bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential Development of Sustainable 3D-Printed Meat Analogues: A Review
Authors: Ramachandraiah Karna
Published: January 2021

To mitigate the threat of climate change driven by livestock meat production, a multifaceted approach that incorporates dietary changes, innovative product development, advances in technologies, and reductions in food wastes/losses is proposed. The emerging technology of 3D printing (3DP) has been recognized for its unprecedented capacity to fabricate food products with intricate structures and reduced material cost and energy. For sustainable 3DP of meat substitutes, the possible materials discussed are derived from in vitro cell culture, meat byproducts/waste, insects, and plants. These material-based approaches are analyzed from their potential environmental effects, technological viability, and consumer acceptance standpoints. Although skeletal muscles and skin are bioprinted for medical applications, they could be utilized as meat without the additional printing of vascular networks. The impediments to bioprinting of meat are lack of food-safe substrates/materials, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. The sustainability of bioprinting could be enhanced by the utilization of generic/universal components or scaffolds and optimization of cell sourcing and fabrication logistics. Despite the availability of several plants and their byproducts and some start-up ventures attempting to fabricate food products, 3D printing of meat analogues remains a challenge. From various insects, powders, proteins (soluble/insoluble), lipids, and fibers are produced, which—in different combinations and at optimal concentrations—can potentially result in superior meat substitutes. Valuable materials derived from meat byproducts/wastes using low energy methods could reduce waste production and offset some greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Apart from printer innovations (speed, precision, and productivity), rational structure of supply chain and optimization of material flow and logistic costs can improve the sustainability of 3D printing. Irrespective of the materials used, perception-related challenges exist for 3D-printed food products. Consumer acceptance could be a significant challenge that could hinder the success of 3D-printed meat analogs.
Exploring the Use of Virtual Reality to Support Environmentally Sustainable Behavior: A Framework to Design Experiences
Authors: Scurati Giulia Wally , Bertoni Marco , Graziosi Serena , Ferrise Francesco
Published: January 2021

The current and future challenges of sustainable development require a massive transformation of habits and behaviors in the whole society at many levels. This demands a change of perspectives, priorities, and practices that can only result from the development of more aware, informed, and instructed communities and individuals. The field of design for sustainable behavior is answering this need through the development of products, systems, and services to support the change of people’s habits and decision-making processes. In this regard, Virtual Reality (VR) is a promising tool: it has already been explored to drive sustainable behavior change in several situations, through a wide range of devices, technologies, and modalities. This variety provides uncountable opportunities to designers, but it comes with a series of ethical, psychological, and technical questions. Hence, VR developers should be able to distinguish and identify possible strategies, delivering suitable solutions for each case study. In this work, we present a framework for the development of VR experiences to support sustainable behavior change, based on a systematic review. We consider the various features to manage and possible alternatives when creating a VR experience, linking them to the behavioral aspects that can be addressed according to the project’s aim. The framework will provide designers with a tool to explore and orient themselves towards possible sets of optimal choices generating tailored solutions.
Correction: Prag, A.A.; Henriksen, C.B. Transition from Animal-Based to Plant-Based Food Production to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture—The Case of Denmark. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8228
Authors: Prag Adam A. , Henriksen Christian B.
Published: January 2021

The authors have made the following corrections about the published paper [...]
Mapping the Green Product-Space in Mexico: From Capabilities to Green Opportunities
Authors: Pérez-Hernández Carla Carolina , Salazar-Hernández Blanca Cecilia , Mendoza-Moheno Jessica , Cruz-Coria Erika , Hernández-Calzada Martín Aubert
Published: January 2021

The aim of this paper is to examine the current and potential capability to promote the green economy in Mexico, simultaneously detecting new opportunities for diversification and “green” productive sophistication so that Mexican entities can move toward environmentally friendly ecological products. For this, we adopted a novel methodology to measure the productive capabilities of the green economy in Mexico, thereby discovering the green product space at a subnational scale. Economic complexity methods were used to estimate the Green Complexity Index (GCI) and the Green Complexity Potential (GCP) for 32 Mexican regions considering a time series from 2004 to 2018 and a set of data on international trade in ecological products. The main findings are reflected in a grid of the Green Adjacent Possible (GAP) and a heatmap that shows the “grasslands” (current green products by state). The results are likely to influence industrial policy and state innovation agendas. A limitation of this work is that it is based only on data from the formal, industrial, and regulated economy. The originality lies in the fact that there were no previous studies in the context analyzed, and the fecundity of the research reflects the need to expand the study with a focus on green business models.
Intentions to Consume Sustainably Produced Fish: The Moderator Effects of Involvement and Environmental Awareness
Authors: Skallerud Kåre , Armbrecht John , Tuu Ho Huy
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this study is to apply the conceptual framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain the consumption of sustainable produced fish in Sweden. We seek to understand the moderating role of food product involvement and environmental awareness as extensions of traditional constructs such as attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control. The data were derived from a representative sample of 1974 Swedish consumers. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the relationships between constructs and evaluate the reliability and the validity of the constructs. Attitudes had a significantly positive effect on intention to consume fish in general and sustainably produced fish in particular. Social norms had significantly positive effect on intention to consume fish in general, but no effect on intention to consume sustainably produced fish. Behavioral control had no effect on behavioral intention. Interestingly, involvement negatively moderated the effect of attitudes on both intention to consume more fish and to consume more sustainably produced fish. Environmental awareness also negatively moderated the effect of attitudes on intention to consume more sustainably produced fish. It seems that attempts to create food product involvement and environmental awareness among consumers may have the opposite effect—a boomerang effect—than what conventional wisdom and much of the research on fish consumption indicates. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Characterization of Carbonaceous Deposits on an End-of-Life Engines for Effective Cleaning for Remanufacturing
Authors: Wang Xing , Li Jianfeng , Jia Xiujie , Ma Mingliang , Ren Yuan
Published: January 2021

