Browsing by Author "Cook, Matthew"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Application of an ecosystem function framework to perceptions of community woodlands
    (Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2009-07-01T00:00:00Z) Agbenyega, Olivia; Burgess, Paul J.; Cook, Matthew; Morris, Joe
    Owners, local residents, government, and conservation organisations can express divergent preferences in the development and management of local woodlands. The perceptions of these four groups were examined, in the context of three community woodlands in Eastern England, using an ecosystem function framework. In a pilot study, residents were able to allocate a relative importance to woodland ecosystem services which were then related to “regulation”, “habitat”, and “production” or “information” functions. However residents also placed importance on negative services or “dis-services” associated with the woodland ecosystem. Therefore a fifth category of “dis-services” was included in the main survey which included 84 local residents, three woodland owners, three government institutions, and six representatives from conservation groups. Each of the four groups placed greatest importance on services associated with habitat (16–39% of the total importance) and information (30–50%) functions suggesting, in this example, mutual interest in the use of woodlands as a habitat or recreational resource. By contrast a potential area of difference was the particularly high importance placed by one owner on dis-services such as fly tipping. In addition the woodland owners placed higher importance (10–20%), than local residents and conservation groups (7–9%), on the productive services of the wood. This suggests a need for communication when production-related operations affect recreation. The ecosystem function framework appears to be a useful approach for highlighting potential tensions and areas of mutual interest in the manage
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    Beyond narrative: modelling metaphor in environmental discourse
    (Cranfield University, 2009-09) Naughton, Linda; Cook, Matthew
    This project aims to bring together ideas from a wide range of disciplines with the objective of exploring the use of metaphor in environmental discourses. It looks beyond the narrative form of story-lines to construct models of discourses by representing processes as spatial arrangements of content. The subject to be explored is the competing discourses of economic growth and sustainability, an area which continues to generate much debate but little change in economic policy. The current dichotomy of views representing the pursuit of growth as somewhere between essential to social stability and the root of all evil has prevented a move towards consensus in the debate. This study aims to explore the ways in which an analysis of metaphor within the discourse could open up possible conduits towards the goals of sustainability.
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    Critical reflections on designing product service systems
    (Taylor and Francis, 2015-04-28) Dewberry, Emma; Cook, Matthew; Angus, Andrew; Gottberg, Annika; Longhurst, Philip J.
    In response to unsustainability and the prospect of resource scarcity, lifestyles dominated by resource throughput are being challenged. This paper focuses on a design experiment that sought to introduce alternative resource consumption pathways in the form of product service systems (PSS) to satisfy household demand and reduce consumer durable household waste. In contrast to many other PSS examples this project did not begin with sustainability benefits, rather the preferences of supply and demand actors and the bounded geographical locations represented by two UK housing developments. The paper addresses the process through which the concept PSS were designed, selected and evaluated, alongside the practical and commercial parameters of the project. It proposes the need for a shift to further emphasize the importance of the design imperative in creating different PSS outcomes that reorganize relationships between people, resources and the environment.
