Decrease Of Environmental Impact Research Articles

Reporting Sustainable Development Goal 12 in the Spanish food retail industry. An analysis based on Global Reporting Initiative performance indicators

AbstractCompanies play a significant role in addressing the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and sustainability reporting is a strategic tool for decision making and impact disclosure. This study assesses food retailers' contribution to SDG 12, its targets and its business themes as a way to examine their level of engagement with sustainable consumption and production (SCP). Specifically, we measure Spanish food retailing companies' SDG 12 disclosures under Global Reporting Initiative standards. To this end, we develop a scoring system based on the compulsory disclosure requirements. Our findings show that, in general terms, food retailers perform poorly in communicating their SDG 12 achievements. Companies mainly focus on internal actions aimed at decreasing environmental impact and disclose very few actions linked to the circular economy and responsible consumption. In terms of SCP, these findings suggest that food retailers are more committed to sustainable production than to enhancing sustainable consumption.

Nanofluid suspensions as heat carrier fluids in single U-tube borehole heat exchangers

The borehole heat exchanger (BHE) is a critical component to improve energy efficiency and decreasing environmental impact of ground-source heat pump systems. The lower thermal resistance of the BHE results in the better thermal performance and/or in the lower required borehole length. In the present study, effects of employing a nanofluid suspension as a heat carrier fluid on the borehole thermal resistance are examined. A 3D transient finite element code is adopted to evaluate thermal comportment of nanofluids with various concentrations in single U-tube borehole heat exchangers and to compare their performance with the conventional circuit fluid. The results show, in presence of nanoparticles, the borehole thermal resistance is reduced to some extent and the BHE renders a better thermal performance. It is also revealed that employing nanoparticle fractions between 0.5% and 2 % are advantageous in order to have an optimal decrement percentage of the thermal resistance.

The Diversification and Intensification of Crop Rotations under No-Till Promote Earthworm Abundance and Biomass

The diversification and intensification of crop rotations (DICR) in no-till systems is a novel approach that aims to increase crop production, together with decreasing environmental impact. Our objective was to analyze the effect of different levels of DICR on the abundance, biomass, and species composition of earthworm communities in Argentinean Pampas. We studied three levels of DICR—typical rotation (TY), high intensification with grass (HG), and with legume (HL); along with three references—natural grassland (NG), pasture (PA), and an agricultural external reference (ER). The NG had the highest earthworm abundance. Among the DICR treatments, abundance and biomass were higher in HL than in HG and, in both, these were higher than in TY. The NG and PA had a distinctive taxonomic composition and higher species richness. Instead, the DICR treatments had a similar richness and species composition. Earthworm abundance and biomass were positively related to rotation intensity and legume proportion indices, carbon input, and particulate organic matter content. The application of DICR for four years, mainly with legumes, favors the development of earthworm populations. This means that a subtle change in management, as DICR, can have a positive impact on earthworms, and thus on earthworm-mediated ecosystem services, which are important for crop production.

Reaproveitamento da Borra do Café: possibilidades de vincular a temática ao Ensino de Química

No Brasil o café foi, e continua sendo, um dos principais meios de desenvolvimento econômico, social e político. O país é o maior produtor e exportador mundial de café, e o segundo em termos de consumo, originando uma grande quantidade de resíduos, entre os quais a borra de café, proveniente do preparo da bebida café, bem como do processo de produção do café solúvel na indústria. No percurso de uma pesquisa no âmbito do Mestrado Profissional em Educação Profissional e Tecnológica (ProfEPT) do IFRS-POA, que busca implementar atividades práticas integradoras de Química pretende-se ter como cerne a temática café. Nesse trabalho apresenta-se um recorte dessa pesquisa, que objetivou investigar o reaproveitamento da borra do café com a finalidade de desenvolver conhecimento científico, vinculando a temática à elaboração de proposições didáticas relacionadas ao ensino de química. A pesquisa é caracterizada como qualitativa, descritiva, com abordagem metodológica pautada na análise documental; desenvolvida por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica realizada no Portal de Periódicos da CAPES. Foram selecionadas e analisadas 30 produções, das quais 26 representam pesquisas que visam reaproveitamento da borra do café, agregando valor comercial ao resíduo e diminuindo o impacto ambiental; e apenas 4 produções foram realizadas na área da pesquisa no ensino de Química. Identificamos práticas experimentais que tratam do reaproveitamento da borra do café e que apresentam potencial para serem adaptadas visando contribuir com o ensino de química de forma contextualizada e significativa.

