- Treasures collected at the Museum of the Earth of the Polish Academy of Sciences
A visit to the Museum of the Earth of the Polish Academy of Sciences is a fascinating journey through time. Discovering the treasures of natural heritage on the eve of World Earth Day is an unforgettable experience. Millions of years of history stored in unusual specimens of fossils, minerals, amber, meteorites and many other inanimate monuments make a great impression on visitors. For the earth is the greatest artist. - Poland's most beautiful minerals
In the international geological environment, Poland is not considered a country particularly rich in mineralogical sites, nevertheless, there are many interesting and eye-catching minerals in our country. Most of the specimens found come from open-cast and deep-sea mines as well as from post-mining heaps , where prospectors may stay only with the consent of the owner. - 70 million for making thermal waters available in Poland
Geological research reveals many secrets about raw material resources preceding their exploitation. They include rich geothermal deposits that provide heat to the depths of the Earth. Poland abounds in these resources, which are still used to a relatively small extent, but more and more Polish local governments would like to use them to supply their residents with hot water and heat buildings. - Zero-emission buildings
Many countries make commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to zero (not immediately, but in the perspective of several decades). Construction is an example of a sector where such an objective seems relatively easy to achieve. Already, many buildings do not emit anything directly, especially if they are heated or cooled with electricity. However, zero emission is sometimes understood more broadly, also taking into account the environmental impact exerted at the earlier stages of the construction of a building and during its operation, i.e. including the production of cement needed for construction, or the production of electricity needed to ensure the right temperature. Efforts to achieve zero emissions in this case also seem realistic. - Small hydropower plants count on greater development
The owners of most small hydropower plants lived to see the extension of the favorable support system in the fall of 2021. However, this does not eliminate the concerns about the fate of many centuries-old objects. At the same time, the industry also hopes that the investment climate for the construction of a new hydropower sector will improve. The above-mentioned support is provided by the FIT / FIP system, i.e. feed - in - tariff and feed - in - premium surcharges for electricity market prices . It was introduced in 2018. It is intended not only for the hydropower industry, but also for biogas plants. Installations with a capacity of less than 500 kW can join the FIT system, and facilities with a power ranging from 500 kW to not exceeding 1 MW can join the FIP system. - Elektrownia Wodna Gubin will be modernized
Elektrownia Wodna Gubin, owned by PGE Energia Odnawialna from the PGE Group, will be modernized. The facility will list, among others two hydro units, and the third one will undergo a major overhaul. The investment will be co-financed by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, allocating over PLN 6 million for this purpose. - Ecohydrology and river culture
The new challenges facing environmental science today require a holistic, evolutionary-ecosystem approach that integrates ecological and technical knowledge and translates it into innovative methods and system solutions. This approach was formulated as part of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Program in the field of ecohydrology and is now an important reference point for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the European Commission's Green Deal. In this article, we present the main assumptions of ecohydrology (Zalewski et al. 1997, Zalewski, 2000, 2020), proposing ecohydrological measures for managing water resources on the scale of the entire river basin by integrating ecological and hydrological processes in order to increase its sustainable development potential WBSR + CE, and we compare them with the concept of "river culture" ( Wantzen et al. 2016). We conclude that the concepts of river culture and ecohydrology have many things in common and, when combined, provide a promising framework for harnessing greater public commitment to sustainable river basin development. Finally, we propose a set of four steps aimed at accelerating the process of modifying attitudes and accelerating the shift of the sociocentric-mechanistic paradigm to the evolution-ecosystem paradigm. - Recycling of motor vehicles
In the 21st century, the car has become a common means of transport, without which it is difficult to imagine the functioning of today's world. With each generation, manufacturers show that the possibilities for improving cars "know no limits". Each car is made up of thousands of parts made of different materials. While more models roll off the production lines, those that are already used up are sent to scrap. Looking at the huge number of cars ending their service life, you should give them a second life, that is, use the materials they are made of. It is very important because it is related to the care for the cleanliness of the environment, the earth's resources of raw materials and economic aspects. - Plastics - convenience and the problem
The benefits of using plastics have significantly increased their production. They belong to the group of synthetic organic polymers formed as a result of the polymerization reaction. They are characterized by high durability and low production costs. The wide range of favorable physico-chemical properties translates into the perception of them as ideal materials with versatile applications. - We are losing genetic diversity. Our diet is changing
The steady decline in species diversity is worrying, but we are also losing the genetic diversity of the species that make up our food. This loss poses a serious threat to global food security. Due to the dominance of the monoculture model of plant cultivation in the world agriculture, their genetic diversity is decreasing. They lose resistance to diseases and pests and become more sensitive to unfavorable environmental conditions. The solution is to find suitable wild strains with resistance genes to protect these species from disease. However, in the last century, 75 percent. varieties bred by farmers over thousands of years have been destroyed. - Green roofs - the power of benefits
Green roofs are - undoubted benefits, incl. ecological and economic means that vegetation began to cover more and more urban space. There are many indications that this dynamics will accelerate even more, as the solution began to gain broad support from local government officials. The initiative is being watched by the construction industry, which proposes more and more interesting methods of arranging green space. Advancing climate change makes societies try to neutralize the problem of global warming. Mainly in urban areas, where concrete structures such as sidewalks, buildings and streets enhance this effect, creating the so-called heat islands that collect and emit higher temperature.
AURA Ochrona Środowiska (AURA Environmental Protection) - the whole list
