Environmental Protection Issues Research Articles

Thickness-derived optical-electrical management in Sn-based perovskite solar cells

Tin-based perovskite solar cells (TPSCs) have attracted great attention due to their promising photovoltaic performance and environmental friendliness. Adequate photon trapping and efficient carrier utilization are known to be the keys to achieving high-performance devices, which are closely related to the thickness of the light-absorbing layer and the quality of film formation, respectively. Due to the ultra-fast crystallization characteristics and low defect formation energy, thick tin-based perovskite films are faced with poor electrical performance due to poor quality. Thin tin-based perovskite films are easy to achieve low defects and high crystallization quality, but insufficient thickness leads to the problem of insufficient light trapping. To address these issues, we have thoroughly investigated the various aspects of the photoelectric conversion process in TPSC devices and, for the first time, explored the behavior of front-end optical field management. It is found that the self-constructed microcavity effect can effectively improve the light trapping efficiency under the premise that a thin light-absorbing layer is used, so that sufficient photon trapping and excellent carrier transport characteristics can be ensured simultaneously to realize a high-performance device. Different from the traditional film formation and defect modulation strategy, the present work provides a feasible idea for the performance enhancement of TPSC devices, and is also of great significance for cost control and environmental protection issues in commercial applications.

CERTAIN AREAS AND POSITIVE PRACTICES OF THE GREEN ECONOMY

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the goals of writing this paper is to encourage younger generations, especially pupils and students, to get more involved in solving environmental protection issues. In this paper, we will try to examine the significance of the new economic model, the green economy, and its contribution to solving climate change problems that have far-reaching consequences for the lives of people, plant, and animal species on planet Earth. The importance of environmental protection for the survival of the planet in its current state is highlighted by the fact that many governments, corporations, governmental and non-governmental organizations have supported the implementation of projects in this area. We will present several areas where the green economy currently a dominant role and where respectable results has have been achieved, which have had a significant impact on the development of the green economy. </span></p>

Legality and Implications of International Law on Cooperation between Indonesia and Norway in the Environmental Sector

The issue of environmental protection has become a significant concern in international relations, with numerous countries striving to preserve the environment through various initiatives. One such initiative is the conduct of international cooperation, which is implemented through a special program on the environment. This study seeks to ascertain the dynamics of the cooperation between Indonesia and Norway on environmental matters, with a particular focus on the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programme, which operated from 2017 to 2021. The objective of this initiative, which falls under the umbrella of environmental cooperation, is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from deforestation and forest degradation. The REDD+ program is a funding mechanism designed to support initiatives aimed at mitigating greenhouse gas emissions resulting from deforestation and forest degradation. The methodology employed in this research entails the utilization of qualitative research techniques, namely descriptive analysis, to generate insights from the data collected. This study's theoretical approach is informed by the context of international cooperation, particularly the historical bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Norway. The results of this research indicate the implementation of cooperation between Indonesia and Norway in the environmental sector through the REDD + program between the years 2017 and 2021, which was met with a number of significant challenges. These included issues related to the protection of forests, delays in fulfilling cooperation requirements, and disagreements with indigenous peoples. Additionally, the study identifies the problem of the implementation of Result Based Payments by Norway and the termination of Indonesia-Norway REDD+ cooperation.

Effects of polymer matrix and temperature on pyrolysis of tetrabromobisphenol A: Product profiles and transformation pathways

Plastics are crucial constituents in electronic waste (e-waste) and part of the issue in e-waste recycling and environmental protection. However, previous studies have mostly focused on plastic recovery or thermal behavior of flame retardants, but not both simultaneously. The present study simulated the process of e-waste thermal treatment to explore tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) pyrolysis at various temperatures using polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and e-waste plastics as polymer matrices. Pyrolysis of TBBPA produced bromophenol, bromoacetophenone, bromobenzaldehyde, and bromobisphenol A. Co-pyrolysis with the polymer matrices increased emission factors by 1 − 2 orders of magnitude. The pyrolytic products of TBBPA, TBBPA+PS, and TBBPA+PVC were mainly low-brominated bisphenol A, while that of TBBPA in e-waste plastics was consistently bromophenol. Increasing temperature drove up the proportions of gaseous and particulate products, but lowered the relative abundances of inner wall adsorbed and residual products in pyrolysis of pure TBBPA. In co-pyrolysis of TBBPA with polymer matrix, the proportions of products in different phases were no longer governed solely by temperature, but also by polymer matrix. Co-pyrolysis of TBBPA with PS generated various bromophenols, while that with PVC produced chlorophenols and chlorobrominated bisphenol A. Transformation pathways, deduced by ab initio calculations, include hydrogenation-debromination, isopropylphenyl bond cleavage, oxidation, and chlorination.

