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Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the Quebec pulp and paper industry fell by more than 30 percent from 1990 to 2006. We use an energy demand model to analyze the contributions to this decrease of energy prices, product mix, technological change, and biomass use. The product mix is made of pulp, and cardboard, and paper. Pulp is an intermediate product for the industry, but not necessarily so for mills; vertical integration varies across mills and presents different opportunities to transfer heat between stages of production. Chemical and mechanical pulping processes are used to form two groups of pulp and paper mills. We find that changes of product mixes contributed the most to reduce GHG emissions, followed to a lesser extent by increases of fuel prices relative to electricity. The estimated electricity and fuel price elasticities are low. However it is still possible to significantly reduce GHG emissions by substituting natural gas for heavy fuel oil; such a substitution could be brought about by a small change of their relative price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are currently at the crux of political, environmental, technological, and cultural discussions due to climate change. A drastic reduction of GHG emissions is needed in order to mitigate potentially catastrophic climate change impacts. Thus, thoroughly understanding emission sources is imperative. A disaggregated analysis of Canada’s future GHG emission projections has not yet been conducted. The objectives in this paper are to assess disaggregated GHG emissions in Canada for the years 2014, 2030, and 2050, and analyze the results through Sankey diagrams. Emissions are calculated using a bottom-up multi-regional accounting-based Long-range Energy Alternative Planning systems model. Each major economic sector in Canada is analyzed including the electricity generation, residential, commercial and institutional, industrial, transportation, and agriculture sectors. The emissions released in these sectors are traced to the resources and end-uses responsible. Results are presented for Canada and for provinces individually. GHG emissions contained in exported resources are evaluated. Results show that Canada’s business-as-usual GHG emissions will grow from 732 million tonnes in 2014 to 780 and 798 million tonnes in 2030 and 2050, respectively. Canada exports more emissions contained in resources than it emits. Per capita emissions intensity will fall by 14% between 2014 and 2050. Results are compared to climate targets and key areas of GHG mitigation potential are identified. Alberta’s oil and gas sector and Ontario’s transportation sector are the two single largest sectoral sources of emissions by 2050. This research can help policy makers, innovators, and the public better understand GHG emissions, which can lead to more effective GHG mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many constitutional questions arise in the context of assessing, approving, and regulating interprovincial pipelines. Th is paper examines the extent to which upstream and downstream greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be considered and acted upon when proponents seek federal approval to build, expand, or modify an interprovincial pipeline. Th is question has become relevant in the context of Canada's international commitments under the Paris Agreement, which require rapid, broad, and systemic decarbonisation of the Canadian economy. Th e article examines the questions through the lens of the regulatory frameworks in force at the time of writing (the National Energy Board Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012) as well as draft legislation under Bill C-69, namely the Canadian Energy Regulator Act and the Impact Assessment Act. Although the new laws do not explicitly refer to indirect emissions, a reasonable interpretation of the legislation suggests that federal regulators would be within the bounds of their statutory authority to include indirect emissions in their deliberations and decisionmaking. A constitutional analysis suggests that that they would also be justified in doing so. Th e courts have confirmed federal jurisdiction over regulation of GHG emissions under the criminal law power, and there are two reference cases active at the time of writing that will examine the jurisdictional scope of the peace, order and good government power in the context of carbon pricing. Although it is unchartered jurisprudential territory, it is reasonable to conclude that under the new regulatory regime, Parliament will have the statutory and constitutional authority to consider the full implications of GHG emissions associated with an interprovincial pipeline proposal, especially if the courts continue to interpret jurisdictional powers through the fl exible, purposive lens of cooperative federalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have the potential to decrease greenhouse gas emissions given certain power generation profiles. The adoption of PHEVs is associated with significant social, economic, environmental, and health benefits. However, most researchers in literature generally estimate emissions using national averages of emission data. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap. Specifically, we estimated CO 2 emissions of PHEVs using a life-cycle analysis in 8 Canadian cities (Vancouver, St John's, Charlottetown, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Regina, and Calgary). We found that across Canada the varying electricity generation profiles affected the potential reduction benefit in life-cycle CO 2 emissions. For example, 95% of the energy in the province of Alberta was generated from fossil fuels, which emited a high amount of GHGs. Consequently, Calgary (city located in Alberta) had the highest CO 2 life-cycle emissions for PHEVs, where electricity generation accounted for 61% of the total emissions. Conversely, the provinces of British Columbia (BC) and Quebec (QC) used 86% and 98% clean energy, respectively. The cities evaluated in our analysis that are located in these provinces (i.e., Vancouver, BC and Montreal, QC) presented the lowest CO 2 emissions from electricity generation with less than 4% of the total PHEV emissions. Our study provides insight for policy makers about direct investment in EV incentives across Canada and where these incentives could be focused. Our study results reiterated that to reduce CO 2 emissions considerably, promotion of PHEVs should be integrated with renewable electricity generation options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of sub-global participation in greenhouse gas mitigation efforts, this paper investigates the effectiveness of a Canada-U.S. emissions bubble under their existing regional trade agreement. It also explores the potential economic impact of carbon tariff harmonization through the implementation of a common Canada-U.S. external border tariff adjustment as a mean to address competitiveness issues. Using a multi-region, multi-sector computable general equilibrium model the paper finds that the creation of an emission bubble between the two countries could improve efficiency. The findings also suggest that a carbon tariff harmonization policy could give rise to distributional issues among Annex I regions and could fail to mitigate the negative competitiveness impacts of carbon abatement policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes four basic points about movement toward a low carbon economy in Canada: first, that it is important for political leaders, policy analysts, and researchers to approach the issue in terms of a transition to a carbon-emission–free society; second, that in Canada the development of regional pathways to a low-carbon economy is crucial; third, that we need ‘‘green development strategies’’ if we are to maximize the opportunities presented by this transition; and finally, that we should think about low-carbon politics as well as low-carbon economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explains the findings of the MC3 Project (Meeting the Climate Change Challenge). This project brought together over 100 researchers, practitioners, civil-society leaders, and policy-makers, led by researchers from Royal Roads University, Simon Fraser University, and the University of British Columbia, with 12 major research partners from the public and private sectors, including the Union of British Columbia municipalities. Researchers conducted a detailed evaluation of 11 leading, yet different, municipalities across the province to identify the leading innovators and innovations on climate action. The case studies revealed the following key drivers of innovation, in order of prominence: the legislative and policy framework, supported by provincially led incentives and tools, access to partnership funding and intermediary support, and framing the issue as critically important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the evolution of urban cycling in Montreal, Canada and its link to both built environment indicators and bicycle infrastructure accessibility. The effect of new cycling infrastructure on transport-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is then explored. More specifically, we aim at investigating how commuting cycling modal share has evolved across neighborhood built-environment typologies and over time in Montreal, Canada. For this purpose, automobile and bicycle trip information from origin–destination surveys for the years 1998, 2003 and 2008 are used. Neighborhood typologies are generated from different built environment indicators (population and employment density, land use diversity, etc.). Furthermore, to represent the commuter mode choice (bicycle vs automobile), a standard binary logit and simultaneous equation modeling approach are adopted to represent the mode choice and the household location. Among other things, we observe an important increase in the likelihood to cycle across built environment types and over time in the study region. In particular, urban and urban-suburb neighborhoods have experienced an important growth over the 10 years, going from a modal split of 2.8–5.3% and 1.4–3.0%, respectively. After controlling for other factors, the model regression analysis also confirms the important increase across years as well as the significant differences of bicycle ridership across neighborhoods. A statistically significant association is also found between the index of bicycle infrastructure accessibility and bike mode choice – an increase of 10% in the accessibility index results in a 3.7% increase in the ridership. Based on the estimated models and in combination with a GHG inventory at the trip level, the potential impact of planned cycling infrastructure is explored using a basic scenario. A reduction of close to 2% in GHG emissions is observed for an increase of 7% in the length of the bicycle network. Results show the important benefits of bicycle infrastructure to reduce commuting automobile usage and GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the characterization and sustainability assessment of an integrated scenario describing a number of demonstration projects currently planned along the proposed Hydrogen Highway™ in British Columbia (BC), Canada. The characterization reveals a large gap between the current activity and the projections of the Canadian National Energy Board Techno-Vert scenario for British Columbia in 2010. Insights from the technology diffusion literature are also discussed as it pertains to the diffusion of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The sustainability assessment reveals that the BC hydrogen energy scenario as a whole is more sustainable in terms of its CO2(eq) emissions, air pollutant emissions and energy efficiency than a more conventional scenario, but costly in terms of its CO2(eq) reduction potential. The paper discusses the limitations of the cost-effectiveness calculations as well as the sustainability assessment, and suggestions are made for future improvements in this area. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hybrid combined engine contains gas turbine, fuel cell, and on-board hydrogen production. • Five alternative fuels are included in fueling system. • The hybrid combined engine produces 7211 kW power double than of gas turbine engine. • The thermal and exergy efficiencies can reach to 48% and 50%, respectively. • The GHG emissions are dropped to more than 70% using alternative fuels. Transportation emissions from fossil fuels and low efficiency engines significantly contribute to global warming. One way to mitigate this is to develop more efficient engines and use sustainable fuels. This paper presents a novel hybrid locomotive engine to replace the EMD 16-710G3 engine used for Canada's rail transportation. It consists of a gas turbine instead of an internal combustion engine, solid oxide fuel cell with steam reformer and water gas shift reactor, and thermoelectric generator and absorption refrigeration system for energy recovery, and onboard hydrogen production using aluminum electrolysis cell and proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The used fuels are methanol, hydrogen, methane, ethanol, and dimethyl ether rather than diesel fuel. This integrated system is investigated thermodynamically to evaluate the energy performance. The system performance is increased from 40% to 48% and 50% of energy and exergetic efficiencies, while the total power is increased from 3383 kW to 7211 kW using a methane and hydrogen blended fuel. Also, the engine has an efficiency above 60% using a dimethyl ether and hydrogen blend. Using alternative fuels helps reduce CO 2 emissions by 50% for the methane and hydrogen blend and more than 70% for the other blends, such as ethanol and dimethyl ether blended with hydrogen. The proposed engine can potentially be applied to improve the overall system performance and reduce the environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the OECD, Canada's record on CO emissions is particularly poor, with overall emissions up 32% over the 1990-2007 period. The current paper seeks to better understand this situation by making systematic comparisons of Canada with other OECD countries. For Canada overall, the rapid increase in emissions over the 1990-2007 period can be explained by several factors, including major population growth, increased affluence (although to a lesser extent than elsewhere in the OECD), a continued dependence on fossil fuels, while continuing to increase its overall demand for energy. While the energy intensity of Canada's economy has declined somewhat over recent years, it actually lagged behind most OECD countries on this front and remains one of the most energy intense economies in the world (2nd highest in the OECD on our indicator of energy intensity). While there are many factors responsible for this, Canada's particularly energy-intensive industrial structure is certainly relevant, as is the importance of its primary sector relative to most developed nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of proposed Canadian climate change mitigation policies (discounting and carbon pricing) on cost, energy use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the single-objective design/expansion optimization of the Amherstview water distribution system in Amherstview, Ontario, Canada. The single-objective optimization problem is solved with the