Search results for "Ability"
showing 10 items of 18559 documents
Training Secondary Education Teachers through the Prism of Sustainability: The Case of the Universitat de València
2018
Designing the training of future teachers through holistic and interdisciplinary visions is vital to developing coherent contents, epistemologies, and methodologies that put Education for Sustainability into action. The research presented here analyzes the teaching guides from the curriculum for the Master&rsquo
Combined gasification-oxidation system for waste treatment with supercritical water: Lca and performance analysis
2020
In this study the environmental performance of a first-of-its-kind integrated process based on supercritical water gasification and oxidation (SCW-GcO), was evaluated using life cycle assessment (LCA). The process was applied to the treatment of carbon black and used oil as model wastes. Mass and energy balances were performed using Aspen Plus, and the environmental assessment was carried out through SimaPro. A “from cradle to grave” approach was chosen for the analysis, considering impact categories such as climate change, ozone depletion, human toxicity, particulate matter, land use, resource depletion, and other relevant indicators. The environmental profile of the SCW-GcO process was co…
Renewable energy growth and the financial performance of electric utilities: A panel data study
2017
Electric utilities are under pressure to increase clean energy production. Although the adoption of renewable energy can improve the utilities' environmental performance, a fundamental question is if it also pays in economic terms. Building on the natural-resource-based view of the firm, we answer this question using two data analysis methods. First, we carry out a regression analysis of panel data from 66 large electric utilities covering the period 2005–2014, applying both a fixed and random effects estimator. Subsequently, we use the Granger causality test to explore possible causality links. Our results show a negative correlation at the firm level between renewable energy increase and …
“Natural wine” consumers and interest in label information: An analysis of willingness to pay in a new Italian wine market segment
2019
Abstract Increasing public attention to issues of health and environmental sustainability has contributed to a growing consumer demand for “natural” food and drinks. As has been observed, this trend has also affected the wine market, leading to the spread of so-called “natural wine”. According to the literature, consumers who are aware of the social and environmental impact of their consumption choices pay more attention to the information displayed on the label as a tool to reduce the risk associated with their purchase. This study seeks to identify which consumers are willing to pay for natural wine and to understand what information on the label influences their choice. This study is one…
From lab to industry: Scaling up green geopolymeric mortars manufacturing towards circular economy
2021
Abstract Construction is nowadays considered an extremely energy intensive industry and one of the main sources of environmental pollution in the world. Therefore, the research and the development of novel energy-saving manufacturing processes and sustainable construction materials is more than ever urgent and challenging. This paper aims at identifying the industrial process for the production of novel geopolymers to be used as a greener substitute for cement, especially the Portland one, widely used for structural applications to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry. Here, the materials sustainability and the manufacturing process are improved by valo…
Reviewing the role of ecosystems services in the sustainability of the urban environment: A multi-country analysis
2020
The urban environment is characterised by many pressures caused by population growth, transport (and its related emissions), and the damage to green areas. Yet, there is a variety of ecosystem services available in urban areas, which may be deployed to ameliorate the current problems and foster their sustainability. This paper reviews the role of ecosystem services as tools for sustainability, based on an urban setting. It also describes a series of multi-country case studies, where an assessment of their functions using a set of benefits valuation approaches such as health benefits, economic benefits, social benefits and benefits to climate resilience, are provided, along with an appraisal…
Evaluating the material resource efficiency of secondary aluminium production: A Monte Carlo-based decision-support tool
2019
The contamination of aluminium streams during the different life cycle stages by alloy mixing and/or accumulation of foreign elements, in combination with the limited melt purification options during remelting, represents an important limiting factor in recycling. Consequently, in secondary aluminium production, primary aluminium is used to dilute the concentration of the residual elements, and alloying elements are added to adjust the composition to the target alloy specifications. However, adding elements, for which their refinement in a subsequent recycling step is problematic, results in permanent down-cycling or ‘quality losses’. Hence, it is crucial to more efficiently control the com…
Heavy metal uptake by plants from wastewater of different pulp concentrations and contaminated soils
2021
There is a lack of information on the extent of mineral extraction by plants from wastewater in arid and semi-arid environments in developing countries. This research assesses the performance of Alhagi and Mallow plant species for the absorption of heavy metals around the tailings dam of a copper mine in Iran. The industrial wastewater, known as the pulp, from the copper mine site has different concentrations of heavy metals. In a laboratory setting the plants were cultivated and irrigated with different pulp concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%) in water. Heavy metals (chromium, manganese, cadmium, and lead) accumulation in the aerial parts and roots of the plants, and the in-situ s…
Technical Rules for Connecting PV Systems to the Distribution Grid: A Critical Comparison of the Italian and Vietnamese Frameworks
2018
In the last two decades, starting from the Kyoto protocol, decarbonization has promoted worldwide the rise of distributed generation from renewable energy sources. Currently, Vietnam is still showing a strong dependence on fossil fuels but with a great interest in investing in renewable, especially in photovoltaic (PV) systems. In this paper, the current Vietnamese technical and administrative framework for the connection of PV systems to the power grid is presented and critically compared to the Italian one, in order to define the bases for future cooperation in distributed generation and renewable sectors.
Ashes from Sewage Sludge and Bottom Sediments as a Source of Bioavailable Phosphorus
2018
Phosphorus is an element necessary for the growth of plants. As phosphate rock gets depleted, it becomes an increasingly scarce resource. Therefore, it seems necessary to implement simple methods of cheap and effective phosphorus recovery from waste. The ashes of municipal sewage sludge and bottom sediments constitute particularly valuable sources of phosphorus. However, these materials usually carry significant amounts of pollutants, including heavy metals. Optimization of ash phosphorus sequential extraction methods from a thermal conversion of sewage sludge and bottom sediments allows to select an effective and simple technology of phosphorus recovery, while maintaining low heavy metal p…