scholarly journals The Contributions of South Asian Jesuits to Environmental Work

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 619-644
Author(s):  
Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu S.J.

Almost from the moment they arrived there in 1542, Jesuits in India and Sri Lanka have made substantial contributions to the scientific disciplines. In the initial stages they were not directly involved in environmental works, but in recent years many are taking the initiative to work for environmental justice. Some Jesuits are involved in raising awareness on environmental issues, such as promoting reforestation and watershed programs, whereas others work to provide safe drinking water or to prevent tree-felling, while others study local biodiversity and are creating and maintaining botanical gardens. Other environmental projects include the promotion of solar energy, biopesticides and biofertilizers for organic farming, the micropropagation of rare, endangered, and threatened (rets) plant species (so that they may be replanted in greater numbers), the formation of local centers and eco clubs where students and others can collaborate for a healthier environment. Several Jesuits are also active politically assuming advocacy roles, and writing books and research articles in the interest of environmental conservation. A select few Jesuits are even recognized on a national level for their contributions to environmental causes.

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
DOUGLAS EVANS ◽  
ANDRÁS DEMETER ◽  
PETER GAJDOŠ ◽  
ĽUBOŠ HALADA

SUMMARYThe European Union's (EU's) Habitats Directive includes annexes listing the habitats and species requiring protection. As new countries join the EU these lists need to be amended to remain pertinent. In 2004 and 2007, 12 countries, mostly in central Europe, joined the EU and were asked to propose native species or habitats that required protection; this formed an initial base for negotiations with the European Commission in consultation with the existing member states and with scientific support from the European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity. The 12 countries made 831 proposals, resulting in the addition of 191 species and 33 habitats, and geographical exemptions for eight species. Although the Directive provided definitions, these needed to be supplemented with additional criteria to permit assessments of the proposals. The process involved many actors at both European and national level. This illustrates the development of biodiversity governance and provides potential lessons for future activities, including the need for scientific guidance and the importance of involving all relevant actors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 100
Author(s):  
Gael Keig ◽  
Robin L. Hide ◽  
Susan M. Cuddy ◽  
Heinz Buettikofer ◽  
Jennifer A. Bellamy ◽  
...  

Following Papua New Guinea (PNG) Independence in 1975, the new administration approached Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) directly concerning the need to address issues related to food security and village-based agriculture. A subsequent series of collaborative research projects between CSIRO and PNG government departments built upon the existing survey information to provide PNG with one of the earliest national-level, computer-based resource information systems, with widespread applications, particularly in agriculture, forestry, environmental management and planning. Part 1 of this historical review discussed the evolution, conduct and outcomes of the CSIRO integrated surveys over the period 1950–75, while Part 2 describes the subsequent research projects that arose from the surveys and concluded in 2000. In addition, the legacy of CSIRO involvement in land research in PNG is examined in relation to advances made both within individual scientific disciplines and in other relevant technological fields, and to operational challenges and structural change within the organisation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastian Winkler ◽  
Anika Maier ◽  
Iris Lewandowski

Urban gardening has the potential to turn the growing number of consumers into conscious producers by raising awareness of natural resource cycles, contributing to environmental conservation and climate change mitigation. This study investigated the motivations for urban gardening in Germany, based on an extensive review of 657 urban gardening project websites. The subsequent online survey of 380 project participants provides a characterization of the gardeners, giving insight into both cultivation methods and technologies used and the participants’ consumer behavior. It was shown that urban gardening has an influence on consumer behavior and can induce a change towards a more sustainable lifestyle. The gardens provide a space for the exchange of social values, knowledge and ideas on different ways of life among the diverse participants. Hence, urban gardening creates far more than just food; it influences society on multiple levels. Urban gardening can support the bottom-up societal transition towards a bioeconomy as both have common attributes. Finally, the paper proposes an innovative, resource-efficient cultivation system that may attract further societal groups to the urban gardening lifestyle, with the aim of fostering the development of the bioeconomy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Roxana Pătărlăgeanu ◽  
Costel Negrei ◽  
Mihai Dinu ◽  
Roxana Chiocaru

