New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Unleashing the power of green data

Date:
October 5, 2011
Source:
KTH The Royal Institute of Technology
Summary:
Sustainability decisions need to rely on the results of quantitative environmental research. Commonly, these results are found in closed, often expensive databases based on proprietary software. Alternatively, environmental information is presented in text documents (pdf-files) which cannot be processed. Researchers have now developed a web-based service applying the concept of open linked data to environmental impact information.
Share:
FULL STORY

Sustainability decisions need to rely on the results of quantitative environmental research. Commonly, these results are found in closed, often expensive databases based on proprietary software. Alternatively, environmental information is presented in text documents (pdf-files) which cannot be processed.

"Environmental impact information should be accessible and easy to use. That's why we have developed Footprinted.org," says Jorge Zapico from the KTH Centre for Sustainable Communication (CESC).

Footprinted is a web-based service applying the concept of open linked data to environmental impact information. In Footprinted, environmental research results are available free of charge. Data is stored in a format that can easily be processed to develop new services on top of the data. Everybody can create, present, share and reuse the environmental impact information. Different sources of research are presented in a transparent way.

Unlike closed databases Footprinted does not apply a unique answer approach. "It is a bazaar of environmental impact information, rather than a cathedral," explains Jorge Zapico.

In its current version, Footprinted provides a repository of life cycle assessments of different materials, products and processes. The next step in Footprinted's development is to include the footprints of individual consumer products.

Footprinted is the result of a design research process and is currently available in beta version at www.footprinted.org. Footprinted is a collaboration between the KTH Centre for Sustainable Communications, Sourcemap Inc and MIT Media Lab. Footprinted is to be presented on 6 October 2011 at the EnviroInfo Conference in Ispra/Italy.


Story Source:

Materials provided by KTH The Royal Institute of Technology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

KTH The Royal Institute of Technology. "Unleashing the power of green data." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 October 2011. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005110900.htm>.
KTH The Royal Institute of Technology. (2011, October 5). Unleashing the power of green data. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005110900.htm
KTH The Royal Institute of Technology. "Unleashing the power of green data." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005110900.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES