An argument is developed for a new framework for design, to assist in overcoming barriers to the implementation of environmentally responsible solutions for building design. Though there exist the technical solutions to move towards more environmentally benign building practices, the vast majority of building designers do not employ these solutions in their designs. The research first identifies some problems to be overcome in order to improve the implementation of environmentally responsible design solutions. These problems are: the complexity and value conflict presented by environmental issues; the inability of designers to effectively pre-structure design problems in terms of environmental issues; the difficulty designers face in making design decisions regarding environmental issues; the ineffectiveness of existing tools at providing assistance with these problems, and the lack of ecological grounding of existing tools and of design thinking in general. The search for solutions to these problems guides the direction of the research. Three streams of investigation are conducted, making up the first three parts of the thesis. The first stream is an investigation of design methods which results in recommendations for ways of providing assistance to the designer. A range of existing environmental assessment tools are reviewed in the light of these recommendations and their suitability, as providers of design assistance, is evaluated. The second stream is an investigation of the potential for ecological theory to inform design thinking and then, hence, to inform the development of building environmental assessment tools. Seven principles for ecological design are developed and these shape further recommendations for means of providing assistance to designers. The third stream documents the testing of some of the recommendations, from theory, in practice. A series of case studies have been conducted in which two interventions have been made into the design process. The first intervention is the front-loading of the design process with environmental considerations by implementing an Environmental Brief. The second intervention is the introduction of life cycle thinking into the design process. The results from these three streams of investigation inform the development of a new model for building environmental assessment that provides assistance during the design process. The new model is a framework for the design process within which various components fulfil a series of interrelated tasks aimed at solving the problems that currently lead to poor implementation of environmental design strategies. The implementation of recommendations based on the seven principles for ecological design produce a new paradigm for environmental assessment of buildings. In particular the application of the building life cycle, in the form of an organisational structure for the framework, provides a means of visualising and mapping the relationships between the building and the environment. This helps the designer to better understand these relationships and therefore be able to better deal with their complexity and the conflicts arising between various competing environmental issues. The building life cycle, provides an overarching structure within which any environmental issues may be considered. This provides great flexibility, for consideration of unique project parameters, for the inclusion of different existing tools within the new framework and for the future evolution of the framework and the issues that it covers. The framework directs emphasis toward the early stages of the design process though the environmental briefing process. The briefing process assists with the setting of priorities for the client and design team, which in turn lead to the setting of design problems that are more likely to contain environmental criteria. The most beneficial aspect of this is found to be the improved pre-structuring of design problems over time as experience of previous projects is utilised when considering new ones. This highlights an important role for the framework as a record of the design process. This record can be used as a reference throughout the design of the building under consideration at the time, and for reference during the design of future projects.

Thesis (M.App.Sc.) - Carleton University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 185-191). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Colonialism is ongoing in Canada and continues to affect Indigenous-state relations in a number of political and social areas, including water governance. Few other studies link colonial and decolonizing concepts to Indigenous water governance including discussions of power as well as structural and political assumptions, which speak to systemic factors and barriers to increased Indigenous water sovereignty. The purpose of this study is to undertake an in-depth decolonial analysis of the dynamics occurring in a legal water management dispute between an Indigenous community and the Canadian state. More specifically, the goal of this investigation is to identify how ongoing colonial factors affect the Halalt First Nation’s sovereignty over their waters. To this end, the research question is: Using an Indigenous resurgence (IR) analysis, what does the Halalt First Nation v British Columbia (Minister of the Environment) (Halalt v BC) caselaw reveal about the state of Indigenous water sovereignty in Canada? I employ a case study methodology where I analyse the Environmental Assessment (EA) and legal court case of Halalt v BC. I seek to provide a decolonial perspective, so in this study I use an IR theoretical framework. I collect data through interviews with ten participants including three Band Council staff members involved in the Halalt v British Columbia EA and court case study. I analyse the findings using three Indigenous resurgence themes of transfer of power from the state to an Indigenous community, increased respect and use of Indigenous worldviews, and Indigenous self-determination in light of the primary data I collected via key informant interviews and case study participants. The data reveals that there was no evidence that Indigenous resurgence is taking place in the case study as per Halalt participants’ experience of the case study nor the other participants’ opinion of the case study. In this thesis, I advocate for decolonization in the form of increased Indigenous political authority for the Halalt and all Indigenous communities in Canada. / Graduate

The aim of this case study has been to evaluate differences between the public and the private sector based on interest and knowledge of Life cycle assessments, LCA, of residential buildings. The construction and building sector have a major impact on the environment and the climate change. Methods and tools are required to measure and compare the environmental impacts generated from human activities and products within the sector. The entire life cycle must be known and kept in mind in order to value the total environmental impact of activities and products. The environmental life cycle of a product consists all the different stages, from raw material, through use, to waste management. Life cycle assessment is a method that makes it possible to value and then minimize the environmental impact throughout the whole life cycle. Telephone interviews with representatives from participant counties and companies have been made in order to compare their answers and to achieve great insight of how they work towards environmental questions. The results show that the sectors differ from each other. The private sector was further in the development, although a larger number of the counties had plans on using the assessment in the future. The interviews indicated LCA’s future role in the sector, and even though LCA’s is quite new in the area the future seems bright. The global population and the demand for residents are continuously increasing and the need to adopt the sector to sustainable development is substantial.

