Landfill site selection using multi criteria decision making: Influential factors for comparing locations

Although a lot of research has focused on energy recovery and recycling of valuable materials from wastes to reduce loads on landfills, landfilling is still an inseparable part of solid waste management. Since landfills potentially pose a risk to human health and the surrounding environment, landfill site selection is an important endeavor that has to be carried out with great care. Choosing a suitable location for landfills depends on several factors and is a complicated procedure. In this paper, a comprehensive review of landfill site selection methods, with an emphasis on multi criteria decision making (multiple criteria decision analysis) has been presented. Assessments indicate that the most frequently used methods are weighted linear combination (WLC), ordered weighted averaging (OWA), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP), TODIM, fuzzy TODIM, analytic network process (ANP), fuzzy-analytic network process (F-ANP), and grey systems theory, each of which is discussed. The most widely used factors for selecting a landfill site are groundwater depth, surface water vicinity, elevation, land slope, soil permeability, soil stability, flooding susceptibility, lithology and stratification, faults, land use type, nearby settlements and urbanization, cultural and protected site vicinity, wind direction, roads, railways, proximity to building materials, pipelines and powerlines, and proximity to airports.     

Improving cleaner production through the application of environmental management tools in China

Cleaner Production (CP) as a strategy for reducing negative environmental impacts throughout the production processes avoids and decreases pollution at its source and increases the competitiveness of enterprises. Since the establishment of China's goal for quadrupling its gross domestic product between 2000 and 2020, while improving its environmental performance and maintaining social stability, ‘win-win’ concepts such as CP are playing an increasingly prominent role in the country's development plans. Consequently, China's efforts to create a favourable policy and institutional framework for the promotion of CP that includes its unique national “CP Promotion Law” which governs the implementation of all CP activities in the country are encouraging. However, China has encountered significant challenges in improving, on a large scale, the environmental performance of its industries. Factors such as the difficulty in mainstreaming CP in industries, limited institutional resources as well as constraints in financial and technical resources of small and medium-sized enterprises have hindered the widespread adoption of CP. In addition, due to local peculiarities and disparities, different regional approaches for its implementation have evolved. This paper describes and analyses how the application of an environmental management tool in Zhejiang Province has enhanced the environmental, economic and organisational benefits of CP in enterprises.     

National program for cleaner production (CP) in Iran: a framework and draft

The importance of cleaner production (CP) has motivated leaders of different countries at diverse levels of industrial development to establish national strategies or programs for speeding up the implementation of CP. In this article a proposed framework for the national program to promote CP in Iran is presented. Based on the strategic planning approach, a SWOT analysis was conducted pertaining to the factors influencing the potential cleaner production implementation in Iran. Then, the various levels of the plan, including the Mission, Targets, Strategies, and Actions, were determined, followed by an executive structure for its implementation. The most important characteristic of the proposed program is its emphasis upon the role of the non-governmental sectors in the implementation of CP, in order to avoid governmental bureaucracy.     

Approaches to developing risk management objectives: an analysis of international strategies

Risk assessment/management frameworks employed around the world to guide environmental decision-making were analyzed for their approaches to developing risk management objectives and the decision criteria necessary for environmental policy implementation. Frameworks from the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, and the USA were considered. Progress in refining the scientific basis for risk assessment/management has been made, but there has been little parallel development in defining the mechanisms by which available scientific information may be used to define risk management goals or identify and select between management options using a priori decision criteria. The lack of detailed guidance on the setting and achievement of risk management goals that appropriately balance technical information and public input remains an important challenge to the use and practice of all risk assessment/management frameworks.     

Decision support in disinfection technologies for treated wastewater reuse

The environmental and social impact derived from treated wastewater reuse is an intrinsically complex multidimensional process, which involves multiple criteria and multiple stakeholders. This paper presents the use of multicriteria decision through the TOPSIS method, applied to six different methodologies concerning the disinfection of treated wastewater before reusing. Results have shown that the best disinfection technique for treated wastewater has been chlorination with 4 ppm, if this water is to be destined to an urban, agricultural or industrial use, due to a large weight given to cost and environmental criteria. Conversely, in recreational and environmental uses, the alternative of ultraviolet light disinfection was the chosen alternative. Economic criteria showed priority in the most entrepreneurial uses of the water, although social and political cost had a greater weight in the case of environmental or recreational uses. The inclusion of environmental and social assessment in the disinfection technique decision support clearly provides a cleaner and more sustainable production.     

水利项目环境影响综合评价

文章研究了模糊综合评价法在水利建设项目综合环境影响评价中的应用,以某水利工程为例建立了项目环境影响评价的指标体系,并对项目环境影响进行了综合评价,同时将建设项目环保措施的落实程度进行环境影响程度对比分析。结果表明,模糊综合评价方法是一种科学合理、简单可行的环境影响评价方法,可以在水利建设项目的环境影响评价中应用推广;同...     

