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Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone / The subject matter of this report regards the overall efficiency of two University of Arizona Dormitories from a cost, energy, materials, and construction techniques point of view. Essential to this study was also the social habits of residents within the dormitories, and how they effected the energy use. The two dormitories are considered “pre – LEED” as they were built prior to the recent certification system. Both Manzanita – Mohave, and Coronado Residence Halls were examined in a case study, and interview with the Director of Residence Life, Alex Blandeburgo. In the case study portion, the dormitories’ refrigeration, electricity, steam, and water consumption rates were investigated and compared. These 4 energy types were then looked at from a cost perspective. Lastly, the use of sustainable materials was compared, as well as the construction techniques, and design of each dormitory, and how this could affect social habits, as well as energy use in the dorms. There were some very interesting findings that can be taken from this report. To begin, Manzanita – Mohave was deemed the more sustainable dorm, as its overall energy consumption rates per square foot were much lower than Coronado’s (refrigeration, steam, electricity, and water). In addition to this, Manzi – Mo had less of a cost burden on energy, and its construction methods facilitated less energy use. Additionally, the social habits of Coronado’s residents seem to favor much higher energy uses, which were attributed to their response to the construction methods of the Coronado. These essential results and theories were supported by the experiences of Alex Blandeburgo, and quintessentially mean that a residence hall’s energy efficiency is effected more by the residents that live in it and their habits, rather than its construction techniques, or LEED certification.

A Thermal loss occurs when energy is consumed and work is done by a system. The use of ElectricalAppliances in households consumes energy and causes Thermal loss which gets dissipated to itssurrounding surfaces. Harnessing these losses by using principles like Cogeneration or CombinedHeat and Power (CHP) would result in the development of new energy techniques and provide asecure and decentralized supply of Energy to the Built Environment. This study aimed at assessing theaverage Thermal losses occurring from the use of Electrical appliances in Indian households. For thepurposes of this study, a middle-class neighborhood in the capital city of Hyderabad, in the southernstate of Andhra Pradesh, India was chosen where there is an increased demand and usage ofElectricity. The method for this study was centered on a systems based approach and made use of theFourier’s Law of Conduction. As a primary step towards this study, a survey was conducted among100 dwellings with the objective of determining the, average number of people living in thehousehold, their age, total area of the household, common materials used in construction, type ofappliances which consume electricity and the average monthly consumption of electricity. As asecondary step, the data obtained from the survey was used to construct a computer based simulationmodel using PowerSim and the Fourier’s Law of Heat conduction. This computer model emulated thesystems based approach by considering the surrounding Wall & Ceiling surfaces, Floors, Window &Door surfaces as detached systems. The study revealed that of the 175kW of electricity consumed per month, 32% was dissipated tosurrounding surfaces as Thermal energy which could be harnessed for other forms of RenewableEnergy like Electricity. This would contribute to India’s efforts towards Sustainable Development andmake the households of the country a part of an energy-inclusive society by mitigating CO2 emissions.

We are now facing the challenge of sustainable development. This thesis focuses on the building illumination of one downtown hospitality building, the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel (RVH), to demonstrate three options for sustainable development of architectural lighting. The thesis employs architectural exterior lighting based on the technology of light emitting diodes (LEDs) as a vehicle to demonstrate how to reduce the energy consumption and maintenance costs of decorative lighting on building façades via three transformative lighting strategies. These three transformative lighting strategies demonstrate three possibilities of applying LEDs to develop architectural creativity and energy sustainability for an outdoor decorative lighting system. The first transformation utilizes LEDs for the retrofit of existing compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) on the RVH’s façades and rooftop, in order to improve and diversify the building’s illumination in a sustainable manner. The second transformation optimizes the yearly programming of the new outdoor decorative LED lighting in accordance with differing seasonal and temporal themes in order to save energy, demonstrate architectural creativity via versatile lighting patterns, and systematically manage the unstable generation of renewable energy. The third transformation explores the potential of on-site electricity generation in an urban context instead of its purchase from BC Hydro. Photovoltaic (PV) panels will generate the electrical requirements of the RVH’s decorative exterior LED lighting. This transformation will transfer daytime solar energy to electricity for night outdoor building illumination; consequently, it can encourage outdoor activities in the nighttime for Vancouverites, and is a means of compensating for the limited daytime hours in Vancouver’s winter months.

The currently topical problems of forest management are issues of trans-science. They can be framed in the language of science but they cannot be resolved in the language of science. They involve historically contingent phenomena for which predictive certainty is not possible and they involve issues of moral, aesthetic and economic value. What is the role of science in contributing to the public debate on what are fundamentally social issues such as clear-cut logging or the preservation of old-growth forests? A history and philosophy of science, in general, and ecological science, in particular, is presented that traces the transition, over the last half century, from a positivist science of universal, timeless, predictable order to a science that attempts to interpret local, particular aspects of nature. The former relies on identifying restricted spatio-temporal scales that facilitate prediction while the latter focuses on an understanding of the causal relations within interrelated systems that facilitate explanation of system properties. A kind of contextual or dialectical holism is advocated wherein system components are considered in the context of the whole and the whole is considered as an epiphenomenon resulting from causal interaction of the parts. A history of forest science is presented that identifies sustained yield forestry as a construct of positivist science. Recent insights by ecological science, into the complexity and contingency of forest ecosystems, reveal the limitations of this simplified view. Moreover, the application of a single large-scale strategy such as sustained yield forestry to managing forests in British Columbia contained value assumptions that no longer reflect the full range of values that the public express. The currently topical debates on clear-cutting, logging in municipal watersheds and over-cutting are offered as examples of how questions of fact and questions of value become linked. Although these debates have been carried on in the language of science they are essentially social issues and cannot be resolved by science. The role of science in contributing to the resolution of social issues, such as the development of a sustainable forestry, is not to develop specific solutions but to contribute to the social dialogue in a subservient fashion. Science can characterize the context in which disagreements about matters of value take place. Science can use its experimental protocols to help society construct living experiments that allow us to learn our way into the future. Science can take part in an equitable conversation on sustainable forestry that will facilitate a better understanding of the beliefs and values of the human component of forested ecosystems.

This study examines ecotourism as a form of sustainable development in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries, with ecotourism being one of the fastest growing sectors. Ecotourism can provide a superior and sustainable alternative to traditional, resource dependent industries that are prevalent in developing countries. This research offers a multi-disciplinary perspective incorporating economic, environmental and social issues surrounding the implementation of an ecotourism industry. A framework for sustainable ecotourism development is created using indicators developed by the World Tourism Organization. This framework is applied to three case studies within the Eastern Cape. The case studies demonstrate both common and uniqe opportunities and challeges for ecotourism development throughout the Eastern Cape. The end result of this project is to create a better understanding of the tourism-environment relationship, and to explore how ecotourism, and more specifically backpacking, can contribute to sustainable development. This study contributes to the literature on the use of indicators in ecotourism. A framework of indicators for sustainable ecotourism represents the final product of this research. This framework can be used by local governments and organizations to aid in the planning and management of ecotourism both in South Africa and other developing nations, and lead to improvements in both the physical and social environments. / Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-22 15:44:02.927

<p>Despite some gains in economic reforms and international commitments, Ethiopia still maintains the position of one of the poorest countries in the world in the 21st century with very little power to influence the allocation of reources in the world market. The development problems in many of the sub-saharan regions are confined within the countyry including the difficulty to keep up with rapid increase in the number of primary school enrollments, which has led to a situation of compromised quality / high child mortality and HIV/AIDS, which poses additional challenges to the poor health facilities, gender and regional inequalities and sustainable debt burden. Making matters worse, Ethiopia's political instability, civil war, recurring of drought, and economic mismanagement ties the country to a severe poverty cycle.. Ethiopia has made important economic, social and political reforms with the support of the World bank and other multilateral institutions, to pave the way for the country to face the challenges posed by globalization. However, these reforms have not been sustained by effective implementation. The response to overcome the problemshas also been slow to see rapid growth. In this research paper, the writer explores the challenges regarding Ethiopia's poverty from perspective of the World Bank. The research examines the theoretical and conceptual underpinning of the World Bank's general mandate and objectives on poverty reduction, using Ethiopia as acase study.</p>

The intent of this Practicum is to explore the redevelopment of the Windsor Park Golf Course in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This aim was instigated by the release of an Expression of Interest by the City of Winnipeg in the fall of 2011 to sell a number of its publicly owned golf courses of which Windsor Park was named. The land currently occupied by the golf course is rich with natural amenities, which includes a long and contiguous riparian corridor, mature patches of valuable upland forest, and areas of natural drainage. The overarching goal of this practicum is to retain these ecosystem services by implementing best practices that promote a repurposing of existing land use, create a new residential neighbourhood to limit new urban sprawl and enhance accessibility for residents and visitors.

The challenge to overcome hunger remains one of the most serious confrontations facing humanity today. The threat of starvation is most serious in Africa, where an estimated 33% (138 million) of the population, mainly women and children, suffer from malnutrition. An estimated 680 million people, representing about two thirds of the rural poor, keep livestock, confirming the importance of livestock to their livelihoods. Understanding a live stock system requires description and analysis of its various components and their functional inter-relationships (the systemâs functioning), rather than the description of livestock production alone. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyse the se relationships which are best understood by evaluating the various flows among system components as well as farmersâ management decisions. Farms vary in their resource endowments and in the family circumstances of the owners, with various resource flows and external interactions at the farm level. The biophysical, socio-economic and human elements of a farm are interdependent, and can be analysed as a system from various points of view. The challenges experienced in conducting diagnostic livestock studies are often attributed to the specific characteristics of livestock keeping. Taking cognisance of each farmerâs unique environment and context is central to the framework of farming systems research. No single component of smallholder farms in developing countries has as much potential as ruminant animals to address simultaneously the inter-related factors of under-nutrition, poverty and environmental decline that prevent people from improving their livelihoods. In mixed farming systems, as a result of the interplay among farm families, animals, crops and social systems, the roles and contributions of animals to smallholder agriculture are complex. The projected increased demand for livestock products could result in far-reaching changes in the structure of smallholder livestock production. Livestock never interact with natural resources in isolation, but people as livestock managers play a deciding role and are affected by biophysical, economic, social and policy factors. In this context, an integrated approach to natural resource management is required. Eighty-six smallholder cattle farmers in the Nzhelele District of the Limpopo Province of South Africa were surveyed. The farmers owned between one and 67 cattle, with an average of 10.3 head of cattle per household. The average age at first calving was 34.3 months. The rates of calving, weaning, calf mortality, herd mortality and offtake were 49.4%, 34.2%, 26.1%, 15.6% and 7.8% respectively. Contrary to the situation in many other regions of Southern Africa, commercial enterprise, not social prestige, constituted the main reason for farming with cattle. A marked complimentarity in resource-use i.e. crop residues as animal forage, has been demonstrated. Family size is the single most important factor among all variables studied (farm size, grazing land area, cultivated area and maize production area) that influences herd size for cattle and goats. The most important factor limiting the amount of land cultivated and the area used for maize production is farm size. Farm size has no relationship to the number of cattle or goats owned, as livestock predominantly depend on communal grazing. Animal traction supported by family labour, played a prominent role in land cultivation, due to the small farm size. Empirical studies and reviews from Eastern (Kenya) and Southern (South Africa) Africa has been used to construct a policy framework to guide livestock development in these two regions. Five overarching, integrated elements have been identified. These include food production and security, capacity strengthening for livestock research, livestock and the environment, health and genetics and marketing of livestock and livestock products. The framework that emerges is complex, due to the dramatically increasing demand for livestock products and, as a result, the farreaching changes in the structure of smallholder livestock production. To promote the development of smallholder farmers, different policy options must be assessed and evaluated, bearing in mind the farmersâ likely responses. New policies must include food production and security, capacity strengthening for livestock research, livestock and the environment, health and genetics and marketing of livestock and livestock products. An attempt has been made to translate these into complex, multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral policy frameworks.

This practicum explores the concept of sustainable retail development and seeks out innovative approaches that can be employed by retailers, retail developers and urban planners to create more sustainable retail environments in Canadian cities. This is achieved in part through a case study of how a notable Canadian retailer, Mountain Equipment Co-op, addresses the negative social, environmental and economic implications of predominant retail development practices. Although the concept of ‘sustainable retailing’ encompasses an extremely broad number of considerations which may include product sourcing, transportation and manufacturing standards, materials recycling, building construction and customer and employee satisfaction; this practicum focuses on the issues of ‘sustainable retail development’ from an urban planning perspective. These considerations include the economic, environmental and social impacts of site location and development decisions of retailers. The intention of this practicum is to promote change both locally and globally through the encouragement of more sustainable retail development initiatives at the district, block, site and community scales.