Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap (SEE) // Space, Earth and Environment (SEE)
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Vi utgår från observationer av universum och vår planet för att utveckla modeller och verktyg som möter globala utmaningar kring resurser, energiförsörjning och klimatpåverkan.
Vart är vi på väg? Var kommer vi ifrån? På vår institution söker vi svaren på de riktigt stora frågorna. I ett långt tidsperspektiv ger stjärnor och galaxers livscykler en inblick i universums, jordens och livets uppkomst – och framtid. Vi observerar också vår planet och samspelet mellan samhälle, teknik och natur för att kunna utveckla teknik, modeller och verktyg som kan möta globala utmaningar inom naturresurser, klimatpåverkan och energiförsörjning.
För forskning och forskningspublikationer, se https://research.chalmers.se/organisation/rymd-geo-och-miljoevetenskap/
Observes the universe and our planet, to develop models and tools that meet global challenges regarding resources, energy supply and climate impact.
Where do we come from and where are we going? At our department we search for answers to the really big questions. In a long time perspective, the lifecycles of stars and galaxies provide an insight into the origin and future of the universe, earth and life. We also observe our planet and the interaction between society, technology and nature in order to develop technologies, models and tools that can meet global challenges regarding natural resources, climate impact and energy supply.
Studying at the Department of Space, Earth and Environment at Chalmers
For research and research output, please visit https://research.chalmers.se/en/organization/space-earth-and-environment/
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Browsar Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap (SEE) // Space, Earth and Environment (SEE) efter Program "Industrial design engineering (MPDES), MSc"
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- PostAdapting the urban metabolism analyst model for practical use within local authorities(2018) Eliasson, Louise; Johnson, Magdalena; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Space, Earth and Environment
- PostBackcasting Approach to Sustainable - Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Challenges, Barriers, and Opportunities for Sustainability Transition.(2014) Valadez Garcia, Diana; Sen, Burak; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för energi och miljö; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Energy and EnvironmentChallenges coming along with global sustainability issues, e.g. climate change, cannot be solved with conventional, linear thinking approaches. Transition towards sustainability is a non-linear process and involved a wide variety of actors. Therefore it requires in-depth understanding of barriers and drivers that disable or enable transition in the current unsustainable system. Adopting systems perspective with backcasting approach and inspired by the “think global, act local” paradox, the Challenge Lab project takes on the present challenges in the unsustainable transport system in Gothenburg, Sweden by introducing a new two-phased methodology, called ‘the Challenge Lab (C-Lab) process’, to address a societal challenge. The first phase focuses on understanding the system from different perspectives to identify critical leverage points and helps intervene in ill-structured systems. The second phase consists of a study that identifies the challenges, barriers, and opportunities in the transport system of Gothenburg, based on opinions gathered from the interviews with 10 stakeholders. These challenges, barriers and opportunities are shown on the conceptual model of the system. Unlike similar studies considering Gothenburg as the case city, the present master’s thesis covers both passenger and goods transport, and considers academy – in addition to industry and government- as another relevant stakeholder. The new methodology was useful to have a systemic understanding of the complexity and dynamics of societal challenges. The findings showed that collaboration between the stakeholders and integration of transport into the city planning are among the main challenges towards a sustainable transport system, but could become opportunities, if addressed. Main barriers identified are the limited space in the city and the politician’s fear of loss when proposing and implementing sustainable strategies. The findings also revealed that the majority of the stakeholders interviewed think that there is no or partially consensus on the vision for sustainable transport system in Gothenburg. The transition towards a sustainable transport system can be achieved by increasing dialogue among stakeholders and by having a ‘systems thinking perspective’ when planning the future transport system of the city.
