Cagla Keles’ Post

Greenhouse gases (GHG) act as a blanket around the planet, trapping the heat from the sun and stopping it escaping into space, resulting in Global Warming. GHG include Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) and Nitrous Oxide (N2O), all of which can be released from on farm activities. Dairy farming is responsible for a significant release of GHGs from various aspects throughout the production process. Most of these emissions are from the biological processes that underpin the daily rhythms of the cow, such as feeding and dunging and are inherent in the production of milk. However, as with most complex biological processes, there are a range of factors that influence the scale of these emissions and many of them are open to management changes and improvements. The most significant emission is from ‘enteric fermentation’ from the cows themselves as the microflora in their rumens breakdown the forage, with the subsequent release of methane (CH4) which is then emitted out by the cow.

Interesting fact of the day - 💨 Nitrous Oxide: The typically Overlooked Greenhouse Gas in WwTW💨 Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a highly potent greenhouse gas, boasting a global warming potential 298 times greater than that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. Its significant impact makes controlling N2O emissions especially crucial. Unlike carbon dioxide, which primarily originates from the combustion of fossil fuels, N2O is largely emitted through agricultural practices and specific industrial processes, including the critical phases of wastewater treatment: nitrification and denitrification. Key Insights in Wastewater Treatment: 1. 🔄🔬Denitrification🔄🔬: Description: This traditional anaerobic process is known for producing N2O. It involves converting nitrate (NO3-) into nitrogen gas (N2), with nitrous oxide serving as an intermediate stage. Importance: Understanding this phase is crucial for controlling N2O emissions during wastewater treatment. 2. 🧪🌱Nitrification🧪🌱: Recent Discoveries: It has been recently understood that N2O is also emitted during nitrification, an aerobic process where ammonia (NH3) is transformed into nitrate (NO3-). Implications: These findings shift our strategies towards mitigating N2O by targeting both the aerobic and anaerobic phases of wastewater treatment. ⚙️📉Strategic Mitigation⚙️📉: Optimised Control: Fine-tuning the control of treatment processes, such as adjusting oxygen levels and sequencing treatment stages, can significantly reduce N2O emissions. 🖥️📊Advanced Monitoring🖥️📊: Utilising sophisticated monitoring and modelling techniques can improve predictions and control of these emissions. 🌍🛡️Wider Environmental Impact🌍🛡️: Climate and Ozone: Beyond its global warming potential, N2O poses a threat to the stratospheric ozone layer. The dual effects underscore the necessity of developing and implementing effective management strategies at wastewater facilities, addressing both climate change and ozone layer protection. 🌐🌿Conclusion🌐🌿: Addressing N2O emissions within wastewater treatment is essential for protecting the environment. It is imperative that our efforts extend beyond CO2 reduction, focusing also on mitigating the significant impacts of nitrous oxide. Effective management and innovative treatment strategies can lead to substantial environmental benefits. #Nitrousoxide #N2O #Wastewatertreatment #Sustainability

It’s hoped there is some robust and solution-focused discussion to continue in this space. Unless there is a holistic and practical approach taken to all emissions, the journey to #netzero and #decarbonisation will be thwarted by vested interest. #renewables #regionsleadingtheway #futurefocus #resoursessector #cleancoal #sustainability #Agtech

