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The purpose of this research was to compare the geotouristic potential of the Sub-Tatra Region, expressed in the values of expert assessment of geosites, against the preferences of tourists coming to the area. Tourist preferences were evaluated by a survey in which tourists assessed the attractiveness of the types of geosites that can be admired in the area. The expert valorizations showed high and very high indices for most of the analyzed geosites. The highest of these assessment values show particularly high geotourism values for three geosites: the travertine hill with Spiš castle, the limestone hill with Orava castle and the travertine dome in Gánovce. A comparison of these results against average tourist preferences shows a moderate correlation (r = 0.4). Geosites of low and medium value according to expert assessments are rarely selected as the destination for equipment-intensive tourism. The sites with the highest combined valorization coefficients, i.e., hills with castle ruins, are of moderate interest to the surveyed group of respondents. The largest difference is in the assessment of the cave, waterfall and viewpoint geosites, where there is a great interest among tourist respondents, but the expert assessment index is low or moderate. Full article

More and more attention is paid to the circular economy (CE) and indicators that enable the monitoring and verification of the progress of transformation at various levels (the European Union, countries, regions, companies, etc.). Many analyses of CE indicators for different levels have been presented in the literature, but the benefits of their implementation and their limitations have not been discussed individually. The aim of the work is to identify and verify, based on the research conducted, CE indicators relating to sustainable production, along with their advantages and limitations. The article presents the selection process as well as the potential benefits and limitations of using indicators to assess the transformation towards a CE as identified for the Polish economy. The practical aim is to apply the indicators identified to different sectors of the economy. An important element of the work is the proposal for the process of selecting CE indicators that monitor the CE transformation based on their advantages and limitations, taking into account the goals and obligations set out in the main strategic documents of Poland and the EU, the process of consultations with industry, and the structure of the economy. Full article

Closure and revitalisation are essential steps in the life cycle of a mineral extraction site. Proper planning and execution can counteract potential negative impacts caused by extraction activities and allow a positive impact to be left on the post-closure region. Decisions on these steps are not made solely by the extraction company; legislators and the public also exert influence. Different opinions and expectations on closure and revitalisation can lead to tensions between actors. Thus, knowing diverse opinions and expectations and considering them in planning contributes to a successful implementation of measures. Using Q-methodology in a study focused on selected EIT RIS countries, we identified five viewpoints on the closure and revitalisation of an extraction site. The statements for this study have been developed based on international and company standards for closure and revitalisation, namely ICMM, IRMA, AngloAmerican and Rio Tinto, which we then also used for comparison in order to see how they relate to the five resulting viewpoints. Across all viewpoints, our results reveal a preference for environmental considerations, followed by social and economic concerns. Even though this paper considers closure and revitalisation separately from mineral extraction, these processes are intertwined. Thus, a sustainable planning and management of the extraction process itself contributes to a successful and sustainable post-closure landscape. Full article

Manufacturing of a product such as a corrugated cardboard box (CCB) includes the extraction of a variety of raw materials in addition to supply chain efforts to get the raw materials to the industry. Conducting a LifeCycle Assessment (LCA) gives the carbon emission of each phase of the product and a quantitative estimate of the overall product carbon footprint and its effect on the environment. This gives impetus to recommendations for improving the phases of the lifecycle to minimize carbon emissions. The proposed waste management method in this paper is the “reuse” method instead of recycling or landfilling the CCB and, in so doing, focusing only on reducing carbon emissions in the manufacturing phase. The paper examines if the incremental cost of reusing the CCBs is less than the environmental and economic cost of reducing the extraction and supply chain of raw materials. This paper uses LCA to evaluate the carbon emission in each phase of the lifecycle of a typical 1 kg corrugated cardboard box in the United States. Carbon emission for the proposed “reuse” phase is also calculated, and the results are compared. This paper also explores the economic feasibility of the proposed “reuse” method that incentivizes the general population to reuse the CCBs instead of recycling or landfilling them. Economic tools such as willingness-to-pay vs. marginal cost curves and benefit-cost analyses are used to evaluate economic feasibility. The results indicate that the “reuse” method for CCBs is economically and environmentally feasible. It also supports the approach of using analytics, economics, and LCA to create a model that can be used for other products and processes as an evaluative process to determine if businesses can benefit from the reduction (or removal) of material extraction costs from the supply chain. Full article

