scholarly journals Potash Extraction and Historical Environmental Conflict in the Bages Region (Spain)

2014 ◽  
pp. 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Gorostiza Langa
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Remediation ◽  
Environmental Conflict ◽  
Plant Nutrient ◽  
Ecological Distribution ◽  
Cost Shifting ◽  
Historical Approach ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Near Future

Potash extraction in the Bages region (Spain) is the cause of historically significant environmental impacts, such as the salinisation of the Cardener and Llobregat rivers. Recently, several projects that will increase the production of brine and salt tailings in the near future have been announced. Following Martínez-Alier, in this paper I characterize the struggle around potash extraction and its socio-environmental impacts as an ecological distribution conflict and I argue for a historical approach that brings together the analysis of water, potassium and chlorine flows. Despite the relevance of potassium as an irreplaceable plant nutrient together with phosphorus and nitrogen, research about potash extraction related conflicts remains mostly unaddressed. In this case, archival and statistical sources are used to present potash extraction in the Bages in relation to the increase of water salinity in Barcelona during the 20th century. I devote special attention to the technological infrastructures developed in order to technically fix the problem of water salinisation, such as the brine collector or reverse osmosis filters, while highlighting the power relations behind the choice of such technologies. The historical approach to this case study shows that Martínez-Alier’s definition of externalities as cost-shifting successes applies to the economic burdens related to the environmental remediation, mostly covered by public budgets.

ASSESSMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PETROLEUM ACTIVITY IMPACTS: COONGIE LAKES CASE STUDY

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 584
Author(s):  
C.D. Cockshell ◽  
M. Malavazos
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Public Consultation ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Environmental Significance ◽  
General Acceptance ◽  
Project Assessment ◽  
Assessment Guidelines ◽  
Definition Of

The introduction of changes to petroleum regulation in South Australia will, and have, resulted in some concern by industry, particularly in the area of public consultation. Primary Industry and Resources South Australia (PIRSA)-Petroleum Group's development of a set of guidelines for determination of project environmental significance is aimed to give a clearer indication of the level of consultation, documentation and assessment appropriate for each project. The Coongie Lakes assessment case study gives an indication of how these concepts can be applied in a practical sense.The assessment process establishes scales for the level of certainty (predictability) of the potential environmental impacts and the degree to which the consequences of the potential impacts can be managed or avoided (manageability). This process was undertaken for the seismic proposal in the Coongie Lakes area and provides an innovative approach to project assessment. The predictability and manageability charts prepared for all potential impacts provides a method of presenting a vast amount of information very concisely. The definition of assessment guidelines allows potential environmental impacts to be expressed in a quantitative manner, and leads to evaluation of these impacts against a defined level of community acceptability. The approach also demonstrates a degree of rigour in the assessment process and is transparent to all stakeholders. In addition, the predictability and manageability charts focus attention to issues which have higher ratings, and thus a need for closer attention. The feedback from stakeholders on this innovative assessment technique indicates a general acceptance of the approach and the criteria definitions used, although some adjustment and refinement is required.

scholarly journals On the relationship between titles and spaces: A case study on Macedonia under King and Emperor Stefan Dusan (1331–1355)

2020 ◽  
pp. 61-102
Author(s):  
Mihailo Popovic ◽  
Vratislav Zervan ◽  
Toni Filiposki
Keyword(s):  
Byzantine Empire ◽  
14Th Century ◽  
Rich Variety ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Imperial Power ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Near Future ◽  
The Relationship

The article focuses on historical-geographical aspects of the Serbian medieval Kingdom and Empire and its relation to Byzantium in Macedonia during the 14th century. It is structured in four parts: The first is an introduction to the subject, in which the possible existence of a medieval Serbian Oecumene in addition to the Byzantine Oecumene is addressed. After that this hypothesis is discussed in detail in the second part by introducing a rich variety of Greek, Roman and Byzantine texts, which are outlining the Roman/Byzantine perception of space and definition of the borders of the Roman/Byzantine Empire. In the third part of the article the titles and related geographical entities in the intitulations as well as signatures of the Serbian King and Emperor Stefan Uros IV Dusan (1331-1355) in Serbian charters are analysed in order to understand and reconstruct the perception of space in the expanding Serbian realm during the first half of the 14th century. Historical regions, which are mentioned in the charters, are put in relation to the expansion in Byzantine Macedonia. In the fourth and last part the source-based evidence is connected to the toponymy of Byzantine Macedonia. Toponyms, which are containing ?Car? (i.e. ?Emperor?), have been identified and localised in order to discern a pattern of imperial power and presence in the region. Although there are strong indications that some of them might refer to the Serbian Emperor Stefan Dusan, it cannot be excluded that many could be based on the presence of Byzantine Emperors and Bulgarian rulers in the region. Therefore, the fourth part is to be understood as a fresh and novel approach towards toponomastic aspects in the region, which shall stimulate further research in the near future.

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Through Microfinance - A Case of Rural Bangladesh

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Saida Parvin
Keyword(s):  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Donor Agencies ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact

Women’s empowerment has been at the centre of research focus for many decades. Extant literature examined the process, outcome and various challenges. Some claimed substantial success, while others contradicted with evidence of failure. But the success remains a matter of debate due to lack of empirical evidence of actual empowerment of women around the world. The current study aimed to address this gap by taking a case study method. The study critically evaluates 20 cases carefully sampled to include representatives from the entire country of Bangladesh. The study demonstrates popular beliefs about microfinance often misguide even the borrowers and they start living in a fabricated feeling of empowerment, facing real challenges to achieve true empowerment in their lives. The impact of this finding is twofold; firstly there is a theoretical contribution, where the definition of women’s empowerment is proposed to be revisited considering findings from these cases. And lastly, the policy makers at governmental and non-governmental organisations, and multinational donor agencies need to revise their assessment tools for funding.

