The project aims at achieving a better understanding of the processes that drive or limit the response of grassland systems in a world of increasing atmospheric pCO2. We will test the hypothesis that the previously shown increase in below-ground allocation of C under elevated pCO2 provides the necessary energy excess and will stimulate free-living N2 fixers in a low N grassland environment. The project thus aims at assessing the occurrence and importance of free-living N2 fixers under elevated pCO2 and identify the associated microbial communities involved in order to better understand ecosystems response and sustainability of grassland systems. This project had the last opportunity to obtain soil samples from a grassland ecosystem adapted to long-term (10 year) elevated atmospheric pCO2 as the Swiss FACE experiment. The project aims to identify the relevant components of free-living diazotrophs of the microbial community using 15N stable isotope - DNA probing.
By the end of 2004 the Commission is required to provide report on the possibility to maintain, or not, cadmium, in the exemption list of Directive 2000/53 on End-of-Life Vehicles. The SUBAT proposal aims to make a comprehensive and complete assessment of commercially available and forthcoming battery technologies in the world, including Ni-Cd, on the basis of: - a technical assessment comparing their performances for full EV and HEV (specific energy and power, proven cycle life and calendar life, life cycle cost analysis, operation at extreme temperature, charge acceptance, maintenance, safety, energetically efficiency of the battery systems, availability of recycling process at industrial stage, operation during applications); SUBAT will also take into account the status of these batteries as to their availability as commercial products; - an environmental assessment in order to be able to give them an environmental score which can designate them as being a sustainable solution or not; A life-cycle-analysis approach will investigate availability of primary materials, environmental impact of extraction and manufacturing of the battery, emissions from the battery during use, release of components in case of accident, recycling of active materials, production of non-recyclable waste and environmental impact of recycling processes; - an economical assessment with both a micro-economical analysis of production, manufacturing cost of the batteries, forecast cost for the consumers and a macro-economical study to take into account the position of battery manufacturers on the global market, assessing European vs. non-European products and influence on the European trade balance. Through this multidisciplinary approach, SUBAT will allow to define an overall view of all aspects of the automotive battery market, in order to provide the Commission with a valuable policy support tool that will assist in tracing the pathways for the future sustainable transport.
Aquifers are the main source of water in most semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean basin. As a result of over-exploitation hydrologic deficits of varying acuity prevail in these areas. Seawater intrusion and pollution have been identified as the primary factors for quality degradation. Further deterioration can be expected based on trends in the precipitation regime attributed to climate change. The objective of this project is to identify alternative sources of water and to investigate the feasibility, both environmental and economic of their utilization. Alternative water sources to be artificially recharged comprise: surface water runoff, treated effluent, and imported water. Furthermore, brackish water bodies, present in many aquifers could be utilised after desalination. The project structured into eight work-packages comprehensively addresses all issues related to the problem: expected precipitation rates, recharge and water budgets, identification of potential alternative water sources and technologies for their utilization, development of tools for the management of groundwater resources under artificial recharge conditions, aquifer vulnerability assessment, characterization of the unsaturated zone, and mixing effects. Four test sites have been selected for practical application of the approach. Substantial field testing, integration of technologies and findings to ensure optimal implementations of aquifer recharge alternatives, quantification of socio-economic impacts and development of dissemination platform are planned. Finally a carefully designed project management shall drive and accompany the project execution in order to ascertain consistency and efficiency.
Im Rahmen dieses Projektes wurde die Situation von Reststoffen aus der Papierindustrie europaweit durch eine umfangreiche Datenaufnahme abgeschätzt. Hierbei zeigte sich, dass in Frankreich und Deutschland die größten Mengen an Papierreststoffen entstehen und die Entsorgungsvarainten am vielfältigsten sind. In den anderen europäischen Ländern fallen wesentlich weniger Reststoffe an, zu meist durch das Fehlen einer Abwasserreinigungsanlage oder durch eine niedrige Altpapiereinsatzquote. Die Reststoffe aus diesen Ländern werden überwiegend auf einer Deponie entsorgt. In einem weiteren Teil des Projektes wurde die stoffliche Verwertung durch Kompostierung von Papierreststoffen auf biochemische und mikrobiologische Parameter hin untersucht. Dabei wurde auch der potenzielle Abbau von chlorierten Phenolen betrachtet. Es zeigte sich, dass die chlorierten Phenole keine große Belastung für Papierreststoffe darstellen. Da im Gegensatz zu den chlorierten Phenolen die Menge an chlorierten organischen Substanzen (AOX) in Papierreststoffen sehr hoch ist, wurde das umweltchemische Verhalten von AOX-Substanzen durch Schüttelversuche in verschiedenen Lösungsmitteln und Lysimeterversuchen getestet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass AOX-Substanzen sich nur in geringem Umfang durch eine Elution mit wässrigen Medien lösen lassen. Da die organischen Schadstoffe (gemessen als AOX) in Papierreststoffen besonders relevant sind, sollte versucht werden, mehr über die chemische Struktur (insbesondere das Molekulargewicht) dieser Substanzen herauszufinden. Dabei wurden die Methoden der Ultrafiltration und der Gelpermeationschromatographie eingesetzt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine hohen Anteil AOX-Substanzen im hochmolekularen Bereich, wobei die Struktur der Verbindungen stark vom anfallenden Reststofftyp abhängt. So konnte nachgeweisen werden, dass der Haupteil an AOX-Substanzen in den Deinkingreststoffen überwiegend aus chlorierten Druckfarben, insbesondere den gelben Pigmenten, besteht. Eine Substitution dieser Farbstoffe aus der Azofarbgruppe würde zu einer deutlichen Reduktion der AOX-Problematik führen.
