PDVSA-Bitor revamps Orimulsion formula to boost environmental cost benefits

Orimulsion400 is a new generation of the Orimulsion formula. This new generation is a more environmentally friendly, cost-effective energy source. This article describes the product's evolution as well as test results from diverse power plants.

Quantificação do valor ambiental em edifícios: estudo de um caso prático

Trabalho Final de Mestrado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil

Report of the National Taskforce on Obesity: Obesity - the policy challenges: Executive Summary

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased with alarming speed over the past twenty years. It has recently been described by the World Health Organisation as a ‘global epidemic’. In the year 2000 more than 300 million people worldwide were obese and it is now projected that by 2025 up to half the population of the United States will be obese if current trends are maintained. The disease is now a major public health problem throughout Europe. In Ireland at the present time 39% of adults are overweight and 18% are obese. Of these, slightly more men than women are obese and there is a higher incidence of the disease in lower socio-economic groups. Most worrying of all is the fact that childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in Europe, with body weight now the most prevalent childhood disease. While currently there are no agreed criteria or standards for assessing Irish children for obesity some studies are indicating that the numbers of children who are significantly overweight have trebled over the past decade. Extrapolation from authoritative UK data suggests that these numbers could now amount to more than 300,000 overweight and obese children on the island of Ireland and they are probably rising at a rate of over 10,000 per year. A balance of food intake and physical activity is necessary for a healthy weight. The foods we individually consume and our participation in physical activity are the result of a complex supply and production system. The growing research evidence that energy dense foods promote obesity is impressive and convincing. These are the foods that are high in fat, sugar and starch. Of these potentially the most significant promoter of weight gain is fat and foods from the top shelf of the food pyramid including spreads (butter and margarine), cakes and biscuits, and confectionery, when combined are the greatest contributors to fat intake in the Irish diet. In company with their adult counterparts Irish children are also consuming large amounts of energy dense foods outside the home. A recent survey revealed that slightly over half of these children ate sweets at least once a day and roughly a third of them had fizzy drinks and crisps with the same regularity. Sugar sweetened carbonated drinks are thought to contribute to obesity and for this reason the World Health Organisation has expressed serious concerns at the high and increasing consumption of these drinks by children. Physical activity is an important determinant of body weight. Over recent decades there has been a marked decline in demanding physical work and this has been accompanied by more sedentary lifestyles generally and reduced leisure-time activity. These observable changes, which are supported by data from most European countries and the United States, suggest that physical inactivity has made a significant impact on the increase in overweight and obesity being seen today. It is now widely accepted that adults shoud be involved in 45-60 minutes, and children should be involved in at least 60 minutes per day of moderate physical activity in order to prevent excess weight gain. Being overweight today not only signals increased risk of medical problems but also exposes people to serious psychosocial problems due mainly to widespread prejudice against fat people. Prejudice against obese people seems to border on the socially acceptable in Ireland. It crops up consistently in surveys covering groups such as employers, teachers, medical and healthcare personnel, and the media. It occurs among adolescents and children, even very young children. Because obesity is associated with premature death, excessive morbidity and serious psychosocial problems the damage it causes to the welfare of citizens is extremely serious and for this reason government intervention is necessary and warranted. In economic terms, a figure of approximately â,¬30million has been estimated for in-patient costs alone in 2003 for a number of Irish hospitals. This year about 2,000 premature deaths in Ireland will be attributed to obesity and the numbers are growing relentlessly. Diseases which proportionally more obese people suffer from than the general population include hypertension, type 2 diabetes, angina, heart attack and osteoarthritis. There are indirect costs also such as days lost to the workplace due to illness arising from obesity and output foregone as a result of premature death. Using the accepted EU environmental cost benefit method, these deaths alone may be costing the state as much as â,¬4bn per year. The social determinants of physical activity include factors such as socio-economic status, education level, gender, family and peer group influences as well as individual perceptions of the benefits of physical activity. The environmental determinants include geographic location, time of year, and proximity of facilities such as open spaces, parks and safe recreational areas generally. The environmental factors have not yet been as well studied as the social ones and this research gap needs to be addressed. Clearly there is a public health imperative to ensure that relevant environmental policies maximise opportunities for active transport, recreational physical activity and total physical activity. It is clear that concerted policy initiatives must be put in place if the predominantly negative findings of research regarding the determinants of food consumption and physical activity are to be accepted, and they must surely be accepted by government if the rapid increase in the incidence of obesity with all its negative consequences for citizens is to be reversed. So far actions surrounding nutrition policies have concentrated mostly on actions that are within the remit of the Department of Health and Children such as implementing the dietary guidelines. These are important but government must now look at the totality of policies that influence the type and supply of food that its citizens eat and the range and quality of opportunities that are available to citizens to engage in physical activity. This implies a fundamental examination of existing agricultural, industrial, economic and other policies and a determination to change them if they do not enable people to eat healthily and partake in physical activity. The current crisis in obesity prevalence requires a population health approach for adults and children in addition to effective weight-reduction management for individuals who are severely overweight. This entails addressing the obesogenic environment where people live, creating conditions over time which lead to healthier eating and more active living, and protecting people from the widespread availability of unhealthy food and beverage options in addition to sedentary activities that take up all of their leisure time. People of course have a fundamental right to choose to eat what they want and to be as active as they wish. That is not the issue. What the National Taskforce on Obesity has had to take account of is that many forces are actively impeding change for those well aware of the potential health and well-being consequences to themselves of overweight and obesity. The Taskforce’s social change strategy is to give people meaningful choice. Choice, or the capacity to change (because the strategy is all about change), is facilitated through the development of personal skills and preferences, through supportive and participative environments at work, at school and in the local community, and through a dedicated and clearly communicated public health strategy. High-level cabinet support will be necessary to implement the Taskforce’s recommendations. The approach to implementation must be characterised by joined-up thinking, real practical engagement by the public and private sectors, the avoidance of duplication of effort or crosspurpose approaches, and the harnessing of existing strategies and agencies. The range of government departments with roles to play is considerable. The Taskforce outlines the different contributions that each relevant department can make in driving its strategy forward. It also emphasises its requirement that all phases of the national strategy for healthy eating and physical activity are closely monitored, analysed and evaluated. The vision of the Taskforce is expressed as: An Irish society that enables people through health promotion, prevention and care to achieve and maintain healthy eating and active living throughout their lifespan. Its high-level goals are expressed as follows: Its recommendations, over eighty in all, relate to actions across six broad sectors: high-level government; education; social and community; health; food, commodities, production and supply; and the physical environment. In developing its recommendations the Taskforce has taken account of the complex, multisectoral and multi-faceted determinants of diet and physical activity. This strategy poses challenges for government, within individual departments, inter-departmentally and in developing partnerships with the commercial sector. Equally it challenges the commercial sector to work in partnership with government. The framework required for such initiative has at its core the rights and benefits of the individual. Health promotion is fundamentally about empowerment, whether at the individual, the community or the policy level.