🌍 **Tackling Global Warming & Advancing Sustainability** The urgency of addressing global warming and sustainability has never been greater. As we face unprecedented climate challenges, it's crucial to adopt innovative and holistic approaches to mitigate these issues. At Fusionpact Technologies, we're committed to playing a pivotal role in this global effort. Our **ForestTwin™** platform is designed to address some of the most pressing climate concerns, including: 🔍 **Carbon Credit Compliance**: Ensuring transparent and efficient carbon credit processes. 🌳 **Forest Fire Prevention**: Utilizing advanced techniques to remove combustible biomass, converting it into biochar to enhance soil health. 💡 **Technological Integration**: Leveraging cutting-edge product engineering and generative AI to marry technology with compliance and sustainability domains. For instance, by removing and converting biomass into biochar, we not only prevent forest fires but also enrich the soil, promoting sustainable agricultural practices. **ForestTwin™** is poised to be a game-changer in these efforts, providing comprehensive solutions for project setup, auditing, quantification, and monetization of carbon credits while ensuring compliance across the value chain. This accelerates our sustainability initiatives and contributes significantly to the fight against climate change. Join us in our mission to create a greener, more sustainable world. Together, we can drive impactful change and secure a better future for our planet. #Sustainability #GlobalWarming #CarbonCredits #ClimateChange #ForestTwin #AI #TechForGood #GreenTech #EnvironmentalImpact #Biochar #SoilHealth #FusionpactTechnologies #SustainableFuture #ClimateAction

Earth is a unique planet supporting many different forms of beautiful life in a very special location in this endless universe, and there is no Plan(et) B within our reach. We must allocate more resources to tackle the global challenges of our century, such as global warming and hunger. At Debye, we have embarked on a mission to enable farmers to transition from ammonia-based fertilisers to nitrate-based ones, aiming to reduce carbon emissions, soil degradation, and air pollution due to ammonia production, transportation and use. Follow us and spark the change for a sustainable future! #earth #sustainability #agriculture #soilhealth #airpollution #netzero #zerocarbonfuture #agritech #cleantech #climatetech #chemicals #fertilizers #ammonia #hydrogen #science #technology #innovation

Emissions of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas regarded as more potent than carbon dioxide or methane, have continued to rise over the past 40 years, a global study has found. The study, which involved nearly 60 researchers around the world as part of the Global Carbon Project, found that 10 million metric tons of nitrous oxides flowed into the atmosphere in 2020. “Agricultural emissions reached eight million metric tons in 2020, a 67 percent increase from the 4.8 million metric tons released in 1980,” the study lead institute Boston College said in a report on the research. Among the researchers contributing to the report was Dr Judith Rosentreter from Australia’s Southern Cross University. She said the findings were concerning. “We live in an era when greenhouse gas emissions must decline to reduce global warming,” said Dr Rosentreter. “We are alarmed to see that the growth rates of atmospheric nitrous oxide in 2021 and 2022 were more than 30 percent higher than the average rate of increase in the previous decade.” The study published this month in the Earth System Science Data journal found that agricultural production accounted for 74 percent of human-driven nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in the 2010s. This was mainly due to the use of commercial fertilisers and animal waste on croplands. https://lnkd.in/g7NRDBWq #greenhousegases #envrionment #newsreel

It's like adding fuel to a fire. Global methane emissions keep rising and the growth in the past couple of years is accelerating. The latest Global Methane Budget by the Global Carbon Project scientific consortium shows that methane emissions are driven largely by mankind’s unrelenting demand for energy and food, including rice and beef. “The fastest-growing emissions come from fossil fuels and landfills, with emissions from fossil fuels now comparable in size to emissions from livestock,” said Pep Canadell, executive director of the Global Carbon Project. That's bad news because methane is a far more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2 -- about a third of warming today is caused by methane. And about 65 per cent of methane emissions come from human activities. Major sources of methane are from agriculture, such as the digestive tracts of cows and sheep, and the extraction and use of fossil fuels. Methane emissions also come from natural sources such as wetlands, tropical soils and rice paddies, where it is produced by bacteria breaking down organic matter. And here is where things get particularly concerning. Global warming is causing bacteria in tropical soils and wetlands to produce more methane. “Wetlands and water-saturated soils, particularly those in the tropics, are very sensitive to changes in climate and responsible to a large degree for the most recent acceleration in the accumulation of methane in the atmosphere,” Dr Canadell said. “It is because it has been so hot in recent years that we are causing wetlands around the world to produce more methane emissions in a feedback loop,” he said. Bacteria responsible for producing methane work more efficiently at higher temperatures. #Methane #climatechange #greenhousegases #fossilfuels #LNG #coal #landfills #science #scicomms #globalwarming #agriculture #foodwaste #beef #wetlands CSIRO More here in my story for The Straits Times: https://lnkd.in/gm3MqQXH

