Shafer, Steven R; Walthall, Charles L; Franzluebbers, Alan J; Scholten, Martin; Meijs, Jac; Clark, Harry; Reisinger, Andy; Yagi, Kazuyuki; Roel, Alvaro; Slattery, Bill; Campbell, Ian D; McConkey, Brian G; Angers, Denis A; Soussana, Jean-Francois; Richard, Guy
doi: 10.4155/cmt.11.26pmid: N/A
doi: 10.4155/cmt.11.18pmid: N/A
Forest monitoring using satellite imagery has advanced tremendously over the past few decades, to the point that these datasets now inform international policy agreements, notably those associated with emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere from deforestation and other types of land-use change. However, satellite technological advances require time to move towards a state of operational readiness for monitoring and reporting; for example, in the case of forest cover and associated carbon stock (biomass) and their changes through time. In this article, we provide an overview of the current status of forest monitoring using satellites and we explore new technologies that are already revolutionizing the way that forest carbon is measured. In particular, we focus on the capabilities of light detection and ranging (LiDAR), noting the opportunities and also the challenges that arise in moving technologies from those flown on aircraft to earth orbiting satellites. We discuss these capabilities in the context of next-generation earth observation missions and international reporting requirements for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
doi: 10.4155/cmt.11.25pmid: N/A
Regulators in four governments (Japan, California, the USA and China) have taken major policy actions in recent years to set standards to improve fuel economy and lower GHGs from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Each jurisdiction is contributing to the evolution of these standards in its own way. Japan adopted a simulation modeling approach focused on the engine. California set technology requirements for in-use tractors and trailers that operate on California highways. The USA borrowed Japan’s simulation modeling approach and built upon it by adding model inputs that will allow a full-vehicle simulation. China chose a chassis dynamometer approach for base vehicles, relegating simulation modeling to variants of the base models. Since these programs are in early stages of development, this is also an ideal time to consider harmonizing test cycles and aligning national programs with one another.
Tontiwachwuthikul, Paitoon; Idem, Raphael; Gelowitz, Don; Liang, Zhiwu Henry; Supap, Teeradet; Chan, Christine W; Sanpasertparnich, Teerawat; Saiwan, Chintana; Smithson, Heidi
doi: 10.4155/cmt.11.20pmid: N/A
Liang, Zhiwu Henry; Sanpasertparnich, Teerawat; Tontiwachwuthikul, Paitoon PT; Gelowitz, Don; Idem, Raphael
doi: 10.4155/cmt.11.19pmid: N/A
The simulation and modeling of post-combustion CO2 capture systems are considered to be an important strategy to obtain process integrity and gain design confidence for the construction and commissioning of commercial post-combustion CO2 capture plants. It is therefore essential to obtain an understanding of the fundamental concepts of designing and modeling. This article reviews the concepts of designing a CO2 capture system with specific emphasis on the absorber for diameter and height. It covers several steps (i.e., empirical design method, theoretical design method, laboratory method and pilot plant techniques) used to design the absorber. A conceptual design of an overall CO2 capture process is also given in the article. Process validations of the modeling using ProMax with four existing pilot plants. (the International Test Centre of CO2 Capture pilot plant, the Esbjerg CASTOR pilot plant, the Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, Stuttgart pilot plant and the SINTEF/NTNU pilot plant) are presented. Moreover, a discussion of process integration of the CO2 capture plant into a fossil fuel-fired power plant is included in this paper.
Dunn, Christian; Freeman, Chris
doi: 10.4155/cmt.11.23pmid: N/A
Peatlands are the most efficient carbon stores of all terrestrial ecosystems, containing approximately 455 Pg of carbon, which is twice the amount found in the world’s forest biomass. The majority of this carbon is stored in the saturated peat soil. Pristine peatlands are still sequestering carbon at a rate of 0.096 Pg carbon per year; however, anthropogenic degradation of peatlands through draining, fires and exploitation can increase the production of GHGs, switching peatlands from net sinks to net sources of carbon. Conservation of peatlands throughout the UK and the rest of the world is clearly essential for limiting GHG emissions and it is therefore surprising that accounting for emissions from peatlands does not feature prominently in the UNFCCC’s Kyoto Protocol. Discussions at Conference of the Parties (COP) COP-15 and COP-16 look set to make amends for this oversight in any post-2012 climate change legislation, with peatlands becoming important factors in national GHG inventories, the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector, and in the creation of internationally accredited carbon credits. Using figures from The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), the world’s peatlands can be valued at up to US$18 billion. However, this sum does not take into account pending UNFCCC decisions. The detailed mandatory inclusion of peatlands in national GHG inventory schemes and in accredited carbon markets could see their value rise even further. This review looks at the current GHG emission-monitoring legislation regarding peatlands, with special focus given to those in the UK. It discusses the importance of peatlands in carbon sequestration, reviews how peatlands feature in current GHG emission-monitoring schemes, concentrating on those associated with the Kyoto Protocol, and considers how peatlands may feature in national GHG emission-monitoring schemes and carbon markets in the future.
Lippke, Bruce; Oneil, Elaine; Harrison, Rob; Skog, Kenneth; Gustavsson, Leif; Sathre, Roger
doi: 10.4155/cmt.11.24pmid: N/A
This review on research on life cycle carbon accounting examines the complexities in accounting for carbon emissions given the many different ways that wood is used. Recent objectives to increase the use of renewable fuels have raised policy questions, with respect to the sustainability of managing our forests as well as the impacts of how best to use wood from our forests. There has been general support for the benefits of sustainably managing forests for carbon mitigation as expressed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007. However, there are many integrated carbon pools involved, which have led to conflicting implications for best practices and policy. In particular, sustainable management of forests for products produces substantially different impacts than a focus on a single stand or on specific carbon pools with each contributing to different policy implications. In this article, we review many recent research findings on carbon impacts across all stages of processing from cradle-to-grave, based on life cycle accounting, which is necessary to understand the carbon interactions across many different carbon pools. The focus is on where findings are robust and where uncertainties may be large enough to question key assumptions that impact carbon in the forest and its many uses. Many opportunities for reducing carbon emissions are identified along with unintended consequences of proposed policies.
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