Enviornmental Science

RESUMO: O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar a inserção do agronegócio da soja no município de Santarém, no Pará, Brasil a partir do Zoneamento Econômico Ecológico feito para a BR 163, revela que há uma ausência de aplicabilidade dos instrumentos de boa governança ambiental, destaca que esta monocultura trouxe inúmeros impactos socioambientais para a re-gião, aumentou os índices de grilagem e violência no campo, fato este agravado pela instalação de um Porto graneleiro na cidade de Santarém, que se efetivou sob fortes questionamentos de descumprimento da legislação que rege o licenciamento ambiental, demonstra que a produção de soja amazônica leva os povos tradicionais a deixarem suas terras comunais, o que afeta dire-tamente, de modo negativo, os modos de fazer, criar e viver amazônico, revela que a política de ocupação territorial da Amazônia ainda é feita como na época do período colonial, onde vigora a ideia do desenvolvimento a qualquer custo, em detrimento da proteção e valorização de direitos fundamentais. Socio-environmental impacts of the expansion of soya agribusiness in the region of Santarém-PA and the crisis of instruments of environmental governance ABSTRACT: This article aims to analyze the soybean agribusiness insertion in the city of San-tarem, Para, Brazil, since the Ecological Economic Zoning made for BR 163, reveals that there is a lack of applicability of the instruments of good agro-environmental governance, points out. Recebido em: 3 abr. 2017. Avaliado em: 26 abr. e 05 maio 2017.

The area of study selected in the present investigation was Kasardi River which receives heavy discharge of waste effluent from the nearby Taloja industrial belt which is one of the fastest developing industrial belt of Mumbai. The study was performed to investigate the concentration of toxic heavy metals like chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and iron (Fe) in river. It was observed that concentration of most of these heavy metals were much higher than the maximum permissible limits. These heavy metals have created threat to the aquatic life and through biomagnifications may enter the food chain thereby affecting the human beings as well. The research work was extended further to study the physico-chemical properties like temperature, pH, solid content, chloride, oil / grease content, BOD and COD values of the river water. The authors point out that as India moves towards stricter regulation of industrial effluents to control water pollution, there is a need to implement common objectives, compatible policies and programmes for improvement in the industrial waste water treatment methods.

Willmott (1981) proposed an index of agreement (d) as a
standardized measure of the degree of model prediction error
which varies between 0 and 1. The index of agreement represents
the ratio of the mean square error and the potential error. The
agreement value of 1 indicates a perfect match, and 0 indicates no
agreement at all. The index of agreement can detect additive and
proportional differences in the observed and simulated means and
variances; however, d is overly sensitive to extreme values due to
the squared differences

Bioinformatics in integration to computational biology is a novel field which applies computer to biology, with which biologists are able to make detailed use of biological data for its advancement. In bioinformatics, the computers are used for the storage followed by the processing and analyzing, along with retrieval of large amounts of biologic and genomic data. In recent years, the field of Bioinformatics is gaining more interest. Earlier, the methodology adopted by the researchers to generate, collect followed by the analysis of various types of scientific data, which is the most time consuming and quite expensive for the work to be carried out. On the other hand with the help of computational tools & techniques, software & databases, one can process a large amount of biological data in a short span such as computer-aided drug designing (CADD). Environment and its protection in today's word are the most challenging. The problems associated with its protection, planning can be resolved by the best bases of Information technology. Introduction:

Se discuten las ventajas y los riesgos que ocasionaría la construcción de una hidrovía en los ríos Marañón, Ucayali y Amazonas, en el Perú. Las hidrovías son vistas como alternativa para las  carreteras para el transporte  y por ende, como una opción para reducir la deforestación que se origina  a partir de las carreteras nuevas en los bosques amazónicos.

My latest project is a free online course in ecolinguistics. The course describes how ecolinguistics reveals the stories that structure our current unsustainable civilisation, questions those stories from an ecological perspective, and contributes to the search for new stories to live by. It seems to have struck a chord because hundreds of participants have signed up so far, and a team of 21 PhD students and academics from around the world have volunteered to provide free tuition in 12 languages. To view the course please visit http://storiesweliveby.org.uk

CONTENTS

REGULAR PAPERS

Juraj Kalický, Ľuboš Žárský, Jaroslav Ušiak
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The Democratic Deficit and Participation in the European Union
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Corporate Tax as a Direct Tool for Supporting the Public Sector in the
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Ingrid Borarosova, Aaron T. Walter, Ondrej Filipec. GLOBAL JIHAD. Case
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El cambio climático no es un tema baladí, y su trascendencia y actual preocupación hacen que sea un tema serio y delicado. Aun así, es un tema que también tiene cabida en el cómic, pues se puede utilizar este para divulgar y concienciar sobre la importancia de dicho problema. Así, analizamos la presencia de esta temática en el cómic en castellano para finalmente centrarnos en dos ejemplos de Mortadelo y Filemón y Superlópez, respectivamente. En ellos, aunque la presencia del cambio climático es palpable, se echa en falta una mayor implicación que permita una concienciación del lector sobre el problema.

