher annual fluxes across the alternative treatments tested in comparison to current fluxes. According to model predictions, climate change would lead to larger relative increases in N2O emissions from no-tillage (27% in B1 to 41% in A2), but these enhanced fluxes would still be lower than those from tillage by approximately 25%.",2017,,No (2)
Energy Investment Planning at a Private Company: A Mathematical Programming-Based Model and Its Application in Turkey,"We consider a mid-sized private electricity generating company that plans to enter the market that is partially regulated. There is a cap and trade system in operation in the industry. There are nine possible power plant types that the company considers to invest on through a planning horizon. Some of these plants may include a carbon capture and storage technology. We develop a stochastic mixed-integer linear program for this problem where the objective is to maximize the expected net present value of the profit obtained. We include restrictions on the maximum and minimum possible amount of investment for every type of investment option. We also enforce market share conditions such that the percentage of the total investments of the company over the total installed capacity of the country stay between upper and lower bounds. Moreover, in order to distribute the investment risk, the percentage of each type of power plant investment is restricted by some upper bound. We tested the model for a hypothetical company operating in Turkey. The results show that the model is suitable to be used for determining the investment strategy of the company.",2017,Generation expansion planning; investment planning; mixed-integer linear programming; stochastic optimization,No (2)
Lattice Boltzmann simulation of CO2 reactive transport in network fractured media,"Carbon dioxide (CO2) geological sequestration plays an important role in mitigating CO2 emissions for climate change. Understanding interactions of the injected CO2 with network fractures and hydrocarbons is key for optimizing and controlling CO2 geological sequestration and evaluating its risks to ground water. However, there is a well-known, difficult process in simulating the dynamic interaction of fracture-matrix, such as dynamic change of matrix porosity, unsaturated processes in rock matrix, and effect of rock mineral properties. In this paper, we develop an explicit model of the fracture-matrix interactions using multilayer bounce-back treatment as a first attempt to simulate CO2 reactive transport in network fractured media through coupling the Dardis's LBM porous model for a new interface treatment. Two kinds of typical fracture networks in porous media are simulated: straight cross network fractures and interleaving network fractures. The reaction rate and porosity distribution are illustrated and well-matched patterns are found. The species concentration distribution and evolution with time steps are also analyzed and compared with different transport properties. The results demonstrate the capability of this model to investigate the complex processes of CO2 geological injection and reactive transport in network fractured media, such as dynamic change of matrix porosity.",2017,,No (2)
Preparation of high performance H2S removal biochar by direct fluidized bed carbonization using potato peel waste,"The biochar was produced by fast pyrolysis of potato peel waste (PPW) using the fluidized bed. The response surface methodology (RSM) and the central composite design (CCD) were employed for determining optimal adsorbents with the maximum H2S removal capacity. The operational parameters e.g. carbonization temperature (degrees C), duration (min) and space velocity (SV-L min(-1) kg(-1)) were chosen as independent variables in the CCD. The statistical result indicates that the carbonization temperature is significant to the H2S removal capacity. The optimal condition for achieving the maximum 1125 adsorption capacity of biochar is obtained as the followings: carbonization temperature (500 degrees C), duration (5 min), and SV (8000 L min(-1) kg(-1)) with the H2S removal reaching 53 mg/g. The equilibrium adsorption indicates the heterogeneity of adsorption sites. The advantage of fluidized bed reactor in process intensification by significantly reducing carbon footprint during adsorbent preparation shows prosperous future. (C) 2017 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2017,Biochar; Potato peel waste; H2S; CCD; Fluidized bed; Fast carbonization,No (2)
Do United States manufacturing companies benefit from climate change mitigation technologies?,"Climate change mitigation technologies play a critical role in controlling greenhouse gas emissions. How the technologies affect firm performance is a research issue of great importance to firm managers and policymakers. Using a dataset on major United States manufacturing firms, this study identifies five types of climate change mitigation technologies: eco-efficiency, low-carbon energy, green design, pollution control, and management system. This paper develops measures to capture the firms' unified (operational and environmental) performance using data envelopment analysis, and examines the effects of different climate change mitigation technologies on the unified performance. The research finds that the adoption of low-carbon energy technology positively and significantly affects the unified performance, whereas the adoption of pollution control technology has a significantly negative effect. Moreover, increasing the share of investment in low-carbon energy out of total technology investment can positively and significantly affect the unified performance, and the share of pollution control has a negative and significant effect. The other technologies do not display significant impacts on unified performance. The results underscore that firms should take into consideration the differential effects of the climate change mitigation technologies when making investment decisions to cope with climate change. The reasons behind the findings and implications for management practices are discussed. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Climate change; Mitigation technology; Unified performance; Data envelopment analysis; Low-carbon energy; Pollution control,No (2)
Fighting sustainability challenges on two fronts: Material efficiency and the emerging carbon capture and storage technologies,"Technological and regulatory responses to large-scale environmental threats, such as depletion of the natural resources and climate change, tend to focus on one issue at time. Emerging carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies that are in different stages of development offer a case that demonstrates this dilemma. This article approximates the implications of two emerging CCS applications on existing steel mill's CO2 emissions and its use of material resources. The evaluated applications are based on the mineralization method and the comparative case represents two versions of a geological CCS method. The results of the evaluation indicate that if technical bottleneck issues related to CO2 sequestration with mineralization can be solved, it can be possible to achieve a similar CO2 reduction performance with mineralization-based CCS applications as with more conventional CCS applications. If the CO2 capturing potential of mineralization-based applications could be taken into use, it could also enable the significant improvement of material efficiency of industrial operations. Urgent problem hampering the development of mineralization-based CCS applications is that the policy regimes related to CCS especially in the European Union (EU) do not recognize mineralization as a CCS method. Article suggests that the focus in the future evaluations and in policy should not be directed only on CO2 sequestration capacity of CCS applications. Similarly important is to consider their implications on material efficiency. Article also outlines modifications to the EU's CCS policy in terms of the formal terminology.",2017,CCS; Environmental policy; EU ETS; Institutions; Material efficiency; Mineralization,No (2)
Annual greenhouse gas fluxes from a temperate deciduous oak forest floor,"There is large uncertainty over the net greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of European forest ecosystems because of a lack of knowledge about the factors controlling GHG fluxes and the response to changes in management. We measured GHG fluxes from the forest floor (i.e. including soil, litter, roots and any ground vegetation) between 2007 and 2012 from a managed deciduous oak forest in south-east England to quantify fluxes and to investigate: (i) the seasonal and spatial variations between areas of the forest with different thinning management history, (ii) the relationships between GHG fluxes and environmental variables, and (iii) the contribution of the forest floor CO2 fluxes to the total ecosystem respiration derived from eddy covariance. The annual flux of CH4 was a net oxidation of 276 mg CH4-C m(-2) yr(-1) showing that forests on mineral soils can be appreciable CH4 sinks. There was a large temporal variation in N2O fluxes with both emission and uptake and a net annual efflux of 52 mg N2O-N m(-2) yr(-1). The net annual CO2 efflux was 894 g CO2-C m(-2) yr(-1), which contributed 60 per cent to total ecosystem respiration and dominated the combined global warming potential of all three GHGs. In this oak forest, soil temperature and moisture changes explained 73 per cent of the CO2 efflux variations. CH4 and N2O annual fluxes differed little between areas of the forest that had been thinned between 1990 and 2007, but CO2 effluxes were significantly lower from the least recently thinned area, which had a higher tree and canopy density.",2017,,No (2)
A farm level approach to explore farm gross margin effects of soil organic carbon management,"This paper investigates farm gross margin effects of management measures aimed at enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks to maintain soil fertility while providing important ecosystem services. An optimising farm level model, ScotFarm, is used to investigate the farm gross margin effects of selected SOC management measures for arable farms in Scotland (UK) and Aragon (Spain). The sensitivity of model results to effects on crop yields and costs of production is tested for each measure. The results suggest that considerable regional differences in the financial viability of SOC measures exist. Tillage management is the only measure with positive effects on farm gross margins of Scottish farms at baseline levels of yield effects and input costs. In the case of farms in Aragon, Spain, fertiliser management, crop rotations (with legumes) and tillage management (in later years) show improvements in gross margins. Residue management is estimated to have a negative effect on farm gross margins for both Scottish and Spanish crop farms. Results of the sensitivity analysis indicate that effects of SOC management on farm gross margins are more sensitive to a change in crop yields than to changes in input costs. The findings point to further research needs with respect to the trade-offs between yield effects and changes in input costs arising from the adoption of SOC management measures, and have implications for agricultural policy design aimed at enhancing SOC stocks under a changing climate. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Soil organic carbon; Soil management; Farm level modelling; Arable farming; Trade-offs; Profitability,No (2)
Impact of Biochar Organic and Inorganic Carbon on Soil CO2 and N2O Emissions,"Biochar has been shown to influence soil CO2 and N2O emissions following application to soil, but the presence of carbonates in biochars has largely confounded efforts to differentiate among labile and recalcitrant C pools in biochar and establish their timeframe of influence. Understanding the mechanism, magnitude, and duration of biochar C pools' influence on C and N dynamics is imperative to successful implementation of biochar for C sequestration. Here we therefore aim to assess biochar organic and inorganic C pool impacts on CO2 and N2O emissions from soil amended with two untreated biochars, inorganic carbon (as Na2CO3), acid (HCl) and bicarbonate (NaHCO 3) extracts of the biochars, and acid and bicarbonate/acid-washed biochars during a 140-d soil incubation. We hypothesized that (i) both biochar labile organic carbon (LOC) and inorganic carbon (IC) pools contribute significantly to short-term (< 1 mo) CO2 emissions from biochar-amended soil, (ii) biochars will influence the size of soil NH4+ and NO 3 -pools, and (iii) changes in soil inorganic N pools will affect soil N2O emissions. All biochar, biochar extract, and carbonate treatments (12 total) increased CO2 produced during the initial >= 48 h of the incubation relative to controls, indicating that both biochar LOC and IC contribute to CO2 emissions. Of these treatments, only bicarbonate extracts of the biochars increased total C losses significantly. However, treatment impacts on soil N2O production were not significant despite significant effects of select treatments on inorganic N pools. Overall, results indicate that biochars contain small LOC and IC pools that are stabilized by a larger recalcitrant organic C pool.",2017,,Yes (1)
Techno-economic comparison between different technologies for CO2-free power generation from coal,"Since coal will be widely used in the next decades, mainly in the developing countries such as China and India, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies will have a key role in the containment of global warming. This paper presents a techno-economic comparison between the most promising power generation technologies for a CO2-free power generation in a short-term future. In particular, three different power generation technologies have been considered in their conventional (without CCS) and CO2-free configurations: (a) ultra supercritical (USC) pulverized coal combustion, (b) oxy-coal combustion (OCC) and (c) integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). Process simulation, based on Aspen Plus and Gate Cycle commercial tools, allows to calculate plant performance, including the energy penalty due to the CCS system (10.9% points for USC and 8.7% points for IGCC). In parallel, a detailed economic assessment shows that, among the commercial-ready technologies, USC could be the most convenient solution for power generation without CCS (presenting a levelized cost of electricity - LCOE - of 38.6 (sic)/MW h, significantly lower than 43.7 (sic)/MW h of IGCC), whereas IGCC becomes competitive for CO2-free systems (with a LCOE of 59.6 (sic)/MW h, to be compared with 63.4 (sic)/MW h of USC). Moreover, oxy-coal combustion, which is currently not mature enough for commercial-scale applications, promises to become strongly competitive for CCS applications due to its relatively low levelized cost of electricity (62.8 (sic)/MW h). This kind of analysis typically presents strong uncertainties, due to the variability of several key parameters (e.g. fuel and CCS prices, determined by the fluctuation of the international markets, or an improvement of the technologies). Therefore, a sensitivity analysis has been done to determine the effects of these potential fluctuation or the improvement on the economic performance of the plant. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,IGCC; Oxy-combustion; Ultra supercritical pulverized coal combustion; Aspen Plus; Economic analysis; Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE),No (2)
Linear and nonlinear effects of temperature and precipitation on ecosystem properties in tidal saline wetlands,"Climate greatly influences the structure and functioning of tidal saline wetland ecosystems. However, there is a need to better quantify the effects of climatic drivers on ecosystem properties, particularly near climate-sensitive ecological transition zones. Here, we used climate- and literature-derived ecological data from tidal saline wetlands to test hypotheses regarding the influence of climatic drivers (i.e., temperature and precipitation regimes) on the following six ecosystem properties: canopy height, biomass, productivity, decomposition, soil carbon density, and soil carbon accumulation. Our analyses quantify and elucidate linear and nonlinear effects of climatic drivers. We quantified positive linear relationships between temperature and above-ground productivity and strong positive nonlinear (sigmoidal) relationships between (1) temperature and above-ground biomass and canopy height and (2) precipitation and canopy height. Near temperature-controlled mangrove range limits, small changes in temperature are expected to trigger comparatively large changes in biomass and canopy height, as mangrove forests grow, expand, and, in some cases, replace salt marshes. However, within these same transition zones, temperature-induced changes in productivity are expected to be comparatively small. Interestingly, despite the significant above-ground height, biomass, and productivity relationships across the tropical-temperate mangrove-marsh transition zone, the relationships between temperature and soil carbon density or soil carbon accumulation were not significant. Our literature review identifies several ecosystem properties and many regions of the world for which there are insufficient data to fully evaluate the influence of climatic drivers, and the identified data gaps can be used by scientists to guide future research. Our analyses indicate that near precipitation-controlled transition zones, small changes in precipitation are expected to trigger comparatively large changes in canopy height. However, there are scant data to evaluate the influence of precipitation on other ecosystem properties. There is a need for more decomposition data across climatic gradients, and to advance understanding of the influence of changes in precipitation and freshwater availability, additional ecological data are needed from tidal saline wetlands in arid climates. Collectively, our results can help scientists and managers better anticipate the linear and nonlinear ecological consequences of climate change for coastal wetlands.",2017,biomass; canopy height; climate change; coastal wetland; mangrove forest; nonlinear; precipitation; productivity; salt marsh; soil carbon; temperature; threshold,No (2)
Low-energy-penalty principles of CO2 capture in polygeneration systems,"Polygeneration is identified as an effective way to overcome the challenges of energy efficient utilization and CO2 emission reduction. This paper analyzes the energy saving mechanism and carbon reduction laws of decarbonized polygeneration systems, and discusses the compatibility of CO2 capture for different integral schemes. Based on the novel method of chemical exergy balance, two typical methanol-power polygeneration systems with CO2 recovery are analyzed in detail, and integral factors that indicate the level of energy cascade utilization and the compatibility with CO2 capture are proposed. Both polygeneration systems show large performance improvements compared to the single production systems, but the advantages of scheme (b), removing the composition adjustment and capturing CO2 from unrecycled gas after synthesis, are more prominent. This scheme has an excellent compatibility with CO2 recovery, and it shows a fairly optimal performance in the full working field. Further, according to the analysis of the integral factors, a higher CO2 recovery ratio is recommended for scheme (b), while a lower one is recommended when scheme (a) is employed. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Decarbonized polygeneration system; CO2 capture; Chemical exergy balance,No (2)
Tropical forest restoration: Fast resilience of plant biomass contrasts with slow recovery of stable soil C stocks,"Due to intensifying human disturbance, over half of the world's tropical forests are reforested or afforested secondary forests or plantations. Understanding the resilience of carbon (C) stocks in these forests, and estimating the extent to which they can provide equivalent carbon (C) sequestration and stabilization to the old growth forest they replace, is critical for the global C balance. In this study, we combined estimates of biomass C stocks with a detailed assessment of soil C pools in bare land, Eucalyptus plantation, secondary forest and natural old-growth forest after over 50years of forest restoration in a degraded tropical region of South China. We used isotope studies, density fractionation and physical fractionation to determine the age and stability of soil C pools at different soil depths. After 52years, the secondary forests had equivalent biomass C stocks to natural forest, whereas soil C stocks were still much higher in natural forest (97.42t/ha) than in secondary forest (58.75 t/ha) or Eucalyptus plantation (38.99t/ha) and lowest in bare land (19.9t/ha). Analysis of C-13 values revealed that most of the C in the soil surface horizons in the secondary forest was new C, with a limited increase of more recalcitrant old C, and limited accumulation of C in deeper soil horizons. However, occlusion of C in microaggregates in the surface soil layer was similar across forested sites, which suggests that there is great potential for additional soil C sequestration and stabilization in the secondary forest and Eucalyptus plantation. Collectively, our results demonstrate that reforestation on degraded tropical land can restore biomass C and surface soil C stocks within a few decades, but much longer recovery times are needed to restore recalcitrant C pools and C stocks at depth. Repeated harvesting and disturbance in rotation plantations had a substantial negative impact on the recovery of soil C stocks. We suggest that current calculations of soil C in secondary tropical forests (e.g. IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories) could overestimate soil C sequestration and stabilization levels in secondary forests and plantations. A is available for this article.",2017,C-13; biomass; C fractions; degraded land; plantation; secondary forest; stabilization; tropical forest,No (2)
Potential of Biochar to Mitigate Allelopathic Effects in Tropical Island Invasive Plants: Evidence From Seed Germination Trials,"Many tropical invasive species have strong allelopathic effects. Pyrolyzed waste biomass (""biochar'') has sorptive properties that can reduce the bioavailability of a variety of toxic organic compounds, including pesticides and naturally occurring phenolic acids; however, sorption of allelochemicals has received little attention. Strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum) and lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosa) are important tropical island invasives thought to be allelopathic. Leaf extracts of both species were treated with two biochars (made from maize stalk and coconut husk feedstocks) and applied to maize (Zea mays) and radish (Raphanus sativus) seeds in a factorial design involving leaf extract and biochar dosages. Leaf extracts of both species had large inhibitory effects on germination and seedling growth, particularly at higher dosages, consistent with allelopathic effects. Biochar treatments positively affected seed germination and early seedling development consistent with sorption of these allelochemicals; in some cases, ""rescue'' effects occurred, in which biochar treatments completely counteracted allelopathic effects. Biochar leachates alone also generally had positive effects on seed germination and seedling development. We conclude that biochars have promise as a tool for combatting invasive allelopathic plants in tropical island ecosystems. The relative ease of biochar production using ""low-tech'' methods, and multiple benefits of biochar in enhancing soil productivity and carbon sequestration, may make such an approach viable in many developing countries.",2017,allelopathy; biochar; ecological restoration; invasive species; tropical islands,No (2)
The Oxy-CaL process: A novel CO2 capture system by integrating partial oxy-combustion with the Calcium-Looping process,"This paper proposes a novel CO2 capture technology from the integration of partial oxy-combustion and the Calcium -Looping capture process based on the multicycle carbonation/calcination of limestone derived CaO. The concentration of CO2 in the carbonator reactor is increased by means of partial oxycombustion, which enhances the multicycle CaO conversion according to thermogravimetric analysis results carried out in our work, thus improving the CO2 capture efficiency. On the other hand, energy consumption for partial oxy-combustion is substantially reduced as compared to total oxy-combustion. All in all, process simulations indicate that the integration of both processes has potential advantages mainly regarding power plant flexibility whereas the overall energy penalty is not increased. Thus, the resulting energy consumption per kilogram of CO2 avoided is kept smaller than 4 MI/kg CO2, which remains below the typical values reported for total oxy-combustion and amine based CO2 capture systems whereas CO2 capture efficiency is enhanced in comparison with the Calcium -Looping process. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Calcium-Looping; Oxy-combustion; CCS; SPECCA,No (2)
The Need for Governance of Climate Geoengineering,"Keeping global temperature rise to within 1.5-2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels is looking increasingly unlikely through mitigation alone. While increased adaptation to inevitable climate impacts will be necessary, a new realism is creeping into the climate debate. A growing number of scientists are proposing geoengineering technologies to deal with the expected shortfall, both through carbon dioxide removal and possibly through solar radiation management. But both approaches bring risks and pose significant governance challenges, and would likely affect different communities in different ways. As geoengineering moves mainstream, it is time to put governance at the heart of future discussion, and to broaden the debate from academia to governments, treaty bodies, faith groups, and civic organizations. The Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative is a major new effort to catalyze this conversation, bringing together players from a wide range of social, geographical, and professional backgrounds. It argues that policymakers need to take an ethical risk management approach, informed by continued research. How should transborder and transgenerational ethical issues be addressed? How will governance frameworks withstand geopolitical change? Can we build on existing international treaties and institutions, or do we need new ones? And most immediately, how should further research on solar engineering be governedgiven current plans to start experiments in the stratosphere? In a geoengineered world, who controls the global thermostat?",2017,geoengineering; climate change; solar radiation management; carbon dioxide removal; governance; Paris Accord; mitigation,Yes (1)
Catalytic microwave pyrolysis of oil palm fiber (OPF) for the biochar production,"Microwave pyrolysis of oil palm fiber (OPF) with three types of Na-based catalysts was experimentally investigated to produce biochar. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium chloride (NaCl), and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) with purity 99.9% were selected for this investigation. Microwave muffle reactor (Model: HAMiab-C1500) with a microwave power controller including a microwave generator was used to perform the microwave pyrolysis. OPF particles were used after removing foreign materials, impurities, and dust. Microwave power ranges from 400 to 900 W, temperature ranges from 450 to 700 degrees C, and N-2 flow rates ranges from 200 to - 1200 cm(3)/min were used along with all three Na-based catalysts for this investigation. Lower microwave power, temperature, and N-2 flow rate have been found favorable for higher yield of biochar. NaOH is to be found as the more suitable catalyst than NaCl and Na2CO3 to produce biochar. A maximum biochar yield (51.42 wt%) has been found by using the catalysts NaOH at N-2 flow rate of 200 cm(3)/min. One sample of the biochar (maximum yield without catalysts) was selected for further characterization via thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), BET surface area, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and ultimate and proximate analysis. SEM and BET surface area analysis showed the presence of some pores in the biochar. High percentage of carbon (60.24 wt%) was also recorded in the sample biochar. The pores and high percentage of carbon of biochar have significant impact on soil fertilization by increasing the carbon sequestration in the soil. It assists to slow down the decomposition rate of nutrients from soil and therefore enhances the soil quality.",2017,Microwave pyrolysis; OPF; Biochar; Catalyst; Characterization,Yes (1)
Differential sensitivity to climate change of C and N cycling processes across soil horizons in a northern hardwood forest,"Climate of the northern hardwood forests of North America will become significantly warmer in the coming decades. Associated increases in soil temperature, decreases in water availability and changes in winter snow pack and soil frost are likely to affect soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. Most studies of the effects of climate change on soil function have focused on the upper-organic part of the soil profile (e.g., forest floor), and little is known about effects on deeper mineral soil horizons. We exploited an elevation/orientation gradient at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (New Hampshire, USA) to evaluate how variation in climate, similar to that projected to occur over the next 50-100 years, affects soil C and N pools and transformation rates in different soil horizons of northern hardwood forests. Lower elevation, south-facing plots with higher soil temperature, less soil moisture and snow, and increased frequency of soil freeze/thaw events had less soil inorganic N content and lower potential net N mineralization rates compared to higher elevation, north facing plots. These differences in N pools and fluxes were consistent for all soil horizons, but sensitivity to climate variation increased with soil depth, confirming that assessments of climate change effects that do not consider variation throughout the soil profile are likely to be incomplete and potentially inaccurate. Nitrogen cycling processes were more sensitive to climate variation than C cycling processes, suggesting a decoupling of C and N cycles in coming decades, with important implications for ecosystem function. Soil processes showed greater sensitivity to climate variation in summer than in spring, and in the warmer and less snowy year of sampling, suggesting that the effects of climate change might become More pronounced as temperatures increase and snow fall and water availability decrease in the coming decades. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Carbon; Nitrogen; Forest soil; Global warming; Snow; Frost,No (2)
Impact of Different Driving Cycles and Operating Conditions on CO2 Emissions and Energy Management Strategies of a Euro-6 Hybrid Electric Vehicle,"Although Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) represent one of the key technologies to reduce CO2 emissions, their effective potential in real world driving conditions strongly depends on the performance of their Energy Management System (EMS) and on its capability to maximize the efficiency of the powertrain in real life as well as during Type Approval (TA) tests. Attempting to close the gap between TA and real world CO2 emissions, the European Commission has decided to introduce from September 2017 the Worldwide Harmonized Light duty Test Procedure (WLTP), replacing the previous procedure based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). The aim of this work is the analysis of the impact of different driving cycles and operating conditions on CO2 emissions and on energy management strategies of a Euro-6 HEV through the limited number of information available from the chassis dyno tests. The vehicle was tested considering different initial battery State of Charge (SOC), ranging from 40% to 65%, and engine coolant temperatures, from -7 degrees C to 70 degrees C. The change of test conditions from NEDC to WLTP was shown to lead to a significant reduction of the electric drive and to about a 30% increase of CO2 emissions. However, since the specific energy demand of WLTP is about 50% higher than that of NEDC, these results demonstrate that the EMS strategies of the tested vehicle can achieve, in test conditions closer to real life, even higher efficiency levels than those that are currently evaluated on the NEDC, and prove the effectiveness of HEV technology to reduce CO2 emissions.",2017,Hybrid Electric Vehicles; CO2 emissions; WLTP; NEDC,No (2)
Environmental application of biochar: Current status and perspectives,"In recent years, there has been a significant interest on biochar for various environmental applications, e.g., pollutants removal, carbon sequestration, and soil amelioration. Biochar has several unique properties, which makes it an efficient, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly material for diverse contaminants removal. The variability in physicochemical properties (e.g., surface area, microporosity, and pH) provides an avenue for biochar to maximize its efficacy to targeted applications. This review aims to highlight the vital role of surface architecture of biochar in different environmental applications. Particularly, it provides a critical review of current research updates related to the pollutants interaction with surface functional groups of biochars and the effect of the parameters variability on biochar attributes pertinent to specific pollutants removal, involved mechanisms, and competence for these removals. Moreover, future research directions of biochar research are also discussed.",2017,Biochar; Contaminant removal; Pyrolysis; Adsorption; Functional group,No (2)
The prospective use of biochar as adsorption matrix - A review from a lifecycle perspective,"Biochar is obtained from the thermochemical conversion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment. Beyond its use for soil amendment and carbon sequestration, other value-added applications, such as a green environmental sorbent for different types of pollutants, are also of increasing interest. This paper reviews the available literature on the use of various feedstocks for biochar production as an initial step to compile the required inventory data from material flow data analysis. The environmental evaluation of different schemes of biochar production in a life cycle perspective reports the environmental impacts of the different alternatives, with more sustainable profiles than the use of activated carbon as conventional adsorption material. Moreover, most systems were validated as negative carbon processes with favorable performance regarding climate change mitigation. In particular, materials based on lignocellulosic waste were responsible for the highest environmental benefits, mainly due to their largest energy potential in comparison with other feedstocks.",2017,Biochar; Pyrolysis; Life cycle assessment (LCA); Activated carbon,No (2)
Vulnerability of wetland soil carbon stocks to climate warming in the perhumid coastal temperate rainforest,"The perhumid coastal temperate rainforest (PCTR) of southeast Alaska has some of the densest soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in the world (> 300 Mg C ha(-1)) but the fate of this SOC with continued warming remains largely unknown. We quantified dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and carbon dioxide (CO2) yields from four different wetland types (rich fen, poor fen, forested wetland and cedar wetland) using controlled laboratory incubations of surface (10 cm) and subsurface (25 cm) soils incubated at 8 and 15 A degrees C for 37 weeks. Furthermore, we used fluorescence characterization of DOC and laboratory bioassays to assess how climate-induced soil warming may impact the quality and bioavailability of DOC delivered to fluvial systems. Soil temperature was the strongest control on SOC turnover, with wetland type and soil depth less important in controlling CO2 flux and extractable DOC. The high temperature incubation increased average CO2 yield by similar to 40 and similar to 25% for DOC suggesting PCTR soils contain a sizeable pool of readily biodegradable SOC that can be mineralized to DOC and CO2 with future climate warming. Fluxes of CO2 were positively correlated to both extractable DOC and percent bioavailable DOC during the last few months of the incubation suggesting mineralization of SOC to DOC is a strong control of soil respiration rates. Whether the net result is increased export of either carbon form will depend on the balance between the land to water transport of DOC and the ability of soil microbial communities to mineralize DOC to CO2.",2017,Dissolved organic carbon; Carbon dioxide; Soil organic carbon turnover; Soil respiration; Dissolved organic carbon bioavailability,No (2)
"Carbon dioxide storage schemes: Technology, assessment and deployment","Carbon Capture and Storage is the only technology available to mitigate large-scale greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel based power and industrial sectors in the near future. When technology to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) is relatively mature and commercially available for power and industrial sectors, safe, reliable and long-term storage of captured CO2 remains a key uncertainty affecting widespread deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage technology yet. In this paper, the authors assessed techno-economic aspects of geological CO2 storage options, from CO2 transportations, various geological storage approaches, to CO2 leakage monitoring. Compared with depleted oil/gas reservoirs and coal seams, deep saline aquifers possess much larger storage capacities and may be possibly near many CO2 emission sites due to widespread distributions. If CO2 storage is combined with enhanced industrial production (e.g. oil, natural gas), it has a greater potential to reducing the overall cost of CO2 storage. Potential CO2 leakage may be the main barriers to the development of CO2 geological storage. It is recommended to make full use of big data mining approach in selection and approval of CO2 geological sites, estimation of storage capacities, assessment of potential leakage risks, awarding of carbon credits, as well as analysis of public acceptation. At the same time, as a leakage-free CO2 storage option, CO2 mineralization & industrial utilization is to trap CO2 permanently in stable minerals by reactions with metal oxides and forming stable carbonates. These CO2 mineralization & industrial utilization schemes need to guarantee sustainable or environmentally friendly processes and satisfy basic principles of industrial ecology if implemented on a large industrial scale. Currently, most of CO2 storage schemes are still in the early stage of technological development and are still far from large-scale commercialization. The high cost, high energy penalty, safety and reliability, and policy uncertainties are main barriers for the implement of carbon storage schemes. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Carbon dioxide storage; Deep saline aquifers; Enhanced industrial production; CO2 mineralization and industrial utilization; Big data,No (2)
3D-Printed Metal-Organic Framework Monoliths for Gas Adsorption Processes,"Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown promising performance in separation, adsorption, reaction, and storage of various industrial gases; however, their large-scale applications have been hampered by the lack of a proper strategy to formulate them into scalable gas solid contactors. Herein, we report the fabrication of MOF monoliths using the 3D printing technique and evaluation of their adsorptive performance in CO, removal from air. The 3D-printed MOF-74(Ni) and UTSA-16(Co) monoliths with MOF loadings as high as 80 and 85 wt %, respectively, were developed, and their physical and structural properties were characterized and compared with those of MOF powders. Our adsorption experiments showed that, upon exposure to 5000 ppm (0.5%) CO, at 25 degrees C, the MOF-74(Ni) and UTSA-16(Co) monoliths can adsorb CO, with uptake capacities of 1.35 and 1.31 mmol/g, respectively, which are 79% and 87% of the capacities of their MOF analogues under the same conditions. Furthermore, a stable performance was obtained for self-standing 3D -printed monolithic structures with relatively good adsorption kinetics. The preliminary findings reported in this investigation highlight the advantage of the robocasting (3D printing) technique for shaping MOF materials into practical configurations that are suitable for various gas separation applications.",2017,3D printing self-standing monolith; MOF-74(Ni); UTSA-16(Co); CO2 capture,No (2)
Life cycle environmental and economic performance of biochar compared with activated carbon: A meta-analysis,"As the commercial production and distribution of biochar continues to grow internationally, and its applications diversifying from its early uses as soil amendment, it is important to study the environmental impacts and economic performance of biochar in comparison to activated carbon in order to assess its value. The goal of the study was to assess, through a meta-analysis, the environmental and economic performance of biochar in comparison to activated carbon under an equivalent functional unit to adsorb heavy metals. More than 80 data points on adsorption capacity of biochar and activated carbon were identified through literature, which were statistically analyzed as part of the study. Biochar was found to have lower energy demand and global warming potential impact than activated carbon, where average energy demands were calculated as 6.1 MJ/kg and 97 MJ/kg and average greenhouse gas emissions calculated as -0.9 kg CO(2)eq/kg and 6.6 kg CO(2')eq/kg for biochar and activated carbon, respectively. When adsorption of heavy metals were used as the functional unit during analysis, results indicate that there is typically an order of magnitude difference between the two materials, where biochar was found to have lower environmental impacts. The environmental impact resulting from long distance transportation of biochar would not overturn this conclusion. The adsorption cost of biochar was lower than activated carbon to remove chromium and zinc with a 95% confidence. Adsorption cost for lead and copper were found to be comparable, and therefore the specific type of biochar and its price could shift results both ways. There is evidence that biochar, if engineered correctly for the task, could be at least as effective as activated carbon and at a lower cost. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2017,Biochar; Activated carbon; Heavy metal adsorption; Environmental impact; Economic analysis; Transportation impact,No (2)
"Consistent temperature sensitivity of labile soil organic carbon mineralization along an elevation gradient in the Wuyi Mountains, China","Labile soil organic carbon (LOC) is an essential component in the global carbon (C) cycling due to its fast turnover and sensitivity to environmental changes. However, responses of the mineralization of LOC to current global warming are still not fully understood. In this study, we investigated LOC mineralization at 5, 15, 25 and 35 C incubation temperatures through laboratory incubation of soil samples and estimated the temperature sensitivity of LOC mineralization at various temperature ranges (i.e. 5-15, 15-25, and 25-35 degrees C) in an evergreen broad-leaf forest (EBF), a coniferous forest (CF), a sub-alpine dwarf forest (SDF), and an alpine meadow (AM) along an elevation gradient in the Wuyi Mountains in southeastern China. Our results showed that mineralization of LOC significantly increased along the elevation gradient and with increasing incubation temperatures. The interaction of elevation and incubation temperatures was additive on LOC mineralization. Moreover, the temperature sensitivity (Q(10)) of LOC mineralization significantly decreased with increasing incubation temperature ranges. However, elevation gradient had no statistically significant impact on Q(10) within each incubation temperature range. Our results suggest that soil organic C (SOC) at high elevations is more vulnerable to global warming. Moreover, consistent Q(10) of LOC mineralization along the elevation gradient indicates that locally, C quality maybe a minor factor in affecting LOC mineralization and it may be adequate to use a constant Q(10) value to represent the response of LOC mineralization to warming in regional climate-C cycling models.",2017,Temperature sensitivity; Labile soil organic carbon; Mineralization; Elevation gradient; Vegetation types; The wuyi mountains,No (2)
Innovative system for biochemical monitoring of degraded soils restoration,"Inappropriate agricultural practices, combined with adverse environmental and climatic factors, make the soil particularly prone to intense degradation processes, especially in Mediterranean area. The present work was aimed at demonstrating the viability of the addition of stabilized organic matter and the plantation of autochthonous species as an environmental approach to recover and to protect the soil in areas with high risk of degradation processes. Two sites (about 360 m(2) each), located in two different pedoclimatic areas in Italy (North and South of Italy), have been set up for the experimentation. Each one was divided in four plots and assigned to a different treatment with the aim of evaluating the single and combined effect of plants (Pinus halepensis and Pistacia lentiscus) and organic amendment (compost) on soil quality improvement. Conventional chemical-physical parameters usually related to soil fertility along with more sensitive biochemical and biological indicators of soil quality and functionality have been used as innovative integrated characterization and monitoring methodology. The selected parameters clearly discriminated the two sites and a higher soil quality and functionality was generally observed in Northern with respect to Southern Italy sites. The results of soil characterization showed that microbial metabolism and carbon cycle were strictly interrelated each other and positively affected by the organic matter, immediately after addition (TO). Total C and humic substances content increased, over time, in both the amended soils (OM and OM + P) compared to the control soil without amendment, as well as dehydrogenase and hydrolytic enzymes ((beta-glucosidase and phosphatase) activities. Compost application was also effective in decreasing the biomarkers of plant oxidative stress. Indeed, SOD, APX and GPX enzyme activities in needles of Pinus halepensis and in leaves of Pistacia lentiscus were reduced in presence of compost. Similarly, after eighteen months from the beginning of the experimentation (T18), the plant remediation strategy has showed its effectiveness in soil quality amelioration in terms of total C, humic substances content and biochemical activities in the North of Italy site. In the South of Italy, the plant treatment without amendment, in spite of the fact that it stimulated the soil functionality, was not able to promote the C sequestration in soil. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2017,Reforestation; Soil rehabilitation; Organic matter; Enzyme activities,No (2)
Perspectives on water-facilitated CO2 capture materials,"Efficient separation of CO2 from other gases has become an issue of world-wide concern. Intrigued by the fascinating carbonic anhydrase-catalysed CO2 hydration and deprotonation in biological organisms, researchers have found that water can play a significant role in fast and selective CO2 transport (e.g. facilitating transport, salting-out effect, swelling, synergic sorption, etc.) and have managed to fabricate super CO2 capture materials by judiciously introducing water into solids. Considering that water usually exists in industrial CO2 resources and often acts as a negative impurity due to competitive sorption and pore blockage, exploring CO2 capture materials with the aid of water has become an important emerging strategy to provide general and excellent paradigms for practical CO2 capture technologies. In this sense, we propose a new concept, ""water-facilitated CO2 capture (WFCC) materials"", which refers to solid materials (either adsorbents or membranes) with a remarkable improvement in CO2 capture performance due to entrapped water. In this way, we endeavor to answer an important question: when and how water contributes to this drastic enhancement. Strategies to avoid the negative effects of water and to enable WFCC are also tentatively proposed.",2017,,No (2)
Cropping systems affect paddy soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks (in rice-garlic and rice-fava systems) in temperate region of southern China,"The accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural soils is critical to food security and climate change. However, there is still limited information on the dynamic trend of SOC sequestration following changes in cropping systems. Paddy soils, typical of temperate region of southern China, have a large potential for carbon (C) sequestration and nitrogen (N) fixation. It is of great importance to study the impacts of changes in cropping systems on stocks of SOC and total nitrogen (TN) in paddy soils. A six-year field experiment was conducted to clarify the dynamics of SOC and TN stocks in the paddy topsoil (0-20 cm) when crop rotation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) -garlic (Allium sativum) (RG) was changed to rice-fava (Vicia faba L.) (RF), and to examine how the dynamics were affected by two N management strategies. The results showed that SOC stocks increased by 24.9% in the no N (control) treatment and by 18.9% in the treatment applied with conventional rate of N (CON), when RG was changed to RF. Correspondingly, TN stocks increased by 8.5% in the control but decreased by 2.6% in the CON. Compared with RG, RF was more conducive to increase the contents of soil microbial biomass C and N. Moreover, changing the cropping system from RG to RF increased the year-round N use efficiency from 21.6% to 34.4% and reduced soil N surplus in the CON treatment from 547 kg/ha to 93 kg/ha. In conclusion, changes in the cropping system from RG to RF could markedly increase SOC stocks, improve N utilization, reduce soil N surplus, and thus reduce the risk of N loss in the paddy soil. Overall, this study showed the potential of paddy agro-ecological systems to store C and maintain N stocks in the temperate regions. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2017,Nitrogen balance; Paddy soil; Rice-fava system; Rice-garlic system; Soil organic carbon stock; Total nitrogen stock,Yes (1)
Model-Based Assessment of the CO2 Sequestration Potential of Coastal Ocean Alkalinization,"The potential of coastal ocean alkalinization (COA), a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) climate engineering strategy that chemically increases ocean carbon uptake and storage, is investigated with an Earth system model of intermediate complexity. The CDR potential and possible environmental side effects are estimated for various COA deployment scenarios, assuming olivine as the alkalinity source in ice-free coastal waters (about 8.6% of the global ocean's surface area), with dissolution rates being a function of grain size, ambient seawater temperature, and pH. Our results indicate that for a large-enough olivine deployment of small-enough grain sizes (10 mu m), atmospheric CO2 could be reduced by more than 800 GtC by the year 2100. However, COA with coarse olivine grains (1000 mu m) has little CO2 sequestration potential on this time scale. Ambitious CDR with fine olivine grains would increase coastal aragonite saturation Omega to levels well beyond those that are currently observed. When imposing upper limits for aragonite saturation levels (Omega(lim)) in the grid boxes subject to COA (Omega(lim) = 3.4 and 9 chosen as examples), COA still has the potential to reduce atmospheric CO2 by 265 GtC (Omega(lim) = 3.4) to 790 GtC (Omega(lim) = 9) and increase ocean carbon storage by 290 Gt (Omega(lim) = 3.4) to 913 Gt (Omega(lim) = 9) by year 2100.",2017,ocean alkalinization; weathering enhancement; geoengineering; negative emission; climate mitigation; climate engineering,No (2)
Mercury capture by a structured Au/C regenerable sorbent under oxycoal combustion representative and real conditions,"The environmental implications of mercury do not correspond only to the emissions to the atmosphere; the quality of the captured CO2 to be transported and sequestered has been subject of research, concerning trace quantities of heavy metals participating in mineralization and precipitation reactions in sequestration conditions. For oxycoal combustion, mercury is not an environmental issue alone but also an operational issue, particularly about where mercury could accumulate within the CO2 processing unit. Therefore, Hg removal is necessary to prevent its attack on the aluminium heat exchangers. In this work, a regenerable sorbent based on carbon supported Au nanoparticles (0.1% wt) has been used for Hg capture under oxycoal combustion atmosphere. The influence of the presence of O-2, NO, SO2 and HCl in a gas containing Hg and CO2 on the sorbent as well as on the Hg oxidation (Au can act as an oxidation catalyst) has been evaluated under a simulated flue gas. The presence of either NO or HCl in the simulated flue gas led to mercury oxidation, with oxidized mercury not evolving in the gas, indicating that it is retained on the sorbent; the oxidized mercury is well stabilized on Au surfaces of the sorbent and favours the Hg-Au amalgam formation. This sorbent has been also evaluated in 3 kWth oxycoal bubbling fluidized bed combustor. A lignite with high sulphur content was burned in presence of limestone. Despite high SO2 concentration that reached the Au/C sorbent, high capture efficiency was achieved and breakthrough occurred after 3.5 h and 10% breakthrough is not reached during the experiments. Bearing in mind that regeneration time can be adjusted near 1 h, two swing sorbent beds could be used to control mercury emissions under oxycoal combustion conditions. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Mercury retention; Regenerable sorbent; Oxycoal combustion,No (2)
CO2 Capture from Sulphur Recovery Unit Tail Gas by Shell Cansolv Technology,"A significant driver for the climate change effect is CO2 emission from the sources where fossil fuel is consumed to generate energy. Capturing and sequestration of CO2 from these emission sources is a practical way to mitigate GHG emission impact. However the cost of CCS projects has been a major obstacle to implementing these technologies worldwide. Two main aspects which influence the cost of a CO2 capture project are the CO2 utilization pathway and the CO2 capture technology selection. CO2-Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) can be a very good potential pathway to increase the revenue of the CCS project. CO2-EOR also can be an attractive way of using CO2 in areas such as Middle East where the oil and gas reservoirs are mature. However one of the main constraints can be limited access to CO2 especially where no power plant is close to a potential oil reservoir. For technology selection, the choice is typically between Pre- and Post-Combustion. Pre-combustion CO2 capture technologies have been deployed in oil refineries &amp; gas processing plants for decades, but the main source for CO2 emissions in these facilities is often off-gas (also known as acid gas) which is usually sent to the flare system or incinerator. These off-gases are at low pressure, so a compression system is required to pressurize the gas before sending it to the Pre-combustion CO2 capture unit. On the other hand, Post-combustion CO2 capture technology can often require an additional desulfurization step to remove SO2 which can potentially result to higher operational and capital cost as well as waste management and complexity of operation. This paper will discuss the deployment of Shell Cansolv technology to capture CO2 from off-gas downstream of the Sulfur Recovery Unit (SRU) in a single train, potentially as a new CCS application in the oil and gas sectors. The off-gas from Tail Gas Treatment Unit (TGTU) downstream of the SRU will usually contain a higher amount of CO2 compared to coal and gas power plants. The absorption affinity of Shell Cansolv solvent at low pressure off-gas compared to other pre-combustion technologies allows the elimination of the primary compression system located upstream of the CO2 capture unit. Since there is H2S slippage from the TGTU absorber overhead, the amine should be characterized in terms of absorption affinity and stability in the reduced environment. The impact of H2S on amine performance in terms of degradation has been investigated in comparison to a post-combustion application where H2S is incinerated and converted to SOx. SOx contaminates amine to form Heat Stable Salt (HSS), so it needs to be removed prior to the post-combustion CO2 capture unit in a separate FGD unit (Flue Gas Desulfurization). Shell Cansolv DC amine in pre-combustion lineup absorbs both H2S and CO2 in a single absorber so incinerator and FGD unit is not required compared to post-combustion applications. Shell Cansolv DC amine has been tested to remove up to 99% CO2 which is higher than the 90% typical capture rate for most post-combustion applications. The other advantage of this application is the ability to operate at high temperature (∼60 C). This is often a key design parameter especially in the Middle East where most applications are considered hot climate applications. All design parameters of the CO2 capture unit such as liquid per gas ratio (L/G), stripping factor at the regenerator side and absorber packing height have been evaluated and optimized to reduce both capital and operational costs of the project. Eventually, in a case study, an economic comparison was conducted and the result indicated potentially more than 40% reduction in the cost of a CO2 capture unit as well as same magnitude increase in Net Present Value (NPV) compared to pre-combustion technology. © 2017 The Authors.",2017,,No (2)
Measuring territorial specialization in tourism sector: The basilicata region case study,"From the beginning of the 21st century, following major European and global initiatives such as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) [1, 2] and The Economics of Ecosystem and Biodiversity [3], the idea that Ecosystem services could be used as a decision support tool, it gained considerable importance in several fields: from economy to public policy, from territorial planning to environmental assessment. This research is part of the methodological framework of an important strategic reference: the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and international research project which rank the ecosystem services to identify the state of the latter, accessing the consequences of ecosystem changes on human well-being. According to the MA [1], they are grouped into four categories: supplying services (food and fiber production, water production, biological and cosmetics production etc.), regulation services (maintenance of the air quality, climate regulation, flood regulation, erosion or drought, pollination, water purification, etc.), cultural services (cultural diversity, recreational or spiritual services, aesthetic values, ecotourism etc.), and support services (carbon sequestration, soil formation, etc.). This classification in the most widespread and used in ecosystem studies because is easy to understand its logic and it can define fixed categories. Starting from this classification, the work done contributes to build interpretative models for the evaluation of a relevant part of the fourth class of ecosystem services: the territorial tourism attractiveness. © Springer International Publishing AG 2017.",2017,,No (2)
Modeling of Gas Exsolution for CO2/brine Surface Dissolution Strategy,"CO2/brine surface dissolution strategy is perceived as one of the safest technologies for geological carbon sequestration (GCS) as it emphasizes the total dissolution of capture CO2 in the extracted brine and eliminates the risks associated with buoyant escape of free CO2 gas. Keeping CO2 in solution would require terminating the storage operation when the fluid front of injected CO2-saturated brine arrives at the contour of bubble point pressure in the storage reservoir. This complicates the operation and reduces the storage efficiency. To assess whether allowing a free gas phase to form would pose unacceptable risk, we conducted simulations of continuous injection until the injected CO2-saturated brine breaks through at the production well. We quantify the gas saturation profile by combining fractional flow theory and fluid flow model. We use two limiting cases for the mobility of free gas, one assumes exsolved gas remains immobile at all saturations and the other assumes gas flow with the maximum mobility. Both limits yield similar gas saturations formed within the two-phase fluid region, which is small (about 1%) in our case study, thus the risk associated with this small gas saturation is low, regardless of different relative permeability models. The accumulation time has a first-order effect on gas saturation, and it can be reduced by increasing the flow rate or methods that make the location of bubble point pressure close to the extraction well. © 2017 The Authors.",2017,,No (2)
Reduced Local Emissions and Long-term Carbon Storage through Pyrolysis of Agricultural Waste and Application of Pyrolysis Char for Soil Improvement,"The direct storage of biologically stable pyrolysis char in soils is discussed as a low-tech below zero emission technology option with positive side-effects. A rotary kiln pyrolysis process, which has already been successfully applied at industrial scale before, is selected as the reference technology. Cotton stalks are considered as feed for the pyrolysis plant, representing a typical agricultural by-product with short rotation times. The plant efficiency is calculated for the case that the thermal energy that runs the pyrolysis process is provided by combustion of a part of the pyrolysis gas, while pyrolysis oil is provided as a product. The remaining pyrolysis gas powers a gas engine-based combined heat and power (CHP) island. 100% of fuel power fed with the biomass are distributed as follows (based on the lower heating value): 52% stay in the biochar, 13% in the pyrolysis oil, 10% are converted to electric power in the CHP plant, and, finally 15% are available as heat at a temperature span between forward and back flow of 100 °C/70 °C and may be used on-site for drying of agricultural products and pyrolysis feedstock. A rough comparison of the proposed process to biomass power generation substituting coal-fired power generation shows that the net effects on the carbon balance are comparable, but additional carbon-neutral energy streams are generated in the pyrolysis case. © 2017 The Authors.",2017,,Yes (1)
Bio-energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS): Opportunities for efficiency improvement,,2017,,No (2)
"Free-standing, spider-web-like polyamide/carbon nanotube composite nanofibrous membrane impregnated with polyethyleneimine for CO2 capture","Particle-shaped sorbent materials have great potential for energy-efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and separations, but a major hurdle is the lack of mechanical strength and flexibility. The ability to solve this problem would have broad technological implications for CO2 capture; despite of many past efforts, it remains a great challenge to achieve alternative adsorption materials for stabilized CO2 capture. Herein, we develop an effective spider-web-like fibrous sorbent via electrospinning and subsequent impregnation approach. Polyamide-6/carbon nanotube (PA/CNT) nano-fiber/nets composite membrane comprising of common electrospun nanofibers and two-dimensional (2D) spider-web-like nano-nets has been used as porous substrate for polyethylenimine (PEI) impregnation, which exhibits several fundamental characteristics, such as open porosity and good interconnectivity. The physicochemical properties are characterized by N2 adsorption/desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. The optimal PEI loading on PA/CNT nano-fiber/nets composite is determined to be 75 wt% with a CO2 adsorption capacity of 51 mg/g-sorbent at 25 °C. In addition, the developed adsorbent can be regenerated easily at 105 °C, and it exhibits excellent regenerability and stability. These results indicate that this PEI impregnated PA/CNT nanofibrous sorbent has a good potential for CO2 capture in the future. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd",2017,,No (2)
Exhaust gas recirculation at elevated pressure using a FLOX® combustor,"To reduce CO2 emissions from the combustion of fossil and alternative fuels, carbon capture technologies present a promising approach. But the efficiency of the capture process depends on the CO2 concentration in the exhaust gas which is relatively low for gas turbine power plants. Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is a promising approach to increase the CO2 concentration in the exhaust gas stream and thus reduce the energy losses. In this study a FLOX® combustor was used to investigate the influence of EGR on the combustion process of natural gas at elevated pressure. The combustor stabilizes the flame without use of swirl, by creating a strong recirculation through high momentum injection of the fresh gas into the combustion chamber. This enables the establishment of a distributed combustion zone, which promises advantages for the use of gas mixtures with low reactivity like those occurring in EGR processes. At a pressure of 5 bar it was possible to increase the CO2 concentration in the exhaust gas up to 7 vol%, which is already enough to realize an efficient CO2 capture process. At 10 bar the CO2 concentration could be increased to 9 vol%. The changes in flame stabilization due to pressure increase and different EGR rates are investigated by OH∗-chemiluminescence imaging and discussed. The contribution of auto-ignition and flame propagation to flame stabilization is estimated by a kinetic model calculation. Copyright © 2017 ASME ?Corresponding author: peter.kutne@dlr.de.",2017,,No (2)
The use of carbon adsorbents for the removal of perfluoroalkyl acids from potable reuse systems,"Bench- and pilot-scale sorption tests were used to probe the performance of several biochars at removing perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) from field waters, compared to granular activated carbon (GAC). Screening tests using organic matter-free water resulted in hardwood (HWC) (K-d = 41 L g(-1)) and pinewood (PWC) (K-d = 49 L g(-1)) biochars having the highest perfiuorooctanoic acid (PFOA) removal performance that was comparable to bituminous coal GAC (K-d = 41 L g(-1)). PWC and HWC had a stronger affinity for PFOA sorbed in Lake Mead surface water (K-F = 11 mg((1-n)) L-n g(-1)) containing a lower (2 mg L-1) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration than in a tertiary-filtered wastewater (K-F = 8 mg((1-n)) L-n g(-1)) with DOC of 4.9 mg L-1. A pilot-scale study was performed using three parallel adsorbers (GAC, anthracite, and HWC biochar) treating the same tertiary-filtered wastewater. Compared to HWC, and anthracite, GAC was the most effective in mitigating perfiuoropentanoic acid (PFPnA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PHxA), PFOA, perfiuorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and DOC (45-67% removed at 4354 bed volumes) followed by HWC, and then anthracite. Based on bench- and pilot-scale results, shorter-chain PFAA [perfluorobutanoic acid.(PFBA), PFPnA, or PFHxA] were more difficult to remove with both biochar and GAC than the longer-chain, PFOS and PFOA. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Biochar; Perfluoroalkyl acids; Sorption; Pilot adsorbers; Activated carbon,No (2)
Future productivity and phenology changes in European grasslands for different warming levels: implications for grassland management and carbon balance,"Background: Europe has warmed more than the global average (land and ocean) since pre-industrial times, and is also projected to continue to warm faster than the global average in the twenty-first century. According to the climate models ensemble projections for various climate scenarios, annual mean temperature of Europe for 2071-2100 is predicted to be 1-5.5 degrees C higher than that for 1971-2000. Climate change and elevated CO2 concentration are anticipated to affect grassland management and livestock production in Europe. However, there has been little work done to quantify the European-wide response of grassland to future cl imate change. Here we applied ORCHIDEE-GM v2.2, a grid-based model for managed grassland, over European grassland to estimate the impacts of future global change. Results: Increases in grassland productivity are simulated in response to future global change, which are mainly attributed to the simulated fertilization effect of rising CO2. The results show significant phenology shifts, in particular an earlier winter-spring onset of grass growth over Europe. A longer growing season is projected over southern and southeastern Europe. In other regions, summer drought causes an earlier end to the growing season, overall reducing growing season length. Future global change allows an increase of management intensity with higher than current potential annual grass forage yield, grazing capacity and livestock density, and a shift in seasonal grazing capacity. We found a continual grassland soil carbon sink in Mediterranean, Alpine, North eastern, South eastern and Eastern regions under specific warming level (SWL) of 1.5 and 2 degrees C relative to pre-industrial climate. However, this carbon sink is found to saturate, and gradually turn to a carbon source at warming level reaching 3.5 degrees C. Conclusions: This study provides a European-wide assessment of the future changes in productivity and phenology of grassland, and their consequences for the management intensity and the carbon balance. The simulated productivity increase in response to future global change enables an intensification of grassland management over Europe. However, the simulated increase in the interannual variability of grassland productivity over some regions may reduce the farmers' ability to take advantage of the increased long-term mean productivity in the face of more frequent, and more severe drops of productivity in the future.",2017,European grassland; Grassland management; Phenology; Warming levels; Climate change,No (2)
Predicting and experimental evaluating bio-electrochemical synthesis - A case study with Clostridium kluyveri,"Microbial electrosynthesis is a highly promising application of microbial electrochemical technologies for the sustainable production of organic compounds. At the same time a multitude of questions need to be answered and challenges to be met. Central for its further development is using appropriate electroactive microorganisms and their efficient extracellular electron transfer (EET) as well as wiring of the metabolism to EET. Among others, Clostridia are believed to represent electroactive microbes being highly promising for microbial electrosynthesis. We investigated the potential steps and challenges for the bio-electrochemical fermentation (electro-fermentation) of mid-chain organic acids using Clostridium kluyveri. Starting from a metabolic model the potential limitations of the metabolism as well as beneficial scenarios for electrochemical stimulation were identified and experimentally investigated. C. kluyveri was shown to not be able to exchange electrons with an electrode directly. Therefore, exogenous mediators (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, potassium ferrocyanide, neutral red, methyl viologen, methylene blue, and the macrocyclic cobalt hexaamine [Co(trans-diammac)](3+)) were tested for their toxicity and electro-fermentations were performed in 1 L bioreactors covering 38 biotic and 8 abiotic runs. When using C. kluyveri and mediators, maximum absolute current densities higher than the abiotic controls were detected for all runs. At the same time, no significant impact on the cell metabolism (product formation, carbon recovery, growth rate) was found. From this observation, we deduce general potential limitations of electro-fermentations with C. kluyveri and discuss strategies to successfully overcome them. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2017,Microbial electrosynthesis; Reverse beta-Oxidation; Electrochemically steered fermentation; Mediated electron transfer; Electro-fermentation,No (2)
"Resource Recovery from Wastewater by Biological Technologies: Opportunities, Challenges, and Prospects","imits in resource availability are driving a change in current societal production systems, changing the focus from residues treatment, such as wastewater treatment, toward resource recovery. Biotechnological processes offer an economic and versatile way to concentrate and transform resources from waste/wastewater into valuable products, which is a prerequisite for the technological development of a cradle-to-cradle bio-based economy. This review identifies emerging technologies that enable resource recovery across the wastewater treatment cycle. As such, bioenergy in the form of biohydrogen (by photo and dark fermentation processes) and biogas (during anaerobic digestion processes) have been classic targets, whereby, direct transformation of lipidic biomass into biodiesel also gained attention. This concept is similar to previous biofuel concepts, but more sustainable, as third generation biofuels and other resources can be produced from waste biomass. The production of high value biopolymers (e.g., for bioplastics manufacturing) from organic acids, hydrogen, and methane is another option for carbon recovery. The recovery of carbon and nutrients can be achieved by organic fertilizer production, or single cell protein generation (depending on the source) which may be utilized as feed, feed additives, next generation fertilizers, or even as probiotics. Additionlly, chemical oxidation-reduction and bioelectrochemical systems can recover inorganics or synthesize organic products beyond the natural microbial metabolism. Anticipating the next generation of wastewater treatment plants driven by biological recovery technologies, this review is focused on the generation and re-synthesis of energetic resources and key resources to be recycled as raw materials in a cradle-to-cradle economy concept.",2017,circular economy; cradle-to-cradle; resource recovery; water-energy nexus; biological processes; wastewater treatment,No (2)
Changes in heavy metal mobility and availability from contaminated wetland soil remediated with combined biochar-compost.,"The combination of biochar and compost has been proven to be effective in heavy metals contaminated wetland soil restoration. However, the influence of different proportions between biochar and compost on immobilization of heavy metals in soil has been less studied up to date. Therefore, we investigated the effect of different ratios of biochar-compost mixtures on availability and speciation distribution of heavy metals (Cd, Zn and Cu) in wetland soil. The results showed that applying all amendment combinations into wetland soil increased gradually the total organic carbon (TOC) and water-extract organic carbon (WEOC) as the compost percentage rose in biochar-composts. The higher pH was obtained in a certain biochar addition (20% and 40%) in combinations due to efficient interaction of biochar with compost. All amendments could significantly decrease availability of Cd and Zn mainly from pH change, but increase available Cu concentration as the result of increased water-extract organic carbon and high total Cu content in compost. Moreover, amendments can decrease easily exchangeable fraction and increase reducible of Cd and Zn greatly with increase of compost content in combinations, while amendments containing compost promote transformation of Cu from Fe/Mn oxide and residual fractions to organic bindings. These results demonstrate that different ratios of biochar and compost have a significant effect on availability and speciation of heavy metals in multi-metal-contaminated wetland soil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,,No (2)
CHEMICAL LOOPING COMBUSTION OF SOLID BIOMASS - PERFORMANCE OF ILMENITE AND BRAUNITE AS OXYGEN CARRIER MATERIALS,"Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a novel technology, which is able to capture CO2 without an energy-demanding CO2 separation step, enabling lower energy requirements and much lower costs than conventional CO2 capture technologies. CLC using sustainable biomass as a fuel (bio-CLC) results in net-negative CO2 emissions, required to reach ambitious CO2 emission targets. Bio-CLC could be also demonstrated in larger scale at lower economic risk as a demonstration plant could be designed so that it would be possible to operate it also as an ordinary boiler after the demonstration period. Pilot scale bio-CLC process development tests were carried out using two types of wood pellets and wood char as fuels, and ilmenite and braunite - both natural ores with good availability, low cost and non-toxicity - oxygen carriers. Stable operation was achieved in totally 19 tests and performance of braunite was found to be better than ilmenite. High volatile content of biofuels was found to be the limiting factor of performance: in order to improve the performance, mixing and contact of volatiles with oxygen carrier material should be improved. Tests indicated that bio-CLC can reduce the risk of high temperature corrosion enabling the option to use higher steam values compared to conventional biomass combustion, improving the power generation efficiency.",2017,chemical looping; CO2 capture; combustion; dual fluidized bed; pilot plant,No (2)
Design and engineering of urchin-like nanostructured SnO2 catalysts via controlled facial hydrothermal synthesis for efficient electro-reduction of CO2,"Although both laboratory and large-scale studies have demonstrated the technological feasibility of electrochemical CO2 reduction (ERC) for producing useful low-carbon fuels, there are still challenges that hinder the practical use of Sn-based catalysts and electrodes in terms of both catalytic activity and stability. In this study, we discuss the design and engineering of several nanostructured SnO2 catalysts via a simple, safe, and low-emission hydrothermal method, targeted at solving low yield, insufficient electrode stability, and specifically high over-potential problems. SnO2 with a novel urchin-like microstructure was developed, which showed high catalytic ERC performance in a CO2-saturated 0.5 M KHCO3 aqueous electrolyte. The composition, morphology, crystal structure, and active surface area of the SnO2 nanocatalysts synthesized at different conditions were thoroughly characterized using SEM, TEM-based selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and XRD. Cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry measurements demonstrated that the urchin-like nanostructured SnO2-180-5 (obtained at 180 degrees C for 5 h) possessed the optimal ERC performance in terms of onset potential, electron transfer, and current density. Such a catalyst exhibited highly selective CO2 reduction to formate, achieving similar to 62% Faradaic efficiency at -1.0 V (vs SHE), which is among the lowest overpotentials reported to date for Sn (SnOx)-based catalysts. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,CO2 electroreduction; SnO2 nanocatalyst; Formate; Overpotential; Stability; Selectivity,No (2)
Treatment of refractory contaminants by sludge-derived biochar/persulfate system via both adsorption and advanced oxidation process,"A novel strategy for the removal of refractory organic contaminants was realized through sludge-derived biochar (SDBC)/persulfate (PS) system via both adsorption and advanced oxidation process under ambient conditions. SDBC was prepared by one single step of slow pyrolysis of municipal sewage sludge, appeared a porous structure, and contained abundant oxygen-containing functional groups as well as amorphous Fe species. Large surface area and porous structure of SDBC benefitted the adsorption and enrichment of contaminants, while oxygen-containing functional groups and Fe species on the surface were considered as reactive components for the activation of PS. Under conditions of [PS](0) = 1.85 mM, [4-chlorophenol](0) = 0.039 mM, [SDBC](0) = 1 g pH(0) = 6.30 and temperature = 25 degrees C, the removal of model compound of 4-chlorophenol achieved 92.3%, and this significant performance of SDBC/PS system was consistent in a broad pH window. Radical scavengers and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies suggested that SDBC successfully activated PS to produce various oxidative radicals. Meanwhile, recycle experiments and Fe3+ leaching tests further demonstrated the stability of SDBC during the activation of PS. Municipal landfill leachate effluent through a membrane bio-reactor was testified as the refractory real wastewater, in which both the removal of total organic carbon and ammonia was significant. Thus, SDBC showed certain advantages in PS activation such as feasible preparation method, remarkable efficiency and stability. These advantages proved SDBC/PS system as an effective strategy of controlling waste by waste, and implicated its potential application in full-scale for the treatment of refractory organic contaminants. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2017,Sludge-derived biochar; Adsorption; Persulfate; Catalytic oxidation; 4-ChloroPhenol; Municipal landfill leachate,No (2)
"Carbon Management Technology Conference, CMTC 2017: Global CCUS Innovation Nexus",The proceedings contain 87 papers. The topics discussed include: mobile carbon dioxide removal: a baseline cost estimate and testing protocol; a systematic reservoir simulation study on assessing the feasibility of CO2 sequestration in shale gas reservoirs with potential enhanced gas recovery; the potential role of CCS in electricity and liquid fuel production sectors; a guidebook study for CO2-EOR and natural gases injection-techniques for improving oil recovery in unconventional oil reservoirs; performance evaluation for carbon sequestration in shale gas reservoir systems; risk based approach to identify the leakage potential of wells in depleted oil and gas fields for CO2 geological sequestration; feasibility of near-miscible flooding by production gas rejection with varying CO2 content in Qinhuangdao oilfield; performance control methods applied in heterogeneous reservoirs for improving CO2 flooding performance; impact of geologic diversity on static earth models in an CO2-EOR reef complex; demonstration of secure CO2 geological storage associated with enhanced oil recovery in the PCOR partnership region; and pressure transient analysis for characterization of lateral and vertical leakage through faults.,2017,,No (2)
Status of the advanced closed loop system ACLS for accommodation on the ISS,"The Life Support Rack ACLS does comprise a regenerative life support system for closed habitats. With regenerative processes the ACLS covers the life support functions of CO2 removal, oxygen generation and CO2 reprocessing. ACLS will be installed and operated in the International Space Station's Destiny module, which offers all interfaces needed for its extended operations. The fully integrated ACLS Engineering Model (EM) that initially served for development is an integral part of the Ground Segment at AirbusDS, then to support troubleshooting wrt in-orbit anomalies, as applicable. Besides, the EM will serve for testing on the ACLS' operational flexibility beyond its design point, this in view of an envisaged extension of the nominal service provision through ACLS ops on-board the ISS. The fully integrated Flight Model (FM) has passed environmental testing and will be subject to performance and safety tests in support of Flight Readiness and Phase-III Safety Review envisaged to be concluded in mid-2017. In parallel, the operations concept and associated ground segment infrastructure are being established and validated in support of ACLS Flight Readiness, accordingly. As per the recommendation of NASA's System Maturation Team (SMT) the Life Support Rack ACLS shall be operated on the ISS for a cumulative period of one year to demonstrate the maturity of ACLS technologies for future exploration missions. Besides heading for such technology demonstration onboard the ISS, ACLS ground operations data are being evaluated and, well respecting the requirements for future exploration missions beyond the ISS, technology enhancements and amendments to the ACLS are being developed. The paper summarizes the development & hardware status. © 2017 by the International Astronautical Federation. All rights reserved.",2017,,No (2)
Combining bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) - A review,"Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) has recently gained global attention as a carbon reduction technology involving permanent net removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. BECCS has the potential to realize a significant capture and storage of CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere by bioenergy feedstocks, and in turn, delivers power and heat production with net ""negative carbon emissions"". This is a considerably advantageous over other mitigation alternatives, which only decrease the amount of atmospheric emissions. BECCS finds applicability in a wide range of biomass-related technologies, while being attractive from a relative cost perspective. However, its true potential has yet not been fully realised. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the technologies and issues associated with BECCS and highlight the implicated challenges related with the incentive policies based on an assessment of the net impact on emissions achievable. Further, the need for internationally compatible accounting policy incorporating all emissions generated by BECCS over its lifecycle is discussed. Finally, recommendations to minimise the risks of disincentivizing inherently low carbon energy systems via lock-in of fossil CCS are provided. Also, the linking of bio-processing infrastructure with CO2 storage sites, along with contentious scenarios of global bioenergy potential, is included.",2016,,Yes (1)
News research &amp; development: Carbon capture: New method for extracting CO2 from atmosphere,"Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation (LCCCM), a new research center at UK's Sheffield University, is developing processes to safely remove large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere to cool the planet, while also mitigating ocean acidification. The researchers at LCCCM are embarking on a 10-yr project that involves Earth system modeling and controlled environment experimental investigations. The method involves accelerating natural rock weathering processes by using plants to break down silicate rocks into minerals that will absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. The research team hopes their method could reduce atmospheric CO2 by ≥ 300 ppm by 2100 if they can achieve a silicate rock application rate target of 5 kg/m2/yr.",2016,,No (2)
Modeling multifunctional agroforestry systems with environmental values: Dehesa in Spain and woodland ranches in California,"The high environmental and amenity values of Mediterranean oak woodlands influence the response of the public and landowners to market forces and to public policies for the management of oak woodland areas. In California and in Spain, woodlands with a Quercus overstory open enough to allow the development of a significant grassy or shrubby understory harbor exceptional levels of biodiversity, provide watershed and habitat, sequester carbon, offer historically meaningful landscapes, and are pleasing to the eye. For historic reasons, and because of the social and environmental values of the woodlands for their owners, large private holdings based on sylvopastoral enterprises have and will have a crucial role in the future of the woodlands. Simple financial models for predicting landowner behavior based on response to market forces do not explain landowner retention of oaks without incorpo- ration of landowner consumption of environmental and amenity values from the property, because landowner utility for oaks is not fully accounted for. By the same token, predicting the best afforestation approach considering carbon sequestration alone without consideration of the biodiversity and amenity values of native oaks risks an overvaluation of planting alien species that could have negative environmental and social consequences. Reforestation models for carbon sequestration that do not incorporate biodiversity and public amenity values might favor plantings of alien species such as euca- lyptus; however, this does not take into account the high public and private consumption values of native oaks. © 2016, Springer New York LLC. All rights Reserved.",2016,,Yes (1)
"Potential of carbon sequestration of Hammada salicornica vegetation type in desert areas (Case Study: South Khorasan, Iran)","Climate change due to increasing the level of greenhouse gases including CO2 is the main environmental issue of the world in the new century. One of the effective way for reducing atmospheric CO2 is carbon sequestration by plants and soils. A vast area of Iran has desert condition with special adapted plant species in which can be devoted for carbon sequestration. Hammada salicornica as a shrub plant of chenopodiaceae grows as dominant or key species of vegetation types in many parts of desert areas in south of country. So, potentials of carbon sequestration of H. salicornica vegetation types were estimated in seven sites in South Khorasan provice, Iran. For this purpose, 113 individual plants were measured for height, and long and short diameters of plant crown area and then were cut from ground level. To estimate underground biomass, roots of 10 individual plants were pulled from soil by digging the root zone. Dry matter production of shoots and roots were weighted and some samples were burned for determination of organic carbon. Organic carbon of soil of three sites were measured by soil sampling. Results showed that carbon has been sequestered between 133 to 3293 kg/ha in different sites in which James and Sefarsakh had the highest and the lowest amount of organic carbon in plant vegetation parts. Soil organic carbon obtained about 6313 kg/ha on average. The best linear regression equation (R2=0.90) for estimating aerial biomass of H. salicornica obtained by using crown area in the equation. It seems that conservation of natural vegetation of H. salicornica and or restoration of degraded lands by this plant, have good potentials for carbon sequestration for globally action commitment and providing benefits such as forage and fuel for local people.",2016,,Yes (1)
Europe's forest management did not mitigate climate warming,"Afforestation and forest management are considered to be key instruments in mitigating climate change. Here we show that since 1750, in spite of considerable afforestation, wood extraction has led to Europe's forests accumulating a carbon debt of 3.1 petagrams of carbon. We found that afforestation is responsible for an increase of 0.12 watts per square meter in the radiative imbalance at the top of the atmosphere, whereas an increase of 0.12 kelvin in summertime atmospheric boundary layer temperature was mainly caused by species conversion. Thus, two and a half centuries of forest management in Europe have not cooled the climate. The political imperative to mitigate climate change through afforestation and forest management therefore risks failure, unless it is recognized that not all forestry contributes to climate change mitigation.",2016,,Yes (1)
Influence of Pyrolysis Temperature on Physico-Chemical Properties of Corn Stover (Zea mays L.) Biochar and Feasibility for Carbon Capture and Energy Balance,"This study examined the influence of pyrolysis temperature on biochar characteristics and evaluated its suitability for carbon capture and energy production. Biochar was produced from corn stover using slow pyrolysis at 300, 400 and 500 degrees C and 2 hrs holding time. The experimental biochars were characterized by elemental analysis, BET, FTIR, TGA/DTA, NMR (C-13). Higher heating value (HHV) of feedstock and biochars was measured using bomb calorimeter. Results show that carbon content of corn stover biochar increased from 45.5% to 64.5%, with increasing pyrolysis temperatures. A decrease in H:C and O:C ratios as well as volatile matter, coupled with increase in the concentration of aromatic carbon in the biochar as determined by FTIR and NMR (C-13) demonstrates a higher biochar carbon stability at 500 degrees C. It was estimated that corn stover pyrolysed at 500 degrees C could provide of 10.12 MJ/kg thermal energy. Pyrolysis is therefore a potential technology with its carbon-negative, energy positive and soil amendment benefits thus creating win- win scenario.",2016,,Yes (1)
Molecular Dynamics Study of Combustion Reactions in a Supercritical Environment. Part 1: Carbon Dioxide and Water Force Field Parameters Refitting and Critical Isotherms of Binary Mixtures,"The oxy-fuel-carbon dioxide combustion process is expected to drastically increase the energy efficiency and enable easy carbon sequestration. In this technology, the combustion products (carbon dioxide and water) are used to control the temperature and nitrogen is excluded from the combustion chamber, so that nitrogen oxide pollutants do not form. Therefore, in oxy-combustion, carbon dioxide and water are present in large concentrations in their transcritical state and may play an important role in kinetics. The computational chemistry methods may assist in understanding these effects, and molecular dynamics with a reactive force field (ReaxFF) seems to be a suitable tool for such a study. Here, we investigate applicability of the ReaxFF to describe the critical phenomena in carbon dioxide and water and find that several non-bonding parameters need adjustment. We report the new parameter set, capable of reproducing the critical temperatures and pressures. The critical isotherms of CO2/H2O binary mixtures are computationally studied here for the first time, and their critical parameters are reported.",2016,,No (2)
Plant diversity generates enhanced soil microbial access to recently photosynthesized carbon in the rhizosphere,"Plant diversity positively impacts ecosystem services such as biomass production and soil organic matter (SOM) storage. Both processes counteract increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration and global warming and consequently need better understanding. In general it is assumed that complementary resource use is driving the positive biomass effect and that the rhizospheric microbial community provides the necessary nutrients mineralizing SOM. So far however, it remains unclear how this link between the above and the belowground system is functioning; in detail it remains unclear if a more efficient CO2 uptake at higher diversity levels leads to higher root exudation that stimulate the microbial mineralization. Contrastingly we show here for the first time that more diverse grassland communities provide a better access to root exudates for the rhizospheric community. We applied a continuous (CO2)-C-13 label in a controlled environment (The Montpellier European Ecotron) to ecosystem monoliths from the long-term The Jena Experiment and showed analyzing the delta C-13 content of phospholipid fatty acids and neutral lipid fatty acid that plant diversity increased the plant-derived C uptake of Gram negative bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Root biomass but not the amount and delta C-13 content of root sugars positively influenced the plant diversity effect observed on Gram negative bacteria whereas the specific interaction between plant and AMF was independent from any plant trait. Our results demonstrate that plant diversity facilitated the accessibility of plant derived C but not the above-belowground transfer rates. This facilitating effect enabled more diverse plant communities to use complementary C and most likely nutrient resources both from soil organic matter mineralization for better growth. We anticipate from our results that plant diversity effects are less driven by the performance of individuals in mixtures (trait plasticity) but by the combination of individuals that interact independently (trait complementarity). (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2016,AMF; Carbon cycling; (CO2)-C-13 continuous labelling; NLFA; PLFA; Root associated microorganisms; Root biomass,No (2)
Inorganic salt solutions for post-combustion capture,"Carbon dioxide capture, using inorganic salts of weak acids such as potassium carbonate (K2CO3), has been used in many industrial processes. K2CO3 has benefits over traditional amine-based absorption liquids for post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC) as it has lower regeneration energy and is nontoxic, nonvolatile, cheap, and more resistant to absorbent degradation following contact with SOx and NOx. However, K2CO3 has slow reaction kinetics with CO2 leading to the need for large equipment or the addition of rate promoters to achieve desired levels of CO2 removal. In this chapter, the background and commercial history of K2CO3-based processes has been introduced followed by detailed discussion on the chemistry and thermodynamics of K2CO3-based processes for CO2 capture. The absorption kinetics, vapor-liquid equilibrium and solid-liquid equilibrium data and a range of rate promoters have been described. Finally, demonstration projects that have been operated to reduce CO2 emissions from power stations using K2CO3 have been introduced. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.",2016,,No (2)
Simultaneous removal of CO2 and salts from saline water by a combined process,"The emission of CO2 has been increasing steadily and with the increasing demand of desalinated water (especially in Gulf Cooperation Council countries) this is expected to increase at a faster rate. CO2 removal from sour natural gas, from the water desalination power plants and similar sources is important not only to these industries but also to reduce the effect on global warming. In this study, a simple process is investigated experimentally to remove CO2 from a synthetic mixture of natural gas containing it. The method is based on the modified Solvay process and involves the chemical reaction between CO2 and ammonia in saline solution. The process can reduce CO2 by about 99% and at the same time reduce water salinity by 40%. The process is potentially much more effective than the amine scrubbing process, without the operational problems for environmental damage posed by monoethanolamine organic compounds. The innovative process shows the technical feasibility of sweetening natural gas in the laboratory-scale operation. It can also be applied to the removal of CO2 from polluting sources like car exhaust. Simultaneous reduction of salinity is additional benefit of this process. (c) 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 250-256, 2016",2016,carbon dioxide; ammonia; water desalination; percentage removal; brine,No (2)
The effects of different CCS technological scenarios on EU low-carbon generation mix,"Carbon capture and storage technology (CCS), a technology to reduce the emissions in coal and gas power generation plants, will play an important role in the achievement of the European Union emissions reduction objective. In the European Union, energy policies are articulated around three different elements: measures to promote renewable energy technologies, the emissions certificates system and both energy-saving and energy-efficiency policies. The succession of directives and communications from the EU Commission on renewable technology generation share targets and the implementation of the European Emissions Market exemplify the serious EU commitment to a more environmentally friendly future. CCS technologies-together with RES technologies-are thus key to achieve the European emissions reduction target. Although the CCS commercial availability is not guaranteed-due to a slow technological development-some institutions, such as the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, assume, for 2030 horizon, a quick development of this technology, growing until a maximum participation of an 18 % over the fossil fuels total generation. An eventual non-availability of these technologies in 2030 could increase the cost of this objective in a 70 %. Therefore, the achievement of pollutant emissions reduction targets depends on a correct design of the European generation technologies mix, which should include CCS technologies. Nevertheless, the uncertainty about the final costs and economic risk of these technologies makes a question about their future role to arise. This paper analyses the effects of different variations in the cost and risk of the CCS technologies (scenarios) over the European power technologies mix. The results confirm the need of the availability of these technologies in 2030, beyond the potential costs and risks of both options. The reason lies in the methodological approach of portfolio theory, which allows an analysis from an efficient portfolio point of view.",2016,Efficiency; Emissions reduction; Carbon capture and storage-CCS; Portfolio theory; Externalities,No (2)
Climatic controls on the isotopic composition and availability of soil nitrogen across mountainous tropical forest,"While tropical forests play a critical role in global carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles, how their biogeochemical dynamics will respond to changes in climate, especially warming, is uncertain. To shed light on links between climate and N cycling in tropical forests, we measured bulk surface soil C and N concentrations and isotopic content at 40 forested sites spanning an 1800 m elevation transect in Central America, possessing wide variation in mean annual temperature (MAT; range = 10 degrees C) and precipitation (MAP; range = 1.2 m). Climate and terrain attributes were extracted from gridded data sets and regressed against soil variables, and then, empirical relationships were combined with a mass balance model to scale up to the larger landscape. Across the remote study region, elevation and soil delta N-15 values displayed a strong negative relationship, while elevation was positively related to percent of soil C, N, and C: N ratios. As elevation was tightly correlated with MAT and MAP, soil chemical and isotopic content varied strongly with climate. For example, for every degree increase in MAT, soil delta N-15 values-an indicator of relative gaseous N losses-increased by a factor of 0.4, and soil C: N ratios, which affect net N mineralization and N availability, declined by a factor of 1.1. With the 40 sites binned into bioclimatic life zones, montane, premontane, and wet-premontane transition forests showed distinct clustering of soil chemical and isotopic properties, yet forest type alone explained less variation compared to continuous elevation-climate parameters. Results of the spatially applied N-15 mass balance model implied shifts in the contribution of gaseous-to-total N loss, from 10% or less in cool, wet high-elevation forests to upwards of 60% at warmer, drier, low-elevation sites. Climate variation was thus associated with significant shifts in N dynamics across this montane tropical region, yet more work is needed to decouple direct vs. indirect climatic controls. While the mechanisms deserve further study, observed shifts in indicators of N availability and gaseous loss may be useful in managing and modeling tropical forests under climate change.",2016,climate change; Costa Rica; montane tropics; nitrogen cycle; Parque Internacional La Amistad,No (2)
Direct Air Capture of CO2 Using Amine Functionalized MIL-101(Cr),"Direct adsorption of CO2 from ambient air, also known as direct air capture (DAC), is gaining attention as a complementary approach to processes that capture CO2 from more concentrated sources such as flue gas. Oxide-supported amine materials are effective materials for CO2 capture from dilute gases, but less work has been done on metal organic framework (MOF) supported amine materials. Use of MOFs as supports for amines could be a versatile approach to the creation of effective amine adsorbents because of the tunability of MOF structures. In the present work, MIL-101(Cr) materials functionalized with amine species are evaluated for CO2 capture from simulated air. Two amines are loaded into the MOF pores, tris (2-amino ethyl) (TREN) and low molecular weight, branched poly(ethylene imine) (PEI 800), at different amine loadings. The MIL-101(Cr)-TREN composites showed high CO2 capacities for high loadings of TREN, but a significant loss of amines is observed over multicycle temperature swing adsorption experiments. In contrast, MIL-101(Cr)-PEI-800 shows better cyclic stability. The amine efficiency (mol CO2/mol amine) as a function of amine loading is used as a metric to characterize the adsorbents. The amine efficiency in MIL-101(Cr)-PEI-800 showed a strong dependence on the amine loading, with a step change to high amine efficiencies occurring at similar to 0.8 mmol PEI/g MOF. The kinetics of CO2 capture, which have important implications for the working capacity of the adsorbent, are also examined, demonstrating that a MIL-101(Cr)-PEI-800 sample with a 1-1.1 mmol PEI/g MOF loading has an excellent balance of CO2 capacity and CO2 adsorption kinetics.",2016,Metal organic frameworks; Amine efficiency; Cyclic stability; Open metal sites; Poly(ethylene imine),No (2)
"Availability and transfer to grain of As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in a barley agri-system: Impact of biochar, organic and mineral fertilizers","With biochar becoming an emerging soil amendment and a tool to mitigate climate change, there are only a few studies documenting its effects on trace element cycling in agriculture. Zn and Cu are deficient in many human diets, whilst exposures to As, Pb and Cd need to be decreased. Biochar has been shown to affect many of them mainly at a bench or greenhouse scale, but field research is not available. In our experiment we studied the impact of biochar, as well as its interactions with organic (compost and sewage sludge) and mineral fertilisers (NPK and nitrosulfate), on trace element mobility in a Mediterranean agricultural field (east of Madrid, Spain) cropped with barley. At harvesting time, we analysed the soluble fraction, the available fraction (assessed with the diffusive gradients in thin gels technique, DGT) and the concentration of trace elements in barley grain. No treatment was able to significantly increase Zn, Cu or Ni concentration in barley grain, limiting the application for cereal fortification. Biochar helped to reduce Cd and Pb in grain, whereas As concentration slightly increased. Overall biochar amendments demonstrated a potential to decrease Cd uptake in cereals, a substantial pathway of exposure in the Spanish population, whereas mineral fertilisation and sewage sludge increased grain Cd and Pb. In the soil, biochar helped to stabilise Pb and Cd, while marginally increasing As release/mobilisation. Some of the fertilisation practises or treatments increased toxic metals and As solubility in soil, but never to an extent high enough to be considered an environmental risk. Future research may try to fortify Zn, Cu and Ni using other combinations of organic amendments and different parent biomass to produce enriched biochars. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2016,Food contaminants; Compost; Sewage sludge; Phytoavailability; Nutrient bio-fortification; Toxic trace elements,Yes (1)
Designer policy for carbon and biodiversity co-benefits under global change,"Carbon payments can help mitigate both climate change and biodiversity decline through the reforestation of agricultural land(1). However, to achieve biodiversity co-benefits, carbon payments often require support from other policy mechanisms(2) such as regulation(3,4), targeting(5,6), and complementary incentives(7,8). We evaluated 14 policy mechanisms for supplying carbon and biodiversity co-benefits through reforestation of carbon plantings (CP) and environmental plantings (EP) in Australia's 85.3 Mha agricultural land under global change. The reference policy-uniform payments (bidders are paid the same price) with land-use competition (both CP and EP eligible for payments), targeting carbon-achieved significant carbon sequestration but negligible biodiversity co-benefits. Land-use regulation (only EP eligible) and two additional incentives complementing the reference policy (biodiversity premium, carbon levy) increased biodiversity co-benefits, but mostly inefficiently. Discriminatory payments (bidders are paid their bid price) with land-use competition were efficient, and with multifunctional targeting of both carbon and biodiversity co-benefits increased the biodiversity co-benefits almost 100-fold. Our findings were robust to uncertainty in global outlook, and to key agricultural productivity and land-use adoption assumptions. The results suggest clear policy directions, but careful mechanism design will be key to realising these efficiencies in practice. Choices remain for society about the amount of carbon and biodiversity co-benefits desired, and the price it is prepared to pay for them.",2016,,Yes (1)
"Climate change impacts on the sustainability of the firewood harvest and vegetation and soil carbon stocks in a tropical dry forest in Santa Teresinha Municipality, Northeast Brazil","The Brazilian semi-arid region is characterized by low and erratic rainfall, high temperatures and high potential evapotranspiration. The removal of firewood from the native tropical dry forest, called ""Caatinga"", can negatively impact important ecosystem services, such as soil conservation, water resources, biodiversity and atmospheric carbon capture, if performed in an unsustainable manner. Most global climate models indicate that Caatinga will experience temperature increases and rainfall decreases in the next few decades. We used the Century model to simulate the impact of climate changes on woody vegetation growth and on vegetation and soil organic carbon stocks in a Caatinga area managed with a single clear cut or cuts every 10 years, 15 years, and 20 years, followed or not followed by the burning of plant residues (leaves and small branches) left after firewood removal. The effects of future climate projections, (LOW, MIDI and HIGH members of the climate scenario SRES A1B, which corresponded to different CO2 emission predictions, downscaled by the Eta/CPTEC model), were compared to those of the projection of the historical climate. With the current climate, it would take 50 years to regenerate the Caatinga biomass stock to a level close to that before cutting after a single cut, followed or not followed by fire. Therefore, the recommended cutting cycles (10-20 years) were not long enough to allow for the regeneration of a fully mature Caatinga. However, all of these cycles reached sustainable biomass production levels, with similar total productions until the end of the century. Under these conditions, the lower proportions of biomass recovery of shorter cycles would be compensated by more frequent cutting. The model also indicated that burning or not burning the residues would have little effect. On the contrary, if the climate changes as predicted, the biomass of the native Caatinga vegetation and soil organic carbon stock would decrease throughout this century, even without cutting the vegetation. All of the cutting cycles would not provide sustainable firewood production, with reduced production after each consecutive cut. Therefore, if the climate changes as expected, forest management legislation should require longer periods of forest recovery between cutting cycles for sites with environmental conditions (e.g., climate, soil and vegetation) similar to those of the present study. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2016,Century model; Forest management; CO2 emissions; Biogeochemical cycling; Semi-arid,No (2)
Co-benefits of biodiversity and carbon sequestration from regenerating secondary forests in the Philippine uplands: implications for forest landscape restoration,"Shifting cultivation is a widespread practice in tropical forested areas that policy makers often regard as the major cause of forest degradation. Secondary fallow forests regrowing after shifting cultivation are generally not viewed as suitable for biodiversity conservation and carbon retention. Drawing upon our research in the Philippines and other relevant case studies, we compared the biodiversity and carbon sequestration in recovering secondary forests after shifting cultivation to other land uses that commonly follow shifting cultivation. Regenerating secondary forests had higher biodiversity than fast growing timber plantations and other restoration options available in the area. Some old plantations, however, provided carbon benefits comparable the old growth forest, although their biodiversity was less than that of the regenerating forests. Our study demonstrates that secondary forests regrowing after shifting cultivation have a high potential for biodiversity and carbon sequestration co-benefits, representing an effective strategy for forest management and restoration in countries where they are common and where the forest is an integral part of rural people's livelihoods. We discuss the issues and potential mechanisms through which such dynamic land use can be incorporated into development projects that are currently financing the sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of tropical forests.",2016,community forestry; forest degradation; reforestation; shifting cultivation; trade-off,Yes (1)
Biochar-compost substrates in short-rotation coppice: Effects on soil and trees in a three-year field experiment,"Both biochar and compost may improve carbon sequestration and soil fertility; hence, it has been recommended to use a mixture of both for sustainable land management. Here, we evaluated the effects of biochar-compost substrates on soil properties and plant growth in short rotation coppice plantations (SRC). For this purpose, we planted the tree species poplar, willow, and alder in a no-till field experiment, each of them amended in triplicate with 0 (= control) or 30Mgha(-1) compost or biochar-compost substrates containing 15% vol. (TPS15) and 30% vol. biochar (TPS30). For three years running, we analyzed plant growth as well as soil pH, potential cation exchange capacity (CEC), stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC), total N, and plant-available phosphate and potassium oxide.Biochar-compost substrates affected most soil properties only in the topsoil and for a limited period of time. The CEC and total stocks of SOC were consistently elevated relative to the control. After three years the C gain of up to 6.4 Mg SOC ha(-1) in the TPS30 plots was lower than the added C amount. Especially in the case of TPS30 treatment, C input was characterized by the greatest losses after application, although the black carbon of the biochar was not degraded in soil. Additionally, tree growth and woody biomass yield did not respond at all to the treatments. Overall, there were few if any indications that biochar-compost substrates improve the performance of SRC under temperate soil and climate conditions. Therefore, the use of biochar for such systems is not recommended.",2016,substrate application; carbon sequestration; soil fertility; bioenergy crops; biomass yield,No (2)
Life-cycle performance of hydrogen production via indirect biomass gasification with CO2 capture,"The implementation of CO2 capture into biohydrogen-production systems is seen as a potential solution for greening the energy sector. However, the performance of biocapture strategies needs to be assessed thoroughly in order to guarantee their suitability. In this work, the Life Cycle Assessment methodology is used to evaluate an energy system producing hydrogen from short-rotation poplar biomass through gasification coupled with carbon dioxide capture. The biomass feedstock is dried and milled before being fed to a low-pressure char-indirect gasifier. The syngas produced is conditioned and undergoes a water gas shift process. Biohydrogen is separated from the rest of compounds in a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit. The PSA off-gas is burnt for electricity production and the exhaust gas from this power-generation section goes through a two-stage gas separation membrane process for CO2 capture. The results show that the system succeeds in obtaining a negative (i.e., favourable) global warming impact with a low cumulative nonrenewable energy demand. Direct emissions to the air, external electricity production and biomass production are the key processes contributing to the evaluated impacts. When it comes to replacing conventional (fossil-based) hydrogen, the biohydrogen product is found to be a better alternative than biohydrogen without CO2 capture only under global warming aspects. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2016,Biomass; Capture; Gasification; Life cycle assessment; Membrane,No (2)
