scholarly journals USE OF DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS TO OPTIMISE THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS: A CASE STUDY OF SHOWERS AND TAPWARE IN NEW ZEALAND

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1911-1920
Author(s):  
M. Horrell ◽  
A. Shekar ◽  
S. McLaren
Keyword(s):  
Design Of Experiments ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Objective Method ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Use Phase ◽  
Tools And Techniques

AbstractEco-tools and techniques often lack guidance and a robust methodology for improving the environmental performance of products with an active use phase. A case study was undertaken to investigate the role of Design of Experiments (DoE) in providing insights to improve the environmental performance of two product categories with active use phases: showers and tapware. The results show how varying the components can reduce energy use and demonstrated how DoE can be used as an objective method for optimising a products environmental performance when user behaviour can influence the results.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment and Judgement

NanoEthics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-283
Author(s):  
Christopher Nathan ◽  
Stuart Coles
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Free Inquiry ◽  
Technology Project ◽  
Lively Debate ◽  
Technology Product

AbstractIt has become a standard for researchers carrying out biotechnology projects to do a life cycle assessment (LCA). This is a process for assessing the environmental impact of a technology, product or policy. Doing so is no simple matter, and in the last decades, a rich set of methodologies has developed around LCA. However, the proper methods and meanings of the process remain contested. Preceding the development of the international standard that now governs LCA, there was a lively debate in the academic community about the inclusion of ‘values’ within the process. We revisit this debate and reconsider the way forward for LCA. We set out ways in which those outside of science can provide input into LCAs by informing the value assumptions at stake. At the same time, we will emphasize that the role of those within the scientific community need not (and sometimes, will inevitably not) involve value-free inquiry. We carry out this exploration through a case study of a particular technology project that sought ways to produce industrial and consumer products from algal oils.

Continuous improvement in a university – the first steps: a reflective case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seamus O’Reilly ◽  
Joe Healy ◽  
Rónán O’Dubhghaill
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Implementation Phase ◽  
Participative Approach ◽  
Tools And Techniques ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Using Lean Six Sigma (LSS) implementation literature as an organising framework, the purpose of this paper is to explore the initial steps in a continuous improvement (CI) journey taken by an Irish university in order to identify the motivations, highlight key challenges and considers the capabilities required to initiate and sustain a CI programme. Design/methodology/approach This study focusses on one case organisation. A participative approach is adopted to learn from the initial steps taken in the establishment of a CI programme. Given this approach, the researchers had access to all documents and related archives associated with this initiative. Hence an iterative learning approach is adopted with the analysis of data from the first 12-month plan informing the next planning and implementation phase. Findings This paper provides a reflective account of why and how a university went about commencing a CI programme. The motivation to establish the CI programme not only reflects the current fiscal environment but also one characterised by a need to respond to a number of increasingly demanding stakeholders. The insights gained highlight the importance of alignment with strategy, role of specialists and use of a structured method informed by a LSS approach. Of particular note is the role of expertise, both internal and external, and within this context the interplay between a formal top-down approach and the coming together enthusiast staff, some of whom had CI experience from previous employment. A number of practical implications were identified as a result of the study including the key role of the project sponsor; the criticality of an understanding of the fundamental LSS concepts and tools and techniques by management; and the key role played by improvement specialists. Originality/value While in recent times a strong case for the application of LSS in HEIs has been made, there is a paucity of case studies based on the reflective practice in the field. This paper is novel in that it aims to address this and contribute to an emerging body of CI literature in the HEI area.

scholarly journals National environmental performance: an empirical analysis of policy results and determinants

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIEL C. ESTY ◽  
MICHAEL E. PORTER
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
National Level ◽  
Regulatory Regime ◽  
Kuznets Curve ◽  
Environmental Decision Making ◽  
Policy Success ◽  
Economic Progress ◽  
National Environmental

Efforts to identify the determinants of environmental policy success at the national level have largely been anecdotal and case study based. This article seeks to identify empirically the factors that drive environmental performance as measured by levels of urban particulates and sulfur dioxide and energy use per unit of GDP. Although the data are imperfect and causal linkages cannot be definitively established, the statistical analysis presented suggests that environmental results vary not only with income levels as suggested by the environmental Kuznets Curve literature but also with both the sophistication of a nation's regulatory regime and, perhaps more notably, its broader economic and social context. Thus, at every level of development, countries face policy choices that determine environmental quality in important ways. Strong environmental performance appears to be positively correlated with competitiveness, putting into question the presumed trade-off between economic progress and environmental gains. Although preliminary, these results provide evidence that environmental decision making can be made more data driven and analytically rigorous.

scholarly journals National environmental performance: an empirical analysis of policy results and determinants

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIEL C. ESTY ◽  
MICHAEL E. PORTER
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Regulatory Regime ◽  
Income Levels ◽  
Policy Success ◽  
Environmental Policy Analysis ◽  
National Environmental

Efforts to identify the determinants of environmental policy success have largely been anecdotal and case study based. This article seeks to shift environmental policy analysis on to more analytically rigorous and empirical foundations. Using statistical analysis, we identify a set of factors that drive environmental performance as measured by levels of urban particulates, sulfur dioxide, and energy use per unit of GDP. Although the data are imperfect and causal linkages cannot be definitively established, the statistical analysis presented suggests that environmental results vary not only with income levels as suggested by the environmental Kuznet's curve literature but also with both the sophistication of a nation's regulatory regime and perhaps more notably, its broader economic and social circumstances.

