In the metallurgical industry and in refineries and process industries, there is significant amount of waste heat, it is a challenged field to do the research for producing electricity from the energy of waste heat. Traditionallay, Organic Rankine Cycle(ORC)is used for generating electricity from low temperature heat source. Recently researchers are focusing on the supercritical Rankine cycle which uses CO2 as working fluid for which is more environmental friendly working fluid, possilbe reduced size and better utilization of lower temperature heat source.Currently this technology is under development and there is no manufacturing of this technology that can be observed. In this Master's thesis, the overall environmental impacts caused by the CO2 supercritical cycle will be evaluated:1. What are technologies available for producing electricity from low temperature heat?2. What is the electricity that can be generated from a given amount of heat and what type of equipment is needed for this?3. What are the environmental and resource impacts of this type of equipment, based on analyses of similar types of equipment?4. what is the environmental benefit from energy generation comparing with other fossil and renewable electricity production? 5. A brief economic analysis cosidering the waste heat electricity generation

Eco-Lighthouse (Miljøfyrtårn) is a Norwegian environmental certification scheme adminis-trated by the Eco-Lighthouse Foundation (Stiftelsen Miljøfyrtårn). In connection with the release of ISO 26000 – Guidance on social responsibility, the Eco-Lighthouse Foundation is considering the possibility of integrating more social responsibility into the certification scheme. The Eco-Lighthouse scheme consists of 72 sets of requirements, as per April 16, 2010. The first set of requirements – Requirements for all branches (Krav til alle bransjer) – applies to all organisations regardless of activity. The remaining 71 sets of requirements consist of branch specific requirements. For an organisation to get an Eco-Lighthouse certification it needs to fulfil Requirements for all branches as well as at least one set of branch specific requirements.The aim of this study is to investigate to what extent the content of ISO 26000 can be found in the branch requirements of the Eco-Lighthouse scheme. Due to the time limitation of the study only three sets of requirements are investigated; Requirement for all branches and branch specific requirements for Office activities and Main offices.The method chosen for investigation is a mixture of three different analysis methods. Docu-ment analysis to examine the content of ISO 26000 and identify criteria that can be compared with Eco-Lighthouse requirements, thematic analysis is used to link Eco-Lighthouse require-ments to ISO 26000 criteria, and gap analysis is used to highlight the differences between the two standards.ISO 26000 is organised in seven core subjects; Organisational governance, Human rights, Labour practices, The environment, Fair operating practices, Consumer issues, and Commu-nity involvement and development. The core subjects are subdivided into issues, except in the case of Organisational governance. The Eco-Lighthouse requirements investigated in this study can mainly be found in three core subjects; Organisational governance, The environ-ment, and Labour practices. Within the core subject The environment, Eco-Lighthouse score highest in the issues: Prevention of pollution and Sustainable resource use. Within Labour practices, an especially high score is found in Health and safety at work since many of the requirements are based on Norwegian laws and regulations.The main focus of the Eco-Lighthouse scheme is on environmental issues relating to internal processes of the organisation. That is management, working environment for the employees, purchasing and material use, energy consumption, transportation, and emission and waste management. There is also some focus on upstream suppliers in the value chain but nothing concerning the downstream end of the value chain. There are many environmental impacts connected with the use phase and end-of-life phase of a product. This corresponds to the ISO 26000 core subject of consumer issues.The result of the analysis was presented and discussed together with representatives of Fokus Bank, who were participating in the development of the branch requirements for main offices. In their opinion it is important to focus on the whole value chain and therefore they would like to see requirements which ensure that companies take responsibility for their products and services even after they have left the company, i.e. when used by costumers and finally dis-carded. However, it is also important that the implementation of those requirements focuses on essentials. If the cost of implementing actions to meet the requirements is too high in rela-tion to the environmental and societal benefits, companies might as well refrain from certify-ing themselves.As a provider of an environmental certification scheme, the Eco-Lighthouse Foundation is recommended to extend the scheme to include producer responsibility for products and ser-vices provided by the certified organisations. The Eco-Lighthouse Foundation is also recom-mended to clearly define how far social responsibility reaches for an environmental certifica-tion scheme. Today the Eco-Lighthouse scheme includes requirements concerning working conditions for employees, which are not considered an environmental issue in ISO 26000. A possible solution would be to develop a new scheme concerning social responsibility. This would be especially beneficial if the Eco-Lighthouse Foundation decides to extend their certi-fication service further into non-environmental issues.

