Opportunities for adaptation-mitigation synergies in geothermal energy utilization- Initial conceptual frameworks

In this article, the role of geothermal energy in mitigation and potential role in adaptation are discussed, and synergies between them developed. The article creates the Geothermal Adaptation-Mitigation (Geo-AdaM) conceptual frameworks that can be used in combining mitigation and adaptation in geothermal projects, e.g. by introducing adaptation additionality in Clean Development Mechanism or mitigation projects, using geothermal energy in climate vulnerable sectors, combining geothermal development with carbon forestry to improve recharge of geothermal systems in water stress areas, displacing fossil fuels in heating and cooling, and use of geothermal heat in raising tree seedlings in cold regions, and in greenhouses to create carbon sinks and green areas. The conceptual frameworks created in this research can cut across most regions, and types of utilization schemes with mitigation/adaptation co-benefits. The resulting co-benefits come with net positive environmental, economic and social impact. However, the co-benefits cannot be homogenous across all projects and regions. Tradeoffs may occur when using geothermal energy in adaptation projects, whose upstream activities are carbon intensive, or in adaptation and mitigation projects that have the potential of increasing vulnerability. The foreseen limitations of creating the synergies include; inadequate research on geothermal energy and adaptation, nature and scale of adaptation, involvement of different institutions and actors, access to finance and other resources especially in developing countries and lack of clear legal framework. Without proper legislation, fiscal incentives, to attract investment in adaptation aspects of geothermal energy, and to guard against tradeoffs, the interelationships between the two will remain a pipe dream.     

SoilTrEC: a global initiative on critical zone research and integration

Soil is a complex natural resource that is considered non-renewable in policy frameworks, and it plays a key role in maintaining a variety of ecosystem services (ES) and life-sustaining material cycles within the Earth's Critical Zone (CZ). However, currently, the ability of soil to deliver these services is being drastically reduced in many locations, and global loss of soil ecosystem services is estimated to increase each year as a result of many different threats, such as erosion and soil carbon loss. The European Union Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection alerts policy makers of the need to protect soil and proposes measures to mitigate soil degradation. In this context, the European Commission-funded research project on Soil Transformations in European Catchments (SoilTrEC) aims to quantify the processes that deliver soil ecosystem services in the Earth's Critical Zone and to quantify the impacts of environmental change on key soil functions. This is achieved by integrating the research results into decision-support tools and applying methods of economic valuation to soil ecosystem services. In this paper, we provide an overview of the SoilTrEC project, its organization, partnerships and implementation.     

Climate change policies and capital vintage effects: the cases of US pulp and paper, iron and steel, and ethylene

Changes in material use, energy use and emissions profiles of industry are the result of complex interrelationships among a multitude of technological and economic drivers. To better understand and guide such changes requires that attention is paid to the time-varying consequences that technology and economic influences have on an industry's choice of inputs and its associated (desired and undesired) outputs. This paper lays out an approach to improving our understanding of the dynamics of large industrial systems. The approach combines engineering and econometric analysis with a detailed representation of an industry's capital stock structure. A transparent dynamic computer modeling approach is chosen to integrate information from these analyses in ways that foster participation of stakeholders from industry and government agencies in all stages of the modeling process-from problem definition and determination of system boundaries to generation of scenarios and interpretation of results. Three case studies of industrial energy use in the USA are presented-one each for the iron and steel, pulp and paper, and ethylene industry. Dynamic models of these industries are described and then used to investigate alternative carbon emissions and investment-led policies. A comparison of results clearly points towards two key issues: the need for industry specific policy approaches in order to effectively influence industrial energy use, fuel mix and carbon emissions, and the need for longer time horizons than have typically been chosen for the analysis of industrial responses to climate change policies.