The use of microalgae culture to convert CO2 from power plant flue gases into biomass that are readily converted into biofuels offers a new frame of opportunities to enhance, compliment or replace fossil-fuel-use. Apart from being renewable, microalgae also have the capacity to utilise materials from a variety of wastewater and the ability to yield both liquid and gaseous biofuels. However, the processes of cultivation, incorporation of a production system for power plant waste flue gas use, algae harvesting, and oil extraction from the biomass have many challenges. Using SimaPro software, Life cycle Assessment (LCA) of the challenges limiting the microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) biofuel production process was performed to study algae-based pathway for producing biofuels. Attention was paid to material use, energy consumed and the environmental burdens associated with the production processes. The goal was to determine the weak spots within the production system and identify changes in particular data-set that can lead to and lower material use, energy consumption and lower environmental impacts than the baseline microalgae biofuel production system. The analysis considered a hypothetical transesterification and Anaerobic Digestion (AD) transformation of algae-to- biofuel process. Life cycle Inventory (LCI) characterisation results of the baseline biodiesel (BD) transesterification scenario indicates that heating to get the biomass to 90% DWB accounts for 64% of the total input energy, while electrical energy and fertilizer obligations represents 19% and 16% respectively. Also, Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) results of the baseline BD production scenario show high proportional contribution of electricity and heat energy obligations for most impact categories considered relative to other resources. This is attributed to the concentration/drying requirement of algae biomass in order to ease downstream processes of lipid extraction and subsequent transesterification of extracted lipids into BD. Thus, four prospective alternative production scenarios were successfully characterised to evaluate the extent of their impact scenarios on the production system with regards to lowering material use, lower energy consumption and lower environmental burdens than the standard algae biofuel production system. A 55.3% reduction in mineral use obligation was evaluated as the most significant impact reduction due to the integration of 100% recycling of production harvest water for the AD production system. Recycling also saw water demand reduced from 3726 kg (freshwater).kgBD- 1 to 591kg (freshwater).kgBD- 1 after accounting for evaporative losses/biomass drying for the BD transesterification production process. Also, the use of wastewater/sea water as alternative growth media for the BD production system, indicated potential savings of: 4.2 MJ (11.8%) in electricity/heat obligation, 10.7% reductions for climate change impact, and 87% offset in mineral use requirement relative to the baseline production system. Likewise, LCIA characterisation comparison results comparing the baseline production scenarios with that of a set-up with co-product economic allocation consideration show very interesting outcomes. Indicating -12 MJ surplus (-33%) reductions for fossil fuels resource use impact category, 52.7% impact reductions for mineral use impact and 56.6% reductions for land use impact categories relative to the baseline BD production process model. These results show the importance of allocation consideration to LCA as a decision support tool. Overall, process improvements that are needed to optimise economic viability also improve the life cycle environmental impacts or sustainability of the production systems. Results obtained have been observed to agree reasonably with Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis, with the production scenario proposing the exploitation of wastewater/sea water to culture algae biomass offering the best result outcome. This study may have implications for additional resources such as production facility and its construction process, feedstock processing logistics and transport infrastructure which are excluded. Future LCA study will require extensive consideration of these additional resources such as: facility size and its construction, better engineering data for water transfer, combined heat and power plant efficiency estimates and the fate of long-term emissions such as organic nitrogen in the AD digestate. Conclusions were drawn and suggestions proffered for further study.

The demand for fossil fuels by Ontario's conventional steam power generation sector is examined. It is hypothesised that the enactment of a carbon fee policy will induce a change in the relative prices of the three fuels used in this sector (coal, natural gas and heavy fuel oil). This would lead to substantial interfuel substitution and greenhouse gas abatement. The demand share equations for the three fuels are derived from the translog functional form and set in a simulation model to estimate the value of a carbon fee necessary, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in compliance with the Kyoto Protocol. Results suggest that a fuel specific carbon fee policy would be successful in achieving the desired emissions reduction at a negligible net cost to society.

Thesis (M.S.)--Duquesne University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p.72) and index.