The proposal suggests the organisation of the 7th EC Conference on Cultural Heritage Research in Prague, in 2006. The scope of the project stems from the SSP priorities, and the conference aims at the consolidation and impact assessment of results achieved in EU research projects related to movable and immovable cultural heritage, with a special focus on exploitation and spin-off of cultural heritage research results and testing of the acceptability of new sustainability approaches and new technologies by the user community, SMEs, owners, managers and restorers or conservationists of the cultural heritage. The Prague conference has been designed to further define the role of Europes cultural heritage research within the international context and as part of international cooperation, to explore the possibilities for SMEs in contributing to competitiveness and job creation, to define the support of cultural heritage research to policy needs and to contribute to the 7th Framework Programme establishment through support of the European Construction Technology Platform concept and research infrastructure development. The wider public will be addressed by means of special accompanying events, too, in order to ensure feedback and response from non-professional stakeholders. The Conference will consist of sessions dealing with political exploitation and public dissemination of cultural heritage research, the international role of European cultural heritage research, poster displays and verbal presentations of policy impact assessment, research infrastructure achievements, innovative applications and new ideas, as well as coordination of national education and research into cultural heritage issues. Public and professional awareness shall be increased by special demonstration and post-conference activities, including publication of the Conference Proceedings. The results and continuing activities will be supported by IT tools and follow-up working groups, after the event.
Differenzierung der Quellen- und Senkenfunktion des Bodens unter Berücksichtigung der Nutzungsgeschichte. Im Rahmen des CARBOEUROFLUX-Projekts wurden im Hainich (Thüringen) Kohlenstoff (C)- Speicherungsraten festgestellt, die der Vorstellung der Kohlendioxid-Neutralität von alten Wäldern widersprechen und die Frage nach deren Kyoto-Relevanz aufwerfen. Im Rahmen europäischer Projekte lässt sich allerdings nicht klären, wie diese hohen Speicherraten entstehen und wo C im System verbleibt. Wir vermuten, dass durch historischen C-Export, z.B. infolge von Streunutzung, die Böden im Hainich verarmten und die entleerten Speicher jetzt wieder aufgefüllt werden. Um das Ausmaß des nutzungsbedingten C-Exports abschätzen zu können, werden aus Schriftquellen Art und Umfang der Biomassenutzung in ihrer zeitlichen und örtlichen Entwicklung rekonstruiert. Zudem untersuchen wir, welche Anteile des C-Eintrages veratmet, gespeichert und über den Wasserpfad exportiert werden. Hierzu werden 13C und 14C- Isotopenverhältnisse an Bodengasen sowie gelöstem und festem Boden- C bestimmt. Unsere Untersuchungen zielen auf ein grundlegendes Verständnis der C-Speicherung im Jahresverlauf ab. Die Zusammenarbeit mit dem Kompetenzzentrum 'Dynamik Komplexer Geosysteme' und dem europäischen CARBOEUROPE Cluster wird die Doppelerhebung von Daten verhindern und deren gegenseitige Verfügbarkeit sicherstellen. Ziel der Arbeit ist es, den historischen Kohlenstoffexport insbesondere unter Berücksichtigung der forstlichen Nebennutzung abzuschätzen. Hierzu soll anhand von Literaturdaten einerseits die Vegetationsgeschichte geklärt werden. Andererseits soll der im Untersuchungsgebiet im Zuge der forstlichen und landwirtschaftlichen Nutzungen erfolgte Biomasseentzug nach Art und Umfang dokumentiert werden. Diese Arbeiten sind notwendig, um den Einfluss der Nutzungsgeschichte auf die Kohlenstoffspeicherung im Untersuchungsstandort abzuschätzen. Im Rahmen des Gesamtprojektes sollen zunächst Daten zur Entwicklung der Biomasse im Untersuchungsgebiet zusammengestellt werden. Eine weitere Aufgabe besteht darin, auf der Basis von Literaturstudien einen möglichen Vergleichsstandort mit unterschiedlicher Nutzungsgeschichte zu identifizieren.
