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Environmental performance of alternative jet fuels
Published in Emily S. Nelson, Dhanireddy R. Reddy, Green Aviation: Reduction of Environmental Impact Through Aircraft Technology and Alternative Fuels, 2018
Hakan Olcay, Robert Malina, Kristin Lewis, Jennifer Papazian, Kirsten van Fossen, Warren Gillette, Mark Staples, Steven R.H. Barrett, Russell W. Stratton, James I. Hileman
The most significant threat to biodiversity from biofuel production is habitat loss resulting from cropland expansion (Gasparatos et al., 2011). Clearing land of its native species so that it can be converted into agricultural land for crops or sites for biorefinery facilities decreases the amount of available suitable habitat for many species of wildlife and plants and reduces the level of ecosystem function (Groom et al., 2008). Land-use change can also result in the release of stored nutrients and the runoff of soil and pollutants onto adjacent lands or into nearby water bodies (Diaz-Chavez et al., 2011; Martinelli and Filoso, 2008). Emissions of nutrients and pollutants onto adjacent land may affect species composition and biodiversity in both terrestrial and aquatic systems (Groom et al., 2008; unEP, 2009). Carbon dioxide released from the system (from burning, decomposing, and oxidizing) can offset some or all GHG benefits of biofuels, depending on the preexisting land-use type (Bailis and Baka, 2010; Fargione et al., 2008; Stratton et al., 2010; Tilman et al., 2009; unEP, 2009), as described in the preceding sections on GHG life cycle analysis. A recent scenario analysis investigating cellulosic and first-generation biofuel production (among other energy options) projected that adverse impacts of biofuel production are likely to be greatest for temperate deciduous forests and temperate grasslands as compared with other ecosystems found in the united States (Mcdonald et al., 2009).
Solar and Wind Power and Their Storage
Published in Roy L. Nersesian, Energy Economics, 2016
As with any utility project, there are a number of organizations a wind farm developer must successfully negotiate with before construction can begin. State governments have boards that require an environmental impact assessment for the wind farm and its transmission lines. Permits are required from land commissions before a project can move ahead. A public utility commission must grant a certificate of need. County and community planning boards ensure compliance with zoning ordinances and land use requirements. As with any real estate development, clearing land for access roads and wind turbine foundations must be done in a manner that avoids or minimizes soil erosion. These boards can also address the possibility that a wind farm might interfere with radio and television reception. If the wind project is on land, then the Bureau of Land Management or Forest Service will be involved, along with the Fish and Wildlife Service, to ensure minimal hazard to birds and other wildlife.
Understanding the Environment
Published in Julie Kerr, Introduction to Energy and Climate, 2017
Poor agricultural practices include allowing manure to collect to the level where rainwater washes it as runoff into water sources. Clearing the land of natural vegetation can leave it vulnerable to erosion as well or negatively alter the local ecosystem. In addition, the use of fertilizers and herbicides can cause harmful pollution, and if the land is not farmed with conservation processes in mind, such as crop rotation and alternating with fallow fields, it can deplete the soil of necessary nutrients.
Assessment of the effects of land use/cover changes on soil loss and sediment export in the Tul Watershed, Northwest Ethiopia using the RUSLE and InVEST models
Published in International Journal of River Basin Management, 2023
The mean annual soil erosion rate increased from 52.4t ha−1yr−1 in 1990 to 57.4 t ha−1yr−1 in 2000 due to an increase in cultivated land at the expense of natural forest, grassland, and shrublands (Figures 9 and 10). The results are remarkably consistent with the findings of previous studies in the upper Blue Nile Basin (Belay & Ayalew, 2021; Gashaw et al., 2018; Gashaw et al., 2021; Kidane et al., 2019; Nut et al., 2021). During the entire period, cultivated land contributed more than 68% of total soil loss. Prior investigations had come to the same conclusion (Degife et al., 2021; Gashaw et al., 2018; Kidane et al., 2019). Clearing natural woods, bushes, and grasses in steeply sloping areas and replacing them with croplands results in considerable land degradation. The loss of natural vegetation, such as forests, bushes, and grassland, as well as the expansion of cultivated lands, has resulted in a 37% increase in soil erosion (Gessesse & Bewuket, 2014).