Problems Of Environmental Sustainability Research Articles

WEEE Behaviour from Households: A qualitative approach

E-waste disposal practices associated with the problem of environmental sustainability have emerged as one of the discussion's most intriguing subtopics. Adopting efficient e-waste management systems is essential to successfully reusing, recycling, and value recovery activities. Only 20% (8.9 Mt) of the e-waste produced in 2016 was collected correctly and recycled. It highlights the shortcomings of e-waste management systems, which are crucial for home electronic disposals, especially in Malaysia. It is critical to consider how vital waste management systems are to enhancing the environment's performance and the nation's economy. Collaboration is critical to the overall performance of e-waste management among all parties involved in the logistics chain, including customers (households) and governmental and commercial entities. Using a qualitative approach to understanding the different narratives among stakeholders juxtaposing the crucial element to sustain WEEE from landfills.

Investigating the Effect of Renewable Energy Utilization and Trade Openness Towards the Economic Growth and Environmental Quality in South Asia: A Comparative Study for South Asian Countries

This study aims to investigate the relationship between trade openness and the use of renewable energy sources and South Asia's economic growth and environmental quality. Since renewable energy offers a more sustainable and environmentally friendly option than fossil fuels, it becomes essential to attaining sustainable development. Using renewable energy has grown in popularity as a global solution to the urgent problems of energy security, climate change, and environmental sustainability. Renewable energy must be used by South Asian nations in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, maintain long-term energy security, and promote economic resilience. Incorporating renewable energy could enhance the country's energy situation, lessen dependency on imported fossil fuels, and open up new business prospects. Data on the use of renewable energy is gathered for the variable of renewable energy use. Data regarding GDP is gathered for the gross domestic product variable using current US dollars. The Energy Information Administration is the source of the data regarding the use of renewable energy (EIA). Additionally, the World Development Indicators database (WDI) is where the GDP and trade openness data are gathered. The following nations are represented in the data, which was gathered between 2001 and 2020: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. We investigated the long-term relationship between energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental quality in this analysis using the Panel ARDL approach. The dependent variables in the equation above are the environmental quality and economic growth of the Asian developing nations that were chosen for analysis. According to the study's conclusion, TO, GDP, and RNW have long-term negative effects on the environment since they raise CO2. Conversely, RNW reduces CO2, however the effect is negligible compared to other relevant variables. While the results of the CD test show the presence of CSD, the Pedroni Panel Cointegration Test reveals long-run cointegration of a series. The correlation matrix displays the relationship between the variables. The result showed how strongly, negatively, or positively the factors linked with one another. Additionally, there is a substantial positive correlation between GDP and carbon dioxide, its dependent variable. Additionally, RNW are found to be directly related to one another. Both the TO and GDP have a strong and direct correlation, and there is a positive and significant relationship between GDP and RNW. The other cross-sections are connected to this one. They are interdependent and have an impact on one another. Using South Asia as a focus, this study looks at how trade openness and the use of renewable energy affect environmental quality and economic growth in nations including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

The Future of Space Exploration

This research study conducts a complete analysis of the diverse future of space travel by tying together historical legacies, current dynamics, and potential paths. The study covers the current era, looking at significant turning events, technological advancements, the influence of commercial groups, and the growing space tourism industry. By discussing upcoming space missions, technological developments that may revolutionise space travel, the difficulties of international collaboration, and the implications for society, future directions are demonstrated. As we examine the problems of technical advancements, economic feasibility, and environmental sustainability, suggested solutions emerge, demonstrating the field's adaptability to changing circumstances.[2] Examined are the moral and social repercussions of human existence away from Earth, emphasising the importance of international inclusivity and collaboration. The study's conclusion emphasises the value of continuous adaptation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a shared commitment to responsible discovery with an eye towards the future. The exciting future of space travel will be determined by sustained study, policy development, and a shared vision for humanity's cosmic trip.[4] Key Words: — Space exploration, future trends, historical milestones, technological advancements, private space entities, space tourism, upcoming missions, interplanetary travel, international collaboration, societal implications, ethical considerations, sustainability, economic viability, interdisciplinary research, cultural contributions, global governance, continuous adaptation.

ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЕ ПОЖАРНОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ СЛОЖНЫХ ЭЛЕКТРОННО-УПРАВЛЯЕМЫХ ТЕРМОКАТАЛИТИЧЕСКИХ СИСТЕМ ДВИГАТЕЛЕЙ ВНУТРЕННЕГО СГОРАНИЯ: ТЕОРЕТИЧЕСКИЕ ОСНОВЫ, ДИАГНОСТИРОВАНИЕ

The article is devoted to the theory and practice of diagnosing fire and emergency modes of operation of piston engines with neutralizers as part of vehicles with electronic and digital control of fuel supply processes. The concept of the work is multidisciplinary, updated on the analysis of problems of global environmental sustainability, fundamental and applied research on the kinetics and energy dynamics of the generation of useful and flammable excess heat in engines and neutralizers during the combustion of fuel hydrocarbons. Gorenje The paper proposes a diagnostic method based on instrumental gas analytical control of the exhaust gas composition of a piston engine in the free acceleration mode and the use of multiple regression equations for the relationship of the exhaust gas composition with fuel supply parameters.

Research and Recent Achievements in Agriculture and Biotechnology with Innovative Technologies Application

This paper brings together researchers, scientists and industry experts to present the latest achievements in the dynamically developing fields of agriculture and biotechnology. Special attention was paid to interdisciplinary cooperation, advanced technologies and data-based solutions aimed at solving problems of food security, environmental sustainability and agricultural efficiency. Key topics included precision farming, gene editing, advanced breeding techniques, and the transformative role of big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning in optimizing agricultural processes. In light of this, to address numerous challenges in agricultural culture, I have proposed and developed the idea of creating a game. The game “World of Agricultural Culture” will present users with a bright HD graphic design and exciting gameplay. The professional version of the simulator is focused on business management and development in the agricultural industry.This is an additional way to improve the infrastructure of the Russian Federation, despite the presence of international sanctions. Thus, the competitiveness and attractiveness of the state increases, contributing to the stable development of Russian agriculture and the elimination of negative risks in the foreign economic sphere of the agricultural sector. In the course of the conducted research, a high level of efficiency improvement in the agro-industrial sector of the economy was noted.

Masonry structures retrofitting by geopolymer plaster reinforced with natural fibers

Geopolymers describe a class of aluminosilicate materials obtained by alkaline activation of an aluminosilicate precursor at low temperatures and, nowadays, represents a very strong competitor to Portland cement-based materials in the field of constructions. To improve the mechanical characteristics of geopolymers, the adoption of fibers (natural or not) has been proposed and this is the topic of a very large literature. From the other hand, nowadays the problem of environmental sustainability is very important and the geopolymers possess many features making them as the cutting-edge material of the future. Further, the adoption of natural fibers makes geopolymers even more interesting from the environmental sustainability point of view. In many cases of practical application strengthening of existing masonry structures represents a very important topic involving the field of structural engineering as well as that of restoration. In both fields it is important to adopt sustainable materials showing the required mechanical characteristics. Aim of the paper is to verify the use of geopolymer plaster reinforced by natural fibers as strengthening tool for masonry structures. The aim will be firstly reached by suitably modelling the mechanical behaviour of samples of geopolymer plaster realized in laboratory starting from experimental results and secondly modelling the behaviour of a masonry panel reinforced with such plaster by means of a suitable FEM model in Abaqus.

