The considerations and limitations of feedback as a strategy for behaviour change

Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB) is a maturing research area concerned with the application of design strategies to influence consumer behaviour during a products use phase towards more sustainable action. However, current DfSB research has focussed on strategy selection with little research into understanding the real-world impact of the behaviour changing interventions debated. This article presents the results of an extensive literature review of one specific DfSB strategy, feedback – a user agentive performance indicator. These findings exemplify the considerations and limitations of this particular approach to behaviour change, drawing on empirical research conducted by a breadth of authors, including two of the only medium-term case studies in the field of DfSB. Considerations discussed include the frequency, duration and accuracy of feedback; the selection of metrics and the presentation medium and mode; the use of ambience and the location of the installation. Limitations of feedback include the need for additional information and comparisons; the issue with multiple users; technical issues; relegation to background technology and the potential rebound effects. This article provides insights to both improve the effectiveness of future feedback design efforts and also to help facilitate discussion on feedbacks position as a strategy within DfSB.     

Achievements,challenges and global implications of China’s carbon neutral pledge

China has been committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. China’s pledge of carbon neutrality will play an essential role in galvanising global climate action, which has been largely deferred by the Covid-19 pandemic. China’s carbon neutrality could reduce global warming by approximately 0.2–0.3 °C and save around 1.8 million people from premature death due to air pollution. Along with domestic benefits, China’s pledge of carbon neutrality is a “game-changer” for global climate action and can inspire other large carbon emitters to contribute actively to mitigate carbon emissions, particularly countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) routes. In order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, it is necessary to decarbonise all sectors in China, including energy, industry, transportation, construction, and agriculture. However, this transition will be very challenging, because major technological breakthroughs and large-scale investments are required. Strong policies and implementation plans are essential, including sustainable demand, decarbonizing electricity, electrification, fuel switching, and negative emissions. In particular, if China can peak carbon emissions earlier, it can lower the costs of the carbon neutral transition and make it easier to do so over a longer time horizon. China’s pledge of carbon neutrality by 2060 and recent pledges at the 26^th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) are significant contributions and critical steps for global climate action. However, countries worldwide need to achieve carbon neutrality to keep the global temperature from growing beyond the level that will cause catastrophic damages globally.     

广东省居民生活直接能源消费大气污染物与温室气体排放趋势研究

居民生活直接能源消费是重要的大气污染物和温室气体排放来源,识别其历史排放趋势是科学制定管控策略的基础.然而目前我国尚缺乏省级尺度居民生活能源消费排放趋势的研究.以广东省为研究对象,通过广泛收集居民生活直接能源消费数据和排放因子,建立了2006—2017年广东省居民生活直接能源消费大气污染物和温室气体排放清单,并采用情景分析法量化了能源结构变化对居民生活直接能源消费大气污染物与温室气体排放的影响.结果表明：①2006—2017年居民生活直接能源消费排放的大气污染物和温室气体均呈下降趋势,CO、PM_2.5、BC、OC、CH₄、CO₂和N₂O排放量分别下降70%、59%、59%、66%、77%、30%和73%;②城乡贡献上,乡村居民生活直接能源消费是大气 污染物和温室气体排放的主要来源,排放分担率分别在70%和60%以上;③空间分布上,2017年广东省居民生活直接能源消费大气污染物和温室气体排放主要集中在粤东、粤西传统燃料消费量较高的地区,以及广州、东莞和深圳等人口密度较大的城市地区;④能源结构清洁化所致的2006—2017年广东省居民生活直接能源消费大气污染物和温室气体减排比例为38%~88%;⑤以2025年为目标年,居民生活能源结构持续清洁化发展能够进一步降低居民生活直接能源消费大气污染物和温室气体排放,尤其对CO、PM_2.5、BC、CH₄和N₂O的减排比例均在80%以上.     

A dominant coalition and policy change: an analysis of shale oil and gas politics in India

This paper identifies the coalitions involved in the topic of shale oil and gas development in India and identifies the circumstances surrounding a change in policy in 2013 by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to promote shale exploration. Using the Advocacy Coalition Framework as the theoretical lens, the data are collected primarily from newspaper articles from 2010 to 2015 to identify coalitions, including actors’ positions, priorities, and interactions. The findings show the presence of a dominant advocacy coalition in favor of shale oil and gas development with priorities about energy security and a regulatory framework. The findings indicate some internal coalition disagreement, but stronger internal coalition agreement. Policy change was preceded by a spike in disagreement internal to the dominant coalition. This paper shows how a change in a dominant coalition can precede a change in policy, offers a replicable method of identifying and measuring coalitions via newspaper content analysis, provides a rare application of the Advocacy Coalition Framework outside of North America and Western Europe, and provides evidence of support for shale oil and gas development in India.     

Energy balance and global warming potential of corn straw-based bioethanol in China from a life cycle perspective

As the second largest corn producer in this world, China has abundant corn straw resources. The study assessed the energy balance and global warming potential of corn straw-based bioethanol production and utilization in China from a life cycle perspective. The results revealed that bioethanol used as gasoline and diesel blend fuel could reduce global warming potential by 10%–97% and 4%–96%, respectively, as compared to gasoline and diesel for transport. The total global warming potential, net global warming potential, net energy, and Net Energy Ratio per MJ ethanol generated from corn straw-based bioethanol system are estimated to be 0.20 kg CO₂-eq, 0.012 kg CO₂-eq, 0.60 MJ, and 1.87, respectively. By using sensitivity analysis, we found that the collected coefficient and compressing density of straw have a more obvious influence on energy balance; transportation distance has a more obvious influence on global warming potential emission factor. The by-products may be utilized as fertilizer, animal feed, cement replacement, or high-value lignin chemicals, which make a contribution to offsetting 0.28 MJ per MJ ethanol of energy consumption.     

Thermally chargeable supercapacitor based on nickel-coated nanoporous carbon

Nanoporous carbon is coated by pure nickel via an electroless plating method. The nanoporous carbon provides a high-surface-area substrate, leading to a large capacitance; the nickel surface layer is of a high work function, resulting in a thermally sensitive electrode potential. Such a system is ideal for thermally chargeable supercapacitor (TCS) system, which converts low-grade heat (LGH) to electrical energy. The specific energy per thermal cycle per gram of electrode mass is ~1.8 mJ, with a temperature difference of 50°C.     

我国天然气分布式能源产业政策发展及相关建议

天然气分布式能源具有能效高、清洁环保、安全性好、削峰填谷等诸多优点。发展天然气分布式能源是扩大天然气应用和实现资源就地转化的重要方向和选择,是我国能源发展战略的一部分,同时也能够提升天然气优化利用水平,提高能源利用效率,促进节能减排和绿色低碳发展,深化能源行业及电力行业供给侧结构性改革。对我国天然气分布式能源产业政策进行详细分析,对江苏、上海、浙江等重点地区天然气分布式能源项目调研基础上,系统提出当前天然气分布式能源存在的问题,并在合理布局、天然气价格市场化、经济政策、核心技术研发等多方面提出相关政策建议。     

LED失效分析手段研究

介绍LED产品常见的失效分析手段,主要包含外观检查、电性能测试、X-Ray透视检查、开封检查、金相切片分析、扫描电镜和能谱分析等手段,并结合实际案例对几种方法进行描述。     

供水项目节能评估相关问题探讨

节能评估和审查已成为项目审批的前置条件。由于供水项目节能评估开展不久,缺乏相应的行业能耗标准和规范,现有的节能评估文件中存在一些误区。针对供水项目的特点,重点对节能评估中耗能量计算和基于节能的供水综合单位电耗等问题进行探讨,并从节能的角度出发,提出选泵和能耗统计方面的相关建议。