Regional eco-efficiency indicators – a participatory approach

Eco-efficiency emerged in the 1990s as a measure of “the efficiency with which ecological resources are used to meet human needs.” Eco-efficiency indicators as tools for regional sustainability policy were demonstrated in a Life-Environment project, ECOREG, in the Finnish region of Kymenlaakso. A participatory approach was utilised to produce indicators that are relevant for regional decision-makers and that will actually be used. The approach established a system through which decision-makers are able to monitor changes using several economic-environmental ratio indicators, and at the same time obtain information on the social progress taking place in the region. In the future, there will be a need for an ongoing dialogue among the different actors in the region in order to ensure that the indicators are indeed used to promote sustainable development.     

东北地区地下水资源可持续利用与发展战略决策研究

建立东北地区水资源优化配置模型,得出东北地区地下水可持续开发利用方案,提出适合东北地区地下水可持续发展的战略决策。     

A taxonomy of metrics for testing the industrial ecology hypotheses and application to design of freezer insulation

Industrial ecology is sometimes referred to as the science of sustainability, but unlike mature sciences, it has yet to establish reliable modes of inquiry or a uniform framework for dialogue—partly because sustainability is difficult to characterize, and partly because industry–environment interactions are difficult to model quantitatively. A number of sustainability metrics have recently been proposed that partially address the quantification problem, but inevitably oversimplify the problem of sustainability characterization. This paper proposes an overarching taxonomy for classifying the quantitative criteria of sustainability as financial, thermodynamic, environmental, ecological, socio-political or aggregated. Several examples are presented. Pollution potential, which is an environmental metric related to the ideal thermodynamic work (of mixing) per mole required to remove pollutants from the environment, is discussed in particular. However, because no single metric can capture sustainability per se, industrial ecology may be limited to elucidating the trade-offs that exist between different types of complementary (rather than substitutable) criteria. The life cycle of polyurethane foam insulation in freezer applications is presented as a quantitative example of how different environmental criteria can lead to different design recommendations. Lastly, the framework proposed herein suggests a research agenda for industrial ecology, especially regarding the linkages between different measures of sustainability and cross-comparison of the investigative methods found in different sciences related to sustainability.     

特种生物标志物作为溢油指示物（或指标）的研究

用毛细管GC－MS对不同水环境中不同油类的特种生物标志物进行检测，结果表明，异戊二烯烷烃类姥鲛烷与植烷的比值在两个多月的风化过程中不受风化的影响；萜烷和甾烷的某些比值参数在一年的风化过程中（或室内自然放置4年）不受风化的影响。姥鲛烷与植烷的比值可以作为风化两个多月的溢油指示物（或指标）；萜烷和甾烷比值可以作为风化一年（或室内自然放置4年）的溢油指示物（或指标）。     

The algal community as an indicator of the trophic status of Lake Patzcuaro, Mexico

An evaluation of water quality and phytoplankton composition position was carried out in order to determine the trophic conditions of Lake Patzcuaro (2035 m above sea level), a high altitude tropical lake. Temperatures ranged from 15 to 23 degrees C. Total phosphorus and inorganic nitrogen showed a seasonal variation; highest values coincided with the rainy season (0.48 and 2.1 mg litre(-1), respectively). Dissolved oxygen ranged from 2 to 7.9 mg litre(-1) at the surface and from 0.6 to 7.3 mg litre(-1) on the bottom, the lowest values being found in shallow zones. Average transparency varied from 0.62 to 1.4 m Secchi depth. Rainfall was a primary factor in seasonal variability as it influenced both physical and biological conditions by contributing to the transport and deposition of silt, which mixed with sinking algal cells. The composition of the surface phytoplankton segregated along five major divisions comprising a total of 49 species. General seasonal patterns of dominance alternated in a sequence beginning with Bacillariophyta, through Chlorophyta to Cyanophyta. Diatoms, the dominant group from February to early June, included Melosira granulata, Stephanodiscus sp., Synedra sp. and Fragilaria sp. During the rainy season (late June to September), Microcystis aeruginosa, Oscillatoria sp., Anabaena sp., Merismopedia sp., Crucigenia cuadrata, Oocystis lacustris, Selenastrum gracile, Mallomonas sp. and Tetraediella sp. were important. Melosira granulata was present throughout the period of study. Spatial and temporal variability in both physical and biological conditions make it difficult to assign a specific trophic state to Lake Patzcuaro. Nevertheless, analysis of the algal community indicates a generally mesotrophic condition.     

