Self-Reported Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Stewardship Organizations and Their Activities in Southeast New England, USA

In many communities, regions, or landscapes, there are numerous environmental groups working across different sectors and creating stewardship networks that shape the environment and the benefits people derive from it. The make-up of these networks can vary, but generally include organizations of different sizes and capacities. As the Covid-19 pandemic (2020 to the present) shuts down businesses and nonprofits, catalyzes new initiatives, and generally alters the day-to-day professional and personal lives, it is logical to assume that these stewardship networks and their environmental work are impacted; exactly how, is unknown. In this study, we analyze the self-reported effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on stewardship groups working in southeast New England, USA. Stewardship organizations were surveyed from November 2020 to April 2021 and asked, among other questions, “How is Covid-19 affecting your organization?” We analyzed responses using several qualitative coding approaches. Our analysis revealed group-level impacts including changes in group capacity, challenges in managing access to public green spaces, and altered forms of volunteer engagement. These results provide insights into the varied effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and government responses such as stay-at-home orders and social distancing policies on stewardship that can inform the development of programs to reduce negative outcomes and enhance emerging capacities and innovations.

Toward productive complicity: Applying ‘traditional ecological knowledge’ in environmental science

Culture and tradition have long been the domains of social science, particularly social/cultural anthropology and various forms of heritage studies. However, many environmental scientists whose research addresses environmental management, conservation, and restoration are also interested in traditional ecological knowledge, indigenous and local knowledge, and local environmental knowledge (hereafter TEK), not least because policymakers and international institutions promote the incorporation of TEK in environmental work. In this article, we examine TEK usage in peer-reviewed articles by environmental scientists published in 2020. This snapshot of environmental science scholarship includes both critical discussions of how to incorporate TEK in research and management and efforts to do so for various scholarly and applied purposes. Drawing on anthropological discussions of culture, we identify two related patterns within this literature: a tendency toward essentialism and a tendency to minimize power relationships. We argue that scientists whose work reflects these trends might productively engage with knowledge from the scientific fields that study culture and tradition. We suggest productive complicity as a reflexive mode of partnering, and a set of questions that facilitate natural scientists adopting this approach: What and/or who is this TEK for? Who and what will benefit from this TEK deployment? How is compensation/credit shared? Does this work give back and/or forward to all those involved?

Green Spillover: Deriving Pro-environmental Behavior on job and Off-job through Environmental Specific Servant Leadership

The study was conducted to explore the role of environmental specific servant leadership to promote on-job and off-job pro-environmental behavior. Additionally, the study attempted to unfurl the mediating role of environmental passion linking environmental specific servant leadership to on job and off-job pro-environmental behavior. The study finally obtained data from 296 respondents who were employed in the service sector of Pakistan. The data analysis was carried out using PLS-smart and SPSS. Specifically, multiple regression and hierarchical regression were used to test the proposed structural model. The study found that environmental specific leadership is related to employees’ environmental passion, on-job, and off-job pro-environmental behavior. Furthermore, environmental passion was found to mediate the relationship between environmental specific servant leadership and on-job and off-job pro-environmental behavior of the employees. This is the first study that examined the relationship between environmental specific servant leadership on on-job and off-job pro-environmental behavior jointly. Additionally, it is the first study that established the mediating role of environmental passion between environmental specific servant leadership with both the pro-environmental behaviors. Keywords – Environment specific servant leadership, Environmental Passion, Pro-environmental behavior, pro-environmental work behavior