- PostCar free living with children(2020) Gren, Niklas; Wahl, Jakob; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap; Holmberg, John; Holmberg, John
- PostComparative LCA of street sandboxes made of polyethylene and glass fibre reinforced plastic(2017) Axén Stålberg, Lisa; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för energi och miljö; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Energy and EnvironmentPolyethylene and polyester are two very different types of plastics, both in material composition and qualities, but also in how it is produced and how it can be managed as waste. To be able to see these differences and assess the different impact on the environment the respective materials have, a life cycle assessment (LCA) is a preferable tool to use. In an LCA, all the different processes and flows are addressed, from the production of raw material to the waste management. In this study, two street sandboxes made of polyethylene (PE) and glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) are assessed to be able to determine which box that has the highest impact on four different impact categories, and to see where these impacts originates from. The impacts studied are climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, acidification and human toxicity. The study is a comparative, attributional LCA, with a cradle-to-grave perspective. Three scenarios are modelled, depending on different waste managements. Which management methods that are used depend on the waste management available for the respective materials. The results show that for the base scenario, the GFRP-box has more than 50% higher impact on all impact categories compared to the PE-box. The biggest difference is found for human toxicity and stratospheric ozone depletion, with an impact difference of more than 80%. For the GFRP-box, the emissions contributing to the impacts originates, for all impact categories, from the production of polyester resin, followed by smaller impacts from the production of glass fibre. For the PE-box, the origin of the emissions varies between the impact categories, where the production of PE-granulates contributes to high impact on climate change and acidification, the production of electricity has high impact on stratospheric ozone depletion and human toxicity, and the production of aluminium used in the PE-box production has a large impact on human toxicity. A sensitivity analysis was made to address the two boxes different lifetimes, where the impact from the GFRP-box increased due to the lower lifetime of the box, making the differences in impact greater. From a lifecycle perspective, the PE-box is better in all aspects addressed, mostly due to the lower emissions from the production of raw material, the recycling possibilities and the longer lifetime.
- PostDesign for the Environment in context of environmental demands and business opportunities. A study of Autoliv Inc.(2006) Dahlström, Johan; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för energi och miljö; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Energy and Environment
- PostExploring the role of blockchain technology in Mobility as a Service - Towards a fair Combined Mobility Service(2017) Torstensson, Joel; Andersson, Patrik; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för energi och miljö; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Energy and EnvironmentMobility as a Service is a novel approach to mobility. There have been several efforts to incorporate the approach by trying to bring multiple mobility providers (MPs) together in one platform. In most of these efforts, one organization has acted as a broker for all of the MPs and the customers. This broker might have vested interest and could be biased toward well established MPs. A new technology called blockchain provides a viable method of coordination of parties that do not trust each other without the need of a central authority. This report explores the intersection of these two developments, Mobility as a Service and blockchain technology, and asks: How can a Combined Mobility Service platform that benefits all of the involved stakeholders be designed? We explore both the technical viability as well as possible economic impact on MPs of such a platform by combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. By interviewing multiple stakeholders, the central requirements were identified. To investigate the socio-economic impact, an agent-based model was constructed that simulates the effect of user behaviour with and without the platform. These simulations shows that while it might not be very clear if the revenue of a MP increases by joining the platform, the existence of the platform will decrease the revenue of MPs that do not join if the platform gets sufficient network effects. The main result of the study is a simplified technical specification of how a platform could be constructed which provides a solid description of how it could be implemented. This specification takes into consideration the needs of existing MPs, but also maintains neutrality so that new MPs can join on an equal footing with the existing ones. While it does not take all of the technical possibilities into consideration, it can still be seen as a success since it suggests a solution to the main problem of combined mobility platforms. The simulations provide additional confirmation that this approach is viable. The next step in this research is to implement a proof-of-concept of the platform, showing its viability on a more practical level.
