Global energy and emissions scenarios for effective climate change mitigation—Deterministic and stochastic scenarios with the TIAM model

The achievement possibilities of the EU 2 °C climate target have been assessed with the ETSAP TIAM global energy systems model. Cost-effective global and regional mitigation scenarios of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and F-gases were calculated with alternative assumptions on emissions trading. In the mitigation scenarios, an 85% reduction in CO₂ emissions is needed from the baseline, and very significant changes in the energy system towards emission-free sources take place during this century. The largest new technology groups are carbon-capture and storage (CCS), nuclear power, wind power, advanced bioenergy technologies and energy efficiency measures. CCS technologies contributed a 5.5-Pg CO₂ annual emission reduction by 2050 and 12 Pg CO₂ reduction by 2100. Also large-scale forestation measures were found cost-efficient. Forestation measures reached their maximum impact of 7.7 Pg CO₂ annual emission reduction in 2080. The effects of uncertainties in the climate sensitivity have been analysed with stochastic scenarios.     

A zero-valent iron and organic matter mixture enhances herbicide and herbicide degradation product removal in subsurface waters

The pesticide atrazine,its degradation products,and 2,6-dichlorobenzamide(BAM) are persistent in groundwater environment.We studied whether their dissipation can be enhanced with a mixture of a complex carbon source and zero-valent iron(ZVI) called EHC.The application rates were 1.0% and 2.0%(by weight) in subsurface sediments slurries(atrazine 30 mg/L),and 2.0% in 1.5 m pilot-scale sediment columns with groundwater flowing through(atrazine 0.08,desethylatrazine DEA 0.03,BAM 0.02 μg/L).In the slurries under aerobic conditions,atrazine of 0.88 ± 0.14 mg/g of EHC was dissipated chemically,as concentrations did not differ significantly between the slurries and their sterilized controls.No degradation occurred in the slurries under anaerobic conditions.In the pilot-scale columns under water-saturated conditions,atrazine,DEA and BAM were not detected in effluents during 33,64 and 64 days from the beginning of the water flow through EHC columns,respectively,but thereafter traces of compounds could be detected.No atrazine or degradation products(BAM,DEA,deisopropylatrazine,desethyldeisopropylatrazine) could be extracted from the column sediments at the end of the experiment.As a result,the sum of dissipated pesticides was about7.6 μg/g of EHC in columns under water-saturated conditions,and 0.88 mg/g of EHC in slurries under aerobic conditions.EHC can be used to enhance the dissipation of studied pesticides in small quantities,preferentially under aerobic conditions.