In contrast to their advances in other areas, weather forecast models have not been successful in improving the Quantitative Precipitation Forecast during the last 16 years. One reason for this stagnation is the lack of comprehensive, high-quality data sets usable for model validation as well as for data assimilation, thus leading to improved initial fields in numerical models. Theoretical analyses have identified the requirements measured data have to meet in order to close the gaps in process understanding. In field campaigns, it has been shown that the newest generation of remote sensing systems has the potential to yield data sets of the required quality. It is therefore time to combine the most powerful remote sensing instruments with proven ground-based and airborne measurement techniques in an Intensive Observations Period (IOP). Its goal is to serve as a backbone for the SPP 1167 by producing the demanded data sets of unachieved accuracy and resolution. This requires a sophisticated scientific preparation and a careful coordination between the efforts of the institutions involved. For the first time, the pre-convective environment, the formation of clouds and the onset and development of precipitation as well as its intensity will be observed in four dimensions simultaneously in a region of sufficient size. This shall be achieved by combining the IOP with international programs and by collaboration between leading scientists in Europe, US and other countries. Thus, the IOP is a unique opportunity to make Germany the setting of an international field campaign featuring the newest generation of measurement systems such as scanning radar and lidar and leading to outstanding advances in atmospheric sciences.
Recent events such as the Pakistan earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, the Indian Ocean tsunami and the European heat waves of 2003 reveal the vulnerability of societies to extreme events. The goal of this project is to strengthen prevention, mitigation and preparedness strategies in order to reduce the health, social and economic impacts of extreme events on communities. The objectives of the MICRODIS project are to strengthen the scientific and empirical foundation on the relationship between extreme events and their impacts; to develop and integrate knowledge, concepts, methods and databases towards a common global approach and to improve human resources and coping capacity in Asia and Europe through training and knowledge sharing. This integrated project involves 19 partners from Asia and Europe, including research, policy and ground roots institutions. The outputs will include an evidence-base on impacts, field methodologies and tools for data compilation, impact models, and integrated vulnerability assessments. It will also strengthen standardised data collection of extreme events and their impacts at local, regional and global levels. Prime Contractor: Université Catholique de Louvain; Louvain-la-neuve; Belgium.
Context: With increasing global change pressures, and due to existing limitations, and un-sustainability factors and risks of conventional urban water management (UWM), cities experience difficulties in efficiently managing the ever scarcer water resources, their uses/services, and their after-use disposal, without creating environmental, social and/or economic damage. In order to meet these challenges, SWITCH calls for a paradigm shift in UWM. There is a need to convert adhoc actions (problem/incident driven) into a coherent and consolidated approach (sustainability driven). This calls for an IP Approach. Research conceptSWITCH therefore proposes an action research project which has as a main objective: The development, application and demonstration of a range of tested scientific, technological and socio-economic solutions and approaches that contribute to the achievement of sustainable and effective UWM schemes in 'The City of the future'.The project will be implemented by different combinations of consortium partners, along the lines of seven complementary and interactive themes. The research approach is innovative for the combination of: action research: address problems through innovation based upon involvement of users.learning alliances: to link up stakeholders to interact productively and to create win-win solutions along the water chain; multiple-way learning: European cities learn from each other and from developing countries, and vice versa.multiple-level or integrated approach: to consider the urban water system and its components (city level) in relation to its impacts on, and dependency of, the natural environment in the river basin (river basin level), and in relation to Global Change pressures (global level).Instruments and scopeAn IP with 30 partners, their resources, and a total budget of 25,191,396 EURO including budget for demonstration activities in 9 Cities in Europe and developing countries. Prime Contractor: UNESCO - Institute for Water Education, Delf, Netherlands.
Despite the advantages of solar membrane distillation (MD) systems very few experimental systems have been developed as opposed to the mature technologies solar PV-driven RO and solar distillation. Therefore, main objective of MEDESOL Project is the development of an environmentally friendly improved-cost desalination technology to fresh water supply in arid and semi-arid regions in EU and Third Countries based on solar MD. The layout involves the innovative concept of multistage MD in order to minimize specific energy and membrane area required and also to substantially reduce the brine generation. The aim of this work was to evaluate the technical feasibility of producing potable water from seawater by integrating several membrane distillation modules (Multi-step Membrane Distillation System). The aim is to develop systems for a capacity ranging from 0.5 to 50 m3/day. Technical simplicity, long maintenance-free operation periods and high-quality potable water output are the very important aims which will enable successful application of the systems that are based in membrane distillation. The heat source will proceed from an advanced compound parabolic solar concentrator, developed to the specific concentration ratio to achieve the specific needed range of temperatures (90ºC) and the seawater heater will include the development of an advanced non-fouling surface coatings to avoid the deposit formation (i.e. scaling) at such temperature. Laboratory tests under defined testing conditions of all components are very important for the preparation of successful field tests under real conditions. Prime Contractor: Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas-Ciemat, Madrid, Spain.
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