Avoiding Conflicts between Future Freshwater Algae Production and Water Scarcity in the United States at the Energy-Water Nexus
| Autor: | Henriette I. Jager, Latha M. Baskaran, Rebecca A. Efroymson |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
lcsh:Hydraulic engineering
020209 energy Geography Planning and Development Water supply Wetland 02 engineering and technology 010501 environmental sciences Aquatic Science bioenergy 01 natural sciences Biochemistry Water scarcity lcsh:Water supply for domestic and industrial purposes water temperature Environmental protection lcsh:TC1-978 Aquatic plant 0202 electrical engineering electronic engineering information engineering algal biofuels visualization 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Water Science and Technology geography lcsh:TD201-500 geography.geographical_feature_category Water-energy nexus sustainability indicators business.industry water scarcity Water resources trade-offs instream flow Sustainability Environmental science Energy source business energy-water nexus water allocation |
| Zdroj: | Water Volume 11 Issue 4 Water, Vol 11, Iss 4, p 836 (2019) |
| ISSN: | 2073-4441 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/w11040836 |
| Popis: | Sustainable production of algae will depend on understanding trade-offs at the energy-water nexus. Algal biofuels promise to improve the environmental sustainability profile of renewable energy along most dimensions. In this assessment of potential US freshwater production, we assumed sustainable production along the carbon dimension by simulating placement of open ponds away from high-carbon-stock lands (forest, grassland, and wetland) and near sources of waste CO 2 . Along the water dimension, we quantified trade-offs between water scarcity and production for an &lsquo upstream&rsquo indicator (measuring minimum water supply) and a &lsquo downstream&rsquo indicator (measuring impacts on rivers). For the upstream indicator, we developed a visualization tool to evaluate algae production for different thresholds for water surplus. We hypothesized that maintaining a minimum seasonal water surplus would also protect river habitat for aquatic biota. Our study confirmed that ensuring surplus water also reduced the duration of low-flow events, but only above a threshold. We also observed a trade-off between algal production and the duration of low-flow events in streams. These results can help to guide the choice of basin-specific sustainability targets to avoid conflicts with competing water users at this energy-water nexus. Where conflicts emerge, alternative water sources or enclosed photobioreactors may be needed for algae cultivation. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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