elitist genetic algorithm (EGA). The optimization approach is used in a parametric analysis to examine the impact of discounting and carbon pricing on GHG reductions for cement-mortar ductile iron and polyvinyl chloride pipe materials. Preliminary results indicate that the discount rate and carbon prices investigated had no significant influence on energy use and GHG mass in the Amherstview system and did not meet the emission-reduction targets set by the Canadian government. This result was attributed to a number of factors, including adequately installed hydraulic capacity in the Amherstview system, the use of a time-declining GHG emission intensity factor, and the scope of the expansion problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of interest in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation fuels production, a number of recent life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have calculated GHG emissions from oil sands extraction, upgrading, and refining pathways. The results from these studies vary considerably. This paper reviews factors affecting energy consumption and GHG emissions from oil sands extraction. It then uses publicly available data to analyze the assumptions made in the LCA models to better understand the causes of variability in emissions estimates. It is found that the variation in oil sands GHG estimates is due to a variety of causes. In approximate order of importance, these are scope of modeling and choice of projects analyzed (e.g., specific projects vs industry averages); differences in assumed energy intensities of extraction and upgrading; differences in the fuel mix assumptions; treatment of secondary noncombustion emissions sources, such as venting, flaring, and fugitive emissions; and treatment of ecological emissions sources, such as land-use change-associated emissions. The GHGenius model is recommended as the LCA model that is most congruent with reported industry average data. GHGenius also has the most comprehensive system boundaries. Last, remaining uncertainties and future research needs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Uncertainty estimation of climate change impacts has been given a lot of attention in the recent literature. It is generally assumed that the major sources of uncertainty are linked to General Circulation Models (GCMs) and Greenhouse Gases Emissions Scenarios (GGES). However, other sources of uncertainty such as the choice of a downscaling method have been given less attention. This paper focuses on this issue by comparing six downscaling methods to investigate the uncertainties in quantifying the impacts of climate change on the hydrology of a Canadian (Quebec province) river basin. The downscaling methods regroup dynamical and statistical approaches, including the change factor method and a weather generator-based approach. Future (2070–2099, 2085 horizon) hydrological regimes simulated with a hydrological model are compared to the reference period (1970–1999) using the average hydrograph, annual mean discharge, peak discharge and time to peak discharge as criteria. The results show that all downscaling methods suggest temperature increases over the basin for the 2085 horizon. The regression-based statistical methods predict a larger increase in autumn and winter temperatures. Predicted changes in precipitation are not as unequivocal as those of temperatures, they vary depending on the downscaling methods and seasons. There is a general increase in winter discharge (November–April) while decreases in summer discharge are predicted by most methods. Consistently with the large predicted increases in autumn and winter temperature, regression-based statistical methods show severe increases in winter flows and considerable reductions in peak discharge. Across all variables, a large uncertainty envelope was found to be associated with the choice of a downscaling method. This envelope was compared to the envelope originating from the choice of 28 climate change projections from a combination of seven GCMs and three GGES. Both uncertainty envelopes were similar, although the latter was slightly larger. The regression-based statistical downscaling methods contributed significantly to the uncertainty envelope. Overall, results indicate that climate change impact studies based on only one downscaling method should be interpreted with caution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Private and public sectors own and operate an array of office buildings that consume energy and contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). Energy demands can be reduced by applying energy retrofit measures (ERMs) to existing buildings. The choice of ERMs involves evaluation of applicability, energy end uses and cost of application versus energy savings. This paper describes a methodology developed to screen office buildings for their current level of energy consumption and potential for retrofit application. Selection of an optimal set of ERMs is influenced by climate, occupancy, heating and cooling systems, envelope properties and building geometry. When assessing the implications of applying ERMs to a large building stock it is