pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Poorer without it? The neglected role of the natural environment in poverty and wellbeing.

The relationship between sustainable development’s prime goal, human wellbeing, and the\ud
natural environment has been narrowly conceived. This paper focuses on the possibility and\ud
the implications of treating the natural environment as a ‘constituent’, or internal element, of\ud
the concepts of wellbeing and poverty, as opposed to a ‘determinant’, or instrumental, external\ud
factor. Our review of philosophical accounts and conceptual frameworks of wellbeing and poverty\ud
suggests that treating the environment as a constituent element is philosophically sound,\ud
conceptually robust and empirically grounded. We argue that failing to consider these missing\ud
environmental aspects can result in an incomplete capturing of the multiple dimensions of\ud
wellbeing and poverty, and their underlying drivers. This broader framing of the environment–\ud
wellbeing relationship has the potential to inform a new generation of individual level wellbeing\ud
and poverty indicators, creating measures of multidimensional poverty that reflect the\ud
broadened scope ambitiously articulated in the Sustainable Development Goals
How big is big enough? Toward a sustainable future by examining alternatives to the conventional economic growth paradigm

This study addresses how the sustainability crisis may be overcome by using alternatives to the\ud
conventional economic growth paradigm. Based on a literature review, the paper identifies and\ud
discusses three alternatives, namely negative, zero and positive economic growth. These alternatives\ud
are compared from a feasibility and policy perspective in relation to the transition toward\ud
sustainable development. The three alternatives are associated with very far‐reaching sets of\ud
policies that have different focal points with regard to how the paradigm shift from the conventional\ud
growth paradigm can be realized. All these alternatives, however, challenge the effectiveness\ud
of market forces. The shortcomings of the alternatives (resistance to voluntary transition\ud
with negative or zero growth, no proper consideration of the rebound effect for positive growth)\ud
hinder the transition and must be further addressed by policy‐makers in public and private\ud
sectors, as well as by civil society
Reducing waste : repair, recondition, remanufacture or recycle?

Between 1980 and 1997, municipal waste in OECD countries increased by around 40%. This paper outlines the very real negative effects of this increase and then introduces the two main European Union policies that have been established to address this problem: a landfill directive and legislation on extended producer responsibility (EPR). The paper then describes and compares the four alternative strategies to reducing end-of-life waste within the context of extended producer responsibility: namely repairing, reconditioning, remanufacturing or recycling. It also introduces a more robust definition of remanufacturing, validated by earlier research, which differentiates it from repair and reconditioning. From a consideration of the different factors involved, it concludes that remanufacturing may well be the best strategy. This is because it enables the embodied energy of virgin production to be maintained, preserves the intrinsic added value of the product for the manufacturer and enables the resultant products to be sold as new with updated features if necessary
Sustainability and urban food supply in Africa

Agenda 21 has made a major contribution to a range of aspects of development initiatives, of which one chapter, Chapter Seven, focuses on sustainable human settlements. There are a growing number of publications on issues relating to food supply to urban areas in the less developed world. These publications have several focuses, particularly fruit and vegetables, urban agriculture and food marketing. The main aspects of the chapter of Agenda 21 relating to sustainable human settlements are discussed and also the role that the emerging research on urban food systems suggests can be played in establishing sustainable development in cities in less developed countries. Particular attention is paid to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania
The effectiveness of environmental performance measures in ensuring sustainable development :
                    The water and agricultural industries highlighted.

If businesses are to contribute to green sustainable development, then a method of measuring progress is essential. Accounting methods need to be used that indicate to the organisation and the general public the businesses progress towards sustainability. Sustainability, by some definitions, refers to the degradation or depletion of natural resources i.e. the direct and indirect environmental effects. For example, consider the effect of pesticides contaminating water. Sustainability would reflect the degradation of the water quality and the disturbance of the waters aquatic eco-system, the damage to aquatic life and the possible human and animal health effects. Consequently, by this definition, sustainability is equivalent to the environmental effects This paper discusses what considerations are required in order to identify environmental performance measures (EPM???s) which reflect the progress towards sustainable development and which measure environmental performance. EPM???s can be used in a wide variety of ways and this is illustrated with respect to two research projects currently being carried out at the University of Hertfordshire. The first, discusses the use of corporate EPM???s with the water industry of England and Wales by examining company environmental reports. The second, uses EPM???s to measure environmental performance and the goal of both business and green sustainability within arable agriculture
The Universal Common Good: Faith-Based Partnerships and Sustainable Development

