Energy and Carbon Flows in Managed Biological Systems of Canada: Climate Change Implications
Date
2021-09
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Abstract
Canadian agricultural and forestry systems are required to contribute to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, these systems focus on strategies that can only reduce a fraction of their emissions. In this thesis, a series of studies were conducted to obtain a holistic view of opportunities to better manage the flows of energy and carbon associated with the agri-food and forestry systems of Canada towards achieving the net-zero emission target. First, using data obtained from government sources and the literature, a comprehensive model was created to quantify and compare the flows of energy and carbon associated with the agri-food system and those associated with crude oil-refined petroleum products systems. Results of this study suggest that about 86% of energy and carbon associated with Canada’s agri-food system is embedded in wastes and residual biomass that are usually left to decompose, thereby returning carbon as carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. The second study developed a methodology to calculate the 100-year global warming impact associated with diverting residual lignocellulosic biomass from business-as-usual scenarios (decomposition in agricultural, forestry, or landfill sites) into bioenergy use. The results showed that the CO2 released from bioenergy diversion has a global warming potential (GWPbio, units of kg CO2e/kg CO2) that is >0 and could be as high as 0.97 (the GWP for fossil CO2 emissions is 1.0) if the biomass decomposition is slow as in the case of wood in landfills. A third study added the biogenic CO2 analysis to an assessment of life cycle greenhouse emissions associated with co-firing lignocellulosic residual biomass with natural gas to produce one megagram of clinker in a cement plant. Although the co-firing scenario reduced natural gas emissions by 23%, it increased the total energy inputs and emissions associated with clinker production by about 18% and 10%, respectively, relative to the reference scenario. The thesis recommends that policy and investment decisions aimed at achieving net-zero emissions in the agri-food and forestry sectors should consider all anthropogenic flows of energy and carbon, and care should be taken if residual biomass is to be diverted for use as a bioenergy feedstock.
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Agriculture, Atmosphere, Biogenic Carbon, Biomass, Biosphere, Cement, Climate Change, Crude oil, Energy, Forestry, Fossil Carbon, Global Warming Potential, Greenhouse Gas, Landfill
Citation
Adetona, A. B. (2021). Energy and carbon flows in managed biological systems of Canada: climate change implications (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.