Unveiling the mechanism of CO oxidation catalyzed by sulfur-doped fullerenes with the DFT calculations

As an important intermediate for dual carbon targets, catalytic CO oxidation under mild conditions has received sufficient attention, as the reaction mechanism is directly related to the type of employed catalyst. High performance computing is performed with density functional theory to elucidate the mechanism of CO oxidation catalyzed by sulfur doped fullerene (C60-xSx (x = 1 ∼ 3)). The total activation energy for the first CO oxidation on C59S, C58S2, and C57S3 increases gradually, as implies that the CO oxidation on C59S should be easier than those on the other two dopants. Distinct electrons (0.852 e and 1.479 e) are transferred to oxygen atoms (O2) from C59S with the adsorption of O2 and CO. There is no synergistic effect for the doping S atoms. All elementary reactions on C59S are exothermic processes. This means that C59S is a potential material for addressing environmental protection issues and H2 purification for fuel cell applications.

The principle of the rule of law in the system of constitutional principles for the implementation of the right to a safe environment

The scientific article examines the importance of the principle of the rule of law in the system of constitutional principles for the implementation of the right to a safe environment. It was found that constitutional principles are a type of legal principles and there is also no unity among scientists to understand them, which cannot contribute to the unequivocal application of law. The innovative approach and proposed concepts of «ecological constitutionalism» are analyzed, which at the same time shows the complexity of the issue of environmental protection, the combination of the principles of constitutional, environmental and international law. It further developed the proposition that every modern constitution should be based on a fundamental environmental commitment to present and future generations and thereby protect key societal values from certain political turbulence, government policy change that favors short-term economic or political advantages over long-term environmental or economic sustainability. It is the constitutional norms that must guarantee the sustainability of development, as well as stability from political changes in the course regarding the protection of basic human rights and the protection of a safe environment, without which it is not possible to create the proper conditions for a decent human life and social development. The concepts of «constitutional principles», «principles of environmental law» and «rule of law» were studied. Various approaches among scientists to understanding the principle of the rule of law have been clarified. Those decisions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine that allow personifying and objectifying the principle of the rule of law, as well as developing the content of this principle, are analyzed. It was established that the Constitutional Court of Ukraine in its decisions meaningfully filled the principle of the rule of law, emphasized the non-identity of law and law, remarked on justice as a key element of law, which in combination with equality, legal certainty fills this concept. Our own approach to understanding the principle of the rule of law as the basis of the system of constitutional foundations for the realization of the right to a safe environment is substantiated.

Review on preheating systems for Lithium-ion batteries of electric vehicles under low temperature circumstance

Nowadays, energy and environmental protection issues have become the focus of most attention. The development of electric vehicles which depends on lithium ion battery as power source is one of the most applicable way in dealing with these issues. Lithium-ion battery (LIB) is highly favoured for its outstanding features in energy density, cycle life and energy retention. However, its severe sensitivity to working temperatures leads to problems when driving electric vehicles. Therefore, researchers and engineers have explored approaches to guaranteeing a suitable working temperature for LIB, one of which is the battery preheating system. To clarify the advancement of this system, both internal and external preheating methods studied in recent years are summarized, and the discussion for future research is included.

Linguistic and pragmatic aspects of communication in the modern media world

Taking into account the purposeful activity of modern man, his acquisition of huge masses of information during a short period, the communication aspect of communication in the business sphere has gradually turned from a means of enjoyment, length, and unhurried language interaction into a means of accurate, short and simultaneous full communication of a problem, initiative, proposal. Communication pragmatics came to the aid of such language transformations. The article proves that pragmalinguistics studies speech communication as a manifestation of speech activity – purposeful influence on each other (persuasion, persuasion, request for information, etc.) using language. To achieve their communicative goals, depending on the context and situation, their communicative roles, the speaker and the addressee use certain speech acts (written as sentences) corresponding to these goals – stating facts, encouraging action, etc. It is scientifically determined that the emergence of ecolinguistics is due to the need to solve the problems of interaction between language, man and nature. It is indicated that it covers extremely diverse research that reflects the importance of environmental issues in society. The attention paid to issues of environmental protection at all levels of society, and as a result, the relevance of environmental issues, as well as the peculiarities of communication in the field of environmental protection, allow us to distinguish a separate type of discourse - ecological, which is characterized by the constant addition of the ecological glossary, the emergence of special axiological units, the presence of separate status models - role configuration, which determine the use of certain communicative strategies in specific communicative situations. It was highlighted in practice that the main discourse-creating concepts in environmental discourse are environment, pollution, energy, and climate change, which constitute the semantic base of communication in the field of environmental protection.