Decision Analysis to Advance Environmental Sustainability

Decision analysis provides a robust framework for complex decisions related to environmental sustainability and conservation, including for energy and water, fisheries and wildlife management, agriculture, and climate change response. The complexities of these problems stem from their large scope and scale, which leads to multiple decision makers, stakeholders, rightsholders, and other entities with potentially competing objectives. These problems often are time limited (e.g., urgent action is required to prevent species’ extinction), involve management interventions over long time scales and delayed responses to management (deep uncertainty), and are impeded by limited resources (funding, capacity, etc.). In this Special Issue on “Decision Analysis to Advance Environmental Sustainability,” we present five case studies of applications of decision analysis to complex problems in environmental sustainability and conservation. These case studies incorporate multiple objectives related to ecological and environmental sustainability, economic and social concerns, and logistics of implementation. They showcase a wide range of tools and applications to these problems. We also provide suggestions for new avenues of research and application of decision analysis to problems of environmental sustainability and conservation, including how to incorporate other decision-making tools into decision analysis processes, how to broaden the reach of decision analysis to other sustainability problems, how to incorporate more stakeholders and rightsholders into the decision process, the potential to incorporate new technology into these processes, identifying more creative alternatives, how to secure more funding, ways to move from decision to action, and how to move beyond status quo to make big transitions necessary to achieve sustainability.

Potensi Penggunaan Selulosa Kelapa Sawit Sebagai Bahan Sneakers

The solution to the problem of environmental sustainability is increasingly urgent due to the growing number of consumers which is exacerbated by the use of raw materials for the manufacture of products that are not environmentally friendly. Therefore, the demand for environmentally friendly products or bioproducts has recently become increasingly popular and has become a challenge for manufacturers to increase production and innovation, especially in the footwear sector. One of the innovations that can be used to support the bioproduct mission is the use of material fiber derived from plant waste in the form of cellulose from empty palm oil bunches which has characteristics resembling synthetic leather. The research is supported by the results of a literature study that has been carried out as well as observations in the form of experiments testing several upper materials for resistance and moisture to testing cellulose materials in the sneaker product section. The experimental results show that cellulose materials can support the application of several anatomical parts of upper sneakers with supports in the form of a combination of materials such as cowhide, synthetic materials and corduroy fabrics as supports for cellulose materials. The results of the research are expected to raise awareness among users about the use of sustainable and recyclable materials that can be applied to fashion styles that can compete with non-bioproducts.

Analysis of consumer preferences and readiness of consumers in the Astrakhan region to purchase biodegradable packaging materials and packaging

Today more and more people pay attention to the problem of ecology and sustainable development. One of the most pressing issues is the problem of recycling and disposal of waste, including packaging materials. Today, many manufacturers are introducing new technologies and materials that help reduce the environmental impact on the environment. Biodegradable packaging is one of the ways to reduce the negative impact on the environment, because it does not accumulate in nature and decomposes naturally in a shorter time compared to plastic and combined materials. However, despite its advantages, it is not a universal solution to the problem of environmental sustainability. Its production can be more costly and complex than traditional packaging materials, and there are certain restrictions on its use. This article describes the results of a survey conducted among the residents of the Astrakhan region to identify consumer preferences for the use of biodegradable packaging and packaging materials. As a result of the analysis of the data obtained, the target consumer portrait was compiled, and the level of awareness of biodegradable packaging and packaging materials was determined. It was also revealed that the most popular biodegradable materials among consumers are biobaper and bioplastic, and the main factor in choosing packaging is ease of use. Despite the fact that more than 70% of the respondents preferred biodegradable packaging and packaging materials to traditional plastic products, only a few were willing to overpay for this type of packaging, which is a result of the socioeconomic situation in the Astrakhan region.

Exploring stakeholders' perspectives to improve the sustainability of last mile logistics for e-commerce in urban areas

The growth experienced by e-commerce has produced a boom in Last Mile Logistics (LML) in many cities. This situation has prompted economic, social, and environmental sustainability problems caused by the total vehicles kilometers traveled and the logistic operations associated with LML. The main objective of this paper is to provide insight into the means to ensure sustainable LML in cities from the point of view of key stakeholders. Through a three-phase methodological framework consisting of a thorough literature review, a survey of key stakeholders, and an open dialogue space with them, we identified cities' needs to reach sustainable LML. Firstly, the paper provides qualitative insight into the means to reach sustainable LML in cities from the point of view of key stakeholders. Secondly, it highlights the main barriers and limitations to achieving and implementing LML policies in the urban context. The results may help policymakers implement policies to promote sustainable LML and improve livability in urban areas.