Much of the current research into the sustainability of the fisheries and aquaculture industry has focused on achieving continued growth. The report “Value creation from productive oceans,” makes annual growth predictions of 4% for aquaculture and 7% for the marine ingredients sector from 2010 to 2050. The Norwegian government incorporated these growth rates into a political vision presented to parliament as Meld.St.22 “the world’s foremost seafood nation.” Among many ambitions presented in Meld.St.22, three were chosen as being particularly relevant to industry ecology: import reliance, utilization of by-products and sustainable growth. These ambitions were tested along with the 4 and 7% growth rates from the “Value creation from productive oceans,” report using the industrial ecology methodology of material / substance flow analysis. The MFA/SFA model of the fisheries and aquaculture system used a multi-layered approach with a product weight layer as the base and EPA + DHA as the substance layer. Results for import reliance suggest that Norway is 88% reliant on imports (product weight) for aquaculture and 55% for marine ingredients (EPA + DHA). The model estimated that imported Peruvian Anchoveta represented approximately 50% of the EPA + DHA in Norwegian aquaculture feed and 55% for marine ingredients in 2012. By-product utilization was found to be nearly 100% for the aquaculture and pelagic sectors, 34% for whitefish species and nearly zero for macroalgae and marine mammals. The overall by-product utilization rate for Norway, including all Norwegian landed marine fish, zooplankton, macroalgae and marine mammals was 62% for product weight. Sustainability was assessed from an industry, consumer and general environmental perspective. Sustainability from an industry perspective was evaluated using a demand and supply forecast for EPA + DHA. Growth rates of 4% for aquaculture and 7% for marine ingredients were used to model the future supply and demand relative to the system calculated values in the base year (2012). Results suggest a shortage of EPA + DHA within two years and a 45% deficit in demand by 2020. The future EPA + DHA shortage was independently confirmed by a study performed by EWOS using similar parameters and assumptions. The whole fish FIFO for fish oil was calculated to be 1,3 kg of whole forage fish required for 1 kg of whole salmon. The efficiency of seafood deliverables indicator (ESD) was created to add an element of efficiency to the sustainability of seafood from a consumer perspective. The aquaculture industry was found to require 3,22 kg of EPA + DHA per kg of EPA + DHA delivered to consumers as seafood, while the wild fishery sector required 1,76 / kg. The overall findings suggest that EPA & DHA are critical nutrients for: Fish health, human health, industry growth and consumer preferences. The challenge posed by the worsening shortage of EPA & DHA will affect the sustainability of the industry and dialogue concerning realistic growth prospects is suggested.

In order to deal with the mounting issue of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in a way that is in line with sustainable development and Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) a systems approach is necessary.This approach can practically be integrated into the MSW decision-making process through Life Cycle Thinking(LCT) and environmental systems analysis tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This paper is written within the context of the RECO Baltic 21 Tech (RB21T) project which aims to improve waste management practices in 12 countries in the Baltic Sea Region. The main aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which LCA is used as decision-support in MSW management in Sweden, Estonia and Lithuania. The use of LCA is examined on a national level as well as on a local or regional level based on relevant literature and a set of interviews conducted in each country. According to the results the use of LCA as decision-support in MSW management is very limited in Estonia and Lithuania whilst it is already a well-established tool in Sweden. Most of the LCA efforts in the Baltic States have been conducted in connection with foreign projects and investments,such as RB21T. Although an actual LCA might not always be applied in Sweden, LCT is prevalent in MSW management both on a national and local level. In order for LCA to be better integrated into MSW management this paper argues that there is a need for increased knowledge, data, more user-friendly LCA-tools andstrengthening regional partnerships for further transfer of knowledge between countries.

