scholarly journals Compatibility of Eco-Friendly, Sustainable Living with Urbanization: A Case-study of The Art of Living International Center near Bengaluru

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Divya Kanchibhotla ◽  
Nupur Rao ◽  
Prateek Harsora
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Floating Population ◽  
Art Of Living ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Sustainable Living ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Green Cover ◽  
Arid Desert

In the past few decades, urban growth in most parts of the world has disregarded sustainable practices, contributing to a myriad of global problems. With 68% of the global population projected to reside in urban areas by 2050, it is essential that we espouse and implement effective sustainable solutions immediately. This study focuses upon the smart sustainable practices adopted at the international headquarters of The Art of Living near Bengaluru, the ‘Silicon Valley of India’. Situated in a rapidly urbanizing area barely 20 kms from the busy metropolis, and characterized by a large floating population that varies from 3,000-6000 visitors per week, apart from almost 2000 residents, this bustling community has lush green cover, extremely rich biodiversity and excellent air quality. Some of the sustainable practices adopted here include permaculture, efficient waste management, moving towards the use of clean energy, etc. This paper posits that this unique community exemplifies the possibility of creating an ‘oasis of sustainability’ in the arid desert of urbanization.

Sustainable sewerage servicing options for peri-urban areas with failing septic systems

2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 570-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. Sharma ◽  
G. Tjandraatmadja ◽  
A. L. Grant ◽  
T. Grant ◽  
F. Pamminger
Keyword(s):  
Rural Community ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Septic Systems ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
Water And Wastewater ◽  
Reuse Options ◽  
Selection Of

The provision of water and wastewater services to peri-urban areas faces very different challenges to providing services to cities. Sustainable solutions for such areas are increasingly being sought, in order to solve the environmental and health risks posed by failing septic systems. These solutions should have the capability to reduce potable water demand, provide fit for purpose reuse options, and minimise impacts on the local and global environment. A methodology for the selection of sustainable sewerage servicing systems and technologies is presented in this paper. This paper describes the outcomes of applying this methodology to a case study in rural community near Melbourne, Australia, and describes the economic and environmental implications of various sewerage servicing options. Applying this methodology has found that it is possible to deliver environmental improvements at a lower community cost, by choosing servicing configurations not historically used by urban water utilities. The selected solution is currently being implemented, with the aim being to generate further transferable learnings for the water industry.

Communicating Conscious Business Practice at an Ecologically-Conscious Architectural Studio

2021 ◽  
pp. 129-140
Author(s):  
Pinaki Nandan Pattnaik ◽  
Mahendra Kumar Shukla
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Business Practice ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Exploratory Case Study ◽  
Sustainable Future

This chapter presents an exploratory case study of how Mr. Zero, a pencil developed by the Ecologically Conscious Architectural Studio (ECAS) at Auroville, India integrates product micro-culture and the concept of conscious business in deriving sustainable practices with an aim of achieving a sustainable future. Through this chapter, the authors make an attempt at developing a deeper understanding of the concept of conscious business and its importance. Finally, the authors, through a qualitative analysis of a case study of Mr. Zero, map the practice of connecting conscious business movement through the adoption of product micro-culture at ECAS to evaluate its applicability in modern day business. At the end, the authors record findings on the interplay between product micro-culture and the conscious business movement for adoption by other businesses or even adaptation by others depending upon the context for viable sustainable solutions.

The importance of green roofs in an urban Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem nexus context

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Cristiano ◽  
Roberto Deidda ◽  
Francesco Viola
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Clean Water ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Sustainable Solutions

<p>The modern society is facing new environmental and socio-economic challenges: population is growing fast, and it is projected to continue with this trend, reaching 9.8 billion of people by 2050, with 2/3 of them living in cities. Moreover, climate changes are leading to an increase of hot and dry periods and of short but intense rainfall events, forcing policy makers to rethink to the water management system. For these reasons, it is important to integrate in the urban planning, sustainable solutions that can help dealing with these new challenges. In this context, green roofs are powerful and flexible tools, that can play a fundamental role in the creation and development of smart and resilient cities. So far, green roofs have been generally investigated focusing on one single field at the time, following a so called “silo approach”. This approach, however, does not allow to highlight the interconnections and feedback between the different sectors, limiting the understanding of the potential of this tool. An integrated water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus approach is hence required to fully explore all the potential benefits of a large-scale installation of this tool. This work presents a review of green roofs’ benefits, following an integrated water-energy-food-ecosystem approach, with the aim to identify the potential positive impacts for the development of sustainable and resilient cities. Green roofs present multiple benefits for the urban environment, which are in line with the Development Goals proposed in the Sustainable Agenda 2030 (SDGs). Green roofs can, for example, mitigate pluvial floods, adapting to climate changes (SDG13: Climate Action) and contrasting the urbanization (SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities). The installation of these tools on the rooftops guarantee thermal insulation for the building, reducing the energy consumption for heating and cooling systems (SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy). Thanks to the potential applicability of urban agriculture on its surface, green roofs can reduce the population food demand (SDG2: Zero Hunger), especially in poor countries, where many people have limited or no access to food. Moreover, the harvested rainwater, if properly stored and treated, can be reused for several domestic purposes, reducing the pressure on the water supply system and consequently increasing the availability of clean water (SDG6: Clean Water and Sanitation).The installation of vegetation in urban areas partially aims to restore the natural conditions, increasing the biodiversity and attracting different species of insects and small vertebrates, which are fundamental to guarantee maintenance of the ecosystem (SDG15: Life on Land). Moreover, the installation of this tool in an urban environment contributes to improve the mental and physical well-being of citizens (SDG3: Good Health and Well-being), which is particularly relevant in relation to the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

scholarly journals Ecological education: Proposal of implementation programs in Romania

