Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Human existence in its current form is unsustainable. Urban transport systems are one of the chief contributors to this problem due to the dominant role of the car. Car dominated transport systems have a number of serious impacts on social, economic and ecological systems which collectively suggest they are not sustainable. The complex, global “system of automobility”, a powerful socio-technical regime, ensures that car dominated transport systems endure, despite the serious problems they generate. In the face of the power and resilience of this system, there are examples around the world of urban areas which have implemented transport initiatives which depart from the dominant paradigm of automobility. They have successfully provided viable alternatives to the car, facilitated urban forms which are supportive of green modes and “reconquered” scarce urban space from the automobile. However, there are a multitude of barriers to any transition to sustainable urban transport systems. These can only be overcome through the related processes of contestation and innovation. The case of Stellenbosch is a local expression of the global “system of automobility”. Through a combination of infrastructure, urban form, institutions, beliefs and ways of life, this system is perpetuated at a local level. In a highly inequitable developing country context, this is particularly problematic. A town primarily designed to service car mobility is best suited to the reproduction of the middle class. The poor, and others without access to a car, are at a disadvantage and movement by green modes is, everywhere, discouraged. And yet, there are a number of innovative initiatives occurring within the town which depart from the dominant paradigm, contesting its continued dominance. The path towards transition is at all times uncertain. However, it is possible to enhance the potential for transition by strengthening existing niches, contesting existing regimes and preparing for the imminent increase in landscape pressure generated by climate change and resource scarcity. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Menslike bestaan in sy huidige vorm is onvolhoubaar. Stedelike vervoerstelsels is een van die belangrikste bydraers tot hierdie probleem weens die oorheersende rol van die motor. Vervoerstelsels waar die motor die botoon voer het ‘n aantal ernstige gevolge op maatskaplike, ekonomiese en ekologiese stelsels wat gesamentlik daarop dui dat sodanige stelsels nie volhoubaar is nie. Die komplekse, globale “stelsel van motorvervoer”, ‘n kragtige sosio-tegniese regime, verseker dat vervoerstelsels waar die motor die botoon voer in stand gehou word, ondanks die ernstige probleme wat hulle skep. Met inagneming van die krag en veerkragtigheid van hierdie stelsel bestaan daar oral in die wêreld voorbeelde van stedelike gebiede wat vervoerinisiatiewe geïmplementeer het wat afwyk van die oorheersende paradigma van motorvervoer. Hulle het uitvoerbare alternatiewe vir die motor suksesvol verskaf, stedelike vorme wat groen gebruike ondersteun gefasiliteer en skaars stedelike ruimte van die motorvoertuig “herwin”. Daar is egter ‘n menigte hindernisse in die pad van enige oorgang tot volhoubare stedelike vervoerstelsels. Dit kan slegs oorkom word deur die verwante prosesse van verset en innovering. Die geval van Stellenbosch is ‘n plaaslike uitdrukking van die globale “stelsel van motorvervoer”. Deur ‘n kombinasie van infrastruktuur, stedelike vorm, instellings, gebruike en lewenswyses word hierdie stelsel op ‘n plaaslike vlak bestendig en behou. Teen die agtergrond van ’n uiters onregverdig ontwikkelende land is dit in die besonder problematies. ‘n Dorp wat in die eerste plek uitgelê is om vervoer wat op motors berus, te bedien, is veral geskik vir die reproduksie van die middelklas. Die armes en diegene sonder toegang tot ‘n motor word benadeel en beweging met behulp van groen wyses word oral ontmoedig. En tog kom daar ‘n aantal vernuwende inisiatiewe in die dorp voor wat afwyk van die oorheersende paradigma wat die voortgesette oorheersing daarvan beveg. Die weg na oorgang is te alle tye onseker. Dit is egter moontlik om die potensiaal vir oorgang te verbeter deur versterking van bestaande nisse, bestryding van bestaande regimes en voorbereiding vir die toenemende druk op die landskap weens klimaatsverandering en die skaarste aan hulpbronne.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / In recent years there has been a growth in literature from multiple disciplines on the potential effects of climate change and a corresponding growth in literature on potential mitigation and adaptation response strategies, including multiple means of shifting to a low-carbon future. Multiple assessment techniques have been developed to understand the potential vulnerability to, and impacts of climate change. At the same time, there is a lack of methodology to understand the potential vulnerability to, and impacts of, responses to climate change on a micro level. This research report describes the development of a reference framework to be used to monitor the vulnerability of the Cape Town International Airport to changes in carbon pricing and/or a shift to a low-carbon future. A theoretical approach was taken, which reviews existing techniques and proposes an integrated framework approach which was then applied to the case study of Cape Town International Airport. Existing literature on what is understood by a low carbon future shows that there is uncertainty about what mitigation and adaptation approaches will be adopted on various scales, and, similarly, uncertainty on what this means for a low carbon economy. Existing scenario development, vulnerability assessment, risk assessment and impact assessment methodologies were then reviewed, revealing a dearth of integrated approaches and an emphasis on the direct impacts of climate change, with a lack of attention to the impacts of responses to climate change. Finally, an overview of what are considered key driving forces in airport feasibility is provided in order to identify potential areas of vulnerability that require attention in any assessment of an airports’ vulnerability to different futures. Building on the various methodologies reviewed, and the understanding of key airport drivers, a reference framework is developed with special focus on the Cape Town International Airport and its current financial structure and planning framework. The final section of the paper discusses preliminary findings as illustrative of the approach, concluding that the framework can be applied via multidisciplinary collaboration, but that further work would be required both internally and externally in order to better manage uncertainties.

