LCA of eucalyptus wood charcoal briquettes

This paper sets out to describe the environmental impact assessment for wood charcoal briquettes produced from eucalyptus wood in Brazil, with specific reference to those impacts associated with Global Warming Potential. To achieve that objective, the work was undertaken in accordance with ISO 14040 "Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework" which describes essential LCA characteristics and good practices. Charcoal briquettes are produced from two basic raw materials, charcoal fines and starch. The fines result from the production of charcoal from sustainably managed eucalyptus plantations. Starch is extracted from babaçu pulp in the Amazon region. Multi-output processes were allocated based on income from the different by-products. The results showed that more than 90% of incoming CO₂ was due to biomass production for charcoal, and the remainder to starch biomass production. Based on Brazilian data, as well as information provided by the GaBi4.3 database, it turned out that supplying the energy content of 1 kg of briquettes resulted in the sequestration of 3.9690 kg of CO₂, i.e. around 4 kg of CO₂ per kg of briquettes produced. CO₂ emissions throughout the briquette production process are totally compensated for by the environmental quality of the raw materials used.     

长三角地区秸秆燃烧排放因子与颗粒物成分谱研究

为获取长三角地区秸秆燃烧污染物排放因子及其颗粒物成分谱,利用自行设计开发的开放式燃烧源排放测试系统,选取小麦、水稻、油菜、豆秸和薪柴等5类典型作物秸秆,分别采用露天焚烧和炉灶燃烧2种燃烧方式,实测其气态污染物和颗粒物排放特征.结果表明,露天燃烧各类秸秆的CO、NOx和PM2.5平均排放因子约为28.7、1.2和2.65 g·kg-1,由于炉灶氧含量相对较低,燃烧不充分,其污染物排放因子总体高于露天燃烧,分别为81.9、2.1和8.5 g·kg-1.各类秸秆中,油菜的排放水平相对较高.含碳组分(OC和EC)是生物质秸秆燃烧产生PM2.5的主要组成,在露天燃烧中OC和EC的质量分数分别占(38.92±13.93)%和(5.66±1.54)%;炉灶燃烧中OC和EC分别为(26.37±10.14)%和(18.97±10.76)%.Cl-、K+等水溶性离子也有较大贡献,在露天燃烧中分别为(13.27±6.82)%和(12.41±3.02)%;在炉灶燃烧中分别为(16.25±9.34)%和(13.62±7.91)%.小麦、水稻、油菜和豆秸等作物秸秆露天燃烧排放颗粒物的K+/OC值分别为0.30、0.52、0.49和0.15,这些特征值可用于判断长三角区域空气质量受秸秆燃烧排放影响的程度,为大气污染来源解析提供直接的判断依据.     

北京市民用燃煤烟气中气态污染物排放特征

以北京远郊农村居民常用的蜂窝煤、煤球、烟煤散煤为实验用煤,开展燃烧实验.研究了烟气无机污染物排放因子、VOCs释放情况.结果表明在充分燃烧的条件下,蜂窝煤、煤球、烟煤气态污染物SO2排放因子分别为1.50、1.91、1.62kg·t~(-1);NOx排放因子分别为0.420、0.901、2.20 kg·t~(-1);CO排放因子分别为22.4、37.3、87.3 kg·t~(-1).燃烧排放的NOx和CO的排放因子顺序关系为:烟煤煤球蜂窝煤;SO2的排放因子大小顺序分别为:煤球烟煤蜂窝煤.获得了北京市2014年3种民用煤燃烧排放的气态污染物的排放清单,烟煤散煤排放的SO2超过了0.55万t,NOx超过了0.75万t,CO超过了29万t.3种煤质燃烧过程中点火和封火阶段VOCs排放浓度相对较高,各阶段VOCs排放因子为点火阶段最高,封火阶段次之.     

