The demand for energy, water and food will continuously increase, as the prediction states that 2.5 billion people will be added to the world population by 2050, representing not only an increase in the consumption bu...The demand for energy, water and food will continuously increase, as the prediction states that 2.5 billion people will be added to the world population by 2050, representing not only an increase in the consumption but also more waste production, greenhouse gas （GHG） emissions and depletion of natural resources. Taking into account that renewable sources of energy can help to overcome these challenges and diversify the energy matrix in the countries, this paper aims at analyzing the biogas potential in Brazil and the United States, especially in the livestock sector, and its benefits in the environmental, social and economic aspects. Both countries are among the top five countries globally in terms of water availability, energy consumption and food production. Until 2050, the world consumption of meat will have a significant increase： 206% of poultry meat, 56% of pork meat and 47% of beef meat, augmenting the need for sustainable management of waste and manure. This scenario can become a sustainable opportunity for biogas implementation, which provides multiple economic, environmental and social benefits for farmers, businesses and communities, including production of electrical, thermal and vehicular energy, production of high-quality biofertilizer, reduction of ground and surface water pollution and reduction of GHG emissions, and foments new income for the farmers, among others. A new concept is presented in this article to make biogas systems feasible, i.e., biogas condominiums, as small and medium-scale farms by themselves usually would not be able to afford the investments. This arrangement can bring benefits for the whole biogas supply chain that includes farmers, agroindustry, providers and local community.展开更多
Rapid economic growth, increasing populations and emergent prosperity are driving up demand tor energy, water anu food, especially in developing countries. In this scenario, the analysis of these three elements has ga...Rapid economic growth, increasing populations and emergent prosperity are driving up demand tor energy, water anu food, especially in developing countries. In this scenario, the analysis of these three elements has gained the increasing attention globally in research, business and policy spheres. This paper aims to provide an analysis of the perspectives of this nexus for Brazil and the United States, using current and predicted scenario for 2050. Considering the importance of renewable sources of energy to overcome these challenges and diversify the energy matrix in both countries, the paper will also present the biogas potential for both countries, which provides multiple economic, environmental and social benefits, such as electrical, thermal and vehicular energy, high-quality biofertilizer, reduction of odor and pathogenic vectors in the farms, decrease of ground and surface water pollution, promotion of new income for the farmers, reduction of the greenhouse gases emissions, among others.展开更多
Prevailing city design in many countries has created sedentary societies that depend on automobile use. Consequently, architects, urban designers, and land planners have developed new urban design theories, which have...Prevailing city design in many countries has created sedentary societies that depend on automobile use. Consequently, architects, urban designers, and land planners have developed new urban design theories, which have been incorporated into the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development （LEED-ND） certification system. The LEED- ND includes design elements that improve human well-being by facilitating walking and biking, a concept known as walkability. Despite these positive developments, relevant research findings from other fields of study have not been fully integrated into the LEED-ND. According to Zuniga-Teran （2015）, relevant walkability research findings from multiple disciplines were organized into a walkability framework （WF） that organizes design elements related to physical activity into nine categories, namely, connectivity, land use, density, traffic safety, surveil- lance, parking, experience, greenspace, and community. In this study, we analyze walkability in the LEED-ND through the lens of the nine WF categories. Through quantitative and qualitative analyses, we identify gaps and strengths in the LEED-ND and propose potential enhancements to this certification system that reflects what is known about enhancing walkability more comprehensively through neighborhood design analysis. This work seeks to facilitate the translation of research into practice, which can ultimately lead to more active and healthier societies.展开更多
Research from multiple domains has provided insights into how neighborhood design can be improved to have a more favorable effect on physical activity, a concept known as walkability. The relevant research findings/hy...Research from multiple domains has provided insights into how neighborhood design can be improved to have a more favorable effect on physical activity, a concept known as walkability. The relevant research findings/hypotheses have been integrated into a Walkability Framework, which organizes the design elements into nine walkability categories. The purpose of this study was to test whether this conceptual framework can be used as a model to measure the interactions between the built environment and physical activity. We explored correlations between the walkability categories and physical activity reported through a survey of residents of Tucson, Arizona （n=486）. The results include significant correlations between the walkability categories and physical activity as well as between the walkabi[ity categories and the two motivations for walking （recreation and transportation）. To our knowledge, this is the first study that reports links between wa[kability and walking for recreation. Additionally, the use of the Walkability Framework allowed us to identify the walkability categories most strongly correlated with the two motivations for walking. The results of this study support the use of the Walkability Framework as a model to measure the built environment in relation to its ability to promote physical activity.展开更多
