Pub Date : 2023-06-05DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1167041
Colin Kuehl, A. Sparks, Heather E. Hodges, Eric R. A. N. Smith
With many organizations, particularly higher education institutions, placing a priority on sustainability education it is important to have a measure of sustainability knowledge to assess growth over time. There have been several attempts using differing approaches to develop a valid assessment tool. However, given wide-ranging conceptual definitions of sustainability and diverse instructional techniques, we are skeptical that sustainability is a concept that can adequately be measured. The existing measures were developed using a top-down approach to question inclusion the questionnaire. As an alternative, in this paper we develop a new measure, using a bottom-up approach. In Study 1 with a sample from the University of California, Santa Barbara, we test the 44 item instrument with a large student sample. In Study 2, with a sample from Northern Illinois University, we test a shortened 10 item instrument in a different student population. Across both studies, we find little evidence for a coherent structure to sustainability knowledge. Yet, the 10 item measure correlates highly with the longer version and may be suitable to other research applications.
{"title":"Exploring sustainability literacy: developing and assessing a bottom-up measure of what students know about sustainability","authors":"Colin Kuehl, A. Sparks, Heather E. Hodges, Eric R. A. N. Smith","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1167041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1167041","url":null,"abstract":"With many organizations, particularly higher education institutions, placing a priority on sustainability education it is important to have a measure of sustainability knowledge to assess growth over time. There have been several attempts using differing approaches to develop a valid assessment tool. However, given wide-ranging conceptual definitions of sustainability and diverse instructional techniques, we are skeptical that sustainability is a concept that can adequately be measured. The existing measures were developed using a top-down approach to question inclusion the questionnaire. As an alternative, in this paper we develop a new measure, using a bottom-up approach. In Study 1 with a sample from the University of California, Santa Barbara, we test the 44 item instrument with a large student sample. In Study 2, with a sample from Northern Illinois University, we test a shortened 10 item instrument in a different student population. Across both studies, we find little evidence for a coherent structure to sustainability knowledge. Yet, the 10 item measure correlates highly with the longer version and may be suitable to other research applications.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"61 4","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"120841663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-02DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1177574
B. M. Bowman, Ian Abbott-Donnelly, Jack Barsoum, P. Williams, D. Hunt, Chris D. F. Rogers
Water is a resource essential for all life and on which society depends but undervalues. This paper presents theories on methods to pivot from linear, extractive uses of water to considering water as a high value, circular resource. Analysis of the literature, which is primarily focused at the abstractor scale, has highlighted the prioritization of human water rights over environmental needs without incorporating the ramifications of environmental degradation and the complexities of applying a market-driven approach to a heterogeneous resource particularly at the domestic consumer level. A discussion of the relationship between society and water, in particular mechanisms that have been used to reduce water consumption, highlights the complexity of this issue and the need to consider fairness and equity at the global and local scales. A comparison of global, urban water supply and sanitation costs shows the extensive variation in the amounts of water consumed and the prices paid at the domestic consumer scale. Finally, a series of hypotheses are presented that, with local development, testing and refinement, are posited to bring about change in the value society places on water.
