Suchergebnisse

This study focused on the biotic oxidation of methane in landfill covers as a technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, particularly those located in the boreal climatic zone. First, methane oxidation was studied in laboratory batch assays in a landfill cover soil consisting of a composted mixture of sewage sludge and chemical sludge which had been installed on the landfill surface 4-5 years earlier. Second, methane oxidation was studied using mechanically-biologically treated municipal solid waste (MBT residual) as a material for methane-oxidizing landfill covers both in continuously methane-sparged laboratory columns and in an outdoor pilot lysimeter. Finally, methane oxidation was studied at a closed full-scale landfill with a European Union landfill directive-compliant, multilayer final cover system containing a water impermeable layer, passive gas collection and distribution system, and a soil cover consisting of sludge compost and peat. In the four-year old landfill cover, the methane oxidation rates at moisture of ≥33% of water-holding capacity increased along with temperature (Q₁₀ values 6.5-8.4 at 1-19 °C) while methane oxidation was suppressed at moisture of 17% of water-holding capacity. Methane oxidation (0.2-4.3 μg CH₄ gdw ⁻¹ h⁻¹ at 1-6 °C) and increase in oxidation rate over time were observed even at 1 °C. In MBT residual, high methane oxidation rates were observed in laboratory columns (12.2-82.3 g CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹ at 2-25 °C) and in batch assays with samples from the columns (up to 104 μg gdw⁻¹ h⁻¹ at 5 °C and 581 μg gdw⁻¹ h⁻¹ at 25 °C). In an outdoor lysimeter filled with MBT residual and containing a cover layer made from the same MBT residual, >96% of the methane produced (<16 g CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹) was oxidized between April and October, while in January oxidation was lower (<0.6 g CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹; this was <22% of the methane produced). In the full-scale landfill, of the mean methane flux (2.92-27.3 g CH₄ m-2 d-1) entering the cover layer at the measuring points at the four measuring times, ≥25% was oxidized in October and February, 0% in November and ≥46% in June. At each time, the high methane fluxes into the soil cover at a few points reduced the mean oxidation rate. To conclude, methane-oxidizing landfill biocovers appear feasible for reducing methane emissions in boreal climatic conditions while reduced oxidation rates are likely to occur in wintertime. To maximize the methane oxidation rate at low ambient temperature, the oxidation layer should have a spatially even gas influx, sufficient thickness and suitable characteristics, particularly those related to oxygen transport and thermal insulation.

Recent research suggests that climate variability and change significantly affect forced migration, within and across borders. Yet, migration is also informed by a range of non-climatic factors, and current assessments are impeded by a poor understanding of the relative importance of these determinants. Here, we evaluate the eligibility of climatic conditions relative to economic, political, and contextual factors for predicting bilateral asylum migration to the European Union—form of forced migration that has been causally linked to climate variability. Results from a machine-learning prediction framework reveal that drought and temperature anomalies are weak predictors of asylum migration, challenging simplistic notions of climate-driven refugee flows. Instead, core contextual characteristics shape latent migration potential whereas political violence and repression are the most powerful predictors of time-varying migration flows. Future asylum migration flows are likely to respond much more to political changes in vulnerable societies than to climate change.

Energy labeling of windows has been introduced in some Member States of European Union - for example Denmark, Finland, Slovakia and the UK. The UK BFRC scheme on window energy labeling has proved very efficient in communicating to the general public about the energy saving properties of high performance products thus contributing to their faster uptake. Slovak labeling system was introduced in 2008. The paper deals with main principles of energy rating system used in SLOVENERGOokno. National system for rating the energy efficiency of windows and is recognized within the Building Regulations as a method to show compliance for your replacement windows installation.

AbstractThe historical diffusion of the potato in the Old World serves as an example of the contribution of technological innovations to socio-economic growth and development (Nunn and Qian in Q J Econ 126(2):593–650, 2011). Climate-related diseases, on the other hand, might offset some of these benefits. Here we examine the long-term impact of malaria on the potato-driven growth of the population and urbanization in the Old World during the 18th and 19th centuries. We exploit local variations in environmental suitability both for potato and for malaria transmission to estimate and compare the impact of potato cultivation on population and urbanization in highly endemic to non-endemic areas at a high level of spatial disaggregation. We show that local climate conditions ideal for malaria transmission counteracted the potential benefits of introducing the potato to the Old World, which are conversely found to be strong and positive in non-endemic regions. These results highlight the interplay between technological change, public health, and development outcomes.