Remanufacturing is one of the most effective strategies to achieve sustainable manufacturing and restore the performance of end-of-life products. However, the lack of an effective cleaning method to clean carbonaceous deposits severely hampers the remanufacturing of end-of-life engines. To explore an appropriate cleaning method, it is necessary to first study the characterization of the carbonaceous deposits. A broad range of analyses including X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance study, X-ray diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy were performed to conduct an in-depth characterization of the carbonaceous deposits. The results showed that a hybrid structure composed of organics and inorganics is the most distinguishing feature of the carbonaceous deposit in end-of-life engines. The inorganics form the skeleton on which organics get attached, thereby resulting in a strong adhesion of the deposit and increasing the difficulty of cleaning. Therefore, a method in which several cleaning forces can be simultaneously applied is more suitable for the present purpose. Molten salt cleaning was chosen to verify the feasibility of this proposal. This method was shown to have the potential to effectively clean the carbonaceous deposit. This finding could contribute towards promoting the effective remanufacturing of end-of-life engines.
What Prompts Small and Medium Enterprises to Implement CSR? A Qualitative Insight from an Emerging Economy
Authors: Zou Zengming , Liu Yu , Ahmad Naveed , Sial Muhammad Safdar , Badulescu Alina , Zia-Ud-Din Malik , Badulescu Daniel
Published: January 2021

The topic of corporate social responsibility (henceforth referred to as CSR) has been a central topic during the last decade, but the majority of the existing literature discusses CSR relationship with large organizations. Whereas, its contribution in small and medium enterprises (henceforth referred to as SME) sector has received little attention. There have been some studies that focused on CSR activities in SME sector quantitatively in the context of developing economies like Pakistan, but the fact is, to date, SME sector of Pakistan is not participating actively in CSR-related activities due to some constraints. The present study is a pioneer attempt, to explore CSR barriers that restrict SME sector of Pakistan from practicing CSR initiatives. For this reason, the present study explores these barriers qualitatively in order to gain in-depth knowledge of different CSR barriers. In doing so, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews from 9 SMEs in Lahore city of Pakistan. We performed thematic analysis, which produced five relevant themes of CSR barriers, including: Lack of resources, lack of regulations, lack of top management commitment, lack of CSR knowledge, and passive customer behavior. Our analysis further showed that lack of resources is the most related barrier that hinder SMEs to be engaged in CSR activities. This paper contributes to CSR literature in emerging economies’ context. Through an increased awareness of barriers, policy makers and practitioners may take necessary steps to improve CSR practices in SMEs.
Sustainable Food Consumption: Investigating Organic Meat Purchase Intention by Vietnamese Consumers
Authors: Nguyen Hoang Viet , Nguyen Ninh , Nguyen Bach Khoa , Greenland Steven
Published: January 2021

Promoting sustainable food consumption contributes to the achievement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. This study investigated the key determinants of consumer intention to purchase organic meat in an emerging market and a unique model was developed by incorporating environmental concern and guilt with the key components of the Theory of Planned Behavior. This model was then validated by obtaining data from a sample of 402 Vietnamese consumers at five food stores in Ho Chi Minh City, using a paper-based survey. The findings reveal that consumers who are concerned about the environment are likely to formulate favorable attitudes and downplay monetary barriers associated with organic food purchase. In addition, while attitudes and guilt about buying conventional meat have a positive effect on organic meat purchase intention, perceived monetary barriers significantly reduce the intention. These findings highlight both the rational and emotional aspects of organic food purchase intention and have important implications for key stakeholders and the encouragement of organic meat consumption.
Heterogeneous Effects of ICT across Multiple Economic Development in Chinese Cities: A Spatial Quantile Regression Model
Authors: Chen Congbo , Ye Azhong
Published: January 2021

Most previous articles estimate the effects of information communication technologies (ICTs) on economic growth average using national data without consideration of heterogeneity of ICT effects on cities across multiple economic development. The heterogeneity of ICT effects is confirmed to promote both the sustainability and equitableness of the whole cities. In order to investigate the heterogeneous effects of ICT between developed and less developed cities, a quantile spatial autoregressive (QSAR) model is applied to estimate coefficients at different quantiles while accounting for the spatial dependence of urban economy. We find significantly positive effects of ICT in local and neighboring cities after controlling the spatial dependence of urban economy. We have further found larger coefficients of ICT-related variables in cities with lower gross domestic product (GDP) per capital suggesting that digital dividend from ICT prefer the less developed cities over developed cities. Our conclusions indicate there would be “double dividend” from ICT, namely an improvement of both overall economic growth and balanced economic development among cities.
Generative Mechanisms for Scientific Knowledge Transfer in the Food Industry
Authors: Zimpel-Leal Karla , Lettice Fiona
Published: January 2021

This paper investigates the generative mechanisms for scientific knowledge transfer in the food industry, addressing the sustainability of knowledge transfer projects related to health, safety and regulation. Different levels of analysis examine structure, agency and interactions within a multilevel framework. The main research questions are: (1) what are the key generative mechanisms within science–industry knowledge transfer? and (2) what are the implications of these mechanisms to policy? This research applies explaining-outcome process-tracing by investigating different knowledge transfer projects, utilising empirical data from 52 in-depth interviews with food scientists and food SMEs, 17 supporting documents and 16 observations. Systematic combining is used to develop a narrative from empirical data, where the evidence leads to the formation of the most plausible explanation. This is followed by the abstraction of mechanisms which are then matched to a suitable theoretical framework. The results from the study show a range of predominant mechanisms that drove scientific knowledge transfer including nonpecuniary incentives, reputation, opportunity, instrumental rationality, self-interest, strategic calculation, aggregation, learning and adaptive self-regulation. The overall conclusion is that the construction of relationships based around social norms, autonomy and relatedness are more dominant than those focused on financial incentives or transaction cost theories.
Usage and User Characteristics—Insights from MOIA, Europe’s Largest Ridepooling Service
Authors: Kostorz Nadine , Fraedrich Eva , Kagerbauer Martin
Published: January 2021

New, i.e., shared and digitized, mobility services have been entering urban mobility markets around the globe. Among these new offerings is ridepooling, a mobility solution that bundles requests from passengers with similar routes in real-time and matches them with a vehicle. Ridepooling is quite novel in Germany and knowledge about users, changes in travel behavior, and impacts on the urban traffic system is scarce. To address this gap, we conducted an online survey among users and non-users of MOIA, a German ridepooling provider. Over 12,000 respondents completed the survey. The article presents results on ridepooling users’ characteristics and usage patterns. We found that MOIA users cover all age groups and are multimodal travelers—which leads us to assume that ridepooling enriches mobility portfolios and also serves as an alternative to the private car. MOIA is mostly used occasionally and, in particular, during the evening or the night. A specific focus of the article lies on users with mobility impairments as well as how and by whom ridepooling is used on work-related trips. Both topics are particularly relevant in light of changing travel patterns and transforming urban transport systems towards more sustainability.
A Buzz for Sustainability and Conservation: The Growing Potential of Citizen Science Studies on Bees
Authors: Koffler Sheina , Barbiéri Celso , Ghilardi-Lopes Natalia P. , Leocadio Jailson N. , Albertini Bruno , Francoy Tiago M. , Saraiva Antonio M.
Published: January 2021

Expanding involvement of the public in citizen science projects can benefit both volunteers and professional scientists alike. Recently, citizen science has come into focus as an important data source for reporting and monitoring United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since bees play an essential role in the pollination ecosystem service, citizen science projects involving them have a high potential for attaining SDGs. By performing a systematic review of citizen science studies on bees, we assessed how these studies could contribute towards SDG reporting and monitoring, and also verified compliance with citizen science principles. Eighty eight studies published from 1992 to 2020 were collected. SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 17 (Partnerships) were the most outstanding, potentially contributing to targets related to biodiversity protection, restoration and sustainable use, capacity building and establishing multi stakeholder partnerships. SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) were also addressed. Studies were found to produce new knowledge, apply methods to improve data quality, and invest in open access publishing. Notably, volunteer participation was mainly restricted to data collection. Further challenges include extending these initiatives to developing countries, where only a few citizen science projects are underway.
Application of a High-Density Temperature Measurement System for the Management of the Kaohsiung House Project
Authors: Chao Chien-Chiao , Hung Kuo-An , Chen Szu-Yuan , Lin Feng-Yi , Lin Tzu-Ping
Published: January 2021