Research on the Application of Green Packaging in Agricultural Products E-commerce Logistics

With the rapid development of Internet technology, e-commerce that emerges as the times require has many advantages, such as low cost, cross-regional, and strong interactivity. It can help integrate resources in various links in the process of agricultural product production and sales, thereby reducing cost, improving the quality and efficiency of the agricultural product supply chain, and increasing the income of farmers and agricultural enterprises. However, with the sharp increase in the usage of packaging, environmental protection issues have become increasingly prominent. The "Action Plan for Deeply Promoting the Green Transformation of Express Packaging" issued by eight departments including the National Development and Reform Commission proposes to increase efforts to solidly promote the reduction of express packaging, accelerate the cultivation of new models of recyclable express packaging, and enhance the standardization, recycling, reduction, and harmlessness of express packaging. This paper aims at the application status of agricultural product e-commerce logistics packaging, proposes the advantages of promoting green packaging in the use process of agricultural product e-commerce logistics, and simultaneously analyzes the problems existing in the promotion and use of green packaging in agricultural product e-commerce logistics, and then proposes solutions.

Exploring Issues and Strategies of Rural Land Use and Environmental Protection

Land resources play a crucial role in the overall development of society, but the irrational exploitation and use of these resources have significant adverse effects on the natural ecological environment, which is detrimental to the effective construction of a harmonious society. There is an inseparable relationship between rural land use and ecological security, and in current rural land use practices, environmental protection issues are increasingly emphasized. In some rural areas, in pursuit of short-term economic benefits, the importance of environmental protection is often overlooked, leading to excessive development and use of land resources, posing a great threat to the sustainable development of rural society. The reduction of vegetation signifies a deterioration of the ecological environment, and soil erosion leads to a decrease in land resources and a decline in land productivity, while soil degradation directly affects the growth of crops and the income of farmers. Therefore, it is essential to integrate environmental protection concepts throughout the entire process of rural land use. In the development and utilization of land resources, environmental protection requirements must be fully considered, adopting scientific and reasonable planning and measures to ensure the full utilization of land resources and achieve sustainable development of rural society.

International legal protection of the environment from criminal acts during armed conflicts

The article is dedicated to revealing the state of legal provision for the international legal protection of the environment from criminal acts during armed conflicts. Attention is drawn to the fact that international legal obligations of states regarding environmental protection during armed conflict are only contained in a few environmental treaties, but simultaneously in special agreements that are applicable in the presence of armed conflict and are sources of international humanitarian law. It is noted that from the general principles of the impact of war on international treaties, it follows that the termination of an international treaty at the onset of war is an exception to the rules, not a mandatory act. According to Articles 61 and 62 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969 regarding impossibility of performance and fundamental change of circumstances, it is established that war is not a basis for the automatic termination of treaty obligations, including environmental ones, by the parties to the conflict who have become parties in peacetime, which is also stated in the Draft Articles on the Impact of Armed Conflicts on Treaties of 2011 prepared by the UN International Law Commission, which includes a reference to a provisional list of treaties whose subject matter implies that they continue to apply during armed conflict, among them – treaties on international environmental protection.
 The standpoint regarding the necessity of developing a codified international instrument, which would consolidate the currently disparate provisions for regulating environmental protection issues in conditions of armed conflict, compensation for damage caused, etc., as a source of international environmental law, is supported. It would also address existing problems in legal application, such as the narrow and imprecise definition of the threshold level criteria required to prove environmental damage during armed conflict.

Economic policy of environmental protection facing modern challenges

Issues of environmental protection in the 21st century are becoming more and more crucial for leading countries and, therefore, for the whole world. This has led to growing the effects of global warming and the lack of certain resources, the reduction of which can cause incredible damage to the world economy. The reaction to the degradation of nature in the USA, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain, and other economically developed countries was manifested by the creation of a legal system in the field of environmental protection. The public ecological movement was and is considered to be an essential impetus for the development of legislation in the field of environmental protection in the mentioned countries. Laws adopted in the field of environmental protection are mostly a reaction to an acute ecological problem. Environmental protection issues differ between countries. It is known that developed countries regulate environmental pollution, the processing of chemical waste, and the use of chemical materials at work with special legislative acts. Some developing countries do not have these laws, which allow multinational companies to pollute at higher levels than would be allowed in their own countries. Countries are trying to reach a consensus on many environmental issues, reduce emissions, and find new ways of production that will not cause damage to the environment. Keywords: Environmental protection, Economic policy, Environment pollution, Paris Green Agreement, National environmental programs, EU Climate and Energy Plan

