Making a stronger case for industrial energy efficiency by quantifying non-energy benefits

This paper describes a more compelling case for industry to promote the non-energy benefits of energy efficiency investments. We do this in two ways to actively appeal to chief executive officers (CEOs) and chief financial officers (CFOs) primary responsibility: to enhance shareholder value. First, we describe the use of a project-by-project corporate financial analysis approach to quantify a broader range of productivity benefits that stem from investments in energy-efficient technologies, including waste reduction and pollution prevention. Second, and perhaps just as important, we present such information in corporate financial terms. These standard, widely-accepted analysis procedures are more credible to industry than the economic modeling done in the past because they are structured in the same way corporate financial analysts perform discounted cashflow investment analyses on individual projects. Case studies including such financial analyses, which quantify both energy and non-energy benefits from investments in energy-efficient technologies, are presented. Experience shows that energy efficiency projects’ non-energy benefits often exceed the value of energy savings, so energy savings should be viewed more correctly as part of the total benefits, rather than the focus of the results. Quantifying the total benefits of energy efficiency projects helps companies understand the financial opportunities of investments in energy-efficient technologies. Making a case for investing in energy-efficient technologies based on energy savings alone has not always proven successful. Evidence suggests, however, that industrial decision makers will understand energy efficiency investments as part of a broader set of parameters that affect company productivity and profitability.     

Impact of land use on the biodiversity integrity of the moist sub-biome of the grassland biome, South Africa

South Africa's moist grassland harbours globally significant biodiversity, supplies essential ecosystem services, supports crop and livestock agriculture, forestry and settlement, yet is poorly conserved. Ongoing transformation and limited opportunity for expanding the protected area network require instead that biodiversity conservation is 'mainstreamed' within other land uses. This exercise sought to identify the relative compatibility of 10 land uses (conservation, livestock or game ranching, tourism/recreation, rural settlement, dryland cropping, irrigated cropping, dairy farming, plantation forestry, and urban settlement) with maintaining biodiversity integrity. This was assessed using 46 indicators for biodiversity integrity that covered landscape composition, structure, and functioning. Data was integrated into a single measure per land use through application of the analytic hierarchy process, with supporting information gained from interviews with experts. The rank order of importance amongst indicators was landscape structure, functioning and composition. Consistent differences among land uses for all three categories revealed two clear groupings. Conservation, livestock or game ranching had the lowest impact and retained substantial natural asset, while that for tourism/recreation was intermediate. All other land uses had a severe impact. Impact on biodiversity integrity depended mainly on the extent of transformation and fragmentation, which accounted for the greatest impact on habitats and species, and impairment of landscape functioning. It is suggested that a strategic intervention for maintaining biodiversity integrity of moist grassland is to support livestock or game ranching and limit ongoing urban sprawl.     

Conversion of specialised dairy farming systems into sustainable mixed farming systems in Cuba

From the 1960s onwards, a ‘High External Input’ dairy production model was applied widely in Cuba. Overall milk production of the national herd increased considerably, but the system was inefficient from both a financial and energetic point of view. In the early 1990s, after the abrupt end of inflow of capital and other resources from Eastern Europe, the dairy sector collapsed. In the short term, the modern infrastructure of milk production deteriorated and the sector experienced profound vulnerability. However, in the longer term, this situation stimulated a search for more sustainable approaches, such as low external input Mixed Farming Systems (MFS). The current study aimed to evaluate two small scale prototype farms to assess the implications of converting ‘Low External Input’ Dairy Farming Systems into MFS. Fifteen agro-ecological and financial indicators were selected and monitored over a 6-year period. Two configurations of MFS, i.e. the proportion of the farm area occupied by arable crops, were tested: 25 and 50%. Productivity, energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness all improved following conversion. Total energy input was low for both farms and decreased over time, whereas energy efficiency was high and increased over time. Human labour input was high directly following conversion, but decreased by one-third over the 6-year period. This study demonstrates, at an experimental scale, the potential of MFS to achieve ecological, productivity and financial advantages for dairy production in Cuba. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Climate change adaptation and livestock activity choices in Kenya: An economic analysis

This paper examines the impact of climate change on the decision of farmers to engage or not to engage in livestock activities and also on the choice of different livestock species in Kenya. To this end, cross‐sectional household level data supplemented by long‐term averages of climate data are used. The probit model is employed to derive the response of the probability of engaging in livestock activities to climate change. Probit and multivariate probit methods are employed to model the choice of different livestock species. Atmosphere–ocean global circulation models are used to project the impact of different climate scenarios on the probability of engaging in livestock activities and also of adopting different livestock species according to variations in climate. The results suggest that farmers adapt livestock management decisions to climate change. At low levels of temperature increase, the probability of engaging in livestock activities falls, but at higher levels of climate change, the probability rises. The results further show that as it gets hotter, farmers change their livestock choices from dairy cattle and sheep to beef cattle and goats.     

