Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:51:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:08:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Estudos de coeficiente de partição mostram que o valor de Kp do metal pode variar ordens de grandeza conforme as características físico-químicas do solo. Portanto, o Kp é um parâmetro sensível no modelo de avaliação de risco à saúde humana, e normalmente é um valor nominal adotado por agências ambientais que pode não representar adequadamente o solo em estudo e implicar erros no cálculo do risco. Este trabalho tem como objetivos: avaliar a contaminação do solo adjacente à usina termoelétrica de Figueira por metais tóxicos; determinar o Kp dos metais As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb e Zn no solo pela razão entre a concentração do metal obtida por digestão com HNO3 concentrado e a concentração do metal obtida por extração com EDTA 0,05 mol L-1 (KpEDTA) ou Ca(NO3)2 0,1 mol L-1 (KpCa(NO3)2); e avaliar a influência do uso dos diferentes valores de Kp no modelo de avaliação de risco à saúde humana C-Soil no cálculo do risco. As principais conclusões foram: os metais contaminantes do solo de Figueira foram As, Cd, Mo, Pb e Zn, e o As foi o elemento mais crítico; tanto o valor de KpCa(NO3)2 quanto o de KpEDTA poderiam ser utilizados no cálculo do risco à saúde humana, no caso de Figueira, exceto para o Pb, mas o KpEDTA seria mais recomendado, por apresentar valores com menor dispersão; os valores nominais de KpCSoil dos metais poderiam ser utilizados para o cálculo de risco à saúde humana no caso de Figueira, ou seja, não teria necessidade de se determinar valores de Kp locais (KpEDTA e KpCa(NO3)2), exceto para o Pb. / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

The aim of this thesis is to examine the environmental work of the municipal of Växjö and to investigate how the leaders have worked with this action program; a fossil fuel free Växjö. To accomplish this propose the following question was used: • How did the leaders of this successful action program a fossil fuel free Växjö work? The empirical part is based on the years reports, written by the municipal it self. Also reviewed articles were use for the empirical framework. The outcomes that were discovered during the writing of this thesis were that the cooperation between the actors was very strong. Since the aim of the program for a fossil fuel free Växjö was clear and the cooperation between the leaders within the program was so good, were the outcomes also positive. To sum up was the will to get a better environment that gave Växjö attention for its good work.

This thesis addresses three themes relating to climate change. The first is which types of fossil fuel to leave in the ground when they can differ in both their extraction cost and emissions rate. The analysis shows that without resource constraints there will always be use of at least one fossil fuel in the steady-state. With exhaustion constraints, any fossil fuel that has a lower extraction cost than the marginal cost of the backstop will be extracted in finite time regardless of the emissions rate. The only environmental consideration is the timing of extraction rather than leaving fossil fuel stock in the ground forever. The second theme is how altruistic concern of individuals for the well-being of others influences the socially optimal consumption levels and optimal emissions tax in a global context. If individuals have altruistic concern but believe that their consumption is negligible, they will not change their behaviour. However, non-cooperative governments maximising domestic welfare will internalise some of the damage inflicted on other countries depending on the level of altruistic concern individuals have and the cooperative optimum also changes as altruism leads individuals to effectively experience damage in other countries as well as the direct damage to them. Still, for behaviour to change, individuals need to make their decisions in a different way. The third chapter develops a new theory of moral behaviour whereby individuals balance the cost of not acting in their own self-interest against the hypothetical moral value of adopting a Kantian form of behaviour, asking what would happen if everyone else acted in the same way as they did. If individuals behave this way, then altruism matters and it may induce individuals to cut back their consumption. But nevertheless the optimal environmental tax is exactly the same as the standard Pigovian tax.

