Emissions Scenarios In The Face Of Fossil-Fuel Peaking, 2016 University of Dayton
Emissions Scenarios In The Face Of Fossil-Fuel Peaking, Robert Brecha
Robert J. Brecha
Emissions scenarios used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are based on detailed energy system models in which demographics, technology and economics are used to generate projections of future world energy consumption, and therefore, of greenhouse gas emissions. We propose in this paper that it is useful to look at a qualitative model of the energy system, backed by data from short- and medium-term trends, to gain a sense of carbon emission bounds. Here we look at what may be considered a lower bound for 21st century emissions given two assumptions: first, that extractable fossil-fuel resources follow the …
Cost Optimization With Solar And Conventional Energy Production, Energy Storage, And Real Time Pricing, 2016 University of Dayton
Cost Optimization With Solar And Conventional Energy Production, Energy Storage, And Real Time Pricing, Ata Raziei, Kevin Hallinan, Robert Brecha
Robert J. Brecha
Research is presented that investigates the potential for solar power generation with battery energy storage for reducing the effective cost of energy delivered to residential customers if real time pricing is present. A linear optimization approach is developed based upon a two-step process. In step one, given a specified solar array area and battery capacity, the optimal means to meet loads based upon grid power, solar power, and/or battery power is determined. This analysis considers an expected lifespan of the solar panel. With these results established, in the next step, the capital costs for the solar arrays and batteries are …
Modeling Spatiotemporal Variability Of The Bioclimate Envelope Of Homarus Americanus In The Coastal Waters Of Maine And New Hampshire, 2016 University of Maine
Modeling Spatiotemporal Variability Of The Bioclimate Envelope Of Homarus Americanus In The Coastal Waters Of Maine And New Hampshire, Kisei Tananka, Yong Chen
Publications
A bioclimate envelope model was developed to evaluate the potential impacts of climate variability on American lobster (Homarus americanus). Bioclimate envelopes were defined by season-, sex-, and stage- specific Habitat Suitability Indices (HSI) based on (1) bottom temperature, (2) bottom salinity, and (3) depth. The species’ association to each of these three environmental attributes was expressed using Suitability Indices (SIs) calibrated by standardized lobster abundance derived from 14 years of fishery independent survey. A regional ocean model (Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model) was integrated with the HSI to hindcast spatiotemporal variability of bioclimate envelopes for American lobster in coastal waters of …
Brief 12: Energy Transitions To Modern Renewables: Context, Barriers, And Promises, 2016 University of Massachusetts Boston
Brief 12: Energy Transitions To Modern Renewables: Context, Barriers, And Promises, Stanislav Vavilov
Governance and Sustainability Issue Brief Series
The world is not running out of fossil fuels, as is often claimed. With technological progress and favorable economic conditions, a process of resource-base expansion occurs through the production of resources that were previously considered economically unviable. Resource-base expansion requires increasing capital investments per unit of energy extracted and an accompanying rise in production costs per unit. The world is running out of cheap fossil fuels, and in the long term, dependence on fossil fuels leads to energy services that are much more expensive and inaccessible. Given other important incentives for transitioning from fossil fuels, such as the need to …
Hpcnmf: A High-Performance Toolbox For Non-Negative Matrix Factorization, 2016 Fox Chase Cancer Center
Hpcnmf: A High-Performance Toolbox For Non-Negative Matrix Factorization, Karthik Devarajan, Guoli Wang
COBRA Preprint Series
Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) is a widely used machine learning algorithm for dimension reduction of large-scale data. It has found successful applications in a variety of fields such as computational biology, neuroscience, natural language processing, information retrieval, image processing and speech recognition. In bioinformatics, for example, it has been used to extract patterns and profiles from genomic and text-mining data as well as in protein sequence and structure analysis. While the scientific performance of NMF is very promising in dealing with high dimensional data sets and complex data structures, its computational cost is high and sometimes could be critical for …
Effects Of Short-Term Cattle Exclusion On Plant Community Composition: Prairie Dog And Ecological Site Influences, 2016 North Dakota State University--Fargo
Effects Of Short-Term Cattle Exclusion On Plant Community Composition: Prairie Dog And Ecological Site Influences, Aaron Field, Kevin Sedivec, John Hendrickson, Patricia Johnson, Benjamin Geaumont, Lan Xu, Roger N. Gates, Ryan Limb
Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications
On the Ground
- Maintaining cattle and prairie dogs on rangelands is important ecologically, economically, and culturally. However, competition between these species, both actual and perceived, has led to conflict.
