Cost Implications of Uncertainty in CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Storage Resource Estimates: A Review

Carbon capture from stationary sources and geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is an important option to include in strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. However, the potential costs of commercial-scale CO₂ storage are not well constrained, stemming from the inherent uncertainty in storage resource estimates coupled with a lack of detailed estimates of the infrastructure needed to access those resources. Storage resource estimates are highly dependent on storage efficiency values or storage coefficients, which are calculated based on ranges of uncertain geological and physical reservoir parameters. If dynamic factors (such as variability in storage efficiencies, pressure interference, and acceptable injection rates over time), reservoir pressure limitations, boundaries on migration of CO₂, consideration of closed or semi-closed saline reservoir systems, and other possible constraints on the technically accessible CO₂ storage resource (TASR) are accounted for, it is likely that only a fraction of the TASR could be available without incurring significant additional costs. Although storage resource estimates typically assume that any issues with pressure buildup due to CO₂ injection will be mitigated by reservoir pressure management, estimates of the costs of CO₂ storage generally do not include the costs of active pressure management. Production of saline waters (brines) could be essential to increasing the dynamic storage capacity of most reservoirs, but including the costs of this critical method of reservoir pressure management could increase current estimates of the costs of CO₂ storage by two times, or more. Even without considering the implications for reservoir pressure management, geologic uncertainty can significantly impact CO₂ storage capacities and costs, and contribute to uncertainty in carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems. Given the current state of available information and the scarcity of (data from) long-term commercial-scale CO₂ storage projects, decision makers may experience considerable difficulty in ascertaining the realistic potential, the likely costs, and the most beneficial pattern of deployment of CCS as an option to reduce CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere.     

Specific Storage Volumes: A Useful Tool for CO2 Storage Capacity Assessment

Subsurface geologic strata have the potential to store billions of tons of anthropogenic CO₂; therefore, geologic carbon sequestration can be an effective mitigation tool used to slow the rate at which levels of atmospheric CO₂ are increasing. Oil and gas reservoirs, coal beds, and saline reservoirs can be used for CO₂ storage; however, it is difficult to assess and compare the relative storage capacities of these different settings. Typically, CO₂ emissions are reported in units of mass, which are not directly applicable to comparing the CO₂ storage capacities of the various storage targets. However, if the emission values are recalculated to volumes per unit mass (specific volume) then the volumes of geologic reservoirs necessary to store CO₂ emissions from large point sources can be estimated. The factors necessary to convert the mass of CO₂ emissions to geologic storage volume (referred to here as Specific Storage Volume or ‘SSV’) can be reported in units of cubic meters, cubic feet, and petroleum barrels. The SSVs can be used to estimate the reservoir volume needed to store CO₂ produced over the lifetime of an individual point source, and to identify CO₂ storage targets of sufficient size to meet the demand from that given point source. These storage volumes also can then be projected onto the land surface to outline a representative “footprint,” which marks the areal extent of storage. This footprint can be compared with the terrestrial carbon sequestration capacity of the same land area. The overall utility of this application is that the total storage capacity of any given parcel of land (from surface to basement) can be determined, and may assist in making land management decisions.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> emissions from cement industry in China: A bottom-up estimation from factory to regional and national levels

Much attention is being given to estimating cement-related CO₂ emissions in China. However, scant explicit and systematical exploration is being done on regional and national CO₂ emission volumes. The aim of this work is therefore to provide an improved bottom-up spatial-integration system, relevant to CO₂ emissions at factory level, to allow a more accurate estimation of the CO₂ emissions from cement production. Based on this system, the sampling data of cement production lines were integrated as regional- and national-level information. The integration results showed that each ton of clinker produced 883 kg CO₂, of which the process, fuel, and electricity emissions accounted for 58.70%, 35.97%, and 5.33%, respectively. The volume of CO₂ emissions from clinker and cement production reached 1202 Mt and 1284 Mt, respectively, in 2013. A discrepancy was identified between the clinker emission factors relevant to the two main production processes (i.e., the new suspension preheating and pre-calcining kiln (NSP) and the vertical shaft kiln (VSK)), probably relevant to the energy efficiency of the two technologies. An analysis of the spatial characteristics indicated that the spatial distribution of the clinker emission factors mainly corresponded to that of the NSP process. The discrepancy of spatial pattern largely complied with the economic and population distribution pattern of China. The study could fill the knowledge gaps and provide role players with a useful spatial integration system that should facilitate the accurate estimation of carbon and corresponding regional mitigation strategies in China.     