This study investigates the impacts of climate change on energy requirements in the Mediterranean. Energy requirements, especially for space heating and cooling, are closely linked to several weather variables, mainly air temperature. The analysis is based on daily temperature outputs from several regional climate models run at a resolution of 25 km × 25 km in the framework of EU project ENSEMBLES using the A1B emissions scenario. The impacts of changes in temperature on energy requirements are investigated using the concept of degree days, defined as the difference of mean air temperature from a base temperature. Base temperature should be chosen to coincide with the minimum energy consumption. In this way, changes in heating and cooling requirements between the reference and the future period are calculated and areas about to undergo large changes identified. These changes are calculated between a 30-year reference period 1961–1990 and a near future period 2021–2050 taking the ensemble mean of all regional climate models. The near-term future has been chosen instead of the frequently used end-of-the-century period to assist policy makers in their planning. In general, a decrease in energy requirements is projected under future milder winters and an increase under hotter summers.

Received: February 2nd, 2021 ; Accepted: August 3rd, 2021 ; Published: August 7th, 2021 ; Correspondence: erika.teirumnieka@gmail.com ; Cultivation area of industrial hemp in Europe has increased since 2012. It is expected that in future its production will increase, because European Union (EU) policy focuses more on the 'green deal' goals. Research into the effects of climate conditions (temperature and rainfall) on growth is important to select the best industrial hemp varieties for hemp products. The objective of the research is identifying industrial hemp varieties suitable for seed, fiber and shives production in varying pedo-climatic conditions in order to obtain products with the highest added value. Four industrial hemp varieties were used for the research: 'Purini' (Latvia), 'Bialobrzeskie' (Poland), 'USO -31' (France-Ukraine), 'Finola' (Finland). Field trials were carried out in Eastern Latvia in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019. Climatic indicators were recorded during the vegetation period from April to September. Yields of seeds, fibre, shives and total biomass were determined during the research. Factor analysis method was used to determine the impact of temperature and rainfall on the yield of seeds, fibres and shives. The study of climatic factors shows that the effect of temperature and rainfall on seed, shives and fiber yields strongly depends on the variety.

Changing climatic conditions affecting the physical environment, hydrology, forest and wildlife, agriculture, and other sectors of the economy has become a major concern worldwide. The Annapurna Range in the Central Himalayas in Nepal is experiencing impacts of climate change on various fronts, including temperature increase and change in snow cover area (SCA). The objectives of this study were to assess spatio-temporal variation in temperature, precipitation, and SCA in the Annapurna massif and establish a relationship between these variables. This study analyzed the daily maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation records of six weather stations in the region, and performed a long-term analysis (1990–2020) of snow cover over Annapurna massif analysing Satellite images from the past three decades provided by satellite 5 through 8 of the Landsat program and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. The SCA was determined through Landsat images using the Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI). Temperature analysis showed that the northeast (Chame) and northwest (Jomsom) parts of the massif were undergoing a consistent increase in average temperature at the rate of 0.07 and 0.03∘∘C per year, respectively. A north-south gradient was observed in total annual precipitation with total precipitation increasing in Ghandruk and Ranipauwa (Muktinath) at 50 mm and 4.8 mm per year, respectively, and decreasing in Manang Bhot at 4.7 mm per year. The precipitation events increased during spring in the west (Lete), northwest (Jomsom), and south (Ghandruk) of the massif, whereas it decreased in the north (Manang Bhot) and northeast (Chame) for all seasons. The SCA varied from 397 km22 to 1735 km22 with a significantly decreasing trend in December. There was a non-significant SCA increase during March, indicating that more snow coverage could appear in the spring in the future. These results could help local communities, government agencies, tourism industries, and other stakeholders develop resource management plans and climate change adaptation strategies.

The purpose of this work is to compare the environmental impacts of spring barley cultivation in Denmark under current (year 2010) and future (year 2050) climatic conditions. Therefore, a Life Cycle Assessment was carried out for the production of 1 kg of spring barley in Denmark, at farm gate. Both under 2010 and 2050 climatic conditions, four subscenarios were modelled, based on a combination of two soil types and two climates. Included in the assessment were seed production, soil preparation, fertilization, pesticide application, and harvest. When processes in the life cycle resulted in co-products, the resulting environmental impacts were allocated between the main product and their respective by-products using economic allocation. Impact assessment was done using the ReCiPe (H) methodology, except for toxicity impacts, which were assessed using USEtox. The results show that the impacts for all impact categories, except human and freshwater eco-toxicity, are higher when the barley is produced under climatic circumstances representative for 2050. Comparison of the 2010 and 2050 climatic scenarios indicates that a predicted decrease in barley yields under the 2050 climatic conditions is the main driver for the increased impacts. This finding was confirmed by the sensitivity analysis. Because this study focused solely on the impacts of climate change, technological improvements and political measures to reduce impacts in the 2050 scenario are not taken into account. Options to mitigate the environmental impacts are discussed.