Sustainability assessment of EPS-geofoam in road construction: a case study

ABSTRACT

In the present study, construction procedure and performance assessment of expanded polystyrene EPS-geofoam layer, which is utilized in the repair and rehabilitation of road work, is demonstrated. EPS geo-foam application was suggested after observing excessive settlement and distress of approach roads near Cross drainage (C-D) works constructed on bypass road of an important National Highway Project in India. EPS-geofoam was used as an alternative to earth backfill in approaches of newly constructed culvert on the same bypass road on one side of the C-D work and, for comparison purpose; the other side of the C-D work was retained with existing earth backfill. EPS-Geofoam was convenient to handle, easy to place and executed effeciently in terms of machineries and man power. Also, after 6 months of observation, it was noted that Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) constructed over earthfill material have shown sign of distress and longitudinal cracks were observed due to excessive settlement; on the other hand PQC constructed over EPS-geofoam was intact with no sign of distress. Outcome of the study suggest the use of EPS-geofoam in similar situations as per the proposed guidelines for construction as well as cross-sectional details and design recommended.     

Multi-causal and integrated assessment of sustainability: the case of agriculturization in the Argentine Pampas

Assessing the sustainability of complex development processes requires multi-causal and integrated analyses. We develop a system-based methodology, rooted in interdisciplinary discussion and consensus building between 15 experts, to construct a multi-causal diagram which examines the sustainability of the Argentine Pampas′ process of agriculturization. The resulting diagram includes 25 factors and provides a big-picture of the multiple dimensions and interrelations affecting sustainability. According to this examination, the increasing concentration of production and the incorporation of technological innovations, triggered by economic and institutional factors, are the cause of environmental distresses and social changes, whose consequences for sustainability are still highly disputed. Nevertheless, the symptoms of both environmental and social unsustainability are more evident in the case of the extra-Pampean regions than in the Pampas. This suggests that the Pampean agriculture model should not be transferred to these regions without substantial modifications. The experts did not reach consensus on whether the agriculturization process is overall sustainable or unsustainable. Lack of consensus revolved mainly around opposing perspectives regarding the significance of the threats to environmental sustainability. The magnitude of socio-distributive unbalance and loss of rural jobs were also contentious. Yet, the paper shows how the exercise of building a joint causal diagram was undoubtedly helpful for linking piece-meal disciplinary facts, brought in from all fronts, into a comprehensive and coherent picture. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Personae and Natural Capitalism: Negotiating Politics and Constituencies in a Rhetoric of Sustainability

This essay critiques natural capitalism, a concept developed as a strategic response to the antagonism of capitalist production and the ideology of sustainability. I trace and critique the second and third personae of the book Natural Capitalism. The second persona of natural capitalism constitutes already dominant capitalists and technocrats as the constituency best prepared to meet the exigencies of sustainability. Simultaneously, civil society and non-propertied classes constitute a marginalized third persona whose interests can be satisfied only if aligned with those of the second persona. This precarious arrangement is possible due to the non-ideological representation of natural capitalism. I argue that such a representation is misleading. Criticism of the tensions between natural capitalism's personae suggests radical potential for environmental rhetoric.     

Building a freshman-year foundation for sustainability studies: Terrascope, a case study

Terrascope is a freshman learning community at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in which teams of students work to find solutions to large ‘unsolvable’ problems and to communicate about those problems with a wide variety of audiences in multiple formats. The program strongly promotes students’ autonomy in focusing and structuring their work, and student projects culminate in public presentations, both to general audiences and to panels of technical specialists. Students who have completed the program tend to show strong engagement with environmental and sustainability issues, as well as the skills and experience to work intensively on such issues within multidisciplinary teams. Here, we present the program as a case study, with some discussion of the factors that are key to its operation.

