Promoting Sustainable Food Consumption: An Agent-Based Model About Outcomes of Small Shop Openings

A useful way of promoting sustainable food consumption is to consider the spread of food retail operations focused on food diversification, food specialization, and fresh and local products. These food shops are generally small, which is a great problem for survival against ruthless competition from supermarkets. Our research objective was to construct a simulation with an agent-based model, reproducing the local food consumption market and to investigate how a new, small food retailing shop interacts with this market. As a case study, the model simulates the opening of a small farmers' market. The intent of the model is to reproduce the current status of consumption for food products within a certain territorial context and given time period, and to investigate how consumers' behaviour changes with the opening of the new shop. As a result, we could predict changes in consumers' habits, the economic positioning of new, small shops and its best location. This information is of considerable interest for farmers' markets and also for policymakers

An energy saving solution applied to the final use of electrical and lighting systems of school buildings managed by Perugia Province

In this paper, a study and design of energy conservation actions and the obtention of Energy Efficiency Titles, according to the Italian Ministerial Decree 20th July 2004, applied to lighting and electrical systems in a school district managed by Perugia Province (Italy), is presented. Specifically, the analysis regarded the replacement of neon lamps with high efficiency ones, and the power factor correction of the electrical system with a lower value. The work was carried out through an energy audit of some school buildings. From the results of this energy audit, project solutions were developed and a technical and economical feasibility study was made. This study was then extended to the whole school building fleet managed by Perugia Province. The results of this work were validated by a commercial feasibility assessment through an ESCo

The sustainable reuse of compost from a new type of olive mill pomace in replacing peat for potted olive tree

The attention for the replacement of peat in growing substrates is increasing due to its environmental and economic advantages. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the impact of peat substitution by new type olive mill pomace and its compost on the vegetative activity of potted olive trees. A new type of humid pomace (hP) derived from an innovative two phase extraction system and its derived compost (C-hP) are used as total or partial (50% vol/vol) replacement of peat in olive growing substrate. The main chemical characteristics (moisture, water extractable organic carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratio and electrical conductivity) of the hP and C-hP were measured. In order to evaluate the effects of the peat substitution on the plants vegetative activity, measurements of mortality, plant height, leaf net photosynthesis and plant growth (through final destructive measurements) were carried out. The use of hP resulted in a significant increase of the salinity of the substrate. The water extractable organic carbon concentration was higher in all substrates where peat was ewplaced and in particular when C-hP was used. The total replacement of peat with hP caused 100% mortality of the plants while C-hP can substitute peat up to 50% without causing a significative reduction of the final plant growth

Feasibility study and design of a low-energy residential unit in Sagarmatha park for environmental impact reduction of high altitude buildings

The project presented in this paper is geographically set within Sagarmatha National Park, a wide area located on the Nepalese mountainside of Everest and declared as World Heritage Site since 1979. In recent years the park was the focus of several studies and initiatives, aimed at improving the management of its many-sided ecosystem, significantly influenced by climate change and increase of human activities and tourism, which occurred from the end of the 1970s, as well as by practices that are harmful both to human health and to our environment (e.g. burn up kerosene or animal excrements in order to obtain heat). Research work has focused on designing a residential unit that meets population needs, in terms of simplicity of realization, replicability, use of local materials, environmental compatibility and exploitation of available renewable energies. For this purpose a thorough analysis was conducted to identify the housing standard characteristic of reference context and Sherpa people, concerning indoor thermal comfort conditions, construction techniques, availability and skills of local workforce. Data necessary for the design phase were obtained through a collaboration with researchers of Ev-K2-CNR center, active at 5,050 meters a.s.l. in Nepal at the base of Mount Everest with a laboratory/observatory (known as the "Pyramid") for highaltitude meteorological studies since 1989. Climate conditions were registered by specific monitoring stations at certain times (2002-2008); during preliminary stage, these values were considered representative of the local context chosen for the project, that is Namche Bazar, a village located within the park, in a central point both from the logistic and altimetric/weather points of view. For the residential unit under investigation, two different constructive approaches were selected and compared: earthbags and straw bales. Both techniques have several advantages, in particular availability of raw material (jute bags, soil, straw), simplicity (e.g. earthbag constructions are realized using the ancient technique of pisé, combined with flexible bags or tubes), durability, insulation performance, costeffectiveness. Through a specific software for calculation of winter/summer thermal loads, different combinations of selections of structure and insulation were examined for both solutions, in order to achieve the optimum for the case study. Furthermore on the base of data monitored on site, a specific assessment was carried out to evaluate the potential of solar and wind resources. Aiming at entirely covering the heat and electric energy needs by exploiting renewable energy sources, various plant configurations were finally assumed. Every single choice was made to reduce human influence on land resources, such as timber, and to improve internal and external environmental quality

Experimental measurement of the biomass of Olea europaea L.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is an evergreen tree extensively cultivated for its fruit in many warm parts of Southern Europe, North Africa, South Asia and Oceania. The objective of this paper was to obtain information on the total biomass productivity of the olive grove as well as on individual tree biomass productivity and the proportions of the tree components. The study was carried out in Central Italy and estimation of tree woody biomass and total biomass was made by direct measurement and through Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology. To determine the biomass of all the tree parts (including fruits and prunings) of the olive grove, the forestry estimation methodology named “model tree” was adopted and one representative tree was felled and uprooted; the biomass of main trunk, branches, leaves, twigs and roots was determined separately, using their volume, weight and density; also fruits and prunings of this tree were recorded. Wood density, biomass expansion factor, root/shoot ratio, carbon fraction of dry matter and carbon content of the single tree and tree component were calculated. The study showed that “model tree” methodology is suitable for olive grove; IPCC method can be successfully used with good reliability when direct measurement of biomass expansion factor and carbon fraction are obtained from a representative tree of the olive grove. The C stock evaluation methodology made in this research and the calculation of biomass expansion factor can be considered as the first scientific contribution in estimating productivity, CO2 sequestration, carbon stocks and yield of olive groves.Key words: Biomass, biomass expansion factor, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), tree volume, root/shoot ratio, Olea europaea, CO2 sequestration

Ascaridia galli: a report of erratic migration

This paper describes a case of an unusual recovery of adult Ascaridia galli in hen's egg. Several data are available on this occurrence but it appears to be the first case described in Italy. The worm was identified as an adult female, 6.8 cm in length, with three trilobed lips, cervical narrow alae, oesophagus club-shaped without posterior bulb, vulva near the middle of body, with gravid uteri containing a large number of eggs. The presence of Ascaridia galli in hen's eggs cannot be considered as hazard for public health but may be cause of a potential consumer complaint. Moreover it is a sign of presence of ascaridiosis, parasitosis that still produces economic losses in modern poultry production system