Use Of Non-renewable Resources Research Articles

Transformation of Energy Resources in the Visegrad Group: Strategies, Results, and Climate Effectiveness

The climate challenges posed by the European Union are particularly difficult for emerging and developing economies. This causes reluctance to undertake them and even denial of their validity. For this reason, this article seeks to answer the question of whether it is possible to carry out an effective transformation of energy resources in the developing economies of the Visegrad Group. Analyses in this area are conducted in a long-term, 58-year research perspective (1965–2022) and concern the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. The effectiveness of the examined transformation is assessed in two dimensions as follows: (1) resource and (2) emission, which are then synthesized using a multi-criteria analysis. This research shows that an effective resource transformation aimed at a zero-emission economy is possible even in emerging and developing economies, although it undoubtedly requires time and consistency in the implementation of the once-chosen energy policy. Hungary—a leader in assessed climate effectiveness—has systematically decarbonized while reducing the use of total non-renewable resources. The Hungarian resource transition strategy assumed the use of nuclear energy and an increase in the share of renewable resources. The result of these activities is a quite diversified energy mix, which is greater resource self-sufficiency and low carbon dioxide emissions. The Czech Republic also achieved a similar strategy and results. Poland and Slovakia coped much worse with the climate challenge: although they gave up coal, they replaced it largely with other non-renewable resources. It is worth emphasizing that Poland has managed to significantly increase the use of renewable resources, and nuclear energy and hydropower have also appeared in the Slovak mix. Nevertheless, this did not allow for achieving good climatic results.

A New Direction for the Green, Environmentally Friendly and Sustainable Bioproduction of Aminobenzoic Acid and Its Derivatives

Aminobenzoic acid and its derivatives are a class of aromatic compounds that are important foundational chemicals for various dyes, food additives, and pharmaceuticals. Their production relies on chemical synthesis using petroleum-derived substances such as benzene as precursors, but due to the toxicity, environmental pollution, and non-renewable nature of raw materials in chemical synthesis, some suitable alternative methods are gradually being developed. Green, environmentally friendly, and sustainable biosynthesis methods have gradually been favored by researchers, especially after the discovery of the synthetic pathways of aminobenzoic acid and its derivatives in plants and microorganisms. Based on the purpose of protecting the ecological environment, reducing the use of non-renewable resources, and providing theoretical support for industrial green development, this article reviews the biosynthesis pathways of ortho-aminobenzoic acid, meta-aminobenzoic acid, para-aminobenzoic acid, and its derivatives such as catechol, folic acid, etc., and lists some examples of biosynthesis, analyzes their advantages and disadvantages, summarizes and looks forward to the future development direction of biosynthesis of aminobenzoic acid and its derivatives.

Urbanization, trade openness, and industrialization as a determent of clean energy consumption: Evidence from BRI nations

Energy and economic policies should include the intricate interconnections among urbanization, trade openness, industry, and the utilization of renewable energy. This study investigates the intricate connections among nations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The study employed panel econometric techniques, including DSUR, Cup-BC, and CUP-FM, to document independent variables' elasticities. Study findings suggest that urbanization is initially negatively correlated with renewable energy consumption (REC) because of the rising demand for energy, particularly non-renewable sources. Urbanization beyond a certain threshold fosters renewable energy, showcasing the positive effects of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The influence of urbanization on energy use has changed throughout time. Furthermore, there is an initial positive relationship between trade openness and REC, indicating that adopting liberalized trade policies encourages the use of clean energy. Nevertheless, over time, this connection becomes less strong, suggesting a critical moment when the promotion of trade openness may lead to an increase in the use of non-renewable resources. Industrialization first stimulates the need for traditional energy sources but ultimately encourages using renewable energy. The U-invert connection demonstrates the interplay between industrialization and energy consumption patterns, emphasizing the need for flexible policies. Our study assists policymakers and stakeholders in effectively addressing energy sustainability concerns related to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

IMPLEMENTATION OF BALINESE TRI HITA KARANA CONCEPT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE OF LAND CONSOLIDATION ARRANGEMENTS

