Consumer response to integrated pest management and certification

This study investigated consumer awareness of integrated pest management (IPM) and the effects of two marketing strategies. Specific objectives were to find whether eastern Massachusetts farmstand and farmers' market customers purchasing sweet corn care how their food is grown, whether they are aware of IPM, whether they would prefer to buy IPM-certified sweet corn and why, and whether the marketing methods presently available to IPM-certified growers can enhance awareness of IPM. In 1993, the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture in collaboration with the IPM Program at the University of Massachusetts began a pilot IPM certification program for sweet corn and strawberries, designated ‘Partners with Nature’ (PWN). This study compared a ‘passive’ and ‘active’ PWN marketing strategy with a control that did not have any PWN publicity. The passive strategy was simply display of a PWN certificate and poster. The active strategy also included newspaper advertisements, clear labeling of corn as IPM-certified at the point of selection, a PWN sticker placed on bags of corn at payment, personally thanking customers for ‘buying our IPM-certified sweet corn’, and IPM brochures available to customers. Thirty purchasers of IPM-grown corn were interviewed at each of six farmstands and six farmers' markets.The dominant reason why customers patronize farmstands and farmers' markets was convenience. As found by other northeastern surveys, awareness of IPM was low: only 19% had heard of IPM before the survey, and only 38% of these could mention a specific method used in IPM. Although 45% of the respondents initially said that they did not care how their food is grown, 85% said that they would prefer to buy IPM-certified sweet corn after hearing a short definition. The definition gave only environmental benefits, but 74% of the customers preferring IPM-certified corn said they would buy it because it is safer or healthier. Most of the respondents claimed that they would be willing to pay 10% more for IPM-certified corn. Simply displaying an IPM poster had no significant results on consumer preference for IPM-grown produce, but active marketing significantly raised awareness of IPM and the PWN program.This study demonstrated the willingness of customers to support IPM because they believe it will have positive consequences for human health and environmental quality. It is concluded that sweet corn marketing based on IPM certification positively influenced consumer reactions to IPM; and a more extensive, diverse marketing strategy would enhance consumer awareness and support.     

A game theory framework for cooperative management of refillable and disposable bottle lifecycles

Firms engaged in industrial ecology hope to reduce environmental impacts and costs, improve resource efficiency, and create symbiotic relationships that reduce transaction costs and enhance information flow. However, current LCA tools do not explain firms' incentives to implement the principles of industrial ecology, or how an individual or firm can affect the products and processes at other firms. Game theory, on the other hand, allows investigation of the willingness of producers and consumers to seek strategies that promote the common interest of the system while not harming their own interests. This paper applies game theory to the lifecycle of bottle packaging, and presents a framework for analysis of the choice between refillable and disposable bottles. Although refillable bottles may be more cost effective in the long run, bottlers only have incentive to use refillable bottles when they are sure that consumer return rates will be reasonably high. It has been found that consumers who keep or dispose of refillable bottles, or respond to deposit/refund return incentives by reducing their demand, may drive costs up and encourage adoption of disposables. A simple model is provided which finds the optimal bottler strategy as a function of the bottler's expectations for consumer cooperation.     

日本的废物综合利用现状及展望

综合利用在解决废物问题方面起着重要的作用,促进综合利用不仅可以减少废物的产生量,又可节约地球资源文中介绍了日本废物再利用的现状和面临的问题,阐明了今后为了进一步推进综合利用,不仅要使用再生材料生产产品,而且更有必要去积极地购买这些综合利用产品。      

城市环境地理信息系统(CEGIS)建立及开发过程应注意几个问题——以汕头市环境地理信息系统为例

城市环境地理信息系统是地理信息系统的一个分支，是将计算机硬件、网络产品，应用开发和用户需求结合起来，形成完善的应用工程，它既是经验技术的结合，同时也代表着一种系统、现实、面向应用的思想。本文以汕头市为例，详细介绍了城市地理信息系统建立方法及在系统建设开发过程中应注意的几个问题，以使地理信息系统更好地为环境保护服务。     