Study abroad in support of education for sustainability: a New Zealand case study

This article presents a case study of an existing study abroad program to New Zealand interested in infusing sustainability themes into the curriculum. The review of the program is set in the context of United Nations Education for Sustainable Development goals and the role of sustainability in institutions of higher education. The author was an invited external observer and suggests that study abroad programs in support of sustainability education provide transformative learning experiences that invest in the well being of both people and places. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Evaluation of sustainability using an integrated approach at process and product level: a case study

The present world is facing problems like rapid depletion of natural resources and undesired environmental changes on a global scale. Manufacturing organisations are realising the importance of mitigating the present crisis and are adopting sustainable manufacturing principles. Since it is important to achieve sustainable manufacturing, sustainability assessment models were developed. Sustainability assessment models have their own drawbacks and may not provide clear scope for complete sustainable development. A system approach has been developed to overcome this shortcoming by integrating various sustainability assessment models that are already in practice. This article reports the advantages of collecting the advantages of individual sustainability assessment models and how the implementation of the integrated approach has helped to identify the current sustainability level and the scope for future developments in an automotive industry.     

Risk assessment and pathway study of arsenic in industrially contaminated sites of Hyderabad: a case study

Different areas in the industrial region of Patancheru near Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (A.P), India are contaminated with high concentration of arsenic, which is attributed to industrial source like veterinary chemicals, pharmaceuticals, pesticide industries, etc. Fourteen villages of this area of Patancheru were assessed for arsenic contamination by collecting samples of water (surface and ground), soil, fodder, milk, and vegetables. The total arsenic content in the whole blood, urine, hair, and nails of the residents showing arsenical skin lesions and other clinical manifestations were also studied. To understand the bioavailability of arsenic in this environment and its possible entry into human food chain, speciation studies of arsenic was carried out and the results are presented in this paper.     

How developing countries can engage in GHG reduction: a case study for China

It has been clearly recognized that future global climate change will limit the possibilities for sustainable development in China. To minimize these negative effects, as a practical strategy, we suggest that the Chinese government engage in international cooperation as a key contributor in the prevention of global warming. This suggestion results from numerical estimations of China’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trends accompanied with economic growth up to 2100. The results show that China’s gross domestic product (GDP), measured in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), may overtake the sum of the GDPs of the United States and Canada in 2020. It is predicted that GDP per capita may reach US$20,000 and $80,000 in 2050 and 2100, respectively; meanwhile, CO₂ emissions in China will increase from 6.6 billion tons (in carbon equivalent units) in 1990 to 54.6 billion tons in 2100. This means that the global peak concentration of GHG cannot be practically reduced without significant contributions from China. For international cooperation in mitigating global climate change, we introduce a new option, “per-capita emission restricted by assigned amount,” as an accounting rule for GHG reduction. This baseline classifies global CO₂ reduction actions into three categories: compulsory reduction, self-imposed reduction, and voluntary reduction. We suggest that China contribute to world CO₂ reduction according to the following timetable: voluntary reduction until 2012, self-imposed reduction until 2020, and compulsory reduction from 2020. The simulation results also indicate that China can benefit from this strategy in terms of improvements in its domestic economy and environment, for instance, by reducing fossil fuel consumption and the emission of pollutants.

Preliminary analysis of single flash combined with binary system using thermodynamic assessment: a case study of Dieng geothermal power plant

This paper addressed the performance of single flash combined with a binary system that was proposed in the Dieng geothermal power plant by applying thermodynamic assessment methods. A set of mathematical equations from the plant was developed and solved iteratively using engineering equation solver. The results showed that the available exergy of the produced fluid from production wells is 66,204 kW. The performance of an existing single-flash power plant indicated 24,300 kW of net power output. The proposed design of single flash combined with a binary system improves the power output by 17.16% to 27,786 kW. The second law efficiency increases from 36.7% to 41.97% while the first law efficiency increases from 11.62% to 13.61%.     