This article explores the application of the Balinese Tri Hita Karana concept in the context of land consolidation arrangements and environmental conservation of cultural heritage. The method which is used in this research is normative legal research by reflecting on the values contained in legal norms related to land consolidation in Bali using a statutory approach, a conceptual approach, a historical approach, and the case approach, then analyzed by descriptive analysis, evaluation, and argumentation techniques. The article analyses the legal and environmental implications of the Tri Hita Karana philosophy in Bali., emphasizing the importance of sustainable use of limited and non-renewable resources. The article argues that land consolidation arrangements should consider the Tri Hita Karana concept and ensure the preservation of cultural heritage and environment environment. The report highlights the significance of the Tri Hita Karana philosophy in shaping Bali's legal and environmental landscape.

Assessment of the technological efficiency of production and consumption of EU countries in the context of circular economy

The intensive use of non-renewable production resources and the associated growing environmental pollution forces us to look for new methods of halting these negative trends. Circular economy is one such method. This phenomenon is the subject of numerous studies attempting to assess its condition at both the micro and macro levels, the implementation of circular economy strategies, its environmental impact, the context of waste generation, etc. On the other hand, little attention is paid to assessing its efficiency. Technological efficiency, i.e., the relationship between material footprint and waste generation, is of particular importance, since the amount of waste generated primarily depends on the technology used at the time of production. Thus, this paper aims to analyse and assess the development of technological efficiency over a certain period of time. Further, it is necessary not only to build on the results of development at the end of this period, but also to assess the extent of the changes that have taken place during it in order to reflect the actual state of affairs. Thus, the final result takes into account both the intensity of the development of technological efficiency and the importance of its current state to the overall development process.

Spatiotemporal evolution of county level ecological security based on an emergy ecological footprint model: The case of Dingxi, China

Clarifying the spatiotemporal development of regional ecological security can support decision-making related to coordinated, sustainable regional development. This study used an emergy ecological footprint (EEF) model to analyze spatiotemporal changes in ecological security in the Dingxi region, a fragile-environment area in western China. The results indicated that in all counties in Dingxi, the change trends in emergy ecological carrying capacity per capita (eec) were not significant while spatiotemporal differences in emergy ecological footprint per capita (eef) was significant. Overall, the eef in 2019 is 0.2–1.3 times higher than in 2001(except Minxian), respectively. Zhangxian had the highest eef (2.74 ha/cap), followed by An'ding (1.47 ha/cap), while Minxian was the lowest (0.50 ha/cap). During the study, Minxian recorded an ecological surplus, the ecological pressure index showed a decreasing trend, the ecological security level increased, and sustainable development ability was stronger than in the other counties. Other counties are in a state of ecological deficit and have a high ecological pressure index, and regional ecological security is facing great challenges. Moreover, industrial structure, economic level, urbanization, and population size are the main drivers of ecological security in the Dingxi region, while geographic location and climatic factors are the dominant factors leading to its spatial differences. Therefore, controlling population size, reducing the use of nonrenewable resources, developing land resources appropriately, and using resources efficiently can promote the sustainable development of counties. Our findings could serve as a reference for the ecological construction and economic development of the counties.

Life cycle assessment of curtain wall facades: A screening study on end-of-life scenarios

By 2030, Australia is committed to reducing 43 % of its greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 record, and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Embodied carbon emissions in materials used in Australia's building and construction sector are the next frontier to significantly reduce carbon emissions. Façades are among the highest contributors to embodied carbon emissions in commercial buildings. However, there are limited studies on the life cycle assessment examining the embodied impacts of different types of curtain walls. Further, the majority focus on the upfront carbon, oversimplifying the end-of-life (EoL) possibilities, often assuming demolition as the only scenario. This study explores the life cycle assessment of three façade systems from cradle-to-grave analysing the trade-off between the impacts of the service life and end-of-life stages to identify the associated environmental benefits. A total of 27 scenarios based on different façade service lives of 20, 40 and 100 years and different EoL scenarios, including landfill, recycling and reuse are examined. The assessed variables include the global warming potential (GWP), total use of renewable primary energy resources (PERT), total use of non-renewable primary energy resources (PENRT) and net freshwater use (FW). This study highlighted the importance of considering the net benefits beyond the boundary. Compared to recycling, reuse provides more net benefits to GWP, PERT and PENRT. By extending the façade lifespan, the uncertainty of the impact indicators associated with different EoL decreases. Moreover, the life cycle benefits of selecting a façade with higher operational savings increases, given the same EoL scenario.