- We explored the effects of short-term (2-year) cattle exclusion on plant communities both on and off prairie dog towns and among three common ecological sites.
- Plant communities were different between on-town and off-town plots and among ecological sites but were similar between cattle-excluded and nonexcluded plots.
- Plant community composition did not differ between rangeland targeted for moderate forage utilization and that in which cattle had been excluded for 2 years.
Effect Of Grazing Prairie Dog—Colonized Rangeland On Cattle Nutrition And Performance: A Progress Report, 2016 South Dakota State University
Effect Of Grazing Prairie Dog—Colonized Rangeland On Cattle Nutrition And Performance: A Progress Report, Kenneth C. Olson, Christopher Schauer, Chanda Engel, Janna J. Kincheloe, Jameson R. Brennan, Ben L. Hauptman
Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications
On the Ground
- One objective of the ongoing Renewal on Standing Rock Reservation project is to evaluate the response of grazing steers to the level of prairie dog colonization on Northern Mixed Grass Prairie.
- We fenced four pastures to create an increasing gradient of a proportion of the pasture area colonized by prairie dogs. Pastures are stocked with yearling steers during each growing season.
- Comparing steer performance, Global Positioning System (GPS) locations of grazing, diet samples, and ingestive behavior at each proportion of the prairie dog colony per pasture allows prediction of the optimal proportion of colonization, which enables selection …
Agriculture Causes Nitrate Fertilization Of Remote Alpine Lakes, 2016 Western University
Agriculture Causes Nitrate Fertilization Of Remote Alpine Lakes, Elizabeth J. Hundey, Sam S.D. Russell, Fred Longstaffe, Katrina A. Moser
Earth Sciences Publications
Humans have altered Earth’s nitrogen cycle so dramatically that reactive nitrogen (Nr) has doubled. This has increased Nr in aquatic ecosystems, which can lead to reduced water quality and ecosystem health. Apportioning sources of Nr to specific ecosystems, however, continues to be challenging, despite this knowledge being critical for mitigation and protection of water resources. Here we use D17O, d18O and d15N from Uinta Mountain (Utah, USA) snow, inflow and lake nitrate in combination with a Bayesian-based stable isotope mixing model, to show that at least 70% of nitrates in aquatic systems are anthropogenic …
Cruising The Canal: A Methodological Approach To Assessing Trail Conditions Along The Hennepin Canal Parkway, 2016 Augustana College, Rock Island Illinois
Cruising The Canal: A Methodological Approach To Assessing Trail Conditions Along The Hennepin Canal Parkway, Alyssa Clarida
Geography: Student Scholarship & Creative Works
Trail conditions in the United States are degrading and trail systems do not receive enough funding to repair them in a timely manner. Park managers often conduct trail assessments to collect trail condition data. They use this data to make timely and judicious decisions regarding trail repairs. However, many trail assessments are time consuming, costly, and require high levels of expertise. This project creates a trail assessment methodology that can be applied to a trail with limited funds. The final methodology was efficient, succinct, accurate, and simple to conduct. It uses a problem based methodology where every instance of degradation …
Questioning Ecosystem Assessment And Restoration Practices In A Major Urban Estuary: Perpetuating Myths Of Degradation In Spite Of Facts, 2016 Molloy College
Questioning Ecosystem Assessment And Restoration Practices In A Major Urban Estuary: Perpetuating Myths Of Degradation In Spite Of Facts, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D., Martin P. Schreibman, Kevin Mcdonnell
Faculty Works: CERCOM
The Jamaica Bay ecosystem is a dichotomy. It encompasses more than 12,000 acres of coastal estuarine marshes and an ecological diversity rivaling any coastal environment in the world. It is considerably altered, and is affected by a variety of ecological insults directly related to the fact that more than 14 million people live in its vicinity. Environmental protection institutions responded to the challenge of protecting the bay, surrounding wetlands and recreational benefits by addressing the increasing load of contaminants into the ecosystem. Billions of dollars have been spent during the past five decades on restoration attempts, including upgrading wastewater treatment …
Captain Sinclair’S Recreational Area Shoreline Management Plan, 2016 Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Captain Sinclair’S Recreational Area Shoreline Management Plan, Donna A. Milligan, C. Scott Hardaway Jr., Christine A. Wilcox
Reports
