Use of inadequate data and methodological errors lead to a dramatic overestimation of the water footprint of Jatropha curcas

In their recent article, Gerbens-Leenes et al. (1) calculated the water footprint (WF, the amount of water required to produce 1 GJ of energy) of several bioenergy crops. One of the most remarkable findings of this study was the very high water footprint of this species, which has serious management consequences. 

However, these results are in apparent contrast with recent findings on this species. We present evidence that several errors were made by the authors when calculating the water footprint of jatropha, which has lead to a dramatic overestimation. These errors include weaknesses concerning the data used for the calculation of the water footprint, as well as flaws in the calculation method, as we demonstrate in the letter. Based on peer-reviewed data, we furthermore provide a more correct, still rough, first estimate for the water footprint of this species, which would place it amongst the more water efficient bioenergy crops. 

&#xa

Proposing a life cycle land use impact calculation methodology

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) community is yet to come to a consensus on a methodology to incorporate land use in LCA, still struggling with what exactly should be assessed and which indicators should be used. To solve this problem we start from concepts and models describing how ecosystems function and sustain, in order to understand how land use affects them. Earlier our research group presented a methodology based on the ecosystem exergy concept. This concept as based on the hypothesis that ecosystems develop towards more effective degradation of exergy fluxes passing through the system and is derived from two axioms: the principles of (i) maximum exergy storage and the (ii) maximum exergy dissipation. This concept aiming at the area of protection natural environment is different from conventional exergy analysis in LCA focusing on natural resources. To prevent confusion, the ecosystem exergy concept is further referred to as the MAximum Storage and Dissipation concept (MASD concept). In this paper we present how this concept identifies end-point impacts, mid-point impacts and mid-point indicators. The identified end-point impacts to assess are Ecosystem Structural Quality (ESQ) and Ecosystem Functional Quality (EFQ). In order to quantify these end-point impacts a dynamic multi-indicator set is proposed for quantifying the mid-point impacts on soil fertility, biodiversity and biomass production (quantifying the ESQ) and soil structure, vegetation structure and on-site water balance (quantifying the EFQ). Further we present an impact calculation method suitable for different environmental assessment tools and demonstrate the incorporation of the methodology in LCA

Proposing a life cycle land use impact calculation methodology

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) community is yet to come to a consensus on a methodology to incorporate land use in LCA. Earlier our research group presented a methodology based on the ecosystem exergy concept. The ecosystem exergy concept suggests that ecosystems develop towards more effective degradation of energy fluxes passing through the system. The concept is argued to be derivable from two axioms: the principles of (i) maximum exergy storage and the (ii) maximum exergy dissipation. In this paper we present a methodology to assess impacts of human induced land use occupation, in which we make a difference between functional and structural land use impacts. The methodology follows a dynamic multi-indicator approach looking at mid-point impacts on soil fertility, soil structure, biomass production, vegetation structure, on-site water balance and biodiversity. The impact scores are calculated as a relative difference with a reference system. We propose to calculate the impact by calculating the land quality change between the former and the actual land use relative to the quality of the potential natural vegetation. Impact scores are then aggregated, as endpoint impacts, in (i) structural land use impact (exergy storage capacity) and (ii) functional land use impact (exergy dissipation capacity). For aggregation of the relative mid-point impact scores no characterization factor is used. In order to fit this impact calculation in the LCA framework the end-point impact scores are multiplied by a LCA component, a component that enables us to report the impact per functional unit

Can jatropha curcas contribute to climate change mitigation?

