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Power-to-gas (PtG) facilities apply the chemical process of water electrolysis to produce hydrogen and represent a low-carbon alternative to conventional hydrogen production methods when coupled with renewable energy sources. This thesis aims to evaluate the economic potential of the PtG technology and explore how policy changes can affect its profitability, measured by the break-even price of hydrogen. For the derivation of the break-even price, I rely on a net present value model that considers cost and revenue components as levelized terms, which I adapt by incorporating energy policy instruments. I develop an algorithm for the investment analysis of PtG projects, which considers both the capacity of the PtG facility and the renewable energy source as variables and optimizes their ratio for profitability. My analysis shows that large-scale PtG facilities can already compete on the market for medium-scale hydrogen supply at a price of 3.55 €/kg. However, profitable operations of small-scale PtG plants still depend on the implementation of policy changes. I find that small systems could produce pure renewable hydrogen at a break-even price below 3.00 €/kg and thus more than halve their costs, if supportive policy measures were adopted. Keywords: Hydrogen economics; power-to-gas; renewable energy; capacity optimization. Junior Management Science, Bd. 5 Nr. 4 (2020)

Through the period 1450–1850, Scottish record sources portray a protracted crisis regarding energy resources generally and the supply of fuel to urban centers specifically, despite the fact that, unlike many European states, Scotland was a relatively energy-rich environment. This article considers the various factors that hindered intensification of industrial activity and retarded national economic growth. Eventually the pressure of social and cultural factors encouraged abandonment of the use of an abundant and relatively cheap resource—peat—and promoted the use of a scarcer and more expensive alternative—coal.

This article features a conversation between RCC Director Christof Mauch and filmmaker and anthropologist Martin Saxer about practices of collecting and scavenging across the world. Saxer leads the research project “Foraging at the Edge of Capitalism,” based at the Rachel Carson Center (RCC). Here, he elaborates on how foraging is not just a means of subsistence but also a way of seeing and engaging with the environment that contrasts with modern, commodity-driven perspectives. He emphasizes the knowledge systems embedded in foraging practices, which foster a deep connection to the land. Springs: The Rachel Carson Center Review, no. 5 (June 2024)

Ecovillages are arguably seen as "pioneers of change." Yet, thus far, little light has been shed on their potential to effect change beyond their own borders. This issue of RCC Perspectives presents a much needed overview of research on ecovillages, looking at the history and philosophy of utopias and presenting case studies and ongoing research from across the globe. It addresses whether ecovillages can serve as models for a cultural transformation, and shows how researchers and activists could and are collaborating in the quest for utopia, all the while inviting readers to explore what it means to live "the good life."

By telling the history of the widely quoted advertising slogan “Everybody talks about the weather. Not us,” this article contrasts the way environmental problems were perceived in the 1960s and today. While environmental matters were once seen as extraneous, lacking a connection to fundamental political concerns, they are now at the center of political discourse. Since this transformation is also reflected in the changing connotation of “talking about the weather,” growing awareness of climate change has also shifted the way people in the Global North think about meaningful politics and what constitutes small talk. Springs: The Rachel Carson Center Review, no. 6 (October 2024)

On 3 September 2017, North Korea tested its sixth nuclear device, causing a major seismic event and setting off landslides both physical and political. This essay puts this test into its larger historical context, explaining that North Korea’s nuclear program and its attendant environmental implications, while relatively recent developments, are a part of the peninsula’s longer history as a militarized landscape.

Our misplaced loyalty to economic growth and our focus on industrial development have resulted in significant harm to the environment—something we desperately need to address. Yet many wonder if zero waste is a realistic goal or merely a pipe dream. Starting from an analysis of the laws of thermodynamics, this article argues that it is an impossible ideal. But if zero waste is not the solution, what can we do? Tian Song proposes that, along with the principles of the circular economy and reform of modern economic systems, the idea of zero waste can provide valuable insights into how we could establish a future ecological civilization.

Climate change is a global problem that almost every country – 191 parties had signed the Paris Agreement - has committed to undertake. The European Union (EU) has been one of the pioneers in implementing policies that tackle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). In 2005, the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) was launched as the first carbon market. Despite the EU ETS evolving throughout the years, the United Kingdom (UK) implemented an additional policy. In 2013, the UK introduced a Carbon Price Floor (CPF). This paper examines the impact of carbon pricing on GHG emissions during phase III of the EU ETS (2017-2020) in Germany and the UK. Electricity generated by nuclear and renewable sources are considered in the analysis. There are two research questions. First, is the impact of carbon pricing in these two countries, measured by using an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model for panel data. The results show that the UK has been more successful in reducing GHG emissions because of the CPF implementation. Second, whether the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) – a policy within the EU ETS – acted as a Carbon Price Floor (CPF) for Germany. Using a model of Differences in Differences (DD), this paper showed that the MSR significantly reduced the CO2 emissions of Germany. Keywords: Carbon price; EU ETS; CO2 emissions; carbon price floor; market stability reserve; differences in differences. Junior Management Science, Bd. 7 Nr. 3 (2022)

Is locally produced food genuinely more sustainable? The motivation behind the “locavore” movement is usually thought to be the reduction of individual and institutional GHG emissions, but studies have shown that simply reducing food miles does not guarantee a more sustainable diet. Rachel Shindelar argues that despite this, choosing to participate in alternative local food systems instead of the conventional food system is a sure way to increase your access to environmentally friendly food and to support more ecologically sustainable agricultural practices: local food systems are as a whole more sustainable, both ecologically and socially.

Through a case study of the Promotores de Salud network in the US-Mexico borderlands, Schur Petri shows how local actors can be instrumental in communicating climate risks on the ground. In a region where water contamination compounds the existing problem of water scarcity, both scientific knowledge about climate change and water-filtration technology to remove contaminants had failed to adequately address either threat. Yet a partnership with community healthcare workers was able to link climate risks to existing local concerns and ultimately develop more effective solutions.