Dissertations / Theses: 'Carbon management'

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Cohen, Yaron. "Carbon management in airports." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/55633.

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Airports are multi-stakeholder organizations that can be as complex to manage as small cities. Carbon emissions have begun to occupy an important place in airport environmental management plans. Proposed solutions to reduce carbon emissions from airports’ landside and airside operations are diverse and contain different courses of action for emission sources located both on the ground and in the air. However, due to the complexity of airport governance, the implementation of carbon management policy faces technical, financial, and organizational challenges. Buildings, ground fleets, and ground support equipment (GSE) used at airports tend to be owned by different parties, including airlines, airports, and third-party sub-contractors, and the lack of coordination among those parties can be a challenge to developing emission-reduction goals. Emission-reduction goals in airports require collaborative environmental management, including emission monitoring, and designated personnel who can supervise the progress of the policy’s implementation. The study conducted for this thesis examined the following topics: · The ways airports report and monitor carbon emissions · Airports’ perceived environmental management priorities · Constraints on carbon management in airports · Currently incorporated elements of collaborative carbon management in airports. The study involved two parts. The first part is a review of current GHG emission reports published by airports, and the second part is an internet-based survey that was sent to airports. The analysis conducted for part 1 (reported in chapter 2) reveals the need for new harmonized GHG reporting standards for airports that better reflect the technological interdependence between airplanes and airports. The findings of part 2 (reported in chapter 3), based on the responses received from airports (n=31), reveal a growing willingness to allocate more resources to reduce carbon emissions in airports, in addition to constraints on carbon management. The constraints are in the form of lack of government regulation that requires airport authorities to engage tenants in the carbon management process, lack of access to tenants’ emission data, and high costs of implementing technological solutions currently available for carbon reduction. The results highlight the importance of developing strategies to address carbon emissions in inter-organizational levels.
Science, Faculty of
Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), Institute for
Graduate

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Cansiz, Selcan. "Carbon Regulated Supply Chain Management." Master's thesis, METU, 2010. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12612303/index.pdf.

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In this study, carbon dioxide emissions resulting from transportation are assessed, carbon emission reduction opportunities in the current service supply chain design of Cisco Systems, Inc. are explored. Among these opportunities, changing transport mode from a high-carbon transport mode to a low-carbon transport mode is found to be the most promising option and is scrutinized. The effect of transportation mode change on carbon emission and expected total cost are scrutinized by developing a mathematical model that minimizes expected total cost subject to aggregate fill rate constraint. Furthermore, a second model that minimizes the expected total cost under aggregate expected fill rate and carbon emission constraints is developed. In this model transportation mode choice decisions are integrated into inventory decisions. Since it is difficult to make transportation mode selection for each individual item, the items are clustered and transportation mode selection is made for each cluster. Therefore we propose two clustering methods that are k-means clustering and an adopted ABC analysis. In addition, a greedy algorithm based on second model is developed. Since currently there are no regulations on carbon emissions, in order to examine possible regulation scenarios computational studies are carried out. In these studies, efficient solutions are generated and the most preferred solutions that have less carbon emission and lower total cost among all efficient solutions are examined.

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Busch, Timo. "Strategic management under carbon constraints /." Zürich : ETH, 2008. http://e-collection.ethbib.ethz.ch/show?type=diss&nr=18001.

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Ascui, Francisco Fernando. "Making carbon count : the role of carbon accounting in carbon management and markets." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/16471.

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Society’s efforts to ‘manage’ the problem of human-induced climate change – for example through setting targets, tracking progress, imposing sanctions and incentives, and creating markets in emission rights and offsets – have given rise to numerous calculation, measurement, attribution, monitoring, reporting and verification challenges, which are being addressed by many different communities (including scientists, governments, businesses and accountants) in many different ways. Carbon accounting – this diverse and ever-expanding assemblage of calculative practices – is a rapidly evolving phenomenon, which has only recently become a subject of academic accountancy-related research. This thesis explores what carbon accounting means, who it involves, and how different communities define and lay claim to competence in the field. It also examines, through case studies on the emergence of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board and the controversies around generating tradable carbon offsets from forestry projects in the UK, the immense technical, cognitive, social and political work required to make carbon measurable, commensurable and thereby amenable to various forms of management. The thesis contributes to both conceptual and practical understanding of carbon accounting as an emerging field of study. Bringing together a wide range of empirical examples of different types of carbon accounting practices, it proposes a unique definition of carbon accounting which expands the horizons of the field. It provides a conceptual basis for making sense of carbon accounting by considering it not as a unitary phenomenon but rather as a set of overlapping frames, each associated with different communities of practice. It shows that competence in carbon accounting is contested, particularly where these frames overlap, and that boundary organisations are emerging that offer the opportunity to negotiate such tensions and lead to more productive policy-making. Finally, it makes the case that engagement with the detail of the ‘nuts and bolts’ of carbon accounting is essential, as these apparently technical details can have major implications for the effectiveness of society’s response to climate change, and it is only by opening them up to rigorous scrutiny that we can make progress, both conceptually and practically.

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Bell, Madeleine Jane. "Optimising carbon storage by land-management." Thesis, Durham University, 2011. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/740/.

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As the UK’s largest non-government land-owner, the National Trust is committed to reducing its impact on climate change, recognising the importance of soil organic carbon (SOC), and its need for preservation. To establish if land-management could be optimised to increase carbon storage, ‘The Wallington Carbon Footprint Project’ was implemented. This study aimed to measure the Wallington Estate’s carbon stock, establish what controls SOC, identify carbon under-saturated soils, and make land-management change to increase SOC. To achieve these objectives a soil sampling campaign and land-use survey were undertaken at Wallington, with further sampling at a verification site in Cambridgeshire. Land-use intervention trials measuring carbon fluxes and SOC change were combined with computer modelling and questionnaires, to assess the impacts of land-use and management change on SOC. A land carbon stock of 845 Kt (60 Kt within biomass, and 785 Kt within soils) was estimated for Wallington, with the greatest control on SOC identified as grassland landmanagement. Other controls on SOC were: land-use, soil series, altitude, soil pH and landuse history, indicating that these should be used in all estimates of SOC distribution and stock. A possible link between phosphate fertilisation and SOC accumulation under grassland was identified; however this was not confirmed in a year long field trial. Incorporation of charcoal into soils was identified as a method of carbon sequestration, with a simultaneous reduction in nitrate loss from soil. Surface application to grasslands revealed no detrimental effects on soils, grassland productivity or water quality. Further trials investigated the impacts of arable conversion to short rotation coppice willow, and of peatland afforestation, both indentifying losses of SOC following the land-use change. Measurement of biomass carbon gains, full life cycle assessment of the each landuse, and the impacts of varying types of biochar are required before firm conclusions regarding land-use change and carbon sequestration can be made.

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Kolodziej, Scott Michael. "Management effects on labile organic carbon pools." Texas A&M University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/2424.

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It is well documented that increases in soil organic matter (SOM) improve soil physical properties and increase the overall fertility and sustainability of the soil. Research in SOM storage has recently amplified following the proposal that agricultural soils may provide a significant carbon (C) sink that may aid in the mitigation of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Observed differences in lint yield and nitrogen response from a cotton performance study at the Texas A&M University Experimental Farm near College Station, TX prompted us to examine the effects of tillage and rotation on soil organic C (SOC), soil microbial biomass C (SMBC), 38-day cumulative C mineralization (38-day CMIN), hot-water extractable organic C (hot-WEOC), carbohydrate C, and total glomalin. The treatments examined included conventional-till continuous cotton (CT), reduced-till continuous cotton (RT), and conventional-till cotton after corn rotation (CC) treatments. In pre-plant soil samples, SOC, SMBC, and 38-day CMIN in the top 5 cm were 33, 58, and 79 % greater in RT and 29, 32, and 36 % greater in CC vs. CT. Comparable differences were observed for hot-WEOC and carbohydrate C. Little seasonal variation was observed for labile-C pools throughout the growing season, suggesting minimal C input from cotton roots. Water-stable aggregation was not significantly affected by management, and did not correlate with labile-C pools or total glomalin. Labile-C pools were generally more responsive to management vs. SOC and were strongly correlated with one another. Carbohydrate C of hot-water extracts exhibited the strongest relationships with SMBC and 38-day CMIN, even though it comprised only 3 and 5 % of these pools, respectively. Our data suggest that increasing SOC in Texas cotton-cropping systems through conservation management is possible. Long-term data are still needed to fully address SOC storage potentials in Texas, but increases in labile-C pools resulting from conservation management are attainable and have the potential to positively impact soil fertility.

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Viding, Rasmus. "Effects of forest management on carbon sequestration." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Biologi, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-176703.

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The warming of our planet is a direct consequence of anthropogenic emissions with carbon dioxide as the main driver. A need to mitigate carbon emissions is urgent and forests can be a part of the solution since they sequester and stock carbon during their lifetime This study has shown that production forests can sequester carbon to a higher degree since they consist of younger trees which are better at sequestration than older trees. But the study also show that older forests keep sequestering carbon and might not be carbon neutral as previously thought. Old growth forests contain higher carbon stocks than younger production forests since they often remain unmanaged and can continuously accumulate carbon into living and dead biomass as well as the soil. Production forests also accumulate carbon, but it is not nearly the same amount as in old growth forests. With regard to meeting the 1,5-degree goal set by the IPCC, i.e., cutting emissions with half until 2030 and having net zero carbon dioxide emissions until 2050. Harvesting with clear-cutting was found to be worse compared with harvesting at a lower frequency which causes less emissions but still supplies wood products to the industry. The result also show that we must protect more old growth and unmanaged forests that can sequester and stock carbon longer to be able to succeed with the 1,5-degree goal. The debate climate in Sweden is heated and opinions often differ. The difference may depend on the time frame or how results are interpretated.

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Zhang, Zhuoli. "Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) management in peatlands." Thesis, Durham University, 2015. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11357/.

