Research Publications

Computer networking is a significant and growing socio-technological phenomenon. As with any complex human system, its environmental impacts are difficult to discern. The challenge of determining e...

Following a review of the April 2001 report (CSS01-03), Stonyfield Farm decided to explore one of the recommended options for improving the environmental performance of their product delivery system.&...

Founded in 1817, the University of Michigan (U-M) is an internationally renowned research and undergraduate, graduate, and professional educational institution with a broad curriculum in the liberal a...

This report seeks to provide a "snap-shot" detailing current management of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) in the United States. The report is divided as follows: Chapter 1 - Introduction: Focused on e...

Advances in digital technology and the growth of networks are revolutionizing human activity. The Internet has been championed as a new tool for environmental improvement. Much controversy exists as t...

This project assesses the sustainability of the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus (U-M AA).  Objectives are to propose a definition of sustainability and a framework for assessment tailor...

Nationally and globally, commercial buildings contribute significantly to energyconsumption, as well as to other environmental impacts, such as air emissions and solid waste generation. For example, ...

Life cycle design (LCD) is a framework for designing product systems which are both economically and ecologically sustainable. Key elements of this framework are systems analysis, multicriteria analys...

Innovative technologies are required to offset increasing consumption and declining stocks of non-renewable resources. This study examines a possible enhancement of waste management and transportat...

A factsheet that illustrates current unsustainable patterns of residential single-family housing in the United States, supplemented by selected CSS research results on the life-cycle environmental ...

A factsheet that illustrates current unsustainable patterns of personal transportation in the United States, supplemented by selected CSS research results on the life-cycle environmental impacts, a...

A factsheet that illustrates current unsustainable patterns of agricultural production and food consumption in the United States, supplemented by selected CSS research results on the life-cycle env...

Using Washtenaw County, Michigan as a focus, this project was designed to help local decision-makers in three ways: (1) Summarize national, state, and local land use trends; (2) provide a tool for ide...

Engineering design is not simply a reflection of vision and creativity; it is also an innovative response to physical principles and regulatory controls. Among the regulatory controls that shape the c...

A life cycle assessment was conducted to evaluate the total environmental burdens of the yogurt product delivery system (PDS) for Stonyfield Farm. A life cycle model was used to develop recommendation...

A comprehensive compilation of published studies reporting directly measured experimental determinations of Henry's law constant (HLC) temperature dependence relationships for organic compounds in ...

Despite being arguably among the most effective pollution reduction programs ever instituted, a key concern exists reagrding the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) Toxic Release...

Project Objectives (INTERNAL REPORT)

This life cycle design project was a collaborative effort between the Center for Sustainable Systems (formerly the National Pollution Prevention Center) at the University of Michigan and a cross-fu...

This research is a web-based survey of information and data trends on the topic of dematerialization.  Eco-efficiency, industrial ecology and dematerialization-related developments in nanotechnol...

This report consolidates information available on U.S. EPA's website and describes Agency activities in pollution prevention, end-of-pipe treatment, and remediation.  The report provides details ...

The United States food system, from field to table, is at a crossroads for change.  Improving the sustainability of this complex system requires a thorough understanding of the relationships betw...

The life cycle energy, greenhouse gas emissions and costs of a contemporary 2,450 sq. ft. residential home (referred to as the standard home, or SH) were evaluated to study opportunities for conservin...