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Accurate PM 2.5 forecasting provides a possibility for establishing an early warning system to notify the public and take precautionary measures to prevent negative effects on ambient air quality and public health. Considering strong seasonal variation in meteorological conditions, in this paper, a seasonal stacked autoencoder model combining seasonal analysis and deep feature learning is proposed for forecasting the hourly PM 2.5 concentration, named DL-SSAE model. The original data are firstly decomposed into four seasonal subseries according to the Chinese calendar, and then the Kendall correlation coefficient method is employed to search inherent relationships between PM 2.5 concentrations and meteorological parameters within 1-h ahead for each seasonal time series. The inherent relationships of each seasonal subseries are finally extracted, learned, and modeled by different deep neural networks (stacked autoencoders for regression), and the hourly PM 2.5 forecasts are yielded. The addressed model is tested by the dataset collected from three environmental monitoring stations in Beijing, China. The results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms all other considered models with/without seasonality consideration in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the context of built environment, buildings are amongst the principal generators of environmental externalities. Life Cycle Assessment (LCAs) of energy efficiency and environmental performance of buildings are deemed critical to address sustainable development issues. This paper aims to investigate LCA as a tool to support the design of buildings with two objectives in mind. Firstly, it determines the role of LCA in the evaluation of energy efficiency and environmental performance of buildings. Secondly, it elaborates LCA of these constructions through the lens of international standards. The methodological approach of the study leads to development of a whole building life cycle formula that sums up the contributions from a set of LCAs. By doing so, the paper highlights the necessity of LCA applications in buildings, and the need for minimisation of resource and energy consumption, and environmental impact. The study helps in better understanding the way LCA supports the search for and identification of innovation pathways in buildings. This paper contributes to the efforts in providing theoretical expansions in LCA of buildings and stimulates the creation of technical standards for the residential building construction sector. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • The study overviewed Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) in residential buildings. • The study discussed stages and methodological aspects related to LCA elaborations. • LCA can have huge applications for quality and sustainability of buildings. • The whole building LCA was formulated as the sum of a set of partial LCAs. • LCA in buildings minimises resource and energy use and related environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By developing and implementing environmental concerns in its principles and infrastructure, universities are becoming increasingly active in promoting societal changes towards sustainable development. These environmental concerns are translated into comprehensive and transversal environmental education programs aimed at building capacities and promoting awareness not only for students but also to the surrounding communities. This paper aims to develop a Balanced Scorecard strategy map for implementing and monitoring environmental education programs in universities. To accomplish this objective, we conducted a literature review on environmental education in higher education, finding 10 primary indicators and 40 sub-indicators needed to implement environmental education programs in universities. Fifteen experts in sustainability research were asked to evaluate these indicators and sub-indicators. Then, those indicators and expert evaluations were used to build a decision tree that supports the Balanced Scorecard. Based on our findings, we created and adapted a strategy map for environmental education based on five dimensions: sustainable development; environmental education; teaching processes and environmental management; learning and environmental growth; and economic and financial responsibility. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a theoretical proposal that can serve as a guide to implement and monitor environmental education programs in universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deformation analyzes are important for long-term monitoring of areas, where, in the first place, it is necessary to take into account human safety and environmental protection for the purpose of sustainable development of human society. The quality of the results of deformation analysis will also be affected by the quality of establishment of the geodetic network. When a new Local Geodetic Network (LGN) is established, for example, during deformation monitoring (landslides, open-pit mining, excavations, etc.) for the purpose of environmental protection, its determination can be influenced by some mistakes: a) geometric quantities measured can be contaminated by blunders, b) compatibilities of some "old" points in the area of LGN can be incorrect, c) appropriate coordinates of some new points may be defective. The case c), using two methods - Least Squares (LSM) unconstrained adjustment; - iteratively reweighted LSM of Robust Estimation, is analyzed in the paper. The main objective of this paper is to compare the adjustment of the geodetic network by the Gauss-Markov model based on GMM with full rank and robust LSM adjustment. The main adjustment steps with important numerical results are presented for both methods. The method how to detect the presence of the used wrong approximate coordinates of new network points is addressed, and the detection approaches are given for both adjustment procedures. The results of both adjustment procedures summarized in the Discussion indicate that the combination of these procedures is the most suitable way of detecting errors in a geodetic network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central environmental protection inspection is an institutional innovation in China that aims to supervise enterprises by monitoring government environmental enforcement. This paper examines the effectiveness of central environmental protection inspection in improving enterprise environmental performance by using a quasi-natural experiment of the first round of central environmental protection inspection. The study reveals that the central environmental protection inspection improves enterprise environmental performance by strengthening local government environmental enforcement and environmental attention. This is evidenced by the increase in enterprise environmental capital expenditure and the decrease in pollution discharge fees. The impact of central environmental protection inspection on enterprise environmental performance is strengthened by local governments' environmental regulation and environmental fiscal expenditure, as well as by public participation. Under the pressure of central environmental protection inspection, heavily polluting enterprises engage in