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

While bicyclists and other active travelers obtain health benefits from increased physical activity, they also risk uptake of traffic-related air pollution. But pollution uptake by urban bicyclists is not well understood due to a lack of direct measurements and insufficient analysis of the determinants of exposure and ventilation (breathing). This knowledge gap impedes pollution-conscious transportation planning, design, and health impact assessment. The research presented in this dissertation generates new connections between transportation system characteristics and pollution uptake by bicyclists. The primary research questions are: 1) how do urban bicyclists' intake and uptake of air pollution vary with roadway and travel characteristics and 2) to what extent can transportation-related strategies reduce uptake. Breath biomarkers are used to measure absorbed doses of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This research is the first application of breath biomarkers to travelers and the first uptake measurements of any pollutant to include roadway-level covariates. Novel methods to collect and integrate bicycle, rider, traffic, and environmental data are also introduced. Bicyclist exposure concentrations, exhaled breath concentrations, respiratory physiology, and travel characteristics were collected on a wide range of facilities in Portland, Oregon. High-resolution trajectory and pollution data were then integrated with roadway and traffic data. Models of exposure, ventilation, and uptake of VOCs were estimated from the on-road data. Important new quantifications in the models include the effects of average daily traffic (ADT) on multi-pollutant exposure, the lagged effect of on-road workload on ventilation, and the effects of exposure and ventilation on absorbed VOCs. Estimated models are applied to situations of interest to travelers and transportation professionals. Sample applications include the inhalation dose effects of road grade, cruising speed choice, stops, and detouring to parallel low-traffic facilities. In addition, dose-minimizing routing behavior is compared with revealed routing preferences in the literature. Finally, findings from this research and the literature are distilled so that they can be incorporated into bicycle network design guidelines.