Modification of plywood with phenol–formaldehyde resin: substitution of phenol by pyrolysis cleavage products of softwood kraft lignin

The modification by impregnation of veneers for the production of plywood with phenol–formaldehyde resins is a well-known method to improve the dimensional stability and fungal resistance. Because phenol is obtained from non-renewable resources, finding substitutes has been a topic of research. Due to similarities in chemical structure and availability, lignin cleavage products present a promising alternative. In this study, microwave-assisted pyrolysis cleavage products of softwood kraft lignin have been used to substitute 30% of phenol in phenol–formaldehyde resins. Scots pine veneers were impregnated with the resin, and five-layered plywoods were produced. The influence of the substitution on the bonding quality, the dimensional stability, and the leaching of resin from the specimens were studied. Mechanical properties such as the bending strength, the modulus of elasticity, as well as the dynamic impact bending strength of the plywood were analyzed. Both treatments led to plywood with good dimensional stability, and the resin was stable against leaching. The substitution of phenol with lignin cleavage products led to slightly reduced brittleness of the specimens compared to pure phenol–formaldehyde resin. This study presents a method to reduce the use of non-renewable resources, increase the use of currently underutilized lignin sources, and produce plywood with promising properties for exterior applications.

Ingineering and technological problems of improving the environmental safety of crop production

The article deals with engineering and technological problems of improving the environmental safety of crop production as a complex biotechnical system, for the environment, consumers of crop production and machine operators who ensure production in the field. It is noted that the impact of agriculture on the environment and humans is not only promoting global warming, participation in environmental pollution by pesticides and undigested remnants of mineral and organic fertilizers, the pollution of the production of field crops with residual amounts of pesticides and food is not absorbed nitrogen, toxic threat environment in the area of the machine, but unsustainable use of non-renewable resources, the availability of which depend on agricultural technologies. The main directions of minimizing environmental pollution and reducing dependence on non-renewable resources as a result of agricultural activities are shown.

Activated hydrochar derived from coconut shell and microalgae through hydrothermal carbonization for the CO2 adsorption

Activated carbon (AC) has proven to be an effective adsorbent for gas and liquid. However, the production of AC involves high energy consumption and the use of limited non-renewable resources as feedstock. In this study, activated carbon was synthesized through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) at a low temperature using coconut shells and microalgae. The adsorbents were characterised by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to determine the surface function. The results indicate that the coconut shell activated carbon (CSAC) precursor had a higher yield compared to microalgae-based activated carbon (MAAC). However, the carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake of MAAC at 1.0 bar is 115.4% higher. A combination of algae and coconut shells as feedstock resulted in competitive activated carbon compared to MAAC (7.74 wt% instead of 8.28 wt%). The results of this study suggest that waste biomass hydrochars could be considered as low-cost adsorbents for carbon dioxide removal and that this would be useful in environmental applications for post-combustion carbon capture.

Irrigation Technology Interventions as Potential Options to Improve Water Security in India and Africa: A Comparative Review

Water is an essential resource for the realization of the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The increasing global food insecurity, hunger, human population, and uneconomical extraction and use of non-renewable resources require, among other things, a substantial intensification of agricultural production. In this context, there has been a need to adopt irrigation technologies, especially in developing countries where agriculture and its allied sectors employ more than 50% of the total population but account for up to 90% of the total freshwater consumptive use. India and Africa are at the crux of this conundrum, where there is an urgent need to build resilience with the already excessively allotted water resources. Innovative and water-efficient irrigation technologies could be one of the windows of opportunity to overcome water scarcity and enhance food security in these regions. This review sought to comparatively explore how irrigation technological interventions could help overcome water security challenges in India and Africa. Literature retrieved from multidisciplinary electronic databases indicated that, as part of the global south, both India and Africa have untapped irrigation potential due to the adoption of individual-centric irrigation. The irrigation approaches that possess the capacity to increase water and food security as well as reduce poverty levels in India and Africa are broadly grouped into micro-irrigation technologies, renewable energy-powered irrigation technologies, flood recession agriculture, and underground transfer of surface flood water for irrigation. Unlike in India, where overexploitation or extraction is the primary driver of water scarcity (physical scarcity), water insecurity in Africa results from poor management (economic scarcity). The adoption of the foregoing interventions is challenged by existing cultural and land tenure issues, limited access to efficient irrigation technologies and credit services, as well as an overreliance on national governments for support. Despite these challenges, opportunities exist for smallholder irrigation expansion. This study indicates that both Indian and African governments ought to offer stimulus packages that encourage holistic farmer-centric irrigation technologies to improve food and water security.

