De "caldeirão do diabo" a "paraíso ecológico": a conversão da Ilha Grande

A partir de 1994, com a cessão das terras e benfeitorias do extinto Instituto Penal Cândido Mendes na Vila Dois Rios, a Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) passou a atuar na Ilha Grande (Angra dos Reis/RJ), de forma mais expressiva, fundando o Centro de Estudos Ambientais e Desenvolvimento Sustentável (CEADS). Em função da relevância socioambiental da Costa Verde, em especial, da Ilha Grande, e dos compromissos assumidos pela universidade com a implantação do CEADS, o presente estudo buscou avaliar como a gestão desse campus pode contribuir para o estabelecimento de políticas públicas que promovam a sustentabilidade socio-ambiental da Ilha Grande. Desta forma, a partir de um diagnóstico socioambiental da Costa Verde, com ênfase na Ilha Grande, foi realizada uma reflexão crítica sobre os processos de territorialização em Dois Rios e uma apreciação dos problemas socioambientais prioritários por meio da Análise da Cadeia Causal. Identificou-se como as principais causas raízes dos problemas prioritários da Ilha Grande, a fragilidade do sistema de governança (dificuldade de implementar acordos; dificuldade de mobilização social; falta de ordenamento dos diferentes níveis de governo; inadequada integração de considerações ambientais nas políticas públicas; impunidade; corrupção, precariedade da fiscalização) e causas políticas (conflitos entre diferentes instância públicas). Evidenciou-se, também, um distanciamento entre as instituições gestoras locais e os centros de produção de conhecimento que atuam na região, entre os quais a UERJ, através do CEADS. A partir do envolvimento institucional mais forte e de uma política ambiental a ser assumida como estratégia de gestão da UERJ como um todo, propõe-se a implantação de um ecocampus na unidade de Dois Rios, que oportunize à universidade contribuir, de forma pró-ativa, para a sustentabilidade da Costa Verde, sem exclusão da população local, assim como, realizar uma ampla reflexão e reformulação de suas práticas. Palavras-chave: Ilha Grande. Turismo. Análise da Cadeia Causal. Território. Ecocampus. Sustentabilidade

Modelo para la implementación de procesos de Eco Innovación en el sector industrial Colombiano

El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar un modelo de implementación, aplicación y medición de diferentes procesos de eco-innovación al interior de una empresa. Para lograr este fin, se presenta una estructura donde se evalúan los procesos productivos del sector industrial colombiano y su relación con la eco-innovación, esto para realizar un filtro dentro de la propuesta y poder dirigir el proyecto a empresas idóneas para adoptar un modelo eco-innovador. Este modelo está basado en diferentes métodos de desarrollo de conceptos como lo son la innovación, el desarrollo sostenible y un término que en los últimos tiempos ha venido tomando fuerza dentro del sector empresarial mundial, el término Eco-amigable. Este término será entonces una base para la relación de los procesos productivos con la adaptación de la eco-innovación para generar un desarrollo sostenible referente al ambiente y un posicionamiento empresarial industrial dentro de un mercado altamente competitivo.

Determinantes e indicadores de eco-inovação

This study aimed to gather the determinants and indicators of environmental innovations through a literature review on the topic. But before it was made a presentation of concepts and typology of eco-innovation, with different points of view. The determinant more found by most authors was regulation, followed by market factors, cost reductions and company image. To highlight these determinants were presented some cases studies, including evidence in Brazil. Due to the short bibliography and case studies, there are few indicators of environmental innovation found, highlighting the investment in environmental R&D and patents

Sindicalismo e meio ambiente: a participação da Central Única dos Trabalhadores nas Conferências Eco 92 e Rio +20

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Ecos da memória: a re-construção da identidade em A misteriosa chama da rainha Loana, de Umberto Eco

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Measuring eco-roof mitigation on flash floods via GIS simulation

Purpose: The rapid and ongoing expansion of urbanised impervious areas could lead to more frequent flood inundation in urban flood-prone regions. Nowadays, urban flood inundation induced by rainstorm is an expensive natural disaster in many countries. In order to reduce the flooding risk, eco-roof systems (or green roof systems) could be considered as an effective mechanism of mitigating flooding disasters through their rainwater retention capability. However, there is still a lack of examining the stormwater management tool. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects on flooding disaster from extensive green roofs. Design/methodology/approach: Based on geographical information system (GIS) simulation, this research presents a frame of assessing eco-roof impacts on urban flash floods. The approach addresses both urban rainfall-runoff and underground hydrologic models for traditional impervious and green roofs. Deakin University’s Geelong Waurn Ponds campus is chosen as a study case. GIS technologies are then utilised to visualise and analyse the effects on flood inundation from surface properties of building roofs. Findings: The results reveal that the eco-roof systems generate varying degrees of mitigation of urban flood inundation with different return period storms. Originality/value: Although the eco-roof technology is considered as an effective stormwater management tool, it is not commonly adopted and examined in urban floods. This study will bring benefits to urban planners for raising awareness of hazard impacts and to construction technicians for considering disaster mitigation via roof technologies. The approach proposed here could be used for the disaster mitigation in future urban planning.

