Wasteful Use Of Resources Research Articles

‘Plastic Pollution’ and Plastics as Pollution in Mumbai, India

ABSTRACT In the last decade, plastic pollution has emerged as a major global issue in public discourse. Nonetheless, there is little consensus on which aspects of plastics constitute the problem. In India, litter, unmanaged disposal, lack of biodegradation, wasteful resource use, threats to bodily integrity and the natural order, and national dishonour are all variously associated with ‘plastic pollution’. What exactly, then, does the term reference when used in various streams of public discourse, and what semantic transformations does this imply? Using India as a case study, I examine discourses about plastic pollution and tease out four prominent framings, or senses, of such pollution – as spatial displacement, as waste, as environmental pollution, and as symbolic pollution – and explore their mobilisation by stakeholders. I also make the case for greater attention to the aesthetic dimension as a heuristic framework in knowing and acting upon pollution.

Sometimes Your Best Just Ain’t Good Enough: The Worldwide Evidence on Subjective Well-being Efficiency

Abstract Most of the studies on subjective well-being focus on the determinants of absolute life satisfaction or happiness levels. This paper asks an important but understudied question, namely, could countries achieve the same or even higher subjective well-being by using the same resources more efficiently? We provide the first country panel evidence on whether nations efficiently transform their endowments (income, education, and health) into subjective well-being and which factors influence the conversion efficiency. Using data on 91 countries from 2009 to 2014, we find that that well-being efficiency gains are possible worldwide. We show that poor labor market conditions as proxied by unemployment and involuntary part-time employment are associated with lower ‘subjective well-being efficiency,’ while social support, freedom, and the rule of law improve it. These findings are useful to policymakers in helping identify inefficiencies, reducing wasteful resource use, and developing policies that promote sustainable development and human well-being. Our results are robust to a battery of sensitivity checks and raise policy-relevant questions about the appropriate instruments to improve subjective well-being efficiency.

Preparation, properties characterization and structure formation mechanism of silica sand tailings-based ceramic materials

The preparation of high-performance ceramics using industrial waste as raw materials is an important direction in the comprehensive utilization of waste residue. In this paper, we used silica sand tailings and other industrial waste as raw materials to prepare two types of full waste-based ceramic materials without additional agent. The results showed that different waste ratios caused the variation in content and composition of glassy phase formed in the full waste-based material, leading to the formation of internal structure in different ceramic materials. Especially, the composition of glassy phase formed in ceramic foams was transferred from Ca–Al–Si–O to Al–Si–O glass system, resulting in the difference in pore structure and performance. This work provides a way to design the composition and control the properties of materials by using coupling reactions between chemical components during the material preparation, achieving high value, high efficiency and safe use of waste resources.

Research on the Utilization of Waste Resources of SMEs Based on Low Carbon Background

The core content of low-carbon is low-carbon economy and low-carbon life. Circular economy is a production mode of low-carbon economy. The utilization of waste resources of SMEs’ reverse logistics is a way to promote circular economy. The use of waste resources has the problems of low recycling rate of packaging materials, non-standard recycling of waste materials, high cost of return and transportation, and serious environmental pollution. In order to achieve sustainable development, implement the concept of a low-carbon economy and develop green logistics, it is necessary to take measures to improve the recycling rate of packaging materials, improve corporate social responsibility, reduce the cost of return logistics, and prevent environmental pollution to promote the improvement of reverse logistics for SMEs Utilization of waste resources.

Сезонний вплив на режими роботи електротехнічної системи протикорозійного захисту

This article discusses the change in the magnitude of the currents of cathodic protection stations with changing seasons. The change in the value of currents at a constant voltage of the stations is significant. The work draws attention to the fact that with excess current, wasteful use of resources is possible. Given that changes in electrical parameters are possible not only with changing seasons, but also under the influence of precipitation, groundwater level, technological factors, it is advisable to automatically control the cathodic protection station. The use of joint control by several cathodic protection stations is proposed, which will minimize their combined influence. Coordination of the operating modes of the stations is minimizes the wasteful use of resource.