Variations of forest soil organic carbon and its influencing factors in east China,"Forest and soil types are the main factors that influence the distribution pattern of soil organic carbon (SOC) in forests across east China. In general, SOC density was largest in north-eastern China, followed by south-eastern China, and lowest in middle-eastern China, due to regional climate and the dominant forest type (young plantations in middle-eastern China). Forest SOC plays an important role in the carbon cycle in China, but large spatial heterogeneity and insufficient field observations lead to large uncertainties in the estimation of SOC. The objectives of this study were to evaluate forest SOC density in different geographic regions, forest types, and soil types and to investigate the spatial variation of SOC in forests across east China. The estimation of forest SOC was based on 348 soil profiles, which were collected from 116 forest sites in east China during 2008-2011. The average SOC content was 17.5 g C kg(-1), which leads to an average SOC density of 12.4 kg C m(-2). The average SOC density in the organic horizon and mineral horizon was 5.47 and 6.91 kg C m(-2), respectively, with 44.2 % SOC density dominating in the organic horizon. The average forest SOC density in north-eastern, middle-eastern, and south-eastern China was 13.5, 9.95, and 13.3 kg C m(-2), respectively. SOC distribution varied among regions, forest types, and soil types in east China. The importance of influencing factors switched with depth, precipitation, and temperature dominating in the organic horizon and soil texture dominating in the mineral horizon.",2016,East China; Forest; Soil; Soil organic carbon,No (2)
Effects of enhancing soil organic carbon sequestration in the topsoil by fertilization on crop productivity and stability: Evidence from long-term experiments with wheat-maize cropping systems in China,"Although organic carbon sequestration in agricultural soils has been recommended as a 'win-win strategy' for mitigating climate change and ensuring food security, great uncertainty still remains in identifying the relationships between soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and crop productivity. Using data from 17 long-term experiments in China we determined the effects of fertilization strategies on SOC stocks at 0-20 cm depth in the North, North East, North West and South. The impacts of changes in topsoil SOC stocks on the yield and yield stability of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) were determined. Results showed that application of inorganic fertilizers (NPK) plus animal manure over 20-30 years significantly increased SOC stocks to 20-cmdepth by 32-87% whilst NPK plus wheat/maize straw application increased it by 26-38% compared to controls. The efficiency of SOC sequestration differed between regions with 7.4-13.1% of annual C input into the topsoil being retained as SOC over the study periods. In the northern regions, application of manure had little additional effect on yield compared to NPK over a wide range of topsoil SOC stocks (18->50 Mg C ha(-1)). In the South, average yield from manure applied treatments was 2.5 times greater than that from NPK treatments. Moreover, the yield with NPK plus manure increased until SOC stocks (20-cmdepth) increased to similar to 35Mg C ha(-1). In the northern regions, yield stability was not increased by application of NPK plus manure compared to NPK, whereas in the South there was a significant improvement. We conclude that manure application and straw incorporation could potentially lead to SOC sequestration in topsoil in China, but beneficial effects of this increase in SOC stocks to 20-cm depth on crop yield and yield stability may only be achieved in the South. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2016,Soil organic carbon; Yield; Yield stability; Manure application; Straw return; China,Yes (1)
Did cap-and-trade enrich Europe's cement suppliers?,"New studies from environmental consultants CE Delft and Sandbag say LaFarge-Holcim, HeidelbergCement Group, Cemex and others made billions of dollars passing through costs of carbon pollution limits to customers,mostly concrete mixers and contractors, even as they received credits for free. The cement suppliers deny it, saying they have not profited from or manipulated the carbon market. Following the United Nations climate-change guidelines signed in Paris in December, Ontario launched a cap-and-trade system that will be linked with other North American markets already established in Quebec and California. China has announced the implementation of its own cap system, which experts say could quickly become one of the largest carbon-credit trading markets in the world. Cement manufacturers say they've been at the forefront of increasing the liquidity of carbon credits and implementing state-of-the-art emissions-reduction technologies. Most cement plants' carbon-reduction success has been on the back end, with alternative-fuel usage; few gains have been made in the use of alternative materials and production processes.",2016,,No (2)
Distinct spatial dependency of carbon distribution between soil pools in grassland soil,"Grassland soils play a key role in climate change and food security, and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization is central to this. Although there are a number of mathematical models available to estimate C and N mineralization, they do not encompass the variability of the process and there is uncertainty in their predictions. The input parameters of the SOMA model (Soil Organic Mater ""A"") have been conceptualized and validated to predict mineralization in arable soils. The objective of this research was to measure the spatial dependence of the input parameters in order to further obtain spatial predictions of mineralisation in a grassland system. A nested design was applied using sampling intervals of 30 m, 10 m, 1 m, and 0.12 m as sources of variation. From each sampling point a soil sample was taken (0-23 cm) and physical sequential fractionation was applied to obtain the free light fraction (FLF) and intra-aggregate light fraction (IALF). The C and N contents in the fractions were measured by mass spectrometry, and the results analysed by residual maximum likelihood (REML) to obtain components of variance at each stage, and then accumulated to plot the approach to a variogram. Both fractions showed spatial dependence at the finest scales measured, and the general patern was diferent from that in an arable site. The recommended soil sampling interval where C and N mineralization predictions would be spatially distributed according to the correlation of input light fractions parameters of SOMA is 0.5m.",2016,,No (2)
Evaluating CCS Investment of China by a Novel Real Option-Based Model,"Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is an effective method to mitigate CO2 emission pressure; however it is hard to be evaluated due to uncertainties. This paper establishes a real options analysis (ROA) model to evaluate CCS investment from the perspective of the existing thermal power plant by considering the fluctuations of electricity price, carbon price, and thermal coal price. The model is solved by the proposed robust Least Squares Monte Carlo method and China is taken as a case study to assess power plant's CCS investment revenue. In the case study, robust ROA and ROA are compared under some CCS incentive factors. The results indicate that the proposed robust ROA is more realistic and suitable for CCS evaluation than common ROA to some extent. Finally, a policy schema to promote CCS investment is derived.",2016,,No (2)
"Historical, ecological, and governance aspects of intensive forest biomass harvesting in Denmark","Intensive forest harvesting has increased in Fennoscandia over the last few decades. Similar developments may follow throughout Europe as renewable energy replaces fossil fuels. The international literature suggests that intensive harvesting could increase ecological risks to yield, carbon stores, soil fertility, and biodiversity, but geographically specific knowledge is sparse in many countries, and results do not extend beyond 5–30 years after harvesting. We use Denmark as a case for discussing future directions. Forest history is described, and research on ecological effects and their inclusion in governance is reviewed. Denmark was almost completely deforested by the early 1800s, but centuries of afforestation have resulted in a current forest cover of 14.3%. Research commonly uses stem-only harvesting as a reference against which to compare intensive harvesting impacts, but pristine forests would be a more useful reference for ecological processes and biodiversity. However, pristine forests are almost non-existent in Europe, and non-intervention, self-regulating forests provide an alternative. Governance and positions of non-governmental organizations in Denmark focus more on general forest management impacts and conservation of light-demanding biodiversity associated with historic coppicing and grazing than on intensive harvesting. The energy sector drives the development of new governance to verify forest biomass sustainability, but the national knowledge base for such verification is limited. As part of a larger solution, we suggest establishing a network of non-intervention, self-regulating forests that can serve as a reference for long-term research and monitoring of intensive harvesting impacts. This would support the application of adaptive management strategies, and continuous improvements of best management practice guidelines. WIREs Energy Environ 2016, 5:588–610. doi: 10.1002/wene.206. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd",2016,,No (2)
Interactions between biochar and soil organic carbon decomposition: Effects of nitrogen and low molecular weight carbon compound addition,"Conversion of plant residues to biochar is an attractive strategy for atmospheric CO2 emission mitigation and soil carbon (C) storage enhancement. However, our understanding of the factors controlling biochar persistence in soil is still limited, and generally based on biochar chemical recalcitrance. In addition to its chemical properties, biochar C decomposition might be limited by other factors, such as N and low molecular weight C compounds (LMW-C) availability. We presented results from a laboratory incubation experiment, where 4 atom% C-13 enriched biochar was added at a rate of 10% by weight to two different soils, with or without N and LMW-C additions. Sucrose was used as the LMW-C, and its 13C natural abundance composition was manipulated, by mixing sucrose from sugar beet (C3) and from sugar cane (C4), to make it equal or dissimilar to the native soil organic carbon (SOC). This approach allowed partitioning the biochar-C from the 'soil + LMW-C' in the biochar amendment units and the LMW-C from SOC in the non-biochar amended units. Biochar-C, SOC and LMW-C were traced into CO2 throughout the 112 day incubation and into microbial biomass C (MBC) and dissolved organic C (DOC) at the end of the incubation. Compared to LMW-C addition, N was a more significant factor stimulating biochar-C mineralization and biochar-C incorporation in microbial biomass. Biochar significantly decreased SOC mineralization and this negative effect was not influenced by N and LMW-C additions. Biochar addition promoted formation of SOC derived DOC; however, DOC accumulated in soil rather than being mineralized to CO2. According to our study, biochar was confirmed to be highly resistant to decomposition, and N or LMW-C availability did not affect the overall soil C sequestration potential of biochar. Biochar effects on soil DOC dynamics will need to be farther investigated in the field to better constrain the overall C sequestration potential of biochar. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2016,Biochar loss; Nitrogen; Low molecular weight C compound; C-13 of microbial biomass C; Dissolved organic C,Yes (1)
Microbial control of soil organic matter mineralization responses to labile carbon in subarctic climate change treatments,"Half the global soil carbon (C) is held in high-latitude systems. Climate change will expose these to warming and a shift towards plant communities with more labile C input. Labile C can also increase the rate of loss of native soil organic matter (SOM); a phenomenon termed priming'. We investigated how warming (+1.1 degrees C over ambient using open top chambers) and litter addition (90gm(-2)yr(-1)) treatments in the subarctic influenced the susceptibility of SOM mineralization to priming, and its microbial underpinnings. Labile C appeared to inhibit the mineralization of C from SOM by up to 60% within hours. In contrast, the mineralization of N from SOM was stimulated by up to 300%. These responses occurred rapidly and were unrelated to microbial successional dynamics, suggesting catabolic responses. Considered separately, the labile C inhibited C mineralization is compatible with previously reported findings termed preferential substrate utilization' or negative apparent priming', while the stimulated N mineralization responses echo recent reports of real priming' of SOM mineralization. However, C and N mineralization responses derived from the same SOM source must be interpreted together: This suggested that the microbial SOM-use decreased in magnitude and shifted to components richer in N. This finding highlights that only considering SOM in terms of C may be simplistic, and will not capture all changes in SOM decomposition. The selective mining for N increased in climate change treatments with higher fungal dominance. In conclusion, labile C appeared to trigger catabolic responses of the resident microbial community that shifted the SOM mining to N-rich components; an effect that increased with higher fungal dominance. Extrapolating from these findings, the predicted shrub expansion in the subarctic could result in an altered microbial use of SOM, selectively mining it for N-rich components, and leading to a reduced total SOM-use.",2016,bacterial growth; biogeochemistry; fungal growth; microbial ecology; nitrogen cycling; nitrogen limitation; soil carbon sequestration; the priming effect,No (2)
Studies of Carbon Dioxide Capture on Porous Chitosan Derivative,"Chitosan was modified with 4-formyltriphenylamine to obtain a material with better surface morphology and adsorption profile. Surface morphology and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis has proved that the chitosan derivative presents higher porosity. CO2 adsorption analysis results reveal that the triphenyl amine chitosan derivative shows better adsorption than pure chitosan. The results revealed that this material may open new vistas in environmental and industrial applications for carbon dioxide capture, in order to help to reduce the adverse impact of large emissions of the greenhouse gas is the atmosphere.",2016,BET analysis; chitosan derivative; CO2 capture,No (2)
Oxy-fuel combustion technology for cement production - State of the art research and technology development,"Oxy-fuel combustion stands as a promising carbon capture technology to significantly reduce CO2 emissions from industrial combustion processes. Due to a different process layout compared to power industry as well as different boundary conditions further investigations and demonstration activities are required to develop the oxy-fuel cement process to maturity. This paper presents an overview on research activities and current state-of-the-art on the development of oxy-fuel combustion applied to the cement process. Oxy-firing concepts for cement plants are introduced under two process configurations. Modifications regarding plant lay-out and key components as well as operational implications are discussed. Relevant research projects focusing on the application of the oxy-fuel technology in the cement industry are presented and finally fields, in which further research is required, are identified. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2016,Oxy-fuel; Cement sector; Carbon capture; Industrial CCS/CCU,No (2)
Geoengineering for climate stabilization,"Engineering the climate by means of carbon dioxide removal (CDR), Earth radiation management (ERM), and/or solar radiation management (SRM) approaches has recaptured the attention of scientists, policy makers, and the public. Climate engineering is being assessed as a set of tools to deliberately, and on a large scale, moderate or retard global warming. There are several concepts available, like injecting aerosol-forming SO2 into the stratosphere or placing huge objects in orbit to partly shade Earth from incoming radiation or fertilizing the ocean with iron for increased algae growth and creation of carbon sinks. Such concepts are highly speculative, and irrespective of whether they would work, they bear huge risks, from adversely affecting the complex climate system on a regional or global scale to potentially triggering droughts, famine, or wars. More research is needed to better understand promising concepts and to work them out in depth, so that options are made available in case they should become necessary in the future, when climate change mitigation and adaptation measures do not suffice and fast action becomes imperative. Apart from the technological hurdles, which are anyhow mostly far beyond today’s engineering capabilities, huge social, moral, and political issues would have to be overcome. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight a few common concepts of CDR, ERM, and SRM for climate engineering to mitigate climate change. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012 and Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017.",2016,,Yes (1)
Minimization of CO2 capture energy penalty in second generation oxy-fuel power plants,"Oxy-combustion is one of the most promising technologies to reduce CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants. Nevertheless, as CO2 capture system there is an important energy penalty and efficiency of the overall power plant substantially decreases. It is well accepted that the application of first generation poSt-combustion and oxy-fuel combustion technologies reduce the power plant efficiency in 10-12 efficiency points. Air separation unit (ASU) and compression and purification unit (CPU) are the main energy consumers in the oxy-fuel process. Moreover, the oxidant flow, which is a mixture of O-2 and recirculated flue gases (RFG), requires a high heating demand in order to preheat it before the boiler inlet. This paper presents a methodology for the minimization of the energy penalty in oxy-fuel power plants that also includes ASU and CPU optimized designs with lower energy consumption, a boiler working with a high oxygen concentration (up to 409,) in oxidant and waste energy integrated with a new designed steam cycle. Results show an important increase in power plant net efficiency (36.429, LHV basis) regarding oxy-fuel reference power plant (32.91%) As a consequence, energy penalty can be reduced from original 10.5 points to 7.3 points. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2016,Oxy-fuel combustion; CO2 capture; Heat integration; Energy penalty; Powerplant efficiency,No (2)
Life cycle assessment comparison of thermal desorption and stabilization/solidification of mercury contaminated soil on agricultural land,"A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to comprehensively evaluate and compare the cleanup methods of (1) thermal desorption and (2) soil stabilization/solidification (S/S) in addressing mercury contaminated soil on an agricultural land in southern China. It was estimated that conventional high temperature desorption results in 357 kg CO2-eq of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while S/S with coal-based powdered activated carbon (PAC) results in 365 kg CO2-eq of GHG emissions per tonne of contaminated soil treated. Next, modifications were identified that reduced the life cycle GHG emissions for each method: an innovative acid-facilitated low temperature desorption method was estimated to reduce GHG emission to 264 kg of CO2-eq due to reduction in electricity usage. Additionally, S/S with biochar-based PAC reduces life cycle GHG emissions to 105 kg CO2-eq due to carbon sequestration during the pyrolysis of biomass. The LCA also identified critical contributing processes for each of these remedial alternatives, and suggested options to improve the net environmental benefit of remediation: using locally produced biochar-based PAC, using green cement, drying the soil in thermal treatment to reduce soil moisture content, using innovative methods to achieve low temperature desorption, using low emission fuel efficient trucks, and recycling waste heat in thermal treatment. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2016,Mercury contaminated soil; Remediation; Life cycle assessment; Sustainable remediation; Secondary impact,No (2)
Decadal and long-term boreal soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration rates across a variety of ecosystems,"Boreal soils play a critical role in the global carbon (C) cycle; therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms that control soil C accumulation and loss for this region. Examining C & nitrogen (N) accumulation rates over decades to centuries may provide additional understanding of the dominant mechanisms for their storage, which can be masked by seasonal and interannual variability when investigated over the short term. We examined longer-term accumulation rates, using Pb-210 and C-14 to date soil layers, for a wide variety of boreal ecosystems: a black spruce forest, a shrub ecosystem, a tussock grass ecosystem, a sedge-dominated ecosystem, and a rich fen. All ecosystems had similar decadal C accumulation rates, averaging 84 +/- 42 gCm(-2) yr(-1). Long-term (century) C accumulation rates were slower than decadal rates, averaging 14 +/- 5 gCm(-2) yr(-1) for all ecosystems except the rich fen, for which the long-term C accumulation rates was more similar to decadal rates (44 +/- 5 and 76 +/- 9 gCm(-2) yr(-1), respectively). The rich fen also had the highest long-term N accumulation rates (2.7 gNm(-2) yr(-1)). The lowest N accumulation rate, on both a decadal and long-term basis, was found in the black spruce forest (0.2 and 1.4 gNm(-2) yr(-1), respectively). Our results suggest that the controls on long-term C and N cycling at the rich fen is fundamentally different from the other ecosystems, likely due to differences in the predominant drivers of nutrient cycling (oxygen availability, for C) and reduced amounts of disturbance by fire (for C and N). This result implies that most shifts in ecosystem vegetation across the boreal region, driven by either climate or succession, will not significantly impact regional C or N dynamics over years to decades. However, ecosystem transitions to or from a rich fen will promote significant shifts in soil C and N storage.",2016,,No (2)
"Evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions in a Miscanthus sinensis Andersson-dominated semi-natural grassland in Kumamoto, Japan","Increasing greenhouse gas emissions from anthropogenic activities continue to be a mounting problem worldwide. In the semi-natural Miscanthus sinensis Andersson; grasslands of Aso, Kumamoto, Japan, which have been managed for thousands of years, we measured soil methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions before and after annual controlled burns. We estimated annual soil carbon (C) accumulation, and CH4 and N2O emissions induced by biomass burning in 2009 and 2010, to determine the impacts of this ecosystem and its management on global warming. Environmental factors affecting soil CH4 and N2O fluxes were unknown, with no effect of annual burning observed on short-term soil CH4 and N2O emissions. However, deposition of charcoal during burning may have enhanced CH4 oxidation and N2O consumption at the study site, given that emissions (CH4: -4.33kgCha(-1) yr(-1), N2O: 0.17kgNha(-1) yr(-1)) were relatively lower than those measured in other land-use types. Despite significant emission of CH4 and N2O during yearly burning events in early spring, the M. sinensis semi-natural grassland had a large annual soil C accumulation, which resulted in a global warming potential of -4.86 Mg CO(2)eq ha(-1) yr(-1). Consequently, our results indicate that long-term maintenance of semi-natural M. sinensis grasslands by annual burning can contribute to the mitigation of global warming.",2016,greenhouse gas emission; soil C sequestration; semi-natural grassland; global warming potential; Burning,No (2)
Using decision pathway surveys to inform climate engineering policy choices,"Over the coming decades citizens living in North America and Europe will be asked about a variety of new technological and behavioral initiatives intended to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. A common approach to public input has been surveys whereby respondents' attitudes about climate change are explained by individuals' demographic background, values, and beliefs. In parallel, recent deliberative research seeks to more fully address the complex value tradeoffs linked to novel technologies and difficult ethical questions that characterize leading climate mitigation alternatives. New methods such as decision pathway surveys may offer important insights for policy makers by capturing much of the depth and reasoning of small-group deliberations while meeting standard survey goals including large-sample stake-holder engagement. Pathway surveys also can help participants to deepen their factual knowledge base and arrive at a more complete understanding of their own values as they apply to proposed policy alternatives. The pathway results indicate more fully the conditional and context-specific nature of support for several ""upstream"" climate interventions, including solar radiation management techniques and carbon dioxide removal technologies.",2016,climate change; geoengineering; pathway surveys; deliberation,Yes (1)
Geochemical impact of O-2 impurity in CO2 stream on carbonate carbon-storage reservoirs,"Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is regarded as an effective, large-scale mitigation technology for reducing CO2 atmospheric emissions from the use of fossil fuels. One of the major barriers for widespread deployment of the technology is the high cost of CO2 capture from the flue gas of fossil-fuel power plants and other industrial emitters. In general, the purer the desired captured CO2 stream, the more expensive the capture process. Coinjecting some of these impurities with CO2 can reduce the operational cost of CCS. Potential detrimental effects, if any, of impurities on storage formations need to be identified and evaluated. Previous studies on the effects of impurities have focused on sandstone reservoir rocks and mudstone caprock, but little work has been done to evaluate potential impacts on carbonate reservoirs, which are major storage candidates. We conducted a series of autoclave experiments on Redwater Leduc limestone (Alberta, Canada) and SACROC dolostone (Texas, United States) to investigate the effect of O-2 impurity on CO2-brine-rock interactions. A total of eight reaction experiments were conducted with or without O-2 for 3 weeks each at 200 bar and 70 degrees C or 100 degrees C. Chemical analyses of the reaction fluids show that carbonate dissolution is the major mineral reaction caused by injection of CO2. The addition of 3.5% O-2 had no significant impact on the limestone, whereas it led to precipitation of iron hydroxides in dolostone experiments that contained ankerite and a small amount of siderite. Porosity and permeability increased when CO2 was added, but the addition of O-2 did not lead to notable changes. The results suggest that the addition of O-2 impurity into the CO2 stream will not cause significant damage to carbonate formations, which potentially allows significant cost reduction by retaining a small O-2 content in the injection gas stream. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2016,Geological CO2 sequestration; CO2-brine-rock reactions; Oxygen; Autoclave experiment; Geochemical modeling; Carbonate dissolution,No (2)
Does conservation agriculture deliver climate change mitigation through soil carbon sequestration in tropical agro-ecosystems?,"Conservation agriculture (CA), comprising minimum soil disturbance, retention of crop residues and crop diversification, is widely promoted for reducing soil degradation and improving agricultural sustainability. It is also claimed to mitigate climate change through soil carbon sequestration: we conducted a meta-analysis of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes under CA practices in two tropical regions, the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), to quantify this. In IGP annual increases in SOC stock compared to conventional practice were between 0.16 and 0.49 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1). In SSA increases were between 0.28 and 0.96 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1), but with much greater variation and a significant number of cases with no measurable increase. Most reported SOC stock increases under CA are overestimates because of errors introduced by inappropriate soil sampling methodology. SOC increases require careful interpretation to assess whether or not they represent genuine climate change mitigation as opposed to redistribution of organic C within the landscape or soil profile. In smallholder farming in tropical regions social and economic barriers can greatly limit adoption of CA, further decreasing realistic mitigation potential. Comparison with the decreases in greenhouse gas emissions possible through improved management of nitrogen (N) fertilizer in regions such as IGP where N use is already high, suggests that this is a more effective and sustainable means of mitigating climate change. However the mitigation potential, and other benefits, from crop diversification are frequently overlooked when considering CA and warrant greater attention. Increases in SOC concentration (as opposed to stock) in near-surface soil from CA cause improvements in soil physical conditions; these are expected to contribute to increased sustainability and climate change adaptation, though not necessarily leading to consistently increased crop yields. CA should be promoted on the basis of these factors and any climate change mitigation regarded as an additional benefit, not a major policy driver for its adoption. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2016,Conservation agriculture; Tropical; Soil organic carbon; Climate change mitigation; Carbon sequestration; Zero-tillage; Crop residues; Crop diversification; Nitrogen,Yes (1)
Techno-Economic Analysis of a Novel Indirect Coal-Biomass to Liquids Plant Integrated with a Combined Cycle Plant and CO2 Capture and Storage,"The indirect coal to liquids (CTL) plant based on gasification and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology is technically feasible, but it is plagued with high CO2 emission in comparison to the petroleum-based fuel production processes. Addition of a moderate amount of biomass to the feed and inclusion of CO2 capture and storage (CCS) technology to the indirect CTL process can reduce its environmental footprint, but at the cost of higher capital investment as well as larger operational penalty. In this study, a techno-economic analysis of a novel indirect coal-biomass to liquids (CBTL) plant with CCS is performed using Aspen Process Economic Analyzer based on a process model developed in Aspen Plus. This paper has evaluated the impact of key investment parameters, such as raw material cost, project contingency, and process capacity, on the economic measures, including net present value, internal rate of return, payback period, and break-even oil price. In addition, the impacts of technology choices for product upgrading and carbon capture and the effects of key design parameters, such as coal/biomass ratio, type of biomass, extent of CO2 capture, and H-2/CO ratio in the FT inlet stream, are evaluated. Impact of current crude oil prices on the feasibility of CBTL plants is also evaluated.",2016,,No (2)
Consequence Study of CO2 Leakage from Ocean Storage,"Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is considered as a viable alternative for reducing a large amount of CO2 gas discharged from power plants and steel production plants. CO2 storage is a part of the CCS to keep the discharged CO2 at deep sub-seabed geological areas. A leakage of this stored CO2 may result in a CO2 bubble plume which causes a pH reduction and an increase in pCO2 (partial pressure of CO2) of the ocean environment due to the ocean acidification between the leaked CO2 and the seawater. Consequently, this leads environmental influence on the marine life. Thus, the aim of this study is to present an implement of computational fluid dynamics coupled with population balance model to simulate behaviors of a leaked CO2 bubble plume via the ocean CO2 storage against a recently published experiment. The simulated behaviors include the momentum and the processes of breakup, coalescence and mass-transfer which can account for the rising velocity and the size distribution of the CO2 bubbles in the plume. The applied models also can predict the changes in pH and pCO2 of the seawater during the occurrence of the leakage. It was found that the predicted results had a good agreement compared to the published experimental data. © 2016 The Authors.",2016,,No (2)
Modeling the spatiotemporal variability in subsurface thermal regimes across a low-relief polygonal tundra landscape,"Vast carbon stocks stored in permafrost soils of Arctic tundra are under risk of release to the atmosphere under warming climate scenarios. Ice-wedge polygons in the low-gradient polygonal tundra create a complex mosaic of microtopographic features. This microtopography plays a critical role in regulating the fine-scale variability in thermal and hydrological regimes in the polygonal tundra landscape underlain by continuous permafrost. Modeling of thermal regimes of this sensitive ecosystem is essential for understanding the landscape behavior under the current as well as changing climate. We present here an end-to-end effort for high-resolution numerical modeling of thermal hydrology at real-world field sites, utilizing the best available data to characterize and parameterize the models. We develop approaches to model the thermal hydrology of polygonal tundra and apply them at four study sites near Barrow, Alaska, spanning across low to transitional to high-centered polygons, representing a broad polygonal tundra landscape. A multi-phase subsurface thermal hydrology model (PFLOTRAN) was developed and applied to study the thermal regimes at four sites. Using a high-resolution lidar digital elevation model (DEM), microtopographic features of the landscape were characterized and represented in the high-resolution model mesh. The best available soil data from field observations and literature were utilized to represent the complex heterogeneous subsurface in the numerical model. Simulation results demonstrate the ability of the developed modeling approach to capture - without recourse to model calibration - several aspects of the complex thermal regimes across the sites, and provide insights into the critical role of polygonal tundra microtopography in regulating the thermal dynamics of the carbon-rich permafrost soils. Areas of significant disagreement between model results and observations highlight the importance of field-based observations of soil thermal and hydraulic properties for modeling-based studies of permafrost thermal dynamics, and provide motivation and guidance for future observations that will help address model and data gaps affecting our current understanding of the system.",2016,,No (2)
"Key impacts of climate engineering on biodiversity and ecosystems, with priorities for future research","Climate change has significant implications for biodiversity and ecosystems. With slow progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, climate engineering (or geoengineering') is receiving increasing attention for its potential to limit anthropogenic climate change and its damaging effects. Proposed techniques, such as ocean fertilization for carbon dioxide removal or stratospheric sulfate injections to reduce incoming solar radiation, would significantly alter atmospheric, terrestrial and marine environments, yet potential side-effects of their implementation for ecosystems and biodiversity have received little attention. A literature review was carried out to identify details of the potential ecological effects of climate engineering techniques. A group of biodiversity and environmental change researchers then employed a modified Delphi expert consultation technique to evaluate this evidence and prioritize the effects based on the relative importance of, and scientific understanding about, their biodiversity and ecosystem consequences. The key issues and knowledge gaps are used to shape a discussion of the biodiversity and ecosystem implications of climate engineering, including novel climatic conditions, alterations to marine systems and substantial terrestrial habitat change. This review highlights several current research priorities in which the climate engineering context is crucial to consider, as well as identifying some novel topics for ecological investigation.",2016,Biodiversity; carbon dioxide removal; climate engineering; ecosystems; geoengineering; solar radiation management,Yes (1)
Carbon dioxide capture using various metal oxyhydroxide-biochar composites,"Innovative and cost-effective methods are needed to capture and store CO2 to reduce anthropogenic impact on global warming. This work produced and characterized aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, and iron oxide-biochar composites, and evaluated their ability to capture CO2 at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Biomass feedstocks were treated with metal ions of a variety of concentrations, and were then pyrolyzed at 600 degrees C. Characterization experiments showed that the process not only turned the biomass into biochar, but also converted the metal ions into metal oxyhydroxide nanoparticles onto the carbon surfaces with the biochar matrix. As a result, the composites, particularly the ones with optimal metal to biomass ratios, had higher CO2 capture capacity than the unmodified biochar. All the composites had relatively large surface area and captured CO2 mainly through physical adsorption. Although Fe2O3-biochar composites had the highest surface area, the AlOOH-biochar composite showed the largest sorption. Thus, both the characteristics of the metal oxyhydroxides and the surface area contributed to the CO2 capture capacity. The maximum adsorption capacity (71 mg g(-1) at 25 degrees C) by AlOOH-biochar is comparable to commercial adsorbents. The samples had between 90% and 99% desorption at 120 degrees C, so they required low cost regeneration. All these results suggested that biochar-based composites could be a high efficiency and cost-effective adsorbent for CO2 capture. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2016,Engineered biochar; Biochar nanocomposites; CO2 capture; CO2 adsorption; Carbon sequestration,No (2)
Using rye as cover crop for bioenergy production: An environmental and economic assessment,"The use of cover crops (CCs) during winter can improve the structure and water retention capacity of the soil. Additionally, the harvested CCs could be used as substrate in an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant. This paper aims at assessing the environmental and economic consequences of planting rye as a winter CC (after maize) and its use as co-substrate in an AD plant (Rye scenario) instead of leaving the land fallow during winter and use solely maize for co-digestion with manure (NoRye scenario). The life cycle assessment (LCA) of 1 MJ of produced bioenergy (36% electricity and 64% heat) shows significant benefits for marine eutrophication for the Rye scenario due to reductions in nitrate leaching. However, the lower specific yield of rye and the biogas potential for the Rye scenario resulted in higher total impacts on climate change and resource depletion (higher use of machinery and infrastructures for 1 MJ of produced bioenergy), as compared to the use of maize in the NoRye scenario. Based on the analysis, possible methodological improvements are highlighted, in particular for the simulation of field emissions and regionalization of impacts. From an economic point-of-view, planting rye during winter could generate additional revenues for the farmer. However, the calculation incorporates large uncertainties, linked mainly to price volatility, seasonal weather conditions (and related yield variations), and to the possible influence of CCs on the summer crop yield. In conclusion, this paper presents a first overview of the sustainability performances of using rye as a CC for energy purposes. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2016,Cover crops; Harvest; Bioenergy; Life cycle assessment; Costs; Maize-rye rotation,No (2)
Response of paddy soil organic carbon accumulation to changes in long-term yield-driven carbon inputs in subtropical China,"A decrease in C inputs from the return of crop residues to soil has occurred in many regions worldwide in recent years. The effects of this. decline in C inputs could provide valuable information for assessing the long-term impact of litter C inputs on soil organic C (SOC) in rice paddy soils. The present study aimed to evaluate the response of rice paddy SOC accumulation to changes in actual C inputs in subtropical China, with emphasis on the response of C accumulation to declining C inputs. For this, we used a long-term field experiment on paddy soil in a rice-rice (Oryza sativa L.) cropping system running from 1990 to 2014. The four treatments were CK (control, no fertilizer), OM (organic matter application), NPK (N, P, and K fertilizer application), and NPKOM (NPK and organic matter application). Organic matter application for the OM and NPKOM treatments included rice straw and green manure that were left in the field after harvest and chopped, along with rice residues with stubbles and roots. In all treatments, C sequestration showed an increasing trend (from 0.207 to 0.8800 g kg(-1) yr(-1)) in the early and middle stages of the experiment (1990-2006) followed by a decreasing trend (from 0.429 to 0.064 g kg(-1) yr(-1)) in the late stage (2007-2014). The trends. were more pronounced for the OM and NPKOM treatments than for their CK and NPK counterparts. The changes in SOC stocks were consistent with changes in C inputs (p < 0.01). During the late stage, yield and litter inputs from crop residues and green manure decreased, quickly affecting SOC stock in paddy soils. This declining trend in annual rice yields was mainly caused by the decline in first rice yields, accounting for 42.3-91.5% of the decrease in annual C inputs..Insufficient P or N and K supply and unfavorable climatic factors (decreases in sunshine duration and both maximum and minimum temperatures) are possible reasons for the decline in first rice yields and green manure biomass in the late stage. Collectively, the results suggest that C stocks in high-productivity paddy soils respond very sensitively to a decline in C inputs. This raises the risk of loss of C stock in paddy soil if, in the long run, a large return of C to soil with crop residues or by other sources, e.g., green manure, cannot be achieved. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2016,Soil organic carbon; Carbon sequestration; Carbon inputs; Yield decline; Paddy field; Long-term experiment,No (2)
Dynamic simulation and optimization of an industrial-scale absorption tower for,"This article considers a process technology based on absorption for CO2 capturing of ethane gas in phase 9 and 10 of south pars in Iran using diethanolamine (DEA) as absorbent solvent. This CO2 capture plant was designed to achieve 85% CO2 recovery and obtain 19 ppm the CO2 concentration in the outlet of absorber. ASPEN-HYSYS software was used for the dynamic simulation of a commercial-scale CO2 capture plant and amine Pkg equation was chosen from the fluid property package for calculating the thermodynamic properties of the process. A static approach for optimization was used to evaluate the optimum conditions. This research revealed that pressure variation does not have any considerable changes in the absorption process, while both amine inlet temperature and volumetric flow rate increment enhance the absorption tower efficiency. The effect of temperature was very significant as shown in the dynamic study plots. The optimum condition for CO2 absorption from a stream of ethane gas with molar flow rate of 2118 kg mol h-1 was obtained 75 m3 h-1 of amine at 53 °C and 24 bar. This optimized condition is acceptable from economical, safe as well as feasible point of view. © 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2016,,No (2)
"Spatio-temporal variations in organic carbon density and carbon sequestration potential in the topsoil of Hebei Province, China","Reliable prediction of soil organic carbon (SOC) density and carbon sequestration potential (CSP) plays an important role in the atmospheric carbon dioxide budget. This study evaluated temporal and spatial variation of topsoil SOC density and CSP of 21 soil groups across Hebei Province, China, using data collected during the second national soil survey in the 1980s and during the recent soil inventory in 2010. The CSP can be estimated by the method that the saturated SOC content subtracts the actual SOC associated with clay and silt. Overall, the SOC density and CSP of most soil groups increased from the 1980s to 2010 and varied between different soil groups. Among all soil groups, Haplic phaeozems had the highest SOC density and Endogleyic solonchaks had the largest CSP. Areas of soil groups with the highest SOC density (90 to 120 t C ha(-1)) and carbon sequestration (120 to 160 t C ha(-1)) also increased overtime. With regard to spatial distribution, the north of the province had higher SOC density but lower CSP than the south. With respect to land-use type, cultivated soils had lower SOC density but higher CSP than uncultivated soils. In addition, SOC density and CSP were influenced by soil physicochemical properties, climate and terrain and were most strongly correlated with soil humic acid concentration. The results suggest that soil groups (uncultivated soils) of higher SOC density have greater risk of carbon dioxide emission and that management should be aimed at maximizing carbon sequestration in soil groups (cultivated soils) with greater CSP. Furthermore, soils should be managed according to their spatial distributions of SOC density and carbon sequestration potential under different soil groups.",2016,carbon sequestration; SOC density; spatial variation; topsoil,No (2)
Soil Properties Control Glyphosate Sorption in Soils Amended with Birch Wood Biochar,"Despite a contemporary interest in biochar application to agricultural fields to improve soil quality and long-term carbon sequestration, a number of potential side effects of biochar incorporation in field soils remain poorly understood, e.g., in relation to interactions with agrochemicals such as pesticides. In a field based study at two experimental sites in Denmark (sandy loam soils at Risoe and Kalundborg), we investigated the influence of birch wood biochar with respect to application rate, aging (7-19 months), and physicochemical soil properties on the sorption coefficient, K-d (L kg(-1)), of the herbicide glyphosate. We measured K-d in equilibrium batch sorption experiments with triplicate soil samples from 20 field plots that received biochar at different application rates (0 to 100 Mg ha(-1)). The results showed that pure biochar had a lower glyphosate K-d value as compared to soils. Yet, at the Kalundborg soils, the application of biochar enhanced the sorption of glyphosate when tested after 7-19 months of soil-biochar interaction. The relative enhancement effect on glyphosate sorption diminished with increasing biochar application rate, presumably due to increased mineral-biochar interactions. In the Risoe soils, potential biochar effects on glyphosate sorption were affected by a distinct gradient in soil pH (7.4 to 8.3) and electrical conductivity (0.40-0.90 mS cm(-1)) resulting from a natural CaCO3 gradient. Thus, glyphosate K-d showed strong linear correlation with pH and EC. In conclusion, the results show that biochar, despite initially being a poor sorbent for glyphosate, can increase glyphosate sorption in soil. However, the effect of biochar on glyphosate sorption is depends on prevailing soil physicochemical properties.",2016,Biochar; Glyphosate; Sorption; Soil properties,No (2)
"Successional patterns along soil development gradients formed by glacier retreat in the Maritime Antarctic, King George Island","Background: Maritime Antarctica is severely affected by climate change and accelerating glacier retreat forming temporal gradients of soil development. Successional patterns of soil development and plant succession in the region are largely unknown, as are the feedback mechanisms between both processes. Here we identify three temporal gradients representing horizontal and vertical glacier retreat, as well as formation of raised beaches due to isostatic uplift, and describe soil formation and plant succession along them. Our hypotheses are (i) plants in Antarctica are able to modulate the two base parameters in soil development, organic C content and pH, along the temporal gradients, leading to an increase in organic carbon and soil acidity at relatively short time scales, (ii) the soil development induces succession along these gradients, and (iii) with increasing soil development, bryophytes and Deschampsia antarctica develop mycorrhiza in maritime Antarctica in order to foster interaction with soil. Results: All temporal gradients showed soil development leading to differentiation of soil horizons, carbon accumulation and increasing pH with age. Photoautptroph succession occurred rapidly after glacier retreat, but occurrences of mosses and lichens interacting with soils by rhizoids or rhizines were only observed in the later stages. The community of ground dwelling mosses and lichens is the climax community of soil succession, as the Antarctic hairgrass D. antarctica was restricted to ornithic soils. Neither D. antarctica nor mosses at the best developed soils showed any sign of mycorrhization. Conclusion: Temporal gradients formed by glacier retreat can be identified in maritime Antarctic, where soil development and plant succession of a remarkable pace can be observed, although pseudo-succession occurs by fertilization gradients caused by bird feces. Thus, the majority of ice-free surface in Antarctica is colonized by plant communities which interact with soil by litter input rather than by direct transfer of photoassimilates to soil.",2016,Temporal gradients; Chronosequences; Soil succession; Soil organic carbon; Ornithic; Mycorrhiza; Maritime Antarctica; King George Island,No (2)
Soil N transformations and its controlling factors in temperate grasslands in China: A study from 15N tracing experiment to literature synthesis,"Temperate grasslands in arid and semiarid regions cover about 40% of the total land area in China. So far, only a few studies have studied the N transformations in these important ecosystems. In the present study, soil gross N transformation rates in Inner Mongolia temperate grasslands in China were determined using a 15N tracing experiment and combined with a literature synthesis to identify the soil N transformation characteristics and their controlling factors in a global perspective. Our results showed that the rates of gross N mineralization and immobilization NH4 + were significantly lower, while autotrophic nitrification rates were significantly higher in Chinese temperate grassland soils compared to other regions in the world. In particular, the primary mineral N consumption processes, i.e., immobilization of NO3 − and NH4 +, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium, were on average much lower in temperate grassland soils in China, compared to other temperate grassland regions. The reduced heterotrophic activity and microbial growth associated with lower soil organic carbon and arid climate (e.g., mean annual precipitation) were identified as the main factors regulating soil N cycling in the studied regions in China. To restrict NO3 − accumulation and associated high risks of N losses in these arid and semiarid ecosystems in China, it is important to develop the regimes of soil organic C and water management that promote the retention of N in these grassland ecosystems. �2016. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.",2016,,No (2)
Photosynthetic bioenergy utilizing CO2 from plant flue gas: An approach on microalgae based third generation biofuels production,"The interest in microalgae based CO2 removal and biofuels production has increased over the past few years. The conversion of CO2 into chemical and biofuels products without pollution via photosynthetic CO2 bio-fixation approach is a promising way to not only reduce CO2 emissions but also generate more economic value. It has great potential as renewable fuel sources because of rapid growth rate and the ability to store high-quality lipids and carbohydrates inside their cells for biofuels production. This article reviews the literature on microalgae that were cultivated using captured CO2, technologies related to the production of biofuels from microalgae and the possible commercialization of microalgae-based biofuels to demonstrate the potential of microalgae. In this respect, a number of relevant topics are addressed: the nature of microalgae, CO2 capture via microalgae; the techniques for microalgae cultivation, harvesting and pretreatment; and the techniques for lipid extraction and biofuel production. In this work, flue gas emissions coupled to microalgae cultures are described. In addition, since microalgae can produce energy, the biorefinery concept is also reviewed. © IEOM Society International. © IEOM Society International.",2016,,Yes (1)
"Soils of the argentine islands, antarctica: Diversity and characteristics","The Argentine Islands is one of the relatively richly vegetated regions of the maritime Antarctic, with the most developed vegetation type being the Antarctic herb tundra formation. In the present study we address the soils of the central island of this archipelago, Galindez Island, to investigate their morphology, chemistry, trace element contents, microbiological characteristics in order to provide a complex description of the soils of central maritime Antarctica. We found the region to be characterised by ornithic soils (Ornithosols), Leptosols, Gleysols, and Histosols. Their distribution appeared to depend on a number of factors, such as the proximity and size of penguin rookeries, characteristics of the parent rocks, the resident plants communities, and hydrological conditions. The active layer of these soils is shallow (20-40 cm), but is significantly thicker than at King George Island (30-150 cm). The examined soils demonstrate substantial accumulation of carbon and nitrogen, which is not typical for the Antarctic barrens; therefore, they are classified as tundra-type soils. The current and former effects of zoogenic material have played a key role in the soils' enrichment with biogenic elements via both direct deposition and intensification of biological processes. The latter effect is weakest in ornithic soils, but all the other types of the regional soils have been strongly impacted by vegetation. The studied soils were found to be quite heterogeneous in regard to their trace element content, probably caused by both natural sources in the parent rocks and anthropogenic pollution. Ornithic soils were found to have highest abundances in microbiota. The soils of Galindez Island are exposed to ongoing climate changes and anthropogenic impacts; therefore, continued monitoring and conservation are important.",2016,,No (2)
Energy consumption as cultural practice: Implications for the theory and policy of sustainable energy use,"INTRODUCTION Contending with the specters of climate change and resource depletion will require deep reductions in the global use of fossil fuel-based energy over the coming decades. There are essentially three strategies for accomplishing this: changing production from fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) to non-fossil fuels such as renewable and nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage, and reduction in energy consumption. It is becoming increasingly apparent that renewable energies will not be phased in fast enough to make a dent in rising global carbon emissions. Nuclear energy provides a carbon-free alternative, but it is expensive and bears with it risks of severe accidents and problematic environmental side effects. Carbon capture is expensive, the technology is immature, and there is growing political resistance in Europe to carbon storage. Germany has recently decided to close the door on carbon storage. Added to these difficulties is a desperate need for energy among the 1.4 billion people globally who do not have access to electricity. For example, only 50 percent of India’s rural population and only 24 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s population have access to electricity. These and other parts of the developing South and East will need energy use for basic services such as light, health care, and schooling, as well as for developing their economies. Energy will also be needed for “intermediate development” in India, China, and Brazil, as well as other Asian and South American countries with rapidly growing economies. These countries will need massive amounts of energy for industrial development and to accommodate the demands of growing middle classes for household energy appliances and automobiles. © 2013 Taylor and Francis.",2016,,No (2)
Quantifying physical properties of Weyburn oil via molecular dynamics simulation,"Weyburn and Bakken reservoirs represent two medium gravity tight oil reservoirs who are currently utilizing CO2 injection as an EOR recovery process. To properly establish the CO2 recovery potential, extensive data are required to characterize CO2-oil mixing characteristics. Such data include compositional changes on oil density and oil viscosity as well as component diffusion coefficients. Additional effects of fluid-rock (sand and clay) interactions are also of importance especially due to the tight oil characteristics of such reservoirs. The necessary laboratory data are currently not available to build a reliable field prediction model. Laboratory experiments are costly and time consuming and often show wide variability, especially for non-equilibrium properties for binary and ternary mixtures. This implies significant uncertainties in the previously employed Weyburn 7 component compositional model used for field simulations. Here, we build a 15 component molecular dynamics (MD) model for the Weyburn oil and its mixing with CO2 to quantify these essential equilibrium and non-equilibrium process parameters. Via MD simulation, we established these parameters for the Weyburn oil at two different field conditions. These property results can be used in future CO2-EOR field simulation for Weyburn. A similar MD strategy can be used for other tight oil reservoirs (e.g. Bakken reservoir). This work establishes that MD simulation can be used as a cost-effective tool, along with laboratory experiments and field simulation, in an integrated approach to proper analysis of an EOR development strategy. Crown Copyright (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2016,Molecular dynamics; Oil composition; PVT; CO2-EOR; Diffusion; Viscosity,No (2)
Salisbury biochar did not affect the mobility or speciation of lead in kaolin in a short-term laboratory study,"Salisbury biochar (produced from British broadleaf hardwood) with two different particle sizes (<= 2 mm and <= 0.15 mm) was applied on a kaolin with three different lead (Pb2+) contamination levels (50 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg) at the dosage of 1% in w/w. The short-term impact of biochar on the mobility and speciation of Pb2+ in the kaolin was investigated using attenuation periods of 1, 7 and 28 days. The leachability and extractability of Pb2+ in carbonic acid leaching and EDTA extraction tests as well as the speciation of Pb2+ in soils were not significantly affected by biochar treatment during all periods. The insignificant effects of biochar on Pb2+ immobilisation were most likely attributed to the high adsorption capacity of Pb2+ on the kaolin and biochar failed to competitively adsorb Pb2+ against kaolin. The kaolin immobilised Pb2+ primarily through cation exchange, which represents the readily bioavailable fractions of Pb2+ in soils and may still pose environmental risks. This paper suggests the inefficiency of biochar treament on heavy-metal contaminated clay-rich soils. Therefore a laboratory treatablity study with respect to the soil type may be crucial when large-scale biochar applications in heavy-metal associated soil remediation are evaluated. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2016,Biochar; Lead; Kaolin; Immobilise; Speciation,No (2)
Development of CO2 capture technologies for coal gasification,"Coal is a very important energy resource for power generation. However, coal releases more carbon dioxide (CO2) than other fuels used in thermal power generation. There are some technologies that capture CO2 from power generation systems, but carbon capture technologies negatively affect the thermal efficiency of power generation. We have tested both chemical and physical CO2 absorption equipment in order to improve the efficiency of a coal gasification power generation system with CO2 capture in the EAGLE Project. In a feasibility study on IGCC with a CO2 capture system, based on our test results, we found that when a CO2 capture system is installed in an IGCC, net efficiency is 38% or more, and the physical CO2 capture system achieves a 13% reduction in energy loss compared with the chemical CO2 capture system..",2015,,No (2)
Reframing the policy approach to greenhouse gas removal technologies,"Greenhouse gas removal (GGR) methods such as direct air capture, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, biochar and enhanced weathering have recently attracted attention as ""geoengineering"" options to reverse the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Contrary to this framing, however, we argue that GGR technologies can in fact form a valuable complement to emissions control within on-going mitigation efforts. Through decoupling abatement from emissions sources, they add much-needed flexibility to the mitigation toolbox, increasing feasibility and reducing costs of meeting climate targets. Integrating GGR effectively into policy raises significant challenges relating to uncertain costs, side effects, life-cycle effectiveness and accounting. Delaying policy action until these uncertainties are resolved, however, risks missing early opportunities, suffocating innovation and locking out the long-term potential of GGR. Based on an analysis of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, we develop four policy principles to begin unlocking the potential of GGR: (i) support further research, development and demonstration; (ii) support near-term opportunities through modifying existing policy mechanisms; (iii) commit to full GGR integration in carbon accreditation and broader climate policy frameworks in future; (iv) develop sector-specific steps that lay the groundwork for future opportunities and avoid lock-out (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2015,Greenhouse gas removal; Geoengineering; Climate change policy,Yes (1)
The hidden risks and unfulfilled expectations of biochar,"Biochar is a charcoal-like carbonized organic material, but unlike charcoal, it is added to soils to improve their properties and to store carbon. It has received worldwide attention since the discovery of the fertile Terra Preta, which is an anthropogenic type of soil enriched in organic matter derived from charred residues. On these soils biomass production is 400% higher compared to the non-Terra Preta soils of the region. This discovery sparked the imagination of many farmers and scientists that biochar could improve the fertility of the soils worldwide and thus also food production. Furthermore, biochar application is expected to increase soil carbon content, reduce soil methane emissions and subsequently offer a solution to the issue of climate change. Owing to its properties, its amendment to agricultural soils has been considered for the reduction of nutrient runoff as well as for the immobilization of organic and inorganic contaminants in contaminated soils. The application of biochar in soil can however also have undesired effects, such as a) reduction of the efficacy of pesticides and the reduction of the degradation rate of organic contaminants, b) introduction of contaminants such as trace elements, PAH, PCB and dioxins, c) reduction of soil organic matter due to a positive priming effect, d) increase in soil greenhouse gases emission, and e) adverse or no positive effect on crop production. This indicates a trade-off between the beneficial effects of biochar as a soil amendment and the introduction of new risks. Therefore, the main motivation of this chapter is to point out several environmental issues that have to be addressed in order to make biochar practice sustainable. © 2015 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.",2015,,Yes (1)
"Impacts of zero tillage on soil enzyme activities, microbial characteristics and organic matter functional chemistry in temperate soils","Zero tillage management of agricultural soils has potential for enhancing soil carbon (C) storage and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the mechanisms which control carbon (C) sequestration in soil in response to zero tillage are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the links between zero tillage practices and the functioning of the soil microbial community with regards to C cycling, testing the hypothesis that zero tillage enhances biological functioning in soil with positive implications for C sequestration. Specifically, we determined microbial respiration rates, enzyme activities, carbon source utilization and the functional chemistry of the soil organic matter in temperate well drained soils that had been zero tilled for seven years against annually tilled soils. Zero tilled soils contained 9% more soil C, 30% higher microbial biomass C than tilled soil and an increased presence of aromatic functional groups indicating greater preservation of recalcitrant C. Greater CO2 emission and higher respirational quotients were observed from tilled soils compared to zero tilled soils while microbial biomass was 30% greater in zero tilled soils indicating a more efficient functioning of the microbial community under zero tillage practice. Furthermore, microbial enzyme activities of dehydrogenase, cellulase, xylanase, beta-glucosidase, phenol oxidase and peroxidase were higher in zero tilled soils. Considering zero tillage enhanced both microbial functioning and C storage in soil, we suggest that it offers significant promise to improve soil health and support mitigation measures against climate change. (C) 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.",2015,Carbon sequestration; Microbial biomass carbon; Greenhouse gases; Soil enzymes; Soil organic matter; Soil microbial functional diversity,Yes (1)
Aggregated indicator to assess land use impacts in life cycle assessment (LCA) based on the economic value of ecosystem services,"Soils are one of earth's essential natural resources, supporting nearly all terrestrial life. By and large, current life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methodologies are limited in their assessment of potential land use impacts in terms of terrestrial biodiversity loss. The land use life cycle impact assessment (LULCIA) project spearheaded by the United Nations Environment Programme/Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (UNEP/SETAC) Life Cycle Initiative recently broadened the scope of land use evaluation in life cycle assessment (LCA) by encompassing six additional indicators that represent ecosystem provision and regulation services, as defined in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005). Although LCIA methodology is more comprehensive with regards to relevant impact pathways linked to land use, the development could potentially decrease the capacity of LCA as a decision support system by increasing the number of indicators from one to seven for the assessment of the land use impact category alone. To overcome this limitation, the project proposes a new LCIA method to estimate the decrease in value of the ecosystem services provided to society due to land use. The six midpoint land use indicators proposed by the LULCIA project are further modeled into a new area of protection, resources and ecosystem services, based on a functional approach. To do so, indicators expressed in biophysical units are converted into monetary units based on the economic valuation of the reduction of a given ecosystem service. The loss of provision services biotic production and fresh water recharge are estimated through productivity loss and water supply cost, respectively. The regulation services erosion resistance and mechanical and physicochemical water filtration are estimated through the cost of erosion mitigation measures and water purification process costs, respectively. The climate regulation potential is estimated through the social carbon cost: a decrease in carbon sequestration by soils is considered equivalent to an amount of carbon emitted in the atmosphere. We also propose to consider the local socioeconomic context by evaluating the economic adaptation capacity of countries: impacts on the resources and ecosystem services area of protection are only accounted for when the country has the capacity to adapt (while indirect impacts would be calculated by assessing the burdens of the adaptation scenario by performing a full LCA of these adaptation measures). The application of the method is illustrated through a case study evaluating the cradle-to-gate land use impacts of three bio-based polymers (biopolyethylene, polylactic acid and thermoplastic starch) produced in Brazil, Italy, Thailand and the United States. Impact scores are not only influenced by the biophysical specificity of the studied systems (e.g. crop yield affecting the inventory flow, type of biome affecting impact characterisation) but also by the local socioeconomic capacity to compensate for an ecosystem service loss and available compensation measures and technologies. In this case study, thermoplastic starch appears to have fewer impacts on land use and ecosystem services than biopolyethylene or polylactic acid. Overall, the research demonstrates the feasibility of further modeling the biophysical indicators of land use into an economic metric. This additional and complementary modeling step is meant to facilitate the interpretation of LCA results, enabling discussions on the relevance of the biophysical indicators affecting the loss of ecosystem services from land use. It may also be used as an explicit weighting scheme to aggregate the midpoint results into a single value expressing the social cost to compensate for the loss of the ecosystem services. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Land use; Life cycle assessment; Ecosystem services; Economic valuation; Impact assessment,No (2)
Stabilization of Organic Matter by Biochar Application in Compost-amended Soils with Contrasting pH Values and Textures,"Food demand and soil sustainability have become urgent concerns because of the impacts of global climate change. In subtropical and tropical regions, practical management that stabilizes and prevents organic fertilizers from rapid decomposition in soils is necessary. This study conducted a short-term (70 days) incubation experiment to assess the effects of biochar application on the decomposition of added bagasse compost in three rural soils with different pH values and textures. Two rice hull biochars, produced through slow pyrolization at 400 degrees C (RHB-400) and 700 degrees C (RHB-700), with application rates of 1%, 2%, and 4% (w/w), were separately incorporated into soils with and without compost (1% (w/w) application rate). Experimental results indicated that C mineralization rapidly increased at the beginning in all treatments, particularly in those involving 2% and 4% biochar. The biochar addition increased C mineralization by 7.9%-48% in the compost-amended soils after 70 days incubation while the fractions of mineralized C to applied C significantly decreased. Moreover, the estimated maximum of C mineralization amount in soils treated with both compost and biochar were obviously lower than expectation calculated by a double exponential model (two pool model). Based on the micromorphological observation, added compost was wrapped in the soil aggregates formed after biochar application and then may be protected from decomposing by microbes. Co-application of compost with biochar may be more efficient to stabilize and sequester C than individual application into the studied soils, especially for the biochar produced at high pyrolization temperature.",2015,biochar; compost; carbon mineralization; carbon sequestration,No (2)
"Life cycle environmental impact assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and utilization in Northwestern Ontario, Canada","Biochar-based bioenergy production and subsequent land application of biochar can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by fixing atmospheric carbon into the soil for a long period of time. A thorough life cycle assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and biochar land application in Northwestern Ontario is conducted using SimaPro(A (R)) Ver. 8.1. The results of energy consumption and potential environmental impact of biochar-based bioenergy production system are compared with those of conventional coal-based system. Results show that biochar land application consumes 4847.61 MJ per tonne dry feedstock more energy than conventional system, but reduces the GHG emissions by 68.19 kg CO(2)e per tonne of dry feedstock in its life cycle. Biochar land application improves ecosystem quality by 18 %, reduces climate change by 15 %, and resource use by 13 % but may adversely impact on human health by increasing disability adjusted life years by 1.7 % if biomass availability is low to medium. Replacing fossil fuel with woody biomass has a positive impact on the environment, as one tonne of dry biomass feedstock when converted to biochar reduces up to 38 kg CO(2)e with biochar land application despite using more energy. These results will help understand a comprehensive picture of the new interventions in forestry businesses, which are promoting biochar-based bioenergy production.",2015,Woody biomass; Carbon sequestration; Environmental impact assessment; Greenhouse gas emissions; Life cycle analysis; Soil amendment,Yes (1)
"Carbon debt repayment or carbon sequestration parity? Lessons from a forest bioenergy case study in Ontario, Canada","Forest bioenergy can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with energy production. We assessed changes in GHG emissions resulting from displacement of coal with wood pellets for the Atikokan Generating Station located in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. Two contrasting biomass sources were considered for continuous wood pellet production: harvest residue from current harvest operations (residue scenario) and fibre from expanded harvest of standing live trees (stemwood scenario). For the stemwood scenario, two metrics were used to assess the effects of displacing coal with forest biomass on GHG emissions: (i) time to carbon sequestration parity, defined as the time from the beginning of harvest to when the combined GHG benefit of displacing coal with biomass and the amount of carbon in regenerating forest equalled the amount of forest carbon without harvest for energy production; and (ii) time to carbon debt repayment, defined as the time from the beginning of harvest to when the combined GHG benefit of displacing coal with biomass and the amount of carbon in the regenerating forest equalled forest carbon at the time of harvest. Only time to carbon sequestration parity was used for the residue scenario. In the residue scenario, carbon sequestration parity was achieved within 1year. In the stemwood scenario, times to carbon sequestration parity and carbon debt repayment were 91 and 112years, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that estimates were robust when parameter values were varied. Modelling experiments showed that increasing growth rates for regenerating stands in the stemwood scenario could substantially reduce time to carbon sequestration parity. We discuss the use of the two metrics (time to carbon sequestration parity and time to carbon debt repayment) for assessing the effects of forest bioenergy projects on GHG emissions and make recommendations on terminology and methodologies for forest bioenergy studies.",2015,biomass; carbon neutral; coal; electricity; forest carbon; greenhouse gas emissions; harvest residue; renewable energy; slash pile; standing trees,No (2)
Reduction of green house gases emission in self compacting geopolymer concrete using sustainable construction materials,"The global warming is caused by emission of green house gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. The cement industry is held responsible for some of the carbon dioxide emissions, because the production of one tonne of Portland cement emits one tonne of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In terms of global warming the geopolymer technology could significantly reduce the carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere caused by cement industries. This research is aimed to give awareness about the green house gas emissions from the cement manufacturing industries and the methods of reducing this by the use of fly ash and GGBFS. Two kinds of systems have been considered in this study, 100% replacement of cement by fly ash and 100% replacement of river sand by manufactured sand. The workability of Self Compacting Geopolymer Concrete (SCGC) for various molarities was investigated and fixed to 12M. The work focused on the concrete mixes with a fixed water-to-geopolymer solid (W/Gs) ratio of 0.33 by mass and a constant total binder content of 450 kg/m3. The workability related fresh properties for molarity of 12M of SCGC were assessed through slump flow, T<inf>50cm</inf> slump flow, V-funnel, L-box and U-Box test methods. The mix proportions are arrived according to EFNARC (European Federation of National Associations Representing for Concrete) guidelines. Based on the results from workability and strength study, the results have been discussed for SCGC.",2015,,No (2)
The importance of tree species and soil taxonomy to modeling forest soil carbon stocks in Canada,"Accurate initialization of soil and dead organic matter carbon (C) stocks in forest ecosystem models is challenging but critical to forest C estimation, assessing current and future responses to climate change, and evaluation of management options for climate change mitigation strategies. We identified opportunities to improve the accuracy of soil C estimates from the Carbon Budget of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS3) - a model of forest C dynamics used to support greenhouse gas emission reporting. Accuracy of soil C stocks estimated by models is very dependent on the initialization process. Here, we used redundancy analysis (RDA) and ordinations in an exploratory analysis to compare the variance structures of soil C estimates determined by model variables used in the initialization process, in two different soil C datasets; one derived from the model, the other obtained from 2391 ground plots. We also used the ground plot data to determine if soil taxonomy (information currently not used in the CBM-CFS3) could be used to explain variation in addition to that already accounted for by variables in the model. Total variance of the plot C dataset was about twice as large as the variance of the model C dataset confirming that currently the model does not represent all factors that control variation in soil C stocks. Soil C stocks in the mineral soil were highly correlated with C stocks in soil organic horizons in the model dataset but not in the plot dataset, suggesting that the variables included in our assessment controlling C stocks in the mineral soil horizons are different than in the organic soil horizons. Tree productivity (maximum yield curve volume per hectare) explained a much larger proportion of the total variation in the model dataset than in the plot dataset, whereas the leading tree species explained more variation in the plot dataset than in the model, suggesting that accuracy of initialization of soil C stocks could be improved by including leading tree species to stratify soil C modeling parameters. Leading species that are in greatest need of improved representation were identified by ordination. The results from the RDA showed that soil taxonomy explained 4 (order) to 13% (subgroup) of plot soil C variance, in addition to that explained by variables currently used in the model that determine initial soil C stocks. Soil taxonomy and leading species can compensate for one another to explain variance in soil C stocks. Our results suggest the potential of using the combination of leading tree species and soil taxonomy to improve soil C stocks initialized by forest C models, but this remains to be tested. © 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2015,,No (2)
Biochar as a global change adaptation: predicting biochar impacts on crop productivity and soil quality for a tropical soil with the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model,"The Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model with newly-developed biochar algorithms was used to determine the impacts of biochar amendments on corn (Zea mays L.) yields, soil cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH, bulk density (D-b) and soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. The objectives were (1) to determine biochar impacts on crop yields and soil properties of a tropical soil and (2) to evaluate biochar's potential as a climate change adaptation tool. EPIC was validated using results of a 4-yr experiment performed on an Amazonian Oxisol amended with biochar at rates of 0, 8, and 20 Mg ha(-1). Simulated yields of corn on biochar amended soil were significantly greater than control yields (p < 0.05). Simulated soil pH increased from original 3.9 to 4.19, CEC increased from 9.76 to 11.5 cmol(c) kg(-1), and SOC also increased. After validation, EPIC was used to simulate the impacts of the same biochar rates applied at 4 year intervals on corn yields and soil properties over the next 20 years. Soil CEC increased from 11.1 cmol(c) kg(-1) to 20.2 cmol(c) kg(-1) for the highest biochar application rate. Soil pH increased from 3.9 to 5.64. SOC increased up to 2.59 % for the highest biochar application rate with decreased topsoil D-b from 1.11 Mg m(-3) to 0.97 Mg m(-3). Long-term corn yields were slightly decreased. Although the results are biochar-, dose-, and soil-specific, biochar additions to tropical soils hold promise as a climate change adaptation tool resulting in increased soil carbon sequestration and improved soil properties.",2015,Biochar; Bulk density; Cation exchange capacity; Crop productivity; Environmental Policy Integrated Climate Model (EPIC); Modeling; pH; Soil carbon dynamics; Soil quality,Yes (1)
Laypeople’s Risky Decisions in the Climate Change Context: Climate Engineering as a Risk-Defusing Strategy?,"ABSTRACT: This study explores the development of laypeople's preferences for newly emerging climate engineering technology (CE). It examines whether laypeople perceive CE to be an acceptable back-up strategy (plan B) if current efforts to mitigate CO2 emissions were to fail. This idea is a common justification for CE research in the scientific debate and may significantly influence future public debates. Ninety-eight German participants chose their preferred climate policy strategy in a quasi-realistic scenario. Participants could chose between mitigation and three CE techniques as alternative options. We employed a think-aloud interview technique, which allowed us to trace participants’ informational needs and thought processes. Drawing on Huber's risk management decision theory, the study addressed whether specific CE options are more likely to be accepted if they are mentally represented as a back-up strategy. Results support this assumption, especially for cloud whitening. This result is especially relevant considering the high prevalence of the plan B framing in CE appraisal studies and its implications for public opinion-formation processes. © 2015, Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.",2015,,Yes (1)
Direct Air Capture of CO2 by Physisorbent Materials,"Sequestration of CO2, either from gas mixtures or directly from air (direct air capture, DAC), could mitigate carbon emissions. Here five materials are investigated for their ability to adsorb CO2 directly from air and other gas mixtures. The sorbents studied are benchmark materials that encompass four types of porous material, one chemisorbent, TEPA-SBA-15 (amine-modified mesoporous silica) and four physisorbents: Zeolite 13X (inorganic); HKUST-1 and Mg-MOF-74/Mg-dobdc (metal-organic frameworks, MOFs); SIFSIX-3-Ni, (hybrid ultramicroporous material). Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiments afforded information about the contents of each sorbent under equilibrium conditions and their ease of recycling. Accelerated stability tests addressed projected shelf-life of the five sorbents. The four physisorbents were found to be capable of carbon capture from CO2-rich gas mixtures, but competition and reaction with atmospheric moisture significantly reduced their DAC performance.",2015,adsorption; physisorption; temperature-programmed desorption; ultramicroporous materials; water stability,No (2)
PV water pumping for carbon sequestration in dry land agriculture,"This paper suggests a novel model for analysing carbon sequestration activities in dry land agriculture considering the water-food-energy-climate nexus. The paper is based on our on-going studies on photovoltaic water pumping (PVWP) systems for irrigation of grasslands in China. Two carbon sequestration projects are analysed in terms of their water productivity and carbon sequestration potential. It is concluded that the economic water productivity, i.e. how much water that is needed to produce an amount of grass, of grassland restoration is low and that there is a need to include several of the other co-benefits to justify the use of water for climate change mitigation. The co-benefits are illustrated in a nexus model including (1) climate change mitigation, (2) water availability, (3) downstream water impact, (4) energy security, (5) food security and (6) moisture recycling. We argue for a broad approach when analysing water for carbon sequestration. The model includes energy security and food security together with local and global water concerns. This makes analyses of dry land carbon sequestration activities more relevant and accurate. Without the nexus approach, the co-benefits of grassland restoration tend to be diminished. (c) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Emission reduction; Nexus approach; Photovoltaic water pumping; Soil carbon sequestration; Supplementary irrigation; Water productivity,Yes (1)
Climate intervention: Carbon dioxide removal and reliable sequestration,"The signals are everywhere that our planet is experiencing significant climate change. It is clear that we need to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from our atmosphere if we want to avoid greatly increased risk of damage from climate change. Aggressively pursuing a program of emissions abatement or mitigation will show results over a timescale of many decades. How do we actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make a bigger difference more quickly? As one of a two-book report, this volume of Climate Intervention discusses CDR, the carbon dioxide removal of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere and sequestration of it in perpetuity. Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration introduces possible CDR approaches and then discusses them in depth. Land management practices, such as low-till agriculture, reforestation and afforestation, ocean iron fertilization, and land-and-ocean-based accelerated weathering, could amplify the rates of processes that are already occurring as part of the natural carbon cycle. Other CDR approaches, such as bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration, direct air capture and sequestration, and traditional carbon capture and sequestration, seek to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and dispose of it by pumping it underground at high pressure. This book looks at the pros and cons of these options and estimates possible rates of removal and total amounts that might be removed via these methods. With whatever portfolio of technologies the transition is achieved, eliminating the carbon dioxide emissions from the global energy and transportation systems will pose an enormous technical, economic, and social challenge that will likely take decades of concerted effort to achieve. Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration will help to better understand the potential cost and performance of CDR strategies to inform debate and decision making as we work to stabilize and reduce atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. © 2015 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.",2015,Carbon capture; Carbon dioxide; Clock and data recovery circuits (CDR circuits); Decision making; Gas emissions; Global warming; Greenhouse gases; Reforestation; Weathering; Accelerated weathering; Atmospheric concentration; Carbon capture and sequestrations; Carbon dioxide emissions; Carbon dioxide removal; Emissions abatements; Iron fertilization; Land management practices; Climate change,Yes (1)
Assessing uncertainty in soil organic carbon modeling across a highly heterogeneous landscape,"To understand if soil carbon acts as a sink or source in the global carbon cycle it is not only important to make reliable estimates, but also determine upper and lower prediction bounds through uncertainty analysis that represent best and worst case conditions. In this study, the Bayesian geostatistics was applied to assess the uncertainty associated with the predictive models of SOC (top soils) in a large region - Florida, USA. Results showed that the Bayesian estimates of model parameters were comparable to the conventional geostatistical methods especially the restricted maximum likelihood (REML). The Bayesian prediction uncertainty assessment was encouragingly accurate based on the validation of 50 and 95% prediction intervals with the validation dataset. Generally, the width of prediction intervals increased with the posterior mean SOC predictions - large prediction intervals were found in the Everglades Agricultural Area (Histosols) and the wetland areas in the Suwannee River Basin. The Bayesian constant mean model (high model inadequacy) had marked prediction uncertainty which was reduced by accounting for the effects of environmental covariates in the Bayesian linear trend model (low model inadequacy), indicating that model inadequacy had a negative impact on prediction uncertainty. Analyses of factors impacting SOC prediction uncertainty suggest that effects that explained more of the SOC variance contributed more uncertainty to the SOC prediction. These findings are critical to quantify SOC stocks in the southeastern USA where a heterogeneous mosaic of high and low carbon in soils occurs ranging from 0.45 to 34.15 kg m(-2). Although this study considers only the topsoil, the results are valuable for global carbon cycling research. The uncertainty of SOC predictions not only enables identification of ""hot"" and ""cold"" spots in a landscape to mitigate and adapt to global climate change, but also informs scenario assessment to imagine possible carbon- rich, -neutral, and -poor futures. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2015,Soil organic carbon; Uncertainty; Bayesian geostatistics,No (2)
Mineral carbonation of metallurgical slags,"Due to increasing emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere number of methods are being proposed to mitigate the risk of climate change. One of them is mineral carbonation. Blast furnace and steel making slags are co-products of metallurgical processes composed of minerals which represent appropriate source of cations required for mineral carbonation. Experimental studies were performed to determine the potential use of slags in this process. Obtained results indicate that steel making slag can be a useful material in CO<inf>2</inf> capture procedures. Slag components dissolved in water are bonded as stable carbonates in the reaction with CO<inf>2</inf> from ambient air. In case of blast furnace slag, the reaction is very slow and minerals are resistant to chemical changes. More time is needed for minerals dissolution and release of cations essential for carbonate crystallisation and thus makes blast furnace slags less favourable in comparison with steel making slag. © 2015 by Monika Kasina.",2015,,No (2)
Exploring the potential impact of implementing carbon capture technologies in fossil fuel power plants on regional European water stress index levels,"Equipping power plants with carbon capture technology can affect cooling demand and water use. This study has explored the potential impact of large scale deployment of power plants with carbon capture technologies on future regional water stress in Europe. A database including 458 of European largest power plants with data on location, technology, age, fuel type, amount of electricity generation and cooling method has been developed. This data has been combined with literature data on water use rates and developed scenarios to calculate corresponding water use of these European power plants for 2030 and 2050 under different conditions, such as the penetration level of carbon capture technologies and installed technologies. Water stress methodology based on water withdrawal has been used to explore the impact of carbon capture and storage on future water stress levels. Our findings indicate that by 2030, no considerable increase in water stress is expected due to the instalment of carbon capture technologies. However, when assuming a high penetration level of carbon capture technologies, water stress in 2050 might substantially increase in many regions in Europe. The extent of the increase in water stress strongly depends on penetration level of carbon capture, installed power plant and cooling technologies and applied water stress methodology. When using water consumption to estimate water stress, the results do not indicate significant changes in water stress for the scenarios with carbon capture. Nevertheless, as water stress based on water withdrawal is currently the common method, the results of this study provide reasons for concern regarding the potential impact of carbon capture on future European water stress levels and indicate the need for future research to monitor and possibly prevent potential water stress increases from the instalment of carbon capture technologies. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,CCS; Water stress; Power sector; Cooling water; Prospective scenarios; Europe,No (2)
The dynamic soil organic carbon mitigation potential of European cropland,"Changes in soil organic carbon stocks depend on the management regime and a variety of environmental factors including climatic conditions and soil properties. So far, the dynamics of soil organic carbon have not been explicitly represented in global economic land use optimization models. Here, we apply an approach to represent soil organic carbon dynamics explicitly in a global bottom-up recursive dynamic partial equilibrium model using carbon response functions simulated with a biophysical process-based model. We project soil organic carbon emissions from European cropland to decrease by 40% from 64 MtCO(2) in 2010 to about 39 MtCO(2) in 2050 mainly due to saturation effect when soils converge toward their equilibrium after management, crop rotation, or land use change. Moreover, we estimate a soil organic carbon mitigation potential for European cropland between 9 and 38 MtCO(2) per year until 2050 for carbon prices between 10 and 100 USD/tCO(2). The total European mitigation potential including co-benefits from the crop and livestock sector due to the carbon price is even higher with 60 MtCO(2) equivalents (eq) per year. Thus carbon sequestration in soils could compensate 7% of total emissions from agriculture within the EU, 10% when including co-benefits from the crop and livestock sector. However, as production is reallocated outside Europe with increasing carbon prices, emissions decrease in Europe but increase in the rest of the world (20 MtCO(2) eq). Preventing GHG emission leakage to the rest of the world would decrease the European soil organic carbon mitigation potential by around 9% and the total European mitigation potential including co-benefits by 16%. Nevertheless, the net global mitigation potential would still increase. We conclude that no significant contributions to emission reduction targets should be expected from the European cropland carbon sequestration options considered in this study. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Partial equilibrium; GHG emissions; Land use modeling; Conservation tillage; Soil carbon; Dynamics,Yes (1)
Carbon dioxide removal using carbon monolith as electric swing adsorption to improve indoor air quality,"This study explores the feasibility of excess CO2 removal from living spaces. Electric-swing adsorption (ESA) splits ambient air into two portions: waste gas for removal and recovery air for recycling back into the living space. Ambient air holds dilute but unacceptable concentrations of CO2 (selected as 3000 ppm in this study), while the waste gas contains higher concentrations. The concentration in the recovered air is below ambient levels. Carbon monolith functions as an adsorbent and direct heating resistance material. Cooling is accomplished by the convective flow of ambient air. The computational model and preliminary tests establish ways to quantify the separation characteristics and thermal response of the monolith. Based on the ESA steps identified with the single monolith, a prototype of a two-bed device is built to demonstrate the cyclical operation of multiple beds with phase shift. The electrical energy requirement for treating air containing 3000 ppm CO2 is in the range of 57.8 kJ/(m3 air) under the selected temperature swing of 20 degrees C. This requirement indicates that further refinement is essential for practical application. However, the overall findings are in agreement with the well-established fact that the concentration of CO2 is the most important factor affecting energy consumption, especially when the mole fraction of CO2 is less than 0.15. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Carbon dioxide removal; Indoor air quality; Carbon monolith; Electric swing adsorption; Breakthrough curve,No (2)
Carbon sequestration from China's afforestation projects,"Since the late 1970s, the Chinese government has implemented massive afforestation projects to address grievous environmental disasters, protect human health and provide long-term environmental security. Having a better understanding of the total carbon sink from the afforestation projects is fundamental to assess its global carbon benefit. Here, the sequestered carbon stock based on Chinese national forest inventory data is calculated by using three comparable volume-derived biomass models. Results show that the carbon sink contribution from these Chinese afforestation projects was 1.02 Pg C by the end of 2008 and 0.79 Pg C on average from 1981 to 2008 with a cumulative rate of 0.028 Pg C/a, which corresponds to 2 % of the total industrial carbon emissions from China during the same period. The financial value of carbon sequestration from these projects can be estimated by its value in carbon taxes of Finland and is potentially 190 billion RMB from 1981 to 2008, which is 43.4 % of the original investment. Hence although China's afforestation projects make only modest contributions to offsetting industrial growth in carbon, the carbon sequestered, if valued according to some markets, is a significant fraction of the total project costs.",2015,Afforestation projects; China; Carbon sequestration; Climate change; Industrial emission; Economic input-output,No (2)
Costs and benefits of ammonia and particulate matter abatement in German agriculture including interactions with greenhouse gas emissions,"The abatement of ammonia (NH3) and particulate matter (PM) emissions in agriculture reduces damages to human health and biodiversity and provides benefits for society, but also imposes costs on farmers. As NH3 and PM emissions partly originate from the same activities as greenhouse gases, interactions may exist between NH3 and PM emission abatement and greenhouse gas emissions. This study is aimed at estimating the costs and benefits of NH3 and PM emission abatement measures, considering interactions with agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in Germany. We combined an economic-ecological farm model for estimating emission reductions and abatement costs with an integrated environmental impact assessment model for estimating the benefits for human health and biodiversity, with applications to three Federal States in Germany. We reasoned that benefits exceed costs and that synergies with greenhouse gas reduction exist. All NH3 and PM emission abatement measures affected greenhouse gases. In crop production, conservation tillage increased farmers' gross margins and reduced both PM emissions and, via soil carbon sequestration, also greenhouse gas emissions. The benefits depended on the soil type and its carbon sequestration potential, which differ across regions. The substitution of urea fertiliser for calcium ammonium nitrate reduced both NH3 and greenhouse gas emissions. In livestock production, the measures with the highest net benefits were chemical washers for exhaust-air purification, injection or cultivator manure application and concrete manure storage cover. Low-protein pig feeding increased farmers' gross margins and also achieved high net benefits, with the benefits of greenhouse gas emission reduction exceeding those of NH3 emission reduction. Low-protein poultry feeding and biofilters for air purification yielded negative net benefits and were therefore not recommended for implementation. The results confirm interactions of NH3 and PM emission abatement measures with greenhouse gas emissions and suggest that all relevant emission types be integrated in an analysis. Air pollution abatement and climate change mitigation have mainly been addressed in separate policies. Our results suggest that these policies are better integrated so as to stimulate synergies and to define the appropriate ambition level of emission reduction targets. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2015,Cost-efficiency; Economic-ecological modelling; Environmental impact assessment; Damage costs; Health Biodiversity,No (2)
"Oxyfuel derived CO2 compression experiments with NOx, SOx, and mercury removal-Experiments involving compression of slip-streams from the Callide Oxyfuel Project (COP)","Oxyfuel combustion is a CO2 capture technology which is approaching commercial demonstration. Of practical interest is the use of the compression circuit to allow low-cost cleaning options for various flue gas impurities. This work has focussed on three species - NOx SOx and Hg - and their removal during compression of ""real"" oxyfuel flue gas sampled as a slip stream from the demonstration Callide Oxyfuel Project. The flue gas slip stream was compressed using a bench-scale piston compressor developed to allow measurements of impurity concentrations after each compression stage using adjustable pressures. Several operating configurations were investigated including variable pressures from 5 to 30 bar, inter-stage temperature changes and flow rate. Slip streams taken before and after SOx removal allowed the impact of mixed NOx/SOx gases to also be investigated. The results from the ""real"" oxyfuel flue gas experiments for the three species were similar to those performed in the laboratory using synthetic flue gas and reported previously. The capture of SO2 was found at be greater at low pressures than NOx, capture, with 90% removal of SO2 by a pressure of 10 bar, with NOx capture extending to higher pressures. The effect of residence time during compression had the greatest influence at higher pressures (>10 bar) where the kinetic rate of NO oxidation to NO2 increases less with pressure increase. Capture of NOx was increased from 55% to 75% by doubling the residence time in the compressor and could be further extended to 83% by increasing back end pressure from 24bar to 30 bar. Lowering the temperature during compression produced the greatest NOx and Hg capture. Overall, the results indicate that capture of mercury during compression occurred as a consequence of high pressure, longer residence time and concentration of NO2. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Oxyfuel; Mercury; NOx; Compression; Flue gas; CO2 capture,No (2)
Biomass Pyrolysis for Biochar or Energy Applications? A Life Cycle Assessment,"The application of biochar as a soil amendment is a potential strategy for carbon sequestration. In this paper, a slow pyrolysis system for generating heat and biochar from lignocellulosic energy crops is simulated and its life-cycle performance compared with that of direct biomass combustion. The use of the char as biochar is also contrasted with alternative use option's: cofiring in coal power plants, use as charcoal, and use as a fuel for heat generation. Additionally, the influence on the results of the longterm stability of the biochar in the soil, as well as of biochar effects on biomass yield, is evaluated. Negative greenhouse gas emissions are obtained for the biochar system, indicating a significant carbon abatement potential. However, this is achieved at the expense of lower energy efficiency and higher impacts in the other assessed categories when compared to direct biomass combustion. When comparing the different use options of the pyrolysis char, the most favorable result is obtained for char cofiring substituting fossil coal, even assuming high long-term stability of the char. Nevertheless, a high sensitivity to biomass yield increase is found for biochar systems, In this sense, biochar application to low-quality soils where high yield increases are expected would show a more favorable performance in terms of global warming.",2015,,No (2)
Effect of Surfactants on CO2 Biomineralization with Sporosarcina pasteurii and Bacillus megaterium,"Surfactant can reduce the interfacial tension in liquid-gas system and may probably improve the rate and/or extent of dissolution. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of three different surfactants (viz., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Triton X-100, and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC)) on CO2 biomineralization by two ureolytic microorganism-Sporosarcina pasteurii and Bacillus megaterium. In S. pasteurii-mediated biomineralization, headspace CO2 content (2.5 mM) was decreased by 40, 52, and 68 % in the presence of SDS, Triton X-100 or CTAC, respectively within the first 8 h of incubation. CO2 removal with B. megaterium in the presence of Triton X-100 (64 %) and CTAC (56 %) was better in comparison to control without surfactant (48 %). However, appreciable CO2 depletion was not observed with SDS, which was just 4 %. On other hand, headspace CO2 loss in the presence of CTAC with B. megaterium did not get biomineralized, as no calcium carbonate was detected. Crystalline phase and morphology of CaCO3 precipitate also varied between ionic and nonionic surfactants. The result suggests that the effect of surfactant on CO2 capture and biomineralization can be largely different, depending on the surfactant and concerned microbial species involved.",2015,Surfactant; CO2 biomineralization; B. megaterium; S. pasteurii; XRD analysis,No (2)
Biochar efficiency in pesticides sorption as a function of production variables-a review,"Biochar is a stabilized, carbon-rich by-product derived from pyrolysis of biomass. Recently, biochar has received extensive attentions because of its multi-functionality for agricultural and environmental applications. Biochar can contribute to sequestration of atmosphere carbon, improvement of soils quality, and mitigation of environmental contaminations. The capability of biochar for specific application is determined by its properties which are predominantly controlled by source material and pyrolysis route variables. The biochar sorption potential is a function of its surface area, pores volume, ash contents, and functional groups. The impacts of each production factors on these characteristics of biochar need to be well-understood to design efficient biochars for pesticides removal. The effects of biomass type on biochar sorptive properties are determined by relative amounts of its lingo-cellulosic compounds, minerals content, particles size, and structure. The highest treatment temperature is the most effective pyrolysis factor in the determination of biochar sorption behavior. The expansion of micro-porosity and surface area and also increase of biochar organic carbon content and hydrophobicity mostly happen by pyrolysis peak temperature rise. These changes make biochar suitable for immobilization of organic contaminants. Heating rate, gas pressure, and reaction retention time after the pyrolysis temperatures are sequentially important pyrolysis variables effective on biochar sorptive properties. This review compiles the available knowledge about the impacts of production variables on biochars sorptive properties and discusses the aging process as the main factor in post-pyrolysis alterations of biochars sorption capacity. The drawbacks of biochar application in the environment are summarized as well in the last section.",2015,Carbonized organic matter; Pyrolysis; Feedstock; Temperature; Agrochemical; Sorptive property,No (2)
Modelling and comparison of calcium looping and chemical solvent scrubbing retrofits for CO2 capture from coal-fired power plant,"Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is expected to provide a cost-effective means of CO2 emission reduction from the power sector. Amine scrubbing, which is the closest CCS technology to the market, is a suitable option for coal-fired power plants in retrofit scenarios. However, the energy requirement for solvent regeneration in chemical absorption CO2 capture processes causes a substantial reduction in the power plant efficiency and power output. Therefore, novel technologies with lower efficiency penalties need to be developed. One promising option is calcium looping (CaL) which is based on the reversible carbonation/calcination reaction of calcium-based sorbent that takes place at high temperature. For the purpose of this study, the CaL process was model was developed and then linked to a high-fidelity model of a reference 580 MWel supercritical coal-fired power plant. A secondary steam cycle was also modelled for recovery of high-grade heat from the CaL process. The results of the process analysis revealed that the efficiency penalty imposed in the CaL plant retrofit scenario was 6.7-7.9% points. Such performance compares favourably to the monoethanolamine and chilled ammonia scrubbing retrofit scenarios, which have efficiency penalties of 9.5% and 9.0%, respectively. Moreover, the retrofit of the CaL process was found to be less complex, and would result in two times higher net power output compared to the chemical solvent scrubbing scenarios. This is an important advantage of the CaL plant over the more mature CO2 capture technologies, especially for the power plant operators who are looking to increase the system capacity to meet the increasing electricity demand and, at the same time, to reduce the CO2 emissions. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Calcium looping; Coal-fired power plant; Carbon capture; Efficiency penalty reduction,No (2)
A test of lens opacity as an indicator of preclinical Alzheimer Disease,"Previous studies reported that characteristic lens opacities were present in Alzheimer Disease (AD) patients postmortem. We therefore determined whether cataract grade or lens opacity is related to the risk of Alzheimer dementia in participants who have biomarkers that predict a high risk of developing the disease. AD biomarker status was determined by positron emission tomography-Pittsburgh compound B (PET-PiB) imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of Aβ42. Cognitively normal participants with a clinical dementia rating of zero (CDR = 0; N = 40) or with slight evidence of dementia (CDR = 0.5; N = 2) were recruited from longitudinal studies of memory and aging at the Washington University Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. The age, sex, race, cataract type and cataract grade of all participants were recorded and an objective measure of lens light scattering was obtained for each eye using a Scheimpflug camera. Twenty-seven participants had no biomarkers of Alzheimer dementia and were CDR = 0. Fifteen participants had biomarkers indicating increased risk of AD, two of which were CDR = 0.5. Participants who were biomarker positive were older than those who were biomarker negative. Biomarker positive participants had more advanced cataracts and increased cortical light scattering, none of which reached statistical significance after adjustment for age. We conclude that cataract grade or lens opacity is unlikely to provide a non-invasive measure of the risk of developing Alzheimer dementia. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.",2015,,No (2)
Weaker soil carbon-climate feedbacks resulting from microbial and abiotic interactions,"The large uncertainty in soil carbon-climate feedback predictions has been attributed to the incorrect parameterization of decomposition temperature sensitivity (Q(10); ref. 1) and microbial carbon use effciency(2). Empirical experiments have found that these parameters vary spatiotemporally(3-6), but such variability is not included in current ecosystem models(7-13). Here we use a thermodynamically based decomposition model to test the hypothesis that this observed variability arises from interactions between temperature, microbial biogeochemistry, and mineral surface sorptive reactions. We show that because mineral surfaces interact with substrates, enzymes and microbes, both Q(10) and microbial carbon use effciency are hysteretic (so that neither can be represented by a single static function) and the conventional labile and recalcitrant substrate characterization with static temperature sensitivity is flawed. In a 4-K temperature perturbation experiment, our fully dynamic model predicted more variable but weaker soil carbon-climate feedbacks than did the static Q(10) and static carbon use effciency model when forced with yearly, daily and hourly variable temperatures. These results imply that current Earth system models probably overestimate the response of soil carbon stocks to global warming. Future ecosystem models should therefore consider the dynamic interactions between sorptive mineral surfaces, substrates and microbial processes.",2015,,No (2)
Monitoring of the CO2 emission and the contents of microbial biomass in agroecosystems on gray forest soils of the Cisbaikal region under conditions of fluoride pollution,The influence of the technogenic pollution of gray forest soils in the forest-steppe zone of the Cisbaikal region with fluorides emitted by aluminum smelters on the functioning and state of local agroecosystems was studied within the framework of a long-term agroecological monitoring program. Hydrothermic conditions of the growing season during the monitoring period (1997-2012) were compared with the climatic norm (1961-1990). It was found that the adverse effect of the technogenic pollution on the agroecosystem becomes more pronounced during the years with abnormal weather conditions. An increase in the CO2 emission into the atmosphere as a response of the microbial complex to the rise in the air temperatures was characterized by the linear dependence irrespectively of the degree of soil contamination. The methods of systems analysis were applied to generalize the results. The considered agroecosystem was studied as the system of particular components (soil-microorganisms-plants-atmosphere) integrated by the carbon fluxes. The regimes of the agroecosystem functioning and the ecological loads on it were estimated on the basis of data on the fluxes of net mineralized and (re)immobilized carbon. The environmental factors affecting the state and functioning of the agroecosystem were identified.,2015,microbial transformation of carbon; assessment of the agroecosystem functioning; assessment of the loads on the agroecosystem; Luvic Greyzemic Phaeozems,No (2)
