Monetary and environmental damage cost assessment of source-separated biowaste collection : Implications of new waste regulation in Finland

This study develops a cost model covering monetary and environmental damage costs for source-separated biowaste collection. The model provides an improved basis for decision-making by including environmental damage costs compared to the assessment that considers the only monetary cost. The monetary cost calculation integrated route optimisation using existing road networks, while the environmental damage cost was estimated using the life cycle impact assessment method based on the endpoint (LIME) model. The model was tested in the Finnish case where the new law implements the stricter requirement for source-separated biowaste. The costs of collection, transportation and treatment of three different scenarios were assessed: mixed waste under the old law (MW-OL), biowaste under the new law (B-NL) and mixed waste without biowaste under the new law (MW-NL). The results showed the economic and environmental benefits of sourced separated biowaste. The overall cost of collection and transportation (CT) under the old law and new laws were 80.7 € Mg−1 and 81.1 € Mg−1, respectively. Treatment costs were 79 € Mg−1 and 64.8 € Mg−1 under the old and new laws, respectively. The damage costs for CT under the old and new laws were 0.23 € Mg−1 and 0.24 € Mg−1, respectively. At the same time, the damage costs from the treatment stage were 4.9 € Mg−1 and 3.5 € Mg−1 under the old law and new law, respectively. The model supports decision-making when the collection scheme requires a change. Failing to plan an optimised solution and cost will lead to inefficient systems.© The Author(s) 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Predictive models for airtightness in social housing in a Mediterranean region

This article describes two models developed to predict airtightness in multifamily buildings in a Mediterranean region. They are designed to enable city planners, architects and engineers to estimate airtightness in homes built from 1980 to date (predictive model 1) or prior to 1979 (predictive model 2), when the first domestic energy conservation regulations entered into effect. They are based on a series of readily accessible parameters such as winter severity, envelope exposure, presence of a bathroom window and façade type. The estimated n50 data can be used with energy certification software, which presently envisages the same, non-experimentally quantified mean value for all types of housing. They can also be entered into energy and comfort simulation programs to predict energy consumption and expected indoor temperatures

How the italian residential sector could contribute to load flexibility in demand response activities: a methodology for residential clustering and developing a flexibility strategy

This work aims at exploring the potential contribution of the Italian residential sector in implementing load flexibility for Demand Response activities. In detail, by combining experimental and statistical approaches, a method to estimate the load profile of a dwelling cluster of 751 units has been presented. To do so, 14 dwelling archetypes have been defined and the algorithm to categorise the sample units has been built. Then, once the potential flexible loads for each archetype have been evaluated, a control strategy for applying load time shifting has been implemented. That strategy accounts for both the power demand profile and the hourly electricity price. Specifically, it has been assumed that end users access a pricing mechanism following the hourly trend of electricity economic value, which is traded day by day in the Italian spot market, instead of the current Time of Use (TOU) system. In such a way, it is possible to flatten the dwellings cluster profile, limiting undesired and unexpected results on the balancing market. In the end, monthly and yearly flexibility indexes have been defined along with the strategy effectiveness parameter. From calculations, it emerges that a dwelling cluster for the Italian residential sector is characterised by a flexibility index of 10.3% and by a strategy effectiveness equal to 34%. It is noteworthy that the highest values for flexibility purpose have been registered over the heating season (winter) for the weekends

1989-1990 Annual town report Hooksett, New Hampshire.

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire

Urban pattern and architecture of traditional Omani foothill settlements: al-Ḥamrā and Birkat al-Mawz

Outside of Yemen, Oman arguably contains the most significant, active vernacular heritage within the Arabian Peninsula. While some research exists on settlement pattern and architecture of large settlements on the plains (e.g., Manah, Nizwa, Bahla World Heritage Site and Ibra), little research has taken place on the nature of Omani foothill settlements. The thesis makes an important contribution to Oman studies by addressing this gap through the study of the urban pattern and architecture of two vernacular foothill settlements – Ḥarāt al- Ḥamrā and Ḥarāt as-Saybānī in Birkat al- Mawz in the Dākhliya (Interior) region of central Oman. The two oasis towns evolved during the Yaariba Imamate (mid-17th century CE onwards) and served the purpose of harnessing the tribal support of two important groups in the process of consolidation – the Abriyīn and the Banī Riyām. This thesis argues that the two settlements – new towns by Omani standards – were unique additions to Omani settlement hierarchy, introducing a new category in between the larger settlements of the plains and the small, dispersed settlement pattern of the Oman Mountains. The settlements have been studied by analysing their morphology, or how they were established and evolved over time shaped by the key factors of topography, geology and tribal movement

