New concepts in product use for sustainable consumption

The paper presents the main results of a recent study on sustainable use of products. It reveals that strategies of use intensification and useful life extension are environmentally beneficial. Moreover, analysis of household washing and winter sports illustrated that successful implementation of sustainable use patterns occurs as a shift of use regimes. Such regimes are the result of a complex interplay of supply and demand side factors, relationship among actors, technical trajectories, organisational structures etc. One decisive factor is the presence of strategic players, so called “change agents”. In addition, four user types have been identified in a representative survey (“ownership-oriented”, “open-minded”, “consumption-oriented”, “low interest”) to which use intensification and useful life extension can be targeted.     

The role of business in sustainable consumption

This paper explores the role of the business community in promoting sustainable consumption. While businesses play an important role in shaping social trends, including the growth of material consumption, allegations that individual corporations wield excessive power may have been overstated. Most of the time corporations are simply playing by the rules and culture of the market.Businesses have mostly assumed that their contribution to sustainability lies in improving eco-efficiency—staying within the current business framework. But sustainable consumption will require wider change, including shifts in the incentives that shape the actions of businesses and others, and a change in the culture that underlies market expectations. Firms, governments, the media and civil society may need to enter a dialogue together to develop a new story about the nature of prosperity and the role of the business community in promoting it. The initiative is most likely to come from civil society.     

城市消费结构变动的环境效应及作用机理探析

城市生态经济系统是一个由“环境-资源-生产-消费-环境”组成的物质循环系统．在这一物质循环系统中消费通过前后相关联，从生产到资源利用和直接向环境排放废弃物两个方向影响着城市环境。据此．以河谷型大城市兰州市为例．以能源、交通、水资源和家庭消费等四项指标代表消费结构构成．利用灰色关联度模型等计量模型来定量研究1990-2002年13年尺度下消费构成变动对环境的影响．探讨城市消费结构变动的环境效应及其作用机理。     

暖通空调设计的LCC概念

寿命周期概念，即空调系统从庭生到报废的整个期间的费用总和，提出在暖通空调设计中考虑生命周期概念和具体设计过程。     

The pathway to a sustainable industrial society – initiative of the Research Institute for Sustainability Science (RISS) at Osaka University

While it is widely known that sustainable development is the only sound and viable pathway for humankind’s future, its attainment remains elusive despite intensive efforts and some successes. The current industrial society approach based on product and process innovation in a variety of fields is not providing the expected results in addressing this important issue. In an attempt to carry out this unavoidable task, Osaka University’s Research Institute for Sustainability Science (RISS) introduces an integral and dynamic innovation system where technology plays a key role in fulfilling societal functions. This innovation system adopts a highly solution-driven approach that makes use of backcasting techniques based on long-term visions and mid-term strategic goals. Since technology management is the key to propelling effective innovation towards sustainability, we propose a technology transition management through the interaction of technology push, demand pull and institutional design, along with eight transition principles. RISS will develop this innovation system based on these three components and through the design of dynamic scenarios and their roadmaps.     

Optimum Supportable Global Population: Water Accounting and Dietary Considerations

In this paper we develop a novel, comprehensive method for estimating the global human carrying capacity in reference to food production factors and levels of food consumption. Other important interrelated dimensions of carrying capacity such as energy, non-renewable resources, and ecology are not considered here and offer opportunities for future work. Use of grain production (rain-fed/irrigated), animal product production (grazing/factory farm), diet pattern (grain/animal products), and a novel water accounting method (demand/supply) based on actual water consumption and not on withdrawal, help resolve uncertainties to find better estimates. Current Western European food consumption is used as a goal for the entire world. Then the carrying capacity lies in the range of 4.5–4.7 billion but requiring agricultural water use increase by 450–530% to 4725–5480 km³, the range based on different estimates of available water. The cost of trapping and conveying such water, will run 4.5–13.5 trillion over 50 years requiring an annual spending increase of 150–400%, straining the developing world where most of the population increase is expected. We reconfirm estimates in the literature using a dynamic model. ‘Corner scenarios’ with extreme optimistic assumptions were analyzed using the reasoning support software system GLOBESIGHT. With a hypothetical scenario with a mainly vegetarian diet (grazing only with 5% animal product), the carrying capacity can be as high as 14 billion. Ecological deterioration that surely accompanies such a population increase would negatively impact sustainable population. Using our approach the impact of ecological damage could be studied. Inter- and intra-regional inequities are other considerations that need to be studied.     