production process improvement and R&D investment, which can improve their economic performance. This can ultimately lead to a competitive advantage for enterprises, promoting a win-win situation for both environmental and economic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of remote sensing technologies (such as airborne, unmanned aerial vehicles and terrestrial sensors) as surveillance tools to monitor the environment exposes firms, industry sectors and national economies to new levels of transparency. The veracity and timeliness of remote sensing technologies outpaces the surveillance capabilities of existing monitoring and reporting practices in organisations and their supply chains – which are often based on in situ observations and operated through processes that were largely developed in the pre-internet era. This paper provides a conceptual analysis of the impact of remote sensing on conformance systems (also referred to as assurance systems) – an infrastructure that is typical for standards, monitoring and reporting mechanisms such as ISO 14001, the GRI or ESG. The analysis is grounded against a backdrop of the Eco-index (a cross-disciplinary scientific initiative in New Zealand) that develops a surveillance system to monitor biodiversity. The socio-technical perspective is used as the theoretical underpinning. A conceptual analysis demonstrates that conformance systems need to undergo a transformational change. This change is discussed in the paper in terms of the critical socio-technical components (technological, actors, task and structure) that are needed to transform and align with the needs of the digital economy. • Remote sensing technologies radically change the process of monitoring and reporting environmental performance. • Various industry sectors are under threat of losing their licences to operate due to radical transparency offered by remote sensing technologies. • Existing conformance and assurance systems must undergo rapid transformation to remain relevant in the digitalized world and combine in situ observations with remote sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CRIMSON (Constrained Rapid Induction Melting Single Shot Up-Casting) method uses a rapid induction furnace to melt just enough metal for a single mould rather than bulk melting used in traditional casting process. The molten metal is then transferred to a computer – controlled platform to complete the counter-gravity up filling. The highly controlled metal flow is pushed into the mould to finish the pouring and solidification. In the present paper the energy saving capability of CRIMSON approach is compared with conventional sand casting process. The paper focuses on the energy and resource efficiency optimization of casting stages through simulation and life cycle assessment analysis simulation for proposing alternative means for the better performance of such processes. It is proven that the CRIMSON process can produce high quality castings with higher energy efficiency and lower environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is twofold; first is to identify the environmental impact of dredging related to water and sediment quality; and second is to identify the main factors determining the environmental impact of dredging. The method of this research is data analysis using historical dredging data from three dredging projects performed from 2006 to 2008 at two connected rivers in Perak, Malaysia. The indices measured to identify the impact include: total suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, pH, total organic content, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, chromium, mercury, arsenic, and lead. The factors are then identified through determination of relationships between concentration levels in sediment and water and identification of patterns of impact in the water and caged fish during dredging activities. The results of the analysis show that dredging performed in these rivers has an impact on the environment. The impact includes an increase in levels of most of the monitored indices, including dissolved oxygen and metal concentrations in highly contaminated areas. The main factors associated with the environmental impacts of dredging are the contamination level of the sediment and the contamination level of the neighbouring area, aspects that are the main scientific value added by this paper. This paper draws conclusions regarding the importance of two analyses prior to commencement of dredging: sediment quality analysis and analysis of contamination level in the neighbouring area prior to dredging. The results of this paper could help to better anticipate the environmental impact of dredging and allow for suitable mitigation measures to be identified, especially for developing countries such as Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, advancements in greenhouse technology and modifications have pushed science-based solutions for optimal plant production in all seasons worldwide by adjusting internal climate growing factors such as temperature, humidity, light intensity, and CO2 concentration. Solar greenhouses increase crop yield and quality, addressing global food security concerns. This paper presents an overview of current design trends in construction, current development technology for controlling and monitoring greenhouse microclimates, and the various systems available for managing greenhouse environments. First, it discusses different processes of the greenhouse geometry, orientation, and cladding material for different climates. This paper also examines the various strategies in the greenhouse control environment, sensing networks, different wireless gateway used in monitoring systems, and the many control approaches. The last section of this review presented the system for managing climate in the greenhouse. The results of this research are the best selection of geometry, orientation, and covering material of the greenhouse also achieves a suitable environment, as well as the strategy of control and management of climate, plays a vital role in achieving high crop production and decreasing the cost and the energy consumption. • An examination of the agricultural greenhouse building's environmental monitoring system. • The monitoring system, microclimate control, and energy optimization are all being studied. • The impact of greenhouse structure design, construction methods, dimensions, and shapes on climate management strategy costs. • The analysis of essential parameters includes the greenhouse building environment, soil, and crop. • Gather the most recent progress of greenhouses in order to achieve higher yields at the lowest possible cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Amazon forest is host for a large number of deforestation activities caused by artisanal mining and mainly by agriculture and livestock businesses. In order to regulate these activities and relieve the environmental impacts, local authorities have been trying to guide them towards more responsible operations. This paper describes the initiative of monitoring forest areas located near deforestation regions since fundamental elements such as biomass and carbon accumulation of trees may be adequately controlled and monitored against occasional disturbances brought by these activities. The current standard