Those epiphytes which are inhabited by ants are reviewed; they comprise nine genera in four families. All are tropical and most are from the Far East. They probably all gain mineral nutrients from material brought by the ants. This contrasts with myrmecophytic trees and shrubs which are defended against insect herbivores by ants collecting food produced by the plant. five of the nine genera of ant-epiphytes belong to the Rubiaceae; two of these, Hydnophytum and Myrmecodia are highly diversified and specialized. They are found throughout the tropical Far East in a range of habitats, but are most abundant in open canopies. Ants (Iridomymex cordatus and I. cf. scrutator) occupy cavities in the enlarged hypocotyl. The 'tuber' cavities and other unusual morphological features are elaborated in Myrmecodia. For instance, spines of different types are derived from adventitious roots; internodes are condensed and covered by outgrowths at each leaf-base; stipules are enlarged and differ in their splitting. The inflorescence rachis is progressively reduced in Hydnophytum, and the flowers sunk in the stem in Myrmecodia. These structural changes possibly benefit the ants, but may have reduced the frequency of crosspollination, though some heterostyly is present. The morphology of the satellite genera (Myrrnephytum, Anthorhiza and Squamellaria) shows some parallels with that of Myrmecodia. The five genera are united as a subtribe - the Hydnophytinae. Detailed taxonomic treatment of Myrmecodia and the satellite genera, but not Hydnophytum, is given. Myrmecodia is reduced from 43 to 18 species. One is a variable, widespread, lowland species which is divided into informal categories. One is polytypic with three subspecies, four are variable, but not divided, and the rest are monotypic, geographically restricted, mostly montane species. The pattern of variation is often reticulate, and a hierarchy or infrageneric grouping was not identified. Myrmecodia and the satellite genera appear to have evolved independently from Hydnophytum-like ancestors. Structures probably advantageous to the ants have arisen repeatedly, but may also have led to inbreeding and taxonomic difficulty. The more sophisticated symbiosis in Myrmecodia may be reflected by the more mesomorphic nature of that genus, and is a prime example of coevolution between higher plants and animals.

Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) is a novel technique which can be used to build up a 2D pseudo-section of resistivity distribution of a porous material. Here, it is used to visualise internal moisture regimes by measuring the resistivity distribution of transects within sandstone, inferring that high resistivity equals low moisture content and vice versa. This method was used to perform two intermediate complexity laboratory tests; the first one to determine high-resolution, multi-scale drying patterns of sandstone, the second to determine capillary ingress of moisture within a sandstone block and the influence of temperature on moisture distribution. It was found that moisture behaviour showed far more complex patterns than previously acknowledged. A new model is therefore proposed which describes the influence of increased near-surface temperatures on capillary rise. This series of tests bridge the gap between field observations and mathematical models, as well as confirm the validity of ERT as a geomorphological tool. This research was continued by investigating the role of internal moisture in sandstone weathering using the Golden Gate Highlands National Park (GGHNP), South Africa as a case study. The ERT data was correlated with Equotip (rock surface hardness) and Protimeter (rock surface saturation) measurements. Seven sites were investigated, which showed that there is a non-linear correlation between rock surface hardness and internal moisture patterns. In addition, annual change measurements confirmed that the fluctuating patterns of internal moisture can be correlated to strengthening or weakening of the rock surface. This research therefore proposes two new conceptual weathering models. The first correlates ‘optimal moisture content’ to rock surface strength. The second correlates the development of shelters and changing weathering patterns to the non-linear interaction between case hardening and internal moisture. This new approach to sandstone weathering can be incorporated into conservation methods, as rock surface loss is one of the main causes of the San Rock Art deterioration observed in the GGHNP.

The oases of the northern Sahara illustrate the possibility that people and nature can work together to enhance life in a harsh and variable environment. This research investigates fifty years of experiences of living with environmental change in oasis systems, bringing together new data, archived environmental records and cultivators` observations. These are combined to gain insight into the environmental change processes, and the experiences gained by people through living with them in this regional context. Two detailed case studies deepen understanding of the socioeconomic dimensions and significance of these changes over the past two decades. The findings show how environmental changes constrained smallholders` traditional ecosystem management practices. Collective associations were weakened or disintegrated. National systems for environmental management and monitoring were overwhelmed. International recommendations for economic approaches to resource management and innovation to address water scarcity did not prove effective. On the other hand, instances where the international market transition appeared to be creating new opportunities for the restoration of common pool resource management were also identified. This investigation enabled a new perspective on the global dryland management debate to be generated in a context where research has most commonly been concentrated on national sectoral objectives for productivity and desert reclamation. Theoretical insights regarding the application of interdisciplinary research to understand environmental change, further research needs, and potential solutions are directly transferable to other regions where desiccation, salinization and groundwater degradation are accelerating due to climatic and global market-driven changes in land and water use.

