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This paper aims at assessing the sustainability of development in eleven Latin American countries. For that purpose, we establish an evaluation index system grouped into four subsystems (economic subsystem, social subsystem, ecologic subsystem and institutional subsystem). The weights for the index subsystems of sustainable development are based on the concept of entropy. The empirical results show that the sustainable development strategy in this group of countries is not efficient and is characterized by a lack of coordination between the four dimensions. This quantitative evaluation provides a new perspective for research in sustainable development researches and guidance for public policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuel security, economics and climate change issues are creating a requirement for alternative renewable fuels. Bioethanol produced by algal biomass is becoming increasingly popular all over the world due to the sustainability of feed stock and environmentally friendly nature. This review paper describes the bioethanol production technology from algae using various cultivation, harvesting, extraction and commercialization techniques and its environmental perspectives. The economic sustainability of algae-derived bioethanol biofuel depends on the cost of production that could be minimized by producing valuable secondary by-products, which is the aim of current algal biofuel research. Future technologies with sufficient potential for maximum extraction capacity and minimal downstream processing using low cost feedstock will address the cost-effectiveness of renewable bioethanol biofuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The work described in this paper won an Engineering Award from the UNESCO and the United Nations. It qualified among the top 30 finalists from a pool of about 3200 engineering entries from the world''s most prestigious universities in 89 countries, including Cambridge, Oxford, MIT, Stanford and Yale. This paper describes the methods employed in a sustainability project titled ‘Global Basic Needs in an Integrated Sustainable Approach’ submitted by the author to the UNESCO in agreement with the United Nations Millennium Goals and within their framework of the Mondialogo Engineering Award. A six-nation international jury of renowned leading scientists and engineers selected this project for a nomination award. While we all anxiously wait for science to provide the solutions to global warming and catastrophic climate change, a holistic engineering approach was used to halt pollution, and to provide sustainable shelter, clean water, energy, food and education to the global population. This approach can be used anywhere in the world and conceptualizes a revolutionary sustainability paradigm for present and future societies. This work is a contribution to the advancement of the science of sustainability everywhere on the planet. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Urbanization, sustainability, energy efficiency, information and communication technology (ICT) and nanotechnology are emerging at the beginning of the 21st century. They are seeking to improve environmental effectiveness in the context of connected communities, global competitiveness, economic development, climate change, and demographic shifts. Virtually all proposed solutions to energy consumption and climate change acknowledge the role ICT plays as a key enabler of environmental effectiveness. One of the major challenges that the ICT sector faces today is that hardware is being pushed to its physical limits. The traditional means to reduce product size, increase functionality and enhance computing capabilities are becoming difficult and expensive every passing day. On the other hand, the industry is benefiting from nanotechnology advances with numerous applications including those in smarter sensors, logic elements, computer chips, memory storage devices, optoelectronics, quantum computing, etc. This paper presents an overview of the ICT benefiting from development in nanotechnology with respect to sustainability and energy efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The combined effects of climate change, the continued volatility of fuel prices, the recent food crisis and global economic turbulence have triggered a sense of urgency among policymakers, industries and development practitioners to find sustainable and viable solutions in the area of biofuels. This sense of urgency is reflected in the rapid expansion of global biofuels production and markets over the past few years. Biofuels development offers developing countries some prospect of self-reliant energy supplies at national and local levels, with potential economic, ecological, social, and security benefits. Forty-two African countries are net oil importers. This makes them particularly vulnerable to volatility in global fuel prices and dependent on foreign exchange to cover their domestic energy needs. The goal therefore is to reduce the high dependence on imported petroleum by developing domestic, renewable energy. But can this objective be achieved while leaving a minimal social and environmental footprint? A fundamental question is if biofuels can be produced with consideration of social, economic and environmental factors without setting unrealistic expectation for an evolving renewable energy industry that holds such great promise. The overall performance of different biofuels in reducing non-renewable energy use and greenhouse gas emissions varies when considering the entire lifecycle from production through to use. The net performance depends on the type of feedstock, the production process and the amount of non-renewable energy needed. This paper presents an overview of the development of biofuels in Africa, and highlights country-specific economic, environmental and social issues. It proposes a combination framework of policy incentives as a function of technology maturity, discusses practices, processes and technologies that can improve efficiency, lower energy and water demand, and further reduce the social and environmental footprint of biofuels production thereby contributing to sustainable development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]