Nonrenewable resource use sustainability and public debt

AbstractThe sustainability of resource use and the management of public finances are both long‐run issues that are linked to each other through savings decisions. To study them conjointly, this paper introduces a public debt stabilization constraint in an overlapping generation model in which nonrenewable resources constitute a necessary input in the production function and belong to agents. It shows that stabilization of public debt at a high level (as share of capital) may prevent the existence of a sustainable development path, that is, a path on which per capita consumption is not decreasing. Public debt thus appears as a threat to sustainable development. It also shows that higher public debt‐to‐capital ratios (and public expenditures‐to‐capital ones) are associated with lower growth. Two transmission channels are identified. As usual, public debt crowds out capital accumulation. In addition, public debt tends to increase resource use which reduces the rate of growth. We also provide a numerical analysis of the dynamics that shows that the economy is characterized by saddle path stability. Finally, we show that the public debt‐to‐capital ratio may be calibrated to implement the social planner optimal allocation according to which the growth rate is increasing in the degree of patience.

Emergy analysis of pond fish farming – a case study for a large fish farm in Poland

The immediate goal of the article is an emergy analysis of fish production on an exemplary fish farm. Additionally, it was compared, in terms of environmental burden, with other exemplary agricultural productions. On the basis of the calculated emergy inflows, selected emergy indicators (ELR, EYR, REN) were calculated, showing the scale of use of renewable and non-renewable resources. The results show that the analysed fish production does not burden the environment and largely uses renewable resources, unlike other intensive agricultural productions. The ELR value was compared with its values for other exemplary agricultural production. In fish farming, this indicator is most often lower than 1. It is assumed that such activity does not burden the environment. Animal production requires the involvement of additional space for fodder production. Therefore the differences in the area necessary for the production of a food unit (GJ) of exemplary plant and animal products are also shown. Emergy analysis and its results can provide valuable information for decision-makers in terms of the direction of a given production.

An analysis of sub-sectoral level carbon budget allocation for India's iron and steel sector

The global carbon budget, defined as the cumulative amount of permissible carbon emissions to meet the temperature targets, is widely used to study climate change. This carbon budget is rapidly decreasing, with a high probability of it getting exhausted in the coming few decades. The extensive use of non-renewable resources has resulted in a rapid depletion of the global carbon budget. Currently, there is a lack of studies assessing the long-term impact of various sectors on the rapidly decreasing global carbon budget. The recent budget estimates have further reduced by 200 GtCO2 in the past decade, creating conflicts among the nations towards getting a higher share of the remaining budget.This study focuses on allocating the global carbon budget to a sub-sectoral level for India's iron and steel sector. First, the global carbon budget is allocated using different approaches, giving India a range of carbon budgets. Further, the allocation is done to the sectoral and sub-sectoral levels to obtain the benchmark targets between 2020 and 2050 from the national carbon budget. Projections have been made for the production capacity and the expected emissions till 2050 for India's iron and steel sector using three scenarios based on specific CO2 emission reduction. The results indicate that the carbon emissions for the “specific CO2 emission stagnation” scenario for 2 °C temperature target are 66% to 726% above the benchmark carbon budget allocated to the iron and steel sector using different allocation methods. The study also shows the benchmark carbon budget of the iron and steel sector for the 2 °C, 1.7 °C, and 1.5 °C temperature targets will deplete between 2023 and 2046 for the different emission scenarios.