In Taiwan, the daytime temperature usually exceeds 37 °C in summer, and the increase in air-conditioning usage has led to higher energy demand, which brings a heavy burden to power plants. The Kaohsiung House Project, undertaken by the city government, encourages the installation of greening facilities in buildings, such as photovoltaic (PV) panels on rooftops and vertical gardens on balconies, in order to preserve energy and reduce carbon emissions. In the present study, the urban heat island effect and temperature distribution within the city was examined through the establishment of 16 temperature measurement sites within a 7.5 km × 6 km area. A between-site temperature difference of 2 °C was observed between April and August. Areas with higher temperature are recommended to increase their green space ratio through the project. Moreover, relocating PV panels in low-temperature areas increased the overall generation efficiency by 0.8%. Through the analysis of the measured data, this study determined which areas were more appropriate for green space expansion, and which would best serve for green energy generation, all with the aim of improving external environmental comfort and maximizing carbon reduction. Recommendations regarding the implementation of subsequent policies were issued and they provide reference for implementation in other cities.
The Circular Business Framework for Building, Developing and Steering Businesses in the Circular Economy
Authors: Lauten-Weiss Julian , Ramesohl Stephan
Published: January 2021

The need for a transition towards a circular economy (CE) is evident, as the current economic model is based on the exploitation of far more resources than the planet can replenish sustainably. A significant part of this economic transition is the inception of new, CE-oriented startups and business activities. While business model frameworks (BMF), such as the Business Model Canvas (BMC), were at the center of discussions about structuring business ideas in the beginning of the millennium, the conversation must now shift towards circular BMFs (CBMF). This paper follows the Design Research Methodology (DRM) for an empirical approach to devising a novel CBMF, including expert interviews as well as a first application of the framework with a startup. Throughout this process, a new and innovative tool called Circular Business Framework (CBF) was created and tested based on CE principles.
Re-Visiting Design Thinking for Learning and Practice: Critical Pedagogy, Conative Empathy
Authors: Jamal Tazim , Kircher Julie , Donaldson Jonan Phillip
Published: January 2021

This paper argues for the importance of design thinking as a creative, collaborative activity to equip students, instructors, and practitioners with important skills to address “wicked problems” that are transforming tourism and hospitality in a (post-)COVID-19 Anthropocene. Design Thinking (DT) and Design Thinking for Engaged Learning (DTEL) are becoming increasingly popular to incorporate in practice and in courses offered across various fields of study, including tourism and hospitality. The paper reviews some of their applications and uses, drawing on a range of cross-disciplinary literature. A small case study conducted over the Summer of 2020 in an undergraduate tourism course helps to reflect on existing weaknesses in DT and the original DTEL model, which the revisions reported here seek to address. Although the model engaged learners in developing innovative solutions to real problems, the incorporation of a critical, decolonizing pedagogy is needed to help learners break free of deeply entrenched assumptions, and intentionally develop pluralistic, relational solutions to address injustices and suffering. The previous emphasis on perspective taking through a dominantly cognitive (mind) empathy approach (in traditional DT models) is balanced with affective (heart) and conative (action) empathy, as aspects of care ethics that facilitate epistemic justice and praxis.
The Impact of Employment Quality and Housing Quality on Human Development in the European Union
Authors: Checa-Olivas Marina , de la Hoz-Rosales Bladimir , Cano-Guervos Rafael
Published: January 2021

This study aims to contribute new information on how and through which factors employment quality and housing quality can be improved from a human development approach so that people can live the life they want. Using the human capabilities approach as a theoretical reference framework, the article analyses the effect of involuntary part-time employment and overcrowded housing on the Human Development Index (HDI). The empirical analysis is based on the panel data technique, which is applied to data from the European Statistical Office (Eurostat) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the 28 member countries of the European Union. The results shed new evidence on how involuntary part-time work and overcrowded housing limit or hinder people from living the lives they want, at least in the dimensions measured by the HDI.
Modeling Two-Person Segmentation and Locomotion for Stereoscopic Action Identification: A Sustainable Video Surveillance System
Authors: Khalid Nida , Gochoo Munkhjargal , Jalal Ahmad , Kim Kibum
Published: January 2021

