• Title/Summary/Keyword: low greenhouse gas emissions

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Trends and Interpretation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for Carbon Footprinting of Fruit Products: Focused on Kiwifruits in Gyeongnam Region (과수의 탄소발자국 표지를 위한 LCA 동향 및 해석: 경남지역 참다래를 중심으로)

  • Deurer, Markus;Clothier, Brent;Huh, Keun-Young;Jun, Gee-Ill;Kim, In-Hea;Kim, Dae-Il
    • Horticultural Science & Technology
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    • v.29 no.5
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    • pp.389-406
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    • 2011
  • As part of a feasibility study for introducing carbon labeling of fruit products in Korea, we explore the use of carbon footprints for Korean kiwifruit from Gyeongnam region as a case study. In Korea, the Korean Environmental Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI) is responsible for the carbon footprint labeling certification, and has two types of certification programs: one program focuses on climate change response (carbon footprint labeling analysis) and the other on low-carbon products (reduction of carbon footprints analysis). Currently agricultural products have not yet been included in the program. Carbon labeling could soon be a prerequisite for the international trading of agricultural products. In general the carbon footprints of various agricultural products from New Zealand followed the methodology described in the ISO standards and conformed to the PAS 2050. The carbon footprint assessment focuses on a supply chain, and considers the foreground and the background systems. The basic scheme consists of four phases, which are the 'goal', 'scope', 'inventory analysis', and 'interpretation' phases. In the case of the carbon footprint of New Zealand kiwifruit the study tried to understand each phase's contribution to total GHG emissions. According to the results, shipping, orchard, and coolstore operation are the main life cycle stages that contribute to the carbon footprint of the kiwifruit supply chain stretching from the orchard in New Zealand to the consumer in the UK. The carbon emission of long-distance transportation such as shipping can be a hot-spot of GHG emissions, but can be balanced out by minimizing the carbon footprint of other life cycle phases. For this reason it is important that orchard and coolstore operations reduce the GHG-intensive inputs such as fuel or electricity to minimize GHG emissions and consequently facilitate the industry to compete in international markets. The carbon footprint labeling guided by international standards should be introduced for fruit products in Korea as soon as possible. The already established LCA methodology of NZ kiwifruit can be applied for fruit products as a case study.

Studies of Short-Term Variability of Methane in the Moo-Ahn Observatory Site in Korea (무안지역 메탄가스의 단주기적 농도변화에 대한 평가)

  • Choi, Gyoo-Hoon;Youn, Yong-Hoon;Kim, Chang-Hee;Cho, Young-Min;Kim, Ki-Hyeon
    • Journal of the Korean earth science society
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.327-338
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    • 2001
  • In this study, the short-term variability of methane concentrations were investigated over 24-hr scale. The data obtained form the Moo-Ahn (MAN) station located in the western coastal area of Korea were analyzed from various respects to describe its distribution characteristics over short term scale. The MAN data were compared with those obtained from the two major background observatory sites: Point Barrow (Alaska) and Mauna Loa (Hawaii). The mean concentration of methane for the whole study period, when computed using the daily mean values, was found to be 1898${\pm}$85.3ppb (N=812). The mean values for the two comparable sites were observed to be 1832${\pm}$29.6ppb (N=823) for Point Barrow and 1745${\pm}$14.8ppb (N=818) for Mauna Loa. According to the analysis of frequency distribution. the mode value for the MAN area is found to be 1900ppb, but the mean concentration for Point Barrow and Mauna Loa are shown to have relatively low values of 1850 and 1750ppb, respectively. When examined over diurnal scale, the CH$_4$data for the MAN area exhibit a rather consistent trend; CH$_4$level is low during the daytime (after 6:00 A.M) and rises during the nighttime. The findings of the generally enhanced methane concentration in the MAN station may be explained form various respects. One of the most important reasons is that the MAN area is under the influence of various source processes relative to all the other stations under consideration. The short-term distribution patterns for the MAN station are hence characterized not only by the high methane concentration but also by the high oscillation in its CH$_4$concentration level.

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Seismic Data Processing and Inversion for Characterization of CO2 Storage Prospect in Ulleung Basin, East Sea (동해 울릉분지 CO2 저장소 특성 분석을 위한 탄성파 자료처리 및 역산)

  • Lee, Ho Yong;Kim, Min Jun;Park, Myong-Ho
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.48 no.1
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    • pp.25-39
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    • 2015
  • $CO_2$ geological storage plays an important role in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but there is a lack of research for CCS demonstration. To achieve the goal of CCS, storing $CO_2$ safely and permanently in underground geological formations, it is essential to understand the characteristics of them, such as total storage capacity, stability, etc. and establish an injection strategy. We perform the impedance inversion for the seismic data acquired from the Ulleung Basin in 2012. To review the possibility of $CO_2$ storage, we also construct porosity models and extract attributes of the prospects from the seismic data. To improve the quality of seismic data, amplitude preserved processing methods, SWD(Shallow Water Demultiple), SRME(Surface Related Multiple Elimination) and Radon Demultiple, are applied. Three well log data are also analysed, and the log correlations of each well are 0.648, 0.574 and 0.342, respectively. All wells are used in building the low-frequency model to generate more robust initial model. Simultaneous pre-stack inversion is performed on all of the 2D profiles and inverted P-impedance, S-impedance and Vp/Vs ratio are generated from the inversion process. With the porosity profiles generated from the seismic inversion process, the porous and non-porous zones can be identified for the purpose of the $CO_2$ sequestration initiative. More detailed characterization of the geological storage and the simulation of $CO_2$ migration might be an essential for the CCS demonstration.

Analysis of Climate Change Researches Related to Water Resources in the Korean Peninsula (한반도 수자원분야 기후변화 연구동향 분석)

  • Lee, Jae-Kyoung;Kim, Young-Oh;Kang, Noel
    • Journal of Climate Change Research
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    • v.3 no.1
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    • pp.71-88
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    • 2012
  • The global warming is probably the most significant issue of concern all over the world and according to the report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the average temperature and extent of global warming around the globe have been on the rise and so have the uncertainty for the future. Such effects of global warming have adverse effects on basic foundation of the mankind in numerous ways and water resource is no exception. The researches on water resources assessment for climate change are significant enough to be used as the preliminary data for researches in other fields. In this research, a total of 124 peer-reviewed publications and 57 reports on the subject of research on climate change related to water resources, that has been carried out so far in Korea has been reviewed. The research on climate change in Korea (inclusive of the peer-reviewed articles and reports) has mainly focused on the future projection and assessment. In the fields of hydrometeorology tendency and projection, the analysis has been carried out with focus on surface water, flood, etc. for hydrological variables and precipitation, temperature, etc. for meteorological variables. This can be attributed to the large, seasonal deviation in the amount of rainfall and the difficulty of water resources management, which is why, the analysis and research have been carried out with focus on those variables such as precipitation, temperature, surface water, flood, etc. which are directly related to water resources. The future projection of water resources in Korea may differ from region to region; however, variables such as precipitation, temperature, surface water, etc. have shown a tendency for increase; especially, it has been shown that whereas the number of casualties due to flood or drought decreases, property damage has been shown to increase. Despite the fact that the intensity of rainfall, temperature, and discharge amount are anticipated to rise, appropriate measures to address such vulnerabilities in water resources or management of drainage area of future water resources have not been implemented as yet. Moreover, it has been found that the research results on climate change that have been carried out by different bodies in Korea diverge significantly, which goes to show that many inherent uncertainties exist in the various stage of researches. Regarding the strategy in response to climate change, the voluntary response by an individual or a corporate entity has been found to be inadequate owing to the low level of awareness by the citizens and the weak social infrastructure for responding to climate change. Further, legal or systematic measures such as the governmental campaign on the awareness of climate change or the policy to offer incentives for voluntary reduction of greenhouse gas emissions have been found to be insufficient. Lastly, there has been no case of any research whatsoever on the anticipated effects on the economy brought about by climate change, however, there are a few cases of on-going researches. In order to establish the strategy to prepare for and respond to the anticipated lack of water resources resulting from climate change, there is no doubt that a standardized analysis on the effects on the economy should be carried out first and foremost.

Utilizing the Idle Railway Sites: A Proposal for the Location of Solar Power Plants Using Cluster Analysis (철도 유휴부지 활용방안: 군집분석을 활용한 태양광발전 입지 제안)

  • Eunkyung Kang;Seonuk Yang;Jiyoon Kwon;Sung-Byung Yang
    • Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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    • v.29 no.1
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    • pp.79-105
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    • 2023
  • Due to unprecedented extreme weather events such as global warming and climate change, many parts of the world suffer from severe pain, and economic losses are also snowballing. In order to address these problems, 'The Paris Agreement' was signed in 2016, and an intergovernmental consultative body was formed to keep the average temperature rise of the Earth below 1.5℃. Korea also declared 'Carbon Neutrality in 2050' to prevent climate catastrophe. In particular, it was found that the increase in temperature caused by greenhouse gas emissions hurts the environment and society as a whole, as well as the export-dependent economy of Korea. In addition, as the diversification of transportation types is accelerating, the change in means of choice is also increasing. As the development paradigm in the low-growth era changes to urban regeneration, interest in idle railway sites is rising due to reduced demand for routes, improvement of alignment, and relocation of urban railways. Meanwhile, it is possible to partially achieve the solar power generation goal of 'Renewable Energy 3020' by utilizing already developed but idle railway sites and take advantage of being free from environmental damage and resident acceptance issues surrounding the location; but the actual use and plan for these solar power facilities are still lacking. Therefore, in this study, using the big data provided by the Korea National Railway and the Renewable Energy Cloud Platform, we develop an algorithm to discover and analyze suitable idle sites where solar power generation facilities can be installed and identify potentially applicable areas considering conditions desired by users. By searching and deriving these idle but relevant sites, it is intended to devise a plan to save enormous costs for facilities or expansion in the early stages of development. This study uses various cluster analyses to develop an optimal algorithm that can derive solar power plant locations on idle railway sites and, as a result, suggests 202 'actively recommended areas.' These results would help decision-makers make rational decisions from the viewpoint of simultaneously considering the economy and the environment.

Effects of Nitrogen Application Levels on Grain Yield and Yield-related Traits of Rice Genetic Resources (질소비료 시비 수준이 벼의 수량 및 수량구성요소에 미치는 영향)

  • Tae-Heon Kim;Suk-Man Kim
    • KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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    • v.68 no.4
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    • pp.276-284
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    • 2023
  • Nitrogen is a major and essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. However, excessive nitrogen application can lead to ecological pollution or greenhouse gas emissions, consequently resulting in climate change. In this study, we used 153 genetic resources of rice to evaluate the effects of the levels of nitrogen application on grain yield and yield-related traits. Significant differences were noted in the yield and yield-related traits of genetic resources between two nitrogen application levels, namely, 4.5 kg/10a (NN: normal nitrogen condition) and 9.0 kg/10a (LN: low-nitrogen condition). Among the tested traits, days to heading (DTH), clum length (CL), grain yield per plant (GYP), number of panicles per plant (NPP), and number of spikelets per panicle (NSP) decreased by 1.8 to 17.9% when the nitrogen application levels decreased from NN to LN. The 1,000-grain weight (TWG) and percentage of ripened grain (PRG) increased by 2.6 to 11.2% under these conditions. Based on nitrogen application levels, two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated significant differences in GYP, NPP, and PRG but not in NSP and TGW. NPP exhibited negative correlations with NSP (-0.44) and TGW (-0.44), and TGW displayed a negative correlation with PRG (-0.34), whereas, GYP exhibited a positive correlation with PRG (0.37) and NSP (0.38). A similar pattern was recorded under the LN condition. NPP, TGW, and PRG were clustered as PA (principle axis) 1 under the LN condition by factor analysis. NSP and GYP were clustered as PA (principle axis) 2. These results demonstrated NPP and NSP as the primary factors contributing to the decrease in grain yield under LN conditions. In conclusion, we selected eight genetic resources that exhibited higher GYP under both NN and LN conditions with higher NPP or NSP. These genetic resources can be considered valuable breeding materials for the adaptation of plants to nitrogen deficiency.