Fuelwood assessment at micro-watershed level in Northeast Himalaya:a case study in Manipur,India

Fuelwood is one of the major sources of energy in the domestic sector across the rural areas,especially in the developing regions across the world.The Northeastern Himalayan state of Manipur is dominated by the tribal population that largely depends on fuelwood from the nearby forest area.The entire dependence on forests for energy resources is affecting the sustainability of the forest ecosystem in the region,thus indicating the livelihood conditions.Since land-use land-cover change is the key driver to the change in resource availability of a region,the present study has tried to analyze the landcover changes over a period 28 years.The second major component affecting resource availability is the increasing population pressure that leads to changes in the land dynamics,which directly affect the resource production.Based on the existing consumption pattern,the total consumption of fuelwood in the watershed ranges fiom a minimum of 289.992 tons/year to a maximum of 3545.719 tons/year with an average of 1561.956 tons/year in the year 2009 and simulated fuelwood consumption for the year 2021 is around 1469.260 tons/year.Nine different probable scenarios of resource are proposed to calculate the stress value that can be used by the policy-makers and planners for suitable policy implementation at the micro level with a complex social system.     

A geographic information system-based socioeconomic impact assessment of the broadening of national highway in Sikkim Himalayas: a case study

Socioeconomic impact assessment (SEIA) is an undermined area of environmental impact assessment of highway projects. The problem becomes even more pronounced in remote and difficult terrains. The challenge in data gathering and impact prediction in mountainous areas can be mitigated using Geographic Information System (GIS). In this paper, an attempt has been made to apply the techniques of GIS and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to perform a rapid SEIA on broadening of national highway in a mountainous terrain like Sikkim. The proposed spatial impact model shows the distribution of impacts of highway broadening on socioeconomic attributes and generates a composite impact inventory map. The composite impact is found to be slightly to moderately beneficial for the study area. Cross-validation of Empirical Bayesian Kriging (EBK) and sensitivity analysis have also been carried out for model evaluation. Cross-validation results show a reliable spatial interpolation. Sensitivity analysis shows a robust decision model and identifies the socioeconomic attributes to which the spatial impact model is sensitive. The study presents a novel methodology of rapid spatial SEIA.     

Development of a land-use forecast tool for future water resources assessment: case study for the Mekong River 3S Sub-basins

Land-use change is one of the major factors that alter local and regional hydrology. For areas experiencing fast expansion of urban and agriculture areas, land-use changes often adversely affect stream flow and water resources at the local and watershed scale. The Sekong, Sesan, and Srepok (3S) Sub-basins are a part of the Lower Mekong River Basin and include land in Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), and Viet Nam. The region is experiencing a dynamic land-use transition because of rapid changes in its economy, society, and environment. Major land-use changes include deforestation of native rain forest, expansion of agricultural and urban areas, and expansion of commercial plantation such as rubber trees. These land-use alterations have affected local and regional hydrologic processes, resulting in stream flow shortages during the dry season and flash flooding due to deforestation. In this research, deforestation in the 3S Sub-basins over the period 1993–1997 was analyzed using multi-logistic regression. The regression analysis indicated that density of agricultural cells within a 5-km radius from each forest cell and slope strongly affected the deforestation process. A land-use forecast model to simulate deforestation and urbanization sites was developed in GIS based on local land-use change trends. The model was applied to 2003 land use to forecast 2033 land use and future water demand, which was further compared with present stream flow measurements during the dry season at various places in the region. The entire approach from the land-use forecast to its impact assessment on stream flow could help local stakeholders understand watershed-wide future water resources risks and develop future water resources plans. With the 3S Sub-basins being used as a case study area, this article presents a land-use forecast tool; simulated 2033 land-use and water demand; and the estimation of the impact of the forecasted future water demand on the local stream flow.     

Cleaner production: a case study of Kaveh paper mill

The pulp and paper industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its energy consumption and impact on the environment. The ‘Cleaner Production’ (CP) approach has been widely utilised as a tool to meet environmental concerns by industry. However, because of the high initial capital cost of CP implementation, it is important to develop a model for prioritisation. In this paper, using analytic hierarchy process methodology, a tree-level hierarchy model was structured to facilitate the prioritisation process in the Kaveh Papermaking Company located in Iran. Using a literature review and field study, the proposed model can provide a framework for CP implementation in a paper factory. The results show that process change gives higher priority between 5 criteria and that repair of all leaks in the paper-making process gives higher priority between 35 sub-criteria. Process change was further evaluated and discussed in which input material changes gained higher priority. The results of this research can be used to accelerate the implementation of CP in Iran's pulp and paper industry.     

