Texas currently maintains the highest installed nameplate capacity and does not require publicly available post-construction monitoring studies that examine the impacts of wind energy production on surrounding fauna. This thesis examines potential wind energy impacts on avian and bat species in Texas through a three-part objective. The first two objectives synthesize literature on variables attractive to species within wind development areas and estimate impacted ranges outside of Texas, based on studies examining wind energy's environmental impacts. The third objective focuses on Texas wind development potential for interaction with rare, threatened and endangered species of birds and bats using GIS analysis with a potential hazard index (PHI) model, which addresses broad-spectrum, high risk variables examined within the first two objectives. Assuming areas with higher wind speeds have potential for wind development, PHI values were calculated for 31 avian and ten bat species, based on an analysis of species range data obtained from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and wind data obtained from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Results indicate one avian species, Tympanuchus pallidicinctus, is at high risk for wind development interaction on an annual basis, with 20 species of birds and nine species of bats at higher risk during the spring season. This macro-scale approach for identifying high risk species in Texas could be used as a model to apply to other conterminous states' preliminary evaluation of wind energy impacts.

Le produzioni zootecniche italiane giocano un ruolo importante nel settore agroalimentare, spaziando dagli aspetti sociali a quelli economici ed ambientali. L'Italia è leader nella produzione di latte vaccino di qualità per il consumo diretto ed è il principale paese europeo produttore di formaggi DOP. Tuttavia, la produzione di latte ha impatti sull'ambiente in quanto l'allevamento contribuisce ai gas serra presenti, principalmente dal processo digestivo degli animali, gestione degli effluenti e acquisto di alimenti, oltre alla potenziale immissione di sostanze inquinanti in acqua e suolo. L’analisi del ciclo di vita (Life Cycle Assessment, LCA) applicata in un’ottica di obiettivo di sviluppo agricolo ed agroalimentare sostenibile, permette di individuare le principali criticità legate al settore lattiero-caseario, e di predisporre azioni di mitigazione ambientale. A tal proposito, la Commissione Europea (CE) ha sviluppato la metodologia Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) e specifiche Category Rules (PEFCR) per armonizzare le scelte metodologiche di LCA e fornire criteri oggettivi di confronto dell'eco-compatibilità di prodotti. Il progetto LIFE TTGG (The Tough Get Going) applica la relativa PEFCR per il calcolo delle prestazioni ambientali nelle filiere Grana Padano e Comté DOP, ponendo le basi per trasformare le problematiche ambientali che scaturiscono dalle attività dei singoli produttori, in opportunità di miglioramento, nell’ottica della transizione ecologica del Paese. / The livestock breeding in Italy plays an important role in the agri-food sector, spanning from social to economic and to environmental aspects. Italy is a leader in the production of quality milk for direct consumption and is the main European country producing PDO cheeses. However, milk production carries impacts on the environment, as livestock farming contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, mainly resulting from animals’ digestion system, manure management and feed purchase, as well as pollutants. With the aim of a sustainable agricultural and agri-food development, it is important to identify, through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), main criticalities related to the dairy sector, in order to adopt environmental mitigation actions. In this regard, the EC has developed the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology and specific Category Rules (PEFCR), harmonizing the methodological choices of LCA and providing objective criteria to compare the eco-compatibility of products. The LIFE TTGG (The Tough Get Going) project applies the PEFCR, calculating the environmental performance of the Grana Padano and Comté PDO supply chains and laying the bases for transforming the environmental problems arising from the activities of individual producers into opportunities for improvement, with a view to the Country's ecological transition.