Obesity - the policy challenges: The report of the National Taskforce on Obesity

Click here to download PDF The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased with alarming speed over the past twenty years. It has recently been described by the World Health Organisation as a ‘global epidemic’. In the year 2000 more than 300 million people worldwide were obese and it is now projected that by 2025 up to half the population of the United States will be obese if current trends are maintained. The disease is now a major public health problem throughout Europe. In Ireland at the present time 39% of adults are overweight and 18% are obese. Of these, slightly more men than women are obese and there is a higher incidence of the disease in lower socio-economic groups. Most worrying of all is the fact that childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in Europe, with body weight now the most prevalent childhood disease. While currently there are no agreed criteria or standards for assessing Irish children for obesity some studies are indicating that the numbers of children who are significantly overweight have trebled over the past decade. Extrapolation from authoritative UK data suggests that these numbers could now amount to more than 300,000 overweight and obese children on the island of Ireland and they are probably rising at a rate of over 10,000 per year. A balance of food intake and physical activity is necessary for a healthy weight. The foods we individually consume and our participation in physical activity are the result of a complex supply and production system. The growing research evidence that energy dense foods promote obesity is impressive and convincing. These are the foods that are high in fat, sugar and starch. Of these potentially the most significant promoter of weight gain is fat and foods from the top shelf of the food pyramid including spreads (butter and margarine), cakes and biscuits, and confectionery, when combined are the greatest contributors to fat intake in the Irish diet. In company with their adult counterparts Irish children are also consuming large amounts of energy dense foods outside the home. A recent survey revealed that slightly over half of these children ate sweets at least once a day and roughly a third of them had fizzy drinks and crisps with the same regularity. Sugar sweetened carbonated drinks are thought to contribute to obesity and for this reason the World Health Organisation has expressed serious concerns at the high and increasing consumption of these drinks by children. Physical activity is an important determinant of body weight. Over recent decades there has been a marked decline in demanding physical work and this has been accompanied by more sedentary lifestyles generally and reduced leisure-time activity. These observable changes, which are supported by data from most European countries and the United States, suggest that physical inactivity has made a significant impact on the increase in overweight and obesity being seen today. It is now widely accepted that adults shoud be involved in 45-60 minutes, and children should be involved in at least 60 minutes per day of moderate physical activity in order to prevent excess weight gain. Being overweight today not only signals increased risk of medical problems but also exposes people to serious psychosocial problems due mainly to widespread prejudice against fat people. Prejudice against obese people seems to border on the socially acceptable in Ireland. It crops up consistently in surveys covering groups such as employers, teachers, medical and healthcare personnel, and the media. It occurs among adolescents and children, even very young children. Because obesity is associated with premature death, excessive morbidity and serious psychosocial problems the damage it causes to the welfare of citizens is extremely serious and for this reason government intervention is necessary and warranted. In economic terms, a figure of approximately â,¬30million has been estimated for in-patient costs alone in 2003 for a number of Irish hospitals. This year about 2,000 premature deaths in Ireland will be attributed to obesity and the numbers are growing relentlessly. Diseases which proportionally more obese people suffer from than the general population include hypertension, type 2 diabetes, angina, heart attack and osteoarthritis. There are indirect costs also such as days lost to the workplace due to illness arising from obesity and output foregone as a result of premature death. Using the accepted EU environmental cost benefit method, these deaths alone may be costing the state as much as â,¬4bn per year. The social determinants of physical activity include factors such as socio-economic status, education level, gender, family and peer group influences as well as individual perceptions of the benefits of physical activity. The environmental determinants include geographic location, time of year, and proximity of facilities such as open spaces, parks and safe recreational areas generally. The environmental factors have not yet been as well studied as the social ones and this research gap needs to be addressed. Clearly there is a public health imperative to ensure that relevant environmental policies maximise opportunities for active transport, recreational physical activity and total physical activity. It is clear that concerted policy initiatives must be put in place if the predominantly negative findings of research regarding the determinants of food consumption and physical activity are to be accepted, and they must surely be accepted by government if the rapid increase in the incidence of obesity with all its negative consequences for citizens is to be reversed. So far actions surrounding nutrition policies have concentrated mostly on actions that are within the remit of the Department of Health and Children such as implementing the dietary guidelines. These are important but government must now look at the totality of policies that influence the type and supply of food that its citizens eat and the range and quality of opportunities that are available to citizens to engage in physical activity. This implies a fundamental examination of existing agricultural, industrial, economic and other policies and a determination to change them if they do not enable people to eat healthily and partake in physical activity. The current crisis in obesity prevalence requires a population health approach for adults and children in addition to effective weight-reduction management for individuals who are severely overweight. This entails addressing the obesogenic environment where people live, creating conditions over time which lead to healthier eating and more active living, and protecting people from the widespread availability of unhealthy food and beverage options in addition to sedentary activities that take up all of their leisure time. People of course have a fundamental right to choose to eat what they want and to be as active as they wish. That is not the issue. What the National Taskforce on Obesity has had to take account of is that many forces are actively impeding change for those well aware of the potential health and well-being consequences to themselves of overweight and obesity. The Taskforce’s social change strategy is to give people meaningful choice. Choice, or the capacity to change (because the strategy is all about change), is facilitated through the development of personal skills and preferences, through supportive and participative environments at work, at school and in the local community, and through a dedicated and clearly communicated public health strategy. High-level cabinet support will be necessary to implement the Taskforce’s recommendations. The approach to implementation must be characterised by joined-up thinking, real practical engagement by the public and private sectors, the avoidance of duplication of effort or crosspurpose approaches, and the harnessing of existing strategies and agencies. The range of government departments with roles to play is considerable. The Taskforce outlines the different contributions that each relevant department can make in driving its strategy forward. It also emphasises its requirement that all phases of the national strategy for healthy eating and physical activity are closely monitored, analysed and evaluated. The vision of the Taskforce is expressed as: An Irish society that enables people through health promotion, prevention and care to achieve and maintain healthy eating and active living throughout their lifespan. Its high-level goals are expressed as follows: Its recommendations, over eighty in all, relate to actions across six broad sectors: high-level government; education; social and community; health; food, commodities, production and supply; and the physical environment. In developing its recommendations the Taskforce has taken account of the complex, multisectoral and multi-faceted determinants of diet and physical activity. This strategy poses challenges for government, within individual departments, inter-departmentally and in developing partnerships with the commercial sector. Equally it challenges the commercial sector to work in partnership with government. The framework required for such initiative has at its core the rights and benefits of the individual. Health promotion is fundamentally about empowerment, whether at the individual, the community or the policy level.

