The role of CO2 and dynamic vegetation on the impact of temperate land use change in the HadCM3 coupled climate model

Human induced land-use change (LUC) alters the biogeophysical characteristics of the land surface influencing the surface energy balance. The level of atmospheric CO2 is expected to increase in the coming century and beyond, modifying temperature and precipitation patterns and altering the distribution and physiology of natural vegetation. It is important to constrain how CO2-induced climate and vegetation change may influence the regional extent to which LUC alters climate. This sensitivity study uses the HadCM3 coupled climate model under a range of equilibrium forcings to show that the impact of LUC declines under increasing atmospheric CO2, specifically in temperate and boreal regions. A surface energy balance analysis is used to diagnose how these changes occur. In Northern Hemisphere winter this pattern is attributed in part to the decline in winter snow cover and in the summer due to a reduction in latent cooling with higher levels of CO2. The CO2-induced change in natural vegetation distribution is also shown to play a significant role. Simulations run at elevated CO2 yet present day vegetation show a significantly increased sensitivity to LUC, driven in part by an increase in latent cooling. This study shows that modelling the impact of LUC needs to accurately simulate CO2 driven changes in precipitation and snowfall, and incorporate accurate, dynamic vegetation distribution.

Surface modification and crystallization of the BaO-B2O3-SiO2 glassy system using CO2 laser irradiation

The surface modification and crystallization process of BaO-B2O3-SiO2 glass compositions when exposed to CO2 laser irradiation was evaluated as a function of the laser power, irradiation time and surface condition. The glass surface was modified by the application of laser power exceeding 0.40 W and an irradiation time of more than 300 s. Micro-Raman and X-ray diffraction measurements revealed at high laser power the formation of beta-BaB2O4 (beta-BBO) crystalline phase. The crystallization of the irradiated region was enhanced when beta-BBO micrometer sized particles were dispersed on the surface of the glass sample. The intensity of the second harmonic generation observed in the crystallized region was found to depend mainly on the condition of the glassy surface prior to glass irradiation. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The value of a saved tree : The lifecycle of CO2-emissions associated with the combination of printing paper and electricity production of wood in the U.S. and Sweden

The pulp- and paper production is a very energy intensive industry sector. Both Sweden and the U.S. are major pulpandpaper producers. This report examines the energy and the CO2-emission connected with the pulp- and paperindustry for the two countries from a lifecycle perspective.New technologies make it possible to increase the electricity production in the integrated pulp- andpaper mill through black liquor gasification and a combined cycle (BLGCC). That way, the mill canproduce excess electricity, which can be sold and replace electricity produced in power plants. In thisprocess the by-products that are formed at the pulp-making process is used as fuel to produce electricity.In pulp- and paper mills today the technology for generating energy from the by-product in aTomlinson boiler is not as efficient as it could be compared to the BLGCC technology. Scenarios havebeen designed to investigate the results from using the BLGCC technique using a life cycle analysis.Two scenarios are being represented by a 1994 mill in the U.S. and a 1994 mill in Sweden.The scenariosare based on the average energy intensity of pulp- and paper mills as operating in 1994 in the U.S.and Sweden respectively. The two other scenarios are constituted by a »reference mill« in the U.S. andSweden using state-of-the-art technology. We investigate the impact of varying recycling rates and totalenergy use and CO2-emissions from the production of printing and writing paper. To economize withthe wood and that way save trees, we can use the trees that are replaced by recycling in a biomassgasification combined cycle (BIGCC) to produce electricity in a power station. This produces extra electricitywith a lower CO2 intensity than electricity generated by, for example, coal-fired power plants.The lifecycle analysis in this thesis also includes the use of waste treatment in the paper lifecycle. Both Sweden and theU.S. are countries that recycle paper. Still there is a lot of paper waste, this paper is a part of the countries municipalsolid waste (MSW). A lot of the MSW is landfilled, but parts of it are incinerated to extract electricity. The thesis hasdesigned special scenarios for the use of MSW in the lifecycle analysis.This report is studying and comparing two different countries and two different efficiencies on theBLGCC in four different scenarios. This gives a wide survey and points to essential parameters to specificallyreflect on, when making assumptions in a lifecycle analysis. The report shows that there arethree key parameters that have to be carefully considered when making a lifecycle analysis of wood inan energy and CO2-emission perspective in the pulp- and paper mill in the U.S. and in Sweden. First,there is the energy efficiency in the pulp- and paper mill, then the efficiency of the BLGCC and last theCO2 intensity of the electricity displaced by BIGCC or BLGCC generatedelectricity. It also show that with the current technology that we havetoday, it is possible to produce CO2 free paper with a waste paper amountup to 30%. The thesis discusses the system boundaries and the assumptions.Further and more detailed research, including amongst others thesystem boundaries and forestry, is recommended for more specificanswers.

Out-of-town shopping and its induced CO2-emissions

Planning policies in several European countries have aimed at hindering the expansion of out-of-town shopping centers. One argument for this is concern for the increase in transport and a resulting increase in environmental externalities such as CO2-emissions. This concern is weakly founded in science as few studies have attempted to measure CO2-emissions of shopping trips as a function of the location of the shopping centers. In this paper we conduct a counter-factual analysis comparing downtown, edge-of-town and out-of-town shopping. In this comparison we use GPS to track 250 consumers over a time-span of two months in a Swedish region. The GPS-data enters the Oguchi’s formula to obtain shopping trip-specific CO2-emissions. We find that consumers’ out-of-town shopping would generate an excess of 60 per cent CO2-emissions whereas downtown and edge-of-town shopping centers are comparable.

Trips and their CO2 emissions induced by a shopping center

Most previous studies have focused on entire trips in a geographic region, while a few of them addressed trips induced by a city landmark. Therefore paper explores trips and their CO2 emissions induced by a shopping center from a time-space perspective and their usage in relocation planning. This is conducted by the means of a case study in the city of Borlänge in mid-Sweden where trips to the city’s largest shopping mall in its center are examined. We use GPS tracking data of car trips that end and start at the shopping center. Thereafter, (1) we analyze the traffic emission patterns from a time-space perspective where temporal patterns reveal an hourly-based traffic emission dynamics and where spatial patterns uncover a heterogeneous distribution of traffic emissions in spatial areas and individual street segments. Further, (2) this study reports that most of the observed trips follow an optimal route in terms of CO2 emissions. In this respect, (3) we evaluate how well placed the current shopping center is through a comparison with two competing locations. We conclude that the two suggested locations, which are close to the current shopping center, do not show a significant improvement in term of CO2 emissions.

Optimal retail location and CO2 emissions

In this paper, the p-median model is used to find the location of retail stores that minimizes CO2 emissions from consumer travel. The optimal location is then compared with the existing retail location,and the excess CO2 emissions compared with the optimal solution is calculated. The results show that by using the environmentally optimal location, CO2 emissions from consumer travel could be reduced by approximately 25percent. 

The effects of taxing truck distance on CO2 emissions from transports in retailing

To finance transportation infrastructure and to address social and environmental negative externalities of road transports, several countries have recently introduced or consider a distance based tax on trucks. In the competitive retail market such tax can be expected to lower the demand and thereby reduce CO2 emissions of road transports. However, as we show in this paper, such tax might also slow down the transition towards e-tailing. Considering that previous research indicates that a consumer switching from brick-and-mortar shopping to e-tailing reduces her CO2 emissions substantially, the direction and magnitude of the environmental net effect of the tax is unclear. In this paper, we assess the net effect in a Swedish regional retail market where the tax not yet is in place. We predict the net effect on CO2 emissions to be positive, but off-set by about 50% because of a slower transition to e-tailing.

CO2 Emissions, GDP and trade : a panel cointegration approach

This paper examines the relationships among per capita CO2 emissions, per capita GDP and international trade based on panel data sets spanning the period 1960-2008: one for 150 countries and the others for sub-samples comprising OECD and Non-OECD economies. We apply panel unit root and cointegration tests, and estimate a panel error correction model. The results from the error correction model suggest that there are long-term relationships between the variables for the whole sample and for Non-OECD countries. Finally, Granger causality tests show that there is bi-directional short-term causality between per capita GDP and international trade for the whole sample and between per capita GDP and CO2 emissions for OECD countries

Measuring CO2 emissions induced by online and brick-and-mortar retailing

We develop a method for empirically measuring the difference in carbon footprint between traditional and online retailing (“e-tailing”) from entry point to a geographical area to consumer residence. The method only requires data on the locations of brick-and-mortar stores, online delivery points, and residences of the region’s population, and on the goods transportation networks in the studied region. Such data are readily available in most countries, so the method is not country or region specific. The method has been evaluated using data from the Dalecarlia region in Sweden, and is shown to be robust to all assumptions made. In our empirical example, the results indicate that the average distance from consumer residence to a brick-and-mortar retailer is 48.54 km in the studied region, while the average distance to an online delivery point is 6.7 km. The results also indicate that e-tailing increases the average distance traveled from the regional entry point to the delivery point from 47.15 km for a brick-and-mortar store to 122.75 km for the online delivery points. However, as professional carriers transport the products in bulk to stores or online delivery points, which is more efficient than consumers’ transporting the products to their residences, the results indicate that consumers switching from traditional to e-tailing on average reduce their CO2 footprints by 84% when buying standard consumer electronics products. 

Measuring CO2 emissions induced by online and brick-and-mortar retailing

We develop a method for empirically measuring the difference in carbon footprint between traditional and online retailing (“e-tailing”) from entry point to a geographical area to consumer residence. The method only requires data on the locations of brick-and-mortar stores, online delivery points, and residences of the region’s population, and on the goods transportation networks in the studied region. Such data are readily available in most countries, so the method is not country or region specific. The method has been evaluated using data from the Dalecarlia region in Sweden, and is shown to be robust to all assumptions made. In our empirical example, the results indicate that the average distance from consumer residence to a brick-and-mortar retailer is 48.54 km in the studied region, while the average distance to an online delivery point is 6.7 km. The results also indicate that e-tailing increases the average distance traveled from the regional entry point to the delivery point from 47.15 km for a brick-and-mortar store to 122.75 km for the online delivery points. However, as professional carriers transport the products in bulk to stores or online delivery points, which is more efficient than consumers’ transporting the products to their residences, the results indicate that consumers switching from traditional to e-tailing on average reduce their CO2 footprints by 84% when buying standard consumer electronics products. 

To what extent are CO2 emissions from intra-urban shopping trips by cars affected by drivers’ travel behaviour and store location?

Transportation is seen as one of the major sources of CO2 pollutants nowadays. The impact of increased transport in retailing should not be underestimated. Most previous studies have focused on transportation and underlying trips, in general, while very few studies have addressed the specific affects that, for instance, intra-city shopping trips generate. Furthermore, most of the existing methods used to estimate emission are based on macro-data designed to generate national or regional inventory projections. There is a lack of studies using micro-data based methods that are able to distinguish between driver behaviour and the locational effects induced by shopping trips, which is an important precondition for energy efficient urban planning. The aim of this study is to implement a micro-data method to estimate and compare CO2 emission induced by intra-urban car travelling to a retail destination of durable goods (DG), and non-durable goods (NDG). We estimate the emissions from aspects of travel behaviour and store location. The study is conducted by means of a case study in the city of Borlänge, where GPS tracking data on intra-urban car travel is collected from 250 households. We find that a behavioural change during a trip towards a CO2 optimal travelling by car has the potential to decrease emission to 36% (DG), and to 25% (NDG) of the emissions induced by car-travelling shopping trips today. There is also a potential of reducing CO2 emissions induced by intra-urban shopping trips due to poor location by 54%, and if the consumer selected the closest of 8 existing stores, the CO2 emissions would be reduced by 37% of the current emission induced by NDG shopping trips.

Adoção:evolução legislativa no Brasil

O presente estudo versa sobre a evolução legislativa da adoção e suas respectivas transformações no decorrer de milhares de anos.Terá como núcleo principal uma análise a respeito do instituto no sistema de alguns povos, em especial no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, passando pela Constituição Federal de 1988, Código Civil de 1916, leis esparsas e pelo Novo Código Civil.A adoção foi timidamente introduzida no sistema jurídico brasileio e aos poucos sendo melhor adequada ao desenvolvimento do próprio homem, passando a ser mais uma forma de constituição familiar.O seu desenvolvimento permitiu que fossem introduzidas requisitos mais flexíveis possibilitando a abertura de novos caminhos mais favoráveis á concretização da adoção.O tema sempre comportou discusões porque durante muitos anos a adoção nem sempre foi bem vista pela sociedade por entenderem ser inaceitável a entrada de um novo membro em suas famílias.Hoje, as pessoas estão mais conscientes da importância que esse instituto poder proporcionar ás crinças e adolescentes mais carentes, desprovidos de qualquer proteção material e emocional.A adoção tornou-se extremamente importante diante do nosso sistema jurídico sendo devidamente equiparada á família natural, alcançando os mesmos direitos e deveres inerentes ás pessoas envolvidas nessa relação de cumplicidade.

A evolução dos sistemas de manufatura e a necessidade de mudança nos sistemas de controle e custeio

O ambiente concorrencial atual está impondo novos fatores de competição às empresas. Com a globalização e a abertura do mercado, as empresas brasileiras estão implantando programas de qualidade e produtividade tendo como referencial principal (benchmarking) as empresas japonesas. As conseqüentes mudanças no ambiente empresarial não estão, entretanto, sendo consistentemente acompanhadas por evoluções nas sistemáticas de controle e custeio. As informações relativas ao controle de uma empresa devem ser acuradas o suficiente para subsidiar o processo de tomada de decisões no atual ambiente competitivo. Porém, as tradicionais práticas de controle e custeio, além de obsoletas, podem constituir uma restrição para a continuidade dos programas de melhoria das empresas. Este trabalho mostra a evolução dos sistemas de manufatura, com ênfase particular no Modelo Japonês / Sistema Toyota de Produção. Uma atenção especial é dada à necessidade de mudanças nos sistemas de controle das empresas, principalmente na parte de custeio. Mostra-se ainda algumas características das sistemáticas de controle e custeio nas empresas japonesas em comparação com a lógica predominante nas empresas ocidentais. Apóia-se o trabalho em um caso real de uma empresa que já passou por um processo de racionalização, sob forte influência dos conceitos japoneses de qualidade e produtividade, e que, agora, sente a necessidade de uma maior transparência e melhor entendimento do comportamento dos custos em seu ambiente, para poder dar continuidade a este processo de melhorias.

Influência de bolhas de hélio e da microestrutura sobre a evolução térmica de filmes de alumínio implantados com cobre

Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de um estudo sistemático sobre as influências do tamanho de grão de filmes finos de Al e da implantação de íons de He sobre a evolução térmica de distribuições de átomos de Cu e formação de precipitados de Al-Cu. Filmes finos de Al depositados sobre substrato de SiO2/Si através de dois processos diferentes foram implantados com íons de Cu+ e He+ produzindo uma solução sólida supersaturada de Al-Cu (≈ 2,5 a 3,5 at. %) e nano-bolhas de He. Os valores de energia dos íons foram escolhidos de tal forma a produzirem uma camada rica em Cu e He na região a aproximadamente 100nm da superfície. Tais filmes foram tratados termicamente em alto-vácuo nas temperaturas de 200ºC e 280ºC por tempos de 0,5h e 2h. Os filmes foram analisados por Retroespalhamento Rutherford, para determinação do perfil de concentração dos átomos de Cu, e por Microscopia Eletrônica de Transmissão, para determinação da microestrutura do Al e dos sistemas de nano-partículas Al-Cu e Al-He. Os resultados experimentais mostraram que a evolução térmica da distribuição dos átomos de Cu e a formação de precipitados de Al-Cu são significativamente afetadas pela configuração e tamanho de grão do filme de Al e pelas implantações de He. O presente estudo mostrou que existe uma forte correlação entre o fluxo de vacâncias e a estabilidade da microestrutura de filmes finos de Al (Al/SiO2/Si) implantados com íons de Cu+ e He+ e tratados termicamente. A possibilidade de controlar os fluxos de vacâncias através de configurações da microestrutura dos filmes de Al é, portanto, um tema de grande interesse tecnológico relacionado a durabilidade das interconexões metálicas de dispositivos microeletrônicos.