This paper focuses on the current environmental issues, more specifically the amount of greenhouse gases humanity is being confronted with at the moment. The research was carried out on a niche of the topic, namely on the carbon footprint of public buildings. The concept of a sustainable university is new and insufficiently explored, and as part of the environmental metabolism, it influences anthropic sustainability in a directly proportional manner. This indicator’s monitoring systems reveal how vulnerable humanity is in front of the latency of an unprecedented and inevitable environmental catastrophe. The ecological effects may be mitigated by the academic community through green urban design. The ecological performance can be expressed in an economically efficient manner, which can, at the same time, create a precious channel of communication within the entire academic community though volunteering for sustainability. Moreover, this research has identified several solutions for optimizing the carbon footprint, which do not hinder the necessary economic development. Within the current context, when most economic activities are leading to ecological collapse, sustainability should be reprioritized with the help of the academic society, through the examples offered by applied research. The premises of this research were represented by bibliometric analyses and the results obtained have proven its importance, as well as the importance of certain scenarios involving solutions for improving the metabolism of nature.


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-82
Author(s):  
JOSÉ MARCOS FROEHLICH ◽  
SANTIAGO AMAYA CORCHUELO

Abstract Current environmental issues have affected the logic for promoting development strategies and social construction processes of new ruralities. Therefore, rural territories start connecting their socio-productive settings to high demands that come from environmental issues. In this scenario, little attention has been given to relations that the Geographic Indications (GI) based strategies have established with environmental issues, whose strategic interest lies in the scope of multiple correlations of power that cross contemporary societies. Through a multiple case analysis, by contrasting contexts from Brazil and Spain, we used this theoretical approach to analyze how environmental issues, in face of conservationist approaches towards enhancing biodiversity, have permeated the production of senses, the narratives, the conflicts and positioning of the players involved in GI experiences in different Iberian-American contexts.


Author(s):  
Javier Abanades ◽  
Juan Pablo Torregrosa

The project Maestrale is an European Project funded by the Interreg MED programme (2016–2019) that aims at establishing the basis for a Maritime Energy Deployment Strategy in the Mediterranean Sea. The project is formed by a consortium with partners around the South of Europe with the objective of determining a suite of pilot zones, which will become the pillars of future developments for the implementation of Blue Energy projects in the Mediterranean Sea. The present article presents the tasks to be conducted for the study of the area in the Spanish Mediterranean Arc: • Identification of recommendations and regulations • A benchmark of the technologies installed worldwide will be carried out in order to identify their degree of adaptability to the conditions of the Med Area • The analysis of the available resource: wind, wave and tidal • The study of the area and its features: bathymetry, land cover, protected areas, etc. • The identification of the stakeholders, as the project intends to strengthen cooperation between public authorities, research bodies, businesses and the civil society • The formation of clusters with the stakeholders, either at the national or trans-national level, to increase connections in order to promote knowledge and technological transfer and generate the critical mass and environmental conditions needed to improve innovation capacities and competitiveness The main outcomes of the project are the support of the future blue energy policies and concrete strategies for blue growth and a suite of pilot projects that will serve the purpose of raising awareness among local stakeholders, facilitating social acceptance, decreasing uncertainty and increasing feasibility of concrete interventions.