文摘The demand for energy, water and food will continuously increase, as the prediction states that 2.5 billion people will be added to the world population by 2050, representing not only an increase in the consumption but also more waste production, greenhouse gas （GHG） emissions and depletion of natural resources. Taking into account that renewable sources of energy can help to overcome these challenges and diversify the energy matrix in the countries, this paper aims at analyzing the biogas potential in Brazil and the United States, especially in the livestock sector, and its benefits in the environmental, social and economic aspects. Both countries are among the top five countries globally in terms of water availability, energy consumption and food production. Until 2050, the world consumption of meat will have a significant increase： 206% of poultry meat, 56% of pork meat and 47% of beef meat, augmenting the need for sustainable management of waste and manure. This scenario can become a sustainable opportunity for biogas implementation, which provides multiple economic, environmental and social benefits for farmers, businesses and communities, including production of electrical, thermal and vehicular energy, production of high-quality biofertilizer, reduction of ground and surface water pollution and reduction of GHG emissions, and foments new income for the farmers, among others. A new concept is presented in this article to make biogas systems feasible, i.e., biogas condominiums, as small and medium-scale farms by themselves usually would not be able to afford the investments. This arrangement can bring benefits for the whole biogas supply chain that includes farmers, agroindustry, providers and local community.
文摘Rapid economic growth, increasing populations and emergent prosperity are driving up demand tor energy, water anu food, especially in developing countries. In this scenario, the analysis of these three elements has gained the increasing attention globally in research, business and policy spheres. This paper aims to provide an analysis of the perspectives of this nexus for Brazil and the United States, using current and predicted scenario for 2050. Considering the importance of renewable sources of energy to overcome these challenges and diversify the energy matrix in both countries, the paper will also present the biogas potential for both countries, which provides multiple economic, environmental and social benefits, such as electrical, thermal and vehicular energy, high-quality biofertilizer, reduction of odor and pathogenic vectors in the farms, decrease of ground and surface water pollution, promotion of new income for the farmers, reduction of the greenhouse gases emissions, among others.
文摘Prevailing city design in many countries has created sedentary societies that depend on automobile use. Consequently, architects, urban designers, and land planners have developed new urban design theories, which have been incorporated into the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development （LEED-ND） certification system. The LEED- ND includes design elements that improve human well-being by facilitating walking and biking, a concept known as walkability. Despite these positive developments, relevant research findings from other fields of study have not been fully integrated into the LEED-ND. According to Zuniga-Teran （2015）, relevant walkability research findings from multiple disciplines were organized into a walkability framework （WF） that organizes design elements related to physical activity into nine categories, namely, connectivity, land use, density, traffic safety, surveil- lance, parking, experience, greenspace, and community. In this study, we analyze walkability in the LEED-ND through the lens of the nine WF categories. Through quantitative and qualitative analyses, we identify gaps and strengths in the LEED-ND and propose potential enhancements to this certification system that reflects what is known about enhancing walkability more comprehensively through neighborhood design analysis. This work seeks to facilitate the translation of research into practice, which can ultimately lead to more active and healthier societies.
文摘Research from multiple domains has provided insights into how neighborhood design can be improved to have a more favorable effect on physical activity, a concept known as walkability. The relevant research findings/hypotheses have been integrated into a Walkability Framework, which organizes the design elements into nine walkability categories. The purpose of this study was to test whether this conceptual framework can be used as a model to measure the interactions between the built environment and physical activity. We explored correlations between the walkability categories and physical activity reported through a survey of residents of Tucson, Arizona （n=486）. The results include significant correlations between the walkability categories and physical activity as well as between the walkabi[ity categories and the two motivations for walking （recreation and transportation）. To our knowledge, this is the first study that reports links between wa[kability and walking for recreation. Additionally, the use of the Walkability Framework allowed us to identify the walkability categories most strongly correlated with the two motivations for walking. The results of this study support the use of the Walkability Framework as a model to measure the built environment in relation to its ability to promote physical activity.