High-field 1H T1 and T2 NMR relaxation time measurements of H2O in homeopathic preparations of quartz, sulfur, and copper sulfate

Quantitative meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials investigating the specific therapeutic efficacy of homeopathic remedies yielded statistically significant differences compared to placebo. Since the remedies used contained mostly only very low concentrations of pharmacologically active compounds, these effects cannot be accounted for within the framework of current pharmacology. Theories to explain clinical effects of homeopathic remedies are partially based upon changes in diluent structure. To investigate the latter, we measured for the first time high-field (600/500 MHz) ¹H T₁ and T₂ nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times of H₂O in homeopathic preparations with concurrent contamination control by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Homeopathic preparations of quartz (10c–30c, n = 21, corresponding to iterative dilutions of 100⁻¹⁰–100⁻³⁰), sulfur (13x–30x, n = 18, 10⁻¹³–10⁻³⁰), and copper sulfate (11c–30c, n = 20, 100⁻¹¹–100⁻³⁰) were compared to n = 10 independent controls each (analogously agitated dilution medium) in randomized and blinded experiments. In none of the samples, the concentration of any element analyzed by ICP-MS exceeded 10 ppb. In the first measurement series (600 MHz), there was a significant increase in T₁ for all samples as a function of time, and there were no significant differences between homeopathic potencies and controls. In the second measurement series (500 MHz) 1 year after preparation, we observed statistically significant increased T₁ relaxation times for homeopathic sulfur preparations compared to controls. Fifteen out of 18 correlations between sample triplicates were higher for controls than for homeopathic preparations. No conclusive explanation for these phenomena can be given at present. Possible hypotheses involve differential leaching from the measurement vessel walls or a change in water molecule dynamics, i.e., in rotational correlation time and/or diffusion. Homeopathic preparations thus may exhibit specific physicochemical properties that need to be determined in detail in future investigations. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Paleoenvironmental conditions in the Spanish Miocene–Pliocene boundary: isotopic analyses of Hipparion dental enamel

Expansion of C₄ grasses during Late Miocene and Early Pliocene constitutes one of the most remarkable biotic events of the Cenozoic era. The Teruel–Alfambra region (northeastern Spain) contains one of the most complete Miocene–Pliocene sequences of mammalian fossil sites in the world. In this study, stable isotope (δ ¹³C and δ ¹⁸O) analyses have been performed on the tooth enamel from the equid Hipparion from 19 localities spanning a time interval from approximately 10.9 to 2.7 Ma. This time range starts with the first appearance of this genus in Spain and ends at its extinction. An increase in δ ¹³C at about 4.2 Ma has been observed, indicative of a shift toward a more open habitat. This shift may be related to a large scale vegetation change which occurred across the Miocene–Pliocene boundary when C₄ grasses expanded. This expansion might in turn be linked to global tectonic events such as the uplift of the Himalaya and/or the closure of the Panama Isthmus. However, other more regional factors may have ultimately enhanced the trend toward more open habitats in the Western Mediterranean Basin. The Messinian Salinity Crisis was a major environmental event that may have been responsible for the isotopic changes seen in the equid Hipparion from the Iberian Peninsula along with an increase in the aridity detected ~4.6 Ma ago in the Sahara. Even though the exact factor triggering the isotopic change observed in the Hipparion enamel remains mostly unknown, this study demonstrates that the global environmental changes detected across the Miocene–Pliocene boundary are also recorded in the realm of the Iberian Peninsula. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Prospects for carbon-neutral housing: the influence of greater wood use on the carbon footprint of a single-family residence

This paper examines the energy and carbon balance of two residential house alternatives; a typical wood frame home using more conventional materials (brick cladding, vinyl windows, asphalt shingles, and fibreglass insulation) and a similar wood frame house that also maximizes wood use throughout (cedar shingles and siding, wood windows, and cellulose insulation) in place of the more typical materials used – a wood-intensive house. Carbon emission and fossil fuel consumption balances were established for the two homes based on the cumulative total of three subsystems: (1) forest harvesting and regeneration; (2) cradle-to-gate product manufacturing, construction, and replacement effects over a 100-year service life; and (3) end-of-life effects – landfilling with methane capture and combustion or recovery of biomass for energy production.The net carbon balance of the wood-intensive house showed a complete offset of the manufacturing emissions by the credit given to the system for forest re-growth. Including landfill methane emissions, the wood-intensive life cycle yielded 20 tons of CO₂e emissions compared to 72 tons for the typical house. The wood-intensive home's life cycle also consumed only 45% of the fossil fuels used in the typical house.Diverting wood materials from the landfill at the end of life improved the life cycle balances of both the typical and wood-intensive houses. The carbon balance of the wood-intensive house was 5.2 tons of CO₂e permanently removed from the atmosphere (a net carbon sink) as compared to 63.4 of total CO₂e emissions for the typical house. Substitution of wood fuel for natural gas and coal in electricity production led to a net energy balance of the wood-intensive house that was nearly neutral, 87.1 GJ energy use, 88% lower than the scenario in which the materials were landfilled.Allocating biomass generation and carbon sequestration in the forest on an economic basis as opposed to a mass basis significantly improves the life cycle balances of both houses. Employing an economic allocation method to the forest leads to 3–5 times greater carbon sequestration and fossil fuel substitution attributable to the house, which is doubled in forestry regimes that remove stumps and slash as fuel. Thus, wood use has the potential to create a significantly negative carbon footprint for a house up to the point of occupancy and even offset a portion of heating and cooling energy use and carbon emissions; the wood-intensive house is energy and carbon neutral for 34–68 years in Ottawa and has the potential to be a net carbon sink and energy producer in a more temperate climate like San Francisco.     

