Impact of cleaner production on business performance

Extensive research has examined the relationship between environmental management/performance and business performance but yielded no conclusive results. This paper makes two contributions to the literature. First, instead of focusing on one aspect, we try to compare using various types of cleaner production activities: low- and high-cost activities. Second, the study complements the existing literature which focuses on firms in developed countries with an analysis of firms in the Chinese manufacturing industry. In this paper, the relationship between cleaner production and business performance was analyzed using Structure Equation Model (SEM). We find an overall positive impact of cleaner production on firm's business performance. We also found that the cleaner production activities of low-cost scheme have a bigger contribution to financial performance compared to non-financial performance, while cleaner production activities of high-cost scheme have a greater contribution to non-financial performance, compared to financial performance. This study should be useful for firms that consider adopting cleaner production as well as stakeholders who aim to promote cleaner production.     

Sustainable Tourism Development Management of Local Cultural Landscapes

Nowa days, ecological and cultural tourism, especially those ancient villages and towns in China, have attracted an increasing number of tourists because of their unique cultural features. However, rapid development of tourism brings economic benefits, but results in a series of problems that threaten further tourism development and protection of ancient towns, such as over-commercialization and tourism urbanization. Taking Longmen ancient town as an example, this paper presented a sustainable way of preserving and developing resources of ancient villages and towns. First, identify cultural features and the extent of ancient villages and towns, and find the approach through which a cultural landscape zoning can be applied. Second, define a cooperative function area to release the pressure on core areas and protect their authentic cultures by extending tourism space. Third, balance tourism development with traditional industries to enhance the sustainability of community economies.     

The potential risk assessment for different arsenic species in the aquatic environment

The different toxicity characteristics of arsenic species result in discrepant ecological risk.The predicted no-effect concentrations(PNECs) 43.65, 250.18, and 2.00 × 103μg/L were calculated for As(III), As(V), and dimethylarsinic acid in aqueous phase, respectively. With these PNECs, the ecological risk from arsenic species in Pearl River Delta in China and Kwabrafo stream in Ghana was evaluated. It was found that the risk from As(III) and As(V)in the samples from Pearl River Delta was low, while much high in Kwabrafo stream. This study implies that ecological risk of arsenic should be evaluated basing on its species.     

非均相催化氧化处理焦化废水

研究了非均相催化氧化处理焦化废水的效果。实验得出处理焦化废水的最佳条件：采用经质量浓度为80g／L的硝酸铜溶液浸渍后的γ—Al2O,为催化剂,废水pH为3,催化剂体积分数为40％,H2O2体积分数为4％,反应时间3h以上。原水经处理后COD由4540mg／L降至600mg／L以下,氨氮质量浓度由552mg／L降至160mg／L以下。     

PPPUE模式及在中国的应用前景探讨

PPPUE是一种全新的应对城市环境问题的模式,这种模式的应用能够充分发挥公共部门、私人部门和第三方的各自优势。本文总结了这种模式的发展过程与基本运作模式,并对PPPUE模式在我国应用的现状、面临的问题以及应用前景作了分析探讨,为解决我国的城市环境问题提供了一种思路。     

Synthesis and application of Cu-BTC@ZSM-5 composites as effective adsorbents for removal of toluene gas under moist ambience: kinetics,thermodynamics, and mechanism studies

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are excellent adsorbents that provide abundant specific surface area, adjustable pore structure, and rich active sites. The purpose of this study was to prepare composites with hydrophobic and high microporous specific surface area and to adsorb toluene gas in moist ambience. An ethanol activation-assisted hydrothermal method was proposed to synthesize copper-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (Cu-BTC) metal-organic framework, Cu-BTC, and ZSM-5 molecular sieve composites (Cu-BTC@ZSM-5). The dynamic adsorption process of toluene on different adsorbents was investigated, and the results showed that the toluene adsorption capacity of Cu-BTC@ZSM-5 (158.6 mg/g) was 2.53 times higher than Cu-BTC (62.7 mg/g), when the ZSM-5 content is 5% and the humidity is 30%RH. Compared with other factors, the humidity inhibited the adsorption of toluene on Cu-BTC@ZSM-5. Langmuir model and the pseudo-second kinetics model can better describe the adsorption behavior of Cu-BTC@ZSM-5. The thermodynamic results showed the adsorption process was a spontaneous exothermic process at low temperature and mainly physical adsorption. The relative regenerability can still up to 80.4% after six cycles. The adsorption mechanisms of Cu-BTC@ZSM-5 were pore-filling adsorption, π-π interaction, cation-π bonding, and hydrophobic interactions. This study will help to design a systematic route to evaluate the adsorption performance of Cu-BTC@ZSM-5 for toluene.

     

Modeling the non-linear relationship between financial development and energy consumption: statistical experience from OECD countries

The linkage between financial development and energy consumption is widely investigated in the literature. However, the non-linear relationship between financial development and energy demand is still under debate. Therefore, this study aims to examine the non-linear relationship between financial development, economic growth, and energy consumption in OECD countries. The study uses the Driscoll–Kraay standard errors panel regression model for spanning from 1980 to 2016. The empirical findings indicate that an inverted U-shape relationship exists between financial development and energy consumption as well as between economic growth and energy consumption. Moreover, the feedback hypothesis is found between financial development and energy use. Additionally, income and energy use granger cause each other. The innovative findings contribute to extant literature, which is of special interest to the country’s policymakers regarding energy efficiency.

     

Analysis of the decoupling effect and eco-economic coordination of the resident energy carbon footprint: a case study of Caijiapo Town,a national key town in western China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - National key towns are one of the most important units for mitigating China’s carbon emissions from urbanisation, industrialisation and...     

Resource-based cities (RBC): a road to sustainability

Resource-based cities (RBC) have made momentous contributions to urbanization in China. However, as natural resources are exhausted, RBC are facing an enormous challenge. In this paper we put forward a resource-based city sustainability index (RCSI) and a resource-based city coordination index (RCCI), including environmental, social, and economic dimensions, adopted three weight scenarios, and selected 13 cities for study. The results: (a) help locate the problems by analyzing both dimensions and indicators; (b) simulate the trends of how RBC emerged, grew, declined, and regenerated; (c) categorize RBC into four types by integrating RCSI and RCCI; (d) give policy makers a holistic and comprehensive perspective in the future urban regulation and management; and (e) highlight a road to sustainability.     

A New Screening Measure to Identify Potential Carbon Monoxide Hotspots

ABSTRACT

To demonstrate conformity of transportation projects to National Ambient Air Quality Standards in accordance with State Implementation Plans, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses intersection level of service (LOS) as one of its major criteria for screening for potential carbon monoxide (CO) hotspots. Although intersection LOS is a measure of traffic volume, signal timing, and related congestion and delay, the assigned level reflects only the computed averaged stopped delay (ASD) per vehicle at the intersection. Thus, intersections can often operate at the same LOS but produce vastly different levels of predicted CO concentrations. For example, a two-lane approach operating at LOS D will produce very different levels of CO than a five-lane approach also operating at LOS D.

This study explores the effectiveness of the LOS D criterion as a screen for identifying potential CO hotspots. The study results indicate that LOS is a poor predictor of potential CO hotspots when compared to results generated with the EPA-recommended micro-scale model CAL3QHCr. To more consistently screen out those intersections that will not be identified as CO hotspots using the micro-scale models, a new criterion, equivalent red-time vehicles (ERTV), is introduced. The modeling results using ERTV suggest that it is a more robust measure for identifying potential CO hotspots, and conversely, screening out those intersections that are not likely to be identified as hotspots using micro-scale simulation results.