Dynamic simulation of a decentralized polygeneration plant providing SNG,steam and power

The behaviour of a decentralized polygeneration plant providing synthetic natural gas (SNG), steam and electrical power is simulated in three scenarios in this study. The plant size is based on an assumed capacity of decentralized polygeneration plants processing 1070 m³ h^?1 (STP) of syngas. 396 m³ h^?1 (STP) of raw SNG, 0.4 t h^?1 of steam at 5 bar and 670 kW of electrical power can be generated by the plant at the reference scenario. Methanation reactor and steam generator are modelled in detail. Further results indicate that such a polygeneration plant can provide positive and negative operation reserves for the electricity network to the extent of 100% of the reference power output, while the amount of generated steam varies by less than 40%. At the same time, the generated SNG quality keeps constant. Lower variations in the amount of generated steam are applicable when reducing the operation reserve capacity.     

Statistical modelling of district-level residential electricity use in NSW, Australia

Electricity network investment and asset management require accurate estimation of future demand in energy consumption within specified service areas. For this purpose, simple models are typically developed to predict future trends in electricity consumption using various methods and assumptions. This paper presents a statistical model to predict electricity consumption in the residential sector at the Census Collection District (CCD) level over the state of New South Wales, Australia, based on spatial building and household characteristics. Residential household demographic and building data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and actual electricity consumption data from electricity companies are merged for 74 % of the 12,000 CCDs in the state. Eighty percent of the merged dataset is randomly set aside to establish the model using regression analysis, and the remaining 20 % is used to independently test the accuracy of model prediction against actual consumption. In 90 % of the cases, the predicted consumption is shown to be within 5 kWh per dwelling per day from actual values, with an overall state accuracy of ?1.15 %. Given a future scenario with a shift in climate zone and a growth in population, the model is used to identify the geographical or service areas that are most likely to have increased electricity consumption. Such geographical representation can be of great benefit when assessing alternatives to the centralised generation of energy; having such a model gives a quantifiable method to selecting the ‘most’ appropriate system when a review or upgrade of the network infrastructure is required.     

Quantitative assessment of the Japanese “local production for local consumption” movement: a case study of growth of vegetables in the Osaka city region

This study aimed to assess Japan’s recent “local production for local consumption” (LPLC) movement, with a special focus on vegetables in the Osaka city region of central Japan. After collecting statistics and spatial data, we conducted a multi-scale analysis of vegetable production and consumption along with the associated energy consumption, using geographical information system software at three spatial scales along the vegetable flow paths: national, regional, and local. Vegetables consumed in the Osaka city region came from prefectures throughout Japan, and we mapped the foodshed within this region at 1-km spatial resolution, as well as the distribution of farmland, farmers’ and other markets. We also conducted a scenario analysis for reduced energy consumption through organic farming and the utilization of abandoned farmland near a city to replace food imports from distant areas. We found that the large majority of vegetables consumed in the Osaka city region currently come from remote prefectures, and that this is associated with a high level of energy consumption. Inside the Osaka city region, peri-urban vegetable farming contributes to regional vegetable provision, resulting in an approximately 70 % production/consumption ratio within an 80-km radius of the urban center; if all of the area of abandoned farmland were restored to production, this ratio would increase to approximately 75 %. Organic farming activities that bring together farmers and urbanites are emerging in many parts of the study area, contributing to increased LPLC. Scenario analysis suggested that a decrease of more than 1 × 10⁶ GJ of energy inputs could be achieved through wider adoption of local organic farming for local consumption and complete utilization of abandoned farmland in the Osaka city region.     

