scholarly journals Economic Gain vs. Ecological Pain—Environmental Sustainability in Economies Based on Renewable Biological Resources

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simen Pedersen ◽  
Kristin E. Gangås ◽  
Madhu Chetri ◽  
Harry P. Andreassen

There are two main international strategies concerning how to ensure a sustainable environment: one is to develop a globally bio-based economy, or bioeconomy, to meet the increased demand of goods and products to maintain our well-being and to reduce climate change. On the other hand, there is an aim to decrease the negative impacts on nature and natural habitats to conserve and maintain ecosystems and control the loss of biodiversity. There is a trade-off between these two strategies; as we increase the commitment to the bioeconomy by intensifying biomass production, we will simultaneously challenge biodiversity through the increased pressure on, and the utilization of, biological raw materials. Here, we first review and discuss the challenges and opportunities in terrestrial and marine ecosystems for the production of biomass for the bioeconomy. We focus on the trade-offs between economic sustainability on one hand, and environmental sustainability and resilience on the other hand. We conclude with a discussion of the various bioeconomy strategies. Finally, we present a conceptual model on how to sustainably develop the bioeconomies (by introducing the concept of optimizing the economic gain/ecological pain ratio) to be able to manage the biodiversity in a sustainable way.

Clay Minerals ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Gonzalez ◽  
E. Galan ◽  
A. Miras ◽  
P. Aparicio

AbstractAn attempt has been made to assess new potential applications for the Bailén clays, traditionally used for manufacturing bricks, based on mineralogical, chemical, particle size, plasticity and firing results. Raw materials and mixtures used by the local factory were selected and tested with the addition of some diatomite, feldspar or kaolin. Based on their properties, clay materials from Bailén might be suitable for making porous red wall tiles, clinker, vitrified red floor tiles and porous light-coloured wall tiles by pressing; the first could be manufactured from the raw materials and mixtures currently used by the local manufactures. On the other hand, stoneware shaped by extrusion, such as perforated bricks, facing bricks and roofing tiles, can be also manufactured from the mixtures used at the factory if they contain 20-25% carbonate and small amounts of iron oxides; lightweight bricks require black and yellow clays with diatomite.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afarin Rajaei ◽  
Saeideh Heshmati

The present study draws attention to the significance of considering mindfulness and spiritual well-being on cancer-related distress among couples with cancer during the pandemic. Dyadic data was analyzed among couples with cancer (80 couples; N=160) to examine the within-person (actor effects) and between-partner (partner effects) associations among links between mindfulness, spiritual well-being, and cancer-related distress through the use of the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM; Kashy & Kenny, 2000). Significant actor and/or partner effects were found for mindfulness and spiritual well-being in couples with cancer, a factor that predicted cancer-related distress. Spirituality seemed to only play an important role in patients’ own cancer-related distress (actor effect), with patients’ higher levels of spiritual well-being predicting patients’ lower levels of distress. On the other hand, mindfulness was not only significantly related to the cancer patient and partner’s own distress (actor effect), partner’s mindfulness was also significantly associated with the patient’s distress (partner effect). The findings underscore the need to adopt a systemic perspective that accounts for multiple, simultaneous adaptive processes including mindfulness and spiritual well-being as influences on cancer-related distress in the time of COVID-19.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Abdelaziz Ghanemi ◽  
Besma Boubertakh

Pollution  represents  a  problem  common  to economy and  public  health. Indeed, the public health, because of the  divers’  type of pollutions, is facing divers challenges for which urgent solutions are required.The biology provides approaches not only to deal with the pollution, but also to  obtain  economic  benefits. Some living  organisms  have  particular metabolisms  that allow  them  to  assimilate  and  metabolite  the polluting agents  and thus reduce the  impact  they have on both environment  and public health.  On  the other  hand,  the  metabolic  properties  of  specific organisms make  the  polluting  elements raw materials to  synthesize  other elements that are benefits  for  economy  and  non-toxic  for  the  ecology and  the  biohealth. Yet, other options such as the regulations and laws are  required  to improve the efficiency of these approaches.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 234-247
Author(s):  
Joyjit Sanyal ◽  
Sujit Sikidar

