Tidwell, C., & Soles, C. (Eds). (2021). Fear and Nature: Ecohorror Studies in the Anthropocene
Review of: Tidwell, C., & Soles, C. (Eds). (2021). Fear and Nature: Ecohorror Studies in the Anthropocene. Penn State University Press.
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Review of: Tidwell, C., & Soles, C. (Eds). (2021). Fear and Nature: Ecohorror Studies in the Anthropocene. Penn State University Press.
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Biological systems are subject to a dramatic increase in invading species in the 21st century due to increasing globalization around the world. In the near future, these species will cause more extensive ecological as well as socio-economic damage. Biotic invasions will result not only in a reduction of the original biodiversity, but also total loss, particularly degradation of natural habitats – especially Natura 2000 habitats. This study aims to understand the processes of spread of invasive plant species, their way of life, adaptation to environmental changes and displacement of native species. Without the local level, it is not possible to understand these processes on the regional and continental dimensions and thus implement scientific facts and findings into the prediction of the development of global biosystems. The research was conducted during the vegetation period in the years 2017–2021 in the studied areas of non-forest and forest habitats in the central part of Slovakia. We recorded 242 localities in the area with the occurrence of invasive plant species in an area of 3.057 km2 out of the total mapped area of 169.024 km2. We recorded the highest number of localities and the most expansive distribution for the species Stenactis annua, Robinia pseudoacacia, Solidago canadensis, Impatiens glandulifera and Fallopia japonica. Keywords: invasive species management; non-native plants; predicting invasive plants; implications for conservation.
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Drought is a major abiotic factor adversely affecting wheat productivity. Water deficit reduces significantly photosynthesis and hence the remobilization of stored assimilate reserves from the stem becomes important sources for grain filling. We assessed the ability of different stem internodes and leaf sheaths to deposit and remobilize reserve assimilates as well as their role in grain yield formation in 6 winter wheat varieties under drought conditions during the period of grain filling. The dry weight and content of water-soluble carbohydrates in the dry matter of stem internodes and leaf sheaths of the main shoot was determined at anthesis, the beginning of milk ripeness and full grain ripeness. The total amount of water-soluble carbohydrates in stem segments was calculated as the product of their specific content in the dry matter of the stem segment and its mass. The amount of remobilized dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrates for each segment was estimated as the difference between the appropriate values at anthesis or milk ripeness and full ripeness. The maximum accumulation of water-soluble carbohydrates in the stem was reached at early milk ripeness. The most productive varieties Kyivska 17 and Horodnytsia had the largest amount of remobilized water-soluble carbohydrates in all internodes. Depositing capacity of the second and third (counting from the top) internodes was higher compared to others and has a significant effect on the grain productivity of wheat varieties studied. Despite significant variability and strong genotype x year interaction of the relationships between depositing capacity traits of different stem segments and grain productivity, mainly tight correlations were found for dry matter and total water-soluble carbohydrates accumulation and remobilization in second and third internodes with yield and grain weight per spike. The obtained data suggests that the remobilization of deposited water-soluble carbohydrates is an important factor contributing to the filling of winter wheat grain in arid conditions and more detailed studies of relationships of depositing capacity of individual stem segments with yield can be useful for development of breeding tools for further genetic yield improvement.
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A solution for the habitat fragmentation, decline of biodiversity, loss of ecosystems and ecosystem services can be to increase the number of protected areas and the connectivity between them, by creating ecological corridors. Since this conservation practice is becoming more relevant considering the climate change, the concept of ecological connectivity must be integrated in most political frameworks, especially in relation with the spatial development, requiring appropriate legislation. The article aims at proposing a new technique of ecological connectivity modeling, demonstrated by a specific methodology aiming to identify the ecological corridors used the brown bear (Ursus arctos) within the Natura 2000 sites in the Romanian Carpathian Mountains covered by the Buzau County. The processed GIS layers together with the ArcGIS.x Corridor Design Tool were used to map the permeability in the studied area and thus to identify the ecological corridors. The obtained results are useful tools for spatial planners that must integrate, adapt and accept these corridors in their plans. It is the first study published at national level, a novel one, in which ecological corridors for the brown bear are identified based on a County Land Use Plan, embedding the ecological dimension in the concept of spatial planning.
