Greenwash and green purchase behavior: an environmentally sustainable perspective

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Consumers’ interest is accelerating toward environmentally sustainable products, which are commonly known as green products. Companies use...     

Investigation on the role of traffic volume in accidents on urban highways

Introduction

Roadway safety is a major concern for the general public and public agencies, as roadway crashes claim many lives and cause substantial economic loss each year. In Iran, a large number of vehicles are involved in road accidents each year, which cause many deaths and extensive property damage; such accidents are among the major causes of death and disability in the country. Method: To reduce roadway accidents, the factors that affect the occurrence and severity of accidents should be scrutinized to prevent or reduce their effect. The method that many researchers have adopted to determine the effective parameters surrounding road accidents in recent years is through statistical modeling of accidents. In this article, the role of different kinds of vehicles in traffic flow are investigated separately in terms of the likelihood of crashes on urban highways, and the vehicles are divided into three groups: passenger cars, heavy vehicles, and light non-passenger car vehicles. Poisson and negative binomial (NB) regression models were applied to model the accidents in this research, which were categorized into two groups: no injury (property damage only) accidents and more severe (injury and fatal) accidents. Results: Ultimately, we conclude that light non-passenger car vehicles (i.e., taxis and motorcycles) play the largest role in the occurrence of crashes on urban highways for both types of accidents.     

Influence of supports on photocatalytic degradation of phenol and 4-chlorophenol in aqueous suspensions of titanium dioxide

The photocatalytic degradation of phenol and 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) in aqueous suspensions with the use of titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) under UV irradiation was examined. The effects of different supporting materials mixed physically with TiO2 were studied to achieve maximum degradation efficiency. Among the three supports, namely activated carbon (AC), silica (SiO2 ) and zeolite (ZSM-5), all exhibited paramount efficiency for degradation of phenol and 4-CP and was better than TiO2 alone. The optimum concentration was found to be 50 mg for all supporting materials. The efficiency order of the three supports was as follows: AC > ZSM-5 > SiO2 , respectively. Whilst, the degradation of phenol and 4-CP was improved from 70.6% to 87.6% and 80.6% to 89.7%, respectively, within 120 min photocatalysis in the presence of optimal amount of AC. The degradation was also comparatively enhanced in the presence of cheaper rice husk and the activity was closed to ZSM-5 and lower than AC.     

Changing the Course of Rivers in an Asian City: Linking Landscapes to Human Benefits through Iterative Modeling and Design

Concerns over water scarcity, climate change, and environmental health risks have prompted some Asian cities to invest in river rehabilitation, but deciding on the end goals of rehabilitation is a complex undertaking. We propose a multidisciplinary framework linking riparian landscape change to human well‐being, providing information relevant to decision makers, in a format that facilitates stakeholder involvement. We illustrate this through a case study of the densely settled, environmentally degraded, and flood prone Ciliwung River flowing through metropolitan Jakarta, Indonesia. Our methodology attempts to respond to this complexity through an iterative approach, strongly based on conceptualization and mathematical modeling. Nested hydrologic, hydrodynamic, and water quality models provide outputs at catchment‐, corridor‐, and localized site‐scales. Advanced 3‐D landscape modeling is used for procedural design and precise visualization of proposed changes and their impacts, as predicted by the mathematical models. Finally, participatory planning and design methods allow us to obtain critical stakeholder feedback in shaping a socially acceptable approach. Our framework aims at demonstrating that a change in paradigm in river rehabilitation is possible, and providing future scenarios that balance concerns over flooding, water quality, and ecology, with the realities of a rapidly growing megacity.     

斜坡区和隆起区断裂密集带差异性及其对油气分布的控制作用

此文以霸县凹陷文安斜坡和饶阳凹陷留楚构造为研究对象,对比了斜坡区和隆起区断裂密集带的特征及其对不同构造部位油气分布的控制作用。在三维地震资料、钻井资料和已发现油气藏特征的基础上,利用断裂密集带识别方法和分类方案,识别出文安斜坡和留楚构造的断裂密集带,并对其进行了分类。对比两种构造部位断裂密集带发育的差异性及对油气分布的控制作用,认为隆起区(留楚构造)相对于斜坡区(文安斜坡)断裂密集带发育数量较少,规模大,斜坡区断裂密集带主要以顺向背形断裂密集带为主,而隆起区主要以屋脊背形断裂密集带为主,隆起区油气主要分布在顺向背形断裂密集带内,斜坡区主要分布在屋脊背形断裂密集带内部及靠近生烃中心的边部。     

Stimulating student’s pro-environmental behavior in higher education institutions: an ability–motivation–opportunity perspective

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The slow and inadequate environmental performance of higher education institutions is attracting the consideration of researchers toward a behavioral...     

Inherently safer design based on rapid risk analysis

The importance of inherently safer design (ISD) as a strategy to minimize risk of accidents in chemical process industries is being repeatedly stressed in recent years. The increasing number, frequency, and extents of damage caused by such accidents across the world have contributed to this thinking. However even as the need for ISD is being underscored, there are very few reports on precise methods to implement this concept. Significant recent reports are by Berge (1993Berge, 1995)who has suggested a scenariobased design procedure in which construction of accident scenarios in a structured manner is made the basis of ISD. We have been developing and applying the concept of rapid risk analysis ( [Khan & Abbasi, 1995] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1996] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1997a] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1997b] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1998a] and Khan &; Abbasi, 1998b). In this paper we present an approach to ISD utilizing this concept. We believe, as detailed in this paper, that this approach is a significant improvement upon Berge's procedure in terms of ease, speed, and effectiveness.