A strategic design approach to develop sustainable product service systems: examples taken from the ‘environmentally friendly innovation’ Italian prize

The product service systems’ (PSS) sustainability potential is described in the framework of the new types of stakeholder relationships and/or partnerships, producing new convergence of economic interests, and a potential concomitant systemic resources optimization.In this perspective, it is argued that the design competencies should move towards those of the ‘strategic design’, thus introducing the concept of ‘strategic design for sustainability’: the design of an innovation strategy, shifting the business focus from designing (and selling) physical products only, to designing (and selling) a system of products and services which are jointly capable of fulfilling specific client demands, while re-orienting current unsustainable trends in production and consumption practices.Some examples of PSS are presented and discussed using the PSS categories ‘services providing added value to the product life cycle’, ‘services providing final results to customers’, and ‘services providing enabling platforms for customers’. The cases derive from an analysis of the ‘environmental friendly innovation’ yearly endowed prize submissions. The Politecnico di Milano University together with the Bocconi University and Legambiente (an environmental NGO) promotes the initiative in Italy.     

Climate Change and Energy Technologies

The long time scale of the climate change problem and the inherent nature of the carbon cycle bring important implications for present technology development efforts. Even if major technology improvements are achieved for non-carbon-emitting technologies such as energy-intensity improvements, wind, solar, biomass, and nuclear over the course of the 21^st century, most examinations of potential future greenhouse emissions conclude that additional technology development will be required to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations. The evelopment of an expanded suite of technologies including carbon capture and disposal, hydrogen systems and biotechnology hold the potential to dramatically reduce the cost of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations. This paper examines these technologies in the context of a global integrated assessment model of energy, agriculture, land-use, economics, and carbon cycle processes.     

编制滇池流域水污染防治"十一五"规划的初步设想

从回顾滇池流域水污染防治“九五”计划和“十五”计划的编制入手,分析了1995、2000、2005年滇池流域的水污染变化趋势,提出了编制“十一五”规划的初步设想。     

产酸脱硫反应器中COD/SO_4~(2-)比制约的群落生态演替规律

通过产酸脱硫反应器的动态试验和配套的静态试验 ,考察致变因子COD/SO2 - 4比制约的乙酸型顶极群落的结构、优势种群的组成和生态演替的规律 ;阐明乙酸型代谢和乙酸型顶极群落是产酸脱硫生态系统的典型特征 ;揭示乙酸型顶极群落内平衡与反馈调节的生理代谢机制 ,并以因变因子 pH值、氧化还原电位和碱度来表征生态演替过程中优势种群的三维实现生态位     

旅游城市环境规划优化方法与应用研究(Ⅰ)不确定性多目标规划模型

以旅游城市环境系统的综合性、多目标性、动态性和不确定性的特征出发，提出用不确定性模糊多目标规划（IFMOP）模型来解决旅游城市 环境规划优化问题。通过建立旅游城市环境不确定性模糊多目标规划系统模型（IFMOPMTCE），使旅游城市环境系统的特性在模型建立和求解过程中得以充分反映，同时也有效地协调了环境经济等目标之间的矛盾与冲突，该研究为旅游城市环境规划工作提供了一种较为有力的工具。     

Mitigation of the Impact of Tropical Cyclones in Northern Australia through Community Capacity Enhancement

Community mitigation of hazard impact requires hazard knowledge and preparedness on the part of the members of diverse and complex communities. Longitudinal research in the tropical cyclone prone north of Australia has gathered extensive datasets on community awareness, preparedness and knowledge, in order to contribute to education campaigns and mitigation strategies. Data have been used to identify issues of vulnerability to cyclones and capacity to deal with the hazard. This has been developed as a community vulnerability and capacity model that may be applied to diverse communities in order to assess levels of capability to mitigate and deal with the cyclone hazard. The model is presented here in a simplified form as its development is evolving and ongoing.     

生态经济持续性的度量和趋势预测——以甘肃武威市为例

应用生态占用模型,对武威市生态经济的可持续性进行了评价。对武威的生物资源、能源资源和制成品资源消费的生态占用的计算结果表明,1999年武威市人均占用生物生产性空间为1.589423hm₂,调整后的武威实际生产空间供给为0.856876hm₂/人。1999年武威生态赤字0.73254hm₂/人。对于世界56个国家和地区的人均生态占用和人均GDP数据进行分析,认为二者高度相关。用幂指数模型进行趋势拟合,具有较好的拟合优度和理论一致性。武威生态占用处于强的扩张时期,到2015年,人均生态占用将会达到2.60142hm₂/人,而当年实际生态承载力阈值预测值为1.0657hm₂/人。人均生态赤字扩大到1.5357hm₂/人。生态经济系统的运行是以过度消耗自然资本为代价的。     

Degradation of Populus euphratica community in the lower reaches of the Tarim River, Xinjiang, China

IntroductionRiparian systems are aquatic-terrestrial ecotones withunique biotic , biophysical and landscape characteristics(Gregory, 1991 ; Naiman, 1997 ; Wiens , 2002) and areshaped by fluvial geomorphic processes . Riparian plantcommunities perform an i…     

Acoustical environment of urban area related to the city development

This paper analyzes the relationship between urban development and noise pollution. The analysis, based on a wide range of measurements and statistical data,reveals the changes of the ambient noise resulting from city development. In conclusion the paper suggests some fundamental measures for improving the acoustical environment, the division of cities into functional areas and the development of a well designed road network. In addition, it is suggested that town planning, architecture and the implementation of appropriate regulations could also help to reduce noise levels.     

Concurrency: a system design approach to environmental management and sustainability

The lessons of history indicate that mismanagement of natural resources and the environment often leads to potentially adverse consequences.The increasing interest in economic development,particularly in the developing countries of the world coupled with increasing population pressures and the globalization of economic activity is placing noticeable stresses on the ultimate sustainability of both human and environmental systems.Sustainable development is not a new concept.It has been an area of concern for different elements of society for some time.Yet efforts to understand the implications of sustainable development have not,until recently,been formalized.We have focused singularly on economic development and environmental quality as if they were mutually exclusive.This paper focuses on the concept of concurrency as both a conceptual framework and practicable method of understanding and implementing the ecology and economy of sustainability.