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Peatlands are serving as one of the most important terrestrial carbon stores in the United Kingdom and globally. In the UK, the current trend of peatlands turning from carbon sinks to carbon sources is widely observed and reported. As numerous factors may affect the carbon cycle of peatlands, including climate, land management, hydrology and vegetation, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was commonly used as an indicator of peatland carbon changes. Besides the function as an indicator of carbon turnover in peatland, increasing DOC in the stream water also raises concern in water companies as the removal of DOC from water represents a major cost of water treatment. This thesis investigates the impacts of land management such as drain blocking and revegetation on stream DOC changes. By building a pilot column study, this thesis also assessed the potential of bank filtration serving as DOC treatment in UK. Results of drain blocking shows the management was a significant impact on the DOC changes. However, later investigation of peak flow events indicates such positive impacts from drain blocking were minor in terms of high peak flow events. Since the majority of DOC export occurred during such peak flow events, drain blocking were found not as an efficient management of DOC changes. The field study of revegetation observed minor effects of revegetation on stream DOC. The results of column bank filtration indicate low DOC removal rate under the current stream DOC level in UK. The bank filtration may efficient remove DOC when higher DOC input applied. However, it is not suitable for UK peatland under current DOC export.

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Tao, Zhi. "Carbon emission modeling in green supply chain management." Thesis, Kent State University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3618949.

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Research on carbon emission management is becoming a very important part of the green supply chain landscape as more businesses continue to make it part of their business strategy, amid pressures from customers, competitors and regulatory agencies. To contribute to the body of knowledge in this emerging research stream a series of lot size models that consider both economic and environmental performances are developed for the carbon emission conscious retailer, manufacturer and a combined model of the retailer and manufacturer. As a matter of expediency, the combined retailer-manufacturer model (Banerjee, 1986) is referred to as the system in this dissertation.

The carbon tax mechanism and carbon cap-and-trade mechanism are the most efficient market-based options used to lower carbon emission in practice. These mechanisms are integrated into the developed lot size models, the results of which could provide the carbon emission conscious retailer, manufacturer and the system with optimal lot size and cost strategies. The findings also shed more light for decision makers and policymakers on the impact of carbon tax and carbon trading regulatory policies on the business strategies of the firm. In addition, this dissertation contributes to the current sparse quantitative literature on carbon emission and green supply chain research.

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Vitanza, Daniele. "Carbon flows of waste management system in Denmark." Master's thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, 2010. http://amslaurea.unibo.it/1494/.

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Itoya, Emioshor. "Carbon emissions evaluation for highway management and maintenance." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2012. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/12143.

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Highway clients are increasingly concerned with the environmental consequences and sustainability implications of their highway maintenance service. This is because the service consumes a significant amount of natural resources, is financial and energy-intensive and is a large Greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter responsible for global warming and climate change. This has placed the highway maintenance sector, including its supply chain under increasing pressure to deliver well-maintained low-carbon maintenance service, whilst addressing its climate change impacts. The highway stakeholders increasing focus on carbon footprinting is a direct response to the legal obligation presented by the enactment of the UK s Climate Change Act (2008) and the Carbon Reduction Commitments. Investment decisions on highway infrastructure must now account for carbon and financial costs in a balanced manner. Highway clients now require their supply chains to demonstrate the capacity to reduce both direct and indirect carbon, and provide carbon footprint information relating to the work done or being tendered for. This is driving the sector to re-think its business operations within environmental, economic and social limits, which inherently presents risks and opportunities poorly understood by the stakeholders. It requires an in-depth understanding of the business operations, inputs and outputs. These business requirements are compounded given the lack of an agreed industrial methodology standard focusing on carbon footprinting, the knowledge and skill gaps, system boundary definitions, credible industrial data and their collection approach. The aim of this study is to develop a project-focused and process-based carbon footprinting methodology that includes a decision-support and carbon management tool to assist carbon management decision-making in highway maintenance planning and operation. This study then explored how the PAS2050 protocol can enhance the highway maintenance service delivery carbon footprinting and identify opportunities for reduction. It briefly reviews carbon emissions performance and the UK s highway maintenance sector, and developed a methodological framework that includes a carbon evaluation tool (the sponsor s business focus tool) based on the PAS2050 protocol. The framework developed is specific to highway maintenance planning and operation. It offers a carbon Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool that can identify emission hotspots across the process value chain, and inform a carbon reduction hierarchy. The implementation of the PAS2050-compliant methodology framework and the carbon evaluation tool for core highway maintenance processes (for example, pavement resurfacing, pavement marking, bulk lamp replacement and grass cutting), in addition to carbon footprinting across different site locations (urban, semi-urban and rural) are presented. The results indicate that materials production and their delivery to site (embodied carbon) are areas of carbon hotspots. This represents an important decision point for highway designers, managers and maintainers in order to deliver low-carbon service. These carbon hotspots suggest a less energy-intensive or green materials manufacturing process, responsible sourcing, use of recycled and secondary materials sourced locally (closer to sites) and delivered in bulk. The step-by-step carbon footprinting approach presented in this study is unique. It can be used by other sectors within the built environment as a pragmatic means of identifying and prioritising areas of potential carbon reduction through informed decision-making.

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Tao, Zhi. "Carbon Emission Modeling in Green Supply Chain Management." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1366550893.

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Beniston, Joshua W. "Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics and Tallgrass Prairie Land Management." The Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1253558307.

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Backéus, Sofia. "Forest management strategies for CO₂ mitigation." Umeå : Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2009. http://epsilon.slu.se/200989.pdf.

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Rickels, Wilfried [Verfasser]. "Optimal global carbon management with ocean sequestration / Wilfried Rickels." Kiel : Universitätsbibliothek Kiel, 2011. http://d-nb.info/1020201045/34.

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Nakapreecha, Nitida. "Carbon emissions management of the petrochemical industries in Thailand." Thesis, Durham University, 2012. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3449/.

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Petrochemical industry is one of the major industries in Thailand. Although the petrochemical industry is aware of its environmental responsibility and environmental management and controls have been implemented; the industry was motivated to advance their environmental performance in order to be able to tackle: the issue of global climate change, the rising local concern over environmental impact; the new forms of trading barrier; and the national goal towards sustainable growth. This study developed a carbon budget for Thai petrochemical industries, which covered 52 products from upstream, intermediate and downstream petrochemical industries together with plastics and derivatives industries. The study, it evaluated the need for carbon emissions reduction, assessed the possible emissions reduction and identified areas for carbon emissions mitigation. The developed carbon budget of Thai petrochemical industries for the year 2008 was 11 Mtonnes CO2eq (±10%) and the emission intensity was 0.63 ktonnes CO2eq per ktonne of production (±10%). It was found that Thai petrochemical industries had relatively low carbon emissions in comparison to other Thai industries and to chemical industries of other countries. Despite this result and the fact that there was currently no carbon emissions reduction obligation for Thai industries, it was suggested that the petrochemical industries should still advance their environmental performance and technologies, which would help in preparing themselves for the potential future reduction obligations. It would also lead to less environmental management expenditure better green competitiveness, sustainable development of the industries and a better living standard for the country. Accordingly, it was estimated that carbon emissions of Thai petrochemical industries could be reduced by 25-61% through adapting current best practice and the mitigation action should be started with enhancing energy efficiency at onsite utility plants. This result implies that Thai petrochemical industries did not need to resort to difficult or extraordinary solutions to make a substantial emissions reduction. Rather, what is needed is a good investment in existing effective technologies, engineering and environmental management. Other mitigation areas are development of less- or zero- carbon intensive material and energy, development of cleaner technologies, and carbon capture and storage.

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Mazhar, Muhammad. "Strategic carbon management within the UK Higher Education sector." Thesis, De Montfort University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2086/14470.

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Climate change and the rapid rise of greenhouse gas emissions are emerging as one of the greatest challenges for the modern world. Organisations are under increasing pressure from governments and stakeholders to reduce carbon emissions from their business operations for climate change mitigation. The Higher Education (HE) sector has significant social, environmental and economic impacts alongside a key leadership role in society and is not exempt from challenging carbon reduction targets, as outlined in the UK Government’s Climate Change Act 2008. In 2005, total HE carbon emissions were 3.339 MtCO2, a rise of 33% since 1990. In 2012-13, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) consumed 7.9 billion kWh of energy and produced 2.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions, which strengthens the role of HEIs in implementing strategic carbon management (SCM). The term ‘carbon management’ is popular in the grey literature and policy landscape from operational perspective, but ‘strategic carbon management’ is an under-researched area, especially in the context of HE sector. Therefore, the central aim of the research is to explore if and how universities are responding to the challenge of climate change by implementing strategic carbon management. The research adopted a mixed-methods approach including content analysis of universities’ carbon management plans (CMPs), semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, a quantitative survey of the HE sector and an in-depth case study of De Montfort University’s (DMU) carbon management process. The study found that while the HE sector as a whole has demonstrated both policy and strategy commitment to carbon management, the performance of individual universities varies significantly and there is often a need to embed the process more effectively within the whole organisation. Despite a need for improvement, various initiatives distinguish the performance of carbon management in HE, but there is a long way to go. This has been complicated as this research was conducted against the backdrop of seismic policy changes within the HE sector. This shifting policy context is explored and examined and in part explains why financial savings and policies are the most important drivers for SCM. On the other hand, universities are facing barriers such as lack of time and resources (HR), complex buildings stock, estate development and business growth, lack of capital funding, priority to the core business and conflicts, lack of senior management leadership and lack of strong policy framework. This study identified seven factors for successfully embedding SCM. These are: (1) Senior management leadership, (2) Funding and resources, (3) Stakeholder engagement, (4) Planning, (5) Governance and management, (6) Responsibility, and (7) Evaluation and reporting. The research findings are pertinent for HE and broader public sector practitioners both in UK and abroad as successful carbon management is crucial. A strategic carbon management framework is developed for improving and embedding SCM in universities and other public sector and business organisations. The study concludes with practical and policy recommendations as well as directions for the future research work.