- PostFuture mobility in Frihamnen(2017) Bomqvist, Amanda; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för energi och miljö; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Energy and Environment
- PostHow can future methodologies be applied in the planning process? Case study of the bus park and railway station in Kisumu, Kenya and Centralen Gothenburg, Sweden(2015) Nikulina, Varvara; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för energi och miljö; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Energy and EnvironmentSustainability is one of the key words of our modern society. Is it the case in every country? To what extent is it integrated in the present state situation and the planning process? Until recently, transportation has never been on the priority list for reaching developmental goals of the United Nations. Continuously increasing demand for transportation services worldwide is one of the main present-day urban challenges. A thought-through integrated transportation system can ensure confidence and comfort for the passengers. On the contrary, the lack of such a system or a poorly managed system prevents the economy from realizing its potential. Looking at the cases of the bus park and railway station in Kisumu, Kenya and Centralen Gothenburg, Sweden, the question of usefulness of future methodologies in the planning process is investigated. The thesis analyzes backcasting, foresighting and SymbioCity approaches and their applicability to the compared given conditions of Kisumu and Gothenburg. Field work preparation, different field study methodologies, analytical methods and comparative analyses of the future methodologies in the planning process are used to reach the conclusion. First, the planning processes in Kisumu and Gothenburg are analyzed. In order to assess the usefulness of the future methodologies in the planning process, the systems of the stations in Kisumu and the current state in both cities are examined. The main conclusion is that backcasting is identified as suitable for both cases. It is easy to apply (can be used by an individual) and avoids “lock-in” solutions. Moreover, it begins with creation of the common desired vision and is useful when traditional approaches do not work. The other two methodologies (foresighting and SymbioCity approach) would be beneficial if certain conditions are met.
- PostImplementing Inland Waterway Transportation in Urban Logistics(2016) Jandl, Otto-Maximilian; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för energi och miljö; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Energy and EnvironmentUrbanisation puts tremendous stress on road infrastructure. Consequently, innovative solutions to cater for the growing population and subsequent need for increased transport of goods and waste in urban areas need to be explored. A modal shift from road transportation to inland waterway transportation can be beneficial for several reasons such as less pollution, traffic congestion, accidents and noise. This study analyses the necessary conditions for a successful implementation of a combined goods and waste transportation system on inland waterways based on the case of an urban planning project in the City of Gothenburg. Therefore, semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from the local urban supply chain, field trips and work group meetings have been conducted, attended and analysed. It was found that economic and operational factors, behavioural change, policy and regulations represent strong barriers for the implementation of such a transportation system. As weak drivers, public interest, environmental drivers, political incentives, regulations and technical development were identified. To overcome strong barriers, weak drivers need to be strengthened. More emphasis needs to be put on policy and regulations as those have strong power to influence the actions of stakeholders in the urban supply chain and thus, bring forward sustainable transportation. It is concluded, that building trust represents a core element in the implementation process of a new transportation system. Consequently, new systems need to prove their applicability and reliability on a small scale in the short run. In the long run, these new systems need to serve more areas, thus achieving economies of scale and profitability.
- PostLife Cycle Assessment of Lawnmowers - Two Mowers’ Case Studies(2010) Lan, Xing; Liu, Yu; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för energi och miljö; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Energy and EnvironmentHusqvarna AB, as a leading outdoor power company, has chosen two typical lawnmowers to analyse their environmental impacts from lawnmower branch. These two, one is the traditional walk-behind lawnmower LC48VE and the other one is named Automower 220AC. The distinct characteristic between these two is that the former one is petrol-driven while the latter is electricity-driven. Besides, the traditional one needs people’s control while the other can be programmed and work without external manpower. Due to the highly different working patterns and market consideration, the results for two cases will not be compared. The main reason for putting them together is for further product development and internal life cycle thinking auxiliary. Life cycle assessment was used to evaluate the environmental impacts of these two chosen products from production, use and maintenance and end-of-life phases. Data collection was the most time consuming part of the whole procedures and database in SimaPro were widely used but some processing data were still missing. The result shows that production phase which is also covering raw material extraction and use phase together contribute dominant environmental impacts. The characterisation and weighting methods as EPS2000 and Eco-indicator 99 were applied and shown difference in final results because of the different emphasis of each method. Sensitivity analysis showed that increasing the share of recycled metals could make better environmental performances of both mowers while electricity productions in different countries have obvious impacts on Automower’s impacts. In terms of product development, the most common way of using life cycle perspectives is through life cycle thinking (LCT) in design chain, in this case, which could mean increase of the ratio of recycled materials and improvement of products’ durability.