Local knowledge about dugout canoes reveals connections between forests and fisheries

Dugout canoes are traditional boat types made from a single tree trunk. This type of boat can reveal unique connections between forest and fisheries in coastal areas: their construction and the species used depend on the local ecological knowledge of artisans and the plant resources available and are also influenced by the type of fisheries in which the canoe will be used. Our objective was to analyze how dugout canoes are constructed, maintained, and currently used in the central coastal region of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The study emphasizes the interaction between the use of forest resources and artisanal fishing in this coastal environment. The data collected were based on interviews with 30 artisans and participant observation. Schizolobium parahyba (Vell.) Blake, Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart.) Barroso, Ocotea Aubl../Nectandra Roll. Ex Rottb., and Aspidosperma Mart. & Zucc. are the main taxa used to construct the canoes. Many canoe sizes are used, and based on the boat type, the trunk diameters needed to construct them varies from 0.6 to 2.9 m and trunk heights from 4 to 10 m. Different types of canoe are used according to the type of fishing and especially to the environment conditions. The construction of canoes in the region has decreased due to difficulties in acquiring wood, changes in fishing activities, and reasons related to labor and apprenticeship, all causes related to modernization of the society and urban growth. The knowledge of plant species used can contribute to shape policies to improve forest management. The survival of cultural practices in artisanal fishing communities should be stimulated in sustainable development programs, and it involves maintaining ecological and technical knowledge related to fishing and the plant resources used to manufacture and maintain fishing equipment.     

Ethnobotany in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique: Use of Medicinal Plants

Communities in Cabo Delgado have a long tradition of using medicinal plants. In Mozambique, rural populations in general are highly dependent on natural resources. One example is the use of surrounding vegetation by people from Cabo Delgado. They use plants for food, handicrafts, construction, as a primary energy source and even for medicine purposes. In this survey, we examined the diversity of plant usage for medicinal purposes by 146 individuals, including adults and youth living in the Cabo Delgado province. This community quoted 16 species of plants, belonging to 13 families. Utilisation by different categories of people based on sex and age was compared and differences were found among some groups. In general, older people show a deeper knowledge of medicinal plants than younger people. Men and women show similar knowledge of medicinal plants.     

Latitudinal pattern in species diversity and its response to global warming in permafrost wetlands in the Great Hing’an Mountains, China

Permafrost wetlands are one of the most sensitive plant communities in response to global warming. Global warming could induce natural plant communities to shift into cooler climate zones, or extirpate. To understand how plant communities in permafrost wetlands are affected by global warming, we examined the patterns of plant species diversity in the 24 permafrost wetlands in the Great Hing’an Mountains along a latitudinal gradient. This gradient was characterized by a northward decline in mean annual temperature (Δ = 3.5°C) and mean annual precipitation (Δ = 38.7 mm). Our results indicated that latitudinal patterns in species diversity existed in the permafrost wetlands. The numbers of family, genus and species, the Gleason index and Shannon-Wiener index for shrubs decreased linearly with decreasing latitude, but increased for herbaceous plants. The latitudinal patterns in species diversity had influenced strongly by temperature. Simple linear regression yielded about 2 decreases in shrub number and 9 increases in herbaceous species number with an increase of mean annual temperature by 1°C, with 0.33 decreases in shrub diversity and 0.29 increases in herbaceous species diversity. If temperature warms 3.7°C by 2100, herbaceous plants might increase in the permafrost wetlands, with species number increasing 48% or 6 times and species diversity increasing 40% or 2 times; and some shrub species might decrease and even disappear in part of the areas with lower latitude, with species number decreasing 50–100% and species diversity decreasing 69–100%. The permafrost wetlands in the Great Hing’an Mountains might continue degenerating and shift northward with global warming over the next century.     