[Truncated abstract] Air pollution is increasingly perceived to be a serious intangible threat to humanity, with air quality continuing to deteriorate in most urban areas. The main sources of inner city pollution are motor vehicles, which generate emissions from the tail pipe as well as by evaporation. These contain toxic gaseous components which have adverse health effects. The major components are carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), particulates (PM10), and volatile organic compounds (VOC). CO and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are major emissions from cars. This study focuses on pollutant concentration in Perth city and has sought to develop measures to improve air quality. To estimate concentrations, the study develops air pollution models for CO and NOx; on the basis of the model estimates, effective policy is devised to improve the air quality by managing travel to the city. Two peaks, due to traffic, are observed in hourly CO and NOx concentrations. Unlike traffic, however, the morning peak does not reach the level of the afternoon peak. The reasons for this divergence are assessed and quantified. Separate causal models of hourly concentrations of CO and NOx explain their fluctuations accurately. They take account of the complex effects of the urban street canyon and winds in the city. The angle of incidence of the wind has significant impact on pollution level; a wind flow from the south-west increases pollution and wind from the north-east decreases it. The models have been shown to be equivalent to engineering and scientific models in estimating emission rate in the context of street canyons. However the study models are much more precise in the Perth context. ... The models are used to calculate the marginal effects for all attributes and elasticity for fuel price. In almost all attributes the non-work group is more responsive than the work group. Finally, the SP model results are integrated into an econometric model for the purpose of prediction. The travel behaviour prediction is used to estimate the policy impact on air quality. The benefit from the air quality improvement is reported in terms of life saved. The estimated relationships between probability of death and air pollution determines the number of lives that could be saved under various policy scenarios. A ratio of benefits to the financial and perceived sacrifices by drivers is calculated to compare the effectiveness of the suggested policies. A car size charge policy was found to be the most cost effective measure to ameliorate the environmental impact of cars in Perth, with a morning peak entry time charge being almost as cost effective. The study demonstrates the need for appropriate modelling of air pollution and travel behaviour. It brings together analytical methods at three levels of causality, vehicle to air pollution, charge to travel response, and air pollution to health.

Seed-oil based biodiesel production particularly biodiesel production from the nonedible oil seed bearing plant - Jatropha curcas L. - is a key strategic direction outlined in the biofuels strategy of the Government of Ethiopia. The main objective underlying the strategy include substitution of imported diesel oil used in the road transport sector while at the same time contributing to the local and global greenhouse gasses (GHG) reduction efforts. In this study the environmental benefits and costs of production and use of Jatropha biodiesel in the road transport sector of Ethiopia is assessed using a life cycle analysis (LCA) methodology. The analysis focused on determining the potential environmental impacts and net non-renewable energy saving potential of biodiesel from Jatropha oil-seeds using the following metrics: (i) Net Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction, and (ii) Net Energy Balance (NEB) relative to diesel oil. The study shows that the net GHG emissions reduction potential of Jatropha Methyl Ester (JME) is highly influenced by the magnitude of initial carbon loss occurring in the process of conversion of different land uses to Jatropha plantation, and less so on other unit processes of JME production system analysed. The NEB of JME relative to use of diesel oil per functional unit of one GJ is less sensitive to impacts of land use change and is generally positive. Where no land use change impacts is considered, or where Jatropha is grown on lands with low carbon stock such as grasslands, substitution of diesel oil with JME in Ethiopia can provide GHG emission reduction of about 43%, and for each MJ of JME produced the nonrenewable energy requirement will be 0,38 MJ. Production of JME by converting lands with high above ground, below ground and/or soil carbon stocks such as shrub lands or well stocked forest lands will result in net loss of carbon and require ecological carbon payback time of 50 to hundreds of years. The impact of introducing and use of JME-diesel oil blends by Anbassa City Bus Services Enterprise (ACBSE) bus fleets shows that, displacement of diesel oil with JME that have positive GHG reduction potential, will also contribute to the reduction of air pollutants and improvement of ambient air quality in Addis Ababa. Two key recommendations of this research work are that to ensure environmental sustainability of biodiesel production from Jatropha seeds (i) land availability and land suitability assessment for estimating the potential available land for Jatropha (and other oil-seed bearing plants) shall be conducted, and (ii) minimum requirements on GHG reduction and NEB requirements on biodiesel shall be established. / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Management)