Toward circularity : life cycle-based approach in waste management

Our current “throwaway” lifestyle places great strain on the environment; resources that enter the economy remain for only a short period and are quickly disposed of. This dissertation aims to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of shifting toward more circular economy (CE) practices that advocate value retention for as long as possible within the economy. The research was carried out by conceptualizing CE and solving real cases focusing on the product end-of-life (EoL) stage. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was the main tool used to assess environmental impacts of different circular scenarios. The tool was paired with life cycle costing (LCC) to evaluate economic performances. Three cases in Finland were assessed: shifting toward source-separated biowaste collection, establishing an agricultural plastics waste recycling system, and waste-to-energy optimization. It was found that CE covers multiple aspects within the value chain; thus, its adoption model can occur at any stage of the value chain, thereby enabling various stakeholders to be more circular through different actions. The cases suggested that being more circular at the EoL stage may improve value retention through secondary material production, waste treatment by-products, and energy recovery. Shifting toward circularity was shown to be economically and environmentally viable. The dissertation illustrated the importance of stakeholders’ collaboration because a circular approach could affect all actors within the supply chain, including manufacturing, the energy sector, and society. The study showed that it is important to quantify environmental impacts of products or services, and to date, LCA remains the most suitable tool for quantifying results and evaluating options. In addition, a combination with LCC will provide more comprehensive results to anticipate any trade-off between environmental and economic aspects. CE must start somewhere, so let it start with organizations evaluating their environmental performance to identify better alternatives, define targets, and foster circularity in the long run.Nykyinen kertakäyttöelämäntapa aiheuttaa painetta ympäristölle. Monia raaka-aineita, joita käytetään taloudessa, hyödynnetään vain lyhyen aikaa ja hävitetään nopeasti. Tämän väitöskirjan tavoitteena on arvioida taloudellisia ja ympäristövaikutuksia yritysten siirtymisessä kohti kiertotalouden (CE) käytäntöjä, joiden avulla pyritään arvon säilyttämiseen mahdollisimman pitkään. Tutkimus toteutettiin tarkastelemalla kiertotalouden käsitteitä ja esittämällä ratkaisumalleja tapaustutkimuksiin, joissa keskityttiin tuotteen elinkaaren loppuvaiheeseen (EoL). Elinkaariarviointi (LCA) oli näissä tärkein työkalu erilaisten kiertoskenaarioiden ympäristövaikutusten arvioinnissa. Tämä työkalu yhdistettiin elinkaarikustannuslaskentaan (LCC) taloudellisen suorituskyvyn arvioimiseksi. Kolme tapaustutkimusta toteutettiin Suomessa: (1) siirtyminen biojätteen lajittelukeräykseen, (2) maatalouden muovijätteen kierrätysjärjestelmän suunnittelu ja (3) jätteen energian optimointi. Tulokset osoittivat, että kiertotalouden avulla voidaan kattaa useita arvoketjun näkökohtia; käyttöönotto voidaan toteuttaa millä tahansa arvoketjun tasolla, ja eri sidosryhmät voivat lisätä kiertoa eri toimien kautta. Tulokset viittaavat siihen, että kierron lisääminen EoL-vaiheessa voisi parantaa arvon säilyttämistä uusiomateriaalituotannon, jätteenkäsittelyn sivutuotteiden ja energian talteenoton avulla. Tyyppitapausten perusteella yritysten siirtyminen kiertotalouskäytäntöihin osoittautui sekä taloudellisesti ja ympäristön kannalta kannattavaksi. Työn tulokset ovat havainnollistaneet sidosryhmien yhteistyön tärkeyttä. Kierron rakentaminen voi vaikuttaa kaikkiin toimitusketjun toimijoihin, mukaan lukien valmistus, energiantuotanto ja yhteiskunta laajemmin. Tutkimus osoitti, että tuotteiden tai palveluiden ympäristövaikutusten kvantitatiivinen mittaaminen on tärkeää, ja LCA on edelleen sopivin väline tulosten kvantifiointiin ja erilaisten vaihtoehtojen keskinäiseen arviointiin. Elinkaarilaskelmaan yhdistettynä elinkaarikustannuslaskentaan saadaan aikaan kattavampia tuloksia, joilla voidaan vertailla ympäristö- ja talousnäkökohtien mahdollisia ristiriitoja. Kiertotaloustyö on aloitettava jostain, ja se voi alkaa siitä, että organisaatiot mittaavat ympäristötehokkuuttaan rakentaakseen parempia vaihtoehtoja, määritelläkseen tavoitteitaan ja edistääkseen kiertojen kehittymistä pitkällä aikavälillä.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Cumberland and the Slavery Issue