Synergistic Effects of Combined Chlorine and Vitamin B1 on the Reduction of Murine Norovirus-1 on the Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) Surface

This study investigated the synergistic effects of combined chlorine (200, 500, 700, and 1000 ppm) and vitamin B₁ (1000, 2000, and 3000 ppm) on the murine norovirus-1 (MNV-1), a human norovirus (NoV) surrogate, on oyster surface. Vitamin B₁ slightly reduced MNV-1 (0.04–0.3 log-reduction), whereas chlorine significantly reduced MNV-1 (0.4–1.0 log-reduction). The combined chlorine and vitamin B₁ resulted in a 0.52–1.97 log-reduction of MNV-1. The synergistic reduction in the MNV titer was not dependent on the concentrations of chlorine and vitamin B₁, and it ranged between 0.08 and 1.03 log₁₀ PFU/mL. The largest synergistic reduction observed was for the combined 700 ppm chlorine and 1000 ppm vitamin B₁. The pH and mechanical texture of the oysters were not significantly changed by the combined 0–1000 ppm chlorine and 3000 ppm vitamin B₁. The overall sensory acceptability were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in oysters treated with 1000 ppm chlorine and 3000 ppm vitamin B₁ than in those treated with 0–700 ppm chlorine and 3000 ppm vitamin B₁. This study suggests that the combined 700 ppm chlorine and 3000 ppm vitamin B₁ could potentially be used to reduce NoV on oyster surface without causing concomitant changes in the mechanical texture, pH, or sensory qualities of the oysters.

     

An Experimental Burn to Restore a Moth-Killed Boreal Conifer Forest, Krasnoyarsk Region, Russia

Mechanical treatment and prescribed fire were used to restore a mixed conifer stand (Picea-Abies-Pinus) following mortality from an outbreak of Siberian moth (Dendrolimus superans sibiricus). Moth-killed stands often become dominated by Calamagrostis, a sod-forming grass. The large amount of woody debris and the sod hinder coniferous seedling establishment and development as well as creating conditions favorable to the establishment and propagation of wildfires. Fire has been demonstrated to be an effective method of reducing woody debris and eliminating sod, but the random nature and timing of wildfires often do not create conditions favorable for conifer regeneration. Our study was conducted in a mature fir dominated stand that died during an outbreak 6–8 years previously with most of the dead trees still standing. A bulldozer drove through the stand downing standing snags in late summer with 15–20 m between passes. Snags knocked down by the bulldozer and additional snag fall throughout the following winter increased downed dead wood 50–60% and large downed dead wood 80% compared to an adjacent untreated area. In June, a prescribed fire was set and fuel load consumption averaged 70%. Average soil temperatures during the burn ranged from 47 ^∘C at a depth of 2 cm to 10 ^∘C at 10 cm; hot enough to kill the grass. Following treatment, the potential for wildfire was reduced and the area was suitable for either natural conifer regeneration or planting without further mechanical site preparation.     

Global warming potential of emissions from rice paddies in Northeastern China

In this study, paddy fields in Jilin province which are flooded parcel of arable lands used for growing rice (Oryza sativa Linn.) were selected as the object. Long-term exploitation of paddy fields led to variations of soil organic carbon (SOC) and green house gases (GHGs) emissions which might contribute to global warming. In order to calculate the amount of global warming potentials (GWPs) of emissions from ricepaddies and find the correlations among rice yield, SOC storage and GWP, DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model was used to simulate SOC densities and fluxes of main GHGs emitted from paddy fields. After verification, simulation results were used to calculate SOC storages and 100-year GWPs from 1949 to 2009. Results indicated that SOC densities in depths of 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm all kept increasing. Average methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes were 278.55 kg carbon (kgC) ha⁻¹ a⁻¹ and 2.22 kg nitrogen (kgN) ha⁻¹ a⁻¹. The SOC storage (0–30 cm) had increased from 3.96 × 10⁹kgC in 1949 to 47.85 × 10⁹kgC in 2009. In addition, GWP emission was increasing exponentially in the past 61 years, from 0.16 × 10⁶ Mg carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-equivalents) to 66.36 × 10⁶ Mg CO₂-equivalents. Both SOC storage and GWP presented obviously linear relation to rice yields. Overall, the research suggested that long-term rice yields could be used to estimate the SOC storage and GWP variations.     