New impulses from international development for more comprehensive and balanced public engagement evaluation

ABSTRACT Public engagement in health research has gained popularity because of its potential to co-create knowledge, generate dialogue, and ground research in the priorities and realities of the target groups. However, public engagement that achieves these objectives could still entail unforeseen negative consequences or a wasteful use of resources. Although the evaluation of public engagement has evolved in recent years, we lack consistent evaluation criteria for systematic and transparent assessments of success and failure. This article introduces standard evaluation criteria from the field of development aid evaluation (effectiveness, efficiency, impact, relevance, sustainability) to promote more systematic and comprehensive evaluation practice. I apply these criteria to the public engagement component of a recent research project into antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic use, and health behaviour in Thailand and Laos. Considering village-level engagement workshops, international exhibitions of photo narratives of traditional healing in northern Thailand, and social media communication, I demonstrate that activities that seem to achieve their objectives can still have problematic characteristics in other dimensions. I conclude that these five generic evaluation criteria can broaden our understanding of public engagement. Their more widespread use in evaluations can help build a more comprehensive and balanced evidence base, even if only a sample of public engagement projects and programmes can be evaluated systematically.

Demand side management opportunities, framework, and implications for sustainable development in resource-rich countries: Case study Qatar

Abstract Over the last decades, global consumption of energy and environmental resources have been rapidly increasing due to advances in the production and transportation of goods, as well as reduced barriers to global trade markets. This trend raised sustainable consumption issues because of inefficient and wasteful use of resources, especially in resource-rich countries with high purchasing power and subsidized tariffs offered to residents. It is also well-known that resources abundance tends to lower financial development and limit productivity growth and social development. On the other hand, there is a growing acceptance that supply-side policies need to be complemented by demand-side management to support sustainable cleaner production and remedy aforementioned adverse impacts. In this study, we present the results of an investigation on demand-side management (DSM) opportunities and a framework developed for Qatar as a representative of an emerging resource-rich countries and discuss implications for cleaner production. The rationale behind is that Qatar is a commodity-dependent developing country, who, during the last five years, has experienced a population growth of 35%, and an increase in electricity and water demand of 46% and 35%, respectively. Similarly, during the same period, the national vehicle fleet has grown by more than twofold. These figures have ranked Qatar at the top of the per-capita energy, carbon, and water consumption list in the world and increased environmental vulnerability and reduced climate resilience. To that end, the objectives of this study are to: (1) construct a DSM framework tailored to the needs of resource-rich country like Qatar from economic, social, environmental, and technical aspects; (2) present, analyze, and discuss the results of a survey that reveals the perceptions, attitudes, and responses of local residents towards the applicability of DSM policies; and (3) discuss methods and solutions to achieve cleaner energy consumption. The conducted survey covered electricity, water, and transportation sectors and showed that residents have low awareness about their consumption habits, but they have high willingness to reduce their consumption levels. In the last section, we present the survey results and discussions as a reference for policy-makers to promote the most promising DSM options in Qatar. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first survey-based study conducted in the Gulf Cooperation Council region where a significant portion of world's oil and natural gas resources are extracted. Therefore, the results could provide insights to other resource-rich countries with similar characteristics to devise more efficient policies for promoting welfare-enhancing and sustainable consumption behavior.

Can circular bioeconomy be fueled by waste biorefineries — A closer look

With the depleting resources and climate change tipping us over the edge, what we urgently require is a rapid and revolutionary transformation-a circular economy (CE). The CE is represented as one of the most promising endeavors to integrate environmental benefits and economic activities in a sustainable way in this communication. Within the CE, bioeconomy is being established as a cornerstone for accomplishing a sustainable economy through dedicated use of waste resources. The intersection of CE and bioeconomy in the framework of waste biorefinery is also discussed with an additional emphasis on various elements that need to be considered for realizing sustainable transformations. It positions the concept of waste biorefinery as a tangible driver for combating the battles centered around resource scarcity, increasing demands, climate change and price volatility. It also traces the concepts of metabolism studies and policies to be putforth, which emphasize circularity as a substantial tool for industrial/urban innovations and revenue generation, while achieving environmental sustainability.