Solar energy industries are one of the fastest-growing industries in the global energy market. Between 2018 and 2019, installed capacity in Sweden increased by 70%. This is due to a combination of declining PV module and inverter costs, as well as  increased conversion to fossil-free energy production to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, solar PVs have a 25-year life span, and soon many deployed PVs would soon reach their end of life (EoL), it is, therefore, important to organize for the EoL of PVs in order to recover precious resources and recycle PV modules in a sustainable manner. Currently, less than 10% of global solar cell waste is recycled, due to the lack of incentives for recycling in most countries. In the European Union, used-up modules are governed by the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive, which requires the collection of 85% of solar cell waste, with at least 80% of the waste being prepared for reuse or recycling. Solar cell waste has not amounted to significant volumes in Sweden, due to the lack of no known systems for recycling. Used-up modules are currently collected and managed as electronic waste in one of two approved collection systems in Sweden. The aim of this thesis is to analyze and assess methods of recycling waste solar panels in Sweden and is it economically viable to set up a solar waste recycling center before it reaches the right amount of waste. Moreover, the main focus is on the analysis and comparison of the environmental impacts of various recycling methods for crystalline silicon (c-Si) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) panels. To recycle solar panel waste, the elements of these panels must be assessed from both an economic point of view as well as environmental impacts. Today, the most common PV panels in the global market and also Sweden are c-Si and CdTe types. The results showed except for the pyrolysis method, the environmental impacts of both c-Si and CdTe PV panels from the thermal-based recycling methods, are lower than chemical methods. Furthermore, the extraction of Al, Si, and glass from c-Si and the extraction of glass from CdTe has a less environmental impact than the current techniques used in the recycling of PV panels. Finally, in this study, we revealed which materials can be prioritized for maximum economic and environmental advantages from recycling. In c-Si modules, these are Ag, Al, Si, and glass and in CdTe modules, these are Te, Cu, and glass. Currently, investing in a new solar module recycling center in Sweden is not economically viable. Because the possibility of such an investment requires economic and political incentives. Given that by 2042 the volume of Swedish solar waste will not reach the minimum level of profitability to build a new specialized center for the recycling of solar modules, the best decision is to modify the existing plants in Sweden to recover expensive and vital materials.

Electrification is widely considered as a viable strategy for reducing the oil dependency and environmental impacts of road transportation. In pursuit of this strategy, most attention has been paid to electric cars. However, substantial, yet untapped, potentials could be realized in urban areas through the large-scale introduction of electric two-wheelers. Here, we review the environmental, economic, and social performance of electric two-wheelers, demonstrating that these are generally more energy efficient and less polluting than conventionally-powered motor vehicles. Electric two-wheelers tend to decrease exposure to pollution as their environmental impacts largely result from vehicle production and electricity generation outside of urban areas. Our analysis suggests that the price of e-bikes has been decreasing at a learning rate of 8%. Despite price differentials of 5000 ± 1800 EUR2012 kW h−1 in Europe, e-bikes are penetrating the market because they appear to offer an apparent additional use value relative to bicycles. Mid-size and large electric two-wheelers do not offer such an additional use value compared to their conventional counterparts and constitute niche products at price differentials of 700 ± 360 EUR2012 kW−1 and 160 ± 90 EUR2012 kW−1, respectively. The large-scale adoption of electric two-wheelers can reduce traffic noise and road congestion but may necessitate adaptations of urban infrastructure and safety regulations. A case-specific assessment as part of an integrated urban mobility planning that accounts, e.g., for the local electricity mix, infrastructure characteristics, and mode-shift behavior, should be conducted before drawing conclusions about the sustainability impacts of electric two-wheelers.