Optimizing carbon sequestration in commercial forests by integrating carbon management objectives in wood supply modeling

This paper provides a methodology for generating forest management plans, which explicitly maximize carbon (C) sequestration at the forest-landscape level. This paper takes advantage of concepts first presented in a paper by Meng et al. (2003; Mitigation Adaptation Strategies Global Change 8:371–403) by integrating C-sequestration objective functions in existing wood supply models. Carbon-stock calculations performed in Woodstock^TM (RemSoft Inc.) are based on C yields generated from volume table data obtained from local Forest Development Survey plots and a series of wood volume-to-C content conversion factors specified in von Mirbach (2000). The approach is used to investigate the impact of three demonstration forest-management scenarios on the C budget in a 110,000 ha forest in south-central New Brunswick, Canada. Explicit demonstration scenarios addressed include (1) maximizing timber extraction either by clearcut or selection harvesting for greatest revenue generation, (2) maximizing total C storage in the forest landscape and in wood products generated from harvesting, and (3) maximizing C storage together with revenue generation. The level of clearcut harvesting was greatest for scenario 1 (≥15 × 10⁴ m³ of wood and ≥943 ha of land per harvesting period), and least for scenario 2 (=0 m³ per harvesting period) where selection harvesting dominated. Because softwood saw logs were worth more than pulpwood ($60 m⁻³ vs. $40 m⁻³) and were strategic to the long-term storage of C, the production of softwood saw logs exceeded the production of pulpwood in all scenarios. Selection harvesting was generally the preferred harvesting method across scenarios. Only in scenario 1 did levels of clearcut harvesting occasionally exceed those of selection harvesting, mainly in the removal of old, dilapidated stands early in the simulation (i.e., during periods 1 through 3). Scenario 2 provided the greatest total C-storage increase over 80 years (i.e., 14 × 10⁶ Mg C, or roughly 264 Mg ha⁻¹) at a cost of $111 per Mg C due to lost revenues. Scenarios 3 and 1 produced reduced storage rates of roughly 9 × 10⁶ Mg C and 3 × 10⁶ Mg C, respectively; about 64% and 22% of the total, 80-year C storage calculated in scenario 2. The bulk of the C in scenario 2 was stored in the forest, amounting to about 76% of the total C sequestered.     

Heat and carbon dioxide generated by honeybees jointly act to kill hornets

We have found that giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia japonica) are killed in less than 10 min when they are trapped in a bee ball created by the Japanese honeybees Apis cerana japonica, but their death cannot be solely accounted for by the elevated temperature in the bee ball. In controlled experiments, hornets can survive for 10 min at the temperature up to 47°C, whereas the temperature inside the bee balls does not rise higher than 45.9°C. We have found here that the CO₂ concentration inside the bee ball also reaches a maximum (3.6 ± 0.2%) in the initial 0–5 min phase after bee ball formation. The lethal temperature of the hornet (45–46°C) under conditions of CO₂ concentration (3.7 ± 0.44%) produced using human expiratory air is almost the same as that in the bee ball. The lethal temperature of the honeybee is 50–51°C under the same air conditions. We concluded that CO₂ produced inside the bee ball by honeybees is a major factor together with the temperature involved in defense against giant hornets.     