对完善中国大气污染防治工作的几点建议研究

大气是人类乃至其他生物赖以生存和发展的必不可少的环境要素之一。面对近来中国中东大部分地区爆发的雾霾天气,虽具一定偶然性,但纠其根本原因是由重经济发展、轻环境治理的发展模式埋下的恶果,这也使大气污染治理陷入年年治、年年雾的怪圈。大气污染防治是一项系统工程,不是简单从一时的环境应急处理就能解决的。还需要从立法、行政决策、社会监督管理、公众参与、引入市场机制等宏观层面统筹大气污染防治工作,才能从根本上解决顽疾。     

基于模糊数学的环境政策执行力评价方法研究

我国已形成较完整的环境政策体系,但在地方执行过程中却被"异化"、"弱化"了。探索性提出以模糊数学的方法定量评价地方政府对环境政策的执行力,从政策执行情况和执行效果两个方面构建环境政策执行力评价指标体系,并以南通市为例进行评价,南通市2009年环境政策的执行率数据不太理想,但是评价区域的环境质量、节能减排情况尚好,评价结果基本与客观事实相符。应用模糊数学的方法评价环境政策执行力是可行的,构建的评价指标体系也是合理的。     

Promotion of cleaner production investments: international experience

Cleaner Production (CP) should be an essential part of any comprehensive environmental management system at an enterprise or national level. In many cases the adoption of CP improvements can reduce or even eliminate the need for end-of-pipe investments and therefore can have both environmental and economic benefits. Experience shows, that often companies having identified cost-effective and technically-feasible CP options, may still not be able to make necessary CP investment to realise the financial benefits and environmental advantages. Financing of CP projects varies among countries and types of the projects. Domestic and international efforts to strengthen environmental financing still face a number of serious obstacles, many of which are related to profound economic, political and social problems. The detailed evaluation of revolving fund establishment possibilities based on personal experience of the authors in Lithuania, Zimbabwe and Vietnam is presented in the paper.     

A decision inventory approach for improving decision support for climate change impact assessment and adaptation

Assessing and adapting to the impacts of climate change requires balancing social, economic, and environmental factors in the context of an ever-expanding range of objectives, uncertainties, and management options. The term decision support describes a diverse class of resources designed to help manage this complexity and assist decision makers in understanding impacts and evaluating management options. Most climate-related decision support resources implicitly assume that decision making is primarily limited by the quantity and quality of available information. However, a wide variety of evidence suggests that institutional, political, and communication processes are also integral to organizational decision making. Decision support resources designed to address these processes are underrepresented in existing tools. These persistent biases in the design and delivery of decision support may undermine efforts to move decision support from research to practice. The development of new approaches to decision support that consider a wider range of relevant issues is limited by the lack of information about the characteristics, context, and alternatives associated with climate-related decisions. We propose a new approach called a decision assessment and decision inventory that will provide systematic information describing the relevant attributes of climate-related decisions. This information can be used to improve the design of decision support resources, as well as to prioritize research and development investments. Application of this approach will help provide more effective decision support based on a balanced foundation of analytical tools, environmental data, and relevant information about decisions and decision makers.     

A comparison of multiple criteria analysis and unaided approaches to environmental decision making

This study compares multiple criteria analysis (MCA) assisted decisions and unaided decisions in an environmental management context. It involved 55 decision makers in Queensland, Australia, who used MCA techniques to evaluate environmental projects alongside their own intuitive approaches under the Australian Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) program. The NHT is Australia's largest environmental program funded over A$ 2.5 billion over 10 years. The study assessed decision maker learning and perceptions of MCA's overall usefulness. It was found that MCA produced markedly different results to unaided evaluations. Feedback from decision makers typically showed that unaided decisions did not make explicit use of evaluation criteria. Even though most decision makers were unwilling to change their choices following the use of MCA, they found it a helpful input to their decision procedure. The majority of decision makers supported the adoption of MCA to make future investment decisions under the NHT program.     

啤酒的生命周期评价

本文在啤酒酿造阶段基础上,将原料种植及麦芽制备引入研究范围,利用Gabi5.0软件对啤酒进行从摇篮到大门的生命周期评价.各阶段考虑温室效应、酸化、富营养化、非生物资源消耗、人体潜在毒性、光化学毒性6种环境影响类型.结果表明,温室效应是啤酒生产对环境影响的主要类型,占总环境影响潜值43.75%,环境影响由强至弱分别为温室效应、富营养化、酸化、人体潜在毒性、光化学毒性和非生物资源消耗.灌装阶段是造成环境影响的主要阶段,占总环境影响潜值39.77%,种植阶段次之.其中灌装阶段的温室效应、非生物资源消耗、人体潜在毒性和光化学毒性影响潜值为啤酒生产各阶段最高值,种植阶段的富营养化、酸化影响潜值在各阶段最高.对灌装阶段采用传输管道改进,空压机热能回收、蒸汽二次利用等清洁生产方案降低能源消耗和环境影响,方案实施后蒸气和电能消耗分别减少247.66 MJ和4.46 k Wh,温室效应影响潜值减少19.18%,具有一定的环境效益和经济效益.     

基于熵权的西安市大气环境质量模糊综合评价

针对传统方法在评价大气环境质量中存在评价因素单一,不能反映多种污染物对大气环境的综合影响等缺点,文章运用模糊综合评价理论并结合熵值赋权法,选取SO2、NO2、PM10三个污染因子为评价参数,参照国家大气环境质量标准,通过计算污染因子权重分配系数和隶属度,对2006年、2010年西安市区及其不同功能区的大气环境质量作出客观综合评价并加以对比。评价结果表明:2010年西安市区大气环境质量符合国家Ⅱ级标准,较2006年无明显改善且有潜在污染加剧的趋势;西安市内交通区、工业区的大气环境质量劣于全市平均水平,是该市大气环境治理的重点区域;PM10为西安市区最主要污染因子,在全市污染影响普遍,但近年NO2污染呈现的上升趋势也应引起警惕。     

A model for supply chains environmental performance analysis and decision making

The need to include environmental criteria in the analysis of supply chains is increasingly recognized as a result both of limitations that are posed by legislation and regulations as well as of various motivations that a company may have. A decision model is proposed in this paper based on environmental performance indicators, which may support decision making in the case of supply chains in the presence of environmental considerations. The model uses a set of principles applicable to supply chains design and operation available from previous research work.     

PRIMA: a Dutch initiative for environmental improvement of retail assortments

Cleaner production (CP) working methods should facilitate the search for feasible CP options and contribute to their on-going implementation in a company. Over the past decade, numerous working methods have been developed in order to cater for specific segments of industry. This paper describes, compares and analyses the core components of six Dutch working methods to develop a framework for CP methodologies, to draft guidelines for the selection of an appropriate working method for a certain industry, and to identify areas which require additional methodology development. A division is proposed between four types of CP working methods: indicators, scan, pre-assessment and assessment. Each of these has its strengths and weaknesses, which calls for a careful selection of the working method, which in turn could be based on size of the company, material- and energy-intensity of the production, and complexity of the production processes. This comparative evaluation further proves that the working methods are still weak in stimulating the corporate transition process from ‘end-ofpipe’ to CP thinking and acting. It is tentatively concluded that an ‘assessment’ is superior in identifying comparatively radical environmental improvements (‘innovations’) as well as in fostering the integration of CP into the daily operation and management of a company. The use of simplified working methods in selected industries, is, however, justified given their ability to contribute to the implementation of relatively obvious CP options.     

Cleaner production in Danish fish processing – experiences,status and possible future strategies

Danish fish processing industry has been one of the pioneers regarding implementation of cleaner production and environmental management systems. This article describes the experiences with cleaner production (CP) among leading Danish industries producing pickled herring and canned mackerel. The article emphasizes two case studies of ‘first mover’ companies, but data from other ‘proactive’ companies are also included.The article provides an overview of different types of CP solutions, improvement potentials, synergistic effects and possible trade-offs. The development of the applied solutions from the late 1980s until today are analysed and recommendations to future strategies at company level and policy level are provided.It is concluded that significant environmental improvements have been obtained for the analysed companies – especially concerning reductions in water consumption, wastewater emissions, and utilisation of fish ‘waste’ for valuable by-products. Still, more focus could be placed on the reduction of energy consumption, change of packaging types, and environmental impacts in other stages of the products life cycle.Authorities and companies have mainly focused on on-site reductions of wastewater emissions, but life cycle assessments show that more attention should be given to the reductions of environmental impacts in other parts of the product chain, e.g. fishing operations and transport as well.     