M.Sc. / The increased demand for electricity in South Africa is expected to exceed supply between 2004 and 2007. Electricity supply options in the country would be further complicated by the fact that older power stations would reach the end of their design life beyond the year 2025. In light of this and considering the long lead times required for the commissioning of new plants, new power supply options need to be proactively investigated. The environmental impacts associated with coal-fired generation of electricity have resulted in increased global concern over the past decade. To reduce these impacts, new technologies have been identified to help provide electricity from fossil fuels. The alternatives considered are gas-fired generation technologies and the Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC). This study attempts to document and understand the environmental aspects related to gas-fired and IGCC electricity generation and evaluate their advantages in comparison to conventional pulverised coal fired power generation. The options that could be utilised to make fossil fuel electricity generation more environmentally friendly, whilst remaining economically feasible, were also evaluated. Gas-fired electricity generation is extremely successful as electricity generation systems in the world due to inherently low levels of emissions, high efficiencies, fuel flexibility and reduced demand on finite resources. Associated benefits of a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) are lower operating costs due to the reduced water consumption, smaller equipment size and a reduction in the wastewater that has to be treated before being returned to the environment. A CCGT plant requires less cooling water and can be located on a smaller area than a conventional Pulverised Fuel (PF) power station of the same capacity. All these factors reduce the burden on the environment. A CCGT also employs processes that utilises the energy of the fuel more efficiently, with the current efficiencies approaching 60%. Instead of simply being discharged into the atmosphere, the gas turbines’ exhaust gas heat is used to produce additional output in combination with a Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) and a steam turbine. Furthermore, as finite resources become increasingly scarce and energy has to be used as wisely as possible, generating electricity economically and in an ecologically sound manner is of the utmost importance. The clean, reliable operation of gas-fired generation systems with significantly reduced noise levels and their compact design makes their operation feasible in heavily populated areas, where electricity is needed most. At the same time, energy can be consumed in whatever form needed, i.e. as electricity, heat or steam. The dependence of the South African economy on cheap coal ensures that it will remain a vital component of future electricity generation options in the country. This dominance of coal-fired generation in the country is responsible for South Africa’s title as the largest generator of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on the continent and the country could possibly be requested to reduce its CO2 emissions at the next international meeting of signatories to the Kyoto Protocol. Carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by utilising gas-fired generation technologies. However, the uncertainty and costs associated with natural gas in South Africa hampers the implementation of this technology. There are currently a number of initiatives surrounding the development of natural gas in the country, viz. the Pande and Temane projects in Mozambique and the Kudu project in Namibia, and this is likely to positively influence the choice of fuel utilised for electricity generation in the future. The economic viability of these projects would be further enhanced through the obtaining of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) credits for greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions reduction. Alternatively, more efficient methods of generating electricity from coal must be developed and implemented. IGCC is capable of achieving this because of the high efficiencies associated with the combined cycle component of the technology. These higher efficiencies result in reduced emissions to the atmosphere for an equivalent unit of electricity generated from a PF station. An IGCC system can be successful in South Africa in that it combines the benefits of utilising gas-fired electricity generation systems whilst utilising economically feasible fuel, i.e. coal. IGCC systems can economically meet strict air pollution emission standards, produce water effluent within environmental limits, produce an environmentally benign slag, with good potential as a saleable by-product, and recover a valuable sulphur commodity by-product. Life-cycle analyses performed on IGCC power plants have identified CO2 release and natural resource depletion as their most significant positive lifecycle impacts, which testifies to the IGCC’s low pollutant releases and benign by-products. Recent studies have also shown that these plants can be built to efficiently accommodate future CO2 capture technology that could further reduce environmental impacts. The outstanding environmental performance of IGCC makes it an excellent technology for the clean production of electricity. IGCC systems also provide flexibility in the production of a wide range of products including electricity, fuels, chemicals, hydrogen, and steam, while utilizing low-cost, widely available feedstocks. Coal-based gasification systems provide an energy production alternative that is more efficient and environmentally friendly than competing coalfuelled technologies. The obstacle to the large-scale implementation of this technology in the country is the high costs associated with the technology. CDM credits and by-products sales could possible enhance the viability of implementing these technologies in South Africa.