三峡库区典型河流水-气界面CO2通量日变化观测及其影响因素分析

为研究河流水-气界面CO_2通量的季节和日变化特征;于2016年7月15～17日以及2017年11月4～6日对三峡库区嘉陵江支流竹溪河进行定点定时采集表层水样,并同步监测关键环境因子,采用亨利定律结合薄边界层模型计算其水-气界面CO_2通量F(CO_2).结果表明,竹溪河表层水CO_2分压p(CO_2)及界面CO_2脱气通量呈现出显著的日间和季节变化,以及明显的日内变化特征:在上午09:00前后达到释放高峰,随后波动下降;水-气界面CO_2通量日间均值分别为(100. 9±31. 6)、(78. 6±12. 1)、(83. 9±29. 7)、(137. 5±42. 1)、(147. 6±34. 0)、(132. 4±21. 7) mmol·(m~2·d)~(-1);并表现出夏季表层水体CO_2释放通量明显低于秋季,其均值分别为(87. 8±27. 5) mmol·(m~2·d)~(-1)和(139. 2±34. 0) mmol·(m~2·d)~(-1);总体表现出大气CO_2源的特征.竹溪河p(CO_2)和F(CO_2)受到诸多环境因子的影响,相关分析表明,pH、碱度、水温和气温是主要环境影响因子,CO_2释放通量可以用pH和碱度预测.     

不同缺氧段硝酸盐氮浓度条件下连续流单污泥污水处理系统PHA、TP代谢

根据试验结果和物料平衡分析,揭示了连续流单污泥污水处理系统在不同主要缺氧段硝酸盐氮质量浓度[c(NO3)]条件下运行时的PHA、TP代谢规律,从反应机制方面评价以c(NO3)作为连续流单污泥污水处理系统运行控制参数的有效性.采用PLC自动控制系统,以硝化液内循环流量作为被控变量,基于反馈控制结构,在c(NO3)设定值分别为0.5、1.0、1.5、2.0、2.5、3.0、3.5以及4.0 mg·L-1的条件下进行试验研究,进水水质及其他运行设计参数保持不变.结果表明,当c(NO3)设定值为2.5mg·L-1时,厌氧段和预缺氧段PHA合成并贮存量、主要缺氧段PHA降解量、厌氧段和预缺氧段磷释放量、系统总吸磷量以及主要缺氧段磷吸收量等均达到最大值,分别为35.32、1.71、20.44、6.16、0.32、8.04、3.67 g·d-1.这从PHA和TP代谢机制角度进一步证实了c(NO3)可作为连续流单污泥污水处理系统的运行控制参数,其最佳设定值为2.5 mg·L-1.     

徐州市气溶胶光学厚度与PM2.5相关性及年周期特征

基于徐州市2014～2017年气溶胶光学厚度(AOD)、地面监测站PM_(2.5)浓度及气象数据,构建经标高订正的AOD(AOD/H)与经湿度订正的PM_(2.5)(PM_(2.5)×f_((RH)))之间的5种不同类型的拟合模型,分析两者在不同季节的相关性;同时利用经验模态分解对AOD/H与PM_(2.5)×f_((RH))进行周期变化分析。结果表明:AOD与PM_(2.5)浓度直接相关程度较低,经过订正后两者的相关程度显著提高;选取乘幂模型为最优拟合模型,利用乘幂模型估计得到的PM_(2.5)浓度与地面监测的经湿度订正的PM_(2.5)浓度呈显著正相关,相关系数在四季分别达到0.752、0.650、0.808和0.942;利用经验模态分解分析得到AOD/H与PM_(2.5)×f_((RH))具有显著的年周期变化特征,均在冬季出现高值,后逐渐降低,在6月前后出现极小值,到秋季又逐渐增大;AOD/H与PM_(2.5)×f_((RH))年变化特征表现出很高的一致性(r=0.888),表明在徐州地区AOD/H对PM_(2.5)×f_((RH))在年周期尺度变化特征研究中能起到良好的指示作用。     

基于响应曲面法的臭氧生成敏感性分析

准确判断臭氧(O₃)生成敏感性对O₃污染成因分析和防控对策的制定至关重要.首次利用响应曲面方法设计最优试验方案,基于盒子模式模拟结果,快速量化O₃对其前体物变化的响应.结果表明,CO对O₃有正贡献,NO_x和VOCs与O₃呈现显著非线性关系,当φ(VOCs)与[φ(NO_x)-13.75]比值大于4.17时,为NO_x控制区,小于4.17时,为VOCs控制区;烯烃为影响O₃生成的关键VOCs组分,当φ(烯烃)与[φ(NO_x)-15]比值小于1.10且φ(烯烃)<35×10^-9时,烯烃有利于O₃的生成.响应曲面法在多因素和其交互作用对O₃生成影响的研究中取得了良好效果,为高效判断O₃敏感性提供了新的思路和方法.     

