ADOPTING LEED CERTIFICATION IN LODGING FACILITIES: GREENING THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

The research intended to analyze the adoption process of the green certification "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" (LEED) from the hotel sector establishments that has already adopted it. For its concretization it was proceeded a bibliographical research, secondary fact-gathering in journals, institutional sites and documentaries, and primary fact-gathering by means of semi structured interviews carried out with responsible people of the certified hotels and of the responsible entity of the certification in Brazil (Green Building Council Brazil). There were 21 interviewee, being 02 of the GBC Brazil and 19 of means of lodging (31% of the certified). For data analysis, it was utilized content analysis technique with the aid of ATLAS.ti software. The results permitted to identify the chronology of the processes of certification and the profile of the hotel categories that adopt the LEED program. Beyond that, the interviews enabled the discussion of the initial motivations for seeking the certification, as well the advantages and the obstacles perceived regarding its adoption.

Territorial quality and sustainable development : Indicators of performance in the context of a model for participatory rural tourism certification

El turismo rural ha sido incorporado por pequeños establecimientos agropecuarios del partido de Cnel. Suárez, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, como actividad alternativa para mejorar la calidad de vida de sus miembros y superar situaciones de crisis agravadas por la marginalidad productiva del SO bonaerense, región a la que pertenecen. Bajo el programa Cambio Rural del INTA (Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria) conforman el Grupo 'Cortaderas II', junto a otros emprendedores interesados en valorar el medio rural. Han avanzado en el proceso de reconocimiento de su identidad y puesta en valor de recursos específicos con anclaje en el territorio. Esta identidad comienza a apreciarse internamente, a raíz de la dinámica grupal lograda y la incipiente articulación con otros actores para la construcción de un partenariado público y privado que genere sinergias y contribuya al desarrollo sustentable del territorio. Sin embargo, aún no es claramente percibida por el turista, cada vez más exigente. Por lo tanto, el presente trabajo persigue proponer indicadores para evaluar el desempeño de un Sistema de Gestión de Calidad con enfoque territorial que, adaptando el modelo europeo 'Marca de Calidad Territorial', sustente una estrategia comercial de diferenciación del servicio y simultáneamente, mida el progreso hacia una mejor calidad de vida y fortalecimiento de vínculos con la cultura local y el entorno físico-natural en el marco del desarrollo sustentable. La investigación se plantea para la micro escala, ya que se trata de un estudio de caso, relevándose información primaria mediante observación directa y entrevistas semi-estructuradas, complementada con información secundaria diagnóstica utilizada por INTA. Las características del grupo y su dinámica de funcionamiento bajo el programa Cambio Rural revelan que es posible adoptar un proceso de certificación participativa propuesto para cuatro pilares de la calidad: de Bienes y Servicios, Institucional, Social y Ambiental. El modelo se integra con indicadores de evaluación de desempeño, agrupados en áreas clave para cada una de las dimensiones de la sustentabilidad, que contemplan el paisaje y la gestión de los recursos naturales; el impacto económico de la actividad, la calidad de la oferta y satisfacción del turista; así como las relaciones sociales internas y los vínculos con otros actores del territorio. Principalmente se encontraron fortalezas en la búsqueda de partenariados y debilidades en aspectos de comunicación y promoción. Se considera que este sistema de herramientas de gestión sustentable permitiría superar las dificultades de una certificación individual, pudiendo aplicarse a emprendimientos con otra ubicación geográfica

Territorial quality and sustainable development : Indicators of performance in the context of a model for participatory rural tourism certification

El turismo rural ha sido incorporado por pequeños establecimientos agropecuarios del partido de Cnel. Suárez, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, como actividad alternativa para mejorar la calidad de vida de sus miembros y superar situaciones de crisis agravadas por la marginalidad productiva del SO bonaerense, región a la que pertenecen. Bajo el programa Cambio Rural del INTA (Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria) conforman el Grupo 'Cortaderas II', junto a otros emprendedores interesados en valorar el medio rural. Han avanzado en el proceso de reconocimiento de su identidad y puesta en valor de recursos específicos con anclaje en el territorio. Esta identidad comienza a apreciarse internamente, a raíz de la dinámica grupal lograda y la incipiente articulación con otros actores para la construcción de un partenariado público y privado que genere sinergias y contribuya al desarrollo sustentable del territorio. Sin embargo, aún no es claramente percibida por el turista, cada vez más exigente. Por lo tanto, el presente trabajo persigue proponer indicadores para evaluar el desempeño de un Sistema de Gestión de Calidad con enfoque territorial que, adaptando el modelo europeo 'Marca de Calidad Territorial', sustente una estrategia comercial de diferenciación del servicio y simultáneamente, mida el progreso hacia una mejor calidad de vida y fortalecimiento de vínculos con la cultura local y el entorno físico-natural en el marco del desarrollo sustentable. La investigación se plantea para la micro escala, ya que se trata de un estudio de caso, relevándose información primaria mediante observación directa y entrevistas semi-estructuradas, complementada con información secundaria diagnóstica utilizada por INTA. Las características del grupo y su dinámica de funcionamiento bajo el programa Cambio Rural revelan que es posible adoptar un proceso de certificación participativa propuesto para cuatro pilares de la calidad: de Bienes y Servicios, Institucional, Social y Ambiental. El modelo se integra con indicadores de evaluación de desempeño, agrupados en áreas clave para cada una de las dimensiones de la sustentabilidad, que contemplan el paisaje y la gestión de los recursos naturales; el impacto económico de la actividad, la calidad de la oferta y satisfacción del turista; así como las relaciones sociales internas y los vínculos con otros actores del territorio. Principalmente se encontraron fortalezas en la búsqueda de partenariados y debilidades en aspectos de comunicación y promoción. Se considera que este sistema de herramientas de gestión sustentable permitiría superar las dificultades de una certificación individual, pudiendo aplicarse a emprendimientos con otra ubicación geográfica

Territorial quality and sustainable development : Indicators of performance in the context of a model for participatory rural tourism certification

El turismo rural ha sido incorporado por pequeños establecimientos agropecuarios del partido de Cnel. Suárez, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, como actividad alternativa para mejorar la calidad de vida de sus miembros y superar situaciones de crisis agravadas por la marginalidad productiva del SO bonaerense, región a la que pertenecen. Bajo el programa Cambio Rural del INTA (Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria) conforman el Grupo 'Cortaderas II', junto a otros emprendedores interesados en valorar el medio rural. Han avanzado en el proceso de reconocimiento de su identidad y puesta en valor de recursos específicos con anclaje en el territorio. Esta identidad comienza a apreciarse internamente, a raíz de la dinámica grupal lograda y la incipiente articulación con otros actores para la construcción de un partenariado público y privado que genere sinergias y contribuya al desarrollo sustentable del territorio. Sin embargo, aún no es claramente percibida por el turista, cada vez más exigente. Por lo tanto, el presente trabajo persigue proponer indicadores para evaluar el desempeño de un Sistema de Gestión de Calidad con enfoque territorial que, adaptando el modelo europeo 'Marca de Calidad Territorial', sustente una estrategia comercial de diferenciación del servicio y simultáneamente, mida el progreso hacia una mejor calidad de vida y fortalecimiento de vínculos con la cultura local y el entorno físico-natural en el marco del desarrollo sustentable. La investigación se plantea para la micro escala, ya que se trata de un estudio de caso, relevándose información primaria mediante observación directa y entrevistas semi-estructuradas, complementada con información secundaria diagnóstica utilizada por INTA. Las características del grupo y su dinámica de funcionamiento bajo el programa Cambio Rural revelan que es posible adoptar un proceso de certificación participativa propuesto para cuatro pilares de la calidad: de Bienes y Servicios, Institucional, Social y Ambiental. El modelo se integra con indicadores de evaluación de desempeño, agrupados en áreas clave para cada una de las dimensiones de la sustentabilidad, que contemplan el paisaje y la gestión de los recursos naturales; el impacto económico de la actividad, la calidad de la oferta y satisfacción del turista; así como las relaciones sociales internas y los vínculos con otros actores del territorio. Principalmente se encontraron fortalezas en la búsqueda de partenariados y debilidades en aspectos de comunicación y promoción. Se considera que este sistema de herramientas de gestión sustentable permitiría superar las dificultades de una certificación individual, pudiendo aplicarse a emprendimientos con otra ubicación geográfica

Adoption of ISO9001 through supply chain in Vietnam : impacts of FDI and product-related environmental regulation

The objective of the present study is to examine the determinants of ISO 9001 certification, focusing on the effect of Product-related Environmental Regulations on Chemicals (PRERCs) and FDI using the answers to several questions in our Vietnam survey conducted from December 2011 to January 2012. Our findings suggest that PRERCs may help with the improvement in quality control of Vietnamese firms. If Vietnamese manufacturing firms with ISO 9001 certification are more likely to adopt ISO 14001, as well as firms in developed countries, our results indicate that the European chemical regulations may assist in the reduction of various environmental impacts in Vietnam. In addition, we found that FDI promotes the adoption of ISO 9001. If FDI firms in Vietnam certify ISO 14001 after the adoption of ISO 9001, as in the case of Malaysia and the developed economies, FDI firms may also be able to improve environmental performance as a result of ISO 14001.

Greenfield shopping center development. The integration between environmental features, building design and investment analysis at the decision making stage

The Shopping centre is a long term investment in which Greenfield development decisions are often taken based on risks analysis regarding construction costs, location, competition, market and an expected DCF. Furthermore, integration between the building design, project planning, operational costs and investment analysis is not entirely considered by the investor at the decision making stage. The absence of such information tends to produce certain negative impacts on the future running costs and annual maintenance of the building, especially on energy demand and other occupancy expenses paid by the tenants to the landlord. From the investor´s point of view, this blind spot in strategy development will possibly decrease their profit margin as changes in the occupancy expenses[ ] have a direct outcome on the profit margin. In order to try to reduce some higher operating cost components such as energy use and other utility savings as well as their CO2 emissions, quite a few income properties worldwide have some type of environmental label such as BREEAM and LEED. The drawback identified in this labelling is that usually the investments required to get an ecolabel are high and the investor finds no direct evidence that it increases market value. However there is research on certified commercial properties (especially offices) that shows better performance in terms of occupancy rate and rental cost (Warren-Myers, 2012). Additionally, Sayce (2013) says that the certification only provides a quick reference point i.e. the lack of a certificate does not indicate that a building is not sustainable or efficient. Based on the issues described above, this research compares important components of the development stages such as investments costs, concept/ strategy development as well as the current investor income and property value. The subjects for this analysis are a shopping centre designed with passive cooling/bioclimatic strategies evaluated at the decision making stage, a certified regional shopping centre and a non-certified standard regional shopping centre. Moreover, the proposal intends to provide decision makers with some tools for linking green design features to the investment analysis in order to optimize the decision making process when looking into cost savings and design quality.

Responsiveness summary : United States Army Corps of Engineers : Waukegan Harbor, Lake County, Illinois : Section 401 water quality certification for dredging of the Waukegan Harbor approach channel and advanced maintenance area.

The approved project allows the Corps to dredge the Waukegan Harbor approach channel and advanced maintenance area. The area to be dredged lies immediately east of the north breakwater. It is approximately a rectangle 650 feet north and south and 1,400 feet east and west. The advanced maintenance area is a band along the north side of the channel. The approved project is for a 10-year certification, under which the Corps may remove 22,000 to 75,000 cubic yards of sediment per dredging event. The dredging depth is 22 feet and the amount to be dredged is about one foot of sediment. As a condition of the certification, disposal of the dredged sediment in Lake Michigan or the waters of the state cannot occur until the conditions of the certification are met. These conditions, which have been placed on the certification by Illinois EPA, ensure that the project meets state water quality standards and is consistent with the determinations of the Illinois Attorney General's Task Force on asbestos contamination at Illinois Beach State Park.