Partnership is increasingly espoused as the best relationship between members of the sustainable development aid chain, and implies a respect for the position of all and a desire to avoid a situation where one group dominates another. It also implies a form of relationship which is not just ‘better’ for the sake of it but which is more able to help achieve sustainable development. But given the inevitable inequalities in power between donors that have the resources and field partners that don’t it can be hard to put this ideal into practice. This paper explores the function of partnership within a group of closely related institutions that comprise the Catholic Church development chain. The research focussed on three Catholic Church based donors (one from the USA and two from Europe) and their partners in Abuja Ecclesiastical Province, Nigeria. Relationship between and within various strata of the Church in Nigeria were also examined. Relationships were ‘patchy’ at all levels. One of the donors had a significant operational presence in Nigeria and this was regarded by some respondents as a parallel structure which seriously undermined local bodies. However, while problems existed there was a sense of inter-dependence arising from a shared sense of values and Catholic Social Teaching which allowed partners to work through their stresses and conflicts. It is the innate sustainability of the aid chain itself founded upon a set of shared values which provided the space and time for problems to be addressed
Ecological modernization versus sustainable development: the case of genetic modification regulation in New Zealand

Ecological modernization and sustainable development are the two dominant paradigms in environmental policy. This paper assesses the implications of competing understandings of ecological modernization and sustainable development using the case of genetic modification regulation in New Zealand. Although the New Zealand regulatory framework embraces the symbolic language of sustainability, it ultimately adheres to a narrow notion of ecological modernization. By adopting a technically driven risk management process and a diluted precautionary approach, alongside limiting public input into decision-making on genetic modification, it undercuts its commitment to sustainable development definitionally and procedurally. Analysis of the New Zealand biotechnology policy regulatory framework, which consists of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act and the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA), shows how institutionalization of a narrow conception of ecological modernization can preempt real commitment to sustainable development
Creating sustainable identities: The significance of the financially affluent self

This paper uses identity theory and postmodern identity perspectives to analyse why high-income groups often have values, attitudes and intentions to consume sustainably, yet tend to have the highest energy consumption of any group. Two key arguments are presented. The first is that the affluent identity is opposed to the environmentalist identity and is more salient, desirable and likely to result in more social support and self-esteem rewards. Therefore, where both identities are held the affluent identity is likely to be more dominant and invoked in more circumstances. Second, the invocation of the affluent identity is liable to result in high-energy consumption. Despite some evidence of affluent identities being successfully connected by marketing with low-energy 'green' consumption, there is stronger evidence of the affluent identity being consistently embedded symbolically within high-energy consumption choices. Recommendations for marketing and social marketing are made and a matrix to guide sustainable identity strategies is proposed. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Media coverage of sustainable development issues - attention cycles or punctuated equilibrium?

Over the last two decades there has been a marked change in the way that the public perceives environmental issues and the concepts associated with sustainable development. Few would argue that this has moved into the mainstream of public consciousness. Coverage of sustainability related concepts within the media, as illustrated by a sample of 112 worldwide newspapers, shows a clear upward trajectory. Taking the example of climate change and sustainable development, this paper explores this increasing coverage, and arguably awareness, of sustainability concepts, and considers parallels with the concepts of punctuated equilibrium and issue-attention cycles. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment
Out of sight, out of mind. Reporting of three indices in the UK national press between 1990 and 2009

This paper explores the reporting of three indices - the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), Human Development Index (HDI) and Ecological Footprint (EF) - in the national press of the UK between January 1990 and December 2009. The indices were compared over both time (year and month of article publication) and space (across the component countries of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, ROI). Results suggest that there are significant differences in reporting of the three indices. The EF appeared more frequently and was employed more often in articles than the CPI and HDI, perhaps reflecting a greater flexibility of the EF in terms of methodology and its association with consumption at all social scales, including the individual. The HDI was used by journalists more often as an 'ornament' to provide factual support to discussion of development, aid, conflict etc. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment
What happened to the 'development' in sustainable development? Business guidelines two decades after Brundtland

