published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

<p>A sustainable development of entrepreneurship will not be possible in such a complex andchallenging environment as today’s society, without the attainment of effective learning andbusiness support capabilities (Williams, 1998). One such support is obtained through havingexperienced entrepreneurs mentor less experienced entrepreneurs, transferring knowledge(Clutterbuck, 2004) and facilitating learning (Sullivan, 2000). As Leonard Bisk (2002)and Sullivan (2000) among other researchers (Deakins et al. 1997) stress, there is a need tolook beyond the start-up process of a firm and the use of mentorship in this early phase,and focus more on how entrepreneurs who have been in business for a while can benefitfrom a mentor program, an area referred to as “the nature of timing and support” (Sullivan,2000, p. 163).</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to explore how an experienced entrepreneur, a mentor, canhelp a less experienced entrepreneur, an adept, achieve entrepreneurial development duringand throughout different phases of the entrepreneurial life cycle, in the most efficient manner.</p><p>An entrepreneurial life cycle can be divided into several phases, which can be used in orderto examine the entrepreneur’s development process within different time periods of runninga firm. Start-up support generally involves providing entrepreneurs with the crucial“tools” for survival, such as basic financial support, bookkeeping and marketing (Sullivan,2000). Mature entrepreneurs generally request psychological benefits, such as reassuranceand improved confidence as they wonder whether or not their experiences are normal andhow they should be interpreted (Megginson et al. 2006). There are two types of directivementoring styles, coaching and counseling, and two types of non directive mentoring,counseling and networking.</p><p>The main objective with our research in this thesis was to explore how entrepreneurs’ developmentthroughout and during different phases was affected by active participation in amentor program. To gather information we used a qualitative method, in which we interviewedten entrepreneurs who were currently active in a mentor program, or had been activewithin the last 12 months. The empirical findings were later analyzed in the light of theframe of references and the authors own viewpoint, by conducting a within case/cross casecomparisons.</p><p>The results indicate that a mentor can best help an entrepreneur achieve entrepreneurialdevelopment by providing non directive support, enabling the entrepreneur to draw his orher own conclusions and stimulate self reliance. This support is best delivered after thestart-up and conception phase, the first phase of the life-cycle.</p>

A well-maintained bridge infrastructure is a fundamental necessity for a modern society that provides great value, but ensuring that it meets all the requirements sustainably and cost-effectively is challenging. Bridge investment and management decisions generally involve selection from multiple alternatives. All of the options may meet the functional demands, but their life-cycle cost (LCC), service life-span, user-cost, aesthetic merit and environmental impact may differ substantially. Thus, life-cycle analysis (LCCA, a widely used decision-support technique that enables comparison of the LCC of possible options), is essential. However, although LCCA has recognized potential for rationalizing bridge procurement and management decisions its use in this context is far from systematic and the integration of LCCA findings in decisions is often far from robust. Thus, the overall objective of the work underlying this thesis has been to contribute to the development of sustainable bridge infrastructures while optimizing use of taxpayers’ money, by robustly incorporating life-cycle considerations into bridge investment and management decision-making processes. The work has introduced a full scheme for applying LCCA throughout bridges’ entire life-cycle. Several practical case studies have been presented to illustrate how an agency could benefit from use of a bridge management system (BMS) to support decisions related to the management of existing bridges and procure new bridges. Further developments include a comprehensive approach incorporating a novel LCCA technique, “LCC Added-Value Analysis”, which enables procurement of the most cost-efficient bridge design through a fair design-build (D-B) tendering process. A further contribution is a novel, holistic approach designed to enable procurement of bridges with the maximal possible sustainability (life-cycle advantages) under D-B contracts. The approach combines LCC Added-Value analysis with other techniques that make bridges’ aesthetic merit and environmental impact commensurable using an adapted concept named the willingness-to-pay-extra (WTPE). The systematic analytical procedures and potential of LCCA to deliver major savings highlighted in this thesis clearly demonstrate both the feasibility and need to integrate LCCA into bridge procurement and management decisions. This need has been recognized by Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration), which has implemented a software tool developed in the research (BaTMan-LCC) in its bridge and tunnel management system (BaTMan). This thesis introduces readers to the field, considers BaTMan and the bridge stock in Sweden, discusses the developments outlined above and obstacles hindering further implementation of LCCA, then presents proposals for further advances. / <p>QC 20131029</p>

Water utilities are facing pressure to continue to provide high-quality potable water in an increasingly energy constrained world; managing the ageing infrastructure that exists in many countries is a challenge in and of itself, but recently this has been coupled with political and public attention to the environmental impacts of the distribution system. Utility managers need to take a holistic approach to decision-making in order to determine all of the impacts of their plans. The intention of this thesis is to present a set of considerations for utility planners and managers to provide clarity to the trade-offs associated with any pipe replacement decision. This research has examined the energy relationships between operational energy reduction and the embodied energy tied to replacing deteriorated pipes in water distribution networks. These relationships were investigated through the development and application of a life-cycle energy analysis (LCEA) for three different pipe replacement schedules developed with the intent to reduce leakage in the system. The results showed that the embodied energy for pipe replacement is significant even when compared against the large amount of energy required to operate a large-scale water utility. The annual operational energy savings of between 8.9 and 9.6 million kWh achieved by 2070 through pipe replacement comes at a cost; 0.88-2.05 million kWh/mile for replacement with ductile iron pipes with diameters of 6” to 16” respectively. This imbalance resulted in a maximum energy payback period of 17.6 years for the most aggressive replacement plan in the first decade. Some of the assumptions that were used to complete the LCEA were investigated through a sensitivity analysis; specific factors that were numerically queried in this chapter include the break rate forecasting method, pumping efficiency, the leakage duration and the flow rate per leakage event. Accurate accounting of energy requirements for pipe replacement will become even more important as energy and financial constraints continue to increase for most water utilities, this thesis provides guidance on some of the complex relationships that need to be considered. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-08-21 16:51:18.963

The aim of this Engineering Doctorate is to design, build and test novel environmental retrofit technologies to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings. Three contributions to knowledge are documented. The first contribution is the technical verification of a novel proof-of-principle prototype incorporating translucent silica aerogel granules to improve the thermal performance of existing windows without blocking out all of the useful natural light. The study demonstrates that a 10 mm thick prototype panel can reduce heat loss by 80 %, without detrimental reductions in light transmission. Payback periods of 3.5-9.5 years are predicted if applied as openable shutters or removable secondary glazing. The second contribution is a streamlined life cycle assessment of silica aerogel following the ISO 14000 standards. The study assesses the raw materials and electricity use associated with two of the three known methods of aerogel production. Despite being produced in a laboratory that had not been refined for mass manufacture, the production energy and CO2 burden from aerogel production can be recovered within 0-2 years when applied in a glazing application. The third contribution is the development and verification of a novel solar air heater incorporating granular aerogel, retrofitted to an external south facing wall, preheating the air in a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery on a hard4to4 treat domestic property. During the 7-day in-situ test, peak outlet temperatures up to 45 °C were observed and validated to within 5 % of predictions, preheating the dwelling’s fresh air supply up to 30 °C, facilitating internal temperatures of 21-22 °C without auxiliary heating. The predicted financial and CO2 payback for a range of cover thicknesses is 7-13 years and 0-1 years, respectively. Efficiency up to 60 % and a financial payback of 4.5 years is predicted with an optimised design incorporating a 10 mm thick granular aerogel cover.

At the Swedish Transport Administration two different maintenance strategies are practiced to keep cameras in road tunnels clean. The theory of Life Cycle Cost, LCC, is applied on maintenance depending on its Level of Automation, LoA, and is further developed. In the case of cameras, in Swedish road tunnels the processes demonstrate two different LoA. LCC is used to compare and analyze how the properties between semiautomatic and manual maintenance affect investment costs, operational costs and the cost of preventive and corrective maintenance. Semiautomatic cleaning maintenance of cameras in road tunnels indicate a larger LCC than manual maintenance. This is due to a larger investment cost for machinery, but a similar annual cost for preventive maintenance. The presented properties affecting LCC are placed in a general context. This emphasize the significance of examining costs at high level of detail and comprehend the properties causing the costs.

The food production system has been acknowledged as a problem that needs to be addressed in order to achieve a sustainable society. Hertwich and Peters (2009), estimate that 10-30% of an individual’s environmental impact is related to the industrial production and consumption of food. The problem is aggravated by the wastage of one third of the global food production. The consequences of the wastage of food are the loss of resources, such as energy, water, land and labour and unnecessary emissions of pollutants. In order to address this problem several actions have been proposed. The Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which Sweden has committed to fulfil, aims to reduce by half the amount of food waste along the production and supply chain by 2030. Retail is an important player in the food supply chain. Its influence spreads both upstream to suppliers and downstream to consumers. Therefore, this research aims to contribute to reduction of the environmental impacts related to food waste in retail, by identifying products with high environmental impacts. The main goals of this study are 1) the quantification of food waste produced by the supermarket and 2) to examine the environmental impacts of selected products in order to assess the impacts generated by the waste production at the supermarket. The findings of the research revealed 1) the importance of not only measuring the food waste in terms of mass, but also in terms of environmental indicators and costs. The results indicate bread as an important contributor for the environmental footprint of the supermarket and a potential product for interventions 2) Sorting the organic content of the products from its packaging before sending it to the current waste treatment leads to a reduction in the carbon footprint. The research identified the following recommendations: 1) increasing supermarket personnel and consumers’ awareness regarding the environmental impact of food waste, 2) finding alternative routes for waste treatment and 3) improving logistic operations.

A obtenção de etanol a partir de rotas alcoolquímicas consagradas gera resíduos com potencial de aproveitamento, tanto em outros setores produtivos como no ciclo produtivo do próprio combustível. Este é o caso de torta de filtro e vinhaça. A vinhaça em particular costuma ser devolvida ao campo com o intuito de ajustar teores nutricionais do solo no cultivo da cana. No entanto, estudos ambientais destacam que esta alternativa traz efeitos negativos sobre os meios receptores (água e solo), condição que abre a perspectiva para exploração de usos alternativos dessas substâncias. Este estudo se propôs a contribuir para o tema ao avaliar de forma sistêmica o desempenho ambiental de duas alternativas de reaproveitamento de vinhaça: (i) reuso no campo em processos de fertirrigação, alternativa consolidada no Brasil, e (ii) reuso da fração líquida da vinhaça em etapas diversas do processo industrial de obtenção de etanol. Em qualquer das situações fez-se uso da técnica de Avaliação de Ciclo de Vida - ACV para proceder tal verificação. A análise ambiental da prática de reuso de vinhaça e torta para fertirrigação foi conduzida a partir da comparação de cenários que consideraram a forma de suprimento de nutrientes para a cana e o método de colheita. A avaliação de impactos ocorreu em dois níveis: quanto ao consumo de recursos, a partir de Primary Energy Demand (PED); e em termos de emissões para o ambiente por meio da elaboração do Perfil Ambiental. Uma Análise de Sensibilidade foi também realizada para verificar o efeito de oscilações dos teores de Nitrogênio (N), Fósforo (P) e Potássio (K) na composição da vinhaça sobre os resultados obtidos, caso da primeira alternativa. Concluiu-se para esse caso que a substituição parcial de fertilizantes químicos por vinhaça traz aumento da Demanda de Energia Primária global para ambos os métodos de colheita. Em termos de Perfil Ambiental, a comparação entre cenários das mesmas práticas de manejo mostrou que a troca de adubos por vinhaça e torta é positiva para o desempenho ambiental do etanol por reduzir impactos quanto a Mudanças Climáticas (CC), Acidificação Terrestre (TA) e Toxicidade Humana (HT). Por outro lado, o tratamento de vinhaça para reposição de água na etapa industrial resultou em aumento global das contribuições para as categorias acima mencionadas além de incrementos para Eutrofização de água doce (FEut) e Ecotoxicidade de água doce (FEC), a despeito de ser constatada a redução de 45% quanto a Depleção de água (WD). Os aumentos no impacto se deveram principalmente aos efeitos negativos causados durante a produção do CaO usado no processo de tratamento da vinhaça. No entanto, a substituição deste insumo por NaOH só representou melhora em termos de CC. Pode-se concluir que a reutilização de vinhaça e de torta de filtro como complemento nutricional para o cultivo de cana-de-açúcar resultou em uma alternativa mais adequada de reaproveitamento do que o se este fluído fosse reutilizado para suprir parte da demanda hídrica de processo, mesmo quando o consumo de água na etapa industrial tenha inexoravelmente se reduzido a partir da implantação dessa medida. / The production of ethanol from consecrated alcohol chemistry routes generates waste materials with reuse potential in other productive sectors as in the alcohol production cycle. This is the case of filter cake and vinasse. Vinasse, in particular, is often returned to the field in order to adjust soil nutrient levels in the cultivation of sugarcane. However, environmental studies highlight that this alternative brings negative effects on the receiving bodies (water and soil), condition that opens the prospect for the exploration of alternative uses of these substances. This study aimed to contribute to the topic by evaluating systemically the environmental performance of two vinasse recycling alternatives: (i) reuse in the sugarcane fields in fertigation processes, consolidated alternative in Brazil, and (ii) reuse of the vinasse liquid fraction in various stages of the ethanol production process. In either situation the Life Cycle Assessment Technique - LCA was used to carry out such verification. The environmental analysis of vinasse and filter cake reuse for fertigation was conducted based on the comparison of scenarios that considered the form of nutrient supply for sugarcane crops, and the harvesting methods. Impact Assessment took place on two levels: as for resource consumption from Primary Energy Demand (PED); and in terms of emissions into the environment through the elaboration of the Environmental Profile. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to evaluate the effects of fluctuations of N, P and K contents in the composition of vinasse on the results obtained, case of the first alternative. It was concluded in this case that the partial substitution of chemical fertilizers by vinasse, led to an increase in the global Primary Energy Demand for both harvesting methods. In terms of the Environmental Profile, the comparison between scenarios with the same management practices showed that replacing chemical fertilizers with vinasse and filter cake is positive for the environmental performance of ethanol since it reduces Climate Change (CC), Terrestrial Acidification (TA) and Human Toxicity (HT) impacts. Moreover, treatment of vinasse for water replacement in the industrial stage resulted in global increases for the mentioned categories as well as increments for Freshwater Eutrophication (FEut) and Freshwater Ecotoxicity (FEC), despite being detected a reduction of 45% for WD. Impact increases were due primarily to the negative effects caused during the production of CaO used during the vinasse treatment process. However, the replacement of this input by NaOH represented improvement only in terms of CC. It can be concluded that the use of vinasse and filter cake as a nutritional supplement for sugarcane cultivation resulted in a more adequate alternative for reuse than if the fluid were reused to supply part of the water process demand, even when the water consumption in the industrial stage has inexorably been reduced since the implementation of this measure.

A recente proposta de uma nova classe de Cnidaria, Staurozoa, contribuiu para um melhor conhecimento sobre o grupo. Entretanto, os dados e hipóteses sobre a evolução, taxonomia, biologia e ecologia de Staurozoa ainda são limitados, especialmente com relação às espécies do hemisfério Sul. O objetivo deste estudo é: (1) rever caracteres tradicionalmente utilizados na taxonomia do gênero Haliclystus (alguns deles amplamente utilizados na taxonomia de Staurozoa em geral), (2) abordar questões relacionadas à ontogenia e ao ciclo de vida desses animais e (3) discutir e revisar homologias de Staurozoa e de outras classes de Medusozoa, subsidiando inferências evolutivas para o grupo. A espécie Haliclystus antarcticus foi utilizada como um modelo para Staurozoa em geral a fim de atingir os objetivos propostos. Contribuições para o conhecimento sobre a biologia e taxonomia do grupo provieram de estudos histomorfológicos e da redescrição de H. antarcticus. Dados moleculares, morfológicos e ecológicos foram utilizados em inferências sobre a ontogenia e o ciclo de vida de H. antarcticus. Discussões sobre homologias e ciclo de vida de outros Medusozoa provieram de dados histomorfológicos. As principais consequências do nosso estudo são: (a) os espécimes provenientes do Chile foram identificados erroneamente como H. auricula, e devem ser classificados como H. antarcticus; (b) muitos caracteres tradicionalmente utilizados na taxonomia do grupo são variáveis (intraespecificamente e ontogeneticamente) ou são interpretados incorretamente; (c) dados moleculares suportam a identificação da espécie Microhydrula limopsicola (Limnomedusae, Hydrozoa) como um estágio da vida de H. antarcticus, o que esclarece o ciclo de vida e a morfologia do grupo; (d) o significado evolutivo de alguns caracteres morfológicos e do ciclo de vida da classe Staurozoa foram revisados e discutidos em uma perspectiva mais ampla entre os Medusozoa. / The recent proposal of a new class of Cnidaria, Staurozoa, has contributed to a better knowledge on the group. However, data and hypotheses on evolution, taxonomy, biology, and ecology of Staurozoa are still limited, especially concerning species of the Southern Hemisphere. The aim of this study is: (1) to review characters traditionally adopted in the taxonomy of the genus Haliclystus (some of them widely used for Staurozoa taxonomy in general), (2) to address issues concerning the ontogeny and life history of these animals, and (3) to discuss and review homologies of Staurozoa and other classes of Medusozoa, subsidizing evolutionary inferences for the group. The species Haliclystus antarcticus was used as a model for Staurozoa in general in order to achieve the proposed goals. Contributions to the knowledge on the biology and taxonomy of the group came from histomorphological studies and the redescription of H. antarcticus. Molecular, morphological, and ecological data were used in inferences concerning the ontogeny and life cycle of H. antarcticus. Discussions on homologies and life cycle of other Medusozoa also came from histomorphological data. The main consequences of our studies are: (a) specimens from Chile were misidentified as H. auricula, and they should be assigned to H. antarcticus; (b) many characters traditionally adopted in the taxonomy of the group were demonstrated to be either variable or incorrectly interpreted; (c) molecular data have supported the assignment of the Hydrozoa Limnomedusae species Microhydrula limopsicola as a phase of the life cycle of H. antarcticus, what shed light on the understanding of the life cycle of the group and its morphology; (d) the evolutionary meaning of some morphological and life cycle characters in the class Staurozoa were reviewed and discussed in a broader perspective among the Medusozoa.