Hasil untuk "Environmental law"

Hongsen LIU, Yibo WANG, Yuanyuan ZHANG et al.

Loess is a typical water-sensitive soft soil widely distributed in northwest China. It typically exhibits low cohesiveness and easy subsidence when immersed in water, thus severely restricting the development of infrastructure construction such as highways, railways, and bridges. To solve the issues of high carbon emissions, low economic benefits, and increased environmental alkalinity caused by conventional cement-based curing materials, alkali-activated slag/fly ash (S/F) geopolymers (referred to as “geopolymer”) were adopted to improve collapsible loess in this study. The influence laws of the precursor S/F mass ratios (i.e., 0∶10, 2∶8, 4∶6, 5∶5, 6∶4, 8∶2, and 10∶0), alkaline activator (i.e., sodium hydroxide/sodium silicate, N/G), mass ratios (i.e., 0∶10, 1∶4, 4∶1, and 10∶0), and curing age (i.e., 7 d and 28 d) on the physical and mechanical properties of solidified loess were systematically investigated through measurements of unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, moisture content, and dry density. The strength-formation mechanism of solidified soil was revealed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. The results show that as the proportion of slag in the precursor increases from 0% to 100%, the UCS of solidified loess increases significantly. The UCS of solidified soil increases significantly with curing age, i.e., the UCS of the 28-d solidified sample is 2.1 ～ 3.8 times higher than that of the 7 d solidified sample. After 7 d of curing, the moisture content of the solidified samples decreases as the slag proportion increases. By contrast, the change in moisture content of the solidified samples after 28 d of curing shows the opposite law. The proportion of alkali activator imposes a threshold effect on the solidified soil: the UCS of the high-slag system (the slag content exceeding 80%) first increases and then decreases as the proportion of sodium hydroxide increases, whereas that of the high-fly-ash system (the fly-ash content exceeding 80%) increases continuously with the proportion of sodium hydroxide. Microstructure characterization based on XRD and SEM analyses shows that the alkali-activated S/F geopolymers in the solidified samples primarily generate hydrated calcium silicate (C–S–H) and hydrated calcium aluminosilicate (C–A–S–H) gels, which cement the soil particles. The cementation effect of these gels is identified as the dominant mechanism for strength enhancement (particularly the C–S–H/C–A–S–H in slag system), whereas the pore filling effect is a secondary contributing factor. The optimized formula (S∶F = 8∶2, N∶G = 8∶2) results in a 28 d UCS of 8.69 MPa, which significantly exceeds the performance of conventional cement-stabilized loess while offering favorable economic benefits. Alkali-activated solidification improvement reduces the collapsibility of loess as well as enhances its strength, bearing capacity, and road usability. This study provides a scientific basis for the resource utilization of industrial solid waste and the green reinforcement of loess subgrade. Additionally, it demonstrates the feasibility and superior performance of geopolymer technology.

Dongwon Lee

The Bees Quarter episode in Amish Tripathi’s <i>Ram Chandra Series</i> rearticulates dharma by relocating it from a transcendent cosmic mandate to a framework enacted through spatial and procedural ethics. Traditionally understood as a sustaining principle of moral and social order, dharma in Tripathi’s narrative is reconfigured through the spatial reorganization of Mithila, where environmental vulnerability and infrastructural design shape the conditions of ethical governance. Interpreting this transformation through the framework of just sustainabilities, the article argues that the episode reconfigures dharma not as a transcendent principle but as a practice grounded in resource equity, institutional responsibility, and the consistent application of law. The crisis surrounding the Battle of the Bees Quarter and Ram’s subsequent self-exile further dramatizes a dharmic dilemma between sovereign authority and procedural justice, foregrounding tensions between power and legitimacy. Read through this lens, Tripathi’s retelling situates dharma within contemporary debates on sustainability and justice, reframing it as a normative response to ecological precarity and institutional fragility.