Labour plays a very important role in the industrial production of the country. The human resource managers are concerned with the management of people at work. It is necessary to secure the co-operation of labour force in order to increase the production and earn higher profits. The co-operation of labour force is possible only when they are fully satisfied with their employer and the working conditions on the job. In the past, industrialists and the employers believed that their only duty towards their employees was to pay them satisfactory wages and salaries. But in due course of time, in addition to providing monetary benefits, human treatment given to employees started to play a very important role in seeking their co-operation. Labour or employee welfare activities benefit not only the workers but also the management in the form of greater industrial efficiency. The welfare activities pay a good dividend in the long run, because they contribute a lot towards the health and efficiency of the workers and towards a high morale. On the other hand, social security has come up as a dynamic concept which is considered in all advanced countries of the world as an indispensable chapter of the national programme. Social security is that security which the society furnishes through appropriate organisation against certain risks or certain contingencies to which its members are exposed. These risks are essentially contingencies against which the individual cannot afford by his small means and by his ability or foresight alone. As the name stands for general well- being of the people it is the duty of the state to promote social security which may provide the citizens with benefits designed to prevent or cure disease, to support him when he is not able to earn and to restore him to gainful activity. The state as an employer has provided for certain measures for the welfare and social security of the labourers, who contribute towards the economic development of a country and in this regard, the government has to see towards the proper implementation of such measures to maintain a harmonious industrial relation on the one side and on the other hand towards the upliftment of the members of the society. Thus, there arise the vital needs for the detailed assessments of the measures so provided, its quality of implementation so far and the level of satisfaction of the same among the different class of employees. The present study acts as a working paper with an objective to gather the opinion of the organized workforce in the Central Public Sector Enterprises with regards to their acceptance and satisfaction level of the various ‘Employees welfare and Social Security’ measures by the employers. However, the present study is restricted to two enterprises only and is undertaken with the following objectives: To analyze the opinions of the employees in respect of the labour welfare measures & social security benefits. To analyze the level of satisfaction or otherwise of the workers in respect of social security measures.


Focaal ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 2004 (44) ◽  
pp. 72-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Filippucci

In France, the classic produit du terroir, the local product that with its mix of skill and raw materials embodies the distinctive tie between people and their terroir (soil), is cheese. Thus, when inhabitants of the Argonne say that it “does not even have a cheese”, they imply that it lacks a patrimoine (cultural heritage). On the other hand, they do make passionate claims about 'being Argonnais', conveying a marked recognition of, and attachment to, a named place in relation to which they identify themselves and others. Focusing on this paradox, this article will highlight certain assumptions regarding the definition of cultural heritage found in public policy.


Author(s):  
Olof Petersson

In one sense, Sweden follows the general pattern of constitution-making. The major shifts in the constitutional history have occurred in the aftermath of great crises. Constitutions have been important as descriptions and justifications of the prevailing forces of power. On the other hand, the constitutions of Sweden have been relatively insignificant as norms regulating political and public life. Constitutions have been important as history writing but relatively unimportant as normative principles shaping society, and, indeed, profound changes such as the introduction of parliamentary government have taken place without constitutional reform. The Swedish welfare state was built upon negotiations and practical trade-offs rather than constitutional arguments.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Maria Pergola ◽  
◽  
Assunta Maria Palese ◽  
Alessandro Persiani ◽  
Pasquale De Francesco ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the lives of people, as well as the production and economic systems throughout the world. The flow of raw materials and products, the supply of labor and manpower, and the purchasing power have all been changed to the detriment of individual health and well-being. Such a situation requires placing even more emphasis on the search for virtuous agricultural systems compatible with the goals of economic and environmental development so clearly defined at the world level in the last decades. The present study aimed to assess the environmental and economic performance of some typical Mediterranean crops grown under different agronomical management regimes, such as strawberry, hazelnut, apricot tree, kiwifruit, peach, olive tree, and grapevine, to emphasize the importance of the mentioned issues even in the current pandemic situation. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to investigate the environmental profile of the studied crops, while lifecycle costing (LCC) was performed to assess and compare the economic aspects. From the environmental perspective, the hobby-organic olive systems were the most eco-friendly cropping systems, emitting 0.031 to 0.105 kg CO2eq per kg olives, while the organic hazelnut system had the greatest impact (1.001 kg of CO2eq per kg). Apricot, kiwifruit, and peach systems used N and P inputs most effectively, while strawberry systems efficiently used fossil fuels. Olive HO-2, kiwifruit, and peach cropping systems had the lowest budgets, with the costs amounted to 0.12 € kg-1 per fruit for Olive HO-2 and 0.28 € kg-1 per fruit for both kiwifruit and peach. On the contrary, organic strawberry cultivation was the most expensive (4.77 € kg-1). The variability in results due to the large differences between contexts, such as landscape, technical knowledge, and crop management, characterized the studied agricultural systems. To easily identify sustainability classes and to diminish the impact of farming practices, a considerable effort should be expended to combine LCA with LCC, C sequestration estimates, and some other useful indicators for the environmental quality evaluation.


