A comparison of politicians’ use of risk concepts in relation to climate change with current risk science

This master thesis examines how Norwegian politicians uses risk-related concepts and principles in their communication on climate change from a risk science perspective. The study aims to analyse statements made by politicians and political parties to understand how risk concepts are conveyed to the public, identify any inconsistencies with risk terms and concepts compared to the literature, and discuss the findings in order to draw conclusions. The research reveals some noteworthy findings. Firstly, the precautionary principle is utilized by some politicians to oppose climate-reducing measures; however, their interpretation and application of the principle deviate from established risk science principles. Secondly, cost-benefit analysis, a strategy employed by Norwegian politicians, is found to be misaligned with current risk science due to limitations that undermine its effectiveness. Furthermore, discrepancies in how risk is expressed by politicians in comparison to risk science standards are observed, indicating a potential need for greater precision and transparency in risk communication. Additionally, the thesis highlights the issue of politicians' misuse of scientific sources to support their policies and the avoidance of acknowledging uncertainties and opposing viewpoints, contributing to polarization and hindering constructive discussions. Overall, the study highlights some discrepancies and delves into their underlying causes.

Sustainable development teaching : ethical and political challenges

C

Current AI technologies for medical imaging and ethical dilemmas created by them

Extensive amount of data is collected and documented every day in medical practice, but only a fraction of that data is analyzed and utilized for e.g. diagnosis and treatment plans. Due to the limited capacity of the human brain and lack of time the medical doctors are unable to analyze all the data. Artificial intelligence has the capacity to analyze large datasets. The aim of this research was to investigate how medical imaging AI could be used in clinical practice and if the technology is reliable and accurate enough to be used in healthcare systems without further development. The ethical concerns of using AI in decision making and diagnosis in medical practice were studied. The results showed that classification, segmentation, and detection built on convolutional neural networks would be a good starting point for implementing artificial intelligence in medical imaging in the future. The findings revealed that the ethical concerns are important to acknowledge and need to be further investigated. Further research within this field could focus on how to develop an ethical framework for AI in medical practice

Energy recovery – Gasification, combustion or plasma? : Competitor or complement?

Abstract Energy recovery – Gasification, combustion or plasma? -          Competitor or complement? The Swedish waste-to-energy system has been developed during many years, and the facilities are well established within the waste management system. Even though the waste volume is significantly reduced by 70 – 80 %, the residues are quite challenging to manage due to high content of pollutants. The air emissions are quite low today, but since waste contains various kinds of contaminants, there is a high need for extensive flue gas cleaning, adding to the residue that must be handled. Today, the main part of residues from flue gas cleaning and fly ash from Swedish waste-to-energy facilities are transported to Langöya, Norway to be used for remedial purposes of an old limestone quarry. However, this option will probably be phased out sometime after the year 2023 – 2025 and other solutions must be considered such as e.g. gasification.   The Plagazi Company has a patented process, including gasification and subsequent production of hydrogen gas, that may be used as a vehicle fuel. Although gasification is a well-known technique, there is still a great distrust in using the method for waste treatment purposes. There is a conception that gasification facilities are high energy consumers, with low operational performance and high investment costs. The present thesis is part of the B.Sc. Programme in Energy Engineering at the University of Umeå. The main thesis objectives are:   Study and explain significant differences and similarities between waste incineration and gasification; Describe pros-and-cons regarding various methods to produce hydrogen gas; Describe different gasification techniques. In addition, the Plagazi-process is described; local plasma gasification with low environmental impact and a second step including production of hydrogen gas. The present study is based on a literature review and interviews with experts in the field. The report excludes biogas production in anaerobic digestion plants.   The present report has proven that there are significant differences between various gasification devices. When making investment decisions regarding gasification as a waste treatment option; fuel quality and utilization of the syngas must be considered. The method developed by Plagazi may be suitable in the Swedish waste management system to treat household waste and/or flue gas residues from the combustion plants, for production of hydrogen gas as a vehicle fuel. A full-scale facility in operation is needed to evaluate the Plagazi process with respect to cost efficiency and performance. The Plagazi concept should not be viewed as a competitor to the profitable waste incineration plants, more preferably as a complement.

Stock levels against supplier with long lead time

Companies that sell physical products and have production in factories in other countries often find it difficult to plan to order as lead times are often long. An irregular balance in order placement and uncertainty in demand makes it difficult to keep inventory levels at an appropriate level, while at the same time being able to respond to customer orders. This, in combination, results in large order volumes being ordered and high capital tied up in goods. High capital tied-up also results in reduced flexibility to be able to adapt to the customer's needs, which poses a risk to the company. The aim of this study was to optimize efficiently and profitably against a high availability of products while keeping inventory levels at an appropriate level. Two primary areas have been identified; standardization of ordering routines and how the time when the order is transported can be used more efficiently. The completed research shows that a great deal of manual work is linked to ordering and communication with suppliers and that there are no standardized ordering routines available. A process map with defined ordering routines has been produced based on whether Alequi had previously A.) Purchased a similar product earlier and B.) If a similar product had been purchased by the same supplier earlier to clearly execute the ordering in a structured and standardized way. When placing orders, demand forecasting is made, whereby certain methods estimate the expected demand. This is often expressed as risk factors because forecasted demand differs from actual demand and this error increases as the forecast length and orders are placed long before the estimated sales period. It is therefore desirable to shorten the total lead time and to start selling as soon as possible. Recommendations on transporting a small part of the order by air have been made so that in parallel with photography and other preparation is done, the large order is transported by boat. This has resulted in a shortening of the order cycle by 7 weeks, by utilizing transport time by boat. As a result, the order cycle and saved costs are streamlined as the products can begin to be sold at the same time as it reaches the central warehouse, which decreases in the passive time in the warehouse. Keywords: E-commerce, ordering routines, purchasing, warehousing