Environmental externalities in relation to agricultural sector in Thailand with trade-linked analysis

Thailand plays an important role in the international trade of food and agricultural products, which is in alignment with its national strategy of serving as the “kitchen of the world.” When looking at its agricultural promotion and export policies, the country only counts the value gains from exports while neglecting environmental externalities related to plantation practices. The purpose of this study was to perform a trade-off analysis between consumptive water, land, and fertilizer use together with the economic values of major crops for export and consumption in the country. The results show that to gain income from agricultural exports, the country has exploited various natural resources. The area used to harvest rice, sugarcane, cassava, and rubber adds up to approximately 15.3 million ha: 7.2 million ha of which is for domestic consumption and 8.1 ha for export. To produce Thailand’s agricultural exports, total water use is estimated to be 49.8–67.5 billion m³ per year (61–65 %), while the amount used to produce crops for domestic consumption is 26.5–43.7 billion m³ per year (35–39 %). Meanwhile, 1,056–1,826 thousand tons (54 %) of fertilizer was used on crops for domestic consumption, and 1,222–1,370 thousand tons (46 %) of fertilizer was used on export crops. The best crop choice for export in terms of its export value, land use, fertilizer use, and water consumption is rubber. The worst crop choices for export are rice and cassava. More sustainable agricultural practices are needed to effect improvements such as increased yields and reduced fertilizer and water use.     

Experimental investigation of energy properties for Stigonematales sp. microalgae as potential biofuel feedstock

Microalgae has been considered potential biofuel source from the last decade owing to its versatile perspectives such as excellent capability of CO₂ capture and sequestration, water treatment, prolific growth rate and enormous energy content. Thus, energy research on microalgae is being harnessed to mitigate CO₂ and meet future energy demands. This study investigated the bioenergy potential of native blue-green microalgae consortium as initial energy research on microalgae in Brunei Darussalam. The local species of microalgae were assembled from rainwater drains, the species were identified as Stigonematales sp. and physical properties were characterised. Sundried biomass with moisture content ranging from 6.5% to 7.37% was measured to be used to determine the net and gross calorific value and they were 7.98 MJ/kg-8.57 MJ/kg and 8.70 MJ/kg-9.45 MJ/kg, respectively. Besides that, the hydrogen content, ash content, volatile matter, and bulk density were also experimented and they were 2.56%-3.15%, 43.6%-36.71%, 57–38%-63.29% and 661.2 kg/m³-673.07 kg/m³, respectively. Apart from experimental values, other physical bioenergy parameters were simulated and they were biomass characteristic index 61,822.29 kg/m³-62,341.3 kg/m³, energy density 5.27 GJ/m³-5.76G J/m³ and fuel value index 86.19–88.54. With these experimental results, microalgae manifested itself a potential source of biofuel feedstock for heat and electricity generation, a key tool to bring down the escalated atmospheric greenhouse gases and an alternation for fossil fuel.     

陕南化龙山珍稀濒危植物的保护和利用

化龙山是大巴山系在川陕境内的最高山峰,海拔２９１７．２ｍ,植物资源丰富,有野生维管植物１９７７种,隶属１８６科８１５属。化龙山是陕西省珍稀濒危植物资源最丰富的地区,共有国家保护的珍稀濒危植物２２科３０属３３种,其中属一级保护１种,二级保护１１种,三级保护２１种,属濒危２种,稀有１４各,渐危１７种,珍稀濒危植物古老成分较多,并以第三纪孑遗成分为主单少型属和中国特有属分别是１６属和１０属。这些珍稀濒危     

Biomass allocation in boreal plants with different ecological strategies

In the boreal zone of the Middle Urals, biomass structure was studied in 35 species of wild plants with different ecological strategies according to Grime and Ramenskii (competitors, ruderals, and stress-tolerant plants). Plants belonging to these groups proved to differ considerably in the absolute plant weight and the quantitative contributions of the main organs to the total biomass. Discriminant analysis revealed a 97% difference between the species groups; hence, this approach may be used for identifying the ecological strategies of plants in natural habitats.     

