Category Archives: PSC Science-Policy Fellowship

Energy Transformation, PSC Science-Policy Fellowship

Land-free bioenergy for a carbon-neutral Europe –why, what, how?

Leave a comment

Response Doctoral Programme

Navigating the complexities of bioenergy, its potential for carbon neutrality, and its conflicts with land, food, and feed resources is a pressing issue. What if we could circumvent these issues and focus solely on land-free bioenergy, similar to growing mushrooms on waste coffee grounds for a delicious dish? Waste and byproducts can generate valuable bioenergy, playing strategic roles in a future sustainable energy system.

The ETH Energy Blog post of RESPONSE fellow Fei Wu presents key findings from our latest research papers, providing insights into the strategic applications of land-free bioenergy and its policy implications. Join us in exploring the ‘why,’ ‘what’, and ‘how’ of deploying land-free bioenergy effectively in the quest for carbon neutrality.

Continue reading Land-free bioenergy for a carbon-neutral Europe –why, what, how? →
PSC Science-Policy Fellowship

Zukunft der Landnutzung in der Schweiz unter dem neuen Globalen Biodiversitätsrahmen (COP 15)

Leave a comment

Response Doctoral Programme

26. September, 2023 – An diesem Fireside Chat des Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center und des Franxini Projekt diskutieren wir, was es für die Landnutzung in der Schweiz bedeuten würde, wenn die an der COP15 formulierten Biodiversitätsziele schweizweit umgesetzt werden. Zusammen mit Vertreter*innen aus Wissenschaft, Politik, Verwaltung und Wirtschaft besprechen wir mögliche Lösungen in einem offenen Austausch.

Continue reading Zukunft der Landnutzung in der Schweiz unter dem neuen Globalen Biodiversitätsrahmen (COP 15) →
PSC Science-Policy Fellowship

Zukunft der Landnutzung in der Schweiz unter dem neuen Globalen Biodiversitätsrahmen (COP15)

Leave a comment

Response Doctoral Programme

26. September, 2023 – An diesem Fireside Chat des Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center und des Franxini Projekt diskutieren wir, was es für die Landnutzung in der Schweiz bedeuten würde, wenn die an der COP15 formulierten Biodiversitätsziele schweizweit umgesetzt werden. Zusammen mit Vertreter*innen aus Wissenschaft, Politik, Verwaltung und Wirtschaft besprechen wir mögliche Lösungen in einem offenen Austausch.

An der 15. UN-Biodiversitätskonferenz (COP15, 2022) in Montreal, Kanada haben sich alle 195 Staaten darauf geeinigt, dass 30% der Land- und Wasserflächen dem Lebensraum- und Artenschutz vorbehalten sein sollen. Der vorgesehene Zeithorizont für die Umsetzung ist 2030.

Spannende Expertenbeiträge geben einen Überblick darüber, wo die Schweiz heute steht.

Dr. Eva Spehn, Akademie der Naturwissenschaften (SCNAT) – COP15 in der Schweiz: Ökologische Infrastruktur und Nutzungskonflikte

Prof. Dr. Maria Santos, Universität Zürich – COP15, Biodiversität und Ökosystemdienstleistungen – Eine internationale Perspektive

Danach wird in interdisziplinären Kleingruppen diskutiert, wie die Schweiz 2030 aussehen wird, nachdem die Biodiversitätsziele erreicht werden. Unter anderem fragen wir uns: Welche Herausforderungen und Lösungen für die Biodiversitätskrise zeichnen sich ab? Wie können wir Arten und Lebensräume schützen, trotz des steigenden Bedarfs an Flächen für die Nahrungs-, Futtermittel- und Energieproduktion und auch Wohnraum?

Der Franxini Fireside Chat, in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, bietet der Diskussion einen ergebnisoffenen, neutralen Rahmen und bindet vielseitige Interessen und Hintergründe mit ein.

Die Veranstaltung findet im Rahmen von “RESPONSE – to society and policy needs through plant, food and energy sciences” statt und wird über das EU Rahmenprogramm Horizon 2020 (GA 847585) finanziert.

Energy Transformation, PSC Science-Policy Fellowship

Diversifying and scaling direct air capture for a net-zero future

Leave a comment

Response Doctoral Programme

To meet net-zero targets by mid-century, gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year must be removed through direct air capture and storage (DACS). However, current deployment is low, requiring DACS technologies to be deployed at an unprecedented pace. The ETH Energy Blog post of RESPONSE fellow Katrin Sievert explores the two most advanced capture methods used in DACS, compares their scalability, and stresses the significance of investing in multiple technologies over the next decade instead of solely relying on existing approaches.

Read Katrin Sieverts’ Energy Blog article.

Continue reading Diversifying and scaling direct air capture for a net-zero future →
Energy Transformation, PSC Science-Policy Fellowship

Diversifying and scaling direct air capture for a net-zero future

Leave a comment

Response Doctoral Programme

To meet net-zero targets by mid-century, gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year must be removed through direct air capture and storage (DACS). However, current deployment is low, requiring DACS technologies to be deployed at an unprecedented pace. The ETH Energy Blog post of RESPONSE fellow Katrin Sievert explores the two most advanced capture methods used in DACS, compares their scalability, and stresses the significance of investing in multiple technologies over the next decade instead of solely relying on existing approaches.

Read Katrin Sieverts’ Energy Blog article.

