Applying 3DCE to environmentally responsible manufacturing practices

A review of recent literature in the fields of operations, supply chain, and management indicates there is on-going interest in improving new product development (NPD) performance. Three-dimensional concurrent engineering (3DCE), the simultaneous design of product, process and supply chain have been proposed as a way to improve traditional NPD outcomes, such as reduced time to market, lower costs, and improved customer acceptance. There appears to be a lesser concern associated with the environmental impacts of new products. Environmentally responsible manufacturing (ERM) on new product development focuses on reduced emissions, hazardous materials elimination, and lower product weight without sacrificing functionality. This paper explores the following issue: will employing 3DCE to integrate NPD and ERM yield better benefits than the separate and uncoordinated application of environmental goals and NPD initiatives?     

丹麦将全力支持中国走低碳环保之路

<正>丹麦作为北欧最小的国家,正在迈向零碳的童话世界,成为全世界最环保的国家。丹麦究竟有什么秘诀?是如何做到经济持续增长而碳排放降低的呢?时值今年中国和丹麦建交65周年,《世界环境》近日专访了丹麦新任驻华大使戴世阁(Anders Carsten Damsgaard)先生。世界环境:丹麦可以说是全世界最环保的国家,那么丹麦环保最大的优势是什么?丹麦驻华大使戴世阁:长期以来,丹麦在     

基于响应面模型的区域大气污染控制辅助决策工具研发

基于CMAQ模型结果,利用高维克里金插值算法,建立了排放控制因子与污染物环境浓度的响应面模型(RSM),实现了大气污染可控源排放与复合污染水平的实时函数响应.研究结果显示,RSM对PM2.5的预测结果与CMAQ实际模拟结果的误差在容许范围内(最大误差小于0.20μg.m-3,3.89%).基于所建立的RSM,开发了RSM-VAT区域大气污染控制可视化辅助决策工具.使用RSM-VAT对美国8个典型城市的PM2.5污染状况进行了控制情景分析,通过"可视化展示"和"图表分析"二大模块,输出不同控制情景下的环境污染物浓度的实时响应图、可视化展示和数据分析图表等结果.     

Qualitative analysis and quantitative simulation on Yin-Huang water salinization mechanism in Bei-Da-Gang reservoir

Yellow River water transfer for Tianjin is important in solving the water shortage in Tianjin, which facilitate economic development and social progress for many years. Fresh water drawn from Yellow River（ i. e., Yin-Huang water） becomes saltier and saltier when being stored in the Bei-Da-Gang reservoir. We qualitatively analyze the water salinization mechanism based on mass transfer theory. The main factors are salinity transfer of saline soil, evaporation concentrating, and the agitation of wind. A simulative experimental pond and an evaporation pond were built beside the Bei-Da-Gang reservoir to quantitatively investigate the water salinization based on water and solute balance in the simulative pond. 80% of increased [Cl^-] is due to the salinity transfer of the saline soil and the other 20% is due to evaporation concentrating, so the former is the most important factor. We found that the salinization of Yin-Huang water can be described with a zero-dimension linear model.     

Product development and responsible consumption: designing alternatives for sustainable lifestyles

This paper presents insights from a research project that examines the notion of ‘responsible consumption’, its relationship to consumer preferences and expectations, and its implications for product design and development. The paper discusses the issue of sustainable consumption in relation to product development and summarizes initial findings from a study conducted among people who consider themselves responsible consumers. Notably, four different profiles of ‘simplifiers’ are described. The study shows that people who took part in the research adopt more sustainable lifestyles not only because of an ecological consciousness, but also because of perceived personal factors or benefits. The study also reveals that participants have both a close and distant relationship to objects and that they prefer products that allow them to be engaged in the activity of “doing”. Product development strategies informed by these insights are explored. The paper suggests that product designers can support and encourage those already active or interested in orienting their consumption habits towards more sustainable solutions by envisioning appropriate ecologically and socially responsible product alternatives.     

A tool to implement sustainable end-of-life strategies in the product development phase

Responding to constantly more demanding European legislation, notably for electrical and electronic equipment, worn-out vehicles or hazardous substances, manufacturers have to develop End of Life (EoL) strategies. The challenge today is to assess which “product EoL process” would be profitable for an enterprise given the business model in place. Most of the Original Equipment Manufacturers recycle or subcontract reverse logistic and EoL treatments. Recycling is currently the most common solution but it is far from meeting the goals of Sustainable Development. We believe that, integrating constraints from EoL strategies into the early phases of design is one important aspect that needs to be improved. We are currently combining this idea with principles from concurrent engineering to develop design aids which permits designers to compare their products to “Remanufacturable Product Profiles”. However, conscious those EoL solutions often involve several strategies; it is now envisaged to develop tools to help designers make optimal decisions while designing a product considering 3R strategies: Reuse, Remanufacture and Recycle. In this paper, our vision of why and how to integrate EoL strategies in the early design phases is presented, and what tools to apply 3R strategies are envisaged, considering the evolving architecture of the product, and the translation of transversal information into design criteria.     

Development and application of a decision support tool for reduction of product losses in the food-processing industry

In food-processing industries, reduction of product losses is important for improving profitability and sustainability. This paper presents a decision support tool for analyzing the effects of planning decisions on the amount of product losses in the food-processing industry. We created a research framework to collect and analyze data, supporting the development of an Excel-based decision support tool that helps to evaluate different scenarios for the planning decisions and production parameters. The tool was developed in co-operation with and implemented in a real-life dairy plant, where the tool was able to reduce the planning-related losses by nearly 20%. But an equally important result is the insight gained on the interactions between processing, packaging, and intermediate storage. The framework and tool can easily be implemented in other situations.     

An exploration of measures of social sustainability and their application to supply chain decisions

Sustainability recognizes the interdependence of ecological, social, and economic systems – the three pillars of sustainability. The definition of corporate social responsibility (CSR) often advocates ethical behavior with respect to these systems. As more corporations commit to sustainability and CSR policies, there is increasing pressure to consider social impacts throughout the supply chain. This paper reviews metrics, indicators, and frameworks of social impacts and initiatives relative to their ability to evaluate the social sustainability of supply chains. Then, the relationship between business decision-making and social sustainability is explored with attention initially focused on directly impacting national level measures. A general strategy for considering measures of social sustainability is proposed, and a variety of indicators of CSR are described. Several of these indicators are then employed in an example to demonstrate how they may be applied to supply chain decision-making.     

A proposed Multi Criteria Analysis decision support tool for international environmental policy issues: a pilot application to emissions control in the international aviation sector

Policy making at the level of international environmental problems appears to lack a transparent, multi criteria based, decision support ‘tool’. This is due mainly to the highly political, volatile, and contextual nature of issues at this level. The environmental problem of how to regulate emissions from international civil aviation due to their transboundary nature, and the participation of international and domestic players, makes it a ‘wicked’ international environmental problem where policy making has proved problematic. This problem has been used as the basis for developing and pilot testing a tool for contributing to international policymaking, the Multi Criteria Decision Support System (MCDSS). This tool is based on simplifying and integrating key components of Multi Criteria Analysis with a Decision Support System. A preliminary application of the tool explored three options for progressing the reduction of aviation emissions. Testing was based on the allocation of weights to environmental, social, economic and institutional categories, which were each then internally weighted to reflect key criteria in the policy process. Finally, likely performances of each option, against the criteria, were evaluated against Likert scale measures. The outputs from each of these steps were combined to generate a summed best policy option. Conclusions have been drawn and they indicate that the tool is potentially useful especially in the initial stages of policy development. The MCDSS is not an alternative to the international policy process, but rather complements, and makes explicit key tradeoffs in, that process.     

Project feasibility study: the key to successful implementation of sustainable and socially responsible construction management practice

This paper introduces a new approach for conducting project feasibility study by embracing the principles of sustainable development. Construction projects, in particular, infrastructures have major influence on the attainment of sustainable development, thus project sustainability needs to be considered. This becomes a pressing issue particularly in those developing countries or regions, such as China where a huge amount of construction works are currently performed and remain to happen in the future. Previous study has addressed little on the relevance of project feasibility study to project sustainability performance. The importance of incorporating sustainable development principles in conducting project feasibility study is not effectively understood by project stakeholders. This paper addresses major challenges of undertaking project feasibility study in line with sustainable construction practice with reference to the Chinese construction industry. A case study approach is the major research method in this study. The research team collected 87 feasibility study reports from various projects. Attributes are used for measuring project performance, including 18 economic performance attributes, nine social performance attributes, and eight environmental performance attributes. Research results show that economic performance is given the most concern in the current practice of project feasibility study, whilst less attention is given to the social and environmental performance. The study reveals the insufficiency of examining the performance of implementing a construction project from the perspective of sustainable development. The results also suggest the need for shifting the traditional approach of project feasibility study to a new approach that embraces the principles of sustainable development.     