Human society releases greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere while providing housing, heat, mobility and industrial production. Man-made greenhouse gas emissions are the main causes of climate change, coming mainly from burning fossil fuels and land-use changes. Sustainably managed forests play an important role in climate change mitigation with the prospect of sustainably providing essential materials and services as part of a low-carbon economy, both through the substitution of fossil-intensive fuels and material and through their potential to capture and store carbon in the long-term perspective. The overall aim of this thesis was to develop a methodology under a life cycle perspective to assess the climate impact of the sustainable use of forest biomass in bioenergy and material systems. To perform this kind of analysis a methodological framework is needed to accurately compare the different biological and technological systems with the aim to minimize the net carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and hence the climate impact. In such a comparison, the complete energy supply chains from natural resources to energy end-use services has to be considered and are defined as the system boundaries. The results show that increasing biomass production through more intensive forest management or the usage of more productive tree species combined with substitution of non-wood products and fuels can significantly reduce global warming. The biggest single factor causing radiative forcing reduction was using timber to produce wood material to replace energy-intensive construction materials such as concrete and steel. Another very significant factor was replacing fossil fuels with forest residues from forest thinning, harvest, wood processing, and post-use wood products. The fossil fuel that was replaced by forest biomass affected the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, with carbon-intensive coal being most beneficial to replace. Over the long term, an active and sustainable management of forests, including their use as a source for wood products and bioenergy allows the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

No description available.

Dans le contexte du réchauffement climatique, des états et des villes s’engagent à réduire leurs émissions de gaz à effet de serre et en particulier celles de CO2. Une quantification précise des émissions est nécessaire aux scientifiques et aux décideurs politiques. La qualité des inventaires des émissions dues à la consommation des combustibles fossiles, qui reposent sur des données statistiques compilées et rapportées par les émetteurs, reste très variable selon les pays. Les mesures atmosphériques et la modélisation inverse pourraient fournir une information indépendante pour la vérification de ces émissions. Il est cependant difficile de séparer le signal de CO2 fossile (CO2CF) du signal des flux naturels dans les mesures atmosphériques fournies par les réseaux continentaux de mesure au sol. L’objectif de ma thèse est d’améliorer la compréhension du potentiel des données de 14CO2, un des traceurs permettant de séparer le signal de CO2CF des autres sources de CO2, pour l’estimation objective des émissions fossiles aux échelles nationales par inversion atmosphérique.J’ai développé des systèmes d’inversions mondiaux basés sur le modèle de transport atmospherique LMDz à basse résolution (2.5° ×3.75°), et reposant sur des réseaux de mesure du CO2 et du 14CO2, résolvant les émissions fossiles à l’échelle subcontinentale / mensuelle en Europe et en Chine.Dans le Chapitre 2, j’ai défini et quantifié les sources d’erreurs de modélisationprincipales, puis analysé leur impact pour l’estimation des bilans d’émissions fossiles à grande échelle avec un système d’inversion mondial en faisant l’hypothèse que les données de CO2CF peuvent être directement déduites des données de 14CO2. Les analyses soulignent l’impact de la méconnaissance de la distribution spatiale des émissions de CO2 et du CO2CF aux résolutions spatiales plus fines que celle du modèle de transport.Dans le Chapitre 3, j’ai utilisé le système, les hypothèses et les diagnostics d’erreurs de modélisation du Chapitre 2 dans une série d’expériences avec des données synthétiques pour évaluer le potentiel d’un tel système d’inversion et de différents réseaux d’observation virtuels pour l’estimation les bilans régionaux d' émission fossile en Europe. Les résultats indiquent qu’en assimilant des moyennes sur 2 semaines de mesures CO2CF issues du réseau actuel de 17 sites 14CO2 en Europe, l’inversion réduirait l’incertitude sur les émissions mensuelles pour l’Ouest de l’Allemagne de 30% par rapport à l’incertitude supposée sur les inventaires utilisés comme connaissance a priori dans le cadre du formalisme Bayésien de l’inversion. En utilisant un réseau plus dense en Europe, constitué de 43 futurs sites, des réductions d’incertitude de 47% pourraient être réalisées pour les bilans annuels des émissions pour les régions où le réseau serait le plus dense.Dans le Chapitre 4, j’ai implémenté un système d’inversion global isotopique permettant d'assimiler conjointement des données atmosphériques de CO2 et de 14CO2 pour résoudre simultanément les émissions fossiles et les flux naturels de CO2 en Europe et en Chine. L’objectif est de dépasser l’hypothèse que les variations de 14CO2 ne sont liées qu’au CO2CF, en tenant compte ses flux de 14CO2 non fossiles. Les résultats confirment que les données de 14CO2 sont utiles pour séparer le CO2CF du signal des flux naturels près des régions fortement émettrices, rendant les données de 14CO2 moyennes sur 2 semaines plus efficaces que les données journalières de CO2 pour l’estimation des émissions. / Climate change has prompted nations, provinces, and cities to take actions to reduce anthropogenic sources of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Accurate and consistent quantification of the emissions is required for both scientists and policymakers. Inventories of the CO2 emissions due to fossil fuel combustion are based on statistical data collected and reported by the emitters themselves and their quality is highly variable between countries. In principle, atmospheric measurements and inverse modeling could provide independent information to verify and evaluate these emissions. However, there are difficulties to separate the fossil fuel CO2 signal (FFCO2) from the signal of natural CO2 fluxes, in the atmospheric CO2 measurements from ground based continental networks. In this thesis, I aimed to improve the understanding of the potential of atmospheric 14CO2 measurements, one of the few tracers helping to separate FFCO2 from the signal of other CO2 sources, for the objective estimate of the fossil fuel emissions at national or provincial scales based on atmospheric inversion.I developed global inversion systems based on the global coarse-resolution (2.5°×3.75°) LMDZ atmospheric transport model, and on continental networks of atmospheric observations of CO2 and 14CO2, solving for the fossil fuel emissions at sub-continental / monthly scales in Europe and in China.In Chapter 2, I defined and quantified critical sources of modeling errors and their impact on the inversion of large-scale budget of the fossil fuel emissions when using a global inversion system and assuming FFCO2 data can be directly derived from 14CO2 measurements. The analysis highlighted the impact of ignoring the spatial distribution of the emissions and FFCO2 at a resolution higher than that of the transport model.In Chapter 3, I applied inversions with the system, assumptions and diagnostics of the modeling error from Chapter 2 in a series of Observing System Simulation Experiments to evaluate the skill of such an inversion system and of different virtual observation networks for estimating regional budgets of fossil fuel emissions in Europe. Results indicate that if assimilating continuous 2-week mean FFCO2 data from 17 existing 14CO2 European sites, the inversion would reduce the uncertainties in monthly fossil fuel emissions of western Germany by 30% compared to the assumed uncertainty in the inventories used as a prior knowledge in the Bayesian framework of the inversion. Using a larger network of 43 European sites that may be available in the future, up to 47% uncertainty reduction could be achieved for annual budgets of fossil fuel emissions for regions where the network would be the densest.In Chapter 4, I implemented a global isotopic inversion system that jointly assimilates atmospheric observations of CO2 and 14CO2 to simultaneously solve for fossil fuel emissions and natural CO2 fluxes over Europe and China. The purpose is to move beyond the assumption that variations in 14CO2 relate only to FFCO2 by accounting for non-fossil 14CO2 fluxes. The results confirm that 14CO2 data are useful to separate FFCO2 from the signal of natural fluxes at sites close to large emission regions, making 2-week mean 14CO2 data more efficient than daily CO2 data for estimating the emissions.