DOCUMENTATION AND ACCOUNTING OF CAPITALIZATION EXPENSES IN CORPORATE ASSOCIATIONS OF MINING INDUSTRIES

The issues of capitalization of expenses in the mining industries are considered as an important way of strengthening the economy, improving the material support of the mining and processing industries as well as filling the budget of Ukraine. The basic concepts of capitalization and conversion of the enterprise expenses into enterprise assets are clarified, as well as recapitalization (the next stage of capital transformation, when past expenses change their form and place in the structure of assets, but do not affect the final financial results) and decapitalization (part or full write-off of the past capitalized expenses on the financial results of the enterprise). The role of accounting as an important tool in the implementation of capitalization processes is defined. Peculiarities of documentation and capitalization of expenses in mining industries and reflection of such operations in the accounting system at different stages of nature management are mentioned. Methods of capitalization of expenses at separate stages of activity of the corporate associations which are carrying out extraction and processing of minerals are offered. At the preparatory stage of the mining process, it is proposed to capitalize the expenses into intangible assets in the form of acquisition of rights to use natural resources with their valuation by market methods. The expenses of preparation of deposits and quarries are proposed to be recognized as expenses of future periods and written off to current operating expenses in installments over a long period. Using operating costs, it is recommended to create a provision to cover costs at the stage of completion of the investment project for the extraction and processing of minerals. Reserved funds are needed to cover significant expenses in the closure of mining sites, reclamation of disturbed lands, their restoration to the natural state and the performance of other environmental work. Keywords: accounting, documentation, capitalization, decapitalization, expenses, mining industries, corporate associations. JEL Classification Formulas: 0; fig.: 1; tabl.: 4; bibl.: 16.

DEVICE FOR MONITORING THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL WORK CONDITIONS ON HUMAN FACTOR

Industry 5.0 follows the idea of continuous digitization and transfer to digital factory. Industries must adopt the green and digital transitions to continue to be competitive. Besides the preservation of resources, climate change, the social stability is in the focus. Industries strive to become more resilient against external disturbances, such as Covid-19 crisis. Work environment considerably affects the productivity, health and safety of workers. Monitoring of the working environment with reliable miniaturized technology can guarantee suitable working conditions. In the line with the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020, one of EU-OSHA's priorities is to fortify the prevention of work-related diseases.

Using environmental evaluation systems and their contribution to sustainable development

Drawing on previous research into evaluation use and sustainable development, this article investigates to what extent and how a national evaluation system can advance sustainable development. The data comprise interviews with key actors, observations at seminars where evaluations were discussed, and analysis of evaluation reports. The actors were divided into three categories (i.e. central, proximal, and peripheral) to indicate their closeness to the national policy cycle. The results indicate that the evaluations were used mainly by central and proximal actors, primarily because the evaluation knowledge met most of their knowledge needs, and very little used by peripheral actors, such as environmental and business organizations. The evaluation system’s main influence was to consolidate environmental work and provide guidance on the environmental dimension of sustainable development at the national level. The evaluation system also served as a recurring reminder for stakeholders about the national objectives, their achievement, and everyone’s responsibility for their implementation.

Work Safety

This research proposes an inference model fuzzy to analyses hazardous environmental work conditions, specifically insalubrious work conditions relevant for heat risk to support the safety engineers for making decisions. The article presents a study that consists of a fuzzy inference model specification for the evaluation of heat agents. The structure of model fuzzy used are inputs temperature and metabolic rate, while the output is work environment condition that could be salubrious or insalubrious. Through, the inference method Mamdani and rules established according to Brazil legislation about heat, Occupational Hygiene Standard 06, the proposed model can determine the work conditions about the heat. The validation process is done in an industry from the Industrial Pole of Manaus, therefor all the process necessary for preparations to use the proposed model is described to obtain all the variables necessary in the field. As a result, the proposed model got the correct classification of work environment conditions with pertinent results according to current legislation and technical expertise.

The value of facilitation in interdisciplinary socio-environmental team research

We propose that facilitation can be used as a research method to improve the collaborative synthesis of interdisciplinary teams’ socio-environmental work. As described in this communication, our approach to facilitation adapts to teams’ practical and conceptual needs as their research develops. Our synthetic practice of facilitating interdisciplinary meetings at the US National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) further emphasizes the importance of process, intentionality, and advance preparation. By combining facilitation fundamentals with research skills, it is possible to create the conditions for effective interdisciplinary integration.

