environmental protection research paper

Current Issue
Archived Issue
Special Issue
Wastewater Management
Editorial Board
Topical Board
Reviewer Board
Aims & Scope
Submission Guidelines
Article Processing Charge
Journal History

Environmental Protection Research

Environmental Protection Research (EPR) offers a platform for environmentalists and researchers throughout the world to publish new findings that cover the relationships between environmental sciences and protection research. EPR aims to become a multidisciplinary journal for publication of research on the scientific aspects of environmental protection, which interfaces the prevention and control of air, water, soil, noise and other pollution.

Manuscripts are evaluated based on established guidelines, including novelty, significance of research, and relevant nature of the study, aiming to enrich communication in this rapidly evolving field. Original research articles and critical reviews that cover broadly relevant and generalizable research with a clear...

Announcement

Call for Papers: Volume 4 Issue 2 (2024) - No Article Processing Charge

International Conference on Recent Developments in Functional Materials for Sustainable Application (RDFMSA-2024)

International Conference on Exploring the Advances in Smart Materials & Its Technological Application (EASMTA-2024)

Celebrating Excellence! Top 2% Scientist (2023)

International Conference on Climate Change, Ecosystems, and Natural Resource Management for Sustainable Livelihood 2023

International Seminar on the "Confluence of Science and Engineering Exploring New Frontiers" (CSEEF-22)

Call for Special Issue Proposal

Call for Young Editorial Board Members 2022

Call for Editorial Board Members

Information

People also looked at

Original research article, environmental protection or economic growth the effects of preferences for individual freedoms.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, Prague, Czechia

Environmental protection is often seen in conflict with individual freedom and economic growth. The proponents of environmental protection suggest that the environment is a global resource that must be protected for future generations, even at the expense of economic growth and individual freedoms. The opponents claim that environmental protection should not come at the expense of individual rights and liberties, economic growth included. This paper studies the associations between public preferences for environmental protection, economic growth, and individual freedoms in eleven post-soviet countries on a representative dataset ( N = 20006, age 18+, M ± SD: 46,04 ± 17,07; 58% women, 46,8% upper education). Methodologically we rely on correlations, principal component analysis, and ordinal regression analyses. The results suggest that preferences for most personal freedoms studied predict environmental protection and economic growth preferences. In addition, preferences for civil rights, rights for democracy, gender equality, income inequality, and the low role of the army in politics predicted higher preferences for environmental protection and economic growth. Interestingly, the government’s right to video surveillance in public areas, though diminishing personal freedoms in terms of anonymity, predicted higher preferences for environmental protection and economic growth. The importance of God in lives proved to increase preferences for environmental protection but was negatively related to preferences for economic growth. We suggest the government communicate the need for environmental protection as a part of the rights for individual freedom to live in a clean environment.

1 Introduction

Increasing environmental degradation has received considerable attention from policymakers and academic communities ( Sinha et al., 2020 ; Cheng et al., 2021 ). Governments spelled out mitigation strategies for addressing the challenges of climate change in Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) adopted in the Paris Agreement. The European Union and national governments have set clear objectives of where to be by 2050, under the EU priorities and Green Deal policies and with the support of dedicated research programs, legislation, and funding. Numerous environmental regulations around the globe abound.

The literature indicates that the relationship between economic growth and environmental quality is U-shaped (Environmental Kuznets Curve, EKC). While economic performance in poorer countries leads to a decrease in environmental quality, the association is reversed in richer countries ( Shahbaz et al., 2013 ; Stern, 2017 ; Anwar et al., 2022 ). Research shows that Post Soviet Union countries have not yet achieved the turning point ( Yang et al., 2017 ; Hasanov et al., 2019 ; Hasanov et al., 2023 ), meaning the tradeoff between economic growth and environmental quality is very apparent and calls for the implementation of environmental regulations.

Environmental regulations may reduce immediate economic performance by imposing additional costs and risks ( Nikolaou et al., 2014 ; Demertzidis et al., 2015 ; Hashmi and Alam, 2019 ). Environmental regulations also motivate firms to adopt new technologies, which may increase economic growth in the long run ( Sarkodie et al., 2019 ; Fan and Hao, 2020 ; Dechezleprêtre, et al., 2022 ). Less developed countries are shown to be less willing to invest in long-term environmental protection at the expense of immediate satisfaction of their material needs (the poverty-induced environmental degradation, Masron and Subramaniam, 2019 ; Moseley, 2001 ). In fact, poverty is shown among the principal sources of environmental damage across the countries ( Masron and Subramaniam, 2019 ). Thus, the tradeoff between economic performance and environmental protection is essential, especially in less abundant countries ( Sarkodie and Strezov, 2019 ; Güngör et al., 2021 ; Al-Mulali et al., 2022 ).

Besides economic performance, environmental regulations inevitably affect individual freedoms, including the freedoms of democracy and the corresponding role of the government. Economic and political freedoms indicate systemic differences across countries and are shown to significantly affect environmental degradation, as well as the preferences and costs of environmental protection ( Zhang et al., 2019 ; Bruun, 2020 ; Halvorson, 2021 ; Anwar et al., 2022 ). However, preferences for political and economic freedoms are rarely considered in predicting preferences for environmental protection ( Joshi and Beck, 2018 ).

This paper aims to study the role of the preferences for individual freedoms and the role of the government in predicting preferences for environmental protection and economic growth in Post-Soviet countries. Since many of the Post-Soviet countries are highly religious, we also hypothesize that religiosity contributes to the preferences for environmental protection (similar to Eom, et al., 2021a ). The following hypotheses are tested:

• H1. Preferences for individual freedoms predict preference for environmental protection.

• H2. The preferred role of the government predicts preferences for environmental protection.

• H3. Religiosity affects the preference for environmental protection.

We rely on a representative survey-based dataset from eleven Post-Soviet countries (N = 20006, age 18+, M ± SD: 46,04 ± 17,07; 58% women, 46,8% upper education). As economic performance is of immense importance in less-affluent post-soviet countries, we also test a similar set of hypotheses to predict the preferences for economic growth as one of the country’s priorities. This enabled us to contrast factors predicting environmental protection to factors predicting preference for economic growth at the expense of other social goals, such as military spending or making the cities and countryside more beautiful. Methodologically we rely on exploratory principal component analysis to study the structure of the preferences for individual freedoms and logistic regression analyses to test the hypotheses.

The paper is structured as follows. The first section discusses the theoretical debate on the association between the freedom and environment protection. (false) dilemma between economic growth and environmental protection and briefly summarizes the literature on environmental regulations, the role of the government and individual freedom. The next sections describe data and models. The following sections present and discuss the results. The last sections conclude.

2 Freedom and environment protection. The theoretical debate

Freedom and environmental sustainability are two concepts that are closely linked ( Hannis, 2015 ). Sustainable development is defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” ( United Nations Brundtland Commission, 1987 ). To achieve this, it is essential that all members of society are able to make decisions freely and have access to resources so that they can make informed choices ( Boyle, 2007 ).

Environmental protection often conflicts with individual freedom ( Boyle, 2007 ; Shelton, 2012 ) though both are often seen as parts of human rights ( Osofsky, 2005 ). On one side of the debate, people argue that environmental protection must take precedence over individual freedom. Conversely, some argue that individual freedom should not be sacrificed in the name of environmental protection ( Boyle, 2007 ; Shelton, 2012 ). Those who argue in favor of prioritizing environmental protection over individual freedom say that the environment is a global resource that must be protected for future generations. They argue that individual freedom must be sacrificed to ensure that the environment is preserved and the global climate crisis is addressed. On the other hand, those who emphasize the importance of individual freedom argue that environmental protection should not come at the expense of individual rights and liberties. They argue that environmental regulations must be implemented in a way that does not overly restrict individual freedom ( Boyle, 2007 ; Shelton, 2012 ).

The debate over environmental protection and individual freedom is complex and difficult to resolve. It is important to recognize that both sides of the argument have valid points and that there is no easy answer. It is also important to recognize that the two sides of the debate are not mutually exclusive and that a compromise can be reached those respects both sides of the argument. For example, it is possible to implement environmental regulations in a way that does not overly restrict individual freedom while still achieving the goal of protecting the environment ( Klöpfer, 1996 ).

2.1 Economic growth or environmental protection? the (false) dilemma?

The role of environmental sustainability in limiting economic growth was first discussed in the aftermath of the Limits to Growth report ( Meadows, et al., 1972 ; Hannis, 2015 ). Leading economists widely recognized the depletion of non-renewable resources as a factor constraining long-term economic growth ( Solow, 1974 ; Stiglitz, 1974 ; Hartwick, 1978 ). The theories of sustainable development then emphasized limiting economic growth for the sake of environmental protection.

Environmental protection helps with many critical societal goals, such as long-term sustainability, a cleaner environment, reduction in climate change, and healthier food. However, it also requires additional resources and brings risks and limitations. It also creates new industries and promotes new technologies, which in the long run may increase economic performance ( Panayotou, 2016 ; Nikolaou, et al., 2021 ). On the firm level, better environmental performance can increase revenues via better access to particular markets, differentiating products, and selling pollution-control technology ( Ambec and Lanoie, 2008 ). Moreover, better environmental regulation increases resource use efficiency and, under some conditions, can increase economic performance (Porter hypothesis, Porter and Van der Linde, 1995 ; Brännlund and Lundgren, 2009 ). In addition, some factors, such as renewable energy, can positively impact both environmental protection and economic growth ( Hasanov et al., 2021 ); The total effect of environmental regulations on economic performance is unclear. The following Table 1 illustrates the two opposing views of literature on the topic.

