Lifecycle assessment of fuel ethanol from sugarcane in Brazil

This paper presents the lifecycle assessment (LCA) of fuel ethanol, as 100% of the vehicle fuel, from sugarcane in Brazil. The functional unit is 10,000 km run in an urban area by a car with a 1,600-cm(3) engine running on fuel hydrated ethanol, and the resulting reference flow is 1,000 kg of ethanol. The product system includes agricultural and industrial activities, distribution, cogeneration of electricity and steam, ethanol use during car driving, and industrial by-products recycling to irrigate sugarcane fields. The use of sugarcane by the ethanol agribusiness is one of the foremost financial resources for the economy of the Brazilian rural area, which occupies extensive areas and provides far-reaching potentials for renewable fuel production. But, there are environmental impacts during the fuel ethanol lifecycle, which this paper intents to analyze, including addressing the main activities responsible for such impacts and indicating some suggestions to minimize the impacts. This study is classified as an applied quantitative research, and the technical procedure to achieve the exploratory goal is based on bibliographic revision, documental research, primary data collection, and study cases at sugarcane farms and fuel ethanol industries in the northeast of SA o pound Paulo State, Brazil. The methodological structure for this LCA study is in agreement with the International Standardization Organization, and the method used is the Environmental Design of Industrial Products. The lifecycle impact assessment (LCIA) covers the following emission-related impact categories: global warming, ozone formation, acidification, nutrient enrichment, ecotoxicity, and human toxicity. The results of the fuel ethanol LCI demonstrate that even though alcohol is considered a renewable fuel because it comes from biomass (sugarcane), it uses a high quantity and diversity of nonrenewable resources over its lifecycle. The input of renewable resources is also high mainly because of the water consumption in the industrial phases, due to the sugarcane washing process. During the lifecycle of alcohol, there is a surplus of electric energy due to the cogeneration activity. Another focus point is the quantity of emissions to the atmosphere and the diversity of the substances emitted. Harvesting is the unit process that contributes most to global warming. For photochemical ozone formation, harvesting is also the activity with the strongest contributions due to the burning in harvesting and the emissions from using diesel fuel. The acidification impact potential is mostly due to the NOx emitted by the combustion of ethanol during use, on account of the sulfuric acid use in the industrial process and because of the NOx emitted by the burning in harvesting. The main consequence of the intensive use of fertilizers to the field is the high nutrient enrichment impact potential associated with this activity. The main contributions to the ecotoxicity impact potential come from chemical applications during crop growth. The activity that presents the highest impact potential for human toxicity (HT) via air and via soil is harvesting. Via water, HT potential is high in harvesting due to lubricant use on the machines. The normalization results indicate that nutrient enrichment, acidification, and human toxicity via air and via water are the most significant impact potentials for the lifecycle of fuel ethanol. The fuel ethanol lifecycle contributes negatively to all the impact potentials analyzed: global warming, ozone formation, acidification, nutrient enrichment, ecotoxicity, and human toxicity. Concerning energy consumption, it consumes less energy than its own production largely because of the electricity cogeneration system, but this process is highly dependent on water. The main causes for the biggest impact potential indicated by the normalization is the nutrient application, the burning in harvesting and the use of diesel fuel. The recommendations for the ethanol lifecycle are: harvesting the sugarcane without burning; more environmentally benign agricultural practices; renewable fuel rather than diesel; not washing sugarcane and implementing water recycling systems during the industrial processing; and improving the system of gases emissions control during the use of ethanol in cars, mainly for NOx. Other studies on the fuel ethanol from sugarcane may analyze in more details the social aspects, the biodiversity, and the land use impact.

Desenvolvimento sustentável e química verde

The world is in a process of awakening with respect to the environment. Our society has started to recognize that the environment is one of our largest resources and has begun legally enforce its protection. In Brazil, the environmental law is constitutionally guaranteed. International treaties have been signed, amongst them the Agenda 21 which is a commitment to sustainable development. Green Chemistry is a strategy that helps make this commitment. The literature presents many examples of studies of the application of Green Chemistry philosophy. In this paper we will present some points that we believe to be important and promising.

Support for renewable energy and WTO Law : the actionability of Ontario and Québec renewable energy support mechanisms

Le Traité de Marrakech stipule que le commerce et le développement économique devraient être orientés de manière à permettre l’utilisation optimale des ressources mondiales, conformément à l’objectif de développement durable. Combiné aux dispositions du Protocole de Kyoto et du Traité de Copenhague, les gouvernements poursuivent de politiques nationales favorisant les producteurs nationaux au détriment des étrangers. Cette mémoire propose une analyse des règles de l’OMC, dans le but de déterminer les mesures disciplinaires possibles contre le Canada à l'égard de ses mécanismes de support de l’énergie renouvelable. Une analyse des règles énoncées dans le GATT, l’Accord sur les subventions et les mesures compensatoires et divers accords multilatéraux conclus dans le cadre de l’OMC permet de déterminer si elles pourraient s’appliquer aux mécanismes de support de l’énergie renouvelable. Une analyse des programmes du Québec et de l’Ontario permet une prise de position quant à leur conformité aux règles commerciales de l’OMC.

Dispute resolution and “environmental” provisions in the WTO: promising developments for environmental matters

En la actualidad, la política internacional tiende hacia la unificación económica y cultural (globalización), en la cual la totalidad de las naciones se encuentran vinculadas por interacciones comerciales. Para que los compromisos adquiridos en materia de protección ambiental sean respetados, el derecho ambiental debe dejar de ser considerado como una disciplina separada y buscar sinergias que le permitan convertirse en un actor importante en las relaciones comerciales. En el presente ensayo se argumenta que el comercio internacional y el derecho ambiental han coevolucionado en las últimas tres décadas, hasta llegar a un balance en el concepto de desarrollo sostenible.Este artículo explora esta coevolución, mientras propone que la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC) puede jugar un importante rol en el cumplimiento de los objetivos internacionales de protección ambiental si sus disposiciones “verdes” y su sistema de resolución de conflictos son utilizados para promoverlos, tal como está sucediendo. Para ilustrar este punto, se presenta un breve resumen de los tratados comerciales y ambientales suscritos desde los años setenta, seguido de una explicación de las disposiciones legales de la OMC que pueden ser consideradas como “verdes”, con el fin de hallar puntos de convergencia que puedan ser utilizados por los países miembros no solo para justificar la adopción de normativas domésticas de protección ambiental, sino también para instar a los otros signatarios en el cumplimiento de sus obligaciones en esta área.

Aproximación al manejo de la seguridad ambiental canadiense y estadounidense frente a la degradación del sistema de la los Grandes Lagos. Periodo 1995-2000

El propósito de la presente monografía es determinar la relación entre la degradación y navegación en los Grandes Lagos en la noción de seguridad ambiental de Estados Unidos y Canadá en un entorno de interdependencia entre 1995 - 2000. En ese sentido, se busca determinar como los recursos de poder de Canadá y Estados Unidos en la relación degradación-navegación transforma la noción de seguridad ambiental. De este modo, se analiza el concepto de seguridad ambiental desde la navegación, elemento esencial para entender la relación bilateral dentro del sistema de los Grandes Lagos. Esta investigación de tipo cualitativo que responde a las variables de la seguridad ambiental planteadas por Barry Buzan, Thomas Homer-Nixon, y Stephan Libiszewski, y a la teoría de la Interdependencia Compleja por Robert Keohane y Joseph Nye, pretende avanzar hacia la complejización de la dimensión ambiental lejos de la tradicional definición antropocéntrica.

Los dilemas del desarrollo sostenible: conectando los grandes proyectos de minería de oro en Brasil y Colombia con la protección del ambiente y los derechos humanos

Esta tesis doctoral presenta los resultados de la investigación realizada por la autora sobre desarrollo sostenible, grandes proyectos de minería de oro y derechos humanos en países en desarrollo como Brasil y Colombia. En este trabajo doctoral fueron seleccionados dos grandes proyectos de minería aurífera, uno en Brasil y el otro en Colombia, ambos ejecutados por la misma empresa minera en contextos geográficos y condiciones ambientales similares. El objetivo fue realizar un estudio comparativo de las diferentes legislaciones ambientales y mineras, las instituciones, las políticas nacionales y la protección de los derechos humanos de las comunidades impactadas por los proyectos mineros en cada país. La metodología utilizada para esta investigación doctoral, en primer lugar, consistió en la revisión de fuentes primarias y secundarias, a través de la literatura disponible en español, portugués e inglés sobre los grandes ejes temáticos del estudio. En segundo lugar, se utilizó la metodología de derecho comparado para el análisis de las legislaciones de Brasil y Colombia y finalmente, se realizaron visitas de campo a cada uno de los proyectos seleccionados y se trabajó con autoridades ambientales nacionales. Algunas conclusiones de la investigación señalaron que para garantizar la efectividad del derecho ambiental, el desarrollo sostenible y los derechos humanos en grandes proyectos mineros se requiere: •Fortalecer las legislaciones y las instituciones mineras y ambientales y en particular el proceso de licenciamiento ambiental. •Fortalecer la capacidad del Ministerio Público y de los jueces involucrados que deciden casos ambientales. •Reconocer el rol fundamental de los derechos procedimentales ambientales para resolver conflictos socioambientales, esto es, el empoderamiento de las comunidades con información de calidad y mecanismos de participación y justicia ambiental efectiva para la adecuada protección de derechos colectivos. •Incorporar el enfoque de derechos humanos en la gestión ambiental.