Evidence indicates that various countries around the world set renewable energy targets in an effort to promote clean and sustainable energy sources at the expense of polluting, fossil fuel-based energy systems. While scholars have discussed extensively how these targets affect the promotion of renewable energy sources, their effect on fossil fuel policy at the national level has been neglected. The current study addresses this research lacuna, examining the impact of renewable energy targets on decision making vis à vis fossil fuels, given that these energy sources are considered substitutes. This is achieved by focusing on intra-governmental discussions in Israel during 2020–2021 that sought to formulate the country’s natural gas export policy as a function of its ambitious renewable energy targets. The study demonstrates how renewable energy targets, which are often set by politicians, can significantly influence decision making concerning fossil fuels, even when they contradict professional regulators’ positions and from their perspective represent a risk to national energy security. Full article

The continuous processes of mining development, since the very beginning of Minas Gerais State’s development, have been giving new attention and meaning to valuable pre-existing features (i.e., cultural, social, and physical-environmental), impacting and recharacterizing not only its municipalities but their essential local or native sociocultural components. At the same time, mining, as one of the central pillars of the Brazilian development model, has put different communities, natural and cultural heritage, and mineral and water resources at risk. The wide concept of geodiversity and the related geoheritage emerge as an alternative for conservation, territorial planning, and sustainable development, to reconcile these spheres. This study developed a comprehensive framework for geoconservation within selected areas of mining landscapes, contributing to insights for the creation of a catalog about geoheritage in the state of Minas Gerais, discussing and analyzing well-established strategies and opportunities based on UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp) and the GEOfood brand. We concluded that the mining landscapes of Minas Gerais must be administered as a viable possibility for economic and environmental dynamic actions and activities, strengthening the maintenance of municipalities from the very beginning to after the end of operational activities. Heritage programs such as UGGp and GEOfood enable knowledge sharing and engagement with geoheritage, improving the comprehension and management of the short- and long-term impacts of mining, while elevating geodiversity as a major source of information in the “greening” of mining policies. Full article

This article presents a structured approach to the implementation of diversification in the energy sector during the energy transition, accompanied by crisis phenomena in the economy. On the basis of the study of the unique features of the electric power industry, it is proved that diversification is an effective tool ensuring sustainable operation and development in the course of transformation. The specific directions of diversification to achieve technical, environmental and economic results are considered. The authors demonstrate that diversification can manifest itself in different forms: as a way to implement a systematic approach to energy transition management, as a complex set of organizational and technical changes in the electric power industry, and as an institutional mechanism to support innovations. Tools for managing diversification during the energy transition have been identified. In particular, the experience of implementing systems of integrated planning of energy resources is systematized, representing a set of legal and economic procedures that contribute to minimizing public costs for energy services to consumers. The key provisions of the structural maneuver have been formulated. These include specific directions of diversification, consisting of a certain increase in the specific market share of thermal power plants, in the structure of generation capacities of renewable energy sources in order to compensate for their increased production costs, and nuclear power plants under advanced development. The advantages and limitations of the developed principles of diversification in the context of the global energy crisis are discussed. Full article

The rapidly changing climate affects vulnerable water resources, which makes it important to evaluate multi-year trends in hydroclimatic characteristics. In this study, the changes in cold-season temperature (November–April) were analyzed in the period of 1951–2021 to reveal their impacts on precipitation and streamflow components in the Liwiec River basin (Poland). The temperature threshold approach was applied to reconstruct the snowfall/rainfall patterns. The Wittenberg filter method was applied to the hydrograph separation. The Mann–Kendall test and Sen’s slope were applied to estimate the significance and magnitude of the trends. An assessment of the similarity between trends in temperature and hydroclimatic variables was conducted using the Spearman rank-order correlation. The shift-type changes in river regime were assessed via the Kruskal–Wallis test. The results revealed that temporal changes in both snowfall, rainfall, and baseflow metrics were significantly associated with increasing temperature. Over 71 years, the temperature rose by ~2.70 °C, the snowfall-to-precipitation ratio decreased by ~16%, the baseflow increased with a depth of ~17 mm, and the baseflow index rose by ~18%. The river regime shifted from the snow-dominated to the snow-affected type. Overall, this study provides evidence of a gradual temperature increase over the last seven decades that is affecting the precipitation phase and streamflow component partitioning in the middle-latitude region. Full article