Anishnaabe Aki: an indigenous perspective on the global threat of invasive species

Conservation discourses tend to portray invasive species as biological entities temporally connected to colonial timelines, using terms such as “alien”, “colonizing”, “colonial”, and “native”. This focus on a colonial timeline emerges from scientific publications within conservation biology and invasion ecology and is enacted through invasive species management by state and NGO actors. Colonialism is influential for indigenous nations in myriad ways, but in what ways do indigenous understandings of invasive species engage with colonialism? We conducted ethnographic research with indigenous Anishnaabe communities to learn about the ways Anishnaabe people conceptualize invasive species as a phenomenon in the world and were gifted with three primary insights. First, Anishnaabe regard plants, like all beings, as persons that assemble into nations more so than “species”. The arrival of new plant nations is viewed by some Anishnaabe as a natural form of migration. The second insight highlights the importance of actively discovering the purpose of new species, sometimes with the assistance of animal teachers. Lastly, while Anishnaabe describe invasive species as phenomenologically entangled with colonialism, the multiple ways Anishnaabe people think about invasive species provide alternatives to native–non-native binaries that dominate much of the scientific discourse.     

Which crop production system is more efficient in energy use: wheat or barley?

Efficient use of energy helps to achieve increased production and productivity and contributes to the economy, profitability, and competitiveness of agricultural sustainability of rural communities. Evaluation of wheat and barley production systems in view of energy balance was conducted in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran. Data were collected by using a face-to-face questionnaire from wheat and barley fields in 2011. Results revealed that total energy input for wheat was 51,040 MJ ha^?1 and for barley 44,866; in wheat and barley systems, renewable energy was consumed by 25.43 and 23.53 %, while non-renewable energy was consumed by 74.57 and 76.47 %, respectively. Energy use efficiency, energy productivity, and net energy were 1.7 kg MJ^?1, 0.088 kg MJ^?1, and 35,987 MJ ha^?1 in wheat system and 1.83 kg MJ^?1, 0.092 kg MJ^?1, and 33,833 MJ ha^?1 in barley system, respectively. Energy intensiveness in wheat fields (61.84 MJ $^?1) was higher than in barley fields (58.71 MJ $^?1). Also, benefit-to-cost ratio in wheat system (1.59) was higher than in barley system (1.35). In general, production in barley fields was more sustainable than wheat production because, in view of ecological indices such as amount of energy use and renewable energy consumption, it was more environment-friendly production.     

江西大余县荡坪钨矿尾矿区自然植物组成及其重金属富集特征

研究江西大余县荡坪国有钨矿尾砂库区自然植物组成分布及其重金属富集特征,旨在为今后矿区植被重建与植物修复重金属污染土壤提供科学依据。结果表明：库区共出现了20种植物,隶属15科20属,其中草本植物14种,木本植物6种;这些植物明显生长不良,且主要分布在库区湿润或有水出现的沙土地区。尾砂库区中,不同重金属含量在同一植物体内大小趋势为Zn>Pb>Cu>Cd。库区没有发现重金属的超富集植物,大部分为Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd的耐性植物。荡坪尾砂库区土壤Cd污染严重,木贼与蜈蚣草为Cd的避性植物,可用于库区Cd污染土壤的植被重建先锋物种;土荆芥与香附子为Cd的积累植物,可以用于库区Cd污染土壤的植物修复;其它植物为Cd的排斥植物,可用于库区Cd污染土壤的植物固化.     

Sustainable cooking energy options for rural poor people in India: an empirical study

Currently, energy consumption for cooking in rural households of India is mostly based on fuelwood used in traditional stoves. This paper presents results of a study carried out in a forest fringe area of India on cooking energy use. The concept of calculating levelized cost as cost per unit of useful energy is applied on source–device combinations of cooking and validated in Bargaon Community Development Block of Sundergarh District in Odisha, India. About 92 % of the households in the study area use fuelwood as the only energy source for cooking; the total use of fuelwood for only cooking, in the Block is nearly 1.8 times the total sustainable wood supply showing an urgent need for promoting alternative cooking energy options. This paper also presents an assessment of different cooking options in terms of cost per unit of useful cooking energy. LPG, biogas and gasifier stoves are found to be far too expensive for the local people. Briquette-fired improved stoves appear to be a promising cooking energy option in the study area. Government support and intervention are recommended for promoting this option.     

