The polluter dhould... pay?

The Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) is among the core international instruments for environmental protection. It appears to be excessively economy-focused at initial sight. To evaluate the moral validity of this, I visited four different justification possibilities: 1. Economically preferable equals environmentally preferable; 2. Economic development is a satisfactory aim; 3. Environmental problems arise from economic goals; 4. The economy represents the power needed for solutions. After evaluating each of these, I confirmed that the focus of the PPP on the economy does not allow for sufficient protection of Nature, as also expressed in the literature.

A Green Building Materials Assessment Tool For The Toronto Renovations Marketplace

This research paper addresses the marketplace confusion and barriers that can prevent easy and well informed environmentally preferable material selections from being integrated into residential renovation projects in the Toronto region. It establishes a template for an easy-to-use material assessment toolbox that considers environmental impact categories that reveal variation between products of similar type and that are often considered together as "eco-friendly" options. The material assessment tool developed as a result of this research provides a resource that satisfies the Toronto-based needs of both client and contractor to assess and source environmentally preferable material choices common to most residential renovations work and to understand the up-front cost implications of these choices.

A Green Building Materials Assessment Tool For The Toronto Renovations Marketplace

This research paper addresses the marketplace confusion and barriers that can prevent easy and well informed environmentally preferable material selections from being integrated into residential renovation projects in the Toronto region. It establishes a template for an easy-to-use material assessment toolbox that considers environmental impact categories that reveal variation between products of similar type and that are often considered together as "eco-friendly" options. The material assessment tool developed as a result of this research provides a resource that satisfies the Toronto-based needs of both client and contractor to assess and source environmentally preferable material choices common to most residential renovations work and to understand the up-front cost implications of these choices.

A Review on Eco-Friendly Green Biolubricants from Renewable and Sustainable Plant Oil Sources

The seed oils of domesticated oilseed crops are major agricultural commodities used primarily for nutritional applications, but in recent years, there has been increasing use of these oils to produce biofuels and chemical feedstocks. This is being driven in part by the rapidly rising costs of petroleum, increased concern about the environmental impact of using fossil oil, and the need to develop renewable domestic sources of fuel and industrial raw materials. Biolubricants are gaining popularity and acceptance globally due to their sustainable, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly properties. Besides that, they are also derived from renewable plant-based oils. The chemical structure of the base oil of the biolubricant is the key determinant of its biodegradability. Many factors like humidity, pressure, metal type, air, and temperature change the chemical composition of base oils used in biolubricants. In other words, biodegradability hinges on how the chemical structure of the base oil changes during service. National and international labeling programs have been developed to minimize confusion in the marketplace, increase public awareness, and create thoughtfulness for environmentally preferable products. The labeling programs can aid in removing uncertainty in buying environmentally preferable products. This review highlights the recently published data and works of literature related to the development of green biolubricants, biolubricant advantages/disadvantages, chemical modification reactions, biolubricants worldwide eco-labeling, biodegradability, and toxicity testing methods.

The Use of Some Clay Minerals as Natural Resources for Drug Carrier Applications

The goal of modern research is to use environmentally preferable materials. In this context, clay minerals are emerging candidates for their bio- and ecocompatibility, low cost and natural availability. Clay minerals present different morphologies according to their layer arrangements. The use of clay minerals, especially in biomedical applications is known from ancient times and they are regaining attention in recent years. The most representative clay minerals are kaolinit, montmorillonite, sepiolites and halloysite. This review summarizes some clay minerals and their derivatives for application as nanocontainer for biologically active species.

Attitudes and Norms

Many people care about the environment and are in favor of protecting it, but these concerns are imperfect determinants of behavior. There are good reasons for this “value-action gap”: incentives are frequently aligned against environmentally preferable action, and we each face so many daily environmentally relevant decisions that efforts to do the right thing consistently are daunting. These approaches can even backfire, as people dislike feeling judged, or may tire of constant efforts to behave and may backslide on good intentions. A more promising option for explaining or encouraging environmental behavior is invoking social norms. People modify their behavior to fit social expectations, so community decisions that work against environmental behavior can discourage beneficial behavior. Framing information in a way that demonstrates the environmentally beneficial choices of neighbors or group members increases willingness to make environmentally positive choices.