Contexualising the tool development process through a knowledge brokering approach: The case of climate change adaptation and agriculture

This article applies a ‘knowledge brokering’ approach to contextualise the development of an integrated computer modelling tool into the real world policy context of adaptation of agriculture to climate change at the EU level. In particular, the article tests a number of knowledge brokering strategies described and theorised in the literature, but seldom empirically tested. The article finds that while the policy context can be used to identify a theoretically informed knowledge brokering strategy, in practice a strategy's ‘success’ is more informed by practical considerations, such as whether the tool development process is knowledge or demand driven. In addition, in practice the knowledge brokering process is found to be dynamic and messy, which is not always apparent in the literature. The article goes on to question the perception that there is always a need (or a desire) to bridge the gap between researchers and policy makers in the tool development process. Rather than a problem of design and communication, the science policy interface may be characterised more by a high level of competition between researchers and research organisations to have their tool legitimised by its use in the policy making process.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Using pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR to analyze microbial communities

New high-throughput technologies continue to emerge for studying complex microbial communities. In particular, massively parallel pyrosequencing enables very high numbers of sequences, providing a more complete view of community structures and a more accurate inference of the functions than has been possible just a few years ago. In parallel, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) allows quantitative monitoring of specific community members over time, space, or different environmental conditions. In this review, the principles of these two methods and their complementary applications in studying microbial ecology in bioenvironmental systems are discussed. The parallel sequencing of amplicon libraries and using barcodes to differentiate multiple samples in a pyrosequencing run are explained. The best procedures and chemistries for QPCR amplifications are also described and advantages of applying automation to increase accuracy are addressed. Three examples in which pyrosequencing and QPCR were used together to define and quantify members of microbial communities are provided: in the human large intestine, in a methanogenic digester whose sludge was made more bioavailable by a high-voltage pretreatment, and on the biofilm anode of a microbial electrolytic cell. The key findings in these systems and how both methods were used in concert to achieve those findings are highlighted.     

土地利用系统对区域可持续发展的支撑力评价：方法与实证

土地利用系统作为人类与自然界交互的关键载体,在区域可持续发展过程中占据重要地位。为分析其与联合国可持续发展目标（SDGs）的关联特征,解释其对SDGs的支撑能力,构建土地利用系统内涵解析框架,探索其对SDGs的支撑机制并构建可持续发展支撑力评价体系,以山东省为例进行实证分析。研究结果表明：（1）以土地利用系统为核心,在人地关系视角下解析其与社会、经济、生态系统的交互作用,分析其在人地耦合系统中的运行机制,揭示其与可持续发展的相关关系,可为确定土地利用系统可持续发展目标提供理论解析。（2）山东省土地利用系统支撑力呈“省域西低东高、市域中心低周围高”分布,研究期内,66%的区域实现了支撑能力的提升,支撑力变化呈现“西北部提升、中部及东部下降”现象。具有农业优势的西部平原区对SDGs的直接支撑及自身稳定力提升,但间接支撑力有所下降,东部经济发达区自身稳定力有所提高,但直接及间接支撑力下降。（3）各类型支撑力变化空间相关性显著。显著区域多分布在市辖区,菏泽市农业发展能力的辐射带动作用较强,东营市土地经济产出及社会供应能力呈高—高集聚,土地自身稳定力呈低—低集聚。研究提出了土地利用系统支撑可持续发展的新视角,可为后续研究提供借鉴,实证分析为山东省可持续发展战略提供决策建议,为国土空间规划背景下的政策调控提供参考。     

Fuzzy modelling to identify key drivers of ecological water quality to support decision and policy making

Water quality modelling is an effective tool to investigate, describe and predict the ecological state of an aquatic ecosystem. Various environmental variables may simultaneously affect water quality. Appropriate selection of a limited number of key-variables facilitates cost-effective management of water resources. This paper aims to determine (and analyse the effect of) the major environmental variables predicting ecological water quality through the application of fuzzy models. In this study, a fuzzy logic methodology, previously applied to predict species distributions, was extended to model environmental effects on a whole community. In a second step, the developed models were applied in a more general water management context to support decision and policy making. A hill-climbing optimisation algorithm was applied to relate ecological water quality and environmental variables to the community indicator. The optimal model was selected based on the predictive performance (Cohen’s Kappa), ecological relevance and model’s interpretability. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was performed as an extra element to analyse and evaluate the optimal model. The optimal model included the variables land use, chlorophyll and flow velocity. The variable selection method and sensitivity analysis indicated that land use influences ecological water quality the most and that it affects the effect of other variables on water quality to a high extent. The model outcome can support spatial planning related to land use in river basins and policy making related to flows and water quality standards. Fuzzy models are transparent to a wide range of users and therefore may stimulate communication between modellers, river managers, policy makers and stakeholders.     