Organic cropping systems maintain yields but have lower yield levels and yield stability than conventional systems – Results from the DOK trial in Switzerland

Sufficient and stable crop yields are the basis for feeding a growing world population. Limited cropland, climate change, degradation of soil quality and loss of biodiversity coupled with excessive use of non-renewable resources require new solutions for future cropping systems beyond existing management practices. Here we analyzed mean yields, temporal yield trends and the stability of organic and conventional cropping systems from the currently longest-lasting cropping system comparison, the DOK long-term systems comparison trial (DOK) comparing biodynamic, bioorganic and conventional cropping systems, over a period of 40 years. We used yield data of winter wheat, potatoes, grass-clover, maize and soybean in a seven-year rotation, where bioorganic and biodynamic farming systems were compared with conventional mixed and sole mineral fertilized systems. System treatments have been established at a reduced half and a regular fertilization level, which corresponds to standard Swiss farming practices. Yields were significantly lower in organic systems in non-legumes between 13% and 34%, depending on the investigated crop, whereas in legumes, no yield reduction was observed in soybean and only 10% was observed in grass-clover. Half the amount of fertilizer reduced yields by around 10% in all systems and crops. Applied mineral N determined yields mainly in winter wheat and potatoes. Temporal yield trends did not differ between organic and conventional systems, nor between half and regular fertilization over all crops. However, in winter wheat, both conventional and biodynamic management with regular fertilization showed a stronger temporal increase in yield, while yield of grass-clover under biodynamic management with half-fertilization decreased. Increased yield differences between systems in single years were due to poor performance of organic systems rather than better performance of conventional systems. Absolute stability (measured by the variance) did not differ, but conventional systems were more stable than organic ones in relative stability, measured by the coefficient of variation, expressing the stability in relation to the yield level. We found no difference in both absolute and relative stabilities between half and regular fertilization. Long-term organic management results in lower yields than conventional management, but not in a decrease of yields over time. The similarity in both stability measures between half and regular fertilization suggests that the variation in relative stability between organic and conventional management might be more related to plant protection than to fertilization intensity.

Combined effects of biomass bottom ashes and spent charcoal on characteristics of fired clay bricks

Among the diversity of solid waste produced, biomass by-products stand out due to their synergizing role in energy savings during brick firing process and impact on mitigating sustainability issues of fired clay brick production. Therefore, this study accentuates on assessing the characteristics of fired clay bricks made by replacing clay with both biomass bottom ashes (BBA) and spent charcoal from 8 to 20 wt% in order to minimize non-renewable resource use and enhance brick performance. In total, bricks from 6 mixture series were prepared to ascertain the effect of 5 wt% BBA incorporation and 3 – 15 wt% spent charcoal addition on the physical, durability, mechanical and thermal properties of the produced fired clay bricks. Parameters such as linear shrinkage, dried weight, dried and fired apparent densities, water absorption, open porosity, thermal conductivity and compressive strengths were examined at spent charcoal increasing inclusion in the brick bodies. The produced bricks showed linear shrinkage values within the safe limits of 7%. Water absorption values were also within acceptable levels of 16.33%. Thermal conductivity significantly reduced from 0.76 W/mK to 0.58 W/mK and this reduction meant improvement in the thermal efficiencies of the bricks. Bricks containing 5 wt% BBA and 9 wt% of spent charcoal exhibited compressive strengths of 10.40 MPa in accordance with standards required for structural construction. These results were authenticated from mineralogical and microstructural analyses. Consequently, utilization of up to 20% wastes in a brick body is a crucial step in point of economic growth, environmental cleanliness, natural clay resources conservation and innovation in the fired clay bricks product development.

Sustainable fabrication of zwitterionic nanofiltration membranes with enhanced antifouling performance using sugar