Continue reading Diversifying and scaling direct air capture for a net-zero future →
Plant Breeding, Plant-based Proteins, PSC Science-Policy Fellowship

Response Doctoral Program: Unlock valuable protein sources in the pseudocereal buckwheat

Leave a comment

Pseudocereals such as buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) are under-utilized as sources for plant-based proteins in current times, where the world is searching for a diversification of agricultural cropping systems. Buckwheat was an important crop in recent times in Western Europe including Switzerland and has several qualities:

  • It is a valuable source of proteins for human nutrition. Buckwheat contains all nine essential amino acids which makes it a high-quality, complete protein. It is rich in limiting amino acids like lysine and arginine, which are in shortest supply in plant-based diets.
  • It became popular in satisfying the increasing demand for gluten-free foods.
  • It has a unique taste – in contrast to rice or wheat.
  • So far, it is little affected by pests and diseases in the field that could reduce its yield.
  • As a cover crop, it contributes to soil protection and soil improvement as part of a crop rotation.
  • It is good for pollinators and a rich source of nectar while contributing to a biologically diverse agriculture.

Despite all these positive qualities, buckwheat cultivation suffers from low and unstable yields, and in comparison to wheat, the baking quality is inferior. Potentially, this bottleneck can be overcome with breeding. Here, the screening of genetic resources could unlock undiscovered potential and the cultivation of buckwheat on Swiss farms may experience a renaissance!

Continue reading Response Doctoral Program: Unlock valuable protein sources in the pseudocereal buckwheat →
Plant-based Proteins, PSC Science-Policy Fellowship

Response Doctoral Program: Unlock valuable protein sources in the pseudocereal buckwheat

Leave a comment

by Fabian Hess, ETH Zurich

Pseudocereals such as buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) are under-utilized as sources for plant-based proteins in current times, where the world is searching for a diversification of agricultural cropping systems. Buckwheat was an important crop in recent times in Western Europe including Switzerland and has several qualities:

  • It is a valuable source of proteins for human nutrition. Buckwheat contains all nine essential amino acids which makes it a high-quality, complete protein. It is rich in limiting amino acids like lysine and arginine, which are in shortest supply in plant-based diets.
  • It became popular in satisfying the increasing demand for gluten-free foods.
  • It has a unique taste – in contrast to rice or wheat – and can be made into deliciously tart pancakes or pasta.
  • So far, it is little affected by pests and diseases in the field that could reduce its yield.
  • As a cover crop, it contributes to soil protection and soil improvement as part of a crop rotation.
  • It is good for pollinators and a rich source of nectar while contributing to a biologically diverse agriculture.

Despite all these positive qualities, buckwheat cultivation suffers from low and unstable yields, and in comparison to wheat, the baking quality is inferior. Potentially, this bottleneck can be overcome with breeding. Here, the screening of genetic resources could unlock undiscovered potential and the cultivation of buckwheat on Swiss farms may experience a renaissance!

Continue reading Response Doctoral Program: Unlock valuable protein sources in the pseudocereal buckwheat →
Energy Transformation, PSC Science-Policy Fellowship

Summary from Response Thematic Event: Sustainable Energy System – Who Will Lead the Way?

In this public event of the Response Doctoral Program, organized by the Energy System Science Center, GreenBuzz and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center at Siemens in Zug one question was in the focus: how do we get to a sustainable energy system?

For sustainable energy systems the innovative technologies are existing, but we have to combine them in the most sustainable way to decarbonize our future. The questions are what business model change, political regulations and societal adaptation are needed and inevitable and helped us to answer the questions “What steps we should take?”, and “Who will lead the way?”

9 Response doctoral students presented and discussed their research to representatives from the energy sector, companies and the public. They presented their research on green energy models, biofuels, semiconductor efficiency, managing hydropower dams, carbon capture and storage or the future of electrical transport.

From the keynotes:

Kristina Orehounig, Empa draw attention to the housing infrastructure that needs to be cooled in summer and heated in winter due to climate change. For this CO2 emission-low systems need to be combinations of multiple renewable supply technologies in small decentralized networks in neighbourhoods.

Kaja Hollstein, Swissgrid pointed out challenges in the future when the grid system is operated with renewables. In winter demand for heating is highest while supply by photovoltaic drops in several countries at the same time. In this case there will be no import market that can balance the shortages of energy.

Ilonka Zapke, Siemens showed the Wunsiedel blueprint for our energy future. Energy comes from renewables and is stored in one of the largest batteries worldwide. Battery storage might be one solution to energy shortages in the grid system.

Continue reading Summary from Response Thematic Event: Sustainable Energy System – Who Will Lead the Way? →
Energy Transformation, PSC Science-Policy Fellowship

Could “advanced” nuclear technologies support low-carbon energy strategies?

Leave a comment

Response Doctoral Programme

“No” says Bessie Noll et al. (2021) in a synthesis paper as renewable energy technologies have significant advantage over current non-traditional nuclear reactor designs.

Taking insight foremost from a 2021 study by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) on “advanced” nuclear reactors, their synthesis examines three non-traditional nuclear reactor designs based on three UCS defined evaluation criterion—safety and security risk, sustainability, and nuclear proliferation potential—as well as one additional criterion added newly, “economics”.  Proclaimed advantages of non-traditional over traditional reactors are also included in an “Expectation vs. Reality” rapid-fire comparison.

Some of the arguments:

  • Technologically immature non-traditional reactors have to compete with renewable energy technologies which are already today drastically cheaper on a $/kWh basis and have much steeper learning curves.
  • Even with optimistic assumptions for deployment timelines, non-traditional reactors will likely be outcompeted in deployment by renewables and grid-scale battery storage (in some cases, they already are)—relatively more mature technologies that are readily being deployed today
  • It is highly unlikely that non-traditional reactors will be able to ramp-up construction fast enough to stay in-line with climate targets.
  • Nuclear reactors built in a modular fashion are not spared the curse of high capital cost and long construction times in practice.
  • Non-traditional reactors introduce new safety issues that will require extensive testing and analysis. The technology itself is too early in its development stage to be certain of all possible safety issues.
Continue reading Could “advanced” nuclear technologies support low-carbon energy strategies? →