Precision Farming in Hilly Areas: The Use of Network RTK in GNSS Technology

The number of GNSS satellites has greatly increased over the last few decades, which has led to increased interest in developing self-propelled vehicles. Even agricultural vehicles have a great potential for use of these systems. In fact, it is possible to improve the efficiency of machining in terms of their uniformity, reduction of fertilizers, pesticides, etc. with the aim of (i) reducing the timeframes of cultivation operations with significant economic benefits and, above all, (ii) decreasing environmental impact. These systems face some perplexity in hilly environments but, with specific devices, it is possible to overcome any signal deficiencies. In hilly areas then, the satellite-based system can also be used to safeguard operators’ safety from the risk of rollover. This paper reports the results obtained from a rural development program (RDP) in the Lazio Region 2007/2013 (measure project 1.2.4) for the introduction and diffusion of GNSS satellites systems in hilly areas.

Joint carbon footprint assessment and data envelopment analysis for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture production

Operations management tools are critical in the process of evaluating and implementing action towards a low carbon production. Currently, a sustainable production implies both an efficient resource use and the obligation to meet targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The carbon footprint (CF) tool allows estimating the overall amount of GHG emissions associated with a product or activity throughout its life cycle. In this paper, we propose a four-step method for a joint use of CF assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Following the eco-efficiency definition, which is the delivery of goods using fewer resources and with decreasing environmental impact, we use an output oriented DEA model to maximize production and reduce CF, taking into account simultaneously the economic and ecological perspectives. In another step, we stablish targets for the contributing CF factors in order to achieve CF reduction. The proposed method was applied to assess the eco-efficiency of five organic blueberry orchards throughout three growing seasons. The results show that this method is a practical tool for determining eco-efficiency and reducing GHG emissions.

Precision Agriculture Using Remote Sensing and GIS for Peanut Crop Production in Arid Land

Precision agriculture is a farming management approach for a whole field with a potentiality to solve some of management problems based on observing and measuring field crops variability using more accurate and timely information of agricultural resources. Site-specific management for farming operations and data mining using good sampling design is an effective tool on precision agriculture while remote sensing facilities are perfect tools to assess the land cover, crop situation and status as well as their changes. This work aimed to identify management zones for Peanut crop using precision agriculture management practices. GIS, GPS, sensors and soil sampling are the major technological components which were used for that purpose. The results showed that using variable rate technology and management zones for Peanut crop production is greatly responsible for lowering cost of input and decreasing environmental impact using the least amount of chemicals necessary. Furthermore, soil suitability was successfully employed to simulate soil characteristics effect on canopy structure and final yield. Case Study El-Sharkawy et al.; IJPSS, 10(3): 1-9, 2016; Article no.IJPSS.20539 2

Energy demand in citrus production under varied operational efficiency values

Citrus orchards are very important in Brazil, especially in São Paulo State, where occupy an area of 600,000 ha approximately. To identify sustainability degree of citrus production system, an energy analysis allows evaluating efficiency of direct and indirect applied inputs. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate citrus production system under energetic point of view, in which invested energy is paid back with citrus production; being compared within three scenarios for operational field efficiency. As result, by sensitivity analysis was determined that fuel was the main energy demander, followed by pesticides and fertilizers. In operational work capacity analysis, all combinations between efficiency (minimum, typical and maximum) and yield levels became positive in the seventh year, except for the combination minimum efficiency and 10 % less yield, positive in the eighth year. The best combination (maximum efficiency and 10 % more yield) has promoted investment payoff around the sixth and seventh year. By this study, it is possible to determine the total energy demand to produce citrus and indentify the applied inputs that need more attention by the decision-makers. Labor and seedlings can be ommited for further studies with citrus, since they were irrelevant. Management of agricultural machinery may pose an important role on decreasing environmental impact of citrus production.

Secondary Recovery from the Dune Field, Crane County, Texas, Is Viable Through Mine Workings

Data in Report of Investigations No. 168, published by the Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas, indicate the Dune field is a good candidate for secondary recovery of mobile residual oil through an oil mine as described in US Patent {number sign}4,458,945. If trends identified in RI No. 168 can be extended into adjacent sections, oil recovery in the range of $10.00 per barrel or less should be possible. Mine workings will permit a more detailed mapping field jointing and fracturing, in turn permitting better placement of wells on 1 acre or closer spacing. Shafts to the surface would be a mile or more apart greatly decreasing environmental impact. Wastewater generated could be re-introduced to assist in retaining reservoir pressures. If mine workings are driven in hard limestones, as would be possible in the Dune field, produced mine spoil would be marketable as gravel for the concrete industry.