Finding urban waste management solutions and policies: Waste-to-energy development and livelihood support system in Payatas,Metro Manila,Philippines

One of the potential solutions in social and environmental sustainability in municipal solid waste management (MSW) in Metro Manila is to combine community-based recycling and sound landfill management strategies. The marriage of the two puts importance on recycling as a source of livelihood while proper landfill management aims to improve the aesthetic and environmental quality of disposal facilities in urban areas. To do this, a social mapping of wastepickers, junkshops and local recycling practices needs to be undertaken and at the same time assess strategies of the national and local governments vis-à-vis existing laws on municipal solid waste. The case of Payatas controlled disposal facility was taken as a pilot study because it represents the general condition of disposal sites in Metro Manila and the social landscape that it currently has. In addition, a waste-to-energy (WTE) project has been established in Payatas to produce electricity from methane gas. Preliminary interviews with wastepickers show that development interventions in disposal sites such as WTE pose no opposition from host communities for as long as alternative livelihood opportunities are provided. Regulating the flow of wastepickers into the landfill has advantages like improved income and security. Felt needs were also articulated like provision of financial support or capital for junkshop operation and skills training. Overall, a smooth relationship between the local government and community associations pays well in a transitioning landfill management scheme such as Payatas.     

Settlement decisions in blue tits: difference in the use of social information according to age and individual success

Dispersers are expected to assess breeding habitat quality before settlement. Although cues reflecting habitat quality are well studied, social cues have not been as well evaluated. In this paper, we studied breeding habitat selection during 3 years in a natural population of blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, breeding in nest-boxes. Our aim was to investigate if this species used conspecific density and/or reproductive success of con- and heterospecifics (i.e., social cues) in settlement decisions. The patterns observed were consistent with the idea that juveniles, when dispersing from their natal patches, did not react to any of the cues that we tested. In contrast, breeders that dispersed seemed to respond to both conspecific mean patch reproductive success (PRS) and breeding density of the settlement patch in the year of dispersal, their response differing according to their own reproductive success. Indeed, failed breeders moved to areas with high PRS and low density relative to source patches, while successful breeders behaved the opposite. The comparison between juveniles and adults might be modulated by the limited time available to juveniles to gather information on PRS and density at the end of the dispersing year. Adults lacking these time constraints, however, seemed to rely on these conspecific cues although limited by their own quality. Additionally, breeders were more likely to be immigrants in patches with relatively low breeding success and density the previous year, suggesting that settlement is influenced by multiple cues, which may reveal information on different aspects of habitat and be available at different moments. Collectively, our results support the importance of social cues for blue tits’ settlement.     

从定性评价到定量评价:学术评价的再度异化及其对学术出版的影响

市场经济的发展,社会选人用人机制的需要,将学术评价推到了一个前所未有的高度,并从定性评价发展到定量评价,进而演变为数量迷信,导致学术评价的再度异化与学术出版质量的不断下滑。要消除学术评价中的异化现象,不断提高学术出版的质量,就必须坚持定性评价与定量评价相结合;实行小同行基础上的大众化评价;建立学术评价的元评价机制,以及学术评价信息公开制度,为公正、合理的学术评价机制的建立和学术出版质量的不断提高提供良好的基础和宽松的社会文化环境。     

Assessing groundwater vulnerability to pollution to promote sustainable urban and rural development

Groundwater resource management should be integrated with regional land-use planning. The objectives of such planning should respond to regional and long-term design needs, which can maximize human-life quality, achieve a balance between ecological and engineering approaches to land-use alteration, and lead to sustainable groundwater resources. Regional plans should be designed in harmony with natural amenities, restrictions of the environment, and water needs so as to provide adequate rural amenities to urban areas and adequate urban amenities to rural areas.Maximum efficiency of these remediation measures can be attained in urban areas only if hydrological barriers which aim to preserve fresh water resources from pollution are simultaneously emplaced with greenbelts which not only aim to promote ground vegetation and soil stability, but also reduce the input of potential pollutants. Similarly, in rural areas abstraction of fresh groundwater should also be paired with aquifer recharge. From this study it can be stated that only integrated hydrological, environmental, and land-use measures could offset the present malaise of inharmonious land-use, water resources, and socio-economic planning with balanced design needs, in order to achieve integrated urban/rural land-use for sustainable groundwater resources planning.     

A new tool to map the major worldviews in the Netherlands and USA,and explore how they relate to climate change

For addressing climate change, public support for changes in policy is needed, as well changes in individual lifestyles. Both of these appear to be intimately related with people’s worldviews. Understanding these worldviews is therefore essential. In order to research and ‘map’ them, we translated the theoretical ‘Integrative Worldview Framework’ (IWF) into an empirical, quantitative approach. We constructed a worldview-scale aiming to distinguish between four major worldviews – labeled traditional, modern, postmodern, and integrative – and explored their interface with opinions and behaviors with respect to climate change. The survey was conducted with representative samples of citizens in the Netherlands and the USA (n = 527 and n = 556). The hypothesized worldviews were found in the data with a reasonable degree of reliability, especially in the Dutch sample. We also found consistent relationships between these worldview-clusters and a range of opinions, political priorities, and behaviors. In both countries postmoderns and integratives displayed significantly more concern about climate change as well as more sustainable behaviors, compared with moderns and traditionals. The implications of these findings for environmental policy and social science are noteworthy.