This book focuses on the role of subsistence entrepreneurs in creating social and sustainable business opportunities on the global marketplace. Subsistence entrepreneurs use scarce resources to create new business opportunities, often in developing or emerging economies. In addition, subsistence entrepreneurship is increasingly being used as a way to facilitate market entry for small and medium-sized business enterprises that focus on collaborative innovation. The interdisciplinary contributions gathered here will expand readers' understanding of the nature and characteristics of subsistence entrepreneurs, as well as the challenges they face. The central connection between subsistence, sustainability and social entrepreneurship is also explored.

The present customers' consumption models result in an increasing number of used products that need to be collected and reused or disposed. Remanufacturing is a favourable scenario in order to recover the end-of-use products. It allows to capture substantial part of the resources which were used in the primary production at lower cost, providing economic, environmental and social benefits. The book presents the methods, models, case studies for improvement of sustainability in remanufacturing facilities. The focus is on small- and medium-sized enterprises and their challenges to meet resource-efficiency goal.

Th

Accelerating the diffusion of energy-efficient renovations is a key policy lever in order to reduce theenvironmental impact of buildings. This book provides a broad, systemic perspective on the causes of thediffusion of energy-efficient renovations in Switzerland and policy recommendations for accelerating thediffusion process. Specifically, the book provides a description of the societal problem situation within whichthe diffusion process takes place and an analysis of the actors involved. It provides a detailed explanationof the causes of the diffusion process that synthesizes insights from the engineering, economics, marketing, sociology, communication studies and political science literature. It employs the SystemDynamics methodology to simulate the diffusion process and analyze policy levers. The book proposes tworegulations and a sketch of a business model as particularly promising public policy interventions.It concludes with an outline of a generic theory of the diffusion of sustainable technologies.
"

"House Rating Schemes" provides information to students, architects and researchers in the field of the built environment. It reviews current House Rating Schemes (HRS) used in different countries and investigates how these schemes assess the thermal performance of a house. It challenges the way that these schemes assess building energy efficiency and their inability to evaluate free running buildings which do not need an energy load for heating and cooling indoor environments. Finally, the book proposes a new index and method for HRS in which the efficiency of a house design can be evaluated with reference to its thermal performance in both free running and conditioned operation modes. The book deals with various approaches and methods for rating buildings on the basis of different indexes, with implications for both energy efficiency and thermal comfort. It also guides readers through a computer simulation program for developing a rating system that evaluates and ranks building energy efficiency.

The project CLEAN (CO2 Large-Scale Enhanced Gas Recovery in the Altmark Natural Gas Field) provides site specific knowledge for a potential future pilot project. This contributed volume gives an overview and final results of the entire project which is finalized to the end of 2012.

In 2007, the world's urban population surpassed the number of people living in rural areas and is still growing. The number of city dwellers who do not have access to piped water and rely on groundwater is also increasing. In many Asian cities, groundwater is not only the source of domestic water but also an important resource for industrial development, making better management of groundwater resources essential for sustainable development. Because groundwater is easier to access and costs less than water from piped systems, groundwater abstraction cannot be easily regulated. Policies for groundwater management adopted in Japan and other Asian countries are compared, and technologies for efficient use of groundwater are elucidated. Groundwater contamination is also a serious problem that exacerbates water scarcity in Asian cities. Case studies illustrate the cause and consequences of naturally occurring contaminants such as arsenic and fluoride, and groundwater contamination due to anthropogenic contaminants is described. Also discussed are technologies for treating contaminated groundwater to reduce the health risks of drinking contaminated groundwater.

The Malaga Symposia Series provides an international forum for scientific debate on the progress made in research into karst environments. The 2010 meeting of the 4th International ISKA presents 80 papers in four key areas: karst hydrogeology and investigations, karst landscape and ecosystems, human interaction with karst environments, and engineering geology in karst areas. This book will be a useful edition to the libraries of consultants, scientists, lecturers, and policy makers concerned with the special issues of karst terrains.

This volume discusses the sustainability of Egypt's agriculture and the challenges involved. It provides a comprehensive review and the latest research findings, and covers a variety of topics under the following themes: * Applicability of sustainable agriculture in Egypt * Sustainable agriculture under water scarcity and polluted soil environments * Improved crop productivity using a variety of tried and tested procedures * Biotechnology application for agricultural sustainability and food security * Potentiality of soil-sensing for a more sustainable agricultural environment The volume closes with a summary of the key conclusions and recommendations from all chapters. Together with the companion volume Sustainability of Agricultural Environment in Egypt: Part II, it offers an essential source of information for postgraduate students, researchers, and stakeholders alike.

This volume represents the proceedings of the Second International Conference on Sustainability in Energy and Buildings, SEB'10, held in the City of Brighton and Hove in the United Kingdom, and organised by KES International. Organised by the KES International organisation, SEB'10 formed a welcome opportunity for researchers in subjects related to sustainability, renewable energy technology, and applications in the built environment to mix with other scientists, industrialists and stakeholders in the field. SEB'10 attracted papers on a range of renewable energy and sustainability related topics and in addition the conference explored two innovative themes:- * The application of intelligent sensing, control, optimisation and modelling techniques to sustainability and * The technology of sustainable buildings. These techniques could ultimately be applied to the intelligent building SEB'10 attracted about 100 submissions from around the world. These were subjected to a two-stage blind peer-review process. With the objective of producing a high quality conference, the best 30% of these were selected for presentation at the conference and publication in this volume of proceedings. The papers in this volume are grouped into the five themes under which they were presented: Building Sustainability, Sustainable Power Generation, Sustainable Energy Policy and Strategy, Energy Monitoring and Management and Solar Energy Technology. These proceedings form an interesting and informative collection of papers, useful as a resource for further research, and a valuable source of information for those interested in the subject.

Urban subsurface resources and particularly urban groundwater are vulnerable to environmental impacts, and their rational management is of major importance. In this book a multidisciplinary team of specialists and scientists presents innovative process-oriented approaches to the sustainable use of these resources. The included case studies from northwestern Switzerland describe representative environments and are relevant for urban areas in general. They illustrate the protection of groundwater; river restoration; engineering and hydrogeological questions related to urban infrastructure and management concepts; as well as monitoring, modeling and remediation strategies for contaminated sites; problems caused by karst in urban environments; the use of shallow geothermal energy; and natural hazards such as flood events and earthquakes.

It is demonstrated that modern quantitative earth sciences can contribute significantly in finding solutions concerning the sustainable use of subsurface resources in urban environments.

The book is an invaluable source of information for hydrogeologists, geologists, urban planners, water supply engineers, and environmental agencies.

"

Due to the demand for new urban construction, its repair, and its maintenance, the concrete and construction enterprises continue to grow, as do their use of finite natural resources. The industry is now under pressure to seek ways to minimize the use of rapidly depleting natural resources. Effective utilization of various waste materials, often found in abundance, may be the key as they not only ward off deleterious environmental hazards, but they have also been known to produce wealth by adding value through ecology. Recycled Waste Materials in Concrete Construction: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a detailed scholarly resource that discusses different types of industrial, agricultural, and natural wastes that are either currently in use in the concrete industry or demonstrate potential for future use and how they can be used as additives or replacements for cement and other construction materials. Highlighting topics such as engineering properties, material durability, and raw materials, this books targets engineers, construction professionals, contractors, consulting firms, government officials, cement and waste material industries, policymakers, academicians, and researchers.

The book identifies the specific ethical aspects of sustainability and develops ethical tools to analyze them. It also provides a methodological framework to integrate ethical and scientific analyses of sustainability issues, and explores the notion of a new type of self-reflective inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability research. With this, the book aims to strengthen the overall ability of academics to contribute to the analysis and solution of sustainability issues in an inclusive and integrated way.

In recent decades, significant advances in new methodologies like DNA sequencing and high-throughput sequencing have been used to identify microorganisms and monitor their interactions with different environments. Microbial genomics techniques are opening new approaches to microbiology by revealing how microorganisms affect human beings and the environment. This book covers four major areas: 1) Environmental microbial genomics, 2) Microbial genomics in human health, 3) Microbial genomics in crop improvement and plant health protection, and 4) Genome analysis of microbial pathogens. Within these areas, the topics addressed include: microbial genome diversity, evolution, and microbial genome sequencing; bioinformatics and microarray-based genomic technologies; functional genomics of bioremediation of soil and water from organic and inorganic pollutants and carbon management; functional genomics of microbial pathogens and relevant microorganisms; functional genomics of model microorganisms; and applied functional genomics. Given its scope, the book offers a comprehensive source of information on the latest applications of microorganisms and microbial genomics to enhance the sustainability of agriculture and the environment.

This monograph presents a reliable methodology for characterising the energy and eco-efficiency of unit manufacturing processes. The Specific Energy Consumption, SEC, will be identified as the key indicator for the energy efficiency of unit processes. An empirical approach will be validated on different machine tools and manufacturing processes to depict the relationship between process parameters and energy consumptions. Statistical results and additional validation runs will corroborate the high level of accuracy in predicting the energy consumption. In relation to the eco-efficiency, the value and the associated environmental impacts of manufacturing processes will also be discussed. The interrelationship between process parameters, process value and the associated environmental impact will be integrated in the evaluation of eco-efficiency. The book concludes with a further investigation of the results in order to develop strategies for further efficiency improvement. The target audience primarily comprises researchers and experts in the field, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

Technology has long been an essential consideration in public discussions of the environment, with the focus overwhelmingly on creating new tools and techniques. In more recent years, however, activists, researchers, and policymakers have increasingly turned to mobilizing older technologies in their pursuit of sustainability. In fascinating case studies ranging from the Early Modern secondhand trade to utopian visions of human-powered vehicles, the contributions gathered here explore the historical fortunes of two such technologies-bicycling and waste recycling-tracing their development over time and providing valuable context for the policy successes and failures of today.

This book addresses the issue of smart and sustainable development in the Mediterranean (MED) region, a distinct part of the world, full of challenges and risks but also opportunities. Above all, the book focuses on smartening up small and medium-sized cities and insular communities, taking into account their geographical peculiarities, the pattern of MED urban settlements and the abundance of island complexes in the MED Basin. Taking for granted that sustainability in the MED is the overarching policy goal that needs to be served, the book explores different aspects of smartness in support of this goal's achievement. In this respect, evidence from concrete smart developments adopted by forerunners in the MED region is collected and analyzed; coupled with experiences gathered from successful, non-MED, examples of smart efforts in European countries. More specifically, current research and empirical results from MED urban environments are discussed, as well as findings from or concerning other parts of the world, which are of relevance to the MED region. The book's primary goal is to enable policymakers, planners and decision-making bodies to recognize the challenges and options available; and make to more informed policy decisions towards smart, sustainable, inclusive and resilient urban and regional futures in the MED.

The work builds on the results of the COMPETE Bioenergy Competence Platform for Africa, which was supported by the European Commission and coordinated by WIP Renewable Energies, Germany. The five sections cover biomass production and use, biomass technologies and markets in Africa, biomass policies, sustainability, and financial and socio-economic issues. This valuable work is, in effect, a single-source treatment of a key energy sector in a part of the world which still has a lot of unrealised potential for development.

One way to reduce the greenhouse gas from IT is green computing, which is the practice of designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated subsystems for reducing the use of hazardous materials, maximizing energy efficiency, and promoting the recyclability or biodegradability of products. Sustainable ICTs and Management Systems for Green Computing focuses on information technology using sustainable green computing to reduce energy and resources used. While there are a wide variety of green computing topics, this book is a collection of IT articles using green computing techniques that will provide timely, important technologies and methods of green computing to IT workers, students, and researchers alike.

Sustainable Production Consumption Systems brings together a set of designed case studies intended to provide a more in-depth understanding of challenges and opportunities in bringing knowledge and actions closer together for the sustainable management of specific production and consumption systems. The case study approach enabled researchers to engage directly with some of the actors involved in the production, consumption or regulation of specific goods or services and other stakeholders affected by those processes. Such engagement was particularly worthwhile when it helped mobilize actors to pursue linking knowledge with action in ways that improve the prospects for sustainability.

All the solid fuels fossil energy and mineral commodities we use come out of the Earth. Modern society is increasingly dependent on mineral and fossil energy sources. They differ in availability, cost of production, and geographical distribution. Even if solid fuels, fossil energy resources and mineral commodities are non-renewable, the extracted metals can to a large extent be recycled and used again and again. Although the stock of these secondary resources and their use increases, the world still needs and will continue to need primary mineral resources for the foreseeable future. Growing demands have begun to restrict availability of these resources. The Earth is not running out of critical mineral resources - at least for the near future - but the ability to explore and extract these resources is being restricted in many regions by competing land use, as well as political and environmental issues. Extraction of natural resources requires a clear focus on sustainable development, involving economic, environmental and socio-cultural aspects. Although we do not know what the most important resources will be in 100 years from now, we can be quite certain that society will still need energy and a wide range of raw materials. These resources will include oil and gas, coal, uranium, thorium, geothermal, metallic minerals, industrial and specialty minerals, including cement, raw materials, rare-earth elements. A global approach for assessing the magnitude and future availability of these resources is called for - an approach that, with appropriate international collaboration, was started within the triennium of the International Year of Planet Earth. Some global mineral resource assessments, involving inter-governmental collaboration, have already been initiated. The International Year of Planet Earth helped to focus attention on how the geosciences can generate prosperity locally and globally, as well as sustainability issues in both developed and developing countries.

This work is an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, widely-calibrated checklist for EU sustainable landscape management, which is intended to serve both as an analytical tool of reference as well as a design tool for local, regional and European policy making on sustainable developments.

The tool has been developed out of a multidisciplinary study in EU countries which was designed to find out what would be the overall requirements for a sustainable management of the landscape of rural areas. Could these stipulations be brought together in a comprehensive system with sufficient consistency to comply with the notion that the landscape is an entity, which should be managed accordingly? Cooperation of the scientific experts with those involved in the practical side, and alternating plenary reporting with subgroup visits to farms in the rural landscapes of the participants' countries, allowed for the development of some truly interdisciplinary teamwork. Organic agriculture has been included to find out how organic agriculture contributes to the rural landscape.

This book presents the new EU approach to environmental management and its attempt to place it in the perspective of sustainable development. Written by eminent scientists working on sustainable development, the book covers not only theoretical aspects but also gives practical cases and examples. China and other large and fast growing economies are putting increasing pressures on the global environment, but they are also looking at the European experience with great interest.

This unique reference gathers numerous new studies examining specific, prominent high-rise buildings around the world. Each nuanced study included undertakes the following pivotal considerations: environmental impacts; safety & social acceptability; energy consumption and comfort; planning contexts within the urban zone; physical footprint and size; services and risks; and a careful assessment of advantages and challenges. Architects and engineers exploring and optimizing sustainable building practices, energy managers, municipal and private project planners, as well as students will find edification and inspiration in the analysis provided by esteemed practitioners and professors within this fascinating volume.