Long term experience of the real time fouling deposits thickness measurements for online soot blowing optimization,"Over the past years there has been a dramatic increase in the regulatory requirements for low emissions. Renewable energy targets and CO2 emissions markets drive the transition to a cleaner and renewable energy production system. In addition to increasing the overall plant cycle efficiency, there two principal means of the reduction of the CO2 from coal fired power plants: by coal and biomass co-firing and by the capture and long term storage of the CO2 emitted from power plant. Carbon dioxide capture and storage will involve substantial capital investment, accompanied by a significant power plant cycle efficiency penalty, and is not currently available on a fully commercial basis. Co-firing biomass, in comparison with other renewable sources, is the main contributor to technologies meeting the world's renewable energy target. However, the impact of biomass cofiring on boilers performance and integrity has been modest. Operational problems associated with the deposition and retention of ash materials can and do occur on all the major gasside components of combustion and boilers. The process occurs over a wide range of flue gas and surface temperatures, and dependent both on the characteristics of the ash and on the design and operation conditions of the furnace and boiler. Development and validation of the predictive models have been hindered significantly by the practical difficulties in the obtaining reliable data from the boilers operated with coal and biomass. Although specialized on -line deposition monitoring and sootblowing control systems are commercially available, but they are based on a very simple estimates of the fouling factors, which results in crude and not reliable approach to optimization of sootblowers operation. In the present paper an alternative approach and a new technique based on electro-optical sensor are demonstrated. The long term experience with the system attached to the furnace wall and capable to move the compact sensor in and out of the furnace, allowing to measure simultaneously deposits thickness and reflectivity, is described in details . Results of our study show that dynamics of both parameters on the operated power unit can be registered simultaneously in real time and then interpreted separately. Experiments have been carried out with different coal types at 575MW unit equipped with CE tangential boiler and 550 Mw equipped with B&amp;W boiler with opposite fired burners. The measurements were performed in different locations of the furnace. It was shown that dynamics of thickness and reflectivity variation just after the wall cleaning activation are quite different. Situations have been registered where changes of reflectivity have a significant impact on heat transfer, comparable and sometimes even greater than that of growing fouling thickness. Technique and device exploited in this study appears to be a very useful tool for sootblowing optimization and, as a result, for improvement of boiler efficiency and reduction of water wall erosion and corrosion in both pulverized coal and co-firing boilers. © 2015 by ASME.",2015,,No (2)
"Assessment of the exergy performance of a floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit: Influence of three operational modes","Oil and gas industries are developing energy efficiency programs in order to enhance the performance of their production activities, including the floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) operations. FPSOs are floating vessels designed for hydrocarbons processing and include other functions such as: oil treatment and storage, gas treatment and compression for export, lift, and injection, and seawater treatment and injection. The exergy method is useful to identify potential energy savings for the improvement of the FPSO processes. In this study, an evaluation of the exergy performance of the FPSO is carried out and the main goal is to investigate the influence of three operating modes on the following criteria: Exergy efficiency, specific exergy consumption, renewability exergy index, CO2 emissions and CO2 emissions normalized to exergy of the product streams of the plant. The FPSO performance assessment described in this paper takes into account three operational modes depending on the CO2 content in the well stream. Additionally, the FPSO utilizes membrane technology for CO2 removal from the separated gas. In the operational mode 1, all gas is sent through the bypass of the CO2 removal system and it is injected into the production wells; in the mode 2, part of the gas is treated in the CO2 removal system to be exported, and the other part is injected in the production wells; and in the mode 3, all gas is exported and the removed CO2 is injected in the well. Simulations of the processing and utilities plants in the FPSO were carried out using software Aspen HYSYS®. Results show that the observed variations in exergy efficiency of the three operational modes could be, mainly, attributed to the increase of oil and gas fractions in the well stream.",2015,,No (2)
Carbon pool size and stability are affected by trees and grassland cover types within agroforestry systems of western Canada,"Agroforestry systems are common land uses across Canada and could play a substantial role in sequestering carbon (C) as part of efforts to combat climate change. We studied the impact of component land cover types (forested vs. adjacent herbland) in three agroforestry systems (hedgerow, shelterbelt and silvopasture) on organic C and nitrogen (N) distribution in three density fractions of soils at the 0-10 and 10-30 cm layers. The study evaluated 36 sites (12 hedgerows, 12 shelterbelts and 12 silvopastures) in central Alberta, Canada, distributed along a soil/climate gradient of increasing moisture availability. At the 0-10 cm layer, soil organic C (SOC) stock in the bulk soil was significantly greater in the silvopasture system (101) than in either the hedgerow (77) or shelterbelt system (67 Mg C ha(-1)). Soil organic C stock in both soil layers (0-10 and 10-30 cm) was also significantly greater in the forested land cover (89 and 119 Mg C ha(-1), respectively) than in adjacent herblands (76 and 77 Mg C ha(-1)). Across all sites, 31.5, 29.1, and 35.5% of SOC was found in the light fraction (<1.6 g cm(-3)), occluded fraction (ultrasonic dispersion at 360W for 5 min, <1.6 g cm(-3)), and heavy fraction (>1.6g cm(-3)) of soils, respectively. The largest pool of SOC in the more labile light fraction of the 0-10 cm layer was in the silvopasture system (50 Mg C ha(-1)), whereas the smallest labile light fraction component of SOC was in the shelterbelt system (17 Mg C ha(-1)). The largest pool of SOC in the more stable heavy fraction of both the 0-10 and 10-30 cm depth classes was in the shelterbelt (33 and 35 Mg C ha(-1), respectively), while the least SOC was in the silvopasture system (26 and 20 Mg C ha(-1), respectively). We conclude that the presence of Populus based silvopasture system can increase C storage in surface mineral soils, and that the establishment of Picea based shelterbelts in an otherwise annually cropped agricultural landscape enhances the size of the stable SOC pool. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2015,Carbon stock; Hedgerow; Herbland; Shelterbelt; Silvopasture,No (2)
Capturing of CO<inf>2</inf> from the exhaust gas of combustion system using cryogenic technology: A review,"The use of fossil fuel in power sector has not only let to increase in the amount of air pollution, but also in the quantity of Carbon dioxide. This increase in CO<inf>2</inf> level in atmosphere may cause major problems like rise in sea level, rapid rise of earth's surface temperature, ocean acidification, and drought. The CO<inf>2</inf> released from Automobiles and Power Plants contributes about 50% (appox) of the total emissions of CO<inf>2</inf>, globally. Carbon capture technologies will play a vital role in reducing the green house gases and thus the Global Warming. Carbon Capture was done with three major methods namely post-combustion, pre-combustion and oxy fuel combustion. Post combustion capture is most attractive choice since this technology can be retrofitted in to the existing power plants. Popular technologies include physical absorption, chemical absorption, physical adsorption, chemical adsorption, biosorbtion, cryogenic and membrane technology are currently under research and in use. This paper reviews the separation of CO<inf>2</inf> from the flue gas using the cryogenic technology. © 2015 Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.",2015,,No (2)
Mitigation and adaptation strategies for reducing Canada's agricultural greenhouse gases - a review,"Global carbon emissions are primarily produced during the combustion of fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas (GHG), to the atmosphere. Agricultural GHG emissions also include methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), which have a higher global warming potential. Major agricultural GHG emissions are derived from the digestive processes of herbivores and management of livestock manure; and N2O is largely emitted from soils due to soil cultivation and associated processes. Agroecosystems can be both a source and sink of GHG's as they can sequester carbon in the soil or in agroforestry biomass. Canadian agricultural operations now contribute about 8% to the total national emissions (or 702 Mt CO2 eq), with net-GHG agricultural emissions remaining stable since 2000. The National Agri-Environmental Health Analysis and Reporting Program (NAHARP) indices show that there has been a significant improvement, in environmental health indicators linked with agricultural production in Canada since 2006. This chapter discusses the latest findings on the individual and cumulative benefits and effectiveness (i.e., GHG reductions achieved) involving different mitigation technologies and adaptive options. These include best management practices (BMPs), zero tillage, direct seeding, improved manure handling and fertilizer application and storage, improved feed for the beef industry, and shelter belts (rows of trees) for wind control. We highlight current scientific and technological opportunities and challenges and provide key scientific recommendations for further reducing agricultural GHG emissions. © 2015 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.",2015,,Yes (1)
Technologies for increasing carbon storage in soil to mitigate climate change,"Means to enhance storage of carbon in soil or avoid its loss from soil are discussed and examined from the viewpoint of policy. In particular, technologies that have until now received little attention are assessed. The main means by which soil carbon might be increased are first listed. These are the following: (i) increasing the rate of input of organic matter; (ii) decreasing the rate of its decomposition by biological or chemical means; (iii) increasing the rate of its stabilization by physico-chemical protection within aggregates and organo-mineral complexes; and (iv) increasing the depth or more correctly the total soil volume sequestering carbon at maximum rate. Immediate gains in carbon storage might be made by switching to more perennial crops, especially grasses that, as a result of breeding, are able to put more carbon into soil. In the longer term, targets for research such as understanding the role of enzymes in carbon turnover and the exploitation of the capacity in subsoils are suggested. Increased fixation of CO2 as inorganic carbonate in soils by application of silicate wastes may have some role.",2015,Soil organic carbon (SOC); soil organic matter (SOM); soil policy; land use < soil use and management; carbon sequestration; carbon C,No (2)
Carbon farming via assisted natural regeneration as a cost-effective mechanism for restoring biodiversity in agricultural landscapes,"Carbon farming in agricultural landscapes may provide a Cost-effective mechanism for offsetting carbon emissions while delivering co-benefits for biodiversity through ecosystem restoration. Reforestation of landscapes using native tree and shrub species, termed environmental plantings, has been recognized as a carbon offset methodology which can contribute to biodiversity conservation as well as climate mitigation. However, far less attention has been paid to the potential for assisted natural regeneration in areas of low to intermediate levels of degradation, where regenerative capacity still remains and little intervention would be required to restore native vegetation. In this study, we considered the economics of carbon farming in the state of Queensland, Australia, where 30.6 million hectares of relatively recently deforested agricultural landscapes may be suitable for carbon farming. Using spatially explicit estimates of the rate of carbon sequestration and the opportunity cost of agricultural production, we used a discounted cash flow analysis to examine the economic viability of assisted natural regeneration relative to environmental plantings. We found that the average minimum carbon price required to make assisted natural regeneration viable was 60% lower than what was required to make environmental plantings viable ($65.8 t CO(2)e(-1) compared to $108.8 t CO(2)e(-1)). Assisted natural regeneration could sequester 1.6 to 2.2 times the amount of carbon possible compared to environmental plantings alone over a range of hypothetical carbon prices and assuming a moderate 5% discount rate. Using a combination of methodologies, carbon farming was a viable land use in over 2.3% of our study extent with a low $5 t CO(2)e(-1) carbon price, and up to 10.5 million hectares (34%) with a carbon price of $50 t CO(2)e(-1). Carbon sequestration supply and economic returns generated by assisted natural regeneration were relatively robust to variation in establishment costs and discount rates due to the utilization of low-cost techniques to reestablish native vegetation. Our study highlights the potential utility of assisted natural regeneration as a reforestation approach which can cost-effectively deliver both carbon and biodiversity benefits. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Carbon farming; Assisted natural regeneration; Managed regrowth; Environmental plantings; Agricultural landscapes; Biodiversity conservation; Co-benefits,Yes (1)
Modeling impacts of management on farmland soil carbon dynamics along a climate gradient in Northwest China during 1981-2000,"A regional study was conducted to investigate historical variations in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in agricultural lands along a climate gradient in the Loess Plateau. A process-based model, Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) was used to simulate SOC dynamics. A database containing spatially differentiated climate, soil and farming management information was linked to DNDC to support the regional simulations. DNDC was run for all croplands in the Loess Plateau for 20 years. Simulation results demonstrated that SOC stocks in the region amounted to 1.15 Pg C and the SOC content of 65% farmland was below China's national level. Crop management could effectively improve SOC storage and available water played a key role in controlling cropland SOC dynamics. Analyses of SOC change and climate variability indicate that the regional SOC increased along the moisture gradient. We found that (1) higher annual precipitation increased crop productivity, particularly in rain-fed cropping systems, adding more crop residue (i.e., litter) production to the soils that favors SOC accumulation; and (2) irrigation played a crucial role in maintaining the SOC content in areas with low precipitation, where the enhanced irrigation capacity could substantially elevate the SOC storage in the semi-arid domain. The soil in the Loess Plateau is likely to accumulate SOC and to produce a carbon equilibrium rapidly when available water and water use efficiency increase. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2015,Soil organic carbon; Crop management; Climate,No (2)
Fire increases the risk of higher soil N2O emissions from Mediterranean Macchia ecosystems,"Intensification of droughts under climate change is projected to increase fire frequency in the Mediterranean region. Fires cause direct emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), due to the combustion of organic matter, creating a positive feedback on climate change. However, the potential importance of indirect GHG emissions due to changes in soil biological and chemical properties after fire is less well known. Increased soil mineral nitrogen (N) concentrations after fire pose a risk for increased emissions of gaseous N, but studies on the post-fire N2O production and soil N turnover rates (mineralization, nitrification, microbial immobilization, denitrification) are still rare. We determined N2O production, rates of N turnover and pathways for N2O production from the soil of burned and unburned plots of a Macchia shrubland in central Spain using a N-15 labelling approach. Measurements were initiated before the controlled burning and continued for up to half a year after fire. Fire markedly increased the risk of N2O emissions from soil through denitrification (N2O production rate was 3 to approximate to 30 times higher in burned soils compared to control, with N2O being produced solely from soil nitrate). In contrast, soil gross N cycling rates were not accelerated after fire. Thus, the increased N2O production was not closely linked with N mineralization, but may be explained by increased mineral N availability from ash, increased pH in burned plots, and less competition for available N and C sources due to absence of plants. (c) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Nitrous oxide; Fire effects; Mediterranean Macchia; N cycling; Nitrification; Denitrification,No (2)
Growing the urban forest: tree performance in response to biotic and abiotic land management,"Forests are vital components of the urban landscape because they provide ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, storm-water mitigation, and air-quality improvement. To enhance these services, cities are investing in programs to create urban forests. A major unknown, however, is whether planted trees will grow into the mature, closed-canopied forest on which ecosystem service provision depends. We assessed the influence of biotic and abiotic land management on planted tree performance as part of urban forest restoration in New York City, U.S.A. Biotic treatments were designed to improve tree growth, with the expectation that higher tree species composition (six vs. two) and greater stand complexity (with shrubs vs. without) would facilitate tree performance. Similarly, the abiotic treatment (compost amendment vs. without) was expected to increase tree performance by improving soil conditions. Growth and survival was measured for approximately 1,300 native saplings across three growing seasons. The biotic and abiotic treatments significantly improved tree performance, where shrub presence increased tree height for five of the six tree species, and compost increased basal area and stem volume of all species. Species-specific responses, however, highlighted the difficulty of achieving rapid growth with limited mortality. Pioneer species had the highest growth in stem volume over 3 years (up to 3,500%), but also the highest mortality (up to 40%). Mid-successional species had lower mortality (<16%), but also the slowest growth in volume (approximately 500% in volume). Our results suggest that there will be trade-offs between optimizing tree growth versus survival when implementing urban tree planting initiatives.",2015,afforestation; compost; ecosystem services; green infrastructure; native species; restoration; urban forestry,No (2)
Prediction and validation of external cooling loop cryogenic carbon capture (CCC-ECL) for full-scale coal-fired power plant retrofit,"Bench-scale experiments and Aspen Plus (TM) simulations document full-scale, steady-state performance of the external cooling loop cryogenic carbon capture (CCC-ECL) process for a 550 MWe coal-fired power plant. The baseline CCC-ECL process achieves 90% CO2 capture, and has the potential to capture 99+ % of CO2, SO2, PM, NO2, Hg, and most other noxious species. The CCC-ECL process cools power plant flue gas to 175 K, at which point solid CO2 particles desublimate as the flue gas further cools to 154K. Desublimating flue gas cools in a staged column in direct contact with a cryogenic liquid and produces a CO2-lean flue gas that warms against the incoming flue gas before venting. The CO2/contacting liquid slurry separates through a filter to produce a CO2 stream that warms to 233 K and partially flashes to provide a CO2-rich product. The CO2-rich product (99.2%) liquefies under pressure to form a product for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) or sequestration. All contacting liquid streams cool and cycle back to the staged column. An internal CF4 refrigeration cycle transfers heat from melting CO2 to desublimating CO2 by cooling contact liquid. An external cooling loop of natural gas or other refrigerant provides the additional heat duty to operate the cryogenic process. The nominal parasitic power loss of operating CCC-ECL is 82.6 MWe or about 15% of the coal-fired power plant's rated capacity. In different units, the energy penalty of CCC-ECL is 0.74 MdJ(e)/kg CO2 captured and the resulting net power output is decreased to 467 MWe. Lab- and skid-scale measurements validate the basic operation of the process along with the thermodynamics of CO2 solids formation. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Carbon capture; CO2 capture; CO2 removal; Cryogenic carbon capture; CCC; CCC-ECL,No (2)
CO2-EWR: a cleaner solution for coal chemical industry in China,"Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions become the primary factor for the global warming, whereas carbon dioxide (CO2), as one of the primary greenhouse gases, takes an inescapable responsibility for climate change. Currently, various energy conservation and carbon emission reduction technologies, including the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, as well as other clean, low-carbon energy exploitation technologies exhibit a rapid development trend to alleviate the growing crisis of climate change. Other than traditional CO2 geological storage, a novel geoengineering approach of CO2 geological utilization and storage, named CO2 geological storage combining with deep saline water/brine recovery (CO2-EWR), is put forward to solve the dilemma between the increasing carbon emissions from coal chemical industry and national energy and water security in China. Compared with the traditional CCS technology, CO2-EWR has two advantages: (1) it can control the relief of reservoir pressure and water production by a reasonable design of pumping wells to achieve the security and stability of the large-scale geological storage of CO2; (2) it can collect and process deep saline water after a treatment for life drinking, industrial and/or agricultural utilizations to alleviate the water shortage situation as well as ecological environmental problems, and in addition, the deep brine resources may create considerable profit margins by cascade extraction, which could be used to fill the gap of cost primarily criticized from capture and sequestration processes of current CCS technologies. China mainland can be partitioned into three potential CO2-EWR zones primarily according to different types of aquifer system, whereas considering research and development maturity and cost prediction of the potential technology adopted, it can be found that coal power and coal chemical enterprises in China's western region have an early opportunity. Three sub-modules of CO2-EWR technology including CO2 storage in deep saline aquifer, saline water extraction and desalination as well as brine resources utilization are analyzed from a prospective of energy conservation, carbon emission reduction and environmental friendship. Through detailed analyses, it can be concluded that CO2-EWR technology can be absolutely considered as a clean technology for environmental improvement and green development, and finally development direction and future prospective of the CO2-EWR technology are pointed out. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,CO2-EWR; Coal chemical industry; CCS; Energy security; Saline aquifer; CO2 utilization,No (2)
IMPACT OF LAND USE AND LAND COVER CHANGES ON ORGANIC CARBON STOCKS IN MEDITERRANEAN SOILS (1956-2007),"During the last few decades, land use changes have largely affected the global warming process through emissions of CO2. However, C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems could contribute to the decrease of atmospheric CO2 rates. Although Mediterranean areas show a high potential for C sequestration, only a few studies have been carried out in these systems. In this study, we propose a methodology to assess the impact of land use and land cover change dynamics on soil organic C stocks at different depths. Soil C sequestration rates are provided for different land cover changes and soil types in Andalusia (southern Spain). Our research is based on the analysis of detailed soil databases containing data from 1357 soil profiles, the Soil Map of Andalusia and the Land Use and Land Cover Map of Andalusia. Land use and land cover changes between 1956 and 2007 implied soil organic C losses in all soil groups, resulting in a total loss of 168Tg (approximately 033Tg y(-1)). Afforestation increased soil organic C mostly in the topsoil, and forest contributed to sequestration of 862Mgha(-1) of soil organic C (254 per cent). Deforestation processes implied important C losses, particularly in Cambisols, Luvisols and Vertisols. The information generated in this study will be a useful basis for designing management strategies for stabilizing the increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations by preservation of C stocks and C sequestration. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.",2015,carbon sequestration; climate change; CORINE land cover; land use; soil organic carbon,No (2)
Cooperative insertion of CO2 in diamine-appended metal-organic frameworks,"The process of carbon capture and sequestration has been proposed as a method of mitigating the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. If implemented, the cost of electricity generated by a fossil fuel-burning power plant would rise substantially, owing to the expense of removing CO2 from the effluent stream. There is therefore an urgent need for more efficient gas separation technologies, such as those potentially offered by advanced solid adsorbents. Here we show that diamine-appended metal-organic frameworks can behave as 'phase-change' adsorbents, with unusual step-shaped CO2 adsorption isotherms that shift markedly with temperature. Results from spectroscopic, diffraction and computational studies show that the origin of the sharp adsorption step is an unprecedented cooperative process in which, above a metal-dependent threshold pressure, CO2 molecules insert into metal-amine bonds, inducing a reorganization of the amines into well-ordered chains of ammonium carbamate. As a consequence, large CO2 separation capacities can be achieved with small temperature swings, and regeneration energies appreciably lower than achievable withstate-of-the-art aqueous amine solutions become feasible. The results provide a mechanistic framework for designing highly efficient adsorbents for removing CO2 from various gas mixtures, and yield insights into the conservation of Mg2+ within the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase family of enzymes.",2015,,No (2)
"Carbon benefits of wolfberry plantation on secondary saline land in Jingtai oasis, Gansu - A case study on application of the CBP model","The largest global source of anthropogenic CO2 emissions comes from the burning of fossil fuel and approximately 30% of total net emissions come from land use and land use change. Forestation and reforestation are regarded worldwide as effective options of sequestering carbon to mitigate climate change with relatively low costs compared with industrial greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction efforts. Cash trees with a steady augmentation in size are recognized as a multiple-beneficial solution to climate change in China. The reporting of C changes and GHG emissions for sustainable land management (SLM) practices such as afforestation is required for a variety of reasons, such as devising land management options and making policy. The Carbon Benefit Project (CBP) Simple Assessment Tool was employed to estimate changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and GHG emissions for wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L) planting on secondary salinized land over a 10 year period (2004-2014) in the Jingtai oasis in Gansu with salinized barren land as baseline scenario. Results show that wolfberry plantation, an intensively managed ecosystem, served as a carbon sink with a large potential for climate change mitigation, a restorative practice for saline land and income stream generator for farmers in soil salinized regions in Gansu province. However, an increase in wolfberry production, driven by economic demands, would bring environmental pressures associated with the use of N fertilizer and irrigation. With an understanding of all of the components of an ecosystem and their interconnections using the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework there comes a need for strategies to respond to them such as capacity building, judicious irrigation and institutional strengthening. Cost benefit analysis (CBA) suggests that wolfberry cultivation was economically profitable and socially beneficial and thus well-accepted locally in the context of carbon sequestration. This study has important implications for Gansu as it helps to understand the role cash trees can play in carbon emission reductions. Such information is necessary in devising management options for sustainable land management (SLM). (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Carbon benefits; Wolfberry planting; Saline land; DPSIR; CBA,Yes (1)
Shifts in microbial community and water-extractable organic matter composition with biochar amendment in a temperate forest soil,"Biochar amendment in soil has been proposed as a carbon sequestration strategy which may also enhance soil physical and chemical properties such as nutrient and water holding capacity as well as soil fertility and plant productivity. However, biochar may also stimulate microbial activity which may lead to increased soil CO2 respiration and accelerated soil organic matter (OM) degradation which could partially negate these intended benefits. To investigate short-term soil microbial responses to biochar addition, we conducted a 24 week laboratory incubation study. Biochar produced from the pyrolysis of sugar maple wood at 500 degrees C was amended at concentrations of 5,10 and 20 t/ha in a phosphorus-limited forest soil which is under investigation as a site for biochar amendment. The cumulative soil CO2 respired was higher for biochar-amended samples relative to controls. At 10 and 20 t/ha biochar application rates, the concentration of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) specific to Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as actinomycetes were lower than controls for the first 16 weeks, then increased between weeks 16-24, suggesting a gradual microbial adaptation to altered soil conditions. Increases in the ratio of bacteria/fungi and lower ratios of Gram-negative/Gram-positive bacteria suggest a microbial community shift in favour of Gram-positive bacteria. In addition, decreasing ratios of cy17:0/16:1 omega 7 PLFAs, a proxy used to examine bacterial substrate limitation, suggest that bacteria adapted to the new conditions in biochar-amended soil over time. Concentrations of water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) increased in all samples after 24 weeks and were higher than controls for two of the biochar application rates. Solution-state H-1 NMR analysis of WEOM revealed an increase in microbial-derived short-chain carboxylic acids, lower concentrations of labile carbohydrate and peptide components of soil OM and potential accumulation of more recalcitrant polymethylene carbon during the incubation. Our results collectively suggest that biochar amendment increases the activity of specific microorganisms in soil, leading to increased CO2 fluxes and degradation of labile soil OM constituents. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Soil organic matter; Phospholipid fatty acids; Soil respiration; Carbon dioxide; Nuclear magnetic resonance,Yes (1)
A Novel Inexact Two-Stage Stochastic Robust-Compensation Model for Electric Supply Environmental Management Under Uncertainty,"In this study, a novel inexact two-stage stochastic robust-compensation programming (ITSP-RC) model is developed for CO2 emission reduction management under uncertainties. This model is attempted to integrate ITSP and stochastic RC programming into a general framework and apply the ITSP-RC for power management and CO2 emission reduction management, such that the developed model can tackle uncertainties described in terms of interval values and probability distributions over a two-stage context. Moreover, it can reflect dynamic and randomness of the energy systems during the planning horizon. The developed method has been applied to a case to solve CO2 emission management problem in electric supply environmental management. A number of scenarios corresponding to different adoption rate levels of carbon capture, utilization, and storage technology are examined. With the RC programming, regional energy systems would have a stable financial budget. The result suggests that the methodology is applicable for reflecting complexities of large-scale energy management systems and addressing CO2 emissions reduction issue with the planning period.",2015,robust-compensation programming; CO2 emissions reduction; carbon capture; utilization and storage technology; uncertainty,No (2)
CFD modelling of co-firing of biomass with coal under oxy-fuel combustion in a large scale power plant,"Co-firing biomass is the principal means of mitigating the future energy crisis by expanding the use of renewable energy. Oxy-fuel combustion is the most capable technologies for carbon capture and storage (CCS) system. This paper presents a 3D numerical study considering co-firing concepts in a 550 MW tangentially fired furnace using a commercial CFD code AVL Fire ver. 2009.2. Necessary subroutines were written and coupled with the code to account for chemical reactions, heat transfer, fluid and particle flow fields and turbulence. Due to irregularities of the biomass particle shape, a special drag effect was considered. Three different co-firing cases (20% biomass with 80% coal, 40% biomass with 60% coal and 60% biomass with 40% coal) were considered. All the co-firing cases were simulated under air-firing and three different oxy-firing cases (25% O-2/75% CO2, 27% O-2/73% CO2 and 29% O-2/71% CO2). Level of confidence has been achieved by conducting a study on co-firing of biomass with coal in a 0.5 MW small scale furnace under air and oxy-fuel conditions. Similar findings have been observed in the present study which indicates the model can be used to aid in design and optimization of large-scale biomass co-firing under oxy-fuel conditions. This study enables the calculation of species transport and mixing phenomena and the simulation of ignition, combustion and emission formation in industrial furnace. Results were presented by the aerodynamics of burner flow, temperature distributions, gaseous emissions such as O-2 and CO2 distributions. With the increase of biomass sharing, peak flame temperature reduced significantly. The dominant effect of the lower calorific value of biomass dampens the effect of volatile content contributing to lower temperature. Comparatively, improved burnout is observed for the improved oxy-fuel cases. But, the CFD model predicted a significant increase in unburned carbon in fly ash for the increase of biomass co-firing sharing. Overall, this study highlights the possible impact of changing the fuel ratio and combustion atmosphere on the boiler performance, underlining that minor redesign may be necessary when converting to biomass co-firing under air and oxy-fuel conditions. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Co-firing; Victorian Brown coal; Biomass; Oxy-fuel combustion; GHG emissions,No (2)
Emerging land use practices rapidly increase soil organic matter,"The loss of organic matter from agricultural lands constrains our ability to sustainably feed a growing population and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Addressing these challenges requires land use activities that accumulate soil carbon (C) while contributing to food production. In a region of extensive soil degradation in the southeastern United States, we evaluated soil C accumulation for 3 years across a 7-year chronosequence of three farms converted to management-intensive grazing. Here we show that these farms accumulated C at 8.0 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1), increasing cation exchange and water holding capacity by 95% and 34%, respectively. Thus, within a decade of management-intensive grazing practices soil C levels returned to those of native forest soils, and likely decreased fertilizer and irrigation demands. Emerging land uses, such as management-intensive grazing, may offer a rare win-win strategy combining profitable food production with rapid improvement of soil quality and short-term climate mitigation through soil C-accumulation.",2015,,Yes (1)
Conservation agriculture and soil carbon sequestration,"Changes to agricultural practices in response to climate change and widespread soil degradation are being investigated to improve food security, enhance environmental conservation, and achieve sustainability. Since soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration is a strong determinant of soil physicochemical and biological activities, carbon (C) sequestration in agricultural soils requires changes to management practices. Conservation agriculture (CA)—based on minimum soil disturbance, adequate surface cover, and complex crop rotations—has been proposed as an alternative system to conventional agriculture. This chapter reviews potential impacts of CA mainly on C sequestration, collates information on the influence of tillage, integrated nutrient management (INM), fertilizers, residue management and cover crops on SOC stocks, and deliberates on the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, economics, etc. by CA from existing case studies. Whether conversion to a CA system can increase C sequestration is not yet clear. More research is needed, particularly long-term research, to delineate ecological conditions suitable for adaptation in a CA system. Harshness of arid and semiarid climate exacerbates the risk of soil degradation by depleting SOC stock and increasing risks of erosion and salinization. Widespread adoption of CA can reduce the cost of farm operations including fuel consumption, while conserving soil water, improving soil functions, controlling erosion, and sustaining productivity. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015.",2015,,Yes (1)
A review of developments in pilot-plant testing and modelling of calcium looping process for CO2 capture from power generation systems,"A nearly complete decarbonisation of the power sector is essential to meet the European Union target for greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Carbon capture and storage technologies have been identified as a key measure in reducing the carbon-intensity of the power sector. However, no cost-effective technology has yet been developed on a commercial scale, which is mostly due to high capital cost. Moreover, the mature technologies, such as amine scrubbing or oxy-combustion technologies, impose a high projected efficiency penalty (8-12.5% points) upon integration to the power plant. The calcium looping process, which is currently being tested experimentally in bench- and pilot-scale plants worldwide, is regarded as a promising alternative to the chemical solvent scrubbing approach, as it leads to the projected efficiency penalty of 6-8% points. The calcium looping concept has been developing rapidly due to the introduction of new test facilities, new correlations for process modelling, and process configurations for improved performance. The first part of this review provides an overview of the bench- and pilot-plant test facilities available worldwide. The focus is put on summarising the characteristics and operating conditions of the test facilities, as well as extracting the key experimental findings. Additionally, the experimental data suitable for validation or verification of the process models are presented. In the second part, the approaches to the carbonator and the calciner reactor modelling are summarised and classified in five model complexity levels. Moreover, the model limitations are assessed and the needs for modelling baselines for further process analyses are identified. Finally, in the third part the approaches for the integration of calcium looping to the power generation systems and for the improvement of the process performance are identified and evaluated. This review indicates that calcium looping integration resulted in the projected efficiency penalty of 2.6-7.9% points for the coal-fired power plants and 9.1-11.4% points for the combined-cycle power plants. Also, it was found that the calcium looping process can be used to develop a novel high-efficiency (46.7% LHV) coal-fired power generation system, making this technology even more promising compared to the other CO2 capture technologies.",2015,,No (2)
Hydrothermal carbonisation of sewage sludge: Effect of process conditions on product characteristics and methane production,"Hydrothermal carbonisation of primary sewage sludge was carried out using a batch reactor. The effect of temperature and reaction time on the characteristics of solid (hydrochar), liquid and gas products, and the conditions leading to optimal hydrochar characteristics were investigated. The amount of carbon retained in hydrochars decreased as temperature and time increased with carbon retentions of 64-77% at 140 and 160 degrees C, and 50-62% at 180 and 200 degrees C. Increasing temperature and treatment time increased the energy content of the hydrochar from 17 to 19 MJ/kg but reduced its energy yield from 88% to 68%. Maillard reaction products were identified in the liquid fractions following carbonisations at 180 and 200 degrees C. Theoretical estimates of the methane yields resulting from the anaerobic digestion of the liquid by-products are also presented and optimal reaction conditions to maximise these identified. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,Biomass; Carbon storage; Hydrochar; Sludge treatment; Wastewater treatment,No (2)
Influence of a CO2-enriched flue gas on mercury capture by activated carbons,"The main environmental problem caused by the production of energy from coal combustion is the emission of CO2. One emerging technology designed for CO2 capture is oxy-combustion. Among other issues to be solved in oxy-combustion power plants is the presence of mercury as this may damage the CO2 compression unit. Hence the study of the behavior of mercury in oxy-combustion is of great interest both from an environmental and a technological point of view. The present study performed at laboratory scale evaluates the retention of mercury in a CO2-enriched flue gas using the same activated carbon before and after it has been impregnated with sulfur and proposes a mechanism to explain the interactions between mercury and activated carbons. The results show that carbonyl and quinone groups are responsible for mercury oxidation and retention in the carbons. Although the contact time between mercury and the activated carbon surface limits the amount of mercury that can be captured, high retention capacities can be achieved in an oxy-combustion atmosphere. The presence of water, in high concentrations in oxy-combustion, may compete for the same active sites (carbonyl groups) as mercury, thereby inhibiting mercury adsorption on the surface of the activated carbons. Moreover, the presence of sulfur in the impregnated material, which is the key to mercury capture in other atmospheres, does not modify mercury capture in oxy-combustion. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2015,Mercury retention; Activated carbons; Oxy-combustion,No (2)
Does carbonization avoid segregation of biomass and lignite during co-firing? Thermal analysis study,"Co-firing of coal with biomass suffers from high thermal reactivity of biomass. Thus, this paper discusses the effectiveness of carbonization to reduce the excess reactivity of biomass to avoid segregation of coal and biomass during co-firing. In this context, Robinia pseudoacacia (RP) that is a promising woody biomass has been subjected to carbonization at 600 degrees C to obtain a biochar that has relatively lower reactivity. Fuel properties and thermal analysis profiles (TGA, DTG, DSC) of biochar were compared with those of biomass and lignite to valorize the effectiveness of carbonization. Segregation of biomass and lignite during co-combustion before and after carbonization was investigated considering 50/50 wt% blends. It was concluded that carbonization based co-firing of biomass with lignite mostly eliminates segregation tendency in the mass loss characteristics as well as the heat flow pattern due to the change in the burning mechanism that leads overlapping the temperatures of maximum rate of weight loss (TR-max) and maximum heat flows (TH-max). The carbonization process allows co-utilization with high substitution ratios of biomass. Carbonization based co-firing of biomass and lignite also showed that the heat flow pattern does not suit to additive behavior, while the weight loss characteristics are partly additive and partly non-additive depending on the temperature interval. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2015,Co-firing; Carbonization; Segregation; Robinia pseudoacacia; Lignite; Additivity,No (2)
A map of the topsoil organic carbon content of Europe generated by a generalized additive model,"There is an increasing demand for up-to-date soil organic carbon (OC) data for global environmental and climatic modelling. The aim of this study was to create a map of topsoil OC content at the European scale by applying digital soil mapping techniques to the first European harmonized geo-referenced topsoil (0-20 cm) database, which arises from the Land use/Cover Area frame statistical Survey (LUCAS). A map of the associated uncertainty was also produced to support careful use of the predicted OC contents. A generalized additive model (GAM) was fitted on 85% of the dataset (R-2 = 0.29), using OC content as dependent variable; a backward stepwise approach selected slope, land cover, temperature, net primary productivity, latitude and longitude as suitable covariates. The validation of the model (performed on 15% of the data-set) gave an overall R-2 of 0.27 and an R-2 of 0.21 for mineral soils and 0.06 for organic soils. Organic C content in most organic soils was under-predicted, probably because of the imposed unimodal distribution of our model, whose mean is tilted towards the prevalent mineral soils. This was also confirmed by the poor prediction in Scandinavia (where organic soils are more frequent), which gave an R-2 of 0.09, whilst the prediction performance (R-2) in non-Scandinavian countries was 0.28. The map of predicted OC content had the smallest values in Mediterranean countries and in croplands across Europe, whereas largest OC contents were predicted in wetlands, woodlands and mountainous areas. The map of the predictions' standard error had large uncertainty in northern latitudes, wetlands, moors and heathlands, whereas small uncertainty was mostly found in croplands. The map produced gives the most updated general picture of topsoil OC content at the European Union scale.",2015,,No (2)
Chemical evaluation of soil organic matter structure in diverse cropping systems,"Soil organic matter (SOM) improves soil structure, nutrient and water retention, and biodiversity while reducing susceptibility to soil erosion. Soil organic matter also represents an important pool of C that can be increased to help mitigate global climate change. Our understanding of how agricultural management practices foster soil organic C (SOC) sequestration, however, is limited by gaps in our knowledge of the relationships among SOM structure, composition, and sequestration. Unraveling these connections is challenging because SOM is comprised of a complex mix of substances with various functional groups in various stages of decomposition, usually bonded with the soil mineral fraction. Recent application of infrared (IR) spectroscopy and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PY-GC-MS) analysis to soil C fractions is helping uncover some of these relationships. In this chapter, we review these methods and our evolving understanding of SOM structure and composition. We use IR and PY-GC-MS data from a long-term agricultural research (LTAR) site in Maryland, USA, to explore management impacts on SOC structure and composition. The diverse cropping systems of the Farming Systems Project (FSP) LTAR differ in tillage, crop rotation, and source of fertility (mineral fertilizers vs. poultry litter [PL] and legume cover crops) as the factors that affect SOC structure and composition. Results from mid-IR analysis showed that differences in the C structure of occluded and free particulate organic matter (oPOM and fPOM, respectively) seem related to PL inputs in that degree of humification to the 20-cm depth was greater in systems receiving PL. At 20 to 30 cm, the degree of humification of oPOM and fPOM were greater in systems that were conventionally tilled than in a no-till system, suggesting that SOC sequestration at these depths may be facilitated by tilling organic matter into soils. The PY-GC-MS analysis suggests that fPOM composition is related to particular crops included in a crop rotation. The FSP cropping system that includes a perennial forage (alfalfa [Medicago sativa L.]) had the most unique set of pyrolysates; a system that included hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) had the second- most unique set of pyrolysates. Combined use of IR spectroscopy and PY-GC-MS revealed different aspects of SOC structure and composition. © 2015 by Soil Science Society of America, Inc.",2015,,No (2)
Effect of Biochar as Reductant on Magnetizing-roasting Behavior of Pyrite Cinder,"The effect of biochar substituted for anthracite as reductant on magnetizing-roasting pyrite cinder was investigated. The key of magnetizing-roasting is the gasification reaction between reductants and CO2. Since biochar could react with CO2 more rapidly at lower temperature, the reactivity of biochar is better than that of anthracite. The gasification of biochar could produce reducing condition of phi(CO)/(phi(CO)+phi(CO2)) about 10%-20% between 700-800 degrees C, which is in accord with the atmosphere and temperature of Fe2O3 reduction. So it is beneficial to the reduction of iron mineral of pyrite cinder. Compared with anthracite, biochar could decrease the roasting temperature from 825 to 750 degrees C and roasting time from 20 to 15 min, which shows that a better effect of magnetization could be obtained in the condition of lower temperature and shorter time. Using biochar as reductant, iron concentrate extracted from pyrite cinder as about 64% iron grade could be produced, and the recovery is over 90% under the condition of above 90% grinding particle less than 0. 045 mm and magnetic intensity of 0. 124-0. 194 T.",2015,pyrite cinder; biochar; magnetizing roasting; conversion rate,No (2)
Application of high-resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometry measurements to estimate volatility distributions of alpha-pinene and naphthalene oxidation products,"Recent developments in high-resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ToF-CIMS) have made it possible to directly detect atmospheric organic compounds in real time with high sensitivity and with little or no fragmentation, including low-volatility, highly oxygenated organic vapors that are precursors to secondary organic aerosol formation. Here, using ions identified by high-resolution spectra from an HR-ToF-CIMS with acetate reagent ion chemistry, we develop an algorithm to estimate the vapor pressures of measured organic acids. The algorithm uses identified ion formulas and calculated double bond equivalencies, information unavailable in quadrupole CIMS technology, as constraints for the number of possible oxygen-containing functional groups. The algorithm is tested with acetate chemical ionization mass spectrometry (acetate-CIMS) spectra of O-3 and OH oxidation products of alpha-pinene and naphthalene formed in a flow reactor with integrated OH exposures ranged from 1.2 x 10(11) to 9.7 x 10(11) molec scm(-3), corresponding to approximately 1.0 to 7.5 days of equivalent atmospheric oxidation. Measured gas-phase organic acids are similar to those previously observed in environmental chamber studies. For both precursors, we find that acetate-CIMS spectra capture both functionalization (oxygen addition) and fragmentation (carbon loss) as a function of OH exposure. The level of fragmentation is observed to increase with increased oxidation. The predicted condensed-phase secondary organic aerosol (SOA) average acid yields and O / C and H / C ratios agree within uncertainties with previous chamber and flow reactor measurements and ambient CIMS results. While acetate reagent ion chemistry is used to selectively measure organic acids, in principle this method can be applied to additional reagent ion chemistries depending on the application.",2015,,No (2)
Power options: Energy alternatives for the future,"It is an undeniable reality that energy production, particularly electricity generation and their sustained growth, constitute indispensable elements to ensure the economic and social progress of any country. For this reason, the possible use of all types of available energy sources in the country should be in the mind of politicians and energy experts during the elaboration of the best possible energy mix for the country. However, there are certain factors that need to be considered by the competent authorities of a country during the selection of the most efficient and economic combination of energy sources for the generation of electricity. For instance, the use of fossil fuels is a major and growing contributor to the emission of CO2, and, for this reason, any increase in the use of this type of energy source for this specific purpose will increase the emission of this type of gas to the atmosphere; nuclear energy and renewable energy sources are almost carbon dioxide free, but a nuclear accident could have devastator consequences for the environment and the population, not only in the surround area of the plant site, but for the environment and the population living far away from the site; the prices of some fossil fuels are increasing and the reserves decreasing; and some renewable energy sources are not ready yet to be used for electricity generation in large scale and inexpensively, at least during the coming years. Considering the different available energy sources in the world that can be used now to meet the foreseeable increase in energy demand during the coming years, there should be no doubt that, at least for the next decades, there are only a few realistic options available to reduce further the emission of CO2 as a result of the electricity generation. These options are, among others, the following: • Increase efficiency in electricity generation and use; • Expand use of all available renewable energy sources such as hydro, wind, solar, biomass and geothermal;• Massive introduction of new advanced technology like the capture carbon dioxide emission technology at fossil-fueled (especially coal) electric generating plants, in order to permanently sequester the carbon produced by these plants; • Increase use of new types of nuclear power reactors that are inherently safe and proliferation risk-free (Generation III, III+ and IV); • Increase energy saving. The problem that the world is now facing is how to meet the foreseeable increase in energy demand, particularly electricity demand, using all available energy sources in the most efficient and economical manner, and without increasing the emission of CO2 to the atmosphere. The different energy sources mentioned in this paper can be used in order to satisfy an important part of this demand without affecting the environment. © 2016 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.",2015,,No (2)
On the difficulties of geotechnical sampling and practical estimates of the strength of a weakly bonded volcanic soil,"Volcanic soils, which cover significant parts of the world's surface, including urban areas, structures and infrastructures, may create geo-engineering problems. These soils exhibit distinctive geomechanical behaviours that are a consequence of their formation history, mineralogy and structure. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into geo-engineering properties of a volcanic soil observed in the city of Isparta, Turkey. The study focuses on the difficulties experienced in geotechnical sampling of the soil, its microstructural, mineralogical and physical properties, and particularly the estimation of its uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) using practical approaches. For this purpose, laboratory experiments covering the determination of mineralogical-petrographical and geomechanical properties, such as physical properties, UCS, and needle penetration index (NPI) using a specially manufactured needle, were conducted. The volcanic soil is weakly bonded, highly porous, well-graded silty sand and has a hypocrystalline texture. The weak bonding of the soil is volcanic ash formed by disintegration of volcanic glass, and the soil has some voids and a considerable amount of intact bonding between grains. The most important difficulty associated with this volcanic soil is field sampling and sample preparation for laboratory testing due to the weak bonding that governs internal stability. The UCS of the soil ranges between 29 and 132 kPa, and except for in a few samples, the UCS is lower than 100 kPa. The soil generally shows strain softening behaviour during the UCS tests; however, a few samples failed in a brittle fashion. As the natural water content and degree of saturation increases above approximately 11 and 42 %, respectively, there is a decline in the UCS of the soil. This is due to the increased exposure to water, which apparently softens the bonding, causing some loss of interlocking among the grains. Statistical evaluations suggest that the UCS of the volcanic soil can be estimated from the NPI using a needle with a diameter of 1.7 mm. In practical terms, the study provides some approaches and recommendations for the estimation of strength of weakly bonded volcanic soils for which geotechnical sampling is extremely difficult and/or impossible.",2015,Volcanic soil; Uniaxial compressive strength; Needle penetration index; Laboratory sampling; Prediction equation; Microstructure,No (2)
Negative emissions physically needed to keep global warming below 2°C,"To limit global warming to &lt;2°C we must reduce the net amount of CO2 we release into the atmosphere, either by producing less CO2 (conventional mitigation) or by capturing more CO2 (negative emissions). Here, using state-of-the-art carbon-climate models, we quantify the trade-off between these two options in RCP2.6: an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenario likely to limit global warming below 2°C. In our best-case illustrative assumption of conventional mitigation, negative emissions of 0.5-3Gt C (gigatonnes of carbon) per year and storage capacity of 50-250Gt C are required. In our worst case, those requirements are 7-11Gt C per year and 1,000-1,600Gt C, respectively. Because these figures have not been shown to be feasible, we conclude that development of negative emission technologies should be accelerated, but also that conventional mitigation must remain a substantial part of any climate policy aiming at the 2-°C target.",2015,,Yes (1)
Impact of humic acid coating on sorption of naphthalene by biochars,"Impact of humic acid (HA) coating on biochar properties and the associated influence on naphthalene (Naph) sorption were studied. Coating with HA evidently decreased the sorption capacity and isotherm nonlinearity of Naph by the biochars, resulting from their chemical composition and surface property changes. At low solute concentrations, the suppression of HA coating on Naph sorption was primarily due to pore blockage. At high solute concentrations, sorption suppression of Naph gradually shifted to be a result of surface coverage by the coated HA molecules. The aromatic carbon components in the original and HA-coated biochars served as more effective domains for Naph sorption over the alkyl carbon ones. HA coating reduced aromatic carbon content of the biochars, thereby weakening the pi-pi and hydrophobic interactions between biochars and Naph. Such a process also introduced O-containing polar moieties, especially the O-alkyl and C = O polar components, to the surfaces of biochars, which reduced accessibility of Naph to their hydrophobic carbon domains. Hence, Naph sorption was suppressed. Results of this work are critical for better understanding of the mechanisms controlling influence of dissolved organic matter loading on sorption of aromatics to biochars, which in turn is helpful for elucidating the environmental behaviors of HOCs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2015,,No (2)
"The contribution of root exudates, symbionts, and detritus to carbon sequestration in the soil","This chapter addresses the role of roots in carbon (C) dynamics by focusing on specific responses that alter the quantity and quality of belowground organic matter. Roots supply C to soils through four main avenues: quantity of root detritus, quality of root detritus, release of root exudates, and C transfer to root symbionts. Specifically, the production of root detritus determines the flux of C into the pool of soil organic matter via epidermal sloughing and root death. The chapter focuses on root and microbial responses to elevated CO2 and land-use change. Land-use change may act as a C sink and is therefore of consequence when discussing C sequestration. The chapter discusses deforestation, afforestation (conversion of former agricultural land to forest) and alterations to conventional agricultural management practices. It also discusses implications for long-term C storage and addresses future avenues of research. © 2005 by the American Society of Agronomy, Inc. Crop Science Society of America, Inc. Soil Science Society of America, Inc.",2015,,No (2)
Catastrophic explosion in the CO2 removal unit of an ammonia plant,"This Incident occurred at 13:57 hours, 4 August 2010. The corrosion in the 32"" semi lean amine (a-MDEA) line to CO2 absorber tower was the main cause of the incident. But also several sub reasons cause the corrosion, and subsequently the explosion of synthesis gas that occurred due to back flow from the tower. The mal-function of control valve near the position of line rupture, the short length of stainless steel reducer and line, the welding operation after the amine leakage started from the line, deleting the check valve in the line of 32"" to the CO2 absorber in detail engineering steps of the project by sub contractors were some of the contributing factors which intensified the incident. The production was stopped 50 days for the maintenance. This incident had lots of lessons for learning in the role of process safety considerations in detail design and operation of ammonia plants.",2015,,No (2)
Phytoremediation and Biochar Application as an Amendment,"Biochar is a charcoal-like carbonized organic material, but unlike charcoal, it is added to soils to improve their properties and to store carbon. It has received worldwide attention since the discovery of the fertile terra preta, which is an anthropogenic type of soil enriched in organic matter derived from charred residues. Biochar is characterized by a large surface area, a high porosity, and a high cation exchange capacity, determined to a large extent by source materials and pyrolysis temperatures. Owing to its properties, its amendment to contaminated soils has been considered for the immobilization of organic and inorganic contaminants. The application of biochar in soil can however also have an undesired effect, e.g., by decreasing the efficacy of pesticides, slowing the degradation of organic contaminants, and introducing contaminants such as PAH, PCB, and dioxins. This indicates a trade-off between the beneficial effects of biochar as a soil amendment and the introduction of new risks. Furthermore, the mechanisms of contaminant retention by biochar need to be investigated in more detail before biochar can be applied on a broad scale to manage soil pollution in a safe and sustainable way. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015.",2015,,Yes (1)
"Virtual nature, violent accumulation: The 'spectacular failure' of carbon offsetting at a Ugandan National Park","In East Africa, financially strained governments increasingly experiment with voluntary, market-based carbon offset schemes for enhancing the public management of protected areas. Often, conservationists and governments portray these as 'triple-win' solutions for climate change mitigation, biodiversity preservation, and local socioeconomic development. Examining such rhetoric, this paper analyses the rise and decline of an integrated carbon offset and conservation initiative at Mount Elgon National Park in eastern Uganda, involving a partnership between the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and a Dutch NGO, Face the Future. In doing so, the paper reveals the ways in which the uncompensated dispossession of local residents was a necessary precondition for the project's implementation. Although external auditors expected the project to sequester 3.73 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO(2)e) between 1994 and 2034, conflicts forced the scheme to cease reforestation in 2003. Noting this rapid decline, we problematize the ways in which Face the Future and other carbon market intermediaries represented their activities via project documents and websites, obscuring the violence that was necessary for the project's implementation. In so doing, we argue that the maintenance of a 'triple win' spectacle is itself integral to the management of carbon sequestration projects, as it provides consumers with a form of 'ethical' use value, and greatly enhances the capacity of carbon market brokers to accumulate exchange value by attracting 'green' investors. Consequently, what we term a 'spectacular failure' manifests in at least two ways: first, in the unravelling of the heavily mediatized spectacle of harmonious, profitable conservation, and, second, in the deleterious nature of the consequences that accrue to local communities and ecosystems alike. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2014,Voluntary carbon markets; Spectacle; Carbon offsets; Virtualism; Accumulation by dispossession; Green grabbing,Yes (1)
CO2 adsorption capacities of active chars prepared from wood laminated flooring waste,"Adsorption is considered to be one of the most promising technologies for the capture of CO2 from flue gases and N-containing active chars (AC) are reported to be efficient in terms of CO2 adsorption. In this work, different AC were prepared from wood laminated flooring waste through a multi-step process aiming to produce, in one way, a clean combustible gas for heat, electricity or biofuels production and in the other, a competitive cheap CO2 sorbent. The capacities of adsorption of prepared AC are compared with those of the commercial one using TGA device. It was demonstrated that adsorption capacities of prepared AC was between 6 and 8 wt %, which is higher than for commercial AC (around 5 wt%) and close to the best results reported in literature (8 wt%). The results of this work confirm the technical feasibility of AC production from wood laminated flooring waste and validate the necessity of a more detailed study to optimise AC performances. © Nova Science Publishers, Inc.",2014,,No (2)
Simplification of detailed rate-based model of post-combustion CO2 capture for full chain CCS integration studies,"As post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC) technology nears commercialisation, it has become necessary for the full carbon capture and storage (CCS) chain to be studied for better understanding of its dynamic characteristics. Model-based approach is one option for economically and safely reaching this objective. However, there is need to ensure that such models are reasonably simple to avoid the requirement for high computational time when carrying out such study. In this paper, a simplification approach for a detailed rate-based model of post-combustion CO2 capture with solvents (rate-based mass transfer and reactions assumed to be at equilibrium) is presented. The simplified model can be used in model-based control and/or full chain CCS simulation studies. With this approach, we demonstrated significant reduction in CPU time (up to 60%) with reasonable model accuracy retained in comparison with the detailed model. © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2014,,No (2)
Application of life cycle thermo-ecological cost methodology for evaluation of biomass integrated gasification gas turbine based cogeneration,"Biomass integrated gasification cogeneration is nowadays considered as one of the most attractive technologies for CO2 emission reduction and non-renewable fuel savings. The paper presents application of the Thermo-Ecological Cost (TEC), which expresses the cumulative consumption of non-renewable exergy, for examination of energy and environmental benefits of biomass energy conversion plant based on gasification technology and medium scale recuperative gas turbine. To express the total effect of considered energy conversion systems the TEC is supplemented with the data resulting from Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). Different available gasification technologies and configurations of a cogeneration plant are investigated. Atmospheric fluidized bed gasification (AFB), pressurized fluidized bed gasification (PFB) and allothermal gasification using pure steam as gasification agent (FICFB) are taken into account as well as simple and combined power cycles with the Mercury 50 Solar gas turbine. The results reveal that simple cycle with gas turbine and waste heat recovery water boiler offers better effects than combined cycle configuration. The best performance has been reported for pressurized gasification technology. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2014,Cogeneration; Heat and power plant; Biomass gasification; Exergy; Life cycle analysis; Thermo-ecological cost,No (2)
Thermochemical biorefineries with multiproduction using a platform chemical,"Multiproduction is a promising option for thermochemical biorefineries in order to reduce the risk of investment. It promotes the diversification of revenue, allows a better material and energy integration, and enhances profitability, which could improve the future development of thermochemical biorefineries. However, the design of thermochemical biorefineries with multiproduction requires of new tools and new perspectives that differ from those that have been used in the design of biomass-to-liquid/gas (BTL/G) processes, which are single-product orientated. The use of a platform chemical has revealed a new field of promising possibilities for multiproduction. Nonetheless, the consideration of several kinds of final products makes difficult the calculation of the energy efficiency and the assessment of both sustainability and profitability. In the case of sustainability, it is necessary to know how to allocate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of each product (including electricity) and the potential impact of the production of chemicals, which are not combusted in their final use and bring a net retention of carbon. The incorporation of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is assessed as a potential income for this kind of biorefinery, which could also achieve a larger saving of GHG emissions than that regulated by European administration. The design of thermochemical biorefineries with multiproduction, in the case of using a platform chemical, are able to co-produce low-value high-volume products like fuels along with high-value low-volume products like solvents and chemicals, which have been demonstrated by conventional oil refineries to be highly profitable. (c) 2013 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd",2014,thermochemical biorefinery; platform chemical; process design; sustainability,No (2)
Carbon Capture and Storage Development Trends from a Techno-Paradigm Perspective,"The world's energy needs have been continually growing over the past decade, yet fossil fuels are limited. Renewable energies are becoming more prevalent, but are still a long way from being commonplace worldwide. Literature mining is applied to review carbon capture and storage (CCS) development trends and to develop and examine a novel carbon capture and storage technological paradigm (CCSTP), which incorporates CCSTP competition, diffusion and shift. This paper first provides an overview of the research and progress in CCS technological development, then applies a techno-paradigm theory to analyze CCSTP development and to provide a guide for future CCS technological trends. CCS could avoid CO2 being released into the atmosphere. Moreover, bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) can make a significant contribution to a net removal of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. In this study, we compare the different CCSTP developmental paths and the conventional techno-paradigm by examining the S-curves. The analyses in this paper provide a useful guide for scholars seeking new inspiration in their research and for potential investors who are seeking to invest research funds in more mature technologies. We conclude that political barriers and public acceptance are the major distinctions between the CCSTP and the conventional techno-paradigm. It is expected that policy instruments and economic instruments are going to play a pivotal role in the accomplishment of global carbon reduction scenarios.",2014,climate mitigation; bioenergy with CCS; literature mining; carbon capture utilization and storage; techno-paradigm,No (2)
Decision support for co2 capture process options under uncertain market conditions using multi-objective optimisation,"To meet the CO2 reduction targets and ensure a reliable energy supply, the development of cost-competitive innovative low-carbon energy technologies is essential. Switching to renewable resources and CO2 capture and storage in power plants, are regarded as promising alternatives. Post-, oxy- and pre-combustion CO2 capture concepts are applicable for power plants using natural gas, coal or biomass as a feedstock. A systematic thermo-environomic optimisation strategy including thermodynamic, economic and environmental considerations is applied for the consistent modelling and optimisation of CO2 capture options. The environmental benefit and the energetic and economic costs of CO2 capture are assessed and optimised. The economic competitiveness appears to be strongly determined by the economic conditions such as the resource price and the carbon tax which are highly uncertain. A method that takes into account the economic parameter sensitivity to support decision-making based on the Pareto-optimal solutions is proposed here. The selection method aims at identifying the most economically competitive process configuration in terms of the polygeneration of electricity, heat and captured CO2 in a wide range of market conditions. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.",2014,,No (2)
"Age-related changes of carbon accumulation and allocation in plants and soil of black locust forest on Loess Plateau in Ansai County, Shaanxi Province of China","The effects of reforestation on carbon (C) sequestration in China's Loess Plateau ecosystem have attracted much research attention in recent years. Black locust trees (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) are valued for their important use in reforestation and water and soil conservation efforts. This forest type is widespread across the Loess Plateau, and must be an essential component of any planning for C sequestration efforts in this fragile ecological region. The long-term effects of stand age on C accumulation and allocation after reforestation remains uncertain. We examined an age-sequence of black locust forest (5, 9, 20, 30, 38, and 56 yr since planting) on the Loess Plateau to evaluate C accumulation and allocation in plants (trees, shrubs, herbages, and leaf litter) and soil (0-100 cm). Allometric equations were developed for estimating the biomass of tree components (leaf, branch, stem without bark, bark and root) with a destructive sampling method. Our results demonstrated that black locust forest ecosystem accumulated C constantly, from 31.42 Mg C/ ha (1 Mg = 10(6) g) at 5 yr to 79.44 Mg C/ha at 38 yr. At the 'old forest"" stage (38 to 56 yr), the amount of C in plant biomass significantly decreased (from 45.32 to 34.52 Mg C/ha) due to the high mortality of trees. However, old forest was able to accumulate C continuously in soil (from 33.66 to 41.00 Mg C/ha). The C in shrub biomass increased with stand age, while the C stock in the herbage layer and leaf litter was age-independent. Reforestation resulted in C re-allocation in the forest soil. The topsoil (0-20 cm) C stock increased constantly with stand age. However, C storage in sub-top soil, in the 20-30, 30-50, 50-100, and 20-100 cm layers, was age-independent. These results suggest that succession, as a temporal factor, plays a key role in C accumulation and re-allocation in black locust forests and also in regional C dynamics in vegetation.",2014,carbon accumulation; carbon allocation; soil organic carbon (SOC); reforestation; allometric equations; black locust forest; age-sequence; Loess Plateau; China,No (2)
Carbon dynamics and stability between native Masson pine and exotic slash pine plantations in subtropical China,"Afforestation and ecological restoration have often been carried out with fast-growing exotic tree species because of their high apparent growth and yield. Moreover, fast-growing forest plantations have become an important component of mitigation measures to offset greenhouse gas emissions. However, information on the long-term performance of exotic and fast-growing species is often lacking especially with respect to their vulnerability to disturbance compared to native species. We compared carbon (C) storage and C accumulation rates in vegetation (above- and belowground) and soil in 21-year-old exotic slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) and native Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) plantations, as well as their responses to a severe ice storm in 2008. Our results showed that mean C storage was 116.77 +/- A 7.49 t C ha(-1) in slash pine plantation and 117.89 +/- A 8.27 t C ha(-1) in Masson pine plantation. The aboveground C increased at a rate of 2.18 t C ha(-1) year(-1) in Masson pine and 2.23 t C ha(-1) year(-1) in slash pine plantation, and there was no significant difference in C storage accumulation between the two plantation types. However, we observed significant differences in ice storm damage with nearly 7.5 % of aboveground biomass loss in slash pine plantation compared with only 0.3 % loss in Masson pine plantation. Our findings indicated that the native pine species was more resistant to ice storm because of their adaptive biological traits (tree shape, crown structure, and leaf surface area). Overall, the native pine species might be a safer choice for both afforestation and ecological restoration in our study region.",2014,Carbon sequestration; Carbon concentration; Crown structure; Ice storm; Pinus massoniana; Pinus elliottii,Yes (1)
Why the EU ETS needs reforming: an empirical analysis of the impact on company investments,"The European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is so far the largest emissions trading system in the world. A rigorous ex post empirical analysis of the scheme is presented. The effect of the scheme on firms' investment decisions in carbon-reducing technologies is analysed by using detailed firm-level data from Swedish industry. Based on difference-in-difference estimation as well as a before-after difference estimation, the results reveal that the EU ETS has not had a significant effect on firms' decisions to invest in carbon-mitigating technologies. However, although the EU ETS appears to have no direct effect on investments, it is too early to dismiss the system. Consideration is given to how the EU ETS can realize its potential to become an effective tool in the EU climate and energy policy portfolio.",2014,EU ETS; technological adoption; firm behaviour; investment; climate change; clean technology; carbon,No (2)
Peterhead: Capturing carbon,"Shell's Peterhead carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, at Peterhead Power Station, Aberdeenshire on the northeast coast of Scotland, is competing to become the world's first gas fired power station to integrate CCS on a commercial scale. Post-comustion amine-based capture technology will be retrofitted to one of the three turbines at Peterhead Power Station, diverting the flue gases and preventing around 90% of the turbine's emitted CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Shell owns the Cansolv absorption technology, by which feed gas is first quenched and saturated in a circulated water pre-scrubber. The gas then contacts a lean amine solution in a counter-current mass transfer-packed absorption column.",2014,,No (2)
Characteristics of biochars from crop residues: Potential for carbon sequestration and soil amendment,"Biochar has potential to sequester carbon in soils and simultaneously improve soil quality and plant growth. More understanding of biochar variation is needed to optimise these potential benefits. Slow pyrolysis at 600 degrees C was undertaken to determine how yields and characteristics of biochars differ when produced from eight different agricultural residues. Biochar properties such as carbon content, surface area, pH, ultimate and proximate analysis, nutrient and metal content and the R-50 recalcitrance index were determined. Significant variations seen in biochar characteristics were attributed to feedstock variation since pyrolysis conditions were constant. Biochar yields varied from 28% to 39%. Average carbon content was 51%. Ash content of both feedstocks and biochars were correlated with biochar carbon content. Macronutrients were concentrated during pyrolysis, but biochar macronutrient content was low in comparison to biochars produced from more nutrient rich feedstocks. Most biochars were slightly alkaline, ranging from pH 6.1 to pH 11.6. pH was correlated with biochar K content. Aromaticity was increased with pyrolysis, shown by a reduction in biochar H/C and O/C ratios relative to feedstock values. The R-50 recalcitrance index showed biochars to be either class 2 or class 3. Biochar carbon sequestration potential was 21.3%-32.5%. The R-50 recalcitrance index is influenced by the presence of alkali metals in the biochar which may lead to an under-estimation of biochar stability. The residues assessed here, at current global availability, could produce 373 Mt of biochar. This quantity of biochar has the potential to sequester 0.55 Pg CO2 yr(-1) in soils over long time periods. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2014,Biochar; Crop residue; Pyrolysis; Carbon; Sequestration; Recalcitrance,No (2)
"Oxycombustion for coal power plants: Advantages, solutions and projects","In recent years oxycombustion has emerged as one competitive option for CO2 capture on coal power plants. Air Liquide has been a key contributor to this evolution by developing technology blocks essential to the technical feasibility, flexibility and economic competitiveness of oxycombustion. This concerns in particular the ASU (Air Separation Unit) and the CPU (Cryogenic Purification Unit) which represent the largest CO2 capture costs (Fig. 1). The development carried out with boiler companies made oxycombustion potentially the most attractive carbon capture option for coal power plants. In addition to the highest efficiency, other advantages have become apparent:Its performances including:cost effective CO2 recovery above 95%CO2 purity greater than 99.99%Low water usageNear Zero Air emissions and in particular zero chemicals emissionsVery limited liquid and solid wastesIts flexibility in design and operation including potential for energy storage through cryogenic liquidsA ""Non chemical"" route The paper illustrates innovative solutions and experiences developed to overcome technical challenges and to provide new capabilities to the oxycombustion route. It also provides updates of oxycombustion projects under way including a few retrofit projects: Total Lacq, CIUDEN, Callide Oxyfuel and FutureGen 2.0. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2014,,No (2)
Dynamic modelling and controllability studies of a commercial-scale MEA absorption processes for CO2 capture from coal-fired power plants,"This paper presents a mechanistic dynamic model of an industrial-scale carbon dioxide (CO2) capture plant using Monoethanolamine (MEA) as an absorbent. In order to remove 87% of CO2 from the flue gas stream generated from a 750 MW supercritical coal-fired power plant and produce a CO2 concentration of 95% in the CO2 product stream, a post-combustion CO2 capture plant with three absorbers and two strippers are needed,. A decentralized control structure composed of 11 proportionalintegral (PI) controllers was proposed to maintain the dynamic operability of this commercial-scale CO2 capture plant. The evaluation of the plant's performance in closed-loop were conducted using multiple scenarios, i.e., the loss of CO2 recovery (%CC) control loop during variation of flue gas flow rate, a positive ramp change in the flue gas flow rate under a maximum withdrawal constraint on the reboilers' heat duty, and the disturbance in the flue gas composition resulting from the variation in coal composition and air flow rate. The controllability analysis performed on the proposed industrial-scale MEA absorption plant using the control system designed in this study shows that the plant is able to recover fast from most of the disturbances considered in the analysis. The insight provided from the present study can then be used to address the integration of the present CO2 capture plant to a coal-based power plant and evaluate the dynamic feasibility of this integration under various scenarios. © 2014 The Authors Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2014,,No (2)
Battling Promethean dreams and Trojan horses: Revealing the critical discourses of geoengineering,"Geoengineering could counteract climate change by either altering the earth's global energy balance by reflecting sunlight or removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Geoengineering evokes various ethical and political challenges that are increasingly reflected in public debate and deliberation. Via a qualitative textual analysis of 1500 articles, we investigate discursive claims critical of geoengineering, considering what subjects are the most controversial, and what worldviews, values, and problematizations are shared by the actors subscribing to this discourse. We argue that the controversy about geoengineering differs, discursively, from other techno-political conflicts. Geoengineering proponents are described as reluctantly favouring research and deployment and displaying an unusual self-reflexivity, as they are well aware of and seriously consider all the technology's risks. Our analysis demonstrates that the discourse critical of geoengineering differs from and questions the dominant pro-geoengineering discourse in several profound ways with lasting implications for energy scholarship and analysis. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.",2014,,Yes (1)
Engaging the public with low-carbon energy technologies: Results from a Scottish large group process,"This paper presents the results of a large group process conducted in Edinburgh, Scotland investigating public perceptions of climate change and low-carbon energy technologies, specifically carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). The quantitative and qualitative results reported show that the participants were broadly supportive of efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and that there is an expressed preference for renewable energy technologies to be employed to achieve this. CCS was considered in detail during the research due to its climate mitigation potential; results show that the workshop participants were cautious about its deployment. The paper discusses a number of interrelated factors which appear to influence perceptions of CCS; factors such as the perceived costs and benefits of the technology, and people's personal values and trust in others all impacted upon participants' attitudes towards the technology. The paper thus argues for the need to provide the public with broad-based, balanced and trustworthy information when discussing CCS, and to take seriously the full range of factors that influence public perceptions of low-carbon technologies. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2014,Low-carbon energy; Carbon dioxide capture and storage; Public perceptions,No (2)
Environmental risk of gas hydrates exploitation in Tibetan Plateau permafrost,"Gas hydrate samples were collected in Muli area (Qinghai Province, China) of Tibetan Plateau permafrost, which is the first discovery of gas hydrate in Chinese permafrost and in the low to middle latitude permafrost of the world. Although the exploitation of gas hydrate in Tibetan Plateau permafrost has lots of important significance, environmental risks including permafrost and alpine meadow ecosystem degeneration, global climate influence, and environmental pollution would take place in the exploitation process. In order to avoid or decrease the risk, safe and dependable exploitation technique, carbon capture and storage technology, engineering process control, legislation and emergency preparatory scheme should be put into practice. © (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.",2014,,No (2)
Identification of process integration options for CO2 capture in Greek Lignite-Fired power plant,"Electricity is mostly generated from non-renewable fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal. The burning of fossil fuel releases greenhouse gases particularly CO2. An important research objective is needed to reduce the emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere by capturing it. The capture types, which can be distinguished, are pre-combustion, oxyfuel combustion, post-combustion and chemical looping combustion. Post-combustion configuration is commonly used due to its simplicity in design. Carbon capturing technologies require energy and utilities, resulting in power penalty. The energy used directly increases the load of the power plant and emission. Various studies have been conducted on energy penalty. There is a strive for reducing the energy and utilities used by integrating with the power plant. This work aims at the optimisation of the performance of fossil-fired post-combustion power plants with carbon capture technology by examining the possible options of heat/process integration, cooling and the utilisation of low-grade waste heat. The use of fans, coolers and gas polishing and capture equipment is considered. The paper will examine several possible designs of the CO2 capture module by varying the solvent and the system topology with monoethanolamine (MEA) plant as a benchmark. This paper will serve as an insight to power penalty reduction with carbon capture technology and decision factor to the industry. Copyright © 2014, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.",2014,,No (2)
Reforestation - climate change and water resource implications,"In a forested catchment, river discharge in any season can be either decreased or augmented by forest management practices such as appropriate species selection, density management, and length of rotation. The efficacy of any such strategy in either new plantations or existing forests can be maximized by considering the distribution of the key hydrological functions in the catchment. With the growing awareness of climate change and its impacts, the adequacy of our water supply is becoming an issue of increasing societal importance. At the same time there is greater discussion about using our forests for carbon sequestration and biofuels. Policy-makers should be careful when introducing new programs that incentivize widespread reforestation. The implications of such planting programs on annual and seasonal river flows (under both current and future climatic conditions) need to be considered. Informed choices need to be made as to the objectives for which we manage our forests. In turn, this means that there is an urgent need for water managers and forest managers to work more closely together than in the past to optimally plan and develop forest and water management strategies.",2014,"managing river flows by managing forests; modifying seasonal river flows; managing forests for energy or water yield; problems with incenting new planting programs; forests, water, and climate change",Yes (1)
"Amines and amine-related compounds in surface waters: A review of sources, concentrations and aquatic toxicity","This review compiles available information on the concentrations, sources, fate and toxicity of amines and amine-related compounds in surface waters, including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands and seawater. There is a strong need for this information, especially given the emergence of amine-based post-combustion CO2 capture technologies, which may represent a new and significant source of amines to the environment. We identify a broad range of anthropogenic and natural sources of amines, nitrosamines and nitramines to the aquatic environment, and identify some key fate and degradation pathways of these compounds. There were very few data available on amines in surface waters, with reported concentrations often below detection and only rarely exceeding 10 mu g/L. Reported concentrations for seawater and reservoirs were below detection or very low, while for lakes and rivers, concentrations spanned several orders of magnitude. The most prevalent and commonly detected amines were methylamine (MA), dimethylamine (DMA), ethylamine (EA), diethylamine (DEA) and monoethanolamine (MEAT). The paucity of data may reflect the analytical challenges posed by determination of amines in complex environmental matrices at ambient levels. We provide an overview of available aquatic toxicological data for amines and conclude that at current environmental concentrations, amines are not likely to be of toxicological concern to the aquatic environment, however, the potential for amines to act as precursors in the formation of nitrosamines and nitramines may represent a risk of contamination of drinking water supplies by these often carcinogenic compounds. More research on the prevalence and toxicity of amines, nitrosamines and nitramines in natural waters is necessary before the environmental impact of new point sources from carbon capture facilities can be adequately quantified. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2014,Amines; CO2 capture; Surface waters; Nitrosamines; Nitramines; Toxicity,No (2)
Constructing sustainable supply chain under double environmental medium regulations,"With increasing pollution of ecological environment and global warming, more and more countries and governments have enacted double environmental medium (DEM) regulations (i.e., regulations focused on greenhouse gas emission and regulations focused on waste disposal) to curb environmental impact. Based on the triple bottom line principles and DEM regulations, this paper clarifies environmental bottom line into ecological impact and carbon emission bottom lines, the former one of which is contingent on ecological footprint, while the latter one depends on carbon footprint. According to supply chain structure and product life cycle, we analyze environmental impact (i.e., ecological and carbon impact) reduction strategies simultaneously in production, distribution, use and disposal phases as well. Our conclusions show that for production phase, ecological footprint reduction need to remove toxic substances, and carbon footprint could be reduced by improving demand forecast accuracy and investment in carbon reduction technology; For distribution phase, carbon footprint could be mitigated by using smaller packaging and joint distribution, allying with third party logistics providers and adopting cross-docking network; For use phase, carbon footprint could be abated by improving energy efficiency and shortening using time, in some cases, however, shortening using time can increase ecological footprint. For disposal phase, combination of between design for ecology and comprehensive take-back (return) networks could decrease ecological impacts efficiently. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2014,Triple-bottom-line principles; Climate change; Double environmental medium regulations; Carbon footprint; Take-back,No (2)
Impact of biochar on water holding capacity of two chinese agricultural soil,"Adding biochar to agricultural soil has been suggested as an approach to enhance soil carbon sequestration. Biochar has also been used as a soil amendment to reduce nutrient leaching, reduce soil acidity and improve water holding capacity. Walnut shells and woody material are waste products of orchards that are cheap, carbon-rich and good feedstock for production of biochar. The effectiveness of biochar as an amendment varies considerably as a function of its feedstock, temperature during pyrolysis, the biochar dose to soil, and mechanical composition. Biochar was produced from pyrolysis of walnut shell at 900 °C and soft wood at 600 to 700 °C. We measured the effect of these different parameters in two types of agricultural soil in Jilin and Beijing, China, a silt clay loam and a sandy loam, on the soils' particle size distribution and water retention characteristics. Biochars with two different doses were applied to each soil type. Soil field capacity and permanent wilting point were measured using a pressure plate extractor for each combination of biochar and soil type. The results show that the effect of biochar amendment on soil water retention characteristics depend primarily on soil particle size distribution and surface characteristics of biochar. High surface area biochar can help raise the water holding capacity of sandy soil. © (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.",2014,,No (2)
Power Digest (September 2014): EU doles out €1 billion in funding for renewable projects under NER 300,"On July 10, the European Commission awarded €1 billion ($1.34 billion) to 19 renewable energy projects and a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project under its NER 300 program. The projects will cumulatively raise European Union (EU) renewable energy production by about 18 TWh annually. Capture Power's White Rose CCS project in the UK secured the highest award of €300 million, followed by E.ON's 200-MW Bio2G biomass gasification plant, which won €203.7 million. Projects will be hosted in Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.",2014,,No (2)
Project update of 500 tpd demonstration plant for coal-Fired power plant,"CO2 emissions per kWh from a coal-fired power plant are larger than any other electricity generation source. Therefore, CO2 reduction, especially from coal fired power plants, is an industry priority. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies are expected to be one of solutions to reducing CO2. In order to deploy a commercial scale post combustion CCS plant, it is important to understand the influence of the impurities in the coal fired flue gas. Various impurities, such as SOx and dust, in the flue gas fluctuate due to the boiler condition. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) is collaborating with Southern Company Services, Inc. (SCS) and demonstrated the world's largest fully integrated CCS plant at Southern Company's Plant Barry. SCS and MHI successfully completed the phase 1 demonstration test program capturing and compressing more than 100,000 tons of CO2, using the KM-CDR® process. The CO2 produced from the capture plant is transported via pipeline and sequestered at the Citronelle oil field. The KM-CDR® process achieved stable operation and high availability without any influence from the coal fired flue gas. The KM-CDR® process also achieved low steam consumption and produced high quality CO2 to satisfy the pipeline criteria. For example, SO3 is one of the impurities in the coal fired flue gas to affect CO2 capture plants by increasing amine emissions significantly. MHI demonstrated a proprietary amine emission reduction technology which decreased amine emissions down to less than one-tenth of the conventional system even when the flue gas contained SO3 mist. In the next project phase, the demonstration plant at Plant Barry will be modified to demonstrate the benefits of heat integration using MHFs High Efficiency System (HES) as part of a Department of Energy (DOE) awarded project. This paper presents the Phase 1 operation and demonstration test results summary of the 500 TPD demonstration project and introduces the future activities to deploy the commercial CO2 capture plant.",2014,,No (2)
"Perennially and annually frozen soil carbon differ in their susceptibility to decomposition: Analysis of Subarctic earth hummocks by bioassay, XANES and pyrolysis","Earth hummocks are the most common patterned ground feature in the Subarctic region and subduction of organic matter by cryoturbation (i.e., mixing of soil layers by repeated freezing thawing) physically protects soil organic carbon (SOC) from decomposition. Climate models predict that Subarctic regions will experience disproportionate rates of warming, which may accelerate rates of decomposition of stored SOC and thus cause increased release of CO2. Our objectives in this study were to characterize and develop relationships between the chemistry and bioavailability of SOC in the horizons of Subarctic earth hummocks. Biodegradability was assessed in a controlled mineralization study in the laboratory. The chemical composition of soil organic matter (SOM) was characterized by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the carbon (C) K-edge and its thermal stability was determined by Rock-Eval pyrolysis. The mineralization bioassay showed that buried organic horizons were less susceptible than surface SOM to biodegradation, and not significantly more susceptible than the adjacent mineral soil. Analysis by XANES showed the accumulation of ketones in buried organic horizons, and the loss of carbohydrate, phenolic and carboxylic compounds. This suggests that ketones can be used as biomarkers for microbially transformed SOM. In contrast, SOM in perennially frozen mineral soils (i.e., below the permafrost table), was more susceptible to biodegradation than that in buried mineral and organic soils in the annually frozen active layer. The SOM in these horizons did not show ketone signals but instead showed strong phenolic content. Analysis by pyrolysis indicated that the thermolabile fraction was related to the bioavailability of C, and that in perennially frozen soils, this fraction contained proportionately higher oxygen-containing functional groups. These results point to a pool of labile SOC, relatively rich in phenolic compounds, in perennially frozen soils which may be susceptible to decomposition in a warming climate. Future warming-induced C losses, therefore, may mostly occur not from annually-frozen SOM buried by cryoturbation, but from perennially-frozen C made accessible by falling permafrost table. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2014,Bioavailability; Labile carbon; Cryoturbation; Soil organic matter; Rock-Eval pyrolysis; XANES; NEXAFS,No (2)
The technological paradigm for growing trends of carbon utilization,"The world’s energy demand are growing but conventional fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas are drying up at present. Meanwhile renewable energies are becoming more prevalent but are still a long way from being common place in many parts of the world. Under this circumstance, CCUS technologies could play a key role in abating CO2 emissions immediately. This study propose a concept of the carbon utilization technological paradigm (CUTP) which includes CUTP competition, CUTP diffusion and CUTP shift phases. This paper aims to apply technological paradigm theory to analyze the process of CUTP buildup, and to find out BECCS which is the future trajectory of carbon utilization technologies based on Web of Science, Note Express and Node Xl softwares. The regulatory framework in this paper provides scholars with new thoughts for their further studies. Our research also guide and accelerate development of carbon utilization technologies. It draws a conclusion that subsidies and incentives should be provided in specific fields such as capital costs and technological support. Finally, BECCS must be one of the integral energies buildup. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.",2014,,No (2)
Advantages of A-USC for CO2 capture in pulverized coal units,"Increasing the steam temperature of a coal-fired pulverized coal (PC) power plant increases its efficiency, which decreases the amount of coal required per MW of electrical output and therefore decreases the emissions from the plant, including CO2. However, increasing the steam temperature requires that the materials for the boiler pressure parts and steam turbine be upgraded to high-nickel alloys that are more expensive than alloys typically used in existing PC units. This paper explores the economics of A-USC units operating between 595°C and 760°C (1100°F to 1400°F) with no CO 2 removal and with partial capture of CO2 at an emission limit of 454 kg CO2/MW-hr (1000 lb CO2/MW-hr) on a gross power basis. The goal of the paper is to understand if the improved efficiency of A-USC would reduce the cost of electricity compared to conventional ultra-supercritical units, and estimate the economically ""optimal"" steam temperature with and without CO2 removal. Copyright © 2014 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. Distributed by ASM International®. All rights reserved.",2014,,No (2)
Modeling and economic evaluation of the integration of carbon capture and storage technologies into coal to liquids plants,"This paper analyzes the technical and economic feasibility of the integration of Fischer-Tropsch process based Coal to Liquid (CTL) plants with Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies (CCS). CTL plants could be multipurpose, and for this reason, starting from coal can produce different energy products like liquid fuels, such as diesel and gasoline, chemicals, electricity and hydrogen. Different plant configurations are possible especially in the case of integration with CCS technologies. Obviously, the choice of the optimal process configuration is one that better meets technical and economical requirements. In order to make a first assessment, a screening of suitable technologies has been made. The CTL facility study here proposed is based on commercial coal gasification and Fischer-Tropsch technologies. The system configuration selected and the plant performance has been evaluated using Aspen Plus software. The plant size considered is about 10,000 bbl/d of liquid fuel products, equivalent to a consumption of about 4500 ton/d of coal fed to the gasification island. The declared objective is to evaluate the potential of the identified plant and to perform a first economic evaluation. The ultimate goal is to determine the specific cost of produced liquid fuels and to evaluate the economic performance of the system. The economic analysis was done to estimate the Internal Rate of Return (IRR), the payback period and the net present value for configurations with CCS or without CO2 capture. Results shows that the CCS introduction in CTL plants has a lighter impact on plant costs and performance since CO2 capture it is already included in the base plant. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2014,Coal to liquids; Carbon capture and storage; CO2,No (2)
The influence of calcination temperature on catalytic activities in a Co based catalyst for CO2 dry reforming,"The carbon dioxide dry reforming of methane (CDR) reaction could be thermodynamically favored in the range of 800 to 1,000 A degrees C. However, the catalyst in this reaction should be avoided at the calcination temperature over 800 A degrees C since strong metal support interaction (SMSI) in this temperature range can decrease activity due to loss of active sites. Therefore, we focused on optimizing the temperature of pretreatment and a comparison of surface characterization results for CDR. Results related to metal sintering over support, re-dispersion by changing of particle size of metal-support, and strong metal support interaction were observed and confirmed in this work. In our conclusion, optimum calcination temperature for a preparation of catalyst was proposed that 400 A degrees C showed a higher and more stable catalytic activity without changing of support characteristics.",2014,Dry Reforming; CO2 Utilization; Sintering; Metal-support Interaction; Synthesis Gas; Pre-treatment Effect,No (2)
A Review: CO2 Utilization,"Global warming due to the accumulation of atmospheric CO2 has received widespread attention in recent years. Although various CO2 capture technologies have been proposed, using the captured CO2 from power plants is increasingly popular because of concerns with regard to the safety of underground and ocean CO2 storage. Various techniques related to utilization of CO2 from the exhausted gas of power plants are discussed in this article. The existing and under-development technologies for CO2 utilization in the world are briefly reviewed. Two categories, direct utilization of CO2 and conversion of CO2 to chemicals and energy products, are used to classify different forms of CO2 utilization. Regarding the direct utilization of CO2, in addition to its use in soft drinks, welding, foaming, and propellants, as well as the use of supercritical CO2 as a solvent, CO2 capture via photosynthesis to directly fix carbon into microalgae has also attracted the attention of researchers. The conversion of CO2 into chemicals and energy products via this approach is a promising way to not only reduce the CO2 emissions, but also generate more economic value. Since CO2 is just a source of carbon without hydrogen, a clean, sustainable and cheap source of hydrogen should be developed. This article reviews the literature on the production of biofuel from microalgae cultivated using captured CO2, the conversion of CO2 with hydrogen to chemicals and energy products, and sustainable and clean sources of hydrogen, in order to demonstrate the potential of CO2 utilization.",2014,CO2 utilization; Microalgae; Hydrogen; Chemical; Energy product,No (2)
Contrasting soil microbial community functional structures in two major landscapes of the Tibetan alpine meadow,"The grassland and shrubland are two major landscapes of the Tibetan alpine meadow, a region very sensitive to the impact of global warming and anthropogenic perturbation. Herein, we report a study showing that a majority of differences in soil microbial community functional structures, measured by a functional gene array named GeoChip 4.0, in two adjacent shrubland and grassland areas, were explainable by environmental properties, suggesting that the harsh environments in the alpine grassland rendered niche adaptation important. Furthermore, genes involved in labile carbon degradation were more abundant in the shrubland than those of the grassland but genes involved in recalcitrant carbon degradation were less abundant, which was conducive to long-term carbon storage and sequestration in the shrubland despite low soil organic carbon content. In addition, genes of anerobic nitrogen cycling processes such as denitrification and dissimilatory nitrogen reduction were more abundant, shifting soil nitrogen cycling toward ammonium biosynthesis and consequently leading to higher soil ammonium contents. We also noted higher abundances of stress genes responsive to nitrogen limitation and oxygen limitation, which might be attributed to low total nitrogen and higher water contents in the shrubland. Together, these results provide mechanistic knowledge about microbial linkages to soil carbon and nitrogen storage and potential consequences of vegetation shifts in the Tibetan alpine meadow.",2014,Alpine grassland; GeoChip; soil microbial community; Tibetan plateau,No (2)
Interaction between iron-based oxygen carrier and four coal ashes during chemical looping combustion,"Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a novel technology with inherent CO2 capture, especially for solid fuels. The existence of ash in solid fuels is one major challenge for CLC technology development. In this work, interaction between an iron-based oxygen carrier and four different types of coal ash was studied in a laboratory-scale fluidized reactor. Different factors - the ash component, the redox cycle number, and the ash size - were taken into account. Chemical composition of the ash had effect on the reduction time from Fe2O3 to Fe3O4 in the fluidized bed. The presence of reactive components (such as Fe2O3 and CaSO4) in the ash, functioning as oxygen carriers, extended the reduction time. However, the chemical combination between the ash contents and the carrier can shorten the reduction time. The effect of ash on the carrier's reactivity depended on the ash type. Most ashes decreased the reactivity of the carrier, except the ash mainly composed of CaSO4 which showed an increased reactivity due to the deposited reactive CaSO4. The effect of ash on decreasing the carrier's reactivity increased with the cycles. Meanwhile, the larger ash (900-1000 mu m) corresponded to a higher CO conversion, and thus had less effect on the reactivity than the smaller ash (300-400 mu m). This occurrence can be attributed to the non-uniform solid-solid contact between the larger ash and the carrier. Sintering and agglomeration of the carrier particles occurred in the existence of most ashes, except the lignite ash enriched in CaO. Ash deposition and the formation of new compounds were detected. One common compound formed in the presence of SiO2-rich ash was Fe2SiO4, which has a low melt point (1170 degrees C) and a low thermal conductivity with a greater adhesion. The physical ash deposition and the formation of Fe2SiO4 through chemical reactions were proposed to be the main reasons for the effect of ash on the carrier's reactivity and the occurrence of sintering and agglomeration. The existence of ash not only has impact on the carrier's reactivity, but also causes solid fluidization disturbances. More effort is deserved to put into the ash-related issue in solid fuel CLC. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2014,Chemical looping; Oxygen carrier; Coal ash; Agglomeration; CO conversion,No (2)
"Spectral, chemical and physical characterisation of mustard stalk biochar as affected by temperature","Conversion of agricultural residue to biochar and its application to soil has been accepted as a novel approach to sequester carbon, improve soil fertility and reduce environmental pollution. Application and impact of biochar depends on its intrinsic properties which in turn depend on the pyrolysis conditions. Mustard stalk was pyrolysed at 400 °C (MSB4), 500 °C (MSB5), and 600 °C (MSB6) through slow pyrolysis process to examine the effect of temperature on biochar properties. Mass recoveries of biochars decreased while pH, EC, calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE), ash content, bulk density and particle density increased with increase in pyrolysis temperature. MSB4, MSB5, and MSB6 had pH 8.7, 10.1 and 11.0, respectively and the EC values of the biochar were 2.41dS m−1, 3.25 dS m−1 and 4.76 dS m−1 in the same order. The CCE of the biochar increased from 19.06 for MSB4 to 34.38 for MSB6. The C recovery efficiency of biochar was around 50%. Though the total P content in biochar increased with increase in pyrolysis temperature, the water and acid soluble P content decreased. The major inorganic minerals present in the biochar identified by X-ray diffraction analysis were quartz (SiO<inf>2</inf>), sylvite (KCl) and calcite (CaCO<inf>3</inf>). Infrared spectroscopy analysis of biochars samples indicated the presence of CO<inf>3</inf>2−, aromatic C=O ring and hydroxyl group (–OH). The scanning electron micrograph clearly indicates the presence of highly porous structure in biochar. The low temperature mustard stalk biochar could be used as a good source of P and K in P and K deficient soil, and high temperature biochar (MSB6) is recommended as a liming material for reclamation of acid soil. © 2013, Clay Minerals Society of India. All rights reserved.",2014,,No (2)
Animal manure application and soil organic carbon stocks: a meta-analysis,"The impact of animal manure application on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes is of interest for both agronomic and environmental purposes. There is a specific need to quantify SOC change for use in national greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventories. We quantified the response of SOC stocks to manure application from a large worldwide pool of individual studies and determined the impact of explanatory factors such as climate, soil properties, land use and manure characteristics. Our study is based on a meta-analysis of 42 research articles totaling 49 sites and 130 observations in the world. A dominant effect of cumulative manure-C input on SOC response was observed as this factor explained at least 53% of the variability in SOC stock differences compared to mineral fertilized or unfertilized reference treatments. However, the effects of other determining factors were not evident from our data set. From the linear regression relating cumulative C inputs and SOC stock difference, a global manure-C retention coefficient of 12%+/- 4 (95% Confidence Interval, CI) could be estimated for an average study duration of 18years. Following an approach comparable to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we estimated a relative SOC change factor of 1.26 +/- 0.14 (95% CI) which was also related to cumulative manure-C input. Our results offer some scope for the refinement of manure retention coefficients used in crop management guidelines and for the improvement of SOC change factors for national GHG inventories by taking into account manure-C input. Finally, this study emphasizes the need to further document the long-term impact of manure characteristics such as animal species, especially pig and poultry, and manure management systems, in particular liquid vs. solid storage.",2014,animal manure; manure carbon input; manure retention coefficient; meta-analysis; soil carbon change factor; soil organic carbon,No (2)