- PostPreparing For Tomorrow, Exploring design adaptations of a wheel loader for a circular business model(2017) Bergstrand, Hampus; Jönsson, Cornelia; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för energi och miljö; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Energy and EnvironmentOne suggested way of dealing with the ever-increasing demand for services and products from a continuously growing population is through circular economy. The concept of circular economy means, among other things, optimizing products´ use and useful life and making fewer products accessible for more users. The purpose of this thesis project is to explore the potential of a use and sustainability centred product development process. The process is aiming to explore how a product system can be redesigned to become more resource efficient. To explore the potential of the process, it is applied on a case study. The targeted product is the Volvo wheel loader, L150H, presumptively involved in a functional sales business model, inspired by circular economy. Since there seems to be no consensus about what the process should look like, the project first defines a suitable framework, based on the use(r) centred development process. The inclusion of ecodesign and a product life cycle perspective is used to emphasize the sustainability aspects. Inspired by backcasting, a future sustainable scenario is developed and key areas for reaching the scenario are identified. Consumables, and more specifically, the main fuel filter is selected for the redesign phase. Requirements for a new solution are identified and solution paths are presented for reducing the environmental impact. An iterative design phase results in a remanufacturing concept, and the corresponding re-design of the fuel filter. The new filter concept is designed to last the entire life of the machine through a robust design and by being remanufactured, instead of disposed, after each service. A conducted LCA shows that by using one filter over the expected machine life, instead of an estimated 40 filters, major material savings can be achieved. In addition, the assessment show that the concept also induces a reduction in global warming potential by almost 90 % over the life cycle. The project result indicates that the use and sustainability centred product development process not only has the potential to generate a material resource efficient solution, but also, a solution which is sufficiently responding to the users’ needs. Despite the promising result in this case, the process still requires further development, and to be tested on more cases before its potential can be verified in general terms.
- PostProbing Organizational Consciousness: How do personal and organizational perspectives of sustainability align?(2016) Berg, Lindsay; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för energi och miljö; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Energy and EnvironmentOrganizations have the potential to increase their output by increasing the engagement of their employees. However, in order to do so there must be alignment between personal values, current organizational values and desired values for where the organization intends to go. Unfortunately, this lack of alignment is commonly overlooked, and, in the context of sustainability there have been no systemic attempts to explore this alignment within an organization. Therefore, this study addresses: (i) how personal and organizational perspectives on sustainability align within an organization; and, (ii) what may a management group do to increase employee engagement and performance in the implementation of sustainability goals. To address these questions interviews were conducted with a management team of a local organization, consisting of 30-35 employees, followed by a focus group with interview participants. A multi-method approach was adopted to allow for data triangulation, flexibility and reflexivity. Data was analyzed using the Barrett Values Centre model for Organizational Consciousness. The results illustrated a limited perception of sustainability, different perspectives of sustainability between the participants’ personal lives and organizational lives, and, that little time if any has been spent envisioning a desirable state of sustainability for the organization. To overcome these barriers, it is recommended the organization takes time for individual and communal reflection, incorporates an active approach towards leadership training for all staff, and, applies a Backcasting through principles approach in order to nurture a shared mental framework. It may prove worthy to apply these research methodologies to other organizations to enhance their performance in the implementation of sustainability goals. This thesis has been conducted in an innovative educational setting, that of the Challenge Lab, at Chalmers University of Technology, whereby students are equipped with self-leadership training, dialogue and facilitation tools, systems thinking and design thinking methods to overcome societal barriers in the transition to a sustainable future.
- PostScaling urban experiments for sustainability transitions(2019) Carlson, Viktor; Corell, Annica Sara Lisa Angel; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap; Holmberg, John; Holmberg, John