Emergy as a Life Cycle Impact Assessment Indicator

Founded in thermodynamics and systems ecology, emergy evaluation is a method to associate a product with its dependencies on all upstream environmental and resource flows using a common unit of energy. Emergy is thus proposed as an indicator of aggregate resource use for life cycle assessment (LCA). An LCA of gold mining, based on an original life cycle inventory of a large gold mine in Peru, is used to demonstrate how emergy can be incorporated as an impact indicator into a process‐based LCA model. The results demonstrate the usefulness of emergy in the LCA context. The adaptation of emergy evaluation, traditionally performed outside of the LCA framework, requires changes to the conventional accounting rules and the incorporation of uncertainty estimations of the emergy conversion factors, or unit emergy values. At the same time, traditional LCA boundaries are extended to incorporate the environmental processes that provide for raw resources, including ores. The total environmental contribution to the product, doré, is dominated by mining and metallurgical processes and not the geological processes forming the gold ore. The measure of environmental contribution to 1 gram (g) of doré is 6.8E + 12 solar‐equivalent Joules (sej) and can be considered accurate within a factor of 2. These results are useful in assessing a process in light of available resources, which is essential to measuring long‐term sustainability. Comparisons are made between emergy and other measures of resource use, and recommendations are made for future incorporation of emergy into LCA that will result in greater consistency with existing life cycle inventory (LCI) databases and other LCA indicators.     

Exploring the Social Dynamics of Proenvironmental Behavior Change

This article explores the intrinsic role of context in shaping the course and outcomes of interventions aimed at changing environmentally significant behavior in home and workplace settings. Drawing on sociological theories of symbolic interactionism, we evaluate the social dynamics and mechanisms of two similar, team-based behavior change interventions at work (Environment Champions) and at home (EcoTeams). The analysis shows that the interventions open up different levels of opportunity for reviewing and renegotiating new environmentally friendly behaviors against the reactions and expectations of the immediate peer group, existing workplace or domestic roles, and the situation-specific definitions of what counts as appropriate behavior in the home and the workplace. We argue that policy studies should pay greater attention to the processes of behavior change, or the contextually sensitive relationship between interventions and outcomes, as a step toward refining or streamlining interventions aimed at changing environmentally significant behavior.     

Do green neighbourhood ratings cover sustainability?

Neighbourhoods are the building blocks of cities, which have their own architectural, cultural and economic systems. To improve neighbourhood sustainability, a consideration of their buildings, public spaces, infrastructure, and cooperation between their parts is necessary. Neighbourhoods are an integral part of urban planning activity, yet the development of neighbourhood assessment tools has just begun to spread.In the scope of this study, five assessment systems, CASBEE-UD, the 2009 and 2012 versions of the BREEAM Communities, LEED-ND, and DGNB-UD were compared. This paper presents the methodology and results of their comparative investigation. These systems categorise, measure, and rate their indexes and indicators differently, therefore it was necessary to integrate their processes to make them comparable. By means of a 3-level comparison and the indicator evaluation, the different neighbourhood sustainability assessment systems were compared in general as well as in detail.An evaluation based on the method provides information about the similarities, differences, and working methods of the systems, and this study can provide guidance in choosing a proper assessment system for a specific development, based on its detailedness, adaptability, and efficiency. It was also important to determine ways to improve the assessment systems.The study states that the DGNB neighbourhood sustainability system provided the best results in a comparison of their sustainability integration issues, the detailedness of their indicators, and their coverage of the pillars of sustainability. The newest systems synthesise the best qualities of each sustainability assessment tool. Meanwhile, the CASBEE tool differs from the others in the most aspects due to its different background. Finally, the LEED and BREEAM systems showed average results in main aspects.     

