Support area as an indicator of environmental load: Comparison between Embodied Energy, Ecological Footprint, and Emergy Accounting methods

Environmental aspects have been acknowledged as an important issue in decision making at any field during the last two decades. There are several available methodologies able to assess the environmental burden, among which the Ecological Footprint has been widely used due to its easy-to-understand final indicator. However, its theoretical base has been target of some criticisms about the inadequate representation of the sustainability concept by its final indicator. In a parallel way, efforts have been made to use the theoretical strength of the Emergy Accounting to obtain an index similar to that supplied by the Ecological Footprint. Focusing on these aspects, this work assesses the support area (SA) index for Brazilian sugarcane and American corn crop through four different approaches: Embodied Energy Analysis (SA(EE)), Ecological Footprint (SA(EF)), Renewable Empower Density (SA(R)), and Emergy Net Primary Productivity (SA(NPP)). Results indicate that the load on environment varies accordingly to the methodology considered for its calculation, in which emergy approach showed the higher values. Focusing on crops comparison, the load by producing both crops are similar with an average of 0.04 ha obtained by SA(EE), 1.86 ha by SA(EF), 4.24 ha by SA(R), and 4.32 ha by SA(NPP). Discussion indicates that support area calculated using Emergy Accounting is more eligible to represent the load on the environment due to its global scale view. Nevertheless, each methodology has its contribution depending of the study objectives, but it is important to consider the real meaning and the scope of each one. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applying consumer responsibility principle in evaluating environmental load of carbon emissions

There is a need for a proper indicator in order to assess the environmental impact of international trade, therefore using the carbon footprint as an indicator can be relevant and useful. The aim of this study is to show from a methodological perspective how the carbon footprint, combined with input- output models can be used for analysing the impacts of international trade on the sustainable use of national resources in a country. The use of the input-output approach has the essential advantage of being able to track the transformation of goods through the economy. The study examines the environmental impact of consumption related to international trade, using the consumer responsibility principle. In this study the use of the carbon footprint and input-output methodology is shown on the example of the Hungarian consumption and the impact of international trade. Moving from a production- based approach in climate policy to a consumption-perspective principle and allocation, would also help to increase the efficiency of emission reduction targets and the evaluation of the ecological impacts of international trade.

Applying consumer responsibility principle in evaluating environmental load of carbon emissions

There is a need for a proper indicator in order to assess the environmental impact of international trade, therefore using the carbon footprint as an indicator can be relevant and useful. The aim of this study is to show from a methodological perspective how the carbon footprint, combined with input- output models can be used for analysing the impacts of international trade on the sustainable use of national resources in a country. The use of the input-output approach has the essential advantage of being able to track the transformation of goods through the economy. The study examines the environmental impact of consumption related to international trade, using the consumer responsibility principle. In this study the use of the carbon footprint and input-output methodology is shown on the example of the Hungarian consumption and the impact of international trade. Moving from a production- based approach in climate policy to a consumption-perspective principle and allocation, would also help to increase the efficiency of emission reduction targets and the evaluation of the ecological impacts of international trade.

Bridging environmental conflicts with social metabolism : forestry expansion and socioeconomic change

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Ciências do Ambiente, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Modifying the yield factor based on more efficient use of fertilizer — The environmental impacts of intensive and extensive agricultural practices

The aim of this article is to draw attention to calculations on the environmental effects of agriculture and to the definition of marginal agricultural yield. When calculating the environmental impacts of agricultural activities, the real environmental load generated by agriculture is not revealed properly through ecological footprint indicators, as the type of agricultural farming (thus the nature of the pollution it creates) is not incorporated in the calculation. It is commonly known that extensive farming uses relatively small amounts of labor and capital. It produces a lower yield per unit of land and thus requires more land than intensive farming practices to produce similar yields, so it has a larger crop and grazing footprint. However, intensive farms, to achieve higher yields, apply fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, etc., and cultivation and harvesting are often mechanized. In this study, the focus is on highlighting the differences in the environmental impacts of extensive and intensive farming practices through a statistical analysis of the factors determining agricultural yield. A marginal function is constructed for the relation between chemical fertilizer use and yield per unit fertilizer input. Furthermore, a proposal is presented for how calculation of the yield factor could possibly be improved. The yield factor used in the calculation of biocapacity is not the marginal yield for a given area, but is calculated from the real and actual yields, and this way biocapacity and the ecological footprint for cropland are equivalent. Calculations for cropland biocapacity do not show the area needed for sustainable production, but rather the actual land area used for agricultural production. The proposal the authors present is a modification of the yield factor and also the changed biocapacity is calculated. The results of statistical analyses reveal the need for a clarification of the methodology for calculating marginal yield, which could clearly contribute to assessing the real environmental impacts of agriculture.