Author(s):  
Anderson De Jesus Lopes Castro ◽  
Fabiana Rocha Pinto ◽  
David Barbosa de Alencar ◽  
Ricardo Silva Parente

This paper reports on the implementation of the efficient Manaus project, with the objective of developing a mobile application that expires on energy saving, related to environmental issues, since energy production, advanced natural resources. This application is designed to be used in a residential unit to provide residents with information on formula applications that explain the generation and energy expenditure of household electrical appliances, use or usage tests, and usage of the device. lowering values ​​and minimizing the use of environmental resources. Thus, through a process of raising awareness of the knowledge gained from research in recent years, as well as providing quality content and ease of access, use the Google platform "APP INVENTOR" as a framework for testing results. Therefore, compile information on the best use of energy from a variety of information, including the elaboration of a Quiz, which addresses questions such as: where does electricity come from; tariff flags; efficient equipment; and electricity security, implemented in the application where they were supported by tools such as cartridges, and information from the agencies that reference each of these themes. This mode generates positive expectations for the future, which can create numerous other applications with information that helps to understand products, processes, changes in the sustainability context, to minimize impacts by new technologies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 03 (02) ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Xolmirzayev Yusufali Mahamadsaidovich ◽  

Since the last century concerns over environmental issues have aroused enormously. The rise of technology and advances in industry and mass production is causing irreversible damage to the environment. The mankind is to blame for the extinction of many species and the threats to the nature. In such a scenario it is important to take immediate actions to reshape and maintain the ecobalance on an international scale.


Author(s):  
Marcos Chinchilla Montes

Este artículo es parte de las reflexiones realizadas en el marco del proyecto de Investigación “Participación ciudadana y construcción de ciudadanía en la Península de Osa, Puntarenas”, adscrito a la Vicerrectoría de Investigación de la Universidad de Costa Rica. RESUMEN Conforme la problemática ambiental se agudiza, diferentes actores sociales y profesionales incorporan este tema dentro de sus objetos de acción política, de investigación, acción social y docencia. De modo que si bien en la actualidad, Costa Rica es ubicada entre las experiencias exitosas de conservación ambiental, la historia pasada y presente demuestra que tal afirmación es falaz, y que existe un abismo importante entre las acciones políticas del Estado, y la de los sectores sociales –por lo general populares– en cuanto al tema ambiental y a los esfuerzos de protección que impulsan. Este artículo explora dimensiones de participación social en la zona sur del país, otrora enclave bananero, que en la actualidad se debate entre un desarrollo que respete y aproveche los recursos naturales existentes, o que en su lugar los deprede, generando una integración socioeconómica que cambiaría de forma radical las expresiones culturales y sociales de sus habitantes. Palabras clave: Medio ambiente – Participación social – Costa Rica – Organizaciones – Desarrollo. O desenvolvimento em nossas maos RESUMO Conforme a problemática ambiental agudiza-se, diferentes atores sociais e profissionais incorporam esta temática dentro de seus objetos de ação política, de investigação, ação social e docência. De modo que na atualidade, Costa Rica é vista entre as experiências exitosas de conservação ambiental; a história passada e presente mostram que tal afirmação é falaz, e que existe um abismo importante entre as ações políticas do Estado e dos sectores sociais –geralmente populares- em quanto ao tema ambiental e aos esforços de proteção que impulsionam. Este artigo explora dimensões de participação social na região sul do país, outrora enclave bananeiro, que na atualidade debate-se entre um desenvolvimento que respeite e aproveite os recursos naturais existentes, ou que no seu lugar os deprede, gerando uma integração socioeconómica que mudaria de forma radical as expressões culturais e sociais de seus habitantes. Palavras chave: Médio ambiente - Participação social – Costa Rica – Organizações – Desenvolvimento.The Development in our Hands ABSTRACT As environmental issues increase, different social and professional actors incorporate this theme into their objects of political action, research, social work and teaching. Although Costa Rica is currently regarded as an example of successful environmental conservation stories, past and present history shows that this claim is false, and that there is a significant gap between the political actions of the State, and the social sectors-usually popular, in terms of the environmental issue and protection efforts they have both proposed. This article explores dimensions of social participation in the south of the country, a former banana enclave, which is currently being framed by a development that both respects and maximizes existing natural resources, or, in turn, it devastates them, creating a socio-economic integration that would radically change social and cultural expressions of its inhabitants. Keywords: Environment - Social Participation - Costa Rica - Organizations - Development


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document