European Experience on Application of Site-Specific Ecological Risk Assessment in Terrestrial Ecosystems

This article describes the current state of the development toward a common European framework for site-specific ecological risk assessment (SS-ERA) Although common progression has been slow in the past two years, earlier activities were very promising. Results are presented of a 2001 workshop to discuss the scientific development and policy needs in preparation of such a common framework. The framework was recommended to follow a tiered approach. Other important elements for a common European framework for SS-ERA were identified to be the use of generic values in the first tier and bioassays in later tiers, to address bioavailability in the assessment, to differentiate for land use. Also, the framework should allow for negotiation between stakeholders specific to the site. These aspects are present in the Dutch approach to SS-ERA, and this article further presents some experience with the application of this framework in a large case of SS-ERA in The Netherlands. The derivation of suitable ecological parameters and assessment criteria in view of land use in a tiered approach risk assessment is focused on, and the interactive process between stakeholders and ongoing discussions concerning references and criteria for assessment are illustrated.     

Reply to the first systematic response by the Global Footprint Network to criticism: A real debate finally?

We respond to a reaction of the Global Footprint Network/GFN on our 8-point criticism of the ecological footprint. We also refer to, and comment on, an associated debate in this journal between Giampietro and Saltelli, 2014a, Giampietro and Saltelli, 2014b, on the one hand, and Goldfinger et al. (2014), on the other. We conclude that criticism on the footprint is accumulating and coherent across the various studies and disciplines and among the different authors. This was the first time that Wackernagel/GFN systematically responded to our criticisms. Hence, our response contains several original elements and the resulting exchange can be seen to add value to the existing literature. It ultimately allows readers to better make up their mind about the different viewpoints on the ecological footprint.     

我国生态保护红线三维制度体系——以宁德市为例

生态保护红线是维护国土生态安全和人类健康的最低保障线,是国家为建设生态文明提出的一种底限思维,用创新的思路解决中国环境危机,处理保护资源和经济发展的关系。鉴于红线在生态保护领域中的重要地位,介绍了国内外相似的案例和实践应用,以及国内生态保护红线的推进情况,主要以生态空间保护为主。基于相关文献综述,生态红线的保护理念逐步扩展,即生态保护红线逐步从空间红线拓展到涵盖空间、资源及环境质量三方面的一个综合的红线体系,并进一步提出警告上线、调控中线及保有底线的控制要求,形成生态保护红线框架体系的初步构想。同时以宁德市为例,三维制度体系具体落实到地方控制指标,形成红线指标体系。最后,从法规、制度及市场等3个方面建立其配套的保障机制,以期为进一步完善整个理论体系提供参考。     

A proposed framework for developing indicators of ecosystem health

Considerations involved in developing a suite of indicators to monitor regional environmental health, similar in conception to management use of leading economic indicators, are described. Linkages between human activities and well being and the state of the environment are considered essential to the evaluation of general environmental health. Biogeochemical and socioeconomic indicators are mutually affected by environmental degradation and examples of both categories of indicators are described. Desirable properties in indicators of environmental health vary with their specific management use. Different indicators are called for when collecting data to assess the adequacy of the environment, monitor trends over time, provide early warning of environmental degradation, or diagnose the cause of an existing problem. Tradeoffs between desirable characteristics, costs, and quality of information are inevitable when choosing indicators for management use. Decisions about what information to collect for which purpose can be made more rationally when available indicators are characterized and matched to management goals.     