TABLE 1 . The effect of environmental regulations on economic performance—two opposing views.

Ideally, environmental regulations should correspond to environmental quality. The relationships between economic growth and environmental quality may change the sign when the country reaches a certain level of economic performance as people can afford more efficient and environment-friendly production resulting in a cleaner environment as suggested by Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC, Shahbaz et al., 2013 ; Stern, 2017 ; Anwar et al., 2022 ). Yet, environmental protection is a global issue, and especially the developed countries are introducing new measures to improve the environment.

3 The factors affecting the preferences for environmental protection. Literature review

The impetus for environmental protection was originally verbalized in the 1970s in the United States in Fisk’s Theory of Responsible Consumption ( Fisk,1974 ), Henion and Kinnear’s Ecological Marketing (1976), and Kardash’s Ecologically Concerned Consumer ( Kardash, 1974 ). Studies initially focused on energy use, pollution connected to the automobile, oil, and chemical industries, as well as consumer reactions to advertising and labeling ( Henion and Kinnear, 1976 ; Kilbourne and Beckmann, 1998 ; Peattie, 2010 ). Subsequently, they turned to examine green purchases of food products and environmentally friendly items.

Research into the preferences for environmental protection has focused on identifying impacting factors to promote environmental protection. These factors have largely reflected the prevailing social and economic paradigms of the time. Early literature concentrated on economic incentives and financial capabilities of households, socio-demographic characteristics ( Laroche, et al., 2001 ; Robinson and Smith, 2002 ; Jenkins, et al., 2003 ), and environmental knowledge ( Peattie, 2010 ) and advised that government policy should primarily provide economic incentives to support pro-environmental behavior ( Bartelings and Sterner, 1999 ; Eriksson, 2004 ; Jackson, 2005 ; Wang et al., 2021 ; Shen and Wang, 2022 ). This approach is still in use today in waste management, where households are incentivized to sort communal waste by making the disposal of sorted waste free of charge. The socio-demographic factors as potential predictors of preferences for environmental protection are often used as control variables in more recent studies ( Walia et al., 2020 ). The studies based on economic data suggested that more affluent households have a greater environmental footprint yet can afford to buy “greener” products ( Cymru, 2002 ; Lenzen and Murray, 2003 ; Huang et al., 2022 ). Therefore, a rise in income may lead to an increase in pro-environmental consumption.

After focusing on economic, demographic, or knowledge factors, the research has shifted its focus to attitudes and values, which were recognized to be often more important in predicting environmental protection than economic or socio-demographic. For example, Schwartz’s value model and altruistic values have been reported to be linked to pro-environmental behavior ( Han et al., 2007 ; Carrus et al., 2008 ; Peattie, 2010 ; Wang L. et al., 2019 ; Wang Y. et al., 2019 ). Surprisingly, not all pro-environmental values lead to greater environmental protection. For example, pro-environmental values may not always lead to an increase in such activities as recycling ( Barr, 2007 ), buying organic food, or avoiding leaving appliances on standby ( Lyndhurst, 2004 ). Research has also indicated that environmental attitudes, environmental knowledge, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, conditional value, and emotional value all positively affect pro-environmental intentions and behaviors ( Nekmahmud et al., 2022 ).

3.1 Government regulations, freedom, and environmental protection

Governmental regulations are frequently called upon to ensure environmental protection ( Sarkodie and Strezov, 2019 ; Güngör et al., 2021 ; Al-Mulali et al., 2022 ). However, restrictive governmental regulations “circumscribes the autonomy (freedom) of the members of society” ( Porket, 2003 , p. 50). The post-soviet countries present a wide variety of attitudes to personal freedoms ranging from more Westernized democratic Baltic countries admitted to European Union to a collection of autocracies without any extensive, market-based liberalization in Central Asia ( Hartwell, 2022 ).

Economic and political freedoms have been shown to affect the environment significantly regarding the preferences for and costs of environmental protection ( Zhang et al., 2019 ; Bruun, 2020 ; Halvorson, 2021 ; Anwar et al., 2022 ). Yet, the preferences for political and economic freedoms are rarely considered for predicting the environmental preferences of the population ( Joshi and Beck, 2018 ). In this paper, we hypothesize that the preferences for individual freedoms are significant predictors of the preferences for environmental protection (H1).

Environment protection requires regulation of personal behavior, which can be monitored via all kinds of surveillance means, including street cameras, monitoring of emails, and collecting and storing personal information. These means can increase the efficiency of environmental regulations but decrease individual freedoms. In this paper, we hypothesize that the preferences for government-managed video surveillance, monitoring of emails, and collecting information about everyone predict preferences for environmental protection (H2).

Personal freedoms are often exchanged for (the illusion of) protection from the government ( Hofstede, et al., 2005 ). We test whether the preference on the amount of government responsibility (government taxing the rich and subsidizing the poor, making the incomes equal, government owning the businesses, government paying unemployment benefits, people obeying their rulers) predicts preferences for environmental protection.

Personal freedom is also reflected in the procedure of election. We hypothesize that the preferred role of the government and the way it is elected are significant predictors of the preferences for environmental protection (H2). We employ the following indicators to account for the election procedure: people choose their leaders in free elections, the importance of democracy, personal freedoms as a sign of democracy, women have the same rights as men, and the army takes over when the government is incompetent (disagreement with).

3.2 The role of religion

The post-soviet region is largely diversified in religious confessions and the role assigned to God. The scale ranges from relatively secular Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), through multi-religious Russia, to essentially 90% religious Islamic (mostly) Central Asia ( Simons and Westerlund, 2016 ). After the fall of the Soviet Union, religious confessions gained more power in defining, interfering and affecting the ideas of personal freedom and the environment ( Froese, 2004 ).

Religion has a strong influence on people’s preferences to protect the environment. Many religious teachings incorporate conservation and stewardship of the environment, providing an ethical and moral incentive to protect the environment ( Djupe and Hunt, 2009 ; Jenkins and Chapple, 2011 ). Religious beliefs can also shape people’s attitudes toward the environment in terms of the value they place on nature, the importance of maintaining a balance between humanity and nature, and the need to be good stewards of the Earth ( Jenkins and Chapple, 2011 ; Hope, and Jones, 2014 ; Bergmann, 2017 ). This can lead to an increased commitment to environmental protection and conservation, as well as greater environmental concern and activism ( Sherkat and Ellison, 2007 ). Thus, in the line of Eom, et al. (2021b) , we suggest that religiosity is a significant predictor for the preferences for environmental protection in post-soviet countries (H3). We employ two indicators for religious beliefs: the subjective importance of God in life and the level of agreement with the religious authorities interpreting the laws.

4 Materials and methods

4.1 the study.

This paper aims to study the impact of preferences for economic (and other) freedoms and the expected role of the government on preferences for environmental protection in the eleven Post Soviet Union countries (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine). Religiosity is suggested to be the next factor to consider. The following hypotheses are tested:

H1. Preferences for individual freedoms predict preference for environmental protection.

The indicators of the preferences for individual freedoms include the preferred right of the government to:

• Keep people under video surveillance in public areas.

• Monitor all emails and any other information exchanged on the internet.

• Collect information about anyone living in the country without their knowledge.

H2. The preferred role of the government predicts preferences for environmental protection. The Indicators for the role of the government include:

• Governments tax the rich and subsidize the poor.

• Religious authorities interpret the laws.

• People choose their leaders in free elections.

• People receive state aid for unemployment.

• The army takes over when the government is incompetent.

• Civil rights protect people’s liberty against oppression.

• Women have the same rights as men.

• The state makes people’s incomes equal

• People obey their rulers

H3. Religiosity affects the preference for environmental protection.

The indicators for religiosity include.

• Importance of God in life

• Religious authorities should interpret the laws

As economic performance is of immense importance in Post-Soviet countries, we also test similar hypotheses to predict the preferences for economic growth as one of the country’s priorities. This will enable us to contrast the importance and effects of environmental protection to the other social goals.

4.2 The data

We employ a representative dataset collected in the World Value Study and European Value Study in 11 post-Soviet Union countries in 2017–2020 (Joint dataset, EVS/WVS, 2021 ; see also EVS, 2020a ; EVS, 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 ). The choice of countries was based on data availability. All the Post-Soviet Union countries present in the EVS/WVS dataset were incorporated into the analysis. The target population was defined as persons aged 18 and older who had been residing in the country within private households for the past 6 months before the fieldwork ( EVS, 2020b ; WVS, 2020 ). The sampling relied on a representative single-stage or multi-stage probability sampling of the country’s adult population, 18 years old and older. The sample size was set as an effective sample size: with N minimum of 1,500 for countries over 100 million, 1,200 for countries with a population over 2 million, and 1,000 for countries below 2 million. A resulting total sample embraced 20006 respondents aged 18+ (mean age ± SD: 46,04 ± 17,07, 58% women, 46,8% upper education (Upper level: ISCED 2011 levels 5–8—short cycle tertiary and higher). Most surveys were conducted using face-to-face interviews ( WVS, 2020 ; EVS, 2020b ) The data are available for non-commercial purposes at the web pages of European and World Value Studies ( https://europeanvaluesstudy.eu/methodology-data-documentation/survey-2017/joint-evs-wvs-2017-2021-dataset/ , accessed 11.11.21).

4.3 Indicators

The following section provides the exact wording of the questions employed in the further analysis and the distribution of the respondents.

4.3.1 Preference for environmental protection at the expense of economic growth

4.3.1.1 protecting environment vs. economic growth.

