Author(s): Ramzy Kahhat Abedrabbo y otros
(Español) E-commerce has been developed by the high integration of transportation infrastructures and information and communication technology (ICT) in complex urban systems. The dynamics of the e-commerce market can cause different environmental impacts. This paper explores the dynamics of e-commerce market and the associated environmental impacts from a psychological perspective using an agent-based model simulation. A conceptual meta-theory from psychology is adopted to form the behavioural rules of the artificial consumers choosing different methods of buying a book, including conventional bookstores, e-commerce, and a proposed self pick-up logistic system. The introduction of the self pick-up system can be successful according to the simulation results. The advantage of lower price will attract a group of consumers. The simulation results also show that different structures of the social network have significant impacts on the dynamics of this market. The environmental impacts in terms of energy consumption and emission generation will be reduced by the introduction of the proposed self pick-up system.
Open linkAuthor(s): Ramzy Kahhat Abedrabbo y otros
(Español) Quantities of end-of-life electronics (or e-waste) around the world keep growing. More than 1.36 million metric tons of e-waste were discarded, mainly in landfills, in the U.S. in 2005, and e-waste is projected to grow in the next few years. This paper explores issues relating to planning future e-waste regulation and management systems in the U.S. It begins by reviewing the existing U.S. recycling systems in the U.S. to establish the importance of developing public responses. Other countries and regions around the world have already legislated and implemented electronic takeback and recycling systems. To establish the context of existing experience, e-waste management systems in the European Union, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are explored. The paper then discusses what specific conditions are expected to influence the acceptability and implementation in the U.S. A key consideration is the cultural imperative in the U.S. for market-driven solutions that enable competition. Given this context, a solution is proposed that is designed to ensure a proper end-of-life option while at the same time establishing a competitive market for reuse and recycling services. The solution, termed e-Market for Returned Deposit, begins with a deposit paid by consumers to sellers at the time of purchase, electronically registered and tracked via a radio-frequency identification device (RFID) placed on the product. At end-of-life, consumers consult an Internet-enabled market in which firms compete to receive the deposit by offering consumers variable degrees of return on the deposit. After collection of the computer by the selected firm, the cyberinfrastructure utilizes the RFID to transfer the deposit to the winning firm when recycled. If the firm chooses to refurbish or resell the computer in lieu of recycling, the transfer is deferred until true end-of-life processing. Finally the paper discusses the domestic and international consequences of the implementation of the proposed design.
Open linkAuthor(s): Ramzy Kahhat Abedrabbo y otros
(Español) To encourage sustainable development, engineers and scientists need to understand the interactions among social decision-making, development and redevelopment, land, energy and material use, and their environmental impacts. In this study, a framework that connects these interactions was proposed to guide more sustainable urban planning and construction practices. Focusing on the rapidly urbanizing setting of Phoenix, Arizona, complexity models and deterministic models were assembled as a metamodel, which is called Sustainable Futures 2100 and were used to predict land use and development, to quantify construction material demands, to analyze the life cycle environmental impacts, and to simulate future ground-level ozone formation.
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