State’s Authority Concerning Health Protection in Ordinary Times and During Epidemics

Life and health as fundamental matters are major concerns for every human being. To this end, he / she should be assisted by the community in which they live. If the foundation of social life is the personalistic principle, the recognition of the primacy of the dignity of the person, among other values, is constructed on the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity. It is the role of the healthcare institution to create such conditions, in which the safest and the most effective methods of treatment and prevention are available, and the individual can consciously select which of these realises his or her good to the greatest extent, in accordance with the recognised hierarchy of values, the accepted worldview, and life goals. The aim of this article is to analyse the relationship between the community and the individual, in the field of healthcare, under normal conditions and during epidemics. The existence of specific threats may suggest that exceptions to the fundamental rules of social life: autonomy, subsidiarity, and social solidarity, are permissible. However, the recognition of the fundamental value of the dignity of the person, requires the community to apply the same rules as in normal times, although many activities of public institutions are intensified in times of more serious danger.

Biomonitoring of Heavy Metal Air Pollution in Warsaw Using Two Moss Species Pleurozium schreberi and Sphagnum palustre

The aim of the study was to assess air pollution with heavy metals in Warsaw, on the basis of the concentrations of selected elements in moss samples. The active biomonitoring method (moss-bag technique) was applied using two moss species Pleurozium schreberi and Sphagnum palustre. Moss samples were collected in the Kampinos National Park, and the prepared moss bags were distributed and exposed on seven sites in Warsaw. The analysis of metals accumulated in mosses was performed twice in 2020, after two (August-September) and four months (August-November) of exposure. The concentrations of seven heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Fe, Cd and Zn) in the mosses were determined, using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP OES). Our results showed a clear dependence of heavy metal accumulation in the mosses on the location of the exposition site and the exposure period. Both species of mosses were found to accumulate the most metals in the vicinity of pollutant emitters, such as the ArcelorMittal Warsaw smelter, exit roads or roads in the city with heavy traffic, petrol stations, or construction works. After 4 months of exposure, in both moss species, the highest increases in the concentrations were found for four elements: Cr, Pb, Ni and Cd. Higher concentrations of some heavy metals in the mosses in 2020, as compared to previous studies, indicate a negative influence of progressing urbanisation on air pollution in Warsaw.

Municipal Waste Management in Poland Compared to Other European Union Countries

The paper discusses the current state of municipal waste management in Poland compared to other European Union countries. It indicates the amounts of municipal waste generated over the last few years in Poland and other EU countries. The paper compares waste treatment methods in Poland and Europe, such as recycling, composting, thermal treatment and waste disposal. An analysis of municipal waste processing installations in Poland is presented. The trends in the municipal waste management system in recent years have also been described. In the field of municipal waste management in Poland, there have been significant changes. The amount of waste sent to landfills has decreased, and the amount of waste recovered and recycled has increased. These changes are positive and reflect the development of municipal waste management systems in other EU countries. The article indicates the problems and directions of changes in the field of municipal waste management in Poland in the coming years, especially in the context of the implementation of circular economy assumptions and the goals set by the European Union in terms of increase the level of waste recycling and reducing their disposal.

The Phenomenon of (Sustainable) Tourism Activities on Farms in Slovenia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is the reason why the development trends of the tourism industry are changing today. The purpose of this article is to address issues of future tourism industry development, linking it to elements of sustainable development trends. The article presents the main elements of the sustainable concept of rural and farm tourism. Using the method of compilation and description, we want to check, based on statistical data related to farm tourism activities in Slovenia (before and during the COVID-19 pandemic), whether it is possible to detect development trends in Slovenia, in the direction of sustainability that are linked to the concept of farm tourism. This study also aims to identify a number of measures that can improve sustainability at the farming tourism level in Slovenia, in a post-COVID phase. According to the findings of numerous comparisons and statistical analysis, it can be stated that the future development trends show a great need to develop the decarbonisation of the industry, digitalisation of industry, and the involvement of the local population in the provision of services. In the present global situation, we have reached a point where it will be necessary to focus on sustainable and digital forms of the industry, in order to further post-COVID development of the tourism industry.

Denial of Human Superiority Over Nature as the Denial of the Value of Nature

Ecology as a science today, mainly rejects anthropocentrism in favour of nonhuman-centred ethics. Such rejection is propagated as a proper valuing of nature, while the human-centred eco-theories are considered to be the theoretic basis for the exploitation and destruction of nature by humans. The main purpose of some nonhuman-centred ecologic theories is to reduce the growth of the human’s population because the people’s existence, totally, is seen as a cause of ecological disasters, and even social problems. The aim of the article is to show that human beings are, in reality, the only living organisms on Earth, able to take care about nature as it deserves. The main problem is incorrect behaviour with nature, not a big amount of people living on the Earth. The ecological disasters, at the same time, are connected not only with humans’ irresponsible conduct, but with the natural forces that are independent from human activity, but that does not deprive people from the task to take responsibility for their environmental behaviour.