Sellutehtaan ympäristökustannusten määrittäminen tuotteille ympäristöraportoinnin tueksi

Työn teoriaosassa tarkastellaan ympäristökustannuksia ja niiden määrittämistä ympäristöraportoinnin tueksi. Ensin tarkastellaan ympäristökustannusten määrittämistä ja sen taustalla olevia ympäristölaskennan peruskysymyksiä. Seuraavaksi tutkitaan ympäristöraportointia ja sen ympäristökustannusten määrittämiselle asettamia vaatimuksia. Tämän jälkeen tarkastellaan ympäristökustannusten käyttöä ympäristöraportoinnin tukena. Työn päätavoitteena on luoda teoriaosan tarkastelun pohjalta laskentamalli Stora Enso Fine Paperin Varkauden sellutehtaalle. Laskentamalli rakennetaan sellutehtaan ympäristökustannusten ja ympäristövelan määrittämiseen sellutuotteille ympäristöraportoinnin tueksi. Ympäristövelka on ympäristökustannus, joka yrityksen on uhrattava ympäristönsuojeluun saavuttaakseen halutun tulevaisuuden mukaisen tason. Ympäristökustannukset ja ympäristövelka lasketaan ja kohdistetaan käyttämällä hyväksi toimintolaskentaa. Ympäristövelan määrityksessä käytetään päästöjen arvottamiseen Tammisen ja Kurjen mallia. Laskentamallin avulla pyritään selvittämään, soveltuuko toimintolaskentaan sekä Tammisen ja Kurjen malliin pohjautuva laskentamalli sellutehtaan ympäristökustannusten ja ympäristövelan määrittämiseen sellutuotteille. Tämän lisäksi haetaan vastausta sille, soveltuvatko laskentamallin konkreettiset tulokset käytettäväksi ympäristöraportoinnin tukena. Laskentamallin perusteella voidaan todeta toimintolaskennan soveltuvan hyvin sellutehtaan ympäristökustannusten ja ympäristövelan määrittämiseen sellutuotteille. Tammisen ja Kurjen arvostusmalli sisältää useita ongelmakohtia, eikä se laskentamallin perusteella sovellu sellutehtaan ympäristövelan määrittämiseen sellutuotteille. Laskentamallin tuloksena saatuja ympäristökustannuksia voidaan käyttää lähinnä toimipaikkojen välisen ympäristösuorituskyvyn vertaamiseen sekä oman toiminnan vertaamiseen suhteessa aikaisempaan toimintaan. Ympäristövelka tulisi ensisijaisesti nähdä tukemassa toimipaikkojen sisäistä ympäristösuorituskyvyn tarkastelua.

