This study discusses high-carbon characteristics, the unsustainability of China's development, and the fact that China needs to transform its development mode. China's low-carbon transition must include indust...This study discusses high-carbon characteristics, the unsustainability of China's development, and the fact that China needs to transform its development mode. China's low-carbon transition must include industry structure adjustment, energy saving and efficiency increases, energy structure improvement, carbon sink development, adaptation capability, and low-carbon pilot schemes.Low-carbon urbanization is a key measure in China's low-carbon transition. China's urbanization faces high-carbon risks. Thus, this study presents a roadmap for transforming urbanization into a low-carbon one. The transition to low-carbon urbanization is a common trend in the developing world. There is a lot of room for international cooperation.展开更多
The paper proposes a matrix-based approach that a designer can use to evaluate the sustainability of one or more design solutions in the conceptual phase of a product development process. The methodology is structured...The paper proposes a matrix-based approach that a designer can use to evaluate the sustainability of one or more design solutions in the conceptual phase of a product development process. The methodology is structured in two main phases. In the first one, a data structure, called Augmented-DSM （Design Structure Matrix）, has to be drawn in order to collect design information such as functional links among product components, indicators that provide information about the life cycle of each element, connections with the environment and toward other systems. The matrix is based on a DSM format, where new records were introduced to store and organize different types of data and an editing protocol was formalized. In the second stage, a set of procedures have to be applied in order to evaluate sustainability of a design solution and compare it with the others. The presented procedures, in fact, allow designers to assess a product in its proper characteristics, evaluate a device during its use stage and verify the coherence of links present in the functional model. This new approach is conceived to manage different performance indicators and, as a support tool, it is an attempt to aid designers in a quantitative evaluation.展开更多
Sustainability of food systems and diets is not simply related to health concerns as it also involves environmental impacts. In fact, diets are major players in biodiversity erosion, natural resources degradation, cli...Sustainability of food systems and diets is not simply related to health concerns as it also involves environmental impacts. In fact, diets are major players in biodiversity erosion, natural resources degradation, climate change, etc.. The paper aims at analysing the main environmental impacts of the Mediterranean food consumption patterns on land and water resources and biodiversity. It provides a review on water and land resources and biodiversity in the Mediterranean and an analysis of the livestock sector impacts on ecosystem services. The most recent FAO food consumption statistics and standard impact data from different sources （e.g., Water Footprint Network; Mekonnen ＆ Hoekstra, 2010; Ewing et al., 2010） were used to calculate and discuss environmental impacts, i.e., water, carbon and ecological footprints. Mediterranean diets promote biodiversity use, conservation and sustainable natural resources management. They are more respectful of ecosystems and have lower environmental impacts than Northern Europe and American diets.展开更多
While comparative politics is concerned with the domestic dynamics of political communities, global trends confront each community with colmnon pressures and challenges. Three basic trends are identified： first, the ...While comparative politics is concerned with the domestic dynamics of political communities, global trends confront each community with colmnon pressures and challenges. Three basic trends are identified： first, the redefinition of political commtmities by globalization; second, the transformation of communication by electronic media ; and third, the transformation of policy issues by demographic changes. These trends set three broad and interrelated challenges for all political commumties： identity, governance, and sustainability. Each political community responds in its own way to these challenges ; and the task of comparative politics is to understand the distinctive responses to shared problems of adjustment. The study of comparative politics should proceed from a variety of national perspectives in order to globalize its own academic discourse.展开更多
文摘This study discusses high-carbon characteristics, the unsustainability of China's development, and the fact that China needs to transform its development mode. China's low-carbon transition must include industry structure adjustment, energy saving and efficiency increases, energy structure improvement, carbon sink development, adaptation capability, and low-carbon pilot schemes.Low-carbon urbanization is a key measure in China's low-carbon transition. China's urbanization faces high-carbon risks. Thus, this study presents a roadmap for transforming urbanization into a low-carbon one. The transition to low-carbon urbanization is a common trend in the developing world. There is a lot of room for international cooperation.
文摘The paper proposes a matrix-based approach that a designer can use to evaluate the sustainability of one or more design solutions in the conceptual phase of a product development process. The methodology is structured in two main phases. In the first one, a data structure, called Augmented-DSM （Design Structure Matrix）, has to be drawn in order to collect design information such as functional links among product components, indicators that provide information about the life cycle of each element, connections with the environment and toward other systems. The matrix is based on a DSM format, where new records were introduced to store and organize different types of data and an editing protocol was formalized. In the second stage, a set of procedures have to be applied in order to evaluate sustainability of a design solution and compare it with the others. The presented procedures, in fact, allow designers to assess a product in its proper characteristics, evaluate a device during its use stage and verify the coherence of links present in the functional model. This new approach is conceived to manage different performance indicators and, as a support tool, it is an attempt to aid designers in a quantitative evaluation.
文摘Sustainability of food systems and diets is not simply related to health concerns as it also involves environmental impacts. In fact, diets are major players in biodiversity erosion, natural resources degradation, climate change, etc.. The paper aims at analysing the main environmental impacts of the Mediterranean food consumption patterns on land and water resources and biodiversity. It provides a review on water and land resources and biodiversity in the Mediterranean and an analysis of the livestock sector impacts on ecosystem services. The most recent FAO food consumption statistics and standard impact data from different sources （e.g., Water Footprint Network; Mekonnen ＆ Hoekstra, 2010; Ewing et al., 2010） were used to calculate and discuss environmental impacts, i.e., water, carbon and ecological footprints. Mediterranean diets promote biodiversity use, conservation and sustainable natural resources management. They are more respectful of ecosystems and have lower environmental impacts than Northern Europe and American diets.
文摘While comparative politics is concerned with the domestic dynamics of political communities, global trends confront each community with colmnon pressures and challenges. Three basic trends are identified： first, the redefinition of political commtmities by globalization; second, the transformation of communication by electronic media ; and third, the transformation of policy issues by demographic changes. These trends set three broad and interrelated challenges for all political commumties： identity, governance, and sustainability. Each political community responds in its own way to these challenges ; and the task of comparative politics is to understand the distinctive responses to shared problems of adjustment. The study of comparative politics should proceed from a variety of national perspectives in order to globalize its own academic discourse.