Les changements d’usage des terres à des fins de développement s'accompagnent toujours de conflits entre les différentes parties prenantes, en particulier dans le cadre de la construction ou de l'expansion de projets de développement dans les pays en voie de développement. C’est le cas des projets d'infrastructure comme les barrages hydrauliques et de leurs conséquences à la fois positives et négatives. Dans ces projets les conflits émergent en raison des problèmes liés aux attentes foncières, ainsi qu’aux intérêts divergents des différentes parties prenantes. En fonction de leur intensité, ils apparaissent alors sous différentes formes, avec des impacts importants sur les populations locales.La thèse traite des conflits qui surgissent entre les différents acteurs liés au projet de construction du barrage Diamer Bhasha au Pakistan, ainsi de leurs impacts socioéconomiques sur les personnes affectées. Ce projet a commencé à faire face à des oppositions concernant les acquisitions de terres et provoqué des manifestations, des actions en justice, le blocage des routes et des menaces à l’égard des promoteurs du projet.Afin d'analyser les conflits et d'évaluer les impacts socioéconomiques du projet, nous avons utilisé différentes sources de données primaires et secondaires. 61 entretiens ont ainsi été réalisés avec des experts et des parties prenantes appartenant à différents domaines.De plus, 289 articles de différents quotidiens nationaux et régionaux concernant les conflits et les impacts socioéconomiques du barrage ont été étudiés afin de vérifier et de corroborer ces informations. En outre, certains documents publiés par des organisations, publiques et privées, ont également été consultés. Les résultats révèlent différents conflits entre les personnes affectées et le Gouvernement, ainsi qu’entre différents groupes locaux d’acteurs, au sujet des compensations foncières et des droits de propriété. L’étude met en évidence les problèmes posés par le projet au niveau socio‐économiques, qui concernent en particulier un plan de réinstallation inefficace et la perte massive d'emplois. En outre, il explore les causes profondes des conflits, dues à la mauvaise planification, la mauvaise gouvernance, la mauvaise gestion, la corruption et le népotisme dans les différentes activités du projet. L’absence de participation de toutes les parties prenantes et la diffusion inexistante de l'information sur les activités du projet, sont également de très importantes sources de conflits entre les différents acteurs. Enfin, le travail présente des mesures de politiques et des recommandations pour une meilleure gouvernance, en termes de renforcement des capacités des populations locales dans différents domaines et de participation de toutes les parties prenantes à l’ensemble des composantes du projet. / Land use change for the purpose of development always comes with conflicts among different stakeholders, especially under the construction or expansion of developmental projects in developing countries. Thus, infrastructural projects like dams have both positive and negative consequences in this regard. The conflicts in such projects emerge with view of issues associated with the superposition of land expectation, as well as different stakeholders' interests. They appear in different forms, depending upon their intensity, with severe impacts on local people. The article deals with conflicts arising among different actors and their socioeconomic impacts on affected people, due to construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam project in Pakistan. This project started facing opposition from land acquisition and encouraged protestations, legal action in court, road blockage, threatening the project contractor, and violation.In order to analyze the conflicts and to assess the socioeconomic impacts of the project, we used both primary and secondary data sources. About 61 interviews with experts and stakeholders of different backgrounds were conducted.Moreover, under the secondary source about 289 articles from different national and regional dailies on conflicts and socioeconomics impacts of the Dam were studied in order to cross check the information. Further, some literature published by public and private organizations was also consulted.Preliminary results show different conflicts between affected people and Government and also among different groups of locally affected people, over land compensations and property rights. This study further highlights the socioeconomic issues of the project in the form of ineffective resettlement plan and loss of employment opportunities. It further, explores the root causes of conflicts, due to poor planning and governance, mismanagement, corruption and cronyism in different project activities. Lack of participation of all stakeholders and proper information dissemination about all project activities are also main source of conflicts among different actors. Finally, it provides policy measures and recommendations for better governance in the form of capacity building of local people in different areas and participation of all stakeholders in all project activities.

Asian countries are urbanizing at an unprecedented rate, which has led to significant demand for sand. While sand mining fuels infrastructure development, creates livelihoods, and stimulates local economic activity, it also drives a series of environmental and socio-economic consequences which cannot be ignored. These include erosion, the destruction of habitats and loss of biodiversity, the deterioration of traditional livelihoods, forced displacement of communities, and damage to homes and infrastructure. On the one hand, this thesis uses mixed methods to study the multifaceted impacts of sand mining along the Red River in China, near the Vietnamese border. On the other hand, using qualitative methods, it explores how these impacts unfold along the Mekong River in Cambodia, near Phnom Penh. Using a political ecology approach, it identifies the actors involved in sand mining, their motives, and their impacts on the environment and local communities. The extractivism framework is used to describe sand mining activities and practices. In doing so, this thesis contributes to the literature on the understudied sand mining industry and its far-reaching impacts.

Adhesives used for wood composites such as particleboard are conventionally of petrochemical nature with formaldehyde as a base substance and represent a pain point in the industry due their toxic emissions. Consequently, adhesives are subject to an agenda to develop more benign, low-impact alternatives. On the one hand, the issue has been addressed by means of optimisation of composition and amounts, and on the other hand, development of biobased adhesives from different renewable feedstock has been taking place over the past decades. Yet, these bio-adhesives remain a niche segment as renewability or lower toxicity alone is widely not enough despite increasingly strict regulations on formaldehyde emissions. Emphasis on a more comprehensive set of beneficial properties of ‘green’ adhesives is needed for successful adoption in the market. In this context, this study investigates the holistic sustainability potential of a yet untapped bio- adhesive feedstock: macroalgae. Current research on an algae-based adhesive from cultivated biomass in Sweden suggests suitable adhesive properties for particleboard manufacture. Complementing these promising findings on material properties, this study assesses sustainability of using an algae-based adhesive in a particleboard production system as opposed to conventional formaldehyde-based resins. A comparative cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment of different scenarios was conducted, with the specific aim to explore changes in toxicity, climate change impacts and eutrophication due to the known benefits of cultivated macroalgae in these areas. A considerably better performance for algae-based adhesives was found across impact categories (CML baseline method) compared to formaldehyde-based scenarios, as well as a similar pattern with respect to cumulative energy demand. Particularly under a low-impact preservation method for the algal biomass, relative impacts were substantially lower without exception. Furthermore, a potential for carbon sequestration and replacing of fossil with biogenic carbon flows was identified, as well as bioremediation of location eutrophication through nutrient uptake of the biomass during cultivation. Despite the early stage and the need for further research, the results point to a promising potential for macroalgae as a feedstock for biobased wood adhesives which go beyond renewability. / Lim som vanligtvis används för träkomponenter som exempelvis spånskivor är konventionellt från petrokemiska källor med formaldehyd som basämne, och anses vara en utmaning för branschen på grund av dess giftiga utsläpp. Därav är det av intresse för branschen att utveckla bättre alternativ med mindre miljöpåverkan. Utvecklingen har dels skett genom optimering av sammansättning och proportioner, men under det senaste decennierna har även utveckling av biobaserade lim från olika förnyelsebara råvaror tagit fart. Dessa biobaserade lim är dock fortfarande ett nischat område, att enbart arbeta med förnybara råvaror som ger lägre toxicitet verkar inte vara tillräckligt, trots allt striktare bestämmelser om formaldehydutsläpp. Därför krävs det tydliga bevis av miljövinsterna med lim av förnyelsebara råvaror för att denna metod ska bli mer framgångsrik på marknaden. I detta sammanhang undersöker denna uppsats, genom ett holistiskt perspektiv, potentialen med lim gjort på det ännu outnyttjade förnyelsebara materialet makroalger. Aktuell forskning på algbaserat lim från odlad biomassa i Sverige har uppvisat lämpliga limegenskaper för användning inom spånskivetillverkning. Som ett komplement för dessa potentiella fördelaktiga egenskaper, bedömer denna uppsats miljönyttan med användandet av ett algbaserat lim i produktionssystem av spånskivor, i relation till det konventionella formaldehydbaserade limmet. Därmed görs en jämförande livscykelanalys från vaggan till grinden av olika scenarier, med syftet att undersöka förändringar i toxicitet, klimatpåverkan och övergödning, i och med att dessa tre påverkanskategorier redan har visat på kända miljöfördelar. Resultatet visade att det algbaserade limmet hade betydligt bättre miljöprestanda i alla påverkanskategorier undersökt med metoden CML baseline i jämförelse med det formaldehydbaserade limmet, vilket även visades för kategorin kumulativt energibehov. När en konserveringsmetod används för att processa algbiomassan, är skillnaden i miljöpåverkan av dom två limmen lägre inom alla påverkanskategorier. Slutligen identifierades potential för kolbindning och utbyte av biogena och fossila kolflöden, även bioremediering av lokal övergödning genom att biomassan upptog näringsämnen under odling. Trots det tidiga stadiet och behovet av fortsatt forskning så visar dessa resultat en fortsatt potential för makroalger som ett råmaterial för biobaserade trälim som tar förbybarhet ett steg längre.

The aim of this thesis is to assess potential environmental impacts of electronic media distribution and consumption—from a life cycle perspective—as compared to those of print media. The thesis consists of a cover essay and two papers appended at the end of the thesis. The cover essay summarizes the papers and puts them in context. The main objectives of the thesis are twofold: to assess potential environmental impacts of production and consumption of tablet editions of magazines from a life cycle perspective (Paper I), and to compare potential environmental impacts of a magazine’s print edition with that of its tablet edition (Paper II). The thesis examines the following specific research questions: (1) What are the main environmental impacts of print and tablet editions? (2) Which activities are giving rise to the main environmental impacts of the print and tablet editions? (3) What are the key factors influencing these impacts? (4) What are major data gaps and uncertainties? Based on the present assessment, it is clear that for the print magazine, pulp and paper production is the principal cause of most of the potential environmental impacts. For this reason, the use of recycled paper, rather than virgin fiber, in newsprint production may considerably offset environmental impacts. For the tablet edition, the content production dominates the potential environmental impacts when readers are few. This appears to be the case in an emerging state of the magazine, but with distribution of more media products to smaller groups of people, this may persist for “mature” products as well. As the number of tablet readers grows, more of the environmental impact of the is due to manufacturing of the device and electronic distribution. However, content production may still be a major factor, depending on the specific environmental impacts studied. / <p>QC 20130306</p>