Farmyards, an overlooked source for highly contaminated runoff

Summer sampling of storm runoff generated from areas of roofs and hardstanding situated on four dairy/beef farms has provided novel information regarding its microbiological and chemical quality. All farm hardstandings generated runoff that was contaminated with respect to those pollutants (faecal coliforms, FC, and faecal streptococci, FS, major nutrients, organic carbon) that are ubiquitously associated with faecal matter and urine. The separate analysis of roof runoff indicated that these can contribute significant concentrations of FS, phosphorus (P) and potentially toxic elements such as zinc (Zn), and suggests a level of 'background' contamination originating from wash-off of bird droppings and in the case of Zn galvanised surfaces. On average hardstanding runoff showed enhanced concentrations of >4 orders of magnitude for FC and 2-3 for major nutrients and carbon relative to roof runoff. Organic forms of nitrogen (N) and P contributed significantly (averaging >40%) to the total dissolved fraction in both roof and hardstanding runoff. Part of the substantial variability in composition of runoff samples could be attributed to differences between farms as well as the timing of sample collection during individual storms. Where situations allowed, a comparison of water upstream and downstream of the farmyard demonstrated they acted as a source of multiple contaminants not only during hydrologically active storm events but also during dry periods. Contamination pathways included a combination of both point (e.g., septic overflows) and non-point (e.g., seepage from livestock housing) sources. Farmyards situated within intensive livestock farming areas such as SW Scotland, would be expected to have significant local and accumulated downstream impacts on the aquatic environment. Localised impacts would be particularly important for headwaters and low order streams.     

Smaller farm size and ruminant animals are associated with increased supply of non-provisioning ecosystem services

To balance trade-offs between livestock’s negative environmental impacts and their positive contributions (e.g. maintaining semi-natural grasslands, varied agricultural landscapes and crop rotations), a better understanding is needed of how the supply of ecosystem services differs across farms. We analysed a suite of indicators for non-provisioning ecosystem services on a large subset of Swedish farms (71% of farms, covering 82% of agricultural land) and related these to farm type, farm size and livestock density. The analysed indicators exhibited clear geographical patterns with hotspots especially in less productive regions. Controlling for this spatial variation we still found that small-scale and ruminant farms were associated with more varied landscapes, small-scale habitats, semi-natural grasslands and better crop sequences compared to nearby farms specialised in crop production, while farms specialising in monogastric livestock were associated with less varied landscapes and inferior crop sequences. Results for cultural ecosystem services indicated that farms with more semi-natural grassland were associated with more visitors and more likely located within designated recreation or nature conservation areas.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-022-01726-y.     

石化化工建设项目环境影响评价技术要点

石化化工行业是国民经济的重要组成部分,同时具有工艺复杂,涉及大量危险化学品,环境风险高、危害大等特征,其环境影响评价技术难度较大。产业政策、规划符合性和总图布置、选址合理性;工程分析;环境风险评价;污染防治措施等内容是石化化工项目环境影响评价的核心。本文对这几个方面环境影响评价技术要点进行了系统总结,为今后相关项目环评工作提供借鉴和参考。     

三种调理剂与家畜粪便减量化处理效果分析

养殖业作为我国经济和农业的重要组成部分,已经逐步向着规模化、产业化方向发展,大型的现代化畜牧场、养殖场不断出现,同时大量集中的禽畜粪便导致的环境污染越来越严重,且已成为制约养殖业发展的一个重要因素。本试验就是利用日本JST赠送的生态厕所为反应装置,从家畜粪便(牛粪)的减量化处理及资源化利用的角度出发,做三个平行处理试验,分别以木屑、玉米秸秆屑和木屑混合物、玉米秸秆屑三种物料为调理剂,与家畜养殖场的牛粪进行序批式好氧减量化处理。旨在为研究中国农业的玉米作物秸秆是否可以替代木屑作为反应过程中的调理剂,达到对禽畜养殖业粪便良好的减量化处理效果,减轻对环境的污染。     

阿什河流域养殖业废水对松花江水质影响及防治对策

通过选用纵向推流、横向扩散二维数学模型对阿什河流域畜禽养殖业废水排入松花江而对松花江水质的影响进行分析预测,在此基础上提出污染防治措施与对策。     

促进我国环保产业发展的实证研究——对《水污染防治行动计划》的解读

基于2010年《中国投入产出表》,结合环保产业统计调查,构建环保产业外部化投入产出表,采用投入产出局部闭模型定量研究水污染防治行动计划对环保产业的促进作用,并对拉动效应的时滞特性进行分析。研究发现:行动计划的实施将直接带动水污染防治专业设备制造、环境监测专用仪器设备、环境咨询服务等相关领域发展,对环保产品和环保服务的直接贡献为1.4万亿,间接贡献约5 000亿。拉动效应的时滞特性分析表明,行动计划投资对环保产业的刺激效应在2017年达到高峰,然后逐年递减。