“Here are two statements people sometimes make when discussing the environment and economic growth. Which of them comes closer to your own point of view?

• Protecting the environment should be given priority, even if it causes slower economic growth and some loss of jobs.” (53,70% of the respondents),”

• Economic growth and creating jobs should be the top priority, even if the environment suffers to some extent. (46,30% of the respondents)" ( EVS, 2020a ; 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 ).

The distributions of the respondents in studied countries are presented in Figure 1 below (end of the paper) and Supplementary Table SA3 .

FIGURE 1 . Protecting the environment vs. economic growth. The distribution of the respondents. Source: own computations based on the data EVS/WVS ( EVS, 2020a ; EVS, 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 ).

4.3.1.2 Economic growth as one of the country’s priorities

• “A high level of economic growth” (57,20% of the respondents)

• “Making sure this country has strong defense forces” (21,40% of the respondents)

• “Seeing that people have more say about how things are done at their jobs and in their communities (14,90 of the respondents)”

• “Trying to make our cities and countryside more beautiful (6,50% of the respondents)", ( EVS, 2020a ; EVS, 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 )

“People sometimes talk about what the aims of this country should be for the next ten years. On this card are listed some of the goals that different people would give top priority. Would you please say which one of these you, consider the most important?”

Figure 2 below and Supplementary Table SA4 present the distributions of the respondents in countries.

FIGURE 2 . Aims of the country, first choice. The distribution of the respondents. Source: own computations.

4.3.1.3 Personal freedom versus the role of the government

This study considers the capability of the government to control individual lives via video surveillance, monitoring the information exchanged on the internet, and collecting information about individuals without their knowledge. The corresponding question in the questionnaire was formulated as follows:

• Keep people under video surveillance in public areas

• Monitor all emails and any other information exchanged on the internet

• Collect information about anyone living in [COUNTRY] without their knowledge

1 - Definitely should have the right; 2—Probably should have the right; 3—Probably should not have the right; 4—Definitely should not have the right” ( EVS, 2020a ; EVS, 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 )

“Do you think that the [COUNTRY] government should or should not have the right to do the following :

We suggest that all three questions are related to preferences for environmental protection. For example, monitoring people in public areas might be used as a tool to localize and personalize the origins of garbage lest on unauthorized places. The monitoring of the emails and collecting information may provide information on intentions to comply with government regulations to protect the environment.

Personal freedom goes hand in hand with personal responsibility. The corresponding questions in the questionnaire were formulated as follows:

• People should take more responsibility; 10- The government should take more responsibility

• Private ownership of business should be increased; 10- Government ownership of business should be increased” ( EVS, 2020a ; 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 )

“On this card you see a number of opposite views on various issues. How would you place your views on this scale?

The distribution of the respondents is presented in Supplementary Table SA5 .

4.3.1.4 Personal freedoms and rights as essential signs of democracy

• People obey their rulers” ( EVS, 2020a ; EVS, 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 )

“Many things are desirable, but not all of them are essential characteristics of democracy. Please tell me for each of the following things how essential you think it is as a characteristic of democracy. Use this scale where 1 means “not at all an essential characteristic of democracy” and 10 means it definitely is “an essential characteristic of democracy.”

The distributions of the respondents are presented in Supplementary Table SA6 .

4.3.1.5 The level and importance of democracy

“How important is it for you to live in a country that is governed democratically? On this scale where 1 means it is “not at all important” and 10 means “absolutely important,” what position would you choose?” ( EVS, 2020a ; EVS, 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 )

“And how democratically is this country being governed today? Again using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means that it is “not at all democratic” and 10 means that it is “completely democratic,” what position would you choose?” ( EVS, 2020a ; EVS, 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 )

The distributions of respondents are presented in Supplementary Table SA7 .

4.3.1.6 The attitude to competition and work

Environmental restrictions highly affect the competitiveness of the firms and the availability of jobs ( Iraldo, et al., 2011 ; Dechezleprêtre and Sato, 2017 ; Borsatto and Amui, 2019 ). We control for the attitude to competition (good-harmful) and the importance of work and equal pay. The answers to the following questions are used as indicators.

• Competition is good, 10—competition is harmful

• Incomes should be made more equal, 10—We need larger income differences as incentives” ( EVS, 2020a ; 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 )

• Work. 1—Very important; 2—Rather important; 3—Not very important; 4—Not at all important.” ( EVS, 2020a ; EVS, 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 )

“On this card, you see a number of opposite views on various issues. How would you place your views on this scale?

“Please say, for each of the following, how important it is in your life.

The distribution of the respondents is presented in Supplementary Table SA8 .

4.3.1.7 Importance of God and socio-demographic characteristics

Following Eom, et al. (2021b) , we study the effect of religiosity on preference for environmental protection at the expense of economic growth. The question was formulated as follows:

• Please use this card to indicate—10 means very important and 1 means not at all important.” ( EVS, 2020a ; EVS, 2021 ; Haerpfer et al., 2021 )

“And how important is God in your life?

The resulting variable presented mean of 7,57 and Std. Deviation of 3,175. A total sample embraced 20006 respondents aged 18+ (mean age ± SD: 46,04 ± 17,07, 58% women, 46,8% upper education, the distribution of the respondents split by countries see Supplementary Table SA2 ).

4.4 The method

First, we conducted an exploratory Principal Component Analysis to study the perceptions of individual freedoms as signs of democracy. Then we rely on ordinal regression analysis to test the hypotheses ( Formula 1 , the numbers like a 1-13 denote thirteen coefficients corresponding to thirteen indicators of preferences for freedom versus government, see the description of the variables beneath the equation)

Environment vs. Growth i

• two indicators of preferences for environment vs. economic growth and economic growth as a country priority subsequently.

Freedom versus government

• Government should have the right to monitor people via internet, in public areas and collect information without their knowledge.

• Government should tax the rich and subsidize the poor.

• People have the freedom of election.

• People have the right to state aid for unemployment.

• In case of an incompetent government, the army takes over

• Civil rights protect people’s liberty

• Gender equality of rights and freedoms

• More income equality

• People need to obey their rulers

• People should take more responsibility, not the government

• Private or government business ownership is preferable

• Democracy is important

• The country is democratic

Competition and work

• Competition is good/harmful

• Incomes should be more/less equal

• Importance of work

Religiosity

• The importance of God in life

• country dummies for Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine

Socio-demographic characteristics

• Age

• Gender

• Education

The two models corresponding to two dependent variables were estimated via ordinal logit regression ( Formula 1 ). The Pearson correlations of independent variables are presented in Supplementary Table SA1 . None of the correlations exceeded 0,5; thus, multicollinearity is unlikely.

5.1 Individual freedoms as characteristics of democracy. The results of the Principal Component Analysis

Before discussing the results of the Principal Component Analysis, we present the setting of the analysis and the indicators measuring the suitability of the data for this type of the analysis. The Principal Component Analysis was set as follows: rotation Method - Varimax with Kaiser normalization; the number of components - according to Eigenvalue (>1). Rotation converged in 3 iterations. The Bartlett test of sphericity with a Chi-Square value 106609,60 ( p < 0,001) and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of sampling adequacy with a value equal to 0,790 (>0,6) suggests that the data are suitable to identify factor dimensions. The indicators of applicability of the Principal component analysis, as presented above, suggest that the method is suitable for the data.

The results of the Principal Component Analysis are presented in Tables 2 , 3 . Four extracted components altogether were able to explain 51,29% of the variance.

TABLE 2 . Principal component analysis for individual freedoms as signs of democracy. Total variance explained.

TABLE 3 . Principal component analysis for individual freedoms as signs of democracy. Rotated Component Matrix.

As the results suggest, the indicators for freedom (as a sign of democracy) divided themselves into two categories described by two latent variables ( Table 3 ). The first views democracy as a system representing civil rights and freedoms, implying free elections, gender equality, liberty, and the right to receive state aid if unemployed. The other group of variables describes democracy in terms of the increased role of the state, army, and religion, implying the state provides more income equality. If the state is incompetent, the army takes over, religious authorities interpret the laws, and the population is obedient to their rulers. The first latent variable constitutes the freedom apex, while the second constitutes the opposite.

Personal freedoms as predictors of preference for environmental protection and economic growth. The results of logistic regression analyses.

The results of logistic regression analyses ( Formula 1 ) are presented in Table 4 .

TABLE 4 . Predicting environmental protection vs. economic growth, economic growth vs. other goals. The results of ordinal regressions.

The summary of the statistically significant results from Table 4 is presented in Table 5 . The positive associations are denoted by "+", the negative ones, by “-”.

TABLE 5 . Summary of results of ordinal regressions ( Formula 1 ; Table 5). Statistically significant associations.

6 Discussion

6.1 hypotheses 1 and 2: preferences for individual freedoms and the role of the government predict preferences for environmental protection..

This paper studied the association between the preferences for individual freedom, the role of the government, and preferences for environmental protection. The results of the analysis above indicate that associations between environmental protection, economic growth, and individual freedoms are far from uniform. On one side, personal freedoms (civil rights, the importance of democracy, gender equality, pay inequality if it occurs, no role of the army in politics) predicted higher preferences for environment protection at the expense of economic growth and higher growth itself as opposed to other societal goals. This indicates personal freedoms are positively related to environmental protection. On the other side, governmental video surveillance in public areas showed to be positively related to both environmental protection and economic growth. However, the right of the government to internet monitoring decreased preferences for economic growth but not for environmental protection.