Self-supervised maize kernel classification and segmentation for embryo identification.

Computer vision and deep learning (DL) techniques have succeeded in a wide range of diverse fields. Recently, these techniques have been successfully deployed in plant science applications to address food security, productivity, and environmental sustainability problems for a growing global population. However, training these DL models often necessitates the large-scale manual annotation of data which frequently becomes a tedious and time-and-resource- intensive process. Recent advances in self-supervised learning (SSL) methods have proven instrumental in overcoming these obstacles, using purely unlabeled datasets to pre-train DL models. Here, we implement the popular self-supervised contrastive learning methods of NNCLR Nearest neighbor Contrastive Learning of visual Representations) and SimCLR (Simple framework for Contrastive Learning of visual Representations) for the classification of spatial orientation and segmentation of embryos of maize kernels. Maize kernels are imaged using a commercial high-throughput imaging system. This image data is often used in multiple downstream applications across both production and breeding applications, for instance, sorting for oil content based on segmenting and quantifying the scutellum's size and for classifying haploid and diploid kernels. We show that in both classification and segmentation problems, SSL techniques outperform their purely supervised transfer learning-based counterparts and are significantly more annotation efficient. Additionally, we show that a single SSL pre-trained model can be efficiently finetuned for both classification and segmentation, indicating good transferability across multiple downstream applications. Segmentation models with SSL-pretrained backbones produce DICE similarity coefficients of 0.81, higher than the 0.78 and 0.73 of those with ImageNet-pretrained and randomly initialized backbones, respectively. We observe that finetuning classification and segmentation models on as little as 1% annotation produces competitive results. These results show SSL provides a meaningful step forward in data efficiency with agricultural deep learning and computer vision.

Biopolymer Composites with Sensors for Environmental and Medical Applications.

One of the biggest economic and environmental sustainability problems is the over-reliance on petroleum chemicals in polymer production. This paper presents an overview of the current state of knowledge on biopolymers combined with biosensors in terms of properties, compounding methods and applications, with a focus on medical and environmental aspects. Therefore, this article is devoted to environmentally friendly polymer materials. The paper presents an overview of the current state of knowledge on biopolymers combined with biosensors in terms of properties, compounding methods and applications, with a special focus on medical and environmental aspects. The paper presents the current state of knowledge, as well as prospects. The article shows that biopolymers made from renewable raw materials are of great interest in various fields of science and industry. These materials not only replace existing polymers in many applications, but also provide new combinations of properties for new applications. Composite materials based on biopolymers are considered superior to traditional non-biodegradable materials due to their ability to degrade when exposed to environmental factors. The paper highlights the combination of polymers with nanomaterials which allows the preparation of chemical sensors, thus enabling their use in environmental or medical applications due to their biocompatibility and sensitivity. This review focuses on analyzing the state of research in the field of biopolymer-sensor composites.

DAKWAH PELESTARIAN ALAM SEKITAR: ANALISIS TERHADAP KEPERIBADIAN DAN STRATEGI AZIZAN BAHARUDDIN

In Islamic preaching, environmental sustainability is one of the vital aspects in order to achieve the wellbeing of life. Therefore, the involvement of religious groups or preachers is very crucial to curb problems of environmental sustainability based on the tenets of religion. Hence, using content and document analysis approach, this study is aimed at reviewing the da’wah approach of environmental sustainability addressed by Azizan Baharuddin in calling Muslims to adopt environmental ethics and sustainability from Islamic teachings. The results found that Azizan Baharuddin’s da’wah strategies towards environmental sustainability are dominated by the cultivating of knowledge and network of cooperation with stakeholders. Therefore, in order to spread the awareness of environmental sustainability based on Islamic teachings among Muslims, Islamic preachers should emulate the personality and da’wah approach applied by Azizan Baharuddin who promotes it holistically and effectively.

Priority development of environmental infrastructure in ensuring the environmental sustainability of rural areas

The article deals with the problems of environmental sustainability of rural areas. The basic concepts of ensuring sustainable development based on the balance of the ecological component have been investigated. The analysis of the implementation of the principles of sustainable development in the EU countries and regions of the Russian Federation is carried out. The nature conservation activity in Russia and rural areas of the Perm Territory is considered. The conclusion is made about the need to develop environmental infrastructure as the main direction of ensuring the environmental sustainability of rural areas.

Waste Management in the Agri-Food Industry: The Conversion of Eggshells, Spent Coffee Grounds, and Brown Onion Skins into Carriers for Lipase Immobilization.

One of the major challenges in sustainable waste management in the agri-food industry following the “zero waste” model is the application of the circular economy strategy, including the development of innovative waste utilization techniques. The conversion of agri-food waste into carriers for the immobilization of enzymes is one such technique. Replacing chemical catalysts with immobilized enzymes (i.e., immobilized/heterogeneous biocatalysts) could help reduce the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability problems of existing chemically catalysed processes. On the other hand, the economics of the process strongly depend on the price of the immobilized enzyme. The conversion of agricultural and food wastes into low-cost enzyme carriers could lead to the development of immobilized enzymes with desirable operating characteristics and subsequently lower the price of immobilized enzymes for use in biocatalytic production. In this context, this review provides insight into the possibilities of reusing food industry wastes, namely, eggshells, coffee grounds, and brown onion skins, as carriers for lipase immobilization.

Ensuring Sustainable Consumption: Sustainability Through Reuse, Recycle and Circular Economy

Economic growth goes side by side with deteriorating conditions of work and living for a substantial segment of the poor, landless, rural migrant, urban slum dwellers, etc. This has been due to the fact the growth process itself imposes new forms of deprivations, dislocations, exclusion and alienation from the productive resource base. The resource use and management have been determined by the demand of dominant sections, urban consumers, industries and export earnings. Hence, there is a need to find out an effective elucidation to this problem of environmental sustainability and techniques for strengthening sustainable development. In this context, one needs to adopt a circular economy which is a novel economic model in which the focus is on reusing materials and value and on creating added value in products through services and smart solutions. It is a striking alternative which is restorative and regenerative by design and which aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest utility and value always, distinguishing between technical and biological cycles.

Analysis and Solutions to Environmental Problems in Livestock Farming

The intensifi cation of agricultural production has led to the disruption of nutrient cycles in agroecosystems. In livestock farming, one of the key problems is the low degree of using secondary resources (organic fertilizers based on manure and manure). (Research purpose) To substantiate the basic principles of assessing the agroecosystem environmental sustainability and to develop engineering methods for ensuring environmental safety in livestock farming. (Materials and methods) To solve the problems of agroecological assessment, eff ective technology choice and intelligent system creation, the following indicators were used: 1. specifi c density of animals (mainly for macro-assessment); 2. nutrient balance (the diff erence in the amount of nitrogen available in the formed organic fertilizers with environmentally safe consumption); 3. nitrogen losses during the disposal of organic waste from livestock farming; 4.the eff ectiveness of implementing the best available techniques (BAT). (Results and discussion) Using the assessment of indicators 1 and 2 in the case of the Leningrad region, it was revealed that 3 districts are classifi ed as territories with an excessive risk to the environment, 1 district is classifi ed as a territory with a high risk, 5 districts – with an acceptable risk, and 8 districts – with a low risk to the environment. To solve problems in areas with excessive and high load, we conducted an assessment on indicators 3 and 4, which allowed us to explore technical solutions and select the BAT to reduce the environmental burden. The obtained results showed that among the main technical solutions in the fi eld of organic waste management of livestock farming are biofermentation and the introduction of liquid organic fertilizers. Biofermentation in special chambers can reduce emissions of polluting gases by more than 2 times, and speed up the processing process by more than 60 times. To work with liquid organic fertilizers, intelligent machines with low-emission working bodies have been developed to reduce nitrogen losses during application by up to 50 percent. To solve the problems of agricultural monitoring and engineering solution management, a digital system has been developed that allows to model scenarios of technological development and their impact on the agroecosystem environmental sustainability. (Conclusions) The results obtained allow us to systematically analyze the problems of agroecosystem environmental sustainability and propose specifi c technical and optimization solutions for livestock farming.

