| 1. |
- Cai, Zhichang, et al.
(författare)
-
Ecological urban design through Material and Energy Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment : From an architect's perspective
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Wit Transactions on Ecology and The Environment. - 1746-448X .- 1743-3541. ; 142, s. 3-13
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The process of ecological urban design was studied through the perspective of Material/Energy Flow Analysis from an architect's viewpoint. The study examined how to control and adjust the production, transportation, distribution and consumption of material and energy flows in built environment systems, and how to analyse the relevant ecological design methods. Two environmental methods were used, Material/Energy Flow Analysis as the main method and Life Cycle Assessment as a parallel method, to analyse the 'integrated efficiency' of material and energy utilisation in the built environment and its significance for sustainable design. The analysis was applied to two cases: Material Flow Analysis of household wastewater treatment and Energy Flow Analysis of energy for heating and cooling buildings.
|
|
| 2. |
- Edwards, Y., et al.
(författare)
-
Quality-assured solutions for green roof gardens on concrete decks with zero tolerance for leaks
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Wit Transactions on Ecology and The Environment. - : WITPress. - 1746-448X .- 1743-3541. ; 191, s. 635-645
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Eco neighborhoods with green infrastructure solutions are increasingly being prescribed today in Swedish cities for reducing and attenuating storm water runoff, increasing biodiversity, having a temperature moderating effect and for energy saving. Thus, contractors are simply required to build with green gardens on concrete decks, such as green roofs, green terraces, green courtyards and green complete neighborhoods. A lot of knowledge and experience is in fact lacking today, and consequences may therefore be devastating. If green system solutions are to be seen as an obvious choice in future settlements, and not as a problem, there must be clear guidelines and specifications that ensure a sustainable outcome. This is missing today. This paper reports a project aiming at bringing together researchers, government and industry to the collaborative development of new and attractive solutions for green roof gardens with consideration to the environment and high requirements for durability, materials, construction and energy efficiency. These solutions must also be adaptable to similar types of facilities, specific needs and environments. One such area concerns public land such as parks, streets and squares on concrete decks. Certification and tailored guidelines for different types of systems are being developed. The initiating part of this project clearly indicates that there is a need for better understanding, more research and long term monitoring/follow up of green roofs. Furthermore, a holistic approach is introduced to ensure that one good green roof function will not have severe negative effects on other functions.
|
|
| 3. |
- Elmi Mohamed, Abdullahi
(författare)
-
Managing shared river basins in the Horn of Africa : Ethiopian planned water projects on the Juba and Shabelle Rivers and effects on downstream uses in Somalia
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Wit Transactions on Ecology and The Environment. - 1746-448X .- 1743-3541. ; 172, s. 139-151
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Juba and Shabelle Rivers in the Horn of Africa are shared by Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. Most of the rivers' runoff originates from the Ethiopian Highlands. Before entering into the Indian Ocean, the rivers pass through a semidesert area and cross area of border dispute. The rivers are in a war-scarce, warravaged and contentious region. The paper examines the physical and developmental aspects of the two rivers, and analyses resulting trans-boundary river management issues. Methodology used is document and literature reviews, interviews with key persons and other relevant organizations. River master plans and other relevant documents describing policies as well as existing and planned uses were reviewed. The two rivers supply support important economic areas in southern Somalia. As an outcome from their master plans of the river basins, Ethiopia is now planning to build several large dams for hydropower generation and large scale irrigation schemes. No notifications were given to downstream Somalia, which will be the most affected downstream riparian of the projects. These unilateral major water development projects will have substantial adverse impacts on Somalia, as there are no agreements between the nations on sharing river waters. The sum of the existing uses in Somalia and planned ones in Ethiopia will exceed available water resources in the rivers. Potential disputes over the shared rivers are therefore likely to rise. Turning this risk of conflict into a sustainable peace and development in the region, the paper presents existing and potential opportunities for cooperation over the shared water resources for mutually sharing benefits.
|
|
| 4. |
- Joelsson, Lars Magnus T., et al.