Revisiting film theory to consider approaches for enhanced solvent-process design for carbon capture,"Application of carbon capture at the gigaton-scale necessary for significant reduction in atmospheric CO2 requires a portfolio of technologies for applications that may span point-source capture to more dilute systems such as CO2 removal from the atmosphere. We argue that for absorption separation processes there is a strong coupling between the solvent and process properties, which are uniquely dependent upon the starting concentration of CO2. We revisit Whitman's film theory and consider mass-transfer correlations to determine the most critical solvent and process parameters that influence the flux of CO2 from the gas to the liquid phase, within which it is ultimately captured. Finally, results of this work indicate, for instance, that increasing the kinetics of a reacting solvent with CO2 has a greater impact on direct air capture (DAC) systems, than natural gas-or coal-fired power plant emissions. In addition, the solvent kinetics is a more influential parameter than the Henry's law solubility coefficient for DAC systems, while the reverse may be found for more concentrated CO2 gas mixtures.",2014,,No (2)
Limestone powder carbon dioxide scrubber as the technology for Carbon Capture and Usage,The basic principles of a method for environmentally friendly removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue gases were developed as part of an AiF (Federation of Industrial Cooperative Research Associations) research project. The natural weathering of limestone was simulated in a technical scrubbing process in which exhaust gases containing carbon dioxide were submitted to carefully controlled wet scrubbing with limestone powder. The process is based on the reaction of carbon dioxide with calcium carbonate and water to form calcium hydrogen carbonate. Natural limestone weathering transforms the calcium carbonate contained in the rock into calcium hydrogen carbonate through the formation of carbonic acid from carbon dioxide together with rain water or groundwater. This raises the acid capacity of the water. In the technical process this reaction provides process water with a high buffering action. The method was developed in laboratory and pilot plant trials and verified in a practical trial at the combined heat and power unit of a sewage plant. The data that had been obtained were used to submit the limestone powder CO2 scrubbing process to a cost-benefit assessment and a calculation was carried out to find the potential elimination efficiency that could be achieved by optimizing the process technology. Because of the high buffer capacity of the resulting process water it is appropriate for onward use in those environmental and biotechnical applications that require water with a high buffer capacity in their processes. Various possible uses of the reaction solution from the limestone powder CO2 scrubber are suggested that can be counted among the Carbon Capture and Usage (CCU) technologies aimed at utilizing the CO 2.,2014,,No (2)
Solar geoengineering to limit the rate of temperature change,"Solar geoengineering has been suggested as a tool that might reduce damage from anthropogenic climate change. Analysis often assumes that geoengineering would be used to maintain a constant global mean temperature. Under this scenario, geoengineering would be required either indefinitely (on societal time scales) or until atmospheric CO2 concentrations were sufficiently reduced. Impacts of climate change, however, are related to the rate of change as well as its magnitude. We thus describe an alternative scenario in which solar geoengineering is used only to constrain the rate of change of global mean temperature; this leads to a finite deployment period for any emissions pathway that stabilizes global mean temperature. The length of deployment and amount of geoengineering required depends on the emissions pathway and allowable rate of change, e. g. in our simulations, reducing the maximum approximately 0.3 degrees C per decade rate of change in an RCP 4.5 pathway to 0.1 degrees C per decade would require geoengineering for 160 years; under RCP 6.0, the required time nearly doubles. We demonstrate that feedback control can limit rates of change in a climate model. Finally, we note that a decision to terminate use of solar geoengineering does not automatically imply rapid temperature increases: feedback could be used to limit rates of change in a gradual phase-out. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited.",2014,geoengineering; climate change; feedback,No (2)
Assessing non-CO2 climate-forcing emissions and mitigation in sub-Saharan Africa,"There are few direct measurements of anthropogenic climate-forcing emissions in Africa, making it difficult to accurately assess current emissions and to anticipate changes in future emissions. Emissions databases suggest that sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), home to less than 15% of the world's population, is responsible for 11% of anthropogenic methane (CH4) and 18% of anthropogenic nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions globally, though this includes substantial emissions from biomass burning that would occur in the absence of contemporary anthropogenic activity, and which may be over-estimated. SSA is also an important source of precursors to the greenhouse gas tropospheric ozone, and of mineral dust, which has a range of impacts on climate. Eliminating food insecurity and poverty is likely to take priority over greenhouse gas mitigation in the region, so innovations in mitigation must focus on ways to reduce emissions as an ancillary benefit of improving livelihoods.",2014,,No (2)
Economic analysis of a supercritical coal-fired CHP plant integrated with an absorption carbon capture installation,"Energy investments in Poland are currently focused on supercritical coal-fired unit technology. It is likely, that in the future, these units are to be integrated with carbon capture and storage (CCS) installations, which enable a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. A significant share of the energy market in Poland is constituted by coal-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plants. The integration of these units with CCS installation can be economically inefficient. However, the lack of such integration enhances the investment risk due to the possibility of appearing on the market in the near future high prices of emission allowances. The aforementioned factors and additional favorable conditions for the development of cogeneration can cause one to consider investing in large supercritical CHP plants. This paper presents the results of an economic analysis aimed at comparing three cases of CHP plants, one without an integrated CCS installation and two with such installations. The same steam cycle structure for all variants was adopted. The cases of integrated CHP plants differ from each other in the manner in which they recover heat. For the evaluation of the respective solutions, the break-even price of electricity and avoided emission cost were used. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2014,Combined heat and power; Carbon capture; Absorption method; Economic analysis,No (2)
Effect of biochar addition on soil respiration partitioning and root dynamics in an apple orchard,"Biochar addition to soil has been suggested as a promising strategy to increase soil carbon storage with important side-effects on soil fertility and crop productivity. Understanding the effect of biochar on soil respiration partitioning into rhizosphere-derived (F-r) and soil organic carbon-derived (F-soc) components and on plant root dynamics and microbial activity is a crucial issue in the prediction of the impact of biochar on soil organic carbon and nutrient cycles. Within this framework, an experiment was carried out in an apple (Malus domesticaBork) orchard located in the experimental farm of the Bologna University (Italy). In spring 2009, 10t of biochar per hectare were incorporated into the surface 20-cm soil layer by soil ploughing. The trenching method was used in order to partition total soil respiration (F-s) into F-r and F-soc components in both biochar-treated and control soil. Soil respiration measurements were performed from June 2009 to March 2011. To study root dynamics, polycarbonate boxes were built and buried into the soil. Soil profile pictures were collected fortnightly with a CCD sensor scanner inserted in the boxes and analysed with the WinRHIZO Tron MF software. Biochar addition increased F-soc and reduced F-r,F- even if the root length intensity (L-a) increased in biochar-treated soils relative to that in the control. A decrease in root metabolic activity was postulated to explain these contrasting results.",2014,,No (2)
Surface installations intended for Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Atypical accident scenarios and their identification,"With the advent of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) technology the extent of CO2 handling is set to increase dramatically. However, lack of substantial operational experience in such a novel process can lead to significant difficulties in identifying the associated hazards. This field may be characterized by atypical accident scenarios, i.e. scenarios not captured by common HAZard IDentification (HAZID) techniques because of omissions, errors or lack of knowledge. Recent atypical events evidence that consequences may exceed by far those of worst-case reference scenarios. Identification of atypical scenarios related to CCS is a challenge, considering also the public concern that this technology raises. This study focuses on new and emerging technologies of carbon capture and transport. A HAZID analysis was carried out by means of two different approaches ('top-down' and 'DyPASI'). This allowed not only for a double check of results, but also for the comparative assessment of the methodologies and of their applicability. A general overview of the accident scenarios related to these technologies was given. No absolute showstoppers were found. Rather, a number of potential hazards were identified which will require the adoption of safe design principles to eliminate, prevent, control or mitigate them. Some possible safety barriers required for implementation were identified as a starting point in this process. (C) 2013 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2014,CCS; HAZID; Atypical scenarios; DyPASI; Top-down approach,No (2)
Carbon dioxide triggered metal(loid) mobilisation in a mofette,"Carbon capture and geologic storage is a frequently discussed option to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrationswith the long-termrisk of leakage fromstorage sites to overlying aquifers and soils. Wechose natural CO2 exhalations, so-called mofettes, in a wetland area in the Czech Republic as analogues to follow the fate of metal(loid) s under CO2-saturated conditions. Compared to the reference fluvisol at the study site, mofette soils exhibited lower pH (4.9 +/- 0.05) and redox potential (300 +/- 40 mV), as well as higher organic carbon contents. Poorly crystalline and crystalline Fe (hydr) oxides, the most important metal(loid) sorbents in the CO2-unaffected soils (7.9 +/- 5.9 g kg(-1)), showed significantly lower concentrations under the acidic and reducing conditions in the mofettes (1.2 +/- 0.4 g kg(-1)). In turn, this increased the mobility of As and resulting concentrations were up to 2.5 times higher than in the CO2-unaffected pore water (58 +/- 18 g L-1). Methylation (up to 11% of total As) and thiolation (up to 9%) contributed to net As mobilisation. Dissolved Mn (131 +/- 53 g L-1), Ni (9.1 +/- 3.1 g L-1) and especially Cu (2.2 +/- 1.0 g L-1) concentrations remained low, likely due to complexation and/or adsorption to organic carbon and the small amount of Fe (hydr) oxides. A one-month-in-situ mobilisation experiment showed mobilisation of all investigated elements to the aqueous phase suggesting that desorption is the faster and initially dominating process while resorption is a secondary, slower process. We conclude that the CO2-induced mobilisation of toxic As and net-immobilisation of essential micro-nutrients (Mn, Ni, Cu) constitute serious risks and must be tested for transferability and relevance at geologic carbon storage sites. (C) 2014 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.",2014,CO2; Carbon sequestration; Czech Republic; Iron hydroxides; Organic matter,No (2)
The influence of institutions on the development of carbon dioxide storage and utilization applications: Carbon mineralization and geological storage,"According to IEA Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is necessary for successful climate change mitigation and would need to account for approximately 25% of total carbon dioxide reductions. EU has emphasized the need for CCS by developing incentives through the establishment of a funding programme and by including CCS into emission trading. Policy has mainly concentrated on applications based on geological storage, thus excluding the use of CCS with bioenergy and carbon mineralization. The development of emerging technologies and the influence of institutions can be analysed using a technological innovation systems (TIS) framework. This approach explores the system dynamics surrounding new technologies by analysing functions taking place in a network of actors, influenced by institutions. Institutions, both formal and informal, are the rules of the game and have the ability to affect the competition between different technological applications. The CCS TIS has developed within the existing fossil fuel regime and the formal and informal institutions are based on this regime. Therefore a larger shift in the regime and the institutions surrounding it would be required to improve conditions for the development of mineralization and CCS with bioenergy. Policy on CCS is based on forecasts that geological storage applications are likely to be successful in the future. Policy focus on geological storage has created formal institutions that can slow down or even prevent the development of carbon mineralization. These include the EU ETS, which only takes into account reductions from geological storage and the CCS directive, focused at regulating storage operations. Informal institutions, such as the use of the term CO2 utilization instead of storage to describe carbon mineralization could lead to marginalization from CCS discussion and research.",2014,,No (2)
Economic evaluations of coal-based combustion and gasification power plants with post-combustion CO2 capture using calcium looping cycle,"Coal-based power generation sector is facing important changes to implement energy efficient carbon capture technologies to comply with emission reduction targets for transition to low carbon economy. This paper assesses CaL (Calcium Looping) as one of the innovative carbon capture options able to deliver low energy and cost penalties. The work evaluates how the integration of post-combustion calcium looping influences the economics of power plants providing up-dated techno-economic indicators. Coal-based combustion plants operated in both sub- and super-critical steam conditions were evaluated, as well as coal gasification plant using an oxygen-blown entrained-flow gasifier. As benchmark options used to quantify the carbon capture energy and cost penalties, the same power generation technologies were evaluated without CCS (Carbon capture and storage). The power plant concepts investigated in the paper generates around 545-560 MW net power with at least 90% carbon capture rate. Introduction of CaL technology for CO2 capture results in a 24-42% increase of specific capital investment, the O&M costs are increasing with 24-30% and the electricity cost with 39-48% (all compared to non-CCS cases). As the techno-economic results suggest, CaL has good application potential in combustion-based power generation. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2014,Coal-based power generation; Gasification and combustion; CCS (Carbon capture and storage); Calcium looping; Economic evaluations,No (2)
ICSI 2014: Creating Infrastructure for a Sustainable World - Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure,"The proceedings contain 104 papers. The topics discussed include: suburban rail systems to the rescue of urban infrastructure crises faced by metropolitan cities in emerging economies; completing the sustainability cycle: reclaimed water, pelletization, biogas, and solar power; applying sustainability principles to benefit the overall project delivery cycle of infrastructure systems; water operator twinning partnership between the Palm Beach County water utilities department and Manila water concessionaires on planning for climate change impacts; evaluation of PAH and metal contents of different biochars for use in climate change mitigation systems; minimization of CO2 emissions for spread footings under biaxial uplift using a big bang-big big crunch algorithm; climate change vulnerabilities and risk-based management approaches used on transportation assets; and MARTA project delivery approach: a summary of the program implementation plan for MARTA system expansion projects.",2014,,No (2)
"3rd International Conference on Energy and Environmental Protection, ICEEP 2014","The proceedings contain 805 papers. The special focus in this conference is on Applied Energy Technology, Advances in Environmental Technologies, Thermal, Power and Electrical Engineering, and Resources and Sustainable Development. The topics include: Chromium removal from aqueous solution by microwave-modified phosphogypusum; desorption of copper from soils enchanced by dihydroxysuccinic acid; facile synthesis of NiO nanoflowers and their application in water treatment; preparation of gold nanoparticles supported on montmorillonite and its catalytic activity for CO oxidation; study of additives on performance of copper films with pulse electroplating; the composition and application of UV-curable adhesive; adsorption of organic pollutants by ferric oxide modified montmorillonite; effect of dynamic change of activities of enzymatic in sugarcane field with different coating material; enhanced coagulation for slightly polluted seawater using ferric sulfate and modified diatomite; photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange using doped titanium dioxide coating; preparation of catalytic paper using Fe-pillared bentonite as filler by a paper-making technique; properties, preparation and application of oil spill dispersant; the role of nano ceramic materials with high specific surface in environment protection; a brief view on the reflection of pleated design in the concept of low-carbon clothing; isolation and characterization of three bacterium strains for biodegradation of methamidophos; research on biological materials for artificial propagation of bird nest fern spore; study on the impact factors of microbial oil displacement efficiency; application of bioinformatics in microbial ecology; community based environmental risk analysis for ciprofloxacin hydrochloride; cultivation of chlorella culturing with RO brine - primary effluent blended; effects of lanthaum on active oxygen metaboism in soybean; experimental study of treating petroleum refinery wastewater by vacuum distillation; investigating the interaction of ninhydrin with amino acids and polypeptide; photocatalytic degradation of phenol with bacteriorhodopsin sensitized TiO2 nanoparticles; the electrochemical corrosion behaviors of X70 pipeline steel in polluted freshwater; the study of residual oil gasification into methane; study on the flocculating performance of modified starches; magnetic bacteria as a tool for bioremediation of heavy metal ion; the scaling preventable measures of multi-effect distillation plants; researching on double-reserve flotation reagents of phosphate mineral; experimental study on supercritical water oxidation of paper mill sludge; synthesis and characterization of canola oil-based polyisocyanates; quantity dynamics of vegetation characteristics; an application of molecular tools in plant genetic diversity conservation; vegetation fraction change monitoring in Beijing by remote sensing; vibration analysis of the control valve coupled models; wavelet denoising method for RF signal; discussion on the biodegradation performance of foam extinguishing agent; experiment and research on the mechanism of foam dedusting agent; the nanofiltration technology of metoprolol in the water environment; analysis of chronic diseases in technology universities faculty; purifying the welding fume on the spot with corona plasma; city soil pollution degree of heavy metals; design of environmental monitoring data collection repeater; modelling study of the influence of wave farm to nearshore wave climate and current; study on dynamic changes of soil salinity in southern area of Laizhou bay; a new method for forecasting of non-point source pollutant load; assessment on heavy metals in edible bivalves in Dandong market; effects of livestock farms on heavy metal pollution in farmland soils; imbalanced environmental interests among subjects with distinctive rights; key pollution source monitoring and supervision system based on RFID technology; prediction of GC retention times of PBDE congeners based on QSRR; prediction of GC retention times of PBDE congeners based on QSRR; study of effects of long-range transport of air pollutants on the atmospheric environment; study on the impact of fog and haze on environment and control recommendations; the recent advances and applications of arsenic speciation in water; BCR speciation analysis of mercury in smelting slag at Yunnan arsenic mining area; the green port grade evaluation method based on AHP; relationship between number of tourists and environment of scenic; research on measures to strengthen environmental risk management of chemicals in Jiangsu province; effect of discharged brine on the marine ecological environment; prospects of biochar technology in China based on SWOT analysis; the land use sustainability in Xining which based on ecological footprint model; research on environmental risk assessment of contaminated sites reuse; an analysis of safety management in construction projects; the research and summary of road deicing methods; design of emergency prevention system based on GIS; an experimental study on compatible solute ectoine dosing of high salinity wastewater; inhibition of nitrite on denitrifying phosphate removal process; environmental analysis of pure electric vehicle battery recycling and utilization; the instance analysis of mine geological environment protection and recovery management; urban sewage treatment project risk management model; research progress of simulation on the flow field in anaerobic reactor; adsorption of herbicide onto fly ash sample from aqueous solution; applicability from earthworms to live in the soil with PAHs; applicability from earthworms to live in the soil with PAHs; study on the novel non-aeration membrane bioreactor; effects of solid organic carbon on nitrate remove in groundwater; mechanism of collection of dust particles by charged droplet; research progress of scale inhibition mechanism; sustainable wastewater reuse technique for irrigation; the research progress of nitric oxides controlling technology; study on the ozone treatment of night-soil sewage; study on biofortification in vertical flow constructed wetland; research progress on the electric coagulation of fine dust; the treatment of aniline wastewater by electro-Fenton method; analysis on biogas engineering of farm and investment result; research on waste product recycling ability evaluation for remanufacturing; study of anaerobic digestion of model kitchen waste; study on preparation of a new-type catalyst and its catalytic activity; design and simulation optimization of the gravity oil-water separator; kinetic study on pyrolysis of gentamicin residue; a new method for comprehensive utilization of kitchen garbage; the research of construction waste on the road base; the treatment and recycling of FGD waste; study on rapid high-efficient composting process of sewage sludge; research on driving mechanism of socio-economic factors for water cycle; analysis on hydrogeological conditions of Nanlizhuang iron ore in China; research and application in ecological revetment of the mountain river; water resources adaptive management to cope with uncertainty; study on the marine environment protection for the south China sea; advance in coupled surface water and groundwater models; prediction of water quality using fuzzy logic; models of water strategy based on linear regression; a study of local drag characteristics in elbow pipe; comparison on permanganate and ozone as pre-oxidation agents; evaluation research of rural potable water supply project construction in Shaoxing; the influence of long-term fertilization on soil acidification; numerical calculation of the erosion force based on the rainfall; the preliminary study on definition of slope debris flow; analysis on the causes and hazards of fog-haze and prevention strategies in China; research on soil moisture and nutrients in different steppe ecosystems; a review of forestland use and management in China; study on the changes of seedling biomass of introduction fast-growing poplar; mine dynamic monitoring and integrated management based on RS and GIS; research on location in complex mountainous base on GIS; paddy field purifying fishpond water and the necessary size; advances in water purification for pond freshwater aquaculture; try to talk about the role of landscape plants in urban garden; study on environmental issues of golf course construction in China and value theory of lean construction in China.",2014,,No (2)
Surfactant before the first inflation at birth improves spatial distribution of ventilation and reduces lung injury in preterm lambs,"The interrelationship between the role of surfactant and a sustained inflation SI) to aid ex utero transition of the preterm lung is unknown. We compared the effect of surfactant administered before and after an initial SI on gas exchange, lung mechanics, spatial distribution of ventilation, and lung injury in preterm lambs. Gestational-age lambs (127 days; 9 per group) received 100 mg/kg of a surfactant (Curosurf) either prior (Surf + SI) or 10 min after birth (SI + Surf). At birth, a 20-s, 35 cmH(2)O SI was applied, followed by 70 min of positive pressure ventilation. Oxygenation, carbon dioxide removal, respiratory system compliance, end-expiratory thoracic volume (via respiratory inductive plethysmography), and distribution of end-expiratory volume and ventilation (via electrical impedance tomography) were measured throughout. Early markers of lung injury were analyzed using quantitative RTPCR. During the first 15 min, oxygenation, carbon dioxide removal, and compliance were better in the Surf + SI group (all P < 0.05). End-expiratory volume on completion of the sustained inflation was higher in the Surf + SI group than the SI + Surf group; 11 +/- 1 ml/kg vs. 7 +/- 1 ml/kg (mean +/- SE) (P = 0.043; t-test), but was not different at later time points. Although neither achieved homogenous aeration, spatial ventilation was more uniform in the Surf + SI group throughout; 50.1 +/- 10.9% of total ventilation in the left hemithorax at 70 min vs. 42.6 +/- 11.1% in the SI + Surf group. Surf + SI resulted in lower mRNA levels of CYR61 and EGR1 compared with SI + Surf (P < 0.001, one-way ANOVA). Surfactant status of the fetal preterm lung at birth influences the mechanical and injury response to a sustained inflation and ventilation by changing surface tension of the air/fluid interface.",2014,mechanical ventilation; lung mechanics; surfactant; alveolar recruitment; infant; neonate,No (2)
Impact of Populus trees on the composition of organic matter and the soil microbial community in Orthic Gray Luvisols in Saskatchewan (Canada),"The conversion of agriculture land to short rotation coppice (SRC) systems with hybrid poplar (Populus spp.) is becoming an important practice to store carbon and produce biomass for the fiber industry. This land-use change is likely to affect the microbial community structure, in part through the introduction of an ectomycorrhizal host, but also by changing organic matter inputs, ultimately shifting the molecular composition of soil organic matter (SOM) because these properties are crop-specific. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of different aged poplar stands growing on Orthic Gray Luvisols on these soil properties compared to an adjacent perennial crop. The site consisted of four treatments: hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides x Populus petroskyana) in SRC of 7 and 14 years age (Pop7 and Pop14), a 40-year-old aspen (Populus tremuloides) forest (Aspen), and an adjacent arable site with alfalfa (Medicago sativa). The molecular composition of SOM was determined using pyrolysis-field ionization mass spectrometry (Py-FIMS) and synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy at the nitrogen (N) K-edge (N-XANES). Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles revealed higher concentrations of fungal but not bacterial biomarkers in poplar plantations than under alfalfa. Fungal:bacterial ratio was lower under alfalfa than under poplar trees. Overall microbial community structure also changed in response to vegetation type and the duration of woody biomass. Along the chronosequence of poplar, Py-FIMS revealed significant increases in the proportions of carbohydrates with pentose and hexose subunits, phenols and lignin monomers, alkylaromatics and peptides and significant decreases in lipids, alkanes, alkenes, bound fatty acids and alkylmonoesters and free fatty acids with increasing poplar stand age. Thermal stability of sterols decreased along the chronosequence, suggesting that poplar plantations are not involved in the build-up of these substances. Differences in the ordination were well reflected by N K-edge XANES spectra. Increased carbohydrate portions indicated a significant impact of the ectomycorrhizal host poplar on the molecular composition of SOM in arable soils. Our results demonstrate that a change in land-use from agricultural cropping to woody biomass caused shifts in microbial community structure that were lagged by a shift in SOM chemistry. These shifts impact soil functioning and should be considered in future land management strategies when SRC are harvested. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2014,PLFA; Microbial biomass; Soil microbial community structure; Soil organic matter; Pyrolysis-field ionization mass spectrometry; Py-FIMS; Nitrogen K-edge XANES; Chronosequence; Afforestation; Hybrid poplar,No (2)
"2013 International Conference on Earth Science and Environmental Protection, ICESEP 2013","The proceedings contain 146 papers. The special focus in this conference is on Earth Science and Environmental Protection. The topics include: Researching ligninolytic enzymes; application of GIS on power grid material distribution; non-linear filter for regional-residual separation of gravity anomalies; comprehensive evaluation of reclaimed soil fertility based on fuzzy math; a tentative study on the stability of a check dam; dynamic characteristic analysis on phreatic groundwater for quaternary loose rock pore in daqing and the surrounding area; a study on the mechanism involving sulfate removal from waste water using modified bauxite as an adsorbent; evaluation of network monitoring ability of inner Mongolia hetao seismic zone; land surface deformation monitoring of mining area based on PS-InSAR; characteristics of crustal horizontal strain in the Weihe basin of China; the establishment and cluster analysis method for analogous reservoir under the new SEC rules; the fast assignment and software implementation of the ultra-high degree earths gravity field parameters; urban water environment construction of Wroclaw and its inspiration; a study on the separation of a bouguer anomaly map using wavelet analysis; research and evaluation on the characteristics of canyon landscape in Alxa Global Geopark; research on the application of fusing multi-source monitoring data technology to a geographical hazards early-warning system; clustering rock discontinuity sets through Gustafson-Kessel (GK) algorithm and validity index; research on land use change of a small watershed in an inland river of northwest China based on RS and GIS; estimating Qinghai lake area with a BP neural network based on a genetic algorithm; the hazard assessment of karst collapse risk zoning based on GIS in Wuhan city; ecological understanding of the earth by studying process philosophy; study on the folding mutation model of a pressure-shear typed unstable rock block; vulnerability assessment of the geological environment in a coal mine area based on GIS; satellite remote sensing monitoring and analysis of wetland in Zhuhai; design of the mineral resources economic spatial data management system for Puer; the registration and certification problems of collective land ownership and countermeasures research; SAR imaging simulation of the ocean surface with the double superimposition method; a primary study on sediment issues due to ahead impounding water of the cascade reservoirs in the upper Yangtze river; iron mine land reclamation measures; land subsidence and mitigation measures along the coastal cities of China; approach of vectorization for coal mine geological section drawings; study of the sequence stratigraphy of the guantao formation in Jiyang depression; study on the control of farmland surface source pollution based on environmental capacity; the research into the extraction of road information from satellite images; trace metal pollution of drinking water sources; the effect of pH value of irrigation water on the available nutrients in soil; CO2 geological utilization technologies for storage; application of the GPS in earthquakes; geochemical characteristics of late carboniferous volcanic rocks in the southeast of Heishan ridge, Beishan; analysis of urban sustainable development based on a dynamic study of the ecological footprint; permeability characteristics of modified loess under freeze-thaw cycles; spatial distribution optimization of rural settlements using the weighted voronoi diagram; improved structure tensor in the edge detection of potential field data; the sequence stratigraphy and controlling factors in Kongnan area of Shahejie group; a novel feature with multi-scale context modeling for remote sensing image analysis; selenium resources from the wolverine deposit, Canada; distribution regularity of oil sands in China; reviews and comments on environmental Kuznets curve research; anthracite coal prepared energy-saving briquette and analysed pollution; an evaluation of the threat of degradation of ecosystem function of the upper Yangtze river based on GIS; regulation technology for seedling growth in the plug seedling; research and application of a 3YL non-cyanide gold leaching agent; recycling of waste engine oil using hydrazine hydrate as a decolorizing agent; extraction efficiency study of VX in water by disperser liquid-liquid micro-extraction technique; effect on emissions of vehicle using diesel fuels with different properties; environmental problems in tourism resources development and countermeasures; environmental safety and radioactive waste management in nuclear power development in China; ventilation experiment and simulation of a small size subway carriage air supply duct; a case study on sulfur sludge harmless treatment in southwest China; a 3D simulation system for chemical accidents based on an atmospheric dispersion model; study of risk evaluation of mining collapse in Mentougou region; modelling of nitrogen leaching in different land uses in Dachong karst watershed in China; on the non-productive factors of regional environmental problems; mine water treatment in mine goaf with backfilled material; noise analysis of the wind turbine blade; a sustainable development model of tourism estate; volcanism is a key factor in climate change; extension strategy generating of land use based on improved entropy and the study and development of a self-centering seismic isolation system.",2014,Gulo gulo,No (2)
DECADAL FOREST COVER LOSS ANALYSIS OVER INDIAN FORESTS USING MODIS 250M IMAGERY,"India is endowed with a rich forest cover. Over 21% of country's area is covered by forest of varied composition and structure. Due to large amount of carbon stored in forests and their role in land surface and climatic processes, it is important to monitor forests for effective management and modeling studies. The disturbance regimes associated with forest regeneration and recovery, occurring in a heterogeneous matrix of confounding land covers makes forest monitoring an involved and complex task. Over a 13 year period (2000 - 2013), detection of forest cover loss at regional scale using a coarse resolution imaging sensor (MODIS - 250m) in Indian forests is attempted in the present study. MODIS provides a rich basis for forest cover monitoring at regional scales on an interannual to decadal timescales due its huge database and high temporal frequency. Forest cover loss across different forest types in parts of Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana states were identified using a forest-likelihood and a multi-thresholding approach. The study reveals that considerable amount of deforested patches exist over the study areas during the 2000 to 2013. Results also suggested that the detection accuracy improved with the increase of fraction of deforestation in the MODIS pixel, but still relatively small changes were also detected.",2014,Forest disturbance; Change detection; Integrated Forest Z-score (IFZ); MODIS; Time series,No (2)
"Influence of Soil Biochar Aging on Sorption of the Herbicides MCPA, Nicosulfuron, Terbuthylazine, Indaziflam, and Fluoroethyldiaminotriazine","Sorption of four herbicides and a metabolite of indaziflam on a fresh macadamia nut biochar and biochars aged one or two years in soil was characterized. On fresh biochar, the sorption was terbuthylazine (K-d = 595) > indaziflam (K-d = 162) > MCPA (K-d = 7.5) > fluoroethyldiaminotriazine (K-d = 0.26) and nicosulfuron (K-d = 0). Biochar surface area increased with aging attributed to the loss of a surface film. This was also manifested in a decline in water extractable organic carbon with aging. Correspondingly, an increase in the aromaticity was observed. The higher surface area and porosity in aged biochar increased sorption of indaziflam (KdBC-2yr = 237) and fluoroethyldiaminotriazine (KdBC-1yr = 1.2 and KdBC-2yr = 3.0), but interestingly decreased sorption of terbuthylazine (KdBC-1yr = 312 and KdBC-2yr = 221) and MCPA (KdBC-1yr = 2 and KdBC-2yr = 2). These results will facilitate development of biochars for specific remediation purposes.",2014,MCPA; terbuthylazine; nicosulfuron; indaziflam; biochar; aging,No (2)
Human adult bone marrow-derived stem cells decrease severity of lipopolysaccharide-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome in sheep,"Introduction: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the most common cause of respiratory failure among critically ill subjects, sepsis and severe bacterial pneumonia being its most common causes. The only interventions that have proven beneficial are protective ventilation strategies and fluid conservation approaches. New therapies are needed to address this common clinical problem. Others and we have previously shown the beneficial effect of infusion of exogenous adult stem cells in different pre-clinical models of ARDS. Methods: In the present study endotoxin was infused intravenously into 14 sheep from which 6 received different doses of adult stem cells by intrabronchial delivery to evaluate the effect of stem cell therapy. Results: After administration of endotoxin, there was a rapid decline in oxygenation to hypoxemic values, indicative of severe-to-moderate ARDS. None of the animals treated with saline solution recovered to normal baseline values during the 6 hours that the animals were followed. In contrast, sheep treated with a dose of 40 million adult stem cells returned their levels of oxygen in their blood to baseline two hours after the cells were infused. Similarly, improvements in carbon dioxide (CO2) clearance, pulmonary vascular pressures and inflammation were observed and confirmed by histology and by the decrease in lung edema. Conclusions: We concluded that instillation of adult non-hematopoietic stem cells can diminish the impact of endotoxin and accelerate recovery of oxygenation, CO2 removal and inflammation in the ovine model, making the use of adult stem cells a real alternative for future therapies for ARDS.",2014,,No (2)
Non-invasive ventilation after surgery,"After surgery, hypoxemia and/or acute respiratory failure (ARF) mainly develop following abdominal and/or thoracic surgery. Anesthesia, postoperative pain and surgery will induce respiratory modifications: hypoxemia, pulmonary volumes decrease and atelectasis associated to a restrictif syndrome and a diaphragm dysfunction. Maintenance of adequate oxygenation in the postoperative period is of major importance, especially when pulmonary complications such as ARF occur. Although invasive endotracheal mechanical ventilation has remained the cornerstone of ventilatory strategy for many years for severe acute respiratory failure, several studies have shown that mortality associated with pulmonary disease is largely related to complications of postoperative reintubation and mechanical ventilation. Therefore, major objectives for anesthesiologists and surgeons are first to prevent the occurrence of postoperative complications and second if ARF occurs is to ensure oxygen administration and carbon dioxide CO2 removal while avoiding intubation. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) does not require endotracheal tube or tracheotomy and its use is well established to prevent ARF occurrence (prophylactic treatment) or to treat ARF to avoid reintubation (curative treatment). Studies shows that patient-related risk factors, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), age older than 60 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists ASA class of II or higher, obesity, functional dependence, and congestive heart failure, increase the risk for postoperative pulmonary complications. Rationale for postoperative NIV use is the same as the post-extubation NIV use plus the specificities due to the respiratory modifications induced by the surgery and anesthesia. Postoperative NIV improves gas exchange, decreases work of breathing and reduces atelectasis. The aims of this article are (1) to review the main respiratory modifications induced by surgery and anesthesia which justify postoperative NIV use (2) to offer some recommendations to apply safely postoperative NIV and (3) to present the main results obtained with preventive and curative NIV in a surgical context. (C) 2014 Societe francaise d'anesthesie et de reanimation (Sfar). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.",2014,Surgery; Anesthesia; Non-invasive ventilation; Intubation; Postoperatives complications,No (2)
Failure analysis of α-MDEA air-cooled heat exchanger of CO 2 removal unit based on the semiquantitative risk-based inspection method,"Risk-based inspection program (RBI) is a decision making techniques for providing refineries and petrochemical plants with an effective and appropriate inspection planning. The aim of the present study is to analyze failure behavior and risk ranking of α-MDEA fin/fan cooler of CO2 removal unit based on API 581 in order to find out the reason(s) of tubes failure. According to previous experience in similar plant, risk calculation results and conducted inspection activity by using RFT eddy current technique, CO2 corrosion damage mechanism was identified as a main reason of tubes failure. In next step, process key variable, prevention/mitigation methods and inspection planning programs were determined so as to minimize the similar failure behavior in the rest of the lean amine air-cooled heat exchangers of CO2 removal unit. © 2014 by ASME.",2014,,No (2)
Removal of CO2 from liquid NGLs by membranes,"Removing CO2 from liquid NGL streams has traditionally been by conventional amine treating. Despite some limited field experience using membranes in this service (as reported in Oil &amp; Gas Journal in 1994(1) and 2002(2)), operators have been reluctant to accept membranes as a treating strategy due to large financial risks associated with failing to meet product CO2 specification. Keyera is expanding their Fort Saskatchewan fractionation facility in order to allow them to process a lean (C2+) mixed-NGL feed, which could contain up to 5 mol% CO2. Due to a possibly unique combination of project-specific factors, a membrane-based CO2 removal unit was selected as the best option for removing CO2 from the liquid ethane product. This paper will discuss those unique factors and how they combined to make a novel membrane application the technology of choice for this project. The paper will also discuss some of the design features required to make operation of a liquid phase membrane system both feasible and practical.",2014,,No (2)
Energy consumption analysis of air separation process for oxy-fuel combustion system,"Oxy-fuel combustion is a leading potential technology to capture CO2. Because the oxygen production process is causing the largest power penalty in oxy-fuel combustion system, it is essential to cut down oxygen separation power penalty for capturing CO2 at low cost. This paper presents the energy consumption analysis results of air separation units with three different cycles offering for oxy-fuel combustion systems. The study shows that when the gaseous oxygen compression (GOXC) cycle is selected for pressuring oxygen product stream, the specific consumption of high pressure and low purity oxygen with triple column cycle is about 6.4-7.2% less than that of with dual column cycle. And when choosing triple column cycle for oxygen production, an air separation unit with pumped liquid oxygen (PLOX) cycle is a better option than with GOXC cycle because it helps to improve plant safety and to decrease energy consumption of high pressure oxygen products. © (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.",2014,,No (2)
"Topical Conference on Hydrogen 2006, Held at the 2006 AIChE Spring National Meeting","The proceedings contain 20 papers. The topics discussed include: nanocrystalline doped SnO2 for room temperature detection of hydrogen; recovery, response, and sensitivity improvements; low-power detection of hydrogen leakage using a self-powered wireless hydrogen sensor node; development of hydrogen detection instruments at Kennedy space center; challenges and benefits of a move towards hydrogen fuel; thermochemical cycles for the production of hydrogen from water using nuclear energy; purifying hydrogen with inorganic silica membranes at high temperatures; hydrogen production via Pd-Ag permeators: membrane reactor design and process study; novel thermal swing sorption enhanced reaction (TSSER) process concept for hydrogen production; chemically crosslinked polymer nanocomposite membranes for hydrogen separation; and sorption-enhanced reaction processes: steam methane reforming combined with in-situ CO2 removal for increased hydrogen production.",2014,,No (2)
"TecLines: A matlab-based toolbox for tectonic lineament analysis from satellite images and DEMs, part 1: Line segment detection and extraction","Geological structures, such as faults and fractures, appear as image discontinuities or lineaments in remote sensing data. Geologic lineament mapping is a very important issue in geo-engineering, especially for construction site selection, seismic, and risk assessment, mineral exploration and hydrogeological research. Classical methods of lineaments extraction are based on semi-automated (or visual) interpretation of optical data and digital elevation models. We developed a freely available Matlab based toolbox TecLines (Tectonic Lineament Analysis) for locating and quantifying lineament patterns using satellite data and digital elevation models. TecLines consists of a set of functions including frequency filtering, spatial filtering, tensor voting, Hough transformation, and polynomial fitting. Due to differences in the mathematical background of the edge detection and edge linking procedure as well as the breadth of the methods, we introduce the approach in two-parts. In this first study, we present the steps that lead to edge detection. We introduce the data pre-processing using selected filters in spatial and frequency domains. We then describe the application of the tensor-voting framework to improve position and length accuracies of the detected lineaments. We demonstrate the robustness of the approach in a complex area in the northeast of Afghanistan using a panchromatic QUICKBIRD-2 image with 1-meter resolution. Finally, we compare the results of TecLines with manual lineament extraction, and other lineament extraction algorithms, as well as a published fault map of the study area. © 2014 by the authors.",2014,,No (2)
Biochar stability in soil: Decomposition during eight years and transformation as assessed by compound-specific 14C analysis,"Stability and transformation products of incomplete combustion of vegetation or fossil fuel, frequently called pyrogenic or black carbon and of biochar in soil, remains unknown mainly because of their high recalcitrance compared to other natural substances. Therefore, direct estimations of biochar decomposition and transformations are difficult because 1) changes are too small for any relevant experimental period and 2) due to methodological constraints (ambiguity of the origin of investigated compounds). We used 14C-labeled biochar to trace its decomposition to CO2 during 8.5years and transformation of its chemical compounds: neutral lipids, glycolipids, phospholipids, polysaccharides and benzenepolycarboxylic acids (BPCA).14C-labeled biochar was produced by charring 14C-labeled Lolium residues. We incubated the 14C-labeled biochar in a Haplic Luvisol and in loess for 8.5years under controlled conditions. In total only about 6% of initially added biochar were mineralized to CO2 during the 8.5years. This is probably the slowest decomposition obtained experimentally for any natural organic compound. The biochar decomposition rates estimated by 14CO2 efflux between the 5th and 8th years were of 7×10-4 % per day. This corresponds to less than 0.3% per year under optimal conditions and is about 2.5times slower as reported from the previous shorter study (3.5 years).After 3.5years of incubation, we analyzed 14C in dissolved organic matter, microbial biomass, and sequentially extracted neutral lipids, glycolipids, phospholipids, polysaccharides and BPCA. Biochar-derived C (14C) in microbial biomass ranged between 0.3 and 0.95% of the 14C input. Biochar-derived C in all lipid fractions was less than 1%. Over 3.5years, glycolipids and phospholipids were decomposed 1.6times faster (23% of their initial content per year) compared to neutral lipids (15%year-1). Polysaccharides contributed ca. 17% of the 14C activity in biochar. The highest portion of 14C in the initial biochar (87%) was in BPCA decreasing only 7% over 3.5years. Condensed aromatic moieties were the most stable fraction compared to all other biochar compounds and the high portion of BPCA in biochar explains its very high stability and its contribution to long-term C sequestration in soil.Our new approach for analysis of biochar stability combines 14C-labeled biochar with 14C determination in chemical fractions allowed tracing of transformation products not only in released CO2 and in microbial biomass, but also evaluation of decomposition of various biochar compounds with different chemical properties. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.",2014,,No (2)
"Effect of pyrolysis temperature on miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus) biochar physical, chemical and functional properties","The thermal conversion (pyrolysis) of biomass for energy production and the incorporation into agricultural soils of the carbon-rich byproduct (biochar) can contribute to the mitigation of climate change. The beneficial effect of biochar on soil fertility and its stability to degradation depends on the interactions of soil and climatic conditions with biochar physicochemical properties, the latter mainly depend on feedstock and pyrolysis conditions. The aim of the present research was to study the effect of pyrolysis temperature on physicochemical properties of miscanthus (Miscanthus×giganteus) biochar and on its short-term stability. Biochar properties were assessed by FTIR spectroscopy, CHN-elemental and simultaneous thermogravimetry (STA) analyses and the short-term stability in a 6-month incubation experiment. All the analytical techniques indicated a threshold value of pyrolysis temperature of 360°C, above which the thermal and biological resistance to degradation increased dramatically. FTIR spectroscopy showed characteristic absorption bands of cellulose and hemicelluloses (1000-1200cm-1) in the low-temperature biochars that disappeared in high-temperature biochars. In these latter the absorption peaks associated with aromatic structures increased as confirmed by the decrease of both O/C and H/C ratios. This finding agrees with the STA results showing an increase of DTG temperature peak for high pyrolysis temperatures biochars. The incubation experiment confirmed an increased resistance to biological decomposition of biochar produced at temperatures above 360°C. The results of the present study demonstrate that biochar thermal and biological stability is affected by pyrolysis temperature in a nonlinear manner. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.",2014,,No (2)
Practical and Economic Aspects of the Ex-Situ Process: Implications for CO2 Sequestration,"The risk of CO2 leakage and the very slow rate of CO2 dissolution in brine present major technical challenges for secure implementation of CO2 sequestration at large scale in saline aquifers. To tackle these issues, a new technology based on Ex-Situ Dissolution Approach (ESDA) was developed recently aiming at dissolving CO2 in brine phase prior to injection into the aquifer to eliminate or minimize the risk of leakage and accelerate CO2 dissolution rate in brine. The ESDA is based on the mass transfer from CO2 droplets into brine in cocurrent pipeline flow. This paper presents mass transfer modeling associated with the ESDA process concerning the evolution of the droplet size and the pressure change along the pipeline. In addition, a technical and economic feasibility of the ESDA in comparison with the standard carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies is presented. Various aspects such as CO2 displacement, geochemical reactions, CO2 leakage, pressure build-up, well spacing, and dissolution efficiency for the ESDA are also discussed. This study enables the evaluation of the ESDA process for CO2 sequestration through a systematic way.",2013,,No (2)
Afforestation and reforestation projects in South and South-East Asia under the Clean Development Mechanism: Trends and development opportunities,"This paper contributes to identification of key trends, opportunities and constraints for development of afforestation/reforestation projects (AR) under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). It reports on analysis of survey results particularly addressing CDM-AR projects in South and South-East Asia (SSEA), and on knowledge obtained from both (i) experts in SSEA countries and (ii) developers, investors and consultants in the Annex I countries. Despite a wide variety of opinions, respondents from both groups expressed a number of similarities in their vision. For example, availability of land suitable for tree planting in host countries, and the development of community-based forestry were considered by experts as major strengths of CDM-AR. There was a consensus between the two groups of experts regarding certification and developing standards for CDM-AR. Community participation, with a focus on local livelihoods and biodiversity conservation, were identified as the basic criteria for success. The similarities and differences revealed in the attitudes of experts make it possible to identify and explain areas of potential conflicts between the CDM-AR developers/investors and local communities, and therefore, to assist in managing conflicts that could arise, as well as to enable better targeting of CDM-AR within land use changes in host countries in order to provide more effectively the co-benefits to end-users, both at a local level and internationally. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2013,Land use; Forest; Terrestrial carbon sink; Experts' opinion; SWOT analysis; Criteria; Co-benefits; Institutions; Local communities,No (2)
Intensive Agriculture and the Soil Carbon Pool,"There is a strong link between food security and the carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems, notably the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool. Quantity and quality of the SOC pool are essential to soil quality, agronomic production, and use efficiency of inputs. Furthermore, limiting global warming to a 2°C increase in Earth's mean temperature requires the identification of appropriate sinks for atmospheric CO2. Sequestration of C in soils is almost an obvious climate solution, which ironically has been overlooked by policy makers. Yet, it is a proverbial ""low-hanging"" fruit with numerous co-benefits. Most soils of the agroecosystems are depleted of their antecedent SOC pool by 25%-75%, equivalent to 10-30 Mg/ha, which is also the technical sink capacity of C sequestration. The rate of SOC sequestration in soils of the tropics and subtropics is 100-500 kg/ha/year. The potential global soil C sink capacity is 1.2-3.1 Pg C/year, 25-50 years. While mitigating climate change, an increase in SOC pool also enhances crop yield because of improvements in soil physical (i.e., aggregation, available water capacity), chemical (i.e., cation and anion exchange capacity [CEC/AEC], soil reaction, nutrient transformation), and biological properties (i.e., microbial biomass C earthworm activity). The adoption of conservation-effective measures can avoid erosion-induced emissions by minimizing decomposition of SOC transported by erosional processes. The mean residence time of SOC depends on a range of exogenous and endogenous factors. Recommended management practices (RMPs) for SOC concentration include conservation agriculture based on no-till and mulch farming, use of cover crops and green manure, application of manure and biochar, and use of perennial culture, including agroforestry. Balanced application of fertilizers is crucial. Water conservation, water harvesting and recycling, use of drip subirrigation, and growing aerobic rice are some important practices for enhancing water-use efficiency. There is a strong need for research in understanding processes of SOC sequestration, identifying and validating soil-/site-specific agronomic practices, and making policy interventions that reward farmers through payments for ecosystem services. Farming C and trading C credits are needed to create another income stream for farmers and to promote the adoption of RMPs. Cropland soils of south Asia in general and those of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in particular are severely depleted of their SOC pool. Despite high inputs of fertilizers and water, crop yields are either stagnating or declining because of the ever-declining use efficiency of inputs (i.e., fertilizers, irrigation, high-yielding varieties) and degrading soils and water resources. A low SOC concentration of cropland soils (0.1%-0.5% in the plow layer of 0-20-cm depth) is the principal cause of decline in soil quality (e.g., low aggregation and plant available water capacity). Thus, RMPs that create a positive soil C budget and enhance the SOC pool must be identified. The balanced use of fertilizers and the application of farm yard manure and other biosolids (i.e., crop residues, green manure) are essential to SOC sequestration, improving the input-use efficiency, and increasing crop yields. There is a strong and positive correlation between the SOC pool in the root zone and the grain yield of wheat, maize, soybean, and other crops. The adoption of RMPs, which enhance SOC pools and sustain high agronomic yield, necessitates payments to farmers for providing ecosystem services through the trading of C credits and so on. Farming C is an important strategy to mitigate climate change, advance food security, and improve the environment. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.",2013,Adaptation; carbon budget; carbon credits; carbon sequestration; climate change; ecosystem services; food security; managed ecosystem; management practices; mitigation; soil organic carbon; soil quality,Yes (1)
"Can we model observed soil carbon changes from a dense inventory? A case study over England and Wales using three versions of the ORCHIDEE ecosystem model (AR5, AR5-PRIM and O-CN)","A widespread decrease of the topsoil carbon content was observed over England and Wales during the period 1978-2003 in the National Soil Inventory (NSI), amounting to a carbon loss of 4.44 Tg yr(-1) over 141 550 km(2). Subsequent modelling studies have shown that changes in temperature and precipitation could only account for a small part of the observed decrease, and therefore that changes in land use and management and resulting changes in heterotrophic respiration or net primary productivity were the main causes. So far, all the models used to reproduce the NSI data have not accounted for plant-soil interactions and have only been soil carbon models with carbon inputs forced by data. Here, we use three different versions of a process-based coupled soil-vegetation model called ORCHIDEE (Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems), in order to separate the effect of trends in soil carbon input from soil carbon mineralization induced by climate trends over 1978-2003. The first version of the model (ORCHIDEE-AR5), used for IPCC-AR5 CMIP5 Earth System simulations, is based on three soil carbon pools defined with first-order decomposition kinetics, as in the CENTURY model. The second version (ORCHIDEE-AR5-PRIM) built for this study includes a relationship between litter carbon and decomposition rates, to reproduce a priming effect on decomposition. The last version (O-CN) takes into account N-related processes. Soil carbon decomposition in O-CN is based on CENTURY, but adds N limitations on litter decomposition. We performed regional gridded simulations with these three versions of the ORCHIDEE model over England and Wales. None of the three model versions was able to reproduce the observed NSI soil carbon trend. This suggests either that climate change is not the main driver for observed soil carbon losses or that the ORCHIDEE model even with priming or N effects on decomposition lacks the basic mechanisms to explain soil carbon change in response to climate, which would raise a caution flag about the ability of this type of model to project soil carbon changes in response to future warming. A third possible explanation could be that the NSI measurements made on the topsoil are not representative of the total soil carbon losses integrated over the entire soil depth, and thus cannot be compared with the model output.",2013,,No (2)
Carbon intensification and poverty reduction in Kenya: Lessons from the Kenya agricultural carbon project,"The Kenya Agricultural Carbon Project, implemented by the NGO Vi Agroforestry, is breaking new ground in designing and implementing climate finance projects in the agricultural sector. For the first time, while increasing agricultural productivity and enhancing resilience to climate change, smallholder farmers in Africa will receive benefits for greenhouse gas mitigation based on sustainable agricultural land management. The project has developed an activity monitoring system for sustainable agricultural land management (SALM) practices that enables smallholder famers and extension service provider to track and improve farm production. Based on the development of a carbon accounting methodology this system, in combination with a carbon model, is monitoring soil and biomass carbon sequestration consistent with the Verified Carbon Standard. As a result farmers in Africa for the first time can benefit from international voluntary carbon markets. The paper describes the Vi Agroforestry extension approach, outlines the project objectives and activities, and explains the carbon accounting methodology. Project achievements and lessons learned, but also the challenges that still lie ahead are presented. The authors conclude that the project model has great potential for scaling up and provide a potential blueprint for widespread adoption and effective monitoring of sustainable agricultural management in smallholder conditions. © Author(s) 2013.",2013,Agriculture; Carbon; Climate change; Emissions; Finance; Greenhouse gas; Kenya; Mitigation; Resilience; Sequestration; Sustainable management,No (2)
Carbon Capture & Storage Deployment in Iran,"Based on International Energy Agency studies, achievement of 450 ppm CO2-equivalent emission target in global emission means that the CO2 emissions in 2050 must be reduced to %50 of 2005 level, and this implies that a portfolio of emission reduction policies and strategies need to be exploited through current century. At the present time, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Technology is a dominant strategy among all the long-term carbon abatement strategies in many countries. Nevertheless, its potential as a climate mitigating option will be proved, only if it is implemented in the countries which are developing at a great pace and taking advantage of fossil fuels in order to afford their energy demands. As regards Iran is ranked as the eighth great CO2 emitter country worldwide, it is quite a qualified option for CCS implementation as an emission mitigation solution. In this essay, first of all, an analytical framework is expanded which is covering the evaluation of CCS deployment determinants in Iran. At the second step, barriers against deployment of this technology and also, the required solutions and policies are discussed. Finally, three scenarios for CCS development process in Iran are depicted on the basis of IPCC Emission Scenarios (SRES), considering the aforementioned policies. By means of these scenarios, contribution and deployment status of this technology in the oncoming Energy System of Iran will be assessed.",2013,,No (2)
Managing soil carbon for climate change mitigation and adaptation in Mediterranean cropping systems: A meta-analysis,"Mediterranean croplands are seasonally dry agroecosystems with low soil organic carbon (SOC) content and high risk of land degradation and desertification. The increase in SOC is of special interest in these systems, as it can help to build resilience for climate change adaptation while contributing to mitigate global warming through the sequestration of atmospheric carbon (C). We compared SOC change and C sequestration under a number of recommended management practices (RMPs) with neighboring conventional plots under Mediterranean climate (174 data sets from 79 references). The highest response in C sequestration was achieved by those practices applying largest amounts of C inputs (land treatment and organic amendments). Conservation tillage practices (no-tillage and reduced tillage) induced lower effect sizes but significantly promoted C sequestration, whereas no effect and negative net sequestration rates were observed for slurry applications and unfertilized treatments, respectively. Practices combining external organic amendments with cover crops or conservation tillage (combined management practices and organic management) showed very good performance in C sequestration. We studied separately the changes in SOC under organic management, with 80 data sets from 30 references. The results also suggest that the degree of intensification in C input rate is the main driver behind the relative C accumulation in organic treatments. Thus, highest net C sequestration rates were observed in most eco-intensive groups, such as ""irrigated"", ""horticulture"" and controlled experiments (""plot scale""). (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2013,Soil organic carbon; Carbon sequestration; Mediterranean; Tillage; Organic amendments; Organic farming,No (2)
Is atmospheric carbon dioxide removal a game changer for climate change mitigation?,"The ability to directly remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere allows the decoupling of emissions and emissions control in space and time. We ask the question whether this unique feature of carbon dioxide removal technologies fundamentally alters the dynamics of climate mitigation pathways. The analysis is performed in the coupled energy-economy-climate model ReMIND using the bioenergy with CCS route as an application of CDR technology. BECCS is arguably the least cost CDR option if biomass availability is not a strongly limiting factor. We compare mitigation pathways with and without BECCS to explore the impact of CDR technologies on the mitigation portfolio. Effects are most pronounced for stringent climate policies where BECCS is a key technology for the effectiveness of carbon pricing policies. The decoupling of emissions and emissions control allows prolonging the use of fossil fuels in sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, particularly in the transport sector. It also balances the distribution of mitigation costs across future generations. CDR is not a silver bullet technology. The largest part of emissions reductions continues to be provided by direct mitigation measures at the emissions source. The value of CDR lies in its flexibility to alleviate the most costly constraints on mitigating emissions.",2013,,Yes (1)
Comparison of carbon sequestration quantity in haloxylon aphyllum and Stipagrostis plumosa in Iran Desert Area,"Carbon sequestration in soil organic matter (SOM) is increasingly advocated as a potential win-win strategy for reclaiming degraded lands, particularly in arid regions of the developing world, mitigating global climate change and improving the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers. Vegetation management to develop the shrub or tree species in arid and semi-arid regions is one of the inexpensive and multi-purpose methods to decrease CO2. Afforestation in desert regions is one of the most practical and advantageous methods of desert management. This research was done in Saxaul (Haloxylon aphyllum) stands as the afforested area and the surrounding native vegetation Stipagrostis plumosa (Control area) in Aran-o-Bidgol desert of Iran. In both areas, the amounts of aboveground and underground biomass of the species were calculated by cutting and weighting the aerial parts (leaves, stem) and roots in both species. Ash method was used to determine carbon sequestration coefficient of the studied species. The amounts of soil carbon sequestration were measured too by using of wacky black method. The comparison of carbon sequestration of H. aphyllum in the unit of the measuring surface and control areas (S. plumosa biomass) showed the difference of this ability between two areas (p<0.01). The results indicated that total soil carbon sequestration of H. aphyllum (24.31 mg/ha) was significantly (p<0.01) more than S. plumosa (11.2 mg/ha). © IDOSI Publications, 2013.",2013,,No (2)
A case for climate engineering,"Climate engineering -- which could slow the pace of global warming by injecting reflective particles into the upper atmosphere -- has emerged in recent years as an extremely controversial technology. And for good reason: it carries unknown risks and it may undermine commitments to conserving energy. Some critics also view it as an immoral human breach of the natural world. The latter objection, David Keith argues in A Scientist's Case for Climate Engineering, is groundless; we have been using technology to alter our environment for years. But he agrees that there are large issues at stake. A leading scientist long concerned about climate change, Keith offers no naïve proposal for an easy fix to what is perhaps the most challenging question of our time; climate engineering is no silver bullet. But he argues that after decades during which very little progress has been made in reducing carbon emissions we must put this technology on the table and consider it responsibly. That doesn't mean we will deploy it, and it doesn't mean that we can abandon efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But we must understand fully what research needs to be done and how the technology might be designed and used. This book provides a clear and accessible overview of what the costs and risks might be, and how climate engineering might fit into a larger program for managing climate change. © 2013 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.",2013,,No (2)
SHOOT: ROOT DIFFERS IN WARM SEASON C-4-CEREALS WHEN GROWN ALONE IN PURE AND MIXED STANDS UNDER LOW AND HIGH WATER LEVELS,"Shoot: root (S: R) response of three warm season C-4-cereals (grasses) viz., corn (Zea mays L., cv. Hybrid-5393 VT3), grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench, cv. Hybrid-84G62 PAT), and foxtail millets (Setaria italica, cv. German Strain R) grown in pure and mixed stands was investigated at one month interval in pot experiment at West Texas A&M University, Texas, USA during spring 2010. The results indicated that the three warm season grasses responded differently in terms of S: R when grown in pure and mixed stands under low and high water levels at different growth stages. In the mixed stands, the roots and shoot biomass accumulation in millets decreased while its S: R increased and was considered the least competitor in the mixed stands than sorghum and corn. Corn plants on the other hand with higher root and shoot biomass accumulation but lower S: R was ranked first (strong) in terms of competitiveness in the mixed stands. In contrast, grain sorghum in the mixed stands produced more root and shoot biomass while grown mixed with millets, but produced less root and shoot biomass in the corn mixed stands was therefore ranked second in terms of competitiveness (corn > grain sorghum > millets). Better understanding of root architecture of different crop species in pure and mixed stands could maximize water and nutrients uptake. Early emergence of the three crop plants had positive effects on shoot and root biomass accumulation and was considered the best criteria in crops competitiveness. We also found that decreasing water level increased root biomass which declined the S: R in all three crop plants. With advancement in crop age, increase in shoot biomass was more than root biomass, and therefore, reduction in S: R was observed. We suggests that more studies are required to assess more accurately the root biomass contribution of different crops species in pure and mixed stands to improve carbon sequestration into the soils under different environmental conditions.",2013,,No (2)
Experimental studies of injectivity reduction due to carbonate mineralization,"The geological sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) has been proposed to be one of the most effective and advanced technologies for reducing CO2 emissions. Geochemical trapping is regarded as an alternative process for CO2 sequestration. Carbonate mineralization takes advantage of permeability reduction to seal formations, decreasing the risk of CO2 leakage and increasing storage safety. Because precipitation rates tend to be faster and the solubility product shows a lower value at higher temperatures, the interaction of calcite and kaolinite-rich rock with CO2-water is expected to form a scale in geothermal reservoirs. The Ca2+ released from rocks can be removed as carbonate minerals during CO2 injection into aquifer rocks. However, the effects of the amount, timing, and location of carbonate precipitation on the permeability of reservoirs are not clear. In order to predict the time and space of clogging by carbonate precipitation, column flow experiments were performed under various conditions. Supersaturated carbonate fluids were obtained from the Ogachi, Matsushiro, and Namikata field sites. These were introduced in flow experiments over a wide range of temperatures (20 approximate to 185 degrees C), pH (6 approximate to 11), and concentrations of reactants ([Ca] = 18 approximate to 850 mg/l) to vary the growth rate of carbonate minerals. The reduction of injectivity shows that fluid flow velocity controls the distribution and amount of carbonate deposition. The product of CO2 concentration and S.I., defined as the logarithm of the ion activity product per the solubility product, might be the index for predicting the time required for clogging to be observed. (c) 2013 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd",2013,carbonate mineralization; injectivity; clogging; permeability; precipitation; temperature,No (2)
Scenarios for future biodiversity loss due to multiple drivers reveal conflict between mitigating climate change and preserving biodiversity,"We assess the potential for future biodiversity loss due to three interacting factors: energy withdrawal from ecosystems due to biomass harvest, habitat loss due to land-use change, and climate change. We develop four scenarios to 2050 with different combinations of high or low agricultural efficiency and high or low meat diets, and use species-energy and species-area relationships to estimate their effects on biodiversity. In our scenarios, natural ecosystems are protected except when additional land is necessary to fulfil the increasing dietary demands of the global population. Biomass energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is used as a means of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from the atmosphere (and offsetting fossil fuel emissions). BECCS is based on waste biomass, with the addition of bio-energy crops only when already managed land is no longer needed for food production. Forecast biodiversity loss from natural biomes increases by more than a factor of five in going from high to low agricultural efficiency scenarios, due to destruction of productive habitats by the expansion of pasture. Biodiversity loss from energy withdrawal on managed land varies by a factor of two across the scenarios. Biodiversity loss due to climate change varies only modestly across the scenarios. Climate change is lowest in the 'low meat high efficiency' scenario, in which by 2050 around 660 million hectares of pasture are converted to biomass plantation that is used for BECCS. However, the resulting withdrawal of energy from managed ecosystems has a large negative impact on biodiversity. Although the effects of energy withdrawal and climate change on biodiversity cannot be directly compared, this suggests that using bio-energy to tackle climate change in order to limit biodiversity loss could instead have the opposite effect.",2013,biodiversity loss; climate change; biomass harvest; land use; biomass energy; carbon dioxide removal,Yes (1)
Climate policy options and the transformation of the energy system,"The key lines of argument to estimate a meaningful degree of efforts to mitigate global warming are outlined. Potential implementations of a policy that strives to limit global warming to 2 C compared to pre-industrial values are discussed. A recent model intercomparison study on mitigation costs is summarized. Conceptual difficulties when internalizing uncertainty in these types of analyses are highlighted and first attempts to overcome them are outlined. For the mitigation technology ""carbon capture and storage"" it is illustrated that mitigation technologies also require a proper treatment of their side-effects rather than just focusing on their cost-reduction potential in the context of mitigation. Finally, the prospects of climate policy are sketched. © Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences - SIF 2013.",2013,,No (2)
Buried soil organic inclusions in non-sorted circles fields in northern Sweden: Age and Paleoclimatic context,"Although burial of surface organic soil horizons into deeper mineral soil layers helps drive the long-term buildup of carbon in arctic soils, when and why buried horizons formed as result of cryoturbation in northern Sweden remain unclear. In this study, we used C-14 and Pb-210 dating to assess when organic matter was buried within non-sorted circles fields near Abisko in northern Sweden. In addition, we used aerial photos from 1959 and 2008 to detect eventual trends in cryogenic activities during this period. We found that organic matter from former organic horizons (stratigraphically intact or partly fragmented) corresponds to three major periods: 0-100 A. D., 900-1250 A. D., and 1650-1950 A. D. The latter two periods were indicated by several dated samples, while the extent of the oldest period is more uncertainty (indicated by only one sample). The aerial photos suggest a net overgrowth by shrub vegetation of previously exposed mineral soil surfaces since 1959. This overgrowth trend was seen in most of the studied fields (92 out of 137 analyzed fields), indicating that the cryogenic activity has mainly decreased in studied non-sorted circles fields since the 1950s. This latter interpretation is also supported by the absence of buried organic layers formed during the last decades. We suggest that the organic matter was buried during the transition from longer cold periods to warmer conditions. We believe these climatic shifts could have triggered regional scale burial of soil organic matter and thus affected how these soils sequestered carbon. Citation: Becher, M., C. Olid, and J. Klaminder (2013), Buried soil organic inclusions in non-sorted circles fields in northern Sweden: Age and Paleoclimatic context, J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosci., 118, 104-111, doi:10.1002/jgrg.20016.",2013,,No (2)
"Geomechanical response of the Tubaen formation, a compartmentalized CO2 storage reservoir at the Snoehvit site, Norway","The pressure build-up of large scale CO2 injection projects is one of the biggest challenges towards the development of a carbon sequestration technology. The pressure front creates stress gradients in the subsurface that can lead to dilation or slip along faults or fractures, hydro-fracturing of the caprock and potentially microseismicity. Potential compartmentalization of the storage reservoir can reduce the original estimated reservoir capacity. This work investigates the geomechanical response to the CO2 injection in the Tubaen Fm. at the Snoehvit site focusing on the potential compartmentalization of the storage reservoir. This compartmentalization has been suspected due to the unexpected pressure rise during operations in the storage reservoir that has led to a considerable decrease in the estimated total capacity and to the abandonment injection operations. The Snoehvit gas field is located offshore in the northern Norwegian Sea (Barents Sea). Given the geometry of major faults and fractures in and above the reservoir, available estimates of the in situ stress tensor, and reservoir characteristics, we use a coupled hydromechanical approach to understand the geomechanical response of the system to the CO2 injection, focusing in particular on addressing the potential reservoir compartmentalization and its impacts on injection performance, CO2 distribution and migration outside of the storage interval.",2013,,No (2)
Economic Aspects of Climate Change,"Although economists have often disagreed on economic aspects of global warming, views, such as those expressed in the Stern Review, which purports global warming as a major economic problem carrying risks of disaster and demanding the use of major resources, are increasingly common. The idea that with development and technological progress, total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or emissions per capita would decrease has now been refuted, as a link between increased economic activity and greater emissions has been established. In general, global emissions of CO2 have increased at rates correlated with the annual increase of world GDP (WGDP). Furthermore, the annual increase in atmospheric concentrations of CO2 is correlated with the growth of WGDP. Impacts of climate change and strategies to mitigate them have often been subjected to integrated assessment models (IAMs). For global warming of above 2°C or 3°C, IAMs agree that there will be a reduction in long-term social well-being and a negative impact suffered mostly by low-income regions, but different IAMs strongly disagree on the level of human-induced damage, with estimates ranging from &lt;1% to &gt;10% of WGDP. Direct emissions of GHG related to agriculture are mainly emissions of CH4 and NO2. Indirect emissions of GHG from agriculture include large CO2 emissions from land-use change, i.e., conversion of natural ecosystems into cultivated land. The sum of direct and indirect emissions may represent annually one-fourth of global GHG emissions, with about three-fourths of agricultural GHG emissions coming from low-income countries. Mitigation measures focused on soil carbon sequestration by modifying practices of intensive agriculture and moving toward agroecology or low-carbon agriculture are needed. Permit trading and the implementation of a carbon tax are the major options in the public debate to mitigate climate change. The European Trading Scheme implemented in 2005 has failed to reduce emissions. A carbon tax would reduce emissions by discouraging consumption of ""carbon-rich"" commodities and, therefore, promoting recycling, reuse, and innovation toward production and consumption of ""carbon-poor"" commodities, but there have only been some timid steps to implement such a tax in some countries, and there is strong opposition to it. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.",2013,Adaptation; carbon tax; economic aspects; greenhouse gas emissions; integrated assessment models; mitigation,No (2)
Harvest residue management effects on tree growth and ecosystem carbon in a Chinese fir plantation in subtropical China,"This study aimed to determine the influence of different harvest residue management strategies on tree growth, soil carbon (C) concentrations, soil nitrogen (N) availability and ecosystem C stocks 15 years after replanting second rotation Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata), an important plantation species in subtropical China. Such information is needed for designing improved management strategies for reforestation programmes in subtropical environments aimed at mitigating CO2 emissions. Four harvest residue management treatments including slash burning, whole tree, stem-only and double residue retention were applied to sixteen 20 m x 30 m plots in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Tree growth was measured annually and soil properties were measured at 3 year intervals over a 15 year period after re-planting. Cumulative diameter growth at age 15 years was significantly smaller in the slash burning than the whole tree and double residue harvest treatments. Hot water extractable N concentrations increased with the increased organic residue retention levels and significant differences were observed between double residue and slash burning treatments. Harvest residue management had no significant effect on the soil C concentrations to 40 cm depth. ANOVA showed that harvest residue management had no significant effect on total biomass carbon at age 15, but the plantation ecosystem (soil C at 0-40 cm depth plus forest biomass C) had significantly lower C mass in the slash burning treatment compared with whole tree, stem only harvest and double residue harvest treatments. These observations suggest that organic residue retention during the harvesting could improve the growth and ecosystem C stocks of Chinese fir in second rotation forest plantations in subtropical China and highlight the importance of viewing the ecosystem as a whole when evaluating the impact of harvest residue management on C stocks.",2013,Chinese fir; Ecosystem carbon mass; Harvest residue management; Tree growth; Soil nitrogen availability,No (2)
Approval and promulgation of implementation plans; Texas; Control of air pollution by permits for new construction or modification; permits for specific designated facilities,"EPA is taking a direct final action to approve portions of two revisions to the Texas SIP concerning the Permits for Specific Designated Facilities Program. EPA has determined that the portions of these SIP revisions specific to the FutureGen Program submitted on 3/29/2006 and 7/2/2010, comply with the Clean Air Act and EPA regulations and are consistent with EPA policies. FutureGen is a DOE program designed to promote the advancement and development of new technologies. FutureGen refers to a combination of technologies for carbon sequestration, CO2 EOR, electric generation, and hydrogen production. This direct final rule is effective on 1/21/2014 without further notice, unless EPA receives relevant adverse comment by 12/23/2013.",2013,,No (2)
"Redistribution of forest carbon caused by patch blowdowns in subalpine forests of the Southern Rocky Mountains, USA","Patch blowdowns varying in size from 0.1 to 33ha affected several areas in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA, during the winter of 2011-2012. These blowdowns resulted in substantial redistribution of forest carbon by snapping and uprooting trees, thereby increasing instream wood recruitment, recruitment of dead wood to the forest floor, and exposure of organic soil on uprooted tree plates. Estimates of carbon redistribution at five sites in Rocky Mountain National Park range as high as 308Mg C/ha in high-severity patches to 106Mg C/ha in low-severity patches, of which typically 10-30% is soil C and the remainder is downed wood. Masses of carbon redistributed from living to dead biomass at high-severity sites represent a substantial portion of average total biomass in old-growth subalpine forests in the region. Consequently, the potential for increasing frequency and/or severity of blowdowns under a warming climate represents a significant potential source of terrestrial carbon to the atmosphere. The majority of this carbon is in the form of downed wood that becomes a carbon source to the atmosphere, although interactions between downed wood and river processes can locally increase carbon storage in floodplain soil. Predictions of changes in precipitation and wind patterns, and associated changes in wildfire and insect infestation, suggest that blowdowns may become more common in future in the Southern Rockies, but the consequences for carbon dynamics depend on site-specific interactions between blowdowns and other processes such as floodplain storage of organic matter.",2013,blowdown; uprooting; instream wood; total organic carbon; Rocky Mountain National Park; subalpine forest,No (2)
How ecological restoration alters ecosystem services: an analysis of carbon sequestration in China's Loess Plateau,"Restoring disturbed and over-exploited ecosystems is important to mitigate human pressures on natural ecosystems. China has launched an ambitious national ecosystem restoration program called Grain to Green Program (GTGP) over the last decade. By using remote sensing techniques and ecosystem modelling, we quantitatively evaluated the changes in ecosystem carbon sequestration since China's GTGP program during period of 2000-2008. It was found the NPP and NEP in this region had steadily increased after the initiative of the GTGP program, and a total of 96.1 Tg of additional carbon had been sequestered during that period. Changes in soil carbon storage were lagged behind and thus insignificant over the period, but was expected to follow in the coming decades. As a result, the Loess Plateau ecosystem had shifted from a net carbon source in 2000 to a net carbon sink in 2008. The carbon sequestration efficiency was constrained by precipitation, and appropriate choices of restoration types (trees, shrubs, and grasses) in accordance to local climate are critical for achieving the best benefit/cost efficiency.",2013,,No (2)
The study of CO2 capture technology,"Described the dangers of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and the significance of CO2 capture. Discussed the principle of the traditional and new technologies for CO2 removal and find some problems with them. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.",2013,,No (2)
Modelling and simulation of reaction kinetics of carbon dioxide absorption into aqueous ammonia in a wetted wall column,"Carbon dioxide accounts for about 80% of all greenhouse gases (GHG) and thus becomes the major source responsible for global warming which is considered as the greatest environmental challenge the world is facing. The post-combustion capture is the main way to lower the emission of existing power plants and future power plants where CO2 is produced during the combustion. Solvent-based CO2 capture technology a proven technology for CO2 capture. Carbon dioxide absorption process using an ammonia solution provides many advantages including higher absorption capacity, no degradation and lower regeneration energy requirement. In this paper, a mathematical model for the reaction kinetics of carbon dioxide absorption into aqueous ammonia in a wetted wall column is developed. Simulation of the mathematical model is performed and the simulated results are compared with literature data.",2013,absorption; carbon dioxide; aqueous ammonia; wetted wall column; carbon capture,No (2)
Comparison of methods for geologic storage of carbon dioxide in saline formations,"Preliminary estimates of CO2 storage potential in geologic formations provide critical information related to Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies to mitigate CO2 emissions. Currently multiple methods to estimate CO2 storage and multiple storage estimates for saline formations have been published, leading to potential uncertainty when comparing estimates from different studies. In this work, carbon dioxide storage estimates are compared by applying several commonly used methods to general saline formation data sets to assess the impact that the choice of method has on the results. Specifically, six CO2 storage methods were applied to thirteen saline formation data sets which were based on formations across the United States with adaptations to provide the geologic inputs required by each method. Methods applied include those by (1) international efforts - the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (Bachu et al., 2007); (2) United States government agencies - U.S. Department of Energy - National Energy Technology Laboratory (US-DOE-NETL, 2012) and United States Geological Survey (Brennan et al., 2010); and (3) the peer-reviewed scientific community - Szulczewski et al. (2012) and Zhou et al. (2008). A statistical analysis of the estimates generated by multiple methods revealed that assessments of CO2 storage potential made at the prospective level were often statistically indistinguishable from each other, implying that the differences in methodologies are small with respect to the uncertainties in the geologic properties of storage rock in the absence of detailed site-specific characterization. Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2013,CO2; Geologic storage; Saline formations; Resource estimates; Capacity estimates,No (2)
Egypt: Land degradation issues with special reference to the impact of climate change,"Synopsis: A general survey of the land degradation issues that affect Egypt from the arid regions of the south and east to the coastal zones along the Mediterranean and Red Sea coast. Land Degradation in the agricultural zone east of the Nile Delta is examined. The potential effects of climate change on the coastal zone of Egypt provides the principal focus. Mitigation and adaptation measures are outlined. Key Points Only 4 % of Egypt is arable, most of it along the floodplain of the Nile but two other important zones exist. The area east of the Nile Delta and the El Fayoum Depression. Land degradation is a risk to the limited areas of cultivated land. The complex ecosystem of the Nile, which has nurtured civilizations for millennia, has already been deeply affected in the last 60 years by the construction of the High Dam in the southern city of Aswan. The giant project managed to regulate the often devastating effect of the Nile's yearly floods, but it also deprived lands of crucial nutrients and minerals. The dominant feature of Egypt's Northern Coastal Zone is the low lying delta of the River Nile, with its large cities, industry, agriculture and tourism. The Delta and the narrow valley of the Nile comprise 5.5 % of the area of Egypt but over 95 % of its people of which 25 % live in the Low Elevation Coastal Zone (LECZ) areas. In this context, the Nile Delta and Mediterranean Coast includes 30-40 % of Egypt's agricultural production, half of Egypt's industrial production, mainly in Alexandria, Damietta and Port Said. Due to the concentration of much of Egypt's infrastructure and development along the low coastal lands and the reliance on the Nile delta for prime agricultural land, coastal inundation or saline intrusion caused by anthropogenic climate change induced sea-level rise will have a direct and critical impact on Egypt's entire economy. Observations confirm that sea-levels are already rising in the Nile delta due to a combination of factors including coastal subduction and reduced sediment loads due to the construction of the High Aswan Dam upstream. Land subsidence is currently estimated at 1-5 mm/year. The coastal zone of Egypt extends for more than 3,000 km and is the home for more than 40 % of the population. Most of these people live in and around a number of very important and highly populated industrial and commercial cities: Alexandria, Port Said, Damietta, Rosetta and Suez. The coastal zone of Egypt suffers from a number of serious problems, including a high rate of population growth, land subsidence, excessive erosion rates, water logging, salt water intrusion, soil salinization, ecosystem pollution and degradation, and lack of appropriate institutional management systems. Realizing the importance of this zone, the Egyptian government has already taken steps towards reducing the impact of these problems. Egypt is potentially one of the countries most at risk from the effects of climate change. It is located in an arid - to semi-arid zone. Its only source of water, the River Nile, provides more than 95 % of all water available to the country. The source of this water lies far to the south, from rainfall on Ethiopian hills (86 %) and equatorial lakes (14 %). Most of the population of Egypt (over 60 million people in total) is associated with the agricultural sector which constitutes 20 % of gross national products and consumes about 80 % of the water budget. Egypt is taking the issue of climate change seriously. The Nile Delta and coastal zones are prone to flooding due, in part, to rising sea levels. Climate change will potentially negatively affect agricultural productivity as a result of increased average temperature. Human health is also at risk due to climate change. The increased temperatures might lead to the outspread of vector-borne diseases. Coral reefs are one of Egypt's natural resources that climate change adversely affects. Egypt seeks the help and support of the international community to mitigate the impact of climate change. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. All rights reserved.",2013,Alexandria; Aswan dam; Biodiversity; Cairo; Climate change; Coastline; Desert research Center; Desertification; El Fayoum; Gulf of Aqaba; Gulf of Suez; Irrigation; Israel; Lake Moeris; Lake Nasser; Land reclamation; Libya; Mediterranean Sea; Nile Delta; Nile River; Oasis; Population pressure; Rangelands; Red Sea; Rosetta; Salinity; Sea level rise; Sea water incursion; Sinai Peninsular; Sodicity; Sudan; Temperature rise; Tourism; Wind power,No (2)
30 MWth CIUDEN Oxy-CFB boiler - First experiences,"Global primary energy demand is growing, and is likely to continue growing during the next years. Energy projections made by the World Energy Council, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the US Energy Information Administration give similar pictures of future energy requirements, mainly supplied by fossil fuels. Although it is expected that the share of the fossil fuels in the energy mix will decline in the future, the dominant role of fossil fuels will remain for decades to come, which entails large emissions of CO2 if new policy measures are not endorsed. Carbon Capture and Storage technologies (CCS) have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, providing by 2050 up to 20% of the CO2 reduction required to combat climate change. In this context, one of the current European initiatives in terms of R&amp;D&amp;D on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Clean Coal technologies (CCTs) is the Technology Development Centre for CO2 Capture and Storage, or es.CO2 Centre, which is supported by the Spanish Government through The Fundacion Ciudad de la Energia (CIUDEN). CIUDEN is a research and development institution created by the Spanish Administration in 2006 and fully conceived for collaborative technology development on CCS and CCTs. The es.CO2 Centre incorporates the world's most advanced equipment for the development of capture processes through oxycombustion based on two combustion technologies: Pulverized Coal (PC) and Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB). Foster Wheeler is the technology provider of the 30 MWth oxy-CFB unit, which achieved first fire on coal in September 2011 and underwent initial oxy-mode commissioning in December 2011. This CFB unit design allows multiple fuels to be tested either under conventional combustion with air or under oxy-fuel conditions (Flexi-Burn® concept), and combines CFB's intrinsic advantages (fuel flexibility and low SOx and NOx emissions) with oxygen-firing for CCS. This paper focuses on initial operational experiences of CIUDEN's 30MWth oxy-CFB facility. During the preliminary tests in spring 2012, and the first test campaign in summer 2012, an extensive amount of operational data were acquired for four fuels and fuel mixtures. Results from first operational experiences are extremely promising. This oxy-CFB installation, which is the first of its class, will provide a real basis for the design and operation of flexible and competitive oxycombustion facilities at demonstration scale. Results achieved here aim to validate the design of a future 330 MWe supercritical Oxycombustion Power Station (OXY-CFB-300 Compostilla Project) intended to demonstrate CCS technology in commercial scale. © 2013 The Author.",2013,Carbon Capture and Storage; Circulating fluidised boiler; Oxycombustion,No (2)
Afforestation of Boreal Open Woodlands: Early Performance and Ecophysiology of Planted Black Spruce Seedlings,"Open lichen woodlands (LWs) are degraded stands that lack the ability to regenerate naturally due to a succession of natural and/or anthropogenic disturbances. As they represent both interesting forest restoration and carbon sequestration opportunities, we tested disc scarification and planting of two sizes of containerized black spruce (Picea mariana Mill. (BSP)) seedlings for their afforestation. We compared treatment of unproductive LWs to reforestation of harvested, closed-crown black spruce-feathermoss (BSFM) stands. After one year, seedling survival and nutritional status were equivalent among stand types but despite higher root elongation index (REI), planted seedlings in LWs had lower relative growth rate, smaller total biomass and stem diameter than those in BSFM stands. Soil fertility variables, soil temperature, nor seedling water potential, helped at explaining this early growth response. Disc scarification significantly improved seedling first-year survival, biomass and foliar nutrient concentrations of P, Ca, and Mg. Smaller planting stock showed higher REI, higher shoot water potential, and higher foliar nutrient concentration of all but one of the measured nutrients (N, P, K and Mg). Hence, preliminary results suggest that planting of smaller containerized black spruce stock, combined with disc scarification, shows potential for afforestation of unproductive LWs. The impact of the lichen mat and other potential growth limiting factors on afforestation of these sites requires further investigation.",2013,afforestation; black spruce; Picea mariana; lichen woodland; growth limitation; ecophysiology; carbon sequestration,No (2)
"Projected changes in soil organic carbon stocks of China's croplands under different agricultural managements, 2011-2050","The timing, magnitude, and regional distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) changes are uncertain when factoring in climate change and agricultural management practices. The goal of this study is to analyze the implications of changes in climate and agricultural management for Chinese soil carbon sequestration over the next 40 years. We used the Agro-C model to simulate climate and agricultural management scenarios to investigate the combined impacts of climate change and management on future SOC stocks in China's croplands. The model was run for croplands on mineral soils in China, which make up a total of 130 M ha of cropland. The model used climate data (years 2011-2050) from the FGOALS and PRECIS climate models based on four Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emissions scenarios. Three equidistant agricultural management scenarios were used. SO was a current scenario, and S2 was an optimal scenario. Under the S2 scenario, crop yields increased annually by 1%, the proportion of crop residue retained in the field reached 90% by 2050, and the area of no-tillage increased to 50% of the cultivated area by 2050. The S1 scenario applied half of the increased rates in crop yields, residue retention and no-tillage area values that were used in the S2 scenario. Across all croplands in China, the results suggest that SOC will increase under all combinations of climate and management and that the effect of climate change is much smaller than the effect of changes in agricultural management. Most croplands in China show a significant increase in SOC stocks, while very few zones (mainly in northeastern China) show a decrease. Rice paddy soils under the intensive farming management scenario show higher rates of carbon sequestration than dry-land soils. The maximum carbon sequestration potential of the croplands of China is estimated to be 2.39 Pg C under S2. Annual increases in SOC stocks could offset a maximum of 2.9% of the CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel combustion in 2009. These results suggest that China's croplands, especially rice paddies, may play an important role in C sequestration and future climate change mitigation. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2013,Agro-C model; Soil organic carbon; Climate change; Agricultural management; Croplands,No (2)
Long-term effects of silviculture on soil carbon storage: does vegetation control make a difference?,"Forests and the soils beneath them are Earths largest terrestrial sinks for atmospheric carbon (C) and healthy forests provide a partial check against atmospheric rises in CO2. Consequently, there is global interest in crediting forest managers who enhance C retention. Interest centres on C acquisition and storage in trees. Less is directed to understorey management practices that affect early forest development. Even less is paid to the largest ecosystem reservoir of all the mineral soil. Understorey vegetation control is a common management practice to boost stand growth, but the consequence of this on ecosystem C storage is poorly understood. We addressed this by pooling data from five independent groups of long-term studies in the western US. Understorey control increased overstorey biomass universally, but C contents of the forest floor and top 30 cm of mineral soil largely were unaffected. Net soil C increment averaged 1.3 Mg C ha(1) year(1) in the first decade. We conclude that soil C storage is not affected adversely by vegetation management in forests under a Mediterranean climate. However, understorey shrubs can profoundly affect stand susceptibility to wildfire. We propose that C accounting systems be strengthened by assessing understorey management practices relative to wildfire risk.",2013,,Yes (1)
Net global warming potential and greenhouse gas intensity of annual rice-wheat rotations with integrated soil-crop system management,"The impact of management practices on the net global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) of rice cropping systems is not well documented. A field experiment was established in 2009 to gain insight into the net ecosystem carbon budget and the net GWP and GHGI on the crop seasonal scale over two cycles of rice-wheat rotations. With the local farmer's practices (FP) as the control, three integrated soil-crop system management (ISSM) practices at different nitrogen (N) application rates were established - ISSM-N1, ISSM-N2 and ISSM-N3 - for improvement of rice yield and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Compared with the FP, the rice yields significantly increased by 8.2%, 18% and 31%, while the agronomic NUE increased by 68%, 74% and 99% for ISSM-N1, ISSM-N2 and ISSM-N3, respectively. Within the three ISSM practices averaged over the two cycles, the soil organic carbon sequestration potentials, CH4 and N2O emissions were estimated to be 0.089-0.67 t C ha(-1) yr(-1), 166-288 kg CH4 C ha(-1) yr(-1) and 4.27-5.47 kg N2O N ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively. Compared to the net GWPs (8.36 t CO(2)eq ha(-1) yr(-1)) and GHGI (0.58 kg CO(2)eq kg(-1) grain) from the FP, the ISSM-N1 and ISSM-N2 reduced both the net GWPs and GHGIs to some extent, indicating that GHG mitigation can be simultaneously achieved with improved food production and NUE. Although it produced similar GHGIs, the ISSM-N3 increased the net GWPs by 16% compared to the FP, indicating that more research is required on ISSMs for mitigating GHGs to further increase the grain yield and NUE in rice agriculture. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2013,Net ecosystem carbon budget; Soil carbon sequestration; Rice-wheat rotation; Nitrogen use efficiency; Greenhouse gas mitigation,No (2)
Ecological limits to terrestrial biological carbon dioxide removal,"Terrestrial biological atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (BCDR) through bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECS), afforestation/reforestation, and forest and soil management is a family of proposed climate change mitigation strategies. Very high sequestration potentials for these strategies have been reported, but there has been no systematic analysis of the potential ecological limits to and environmental impacts of implementation at the scale relevant to climate change mitigation. In this analysis, we identified site-specific aspects of land, water, nutrients, and habitat that will affect local project-scale carbon sequestration and ecological impacts. Using this framework, we estimated global-scale land and resource requirements for BCDR, implemented at a rate of 1 Pg C y(-1). We estimate that removing 1 Pg C y(-1) via tropical afforestation would require at least 7 x 10(6) ha y(-1) of land, 0.09 Tg y(-1) of nitrogen, and 0.2 Tg y(-1) of phosphorous, and would increase evapotranspiration from those lands by almost 50 %. Switchgrass BECS would require at least 2 x 10(8) ha of land (20 times U.S. area currently under bioethanol production) and 20 Tg y(-1) of nitrogen (20 % of global fertilizer nitrogen production), consuming 4 x 10(12) m(3) y(-1) of water. While BCDR promises some direct (climate) and ancillary (restoration, habitat protection) benefits, Pg C-scale implementation may be constrained by ecological factors, and may compromise the ultimate goals of climate change mitigation.",2013,,Yes (1)
Desertification and its control in Morocco,"Synopsis: This chapter reviews the status of desertification in Morocco. It is divided into three parts. (i) the general context (ii) causes of desertification in Morocco (both proximate and the root causes and (iii) efforts to combat desertification and land degradation (past and planned). Key Points In Morocco, the process of desertification affects large areas. It is more pronounced because the climate is arid and soils are vulnerable to erosion. Also, precariousness of life of the rural populations pushes them to overexploit the natural resources to satisfy their increasing needs, which accentuates the deterioration of surroundings. The sectoral approach adopted to attenuate the natural resources deterioration showed its limits because of the increasing amplification of the deterioration. This situation incited the public powers to adopt new orientations of development that result in the strategy of rural development. In this context Morocco finalized a National Action Program (NAP) for Combating Desertification (CD) which constitutes an important stage in the process of its commitments within the UNCCD. The NAP-CD is conceived to promote a strong articulation and a synergism between the sectoral programs through actions of support and accompaniment of the process of combating desertification. Specifically, there is support of actions that promote income-generation, combat the desertification and attenuate the effects of drought, and reinforce the network of monitoring systems. For the implementation of NAP, the institutional mechanism of coordination has been set up) a mechanism for follow-up and assessment of impacts of projects and different ecosystem observations have been initiated. The success of NAP-CD as political engagement and as tool of programming of concrete and innovative actions of intervention and implementations will require the mobilization of all available energies. Proven practices to arrest and reverse land degradation in all of its forms have been implemented in every region of the country. These include developement of systems of livestock/rangeland integration that provide additional forage and fodder and at the same time increase then cover of plants that can protect the soil, increase carbon sequestration. Several soil conservation technologies have been developed in Morocco and are available for large diffusion but in many cases these technologies have not been permanently adopted. It seems that a large-scale dissemination of these new practices requires some financial incentives that must be sufficiently high to stimulate farmers to adopt the technologies. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. All rights reserved.",2013,,No (2)
Soil food web properties explain ecosystem services across European land use systems,"Intensive land use reduces the diversity and abundance of many soil biota, with consequences for the processes that they govern and the ecosystem services that these processes underpin. Relationships between soil biota and ecosystem processes have mostly been found in laboratory experiments and rarely are found in the field. Here, we quantified, across four countries of contrasting climatic and soil conditions in Europe, how differences in soil food web composition resulting from land use systems (intensive wheat rotation, extensive rotation, and permanent grassland) influence the functioning of soils and the ecosystem services that they deliver. Intensive wheat rotation consistently reduced the biomass of all components of the soil food web across all countries. Soil food web properties strongly and consistently predicted processes of C and N cycling across land use systems and geographic locations, and they were a better predictor of these processes than land use. Processes of carbon loss increased with soil food web properties that correlated with soil C content, such as earthworm biomass and fungal/bacterial energy channel ratio, and were greatest in permanent grassland. In contrast, processes of N cycling were explained by soil food web properties independent of land use, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and bacterial channel biomass. Our quantification of the contribution of soil organisms to processes of C and N cycling across land use systems and geographic locations shows that soil biota need to be included in C and N cycling models and highlights the need to map and conserve soil biodiversity across the world.",2013,soil fauna; modeling; soil microbes; nitrogen,No (2)
