Greenhouse Gas Emissions Quantification and Reduction Efforts in a Rural Municipality

The present article aims to determine the current carbon footprint (CF) of Zernez, a Swiss mountain village, and to identify reduction potentials of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For this purpose, material and energy flows were assessed mainly based on detailed household surveys, interviews, and energy bills, but also by means of other information sources, for example, national statistics, traffic censuses, and literature values. To set up the GHG balance, special attention was paid to the consistent definition of system boundaries by adopting two fundamentally different perspectives: purely geographical accounting (PGA) and the consumption‐based footprint (CBF) method. Each of these two perspectives total approximately 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per capita per year. The PGA revealed that 70% of the direct emissions in Zernez are caused by agricultural activities, whereas no consumption area dominated the consumption‐induced CF. For the identification of targeted measures, both perspectives were considered in a complementary manner. The building stock and its underlying energy supply system showed a GHG reduction potential of 80%. The building sector was thus detected as a reasonable first step for the municipality to adopt GHG mitigation strategies. In the case of Zernez, building‐stock‐related measures are predicted to decrease the current CF by 13% (CBF) and 17% (PGA), respectively.     

Life Cycle Impacts and Benefits of Wood along the Value Chain: The Case of Switzerland

Sustainable use of wood may contribute to coping with energy and material resource challenges. The goal of this study is to increase knowledge of the environmental effects of wood use by analyzing the complete value chain of all wooden goods produced or consumed in Switzerland. We start from a material flow analysis of current wood use in Switzerland. Environmental impacts related to the material flows are evaluated using life cycle assessment–based environmental indicators. Regarding climate change, we find an overall average benefit of 0.5 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent per cubic meter of wood used. High environmental benefits are often achieved when replacing conventional heat production and energy‐consuming materials in construction and furniture. The environmental performance of wood is, however, highly dependent on its use and environmental indicators. To exploit the mitigation potential of wood, we recommend to (1) apply its use where there are high substitution benefits like the replacement of fossil fuels for energy or energy‐intensive building materials, (2) take appropriate measures to minimize negative effects like particulate matter emissions, and (3) keep a systems perspective to weigh effects like substitution and cascading against each other in a comprehensive manner. The results can provide guidance for further in‐depth studies and prospective analyses of wood‐use scenarios.     

Streamlining scenario analysis and optimization of key choices in value chains using a modular LCA approach

Purpose

The environmental performance of products or services is often a result of a number of key decisions that shape their life cycles (e.g., techology choices). This paper introduces a modular LCA approach that is capable of reducing the effort involved in performing scenario analyses and optimization when several key choices along a product’s value chain lead to many alternative life cycles.

Methods

The main idea is that the value chain of a product can be divided into interconnected but exchangeable modules, which together represent a full life cycle. A module is comprised of unit processes from the practitioner’s LCI database. The inputs, outputs, and system boundaries of each module can be tailored to the context of the studied system. Alternatives arise whenever multiple modules produce substitutable products. Unlike in conventional LCI databases, no copies are necessary to represent the same process with different inputs. A module-product matrix is used to store this information. It can be used as a basis for an automated scenario analysis of all alternatives or as an input to an optimization model.

Results and discussion

Our approach is illustrated in two case studies: (1) Passenger car fuel choices are modeled by 15 modules representing 33 alternative value chains for diesel, petrol, natural gas and electric cars. The automated comparison of LCA results indicates that electric mobility is often the preferable option from a climate perspective, but impacts depend strongly on the electricity source. (2) A dynamic optimization model including stocks is built from eight modules to analyze the optimal use of wood for material and energy applications. Results indicate that although direct substitution benefits are higher for energy applications, cascading use of wood can maximize environmental performance over the entire life cycle.

Conclusions

The modular LCA approach permits an efficient modeling and comparison of alternative product life cycles, enabling practitioners to focus on key decisions. It can be applied to exploit a potential that is hidden in LCI databases, which is that they contain many specific inventories but not all useful combinations in the context of scenario analyses. The user-defined level of abstraction that is introduced through modules can be helpful in the communication of LCA results. The modular approach also facilitates the integration of LCA and optimization as well as other industrial ecology methods. An open source software is provided to enable others to apply and further develop our implementation of a modular LCA approach.