Modifying the yield factor based on more efficient use of fertilizer — The environmental impacts of intensive and extensive agricultural practices

The aim of this article is to draw attention to calculations on the environmental effects of agriculture and to the definition of marginal agricultural yield. When calculating the environmental impacts of agricultural activities, the real environmental load generated by agriculture is not revealed properly through ecological footprint indicators, as the type of agricultural farming (thus the nature of the pollution it creates) is not incorporated in the calculation. It is commonly known that extensive farming uses relatively small amounts of labor and capital. It produces a lower yield per unit of land and thus requires more land than intensive farming practices to produce similar yields, so it has a larger crop and grazing footprint. However, intensive farms, to achieve higher yields, apply fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, etc., and cultivation and harvesting are often mechanized. In this study, the focus is on highlighting the differences in the environmental impacts of extensive and intensive farming practices through a statistical analysis of the factors determining agricultural yield. A marginal function is constructed for the relation between chemical fertilizer use and yield per unit fertilizer input. Furthermore, a proposal is presented for how calculation of the yield factor could possibly be improved. The yield factor used in the calculation of biocapacity is not the marginal yield for a given area, but is calculated from the real and actual yields, and this way biocapacity and the ecological footprint for cropland are equivalent. Calculations for cropland biocapacity do not show the area needed for sustainable production, but rather the actual land area used for agricultural production. The proposal the authors present is a modification of the yield factor and also the changed biocapacity is calculated. The results of statistical analyses reveal the need for a clarification of the methodology for calculating marginal yield, which could clearly contribute to assessing the real environmental impacts of agriculture.

Mitől zöld egy vállalat - avagy mit is jelent a jó környezeti teljesítmény? (What makes a company green – or what does good environmental performance mean?)

A vállalati teljesítmény megítélésénél egyre nagyobb hangsúlyt kap a környezeti teljesítmény vizsgálata. Nem egyértelmű ugyanakkor, mit is jelent a jó környezeti teljesítmény: egyesek például a szennyezőanyagkibocsátás csökkentését, míg mások egy környezetirányítási rendszer bevezetését értik alatta. Az eltérések miatt sokszor nem kapunk hiteles információt arról, vajon a környezetileg jól teljesítő vállalatok versenytársaiknál sikeresebbek-e vagy se m. A szerző a cikkben kísérletet tesz egy a környezeti teljesítmény átfogó értelmezésére szolgáló modell felállítására, amely lehetőséget biztosít a vállalati és a környezeti teljesítmény kapcsolatának pontosabb megismerésére és így jobb vállalati döntések meghozatalára. _________ When evaluating corporate performance, more and more emphasis is put on the assessment of environmental performance as well. It is not obvious however, what good environmental performance means: some researchers interpret it for example as decreasing environmental load while others as introducing an environmental management system. These differences in many cases lead to contradictory conclusions, whether environmentally good companies would outperform their competitors in other fields as well. In the article the author attempts to build a model for interpreting the concept of environmental performance, enabling more exact analysis of the relationship between company and environmental performance, and so making better company decisions.

A Consumption-Based Approach to Carbon Emission Accounting – Sectoral Differences and Environmental Benefits

In recent years there has been growing concern about the emission trade balances of countries. This is due to the fact that countries with an open economy are active players in international trade. Trade is not only a major factor in forging a country’s economic structure, but contributes to the movement of embodied emissions beyond country borders. This issue is especially relevant from the carbon accounting policy and domestic production perspective, as it is known that the production-based principle is employed in the Kyoto agreement. The research described herein was designed to reveal the interdependence of countries on international trade and the corresponding embodied emissions both on national and on sectoral level and to illustrate the significance of the consumption-based emission accounting. It is presented here to what extent a consumption-based accounting would change the present system based on production-based accounting and allocation. The relationship of CO2 emission embodied in exports and embodied in imports is analysed here. International trade can blur the responsibility for the ecological effects of production and consumption and it can lengthen the link between consumption and its consequences. Input-output models are used in the methodology as they provide an appropriate framework for climate change accounting. The analysis comprises an international comparative study of four European countries (Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Hungary) with extended trading activities and carbon emissions. Moving from a production-based approach in climate policy to a consumption-based principle and allocation approach would help to increase the efficiency of emission reductions and would force countries to rethink their trading activities in order to decrease the environmental load of production activities. The results of this study show that it is important to distinguish between the two emission accounting approaches, both on the global and the local level.

