Sustainable Energy

Back cover text: Real Social Science presents a new, hands-on approach to social inquiry. The theoretical and methodological ideas behind the book, inspired by Aristotelian phronesis, represent an original perspective within the social sciences, and this volume gives readers for the first time a set of studies exemplifying what applied phronesis looks like in practice. The reflexive analysis of values and power gives new meaning to the impact of research on policy and practice. Real Social Science is a major step forward in a novel and thriving field of research. This book will benefit scholars, researchers, and students who want to make a difference in practice, not just in the academy. Its message will make it essential reading for students and academics across the social sciences.

An extensive background overview on the use of agricultural residues (wastes) for production of paper, board, binderless board, energy, different types of fuels by pyrolysis (solid, liquid and gaseous fuel), many petrochemicals substitutes, charcoal (activated carbon), dissolving pulps and rayon. It includes both scientific and industrial data, case studies, current status, sustainability of paper and sugar industries, green nanotechnology, and future prospects.
Keywords: Agricultural Residues (Wastes); Paper and Board manufacture; Sustainability of Paper and Sugar Industries; Green Nanotechnology; Future Prospects

At the core of this study lies the recognition that the current human civilization is facing a multitude of concurrent environmental challenges converging from many directions. Deteriorating condition of the Earth's rehabilitative processes and regenerative systems gives out subtle warning signals that these environmental challenges have the real potential of culminating in a total environmental catastrophe, which may conceivably produce widespread devastation unlike any other in human history. This study aims to identify major environmental design principles and strategies to overcome these challenges, and to assist the civilization reestablish the naturally regenerative harmony and the rehabilitative balances of Nature. The results of literature review and resource analyses behind this study suggest that most pressing environmental design challenges can be clustered within a few major categories including environmental degradation, resource depletion, global climate change, and population growth.

As the majority of current environmental challenges appear to originate from planning, design, and operations of urban environments, this study identifies a series of Core Principles from mainstream urban design practices such as Smart Growth, New Urbanism, Resilient Cities, Eco-Villages, Regenerative Design, Living Buildings, as well as Green Urbanism. To complement the core principles, a series of Supporting Strategies are derived from such practices as Urban Redevelopment and Infill, LEED-Neighborhood Development, Transit-Oriented Development, Growth Management, Natural Capitalism, Renewable Sources of Energy and Materials, Urban Agriculture, Hannover Principles, as well as Next Industrial Revolution. Based on this foundation the author synthesizes a new, integrated, comprehensive design agenda aiming at the restoration of natural environment, which is coined here as Restorative Design or Restorative Urban Design. The restorative approach not only realigns a wide variety of fragmented design principles and strategies of designing inherently resilient and sustainable environments but also repurposes their ultimate goals toward the restoration of pristine Nature.

Relying exclusively on multifaceted, multi-disciplinary, long-term, and comprehensive environmental planning principles and strategies, the Restorative agenda sets out to propagate appreciation and respect for Nature in order to prevent the destruction of planetary life and to reestablish human harmony within natural systems. It strongly advocates not only the management of population growth and urban sprawl but also the expansion of open natural areas and natural ecosystems. The Restorative theory encourages phasing out of nonrenewable practices and promotes reliance on current solar income and other renewable sources of energy, placing greater emphasis on increased urban densities, quality of life, as well as equality within economic and social structures. It also seeks new legal instruments, land ownership, mass transportation, as well as agricultural patterns toward transformation of existing urban fabric. Finally, the study concludes that only through such a realignment and heightened purpose can environmental planning and design efforts effectively restore and sustain the richness, diversity, health, and beauty of the natural world. The worldwide application of the outlined restorative principles and strategies can help the recovery, revitalization, and restoration of pristine natural systems to the fullest extent possible.

The Energy analysis has become one of the important parameter of building design, and it gaining more importance as energy crises and global warming is becoming worst day by day. When energy analysis is started from the conceptual designing phase of the project it is the most useful as the design is in its most flexible stage and many changes can be done on the design and maximum energy can be saved. In Earlier days Energy analysis used to take too much time but now with BIM model it can be done very quickly. As In BIM model same model can be used directly for Energy analysis using Autodesk Energy analysis tools where there is no need to do complex calculations. This paper is the study done on residential building analysis using BIM technology.

Increasingly, stakeholders are asking or requiring organizations to be more environmentally responsible with respect to their products and processes; reasons include regulatory requirements, product stewardship, public image, and potential competitive advantages. This paper presents an exploratory study of the relationships between specific environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices. This paper addresses the present problems which are compelling industries to adopt green manufacturing processes and its contribution towards a sustainable environment. Findings suggest that environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices may be positively associated
with competitive outcomes. In particular, different types of  environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices (e.g., pollution prevention, product stewardship) are associated with different competitive outcomes (e.g., manufacturing cost, product quality). These specific findings can be helpful to engineering and operations managers as they respond to environmental and competitive demands.

Welcome to the book of blogs, a collection of diverse works from researchers across the globe who all have something important to say about the way in which our world is changing and how we can strive towards a more sustainable future. This book emerged from an International Social Science Council (ISSC) meeting in November 2014 of early career researchers, who gathered in Taiwan to discuss transitions to urban contexts from a social science perspective. The seminar involved weeklong discussions about sustainable urbanisation and the contribution of social science research to sustainable urban futures. Yet a week was not long enough to hear the diverse perspectives within the room, let alone incorporate the plethora of viewpoints beyond it. Within the ISSC discussions we concluded that one definition of sustainable urbanisation is not possible and that sustainable urbanisations are in play. The transitions to urban contexts taking place, and those that are anticipated within our futures, were characterised in terms of their plurality, diversity, fluidity, and change. This book embraces such uncertainty by welcoming dialogues, rather than a monologue, on the urbanisation processes taking place across the world and what to do about the places we build, and the impacts of human activity on the environment, health and climate.