Pollution Of Natural Resources Research Articles

ПРОЕКТНОЕ УПРАВЛЕНИЕ КАК СОВРЕМЕННЫЙ СПОСОБ ВОВЛЕЧЕНИЯ СТУДЕНТОВ В ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКУЮ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТЬ

Changing living conditions require review of working programs in the system of higher education. Training of highly qualified professionals based on the latest achievements of science and technology, cultural and socio-economic development is one of the main goals of higher education institutions. Students’ poor awareness of the close relationship between human activity and the state of environmental components causes depletion and pollution of natural resources, and leads to the loss of biodiversity. In this regard, the purpose of the study was to identify the efficiency of the project method in greening of the students’ professional training and the impact of the project method on development of the students’ green-thinking. The conducted research was targeted at stimulating students' interest in settling environmental issues through project-based activities that provide for the development of skills to practically apply the knowledge gained during the project development. The article is intended for the pedagogical community and students in order to circulate a readymade project solution for the elimination of ecological illiteracy and improvement of sanitation conditions in living quarters. The importance of the work is due to the study utcomes, that allow us to claim the efficiency of using project management as a basis for development of students’ green-thinking.

Integrating scientific and local knowledge to address environmental conflicts: the role of academia

The world is witnessing an increase in environmental conflicts (ECs) caused by the overexploitation and pollution of natural resources. We argue that addressing the unsustainable and vicious cycle of most contemporary human-nature interactions fuelling these conflicts requires a shift towards inter- and transdisciplinary research. Through critical reflection upon six case studies, we conclude that transdisciplinary approaches often require academic researchers to not only integrate local and scientific forms of knowledge but also to open the research process to changes of epistemological assumptions and initial research designs in conjunction with local populations. We suggest that addressing ECs from a transdisciplinary viewpoint requires academia to review its role from ontological and epistemological perspectives through theoretical and procedural standards, to the reward and funding systems.

Progresses in Solar Still Technology with Phase Change Material

The demand of fresh water is continuously increasing due to frequent rainfalls, shortage of ground water and pollution of natural resources via industrialization. Therefore, solar desalination of available saline and brackish water using solar still is gaining importance among the scientific community for domestic, irrigation and drinking purposes owing to be an economical and sustainable approach of producing fresh water with a simple working principle. Currently, continuous efforts have been made to improve the productivity of solar still by various techniques and configurations. A critical review of solar stills with phase change material (PCM) is presented. This paper highlights the impacts of design specifications along with an economic analysis and the type of PCM material used in recent past. Furthermore, a detailed discussion has been provided on future scope with recommendations to improve the productivity of fresh water for sustainability.

An Enemy of the People

An Enemy of the People

Sustainability Crisis of Deathstyles

This paper will focus on the sustainability crisis in the funeral industry, with a particular look at conventional forms of funeral style like burial and cremation. Burials and cremations pose a threat to land scarcity and natural resource pollution. This is especially the case for Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver, BC. In response to these crises, newer "sustainable" deathstyles have arisen, but they do not come without their own risks. This paper assesses the risks of conventional forms of funeral styles alongside their sustainable counterparts and their inclusion in the current regulatory policies of Ontario. A third section will focus on the social and cultural barriers that resist the just transitions to unconventional deathstyles. The final section includes recommendations to expand current legislation to accommodate the newer forms of disposal and minimize their associated risks, as well as additional consumer rights procedures to address the social barriers that impede the adoption of these alternatives.

Effect of expanded polystyrene waste in the creation of waterproofing paint

The production, use, and poor management of polymers, and especially of expanded polystyrene, have resulted in various environmental challenges, such as large-scale waste generation, accumulation of toxic substances, and the pollution of natural resources, chiefly of water and soil. Consequently, nations around the world are investing considerable research effort into developing waste treatment and reduction solutions. Some areas have even enacted bans against the use of the material, however, in the Colombian case, it continues to be highly represented in the industry, and given the low cost of this packaging, little effort has been made to find a replacement. Expanded polystyrene is a thermoplastic polymer with low weight, low thermal conductivity, low cost, and low water absorption; factors which have made it a less attractive target for recycling. It has, however, excellent resistance to mechanical compression, which makes it viable for study in other applications such as those considered in the present study, offering advantages in terms of environmental protection without the need to completely eliminate the use of the material. The present study analyses the effects of integrating waste expanded polystyrene into the process of creating waterproofing paint. The research is divided into three major phases: the first focusing on the determination of the paint’s technical requirements using previous research and by means of initial testing; the second, on elimination tests to validate the properties of various samples before preparing the final paint mixture; and finally, a third phase of final tests required for a waterproof paint. The final formula is applied to common materials in the construction sector, such as wood, metal, glass, and concrete, to validate each of the required properties. Among the main results, technical viability was identified in the second sample, which demonstrated the best results at a ratio of 1: 2.5: 2.5 of waste expanded polystyrene, D-limonene and methyl acetate, respectively.