approach in the Amazon is to monitor all trees in the forest within an area called transecto , in order to keep a rigorous record of their behavior and growth. However, these control activities are restricted to controlling portions that are located in strategic areas, therefore they do not represent the entire region to be monitored. This research exploits a new methodology based on geostatistics, aimed at optimizing sampling, and allowing the extension of the study to much larger forest areas, while keeping unitary utilization of human resources unchanged and at the same time, increasing the studied areas footprint and the precision of the results. The proposed methodology also allows the selection of the Legal Reserve (RL) area to be made according to the actual carbon-accumulation distribution on the property's contained forest, allowing the determination of a location target for the RL, what is not possible with the current used methodologies that rely simply on a percentage area utilization for the RL, inside the property. This methodology was applied using the available data set in this paper in order to optimize the samples and to monitor the capacity of the forest to store carbon at Tapajós National Forest, in Pará, Brazil. It is expected that this methodology will contribute to an overall cost decrease per unit area of the monitoring activities, increase the precision for the RL location and simplify the needed procedures through the application of a user friendly toolkit, that can be developed using the proposed methodology, whose complexity is totally transparent to the land and business owners, regulators, environmental scientists and workers involved. This, if correctly applied could ultimately contribute to the sustainable development of the affected regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Monitoring and auditing are regarded as essential activities for process control and follow up, which contribute to improving performance in organizations and provide a key role in preventing or reducing environmental harm. However it is not unusual to find them confused with each other in the academic literature. This paper provides a detailed literature review of theoretical and review papers in order to clarify concepts and characteristics of environmental monitoring and auditing; and to suggest ways forward which can overcome this confusion. It was found that confusions stemmed from considerations of: similarities, hierarchy, overlaps, scope, risk issues and timeliness. The development of accounting and auditing over time was found to have led to a flexible understanding of follow up practices, and the disregard of adaptive management as originally understood in the impact assessment field. It is suggested that adaptive management, recovered from impact assessment and recent specific literature, can be applied to improve environmental monitoring and auditing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since China became a member of World Trade Organization (WTO), its economy develops at a fast speed. At the same time, the environmental problem becomes more and more serious and increasingly affects economic development. Studying the factors that influence environmental efficiency has become an essential point in dealing with the relationship between economy and environment. Considering the differences in space and economic development among different districts, this paper discusses the quantitative relationship among exports figure, imports figure, GDP per capita, industrialization level, fiscal decentralization and environmental efficiency of each Chinese province by using statistical analysis. Furthermore, this paper discusses differences among each district''s influential factors from the perspective of Spatial Economics and makes combination forecast on the trend of environmental efficiency. It also shows that the environmental efficiency of Chinese provinces is generally at a low level. In addition, as the economic statuses of different provinces vary and the factors that influence environmental efficiency in different provinces also have significant differences, each province should take certain measures to design the environmental protection policy in line with its local circumstance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper discusses about the results of a short term monitoring study of sea coast contaminated with oil spill. Collision of two oil-cargo ships, namely BW Maple and MT Dawn Kanchipuram near the Ennore Port, Chennai had released an approximately 200 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. We analyzed four different oil spill samples collected from Chennai beaches for different time intervals (1st, 3rd, 6th, 10th day of oil spill) from 1 km away from the source of the off shore spill location. The physicochemical characteristics of spilled oil sludge, concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in the spilled oil were investigated. The variations in pH, moisture content and volatile hydrocarbon content, viscosity and density of the spilled oil were in the range of 7 ± 0.2, 255–575 g/kg, 118 to 850 PaS and 1.04 to 0.98 g/cm3 respectively. Elemental analysis showed that C, H, N and S were in the range of 9.9–13.3 (%), 0.63 to 1.76 (%), 1.88 to 1.02 (%) and 0.29 to 0.27 (%) respectively. Analysis of oil spill samples using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GCMS) shows the presence of recalcitrant and hazardous PAHs such as fluoranthene and pyrene. Ocean sediments were collected at different locations along the coast line from Ennore to Cooum after 60 days of oil spill and analyzed for TPH in GCMS. The results showed that the residual concentrations of TPH varied from 0.19 to 3.43 mg/g. The presence of heavy PAHs, which are highly toxic and recalcitrant, could pose a severe threat to the marine environment and ecology.The long term effects of these compounds were unexplored on marine environment. This environmental monitoring study gives an overview about the post oil spill activities and steps taken to remediate the sludge along the coastline. Image 1 • This study highlights the immediate fate and characteristics of the Chennai oil spill over a short period. • Total petroleum hydrocarbon concentration increased from third day to sixth day and then stabilized. • Viscosity of the spilled oil increased eight times from day1 to day 10 after the oil spill. • Priority pollutants such as Fluoranthene and pyrene were identified in beach sediments using GC-MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The scope of this paper is to estimate foliar dust concentration using Hyperion (Narrow-bands data) and Landsat (Broad-bands data) images, with the aid of eight different vegetation indices (VIs) and field-based laboratory spectra. A PCE Instrument for measurement of dust accumulation on leaves and Spectroradiometer for spectral signatures, was also used to estimate foliar dust concentration. The result depicted a negative relationship between VIs (Hyperion and Landsat satellite imagery), and field based dust measurements. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) shows an excellent negative correlation ( R 2 = 0.89 for Hyperion and R 2 = 0.81 for Landsat) as it is not much affected by the variation in vegetation types and patterns. Amongst the eight VIs, NDVI was selected as an optimal VI (RMSE = 0.06 g/m 2 for Hyperion and 0.11 g/m 2 for Landsat) based on both, the field measurement and satellite data for estimation of foliar dust concentration. Furthermore, a positive relationship between the field-based measured dust concentration ( g/m 2 ) and satellite image (by VIs) based dust concentration ( g/m 2 ) was observed. Field-based measured foliar dust concentration taken for 20 samples was plotted against their estimated dust values using the NDVI (R = 0.90 for Hyperion and R = 0.81 for Landsat). Hyperion data is considered as the reliable one as it gave better results than the Landsat data. Finally, the Hyperion data based foliar dust map was analyzed by a High-resolution Google Earth image (Geo Eye) for different locations viz., mines, transport sites as well as forests and matched with the field-based measured dust concentration. The result shows that maximum foliar dust was concentrated near the ore transportation network, surrounding mining locations, tailing ponds, and mining dumps areas. For making the environmental management effective (in the mining and allied areas), Hyperspectral remote sensing aided by field-based methods, for estimating foliar dust concentration would be very helpful. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A new method for foliar dust estimation and mapping from satellite imagery and PCE Instrument. • Hyperion image and ground based spectra data are integrated into the model. • Comparison of narrow band Hyperion data with broadband Landsat data was also performed. • Hyperion based method show a good performance for foliar dust estimation in mining area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract After high speed development on economics during the past decades, China have accumulated a lot of air environment problems. A lot of studies based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) have been done to measure China's air problem by using monthly or annual data. As the development of real-time air quality monitoring, more valuable daily data should be utilized to evaluate air problem. The present paper constructs a set of DEA models for calculating air quality, in which the integral and zero-sum gain constraints are considered to match the characteristics of daily air monitoring data. An empirical analysis have been done to measure the air quality of 31 main cities in China by using the daily Air Quality Index. There are two main finds as follows. Firstly, all the 31 major cities in China need to do more work to improve air quality, while there are significant differences between the performance of different cities. Secondly, the air quality of Chinese cities has changed over month, the best air quality appeared in August and September while the worst occurred in December and January. Also, we calculate the target values for improving the air quality of Chinese cities. Highlights • Daily Air Quality Index data is used to evaluate air quality in China. • A set of DEA approaches are construct by inserting integral and zero-sum gain constraints. • The air quality of Chinese cities have significant tendency of variation during different months. • Specific values are provided for Chinese cities to improve their air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explicit inclusion of the role of ecosystems in life cycle assessment (LCA) is needed to prevent the selection of alternatives that depend on or degrade scarce ecosystem services (ES), and to help identify opportunities for enhancing sustainability by not just reducing impact but also protecting and restoring ecosystems and the diverse goods and services they supply. Various approaches have been suggested for including ES in LCA but a general computational framework is not yet available. This paper extends the framework of conventional process LCA to assess and encourage techno-ecological synergies in life cycle assessment (TES-LCA). It includes ecosystem modules along with process modules in LCA. Analogous to the technology matrix in conventional LCA, TES-LCA defines a “techno-ecological” matrix. It consists of four components: a technology matrix defined by economic flows, an intervention matrix interpreted as the ES demanded by technological activities, an ecosystem matrix interpreted as the capacity of ecosystems to supply these services, and a management matrix to capture the interaction between technological and ecological systems. This work demonstrates the computational structure through a toy example and discuss the major challenges of TES-LCA in terms of data availability for an exhaustive array of ES. This work suggests that such data need to be made available and included in future versions of life cycle inventory databases. The computational structure of TES-LCA is able to capture the interactions between and within technological and ecological systems. It enables including of the role and capacity of ecosystems in a life cycle. The framework can encourage development of data and models to enable practical use of TES-LCA, which can provide unique insights into absolute environmental sustainability by quantifying overshoots for specific ES, and help identify improvement strategies based on improving technological efficiency and restoring ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most serious desertification in China occurs in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Northeast China and in the oases in Northwest China. It has resulted in the reduce of land productivity and serious ecological/environmental consequences. In this paper, we assessed the mechanisms of land desertification and the key strategies to monitor, control and mitigate land desertification in China, which will provide unique experiences and schemes to support academics and industrialists in other developing countries to reverse desertification. In aspect of monitoring desertification, satellite remote sensing can detect and characterize large-scale desertification, and in-situ field work can measure changes of soil physical & chemical properties induced by desertification. In aspect of desertification control and mitigation, the implementation of sustainable cultivation/grazing practices and wind-shelter forests are the key measures in Northeast China, while water use quotas and sustainable water management are the key measures in Northwest China. Finally, we suggested big-data-based water resource management, regional-climate-model-based agricultural planning, CO 2 storage with deep saline water recovery and desert geoengineering as possible solutions to future, large-scale reversal of deserts and desertification regions in China and other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the ecological devastation of the natural environment, there is a constant need for monitoring the environmental features changes. Airborne engineering is now rapidly developing, enabling the construction of small automatic flying vehicles, so called multicopters or flying drones. The main objective of this study is to design and manufacture the low cost and low weight quadcopter platform prototype for the purpose of the environmental monitoring and research. A multirotor concept was created, which assumed some executive functions i.e. hovering, environmental data acquisition or Global Positioning System movement. On the basis