Die Weisheit der Vielen. Community Education in der Praxis

Welche Möglichkeiten gäbe es, eine Kultur der Wertschätzung in der Gesellschaft zu etablieren? Welche Veränderungen wären damit in Hinsicht auf nachhaltige Wirkungen und langfristiges Engagement zu erwarten? Wie können gleichsam unsichtbare, jedoch wesentliche Schritte im Community Development und auch in der Community Education wertschätzend dokumentiert werden? Der vorliegende Beitrag skizziert drei Praxisbeispiele in Zusammenhang mit Bottom-up-Prozessen. Sie demonstrieren, dass Community Development Anstoß für Community Education sein kann (Projekt „Nachhaltigkeitslehrgang“), Community Education Input für Community Development ist (Projekt „Zukunfts-FAIRständnis“) und durch das Schaffen offener Entwicklungsräume und durch den Zugang zu Infrastruktur Community Education ermöglicht und gefördert werden kann (Modell OTELO – Offenes Technologie-Labor). Wesentliche Voraussetzung für ein Gelingen dieser Entwicklungsprozesse ist das Initiieren einer Eigendynamik durch die beteiligten Personen, um ein den (Bildungs-)Bedürfnissen der Menschen vor Ort entsprechendes Ergebnis „von innen heraus“ zu erzielen. (DIPF/Orig.)What possibilities are there to establish a culture of appreciation in society? What changes could we expect regarding sustainable effects and long-term commitment? How could more or less invisible yet important steps be documented appreciatively in community development and community education? The present article outlines three examples from practice in connection with bottom-up processes. They demonstrate that community development can give impetus to community education (“Nachhaltigkeitslehrgang” project), that community education can give impetus to community development (“Zukunfts-FAIR-ständnis” project) and that community education can be made possible and fostered by creating open spaces for development and access to infrastructure (OTELO model – open technology laboratory). Essential to a successful development process is the creation of a momentum by those involved in order to achieve results that “come from within” with regard to the (educational) needs of the local people. (DIPF/Orig.

Allocation in LCA of wood-based products experiences of cost action E9: Part II. Examples

Goal and Background: The treatment of allocation in the descriptive LCA of wood-based products has been discussed for a long time and different solutions have been presented. In general, it is accepted that the influence of different allocation procedures on the results of LCA of wood-based products can be very significant. This paper is a result of the Cost Action E9 ‘Life cycle assessment of forestry and forest products' and represents the experience of involved Cost E9 delegates. Objective: Wood is a renewable material that can be used for wood products and energy production. Consistent methodological procedures are needed in order to correctly address the twofold nature of wood as a material and fuel, the multi-functional wood processing generating large quantities of co-products, and reuse or recycling of paper and wood. Ten different processes in LCAs of wood-based products are identified, where allocation questions can occur: forestry, sawmill, wood industry, pulp and paper industry, particle board industry, recycling of paper, recycling of wood-based boards, recycling of waste wood, combined heat and power production, landfill. Methodology: Following ISO 14 041 a step-wise procedure for system boundary setting and allocation are outlined. As a first priority allocation should be avoided by system expansion, thus adding additional functions to the functional unit. Alternatively, the avoided-burden approach can be followed by subtracting substituted functions of wood that are additionally provided. If allocation cannot be avoided, some allocations methods from case studies are described. Conclusions: The following conclusions for allocation in LCA of wood-based products are given. 1) Avoid allocation by expansion of system boundaries by combining material and energy aspects of wood, meaning a combination of LCA of wood products and of energy from wood with a functional unit for products and energy. 2) Substitute energy from wood with conventional energy in the LCA of wood products to get the functional unit of the wood product only, but identify the criteria for the substituted energy. 3) Substitution of wooden products with non-wooden products in LCA of bioenergy is not advisable, because the substitution criteria can be too complex. 4) If avoiding allocation is not possible, the reasons should be documented. 5) Different allocation procedures must be analysed and documented. In many cases, it seems necessary to make a sensitivity analysis of different allocation options for different environmental effects. It can also be useful to get the acceptance of the chosen allocation procedure by external experts. 6) Different allocation factors, e.g. mass or economic value, are allowed within the same LCA. 7) For allocation of forestry processes it is necessary to describe the main function of the forest where the raw material is taken out. In some cases different types or functions of forests must be considered and described. 8) Regarding the experiences from the examples, the following most practical allocation for some specific processes are identified: forestry: mass or volume; sawmill: mass or volume and proceeds; wood industry: mass and proceed