Product lifetime optimization: a challenging strategy towards more sustainable consumption patterns

This article discusses how and when product lifetime optimization of consumer goods can be a challenging strategy towards more sustainable consumption. First, the environmental desirability of longer lasting products is discussed. This leads to the introduction of the ecological payback period, a simple rule of thumb to determine when product lifetime extension is environmentally sound. The effectiveness of extending the product lifetime depends, however, on the replacement motives of consumers. Based on qualitative and quantitative consumer research, a typology of four general replacement motives is presented: wear and tear, improved utility, improved expression and new desires.     

Product-related environmental information to guide consumer purchases – a review and analysis of research on perceptions,understanding and use among Nordic consumers

Informed product choices are a prerequisite for the greening of consumption. Nordic consumers are subject to an ever-growing amount of product-related environmental information that is available in a number of formats. The degree to which they use information is disputed. This paper reviews Nordic research on consumer perceptions, understanding and use of product-related environmental information. The majority of the publications point to a great number of consumers, who recognise, know and possess sufficient confidence in the main eco-labels and should therefore, be able to use them. However, this is not always the case. How the product-related environmental information works in the market place is dependent upon many determinants related to the purchasing moment. Therefore, in contrast to the majority of research on the topic, studies of the use of product-related environmental information suggests that the focus should be on the purchasing decision and take into account the dynamic context of the diverse purchasing situations.     

Methodological complexities of product carbon footprinting: a sensitivity analysis of key variables in a developing country context

Product carbon footprinting schemes adopt different analytical methodologies. The calculations can also be affected by limited data availability and uncertainty surrounding the value of key variables. The combination of these factors reduces the validity of comparing carbon footprints between products and countries.We used data from sugar production in Zambia and Mauritius to test how variations in methodology affected the product carbon footprint (PCF). We calculated a PCF according to PAS 2050 and explored the sensitivity of the results to the variation of key variables.Results showed that land use change emissions can dominate PCFs. The largest potential impact came from assuming global worst case data for land use change emissions where a product's origin is unknown (+1900%). The issue of land use change can lead to high carbon footprints for products from developing countries where more natural vegetation is still being converted and data are most lacking. When land use change is not important, variables such as electricity emission factors, capital inputs and loss of soil carbon had significant impacts on the PCF.This analysis highlights the large effect of methodology on PCFs. These results are of particular concern for developing countries where data are scarce and the use of global worst case data may be prescribed. We recommend the development of more precise emission factors for tropical countries and bio-regions, and encourage the transparent use of PCF methodologies, where data sources, uncertainties and variability are explicitly noted.     

电子废弃物回收处置及再循环利用——基于在校大学生的问卷调查

随着现代科技的迅猛发展和人们消费水平的日益提高，越来越多的电子产品被时尚性淘汰，其次是功能性淘汰，而由于耐久性淘汰的电子废弃物所占比例越来越低。问卷调查结果表明，体验消费、追求时尚和更多功能是在校大学生消费电子产品的主要特征；大多数被调查者不满意目前的电子废弃物回收途径，期待能有所改善；接近三成的在校大学生不知道如何合理处置电子废弃物；消费者、生产者和废品回收者的环保意识水平较低，市场不规范和政府在法律法规及监管上的疏漏，是造成目前电子废弃物回收市场秩序混乱的主要原因。     

Promoting factors and early indicators of a successful product panel

Product panels are presented as a promising method to find solutions for environmental problems arising from specific product groups. These panels consist of representatives of manufacturers, retail, research, environmental and consumer administration, recycling, and various other stakeholders who work together in the panel to draft plans of action aiming at improvements in the environmental characteristics of products and services, and promotion for environmentally sound products and services in the various markets.The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that promote successful panel work as based on the experiences from the Danish and Finnish product panels. In addition, we aim at finding several indicators in panel work that can help lead to successful results already in the early phase and, on the other hand, help to recognize panels that will be ineffective from the viewpoint of environmental policy. We also describe how the findings from the Danish and Finnish textile panels were applied to a new product panel in Finland dealing with furniture and how this panel has started its work.The paper is based on existing material about the three panels, including reports and websites of the Danish product panels and the Finnish Furniture panel. In addition, unpublished memos of the meetings of the three panels have been studied. An evaluation report of the Danish panels was very useful for the discussion of the findings. The authors have also participated in the furniture panel as a member and a secretary.Experiences from the Danish textile panel and some early results of the Finnish furniture panel indicate that, under the right conditions, gathering stakeholders from the whole product chain and administration into a panel can be an efficient way to promote the market for greener products and thus, can serve as a tool for integrated product policy. Key success factors include the basic idea, committed people and openness of the product panels. It is also important that the initiator give some guidance in the form of schedule, action plan and some preset objectives.     

Toxics Use Reduction in the Home: Lessons Learned from Household Exposure Studies

Workers and fence-line communities have been the first to benefit from the substantial reductions in toxic chemical use and byproducts in industrial production resulting from the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA). As TURA motivates reformulation of products as well as retooling of production processes, benefits could extend more broadly to large-scale reductions in everyday exposures for the general population. Household exposure studies, including those conducted by Silent Spring Institute, show that people are exposed to complex mixtures of indoor toxics from building materials and a myriad of consumer products. Pollutants in homes are likely to have multiple health effects because many are classified as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), with the ability to interfere with the body’s hormone system. Product-related EDCs measured in homes include phthalates, halogenated flame retardants, and alkylphenols. Silent Spring Institute’s chemical analysis of personal care and cleaning products confirms many are potential sources of EDCs, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive toxics use reduction (TUR) approach to reduce those exposures. Toxics use reduction targeted at EDCs in consumer products has the potential to substantially reduce occupational and residential exposures. The lessons that have emerged from household exposure research can inform improved chemicals management policies at the state and national levels, leading to safer products and widespread health and environmental benefits.     

Assessment of eco-labelling criteria development from a strategic sustainability perspective

To turn current patterns of consumption and production in a sustainable direction, solid and understandable market information on the socio-ecological performance of products is needed. Eco-labelling programmes have an important role in this communication. The aim of this study is to investigate what gaps there may be in the current criteria development processes in relation to a strategic sustainability perspective and develop recommendations on how such presumptive gaps could be bridged. First a previously published generic framework for strategic sustainable development is described and applied for the assessment of two eco-labelling programmes. Data for the assessment is collected from literature and in semi-structured interviews and discussions with eco-labelling experts.The assessment revealed that the programmes lack both an operational definition of sustainability, and a statement of objectives to direct and drive the criteria development processes. Consequently they also lack guidelines for how product category criteria might gradually develop in any direction. The selected criteria mainly reflect the current reality based on a selection of negative impacts in ecosystems, but how this selection, or prioritization, is made is not clearly presented. Finally, there are no guidelines to ensure that the criteria developers represent a broad enough competence to embrace all essential sustainability aspects.In conclusion the results point at deficiencies in theory, process and practice of eco-labelling, which hampers cohesiveness, transparency and comprehension. And it hampers predictability, as producers get no support in foreseeing how coming revisions of criteria will develop. This represents a lost opportunity for strategic sustainable development. It is suggested that these problems could be avoided by informing the criteria development process by a framework for strategic sustainable development, based on backcasting from basic sustainability principles.     