意杨苗木耗水特征与水分利用效率

研究杨树耗水量的变化特征、水分利用效率及其影响因子对杨树生理生态研究、造林树种的选择和林业生态工程建设具有重要的指导价值。以意杨(Populus euramevicana cv.‘I-214’)为研究对象进行盆栽试验,设定了4个处理组,分别为T1处理组(种植意杨,密封处理),T2处理组(种植意杨,非密封处理),T3处理组(不种植意杨,非密封处理),C处理组(不种植意杨,密封处理),定量分析了意杨耗水规律、水分利用效率及土壤蒸发量与植株生理特性、气象环境因子之间的关系。结果表明:(1)4个处理组耗水量变化曲线均呈\"单峰型\",且在7月份达到最大值,2月份降到最低值。(2)栽植意杨的土壤水分蒸发量占总耗水量的15.9%,全年波动状态稳定,本底流失量占30.4%。(3)在地表覆盖物下的意杨蒸腾耗水量占总耗水量的53.7%,年变化曲线为单峰型;栽培意杨的土壤水分总流失量是不栽培意杨土壤总流失量2.77倍;在裸地上种植意杨的土壤水分总蒸发量仅比没有意杨的裸地土壤多流失7.9%水分。(4)在有地表覆盖物下和裸地上的意杨叶面平均蒸腾强度分别为30.8 g cm~(-2)a~(-1),9.5 g cm~(-2)a~(-1);平均每克生物量耗水量为39.61 g。综上所述,意杨具有很强的蒸腾耗水能力,种植意杨可能会造成造林地区土壤水分大量流失,使该地区深层土壤干燥化,不利于土壤储水调节作用的发挥。     

Life Cycle Sustainability Dashboard

One method to assess the sustainability performance of products is life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA), which assesses product performance considering the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of the life cycle. The results of LCSA can be used to compare different products or to support decision making toward sustainable production and consumption. In both cases, LCSA results could be too disaggregated and consequently too difficult to understand and interpret by decision makers. As non‐experts are usually the target audience of experts and scientists, and are also involved in decision‐making processes, the necessity for a straightforward but comprehensive presentation of LCSA results is becoming strategically important. The implementation of the dashboard of sustainability proposed in this article offers a possible solution. An outstanding characteristic of the dashboard of sustainability is the communicability of the results by means of a graphical representation (a cartogram), characterized by a suitable chromatic scale and ranking score. The integration of LCSA and the dashboard of sustainability into a so‐called Life Cycle Sustainability Dashboard (LCSD) is described here. The first application of LCSD to a group of hard floor coverings is presented to show the applicability and limitations of the methodology.     

Towards an Integrated Regional Materials Flow Accounting Model

A key challenge in attaining regional sustainability is to reduce both the direct and the indirect environmental impacts associated with economic and household activity in the region. Knowing what these flows are and how they change over time is a prerequisite for this task.
This article describes the early development of an integrated regional materials flow accounting framework. The framework is based on a hybrid (material and economic) multiregional input-output model. Using readily available economic and materials data sets together with transport and logistics data, the framework attempts to provide estimates of household resource flows for any U.K. region at quite detailed levels of product and material disaggregation. It is also capable of disaggregating these flows according to specific socioeconomic criteria such as income level or occupation of the head of household. Allied to appropriate energy and life-cycle assessment data sets, the model could, in addition, be used to map both direct and indirect environmental impacts associated with these flows.
The benefits of such an approach are likely to be a considerable reduction of uncertainties in (1) our knowledge of the household metabolism, and hence our predictions of regional household waste generation; (2) our assessment of the impacts of contemplated changes in industrial process siting, and thereby on other aspects of local and regional planning; and (3) our understanding of the impacts of changes in the pattern of demand for different materials and products. It is concluded that the use of such an integrated assessment tool has much to contribute to the debate on regional sustainability.     

农户生计策略转型及对环境的影响研究综述

随着我国经济形势的不断变化,越来越多的农户从传统的\"单一生计\"转向\"生计多样化\"和\"优势生计\"的发展方向。农户作为农村地区最基本的社会经济单元和行为决策主体,处于人口、经济与资源环境矛盾的核心,其生计策略与生计活动的动态变化势必对所处的自然-社会-经济复合生态系统带来一定的影响。在回顾农户生计研究的历史与现状的基础上,分别从农户生计策略的内涵与类型、农户生计策略转型及其驱动因素、生计策略转型对环境的影响3个方面,系统梳理了国内外学者对农户生计策略转型及对环境的影响的研究进展,尝试性地构建了农户生计策略转型及对环境的影响的基本研究框架,提出未来研究应当体现生计问题本身的动态性和复杂性,并注重可持续生计策略的界定与实现。