The ambivalence above poses questions about the right type of freedom and control affecting environmental and economic outcomes. As individual freedoms start and end with the freedoms of others, we can hypothesize that the preference for video surveillance in public places corresponds to the need to monitor the activities of fellow citizens, traffic, and other features of the outer environment. In the case of environmental protection, it is understandable as it allows more efficient environment monitoring and enforcement of environmental regulations. As concerned with economic growth (the country’s priority), video surveillance ensures more safety ( Sharma et al., 2022 ), more efficient crime abatement ( Garibotto, 2010 ), and rule enforcement ( Yesil, 2006 ).

Though video surveillance violates some human rights for privacy ( Granholm, 1986 ), it is considered one of the most effective means for an emergency response to traffic or the environment ( Noguera et al., 2011 ; Chung, 2012 ; Chen, et al., 2014 ). Video surveillance is also one of the most effective ways for real-time environment control ( Stipanicev, et al., 2007 ) and an essential feature of smart cities ( Korchani and Sethom, K. 2021 ).

Environmental regulations substantially disturb competition ( Iraldo et al., 2011 ; Dechezleprêtre and Sato, 2017 ; Borsatto and Amui, 2019 ), though there are considerable efforts to integrate green policy into competition legislation ( Kingston, 2010 ). However, our results report that the importance of competition significantly predicted a preference for environmental protection at the expense of economic growth and the preference for economic growth as a priority over other goals. This ambivalent result is still to be explained. Besides competition, the importance of work in life predicted a preference for economic growth.

6.2 Hypothesis 3: Religiosity predicts the preference for environmental protection.

The importance of God showed to positively predict environmental protection and negatively predict economic growth. The matter of environment is of immense importance in religious beliefs. In Islam, the environment bears much importance, and the rights and responsibilities of a man with respect to the environment are clearly stated ( Omer, 2012 ). In Christianity, the belief in a controlling god is significantly associated with environmental guilt ( Eom, et al., 2021a ) and environmental justice forms one of the principles of eco-theology ( Hrynkow, 2017 ). Surrendering Environmental Identities is viewed as one of the ways of becoming one with God ( Roshani and Rathnasiri, 2018 ). The importance of God appears to be one of the significant predictors of environmental preferences, which should not be forgotten. On the other hand, the intrusion of religious authorities into secular processes in interpreting the laws showed to predict lower preferences for economic growth.

6.2.1 The country differences

Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Lithuania, and Ukraine report higher importance of economic growth as the most important aim of the country, while Estonia presented lower. Oppositely, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine showed more preference for environmental protection at the expense of economic growth compared to Russia, while Armenia, Belarus, Lithuania, and Tajikistan reported more preference for economic growth at the expense of environmental protection compared to Russia (controlling for all the variables presented in table Results).

6.2.2 Age, gender, education

Women prefer more environmental protection at the expense of economic growth compared to men. People with lower education place less importance on economic growth than higher-educated people.

7 Conclusion

The association between economic development and environmental degradation generally follows the U shape titled Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC, Shahbaz et al., 2013 ; Stern, 2017 ; Anwar et al., 2022 ). Lower-income countries generally reside on the beginning part of the curve, meaning that economic development damages the environment, while more well-to-do countries present a more favorable increasing relationship between economic development and the state of the environment. The Post Soviet countries generally belong to the first part of the curve, meaning that economic development, if not corrected by environmental regulations, increases environmental pollution levels and generally damages the environment ( Yang et al., 2017 ; Hasanov et al., 2019 ; Hasanov et al., 2023 ). Especially in these countries, the environment protection measures go against economic performance, and the tradeoff between more economic growth and environmental protection is more pronounced.

In this paper, we run Principal Component Analysis to study the structure of preferences for personal freedom and conducted logistic regression analyses to study the effects of preferences for individual freedoms on preferences for environmental protection at the expense of economic growth and economic growth as one of the country’s priorities. We employed a representative sample from eleven Post Soviet Union countries (N = 20006, age 18+, M ± SD: 46,04 ± 17,07; 58% women, 46,8% upper education).The results suggest that personal freedoms (civil rights, importance of democracy, gender equality, income inequality, no role of army in politics) predicted preferences for environmental protection at the expense of economic growth and growth as opposed to other societal goals. However, the right of the government to surveillance in public areas, though diminishing personal freedoms in terms of anonymity, proved to be positively related to both environmental protection and economic growth as one of the country’s priorities. Though environmental regulations generally decrease the firm competitiveness, the preferences for competition proved to predict higher preferences for environmental regulations.

Last but not least, religious beliefs proved to predict higher preferences for environmental protection but lower preferences for economic growth. In fact, in many religions, God is considered a part of the environment, and the rights and responsibilities of man to the environment are the central part of religious beliefs ( Omer, 2012 ; Hrynkow, 2017 ; Eom, et al., 2021a ). The role of religion in shaping individual preferences needs more research.

Overall, the results supported the view that even though environmental regulations generally reduce individual freedoms and obstruct economic performance in many cases, they are in line with the preferences for individual freedoms in many aspects. This may indicate the increasing understanding of a cleaner environment as an individual right that widens the spectrum of preferred individual freedoms. This result is rather optimistic, especially in the set of the Post Soviet Union countries, many of which are still struggling economically and yet consider the environment as a part of (or at least in line with) their individual freedoms.

These results suggest several implications. First, though environmental regulations may harm particular firms, society views the benefits it provides as a part of their freedoms. If communicated correctly, the measures are likely to gain social support. Second, the support for environmental protection measures should be studied jointly with other preferences for individual freedoms as they seem to form a specific system. Third, the broad society seems to be aware of environmental impacts and, to at larger extent, recognizes the role of the environment even at the expense of economic growth. Thus the government may communicate the need for environmental protection as a part of individual freedoms for a clean environment.

Data availability statement

Publicly available datasets were analyzed in this study. This data can be found here: https://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/wvs.jsp .

Ethics statement

The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by Ethics committee Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author contributions

Conceptualization, IC and LS; methodology, IC; data curation, AO; writing—original draft preparation, AO and DM; writing—review and editing, AO, LS, IC, DM, and SK; supervision, LS; project administration, LS; funding acquisition, LS. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.

The paper supported by the internal research Project No. 2021B0002: The post-Soviet Region in the Context of International Trade Activities: Opportunities and Threats Arising from Mutual Cooperation, solved at the Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1129236/full#supplementary-material

Al-Mulali, U., Gholipour, H. F., and Solarin, S. A. (2022). Investigating the environmental kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis: Does government effectiveness matter? Evidence from 170 countries. Environ. Dev. Sustain. 24 (11), 12740–12755.

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Ambec, S., and Lanoie, P. (2008). Does it pay to be green? A systematic overview . The Academy of Management Perspectives , 45–62.

Google Scholar

Anwar, M. A., Zhang, Q., Asmi, F., Hussain, N., Plantinga, A., Zafar, M. W., et al. (2022). Global perspectives on environmental kuznets curve: A bibliometric review. Gondwana Res. 103, 135–145. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2021.11.010

Barbera, A. J., and McConnell, V. D. (1990). The impact of environmental regulations on industry productivity: Direct and indirect effects. J. Environ. Econ. Manag. 18 (1), 50–65. doi:10.1016/0095-0696(90)90051-y

Barr, S. (2007). Factors influencing environmental attitudes and behaviors: A UK case study of household waste management. Environ. Behav. 39 (4), 435–473. doi:10.1177/0013916505283421

Bartelings, H., and Sterner, T. (1999). Household waste management in a Swedish municipality: Determinants of waste disposal, recycling and composting. Environ. Resour. Econ. 13, 473–491. doi:10.1023/a:1008214417099

Becker, R. A. (2005). Air pollution abatement costs under the clean air act: Evidence from the PACE survey. J. Environ. Econ. Manag. 50 (1), 144–169. doi:10.1016/j.jeem.2004.09.001

Bergmann, S. (2017). Religion, space, and the environment . Routledge .

Borsatto, J. M. L. S., and Amui, L. B. L. (2019). Green innovation: Unfolding the relation with environmental regulations and competitiveness. Resour. Conservation Recycl. 149, 445–454. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.06.005

Boyle, A. (2007). Human rights or environmental rights? A reassessment . Fordham Environmental Law Review , 471–511.

Brännlund, R., and Lundgren, T. (2009). Environmental policy without costs? A review of the porter hypothesis. Int. Rev. Environ. Resour. Econ. 3 (2), 75–117. doi:10.1561/101.00000020

Bruun, O. (2020). Environmental protection in the hands of the state: Authoritarian environmentalism and popular perceptions in vietnam. J. Environ. Dev. 29 (2), 171–195. doi:10.1177/1070496520905625

Carrus, G., Passafaro, P., and Bonnes, M. (2008). Emotions, habits and rational choices in ecological behaviours: The case of recycling and use of public transportation. J. Environ. Psychol. 28 (1), 51–62. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2007.09.003

Chen, X., Ruan, Y., Yu, J., and Chen, Q. (2014). Short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase catalyzing the final step of noscapine biosynthesis is localized to laticifers in opium poppy. Sensors Transducers 166 (3), 173–184. doi:10.1111/tpj.12379

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Cheng, Y., Sinha, A., Ghosh, V., Sengupta, T., and Luo, H. (2021). Carbon tax and energy innovation at crossroads of carbon neutrality: Designing a sustainable decarbonization policy. J. Environ. Manag. 294, 112957. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112957

Chung, W. H. (2012). A smartphone watch for mobile surveillance service. Personal Ubiquitous Comput. 16 (6), 687–696. doi:10.1007/s00779-011-0435-8

Cordero, R. R., Roth, P., and Da Silva, L. (2005). Economic growth or environmental protection?: The false dilemma of the Latin-American countries. Environ. Sci. Policy 8 (4), 392–398. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2005.04.005

Cymru, W. W. F. (2002). The footprint of wales . Cardiff, UK: A Report to the Welsh Assembly Government WWF Cymru .