AMELIORATION IS THE PROPER WORD, TAKE SOMETHING BAD AND TURN IT INTO SOMETHING GOOD – THIS APPLIES TO ALL HARMFUL RADIATIONS LIKE 5G, CELL PHONE MICROWAVES, THE GRID, EVEN NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ARE ABSORBED AND TRANSMUTED TO BENEFICIAL LIFE FORCE ENERGY.

PARIS IS CLEARLY AN IMAGE MANAGEMENT EVENT AS THEY ALL ARE, BUT THIS ONE IS REALLY CLEAR.  OUR CONTROLLERS HAVE BEEN USING OUR CONSCIOUSNESS TO DESTROY THE PLANET AND US  -  THEY KNOW THAT OUR COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS IS VERY POWERFUL AND "THEY" USE THAT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE AND KEEP OUR MINDS CAGED UP WITH FEARFUL BELIEFS.

2020.03.06.
User Activity, attention and interest, March 6, 2020; these articles were read by researchers in Austria, Libya, Philippines, Australia, Russia, India, U.S., Indonesia, Nigeria, Egypt, Ukraine, et al., on Academia.edu; environmental science, ecology, water, biology;
https://www.academia.edu/42158255/ ;

Associations between major and trace elements (aqua regia) were studied in basaltic-ash soils from the island of El Hierro in order to distinguish possible non-lithological contributions to the large trace element concentration shown by the soils. Soil composition reflected the basaltic composition of the parent materials and their extended tendencies to ultrabasic and trachytic compositions. The obtained values did not differ from previously reported reference values for natural soils, pointing to a low intensity anthropic activity. Only Cd levels were above those
predicted by parent materials. The large soil total phosphorus (P) concentrations were consistent with those reported for the parent materials, thus obscuring the hypothesis of the contribution of the phosphate-rich Saharan dust to soil Cd enrichment. The spatial distribution of trace and major elements helped to identify a larger concentration of trace elements in soils of the most humid zones where andic properties were more highly expressed. Anthropic influence was revealed by the association of P and Cd in a former intensive agricultural zone. The large metal concentrations could reach or exceed the Soil Quality Standards for heavy metal concentrations in relation to soil pH. Plant composition, however, did not approachhazardous levels, probably due to the effect of the organic and highly reactive mineral sorbing phases of the studied soil types.

Water borne bacterial pathogens were isolated from surface waters in Indore, India. The bacterial pathogenic organisms can cause intestinal infections, dysentery, typhoid fever, cholera, and other illnesses. The paper discusses results of bacteriological analysis done on various water samples taken from different sources in Indore. The water samples collected from different regions of Indore were found to have significant impurities, considerable deterioration and remarkable variation. In the bacteriological analysis, colliform group of bacteria are differentiated by the presumptive test, confirmed test and completed test. After performing these tests Gram negative, were non spore forming and rod shaped bacteria having metallic shine or pink with dark centerd colonies on EMB agar indicated positive results. The isolates were characterized and identified as E.coli, Enterobacter, Klebsilla, salmonella and Shigella. The study therefore, stresses on the need to control the fecal pollution of water bodies.

Energy management is vitally important to address sever energy problems and to reduce the consumption of scarce and valuable resources. The saved amount of energy obtained from energy management activities is proven to be the most economical source of “new” energy. The saved energy not only eases the strain on environment, but also provides time to develop new energy sources. This chapter reviews the fundamental objectives and directive principles of energy management and the major techniques and policy tools proven effective to achieve these objectives. Although the primary goal of energy management programs is profit optimization or cost minimization, these programs also aims at reducing energy consumption, at conserving non-renewable resources, and at mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To pursue these objectives, policy makers at broader levels and facility managers at narrower levels should develop effective monitoring/reporting strategies, evaluation techniques, and regulations to accomplish such savings. This chapter provides an overview of the state of the art practices for a vast variety of energy management–related topics including: economic evaluation techniques, GHG emissions management, energy labeling, renewable resources, and distributed generation. The concluding section provides a review of world-wide energy management policies and regulations employed in different energy sectors.

Avoiding climate destabilization caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, requires climate-neutral electricity sources. It has been proposed that the GHG emissions from coal-fired power plants can be offset by carbon capture and sequestration or bio-sequestration. However, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has recently declined so far in costs it now offers both technical and economic potential to offset all of coal-fired electricity use. PV only emits GHGs during fabrication and not during use. To determine which technical solution to climate-neutral electricity generation should be preferred, this study aggregates and synthesizes life cycle analysis studies for exergy, GHG emissions and land transformation for climate-neutral electricity. The results show that because of lower exergy efficiencies coal plants emit 13–18 times more GHG and transform 5–13 times more land than PV. Optimal bio-sequestration of coal-fired GHG requires 62% of U.S. arable land or 89% of all U.S land with average forest cover. Carbon capture and storage and enhanced oil recovery can improve coal performance, but for all cases the results clearly show that PV is a far more effective use of land. Overall, for the first time this study found climate-neutral photovoltaic farms are a preferred solution to climate-neutral coal fired electricity generation.

The purposes of this study are to describe the channel patterns of the Czarna Nida River quantitatively and to determine the factors that have had the greatest influence on the development of these patterns. Among the factors considered were natural (climatic) and anthropogenic (prehistoric metallurgy). River development was examined with a focus on valley floor formations, channel geometry changes, and depositional changes. River widths and channel patterns were measured on aerial photographs, and longitudinal profiles were prepared from topographic maps. Within the bottom of the valley, in a single morphological level, a row of inserts of various ages appears. These inserts were formed by the river of different development of the channel e macromeanders (Late Glacial) e multichannel systems (Early Holocene, Subatlantic) e small meanders (Holocene). General tendencies of the Late Glacial and Holo-cene erosioneaccumulation cycle are related to the well-known principles for valleys of Central Europe and described in numerous studies. They encompass dissection from the turn of the younger Pleniglacial and Late Glacial, Younger Dryas straightening and braiding of channels, as well as Holocene phases of intensified fluvial activity. In the Czarna Nida River valley, distinct traces of higher fluvial activity linked with development of prehistoric iron metallurgy in the Roman period were recognised.

This Management Report, and its accompanying Operations Report and Training Modules, are offered by the Chicago and European Climate Exchanges to business, non-profit organizations and government departments to present a profitable mechanism to prosper in the new carbon-constrained world.

The materials provide additional resources for decision-makers, including leading-edge company and government case stories; summaries of climate change science and expected human impacts; emissions trading and regulation systems; the economics and public policy of climate change; and management frameworks for getting started.

This publication was developed in partnership with Richard Sandor, CEO of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) and Neil Eckert, CEO of the European Climate Exchange (ECX) by L. Hunter Lovins and Christopher Juniper of Natural Capitalism Solutions (NCS) and Karlson ‘Charlie’ Hargroves and Michael H. Smith of The Natural Edge Project (TNEP).

The lead developers were supported by Robbie Noiles, Scott Leach, Andrew Essreg, Stephen Self and Nancy Johnston of NCS and Nick Palousis, Cheryl Paten and David Marsden-Ballard of TNEP.

Mediation with wolves :
- empathy?  It is putting yourself in the shoes (or in the hair?) of the wolf;
- focus on interests, not positions? the wolf is hungry;
- to develop alternative solutions? to prepare some (not pre-cooked) morsels far from the flock and upwind of it;
- a solution of mutual interest? capture the wolf and transfer it far, but very very far, from your flock.

Abstract—Bamboo is extensively used in construction industry.
Low durability of bamboo due to fungus infestation and termites
attack under storage puts certain constrains for it usage as modern
structural material. Looking at many chemical formulations for
bamboo treatment leading to severe harmful environment effects,
research on eco-friendly preservatives for bamboo treatment has been
initiated world-over. In the present studies, eco-friendly preservative
for bamboo treatment has been developed. To validate its application
for structural purposes, investigation of effect of treatment on
compressive strength has been investigated. Neemoil (25%)
integrated with copper naphthenate (0.3%) on dilution with kerosene
oil impregnated into bamboo culm at 2 bar pressure, has shown
weight loss of only 3.15% in soil block analysis method. The results
from compressive strength analysis using HEICO Automatic
Compression Testing Machine reveal that preservative treatment has
not altered the structural properties of bamboo culms. Compressive
strength of control (11.72 N/mm2) and above treated samples (11.71
N/mm2) was found to be comparable.

The length-weight relationship (LWR) of adult Scomberomorus guttatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) fish samples (N
= 278) collected from August, 2006 to December, 2011 from Karachi Coast was determined. The largest fish (51.15 ±
0.673 cm) were recorded in winter (2006-2007). The fish were heaviest (721 ± 11.087 g) in 2008-2009. The relationship
between length and weight of S. guttatus was given by an equation, W = 0.167229.L2.121411 ± 0.02045, (r = 0.8487)
indicating a negative allometry between length and weight. The weight of fish was equally well-defined by linear
equation, W = -755.30127 + 28.56385L (cm) ± 19.248, (r = 0.8476). The power model (W = a.Lb
) exhibited merely
0.19% higher explanatory value over the linear model (W = a + bL), if viewed on the basis of adj. r2
associated with
these models.

The latest round of Best LIFE Environment awards - for projects
completed by the end of 2013 – sees a total of 25
LIFE+ projects singled out for special attention. These comprise
six particularly exemplary “Best of the Best” projects
and 19 “Best” projects – and include, for the first time, three
LIFE+ Information and Communication projects addressing
environmental themes.

As one of the most efficient methods for waste management and sustainable energy production, anaerobic digestion (AD) countenances difficulties in the hydrolysis of lignocelluloses biomass. Different pretreatment methods have been applied to make lignocelluloses readily biodegradable by microorganisms. These pre-treatments can affect biogas yield by different mechanisms at molecular scale, including changes in chemical composition, cellulose crystallinity, degree of polymerization, enzyme adsorption/desorption, nutrient accessibility , deacetylation, and through the formation of inhibitors. The present article aims at critically reviewing the reported molecular mechanisms affecting biogas yield from lignocelluloses via different types of pretreatments. Then, a new hypothesis concerning the impact of pretreatment on the microbial community developed (throughout the AD process from an identical inoculum) was also put forth and was experimentally examined through a case study. Four different leading pretreatments, including sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, aqueous ammonia, and sodium carbonate, were performed on rice straw as model lignocellulosic feedstock. The results obtained revealed that the choice of pretreatment method also plays a pivotally positive or negative role on biogas yield obtained from lignocelluloses through alteration of the microbial community involved in the AD. Considerable changes were observed in the archaeal and bacterial communities developed in response to the pretreatment used. Sodium hydroxide, with the highest methane yield (338 mL/g volatile solid), led to a partial switch from acetoclastic to the hydrogenotrophic methane production pathway. The findings reported herein

The environment is not constant, a fact many of us forget as we immerse ourselves in efforts to unravel the intricacies of today's biological problems.  The earth, its atmosphere, and its biotic resources are in a constant state of short- and long-term change.  Understanding short-term changes occupy most research efforts, but long-term change is often crucial to interpreting current data on populations, species, communities, ecosystems, and biomes.  After the Ice Age presents a natural history of northern North  America for the last 20,000 years.  The changes that took place in what is now Canada and the northern United States may well be the most dramatic occurring anywhere on the planet North America was home to the dire wolf, mastodons, mammoths, sabretooth cats, camels, horses, sloths, and lions.  What happened to these and many other lesser-known species?  How did changing climate, land, and biota interact to cause extinctions?  The answer makes fascinating reading.

This study presents a preliminary assessment of the abundance, distribution, and diversity of dung beetles in different elevation bands of Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda. Baited pitfall traps were used on transects at each elevation band from 1800m to 2800m. During this study 162 individuals were recorded in over 90 traps. Individuals were placed into eight different species categories based on morphological traits. Dung beetle species richness was highest at the lower elevations sampled and declined with higher elevation samples. These findings support the previous studies showing that dung beetles are not evenly distributed along an evelational gradient.

A total number of six water samples have been collected from Naughty Khal, a canal connects the municipality waste dumping site and Longai river of Karimganj district during month of August, 2011. A uniform distance between the collection sites has been maintained during the collection of the sample. Analysis have been done for the quantitative determination of the concentration of Fe, Mn, Cu, Cr, Cd , As and also for the qualitative determination of physical parameters like pH, EC, TSS, TDS, TS and total hardness of the collected water samples. The concentration of Mn, Cr, Fe , Cd and As obtained were higher than the permissible limit declared by WHO. pH and Electrical conductance of the water samples lies between 6.60-7.41 and 7.43-9.91 ms/cm respectively. TSS, TDS, TS and total hardness were found to be within the permissible limit declared by WHO.