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The sustainable territorial development (STD) strategies, at regional as well as at local levels, require long term spatial visions exploring the possible futures of the territories where they are implemented. Consequently, the local or regional public action having as aims territorial cohesion and sustainability need to rely on a foresight approach, which cannot be a simple statistical and economic forecast, so as to take into account the plurality of possible futures. In this paper, summarizing the main findings of a prospective approach about the impact of metropoles on regional cohesion by 2050 within the Centre-Val de Loire Region (France), we try to exemplify the contribution and limits on designing a STD regional strategy. For this aim, as an example, we use the case study of the Centre-Val de Loire (France) Economic, Social and Environmental Regional Council. This was done to analyze long term territorial consequences of the institutionalization of metropoles in both main cities of this region, Tours and Orléans. But, first, we begin by introducing summarily the principles and methods of a foresight procedure.
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This article questions the proactive policy of the Moroccan state towards a desert coastline, located in the middle of the country (in longitude) more than twice as large as Luxembourg and with strong individuality. It questions the various State’s attempts to integrate it into the national economy. Long marginalized due to its difficult physical conditions, this space suddenly became highly strategic in view of recent regional geopolitics such as the recovery of Western Sahara and especially the return of Morocco to the African scene, without forgetting the proximity of the Canary Islands which it faces. Its geography has made it a space of secular nomadism devoid of stable and permanent actors. To remedy this situation, the State is trying, through political programs and agricultural strategies, to gradually settle populations and change their way of life. In the hope of attracting new development actors, the State tries, as best as it can, to give it an image of viable space, even if this means skilfully arranging its demographic data on which planning actions depend. Also, the State is striving to make this space liveable by setting up infrastructures, which have proved to be exclusive from the coastline, and grandiose tourist projects totally in compatible with the desert nature of this space. The nature and consistency of these projects which are struggling to start will undoubtedly have repercussions which will be everything for this natural environment except sustainable. The repeated failures of its various attempts seem to predict the impossibility of its sustainable development.
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The French regional reform aroused public reactions mainly on the issue for the new delimitation of regions. In this article, we question the scope of one particular aspect of the reform, which has gone somewhat unnoticed, namely the creation of the Regional Scheme of Planning, Sustainable Development and Territorial Equality. Under the terms of the NOTRe Law of 2015, this new regional strategic planning document aims to become the matrix of all territorial planning documents due to its dual nature, both prescriptive and enforceable. However, can it claim to become the instrument of genuine regional sustainable development? Moreover, what would be the conditions to meet this purpose? We propose some elements of answer to these questions, relying mainly - but not exclusively - on the preliminary draft scheme of the Centre – Val de Loire region.
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The purpose of this paper is to advance the understanding of how local productive systems (or clusters) evolve and integrate into the contemporary economic dynamics. We show that this evolution internalizes industrial, ecological and social issues and marks a turning point for the notion of the cluster. New collaborative and open models are taking shape. Industrial symbiosis is a perfect illustration. It is based on a collective intelligence resulting from participative governance and an appropriation of the space by the various stakeholders of the territory, who engage in a reflection in several dimensions. The implications are then strong in terms of reformulating the governance arrangements.
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Solid Waste Disposal is a serious concern in the present era of rapid population growth. The increased level of waste creates hazardous problems for humans, as well as animals. As per Haryana State Pollution Control Board report (2021), projected Waste Generation by Faridabad city in would be 962 TPD in 2025 which would rise to 1290 TPD by 2035 which makes Faridabad the highest waste producing city in the state. Previous studies on the solid waste disposal systems in Indian towns have focused on the social elements of trash disposal, such as domestic solid trash disposal in India, constituents of sustainability in solid trash disposal, living and working situation of dumpsite trash collectors etc. But, not much research has been conducted on analyzing the impact of human behavior elements on the waste disposal system, which might lead to a better knowledge of the elements that drive behavior change, which could be a key idea for improving the system's performance. In this study, a survey on Faridabad city's solid waste disposal system was undertaken with a select group of people in Faridabad city and for analysis, the authors used multivariate regression to anticipate the research model. The study's scope is confined to Faridabad residents and the solid waste Disposal problem, however, the proposed framework has substantial potential for implementation in other Indian cities as well as developing countries.
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The increase in the rate of environmental certification of buildings in foreign countries and Russia makes it necessary to study the role of environmental certification in construction, to highlight the degree of influence of environmental standards on architectural space. Consider the features of architectural shaping of buildings certified according to international and Russian environmental standards, and determine their new typology. In the conducted research, the percentage of architectural and technological requirements of foreign and Russian environmental standards in construction is presented. For the analysis of more than eighty environmentally certified buildings, a graph-analytical tabular form using an assessment matrix is used. The characteristic features of the objects of research are identified, similar features are generalized into groups and systematized. Typical architectural planning and engineering measures that are most often used to improve the environmental friendliness rating are identified. The impact of environmental standards requirements on spatial planning solutions is assessed. Identification of the share of architectural and engineering requirements in the assessment of objects according to environmental standards with the definition of a new typology of environmentally certified buildings is important for further improvement of the national environmental standard and the architectural space of Russian cities.
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The legal regulation of stationary sources of air pollution is an important part of the air protection in law. This paper is focused on selected issues of placing and operating all stationary sources in the Czech Republic, from the smaller ones (e.g. located in houses) to the larger ones. The regulation is mainly carried out by binding opinions and permits for operation and by the determination of some emission limits. Some obligations are also imposed on the operators of stationary sources and in the case of some stationary sources also compensatory measures and operating orders are required. In the text, the most important legal topics connected with stationary sources are discussed.
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Spontaneous urban development, specific to East European cities in the post-socialist period, produces permanent land-use changes. The study aims at analyzing this phenomenon for the particular case of the North East Development Region of Romania. Although as a way of manifestation there are many similarities at regional level, the behavior of urban systems and land-use changes are influenced by many local factors. For this study, updated data provided by Corine Land Cover were capitalized, and the analysis were carried out in temporal stages – 1990 – 2000 – 2006 – 2012 – 2018 using the ArcGis software. In terms of assessing the consequences of urban development, the analysis concentrates on permanent changes that can indicate the penetration of urban space in rural areas. The largest area of land-use category transformed into artificial surfaces belongs to the agricultural sector. The challenge is to analyze the magnitude of this phenomenon, the main consequence being the consumption of productive land, and to see if its perpetuation and intensification contravenes the principles of sustainable development.
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The paper presents some aspects regarding the methods and materials used to combat humidity in heritage buildings. It is known that the moisture in a wall reaches variable heights according to the physical characteristics of the masonry (depending on the porosity and capillary sizes). Taking into account these characteristics, some solutions for improving the masonry of buildings are presented. Thus, some details regarding the interventions at the building foundation level are exposed. At the same time, some materials used for wall ventilation as well as the BIS system for dehumidifying the floor and wall support are presented. The result of the study emphasize that the method which uses ventilation holes to dry masonry can only be applied when we are not dealing with a wetting due to a capillary increase from a water table.
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Bee pollen was tested as potential green corrosion inhibitor of bronze in simulated acid rain in a weakly acidic solution containing Na2SO4 and NaHCO3 (pH 5),simulating an acid rain in the urban environment. Potentiodynamic polarization, scanningelectron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX)techniques were used to evaluate the inhibitive performance of bee pollen against bronze corrosion. Potentiodynamic polarization revealed that the bee pollen acts as a mixed-type corrosion inhibitor; its inhibiting efficiency increases with increasing the pollen concentration attaining the maximum value of 74.7% in the presence of 100 ppm pollen. SEM-EDX analysis confirmed that bee pollen is able to retard the bronze corrosion in a simulated acidic rain solution.
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Biosorption of heavy metals by different waste materials is one of the treatments that has emerged as an environmentally friendly method for removing metals from aqueous solutions. As previous studies reported the potential of chemical pre-treatments to enhance the activity of fish scales in removing heavy metals from synthetic wastewater, in the present study, the biosorptive potential of Cyprinus carpio scales pre-treated with 1 M NaCl, 0.1 M NaOH and 2% soluble potassium salts of humic acids for the removal of Fe3+, Mn2+ and Zn2+ from real acidic mine drainage (AMD) was investigated. Before and after the biosorption process, the biosorbent was characterised using scanning electron microscopy - energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Experiments to determine the effect of the chemical pre-treatment agent on the sorption process were performed. The results showed that this inexpensive biowaste offers great potential for the removal of metal ions since a solid:liquid ratio of 1:50 (g:mL) was sufficient to reduce the Zn concentration below the values established by Romanian legislation, after 240 min of stirring. In the investigated experimental conditions, about 100 %, 82.3 % and 98.08% of iron, manganese, and zinc ions were removed from AMD solution after 240 min of contact with the finest-grained Cyprinus carpio scales sample pre-treated with 0.1 M NaOH.
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The proposed project has as a goal to highlight environmental problems which are recognized at the level of an enterprise and to highlight corresponding environmental policies in order to achieve a more environmentally friendly and economically more efficient enterprise. A priority for scientists, public body and civil society is to prevent and avoid environmental impacts when carrying out diverse economic activities. If environmental pollution is not avoidable when performing different production activities,appropriate environmental protection technologies have to be designed in order to provide a new economic and environment-friendly behavior of human beings and of the society as a whole. In the present development stage, carrying out environmental impact assessments as well as shaping efficient environmental management systems have to become basic elements in the management strategy of each company. Appropriate company environmental policy can reduce environmental pollution. On the other side a careful environmental impact analysis and assessment of different life-cycle stages of products, can have as a direct consequence improving existing production processes, so that environmental impacts are minimized, finally getting by this a more efficient environmental policy on the company level.
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Through its very content, geography manages to provide students with a complete preparation, contributing to their development from an intellectual, emotional, and physical point of view. Geography is the only educational subject that offers students an overview of the geographical environment. How current and indispensable geographical culture is for students' culture today can be seen from the fact that the material of this subject did not remain between the covers of textbooks but was amplified and diversified. Particularly important is the education of children regarding the preservation of the quality of the environment. We can do this by changing habits and attitudes towards the natural environment. The fight for a clean environment has become an issue of the day
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This article presents the waste management on board Disney Cruise Line (DCL) company ships. In previous papers, we focused on the environmental policies of the DCL company, on the cruise itinerary waste management plans for the enterprise’s ships, waste collection, sorting and storage and food waste management on DCL ships, as well as on dangerous and medical waste management on board DCL company ships. The paper consists of an analytical view of the environmental personnel’s activities, in-house regulations and of various recordings and field observations. It presents detailed information on waste collection, sorting and transportation on board company ships, as well as on waste processing, storage and disposal procedures, waste registers and reports filed by employees, White Data Box and the equipment used for waste processing and recycling. The study concludes that the DCL company is committed to minimizing its fleet’s environmental impact by means of adopting new technologies, generating less waste, training its staff and instructing its guests, and raising awareness on environmental issues. In 2013, the company was declared the most environmentally-responsible cruise line. All crew members must fully comply with the DCL company’s environmental requirements and policy. Both employees and customers must pay attention to the practices that can result in accidental pollution. Waste collection procedures and the prevention of improper waste disposal are carefully monitored at all times. DCL makes continuous efforts to minimize waste amounts and associated risks on its ships. This entails using the appropriate storage, use and disposal procedures, and extends all the way to operation and event planning and supply and consumable purchases. DCL’s environmentally friendly vision is best described by these values and actions: thorough bookkeeping, monitoring, double-checking, awareness, continuous communication.
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Ireland’s environment is a key resource in the tourism sector. Burren area in Ireland is becoming an increasingly popular destination, with both international and domestic travellers, where ecotourism is the main activity contributing to the development of the area. Considering this, it is becoming essential to better understand how ecotourism affects the lives of local people from economic and social perspectives, as well as the environment. Thus, this study aims to examine ecotourism development in the Burren and its contribution to local sustainable development. It presents the interview results with the key experts in ecotourism and recommendations towards sustainable development of the region. Furthermore, core indicators of sustainable tourism have been used to assess economic, social and environmental sustainability of the area.
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The article is a review of the similarities and differences between the communist and environmentalist doctrines and their relationship. There are three pillars of the analysis: ideology, outcomes and a joint perspective. Ideologically, the division between ‘leftist’ and others with respect to their attitude towards the environment is based on the existence of fewer similarities than differences; the latter include the central organizing concepts, and perspectives on economy, technology, decentralization, and human nature. Based on the analysis, several categories can be distinguished: (1) socialists who see the unity; (2) environmentalists who see the unity, but do no require any change to socialism; (3) specialists sympathetic with both perspectives, who see the need for an evolution of socialism; and (4) environmentalists who are not socialists. The environmental outcomes of communist regimes are caused by the Marxist ideology: “man must rule and transform the nature”. Therefore, capitalism is seen as a cause of environmental issues, and socialism as a common solution of both crises. They include the rapid industrialization, a state ownership of lands, and the lack of environmental law enforcement. Moreover, socialists deny the existence of an environmental crisis. Finally, the joint perspective reveals the fact that an opposition between industry and conservation is also present in capitalism.
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