Assessment and determinants of per capita household CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> emissions (PHCEs) based on capital city level in China

Household CO₂ emissions were increasing due to rapid economic growth and different household lifestyle. We assessed per capita household CO₂ emissions (PHCEs) based on different household consuming demands (including clothing, food, residence, transportation and service) by using provincial capital city level survey data in China. The results showed that: (1) there was a declining trend moving from eastward to westward as well as moving from northward to southward in the distribution of PHCEs. (2) PHCEs from residence demand were the largest which accounted for 44% of the total. (3) Correlation analysis and spatial analysis (Spatial Lag Model (SLM) and Spatial Error Model (SEM)) were used to evaluate the complex determinants of PHCEs. Per capita income (PI) and household size (HS) were analyzed as the key influencing factors. We concluded that PHCEs would increase by 0.2951% and decrease by 0.5114% for every 1% increase in PI and HS, respectively. According to the results, policy-makers should consider household consuming demand, income disparity and household size on the variations of PHCEs. The urgency was to improve technology and change household consuming lifestyle to reduce PHCEs.     

Comparative study on Co<Subscript>2</Subscript> emissions from different types of alpine meadows during grass exuberance period

Potentilla fruticosa scrub,Kobresia humilis meadow andKobresia tibetica meadow are widely distributed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. During the grass exuberance period from 3 July to 4 September, based on close chamber-GC method, a study on CO₂ emissions from different treatments was conducted in these meadows at Haibei research station, CAS. Results indicated that mean CO₂ emission rates from various treatments were 672.09±152.37 mgm^-2h^-1 for FC (grass treatment); 425.41± 191.99 mgm^-2h^-1 for FJ (grass exclusion treatment); 280.36±174.83 mgm^-2h^-1 for FL (grass and roots exclusion treatment); 838.95±237.02 mgm^-2h^-1 for GG (scrub+grass treatment); 528.48±205.67 mgm^-2h^-1 for GC (grass treatment); 268.97±99.72 mgm^-2h^-1 for GL (grass and roots exclusion treatment); and 659.20±94.83 mgm^-2h^-1 for LC (grass treatment), respectively (FC, FJ, FL, GG, GC, GL, LC were the Chinese abbreviation for various treatments). Furthermore,Kobresia humilis meadow,Potentilla fruticosa scrub meadow andKobresia tibetica meadow differed greatly in average CO₂ emission rate of soil-plant system, in the order of GG>FC>LC>GC. Moreover, inKobresia humilis meadow, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration accounted for 42% and 58% of the total respiration of soil-plant system respectively, whereas, inPotentilla fruticosa scrub meadow, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration accounted for 32% and 68% of total system respiration from GG; 49% and 51% from GC. In addition, root respiration fromKobresia humilis meadow approximated 145 mgCO₂m^-2h^-1, contributed 34% to soil respiration. During the experiment period,Kobresia humilis meadow andPotentilla fruticosa scrub meadow had a net carbon fixation of 111.11 gm^-2 and 243.89 gm^-2, respectively. Results also showed that soil temperature was the main factor which influenced CO₂ emission from alpine meadow ecosystem, significant correlations were found between soil temperature at 5 cm depth and emission from GG, GC, FC and FJ treatments. In addition, soil moisture may be the inhibitory factor of CO₂ emission fromKobresia tibetica meadow, and more detailed analyses should be done in further research.     