{"title":"The water pivot: transforming unsustainable consumption to valuing water as a resource for life","authors":"B. M. Bowman, Ian Abbott-Donnelly, Jack Barsoum, P. Williams, D. Hunt, Chris D. F. Rogers","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1177574","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1177574","url":null,"abstract":"Water is a resource essential for all life and on which society depends but undervalues. This paper presents theories on methods to pivot from linear, extractive uses of water to considering water as a high value, circular resource. Analysis of the literature, which is primarily focused at the abstractor scale, has highlighted the prioritization of human water rights over environmental needs without incorporating the ramifications of environmental degradation and the complexities of applying a market-driven approach to a heterogeneous resource particularly at the domestic consumer level. A discussion of the relationship between society and water, in particular mechanisms that have been used to reduce water consumption, highlights the complexity of this issue and the need to consider fairness and equity at the global and local scales. A comparison of global, urban water supply and sanitation costs shows the extensive variation in the amounts of water consumed and the prices paid at the domestic consumer scale. Finally, a series of hypotheses are presented that, with local development, testing and refinement, are posited to bring about change in the value society places on water.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"616 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116077136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-01DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1155897
Daniele Artico, S. Durham, L. Horn, Francesca Mezzenzana, Malik Morrison, Anna Norberg
What happens when scientists become activists? In this paper, we discuss the principles, commitments and experiences of Scientist Rebellion (SR), a movement of scientists, academics, and researchers committed to activism, advocacy and non-violent civil disobedience against the (in)actions of governments, corporations and other institutions, including academic ones. In sharing experiences from the frontlines of direct actions with SR along with the perspectives from individual scientists, coming from a variety of geographical locations, and a range of academic levels and disciplines, we reflect on the need to transgress the boundaries of a system of knowledge production and education that is effectively reproducing the very structures that have led us into climate and ecological crises. This article provides a reflective and critical engagement with Scientist Rebellion, drawing on a range of interviews with activists, as well as material from and about Scientist Rebellion. We conclude with a reflection on the relation between scientists and their institutions, as well as a mobilizing plea to the scientific community to take action.
{"title":"“Beyond being analysts of doom”: scientists on the frontlines of climate action","authors":"Daniele Artico, S. Durham, L. Horn, Francesca Mezzenzana, Malik Morrison, Anna Norberg","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1155897","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1155897","url":null,"abstract":"What happens when scientists become activists? In this paper, we discuss the principles, commitments and experiences of Scientist Rebellion (SR), a movement of scientists, academics, and researchers committed to activism, advocacy and non-violent civil disobedience against the (in)actions of governments, corporations and other institutions, including academic ones. In sharing experiences from the frontlines of direct actions with SR along with the perspectives from individual scientists, coming from a variety of geographical locations, and a range of academic levels and disciplines, we reflect on the need to transgress the boundaries of a system of knowledge production and education that is effectively reproducing the very structures that have led us into climate and ecological crises. This article provides a reflective and critical engagement with Scientist Rebellion, drawing on a range of interviews with activists, as well as material from and about Scientist Rebellion. We conclude with a reflection on the relation between scientists and their institutions, as well as a mobilizing plea to the scientific community to take action.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"55 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115735475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-30DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1173474
Emmanuel Mela Dickson, A. Hastings, Jo U. Smith
The volume of municipal solid waste produced in many cities in low to middle income countries exceeds the capacity of handling facilities causing environmental and health risks. This study provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of municipal solid waste to energy options for Abuja, Nigeria. We use most recently available data on waste generation from Abuja municipal authorities, integrated with secondary data from the literature. This is combined with standard relationships between waste composition and energy production to compare the potential for thermochemical conversion and anaerobic digestion to meet the energy requirement of Abuja. In addition, we use assumptions about digestate production and nitrogen release to estimate the potential production of organic fertilizer from digestate. The organic fraction of municipal solid waste from Abuja [7.1 × 107 (±4 × 106) kg y−1] has potential to produce 3.6 × 106 (±2 × 105) m3 y−1 biogas. This could provide 7.8 × 103 (±4 × 102) MWh y−1 electricity, equivalent to 8% of annual electricity requirement in Abuja, 4.0 × 107 (±2 × 106) MJ y−1 heat, and 5.3 × 105 (±3 × 104) kg y−1 digestate use as bio-fertilizer from organic fraction only. Potential power generation by thermochemical conversion for combined heat and electricity is much greater, 7.73 × 104 (±4 × 103) MWh y−1, equivalent to 83% of power requirement in Abuja, but does not produce bio-fertilizer. Using the organic fraction for anaerobic digestion and the remaining waste for thermochemical conversion provides combined heat and energy that is 91.5% of Abuja power requirements, while also producing digestate. Barriers to implementation include informal waste recyclers with poor collection and handling procedures, absence of public education, weak environmental policies and lack of funding. There is a need for periodic review of policies and waste legislation to create a circular economy in Abuja.