A Risk-Based Approach to Scale-Up of Amine Absorption Processes for CO2 Capture and Storage,"The existing focus on the development of post-combustion CO2 capture technologies for carbon capture and storage (CCS) applications calls for a consecutive scale-up, validation and verification work for the commercialisation of large-scale industrial processes. With a focus on 'scale-up', this chapter presents a method for risk-based qualification of large-scale CO2 absorption processes for CCS applications. The method is based on DNV's Technology Qualification procedures which aim at overcoming the challenges posed by the uncertainties that reside in the design and performance predictions of new technologies at commercial scale. An overview of the amine absorption technology and status of commercialisation is given. Different scale-up methods for well-defined and new technologies as well as industry's traditional approach to scale-up of amine absorption processes for CCS are reviewed and discussed. Main challenges for the scale-up are suggested to be high cost, complexity and size-dependency of the multiple phenomena involved as well as unavailability of relevant scale-up experience on the specific field of interest. The method is described as a tool for managing scale-up risks in a systematic and cost-efficient way by identifying the adequate tests required to scale up the specific process to the commercial size. Finally, a case study demonstrating examples of industrial scale-up challenges and tests required to tackle them is given based on publically available literature. These challenges include high cost and high energy penalty, amine emissions to air, amine degradation, flow maldistribution and corrosion. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2013,,No (2)
Enzymatic CO2 capture by immobilized hCA II in an intensified microreactor-Kinetic study of the catalytic hydration,"Ex vivo applications of human carbonic anhydrase II (hCA II) for its potential in CO2 capture technologies are emerging due to the formidably large hydration turnover number (k(cat) approximate to 10(6) s(-1)) that Nature endowed this enzyme with to catalyze aqueous hydration of CO2 near diffusion limits. Binding of hCA II enzyme on a solid support is an attractive way to perform CO2 capture and has several advantages, including easier separation of the reaction products without catalyst contamination, ability to recover and reuse the enzyme, increase of the enzyme stability and operational lifetime, continuous operation of enzymatic processes and a flexibility in reactor design. The enzymatic CO2 hydration in the presence of immobilized hCA II in an intensified microreactor was performed in this work. The enzyme immobilization on the inner surface of a nylon tube was carried out by a sequence of several chemical reactions to generate covalent bonds between enzymes and tube surface. The Bradford method and the esterase activity test were performed to estimate the quantities of attached and of active enzymes. The effect of several operational parameters like CO2 and unprotonated buffer concentrations and liquid velocity was studied. A kinetic model of the catalytic CO2 hydration by the immobilized hCA II was developed on the basis of a pseudo random Quad Quad Iso Ping-Pong mechanism. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2013,CO2 hydration; Human carbonic anhydrase II; Immobilized enzymes; Kinetics; Intensified microreactor; Modeling,No (2)
Effects of firing coal and biomass under oxy-fuel conditions in a power plant boiler using CFD modelling,"One of the most promising technologies for carbon capture and storage (CCS) is oxy-fuel combustion. This study uses a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code to simulate the firing of coal and biomass under air and oxy-fuel conditions in an existing full-scale 500 MWe coal-fired utility boiler. Results are presented for conventional air-coal combustion that corresponds well against available experimental data and an in-house empirical model. Maintaining the same thermal input and exit oxygen concentration, CFD was used as a predictive tool with standard physical submodels, to examine the effects of firing under air-biomass, oxy-coal and oxy-biomass conditions. The oxy-fuel conditions were investigated at oxygen concentrations of 25% and 30% by volume for a wet flue gas recycle. The effects of firing biomass in both air and oxy-fuel conditions are predicted to have a lower total heat transfer to the tube walls, with a lower furnace exit temperature in the boiler than the coal-fired cases. This may be attributed to the effects of large biomass particles, which have a lower total surface area and therefore causes a reduction in the radiative heat transfer to the tube walls as well as an increase in carbon in ash (CIA) predictions. For oxy-coal firing, the study suggested that the optimum oxygen concentration for heat transfer to be closely matched with air-coal, lies between 25% and 30%, but for oxy-biomass firing a value greater than 30% may be needed. This study highlights the possible impact of changing the fuel and combustion atmosphere on the heat transfer characteristics of an existing power plant boiler, underlining that minor redesign may be necessary when converting to biomass firing under air and oxy-fuel conditions. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2013,Biomass; Coal; CFD; Carbon capture; Oxy-fuel,No (2)
The calcium looping process for low CO2 emission cement and power,"Calcium looping appears as one of the most promising technologies for CO2 capture in short-medium term plants featuring the combustion of fossil fuels. Ca-looping (CaL) is a regenerative process which takes advantage of the capacity of Calcium Oxide-based sorbents in capturing the CO2 from combustion gases by means of sequential carbonation-calcination cycles. CaL technology appears very promising for CO2 capture from cement plants, since the CaO-rich purge stream which must be extracted from the process can be a valuable raw material for clinker production. The aim of this study is to investigate from the technical and economic side the benefits arising from the integration between a coal-fired power plant with CaL process for CO 2 capture and a cement plant using the CaL purge to substitute part of the raw meal. The main parameters affecting the CaL process are varied and the effects on both the plant performance and the final cost of clinker and electricityare discussed.",2013,,No (2)
Evaluating climate change mitigation options in the philippines with analytic hierarchy process (AHP),"The environmental problem of climate change is an issue that needs to be addressed worldwide. As the electricity-generating power sector is the largest contributor of CO2in the country, low-carbon technologies or sustainable energy systems are being considered as viable alternatives to reduce the CO2emissions from this sector. These are fossil-based power plants with carbon capture and storage (F-CCS) technology, nuclearenergy (NE) and renewable energy (RE) technologies, particularly solar energy (SE), wind energy (WE), hydroelectricity (HE), geothermal energy (GE) and biomass (BE). However, successful implementation of any of these CCMOs depends not only on the technical and economic aspect but also the socio-political aspect of the project.This study therefore proposes an analytical decision modeling framework to evaluate these options by incorporating the subjective judgment of stakeholders. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to structure the problem and quantify the relative preference of each option with respect to four criteria namely environmental effectiveness (EE), economic viability (EV), technical implementability (TI), and social acceptability (SA).Results from the decision model indicate that the most important criterion is environmental effectiveness, and the least important is social acceptability. With respect to environmental effectiveness, their most preferred CCMO was solar energy whereas their least preferred is nuclear energy mainly because of the risk posed by the generated nuclear wastes. With respect to economic viability, their most preferred CCMO was geothermal energy, and the least preferred was nuclear energy. With respect to technical implementability, the respondents gave the highest preference weight on geothermal energy and the least preferred is nuclear energy. With respect to social acceptability, the most preferred was wind energy andagain, the least preferred was nuclear energy.",2013,,No (2)
An Emissions-Intensity Approach For Crediting Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in Agriculture: Reconciling climate and food security objectives in the developing world,"An OBO accounting scheme can potentially contribute to agricultural productivity improvement goals, sustainable development in rural communities, and reduced-carbon agriculture in the developing world. If implemented at a global scale, it is possible that OBO protocols could provide an additional source of carbon finance for projects that have proven successful at improving productivity through new practices or agricultural infrastructure. Allowing offset credits to be generated for emissions intensity improvements addresses concerns that current agricultural offsets based on area accounting may favor practices that either take land out of production or lower the productivity of agriculture to create offsets, thereby reducing food and fiber production or shifting it to other locations. To the extent that declining or shifting production undermines food security, many parties will deem this unacceptable. Moreover such a pattern would be self-defeating if production and emissions were simply shifted elsewhere (i.e., leakage). Baker et al. (2010) show that afforestation of cropland or pasture can provide substantial GHG mitigation potential in the U.S. However, taking land out of agricultural production raises a number of concerns, including higher food prices and overall food security. Food prices and stagnating agricultural productivity are significant determinants in global malnourishment trends, so persistently higher prices and lower production levels could exacerbate commodity price spikes and global hunger concerns. If an offset market recognized output-based offsets, then the commodity price and secondary economic effects of moving a portion of land out of agricultural production would be relaxed by productivity gains elsewhere in the system. Additionally, moving to an OBO accounting framework can expand the range of activities or practices that generate offsets by including yieldenhancing management activities that might not be considered GHG reducing in isolation (including technological improvement that boosts production efficiency, or more intense forms of production that increase yield per unit area). While this might sound counter-intuitive as intensification can lead to higher emissions on a cultivated parcel of land, research shows that agricultural intensification can contribute to mitigation goals at the landscape level if by growing more per unit of land, agricultural conversion of forests decreases (Burney et al. 2010). This is especially true in tropical regions, where yields following deforestation are lower, and emissions are higher relative to temperate zones, with carbon lost per unit of food gained from deforestation being nearly three times as great for tropical agricultural expansion (West et al. 2010). Additionally, some offset practices that are considered too costly due to low expected GHG gains relative to the cost of adoption could be encouraged under an OBO scheme if the practice is both GHG-reducing and yield improving. Here, credits generated through an OBO approach would outweigh those from the typical area-based offsets (ABO) approach if emissions reductions were accompanied by yield improvement, meaning such practices could be more economically competitive under OBO. However, more information on the costs and yield effects of these practices is needed before concluding that they would be spurred by an OBO system. Further insight on such practices is provided in subsequent sections. © 2012 ICRAF and CIAT, for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security.",2013,,No (2)
Modelling estuarine wetlands under climate change and infrastructure pressure,"Estuarine wetlands are an extremely valuable resource in terms of biotic diversity, flood attenuation, storm surge protection, groundwater recharge, filtering of surface flows and carbon sequestration. The survival of these systems depends on a balance between the slope of the land, and the rates of accretion and sea-level rise. Climate change predictions for most of Australia include both an accelerated sea-level rise and an increase on the frequency of extraordinary river floods, which will endanger estuarine wetlands. Furthermore, coastal infrastructure poses an additional constraint on the adaptive capacity of these ecosystems. In recent years a number of numerical models have been developed in order to assess wetland dynamics and to help manage some of these situations. In this paper we present a wetland evolution model that is based on computed values of hydroperiod and tidal range that drive vegetation preference. Results from a 2D spatially distributed model of wetland dynamics in area E of Kooragang Island (Hunter estuary, NSW) are presented as an example of a system heavily constricted by infrastructure undergoing the effects of sea level rise. Area E presents a vegetation zonation sequence mudflats - mangrove - saltmarsh from the seaward margin and up to the topographic gradient and is compartmentalized by the presence of internal culverts. The model includes a detailed hydrodynamic module (CTSS8), which is able to handle man-made flow controls and spatially varying roughness. The model continually simulates tidal inputs into the wetland and computes annual values of hydroperiod and tidal range to update vegetation distribution based on preference to hydrodynamic conditions of the different vegetation types. It also computes soil accretion and carbon sequestration rates and updates roughness coefficient values according to evolving vegetation types. In order to further explore the magnitude of flow attenuation due to roughness and its effects on the computation of tidal range and hydroperiod, numerical experiments were carried out simulating floodplain flow on the side of a tidal creek using different roughness values. Even though the values of roughness that produce appreciable changes in hydroperiod and tidal range are relatively high, they are within the range expected for some of the wetland vegetation. Both applications of the model show that flow attenuation plays a major role in wetland hydrodynamics and that its effects must be considered when predicting wetland evolution under climate change scenarios, particularly in situations where existing infrastructure affects the flow.",2013,Vegetation dynamics; estuarine wetlands; sea-level rise,No (2)
Practicality of Biochar Additions to Enhance Soil and Crop Productivity,"The benefits of biochar to soils for agricultural purposes are numerous. Biochar may be added to soils with the intention to improve the soil, displace an amount of conventional fossil fuel based fertilizers, and sequester carbon. However, the variable application rates, uncertain feedstock effects, and initial soil state provide a wide range of cost for marginally improved yield from biochar additions, which is often economically impracticable. The need for further clarity on optimizing biochar application to various crop yields is necessary if it is to gain widespread acceptance as a soil amendment.",2013,,Yes (1)
Investigation of the potential impact of trace contaminants on the performance of the Sabatier catalyst,"The Carbon Dioxide Reduction Assembly (CRA) on the International Space Station (ISS) has been operational since 2010. The CRA uses a Sabatier reactor to produce water and methane by reaction of the metabolic carbon dioxide scrubbed from the cabin air and the hydrogen byproduct from the water electrolysis system used for metabolic oxygen generation. Incorporating the CRA into the overall atmosphere revitalization system has facilitated further life support system loop closure on the ISS reducing resupply logistics and thereby enhancing longer term missions. The CRA utilizes carbon dioxide which has been adsorbed in a 5A molecular sieve within the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA). While the CDRA had a requirement to provide carbon dioxide at a purity of 98% with the balance being predominantly oxygen and nitrogen, there is a potential of compounds with molecular dimensions similar to, or less than CO2 to also be adsorbed - less than approximately 5 angstroms. In this fashion trace contaminants may be concentrated within the CDRA and subsequently desorbed with the carbon dioxide and passed to the CRA during operation. Currently, there is no provision to remove contaminants prior to entering the Sabatier catalyst bed. The risk associated with this is potential catalyst degradation due to trace organic contaminants in the CRA carbon dioxide feed acting as catalyst poisons. To better understand this risk, United Technologies Aerospace System (UTAS) has teamed with Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to investigate the impact of various trace contaminants on the CRA catalyst performance at relative ISS cabin air concentrations and at about 200 to 400 times of ISS concentrations, representative of the potential concentrating effect of the CDRA molecular sieve and operation over a period of time. This paper summarizes the assessment of the initial results.",2013,,No (2)
Prologue paper: Soil carbon losses from land-use change and the global agricultural greenhouse gas budget,,2013,,No (2)
Carbon Storage with Benefits,,2012,,Yes (1)
"Sustainable gasification-biochar systems? A case-study of rice-husk gasification in Cambodia, Part I: Context, chemical properties, environmental and health and safety issues","Biochar is a carbon- and energy-rich porous material produced through slow pyrolysis of biomass, which has been proposed as a way of storing carbon in soils for the long-term (centurial to millennial timescales) but its production incurs an energy penalty. Gasification of rice husks at paddy mills combines the benefits of reasonably efficient delivery of energy with a reasonably high carbon char and ash mixture. The ca. 35% carbon content of the rice husk char is possibly a consequence of the protective shield of silica, preventing full exposure of the biomass to oxidation in the gasifier. In this paper we undertake an evaluation of the sustainability of this 'gasification-biochar system' (GBS) in Cambodia, where a rapid deployment of gasifiers is underway. In Part I, we describe the context and analyse (some of) the physical and chemical properties of the biochar. While there are some potential health, safety and environmental issues that require further analysis, they are problems that could be readily addressed in further research and appear to be resolvable. In Part II, we present results from field trials, summarise the data on the carbon abatement of the gasification-biochar system and present some preliminary economic data. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2012,Biochar; Gasification; Rice husks,Yes (1)
Energy sustainability through combined electric power production and carbon-dioxide separation (CEPACS) systems,"Under a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contract, FuelCell Energy, Inc. has been developing CEPACS (Combined Electric Power and Carbon Dioxide Separation) technology based on a novel solution (US Patent 7,396,603 B2) for greenhouse gas emission reduction from industrial sites. CEPACS uses the Company's well-established internal reforming carbonate fuel cell, the unique chemistry of which offers an innovative approach for separation of CO 2 from flue gases. The system concept works as two devices in one: it separates CO 2 from the exhaust of other plants such as an existing coal-fired plant and simultaneously, using a supplementary fuel, produces environmentally benign electric power at high efficiencies. The objectives of the EPA project are to determine the cost and power impacts of utilizing the CEPACS technology for CO 2 capture from a variety of industrial flue gas sources including refinery operations, cement kilns, and pulp and paper mills. The flue gas composition is one factor which determines the power output from CEPACS. The power output determines the overall cost and the economic feasibility of CEPACS carbon capture. A database of industrial flue gas compositions and trace level contaminants will be compiled to define the flue gas cleanup requirements. Bench-scale single cell tests using simulated flue gases will be conducted to generate cell performance characteristics for system analyses. Capital cost and $/ton of CO 2 removed estimates for various industrial flue gas applications of CEPACS technology will form the important results of the EPA studies. © 2012 ECS - The Electrochemical Society.",2012,,No (2)
Biochar and Earthworm Effects on Soil Nitrous Oxide and Carbon Dioxide Emissions,"Biochar is the product of pyrolysis produced from feedstock of biological origin. Due to its aromatic structure and long residence time, biochar may enable long-term carbon sequestration. At the same time, biochar has the potential to improve soil fertility and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soils. However, the effect of biochar application on GHG fluxes from soil must be investigated before recommendations for field-scale biochar application can be made. A laboratory experiment was designed to measure carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from two Irish soils with the addition of two different biochars, along with endogeic (soil-feeding) earthworms and ammonium sulfate, to assist in the overall evaluation of biochar as a GHG-mitigation tool. A significant reduction in N2O emissions was observed from both low and high organic matter soils when biochars were applied at rates of 4% (w/w). Earthworms significantly increased N2O fluxes in low and high organic matter soils more than 12.6-fold and 7.8-fold, respectively. The large increase in soil N2O emissions in the presence of earthworms was signifi cantly reduced by the addition of both biochars. Miscanthus biochar reduced the large earthworm emissions by 91 and 95% in the low organic matter soil and by 56 and 61% in the high organic matter soil (with and without N fertilization), respectively. With peanut hull biochar, the earthworm emissions reduction was 80 and 70% in the low organic matter soil, and only 20 and 10% in the high organic matter soil (with and without N fertilization), respectively. In high organic matter soil, both biochars reduced CO2 efflux in the absence of earthworms. However, soil CO2 efflux increased when peanut hull biochar was applied in the presence of earthworms. This study demonstrated that biochar can potentially reduce earthworm-enhanced soil N2O and CO2 emissions. Hence, biochar application combined with endogeic earthworm activity did not reveal unknown risks for GHG emissions at the pot scale, but field-scale experiments are required to confirm this.",2012,,Yes (1)
"Long-term effects of deer browsing: Composition, structure and productivity in a northeastern Minnesota old-growth forest","Although the immediate impacts of elevated deer (Odocoileus spp.) browsing on forest regeneration have been well documented, few studies have examined the longer term consequences. A deer exclosure experiment was initiated in 1991 in an old-growth northern mixed mesic forest in northeastern Minnesota, and resampled in 2008 to examine changes in composition, structure and productivity. Decades of overbrowsing by white-tailed deer have led to almost complete recruitment failure in size classes >2.5 cm dbh for preferred deer browse species Thuja occidentalis and Pinus strobus in unprotected plots. Other palatable browse species have been severely limited in understory development (Populus tremuloides, Betula papyrifera, Fraxinus nigra). Within exclosures, P. strobus gained in all size classes <20 cm dbh, while F. nigra, B. papyrifera, T. occidentalis all showed significant gains. Non-preferred Picea glauca increased outside exclosures, but has also gained within exclosures. The increase in P. glauca across treatments indicates a long-term legacy effect of preferential browsing. Browsing induced suppression of subcanopy density of preferred species and failure of canopy tree replacement may lead to a more open woodland structure dominated by P. glauca. Browsing pressure may negatively impact productivity, as whole tree biomass in exclosures increased at a rate twice that of unprotected plots. The low biomass levels recorded in 2008 (unprotected: 98.0 mg/ha(-1), exclosure: 104 mg/ha-1) are approximately 1/2 of values typically recorded in later successional forests in this region indicating lower productivity may be another longer-term legacy of elevated deer population. Continued high browsing pressure is one of many factors contributing to the restructuring of northern Great Lakes forests away from historical variability conditions towards a novel and more homogeneous forested landscape. These simplified forests may be less resilient to the suite of emerging stressors such as climate change and less able to provide ecosystem services such as carbon storage, biological diversity and forest products. Sustained restoration efforts, along with reductions in deer density will be needed to restore species and structural diversity. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2012,White-tailed deer; Eastern white pine; White spruce; Browsing; Vegetation-herbivore interactions; Restoration,No (2)
Copenhagen Accord Pledges imply higher costs for staying below 2°C warming: A Letter: A Letter,"This study compares emission pathways aimed at limiting temperature increase to 2°C under varying constraints. In a first set of pathways, the timing of emission reductions is such that over the 2010-2100 period, assuming full participation from 2013 onwards, mitigation costs are minimized. In a second set of pathways, we set emissions in 2020 at a level based on the pledges of the Copenhagen Accord. In the 'Copenhagen Potential' scenario, climate talks result in satisfying conditions linked by countries to their 'most ambitious' proposals. Contrasting, in the 'Copenhagen Current' scenario, climate talks fall short of satisfying the conditions to move beyond current unilateral pledges. We include scenarios with and without the availability of bio-energy in combination with carbon capture and storage. We find that for a 'Copenhagen Potential' scenario, emissions by 2020 are higher (47 GtCO 2eq/yr) than for a least-cost pathway for 2°C (43 GtCO 2eq/yr with a 40-46 GtCO 2eq/yr literature range). In the 'Copenhagen Potential' scenario the 2°C target can still be met with a likely chance, although discounted mitigation costs over 2010-2100 could be 10 to 15 % higher, and up to 60 % in the 2040-2050s, than for least-cost pathways. For the 'Current Copenhagen' scenario, maintaining an equally low probability of exceeding 2°C becomes infeasible in our model, implying higher costs due to higher climate risks. We conclude that there is some flexibility in terms of 2020 emissions compared to the optimal pathways but this is limited. The 2020 emission level represents a trade-off between short-term emission reductions and long-term dependence on rapid reductions through specific technologies (like negative emission reductions). Higher 2020 emissions lead to higher overall costs and reduced long-term flexibility, both leading to a higher risk of failing to hold warming below 2°C. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.",2012,,No (2)
Principles and Methods for Assessing Climate Change Mitigation as an Ecosystem Service in Agroecosystems,"The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere has increased considerably over the last four decades. This increase primarily results from the burning of fossil fuels and the conversion of tropical forests to agriculture, with concomitant negative impacts upon the global climate. Agricultural activities account for about 13.5 per cent of total anthropogenic GHG emissions (Rogner et al, 2007) and release mainly nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) (about 45 per cent of agricultural GHG emissions each), with CO2 accounting for the remaining share (Baumert et al, 2005). Agricultural N2O and CH4 emissions are expected to increase by 35 to 60 per cent in 2030 due to increased nitrogen fertilizer use, animal manure production and livestock numbers. In contrast, CO2 emissions are likely to remain at the same level due to stable or declining deforestation rates, and increased adoption of conservation tillage practices (Smith et al, 2007). Mitigating agricultural GHGs can be achieved by reducing emissions through more efficient management of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) flows and by enhancing C storage in soil and vegetation (Smith et al, 2007). Agroforestry systems (AFS) are one means by which the impacts of climate change can be mitigated. The role that AFS play can be increased through payment for ecosystem services (PES) systems that reduce agricultural emissions and increase the quantity of carbon stored. Carbon sequestration (or atmospheric CO2 removal) as an ecosystem service of AFS is generally quantified as the amount of C stored in trees. Nevertheless, increasing tree density in agroforests may also modify soil fluxes of N2O or CH4, which have a global warming potential (GWP) 298 and 25 times higher than CO2, respectively (Forster et al, 2007). Nitrogen-fixing species used as shade trees (e.g. in coffee plantations) may increase soil emissions of N2O (Hergoualc’h et al, 2008) and reduce the soil CH4 sink (Palm et al, 2002). © Bruno Rapidel, Fabrice DeClerck, Jean-François Le Coq and John Beer 2011.",2012,,Yes (1)
Will use of non-biodiversity objectives to select areas for ecological restoration always compromise biodiversity gains?,"Ecological restoration is crucial for increasing biodiversity in highly modified landscapes, but non-biodiversity objectives, such as environmental impact reduction, are increasingly being used to set restoration priorities. While there is some evidence that a non-biodiversity focus in the spatial configuration of conservation networks could severely compromise biodiversity gains there is no work examining whether this is also true for the spatial allocation of restoration effort. We sought to identify scenarios where large trade-offs between biodiversity and non-biodiversity objectives in the spatial allocation of restoration effort are likely to occur, in an attempt to assess whether such trade-offs will be a general problem for prioritising restoration effort. To this end we examined trade-offs between biodiversity and environmental impact reduction when allocating afforestation effort in a highly modified catchment in New Zealand. We then used simulations on artificial data to derive general predictions about when large trade-offs are most likely to occur. We found significant trade-offs between gains in biodiversity and reduction of three environmental impacts - nitrogen leaching, greenhouse gas emissions and erosion - in the spatial allocation of restoration effort. The biggest trade-offs were between biodiversity gain and erosion reduction, which both had right-skewed distributions (i.e. many small and few large values) and were weakly negatively correlated. The simulations showed that trade-offs will be greatest for strongly right skewed variables that are negatively correlated with competing variables. However, simulations also demonstrated that strongly right skewed variables experience large trade-offs even in the absence of negative correlations with competing variables. Biodiversity gain through ecological restoration is likely to be strongly right skewed, with restoration in specific types of environment or habitat giving extremely high gains in representativeness. Consequently, there may be a general tendency for a non-biodiversity-focus in restoration planning to greatly compromise biodiversity gain. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2012,Carbon sequestration; Conservation planning; Ecosystem services; Eutrophication; Reserve design; Sedimentation,Yes (1)
Effects of simulated drought and nitrogen fertilizer on plant productivity and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions of two pastures,"Aims As a consequence of global climate change, increases in the frequencies and severities of drought are anticipated for many parts of the world. Soil moisture and nitrogen (N) are among the major factors limiting grassland productivity. In pastures, N fertilizer returns by grazing animals are spatially and temporally heterogenous, and we therefore hypothesized that responses of plants and soil processes to drought may differ at the patch level. Methods Using rain-exclusion roofs, we simulated severe summer drought in a three-year field experiment replicated at two grassland sites contrasting in climate and management intensity. The study included a factorial N application treatment encompassing the application of cattle urine and mineral nitrogen. Responses of plants, soil microbes, and soil organic matter were assessed (carbon and nitrogen pools). N2O emissions were measured on 72 dates, and soil N2O concentration profiles on 44 dates. Results Plant productivity responded negatively to drought and positively to N application. Interestingly, no or only small drought-effect were found on plant productivity when cumulated over the entire experimental duration, despite large effects during and shortly after the period when rain-exclusion roofs were installed. We further did not find evidence for compensatory growth after drought, and drought-effects did not differ between fertilizer hot spots and unaffected areas. In the short-term, soil microbial biomass responded positively to drought, but no long-term effects were detected. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions originated primarily from fertilizer hot spots, and these emissions were massively reduced under drought, with effects lasting throughout most of the growing season. On a growing season basis, N2O emissions were estimated to be 1 to 2 orders of magnitude lower under drought. Conclusions Overall, our data suggest that even severe summer drought may have relatively little effect on plant productivity in the type of grassland and climate investigated, at least when considered on an annual basis. In contrast, drought may result in a large and sustained reduction of N2O emissions.",2012,Compensatory growth; Denitrification; Drought; Grassland; Grazing; Greenhouse gases; Soil microbial C and N; Soil acidity; Nitrification; Summer drought,No (2)
Transformation technologies [Climate mitigation],"Sean Davies explains how low-carbon technologies to mitigate climate change are not being developed fast enough to limit its potentially devastating effects. The international community began to accept that something needed to be done to combat the consequences of climate change back in 1992 at the Earth Summit. The first tentative effort at mitigation was the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which eventually lurched into action in 2005, albeit without the cooperation of Australia and the United States of America. Most believe that, though it will deliver modest emission reductions from OECD nations, much more is needed. It is virtually certain that increases in the frequency and magnitude of warm daily temperature extremes and decreases in cold extremes will occur in the 21st century on the global scale. It is very likely that the length, frequency and intensity of warm spells, or heat waves, will increase over most land areas.",2012,,No (2)
Experimental analysis and novel modeling of semi-batch photobioreactors operated with Chlorella vulgaris and fed with 100% (v/v) CO2,"In order to viably scale up the microalgae based technology for CO2 capture and biofuels production, suitable mathematical models should be developed. In particular, since the potential exploitation of flue gases as carbon source is one of the main targets of this technology, the effects resulting from such operating mode on microalgae growth, i.e. low pH values and high dissolved concentration of CO2, should be properly simulated. Along these lines, this work addresses a novel mathematical model of the growth of Chlorella vulgaris in semi-batch photobioreactors fed with pure CO2 (100% v/v). In particular, the proposed model simulates temporal evolution of cells, light intensity and nutrients concentration within the growth medium as well as carbon dioxide and oxygen concentration in the liquid and gas phase. Moreover, by taking advantage of comprehensive kinetics and considering the ion speciation phenomena taking place, the model is able to quantitatively describe the dynamics of pH evolution and its effect on microalgae growth. The adjustable parameters of the proposed model are fitted against experimental data obtained when starting from a specific set of initial concentration of nutrients in the growth medium. Then, the reliability of the mathematical model is successfully tested through the prediction of the temporal evolution of microalgae concentration and pH when using different initial concentrations of nutrients. Thus, the proposed model might represent a useful tool to develop suitable control and optimization strategies to improve microalgal cultures fed with high concentration of CO2. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2012,Microalgae kinetics; Mathematical modeling; Chlorella vulgaris; Photobioreactors; CO2 capture; Biofuels,No (2)
"The Lacq CCS pilot, a first","Total is committed to reducing the impact of its activities on the environment, especially its greenhouse gas emissions. The group's priorities are to improve the energy efficiency of its industrial facilities, to reduce the flaring of associated gas, to invest in the development of complementary energy sources (biomass, solar, clean coal) and to participate in many operational and R&amp;D programs on CO2 capture, transport and geological storage. It has been involved in CO2 injection and geological storage for over 15 years, in Canada (Weyburn oil field) for EOR and Norway (Sleipner, Snohvit) for aquifer storage. In 2006, the company decided to invest 60 million euros to experiment CO2 capture, transportation and injection in a deplet ed gas reservoir. The pilot in the Lacq basin, SW France, 800 km from Paris, has been on stream since January 2010. The experimental plant is unique in several respects; by its size (unprecedented worldwide), capturing carbon through a 30-MWth oxy-combustion gas boiler, by the choice of a depleted deep gas reservoir (unprecedented in Europe) located onshore 5 kilometers south of the agglomeration of Pau (around 140,000 inhabitants) and by its scope, operating a fully integrated industrial chain (comprising extraction, treatment, combustion of natural gas, High-pressure steam production, CO2 capture, transport and injection) on the SEVESO-classified Lacq industrial complex. The pilot installations were designed by the Total E&amp;P Research and Development team and are operated by Total Exploration Production France. The project reflects Total's commitment to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. A dedicated plan was devised with the French authorities to monitor the integrity of the injection site and confirm that the CO2 remains trapped in its host reservoir. Its main objectives are to check that no CO2 is leaking upward out of the reservoir though either the injection well or the cap rock , so as to avoid any impact on the gro undwater and surface water resources, the biosphere (Fauna and Flora) or human health. This paper details the main technical features of the pilot and the monitoring program spanning subsurface and surface aspects, together with the operational feedback after more than two and half years of operation. Based on the pilot's performance to date, Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) appears to hold promise for use on an industrial scale. This industrial operation will capture and trap around 90,000 tonnes of Carbon dioxide over a 3 and half year period. This quantity is equivalent to the exhaust emissions of 30,000 cars over a 2-year period. Copyright 2012, SPE/APPEA International Conference on Health, Safety, and Environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production.",2012,,No (2)
Climate change and biodiversity: Research and policy issues in sustainable forestry in Malaysia,"With more than half the country clad in forests, Malaysia practices sustainable forest management that will not put at risk environmental stability and ecological balance. However, over the last three decades, Malaysia.s natural forest was reduced by about 20%, mainly in conversion to the agro-based industries which is a substantial contributor to the economy of the country. Such development has caused Malaysia to emit 7.5tCO2 per capita in 2004: 0.6% of the world total. Malaysia.s ratification of UNFCCC &amp; KP and UNCBD signifies its commitment in addressing climate change and bio-diversity. Malaysia.s best practices approach to carbon conservation and sequestration, and carbon substitution has been able to curb the rate of increase in atmospheric CO2. Malaysia has stated that the priority in the fight against climate change should be the reduction of emissions at source and that sinks should play only a transitional role. It continues to emphasize the importance of sustainable management of existing sinks and reservoirs. On the other hand, LULUCF activities should promote the long-term sustainable management of forests and its bio-diversity. CDM and REDD are mechanisms intended respectively to reduce emissions through afforestation and reforestation and by reducing deforestation rates and managing forest degradation in ways that minimize GHG emissions. Malaysia with relatively large areas of forests supports global efforts to curb deforestation and to provide incentives for reducing deforestation and degradation, but such approach must consider the issues of leakage, permanence and additionality, and recognizes its socio-economic impacts. Among the key initiatives taken by the Malaysia government in the fight against global warming had been in the fields of renewable energy. This paper further identifies Malaysia.s strategic directions to climate change and biodiversity under the aegis of sustainable forestry based on Emission Reduction Effectiveness (ERE).",2012,,No (2)
A comparative global assessment of potential negative emissions technologies,"The paper summarises a global assessment of around 30 prospective negative emissions techniques (NETs) found in the literature. Fourteen techniques including direct air capture, BECCS, biochar, and ocean alkalinity enhancement are considered in more detail. The novel functional categorisation of NETs developed in the course of the assessment is set out and a comparative quantitative summary of the results is presented, focusing on the relative readiness, global capacity, costs and side-effects of the prospective NETs. Both technology specific and more generic potential limitations are discussed, notably those arising from energy requirements, from availability of geological storage capacity and from sustainable supply of biomass. Conclusions are drawn regarding the overall scope of NETs to contribute to safe carbon budgets, and challenges arising in the future governance of NETs, with particular reference to the potential role of carbon markets. (C) 2012 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2012,Negative emissions; Direct air capture; Bioenergy with CCS; Carbon storage,Yes (1)
Trends in primary particulate matter emissions from Canadian agriculture,"Particulate matter (PM) has long been recognized as an air pollutant due to its adverse health and environmental impacts. As emission of PM from agricultural operations is an emerging air quality issue, the Agricultural Particulate Matter Emissions Indicator (APMEI) has been developed to estimate the primary PM contribution to the atmosphere from agricultural operations on Census years and to assess the impact of practices adopted to mitigate these emissions at the soil landscape polygon scale as part of the agri-environmental indicator report series produced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. In the APMEI, PM emissions from animal feeding operations, wind erosion, land preparation, crop harvest, fertilizer and chemical application, grain handling, and pollen were calculated and compared for the Census years of 1981-2006. In this study, we present the results for PM10 and PM2.5, which exclude chemical application and pollen sources as they only contribute to total suspended particles. In 2006, PM emissions from agricultural operations were estimated to be 652.6 kt for PM10 and 158.1 kt for PM2.5. PM emissions from wind erosion and land preparation account for most of PM emissions from agricultural operations in Canada, contributing 82% of PM10 and 76% of PM2.5 in 2006. Results from the APMEI show a strong reduction in PM emissions from agricultural operations between 1981 and 2006, with a decrease of 40% (442.8 kt) for PM10 and 47% (137.7 kt) for PM2.5. This emission reduction is mainly attributed to the adoption of conservation tillage and no-till practices and the reduction in the area of summerfallow land. Implications: Increasing sustainability in agriculture often means adapting management practices to have a beneficial impact on the environment while maintaining or increasing production and economic benefits. We developed an inventory of primary PM emissions from agriculture in Canada to better quantify the apportionment, spatial distribution, and trends for Census years 1981-2006. We found major reductions of 40% in PM10 and 47% in PM2.5 emissions over the 25-yr period as a co-benefit of increasing carbon sequestration in agricultural soils. Indeed, farmers adopted conservation tillage/no-till practices, increased usage of cover crops, and reduced summerfallow, in order to increase soil organic matter and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which also reduced primary PM emissions, although the agricultural production increased over the period.",2012,,No (2)
Evaluating the demand for carbon sequestration in olive grove soils as a strategy toward mitigating climate change,"In this paper we present an estimate of the economic value of carbon sequestration in olive grove soils derived from the implementation of different agricultural management systems. Carbon sequestration is considered jointly with other environmental co-benefits, such as enhanced erosion prevention and increased biodiversity. The estimates have been obtained using choice experiments and show that there is a significant demand from society for these environmental services. From a policy perspective, an agri-environmental scheme that delivers the highest level of each environmental service would be valued by society at 121 Euros per hectare. If we focus on carbon sequestration, each ton of CO2 would be valued at 17 Euros. These results show that there is scope to include agricultural soil carbon sequestration in climate change mitigation strategies and to provide guidance for setting payments for agri-environmental schemes promoting soil management changes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2012,Carbon sequestration; Olive groves; Andalusia; Economic valuation; Choice experiments,Yes (1)
The potential of waste-to-energy in reducing GHG emissions,"Background: The combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) to generate heat or electricity (waste-to-energy [WTE]) could reduce net GHG emissions in the USA compared with combusting methane from landfills. Moreover, negative CO2 emissions could be achieved with CCS because 66% of the carbon in MSW is typically biogenic. Results and conclusion: For the five largest landfill sites in each state, we estimate that at least 58 and 11 sites have enough MSW to fuel WTE plants of >50 MWe and >100 MWe, respectively. Furthermore, half of these sites lie within 20 km of potential underground saline and other CO2 storage reservoirs. We estimate that the levelized electricity cost for WTE without CO2 capture is US$94/MWh and is $285/MWh with amine-based post-combustion capture technology. The cost of CO2 capture is $58/Mg CO2, resulting in a cost for carbon negative emissions of $93/Mg CO2; substantially lower than for some geoengineering methods, including capturing CO2 from air.",2012,,No (2)
Climate change effects on organic carbon storage in agricultural soils of northeastern Spain,"The interactive effects of climate change and atmospheric CO2 rise could have potential effects on both soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and the capability of certain management practices to sequester atmospheric carbon (C) in soils. In this study, we present the first regional estimation of SOC stock changes under climate change in Spanish agroecosystems. The Century model was applied over a 80-yr period (i.e., from 2007 to 2087) to an agricultural area of 40,498 km(2) located in northeast Spain under five different climate scenarios. The model predicted an increase in SOC storage in the 0-30 cm soil depth in all the climate change scenarios tested (i.e., ECHAM4-A2, ECHAM4-B2, CGCM2-A2 and CGCM2-B2). Among climate change scenarios, SOC stock changes ranged from 0.15 to 0.32 Tg C yr(-1). The Century model also predicted differences in SOC sequestration among agricultural classes. At the end of the simulation period, the greatest SOC stocks were found in the rainfed arable land under monoculture and no-tillage (MC-NT) class and in the grape-olive (GO) class with average stocks greater than 80 Mg C ha(-1). On the contrary, both the alfalfa (AF) and the cereal-fallow (CF) classes showed the lowest SOC stocks with predicted values lower than 60 Mg C ha(-1). Under climate change conditions, Spanish agricultural soils could act as potential atmospheric C sinks. Nevertheless, both the magnitude of the change in climate and the adoption of beneficial management practices could be critical in maximizing SOC sequestration. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2012,Soil organic carbon; Climate change; Modelling; Spanish agroecosystems,No (2)
The impact of crop plant residues on carbon sequestration in soil: A useful strategy to balance the atmospheric CO2,"Anthropogenic emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases was rapidly increased with the Industrial Revolution and this event has caused a world interest in identifying strategies of reducing the rate of gaseous emission. The intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows that from 1850 and 1998 the emission from terrestrial ecosystem was about half of fossil fuel combustion. Agriculture can be a source or sink for atmospheric CO2 because soil organic carbon pool (SOCP) in soil surface is sensitive to changes in land use and soil management practice. The carbon sink capacity of the world agricultural and degraded soils is 50-66% of the historic carbon loss that are of 42 to 78 Gt of carbon respectively. Carbon (C) sequestration implies transferring atmospheric CO2 into long-lived pools and subsequent storage of fixed C as soil organic carbon (SOC). In this way the conservation of plant residues in agricultural soil play an important role in CO2 sequestration. The mechanism by which crop residues contribute to SOC is through their chemical, phisical and biological stabilization. In this chapter we discussed the role of the plant residues in the carbon sequestration throughout plant tissue stabilization in soil, giving a new approach and understanding of the plant residue conservation in soil. © 2012 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.",2012,,No (2)
Sensitive variables for applying biochar as a fertiliser substitute and a method to sequester carbon in soils: A wheat crop scenario,"This research reviews the displacement of phosphorus fertilisers in wheat cropping regions using biochar (biologically derived charcoal). The research aim was to assist agriculturalists to navigate soil carbon mitigation incentives using iterative planning processes, enabling a balanced approach between soil biochar sequestration, conventional productivity co-benefits, and attitudes to risk. This research quantifies conventional productivity benefits from the adoption of carbon soil sequestration, and the value of carbon sequestered, with scenarios for various prices for biochar, single superphosphate, and carbon. The biochar sequestration modelling results indicate that a reduction of phosphorus fertiliser use in cropping regions was possible when applying large quantities of biochar to the soil. The cost-effectiveness of using biochar in cropping systems was found to be insensitive to phosphorus fertiliser price or carbon market values. In contrast, the commercial viability of using biochar in cropping systems was highly dependent on the price of biochar. © 2012 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.",2012,,Yes (1)
Decomposition of energy-related CO2 emissions from shanghai’s industries and policy implications,"This paper quantifies a decomposition analysis of energy-related CO2 emissions in the industrial sectors of Shanghai over the period 1994–2007.The Log-Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method is applied to this study in terms of six factors: Labor force, labor mobility, gross labor productivity, energy intensity, fuel mix, and emission coefficient. In addition, the decoupling effect between industrial economic growth and CO2 emissions is analyzed to evaluate CO2 mitigation strategies for Shanghai. The results show that all labor productivity has the largest positive effect on CO2 emission changes in the industrial sectors, whereas labor mobility and energy intensity are the main components for decreasing CO2 emissions. Other factors have different effects on CO2 mitigation in different sub-periods. Although a relative decoupling of industrial CO2 emissions from the economic growth in Shanghai has been found, Shanghai should keep pace with the industrial CO2 emissions reduction by implementing low-carbon technology. These results have important policy implications: Plan C is the reasonable choice for Shanghai. © 2012 Taylor &amp; Francis Group, LLC.",2012,,No (2)
"Soil formation in loess-derived soils along a subhumid to humid climate gradient, Northeastern Iran","In order to contribute to the understanding of carbonate enrichment and clay illuviation in loess-derived soils of subhumid to humid regions, the development of soils was studied along a climate gradient with xeric and udic soil moisture regimes (SMR) and thermic and mesic soil temperature regimes (STR), respectively, in the Golestan Province, Northeastern Iran. Six representative pedons along a climate gradient were investigated. Soils were classified mainly as Hapludalfs and Haploxeralfs. Stability of the geomorphic surface under forest vegetation associated with high leaching conditions has provided appropriate conditions for decalcification followed by clay migration through the profile and formation of argillic horizons in all the studied soils. Clay content of the Bt horizons, soil organic carbon concentration of the A horizons, and depth of the Bk horizons increased significantly with increasing precipitation and decreasing temperature. There was a considerable decrease in silt content with soil development. The main pedofeatures observed in the Bt horizons were clay coatings and decalcified zones. Nodules, coatings and hypocoatings were the main calcitic pedofeatures observed in the Bk horizons. Occurrence and preservation of clay coatings were more pronounced in the udic regions with illite and vermiculite as the dominant clay minerals. Type of clay minerals, shrink/swell properties, and precipitation rate are factors affecting the abundance and preservation of clay coatings. In the strongly developed horizons of the udic SMR, the occurrence of vermiculite clay minerals could reduce the shrink/swell potential and increase the amount of clay coatings. The presence of crystallitic b-fabrics and the high carbonate contents (CaCO 3) in the lower horizons (Bk) were mainly related to decalcification processes under descending water flow in the overlying horizons. © 2012 Elsevier B.V..",2012,,No (2)
Weighing the risks of climate change mitigation strategies,"Most experts agree that the greatest risk associated with climate change is pretending that the problem does not exist, or that it does not require immediate attention and action. That said, the potential pathways for mitigating the effects of greenhouse gas emissions are not created equal in terms of the risks and benefits they entail. Public discourse tends to focus on the most optimistic scenarios for implementing new technologies and to ignore not only the hazards but also the non-climate-related benefits associated with some approaches. Climate mitigation strategies currently undergo economic and engineering analyses, but they are not consistently subjected to rigorous risk assessment and risk management. The author offers the beginnings of a more cohesive decision-support analysis framework. Assessments of various mitigation strategies by the world's largest industry-insurance-are critically important in this process because insurers can provide a dispassionate view and internalize the costs of risk through pricing. Bank financing cannot be mobilized without insurance, and the public sector may be forced to assume many of the risks associated with emerging technologies if insurers opt out. A century of dangerously blending technological enthusiasm with lack of care in assessing the comparative risks of energy and land-use choices ushered in today's climate crisis. Continued inattention threatens to saddle society with new risks from poorly prioritized efforts to solve the climate problem. Procrastination is painting humankind into a corner in which progressively riskier and unproven technologies will be required to mitigate climate change.",2012,carbon capture and storage; climate change; climate engineering; energy efficiency; nuclear power; renewable energy; risk management; solar radiation management,No (2)
Economic prospects of ocean iron fertilization in an international carbon market,"Staying within the 2 degrees C temperature increase target for climate change requires for ambitious emission reduction targets for the 2012-2020 compliance period. Cost-efficiency is a crucial criterion for the achievement of such targets, requiring analyses of all possible options. Enhancing the oceanic carbon sink via ocean iron fertilization (OIF) provides such an option. Our analysis reveals that the critical unit costs per net ton of CO2 sequestered by OIF range from 22 to 28 USD (price level 2000) in a post-Kyoto compliance scenario. The critical unit costs are defined as those that would make an emitter indifferent between various abatement options. With reference to hypothetical short-term large-scale Southern Ocean OIF we are able to show that seven years of OIF provide a number of credits exceeding those obtainable from global forestation projects lasting 20 years. From an economic perspective, our results indicate that OIF can be considered a potentially viable carbon-removal option. However, further research is needed, especially on adverse side-effects and their ecological and economical consequences. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2012,Climate change; Climate engineering; Ocean iron fertilization; CO2 market; Emission trading,No (2)
Physicochemical and sorption properties of thermally-treated sediments with high organic matter content,"Sediment samples with high organic carbon contents (22.04% and 8.46%) were collected and thermally-treated using a method analogous to biochar production. The obtained thermally-treated sediments (TTSs) showed a much higher degree of carbon capture in comparison to biochar derived from common biomass, indicating potential use of TTSs in soil amendment and carbon sequestration. Their sorption with organic contaminants was also investigated using sulfamethoxazole (SMX) as a model sorbate. SMX sorption increased greatly with pyrolytic temperature. Desorption ratio of the adsorbed SMX in TTSs generally decreased with increased pyrolytic temperature and with decreased solid-phase concentrations. The thermodynamic analysis showed that the higher entropy increase (positive Delta S) was well related with the decreased desorption ratio with increased solid-phase concentration for the original sediments. The fate-controlling effect of contaminants in TTS application for soil amendment should be evaluated combining sorption/desorption and sorption thermodynamic studies. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2012,Antibiotics; Biochar; Carbon sequestration; Desorption hysteresis; Environmental fate,No (2)
Development determinants of CO2 emissions reducing technologies,"This article documents of one of the stages of work on the energetic foresight implemented in Poland. The project was designed to provide information, what is the level of social acceptance of zeroemission technology. The main objective of the authors was to identify the factors that Polish society perceives to be the most conducive to the development of zero-emission economy, and, on the other hand, recognizes as the strongest barriers in this respect. The presented aspects include the results analysis of a questionnaire-type study, which was conducted on the sample of 1200 respondents. For each of thesis the following questions were answered: 1.When will the thesis be realized? 2. What will be the impact of the thesis assumptions implementation on the individual fields of zeroemission economy? 3.What factors will facilitate and which will impede the implementation of this thesis? The analysis of the responses to question 1 was based on subjective probability theory, assuming that the duration of the thesis implementation is a random variable of Weibull distribution. Answers to question 2 and 3 were presented in the form of individual influence matrices, and then appropriate calculations were performed. This allowed to determine the impact of the factors identified in the study and of the surrounding fields on the zero emission economy. It has been shown that the most potent stimulators are: appropriate public education and the new legal regulations, whereas the barriers are: habits of society firmly rooted in the coal economy and the economic costs of zeroemission policy.",2012,,No (2)
Abundant and Stable Char Residues in Soils: Implications for Soil Fertility and Carbon Sequestration,"Large-scale soil application of biochar may enhance soil fertility, increasing crop production for the growing human population, while also sequestering atmospheric carbon. But reaching these beneficial outcomes requires an understanding of the relationships among biochar's structure, stability, and contribution to soil fertility. Using quantitative C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we show that Terra Preta soils (fertile anthropogenic dark earths in Amazonia that were enriched with char >800 years ago) consist predominantly of char residues composed of similar to 6 fused aromatic rings substituted by COO- groups that significantly increase the soils' cation-exchange capacity and thus the retention of plant nutrients. We also show that highly productive, grassland-derived soils in the U.S, (Mollisols) contain char (generated by presettlement fires) that is structurally comparable to char in the Terra Preta soils and much more abundant than previously thought (similar to 40-50% of organic C). Our findings indicate that these oxidized char residues represent a particularly stable, abundant, and fertility-enhancing form of soil organic matter.",2012,,No (2)
Response of the Soil Microbial Community to Changes in Precipitation in a Semiarid Ecosystem,"Microbial communities regulate many belowground carbon cycling processes; thus, the impact of climate change on the structure and function of soil microbial communities could, in turn, impact the release or storage of carbon in soils. Here we used a large-scale precipitation manipulation (+18%, -50%, or ambient) in a pifion-juniper woodland (Pinus edulis-Juniperus monosperma) to investigate how changes in precipitation amounts altered soil microbial communities as well as what role seasonal variation in rainfall and plant composition played in the microbial community response. Seasonal variability in precipitation had a larger role in determining the composition of soil microbial communities in 2008 than the direct effect of the experimental precipitation treatments. Bacterial and fungal communities in the dry, relatively moisture-limited premonsoon season were compositionally distinct from communities in the monsoon season, when soil moisture levels and periodicity varied more widely across treatments. Fungal abundance in the drought plots during the dry premonsoon season was particularly low and was 4.7 times greater upon soil wet-up in the monsoon season, suggesting that soil fungi were water limited in the driest plots, which may result in a decrease in fungal degradation of carbon substrates. Additionally, we found that both bacterial and fungal communities beneath pi on pine and juniper were distinct, suggesting that microbial functions beneath these trees are different. We conclude that predicting the response of microbial communities to climate change is highly dependent on seasonal dynamics, background climatic variability, and the composition of the associated aboveground community.",2012,,No (2)
"Performance and economic analysis of biomass/coal co-gasification IGCC systems with supercritical steam bottom cycle, part 2 - Pre-combustion carbon capture","One of the main advantages of IGCC technology is that it is the only form of power generation that is compatible with pre-combustion carbon capture. Part 2 of this paper will thus focus on analyzing pre-combustion CCS, utilizing both sourshift and sweet-shift processes and comparing them to each other and to the results of post-combustion CCS from Part 1. Pre-combustion CCS plants are smaller than post-combustion ones, and usually require 25% less energy for CCS due to their compact size for processing fuel flow only under higher pressure (450 psi), versus processing the combusted gases at near-atmospheric pressure. For pre-combustion CCS, sour-shift appears to be superior both economically and thermally to sweet-shift in the current study. Sour-shift is always cheaper, (by a difference of about $600/kW and $0.02-$0.03/kW-hr), easier to implement, and also 2-3 percentage points more efficient. Adding biomass to the system always reduces the emissions and can even make a plant carbon-negative with as little as 10% biomass by weight. In addition, the efficiency will improve (0.7 points) and power output will also improve (∼1%-3% more) for up to 10% biomass ratio (BMR) for the right kind of biomass that has been properly pretreated. Beyond 10% BMR, however, the efficiency begins to drop due to the rising pretreatment costs, but the system itself still remains more efficient than from using coal alone (between 0.2-0.3 points on average). The economic difference is fairly marginal, but the trend is inversely proportional to the efficiency, with CoE decreasing by 0.5 cents/kW-hr from 0%- 10% BMR and rising 2.5 cents/kW-hr from 10%-50% BMR. Finally, the CO2 removal cost for sour-shift is around $20/ton, whereas sweet-shift's cost is around $30/ton, which is much cheaper than that of post-combustion CCS from Part 1: About $60-$70/ton. Copyright © 2012 by ASME.",2012,,No (2)
A process model based ecosystem assessment and management system,"The Loess Plateau covers an area of 640,000 km2 in the upper and middle reaches of China's Yellow River. The natural environment of this region is complex and variable and is considered as one of the major ecologically fragile areas in China. In the last two decades, with dramatic changes in population, agricultural cultivation patterns and regional climate, uncertainty surrounding the potential to achieve a sustainable agro-ecosystem in this region has increased. The agro-ecosystem conservation is the dominant challenge in the light of the complex ecological condition; significant spatial heterogeneity and serious ecological degradation. Ecological modeling is an effective tool in the quest to solve ecological problems. Scenario simulation is an important way of tracing nutrient dynamics and optimizing management practices for an ecosystem. From the temporal and spatial perspectives, however, relying solely on historical data will lead to a certain delay in the management policy research. Particularly, more errors will be introduced in the simulated results due to the ecosystem factors, which fluctuate frequently with time, and increasing uncertainty of the whole system. Considering the challenges aforementioned, an ecosystem assessment and management (EAM) system was set up based on process model, wireless sensor, and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies. The system uses a mobile GIS platform for real-time data collection, and a combination of weather information and soil properties are used as inputs for the process based model to predict soil nutrients, moisture, greenhouse gas emissions, yield, etc. The EAM systems use historical data to initialize and the actual data to optimize the simulations. Real-time information was used to calibrate the simulation results, optimizing the simulation parameters to improve the accuracy of the system simulation results. The system can be used to evaluate the impact of different management methods on the ecological system and identify best management practices. Currently, this system has been applied in the Loess Plateau to assess different management practices impact on soil carbon, nitrogen and crop yield. The EAM platform provides important information for the ecosystem management and protection. © 2012 IEEE.",2012,,No (2)
CCUS demonstration project at WA parish station - Results of FEED study,"NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) has been selected by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to install a Post Combustion slipstream Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) demonstration project. The carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from the facility's flue gas will be transported to a nearby oilfield, where it will be used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The facility will use an amine-based chemical absorption technology to capture the CO2. The process requires heat in the form of steam to regenerate the solvent. In lieu of using steam from the existing power plant cycle, the facility will be designed to use a new cogeneration plant, consisting of a combustion turbine generator (CTG) with a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) to provide the thermal energy to the capture facility. This design provides opportunities for advanced integration concepts between the cogeneration plant, the capture facility, and the existing plant systems. This approach has the potential to improve the economics while minimizing the impacts of retrofitting Carbon Capture System (CCS) technologies on existing power plants. The front-end engineering design (FEED) study has been completed with a draft report submitted to the DOE summarizing the projected costs of the CCS. The air permit has been prepared and submitted to the state of Texas. Studies required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are in progress. This presentation reviews the general design concept of the facility with a focus on balance-of-plant (BOP) integration, and provides an update on the project status. Summary cost and schedule results of the FEED are also presented with this update.",2012,,No (2)
Renewables and climate change mitigation: Irreversible energy investment under uncertainty and portfolio effects,"Ongoing negotiations under the UNFCCC center around the possibilities for stabilization of greenhouse gases at a ""safe"" level. New energy technologies are assumed to make major contributions to this goal. However, in the light of scientific uncertainty (e.g. about climate sensitivity, feedback effects, etc.), market uncertainty (e.g. fuel price volatility), technological uncertainty (e.g. availability of renewable technology), socio-economic uncertainty (e.g. development of different macroeconomic factors) and policy uncertainty (e.g. about commitment to specific targets and stability of CO2 prices), it is difficult to assess the importance of different technologies in achieving robust long-term climate risk mitigation. One example currently debated in this context is biomass-based energy, which can be used to produce both carbon-neutral electricity and at the same time offer the possibility of ""negative emissions"" by capturing carbon from biomass combustion at the conversion facility and permanently storing it. In this study, we analyze the impact of uncertainty on investment decision-making at the plant level in a real options valuation framework, and then use the GCI Scenario Database (HASA, 2009) as a point of departure for deriving optimal technology portfolios across different socio-economic scenarios for a range of stabilization targets, focusing, in particular, on the new, low-emission targets using alternative risk measures. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2012,Real options; Renewable energy; Portfolio theory,Yes (1)
"Performance of a PEMFC system integrated with a biogas chemical looping reforming processor: A theoretical analysis and comparison with other fuel processors (steam reforming, partial oxidation and auto-thermal reforming)","In this work, the performance of a PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) system integrated with a biogas chemical looping reforming processor is analyzed. The global efficiency is investigated by means of a thermodynamic study and the application of a generalized steady-state electrochemical model. The theoretical analysis is carried out for the commercial fuel cell BCS 500W stack. From literature, chemical looping reforming (CLR) is described as an attractive process only if the system operates at high pressure. However, the present research shows that advantages of the CLR process can be obtained at atmospheric pressure if this technology is integrated with a PEMFC system. The performance of a complete fuel cell system employing a fuel processor based on CLR technology is compared with those achieved when conventional fuel processors (steam reforming (SR), partial oxidation (PO) and auto-thermal reforming (Am)) are used. In the first part of this paper, the Gibbs energy minimization method is applied to the unit comprising the fuel- and air-reactors in CLR or to the reformer (SR, PO, ATR). The goal is to investigate the characteristics of these different types of reforming process to generate hydrogen from clean model biogas and identify the optimized operating conditions for each process. Then, in the second part of this research, material and energy balances are solved for the complete fuel cell system processing biogas, taking into account the optimized conditions found in the first part. The overall efficiency of the PEMFC stack integrated with the fuel processor is found to be dependent on the required power demand. At low loads, efficiency is around 45%, whereas, at higher power demands, efficiencies around 25% are calculated for all the fuel processors. Simulation results show that, to generate the same molar flow-rate of H-2 to operate the PEMFC stack at a given current, the global process involving SR reactor is by far much more energy demanding than the other technologies. In this case, biogas is burnt in a catalytic combustor to supply the energy required, and there is a concern with respect to CO2 emissions. The use of fuel processors based on CLR, PO or ATR results in an auto-thermal global process. If CLR based fuel processor is employed, CO2 can be easily recovered, since air is not mixed with the reformate. In addition, the highest values of voltage and power are achieved when the PEMFC stack is fed on the stream coming from SR and CLR fuel processors. When a H-2 mixture is produced by reforming biogas through PO and AIR technologies, the relative anode overpotential of a single cell is about 55 mV, whereas, with the use of CLR and SR processes, this value is reduced to similar to 37 and 24 mV, respectively. In this way, CLR can be seen as an advantageous reforming technology, since it allows that the global process can be operated under auto-thermal conditions and, at the same time, it allows the PEMFC stack to achieve values of voltage and power closer to those obtained when SR fuel processors are used. Thus, efforts on the development of fuel processors based on CLR technology operating at atmospheric pressure can be considered by future researchers. In the case of biogas, the CO2 captured can produce additional economical benefits in a 'carbon market'. Copyright (C) 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2012,Biogas; Reforming process; Chemical looping; Thermodynamic analysis; Material and energy balance; PEMFC system,No (2)
"Forest restoration to achieve both ecological and economic progress, Poyang Lake basin, China","The Mountain-River-Lake Program (MRL) was implemented since 25 years ago in the Poyang Lake basin, southern China. It consists of series of forest restoration projects that aim to address severe soil and water losses, and improve farmer's livelihoods. To assess the effectiveness of the program, systematic planning, integrated research and comprehensive monitoring were used to illustrate how forest restoration projects that consider both ecological, social and economic perspectives can improve both the environment and society, and eradicate the ""ecological-poverty trap"". We found that the overall ecological effects of the program are beneficial, and the socioeconomic effects are mostly positive. Forest plantations covering 4.92 x 10(6) ha were established, which promoted increased forest coverage from a minimum of 26.98% to 60.05% at present. The amount of carbon storage in forest increased significantly, with net carbon sequestration of plantation forests increased from 2.29 TgC/year to 10.52 TgC/year. The results also indicated that the area of land affected by heavy and severe soil erosion has decreased by 55.2% and 53.6%, respectively, while the water holding capacity was 25.2% higher in 2009 than that in 1990. The net income for farmers was almost 6 times greater than that before the program, and the number of people living below the poverty line decreased from 10 million to 0.865 million. This assessment has confirmed that if we cannot improve the livelihood of local communities and encourage them to participate in such programs, we will be unable to restore and manage degraded environments. The continuing and future impacts of the program may be even greater, and will provide important lessons and experiences for other ecological restoration programs. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2012,Forest restoration; Mountain-River-Lake Program; Ecological and socioeconomic effects; China,Yes (1)
REDD+ and rural livelihoods,"Focusing on incentive schemes that induce participation in land-use activities to supply environmental services, this paper examines the potential impacts of REDD+ on livelihoods, in particular with respect to incomes and poverty alleviation. Two case studies, each at a different scale, are presented. First, the N'hambita Community Carbon Project in Mozambique, a REDD+ project, promoted agro-forestry and reforestation activities along with alternative livelihoods. Second, the Sloping Lands Conversion Programme (SLCP) in China is a national-level reforestation scheme to supply watershed services. Impacts on the poor are addressed through the 'lens' of a rural household allocating its labour supply to different income sources. Four aspects of REDD+ policy are discussed: the incentives necessary for ensuring the cost-effective, long-run sustainability of both carbon sinks and incomes; the implications for forest conservation, in particular biodiversity; the need for scaling up carbon sequestration activities in order to minimise carbon leakage; and, the possibilities to maximise the participation of the poor and alleviate poverty. Finally, the paper highlights the importance of using appropriate methodologies for correct evaluation of policy impacts on incomes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2012,Constraints; Livelihoods; PES; Poverty; REDD,Yes (1)
Quantifying global greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change for crop production,"Many assessments of product carbon footprint (PCF) for agricultural products omit emissions arising from land-use change (LUC). In this study, we developed a framework based on IPCC national greenhouse gas inventory methodologies to assess the impacts of LUC from crop production using oil palm, soybean and oilseed rape as examples. Using ecological zone, climate and soil types fromnatural the top 20 producing countries, calculated emissions for transitions from vegetation to cropland on mineral soils under typical management ranged from -4.5 to 29.4 t CO2-eq ha-1 yr-1 over 20 years for oil palm and 1.247.5 t CO2-eq ha-1 yr-1 over 20 years for soybeans. Oilseed rape showed similar results to soybeans, but with lower maximum values because it is mainly grown in areas with lower C stocks. GHG emissions from other land-use transitions were between 62% and 95% lower than those from natural vegetation for the arable crops, while conversions to oil palm were a sink for C. LUC emissions were considered on a national basis and also expressed per-tonne-of-oil-produced. Weighted global averages indicate that, depending on the land-use transition, oil crop production on newly converted land contributes between -3.1 and 7.0 t CO2-eq t oil production-1 yr-1 for palm oil, 11.950.6 t CO2-eq t oil production-1 yr-1 for soybean oil, and 7.731.4 t CO2-eq t oil production-1 yr-1 for rapeseed oil. Assumptions made about crop and LUC distribution within countries contributed up to 66% error around the global averages for natural vegetation conversions. Uncertainty around biomass and soil C stocks were also examined. Finer resolution data and information (particularly on land management and yield) could improve reliability of the estimates but the framework can be used in all global regions and represents an important step forward for including LUC emissions in PCFs.",2012,biomass carbon; carbon accounting; carbon footprinting; crop production; greenhouse gas emissions; land-use change; soil carbon,No (2)
CO2 capture in a spray column using a critical flow atomizer,"The emission of CO2 into the atmosphere is causing majority of the global warming and thus various end-of-pipe treatment methods have evolved to capture CO2 from fixed point sources. The present article deals with CO2 capture from a simulated gas stream using dilute NaOH solution in a spray column using a two-phase critical flow atomizer capable of producing very fine sprays with high degree of uniformity and moving at very high velocities. Experimentation was carried out to investigate the percentage removal of CO2 as well as interfacial area as functions of different variables. The maximum percentage removal of CO2 observed was about 99.96% for a Q(L)/Q(G) ratio of 6.0 m(3)/1000 ACM (liquid flow rate of 1.83 x 10(-5) m(3)/s and gas flow rate of 3.33 x 10(-3) m(3)/s) and for a CO2 feed rate of 100 l/h, while the observed values of interfacial area were in the range of 22.62-88.35 m(2)/m(3) within the framework of the experimentation. A simple correlation was developed for predicting the interfacial area as functions of various pertinent variables of the system. Experimental data fitted excellently well with the correlation. The comparison of the interfacial area observed between the present system and the existing systems revealed that the present system produced higher values of interfacial area than the existing systems and hence the performance of the system was better than the existing system. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2012,CO2 capture; Droplets; Interfacial area; Spray column; Two-phase critical flow atomizer,No (2)
Multiple environmental services as an opportunity for watershed restoration,"The impact of reforestation on water supplies is often considered in terms of impacts on water yields. In specific circumstances, reforestation will improve water quality, to the extent that previously unusable water can be utilised. Such is the case with salinisation, a process that threatens up to 17 million hectares of Australian farmland, major fresh water resources, biodiversity and built infrastructure. This paper highlights the value of bundling payments for environmental services (PES) from watershed restoration, including water quality improvement and carbon sequestration coupled with wood production, and compares the net returns with the existing agricultural land-use, using as an example the 408000 ha Warren-Tone watershed (WT) in south-western Australia. The externalities of different land use systems are also taken into account. In this watershed 105000 ha of the land was cleared for agriculture, with 25 000 ha subsequently reforested. A hydrological model (LUCICAT) was used to define the relationships between reforestation/deforestation and water yield and quality, thus providing a basis for valuing the hydrological benefits of reforestation. Various land-use change scenarios were examined, with modelling indicating more than 70% reforestation is required to restore stream salinity to a potable threshold of 500 mg/L total dissolved salts (TDS). Options that involve traditional agricultural land-uses or perennial pastures will not deliver potable water. A hydrological-land-use-economic (HLE) model was constructed, allowing the costs and benefits of different land-uses to be examined at watershed and sub-watershed scales. Reforestation was unprofitable when only wood revenues were considered with a discount rate of 9.5%, but was profitable at lower discount rates or with a discount rate of 9.5% and carbon prices of at least $22 t CO2-e. For the latter, reforestation activities driven by the economic benefits from selling wood and carbon, generate an externality benefit in the form of improved water quality without the need for any additional payment to landholders. Payments for activities that lead to improvements in water quality could represent a new, additional source of income for landholders on the proviso that there is sufficient reforestation to reach the potable threshold. Alternatively, costs could be imposed on those whose land-use practices cause the release of salt into waterways. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V.",2012,Environmental services; Watershed restoration; Carbon sequestration,No (2)
Biochar-mediated changes in soil quality and plant growth in a three year field trial,"While many laboratory studies have focused on the short term effects of biochar addition to soil), there have been comparatively few tracing its longer term effects in the field. This study investigated the multiyear impact of biochar on crop performance and soil quality with specific emphasis on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling over a 3 y period. Biochar was added to an agricultural field at 0, 25 and 50 t ha(-1) and planted with maize (year 1) and grass (years 2 and 3). Biochar addition affected plant performance in the grass crop with significant increases in foliar N (year 2) and above-ground biomass (year 3). Below-ground, biochar increased soil respiration, fungal and bacterial growth rate and turnover in year 2. This change coincided with a shift toward a bacterial dominated decomposer community, suggesting a decrease in the potential for microbially mediated C sequestration. Biochar did not affect dissolved organic C (DOC) and N (DON), NO3- or NH4+ pool sizes. Similarly, biochar addition had limited effects on the turnover of C-14-labelled SOC (plant litter), DOC (sugars and organic acids) and DON (amino acids) and no long term effect on N mineralization, NH3 volatilization, denitrification and NH4+ sorption. After 3 years in the field, the alkalinity associated with the biochar had been fully neutralized and biochar lost most of its cations (K, Na, Ca) but had built up an associated microbial community. We conclude that biochar addition to soil causes small and potentially transient changes in a temperate agroecosystem functioning. Importantly, many of the short-term effects of biochar on plant growth and soil behavior reported from laboratory studies were not observed in the field emphasizing the need for long term field trials to help inform agronomic management decisions involving biochar. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2012,Black carbon; Black nitrogen; Carbon sequestration; Charcoal; Soil organic matter; Climate change mitigation,Yes (1)
Managing capture technology uncertainty in capture-ready gas power plants,"Decarbonisation of UK electricity generation is unlikely to be achieved without carbon dioxide capture and geological storage for natural gas fired power plants. In a period when fast learning curves for carbon dioxide capture technologies can be expected, it is important that gas plants built as capture ready are able to incorporate technology developments that occur during the period of time when the plant operates without capture. This paper focuses on carbon dioxide capture from combined cycle gas turbine plants and extends concepts previously proposed by the authors for capture-ready designs to include novel options capable of covering a wide range of solvent properties. These options avoid locking in power plants to a specific solvent technology at the time of commissioning and effectively act as a hedge against risk associated with technology obsolescence at the time of retrofitting. They follow the general principles of capture-ready design of low additional capital cost, no upfront performance penalty, good performance with capture and the ability to operate with the capture unit bypassed. Particularly in countries not yet committed to carbon dioxide capture and geological storage, power plant developers may want to keep their retrofit options open by building plants capable of fitting radically different solvents from current state-of-the-art amines.",2012,,No (2)
Evaluating soil organic carbon sequestration potential in the Cotton Belt with the soil conditioning index,"Simulation models that are sensitive to management, edaphic factors, and climate could provide insights into how land owners and producers might be able to sequester soil organic carbon (C) and engage in emerging carbon markets. In this study, the soil conditioning index (SCI) embedded in the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE2) model was used to predict (1) potential soil organic C sequestration under conventional and conservation management of a diversity of cotton cropping systems throughout the Cotton Belt and (2) relative influences of soil texture, slope, climatic conditions, and management on potential soil organic C sequestration. Across 10 regions of the Cotton Belt, SCI scores ranked in the following order: perennial pasture > no-till cropping systems > conventional tillage cotton. Variations in significance of SCI scores occurred among 5 different no-till cropping systems within regions of the Cotton Belt. For example, 7 of the 10 regions had significantly (p <= 0.05) greater SCI scores (linked to greater soil organic C sequestration) when monoculture cotton was grown with winter cover crop than without.Variation in SCI was dominated by management (46%) and slope (24%) and very little affected by climate (7%) and soil texture (1%). Increasingly wetter climatic conditions (as expressed by increasing precipitation to potential evapotranspiration) had a negative influence on SCI scores for all management systems and land slopes evaluated, but particularly for moldboard-plowed cotton on sloping land, With a linear relationship between SCI and soil organic C sequestration, predicted soil organic C sequestration averaged -0.31 +/- 0.19 Mg C ha(-1) y(--1) (-280 +/- 170 lb ac(-1) yr(-1)) under conventionally tilled cotton, 0.12 +/- 0.06 Mg C ha(-1) y(-1) (103 +/- 52 lb ac(-1) yr(-1)) under various no-till crop rotations, and 0.26 +/- 0.02 Mg C ha(-1) y(-1) (231 +/- 20 lb ac(-1) yr(-1)) under perennial pasture. Cotton production with conventional tillage could only be expected to maintain soil organic C under a best-case scenario and would lose substantial soil organic C under most other scenarios. Simulations showed the strong, positive influence that conservation agricultural management has to sequester soil organic C, irrespective of climate, slope, and texture.",2012,climate; conservation tillage; cover cropping; crop rotation; modeling,No (2)
Experimental studies on CO2 absorption in immersed hollow fiber membrane contactor,"Carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption performance from flue gas was investigated using monoethanolamine (MEA) solution in porous hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membranes contactor. The influence of operating parameters on CO2 removal efficiency and flux were studied in the immersion operating mode. The experimental results indicated that the CO2 removal efficiency and flux decreased with the increase of flue gas load and carbonization degrees, but the increase of the absorbent concentration and temperature promoted membrane performance of CO2 capture. An increase of 84 m3·m-2·h-1 in the flue gas load resulted in a 68% decrease in the removal efficiency. Absorbent carbonation degree increased to 0.45 mol CO2·mol-1MEA led to the decrease of active ingredient amounts in the absorption solution, and the corresponding removal efficiency and membrane flux dropped by 50% of the initial amounts, respectively. The increase of concentration and temperature of absorbent also benefited membrane absorption performance of CO2 absorption, so that the concentration and temperature of the solvent increased lead to the CO2 removal efficiency and flux increased. © (2012) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.",2012,,No (2)
Public acceptance of CCS system elements: A conjoint measurement,"The aim of the present study is to examine public preferences regarding the characteristics of the three elements of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS): capture, pipeline, and storage. A random sample of 139 Swiss citizens received basic information about CCS online and then participated in an experiment. A conjoint measurement of CCS acceptance and analysis of variance was used to examine respondents' preferences for characteristics of CCS elements. This approach allowed respondents to make trade-offs by expressing preferences for complete CCS systems instead of evaluating single elements in isolation. Our results show that people put most emphasis on pipelines near their homes and on the type of plant the CO2 originates from. A ""Not in my backyard (NIMBY) effect"" was found both for pipelines and storage. This NIMBY effect, however, disappears when CO2 from a biogas-fired plant is used for the injection. We conclude that it may be possible to avoid the NIMBY effect for geological storage field trials by using bioenergy with carbon dioxide capture and storage (BECCS). (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2012,CCS; Public acceptance; Conjoint analysis; Field trials; BECCS,Yes (1)
Predicting the life time of steels in CCS environment from long term local corrosion experiments,"To predict the reliability and safety during the injection of compressed emission gases - mainly containing CO2 - into deep geological layers (CCS-technology, Carbon Capture and Storage), the influence of heat treatment on pit corrosion needs to be considered. Different heat treated steels used as an injection pipe with 13% chromium and 0.46% carbon (X46Cr13, 1.4034) and 0.2% carbon (X20Cr13, 1.4021) as well as 16% chromium steel X5CrNiCuNb16-4 (1.4542) were tested in laboratory experiments. The samples were exposed for up to 1 year to the distinct synthetic aquifer environment saturated with technical CO2 at a flow rate of 3 l/h. The corrosion rate generally does not exceed 0.03 mm/year. Pits with maximum pit heights around 300 μm were obtained for hardened X20Cr13 with martensitic microstructure. The least amount of pits is found on X46Cr13. The higher carbon content in, X46Cr13 (0.46% C), results in a lower amount of pits compared to X20Cr13 (0.20%). © 2012 WIT Press.",2012,,No (2)
Development of a sustainable method to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by bioconversion into methane,"Since the beginning of the industrial revolution atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), a major component of greenhouse gases, have increased significantly. There have been many attempts aimed at capturing, sequestrating, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, but they have not been very efficient and economical. In this work the objective is to develop a sustainable system to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of industries. Basically, in this method produced CO2 from industries is injected in to a stream of wastewater and then is bioconverted to methane as a biogas. Methane will be produced based on the final step of anaerobic degradation in which methanogenic bacteria form methane from acetic acid or CO2 and hydrogen. Consequently, after wastewater pollutant degradation (that provides acetic acid and hydrogen), methane with high efficiency could be produced with addition of carbon dioxide in a highly sustainable process. To investigate the feasibility of removing CO2 by this method, a series of batch tests on pulp and paper wastewater were performed. In order to optimize the conditions, the effect of different conditions such as pH (6.5 to 7.5), temperature (20 to 35°C) on the efficiency of CO2 and COD removal and methane production were investigated. The initial concentration of chemical oxygen demand (COD) was 1400 mg/L. The results showed that COD levels decreased to the range of 345-680 mg/L which corresponds to a 24-50% conversion. Carbon dioxide removal was between 83-1021 mg/L which corresponds to a 66-94% conversion. Both COD and CO2 removal showed better efficiency at pH 6.5 and 35°C.",2012,,No (2)
Brain edema in diseases of different etiology,"Cerebral edema is a potentially life-threatening complication shared by diseases of different etiology, such as diabetic ketoacidosis, acute liver failure, high altitude exposure, dialysis disequilibrium syndrome, and salicylate intoxication. Pulmonary edema is also habitually present in these disorders, indicating that the microcirculatory disturbance causing edema is not confined to the brain. Both cerebral and pulmonary subclinical edema may be detected before it becomes clinically evident. Available evidence suggests that tissue hypoxia or intracellular acidosis is a commonality occurring in all of these disorders. Tissue ischemia induces physiological compensatory mechanisms to ensure cell oxygenation and carbon dioxide removal from tissues, including hyperventilation, elevation of red blood cell 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate content, and capillary vasodilatation. Clinical, laboratory, and necropsy findings in these diseases confirm the occurrence of low plasma carbon dioxide partial pressure, increased erythrocyte 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate concentration, and capillary vasodilatation with increased vascular permeability in all of them. Baseline tissue hypoxia or intracellular acidosis induced by the disease may further deteriorate when tissue oxygen requirement is no longer matched to oxygen delivery resulting in massive capillary vasodilatation with increased vascular permeability and plasma fluid leakage into the interstitial compartment leading to edema affecting the brain, lung, and other organs. Causative factors involved in the progression from physiological adaptation to devastating clinical edema are not well known and may include uncontrolled disease, malfunctioning adaptive responses, or unknown factors. The role of carbon monoxide and local nitric oxide production influencing tissue oxygenation is unclear (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2012,"Diabetic ketoacidosis; Acute liver failure; High altitude exposure; Dialysis disequilibrium syndrome; Salicylate poisoning; 2,3-Bisdhosphoglycerate",No (2)
Immobilized carbonic anhydrase on hollow fiber membranes accelerates CO 2 removal from blood,"Current artificial lungs and respiratory assist devices designed for carbon dioxide removal (CO 2R) are limited in their efficiency due to the relatively small partial pressure difference across gas exchange membranes. To offset this underlying diffusional challenge, bioactive hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) increase the carbon dioxide diffusional gradient through the immobilized enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA), which converts bicarbonate to CO 2 directly at the HFM surface. In this study, we tested the impact of CA-immobilization on HFM CO 2 removal efficiency and thromboresistance in blood. Fiber surface modification with radio frequency glow discharge (RFGD) introduced hydroxyl groups, which were activated by 1M CNBr while 1.5M TEA was added drop wise over the activation time course, then incubation with a CA solution covalently linked the enzyme to the surface. The bioactive HFMs were then potted in a model gas exchange device (0.0084m 2) and tested in a recirculation loop with a CO 2 inlet of 50mmHg under steady blood flow. Using an esterase activity assay, CNBr chemistry with TEA resulted in 0.99U of enzyme activity, a 3.3 fold increase in immobilized CA activity compared to our previous method. These bioactive HFMs demonstrated 108mL/min/m 2 CO 2 removal rate, marking a 36% increase compared to unmodified HFMs (p&lt;0.001). Thromboresistance of CA-modified HFMs was assessed in terms of adherent platelets on surfaces by using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Results indicated HFMs with CA modification had 95% less platelet deposition compared to unmodified HFM (p&lt;0.01). Overall these findings revealed increased CO 2 removal can be realized through bioactive HFMs, enabling a next generation of more efficient CO 2 removal intravascular and paracorporeal respiratory assist devices. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.",2012,,No (2)
Energy-efficient distributed carbon capture in hydrogen production from natural gas,"Lowering the energy penalty associated with CO2 capture is one of the key issues of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies. The efficiency of carbon capture must be improved to reduce the energy penalty because capture stage is the most energy-consuming stage in the entire process of CCS. Energy-efficient distributed carbon capture in hydrogen production has been demonstrated with an advanced membrane reformer system. We have already developed and operated an advanced 40 Nm3/h-class membrane reformer system and demonstrated its high hydrogen production efficiency of 81.4% (HHV), which is the world highest efficiency in terms of hydrogen production from natural gas. The system has another significant feature that the CO2 concentration in the reactor off-gas is as high as 70̃90% and CO 2 can be liquefied and separated easily with little energy loss. An apparatus for CO2 capture was combined to the membrane reformer system and over 90% of CO2 in the reactor off-gas was captured by cryogenic separation. The total energy efficiency of hydrogen production even with CO2 capture was still as high as 78.6% (HHV), which is 5∼10% higher than the conventional reforming technologies. The total CO2 emission from hydrogen production was decreased by 50% with only a 3% energy loss. A sensitivity analysis was also carried out to evaluate the effects of the operating conditions of the system on hydrogen production efficiency and CO2 reduction rate. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2011,,No (2)
An assessment of options for CO2 removal from the atmosphere,"Recent work examining likely changes in global temperatures as a result of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has suggested that cumulative CO 2 emissions (i.e. total emissions over an extended period of time) could be more significant than the differences between particular emissions pathway (e.g. with different timing of emissions or peak emissions rate) in determining how the global climate might change in response to CO2 emissions. This suggests that effective measures to mitigate the risk of dangerous climate change will need to limit cumulative emissions of CO 2. Further, if cumulative CO2 emissions overshoot acceptable limits, it will become necessary to remove CO2 from the air - so-called 'negative emissions'. Technologies that effect 'negative emissions' could also be used to offset additional anthropogenic emissions from sectors where greenhouse gas emissions are difficult or impossible to reduce beyond certain, still relatively high, limits. If the prevailing carbon price for marginal abatement options rises significantly from current levels (e.g. of order up to $200/tCO2 has been suggested by some) then a relatively wide range of options for removing CO2 from the air may become cost-effective. Additionally, some options for removing CO2 from the air are likely to have much lower abatement costs. This paper summarises results from research conducted to compare and contrast various options for capturing CO2 from the air, with a particular focus on establishing the potential of these options to have a significant impact in reducing CO2 emissions and, if so, over what timescales. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2011,,Yes (1)
Ecological engineering of artificial oyster reefs to enhance carbon sequestration via the algae-oyster complex,"Ecological engineering of bioengineered reef systems has been shown useful in reducing or reversing erosion in shallow estuarine systems, reducing wave energy, producing food, enhancing habitat, and, coupled with natural solar energy gatherers such as algae, sequestering carbon in a sustainable fashion. Use of biological organism complexes such as algae and oysters to sequester carbon can provide a sustainable solar based solution for carbon capture and storage (CCS) to mitigate the risks of climate change. On a carbon per time per surface area basis, these reefs can be orders of magnitude more effective than grass based systems and significantly more effective than some tree based systems. Concerns over ocean acidification also suggest removal of carbon from the ocean. However, oysters alone are animals which are net producers of carbon dioxide, whereas oysters coupled with algae can be net long term carbon sequesterers, therefore the net carbon sequestration potential of the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica with algae species. A system was designed to assess growth of both algae and oysters in a completely closed system. Relevant parameters include CO2 and O2 in air and water; shell carbon sequestration, wet and dry biomass, net algae concentrations, and pH. Results include quantification of carbon sequestered in various normalized formats and suggest the algae-oyster complex provides significant long term sustainable carbon sequestration potential. Recent moderate sized projects (meters to kilometers; kiloton size basis) are being monitored to assess results on a larger scale and larger projects (multikilometer, megaton mass basis) are proposed. A brief review of these projects shows the potential for scaleability of such ecological engineering techniques.",2011,,No (2)
Historical spatiotemporal analysis of land-use/land-cover changes and carbon budget in a temperate peatland (Turkey) using remotely sensed data,"Rate and amount of carbon (C) storage in peatlands play a vital role in global biogeochemical cycles despite their globally small spatial extent. Carbon dioxide (CO(2)) emissions from drained peatlands is a function of drainage intensity and extent of peatlands, peat thickness, land use and land cover (LULC) type to which peatlands are converted, and management practices. Historical LULC change-detection of Yenicaga peatlands and wet flats yielded an estimated conservative decrease in C pool from 2.43 +/- 0.15 million metric tons (Mt) in 1944 to 0.65 +/- 0.04 Mt in 2009 due mostly to drainage by agricultural and afforestation activities. Drainage-induced C emission rate was estimated to range from 12.5 to 32.5 t C ha(-1) yr(-1). Our extrapolation of the C emission rate to the entire peatland area of 240 km(2) in Turkey resulted in CO(2) emissions of 0.30-0.78 Mt in 2009, equivalent to 0.01%-0.02% of the global LULC-related CO(2) emissions of 3230 Mt in 2009. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2011,Carbon cycle; Change detection; Environmental monitoring; Peatlands; Risk assessment,No (2)
Reducing risk in basin scale sequestration: A bayesian model selection framework for improving detection,"Geological CO2 sequestration is a key technology for mitigating atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations while providing low carbon energy. Deployment of sequestration at scales necessary for a material contribution to greenhouse gas mitigation poses a number of challenges not encountered in current operations. At the basin scale, injection sites will not be as well characterized as current operations. Predictions of system response to this magnitude of injection are expected to have greater uncertainty and risk. Through an integrated, model based design and assimilation, monitoring provides a platform for mitigating the associated risks. Because footprints of basin scale injection projects are expected to be very large, the high resolution monitoring programs in existing projects are not economically feasible for monitoring at large scales. The acceptable levels of resolution and risk are dependent on the footprint of the network and the monitoring technique employed, which are in turn, constrained by cost of deployment and regulatory requirements. Network design must make an implicit assumption on the size of the leak that is able to be measured. Leak detection at the surface is complicated by the many natural and anthropogenic sources of CO2 that can mask a leak or result in the incorrect assessment of whether a leak has occurred. In this paper, we introduce a Bayesian framework for decision support in discriminating between CO2 detected from a leak and CO2 measured from background fluctuations. For small leakage concentrations, the signal cannot be distinguished from background fluctuations. When complementary observations are jointly considered, the ability to discriminate between a leakage and background concentrations improves, and the number of samples required for confident detection decreases. Incorporation of Bayesian decision support tools into monitoring programs will assist in reducing risk in geological sequestration in a cost effective manner by providing a framework for efficient integration of complementary observations and enhancing the information content of the network. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2011,,No (2)
CO2 Geological Storage - Geotechnical Implications,"Fossil fuels account for more than 90% of the world total energy consumption. The emission of CO2 to the atmosphere can be reduced by the development and implementation of carbon capture and storage technologies. The geological formations considered for CO2 storage are saline aquifers, depleted and semidepleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, and unminable coal seams. The efficient short-term injection and the stable long-term geological storage of carbon dioxide are affected by complex hydro-chemo-mechanical interactions that take place in the formation, including water acidification, mineral dissolution, and stress and volume changes. Positive feedback mechanisms may lead to runaway effects. These hydro-chemo-mechanical coupled processes and emergent phenomena may hinder the storativity of injected carbon dioxide. Technological developments such as adequate geophysical tools for injection and reservoir monitoring, are needed for the safe geo-storage of CO2.",2011,carbon dioxide; sustainability; geological storage; reservoir engineering; geotechnical implication; leaks,No (2)
Influence of fast pyrolysis temperature on biochar labile fraction and short-term carbon loss in a loamy soil,"Production of bio-oil, gas and biochar from pyrolysis of biomass is considered a promising technology for combined production of bioenergy and recalcitrant carbon (C) suitable for sequestration in soil. Using a fast pyrolysis centrifuge reactor (PCR) the present study investigated the relation between fast pyrolysis of wheat straw at different reactor temperatures and the short-term degradability of biochar in soil. After 115 days incubation 3-12% of the added biochar-C had been emitted as CO2. On average, 90% of the total biochar-C loss occurred within the first 20 days of the experiment, emphasizing the importance of knowing the biochar labile fraction when evaluating a specific biochars C sequestration potential. The pyrolysis temperature influenced the outputs of biochar, bio-oil and syngas significantly, as well as the stability of the biochar produced. Contrary to slow pyrolysis a fast pyrolysis process may result in incomplete conversion of biomass due to limitations to heat transfer and kinetics. In our case chemical analysis of the biochars revealed unconverted cellulosic and hemicellulosic fractions, which in turn were found to be proportional with the short-term biochar degradation in soil. As these labile carbohydrates are rapidly mineralized, their presence lowers the biochar-C sequestration potential. By raising the pyrolysis temperature, biochar with none or low contents of these fractions can be produced, but this will be on the expense of the biochar quantity. The yield of CO2 neutral bio-oil is the other factor to optimize when adjusting the pyrolysis temperature settings to give the overall greatest climate change mitigation effect. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2011,Biochar; Charcoal; Carbon sequestration; Biochar stability; Pyrolysis centrifuge reactor; Triticum aestivum,No (2)
CO2 capture and sequestration in the cement industry,"The cement industry is coming under increased scrutiny for its CO 2 emissions. The industry has reduced its CO2 footprint through energy efficiency measures, reduction of clinker factor, and the use of alternative fuels. However in a carbon-constrained world, more significant reductions are anticipated and thus CEMEX has been investigating the deployment of CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies for its own cement plants. The goal of this paper is to present the groundwork for the development and demonstration of a commercial-scale CCS project at one of CEMEX Inc.'s U.S. cement plants. The first part of this paper presents the criteria to determine the most suitable CO2 capture technology in an integrated CCS system for a cement plant. The second part of this paper summarizes how CO2 sequestration potential in proximity to one of CEMEX's cement plants was a critical factor in determining the suitability to host a commercial CCS demonstration. Findings of this work showed that the development and demonstration of a commercial-scale CCS in the cement industry is still far from deployment. Retrofitting a very compatible CO2 capture technology for the cement industry is a limiting factor for early implementation of CCS. A pilot phase under actual cement plant flue gas conditions is a must to develop this technology to a commercial level. Uncertainties regarding the level of CO2 purity for transportation, geological sequestration, and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) warrant further investigation. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2011,,No (2)
Life cycle CO 2 emissions of various passenger transport modes at different passenger occupancies,"The CO 2 emissions per passenger-km from passenger transport depend on the number of passengers carried, or vehicle occupancy. While most existing studies estimate CO 2 emissions generated during operation stage only, this study introduces a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach and considers CO 2emissions generated during infrastructure construction and the production of vehicles. Through this study, the effect of higher occupancy and technological advancement on CO 2 reduction is revealed. It is found that the provision of mass transit can contribute to a reduction in CO 2 emissions given the present level of emissions by passenger cars. However, a small-capacity mass transit system with large infrastructure will lose its superiority in CO 2 emissions as innovation takes place in automobile technology and automobile use is improved.",2011,,No (2)
Long-term effects on the nitrogen budget of a short-rotation grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) forest on abandoned agricultural land,"Short-rotation energy forestry is one of the potential ways for management of abandoned agricultural areas. It helps sequestrate carbon and mitigate human-induced climate changes. Owing to symbiotic dinitrogen (N-2) fixation by actinomycetes and the soil fertilizing capacity and fast biomass growth of grey alders, the latter can be suitable species for short-rotation forestry. In our study of a young grey alder stand (Alnus incana (L) Moench) on abandoned arable land in Estonia we tested the following hypotheses: (1) afforestation of abandoned agricultural land by grey alder significantly affects the soil nitrogen (N) status already during the first rotation period: (2) input of symbiotic fixation covers an essential part of the plant annual N demand of the stand; (3) despite a considerable N input into the ecosystem of a young alder stand, there will occur no significant environmental hazards (N leaching or N2O emissions). The first two hypotheses can be accepted: there was a significant increase in N and C content in the topsoil (from 0.11 to 0.14%, and from 1.4 to 1.7%, respectively), and N fixation (151.5 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)) covered about 74% of the annual N demand of the stand. The third hypothesis met support as well: N2O emissions (0.5 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)) were low, while most of the annual gaseous N losses were in the form of N2 (73.8 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)). Annual average NO3-N leaching was 15 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) but the N that leached from topsoil accumulated in deeper soil layers. The soil acidifying effect of alders was clearly evident: during the 14-year period soil acidity increased 1.3 units in the upper 0-10 cm topsoil layer. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2011,Alnus incana; Grey alder; Nitrogen fixation; Short-rotation forestry; Nitrogen leaching; Carbon sequestration; Land use changes,Yes (1)