Captain Sinclair’s Recreation Area (CSRA) is located on the Severn River in Gloucester County, Virginia. It is a tract of land consisting of about 100 acres that was donated to the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority (Figure 1). Longterm goals for the property include active and passive recreational and research activities including several shoreline-based projects. The property has about 1.3 miles of tidal shoreline that extends from the canal on the northern end of the property, along Whittaker Creek, and to the Severn River down to small unnamed tidal creek adjacent to the old wood pier. Shoreline erosion, …
Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, February 2016, 2016 University of Northern Iowa
Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, February 2016, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.
Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter
Inside this Issue:
--- New and Updated: Air Quality Construction Permits
--- MSEI Assistance
--- Industry News
Distributed Modeling Of Ablation (1996–2011) And Climate Sensitivity On The Glaciers Of Taylor Valley, Antarctica, 2016 Los Alamos National Laboratory
Distributed Modeling Of Ablation (1996–2011) And Climate Sensitivity On The Glaciers Of Taylor Valley, Antarctica, Matthew J. Hoffman, Andrew G. Fountain, Glen E. Liston
Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations
The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica host the coldest and driest ecosystem on Earth, which is acutely sensitive to the availability of water coming from glacial runoff. We modeled the spatial variability in ablation and assessed climate sensitivity of the glacier ablation zones using 16 years of meteorological and surface mass-balance observations collected in Taylor Valley. Sublimation was the primary form of mass loss over much of the ablation zones, except for near the termini where melt, primarily below the surface, dominated. Microclimates in ~10 m scale topographic basins generated melt rates up to ten times higher than over smooth …
A Five-Year Performance Review Of Field-Scale, Slow-Release Permanganate Candles With Recommendations For Second-Generation Improvements, 2016 AirLift Environmental, LLC
A Five-Year Performance Review Of Field-Scale, Slow-Release Permanganate Candles With Recommendations For Second-Generation Improvements, Mark Christenson, Ann Kambhu, James Reece, Steve D. Comfort, Laurie Brunner
Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications
In 2009, we identified a TCE plume at an abandoned landfill that was located in a low permeable siltyclay aquifer. To treat the TCE, we manufactured slow-release potassium permanganate cylinders (oxidant candles) that had diameters of either 5.1 or 7.6 cm and were 91.4 cm long. In 2010, we compared two methods of candle installation by inserting equal masses of the oxidant candles (7.6-cm vs 5.1-cm dia). The 5.1-cm dia candles were inserted with direct-push rods while the 7.6-cm candles were housed in screens and lowered into 10 permanent wells. Since installation, the 7.6-cm oxidant candles have been refurbished approximately …
Precolonial Institutions And Deforestation In Africa, 2016 Singapore Management University
Precolonial Institutions And Deforestation In Africa, S. Larcom, Terry Van Gevelt, A. Zabala
Research Collection College of Integrative Studies
We find that local institutions inherited from the precolonial era continue to play an important role in natural resource governance in Africa. Using satellite image data, we find a significant and robust relationship between deforestation and precolonial succession rules of local leaders (local chiefs). In particular, we find that those precolonial areas where local leaders were appointed by ‘social standing’ have higher rates of deforestation compared to the base case of hereditary rule and where local leaders were appointed from above (by paramount chiefs). While the transmission mechanisms behind these results are complex, we suggest that areas where local leaders …
Ultrafast Spectroscopy And Energy Transfer In An Organic/Inorganic Composite Of Zinc Oxide And Graphite Oxide, 2016 Graduate Center, City University of New York
Ultrafast Spectroscopy And Energy Transfer In An Organic/Inorganic Composite Of Zinc Oxide And Graphite Oxide, Jeff A. Secor
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The energy transfers and nature of defect levels of an organic/inorganic composite of Zinc Oxide and Graphite are studied with multidimensional spectroscopy. The edge and surface states of each composite are uncovered using excitation emission experiments showing which defect states are mediating the energy transfer from the metal oxide to the graphite oxide. Multidimensional time resolved spectroscopy further describes the effect of the carbon phase on the energy transfer pathways in the material.
