Climate, Plastics and Sustainability: Ontology and Operationalisation (ClimOO)

Abstract

Background 

There is now ample evidence that plastics are contributing to climate change in various ways during their lifecycle from production to deterioration into micro- and nanoplastics. It is less clear, however, how to define and operationalise possible causes and effects in these complex environmental interactions, and how, on a local level, farmers in South Tyrol can reduce these detrimental effects of their use of plastics in the production of fruits and other produces. 

Objectives  

ClimOO addresses these issues with various questions. First, we analyse how climate and environmental impacts are defined in existing standards and good practices. Second, we review existing operationalisations for both climate change and (micro)plastic pollution in agriculture and check their comparability. Third, we try to estimate the contribution of South Tyrol’s agriculture with a survey among apple farmers and by analysing soils probes for the presence of microplastic. Finally, we use these results to develop a data ontology to integrate the data collected by the various methods identified.  

Method  

To reach these goals, we join the forces of scientific expertise and laboratory experience with philosophical analysis. Definitions and measurement techniques will be both scientifically and philosophically scrutinized and the semantics of resulting data annotated in a computer-tractable format. 

Innovation   

The project addresses the urgent need for conceptual analysis of basic concepts of climate and sustainability research. There is currently no semantic resource for integrating diverse data in the field, which will be developed by ClimOO and provided on a Creative Commons license. Moreover, it is the first project that collects data on plastics in South Tyrolean agriculture. Finally, ClimOO is innovative in its unique interdisciplinary research design.

Participating researchers 

The project involves researchers from four renown South Tyrolean research institutions. It will be led by philosopher of science and expert in knowledge representation Professor Ludger Jansen from Philosophical-Theological College of Brixen/Bressanone. Dr. Werner Tirler, research director of Eco Research, contributes his expertise in environmental chemistry, including his knowledge of measurement techniques and experience in norm committees. His colleagues add expertise in Chemical Technology. Dipl.-Ing. Anna Rottensteiner, group leader of the Working Group on Sustainable Cultivation Systems at Laimburg Research Centre, will add the perspective of agricultural sciences and sustainable farming. Finally, Dr. Sarah Notarfrancesco from Fraunhofer Italia Research, supported by Dr. Davide Don, will add her expertise at the cross-roads of bioeconomy, digital transformation and sustainability.