Energy recovery – Gasification, combustion or plasma? : Competitor or complement?

Abstract Energy recovery – Gasification, combustion or plasma? -          Competitor or complement? The Swedish waste-to-energy system has been developed during many years, and the facilities are well established within the waste management system. Even though the waste volume is significantly reduced by 70 – 80 %, the residues are quite challenging to manage due to high content of pollutants. The air emissions are quite low today, but since waste contains various kinds of contaminants, there is a high need for extensive flue gas cleaning, adding to the residue that must be handled. Today, the main part of residues from flue gas cleaning and fly ash from Swedish waste-to-energy facilities are transported to Langöya, Norway to be used for remedial purposes of an old limestone quarry. However, this option will probably be phased out sometime after the year 2023 – 2025 and other solutions must be considered such as e.g. gasification.   The Plagazi Company has a patented process, including gasification and subsequent production of hydrogen gas, that may be used as a vehicle fuel. Although gasification is a well-known technique, there is still a great distrust in using the method for waste treatment purposes. There is a conception that gasification facilities are high energy consumers, with low operational performance and high investment costs. The present thesis is part of the B.Sc. Programme in Energy Engineering at the University of Umeå. The main thesis objectives are:   Study and explain significant differences and similarities between waste incineration and gasification; Describe pros-and-cons regarding various methods to produce hydrogen gas; Describe different gasification techniques. In addition, the Plagazi-process is described; local plasma gasification with low environmental impact and a second step including production of hydrogen gas. The present study is based on a literature review and interviews with experts in the field. The report excludes biogas production in anaerobic digestion plants.   The present report has proven that there are significant differences between various gasification devices. When making investment decisions regarding gasification as a waste treatment option; fuel quality and utilization of the syngas must be considered. The method developed by Plagazi may be suitable in the Swedish waste management system to treat household waste and/or flue gas residues from the combustion plants, for production of hydrogen gas as a vehicle fuel. A full-scale facility in operation is needed to evaluate the Plagazi process with respect to cost efficiency and performance. The Plagazi concept should not be viewed as a competitor to the profitable waste incineration plants, more preferably as a complement.

Energy recovery – Gasification, combustion or plasma? : Competitor or complement?

Abstract Energy recovery – Gasification, combustion or plasma? -          Competitor or complement? The Swedish waste-to-energy system has been developed during many years, and the facilities are well established within the waste management system. Even though the waste volume is significantly reduced by 70 – 80 %, the residues are quite challenging to manage due to high content of pollutants. The air emissions are quite low today, but since waste contains various kinds of contaminants, there is a high need for extensive flue gas cleaning, adding to the residue that must be handled. Today, the main part of residues from flue gas cleaning and fly ash from Swedish waste-to-energy facilities are transported to Langöya, Norway to be used for remedial purposes of an old limestone quarry. However, this option will probably be phased out sometime after the year 2023 – 2025 and other solutions must be considered such as e.g. gasification.   The Plagazi Company has a patented process, including gasification and subsequent production of hydrogen gas, that may be used as a vehicle fuel. Although gasification is a well-known technique, there is still a great distrust in using the method for waste treatment purposes. There is a conception that gasification facilities are high energy consumers, with low operational performance and high investment costs. The present thesis is part of the B.Sc. Programme in Energy Engineering at the University of Umeå. The main thesis objectives are:   Study and explain significant differences and similarities between waste incineration and gasification; Describe pros-and-cons regarding various methods to produce hydrogen gas; Describe different gasification techniques. In addition, the Plagazi-process is described; local plasma gasification with low environmental impact and a second step including production of hydrogen gas. The present study is based on a literature review and interviews with experts in the field. The report excludes biogas production in anaerobic digestion plants.   The present report has proven that there are significant differences between various gasification devices. When making investment decisions regarding gasification as a waste treatment option; fuel quality and utilization of the syngas must be considered. The method developed by Plagazi may be suitable in the Swedish waste management system to treat household waste and/or flue gas residues from the combustion plants, for production of hydrogen gas as a vehicle fuel. A full-scale facility in operation is needed to evaluate the Plagazi process with respect to cost efficiency and performance. The Plagazi concept should not be viewed as a competitor to the profitable waste incineration plants, more preferably as a complement.