Climate change mitigation is one of the key arguments for promoting biofuels. It has been claimed that cultivating jatropha increases the carbon stock when grown on marginal land, and additional GHG reductions are possible by replacing fossil diesel with biofuels. We have shown that bioenergy from jatropha can generate GHG savings of more than 40% compared with fossil fuels. However, jatropha can also create a carbon debt, delaying net savings for more than 50 years. The potential for climate change mitigation depends on where and how the value chain is established and is particularly sensitive to the initial soil and vegetation carbon stocks, land preparation, crop management and use of by-products

Potential ecosystem services of urban agriculture: a review

iiTSEinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Vers une complémentarité des alternatives alimentaires : relocalisation des activités et écologisation des pratiques au sein de trois alternatives de distribution à Bruxelles

À partir de l’analyse des pratiques de territorialisation et d’écologisation de trois systèmes alimentaires alternatifs bruxellois, l’article illustre que ces pratiques peuvent être très diverses, en prenant des formes et des intensités variables. Grâce à une comparaison, l’article présente différentes combinaisons entre territorialisation et écologisation au sein de ces trois systèmes alternatifs de distribution, qui sont pourtant activées dans le cadre d’une vision commune de la durabilité. Il montre que les modèles et les projets influencent les choix, qu’aucune combinaison ne fait une différence réelle au niveau des effets produits sur les parties prenantes de chacun de ces systèmes. En conclusion, la contribution, plutôt que d’orienter normativement vers l’une ou l’autre stratégie combinatoire qui serait plus durable, plaide pour considérer la complémentarité entre les différentes pratiques.Analyzing practices that re-localize food and make food chains more sustainable in the context of three alternative food networks (AFN) in Brussels, this paper shows that these practices can be of huge diversity, in terms of models as well as in terms of intensity. Through comparative analysis of the three cases, it shows that the questions of re-localize and make food systems more sustainable can lead to different strategies while the general objective of sustainability is formally shared and collectively constructed. It illustrates that AFNs projects’ are leading the main choices but that no strategy makes the difference regarding the effects on direct stakeholders in each AFN. As conclusion, the paper, argues to consider complementarity between AFNs practices more than choosing which one is the best/more sustainable

Life cycle cost assessment of insect based feed production in West Africa

While there is a growing body of research investigating the technical feasibility and nutritional properties of insect based feeds (IBFs), thus far little attention has been devoted to gauge the economic implications of implementation. This study has investigated the economic performance of ex-ante modelled IBF production systems operating in the geographical context of West Africa. A Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis of recently published life cycle inventory (LCI) data served as a basis to analyse and compare the economic performances of IBF production systems using Musca domestica and Hermetia illucens reared on different substrates. To gauge the application potential of IBF in West Africa, estimated breakeven sale prices of IBFs were benchmarked against the customary market prices of conventional feeds. The results show that the economic performance of IBF production in West Africa is largely determined by the costs attributed to labour and the procurement of rearing substrates, attesting economic advantages to the production of M. domestica larvae by measure of breakeven price (1.28–1.74 EUR/kg IBF) and LCC (1.72–1.99 EUR/kg IBF). A comparison of the breakeven sale prices of IBF with market prices of conventional feeds suggest that IBF has potential to substitute imported fishmeal, but findings offer no support for conjectured economic advantages over plant based feeds

EFO-LCI: A New Life Cycle Inventory Database of Forestry Operations in Europe

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has become a common methodology to analyze environmental impacts of forestry systems. Although LCA has been widely applied to forestry since the 90s, the LCAs are still often based on generic Life Cycle Inventory (LCI). With the purpose of improving LCA practices in the forestry sector, we developed a European Life Cycle Inventory of Forestry Operations (EFO-LCI) and analyzed the available information to check if within the European forestry sector national differences really exist. We classified the European forests on the basis of "Forest Units" (combinations of tree species and silvicultural practices). For each Forest Unit, we constructed the LCI of their forest management practices on the basis of a questionnaire filled out by national silvicultural experts. We analyzed the data reported to evaluate how they vary over Europe and how they affect LCA results and made freely available the inventory data collected for future use. The study shows important variability in rotation length, type of regeneration, amount and assortments of wood products harvested, and machinery used due to the differences in management practices. The existing variability on these activities sensibly affect LCA results of forestry practices and raw wood production. Although it is practically unfeasible to collect site-specific data for all the LCAs involving forest-based products, the use of less generic LCI data of forestry practice is desirable to improve the reliability of the studies. With the release of EFO-LCI we made a step toward the construction of regionalized LCI for the European forestry sector