Vitor Calandrini, Paulo Santos de Almeida

Relations between human beings and non-human fauna have assumed increasing centrality in contemporary legal and political agendas, driven by the intensification of global ecological crises, the accelerated loss of biodiversity and the expansion of ethical debates concerning the protection of sentient beings. In this context, this article undertakes a comparative analysis of the normative models and public policies aimed at the protection of fauna and nature developed in South America and in the European Union, seeking to identify convergences, divergences and structural limits within these experiences. The study adopts a functional comparative law approach, combining normative, jurisprudential and institutional analysis. On the one hand, it examines the consolidation, within the European Union, of a highly institutionalised regulatory model centred on animal welfare and the legal recognition of animal sentience, structured through supranational legislation and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. On the other hand, it analyses the emergence, in South American countries, of constitutional and jurisprudential innovations incorporating ecocentric perspectives, particularly through the recognition of the rights of nature and the expansion of legal protection for fauna as an integral component of ecological systems. The findings indicate that, although the European model presents greater normative uniformity and institutional capacity for implementation, it remains constrained by a predominantly instrumental and anthropocentric logic. By contrast, South American experiences offer significant conceptual advances by extending legal protection beyond the human sphere yet face substantial challenges of practical effectiveness. It is concluded that these distinct normative trajectories may be understood as complementary in the construction of more coherent and effective public policies capable of addressing contemporary global socio-environmental challenges.

Vaidotas Kisielius, Bo Markussen, Hans Christian Bruun Hansen et al.

Abstract Bracken ferns (genus Pteridium) are among the most prevalent plants worldwide, with their distribution expanding due to their invasive nature. The environmental implications of their proliferation in areas affected by human activity, natural disasters, or land-use changes are concerning, primarily because of the carcinogenic illudane glycosides they produce. These compounds cause domestic and wildlife animal poisoning, as well as contamination of dairy products and drinking water. Several illudane glycosides are known, but usually only ptaquiloside (PTA) is monitored. This study investigates the spatial and temporal variations in illudane glycosides PTA, caudatoside (CAU) and ptesculentoside (PTE) across two phenotypes of Pteridium aquilinum (vars. aquilinum and latiusculum) over a broad geographic range spanning Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, encompassing 66 locations. We analysed different parts of the fern fronds (the tips and the lowest pinnae) using LC–MS and statistically explored the influence of phenotype, frond part, geographic location, sunlight exposure, and the surrounding ecosystem on glycoside content. Our findings reveal that PTA accounts for approximately two-thirds of the total illudane glycoside content, followed by CAU at nearly one-third, and a minor contribution from PTE. Glycoside levels were not influenced by phenotypic varieties or the studied environmental factors, but were significantly affected by geographic location. Specifically, CAU levels increased progressively towards the northeast, while PTA concentrations were highest in Denmark and markedly decreased in northeastern countries by over threefold, presumably due to climatic gradient. It has been further supported by temporal analysis in selected PTA-dominant regions indicating a reduction in PTA towards the end of the growing season, aligning its levels with those of CAU. Our study highlights that CAU concentrations in bracken ferns may equal or surpass PTA, contesting the prevailing view that PTA is the only notable illudane glycoside in Bracken. To provide unbiased assessment of the potential risks posed by P. aquilinum in the region, environmental and toxicological research should include measurements of not only PTA, but also CAU and, if possible, PTE.

Jun-Lin Zhan, Wei-Bing Lu, Cong Ding et al.

Abstract Wireless imaging, equipped with ultralow power wireless communications and energy harvesting (EH) capabilities, have emerged as battery-free and sustainable solutions. However, the challenge of implementing wireless colour imaging in wearable applications remains, primarily due to high power demands and the need to balance energy harvesting efficiency with device compactness. To address these issues, we propose a flexible and wearable battery-free backscatter wireless communication system specially designed for colour imaging. The system features a hybrid RF-solar EH array that efficiently harvests energy from both ambient RF and visible light energy, ensuring continuous operation in diverse environments. Moreover, flexible materials allow the working system to conform to the human body, ensuring comfort, user-friendliness, and safety. Furthermore, a compact design utilizing a shared-aperture antenna array for simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT), coupled with an optically transparent stacked structure. This design not only optimizes space but also maintains the performance of both communication and EH processes. The proposed flexible and wearable systems for colour imaging would have potentially applications in environmental monitoring, object detection, and law enforcement recording. This approach demonstrates a sustainable and practical solution for the next generation of wearable, power-demanding devices.

Lalu Wiresapta Karyadi, Muktasam Muktasam, Ika Wijayanti et al.

Alternative tourism through the development and empowerment of village communities is one solution to address poverty in coastal areas. Jerowaru Tourism Village is one of the villages implementing this policy. A case study method and Woolcock’s social capital theory are used to assess the extent of the policy's success, particularly regarding community participation in tourism village development. Data were collected through observation, interviews with community informants and stakeholders, as well as field documentation. The analysis results, through reduction and conclusion drawing, indicate that the implementation of policies, particularly for tourism villages, refers to the Tourism Law, Regional Autonomy Law, Regulation No. 10 of 2020, the Long-Term Development Plan, local regulations, and the NTB Governor's Regulation of 2021. Several important aspects support the implementation of the tourism village policy. First, there is the aspect of tourism policy implementation in Jerowaru, which includes coordination, communication, and disposition. Second, there is the aspect of community awareness and involvement, particularly the role of tourism awareness groups, especially among the youth. Third, there is the aspect of initiation. The initiation of tourism village development is driven by the tourism awareness community as a manifestation of independence and awareness in developing potential and ensuring sustainable environmental protection.