Resumo: O uso da terra no alto curso da bacia do rio Claro foi consideravelmente modificado a partir da década de 1970, com a utilização dos Latossolos em relevos planos e suave ondulados pela agricultura mecanizada de grãos. Para compreender a dinâmica de ocupação da bacia hidrográfica e seus reflexos na qualidade e quantidade da água do rio Claro foram processados dados de uso da terra de 1963/67 e 2001, bem como dados físicos-ambientais por meio de ferramentas de geoprocessamento. Foram também utilizados dados de pluviosidade, vazão e balanço hídrico para verificar o comportamento hídrico do rio Claro e análises de alguns parâmetros para determinar a qualidade da água. As classes de capacidade de uso predominantes foram a III e VI, com 48,35% e 34,5%, respectivamente. O principal conflito de uso identificado foi a utilização de áreas muito susceptíveis a erosão com atividade pecuária. O comportamento das vazões indica ligeira queda dos volumes médios diários e mensais. Com relação à qualidade da água, os índices coliformes e turbidez são os mais preocupantes. São urgentes políticas e ações efetivas, governamentais e da sociedade, na busca de alternativas de uso do território que não sejam conflitantes com a capacidade de suporte dos ambientes e sejam, ao mesmo tempo, social e economicamente viáveis. / Abstract: The soil use in the high course on the watershed of Claro River has been considerably modified since the 1970-decade with the usage of the Latosoil and the plane and gentle-undulated relief waved by the mechanized agriculture of grains. In order to understand the dynamics of the watershed occupation and its effects on the quality and quantity in Claro River water data of soil usage was processed from 1963/67 and 2001, as well as, physical-environmental data through geoprocessing instruments. Also, pluviosity data, flow and hidric balance were utilized to verify the hidric conduct of Claro River and analysis of some parameters for determining its water quality. The predominant classes of land use capability were the III and IV kind, with 48,35% and 34,5% respectively. The main conflict of use identified was the usage of very susceptible erosion areas with cattle activity. The flow conduct shows brief decrease in the monthly and daily volumes. When it comes to water quality, coliformes and turbidity are facts with the deepest concern. Political, governmental and society effective actions are urgent to seek the alternatives of territorial use which are not disagreeing with the supportive capacity of the environment and are at the same time societal and economic practicable. / Orientador: Archimedes Perez Filho / Coorientador: Iraci Scopel / Banca: Miguel Cezar Sanchez / Banca: Gilberto José Garcia / Banca: Carlos Roberto Espindola / Banca: Salvador Carpi Junior / Doutor

FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / As bacias hidrogrÃficas sÃo Ãreas de relevÃncia significativa para estudos geogrÃficos por testemunharem as dinÃmicas, atuais e pretÃritas, da paisagem, por abrigarem vasta biodiversidade e por serem Ãreas preferencialmente de desenvolvimento das sociedades, contribuindo para atividades socioeconÃmicas e culturais. Devido a estas potencialidades, os usos feitos, em alguns casos, nÃo condizem com a capacidade de suporte, resultando em problemas ambientais. A desertificaÃÃo à a degradaÃÃo da qualidade dos recursos naturais e das condiÃÃes socioeconÃmicas nas terras secas. Esse processo de degradaÃÃo tem nÃveis de atuaÃÃo. As Ãreas do territÃrio brasileiro que possuem maiores nÃveis de degradaÃÃo sÃo denominadas de NÃcleos de DesertificaÃÃo. A presente pesquisa foi desenvolvida na sub-bacia hidrogrÃfica do riacho do Urubu-Mucuim que possui uma Ãrea de 310, 771kmÂ, no municÃpio de Arneiroz, localizado na porÃÃo sudoeste do Estado do CearÃ, no NÃcleo de DesertificaÃÃo dos SertÃes dos Inhamuns, tendo o objetivo de analisar a atuaÃÃo da desertificaÃÃo sobre esta sub-bacia. A metodologia utilizada foi a dos Sistemas Ambientais com a aplicaÃÃo dos Indicadores GeobiofÃsicos, que contribuÃram para entender o nÃvel de desertificaÃÃo existente. Para subsidiar esta anÃlise, tambÃm foram utilizadas como tÃcnicas o trabalho de campo, a aplicaÃÃo de entrevistas e a Cartografia, que contribuÃram na confecÃÃo dos mapas que possuem escalas de 1:100.000 e 1:150.000, as imagens de satÃlites utilizadas para o mapeamento foram Landsat 8 e Rapideye. A Ãrea estudada està susceptÃvel a atuaÃÃo da desertificaÃÃo, pode-se perceber que as caracterÃsticas geoambientais e os intensos usos feitos pelas comunidades contribuem com o quadro degradaÃÃo. PorÃm em algumas Ãreas os programas assistencialistas atenuam os processos de degradaÃÃo ambiental, havendo a necessidade de polÃticas de uso racional dos recursos naturais para mitigar e