Thin-film composite membranes are vastly utilized to treat wastewater due to their high energy efficiency, low investment and environmental benignity. However, the use of hazardous solvents and non-renewable resources during membrane preparation poses a major threat to human health and the environment. Several tough challenges such as the trade-off effect between permeability and rejection as well as fouling require immediate remediation. To address these issues, this work integrated a green solvent and a bio-monomer, fructose in the membrane substrate and selective layer, respectively. The membrane is fabricated via facile interfacial polymerization with the addition of a zwitterionic monomer, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl) piperazine propane sulfonate (HEPPS) to promote antifouling properties. FTIR and XPS results depicted the formation of a polyesteramide membrane and the incorporation of zwitterion while AFM and FESEM micrographs showed the changes in membrane roughness. The synergistic effect of fructose and HEPPS in the selective layer increased water permeability from 3.54 to 4.77 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 while having a remarkable Na2SO4 rejection of 99.1 %. Additionally, the zwitterionic membrane exhibited superior antifouling properties with a flux recovery ratio of 97.7 % and 93.4 % for bovine serum albumin and lysozyme, respectively. The results suggested that HEPPS and fructose could ameliorate the fouling resistance of the membrane significantly owing to their exceptional hydrophilicity. Moreover, the resultant membrane shows a stable chlorine resistance towards a high concentration of chlorine (10,000 ppm·h). The findings are expected to provide insights in designing membranes with improved antifouling properties and excellent separation performance coupled with green and sustainable fabrication.

Alternative material with PET: Comparison of CEB-PET, CEB and Concrete block

Climate change has generated the need to propose alternatives that reduce the impact of human activities and the real estate market is one of these, an area of opportunity is the production of construction materials that demand energy and use of non-renewable resources. , taking into account one of the indicators of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, objective 11, of the 11c that says: Provide support to the least developed countries, so that they can build sustainable and resilient buildings using local materials. The objective was to compare the CEB-PET prototype with respect to the CEB and the concrete block, as an alternative for the construction of walls in Saltillo Coahuila. The methodology was quantitative, quasi-experimental, carrying out laboratory and field work. The results indicate that the CEB-PET has a Compressive Strength of 82,194 kg/cm2 and can be used as a load-bearing wall; Regarding cost, it can compete with a concrete block and in relation to its application in the work, it is handled in the same way as a concrete block.

'Clean Food': A Model for Safe and Sustainable Agriculture Towards Accomplishment of Circular Economy

The core concept of Circular Economy (CE) in Agriculture is targeted towards better sustenance through higher use of renewable sources and facilitating the restoration and regeneration of system resources. However, dearth of effective crop-technology/ies that can ensure the above while sustaining crop yields; form the major bottleneck towards facilitation of CE in agriculture. The Safe and Sustainable' Clean Food' (CF) Model can perhaps serve as the best fit road map towards the objective. Driven by Inhana Rational Farming (IRF) Technology this model focuses 'Plant Health Management' and utilizes the safe, cost-effective, waste bio-converted Novcom compost for Soil Health Management to deliver safe food, without crop loss and without raising the cost of production. The model when evaluated in respect of all the basic principles of circular agriculture; revealed its potential towards improving (by up to 19.5%) crop yield while reducing/ eliminating non-renewable inputs like chemical fertilizers and pesticides; that minimized the risk of pesticide residue in food (vegetables) by about 93%. Resource recycling through bioconversion of MSW/ landfill waste into safe compost improved soil quality by up to 27%. Most importantly, GHG Abatement of 6.4 to 11.7 kg CO2 -eq / kg food production, 64% increase in energy productivity, 16.7% higher employment generation, and about 19.7% increase in gross income (on an average); indicated that the CF Model delivered the very essence of CE in agriculture i. e., decoupling economic development from the linear dynamics of finite and non-renewable resource extraction, use, and disposal, while improving the access to safe and nutritious food for all.

Правовое обеспечение рационального использования энергоресурсов

The applicable laws place the highest value on the rational use of energy resources in the sphere of energy saving and energy efficiency in the Russian economic development. However, there remains legal uncertainty in terms of direct levers of the promising and rational use of energy resources. The legislator maintains “qualified silence” in this matter, the judicial practice is contradictory and ambiguous in the issues of acknowledgment of irrational behavior of energy market participants, there is no standard of proof. Along with these stagnation processes in legal support of the rational use of energy resources, the legislator piles up new constituent elements of administrative offenses and criminally punishable acts in the energy security sphere. Such instruments fail to deliver the desired results in form of the establishment of the rational use of non-renewable energy resources. Renewable energy resources in the context of legal support of the rational use are out of the question as there is no respective framework law. That’s why the author concludes that it is needed to establish a legal model of the rational and safe use of energy resources (legal compliance).