Circular economy: Questions for responsible minerals, additive manufacturing and recycling of metals

© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The concept of the circular economy proposes new patterns of production, consumption and use, based on circular flows of resources. Under a scenario where there is a global shift towards the circular economy, this paper discusses the advent of two parallel and yet-to-be-connected trends for Australia, namely: (i) responsible minerals supply chains and (ii) additive manufacturing, also known as 3D production systems. Acknowledging the current context for waste management, the paper explores future interlinked questions which arise in the circular economy for responsible supply chains, additive manufacturing, and metals recycling. For example, where do mined and recycled resources fit in responsible supply chains as inputs to responsible production? What is required to ensure 3D production systems are resource efficient? How could more distributed models of production, enabled by additive manufacturing, change the geographical scale at which it is economic or desirable to close the loop? Examples are given to highlight the need for an integrated research agenda to address these questions and to foster Australian opportunities in the circular economy

The multi-risk vulnerability of global coal regions in the context of mine closure

Coal mining industries face real challenges to meet legal demands on a low carbon future. The history of coal in industrial transitions seems to come to a rapid end, accompanied by widespread boom of closing active coal mining projects. This change can result in negative ramifications for coal mining regions, involving a complex interplay of multiple risks. In this paper, we aim to analyse the complexity of environmental, social, and governance factors that can cause significant difficulties in closure of coal mining operations. We identify multi-factor risk profiles for operating mines by applying spatially explicit indicators within a proposed multi-risk framework. The indicators have not been captured by conventional market, as they tend to be more long-term oriented in the context of strategy and performance. We map eight risk categories: stability, water and climate, biodiversity, vulnerability of land uses, indigenous people, social fragility, political fragility, and regulatory environment, and analyse their effect on a global dataset of active open pit coal mines. The spatial analysis reveals that a significant proportion of the projects face accumulation of multiple risk factors. A total of 552 projects out of 916 show medium to very high-risk occurrence. In this paper, we present global risk vulnerability across the coal mining projects by indicating extent to which operators of the mines face multiple risk factors when planning for closure

Soil management and rroduction of alfisols in the semi-arid tropics. I. Modelling the effects of soil management on runoff and erosion

Techniques to simulate effects of surface cover and tillage on runoff and erosion are described. Data for 15 soil management treatments on an Alfisol in the semi-arid tropics, India, were used to modify existing procedures of runoff prediction using USDA runoff curve numbers. A relationship between surface cover and curve number was developed to account for the effects of surface cover on runoff. Impact of shallow or deep tillage was predicted using functions that relate curve number to cumulative rainfall since tillage. The derived relationships were applied to adjust curve number due to the effects of cover and tillage on a daily basis and were incorporated into the cropping systems model called PERFECT-IND. Results of model validation showed that PERFECT-IND explained between 71 and 91% of the variation in daily runoff volumes. The model also provided accurate predictions of average annual runoff ranging from 33 to 217 mm for the 15 soil management treatments. Runoff was reduced to a much greater extent by surface cover compared with surface roughness. Surface cover reduced runoff curve number by a maximum of 35 units. The maximum reduction in curve number due to surface roughness was 5 units for shallow tillage and 10 units for deep tillage. Erosion predictions were acceptable but the lack of erosion data for all years in the experimental data limits the confidence in model output. Model calibration and validation have provided a set of parameters that can be coupled with historical climate records to provide a long-term perspective of the effects of soil management on runoff and erosion. Keywords: simulation, model, runoff, water balance, curve number

Soil management and production of alfisols in the semi-arid tropics. III. Long-term effects on water conservation and production

A calibrated cropping systems model was used to provide long-term biophysical responses of various land managements at two differing semi-arid tropic environments in India. Organic based practices such as farmyard manure or straw amendments and perennial pastures reduced runoff by between 50 and 87%, and are optimum for in situ, water and soil conservation. A consequence of the reduced runoff was an increase in drainage below the root zone. Furthermore, the detrimental effects of cropping on high slopes and long slope lengths showed that it is not feasible to crop on slopes greater than 5%. Our study did not incorporate farmer preferences for land management, but the results can still be used as an integral part of decision making for optimum land management

Soil management and production of alfisols in the semi-arid tropics. IV. Simulation of decline in productivity caused by soil erosion

Maintenance of a productive soil base by minimizing soil erosion is vital to long-term crop production. In this study, a modelling approach is used to estimate the effects of soil erosion on productivity for a sorghum cropping system on an Alfisol in the semi-arid tropics of India. Predictions of erosion, runoff and yield decline due to erosion, for variations in initial soil depth, slope, tillage strategy and amendment treatment, are presented. On average, soil depth decreased by 0.91 cm/year at Hyderabad for a 10% slope, 80 cm initial soil depth, shallow tillage at planting and no surface amendment. Rates of soil removal and subsequent yield decline were higher for shallower soils, steeper slopes and if management practices provided less surface cover during the crop. The productive life of the soil was less than 91 years for some soil depths, slope and management combinations. For other combinations, significant yield decline was predicted after 91 years of cropping. The quantification of erosion-productivity relationships allows us to identify regions with a higher risk of degradation from soil erosion and to estimate the impact of various management options on long-term sustainability. Models provide a basis to focus research and a means of assessing alternative management strategies to preserve long-term production

Decision support tools for site-specific fertilizer recommendations and agricultural planning in selected countries in sub-Sahara Africa

Peer Revie

Citizen adoption of e-government in the UK: Perceived benefits and barriers

Citizens perceptions and evaluations of UK e-government services are not well documented. Official reports concentrate upon provision rather than usage, yet usage is an antecedent of success. Understanding citizens' perceptions, attitudes and intentions is crucial if online government services are to be accepted and widely used. Against this background this chapter investigates usage intentions based upon perceptions of benefits and barriers and against this assesses the likelihood of success in usage terms. Findings indicate that whilst citizens recognise convenience and time savings as key advantages of online e-government services, they remain concerned about financial security, information quality and trust issues. © 2007 The authors and IOS Press. All rights reserved

Citizen adoption of e-government in the UK: Perceived benefits and barriers

Citizens perceptions and evaluations of UK e-government services are not well documented. Official reports concentrate upon provision rather than usage, yet usage is an antecedent of success. Understanding citizens' perceptions, attitudes and intentions is crucial if online government services are to be accepted and widely used. Against this background this chapter investigates usage intentions based upon perceptions of benefits and barriers and against this assesses the likelihood of success in usage terms. Findings indicate that whilst citizens recognise convenience and time savings as key advantages of online e-government services, they remain concerned about financial security, information quality and trust issues. © 2007 The authors and IOS Press. All rights reserved

Minerals and sustainability - exploring cross-scale issues and responses

The ways in which Australias minerals resources are used to support sustainable futures merits serious and broad discussion. This paper reviews the issues associated with minerals and sustainability and the contemporary responses to these issues by stakeholders at the global, national and local scale. A framework for integrating minerals and sustainability - the Mineral Resources Landscape - is used to map the contemporary issues and stakeholder activities relative to each other and provides a platform for discussion of further research questions required to position the Australian minerals sector as `metals service provider in a sustainable future. This research begins part of a three year `Mineral Futures collaboration between universities and CSIRO exploring commodity futures, technology futures and mineral-rich regions in transition