scholarly journals A Proposal for Measuring In-Use Buildings’ Impact through the Ecological Footprint Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 355
Author(s):  
Alice Paola Pomè ◽  
Chiara Tagliaro ◽  
Gianandrea Ciaramella
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Footprint ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Sustainable Culture ◽  
Recycling Potential ◽  
Environmental Demand ◽  
Use Phase ◽  
Food And Drink ◽  
The Impact

To reduce the environmental impact of the construction sector, sustainable strategies for managing the in-use phase of buildings must be integrated urgently. Current green certifications present several limitations and, in particular, do not help determine where to focus for reducing the environmental demand of buildings. Among existing indicators, the ecological footprint (EF) is the most useful for assessing the buildings’ environmental performance through impact sources that reveal the over-consumption of resources. The present paper expands EF by taking into account the role of human behavior in over-consumption, and thus the efficiency in buildings’ use. After comparing ecological footprint with the existing green certifications, the paper demonstrates how a new integrated ecological footprint assessment can describe the impact of built-up, energy consumption, water consumption, material consumption, food and drink, mobility, waste generation, recycling potential, and occupants in the environmental efficiency of a building. The application of a case study demonstrates the reliability and the effectiveness of the model and shows that the estimated ecological deficit reflects not only the consumption of energy and materials, but also the behaviors of building users. This highlights the need for integrating a sustainable culture in the users of buildings.

scholarly journals A Comparison of the Environmental Performance of Cooling and Heating among Different Household Types in China’s Hot Summer–Cold Winter Zone

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5724
Author(s):  
Shu Su ◽  
Xiaodong Li ◽  
Borong Lin ◽  
Hongyang Li ◽  
Jingfeng Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Driving Factors ◽  
Cold Winter ◽  
Age Composition ◽  
Heating Systems ◽  
Assessment Results

Cooling and heating consume a large amount of energy during the operation of residential buildings in the hot summer–cold winter zone. It causes serious ecological damage and negatively affects natural resources. Occupant usage behaviors of cooling and heating systems are driven by various factors, and correlations between the driving factors and corresponding environmental impacts (EIs) are not well quantified. This study focuses on two occupant-related driving factors: household size and age composition, and combines a questionnaire survey, an energy simulation, and an EIs assessment into an integrated model. A case study is conducted in Jiangsu, China, to demonstrate the model. Nearly 1800 samples are collected from a large sample questionnaire survey and then classified into nine household types according to their household sizes and age compositions. The EIs due to cooling and heating of different household types in a typical year are then assessed and compared. The assessment results show that different household types have various environmental performance. Households with larger size, elderly people, and children have higher EIs. This newly established model is applicable and builds a bridge between driving factors and the environmental performance of cooling and heating. These assessment results will help better understand the role of household type.

scholarly journals Reference: Product Categories in the Digital Age

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Earle
Keyword(s):  
Reference Product ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Actual Usage

In September of 2016, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc launched a new division charged with creating digital resources for the academic library market. A number of these have Reference at their core. This paper outlines in brief the logic for creating the new division and the role of Reference within the resources. It then summarizes research we have undertaken since the division’s inception to establish how ‘product categories’ (ie, encyclopedias, monographs, images etc) are valued by academics and librarians, the aim of which is to create products that are user-focused. And finally this paper provides a brief case study of our most mature resource, The Berg Fashion Library, to ascertain how actual usage compares with how product categories are rated in the research.

scholarly journals The Role of Leadership in Aviation Safety and Aircraft Airworthiness

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayiei Ayiei ◽  
Luke Pollock ◽  
Fatima Najeeb Khan ◽  
John Murray ◽  
Glenn Baxter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Aviation Safety ◽  
Workplace Culture ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Strategic Objective ◽  
Technological Tools ◽  
Continued Learning ◽  
Tools And Techniques

AbstractEnsuring aircraft are technically safe to operate is the realm of airworthiness, literally worthy of being in the air. This is achieved not only with technological tools and techniques, or with just personnel and manpower, it is guided and supervised by managers and leaders. As such, the objective of this paper is to understand the role leadership plays in maintaining aviation safety and aircraft airworthiness. To this end, a case study of the Hawker Sidley Nimrod XV230 accident that occurred on September 2, 2006 near Kandahar in Afghanistan, was utilized. The study concluded that leadership is a key aspect, specifically finding that leaders are responsible for articulating the organizations vision, strategic objective setting, and monitoring the achievement of those objectives. It was concluded that operational airworthiness is directly dependent on the leadership ability to provide direction, workplace culture, continued learning, and establish risk management systems for safe and airworthy operations.

Technology and Society in Classical Athens: A Study of the Social Context of Mining and Metallurgy at Laurion

2018 ◽  
pp. 529-557
Author(s):  
Kim Van Liefferinge
Keyword(s):  
Technological Change ◽  
Sociological Theory ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Research Technology ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Tools And Techniques

Technology is a ubiquitous aspect of the everyday world. Although hard to ignore in this day and age, Classical scholars have shown little awareness of this observation in their research. Technology has primarily been studied from a restricted angle, most notably a technical or economic one. The former perspective views technology as a purely technical force, concentrating principally on tools and techniques. The latter focuses on innovation, and its capability to increase production outputs and trigger economic growth. Both approaches, however, neglect the complex range of factors that actually contribute to technological change, inevitably leading to misconceptions about the role of technology in the ancient world. This chapter presents a different way of approaching Classical technology. Using the sociological theory of Social Construction of Technological Systems, it argues that technological change always occurs against the backdrop of interdependent environmental, social, economic and political factors. It applies this approach to the case study of the Athenian silver mines in the Laurion. The focus is on the practice of silver production, with special attention to social groups and their interaction in a broader environmental, political and economic context. This framework enables a more contextualized and thorough understanding of technological change in Athenian society.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document