O setor da construção civil provoca impactos significativos sobre o meio-ambiente. No Brasil, problemas econômicos e sociais tendem a agravar essa situação. Nesse sentido, as carências habitacionais são provavelmente um dos maiores desafios do setor, pois a construção e fornecimento dessas moradias, além de refletir em diferentes impactos no meio ambiente, na saúde e no conforto de seus usuários, usualmente, também apresentam significativas restrições financeiras. Buscando alternativas para esses problemas, o grupo de sustentabilidade do Núcleo Orientado para a Inovação da Edificação (NORIE) vem desenvolvendo estudos de aprimoramento e de avaliação de uma habitação de interesse social concebida e construída segundo diretrizes para edificações sustentáveis: o Protótipo Alvorada. O objetivo deste trabalho, em continuidade, é a avaliação ambiental dos subsistemas implantados e dos materiais empregados na habitação. Complementarmente, também é feita a identificação dos custos desses materiais. A definição do método de avaliação ambiental, através da revisão bibliográfica, embasou-se naqueles existentes e consolidados, nas cargas ambientais genericamente ocorrentes ao longo do ciclo de vida de uma edificação e nos dados disponíveis no contexto nacional. O método resultante, aplicado, foi composto de critérios de avaliação, que caracterizam cargas ambientais imediatas, vinculadas a potenciais impactos finais. A representação gráfica simultânea das três escalas de análise (da edificação como um todo, dos subsistemas e dos materiais) proporciona uma apreensão rápida e fácil dos resultados e permite identificar quais subsistemas apresentam potenciais de impactos ambientais mais significativos em cada critério e, por sua vez, quais os pontos fracos dos mesmos. A partir dessas informações é possível gerar modificações nas soluções implantadas, visando ao seu aperfeiçoamento. Adicionalmente, os dados gerados pela avaliação fornecem valores para o desenvolvimento de referenciais iniciais de desempenho ambiental de edificações de interesse social no contexto brasileiro. Quanto aos custos referentes aos materiais, são considerados elevados se comparados aos de outras tipologias habitacionais de mesmo padrão implantadas atualmente, porém, há de se considerar que são referentes a uma unidade prototípica, os quais tendem a ser superiores àqueles de soluções consolidadas e de implantação em grande escala. / Considerable environmental impacts are involved in the construction industry. In Brazil, economic and social issues tend to make this situation worse. Lack of housing is, probably, the biggest challenge, because construction and allotment reflect impacts in environment, in users health and comfort, and usually is financially restricted. Seeking alternatives to those problems, the sustainability group of Núcleo Orientado para a Inovação da Edificação (NORIE) has been developing studies on the improvement and assessment of a low-income housing designed and built according to directives in sustainable buildings: The Alvorada prototype. The aim of this continued research is the environmental assessment of subsystems implanted and materials used in dwelling. Complementary, materials costs are identified. The method definition, through bibliographic research, was based in consolidated methods, in environmental loads generically happening along building life cycle and in national context available data. Resultant, applied method is composed of evaluation criteria which characterize immediate environmental loads and are linked up with potential final impacts. Simultaneous graphical representation of the three analysis scales (of the construction as a whole, of the subsystems and of the materials) provides a fast and easy results apprehension and allows to identify which subsystems presents more significant potentials environment impacts in each criterion and their weak points. From this information it is possible to generate modifications in the implanted solutions, aiming their improvement. Besides this, environmental assessment data generated supply values for the initial development of benchmark about lowincome housing environmental performance in Brazilian context. Concerning material costs, they are considered high when compared to those of most commonly built low-cost houses in Brazil. However, it must be considered that, as a prototype, its costs are higher than the already consolidated solutions in constructions and than those built in large scale.