超市塑料袋使用行为的环境实验研究

塑料购物袋一直是社会关注的热点环境问题。文章以上海某超市为对象,采用现场观察实验方法记录了5 086份超市顾客塑料袋使用行为的样本,初步揭示了超市塑料袋使用情况和塑料袋使用的顾客行为特征,尝试为超市塑料袋的环境管理政策提供基础性的科学依据。结果表明:(1)超市中主要有3种塑料袋使用方式,依次为购买塑料袋、自带购物袋、使用免费手撕袋,其比例为15%、29%、9%,说明目前塑料袋使用行为具有一定的多样性;(2)影响顾客购买塑料袋的因素为是否有会员卡、是否徒手购物、购物金额,其偏相关系数依次为0.114、0.085、0.042。占总样本63.4%的单人购物情境中,购买塑料袋的影响因素为是否徒手购物、是否有会员卡、年龄、购物金额、性别,偏相关系数依次为0.849、0.486、0.329、0.291、0.180;说明影响塑料袋使用的因素具有综合性和复杂性。(3)顾客购物金额、购物件数、结账时间与塑料袋购买比例有密切的正相关关系;(4)按照购买塑料袋的倾向程度,可将顾客分为高、中、低3类特征群体。其中,购买倾向最高的顾客特征为无会员卡的男性中青年、非徒手购物,购物金额较高。文章研究为解决环境管理问题提供了一种基于现场观察实验方法的案例参考,建议将定量、可重复、可检验、以现场观察记录主的实验方法应用于各类环境问题研究和解决方案中,为环境管理提供更扎实的科学依据。     

塑料制品中微塑料的释放行为及在环境中的迁移规律研究进展

塑料制品的管理及处置不善是导致微塑料污染的关键因素,微塑料不仅会与环境中多种污染物相互吸附,也极易被大型藻类、动物、植物等生物摄入富集,具有巨大的环境风险。城市作为塑料制品的主要生产以及消费主体,是微塑料污染的重要源头。塑料制品会受到各种环境因素的影响,如温度、光照、机械力、水力作用等,发生老化、裂解、剥离进而迁移至自然环境,存在潜在的污染风险。掌握微塑料从塑料制品中的释放行为以及在环境介质中的迁移规律,对评估城市源微塑料污染风险十分重要。综述了城市生活用品、垃圾、基础设施中微塑料的释放行为,阐述了微塑料在水、砂及土壤介质中的迁移规律,为微塑料污染的风险评估及防控提供依据。今后可在环境因素对城市塑料设施中微塑料释放、迁移的影响,以及微塑料与城市水环境中污染物的相互作用行为2个方面进行深入研究。     

Emergy as a tool for Ecodesign: evaluating materials selection for beverage packages in Brazil

The life of a product begins with the initial product design concepts; the costs and potential impacts of a product are heavily influenced by the final design, the production processes, the economic and environmental costs of all raw materials. Additionally, both of these factors are very much affected by how the products are managed during and after consumer usage. Thus, there is an urgent need for a tool to facilitate the integration and assessment of environmental and economic demands into the product planning and development processes. The introduction of environmental accounting based on emergy as a tool to assist in product design is proposed. This complementary tool may be inserted into the conventional design methodology to facilitate in the selection of materials and processes as well as in the actual design of the products. To illustrate the application of the proposed method for material selection, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles and aluminum cans for beverage packaging are compared. Despite the exceptional condition of aluminum recycling in Brazil, results show that the best option for beverage packages is the PET bottles.     

Functional and systems aspects of the sustainable product and service development approach for industry

The Sustainable Product and/or Service Development (SPSD) approach is a pragmatic industry support encompassing a range of strategies aimed at maximising environmental and social performance in all types of “offerings” whether they are “products”, “services” or Product Service Systems (PSS). Implementation of the approach was tested in industry and conclusions reached on the effectiveness of the strategies included in terms of developing an offering with improved sustainability performance as well as practical use as an industry approach. Two strategies incorporated are functional and systems thinking, as these are seen as key for increasing the environmental benefits of offerings. This paper summarises the SPSD approach, general industry testing results, describes how and why functional and systems strategies are incorporated in it and industry testing results relating to their use. This provides valuable information on how functional and systems related considerations can be practically and effectively included in sustainable offering development.     

高耗水工业用水量控制和水价调整政策效果研究:基于水资源动态CGE的分析

论文应用水资源动态CGE模型,研究和分析了高耗水工业不同水资源管理政策对经济、社会和水资源利用的影响。文章首先构建了将水资源作为生产要素的CGE模型,并建立了动态机制,然后以2010年为基准年模拟和分析了2010—2020年间高耗水工业用水量控制和水价上涨不同情景下的影响。分析表明:高耗水工业的水量控制比水价调整对宏观经济的影响大,表现为GDP和居民福利的显著下降以及投资的大幅度上升;而高耗水工业水价上升对宏观经济的影响较小,表现为GDP的小幅度上升以及居民福利的小幅度下降和投资的上升;对部门的影响比较复杂,但高耗水工业水量下降和水价上升,都将导致其产出降低。对水资源利用的影响显示,水量控制和水价上升对用水总量的影响较小,但对提高工业用水效率都十分显著。     

中国农产品贸易的虚拟土地资源量化研究

虚拟资源对于揭示农产品贸易隐含的资源流动及效应具有重要意义。随着我国农产品贸易量和贸易格局的变化,定量核算我国农产品贸易隐含的土地资源量变化,可以从资源利用的角度评价我国农产品贸易的合理性,为相关贸易政策的制定提供理论依据。研究重点探讨了农产品及加工制品的虚拟土地资源量的核算方法,分别从生产者角度和消费者角度对1986—2009年我国农作物产品及其加工制品贸易的虚拟土地资源量进行了核算。计算结果表明,我国农作物产品隐含的虚拟土地资源量由1986年的净出口442.6×10⁴ hm²,转变为2009年的净进口2 889.0×10⁴ hm²,假设进口农产品在本国生产的情况下,2009年我国所需的虚拟土地资源量为3 817.5×10⁴ hm²。从虚拟土地资源进口结构和空间分布来看,我国虚拟土地资源净进口主要作物类别由谷物转变为油料作物,主要进口来源国由美国、加拿大、澳大利亚转变为美国、巴西、阿根廷。     

烷基酚聚氧乙烯醚类物质的环境雌激素效应

随着环境污染的加剧,环境污染物的雌激素效应成为当前科学研究的一个热点,烷基酚聚氧乙烯醚（APEs）类物质即为具有雌激素效应的环境污染物之一、APEs为一类非离子表面活性剂在工业生产和家庭洗涤中应用广泛,APEs类物质进入环境后可以降解为一些中间代谢物,这些中间代谢物具有环境持久性,很难在环境中进一步降解．研究人员通过3种活体外生物评估法研究发现APEs的中间代谢物具有雌激素活性,可以诱导水体中雄性鱼类等生物的雌性化,同时对哺乳动物和人类健康也具有潜在危害,因此进行更加深入研究,确定APEs类物质对人体的危害,限制APEs的使用已成为当务之急     

What use is CRELE? A response to Dunn and Laing

This paper responds to an original research article by Gemma Dunn and Matthew Laing in volume 76 of this journal. Their article describes an empirical study on the demand-side of the science-policy interface, and proposes a new framework by which to evaluate and/or design effective knowledge systems for influencing policymaking. In doing so, they also critique the commonly used CRELE framework, and propose that their alternative ACTA framework better summarises the most important aspects of scientific research for influencing decision-making. In response, this paper highlights some ambiguities commonly arising from the use of CRELE, to which Dunn and Laing have also succumbed, alongside ambiguities within CRELE itself, which they have failed to address. These difficulties highlight how empirical evidence of the sort collected by Dunn and Laing should not alone determine the worth of any knowledge-systems framework. This paper then discusses the dangers arising from a framework such as ACTA, were it to be used instead, and concludes that although CRELE is flawed, it does at least point to appropriate priorities for the use of evidence in public decision-making.