Avoiding CO2 capture effort and cost for negative CO2 emissions using industrial waste in chemical-looping combustion/gasification of biomass

Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) is a combustion process with inherent separation of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which is achieved by oxidizing the fuel with a solid oxygen carrier rather than with air. As fuel and combustion air are never mixed, no gas separation is necessary and, consequently, there is no direct cost or energy penalty for the separation of gases. The most common form of design of chemical-looping combustion systems uses circulating fluidized beds, which is an established and widely spread technology. Experiments were conducted in two different laboratory-scale CLC reactors with continuous fuel feeding and nominal fuel inputs of 300 W_th and 10 kW_th, respectively. As an oxygen carrier material, ground steel converter slag from the Linz–Donawitz process was used. This material is the second largest flow in an integrated steel mill and it is available in huge quantities, for which there is currently limited demand. Steel converter slag consists mainly of oxides of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), silicon (Si), and manganese (Mn). In the 300 W unit, chemical-looping combustion experiments were conducted with model fuels syngas (50 vol% hydrogen (H₂) in carbon monoxide (CO)) and methane (CH₄) at varied reactor temperature, fuel input, and oxygen-carrier circulation. Further, the ability of the oxygen-carrier material to release oxygen to the gas phase was investigated. In the 10 kW unit, the fuels used for combustion tests were steam-exploded pellets and wood char. The purpose of these experiments was to study more realistic biomass fuels and to assess the lifetime of the slag when employed as oxygen carrier. In addition, chemical-looping gasification was investigated in the 10 kW unit using both steam-exploded pellets and regular wood pellets as fuels. In the 300 W unit, up to 99.9% of syngas conversion was achieved at 280 kg/MW_th and 900 °C, while the highest conversion achieved with methane was 60% at 280 kg/MW_th and 950 °C. The material’s ability to release oxygen to the gas phase, i.e., CLOU property, was developed during the initial hours with fuel operation and the activated material released 1–2 vol% of O₂ into a flow of argon between 850 and 950 °C. The material’s initial low density decreased somewhat during CLC operation. In the 10 kW, CO₂ yields of 75–82% were achieved with all three fuels tested in CLC conditions, while carbon leakage was very low in most cases, i.e., below 1%. With wood char as fuel, at a fuel input of 1.8 kW_th, a CO₂ yield of 92% could be achieved. The carbon fraction of C₂-species was usually below 2.5% and no C₃-species were detected. During chemical-looping gasification investigation a raw gas was produced that contained mostly H₂. The oxygen carrier lifetime was estimated to be about 110–170 h. However, due to its high availability and potentially low cost, this type of slag could be suitable for large-scale operation. The study also includes a discussion on the potential advantages of this technology over other technologies available for Bio-Energy Carbon Capture and Storage, BECCS. Furthermore, the paper calls for the use of adequate policy instruments to foster the development of this kind of technologies, with great potential for cost reduction but presently without commercial application because of lack of incentives.

     

Making carbon sequestration a paying proposition

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) has increased from a preindustrial concentration of about 280 ppm to about 367 ppm at present. The increase has closely followed the increase in CO₂ emissions from the use of fossil fuels. Global warming caused by increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the major environmental challenge for the 21st century. Reducing worldwide emissions of CO₂ requires multiple mitigation pathways, including reductions in energy consumption, more efficient use of available energy, the application of renewable energy sources, and sequestration. Sequestration is a major tool for managing carbon emissions. In a majority of cases CO₂ is viewed as waste to be disposed; however, with advanced technology, carbon sequestration can become a value-added proposition. There are a number of potential opportunities that render sequestration economically viable. In this study, we review these most economically promising opportunities and pathways of carbon sequestration, including reforestation, best agricultural production, housing and furniture, enhanced oil recovery, coalbed methane (CBM), and CO₂ hydrates. Many of these terrestrial and geological sequestration opportunities are expected to provide a direct economic benefit over that obtained by merely reducing the atmospheric CO₂ loading. Sequestration opportunities in 11 states of the Southeast and South Central United States are discussed. Among the most promising methods for the region include reforestation and CBM. The annual forest carbon sink in this region is estimated to be 76 Tg C/year, which would amount to an expenditure of $11.1–13.9 billion/year. Best management practices could enhance carbon sequestration by 53.9 Tg C/year, accounting for 9.3% of current total annual regional greenhouse gas emission in the next 20 years. Annual carbon storage in housing, furniture, and other wood products in 1998 was estimated to be 13.9 Tg C in the region. Other sequestration options, including the direct injection of CO₂ in deep saline aquifers, mineralization, and biomineralization, are not expected to lead to direct economic gain. More detailed studies are needed for assessing the ultimate changes to the environment and the associated indirect cost savings for carbon sequestration.     