林产品生物碳通量的动态生命周期评估

将时间因素和生物碳通量纳入林产品生命周期碳足迹评估,通过动态生命周期分析法(Dynamic Life Cycle Assessment,DLCA),确定林产品生产、使用和废弃阶段替代化石能源的净温室气体减排和对森林碳损失的净弥补时间。首先,建立温室气体排放和封存的动态生命周期清单,评估刨花板全生命周期的碳动态和碳足迹;其次,根据ISO 14040和PAS 2050标准提供的静态生命周期分析法分别核算包含与不包含碳储计算的碳足迹,量化时间因素和生物碳通量对于碳足迹结果差异的影响程度;最后,对比自然生长状态的森林碳汇情境,评估刨花板使用和废弃阶段替代化石燃料实现净气候减排所需的时间。研究表明:①时间因素和生物碳通量核算对碳足迹结果影响较大(223.34%),忽视时间因素会低估刨花板的减排贡献(18.98%)。②动态生命周期分析法可准确评估生物碳和温室气体排放的时间问题,但对时间范围非常敏感(75.19%和113.25%)。③生产、使用林产品以及林产品对化石能源的替代是实现长期气候减排的有效方式,在100a的时间范围能够弥补因森林砍伐造成的碳损失,从而实现碳中性。     

Building capacity with demand-driven partnerships: a case study of Partners for Water and Sanitation

Multi-stakeholder partnerships emerged from the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) as a new vehicle for progressing toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by aligning the interests of businesses, governments and civil society to leverage the impact of their interventions. The water and sanitation sector boasts the largest number of such partnerships, including the demand-driven capacity-building partnership Partners for Water and Sanitation (PAWS), a product of the WSSD and a premier UK partnership for sustainable development. Through its partnership network, PAWS has access to the entire UK water industry, which they assign to capacity-building projects in Africa on a demand-driven basis. Though the supply of partners is generally strong, the demand for their assistance is variable. This paper examines the efficacy of demand-driven capacity building partnerships at achieving the water and sanitation MDGs, presenting a case study of the PAWS partnership and using it as a framework for discussion of the supply–demand dynamics that influence the scope, scale and ultimate impact of such partnerships.     

中国经济增长与能源消耗的脱钩——东部地区的时空分异研究

工业时代的经济增长是以大量消耗能源为代价的,直接导致环境污染和资源枯竭。将经济增速与环境压力脱钩的同时,实现将人类福祉与资源消耗的脱钩,是实现绿色可持续发展的焦点问题。采用Tapio基本模型构建中国能源消耗与经济增长的脱钩模型,将1979-2014年的脱钩指数划分为8种脱钩类型。结果说明,绝对而稳态的脱钩是不存在的。虽然大部分年份的中国处于弱脱钩状态,但长时间尺度上,经济增长与能源消耗存在"连接-脱钩-复钩-再脱钩"的动态反复过程。以中国东部地区10省份为例,研究脱钩指数变化的趋势和时间分异情况。结果显示,进入21世纪后该地区复钩的可能性不断增加,特别在经济增速趋缓的背景下,需要警惕以能源消耗驱动经济发展的模式重现。计算并比较脱钩指数的5年均值,研究中国东部地区脱钩的空间分异情况。结果表明,经济增长与能源消耗是否脱钩与宏观政策的调整密切相关。不断提高利用效率以减少能源消耗总量,保持弱脱钩是中国经济发展与能源消耗关系的常态。     