H<Subscript>2</Subscript>-rich and Hydrocarbon Gas Recovered in a Deep Precambrian Well in Northeastern Kansas

In late 2005 and early 2006, the WTW Operating, LLC (W.T.W. Oil Co., Inc.) #1 Wilson well (T.D. = 5772 ft; 1759.3 m) was drilled for 1826 ft (556.6 m) into Precambrian basement underlying the Forest City Basin in northeastern Kansas. Approximately 4500 of the 380,000 wells drilled in Kansas penetrate Precambrian basement. Except for two previous wells drilled into the arkoses and basalts of the 1.1-Ga Midcontinent Rift and another well drilled in 1929 in basement on the Nemaha Uplift east of the Midcontinent Rift, this well represents the deepest penetration into basement rocks in the state to date. Granite is the typical lithology observed in wells that penetrate the Precambrian in the northern Midcontinent. Although no cores were taken to definitively identify lithologies, well cuttings and petrophysical logs indicate that this well encountered basement metamorphic rocks consisting of schist, gneiss, and amphibolitic gneiss, all cut by aplite dikes. The well was cased and perforated in the Precambrian, and then acidized. After several days of swabbing operations, the well produced shows of low-Btu gas, dominated by the non-flammable component gases of nitrogen (20%), carbon dioxide (43%), and helium (1%). Combustible components include methane (26%), hydrogen (10%), and higher molecular-weight hydrocarbons (1%). Although Coveney and others [Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 71, no, 1, p. 39–48, 1987] identified H₂-rich gas in two wells located close to the Midcontinent Rift in eastern Kansas, this study indicates that high levels of H₂ may be a more widespread phenomenon than previously thought. Unlike previous results, the gases in this study have a significant component of hydrocarbon gas, as well as H₂, N₂, and CO₂. Although redox reactions between iron-bearing minerals and groundwater are a possible source of H₂ in the Precambrian basement rocks, the hydrocarbon gas does not exhibit the characteristics typically associated with proposed abiogenic hydrocarbon gases from Precambrian Shield sites in Canada, Finland, and South Africa. Compositional and isotopic signatures for gas from the #1 Wilson well are consistent with a predominantly thermogenic origin, with possible mixing with a component of microbial gas. Given the geologic history of uplift and rifting this region, and the major fracture systems present in the basement, this hydrocarbon gas likely migrated from source rocks and reservoirs in the overlying Paleozoic sediments and is not evidence for abiogenic hydrocarbons generated in situ in the Precambrian basement.     

Multi-scale integrated assessment of urban energy use and CO2 emissions

Accurate and detailed accounting of energy-induced carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions is crucial to the evaluation of pressures on natural resources and the environment, as well as to the assignment of responsibility for emission reductions. However, previous emission inventories were usually production- or consumption-based accounting, and few studies have comprehensively documented the linkages among socio-economic activities and external transaction in urban areas. Therefore, we address this gap in proposing an analytical framework and accounting system with three dimensions of boundaries to comprehensively assess urban energy use and related CO₂ emissions. The analytical framework depicted the input, transformation, transfer and discharge process of the carbon-based (fossil) energy flows through the complex urban ecosystems, and defined the accounting scopes and boundaries on the strength of ‘carbon footprint’ and ‘urban metabolism’. The accounting system highlighted the assessment for the transfer and discharge of socio-economic subsystems with different spatial boundaries. Three kinds methods applied to Beijing City explicitly exhibited the accounting characteristics. Our research firstly suggests that urban carbon-based energy metabolism can be used to analyze the process and structure of urban energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. Secondly, three kinds of accounting methods use different benchmarks to estimate urban energy use and CO₂ emissions with their distinct strength and weakness. Thirdly, the empirical analysis in Beijing City demonstrate that the three kinds of methods are complementary and give different insights to discuss urban energy-induced CO₂ emissions reduction. We deduce a conclusion that carbon reductions responsibility can be assigned in the light of production, consumption and shared responsibility based principles. Overall, from perspective of the industrial and energy restructuring and the residential lifestyle changes, our results shed new light on the analysis on the evolutionary mechanism and pattern of urban energy-induced CO₂ emissions with the combination of three kinds of methods. And the spatial structure adjustment and technical progress provides further elements for consideration about the scenarios of change in urban energy use and CO₂ emissions.     