Solid-Waste-Derived Carbon Dioxide-Capturing Materials.

Solid sorbents are considered to be promising materials for carbon dioxide capture. In recent years, many studies have focused on the use of solid waste as carbon dioxide sorbents. The use of waste resources as carbon dioxide sorbents not only leads to the development of relatively low-cost materials, but also eliminates waste simultaneously. Different types of waste materials from biomass, industrial waste, household waste, and so forth were used as carbon dioxide sorbents with sufficient carbon dioxide capture capacities. Herein, progress on the development of carbon dioxide sorbents produced from waste materials is reviewed and covers key factors, such as the type of waste, preparation method, further modification method, carbon dioxide sorption performance, and kinetics studies. In addition, a new research direction for further study is proposed. It is hoped that this critical review will not merely sum up the major research directions in this field, but also provide significant suggestions for future work.

On the Prevention of Avoidable Food Waste from Domestic Households

Unconsumed food impacts on the environment via the wasteful use of resources in its production and via its disposal. Householders would ideally only generate food waste that is not considered edible (unavoidable food waste) and the disposal of edible food (avoidable food waste) would be prevented, mitigating both the environmental impacts of food waste and reducing consumers’ wasted expenditure on uneaten food. This study aimed to elucidate if and how householders’ food waste behaviour might be changed via interventions in the form of a leaflet highlighting the impacts of avoidable food waste. The composition of avoidable food waste set out for kerbside collection was assessed in relation to interventions intended to reduce avoidable food waste and in relation to households’ economic status. Two parallel interventions were tested, setting out to householders the impacts of avoidable food waste on (1) the environment, and (2) personal finances. Avoidable food waste set out by affluent and low income households, considered in terms of total weight, life-cycle stage and product group, did not change significantly after delivery of either leaflet. Neither of the interventions tested had a discernible impact on the quantity and composition of avoidable food waste in these terms. We propose that initiatives to reduce food waste may be more successful if focused on positive actions to improve householders’ efficiency in their food use, directed by insight provided by analysis of avoidable food waste within product groups and in relation to life-cycle stage.

“Neither I nor you shall have him”: An experimental study of the King Solomon's Dilemma

This paper reports the results of an experiment designed to compare two mechanisms that provide solutions to King Solomon's Dilemma. One of them is proposed by Moore (1992) and the other by Perry and Reny (1999). The objective of each mechanism is to allocate a single unit of an indivisible private good to the player with the highest reservation value at zero cost to her. Implemented in an environment with complete information Moore's mechanism, compared with Perry and Reny's mechanism, shows a lower rate of wasteful use of resources, but we could not find evidence that this mechanism has a better rate in allocating the object to the right player. The use of either the ascending clock or the slow ascending clock improves the performance of Perry and Reny's mechanism in allocating the object to the right player at zero cost in both informational environments. Finally, we find evidence of a higher likelihood of low value players staying with the object when their valuation for the object increases and when they know the valuation of their opponents; however, the monetary amount they have to pay for staying with the object plays a relevant role in this decision.

Abusive Transfer Pricing and Economic Activity

This paper investigates how concealment costs of transfer pricing and the probability of detection affect transfer pricing and firm behavior. We find that transfer pricing in intermediate production factors does not affect real activity of a multinational firm if the firm’s concealment effort as well as the probability of being audited by tax authorities are conditioned on the amount of shifted profits. If tax authorities rely on the standard OECD arm’s-length principle instead by reacting to a deviation of the transfer price from the market price, the multinational will for tax reasons adjust its production structure. A policy implication of the paper is that it should be preferable to condition audits on the amount of income shifted rather than on the distortion of the transfer price proper. Another policy finding is that improving the quality of tax law might be superior to higher detection effort. The former reduces profit shifting and concealment effort, whereas the latter leads to more wasteful use of resources on concealment and has an ambiguous effect on profits shifted.

