Benefits and challenges of streamlined life-cycle assessment for SMEs – findings from case studies on climate change impacts

ABSTRACT

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a substantial role in the economy and job creation, but they are a remarkable source of environmental impacts. SMEs often lack skills and resources to compile environmental impact assessments; Streamlined Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) can provide efficient tools for this. An application of streamlined LCA relying heavily on database data, LCA clinic, was developed and tested on 23 SMEs in Finland. The climate change impacts were mainly caused by the production of raw materials, electricity and heating, whereas packaging and transportation were not influential. A significant amount of emissions were indirect, i.e. caused by production of raw materials. Thus, decreasing emissions from raw material production or selecting raw materials with a smaller environmental load could be a more efficient way to decrease emissions than reducing direct emissions such as those from electricity use. Lack of data in the LCA-databases was considered a challenge. An access to regionally customised datasets is important for the implementation of LCA clinics. Company feedback indicated that LCA clinics were useful in climate-friendly product design and increased environmental awareness, but did not lead to immediate actions to reduce emissions because of inadequate investment capabilities. Company managers had limited possibilities to use the results in marketing as comparative assessments would require a full LCA. Many company managers were willing to pay a fee sufficient to cover the costs of an LCA clinic, but some considered that the costs should be covered by external funding sources.     

公路路网建设项目声环境影响评价研究

以甘肃省某市新区基础设施建设中的路网建设为例,根据公路路网的交通参数、道路地形地貌条件、路面设施等,利用导则推荐模式预测路网噪声贡献值。该新区路网中道路距离多在500m以上,不论道路平行还是相交,噪声影响以主干道为主,以次干道为辅,相互影响;根据路网噪声环境影响的特点,提出切实可行的声环境影响减缓措施。     

安徽省近10年能源足迹测度及驱动因子分析

安徽省为生态建设省,随着中部崛起战略与皖江城市带承接产业转移示范区建设的实施,能源消费给当地生态环境形成了较大压力. 依据生态足迹模型对安徽省2000—2009年能源足迹进行了时间序列测度,基于STIRPAT模型揭示了能源足迹驱动因子的边际贡献,运用灰色GM(1,1)模型预测了2015年与2020年能源足迹. 结果表明:安徽省人均能源足迹由2000年的0500 8 hm2增至2009年的1043 5 hm2,人均能源足迹赤字由2000年的0432 9 hm2扩至2009年的0975 5 hm2;煤炭足迹对能源足迹平均贡献率为7629%,占主导地位;能源足迹强度由2000年的1083 3 hm2104元降至2009年的0704 7 hm2104元;研究时段内,能源足迹生态压力指数均大于5 人均GDP和第二产业在经济中所比例均与能源足迹呈正相关,二者边际弹性系数分别为0000 073 57和0006;而单位工业增加值能耗与能源足迹呈负相关,其边际弹性系数为-0186.      

美国水环境质量基准体系

美国依据《清洁水法》建立了一套较完善的水环境质量基准体系,并开展了水生生物基准、人体健康基准、营养物基准、沉积物质量基准、细菌基准、生物学基准、野生生物基准和物理基准等方面的研究. 在重点分析美国水环境质量基准体系、基准制定方法和研究进展的基础上,提出了我国开展水环境质量基准研究的建议,即提高对我国开展水环境质量基准研究的迫切性和重要性的认识,并根据我国的实际情况,建立一套适合我国国情的水环境基准体系和基准制订工作指南,同时做好国外水环境质量基准的采用与验证工作.      

两种光照生境下4种常绿阔叶树的单位叶面积干重、光合能力与化学防御物质含量比较

亚热带常绿阔叶林下分布着可塑性强的耐荫植物,其叶片应对外界干扰的防御对策至少有物理性防御和化学性防御两种,这两种防御代价在一定的昆虫取食压力下在理论上应该存在权衡.为检验这种权衡是否普遍存在,分别测定了重庆缙云山4个常绿物种——光叶山矾(Symplocos lancifolia)、四川山矾(S.setchuensis)、四川毛蕊茶(Camellialawii)和细枝柃(Eurya loquaiana)在林窗和林下两种对照光环境下个体叶片的光饱和下的净光合速率、叶面积干重和部分化学防御物质含量.结果表明,4个物种生活在林窗的个体单位叶面积干重、叶片氮含量和单位面积净光合速率通常高于林下的个体,但是单位质量和单位面积的总酚含量和C/N值却低于林下的个体.蛋白质和非结构性碳水化合物含量在不同生境中没有显著差异.因为不同物种叶片对光照条件的响应不同,不同参数的变化在两种生境间的差异并不完全一致.本研究结果在一定程度上暗示了物种在林窗和林下分别倾向于采取物理和化学性防御对策,并初步证实了两种防御强度之间存在权衡关系.图4参40     