Can Battery Electric Vehicles replace conventional internal combustion engine vehicles for commuting purposes when exposed to a busy corporate activity within the city of Edinburgh? This thesis investigates the application of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) use in a commercial business environment in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland UK. The motivation behind this work is to determine if the Battery Electric Vehicle can replace conventional fossil fuel vehicles under real world drive cycles and the desire by many to combat the causes of climate change. Due to the nature of this work a significant part of the work will be underpinned by the quantitative methodology approach to the research. As the question indicates the research is supported by real live data coming from the vehicle both in proprietary data logging as well as reading and analysing the data coming from the vehicles own Electronic Control Unit (ECU).There will be mixed research methodology encompassing quantitative and qualitative research to obtain a complete response in respect to the management of the vehicle these methodologies will be the analysis of the measurable data as well as explorative, to gain the underlying reasons and motivations for choosing a battery electric vehicle as an option to the conventional vehicle for this type of application use.

A new IAM is used to calculate the optimal tradeoff between, on the one hand,locking up fossil fuel and curbing global warming, and, on the other hand,sacrificing consumption now and in the near future. This IAM uses the Oxford carbon cycle, which differs from DICE, FUND and PAGE in that cumulative emissions are the key driving force of changes in temperature. We highlight how time impatience, intergenerational inequality aversion and expected trend growth affect the time paths of the optimal global carbon tax and the optimal amount of fossil fuel reserves to leave untapped. We also compare these with the adverse and deleterious global warming trajectories that occur if no policy actions are taken. (authors' abstract) / Series: Ecological Economic Papers

This bachelor thesis asks the question, what does the increased fossil fuel scarcity mean for the Arctic region? It further investigates the aim and motives by the five main Arctic states. With the use of structural realism, existing research on the parallels between resource scarcity and conflict and, the combination of two methodological approaches: quantitative and qualitative content analysis, I argue in this study that the five states will act in accordance with the structural realist way and exploit the Arctic due to the protection of their national interests and security. This thesis highlights that, firstly, there is a process of climate change enabling the accessibility to extracting fossil fuel. Secondly, there is an ongoing militarization of the region. With that being said, I argue that the race for fossil fuel will prevail and this will create a destabilizing Arctic region with environmental impacts and militarization that can lead to problematic disputes and even conflicts. Therefore, the Arctic is a vulnerable region with a questionable future due to its economic stakes and militarization.

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We live fully embedded in Petroculture - in a society shaped by oil and its outcomes, meanwhile the substance itself stays practically invisible to us. This invisibility impedes our ability to rapidly address environmental issues, while narrating us into large networks of unequal power structures. In this study, I emphasize the necessity of making oil part of our visual vocabulary and attempting to pierce its veiling cloak of invisibility through radical subjectivity, I investigate how might we contextualise the human-fossil fuel industry relationship in a way which will challenge oppressive binary structures and instigate action, in relation to climate crisis.  By asking What do I need to see? I advocate for empowering body-centric practice of self-enquiry through visual thinking, using filmmaking as an intervention tool to point fingers back at oil and facilitate reflection upon the structures that sustain its persistence.  The result of this inquiry is “The 5th Element”, a film installation made with a process of visual questioning and  mapping the experience of living in Petroculture.

This thesis formulates ecological thinking in curatorial practices, as a way to act against neoliberal values, far-right politics and find ways to work in a sensitive way in a time of accelerating ecological crisis. The current socio-political landscape, and its oppressive forces, influence profoundly the art world and whole societies at large. This thesis starts by looking how those forces affect artistic and curatorial practices, and suggests, that a counter-action for these threats could be a practice, that is informed by ecological thinking. Different, ecologically motivated curatorial practices are discussed with curators Jenni Nurmenniemi and Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, as well as collective Laboratory for Aesthetics and Ecology. Some additional examples are drawn from the work of Mustarinda association. What comes clear, is that ecological thinking is much more than thinking about the environment or sustainability, but rather, it has connection points with theories of new materialisms, post-fossil experimentation and decolonial thought, all of which are also interconnected and entangled. This thesis gathers a praxis, that is informed by said ecological thinking, which functions both as a thinking and a doing. Ecological thinking is about radical coexistence and entangled in the materialities of the more than human world. Ecologically informed practice, then, could mean paying attention to material dimensions of practices, slowing down and rethinking exhibition formats.

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