A reconnaissance-scale GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis to support sustainable biochar use: Poland as a case study

Although increasing numbers of research papers regarding biochar are being published worldwide, in some countries growing interest in biochar has only recently been observed; this is true of Poland. We analysed information on biochar research in Poland alongside lessons learned elsewhere in order to identify the significant opportunities and risks associated with biochar use. This data fed into a GIS-based multicriteria analysis to identify areas where biochar application could deliver greatest benefit. We found that 21.8% of agricultural land in Poland has at least moderate indication for biochar use (soil organic matter below 2% and pH below 5.5), while 1.5% was categorized as a priority as it also exhibited contamination. Potential barriers identified included biomass availability and associated risks of indirect land-use change due to possible national and transnational biomass production displacement. Biochar use could have positive global consequences as a climate change mitigation strategy, particularly relevant in a country with limited alternatives. Scaling up a mitigation technology that is viable on account of its co-benefits might be cost-effective, which could, in turn, adjust national perspectives and stronger involvement in developing mitigation policies at the regional level. Biochar has much promise in temperate conditions and further research should therefore be assigned to explore biochar’s environmental and socio-economic impacts

Determination of optimal geometric parameters of the windshield device limiting the spray drift by wind in herbicides spraying

Целью работы является определение оптимальных геометрических параметров ветрозащитного устройства, ограничивающего снос аэрозоля ветром при распылении гербицидов. The objective of the paper is to determine the optimal geometric parameters of the windshield device limiting the spray drift by wind in herbicides spraying

Analiza oparta na badaniach postrzegania przez młode pokolenie zrównoważonego rozwoju w Polsce

Understanding the perception of Sustainable Development can help to identify misconceptions surrounding the concept in order to design better education plans and public policies on this subject. Evaluating the perception of sustainability issues by focusing on the young generation as is an important proxy to imagine what the future holds for in terms of addressing sustainable development. We conducted 177 in-person interviews on a heterogeneous group of students and random volunteers in four cities in Poland to assess their perception of Sustainable Development. The vast majority (89.3%) of the respondents were familiar with the term 'Sustainable Development'. However, part of them (57%) associated it only to the human and social development dimensions and its institutions, whereas 17.5% related it with its environmental aspects. The results supported by the literature review highlight challenges concerning the path towards a comprehensive perception of Sustainable Development and hence the achievement of the SDGs. Based on these results, we identify opportunities and incentives to bring Poland towards 2030 Agenda.Zrozumienie postrzegania zrównoważonego rozwoju może pomóc w zidentyfikowaniu błędnych przekonań dotyczących tej koncepcji w celu opracowania lepszych planów edukacyjnych i polityk publicznych w tym zakresie. Ocena postrzegania kwestii zrównoważonego rozwoju poprzez skupienie się na młodym pokoleniu, jako ważny wskaźnik pozwalający wyobrazić sobie, co przyniesie przyszłość w zakresie rozwiązywania kwestii zrównoważonego rozwoju. Przeprowadziliśmy 177 wywiadów osobistych na niejednorodnej grupie studentów i przypadkowych wolontariuszy w czterech miastach w Polsce, aby ocenić ich postrzeganie zrównoważonego rozwoju. Zdecydowana większość (89,3%) respondentów zna termin „zrównoważony rozwój”. Jednak część z nich (57%) kojarzyła go tylko z wymiarem rozwoju ludzkiego i społecznego oraz jego instytucji, a 17,5% z aspektami środowiskowymi. Wyniki poparte przeglądem literatury podkreślają wyzwania dotyczące ścieżki do wszechstronnego postrzegania zrównoważonego rozwoju, a tym samym osiągnięcia celów zrównoważonego rozwoju. Na podstawie tych wyników identyfikujemy szanse i zachęty do zbliżenia Polski do Agendy 2030

Perception-Based Study on the Value of Nature to People and Land Sparing for Nature in Brazil and Poland

Understanding perception about nature is paramount to understanding human behavior and decision making on the environment. We performed a survey-based study in Brazil and Poland to better understand the perception of land sparing for nature and the perceived value of nature. The countries were selected by intentional sampling and given their importance for local and global biodiversity conservation, and complex socio-ecological context of conservation versus agroforestry business. We performed an online questionnaire (N = 1030) in Brazil and face-to-face interviews in Poland (N = 322). We found that Brazilian respondents demonstrated more pro-environmental attitudes than Polish survey participants. Regarding the question: “How much nature that is left should be spared?”, nearly 51% of Brazilians answered “everything”, compared with 13% of Polish respondents. Just under half of the respondents from Poland (45.6%) indicated that half of the nature that is left should be spared. Brazilian respondents also perceived the intrinsic value of nature to a greater extent compared with Polish respondents; in total, 76% of Brazilians respondents entirely agreed that “Nature, its plants and animals have a value on their own, independent of their usefulness for us” versus 25% of Polish respondents. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the leverage points driving pro-environmental attitudes in both countries