Wastewater treatment plants are increasingly interested in adopting inorganic coagulants and organic flocculants in their sludge treatment process since sludge disposal costs more than half of the overall operational costs. This study synthesized poly titanium sulfate (PTS) by different molar ratios and used the best one with cellulose-based flocculants for sludge conditioning. PTS synthesized with a 1:2 molar ratio showed the lowest capillary suction time (CST) of sludge and was selected for further studies with cellulose-based flocculants. As bio-based flocculants have gained popularity due to current environmental problems, cationized cellulose-based flocculants (Ce-CTA) were used in this work with or without PTS for sludge treatment. After coagulation–flocculation, dewaterability of sludge enhanced, and the Lowry and Anthrone method was used to assess proteins and polysaccharides. Next, metal content and nutrients such as total phosphorus, phosphate, and nitrate were measured by ICP-OES and IC, and we found promising results of phosphate especially at pH 3. Higher total phosphorus content was found at pH 3 and 9, and even at pH 6 after PTS or PTS+Ce-CTA treatment. In addition, PTS-treated sludge materials also showed catalytic behavior, suggesting a new research avenue for future development. Based on this study, the PTS+Ce-CTA combination is promising for sludge treatment and nutrient recovery, along with the possibility for the further valorization of the sludge materials. Full article

Due to the large volume and mass of materials used, the construction industry is one of the sectors with the highest environmental impact. However, to provide good quality, affordable, and low-energy housing, the business case must be maintained. Accordingly, we aimed to develop and test a calculator to measure the ecological footprint of the embodied carbon in materials used in construction projects in a standardized way, without the need for environmental or even civil engineering expertise, and thus in a way that is accessible to SMEs. The novelty of our research is that although there are calculators for measuring the environmental impact (e.g., carbon footprint) of the construction industry, and there is a methodology for calculating the ecological footprint of construction, there is no free, easy-to-use, online calculator for calculating the ecological footprint of embodied carbon in materials available to all enterprises. In other words, this approach extends our previously developed corporate ecological footprint calculator with the environmental impacts of material usage. The study summarises the baseline research for an ecological footprint calculator, tested on two new condominium buildings and the energy renovation of five condominium buildings, built with a prefabricated technology typical in Hungary and other post-socialist countries. Based on our results and in accordance with former literature sources, most of the ecological footprint of new construction projects is determined by materials with high mass and volume, in particular, concrete, steel, and masonry; so it is not necessary to take into account all construction materials in a calculator in a detailed way. We also conclude that renovation and ongoing maintenance, as well as preservation, are recommended for structurally sound buildings, as embodied carbon in materials in the case of an energy upgrade of an existing condominium building has an environmental impact of 0.3–0.8 global hectares per dwelling, depending on the technical content, while in the construction of a new building, this value is between 10.49–14.22 global hectares. Our results can help investors and clients in their decisions, and policymakers in determining urban development directions. Full article

Las Loras UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) is geologically diverse, particularly in relation to water-derived features: springs, karst springs, travertine buildings, waterfalls, caves. In this work, the interactions between geology, geomorphology, structures and hydrogeology are analyzed. As a result of this study, a first conceptual model of the hydrogeological functioning at Las Loras UGGp is presented. The most plausible hypothesis is that the system is formed by two superimposed aquifer systems, separated by an aquitard formed by Lower Cretaceous material. The deep lower aquifer formed by the Jurassic limestones only outcrops on the northern and southern edges of the Geopark and in a small arched band to the south of Aguilar de Campoo. It forms a basement subject to intense deformation. The upper aquifer system, formed by outcropping materials from the Upper Cretaceous, is a free aquifer. It is formed by a multilayered aquifer system that is highly compartmentalized, constituting individual moorland and lora units acting as a separate recharge–discharge system. This model explains the base level of the permanent rivers and the abundant springs, important components of the water cycle and representing a contribution to the rich geological heritage of the location. Full article

The Atlantic margin of South America is considered passive and stable. However, there are some local points of discordance within the Brazilian coastal region with more than 7490 km of extension, where there is only one tectonic relief. These sites are located in a marginal sedimentary basin in which there is a small area of Quaternary tectonic relief, which makes it scientifically relevant at an international level. The present work proposes using two methods for quantifying the geomorphological heritage of this area. The main difference between the methods is the use of aesthetic values together with scientific ones as central values in one of the methods, while the other method focuses only on scientific values. The quantitative evaluation performed here allowed for the identification of seven geomorphosites with one method and only four with the other. Considering the results obtained, meetings were held with civil society and with the state and local municipalities which presented the possibility of creating a geopark, given the area’s importance for understanding the history of the Earth and potential as a priority area for geoconservation. Full article

Biomass has a high potential to contribute towards resolving the energy deficit. Processing biomass into solid fuels enhances its use in various bioenergy conversion technologies. The quality of densified biomass depends on several variables. The investigation of the effect of densification parameters on briquette quality is necessary for process optimization. This study investigates the influence of die temperature (100, 120, 140 °C) and feeding speed (2.4, 2.9, 3.3 mm s⁻¹) on the quality of briquettes produced from poplar using a hydraulic biomass briquetting machine. The density of the briquettes ranged between 746.7 and 916.8 kg m⁻³, the mechanical durability ranged from 97.4 to 98.4%, and the water resistance index was between 91.6 and 96.1%. The results show that the temperature was statistically significant (p < 0.05) on the density, mechanical durability and water resistance of biomass briquettes. The feeding speed was statistically significant (p < 0.05) on the density and water resistance. The interaction of temperature and feeding speed was statistically significant (p < 0.05) on all properties considered. The results obtained in this study are useful for optimizing the quality of briquettes produced using the hydraulic piston press. Full article

This study focused on bio-oil production by thermochemical liquefaction. For the reaction, the burnt pine heartwood was used as feedstock material, 2-Ethylhexanol (2-EHEX) was used as a solvent, p-Toluenesulfonic acid (pTSA) was used as a catalyst, and the solvent for washing was acetone. The procedure consisted of a moderate-acid-catalysed liquefaction process, and it was applied at three different temperatures, 120, 140, and 160 °C, and at 30, 105, and 180 min periods with 1%, 5.5%, and 10% (m/m) catalyst concentration of overall mass. Optimal results showed a bio-oil yield of 86.03% and a higher heating value (HHV) of 36.41 MJ/kg, which was 1.96 times more than the HHV of the burnt pine heartwood. A reaction surface methodology (Box–Behnken design) was performed for the liquefaction reaction optimisation. Reaction temperature, reaction time and catalyst concentration were chosen as independent variables. The obtained model showed good results with a high adjusted R-squared (0.988) and an excellent p-value (less than 0.001). The liquefied products were characterised by Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and also Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was carried out to validate the impact of the morphological changes on the surface area of the solid samples. This study shows an excellent opportunity to validate a method to upcycle woody wastes via acid-catalysed liquefaction. In particular, this approach is of great interest to produce bio-oil with a good yield, recovering part of the values lost during wildfires. Full article

The usage of plastic materials in our daily life is increasing day by day. These plastic materials are somehow beneficial for us, but the disposal of waste plastic materials has become a serious problem. The use of plastic not only enhances road construction but also helps extend the life of roads and improves the environment. Waste plastics use in roads increases durability and also reduces water retention. This research reviews the use of waste plastics in asphalt pavement. In this study, the properties such as Marshall stability, flow, resilient modulus, fatigue, etc., are studied to boost the usage of waste plastic in asphalt pavements. It is concluded that with the use of waste plastic in asphalt pavement, the quality of roads will be enhanced, and it will also be very beneficial for our environment. The other major advantage is that it will be very cost-effective for underdeveloped countries. Full article

