KELIAS Į ANTROPOCENĄ: SANTYKIO SU GAMTA KAITA
Česlovas Kalenda. Achilo kulno papėdėje: pasaulinė ekologinė krizė ir Lietuva. Vilnius: Vilniaus universiteto leidykla, 2016. 301 p. ISBN 978-609-459-616-2
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Česlovas Kalenda. Achilo kulno papėdėje: pasaulinė ekologinė krizė ir Lietuva. Vilnius: Vilniaus universiteto leidykla, 2016. 301 p. ISBN 978-609-459-616-2
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Nowhere in his works did Eric Voegelin connect in a more detailed way his critique of Husserl’s phenomenology to his later developed political philosophy. To fill this gap, the article deals with the critique of Husserl’s notion of egological consciousness in Voegelin’s collection of essays Anamnesis, as well as with the significance of this critique for Voegelin’s mature political philosophy, best represented by the “New Science of Politics” project. Based on this analysis, it is claimed that the realisation of the limitation of egological consciousness’ contexts, and transcending this limitation meant in Voegelin’s philosophy a fundamental precondition for the restoration of the classical political science. Experiences having non-objective, nonintentional (in the Husserlian sense)structure, as well as their explication in Voegelin’s political philosophy was the source for the principles ensuring stable social and political order, at the same time providing opportunity to overcome the so called “value demonism” in social sciences.
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In recent decades, the attention of scientists has been drawn towards nanoparticles (NPs) of metals and metalloids. Traditional methods for the manufacturing of NPs are now being extensively studied. However, disadvantages such as the use of toxic agents and high energy consumption associated with chemical and physical processes impede their continued use in various fields. In this article, we analyse the relevance of the use of living systems and their components for the development of "green" synthesis of nanoobjects with exceptional properties and a wide range of applications. The use of nano-biotechnological methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles has the potential of large-scale application and high commercial potential. Bacteria are an extremely convenient target for green nanoparticle synthesis due to their variety and ability to adapt to different environmental conditions. Synthesis of nanoparticles by microorganisms can occur both intracellularly and extracellularly. It is known that individual bacteria are able to bind and concentrate dissolved metal ions and metalloids, thereby detoxifying their environment. There are various bacteria cellular components such as enzymes, proteins, peptides, pigments, which are involved in the formation of nanoparticles. Bio-intensive manufacturing of NPs is environmentally friendly and inexpensive and requires low energy consumption. Some biosynthetic NPs are used as heterogeneous catalysts for environmental restoration, exhibiting higher catalytic efficiency due to their stability and increased biocompatibility. Bacteria used as nanofactories can provide a new approach to the removal of metal or metalloid ions and the production of materials with unique properties. Although a wide range of NPs have been biosynthetic and their synthetic mechanisms have been proposed, some of these mechanisms are not known in detail. This review focuses on the synthesis and catalytic applications of NPs obtained using bacteria. Known mechanisms of bioreduction and prospects for the development of NPs for catalytic applications are discussed.
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The article notes that in the modern environmental legal doctrine in the study of the legal basis for the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems and the implementation of the ecosystem approach to environmental law there is a lack of interdisciplinary scientific search, primarily taking into account the achievements of the relevant natural sciences, which are extremely important for the development of these issues, and therefore need to be thoroughly covered. With this in mind, the article analyzes the process of formation and development of the ecosystem concept during the historical period from the philosophers of Antiquity to A. Tansley, that is, before the introduction of the term «ecosystem» into scientific circulation. The fateful significance of this event is concluded, despite the fact that some scientists much earlier almost came close to the concept of «ecosystem» and some even proposed other terms which are adequate to «ecosystem» but have not received universal recognition. It is also hoped that representatives of the ecological-legal science in the study of the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and the implementation of the ecosystem approach will support the idea of the feasibility of interdisciplinary scientific searches.
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The present paper is devoted to the problems of legal regulation of protecting biological diversity from the harmful effects of invasive alien species (hereinafter, IAS) with regards to climate change. Taking into consideration the fact that one of the main principles of environmental protection is the preservation of spatial and species diversity, legal understanding of the interconnectedness between climate change and harmful biological influences, is of great scientific and practical significance. Notably, the protection of the environment from the adverse effects of IAS and climate change is interconnected with the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources, as stated by the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (Rio de Janeiro, 1992) and its protocols and decisions. Thus, one should acknowledge that climate change and invasive alien species are not only two of the key threats to biodiversity, but are directly interrelated and can act synergistically, presenting additional pressure for conservation and sustainability. Meanwhile, current legal regulation of both, climate change and IAS is relatively new to Ukrainian legislation, mostly done by means of international legal instruments. The existing national legal acts are generally of a strategic nature and address these issues separately with few legal provisions mentioning their interconnection. The paper substantiates the need to acknowledge and legally define the interrelation between climate change and invasive alien species. Thus, the development of appropriate regulatory framework for prevention and control of IAS should be carried out with consideration of climate change issues. In turn, national environmental legislation, in particular national framework law ‘On Environmental Protection’ as well climate change policy and laws should be complemented by provisions incorporating IAS management as a tool for reducing pressure on ecological services and enhancing ecosystem resilience.
