Assessing the European potential for geological storage of CO2: the GESTCO project

GESTCO is an acronym for European potential for the Geological Storage of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion. The project formed part of the ENERGIE Programme of the European Union 5th Framework and was concluded in 2003. The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) led the project, with the national geological surveys of Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway and UK as research partners (Fig. 1). The primary goal of the GESTCO project was to determine whether the geological storage of carbon dioxide captured at large industrial plants is a viable method of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Europe (Christensen 2000; Gale et al. 2001; Christensen & Holloway 2003). This was evaluated by a series of case studies that assessed the CO2 storage potential of saline aquifers, geothermal reservoirs, coal seams and oil and gas reservoirs. The case study approach was used so that currently available, largely theoretical, generic information could be applied to real geological situations. In addition aspects of safety and environment, conflicts of using underground space and public and stakeholder perception were evaluated. Secondary goals of the GESTCOproject were to establish an inventory of major CO2 point sources in Europe and a Decision Support System (DSS) to serve as an economic analysis tool for CO2 storage in Europe

Efficient light scattering through thin semi-transparent objects

This paper concerns real-time rendering of thin semi-transparent objects. An object in this category could be a piece of cloth, eg. a curtain. Semi-transparent objects are visualized most correctly using volume rendering techniques. In general such techniques are, however, intractable for real-time applications. Surface rendering is more efficient, but also inadequate since semi-transparent objects should have a different appearance depending on whether they are front-lit or back-lit. The back-lit side of a curtain, for example, often seems quite transparent while the front-lit side seems brighter and almost opaque. To capture such visual effects in the standard rendering pipeline, Blinn [1982] proposed an efficient local illumination model based on radiative transfer theory. He assumed media of low density, hence, his equations can render media such as clouds, smoke, and dusty surfaces. Our observation is that Chandrasekhar [1960] has derived the same equations from a different set of assumptions. This alternative derivation makes the theory useful for realistic real-time rendering of dense, but thin, semitransparent objects such as cloth. We demonstrate that application of the theory in this new area gives far better results than what is obtainable with a traditional real-time rendering scheme using a constant factor for alpha blending

Fra materialelæring til læringsmateriale. Designskitsen som æstetisk erfaringsmetode

To casestudie

Three Perspectives on Motivation and Multi-Criteria Assessment of Organic Food Systems

The complexity of values related to organic food systems is normally difficult to ascertain, understand and act upon for both producers and consumers, as well as for other agents. In this paper we have suggested MCA as a method that may help in coping with this complexity. Furthermore, we have pointed to the importance of addressing the challenge of motivation when designing such an MCA tool. In doing so, we have applied three very different concepts of motivation – an economic, a psycho-social and a relational concept. While they represent fundamentally different perspectives, by incorporating all three within a multi-perspective approach, we have been able to explore ’a broader array of relevant aspects of motivation when designing a MCA tool to be used by consumers when dealing with organic food issues. From an economic perspective, motivation is closely related to the buying situation and consumers’ need to choose between products. This stresses the importance of gaining a quick overview and of support in assessing the options. From a psycho-social perspective, the key point is to design the tool in a way that makes it possible for the consumer to include his or her experiences and specific lifeworld strategies in the assessment process. This highlights the importance of an MCA tool which enables users to influence and change criteria and values in decision-making and reflexive processes. Finally, from a relational perspective, motivation is a matter of social interaction and the tool should therefore be designed so as to allow dialogue between the agents involved in the value chain of the organic food system. Applying the three perspectives on motivation to the issue has proven the value of a multi-perspective approach and provided input qualifying the development of a prototype MCA tool for agents participating in the organic food system

Theories on motivation and their implication for supporting communication, learning and decisionmaking in relation to organic food systems

Efforts to promote communication, learning, decision making and change of individual and/or collective practices in relation to sustainability issues require more or less explicit theories on agents and what motivate them to act. The aim of this paper is to open for an interdisciplinary discussion on how different approaches to motivation make sense or not when focusing on how to develop tools aiming at supporting communica¬tion, learning and decision-making related to organic food systems. We present four quite different approaches to motivation – an economic, an approach challenging conventional understandings of motivational change, a psychosocial, and a relational – and open for a discussion on how these approaches relate to each other and whether it is possible to apply and distinguish between different ways of using the concept of motivation when we cross disciplinary borders in order to cooperate on developing tools for multi-criteria assessment and communication