Getting rid of atmospheric carbon: Sequestration and air capture,"Unlike alternative energy sources, or energy efficiency measures, carbon sequestration can only act to reduce CO2 atmospheric concentrations; it does not help solve our energy problems, and may even add to them. Several sequestration approaches are possible. Carbon capture and storage can only be applied to present emissions from large CO2 emitting sources such as power stations. Another possible approach is to capture CO2 directly from the air. Carbon sequestration in forests, soils, or in ocean plankton, are of this type, as is mechanical air capture. Mechanical air capture can in principle also draw down past CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, and even compensate for emissions of other greenhouse gases. However, the energy costs for capture are very high, so that energy availability becomes a problem. The sequestration phase is the same as for CO2 from fossil fuel combustion. Sequestering CO2 in the deep ocean would lead to both ocean acidification and adverse consequences for marine life. Estimates for the quantity of CO2 that can be ultimately sequestered in geological formations such as disused oil and gas fields, and saline aquifers, both on land and in the seabed, vary by orders of magnitude. But such estimates may be beside the point, since sequestration requires not only that adequate safe geological storage capacity be available, but that CO2 can be safely introduced at the rate desired, which could amount worldwide to tens of Gigatonne of CO2 per year. Furthermore, there is a small risk of catastrophic blowout from injection wells, which means that local citizen opposition could be intense.",2011,,Yes (1)
Effects of land use change on soil organic carbon: A review,"As the largest carbon pool of terrestrial ecosystems and is the main container and carrier of carbon sequestration in the terrestrial ecosystem, soil plays an important role in the global carbon cycling. Soil organic carbon (SOC) covering more than half of the carbon storage in the soil carbon pool is an important contributor to the variation of atmospheric CO2 concentration. To measure and evaluate the quantity and dynamic change of SOC is essential for understanding soil carbon sequestration processes, and thus the global carbon balance. Land use/cover change affects not only the concentration and distribution of SOC directly, but also the characteristics of SOC indirectly by influencing the factors of SOC formation and transformation, and further influence greenhouse gas emissions and carbon flux in the terrestrial ecosystem. Literature results reveal that conversion of farmland to forest or grassland usually leads to the net SOC sequestration, while reclamation of grassland or forestland generally decreases the SOC concentration. Conversion of forestland to grassland is most likely to decrease the net SOC sequestration rate. Land management activities affect SOC balance due to fertilization, irrigation, direct additions of C in organic amendments, and the amount of carbon left after biomass removal activities, such as crop harvest, timber harvest, fire, or grazing. Decomposition largely controls C outputs, as highly influenced by changes in moisture and temperature regimes, and the level of soil disturbance resulting from the management activities. In most major agricultural, silvicultural and pastoral systems, recommended or good management practices such as fertilisation, irrigation, conservation tillage (minimum and no-tillage), and retention of plant residue, commonly led to the SOC increasing. On the contrary, traditional management measures such as conventional tillage, cleaning for natural vegetation, whole tree harvest practices, severe fires, long-term heavy grazing, and pest outbreaks, decrease C inputs and thus SOC storage in most cases. Land use changes at present or in the past are critical in determining the distribution and size of global or regional terrestrial carbon sources and sinks. Accurate estimations of land use/cover composition and changes in the terrestrial ecosystem are increasingly important not only for estimating the carbon balance but also for mitigating climate changes and guaranteeing food security. Studies on SOC storage and its dynamic change caused by land use change are important to deepen the understanding of relationship between land use and global climate change. By literature review, this paper summarizes major research progresses on the effects of land use change on SOC at home and abroad, explaining the process and mechanism of SOC change induced by changes of land use and land management mainly in farmland, forest and grassland ecosystems. Further, it summarized characteristics, applications and existing problems of two principal research methods, i. e., experimental methods and model approaches. Finally, research trends on the effects of land use change on SOC are overviewed.",2011,Land management change; Land use change; Soil organic carbon; carbon cycle; carbon flux; carbon sequestration; carbon sink; conservation tillage; food security; grassland; greenhouse gas; land cover; land management; land use change; literature review; silviculture; soil carbon; soil organic matter; terrestrial ecosystem; timber harvesting,No (2)
Reducing Risk in Basin Scale CO2 Sequestration: A Framework for Integrated Monitoring Design,"Injection of CO2 into geological structures is a key technology for sequestering CO2 emissions captured from the combustion of fossil fuels. Current projects inject volumes on the order of megatonnes per year. However, injection volumes must be increased by several orders of magnitude for material reductions in ambient concentrations. A number of questions surrounding safety and security of injection have been raised about the large scale deployment of geological CO2 sequestration. They are site specific and require an effective monitoring strategy to mitigate risks of concern to stakeholders. This paper presents a model-based framework for monitoring design that can provide a quantitative understanding of the trade-offs between operational decisions of cost, footprint size, and uncertainty in monitoring strategies. Potential risks and challenges of monitoring large scale CO2 injection are discussed, and research areas needed to address uncertainties are identified. Lack of clear guidance surrounding monitoring has contributed to hampering the development of policies to promote the deployment of large scale sequestration projects. Modeling provides an understanding of site specific processes and allows insights into the complexity of these systems, facilitating the calibration of an appropriate plan to manage risk. An integrated policy for risk-based monitoring design, prior to large scale deployment of sequestration will ensure safe and secure storage through an understanding of the real risks associated with large scale injection.",2011,,No (2)
Sequestering carbon in soils of agro-ecosystems,"Soils of the world's agroecosystems (croplands, grazing lands, rangelands) are depleted of their soil organic carbon (SOC) pool by 25-75% depending on climate, soil type, and historic management. The magnitude of loss may be 10 to 50 tons C/ha. Soils with severe depletion of their SOC pool have low agronomic yield and low use efficiency of added input. Conversion to a restorative land use and adoption of recommended management practices, can enhance the SOC pool, improve soil quality, increase agronomic productivity, advance global food security, enhance soil resilience to adapt to extreme climatic events, and mitigate climate change by off-setting fossil fuel emissions. The technical potential of carbon (C) sequestration in soils of the agroecosystems is 1.2-3.1 billion tons C/yr. Improvement in soil quality, by increase in the SOC pool of 1 ton C/ha/yr in the root zone, can increase annual food production in developing countries by 24-32 million tons of food grains and 6-10 million tons of roots and tubers. The strategy is to create positive soil C and nutrient budgets through adoption of no-till farming with mulch, use of cover crops, integrated nutrient management including biofertilizers, water conservation, and harvesting, and improving soil structure and tilth. (C) 2010 Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2011,Soil quality; Adaptation and mitigation of climate change; Food security; Soil restoration; Carbon sequestration,Yes (1)
Pelleted biochar: Chemical and physical properties show potential use as a substrate in container nurseries,"We found that peat moss, amended with various ratios of pellets comprised of equal proportions of biochar and wood flour, generally had chemical and physical properties suitable for service as a substrate during nursery production of plants. High ratios of pellets to peat (> 50%) may be less desirable because of high C:N, high bulk density, swelling associated with water absorption, and low volumetric water content, whereas a mixture of 75% peat and 25% pellets had enhanced hydraulic conductivity and greater water availability at lower (<-10 kPa) matric potentials. Adding pellets to substrates used to grow plants in nurseries has potential to add value to biochar and thereby improve economic viability of pyrolysis. Moreover, biochar-amended substrates offer opportunity to sequester carbon as part of the normal outplanting process. Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2011,Carbon; Greenhouse production; Nutrient; Pyrolysis; Sequestration,No (2)
How to select the best tree planting locations to enhance air pollution removal in the MillionTreesNYC initiative,"Highest priority zones for tree planting within New York City were selected by using a planting priority index developed combining three main indicators: pollution concentration, population density and low canopy cover. This new tree population was projected through time to estimate potential air quality and carbon benefits. Those trees will likely remove more than 10 000 tons of air pollutants and a maximum of 1500 tons of carbon over the next 100 years given a 4% annual mortality rate. Cumulative carbon storage will be reduced through time as carbon loss through tree mortality outweighs carbon accumulation through tree growth. Model projections are strongly affected by mortality rate whose uncertainties limit estimations accuracy. Increasing mortality rate from 4 to 8% per year produce a significant decrease in the total pollution removal over a 100 year period from 11 000 tons to 3000 tons. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2011,Urban forestry; UFORE; Planting priority index; Air pollution; Carbon,No (2)
An investigation of the variation in the sweep and diffusion front displacement as a function of reservoir temperature and seepage velocity with implications in CO2 sequestration,"The steady accumulation of greenhouse gases resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels has led to an increase in the amount of solar radiation trapped between the atmosphere and earth. This increased radiation raises the temperature of the earth's atmosphere and ocean systems. It is believed that continuing increases in temperature will lead to catastrophic changes in weather conditions around the globe. With carbon dioxide (CO2) being the most abundant greenhouse gas, many efforts are underway to reduce the level of CO2 entering the atmosphere. One promising technology involves the sequestration of CO2 in deep geologic formations. CO2 is first separated from flue gas expelled by coal fired power plants, compressed to a supercritical phase (ScCO2), and injected into underground formations such as exhausted gas reservoirs and deep brine aquifers. Flue gas normally contains 10% to 15% CO2 by volume. It is believed that CO2 can remain permanently sequestered in such formations, depending on the chemical and mechanical characteristics of the underground resident water and rock constituents. However, uncertainties remain in several areas such as the chemical and physical effects of CO2 injection on subsurface rocks which may introduce unwanted side-effects that could hamper long-term sequestration, such as induced seismicity. Risk estimation of short- and long-term geologic storage of CO2 can only be addressed through numerical modeling and simulation. In this paper we examine a short-term side-effect of CO2 injection in which an acidic fluid region develops ahead of the main CO2-rich water injectant. It is shown that the length of this low pH region varies with injectant velocity and reservoir temperature. A leading fluid region of low pH could have an effect on the wetability of formation minerals and the capillarity of the moving effluent. An advancing low pH front may increase the wetability of mineral surfaces which would improve CO2 sequestration efficiency and aid in enhanced oil recovery operations. © 2011 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.",2011,,No (2)
Linking reduced deforestation and a global carbon market: implications for clean energy technology and policy flexibility,"This study uses a global climate-energy-economy model to investigate potential implications of linking credits from reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries to a global carbon market, focusing on reducing emissions from deforestation (RED) and effects on energy technology innovation. Integrating RED into a global carbon market lowers the estimated total costs of a policy to achieve 535 ppmv of CO2-equivalent concentrations in 2100 by up to 25 per cent. Alternatively, a global RED program could enable additional reductions of about 20 ppmv by 2100 with no added costs compared with an energy-sector-only policy. The results indicate that market linkage of RED induces modest reductions in clean energy innovation overall but slightly enhances development of particular technologies, including carbon capture and storage. We also find that RED in combination with credit banking encourages greater mitigation in the near term, enhancing flexibility to potentially tighten emission targets at lower cost in response to future information.",2011,,No (2)
Ditetraalkylammonium Amino Acid Ionic Liquids as CO2 Absorbents of High Capacity,"By grafting butyl or ethyl onto tetramethylethylenediamine, quaternary ammonium salts with two positive charge centers were formed at the first step. Metathesis with Ag2O followed. Through neutralization with glycine, L-alanine, or valine, a series of new ditetraalkylammonium amino acid ionic liquids (DILs) for CO2 capture were generated. The structures of DILs, as shown in Figure 1, were verified by using H-1 NMR and EA. These DILs were found to be of quite high viscosity which militated against their industrial application in CO2 removal. Drawing on the experience of mixed amines' aqueous solutions, these DILs were blended with water or N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) aqueous solutions to act as special absorbents of CO2. Using a Double-Tank Absorption System, the absorption performance of these DIL solutions was investigated in detail. The experimental results indicated that among the three aqueous solutions of DILs (20%, 40%, and 80 wt %), the solution of 40% DIL had a higher absorption rate of CO2 than the other two, demonstrating the different effects of concentration and viscosity on the absorption. The solution of 40% DIL or the 15% DIL + 15% MDEA had much higher capacity for CO2 than the corresponding monocation tetraalkylammonium AAILs, due to the special structure of the dication which could influence the solubility of CO2 in the aqueous solution.",2011,,No (2)
"Carbon sequestration by Chinese bamboo forests and their ecological benefits: assessment of potential, problems, and future challenges","Bamboo is widely distributed in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. As a major non-wood forest product and wood substitute, bamboo is of increasing interest to ecologists owing to its rapid growth and correspondingly high potential for mitigating climate change. With a long history of production and utilization of bamboo, China is one of the countries with the richest bamboo resources and largest area of bamboo forest, and has paid unprecedented attention in recent decades to management of its bamboo forests. This review summarizes the versatility of bamboo in terms of its ecological benefits including carbon sequestration, water and soil conservation, its benefits for socioeconomic development, and its potential to mitigate climate change. Current problems, and the future potential of and challenges to rapidly expanding bamboo forests under both wider use of intensive management and the effects of global warming, are also discussed.",2011,socioeconomic benefits; bamboo management; mitigate climate change; renewable resource; bamboo,Yes (1)
Feasibility of air capture,"Capturing CO2 from air, referred to as air capture, is being proposed as a viable climate change mitigation technology. Technically, air capture is not a new technology; industrial applications can be traced back to the 1930s. This paper explores the feasibility of this technology as a climate change mitigation option. Two different pathways of air capture are assessed: direct air capture, which uses a chemical process to capture CO2, and biomass coupled with CO2 capture and storage (CCS), which utilizes the biological process of photosynthesis to remove CO2 from the air. We find that direct air capture has prohibitively high mitigation costs compared to the costs of climate change mitigation options being considered today. The pathway of biomass coupled with CCS has much more reasonable costs and could be used to offset certain emissions. However, the large land requirement may limit the amount of offsets available. We conclude that relying on air capture technology to play a major role in mitigating carbon emissions is a very risky policy decision. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2011,Air capture; Biomass; Carbon dioxide capture; Climate change; Sequestration; Switchgrass; Biomass; Carbon capture; Carbon dioxide; Costs; Greenhouse gases; Air captures; Biological process; Carbon dioxide capture; Carbon emissions; Chemical process; Climate change mitigation; Sequestration; Switchgrass; Climate change,Yes (1)
The influence of climate change on the soil organic carbon content in Italy from 1961 to 2008,"Soils are the biggest carbon store in the world (1500Gt, e.g. 1.5×1021g). The European Commission indicates the accounting of soil organic carbon (SOC) variations in space and time as the first step in the strategy for soil protection. It is indeed necessary in evaluating the risk of soil organic matter decline and soil biodiversity decline, and when evaluating the role played by soils in global CO2 accounting. Previous maps of SOC variations in Italy did not consider the direct effect of climate. There is a marked inter-dependence between SOC and climate. SOC increases with the increase in precipitations and decreases with a rise in temperatures. It is also known that land use and management have a bigger impact on SOC than climate. The aim of this work is to understand to what extent the SOC variations occurring in Italy from 1961 to 2008 could be explained by climate change. The soil database of Italy was the source of information for SOC content: 17,817 observations (3082 before and 14,735 after 31 Dec 1990). SOC content was referred to the first 50cm of soil depth, one single data obtained by weighted horizon thickness. SOC content was expressed as percentage by weight (dagkg-1) analyzed by the Walkley-Black procedure and converted to ISO standard. The CRA-CMA (Research Unit for Climatology and Meteorology Applied to Agriculture) database was the source of information for climatic data. We considered the mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean value of total annual precipitation (MAP) of the two periods 1961-1990 and 1991-2006, and we mapped them by regression kriging with elevation and latitude as predictors. The climate change between the two periods was characterized by a general MAT increase, which was greater at lower altitudes and higher latitudes. The precipitation generally decreased, with some local exceptions. Some linear regression analyses were used to investigate the relationship between SOC content and climate/land use. Temperatures had most relevant impact on SOC with an inverse correlation. SOC content was directly correlated with precipitations on arable lands and inversely in forests and meadows. Two general multiple linear regression analyses considered all the pedogenesis factors and: either by time periods (1979-1990; 1991-2009), model 1; or by MAT and MAP, model 2. The two models both had low precision (multiple R-squared=0.26-0.27; RMSE=1.42; IoA=0.61), but very different accuracies. Model 1 correctly predicted the mean SOC values for the 3 land uses in the 2 periods, detecting a significative decrease in all three land uses. Model 2 was not accurate every time. SOC decreases estimated with model 2 were always significatively lower than the observed ones. Model 2 did not estimate a significative SOC decrease in forests. Climate change had a general low influence on SOC variations. The relatively higher climatic influence occurred in meadows and in agricultural areas with a moderate or high MAP decrease (&lt;-100mm/y) and a moderate to high MAT increase (&gt;0.62°C). Other changes, probably linked to land management, need to be investigated to explain SOC variations. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.",2011,,No (2)
"CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad - Design, functionality and emissions of the amine plant","The CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) project is constructing two large post-combustion CO2 capture demonstration plants near the Statoil operated Mongstad refinery, located at the Norwegian west coast north of Bergen. TCM's partners are Gassnova, Statoil, Sasol and Norske Shell. This paper describes the amine plant. The amine plant is designed and constructed by the CO2 capture technology provider Aker Clean Carbon (ACC) with specifications and additional generic functionalities defined by TCM. Several new technology elements will be tested and verified, including improved solvents. Monoethanolamine and a new ACC solvent will be tested during the initial 16 months of operations. Thereafter tests will be run by the TCM partners. The quality and quantity of the emissions from the absorber to air have become top priority. Currently they represent a health and environmental uncertainty, mainly due to the lack of reliable and accessible experimental data. While knowledge and experience of these emissions are rapidly increasing, an emission permit is being applied for. The amine plant is highly flexible and can combine several novel technologies. Due to its scale it will give valuable information on utility and space requirements, scale-up properties and contribute to reducing HSE risks and costs. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2011,,No (2)
Soil carbon dynamics and crop productivity as influenced by climate change in a rainfed cereal system under contrasting tillage using EPIC,"The issue of soil C sequestration is of special interest in Mediterranean areas, where, due to climatic conditions and agricultural practices, SOC (soil organic carbon) content is low, and is likely to be affected by climate change. Besides, losses of SOC have a relevant role in decreasing agricultural soil quality and could have a negative effect in productivity. Therefore, it is crucial to estimate whether modifying traditional soil management would have beneficial effects under future climate conditions. We used the EPIC model to simulate the interactive effect of climate change, CO2 enrichment, soil management (conventional tillage-CT vs. no tillage-NT) and two crop rotations, durum wheat-sunflower and durum wheat-maize, on crops yields and SOC in central Italy. The model was calibrated using soil and crop yield data collected from a long-term field experiment run in central Italy with CT and NT treatments. Maize and sunflower grain yields were significantly reduced by NT, primarily because of poor establishment, while-durum wheat was almost not affected by tillage treatments. Projected durum wheat (Dw) and maize (Ma) grain yields were negatively affected by climate change (up to -25% and -10% respectively) while sunflower (Sf) yield increased. Tillage effects appear to be the most important factor in sequestering/releasing C. No-tillage practices sequestered in all profile (0-100 cm depth) from 0.03 to 0.2 t ha(-1) y(-1) in 30 years, depending on climate scenario and plant C input, while conventional tillage (CT) led to massive C loss rates (up to -0.9 t ha(-1) y(-1)). Beyond all uncertainties in the use of models, the results demonstrated that soil tillage and, to a certain extent, crop rotation, can play a relevant role in reducing (NT) or reinforcing (CT) the impact of climate change on SOC. No-tillage farming, if sufficient C input is ensured by the cropping system, could effectively contribute to increase soil C sequestration in Mediterranean rainfed environments. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2011,No tillage; Carbon sequestration; Maize; Wheat; Sunflower; Climate change,No (2)
Invasion of non-native grasses causes a drop in soil carbon storage in California grasslands,"Vegetation change can affect the magnitude and direction of global climate change via its effect on carbon cycling among plants, the soil and the atmosphere. The invasion of non-native plants is a major cause of land cover change, of biodiversity loss, and of other changes in ecosystem structure and function. In California, annual grasses from Mediterranean Europe have nearly displaced native perennial grasses across the coastal hillsides and terraces of the state. Our study examines the impact of this invasion on carbon cycling and storage at two sites in northern coastal California. The results suggest that annual grass invasion has caused an average drop in soil carbon storage of 40 Mg/ha in the top half meter of soil, although additional mechanisms may also contribute to soil carbon losses. We attribute the reduction in soil carbon storage to low rates of net primary production in non-native annuals relative to perennial grasses, a shift in rooting depth and water use to primarily shallow sources, and soil respiratory losses in non-native grass soils that exceed production rates. These results indicate that even seemingly subtle land cover changes can significantly impact ecosystem functions in general, and carbon storage in particular.",2011,grassland; California; species invasion; carbon cycle; land cover change; rooting depth; global climate change; plant strategies,No (2)
Sustainable concrete: Impacts of existing and emerging materials and technologies on the construction industry,"Cement production generates about 5 percent of global manmade carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (ca. 1 ton of CO2 per ton of cement made) and is the secondlargest industrial process-related source of CO2 emissions in the United States. In response to environmental concerns related to global warming, the cement and concrete industry has been gradually shifting towards more sustainable materials and technologies. The primary objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the main directions of sustainable concrete technology; namely, reduction of the CO2 footprint of concrete materials, adaptation of performance-based specifications, and utilization of high-performance concrete. Specific methods of CO 2 reduction in concrete, some of which are still under development, include supplementary cementitious materials, limestone filler, binder content reduction through optimization of aggregate gradation, ""low CO 2"" cements, and cement-free binders (geopolymer concrete). In view of emerging environment-conscious policies and regulatory changes gradually being adopted by owners and specifiers, the concrete construction industry is facing significant challenges.",2011,,No (2)
Forests as carbon sinks-benefits and consequences,"With their ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, many countries have established forests on previously non-forested land with the view of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. While these forests indisputably result in increased carbon storage in above-ground biomass, consideration of other major implications is often neglected. Forest establishment results in changes in albedo and soil carbon storage, reduced runoff and downstream water supply, and effects on biodiversity. Such effects of forest establishment may be less desirable from environmental, economic and social perspectives. While there have been many studies of the impacts of forest establishment on individual aspects, policy makers need to be able to integrate the benefits and consequences to assist in making decisions on land management. Further, the relative magnitude of the effects of forestry needs to be considered in the context of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide partial pressure and climate change resulting in increasing temperature and changes in the amount and distribution of rainfall. This introductory review highlights the major benefits and consequences of forest establishment and demonstrates progress in integrating across the services provided by forests. New modelling approaches are being developed that allow analysis of benefits, consequences and trade-offs to assist policy makers in decisions to manage the provision of multiple resources.",2011,albedo; biodiversity; carbon storage; climate change; soil carbon; water supply,Yes (1)
Modelling of discharge and atmospheric dispersion for carbon dioxide releases including sensitivity analysis for wide range of scenarios,"Projects in carbon capture and storage technologies for energy production involve the transport of vapour, liquid and supercritical CO2 and CO2/hydrocarbon gas mixtures via pipelines and process systems with subsequent injection into wells, e.g. offshore under the seabed. In addition several chemical companies often store and transport large quantities of CO 2 and this may also represent a hazard. There is a need to model potential loss of containment scenarios for risk assessment and design purposes for such installations. It is observed that several models used in quantitative risk analyses and hazard assessment studies are not able to take into account modelling of the thermodynamics of CO2 in case of accidental releases from dense or supercritical conditions. Statoil together with DNV therefore initiated a project to further improve the Phast code for modelling of CO 2 releases. The work and methodology derived in this project have mainly been developed by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), but with significant co-operation and input by Statoil. The consequence modelling package Phast examines the progress of a potential incident from the initial release to the far-field dispersion including the modelling of rainout and subsequent vaporisation. The original Phast 6.54 models allow the released chemical to occur only in the vapour and liquid phases. The new Phast 6.6 models were extended to also allow for the occurrence of fluid to solid transition in case of CO2 releases. This applies both for the post-expansion state in the discharge model, as well as for the thermodynamic calculations by the dispersion model. Here it is assumed that no solid deposition occurs on the ground. The current paper documents work regarding modelling by Phast 6.6 of discharge and atmospheric dispersion of carbon dioxide, including a detailed sensitivity analysis for a wide range of scenarios (base cases) including high-pressure cold releases (liquid storage) and high-pressure supercritical releases (vapour storage) from vessels, short pipes or long pipes. The objectives of this work were to examine the effect of input parameters on key output data, to ensure robustness of the models, and to identify further model improvements where deemed to be necessary. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2011,,No (2)
Cap and trade: Offsets and implications for Alaska,"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has formally declared that greenhouse gases (GHG) pose a threat to public health and the environment. This is signifcant because it gives the executive branch the authority to impose carbon regulations on carbon-emitting entities. United States GHG emissions have increased by approximately 17 percent between 1990 and 2007, and the EPA now has the authority to design regulation to reverse this trend. One of the regulatory tools being considered is a cap and trade system, whereby a ceiling is set for allowable carbon dioxide emissions and emitters are allowed to purchase offsets if they exceed their allowable emissions. Forests are major carbon sinks, and reforestation or projects to avoid deforestation are considered an offset with a monetary value under a majority of cap and trade systems. Alaska has vast forest resources including the largest national forest in the Nation. Alaska's forest accounts for 17 percent of all U.S. forest land. This paper provides an overview of a cap and trade system, the role of offsets, and the potential impact on Alaska's forest stakeholders.",2011,,No (2)
Crew health and performance improvements with reduced carbon dioxide levels and the resource impact to accomplish those reductions,"Carbon Dioxide (CO2) removal is one of the primary functions of the International Space Station (ISS) atmosphere revitalization systems. Primary CO2 removal is via the ISS's two Carbon Dioxide Removal Assemblies (CDRAs) and the Russian Carbon Dioxide removal assembly (Vozdukh); both of these systems are regenerable, meaning that their CO2 removal capacity theoretically remains constant as long as the system is operating. Contingency CO2 removal capability is provided by Lithium Hydroxide (LiOH) canisters, which are consumable, meaning that their CO2 removal capability disappears once the resource is used. With the advent of 6 crew ISS operations, experience showing that CDRA failures are not uncommon, and anecdotal association of crew symptoms with CO2 values just above 4 mmHg, the question arises: How much lower do we keep CO2 levels to minimize the risk to crew health and performance, and what will be the operational cost to the CDRAs to do it? The primary crew health concerns center on the interaction of increased intracranial pressure from fluid shifts and the increased intracranial blood flow induced by CO2. Typical acute symptoms include headache, minor visual disturbances, and subtle behavioral changes. The historical database of CO2 exposures since the beginning of ISS operations has been compared to the incidence of crew symptoms reported in private medical conferences. We have used this database in an attempt to establish an association between the CO2 levels and the risk of crew symptoms. This comparison will answer the question of the level needed to protect the crew from unacceptable risk of acute effects. As for the second part of the question, operation of the ISS's regenerable CO2 removal capability reduces the limited life of constituent parts. It also consumes limited electrical power and thermal control resources. Operation of consumable CO2 removal capability (LiOH) uses finite consumable materials, which must be replenished in the long term. Therefore, increased CO2 removal means increased resource use, with increased logistical capability to maintain necessary resources on board ISS. We must strike a balance between sufficiently low CO2 levels to maintain crew health and CO2 levels which are operationally feasible for the ISS program.",2011,,No (2)
Effects of Land Use/Cover Change and Harvests on Forest Carbon Dynamics in Northern States of the United States from Remote Sensing and Inventory Data: 1992-2001,"We examined spatial patterns of changes in forest area and nonsoil carbon (C) dynamics affected by land use/cover change (LUC) and harvests in 24 northern states of the United States using an integrated methodology combining remote sensing and ground inventory data between 1992 and 2001. We used the Retrofit Change Product from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium to quantify LUC. We then calculated C dynamics using C densities for major forest types based on US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data by forest, area for different statuses (i.e., afforestation, deforestation, and forest remaining forest) and incorporated county-level harvest data. Across the region, 16,740 km(2) of forestland changed to nonforest, whereas 9,120 km(2) of nonforest became forestland, a net loss of 7,620 km(2) of forestland during the period or 0.13%/year. The region as a whole functioned as a C sink of 627 Tg (1 teragram = 10(12) g) or 70 Tg of C/year. Regional C sequestration calculated using forest type identification at the state level was 5% higher than that from the county-level identification. Integrated annual effects of LUC and harvest on reducing C stocks at the state level varied substantially, ranging from 0.4% in North Dakota to 5.1% in Delaware with an average of 3.2% across the region (3.4% in the 13 northeastern states and 2.6% in the 11 northcentral states), compared with what it would be without these effects. We also found that within the region the annual LUC rate was significantly correlated with population density at the state level (P < 0.001). FOR. SCI. 57(6):525-534.",2011,carbon density; carbon sequestration; forest change statuses; integrated effect,No (2)
Direct soil moisture controls of future global soil carbon changes: An important source of uncertainty,"The nature of the climate-carbon cycle feedback depends critically on the response of soil carbon to climate, including changes in moisture. However, soil moisture-carbon feedback responses have not been investigated thoroughly. Uncertainty in the response of soil carbon to soil moisture changes could arise from uncertainty in the relationship between soil moisture and heterotrophic respiration. We used twelve soil moisture-respiration functions (SMRFs) with a soil carbon model (RothC) and data from a coupled climate-carbon cycle general circulation model to investigate the impact of direct heterotrophic respiration dependence on soil moisture on the climate-carbon cycle feedback. Global changes in soil moisture acted to oppose temperature-driven decreases in soil carbon and hence tended to increase soil carbon storage. We found considerable uncertainty in soil carbon changes due to the response of soil respiration to soil moisture. The use of different SMRFs resulted in both large losses and small gains in future global soil carbon stocks, whether considering all climate forcings or only moisture changes. Regionally, the greatest range in soil carbon changes across SMRFs was found where the largest soil carbon changes occurred. Further research is needed to constrain the soil moisture-respiration relationship and thus reduce uncertainty in climate-carbon cycle feedbacks. There may also be considerable uncertainty in the regional responses of soil carbon to soil moisture changes since climate model predictions of regional soil moisture changes are less coherent than temperature changes.",2011,,No (2)
"Moisture effect on carbon and nitrogen mineralization in topsoil of Changbai Mountain, Northeast China","Changbai Mountain Natural Reserve (1,985 km2 and 2,734 m a.s.l.) of Northeast China is a typical ecosystem representing the temperate biosphere. The vegetation is vertically divided into 4 dominant zones: broadleaved Korean pine forest (annual temperature 2.3°, annual precipitation 703.62 mm), dark coniferous forest (annual temperature -1.78°C, annual precipitation 933.67 mm), Erman's birch forest (annual temperature -2.80°C, annual precipitation 1,002.09 mm) and Alpine tundra (annual temperature -3.8°C, annual precipitation 1,075.53 mm). Studies of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization have attracted wide attention in the context of global climate change. Based on the data of a 42-day laboratory incubation experiment, this paper investigated the relationship between soil moisture and mineralization of C and N in soils with different vegetation types on the northern slope of the Natural Reserve Zone of Changbai Mountain. The elevation influence on soil C and N mineralization was also discussed. The results indicated that for the given vegetation type of Changbai Mountain the C and N mineralization rate, potential mineralizable C (C0) and potential rate of initial C mineralization (C0k) all increased as the soil moisture rose. The elevation or vegetation type partially affected the soil C and N mineralization but without a clear pattern. The moisture-elevation interaction significantly affected soil C and NO3-N mineralization, but the effect on NH4+-N mineralization was not significant. The complex mechanism of their impact on the soil C and N mineralization of Changbai Mountain remains to be studied further based on data of field measurements in the future.",2011,,No (2)
Comparative assessment of CCS with other technologies mitigating climate change,"The purpose of this report is to show the importance of CCS as a climate change mitigation technology by comparing it with other climate change mitigation technologies currently being developed. In order to objectively evaluate those technologies including CCS currently being researched and developed, the study conducted and compared these technologies in term of their potential in reducing GHG emissions at two set points in the future. The authors believe that the result of the study can be an effective way to promote public acceptance (PA) of CCS technology. The study was conducted with support from the 'RandD project of CO2 Geological Storage Technology' which is subsidized by Japan's METI. In the result of evaluation, it shows that in order for the CCS technology to become practical, risks must be more clearly identified and the economic viability must be improved. Therefore, preparing frameworks and building social systems that support CCS technology would be inferred to become critical elements. These analysis results can be re-assessed when situations change for each subject technology whenever appropriate and will help make it possible to deal with changing reality in a flexible manner. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.",2011,,No (2)
Effects of operation parameters on NO emission in an oxy-fired CFB combustor,"Oxy-fuel Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) combustion technology, a very promising technology for CO(2) capture, combines many advantages of oxy-fuel and CFB technologies. Experiments were carried out in a 50 kW(th) CFB facility to investigate how operation parameters influence the NO emission in O(2)/CO(2) atmospheres. The simulated O(2)/CO(2) atmospheres were used without recycling the flue gas. Results show that NO emission in 21% O(2)/79% CO(2) atmosphere is lower than that in air atmosphere because of lower temperature and higher char and CO concentrations in the dense bed. Elevating O(2) concentration from 21% to 40% in O(2)/CO(2) atmosphere enhances fuel-N conversion to NO. Increasing bed temperature or oxygen/fuel stoichiometric ratio brings higher NO emission in O(2)/CO(2) atmosphere, which is consistent with the results in air-fired CFB combustion. As primary stream fraction increases, NO emission increases more rapidly in O(2)/CO(2) atmosphere than that in air atmosphere. Stream staging is more efficient for controlling NO emission in oxy-CFB combustion than that in air combustion. Oxygen staging provides an efficient way to reduce NO emission in oxy-CFB combustion without influencing the hydrodynamic characteristic in the riser. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2011,Oxy-fuel combustion; CFB; Operation parameters; NO emission,No (2)
"41st International Conference on Environmental Systems, ICES 2011","The proceedings contain 280 papers. The special focus in this conference is on Environmental Systems. The topics include: fluid line evacuation and freezing experiments for digital radiator concept; Columbus payloads flow rate anomalies; updates on HRF payloads operations in Columbus ATCS; BepiColombo MOSIF 10 SC solar simulation test; solar array thermal simulator thermal testing hardware for BepiColombo; thermal test verification of the performance of LISA pathfinder; launch and entry glove development; development of CO2 reduction system for closed-loop air revitalization; a novel approach to maximize waste recovery in a life support system; habitat water wall for water, solids, and atmosphere recycle and reuse; smart sensor systems for spacecraft fire detection and air quality monitoring; impact of ice during launcher's ascent; ice accretion on cryogenic launchers at launch pad; enhanced planetary surface EVA mobility for space colonization; follow-on development of the demonstrator suit for post-shuttle operations; compact and lightweight Sabatier reactor for carbon dioxide reduction; non thermal plasma recovery of hydrogen from Sabatier waste methane; mission design drivers for life support; dynamic life support system simulations with the virtual habitat; parametric analysis of life support systems for future space exploration missions; an investigation into life support systems for a lunar habitat; consideration of commercial orbital facilities from the view point of color psychology; design, development, and testing of an inflatable habitat element for NASA lunar analogue studies; U.S. navy sodium chlorate oxygen candle safety; CO oxidation for post-fire cleanup; advanced fire blankets for spacecraft use; towards the identification of chemical markers for spacecraft post-fire cleanup; testing injury potential of suited occupants during dynamic spacecraft flight phases; space suit helmet CFD analysis results utilizing a sinusoidal breathing model; thermal protection from cold water immersion in a spacecraft launch entry and abort suit; evaluation of bosch-based systems using non-traditional catalysts at reduced temperatures; cleanser, detergent, personal care product, and pre-treatment evaluation; analytical design of hybrid piezoelectric hybrid PZT-PVDF pump; a lunar base with astronomical observatory; mobility spectrometer studies on hydrazine and ammonia detection; selected parametric effects on materials flammability limits; preliminary evaluation of passive thermal control for the soil moisture active and passive (SMAP) radiometer; thermal design of the EarthCARE MSI-VNS instrument; thermal design considerations of the robotic refueling mission (RRM); nonhazardous urine pre-treatment method for future exploration systems; design status of the advanced closed loop system ACLS for accommodation on the ISS; integrated ventilation modeling for crew quarter airflow; flow-through radiator development for Orion crew exploration vehicle; crew exploration vehicle environmental control and life support development status; effects of EVA glove on hand performance; phase VI glove durability testing; survey of sensor technology for aircraft cabin environment sensing; electrochemical sensing system for detection of tricresyl-phosphate; the reliability-mass trade-off in multi-criteria life support technology selection; an early lunar outpost for lunar development; lunar reconnaissance orbiter (LRO) thermal on-orbit performance; carbon dioxide reduction system trade studies; UV-C photocatalytic system for VOC's removal; ammonia offgassing from SA9T; next generation space suit injury assessment; wireless sensor network for aircraft cabin environment sensing; monitoring of potential bleed air gas contaminants with FTIR spectroscopy; spacecraft cabin acoustic modeling and validation with mockups; mars science laboratory launch pad thermal control; design and test of ExoMars thermal breadboard; CO2 insulation for thermal control of the mars science laboratory; variable conductance heat pipe for a lunar variable thermal link; low power and low temperature LHP for thermal control of rovers; loop heat pipe operation using heat source temperature for set point control; microwave-assisted pyrolysis of solid waste; hardware design improvements to the major constituent analyzer; bio-regenerative life support systems for space surface applications; modeling and analyzing distributed autonomy for spaceflight teams; performance measurements and modeling of a silicon two-phase heat spreader; development of flat plate heat pipe and the project of on-orbit experiment; biological and physical polishing of a space based waste stream; sustainability base graywater recycling system; trending of overboard leakage of ISS cabin atmosphere; international space station water balance operations; development and integration of the flight Sabatier assembly on the ISS; chemical analysis results for potable water from ISS expeditions 21 through 25; discovery and identification of dimethylsilanediol as a contaminant in ISS potable water; advances in application of linear control methods for satellite thermal analysis; a lunar surface environment model for the thermal moon simulator (TherMoS); coupled radiator east-west experiment flight data; advanced greenhouse modules for use within planetary habitats; response of radish to light and oxygen at reduced atmospheric pressure; brine dewatering using ultrasonic nebulization; development of the BRIC concept for recovering water from wastewater brines; phase composition of dried brine solids via X-ray diffraction; Reduction of brine to dry solids using nanopowder drying agents; linking the world together with an international space celebration; rocket propulsion techniques for science technology engineering and mathematics; extravehicular activity technology development status and forecast; equivalent system mass analysis for space suit thermal control; evaluation of a surface exploration traverse analysis and navigation tool; evaluation of lunar dust mitigation strategies for thermal control surfaces; air filtration with nano and micron sized titania silicate fibers; experimental investigation of transient sublimator performance; an integrated sublimator driven coldplate; BepiColombo/MMO thermal test model testing; AMS-02 thermal model validation; solar orbiter thermal design drivers and verification approach; advanced aqueous phase catalyst development using combinatorial methods; efficiency evaluation of an electrostatic lunar dust collector; dust mitigation using noncontact field-induced forces; testing and failure mechanisms of ice phase change material heat exchangers; geoscience laser altimetry system (GLAS) loop heat pipe anomaly and on orbit testing; status of the correlation process of the V-HAB simulation with ANITA ISS data; safety analysis of carbon dioxide reduction technologies; spectroscopic determination of trace contaminants in high purity oxygen; exploration extravehicular activity purge flow assessment; design and development of a regenerative blower for EVA suit ventilation; status of ISS water management and recovery; a cabin air separator for EVA oxygen; loop heat pipe with thermal control valve for variable thermal conductance; pressure controlled heat pipes; SpaceX dragon air circulation system; carbon dioxide control system for a mars spacesuit life support system; low cost space demonstration for a single-person spacecraft; mems-based active control of thermal radiation using the near-field effect; performance evaluation of new thermal insulation system with polyimide foams; nonventing thermal and humidity control for EVA suits; cold stowage flight systems; post-flight analyses of Columbus HEPA filter; microbiological lessons learned from the space shuttle; reliability analysis of carbon dioxide reduction systems; freezable radiator model correlation improvements and fluids study and adaptation of the ELISSA simulation tool for reliability analysis.",2011,,No (2)
"Weighing up the performance: Emissions performance standards, house of commons select committee on energy and climate change, first report of session 2010-11, HC 523","Policy makers have found emissions trading a powerful and attractive concept. But there is now a real concern as to whether the EU trading scheme for greenhouse gases can provide the necessary incentives for securing investment in carbon reduction technology within the time-scales needed. A UK Parliamentary Committee has recently endorsed the UK Government's proposals for performance standards to drive down CO 2 emissions from power stations and other major emitters. They wish to see such standards work alongside the existing trading scheme, but this raises a number of complex legal issues, and some challenging policy issues. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.",2011,,No (2)
Genetic diversity among endangered Uruguayan populations of Butia Becc. species based on ISSR,"The genus Butia Becc. (Arecaceae) comprises 18 species distributed exclusively in South America, four of them in Uruguay: Butia lallemantii, B. paraguayensis, B. yatay and B. capitata. All species show serious regeneration problems which jeopardise their continuity in the near future. Butia lallemantii and B. paraguayensis are in the most critical situation, with restricted distributions (fragmented and reduced by cattle grazing and forestation) and populations with few individuals. Taxonomy in the genus is complex, and species delimitation remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the genetic variability of natural populations of B. paraguayensis, B. lallemantii and B. yatay, based on inter-simple sequence repeat markers, in view of long term conservation plans and to assist the taxonomic resolution of these closely related species. Twenty individuals from each population were sampled including four populations of B. lallemantii, three of B. yatay and the only B. paraguayensis population reported for Uruguay. Syagrus romanzoffiana was used as outgroup. Five primers were selected based on amplification profiles. Relationships among species were evaluated by constructing dendrograms and principal coordinates analysis. Genetic distance analyses indicate the existence of low variability among Butia species. Variability within populations was high, possibly due to gene flow, past hybridisation or life history traits. This variability provides great potential for recovery. Results do not allow us to suggest changes to the present taxonomic status of these species. We propose management recommendations involving restoration of recruitment and augmentation via stocks from within populations. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.",2011,,No (2)
Comparing the bioremoval of black crusts on colored artistic lithotypes of the Cathedral of Florence with chemical and laser treatment,"The external walls of the Cathedral of Florence are made of green serpentine, red marlstone and Carrara white marble, and intensive air pollution attack has led to their weathering, which caused black crust formation. A study was performed to evaluate the most appropriate cleaning treatment for black crust removal, adopting chemical (ammonium carbonate poultice), laser (1064 nm, Nd:YAG laser), and microbial (poultice embedding sulfate-reducing bacteria) cleaning. The effects of the different procedures on the original surfaces were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM/EDS) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and color measurements. One year later further color measurements were made. It was found that chemical cleaning led to non-homogeneous crust removal and that for the extremely powdery and incoherent red substratum the preferred treatment was laser cleaning. Overall, the most satisfactory treatment was the microbial cleaning process. It was the most controllable process and the most efficient for sulfate removal. Its main drawback appears to be the time needed to remove thick black crusts since numerous applications were necessary. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.",2011,,No (2)
Hydrogen production by nitrogenase as a potential crop rotation benefit,"Both climate change and the adverse effects of chemical use on human and environmental health are recognized as serious issues of global concern. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the agricultural sector where release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane continues to be problematic and where use of nitrogen fertilizer is responsible for negative impacts on both human populations and ecosystems. The manipulation of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) could help alleviate part of the difficulty by decreasing the need for nitrogen fertilizers, which require huge quantities of fossil fuel to produce and contribute to the release of nitrous oxide from soil as well as being responsible for the contamination of drinking water systems and natural habitats. BNF is performed by a variety of microorganisms. One of the most studied examples is the BNF carried out by rhizobial bacteria in symbiosis with their plant hosts such as pea and soybean. Hydrogen gas is an energy-rich, obligate by-product of BNF. Legume symbioses with rhizobia lacking hydrogenase enzymes (which can recycle hydrogen) have traditionally been viewed as energetically inefficient. However, recent studies suggest hydrogen release to soil may be beneficial, increasing soil carbon sequestration and promoting growth of hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria beneficial to plant growth; the alleged superiority of symbiotic performance in rhizobia possessing functional hydrogenases (HUP+) over those rhizobia without functional hydrogenases (HUP-) has also not been conclusively shown. The structure of the iron-molybdenum cofactor or FeMo-co of nitrogenase (the active site of the enzyme) has been elucidated through X-ray crystallography but the mechanism of nitrogen fixation remains unknown. However, studies of effects of hydrogen production on BNF have revealed potential candidate intermediates involved in the nitrogenase reaction pathway and have also shown the role of hydrogen as a competitive inhibitor of N-2, with hydrogen now considered to be the primary regulator of the nitrogenase electron allocation coefficient. The regulation of oxygen levels within legume root nodules is also being investigated; nitrogen fixation is energetically expensive, requiring a plentiful oxygen supply but too high an oxygen concentration can irreversibly damage nitrogenase, so some regulation is needed. There is evidence from gas diffusion studies suggesting the presence of a diffusion barrier in nodules; leghaemoglobin is another potential O-2 regulator. Possible functions of hydrogenases include hydrogen recycling, protection of nitrogenase from damaging O-2 levels and prevention of inhibitory H-2 accumulation; there is evidence for H-2 recycling only in studies where H-2 uptake has been strongly coupled to ATP production and where this is not the case, it is believed that the hydrogenase acts as an O-2 scavenger, lowering O-2 concentrations. The distribution of hydrogenases in temperate legumes has been found to be narrow and root and shoot grafting experiments suggest the host plant may exert some influence on the expression of hydrogenase (HUP) genes in rhizobia that possess them. Many still believe that HUP+ rhizobia are superior in performance to HUP- species; to this end, many attempts to increase the relative efficiency of nitrogenase through the introduction of HUP genes into the plasmids or chromosomes of HUP- rhizobia have been carred out and some have met with success but many other studies have not revealed an increase in symbiotic performance after successful insertion of HUP genes so the role of HUP in increasing parameters such as N-2 fixation and plant yield is still unclear. One advantage of the hydrogen production innate to BNF is that the H-2 evolved can be used to measure N-2 fixation using new open-flow gas chamber techniques seen as superior to the traditional acetylene reduction assay (ARA) conducted in closed chambers, although H-2 cannot be used for field studies yet as the ARA can. However, the ARA is now believed to be unreliable in field studies and it is recommended that other measures such as dry weight, yield and total nitrogen content are more accurate, especially in determining real food production, particularly in the developing nations. Another potential benefit of H-2 release from root nodules is that it stays in the soil and has been found to be consumed by H-2-oxidizing bacteria, many of which show plant growth-promoting properties such as the inhibition of ethylene biosynthesis in the host plant, leading to root elongation and increased plant growth; they may well be promising as biofertilizers if they can be successfully developed into seed inoculants for non-leguminous crop species, decreasing the need for chemical fertilizers. It has been suggested that rhizobia can produce nitrous oxide through denitrification but this has never been shown; it is possible that hydrogen release may provide more ideal conditions for denitrifying, free-living bacteria and so increase production of nitrous oxide that way and this issue will require more study. However, it seems unlikely that a natural system would release nitrous oxide to the same degree that chemical fertilizers have been shown to do.",2010,,No (2)
Power plant post-combustion carbon dioxide capture: An opportunity for membranes,"Carbon dioxide capture from power plant flue gas and subsequent sequestration is expected to play a key role in mitigating global climate change. Conventional amine technologies being considered for separating CO2 from flue gas are costly, energy intensive, and if implemented, would result in large increases in the cost of producing electricity. Membranes offer potential as an energy-efficient, low-cost CO2 capture option. Recently, working with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), we have developed membranes with CO2 permeances of greater than 1000 gpu and a CO2/N-2 selectivity of 50 at 30 degrees C. This permeance is ten times higher than commercial CO2 membranes and the selectivity is among the highest reported for non-facilitated transport materials. These membranes, in combination with a novel process design that uses incoming combustion air as a sweep gas to generate driving force, could meet DOE CO2 capture cost targets. Under these conditions, improving membrane permeance is more important than increasing selectivity to further reduce the cost of CO2 capture from flue gas. Membrane cost and reliability issues will be key to the eventual competitiveness of this technology for flue gas treatment. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2010,Power plant; Coal; Flue gas; CO2 capture; Membrane; Carbon dioxide removal,No (2)
General interest: WEC speakers see growing need for hydrocarbon energy,"In the third week of September 2010, keynote speakers at the World Energy Congress in Montreal predicted rising demand for hydrocarbon fuels, especially natural gas, despite growth in the use of alternatives. Both speakers, Saudi Aramco President and Chief Executive Officer Khalid A. Al-Falih and Royal Dutch Shell PLC Chief Executive Officer Peter Voser, tied their projections to population growth and improving conditions of the world's poor. Some 2 billion people have no access to modern forms of energy, while another 2 billion only enjoy limited access. Population growth of a further 2 billion by the middle of this century and poverty relief ensures structural growth in energy demand. Coal, oil, and natural gas will account for 4 out of every 5 units of energy that mankind will consume in the foreseeable future. While their combined share of energy use will give way to growth from alternative sources, total demand for hydrocarbon fuels will grow because of market expansion. According to Al-Fathi, global coal consumption has grown at an average 4.5%/yr this decade after changing little in the 1990s, while oil consumption over the period has grown at about 1.5%/yr. Environmental concerns and growing energy needs to combine with a supply revolution to make the future bright for natural gas. The revolution has increased energy security for North America and has the potential to perform similarly worldwide. Fulfillment of that potential depends not only on availability of supply but also on the market forces and government policies that will shape the demand for natural gas. Voser called on governments to forge a clean electricity coalition between natural gas, renewable, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage technology.",2010,,No (2)
Carbon storage in soils of Southeastern Nigeria under different management practices,"Background: Changes in agricultural practices-notably changes in crop varieties, application of fertilizer and manure, rotation and tillage practices-influence how much and at what rate carbon is stored in, or released from, soils. Quantification of the impacts of land use on carbon stocks in sub-Saharan Africa is challenging because of the spatial heterogeneity of soil, climate, management conditions, and due to the lack of data on soil carbon pools of most common agroecosystems. This paper provides data on soil carbon stocks that were collected at 10 sites in southeastern Nigeria to characterize the impact of soil management practices.Results: The highest carbon stocks, 7906-9510 gC m-2, were found at the sites representing natural forest, artificial forest and artificial grassland ecosystems. Continuously cropped and conventionally tilled soils had about 70% lower carbon stock (1978-2822 gC m-2). Thus, the soil carbon stock in a 45-year old Gmelina forest was 8987 gC m-2, whereas the parts of this forest, that were cleared and continuously cultivated for 15 years, had 75% lower carbon stock (1978 gC m-2). The carbon stock of continuously cropped and conventionally tilled soils was also 25% lower than the carbon stock of the soil cultivated by use of conservation tillage.Conclusion: Introducing conservation tillage practices may reduce the loss of soil carbon stocks associated with land conversion. However, the positive effect of conservation tillage is not comparable to the negative effect of land conversion, and may not result in significant accumulation of carbon in southeastern Nigeria soils. © 2010 Anikwe; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.",2010,,No (2)
Corrosion and selection of alloys for carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems: Current challenges,"Corrosion by CO2 causes significant metal loss when compared with equivalent pH acid system, because, unlike proton reduction in conventional acid-based corrosion, there is a concomitant reaction here, stemming from direct reduction of un-dissociated carbonic acid. Given that carbonic acid is weakly ionizing acid, oxidizing and corroding potential of acidic CO2 system is significant. Experience shows that if the liquid water quantity in stream is limited and the system consistently operates above the dew point, high CO2 partial pressures can be handled in carbon steel equipment. However, when water condensation occurs, corrosion rates of steel due to carbon dioxide corrosion can be in range of 10 to 20 mm/yr. Therefore, appropriate phase behavior modeling, including ionic descriptions of different, relevant components and system speciation is an important aspect of this and any corrosion study. In the present case of CCS, the stream can also contain ""trace"" compounds such as SO2, NOx and Hg that arise from fossil fuels and their combustion. Interactions between the species involved in ""normal"" carbon dioxide corrosion and these stream constituents pose an extreme risk of corrosion to steel and possibly certain corrosion resistant alloy (e.g. 13Cr through alloy 825) equipment and which is not predicted by commonly used corrosion prediction methodologies. Oil and gas industry has accumulated substantial experience and material technology to mitigate CO2 corrosion, which includes substantial laboratory data collected at high temperature and pressure conditions in service environments. In addition, corrosion models have been developed for assessment of service environments, phase behavior and effects of impurities, along with corrosion prediction and alloy selection that are widely used in the petroleum industry. The paper addresses the following aspects of corrosion-related challenges to CCS equipment and systems, specifically focusing on the metallic materials employed for the service: 1. Predominant corrosion/cracking mechanisms and other materials issues resulting from implementation of CCS processes. 2. Relevant and current practices and experience relative to corrosion control and materials selection and the impact of variations in process conditions. 3. Materials and corrosion research gaps analysis for optimizing materials performance of CCS systems. Copyright 2010, Society of Petroleum Engineers.",2010,,No (2)
"Ecosystem Carbon Storage Across the Grassland-Forest Transition in the High Andes of Manu National Park, Peru","Improved management of carbon storage by terrestrial biomes has significant value for mitigating climate change. The carbon value of such management has the potential to provide additional income to rural communities and provide biodiversity and climate adaptation co-benefits. Here, we quantify the carbon stores in a 49,300-ha landscape centered on the cloud forest-grassland transition of the high Andes in Manu National Park, Peru. Aboveground carbon densities were measured across the landscape by field sampling of 70 sites above and below the treeline. The forest near the treeline contained 63.4 +/- A 5.2 Mg C ha(-1) aboveground, with an additional 13.9 +/- A 2.8 Mg C ha(-1) estimated to be stored in the coarse roots, using a root to shoot ratio of 0.26. Puna grasslands near the treeline were found to store 7.5 +/- A 0.7 Mg C ha(-1) in aboveground biomass. Comparing our result to soil data gathered by Zimmermann and others (Ecosystems 13:62-74, 2010), we found the ratio of belowground:aboveground carbon decreased from 15.8 on the puna to 8.6 in the transition zone and 2.1 in the forest. No significant relationships were found between carbon densities and slope, altitude or fire disturbance history, though grazing (for puna) was found to reduce aboveground carbon densities significantly. We scaled our study sites to the study region with remote sensing observations from Landsat. The carbon sequestration potential of improved grazing management and assisted upslope treeline migration was also estimated. Afforestation of puna at the treeline could generate revenues of US $1,374 per ha over the project lifetime via commercialization of the carbon credits from gains in aboveground carbon stocks. Uncertainties in the fate of the large soil carbon stocks under an afforestation scenario exist.",2010,Peru; Manu National Park; treeline; puna; upper tropical montane cloud forest; carbon stocks,No (2)
Genome-Derived Minimal Metabolic Models for Escherichia coli MG1655 With Estimated In Vivo Respiratory ATP Stoichiometry,"Metabolic network models describing growth of Escherichia coli on glucose, glycerol and acetate were derived from a genome scale model of E. coli. One of the uncertainties in the metabolic networks is the exact stoichiometry of energy generating and consuming processes. Accurate estimation of biomass and product yields requires correct information on the ATP stoichiometry. The unknown ATP stoichiometry parameters of the constructed E. coli network were estimated from experimental data of eight different aerobic chemostat experiments carried out with E. coli MG1655, grown at different dilution rates (0.025, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.3 h(-1)) and on different carbon substrates (glucose, glycerol, and acetate). Proper estimation of the ATP stoichiometry requires proper information on the biomass composition of the organism as well as accurate assessment of net conversion rates under well-defined conditions. For this purpose a growth rate dependent biomass composition was derived, based on measurements and literature data. After incorporation of the growth rate dependent biomass composition in a metabolic network model, an effective P/O ratio of 1.49 +/- 0.26 mol of ATP/mol of O, K-X (growth dependent maintenance) of 0.46 +/- 0.27 mol of ATP/C-mol of biomass and m(ATP) (growth independent maintenance) of 0.075 +/- 0.015 mol of ATP/C-mol of biomass/h were estimated using a newly developed Comprehensive Data Reconciliation (CDR) method, assuming that the three energetic parameters were independent of the growth rate and the used substrate. The resulting metabolic network model only requires the specific rate of growth, mu, as an input in order to accurately predict all other fluxes and yields. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107: 369-381. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.",2010,Escherichia coli; stoichiometric metabolic model; energetics; P/O ratio; maintenance; Herbert-Pirt relations,No (2)
Geo-engineering dams for both global cooling and water conservation,"Implementing a reflective cover on the surface of a dam to reduce evaporation provides two benefits; not only the useable water gained but a significant global cooling effect; the latter effect arising from ""geo-engineering"" the dam. To quantify both benefits, this paper derives simple expressions for the global temperature cooling effect, dT = -30A/Ae C and for the additional water yield, Y = AεR m3/yr. Here A is the area of dam covered, Ae is the Earth's surface area, ε is the evaporation mitigation efficiency and R is the evaporation rate in m/yr. To illustrate the benefits for irrigation supply the paper estimates the yield from a cover on the Hume dam and the income from water conserved. For the case of urban water supply it is shown that a cover on the SEQ dams could supply the projected increase in SEQ water yield to 2040 and that, with conservative estimates of cover cost, the increased yield could be provided at a cost significantly lower than the cost of other water supply options. The global cooling effect of the reflective cover can be equated to the cooling effect obtained by geo-sequestration of CO2. It is shown that the equivalent geo-sequestration is given by dC = 0.146A tonnes CO2.",2010,,No (2)
Greenhouse zero-dimensional model with CO2 reduction in emission due to renewable energy use and new technologies,"Atmospheric concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHG) is higher than any time in the last 400000 years and growing faster than at any time in the past 18000 years. The high concentration of GHG generates radiative forcing that contributes to climate change. Energy production from fossil fuels has central role in regard to the climate change. Reconstruction of the global-scale record of temperature suggests a relatively slow and steady cooling of about 0.20C that extends from about year 1000 until the middle of 19th century; beginning in the late 19th century (since the industrial revolution ) and continuing through the 20th century, an unusually rapid warming of about 0.60C has been taking place. Harnessing of renewable energy sources is vital to constraining the extent of climate change in global and regional level. The impact of renewable energy and new technologies in CO2 reduction on global level is modeled and it is shown that increasing the Earth surface temperature would stop if the CO 2 reduction the next 50 years would be 80% due to renewable use and new technologies. The initial time value for this model is taken year 2005. In this model we made the degree of reduction variable due to the renewable energy use, new technology options for CO2 reduction and policy initiatives.",2010,,No (2)
The biochar option to improve plant yields: First results from some field and pot experiments in Italy,"The pyrolysis conversion of agricultural residues into biochar and its incorporation in agricultural soil, avoids CO 2 emissions providing a safe long-term soil carbon sequestration. Furthermore, biochar application to soil seems to increase nutrient stocks in the rooting zone, to reduce nutrient leaching and to improve crop yields. This study reports some preliminary results obtained using biochar in two typical Italian agricultural crops. Two field experiments were made on durum wheat (Triticum durum L.) in Central Italy and maize (Zea mays L.) in Northern Italy. In both the field experiments, an increase in yields (+ 10% and + 6% in terms of grain production, respectively) was detected after a biochar application of 10 t ha -1. A further increase in grain production (+24%) was detected when biochar was added with maize residues. The biochar dose-effect curve was studied on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) in a pot experiment. The highest increase of dry matter (+120%) was obtained at a biochar rate of 60 t ha -1 and above this threshold, a general reduction of biomass was observed. Results demonstrate the potential of biochar applications to improve in terms of dry matter production, while pointing out the needs for long-term field studies to better understand the effects of biochar on soil.",2010,,Yes (1)
Grubbing by wild boars (Sus scrofa L.) and its impact on hardwood forest soil carbon dioxide emissions in Switzerland,"Interest in soil C storage and release has increased in recent years. In addition to factors such as climate/land-use change, vertebrate animals can have a considerable impact on soil CO2 emissions. To date, most research has considered herbivores, while the impact of omnivorous animals has rarely been investigated. Our goal was to determine how European wild boars (Sus scrofa L.), large omnivores that consume soil-inhabiting animals and belowground plant parts by grubbing in the soil, affect soil C dynamics. We measured soil respiration (CO2), temperature, and moisture on paired grubbed and non-grubbed plots in six hardwood forest stands for a 3-year period and sampled fine root and microbial biomass at the beginning and after 2 years of the study. We also measured the percentage of freshly disturbed forest soil within the larger surroundings of each stand and used this information together with hunting statistics and forest cover data to model the total amount of CO2 released from Swiss forest soils due to grubbing during 1 year. Soil CO2 emissions were significantly higher on grubbed compared to non-grubbed plots during the study. On average 23.1% more CO2 was released from these plots, which we associated with potential alterations in CO2 diffusion rates, incorporation of litter into the mineral soil and higher fine root/microbial biomass. Thus, wild boars considerably increased the small-scale heterogeneity of soil properties. Roughly 1% of Switzerland's surface area is similar to our sites (boar density/forest cover). Given the range of forest soil disturbance of 27-54% at our sites, the geographic information system model predicted that boar grubbing would lead to the release of an additional 49,731.10-98,454.74 t CO2 year(-1). These values are relatively small compared to total soil emissions estimated for Swiss hardwood forests and suggest that boars will have little effect on large-scale emissions unless their numbers increase and their range expands dramatically.",2010,Soil mixing; Microbial biomass; Fine root biomass; Omnivore; Geographic information system model,No (2)
What happened to forests in Copenhagen?,"After the chaotic final days of the Copenhagen climate conference, many saw only fog, i.e., an unclear outcome and much uncertainty on future steps to take. Were the forests lost in this fog or some tree is still visible, possibly suggesting a path to take? This commentary will briefly analyse the outcome of the Copenhagen conference with respect to the main forestry issues under debate: LULUCF (Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry, i.e., mainly forest CO(2) removals in industrialized countries) and REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation in developing countries).",2010,Forest; Climate Change; LULUCF; REDD; Kyoto,No (2)
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies and economic investment opportunities in the UK,"This article reviews the role played by carbon and capture (CCS) technologies in order to facilitate the transition to low-carbon emitting technologies in the medium-term. More precisely, we address the following central questions: how will the development of CCS technologies impact energy policies in order to yield to sustainable energy solutions? At what costs will pollution reductions be achieved? And most importantly, which CCS technologies will turn out to offer the most effective and efficient solution to handle the challenge of the increased demand for energy within the context of the climate change? We critically assess the technology readiness levels of various CCS technologies - post-combustion capture, pre-combustion capture, amine scrubbing, oxyfuel, integrated gasification combined cycle, calcium looping and chemical looping - based on the best available evidence to date. Copyright © 2010 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.",2010,,No (2)
Soil organic carbon stocks in Laos: spatial variations and controlling factors,"Surface soils, which contain the largest pool of terrestrial organic carbon (C), may be able to sequester atmospheric C and thus mitigate climate change. However, this remains controversial, largely due to insufficient data and knowledge gaps in respect of organic C contents and stocks in soils and the main factors of their control. Up to now and despite numerous evaluations of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks worldwide, the sloping lands of southeast Asia, one of the most biogeochemically active regions of the world, remain uninvestigated. Our main objective was to quantify SOC stocks and to evaluate the impact of various environmental factors. We, therefore, selected Laos with 230 566 km2 of mostly forested steep slopes, and where cultivation is still mainly traditional, i.e. a system of shifting cultivation without fertilization or mechanical tillage. Analytical data from 3471 soil profiles demonstrated that the top 1 m of soil depth holds an estimated 4.64 billion tons of SOC, 65% of which is in the first 0.3 m. SOC stocks to 0.3 m exhibit a high coefficient of variation (CV=62%) with values from 1.8 to 771 Mg C ha-1 and a mean at 129 Mg C ha-1. Furthermore, these stocks are significantly (at P < 0.05 level) affected by land use as shown by principal components analysis and t-tests with the largest amount being found under forest, less under shifting cultivation and the smallest under continuous cultivation. Moreover, SOC stocks correlated regionally to total annual rainfalls and latitude, and locally at the hill-slope level to the distance to the stream network and the slope angle. It is hypothesized that this correlation is through actions on mineral weathering, soil clay content, soil fertility and SOC redistributions in landscapes. These relationships between SOC stocks and environmental factors may be of further use in (1) predicting the impact of global changes on future SOC stocks; and (2) identifying optimal strategies for land use planning so as to minimize soil C emissions to the atmosphere while maximizing carbon sequestration in soils.",2010,controlling factors; Laos; SOC stocks; spatial distribution,No (2)
Greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generating CCS upstream and downstream transport processes,"Headline figures suggest carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology will capture 90% or more of the CO 2 produced by a power plant. While this may be true at the stack, on a full life-cycle basis the greenhouse gas (GHG) savings offered are more modest thanks to significant resource consumption in upstream and downstream processes. Our analysis suggests that life-cycle GHG emissions can be reduced to approximately 170gCO 2/kWh for an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant with 90% capture efficiency. This still represents around an 80% saving compared to conventional coal plant, but is considerably higher than the better-performing renewables such as wind that produces only 10-30gCO 2/kWh in good locations. This paper examines the origin and importance of upstream and downstream CCS GHG emissions, in particular identifying those associated with transport processes. Sensitivity studies investigate which major characteristics of a CCS system are likely to have an important impact on transport GHG emissions. The scope for combining biofuels with CCS in order to improve life-cycle performance is considered. In principle BioCCS could produce a system with overall negative atmospheric GHG emissions. However, that potential is constrained by emissions arising from the production and transportation of biofuels. Finally, some general conclusions for design approaches for CCS systems aimed at minimizing system GHG emissions are drawn. Some key areas of uncertainty are also identified for further work.",2010,,No (2)
"Synergies between the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change in agriculture","There is a very significant, cost effective greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential in agriculture. The annual mitigation potential in agriculture is estimated to be 4200, 2600 and 1600 Mt CO2 equiv/yr at C prices of 100, 50 and 20 US$/t CO2 equiv, respectively. The value of GHG mitigated each year is equivalent to 420 000, 130 000 and 32 000 million US$/yr for C prices of 100, 50 and 20 US$/t CO2 equiv, respectively. From both the mitigation and economic perspectives, we cannot afford to miss out on this mitigation potential. The challenge of agriculture within the climate change context is two-fold, both to reduce emissions and to adapt to a changing and more variable climate. The primary aim of the mitigation options is to reduce emissions of methane or nitrous oxide or to increase soil carbon storage. All the mitigation options, therefore, affect the carbon and/or nitrogen cycle of the agroecosystem in some way. This often not only affects the GHG emissions but also the soil properties and nutrient cycling. Adaptation to increased variability of temperature and rainfall involves increasing the resilience of the production systems. This may be done by improving soil water holding capacities through adding crop residues and manure to arable soils or by adding diversity to the crop rotations. Though some mitigation measures may have negative impacts on the adaptive capacity of farming systems, most categories of adaptation options for climate change have positive impacts on mitigation. These include: (1) measures that reduce soil erosion, (2) measures that reduce leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus, (3) measures for conserving soil moisture, (4) increasing the diversity of crop rotations by choices of species or varieties, (5) modification of microclimate to reduce temperature extremes and provide shelter, (6) land use change involving abandonment or extensification of existing agricultural land, or avoidance of the cultivation of new land. These adaptation measures will in general, if properly applied, reduce GHG emissions, by improving nitrogen use efficiencies and improving soil carbon storage. There appears to be a large potential for synergies between mitigation and adaptation within agriculture. This needs to be incorporated into economic analyses of the mitigation costs. The inter-linkages between mitigation and adaptation are, however, not very well explored and further studies are warranted to better quantify short-and long-term effects on suitability for mitigation and adaptation to climate change. In order to realize the full potential for agriculture in a climate change context, new agricultural production systems need to be developed that integrate bioenergy and food and feed production systems. This may possibly be obtained with perennial crops having low-environmental impacts, and deliver feedstocks for biorefineries for the production of biofuels, biomaterials and feed for livestock.",2010,,No (2)
Strength study on fly ash based eco friendly geopolymer concrete,"Ordinary Portland cement is a major construction material worldwide. The net cement production is expected to reach 2 billion tonnes in 2010. The major increases will take place in China and India. The global cement industry contributes about 7% of the total man made green house gas emissions to the earth's atmosphere, more than the airline industries. This Research is aimed to give awareness about the green house gas emissions from the cement manufacturing industries and the methods of reducing this by the fully using fly ash in concrete. On the other hand, the climate change due to global warming, one of the greatest environmental issues has become a major concern during the last one decade. The global warming is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, to the atmosphere by human activities. Among the greenhouse gases, CO2 contributes about 65% of global warming. The cement industry is responsible for about 7% of all CO2 emissions, because the production of one ton of Portland cement emits approximately one ton of CO2 into the atmosphere Although the use of Portland cement is still unavoidable until the foreseeable future, many efforts are being made in order to reduce the use of Portland cement in concrete. In terms of reducing the global warming, the geopolymer technology could reduce the CO2 emission to the atmosphere caused by cement and aggregates industries by about 80% Inspired by the Geopolymer technology and the fact that fly ash is a waste material abundantly available. This study is aimed to achieve M20 grade of concrete using the basic materials like Fine Aggregate, Coarse Aggregate and the binder material as fly ash. Various properties like Workability, Initial setting time, compressive strength and Split tensile Strength has been studied and compared with conventional concrete.",2010,,No (2)
Profile storage of organic/inorganic carbon in soil: From forest to desert,"Understanding the distribution of organic/inorganic carbon storage in soil profile is crucial for assessing regional, continental and global soil C stores and predicting the consequences of global change. However, little is known about the organic/inorganic carbon storages in deep soil layers at various landscapes. This study was conducted to determine the soil organic/inorganic carbon storage in soil profile of 0-3 m at 5 sites of natural landscape from forest to desert. Landscapes are temperate forest, temperate grassland, temperate shrub-grassland, temperate shrub desert, and temperate desert. Root mass density and carbon contents at the profile were determined for each site. The results showed that considerable decrease in root biomass and soil organic carbon content at the soil profile of 0-3 m when landscape varied from forest to desert along a precipitation gradient, while soil inorganic carbon content increased significantly along the precipitation gradient. Namely, for density of soil organic carbon: forest > grassland > shrub-grassland > shrub desert > desert; for density of soil inorganic carbon: forest, grassland < shrub-grassland < shrub desert < desert (P<0.05 in all cases). In landscapes other than forest, more than 50% soil carbon storage was found in 1-3 m depth. For grassland and shrub-grassland, the contribution from 1-3 m was mainly in the form of organic carbon, while for shrub desert and desert the contribution from this depth was mainly in the form of inorganic carbon. The comparison of soil C storage between top 0-1 m and 1-3 m showed that the using top 1 m of soil profile to estimate soil carbon storages would considerably underestimate soil carbon storage. This is especially true for organic soil carbon at grassland region, and for soil inorganic carbon at desert region. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2010,Landscape type; Deep soil; Precipitation gradient; Root density,No (2)
"Investing in human and natural capital: An alternative paradigm for sustainable development in Awassa, Ethiopia","Ethiopia remains underdeveloped due to limitations in natural, human, social and built capital. A 2006 scientific atelier conducted in the city of Awassa. Ethiopia investigated investments in human and natural capital as a sustainable development strategy. Local stakeholders identified firewood shortages, degradation of croplands, rising lake levels encroaching on croplands and poor water quality as major impediments to development. They further identified ecological degradation as a key component of these problems, and they acknowledged multiple vicious cycles compounding the environmental and economic threats to the Awassa community. Proposed solutions included investment in natural capital in the form of reforestation activities, investment in human capital in the form of promoting more efficient wood stoves along with increasing public awareness of environmental threats, and investments in social capital in the form of inter-institutional coordination to address environmental problems. All recommended investments rely primarily on national resources, in distinct contrast to the extensive imports required for most built capital investments. Unfortunately, Awassa lacks the surplus necessary for major capital investments of any kind. The atelier therefore helped local participants identify potential funders and write grant proposals for various projects, though none have been funded so far. Reversing the ecological degradation on the scale necessary for sustained economic development in Ethiopia however will require a steady flow of substantial investments, and cannot rely solely on the short term generosity of funders. International payments for carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services could help provide the necessary resources. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2010,Natural capital; Human capital; Ethiopia; Reforestation; Ecosystem services; Carbon,No (2)
"The biochar approach: A complementary use of waste biomass for renewable energy production, carbon sequestration and soil fertility enhancement","Extraordinary demands are being placed on agricultural systems to produce food, fiber and energy. Biomass burning and the removal of crop residues reduce carbon in soil and vegetation, which has implications for soil fertility and the global carbon cycle. Pyrolysis of waste biomass generates fuels and biochar (charcoal) recalcitrant against decomposition. The process of pyrolysis or carbonization is known globally. It can be implemented on a small scale (e.g., cooking stove) as well as a large scale (e.g., biorefinery) and in most agricultural systems. Biochar offers unique options to address issues emerging from the conflicts and complementarities between cultivating crops for different purposes, such as for energy or for CO2 sequestration or for food and the impacts on food security, soil degradation, water, and biodiversity. Biochar is proposed as a soil amendment in environments with low carbon sequestration capacity and previously carbon-depleted soils (especially in the Tropics). From recent studies it is known that biochar amendments to soil increase and maintain fertility and the human-made Terra Preta soils in the Amazon prove that infertile soils can be transformed into fertile soils and long-term SOC enrichment is feasible even in environments with low carbon sequestration capacity. The prospects are to increase the sustainability of land use, establish a large carbon sink, reducing the rate of deforestation and competition between different land use purposes through waste biomass utilization. This chapter reviews the potential of waste biomass utilizations, the importance of the soil organic carbon pool for climate and explains our options to manage this carbon pool by biochar carbon sequestration. © 2010 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.",2010,,Yes (1)
"BP chief stresses energy diversity, competition","BP PLC Chief Executive Tony Hayward explains why diversity, competition, and efficiency will be the key factors for balancing energy security, employment, and economic development with combating global climate change. BP's projections suggest that the world will need 45% more energy in 2030 than it consumes now, and double current demand by 2050. Nuclear energy and biofuels also will play a part, and carbon capture technology could be commercially deployed by 2030. Investment will flow if policymakers provide a clear and stable framework for investment in both low-carbon energy and fossil fuels. Offshore wind is, too, especially when compared with onshore wind, which is now an attractive business for BP in the US. Hayward said that without a credible and enduring framework, it would not be possible for industry to invest at the scale necessary to maintain.",2010,,No (2)
Geoengineering: From science fantasy to reality,"Risky geoengineering solutions are increasingly seen as a viable option for combating global warming. Advanced research is under way on ambitious methods to alter the earth's climate, from increasing the planet's reflectivity, by seeding the atmosphere with SO 2, to altering the composition of its oceans to increase CO 2 absorption. A study from the US House of Representatives' Committee on Science and Technology - Geoengineering the climate: research needs and strategies for international co-ordination - has been released. Possible solutions fall into two broad categories - those that reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the earth - so-called solar-radiation management (SRM) - and those that provide ways to remove CO 2 from the atmosphere and store it. CO 2-removal technology is already under development in the form of carbon capture and storage, but the possibility of stripping CO 2 directly, or indirectly from the atmosphere is also being considered. Technologies for stripping CO 2 from the atmosphere an another CO 2-absorption technology, biochar production, are discussed.",2010,,Yes (1)
Fluidised bed co-gasification of coal and biomass under oxy-fuel conditions,"Fluidised bed gasifiers are the preferred option to utilise low value coal, biomass and waste. However, fluidised bed gasifiers are traditionally air rather than oxygen-blown to avoid high temperatures in the gasifier leading to ash melting and loss of fluidisation. Therefore the flue gas of a possible FB-IGCC plant would be diluted by nitrogen, making expensive N 2-CO2 separation technology necessary for subsequent capture and storage of the CO2 (CCS). To overcome this disadvantage, an oxy-fuel process is proposed, where the bed is fluidised with recycled flue gas (mainly CO2) and oxygen. A laboratory scale fluidised bed gasifier capable to operate up to 1000°C and 20 bar was set up to study the implications of oxy-fuel firing on flue gas composition and overall operability of the gasifier. High carbon conversions were achieved at 950°C with CO 2 as gasification agent. At that temperature, the addition of O 2 generated some agglomeration in the bed, leading to lower conversions. At lower temperatures, O2 addition increased carbon conversion, but not the heating value of the gases. The addition of steam enabled the gasifier to operate at lower temperatures without decreasing conversion and to increase the hydrogen content of the fuel gas. Pressure on the other hand produced a decrease in carbon conversion, mainly above 10 bars, due to a larger formation of secondary char with the subsequent loss in reactivity. These results show that oxy-fuel firing of a fluidised bed gasifier could be a promising route to avoid N2 dilution of the fuel gas and enable integration of fluidised bed gasification with CCS technology.",2010,,No (2)
Modern meters help europe get Water-smart,"Smart grids and meters are helping to modernize water utility companies as the benefits delivered by both technologies in the reduction of carbon emissions are immense. Smart grids are efficient and flexible systems, requiring increased network control and provide stronger links to customers. Smart meters on the other hand, ensure that customers and utility providers are aware of the amount of energy or water they am using, so they can adjust consumption if need be. Smart meters also enable utilities to vary the price of electricity in real-time, which means that consumers am able to use less energy at times of higher demand, thereby cutting emissions, costs and pressure on the grid. The most important benefit of smart meters is the provision of display devices that show water use in real-time to help customers detect leaks. Smart metering also allows water utilities to detect leaks themselves. Smart metering allows energy managers to access detailed information to cost-optimize, strategically align and pool the energy consumption within their operation to produce the greatest efficiencies.",2010,,No (2)
Study measures carbon storage in grasslands,"Scientists at the Lancaster Environment Center, Lancaster University, have conducted a ""pound""650,000 research work to determine the amount of carbon stored in the UK grasslands and find out if it could potentially store even more. This study would contribute to climate-change mitigation, as carbon locked in soils is not being released into the atmosphere where it contributes to global warming. The study will improve understanding of how grassland can be managed to protect carbon stored in soil. A major part of the project is a national survey to measure how much carbon is stored in UK grasslands and how this carbon is affected by the way that grasslands are managed. The researchers are aimed to provide a scientific basis for the management of carbon storage in UK grassland, helping offset carbon emissions while also providing other potential benefits to the ecosystem.",2010,,Yes (1)
"Desertification in Pakistan: Causes, impacts and management","The natural resource base of land, water and vegetation in arid and semi arid areas is highly fragile and extremely vulnerable to degradation. Increasing population along with the demand for more food, fodder and fuelwood has given rise to a chain of interrelated economic, social and environmental issues associated with the land degradation. Desertification is essentially a result of soil degradation. A variety of natural and human factors are contributing to desertification, including drought, overgrazing, over exploitation of land and water resources, over cultivation of marginal lands, deforestation, soil erosion, water logging and salinity and the use of inappropriate agricultural technologies. The consequences of this are: abandoned croplands, affected by waterlogging and salinity; abandoned villages, traditional irrigation systems and croplands desertified by deteriorated groundwater aquifers or lowering of the water table; siltation of rivers, irrigation systems and reservoirs; landslides in hilly areas. The desertification leads to agricultural productivity losses and enhance poverty. It also causes significant reductions in carbon storage in soils, contributing to global warming, and loss of biodiversity. Various approaches are being applied to combat the menace of desertification. Introduction of rapid growing exotic species of trees and grasses for stabilization of shifting sand dunes; creation of microclimates through shelterbelt plantation have proved highly successful towards the control of desertification. Sustainable land management (SLM), soil and water conservation, afforestation and rehabilitation of degraded land, repetitive high resolution satellite images, delineation and mapping of affected areas, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) arc likely to be suitable strategies for combating desertification in Pakistan. The efforts already underway to combat desertification need to be strengthened and integrated through a nationally supported, coordinated and monitored system.",2010,Agriculture; desertification; land degradation; deforestation; salinity; soil erosion,No (2)
Trade-offs between ecosystem services: Water and carbon in a biodiversity hotspot,"Carbon sequestration by afforestation can help mitigate global climate change but may have adverse environmental and economic impacts in some regions. For example, economic incentives for carbon sequestration may encourage the expansion of Pinus radiata timber plantations in the Fynbos biome of South Africa, with negative consequences for water supply and biodiversity. I built a dynamic ecological-economic model to investigate whether afforestation of a Fynbos catchment with Pinus radiata is economically viable when the potential benefits of carbon sequestration and timber production are balanced against the losses to water supply. I found that afforestation appears viable to the forestry industry under current water tariffs and current carbon accounting legislation, but would appear unviable if the forestry industry were to pay the true cost of water used by the plantations. I also found that under various plausible future economic scenarios. afforestation can be associated with either large future economic gains or losses, suggesting a need for future analyses based on branches of decision theory that deal with severe uncertainty. I conclude with a general recommendation that climate legislation should be explicit about the conditions under which afforestation for carbon sequestration of native vegetation is a legitimate climate mitigation strategy. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2010,Trade-offs between ecosystem services; Afforestation; Carbon sequestration; Water resources; Fynbos; Pinus radiata,Yes (1)
A synthesis of the science on forests and carbon for U.S. Forests,"Forests play an important role in the U.S. and global carbon cycle, and carbon sequestered by U.S. forest growth and harvested wood products currently offsets 12-19% of U.S. fossil fuel emissions. The cycle of forest growth, death, and regeneration and the use of wood removed from the forest complicate efforts to understand and measure forest carbon pools and flows. Our report explains these processes and examines the science behind mechanisms proposed for increasing the amount of carbon stored in forests and using wood to offset fossil fuel use. We also examine the tradeoffs, costs, and benefits associated with each mechanism and explain how forest carbon is measured. Current forests are recovering from past land use as agriculture, pasture, or harvest, and because this period of recovery will eventually end, the resulting forest carbon sink will not continue indefinitely. Increased fertilization from atmospheric nitrogen deposition and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide may also be contributing to forest growth. Both the magnitude of this growth and the future of the carbon sink over the next hundred years are uncertain. Several strategies can increase forest carbon storage, prevent its loss, and reduce fossil fuel consumption (listed in order of increasing uncertainty or risk): • Avoiding deforestation retains forest carbon and has many co-benefits and few risks. • Afforestation increases forest carbon and has many co-benefits. Afforesting ecosystems that do not naturally support forests can decrease streamflow and biodiversity. • Decreasing harvests can increase species and structural diversity, with the risk of products being harvested elsewhere and carbon loss in disturbance. • Increasing the growth rate of existing forests through intensive silviculture can increase both forest carbon storage and wood production, but may reduce stream flow and biodiversity. • Use of biomass energy from forests can reduce carbon emissions but will require expansion of forest management and will likely reduce carbon stored in forests. • Using wood products for construction in place of concrete or steel releases less fossil fuel in manufacturing. Expansion of this use mostly lies in the non-residential building sector and expansion may reduce forest carbon stores. • Urban forestry has a small role in sequestering carbon but may improve energy efficiency of structures. • Fuel treatments trade current carbon storage for the potential of avoiding larger carbon losses in wildfire. The carbon savings are highly uncertain. Each strategy has risks, uncertainties, and, importantly, tradeoffs. For example, avoiding deforestation or decreasing harvests in the U.S. may increase wood imports and lower forest carbon elsewhere. Increasing the use of wood or forest biomass energy will likely reduce carbon stores in the forest and require expansion of the area of active forest management. Recognizing these tradeoffs will be vital to any effort to promote forest carbon storage. Climate change may increase disturbance and forest carbon loss, potentially reducing the effectiveness of management intended to increase forest carbon stocks. Finally, most of these strategies currently do not pay enough to make them viable. Forests offer many benefits besides carbon, and these benefits should be considered along with carbon storage potential. © The Ecological Society of America.",2010,anthropogenic effect; carbon cycle; carbon dioxide; carbon sequestration; climate change; cost-benefit analysis; deforestation; emission control; forest cover; forest management; silviculture; wood; United States,Yes (1)
Inundating contrasting boreal forest soils: CO2 and CH4 production rates,"Flooding boreal forest ecosystems for hydroelectric power generation may release substantial amounts of carbon (C) to the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. The objectives of this study were to evaluate CO2 and CH4 production rates using spring/fall (14 degrees C) and summer (21 degrees C) temperatures under non-flooded and flooded conditions. Incubation temperatures represented the mean annual air temperature in May and September (14 degrees C), and in July (21 degrees C). Greenhouse gas production rates were quantified using laboratory incubations of 2 contrasting soil types (Humo-Ferric Podzol [very dry, mineral] and a Histic Folisol [moist, organic]) collected at the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario, Canada. The mean production rate of CO2 and CH4 in the headspace of the incubation jars was significantly influenced by temperature, flooding and soil type. Results showed that the mean CO2 (65 [Podzol]; 43 [Folisol]) and CH4 (0.06 [Podzol]; 0.06 [Folisol]) production rates (mu g.g(-1).d(-1)) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 21 degrees C and in flooded treatments from both soil types. The greatest CO2 and CH4 production rates (mu g.g(-1).d(-1)) occurred from the Folisol (110 [CO2]; 0.03 [CH4]) and the L and FH horizons of the Podzol (250 [CO2]; 0.05 [CH4]). Q(10) values showed that decomposition of soil organic matter was more temperature dependent in non-flooded treatments, with values ranging from 1.57 to 5.03, than in flooded treatments (1.31 to 3.58). The greatest loss of soil organic carbon relative to the original C content (g.m(-2)) occurred in the Ah horizon of the Podzol in non-flooded (0.01% [14 degrees C]; 0.02% [21 degrees C]) and flooded (0.02% [14 degrees C]; 0.03% [21 degrees C]) treatments and at both temperatures. Information presented in this paper helps to evaluate how 2 contrasting soil types (Podzol and Folisol) responded to flooding and provided further insight into the dynamics of greenhouse gas (GHG) production rates as a result of hydroelectric reservoir creation. This will aid in future planning, construction, and management of hydroelectric reservoirs to help minimize GHG emissions and boreal forest disturbance.",2010,boreal forest; flooding; greenhouse gas emissions; hydroelectric reservoirs; microbial respiration; Q(10); soil organic carbon,No (2)
"Global warming, transnational communities, and economic entrepreneurship: The case of carbon capture and storage (CCS)","Introduction, The oil crises in the 1970s made national governments in countries such as the USA, Japan, Germany, Israel, Denmark, Sweden, and many others aware of their oil dependence and the threat to national security it created. At the same time, there was greater public awareness of the environmental problems created by carbon-based energy systems. National policies were put in place to promote new “clean” energy systems, such as solar, wind, wave, and bio-energy. Policy instruments varied between subsidies – such as “feed-in tariffs” or subsidized prices to owners of wind or solar energy production infrastructure when they sell electricity to the public grid in countries such as Japan or Germany – tax relief (as in the USA), and government funding for R&D investments. During the 1970s and 1980s, these national R&D efforts were supported by NGOs and reinforced by industrial entrepreneurs and suppliers of technology. These national technological systems of innovation developed green technologies and made the new energy systems more efficient and hence more competitive with carbon-based energies (Jakobsson et al. 2002). Such developments were endorsed and encouraged by a number of transnational institutions. In the course of the 1970s, there was a rift between the “green” movement, promoting “clean and green” technology solutions that at the time were inefficient and seemed to be of little economic significance, and “industrial interests,” promoting economic growth while generating pollution. At the time, only a minority saw the possibility of a compromise between these positions. © Cambridge University Press 2010.",2010,,No (2)
Judging ARPA-E,"The Advanced Research Projects Agency, Energy (ARPA-E), aimed towards technological advancements, created by the US Bush administration, has received $400 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The mission of ARPA-E is to enhance US economic security by identifying technologies with the potential to substantially reduce energy imports from foreign sources, reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and improve efficiency across the energy spectrum. The agency has received a second round to funding for $100 million for advanced carbon capture technologies, high-energy storage batteries for electric and hybrid electric vehicles, and new approaches to making liquid fuels without using petroleum or biomass. Critics of the program have however stated that government's role should be restricted to funding the technology and decision of products coming into the market depends on availability of materials in sufficient quantities.",2010,,No (2)
Life Cycle Assessment Integrated into Positive Mathematical Programming: A Conceptual Model for Analyzing Area-Based Farming Policy,"The objective of this study was to integrate process life cycle assessment (LCA) into an activity-based microeconoinic model of production to quantify environmental impacts induced by economic incentives imposed on individual producers. The economic incentives may include price changes, technological innovations and governmental taxes/subsidies that are beyond the scope of Input-Output-based LCA. In this approach, however, traditional normative activity analysis hardly reproduces the observed input variables referred to as ""reference point"", as is often the case with linear programming model widely used for farm management. Consequently, the resultant LCA deviates from the original LCA that is evaluated at the reference point. This study made an attempt to bridge the gap between the theoretically derived LCA and the original process LCA by introducing the positive mathematical programming (PMP) approach, which was established by Howitt. The PMP-based LCA was applied to conventional and reduced tillage farming systems in Hokkaido, northern Japan, to consider its potential for analyzing an area-based farm policy and to discuss several limitations to be addressed in future research.",2010,activity analysis; economic incentive; global warming; reduced tillage; soil carbon sequestration,No (2)
Climate geoengineering: Solar radiation management and its implications for intergenerational equity,"Introduction. As David Victor recently observed, climate geoengineering, broadly defined as “the deliberate large-scale manipulation of the planetary environment to counteract anthropogenic climate change,” was once viewed as “a freak show in otherwise serious discussions of climate science and policy.” However, in the past few years, the feckless response of the world community to burgeoning greenhouse gas emissionshas led to increasingly serious consideration of geoengineering as a potential means to avoid a “climate emergency,” such as rapid melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, or as a stopgap measure to buy time for effective emissions mitigation responses. Indeed, a number of recent studies indicate that geoengineering schemes could potentially mitigate the climatic impacts associated with a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from preindustrial levels. However, many policy makers and commentators, even including some who have signaled tentative support for geoengineering options, have expressed serious reservations. Most of the focus of these concerns has been on intragenerational considerations associated with the two major categories of geoengineering, solar radiation management (SRM) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) schemes. For example, several recent studies have concluded that stratospheric sulfate aerosol injection, perhaps the most widely discussed SRM scheme, could lead to a substantial reduction in precipitation in monsoon regions in East and South-East Asia and Africa. This could result in a severe reduction in monsoonal intensity, potentially undermining the food security of 2 billion people in the region. Diebacks of tropics forests could also be triggered by substantial precipitation declines in the Amazon and Congo valleys. Additionally, sulfate aerosol loading of the atmosphere could accelerate the hydroxyl-catalyzed ozone depstructure cycles, resulting in significant depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer. For example, a recent study concluded that sulfate aerosol loading could result in an annual 4.5 percent decrease in stratospheric ozone levels, more than the annual mean global total loss due to the emission of anthropogenic ozone depleting substances in recent years. Several studies have also indicated that ocean iron fertilization, a CDR approach, could undermine biological productivity in non-fertilized regions, cause widespread eutrophication and anoxia, and stimulate toxic algal blooms. © Cambridge University Press 2013.",2010,,Yes (1)
