Location specific technoeconomic analysis and life cycle assessment of an emerging sanitation technology

Target 6.2 of the United Nations’ 6th Sustainable Development Goal seeks to achieve adequate sanitation services by 2030 for the 2 billion people who currently live without at least basic access. The high cost of constructing centralized wastewater management systems (including collection systems and treatment facilities) often render these options infeasible in resource-limited settings. This study explores the key sustainability drivers, across countries, for a compact, automated sanitation system designed to treat blackwater for onsite reuse. The system has been shown to effectively meet ISO 30500 standards, but its current cost remains too burdensome for low-income households and small communities. Building off a preliminary technoeconomic analysis (TEA) that elucidated specific technological pathways for improvement, this study integrates country-specific parameters into TEA and life cycle assessment (LCA) to investigate how implementation context affects costs, life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and opportunities to improve system sustainability. The study shows that the drivers of both price and environmental impacts are context-dependent, with electricity acting as the major cost and GHG contributor in most locations. Cost and GHG emissions across countries are not correlated. Accordingly, the prioritization of research and development to improve technology sustainability will depend on the planned location of implementation

Exogenous selection shapes germination behaviour and seedling traits of populations at different altitudes in a Senecio hybrid zone

Background and Aims The Senecio hybrid zone on Mt Etna, Sicily, is characterized by steep altitudinal clines in quantitative traits and genetic variation. Such clines are thought to be maintained by a combination of ‘endogenous' selection arising from genetic incompatibilities and environment-dependent ‘exogenous' selection leading to local adaptation. Here, the hypothesis was tested that local adaptation to the altitudinal temperature gradient contributes to maintaining divergence between the parental species, S. chrysanthemifolius and S. aethnensis. Methods Intra- and inter-population crosses were performed between five populations from across the hybrid zone and the germination and early seedling growth of the progeny were assessed. Key Results Seedlings from higher-altitude populations germinated better under low temperatures (9-13 °C) than those from lower altitude populations. Seedlings from higher-altitude populations had lower survival rates under warm conditions (25/15 °C) than those from lower altitude populations, but also attained greater biomass. There was no altitudinal variation in growth or survival under cold conditions (15/5 °C). Population-level plasticity increased with altitude. Germination, growth and survival of natural hybrids and experimentally generated F1s generally exceeded the worse-performing parent. Conclusions Limited evidence was found for endogenous selection against hybrids but relatively clear evidence was found for divergence in seed and seedling traits, which is probably adaptive. The combination of low-temperature germination and faster growth in warm conditions might enable high-altitude S. aethnensis to maximize its growth during a shorter growing season, while the slower growth of S. chrysanthemifolius may be an adaptation to drought stress at low altitudes. This study indicates that temperature gradients are likely to be an important environmental factor generating and maintaining adaptive divergence across the Senecio hybrid zone on Mt Etn

Proceedings of the NSSDC Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications

The proceedings of the National Space Science Data Center Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications held July 23 through 25, 1991 at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center are presented. The program includes a keynote address, invited technical papers, and selected technical presentations to provide a broad forum for the discussion of a number of important issues in the field of mass storage systems. Topics include magnetic disk and tape technologies, optical disk and tape, software storage and file management systems, and experiences with the use of a large, distributed storage system. The technical presentations describe integrated mass storage systems that are expected to be available commercially. Also included is a series of presentations from Federal Government organizations and research institutions covering their mass storage requirements for the 1990's

Ultrasonic Tension Controller for Web Tensioning

Indiana University Purdue University IndianapolisThe design of the Ultrasonic Tension Control package provides an industrial package to a previously vulnerable product. The previous design utilized a microcontroller which took analog feedback from an ultrasonic sensor to control brake pressure to a tensioning system to wind or unwind different products. The system still uses an ultrasonic sensor but uses a programmable logic controller (PLC) and variable frequency drive (VFD) to control the winding and unwinding speed. By using more industrial components, the system is more durable and resistant to shock, temperature, or other extreme environments. The introduction of a touch screen is also favorable and provides a convenient interface for operators to run the full process or troubleshooting to be done on a screen that puts the system into a manual mode. Future design considerations include putting the design into a smaller footprint for further cost reduction. Also the ability to automatically detect the type of variable frequency drive connected would be beneficial to prevent the user from incorrectly entering data.Electrical Engineering Technolog

Shizen Nōhō: Restoring the Relationship Between Food, Nature, and People in Japan

In Japan’s postwar era, agriculture has become highly industrialized, involving heavy machinery, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides, all in the name of “progress.” Through employing such practices, humans have attempted to improve upon nature’s way of doing things, and in turn have degraded the soil’s fertility, natural ecosystems, and human health. In response to this, Shizen Nōhō has emerged in Japan as an alternative way of cultivating food. Shizen Nōhō practitioners challenge the notion that we need chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery to farm successfully. Rather, they advocate for a way of growing food that functions seamlessly with natural ecosystems. This thesis explores the value of Shizen Nōhō in sustaining the natural environment, providing food for communities, and catalyzing a shift towards a more harmonious relationship with nature. By drawing on the research I conducted in central Japan, I illustrate how Shizen Nōhō offers a solution that can reunite people to the ecosystems that sustain them. Placing Shizen Nōhō within the larger context of Japan’s food system, I detail ways in which the priorities of the Japanese government and agricultural industry are not compatible with Shizen Nōhō. Therefore, if Shizen Nōhō is to be more widely adopted in Japan, communities must drive this change, rather than governmental and industrial entities. If adopted, Shizen Nōhō may serve as a vehicle for transforming the way humans interact with and view themselves in relation to nature