Due to the constantly increasing demand for automatic tracking and recognition systems, there is a need for more proficient, intelligent and sustainable human activity tracking. The main purpose of this study is to develop an accurate and sustainable human action tracking system that is capable of error-free identification of human movements irrespective of the environment in which those actions are performed. Therefore, in this paper we propose a stereoscopic Human Action Recognition (HAR) system based on the fusion of RGB (red, green, blue) and depth sensors. These sensors give an extra depth of information which enables the three-dimensional (3D) tracking of each and every movement performed by humans. Human actions are tracked according to four features, namely, (1) geodesic distance; (2) 3D Cartesian-plane features; (3) joints Motion Capture (MOCAP) features and (4) way-points trajectory generation. In order to represent these features in an optimized form, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is applied. After optimization, a neuro-fuzzy classifier is used for classification and recognition. Extensive experimentation is performed on three challenging datasets: A Nanyang Technological University (NTU) RGB+D dataset; a UoL (University of Lincoln) 3D social activity dataset and a Collective Activity Dataset (CAD). Evaluation experiments on the proposed system proved that a fusion of vision sensors along with our unique features is an efficient approach towards developing a robust HAR system, having achieved a mean accuracy of 93.5% with the NTU RGB+D dataset, 92.2% with the UoL dataset and 89.6% with the Collective Activity dataset. The developed system can play a significant role in many computer vision-based applications, such as intelligent homes, offices and hospitals, and surveillance systems.
Bridging the Intention–Behavior Gap: Effect of Altruistic Motives on Developers’ Action towards Green Redevelopment of Industrial Brownfields
Authors: Zhang Guangmin , Zhang Yang , Tian Wei , Li Huimin , Guo Ping , Ye Fangfang
Published: January 2021

Green redevelopment (GR) is a promising strategy to deal with industrial brownfields, this sustainable initiation usually fails to be implemented practically in China. Thus, investigating the driving mechanism of developer’s GR behavior, as executors of renovation project, is quite essential. The study introduced formative constructs perceived risk (PR) and perceived cost (PC), integrated them with theory of planned behavior (TPB), and extended them by adding two altruistic motives, awareness of responsibility (AR) and awareness of consequence (AC), as moderation variables to explore the bridging role of altruistic motives in GR’s intention–behavior gap. Based on 156 developers-oriented field surveys, the study conducted data analysis through partial least square structural equation modeling. It interestingly showed that subjective norm could primarily affect developers’ GR behavior, while perceived behavior control is not a significant influencing factor. Meanwhile, adding PR and PC as the additional constructs significantly increased the explanatory power of standard TPB model. Furthermore, the conclusion confirmed altruistic motives AR can distinctly adjust the relationship between GR intention and behavior, whereas AC has no such effect. These findings provide a scientific theoretical basis and a targeted path reference for promoting GR of industrial brownfields.
Comparative Evaluation of Sustainable Framework in STEM Intensive Programs for Secondary and Tertiary Education
Authors: Ulmeanu Mihaela-Elena , Doicin Cristian-Vasile , Spânu Paulina
Published: January 2021

Sustainability of learning environments is a key pillar of all societal development frameworks. A variety of research address the development of education as a fine balanced relation between flexibility, adaptability, innovation, and efficient resource allocation. The main limitation of current approaches is the lack of correlation between various efficiency analyses and budget expenditure of learning environments. The current research aims at undertaking a comparative evaluation of a sustainable framework in STEM intensive programs for secondary and tertiary education. This was done using several established methods like the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle for the development main framework, the Analytic Hierarchy Process for efficiency evaluation and Value Analysis for budget expenditure allocations and improvement identification. The main framework is based on learning objectives defined in accordance with Blooms’ revised taxonomy and student feedback was collected through surveys and group feedback. The main results of the study show that the framework had overall efficiencies over the 80% threshold in both secondary and tertiary education, whilst some of the components scored under 65%, identifying immediate improvement features. Further research involves the transition to an online and mixed teaching environment, by adapting the content and framework structure with the aid of smart learning environments.
Using Recycled Material from the Paper Industry as a Backfill Material for Retaining Walls near Railway Lines
Authors: Bizjak Karmen Fifer , Likar Barbara , Lenart Stanislav
Published: January 2021

The construction industry uses a large amount of natural virgin material for different geotechnical structures. In Europe alone, 11 million tonnes of solid waste is generated per year as a result of the production of almost 100 million tonnes of paper. The objective of this research is to develop a new geotechnical composite from residues of the deinking paper industry and to present its practical application, e.g., as a backfill material behind a retaining structure. After different mixtures were tested in a laboratory, the technology was validated by building a pilot retaining wall structure in a landslide region near a railway line. It was confirmed that a composite with 30% deinking sludge and 70% deinking sludge ash had a high enough strength but experienced some deformations before failure. Special attention was paid to the impact of transport, which, due to the time lag between the mixing and installation of the composite, significantly reduced its strength. The pilot retaining wall structure promotes the use of recycled materials with a sustainable design, while adhering to government-mandated measures.
Assessment of the Efficiency, Environmental and Economic Effects of Compact Type On-Site Wastewater Treatment Plants—Results from Random Testing
Authors: Karczmarczyk Agnieszka , Bus Agnieszka , Baryła Anna
Published: January 2021