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Williams, Nicholas Philip. "Carbon management and the historic built environment in Wales." Thesis, Bangor University, 2016. https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/carbon-management-and-the-historic-built-environment-in-wales(be4a871f-cf60-432a-99f0-1df60da0cb23).html.

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A potential clash of ideologies is identified between the climate change agenda and the conservation of the historic built environment. Whilst the conservation of both the natural environment and our built heritage should ideally be mutually beneficial, the lack of a robust policy framework within the planning system is proving to be highly problematic. The study examines how the historic built environment in Wales can contribute towards the national target of achieving a carbon neutral society within a generation through policy reform within the planning system. A brief history of the building conservation movement is provided, along with a description of how it has evolved. Climate change and its implications for the planning system are also examined. A hypothesis is also included in the study, which suggests that the current planning policy framework is insufficiently equipped to aid the historic built environment in adequately contributing towards the target of achieving a carbon neutral society within a generation. The analytical section draws upon the evidence base of the study, which is in the form of primary data such as surveys and secondary data such as previously published statistics. The findings of the study are identified and analysed in order to reach robust conclusions, which in turn lead onto a series of recommendations on how the planning policy framework for the historic built environment in Wales can be modified to become more effective in making significant reductions in carbon emissions over the next generation. The duration of the study period is from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2014. All literature, data and other information included in this thesis, and subsequent analysis and conclusions, are considered to be up-to-date at the study’s ‘cut-off’ date of 31st December 2014. The Viva Voce for the study took place on 7th October 2015. Subsequently, changes have been made to the thesis that refer to information released after the original 31th December 2014 cut-off date.

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Parry, Lauren Elizabeth. "The sustainable carbon management of moorlands : spatial distribution and accumulation of carbon on Dartmoor, southwest England." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10036/3292.

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Peatlands are unique habitats that have absorbed large amounts of carbon dioxide and locked it away as carbon buried in peat for millennia. In the UK, blanket peatlands form one of the largest terrestrial stores of carbon (Milne and Brown, 1997). Recent research suggests that the carbon sequestering potential and carbon stores of UK blanket peatlands are at risk from changes in land use practices and climate. Although, to date, little research has considered blanket peatland at a landscape scale and a comprehensive understanding of land use and degradation impact upon carbon sequestration has not been gained. This thesis presents a study of Dartmoor, a blanket peatland in south west England vulnerable to climate change (Clark et al, 2010). A landscape scale carbon inventory, using a methodology designed for blanket peatlands is presented. Nearly 1000 peat depths and 30 cores were taken using stratified sampling across Dartmoor’s landscape. Functional relationships between peat depth, bulk density and carbon content and topographic parameters were found. In arc GIS 9.3 these were used to model landscape scale carbon, this estimates that Dartmoor contained 9.7 (-2.91 + 2.97) Mt of carbon, a value similar to that of the national inventory (Bradley et al, 2005). The thesis then considers the impact of drainage and degradation on carbon accumulation. Fifteen cores were dated from a drained, degraded site with a history of burning and control site using Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particles (SCPs) and radionuclide techniques. Previous studies have raised concern surrounding accuracy dating recent peats. Results indicate that although dating was largely successful, some discrepancies existed related to poor calibration of SCPs and mobility of radionuclides. To avoid error in dating, it was concluded that multiple dates should be used per core. With consideration of this, carbon accumulation was found to be active but significantly lower in the degraded site and unchanged in the drained site. Further analysis suggested that this outcome may vary with changing management and topographic situations. Future carbon accumulation at a landscape scale was calculated under different scenarios. This found degradation could potentially reduce carbon sequestration on Dartmoor by up to 32%. Economic valuation of accumulation values was used to demonstrate how this data could be used to inform management. This thesis provides an insight into the carbon storage and threats to Dartmoor, an under investigated, yet threatened blanket peatland environment. This helps broaden the spatial

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Krantz, Jan. "Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Transport Infrastructure Projects." Licentiate thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Industriellt och hållbart byggande, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-62225.

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On- and off-site construction activities during transport infrastructure projectsare major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The SwedishTransport Administration (STA) has stated the goal of gradually reducing itsemissions from transport infrastructure projects to zero by 2050. However,current life cycle assessment (LCA)-based approaches for estimating GHGemissions are static and location-independent, and thus do not account for thedynamics of construction. Some project-based methods have been proposed,but there is little guidance and insight available to facilitate theirimplementation in real projects during project planning.This thesis aims to explore how CO2 emissions can be reduced during differentstages of the planning process for transport infrastructure. The analysis focuseson emissions during project execution, i.e. on- and off-site constructionactivities including material production, and transportation. An exploratoryresearch approach is used to develop practical CO2 reduction methods thatcould be implemented during the feasibility studies, the design stage, and theprocurement stage of the planning process. These methods and models aredeveloped and demonstrated in case studies. This is a similar to the prototypingmethod in which early drafts of a new system are developed and tested toenable further development into a finalized system. The findings show thatconsiderable CO2 reductions can be achieved if project alternatives areevaluated systematically during the planning process. Although most majordecisions are made during the early stages of the planning process, later stagesshould not be ignored because these offer opportunities to include moredefinitive project data and thereby improve the certainty of the assessments.Future research in this area should look at the entire planning process up to thestart of construction.

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Miller, Gemma A. "The impacts of agricultural land management on soil carbon stabilisation." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/25437.

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Soil is the largest terrestrial carbon (C) store, containing an estimated ~1500 Gt C in the upper 1 m of soil. The long term storage of soil organic C (SOC) requires that it is somehow protected from microbial decomposition – or ‘stabilised’ – in the soil matrix. Three mechanisms are commonly identified as factors controlling the stability of SOM: chemical recalcitrance, physical protection in aggregates and adsorption to soil mineral surfaces. The stability of SOC in the soil matrix can be influenced by management practices and changes in soil structure can lead to loss of SOC and increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is, therefore, important to understand the impact that management practices have on SOC stability and to manage soils in such a way as to optimise the volume of SOC which is locked away for climatically significant periods of time. Two methods are generally used to estimate SOC stability: indirectly by measuring CO2 fluxes as a proxy for SOC microbial decomposition, or directly through physical fractionation of soil in to pools with different levels of physical and chemical protection. Both methods were employed in this thesis. Arable and grassland soils which represent the range of soil textures and climatic conditions of the main agricultural areas in the UK were incubated at two different moisture contents and with or without inorganic fertiliser application and GHG fluxes from them were monitored. Soil texture, mineral N concentration and soil C concentration were found to be the most important measured variables controlling GHG fluxes of the UK agricultural soils in this study. The results were generally in support of those found in the literature for a wide range of soils, conditions and locations; however, N2O emissions from the two Scottish soils appeared to be more sensitive to inorganic N fertilisation at the higher moisture content than the other soils, with the N2O emissions being exceptionally high in comparison. Although incubations of whole soils are useful in measuring the impacts of soil management practices on GHG emissions under controlled conditions they do not identify the mechanisms controlling the stability of SOC. Dividing SOM into functional pools may identify different C stabilising mechanisms and improves soil C models. A large number of operationally defined separation methods have been used to fractionate SOM into biologically meaningful pools of different stability. Direct comparisons of different fractionation methods using radiocarbon (14C) dating and spectroscopic analyses has not previously been undertaken. Average 14C ages and chemical composition of SOM fractions isolated from a grassland soil using three published and frequently applied fractionation methods were compared. (1) a density separation technique isolating three fractions (2) a combined physical and chemical separation isolating five fractions (3) a hot-water extraction method isolating two fractions. The fractions from Method 1 had the most distinct average 14C ages, the fractions from Method 2 fell into two age groups, and both Method 3 fractions were dominated by modern C. The average 14C ages of the labile fractions from Method 1 and 2 were higher than the mineral bound fractions, although they made up a relatively small proportion of the total SOC. This was a surprising result, and spectroscopic analysis confirmed that these fractions had greater relative contents of aliphatic and aromatic characteristics than the mineral bound fractions. The presence of black C in a whole soil sample and one of the labile fractions from Method 2 was confirmed by hydrogen pyrolysis. The availability of archived soils from an abandoned long term tillage treatment experiment and the ability to relocate the plots provided a unique opportunity to assess the resilience of SOC stocks to land management practices several years after the conversion from arable to grassland. SOC stability was assessed by soil fractionation of archived (1975) and freshly collected (2014) soil samples. The mass corrected SOC stocks from the four different treatments (deep plough, shallow plough, chisel plough and direct drill) were higher in 2014 than 1975 across the whole profile (0 – 36 cm). Reductions were observed at some depths for some treatments but the overall effect was an evening out of SOC stocks across all plots. The fractionations (using Method 2), revealed that there was a relative increase in the mass of the sand and aggregate fraction but a decrease in the relative proportion of SOC stored in this fraction (physically protected). There was also a significant increase in the C:N ratio of the silt and clay fraction (chemical adsorption). This suggests that reduced disturbance of agricultural soils leads to preferential physical stabilisation of fresh SOM but also increased adsorption of older material to mineral surfaces. The labile fractions were sensitive to land-use change in all tillage treatment plots, but were more sensitive in the low impact tillage plots (chisel plough and direct drill) than the inversion tillage plots (deep plough and shallow plough). It is well established that tillage disrupts aggregation. However, a direct measurement of the level of SOM physical protection in the soil matrix due to aggregation has not previously been undertaken. The soil was fractionated using Method 1 (fractions with distinctly different 14C ages) and isolated soil fractions were incubated separately, recombined and mixed in to whole soil at three different temperatures. The C respiration rate of the isolated intra-aggregate fraction was generally consistently as high as the whole soil. This supports the theory that there is a labile component of soil which is protected from decomposition by physical protection within aggregates. Therefore, the lack of any priming effect with the addition of labile fractions to the whole soil, and indeed the suppression of emissions relative to the whole soil, was unusual. Fractions and whole soils incubated at 25 and 35 °C had a wider range of Q10 (temperature sensitivity) values than those incubated at 15 and 25 °C, however, median values were surprisingly similar (range from 0.7 to 1.9). Overall, the results from this thesis highlight the importance of the soil structure in stabilising C. Disrupting aggregates leaves a proportion of otherwise stable C susceptible to loss through microbial decomposition, particularly when the entire soil matrix is disrupted. It also provided some unexpected results which warrant future investigation; in particular, further direct measurement of physical stabilisation of SOM in soils of different type, from different climates and different land uses would be useful.