Backflow prevention certification workshop information and materials

The information enclosed in this booklet consists of memos, policy statements and other pertinent information to guide you in the establishment of a backflow prevention program.

The role of forest certification for the conservation of biodiversity and sustainability of cork oak woodlands

Doutoramento em Engenharia Florestal e dos Recursos Naturais - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - UL

Long-term Prospects For The Environmental Profile Of Advanced Sugar Cane Ethanol.

This work assessed the environmental impacts of the production and use of 1 MJ of hydrous ethanol (E100) in Brazil in prospective scenarios (2020-2030), considering the deployment of technologies currently under development and better agricultural practices. The life cycle assessment technique was employed using the CML method for the life cycle impact assessment and the Monte Carlo method for the uncertainty analysis. Abiotic depletion, global warming, human toxicity, ecotoxicity, photochemical oxidation, acidification, and eutrophication were the environmental impacts categories analyzed. Results indicate that the proposed improvements (especially no-til farming-scenarios s2 and s4) would lead to environmental benefits in prospective scenarios compared to the current ethanol production (scenario s0). Combined first and second generation ethanol production (scenarios s3 and s4) would require less agricultural land but would not perform better than the projected first generation ethanol, although the uncertainties are relatively high. The best use of 1 ha of sugar cane was also assessed, considering the displacement of the conventional products by ethanol and electricity. No-til practices combined with the production of first generation ethanol and electricity (scenario s2) would lead to the largest mitigation effects for global warming and abiotic depletion. For the remaining categories, emissions would not be mitigated with the utilization of the sugar cane products. However, this conclusion is sensitive to the displaced electricity sources.

Genetic Diversity Of Giardia Duodenalis: Multilocus Genotyping Reveals Zoonotic Potential Between Clinical And Environmental Sources In A Metropolitan Region Of Brazil.

Giardia duodenalis is a flagellate protozoan that parasitizes humans and several other mammals. Protozoan contamination has been regularly documented at important environmental sites, although most of these studies were performed at the species level. There is a lack of studies that correlate environmental contamination and clinical infections in the same region. The aim of this study is to evaluate the genetic diversity of a set of clinical and environmental samples and to use the obtained data to characterize the genetic profile of the distribution of G. duodenalis and the potential for zoonotic transmission in a metropolitan region of Brazil. The genetic assemblages and subtypes of G. duodenalis isolates obtained from hospitals, a veterinary clinic, a day-care center and important environmental sites were determined via multilocus sequence-based genotyping using three unlinked gene loci. Cysts of Giardia were detected at all of the environmental sites. Mixed assemblages were detected in 25% of the total samples, and an elevated number of haplotypes was identified. The main haplotypes were shared among the groups, and new subtypes were identified at all loci. Ten multilocus genotypes were identified: 7 for assemblage A and 3 for assemblage B. There is persistent G. duodenalis contamination at important environmental sites in the city. The identified mixed assemblages likely represent mixed infections, suggesting high endemicity of Giardia in these hosts. Most Giardia isolates obtained in this study displayed zoonotic potential. The high degree of genetic diversity in the isolates obtained from both clinical and environmental samples suggests that multiple sources of infection are likely responsible for the detected contamination events. The finding that many multilocus genotypes (MLGs) and haplotypes are shared by different groups suggests that these sources of infection may be related and indicates that there is a notable risk of human infection caused by Giardia in this region.

Environmental Controls In The Water Use Patterns Of A Tropical Cloud Forest Tree Species, Drimys Brasiliensis (winteraceae).