The world is facing many challenges to be able to ensure food security, such as anincreased food demand coming from an expanding world population andurbanisation, worsened agricultural opportunities from increased land deteriorationand significant environmental impacts coming from the food sector. Thus, there is aneed for new agricultural solutions to meet our needs whilst decreasing impactssimultaneously. A part of these solutions could be found in urban farming andhydroponic vertical farming systems (VFS). VFS uses artificial intelligence toregulate heat, lighting and irrigation to cultivate crops indoors. By placing thesesystems inside a grocery store, new opportunities for these crops are presented,such as water-and-nutrient recirculation, reductions in transports, usage ofpesticides and agricultural land, as well as opportunities for industrial symbiosis inheating and converting carbon dioxide to oxygen. Thus, the aim of this report is toassess the environmental hotspots and areas of improvement of an hydroponic VFSplaced in the grocery store using life cycle assessment (LCA). The study isconducted in partnership with Swegreen, which are the creators behind the studiedVFS model called SAGA, designed to be operated in medium sized grocery storesin Sweden. Results from the study show that energy consumption is a hotspot in most impactcategories, followed by impacts from infrastructure, fertilisers, packaging andconsumer waste management. However, for the climate change impact category,the sensitivity analysis indicates that the impact from the energy consumption ishighly dependent on what type of electricity mix that is being used, since thedifference in impact on climate change between the Swedish electricity mix, andNordic electricity mix ranged from 0.340 to 0.385 kg CO2 eq (carbon dioxideequivalents) per kg produced edible lettuce. Moreover, synergising effects fromintegrating the system into a grocery store, such as cleaning the air from carbondioxide and reusing residual heat from the system, showed the opportunities forgrocery stores to reduce impacts in climate change by up to 43% of the total climatechange impacts from the VFS. However, using these synergising effects effectivelywould require additional investments to build up the necessary infrastructure toachieve these avoided impacts. / Världen står inför många utmaningar för att kunna säkerhetsställalivsmedelsförsörjningen, såsom en ökad efterfrågan på livsmedel till följd av enväxande världsbefolkning och urbanisering, försämrade odlingsmöjligheter till följdav utarmad odlingsmark och växande miljöpåverkan från livsmedelssektorn. Detfinns därför ett behov av nya lösningar för att tillgodose våra behov och samtidigtminska påverkan inom jordbrukssektorn. En del av dessa lösningar kan hittas istadsodling och hydroponiska vertikala odlingssystem (VFS). VFS använderartificiell intelligens för att reglera värme, belysning och bevattning för att odla grödorinomhus. Genom att placera dessa system i en livsmedelsbutik skapas nyamöjligheter för dessa grödor, såsom recirkulation av vatten och näringsämnen,minskade transporter, användning av bekämpningsmedel och jordbruksmark, samtmöjligheter till industriell symbios vid uppvärmning och omvandling av koldioxid tillsyre. Syftet med denna rapport är att bedöma miljömässiga hotspots ochförbättringsområden för en hydroponisk VFS som placeras i livsmedelsbutiker medhjälp av livscykelanalys (LCA). Studien genomförs i samarbete med Swegreen, somär producenten av den studerade VFS-modellen kallad SAGA som är designad föratt drivas i medelstora livsmedelsbutiker i Sverige. Resultaten från studien visar att energiförbrukningen är en hotspot i de flestapåverkanskategorier, följt av påverkan från infrastruktur, gödningsmedel,förpackningar och konsumentens avfallshantering. För klimatpåverkan visarkänslighetsanalysen att påverkan från energiförbrukningen är starkt beroende avvilken typ av el som används, eftersom total klimatpåverkan för den Svenska elmixenoch den Nordiska elmixen var 0.340 respektive 0.385 kg CO2 -ekv(koldioxidekvivalenter) per kg producerad ätbar sallad. När systemet integreras i enlivsmedelsbutik bidrar det till synergieffekter från koldioxidavskiljning ochåteranvändning av spillvärme från systemet. Detta öppnar upp för möjligheter förmataffären att minska klimatpåverkan för upp till 43% av systemets totalaklimatpåverkan. Däremot skulle det krävas ytterligare investeringar för att bygga uppnödvändig infrastruktur för att uppnå dessa synergieffekter.

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