"Carbon sequestration: Methods, modeling and impacts","Carbon plays an important role in supporting life and all living organisms are based on the carbon atom. Among the common elements of the earth's surface, the carbon atom is one of few that can form long organic chains and rings: this ability is the foundation of organic chemistry. In this book, the role of the plant residues in the carbon sequestration is discussed throughout plant tissue stabilization in soil, giving a new approach and understanding of the plant residue conservation in soil. This book also evaluates the changes of properties in olivine generated by mechanical activation, its adsorption properties for carbon dioxide and mechanical carbonation of olivine by dry and wet mode. Furthermore, forestry based carbon emissions offset projects have potential to both mitigate climate change and foster sustainable forest management. While experts generally agree that increased concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere will result in changes in the earth's climate, there is considerable attention to the possibility of using forests as a means of sequestering and reducing emissions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This book provides an understanding of the role that Kakamega forest as well as agro forestry in adjacent farms can play in the mitigation of climate change through carbon sequestration. © 2010 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.",2010,,Yes (1)
Considering Carbon Capture and Storage for Energy Generation from Municipal Solid Waste,"Modern waste management practices encourage the recovery of energy from municipal solid waste after efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle appropriate materials. Energy can be recovered through direct mass burn in a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility or through the collection and combustion of biogas generated in sanitary landfills. Many comparisons have been made although rarely using best practice assumptions for both technologies; WTE proponents tend to assume low collection efficiency while landfill proponents tend to assume low electrical conversion efficiency. In general, WTE plants can be considered to have a better environmental performance (reduced emissions) with landfill having lower total costs (social and environmental). Both strategies have similar costs when considering 77% collection efficiency and a high efficiency (30% electrical conversion) WTE plant that displaces electricity from coal. The introduction of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies to waste management changes the landscape by increasing the capital costs and improving the environmental performance. The air emissions are significantly reduced, practically eliminated with oxygen combustion, as the capture of CO(2) requires significant flue gas scrubbing. The introduction of CCS results in a net environmental benefit for WTE plants with a turnaround electricity price of $7/MWh, as compared to landfill gas with capture. The largest environmental cost for WTE plants is the classification of fly ash as chemical waste, which is reduced with oxygen combustion. The net cost of capturing CO(2) from WTE facilities is estimated at $39/t CO(2), one-third of the cost of CO(2) capture from landfills.",2010,Municipal solid waste; Energy; Carbon capture and storage; Economic costs; Climate change,No (2)
Catching the baby: accounting for biodiversity and the ecosystem sector in emissions trading,"The agriculture, forestry, and other land-use sector is a crucial sector, second only to the energy sector, in fighting climate change, and provides an important greenhouse gas abatement opportunity for the world. Recently, released figures for Australia, for example, suggest that agriculture, forestry, and other land-uses, which depend on healthy functioning ecosystems, could abate as much as three quarters of the country's emissions. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was concerned primarily with ecosystems and humankind, but the Kyoto Protocol of the Convention forfeited the potential of using agriculture, forestry, and other land-uses for global climate mitigation. This had the effect of decoupling biodiversity and ecosystems from carbon pollution reduction and climate change considerations. The Australian Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, one of the first emission trading schemes in the world to follow Kyoto ""rules,"" excludes the agriculture, forestry, and other land-use sector, apart from plantation reforestation, potentially creating perverse incentives that themselves can turn into threatening ecological processes. We use Australia and its emerging emissions trading scheme as a case study of the potential effects of this decoupling, and demonstrate the potential impacts on a landscape-scale regional greenhouse gas abatement and carbon sequestration project.",2010,Afforestation; agriculture; Convention on Biological Diversity; carbon trading; Copenhagen; deforestation; Kyoto; REDD,No (2)
Strategies and economies for greenhouse gas mitigation in agriculture,"Agriculture can make significant contributions to climate change mitigation by (a) increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) sinks, (b) reducing GHG emissions, and (c) off-setting fossil fuel by promoting biofuels. The latter has the potential to counter-balance fossil fuel emissions to some degree, but the overall impact is still uncertain compared to emissions of non-CO2 GHGs, which are likely to increase as production systems intensify. Agricultural lands also remove CH4 from the atmosphere by oxidation, though less than forestlands (Tate et al. 2006; Verchot et al. 2000), but this effect is small compared to other GHG fluxes (Smith 2004). © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.",2010,,No (2)
A human needs approach to reducing atmospheric carbon,"Recent research has shown that once CO2 has been emitted to the atmosphere, it will take centuries for natural removal. Clearly, the longer we delay deep reductions in CO2, the greater the risk that total greenhouse gas emissions will exceed prudent limits for avoiding dangerous anthropogenic change. We evaluate the three possible technical approaches for climate change mitigation: emission reduction methods, post-emission draw down of CO2 from the atmosphere, and geoengineering. We find that the first two approaches are unlikely to deliver the timely reductions in CO2 needed, while geoengineering methods either deliver too little or are too risky. Given the deep uncertainties in both future climate prediction and energy availability, it seems safest to actively plan for a much lower energy future. We propose a general 'shrink and share' approach to reductions in both fossil-fuel use and carbon emissions, with basic human needs satisfaction replacing economic growth as the focus for economic activity. Only with deep cuts in energy and carbon can we avoid burdening future generations with the high energy costs of air capture. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2010,Air capture; Cumulative emissions; Social change approach,Yes (1)
Novel high-performing single-pressure combined cycle with CO2 capture,"The European electric power industry has undergone considerable changes over the past two decades as a result of more stringent laws concerning environmental protection along with the deregulation and liberalization of the electric power market. However, the pressure to deliver solutions in regard to the issue of climate change has increased dramatically in the last few years and given the rise to the possibility that future natural gas-fired combined cycle (NGCC) plants will also be subject to CO2 capture requirements. At the same time, the interest in combined cycles with their high efficiency, low capital costs and complexity has grown as a consequence of addressing new challenges posed by the need to operate according to market demand in order to be economically viable. Considering that these challenges will also be imposed on new natural gas-fired power plants in the foreseeable future, this study presents a new process concept for natural gas combined cycle power plants with CO2 capture. The simulation tool IPSEpro is used to model a 400 MW single-pressure NGCC with post-combustion CO2 capture, using an amine-based absorption process with Monoethanolamine. To improve the costs of capture the gas turbine, GE 109FB, is utilizing exhaust gas recirculation, thereby increasing the CO2 content in the gas turbine working fluid to almost double that of conventional operating gas turbines. In addition, the concept advantageously uses approximately 20% less steam for solvent regeneration by utilizing preheated water extracted from HRSG. The further recovery of heat from exhaust gases for water preheating by use of an increased economizer flow results in an outlet stack temperature comparable to those achieved in combined cycle plants with multiple pressure levels. As a result, overall power plant efficiency as high as that achieved for a triple-pressure reheated NGCC with corresponding CO2 removal facility is attained. The concept thus provides a more cost-efficient option to triple-pressure combined cycles since the number of heat exchangers, boilers, etc. is reduced considerably. Copyright © 2010 by ASME.",2010,,No (2)
On carbon dioxide storage based on biomineralization strategies,"This study focuses on the separation and storage of the global warming greenhouse gas CO2, and the use of natural biocatalysts in the development of technologies to improve CO2 storage rates and provide new methods for CO2 capture. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) has recently been used as a biocatalyst to sequester CO2 through the conversion of CO2 to HCO- in the mineralization of CaCO3. Biomimetic CaCO3 mineralization for carbon capture and storage offers potential as a stable CO2 capture technology. In this report, we review recent developments in this field and assess disadvantages and improvements in the use of CA in industrial applications. We discuss the contribution that understanding of mechanisms of CO2 conversion to CO3- in the formation and regeneration of bivalve shells will make to developments in biomimetic CO2 storage. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2010,CO2 storage; Biomineralization; Biocatalyst; Carbonic anhydrase; Immobilization,No (2)
Next generation wet electrostatic precipitators,"Multi-pollutant control technologies will become more important in the future. This new membrane wet electrostatic precipitator (WESP) system is ideally suited to, and very cost effective for, removing PM2.5, SO3 and Hg+2 after limestone wet flue gas desulphurization (WFGD) scrubbers in the utility industry. Several coal-fired utilities have been experiencing increased SO3 emissions from their existing WFGD scrubbers, especially after installing a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) for NOx Control. Achieving co-benefits of Hg removal by installing SCR's and WFGD systems is already becoming a key strategy for reducing mercury levels after coal fired power plants. In the future CO2 removal from flue gas may be necessary. For a CO2 absorption to operate effectively very low loadings of PM, SO2 &amp; SO3 are required (deep cleaning). A WESP offers the most cost effective technology to achieve deep cleaning. A WESP can readily collect acid aerosol and fine particulate due to greater corona power and virtually no re-entrainment. The WESP can also enhance collection of Hg (Hg ash &amp; Hg+2). The main historical limitation associated with wet precipitators has been the higher cost of special alloys and stainless steel material used in their manufacture. This new technology WESP, based on fabric membrane for the collecting electrodes, dramatically reduces weight and cost, compared to conventional, metallic WESPs. Operation of several pilot units using the membrane technology has demonstrated excellent PM removal efficiency. The first commercial-size unit, collecting fine particulate and sulfuric acid mist emitted from two boilers firing No. 6 oil with 4% sulfur, shows high SO3 removal as well. The operation and performance of this 5 year old unit, will be described. The Benefits of being able to operate the unit as a condensing WESP will also be described.",2010,,No (2)
Impact of black carbon addition to soil on the determination of soil microbial biomass by fumigation extraction,"The efficiency of the fumigation extraction method on the determination of soil microbial biomass carbon and ninhydrin-N was tested in three different soils (UK grassland, UK arable, Chinese arable) amended with black carbon (biochar or activated charcoal). Addition of activated charcoal to soil resulted in a significant decrease in K(2)SO(4) extractable carbon and ninhydrin-N in all three soils, whereas the addition of biochar generally did not. A lower concentration of the extraction reagent (0.05 M vs. 0.5 M K(2)SO(4)) resulted in a significantly lower extraction efficiency in the grassland soil. The extraction efficiency of organic carbon was more affected by black carbon than that of ninhydrin-N, which resulted in a decreased biomass C/ninhydrin-N ratio. The impact of black carbon on the extraction efficiency of soil microbial biomass depended on the type of black carbon, on the concentration of the extraction medium and on soil type. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2010,Activated charcoal; Biochar; Biomass C; Biomass ninhydrin-N; Fumigation extraction,No (2)
Opportunities for faster carbon dioxide removal: A kinetic study on the blending of methyl monoethanolamine and morpholine with 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol,"The effect of mixing 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) with faster reacting secondary amines (methyl monoethanolamine (MMEA) and morpholine (MORPH)) on the kinetics of the reaction with carbon dioxide in aqueous media has been studied at 298, 303, 308 and 313 K over a range of blend composition and concentration. The direct stopped flow conductimetric method has been used to measure the kinetics of these reactions. The proposed models representing the reaction of CO2 with these blends are found to be satisfactory in determining the overall kinetics of the involved reactions. Blending AMP with either of the amines results in observed pseudo first-order reaction rate constant values (k(o)) that are greater than the sum of the k(o) values of the constituent amines. The extent to which the kinetics gets enhanced depends on the temperature and the concentration of each of the amines present in the blend. A linear free energy relationship accounting for steric factors around the nitrogen atom and the pK(a) of the amine is presented. This relationship satisfactorily correlates the rate constants generated in this work. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2010,Carbon dioxide reaction kinetics; AMP-MMEA blend; AMP-MORPH blend; Linear free energy relationship; Stopped flow technique,No (2)
Sabatier reactor system integration with microwave plasma methane pyrolysis post-processor for closed-loop hydrogen recovery,"The Carbon Dioxide Reduction Assembly (CRA) designed and developed for the International Space Station (ISS) represents the state-of-the-art in carbon dioxide reduction (CDRe) technology. The CRA produces water and methane by reducing carbon dioxide with hydrogen via the Sabatier reaction. The water is recycled to the Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) and the methane is vented overboard resulting in a net loss of hydrogen. The proximity to earth and the relative ease of logistics resupply from earth allow for a semi-closed system on ISS. However, long-term manned space flight beyond low earth orbit (LEO) dictates a more thoroughly closed-loop system involving significantly higher recovery of hydrogen, and subsequent recovery of oxygen, to minimize costs associated with logistics resupply beyond LEO. The open-loop ISS system for CDRe can be made closed-loop for follow-on missions by further processing methane to recover hydrogen. For this purpose, a process technology has been developed that employs a microwave-generated plasma to reduce methane to hydrogen and acetylene resulting in 75% theoretical recovery of hydrogen. In 2009, a 1-man equivalent Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) was delivered to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for technical evaluation. The PPA has been integrated with a Sabatier Development Unit (SDU). The integrated process configuration incorporates a sorbent bed to eliminate residual carbon dioxide and water vapor in the Sabatier methane product stream before it enters the PPA. This paper provides detailed information on the stand-alone and integrated performance of both the PPA and SDU. Additionally, the integrated test stand design and anticipated future work are discussed.",2010,,No (2)
Low efficiency of nutrient translocation for enhancing oceanic uptake of carbon dioxide,"Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are steadily increasing the concentration of this greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere. The possible long-term consequences of this elevated concentration have led to proposals for a number of large-scale geoengineering schemes that aim to enhance or augment natural sinks for CO2. One such scheme proposes deploying a large number of floating ""pipes'' in the ocean that act to translocate nutrient-rich seawater from below the mixed layer to the ocean's surface: the nutrient supplied should enhance the growth of phytoplankton and consequently the export of organic carbon to the deep ocean via the biological pump. Here we examine the practical consequences of this scheme in a global ocean general circulation model that includes a nitrogen-based ecosystem and the biogeochemical cycle of carbon. While primary production is generally enhanced by the modeled pipes, as expected, the effect on the uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere is much smaller, may be negative, and shows considerable spatiotemporal variability.",2009,,No (2)
Barriers and incentives of CCS deployment in China: Results from semi-structured interviews,"From March to July of 2008, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 experts from the Chinese government, scientific institutes and industrial sectors. This paper Summarizes the experts' opinions and draws conclusions about four crucial aspects that influence CO2 capture and storage (CCS) deployment in China: technology research and experience accumulation, finance support, market development and policy and system. According to interviews result, technological improvement is necessary to cut down on CO2 capture cost and decrease technological uncertainty. Then, to make some rational policies and systems, with elements such as a carbon tax and clean electricity pricing, to drive power plants to adopt CO2 capture technology. Furthermore, financial incentive in both the long term and the short term, such as subsidies and CDM, will be important for CCS incentives, encouraging enterprises' enthusiasm for CCS and their capacity to enact it. Lastly, CCS deployment should be conducted under a market-oriented framework in the long term, so a business model and niche market deployment should be considered in advance. Among these aspects, policy and system is more complex than other three aspects, to resolve this obstacle, the innovation on electricity market and government decision model for climate change is crucial. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2009,CCS deployment; Semi-structured interview; Climate change,No (2)
"Climate change effects on soil carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions in Abies fabri forest of subalpine, southwest China","The Abies fabri forest on the eastern slope of the Gongga Mountain is a typical subalpine dark coniferous forest in southwestern China. The soil carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions in the A. fabri forest in future climates were simulated by the Forest-DNDC (denitrification-decomposition) model. Three future climate scenarios (B1, A1B and A2) predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were selectively investigated. The simulation showed that at elevated temperature and precipitation, the annual change of soil organic carbon (SOC) decreased in the forest floor pool but increased in the mineral soil pool. The increases in the CO2, N2O and NO emissions from soil were also quantified. The results indicated that elevated temperature and precipitation influenced the soil carbon dynamics, and significantly increased the greenhouse gas emissions from the soil in the A. fabri forest of subalpine. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2009,Climate change; Forest-DNDC; Soil carbon dynamics; Greenhouse gas,No (2)
Soil carbon storage responses to expanding pinyon-juniper populations in southern Utah,"Over the past several decades, the expansion and thickening of woodlands in the western United States has caused a range of ecological changes. Woody expansion often leads to increases in soil organic matter (SOM) pools with implications for both biogeochemical cycling and ecological responses to management strategies aimed at restoration of rangeland ecosystems. Here we directly measure C and N stocks and use simple non-steady-state models to quantify the dynamics of soil C accumulation under and around trees of varied ages in southern Utah woodlands. In the two pinyon-juniper forests of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument studied here, we found similar to 3 kg C/m(2) and similar to 0.12 kg N/m(2) larger C and N stocks in soils under pinyon canopies compared to interspace sites. These apparent increases in soil C and N stocks under woody plant species were dominated by elevated SOM in the surface 10 cm of soil, particularly within non-mineral-associated organic fractions. The most significant accumulation of C was in the >850 mu m fraction, which had an estimated C residence time of <20 yr. Rates of carbon accumulation following pinyon-juniper expansion appear to be dominated by changes in this fast-cycling surface soil fraction. In contrast, we found that after separating >850 mu m organic matter from the remaining light fraction (LF), C had residence times of similar to 400 yr and mineral-associated (MA) soil C had residence times of similar to 600 yr. As a result, we calculate that input rates to the LF and MA pools to be 10 +/- 1 and 0.68 +/- 0.15 g.m(-2).yr(-1) (mean +/- SE), respectively. These findings suggest that one consequence of management activities aimed at the reduction of pinyon-juniper biomass may be a relatively rapid loss of soil C and N pools associated with the >850 mu m fraction. The temporal dynamics of the <850 mu m pools suggest that carbon and nitrogen continue to accumulate in these fractions, albeit at very slow rates, and suggest that multidecadal storage of C following tree recruitment is limited to relatively small, subsurface fractions of the total soil C pool.",2009,"arid; carbon; Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA; grazing; nitrogen; pinyon-juniper forest; soil; woody encroachment",No (2)
EFFECTIVENESS AND DISTRIBUTIONAL IMPACTS OF PAYMENTS FOR REDUCED CARBON EMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATION,"This paper analyses the effectiveness and distributional effects of payments to avoid tropical deforestation. As a first: aspect, we investigated whether or not expected payments for avoided deforestation would be acceptable for tropical farmers in Southern Ecuador with the study area located directly adjacent to the Podocarpus National Park. Second, we explored possible distributional effects resulting from voluntary or mandatory remuneration schemes to avoid deforestation. Finally, a productive sustainable land use,vas conceptualised to be combined with payments For avoided deforestation to avoid leakage (i.e. deforestation processes elsewhere when avoided at a given farm). Farm level land use scenarios with (""business as usual"") and without deforestation (""conservation strategy"") were compared. Compensation per Mg Carbon (C) that is not emitted into the atmosphere under the ""conservation strategy"" was derived to achieve a monetary land net present value (NPV, sum of discounted future net revenues) equal to the NPV obtained under ""business as usual'. Avoided carbon emissions were computed from above ground C in tropical forests of the project area and supplemented by In(130 formation on soil carbon from another study Economic data for cattle pasturing were obtained from a farm survey (130 households) to investigate distributional effects. To derive sustainable land use concepts, a risk sensitive bioeconomic farm model was used that considered effects of risk compensation when combining pasture with reforestation of abandoned farm lands and selective logging of natural forests. The results showed that only a few farmers (20 out of 130) would possibly accept a compensation price of US$ 10 per Mg avoided C emission, a C-compensation that is believed by other authors to reduce deforestation by 65%. Rather a compensation of around US$ 25 per Mg C was necessary to address compensation requirements of farmers who hold 50% of the tropical forest area in our study. The implementation of a voluntary remuneration scheme for avoided deforestation would not introduce systematic distributional effects (such as that only the biggest farmers would benefit from compensation), while a mandatory and enforced ban on deforestation coupled with a ""fair"" compensation payment equal to mean compensation requirements may lead to undesirable effects for many farmers. Finally, we demonstrate a mixed sustainable land use concept that depended on cheap credits for reforestation of abandoned pasture lands. This concept was able to stop farm level deforestation and to enlarge the economic value of farms through various combined land use options (agricultural and forestry options). The combination of land uses led to risk compensatory), effects and a more efficient land use by reintegrating unproductive abandoned areas back into the economical process. I In our conclusion a combination of payments for avoided deforestation along with productive land use concepts provided a viable solution for tropical forest conservation.",2009,Tropical forest conservation; conservation payments; carbon storage; sustainable land use,No (2)
Thermodynamic modeling of water-acid gases-alkanolamine systems,"The share of natural gas in the world energy panorama has been appreciably growing for the last 20 years. This trend is expected to increase in the next few decades with the progressive replacement of fuel oil and coal by this relatively environment-friendly source of energy. However, this development will depend on the progress of gas processing technologies to give access to reserves now not exploitable. More than 30% of available gas fields are acid, containing large quantities of CO2 and H2S and other sulfur compounds. The technologies generally employed to remove these impurities are very often based on their absorption in chemical or/and physical solvents. In the gas processing industry absorption with chemical solvents has been used commercially for the removal of acid gas impurities from natural gas. The currently preferred chemical solvent technology for carbon capture is the use of amine-based chemical absorbent. Alkanolamines, simple combinations of alcohols and ammonia, are the most commonly used category of amine chemical solvents for CO2 capture. Internationally many large oil and gas fields have high CO2 and H2S content (&gt;50 mol%) and also traces of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and mercaptanes (RSH). It is known that many of the most used thermodynamic models for the simulation of acid gas solubility in alkonolamines (Kent Eisenberg, Deshmuk-Mather, electrolyte-NRTL) may give large errors when extrapolated to high pressures, high wt% amine, mixed CO2 and H2S gasses, gasses with traces of COS, RSH. So accurate estimation of thermodynamic equilibrium between high pressure natural gasses (up to 100 bar) with high amounts of CO2 and H2S and alkonolamines such as MEA, MDEA and DEA is crucial for obtaining a good design of amine based acid gas removal process. In this work the Extended UNIQUAC model is used for representation of the behavior of acid gas-alkanolamine mixtures over an extensive pressure range, with emphasis on mixed acid gases and presence of carbonyl sulfide and mercaptanes. Model parameters are optimized from the available experimental data. As a foundation for this modeling, a large literature review on experimental works for water-acid gases-alkanolamine (MEA/MDEA) systems has been done. MDEA has the advantage that no carbamate is formed and the enthalpy of reaction is smaller than that of either MEA or DEA. Hence the cost of regeneration is lower. However, MDEA solutions react slowly with CO2 and if bulk removal of carbon dioxide is desired, the result is a larger number of trays or an increased height of packing compared with MEA or DEA. Monoethanolamine (MEA) has been the most widely employed gas treating alkanolamine solvent due to its high reactivity, low cost, ease of regeneration, and low solubility of hydrocarbons. The disadvantage includes a high enthalpy of reaction with carbon dioxide and formation of carbamate. Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) solution frequently is used for selective removal of H2S from gas streams which contain both CO2 and H2S. However, MDEA is also useful for bulk CO2 removal because of the low heat of reaction with acid gases, which leads to lower energy requirement for regeneration.",2009,,No (2)
An idealized assessment of the economics of air capture of carbon dioxide in mitigation policy,"This paper discusses the technology of direct capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere called air capture. It develops a simple arithmetic description of the magnitude of the challenge of stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide as a cumulative allocation over the 21st century. This approach, consistent with and based on the work of the intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sets the stage for an analysis of the average costs of air capture over the 21st century under the assumption that technologies available today are used to fully offset net human emissions of carbon dioxide. The simple assessment finds that even at a relatively high cost per ton of carbon, the costs of air capture are directly comparable to the costs of stabilization using other means as presented by recent reports of the IPCC and the Stern Review Report. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2009,Climate change; Energy policy; Economics,No (2)
Copenhagen or bust?,"A discussion on issues and topics to be discussed at the UN Climate Change Conference (Copenhagen, Denmark 12/7-18/2009) covers the need to reach a meaningful, fair, and lasting agreement on global climate change; reducing the incidence and levels of harmful emissions; the need to deliver a sustainable energy future that enables developed and developing countries to reap the benefits of economic development and social progress; priorities of different people and countries; improved efficiency of energy production; the need to reduce concentrations of CO2 particularly through their capture, separation, storage, and reuse; technology associated with carbon capture and storage (CCS), which is demonstrating the viability of industrial-scale geological storage of CO2 as a greenhouse gas mitigation option in the global environmental effort; interest in CCS; development of improved cost-effective technologies for the separation and capture of CO2 for its transport and long-term safe storage; EU support for CCS; and investment concerns.",2009,,No (2)
"Water-rock-CO2 interactions in saline aquifers aimed for carbon dioxide storage: Experimental and numerical modeling studies of the Rio Bonito Formation (Permian), southern Brazil","Mineral trapping is one of the safest ways to store CO2 underground as C will be immobilized in a solid phase. Carbon dioxide will be, therefore, sequestered for geological periods of time, helping to diminish greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate global warming. Although mineral trapping is considered a fairly long process, owing to the existence of kinetic barriers for mineral precipitation, it has been demonstrated both experimentally and by numerical modeling. Here the results of experimental and numerical modeling studies performed in sandstones of the saline aquifer of the Rio Bonito Formation, Parang Basin, are presented. The Rio Bonito Formation consists of paralic sandstones deposited in the intracratonic Parand Basin, southern Brazil, during the Permian (Artinskian-Kungurian). These rocks have the largest potential for CO2 storage because of their appropriated reservoir quality, depth and proximity to the most important stationary CO2 sources in Brazil. Here it is suggested that CO2 can be permanently stored as carbonates as CO2 reacts with rocks of the Rio Bonito Formation and forms CaCO3 at temperatures and pressures similar to those encountered for CO2 storage in geological formations. Results of this work will be useful for studies of partitioning mechanisms for C trapping in CO2 storage programs. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2009,,No (2)
Technical and economic feasibility of the capture and geological storage of CO2 from a bio-fuel distillery: CPER Artenay project,"This paper first focuses on the environmental benefits of the CCS system applied to a bio-ethanol distillery before estimating its feasibility under geological and economic constraints. First, the calculation of CO2 balance in this application shows that the introduction of CO2 capture and sto rage in biomass energy systems (B-CCS) can si gnificantly increase the CO2 abat ement potential of the system and even leads to negative carbon emissions. Besides, a preliminary geological investigation reveals that the studied area has a good storage potential although the presence of major faults, while the low capture costs of CO2 from biomass fermentation emphasize the economic potential o f such a solution. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2009,,No (2)
Technology comparison of CO2 capture for a gas-to-liquids plant,"The accelerating pace of climate change regulatory action has rendered it necessary to understand the potential impact of carbon constraints on unconventional hydrocarbon resources such as gas-to-liquids (GTL). A systematic evaluation approach was applied to a GTL plant: 1.Estimate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from a GTL plant.2.Determine the cost of CO2 capture with retrofit, conventional facilities.3.Determine the CO2 capture cost for alternate technology, oxy-firing plant heaters.4.Determine the cost of CO2 capture integrated into the original design. Results from stages one through three are included. The capital and operating costs of the capture technologies are compared. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2009,,No (2)
Special report: Energy balance: Coal in the firing line,"A discussion on the future of coal in the UK energy mix covers investments in coal-fired plants fitted with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in the country; need to secure energy supplies and meet environmental targets; pricing trends for gas and electricity; potential scenarios to assess the energy risk to the UK in the next 10-15 yr; EON's decision to delay its plans to build a coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent; public consultations with the local community and key stakeholders; and demonstration CCS projects, which envisages CCS clusters in regions, e.g., Thames, Humberside, Teesside, Firth of Forth, and Merseyside.",2009,,No (2)
"Petrochemicals from oil, natural gas, coal and biomass: Production costs in 2030-2050","Methane, coal and biomass are being considered as alternatives to crude oil for the production of basic petrochemicals, such as light olefins. This paper is a study on the production costs of 24 process routes utilizing these primary energy sources. A wide range of projected energy prices in 2030-2050 found in the open literature is used. The basis for comparison is the production cost per t of high valuechemicals (HVCs or light olefin-value equivalent). A Monte Carlo method was used to estimate the ranking of production costs of all 24 routes with 10,000 trials of varying energy prices and CO2 emissions costs (assumed to be within $0-100/tCO(2); the total CO2 emissions, or cradle-to-grave CO2 emissions, were considered). High energy prices in the first three quarter of 2008 were tested separately. The main findings are: Production costs: while the production costs of crude oil- and natural gas-based routes are within $500-900/t HVCs, those of coal- and biomass-based routes are mostly within $400-800/t HVCs. Production costs of coal- and biomass-based routes are in general quite similar while in some cases the difference is significant. Among the top seven most expensive routes, six are oil- and gas-based routes. Among the top seven least expensive routes, six are coal and biomass routes. CO2 emissions costs: the effect of CO2 emissions costs was found to be strong on the coal-based routes and also quite significant on the biomass-based routes. However, the effect on oil- and gas-based routes is found to be small or relatively moderate. Energy prices in 2008: most of the coal-based routes and biomass-based routes (particularly sugar cane) still have much lower production costs than the oil- and gas-based routes (even if international freight costs are included). To ensure the reduction of CO2 emissions in the long-term, we suggest that policies for the petrochemicals industry focus on stimulating the use of biomass as well as carbon capture and storage features for coal-based routes. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2009,Coal; Biomass; Methane; Petrochemicals; Production costs,No (2)
"Fischer-Tropsch fuels from coal and biomass: Strategic advantages of once-through (""polygeneration"") configurations",Systems that produce synthetic liquid fuels and electricity from coal and biomass with carbon capture and storage offer an attractive cost-competitive approach for decarbonising liquid fuels and electricity simultaneously. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.,2009,,No (2)
Effect of biochar amendment on soil carbon balance and soil microbial activity,"We investigated the behavior of biochars in arable and forest soil in a greenhouse experiment in order to prove that these amendments can increase carbon storage in soils. Two qualities of biochar were produced by hydrothermal pyrolysis from (13)C labeled glucose (0% N) and yeast (5% N), respectively. We quantified respiratory losses of soil and biochar carbon and calculated mean residence times of the biochars using the isotopic label. Extraction of phospholipid fatty acids from soil at the beginning and after 4 months of incubation was used to quantify changes in microbial biomass and to identify microbial groups utilizing the biochars. Mean residence times varied between 4 and 29 years, depending on soil type and quality of biochar. Yeast-derived biochar promoted fungi in the soil, while glucose-derived biochar was utilized by Gram-negative bacteria. Our results suggest that residence times of biochar in soils can be manipulated with the aim to ""design"" the best possible biochar for a given soil type. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2009,Biochar; (13)C labeling; PLFA; Residence times; Greenhouse experiment,No (2)
Assessment of 10 years of CO2 fumigation on soil microbial communities and function in a sweetgum plantation,"Increased vegetative growth and soil carbon (C) storage under elevated carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2])) has been demonstrated in a number of experiments. However, the ability of ecosystems, either above- or belowground, to maintain increased C storage relies on the response of soil processes, such as those that control nitrogen (N) mineralization, to climatic change. These soil processes are mediated by microbial communities whose activity and structure may also respond to increasing atmospheric [CO2]. We took advantage of a long-term (ca 10 y) CO2 enrichment experiment in a sweetgum plantation located in the southeastern United States to test the hypothesis that observed increases in root production in elevated relative to ambient CO2 plots would alter microbial community structure, increase microbial activity, and increase soil nutrient cycling. We found that elevated [CO2] had no detectable effect on microbial community structure using 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, on microbial activity measured with extracellular enzyme activity, or on potential soil N mineralization and nitrification rates. These results support findings at other forested Free Air [CO2] Enrichment (FACE) sites. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2009,Bacterial community structure; Climate change; 16S rRNA genes; Elevated carbon dioxide; Enzyme activity; Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE); Potential nitrogen mineralization,No (2)
Irrigated afforestation of the Sahara and Australian Outback to end global warming,"Each year, irrigated Saharan- and Australian-desert forests could sequester amounts of atmospheric CO2 at least equal to that from burning fossil fuels. Without any rain, to capture CO2 produced from gasoline requires adding about $1 to the per-gallon pump-price to cover irrigation costs, using reverse osmosis (RO), desalinated, sea water. Such mature technology is economically competitive with the currently favored, untested, power-plant Carbon Capture (and deep underground, or under-ocean) Sequestration (CCS). Afforestation sequesters CO2, mostly as easily stored wood, both from distributed sources (automotive, aviation, etc., that CCS cannot address) and from power plants. Climatological feasibility and sustainability of such irrigated forests, and their potential global impacts are explored using a general circulation model (GCM). Biogeophysical feedback is shown to stimulate considerable rainfall over these forests, reducing desalination and irrigation costs; economic value of marketed, renewable, forest biomass, further reduces costs; and separately, energy conservation also reduces the size of the required forests and therefore their total capital and operating costs. The few negative climate impacts outside of the forests are discussed, with caveats. If confirmed with other GCMs, such irrigated, subtropical afforestation probably provides the best, near-term route to complete control of green-house-gas-induced, global warming.",2009,,Yes (1)
Life-cycle environomic optimisation of NGCC plant with biogenic fuel and CO2 capture,"A method integrating life cycle assessment results in an optimization framework was developed. The method was applied to the optimization of a NGCC power plant with two competing CO2 abatement technologies: post-combustion CO2 capture using monoethanolamine, and fuel substitution with synthetic natural gas (SNG) from wood gasification. The SNG gasifier size, a trade-off between economies of scale and global warming potential controlled by wood trucking distances and plant design parameters, was optimized. The parameterized results were included in a new simulation of the entire NGCC power plant life cycle, drawing a Pareto curve between two objectives: the levelized cost of electricity and its life cycle global warming potential. The Pareto-optimal life cycle emissions ranged from 434 kg CO2/Mw-hr, down to negative values when SNG and CO2 capture are used simultaneously. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering (Montreal, Quebec, Canada 8/23-27/2009).",2009,,No (2)
Carbon capture and storage including coal-fired power plants,"Nationally-recognized studies and our contacts with a diverse group of industry representatives, nongovernmental organizations, and academic researchers show that key barriers to CCS deployment include (1) underdeveloped and costly CO2 capture technology and (2) regulatory and legal uncertainties over CO2 capture, injection, and storage. Among the key technological barriers are a lack of experience in capturing significant amounts of CO2 from power plants and the significant cost of capturing CO2, particularly from existing coal-fired power plants, which are the single largest source of CO2 emissions in the United States. Compounding these technological issues are regulatory and legal uncertainties, including uncertainty regarding liability for CO2 leakage and ownership of CO2 once injected. According to the IPCC, the National Academy of Sciences, and other knowledgeable authorities, another barrier is the absence of a national strategy to control CO2 emissions (emissions trading plan, CO2 emissions tax, or other mandatory control of CO2 emissions), without which the electric utility industry has little incentive to capture and store its CO2 emissions. Moreover, according to key agency officials, the absence of a national strategy has also deterred their agencies from addressing other important practical issues, such as resolving how stored CO2 would be treated in a future CO2 emissions trading plan. © 2010 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.",2009,,No (2)
Bone Density and Brain Atrophy in Early Alzheimer's Disease,"Studies suggest a link between bone loss and Alzheimer's disease. To examine bone mineral density (BMD) in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its relationship to brain structure and cognition, we evaluated 71 patients with early stage AD (Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 0.5 and 1) and 69 non-demented elderly control participants (CDR 0). Measures included whole body BMD by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and normalized whole brain volumes computed from structural MRI scans. Cognition was assessed with a standard neuropsychological test battery. Mean BMD was lower in the early AD group (1.11 +/- 0.13) compared to the non-demented control group (1.16 +/- 0.12, p = 0.02), independent of age, gender, habitual physical activity, smoking, depression, estrogen replacement, and apolipoprotein E4 carrier status. In the early AD group, BMD was related to whole brain volume (b = 0.18, p = 0.03). BMD was also associated with cognitive performance, primarily in tests of memory (logical memory [b = 0.15, p = 0.04], delayed logical memory [b = 0.16, p = 0.02], and the selective reminding task-free recall [b = 0.18, p = 0.009]). BMD is reduced in the earliest clinical stages of AD and associated with brain atrophy and memory decline, suggesting that central mechanisms may contribute to bone loss in early AD.",2009,Alzheimer's disease; bone mineral density; brain atrophy; hypothalamus; memory,No (2)
Separation of unburned carbon from fly ash using a concurrent flotation column,"In this study. a new concurrent flotation column that simulates the plug flow reactor was designed with the use of a static mixer, a froth separator column and an optional additional bubble generator for fly ash beneficiation. The objective was to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of unburned carbon removal from fly ash by minimizing energy costs. Cleaning tests were performed with and without the additional bubble genarator. Without the additional bubble generator unburned carbon in the ash product could be reduced to only 2.53%. Incidental loss of carbon particles and insufficient bubble generation were the main causes of poor carbon separation performance. By turning on the additional bubble generator it was aimed to assist bubble generation, to compensate bubble rupture and to recapture the detached or free carbon particles leaving the froth phase. With the additional bubble generator and under optimized conditions a froth product with 95% carbon recovery and a cleaned ash product with less than 1% unburned carbon was obtained. The separation process through the static mixer (feeder) and the separator column and the energy consumption of the unit were analyzed. It was seen that around 80% energy could be saved with the concurrent flotation column compared to conventional flotation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2009,Fly ash; Flotation; Carbon removal; Loss On Ignition (LOI),No (2)
Influence of additives including amine and hydroxyl groups on aqueous ammonia absorbent for CO2 capture,"Aqueous ammonia absorbent (10 wt %) was modified with four kinds of additives (I wt %) including amine and hydroxyl groups, i.e., 2-amino-2-methyl-l-propanol (AMP), 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propandiol (AMPD), 2-amino-2-ethyl-1,3-propandiol (AEPD), and tri(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (THAM), for CO2 capture. The loss of ammonia by vaporization was reduced by additives, whereas the removal efficiency of CO2 was slightly improved. These results were attributed to the interactions between ammonia and additives or absorbents and CO2 via hydrogen bonding, as verified by FT-IR spectra and computational calculation. Molecular structures as well as binding energies were obtained from the geometries of (ammonia + additives) and (ammonia + additives + CO2) at the optimized state. These experimental and theoretical findings demonstrate that additives including amine and hydroxyl group are suitable for modifying aqueous ammonia absorbent for CO2 removal.",2008,,No (2)
EPIC Modeling of soil organic carbon sequestration in croplands of lowa,"Depending on management, soil organic carbon (SOC) is a potential source or sink for atmospheric CO2. We used the EPIC model to study impacts of soil and crop management on SOC in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) croplands of Iowa. The National Agricultural Statistics Service crops classification maps were used to identify corn-soybean areas. Soil properties were obtained from a combination of SSURGO and STATSGO databases. Daily weather variables were obtained from first order meteorological stations in Iowa and neighboring states. Data on crop management, fertilizer application and tillage were obtained from publicly available databases maintained by the NRCS, USDA-Economic Research Service (ERS), and Conservation Technology Information Center. The EPIC model accurately simulated state averages of crop yields during 1970-2005 (R-2 = 0.87). Simulated SOC explained 75% of the variation in measured SOC. With current trends in conservation tillage adoption, total stock of SOC (0-20 cm) is predicted to reach 506 Tg by 2019, representing an increase of 28 Tg with respect to 1980. In contrast, when the whole soil profile was considered, EPIC estimated a decrease of SOC stocks with time, from 1835 Tg in 1980 to 1771 Tg in 2019. Hence, soil depth considered for calculations is an important factor that needs further investigation. Soil organic C sequestration rates (0-20 cm) were estimated at 0.50 to 0.63 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1) depending on climate and soil conditions. Overall, combining land use maps with EPIC proved valid for predicting impacts of management practices on SOC. However, more data on spatial and temporal variation in SOC are needed to improve model calibration and validation.",2008,,No (2)
Carbon sequestration in European soils through straw incorporation: Limitations and alternatives,"We compared alternate uses of cereal straw (4.25 t dry matter ha(-1) containing 1.7 t carbon (C) for their effectiveness in relation to climate change mitigation. The scenarios were (1) incorporation into soil to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) content (""carbon sequestration"") and (2) combustion to generate electricity. The Rothamsted Carbon Model was used to estimate SOC accumulation in a silty clay loam soil under the climatic conditions of north-west Europe. Using straw for electricity generation saved seven times more CO2 than from SOC accumulation. This comparison assumed that electricity from straw combustion displaced that generated from coal and used the mean annual accumulation of SOC over 100 yr. SOC increased most rapidly in the early years, but then more slowly as a new equilibrium value was approached. We Suggest that increased SOC from straw incorporation does not represent genuine climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration. In Europe, most straw not already incorporated in the field where it is grown is subsequently returned elsewhere, e.g., after use for animal bedding and production of manure. Only additional retention of C in soil compared to the alternative use represents sequestration. Maintenance of SOC for soil functioning is a more appropriate rationale for returning straw to soil than climate change mitigation. This analysis shows that considerably greater climate change mitigation is achieved through saved CO2 emissions by burning straw for electricity generation, replacing some use of fossil fuel. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2008,,No (2)
Trade-offs in resource allocation among moss species control decomposition in boreal peatlands,"1. We separated the effects of plant species controls on decomposition rates from environmental controls in northern peatlands using a full factorial, reciprocal transplant experiment of eight dominant bryophytes in four distinct peatland types in boreal Alberta, Canada. Standard fractionation techniques as well as compound-specific pyrolysis molecular beam mass spectrometry were used to identify a biochemical mechanism underlying any interspecific differences in decomposition rates. 2. We found that over a 3-year field incubation, individual moss species and not micro-environmental conditions controlled early stages of decomposition. Across species, Sphagnum mosses exhibited a trade-off in resource partitioning into metabolic and structural carbohydrates, a pattern that served as a strong predictor of litter decomposition. 3. Decomposition rates showed a negative co-variation between species and their microtopographic position, as species that live in hummocks decomposed slowly but hummock microhabitats themselves corresponded to rapid decomposition rates. By forming litter that degrades slowly, hummock mosses appear to promote the maintenance of macropore structure in surface peat hummocks that aid in water retention. 4. Synthesis. Many northern regions are experiencing rapid climate warming that is expected to accelerate the decomposition of large soil carbon pools stored within peatlands. However, our results suggest that some common peatland moss species form tissue that resists decomposition across a range of peatland environments, suggesting that moss resource allocation could stabilize peatland carbon losses under a changing climate.",2008,boreal; climate change; decomposition; metabolism; mosses; non-structural carbohydrates; peatlands; resource allocation; Sphagnum; structural carbohydrates,No (2)
Greenhouse gas limitation: Corrosion and materials challenges for the capture and storage of carbon dioxide,"CO2 emissions have increased dramatically in recent decades, pushing up CO2 levels in the atmosphere. This increased concentration is thought to be responsible for the trend towards global warming already observed and might have far more dramatic consequences in the future if steps are not taken. Reducing these emissions, in particular by exploiting technologies to capture, transport and store CO2, is a major challenge for society. A line of action is to capture CO2 and store it in underground geological formations. This option is applicable to fixed, concentrated energy production facilities (such as refineries and power stations) and to fossil fuel-based hydrogen production. Corrosion and accurate materials selection is a major challenge for the development of relialable CO2 capture and storage technologies. In order to reduce CO2 emission, its capture is based on separation techniques such as absorption, membrane, adsorption or low temperature separation processes. As an example, for refinery, petrochemical plants and energy production facilities, post treatment capture from industrial gas streams are mainly operated at low pressure (1 bar) and low CO2 content (3-15%) using absorption processes based on chemical solvents. In order to improve the energetic outcome, extensive works are performed on better efficient solvents. One of the most severe operational difficulties encountered is the corrosion of the process equipment. In practice, corrosion mitigation have to be achieved by using appropriate inhibitors, by adequate design and use of corrosion resistant alloys, or by applying process modifications when no other solution is acceptable. For the CO2 transportation and storage, the selection of proper materials is a critical issue in order to avoid deterioration risks and to reduce the costs of underground CO2 disposal. Corrosion problems of steels and degradations of cements have to be overtaken to avoid CO2 leakage along the wells and to assure its long term storage in the reservoirs.",2008,,No (2)
Energy policy: Shell calls for profound change in energy policy,"A sustainable energy future is achievable, but there must be ""profound change"" in the way energy is supplied and used, according to Royal Dutch Shell. Shell's latest thesis on the long-term future of energy flows - a document entitled Shell energy scenarios to 2050 - outlines two cases, referred to as Scramble and Blueprints. In the first, policymakers pay little attention to more efficient energy use until supplies are tight. The problem of rising greenhouse gas emissions is not seriously tackled until there are significant climate shocks. In Blueprints - which Shell says offers the better hope for a sustainable future - local actions begin to address the problems of economic development, energy security and environmental pollution. A price is applied to a critical mass of emissions giving a ""huge stimulus"" to the development of clean-energy technologies, such as carbon capture and storage, and energy efficiency measures.",2008,,No (2)
Soils and sustainable agriculture. A review,"Enhancing food production and supporting civil/engineering structures have been the principal foci of soil science research during most of the 19th and the first seven or eight decades of the 20th century. Demands on soil resources during the 21st century and beyond include: (i) increasing agronomic production to meet the food needs of additional 3.5 billion people that will reside in developing countries along with likely shift in food habits from plant-based to animal-based diet, (ii) producing ligno-cellulosic biomass through establishment of energy plantations on agriculturally surplus/marginal soils or other specifically identified lands, (iii) converting degraded/desertified soils to restorative land use for enhancing biodiversity and improving the environment, (iv) sequestering carbon in terrestrial ( soil and trees) and aquatic ecosystems to off-set industrial emissions and stabilize the atmospheric abundance of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, ( v) developing farming/cropping systems which improve water use effciency and minimize risks of water pollution, contamination and eutrophication, and ( vi) creating reserves for species preservation, recreation and enhancing aesthetic value of soil resources. Realization of these multifarious soil functions necessitate establishment of inter-disciplinary approach with close linkages between soil scientists and chemists, physicists, geologists, hydrologists, climatologists, biologists, system engineers ( nano technologists), computer scientists and information technologists, economists, social scientists and molecular geneticists dealing with human, animal and microbial processes. While advancing the study of basic principles and processes, soil scientists must also reach out to other disciplines to address the global issues of the 21st century and beyond.",2008,sustainable agriculture; soil functions; food security; climate change; biofuels; water resources; waste management,No (2)
Modeling analysis of primary controls on net ecosystem productivity of seven boreal and temperate coniferous forests across a continental transect,"Process-based models are effective tools to synthesize and/or extrapolate measured carbon (C) exchanges from individual sites to large scales. In this study, we used a C- and nitrogen (N)-cycle coupled ecosystem model named CN-CLASS (Carbon Nitrogen-Canadian Land Surface Scheme) to study the role of primary climatic controls and site-specific C stocks on the net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of seven intermediate-aged to mature coniferous forest sites across an east-west continental transect in Canada. The model was parameterized using a common set of parameters, except for two used in empirical canopy conductance-assimilation, and leaf area-sapwood relationships, and then validated using observed eddy covariance flux data. Leaf Rubisco-N dynamics that are associated with soil-plant N cycling, and depend on canopy temperature, enabled the model to simulate site-specific gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) reasonably well for all seven sites. Overall GEP simulations had relatively smaller differences compared with observations vs. ecosystem respiration (RE), which was the sum of many plant and soil components with larger variability and/or uncertainty associated with them. Both observed and simulated data showed that, on an annual basis, boreal forest sites were either carbon-neutral or a weak C sink, ranging from 30 to 180 g C m(-2) yr(-1); while temperate forests were either a medium or strong C sink, ranging from 150 to 500 g C m(-2) yr(-1), depending on forest age and climatic regime. Model sensitivity tests illustrated that air temperature, among climate variables, and aboveground biomass, among major C stocks, were dominant factors impacting annual NEP. Vegetation biomass effects on annual GEP, RE and NEP showed similar patterns of variability at four boreal and three temperate forests. Air temperature showed different impacts on GEP and RE, and the response varied considerably from site to site. Higher solar radiation enhanced GEP, while precipitation differences had a minor effect. Magnitude of forest litter content and soil organic matter (SOM) affected RE. SOM also affected GEP, but only at low levels of SOM, because of low N mineralization that limited soil nutrient (N) availability. The results of this study will help to evaluate the impact of future climatic changes and/or forest C stock variations on C uptake and loss in forest ecosystems growing in diverse environments.",2008,boreal forests; Canadian land surface scheme; carbon cycle; ecosystem model; net ecosystem productivity; temperate forests,No (2)
"Soil carbon dynamics in a subtropical mountainous region, south china: Results based on carbon isotopic tracing","Carbon cycling within the terrestrial ecosystems is predominant as the most uncertain component in the global carbon cycles (Houghton et al. 1998; Steffen et al. 1998), and is therefore critical in global carbon budgeting (Trumbore et al. 1996; Rosenzweig and Hillel 2000). A large portion of terrestrial carbon resides in soil organic carbon (Malhi et al. 1999; Garten et al. 2000), and carbon storage in soils can be increased by reforestation of agricultural land (Binkley and Resh 1999; Scott et al. 1999) and by the effective management of existing forests (Johnson and Curtis 2001). It is then pressing to decipher soil carbon dynamics for the soils in different climate regimes, due to the Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC 1997). Soil contributes to a greater extent to total carbon storage than do above-ground vegetation in most forests (Johnson and Curtis 2001). The total amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the upper meter of soil is about 1500 × 1015 g C (Eswaran et al. 1993; Batjes 1996), and the global atmospheric pool of CO2 is about 750 × 10 15 g C (Harden et al. 1992). The CO2 emission from soil into atmosphere is about 68.0-76.5 × 1015 g C per year, and this is more than 10 times the CO2 released from fossil fuel combustion (Raich and Potter 1995). Variations in SOC pools and SOM turnover rates, therefore, exert substantial impacts on the carbon cycles of terrestrial ecosystems in terms of carbon sequestration in soil and CO2 emission from soil. The distribution of SOC with depth is attributed mainly to continuous input and decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM), and correlates directly with soil development and SOM turnover (Chen et al. 2005). Regional, continental or global models are useful to understand SOM dynamics according to land use changes and management practices (Cole et al. 1996). These models require a thorough knowledge of the distribution of C in different soils and under different land uses practices (Paustian et al. 1997). Quantification of changes in soil carbon dynamics, including SOM turnover rate and distribution of SOC with depth, is therefore critical for determining carbon storage in soils and for modeling soil carbon cycling. The use of natural 13C abundance to determine SOM turnover associated with land management (Balesdent et al. 1988; Follett et al. 1997; Collins et al. 1999) and climate changes (Loiseau and Soussana 1999; Hobbie et al. 2002, 2004) is gaining popularity. δ13C analysis has become a valuable measure in the study of SOM dynamics (Bird et al. 1996), especially in the regions with records of vegetation shifts between C3 and C4 species (Gregorich et al. 1995; Ineson et al. 1996; Boutton et al. 1998; Collins et al. 1999, 2000). The changes in isotopic composition of soil with known and dated vegetation changes are directly related to SOM dynamics (Balesdent 1987, 1990; Martin et al. 1990; Garten et al. 2000). SOM δ 13C values correlate well with SOM sources, SOM composition and turnover processes during soil development (Balesdent et al. 1993; Chen et al. 2002a; Powers and Schlesinger 2002; Wynn et al. 2005). The changes in δ13C of SOM with depth have several possible explanations (Balesdent et al. 1990; Wynn et al. 2006). One popular explanation is the effect of carbon isotope fractionation due to preferential decomposition of SOM components with different isotopic composition (Benner et al. 1987; Wedin et al. 1995) and kinetic fractionation of carbon isotopes through microbial respiration of CO2 during SOM decomposition (Mary et al. 1992; Macko and Estep 1984). The spatial and temporal variations of SOM δ13C in relation to SOM turnover are then effective proxies for deciphering SOM dynamics. Soil layers with positive SOM δ14C values contain 14C produced by nuclear weapon testing (""bomb C"") from the 1950s to the 1960s, and the maximal depth that ""bomb 14C"" reaches is called ""bomb 14C"" penetrating depth (Shen et al. 2001). The 14C dating results measured with total soil organic carbon are usually prone to be younger, due to addition of new organic carbon during pedogenesis. This kind of 14C dating result is generally called to be SOM 14C apparent age (Shen et al. 2000). The SOM 14C apparent ages of the upper soil layers with SOM δ14C greater than 0, which can not be obtained directly from measurement, can now be calcu-lated based on SOM 14C budget model (Chen et al. 2002b). Little is known about the effect of leaching on distribution of SOM with depth, which is unfavorable for evaluating the potential capacity of soil to sequester carbon. Sporopollen (pollen and spores) are abundant in upper soils, and their vertical distributions are controlled substantially by leaching (Zheng et al. 2002). The distribution of sporopollen with depth may be a useful index of leaching potential. We intended to evaluate the effect of leaching on SOM vertical distribution, based on variations in SOC concentration and SOM 14C apparent age with depth. The distribution of sporopollen with depth can serve as a reference for our evaluation. Five soil profiles at different elevations with specific vegetation composition were selected at the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve (DHSBR), South China, and soil samples were taken using the thin-layered method (Becker-Heidmann and Scharpenseel 1986). Our aims were to study the spatial and temporal variations of SOM along an altitudinal gradient at the DHSBR that may serve as a substitution of different climate zones, based on SOC concentrations, SOM 14C dating, SOM δ13C values and sporopollen abundance of the soil samples. Studies on SOM dynamics along an altitud-inal gradient in a mountainous region may present clues for deciphering soil carbon cycling in different climate regimes.",2008,,No (2)
A Least-Cost Optimisation Model of CO2 Capture Applied to Major UK Power Plants Within The EU-ETS Framework,"Concerns about the cost of CO2 capture and sequestration, and the effectiveness of carbon abatement policies loom large in discussions on climate change mitigation. Several writers address the issue from various perspectives. This paper attempts to add relative realism to discussions on CO2 capture costs, and, the deployment of carbon capture technology in the UK by using publicly available company data on the long term capacity expansion and CO2 capture investment programmes of selected power plants in the UK. With an estimated 18 billion plan to install a generation capacity of 11 G W and capture capability of 44 MtCO(2)/year it is imperative to optimise this huge potential investment. A least-cost optimisation model was formulated and solved with the LP algorithm available in GAMS. The model was then applied to address a number of issues, including the choice of an optimal carbon abatement policy within the EU-ETS framework. The major findings of the study include (a) the long term total cost curve of CO2 capture has three phases - rising, plateau, rising; (b) alternative capture technologies do not have permanent relative cost advantages or disadvantages; (c) Government incentives encourage carbon capture and the avoidance of emission penalty charges; and (d) the goals of EU-ETS are more effectively realised with deeper cuts in the EUA ratios than merely hiking the emission penalty, as proposed in EU-ETS Phase II.",2008,,No (2)
EFFECT OF LOW-TEMPERATURE PYROLYSIS CONDITIONS ON BIOCHAR FOR AGRICULTURAL USE,"The removal of crop residues for bio-energy production reduces the formation of soil organic carbon (SOC) and there re can have negative impacts on soil fertility. Pyrolysis (thermoconversion of biomass under anaerobic conditions) generates liquid or gaseous fuels and a char (biochar) recalcitrant against decomposition. Biochar can be used to increase SOC and cycle nutrients back into agricultural fields. In this case, crop residues can be used as a potential energy source as well as to sequester carbon (C) and improve soil quality. To evaluate the agronomic potential of biochar, we analyzed biochar produced from poultry litter; peanut hulls, and pine chips produced at 400 degrees C and 500 degrees C with or without steam activation. The C content of the biochar ranged from 40% in the poultry litter (PL) biochar to 78% in the pine chip (PC) biochar. The total and Mehlich I extractable nutrient concentrations in the biochar were strongly influenced by feedstock. Feedstock nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg) were concentrated in the biochar and were significantly higher in the biochars produced at 500 degrees C. A large proportion of N was conserved in the biochar; ranging from 27.4% in the PL biochar to 89.6% in the PC biochar The amount of N conserved was inversely proportional to the feedstock N concentration. The cation exchange capacity was significantly higher in biochar produced at lower temperature. The results indicate that, depending oil feedstock, some biochars have potential to serve as nutrient sources as well as sequester C.",2008,Agricultural residues; Biochar; Bioenergy; Black carbon; Carbon sequestration; Charcoal; Plant nutrition; Pyrolysis; Soil fertility; Soil organic carbon,Yes (1)
Long-term Effect of a Single Application of Organic Refuse on Carbon Sequestration and Soil Physical Properties,"Restoration of degraded lands could be a way to reverse soil degradation and desertification in semiarid areas and mitigate greenhouse gases (GHG). Our objective was to evaluate the long-term effects of a single addition of organic refuse on soil physical properties and measure its carbon sequestration potential. In 1988, a set of five plots (87 m(2) each) was established in an open desert-like scrubland (2-4% cover) in Murcia, Spain, to which urban solid refuse (USR) was added in a single treatment at different rates. Soil properties were monitored over a 5-yr period. Sixteen years after the addition, three of the plots were monitored again (P0: control, P1: 13 kg m(-2), P2: 26 kg m(-2) of USR added) to assess the lasting effect of the organic addition on the soil organic carbon (SOC) pools and on the physical characteristics of the soil. The SOC content was higher in P2 (16.4 g kg(-1)) and in P1 (11.8 g kg(-1)) than in P0 (7.9 g kg(-1)). Likewise, aerial biomass increased from 0.18 kg m(-2) in P0 up to 0.27 kg m(-2) in P1 and 0.46 kg m(-2) in P2. This represents a total C sequestration of 9.5 Mg ha(-1) in P2 and 3.4 Mg ha(-1) in P1, most of the sequestered C remaining in the recalcitrant soil pool. Additionally, higher saturated hydraulic conductivity, aggregate stability, and available water content values and lower bulk density values were measured in the restored plots. Clearly, a single addition of organic refuse to the degraded soils to increase the potential for C sequestration was effective.",2008,,No (2)
Sequestration of carbon in harvested wood products for the United States,"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides guidelines for countries to report greenhouse gas removals by sinks and emissions from sources. These guidelines allow use of several accounting approaches when reporting the contribution of harvested wood products (HWP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Using extensions of methods suggested by the IPCC and a software model called WOODCARB II in Microsoft Excel (R), this paper presents estimates of the U.S. HWP contribution to annual greenhouse gas removals in the agriculture, forestry, land use, and land use change sector. In 2005, the contribution to removals was 30 Tg (million metric tons) C (carbon) and 31 Tg C for the Production and Atmospheric Flow Approaches, respectively, and 44 Tg C for the Stock Change Approach. This range is 17 to 25 percent of C removals by forests, or would offset 42 percent to 61 percent of residential natural gas C emissions in 2005. The contribution has declined under the Production and Atmospheric Flow Approaches since 1990 and has increased under the Stock Change Approach. The Stock Change estimate has increased because it explicitly includes C in increasing net imports of wood and paper products. The contribution estimates were validated by adjusting the half-life of products in use in order to match independent estimates of carbon in housing in 2001 and annual wood and paper discards to solid-waste disposal sites (SWDS) during 1990 to 2001. Estimates of methane emissions from wood and paper in landfills were also checked against independent estimates of total landfill methane emissions. A Monte-Carlo simulation used to assess the effect of uncertainty in inputs suggests the 90 percent confidence interval for removal contribution estimates under the three approaches is within -23% to + 19%.",2008,,No (2)
Afforestation on Power Line Rights-of-Way Using Speckled Alder (Alnus Rugosa),"Many energy-generating utilities in the United States and Canada are investing heavily in forest carbon management, specifically carbon sequestration projects, to offset emissions of greenhouse gases. The simplest of these projects involves planting trees to create forest carbon sinks. In Canada, the driving force behind such activity is the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol requiring greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced to 6 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. Nova Scotia Power Inc. has been actively planting shrub seedlings on power line rights-of-way since 1994 to establish sustainable compatible vegetative communities. The vast majority of the seedlings used for this purpose are speckled alder (. Alnus rugosa). As the company is committed to exploring options to offset greenhouse gas emissions, the opportunities related to speckled alder plantations as a forest carbon management project are being reviewed. In 2003, a three-year project between NSPI and the Canadian Forest Service was initiated to explore and develop partnership arrangements for promoting forest carbon management on private lands and power line rights-of-way. The company will undertake the afforestation of 375 ha of power line rights-of-way by planting speckled alder. Initial results indicate that the potential for speckled alder to sequester carbon is substantial. © 2008 Copyright © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2008,,No (2)
Ethanol Manufacture through One-step Cellulose Liquefaction Developed by Zhongren Bioenergy Company,,2008,,No (2)
Phytoremediation processes for water and air pollution control in the aspects of nutrient and carbon dioxide removals,,2008,,No (2)
"Planning by new EU member nation, romania, for achieving medium and long term emission abatement goals for air pollutants and carbon dioxide","An overview is herein presented of the technical understanding and approach of cognizant Romanian officials in pursuit of initiatives for fulfilling diverse, challenging, emission limits per national and EU-based protocols. Motivating, short and long term, national emission inventory limits for principal stack gas pollutants as well as carbon dioxide are quantified and reviewed. Major considerations include abatement of multiple, high-sulfur lignite fired, electric power generating units, (Romania's fossil generating ""fleet""); management/utilization or ultimate disposal of massive amounts of diverse flue gas cleaning residues; control of related pollution of surface water and groundwater bodies, the latter with preference for zero effluent outfall designs for scrubbing and for ultimate disposal of solid wastes. Strategic objectives to be detailed include: •; By-product yield of ammonium sulfate to serve as agricultural plant nutrient sulfur compensating for continued, long-term, radical reduction of SO2 emission inventory in both eastern Europe and upwind western Europe • Advantageous use of low-capital cost circulating fluid bed scrubbers providing dry solids by-product ideal for sub-standard land recovery via beneficial structural landfilling • Achievement in time of ""carbon dioxide capture readiness"" at optimally chosen, large-capacity units to be advantageously ultimately scrubbed of CO2 to meet, in part, a national quota of CO2 removal with CO2 isolation • Maximum utilization of liquefied carbon dioxide yield in rejuvenation of long-lived, oil field production, e.g. Ploesti.",2008,,No (2)
Soil fused with recycled plastic bottles for various geo-engineering applications,"The emphasis of the present work is to study the mechanical properties of a new generation of geo-plastic products that can be used in various aspects of geo-engineering applications. The plastic-soil based geoplastic-material (PS) is produced by heating and mixing simultaneously recycled plastic bottles with soil at a specified temperature to melt the thermoplastic material so that a uniform fused mix is attained. This study is also directed to assess the potential of PS as an additive to stabilize open graded aggregate base. Laboratory results showed that PS properties varied with the types of soil. PS produced with sand exhibited unconfined compressive strength and indirect tensile strength values higher than PS produced with lean clay. Generally, specimens exhibited unconfined compressive strengths as high as ordinary concrete specimens. In addition, permeability and strength results of open-graded aggregates stabilized with PS indicated that such technology produces a drainable and a stable base for a better pavement performance with ecological and economic implications. Copyright ASCE 2008.",2008,,No (2)
Influence of CO2 injection on gasification of carbon-based fuels,"The current study involves an investigation of the decomposition products resulting from the steam gasification of various biomass and coal feedstocks ranging from poplar to beachgrass to cotton plant. CO2 introduced as a co-feed into the steam resulted in improved biochar conversion and enhanced CO with depressed H2 and CH4 concentration levels in the gasification products. Varying the CO2 concentrations introduced into the steam-feed influent from 0% to 50% by volume, resulted in significant enhancement in the CO evolution for both woods and grasses that became evident above 700°C. While H2 production for most of the feedstocks undergoing steam gasification alone became measurable above 550°C, CO 2 introduction was observed to significantly suppress the H 2 evolution at temperatures above 700°C. CO, H2, CH4 and CO2 gas concentrations as a function of temperature was measured at the various CO2 injection levels for several Steam/Carbon and CO2/Carbon ratios. Using SEM/EDX, and AAS, significant amounts of highly corrosive ash were observed with no CO2 injection while much smaller quantities of ash resulted for all samples through the use of CO2. This is directly related to an enhancement of the char burnout during high temperature processing. With CO2 injection, greater control of the amount of corrosive ash is possible. Finally, comparison of the experimental data was made with a set of numerical ASPEN® simulations that were done to understand the influence of CO2 recycle on the gasification of carbon-based fuels. Excellent agreement in the trends for CO enhancement and H2 and CH4 depression were observed with more pronounced effects at lower Steam/Carbon and higher CO2/Carbon ratios. CO2 introduction into or removal from the gasification environment has important implications for the processing of carbon-based fuels since it can significantly influence their conversion to energy and chemical feedstocks.",2008,,No (2)
Soil carbon dynamics and crop residue yields of cropping systems in the Northern Guinea Savanna of Burkina Faso,"Concerns about effects of increasing atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO,) on climate has given rise to the possibility of emission credits for soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. The goal of this study was to analyze SOC sequestration options in cropping systems of the Northern Guinea Savanna of West Africa. An 11-year experiment from the region, which consisted of 56 cropping system treatments that combined various crop rotation sequences with various input levels and an additional treatment of native grass fallow, was analyzed. Rotations included one or more of: sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.), maize (Zea mays L.) and native grass fallow. Inputs were defined by whether or not the plots were plowed and the addition of soil amendments (N, nitrogen; P, phosphorous; K, potassium; D, dolomite; CR, crop residues; CP, compost and ME, manure). Plots were moldboard plowed before seeding, except fallows, which were not plowed. Soil organic carbon in select treatments and residue yields from all cropped treatments were analyzed. The slope parameters from the regression analysis of SOC in the continuous fallow treatment were not significantly different from zero (P > 0.05), suggesting SOC (0.53% after I I years) was at steady state in this treatment. Rotation and input significantly affected SOC (P < 0.05), but interaction effects were not significant. After I I years, the cropped rotation with the greatest SOC was sorghum-fallow (0.46%), which was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than SOC in other the rotations measured: continuous cotton (0.36%), continuous sorghum (0.35%), and cotton-maize-sorghum (0.33%). For the input levels, addition of P, K, and ME gave the greatest SOC (0.44%) after I I years of cropping, which was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than SOC from the N, P, K and D (0.37%), no input (0.32%) and N, P and K (0.34%) treatments. In addition, SOC with inputs of N, P, K and D (0.37%) was significantly greater than SOC with no input (0.32%). Three management practices, which had significantly greater SOC than others and were among the best for yields, were identified as sequestering management options for the region. These were rotating sorghum and fallow, and amending the soil with mineral P, K, and ME or N, P, K and D. However, potential drawbacks, such as a risk of reduced production with increased fallows, must be identified and addressed if the options are to be adopted. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2007,Burkina Faso; soil carbon; soil carbon model; West Africa; crop residue,No (2)
CO2-induced acidification affects hatching success in Calanus finmarchicus,"Bottle incubations were conducted to examine how exposure to seawater containing 8000 ppm carbon dioxide (CO2; pH 6.95) influenced the growth and reproduction of the keystone copepod Calanus finmarchicus. The chosen concentration Of CO2 is expected to occur over 100s of cubic kilometres of seawater as a result of marine CO2 storage/disposal, and is also representative of the predicted 'worst-case' atmospheric CO2 scenario in the year 2300. Growth (egg production and biomass loss) in adult female copepods was not affected by the simulated ocean acidification. In contrast, a maximum of only 4% of the eggs successfully yielded nauplii after 72 h in the experimental treatment. Our results demonstrate that environmental risk assessments for marine CO2 storage/disposal must look beyond adult mortality as an endpoint. Furthermore, if CO2 is to be disposed of in the deep sea, the location and timing of such activities must take into consideration the overwintering populations of C. finmarchicus.",2007,carbon dioxide; ocean acidification; calanus finmarchicus; egg production; hatching success; carbon capture and storage,No (2)
Modeling afforestation and the underlying uncertainties,"A dynamic model of the carbon budget of an oak forest ecosystem that takes into account forest stand age was developed. A numerical experiment was designed to simulate the afforestation process, and a Monte Carlo simulation was performed to determine how parameter uncertainties and environmental variability influence the result. It was found that while the total amount of carbon stored in the ecosystem increases from 1.9 kg C/m2 to 4.4 kg C/m 2 over the following 20 years, the relative standard deviation increases from 9 to 21%. The contribution of varying climate and carbon dioxide parameters to total uncertainty is substantial; for example, the standard deviation at the 10th modeling year for phytomass doubles and the uncertainties of the soil pool and total accumulated carbon increase by a factor of nearly 1.4, while the uncertainty of the litter pool stays almost at the same level. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007.",2007,,No (2)
Carbon sequestration and forest management,"Forest management has the potential to increase the terrestrial C pool. According to the rules of the Kyoto Protocol and of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, forestry can generate a sink for greenhouse gases that can contribute to meeting the national commitment to emissions reductions. Afforestation is a common strategy that over the course of decades leads to the incorporation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in plant biomass. However, site types such as wetlands and peatlands may even be a source of greenhouse gases when they are afforested. Adapted management of existing forests may have a less obvious or slower effect on the terrestrial C pool. It is mainly relevant in countries that already have a large forest cover. We analysed the effects of harvesting, rotation length, thinning, fertilizer application and tree-species selection. All these treatments have an impact on the forest productivity and consequently on C sequestration in the ecosystem. Many forest treatments are already an integral part of sustainable forestry practice. In the context of C sequestration and its accounting in national greenhouse-gas budgets, ecosystem stability is highly rated. Forests that are robust against disturbances up to a certain degree of severity are better suited for political commitments than stands of maximum productivity with a high risk of damages. © CABI Publishing 2007.",2007,,No (2)
California Energy Commission holds utility workshop on coal gasification,"The California Energy Commission's Committee on Integrated Energy Policy organized a day-long workshop on May 29, 2007, on coal gasification. The workshop was attended by utilities, environmental groups, regional energy interests, state government and the International Energy Agency. It aims to examine the impact of clean coal, carbon capture and sequestration technologies on California's future energy policy. The committee utilized it to encourage utilities to burn natural gas fuel for meeting generation needs. Stu Dalton, Director of Generation at EPRI, presented the status of advanced clean coal technologies and carbon capture. The Committee has stated that the carbon dioxide reduction can be achieved with increased use of renewables and biofuels for power generation and transportation.",2007,,No (2)
How strongly can forest management influence soil carbon sequestration?,"We reviewed the experimental evidence for long-term carbon (C) sequestration in soils as consequence of specific forest management strategies. Utilization of terrestrial C sinks alleviates the burden of countries which are committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Land-use changes such as those which result from afforestation and management of fast-growing tree species, have an immediate effect on the regional rate of C sequestration by incorporating carbon dioxide (CO2) in plant biomass. The potential for such practices is limited in Europe by environmental and political constraints. The management of existing forests can also increase C sequestration, but earlier reviews found conflicting evidence regarding the effects of forest management on soil C pools. We analyzed the effects of harvesting, thinning, fertilization application, drainage, tree species selection, and control of natural disturbances on soil C dynamics. We focused on factors that affect the C input to the soil and the C release via decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). The differentiation of SOM into labile and stable soil C fractions is important. There is ample evidence about the effects of management on the amount of C in the organic layers of the forest floor, but much less information about measurable effects of management on stable C pools in the mineral soil. The C storage capacity of the stable pool can be enhanced by increasing the productivity of the forest and thereby increasing the C input to the soil. Minimizing the disturbances in the stand structure and soil reduces the risk of unintended C losses. The establishment of mixed species forests increases the stability of the forest and can avoid high rates of SOM decomposition. The rate of C accumulation and its distribution within the soil profile differs between tree species. Differences in the stability of SOM as a direct species effect have not yet been reported. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2007,soil C dynamics; forest management; natural disturbance; C sequestration,No (2)
Cost-effectiveness of greenhouse gases mitigation measures in the European agro-forestry sector: a literature survey,"Over the last 20 years, climate change has become an increasing concern for scientists, public opinions and policy makers. Due to the pervasive nature of its impacts for many important aspects of human life, climate change is likely to influence and be influenced by the most diverse policy or management choices. This is particularly true for those interventions affecting agriculture and forestry: they are strongly dependent on climate phenomena, but also contribute to climate evolution being sources of and sinks for greenhouse gases (GHG). This paper offers a survey of the existing literature assessing cost-effectiveness and efficiency of greenhouse gas mitigation strategies or the effects of broader economic reforms in the agricultural and forestry sectors. The focus is mainly on European countries. Different methodological approaches, research questions addressed and results are examined. The main findings are that agriculture can potentially provide emissions reduction at a competitive cost, mainly with methane abatement, while carbon sequestration seems more cost-effective with appropriate forest management measures. Afforestation, cropland management and bioenergy are less economically viable measures due to competition with other land use. Mitigation policies should be carefully designed either to balance costs with expected benefits in terms of social welfare. Regional variability is one of the main drawbacks to fully assess the cost-effectiveness of different measures. Integration of models to take into account both social welfare and spatial heterogeneity seems to be the frontier of the next model generation. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2007,agriculture; forestry; climate change; greenhouse gases; policy measures; cost-effectiveness,Yes (1)
Utilisation of CO2 as a chemical feedstock: opportunities and challenges,"The need to reduce the accumulation of CO2 into the atmosphere requires new technologies able to reduce the CO2 emission. The utilization of CO2 as a building block may represent an interesting approach to synthetic methodologies less intensive in carbon and energy. In this paper the general properties of carbon dioxide and its interaction with metal centres is first considered. The potential of carbon dioxide as a raw material in the synthesis of chemicals such as carboxylates, carbonates, carbamates is then discussed. The utilization of CO2 as source of carbon for the synthesis of fuels or other C-1 molecules such as formic acid and methanol is also described and the conditions for its implementation are outlined. A comparison of chemical and biotechnological conversion routes of CO2 is made and the barriers to their exploitation are highlighted.",2007,,No (2)
A conceptual framework for exploring transitions to decarbonised energy systems in the United Kingdom,"Drawing upon 'transitions theory' and a typology which produces five types of transitions, we describe and analyse the changes that have taken place in the United Kingdom's energy system over the past several decades in terms of three of these transition pathways, namely reproduction (e.g. incremental improvements in energy efficiency), transformation (e.g. more directed efforts towards energy efficiency gains, e.g., through voluntary and compulsory standards-setting processes) and substitution (e.g. the shift from coal to natural gas). Looking into the future, and drawing upon a programme of UK-based research which covered a wide range of potential new supply technologies and changes on the demand side, we identify the key drivers of change, including economic and commercial, technological, policy and regulatory imperatives. This analysis opens up the prospect for two further transition pathways to become manifest. These are: de-alignment/re-alignment (e.g. shift from conventional coal to coal technologies with carbon dioxide capture and storage) and reconfiguration (e.g. integrating renewables within buildings and the possible emergence of the 'hydrogen economy'). We conclude with a discussion of the opportunities for policy learning and experimentation consistent with transitions theory to facilitate the deployment of more sustainable energy systems. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2007,transitions theory; decarbonised energy systems,No (2)
Thermodynamic and related analysis of natural gas combined cycle power plants with and without carbon sequestration,"Thermodynamic and related 'exergoeconomic' performance criteria have been used to evaluate natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power generation systems, with and without carbon dioxide (CO2) removal technologies. These plants were previously studied by the US National Energy Technology Laboratory employing conventional energy and mass balance results, and have now been evaluated using detailed energy, exergy and exergoeconomic analyses. The plant consisted of a gas turbine together with a steam cycle having three pressure levels. Such NGCC plants show the least exergetic improvement potential amongst competing fossil fuel generators going forward, because they are already enhanced by use of a thermodynamic 'topping' cycle. Carbon capture was simulated on the basis Of CO2 recovery from the flue gas stream that leaves the heat recovery steam generator via a commercial amine process. Ninety per cent of the CO2 was captured in this way, and then compressed into a high-pressure liquid. This was achieved with significant power penalty (some 21 %) and increase in generating cost per MWh (44%). Combustion and heat transfer processes are the main sources of exergy degradation within power cycles. Fuel combustion accounted for some 32% of exergy destruction. Even with CO2 sequestration, the NGCC system is still a thermodynamically attractive option compared with modern fossil fuel alternatives. Overall, the exergoeconomic results indicate that significant improvements can be achieved by considering the power generation systems as a whole, rather than concentrating on the improvement in performance of individual components (which is a common practice in exergoeconomic optimization studies). Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.",2007,natural gas combined cycle (NGCC); carbon capture; amine process; thermodynamics; energy analysis; exergy analysis; exergoeconomic evaluation,No (2)
"Climate change and its impact on soil and vegetation carbon storage in Kenya, Jordan, India and Brazil","The terrestrial biosphere is an important global carbon (C) sink, with the potential to drive large positive climate feedbacks. Thus a better understanding of interactions between land use change, climate change and the terrestrial biosphere is crucial in planning future land management options. Climate change has the potential to alter terrestrial C storage since changes in temperature, precipitation and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations could affect net primary production (NPP), C inputs to soil, and soil C decomposition rates. Climate change could also act as a driver for land use change, thus further altering terrestrial C fluxes. The net balance of these different effects varies considerably between regions and hence the case studies presented in this paper (the GEFSOC project countries Kenya, Jordan, Brazil, and India) provide a unique opportunity to study climate impacts on terrestrial C storage. This paper first presents predicted changes in climate for the four case study countries from a coupled climate-C cycle Global Circulation Model (HadCM3LC), followed by predicted changes in vegetation type, NPP and soil C storage. These very coarse assessments provide an initial estimate of large-scale effects. A more detailed study of climate impacts on soil C storage in the Brazilian Amazon is provided as an example application of the GEFSOC system. Interestingly in the four cases studied here precipitation seems to control the sign of the soil C changes under climate change with wetter conditions resulting in higher soil C stocks and drier conditions in lower soil C stocks, presumably because increased NPP in wetter conditions here will override any increase in respiration. In contrast, globally, it seems to be temperature that controls changes in C stocks under climate change. Even if there is a slight increase in precipitation globally, a decrease in C stocks is predicted-in other words, the regional response to precipitation differs from the global response. The reason for this may be that whilst temperature increases under climate change were predicted everywhere, the nature of precipitation changes varies greatly between regions. Crown Copyright (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2007,climate change; soil carbon; ecosystems; GCM; RothC; net primary production; modelling,No (2)
Quantity and spectroscopic properties of soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) as a function of soil sample treatments: Air-drying and pre-incubation,"The dissolved organic matter (DOM) in soils is essentially defined by the way in which it is obtained. Therefore, we need to understand as to how pre-treatment of a soil will affect the characteristics of DOM, since this fraction may be strongly influenced by a soil's water content. The effect of two different pre-treatments on DOM from the A-horizons of a large variety of ecosystems and regions were compared. In both cases the soils were allowed to air-dry. In one case the air-dried soil was directly extracted (AD), while in the other case it was pre-incubated for I week at 50% of its water holding capacity (INCU). AD is simpler, but INCU brings the soil, and especially its microbial population, back to a standardised state, which is more representative of the Usual state in the field. Both methods are used whenever an adjustment of the soil water content is essential to compare different regions or to eliminate short term weather effects. A significant regression indicated that the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) extracted from INCU samples was only 20% of AD DOC. Both the absorptivity (UV absorption divided by DOC) of 86% of the samples, and a fluorescence emission spectrum based Humification Index in all cases increased as a result of pre-incubation. This would indicate that labile compounds released during drying were metabolised during the incubation. However, the magnitude of this increase varied, and no correlation with soil organic and microbial carbon, pH, or texture could be detected. The results show that DOM extracted from AD and INCU soils is not comparable and that the differences are mainly due to the impact of air-drying on the microbial activity. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2007,dissolved organic matter; water extractable organic matter; pre-incubation; absorptivity; Humification Index; microbial activity,No (2)
"Development of regional climate mitigation baseline for a dominant agro-ecological zone of Karnataka, India","Setting a baseline for carbon stock changes in forest and land use sector mitigation projects is an essential step for assessing additionality of the project. There are two approaches for setting baselines namely, project-specific and regional baseline. This paper presents the methodology adopted for estimating the land available for mitigation, for developing a regional baseline, transaction cost involved and a comparison of project-specific and regional baseline. The study showed that it is possible to estimate the potential land and its suitability for afforestation and reforestation mitigation projects, using existing maps and data, in the dry zone of Karnataka, southern India. The study adopted a three-step approach for developing a regional baseline, namely: (i) identification of likely baseline options for land use, (ii) estimation of baseline rates of land-use change, and (iii) quantification of baseline carbon profile over time. The analysis showed that carbon stock estimates made for wastelands and fallow lands for project-specific as well as the regional baseline are comparable. The ratio of wasteland Carbon stocks of a project to regional baseline is 1.02, and that of fallow lands in the project to regional baseline is 0.97. The cost of conducting field studies for determination of regional baseline is about a quarter of the cost of developing a project-specific baseline on a per hectare basis. The study has shown the reliability, feasibility and cost-effectiveness of adopting regional baseline for forestry sector mitigation projects. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, B.V.",2007,,No (2)
"Regional carbon fluxes from an observationally constrained dynamic ecosystem model: Impacts of disturbance, CO2 fertilization, and heterogeneous land cover","The Ecosystem Demography (ED) model was parameterized with ecological, forest inventory, and historical land use observations in an intensively managed, wetland-rich forested landscape in the upper midwest United States. Model results were evaluated against a regional network of eddy covariance flux towers and analyzed about the roles of disturbance, forest management, and CO2 fertilization. The model captured modern regional vegetation structure with worst comparison in wetlands. Model net ecosystem exchange of CO2 ( NEE) was highly correlated on monthly (r(2) = 0.65) and annual (r(2) = 0.53) timescales to 7 years of NEE observed at a 396-m-tall eddy covariance (EC) tower and to 2 years of growing season NEE from 13 regional stand-scale EC sites of varying cover and age (r(2) = 0.64). Model summer NEE had higher than observed net uptake for the tall tower and mature hardwood sites, and correlation to growing season ecosystem respiration at these sites was poor (r(2) = 0.09). Exclusion of forestry led to overestimation of aboveground living plant biomass accumulation by 109% between two forest inventory cycles (1996-2004). On the long-term ( 200 years), forestry significantly altered ecosystem cover and age, and increased NEE by 32%. CO2 fertilization over that time period increased NEE by 93% owing to a doubling of plant density. While the model showed that harvest and afforestation had smaller impacts on NEE than CO2 increase, the former were still significant and require consideration when making future NEE predictions or scaling plot-level data to regional and global flux estimates.",2007,,No (2)
"Walkley-Black analysis of forest soil organic carbon: recovery, limitations and uncertainty","Organic carbon levels of 542 soil samples from temperate lowland forest were determined by the original and modified Walkley-Black (WB) dichromate methods and total organic carbon (TOC) analysis. The performance and the lower and upper quantification limits of the WB method were assessed. Variable recovery rates were related to laboratory and field conditions and to the sample composition. The percentage carbon recovered by the original WB method was found to be systematically lower than commonly accepted, and the correction factor was estimated at 1.58 instead of 1.30-1.35. However, a good linear relationship with TOC enabled acceptable prediction of soil organic carbon which was most precise when using the original WB method. Texture class and pedogenetic horizon showed significant differences in recovery. Depending on the modifications of the WB method, recoveries varied significantly between laboratories, explaining up to 29% of the total variation of the topsoil carbon assessment of a site. Low recovery from samples was partly attributed to charcoal and resistant elementary carbon particles. No interference was found to be caused by iron or manganese compounds. In order to use WB carbon data of forest soils, laboratory- and method-specific determination of the recovery rate using a total analyser is strongly recommended. The original WB method was unable to predict reliably forest soil carbon contents higher than 8% TOC.",2007,organic carbon; soil carbon; forest soils; Walkley-Black method; recovery; quantification limit; inter-laboratory variation,No (2)
"A nonlinear hybrid life support system: Dynamic modeling, control design, and safety verification","We present control design for a variable configuration CO2 removal (VCCR) system, which exhibits a hybrid dynamical character due to the various modes in which one needs to operate the system. The VCCR is part of an overall NASA Air Recovery System of an intended human life support system for space exploration. The objective of the control system is to maintain CO2 and O-2 concentrations in the crew cabin within safe bounds. We present a novel adaptation of the model predictive control technique to a nonlinear hybrid dynamic system. We exploit the problem structure and map the hybrid optimization problem into a continuous nonlinear program (NLP) with the aid of an appropriate representation of time and set definitions. We present a systematic approach for designing the objective function for the nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) regulation problem that achieves a long-term, cyclic steady state. We also present a simple switching feedback controller and compare the performance of the two controllers during off-nominal and failure conditions to highlight the benefits of a systematically designed NMP controller. We then perform safety verification of both control designs - the model predictive control with techniques from statistical learning theory and the switching feedback controller with Barrier certificates computed using sum of squares programming. The two approaches yield consistent results.",2007,barrier certificates; hybrid system; model predictive control; optimal control; statistical learning theory; sum of squares programming,No (2)
"General interest - Quick takes: EU, France seek integrated energy policy","The EU is seeking an integrated, efficiency energy policy that would improve its ability to manage growing dependence on non-EU energy supplies. French Economic and Finance Minster Thierry Breton presented a memorandum promoting energy conservation, long-term investment visibility and planning, and improved communication with the EU's energy supplies. The proposal, based on France's long-term energy planning, offers help to any nation that wishes to initiate or resume nuclear power generation and sets out guidelines finding a balance among safety, concern for environmental impact, and corporate competitiveness. Among other measures, it encourages EU nations to replace petrochemicals with green chemicals and to continue development of hydrogen, fuel cell, and CO2 sequestration technology.",2006,,No (2)
Critical issues in CO2 capture and storage: Findings of the SPE Advanced Technology Workshop (ATW) on carbon sequestration,"Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) is emerging as a key technology for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Applied Technology Workshop (ATW) on CO2 Sequestration (Galveston Island, Texas, Nov. 15-17, 2005) convened a diverse group of geoscience, engineering, economics and stakeholder experts to review the status of CCS and to identify the remaining critical issues that still serve as barriers to its acceptance and widespread deployment. Site assessment can be improved with systematic, generally accepted approaches that identify and focus on injection, capacity and containment risks. Reservoir simulation models can be adapted from oil and gas applications but further experimental work and code development are needed to quantify the role of major CO2 trapping mechanisms. Enhanced hydrocarbon recovery accompanying injection of CO2 is well established for CO2 EOR but its efficacy in EGR and ECBM is unclear. Well integrity, a key vulnerability in CO2 storage, should be addressed through modified well materials and construction approaches and cost effective remediation and intervention techniques. Field management issues, including risk assessment and monitoring, would benefit from development of accepted practices to apply through project lifecycle. Overall, the Workshop participants concluded that implementation of CCS, in a timely manner, represents a complex challenge that requires coordination of technical expertise, economic incentives, appropriate regulations and public acceptance. Storage assessment tools are available and adequate, although in need of refinement and standardization. Capture technology, however, requires more intense research aimed at new technologies and deep cost reduction. Infrastructure and regulatory development needs to reflect expectations and incentives from government bodies. Early implementation of CCS is expected to focus on the gas processing and other industries that produce high purity CO2 with storage in local hydrocarbon reservoirs or saline aquifers. Deployment at a scale required to substantially reduce CO2 atmospheric concentrations, however, would rely heavily on injection into saline formations and take decades of investment to build the extensive infrastructure required to capture and transport CO2 to injection sites. The ATW gathering was a unique, timely opportunity to engage experts in an assessment of the status and best path forward for CCS. Copyright 2006, Society of Petroleum Engineers.",2006,,No (2)
Potential net reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from farm bioenergy production in Canada,"We investigate bioenergy production from farms under Canadian conditions. We couple an existing model of whole-farm greenhouse gas emission (CO 2, N2O and CH4) to biofuel production sub-models. For different climate and soil conditions (i.e., eastern and western Canada), we estimate potential net-GHG reductions associated with changes in operational variables, such as tillage and fertilizer application. Lifecycle assessment used to access the short-term benefit and long-term viability of displacing petroleum fuel sources with bioenergy feedstocks provide contrasting results. Such assessment involves uncertain assumptions of present and future land-use conversion, bioenergy yield, energy production conversion efficiencies, and emissions from off-farm distribution and supply. We present results from farm-biodiesel coupled model scenarios. We compare results to assess the relative benefits of reducing GHG emission, alongside other potential farm ecosystem impacts - such as ability of soil to sequester carbon and removal of soil nitrogen that would otherwise aid in replenishing crops. Our goal is to provide more resolved estimates of the expected range in farm net-GHG to help improve the accuracy and reliability for full life-cycle assessments that include considerations off the farm.",2006,,No (2)
AZEP gas turbine combined cycle power plants - Thermo-economic analysis,"Conventional power plants based on fossil fuel without CO2 capture produced flue gas streams with concentrations of CO2 between 3% and 15%, contributing to the threat of increasing global warming. Existing capture technologies such as post-combustion flue gas treatments using chemical absorption, pre-combustion carbon removal or combustion in O2/CO 2 atmospheres suffer from significant efficiency penalties as well as major increases in investment costs. A less energy intensive concept for oxygen production is a mixed conducting membrane (MCM) reactor which produces pure oxygen from compressed air. The MCM reactor is best integrated into a conventional gas turbine combined cycle, called advanced zero emissions plant (AZEP), to provide an efficient and cost-effective power plant altogether. In this paper the economic performance of four different combined cycle alternatives in two different gas turbine sizes are evaluated; two of the combined cycles being based on the AZEP concept. The results show that the AZEP concept presents a more competitive system in terms of efficiency and economy compared to traditional capture systems.",2006,,No (2)
Carbon accounting and cost estimation in forestry projects using CO2FIX V.3,"Carbon and financial accounting of projects in the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry sector is a topic of hot debate. Large uncertainty remains concerning the carbon dynamics, the way they should be accounted and the cost efficiency of the projects. Part of the uncertainty can be alleviated by standardisation and transparency of reporting methods. For this reason we further developed CO2FIX, a forest ecosystem carbon model, with modules for carbon and financial accounting. The model is applied to four cases: 1) Joint implementation afforestation project in Romania, 2) Forest management project in Central Europe, 3) Reduced impact logging possibly under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in the future, and 4) Afforestation with native species under the Clean Development Mechanism. The results show the wide applicability of CO2FIX, from degrading grasslands as baseline cases to multiple cohort forest ecosystems. Also the results show that Forest Management in the European case can generate considerable amounts of carbon emission reductions. Further, the results show that although reduced impact logging is not yet an allowed option under the Clean Development Mechanism, it shows promising results in that it is 1) very cost effective, 2) seems to be able to generate intermediate amounts of credits and 3) seems to us as a project type that is not prone to leakage issues. These results are yet another indication to seriously consider reduced impact logging as an eligible measure under the CDM.",2006,,No (2)