{"title":"Energy production from municipal solid waste in low to middle income countries: a case study of how to build a circular economy in Abuja, Nigeria","authors":"Emmanuel Mela Dickson, A. Hastings, Jo U. Smith","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1173474","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1173474","url":null,"abstract":"The volume of municipal solid waste produced in many cities in low to middle income countries exceeds the capacity of handling facilities causing environmental and health risks. This study provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of municipal solid waste to energy options for Abuja, Nigeria. We use most recently available data on waste generation from Abuja municipal authorities, integrated with secondary data from the literature. This is combined with standard relationships between waste composition and energy production to compare the potential for thermochemical conversion and anaerobic digestion to meet the energy requirement of Abuja. In addition, we use assumptions about digestate production and nitrogen release to estimate the potential production of organic fertilizer from digestate. The organic fraction of municipal solid waste from Abuja [7.1 × 107 (±4 × 106) kg y−1] has potential to produce 3.6 × 106 (±2 × 105) m3 y−1 biogas. This could provide 7.8 × 103 (±4 × 102) MWh y−1 electricity, equivalent to 8% of annual electricity requirement in Abuja, 4.0 × 107 (±2 × 106) MJ y−1 heat, and 5.3 × 105 (±3 × 104) kg y−1 digestate use as bio-fertilizer from organic fraction only. Potential power generation by thermochemical conversion for combined heat and electricity is much greater, 7.73 × 104 (±4 × 103) MWh y−1, equivalent to 83% of power requirement in Abuja, but does not produce bio-fertilizer. Using the organic fraction for anaerobic digestion and the remaining waste for thermochemical conversion provides combined heat and energy that is 91.5% of Abuja power requirements, while also producing digestate. Barriers to implementation include informal waste recyclers with poor collection and handling procedures, absence of public education, weak environmental policies and lack of funding. There is a need for periodic review of policies and waste legislation to create a circular economy in Abuja.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122565668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-30DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1188069
A. Nygaard
Introduction Certifications are widely recognized as important tools in addressing climate change, safeguarding human rights, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices. However, this critical review article draws attention to potential negative impacts associated with certifications. The purpose of this review is to highlight the risks and challenges associated with certifications despite their intended benefits. Methods The review draws on existing literature on certifications and their impacts, as well as empirical studies on the effectiveness of certifications in addressing climate change, safeguarding human rights, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices. Results The review finds that certifications can increase the perceived value of eco-friendly brands and consumer willingness to pay. However, the review also highlights the risks of greenwashing and free riding, which can undermine the intended benefits of certifications. Additionally, the institutional organization of certification systems may exhibit structural inertia, which may impede the integration of disruptive green technologies and market transitions. Discussion The potential negative impacts of certifications on addressing climate change, safeguarding human rights, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices should not be overlooked. It is essential to implement measures to mitigate the risks of eco-opportunism and to effectively combat greenwashing. The review suggests that certification systems should be designed to promote innovation and the adoption of new technologies, rather than being a barrier to change. Conclusion Certifications are important tools for addressing climate change, safeguarding human rights, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices. However, their potential negative impacts should be acknowledged and addressed. The review recommends implementing measures to mitigate the risks of eco-opportunism and to effectively combat greenwashing, while promoting innovation and the adoption of new technologies.