基于LCA的废旧资源循环利用节能减排效果评估模式与方法研究——以吉林省某钢铁企业为例

促进废旧资源循环利用是加快推进我国生态文明建设,完成节能减排目标的必然选择。本文基于生命周期评价模式,从微观企业层面入手,构建产品全生命周期基准流程,引入能量输入与环境输出参数,建立废旧资源循环利用节能减排效果量化核算模型,评估再生产品的节能减排经济成效,并以吉林省某钢铁企业为例,评估"废钢-电炉"短流程和"铁矿石-高炉-转炉"长流程的能源、环境、成本差异,辨识影响废钢再循环节能减排效果的主要因素和重要环节。结果显示,再生钢铁全生命周期与原生钢铁全生命周期相比,节能588.48kgce/t,节能率为84%;主要污染物中SO2减排率最高,达92%;CO2总减排1 180.92 kg/t,减排率为67%;总成本却高出198元/t。其中,炼铁工序的节能量和减碳量最大,烧结工序SO2、NOx和烟(粉)尘减排量最大,焦化工序COD和氨氮减排量最大,回收、加工处理、炼钢环节节能量和减碳量以及SO2、NOx和烟(粉)尘减排量均为负。成本方面,再生钢铁生产成本高于原生钢铁308元/t,虽然再生钢铁由于污染减排可节省56元/t的排污费并获取54元/t的碳交易收益,但都不足以扭转电炉炼钢费用较高的现状。因此,国家应在电炉炼钢方面给予钢企及相关企业适当的财税扶持政策,在电价方面给予钢企一定的优惠或补贴,并完善废钢回收加工体系等,以促进废钢循环利用。基于LCA的废旧资源循环利用节能减排效果评估可以实现对产品生命周期全过程的资源、环境、成本的优化管理。     

Effect of typhoon with extreme precipitation on mountain reservoir drinking water treatment: a case study in Ningbo,China

Due to frequent drinking water pollution accidents in the past decade, it is common that mountain reservoirs were used as the source of drinking water in China. However, some coastal areas frequently suffer from typhoon with extreme precipitation, which results in the water quality deterioration of the reservoirs. The influence of typhoons with extreme precipitation on Jiaokou reservoir and the emergency treatment process of Maojiaping water treatment plant in the past three typical typhoons with extreme precipitation from the year of 2012–2015 were studied. It was found that the degradation of water quality, such as the increase of turbidity and bacteria index, may not merely appear during the events, but last for several days. Changing the dosage of water purification agent, such as coagulant and disinfectant at right time and place may be an efficient emergency water treatment process. Based on the analysis of water quality variation rule during and after the events, it was also found that emergency treatment can be fully prepared before the arrival of a typhoon with extreme precipitation. And in order to better respond to the typhoon with extreme precipitation, several suggestions are also proposed in this paper as follows: establishing vegetated buffers at right place, such as macrophanerophytes, shrub or herbage, increasing investments in infrastructure management, merging or cancelling the small-scale water treatment plants, preparing adequate water purification agent before the typhoon comes, etc.     

Comprehensive emergy evaluation and optimization of corn straw power generation system: a case study

Biomass energy has become an important measure to alleviate ecological environment security and energy supply security in China. Emergy accounting method is used to analyze and evaluate economy, environment, and sustainability of corn straw generation system, which includes corn planting subsystem, collection and transportation subsystem, and corn straw power generation subsystem. The key substances that need to be optimized in the system are identified by using sensitivity analysis. Based on the position of key substances in the system, emergy accounting optimization methodology is conducted. Corresponding optimization design scheme is proposed based on the “3R” (reduce, reuse, and recycle) principle of circular economy. Current study shows that emergy yield ratio, emergy investment ratio, environmental loading ratio, and emergy sustainability index of the corn straw power generation system are 3.69, 2.68, 1.61, and 2.29, respectively, which are better than wind power generation system and thermal power generation system. In addition, it is proposed that the fertilizer alternative plan and the transportation redesign plan can replace 50,000 tons potash and reduce equipment resources by 20% and energy resources input by 30%. Economy and sustainable development of the system is significantly improved. The optimization design method based on the “3R“ principle proposed in this paper can provide a useful reference for the research in the field of resource recycling.