Limits of ecodesign: the case for open source product development

Abstract

In pursuit of coping mechanisms for the challenges of sustainable manufacturing, systematic methods have been developed to allow engineers to improve the ratio between products’ utility and environmental impact. These necessary efforts remain however limited if the surrounding production and consumption practices are not called into question at the same time. This article introduces open source product development as a potential approach for unlocking the limits of existing sustainable product design practices and to lead towards alternative and eco-efficient production and consumption practices termed as participative production. First, it discusses the potential advantages of this emerging practice in terms of environmental sustainability. Second, it provides a screened qualitative environmental analysis of 18 exemplary open source hardware products. Specific sustainable design principles implemented by these products are highlighted and discussed in order to identify challenges for further common research in the field of open source and sustainable product development.     

Development of a fuel cell propulsion system for the existing Mercedes B-Class 160 of petrol driven car

This paper presents a theoretical comparison between fuel cell (FC) power train and conventional petrol driven propulsion system. FC has potential to reduce the CO₂-emissions from road. However, FC power trains require energy storing device, to meet the peak power during extreme drive situations and also able to recover the kinetic energy of the vehicle during break operation. The proposed system includes a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) based drive train and a super capacitor connected in parallel. The system is designed and dimensioned for a conventional petrol driven propulsion system of the Mercedes B-Class160. The feasibility study also includes comparison between the existing conventional systems. It is shown that although FC power train is heavier compared to existing system, urban performance is better and produces no CO₂ and other harmful emissions.     

公众生态文明素养及其科普教育研究

本文对国家文明城市芜湖市进行实地问卷调查发现:公众具有一定生态意识,但生态文明素养整体状况不佳。公众对生态文明概念比较了解和很了解的只占17.7%;各类人群对周围环境关注度较高,均在65%左右;有相关生态知识或行为的公众占92%;有76.7%的人表示没有破坏环境的行为;64.8%的受访者表示他们有保护环境的行为。通过生态科普教育现状调查发现:受访者对目前生态科普教育满意度只有25.9%,政府在生态科普教育方面还存在活动流于形式、创新性不强、投入不足、制度不完善、不能及时回应公众关切热点、专项科普匮乏、媒体不给力、内容不接地气、无区域特色、平台手段落后等问题。提出了提升公众生态文明素养需构建四个相互联动的科普教育体系:高度重视生态科普教育的思想体系、支撑生态科普教育的技术能力体系、生态科普教育的长效机制体系和具有区域特色生态科普教育内容体系。     

生态文明制度体系研究——以江苏省为例

生态文明制度体系是由制度构成的一个相互配合、有机联系的整体。本文基于文献统计分析与实地调研咨询,从广义和狭义层面,分别对生态文明制度进行梳理。根据国家生态文明建设需求与省级层面实际情况,本文将广义的生态文明制度体系分为源头保护制度体系、损害赔偿与激励体系、追责考评制度体系和污染治理制度体系四大板块,并针对国家与省级重点生态文明制度,构建生态资源保护制度链与污染防治制度链。同时,对制度地位、制度衔接、相互关系及其优化选择进行分析,以提高环境管理效能,推进生态文明研究纵深发展。     

于GRI体系的机场企业环境信息披露研究

机场作为民航运输的关键节点和重要枢纽,肩负着服务区域经济的重要使命,同时也面临环境保护与可持续发展的巨大挑战。作为公共基础设施和城市形象窗口,机场上市公司具有披露环境信息的义务与责任。在充分研究国内机场上市公司环境信息披露制度背景的基础上,本研究借鉴全球报告倡议组织（GRI）发布的《可持续发展报告指南》（第四版）及机场运营者行业补充（GRI-AOSS）构建了适用于我国机场的环境信息披露评价指标体系,并利用公开数据对国内6家机场上市公司的环境信息披露情况进行了实际测评。结果表明：我国机场环境信息披露程度较低,存在内容简单、量化不足、质量下降等问题。机场上市公司环境信息披露亟待在法律法规层面进行系统规范。建议借鉴GRI等相关国际标准及成功经验,制定适用于我国的科学可行的环境信息披露标准和制度体系。     

Future implications of urban intensification on residential water demand

Over recent decades Auckland, New Zealand, metropolitan area has vastly expanded as a result of rapid population growth and low-density housing developments. In order to manage the uncontrolled low-density urban sprawl, Auckland Council proposed a compact city model through promoting higher density housing developments. In order to understand the implications of this transition on future residential water demand, this study first evaluated water consumption in three major housing types in Auckland including single houses, low-rise and high-rise apartments. Using the geographic information system, the water consumption information, estimated from a large sample of 60,000 dwellings across Auckland, was subsequently integrated with the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan outlining the future housing composition over different areas in Auckland. Through developing different growth scenarios, the study showed that the housing transition from single houses to more intensified multi-unit houses cannot considerably affect the average per capita water consumption in Auckland.     