Abusive Transfer Pricing and Economic Activity

We demonstrate that the choice of the transfer price and its effect on intra-firm trade and investment depends on the probability of detection and thus on the measure, on which tax authorities base their audit. A policy implication of the paper is that it should be preferable to condition audits on the amount of income shifted rather than on the distortion of the transfer price proper. Another policy finding is that improving the quality of tax law might be superior to higher detection effort. The former reduces profit shifting and concealment effort, whereas the latter leads to more wasteful use of resources on concealment and has an ambiguous effect on profits shifted.

The noble vernacular

In recent years many publications have appeared that stress the sustainable character of vernacular architecture, emphasising its ecological friendliness and appropriateness. Commonly this literature represents vernacular architecture as a more sustainable alternative, or predecessor, to conventional contemporary forms of architecture and their associations with excessive energy consumption, pollution and wasteful use of resources. This article aims to identify what may be learned from this relatively recent work in terms of the way in which it conceptualises and represents vernacular architecture. It reveals a vibrant and growing discourse that makes an important contribution to the field of vernacular architectural studies. It also shows, however, that the relative isolation of the discourse results in a number of short-comings that make our current understanding of the sustainability of vernacular traditions only a partial one. Arguing that the recent discourse replaces the complexity, plurality and dynamics of both vernacular architecture and the concept of sustainability by reductionist, essentialist and romanticist representations, the article calls for a holistic, integrated and critical approach that complements the study of the environmental qualities and performance of vernacular architecture with an examination of its social, political and economic aspects. The lessons that are to be found there are not so casually learned. Paul Oliver1

IsoNet: Hardware-Based Job Queue Management for Many-Core Architectures

Imbalanced distribution of workloads across a chip multiprocessor (CMP) constitutes wasteful use of resources. Most existing load distribution and balancing techniques employ very limited hardware support and rely predominantly on software for their operation. This paper introduces IsoNet, a hardware-based conflict-free dynamic load distribution and balancing engine. IsoNet is a lightweight job queue manager responsible for administering the list of jobs to be executed, and maintaining load balance among all CMP cores. By exploiting a micro-network of load-balancing modules, the proposed mechanism is shown to effectively reinforce concurrent computation in many-core environments. Detailed evaluation using a full-system simulation framework indicates that IsoNet significantly outperforms existing techniques and scales efficiently to as many as 1024 cores. Furthermore, to assess its feasibility, the IsoNet design is synthesized, placed, and routed in 45-nm VLSI technology. Analysis of the resulting low-level implementation shows that IsoNet's area and power overhead are almost negligible.

Demand for child healthcare in Nigeria.

Nigeria with an estimated $350 per capital annually still ranks near the bottom 158 out of 177 countries in the UN Human Capital Development Index in terms of per capita income, with more than half of the population living in poverty. Over the past decade U5MR is estimated to be 201 deaths/1000 lives births, the high rates of child mortality especially the 0-5 years shows the total breakdown of social and economic well-being of the country. This paper examined child health care demand in Nigeria using the Nested Multinomial Logit Model estimation technique. The study used parents’ education as a proxy for child education, while the decision to make a choice of the health facilities was also assumed to be that of the House-Hold head. The study found out that female child has a higher probability of seeking health care facility ahead of their male counterpart. Also, the household head educational level was found to be a determinant of health care seeking behavior of the child. Empirical evidence also revealed that that the probability of seeking healthcare increases with household size and that demand for child health care in Nigeria is non linear in nature. Based on this, the paper recommends the need to show greater commitment to child health care and that government should reduce the problems militating against effective performance of the health sector such as, inefficiency, wasteful use of resources, low quality of service and poor enabling environment.

The Wasteful 'Money Creation' Aspect of Financial Intermediation

I present a general equilibrium model in which the financial sector employs too many productive inputs. Intermediation is similar, in some ways, to the creation of counterfeit money: a producer can increase the amount of money in his hands at some real cost, but this is socially wasteful as it only translates into higher nominal prices. In this model, producers can increase their funding by borrowing from depositors, who would otherwise be holding idle monetary reserves. This costly activity increases the money in circulation and raises the equilibrium price level, without any real return. In the simplest case, financial intermediation is a purely wasteful use of resources. However, in the presence of heterogeneous producers, the superior borrowing ability of productive agents may improve the allocation of inputs. In a dynamic general equilibrium model with heterogeneous productivities and increasing intermediation costs, I show that tight regulation of the financial system is optimal.

Macro-level integrated renewable energy production schemes for sustainable development

The production of renewable clean energy is a prime necessity for the sustainable future existence of our planet. However, because of the resource-intensive nature, and other challenges associated with these new generation renewable energy sources, novel industrial frameworks need to be co-developed. Integrated renewable energy production schemes with foundations on resource sharing, carbon neutrality, energy-efficient design, source reduction, green processing plan, anthropogenic use of waste resources for the production green energy along with the production of raw material for allied food and chemical industries is imperative for the sustainable development of this sector especially in an emission-constrained future industrial scenario. To attain these objectives, the scope of hybrid renewable production systems and integrated renewable energy industrial ecology is briefly described. Further, the principles of Integrated Renewable Energy Park (IREP) approach, an example for macro-level energy production, and its benefits and global applications are also explored.

Greening through IT: Information Technology for Environmental Sustainability By Bill Tomlinson . Cambridge, MA:MIT Press, 2010. 210 pp. ISBN: 978-0-262-01393-2, $24.95

Greening through IT: Information Technology for Environmental Sustainability <i>By Bill Tomlinson</i> . Cambridge, MA:MIT Press, 2010. 210 pp. ISBN: 978-0-262-01393-2, $24.95

Leaves of pioneer and later‐successional trees have similar lifetime carbon gain in tropical secondary forest

Different life history strategies among tropical rain forest species are generally related to inherent trade-offs in leaf and crown traits, with early-successional species having traits that facilitate high productivity but a relatively wasteful use of resources and shade-tolerant later-successional species exhibiting the opposite strategy. But the degree to which these trait differences contribute to short- and long-term carbon gain of different species that coexist in natural forest has not been quantitatively scaled. We applied a canopy model in combination with measurements of canopy structure, mass distribution, and leaf photosynthesis to determine whole-plant daily photosynthesis (P(pl)) of individuals of three short-lived pioneers (SLP), four later-successional species, and three lianas growing together in a 0.5-, 2-, and 3-yr-old secondary tropical forest stand. Whole-plant daily photosynthesis per unit leaf mass (P(lfm)) and aboveground mass (P(m)) were assumed to indicate daily returns on investment at the leaf and crown level. By integrating these calculations with measured leaf longevities, we determined the lifetime carbon gain per unit leaf mass. Vegetation height and leaf area index increased with stand age. Two of the SLPs, Trema and Ochroma, increasingly dominated the top of the vegetation. In the 0.5-yr-old stand, these species also had the highest P(m) and P(lfm) values. Whole-plant daily photosynthesis per unit leaf mass tended to decline with stand age but much more strongly so in the later-successional species than in the SLP. Leaf longevity was not significantly correlated with individual leaf traits (e.g., specific leaf area or leaf N content) but was strongly and negatively correlated with P(lfm) in the youngest stand. Later-successional species had considerably greater leaf longevities than SLP. Lifetime carbon gain per unit leaf mass, however, was relatively similar between the different species. Thus due to the strong negative correlation that exists between daily leaf productivity (P(lfm)) and longevity, short-lived pioneers and later-successional species achieve similar lifetime carbon gain per unit leaf mass in natural secondary forest. This could help explain why the slower-growing later-successional species are able to persist during the first years of succession.