(författare)
-
Tailored chemical mechanisms for simulation of urban air pollution
- 2018
-
Ingår i: WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment. - 1746-448X. ; 230, s. 165-176
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A semi-stochastic, statistical reduction method for chemical kinetic schemes based on the ant colony optimization method, is developed for atmospheric chemistry simulations. The prime application is coupled dynamic and chemistry models for simulation of the dispersion and reactivity of chemical species on street scale, i.e. the modelling of urban air pollution in street canyons. The method is designed so that it will optimize the reduction process for any simulation case, as given by user-specific inputs, such as initial concentrations of reactive species, temperature, humidity, residence time, and solar radiation. These inputs will correspond to, or be deduced from, actual variables such as season, time-of-day, geographic location, proximity to volatile organic carbon or nitrogen oxides sources (e.g. forests, roads, industry, harbours etc.) and their source strengths, weather, composition of vehicle fleet, and traffic load inside the street canyon. The method is evaluated against three box model case studies (laboratory and atmospheric simulations) previously described in the literature. The method reduces the mechanism sizes with 62.5%, 84.7%, and 97.7% respectively, retaining the average accuracy for the prediction of the target compound (O3, NO2, and NO) concentrations by 94.1%, 90.3%, and 91.2% respectively. These preliminary results illustrate the potential for the method. Further developments, such as inclusion of lumping or short-cutting of reaction paths, can be considered.
|
|
| 5. |
- Levihn, Fabian, et al.
(författare)
-
Biomass and waste incineration CHP: co-benefits of primary energy savings, reduced emissions and costs
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Wit Transactions on Ecology and The Environment. - : WIT Press. - 1746-448X .- 1743-3541. ; 190, s. 127-138
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Energy utility companies face trade-offs in navigating through today’s environmental challenges. On the one hand they face intense political, social and environmental pressures to move towards adopting energy systems that incorporate the use of renewable energy resources. By making this transition they would contribute to carbon reduction and mitigate climate change. On the other hand, they need to coordinate their resources and become efficient when investing in new plants or upgrading existing production systems. This paper seeks to address the gains that utility companies can make when replacing older fossil fuel base- plants with efficient combined heat and power (CHP) plants. We discuss the system effects from the changes in production of other units when new plants are constructed. Using one of the largest energy utility companies in Sweden, Fortum, as empirical point of departure, we analyzed the company’s transition from using coal and hydrocarbons to an increased use of renewables and waste incineration CHP. Our analysis was based on comprehensive production data on CO2, SOx and NOx emissions. Our findings suggest that primary energy consumption drops when older, less efficient fossil plants are substituted for new efficient CHP plants; this drop includes the effect on remaining production. The benefits in terms of primary energy savings might even be greater than what is achieved in meeting the goal of climate change abatement through reduced CO2 emissions; NOx and SOx emissions are decreased with new biomass CHPs. Waste incineration CHP increase NOx and SOx emissions, when there is less fossil fuel to replace after the use of biomass is extended. In both cases, economic efficiency increase as costs are reduced.
|
|
| 6. |
- Mehaffy, Michael W., et al.
(författare)
-
Public spaces and private conflicts in the new urban agenda
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Wit Transactions on Ecology and The Environment. - : WITPress. - 1746-448X .- 1743-3541. ; 238, s. 87-96
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The New Urban Agenda, developed at the UN-Habitat III conference on sustainable urban development and later adopted by consensus by 193 countries, includes nine paragraphs affirming the importance of robust public space networks for sustainable and functional cities. But what are the essential requirements for functional public space in cities? What are the current challenges and shortcomings – especially at a time of rapid urbanization, and the decline of public spaces in many cities? We report on a literature survey done by the Centre for the Future of Places at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, as part of a collaboration with UN-Habitat towards implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The literature provides ample evidence that public spaces are arenas for numerous potential conflicts, but also, if properly allocated and structured, places of peaceful co-presence, creative interaction, participation, and co-production. Furthermore, a critical aspect of successful public space is the ability to self-organise into a structure of territorial regions, combining private interiors with connective public edges. We discuss larger lessons for city structure, design and development strategy, and sustainable urbanisation for the future.
|
|
| 7. |
- Mugabi, Nicholas, et al.