Over 20years ago Our Common Future presented a conceptualization and explanation of the concept of sustainable development. Since then, numerous alternative definitions of the concept have been offered, of which at least some are exclusive to each other. At the same time, the role of business in the transition to sustainable development has increasingly received attention. Bringing these two trends in sustainable development together, this paper returns to the Brundtland version of the concept to examine to what extent the original principles of sustainable development are still embedded within key business guidelines, namely the UN Global Compact, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the ICC Business Charter for Sustainable Development, the CAUX Principles, the Global Sullivan Principles and the CERES Principles. The findings suggest that these business guidelines tend to emphasize environmental rather than social aspects of sustainable development, in particular to the detriment of the original Brundtland prioritization of the needs of the poorest. Furthermore, the attention to environmental aspects stresses win-win situations and has a clear managerialist focus; whereas more conceptual environmental issues concerning systems interdependencies, critical thresholds or systemic limits to growth find little attention. The normative codes and principles targeted at the private sector therefore not only add another voice to the multiple discourses on sustainable development but also contribute to a reinterpretation of the original agenda set by Brundtland towards conceptualizations of sustainable development around the needs of industrialized rather than developing countries. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Groups and Indicators in Post-Industrial Society

Indicators define our world. We are constantly measured and assessed. Perhaps the most important indicator in current use is Gross Domestic Product or GDP. It is the measure of a nation's success and can be key to its ability to borrow money and appear internationally credible. This paper is set against the current debate ‘Beyond GDP’ begun in November 2007 with the conference hosted by the European Commission, European Parliament, Club of Rome, OECD and WWF. The initiative, with its five actions, recognizes weaknesses in the ways in which indicators of all kinds are collected and presented, and attempts to improve the indicator world, but is the answer to effective information for policy formulation hidden in the articulation of indicators? Maybe indicator use is a function of the ways in which stakeholders are engaged in their use? Our conjecture is that indicator use is little understood and that this use dynamic can be better understood. In this paper, the authors write from the perspective of their work undertaken in the European Union funded Framework 7 project ‘Policy Influence of Indicators’ (POINT; contract no 217207), which began in 2008. A major element of the project involved a number of group workshops designed to elicit viewpoints regarding the use of indicators (including sustainable development indicators) in sustainable development policy at EU and member-state level
Climate Interactive: The C-Roads Climate Policy Model

In 1992 the nations of the world created the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) to negotiate binding agreements to address the risks of climate
change. Nearly every nation on Earth committed to limiting global greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions to prevent “dangerous anthropogenic interference in the climate system,” [superscript 1]
which is generally accepted to mean limiting the increase in mean global surface temperature to
2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels.[superscript 2] High hopes were dashed at the 2009 Copenhagen climateconference when face-to-face negotiations among heads of state collapsed. Instead, nations were encouraged to make voluntary pledges to reduce their emissions. Those pledges
currently fall significantly short of what is needed (UNEP, 2010) while GHG emissions have
risen to record levels despite the great recession that began in 2008
Reporting guidelines for simulation-based research in social sciences

Reproducibility of research is critical for the healthy growth and accumulation of reliable knowledge, and simulation-based research is no exception. However, studies show many simulation-based studies in the social sciences are not reproducible. Better standards for documenting simulation models and reporting results are needed to enhance the reproducibility of simulation-based research in the social sciences. We provide an initial set of Reporting Guidelines for Simulation-based Research (RGSR) in the social sciences, with a focus on common scenarios in system dynamics research. We discuss these guidelines separately for reporting models, reporting simulation experiments, and reporting optimization results. The guidelines are further divided into minimum and preferred requirements, distinguishing between factors that are indispensable for reproduction of research and those that enhance transparency. We also provide a few guidelines for improved visualization of research to reduce the costs of reproduction. Suggestions for enhancing the adoption of these guidelines are discussed at the end
Cyclical dynamics of airline industry earnings

Aggregate airline industry earnings have exhibited large-amplitude cyclical behavior since deregulation in 1978. To explore the causes of these cycles we develop a behavioral dynamic model of the airline industry with endogenous capacity expansion, demand, pricing, and other feedbacks; and model several strategies industry actors have employed in efforts to mitigate the cycle. We estimate model parameters by maximum likelihood methods during both partial model tests and full model estimation using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to establish confidence intervals. Contrary to prior work we find that the delay in aircraft acquisition (the supply line of capacity on order) is not a very influential determinant of the profit cycle. Instead we find that aggressive use of yield management—varying prices to ensure high load factors (capacity utilization)—may have the unintended effect of increasing earnings variance by increasing the sensitivity of profit to changes in demand
Public and health professionals' misconceptions about the dynamics of body weight gain/loss