{"title":"Is sustainable certification's ability to combat greenwashing trustworthy?","authors":"A. Nygaard","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1188069","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1188069","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction Certifications are widely recognized as important tools in addressing climate change, safeguarding human rights, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices. However, this critical review article draws attention to potential negative impacts associated with certifications. The purpose of this review is to highlight the risks and challenges associated with certifications despite their intended benefits. Methods The review draws on existing literature on certifications and their impacts, as well as empirical studies on the effectiveness of certifications in addressing climate change, safeguarding human rights, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices. Results The review finds that certifications can increase the perceived value of eco-friendly brands and consumer willingness to pay. However, the review also highlights the risks of greenwashing and free riding, which can undermine the intended benefits of certifications. Additionally, the institutional organization of certification systems may exhibit structural inertia, which may impede the integration of disruptive green technologies and market transitions. Discussion The potential negative impacts of certifications on addressing climate change, safeguarding human rights, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices should not be overlooked. It is essential to implement measures to mitigate the risks of eco-opportunism and to effectively combat greenwashing. The review suggests that certification systems should be designed to promote innovation and the adoption of new technologies, rather than being a barrier to change. Conclusion Certifications are important tools for addressing climate change, safeguarding human rights, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices. However, their potential negative impacts should be acknowledged and addressed. The review recommends implementing measures to mitigate the risks of eco-opportunism and to effectively combat greenwashing, while promoting innovation and the adoption of new technologies.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"96 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122000510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-26DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1061563
Elke Nijman-Ross, Jessie Umuhire Umutesi, J. Turay, David Shamavu, Winifred Awinpoya Atanga, D. Ross
Circular economy (CE) research plays an important role in accelerating the CE transition globally and is an essential tool to contribute to climate change adaptation. However, prior CE research is primarily focused on countries in the Global North, whereas CE research in the Global South has been largely unexplored, especially in African countries and contexts. Therefore, this study aims to develop a preliminary research agenda for CE development in African countries by identifying the current body of knowledge on CE, the existing CE research gaps and barriers to conducting CE research in African countries. This research applied a mixed method research design, whereby this study reviewed a total of 275 English and French articles from Google Scholar through a scoping literature review and carried out a quantitative and qualitative survey with 38 CE industry experts working on CE projects in African countries. The findings suggest that South Africa is the front-runner in CE research, with the most relevant publications and ongoing research projects conducted by CE experts. The dominant focus on CE research in South Africa is an urgent call for scholars to conduct country-specific research for additional African countries, especially since a significant number of publications do not distinguish between countries. Based on findings, this study concludes that the current body of CE knowledge is primarily focused on one aspect of CE, circulating materials and products (keep products and materials in use), while there is consensus from published journal papers that there are meaningful gaps in other CE principles such as designing out waste and pollution and regenerating natural systems. Therefore, this paper suggests a list of research topics that can be further investigated. To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first attempt to establish a preliminary research agenda for CE across African contexts and countries.
{"title":"Toward a preliminary research agenda for the circular economy adoption in Africa","authors":"Elke Nijman-Ross, Jessie Umuhire Umutesi, J. Turay, David Shamavu, Winifred Awinpoya Atanga, D. Ross","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1061563","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1061563","url":null,"abstract":"Circular economy (CE) research plays an important role in accelerating the CE transition globally and is an essential tool to contribute to climate change adaptation. However, prior CE research is primarily focused on countries in the Global North, whereas CE research in the Global South has been largely unexplored, especially in African countries and contexts. Therefore, this study aims to develop a preliminary research agenda for CE development in African countries by identifying the current body of knowledge on CE, the existing CE research gaps and barriers to conducting CE research in African countries. This research applied a mixed method research design, whereby this study reviewed a total of 275 English and French articles from Google Scholar through a scoping literature review and carried out a quantitative and qualitative survey with 38 CE industry experts working on CE projects in African countries. The findings suggest that South Africa is the front-runner in CE research, with the most relevant publications and ongoing research projects conducted by CE experts. The dominant focus on CE research in South Africa is an urgent call for scholars to conduct country-specific research for additional African countries, especially since a significant number of publications do not distinguish between countries. Based on findings, this study concludes that the current body of CE knowledge is primarily focused on one aspect of CE, circulating materials and products (keep products and materials in use), while there is consensus from published journal papers that there are meaningful gaps in other CE principles such as designing out waste and pollution and regenerating natural systems. Therefore, this paper suggests a list of research topics that can be further investigated. To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first attempt to establish a preliminary research agenda for CE across African contexts and countries.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125813565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-24DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1070253