Reduction of negative impact on the geoenvironment using silica sol in road construction

Consumption and pollution of natural resources must be constantly compensated by their conservation, saving and restoration to create a balance in the ecosystem between man and nature. To solve this problem any construction process must be accompanied by geoecoprotective measures. The authors of the article suggest to use silica sol in the soils stabilization and reinforcement technology. Silica sol is a pure mineral product that has binding properties and neutralizing properties against some pollutants. This makes it suitable for soils reinforcement and also soils neutralization from pollutants such as heavy metals ions. The stabilization technology using technogenic soils and silica sol will conserve natural resources, improves the soil strength properties and neutralize them from pollutants.

Methodology for environmental safety efficiency within environmental conservation activities in construction industry

The article represents the analysis of environmental conservation activity in construction, aimed at ensuring the environmental effect, which is to prevent pollution of natural resources and, therefore, to improve the quality of building materials and products. There comes a need to correctly evaluate the damage that reduces the efficiency of construction production as a result of environmental pollution. Thus, it seems advisable to consider the methodology for evaluating such damage and to analyze the sufficiency of statistical information. The authors have developed a methodology for ecological and economic assessment of the efficiency of environmental conservation activities in construction. The economic efficiency of environmental conservation costs characterizes only a part of the overall social effectiveness of environmental activities. This, however, does not underestimate the role of such indicators, the analysis of which is necessary to choose the most rational activity, which is impossible without quantitative methods and estimates. Therefore, research should be carried out in this field in order to develop practical recommendations for such evaluations.

An engineered polysaccharide lyase to combat harmful algal blooms

A growing global population and industrialization have come at the cost of induced climate change and pollution of natural resources, resulting in formation of toxic algal blooms in fresh water sources. In the US alone, these blooms cost an estimated $1.5 billion dollars each year to remediate. Current methods to combat such blooms such as copper sulfate treatment are expensive, ineffective, and environmentally toxic, motivating development of biochemical algaecides as green alternatives. Our previous research led to identification of mutant polysaccharide lyase (PL) enzyme H208F derived from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Smlt2602 (WT), which displays increased activity on the polysaccharide polyglucuronic acid. Polyglucuronic acid is a major component of the algal cell wall. This study focused on applying the two enzymes to a common bloom-forming, toxin-producing algae, Microcystis aeruginosa. We hypothesized the 2 enzymes would kill algae through disrupting the cell wall, with H208F displaying a higher killing efficacy over WT. A fluorescence assay in conjunction with live/dead staining was used to quantify killing of algae treated with each enzyme. SEM analysis was used to observe cell wall morphology in order to verify the killing mechanism. The mutant H208F was confirmed as having potential application as a biochemical, enzymatic algaecide with a 17% greater algicidal efficacy than the WT. SEM images revealed deformities in the algal cell wall, confirming the purported mechanism.

�RGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF STATE STIMULATION OF ECOLOGICAL-ORIENTED BUSINESS

The article proposes the organizational structure of state stimulation of environmentally oriented business. Norms are considered that should be developed based on the results of completed, specially conducted scientific research, survey and design work, using foreign experience. The matrix-rating approach to the assessment of pollution of the environment with the purpose of applying tax, investment incentives and penal sanctions is substantiated. In order to stimulate ecologically oriented business, it is necessary to use a matrix-rating approach to the assessment of environmental pollution in order to apply tax, investment incentives and penalties. To do this, a matrix of total volumes of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere from stationary and mobile sources of pollution should be made taking into account their aggressiveness, the total volumes of pollutant discharge into water bodies also taking into account their aggressiveness and the total volumes of disposal (dumping) of waste at landfills, polygons. The basic systems of preferential taxation are defined for stimulation of reduction of volumes of polluting substances: regulatory taxes should be aimed at the direct prevention of pollution of natural resources, and the tax is commensurate with the economic and environmental damage to the natural environment and public health. The financing taxes are aimed at the collection of monetary amounts and their accumulation in the budget, from which various environmental protection measures are financed. The peculiarity of this type of environmental taxes is that they should not be tightly linked to the negative consequences of production and economic activity. Funding environmental taxes should take into account specific technologies, types of products that must be restricted in production (environmentally hazardous technologies and products), and also when waste management is costly.