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Qu, Jingwen. "Timing effects of carbon mitigation and solar radiation management policies." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/43720.

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We study timing effects of carbon mitigation and solar radiation management (SRM) policies for correlated pollutants, CO₂ and SO₂. We show that national levels of carbon and sulfur emissions quotas and SRM implementation are positively correlated with each other. First-mover advantages exist when deciding both carbon quotas and SRM levels. Moreover, we use an example to illustrate that if international equity is considered, governments would be willing to choose SRM levels before carbon quotas since it yields higher payoffs and less acid rain and droughts damages. This timing was neglected by all previous theoretical economic models on geoengineering.

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23

Tse, Ka Chun. "Carbon nanotube based advanced thin interface materials for thermal management /." View abstract or full-text, 2007. http://library.ust.hk/cgi/db/thesis.pl?CHEM%202007%20TSE.

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Evrard, Nicholas. "When does it pay to be carbon neutral?" Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80783.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
Companies produce carbon and GHG emissions in the course of doing business. Climate change issues and the impact of global warming affect business conditions. Companies need to deal with these issues and to introduce procedures for their mitigation. They can also aim to formulate strategies to enable the company to achieve a sustainable future. This study was designed to evaluate the motivation for South African businesses to voluntarily invest in becoming carbon neutral and to assess the payoff when adopting such strategies. This study has defined the concept of carbon neutrality, the opportunities of pursuing such a strategy and the risks of not doing so for the purpose of understanding the motivational drivers. An adapted framework was developed to assess whether or not such strategies are attractive. The empirical study examined four companies in terms of motivation. The exploratory case studies were compared to the descriptions and the frameworks discussed in the literature review. The study should serve to inform other companies of the possible opportunities and risks of lowcarbon initiatives. Exploring the methods leading to carbon neutrality should also serve as a tool for companies willing to participate in such projects.

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25

Smith, Jansen A., Daniel A. Auerbach, Karl W. Flessa, Alexander S. Flecker, and Gregory P. Dietl. "Fossil clam shells reveal unintended carbon cycling consequences of Colorado River management." ROYAL SOC, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/622496.

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Water management that alters riverine ecosystem processes has strongly influenced deltas and the people who depend on them, but a full accounting of the trade-offs is still emerging. Using palaeoecological data, we document a surprising biogeochemical consequence of water management in the Colorado River basin. Complete allocation and consumptive use of the river's flow has altered the downstream estuarine ecosystem, including the abundance and composition of the mollusc community, an important component in estuarine carbon cycling. In particular, population declines in the endemic Colorado delta clam, Mulinia coloradoensis, from 50-125 individuals m(-2) in the pre-dam era to three individualsm-2 today, have likely resulted in a reduction, on the order of 5900-15 000 tCyr(-1) (4.1-10.6 mol Cm-2 yr(-1)), in the net carbon emissions associated with molluscs. Although this reduction is large within the estuarine system, it is small in comparison with annual global carbon emissions. Nonetheless, this finding highlights the need for further research into the effects of dams, diversions and reservoirs on the biogeochemistry of deltas and estuaries worldwide, underscoring a present need for integrated water and carbon planning.

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26

com, sawan jonguwa@au experian, and Pornsawan Jongpaiboonkit. "Dynamic Modelling and Optimisation of Carbon Management Strategies in Gold Processing." Murdoch University, 2003. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20040820.131520.

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This thesis presents the development and application of a dynamic model of gold adsorption onto activated carbon in gold processing. The primary aim of the model is to investigate different carbon management strategies of the Carbon in Pulp (CIP) process. This model is based on simple film-diffusion mass transfer and the Freundlich isotherm to describe the equilibrium between the gold in solution and gold adsorbed onto carbon. A major limitation in the development of a dynamic model is the availability of accurate plant data that tracks the dynamic behaviour of the plant. This limitation is overcome by using a pilot scale CIP gold processing plant to obtain such data. All operating parameters of this pilot plant can be manipulated and controlled to a greater degree than that of a full scale plant. This enables a greater amount of operating data to be obtained and utilised. Two independent experiments were performed to build the model. A series of equilibrium tests were performed to obtain parameter values for the Freundlich isotherm, and results from an experimental run of the CIP pilot plant were used to obtain other model parameter values. The model was then verified via another independent experiment. The results show that for a given set of operating conditions, the simulated predictions were in good agreement with the CIP pilot plant experimental data. The model was then used to optimise the operations of the pilot plant. The evaluation of the plant optimisation simulations was based on an objective function developed to quantitatively compare different simulated conditions. This objective function was derived from the revenue and costs of the CIP plant. The objective function costings developed for this work were compared with published data and were found to be within the published range. This objective function can be used to evaluate the performance of any CIP plant from a small scale laboratory plant to a full scale gold plant. The model, along with its objective function, was used to investigate different carbon management strategies and to determine the most cost effective approach. A total of 17 different carbon management strategies were investigated. An additional two experimental runs were performed on the CIP pilot plant to verify the simulation model and objective function developed. Finally an application of the simulation model is discussed. The model was used to generate plant data to develop an operational classification model of the CIP process using machine learning algorithms. This application can then be used as part of an online diagnosis tool.

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27

Lagrange, Chantal V. M. "Carbon finance and reforestation : a survey of African cases." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5295.

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Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis addresses the topic of carbon finance in the context of reforestation and avoided deforestation. The research is based on the Nhambita Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) and Agro-forestry carbon offset project in North West Mozambique. The thesis raises important questions in terms of the relevance of carbon offset projects to human and biophysical realities in Africa. The research was conducted through the lens of ethnographic development and explores how carbon offset projects are received by recipient communities. What issues do such projects attempt to address? Are the targeted issues the „real‟ issues, as they are perceived by local populations in developing countries? Who do such projects benefit and who do they benefit the most? The thesis comprises two academic papers. The first paper is a synthesis article presenting a review of key issues with regards to the roll-out of improved cooking stoves (ICS) in the context of carbon offset projects, combined with a pre-feasibility study on the introduction of ICS in the Nhambita village. It shows how biomass will continue to play a dominant role in addressing Southern African energy needs and how a large scale dissemination of ICS could play a seminal role in alleviating pressure on threatened ecosystems. The paper, however, recognizes that ICS programmes are not a panacea and discusses the pitfalls of paradigms underlying stove-provision programmes to date. Based on a review of the pertinent literature and on the field work conducted in Mozambique, conclusions are drawn that environmental and health considerations do not constitute a sufficient „pull‟ factor from the end user‟s perspective. It appears that best channels to engage with the targeted users are economic and social rationales. This debate is of particular relevance to climate change policy but it also offers insights in terms of the acceptance of such programmes by the target communities. The second paper is related to the first in that it discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with the developmental ambitions of carbon offset projects. By virtue of the market systems that regulate them, such carbon offset projects imply an innovative developmental praxis, whereby project recipients become the owners and the sellers of a tangible good in the form of carbon credits. This innovative dimension is, however, thwarted by the fact that such projects stir welfare expectations from project participants. Such livelihood improvement expectations become the fertile ground for difficulties reminiscent of the weakness of traditional aid. The intricacies underpinning this new mechanism that combines land use changes with environmental conservation and livelihood benefits are debated in the context of private entrepreneurship and global markets. The analysis is anchored in a socioanthropological interpretation of climate change science and lays the emphasis on the risks and constraints of such projects, from the perspective of the target communities. The paper concludes by discussing the policy implications of these findings.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis behandel die onderwerp van koolstoffinansies binne die konteks van herbebossing en vermyde ontbossing. Die navorsing is gebaseer op die Nhambita Veminderde Emissies van Ontbossing en Degradasie (REDD) en die agrobosbou koolstofkompensasieprojek in Noord-Wes Mosambiek Die tesis opper belangrike vrae ingevolge die relevansie van koolstofverminderingsprojekte vir die menslike en biofisiese realiteite van Afrika. Watter kwessies probeer sulke projekte aanspreek? Is die geteikende kwessies die „ware‟ kwessies, soos hulle gesien word deur plaaslike bevolkings in ontwikkelende lande? Wie trek voordeel uit sulke projekte en wie trek die meeste voordeel daaruit? Die tesis behels twee akademiese verhandelings. Die eerste verhandeling is „n sinteseartikel wat „n oorsig bied van sleutelkwessies ten opsigte van die uitrol van verbeterde kookstowe (VKS) binne die konteks van koolstofverminderingsprojekte, gekombineer met „n vooruitvoerbaarheidstudie oor die bekendstelling van VKS in die Nhambita-dorpie. Dit dui aan hoe biomassa sal voortgaan om „n dominante rol te vervul in die aanspreek van energiebehoeftes in Afrika en hoe die onderliggende paradigmas van vorige stoofvoorsieningsprogramme heroorweeg moet word om tot die debat by te dra. Hierdie benadering erken die belangrikheid van hierdie hernubare energiebron, terwyl dit die ekologiese implikasies van die swaar steun op biomassa besef, veral in Suider Afrika. Gebaseer op 'n oorsig van gepaste literatuur sowel as die veldwerk gedoen in Mosambiek, word die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat omgewings- en gesondheidsoorwegings nie genoeg stukrag verleen vanuit die eindgebruiker se perspektief nie. Die beste kanale om by die teikengebruikers betrokke te raak, is ekonomiese en sosiale rasionale. Hierdie debat is van besondere betekenis vir die klimaatsveranderingsbeleid maar word ook fyn bestudeer ten opsigte van die aanvaarding van sodanige programme deur die teikengemeenskappe. Die tweede verhandeling is verwant aan die eerste in die opsig dat dit die geleenthede en uitdagings bespreek wat verband hou met die ontwikkelingsbehoeftes van koolstofverminderingsprojekte. Uit hoofde van die markstelsel wat hulle reguleer, impliseer sulke koolstofverminderingsprojekte „n innoverende ontwikkelingspraktyk, waarvolgens projekontvangers die verkopers word van „n tasbare voordeel in die vorm van koolstofkrediete. Hierdie innoverende dimensie word gedwarsboom deur „n tradisionele benadering tot ontwikkeling wat ontstaan uit die welvaartverwagtings van projekdeelnemers. Sodanige bestaansverbeteringverwagtings word die teelaarde van probleme kenmerkend van die swakheid van tradisionele bystand. Die ingewikkeldhede van hierdie nuwe meganisme, wat landgebruikveranderings kombineer met omgewingsbewaring, asook die bestaansvoordele word gedebatteer binne die konteks van privaat entrepreneurskap en wêreldmarkte. Die ontleding is geanker in „n sosio-antropologiese interpretasie van klimaatsveranderingwetenskap en benadruk die risiko‟s en beperkings van sulke projekte, vanuit die perspektief van die teikengemeenskappe.