Trees from tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) display very dynamic patterns of water use. They are capable of downwards water transport towards the soil during leaf-wetting events, likely a consequence of foliar water uptake (FWU), as well as high rates of night-time transpiration (Enight) during drier nights. These two processes might represent important sources of water losses and gains to the plant, but little is known about the environmental factors controlling these water fluxes. We evaluated how contrasting atmospheric and soil water conditions control diurnal, nocturnal and seasonal dynamics of sap flow in Drimys brasiliensis (Miers), a common Neotropical cloud forest species. We monitored the seasonal variation of soil water content, micrometeorological conditions and sap flow of D. brasiliensis trees in the field during wet and dry seasons. We also conducted a greenhouse experiment exposing D. brasiliensis saplings under contrasting soil water conditions to deuterium-labelled fog water. We found that during the night D. brasiliensis possesses heightened stomatal sensitivity to soil drought and vapour pressure deficit, which reduces night-time water loss. Leaf-wetting events had a strong suppressive effect on tree transpiration (E). Foliar water uptake increased in magnitude with drier soil and during longer leaf-wetting events. The difference between diurnal and nocturnal stomatal behaviour in D. brasiliensis could be attributed to an optimization of carbon gain when leaves are dry, as well as minimization of nocturnal water loss. The leaf-wetting events on the other hand seem important to D. brasiliensis water balance, especially during soil droughts, both by suppressing tree transpiration (E) and as a small additional water supply through FWU. Our results suggest that decreases in leaf-wetting events in TMCF might increase D. brasiliensis water loss and decrease its water gains, which could compromise its ecophysiological performance and survival during dry periods.

Trends and strategies of ozone application in environmental problems

Efforts presented by the scientific community in recent years towards the development of numerous green chemical processes and wastewater treatment technologies are presented and discussed. In the light of these approaches, environmentally friendly technologies, as well as the key role played by the well-known advanced oxidation processes, are discussed, giving special attention to the ones comprising ozone applications. Fundamentals and applied aspects dealing with ozone technology and its application are also presented.

Estressores em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva: versão brasileira do The Environmental Stressor Questionnaire

Este estudo teve como objetivo realizar a adaptação cultural do The Environmental Stressor Questionnaire - (ESQ) para a língua portuguesa do Brasil e verificar sua confiabilidade e validade. Foram empregadas as etapas metodológicas recomendadas pela literatura para adaptação cultural. A versão brasileira do ESQ foi aplicada a 106 pacientes de Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) de dois hospitais, público e privado, do interior do Estado de São Paulo. A confiabilidade foi avaliada quanto à consistência interna e estabilidade (teste e reteste); a validade convergente foi verificada por meio da correlação entre o ESQ e questão genérica sobre estresse em UTI. A confiabilidade foi satisfatória com Alfa de Crombach=0,94 e Coeficiente de Correlação Intraclasse=0,861 (IC95% 0,723; 0,933). Constatou-se correlação entre o escore total do ESQ e a questão genérica sobre estresse (r=0,70), confirmando a validade convergente. A versão brasileira do ESQ mostrou-se uma ferramenta confiável e válida para avaliação de estressores em UTI.

Multivariate analysis of the effects of soil parameters and environmental factors on the flavonoid content of leaves of Passiflora incarnata L., Passifloraceae

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of soil characteristics (pH, macro- and micro-nutrients), environmental factors (temperature, humidity, period of the year and time of day of collection) and meteorological conditions (rain, sun, cloud and cloud/rain) on the flavonoid content of leaves of Passiflora incarnata L., Passifloraceae. The total flavonoid contents of leaf samples harvested from plants cultivated or collected under different conditions were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV/PAD). Chemometric treatment of the data by principal component (PCA) and hierarchic cluster analyses (HCA) showed that the samples did not present a specific classification in relation to the environmental and soil variables studied, and that the environmental variables were not significant in describing the data set. However, the levels of the elements Fe, B and Cu present in the soil showed an inverse correlation with the total flavonoid contents of the leaves of P. incarnata.