This study presents the results of random testing of selected on-site wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) constructed in Poland in Masovia Voivodship in the years 2011–2016. The vast majority of tested on-site WWTPs were compact (container) type treatment plants, based on low rate activated sludge (AS), sequencing batch reactors (SBR), or a hybrid (activated sludge supported with biological film, AS + BF) method. Compact type plans are becoming more and more popular in single households in Poland, due to the option of co-financing. According to certificates provided by producers and distributors, container on-site wastewater treatment plants are efficient in BOD5 removal, with the expected removal rate being over 80%. The aim of this study was (1) to analyze BOD5 in effluents sampled from randomly selected on-site WWTPs, (2) to evaluate predicted and real environmental effects of the implementation of on-site WWTPs in selected communes within Masovia Voivodship, and (3) to calculate unit environmental and economic effects of container on-site WWTPs in three different technologies. Results of this study show that in most cases, there is a gap between the declared and the real BOD5 removal efficiency. There is also a difference between the performance of different container type technologies. The lowest real environmental effect was obtained for AS technology, and the highest for the hybrid one. The predicted environmental effect has only been almost achieved in the case of hybrid systems. Based on net present value (NPV) benefits, technologies can be set up as follows: AS > SBR > AS + BF, making the AS method the most effective technology from the point of view of the economy.
Building Retrofit and Energy Conservation/Efficiency Review: A Techno-Environ-Economic Assessment of Heat Pump System Retrofit in Housing Stock
Authors: Mukhtar Mustapha , Ameyaw Bismark , Yimen Nasser , Zhang Quixin , Bamisile Olusola , Adun Humphrey , Dagbasi Mustafa
Published: January 2021

The world has not been able to achieve minimum greenhouse gas emissions in buildings’ energy consumptions because the energy and emissions optimization techniques have not been fully utilized. Thermal comfort is one of the most important issues for both residential and commercial buildings. Out of the 40% of global energy consumed by buildings, a large fraction is used to maintain their thermal comfort. In this study, a comprehensive review of the recent advancements in building energy conservation and efficiency application is presented based on existing high-quality research papers. Additionally, the retrofit of the heating/cooling and hot water system for an entire community in Cyprus is presented. This study aims to analyze the technical and environmental benefits of replacing existing electric heaters for hot water with heat pump water heating systems and the use of heat pump air conditioners for thermal comfort in place of the existing ordinary air conditioners for space heating and cooling. One administrative building, 86 apartments (including residential and commercial) buildings, and a restaurant building is retrofitted, and the feasibility of the project is determined based on three economic indicators, namely; simple payback period (SPP), internal rate of return (IRR), and net present value (NPV). The electrical energy required by the hot water systems and the heating/cooling system is reduced by 263,564 kWh/yr and 144,825 kWh/yr, respectively. Additionally, the retrofit project will reduce Cyprus’ CO2 emission by 121,592.8 kg yearly. The SPP, IRR, and NPV for the project show that the retrofit is economically feasible.
The Impact of China’s Tightening Environmental Regulations on International Waste Trade and Logistics
Authors: Tran Trang , Goto Hiromasa , Matsuda Takuma
Published: January 2021

In recent years, China’s influence as the dominant importer of waste products has reshaped global waste trade through restrictive programs such as Operation Green Fence in 2013 and National Sword in 2017. These restrictions have greatly affected not only China’s import of waste products but also the international trade and global logistics of these products. China’s import restrictions in 2017 decreased the country’s import of waste plastic by 92% and used paper by 56%. It also increased the unit value of these two categories of waste by 27% and 13%, respectively, showing an improvement in the quality of imported waste. Most of these impacts originate from intensive margins. The restrictions diverted the flow of waste mostly to the low- and middle-income countries of the East Asian and Pacific regions along with Europe and Central Asia, as their imports increased by 161% and 266% for waste plastic and 101% and 77% for used paper, respectively. Compared with Operation Green Fence, the impact of the 2017 National Sword has been much higher, with shipping companies faced with a lack of products on backhaul routes and forced to change their longstanding practices.
Social Farming in the Virtuous System of the Circular Economy. An Exploratory Research
Authors: Nicolosi Agata , Laganà Valentina Rosa , Di Gregorio Donatella , Privitera Donatella
Published: January 2021