Enhancing crop yields in the developing countries through restoration of the soil organic carbon pool in agricultural lands,"Food production in developing countries, estimated at 1223 million metric tons (Mg), must be increased by 778 million Mg or 2.5 percent y(-1) between 2000 and 2025 to meet the needs of an increased population and projected change in diet. Among numerous options, the one based on enhancing soil quality and agronomic productivity per unit area through improvement in soil organic carbon pool has numerous ancillary benefits. The available data show that crop yields can be increased by 20-70 kg ha(-1) for wheat, 10-50 kg ha(-1) for rice, and 30-300 kg ha(-1) for maize with every I Mg ha(-1) increase in soil organic carbon pool in the root zone. Adoption of recommended management practices on agricultural lands and degraded soils would enhance soil quality including the available water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, soil aggregation, and susceptibility to crusting and erosion. Increase in soil organic carbon pool by I Mg ha(-1) y(-1) can increase food grain production by 32 million Mg y(-1) in developing countries. While advancing food security, this strategy would also off-set fossil fuel emissions at the rate of 0.5 Pg Cy-1 through carbons sequestration in agricultural soils of developing countries. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.",2006,soil quality; global food security; developing countries; climate change; soil carbon sequestration,No (2)
A novel solar-hybrid gas turbine combined cycle with inherent CO2 separation using chemical-looping combustion by solar heat source,"In this paper we propose a novel CO2-recovering hybrid solar-fossil combined cycle with the integration of methane-fueled chemical-looping combustion, and investigate the system with the aid of the Energy-Utilization Diagram (EUD). Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) consists of two successive reactions: first, methane fuel is oxidized by metal oxide(NiO)as an oxygen carrier (reduction of metal oxide); and second, the reduced metal (Ni) is successively oxidized by combustion air (the oxidation of metal). The oxidation of methane with NiO requires a relative low-grade thermal energy at 300 degrees C-500 degrees C. Then concentrated solar thermal energy at approximately 450 degrees C-550 degrees C can be utilized to provide the process heat for this reaction. By coupling solar thermal energy with methane-fueled chemical-looping combustion, the energy level of solar thermal energy at around 450 degrees C-550 degrees C can be upgraded to the chemical energy of solid fuel Ni for better utilization of solar energy to generate electricity. The synergistic integration of solar thermal energy and chemical-looping combustion could make the exergy efficiency and the net solar-to-electric efficiency of the solar hybrid system more than 60% and 30%, respectively, at a turbine inlet temperature (TIT) of 1200 degrees C. At the same time, this new system has an extremely important advantage of directly suppressing the environmental impact due to lack of energy penalty for CO2 recovery. Approximately 9-15 percentage points higher efficiency can be achieved compared to the conventional natural gas-fired combined cycle with CO2 separation. The results obtained here are promising and indicate that this novel solar hybrid combined cycle offers the new possibility Of CO2 mitigation using both green energy and fossil fuels. These results also provide a new approach for highly efficient use of solar thermal energy to generate electricity.",2006,,No (2)
Determining carbon sequestration injection potential at a site-specific location within the Ohio River Valley region,"This chapter presents results from the initial field investigations from the site-characterization effort. Depending upon the geology and the reservoir characteristics, the ultimate objective for this project is to progress towards demonstration of CO2 injection in deep geological reservoirs in the region. Towards this objective, an effort was made to ensure that, if a decision is made to proceed to an injection phase, the current test well will be able to meet the relevant regulatory criteria. The results given in the chapter pertain to the assessment of the injectivity and the storage capacity. Containment evaluation is also a part of the assessment. The research presented here provides a protocol for similar characterization in deeper sedimentary basin elsewhere in the world, especially those where pre-existing information is sparse. While many of the techniques used are similar to those used in oil and gas exploration, it is noteworthy that the testing objectives are very different, with a greater emphasis on the evaluation of containment and injection potential, rather than on the presence and quantification of oil/gas reserves, and on ensuring that the drilling, testing, and well design comply with underground injection regulations. There is also a greater emphasis on collecting information that may be needed for allaying possible stakeholder concerns about the risks from carbon sequestration technologies. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2005,,No (2)
Some aspects of application of CO2 capture and storage technologies for CO2 emission reduction in the russian electric power production sector,"The paper aims to consider the implications of CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) technology for reducing CO2 emission from fossil-fired power plants in Russia. In Russia, there is an abundant supply of geological formations, which theoretically could be used for CO2 sequestration. Over 40 % of the world's discovered natural gas resources, near 12 % of the oil resources and about 16 % of proved coal resources are located in the territory of the Russian Federation. Because depleted oil and natural gas fields and unminable coal beds are considered as possible sites for CO2 storage, there is potentially a vast storage capacity in geological reservoirs for anthropogenic CO2 sequestration. The majority of national deposits of fuel resources are concentrated in West Siberia where bleak climate, rough terrain, and huge distance for transportation hinder exploitation of natural resources. These will also pose formidable obstacles for deployment of CCS technologies. The bulk of the CO2 emissions are from fuel combustion with more than 30 % originating in the power industry. The chapter discusses some characteristic features of Russian fuel and energy complex, distribution of energy resources and generating capacities from the point of view of possible utilization of CCS technologies. Effective and successful implementation of CCS technologies will be possible only with taking into account economical, geographical, and regional details of the considered region. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2005,,No (2)
A framework for poplar plantation risk assessments,"The native poplar (Populus spp.) resources of Canada are the largest of any country. Of the 80 million hectares occupied by poplars worldwide, 28.3 million hectares (35 percent) are in Canada (FAO, 2004). Until recently, this bounty and the high quality of wood derived from native poplar species precluded the economic development of poplar plantation culture in Canada, but the area of planted poplars is likely to grow with increasing remoteness of native stands from mills and markets, pressures to protect native forests and afforestation opportunities for carbon sequestration in meeting Canada's commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. At present, committed poplar plantations and amenity plantings cover only 14 300 ha, generating some 43 000 m3 of forest products annually (van Oosten, 2004). Because of the limited area planted with poplars in Canada, experience with this culture is limited, and uncertainty about risks to plantations could frustrate potenial investors. A group of specialists therefore convened to develop a framework for identifying and addressing the uncertainties associated with disturbances and their impacts on fast-growing tree plantations of Populus or Salix cultivars, among other species, in Canada. The framework was based on the best information available for assessing losses that plantation ventures might incur from weather-related impacts (mainly drought), fire and pests (including insects, tree diseases and vertebrates). The effects of multiple risk agents were then assessed using Monte Carlo simulation, which involves running a model many times over, each time using values for random variables selected from their probability distributions. No attempt was made to model interactions among disturbances.",2005,,Yes (1)
Home solar absorption-based air conditioning in Spain. An experimental approach,"Air conditioning is spread all over the world, even more in countries like Spain where summer weather reaches temperatures above 35 °C. That causes the increase, not only of electricity consumption, but also organic refrigerants pollution. Experimental research is being focused on air conditioning systems able to supply the thermal load requirements of a typical house using solar thermal energy. In Spain, this load is around 6 to 8 kW, for an 80 m2 housing, according to Spanish INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística). An aditional advantage of the studied system is the use of refrigerants that are not organic and have no ozone deplection activity Research has been carried out at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. The facility is based on a field of 50m2 flat-plate solar collectors and a single-effect LiBr absorption chiller. Because of this technology CO2 emissions are greatly reduced and lessen environmental danger risks, trying to achieve Kyoto Protocol, Spain signed in 1997. This work includes results on system performance, instantaneous thermal load calculations, economic invest, energy and economic saving and environmental impact reduction. Paper offers experimental results obtained during 2004 summer season. Absorption machine cooling power outputs about 6-10 kW have been recorded, with a required generator power input of 10-15 kW, achieving a mean time-period of 6,5 hours of complete solar autonomy on an average day.",2005,,No (2)
Soil carbon distribution and quality in a montane rangeland-forest mosaic in northern Utah,"Relatively little is known about soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in montane ecosystems of the semi-arid western U.S. or the stability of current SOC pools under future climate change scenarios. We measured the distribution and quality of SOC in a mosaic of rangeland-forest vegetation types that occurs under similar climatic conditions on non-calcareous soils at Utah State University's T.W. Daniel Experimental Forest in northern Utah: the forest types were aspen [Populus tremuloides] and conifer (mixture of fir [Abies lasiocarpal and spruce [Picea engelmannii]); the rangeland types were sagebrush steppe [Artemisia tridentata], grass-forb meadow, and a meadow-conifer ecotone. Total SOC was calculated from OC concentrations, estimates of bulk density by texture and rock-free soil volume in five pedons. The SOC quality was expressed in terms of leaching potential and decomposability. Amount and aromaticity of water-soluble organic carbon (DOC) was determined by water extraction and specific ultra violet absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA) of leached DOC. Decomposability of SOC and DOC was derived from laboratory incubation of soil samples and water extracts, respectively. Although there was little difference in total SOC between soils sampled under different vegetation types, vertical distribution, and quality of SOC appeared to be influenced by vegetation. Forest soils had a distinct O horizon and higher SOC concentration in near-surface mineral horizons that declined sharply with depth. Rangeland soils lacked O horizons and SOC concentration declined more gradually. Quality of SOC under rangelands was more uniform with depth and SOC was less soluble and less decomposable (i.e., more stable) than under forests. However, DOC in grass-forb meadow soils was less aromatic and more bioavailable, likely promoting C retention through cycling. The SOC in forest soils was notably more leachable and decomposable, especially near the soil surface, with stability increasing with soil depth. Across the entire dataset, there was a weak inverse relationship between the decomposability and the aromaticity of DOC. Our data indicate that despite similar SOC pools, vegetation type may affect SOC retention capacity under future climate projections by influencing potential SOC losses via leaching and decomposition. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2005,C sequestration; decomposition; leaching; sagebrush; forest soils; soil genesis,No (2)
Carbon sequestration in forests of central himalaya: Considerations for soil carbon storage and carbon trade,"The increase in concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has been projected to cause observable climatic changes because of increase in global temperature, changing rainfall pattern and melting if ice and glaciers in the polar regions. The Kyoto Protocol pertaining to development of carbon sinks, emphasises upon afforestation and reforestation, while increasing carbon storage through conservation of the existing forests has been neglected. This paper discusses (i) the possible role of community forests (occupying 7000km2) of Uttaranchal in C-sequestration/trade and (ii) problems of estimating C-sequestration in below ground components of forests, particularly pertaining to uncertainty about the longevity of fine roots and the fate of deep soil carbon. © International Scientific Publications, New Delhi.",2005,,No (2)
Macro technology needed,"The need of macro technology to reduce the vehicle CO2 emissions is discussed. The transport accounts for about 25% of the total man-made carbon dioxide emissions. Three macro-solutions are proposed which include to shift to a carbon less fuel such as hydrogen, to carry on burning hydrocarbons and to create a carbon-neutral world. It is recommended that current competing micro technologies need a close scrutiny.",2005,,No (2)
In-duct sorbent injection for CO2 capture,"This chapter presents the separation of CO2 from combustion gases using lime as an effective sorbent to form calcium carbonate. This approach is based on the use of a carbonation/calcination cycle. The high cost of separating CO2 from flue gases is a major barrier to wider use of CO2 removal technology. Substantial reductions in these costs are needed. The process involves two distinctive features: there is heat being transferred from the combustion chamber to the calciner and the calciner works with a reduced partial pressure of CO2 (injection of steam or vacuum are the main options) to allow operation at reduced calcination temperature. The heat supply from the combustor to sustain the calcinations reaction can reduce, or even avoid, the need for oxygen in the calciner. The CO2 capture takes place at high temperature reducing then the efficiency penalties in the process. There are no hazardous materials involved in the process and limestone is a cheap and available CO2 regenerable sorbent. The principle of these cycles can be applied to any fuel. The separation efficiency depends largely on particle size and gas/ particle contact times in the duct, and are expected to be lower than in other cycle configurations. However, the benefit of this approach is the low capital costs necessary for implementations of the carbonation stage of the cycle. This approach is also shown to be of interest for retrofitting, requiring modest modifications in the plant layout. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2005,,No (2)
Effects of CO2 on deep-sea floor microbial communities,"It has been widely recognized that a substantial rise of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere causes global climate change. In an effort to reduce the future atmospheric CO2, some technological mitigation strategies have been proposed. On the basis of detailed investigations to, it has been recognized that the CO2 sequestration in the ocean is one of the promising option from the points of view of its capacity, economy, and effectiveness. Benthic chamber experiment is conducted to investigate the impact of CO2 injection on deep-sea microbial ecosystem. In the experiment, the impact of CO2 and CO2-induced pH change on deep-sea floor microbial communities are investigated to determine the ecological effects by CO2 ocean sequestration. Microbial communities are characterized by using cultivation-independent molecular techniques-PCR (polymerase chain reaction)-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DOGE). A shift in community composition caused by CO2 enrichment is observed in sea-floor surface. To determine relationships among the community fingerprints, similarities are calculated and unweighted pair group clustering method with arithmetic averages is used to create a dendrogram describing pattern similarities. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2005,,No (2)
"Interpreting, measuring, and modeling soil respiration","This paper reviews the role of soil respiration in determining ecosystem carbon balance, and the conceptual basis for measuring and modeling soil respiration. We developed it to provide background and context for this special issue on soil respiration and to synthesize the presentations and discussions at the workshop. Soil respiration is the largest component of ecosystem respiration. Because autotrophic and heterotrophic activity belowground is controlled by substrate availability, soil respiration is strongly linked to plant metabolism, photosynthesis and litterfall. This link dominates both base rates and short-term fluctuations in soil respiration and suggests many roles for soil respiration as an indicator of ecosystem metabolism. However, the strong links between above and belowground processes complicate using soil respiration to understand changes in ecosystem carbon storage. Root and associated mycorrhizal respiration produce roughly half of soil respiration, with much of the remainder derived from decomposition of recently produced root and leaf litter. Changes in the carbon stored in the soil generally contribute little to soil respiration, but these changes, together with shifts in plant carbon allocation, determine ecosystem carbon storage belowground and its exchange with the atmosphere. Identifying the small signal from changes in large, slow carbon pools in flux dominated by decomposition of recent material and autotrophic and mycorrhizal respiration is a significant challenge. A mechanistic understanding of the belowground carbon cycle and of the response of different components to the environment will aid in identifying this signal. Our workshop identified information needs to help build that understanding: (1) the mechanisms that control the coupling of canopy and belowground processes; (2) the responses of root and heterotrophic respiration to environment; (3) plant carbon allocation patterns, particularly in different forest developmental stages, and in response to treatments (warming, CO2, nitrogen additions); and (4) coupling measurements of soil respiration with aboveground processes and changes in soil carbon. Multi-factor experiments need to be sufficiently long to allow the systems to adjust to the treatments. New technologies will be necessary to reduce uncertainty in estimates of carbon allocation, soil carbon pool sizes, and different responses of roots and microbes to environmental conditions.",2005,belowground carbon allocation; carbon cycling; carbon dioxide; CO2 infrared gas analyzers; methods; soil carbon; terrestrial ecosystems,No (2)
C-lock-a Method to Maximize Carbon Sequestration Value to Agro-Forestry Producers and Purchasers,"This chapter provides a detailed description of C-Lock, a patent-pending Web-based carbon sequestration accounting and marketing tool. C-Lock, developed by Dr. Zimmerman and his colleagues at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, aggregates carbon emission reduction offsets from individual land parcels and prepares certified units for sale in the marketplace. The C-Lock process allows agricultural producers to quantify the impact of specific land-use management practices for specific agricultural land parcels on the sequestration of carbon in soil and vegetation. It also aggregates carbon emission reduction offsets for individual land parcels into units that can be efficiently marketed. This comprehensive tool has been designed to serve as an interface to link agricultural producers, carbon sequestration science and policy, and those who wish to purchase carbon emission reduction offsets. The C-Lock process incorporates three levels of data validation. Level I validation compares producer input data with lookup data for regional land use. Level II verification consists of a random audit to compare satellite data for a land parcel with reported data. Level III verification consists of submitting all data to a third party to operate the model and confirm the results. The C-Lock system must account for the variability in carbon accounting that results from a wide range of sources. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2005,,No (2)
The potential impact of CO2 capture and sequestration on the carbon intensity of the U.S. electricity supply sector,"Recent forecasts from the U.S. Energy Information Administration predict a tightening of natural gas supplies in the United States and a resulting 60% increase in the use of coal for power generation over the next two decades. This chapter reviews the U.S. electricity supply sector and the factors influencing its average carbon intensity. An interactive spreadsheet-based model allows the analysis of reduced greenhouse gas emission scenarios for electricity supply by changing assumptions for: the efficiency of new power plants; the rate of capital stock turnover; the rate of deployment of carbon dioxide capture and storage; and the rate of deployment of renewable energy systems, and other parameters. Cases are presented that show the potential impact that advanced CO2 capture and storage technology could have on net greenhouse gas emissions and carbon intensity. With lower cost CO2 capture technology, reliable long-term storage options, and economic incentives the deployment of coal-fired power plants with CO2 sequestration could reach 80 GW in 2025. Similarly, the use of CO2 sequestration by natural gas-fired plants could reach 20 GW in 2025. The analysis framework shows that the application of carbon capture and storage to coal-fired power plants could strategically transform them into critical assets that are consistent with speculative, future atmospheric stabilization scenarios. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2005,,No (2)
Experimental characterization of a unique carbon fiber brush heat sink in two-phase heat transfer,"The performance enhancements and footprint decreases of advanced electronic devices result in soaring power densities which may in turn lead to elevated operating temperatures. As elevated device temperatures lead to decreased device reliability and increased thermal stresses, it is necessary to employ aggressive thermal management techniques to maintain an acceptable junction temperature at high power densities. For this reason, interest is growing in a variety of liquid cooling techniques This study analyzes an advanced engineered-material heat sink which provides significant improvements in thermal management strategies for advanced electronics. The heat sink consists of a very large number of small cross-section fins fabricated from carbon pitch fibers. For these carbon pitch fibers, the high thermal conductivity reduces the temperature drop along the length of the fin creating a longer effective fin length than for copper fins. The longer length results in more heat transfer surface area and a more effective heat sink. In liquid cooling, the rough surface of the fin will provide multiple bubble nucleation sites, strongly promoting active two-phase heat transfer over the entire fin surface. This surface enhancement is expected to lead to significant increases in performance over conventional heat sinks. This experimental analysis characterizes the thermal performance of the carbon-fiber heat sink in two-phase closed loop thermosyphon operation using FC72 as the operating fluid. The influence of power load, thermosyphon fill volume and condenser operating temperature on the overall thermal performance is examined. The results of this experiment provide significant insight into the possible implementation and benefits of carbon fiber heat sink technology in two-phase flow leading to significant improvements in thermal management strategies for advanced electronics.",2005,,No (2)
Intratracheal pulmonary ventilation improves gas exchange during laparoscopy in a pediatric lung injury model,"Background/Purpose: This study was aimed at determining whether intraoperative intratracheal pulmonary ventilation (ITPV) could prevent/treat respiratory complications of laparoscopy in a model of pediatric pulmonary insufficiency. Methods: Severe lung injury was induced in 0- to 2-month-old lambs (n = 5) by endotracheal saline lavage. Animals then under-went establishment Of CO2 pneumoperitoneum. Intraperitoneal pressures were progressively raised from 0 to 15 mm Hg, at intervals of 5 mm Hg. At each interval, blood gas and hemodynamic data were recorded, 20 minutes after initiation of both conventional ventilation and pure ITPV All ventilatory parameters were constant and identical on both modes of ventilation. Results: On conventional ventilation, severe respiratory acidosis and hypoxemia ensued at intraperitoneal pressures of 5 mm Hg and 10 mm Hg or more, respectively. Compared with conventional ventilation, ITPV led to statistically significant decreases in PCO2 at intraperitoneal pressures of 5 mm Hg (43.2 +/- 5.2 vs 56.1 +/- 6.6 mm Hg) and 10 mm Hg (45.1 +/- 3.2 vs 61 +/- 6.3 mm Hg) and to significant increases in PO2 at 10 mm Hg (92 +/- 10.2 vs 61 +/- 8.1 mm Hg), resolving the acidosis and hypoxemia at those pressure levels. Conclusions: Compared with conventional ventilation, ITPV improves both CO2 removal and oxygenation during CO2 pneumoperitoneum in a pediatric lung injury model. Intratracheal pulmonary ventilation may be a safer intraoperative mode of ventilation for neonates and children with respiratory failure who require laparoscopy. (C) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.",2005,laparoscopy; intratracheal pulmonary ventilation; mechanical ventilation; lung failure,No (2)
Pitfalls and related improvements of in vivo gas uptake pharmacokinetic experimental systems,"Gas uptake chamber studies have been widely used to study inhalation pharmacokinetics (PKs) in rodents, often for the ultimate purpose of developing physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models that can be used to describe human PKs and to support risk assessment for the chemical. In the course of our studies of gasoline PKs, we revisited several important issues heretofore not thoroughly addressed. Here, we report several refinements that will significantly improve future studies with this type of system, relating to the understanding of loss rates, the importance of carbon dioxide removal, and sampling of blood and chamber air at the same time. Losses of chemicals in gas uptake systems consist of leakage, adsorption to system components, and adsorption to the hair and skin (fur) of experimental animals. The loss rates were experimentally determined for a series of chemicals and mixtures, including n-hexane, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, gasoline, and other gasoline components. The rate of loss to the animals' fur was similar to loss rates to system components and involved absorption to both hair and skin. Most of the absorption to fur was reversible when the chamber concentration was low enough. The amount of chemical that desorbed from the animal after an experiment was significant when compared to the amount of chemical in the chamber at the end of a gas uptake experiment, indicating that the rate of decline in concentrations can be influenced by a decrease in the fur absorption rate or desorption of chemicals. A modified gas uptake system design is described in which a steel ring improved the connections to an autosampler and allowed insertion of probes to monitor gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), in the chamber. When CO2 absorbent efficiency was inadequate, CO2 concentrations rose to levels that significantly affected the animals' ventilation rate. Using a real-time CO2 probe, an absorbent system was developed that adequately controlled CO2 levels in the chamber. Attention to details of absorptive loss and CO2 scrubbing can improve the reliability of kinetic constants inferred from closed-chamber studies. We then describe a method for extending gas uptake experiments by simultaneously collecting blood to be analyzed for chemicals and/or metabolites.",2005,,No (2)
Improvements of carbon dioxide capture technology from flue gas,"This chapter discusses that Mitsubishi heavy industries, ltd. (MHI), and Kansai electric power co. (KEPCO) jointly developed the post combustion amine scrubbing technology. KEPCO &amp; MHI's flue gas CO2 recovery process that use proprietary hindered amine with special equipment. The main objective of this chapter is to achieve economical CO2 recovery for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) or storage. It includes the design of large CO2 recovery plant and process optimization for operational cost reduction. Performance of the advanced KEPCO &amp; MHI's flue gas CO2 recovery process is compared to its predecessor process. It concludes that improved heat recovery around CO2 stripper resulted in 15 % reduction of steam requirement for regeneration. Solvent loss is reduced by installing proprietary device at the top of absorber, and structured packing enabled compact tower, to increase flue gas velocity and power reduction of flue gas blower. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2005,,No (2)
Development of a self powered carbon dioxide absorption unit for use in a dissub,This paper reports the results of work carried out by Molecular Products on behalf of the UK MoD to develop a replacement system for CO2 removal in a disabled submarine (DISSUB). The system is required to be independent of submarine services and to be at least as volumetrically efficient as the current system. An additional target was for the new system to offer 7 days endurance at up to 5 bar and down to 5°C. The CArbon Dioxide Self Powered Absorber (CASPA) has been designed to meet these requirements using soda lime as the CO2 absorbent. This paper describes the development process and presents the results of all testing and trials. The final design can achieve in excess of 80 % utilization of the theoretical absorption capacity of the soda lime. It is an extremely flexible solution which offers a number of operational advantages over other passive absorption systems and shows great potential for use in many other closed atmosphere environments. The CASPA is currently under consideration by the UK MoD as a replacement system for use in Royal Navy submarines. Copyright © 2005 United Kingdom Government.,2005,,No (2)
Carbon sequestration in croplands: the potential in Europe and the global context,"Biospheric carbon sinks and sources can be included in attempts to meet emission reduction targets during the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. Forest management, cropland management, grazing land management and re-vegetation are allowable activities under Article 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol. Soil carbon sinks (and sources) can, therefore, be included under these activities. In this paper, the role of croplands in the European carbon budget and the potential for carbon sequestration in European croplands are reviewed. The global context is then considered. Croplands are estimated to be the largest biospheric source of carbon lost to the atmosphere in Europe each year, but the cropland estimate is the most uncertain among all land-use types. It is estimated that European croplands (for Europe as far east as the Urals) lose 300 Mt C per year. The mean figure for the European Union is estimated to be 78 (S.D. 37) Mt C per year. There is significant potential within Europe to decrease the flux of carbon to the atmosphere from cropland, and for cropland management to sequester soil carbon, relative to the amount of carbon stored in cropland soils at present. The biological potential for carbon storage in European (EU15) cropland is of the order of 90-120 Mt C per year with a range of options available including reduced and zero tillage, set-aside, perennial crops and deep rooting crops, more efficient use of organic amendments (animal manure, sewage sludge, cereal straw, compost), improved rotations, irrigation, bioenergy crops, extensification, organic farming, and conversion of arable land to grassland or woodland. The sequestration potential, considering only constraints on land-use, amounts of raw materials and available land, is up to 45 Mt C per year. The realistic potential and the conservative achievable; potentials may be considerably lower than the biological potential due to socioeconomic and other constraints, with a realistically achievable potential estimated to be about 20% of the biological potential. As with other carbon sequestration options, potential impacts on non-CO2 trace gases need to be factored in. If carbon sequestration in croplands is to be used in helping to meet emission reduction targets for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the changes in soil carbon must be measurable and verifiable. Changes in soil carbon can be difficult to measure over a five-year commitment period and this has implications for Kyoto accounting and verification. Currently, most countries can hope to achieve only a low level of verifiability during the first commitment period, whilst those with the best-developed national carbon accounting systems will be able to deliver an intermediate level of verifiability. Very stringent definitions of verifiability would require verification that would be prohibitively expensive for any country. Carbon sequestration in soil has a finite potential and is non-permanent. Soil carbon sequestration is a riskier long-term strategy for climate mitigation than direct emission reduction and can play only a minor role in closing carbon emission gaps by 2100. However, if atmospheric CO2 concentrations are to be stabilised at reasonable levels (450-650 ppm), drastic reductions in carbon emissions will be required over the next 20-30 years. Given this, carbon sequestration should form a central role in any portfolio of measures to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations over the next 20-30 years, whilst new energy technologies are developed and implemented. Given that improved agricultural management often has a range of other environmental and economic benefits in addition to climate mitigation potential, such ""win-win"" strategies to improve soil carbon storage are attractive and should be implemented as part of integrated sustainability policies. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2004,carbon sequestration; climate mitigation; cropland; arable land; Europe; Kyoto Protocol Article 3.4; soil organic carbon; carbon mitigation; soil carbon flux,Yes (1)
Soil organic carbon and water retention after conversion of grasslands to pine plantations in the Ecuadorian Andes,"Tree plantations in the high elevations of the tropics constitute a growing land use, but their effect on ecosystem processes and services is not well known. We examined changes in soil organic carbon (C) and water retention in a chronosequence of Pinus radiata stands planted in páramo grasslands in Cotopaxi province, Ecuador. Water retention at 10, 33, and 1,500 kPa declined with stand age, with soils in the oldest pine stands retaining 39%, 55%, and 63% less water than grassland soils at the three pressures tested. Soil organic C in the 0-10-cm depth also declined with stand age, from 5.0 kg m-2 in grasslands to 3.5 kg m-2 in 20-25-year-old pine stands (P &lt; 0.001); at greater depth in the A horizon, C contents decreased from 2.8 to 1.2 kg m-2 (P = 0.047). There were no significant differences among age classes in the AC and C horizons (P = 0.15 and P = 0.34, respectively), where little or no weathering of the primary material has occurred. Inputs of C may be affected by the significantly higher carbon-nitrogen (C:N) ratio of the litter under older pine stands (P = 0.005), whereas outputs are influenced by substrate quality as well as soil environmental factors. Soil ratios at the 0-10 cm depth were significantly higher in grasslands and young pine stands (P &lt; 0.001), whereas carbon-phosphorous (C:P) ratios at 0-10-cm depth followed a similar but not significant trend. However, there was no significant difference in short-term decomposition rates (P = 0.60) when the soils were incubated under uniform temperature and moisture conditions. In páramo ecosystems, where high soil moisture plays an important role in retarding decomposition and driving high C storage, the loss of water retention after afforestation may be the dominant factor in C loss. These results suggest that soil C buildup and water retention respond rapidly to changes in biota and need to be assessed with regard to implications for C sequestration and watershed management. © 2004 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.",2004,,No (2)
Carbon concentration target and technological choice,There is great uncertainty about the choice of technologies for carbon mitigation policy in the long run especially if carbon storage options are considered. A sensitivity analysis of the costs of carbon sequestration is conducted here and relative importance of sequestration technology is assessed in a long-term carbon management framework. Carbon recovery with geological and ocean sequestration could be included among the available carbon abatement technologies and its abatement potential is sensitive to the carbon transport and storage cost assumption. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.,2004,integrated assessment; carbon sequestration; uncertainty,No (2)
"Assessment and measurement issues related to soil carbon sequestration in land-use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) projects under the Kyoto protocol","Mitigating the potential large negative impacts of a change in the earth's climate will require strong and definite actions in the different economic sectors, particularly within agriculture and forestry. Specifically, soils deserve a close examination due to their large carbon mitigation potential. The Kyoto protocol establishes the possibility for crediting greenhouse gas emission reductions from forestry and agriculture activities. In most circumstances, particularly those regarding developing countries, greenhouse gas mitigation activities will be carried out through projects. These projects will have to meet a series of criteria, for the carbon benefits to be measurable, transparent, verifiable and certified. These criteria include: establishing credible baselines (without-project or reference scenario), additionality, permanence, quantifying and reducing potential leakage of greenhouse gases across project borders, coping with natural or human induced risks, accurately measuring changes in carbon stocks using carbon accounting techniques, and-in the case of the Clean Development Mechanism-resulting in sustainable development benefits. In this paper we describe the methods and approaches that have been developed to cope with the different criteria and discuss their implications for carbon sequestration in soils. Soil carbon represents the largest carbon pool of terrestrial ecosystems, and has been estimated to have one of the largest potentials to sequester carbon worldwide. However, getting credits from soil carbon sequestration through project activities presents several challenges: the need to monitor small incremental changes in soil carbon content relative to large carbon pools, long-time periods to accrue the full carbon benefits, high local variability of soil carbon content, and relatively costly soil carbon measurement procedures. Also, the responses of soil C stocks to forestry and agriculture activities are complex and need careful attention. Specifically, the time dynamics of soil C responses to land use changes, the diversity of soil types, soil-plant interactions, and the availability of accurate soil C inventories, should be considered to successfully implement LULUCF projects.",2004,,No (2)
Russian Far East forest disturbances and socio-economic problems of restoration,"For many years the economy of the Russian Far East relied on the military potential and use of natural resources, such as fish, wood and minerals. The economic crisis of the 1990s led to an increase in the importance of extractive industries and exploitation of natural resources became even more active with the application of the most exhausting and damaging methods. During the transition period to a market economy, the system of legislation and control over the use of natural resources weakened considerably and, as a consequence, there are continued efforts to expand logging in protected areas, non-compliance with cutting regulations and harvest of forbidden species like Korean pine. As a result, the degradation of unique complexes and reduction in populations of endangered species continues. With 26% of Russia's forest reserves, the Far East represents a mammoth opportunity to contribute to the solution of numerous ecological problems, both local and international, including carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, regeneration and forest disturbances. The paper presents an analysis of recent processes in Far East forests that are related to disturbances and their socio-economic consequences. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.",2004,Russia's Far East; forest areas; reforestation; socio-economic problems,No (2)
IGCC system with integration of CO2 recovery and the cryogenic energy in air separation unit,"In this paper, we proposed a new type of IGCC system with CO2 recovery, which employed the cryogenic energy of the air separation unit. The idea of integration of CO2 separation is introduced and the theoretical separation work was compared between the integration CO2 separation process and the traditional CO2 separation process. Different from the two-step (separation and compression) CO2 recovery processes commonly used, the new system can separate and liquefy CO2 simultaneously by means of integration of the cryogenic energy of air separation unit and CO2 recovery unit. In this way, a large amount of compression work can be reduced, compared with wet scrubbing processes to sequestrate the recovered CO2. The new integration system was compared with the amine absorption process. The result indicated that through energy integration between air separation and CO2 recovery, the energy consumption of CO2 separation is expected to be reduced by 28.4%, compared to the traditional amine absorption process. Based on the investigation, the paper make a contribution to provide a concept of integration of cold energy with CO2 separation for the purpose of increase in efficiency and mitigation of greenhouse gas impact.",2004,,No (2)
Carbon dioxide removal via a membrane system in a natural gas combined-cycle plant,"Gas separation using polymeric membranes is generally believed to be poorly suited for CO2 capture from gas turbine based power plants, because the high air-to-fuel ratios produce large amounts of exhaust gas containing strongly diluted CO2. The driving force for selective permeation is obtained by compressing the entire exhaust stream, resulting in a significant energy penalty. Additional energy is required for permeate compression, which is impaired by the other gases emitted with CO2. In spite of these difficulties, the present study is concerned with membrane systems, which the authors believe warrant further investigation. The attention was focused on natural gas combined cycles (NGCC), so as to have a starting point with high energy efficiency and low baseline emissions. To reduce the exhaust gases and to concentrate the CO2, the NGCC is fitted with a flue gas recirculation system, which has proven to leave plant performance substantially unaffected. The energy requirements for exhaust gas compression are reduced by introducing, a heat exchanger between the compressed and residual exhaust gas and recovering heat from the latter. The membrane separator has been modeled using conservative data reported in the literature. Various configurations, such as multiple compression-expansion and multistage membrane units, are considered. Permeate compression is also modeled, so as to highlight the influence of permeate purity on this process. The results show a rather moderate performance penalty. A specific emission of 100 g(CO2)/kWh corresponds to 48 percent efficiency. Admittedly a CO2 separator for a power plant would be larger than any other membrane system designed for other purposes. However, the system appears technically feasible and would offer valuable benefits in terms of emissions.",2004,gas turbines; polymeric membranes; CO2 removal; CO2 capture; exhaust recirculation,No (2)
Moisture and substrate availability constrain soil trace gas fluxes in an eastern Amazonian regrowth forest,"Changes in land-use and climate are likely to alter moisture and substrate availability in tropical forest soils, but quantitative assessment of the role of resource constraints as regulators of soil trace gas fluxes is rather limited. The primary objective of this study was to quantify the effects of moisture and substrate availability on soil trace gas fluxes in an Amazonian regrowth forest. We measured the efflux of carbon dioxide (CO(2)), nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N(2)O), and methane (CH(4)) from soil in response to two experimental manipulations. In the first, we increased soil moisture availability during the dry season by irrigation; in the second, we decreased substrate availability by continuous removal of aboveground litter. In the absence of irrigation, soil CO(2) efflux decreased during the dry season while irrigation maintained soil CO(2) efflux levels similar to the wet season. Large variations in soil CO(2) efflux consistent with a significant moisture constraint on respiration were observed in response to soil wet-up and dry-down events. Annual soil C efflux for irrigated plots was 27 and 13% higher than for control plots in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Litter removal significantly reduced soil CO(2) efflux; annual soil C efflux in 2002 was 28% lower for litter removal plots compared to control plots. The annual soil C efflux: litterfall C ratio for the control treatment (4.0-5.2) was consistent with previously reported values for regrowth forests that indicate a relatively large belowground C allocation. In general, fluxes of N(2)O and CH(4) were higher during the wet season and both fluxes increased during dry-season irrigation. There was no seasonal effect on NO fluxes. Litter removal had no significant impact on N oxide or CH(4) emissions. Net soil nitrification did not respond to dry-season irrigation, but was somewhat reduced by litter removal. Overall, these results demonstrate significant soil moisture and substrate constraints on soil trace gas emissions, particularly for CO(2), and suggest that climate and land-use changes that alter moisture and substrate availability are therefore likely to have an impact on atmosphere chemistry.",2004,Amazon; dry-season irrigation; litter removal; methane; nitrogen oxides; soil respiration,No (2)
Methodology and status of the Southeast regional carbon sequestration partnership,The Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SERCSP) is the Southern States Energy Board's proposed framework to address opportunities for carbon sequestration technology deployment in the South. A discussion covers the methodologies to characterize the region and CO2 sequestration opportunities; and the objectives and scope of work of the SERCSP.,2004,,No (2)
HPImpact: Emerging advanced vehicle technologies,"According to the final EU Directive, sulfur-free gasoline and diesel fuels (10 mg/kg maximum sulfur content) must be available on ""an appropriate balanced geographic basis"" from 2005. Fuel market coverage of sulfur-free fuels is required from 2009, through the end date for diesel fuel remains subject to review. The specifications were established following the Auto/Oil II program and the EU Commission's subsequent sulfur review. With respect to meeting the future Euro-4 and Euro-5 exhaust emissions standards and CO2 targets, the challenges lie in different directions for the different engine technologies, e.g., reducing CO2 emissions while maintaining their low emissions of regulated pollutants; gasoline engine technologies (stoichiometric systems with conventional three-way catalysts competing with the lean-burn approach); and hybrid vehicle concepts.",2003,,No (2)
Quantification of carbon sequestration in soils following pasture to forest conversion in northwestern Ecuador,"We studied the changes in soil carbon contents when pastures are converted to either secondary forest or plantation forest in north-western Ecuador. At 40 sites within the region, paired pasture and forest plots were compared. We related the observed soil carbon concentrations, stocks, and changes (in the 0-0.25 m and 0.25-0.5 m layers) to land use history, climate, and soil characteristics. Variation in carbon concentrations over sites in volcanic soils could be well predicted for both pastures (R-2=0.96) and forests (R-2=0.93) on the basis of soil mineralogy, while for sedimentary soils, clearly less variation could be explained (R-2=0.14 for pastures and 0.39 for forests). The dominant factor explaining changes in carbon stocks following pasture to forest conversion was pasture age. Forests, paired with pastures less than 10 years old, had on average 9.3 Mg ha(-1) less soil carbon than the pastures, while forests paired with pastures between 20 and 30 years old had on average 18.8 Mg ha(-1) more soil carbon and forest paired with pastures older than 30 years had on average 15.8 Mg ha(-1) more carbon than the pastures. In this region, reforestation of old pastures will generally lead to an increase of soil carbon stocks. These results can be used for optimal site selection for carbon sequestration projects and for including soil carbon in the estimated benefits of these projects.",2003,carbon sequestration; Ecuador; land-use change; pasture; reforestation; secondary forest,No (2)
Potential carbon sequestration in China's forests,"Forests are believed to be a major sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. There are 158.94 million hectares (Mha) of forests in China, accounting for 16.5% of its land area. These extensive forests may play a vital role in the global carbon (C) cycle as well as making a large contribution to the country's economic and environmental well-being. Currently there is a trend towards increased development in the forests. Hence, accounting for the role and potential of the forests in the global carbon budget is very important. In this paper, we attempt to estimate the carbon emissions and sequestration by Chinese forests in 1990 and make projections for the following 60 years based on three scenarios, i.e. ""baseline"", ""trend"" and ""planning"". A computer model F-CARBON 1.0, which takes into account the different biomass density and growth rates for the forests in different age classes, the life time for biomass oxidation and decomposition, and the change in soil carbon between harvesting and reforestation, was developed by the authors and used to make the calculations and projections. Climate change is not modelled in this exercise. We calculate that forests in China annually accumulate 118.1 Mt C in growth of trees and 18.4 Mt in forest soils, and release 38.9 Mt, resulting in a net sequestration of 97.6 Mt C, corresponding to 16.8% of the national CO2 emissions in 1990. From 1990 to 2050, soil carbon accumulation was projected to increase slightly while carbon emissions increases by 73, 77 and 84%, and net carbon sequestration increases by -21, 52 and 90% for baseline, trend and planning scenarios, respectively. Carbon sequestration by China's forests under the planning scenario in 2000, 2010, 2030 and 2050 is approximately 20, 48, 111 and 142% higher than projected by the baseline scenario, and 8, 18, 34 and 26% higher than by the trend scenario, respectively. Over 9 Gt C is projected to accumulate in China's forests from 1990 to 2050 under the planning scenario, and this is 73 and 23% larger than projected for the baseline and trend scenarios, respectively. During the period 2008-2012, Chinese forests are likely to have a net uptake of 667, 565 and 452 Mt C, respectively, for the planning, trend and baseline scenarios. We conclude that China's forests have a large potential for carbon sequestration through forest development. Sensitivity analysis showed that the biggest uncertainty in the projection by the F-CARBON model came from the release coefficient of soil carbon between periods after harvesting and before reforestation. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",2003,Chinese forests; carbon uptake projections; F-CARBON model,No (2)
Uncertainty in estimating land use and management impacts on soil organic carbon storage for US agricultural lands between 1982 and 1997,"Uncertainty was quantified for an inventory estimating change in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage resulting from modifications in land use and management across US agricultural lands between 1982 and 1997. This inventory was conducted using a modified version of a carbon (C) accounting method developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Probability density functions (PDFs) were derived for each input to the IPCC model, including reference SOC stocks, land use/management activity data, and management factors. Change in C storage was estimated using a Monte-Carlo approach with 50 000 iterations, by randomly selecting values from the PDFs after accounting for dependencies in the model inputs. Over the inventory period, mineral soils had a net gain of 10.8 Tg C yr(-1), with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 6.5 to 15.3 Tg C yr(-1). Most of this gain was due to setting-aside lands in the Conservation Reserve Program. In contrast, managed organic soils lost 9.4 Tg C yr(-1), with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 6.4 to 13.3 Tg C yr(-1). Combining these gains and losses in SOC, US agricultural soils accrued 1.3 Tg C yr(-1) due to land use and management change, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from a loss of 4.4 Tg C yr(-1) to a gain of 6.9 Tg C yr(-1). Most of the uncertainty was attributed to management factors for tillage, land use change between cultivated and uncultivated conditions, and C loss rates from managed organic soils. Based on the uncertainty, we are not able to conclude with 95% confidence that change in US agricultural land use and management between 1982 and 1997 created a net C sink for atmospheric CO2.",2003,agroecosystems; carbon sequestration; greenhouse gas mitigation; IPCC; land use change; uncertainty analysis,No (2)
Investigation in the design of a CO2 cleaner system by using aqueous solutions of monoethanolamine and diethanolamine,"An investigation was carried out in the design of a CO2 cleaner system for removing excessive CO2 from indoor polluted air with a randomly packed column by using aqueous solutions of monoethanolamine (MEA) and diethanolamine (DEA). Experiments were conducted within an MEA concentration of 0.02-0.50 kmol/m3 and a DEA concentration of 0.10-0.50 kmol/m 3 at 25 °C. The effective gas-liquid interfacial area a v of the packed column, which was determined by using dilute CO 2 absorption into aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide, was well corrected by an equation as a function of gas flow rate G. A theoretical model based on Danckwerts' theory of surface renewal was proposed. The investigation shows that MEA and DEA are both effective absorbents to remove excessive CO 2 from indoor polluted air, while the former exceeds the latter in efficiency, and that both the concentration of alkanolamimes and the gas flow rate greatly affect the CO2 removal efficiency. Besides, with an increase of the concentration of alkanolamines and a decrease of the gas flow rate, the CO2 removal efficiency will be remarkably improved.",2003,,No (2)
Assessment of the production of 13C labeled compounds from phototrophic microalgae at laboratory scale,"An integrated process for the indoor production of 13C labeled polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from Phaeodactylum tricornutum is presented. The core of the process is a bubble column photobioreactor operating with recirculation of the exhaust gas using a low-pressure compressor. Oxygen accumulation in the system is avoided by bubbling the exhaust gas from the reactor in a sodium sulfite solution before returning to it. To achieve a high 13C enrichment in the biomass obtained, the culture medium is initially stripped of carbon, and labeled 13CO2 is automatically injected on-demand during operation for pH control and carbon supply. The reactor was operated in both batch and semicontinuous modes. In semicontinuous mode, the reactor was operated at a dilution rate of 0.01 h-1, resulting in a biomass productivity of 0.1 g l-1 per day. The elemental analysis of the inlet and outlet flows of the reactor showed that 64.9% of carbon was turned into microalgal biomass, 34.9% remained in the supernatant mainly as inorganic compounds. Only 3.8% of injected carbon was effectively fixed as the target labeled product (EPA). Regarding the isotopic composition of fatty acids, results showed that fatty acids were not labeled in the same proportion, the higher the number of carbons the lower the percentage of 13C. Isotopic composition of EPA ranged from 36.5 to 53.5%, as a function of the methodology used (GC-MS, EA-IRMS or gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS)). The low carbon uptake efficiency combined with the high cost of 13CO2 make necessary to redefine the designed culture system to increase the efficiency of the conversion of 13CO2 into the target product. Therefore, the possibility of removing 12C from the fresh medium, and recovering and recirculating the inorganic carbon in the supernatant and the organic carbon from the EPA depleted biomass was studied. The inorganic carbon of the fresh medium was removed by acidification and stripping with N2. The inorganic carbon of the supernatant was recovered also by acidification and subsequent stripping with N2. The operating conditions of this step were optimized for gas flow rate and type of contactor. A carbon recovery step for the depleted biomass was designed based on the catalytic oxidation to CO2 using CuO (10 wt.%) as catalyst with an oxygen enriched atmosphere (80% O2 partial pressure). In this way, the carbon losses reduced an 80.2% and the efficiency of the conversion of carbon in EPA was increased to 19.5%, which is close to the theoretical maximum. Further increase in 13CO2 use efficiency is only possible by additionally recovering other labeled by-products present in the biomass: proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and pigments. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",2003,,No (2)
ARPCS2AT2: A tool for atmospheric pressure and composition control analysis,"A generalized computer program for analysis of pressure and composition in multiple volume systems has been under development by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) since 1976. This paper describes the most recent developments in the program. These improvements include the expansion of the program to nine volumes, improvements to the model of the International Space Station (ISS) carbon dioxide removal system, and addition of a detailed Sabatier carbon dioxide reduction mode. An evaluation of the feasibility of adding of trace contaminant tracking was also performed. This paper will also present the results of an analysis that compares model predictions with ISS flight data for carbon dioxide (CO2) maintenance.",2003,,No (2)
Saskatchewan forest carbon sequestration project,"In 2002 a project in Saskatchewan became the first forest carbon (C) sequestration project to be formally reviewed and approved in Canada under the Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading (GERT) Pilot. GERT concluded that the project will result in real, measurable, verifiable and surplus net sequestration. calculated as C stock changes in the with-project case less C stock changes in the reference (without project) case. The project is a 50-year agreement (2000-2050) in which Saskatchewan Environment sells net C sequestration to the provincial electrical utility Saskatchewan Power Corporation. Net sequestration of 1.6 Mt C is expected to result from the establishment of white spruce plantations on 3300 ha and from forest protection through creation of 206 000 ha of Forest Carbon Reserves. Issues that arose in the review included leakage, the permanence of the sequestered carbon and risk of losses, establishment of the reference case, methodologies for projections of impacts, approaches for sampling and measurements. and accounting methods. GERT established a number of reporting and other conditions to be fulfilled when estimates of actual net sequestration are registered. Future forest C sequestration projects. project reviews and policy development will be able to draw upon the lessons learned from the Saskatchewan project.",2002,carbon sequestration; carbon sequestration projects; Saskatchewan; Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Trading Pilot; plantations; forest protection; leakage; permanence; carbon accounting; carbon measurement,No (2)
Burying carbon under the sea: An initial exploration of public opinions,"Geological and ocean sequestration of carbon dioxide is a potential climate change mitigation option that is currently receiving an increasing level of attention within business, academic and policy communities. This paper presents a preliminary investigation of possible public reaction to the technologies under consideration. Using a focus group approach, we consider the similarities between carbon storage technologies and analogous technologies that have generated strong reactions with the public. Initial results suggest that, in principle, carbon capture and storage may be seen as an acceptable approach as a bridging policy while other options are developed. However, concerns were raised regarding the safety of storage and trust in the ability of the various institutions to oversee the process in the long term. This analysis forms part of an on-going study which will continue to investigate the perceptions of a range of stakeholders.",2002,,No (2)
Soil organic carbon pool of grassland soils on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its global implication,"A study of carbon (C) storage in the 0-0.75-m profile Of Soils subtending various types of grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau showed that the organic carbon content of the 1 627 000 km(2) of such lands in the region reaches 33.52 Pg of C. Organic carbon is mainly stored in the meadow and steppe soils of the Plateau, which combined, represents 23.2 Pg of C stored in organic form. This represents 23.44% of China's total organic soil-stored carbon and 2.5% of the global pool of soil carbon as of 1996. Carbon emissions from the grassland soils were estimated based on the two major modes of emission: (i) natural soil respiration and (ii) shifts in net C flux to/from soil due to land-use changes and their potential influence on organic matter decomposition. Annual soil respiration-driven CO2 emissions from the grassland soils of the plateau reached 1.17 P g C year(-1), accounting for 26.4% of China's total soil respiration and 1.73% of global soil respiration. Because the grassland area accounts for 1.02% of the global terrestrial land and 16.9% of China's total terrestrial land, this CO2 emission rate is significantly higher than the country's mean annual rate (approx. 4.2 Pa C year(-1)) and even higher than the global mean rate (approx. 68 Pg C year(-1)). In the last 30 years, approximately 3.02 Pg C have been emitted from the grassland soils of the plateau due to land-use changes and grassland degradation. The total CO2 emissions rate from the grassland soils of the plateau reached 1.27 Pg C year(-1). Protecting grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is of great importance in limiting global climate change. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.",2002,Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau; grassland; soil; organic carbon,No (2)
High pressure CO2/CH4 separation using carbon molecular sieve hollow fiber membranes,"Carbon molecular sieve (CMS) hollow fiber membranes have been investigated for CO2/CH4 separation. High-pressure (up to 1000 psia), mixed-gas feeds of 10% CO2/90% CH4 on the shell side were examined for three different temperatures (24, 35, and 50 degreesC). The mechanical, permeance, and selectivity stabilities of the CMS membranes under high pressure were encouraging and could be industrially relevant for many high-pressure applications, such as CO2 removal from natural gas. Two asymmetric polyimide precursor fibers, 6FDA/BPDA-DAM and Matrimid 5218, were pyrolyzed under vacuum to form the CMS membrane fibers. When pyrolyzed under identical protocols, the two types of CMS fibers had different permeation properties and physical characteristics. Modifications of the pyrolysis protocol and conditions were explored. Increasing the final pyrolysis temperature was shown to dramatically increase the CO2/CH4 selectivity (>600) of the CMS membranes but was detrimental to the CO2 permeance. On the other hand, using a helium purge gas instead of a vacuum environment during pyrolysis did increase CO2 permeance but resulted in a significant loss of CO2/CH4 selectivity. Shortening the thermal soak time at the final pyrolysis temperature was the most effective approach to increasing the CO2 permeance while maintaining the CO2/CH4 selectivity.",2002,,No (2)
Study of CO2 absorption and desorption in a packed column,"Carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, may need to be removed from flue gas produced by combustion of fossil fuels in order to manage future climate changes. Although conventional wet scrubbing techniques exist for removal of carbon dioxide from gas streams, the wet scrubbing techniques must improve to process large volumes of flue gas at acceptable thermal efficiencies and minimal costs. Amine scrubbing is one such technique to remove CO2. To make the process more efficient, various areas of improvement were investigated: gas-liquid contacting area, the type of reactant, and dilution of the aqueous fraction with organic liquids. Pertaining to the former, various absorption tests with conventional packing material and structured packings were conducted with mono-ethanolamine (MEA), a traditional solvent, as well as with novel amines. Significant improvements in CO2 removal were obtained with the structured packing. With respect to the amine investigation, a key to improved efficiency is the ease of regeneration of the CO2-loaded absorbent. Testing with a sterically hindered amine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, revealed that, although absorption was somewhat less as compared to MEA, thermal regeneration was far easier. In addition, the effect of organic diluent on CO2 absorption capacity of MEA solution is determined. The impact of various process parameters on the absorption and desorption steps will also be discussed.",2001,,No (2)
Precombustion and postcombustion decarbonization,Fuel decarbonization during power generation is required to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Decarbonization of the fuel prior to combustion as well as combustion in O2 or CO2 atmospheres and condensation of CO2 and tail-end capture were found to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Differenent processes used for carbon dioxide separation during power generation were discussed in this context. The process are related to integration of the CO2 seperation with combined-cycle or integraded gas combined cycle (IGCC) power plants. An overall 6 to 10 points of loss in efficiency was acceptedfor CO2 removal for large power generation plants (500 MW).,2001,,No (2)
A method for estimating the cost of CO2 mitigation through afforestation,"The Kyoto Protocol allows Annex I countries to use afforestation (the conversion of non-forest land to forest) to meet emissions reduction targets. We present a new method for estimating the cost of CO2 mitigation through afforestation based on econometric models of land use. Land use models are developed from data on observed land allocation decisions and quantify the relationship between the share of land in forest and the net returns to forestry, among other land use determinants. The econometric approach measures the actual responses by landowners to observed changes in net returns, in contrast to earlier studies in which landowner responses are dictated by the researcher. Models are estimated for Maine, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The estimated models are used to simulate subsidies for afforestation, which imply increases in forest area and net reductions in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Average cost measures - total subsidies divided by total carbon sequestered - are derived for afforestation programs with and without timber harvesting. The use of econometric land use models in integrated assessments of climate change is explored. We model the effects on land use patterns and the costs of CO2 mitigation of changes in the net returns to agriculture induced by climate change.",2001,,No (2)
Airway pressure release ventilation: theory and practice.,"Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) is a relatively new mode of ventilation, that only became commercially available in the United States in the mid-1990s. Airway pressure release ventilation produces tidal ventilation using a method that differs from any other mode. It uses a release of airway pressure from an elevated baseline to simulate expiration. The elevated baseline facilitates oxygenation, and the timed releases aid in carbon dioxide removal. Advantages of APRV include lower airway pressures, lower minute ventilation, minimal adverse effects on cardio-circulatory function, ability to spontaneously breathe throughout the entire ventilatory cycle, decreased sedation use, and near elimination of neuromuscular blockade. Airway pressure release ventilation is consistent with lung protection strategies that strive to limit lung injury associated with mechanical ventilation. Future research will probably support the use of APRV as the primary mode of choice for patients with acute lung injury.",2001,,No (2)
Accelerating carbonate dissolution to sequester carbon dioxide in the ocean: Geochemical implications,"Various methods have been proposed for mitigating release of anthropogenic CO<inf>2</inf> to the atmosphere, including deep-sea injection of CO<inf>2</inf> captured from fossil-fuel fired power plants. Here, we use a schematic model of ocean chemistry and transport to analyze the geochemical consequences of a new method for separating carbon dioxide from a waste gas stream and sequestering it in the ocean. This method involves reacting CO<inf>2</inf>-rich power-plant gases with seawater to produce a carbonic acid solution which in turn is reacted on site with carbonate mineral (e.g., limestone) to form Ca2+ and bicarbonate in solution, which can then be released and diluted in the ocean. Such a process is similar to carbonate weathering and dissolution which would have otherwise occurred naturally, but over many millennia. Relative to atmospheric release or direct ocean CO<inf>2</inf> injection, this method would greatly expand the capacity of the ocean to store anthropogenic carbon while minimizing environmental impacts of this carbon on ocean biota. This carbonate-dissolution technique may be more cost-effective and less environmentally harmful, and than previously proposed CO<inf>2</inf> capture and sequestration techniques.",2000,,No (2)
AF&PA praises U.S. State Dept. report on greenhouse reductions,The American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) praised the US State Department for issuing a report that recognizes forest carbon sequestration as a major vehicle to help achieve US targets for greenhouse gas reduction. They also noted that policy makers need to continue researching incentive-based ways to cut greenhouse emissions. Scientific studies have revealed that trees and agricultural soils are storehouses of carbon that help stabilize the climate.,2000,,No (2)
Forest protection and reforestation in Costa Rica: Evaluation of a clean development mechanism prototype,"Costa Rica has recently established a program that provides funds for reforestation and forest protection on private lands, partly through the sale of carbon certificates to industrialized countries. Countries purchasing these carbon offsets hope one day to receive credit against their own commitments to limit emissions of greenhouse gases. Costa Pica has used the proceeds of the sale of carbon offsets to Norway to help finance this forest incentive program. called the Private Forestry Project, which pays thousands of participants to reforest or protect forest on their lands. The Private Forestry Project is accompanied by a monitoring program conducted by Costa Rican forest engineers that seeks to determine net carbon storage accomplished on these lands each year. The Private Forestry Project, which is officially registered as an Activity implemented jointly. is a possible model for bundled projects funded by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) established by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It also serves as an interesting example for the CDM because it was designed by a developing country host--not by an industrialized country investor. Accordingly, it reflects the particular ""sustainable development"" objectives of the host country or at least the host planners. Early experience in implementing the Private Forestry Project is evaluated in light of the main objectives of the CDM and its precursor-Activities Implemented Jointly it is concluded that the project appears to meet the criteria of global cost-effectiveness and financing from non-ODA sources. The sustainable development implications of the project are specific to the region and would not necessarily match the ideals of all investing and developing countries. The project may be seen to achieve additional greenhouse gas abatement when compared against some (although not all) baselines.",2000,activities implemented jointly; carbon offsets; clean development mechanism; Costa Rica; environmental services payment; forests; Kyoto protocol,No (2)
Soil carbon sequestration and land-use change: processes and potential,"When agricultural land is no longer used for cultivation and allowed to revert to natural vegetation or replanted to perennial vegetation, soil organic carbon can accumulate. This accumulation process essentially reverses some of the effects responsible for soil organic carbon losses from when the land was converted from perennial vegetation. We discuss the essential elements of what is known about soil organic matter dynamics that may result in enhanced soil carbon sequestration with changes in land-use and soil management. We review literature that reports changes in soil organic carbon after changes in land-use that favour carbon accumulation. This data summary provides a guide to approximate rates of SOC sequestration that are possible with management, and indicates the relative importance of some factors that influence the rates of organic carbon sequestration in soil. There is a large variation in the length of time for and the rate at which carbon may accumulate in soil, related to the productivity of the recovering vegetation, physical and biological conditions in the soil, and the past history of soil organic carbon inputs and physical disturbance. Maximum rates of C accumulation during the early aggrading stage of perennial vegetation growth, while substantial, are usually much less than 100 g C m(-2) y(-1.) Average rates of accumulation are similar for forest or grassland establishment: 33.8 g C m(-2) y(-1) and 33.2 g C m(-2) y(-1), respectively. These observed rates of soil organic C accumulation, when combined with the small amount of land area involved, are insufficient to account for a significant fraction of the missing C in the global carbon cycle as accumulating in the soils of formerly agricultural land.",2000,carbon sequestration; land-use; reforestation; soil carbon,No (2)
Failure of a Benfield flash drum,"The flash drum of the CO2 removal process failed during its normal operation: about a 12-mm hole developed on the body surface and all 3 of the upper internal baffles had welding failures. The plant was shutdown immediately because of solution losses from the system. It took about 3 weeks to repair the flash drum and restart the plant. This article describes the nature of failure, its possible causes, the repairs undertaken and some recommendations.",2000,,No (2)
`Source-to-service' strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,"Joint implementation, global reforestation and renewable sources may contribute significantly in the future to reduce or capture man-made CO2 emissions. The market share of renewables during the next 25 years is expected to be limited to 5 to 15%, which means that 85 to 95% of the energy consumption will still be based on fossil fuels as the dominant energy resources. Significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions can only be achieved through conceptual and technical solutions in the fossil energy market. This shows that the integration of energy chains and the electrification of energy end-services are the key elements in a strategy to create a more sustainable society.",1999,,No (2)
Supercritical fluid extraction of mercury(II) ion via in situ chelation and pre-formed mercury complexes from different matrices,"Extraction of both spiked mercury complexes and mercury ion from a variety of matrices such as sludge, fly ash, soil, filter paper, and sand was achieved using both pure and methanol-modified supercritical CO2. The neutral mercury complexes contained either diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) or trifluoroethyldithiocarbamate (FDDC) as ligands. It was demonstrated that both Hg(DDC)(2) and Hg(FDDC)(2) could be extracted with high efficiency from inert matrices (i.e. sand and filter paper) using 5% methanol modified CO2. The extraction efficiency of Hg (DDC)(2) from fly ash and sludge, however, was poor under these conditions. On the other hand, Hg(FDDC)(2) could be extracted with greater than 95% efficiency from all matrices with 5% methanol-modified CO2. Recovery of Hg(II) from soil, fly ash, and sludge using NaDDC as an in situ chelating agent was less than 40% with pure CO2 (400 atm) at 80 degrees C, while recovery of Hg(II) from the same matrices using LiFDDC was greater than 90% with these conditions. Also, extraction efficiency of Hg(CH3)(2) and CH3HgCl from different matrices was determined. Extraction efficiency of greater than 90% was found for Hg(CH3)(2) regardless of the matrix, while recovery of CH3HgCl was matrix dependent. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.",1999,supercritical fluid; metal ions; metal chelates; pre-formed mercury complexes,No (2)
A new semi-closed gas turbine cycle with CO2 separation,"work, a new Semi-Closed Gas Turbine Cycle (SCGT) configuration is presented, named Semi-Closed Gas Turbine/Regenerative Combined Cycle (SCGT/RCC). The SCGT/RCC is an hybrid combination of the SCGT/CC and SCGT/RE cycle concepts, including both partial regeneration of the gas turbine and coupling to a bottoming steam cycle by a small-size Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG). An energy and exergy analysis is carried out for several configurations and operating conditions. A preliminary analysis of the RHE size, CO2 absorption potential and related effects on the cycle performance is presented, at several operating conditions and investigating three possible plant operation modes. The performance of the SCGT/RCC is very interesting at optimized operating conditions (specific power exceeding 550 kJ/kg of compressor inlet flow rate, efficiencies close to 50% including a 80% CO2 removal). This plant is a promising solution that combines the positive features of semi-closed gas turbines, allowing a drastic reduction of size and capital costs for both HRSG and RHE and maintaining high values of performance. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.",1999,semi-closed; cycle; gas turbine; CO2 reduction; combined cycle,No (2)
Changes in soil carbon following afforestation in Hawaii,"Afforestation in the tropics may sequester soil C and has been proposed as a management tool to aid in controlling rising levels of atmospheric CO2. We measured changes in soil C following afforestation of sugarcane fields with fast-growing Eucalyptus saligna (Sm.) plantations in Hawaii. Using stable C isotopes, we estimated the contributions to changes in total soil C that were due to the loss of C from the prior cane cultivation, and to the gain of C from the new Eucalyptus plantations. Total soil C 10-13 yr after afforestation was 114 and 113 Mg/ha, respectively, in the Eucalyptus and cane plantation. Eucalyptus increased total soil C in the 0-10 cm layer by 11.5 Mg/ha, but that was offset by a loss of 10.1 Mg/ha of cane-derived C from the 10-55 cm layer. The net effect on soil C of afforestation of cultivated lands depends not only on new C gained, but also on C lost from the previous management.",1998,afforestation; Eucalyptus; global climate change; Hawaii; land use; soil carbon; stable carbon isotope ratios; sugarcane plantations,No (2)
Cytoplasmic pH responses to carbonic anhydrase inhibitors in cultured rabbit nonpigmented ciliary epithelium,"Carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitors lower the rate of aqueous humor (AH) secretion into the eye. Different CA isozymes might play different roles in the response. Here we have studied the effects of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors on cytoplasmic pH (pH(i)) regulation, using a dextran-bound CA inhibitor (DBI) to selectively inhibit membrane-associated CA in a cell line derived from rabbit NPE. pH(i) was measured using the fluorescent dye BCECF and the pH(i) responses to the cell permeable CA inhibitor acetazolamide (ACTZ) and DBI were compared. ACTZ markedly inhibited the rapid pH(i) changes elicited by bicarbonate/CO2 removal and readdition but DBI was ineffective in this respect, consistent with the inability of DBI to enter the cell and inhibit cytoplasmic CA isozymes. Added alone, ACTZ and DBI caused a similar reduction (0.2 pH units) of baseline pH(i). We considered whether CA-IV might facilitate HC extrusion via Na-H exchange. The Na-H exchanger inhibitor amiloride (1 mM) reduced pH(i) 0.52 +/- 0.10 pH units. In the presence of DBI, the magnitude of pH(i) reduction caused by amiloride was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced to 0.26 +/- 0.09 pH units. ACTZ similarly reduced the magnitude of the pH(i) reduction. DBI also reduced by similar to 40% the rate of pH(i) recovery in cells acidified by an ammonium chloride (20 mM) prepulse; a reduction in pH(i) recovery rate was also caused by ACTZ and amiloride. DBI failed to alter the pH(i) alkalinization response caused by elevating external potassium concentration, a response insensitive to amiloride but sensitive to ACTZ. These observations are consistent with a seduction in Na-H exchanger activity in the presence of DBI or ACTZ. We suggest that the CA-IV isozyme might catalyze rapid equilibration of H+ and HCO3- with CO2 in the unstirred layer outside the plasma membrane, preventing local accumulation of HC which competes with sodium for the same external Na-H exchanger binding site. Inhibition of CA-IV could produce pH(i) changes that might alter the function of other ion transporters and channels in the NPE.",1998,pH; carbonic anhydrase; ciliary epithelium; acetazolamide,No (2)
"Soil carbon cycling at a black spruce (Picea mariana) forest stand in Saskatchewan, Canada","Stored amounts and flow rates of soil carbon were measured simultaneously with soil environmental conditions (temperature and moisture content) periodically during the growing seasons from 1994 to 1995 at two plots (plot A was a dry soil condition, and plot B was a wet condition) in a black spruce (Picea mariana) forest stand in the Prince Albert area of Saskatchewan, Canada. Seasonal trends in litterfall rate and accumulation of the A(0) layer were not observed, while the total and mineral soil respiration rates changed seasonally with soil temperature. There was no significant relationship between soil moisture content and-any how rates or accumulations of soil carbon. Soil respiration and loss of litter might have been very low during the winter (November to early May) because of the frozen soil. The annual soil carbon cycling was analyzed by a compartment model, based on the data obtained in this study. The relative decomposition rate of the A(0) layer and humus in the mineral soil were estimated at 0.0632 yr(-1) and 0.0045 for plot A and 0.0284 yr(-1) and 0.0020 for plot B, respectively. These values indicate that the soil carbon cycling in plot A was about twice as fast as that in plot B. The slower cycling in plot B may be caused by the lower soil temperature and humid soil conditions, since the groundwater level is higher in plot B. The soil in both plots were accumulating carbon, i.e., 0.13 t C ha(-1) yr(-1) for plot A and 0.03 for plot B. The soil carbon cycling in the boreal forest stand was slower because of the lower soil temperature than that reported in the cool- and warm-temperate forests. Soil carbon cycling in the boreal forest predominantly occurred at the surface of the mineral soil, suggesting that the decomposition response of soil organic matter in the boreal forest will be enhanced compared to other climate zone forests because of the large predicted temperature increase in the boreal zone under global warming.",1997,,No (2)
Potential responses of soil organic carbon to global environmental change,"Recent improvements in our understanding of the dynamics of soil carbon have shown that 20-40% of the approximately 1,500 Pg of C stored as organic matter in the upper meter of soils has turnover times of centuries or less, This fast-cycling organic matter is largely comprised of undecomposed plant material and hydrolyzable components associated with mineral surfaces, Turnover times of fast-cycling carbon vary with climate and vegetation, and range from <20 years at low latitudes to >60 gears al high latitudes, The amount and turnover time of C in passive soil carbon pools (organic matter strongly stabilized on mineral surfaces with turnover times of millennia and longer) depend opt factors like soil maturity and mineralogy, which, in turn, reflect long-term climate conditions, Transient sources or sinks in terrestrial carbon pools result from the lime lag between photosynthetic uptake of CO2 by plants and the subsequent return of C to the atmosphere through plant, heterotrophic, and microbial respiration, Differential responses of primary production and respiration to climate change or ecosystem fertilization hare the potential to cause significant interrannual to decadal imbalances in terrestrial C storage and release, Rates of carbon storage acid release in recently disturbed ecosystems can be much larger than rates in more mature ecosystems. Changes in disturbance frequency and regime resulting from future climate change may be more important than equilibrium responses in determining the carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems.",1997,,No (2)
Potential for energy efficient technologies to reduce carbon emissions in the United States: the industrial sector,"This paper presents an assessment of the possible contribution that an invigorated effort to move energy efficient technology which is commercially available, or near commercialization, into the market could make to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. industrial sector by 2010. It presents preliminary results from the industrial sector chapter of a larger study being undertaken by the Dept. of Energy. We begin with some background information on our approach to the assessment and how that approach is shaped by the complexities of the U.S. industrial sector and the limitations of the available analytical tools for this sector. We then describe the results of our model-based scenario analysis through the year 2010. We summarize examples of the types of technologies that, were they to could come into widespread use in the U.S. industrial sector in the near term, would achieve the model scenario results, acknowledging that widespread adoption of these technologies would require the appropriate policies (e.g., accelerated R&D, fiscal incentives and market conditions).",1997,,No (2)
Projected photovoltaic energy impacts on US CO2 emissions: An integrated energy environment economic analysis,"The potential role of photovoltaic technologies in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the USA was evaluated using an energy-environment-economic systems model. With a range of assumptions about future scenarios up to 2030, the model results pr or!ide an objective quantitative assessment of the prospects for photovoltaics in a competitive market. With the projected improvements in cost and efficiency, photovoltaics will compete favorably as a general source of electricity supply to the grid by, about 2010 in southwestern USA, This analysis indicates that photovoltaics has the potential to reach a total installed capacity of 140 GW by the year 2030, and to displace a cumulative 450 million metric tons of carbon emissions from 1995 to 2030. At the projected 2030 capacity, photovoltaics could displace over 64 million metric tons of carbon emissions a year, Under constraints an carbon emissions, photovoltaics becomes more cost effective and would further reduce carbon emissions from the US energy system. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.",1997,,No (2)
Multicycle performance of a single-step process for H-2 production,"Combining the chemical reaction and product separation steps in a single processing vessel is currently of great interest. In this study, reaction and separation are combined by carrying out the water-gas shift reaction in the presence of a calcium-based CO2 acceptor. The continuous removal of CO2 from the gas phase alters the shift reaction equilibrium and permits almost complete CO conversion and CO2 removal. The reaction temperature is significantly higher than employed in the traditional shift process, and, as a consequence, no shift catalyst is required. Previously reported results showed that greater than 99% removal of total carbon oxides could be achieved over a range of experimental conditions with greater than 99.9% removal achieved at the most favorable conditions. Total carbon oxide content of the product gas in the latter case was approximately 30 ppmv (dry basis). However, for the process to be economical, it is necessary that the CO2 acceptor retain its activity and capacity through a number of carbonation-calcination cycles. Results of multicycle tests in which dolomite precursor was cycled between the fully calcined (CaO + MgO) and half-calcined (CaCO3 + MgO) forms are presented in this paper. Tests were carried out to investigate the effects of temperature, gas composition, and space velocity on multicycle performance. Greater than 99% carbon oxide removal was achieved in each cycle of an eleven-cycle test with only moderate deterioration in acceptor performance.",1997,,No (2)
Orbiter upgrade activities for a fail safe regenerative CO2 removal system,"Carbon dioxide removal on the Shuttle is performed either by flowing cabin ventilation air through single use LiOH beds or by using the Regenerable CO 2 Removal System (RCRS) (Ref 1,2,3). The RCRS was designed for single string mechanical operation with redundancy only on electrical components. It therefore can become disabled by a number of possible single point failures such as fan failure, actuator failure or a large internal leak through the beds. Because of these possible failures, LiOH must be flown on all RCRS missions to provide contingency CO2 removal. These LiOH canisters occupy valuable stowage space onboard the shuttle orbiter. The development of a new sorbent material called HS-X with significantly more CO2 removal capacity per unit volume has made much smaller sorbent bed sizes possible. With significantly smaller beds each of the single point failures can be addressed and a fully redundant RCRS can be built to fit within the existing RCRS envelope. This paper describes the results of the design and development effort underway, as part of NASA's Orbiter Upgrade Program to make an Upgraded RCRS. The upgraded RCRS must fit within the existing RCRS envelope, match all existing plumbing, structural, and electrical interfaces, and provide both the primary and backup ""CO2 removal functions. Two different approaches can meet these requirements. In this paper the two design concepts are presented and the development program is discussed. © Copyright 1997 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.",1997,,No (2)
Calculating the consequences of a CO2-pipeline rupture,"Focusing on the costs and consequences of large-scale CO2 transport in steel pipes, transport in liquid form is superior to gaseous form. A modelling study was performed on the basis of a 350 MWel coal-fired power plant, with CO2 removal amounting to 70 kg CO2 per sec for disposal. An aquifer disposal site at an injection pressure of 200 bar and a transport distance of 30 km is the study baseline. Both economic evaluations and a risk assessment of a pipe rupture showed that liquid transport of CO2 from the power plant to the injection site was optimal at a pressure of 60 bar.",1996,,No (2)
CARBON-DIOXIDE RECOVERY FROM INDUSTRIAL-PROCESSES,"The ongoing human-induced emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) threatens to change the earth's climate. One possible way of decreasing CO2 emissions is to apply CO2 removal, which involves recovering of carbon dioxide from energy conversion processes and storing it outside the atmosphere. Since the 1980's, the possibilities for recovering CO2 from thermal power plants received increasing attention. In this study possible techniques of recovering CO2 from large-scale industrial processes are assessed. In some industrial processes, e.g. ammonia production, CO2 is recovered from the process streams to prevent it from interfering with the production process. The CO2 thus recovered can easily be dehydrated and compressed, at low cost. In the iron and steel industry, carbon dioxide can be recovered from blast furnace gas. In the petrochemical industry CO2 can be recovered from flue gases, using low-temperature heat for the separation process. Carbon dioxide can be recovered from large-scale industrial processes and in some cases the cost of recovery is significantly less than CO2 recovery from thermal power plants. Therefore this option should be studied further and should be considered if carbon dioxide removal is introduced on a wide scale.",1995,,No (2)
RESEARCH-AND-DEVELOPMENT ON ENERGY-SAVING TECHNOLOGY FOR FLUE-GAS CARBON-DIOXIDE RECOVERY AND STEAM SYSTEM IN POWER-PLANT,"The Kansai Electric Power Company and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are jointly working on the development of CO2 recovery technology from combustion flue gas by the chemical absorption method. Recently our research and development work is focussing on the energy saving technology of CO2 recovery from flue gas. Among these energy saving technologies, the test results of several new energy saving solvents and very low pressure loss packing are presented. Also, the study results of an optimum steam system on the power station using the CO2 recovery process is presented.",1995,,No (2)
INTEGRATED LAND-USE SYSTEMS - ASSESSMENT OF PROMISING AGROFOREST AND ALTERNATIVE LAND-USE PRACTICES TO ENHANCE CARBON CONSERVATION AND SEQUESTRATION,"Degraded or sub-standard soils and marginal lands occupy a significant proportion of boreal, temperate and tropical biomes. Management of these lands with a wide range of existing, site-specific, integrated, agroforest systems represents a significant global opportunity to reduce the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Establishment of extensive agricultural, agroforest, and alternative land-use systems on marginal or degraded lands could sequester 0.82-2.2 Pg carbon (C) per year, globally, over a 50-year time-frame. Moreover, slowing soil degradation by alternative grassland management and by impeding desertification could conserve up to 0.5-1.5 Pg C annually, A global analysis of biologic and economic data from 94 nations representing diverse climatic and edaphic conditions reveals a range of integrated land-use systems which could be used to establish and manage vegetation on marginal or degraded lands. Promising land-use systems and practices identified to conserve and temporarily store C include agroforestry systems, fuelwood and fiber plantations, bioreserves, intercropping systems, and shelterbelts/windbreaks. For example, successful establishment of low-intensity agroforestry systems can store up to 70 Mg C/ha in boreal, temperate and tropical ecoregions. The mean initial cost of soil rehabilitation and revegetation ranges from $500-3,000/ha for the 94 nations surveyed. Natural regeneration of woody vegetation or agro-afforestation establishment costs were less than $1000/ha in temperate and tropical regions. The costs of C sequestration in soil and vegetation systems range from $1-69/Mg C, which compares favorably with other options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. Although agroforestry system projects were recently established to conserve and sequester C in Guatemala and Malaysia, constraints to wide-spread implementation include social conditions (demographic factors, land tenure issues, market conditions, lack of infrastructure), economic obstacles (difficulty of demonstrating benefits of alternative systems, capital requirements, lack of financial incentives) and, ecologic considerations (limited knowledge of impacts and sustainability of some systems).",1994,,No (2)
FAST CYTOPLASMIC PH REGULATION IN ACID-STRESSED LEAVES,"Induction of photosynthesis in leaves was prolonged, and steady state photosynthesis was inhibited by very high CO2 concentrations which cause cytoplasmic acidification. Prolonged exposure to high CO2 relieved initially observed inhibition of photosynthesis at least partially. The sensitivity of carbon assimilation to high CO2 was different in different plant species. Acidification by CO2 (or subsequent alkalization) was detected by measuring rapid CO2-release from the tissue and by monitoring fluorescence of pH-indicating dyes which had been fed to the leaves through the petiole. The results indicate that two different mechanisms operate in leaves to achieve and maintain pH homeostasis. Rapid and efficient pH-adjustment is provided by proton/cation exchange across the tonoplast. Slower and less efficient regulation occurs by formation or consumption of base. In the presence of high CO2 concentrations, protons are pumped from the cytosol into already acidic vacuoles. In turn, vacuolar cations replace exported protons in the cytosol permitting bicarbonate accumulation and increasing the pH of the acidified cytosol. Similarly effective and fast proton/cation exchange relieves acid-stress in the chloroplast stroma and permits photosynthesis to proceed with high quantum efficiency or high light-saturated rates in the presence of CO2 concentrations which would, in the absence of fast cytoplasmic pH regulation, inhibit photosynthesis. By inference, proton/cation exchange must also occur across the mitochondrial boundary. After cytoplasmic pH adjustment in the presence of high CO2, removal of CO2 results in transient cytoplasmic alkalization and, subsequently, in the return of cytoplasmic pH values to levels observed prior to acid-stress. In addition to fast pH regulation by rapid proton/cation exchange across biomembranes, slow base production (e.g. NH3-formation) also contributes to relieving acid stress. Base produced in the presence of high CO2 is rapidly consumed after removal of CO2. Implications of the findings in regard to forest damage by potentially acidic air pollutants such as SO2 are briefly discussed.",1994,ACID STRESS; FLUORESCENT PH INDICATORS; LEAVES; PH REGULATION; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PROTON CATION EXCHANGE,No (2)
BIOMASS MANAGEMENT AND ENERGY,"The impact of managing biomass specifically for the conservation or production of energy can become a significant factor in the global management of atmopsheric CO2 over the next century. This paper evaluates the global potential for: (1) conserving energy by using trees and wood for shading, shelterbelts, windbreaks, and construction material; and (2) increasing the use of biomass and improving its conversion efficiency for producing heat, electricity, and liquid biofuels. The potential reduction in CO2 emissions possible by the anticipated time of atmospheric CO2 doubling was estimated to be up to 50 x 10(6) t C yr-1 for energy conservation and as high as 4 x 10(9) t C yr-1 for energy production. Of the many opportunities, two stand out Through afforestation of degraded and deforested lands, biomass energy production offers the potential of 0.36 to 1.9 x 10(9) t C yr-1 emission reduction. Dedicated energy crops, which include short-rotation woody crops, herbaceous energy crops, halophytes, some annual crops, and oilseeds, offer the potential of 0.2 to 1.0 x 10(9) t C yr-1 emission reduction. Also addressed in the paper, but not quantified, were establishment of new forests, increasing the productivity of existing forests, or protecting forests to sequester C as an offset against CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels or forest destruction. Also addressed are uncertainties, gaps in scientific knowledge about ecosystems and their management, and policy considerations at the international and national levels.",1993,,No (2)
THERMOECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF TECHNICAL GREENHOUSE WARMING MITIGATION,"A model process is presented for carbon dioxide removal from the flue gases of hard coal fired power plants by refrigeration under pressure. Retention of 90% of the CO2 decreases overall plant efficiency from 38% to 26%. Deep sea deposition or decomposition of the CO2 in solar-thermal processes with solar hydrogen may complete the removal. CO2 emissions can also be curbed by reduced fossil fuel consumption at constant energy services. Heat cascading via heat exchangers, cogeneration and heat pumps are the appropriate conservation technologies. On the basis of given energy demand profiles and by means of vector optimization combined with the methods of Second Law Analysis we investigate the trade-offs between fossil fuel conservation, CO2 emissions and the total cost of the energy system. Without CO2 removal, the maximum saving potentials of primary energy in the industrial sector turn out to be about 25% in Germany, 30% in the U.S.A., and 45% in The Netherlands and Japan. Including CO2 removal techniques for power plants and cogeneration units in the energy-cost-CO2 optimization program, we find that in the combined German sectors of industry and households one may reduce overall emissions of CO2 by more than 70% and energy consumption by more than 20% at a total cost increase of 50-100%. Thus, continued use of fossil fuels and greenhouse warming mitigation seem to be possible, albeit at considerably enhanced cost.",1992,,No (2)
Using tropical forests to fix atmospheric carbon: the potential in theory and practice,"Tropical forestry has over the past decade received increased attention in view of its supposed potential to contribute to a reduction of the greenhouse effect. Two forestry strategies are described to this end; forest conservation and expansion of the forest area. For both strategies a realistic maximum area to be preserved/planted is estimated. The article estimates that the contribution of such global forest conservation and afforestation to reduce atmospheric carbon content, is at best moderate. Furthermore, a comparison of these maximum figures for forest conservation and afforestation with the current effort in tropical forestry as carried out in the framework of the ""Forestry Action Plan', reveals that a dramatic increase of activities is needed in order to have an impact on atmospheric carbon concentrations. The paper concludes that tropical forestry should focus on other more direct benefits whereas the fixation of carbon should be seen as a positive side-effect. -from Author",1992,,No (2)
MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY IN CARBON-DIOXIDE REMOVAL,"The application of membrane technology in carbon dioxide removal was investigated for a number of different gasstreams. These gasstreams have been defined in the framework of the Dutch national programme on carbon dioxide removal and are typical of streams occurring in present and future electricity generation plants based on fossil fuels (natural gas and coal). They are either mixtures of mainly nitrogen, water and carbon dioxide or mixtures of mainly hydrogen, water and carbon dioxide. The membrane based carbon dioxide removal unit needs to meet certain requirements regarding product gas recovery and purity. Two different types of membrane operations have been considered i.e. carbon dioxide removal based on gas-absorption membranes making use of e.g. conventional amine technology and carbon dioxide removal based on gas separation membranes. Gas separation membranes appeared to be limited by their low selectivities for the given gas mixtures. In contrast, gas absorption membranes appeared to be more promising as they combine the advantages of absorption technology (high selectivity) and membrane technology (compactness of equipment).",1992,CARBON DIOXIDE; MEMBRANES; GAS ABSORPTION; GAS SEPARATION; FLUE GAS; PROCESS GAS,No (2)
Comparison of carbon dioxide removal strategies applied to natural gas power plants,"The present study attempts to compare two recently proposed concepts for the direct removal of carbon dioxide from the emissions of large hydrocarbon-fueled power plants. The more specific case of an existing 500 MW natural gas plant is examined. At first, previously published calculations corresponding to the pre-combustion scheme of Mori et al. (1991), based on methane reforming, are summarized. Flue gas treatment, coupled with air separation upstream of the boiler, as proposed by Golomb et al. (1989), is then applied to the same existing 500 MW plant. In this fashion, the two methods can be consistently compared. Pre-combustion fuel processing appears to result in lower power cost penalties, of the order of 30%, whereas the post-flame separation technology considered here would impose a power cost increase of nearly 50%.",1992,,No (2)
Developing real-time control software for space station freedom carbon dioxide removal,"Embedded control system design requires a cross-disciplinary development effort involving design, software, and test engineering staffs. Conventional embedded control system development involves the use of various tools, each of which is applicable only to a portion of the development life cycle. Cross-disciplinary development using various design tools is expensive and a disproportionate amount of effort is required to translate control law algorithms into executable code. A toolset to increase productivity and reduce life cycle cost by providing an integrated development environment, including automated generation of high-level code from control law block diagrams, is needed. This paper presents AiResearch experience to date in using the NASA/Boeing Application Generator (AG) to develop real-time control systems for the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) in Work Package 01. The AG provides an integrated design and development tool encompassing: system analysis, modeling, control law design, simulation, code generation, real-time hardware-in-the-loop simulation and operation, and documentation. This allows rapid interactive prototyping of real-time control systems in a single, integrated, environment. Advantages and disadvantages of using the AG for real-time control system development will be addressed, with the CDRA specification to delivery cycle serving as a basis for discussion. Suggestions for improving the AG are offered and observations on its potential as a top-level system specification tool are made. © Copyright 1991 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.",1991,,No (2)
Light Metals 1991,"This conference proceedings contains 152 papers on bauxite ore treatment and the production of alumina, alumina reduction technology, carbon electrode production technology, aluminum casting technology, and reactive metal production. Topics discussed include the leaching of bauxite by the Bayer process, the use of iron-bearing bauxite in the blast furnace process, automatic control systems for the Bayer process, dynamic simulation of the Bayer process, properties of smelting-grade and specialty aluminas, the production of alumina powders, chemical additives in the Bayer process, the use of disk filters for seed filtration in the Bayer process, electrolytic aluminum metallurgy, alumina electrolysis cell design, alumina reduction in molten-salt electrolytes, oxidation of pot lining refractories, process control systems for aluminum smelters, the current efficiency of Hall cells, pollution of the environment and the workplace by the aluminum industry, the production of carbon electrodes from petroleum coke, the properties of coal tar pitches, the effect of quinoline content on binder pitch performance, anode baking process control, total quality managment of petroleum coke calciners, the casting of high-purity aluminunm alloys, modeling direct chill casting of aluminum, the casting of aluminum strip by the Hazelett process, the design of molds for casting aluminum extrusion and sheet ingots, the design of dross handling and processing equipment, grain refining of aluminum alloys, and quality control of aluminum alloys by optical emission spectroscopy.",1991,,No (2)
Chapter 1 Overview of the Greenhouse Effect. Global change syndrome; general outlook,"Abstract: Accumulation of cosmic dust and planetesimals was most likely the mechanism that created our planet. Due to dominance of hydrogen, the extruded gases produced a primordial reducing atmosphere, enriched with methane and ammonia. Then, after a slow start, continued oxidation with oxygen, released from photolysis of water, and the later development of life from photosynthesis caused the atmosphere to become dominated by CO2, water vapor and N. The two former components were able to trap IR radiation and to produce a warming greenhouse effect of 33°C, shifting the surface temperature to +15°C. Oxygen from photosynthesis (at present yearly ca 330 bil t from terrestrial photosynthesis) was used over at least 2 billion years, for sustaining respiration of the various facets of life and for iron oxidation in marine and terrestrial sediments. During the last billion years oxygen began to enrich in the atmosphere, parallel to reducing CO2 concentration, due to its consumption by photosynthesis, chemical weathering and the carbonate precipitating pumping effect of the oceans. CO2 replenishment occurs via volcanism and release from subduction zones. The faster biochemical cycle of smaller pool size (organic matter production, respiration, humification, kerogene formation, and biotic-abiotic-photochemical organic matter turnover) and over longer geological periods especially the slow but very large geochemical cycle (exchange of carbon between atmosphere, ocean, biosphere, and sediments), are decisive for CO2 concentration and its contribution to temperature. Some features of the biochemical cycle against the background of climate changes, including those due to Pangaea/Gondwana shifting, are discussed. Life is on a carbon trip. Wasteful consumption of fossil C based fuel, due to rising living standard and population explosion in conjunction with increasing release of greenhouse active (radiatively active) gases - which are fingerprinted - threatens to exert climate changes detrimental to our life conditions and civilization. Arguments to characterize the situation are assessed, also those expressing potential advantages of increasing CO2 concentration for crop yields and expansion of the farmland area, doomed to shrinking at the present level of population explosion. The need for a change from the carbon trip to a mixed carbon - hydrogen trip is evident. © 1990.",1990,,No (2)
FGD project progresses at Drax,A progress report is presented on the Drax power station in Great Britain and the application of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) equipment. Total project cost is £700m and project completion is scheduled for the end of 1996. A description and flow diagram of the wet limestone/gypsum process are presented.,1990,,No (2)
Phytomass and detrital carbon storage during forest regrowth in the southeastern United States Piedmont,"Carbon in soil, forest floor, and phytomass was estimated for 2 chronosequences of loblolly pine Pinus taeda plantations, as well as agricultural fields and natural Virginia pine P. virginiana forests. One plantation chronosequence was initiated on postagricultural fields; the other following clearing of natural second-growth pine forests and site preparation. Natural reforestation of old fields over 50-70 yr increased carbon storage by c235%, from 55 000 to 185 000 kg/ha. Carbon in phytomass accounted for the greatest proportion of the increase (76%), followed by forest floor (13%) and surface soil (10%). Old field plantations stored more carbon than natural forests by 42 000 kg/ha (22%). Virtually all of the gain was in phytomass. The contemporary practice of converting natural forests to plantations yielded only a modest gain in carbon (24%), and this in phytomass scheduled for harvest, not in detritus. Site preparation which includes burning may actually cause slow but long-term increases in detrital carbon as charcoal. Forest floor losses during conversion are largely regained by rotation end. Stabilization of the forest land base in the Piedmont foretells a rapidly declining capacity to store carbon at past rates. -from Authors",1989,,No (2)
FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF GAS TREATING WITH FORMULATED AMINE MIXTURES.,"The use of specialty formulations in the gas processing industry is growing rapidly and has the potential to become a prominent technology of the nineties. The vapor-liquid equilibria (VLE) and rates of absorption/desorption of acid gases in amine formulations show unique characteristics when compared to those of the conventional amines. These newly developed VLE, reaction kinetics, and mass transfer models for amine formulations have been incorporated in an overall absorber simulator, which does rigorous tray-by-tray calculations using a rate approach. Appropriate examples from the simulation and actual plant experience are discussed in order to emphasize the improved performance of these new formulations. The use of special formulations gives desired removals of both CO//2 and H//2S while overcoming some of the disadvantages of conventional (primary/secondary) amine processes.",1987,,No (2)
Evaluation of high-frequency jet ventilation in patients with bronchopleural fistulas by quantitation of the airleak,"Our results suggest that HFJV may be useful in only some mechanically ventilated patients with bronchopleural fistulas. The application of HFJV did not improve gas exchange in any of our patients, and only two of seven patients had clinically important decreases in airleak flow. A reduction in tracheal pressures predicted a reduction of flow through the airleak. Until the safety and efficacy of HFJV are confirmed, we recommend that any patient who has a bronchopleural fistula and is a candidate for HFJV should have both tracheal pressures and the flow through the airleak measured and compared with the values obtained during conventional mechanical ventilation. We found that a dry-gas meter and an electronic spirometer are simple and accurate tools for measuring airleaks, even when pleural suction is required. If the magnitude of airleak flow cannot be measured, reduction of tracheal pressures alone could be used to predict reduction of airleak flow. Our data suggest that the jet ventilator settings that produce the lowest tracheal pressures and yet still allow adequate oxygenation and carbon dioxide removal will be the most advantageous in ventilating patients with bronchopleural fistulas.",1985,,No (2)
The progress of agriculture,"Large scale reforestation in the tropics has the potential to sequester large amounts of carbon and to help to mitigate the buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, unless the causes of deforestation are addressed, reforestation efforts will be in vain. The link between deforestation and reforestation operates within the domain of human intervention on the landscape, and includes the patterns of land resource use and access. This review considers the role that land and tree tenure (resource use and access) of agroforestry can have in reducing both the rate of conversion of forest to agriculture – the largest biotic emission of carbon – and forest degradation; thereby allowing both natural forests and reforestation to participate in carbon uptake. The operational land use and tenure aspects of agroforestry, and the impacts of these on deforestation, and in overcoming the obstacles to large scale reforestation, are presented. Utilisation of marginal lands, and the adoption, growth, and spread of agroforestry systems in the carbon context, are also discussed. © 1982 Wiley Heyden Ltd.",1982,,No (2)