Effect analysis of carbon trading on Economy-Energy-Environment system and calculation of reasonable carbon price intervals

This paper constructs a 4-lier computable general equilibrium model which includes such modules as modeling carbon emission constraints and carbon trading(CT),and incorporates the cost of carbon emissions into constant elasticity of substitute production function.Under scenario settings under different carbon abatement targets,based on 2007 national social accounting matrix and related statistical data about energy consumption and carbon emission,effects on economic outputs,energy consumption,and carbon abatement are estimated and analyzed at both macro and sector level.By calculating selected novel indicators that compromise between macroeconomic opportunity cost and achievable carbon abatement,reasonable carbon price intervals are given for enhancing the robustness and liquidity of carbon market.Further,by decomposition and share-weighted methods,expected carbon abatement and energy price are measured and analyzed in details.Some results are meaningful for fundamental design of the future carbon market.Given constant energy utilization and carbon abatement technologies at the macro level,the higher the carbon price the more actual carbon abatement;the more gross domestic product loss,the less energy consumption.Accwding to the overall situation estimated for 2007 in China,the advice given is to introduce a carbon abatement target rate(R_c)of-10%,which is helpful to make carbon market stable against unexpected carbon price shocks between[6.9,35]/tC with less economic loss.According to Kaya decomposition,after introduction of carbon pricing,carbon abatement is mainly contributed by the effects of energy intensity(EI)and technical progress.Further,CT may help reduce energy consumption and induce transformation to a low-carbon energy structure.At the sector level,the introduction of CT could induce economic recession in all sectors,especially energy.However,the overall economic structure remains unchanged to some extent.CT will help reduce energy consumption in all sectors,especially energy.Overall utilization costs of the energy composite can be divided in two,market price and carbonrelated costs.Carbon-related costs mainly contribute to variation in the utilization cos of the energy composite;carbon pricing may help non-energy sectors achieve sufficient carbon abatement by pushing up energy utilization cost.However,despite achievable carbon abatement by the energy sector being relatively high,induced by carbon pricing,there is still significant potential for other incentive policies to stimulate further abatement,such as energy resources taxation and transportation fuel taxation,especially in the sectors of coal and transportation.Finally,some advice is proposed in regard to policy decisions and further research.     

Rural households’ livelihoods diversification through termite utilization in depressed region of Zimbabwe

This study sought to examine the utility of termites to rural households in depressed regions of Bikita, Zimbabwe. Colonialism and its spread of European culture had viewed entomophagy with contempt resulting in reduced utilization and consumption of termites in most colonies. In our quest to understand how people in depressed regions utilized termites, both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were employed. Questionnaires and in-depth interviews were used to gather data during field work. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used in recruiting respondents. Excel and content analysis were used in data presentation and analysis. Results revealed that dampwood and drywood termites are climatic indicators for the rural communal farmers, a low-cost technology in weather forecasting. Subterrain and mold builders provide manure, relish, and are medicinal in nature. They are traded for income generation, and as for the poor, harvesting, processing, storage, and marketing is cost effective. Though considered nostalgic foods, most respondents highlighted that selling termites complimented other off-farm livelihood activities. Termite consumption and utilization provide a sustainable way for livelihood diversification in depressed regions and has partly addressed problems of food insecurity.     

石化工业园区有毒废水来源识别研究

针对石化废水对综合污水处理厂的毒性冲击问题,采用耗氧速率抑制试验评价不同石化废水对活性污泥的毒性,评价对象包括石化工业园区内不同生产装置和装置内不同生产节点的废水.试验发现废水的有机质含量与毒性效应之间没有直接的相关性,并不能单从废水的有机质含量预测其毒性.同时,研究中针对活性污泥敏感性在不同批次试验之间的差异问题,将各废水对活性污泥的毒性数据转化为标准毒性物质3,5-二氯苯酚的浓度,提高了数据之间的可比性.在此基础上,根据废水流量和对应3,5-二氯苯酚浓度,计算废水对应标准毒性物质质量排放负荷,作为评价废水毒性排放贡献的指标.对不同装置和节点石化废水的毒性贡献进行排序,有效识别了该石化工业园区内有毒废水的产生来源,为从生产源头控制废水毒性提供有效指导.     

我国城镇居民可持续消费浅析

本文通过对可持续消费的背景以及相关理论的论述,在分析我国城镇居民可持续消费存在问题的基础上,构建了符合我国城镇居民可持续消费特点的指标体系,并讨论了我国城镇居民可持续消费的测度思路.