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Vance, Charlene
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Vance, Charlene
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Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
- PublicationModeling the effects of ecosystem changes on seagrass wrack valorization: Merging system dynamics with life cycle assessment(Elsevier, 2022-10-10)
; ; ; ; Seagrass meadows, while recognized as essential ecosystem service providers, are degrading worldwide. This has a profound impact on the environment but also on socioeconomic systems which hope to utilize beach-cast seagrass (wrack) as a bioresource. This study integrates system dynamics (SD) thinking with life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) to understand how a degraded ecosystem feedbacks into the circular bioeconomy. An SD model was created to assess the impacts of seagrass meadow changes on wrack production and on ecosystem services accounting, considering an Italian case study of wrack deposited on a beach. Environmental and economic impacts of wrack valorization through anaerobic digestion (AD) were then determined through LCA and LCC. Finally, an extended LCC combined the results of the SD model, LCA, and LCC to demonstrate the cost of seagrass meadow degradation and the value of restoration. The results confirmed complexities in stakeholder perspective within the waste-to-resource framework. For the AD operator, meadow restoration would increase the profits from wrack valorization (23.10 €/ton), while for the municipality, meadow degradation would reduce the high costs associated with management (104.29–140.00 €/ton). When also considering the impacts on the environment and local community, valuation of ecosystem services and cost of restoration were influential. Meadow restoration with wrack valorization was the most favorable option if the natural capital of the seagrass meadows was valued appropriately (>0.065 €/m2) and direct costs of restoration could be kept relatively low (<1179 €/ha). Overall, the model resulted in a total net present cost of −3.161,462.40 € for the baseline scenario, −1,488,277.28 € for the scenario of wrack valorization, and −1,231,325.12 € for the scenario of wrack valorization and meadow restoration.Scopus© Citations 6 25 - PublicationSmall-scale low-tropic ocean farming and coastal rural landscapes: Why the logistics of seaweed matter? Insights from Ireland for collaborative planning(Elsevier, 2024-05-01)
; ; ; ; ; Kelps are part of large brown macroalgae species with a fundamental role in temperate to subpolar coastal marine ecosystems and their cultivation has been expanding as part of several efforts and countries' policies. This study explores the relevance of post-harvesting logistics planning involving marine operations of emerging seaweed-based supply chains including kelp species. In the Irish context, we explore the potential of collaboration among low-tropic ocean farming sectors regarding shared space and infrastructure in rural and remote landscapes. Based on empirical data and a novel methodological approach, a multi-method analysis was performed involving geographic information systems, mathematical modelling and qualitative content analysis. The results indicate large potential production and collaboration capacity if current licensed areas and existing infrastructure were integrated with kelp cultivation for further processing and distribution in 40 local supply hubs and 14 optimal locations for shared processing facilities. Moreover, the different transportation scenarios considered indicate that costs and greenhouse gas emissions could be minimised by reducing moisture content locally and with increased payload. Further linkages reveal uncertainties in the uses of alternative methods of preservation such as ensiling and a lack of attention to non-market values. For future valorisation in diverse commercial and non-commercial applications, seaweed farming and collaborative processing opportunities still need to be incorporated into societal discourses and futures envisioned by rural coastal communities, including the engagement of young generations in such transformation pathways.15 - PublicationSpace, time, and sustainability: The status and future of life cycle assessment frameworks for novel biorefinery systemsFor stakeholders and decision makers within the bioeconomy, it is important that sustainability assessment methodologies be holistic, reliable, and accurate. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies are well-known for their ability to avoid burden shifting by considering the impacts of a product, process, or system throughout the full life cycle. However, when it comes to assessing advanced multifunctional systems within the bioeconomy i.e. biorefineries, methodological challenges arise. Such issues are discussed at length in this review paper, which include the goal, scope, and allocation methods, land use considerations, handling of biogenic carbon and emissions, impacts assessed, simplification of feedstocks and processes, regionality, and future foreground and background systems. Furthermore, the review discusses challenges in capturing social and economic impacts with LCA methodologies, with social assessments lacking data and appropriate quantitative indicators and economic assessments lacking diversity in stakeholder and cost inclusivity. Finally, this review confirms the importance of temporal factors, regional differences, and integrating multidimensional approaches to sustainability analysis, highlighting developing LCA methodologies which successfully address these areas. Methodologies to address spatial considerations include exergetic LCIA, natural capital assessment, and integration of supply chain modelling, while methodologies to address dynamic variability include process modelling integration, system dynamics modelling integration, agent-based modelling integration, consequential LCA, prospective LCA, and dynamic LCIA. Finally, extended LCC, extended LCIA, and MCDA can address challenges identified in multidimensional sustainability integration.
Scopus© Citations 35 12 - PublicationSustainable scale-up of Irish seaweed production: Quantifying potential environmental, economic, and social impacts of wild harvesting and cultivation pathways(Elsevier BV, 2023-09)
; ; ; ; Seaweed is a versatile bioresource which can be used as a source of food, feed, fertilizer, and higher-value products. Countries with extensive sea areas such as Ireland have the potential to produce significant volumes domestically, but limitations and consequences to this potential should be considered. This study aims to capture the environmental, economic, and social consequences of different pathways for scaling up Irish seaweed production using a life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) framework. Six pathways are considered: manual wild harvesting by foot, manual wild harvesting by boat, mechanical wild harvesting by trawler, and three longline cultivation systems. Environmental, economic, and social impacts are considered through quantifying exergy extraction (MJex), global warming potential (kg CO2-eq), minimum selling price (MSP), and improvements in human wellbeing (HP). Finally, limitations to scale-up are assessed. The results demonstrate that manual wild harvesting has a relatively low climate impact (0.03–0.04 kg CO2-eq/kg fresh seaweed), resource intensity (1.75–2.00 MJex/kg fresh seaweed), and MSP (0.10–0.12 €/kg fresh seaweed), but a low increase in wellbeing (5.01–5.45 HP/kg fresh seaweed), while mechanical wild harvesting has a worse performance than manual harvesting in every dimension (0.14 kg CO2-eq/kg fresh seaweed, 3.50 MJex/kg fresh seaweed, 0.16 €/kg fresh seaweed, 0.60 HP/kg fresh seaweed). The impacts of cultivation pathways vary significantly, but generally perform better than wild harvesting for social impacts (18.53–20.59 HP/kg fresh seaweed) and worse for environmental and economic (MSP) impacts (0.12–0.35 kg CO2-eq/kg fresh seaweed; 2.30–5.95 MJex/kg fresh seaweed; 1.05–1.80 €/kg fresh seaweed). Nonetheless, limitations to upscaling manual wild harvesting (max 8.4 % of a future production target of 900,000 t fresh seaweed) determine that both mechanical wild harvesting and cultivation pathways will be needed to achieve future targets. It is therefore important that steps be taken to optimize each of these pathways based on the overall priorities of society.Scopus© Citations 3 27