Barbara Smetschka, V. Gaube, Katharina Mader
Mitigating climate change requires urgent reductions in emissions. Demand-side measures focus on footprints (direct and indirect emissions) of consumption. Analyzing time use brings a novel perspective to discuss the carbon implications of everyday life and the potentials and limitations for decarbonizing consumption. In this study, we show how time-use studies can serve as a bridging concept between sustainability studies and the analysis of human wellbeing for all. We introduce a functional time-use perspective differentiating personal, committed, contracted, and free time. We calculate the average carbon intensity of everyday activities in Austria in 2010 combining the Austrian Time-use Survey and Austrian Household Budget Survey with Eora-MRIO. We find that these activities differ widely in carbon intensity. Personal time is relatively low-carbon intense, while free time activities show large variation in terms of CO2e footprint/hour. The traditional gendered division of labor shapes the time-use patterns of women and men, with implications for their carbon footprints. Reassessing and sharing unpaid reproductive caring activities are the basis for solving some urgent ecological and social problems. The way household members use their time, the resource demand of households and infrastructure, and the services provided by communities entail each other. Time use, time prosperity, and especially time scarcity determine our quality of life. Caring activities as “time to care” play a crucial role in pathways toward socio-ecological transformation and gender equality. Further research in the field of time, care, and gender studies could be based on this framework and add new perspectives on research on sustainable development.
{"title":"Time to care—Care for time—How spending more time for care than consumption helps to mitigate climate change","authors":"Barbara Smetschka, V. Gaube, Katharina Mader","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1070253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1070253","url":null,"abstract":"Mitigating climate change requires urgent reductions in emissions. Demand-side measures focus on footprints (direct and indirect emissions) of consumption. Analyzing time use brings a novel perspective to discuss the carbon implications of everyday life and the potentials and limitations for decarbonizing consumption. In this study, we show how time-use studies can serve as a bridging concept between sustainability studies and the analysis of human wellbeing for all. We introduce a functional time-use perspective differentiating personal, committed, contracted, and free time. We calculate the average carbon intensity of everyday activities in Austria in 2010 combining the Austrian Time-use Survey and Austrian Household Budget Survey with Eora-MRIO. We find that these activities differ widely in carbon intensity. Personal time is relatively low-carbon intense, while free time activities show large variation in terms of CO2e footprint/hour. The traditional gendered division of labor shapes the time-use patterns of women and men, with implications for their carbon footprints. Reassessing and sharing unpaid reproductive caring activities are the basis for solving some urgent ecological and social problems. The way household members use their time, the resource demand of households and infrastructure, and the services provided by communities entail each other. Time use, time prosperity, and especially time scarcity determine our quality of life. Caring activities as “time to care” play a crucial role in pathways toward socio-ecological transformation and gender equality. Further research in the field of time, care, and gender studies could be based on this framework and add new perspectives on research on sustainable development.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132593963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-22DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1089828
Nigme Cadenas, Carmen Luisa Vásquez Stanescu, M. Gómez-Caicedo, Mercedes Gaitán-Ángulo, Carlos Yesid Briñez Torres
Introduction The unrestricted use of non-renewable natural resources in masonry mortars and the rapid increase in solid waste contribute to the deterioration of the environment. It is a priority for the United Nations to promote growth without compromising the ability of new generations to attend to their own; for this purpose, 17 Sustainable Development Goals for all countries have been formulated. The present work arises from the need to propose a model to evaluate, in the design phase, homogeneous solid waste and total or partial substitutes for some of the components of the mortars used in the construction sector, based on the Cradle to Cradle paradigm, which has the objective of including improved materials for the health of living beings and the environment by establishing a circular system in the manufacture of mortars including only safe and healthy materials that can be reused with a guarantee of not affecting the health of living beings and the environment and contributing to sustainability. Methods Based on the positivist epistemological current, projective documentary research begins by analyzing scientific publications that recommend the use of solid waste only to verify its rheological properties, ignoring how the inclusion of this material can affect living beings and the environment; it is contrasted with the results of published public access research regarding the chemical substances that make up said material. Results The eco-effective model is designed and its application is validated in identifying potential risks to the health of living beings and the environment in the waste of the selected cases; recommending the avoidance of recycling those materials that cause concern; contributing improved mortar designs for living beings and the planet, which minimize the use of natural resources and increase productivity in the field of construction; and implementing this vision through continuous development and improvement. Conclusions The eco-effective model facilitates doing the right things from the design stage, promoting growth with opportunities, diversity, and abundance for the present generation as well as future generations.