Risk,Liability, and Economic Issues with Long-Term CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Storage—A Review

Given a scarcity of commercial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, there is a great deal of uncertainty in the risks, liability, and their cost implications for geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂). The probabilities of leakage and the risk of induced seismicity could be remote, but the volume of geologic CO₂ storage (GCS) projected to be necessary to have a significant impact on increasing CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere is far greater than the volumes of CO₂ injected thus far. National-level estimates of the technically accessible CO₂ storage resource (TASR) onshore in the United States are on the order of thousands of gigatons of CO₂ storage capacity, but such estimates generally assume away any pressure management issues. Pressure buildup in the storage reservoir is expected to be a primary source of risk associated with CO₂ storage, and only a fraction of the theoretical TASR could be available unless the storage operator extracts the saltwater brines or other formation fluids that are already present in the geologic pore space targeted for CO₂ storage. Institutions, legislation, and processes to manage the risk, liability, and economic issues with CO₂ storage in the United States are beginning to emerge, but will need to progress further in order to allow a commercial-scale CO₂ storage industry to develop in the country. The combination of economic tradeoffs, property rights definitions, liability issues, and risk considerations suggests that CO₂ storage offshore of the United States may be more feasible than onshore, especially during the current (early) stages of industry development.     

Fluxes of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>, CH<Subscript>4</Subscript> and N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O from alpine grassland in the Tibetan Plateau

Using static chamber technique,fluxes of CO2,CH4 and N2O were measured in the alpine grassland area from July 2000 to July 2001,determinations of mean fluxes showed that CO2 and N2O were generally released from the soil,while the alpine grassland accounted for a weak CH4 sink.Fluxes of CO2,CH4 and N2O ranged widely.The highest CO2 emission occurred in August,whereas almost 90?of the whole year emission occurred in the growing season.But the variations of CH4 and N2O fluxes did not show any clear patterns over the one-year-experiment.During a daily variation,the maximum CO2 emission occurred at 16:00,and then decreased to the minimum emission in the early morning.Daily pattern analyses indicated that the variation in CO2 fluxes was positively related to air temperatures(R^2=0.73)and soil temperatures at a depth of 5 cm(R^2=0.86),whereas daily variations in CH4 and N2O fluxes were poorly explained by soil temperatures and climatic variables.CO2 emissions in this area were much lower than other grasslands in plain areas.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> processes in an alpine grassland ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau

In this paper, the CO2 concentrations profile from 1.5 m depth in soil to 32 m height in atmosphere were measured from July 2000 to July 2001 in an alpine grassland ecosystem located in the permafrost area on the Tibetan Plateau, which revealed that CO2 concentrations varied greatly during this study period. Mean concentrations during the whole experiment in the atmosphere were absolutely lower than the CO2 concentrations in soil, which resulted in CO2 emissions from the alpine steppe soil to the atmosphere. The highest CO2 concentration was found at a depth of 1.5 m in soil while the lowest CO2 concentration occurred in the atmosphere. Mean CO2 concentrations in soil generally increased with depth. This was the compositive influence of the increasing soil moistures and decreasing soil pH, which induced the increasing biological activities with depth. Temporally, the CO2 concentrations at different layers in air remained a more steady state because of the atmospheric turbulent milking. During the seasonal variations, CO2 concentrations at surface soil interface showed symmetrical patterns, with the lowest accumulation of CO2 occurring in the late winter and the highest CO2 concentration in the growine seasons.     

基于能源消费的中国省级区域碳足迹时空演变分析

碳足迹作为衡量生产某一产品在其生命周期所直接或间接排放的CO₂量,其能够反应人类某项活动或某种产品对生态环境的压力程度。本文采用1997-2008年全国省级区域化石能源消费数据和土地利用结构数据,构建碳足迹计算模型,测算不同时间、不同区域的碳足迹、碳生态承载力和碳赤字,并引入物理学中重心的概念,测算1997-2008年全国各省级区域碳足迹的重心,进行碳足迹重心的时空演变趋势分析,掌握区域间能源消费碳排放的差异性;同时构建能源消费碳足迹压力指数模型,计算1997-2008年各省的碳足迹压力指数,对研究区域进行生态压力强度分级,并考察各省级区域碳足迹压力指数在两个相邻时间点之间的变化强度,进行生态压力变化强度的级别划分。     

Assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural sources in order to plan for needs of low carbon economy at local level in Poland

Agriculture is often not included in the baseline greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventories created for local low carbon economy plans in Poland and other European countries. We therefore estimate the size of the carbon footprint from agricultural sources and indicate the share of agriculture in the total GHG emissions in selected Polish communes (LAU level 2). We propose a solution whereby local government units can estimate their carbon footprint independently and monitor the impact of actions taken to reduce emissions. The value of the carbon footprint from agriculture in the selected communes varies from .5 to 46.5 thousand Mg CO₂eq/year, with a mean value of 12.6 thousand Mg CO₂eq/year and a standard deviation of 11.4 thousand Mg CO₂eq/year. Per capita, these values range from 10 kg CO₂eq/year to 8.4 Mg CO₂eq/year, with a mean of 1.1 Mg CO₂eq/year and a standard deviation of 1.5 Mg CO₂eq/year. In all communes, the contribution of agriculture to total emissions is at an average of 14% (values range from .2 to 57.4%). The obtained results confirm the appropriateness of including emissions from the agricultural sector and other related sources in low carbon economy plans.     

Column-averaged CO2 concentrations in the subarctic from GOSAT retrievals and NIES transport model simulations

The distribution of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the subarctic was investigated using the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) three-dimensional transport model (TM) and retrievals from the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT). Column-averaged dry air mole fractions of subarctic atmospheric CO₂ (XCO₂) from the NIES TM for four flux combinations were analyzed. Two flux datasets were optimized using only surface observations and two others were optimized using both surface and GOSAT Level 2 data. Two inverse modeling approaches using GOSAT data were compared. In the basic approach adopted in the GOSAT Level 4 product, the GOSAT observations are aggregated into monthly means over 5° × 5° grids. In the alternative method, the model–observation misfit is estimated for each observation separately. The XCO₂ values simulated with optimized fluxes were validated against Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) ground-based high-resolution Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) measurements. Optimized fluxes were applied to study XCO₂ seasonal variability over the period 2009–2010 in the Arctic and subarctic regions. The impact on CO₂ levels of emissions from enhancement of biospheric respiration induced by the high temperature and strong wildfires occurring in the summer of 2010 was analyzed. Use of GOSAT data has a substantial impact on estimates of the level of CO₂ interanual variability.     

过去陆地生态系统碳储量估算研究

准确估算陆地生态系统碳储量并认识其空间分布和时间演变规律是碳循环研究的关键 问题。本文回顾了全球与中国陆地生态系统在碳储量估算研究方面的若干进展, 包括基于各种方 法和资料的主要估算结果及其尚存在的不确定性。重点评述了末次盛冰期和中全新世两个时期 陆地生态系统碳储量的变化及其影响因素, 对8.2kaB.P.以来全球大气CO₂ 浓度呈现升高的现象 及其可能原因进行了讨论。全新世中晚期全球大气CO₂ 浓度逐渐升高与旧大陆地区陆地生态系 统碳储量减少的事实是一致的, 新石器时期特别是农业文明开始以后人类活动对陆地植被的持 续干预可能是造成陆地生态系统碳储量减少的原因之一。     

Microbial production of CO2 in red soil in Stone Forest National Park

Lunan stone forest is a kind of typical karst in China,Which is mainly developed under red soil.In the winter of 1999,three study sites were chosen in stone forest national park according to vegetation cover,geomporphologic location and soil types,CO2 concentration was measured with Gastec punp at different dephts of soil (20,40,60cm) and at the same time soil samples were gatered and soil properties such as soil moisure,pH,soil organic content were analyzed and the total nmuber of viable microbes were counted in laboratory,In the study,dependent variable was chosen as the mean soil log(PCO2),and soil properties were chosen as the independent variables.Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that the totla amount of microbes and soil moisture are the best indicators of the CO2 production,With the equation LOG(PCO2)=-0.039(TNM)-0.056 (Mo) 1.215 accounting for 86% of the variation of the soil CO2 concentration,where TNM is the total number of microbes in teh soil and Mo is the moisture of soil sample.     