Final report : tasks 1 and 4: eco-efficiency assessment of building refurbishment

The main objective was to compare the environmental impacts of a building undergoing refurbishment both before and after the refurbishment and to assist in the design of the refurbishment with what is learned.

Integrating eco-efficiency assessment of commercial buildings into the design process : LCADesign

The ability to assess a commercial building for its impact on the environment at the earliest stage of design is a goal which is achievable by integrating several approaches into a single procedure directly from the 3D CAD representation. Such an approach enables building design professionals to make informed decisions on the environmental impact of building and its alternatives during the design development stage instead of at the post-design stage where options become limited. The indicators of interest are those which relate to consumption of resources and energy, contributions to pollution of air, water and soil, and impacts on the health and wellbeing of people in the built environment as a result of constructing and operating buildings. 3D object-oriented CAD files contain a wealth of building information which can be interrogated for details required for analysis of the performance of a design. The quantities of all components in the building can be automatically obtained from the 3D CAD objects and their constituent materials identified to calculate a complete list of the amounts of all building products such as concrete, steel, timber, plastic etc. When this information is combined with a life cycle inventory database, key internationally recognised environmental indicators can be estimated. Such a fully integrated tool known as LCADesign has been created for automated ecoefficiency assessment of commercial buildings direct from 3D CAD. This paper outlines the key features of LCADesign and its application to environmental assessment of commercial buildings.

LCADesign : an integrated approach to automatic eco-efficiency assessment of commercial buildings

Buildings consume resources and energy, contribute to pollution of our air, water and soil, impact the health and well-being of populations and constitute an important part of the built environment in which we live. The ability to assess their design with a view to reducing that impact automatically from their 3D CAD representations enables building design professionals to make informed decisions on the environmental impact of building structures. Contemporary 3D object-oriented CAD files contain a wealth of building information. LCADesign has been designed as a fully integrated approach for automated eco-efficiency assessment of commercial buildings direct from 3D CAD. LCADesign accesses the 3D CAD detail through Industry Foundation Classes (IFCs) - the international standard file format for defining architectural and constructional CAD graphic data as 3D real-world objects - to permit construction professionals to interrogate these intelligent drawing objects for analysis of the performance of a design. The automated take-off provides quantities of all building components whose specific production processes, logistics and raw material inputs, where necessary, are identified to calculate a complete list of quantities for all products such as concrete, steel, timber, plastic etc and combines this information with the life cycle inventory database, to estimate key internationally recognised environmental indicators such as CML, EPS and Eco-indicator 99. This paper outlines the key modules of LCADesign and their role in delivering an automated eco-efficiency assessment for commercial buildings.

Eco-cosmpolitanism

Two new landscape projects for Victoria's City of Moreland explore an intriguing fusion of indigenous and multicultural community qualities imbued with the romantic sensibilities of the collaborative design team.

Eco-retrofitting with building integrated living systems

Building integrated living systems (BILS), such as green roofs and living walls, could mitigate many of the challenges presented by climate change and biodiversity protection. However, few if any such systems have been constructed, and current tools for evaluating them are limited, especially under Australian subtropical conditions. BILS are difficult to assess, because living systems interact with complex, changing and site-specific social and environmental conditions. Our past research in design for eco-services has confirmed the need for better means of assessing the ecological values of BILS - let alone better models for assessing their thermal and hydrological performance. To address this problem, a research project is being developed jointly by researchers at the Central Queensland University (CQ University) and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), along with industry collaborators. A mathematical model under development at CQ University will be applied and tested to determine its potential for predicting their complex, dynamic behaviour in different contexts. However, the paper focuses on the work at QUT. The QUT school of design is generating designs for living walls and roofs that provide a range of ecosystem goods and services, or ‘eco-services’, for a variety of micro-climates and functional contexts. The research at QUT aims to develop appropriate designs, virtual prototypes and quantitative methods for assessing the potential multiple benefits of BILS in subtropical climates. It is anticipated that the CQ University model for predicting thermal behaviour of living systems will provide a platform for the integration of ecological criteria and indicators. QUT will also explore means to predict and measure the value of eco-services provided by the systems, which is still largely uncharted territory. This research is ultimately intended to facilitate the eco-retrofitting of cities to increase natural capital and urban resource security - an essential component of sustainability. The talk will present the latest range of multifunctional, eco-productive living walls, roofs and urban space frames and their eco-services.