1934 ◽  
Vol 30 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 1078-1090
Author(s):  
M. E. Vinnikov

As any new method of treatment, gravidanotherapy is met with varying opinions. Some expect "miracles" from this method of treatment, believing that gravidanotherapy has found a new all-encompassing, excluding all other methods of treatment. On the other hand, there is an undeniable tendency to downplay or even completely deny the importance of gravidanotherapy. Finally, some authors consider gravidanotherapy as a method giving only subjective improvement of patients' well-being, the success of which is based on mass psychotherapy. Meanwhile, there is no doubt that gravidan, given its composition, should have a significant effect on the human body. It is only necessary that clinical observations and experimental verification give an unbiased assessment of the action of the drug and determine the place of gravidanotherapy in the arsenal of means of modern medicine.


Author(s):  
Vlad Glăveanu

This chapter addresses why people engage in creativity. This question can be answered at different levels. On the one hand, one can refer to what motivates creative people to do what they do. On the other hand, the question addresses a deeper level, that of how societies today are built and how they, in turn, construct the meaning and value of creativity. Nowadays, people consider creativity intrinsically valuable largely because of its direct and indirect economic benefits. However, creative expression also has a role for health and well-being. Creativity also relates to meaning in life. The chapter then considers how creativity can be used for good or for evil.


PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e5828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo de Aro Galera ◽  
Adibe Luiz Abdalla Filho ◽  
Luiza Santos Reis ◽  
Janaina Leite de Souza ◽  
Yeleine Almoza Hernandez ◽  
...  

Background Brazil is a low- to medium-income country and has the second largest pet food market in the world with 8% of world pet food consumption. The lowest-income social class spends around 17% of their domestic budget on pet food and other items related to pets. Consumers are frequently misled by advertising as there is no precise information about the main sources of protein, carbohydrates and fat in the labels, and the Brazilian pet food industry can legally claim that their products contain certain items like salmon or beef even if they use just a flavoring compound. Methods The stable isotope methodology compares the stable isotope ratios of carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) between source and product. The 13C/12C ratio of a specific product (e.g., dog food) reveals the proportions of C4 (maize) and C3 (soybean, rice and wheat) plants in that product and the 15N/14N ratio reveals the proportion of the compounds derived from animals. With this isotopic data, we used MixSIAR, a Bayesian stable isotope-mixing model, to estimate the proportion of maize, grains, poultry and beef in dog food. Results The δ13C values of dry dog food ranged from −24.2‰ to −12.8‰, with an average (± standard-deviation) of −17.1‰ ± 2.8‰. The δ13C values of wet pet food ranged from −25.4‰ to −16.9‰, with an average (± standard-deviation) of −21.2‰ ± 2.4‰, which was significantly lower (p < 0.01). The δ15N values of the dry and wet food ranged from 1.7‰ to 4.2‰, and from 0.5‰ to 5.5‰, respectively. The average δ15N values of dry food (2.9‰ ± 0.5‰) was not higher than the wet food (2.6‰ ± 1.3‰) (p > 0.01). The output of the MixSIAR showed a low proportion of bovine products in dry dog food samples. On the other hand, poultry was obviously the dominant ingredient present in most of the samples. Maize was the second dominant ingredient. Wet and dry dog food showed similar isotopic analysis results. The only difference was a lower proportion of maize and higher proportion of grains in wet dog food. Discussion The main finding is that dog food in Brazil is mostly made of approximately 60% (ranging from 32% to 86%) animal-based and 40% (ranging from 14% to 67%) plant-based products. Poultry and maize are the main ingredients. Poultry is added as a by-product or meal, which avoids competition between dogs and humans for meat products, while they can compete for maize. On the other hand, a large proportion of plant-based products in dog food decreases the energy and environmental footprint, since plant-based food products tend to be less harmful compared to animal-based products. Labels can mislead consumers by showing pictures of items that are not necessarily part of the product composition and by not showing the detailed information on the proportion of each ingredient. This information would allow customers to make their own choices considering their pet’s nutrition, the competition between animals and humans for resources and environmental sustainability.


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