Search results for "Life-cycle"
showing 10 items of 166 documents
Life-cycle of internet trolls
2018
This paper is a master’s thesis about internet trolls and trolling with the main goal of finding what is the life-cycle of internet trolls. In other words, how a person becomes a troll, how their trolling evolves, and how does trolling stop. Trolling definitions are also examined to see whether they are adequate. This thesis also covers the current state of research done on trolling, with the emphasis on literature that is relevant to the life-cycle of a troll. The literature will also be evaluated against the results from this study. Past research on trolling is quite scarce when comparing to the multiple topics it holds, suggesting that the scientific understanding of internet trolls is s…
Measure the Embodied Energy in Building Materials: An Eco-Sustainable Approach for Construction
2019
This paper highlights how the use of materials and building components often implicates the growth of embodied energy necessary to their construction, which is not always adequately compensated by a decrease of operational energy because incorporated energy can be almost half of the total energy used in a building’s life cycle and, sometimes, it even exceeds operational energy. The paper highlights how searching only for “operational” energy efficiency does not sufficiently guarantee environmental sustainability of the intervention. The intervention is heavily influenced by embodied energy whose knowledge must drive, since the beginning, the decision-making process towards more sustainable …
Bibliometric Analysis of Fitness Equipment: How Scientific Focuses Affect Life-Cycle Approaches and Sustainable Ways of Development
2019
Research Question: Although fitness equipment is recognised worldwide as a tool for physical activities and a sustainable result in optimizing human movements within a wide range of environments, the state of the art and scientific advances have not been analysed from a bibliometric point of view. Research Methods: Using descriptive bibliometric software, this study examined the scientific production, and the most prolific authors, articles, and institutions. Bibliometric maps were used to visualise the content of published articles and to determine the most prolific terms, co-citation, and co-authorship. Results and Findings: A total of 678 original papers were retrieved from 447 journals …
Investigating on the environmental sustainability of organic animal products? The case of organic eggs
2020
Abstract The organic farming of laying hens is experiencing a growing trend in Italy, following an increase in consumer demand for organic eggs. The present study aimed to investigate the environmental performance of organic egg production for the first time in the Italian context. To this end, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of organic egg production in a farm rearing laying hens located in Northern Italy was performed. The analysis was carried out in a cradle to farm gate perspective, with 1 kg of eggs selected as functional unit. Primary data relating to animal performances and resources consumed was collected on site, and subsequently integrated with secondary data, including estimates …
Life cycle energy and CO2 emissions analysis of food packaging: an insight into the methodology from an Italian perspective
2016
Packaging is strictly connected to environmental issues as it is a product characterised by high material consumption rate; it is often transported over long distances and has a short life. Providing environmental analysis is, therefore, urgent to identify energy and resources efficient solutions. The paper, taking advantage of a real case study, presents a life cycle-based comparative analysis among three different food packaging systems. The paper compares the life cycle of tin steel, polypropylene and glass-based packaging of an Italian preserves producer. The analysis leads to the conclusion that, for the baseline scenario, polypropylene packaging represents the greenest solution, where…
Environmental assessment of a waste-to-energy practice: The pyrolysis of agro-industrial biomass residues
2021
Abstract The bio-wastes pyrolysis is a waste to energy strategy that converts bio-wastes into valuable products (bio-char, bio-oil) with wide use in the agri-food sector. However, limited efforts are paid to the investigation of its environmental sustainability: in this context, the study contributes the need towards the assessment of a wide range of environmental impacts for the pyrolysis process of different types of bio-wastes under different operating conditions. The study estimates the potential environmental impacts related to bio-char production from the pyrolysis of several different agro-industrial residues and different temperatures and identifies the process “hot spots”. The anal…
Energy and environmental life-cycle impacts of solar-assisted systems: The application of the tool “ELISA”
2020
Abstract Solar heating and cooling (SHC) systems can be relevant in the achievement of energy and climate European goals. The benefits of these technologies should be evaluated taking into account their life-cycle energy and environmental impacts, calculated by applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The development of a complete LCA can be difficult and time-consuming particularly for non-experts in LCA, discouraging them in developing the life-cycle assessments. To overcome this issue, the paper presents “ELISA - Environmental Lifecycle Impacts of Solar Air-conditioning systems”, a user-friendly simplified tool for estimating the life-cycle energy and environmental benefits/impacts of s…
Impact of nanoparticles on the environmental sustainability of polymer nanocomposites based on bioplastics or recycled plastics – A review of life-cy…
2022
Adding nanoparticles to a host polymer can lead to performance improvements that can be twice as beneficial to the environment: first, sustainable nanocomposites based on bioplastics or recycled plastics could replace ubiquitous petroleum-based polymers; second, substantial plastic saving could be achieved by profiting from the superior specific properties of the nanocomposites. Nevertheless, the inherent environmental burden of nanoparticles can compromise the expected benefits. Here we address the controversial issue of the environmental sustainability of “green” polymer nanocomposites based on bioplastics and recycled plastics. A critical review of life-cycle assessment studies regarding…
Issues and Perspectives in the Application of Different Pavement Design Methods to Life Cycle Cost Analysis
2016
Life cycle costs analysis (LCCA) is an economic evaluation tool that can provide valuable guidance to transportation officials in management decision process. The application of LCCA to pavement management is vital because it permits the selection of the best alternative, based on the analysis of agency costs and user costs, taking into account (after selecting pavement type) different maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) strategies within the same pavement type. Additionally, environmental costs can be considered. Issues arise when comparing the expected life of the pavement derived according to different pavement design tools, such as the Mechanistic-Empirical pavement Design Guide (M…
Ecological determinants of smart home ecosystems: A coopetition framework
2021
Abstract Nearly every industry classification is experiencing slow growth and increasing concentration. Seldom do researchers have an opportunity to observe an emerging industry segment with as much promise as the smart home ecosystem, an exponentially growing industry. The study presents a novel approach using industry life cycle model and a coopetition framework to understand the process of the ecosystem development. Building on recent literature suggesting companies that purposefully match strategy to life cycle stage, the paper describes the strategic motivations and critical factors involved in the competition-based evolution of smart home ecosystems from early to growth phases, leadin…