盐湖地下卤水的开采技术及其展望

我国是农业大国,钾肥的需求量巨大,目前钾肥供应主要来源于柴达木盆地。由于目前的技术限制,钾资源的开发还局限于浅部,无法满足我国钾肥的需求,大部分钾肥还依赖于进口。总结和对比井采技术、渠采技术和CO2地质封存与深部卤水联合注采技术(CO2-EWR)表明,对浅层地下卤水的开采,井采技术和渠采技术适用,但两种技术使采卤泵、采卤管道和输卤渠容易堵塞;并且井采技术投资较大,渠采技术可能导致地下水循环受阻,因而会出现大面积的疏干区。CO2-EWR适合开采深部卤水,虽然该技术的一次性投入较大,但该技术一方面将CO2存储在深部卤水层中,另一方面将卤水驱替出含水层,是一种新型的碳捕集、利用与封存的技术(CCUS)。随着浅层卤水资源的耗竭,开展深部卤水资源的开采利用势在必行,CO2-EWR技术应用会越来越广泛。     

Long-term changes in the tree radial growth and intrinsic water-use efficiency of Chuanxi spruce (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea likiangensis var. balfouriana</Emphasis>) in southwestern China

Elevated CO₂ level in the atmosphere is expected to improve the tree growth rates and intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE). Although current results inferring from tree rings found the tree growth decline in water-limited area, it is still unclear whether spruce trees in humid southwestern China benefit from the increasing CO₂. In this study, tree-ring width data were used to investigate the tree radial growth rate of Chuanxi spruce (Picea likiangensis var. balfouriana). Moreover, combining with the tree-ring carbon isotope date, we analyzed the physiological responses of Chuanxi spruce to rising CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere (Ca) associated with climatic change in southwestern China. From 1851 to 2009, iWUE of Chuanxi spruce rose by approximately 30.4%, and the ratio of atmospheric CO₂ to leaf intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci/Ca) showed no significant trend in the study area. The result suggested that Chuanxi spruce used an active response strategy when Ca was significantly increased. iWUE showed a significant increasing trend in parallel with tree radial growth, indicating that the increasing iWUE resulted in an increase in radial growth. These results suggest that spruce forests in southwestern China have not shown declining trends under increasing Ca and climate change scenarios, in contrast to trees growing in water-limited areas. Therefore, spruce forests benefit from the increasing CO₂ in the atmosphere in the humid areas of southwestern China.     

中国旅游业能源消耗与二氧化碳排放量估算(英文)

In 2009, nearly 900 million international tourist arrivals were counted worldwide. A global activity of this scale can be assumed to have a substantial impact on the environment. In this contribution, five major aspects such as the change of LUCC and the use of energy and its associated impacts had been recognized. Recently, the impact of tourism on environment and climate attracts the attention of international organizations and societies in pace with rapid development of tourism industry. Energy consumption and CO2 emissions in tourism sector are becoming a hot spot of international tourism research in recent five years. The use of energy for tourism can be divided according to transport-related purposes (travel to, from and at the destination) and destination-related purposes excluding transports (accommodation, food, tourist activities, etc.). In addition, the transports, accommodation and foods are related to many other industries which are dependent on energy. Thus, the estimations of energy consumption and CO2 emissions in tourism sector have become a worldwide concern. Tourism in China grows rapidly, and the number of domestic tourists was 1902 million in 2009. Energy use and its impact on the environment increase synchronously with China’s tourism. It is necessary to examine the relationship between energy use and CO2 emissions. In this article, a preliminary attempt was applied to estimate the energy consumption and CO2 emissions from China’s tourism sector in 2008. Bottom-up approach, literature research and mathematical statistics technology were also adopted. According to the calculations, Chinese tourism-related may have consumed approximately 428.30 PJ of energy in 2008, or about 0.51% of the total energy consumptions in China. It is estimated that CO2 emissions from tourism sector amounted to 51.34 Mt, accounting for 0.86% of the total in China. The results show that tourism is a low-carbon industry and also a pillar industry coping with global climate change, energy-saving and CO2 emission reduction. Based on this, the authors suggested that tourism should become an important field in low-carbon economic development.     