The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sdr.1517Human body energy storage operates as a stock-and-flow system with inflow (food intake) and outflow
(energy expenditure). In spite of the ubiquity of stock-and-flow structures, evidence suggests that
human beings fail to understand stock accumulation and rates of change, a difficulty called the
stock–flow failure. This study examines the influence of health care training and cultural background
in overcoming stock–flow failure. A standardized protocol assessed lay people’s and health care
professionals’ ability to apply stock-and-flow reasoning to infer the dynamics of weight gain/loss
during the holiday season (621 subjects from seven countries). Our results indicate that both types
of subjects exhibited systematic errors indicative of use of erroneous heuristics. Indeed 76% of lay subjects
and 71% of health care professionals failed to understand the simple dynamic impact of energy
intake and energy expenditure on body weight. Stock–flow failure was found across cultures and was
not improved by professional health training. The problem of stock–flow failure as a transcultural global
issue with education and policy implications is discussed
Connecting strategy and system dynamics: an example and lessons learned

This article is based on my talk at the 2015 International System Dynamics Conference upon receiving the Jay W. Forrester Award for the article “Impact of growth opportunities and competition on firm-level capability development tradeoffs” (Organization Science 2012; 23(1): 138–154). It summarizes how that research connects strategy concepts with system dynamics (SD) modeling to inform the pressures managers face to focus on the short term as a result of endogenous growth opportunities and competition. Drawing on this example I discuss some potentially useful research tools and assumptions. I close by sharing personal reflections on the process of writing for non-SD academics and why I think making those connections is worthwhile
Understanding decision making about balancing two stocks: the faculty gender balancing task

Contains fulltext :
                  160532pub.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)This paper contributes to the understanding of dynamic decision making. Using the faculty gender balancing task, we experimentally test the extent to which participants correctly estimate the inflow needed to balance two unbalanced stocks and how they substantiate their decision. The results show that people have difficulties determining the correct hiring percentage of female full professors. Three quarters of the participants recommended a hiring percentage that was too low to reach gender balance in time or to reach gender balance at all. Analysis showed that nearly half of the participants underpinned their decision with calculations, while 45% used intuitive estimations. Contrary to what has been found so far, the participants who used intuitive estimations to support their decisions performed relatively better.30 juni 201
Modeling the dynamics of human energy regulation and its implications for obesity treatment

The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sdr.240Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and is threatening to become a
global epidemic. Even more concerning, the incidence of overweight continues to increase. The
health consequences and economic costs to individuals and to society are considerable. Obesity
is associated with many serious health complications, including coronary heart disease, type 2
diabetes mellitus, hypertension, selected cancers, andmusculoskeletal disorders. In the U.S., direct
and indirect medical costs attributable to obesity are estimated to approach $100 billion yearly.
Obesity develops when a chronic imbalance exists between energy intake, in the form of food and
drink, and energy expenditure. To date, the emphasis of treatment has been on the energy intake
side of the energy balance equation. This, in part, is because it has been difficult to demonstrate
the efficacy of exercise as a treatment strategy. This paper attempts to demonstrate the utility of
system dynamics modeling to study and gain insight into the physiology related to weight gain and
loss. A simulation model is presented that integrates nutrition, metabolism, hormonal regulation,
body composition, and physical activity. These processes are typically fragmented between many
different disciplines and conceptual frameworks. This work seeks to bring these ideas together
highlighting the interdependence of the various aspects of the complex human weight regulation
system. The model was used as an experimentation vehicle to investigate the impacts of physical
activity on body weight and composition. The results replicate the ‘‘mix’’ of results reported in
the literature, as well as providing causal explanation for their variability. In one experiment,
weight loss from a moderate level of daily exercise was comparable to the loss from dieting
(when both produced equivalent energy deficits). Perhaps of greater significance, the exercise
intervention protected against the loss of fat-free mass, which occurs when weight loss is achieved
through dieting alone, and thus promoted favorable changes in body composition. In a second
experiment, exercise regimens of moderate to high level of intensity proved counter-productive
as weight-reducing strategies for an obese sedentary subject. This was due to the limited energy
reserves (specifically, muscle glycogen) available to such individuals. However, when the diet
was changed from a balanced composition to one that was highly loaded with carbohydrates, it
became possible to sustain the intense exercise regimen over the experimental period, and achieve
a significant drop in body weight. The results underscore the significant interaction effects between
diet composition and physical activity, and emphasize the critical role that diet composition can
have in exercise-based treatment interventions