Eco-retrofitting - from managerialism to design

As all environmental problems are caused by human systems of design, sustainability can be seen as a design problem. Given the massive energy and material flows through the built environment, sustainability simply cannot be achieved without the re-design of our urban areas. ‘Eco-retrofitting’, as used here, means modifying buildings and/or urban areas to create net positive social and environmental impacts – both on site and off site. While this has probably not been achieved anywhere as yet, myriad but untapped eco-solutions are already available which could be up-scaled to the urban level. It is now well established that eco-retrofitting buildings and cities with appropriate design technology can pay for itself through lower health costs, productivity increases and resource savings. Good design would also mean happier human and ecological communities at a much lower cost over time. In fact, good design could increase life quality and the life support services of nature while creating sustainable‘economic’growth. The impediments are largely institutional and intellectual, which can be encapsulated in the term ‘managerial’. There are, however, also systems design solutions to the managerial obstacles that seem to be stalling the transition to sustainable systems designs. Given the sustainability imperative, then, why is the adoption of better management systems so slow? The oral presentation will show examples of ways in which built environment design can create environments that not only reduce the ongoing damage of past design, but could theoretically generate net positive social and ecological outcomes over their life cycle. These illustrations show that eco-retrofitting could cost society less than doing nothing - especially given the ongoing renovations of buildings - but for managerial hurdles. The paper outlines on how traditional managerial approaches stand in the way of ‘design for ecosystem services’, and list some management solutions that have long been identified, but are not yet widely adopted. Given the pervasive nature of these impediments and their alternatives, they are presented by way of examples. A sampling of eco-retrofitting solutions are also listed to show that ecoretrofitting is a win-win-win solution that stands ready to be implemented by people having management skills and/or positions of influence.

Research Monograph: Managing ubiquitous eco cities: telecommunication infrastructure networks, technology convergence and intelligent urban management systems

Efficient and effective urban management systems for Ubiquitous Eco Cities require having intelligent and integrated management mechanisms. This integration includes bringing together economic, socio-cultural and urban development with a well orchestrated, transparent and open decision making mechanism and necessary infrastructure and technologies. In Ubiquitous Eco Cities telecommunication technologies play an important role in monitoring and managing activities over wired, wireless or fibre-optic networks. Particularly technology convergence creates new ways in which the information and telecommunication technologies are used and formed the back bone or urban management systems. The 21st Century is an era where information has converged, in which people are able to access a variety of services, including internet and location based services, through multi-functional devices such as mobile phones and provides opportunities in the management of Ubiquitous Eco Cities. This research paper discusses the recent developments in telecommunication networks and trends in convergence technologies and their implications on the management of Ubiquitous Eco Cities and how this technological shift is likely to be beneficial in improving the quality of life and place of residents, workers and visitors. The research paper reports and introduces recent approaches on urban management systems, such as intelligent urban management systems, that are suitable for Ubiquitous Eco Cities.

Managing ubiquitous eco cities : technology, infrastructure and management issues

Literature on Ubiquitous Eco Cities highlights three key issues to be carefully considered while planning, developing and managing such cities: ‘technology, infrastructure and management’. This paper discusses the recent developments in telecommunication networks, trends in technology convergence and both of their implications on the management of Ubiquitous Eco Cities. The paper also introduces recent approaches on urban management, such as intelligent urban management systems, that are potentially suitable for Ubiquitous Eco Cities.

Managing ubiquitous eco cities : the role of urban telecommunication infrastructure networks and convergence technologies

A successful urban management system for a Ubiquitous Eco City requires an integrated approach. This integration includes bringing together economic, socio-cultural and urban development with a well orchestrated, transparent and open decision making mechanism and necessary infrastructure and technologies. Rapidly developing information and telecommunication technologies and their platforms in the late 20th Century improves urban management and enhances the quality of life and place. Telecommunication technologies provide an important base for monitoring and managing activities over wired, wireless or fibre-optic networks. Particularly technology convergence creates new ways in which the information and telecommunication technologies are used. The 21st Century is an era where information has converged, in which people are able to access a variety of services, including internet and location based services, through multi-functional devices such as mobile phones and provides opportunities in the management of Ubiquitous Eco Cities. This paper discusses the recent developments in telecommunication networks and trends in convergence technologies and their implications on the management of Ubiquitous Eco Cities and how this technological shift is likely to be beneficial in improving the quality of life and place. The paper also introduces recent approaches on urban management systems, such as intelligent urban management systems, that are suitable for Ubiquitous Eco Cities.