Summary

Environmental science emerged from the fields of natural history and medicine during the Enlightenment. Today, it provides an integrated, quantitative, and interdisciplinary approach to the study of environmental systems. Environmental studies are incorporating more of the social sciences in order to understand human relationships, perceptions and policies towards the environment. This entry collection features information about design and technology for improving environmental quality in every aspect.

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Topic Review
Smart Grid Management, Control, and Operation
Smart grid management, control and operation (SGMCO) are key tasks for maintaining their proper functioning as well as for their extension and expansion. The current challenges of power generation, distribution, transmission, and consumption, as well as growing energy demand, facilitate the integration of a large number of smart grids with renewable energy generators and physical information systems, while smart grids are moving toward distribution and decentralization in response to the evolving application of the Internet of Energy (IoE). SGMCO handles not only traditional management, control, and operations, but also the future challenges for smart grids: Collaboration between stakeholders, control of network imbalances (e.g. frequency and voltage regulation), data analysis and management, decentralized network management and operation, and security and privacy.
  • 4.4K
  • 10 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Croaker Fishery Exploited from the Bay of Bengal
Croakers, locally called Jewfish or Poa mash, are among the largest groups of commercially important fishes exploited from Bangladesh’s Bay of Bengal (BoB) water. Croakers are under the Perciformes order and belong to the family Sciaenidae.
  • 1.1K
  • 10 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Factors Influencing CO2 Biofixation by Microalgae
The production of microalgal biomass is highly influenced by the suitability of microalgae strains, CO2, light, pH, culture system, temperature, and nutrients. The sources of CO2 and nutrients for microalgal cultivation can be flue gas and wastewater, respectively. Therefore, many studies have investigated whether flue gas and wastewater can be integrated with microalgal cultivations, to achieve not only CO2 reduction, but also CO2 reuse for microalgal biomass conversion to produce biofuels. Flue gas and wastewater can also be treated by microalgal cultivations to obtain environmentally friendly and health-friendly effects. In the process of microalgae cultivation, one single factor does not affect the growth of microalgae; it is often the interaction of multiple factors. Therefore, keeping the performance of long-term and stable microalgal cultivation will determine the microalgal growth, especially outdoor cultivation.
  • 623
  • 10 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Phosphorus Transport in World Rivers
Data on the geochemistry of phosphorus in the continental runoff of dissolved and solid substances were systematized and generalized, with a separate consideration of the processes of runoff transformation in river mouth areas. It has been established that atmospheric deposition, which many authors consider to be an important source of phosphorus in river runoff and not associated with mobilization processes in catchments, actually contains phosphorus from soil-plant recycling. This is confirmed by the fact that the input of phosphorus from the atmosphere into catchments exceeds its removal via water runoff. An analysis of the mass ratio of phosphorus in the adsorbed form and in the form of its own minerals was carried out. It was shown that the maximum mass of adsorbed phosphorus is limited by the solubility of its most stable minerals. The minimum concentrations of dissolved mineral and total phosphorus were observed in the rivers of the Arctic and subarctic belts; the maximum concentrations were confined to the most densely populated temperate zone and the zone of dry tropics and subtropics. In the waters of the primary hydrographic network, the phosphorus concentration exhibited direct relationships with the population density in the catchments and the mineralization of the river water and was closely correlated with the nitrogen content. This strongly suggests that economic activity is one of the main factors in the formation of river phosphorus runoff. The generalization of the authors’ and the literature’s data on the behavior of phosphorus at the river–sea mixing zone made it possible to draw a conclusion about the nonconservative distribution of phosphorus, in most cases associated with biological production and destruction processes. The conservative behavior of phosphorus was observed only in heavily polluted river mouths with abnormally high concentrations of this element.
  • 489
  • 07 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Green Hydrogen Value Chain
The potential of H2 as a fuel with the highest energy density per unit mass makes it great for application in all sectors that require energy. H2 is produced from a wide range of resources using different raw materials, pathways, and technologies, including fossil fuels and renewable energy. The classical method consists of breaking or reforming fossil fuels as a profitable H2 production pathway for industrial use, which was estimated (globally) at 85 million tons in 2016 (more than 600 billion Nm3/year). Therefore, the energy value of H2 and the clean energy index were not the main factors to consider in its use at an industrial level. Industrial H2 was used for the production of fertilizers, petrochemical refining, metalworking, food processing, cooling of generators of power plant energy and semiconductor manufacturing.
  • 563
  • 07 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Sustainability Initiatives in the Canadian Port Sector
Maritime ports are critical nodes in the Canadian resource-based economy that can have significant environmental impacts near coastal communities and marine ecosystems. To address these impacts, Canadian Port Authorities (CPAs) assess their environmental performance using the Green Marine Environmental Program (GMEP). Reliance on this program necessitates its evaluation as an effective initiative to address sustainability in its broader context. 
  • 490
  • 07 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Systems Thinking and Simulation for Sustainability Education
Education for sustainable development (ESD) is considered vital to the success of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. Systems thinking has been identified as a core competency that must be included in ESD. However, systems thinking-orientated ESD learning tools, established methods for assessment of sustainability skills, and formal trials to demonstrate the effectiveness of such learning tools are all lacking. Furthermore, simulation is seen by many Systems Thinkers as essential for learning about complex systems. Therefore, whether Systems Thinking theory, interactive simulation, or both, offer the best learning outcomes for sustainability education, is also an important question. A randomised controlled study found that simulation alone significantly increased sustainability learning outcomes. Simulation, together with systems archetypes, was also found to significantly support transfer of understanding from one problem to another with a similar systemic structure, although at a lower level of confidence.
  • 537
  • 06 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Regulation Promoting the New Circular Economy
Over the past few decades, the production and consumption of clothing has increased exponentially, leading to a dramatic increase in the negative environmental consequences produced by the fashion industry. Given the rising pace of global warming and the rising concern about the fashion industry’s contribution to the climate crisis and its exploitative social dimensions, decision makers, politicians and government officials have begun to promote sustainable fashion through public policy. This article reviews the main barriers facing a circular economy in general and the fashion industry in particular. It considers nascent regulations emerging throughout the world in the field of sustainable fashion, applying circular economic principles to the fashion industry.
  • 591
  • 06 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Dioxin
Dioxins and related compounds are environmental xenobiotics that are dangerous to human life, due to the accumulation and persistence in the environment and in the food chain. Cancer, reproductive and developmental issues, and damage to the immune system and endocrine system are only a few examples of the impact of such substances in everyday life. 
  • 628
  • 06 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Green Competitiveness of Enterprises
The omnichannel approach to forming marketing strategies for the development of the green competitiveness of enterprises is seen as a process for the inseparable interaction of marketing-mix elements that are aimed at promoting green competitiveness. This approach integrates traditional and digital marketing communication channels and provides consideration for stakeholder interests. The effectiveness of applying the omnichannel approach to the formation of marketing strategies to develop the green competitiveness of enterprises depends on a set of marketing communication channels, which, in various combinations, can increase or decrease the level of companies’ green competitiveness.
  • 593
  • 05 Jan 2022
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