Os rios Iguaçu e Barigüi, nos trechos afetados pelo vazamento da REPAR (2000), foram amostrados em 18 pontos, em 3 campanhas (2007-2008). TPH, BTEX e HPA ocorrem na água com concentrações muito baixas ou nem foram detectados. Não há aporte de hidrocarbonetos proveniente da REPAR. No sedimento, não foram detectados BTEX, HPA têm concentrações baixas ou não foram detectados; TPH ocorre em concentrações 10 vezes menores que o padrão ambiental, mas foi detectado em todas as amostras. As maiores concentrações ocorrem no rio Iguaçu, a jusante da foz do Barigüi. Alguns HPA presentes no óleo derramado só ocorrem neste trecho, sugerindo origem a partir do rio Barigüi. As razões diagnósticas de HPA no sedimento não estabelecem ligação direta com o vazamento da REPAR, por predominarem indicações de fonte pirolítica ou mista. Entretanto, estudo do sedimento do Banhado 4 mostrou que muitas das razões diagnósticas de HPA que indicavam fonte petrogênica no óleo original passaram a indicar fonte pirolítica 7 anos após o acidente. O índice pirogênico é a única razão que manteve indicação de fonte petrogênica. Na estação seca, as concentrações médias de esteróis no sedimento do rio Barigüi são coprostanol (25,97 μg/g), coprostanona (4,67 μg/g), colesterol (9,02 μg/g), colestanol (4,15 μg/g) e colestanona (0,42 μg/g). Na estação chuvosa, as concentrações reduzem-se pela metade (colestanona não foi detectada). O rio Iguaçu apresenta resultados similares a montante de Fazenda Rio Grande. Mas, nesta localidade, as concentrações aumentam apenas na estação chuvosa para coprostanol (249,63 μg/g), coprostanona (11,6 μg/g), colesterol (81,85 μg/g) e colestanol (49,99 μg/g), o que é atribuído à lavagem do solo pela água pluvial. A influência de Araucária é marcada por altas concentrações de coprostanol (329,8 μg/g na estação seca e 229,25 μg/g na estação chuvosa). Daí até General Lúcio as maiores concentrações ocorrem no canal principal, na campanha seca (média de 246,08 μg/g); na campanha chuvosa, a média cai para 101,51 μg/g. Nos canais secundários, o comportamento é contrário, relacionado ao acúmulo de sedimentos contaminados ocorrer aí apenas na cheia. No rio Iguaçu, os valores médios de COT na estação chuvosa e na seca são semelhantes (~28 mg/g) e bem maiores do que no rio Barigüi (estação chuvosa 5,2 μg/g; seca 8,9 mg/g). As relações entre coprostanol e COT indicam que o aporte de esgoto é o principal fator de definição do teor de carbono orgânico sedimentar apenas para o canal principal do rio Iguaçu e na estação chuvosa. Nos canais secundários deste rio e no rio Barigüi, em qualquer estação, ocorre contribuição importante de outras fontes (vegetação e/ou produção primária in situ). Coprostanol e coprostanona apresentam forte correlação nas duas estações. A ausência de correlação entre coprostanol e colesterol na estação seca, nos dois rios, pode ser explicada pela degradação do colesterol e/ou por parte deste provir de fonte diferente do coprostanol. As razões [5β/(5α+5β)estanona] e [5β/(5α+5β)estanol] são superiores a 7 (altamente contaminado) em 16 pontos na estação chuvosa e em todos os 18 pontos na estação seca. / The Iguaçu and Barigui rivers in parts affected by leakage REPAR (2000), were sampled in 18 points in three campaigns (2007-2008). TPH, BTEX and PAH occurring in water with very low concentrations or not detected. There is no input of oil from the REPAR. In the sediment, were not detected BTEX, PAH concentrations are low or not detected; TPH occurs in concentrations 10 times lower than the environmental standard, but was detected in all samples. The highest concentrations occur in the Iguaçu river, downstream from the mouth of Barigui. Some PAHs present in the oil spill occur only in this stretch, suggesting origin from the river Barigüi. The reasons diagnostic of PAH in the sediment do not establish a direct connection with the leaking of REPAR, predominate source of indication by pyrolytic or mixed. However, a study of sediment from the Wetland 4 showed that many of the reasons diagnostic for PAH that indicated petrogenic source in the original oil passed indicate source pyrolytic seven years after the accident. Pyrogenic index is the only reason that kept indication of petrogenic source. In the dry season, the average concentrations of sterols in the sediment of Barigüi river are coprostanol (25.97 μg/g), coprostanona (4.67 μg/g), cholesterol (9.02 μg/g), cholestanol (4.15 μg/g) and Cholestanones (0.42 μg/g). In the rainy season, the concentrations are reduced by half (Cholestanones was not detected). The Iguaçu river shows similar results upstream of Fazenda Rio Grande. But in this location the concentrations increase only during the rainy season to coprostanol (249.63 μg/g), coprostanona (11.6 μg/g), cholesterol (81.85 μg/g) and cholestanol (49.99 μg/g), which is assigned to wash the soil by rainwater. The influence of Araucaria is marked by high concentrations of coprostanol (329.8 μg/g dry season and 229.25 μg/g in the rainy season). Thence to General Lúcio the highest concentrations occur in the main channel in the dry campaign (average of 246.08 μg/g) in the rainy campaign, the average falls to 101.51 μg/g. In the secondary channels, the behavior is opposite, related to the accumulation of contaminated sediments occur there only in full. In the Iguaçu River, the average values of TOC in the rainy and dry seasons are similar (~ 28 mg/g) and much larger than the Barigüi river (wet season 5.2 μg/g dry 8.9 mg/g). The relationships between coprostanol and TOC indicate that the sewage discharges are the main factor defining the sedimentary organic carbon content just for the main channel of the Iguaçu river and the rainy season. In secondary channels this river and in the river Barigüi, in any season, there is significant contribution from other sources (vegetation and/or primary production in situ). Coprostanol and coprostanona have strong correlation in both seasons. The lack of correlation between cholesterol and coprostanol in the dry season in the two rivers can be explained by the degradation of cholesterol and/or part of this come from different source of coprostanol. The reasons [5β / (5α +5 β) estanona] and [5β / (5α +5 β) stanol] are superior to 7 (highly polluted) on 16 points in the rainy season and all 18 points in the dry season.

