Två miljöproblem idag är ökade koncentrationer av växthusgaser i atmosfären och övergödning. Därför är två utmaningar att reducera utsläppen av växthusgaser och flöden av näringsämnen. Ytterligare en utmaning är att trygga energiförsörjningen i en värld där efterfrågan på energi ökar. Nya förnybara energikällor behöver utvecklas både för att trygga energiförsörjningen men även för att minska användandet av fossil energi. En förnybar energikälla är biogas som kan användas till el, värme och fordonsgas.

This report is made as a literature review, focusing on the work done to increase understanding of efficiency in the categories of substations and secondary heating systems, with respect to the deviation from the theoretically possible cooling off in the distribution network as well as the economic benefit that appear. The main purpose of a considerable part of the literature used in this report addresses the issue of identifying individual causes of reduced cooling in district heating systems. These literature resources have been compiled and summarized as part of the report.The technology of district heating is associated with benefits such as better use of the energy in a fuel. This is the case of cogeneration Plants where serial generation of electricity and thermal energy increases efficiency compared with the parallel generation where heat is generated locally and electricity is generated centrally. Serial generation thus allows for lower primary energy demand.

In the last decade, member states of the European Union have adopted a range of measures to decrease the dependency on fossil fuels. This has led to an increased use of biomass in heat and power production. In some countries, the lack of forest resource has led to large scale power producers importing their biomass needs. Due to high energy content and homogeneity, wood pellets have become an internationally traded commodity used for large scale power production. The Baltic States have emerged as one of the largest wood pellet exporting regions in Europe.

Stormwater in urban areas has been treated as a problem for a long time. The large proportion of impermeable surfaces inhibits the water from infiltrating in the ground to the same extent that it does in nature. This causes intensive surface flow during rain, which in turn causes inconveniences such as decreased accessability, floods and increased risk of desease spreading. Drainage through pipes is the traditional and usually functional metod for storm water disposal. That is as long as water flows are moderate. But precipitation varies naturally in amount and intensity and additional impermeable surfaces make some pipes insufficient for heavy or lasting precipitation.

Peat litter has been used in animal houses for a long time. Because of its good ability to absorb liquid and nutrients from the manure it can create a dry surface for animals and a valuable manure product. Through changes in agricultural practises the use of peat litter has diminished and is to a great extent replaced by straw, sawdust and cutter shavings although Sweden is rich in peat-findings. The aim of this work was to summarize the presented knowledge about the used of peat litter, techniques, advantages and disadvantages and to compare with other commonly used litter materials. Articles on peat litter have been searched for in magazines, databases and books at SLU library. Visits to peat industries, interviews with peat producers and with peat researchers contributed to the material. Peat is not a uniformly material.

This Masters Thesis includes a survey of recreational habits and the attitudes towards forests of the people of Sätra, a suburb of the city of Gävle. The study also includes the planning and design of a forest suited for education in the same part of the city. The thesis is a part of a project called Tätortsnära skog, commissioned by the Swedish forest agency. The project aims to survey the recreational habits of the general public in the regions of Dalarna and Gävleborg. Tätortsnära skog is focused on cities with a population of more than 20 000 inhabitants, of which Gävle, Sandviken, Falun and Borlänge all fall within the category.

According to the EC fuel regulations 2 % bio fuel has to be blended in all fuel by the year 2005, and 5.75 % by the year 2010, which means ethanol for gasoline driven vehicles, so there will be a substantial demand for ethanol. Brazil already has an established industry for producing ethanol and is the leading producer and exporter of fuel ethanol. My purpose with this paper is to investigate why Brazil decided to develop ethanol production on a large-scale operation and to find out today?s situation. Focus will mainly be on ethanol production with sugarcane as a feedstock.

Under vår utbildning har vi upplevt många problem kring att plantera träd i urban miljö. Träden får ofta inte det utrymme de kräver för en, till arten sett, normal utveckling. Även den fordrade skötseln är bristande, framför allt i etableringsskedet. I och med att städerna växer och att trädens växtbäddar ofta är minimala, bland annat på grund av vägarnas överbyggnader, VA- och andra ledningar, måste lösningar tas fram för att behålla städerna gröna och öka grönytekvoten. Vi ser att klätterväxter kan vara ett bra sätt att föra in mer grönska i våra urbana miljöer.Syftet med det här arbetet har varit att ta reda på hur klätterväxter kan användas i den urbana miljön.

AbstractThe genetic diversity in cultural Plants is considered to be threatened due to global climate change and antropogenic influence. Unknowing of future conditions for cultivation, gene banks all over the world are now trying to build up costly safety nets of species and varieties that may become highly valuable owing to their specific traits and genetic heredity. Hence, in 2002 there was a national inventory, aimed at the Swedish public, asking for seeds believed to be lost. Among the resulting collected seeds were some accessions of garden bean, Phaseolus vulgaris. The objective of this particular study was to assemble a collection of unique varieties and discard possible duplicates.

As a member of the EU, Sweden has, in some cases, transferred the controlling rights to the Union. This means that the rules defined by the EU must be followed in all member countries, including Sweden. The European Agricultural policy constitutes the largest part of the EU's annual budget and is in contrast to many other areas fully funded at EU level. The last decade, many new regulations on chemicals and pesticides have been introduced which brought great changes and a lot of work throughout the Union, including Sweden. Sweden has always had a strict policy on chemicals and has been at the forefront when it comes to sustainable agriculture and environmental management.

Uppsatsen är både ett teoretiskt arbete om stadsodling och en gestaltning av en köksträdgård.Under vintern 2010 åtog sig sju studenter uppdraget att skapa en experimentell köksträdgårdsom en fördjupning och vidareutveckling av 2009 års utformning av köksträdgården vidingången till Wanås skulpturpark. Mitt examensarbete består i att utifrån en jämförande studiemellan teorierna om trädgårdsstäder kring förra sekelskiftet och den nu pågåendediskussionen om hur staden ska odlas utarbeta ett gestaltningsförslag för en del avköksträdgården.Examensarbetet grundar sig i en litteraturstudie över trädgårdsstaden där jag tar avstamp iEbenezer Howards visioner om trädgårdsstäder som en lösning på de problem som uppkomtill följd av förra sekelskiftets snabba urbanisering. När trädgårdsstadsidéerna konkretiseradesi Sverige mellan 1905 och 1930 blev det i form av förstäder och egnahemsträdgårdar. Mycketav de ideologiska utgångspunkterna om självförsörjande småstäder och kollektivt ägd markgick förlorade. Jag har jämfört trädgårdsstadens ursprungliga ideal med de tankar och visionersom finns i dagens stadsodlingsrörelser.