Evaluation of the 2021 ESC recommendations for family screening in hereditary transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis

AIMS: The 2021 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) screening recommendations for individuals carrying a pathogenic transthyretin amyloidosis variant (ATTRv) are based on expert opinion. We aimed to (i) determine the penetrance of ATTRv cardiomyopathy (ATTRv-CM) at baseline; (ii) examine the value of serial evaluation; and (iii) establish the yield of first-line diagnostic tests (i.e. electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and laboratory tests) as per 2021 ESC position statement.METHODS AND RESULTS: We included 159 relatives (median age 55.6 [43.2-65.9] years, 52% male) at risk for ATTRv-CM from 10 centres. The primary endpoint, ATTRv-CM diagnosis, was defined as the presence of (i) cardiac tracer uptake in bone scintigraphy; or (ii) transthyretin-positive cardiac biopsy. The secondary endpoint was a composite of heart failure (New York Heart Association class ≥II) and pacemaker-requiring conduction disorders. At baseline, 40/159 (25%) relatives were diagnosed with ATTRv-CM. Of those, 20 (50%) met the secondary endpoint. Indication to screen (≤10 years prior to predicted disease onset and absence of extracardiac amyloidosis) had an excellent negative predictive value (97%). Other pre-screening predictors for ATTRv-CM were infrequently identified variants and male sex. Importantly, 13% of relatives with ATTRv-CM did not show any signs of cardiac involvement on first-line diagnostic tests. The yield of serial evaluation (n = 41 relatives; follow-up 3.1 [2.2-5.2] years) at 3-year interval was 9.4%.CONCLUSIONS: Screening according to the 2021 ESC position statement performs well in daily clinical practice. Clinicians should adhere to repeating bone scintigraphy after 3 years, as progressing to ATTRv-CM without signs of ATTRv-CM on first-line diagnostic tests or symptoms is common.</p

Evaluation of the 2021 ESC recommendations for family screening in hereditary transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis

AIMS: The 2021 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) screening recommendations for individuals carrying a pathogenic transthyretin amyloidosis variant (ATTRv) are based on expert opinion. We aimed to (i) determine the penetrance of ATTRv cardiomyopathy (ATTRv-CM) at baseline; (ii) examine the value of serial evaluation; and (iii) establish the yield of first-line diagnostic tests (i.e. electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and laboratory tests) as per 2021 ESC position statement.METHODS AND RESULTS: We included 159 relatives (median age 55.6 [43.2-65.9] years, 52% male) at risk for ATTRv-CM from 10 centres. The primary endpoint, ATTRv-CM diagnosis, was defined as the presence of (i) cardiac tracer uptake in bone scintigraphy; or (ii) transthyretin-positive cardiac biopsy. The secondary endpoint was a composite of heart failure (New York Heart Association class ≥II) and pacemaker-requiring conduction disorders. At baseline, 40/159 (25%) relatives were diagnosed with ATTRv-CM. Of those, 20 (50%) met the secondary endpoint. Indication to screen (≤10 years prior to predicted disease onset and absence of extracardiac amyloidosis) had an excellent negative predictive value (97%). Other pre-screening predictors for ATTRv-CM were infrequently identified variants and male sex. Importantly, 13% of relatives with ATTRv-CM did not show any signs of cardiac involvement on first-line diagnostic tests. The yield of serial evaluation (n = 41 relatives; follow-up 3.1 [2.2-5.2] years) at 3-year interval was 9.4%.CONCLUSIONS: Screening according to the 2021 ESC position statement performs well in daily clinical practice. Clinicians should adhere to repeating bone scintigraphy after 3 years, as progressing to ATTRv-CM without signs of ATTRv-CM on first-line diagnostic tests or symptoms is common.</p