conviver com a problemÃtica da desertificaÃÃo. / Watersheds are areas of significant relevance to geographical studies by witnessing the dynamic, current and previous, landscape, for harboring vast biodiversity and areas are preferably development of societies, contributing to socioeconomic and cultural activities. Because of this potential, the uses made, in some cases, not consistent with the ability to support, resulting in environmental problems. Desertification is the degradation of the quality of natural resources and socioeconomic conditions in dry lands. This degradation process has performance levels. The areas of Brazil that have higher levels of degradation are called Nuclei of Desertification. This research was developed in the sub-basin of the Urubu-Mucuim stream which has an area of 310, 771km in the municipality of Arneiroz, located in the southwestern portion of the state of CearÃ, in Nuclei of Desertification SertÃes dos Inhamuns, with the aim of analyzing the performance of desertification on this sub-basin. The methodology used was the Environmental Systems with the application of Geobiofisicos indicators that helped to understand the level of existing desertification. To support this analysis, it was also used as technical field work, the application of interviews and Cartography, which contributed to the production of maps that have scales of 1: 100,000 and 1: 150,000, the satellite images used for mapping were Landsat 8 and RapidEye. The study area is likely the work of desertification; one can see that the geo-environmental characteristics and heavy duty applications made by communities contribute to the framework of degradation. However in some areas the welfare programs mitigate the environmental degradation processes, and there is thus a need for rational use of natural resources policies to mitigate and live with the problem of desertification.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2005-11-11Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:48:21Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 moragas_wm_dr_rcla.pdf: 3057745 bytes, checksum: 86aea6b34861a9f37a78637fd8ae634a (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O uso da terra no alto curso da bacia do rio Claro foi consideravelmente modificado a partir da década de 1970, com a utilização dos Latossolos em relevos planos e suave ondulados pela agricultura mecanizada de grãos. Para compreender a dinâmica de ocupação da bacia hidrográfica e seus reflexos na qualidade e quantidade da água do rio Claro foram processados dados de uso da terra de 1963/67 e 2001, bem como dados físicos-ambientais por meio de ferramentas de geoprocessamento. Foram também utilizados dados de pluviosidade, vazão e balanço hídrico para verificar o comportamento hídrico do rio Claro e análises de alguns parâmetros para determinar a qualidade da água. As classes de capacidade de uso predominantes foram a III e VI, com 48,35% e 34,5%, respectivamente. O principal conflito de uso identificado foi a utilização de áreas muito susceptíveis a erosão com atividade pecuária. O comportamento das vazões indica ligeira queda dos volumes médios diários e mensais. Com relação à qualidade da água, os índices coliformes e turbidez são os mais preocupantes. São urgentes políticas e ações efetivas, governamentais e da sociedade, na busca de alternativas de uso do território que não sejam conflitantes com a capacidade de suporte dos ambientes e sejam, ao mesmo tempo, social e economicamente viáveis. / The soil use in the high course on the watershed of Claro River has been considerably modified since the 1970-decade with the usage of the Latosoil and the plane and gentle-undulated relief waved by the mechanized agriculture of grains. In order to understand the dynamics of the watershed occupation and its effects on the quality and quantity in Claro River water data of soil usage was processed from 1963/67 and 2001, as well as, physical-environmental data through geoprocessing instruments. Also, pluviosity data, flow and hidric balance were utilized to verify the hidric conduct of Claro River and analysis of some parameters for determining its water quality. The predominant classes of land use capability were the III and IV kind, with 48,35% and 34,5% respectively. The main conflict of use identified was the usage of very susceptible erosion areas with cattle activity. The flow conduct shows brief decrease in the monthly and daily volumes. When it comes to water quality, coliformes and turbidity are facts with the deepest concern. Political, governmental and society effective actions are urgent to seek the alternatives of territorial use which are not disagreeing with the supportive capacity of the environment and are at the same time societal and economic practicable.