Dean, T. J., Brown, R. L., and Stango, V. (2000). Environmental regulation as a barrier to the formation of small manufacturing establishments: A longitudinal examination. J. Environ. Econ. Manag. 40 (1), 56–75. doi:10.1006/jeem.1999.1105

Dechezleprêtre, A., Nachtigall, D., and Venmans, F. (2022). The joint impact of the European Union emissions trading system on carbon emissions and economic performance. J. Environ. Econ. Manag. 118, 102758. doi:10.1016/j.jeem.2022.102758

Dechezleprêtre, A., and Sato, M. (2017). The impacts of environmental regulations on competitiveness. Review of environmental economics and policy .

Demertzidis, N., Tsalis, T. A., Loupa, G., and Nikolaou, I. E. (2015). A benchmarking framework to evaluate business climate change risks: A practical tool suitable for investors decision-making process. Clim. Risk Manag. 10, 95–105. doi:10.1016/j.crm.2015.09.002

Djupe, P. A., and Hunt, P. K. (2009). Beyond the Lynn White thesis: Congregational effects on environmental concern. J. Sci. Study Relig. 48 (4), 670–686. doi:10.1111/j.1468-5906.2009.01472.x

Eom, K., Saad, C. S., and Kim, H. S. (2021a). Religiosity moderates the link between environmental beliefs and pro-environmental support: The role of belief in a controlling god. Personality Soc. Psychol. Bull. 47 (6), 891–905. doi:10.1177/0146167220948712

Eom, K., Tok, T. Q. H., Saad, C. S., and Kim, H. S. (2021b). Religion, environmental guilt, and pro-environmental support: The opposing pathways of stewardship belief and belief in a controlling god. J. Environ. Psychol. 78, 101717. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101717

Eren, B. M., Taspinar, N., and Gokmenoglu, K. K. (2019). The impact of financial development and economic growth on renewable energy consumption: Empirical analysis of India. Sci. Total Environ. 663, 189–197. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.323

Eriksson, C. (2004). Can green consumerism replace environmental regulation?—A differentiated-products example. Resour. energy Econ. 26 (3), 281–293. doi:10.1016/j.reseneeco.2003.10.001

C. Haerpfer, R. Inglehart, A. Moreno, C. Welzel, K. Kizilova, J. Diez-Medranoet al. et al. (2021). World values survey: Round seven–country-pooled datafile (Madrid, Spain & Vienna, Austria: JD Systems Institute & WVSA Secretariat ). doi:10.14281/18241.13

EVS (2020a). European values study 2017: Integrated dataset (EVS 2017). GESIS data archive . Cologne. ZA7500 Data file Version 4.0.0. doi:10.4232/1.13560

EVS (2021). European values study 2017: Ukraine (EVS 2017) . GESIS Data Archive . Cologne. ZA7539 Data file Version 1.0.0. doi:10.4232/1.13714

EVS (2020b). European values study (EVS) 2017: Methodological guidelines. (GESIS papers, 2020/13) . Köln. (url: https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/70110) (accessed October 21, 2021).

EVS/WVS (2021). European values study and World values survey: Joint EVS/WVS 2017-2021 dataset (joint EVS/WVS) . Cologne: GESIS Data Archive . ZA7505. Dataset Version 2.0.0. doi:10.4232/1.13737

Fan, W., and Hao, Y. (2020). An empirical research on the relationship amongst renewable energy consumption, economic growth and foreign direct investment in China. Renew. energy 146, 598–609. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2019.06.170

Filbeck, G., and Gorman, R. F. (2004). The relationship between the environmental and financial performance of public utilities. Environ. Resour. Econ. 29 (2), 137–157. doi:10.1023/b:eare.0000044602.86367.ff

Fisk, G. (1974). Marketing and the ecological crisis . New York: Harper & Row .

Froese, P. (2004). After atheism: An analysis of religious monopolies in the post-communist world. Sociol. Relig. 65 (1), 57–75. doi:10.2307/3712507

Garibotto, G. (2010). “Multi-camera human re-identification for video security of museums,” in Proceedings of the EVA 2010 conference on electronic imaging & the visual arts ( Firenze, Italy , 21–23.

Granholm, J. M. (1986). Video surveillance on public streets: The constitutionality of invisible citizen searches. U. Det. L. Rev. 64, 687.

Gray, W. B., and Shadbegian, R. J. (2003). Plant vintage, technology, and environmental regulation. J. Environ. Econ. Manag. 46 (3), 384–402. doi:10.1016/s0095-0696(03)00031-7

Güngör, H., Abu-Goodman, M., Olanipekun, I. O., and Usman, O. (2021). Testing the environmental kuznets curve with structural breaks: The role of globalization, energy use, and regulatory quality in south Africa. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 28 (16), 20772–20783. doi:10.1007/s11356-020-11843-4

Halvorson, C. (2021). Valuing clean air: The EPA and the economics of environmental protection . Oxford University Press .

Han, S., Lerner, J. S., and Keltner, D. (2007). Feelings and consumer decision making: The appraisal-tendency framework. J. consumer Psychol. 17 (3), 158–168. doi:10.1016/s1057-7408(07)70023-2

Hannis, M. (2015). Freedom and environment: Autonomy, human flourishing and the political philosophy of sustainability . Routledge .

Hartwell, C. A. (2022). Part of the problem? The eurasian economic union and environmental challenges in the former soviet union. Problems Post-Communism 69 (4-5), 317–329. doi:10.1080/10758216.2021.1960173

Hartwick, J. M. (1978). Substitution among exhaustible resources and intergenerational equity. Rev. Econ. Stud. 45 (2), 347–354.

Hasanov, F. J., Khan, Z., Hussain, M., and Tufail, M. (2021). Theoretical framework for the carbon emissions effects of technological progress and renewable energy consumption. Sustain. Dev. 29 (5), 810–822. doi:10.1002/sd.2175

Hasanov, F. J., Mikayilov, J. I., Mukhtarov, S., and Suleymanov, E. (2019). Does CO 2 emissions–economic growth relationship reveal EKC in developing countries? Evidence from Kazakhstan. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 26, 30229–30241. doi:10.1007/s11356-019-06166-y

Hasanov, F. J., Mukhtarov, S., and Suleymanov, E. (2023). The role of renewable energy and total factor productivity in reducing CO2 emissions in Azerbaijan. Fresh insights from a new theoretical framework coupled with Autometrics. Energy Strategy Rev. 47, 101079. doi:10.1016/j.esr.2023.101079

Hashmi, R., and Alam, K. (2019). Dynamic relationship among environmental regulation, innovation, CO2 emissions, population, and economic growth in oecd countries: A panel investigation. J. Clean. Prod. 231, 1100–1109. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.325

Henion, K. E., and Kinnear, T. C. (1976). Ecological marketing . Chicago, IL: Am. Mark. Assoc .

Heyes, A. (2009). Is environmental regulation bad for competition? A survey. J. Regul. Econ. 36 (1), 1–28. doi:10.1007/s11149-009-9099-y

Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., and Minkov, M. (2005). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind , 2. New York: McGraw-Hill .

Hope, A. L., and Jones, C. R. (2014). The impact of religious faith on attitudes to environmental issues and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies: A mixed methods study. Technol. Soc. 38, 48–59. doi:10.1016/j.techsoc.2014.02.003

Hrynkow, C. W. (2017). Greening god? Christian ecotheology, environmental justice, and socio-ecological flourishing. Environ. Justice 10 (3), 81–87. doi:10.1089/env.2017.0009

Huang, H., Long, R., Chen, H., Li, Q., Wu, M., and Gan, X. (2022). Knowledge domain and research progress in green consumption: A phase upgrade study. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 29 (26), 38797–38824. doi:10.1007/s11356-022-19200-3

Iraldo, F., Testa, F., Melis, M., and Frey, M. (2011). A literature review on the links between environmental regulation and competitiveness. Environ. Policy Gov. 21 (3), 210–222. doi:10.1002/eet.568

Jackson, T. (2005). Motivating sustainable consumption. Sustain. Dev. Res. Netw. 29 (1), 30–40.

Jenkins, R. R., Martinez, S. A., Palmer, K., and Podolsky, M. J. (2003). The determinants of household recycling: A material-specific analysis of recycling program features and unit pricing. J. Environ. Econ. Manag. 45 (2), 294–318. doi:10.1016/s0095-0696(02)00054-2

Jenkins, W., and Chapple, C. K. (2011). Religion and environment. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 36, 441–463. doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-042610-103728

Joshi, P., and Beck, K. (2018). Democracy and carbon dioxide emissions: Assessing the interactions of political and economic freedom and the environmental kuznets curve. Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 39, 46–54. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.020

Kardash, W. J. (1974). Corporate responsibility and the quality of life: Developing the ecologically concerned consumer. Ecological marketing . Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association , 5–10.

Kilbourne, W. E., and Beckmann, S. C. (1998). Review and critical assessment of research on marketing and the environment. J. Mark. Manag. 14 (6), 513–532. doi:10.1362/026725798784867716

Kingston, S. (2010). Integrating environmental protection and EU competition law: Why competition isn't special. Eur. Law J. 16 (6), 780–805. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0386.2010.00533.x

Klöpfer, M. (1996). Freedom and environmental protection as a constitutional problem. Interdiscip. Sci. Rev. 21 (4), 354–361. doi:10.1179/isr.1996.21.4.354

Korchani, B., and Sethom, K. (2021). “Real-time littering detection for smart city using deep learning algorithm,” in 2020 international conference on communications, signal processing, and their applications (ICCSPA) ( IEEE ), 1–5.