(författare)
-
Revolutionalizing agriculture extension delivery through mobile telephony: the experience of Village Enterprise Agent Model in Greater Masaka area, Uganda.
- 2018
-
Ingår i: G. Passerini and N. Marchettini (2018) Sustainable Development and Planning X. WIT eLibrary in volume 217 of WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment. - : Lightning Source, UK. - 1746-448X .- 1743-3541. - 9781784662912
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Agriculture continues to be the thrust of Uganda’s economy, directly employing majority of the population. However, there is deficiency in extension service delivery with few trained extension workers to support smallholder farmers. As a result, there have been strides to revolutionize traditional agriculture extension delivery through Village Enterprise Agent Model using mobile telephony digital extension platform. A cross sectional study design was adopted using ethnographic interviews and survey questionnaire with 70 VEAs. The diffusion of innovation theory and technology acceptance model are applied to examine the VEAs’ experience in using mobile telephony as a tool to deliver agriculture extension services. Explicitly, the study investigated the capacity of VEAs to deliver extension services, how they do it, the kind of information delivered and the challenges to this model. Study findings revealed that social networks of farmer groups are key diffusion channels through which VEAs reach smallholder farmers. Adopters’ characteristics such as VEAs’ education background, community leadership skills and prior experience in using mobile telephony has a strong bearing on the ease of disseminating digital messages to farmers. In addition, the Kulima mobile telephony digital platform has supported real time dissemination of agricultural information. This is integrated with pragmatic demonstration gardens, farmer exchange visits, home visits to enhance farmers’ peer learning. The sustainability of VEA model, with no clear incentive system, amidst complicated agriculture terminologies used in digital messages are some of the challenges to the model. Thus, future extension delivery using community agents and information communication technology should be cognizant of the social cultural dynamics, social nodes and ties of farmers and translate mobile digital messages into indigenous languages.
|
|
| 8. |
- Nilsson, Helen, et al.
(författare)
-
Barriers to energy crops in Poland from the farmers perspective
- 2007
-
Ingår i: WIT TRANSACTIONS ON ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. - 1743-3541 .- 1746-448X. - 9781845640828 ; 105, s. 207-215
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the recent expansions of the European Union, there are now 12 new member states that are implementing European policy. One of these policies, with implications for energy production and security, is the Common Agricultural Policy. This article will focus on the impact the Common Agricultural Policy can have on farmers in Poland who have been encouraged by calls to cultivate energy crops. In addition, this article investigates the barriers recognized by farmers in Poland to cultivating energy crops, willow in particular. The identified barriers were grouped into four categories: financial, informational, organisational, and market factors. It was also observed that levels of subsidies for energy crops differ between established member states (EU15) and new member states. Finally, this article discusses how small farmers can create cooperative links and find markets for energy products as one possible step towards increasing Poland's renewable energy production.
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
- Wedin, Anna, et al.
(författare)
-
Food versus fuel : The case of the makeni community in Sierra Leone
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Wit Transactions on Ecology and The Environment. - : WITPRESS LTD.. - 1746-448X .- 1743-3541. ; 170, s. 37-48
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Food security can be defined in terms of availability, access, and use of food. The study assesses whether the measures taken by Addax Bioenergy in the Makeni community in Sierra Leone are effective and sufficient to ensure food security locally as well as regionally. Land and water availability, agricultural intensification and infrastructure, self-sufficiency/market dependency and alternative income options have been identified as the main factors affecting food security in the project area. The main measures employed by Addax involve the use of an 'environmental, social and health impact assessment' (ESHIA) to identify and propose measures to mitigate any impacts that would adversely affect the food security of the region. The results show that the proposed measures for mitigating negative impacts on food security are in some instances inappropriate and inadequate, leaving the affected communities exposed to risks and shocks of food insecurity. It is also found that the insufficiency of mitigation measures is a result of weak governance and lack of oversight that may leave the community at the mercy of Addax Bioenergy.
|
|