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28

Spinney, Michael Paul. "Modeling the effects of forest management on the carbon cycle in a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/42364.

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Forests have the ability to alleviate the impact of global warming through carbon sequestration. Six forest management scenarios for a 27,000 acre study area are modeled to determine the impact of forest management on carbon sequestration. Forest management determines annual harvested volume and end-use disposition category of wood products, and inventory volume. Shorter rotations tend to produce short-lived wood products, while longer rotations produce long-lived wood products. Thinning removes pulpwood, which increases the average diameter of the stand and increases the proportion of sawtimber products. Changing forest management complicates accounting for changes in future C storage. Understanding the distinction between pre- and post-regulation harvest volume and C storage is essential to understand the effects of forest regulation. Plotting harvested volume and C storage volume over time shows distinctive pre- and post-regulation characteristics. The pre-regulation curves exhibit irregularities and varying thinned volume due to the uneven area in the existing age classes. Post-regulation curves are level because a constant area is annually thinned and clearcut. Carbon storage is the amount of C that is sequestered into a C pool, which for the purposes of this study is either inventory volume or residual wood product volume. Converting volume flows to C storage involves tracking the accumulation of wood products and standing volume over time then converting volume to a measure of C. Once the forest is regulated, C stored in the inventory pool remains constant from year to year, while the C stored in wood products continually increases. Longer rotations store more carbon than shorter rotations because they have larger inventory pools. Wood products are a substantial carbon pool: at the end of 50 years; the ratio of incremental C in the wood products carbon pool to incremental C in the inventory pool ranges from 6 to 122 for the modeled scenarios. Three accounting periods are evaluated to examine the importance of C sequestration timing to determine if a market for C can influence forest management. Long rotations meet the objectives of maximizing C sequestration and NPV for the modeled regimes regardless of the accounting period considered, or if the forest is regulated or un-regulated. Model sensitivity to decomposition rate, discount rate and timber prices is assessed to determine the effects of uncertainty (measurement error and future trends) on the results of the model. Short rotations are most sensitive to decomposition assumptions and stumpage prices because they produce a large amount of fast-decaying wood products. Long rotations are most affected by discount rate. Carbon storage of all scenarios increases substantially when the pulpwood decomposition rate equals the sawtimber decomposition rate to reflect a potential future increase in composite lumber production.
Master of Science

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29

Jongpaiboonkit, Pornsawan. "Dynamic modelling and optimisation of carbon management strategies in gold processing." Jongpaiboonkit, Pornsawan (2003) Dynamic modelling and optimisation of carbon management strategies in gold processing. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2003. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/119/.

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This thesis presents the development and application of a dynamic model of gold adsorption onto activated carbon in gold processing. The primary aim of the model is to investigate different carbon management strategies of the Carbon in Pulp (CIP) process. This model is based on simple film-diffusion mass transfer and the Freundlich isotherm to describe the equilibrium between the gold in solution and gold adsorbed onto carbon. A major limitation in the development of a dynamic model is the availability of accurate plant data that tracks the dynamic behaviour of the plant. This limitation is overcome by using a pilot scale CIP gold processing plant to obtain such data. All operating parameters of this pilot plant can be manipulated and controlled to a greater degree than that of a full scale plant. This enables a greater amount of operating data to be obtained and utilised. Two independent experiments were performed to build the model. A series of equilibrium tests were performed to obtain parameter values for the Freundlich isotherm, and results from an experimental run of the CIP pilot plant were used to obtain other model parameter values. The model was then verified via another independent experiment. The results show that for a given set of operating conditions, the simulated predictions were in good agreement with the CIP pilot plant experimental data. The model was then used to optimise the operations of the pilot plant. The evaluation of the plant optimisation simulations was based on an objective function developed to quantitatively compare different simulated conditions. This objective function was derived from the revenue and costs of the CIP plant. The objective function costings developed for this work were compared with published data and were found to be within the published range. This objective function can be used to evaluate the performance of any CIP plant from a small scale laboratory plant to a full scale gold plant. The model, along with its objective function, was used to investigate different carbon management strategies and to determine the most cost effective approach. A total of 17 different carbon management strategies were investigated. An additional two experimental runs were performed on the CIP pilot plant to verify the simulation model and objective function developed. Finally an application of the simulation model is discussed. The model was used to generate plant data to develop an operational classification model of the CIP process using machine learning algorithms. This application can then be used as part of an online diagnosis tool.

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30

White, Paul Mark Jr. "Enhancing soil carbon sequestration with plant residue quality and soil management." Diss., Manhattan, Kan. : Kansas State University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/222.

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31

Savage, Alexandra Jane. "Land management impacts on the carbon cycle in UK blanket peats." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2011. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/3309/.

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Peatlands occupy a mere 3% of the world's land mass, but store up to one third of terrestrial carbon stocks. Peatlands are widely regarded as carbon sinks owing to their ability to sequester more carbon than is released. Carbon cycling in peatlands is driven by environmental conditions e.g. water table levels, temperature and pH; substrate quality i.e. the ease with which microbes can synthesise the carbon; nutrient availability and the composition of the microbial community. Peatlands are valued not only for their ability to sequester carbon, but also for the range of ecosystem services which they provide including the provision of food, recreation and leisure, a source of income for rural communities, water supply and as habitats for a range of flora and fauna. As a result, management of peatlands is widespread, with the four most common methods of management of upland blanket bogs being afforestation, drainage, grazing and burning. To date, little work has been carried out on the effects of such management practices on carbon losses or drivers of the carbon cycle. The aim of this research was to identify how these management practices influenced losses of carbon from peatlands as well as the chemical and physical drivers of the peatland carbon cycle. A combination of field and laboratory work was carried out on managed peats with an unmanaged site at the Moor House National Nature Reserve in Cumbria. Field monitoring involved measurement of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the peat solution, water table levels and carbon dioxide gains and losses. Laboratory analysis was carried out on cores of peat to examine nutrient concentrations, the structure of the peat in terms of porosity and density; carbon stocks and the quality of the carbon. The results of this research demonstrated that all sites including the unmanaged site acted as carbon sources. Greatest losses occurred from the afforested site, where losses of DOC were significantly higher than all other sites and some of the highest losses of carbon dioxide were found. In contrast, the site that was burnt on a 10 year rotation was found to be a very slight carbon sink, held the most carbon within the peat and lost the least amount of DOC. Few significant differences in the chemical composition of the peat were observed between the sites, however, lignin, the most recalcitrant fraction was found to be significantly lower in the burnt (every 10 years) site, which had the highest carbon content. Lignin was identified as the dominant constituent of the peat for all the sites, with highest concentrations present in the afforested site. The high lignin content of the peats from all the sites indicated that the peats are in the latter stages of decomposition, and are thus fairly recalcitrant. The higher lignin content in the afforested site, coupled with the highest losses of DOC, some of the highest CO2 losses through ER (ecosystem respiration), however, suggest that the chemical composition of the peat is not a strong a driver of the peatland carbon cycle. Temperature was found to be the dominant driver of ER, accounting for between 54 and 92 % of variation in the data. The afforested site was the only treatment where a significant relationship between temperature and ER was not identified. Rates of primary productivity were highest in the burnt and grazed sites indicating that regeneration of the vegetation through management is of key importance in terms of sequestering carbon. The lowest primary productivity was identified at the drained site, where concentrations of nitrogen were also lowest. In terms of the structure of the peat, the air filled porosity of the burnt and grazed (every 20 years) site was greatest, however no linkages were established between the structure of the peat and gaseous carbon losses. This thesis has provided a unique insight into the effects of land management on the drivers of the peatland carbon cycle, carbon dioxide gains and losses, and DOC production. Further work should focus on examining the effects of the intensity of land management practices on peatland carbon budget for example, comparing low and high temperature burns, or closely spaced drains with drains that are located far apart. The results of this thesis suggest that future management needs to focus on encouraging increased PP by managing water table levels and promoting growth of peat forming species of vegetation such as Sphagnum. Light burning was also found to increase water table levels and peat solution acidity, thus reducing losses of DOC into the peat solution. The results demonstrated that temperature is the most important control on ER, and under climate change losses are likely to increase, therefore, the need twas found to be strongly linked to water table levels, pH and the carbon quality, with higher concentrations of holocellulose resulting in reduced losses of DOC.

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32

Matthews, Natalie Georgette. "The link between carbon management strategy, company characteristics and corporate financial performance." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/22762.