Laroche, M., Bergeron, J., and Barbaro-Forleo, G. (2001). Targeting consumers who are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products. J. consumer Mark. 18, 503–520. doi:10.1108/eum0000000006155

Lenzen, M., and Murray, S. A. (2003). The ecological footprint–issues and trends. ISA Res. Pap. 1 (3).

Lyndhurst, B. (2004). Bad habits and hard choices: In search of sustainable lifestyles . London, Brook .

Masron, T. A., and Subramaniam, Y. (2019). Does poverty cause environmental degradation? Evidence from developing countries. J. poverty 23 (1), 44–64. doi:10.1080/10875549.2018.1500969

Meadows, D. H., Meadows, D. L., Randers, J., and Behrens, W. (1972). Limits to growth . New York: Universe Books .

Moseley, W. G. (2001). African evidence on the relation of poverty, time preference and the environment. Ecol. Econ. 38 (3), 317–326. doi:10.1016/s0921-8009(01)00184-7

Nekmahmud, M., Ramkissoon, H., and Fekete-Farkas, M. (2022). Green purchase and sustainable consumption: A comparative study between European and non-European tourists. Tour. Manag. Perspect. 43, 100980. doi:10.1016/j.tmp.2022.100980

Nikolaou, I. E., Jones, N., and Stefanakis, A. (2021). Circular economy and sustainability: The past, the present and the future directions. Circular Econ. Sustain. 1 (1), 1–20. doi:10.1007/s43615-021-00030-3

Nikolaou, I. E., Kourouklaris, G., and Tsalis, T. A. (2014). A framework to assist the financial community in incorporating water risks into their investment decisions. J. Sustain. Finance Invest. 4 (2), 93–109. doi:10.1080/20430795.2013.823853

Noguera, J. M., Segura, R. J., Ogáyar, C. J., and Joan-Arinyo, R. (2011). Navigating large terrains using commodity mobile devices. Comput. geosciences 37 (9), 1218–1233. doi:10.1016/j.cageo.2010.08.007

Omer, S. (2012). The concepts of God, man, and the environment in Islam: Implications for Islamic architecture. J. Islamic Archit. 2 (1). doi:10.18860/jia.v2i1.1778

Osofsky, H. M. (2005). Learning from environmental justice: A new model for international environmental rights. Stan. Envtl. LJ 24, 71.

Panayotou, T. (2016). Economic growth and the environment. Environ. Anthropol. 24, 140–148.

Peattie, K. (2010). Green consumption: Behavior and norms. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 35, 195–228. doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-032609-094328

Porket, J. L. (2003). The pros and cons of government regulation. Econ. Aff. 23 (4), 48–54. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0270.2003.00444.x

Porter, M. E., and Van der Linde, C. (2000). 2. Green and competitive: Ending the. The dynamics of the eco-efficient economy: Environmental regulation and competitive advantage , 33.

Porter, M. E., and Van der Linde, C. (1995). Toward a new conception of the environment-competitiveness relationship. J. Econ. Perspect. 9 (4), 97–118. doi:10.1257/jep.9.4.97

Ramanathan, R., Black, A., Nath, P., and Muyldermans, L. (2010). Impact of environmental regulations on innovation and performance in the UK industrial sector. Manag. Decis. 48, 1493–1513. doi:10.1108/00251741011090298

Rassier, D. G., and Earnhart, D. (2010). The effect of clean water regulation on profitability: Testing the Porter hypothesis. Land Econ. 86 (2), 329–344. doi:10.3368/le.86.2.329

Rennings, K., and Rammer, C. (2011). The impact of regulation-driven environmental innovation on innovation success and firm performance. Industry Innovation 18 (03), 255–283. doi:10.1080/13662716.2011.561027

Robinson, R., and Smith, C. (2002). Psychosocial and demographic variables associated with consumer intention to purchase sustainably produced foods as defined by the Midwest Food Alliance. J. Nutr. Educ. Behav. 34 (6), 316–325. doi:10.1016/s1499-4046(06)60114-0

Roshani, P. C., and Rathnasiri, H. C. (2018). Religiosity and environmentally concerned consumer behaviour:‘becoming one with God (nature)' through surrendering environmental identities. Int. J. Consumer Stud. 42 (6), 627–638. doi:10.1111/ijcs.12469

Sarkodie, S. A., and Strezov, V. (2019). A review on environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis using bibliometric and meta-analysis. Sci. total Environ. 649, 128–145. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.276

Sarkodie, S. A., Strezov, V., Weldekidan, H., Asamoah, E. F., Owusu, P. A., and Doyi, I. N. Y. (2019). Environmental sustainability assessment using dynamic autoregressive-distributed lag simulations—Nexus between greenhouse gas emissions, biomass energy, food and economic growth. Sci. total Environ. 668, 318–332. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.432

Shahbaz, M., Ozturk, I., Afza, T., and Ali, A. (2013). Revisiting the environmental Kuznets curve in a global economy. Renew. Sustain. energy Rev. 25, 494–502. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2013.05.021

Sharma, N., Saqib, M., Scully-Power, P., and Blumenstein, M. (2022). “SharkSpotter: Shark detection with drones for human safety and environmental protection,” in Humanity driven AI (Cham: Springer ), 223–237.

Shelton, D. (2012). “Resolving conflicts between human rights and environmental protection: Is there a hierarchy?,” in Hierarchy in international law: The place of human rights , 181–194.

Shen, M., and Wang, J. (2022). The impact of pro-environmental awareness components on green consumption behavior: The moderation effect of consumer perceived cost, policy incentives, and face culture. Front. Psychol. 13, 580823. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.580823

Sherkat, D. E., and Ellison, C. G. (2007). Structuring the religion-environment connection: Identifying religious influences on environmental concern and activism. J. Sci. study Relig. 46 (1), 71–85. doi:10.1111/j.1468-5906.2007.00341.x

Simons, G., and Westerlund, D. (2016). Religion, politics and nation-building in post-communist countries . Routledge .

Sinha, A., Sengupta, T., and Alvarado, R. (2020). Interplay between technological innovation and environmental quality: Formulating the SDG policies for next 11 economies. J. Clean. Prod. 242, 118549. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118549

Smith, M., and Crotty, J. (2008). Environmental regulation and innovation driving ecological design in the UK automotive industry. Bus. strategy Environ. 17 (6), 341–349. doi:10.1002/bse.550

Solow, R. M. (1974). Intergenerational equity and exhaustible resources' review of economic studies, symposium on the economics of exhaustible resources . Edinburgh: Longman .

Stern, D. I. (2017). The environmental Kuznets curve after 25 years. J. Bioeconomics 19 (1), 7–28. doi:10.1007/s10818-017-9243-1

Stiglitz, J. E. (1974). Growth with exhaustible natural resources: Efficient and optimal growth paths' review of economic studies, symposium on the economics of exhaustible resources . Edinburgh: Longman .

Stipanicev, D., Bodrozic, L., and Stula, M. (2007). “Environmental intelligence based on advanced sensor networks,” in 2007 14th international workshop on systems, signals and image processing and 6th EURASIP conference focused on speech and image processing, multimedia communications and services ( IEEE ), 209–212.

Trevlopoulos, N. S., Tsalis, T. A., Evangelinos, K. I., Tsagarakis, K. P., Vatalis, K. I., and Nikolaou, I. E. (2021). The influence of environmental regulations on business innovation, intellectual capital, environmental and economic performance. Environ. Syst. Decis. 41 (1), 163–178. doi:10.1007/s10669-021-09802-6

United Nations Brundtland Commission (1987). Report of the World commission on environment and development: Our common future . http://www.un-documents.net/our-common-future.pdf (Accessed 5 3, 2023).

Walia, S. B., Kumar, H., and Negi, N. (2020). Impact of socio-demographics on consumers' attitude and purchase intention towards 'eco-friendly'products. Int. J. Technol. Manag. Sustain. Dev. 19 (3), 361–371. doi:10.1386/tmsd_00031_1

Wang, J., Shen, M., and Chu, M. (2021). Why is green consumption easier said than done? Exploring the green consumption attitude-intention gap in China with behavioral reasoning theory. Clean. Responsible Consum. 2, 100015. doi:10.1016/j.clrc.2021.100015

Wang, L., Zhang, G., Shi, P., Lu, X., and Song, F. (2019a). Influence of awe on green consumption: The mediating effect of psychological ownership. Front. Psychol. 10, 2484. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02484

Wang, Y., Li, Y., Zhang, J., and Su, X. (2019b). How impacting factors affect Chinese green purchasing behavior based on Fuzzy Cognitive Maps. J. Clean. Prod. 240, 118199. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118199

WVS (2020). World Values Survey, Fieldwork and Sampling. Available at: https://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/WVSContents.jsp?CMSID=FieldworkSampling&CMSID=FieldworkSampling (Accessed November 11, 2021).