Utilización de alimentos líquidos para el ganado porcino

La distribución de alimentos líquidos al ganado porcino es un sistema alternativo en el cual el alimento se prepara y distribuye a través de un equipo totalmente informatizado y automatizado. Además de materias primas y piensos permite también el uso de co-productos líquidos de la industria agroalimentaria o productos fermentados. Su utilización evita el coste de su transformación o eliminación permitiendo rebajar el coste de producción del cerdo porque su precio es altamente competitivo. La aplicación de alimentos líquidos fermentados tiene efectos benéficos sobre el epitelio intestinal, la microflora digestiva y el estado sanitario de los lechones, reduciendo la morbilidad y aumentando los resultados de crecimiento. Este sistema de alimentación facilita igualmente la aplicación de programas multifase ajustando diariamente el aporte a las necesidades en nutrientes del cerdo reduciendo la excreción (N, P, metales pesados) y con ello, el riesgo de contaminación medioambiental. The distribution of liquid diets for swine is an alternative system where feed is prepared and distributed by an automatic computerized device. In addition to feedstuffs and complementary dry feed, this system allows the use of fresh or fermented agri-food liquid by-products. These products are cheaper and its use as feed avoids the cost of its transformation or elimination, reducing the environmental load and the cost per kg of pig meat. The fermented liquid feed protects the intestinal epithelium, helps to control digestive microflora and animal health improving piglet growth performance after weaning. This feeding device also helps implementation of multiphase feeding programs, adjusting nutrient supplies to requirements daily, and consequently reducing the nutrient excretion (N, P, heavy metals) and the risk of environmental pollution.

Development and Evaluation of a Portable Device for Measuring Curling and Warping in Concrete Pavements, 2016

Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement undergoes repeated environmental load-related deflection resulting from temperature and moisture variations across pavement depth. This has been recognized as resulting in PCC pavement curling and warping since the mid-1920s. Slab curvature can be further magnified under repeated traffic loads and may ultimately lead to fatigue failures, including top-down and bottom-up transverse, longitudinal, and corner cracking. It is therefore significant to measure the “true” degree of curling and warping in PCC pavements, not only for quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) purposes, but also for better understanding of its relationship to long-term pavement performance. Although several approaches and devices—including linear variable differential transducers (LVDTs), digital indicators, and some profilers—have been proposed for measuring curling and warping, their application in the field is subject to cost, inconvenience, and complexity of operation. This research therefore explores developing an economical and simple device for measuring curling and warping in concrete pavements with accuracy comparable to or better than existing methodologies. Technical requirements were identified to establish assessment criteria for development, and field tests were conducted to modify the device to further enhancement. The finalized device is about 12 inches in height and 18 pounds in weight, and its manufacturing cost is just $320. Detailed development procedures and evaluation results for the new curling and warping measuring device are presented and discussed, with a focus on achieving reliable curling and warping measurements in a cost effective manner.

Haja-asutusalueiden sakokaivolietteiden kalkkistabilointi ja hyötykäyttö maataloudessa

In the sparsely populated areas of Finland there are approximately 350 000 households and 450 000 leisure time residences outside sewer networks. According to the Finnish domestic wastewater act outside sewer networks, the Finnish Government is reducing the environmental load of domestic wastewaters by the year 2017. The law is aimed at restricting the quality of sludge from domestic wastewater purification systems. The wastewater purification systems are complex systems, which often include sedimentation basins. The sedimentation basins remove most of the nutrients from the domestic wastewaters. The Finnish Government has decided that sedimentation basin sludge must be treated before reusing. One possibility is to stabilise domestic sludge with slaked lime and to reuse treated sludge in agriculture. According to this master’s thesis lime stabilisation can be done in sedimentation basins or in decanting tanks. Decanting tanks must be under 100 m3. Dosage of stabilisation is 8,5 kg/m3 of lime. If you are treading sludge that is highly hydrous, you need 13,5 kg/m3 of lime. In stabilisation lime and sludge must be thoroughly mixed. Mixed sludge must be in sedimentation basin at least two hours. If there is evidence that sludge contains salmonella or if it’s decanting tank stabilisation time is 48 hours. Sludge must be mixed at least once during the longer stabilisation time. Lime destroys Esherichia coli and enterococcus concentrations below accepted level. Lime also destroys Salmonella bacterium. After treating, sludge’s can be distributed over a field. You can safely spread lime treated domestic sludge’s about 40 m3/ha. Lime stabilisation can also be used to treat separately and collectively collected domestic wastewaters.

Applying precision feeding techniques in growing-finishing pig operations

The high cost of feed ingredients, the use of non-renewable sources of phosphate and the dramatic increase in the environmental load resulting from the excessive land application of manure are major challenges for the livestock industry. Precision feeding is proposed as an essential approach to improve the utilization of dietary nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients and thus reduce feeding costs and nutrient excretion. Precision feeding requires accurate knowledge of the nutritional value of feedstuffs and animal nutrient requirements, the formulation of diets in accordance with environmental constraints, and the gradual adjustment of the dietary nutrient supply to match the requirements of the animals. After the nutritional potential of feed ingredients has been precisely determined and has been improved by the addition of enzymes (e.g. phytases) or feed treatments, the addition of environmental objectives to the traditional feed formulation algorithms can promote the sustainability of the swine industry by reducing nutrient excretion in swine operations with small increases in feeding costs. Increasing the number of feeding phases can also contribute to significant reductions in nutrient excretion and feeding costs. However, the use of precision feeding techniques in which pigs are fed individually with daily tailored diets can further improve the efficiency with which pigs utilize dietary nutrients. Precision feeding involves the use of feeding techniques that allow the provision of the right amount of feed with the right composition at the right time to each pig in the herd. Using this approach, it has been estimated that feeding costs can be reduced by more than 4.6%, and nitrogen and phosphorus excretion can both be reduced by more than 38%. Moreover, the integration of precision feeding techniques into large-group production systems can provide real-time off-farm monitoring of feed and animals for optimal slaughter and production strategies, thus improving the environmental sustainability of pork production, animal well-being and meat-product quality.

Elinkaariarvioinnin hyödyntäminen pumpputehtaan ympäristötoimenpiteiden tunnistamisessa

Voimistuvan kasvihuoneilmiön myötä kiinnostus hiilidioksidipäästöjen vähentämiseen on lisääntynyt. Ympäristöteknologian tavoitteena on hidastaa tämän ilmiön haitallisia vaikutuksia maailmanlaajuisesti, kansallisesti sekä yritystasolla. Yrityksillä on yhä suurempi paine valmistaa tuotteita ympäristöä vähemmän kuormittavasti. Työn tavoitteena on tarkastella elinkaariarvioinnin käytettävyyttä, kun halutaan tunnistaa pumpputehtaan mahdollisuuksia pienentää tuotteidensa valmistuksen ympäristönkuormittavuutta. Työssä pyritään myös selvittämään ne pumpun valmistuksen prosessit, jotka tuottavat eniten kasvihuonekaasupäästöjä. Tarkastelussa on keskitytty lähinnä hiilidioksidipäästöjen laskentaan. Työssä on käytetty elinkaariarvioinnin menetelmää ja työ noudattaa SFS ISO 14040 ja 14044 standardia. Elinkaariarviointi on hyväksi havaittu keino tunnistaa ne tuotteen tai palvelun yksikköprosessit, joilla on suurin vaikutus ympäristöön. Tutkimuksessa luotiin elinkaariarviointi pumppulaitoksen vuosittain tuottamille pumpuille. Samalla toteutettiin elinkaariarviointiin Excel-malli, jolla voidaan arvioida yksittäisten pumppujen valmistuksen hiilidioksidipäästöt. Tulosten pohjalta on tehty myös joitakin ehdotuksia pumpun valmistuksen hiilidioksidipäästöjen vähentämiseksi. Laskennassa käytetty aineisto kerättiin kirjallisuudesta, pumppulaitoksen alihankkijoilta sekä julkaistuista elinkaariarvioinneista vuoden 2008 kesän aikana. Työssä on osoitettu, että elinkaariarviointia voidaan hyödyntää tunnistettaessa pumpputehtaan ympäristötoimenpiteitä. Saatujen tulosten luotettavuus on kuitenkin riippuvainen käytettävissä olevista resursseista sekä lähtötietojen tarkkuudesta. Erityisesti valimoiden ilmoittamat energiankulutusmäärät vaikuttavat tulosten tarkkuuteen. Tarkempien tulosten saaminen edellyttäisi muun muassa tehtaan alihankkijoiden parempaa tietoisuutta omasta energiankulutuksestaan.