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabela Deleanu Deleanu
Keyword(s):  
Country Of Origin ◽  
The Political ◽  
Ecological Education ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Sustainable Living ◽  
Economic Background

A Case Study The following is a case study of the author’s country of origin, Romania, and its journey back to sustainable living. Her article describes, outlines, and explains how Romania has undergone change with respect to its approach to sustainable living. She provides the political and economic background that underpins the struggles that Romania has undertaken to return to its sustainable practices and lifestyle. Ecological education offers a solution.

Determinants and barriers of PV self-consumption in Spain from the perception of the installers for the promotion of distributed energy systems

2020 ◽  
pp. 153-169
Author(s):  
José Ángel Gimeno ◽  
Eva Llera Sastresa ◽  
Sabina Scarpellini
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Distributed Energy ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Transition Scenario

Currently, self-consumption and distributed energy facilities are considered as viable and sustainable solutions in the energy transition scenario within the European Union. In a low carbon society, the exploitation of renewables for self-consumption is closely tied to the energy market at the territorial level, in search of a compromise between competitiveness and the sustainable exploitation of resources. Investments in these facilities are highly sensitive to the existence of favourable conditions at the territorial level, and the energy policies adopted in the European Union have contributed positively to the distributed renewables development and the reduction of their costs in the last decade. However, the number of the installed facilities is uneven in the European Countries and those factors that are more determinant for the investments in self-consumption are still under investigation. In this scenario, this paper presents the main results obtained through the analysis of the determinants in self-consumption investments from a case study in Spain, where the penetration of this type of facilities is being less relevant than in other countries. As a novelty of this study, the main influential drivers and barriers in self-consumption are classified and analysed from the installers' perspective. On the basis of the information obtained from the installers involved in the installation of these facilities, incentives and barriers are analysed within the existing legal framework and the potential specific lines of the promotion for the effective deployment of self-consumption in an energy transition scenario.

Evaluating Community Engagement and Benefit-Sharing Practices in Australian Wind Farm Development

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Lansbury Hall ◽  
Jarra Hicks ◽  
Taryn Lane ◽  
Emily Wood
Keyword(s):  
Community Engagement ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Benefit Sharing ◽  
Delphi Panel ◽  
Government Organizations

The wind industry is positioned to contribute significantly to a clean energy future, yet the level of community opposition has at times led to unviable projects. Social acceptance is crucial and can be improved in part through better practice community engagement and benefit-sharing. This case study provides a “snapshot” of current community engagement and benefit-sharing practices for Australian wind farms, with a particular emphasis on practices found to be enhancing positive social outcomes in communities. Five methods were used to gather views on effective engagement and benefit-sharing: a literature review, interviews and a survey of the wind industry, a Delphi panel, and a review of community engagement plans. The overarching finding was that each community engagement and benefit-sharing initiative should be tailored to a community’s context, needs and expectations as informed by community involvement. This requires moving away from a “one size fits all” approach. This case study is relevant to wind developers, energy regulators, local communities and renewable energy-focused non-government organizations. It is applicable beyond Australia to all contexts where wind farm development has encountered conflicted societal acceptance responses.

Factors Affecting Financial Literacy of Vietnamese Adults: A Case Study for Hanoi and Nghe An

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tue Nguyen Dang
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Multiple Regression ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Logistic Models ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Financial Behaviors ◽  
Financial Decisions ◽  
Literacy Level

This research examines the factors affecting the financial literacy of Vietnamese adults. Using a sample of 266 observations of adults in 2 big cities in Vietnam (Hanoi and Vinh in Nghe An Province), the author evaluates the literacy level of adults in these urban areas. The financial literacy of the interviewed people is low. The multiple regression results show that lower financial literacy levels associate with higher age and married status and higher financial literacy levels associate with higher education, more family members, the person making financial decisions and the person attending a useful financial course. This research also explores the association between financial literacy and financial behaviors of individuals employing logistic models. It is found that higher financial literacy associates with less probability of overspending and higher probability of saving money and careful spending. Higher financial literacy is also found to associate with higher probability of opening a savings account and making various investments. 

Language Movement and Civil War in West Africa

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ericka A. Albaugh
Keyword(s):  
Civil War ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Political Process ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Consequences ◽  
Language Spread ◽  
The 1960S

This chapter examines how civil war can influence the spread of language. Specifically, it takes Sierra Leone as a case study to demonstrate how Krio grew from being primarily a language of urban areas in the 1960s to one spoken by most of the population in the 2000s. While some of this was due to “normal” factors such as population movement and growing urbanization, the civil war from 1991 to 2002 certainly catalyzed the process of language spread in the 1990s. Using census documents and surveys, the chapter tests the hypothesis at the national, regional, and individual levels. The spread of a language has political consequences, as it allows for citizen participation in the political process. It is an example of political scientists’ approach to uncovering the mechanisms for and evidence of language movement in Africa.

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