     

Energy content of water- and bog-plant associations in the region of Valdivia (Chile)

Summary Mapping the vegetation of the littoral zone of different types of aquatic habitats in the region of Valdivia (Chile) submerged Egerietum densum, the emergent Sagittario-Alismetum and the Scirpetum californiae were found. In the littoral zone of the banados (i.e. lakes) formed by inundation after subsidence the submerged Egerietum densum, the floating-leaved Polygono-Jussiaetum and the emergent Juncetum procerii; the analyzed pond of Mehuin contained the Callitrichetum stagnalis chilensis and the artificial ponds close to La Union the Lemno-Azolletum. The caloric values of 18 hydrophytes showed a decline from the large emergent hydrophytes (3 818 cal/g) to the submerged (2 907 cal/g) and there was also a decrease from the free-floating (3 652 cal/g) to the floating-leaved (3 364 cal/g) and to the submerged plants. In the most eases high caloric values correspond to a high content of lignin (large emergent hydrophytes) or lipids (floating-leaved plants).We thank Mrs. Bölke and Mr. Delgado for technical help and the Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia for fluancial support.     

Upscaling methods used in ex ante life cycle assessment of emerging technologies: a review

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment - The objective of this paper was to provide LCA practitioners with recommendations and a framework for upscaling emerging technologies by...     

Laser induced cell fusion in combination with optical tweezers: the laser cell fusion trap.

A single-beam gradient force optical trap was combined with a pulsed UV laser microbeam in order to perform laser induced cell fusion. This combination offers the possibility to selectively fuse two single cells without critical chemical or electrical treatment. The optical trap was created by directing a Nd:YAG laser, at a wavelength of 1.06 microns, into a microscope and focusing the laser beam with a high numerical aperture objective. The UV laser microbeam, produced by a nitrogen-pumped dye laser (366 nm), was collinear with the trapping beam. Once inside the trap, two cells could be fused with several pulses of the UV laser microbeam, attenuated to an energy of approximately 1 microJ/pulse in the object plane. This method of laser induced cell fusion should provide increased selectivity and efficiency in generating viable hybrid cells.     

Inhaltsstoffe und Beäsungsintensität ausgewählter Nahrungspflanzen des Rothirsches (Cervus elaphus Linné, 1758) in der Eifel

European Journal of Wildlife Research - In der Westeifel werden die Beziehungen zwischen Inhaltsstoffen wichtiger Nahrungspflanzen und der mit den phänologischen Phasen wechselnden...     

Motion determination in actin filament fluorescence images with a spatio-temporal orientation analysis method

We present a novel approach of automatically measuring motion in series of microscopic fluorescence images. As a differential method, the three-dimensional structure tensor technique is used to calculate the displacement vector field for every image of the sequence, from which the velocities are subsequently derived. We have used this method for the analysis of the movement of single actin filaments in the in vitro motility assay, where fluorescently labeled actin filaments move over a myosin decorated surface. With its fast implementation and subpixel accuracy, this approach is, in general, very valuable for analyzing dynamic processes by image sequence analysis.     

Kationenaustauschkapazität der Wurzeln und nährstoffpotential des bodens in psammophilen und halophilen Pflanzengesellschaften der niederländischen meeresküste

Zusammenfassung Psammophile Pflanzengesellschaften der Dünen und halophile Gesellschaften der Groden und Spülsäume wurden auf die Kationenaustauschkapazität (CEC) ihrer Wurzeln geprüft und gleichzeitig die Bodenreaktion und Basensättigung ermittelt. Bei diesen vom natürlichen Standort stammenden Wurzeln ergaben sich in den stark azidophilen Assoziationen auf nährstoffarmen Böden mit sehr geringem Sättigungsgrad des Sorptionskomplexes niedrigere CEC-Werte als auf basenreichen Böden.