Liikenteen aiheuttaman hiilijalanjäljen määrittäminen paikkatietoteknologian avulla

Päästöjen rajoittaminen ja seuranta on tullut yhä ajankohtaisemmaksi 2000-luvulla ilmastonmuutoksen edetessä. Varsinkin kasvihuonekaasupäästöihin kiinnitetään suurta huomiota, joista yleisimmin tarkastelun kohteena on hiilidioksidi. Tuotteen tai palvelun aiheuttamaa ympäristökuormaa kuvaamaan on kehitetty käsitteet ekologinen jalanjälki ja hiilijalanjälki. Ensimmäinen kuvaa koko ympäristökuormituksen määrää, ja jälkimmäinen hiilidioksidipäästöjen määrää. Ajatus tähän työhön kehittyi mietittäessä ajankohtaista, uutta sovellusta paikkatietotekniikalle. Paikkatietojärjestelmien käyttöä liikenteen päästöjen seurantaan ei tiettävästi ole aikaisemmin laajemmalti tutkittu. Sen sijaan niitä käytetään kokeiluluontoisesti esimerkiksi ajoneuvojen vakuutusmaksujen suuruuden määräämiseen. Teknisesti käyttö kyseiseen tarkoitukseen on melko samantyyppistä kuin tässä työssä tutkittavaan päästöjen seurantaan. Tässä työssä tutkittiin yleisluontoisesti paikkatietotekniikan soveltuvuutta päästöjen seurantaan. Tarkoituksena ei ollut rakentaa täysin toimiva järjestelmää, vaan tehdä kokeita prototyypin avulla.

Jätehuoltosuunnitelman laatiminen elektroniikka-alan yritykselle

Sähkö- ja elektroniikka-alan yritykset eivät yleensä kuormita merkittävästi ympäristöä, sillä teollisuudenalan suurimmat ympäristövaikutukset aiheutuvat alihankkijoiden ja komponenttivalmistajien toiminnasta. Yritysten oma toiminta perustuu pitkälti tuotekehitykseen ja tuotteiden loppukokoonpanoon valmiista komponenteista. Syntynyt jäte on tyypillisesti pääosin pakkausjätettä, metalleja, kaatopaikkajätettä ja vähäisessä määrin myös ongelmajätettä. Vähäisen ympäristökuormituksen johdosta yrityksiltä ei yleensä vaadita ympäristölupaa. Diplomityössä laadittiin jätehuoltosuunnitelma elektroniikka-alan yritykselle. Työ suoritettiin Kemppi Oy:n toimeksiannosta Lahdessa. Jätehuoltosuunnitelman noudattaminen parantaa yrityksen julkisuuskuvaa ja tuo kustannussäästöjä. Toimivan suunnitelman laatiminen vaatii kuitenkin aikaa ja muita resursseja. Jätehuollon toimivuus on tarkistettava säännöllisesti, etenkin silloin kun yrityksen toiminnan painopiste muuttuu. Käytännön osuudessa kartoitettiin edellisvuosien jätemäärät ja yrityksen jätehuollon tila. Jätehuoltosuunnitelman laatimiselle oli selkeä tarve, koska jätehuolto perustui osin kirjoittamattomiin sääntöihin ja vanhoihin tottumuksiin. Syntypaikkalajittelua tehostettiin lisäämällä jäteastioita ja -pisteitä jätteiden syntypaikoille. Lajittelua parannettiin myös laatimalla selkeät ohjeet ja kouluttamalla työntekijöitä.