Electrified Vehicles (EVs), including Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and Pure Electric Vehicles (PEVs), can provide substantial improvements in energy efficiency, emission reduction, and lifecycle cost over conventional vehicles solely powered by Internal Combustion Engines (ICE). Progress on electrification of marine vessels has been made, but the pace has been impacted by factors such as the different operational load profile of vessels, relatively small production levels and longer or varied lifetimes. In this dissertation, hybrid electric and pure electric propulsion system designs for fishing boats and passenger ferries are studied based on in-field acquired operational data. A new integrated marine propulsion system modeling and simulation method and a dedicated mobile data acquisition system have been introduced to analyze the energy efficiency, emission reduction, and lifecycle costs of new or retrofitted fishing boats and passenger ferries with hybrid electric and pure electric powertrains. Following the automotive industry Model Based Design (MBD) approach, modeling and simulation of electrified vessels using the acquired operation profile have been carried out using backward and forward-facing methods. Series hybrid electric and pure electric powertrain system designs with powertrain component models and rule-based system control, including a properly sized electric Energy Storage System (ESS) with a Supercapacitor (SC) or battery, have been studied. The total CO2 equivalent (CO2e) or Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and lifecycle costs of various new, electrified vessel propulsion system designs have been evaluated. Clean propulsion system solutions for fishing boats and passenger ferries with detailed powertrain system and control system designs are given which provide a foundation for further research and development. This dissertation also addresses the environmental impact of Natural Gas (NG) as a transportation fuel, particularly for marine transportation use. A systematic evaluation of GHG emissions is provided for the upstream fuel supply chain of natural gas fuel in British Columbia (BC), Canada. The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) lifecycle GHG emissions produced in both the upstream supply chain and the downstream vessel propulsion are estimated quantitatively using manufacturer data and propulsion system models of marine vessels. Extensive data have been collected from oil and gas companies that have active operations in BC to determine the upstream supply chain GHG emissions of the NG fuel under three scenarios. The energy efficiency and emissions of natural gas engines are compared with traditional diesel fuel marine engines and generators. The results obtained indicate that LNG fuel can lower CO2e by 10% to 28% with reduced local air pollutants such as sulfur oxides and particulates, compared to conventional diesel fuel. However, engine methane slip during combustion should be monitored as it can have a significant impact on the GHG emissions and so offset the environmental benefits of LNG. / Graduate

L'industrie microélectronique est engagée depuis longtemps dans des mesures visant à réduire ses impacts sur l'environnement, et ce sur toutes les phases du cycle de vie de ses produits. Sur les sites de fabrication, la suite logique à la mise en place de système de traitement des pollutions est l'anticipation de ces dernières. L'éco-conception des technologies microélectroniques, c'est-à-dire l'intégration de paramètres environnementaux dans leur processus de développement, permet de répondre à cet objectif. Notre travail de recherche a pour but de caractériser environnementalement les procédés de fabrication microélectronique afin de proposer des outils et méthodes pour leurs concepteurs. Nous avons donc modélisé une technologie microélectronique, et associé des impacts environnementaux aux flux entrants et sortants. Cela nous a permis de proposer des indicateurs environnementaux destinés à la R&D et adaptés à un site de développement et de production microélectronique. / The microelectronic industry has been engaged for a long time in measures to reduce its impacts on the environment, regarding all the life cycle phases of its products. For the manufacturing sites, the logical follow-ups to the implementation of pollutions treatment systems are their anticipation. The eco-design of microelectronic technologies, that is the integration of environmental parameters in their development process, enables to meet this objective. The aim of our research work is to environmentally characterize the microelectronic manufacturing processes to propose tools and methods for their designers. Therefore, we modeled a microelectronic technology, and we matched environmental impacts with its inputs and outputs. This allows us to suggest environmental indicators for the R&D, which are adapted to a microelectronic development and manufacturing site.

La protection de l'environnement constitue un défi majeur pour la communauté internationale. Dépassant les frontières étatiques, elle renvoie à une vision globale de son encadrement juridique. Dans cette perspective, la problématique environnementale, incontournable dans bien des domaines, ne peut plus être ignorée par l'aide publique au développement qui doit l'intégrer dans toutes ses opérations. Longtemps critiquées pour les politiques qu’elles ont entreprises, les banques multilatérales de développement (BMD) se sont emparées de la question environnementale. Elles contribuent à renouveler les modalités de la protection de l'environnement, intensifiant et diversifiant l'arsenal juridique international en y intégrant des mécanismes innovants tels que l'évaluation environnementale, la conditionnalité environnementale ou bien encore l'accountability. La thèse se concentre sur l’étude de ces mécanismes. À travers l’observation des pratiques de la Banque mondiale et des banques régionales de développement, cette recherche en apprécie l'effectivité et montre l’ambivalence des dispositifs, oscillant entre innovation normative et immaturité de la mise en œuvre. / Protecting the environment is a major challenge for the international community. Beyond the state borders, the topic refers to a global vision of its legal framework. Hence, environmental issues, which cannot be ignored in many areas, can no longer be ignored by official development assistance and must integrate this process into all its operations. Long criticized for the policies they have undertaken, the multilateral development banks (MDBs) have now seized the environmental issue. They contribute to renew the modalities of environmental protection, intensifying and diversifying the international legal arsenal, integrating innovative mechanisms such as environmental assessment, environmental conditionality and accountability. This thesis focuses on the study of these mechanisms. Through observing the practices of the World Bank and regional development banks, this research appreciates the effectiveness of these various mechanisms, and shows the ambivalence of the devices, oscillating between normative innovation and immaturity of the implementation.

A presente pesquisa foi realizada com o intuito de identificar as contribuições da AAE para a elaboração dos planos de manejo das Áreas de Proteção Ambiental (APA) relacionados à conservação da biodiversidade e áreas protegidas. Para atingir este objetivo a pesquisa foi divida em três etapas. Na primeira, as questões relacionadas à biodiversidade e às áreas protegidas foram identificadas nos procedimentos metodológicos da AAE. Assim, na segunda etapa estas questões foram relacionadas com os benefícios da AAE. Com base nesta relação foi possível elaborar um quadro para comparar e analisar os estudos de caso (Plano local do Parque Nacional Cairngorms na Escócia e o Projeto de expansão do Parque Nacional Elefante Addo na África do Sul) com o roteiro metodológico para elaboração de planos de manejo de APAs quanto aos benefícios da AAE (terceira etapa). Desta maneira, verificou-se que os benefícios que a AAE proporciona aos PPPs não podem ser verificados em sua totalidade no roteiro metodológico para os planos de manejo de APA. Entretanto, há um potencial para que estes sejam alcançados, mas para isso seria necessário um instrumento, como a AAE, para auxiliar e avaliar o processo de elaboração dos planos de manejo de APAs. / The present work identified the contribution of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the development of management plan of Environmental Protected Area (EPA) related to biodiversity conservation and protected areas. The research was divided into three stages. First, the issues related to biodiversity and protected areas were identified in the methodological framework of the SEA; in the second stage, they were related to the benefits of the SEA. Based on these previous stages, a framework was elaborated to compare and analyse the case studies (Cairngorms National Park local Plan and the Greater Addo Elephant National Park Project) with a methodological guide for the management plans of EPA, taking into consideration the SEA benefits. It was possible to conclude that the benefits of the SEA cannot be identified in their entirety in methodological guide. However, there they can be achieved by the development of SEA to assist and evaluate the process of preparing management plans for EPA.