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Summary In some psammophilous plant communities of the xerosere of dunes poor in lime and in some halophilous plant communities of the sand halosere on the salt marsh, both on the Dutch Westfrisian island of Terschelling, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the roots of a number of species has been investigated. At the same time within the respective ecosystemes the soil reaction and the base saturation degree of the soil have been determined. The roots were directly taken from the natural habitats. Dicotylous roots in very acidophilous communities on soil poor in nutrients and with a low saturation degree of the adsorption complex presented lower CEC values than similar roots in basiphilous communities on soils rich in nutrients.

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Der technischen Assistentin, Fräulein M. Neve, sei für ihre Mithilfe gedankt.     

Artenzusammensetzung,lichtgenuß und energiegehalt der krautschicht des Valdivianischen Regenwaldes bei St. Martin

Zusammenfassung Pflanzensoziologische Aufnahmen im Valdivianischen Regenwald bei St. Martin ergaben, daß dieser Wald als eine Variante des Nothofago-Perseetum zu betrachten ist, der sich durch zahlreiches Vorkommen von Aextoxicon punctatum auszeichnet. Nach dem Lebensformenspektrum dominieren die Phanerophyten, an zweiter Stelle stehen die Epiphyten, von denen die Hymenophyllen 30% ausmachen. Die Vielschichtigkeit des Valdivianischen Regenwaldes bedingt sehr unterschiedliche Lichtbedingungen. Nach der Lichtkartierung lassen sich Nertera granadensis, Seneclo cymosus und Chusquea quila als besonders lichtbedürftige Arten, Rhamnus diffusus, Lapageria rosea und Luzuriaga raticans als im Schatten wachsende Arten charakterisieren.Die Stoffgruppenanalyse ergab auffallend hohe Lipoidgehalte der Blätter: dieser hohe Anteil an Lipoiden und ätherischen Ölen dürfte weitgehend für den ebenfalls hohen Brennwert des Valdivianischen Regenwaldes verantwertlich sein, der nach der Analyse von 29 Arten errechnet wurde. Dieser Brennwert liegt welt über dem des tropischen Regenwaldes, stimmt dagegen fast mit demjenigen von Mischwäldern der gemäßlgten Zone überein. Charakteristisch hebt sich der Brennwert verschiedener Wuchsformen voneinander ab, wobei der Kalorienwert von den Gehölzen und Lianen zu den Epiphyten und weiter zur Krautschicht abfällt. Ein Vergleich der Brennwerte von Monocotylen und Dicotylen aus dem Valdivianischen Regenwald mit den entsprechenden Mittelwerten von Pflanzenmaterial anderer Regionen ergibt eine ziemlich gute Übereinstimmung, jedoch bestchen größere Differenzen, wenn sich der Vergieich auf die Brennwerte bestimmter Familien beschränkt.

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Summary Plant sociological mapping in the Valdivian rain forest near St. Martin/Chile led to the conelusion that this forest should be considered as a variant of the Nothofago-Perseetum with a high abundance of Aextoxicon punctatum. The spectrum of life forms shows clear dominance of phanerophytes, followed by epiphytes; 30% of these are Hymenophyllaceae. The multilayered system of strata within the forest causes quite different light conditions. Nertera granadensis, Senecio cymosus and Chusquea quila require optimal illumination; Rhamnus diffusus, Lapageria and Luzuriaga radicans on the contrary are satisfied with low light intensities in shady places.Analysis of the most important components of the leaves showed surprisingly high contents of lipolds; this and the etheric oils must be responsible for the likewise high caloric value of the Valdivian rain forest which was calculated as an average for 29 species. This average caloric value is far above that for tropical rain forest but almost agrees with that for mixed forests of the temperate zone. The fumigation value of various life forms differs characteristically: it declines from woody species (trees and bushes) plus lianes to epiphytes and to herbs. In a taxonomic comparison of caloric values of monocotyledons and dicotyledons the Valdivian rain forest agrees fairly well with the caloric value of plant material from other regions. However there are higher differences if the comparison of caloric values is limited to distinct plant families.

Prof. Dr. H. Walter zum 80. Geburtstag gewidmet.