Dik van de Meent, Dick de Zwart, Jaap Struijs et al.

Abstract This paper describes a straightforward modeling procedure to derive ‘expected risk’ (ER) of chemical substances. Starting from proposed use volumes, intended uses, physical and chemical substance properties and toxicity information, the procedure combines multimedia environmental fate modeling with species sensitivity modeling to derive the probability that exposure concentrations exceed critical effect concentrations. The procedure was tested on 1977 so-called mono-constituent organic chemicals that had been registered to be marketed in the EU, after ‘possibility to be used safely’ had been demonstrated by showing that the possible Risk Quotients (RQ) defined as PEC/PNEC ratios (Predicted Exposure Concentration & Predicted No Effect Concentration) were expected to remain below the value of 1, as required by REACH. It appears from this study that (i) RQ and ER of chemicals can be calculated readily, reliably, transparently and reproducibly, that (ii) both RQ and ER can be used to assess whether a new chemical may exceed a chosen acceptability level, but that (iii) in addition ER can be straightforwardly used to rank chemicals according to expected environmental safety. In conclusion, the paper states that modeling ER of chemicals (instead of estimating RQ values), could strengthen the scientific basis of environmental risk assessment for use in REACH. The paper further recommends that more robust environmental risk calculation can be done by using acute EC50, instead of chronic NOEC as critical effect concentration.

Roman Yu. Kolobov, Yaroslava B. Ditsevich

The study examines the practice of legal protection of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Site located in Australia. It reflects the main content of the decisions of the World Heritage Committee and the International Union for Conservation of Nature on the protection of the Great Barrier Reef, looks at the features of its management as a World Heritage Site (hereinafter also - WHS), as well as regulatory and organisational solutions aimed at preventing threats to the ecological state of the Great Barrier Reef WHS. The analysis of the legal framework and practice of protection of World Heritage Sites allows to conclude that some elements of the Australian experience can be used to strengthen the institutional and legal framework of the environmental regime of Lake Baikal. The proposal to develop a management plan for the Lake Baikal World Heritage Site in accordance with the requirements and standards of the World Heritage protection system, as well as to adopt special strategic development plans has been formulated. According to the authors, to ensure the effective development of specific management decisions, it is necessary to establish normatively the general principles of management plan formation. Based on the practice of engaging local communities in the management of World Heritage Sites and Australian experience of organising Marine Advisory Committees, the authors have verbalized a proposal to create an Advisory Council of representatives of various spheres of society, operating in the territory of the Lake Baikal World Heritage Site, environmental organisations and representatives of the public.

Guanxia Xie, Yong-bing Yang, K. Jiang et al.

Yongqing Chen, Tongjian Zhang, D. Ostic

In the context of China’s path to industrialization advancement, environmental problems are becoming increasingly serious. Therefore, the cultivation of green technology innovation has become an urgent task during the current industrialization development. According to the “Porter hypothesis,” environmental regulation is an important driving force for green technology innovation. Environmental tax is a typical environmental regulation, although it was implemented late in China. Green technology innovation is one of the long-term effects of environmental tax collection. Using multiple regression analysis and taking Chinese manufacturing enterprises as samples, this study constructs and tests a model of environmental tax promotion and its effect on green technology innovation, revealing the micro-mechanism of environmental tax incentives and also finding that sufficient environmental tax incentives are lacking. The strategy of green technology innovation cultivation for manufacturing enterprises in China under the current environmental tax regulation is provided in this article in order to provide a current theoretical reference point for the development of China’s ecological economy.

W. Su, Chunfan Guo, Xiaobao Song

Kazım Berkay Arslan

This article treats the issue of jurisdiction under human rights treaties in cases of environmental transboundary harm. It aims to cover the definitions of the environment and transboundary harm as well as the relevant rules under international environmental law applicable to environmental transboundary harm. Thereafter, it analyses the territorial scope of human rights treaties and focuses on the establishment of a jurisdictional link in cases of environmental transboundary damages. It suggests that the classical approach, which is focused on effective control over an area or persons, is not apt in this context. Rather, this article proposes the use of other approaches to jurisdiction, such as the functional approach adopted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights which is based on an effective control over the activities causing environmental harm and consequent human rights violations. It further argues that the general rule under customary international law which prohibits States from engaging in acts causing transboundary harm could also be applied as a special feature in the context of international human rights law. Finally, this article concludes by pointing out some current challenges that need to be clarified with respect to the obligations of States arising from human rights breaches caused by environmental transboundary damages.

Yuhong Zhao

Jelena D. Matijašević-Obradović, Sara Zarubica

Emissions of pollutants into the air are increasingly affecting the environment. In this context, it is particularly interesting to consider the ratio of the participation of individual pollutants in environmental damage and their participation in contributing to the economic development and economic stability of the country. The research of the ratio of participation of the activity classification sectors in the emission of pollutants and in the gross domestic product covered 2013 and 2017, while a survey of total pollutant emissions, regardless of sectors of activity classification, was made for 2015 and 2016. By analyzing the results of the research, the authors conclude that the sectors with the highest share in the gross domestic product do not fall into the categories of the most important emitters of air pollution or greenhouse gases, hence, they explain the results of each research segment in this paper. Special attention was paid to criminal law regulations in the field of environmental protection. 

Jorge A. Herrera-Silveira, Monica A. Pech-Cardenas, Sara M. Morales-Ojeda et al.

Mexico has more than 750,000 ha of mangroves and more than 400,000 ha of seagrasses. However, approximately 200,000 ha of mangroves and an unknown area of seagrass have been lost due to coastal development associated with urban, industrial and tourist purposes. In 2018, the approved reforms to the General Law on Climate Change (LGCC) aligned the Mexican law with the international objectives established in the 2nd Article of the Paris Agreement. This action proves Mexico’s commitment to contributing to the global target of stabilizing the greenhouse gas emissions concentration in the planet. Thus, restoring and conserving mangrove and seagrass habitats could contribute to fulfilling this commitment. Therefore, as a first step in establishing a mitigation and adaptation plan against climate change with respect to conservation and restoration actions of these ecosystems, we evaluated Mexican blue carbon ecosystems through a systematic review of the carbon stock using the standardized method of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). We used the data from 126 eligible studies for both ecosystems (n = 1220). The results indicated that information is missing at the regional level. However, the average above and below ground organic carbon stocks from mangroves in Mexico is 113.6 ± 5.5 (95% CI [99.3–118.4]) Mg Corg ha−1 and 385.1 ± 22 (95% CI [344.5–431.9]) Mg Corg ha−1, respectively. The variability in the Corg stocks for both blue carbon ecosystems in Mexico is related to variations in climate, hydrology and geomorphology observed along the country’s coasts in addition to the size and number of plots evaluated with respect to the spatial cover. The highest values for mangroves were related to humid climate conditions, although in the case of seagrasses, they were related to low levels of hydrodynamic stress. Based on the official extent of mangrove and seagrass area in Mexico, we estimate a total carbon stock of 237.7 Tg Corg from mangroves and 48.1 Tg Corg from seagrasses. However, mangroves and seagrasses are still being lost due to land use change despite Mexican laws meant to incorporate environmental compensation. Such losses are largely due to loopholes in the legal framework that dilute the laws’ effectiveness and thus ability to protect the ecosystem. The estimated emissions from land use change under a conservative approach in mangroves of Mexico were approximately 24 Tg CO2e in the last 20 years. Therefore, the incorporation of blue carbon into the carbon market as a viable source of supplemental finance for mangrove and seagrass protection is an attractive win-win opportunity.

A. Wang

Bezbradica Ljubiša, Pantić Marijana, Gajić Aleksandra

Land, as one of the basic environmental factors, is under large impact by intensive agricultural production, urbanisation, mining activities, erosion caused by anthropogenic factors, etc., which can easily result in its degradation. The unplanned land use increases the risks of degradation and reduction of the land resource. Chemical pollution, unfavourable physical and mechanical characteristics, disruption and accumulation processes, infrastructural occupancy of land represent only few forms of the land degradation. The largest portion of the land in the Republic of Serbia is covered by forests, and only then agricultural, water and construction land. The land use, management and protection is regulated by legislation and planning documents, which are the object of this paper. In the first part of the document analysis, the focus is on the review of the relevant laws adopted in Serbia, such as the Law on Forests, the Law on Spatial Planning and Construction, the Law on Environmental Protection, the Law on Land Protection, and the Law on Agricultural Land, bearing in mind the fact that the legislation forms a basis for further implementation of the planning management and supervision of the land use of all types and purposes. The other part of the review deals with the planning acts as pioneering documents in the integral overview of space, and/or all the activities in it. To that purpose, several spatial plans for different types of areas and different primary functions of land use have been chosen. In its conclusion, this paper explains the symbiosis of legislation and planning documents, and/or their implementation, as well as the significance of such symbiosis for the land function and its sustainable utilisation in the Republic of Serbia.

Denise Pires Fincato, Amanda Scotá de Andrade

A manutenção de um meio ambiente laboral saudável torna-se tema complexo quando a prestação do serviço se dá no próprio domicílio do trabalhador. O home office, que é uma das diversas modalidades de teletrabalho, cresce devido, primeiramente, ao avanço da globalização e, segundo, da necessidade de flexibilização de normas relativas às contratações trabalhistas. A legislação brasileira atual, por mais precária que seja, é extremamente necessária e importante, principalmente no que diz respeito à saúde e segurança deste trabalhador que estará prestando suas atividades fora do ambiente laboral da empresa. Além disso, é possível e atual a discussão acerca do tema, por força da redação trazida pela Lei n. 13.467/2017 (Reforma Trabalhista), que prevê a inserção de um capítulo exclusivo para o teletrabalho e suas peculiaridades, dentre elas considerações acerca do ambiente laboral e a tentativa de redução dos riscos de acidente de trabalho e doença ocupacional. Considerando-se que o teletrabalho, em geral, é prestado no domicílio do empregado (salienta-se que não é regra), é natural a indagação acerca da inspeção, pelo empregador, do ambiente de trabalho (até mesmo como forma de reduzir ou eximir-se de eventual responsabilidade em caso de acidente ou doença do empregado). Conclui-se no sentido de que apesar de não prevista no novo texto legal, a fiscalização patronal do meio ambiente laboral segue sendo necessária à saúde do trabalhador e ao direito de prova do empregador. O presente estudo valeu-se do método de abordagem dedutivo, procedimentos históricos, comparativos e estruturalistas, com interpretação lógico-sistemática.

T. T. Awet, Y. Kohl, F. Meier et al.

Abstract Background The increasing production of nanoplastics and the fragmentation of microplastics into smaller particles suggest a plausible yet unclear hazard in the natural environment, such as soil. We investigated the short-term effects (28 days) of polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) on the activity and biomass of soil microbiota, and the functional diversity of soil enzymes at environmental relevant low levels in an incubation experiment. Results Our results showed a significant decrease in microbial biomass in treatments of 100 and 1000 ng PS-NP g−1 DM throughout the incubation period. Dehydrogenase activity and activities of enzymes involved in N-(leucine-aminopeptidase), P-(alkaline-phosphatase), and C-(β-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase) cycles in the soil were significantly reduced at day 28 suggesting a broad and detrimental impact of PS-NPs on soil microbiota and enzymes. Leucine-aminopeptidase and alkaline-phosphatase activities tended to decrease consistently, while β-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase activities increased at high concentrations (e.g., PS-NP-1000) in the beginning of the incubation period, e.g., at day 1. On the other hand, basal respiration and metabolic quotient increased with increasing PS-NP application rate throughout the incubation period possibly due to increased cell death that caused substrate-induced respiration (cryptic growth). Conclusions We herewith demonstrated for the first time the potential antimicrobial activity of PS-NPs in soil, and this may serve as an important resource in environmental risk assessment of PS-NPs in the soil environment.

Tetiana Kolesnyk, Oksana Samborska, Mykola Talavyria et al.

The agro-industrial complex of Ukraine with its basic component – agrarian sector is a system-forming element of the national economy. The Ukrainian agrarian sector has a production potential, which far exceeds the needs of the internal market. It is a link that can become the engine of development of the national economy and its effective integration into the world economic space. The purpose of this research is to determine the approaches to ensure sustainable development of the agrarian sector of Ukraine in the context of globalization and integration processes strengthening. The main task is to determine the problems of ensuring the sustainable development of the agrarian sector of Ukraine in the process of its integration into the world economic space. The category of “sustainability of agrarian sector development” has been considered and improved. It has been suggested to include in the classification of “sustainability of the agrarian sector” an element of the description of global integration processes. It has been proved that the sustainability of the agrarian sector development lies in the balanced combination of industrial, economic, social, environmental, intellectual and globalization processes.