Multifunctionality and social farming represent forms of resilience and innovation within urban and rural systems, making use of agricultural, rural, natural, and cultural resources to produce multiple benefits and eco-systemic services. Social farming (SF) introduces innovative activities capable of representing a factor supporting the competitiveness of the production system and represents a tool for responding to the growing needs of urban and rural populations in social, economic, and environmental terms, in relation to the offer of social- health, social-work, recreative and educational services. SF is an innovative model of territorial, participatory, relational, and community service development that looks to an inclusive, sustainable, fair, and supportive society. Its success is linked to the ability to spread within the economic system and become a circular economy model highlighting good practices and as a virtuous example for other companies. The purpose of this work is to examine the role and social impact that Social Farming has in the environmental, social, and cultural changes of the territories where they are located. Case studies in an area of Southern Italy—the Calabria region—were examined with multicriteria methodologies (social network analysis; multiple correspondence analysis) to identify the type of social activity carried out and the propensity to introduce innovations based on services ecosystems on farms. The results show the potential and value of the companies that carry out these social innovation activities. The analysis carried out has drawn some indicative profiles of socially oriented multifunctional companies.
The Influence of Sedimentation Ponds of the Former Soda “Solvay” Plant in Krakow on the Chemistry of the Wilga River
Authors: Likus-Cieślik Justyna , Pietrzykowski Marcin
Published: January 2021

This paper explores how the chemistry of the Wilga River is affected by the sedimentation ponds at the former Soda “Solvay” Plant in Krakow. Despite the revitalization of the sedimentation ponds about 30 years ago, the chemistry of the samples was characterized by high EC (from 845 to 3000 µS cm−1), high concentration of Cl− (up to 800 mg L−1), Ca (up to 270 mg L−1), and SO42− (up to 115 mg L−1), and a high value for Na (up to 270 mg L−1) was noted—surface water quality standards were exceeded. The effect of high mineralization by those elements, generated in wastewater during soda waste production, were noted to have seasonal and vertical variability. We concluded that, despite the industrial shutdown and revitalization processes, the drainage of industrial water can have serious and long-term negative effects on quality of water and the Wilga River ecosystem. The Wilga River is one of the most important examples of important environmental problems in urban areas.
Applying a Practice Lens to Local Government Climate Change Governance: Rethinking Community Engagement Practices
Authors: Meiklejohn David , Moloney Susie , Bekessy Sarah
Published: January 2021

Governments commit substantial time and resources engaging individuals and households to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. These approaches, based largely upon behaviour change theories, have been criticised for their limited reach and effectiveness by practice theorists who have offered an alternative approach, broadening the focus beyond individuals. While practice theory has provided valuable insights into the energy consuming activities of households it has gained limited traction as a way to analyse and inform government practices and policy making. We address this by applying a practice lens to climate change community engagement practices performed by Australian local governments. Drawing on 29 interviews with practitioners and analysis of 37 Australian local government climate strategies, we examine the bundle of practices that constitute climate change community engagement: recruitment, engagement and evaluation. We consider how these practices are situated vis-a-vis other climate governance practices (regulation, service delivery, infrastructure provision and advocacy) as well as internal local government processes. Using a practice lens reveals the weaknesses in current engagement approaches which we contend are limiting efficacy. We draw upon Spurling et al.’s conceptualisation of re-crafting, re-integrating and substituting practices to consider how climate change community engagement practices might be reconfigured to improve their effectiveness.
Research on Sustainable Land Use Based on Production–Living–Ecological Function: A Case Study of Hubei Province, China
Authors: Wei Chao , Lin Qiaowen , Yu Li , Zhang Hongwei , Ye Sheng , Zhang Di
Published: January 2021

After decades of rapid development, there exists insufficient and contradictory land use in the world, and social, economic and ecological sustainable development is facing severe challenges. Balanced land use functions (LUFs) can promote sustainable land use and reduces land pressures from limited land resources. In this study, we propose a new conceptual index system using the entropy weight method, regional center of gravity theory, coupling coordination degree model and obstacle factor identification model for LUFs assessment and spatial-temporal analysis. This framework was applied to 17 cities in central China’s Hubei Province using 39 indicators in terms of production–living–ecology analysis during 1996–2016. The result shows that (1) LUFs showed an overall upward trend during the study period, while the way of promotion varied with different dimensions. Production function (PF) experienced a continuous enhancement during the study period. Living function (LF) was similar in this aspect, but showed a faster rising tendency. EF continued to increase during 1996–2011, but declined during 2011–2016. LUFs were higher in the east than in the west, and slightly higher in the south than in the north. The spatial coordination was enhanced during the study period. (2) The overall level of coupling coordination degree continued to increase during 1996–2016, while regional difference declined obviously, indicating a good developing trend. However, the absolute level was still not satisfactory. (3) The obstacle degree of PF was always dominant, and LF showed a downward trend, while EF showed an increasing trend. Benefit index (A2), Comfort index (B2) and Green index (C1) constituted the primary obstacle factor for each dimension. Added-value of high and new technology industry (A2-3) and land use intensity (A3-2) were key factors restricting PF. Number of medical practitioner (B1-4) and internet penetration rate (B2-3) were key factors restricting LF. Air quality rate (C3-1) and wetland coverage rate (C1-4) were key factors restricting EF. This study can help to give a more detailed understanding of sustainable land use for the particularity of China from a land function perspective and provide lessons and suggestions for other developing countries in the world.
Geographical Modelling of Transit Deserts in Cape Town
Authors: Vanderschuren Marianne , Cameron Robert , Newlands Alexandra , Schalekamp Herrie
Published: January 2021

The World Bank calculated South Africa’s 2018 Gini Coefficient to be 0.63, which made it the world’s most unequal country. Such inequality is perpetuated by land-use patterns still influenced by the apartheid past. The resulting urban form necessitates long travel distances, often relying on fragmented transit modes, each with their own geographical and temporal constraints. This study applies work on transit deserts in cities in the global north to Cape Town, aiming to assess the methodological transferability to the global south, and generating case study results. In the Cape Town case, the study first analyses transit deserts based on formal public transport supply (bus rapid transit, traditional bus and train), identifying that ten out of 18 traffic analysis zones were classified as transit gaps (some unserved demand), while three of these zones qualified as transit deserts (significant undersupply). Like its U.S. counterparts, excess supply is found near Cape Town’s city centre. In Cape Town, the transit gaps/deserts are partly filled by unscheduled minibus-taxis. When this informal public transport service is added, the transit deserts disappear; however, half of the transport analysis zones still qualify as having transit gaps. It is, therefore, concluded that informal public transit in Cape Town reduces the transit gap, but does not eliminate it.
Why Does Context Really Matter? Understanding Companies’ Dialogue with Fringe Communities
Authors: Rodrigo Pablo , Duran Ignacio J.
Published: January 2021

Although scholars have studied stakeholder dialogue, we lack studies that understand the effect of context on the structure and form of dialogue. To address this gap, in this research we focus on local rural communities that can be classified as fringe stakeholders to develop a comprehensive model of “fringe community dialogue”. As these neglected groups have been marginalized from society and face grave serious socio-environmental issues, we argue that these characteristics will affect the way dialogue occurs. Therefore, we posit that these instances need to be tailored to this specific stakeholder. To assess this, we follow a theory-building grounded theory approach, and as field of research we extract information from three different research sites. Findings indicate that, because of the characteristics of fringe communities, dialogues must follow three sequential dimensions, which are connected by two enabling mechanisms. We contribute by evincing that, because of this stakeholder’s characteristics, the dialogue process has a particular structure and key variables, differing from what the past literature asserts.
Sound Water and Nitrogen Management Decreases Nitrogen Losses from a Drip-Fertigated Cotton Field in Northwestern China
Authors: Ma Honghong , Yang Tao , Niu Xinxiang , Hou Zhenan , Ma Xingwang
Published: January 2021

Drip irrigation systems are becoming more and more mature and are now widely used to improve crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency in Xinjiang, NW China. However, it is not known if leaching is occurring or not and whether leaching will harm the water environment following N fertilization and drip irrigation. The purpose of our study was to estimate the leaching volumes, nitrogen losses, forms of nitrogen losses, and nitrogen loss coefficients under different N fertilization, P fertilization, K fertilization and irrigation regimes. A long-term field experiment was conducted from 2009 to 2015 in Baotou Lake farm in Korla City, Xinjiang, with drip-irrigated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) being grown under different N fertilizer and irrigation regimes. The treatments were designed comprising 0 N, 0 P, and 0 K with an irrigation of 480 mm as the control(N0P0K0W480) and the following three other treatments: (1) 357 kg N·hm−2, 90 kg P·hm−2, 0 kg K2O hm−2, and irrigation of 480 mm (N357P90K0W480); (2) 357 kg N·hm−2, 90 kg P·hm−2, 62 kg K·hm−2, and irrigation of 420 mm (N357P90K62W420); and (3) 240 kg N·hm−2, 65 kg P·hm−2, 62 kg K·hm−2, and irrigation of 420 mm (N240P65K62W420). The results showed the following: (1) the leaching volume was determined by nitrogen fertilization, phosphorus fertilization, and the irrigation amount. In general, the leaching volume was highest under treatment N357P90K0W480. (2) The nitrogen loss was highest under treatment N357P90K0W480. (3) Nitrate nitrogen (NO3–) was the main form of nitrogen lost, followed by ammonium nitrogen (NH4+). (4) The annual nitrogen loss coefficients followed the order of: N357P90K0W480 > N357P90K62W420 > N240P65K62W420 > N0P0K0W480, with values of 0.85, 0.55, 0.30, and 0, respectively. The leaching volume, nitrogen loss, nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, and annual nitrogen loss coefficient were lowest under the N240P65K62W420 treatment, except in the N0P0K0W480treatment. These results demonstrate that optimizing the management of water and nitrogen (N240P65K62W420 treatment) can effectively reduce nitrogen losses under drip fertigation and plastic mulching.