Allocation in lca of wood-based products experiences of cost action E9 part i. methodology

Goal and Background: The treatment of allocation in the descriptive LCA of wood-based products has been discussed for a long time and different solutions have been presented. In general, it is accepted that the influence of different allocation procedures on the results of LCA of wood-based products can be very significant. This paper is a result of the Cost Action E9 'Life cycle assessment of forestry and forest products' and represents the experience of involved Cost E9 delegates. Objective: Wood is a renewable material that can be used for wood products and energy production. Consistent methodological procedures are needed in order to correctly address the twofold nature of wood as a material and fuel, the multi-functional wood processing generating large quantities of co-products, and reuse or recycling of paper and wood. Ten different processes in LCAs of wood-based products are identified, where allocation questions can occur: forestry, sawmill, wood industry, pulp and paper industry, particle board industry, recycling of paper, recycling of wood-based boards, recycling of waste wood, combined heat and power production, landfill. Methodology: Following ISO 14 041 a step-wise procedure for system boundary setting and allocation are outlined. As a first priority allocation should be avoided by system expansion, thus adding additional functions to the functional unit. Alternatively, the avoided-burden approach can be followed by subtracting substituted functions of wood that are additionally provided. If allocation cannot be avoided, some allocations methods from case studies are described. Conclusions: The following conclusions for allocation in LCA of wood-based products are given. 1) Avoid allocation by expansion of system boundaries by combining material and energy aspects of wood, meaning a combination of LCA of wood products and of energy from wood with a functional unit for products and energy. 2) Substitute energy from wood with conventional energy in the LCA of wood products to get the func-tional unit of the wood product only, but identify the criteria for the substituted energy. 3) Substitution of wooden products with non-wooden products in LCA of bioenergy is not advis able, because the substitution criteria can be too complex. 4) If avoiding allocation is not possible, the reasons should be documented. 5) Different allocation procedures must be analysed and documented. In many cases, it seems necessary to make a sensitivity analysis of different allocation options for different environmental effects. It can also be useful to get the acceptance of the chosen allocation procedure by external experts. 6) Different allocation factors, e.g. mass or economic value, are allowed within the same LCA. 7) For allocation of forestry processes it is necessary to describe the main function of the forest where the raw material is taken out. In some cases different types or functions of forests must be considered and described. 8) Regarding the experiences from the examples, the following most practical allocation for some specific processes are identified: forestry: mass or volume; sawmill: mass or volume and proceeds; wood industry: mass and proceed

Evaluating Management Effectiveness of National Parks as a Contribution to Good Governance and Social Learning

Effektivität des Managements von SchutzgebietenManagement effectiveness of protected area

War Rooms - medienphilosophische Aspekte

Das Hauptziel der vorliegenden Arbeit versteht sich in einer Aufarbeitung zum einen der Ursprünge und zum anderen der historischen Weiterentwicklungen der Konzeption von War Rooms. Darüberhinaus erfolgt eine kritische Analyse der philosophischen Grundaspekte Medien, Räumlichkeit und Zeitlichkeit in Bezug auf War Rooms. Der Aufbau der Arbeit setzt sich aus folgenden drei Teilen zusammen: Erstens, die Nachzeichnung der historischen Entwicklung der Idee des Feldherrn anhand einer vierteiligen Feldherrntypologie. Zweitens, die Anführung von drei bedeutsamen historischen Beispielen für War Rooms, die jeweils einem Feldherrntyp entsprechen. Drittens, die Analyse der zuvor herausgearbeiteten Feldherrnstufen hinsichtlich der zuvor genannten philosophischen Aspekte.The primary purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the origins and the historical advancements of the War Room conception. Additionally, a critical analysis of the War Room’s philosophical aspects is provided, which include mediality, spatiality, and temporality. The structure of this thesis is divided into three parts: The first part illustrates the historical development of the idea of the commander, which involves four types of commanders. The second part cites three important historical examples of War Rooms, which each correspond to one of the types of commanders. The final part provides the analysis of the before mentioned War Room’s philosophical aspects

