• World water resources in the face of climate change
    We have been observing the deepening drinking water deficit in the world for a long time. Although in the environment it is the dominant factor, only a small part is fresh water, which can be used for consumption and sanitary and hygienic purposes. It is estimated that the total fresh water reservoir on Earth is about 35 million m³. Glaciers and snow covers located in Antarctica accumulate as much as 61% of it, the remaining part is groundwater constituting about 30%, which is a source of supply of drinking water due to its very good quality. The remaining amount of fresh water is only 0.4% and includes lakes and artificial reservoirs, soil water, atmospheric water, marshes and wetlands, and river water. Rivers, despite the small volume of water, because about 0.006% of fresh water is characterized by a relatively short renewable time, in the order of only a dozen or so days, constitute the basic source of supply.
  • Judgment of the Tribunal of November 7, 2019 regarding the construction of a tourist complex on the Greek island of Ios in the Cyclades
    Operative part of the judgment Article 6 of Directive 2011/92 / EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment must be interpreted as precluding a Member State from conducting activities related to the undertaking in the field of public participation in decision making at the level of the seat of the relevant regional administrative body, and not at the level of the municipality on which the location of this undertaking depends, when specific detailed rules implemented do not ensure effective respect for the rights of the community concerned, which is a matter for the referring court to examine. Articles 9 and 11 of Directive 2011/92 must be interpreted as precluding a regulation which leads to references to members of the public concerned at the expiry of the time-limit for submitting a complaint.
  • Losses due to environmental pollution
    The press reports read about the significant damage that Poland suffers as a result of environmental pollution. They are indeed high. Deeper analyzes show that they are mainly caused by damage to health or premature deaths. There are problems with this. It is easier to theoretically estimate the medical effects of exposure to a contaminated environment than to evaluate the damage caused. Using indicators calculated for other social and economic conditions can only give approximate results. However, even they suggest that environmental protection usually costs less than can be achieved through it.
  • Conscience
    "God always forgives, people sometimes, nature never". Somewhere I read this sentence, wrote it and put it in a drawer. It seemed pretentious and overly catholic. Especially to nature. After all, we can see with the naked eye that nature allows more than one man and forgives. To this day, he absolves industrial crops, forest loggers, sophisticated poisoners, various poachers and ordinary grass shredders. It gives humanity an annual wind worth several dozen trillion dollars - soil, air, greenery, seas, rivers, lakes. What does he get in return? Not much, almost nothing! I have the impression that the voice of moralists is fading away and skeptics are waving their hands ...
  • Natural values of Polish peat bogs and their protection
    Peat bogs are one of the most interesting ecosystems on the land-water border. Depending on the water regime, high and low as well as mixed (transitional) peat bogs can be distinguished. Peat bogs cover about 3% of Poland; among them, raised bogs are the least numerous. High peat bogs are formed on an impermeable surface, they are fed only with rainwater and therefore poor in biogenic elements. Wetlands are extremely important in the global carbon cycle because they are a place of carbon deposition, especially in the northern hemisphere. Wetlands are a reservoir of fresh water and a place of occurrence for many rare species of plants and animals. The aim of the article is to familiarize the reader with the fascinating topic of peat bogs, their importance in nature of Poland, as well as the main threats to their existence and methods of renaturalization, i.e. restoring the condition of wetlands threatened by anthropopressure.

AURA Ochrona Środowiska (AURA Environmental Protection) - full list