Characterization of Doum Palm Seed Kernel as Natural Sorbent for Metal Ions Removal from Gombe Ternary Wastewater

Author(s): Idris Misau Muhammad,Abdulwadud Yusuf Abdulkarim,Sagir Adamu / Language(s): English Issue: 07/2019

Water pollution is one of the major challenges in cities and industrialized areas of the world. The effluent from Gombe ternary wastewater pollutes the surrounding waters thereby constituting health threat to the populace within its vicinity. In view of the above, a bio-sorption study of zinc and lead ions from Gombe ternary wastewater using doum palm seed kernel was carried out. The wastewater was characterized and was found to contain 0.03 mg/l lead metal ion and 0.81 mg/l zinc ion. The doum palm kernel bio-sorbent was obtained after oil extraction from the seed and processed as contained in the method mentioned in this paper. The kernel residue was characterized for functional groups using FTIR, surface morphology using SEM, surface area using BET, and elemental composition using XRF. The results indicated that the doum palm kernel is harmless, and possesses functional groups on its surface, which may be substituted with the metallic ions present in the wastewater. This gives the kernel the ability to adsorb positively charged ions on its surface by simple chemisorption. This mechanism is supported by the rough surface observed in the scanning electron microscopy. Adsorption and desorption of nitrogen was made at STP and the curve indicated very high correlation of close to unity. The surface area measured by multi BET method was recorded as 13.464 m2/g. This value is not high enough to adsorb metals by physical adsorption.

REKREAKTİF ALAN" VE "REKREASYON ALANI” KAVRAMLARININ MEKÂNSAL PLANLAR BAĞLAMINDA DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

Author(s): Adem Erdem ERBAŞ,Esra SALT / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 1/2020

It is necessary to plan the spatial adequacy, facilities, quality and distribution of green spaces within the city in ecological integrity, taking into consideration the principles of urbanism and the public interest. Within this scope, there are laws and regulations that are in force and must be complied with in the current zoning legislation. Authorized institutions are obliged to comply with these legal regulations in spatial planning. However, in some cases; there is some confusion in the implementation process and the definitions in the regulations are not taken into account clearly. From this point of view, the concepts of “recreactive area” and “recreational area” which are often confused with each other were examined through comparative examples and spatial plans are evaluated within the framework of construction regulations. The aim of this paper is to raise awareness of the relevant public institutions about the differences between the recreational area and the recreactive area, especially when making plans on the scale of the master and development plan. As a result of the study, it is seen that the concept of “recreational area” and “recreactive area” have different meanings in terms of the current legal framework. In the “recreational areas”, it is possible to construct under certain conditions, which may be the subject of private ownership, whereas in the “recreactive areas” which are a concept of coastal use, construction is not allowed. Finally, in order not to cause any contention of administrative jurisdiction, it is necessary to pay attention to this issue in the spatial planning process.

Man´s Attitude Towards Animals Within the Context of Gender, Age, Place of Living, Eating Habits, and Worldview in Slovakia

Author(s): Ján Kaliský,Lada Kaliská / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2021

The ecological values or environmental competency development is currently an important topic. Attitude, relationship, love or respect for nature can be identified within several theories by various diagnostic tools, though they might be so general covering a man´s true attitude towards animals. The study discusses the characteristics of the author's questionnaire of human-animal relationship AniRe-Que (15) based on the ecological theory of biocentric egalitarianism covering extraterrestrial beings´ respect and consideration. The Questionnaire of Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Attitudes Towards the Environment (Thompson and Barton 1994) adapted by Siegrist (1996) was used to determine the construct validity of the author's questionnaire. Both tools were used to search for respondents' attitudes towards animals (N=937) in the context of their gender, age, residence, eating habits and worldview. The research study is of correlation-differential study design. The most important findings were that the attitude towards nature expressed in general does not completely coincide with the attitude towards animals leading to the hypothesis not all natural being are treated with equal respect by a man. The self-reported respect for animals was significantly lower than the respect for nature assessed by the ecocentric environmental attitude. The diagnostic tools thematizing only nature in its general (complex, synthesizing) context seem to be not sufficient to determine a respondent's attitude towards animals. A man might protect nature, but s/he can care less about the animals.

Report on the 15th Polish Conference on the “Humanistic Ecology” Series: “Anthropological and Natural Aspects of Consumption of Moderation and Excess” (Warsaw, 27 October 2021)

Author(s): Ryszard F. Sadowski / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2021

The level playing field of Hungarian social partners before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Author(s): Sara Hungler,Zsuzsanna Árendás / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2021

For numerous reasons, social dialogue in Hungary generally does not fulfil its role on the national, sectoral, or workplace level. Social dialogue as a democratic process is dysfunctional, since its institutions and mechanisms are not implemented democratically, and no real dialogue or actual debate take place. Instead, these mechanisms work in a top-down manner – the illiberal state and its central governing bodies expect certain solutions and answers, leaving no scope for transparent democratic dialogue with the relevant social partners. Against this background, in 2019 major strike activity was witnessed in the automotive sector. However, in 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hungarian government deployed its full power by adopting the ‘Authorization Act,’ which allowed the government to introduce significant restrictions, practically without any time limits, any debate in parliament, or guarantee of swift and effective constitutional review. Our research paper investigates these recent developments in social dialogue using a case study, with the aim of understanding the forces underlying the collective action organized in the automotive sector. Our research demonstrates that, due to the lack of institutional guarantees, social dialogue is very fragile in Hungary, and the landslide victory in 2019 was a mere reflection of labour shortages. Our mixed methodology – which combines legal and sociological approaches – is suitable for examining this complex issue; interviews conducted with representatives of labour and employers provide deep insight into motives and action in a circumvented level playing field.

Potential of medium-resolution satellite imagery for monitoring sand transport in pre-Saharan urban areas

Author(s): Abdelkader Abdellaoui / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

One of the most spectacular manifestations of desertification is silting up. On a sandy windy day in the Saharan environment, the atmosphere can be so loaded with solid matter that it feels like twilight. It thus presents a danger and a health risk for the population at two levels:i) at the respiratory level, firstly because of the inhalation of solid matter and ii) at the level of sight; solids entering the eye can cause irritation and over time serious infections.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS: FORCE MAJEURE AND IMPOSSIBILITY

Author(s): Mihajlo Cvetković / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2021

In every country touched by Covid-19, contractual performance is affected. Leg­islation enforcing lockdowns has made many contracts illegal to perform. Excessively unbalanced contracts become major issue due to health emergencies. In order to re­lease the debtor, the force majeure must be unpredictable. However, the world has been warned of a looming epidemic and its consequences onto unprepared world. The paper examines if the Serbian Act on Obligations and its rules on impossibility protect the debtors in the circumstances of Covid-19, by comparing domestic solutions with European, transnational and Common law. Despite numerous provisions, traditional solutions were not adequate, so emergency regulations have been adopted, usually in­compatible with the private law regime.

Zanieczyszczenia powietrza a choroby układu krążenia

Author(s): Grażyna Nowicka / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2007

Epidemiological studies clearly indicate that both long- and short-term exposure to several environmental air pollutants cause significant increase in the risk of cardiovascular events, the observed strong relation between particulate matter air level and cardiovascular diseases may be explained by indirect or direct influence of these particles on different biological processes involved in disease development. Improvement of air quality standards and lowering of particulate matter exposure can significantly diminish cardiovascular disease risk and improve public health status.

Idea teocentryzmu w katolickiej etyce środowiskowej

Author(s): Mariusz Ciszek / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2007

W artykule tym starałem się przedstawić zarys autorskiej koncepcji katolickiej wersji etyki środowiskowej w paradygmacie teocentrycznym. Uważam przy tym, że ekoetyka uprawiana w tym modelu, może okazać się swoistą trzecią drogą pozwalającą na uniknięcie kontrowersji jakie stały się udziałem antagonistycznych względem siebie obozów zwolenników biocentryzmu i antropocentryzmu. Uznałem więc, iż stanowi ona efektywny sposób uprawiania etyki ekologicznej.W dużym skrócie teocentryczna odmiana etyki środowiskowej nakazuje rozpatrywać wszelkie relacje między działaniami moralnymi człowieka a przyrodą, w odniesieniu do Boga, jako Stwórcy przyrody i kosmosu. Przyroda posiada wartość ze względu na Boga - stanowiącego summum bonum w chrześcijańskiej etyce - który ją stworzył i nadal utrzymuje w istnieniu. Wartością autoteliczną w mojej koncepcji etyki środowiska naturalnego jest człowiek, aczkolwiek ta szczególna pozycja nie zwalnia go z odpowiedzialności za los środowiska. Człowiek jako istota wyjątkowa powinien pełnić rolę dobrego strażnika, gospodarza i opiekuna świata przyrody, którą otrzymał w darze od Stwórcy. Natomiast niszcząc przyrodę sprzeciwia się Bogu, a więc grzeszy i czyni zło.Na podstawie moich rozważań ostatecznie przyjmuję, iż człowiek jako byt stanowiący „koronę stworzenia”, jest szczególnie odpowiedzialny za cały otaczający go świat przyrody, któremu należy się szacunek, gdyż jest on darem Stwórcy dla człowieka i powinien zostać zachowany jako dziedzictwo dla przyszłych pokoleń, naturalnie przy współudziale edukacji.

Współpraca kulturalna między narodami jako ważny czynnik zrównoważonego rozwoju społecznego regionu Europy Środkowowschodniej w Unii Europejskiej

Author(s): Beata Adamczyk / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2007

Cultural and social cooperation among nations lived in East and Central Europe has been sprung up over many centuries. In the 20th century, the nations of the part of Europe were subjected to an attempt to standardize their national cultures by means of introducing the socialist realistic culture. At present the message of cultural cooperation is social and cultural integration. Relations between Poland and Lithuania can be an example for development of cooperation among the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe on the state and regional levels, as well as example for educational institutions and economic associations, the connected relations may become germs of cooperation and good-neighbourly relationship as well as in the perspective of social development of the region among the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea.

Wybrane problemy i dylematy społecznoekonomicznego wartościowania relacji człowiek - środowisko naturalne

Author(s): Maciej Rudnicki / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2007

In this article autor shows the relation between human and natural environment and the chosen problems connected with this especially social, technological, economical with ecological and law problems and dilemmas connected with ecological safety of the human and the whole biosphere.

Istota i metateoretyczne zagadnienia "postaw ekologicznych"

Author(s): Jan Sandner / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2007

Problemy związane z postawami ekologicznymi naszego społeczeństwa nie są nowe. Problematyką tą dotychczas zajmowały się niezależne ośrodki naukowo-badawcze w kraju, jak również niektórzy niezależni naukowcy. Jest to problematyka trudna, niechętnie podejmowana przez badaczy ze względu na swój bardzo interdyscyplinarny charakter. Ta interdyscyplinarność z jednej strony jest jej siłą poznawczą, z drugiej zaś silnie ją hamująca. Spowodowane jest to daleko idącą ogólnością sformułowań, odmiennym naukowym warsztatem badań, stosowaną terminologią oraz celami dla jakich powstają te badania. Autor w swoim artykule stara się ponownie podejść do epistemologii postaw proekologicznych, jak i samej ich metodologii badań.

Problemy teorii naukowego poznania przyrody w świetle idei zrównoważonego rozwoju

Author(s): Jan Sandner / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2007

Uloga i značaj socijalnih funkcija šumskih ekosistema

Author(s): Zoran Govedar / Language(s): Bosnian Issue: 49-50/2022

U radu je dat prikaz osnovnih karakteristika socijalnih funkcija šumskih ekosistema. Socijalne funkcije šuma nisu dovoljno afirmisane a njihova vrijednost u ukupnom vrednovanju funkcija šuma često se ne procjenjuje. Zdravstveno-rekreativna uloga i naučno-obrazovna uloga šuma posebne namjene imaju ključni društveni značaj. Uloga i značaj socijalnih funkcija šuma u razvijenijim društvima više se promovišu u javnosti i imaju veći uticaj na društvenu zajednicu i na postizanje društvenog konsencenzusa o financijskim subvencijama za održivo upravljanje šumama i dobrobit društva sa ciljem da vlasnici šuma pored drvnih sortimenata ostvaruju i druge prihode od opštekorisnih funkcija šuma. Proizvodne i opštekorisne funkcije šuma mogu biti veoma ugrožene usljed faktora rizika koji su posljedica otopljavanja klimata, pojave požara, štetočina i bolesti. Sadašnje generacije trebaju pokazati odgovornost za naslijeđene šumske ekosisteme i brigu za održivi razvoj svih funkcija šuma kroz sistem upravljanja.

Rola uniwersytetów ludowych w ekologicznej edukacji młodzieży wiejskiej

Author(s): Janusz Aptacy / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2007

This article concerns widely perceived ecological education being provided among country youth by People’s Universities, their homeland is Denmark and M. F. S. Grundvig is concerned to be their father. He observed English educational system and the way of education with the usage of boarding schools and then he transmitted it to Denmark, where at the end of the 18th c. and at the beginning of the 19th century the role of peasants, who reached for power and had their own farms, increased, therefore, there was a necessity to create an integrated educational system for those people. Thiss way of educating was then carried to Poland by Ignacy Solarz and his wife Zofia Solarzowa - that took place in the mid-20th century. A special tribute of these educational institutions was reaching those country groups of people who were hungry for knowledge and social advance. People’s Universities had and have ecological education established in their educational programme. However, this education concerns integrated, harmonic and balanced development of the human being, since, if ecology means the knowledge about the environment, it is the human being that should be the most important, that should be the subject.In this system of educating one is not only concerned in gaining the knowledge, but also in ability to pass the gained knowledge, expressing one’s opinions, ability to make relations with people and with the world. This system is about the most integrated development of a student’s personality, the ecological education must not limit itself just to care about the nature, but it should also take into consideration the human’s psychology, environment in which one was brought up and also the values with which one was fed. That is why this widely taken ecology should not omit religious, cultural and patriotic values. And People’s Universities draw their attention to this kind of values.

Ekologia w programach nauczania religii dla I klasy gimnazjum

Author(s): Julisław Łukomski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2007

The article includes characteritc of additional materials for catechists and teachers, especially ecological examination of conscience and analysis of the following issues: revealed law and natural law, ecological balance, rule of general destiny of goods, celebration in connection with ecology, ecological intuitions in saints’ opinions and attitiudes, histories of Christian ecological intuitions.

Ekologia w programach nauczania religii dla klasy II gimnazjum. Pomoce dla katechetów

Author(s): Julisław Łukomski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2007

The article presents a trial of including ecological contents to religion teaching programme in the II class of preparatory school. Ecological contents in this programme concern following issues: human ecology, natural parental planning, personal dimension of human activity in the universe, ecological values, solidarity of human and nature, patriotism in contemporary times, nation and family in the trend of eco-development.

Ekologia - program nauczania dla III klasy gimnazjalnej

Author(s): Julisław Łukomski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2007

The article presents analysises of the following issues from the ecological programme for the III class of preparatory school: human and nature in the light of christology, the elevation of human and universe by the Incarnation, Christss cross points the solidarity of God with human and whole nature, peace with God, peace with every creature, rationality of the nature tells about Creator s idea, crisis of moral values finds expression in degradation of natural environment, urgent need of solidarity.

The Role and Significance of Social Functions of Forest Ecosystems

Author(s): Zoran Govedar / Language(s): English Issue: 49-50/2022

The paper presents the basic characteristics of the social functions of forest ecosystems. The social functions of forests are not sufficiently affirmed and their value in the overall evaluation of forest functions it is not estimated often. The health-recreational role and the scientific-educational role of special purpose forests are of key social importance. The role and importance of social functions of forests in more developed societies are more promoted in public and have a greater impact on the community and on achieving social consensus on financial subsidies for sustainable forest management and social welfare in order for forest owners to earn other incomes noise function. The productive and public benefit functions of forests can be severely compromised due to risk factors resulting from global warming, fires, pests and diseases. Current generations need to show responsibility for inherited forest ecosystems and care for the sustainable development of all forest functions through a management system.

NATURE AND FOOD COMMODIFICATION. FOOD SOVEREIGNTY: RETHINKING THE RELATION BETWEEN HUMAN AND NATURE

Author(s): Federica Porcheddu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2022

The article aims to explore the link between commodification of nature and commodification of food. The latter is in fact one of the most negative and controversial aspects of nature commodification. The examination of food commodification represents fertile ground for investigating the relationship between humans and nature. In this context, food sovereignty provides a useful paradigm that not only serves as an alternative to the current food regime, but also allows for the experiencing a different kind of relationship between humans and nature. Food sovereignty represents a unique social movement in which community, political, and cultural rights are intertwined with the issue of food. Through its multidisciplinary approach and its strongly ethical component, food sovereignty constitutes an opportunity in order to contrast the progressive commodification of nature and of the environment.