Environmental implications of planned obsolescence and product lifetime: a literature review

The aim of this paper was to explore the implications of planned obsolescence (PO) and the associated product lifetime on the environmental impact of products. To achieve this task, a literature review was performed to assess both the historical context and recent situation of planned obsolescence. A search in scholarly journals was performed to evaluate to what extent product lifetime and PO have been discussed in the recent literature. Based on the findings, selected cases of PO are discussed and trends in the practice of limiting product lifetime are identified. Factors considered to have a significant influence on product lifetime have been identified and discussed. The discussion of case studies made it possible to establish the links between product design, manufacturing and associated impacts of lifetime. The role of the actors along the value chain is also considered to propose a business scheme, where the influences of consumer behaviour and design choices are crucial. Finally, strategies to facilitate the definition of different scenarios are given. These strategies may serve to increase the reliability of environmental assessment throughout a product life cycle.     

Impacts of Changes in Precipitation Amount and Distribution on Water Resources Studied Using a Model Rainwater Harvesting System

Water supply reliability is expected to be affected by both precipitation amount and distribution changes under recent and future climate change. We compare historical (1951‐2010) changes in annual‐mean and annual‐maximum daily precipitation in the global set of station observations from Global Historical Climatology Network and climate models from the Inter‐Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI‐MIP), and develop the study to 2011‐2099 for model projections under high radiative forcing scenario (RCP8.5). We develop a simple rainwater harvesting system (RWHS) model and drive it with observational and modeled precipitation. We study the changes in mean and maximum precipitation along with changes in the reliability of the model RWHS as tools to assess the impact of changes in precipitation amount and distribution on reliability of precipitation‐fed water supplies. Results show faster increase in observed maximum precipitation (10.14% per K global warming) than mean precipitation (7.64% per K), and increased reliability of the model RWHS driven by observed precipitation by an average of 0.2% per decade. The ISI‐MIP models show even faster increase in maximum precipitation compared to mean precipitation. However, they imply decreases in mean reliability, for an average 0.15% per decade. Compared to observations, climate models underestimate the increasing trends in mean and maximum precipitation and show the opposite direction of change in reliability of a model water supply system.     

Irrigation Water Allocation Using an Inexact Two‐Stage Quadratic Programming with Fuzzy Input under Climate Change

Agricultural irrigation accounts for nearly 70% of the total water use around the world. Uncertainties and climate change together exacerbate the complexity of optimal allocation of water resources for irrigation. An interval‐fuzzy two‐stage stochastic quadratic programming model is developed for determining the plans for water allocation for irrigation with maximum benefits. The model is shown to be applicable when inputs are expressed as discrete, fuzzy or random. In order to reflect the effect of marginal utility on benefit and cost, the model can also deal with nonlinearities in the objective function. Results from applying the model to a case study in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin, China, show schemes for water allocation for irrigation of different crops in every month of the crop growth period under various flow levels are effective for achieving high economic benefits. Different climate change scenarios are used to analyze the impact of changing water requirement and water availability on irrigation water allocation. The proposed model can aid the decision maker in formulating desired irrigation water management policies in the wake of uncertainties and changing environment.     

Robustness of Meteorological Droughts in Dynamically Downscaled Climate Simulations

We examine the robustness of a suite of regional climate models (RCMs) in simulating meteorological droughts and associated metrics in present‐day climate (1971‐2003) over the conterminous United States (U.S.). The RCMs that are part of North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) simulations are compared with multiple observations over the climatologically homogeneous regions of the U.S. The seasonal precipitation, climatology, drought attributes, and trends have been assessed. The reanalysis‐based multi‐model median RCM reasonably simulates observed statistical attributes of drought and the regional detail due to topographic forcing. However, models fail to simulate significant drying trend over the Southwest and West. Further, reanalysis‐based NARCCAP runs underestimate the observed drought frequency overall, with the exception of the Southwest; whereas they underestimate persistence in the drought‐affected areas over the Southwest and West‐North Central regions. However, global climate model‐driven NARCCAP ensembles tend to overestimate regional drought frequencies. Models exhibit considerable uncertainties while reproducing meteorological drought statistics, as evidenced by a general lack of agreement in the Hurst exponent, which in turn controls drought persistence. Water resources managers need to be aware of the limitations of current climate models, while regional climate modelers may want to fine‐tune their parameters to address impact‐relevant metrics.     