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That companies need to respond to the issue of climate change is no longer in question and with multiple carbon management activity options to choose from, companies need to select the most appropriate carbon management strategy to meet the challenges of a carbon constrained future. Because of South Africa’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change as a developing country and because of business’ pivotal role in addressing this urgent issue, it is important to characterise the corporate responses to climate change. The contextual factors that influence carbon management strategy decisions need to be understood so that appropriate policy decisions are taken to encourage innovation related to climate change opportunities.To this end, secondary data in the form of qualitative responses from 70 large South African listed companies to the Carbon Disclosure Project 2011 questionnaire were analysed for this study during September and October 2012. The detailed responses were first mined using a text-mining statistical program to identify the five carbon management activities currently practised by the companies. A cluster analysis of these activities revealed four general response strategies to climate change and carbon emission reduction pressures.The companies were found to have a strong focus on saving energy with less focus on higher-order sustainability activities. While market capitalisation, turnover, sector and carbon commitment were shown to correlate and indeed predict the carbon management strategy chosen by companies, no significant link was found between carbon management strategy and corporate financial performance.
Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted

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33

Naidoo, Anesan. "Determining the carbon footprint of Sishen South Mine and evaluating the carbon reduction opportunities in the opencast mining environment." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6446.

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34

Baldwin, Simon Thomas. "Integrating carbon management into the local air quality management framework : a case study of south west England." Thesis, University of the West of England, Bristol, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.589394.

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Due to the common sources of emissions of both air quality pollutants and greenhouse gases, management measures directed at one category of emissions are likely to impact the other whether positively or negatively. In the United Kingdom, through the local air quality management (LAQM) process, local authorities are required to monitor and measure specified air pollutants, the sources of which are often also a primary sources of carbon emissions at a local level. This research tracks the progression of local authority management of carbon emissions and examines the barriers and opportunities for the integration of carbon emissions into the LAQM process. Results are triangulated from three core research methods deployed in South West England: (1) a time series of local authority questionnaire surveys distributed to over 60 local government officers across 45 local authorities; (2) secondary data analysis of all 12 active Air Quality Action Plans; and (3) case study interviews of 12 local government officers within six local authorities in the region. This analysis demonstrates a common lack of communication between Air Quality Officers and Officers with Carbon Management Responsibilities in the South West. Nonetheless, a framework is proposed to develop communication streams to better link LAQM to carbon management within the existing structures of local government. This co-management approach is designed to overcome the barriers that occur for both parties within the current organisational structure, and enables mutually-beneficial strategic policies to be fed directly into the local authorities' Corporate Plan. Further, it is designed to provide an increased awareness of linkages, increase communications between responsible officers, and to better combine and exploit their respective skill sets. The extension of pollutant inventory development by the Air Quality Officers to also include implications for climate change gases is central to this proposed framework. The research concludes that the absence of statutory targets for carbon emission reductions remains a substantial barrier for local authority led carbon management initiatives .

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35

Sharma, Benktesh D. "Modeling of forest harvest scheduling and terrestrial carbon sequestration." Morgantown, W. Va. : [West Virginia University Libraries], 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10450/10900.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2010.
Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 160 p. : ill. (some col.), col. map. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

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36

Zani, Caio Fernandes. "Evaluation of soil carbon stocks in response to management changes in sugarcane production." Universidade de São Paulo, 2015. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/64/64135/tde-24082015-143738/.

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Brazilian commodities, such as ethanol, are looking for sustainable production to suit the international market demands. An important parameter for assessing sustainability is the carbon (C) footprint calculation of the product. Thus, studies of the variations in soil C stocks on the ethanol production are essential. Studies in relation to land use change are already been developed; however information about parameters of management changes on the sugarcane production is needed. The aim of this research was to evaluate the soil C stock in response to two main management changes in sugarcane production: i) no vinasse to vinasse application (NV-V), ii) burned to unburned harvesting system (B-UB). We also evaluated soil C stock changes in a chronosequence irrigation practices (native vegetation (NV), sugarcane irrigated 4 years (I4) and 6 years (I6), a new management in semi-arid and drought regions in Brazil which also aims high yields. Modelling approaches in order to assess long-term effects were also analysed. The NV-V transition showed higher soil C stock for V regime for topsoil layers 0-40 cm depth mainly due to the addition of organic compounds to the soil. Vinasse can also enhance biomass production and crop yield. The B-UB transition showed higher soil C stock in the UB regime from 20 to 60 cm depth due to higher organic matter accumulation from the maintenance of the straw to the field. The cumulative soil C stock for 1 metre depth had an increase of 1.1 and 0.75 Mg C ha-1 y-1 in the NV-V and B-UB transitions, respectively. From modelling was observed that V and UB sites had an increase of soil C stock by 2150, being a difference of 2.8 and 23 Mg ha-1 in the equilibrium state between NV-V and B-UB regimes, respectively. In the irrigation practices, the I4 showed higher soil C stock than NV in the 20 to 40 cm; while I6 was lower than NV in the 50 to 100 cm depth. Simulated long-term analyses showed increase of topsoil C stock of 12 and 13 Mg ha-1 for I6 and I4 area, respectively, compared to NV on 2100. The results in this study are pioneers in relation to soil C stock studies in the management transitions and irrigation practices. This information may be used as a basis for public policies decision which dealing of the land use and global warming
Commodities brasileiras, como o etanol, estão à procura de uma produção sustentável para atender às exigências do mercado internacional. Um parâmetro importante para avaliar a sustentabilidade é o cálculo da pegada de carbono (C) do produto. Assim, os estudos sobre as variações nos estoques de carbono do solo (ECS) sobre a produção de etanol são essenciais. Estudos em relação à mudança no uso da terra já estão sendo desenvolvidos; no entanto informações sobre parâmetros de mudanças de manejo na produção de cana de açúcar são necessárias. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar o ECS em resposta a duas principais mudanças de manejo: i) não vinhaça para aplicação de vinhaça (NV-V), ii) sistema queimado para não queimado (B-UB). Mudanças de ECS também foram avaliadas em sistemas de irrigação em cronoseqüência: vegetação nativa (NV), cana de açúcar irrigada por 4 anos (I4) e por 6 anos (I6). Modelagem matemática para avaliar o efeito a longo prazo também foi analisada. A transição NV-V apresentou maior ECS para o regime V em 40 cm de profundidade, devido principalmente à adição de compostos orgânicos ao solo. A vinhaça também pode aumentar a produção de biomassa e rendimento da cultura. A transição B-UB apresentou maior ECS no regime UB em 20-60 cm de profundidade devido ao acúmulo de matéria orgânica a partir da manutenção da palha no campo. O ECS acumulado para 1 metro de profundidade obteve um aumento de 1,1 e 0,75 Mg C ha-1 y-1 nas transições NV-V e B-UB, respectivamente. A partir de modelagem foi observado que os regimes V e UB obteve um aumento de ECS em 2150, sendo uma diferença de 2,8 e 23 Mg ha-1 no estado de equilíbrio para os regimes NV-V e B-UB, respectivamente. Nas práticas de irrigação, o I4 foi superior ao NV nos 20 a 40 cm; enquanto que I6 foi inferior a NV na profundidade de 50 a 100 cm. As análises de simulação a longo prazo mostraram um aumento de ECS de 12 e 13 Mg ha-1 para as áreas I6 e I4, respectivamente, em comparação com NV em 2100. Os resultados deste estudo são pioneiros em relação aos estudos de ECS nas mudanças de manejo e práticas de irrigação. Esta informação pode ser usada como base para a decisão de políticas públicas que lidam com o uso da terra e do aquecimento global

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Dutta, Baishali. "Development and optimization of pyrolysis biochar production systems towards advanced carbon management." Thesis, McGill University, 2014. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=123219.

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About 10% of the 60 Petagram (Pg)-Carbon fixed annually through worldwide photosynthetic activity ends up in agricultural residues. Through a heat-induced chemical conversion process such residues can be converted to biochar, a form of carbon that can be employed as a soil amendment, thereby providing long-term storage of carbon in soil. In this application, it has the ability to both reduce GHG emissions and enhance soil structure, moisture and nutrient retention, thereby also addressing global food security issues by improving soil fertility and crop yields.Dealing with several aspects of carbon management and resulting mitigation of GHG emissions, the current project sought to maximize biochar yield from microwave-assisted pyrolysis of maple (Acer L.) wood biomass. Microwave-assisted heating processes are known to be faster and more energy-efficient, yielding higher quality products than conventional methods. Volumetric, spectral and thermodynamic analysis of biochar developed through microwave-assisted pyrolysis showed it to exhibit greater porosity, lower reflectance and greater exothermic energy, and therefore greater overall quality than conventionally-produced biochar. This study also showed this microwave-assisted process to be capable of both producing high quality char and synthesize value-added carbon products. A three-dimensional finite element numerical model developed to optimize the primary parameters was instrumental in optimizing microwave pyrolytic process parameters so as to maximize biochar yields. The influence of selective heating phenomena on pyrolysis conditions was an important factor maximizing biochar yields arising from microwave-assisted pyrolysis of biomass. The application of a doping agent (i.e., microwave receptor) such as char enhanced the severity of the pyrolysis process by better temperature distribution within the biomassBased on numerical models and simulation data, the design of a microwave-assisted pyrolysis reactor affording optimal performance in terms of biochar yields was experimentally validated in a custom-built lab-scale unit. Biochar yield decreased with increasing pyrolysis temperature and time while doping ratio had no significant effect on biochar yields. The maximum predicted yield occurred for an microwave-assisted pyrolysis process optimized at the pyrolysis temperature of 250°C, reaction time of 1 min and doping ratio of 16%.The biochar resulting from microwave-assisted pyrolysis was characterized through various physical and chemical analyses: hyper-spectral imaging, pycnometry, proximate analyses, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Radiation and Differential Scanning Calorimetry. The biochar's structural development was directly influenced by the pyrolysis conditions of temperature, residence time and doping ratio.In light of GHG emission balances and the economic feasibility of biochar production, a life cycle analysis was important in estimating the benefits of biochar systems over a wide range of biomass, process and application scenarios. The life cycle analysis determined the sustainability — in terms of reducing the undesired effects of pyrolysis biochar systems — of the proposed process for different types of agricultural residues in Quebec, Canada. This would help farmers to assess the economic vs. environmental benefits of employing this technology to put the agricultural waste they generate to optimal use. The economic viability of the pyrolysis-biochar system was found to be largely dependent on the costs of feedstock production, pyrolysis, and the value of carbon offsets. Therefore, the conclusions drawn from such a life cycle analysis would represent a useful tool in assessing the potential of biochar systems worldwide.
Des 60 Petagram (Pg)-C par an fixés à l'échelle mondiale par l'activité photosynthétique, environ 10% demeurent dans les résidus agricoles. Un processus de transformation thermochimique permet de transformer ces résidus en biochar, une forme de carbone (C) dont l'utilisation comme amendement du sol, permet un entreposage du C à long terme, une réduction correspondante des émissions de gaz à effet de serre, ainsi qu'une amélioration de la structure, teneur en eau et rétention d'éléments nutritifs du sol. En améliorant la fertilité des sols et le rendement des cultures, ce procédé s'adresse donc aux enjeux de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale Le présent projet chercha à maximiser le rendement en biochar advenant d'une pyrolyse de biomasse de bois d'érable (Acer L.). Offrant des produits d'une qualité supérieur à celle des procédés conventionnels, le chauffage assisté par micro-ondes est parmi les procédés les plus rapides et écoénergétiques. Les analyses volumétriques, spectrales et thermodynamiques du biochar provenant d'une pyrolyse assistée par micro-ondes (PAM) démontrèrent sa plus grande porosité, son coefficient de réflexion moins élevé et sa plus grande énergie exothermique, et donc sa plus grande qualité globale par rapport au biochar d'origine conventionnelle. La PAM a produit un biochar de haute qualité tout en synthétisant des composés de carbone à valeur ajoutée. Une modélisation tridimensionnelle par éléments finis visant à optimiser les paramètres du procédé de PAM s'avéra clé à l'optimisation du rendement en biochar. L'influence de phénomènes d'échauffement sélectif sur les conditions de pyrolyse s'avéra un facteur important dans l'optimisation du rendement en biochar produit par PAM de biomasse. L'ajout d'un agent dopant (i.e., matériel récepteur des micro-ondes) tel que du biochar, a réduit la sévérité du procédé de PAM en permettant une meilleure distribution de la température à travers la biomasse.Grâce à des modélisations numériques et des données de simulation, la conception d'un réacteur pyrolytique assisté par micro-ondes, permettant d'obtenir une performance optimale quant au rendement de biochar, fut validée expérimentalement dans un appareil bâti sur mesure à l'échelle du laboratoire. Face à une augmentation de la température de pyrolyse, le rendement en biochar diminua, mais la fraction d'agent de dopage n'eut aucun effet significatif sur celui-ci. Le rendement maximum prévu pour le procédé de PAM fut obtenu avec une température de pyrolyse de 250°C, un temps de réaction de 1 min, et une fraction d'agent de dopage de 16%.Diverses analyses physiques et chimiques de biochar provenant d'une PAM servirent à sa caractérisation: imagerie hyperspectrale, pycnométrie, analyses immédiates, microscopie à balayage électronique, spectrométrie infrarouge à transformée de Fourier, analyse calorimétrique différentielle. La structure du biochar fut influencée par les conditions de pyrolyse (e.g., température, temps de séjour, coefficient de dopage).Une analyse du cycle de vie s'avéra importante à l'évaluation des avantages des systèmes de biochar pour une variété de biomasses, procédés de pyrolyse et taux d'amendement. Cette analyse évalua, pour différents résidus agricoles du Québec, le caractère durable du procédé proposé, particulièrement vis-à-vis la réduction des effets néfastes de la production de biochar par pyrolyse. Cette analyse permettra aux agriculteurs d'évaluer les avantages économiques vs. environnementaux de cette technologie pour la mise en valeur optimale des résidus agricoles. La viabilité économique du système de production de biochar par PAM se trouva principalement liée aux coûts de production des matières premières, de pyrolyse, et de la valeur des crédits d'émission de carbone. Les conclusions d'une telle analyse représentent donc un outil d'une grande valeur dans l'évaluation du potentiel du biochar à l'échelle mondiale.

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Victoria, Michele. "Developing decision support models for early stage embodied carbon management in buildings." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2017. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/36182/.

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Kang, Katherina A. "Soil Carbon Accumulation in an Urban Ecosystem: Canopy Cover and Management Effects." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2020. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1703418/.

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Black carbon (BC), a stable form of organic carbon (OC), is a byproduct of the incomplete combustion of biomass, biofuels, and fossil fuel. The main objectives of this research are to examine the spatial distribution of OC and BC in urban soil and determine the influence of tree canopy cover and landscape maintenance on soil carbon accumulation. Soil sampling was conducted at 29 sites throughout the City of Denton, Texas, in May 2019. Samples were collected from underneath post oak canopies and in adjacent open areas and were analyzed for total carbon (TC), total organic carbon (TOC), total N (TN), C:N ratio, and BC. Although maintenance levels had no significant effect, TOC was greater underneath trees (5.47%, 5.30 kg/m2) than lawns (3.58%, 4.84 kg/m2) at the surface 0-10 cm. Total nitrogen concentration was also greater underneath trees (0.43%) than lawns (0.31%) at the surface 0-10 cm. Preliminary results for BC were closely correlated to TOC. The lack of difference in C:N ratio between cover types indicates that leaf litter quality may not be the primary driving factor in soil C and N accumulation. Instead, differences in soil properties may be best explained by manual C inputs and greater atmospheric deposition of C and N to soils with tree canopy cover. Identifying patterns and potential drivers of soil OC and BC accumulation is important because soil carbon sequestration not only reduces atmospheric CO2, but also may provide additional pollution mitigation benefits, thereby contributing to a more sustainable urban environment.

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Cheok, Quentin Hoon Nam. "Activated carbon manufacture : an opportunity for sustainable management of problematic waste biomass." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/17796.

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The management of waste biomass is an increasing problem. The high water content and mixed composition make its wider utilisation difficult. In addition, there are certain invasive species of flora in the UK which cause significant damage to the natural and built environment. One of the most publicised and problematic species is Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) or JKW. There is a growing recognition that global resources are being consumed at an increasing rate that is not sustainable for the long-term stability of our society. One such commodity material is activated carbon, which is mostly made from coal and imported to the UK in significant quantities (16,000 tonnes per annum). Thus, this research has focussed on investigating the feasibility of utilising waste biomass as a potentially novel and renewable source of activated carbon. This research required the characterising and assessment of the suitability of green (biomass) waste and JKW as potential feedstock for the production of activated carbon. The JKW biomass was separated into rhizomes (JKWR) and stems (JKWS) and experiments were conducted independently. Some of the characterisation tests conducted included CHNS analysis, thermal degradation behaviour and lignocellulosic content analyses. Using high temperature carbonisation and steam activation, waste biomass was converted into activated carbon. For the purpose of this work, the parameters that were investigated were activation temperature, time and water flow rate. The resulting adsorbents were characterised using established international as well as peer-reviewed methods in order to determine their capabilities as activated carbons. These included BET surface area measurement, butane working capacity, phenol adsorption tests as well as iodine number determination. Green waste was not suitable to undergo steam activation as it had high ash content and low carbon content. As a result, the research focussed on the carbonisation and subsequent steam activation of JKW. JKW biomass was carbonised at 600°C for 1h and the JKW chars were activated under optimised conditions at 925°C for 1h under 0.5ml/min water flow rate. BET surface areas in excess of 900m2/g were achieved and this compared very favourably with a benchmark international commercial carbon, Filtrasorb 400. It was observed that increased steam activation temperatures resulted in activated carbons with high degrees of microporosity and the relative microporosity decreased with activation temperature. The carbons were also superior to Filtrasorb 400 in phenol and iodine adsorption tests. Further, Langmuir phenol adsorption capacities of 256 mg/g and 222 mg/g and iodine numbers of 1307 mg/g and 1190 mg/g, respectively were measured for JKWS and JKWR carbons. There are growing concerns over new water pollutants which arise from plastic use. These molecules are known to exhibit oestrogenic activity and hence, their removal is becoming a priority. The application of these carbons for this purpose was tested, using bisphenol-A (BPA) as a surrogate chemical of interest. JKWS activated carbon was able to perform as well as Filtrasorb 400 in BPA adsorption tests achieving at least 300 mg/g capacity, which is extremely promising for a novel, biomass derived activated carbon. Overall, this research work has clearly demonstrated that rather than regarding waste biomass, and particularly Japanese knotweed, as a problem, it may be an opportunity to provide the UK with a home-sourced and renewable feedstock for commercial activated carbon. Adopting this feedstock would be a major step towards resolving two UK government goals; reducing waste arisings and creating a more sustainable economy by reducing demand for imported products.

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Oraee-Mirzamani, Behdeen. "Environmental risk analysis and management associated with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/31521.

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CCS legislation is currently comprised of an overlapping network of international agreements and regional policies which form a strong basis for environmental protection for potential leakage of CO2 from underground storage sites. However, these legislative instruments form an uncoordinated legal basis for CCS with overly stringent liability provisions posing a significant barrier to stakeholder investment, technology development and future roll-out of commercial scale CCS projects. A number of insurance companies have recently developed different types of insurance mechanisms for covering CO2 storage facilities. Whilst these types of insurance policies are beneficial in encouraging the CCS industry in general, there are also drawbacks. Mostly, they only cover the CO2 capture facility during the operational phase of power plants or they solely cover the facility for 10 to 30 years after injection has been completed and storage sites have been sealed off. Furthermore, there is no standard regime for a comprehensive insurance mechanism for commercial scale CO2 storage facilities due to lack of enough information in regards to the long-term liability of potential CO2 leakage, type of risks involved in the technology of geological storage of CO2 and the likelihood of occurrence of these perceived. This research has identified the main risks associated with CO2 storage under geological formations and has developed a novel mechanism that enables the insurance industry to assess the risks of CO2 storage more effectively and therefore adjust their premium rates more in favour of CCS projects. In addition, this will also be beneficial for regulators in enabling them to regulate more effectively in order to incentivise stakeholder participation and investment in the CCS technology. The said mechanism has been developed using a range of systems engineering optimization techniques in order to assess the significance and criticality of the risks of CO2 leakage through the caprock and their likelihood of occurrence.

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Sun, Bin. "Essays on environmental economics and resource management." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1180553781.