The Impact of Long-Term Fallowing on the Yield and Quality of Winter Rape and Winter and Spring Wheat

The proper fallowing of soil maintains or even improves its yield potential. The aim of this research was to compare five methods of soil protection with high production potential on the yield and quality of strategic plants. The tested methods consisted of five variants: bare fallow—BF; natural fallow—NF; fodder galega (Galega orientalis Lam.)—FG; a mixture of fodder galega (Galega orientalis Lam.) with smooth brome (Bromus inermis)—FG+SB; and smooth brome (Bromus inermis)—SB. The soil had been set aside for 9 years, after which time the fallows were terminated and the fields were cropped with winter oilseed rape, winter wheat, and spring wheat in three consecutive years. After the end of fallowing, the content of Nog. and Ctot., pH, and forms of available macro- and microelements in the soil were determined. The influence of each type of fallow on the yield of seeds/grain, straw, total protein, crude fat, and the content of macronutrients in the seeds/grain and straw of the grown crops was determined. Regarding the yields of the crops, the best solution was long-term soil protection via sowing fodder galega or a mixture of fodder galega and smooth brome. A field previously maintained as a fallow with these plants (singly or in combination) could produce over twice-as-high yields of wheat and oilseed rape as those harvested from a field established on bare fallow. The yields of the cereals and oilseed rape obtained in this study prove that food security and environmental protection issues can be reconciled. The methods for protecting farmland temporarily excluded from agricultural production presented in this paper correspond perfectly to the framework of the Green Deal for Europe. Arable land excluded from cultivation can be used to overcome new challenges facing modern agriculture.

Coastal states’ influence on the polar code: An empirical study of Russia and Canada

Climate change presents valuable opportunities for the development and utilization of Arctic passages. It is important to address maritime safety and environmental protection issues faced by ships navigating polar waters through appropriate regulation. The Polar Code is crucial in navigation safety guarantee and marine environmental protection in polar waters. Russia and Canada play a significant role in the negotiations of the Polar Code due to their respective actual control of the Northern Sea Route and Northwest Passage. How does Canada and Russia influence on the IMO's law-making related to the Arctic navigation? The study examines the proposals submitted by Russia and Canada during the negotiations of the Polar Code, explores the development paths of their proposals and adoption to clarify their functions vis-à-vis this issue. The study concludes that five factors affect the roles played by states in international law-making, namely the “5C” factors (chiefship, compatibility, combination, contribution, and circulation). This study aims to provide a reference for similar national practices in other states by summarizing the factors that influence decisions on Arctic navigation rules.

Identification of Coal and Gangue Using Visible-Near Infrared (Vis-NIR) Hyperspectral Imaging

Accurate and rapid identification of coal and gangue is a crucial issue for efficient resource utilization and environmental protection. In this study, visible and near infrared (Vis-NIR) hyperspectral imaging was used for the classification of coal and gangue. Principal component analysis was adopted to generate score scatter plots for differentiating specific grouping of samples. Competitive adaptive reweighted sampling and random frog (RF) were employed to screen out the effective wavelengths. Three models, partial least squares, a library for support vector machines, and back-propagation (BP) neural network were developed to identify coal and gangue using effective wavelengths and full spectra as inputs. The results showed that all models provided satisfactory identification rates of over 91.6%. The best performances emerged from BP neural network using effective wavelengths extracted by RF with identification accuracy of 100% in validation sets. It can be concluded that Vis-NIR hyperspectral imaging is a noninvasive analytical method with promising application prospects for coal and gangue identification.

Denitrification Technology and The Catalysts: A Review and Recent Advances

AbstractWith the acceleration of industrialization and the increasing prominence of environmental pollution problems, the emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the atmosphere has become a global concern. These emissions are not only hazardous to human health, but also one of the main factors leading to acid rain, photochemical smog and global climate change. Therefore, the development and implementation of efficient denitrification technologies are an important issue for environmental protection. The present review focuses on the research progress of the denitrification technology in the recent years, including the traditional denitrification methods and common technologies. At the same time, the advantages, limitations and application prospects of each method are analyzed. The mechanisms, influencing factors, advantages and disadvantages of the denitrification catalysts are also discussed. In addition, the future research trends and potential challenges of denitrification technology are discussed. It is expected that this review will provide useful references for promoting the development and application of denitrification technology, which may help researchers to choose high‐performance and cost‐effective methods.