Phytoplankton Communities and Cyanotoxin Production in Some Bulgarian Lowland Lakes and Reservoirs

One of the most evident consequences of eutrophication of waters is the progressive spreading of persistent cyanobacterial blooms. They are often accompanied by the production of cyanotoxins in concentrations, which are hazardous for human health. In this research, we analysed phytoplankton communities in four lowland water bodies, for the presence of cyanobacterial blooms and toxin production. The cyanobacterial biovolumes we found, determine three of the lowland water bodies: Onogur Reservoir (OR), Asparuhov Val Reservoir (AVR), and Srebarna Lake (SL) as “Alert Level 1” of potentially hazardous levels of cyanotoxins. Cyanobacterial biovolume exceeds the threshold value of 8 mm3 L-1 (recreational waters) in AVR and SL at the end of the summer period. In OR, we registered sustainable bloom of Microcystis spp. during the whole summer season, and extremely high average seasonal value of the total biovolume (146.5 mm3 L-1). Micro-cystins were reported in all four analysed water bodies, with the highest concentration in OR (6 µg L-1). Cylindrospermopsin was detected in AVR and OR, while saxitoxins were in AVR and SL. The concentrations of cyanotoxins do not exceed the guideline values in recreational waters. However, the increased biovolumes of cyanobacteria are a signal that in three of the analysed water bodies, monitoring is recommended at the levels of cyanotoxins during the summer period.

A Man´s Attitude Towards Animals in the Context of Gender, Age, Place of Living, Eating Habits, and World-view in Slovakia

The ecological values or environmental competency development is currently an important topic. Attitude, relationship, love or respect for nature can be identified within several theories by various diagnostic tools, though they might be so general covering a man´s true attitude towards animals. The study discusses the characteristics of the author's questionnaire of human-animal relationship AniRe-Que (15) based on the ecological theory of biocentric egalitarianism covering extraterrestrial beings´ respect and consideration. The Questionnaire of Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Attitudes Towards the Environment (Thompson and Barton 1994) adapted by Siegrist (1996) was used to determine the construct validity of the author's questionnaire. Both tools were used to search for respondents' attitudes towards animals (N=937) in the context of their gender, age, residence, eating habits and worldview. The research study is of correlation-differential study design. The most important findings were that the attitude towards nature expressed in general does not completely coincide with the attitude towards animals leading to the hypothesis not all natural being are treated with equal respect by a man. The self-reported respect for animals was significantly lower than the respect for nature assessed by the ecocentric environmental attitude. The diagnostic tools thematizing only nature in its general (complex, synthesizing) context seem to be not sufficient to determine a respondent's attitude towards animals. A man might protect nature, but s/he can care less about the animals.

The CRO Laudato Si’ Project: Goals, Activities, and Social Outcomes

On the eve of 2020, and the fifth anniversary of the publication of the Encyclical Letter - Laudato Si’. On the care for the common home at the Catholic University of Croatia, the scientific-professional project CRO Laudato Si’ was launched. The project team was composed of scientists from different disciplines, and the project partners were the National Fraternity of the Franciscan Secular Order and the Franciscan Youth. As part of the project, scientific and practical activities were carried out. One of the main scientific activities was empirical scientific research, which was conducted, using a survey method over several months in 2020. The paper will present the results of the research, related to the role of the project in the knowledge of the encyclical Laudato Si’ and the awakening of interest in the encyclical, according to the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents. The results show that men have heard of the encyclical Laudato Si’ to a somewhat greater extent than women. The largest number of respondents, who heard about the encyclical for the first time through the project, are those who belong to the youngest age group, followed by those with high school education. Arousing interest in Encyclical Letter topics is more encouraged among women, those over 65 years old, respondents with completed primary school, and those who are self-employed or retired.

“When the Cock crows, the Devil Falls” – a Review of Christian Thought Concerning Birds in Selected Folk Tales

In the consumptive world, mysterious things function as magic or superstition, sometimes via tradition, or a relic of a by-gone era. However, we are still afraid to see a black cat, and somebody remembers the celandine (in Polish “jaskółcze ziele”), though nobody knows its connotation with the swallow. The image of birds in folk tales connects the observation of nature, throughout the year and religious holidays, with their consequences for Man. Since the beginning, Man has admired nature, being afraid of its wildness and primeval power. When one joined it with divinity, it aroused fear even more, but also evoked greater fascination. In this article, I present the essence of myths in folk stories, and its function on the example of birds which have lived in proverbs and sayings. I will also show the variety of references to the cult of Christian saints, the love of the land, and the nature that surrounds us. I would like to show how our attitude towards nature has changed, and what is the function of birds as an element of the environment. I would also like to answer the question; does a modern man need myths to discover his sense of life and realise its meaning?