高加速寿命试验技术发展现状及应用展望

分析梳理了高加速寿命试验技术的国内外研究现状,介绍了高加速寿命试验的试验方法、基本原理、应力极限等关键问题。剖析了高加速寿命试验与加速寿命试验的联系与区别,阐述二者在试验原理、试验条件、应用目的方面的不同。最后提出未来对HALT的研究可以从发展面向元器件的高加速寿命试验技术、拓展高加速寿命试验的应用范围和途径、建立标准的HALT技术体系几个方面发展。     

How “open” are open spaces: evaluating transformation of open space at residential level in Adelaide – a case study

This paper examines the transformation of open space and how it compares to older residential development. A study has been conducted at the residential level because neighbourhoods have been a basic unit of city design throughout the recent history of urban settlements. Furthermore, the neighbourhood is a more humanly relevant scale of urban development. The method adopted for this research was a comparative urbanism by comparing old and new residential areas. This study found that incremental redevelopment of old residential areas through both re-subdivision and intensification of development on existing allotments has resulted in a progressive loss of open space. However, the study also confirmed that the current supplies of open space across all the study areas (old and new residential areas) are relatively similar. The main difference between the open space supply in older and newer residential areas comes down to the ownership of land (i.e. the proportion of public versus private open space). The study demonstrated that older residential areas with large allotments have experienced a significant loss of private open space – originally from 50%, to current levels of 23–30%. The paper concludes that there is a need for a holistic approach to the provision of public and private open spaces to improve the quality of life at a residential level.     

Using Paleo Reconstructions to Improve Streamflow Forecast Lead Time in the Western United States

In water stressed regions, water managers are exploring new horizons that would help in long‐range streamflow forecasts. Oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations have been shown to influence streamflow variability. In this study, long‐lead time streamflow forecasts are made using a multiclass kernel‐based data‐driven support vector machine (SVM) model. The extended streamflow records based on tree ring reconstructions were used to provide a longer time series data. Reconstructed data were used from 1658 to 1952 and the instrumental record was used from 1953 to 2007. Reconstructions for oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations included the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and North Atlantic Oscillation. Streamflow forecasts using all four oscillations were made with one‐year to five‐year lead times for 21 gages in the western United States. This is the first study that uses both instrumental and reconstructed data of oscillations in SVM model to improve streamflow forecast lead time. SVM model was able to provide “satisfactory” to “very good” forecasts with one‐ to five‐year lead time for the selected gages. The use of all the oscillation indices helped in achieving better predictability compared to using individual oscillations. The SVM modeling results are better when compared with multiple linear regression model forecasts. The findings are statistical in nature and are expected to be useful for long‐term water resources planning and management.     

燃煤发电职业危害暴露健康负担评价方法*

为评估煤电行业从业人员因遭受职业危害暴露引起的健康负担大小,根据工作暴露矩阵法对燃煤发电职业暴露程度进行估算,利用健康效应分析和伤残调整寿命年指标构建燃煤发电职业暴露健康负担评价体系,实现职业暴露健康负担的量化评价。将所构建的评价体系应用于3个燃煤电厂进行对比分析,结果表明:各类危害因素中,粉尘所致健康危害最大,人均健康负担约为8.861 a;各生产环节中,运输煤系统所致健康影响最大,约占整个生产过程的45.53%。     

苏州垃圾填埋生命周期清单分析

采用理论计算和实测相结合的方法,求得了苏州七子山垃圾填埋埋场的生命周期清单。实践证明,理论计算和实测相结合是清单分析的有效方法,对今后的同类研究具有参考意义。研究中获得的清单包括生活垃圾的收集和运输、垃圾填埋的物耗和能耗,以及每吨填埋垃圾所排放的大气和水污染物的量,并考察了填埋气用于发电后对清单的影响。这些结果可以为众多的产品生命周期评价提供数据支持。