Policy, legislative and institutional assessments for integrated river basin management in Turkey

The rapidly growing population, increased urbanization, and intensive industrial and agricultural activities cause degradation and pollution of natural resources, soil erosion, and changes in hydrologic regimes in all over the world. To overcome these situations, it is necessary to develop an effective and holistic management methodology, called Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM). It is an internationally accepted administrative tool.IRBM is also one of the implementation requirements of the European Commission Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) for European Union (EU) member states and candidate countries. Turkey, as an EU candidate country, already has started and continues to work toward adaptation of the WFD. Since the early 2000s, river basin studies have been undertaken to help integrate the WFD into Turkish legislation. Although Turkey has a strong legislative background, there are many challenges in this transition period because of several big river basins, the lack of environmental infrastructure, and the cost of carrying out the WFD.This paper analyses the political, legislative, and institutional advances of the implementation of IRBM in Turkey. Before the assessments of the new Turkish legislation developments and new basin institutions, the general principles of IRBM are explained. Finally, some recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the new basin organizations and water legislation are presented.

Integrated method to assess resource efficiency – ESSENZ

With increasing demand of abiotic resources also the pollution of natural resources like water and soil has risen in the last decades due to global industrial and technological development. Thus, enhancing resource efficiency is a key goal of national and international strategies. For a comprehensive assessment of all related impacts of resource extraction and use all three sustainability dimensions have to be taken into account: economic, environmental and social aspects. Furthermore, to avoid burden shifting life cycle based methods should be applied. As companies need operational tools and approaches, a comprehensive method has been developed to measure resource efficiency of products, processes and services in the context of sustainable development (ESSENZ). Overall 21 categories are established to measure impacts on the environment, physical and socio-economic availability of the used resources as well as their societal acceptance. For the categories socio-economic availability and societal acceptance new approaches are developed and characterization factors are provided for a portfolio of 36 metals and four fossil raw materials. The introduced approach has been tested on several case studies, demonstrating that it enhances the applicability of resource efficiency to assess product systems significantly by providing an overall framework that can be adopted across sectors, using indicators and methods which are applicable and can be integrated into existing life cycle assessment based schemes.

Circles of live buffer strips in a center pivot to improve multiple ecosystem services and sustainability of irrigated agriculture in the southern Great Plains

L ife on Earth, including that of humans, depends entirely on ecosystem services. In spite of that, in the last 50 to 60 years, human activities have degraded ecosystems more rapidly than in any comparable time in human history (MEA 2005). This is happening at a time when the global population is rapidly increasing to reach nine billion and other drivers, like climate change, overexploitation and pollution of natural resources, and economic growth, are also increasing (Carpenter 2009). Therefore, innovative ideas are needed to improve ecosystem services while increasing food production. Irrigation from the Ogallala Aquifer has converted the southern Great Plains (SGP) from a dust bowl to a highly productive agricultural region. Water from the aquifer is used to irrigate over 2.6 × 106 ha (6.5 × 106 ac) in the SGP and has supported a flourishing rural economy that includes large beef and dairy industries. The water level of the aquifer is gradually decreasing because extraction exceeds recharge. In extreme cases, the water level has declined up to 84 m (277 ft) below predevelopment levels (McGuire 2007). Because of overexploitation of the Ogallala Aquifer, 35% of the irrigated acreage is expected to be rainfed in a few decades (Scanlon…

Reconsidering Sustainable Development: Urbanization, Political-Economy, and Deliberative Democracy