Observed climate-induced changes in plant phenology in the Netherlands

We determined whether climate change in the Netherlands has caused phenological changes since 1868. We analysed over 150,000 plant phenological observations of 320 plant species, obtained by four volunteer networks and one series collected by Mr. Braaksma. With the network data, we compared the timing of life cycle events in three different periods: 1894–1932 (Period 1), 1940–1968 (Period 2) and 2001–2010 (Period 3). For the Braaksma series, we compared the periods 1953–1968 (Period A) with 1969–1992 (Period B). We conclude that until the beginning of the 1990s, there have been no significant changes in the timing of life cycle events. The timing of life cycle events in Period 3 showed an average advance of flowering, leaf unfolding and fruit ripening of 14 days compared with Period 1 and 13 days compared with Period 2. Some species have advanced up to over 35 days. Autumn events occurred up to an average of 7 days later in Period 3 compared to earlier periods. This study shows that, based on network data, changes in climate explain on average 66 % of the variation in timing of phenological events from year to year. For the Braaksma data, this is 38 %. The expected future changes in climate will undoubtedly result in a further lengthening of the growing season. We believe that phenological networks, supported by thousands of volunteers, are needed to quantify, analyse, predict and communicate these phenological changes so various sectors in society can adapt to these changes and prevent significant socio-economic impacts.     

Depictions of sustainability in children’s books

Images in children’s books can leave a more lasting impression in young learners’ minds than text. Therefore, it is important for children’s books to use images as a teaching tool, especially regarding global issues such as environmental sustainability. This study examined how the images in nonfiction children’s books approach the topic of sustainability and whether these images support the overall goals of environmental education. We selected seven easy-to-access trade books which yielded 384 images for analysis. Two coders analyzed the images according to the following categories: (a) gender and age, (b) actions of people, (c) depictions of nature, (d) depictions of objects, (e) structures, and (f) habitation. Results show that nearly half of the images (48 %) depicted non-natural objects (16 %) or humans (31 %). One half of the images portrayed humans as consumers. Gender bias was evident, with 33 % of females portrayed as consumers and only 16 % of males portrayed as consumers. Similarly, 12 % of the images with males showed them engaged in recycling behavior, while only 4 % of the images showed females recycling. Of the 32 % of images depicting nature, individual plants rather than ecosystems were portrayed. Depictions of man-made systems predominated the images, a surprising finding. No images established the connection between consumerism and the depletion of natural resources or pollution, and further sustainable actions or lifestyles were not portrayed, implying that consumption is a societal norm. We conclude with recommendations for the use of images in children’s literature focusing on environmental education and sustainability.     

Rapid ethnobotanical diagnosis of the Fulni-? Indigenous lands (NE Brazil): floristic survey and local conservation priorities for medicinal plants

This study was developed as part of the project ??Studies for Environmental and Cultural Sustainability of the Fulni-ô Medical System: Office on handling medicinal plants??. The Fulni-ô people are located in Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil. One of the components of this project was an ethnobotanical diagnosis of the indigenous land, where a phytosociological survey was performed in an area of Caatinga vegetation, located at Ouricuri settlement. Based on these ethnobotanical data, we calculated a conservation priority index aiming to rank species that should receive immediate attention from the Fulni-ô people. We identified 44 woody plants, 50% of which have a medicinal use. Among these, six plants were considered highly vulnerable and in need of immediate conservationist attention, in order to ensure the perpetuation of these species and the sustainability of traditional therapeutic practices of the Fulni-ô: Anadenanthera colubrina, Myracrodruon urundeuva, Lippia sp., Spondias tuberosa, Maytenus rigida, and Sideroxylon obtusifolium. We recommend the direct involvement of the Fulni-ô people in the conservation and the management of local resources by implementing a management plan and monitoring strategies for the populations of plants considered most important by the indigenous group.     