Educação Ambiental nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental: várias formas de trabalhar os seus temas

O modelo atual de desenvolvimento econômico vem utilizando os recursos naturais além de suas capacidades, sem se preocupar com as gerações futuras. Assim, é indispensável a adoção de um novo modelo de crescimento, ressaltando a importância da sustentabilidade associada à qualidade de vida. Considerando a importância da temática ambiental e a visão integrada do mundo, sobressaem-se as escolas, como espaços privilegiados na implementação das atividades de conscientização. Com o objetivo de incentivar a extensão universitária e trabalhar a educação ambiental em escolas do município de São Lourenço do Sul, foi desenvolvido um trabalho piloto numa escola municipal, a fim de construirmos uma metodologia de trabalho em educação ambiental no ensino fundamental. As atividades realizadas na escola consistiram de rodas de conversa, jogos, brincadeiras, apresentação de vídeos, desenhos e atividades práticas. Foram realizadas com alunos das séries iniciais e desenvolvidas atividades de conscientização, a partir da conceituação de temas relacionados ao meio ambiente, rodas de conversas, brincadeiras, jogos e atividades práticas. O trabalho teve uma ótima aceitação pela direção e professores da escola e os alunos sempre se mostraram disponíveis, interessados e receptivos às atividades propostas. O projeto mostrou a possibilidade de se desenvolver atividades de extensão em escolas municipais contando com a participação da comunidade acadêmica. Foi importante adequarmos as formas de trabalho à idade dos alunos e, também, realizar uma discussão inicial, conceituando os temas, antes de aplicar jogos, brincadeiras e atividades práticas, tornando o lúdico parte chave do processo de aprendizagem. Palavras-chave: Conscientização, Escola, Processo de Aprendizagem, Sustentabilidade Environmental education in the early grades of elementary school: several ways of working its topics Abstract: The current economic development model has been using natural resources beyond its capabilities without considering future generations. Therefore, it is essential to adopt a new growth model that emphasizes the importance of sustainability associated with quality of life. Considering the importance of the environmental theme and the integrated vision of the world, it becomes clear how important schools are as a space to implement activities to bring awareness about this topic. To encourage university extension and working on environmental education in the schools of São Lourenço do Sul town (Rio Grande Sul State, Brazil), a pilot project was created to develop a methodology of environmental work for elementary grades in municipal schools of São Lourenço do Sul. The activities accomplished within the schools consisted of conversation circles, games and plays, presentations of videos, drawings, and practical activities. This pilot project was welcomed by the school’s principal and teachers, as well as the students who were always interested and available to learn about the proposed activities. This project showed that it is possible to develop extension activities in the municipal schools involving the university community participation. It was important to adapt the ways of working to the age of the students and also conduct an initial discussion conceptualizing the themes before working through games and plays, practical activities, making playful part of the learning process. Keywords: Awareness, School, Learning Process, Sustainability

“Doing Hope”: Ecofeminist Spirituality Provides Emotional Sustenance to Confront the Climate Crisis

Environmental crises caused by our changing global environment evoke intense and difficult emotions, particularly the paralysis that often results from despair. Understanding how people who are deeply engaged in environmental activism deal with their emotions can help in emotionally equipping people to address the climate crisis. Ecofeminist spirituality directly addresses these issues through an environmental stewardship that offers hope and healing for the world. This study includes 14 interviews with workers at an ecojustice center founded by an order of Catholic sisters in the United States. We used thematic analysis to identify three main themes that collectively describe the participants’ perspectives on (a) experiences of difficult feelings, (b) strategies for coping with those feelings, and (c) perspectives on cultivating hope. Participants shared how they were able to cope with difficult emotions and cultivate hope that the work they are doing matters, which was essential to sustaining their ecojustice work. As social workers respond to the changing environment, understanding how to sustain environmental work at the macro-level is essential to addressing largescale problems while also attending to difficult emotions at the microlevel. Further implications for social work practice include the importance of intergenerational organizing, living in “right relationship,” incorporating spirituality, and reinhabiting the profession.