A detailed review of the education sector in Australia as in the data provided by the 2006 edition of the OECD's annual publication, 'Education at a Glance' is presented. While the data has shown that in almost all OECD countries educational attainment levels are on the rise, with countries showing impressive gains in university qualifications, it also reveals that a large of share of young people still do not complete secondary school, which remains a baseline for successful entry into the labour market.

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Education at a Glance

by J. Biggs and C. Tang, Maidenhead, England,
Open University Press, 2007, 360 pp., £29.99, ISBN-13: 978-0-335-22126-4

Teaching for quality learning at university

Sustainability-Oriented Innovation of SMEs: A Systematic Review

The pollution of rivers and lakes is of concern because of the threat to public water supplied and because of the damage caused to natural ecosystems. Waterborne diseases remain rife in the Third World, while in developed countries there has been a decline in the quality of water. It has also become apparent that pollutants may destroy ecosystems hundreds of miles from their source. Some of these toxic materials such as lead and PCBs also pose threats to public health. This text describes the sources of various types of pollutants, their effects on aquatic organisms, ecosystems and man, using case histories where appropriate. Ways of mitigating the effects of pollutants by control and ecosystem manipulation are described. Techniques for assessing the effects of pollution, both in field and laboratory, are introduced. The role of the biologist in pollution assessment and control and in the wider sphere of mangement of acquatic resources is also examined.

Biology of Freshwater Pollution.

https://apem-journal.org/Archives/2011/APEM6-1_027-036.pdf

A system model for green manufacturing

Sustainability issues in manufacturing and production are growing exponentially. Initially referring to environmental considerations, sustainability now also encompasses social, ethical and economical responsibilities. This paper focuses on engineering and manufacturing SMEs and outlines a regional study undertaken on a small number of these companies which have succeeded in developing appropriate tools and strategies to satisfy the current ISO 14001 standard. Their experiences, strategies and solutions are used to devise and develop a framework for sustainability management, taking an incremental approach in moving from environmental management, using ISO 14001 as a foundation, to sustainability management which will contribute to an annual sustainability report which is currently only undertaken by large corporations. The framework consists of two levels, with the first focusing on ISO 14001 and the second aimed towards managing all social, environmental and economical aspects within an engineering SME. Key results from the regional study of ISO 14001 certified engineering SMEs highlight the importance of environmental and sustainability awareness programs for top management, eliciting and obtaining their full support and commitment.

Developing a framework for sustainability management in engineering SMEs

Currently environmental management is at the forefront of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially in certain sectors where its presence is mandatory in order to operate in business. Although SMEs in certain sectors are catching up on their larger counterparts in reducing their environmental impacts, which are mainly due to supply chain demands, statistics clearly show that the majority of manufacturing SMEs are not incorporating formal environmental management system (EMS) into their businesses. The treatment of SMEs as one homogenous group by research has led to a lack of providing real strategies and tools that SMEs can implement and use. Current strategies are fragmented and seen as piecemeal, requiring adaptation and application to a particular sector by SMEs. SMEs do not have the resources required to research all environmental aspects of their businesses, which is a fundamental part of an EMS. Irish EMS support initiatives have but provided grant assistance in contributing towards the fees of external environmental consultants. As a result the majority of SMEs must rely on the help and assistance of external environmental consultants to assist them in taking account of their environmental impacts. Recent research obtained data on the current practices and experiences of Irish SMEs in areas of manufacturing and environmental management. Results of which, compares with previous research carried out in other European countries, however their significance and weightings differ considerably. Responses obtained regarding waste minimisation, recycling and reuse were positive, however, Irish manufacturing SMEs are falling short of initiating formal environmental management systems and front of pipe technologies. The use of information technology in assisting SMEs manage their environmental impacts holds much potential in providing a complete holistic environmental information management system (EIMS), which is already implemented in larger companies. Initial research has identified and developed proven strategies, solutions and tools from ISO 14001 certified Engineering SMEs, which will be used to form an initial base for an EIMS.

Intelligent environmental management for SMEs in manufacturing

The definition of sustainability which is generally adopted is: ''meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'' (World Commission on the Environment and Development, 1987. Brundtland report). The EU MDG7 report, describes environmental sustainability as: ''...meeting current human needs without undermining the capacity of the environment to provide for those needs over the long term...'' (UN, 2005a). Over the past decade public concern about sustainable development has profoundly transformed attitudes and to a lesser extent practices in manufacturing industries. A sustainable approach to design and engineering involves evaluating where a product or system has the greatest environmental impact and then prioritising strategies which reduce that impact. There is hardly any industry sector in which the management of environmental sustainability is not of significant relevance. The degradation of pristine ecosystems, global warming, and unprecedented energy usage, has become key issues for all of earths 'tenants'. It is essential that all facets of design and manufacturing take action on environmental sustainability concerns through appropriate strategies, and endeavour to implement standards such as the ISO 14001, and accommodating related legislation as a foundation for sustainable manufacturing. This paper discusses the sustainability challenges of the industrial world, the sustainable management issues they face, and the strategies they might employ, while maintaining corporate responsibility and gaining competitive advantage.

Intelligent manufacturing and environmental sustainability

Value creation in all its facets lies at the core of intelligent manufacturing and engineering. In the last 20 years the field of manufacturing has undergone many changes and refinements. Terms such as Integrated Management Systems (IMS), Just in Time (JIT), Toyota Production System (TPS) in the context of Lean Production and 'Flow' were parts of the toolset developed by the Toyota Corporation which pushed them to the forefront of world automotive production. While benchmarking the design production systems and their associated efficiencies is very worthwhile, there are other engineering design, lean production, just in time, and production and supply chain exemplars which are worth investigating. A primary source of best-practice engineering in flexible and intelligent manufacturing is to be found in the study of 'Bionics' (Biomimicry). The intelligence in design and operational efficiency which is brought to Bionics by design in nature was recognised by Leonardo DaVinci when he wrote: ''... in her (design) nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous'' [1]... This paper examines how design and engineering can learn and apply through the study of bionics/biomimicry, a vast pool of knowledge of design and systems engineering strategies. Such strategies and exemplars will provide benchmarks which will result in inspirational approaches in design, efficiency and sustainable engineering solutions.

Bionics-An inspiration for intelligent manufacturing and engineering

It would be difficult to find an industry sector in which the management of environmental sustainability is not of significant relevance. It is unfortunate that engineering and cognate areas of education have, for the most part, ignored these vital issues. It is, therefore, essential that all facets of engineering, design and manufacturing take action on environmental sustainability concerns through appropriate strategies. They should endeavour to implement standards, such as the ISO 14001 environmental management systems or Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, as a foundation for sustainable engineering and manufacturing. It is vital that these issues are seriously addressed in engineering education. Most engineering degree programmes do not include a broad spectrum environmental sustainability module and many have little or no exposure to any facet of learning in this area. The environmental sustainability intervention at the University of Limerick has been two-pronged in that: (a) a number of self-paced tu...

William Gaughran

Papers

Developing a framework for sustainability management in engineering SMEs

Intelligent environmental management for SMEs in manufacturing

Intelligent manufacturing and environmental sustainability

Bionics-An inspiration for intelligent manufacturing and engineering

Environmental sustainability in engineering education - Quo Vadis?