Carbon storage versus fossil fuel substitution: a climate change mitigation option for two different land use categories based on short and long rotation forestry in India

Short rotation bioenergy crops for energy production are considered an effective means to mitigate the greenhouse effect, mainly due to their ability to substitute fossil fuels. Alternatively, carbon can be sequestered and stored in the living biomass. This paper compares the two land use categories (forest land and non-forest land) for two management practices (short rotation vs. long rotation) to study mitigation potential of afforestation and fossil fuel substitution as compared to carbon storage. Significant carbon benefit can be obtained in the long run from using lands for growing short rotation energy crops and substituting fossil fuels by the biomass thus produced, as opposed to sequestering carbon in the biomass of the trees. When growth rates are high and harvest is used in a sustainable manner (i.e., replanting after every harvest), the opportunities for net carbon reductions appear to be fossil fuel substitution, rather than storage in ecosystem biomass. Our results suggest that at year 100 a total of 216 Mg C ha⁻¹ is sequestered for afforestation/reforestation using long rotation sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn.f) species, as opposed to offset of 412 Mg C ha⁻¹ for carbon storage and fossil fuel substitution for short rotation poplar (Populus Deltoides Marsh) plantations. The bioenergy option results in a continuous stream of about 3 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ of carbon benefits per year on forest land and 4 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ on non-forest land. Earlier studies have shown that in India waste land availability for establishing energy plantations is in the range of 9.6 to 36.5 Mha. Thus, using the 758 Tg biomass per year generated from 9.6 Mha waste land gives a mitigation potential in the range of 227 to 303 Tg C per year for carbon storage and fossil fuel substitution from poplar plantation for substituting coal based power generation. Depending upon the land availability for plantation, the potential for energy generation is in the range of 11,370 PJ, possibly amounting to a bioenergy supply of 43% of the total projected energy consumption in 2015. Further studies are needed to estimate the mitigation potential of other species with different productivities for overall estimation of the economic feasibility and social acceptability in a tropical country like India.     

Mitigation of greenhouse gases by adoption of improved biomass cookstoves

Greenhouse gases especially CO₂ can be reduced with the help of improved biomass cookstoves. This paper deals with the design and development of biomass stoves (single pot and double pot) with better efficiency for meeting household cooking energy requirement. Thermal performance, flue gas emission of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) have been investigated. It was seen from the result that the flue gas emission is within permissible limit as recommended by World Health Organization. The design of improved biomass stove sent to Palampur (32^o10’N,76^o30’E) center situated in Himalaya in hilly terrain of India, where the acceptability of double pot stoves (85%) is quite high compared to single pot stoves (30%). Thermal efficiencies of both single and double pot stove were recorded about 21% and 25% respectively. An improved biomass cookstove can save about 161 kg of CO₂ annually. Improved cookstoves was found eco-friendly in nature and suitable for the cooking requirement of hilly areas.     

When signal meets noise: immunity of the frog ear to interference

Sound stimulates the tympanic membrane (TM) of anuran amphibians through multiple, poorly understood pathways. It is conceivable that interactions between the internal and external inputs to the TM contribute to the nonlinear effects that noise is known to produce at higher levels of the auditory pathway. To explore this issue, we conducted measurements of TM vibration in response to tones in the presence of noise in the frog Eupsophus calcaratus. Laser vibrometry revealed that the power spectra (n = 16) of the TM velocity in response to pure tones at a constant level of 80 dB sound-pressure level (SPL) had a maximum centered at an average frequency of 2,344 Hz (range 1,700–2,990 Hz) and a maximum velocity of 61.1 dB re 1 μm/s (range 42.9–66.6 dB re 1 μm/s). These TM-vibration velocity response profiles in the presence of increasing levels of 4-kHz band-pass noise were unaltered up to noise levels of 90 dB SPL. For the relatively low spectral densities of the noise used, the TM remains in its linear range. Such vibration patterns facilitate the detection of tonal signals in noise at the tympanic membrane and may underlie the remarkable vocal responsiveness maintained by males of E. calcaratus under noise interference.