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Globally, transport and its associated ills are creating urban landscapes that can best be described as unhealthy, unfriendly and unsustainable. The unsustainable nature of current transportation practices are most keenly displayed in four key areas, namely: the pending oil peak; global climate change; environmental degradation and social deprivation. South Africa is no exception to these impacts, but also suffers an extra disadvantage of demonstrating very little knowledge of more sustainable transportation option in terms of its planning regime. This study endeavours to improve the state of sustainability in transportation planning by developing a user-friendly and pragmatic transportation sustainability appraisal mechanism and testing this mechanism on a real-life case. In order to develop such an appraisal mechanism, the theory of sustainable development is firstly examined to provide direction to the study, followed by an attempt to distil the most pertinent principles of sustainable transport from the literature. These principles form the objectives which the appraisal mechanism aims to measure sustainability against. Owing to the poor level of awareness regarding sustainable transport practices in South Africa, a discussion on selected benchmark sustainable transport practices is also included in the study and consequently added to the appraisal mechanism. To test its operability, the appraisal mechanism is finally applied to Cape Town’s Draft Integrated Transport Plan (ITP) 2006-2011. The study indicates that the ITP is a reasonably sustainable transport plan, with the exception of its affordability and public participation aspects. These exceptions are attributed to the ITP either not properly addressing these aspects, or due to the ITP not providing enough information on these aspects. Finally, the study found that the developed appraisal mechanism is operable in the field of transportation planning, but suggests that the mechanism be further developed and refined to improve its value and effectiveness. A transdisciplinary process involving the input of community stakeholders and specialists is identified as major area for such development / Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 379-409) / 2 v. : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Develops a framework for evaluating environmental impact assessment (EIA) and organisational change, and examines the influence of the EIA system on two government organisations within South Australia, Transport SA and ETSA . Finally analyses patterns of organisational change process in South Australia in comparision with experience in the United States. / Thesis (Ph.D.(Arts))--Adelaide University, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2001

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 379-409) / 2 v. : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Develops a framework for evaluating environmental impact assessment (EIA) and organisational change, and examines the influence of the EIA system on two government organisations within South Australia, Transport SA and ETSA . Finally analyses patterns of organisational change process in South Australia in comparision with experience in the United States. / Thesis (Ph.D.(Arts))--Adelaide University, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2001

Seed-oil based biodiesel production particularly biodiesel production from the nonedible oil seed bearing plant - Jatropha curcas L. - is a key strategic direction outlined in the biofuels strategy of the Government of Ethiopia. The main objective underlying the strategy include substitution of imported diesel oil used in the road transport sector while at the same time contributing to the local and global greenhouse gasses (GHG) reduction efforts. In this study the environmental benefits and costs of production and use of Jatropha biodiesel in the road transport sector of Ethiopia is assessed using a life cycle analysis (LCA) methodology. The analysis focused on determining the potential environmental impacts and net non-renewable energy saving potential of biodiesel from Jatropha oil-seeds using the following metrics: (i) Net Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction, and (ii) Net Energy Balance (NEB) relative to diesel oil. The study shows that the net GHG emissions reduction potential of Jatropha Methyl Ester (JME) is highly influenced by the magnitude of initial carbon loss occurring in the process of conversion of different land uses to Jatropha plantation, and less so on other unit processes of JME production system analysed. The NEB of JME relative to use of diesel oil per functional unit of one GJ is less sensitive to impacts of land use change and is generally positive. Where no land use change impacts is considered, or where Jatropha is grown on lands with low carbon stock such as grasslands, substitution of diesel oil with JME in Ethiopia can provide GHG emission reduction of about 43%, and for each MJ of JME produced the nonrenewable energy requirement will be 0,38 MJ. Production of JME by converting lands with high above ground, below ground and/or soil carbon stocks such as shrub lands or well stocked forest lands will result in net loss of carbon and require ecological carbon payback time of 50 to hundreds of years. The impact of introducing and use of JME-diesel oil blends by Anbassa City Bus Services Enterprise (ACBSE) bus fleets shows that, displacement of diesel oil with JME that have positive GHG reduction potential, will also contribute to the reduction of air pollutants and improvement of ambient air quality in Addis Ababa. Two key recommendations of this research work are that to ensure environmental sustainability of biodiesel production from Jatropha seeds (i) land availability and land suitability assessment for estimating the potential available land for Jatropha (and other oil-seed bearing plants) shall be conducted, and (ii) minimum requirements on GHG reduction and NEB requirements on biodiesel shall be established. / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Management)