In this paper, a novel application of industrial waste, namely red mud (RM), in the abatement of two malodorous and harmful sulfur compounds, dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) and methyl mercaptan (MM), is presented. The effects of calcination and activations with hydrochloric acid or a mixture of hydrochloric and orthophosphoric acid on the properties and performance of RM are compared using laboratory-scale experiments. The RM-based materials were characterized by XRF, XRD, FE-SEM, N₂-physisorption, TGA/DTA, and FTIR analyses. RM exhibits very promising catalytic properties in the abatement of both DMDS and MM. The hydrochloric acid-activated RM was the most active in both cases, which was explained by its rather high specific surface area (144 m² g⁻¹), higher contents of Fe₂O₃ and TiO_2, as well as lower content of phosphorus. For both DMDS and MM, the main oxidation products were sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. DMDS was observed as a reaction intermediate in MM oxidation. While the final conversions of DMDS and MM were high, the oxidation was not complete, indicated by the formation of carbon monoxide. Nevertheless, the modified RM appears as a very interesting alternative to the existing DMDS and MM abatement catalysts. Full article

The challenge of achieving and measuring urban water sustainability is hard because of its complex nature. The sustainability of urban drinking water system (UDWS) is no exception, as integration of technical, environmental, social, economic, and institutional elements of sustainability is defying and perplexing in terms of its application and evaluation. This paper deals with the technical aspects related to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance factors of a UDWS. Measurement of the status of such factors is almost impossible in generic formats. Therefore, a list of measurable sub factors was developed through an extensive literature survey and refined by involving appropriate stakeholders. This led to the development of a hierarchy from criteria to factors and from factors to sub factors, making a case for the utilization of an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for multicriteria analysis (MCA). Appropriate stakeholders were included in this research to address the issues for which there were major gaps in the literature. A set of guidelines were developed for the evaluation of the status of various sub factors in a quantitative format. It is concluded that a trans disciplinary framework, the involvement of stakeholders, and guidelines for adopting appropriate processes and techniques may improve the sustainability of stressed urban water systems. Full article

The geodiversity of loess areas is reflected in the characteristic dataset of loess landforms, with the dominance of several types of valley forms (mainly gullies). The availability of satellite elevation data and high-resolution aerial topography scanning data provides an opportunity for quantitative assessment of geomorphodiversity. This is done through the analysis of topographic texture, delimitation and statistical characterization of the topographic parameters of erosional landforms, such as volume and degree of dissection (density of valleys) or the degree of ‘coverage’ of the area by valley forms. An important factor affecting the accuracy of the estimation is the accuracy of the underlying digital terrain model (DTM). This study compares three digital terrain models, with cell sizes of 30, 10 and 1 m, generated from satellite altimetry data and airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. The subregion of Szczebrzeszyn Roztocze (Western Roztocze Region, SE Poland), i.e., one of the most typical loess relief regions in Poland, was selected as the study area. Selected topographic texture analyses were carried out using the SLRM (Simple Local Relief Model) algorithm. Delimitation of valleys was performed by delineating the extent of slope change in two key steps: (1) detection of areas below the average topographic surface; (2) delimitation using supervised classification of DTMs. The results of the study show that the accuracy of delimitation of valleys increases inversely proportional to the DTMs resolution. Automated topographic texture analysis allows delimitation and extraction, as well as statistical analysis of parameters of valleys. Finally, two indicators have been proposed, Relative Valley Area (RVA) and Area-normalised Valley Cubature (AVC), which can be used in geomorphodiversity studies of a geologically homogeneous area. The dimensionless RVA index can also be expressed as a percentage (%) of the area of valley forms in a basic field of 1 km². Furthermore, the AVC index shows the dynamic character of the main relief features of the analysed area. Full article