In 2022 the Russian invasion in Ukraine marked a turning point for global politics. To loosen dependency on Russian gas, the German government came to an agreement with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the energy company RWE. They decided to extend the lifespan of two lignite-powered plants while simultaneously accelerating the phasing out of coal from 2038 to 2030. However, this decision required the destruction of Lützerath, a village located in the planned lignite mining area. It is therefore referred to as the Lützerath decision. It drew massive criticism from climate movements, scientists and thousands of individuals, who claimed that this decision marks the end of the Paris Agreement, is a reinvestment in coal and a betrayal of future generations. The responsible politicians justified their decision and countered the protestors claims, arguing for a success for climate protection. The decision went ahead and Lützerath was evicted and destroyed in January 2023. This study has performed a Critical Discourse Analysis of speeches, interviews and press statements by key German political decision makers involved in order to investigate how the Lützerath decision was argued for, and in what ways the Lützerath discourse contributed to a hegemonic position of the fossil fuel sector in Germany. The results identified two main narratives: (1) the narrative of an unambiguous necessity of the coal underneath Lützerath as an instrument to withstand the energy crisis triggered by the Russian invasion; and (2) the narrative of the Lützerath decision as a big success for climate protection. Overall, I argue that the Lützerath decision has reinforced the hegemonic position of the fossil fuel industry and that the Lützerath decision has perpetuated carbon lock-ins in multiple ways. I concluded that the political discourse surrounding the Lützerath decision marks a instance for contemporary fossil fuel hegemony in Germany and stands in contrast to the urgent need for climate protection.

No description available.

Este trabalho trata da questão da redução de consumo de combustível fóssil em instalações de máquinas de navios. É um tema de grande interesse no momento, devido ao alto custo operacional e à emissão de poluentes decorrentes do processo da combustão desses derivados de petróleo. Apresenta-se, inicialmente o cenário atual e tendências futuras das instalações propulsoras convencionais que usam óleo pesado ou Diesel. Em seguida, são examinadas alternativas propostas para redução de consumo de combustíveis fósseis nos navios, que são enquadradas em três categorias. A primeira delas envolve possíveis melhorias de projeto para redução da demanda de energia. As outras categorias se referem ao emprego de fontes alternativas de energia, que introduzem uma força propulsora adicional, reduzindo o empuxo requerido do hélice, ou uma potência suplementar no eixo propulsor. Em ambos os casos há também uma redução de demanda de potência requerida do motor Diesel. Na seqüência, são apresentados e discutidos fundamentos termodinâmicos, com ênfase nas análises energética e exergética, como ferramentas para avaliação das máquinas dos navios. A análise exergética, diferentemente do enfoque apenas energético, é a ferramenta mais apropriada para tratar as questões ligadas ao meio ambiente, pois a própria definição de exergia está relacionada com o ambiente de referência. Finalmente, utilizando dados de um navio porta contêineres da frota nacional, é exercitado um exemplo de aplicação com as análises termodinâmicas do motor de propulsão; são também avaliadas e simuladas as diversas alternativas de melhorias e novas fontes de energia, que visam a redução de consumo de combustível fóssil. / This work addresses the issue of reduction of fossil fuel use on ship machinery. Presently it is an interesting topic due to high operational cost and the pollution emissions generated by the combustion process. Initially, it is introduced the present scenario and future trends regarding conventional ship machinery that use heavy or diesel fuel oil. In the sequence, the proposed alternatives for reducing the use of fossil fuel on ships are presented and examined. These alternatives are classified into three categories. The first category comprises possible improvements to the design of ships for reduction of total energy demand. The other categories refer to the use of alternative energy sources, that produce and additional force on the ship reducing the required propeller thrust; or a supplementary power added to the propulsion shaft. For both cases there is also a reduction in the power required from the Diesel engine. Afterwards, the pertaining thermodynamics theory is revised and discussed with focus on the energy and exergy analysis as aid tools for evaluation of ship machinery. The energetic analysis, different from the sole energetic focus, is the most applicable tool to be employed for environmental issues as the self definition of exergy relates to an environment reference. Finally, using data from a typical container ship belonging to the national fleet, an application example using the thermodynamic analysis is performed to the propulsion main engine; as well as it is also simulated several alternative conditions for improvements and new energy sources, aiming to the reduction of fossil fuel consumption.