Technology improvements and value changes for sustainable happiness: a cross-development analytical model

This paper develops an analytical model to calculate the amount by which individuals are expected to modify their values (the relationship between lifestyle and happiness, as measured by subjective well-being, SWB) and to adopt innovative technologies (to increase the sustainability of production and consumption, measured by the ecological footprint, EF) to allow current and future generations to achieve sustainable happiness (the pursuit of happiness that does not exploit other people, the environment, or future generations). The paper also examines the dependence of these changes on an individual’s concern for future generations and on their country’s current state of economic development. It is shown that individuals in better-off developed countries and individuals in worse-off developing countries can achieve sustainability with a reasonable level of value change (0–30 %) and a feasible degree of technological innovation (10–40 %), respectively. In contrast, individuals in better-off developing countries and individuals in worse-off developed countries must rely to an impractical degree of technological innovation (50–70 %) and to an unreasonable level of value change (40–70 %), respectively. Finally, individuals in developing countries differ from individuals in developed countries in terms of their potential to achieve sustainable happiness, by achieving sustainability at a low SWB (about 10 % of its maximum) and a high SWB (about 80 % of its maximum), respectively.     

Forest protection and economic development by offshoring wood extraction: Bhutan’s clean development path

With globalization, virtual exchanges of natural resources embodied in traded commodities redistribute geographically land use and its environmental impacts. Benefits of national forest protection may be undermined at the global-scale by leakage through international trade. We studied land use displacement associated with national policies to protect forests in Bhutan. This case study provides a simple situation: a dominant forest cover almost unaffected by agricultural expansion, a rural economy dominated by the primary sector, centralized forest conservation policies, and a dominant trading partner. We assessed the net effects at the international level of the Bhutanese forest protection policies by accounting for trade in wood products with India. Our results show that these policies have been effective in maintaining a high forest cover, but have been accompanied by an increasing displacement of forest use to India. In 1996–2011, the difference between the total volume of wood imported from India and the total volume exported from Bhutan—i.e., the net displacement—corresponds to 27 % of the total volume consumed in Bhutan. In 2011, 68 % of the total forest area required to produce the wood consumed in Bhutan was located in India. The wood imported by Bhutan was likely originating from tree plantations in the northeastern Indian states. Since Bhutan has few tree plantations and very valuable natural forests, the net international-level ecological impacts of this land use displacement is arguably positive. Most of the wood imports of Bhutan were wood charcoal for its emerging chemical industries. This case of displacement reflects functional upgrading in the value-chain rather than an externalization of consumption-based environmental costs. Through its government policies, Bhutan has managed to support its economic development while protecting its forests and leapfrogging the negative impacts on forests generally associated with the early stages of modernization.     

Indicators of deforestation in the Southern Brazilian Pre-Amazon

In recent years, Amazonian deforestation has become a question of global concern. Deforestation in Amazon is a complex phenomenon in nature and has been related to traditional agriculture expansion. In this work, land use, socioeconomic and conservation indicators, combined with statistical analysis, were used to understand forces associated with patterns of deforestation. This approach was applied in Southern Brazilian Pre-Amazon in Mato Grosso State, which represents an extensive rain forest-savanna ecotone, located in the south border of Amazon biome. Based on data from the last two agricultural censuses (1995/1996–2006), we compared agricultural expansion in this area and Mato Grosso state. Results have shown that 85 % of state deforestation was concentrated in Southern Pre-Amazon and was closely related to increase in number of cattle and pasture area. PCA results pointed that population (92 %), number of cattle (86.5 %), pastures (84.2 %) and tractors (78.4 %) were variables with highest positive correlation to deforestation. It showed that GDP contributes to an individual axis and has a low correlation to deforestation (37.8 %). Conservation units and indigenous reserves also contribute to a single axis and were negatively correlated to temporary crops area. Results revealed a significant reduction in production and commercialization of extractive products in the region, revealing that the main, almost only conservation policy in Mato Grosso remains the creation of Special Areas. We suggest that further studies are necessary to screen development alternatives to simple cutting trees down. It is important to diversify strategies for deforestation control, and development aspects must be more seriously considered to reach a sustainable deforestation control policy.