vital to screen the complete building set for optimal retrofit opportunities. This can be accomplished by characterizing office building stock into a manageable set of archetypes and simulating building operation using energy simulation software. Using regression analyses, a model was developed for estimating the energy consumption. Present value analysis was used to optimize the evaluation of the various ERMs. The methodology developed can be used to simplify the ranking of buildings for retrofit; to select and combine ERMs, and to plan energy and GHG reduction activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The algorithms designed to estimate snow water equivalent (SWE) using passive microwave measurements falter in lake-rich high-latitude environments due to the emission properties of ice covered lakes on low frequency measurements. Microwave emission models have been used to simulate brightness temperatures (Tbs) for snowpack characteristics in terrestrial environments but cannot be applied to snow on lakes because of the differing subsurface emissivities and scattering matrices present in ice. This paper examines the performance of a modified version of the Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) snow emission model that incorporates microwave emission from lake ice and sub-ice water. Inputs to the HUT model include measurements collected over brackish and freshwater lakes north of Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada in April 2008, consisting of snowpack (depth, density, and snow water equivalent) and lake ice (thickness and ice type). Coincident airborne radiometer measurements at a resolution of 80×100m were used as ground-truth to evaluate the simulations. The results indicate that subsurface media are simulated best when utilizing a modeled effective grain size and a 1mm RMS surface roughness at the ice/water interface compared to using measured grain size and a flat Fresnel reflective surface as input. Simulations at 37GHz (vertical polarization) produce the best results compared to airborne Tbs, with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 6.2K and 7.9K, as well as Mean Bias Errors (MBEs) of −8.4K and −8.8K for brackish and freshwater sites respectively. Freshwater simulations at 6.9 and 19GHz H exhibited low RMSE (10.53 and 6.15K respectively) and MBE (−5.37 and 8.36K respectively) but did not accurately simulate Tb variability (R=−0.15 and 0.01 respectively). Over brackish water, 6.9GHz simulations had poor agreement with airborne Tbs, while 19GHz V exhibited a low RMSE (6.15K), MBE (−4.52K) and improved relative agreement to airborne measurements (R=0.47). Salinity considerations reduced 6.9GHz errors substantially, with a drop in RMSE from 51.48K and 57.18K for H and V polarizations respectively, to 26.2K and 31.6K, although Tb variability was not well simulated. With best results at 37GHz, HUT simulations exhibit the potential to track Tb evolution, and therefore SWE through the winter season. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In Canada, each province has its own electric utility system, and each system is responsible for meeting the demand of its customer base. Electricity demand in all provinces is highly variable throughout the day, as well as during the year. In order to achieve a good match between electricity demand and generation, a mix of base, intermediate and peaking load power plants is used, which uses different fuel sources. When a renewable energy technology or an energy efficiency measure that results in electricity savings is implemented on a regional, provincial and national scale, the electricity savings reflect in the peak (marginal) electricity generation. Thus, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction due to the reduction in electricity generation corresponds to the fuel used to generate the electricity at the margin. In Canada, the fuel used for marginal electricity generation varies from province to province and from hour to hour. To estimate the reduction in GHG emissions due to reducing electricity generation at the margin, it is necessary to have information on the fuel mix used to generate the marginal electricity for each province on a suitable time scale. With such information, it is possible to estimate a marginal GHG emission intensity factor for each province, which would provide the amount of GHG emissions produced as result of producing 1 kWh of electricity on the margin. However, such information is regarded confidential by most electric utilities and is not made public. In this paper, methodologies are presented to estimate the GHG intensity factors (GHGIFs) for marginal electricity generation for each province of Canada based on the information available in the public domain. The GHGIFs developed for each province are also presented, which are expected to be valid within the next 5-year horizon. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from large industries the Canadian government proposed using a tradable emissions performance standard approach, where the intensity of emissions, rather than the absolute level, is regulated. Unlike a cap and trade system, an emissions performance standard does not guarantee a certain overall level of emission reductions, a fact that has led to significant criticism. However, because of the dynamics of performance standards, they may reduce concerns over reductions in international competitiveness in cases where a country has climate policies that are more aggressive than those of some of its trade partners. Likewise, a performance standard may mesh more efficiently with existing taxes and therefore cause less overall economic impact than an absolute cap and trade system. This paper considers the theoretical arguments for and against such a performance standard system and evaluates it in comparison to a cap and trade system using a dynamic general equilibrium model applied to Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Research is ongoing to develop ways to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from agricultural sources. A convenient technique to estimate emissions is to develop emission factors for a wide range of management practices. Default emission factors such as those given in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Tier I methodology are often used but these can result in substantial errors when applied to specific geographical regions. In this paper an interface was developed to link soil, climate and agricultural activity data in Canada with the DeNitrification and DeComposition (DNDC) model to create a modeling tool for estimating emission factors for changes in agricultural management. This tool was also designed to calculate country-specific IPCC Tier II emission factors for comparison against modeled results. The DNDC-Management Factor Tool (DNDC-MFT) was developed to automatically generate soil, climate and agricultural management model input data from national databases for estimating emissions factors for any of 462 ecodistricts across Canada. Six ecodistricts were selected across the major climatic regions to test the tool. The emission factors generated by the DNDC model were significantly different from Tier II values. Much variability in N2O emission estimates exist, partly due to limitations in certain biophysical processes in the model and partly due to quality of input data. The DNDC model is very sensitive to climate, size of initial soil C levels, and fertilizer application rates. We should also keep in mind that there is uncertainly associated with Tier II emission factors. The combined N2O and soil C factors estimated by the DNDC model are generally comparable to values that are being used to estimate Canada''s national inventory (Tier II/III) but only the tillage factor was found to be statistically similar. The DNDC-MFT will be useful for testing the ability of the DNDC model to generate GHG emission factors for many management scenarios across varying climatic regions in Canada. The framework can be extended to include improved versions of DNDC and other ecosystem models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper describes the history of farm mechanization in Canada and the CO2 emissions from farm energy. Tractor sizes increased steadily from 1920 to 1975, then leveled off after 1981. Canadian farms changed from one tractor for every ten farms following World War I to almost three tractors per farm by 2001. Simulation was used to compare two Canadian model farms. While the larger Saskatchewan farm generated more fossil CO2 than the Ontario farm, it used energy less intensively. Another simulation showed that tractors vastly out work horses and emit less GHG on a unit of work basis. Roughly four times as many Prairies farmers owned tractors exceeding 75kW as farmers in Quebec and Ontario. Total CO2 emissions from Canadian agriculture increased 11% between 1981 and 2001. Chemical N-fertilizer rose sharply while machinery-related fossil energy declined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions measurements obtained during several recent studies conducted by Environment Canada, Emissions Research and Measurement Division (ERMD). A variety of heavy-duty vehicles and engines operating on a range of different fuels including diesel, biodiesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), hythane (20% hydrogen, 80% CNG), and liquefied natural gas (LNG), and with different advanced aftertreatment technologies were studied by chassis dynamometer testing, engine dynamometer testing or on-road testing. Distance-based emission rates of CO2, CH4, and N2O are reported. Fuel consumption calculated by carbon balance from measured emissions is also reported. The measurement results show, for heavy-duty diesel vehicles without aftertreatment, that while CO2 emissions dominate, CH4 emissions account for between 0% and 0.11% and N2O emissions account for between 0.16% and 0.27% of the CO2-equivalent GHG emissions. Both of the aftertreatment technologies (diesel oxidation catalyst and active regeneration diesel particle filter) studied increased N2O emissions compared to engine out emissions while CH4 emissions remain essentially unchanged. No effect on tailpipe GHG emissions was found with the use of up to 20% biodiesel when the engine was equipped with an oxidation catalyst. Biodiesel use did show some reductions in tailpipe GHG emissions as compared to ULSD without aftertreatment and with the use of a diesel particle filter. Natural gas and hythane also offer decreased GHG emissions (10–20%) at the tailpipe when compared with diesel. Emission factors (gL−1 fuel) for CH4 and N2O are suggested for heavy-duty vehicles fueled with diesel-based fuels and natural gas. These emission factors are substantially lower than those recommended for use by IPCC methodologies for developing national inventories. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An emerging environmental issue in Canada is how to quantify the contribution of agricultural soil emissions of ammonia (NH3) to environmental pollution. Emission inventories are essential to predict these emissions and their subsequent atmospheric transportation, transformation, and deposition. Due to the high spatial and temporal variability associated with NH3 emissions, emission inventories based on measurements become expensive and emission factors lose accuracy. Process-based models are capable of accounting for the complex soil interactions, but current models lack temporal refinement and few models consider NH3 emissions. This paper presents the development of a one-dimensional (vertical), time-dependent model capable of predicting NH3 emissions from a slurry applied to a bare soil. The model is based on chemical, physical and biological relationships that govern soil heat, moisture, and nitrogen movement. Processes considered include convection, diffusion, decomposition, nitrification, denitrification, and surface to atmosphere transport. The model is tested with experimental data from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada which conducted NH3 measurements following application of dairy cattle slurry to a bare field. An investigation into the sensitivity of emissions to pH and slurry infiltration rate is conducted and model predictions are best fit to measurements based on this investigation. Testing demonstrated the model''s ability to predict the large NH3 emissions immediately following application and subsequent emission trends associated with diurnal patterns that emission factors cannot capture. Results showed that model performance could benefit from a more in depth measurement program and empirical or process models of surface pH. Potential exists for the model to become a useful tool in predicting emissions on local, regional, or national scales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Almost 36 million tonnes (t) of cereal grains are harvested annually on more than 16 million hectares (ha) on the Canadian prairies. The net straw production varies year by year depending upon weather patterns, crop fertility, soil conservation measures, harvest method, and plant variety. The net yield of straw, after discounting for soil conservation, averages approximately 2.5 dry (d)t ha-1. Efficient equipment is needed to collect and package the material as a feedstock for industrial applications. This paper investigates the costs, energy input, and emissions from power equipment used for harvesting straw. Five scenarios were investigated: (1) large square bales, (2) round bales, (3) large compacted stacks (loafs), (4) dried chops, and (5) wet chops. The baled or loafed biomass is stacked next to the farm. Dry chop is collected in a large pile and wet chop is ensiled. The baling and stacking cost was $21.47 dt-1 (dry tonne), with little difference between round and large square baling. Loafing was the cheapest option at $17.08 dt-1. Dry chop and piling was $23.90 dt-1 and wet chop followed by ensiling was $59.75 dt-1. A significant portion of the wet chop cost was in ensiling. Energy input and emissions were proportional to the costs for each system, except for loafing, which required more energy input than the baling systems. As a fraction of the energy content of biomass (roughly 16 GJ dt-1), the energy input ranged from 1.2% for baling to 3.2% for ensiling. Emissions from the power equipment ranged from 20.3 kg CO2e dt-1 to more than 40 kg CO2e dt-1. A sensitivity analysis on the effect of yield on collection costs showed that a 33% increase in yield reduced the cost by 20%. Similarly a sensitivity analysis on weather conditions showed that a 10°C cooler climate extended the harvest period by 5-10 days whereas a 10°C warmer climate shortened the harvest period by 2-3 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) is an important variable in climate and hydrological studies in northern latitudes. To date, remote sensing tools, especially in the microwave domain, have shown their potential for monitoring this parameter. However, operational use at the regional and global scales needs further improvements. Strong uncertainties remain, mainly due to snow metamorphism as well to the presence of vegetation cover. The objective of this paper is to use the semi-empirical Helsinski University of Technology (HUT) snow emission model to estimate SWE with a minimum number of ancillary ground information. Non linear inversion techniques were used to compute SWE considering snow grain size as a free parameter, and initializing the