🌎 Biochar: A Powerful Solution for Carbon Removal in California 🌴 As California leads the charge against climate change, innovative solutions are key to achieving the state's ambitious emissions reduction targets. Explore how biochar shows immense potential in #CDR and learn how this carbon-negative solution can drive California's path to a sustainable, low-emissions future while benefiting the agricultural and industrial sectors. #sitosgroup #biochar #carbonneatural #carbonremoval #climatechange https://lnkd.in/g2KFFt8w

“INDIA RANKS SECOND IN NITROUS OXIDE EMISSIONS: CLIMATE CONCERNS” Why in the news? India ranked second globally in nitrous oxide emissions, primarily from fertilizer usage, contributing 11% of man-made emissions in 2020. Rising N2O levels, 25% above pre-industrial levels, demand urgent action alongside carbon dioxide reduction for effective climate change mitigation. source:britanica Report Highlights: Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Emissions: N2O Significance: Third most significant greenhouse gas after CO2 and methane. Climate Impact: Earth’s average surface temperature increased by 1.15°C due to greenhouse gasses. Emission Trends: N2O emissions increased by 40% from 1980 to 2020. Top Emitters: China, India, US, Brazil, Russia, Pakistan, Australia, Indonesia, Turkey, Canada. Major sources: agriculture, industry, burning of forests/agricultural waste. Atmospheric Concentration: N2O concentration in 2022: 336 parts per billion, 25% higher than 1850-1900 levels. About Nitrous Oxide: Chemical Formula: N2O Colourless, non-flammable gas. Its vapors are heavier than air. Induces euphoria, known as ‘laughing gas.’ Slightly sweet odor. It is soluble in water. Acts as a powerful oxidizer at higher temperatures. Applications: Anesthetic and analgesic in medical procedures. World’s leading inhaled anesthetic for pain relief. Enhancing engine performance in the automotive industry.

The CSIRO released its Global Methane Budget 2024 on Tuesday and its not pretty reading. Pep Canadell, CSIRO’s Executive Director for the Global Carbon Project, said methane concentrations have recently risen faster than ever, since reliable measurements began in 1986. “We have seen higher growth rates for methane over the past three years, from 2020-2022, with a record high in 2021. This increase means methane concentrations in the atmosphere are 2.6 times higher than its pre-industrial (1750) levels,” Dr Canadell said. Way back in my undergraduate days I remember delivering a presentation on why Methane reduction targeting would give the greatest bang for buck against global warming given its shorter lifespan (~20 years) in the atmosphere then the other 2 greenhouse cases. Sadly, the bell-shaped curve we prognosticated is, as yet a thing of fantasy. In fact, according to Dr Candadell - “For net-zero emission pathways consistent with the Paris Agreement, which is stabilising temperatures below 2°C from pre-industrial levels, anthropogenic methane emissions need to decline by 45 per cent by 2050, relative to 2019 levels.” The release showed that the 2 main culprits were agriculture (40%) and fossil fuel (34%) with China and India combining for a quarter of the world’s emissions. Fossil fuel reduction is now well targeted, but the CSIRO is working on a range of research and innovation to support sustainability goals to reduce methane emissions which target ruminant methane (think cattle & sheep!). These include: -seaweed-based feed additive to significantly reduce enteric methane emissions  -how legumes may be used to reduce methane in grazing livestock. There is hope after all and as always, the CSIRO is at the cutting edge. Yet the Labour government saw fit to hack $92m of its budget of our premier research and innovation institute. No wonder we have delivered 6 straight quarters of shrinking productivity! #makesnosense