Twenty-five years after it entered the mainstream of global development discourse, “sustainable” remains a vague concept. Adopted by the powerful and the powerless, the term has been used to describe everything from consumer products to entire economic systems. Meanwhile, conciliatory democratic politics have suffered under a heavily money-influenced political process. This paper critiques conventional views on the definition of sustainability, and the proposed solutions that emerge therefrom. Ultimately, even the most useful concept in sustainable development discourse—the “three-legged stool” of social, ecological, and economic concerns—remains inadequate. The failure to implement the three-legged stool in practice indicates that contradictions between desired outcomes in each leg are an inherent and perpetual problem for society. Modern sustainability discourse, in its focus on ideal outcomes, fails to provide guidance for what to do when these contradictions occur. In promoting deliberative democratic decision-making for government, business, and civil society as a means towards sustainability, the author emphasizes sustainability as a process, not an achievement, even if that process relies on some widely accepted sustainability indicators to gauge its direction. By paying attention to the limits and failures of current models of societal decision-making (including the ways economic structures delimit behavioral options), sustainability discourse can elaborate a successful alternative: widespread, multi-level, nested, and interacting deliberative democratic processes that address the usage and pollution of natural resources. This paper also analyzes urbanization as a contentious subject within sustainability discourse, and as a key element in deliberative democratic development and the iterative mitigation of environmental problems.

Improving environmental charges using results of the forecast of the environmental and economic development of the Russian Federation

This article analyzes the economic methods of environmental policy in Russia. The basic principles and shortcomings of the system of charges for the pollution of natural resources are considered. New directions are suggested for their improvement, using the results of forecast calculations based on a dynamic interindustry model with an environmental unit.

Correlation analysis of life cycle impact assessment indicators measuring resource use

Introduction Even though the necessity of a sustainable use of natural resources is widely accepted, there is neither consensus on how “resource use” is clearly defined nor how it should be measured. Depending on the definition, it can comprise raw material consumption only or the consumption and pollution of natural resources. Consequently, lots of indicators can be applied, and the result of a life cycle assessment study aiming to quantify resource use seems to depend on the selection of impact categories. Therefore, this paper aims at analyzing life cycle impact assessment results obtained by means of several indicators to check if different indexes lead to similar results and if the number of indicators can be reduced.

What Kind of People Call Themselves Environmentalists?

Many studies have shown that environmentalist attitudes are increasingly prominent both domestically and internationally, although they often vary in depth and commitment. However, consumption studies and the rate of depletion and pollution of natural resources have shown even more clearly that detrimental human activity, per capita, is still rising. These observations contradict each other, resulting in a disparity between values/attitudes and consumptive behavior. We argue that this condition cannot be rationalized away with simplistic explanations followed by a call for better education, shifts in morality, changes in consciousness, or new laws, policies and other forms of social control. Thus, the purpose of our study was to find out why the disparity between positive (green) values and negative (consumptive-exploitative) behavior exists in the majority of our sampled population. 1047 participants completed a 2-part survey that included both demographic variables and value/attitude test items. Our analysis isolated 4 main Factors; 3 were relevant to the goals of the study. These three Factors captured aspects of (1) political correctness, (2) a deep-ecology mindset, and (3) a politically conservative-religious value system best characterized as antithesis of factor 2.

Natural resources accounting: A tool for water resources management in Botswana

Natural Resource Accounting (NRA) has become an important environmental/natural resources management tool in recent years. It provides information on stocks of a resource available at a particular point in time and what activities the resource is being used for. The conventional System of National Income Accounts (SNA) normally does not capture the cost of depletion, degradation or pollution of natural resources. This encourages unsustainable use of natural resources since the costs are not reflected when assessing the country’s economic performance or development progress. NRA is thus an attempt to integrate environmental issues into the conventional national accounts. The water sector is one sector that could greatly benefit from this natural resource management tool. Botswana has adopted NRA as a natural resource management tool and has so far developed accounts for minerals, livestock and water. The focus of this paper is on Water Accounting (WA) in relation to Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). IWRM is concerned with coordinated development and management of water in order to maximise economic and social welfare without compromising the sustainability of ecosystems. WA helps fill data gaps since it provides the required information for IWRM to be achieved. The aim of this paper therefore is to evaluate the Water Accounts of Botswana Report of 2006 to determine the extent to which it can contribute to integrated water resources management. The paper is based on literature review and the results show that: the available water stocks vary depending on rainfall patterns, well fields are over utilised, there has been growth in consumption, and more than 80% of the waste water produced is not being put to use. These results calls for changes in policies, role of institutions and practices pertaining to water resources management which is what IWRM is all about hence the paper concludes that indeed WA can contribute to the realisation of IWRM.