{"title":"Eco-effective Sustainable Risk Assessment Model for homogeneous solid waste mortars based on the Cradle to Cradle paradigm","authors":"Nigme Cadenas, Carmen Luisa Vásquez Stanescu, M. Gómez-Caicedo, Mercedes Gaitán-Ángulo, Carlos Yesid Briñez Torres","doi":"10.3389/frsus.2023.1089828","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1089828","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction The unrestricted use of non-renewable natural resources in masonry mortars and the rapid increase in solid waste contribute to the deterioration of the environment. It is a priority for the United Nations to promote growth without compromising the ability of new generations to attend to their own; for this purpose, 17 Sustainable Development Goals for all countries have been formulated. The present work arises from the need to propose a model to evaluate, in the design phase, homogeneous solid waste and total or partial substitutes for some of the components of the mortars used in the construction sector, based on the Cradle to Cradle paradigm, which has the objective of including improved materials for the health of living beings and the environment by establishing a circular system in the manufacture of mortars including only safe and healthy materials that can be reused with a guarantee of not affecting the health of living beings and the environment and contributing to sustainability. Methods Based on the positivist epistemological current, projective documentary research begins by analyzing scientific publications that recommend the use of solid waste only to verify its rheological properties, ignoring how the inclusion of this material can affect living beings and the environment; it is contrasted with the results of published public access research regarding the chemical substances that make up said material. Results The eco-effective model is designed and its application is validated in identifying potential risks to the health of living beings and the environment in the waste of the selected cases; recommending the avoidance of recycling those materials that cause concern; contributing improved mortar designs for living beings and the planet, which minimize the use of natural resources and increase productivity in the field of construction; and implementing this vision through continuous development and improvement. Conclusions The eco-effective model facilitates doing the right things from the design stage, promoting growth with opportunities, diversity, and abundance for the present generation as well as future generations.","PeriodicalId":253319,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainability","volume":"43 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124279940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-18DOI: 10.3389/frsus.2023.1117892
S. Albrecht, Teagan Donnelly, Michael Frenkiel, Stefan K. Rajic, Vicki Kavadas, M. Leiter
For organizations to achieve their environmental obligations and objectives, they need employees to actively engage with environmental policies, practices, procedures, and initiatives. Based on engagement theory, a model is proposed that shows how perceived corporate environmental responsibility, pro-environmental job resources, and pro-environmental psychological capital influence employee pro-environmental engagement at work. Survey responses were collected from a Prolific sample of 347 full-time and part-time employees, aged 18–80, working within Australian organizations across a range of occupations. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equations modeling provided broad support for the measures and the relationships proposed in the model. The model explained 64% of the variance in pro-environmental job resources, 90% of the variance in pro-environmental psychological capital, and 92% of the variance in pro-environmental engagement. Overall, the results suggest that for employees to feel enthusiastic and involved in pro-environmental initiatives at work, an integrated approach that takes account of perceived corporate environmental responsibility, pro-environmental job resources, and pro-environmental psychological capital is required. The results also provide brief, defensible measures of pro-environmental PsyCap, pro-environmental job resources and pro-environmental engagement that can be used to assess and target employee attitudes toward pro-environmental initiatives and opportunities. As such, the pro-environmental engagement model can help guide the design and implementation of evidence-based employee-focused interventions that will help achieve environmental sustainability objectives.
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