Ympäristöjärjestelmä ja ympäristökirjanpito

Työssä tarkastellaan ympäristöjärjestelmiä ja ympäristölaskentatoimea yleisesti sekä ympäristölaskentatoimen hyödyntämistä ympäristöjärjestelmän tukena. Tarkastelun perustana ovat mm. eri organisaatioiden antamat ohjeet, jotka koskevat ympäristökustannuksia ja -tuottoja sekä ympäristökirjanpitoa. Työssä käsitellään myös taloudellisen ympäristötiedon raportointia sidosryhmille vuosikertomuksissa ja muissa raporteissa. Työssä määriteltiin Vantaan Energia Oy:n ympäristötoiminnot. Tämänhetkisen toiminnan aiheuttamat ympäristökustannukset ja kustannussäästöt on määritelty mahdollisimman tarkasti eri organisaatioiden antamien ohjeiden perusteella. Ympäristökustannusten ja -tuottojen seuraamiseksi työssä esitetään malli, jonka avulla yhtiön ympäristökirjanpitoa voidaan laajentaa osana taloushallinnon laskentajärjestelmää. Jonkin verran ympäristöeriä seurataan jo tällä hetkellä yhtiön taloushallinnon laskentajärjestelmässä ja muissa järjestelmissä, esimerkiksi ympäristöjärjestelmässä. Lisäksi työssä on tehty malli ympäristötilinpäätöksen sisällöstä ja sovellettu sitä Vantaan Energia Oy:n tapaukseen.

Propuesta de un modelo de negocio de iluminación para el uso eficiente y sostenible de la energía

La iluminación eficiente consiste en brindar luz a un espacio determinado utilizando recursos que consuman poca energía, produzcan confort para quien las utiliza y reduzcan el costo ambiental de producirlas. Este tipo de iluminación pretende generar valor agregado tanto al usuario como al inversionista que la posee, amortizando su inversión a través del ahorro generado al utilizar nuevas tecnologías y produciendo beneficios a través del tiempo debido a su equilibrio con el medio ambiente y vida útil extendida. La idea del presente estudio es brindar un modelo de iluminación eficiente que incluya los parámetros básicos que necesite un sistema de iluminación para ser considerado de valor agregado y amigable con el medio ambiente demostrando sus ventajas y desventajas en el momento de efectuar la selección a partir de unos criterios que incluyen aspectos económicos, técnicos y ambientales.

A urdidura espacial do capital e do trabalho no cerrado do sudoeste goiano

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação do desempenho ambiental e racionalização do consumo de água no segmento industrial de produção de bebidas

A região Amazônica, detentora de grande potencial hídrico, tem atraído indústrias que promovem uso intensivo de água, por isso, existe uma emergência por instrumentos que administrem essa tendência. Neste trabalho foi diagnosticado o nível de racionalização do uso da água pelo setor industrial de produção de bebidas no estado do Pará, assim como as causas do comportamento do setor. As variáveis dependentes (de comportamento) foram classificadas de acordo com quatro dimensões (gestão ambiental, manejo da água, manejo dos efluentes e medidas avançadas de racionalização) que compõe o nível de racionalização da gestão industrial hídrica. As variáveis independentes foram associadas ao: porte, ramo, tipo de embalagem utilizada, disponibilidade hídrica e valor econômico da água. Os dados levantados mostraram que a produção de bebidas tem uma grande pegada hídrica operacional total (acima de) 15.250 m³/dia, com as pequenas empresas apresentando o maior consumo relativo por unidade produzida (maior que 7 L de água/L de bebida). O setor como um todo apresenta baixo nível de racionalização do uso da água, a dimensão mais eficiente é a de gerenciamento da água; entretanto algumas medidas avançadas podem ser visualizadas, especialmente a recirculação da água em torres de resfriamento. A análise das variáveis de estudo demonstra que o nível de racionalização é dependente diretamente do ramo e do porte da empresa. Conclui-se que o consumo tende ao desperdício; em resposta a este quadro, devem ser priorizadas políticas públicas voltadas para internalização dos custos ambientais embutidos no processo.

Estado de situación del agro pampeano. Bases para teorizar sobre indicadores de vulnerabilidad socio-territorial

El estado de situación del agro pampeano desde la implantación del modelo económico neoliberal en la década del '70 hasta nuestros días, plantea el desafío de repensar las categorías de análisis que nos permitan abordar el estudio de la vulnerabilidad socio-territorial de los actores sociales implicados en el agro. Los supuestos neoliberales que han conducido el modelo de producción agropecuario de acumulación y rápida rotación de capital, especulación financiera, externalización de costos sociales y ambientales, entre otros generan situaciones de profundas desigualdades socio-territoriales, que incrementan los grados de vulnerabilidad. Resulta ineludible entonces teorizar sobre indicadores que, bajo otros supuestos, nos permitan valorar los niveles de vulnerabilidad para proponer alternativas que respondan al principio de justicia socio-territorial. Para la consecución de dicho objetivo, se parte de un análisis del estado de situación del agro en el sur cordobés; se analizan luego los supuestos neoliberales que han orientado la producción agropecuaria, para pensar caminos alternativos al modelo de capitalismo agrario, a fin de realizar nuestro aporte a la discusión sobre la construcción de indicadores de vulnerabilidad socio-territorial.

Estado de situación del agro pampeano. Bases para teorizar sobre indicadores de vulnerabilidad socio-territorial

El estado de situación del agro pampeano desde la implantación del modelo económico neoliberal en la década del '70 hasta nuestros días, plantea el desafío de repensar las categorías de análisis que nos permitan abordar el estudio de la vulnerabilidad socio-territorial de los actores sociales implicados en el agro. Los supuestos neoliberales que han conducido el modelo de producción agropecuario de acumulación y rápida rotación de capital, especulación financiera, externalización de costos sociales y ambientales, entre otros generan situaciones de profundas desigualdades socio-territoriales, que incrementan los grados de vulnerabilidad. Resulta ineludible entonces teorizar sobre indicadores que, bajo otros supuestos, nos permitan valorar los niveles de vulnerabilidad para proponer alternativas que respondan al principio de justicia socio-territorial. Para la consecución de dicho objetivo, se parte de un análisis del estado de situación del agro en el sur cordobés; se analizan luego los supuestos neoliberales que han orientado la producción agropecuaria, para pensar caminos alternativos al modelo de capitalismo agrario, a fin de realizar nuestro aporte a la discusión sobre la construcción de indicadores de vulnerabilidad socio-territorial.

Estado de situación del agro pampeano. Bases para teorizar sobre indicadores de vulnerabilidad socio-territorial

El estado de situación del agro pampeano desde la implantación del modelo económico neoliberal en la década del '70 hasta nuestros días, plantea el desafío de repensar las categorías de análisis que nos permitan abordar el estudio de la vulnerabilidad socio-territorial de los actores sociales implicados en el agro. Los supuestos neoliberales que han conducido el modelo de producción agropecuario de acumulación y rápida rotación de capital, especulación financiera, externalización de costos sociales y ambientales, entre otros generan situaciones de profundas desigualdades socio-territoriales, que incrementan los grados de vulnerabilidad. Resulta ineludible entonces teorizar sobre indicadores que, bajo otros supuestos, nos permitan valorar los niveles de vulnerabilidad para proponer alternativas que respondan al principio de justicia socio-territorial. Para la consecución de dicho objetivo, se parte de un análisis del estado de situación del agro en el sur cordobés; se analizan luego los supuestos neoliberales que han orientado la producción agropecuaria, para pensar caminos alternativos al modelo de capitalismo agrario, a fin de realizar nuestro aporte a la discusión sobre la construcción de indicadores de vulnerabilidad socio-territorial.

Tracing CO2 emissions in global value chains

This paper integrates two lines of research into a unified conceptual framework: trade in global value chains and embodied emissions. This allows both value added and emissions to be systematically traced at the country, sector, and bilateral levels through various production network routes. By combining value-added and emissions accounting in a consistent way, the potential environmental cost (amount of emissions per unit of value added) along global value chains can be estimated. Using this unified accounting method, we trace CO2 emissions in the global production and trade network among 41 economies in 35 sectors from 1995 to 2009, basing our calculations on the World Input–Output Database, and show how they help us to better understand the impact of cross-country production sharing on the environment.

Efficient management of available technologies. Aplication to mining operations for industry supplies

Nowadays, processing Industry Sector is going through a series of changes, including right management and reduction of environmental affections. Any productive process which looks for sustainable management is incomplete if Cycle of Life of mineral resources sustainability is not taken into account. Raw materials for manufacturing are provided by mineral resources extraction processes, such as copper, aluminum, iron, gold, silver, silicon, titanium? Those elements are necessary for Mankind development and are obtained from the Earth through mineral extractive processes. Mineral extraction processes are operations which must take care about the environmental consequences. Extraction of huge volumes of rock for their transformation into raw materials for industry must be optimized to reduce ecological cost of the final product as l was possible. Reducing the ecological balance on a global scale has no sense to design an efficient manufacturing in secondary industry (transformation), if in first steps of the supply chain (extraction) impact exceeds the savings of resources in successive phases. Mining operations size suggests that it is an environmental aggressive activity, but precisely because of its great impact must be the first element to be considered. That idea implies that a new concept born: Reduce economical and environmental cost This work aims to make a reflection on the parameters that can be modified to reduce the energy cost of the process without an increasing in operational costs and always ensuring the same production capacity. That means minimize economic and environmental cost at same time. An efficient design of mining operation which has taken into account that idea does not implies an increasing of the operating cost. To get this objective is necessary to think in global operation view to make that all departments involved have common guidelines which make you think in the optimization of global energy costs. Sometimes a single operational cost must be increased to reduce global cost. This work makes a review through different design parameters of surface mining setting some key performance indicators (KPIs) which are estimated from an efficient point of view. Those KPIs can be included by HQE Policies as global indicators. The new concept developed is that a new criteria has to be applied in company policies: improve management, improving OPERATIONAL efficiency. That means, that is better to use current resources properly (machinery, equipment,?) than to replace them with new things but not used correctly. As a conclusion, through an efficient management of current technologies in each extractive operation an important reduction of the energy can be achieved looking at downstream in the process. That implies a lower energetic cost in the whole cycle of life in manufactured product.

Introduction: improving manufacturing performance through technology diffusion, implementation and management