Yang, X., Lou, F., Sun, M., Wang, R., and Wang, Y. (2017). Study of the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and the economic growth of Russia based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve. Appl. Energy 193, 162–173. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.02.034

Yesil, B. (2006). Watching ourselves: Video surveillance, urban space and self-responsibilization. Cult. Stud. 20 (4-5), 400–416. doi:10.1080/09502380600708770

Zhang, Q., Yu, Z., and Kong, D. (2019). The real effect of legal institutions: Environmental courts and firm environmental protection expenditure. J. Environ. Econ. Manag. 98, 102254. doi:10.1016/j.jeem.2019.102254

Keywords: environment protection, economic growth, preferences, survey, environmental kuznets curve, post-soviet countries

Citation: Čábelková I, Smutka L, Mareš D, Ortikov A and Kontsevaya S (2023) Environmental protection or economic growth? The effects of preferences for individual freedoms. Front. Environ. Sci. 11:1129236. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2023.1129236

Received: 21 December 2022; Accepted: 09 May 2023; Published: 22 May 2023.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2023 Čábelková, Smutka, Mareš, Ortikov and Kontsevaya. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Inna Čábelková, [email protected]

Innovative approach and design for environmental protection from arising threats

Published: 21 April 2021
Volume 28 , pages 33806–33808, ( 2021 )

Cite this article

Armando Di Nardo 1 ,
Enrico Creaco 2 ,
Vasiliki Manakou 3 ,
Dino Musmarra 1 &
Michele Prevost 4

1584 Accesses

Explore all metrics

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

This editorial is an introduction to a Special Issue (SI) of the Environmental Science and Pollution Research journal, highlighting selected papers presented at the Seventh International Conference on Environmental Management, Engineering, Planning and Economics and SECOTOX Conference (CEMEPE2019) that was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, in May 2019. This conference is aimed at encouraging the exchange of ideas and knowledge among different research groups working on current issues in environmental science, engineering, and management. Professionals, researchers, environmentalists, and policy makers are always invited and encouraged to present their work in topics such as smart monitoring systems, environmental impact assessment, eco-design, and environmental performance—to name a few. Though this list is not exhaustive, as guest editors, we chose to concentrate on these topics, which are highlighted by the manuscripts included in the special issue. A need for developing novel, integrated, and universal environmental indicators of processes and products, coupled with reliable, meaningful, and applicable monitoring, is the approach that will be able to give answers to current and imminent environmental problems.

After the conference, as in the past editions of CEMEPE (Kungolos et al. 2018 ), some authors are regularly invited to submit papers to a Special Issue.

This time, the SI included 5 manuscripts representing just a glimpse of the studies and applications that were talked about in CEMEPE2019. At the same time, these selected manuscripts demonstrate the breadth of research conducted globally.

Aquatic pollution may be monitored with the routine use of local bioindicators; however, other interfering factors should also be considered. This caveat is presented in detail in the work of Patoucheas et al. ( 2021 ), for the case study of Saronikos Gulf in Greece, near hydrothermal vents. The complex geo-biochemical conditions significantly affected phytoplankton community structure, and the association with water temperature and nutrient content was evident.

From aquatic environments to water distribution networks, monitoring should also be performed with caution; the placement of detection points in a water distribution network are seldom assessed, even though they are a crucial aspect for the implementation of Water Safety Plans. Santonastaso et al. 2020 ) in their research apply three different approaches for their positioning, based on empiricism, optimization, and topology, and they critically compare their effectiveness, simplicity, and reliability.

From drinkable water quality to effluent treatment efficiency, the effectiveness of online sensors was assessed, in an intermittently aerated and fed membrane bioreactor (IAF-MBR) system. As such, ammonia oxidation and nitrate reduction were effectively recorded, in the study of Azis et al. 2020 ), via the use of pH and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) sensors, placed in situ.

Moving on from water to energy, district heating systems were assessed based on their environmental performance in the study of Ravina et al. 2020 ). The objective of this study was the energetic and environmental assessment of district heating networks of different sizes and operating configurations, to define relevant environmental performance indicators. These indicators should be taken into account when designing these systems.

Finally, application of eco-design standards in electrical transformers’ insulators was the subject of Chronis et al. 2020 ) review. The authors assessed the environmental impact of vegetable-based insulating oils, considering various environmental impact assessment criteria, for two product groups of transformers.

As already stated, these manuscripts mirror the broad and multidisciplinary research presented in our conference. This joint effort was fruitful because of both the authors’ dedication and the ESPR journal team’s professionalism. We are looking forward to meeting you in the next CEMEPE congress this year to get to know about contemporary research in environmental management and environmental protection.

Azis K, Ntougias S, Melidis P (2020) NH 4 + -N versus pH and ORP versus NO 3 − -N sensors during online monitoring of an intermittently aerated and fed membrane bioreactor. Environ Sci Pollut Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10534-4

Chronis I, Kalogeropoulou S, Psomopoulos CS (2020) A review on the requirements for environmentally friendly insulating oils used in high-voltage equipment under the eco design framework. Environ Sci Pollut Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09601-7

Kungolos A, Di Nardo A, Mallios Z et al (2018) Effective environmental management within the context of sustainability and economic development: a special issue from the 13th International Conference on Protection and Restoration of the Environment (PREXIII), July 3–8, 2016, Mykonos island. Greece Environ Sci Pollut Res 25:26695–26698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2752-1

Article Google Scholar

Patoucheas P, Koukousioura O, Psarra S, Aligizaki K, Dimiza MD, Skampa E, Michailidis I, Nomikou P, Triantaphyllou MV (2021) Phytoplankton community structure changes during autumn and spring in response to environmental variables in Methana, Saronikos Gulf. Greece Environ Sci Pollut Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-12272-z

Ravina M, Panepinto D, Zanetti M (2020) District heating networks: an inter-comparison of environmental indicators. Environ Sci Pollut Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08734-z

Santonastaso G, Di Nardo A, Creaco E et al (2020) Comparison of topological, empirical and optimization-based approaches for locating quality detection points in water distribution networks. Environ Sci Pollut Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10519-3

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Engineering, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Aversa, Italy

Armando Di Nardo & Dino Musmarra

Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

Enrico Creaco

Department of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

Vasiliki Manakou

CRSNG en Eau Potable, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Canada

Michele Prevost

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Armando Di Nardo .

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Philippe Garrigues

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Nardo, A.D., Creaco, E., Manakou, V. et al. Innovative approach and design for environmental protection from arising threats. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28 , 33806–33808 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14002-5

Download citation

Published : 21 April 2021

Issue Date : July 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14002-5

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Find a journal
Publish with us
Track your research

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

We're Hiring!
Help Center

TREATIES, CONVENTIONS AND PROTOCOLS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The state of environment at the outset of twenty-first century is no more promising now than it was decades ago. Today the goals commonly expressed by environmentalists include reduction and clean up of man-made pollution, with future goals of zero pollution; reducing societal consumption of non-renewable fuels; development of alternative, green ,low-carbon or renewable energy sources; conservation and sustainable use of scarce resources such as water, land and air; protection of representative or unique ecosystem; preservation and expansion of threatened or endangered species or ecosystem from extinction; the establishment of nature and biosphere reserves under various types of protection. Now its time to make global effort not only with strong determination but also with governmental support to make the blue planet habitat. We must follow the obligations of international treaties of the past and persue the new global order to save the earth. There are numerous international environmental agreements made to protect the environment in different ways. These are: ENMOD

Related Papers

Research Papers

Sustainable development in energy sector means progress in society, keeping in mind, survival of all by containing the negative retrospective effect on life, health, sustainability it all depend on our life style, habit, basic needs and desires. Do we contain our needs and think about wastage of resources and management of resources with efficient upgraded modern technology. The answer is if we look at the aspiration of everybody to conquer s Mars and Moon and a mass wealth .do they think for living simple healthy life of safety in clean environment, pure climate and atmosphere. On the other side, are we fallows environmental laws, conventions and guide lines or all these remain in books, papers and up to discussion or seminar only. If we are really sincere about sustainability, health, safety, environment and climate then we have to go beyond it, means contain our needs and desire, educate masses specially poor and down trodden, contract the expansion and growth of population, but practically in real term we think for material growth, prosperity, comforts, enjoyment and quench our greed’s of amassing wealth, rather living simple life. Which is against the principle of sustainability, that is why we see and experience earthquake, tsunami, flood, eruption of volcanoes because we keep on disturbing the balance of earth, when earth balance its credit with debit then we think for sustainability but soon we forget and keep on disbalancing again, earth repeat the same process again but how long .

Peter H. Sand

Chinese Journal of International Law

Marco Roscini

Questions of International Law - Questions de Droit International

Dr Jahid Hossain Bhuiyan

Natural Resource Investment and Africa’s Development

Regina Rauxloh

Gary Marchant

The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics

This report inventories and analyses the range of international laws that protect the environment during armed conflict. With a view to identifying the current gaps and weaknesses in this system, the authors examine the relevant provisions within four bodies of international law – international humanitarian law (IHL), international criminal law (ICL), international environmental law (IEL), and international human rights law (HRL). The report concludes with twelve concrete recommendations on ways to strengthen this legal framework and its enforcement.

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

RELATED PAPERS

Victoria University of Wellington Law Review

Karen N. Scott

SSRN Electronic Journal

Kenneth W. Abbott

Estefania Daro

Emebet Engida

Mentari Jastisia

Nicolas Makrides

fra romanin

Climatic Change

Dan Bodansky

Marc Finaud

New England Journal of Public Policy

Sarah Hamilton

Sovannroth Chhem

Rebecca Bratspies , Mary Angelo

Muhammad Qasim

I. Pretoria , Noel Stott , Institute Security Studies

Leiden Journal of International Law

Shirley V Scott

Aviv Melamud

Theodore Gordon

Akinbobola Olukayode Olugbemi

Norwegian Academy of International Law

Kjølv Egeland

Olú Abíkóyè

Anna Péczeli

abhishek misra

Giorgio Franceschini

Maria Gavouneli

Georgetown International Environmental Law Review

Rymn J . Parsons

Columbia Science and Technology Law Review

Jason Borenstein , Gary Marchant

WIT Transactions on State of the Art in Science and Engineering

Erick R Baqueiro

Joop Voetelink

Krisdakorn Wongwuthikun

M.Z. Ashraful

tatiana coutto

Sandeep Chandrasekharan

BC Envtl. Aff. L. Rev.

