EMERGY & ENERGY SYSTEMS Session 10 Short Course for ECO Interns, EPA and Partners

Emergy Applications Emergy as a decision tool State and Regional Evaluations

Emergy as Decision Tool Evaluating alternative plans Evaluating damages Case studies

Evaluating Alternatives Original use to be diverted New use Potential Imports Env. Resources InIn IoIo IoIo FoFo FnFn I o xI r Contribution old = I o + F o Contribution new = I n + F n Potential = I o + I o xI r

Evaluating Alternatives Tables –Evaluate all environmental resources and services that will no longer be adding to local or regional productivity –Attempt to evaluate societal disruption –Keep the original system data separate from the proposed alternative

Case Studies Ecuadorian shrimp – used net benefit analysis to determine policy Thai dams – used alternative evaluation to determine value of hydroelectricity

Shrimp Mariculture Findings: –More emergy goes to developed nations in Ecuador’s shrimp than is received in $ return –Emergy benefit to shrimp farmers –Emergy deficit for local economies and Ecuador Policy recommendations: –Less intensive culture –Restore mangroves –Promote alternative development Ecuadorian shrimp farms where mangroves used to be Photo Hosier at UNCW

State and Regional Evaluations Identifying important components Assumptions, interpolations, extrapolations

Renewable Components Renewables: use long term averages Dominant ecosystems: divide region into different areas based on differences in rain or temperature or slope Rivers: –input minus output –No output if draining into estuary –Use half if boundary

Emergy and Spatial Measurements Geopotential –Use topo map to divide into sections with similar elevation ranges Shorelength –If you know ArcView, use it to accurately measure area of wave or tide influence (not always the same) Evapotranspiration –Find an ArcView map and I will help you determine areas of key ecosystems

Identifying Important Components Economic picture –Exports and Imports –Key industries –Foreign investments –Government subsidies

Identifying Important Components Environmental issues –Usually done as a subsystem evaluation –Can be predicted from industries and commodities produced –Keep track of these as you find them (make copies of articles, etc.)

Social and cultural data –US census Social and cultural issues –Often comes out of historical background –Sometimes related to environmental issues Identifying Important Components

Complete the EMERGY evaluation table, identify quantities on the systems diagram, calculate emergy indices, and discuss interpretations of results. Background: This is a large-scale river development project where a river will be channelized and several locks built to facilitate barge transportation. The original system was a rural agricultural system with some small amount of fishing and tourism. Once the lock and dam project is completed, the river will no longer flow through or flood adjacent floodplains, and sediments and nutrients carried by the river will no longer be deposited within the river’s floodplain, but will be carried downstream and out to sea. However, adjacent wetlands will become improved pasture, increasing flows of purchased emergy, the lock and dam system will attract additional investment and increase transportation efficiency, and finally, construction, maintenance and operation of the lock and dam system will increase employment. Using the following values, evaluate the development proposal. The original system (the natural system) had a total environmental input of 2 E11 J/yr and purchased inputs as follows: Goods = 4 E9 J/yr Services = 3 E4 dollars/yr The new system which has new economic uses has a lower environmental input of 1 E11 J/yr as a result of the lost wetland production, sediments and nutrients. The purchased inputs to the new system are as follows: Goods = 1 E10 J/yr Services = 2 E5 dollars/yr Given the following data: Transformity for environmental inputs = 1 E5 sej/J Transformity for goods = 1 E7 sej/J Emergy to dollar ratio, 1985 = 2 E12 sej/$ Regional Investment Ratio = 7/1 Practise example

What is the investment ratio for the old system? ___________________________ What is the investment ratio for the new system? ___________________________ Based on the regional investment ratio, which system is a better match for the area? Who will benefit the most from the new system and why? Who will lose the most and why? How much investment would be appropriate for this area? Where might this development be a better fit?