inversion process with rough values of snow depth and density. Results were validated by comparing SWE estimations derived from airborne and spaceborne 19.35 and 37.0 GHz brightness temperatures to ground based SWE measurements over Central Canada. We showed that remotely sensed SWE estimations, retrieved with an average root mean square error of 24 mm, permit the monitoring of the seasonal snow pack evolution, as well as interannual variation (tested over 11 years), useful for hydrological applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The European Union (EU) has raised concerns about the use of sinks and an Emissions Intensity system in Canada and has decided not to allow sinks to be included in its trading system. Despite this restriction, the EU has shown interest in expanding its trading system to include other countries such as Japan and Canada, while Canada hopes to use sinks and a domestic trading system with an Emissions Intensity regulatory mechanism to meet its Kyoto GHG commitments. In this paper, we briefly discuss some of the implications of the Emissions Intensity regulations scheme, and then develop a simple credit model with trade to illustrate the effect of a trade ban put in place by the EU, first, when it is fully binding and second, when there are countries that can act to arbitrage both markets (e.g., Japan). We also look at the possibilities of using harmonization frameworks to control trade, as well as using a form of discounting with respect to Canadian credits. We show that it is highly unlikely that a trade barrier will increase the use of emission reduction (and decreased use of sinks), and that, particularly in the likely case that Canada will import credits, trade barriers will actually increase the use of sinks. We do find, however, that the use of discounting could serve as a possible policy alternative to increase the use of EU reductions, while decreasing the quantity of Canadian sink credits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the response of the Quebec cropping sector to the introduction of carbon credit revenue made available through the implementation of a domestic emission trading and offset system in Canada. Eligible carbon sequestering practices investigated include adoption of moderate tillage and no-till as well as conversion to a permanent cover crop. Monetary demand for greenhouse gas emissions offsets from the cropping sector is endogenized in the objective function of the Canadian Regional Agriculture Model (CRAM). Changes in cropping sector practices induced by the introduction of carbon prices ranging from $5 to $50 per tonne CO2e are compared to a baseline. Results indicate that almost all of the potential to sequester carbon in agricultural soils in Quebec would lie in the conversion to permanent cover. Le présent article a examiné la réaction du secteur des cultures du Québec à l'introduction de revenus qui proviendraient de la vente de crédits carbone à la suite de la mise en place de systèmes d'échange de droits d'émissions et de compensations pour les gaz à effet de serre (GES) au Canada. Les pratiques de séquestration du carbone admissibles analysées comprenaient le travail réduit du sol, le semis direct et l'établissement d'une couverture végétale permanente. La demande monétaire pour l'obtention de crédits compensatoires de la part du secteur des cultures a été endogénéisée dans la fonction-objective du modèle d'analyse régionale de l'agriculture du Canada (CRAM). Les modifications de pratiques du secteur des cultures suscitées par l'introduction de prix du carbone, variant entre 5 $ et 50 $ la tonne d'équivalent-CO2, ont été comparées à une base de référence. Les résultats ont montré que la quasi-totalité du potentiel des sols agricoles du Québec à séquestrer le carbone réside dans l'établissement de couvertures végétales permanentes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy and emission estimator (EEE) is a prototype tool that can be used by engineers and architects to estimate the energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and cost associated with the life cycle operation of a house and the construction of its exterior envelope. The EEE tool is coupled with an existing energy analysis tool HOT2000, through the collaboration of Natural Resources Canada. The present paper presents the features of the EEE tool including its imports from the HOT2000 program, database, methods of calculation, and user interface. Two examples are presented to illustrate the use of the EEE tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a report within the issue regarding why and how carbon emissions differ between cities. The focus of the paper is the seven components that are central to what the author calls the urban metabolism, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions including electricity, heating and industrial fuels, and ground transportation. An overview of the ten urban areas sampled, including Los Angeles County, California, Greater Toronto, Canada, and Greater Prague, Czech Republic, are presented. Also discussed is how the level of prosperity impacts a city's climate in terms of total greenhouse gas emissions.