Carbon Sequestration Potential of the Forest Ecosystems in the Western Ghats,a Global Biodiversity Hotspot

Global warming with the burgeoning anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (400 parts per million from 280 ppm CO₂ emissions of pre-industrial era) has altered climate, eroding the ecosystem productivity and sustenance of water, affecting the livelihood of people. The anthropogenic activities such as burning fossil fuel, power generation, agriculture, industry, polluting water bodies and urban activities are responsible for increasing GHG footprint of which 72% constitute CO₂. GHG footprint needs to be in balance with sequestration of carbon to sustain ecosystem functions. Forests are the major carbon sinks (about 45%) that aid in mitigating global warming. The current research focusses on the carbon budgeting through quantification of emissions and sinks in the forest ecosystems and changes in climatic conditions of Western Ghats. This would help in evolving appropriate mitigation strategies toward sustainable management of forests and mitigate impacts of global warming. The land-use land-cover (LULC) dynamics are the prime driver of climate change due to the loss of carbon sequestration potential as well as emissions. The Western Ghats are one among 36 global biodiversity hotspots and forests in this region sequester atmospheric carbon, which aid in moderating the global climate and sustaining water to ensure water and food security in the peninsular India. Assessment of LULC dynamics using temporal remote sensing data shows the decline of evergreen forest by 5% with an increase in agriculture, plantations and built-up area. The interior or intact forests have declined by 10%, and they are now confined to protected areas. The simulation of likely changes indicates that the region will have only 10% evergreen cover and 17% agriculture, 40% plantations and 5% built-up. Quantification of carbon reveals that the WG forest ecosystem holds 1.23 MGg (million gigagrams or Gt) in vegetation and soils. The annual incremental carbon is about 37,507.3 Gg, (or 37.5 million tons, Mt) and the highest in the forests of Karnataka part of WG. Simulation of the likely changes in carbon content indicates the loss of 0.23 MGg (2018–2031) carbon sequestration potential under business as usual scenario. The conservation scenario depicts an increase in carbon sequestration potential of WG forests with the protection. Sequestered carbon in WG is about INR 100 billion ($1.4 billion) at carbon trading of INR 2142 ($30) per tonne. Large-scale land-cover changes leading to deforestation has contributed to an increase in mean temperature by 0.5°C and decline in rainy days, which necessitates evolving prudent landscape management strategies involving all stakeholders for conservation of ecologically fragile WG. This will enhance the ability of forests to sequester atmospheric carbon and climate moderation, with the sustenance of ecosystem goods and services.

     

Facility allocation strategies and the sustainability of service delivery: Modelling library patronage patterns and their related CO2-emissions

Service accessibility and urban transportation choices are crucial in cities' endeavours for securing social equality and environmental sustainability. They are particularly relevant when the public service network is to be rationalized. In this paper we provide a practical example of comparing the impacts of current varying service allocation strategies on travel behaviour and the resulting carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. We take libraries as a local public service to examine the CO₂ emissions resulting from residents' library trips in the capital region of Finland. Our analyses are based on data on library use (library loan database, N = 420,000), accessibility (comparable models of travel-time by car, public transportation and non-motorized transport) and customer transport choices (survey, n = 584). Our results show that (1) 52% of library customers use a library that is accessible from their home with minimum CO₂ emissions (the “climate-optimal” facility provider), (2) the remaining 48% that choose a non-optimal facility provider produce nearly 90% of the total CO₂-emissions related to library customer flows and (3) the service allocation strategies of the different municipalities lead to markedly different CO₂-emission patterns resulting from service usage. To conclude, sustainability measures (in our case the CO₂ burden) provide useful information on the impact of a service network structure which may be used alongside economic rationales.