O Direito Ambiental no Ensino Jurídico : um Estudo sobre a Formação oferecida em Faculdades de Direito de Salvador

Esta dissertação teve por objetivo geral descrever como está sendo contemplado o Direito Ambiental nos cursos jurídicos oferecidos em faculdades de Salvador; os objetivos específicos foram identificar o lugar que a disciplina ocupa na grade curricular dos cursos de Direito de Salvador; conhecer o perfil e a receptividade dos professores que ministram a disciplina; verificar a importância e as relações intercurriculares a ela atribuídas pelos professores e apresentar sugestões para o ensino jurídico. Realizou-se a análise de discurso, através da técnica da entrevista semi-estruturada com questões abertas, sob o enfoque da Teoria das Representações Sociais. Foram entrevistados professores e coordenadores de cursos de Direito, que ministram aula de Direito Ambiental nas principais instituições de ensino jurídico em Salvador, no período setembro de 2009 a maio de 2010. Concluiu-se que o ensino do Direito Ambiental em faculdades de Salvador é inadequado e sugeriram-se algumas alterações tais como obrigatoriedade do oferecimento da disciplina, titulação mínima de mestre para o corpo docente; estabelecimento de uma carga horária mínima de 60 horas para o componente curricular, eventos na área, atividades de cunho prático e o desenvolvimento de ações de educação ambiental na academia.

The margin of appreciation, domestic irregularity and domestic court rulings in ECHR environmental jurisprudence: Global legal pluralism in action

Global legal pluralism is concerned, inter alia, with the growing multiplicity of normative legal orders and the ways in which these different orders intersect and are accommodated with one another. The different means used for accommodation will have a critical bearing on how individuals fare within them. This article examines the recent environmental jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights to explore some of the means of reaching an accommodation between national legal orders and the European Convention. Certain types of accommodation – such as the margin of appreciation given to states by the Court – are well known. In essence, such mechanisms of legal pluralism raise a presumptive barrier which generally works for the state and against the individual rights-bearer. However, the principal focus of the current article is on a less well-known, recent set of pluralistic devices employed by the Court, which typically operate presumptively in the other direction, in favour of the individual. First, the Court looks to instances of breaches of domestic environmental law (albeit not in isolation); and second, it places an emphasis on whether domestic courts have ruled against the relevant activity. Where domestic standards have been breached or national courts have ruled against the state, then, presumptive weight is typically shifted towards the individual.

Framing fracking: which frames are heard in English planning and environmental policy and practice?

Fracking in England has been the subject of significant controversy and has sparked not only public protest but also an associated framing war with differing social constructions of the technology adopted by different sides. This article explores the frames and counter-frames which have been employed by both the anti-fracking movement and by government and the oil and gas industry. It then considers the way in which the English planning and regulatory permitting systems have provided space for these frames within the relevant machinery for public participation. The article thus enables one to see which frames have been allowed a voice and which have been excluded.

Use of electrical resistivity to identify collapsible soils in Brazil

Three soil profiles in Ilha Solteira, Brazil were investigated to establish their potential for collapsible behavior. The soil profiles were identified using terrain evaluation techniques and simple laboratory tests. Geophysical surveys were undertaken as they are quick and relatively cheap. The results were correlated with trial pit descriptions and cone and standard penetration tests. The study has shown that electrical resistivity is a useful tool for the preliminary identification of horizons of collapsible soils, before more expensive intrusive and laboratory work is undertaken.

Ordem econômica e política nacional de recursos hídricos: hermenêutica constitucional para o desenvolvimento sustentável

This research proposes a study about the interpretative techniques application that are compatible with the national legal system under the principles for Sustainable Development characterized in Brazilian Constitution. It verifies the actual possibility of reconciliation between national development and environment protection, with reflections under the water legal protection. It was proposed, therefore, to point subsidies for jurisdictional decisions involving development and the environmental goods, protected as constitutionally guaranteed principles. It was assumed that, both development and environment protection represents basic rights that are eventually placed in conflict situations, considering the many legitimate economic activities within the Brazilian State. A representative case analysis was elected within the current national scene, detailing the judicial and political conflict involving the Transboundery water Project from the São Francisco River Basin to another Northeastern river basin in Brazil. The implementation of several constitutional principles with elements from legal hermeneutics provides subsidies for the legal analysis about the conflict between development and environmental protection. It was assumed that the main discussion item about rights due to development today is the institutions influence and their results, among them the rules, laws and interpretative elements for the constitutional text objectivity, as the institutions credibility and the Supreme Courts interpretations. The use of interpretative resources for specific conflict situations about constitutional principles by Superior Courts, on the search, would bring a contributory factor for decision safety, related to sustainable development principles, elimination of inequalities and regional protecting for the environment. Specific aspects of Law No. 9.433/97 that introduced the National Water Resources Policy were examined, with its instruments, in order to specifically contextualize aspects of the Brazilian water resources management politics