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    Product service systems for household waste prevention
    (Cranfield University, 2012) Gottberg, Annika; Morris, Joe; Cook, Matthew
    Waste prevention is the prioritized waste management option within EU waste policy. There is however a scarcity of research on and policy measures for waste prevention. Improved resource productivity in consumption practices may prevent waste. Literature suggests that Product Service Systems (PSS, ‘a marketable set of products and services capable of jointly fulfilling a user’s needs’ (Goedkoop et al. 1999)) have potential for increased resource productivity compared with self-servicing (households owning material artefacts and using them to perform household tasks themselves), and therefore potential for waste prevention. However, the potential of PSS is uncertain due to a lack of well-reported quantitative assessments. Moreover, the potential is predicated on particular behaviours of self-servicing households and PSS providers concerning their choice and management of material artefacts. This research, therefore, aims to assess the utility of the PSS concept for achieving household waste prevention in the UK with a view to informing policy-makers. Three objectives address the aim, namely to: identify attitudes towards PSS adoption and behaviours concerning choice and management of material artefacts which influence the waste prevention and wider environmental performance of PSS; the waste prevention potential of experimental PSS; identify the environmental potential of experimental PSS. An exploratory mixed-methods research design was used to address the objectives, comprising focus groups, interviews, a survey, document studies, development of a model for waste prevention assessment and a simplified life cycle approach using life cycle indicators. The context was a national property development firm and households on new housing developments built by the firm. Experimental PSS, for potential provision by the property development firm were developed for four household tasks to enable the assessments, namely garden maintenance, home improvement, house cleaning and laundry. The households, the property development firm and its supply chain expressed reluctance towards adopting PSS. Reported behaviours concerning choice and management of material artefacts partly confirmed and partly diverged from the propositions in the PSS literature. For almost all propositions, there were diverging behaviours. PSS for all household tasks except house cleaning had some although modest waste prevention potential. PSS led to increases in some types of emissions in most of the assessed scenarios. Increased emissions mainly arose from the transport for the delivery of PSS. Due to the increase in some emissions, it is uncertain whether PSS qualifies as waste prevention according to the legal definition. The waste prevention and environmental potential depend on the organisation of PSS. Moreover, the behaviours of service providers in particular are uncertain. Despite the modest potential for household waste prevention PSS could have a role as one in a suite of waste prevention measures. However, due to the uncertainty of the potential it might be inappropriate for policy-makers to promote adoption of PSS currently. Adoption of household services provided by local service providers may however increase. Policy-makers should consider promoting the environmental sustainability of both self-servicing households and of commercial household services. Policy-measures are proposed. The PSS concept is critiqued and the term PSS rejected. It is suggested PSS are services.
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    Understanding the adoption of solar power technologies in the UK domestic sector
    (Cranfield University, 2009-05) Faiers, Adam; Neame, Charles; Cook, Matthew
    The aim of this thesis was to provide new insights into the adoption of solar power technologies. Policy has identified solar technologies capable of providing domestic carbon reductions but limitations such as high capital costs and poor productivity are preventing widespread adoption. The research problem was that neither the attitudes of householders to the technology, nor their adoption decision processes had previously been investigated. If these could be understood, policy interventions might be more effective. This research presents previously unseen adoption curves for solar power systems, which by volume are less significant than conventional energy efficiency technologies, but the ‘S’ curve shows a rate of adoption similar to insulation and boiler systems. In addition, this research presents a comprehensive set of constructs that householders use as heuristics in their decision making process. These constructs were used in a survey of householders that showed both innovative and pragmatic tendencies in order to gain insight to their attitudes towards the systems. The results of this survey highlighted that adopters are mostly positive to solar power systems, especially the environmental aspects. However, on aesthetic, operational and financial issues, the responses indicated less positive attitudes by the ‘pragmatic’ majority. The survey confirmed the presence of a previously theorised ‘chasm’ that demonstrated significant differences between earlier and later adopters. This highlighted seven aspects of the technology that developers should consider, and also a difference in the decision making process followed by the two sets of adopters. Policy insights are discussed in relation to this.
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    Water cycle strategy process and its application
    (Cranfield University, 2008-09-20) Cvejic, Rozalija; Cook, Matthew; White, Sue
    Water Cycle Strategies (WCS) have been developed for various areas of the UK. WCSs gather an evidence base which should assist with the promotion of sustainable water management and compliance with important legislation such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD). WCSs also provide evidence which influences the development of local spatial planning policy. This research explored the WCS process undertaken for Milton Keynes (England). The intention of this research was to critically assess the WCS process and its current relevance to sustainable water management, namely WFD compliance. In order to critically assess the WCS process, and to assess its potential and implications for the future of sustainable water management within spatial planning, this research was conducted in three stages and included several organisations, both regulators and regulated. The WCS process is new in spatial planning in England and is rapidly evolving due to several factors identified by this thesis, such as reforming of the spatial planning process or compliance with the WFD. The WCS process affects the influence of different stakeholders, social learning, inter-sectoral joined-up work, and the need for catchment specific evidence base. These aspects influence the outcomes of the WCS process locally, and should also aid implementation of sustainable water management in growth areas regionally and nationally. This study has indentified and analysed the influence of the WCS process so as to critically assess and discuss it. The thesis provides the reader with an insight into how sustainable water management, namely WFD compliance, may be realised in integrated spatial planning in the case of urban growth areas in England.