A collective alternative to the Inward Turn in environmental sustainability research

It has become quite common in environmental sustainability research to promote the influencing of so-called inner dimensions of individuals as means to address pressing environmental problems such as climate change, what we refer to as the Inward Turn. We argue that the conceptual foundations of the Inward Turn, an extreme form of methodological individualism, limit it significantly as a strategy for addressing climate change and other socially relevant environmental problems. After briefly reviewing major shortcomings with the way the Inward Turn conceptualizes the relationship between individuals and social change, including its neglect of causal structures and propensity to abstract its analysis away from problems that are specific to place and time, we sketch the basic tenets of an alternative methodological approach capable of overcoming these limitations. Our approach, however, does not go to the other extreme and neglect the role of individuals; rather, our recognition of the structural drivers of particular environmental problems points to the necessity of specific collective actions by individuals, for example, in the practice of social movements. This recognition demands a rethinking of the role of individual factors, like emotion and empathy, in addressing environmental sustainability problems, namely as they relate to collective action/social movement emergence, development, and outcomes.

Identification of psychological factors associated with car ownership decisions of young adults: Case study of Jodhpur city, India

In the context of a developing country, not many studies have attempted to examine the attitudinal factors that influence the car ownership decisions of young adults. The present study aims to identify the pertinent psychological factors and their effects, along with demographic variables, upon car ownership decisions. The study used 813 individuals’ responses to employ a principal component analysis and subsequent binary logit model to determine the future car ownership decisions. The major findings show that the individuals who are status seekers, image-conscious, passionate for cars, obsessed with cars, and influenced by peers/external factors are more likely to buy a car in the near future. However, those who are conscious about paying high taxes, environmental sustainability and traffic problems are less likely to buy a car in the near future. The results of this study can help transport planners and policymakers to develop and implement transport policies that could potentially discourage the use and ownership of cars in order to develop sustainable mobility patterns in the future.

Геоинформационные исследования и картографирование растительности (дайджест по материалам конференции Интеркарто. Интергис. 1994–2020)

Proceedings of the International conference (ИнтерКарто. ИнтерГИС, Russia) devoted to geographical information systems for sustainable development of territories have been published annually since 1994. The articles discuss theoretical and methodological aspects of geoinformation support for environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainable de­velop­ment, issues of geoinformatics, cartography, remote sensing of the Earth, problems of environmental sustainability and environmental impact assessment. Over a quarter of a century, the conference proceedings got more than 125 articles related to the use of geoinformation technologies to the study and mapping of vegetation. The review of proceedings gives the concrete examples how to solve problems of vegetation mapping using GIS, it is focused on publications providing some examples of GIS appli­cation to the vegetation studies. The review is organized into thematic sections according the field of application of Geoinformatics: 1.Vegetation, 2. Dynamics, state and ecological functions of vegetation, 3. Biodiversity and its assessment, 4. Plant resources, 5. Monitoring of vegetation. The Vegetation section contains publications on vegetation studies and mapping performed for some regions of Russia — the North of the Far East, the Republic of Sakha (Yaku­tia), the Tyva Republic, Central Siberia, and others. More than half of the articles are devoted to vegetation dynamics, state and ecological functions of vegetation at different hierarchical levels. Some papers present the results of the studies based on new types of information sources (photographs) and visualization methods (animation). The use of geoinformation technologies to study biological diversity was included in the agenda of five conference sessions and later reflected in more than ten publications. They cover the development and creation of GIS, the use of geoinformation technologies for the analysis, assessment and mapping of biodiversity, for its monitoring and conservation. Quite a large number of articles are devoted to the study of forest resources. GIS technologies were used to solve problems of forest management, cartometric analysis of forested areas, determination of taxation indicators, systematization of forest conditions, etc. Examples of geoinformation versatile research for medicinal plant resources are given to assess their quality, resources and productivity in the region, to identify growing areas, including ones to be protected. Most of the published materials concerning to vegetation monitoring mainly relate to forests and forest management.