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The problem of ecology is one of the most common problems of the twenty-first century. No country is immune: no country has better military equipment, no country with low inflation, no country with “perfect” legislation. The purpose of the article was to clarify legislative issues: European Union legislation was outdated, general and lacking in specificity. To address these problems, this article uses different approaches to the definition of environmental security, which makes it necessary to change the concept and the actions within which the definition is adopted. The article goes on to discuss the position of realists who argue that environmental security cannot be set because of lack of accountability “the importance” of the issue of “high” issues. Thus, the paper refers to the emergence of environmental security and its long path. This article contains the following changes and provisions: Brundtland Committee (1987), Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Habitats in Europe (1979), International Tropical Timber Agreement (1983) as well as the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (1979), the Maastricht Treaty (1992), the Hazardous Substances Directives, the impact of EU measures on the environment and the Animal Protection Directive. In addition, the article exposes Programs designed to ensure and regulate environmental safety. The report of the European Environment Agency was also reviewed and a comparative analysis of the data contained in the report and the British Broadcasting Corporation estimates was made. The authors draw attention to several directives, calling them “triumvirate”, which provide the basis for countries to regulate some environmental legislation. Almost in the end of the paper the authors pay attention to the phenomenon of environmental ethics, which is a consequence of imperfect legislation. In its conclusion, the article states that the problems that arise from the lack of accountability of legal acts of a real environmental situation occur in the member states, taking into account the special case of the European Union.
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Ecology as a science today, mainly rejects anthropocentrism in favour of nonhuman-centred ethics. Such rejection is propagated as a proper valuing of nature, while the human-centred eco-theories are considered to be the theoretic basis for the exploitation and destruction of nature by humans. The main purpose of some nonhuman-centred ecologic theories is to reduce the growth of the human’s population because the people’s existence, totally, is seen as a cause of ecological disasters, and even social problems. The aim of the article is to show that human beings are, in reality, the only living organisms on Earth, able to take care about nature as it deserves. The main problem is incorrect behaviour with nature, not a big amount of people living on the Earth. The ecological disasters, at the same time, are connected not only with humans’ irresponsible conduct, but with the natural forces that are independent from human activity, but that does not deprive people from the task to take responsibility for their environmental behaviour.
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This article presents the normative method, applied in Romania, in order to validate the population’s consumption by covering to a minimum the essential goods and services necessary for the individual and for his family, at home and in society. Further, the study presents the dynamics of the main incomes of the population in the time period 1990-2018, as well as their influence on consumption. The study concludes what are the needs of the Romanian population and to what extent they were met or not, during the period of time studied. In the period of time 1990-2018 the incomes of different families with children and pensioners could not keep up with the price increases on products and services on the market. This led to the deterioration of time in the quality of life of these families. The incomes or expenditures of the population provide a clear and concrete situation regarding the quality of life of the population and therefore contribute to actions, through socioeconomic policies oriented towards the benefit of the members of these societies.
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Purpose – This research examines the mediating roles of green supply chain management practices, namely, green purchasing practices (GPP), green manufacturing practices (GMAP), green distribution/packaging practices (GDPP), and green marketing practices (GMP) between two components of effective leadership practices: leading organizational practice (LOP) and leading staff practice (LSP) and business competitiveness (BC). Design/methodology/approach – The research applied a quantitative approach, and a survey instrument was designed to collect empirical data from the Cihan group in Iraq. The data were analyzed by using partial least squares – structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings – The results showed that LOP is significantly related to the green practices: GPP, GMAP, GDPP, and GMP. The research showed that LSP is positively associated with green supply chain practices: GPP, GMAP, GDPP, and GMP. The results also revealed the direct relationship between the same practices: GPP, GMAP, GDPP, and GMP with BC. The results showed that there was no significant correlation between LOP and BC. Meanwhile, LSP was positively and significantly related to BC. Discussion – The research’s findings revealed that all four practices of GSCM as GPP, GMAP, GDPP, and GMP, fully mediated the impact of LOP on BC since there was no significant direct relationship between LOP and BC. The research showed that green practices in the form of GPP, GMAP, GDPP, and GMP partially mediated the impact of LSP on BC, as the results showed a significant direct relationship between LSP and BC.