The role of technology management in achieving improved manufacturing performance has been receiving increased attention as enterprises are becoming more exposed to competition from around the world. In the modern market for manufactured goods the demand is now for more product variety, better quality, shorter delivery and greater flexibility, while the financial and environmental cost of resources has become an urgent concern to manufacturing managers. This issue of the International Journal of Technology Management addresses the question of how the diffusion, implementation and management of technology can improve the performance of manufacturing industries. The authors come from a large number of different countries and their contributions cover a wide range of topics within this general theme. Some papers are conceptual, others report on research carried out in a range of different industries including steel production, iron founding, electronics, robotics, machinery, precision engineering, metal working and motor manufacture. In some cases they describe situations in specific countries. Several are based on presentations made at the UK Operations Management Association's Sixth International Conference held at Aston University at which the conference theme was 'Achieving Competitive Edge: Getting Ahead Through Technology and People'. The first two papers deal with questions of advanced manufacturing technology implementation and management. Firstly Beatty describes a three year longitudinal field study carried out in ten Canadian manufacturing companies using CADICAM and CIM systems. Her findings relate to speed of implementation, choice of system type, the role of individuals in implementation, organization and job design. This is followed by a paper by Bessant in which he argues that a more a strategic approach should be taken towards the management of technology in the 1990s and beyond. Also considered in this paper are the capabilities necessary in order to deploy advanced manufacturing technology as a strategic resource and the way such capabilities might be developed within the firm. These two papers, which deal largely with the implementation of hardware, are supplemented by Samson and Sohal's contribution in which they argue that a much wider perspective should be adopted based on a new approach to manufacturing strategy formulation. Technology transfer is the topic of the following two papers. Pohlen again takes the case of advanced manufacturing technology and reports on his research which considers the factors contributing to successful realisation of AMT transfer. The paper by Lee then provides a more detailed account of technology transfer in the foundry industry. Using a case study based on a firm which has implemented a number of transferred innovations a model is illustrated in which the 'performance gap' can be identified and closed. The diffusion of technology is addressed in the next two papers. In the first of these, by Lowe and Sim, the managerial technologies of 'Just in Time' and 'Manufacturing Resource Planning' (or MRP 11) are examined. A study is described from which a number of factors are found to influence the adoption process including, rate of diffusion and size. Dahlin then considers the case of a specific item of hardware technology, the industrial robot. Her paper reviews the history of robot diffusion since the early 1960s and then tries to predict how the industry will develop in the future. The following two papers deal with the future of manufacturing in a more general sense. The future implementation of advanced manufacturing technology is the subject explored by de Haan and Peters who describe the results of their Dutch Delphi forecasting study conducted among a panel of experts including scientists, consultants, users and suppliers of AMT. Busby and Fan then consider a type of organisational model, 'the extended manufacturing enterprise', which would represent a distinct alternative pure market-led and command structures by exploiting the shared knowledge of suppliers and customers. The three country-based papers consider some strategic issues relating manufacturing technology. In a paper based on investigations conducted in China He, Liff and Steward report their findings from strategy analyses carried out in the steel and watch industries with a view to assessing technology needs and organizational change requirements. This is followed by Tang and Nam's paper which examines the case of machinery industry in Korea and its emerging importance as a key sector in the Korean economy. In his paper which focuses on Venezuela, Ernst then considers the particular problem of how this country can address the problem of falling oil revenues. He sees manufacturing as being an important contributor to Venezuela's future economy and proposes a means whereby government and private enterprise can co-operate in development of the manufacturing sector. The last six papers all deal with specific topics relating to the management manufacturing. Firstly Youssef looks at the question of manufacturing flexibility, introducing and testing a conceptual model that relates computer based technologies flexibility. Dangerfield's paper which follows is based on research conducted in the steel industry. He considers the question of scale and proposes a modelling approach determining the plant configuration necessary to meet market demand. Engstrom presents the results of a detailed investigation into the need for reorganising material flow where group assembly of products has been adopted. Sherwood, Guerrier and Dale then report the findings of a study into the effectiveness of Quality Circle implementation. Stillwagon and Burns, consider how manufacturing competitiveness can be improved individual firms by describing how the application of 'human performance engineering' can be used to motivate individual performance as well as to integrate organizational goals. Finally Sohal, Lewis and Samson describe, using a case study example, how just-in-time control can be applied within the context of computer numerically controlled flexible machining lines. The papers in this issue of the International Journal of Technology Management cover a wide range of topics relating to the general question of improving manufacturing performance through the dissemination, implementation and management of technology. Although they differ markedly in content and approach, they have the collective aim addressing the concepts, principles and practices which provide a better understanding the technology of manufacturing and assist in achieving and maintaining a competitive edge.