of these assumptions, platform components were chosen. They include: the frame, drives, electronics and software. Also the presentation of the environmental measurement capabilities, with the use of multicopters was done along with the discussion on application capabilities, advantages and disadvantages of Unmanned Aerial Vechicles for analytical agriculture. On the basis of the project, a prototype quadcopter platform was built. During the tests some corrections to specific components were made. As a result of the whole process, a platform that is able to accomplish the tasks was created. All components of the multicopter have been described, materials used, mounting and connecting them, as well as the presentation of the specific device problems. The manufacturing cost of the drone prototype was lower than EUR 500, weight of less than 750 g and the drone performed all assumed tasks, which was considered a success of the project. Scientific value of the paper includes the guidance of cheap and efficient setup along with the applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of eco-industrial parks (EIPs) is an effective approach to developing industrial symbiosis in which plants of different entities could reduce waste production through co-sharing common utilities and/or resources, thus minimizing environmental impacts. Common resources such as heat and water are often the precursor of forming the symbiotic resource exchange network in an EIP. However, synthesizing the resource network in an EIP is a complex decision-making process involving the optimization of various design criteria by a group of decision-makers with different interests. Hence, this paper presents a multi-objective optimization approach that uses numerical representation to rank the preferences of each participating plant on the predefined criteria for building an EIP. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is a well-established decision-making technique for the analysis of complex decision problems. With its mathematical simplicity and flexibility, AHP can be integrated with different optimization techniques, such as mathematical programming. In this work, we develop an integrated AHP (IAHP) approach to the formation of an optimum resource network in an EIP. The optimization model is formulated to obtain a balanced solution that achieves the optimum design criteria defined by a given set of constraints. The design criteria considered in this work include economic performance, environmental impact, connectivity and network reliability. A case study on the synthesis of a chilled and cooling water network is used to illustrate the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a real-time monitoring system is presented to be used for environmental parameters measurement in tourist caves that can be employed for getting a sustainable tourism. The system allows the registration of a lot of metadata (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, CO2, atmospheric pressure, rain, presence and visitor count) and it shows them via the Internet in real time anywhere. The system reports the data registered and stored as metadata in a database online. In the ”El Soplao” Cave in the North of Spain, this system, permits a high level of control and security of the influence of visitors on a day to day and the temporal evolution to medium and long term. These measurements allow developing a sustainable and profitable system where heritage management and tourism exploitation acquire a subordinate commitment to the welfare of the natural asset (Cave-Mine “El Soplao”); the alteration of the fragile microclimate inside the cave can damage or destroy the specific geologic formations that make the touristic cave. After the visits, the company managing the cave takes in charge monitoring the environmental parameters of the cave to regulate future visits. The temperature in the cave has ranges between 11 and 13.5 °C, a seasonal quasi-periodic maximum variation of ± 0.5 °C and depending on the temperature outside the cave and number of visitors; it is difficult to associate one with another because both happen in the same month. The relative humidity is around 70–95%, it has no correlation with the number of visitors accessing the cavity. The CO2 concentration in air is around 400–1000 ppm; it has a clear correlation with the number of visitors and cave area (the deepest present's higher level CO2). In conclusion, a cave is visited as long as its microclimate is maintained, thus the real-time system developed has been conceptualized for monitoring over time the relationship between the cave environment and a sustainable tourism. Monitoring can help to preserve the specific geologic formation and therefore to keep the touristic interest of the cave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrodischarge machining (EDM) plays a significant role in the precision machining of super alloys and the die/mould manufacturing industry and hence warrants the study of its environmental impact and sustainability. However, process level data for unconventional machining practices are limited in the available Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) databases. This paper aims to accumulate process level LCI data for EDM and to assess the environmental impact using life cycle analysis. The method of assessment takes insights from ISO 14040 and the CO2PE initiative. Data from industrial case studies relating to diesinking EDM and wire EDM of steel and aluminium alloys are used. Environmental impact is calculated using the resultant LCI data and supplementary data from the Ecoinvent database. The ReCePi endpoint method is used in the impact assessment, enabling comparisons among environmental performances. Recommendations for improvements during the design phase of machine tools and the operational phase of the machines are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for energy efficiency is an increasingly important requirement in the construction or renovation of residential, tertiary and commercial buildings. This requirement imposes the implementation of effective strategies for evaluating energetic performances. However, most of the literature works focused on the use of analytical approaches which sometimes proves insufficient, in the absence of taking into account the practical realities. This paper presents a methodology of risk analysis and assessment for efficient performance of buildings using the knowledge capitalization and exploitation from experience feedback processes. The target buildings (residential, tertiary and commercial) are chosen in the airport area of aeronautic context in which the lessons learnt are generated from the environmental assessment with the assistance of the main domain actors (experts, technicians and users). The effort is focused on identification of non-qualities and discomforts whose resolution could contribute to improving the energy and environmental performance of buildings. This approach integrates the collection of experienced knowledge from passive design strategies of sustainable buildings with innovative practices. Capitalization of knowledge from experience feedback processes will foster the development of proposals for preventive and corrective solutions and dissemination of good practices for solving problems regarding pathologies, damage, and other dysfunctions observed in the building field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the efficiency and sustainability of production systems has drawn attention to the importance of monitoring the social and environmental impacts of production processes and management systems. In particular, integrated models and tools need to be developed to assess the application of sustainable operations – especially in those sectors characterized by a high presence of SMEs. This paper proposes an integrated assessment model – the Small and Medium Enterprise Compliance Assessment (SECA) – for SMEs involved in manufacturing and production. SECA provides an integrated tool to detect a firm's compliance with mandatory requirements on environmental and social issues in accordance with relevant legislation applicable in the country. This assessment model employs a new Index of Small and Medium Enterprise Compliance to synthesize both the levels of compliance and the complementary risks to which the enterprise is exposed to, given the applicable legislative domains. To test the model, a pilot application was conducted based on the analysis of 99 Chinese-owned SMEs operating in the textile and fashion manufacturing district in Prato. These enterprises voluntarily underwent the assessment procedure to measure their compliance with mandatory processes and regulations. The results that emerge from this pilot application demonstrate the relevance and capacity of SECA to assess and understand the degree of SMEs' compliance with relevant legislation on sustainability matters. The application also demonstrates the models' potential to be adapted to other local contexts and SMEs as required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droughts resulting from global warming severely hamper the healthy development of terrestrial vegetation ecosystems. This paper defines a terrestrial vegetation ecological drought index, i.e., the Standardized Water Supply–Demand Index (SSDI), based on the water balance method using the same calculation model as the SPEI. The theory of run is used to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of the drought characteristics in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB). The results show that (1) the drought events monitored by the SSDI were in good agreement with historical drought events, and the correlation coefficient between SSDI and NDVI (0.94) was significantly higher than that between SPEI and NDVI (0.88). (2) About 55.4% of the regions in the YRB experienced more than 13 droughts, and about 41.4% of the regions had an average drought duration of more than 3.1 months. In the northern part of the YRB, droughts tend to develop in a short-term high frequency, while in the southern part of the YRB, there is a long-term low-frequency development trend. Nearly 24.5% of the regions have an average drought intensity of more than 1.4, and most of them are located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. (3) Over the last 18 years, about 79.5% of the regions in the YRB showed an increasing trend in SSDI, of which 36.8% showed an increasing trend of more than 0.04/yr. In addition, 40.4% of the regions showed a significant upward trend. Precisely analyzing the spatiotemporal variation of drought characteristics in the YRB is critical for drought risk assessment and sustainable development of water resources and could provide a theoretical basis for effective water resource allocation and drought relief. • A new drought monitoring index, i.e., the Standardized Water Supply–Demand Index (SSDI) was defined. • SSDI can effectively monitor drought events. • SSDI is more suitable for monitoring ecological drought. • Drought of vegetation ecosystem in the Yangtze River Basin was assessed and analyzed with the SSDI. • It provides a theoretical basis for drought management and water allocation in the Yangtze River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2011 EU Common Agricultural Policy aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the agricultural sector, to promote innovation, contribute to environmental protection and to support jobs and growth in rural areas. The consecutive reforms in agricultural policy have created adequate environment for developing and implementing innovative, environmentally friendly farming methods, allowing the farmers to increase the production and manage the local environment, which is essential for the sustainable development of the agricultural sector. In this paper, wireless sensor network architecture for vegetable greenhouse is proposed in order to achieve scientific cultivation and lower management costs from the aspect of environmental monitoring. According to the analysis of the features of greenhouse environment, a practical and low-cost greenhouse monitoring system is designed based on wireless sensor network technology in order to monitor key environmental parameters such as the temperature, humidity and illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This special volume offers a collection of papers that examine challenges and solutions where water meets complex, intersections with women, waste, wisdom or wealth. This unique array of articles offer readers of the Journal of Cleaner Production multidisciplinary views of water issues involving physical and structural perspectives, as well as political, social, cultural and increasingly serious environmental challenges. By building upon extensive literature reviews along with data collected through empirical study and real world observations, the authors effectively present valuable insights into the depth and nature of many of the problems but also present a well-developed array of recommendations, based upon successful projects and programs, world-wide. Among the recommendations are proposals for policies, approaches and regulations that provide system enhancements to prevent pollution and contamination and ideas to monitor and regulate water consumption. This international collection includes studies from 15 countries, documented and written by an equal number of female and male authors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With the aid of universities Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) were developed and implemented in 39 primary schools in Northern Gauteng and Southern Limpopo Provinces, South Africa in 2005. Between 2006 and 2008, the assisting universities monitored the implementation process to evaluate the progress the schools made in environmental management and performance. The monitoring results exposed the main parameters, which lead to an improvement of the environmental performance of the schools. These results can be used to improve the process of EMS implementation in the future. This paper presents the monitoring results and discusses the correlations between the different managerial aspects on the one hand and the environmental performances on the other hand. The major observations were: [a)] The elaboration of the managerial aspects seems to evolve in a similar way at the different schools, independent from the social-economic type of the schools (urban, rural or township). [b)] Successful implementation of the EMS starts with the implementation of managerial instruments: The integration of environmental aspects in the management of the school is positively correlated with the environmental performance of the schools (water, waste and greening), but not with energy-related environmental performances. [c)] The implementation of managerial instruments starts with good planning, followed by communication and co-operation, where the whole school team has to be involved. [d)] Universities have important opportunities to take the lead in this hardly explored area of research. The results open interesting opportunities for further research on how to optimize the functioning of the EMS in primary schools in the Northern part of South Africa. A model that relates the determinants of a successful EMS might be a first step. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: According to the targets set for sustainability, integrating the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs is one of the main goals for development projects. A major challenge in the development field is cross-sectoral integrated planning and achieving multi-stakeholder consensus for collaborative joint projects, especially when sustainability is a goal. This increases the complexity of the multi-stakeholder interaction in decision making and requires enhanced mechanisms for stakeholder participation, coordination, and commitment beyond narrow self-interest. A critical aspect in the decision making process is to enable stakeholders to not only interpret and make decisions based on expert judgments, but also to appropriately involve the relevant parties in the research and decision making process. Therefore, scientific analyses in multi-stakeholder contexts have to be more transparent, participatory, and stakeholder-based in order to provide useful information to assist responsible decision making. This paper presents an outline of a stakeholder-based life cycle assessment approach that can be used to support sustainable decision making in multi-stakeholder contexts. The framework is discussed and compared to other common methods used to support environmental decision making in development projects. We argue that the fundamental concept of life cycle thinking can be effectively used to incorporate stakeholders in the research and decision making process, which can lead to more comprehensive, yet achievable assessments in collaboration with stakeholders. Life cycle thinking is not just a way to examine environmental impacts of activities, but also a way to comprehend and visualize a broader set of upstream and downstream consequences of decisions in development planning and implementation. A life cycle framework including the mapping of stakeholder involvement at each activity in upstream and downstream stages would give stakeholders a holistic view that they otherwise may not have. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Competitive forces are driving US domestic manufacturers to source parts globally, which significantly extends their supply chain and introduces new sustainability concerns. This paper addresses the situation from an operating division manager''s perspective. We present an approach to packaging system assessment which considers the division manager''s span of control, addresses the design of packaging and the corresponding logistics processes, and incorporates both cost and environmental impacts. A construct familiar to operations managers, the value stream map, is adapted to model material flow of both parts and packages, and an integrated material flow analysis is used as the common basis for cost analysis, a modified life cycle environmental impact analysis, and an energy consumption analysis. The framework is illustrated using a case study of a major US automaker. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Before conducting a comprehensive impact assessment, such as a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), there is a need to discuss the range of impacts which could and should be included. Up to this point of time, there has not been a comprehensive list of impacts for potential inclusion available. This research builds upon previous work which surveyed a large component of the comprehensive impact assessment field for cataloging and analysis in greater detail and then expanded it to include those midpoints, endpoints, and damages which could be covered in a more comprehensive impact assessment. In this paper, a seminal effort in the form of a meta-model is presented to facilitate an expanded discussion of the taxonomy of this field. Upon using existing models it was apparent the taxonomy needed to be structured to represent midpoint, endpoint, damage, and weighted levels as they relate to areas of protection for the impact assessment phase. Contrary to recent use in the LCIA field, a distinction will be made between an endpoint measure (which is more of a “count” of impacts) and a damage measure (which is a value-weighted aggregation of two or more endpoints). The authors present a representation of all four levels of impact assessment: midpoint, endpoint, damage, and weighted. This taxonomy was developed to include the existing impacts found in LCIA literature, and then expanded to be more comprehensive and include a larger set of impacts than are normally included within LCIA. The authors recognize this is the first of many steps necessary to capture all potential impacts that should be considered when conducting a comprehensive environmental assessment. The intent is to propose a taxonomy that would greatly facilitate the accumulation and communication of empirical and theoretical knowledge gained by offering a standard vocabulary and structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In a recent paper, “A combined tool for environmental scientists and decision makers: ternary diagrams and emergy accounting.” [Giannetti BF, Barrella FA, Almeida CMVB. A combined tool for environmental scientists and decision makers: ternary diagrams and emergy accounting. J Clean Prod, in press] Ternary diagrams were proposed as a graphical tool to assist emergy analysis. The graphical representation of the emergy accounting data makes it possible to compare processes and systems with and without ecosystem services, to evaluate improvements and to follow the system performance over time. The graphic tool is versatile and adaptable to represent products, processes, systems, countries, and different periods of time. The use and the versatility of ternary diagrams for assisting in performing emergy analyses are illustrated by means of five examples taken from the literature, which are presented and discussed. It is shown that emergetic ternary diagram''s properties assist the assessment of the system efficiency, its dependence upon renewable and non-renewable inputs and the environmental support for dilution and abatement of process emissions. With the aid of ternary diagrams, details such as the interaction between systems and between systems and the environment are recognized and evaluated. Such a tool for graphical analysis allows a transparent presentation of the results and can serve as an interface between emergy scientists and decision makers, provided the meaning of each line in the diagram is carefully explained and understood. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper presents a methodology for multi-objective modeling and optimization with environmental impacts and economics aspects simultaneously in the context of cleaner production. A generalized multi-objective process model is proposed based on a holistic concept of macro-structure. A hybrid multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is proposed to solve this multi-objective optimization problem. The Elitist Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm is used to obtain the Pareto-optimal set. The best compromised solution is determined by using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution. A simple reaction system is presented as a case study to illustrate the proposed methodology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Solar thermal systems feed on a “clean” energy source. However, a complete analysis of the environmental performance of solar thermal collectors should take into account not only their operation phase, but also their whole life cycle. This paper reports the results of a life cycle assessment of a solar thermal collector with integrated water storage. The study, carried out by means of SimaPro 5.0 software, aims at drawing a thorough environmental profile of the collector, highlighting the most relevant contributions to the total impacts, measured by means of a set of aggregate environmental indicators. In order to evaluate the possible improvements of the system configuration, several sensitivity analyses were performed, for different phases of its life cycle. Thanks to this optimization, the reduction of the impacts could be up to 40%. Environmental pay back times were calculated as well. Their values range from 5 to 19 months, remarkably lower than the expected lifespan of the systems (15–20 years). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper is an attempt to evaluate the impact of the oil refinery industry on water resources worldwide from the point of view of sustainable development (SD). The local laws, reports from the industry and environmental agencies, conditions of the final disposal system were analysed. Key aspects, such as existing approaches for treatment systems, quality of treated wastewater, and ways to assure the safety of them were compared. The comparison between industrialised (represented by the USA and EU) and developing countries (Kazakhstan used as an example) shows that several obstacles, such as loopholes in legislation, historical contamination, and miscommunicating between stakeholders, exist, despite the formal promotion of the SD concept. That policy should be implemented based on the relevant scientific investigation through the possibility of integrating the respective technological development, an adequate system of environmental impact assessment, and fair operational monitoring. • Oil refineries still discharge contaminated wastewater into water bodies worldwide. • Principles of Sustainable water use for the oil refinery sector are defined. • An adequate policy regulation makes Sustainable water use in the industry achievable. • The policy should implement the Circular Economy, a fair Environmental Impact Assessment, and the transparent environmental monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitigation and prevention of environmental impacts is still a challenge for most companies, especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The literature shows that researchers are paying attention to the concept of eco-efficiency, and that companies are making significant efforts to develop sustainable methodologies, as a result of consumer pressure or for government enforcement reasons. However, there is still a lack of concrete initiatives implemented at SME level. The aim of this paper is to present a conceptual framework that may be used to examine to what extent SMEs understand the eco-efficiency concept and implement sustainability strategies. This has been achieved through the identification of the following four specific factors: availability of an environmental management system, environmental knowledge, organizational culture, and environmental monitoring and control. The limitations and research gaps in the specific context have been analyzed, and a conceptual framework that allows the eco-efficiency implementation to be assessed has been proposed. An exploratory study has been carried out on 17 wood industry SMEs from Bogotá, Colombia. The results show that most SMEs are unaware of the existing sustainability strategies and environmental practices. Nevertheless, all the SMEs agreed that the environment requires more attention and they are therefore interested in sustainability strategies to help decrease their negative impact and increase their cost-effectiveness and competitiveness. Image 102748 • A conceptual framework to assess the eco-efficiency level in SMEs is presented. • Environmental management strategies and managerial orientations are considered. • The framework was applied to examine Colombian SMEs in the wood sector. • The results show that efforts to implement sustainability strategies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental sustainability is a mandatory consideration for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project, thereby making environmental monitoring more essential. This paper aims at demonstrating the feasibility and superiority of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technique for environmental monitoring of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project. Surface deformation and topsoil moisture are considered as the monitoring factors due to their importance to the public security and sustainability. Taking Jingbian CO 2 -EOR project as a case study, Interferometric SAR (InSAR) and Advanced Integral Equation Model (AIEM) were used for spatial estimates of surface deformation and topsoil moisture from Sentinel-1A images. The results showed that the distribution of surface deformation and topsoil moisture both manifested as spatial heterogeneity. No significantly regular uplift or subsidence trend was observed within the storage fields. The average deformation velocity of 5.63 mm yr−1 from 537 measuring points was probably determined by the trade-off between soil erosion and eolian dust deposit. Topsoil moisture was observed to associate with natural conditions, and its spatial distribution was mainly ruled by topographic factors. Areas with soil moisture below 20% covered about 3.98 km2, totally accounting for 77.14%. Areas with soil moisture over 20% were mostly distributed in the gully regions. In conclusion, currently, there was no large deformation trend or abnormal topsoil moisture distribution as public concerns, but long-term monitoring program is still needed for ensuring environmental sustainability. This study demonstrates that SAR technique can improve the spatial knowledge of surface deformation and topsoil moisture, which is useful for sustainability assessment of operating CO 2 -EOR project. • Spatial distribution of surface deformation and topsoil moisture were estimated using SAR images. • No significant feature was found out to illustrate CO 2 -EOR project had disturbance to local environment currently. • To date, spatial estimates of surface deformation and topsoil moisture could be mainly caused by natural conditions. • SAR technique is an effective and useful tool for environmental monitoring at a regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]