Eco-design in innovation driven companies: perception, predictions and the main drivers of integration. The Spanish example

This study attempts to contribute to the scarce knowledge on how eco-design, and to broad extent sustainability, is connected to innovation driven companies. In particular, this cross sectional research verifies i) perception and knowledge of eco-design of the professionals from innovation driven companies in Spain, ii) specific eco-design strategies towards sustainability that innovation driven companies are integrating in their strategic plans and their application in the supply chain and iii) the companies’ future predictions on innovation and eco-design linkage. The methodology of this paper is based on a survey, developed defining measurable proxies for both eco-design and innovation approaches and conducted on 10,000 multidisciplinary professionals from Spanish innovation driven companies. The study shows that sustainability is a cardinal driver for innovation and that responses have specificities regarding company size, activity or respondent position. Innovation and eco-design strategies for the future aim to use materials with a lower environmental impact and to develop new concepts.     

基于“D-P-S-R”模型的节水型绿色生态居民生活小区评价指标体系构建

通过对适用于环境方面的模型的分析,结合居民生活小区的用水特点,研究其对＂节水＂＂绿色＂＂生态＂等方面的要求,构建了＂驱动力—压力—状态—响应＂模型,为不断发展完善的居民生活小区节水评价指标体系提供基准、骨架。应用该模型对居民生活小区的节水评价指标进行筛选、归纳,并运用层次分析法对其赋权重,最终确定出节水型绿色生态居民生活小区评价指标体系。     

Storm impacts along European coastlines. Part 1: The joint effort of the MICORE and ConHaz Projects

The current paper discusses the topic of marine storm impact along European coastlines, presenting results from two FP7 Projects currently focusing on this topic, one working on the physical aspects of the problem (MICORE) and the other one on the socio-economic implications (ConHaz).The MICORE Project aims to provide on-line predictions of storm-related physical hazards (hydrodynamic as well as morphodynamic). The ConHaz Project addresses the socio-economic implications should these (or other) hazards actually materialize. Together these projects aim to deliver crucial information for emergency response efforts, while realizing the practical limitations for information processing and dissemination during crisis situations.The MICORE Project has developed and demonstrated on-line tools for reliable predictions of the morphological impact of marine storm events in support of civil protection mitigation strategies. The project specifically targeted the development of early warning and information systems to support short term emergency response in case of an extreme storm event. The current paper discusses in detail the outcome of an activity of databasing historical storm data. No clear changes in storminess were observed, except for some storm proxies (e.g. surges) and only at some locations (e.g. northern Adriatic, southern Baltic, etc.).The ConHaz Project undertook a desktop study of the methods normally used for evaluating the impact of marine storms and the associated coastal hazards considering direct costs, costs due to disruption of production processes, indirect costs, intangible costs, and costs of adaptation and mitigation measures. Several methods for cost estimation were reviewed. From the review it emerged that normally end-users only evaluate direct costs after the storms, while the cost of adaptation and mitigation measures is only done strategically in the context of Integrated Coastal Zone Management plans. As there is no standardized method for cost evaluations in this field, it is suggested that clear guidelines should be produced on the basis of simplicity for use by end-users. The integration between historical databases of the physical parameters of storms and detailed cost evaluation information would support the development of a knowledge background in end-users and justify the development of adaptation strategies.     

On several issues regarding efforts toward a sustainable society

Environmental issues and the future sustainability of society are among the greatest concerns facing society today. How to formulate a pathway toward a sustainable society is a critical question. Several issues associated with this question are presented and discussed. First, a structuring of the issues is presented. The environment can be said to consist of three systems—the natural, social, and human—and their interactions; environmental problems may therefore be defined in terms of perturbations of the interactions among the three systems. A sustainable society can be realized by restoring these interactions. Next, the characteristics of the issues are discussed. Because environmental issues relate to the future, forecasts of the future are essential. Because it is impossible to predict the future with complete accuracy, however, we should develop a method of using information about the future with allowance for error. It should be noted that error characteristics differ according to their time-scale. Third, the relationship between environmental issues and society is discussed. To take collective action on these issues we need society-wide consensus, which requires a reliable and objective platform. Here, more attention must be paid to the distribution of knowledge across society, because scientific knowledge in a modern society tends to be monopolized by research organizations. The role of the media is therefore important. Another important factor is the commitment of the general public; user-friendly ways of galvanizing such commitment should be developed.

LDO环路补偿技术研究

对LDO电路基本结构及其性能指标进行描述.在分析LDO电路稳定性问题的基础上,研究分析目前较为普遍的四种LDO环路补偿技术.