Effect of manganese on the structure of CMAS slag glass–ceramics

With the acceleration of industrialization, environmental issues have received great attention from governments and societies around the world. Utilizing solid wastes containing valuable heavy metals and exploring their role and application in materials is one of the focal issues of environmental protection in recent years. In this paper, in order to explore the effect of Mn content on the crystallization of CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 glass–ceramics, glass–ceramics with different content of MnO2 were prepared by sintering method and the effect of MnO2 doping on the crystalline properties, glass stability and heavy metal fixation properties of the stainless steel slag glass–ceramics was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The analysis using crystallization kinetics showed that surface crystallization dominated the whole crystallization process in the range of 0% to 10% MnO2 content. The peak glass crystallization and depolymerisation temperatures of the glass–ceramics increased gradually with increasing MnO2 content, and the main crystallization mode of the samples was one-dimensional crystallization. The main crystalline phase of the resulting glass–ceramics was transformed from diopside to spinel, with a crystallization temperature of 860℃. Heavy metals solidified in the spinel phase. This study shows that heavy metals can be effectively immobilized in glass–ceramics. In summary, the use of solid waste to prepare final products with good environmental performance provides a feasible way to utilize solid waste resources.

Performance of eco-friendly soy protein adhesive reinforced by aldehyde sodium alginate

Faced with many challenges such as energy crisis and environmental protection issues, biomass soy protein-based adhesives for replacing aldehyde-based adhesives have gradually become one of the research hotspots for wood industry upgrading. However, soy protein-based adhesives still have many shortcomings. Low bonding strength, poor water resistance and high viscosity restrict their widespread industrial application. In this work, a modified soy protein isolate (SPI) based adhesive with strong water-resistant bonding strength and low viscosity was prepared. Oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) and calcium ions were employed in SPI adhesive system. Results showed that cross-linking between OSA, calcium ions and SPI occurred successfully. The mechanical properties of SPI were significantly improved. The dry and wet bond strengths were 2.05 MPa and 0.97 MPa, respectively, in 65.3 % and 49.2 % increments for comparison. The adhesive samples also showed a reduction in viscosity and an increase in thermal stability. It can be developed as a facile method for preparing bio-adhesives.

Determination of thermomechanical properties in recycled PLA filaments for 3D printers

In recent times, the issue of plastic recycling has become one of the leading issues of environmental protection and waste management. Polymer materials are found applied in many areas of daily life and industry. Along with their extended use, the problem of plastic waste appeared because, after withdrawal from use, they became persistent and noxious wastes. The possibility of reusing polymeric materials enables waste utilization to obtain consumable products. The 3D printing market is a well-growing sector. Printable filaments can be made from various thermoplastic materials, including those from recycling. This paper studies the thermal-mechanical properties of recycled polylactic acid (PLA) material filaments obtained from 3D-printed specimens. The analysis was first with the virgin filament (PLA N) and, subsequently, two recycling cycles (PLA 1 and PLA 2). There were thermal properties evaluations for the three processing types, as follows: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile test for both specimens and filaments. The glass transition temperatures (Tg) remained at their typical values. The same happened with the melting temperature (Tm). In the TGA, the PLA thermal stability remained constant. The FTIR presented the functional groups unaltered for the recycled samples. In the second filament recycling, the tensile strength decreased by 26%, and the maximum strain was 40%, compared to PLA N. The same occurred to PLA 2 specimens; the maximum stress and strain decreased by 45% and 31%, respectively. In terms of crystallinity, this presented a variation of 86% of the virgin material for the second recycling cycle, which correlated to tensile strength shows a weakness in the PLA recycled structure, decreasing the strain until the fracture and the tensile strength.

THE ESSENCE OF MIND STRATEGY IN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE: HUMAN-NATURE-WISDOM UNITY

A systematic approach requires combining the knowledge of related subjects (e.g., natural sciences) into a whole and making conditions for the learners to research, draw conclusions, process abundant and diverse information, improve and change, complete their knowledge, i.e., eliminate common/traditional subject barriers, refuse narrow empiricism. The field of science education is wide, complex and diverse. It is not only the transmission of natural science knowledge but also ecological, environmental, antidrug, sexual, antinicotine education, healthy lifestyle training, etc. Today’s society is dealing with very relevant issues of nature protection, nature conservation, ecology, environmental protection, and other problems. All this requires a new approach from all of us, the efforts of various field specialists, eliminating all separating barriers. Global problems are a common concern for all of us. This is just because not a single problem is isolated from another, most of them are intertwined, fully determined, united in their nature. Therefore, knowing (clarifying) connections is complicated and hardly achievable. Their solution is possible only when they are comprehensively analysed by closely linking them together.