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Planet Earth, with its plethora of natural (im)balances, has a venerable age of 4.54 billion years; the (industrial) imprint placed by the human species on it, considered to be not negligible, counts of just little over two centuries; while the digital/IT&C/virtual existence of man, in what we call cyberspace, is reduced to just a few decades. An amorphous world, hastily assimilated to the Internet, the cyberspace is the sum or, better said, the synergy created by links between computers (and other compatible devices), servers, routers and various items of global IT and telecommunications infrastructures. A sort of fiefdom for tech computing power, but also a field of geo-political-economic power calculus, the cyberspace raises another dilemma: is it the salutary alternative to the bodice of a physical environment subject to depletion/plunder and degradation/pollution of its scarce resources? This article aims to capture, in an original way, how the translation of a great part of the world and social life into cyberspace, especially in the wake of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, relieves the natural environment/climate of Anthropocene pressures (e.g., via optimizations of production processes, favoured by artificial intelligence etc.), or, on the contrary, a less noticeable aspect, how it worsens certain components of it (e.g., via the amplified need for energy or for rare minerals, critical to new technologies etc.). Moreover, the above-mentioned ecological alleviations (labelled as of software nature) and (hardware) aggravations brought by digitalization are duly emphasized and evaluated in the light of the (un)intended consequences occurring at the highly sensitive intersection between markets (private practices) and states (public policies), pointing to the case of the European Union.
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The main aim of this research article is to develop an econometric model in order to establish the influence of green performance on digitization, green production and environment commitment. The data was collected through a questionnaire- based survey on companies’ representatives. The analysis was made using the Partial Least Square ‒Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with the statistical software SmartPLS. The results of the research confirm the three hypotheses. Thus, green performance of Romanian companies has a positive impact on green production, digitization and environment commitment. The novelty consists in the interconnected analysis of the four variables (green performance, digitization, green production and environment commitment), the research highlighting valuable results that can be used by the companies to improve their green performance, using green production and digitization. The paper offers a picture of the sustainable transformation of Romanian companies based on the industry 4.0, green production and environment commitment, highlighting the interdependence of the analysed variables. The research is helpful for companies that want to be more responsible towards the environment and the community.
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Urban agriculture is a nature-based solution recommended for the regeneration and adaptation of urban areas to climate change, in consonance with the European Green Deal. Nevertheless, for the development of urban agriculture, the availability, access and usability of cultivable land in urban areas is of particular concern. This study aimed to use the digital agricultural data geographic information system AGRO-GIS to calculate and predict potential urban agriculture from abandoned horticultural lands and greenhouses in urban areas. In doing so, the variation of agrarian land in urban areas was calculated. A binary logistic regression modelled abandoned horticultural land and greenhouses in urban areas to obtain the determinant factors for potential urban agriculture. Then, an analysis of variance(ANOVA) was used to obtain significant differences in the variation of the agrarian land among urban areas. Results show that an average of 97.85 ha of abandoned horticultural land and greenhouses can provide potential urban cultivable land in cities. The variation of non-irrigated lands and grasslands-shrublands are determinant for potential urban agriculture. A hectare decrease in non-irrigated lands is associated with an 87.98% increase in the odds of potential urban agriculture. An increase of a hectare of grasslands-shrublands increases the likelihood of potential urban agriculture by 67.59%. Furthermore, it is concluded that differentiated planning and management of urban agriculture by urban areas is needed. This study can help urban planners to manage, plan and predict cultivable land for urban agriculture.
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Nature is known through empirical methods. The development of a scientific methodology enables us to reveal the secrets of nature. Hypothesis and theories are formulated in order to explain phenomena. However, in this ordered world there are also events that occur randomly. Within this framework, Grzegorz Bugajak’s concept of chance will be applied to show its usefulness in the field of environmental protection. By referring to specific examples, we will discuss the circumstances of the occurrence of random phenomena in nature that create dilemmas for naturalists. Our aim is to single out an interpretation of Bugajak’s concept of chance that can be usefully employed by ecologists.
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A new paradigm in theology, termed evolutionary theology, supports the understanding of ecology as the proper ordering of the relations between living organisms and their environment. It is argued that evolutionary theology yields a unique conceptual framework in which the human species share a common history with the entire Universe and respecting nature’s integrity means securing a common destiny to everything that exists. This is a powerful motivation for adopting a balanced ecological attitude aimed at respecting nature’s inherent integrity. Furthermore, proposing theological arguments to substantiate ecological claims will help neutralize the objections that religion as such promotes anti-ecological attitudes. Such objections become more pressing when religion focuses exclusively on the afterlife in the immaterial and eternal world to come, and neglects the well-being of the material and temporal Universe.