Statistical approach for describing failures and lifetimes of water mains

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 209-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhua Lei ◽  
Sveinung Sægrov
Keyword(s):  
Data Base ◽  
Ductile Iron ◽  
Counting Process ◽  
Statistical Approach ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Average Lifetime ◽  
Maintenance Practice ◽  
Water Mains ◽  
Near Future

This paper demonstrates the statistical approach for describing failures and lifetimes of water mains. The statistical approach is based on pipe inventory data and the maintenance data registered in the data base. The approach consists of data pre-processing and statistical analysis. Two classes of statistical models are applied, namely counting process models and lifetime models. With lifetime models, one can estimate the probability which a pipe will fail within a time horizon. With counting process models one can see the deteriorating (or improving) trend in time of a group of “identical” pipes and their rates of occurrence of failure (ROCOF). The case study with the data base from Trondheim municipality (Norway) demonstrates the applicability of the statistical approach and leads to the following results: 1). In the past 20 years, Trondheim municipality has experienced approximately 250 to 300 failures per year. However, the number of failures per year will significantly increase in the near future unless better maintenance practice is implemented now. 2). Unprotected ductile iron pipes have a higher probability of failures than other materials. The average lifetime of unprotected ductile iron pipes is approximately 30 to 40 years shorter than the lifetime of a cast iron pipe. 3). Pipes installed 1963 and 1975 are most likely to fail in the future; 4) The age of a pipe does not play a significant role for the remaining lifetime of the pipe; 5). After 2 to 3 failures, a pipe enters a fast-failure stage (i.e., frequent multiple between failures).

The Rapid Iterative Test and Evaluation Method (RITE)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Medlock
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Test And Evaluation ◽  
Original Case ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter begins with a discussion of the philosophy and then definition of the RITE method. It then delves into the benefits of this method and provides practical notes on running RITE tests effectively. The chapter concludes with an overview of the original case study behind the 2002 article documenting this method.

Poe and His Global Advocates

2018 ◽  
pp. 596-617
Author(s):  
Emron Esplin
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
South America ◽  
Rio De La Plata ◽  
Río De La Plata ◽  
Literary Traditions ◽  
La Plata ◽  
Original Works ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Global Reputation

This essay explores Edgar Allan Poe’s extraordinary relationships with various literary traditions across the globe, posits that Poe is the most influential US writer on the global literary scene, and argues that Poe’s current global reputation relies at least as much on the radiance of the work of Poe’s literary advocates—many of whom are literary stars in their own right—as it does on the brilliance of Poe’s original works. The article briefly examines Poe’s most famous French advocates (Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Valéry); glosses the work of his advocates throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas; and offers a concise case study of Poe’s influence on and advocacy from three twentieth-century writers from the Río de la Plata region of South America (Quiroga, Borges, and Cortázar). The essay concludes by reading the relationships between Poe and his advocates through the ancient definition of astral or stellar influence.

scholarly journals Optimizing the Environmental and Economic Sustainability of Remote Community Infrastructure

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie E. Filer ◽  
Justin D. Delorit ◽  
Andrew J. Hoisington ◽  
Steven J. Schuldt
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Remote Community ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Sustainable Technologies ◽  
Study Results

Remote communities such as rural villages, post-disaster housing camps, and military forward operating bases are often located in remote and hostile areas with limited or no access to established infrastructure grids. Operating these communities with conventional assets requires constant resupply, which yields a significant logistical burden, creates negative environmental impacts, and increases costs. For example, a 2000-member isolated village in northern Canada relying on diesel generators required 8.6 million USD of fuel per year and emitted 8500 tons of carbon dioxide. Remote community planners can mitigate these negative impacts by selecting sustainable technologies that minimize resource consumption and emissions. However, the alternatives often come at a higher procurement cost and mobilization requirement. To assist planners with this challenging task, this paper presents the development of a novel infrastructure sustainability assessment model capable of generating optimal tradeoffs between minimizing environmental impacts and minimizing life-cycle costs over the community’s anticipated lifespan. Model performance was evaluated using a case study of a hypothetical 500-person remote military base with 864 feasible infrastructure portfolios and 48 procedural portfolios. The case study results demonstrated the model’s novel capability to assist planners in identifying optimal combinations of infrastructure alternatives that minimize negative sustainability impacts, leading to remote communities that are more self-sufficient with reduced emissions and costs.

scholarly journals Product-Service Systems and Sustainability: Analysing the Environmental Impacts of Rental Clothing

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2118
Author(s):  
Emma Johnson ◽  
Andrius Plepys
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Service Systems ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Fast Fashion ◽  
Product Service ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Environmental Savings ◽  
Product Service Systems

Business models like product-service systems (PSSs) often recognise different sustainability goals and are seen as solutions for the impacts of consumption and fast fashion, but there is a lack of evidence supporting the environmental claims of such business models for clothing. The research aimed to understand if rental clothing business models such as PSSs have the environmental benefits often purported by quantifying the environmental impacts of rental formal dresses in a life-cycle assessment (LCA) in a case study in Stockholm, Sweden. The effects of varying consumer behaviour on the potential impact of a PSS vs. linear business model are explored through three functional units and 14 consumption scenarios. How users decide to engage with clothing PSSs dictates the environmental savings potential that a PSS can have, as shown in how many times consumers wear garments, how they use rental to substitute their purchasing or use needs, as well as how consumers travel to rental store locations.

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