https://digitalmaine.com/cumberland_books/1062/thumbnail.jp

Condições de vida e de trabalho na Inglaterra da Revolução Industrial

Dissertação de Mestrado em Estudos Ingleses apresentada à Universidade AbertaA Revolução Industrial inglesa fomentou o desenvolvimento ao nível da produção de bens e serviços, tão comuns na vida moderna, operando uma mudança radical na estrutura económica, social e política. Devido às revoluções verificadas na agricultura, na indústria, nas comunicações e nos transportes, Inglaterra tornar-se-ia a primeira nação industrial durante o século XIX. Assistiu-se ao investimento de capital na agricultura e na indústria, à urbanização e à consequente concentração da população nas cidades industriais, então recentemente criadas, e à desertificação dos espaços rurais, tendo a fábrica substituído a estrutura familiar de produção. Com o surgimento da “cultura" do vapor, assistiu-se à emergência de uma nova classe social: “the working class". Os novos instrumentos de produção contribuíram para o estabelecimento de novas relações sociais, não descurando a continuidade das tradições políticas e culturais. No entanto, o relacionamento entre patrão e empregado tornou-se mais impessoal e rígido, baseando-se nos princípios do “cash nexus". Esperava-se que a industrialização diminuísse os custos de produção e o esforço humano e melhorasse as condições de vida. Contudo, as cidades ofereciam condições deploráveis aos seus habitantes, transformando-se em locais propícios à difusão de doenças. As fábricas exploravam os trabalhadores, numa tentativa obsessiva de produzir a maior quantidade de produtos possível ao menor preço, recorrendo à mão-de-obra mais barata: mulheres e crianças. Estes seres, tentando equilibrar o orçamento familiar, sujeitavam-se, em conjunto com os homens, às longas horas de trabalho, à rotina, aos baixos salários, à falta de segurança e de condições de higiene. Efectivamente, os resultados humanos desta revolução foram catastróficosRésumé - La révolution industrielle anglaise a fomenté le développement au niveau de la production des produits et des services, très usuel dans la vie moderne, opérant un changement radical dans la structure économique, sociale et politique. À cause des révolutions vérifiées dans l'agriculture, dans l'industrie, dans les communications et dans les transports, l’Angleterre deviendrait la première nation industrielle. On a assisté à l'investissement du capital dans l'agriculture et dans l'industrie, à l'urbanisation et à la conséquente concentration de la population dans les villes industrielles récemment crées, et à le abandonne des espaces agricoles, ayant l'usine substituée la structure familière de la production. Avec l’apparition de la civilisation de la vapeur, on a assisté à l'urgence d'une nouvelle classe sociale: "la classe ouvrière". Les nouveaux instruments de la production ont contribué pour l'établissement de nouvelles relations sociales, n'abandonnant pas la continuité des traditions politiques et culturelles. Malgré ça, le rapport entre "le maître" et l’employé est devenu plus impersonnel et rigide, étant basé sur les principes des "cash nexus". On attendait que l'industrialisation ait diminué les coûts de production et l'effort humain et avait amélioré les conditions de vie. Cependant, les villes avaient offert des conditions déplorables à leurs habitants, eu changeant dans des endroits favorables à la propagation de quelques maladies. Les usines exploitaient les ouvriers, dans une tentative obsessive de produire la plus grande quantité de produits possibles au plus beau prix, faisant appel à la main-d’oeuvre la meilleur marché : les femmes et les enfants. Ces êtres, essayant d'équilibrer le "budget" familier, avaient soumis, ensemble avec les hommes, aux longues heures de travail, à la routine, aux bas salaires, au manque de sécurité et de conditions d'hygiène. En effet, les résultats humains de cette révolution ont été catastrophiquesAbstract - The Industrial Revolution in England gave way to a development in what concerns the production of goods and services that are so common in modern life, provoking economical, social and political changes. England became the first industrial nation thanks to a series of revolutions in agriculture, industry, communications and transports. Money was invested in agriculture and industry, the recent industrial towns of the time grew crammed with large groups of people who had left the countryside and the factory, replacing the ancestral family unit production. The steam civilization was responsible for the appearance of a new social class: “the working class". Although the new production gadgets respected political and cultural traditions, they contributed to the establishment of different social relationships, namely the one between employer and worker, which became too impersonal as well as strict, due to the importance of the “cash nexus". It was expected industrialization to decrease the costs of production and human effort, as well as to improve the living conditions. These were however absolutely terrible, contributing to the spread of diseases. As factories wanted to increase the levels of production without raising costs, they looked for cheap labour: women and children. Since they needed to balance the family income, women, children, but also men, worked during too many hours, earned very little, faced routine, lack of security and of hygiene. As a matter of fact, the human results of the Industrial Revolution were appallin

Land Preservation

This exploration of local preservation law and practice recognizes the critical influences of federal, state, and regional governments. Local governments are instruments of state governments; municipalities derive their authority from state statutes. Extensive control over land use has been given to localities, but important powers have been retained. State governments are the partners of federal agencies that are charged with protecting environmental resources that are subject to federal jurisdiction. The land use system that has evolved over the last century in this country is intensely intergovernmental and interdependent. While this system was not designed as a whole and is often fragmented in its operation, these interconnections are many and important. This chapter identifies, explains, and explores the intergovernmental aspects of the subject from the bottom up, looking at them from the perspective of local control