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(Kovách Imre [szerk.]: Mobilitás és integráció a magyar társadalomban. Társadalomtudományi Kutatóközpont Argumentum Kiadó, Budapest, 2020, 376 oldal)
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It is observed that the importance of people to life in the natural environment is increasing day by day with ecotourism, which is increasing in popularity all over the world day by day. Environmental pollution caused by mass tourism, deterioration of natural habitats affects the whole world and damages ecotourism. The concept of ecotourism has an important potential because it is included in many tourism activities such as green tourism, responsible tourism, rural tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, bicycle tourism. It is important for the studies in the fields of ecotourism to focus on destinations with intact cultural and natural structure in terms of presenting them effectively to tourism. The aim of this study is to evaluate ecotourism, which has economic, environmental and socio-cultural benefits in the world, in terms of Turkey, and to analyze the projects made in this field. In order to collect data in the research, bibliometric analysis was used by using document analysis method and for this purpose, local, national and international printed and electronic resources were scanned. Bibliometric analysis of published projects between 1997-2021. The published studies were accessed from YÖK Akademik, Google Scholar database under the concepts of “ecotourism”, “eco-tourism", “eco-tourism". As a result, it is stated that Turkey has a serious ecotourism potential and if the activities are carried out in a planned manner, the ecotourism potential will increase.
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The article presents forms of administration activities which may influence the condition of green areas. It is pointed out that the analysis of public administration tasks in the scope of green areas protection cannot be limited only to the solutions presented in the Act of April 16, 2004 on the protection of the environment. It is stressed that actions taken on the basis of other legal acts, not necessarily directly related to the protection of the environment, may also have an influence on the condition of green areas. Both planning acts and decisions issued in specific cases may have this kind of character. The legal effects resulting from them may indirectly affect the green areas. Therefore, the necessity of taking complementary actions by all authorities is indicated, the application of which may ensure effective protection of green areas. Solutions that may enable it are already existing and operational, but they should be properly used.
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The use of renewable resources as feedstocks to ensure the production of goods and commodities for society has been explored in the last decades to switch off the overexploited and pollutant fossil-based economy. Today there is a strong movement to set bioeconomy as priority, but there are still challenges and technical limitations that must be overcome in the first place, particularly on biomass fractionation. For biomass to be an appellative raw material, an efficient and sustainable separation of its major components must be achieved. On the other hand, the technology development for biomass valorisation must follow green chemistry practices towards ecofriendly processes, otherwise no environmental leverage over traditional petrochemical technologies will be acquired. In this context, the application of green solvents, such as ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DES), in biomass fractionation is envisaged as promising technology that encompasses not only efficiency and environmental benefits, but also selectivity, which is a crucial demand to undertake cascade processes at biorefinery level. In particular, this article briefly discusses the disruptive achievements upon the application of ILs and DES in biomass delignification step towards an effective and selective separation of lignin from polysaccharides. The different physicochemical properties of these solvents, their interactions with lignin and their delignification capacity will be scrutinized, while some highlights will be given to the important characteristics of isolated lignin fractions for further valorisation. The advantages and disadvantages between ILs and DES in biomass delignification will be contrasted as well along the article.
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Being a biodegradable polymer, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) based composites receive greater preference over nonbiodegradable plastics. Poly(lactic acid) has to find its place in various applications such as polymer composites, agriculture, biomedical, etc. Polymer composites based on PLA possess comparable mechanical strength, endurance, flexibility and endures future opportunities. Several combinations of natural fibers and filler-based PLA composites have been fabricated and investigated for physical and mechanical changes. Moreover, several biopolymers and compatibilizers are added to PLA to provide rigidity. The paper presents a tabulated review of the various natural fiber/filter-based PLA composites and the preparation and outcomes. In addition, enhancement made by the reinforcement of nano filler in the PLA are also discussed in brief. The significance of PLA in the biomedical application has been discussed in brief. The paper also shed lights in the social and economic aspects of PLA.
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The aim of this article is to explore the common points between the ecological movement and citizenship by discussing My sme les, a Slovak citizens’ initiative to protect Slovak forests. The Slovaks’ involvement in nature conservation as demonstrated by the My sme les campaign was recognised here not only as a manifestation of global trends in changing ecological awareness but also as a reflection of the special bond between man and nature ingrained in Slovak culture and mentality. The ecological movement currently developing in new media forms in Slovakia was introduced with an analysis of various (mainly online and audio-visual) sources related to the My sme les campaign. The article highlights the influence of the Deep Ecology trend on Slovak activists and the projects they have implemented. The My sme les initiative is not only an appeal for the social responsibility of Slovaks when it comes to the devastation of native nature, but also proves to be an important step towards a deeper civic engagement with the community. The Slovak case provides confirmation of the main thesis of Deep Ecology, namely that humans are not above nature, but are an integral part of it. Thanks to the My sme les initiative, in the context of Slovak culture, the forest emerged as a new cultural symbol, polemical towards the mountains, traditionally interpreted in a national-cultural key.
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