1,720,988 research outputs found
Chapter 7: Indirect Land Use Change and Bio-based Products
No full textThis chapter provides insights into those mechanisms leading to undesirable land use changes associated with the expansion of all biologically-based products, thus including biofuels and bio-based materials. The chapter conducts a reconnaissance of the land use change effects which are climate relevant, reversible in the long run or irreversible and, in some cases, synergetic with climate change. It reviews the main causes and presents evidence, as an example, of indirect land use changes - still ongoing - due to the biofuel policy in the US. The analysis of thresholds and certification criteria in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) revealed that a major role will be played by certification schemes and methods of certification of low iLUC risk biomass. Causal-descriptive models are presented as an appropriate class of models to support certification schemes and a dynamic system model generated through the European H2020 project STAR-ProBio project, named SydiLUC, is introduced. The model can be applied to various categories of bio-based products and estimates the annual land expansion per functional unit of bio-based product as well as the risk associated with a specific production route, in line with the most recent regulatory measures
Metrics for quantifying the circularity of bioplastics: The case of bio-based and biodegradable mulch films
Full text linkThe concept of circularity and its quantification through the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) is well established for traditional plastic products. In this paper a methodological approach for calculating the circularity of bio-based and biodegradable (BB) products is proposed and applied to BB mulch films. BB products are different from traditional products in as much as they are sourced and regenerated (recycled) not through technical cycles but the biological loop. The suggested method is an adaptation of the MCI where two major changes were made: (i) the mass of the bio-based component corresponds to the recycled material in input and (ii) the mass of the bio-based component leaving the system through composting or biodegradation in soil is accounted as recycled. The modified MCI supports the eco-design of innovative BB products and allows for the comparison of their circularity taking into account the biological source and the expected end of life process such as biodegradation. To demonstrate the adaptation, the method has been applied to BB mulch films. Results showed that the MCI of a biodegradable mulch film, characterized by an average bio-based feedstock content of 30% is 0.37 ± 0.04 in a 0–1 scale. For BB mulch film, the amount of bio-based feedstock is the most sensitive factor and controls linearly the value of the MCI
An applicability assessment and sensitivity analysis of land use impact models: application of the LANCA model in site-specific conditions
Full text linkPurpose: In this work, we study a land use impact model with the aim of obtaining spatially differentiated as opposed to default average characterisation factors. In particular, we study the application of LANCA®, a multi-indicator model with available country average characterisation factors expressing the alteration of the soil quality level of the current land use of one kind with respect to a reference situation. Method: To this purpose, we use the LANCA® method documentation at a higher spatial resolution and apply all the required elemental steps. From a user perspective, we score the transparency of the method down to the basic methodological references and single out the source of errors that the user may incur when: (i) collecting the input data, (ii) selecting the appropriate soil/land classes and (iii) applying the individual calculation steps. For a greater insight, we couple the source of errors with a sensitivity analysis. Results: In the comparison between a site-specific test area and the related country default values, we obtained relevant discrepancies regarding the erosion resistance and the physicochemical filtration of the soil. For example, we find that the erosion resistance potential is −1.06 * 10−3 kg m2 a−1 locally while the country default value is 13.1. We explain differences through the sensitivity analysis and having analysed in depth the underpinned soil erosion equation and the critical steps for its calibration. Together with systematic errors, we find that the method generally implies 9 scarcely guided steps out of 42, and one-third of the basic methodologies are not fully explained or accessible. These factors make the results related to Biotic Production, Mechanical Filtration, Physicochemical Filtration and Groundwater Regeneration user dependent and — in this sense — difficult to replicate. Conclusions: From the analysis, we distil 7 main directions for improvement addressed to LANCA® and soil models especially in sight of a broader application of a regionalised life cycle impact assessment
Greenhouse gas emissions calculations of biofuel from municipal sewage sludge: A comparison of assessment tools
No full textThe use of biofuels made from biomass provides a renewable alternative to fossil fuels in the European Union's transport sector. The RED II defines the GHG emissions criteria that bioliquids used in transport must comply with. For biofuel producers this implies that they need to calculate their CO2 equivalent emissions. This work aims to compare two calculation tools for lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment of biofuels produced from municipal sewage sludge by an innovative integrative system plant (TCR®-PSA-HDO integrated system) as required by the Renewable Energy Directive. The compared tools are “BioGrace GHG calculation tool” recognised as a voluntary scheme by the European Commission and a conventional LCA tool such as “GaBi Software”. The greenhouse gas emission savings of biofuel produced by the TCR®-PSA-HDO integrated system is evaluated and compared with conventional fuel (diesel and gasoline). Results obtained through the two methodologies were entirely consistent among each other
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Prospective environmental impact assessment and simulation applied to an emerging biowaste-based energy technology in Europe
Full text linkThe energy sector of the European Union (EU) is expected to progress fast towards a fully-fledged dependency on renewable sources. In such a goal-driven approach, a prospective assessment framework is designed to simulate the environmental consequences engendered by the gradual penetration of a novel biowaste-based energy technology in the EU energy production market. This is done by building a dynamic input-output model reflecting the implementation of the technology over time, following future energy scenarios and hypothetical targets for the EU (number of plants operating in 2030 and 2050). Total impacts, calculated for global warming, photochemical oxidation, acidification, eutrophication and human toxicity are calculated for these scenarios, and for a counterfactual scenario, represented by the same economic system operating without opting for such novel technology. The output of the simulation shows that the technology could bring carbon savings of 220-250 Mt CO2eq up to 2050 and significant changes in the economy structure such as a reduction of fossil phosphorus production and corresponding generation of revenues from phosphorus recovery in the order of 100-150 billion euro. In a more general fashion and beside the case study, the factors affecting the model output, sources of un-certainty and assumptions are presented in order to appraise scope, applicability and limitations of the proposed assessment framework and to prepare its use in decision making
How do farmers value organic fertilisers? An exploratory study on conventional and innovative products
Full text linkCurrent trends in the adoption of agricultural innovations aimed at replacing mineral fertilisers with organic
fertilisers such as biochar and biochar-compost blends made from various organic wastes have recently been
recognised as an important innovation to restore and improve soil fertility and mitigate environmental impacts
while implementing the circular economy. A survey was designed to capture socio-economic characteristics and
attitudes of farmers towards the use of organic fertilisers. Attitudinal data from 176 farmers were analysed using
exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the components associated with their acceptance.
Subsequently, the components and socio-economic data were used to delineate clusters of farmers that were
matched with the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a novel organic fertiliser, a biochar-compost blend. WTP was
tasted using a dichotomous choice contingent valuation within the range of €1–300 per tonne. A positive WTP for
BCmix was expressed by 63.1 % of farmers, with average preferred application rates exceeding 11 t/ha. Five
main farmer clusters with different attitudes and appreciation levels for organic fertilisers were identified -The
Neutral, The Unready, The Opposed, The Sceptic, and The Engaged-highlighting a range of attitudes and appreciation
levels towards organic fertilisers. Interestingly, clusters with a neutral stance towards organic fertilisers
showed significantly higher WTP than clusters more actively committed to sustainability, such as The Engaged, a
finding that contrasts with prior studies where environmentally committed farmers typically show greater
adoption willingness. The study’s insights support targeted market segmentation and inform policy and
communication strategies to promote the early adoption of organic fertilisers
- …
