Carbon Footprint Assessment of a Paperback Book

This study presents the carbon footprint of a paperback book for which the cover and inside papers were produced in the United States and printed in Canada. The choice of paper mills for both cover and page papers was based on criteria such as percentage of recycled content in the pulp mix, transport distances (pulp mill to paper mill, paper mill to print), and technologies. The cradle‐to‐gate assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions follows recognized guidelines for carbon footprint assessment. The results show that the production of 400,000 books, mainly distributed in North America, would generate 1,084 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂‐eq), or 2.71 kilograms (kg) CO₂‐eq per book. The impact of using deinked market pulp (DMP) is shown here to be detrimental, accounting for 54% of total GHG emissions and being 32% higher than reference virgin Kraft pulp. This supports findings that DMP mill GHG emissions strongly correlate with the carbon intensity of the power grid supplying the pulp mill and that virgin Kraft mills that reuse wood residue and black liquor to produce heat and electricity can achieve lower GHG emissions per tonne of pulp produced. Although contrary to common thinking, this is consistent with the Paper Task Force 2002 conclusion for office paper (the closest paper grade to writing paper or fine paper) (EDF 2002a). To get a cradle‐to‐grave perspective, three different end‐of‐life (EOL) scenarios were analyzed, all of which included a harvested wood product (HWP) carbon storage benefit for 25 years. The GHG offset concept within the context of the book editor's “carbon‐neutral” paper claims is also discussed.     

中国木质林产品碳储量及其减排潜力

伐后木质林产品作为森林生态系统碳循环的一个组成部分,对森林生态系统和大气之间的碳平衡起着至关重要的作用.为准确合理估算木质林产品碳储量和我国参加气候变化谈判提供依据,在达喀尔会议上确立的3种估算方法框架下,即:储量变化法、生产法和大气流动法,利用寿命分析法和逐步递归法以及国内参数计算我国木质林产品的碳储量,且对生产法的应用提出了一种新假设思路,并分析我国木质林产品在替代建筑材料方面的减排潜力,结果显示:①分别利用储量变化法、生产法和大气流动法估算我国1961～2004年木质林产品的碳储量变化,证明我国的木质林产品是一个碳库,并且这个碳库的碳储量不断在增长;② 3种方法估算1961～2004年木质林产品碳储量的年平均增长量分别是11.73Mt · a-1(Mt=106t)、9.31Mt · a-1和7 90Mt · a-1;③木质林产品在建筑材料领域的替代作用以及延长其使用寿命使其减排潜力增大;④从碳储量计量和估算的难易程度来看,储量变化法的应用可能对我国较为有利;⑤针对生产法假设的实践应用,还需要进一步的研究.     

Under what circumstances can the forest sector contribute to 2050 climate change mitigation targets? A study from forest ecosystems to landfill methane emissions for the province of Quebec,Canada

Meeting climate change mitigation targets by 2050, as outlined in international pledges, involves determining optimal strategies for forest management, wood supply, the substitution of greenhouse gas-intensive materials and energy sources, and wood product disposal. Our study quantified the cumulative mitigation potential by 2050 of the forest sector in the province of Quebec, Canada, using several alternative strategies and assessed under what circumstances the sector could contribute to the targets. We used the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector to project ecosystems emissions and sequestration of seven alternative and one baseline (business-as-usual [BaU]) forest management scenarios over the 2018–2050 period. Three baskets of wood products were used in a Harvested Wood Products model to predict wood product emissions. The mitigation potential was determined by comparing the cumulative CO₂e budget of each alternative scenario to the BaU. The proportion of methane emissions from landfills (RCH₄%) and the required displacement factor (RDF) to achieve mitigation benefits were assessed both independently and jointly. The fastest and most efficient way to improve mitigation outcomes of the forest sector of Quebec is to reduce end-of-life methane emissions from wood products. By reducing methane emissions, the RDF for achieving mitigation benefits through intensification strategies can be reduced from 1.2–2.3 to 0–0.9 tC/tC, thus reaching the current provincial mean DF threshold (0.9). Both a reduction and an increase in the harvested volume have the potential to provide mitigation benefits with adequate RCH₄% and RDF. Increased carbon sequestration in ecosystems, innovations in long-lived wood products, and optimal substitution in markets offer potential avenues for the forest sector to contribute to mitigation benefits but are subject to significant uncertainties. Methane emission reduction at the end of wood product service life is emerging as a valuable approach to enhance mitigation benefits of the forest sector.     

采伐木对森林碳储量的影响

森林是陆地生态系统中最大的碳库。在全球变暖背景下,有关林业管理对森林碳库的影响引起各国科学家的日益关注。目前国内大多数文献都将森林采伐木碳库视为当年排放,而实际上采伐木能长时间储存碳。本文根据利用方式和采伐习惯,将采伐木按使用方式分为:1)DBH≤6cm为采伐剩余物置于林内;2)DBH>6cm为实木产品和纸制产品。以长白山林区典型地带性植被阔叶红松林为对象,通过调查采伐前后乔木组成的变化,根据采伐木碳库实际排放情况,研究了采伐前后森林碳储量的动态变化。结果表明:留于林内采伐剩余物为1.1tC.hm-2,排放速度由大变小,全部排放时间80年;实木产品碳储量为20.56tC.hm-2,前80年累计排放20.07tC.hm-2(97.71%);纸制产品为3.63tC.hm-2,前7年累计排放3.45tC.hm-2(95.13%)。若将采伐木碳库视为当年排放,则碳库采伐后20年才能达到采伐前的水平;而考虑采伐木碳库实际排放速率,碳库储量则一直大于采伐前水平。因此,将采伐木碳库实际排放列入考虑,有利于合理估算我国森林碳储量,对正确评价我国森林碳汇功能具有积极意义。     

A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Study of Polyethylene Based on Sugarcane and Crude Oil

A potential strategy for tackling the negative environmental impact of conventional plastics is to produce them from renewable resources. However, such a strategy needs to be assessed quantitatively, by life cycle assessment (LCA) for example. This screening LCA is intended to identify key aspects that influence the environmental impact of sugarcane low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) and compare these results against fossil‐based LDPE. The study showed that the major contributors to the environmental impact of sugarcane LDPE are ethanol production, polymerization, and long‐distance sea transport. The comparison between sugarcane‐ and oil‐based plastics showed that the sugarcane alternative consumes more total energy, although the major share is renewable. Moreover, for their potential impacts on acidification, eutrophication, and photochemical ozone creation, no significant difference between the two materials exists. However, with regard to global warming potential (GWP), the contribution of land use change (LUC) is decisive. Although the range of LUC emissions is uncertain, in the worst case they more than double the GWP of sugarcane LDPE and make it comparable to that of fossil‐based LDPE. LUC emissions can thus be significant for sugarcane LDPE, although there is need for a consistent LUC assessment method. In addition, to investigate the influence of methodological choices, this study performed attributional and consequential assessments in parallel. No major differences in key contributors were found for these two assessment perspectives.     

Waste Costing as a Catalyst in Pollution Prevention Investment Decisions

This article presents a case study in a Nigerian firm of how waste costing can be applied to pollution prevention (P2) investment decisions. This case is informed by the priority accorded to P2 as a preferred alternative to end‐of‐pipe pollution control. It demonstrates that even in the absence of effective regulations in a developing country, cost accounting can spur P2 decisions by management through the system of waste cost allocation. The case used standard cost data from the Wonder Beauty Care Company and applied the activity‐based costing (ABC) system to waste cost allocation using waste cost drivers, which yielded another genre of waste costs—waste‐induced overhead. Subsequently, the waste‐induced overhead was applied to P2 investment analysis. This analysis indicated that the P2 investment alternative that incorporates the waste‐induced overhead produced a preferred alternative choice. The case further revealed that managers’ knowledge of waste costs in a Nigerian firm may influence their P2 decisions. The case illustrates practically a possible dual advantage of an improved costing system for Nigerian firms—cost reduction and cleaner production.     

Interannual NPP variation and trend of Picea schrenkiana forests under changing climate conditions in the Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang, China

The interannual net primary production variation and trends of a Picea schrenkiana forest were investigated in the context of historical changes in climate and increased atmospheric CO₂ concentration at four sites in the Tianshan Mountain range, China. Historical changes in climate and atmospheric CO₂ concentration were used as Biome–BGC model drivers to evaluate the spatial patterns and temporal trends of net primary production (NPP). The temporal dynamics of NPP of P. schrenkiana forests were different in the western, middle and eastern sites of Tianshan, which showed substantial interannual variation. Climate changes would result in increased NPP at all study sites, but only the change in NPP in the western forest (3.186 gC m⁻² year⁻¹, P < 0.05) was statistically significant. Our study also showed a higher increase in the air temperature, precipitation and NPP during 1987–2000 than 1961–1986. Statistical analysis indicates that changes in NPP are positively correlated with annual precipitation (R = 0.77–0.92) but that NPP was less sensitive to changes in air temperature. According to the simulation, increases in atmospheric CO₂ increased NPP by improving the water use efficiency. The results of this study show that the Tianshan Mount boreal forest ecosystem is sensitive to historical changes in climate and increasing atmospheric CO₂. The relative impacts of these variations on NPP interact in complex ways and are spatially variable, depending on local conditions and climate gradients. W. Sang and H. Su contributed equally to this paper, arranged in alphabetical order by surnames.     

Environmental Impact and Added Value in Forestry Operations in Norway

The forestry sector is experiencing an increasing demand for documentation about its environmental performance. Previous studies have revealed large differences in environmental impact caused by forestry operations, mainly due to differences in location and forestry practice. Reliable information on environmental performance for forestry operations in different regions is thus important. This article presents a case study of forestry operations in Norway. Environmental impact and value added of selected operations were assessed. This was done with a hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. Main results, including a sensitivity analysis, are presented for a set of four impact categories. The production chain assessed included all processes from seedling production to the delivery of logs to a downstream user. The environmental impact was mainly caused by logging, transport by forwarders, and transport by truck. These three operations were responsible for approximately 85% of the total environmental impact. The contribution to value added and total costs were more evenly distributed among the processes in the value chain. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the difference in environmental impact between the worst case scenario and the best case scenario was more than a factor of 4. The single most important process was the transport distance from the timber pile in the forest to the downstream user. The results show that the environmental impact from forestry operations in boreal forests was probably underreported in earlier studies.