大气污染环境下传统康复技能培训在精准扶贫中的应用性探索

在大气污染环境下,传统的康复技能培训能带动地方区域性经济发展,实现精准扶贫,为了定量分析大气污染环境下传统康复技能培训和地区性经济增长关系,提高精准扶贫力度,提出一种基于模糊评价决策的传统康复技能培训经济促进性效益评估模型,并应用在精准扶贫中。构建大气污染环境下传统康复技能培训的经济促进性增长约束变量,结合FMOLS和DOLS方法进行传统康复技能培训在精准扶贫中的促进性指标参量分析,建立精准扶贫的资金回报动态规划模型,采用模糊决策评价决策方法实现康复技能培训的效益评估。     

Enhancing our understanding of the role of environmental policy in environmental innovation: adoption explained by the accumulation of policy instruments and agent-based factors

The empirical literature reports conflicting findings on the relation between environmental policy and environmental innovation: environmental policy both encourages and impedes environmental innovation, resulting in competing theoretical explanations. To find a way out of this counterproductive debate requires new and complementary insights into the effects of different policy instruments. This research therefore advances an approach in which a set of specific policy instruments as well as firms’ behavior regarding CHP (cogeneration of heat and power) adoption are considered as two distinct factors explaining environmental innovation in the Dutch paper and board industry. Using a longitudinal research design, the focus was not on any single policy instrument but on the accumulation of policy instruments. In addition, we studied intra-organizational factors influencing the adoption decision.Overall, we can conclude that paper and board factories perceive governmental environmental policies to be relevant, but that this constitutes just one of the factors influencing adoption processes, next to intra-organizational factors. The relative importance of such policies varies over time and per adoption process. The role of top-down regulation appears to be limited, whereas interactive regulation turned out to be important for several factories in the latest period of adoption. Positive economic instruments were important in almost all adoption processes, but were not and will never be the most important reason for adoption. The most important reason for CHP adoption appears to be high energy prices in combination with cost price reduction or the threat of additional regulation. For future policies, we recommend the implementation of a specific mixture of policy instruments, attuned to the specific industry and reinforcing each other. Moreover, goals should be consistent over time to avoid risk-averse behavior.     

Sustainability criteria for bioenergy systems: results from an expert survey

Environmental impacts associated with the use of fossil fuels, rising prices, potential limitations in supply and concerns about regional and national security are driving the development and use of biomass for bioenergy, biofuels and bioproducts. However, the use of biomass does not automatically imply that its production, conversion and use are sustainable. In order to operationalize sustainability assessments of biomass systems, it is crucial to identify critical criteria, but keep their number and measurement at a manageable level. The selection of these criteria can vary depending on individual's expertise, geographical region where they work, and spatial scale they are focused on. No clear consensus has yet emerged on what experts consider as critical indicators of sustainability. Objectives of this paper were to analyze how key experts perceive the 35 sustainability criteria for bioenergy found in emerging sustainability assessment frameworks and to identify levels of agreement and uncertainty. Experts were asked to rate the criteria for attributes of relevance, practicality, reliability, and importance.Perceptions of the importance of the 35 criteria varied among the experts surveyed. Only two criteria, energy balance and greenhouse gas balance, were perceived as critical by more than half of the respondents. Social criteria and locally applied criteria were generally ranked low for all four attributes. Seven of the 12 criteria scored as most important focused on environmental issues, four were social and only one was economic. Of the 12 most important criteria, seven were ranked low in practicality and reliability indicating that mechanisms to assess a number of important criteria need to be developed. The spatial scale the experts worked at and their profession explained most of the differences in importance ranking between experts, while regional focus had minimal effect. Criteria that were ranked low for importance, were characterized by a lack of consensus, suggesting the need for further debate regarding their inclusion in sustainability assessments.Outcomes of the survey provide a foundation for further discussions and development of sustainability assessments for bioenergy systems and may also provide a basis for assessing individual bioenergy projects within their specific geographic, ecological, societal, and technological context and scale.     

Towards mitigation of greenhouse gases by small changes in farming practices: understanding local barriers in Spain

Small changes in agricultural practices have a large potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the implementation of such practices at the local level is often limited by a range of barriers. Understanding the barriers is essential for defining effective measures, the actual mitigation potential of the measures, and the policy needs to ensure implementation. Here we evaluate behavioural, cultural, and policy barriers for implementation of mitigation practices at the local level that imply small changes to farmers. The choice of potential mitigation practices relevant to the case study is based on a literature review of previous empirical studies. Two methods that include the stakeholders’ involvement (experts and farmers) are undertaken for the prioritization of these potential practices: (a) Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) of the choices of an expert panel and (b) Analysis of barriers to implementation based on a survey of farmers. The MCA considers two future climate scenarios – current climate and a drier and warmer climate scenario. Results suggest that all potential selected practices are suitable for mitigation considering multiple criteria in both scenarios. Nevertheless, if all the barriers for implementation had the same influence, the preferred mitigation practices in the case study would be changes in fertilization management and use of cover crops. The identification of barriers for the implementation of the practices is based on the econometric analysis of surveys given to farmers. Results show that farmers’ environmental concerns, financial incentives and access to technical advice are the main factors that define their barriers to implementation. These results may contribute to develop effective mitigation policy to be included in the 2020 review of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy.