Group discussion. Assignments

Transcription

1 Group discussion Intuitive explanation of the problem Compare and contrast: Project to reduce deforestation on the frontier by better enforcement of environmental laws Project to improve logging practices in a remote area of tropical forest through incentive payments System of paying entire countries to reduce deforestation Assignments Memo due March 2 Q&A for midterm due March 4 Midterm March 11 After spring break: webpage project Indicate your availability for help session on April 8 or 9 in doodle (see and link from course homepage) 1

2 Pick your topic Memo on REDD+ 1. Baselines & additionality 2. Leakages 3. Permanence and liability Pick your country 1. AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States) 2. Lots of forest + high deforestation 3. Lots of forest + low deforestation Memo What is the controversy or problem for REDD+? What are the different points of view and suggestions for how to resolve? From the perspective of your country (AOSIS, HFHD, or HFLD), what is the best approach? 2

3 Memo Many shades of REDD+ RED = avoided or reduced deforestation REDD = avoided or reduced degradation Causes of degradation? REDD+ = conservation, management, and regeneration/ restoration/ rehabilitation A/ R = afforestation and reforestation outside existing forest areas 3

4 Forests to mitigate climate change Avoided degradation by improved forest management (REDD+) Wood products To replace energy-intensive products For energy Consider baselines/ reference levels and additionality Deforestation Carbon sequestration Time 4

5 Plantation on cleared land Carbon sequestration Time Plantation for paper production Carbon sequestration Time 5

6 Plantation (or natural forest) managed for solid wood products Carbon sequestration Time Forest used for fuelwood Carbon sequestration Time 6

7 Plantation for substitute bioenergy Carbon sequestration Averted fossil fuel emissions Time Degradation due to excess fuelwood collection Carbon sequestration Introduce more efficient stoves Time 7

8 Other considerations Other inputs and their energy costs Land use leakages Life span of forest products (and emissions from landfills or other waste disposal) Brown cloud (regional climatic effects) Health (PM 2.5 ) Bioenergy from forests Traditional: fuelwood for household cooking and heating, largely by the poor in developing countries (80% of global renewable energy) also charcoal, pellets, firewood in Scandinavia and some parts of North America Undercounted: use of waste wood in paper & wood mills Modern: generation of electricity and liquid fuels for transportation using conversion technologies like gasification and fermentation. (Ethanol and biodiesel from agric feedstocks < 1% of global renewable energy.) a carbon tax on fossil fuels could make ethanol from wood commercially viable. 8

9 Roundwood Production by Region, Million M FAO Africa Asia Oceania Europe North America Industrial Roundwood 1.64 million cu m; 48% Central America Wood Fuel 1.77 million cu m; 52% South America Fuelwood Africa: 94% of the rural population depends on wood 73% of the urban population depends on wood and charcoal as primary source of energy India: < 40% of rural households have connection to the electric grid China: 80% of households rely on biomass or coal for cooking and heating fuels 9

10 Fuelwood crisis Fuelwood Q FW Demand time Gap Supply How will people respond? Adjust demand Fuelwood Reduce cooking/heating Change fuel source (substitutes) Adopt improved technology Adjust supply Expand collection area Plant trees 10

11 Alternative cookstoves Why promoted? How decide whether to adopt? Potential problems? Increasingly successful strategy Plant trees Agroforestry or woodlots Farm or community 11

12 Orissa, India 100,000 HA of woodlots Internat l funding (SIDA) Wood sold for highest value use Leaves alternative source of fuel Saves women time Reduces pressure on native forest when woodlots established on the decision margin (close enough to encourage switch) Modern bioenergy Focus on alternative liquid fuel for transportation consumes 30% of the global energy, 99% of which is supplied by petroleum (EIA 2007) will account for about one-half of the total projected increase in global oil use between 2003 and 2030 (EIA 2007) accounts for 21% of global annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Watson, Zinyowera, and Moss 1996) 12

13 Liquid biofuels Biodiesel - 4 billion liters per year globally Germany, Indonesia Ethanol - 36 billion liters per year 90% in Brazil and US Ethanol from sugarcane in Brazil provides 30% of transport fuel, is economically viable at $35 per barrel of oil, and reduces net carbon emissions Ethanol from corn in the US meets 2% of transport fuel, is economically viable at $50 per barrel of oil, and may not reduce net carbon emissions Carbon accounting Life-cycle analysis a. Level 1 Direct energy consumption for operation of farm machinery, harvest and transportation of feedstock, electricity and heat for processing, and distribution of biofuel. b. Level 2 Energy required to produce the material inputs used like fertilizers, chemicals, seeds, water. c. Level 3 Energy required in the construction and maintenance of equipment, buildings, etc. These are the fixed inputs to production whose lifetime far exceeds that of the fuel itself. Estimates for corn based ethanol range from 0% to 50% reduction in carbon emissions when replacing petroleum 13

14 Adding in Land use Leakages Cellulosic ethanol Cellulose: grasses, wood, ag wastes Feedstock and enzymes relatively expensive Potential Wood industry is well established Reduces carbon emissions by > 100% 14

15 Adding in health effects Bioenergy from forests Balance reduction in carbon emissions against concerns such as: Increase in food prices and its impact on the poor Leakages to agricultural land use (direct or indirect) and its impact on biodiversity Increase in use of agrichemicals Demand for water Combine with clean burning technology to achieve health benefits 15