水环境数学模型与GIS的集成研究

从地理信息系统(GIS)的功能特点、环境信息的特性和水环境数学模型软件应用时存在不足的3个方面分析了GIS和水环境数学模型软件集成的必要性.介绍了GIS和水环境数学模型的集成方式以及苏州河三期综合整治决策支持系统的主要功能结构,重点从GIS和水环境数学模型集成方面介绍了地图矢量化、模型计算结果转化为相应数据库文件、数据库文件和GIS实现绑定以及断面水位动态演示的实现方法和重要作用.     

Determination of Frequency for Remeasuring Ground and Vegetation Cover Factor Needed for Soil Erosion Modeling

Determining a remeasurement frequency of variables over time is required in monitoring environmental systems. This article demonstrates methods based on regression modeling and spatio-temporal variability to determine the time interval to remeasure the ground and vegetation cover factor on permanent plots for monitoring a soil erosion system. The spatio-temporal variability methods include use of historical data to predict semivariograms, modeling average temporal variability, and temporal interpolation by two-step kriging. The results show that for the cover factor, the relative errors of the prediction increase with an increased length of time interval between remeasurements when using the regression and semivariogram models. Given precision or accuracy requirements, appropriate time intervals can be determined. However, the remeasurement frequency also varies depending on the prediction interval time. As an alternative method, the range parameter of a semivariogram model can be used to quantify average temporal variability that approximates the maximum time interval between remeasurements. This method is simpler than regression and semivariogram modeling, but it requires a long-term dataset based on permanent plots. In addition, the temporal interpolation by two-step kriging is also used to determine the time interval. This method is applicable when remeasurements in time are not sufficient. If spatial and temporal remeasurements are sufficient, it can be expanded and applied to design spatial and temporal sampling simultaneously.     

喷淋环栅式除尘脱硫反应器的数学模拟

研制了一种由内外圈构成的喷淋环栅式除尘脱硫反应装置,气、液两相在内外圈之间通向运动,紊流冲激环栅时接触传质。基于溶质渗透理论,提出了以内塔穿孔速率V,液气比L/G,吸收浆液pH值为参数的脱硫效率模型。对比某电厂工况条件下测得的一系列实验数据,显示出该模型与实际情况具有良好的一致性,表明该模型可以用来作为工程设计、最优化技术和推测工业数据的理论参考工具。     

NH3-N在大连湾的水环境行为模拟研究

应用三维水质模型对大连湾中的主要污染物NH3-N的行为进行了模拟,对NH3-N浓度的时空变化规律以及其影响因素进行了研究,选择主要的模型参数进行了灵敏度分析。由空间分布的模拟结果可知,在大连湾,NH3-N浓度主要集中在排污口附近区域,灵敏度分析显示,在排污口区水体的扩散能力对NH3-N浓度的影响较大。由季节变化模拟结果可知,在湾顶部的排污口区NH3-N浓度显示明显的季节变化趋势。在湾中部和朝海边界的湾口区NH3-N浓度较低,变化平缓。模拟结果可以为大连湾的污染控制、水质规划和管理提供科学依据。     

藻类在大连湾的水环境行为数值模拟研究

应用三维水质模型对大连湾水体中的藻类碳浓度的时空变化规律以及其影响因素进行了研究,选择主要的模型参数进行了灵敏度分析。由空间分布的模拟结果可知,在大连湾,藻类主要集中在排污口附近区域。由季节变化模拟结果可知,在湾顶部的排污口区藻类生产显示明显的季节变化趋势,在夏季,主要受到磷酸盐浓度的限制。灵敏度分析显示,在排污口区水体的扩散能力对藻类生产的影响较大,在湾中部和湾口区主要受到磷酸盐负荷的影响。模拟结果可以为大连湾的污染控制、水质规划和管理提供科学依据。