1961~2015年西南地区降水及洪涝指数空间分布特征

利用西南地区98个气象站连续完整的日降水序列数据,整合降水强度、持续性指数及等级指数形成降水指数体系并研究该区域降水及洪涝指数的空间分布特征,得到以下主要结论：（1） 1961~2015年,西南地区年降水量（PRCPTOT）与极端降水量（R95PTOT）都呈现出“东多西少、南多北少”的分布形态;持续降水日数（CWD）则表现为“南高北低、西高东低”的分布格局。区域多年平 均PRCPTOT、R95PTOT、CWD分别以-13.12 mm/10 a、1.34 mm/10 a、-0.29 d/10 a的速率变化。（2）西南地区不同等级降水日数具有相似的空间分布特征,均呈现出“南高北低、东高西低”的分布形态。（3）西南地区洪涝强度指数呈由东北向西南递减的分布特征;降水总量越多的地区,洪涝强度反而越低,主要由于单站洪涝强度表征的是降水的波动情况,降水量越多波动越不明显。21世纪以来,该 地区洪涝等级以重级为主,2010年以来连续多年出现特重级洪涝。此外,洪涝强度越大,区域性年度灾害等级越高。该研究对于掌握西南地区极端气候变化规律,从而服务于防灾减灾具有一定的理论意义。     

Quantity and biochemical composition of sedimentary organic matter around offshore gas extraction platforms of the Adriatic Sea

Gas platforms can exert relevant effects on various ecosystem properties of the hosting area, modifying patterns of productivity and particle sedimentation. We hypothesised that the presence of gas platforms is associated with higher organic matter (OM) contents and we tested the null hypothesis by which benthic trophic conditions do not vary significantly among gas structures with different architectural characteristics. To test these hypotheses, we investigated sedimentary OM contents and biochemical composition at increasing distance from two distinct structures: one subsea well-site and one four-leg platform (FLP). We found that sediments surrounding the structures were characterised by similar OM contents, but different biochemical compositions, and that sedimentary OM compositional change with increasing distance from the structure is confirmed only at the FLP. These results suggest that: (i) benthic eutrophication is not consistent among different structures; (ii) OM biochemical composition changes are more evident than those in OM quantity; and (iii) the effect, wherever present, disappears at a very narrow distance from the platform. As biochemical composition of OM reflects food availability for benthic organisms, our results suggest that the enrichment of macrozoobenthic communities around these structures could be the consequence of increased nutritional quality of resources.     

开放经济、环保财政支出与污染治理——来自中国省级与行业面板数据的经验证据

首先按照各省环保财政支出占GDP比重与按主成分分析法计算的地方环境污染物排放综合指数的排名情况把中国30个省份分成两个区域,区域1环保财政支出污染治理效应较强,区域2环保财政支出污染治理效应较弱。区域1包括北京、海南等14个省市,区域2包括天津、上海等16个省市。其次基于2007—2014年中国省级和行业面板数据,分析开放经济、环保财政支出对污染治理的影响。最后借鉴门限回归模型检验开放经济是否存在环保财政支出与污染治理的门槛效应。结果显示:(1)环境污染物排放存在区域差异和行业差异,区域1呈现出开放程度和污染物排放双低的特征,而区域2则表现为双高特征。制造业、电力、煤气及水的生产和供应业污染物排放较高,采掘业污染物排放年均增长速度最快。(2)样本期内省级和行业面板数据均表明开放经济与环境污染物排放显著负相关,对外开放不是助推环境污染的原因。(3)中国环保财政支出与环境污染物排放显著负相关,环保财政支出具有显著的污染治理效应。(4)开放经济对环保财政支出的污染治理效应具有门槛效应,当进口和出口贸易总额高于门槛值-1.221、-1.016时环保财政支出的污染治理效应很难发挥。(5)以进、出口贸易总额为门槛变量时,有107个观测值低于门槛值,占总观测值的44.58%,其中有59个位于区域1,占55.14%。鉴于此应继续加大环境保护财政支出,进一步提升环保财政专项支出在GDP中所占比重,保持适度的对外开放,优化能源消费结构和实现产业结构升级,全面改善环境质量,提升开放经济下环保财政支出的污染治理效应。     

Accounting for monogastric livestock as a driver in global land use and cover change assessments

Land systems are described based on various characteristics, including land cover composition and agricultural production. However, it is uncertain to what extent livestock, particularly monogastric livestock, determines land systems. We included monogastrics in a land system classification, and statistically analyzed the land cover composition and agricultural production of otherwise similar land systems with and without monogastric livestock. The results indicate that land systems with monogastrics are statistically different from their counterparts in the classification without monogastrics in terms of grassland area and crop yields, but are less different in terms of tree area, crop area, and ruminant livestock production. We then used a land systems map that includes monogastrics in the classification and a similar map that does not include monogastrics to project future changes in a novel manner that integrates livestock as a determinant of land systems. The results show that including monogastrics in otherwise similar projections yields less cropland intensification and more cropland expansion in several world regions, including Northern Africa and the Middle East. Other regions, such as Europe and Australia, were characterized by less decrease or more increase in tree area in the application with monogastrics, mainly due to the occurrence of open forests with monogastrics. This study prompts a call for improved characterization of land systems for land use and cover change (LUCC) assessments in order to better represent LUCC driven by monogastric livestock.