Perspectives for alternative energy carriers in Austria up to 2050 : final report

The current energy supply is mainly relying on fossil fuels. Alternative energy carriers (AEC) - based on renewable, CO2-poor or CO2-free sources of energy - are of central importance for the transition towards a sustainable energy system and economy. The core objective of this project is to analyse the economic prospects and the likely future of ecological and energetic performance of different types of AEC in Austria. It is important to note that we do not focus on energy sources but on energy carriers. The most important AEC considered in this study are: (i) AEC from 1st generation biofuels (bio-ethanol and biodiesel) and biogas (ii) 2nd generation biofuels; (iii) hydrogen from renewable energy sources; (iv) electricity from renewable energy sources (RES); (v) other biomass-based energy carriers. In this context it is important to note that 2nd generation biofuels currently are expected to offer the largest biofuel quantity potential since the range of raw materials includes all plant components and waste products. We investigate in detail under which circumstances, to which extent and when these AEC may enter the market. Their potentials, costs, environmental aspects, cumulated primary energy demand and necessary promotion strategies are analysed in a dynamic context, whereby technological learning effects are considered. To answer these questions various scenarios have been created up to 2050. A major question in these scenarios is: Do we use arable land for biofuel production and how much? And to what extent can biomass-based resources at the utmost contribute to energy supply

Game of Clones: Students Model the Dispersal and Fighting of Japanese Knotweed (<em>Fallopia japonica</em>)

Fallopia japonica as an invasive alien species in Europe and North America presents a significant problem to the existing flora as well as to infrastructures and agricultural land. That is why measures and attempts to control the plant are increasing rapidly. However, conservationists are not yet able to agree on the most suitable method. In the research project ‘Game of Clones’, a team of scientists together with the help of high school students is spatially modeling the spreading behavior of knotweed under different circumstances and is creating and providing a board game as well as a computer simulation as an experimental platform. To develop sustainable assumptions to be able to model the responses of knotweed to each control measure, a vast understanding of the plant is necessary. The chapter covers the results of research activities and experiments within the project and gives a comprehensive review about Japanese knotweed

Governing mountain commons between tradition and innovation

The high spatial, climatic and cultural diversity of the Alpine region has led to particular forms of traditional governance of commons with respective commoners’ organizations and rules. However, the traditional use of the commons has increasingly become subject to changes due to challenges of modern economies and different social compositions and practices. Accordingly, changing demands as well as new social and technological innovations are shaping the use of commons and their governance practices today. In this policy brief, UNESCO Chairs of the Alpine region present traditional models of governance of commons (water, pasture, forest, biodiversity, and protected areas) in the Alpine space. We discuss the relevance of traditional governance practices and their limitations in the light of current challenges linked to sustainability. We do this by using examples of different UNESCO sites (biosphere reserves, world heritage sites, geoparks) and surrounding regions, and we ask ourselves where social and technological innovations can contribute to social decisions on how to deal with the commons. According to the discussed examples and project results, we derive recommendations for policy makers. In this way, we would like to contribute to an international discussion on the management of common resources in general and of mountain protected areas in particular

Novel Technologies and Their Application for Protected Area Management: A Supporting Approach in Biodiversity Monitoring

State-of-the-art tools are revolutionizing protected area (PA) manager approaches to biodiversity monitoring. Effective strategies are available for test site establishment, data collection, archiving, analysis, and presentation. In PAs, use of new technologies will support a shift from primarily expert-based to automated monitoring procedures, allowing increasingly efficient data collection and facilitating adherence to conservation requirements. Selection and application of appropriate tools increasingly improve options for adaptive management. In this chapter, modern biodiversity monitoring techniques are introduced and discussed in relation to previous standard approaches for their applicability in diverse habitats and for different groups of organisms. A review of some of today’s most exciting technologies is presented, including environmental DNA analysis for species identification; automated optical, olfactory, and auditory devices; remote sensing applications relaying site conditions in real-time; and uses of unmanned aerial systems technology for observation and mapping. An overview is given in the context of applicability of monitoring tools in different ecosystems, providing a theoretical basis from conceptualization to implementation of novel tools in a monitoring program. Practical examples from real-world PAs are provided