Review Of Land Capability Assessment For The Swan Valley, 2016 Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia
Review Of Land Capability Assessment For The Swan Valley, Peter Tille, Angela Stuart-Street
Resource management technical reports
Land capability review for the Swan Valley.
The land capability review of the Swan Valley examined and updated previous soil and capability studies done in the area, which are still considered highly relevant for the planning requirements of the Swan Valley. As a result we have updated information on the potential for irrigated agriculture in the Swan Valley which will guide decision-making in the future.
This review uses a modified version of a new approach to presenting information for land use planning, developed by DAFWA in the Mid West region.
The main findings of the review include:
- The alluvial terraces …
Proposing A Sustainable Tourism Framework For The Philippines, 2016 Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Proposing A Sustainable Tourism Framework For The Philippines, Michael Angelo A. Cortez, John Paolo R. Rivera
Center for Business Research and Development
The travel and tourism (T&T) industry has become a major contributor to growth and development in most economies across the globe (World Travel & Tourism Council [WTTC], 2014). The industry has significantly increased its gross value added (GVA) to the well-being of stakeholders through its direct economic impacts; and indirect and induced impacts to its forward and backward linkages. As such, according to Roe (2001), the T&T evolved into the world’s largest industries, generating approximately 11 percent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), providing 200 million job opportunities, and transporting nearly 700 million international travellers annually.
Exploring Sewage Sludge/Fish Waste-Based Materials As Adsorbents Of Pharmaceuticals From Water Phase, 2016 Graduate Center, City University of New York
Exploring Sewage Sludge/Fish Waste-Based Materials As Adsorbents Of Pharmaceuticals From Water Phase, Lilja Nielsen
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
In an effort to enable wastewater treatment that is more economical and environmentally friendly, alternative adsorbents composed of sewage sludge and fish waste were tested for the removal of pharmaceuticals from aqueous phase. Sewage sludge, fish waste and their homogenized mixtures (90:10, 75:25, 50:50) were carbonized at two temperatures (650 and 950 °C). The obtained materials were extensively characterized in terms of their chemistry and porosity. Adsorption isotherms were used to determine adsorption capacity for 3 model pharmaceuticals: carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim. To simulate the complex environment in the wastewater treatment plant, the adsorption capacity for a multi-component solution, containing …
Effects Of Human Development On Aeolian Sediment Transport Rates Within An Adjacent Undeveloped Backshore Enclave, 2016 New Jersey Institute of Technology
Effects Of Human Development On Aeolian Sediment Transport Rates Within An Adjacent Undeveloped Backshore Enclave, Kayla L. Kaplan
Theses
Sandy backshore enclaves are created where shorefront buildings are lost during high magnitude storms. Subsequent foredune growth in these enclaves is critical to providing protection to landward development. Conditions for foredune growth and sediment flux within an enclave can be influenced by the presence of adjacent buildings. The objectives of this research are to assess the following questions: what is the nature of sediment flux on a beach within an enclave, what are the potential constraints to transport on a beach within an enclave and, are natural processes alone able to sustain a foredune in an enclave. A field investigation …