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Penuela, Useche Viviana. "Influences of yard management intensity on urban soil biogeochemistry." Scholar Commons, 2014. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5386.

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Soils are critical to ecosystem function as they provide essential nutrients for primary producers, habitat and organic energy for decomposers, and storage of organic matter. Irrigation with reclaimed water is an increasingly popular water conservation strategy; yet its high salinity and nutrient content potentially affect soil properties. In this study, set in a residential neighborhood of Tampa (U.S.). I tested whether there are distinct lawn system management strategies characterized by systematic differences in reclaimed water usage and irrigation and fertilization practices. I then investigated whether soil biogeochemistry responds to lawn system management strategy. My results indicated that amendment strategy, which includes water source type, frequency of fertilization, and frequency of irrigation varies among residents of comparable neighborhoods. In this case, these three categories of management behaviors tend to co-occur. Analysis of irrigation water samples collected in this study showed significant differences between potable and reclaimed water. Mainly, reclaimed water had higher conductivity and phosphate content than potable water. When looking at the soil biogeochemical characteristics of the study area I found that there were significant differences in soil nutrients and microbial biomass across amendment strategy. Soils with a high amendment strategy (frequently irrigation with nutrient-rich reclaimed water, plus frequent fertilizer addition) showed higher conductivity and a higher microbial biomass than soils on lawns with a low amendment strategy (infrequent irrigation with dilute potable water, plus infrequent fertilizer addition). A positive correlation between soil conductivity and microbial biomass was observed. These findings suggest that high amendment strategy increases the input flux of some nutrients to the soils and acts as a nutrient resource for soil microorganisms. The differences between soil and microbial biomass amendment strategy support the idea that decisions made by individuals about which management intensity strategy to use do affect the spatial variability of the ecosystem. These results contribute to the hypothesis of urban ecological urbanization by looking at the vertical social interactions between municipalities and individual homeowners. These interactions might explain the observed spatial variability of ecological characteristics. The results of this research affect the way information about the advantages of using reclaim water is advertised, in particular to homeowners.

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Whitaker, William Bennett Samuelson Lisa J. "Relationships between forest structure and soil CO2 efflux in 50-year-old longleaf pine." Auburn, Ala., 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10415/2016.

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Mahanta, Nayandeep Kumar. "Characterization and Analysis of Graphite Nanocomposites for Thermal Management of Electronics." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1246546934.

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Singh, Nisheeth 1973. "A systems perspective for assessing carbon dioxide capture and storage opportunities." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/34803.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-89).
Even as the acceptance of the fossil fuel greenhouse effect theory continues to grow amongst academics, statesmen and plebeians alike, the early adopters have already engaged in pre-emptive research activities aimed at mitigating the effects of such greenhouse gases. The focus of one such effort is on the capture and storage of CO₂ (carbon dioxide) from anthropogenic fixed source emissions. This effort can be broken down into a few broad categories such as terrestrial, ocean and geologic sequestration. Geologic sequestration refers to all activities geared towards the capture and storage of CO₂ under the surface of the earth in diverse 'reservoirs' such as deep saline formations, depleted oil and gas wells and unmineable coal seams to name a few. This investigation develops a systems perspective for assessing carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) opportunities within the realm of geologic sequestration. While multiple concurrent research activities continue to explore CCS opportunities from various perspectives, efforts at a systems analysis of the overall picture are just beginning. A systems view describing methodologies to integrate a variety of CCS data to assess potential sequestration opportunities is at the heart of this study. It is based on research being conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under sponsorship of the United States Department of Energy (DOE). Using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and publicly available data, a detailed characterization of CO₂ sources and reservoirs are being developed. A source-reservoir matching process will be implemented which begins with quantifying the 'capturability' of a CO₂ source, a function of the purity, volume and several site specific considerations. Next, the potential
(cont.) proximate reservoirs are identified and then ranked based on transport options, type, capacity, cost, regulatory considerations and political sensitivity. All the above criteria will be spatially represented in the GIS and can be overlaid to produce a composite picture identifying the potential areas which would represent the maximum probability of success in sequestration efforts. A rigorous systems engineering approach will be adopted throughout the investigation. Novel tools such as the Object-Process CASE (OPCAT) tool will be used to model the complex and interdisciplinary system. A comprehensive systems modeling and engineering tool, it allows the representation of function, structure and behavior in a single model. Ultimately, the methodologies developed will be integrated and utilized in a case study to illustrate the methodology of evaluating CCS options for a given set of sources. A region in Mississippi has been identified for this model case-study. The methodology will be applied at a later time to evaluate CCS potential in the South East Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SERCSP) and the West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (WCRCSP).
by Nisheeth Singh.
S.M.

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Gacengo, Catherine N. Wood C. W. Shaw Joey N. "Agroecosystem management effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling across a coastal plain catena." Auburn, Ala, 2008. http://repo.lib.auburn.edu/EtdRoot/2008/SUMMER/Agronomy_and_Soils/Dissertation/Gacengo_Catherine_2.pdf.

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Marufuzzaman, Mohammad. "Models for a carbon constrained, reliable biofuel supply chain network design and management." Thesis, Mississippi State University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3631817.

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This dissertation studies two important problems in the field of biomass supply chain network. In the first part of the dissertation, we study the impact of different carbon regulatory policies such as carbon cap, carbon tax, carbon cap-and-trade and carbon offsetmechanism on the design and management of a biofuel supply chain network under both deterministic and stochastic settings. These mathematical models identify locations and production capacities for biocrude production plants by exploring the trade-offs that exist between transportations costs, facility investment costs and emissions. The model is solved using a modified L-shaped algorithm. We used the state of Mississippi as a testing ground for our model. A number of observations are made about the impact of each policy on the biofuel supply chain network.

In the second part of the dissertation, we study the impact of intermodal hub disruption on a biofuel supply chain network. We present mathematical model that designs multimodal transportation network for a biofuel supply chain system, where intermodal hubs are subject to site-dependent probabilistic disruptions. The disruption probabilities of intermodal hubs are estimated by using a probabilistic model which is developed using real world data. We further extend this model to develop a mixed integer nonlinear program that allocates intermodal hub dynamically to cope with biomass supply fluctuations and to hedge against natural disasters. We developed a rolling horizon based Benders decomposition algorithm to solve this challenging NP-hard problem. Numerical experiments show that this proposed algorithm can solve large scale problem instances to a near optimal solution in a reasonable time. We applied the models to a case study using data from the southeast region of U.S. Finally, a number of managerial insights are drawn into the impact of intermodal-related risk on the supply chain performance.

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Dymond, Caren. "Disturbance and climate change risks to forest carbon sinks and potential management responses." Thesis, Bangor University, 2018. https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/disturbance-and-climate-change-risks-to-forest-carbon-sinks-and-potential-management-responses(416a28ec-8724-43f6-a415-513772dd7dc2).html.

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Climate change is a global crisis facing forest management. There are risks to many ecological goods and services from forests due to changes in productivity, mortality, pathogen, and wildfire dynamics. Likewise, there are opportunities such as increases in productivity or targeted funding for climate adaptation and emission reductions. To manage those risks and opportunities, we need the fundamental knowledge of forest carbon (C) cycles. Overall, my dissertation aims to improve our understanding of forest carbon dynamics and how they may respond to natural disturbances, climate change and management activities. This purpose falls within the context of the need to adapt to and mitigate climate change for the ongoing provision of ecological goods and services from forest ecosystems such as timber and biodiversity. The thesis starts with a critical analysis of six papers I have previously published. That chapter includes a synthesis of findings, critique of methods used, and identifies some areas for future research. Each subsequent chapter represents a contributing article. The overall findings of this dissertation are (i) that although forests are often GHG sinks moderate or high intensity natural disturbances can reverse that flux. (ii) That climate change effects on productivity may increase or decrease the natural sinks or even create emission sources in forests that may otherwise have been sinks. (iii) That management strategies to increase species diversity and resilience may be effective at reducing risks of emissions, but they must be assessed for individual ecosystems and may be insufficient to fully offset disturbance or climate change effects.

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Spargo, John T. "Continuous No-till Management: Implications for Soil Quality, Carbon Sequestration, and Nitrogen Conservation." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/26166.

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No-till management for agronomic crop production is recognized as an effective practice to regain a portion of soil organic matter lost following decades of cultivation. Increasing soil organic matter sequesters C, conserves organic N and concomitantly improves soil quality. Objectives of this research were to: i) quantify C sequestration rate and N conservation with duration of continuous no-till; ii) measure C stratification with continuous no-till as an indicator of soil quality; and iii) evaluate the Illinois soil N test (ISNT) for its value to predict fertilizer N needs of corn in Virginia. Objectives i and ii were achieved by collecting soil samples from 63 production fields in the Virginia Coastal Plain that were managed using continuous no-till from 0 to 14 yrs. No-till management resulted in sequestration of 0.308 Â± 0.280 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 and conservation of 22.2 Â± 21.2 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (0-15 cm). The C stratification ratio (0-2.5 cm: 7.5-15 cm) increased with increasing duration of continuous no-till (0.133 Â± 0.056 yr-1) due to the accumulation of organic matter at the soil surface indicating improved soil quality with continuous no-till management. Objective iii was addressed by conducting 29 on-farm fertilizer N response trials in major corn producing areas of Virginia with the duration of continuous no-till management ranging from 0 to 25 yrs. The ISNT values were significantly related to yield without fertilizer N (r2 = 0.57; p<0.001) and relative yield (r2 = 0.64; p<0.0001). We also found that the ISNT extracted a relatively consistent percentage of total soil N (16.3 Â± 0.73 %) suggesting it is a poor indicator of labile N. Total soil N values did almost as well as the ISNT in predicting yield without fertilizer N (r2 = 0.53; p = 0.0002), and equally well predicting relative yield (r2 = 0.64; p<0.0001). Results do not suggest the ISNT is useful for measuring mineralizalbe N or improving fertilizer N recommendations in Virginia cropping systems.
Ph. D.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Carbon management'

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