Manisha Maharjan

Geneva Paper, Research Series

Mark Frazier

Information

Author Services

Initiatives

You are accessing a machine-readable page. In order to be human-readable, please install an RSS reader.

All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. No special permission is required to reuse all or part of the article published by MDPI, including figures and tables. For articles published under an open access Creative Common CC BY license, any part of the article may be reused without permission provided that the original article is clearly cited. For more information, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/openaccess .

Feature papers represent the most advanced research with significant potential for high impact in the field. A Feature Paper should be a substantial original Article that involves several techniques or approaches, provides an outlook for future research directions and describes possible research applications.

Feature papers are submitted upon individual invitation or recommendation by the scientific editors and must receive positive feedback from the reviewers.

Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal.

Original Submission Date Received: .

Active Journals
Find a Journal
Proceedings Series
For Authors
For Reviewers
For Editors
For Librarians
For Publishers
For Societies
For Conference Organizers
Open Access Policy
Institutional Open Access Program
Special Issues Guidelines
Editorial Process
Research and Publication Ethics
Article Processing Charges
Testimonials
Preprints.org
SciProfiles
Encyclopedia

Article Menu

Subscribe SciFeed
Recommended Articles
Google Scholar
on Google Scholar
Table of Contents

Find support for a specific problem in the support section of our website.

Please let us know what you think of our products and services.

Visit our dedicated information section to learn more about MDPI.

JSmol Viewer

Spatiotemporal fusion prediction of sea surface temperatures based on the graph convolutional neural and long short-term memory networks.

1. Introduction

2. materials and methods, 2.1. regular boundary division for spatial interference elimination, 2.2. convolutional sliding translation for spatial feature focusing, 2.3. spatial feature extraction by the clustering neural network, 2.4. graph convolutional neural network, 2.5. construction of the graph data structure for sst data, 2.6. the spatiotemporal fusion model for sst prediction based on the gcn and the lstm, 2.7. evaluation solution of sst prediction models, 2.8. data sets, 3.1. model configuration and evaluation criteria, 3.2. effect analysis for regular boundary division, 3.3. effect analysis for spatial feature extraction by the clustering neural network, 3.4. effect analysis of the different graphs for the graph convolutional neural network, 3.5. effect analysis of the gcn-lstm model, 4. discussion, 5. conclusions, author contributions, data availability statement, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest.

Zhao, J.; Xu, J.; Wang, G.; Jin, J.; Hu, X.; Guo, Y.; Li, X. Spatial–temporal distribution and forecasting model of precipitation using dynamic-statistical information fusion. J. Water Clim. Chang. 2022 , 13 , 1425–1447. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Kumari, P.V.; Thomas, S.; Mohanty, P.C.; Jayappa, K.S.; Mahendra, R.S.; Gupta, A. Effect of Sea Surface Temperature Variation on Productivity and Fisheries off Karnataka, West Coast of India. J. Indian Soc. Remote Sens. 2021 , 49 , 3027–3041. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Kessler, A.; Goris, N.; Lauvset, S.K. Observation-based Sea surface temperature trends in Atlantic large marine ecosystems. Prog. Oceanogr. 2022 , 208 , 102902. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Chaudhary, L.; Sharma, S.; Sajwan, M. Systematic Literature Review of Various Neural Network Techniques for Sea Surface Temperature Prediction Using Remote Sensing Data. Arch. Comput. Method Eng. 2023 , 30 , 5071–5103. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Ginzburg, A.I.; Kostianoy, A.G.; Serykh, I.V.; Lebedev, S.A. Climate change in the hydrometeorological parameters of the Black and Azov Seas (1980–2020). Oceanology 2021 , 61 , 745–756. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
O’Carroll, A.G.; Armstrong, E.M.; Beggs, H.M.; Bouali, M.; Casey, K.S.; Corlett, G.K.; Dash, P.; Donlon, C.J.; Gentemann, C.L.; Høyer, J.L.; et al. Observational needs of sea surface temperature. Front. Mar. Sci. 2019 , 6 , 420. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Yuan, T.; Zhu, J.; Wang, W.; Lu, J.; Wang, X.; Li, X.; Ren, K. A Space-Time Partial Differential Equation Based Physics-Guided Neural Network for Sea Surface Temperature Prediction. Remote Sens. 2023 , 15 , 3498. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Sarkar, D.; Osborne, M.A.; Adcock, T.A.A. Spatiotemporal prediction of tidal currents using Gaussian processes. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans 2019 , 124 , 2697–2715. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Seeger, M. Gaussian processes for machine learning. Int. J. Neural Syst. 2004 , 14 , 69–106. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Yang, G.; Wang, H.; Qian, H.; Fang, J. Tidal current short-term prediction based on support vector regression. In Proceedings of the 2nd Asia Conference on Power and Electrical Engineering (ACPEE 2017), Shanghai, China, 24–26 March 2017. [ Google Scholar ]
Sithara, S.; Pramada, S.K.; Thampi, S.G. Sea level prediction using climatic variables: A comparative study of SVM and hybrid wavelet SVM approaches. Acta Geophys. 2020 , 68 , 1779–1790. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Remya, P.G.; Kumar, R.; Basu, S. Forecasting tidal currents from tidal levels using genetic algorithm. Ocean Eng. 2012 , 40 , 62–68. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Elbisy, M.S. Sea wave parameters prediction by support vector machine using a genetic algorithm. J. Coast. Res. 2015 , 314 , 892–899. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Zhang, M.; Han, G.; Wu, X.; Li, C.; Shao, Q.; Li, W.; Cao, L.; Wang, X.; Dong, W.; Ji, Z. SST Forecast Skills Based on Hybrid Deep Learning Models: With Applications to the South China Sea. Remote Sens. 2024 , 16 , 1034. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Chi, M.; Plaza, A.; Benediktsson, J.A.; Sun, Z.; Shen, J.; Zhu, Y. Big data for remote sensing: Challenges and opportunities. Proc. IEEE 2016 , 104 , 2207–2219. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Amani, M.; Moghimi, A.; Mirmazloumi, S.M.; Ranjgar, B.; Ghorbanian, A.; Ojaghi, S.; Ebrahimy, H.; Naboureh, A.; Nazari, M.E.; Mahdavi, S.; et al. Ocean Remote Sensing Techniques and Applications: A Review (Part I). Water 2022 , 14 , 3400. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Adwait, A.; Roshni, T. Mean sea level modelling using the neural network along the Chennai coast. J. Water Clim. Chang. 2023 , 14 , 66–82. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Wei, L.; Guan, L.; Qu, L. Prediction of sea surface temperature in the South China Sea by artificial neural networks. IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett. 2019 , 17 , 558–562. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Bayindir, C. Predicting the Ocean Currents using Deep Learning. arXiv 2019 , arXiv:1906.08066. [ Google Scholar ]
Jia, X.; Ji, Q.; Han, L.; Liu, Y.; Han, G.; Lin, X. Prediction of Sea Surface Temperature in the East China Sea Based on LSTM Neural Network. Remote Sens. 2022 , 14 , 3300. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Feng, Z.; Hu, P.; Li, S.; Mo, D. Prediction of significant wave height in offshore China based on the machine learning method. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022 , 10 , 836. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Sukanda, A.J.T.; Adytia, D. Wave Forecast using Bidirectional GRU and GRU Method Case Study in Pangandaran, Indonesia. In Proceedings of the 2022 International Conference on Data Science and Its Applications (ICoDSA), Bandung, Indonesia, 6–7 July 2022. [ Google Scholar ]
Jahanbakht, M.; Xiang, W.; Azghadi, M.R. Sea surface temperature forecasting with ensemble of stacked deep neural networks. IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett. 2021 , 19 , 1–5. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Han, M.; Feng, Y.; Zhao, X.; Sun, C.; Hong, F.; Liu, C. A convolutional neural network using surface data to predict subsurface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. IEEE Access 2019 , 7 , 172816–172829. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Choi, H.M.; Kim, M.K.; Yang, H. Deep-learning model for sea surface temperature prediction near the Korean Peninsula. Deep-Sea Res. Part II 2023 , 208 , 105262. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Usharani, B. ILF-LSTM: Enhanced loss function in LSTM to predict the sea surface temperature. Soft Comput. 2023 , 27 , 13129–13141. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Zhang, Q.; Wang, H.; Dong, J.; Zhong, G.; Sun, X. Prediction of sea surface temperature using long short-term memory. IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett. 2017 , 14 , 1745–1749. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Xiao, C.; Chen, N.; Hu, C.; Wang, K.; Gong, J.; Chen, Z. Short and mid-term sea surface temperature prediction using time-series satellite data and LSTM-AdaBoost combination approach. Remote Sens. Environ. 2019 , 233 , 111358. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Yang, Y.; Dong, J.; Sun, X.; Lima, E.; Mu, Q.; Wang, X. A CFCC-LSTM model for sea surface temperature prediction. IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett. 2017 , 15 , 207–211. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Xu, T.; Zhou, Z.; Li, Y.; Wang, C.; Liu, Y.; Rong, T. Short-Term Prediction of Global Sea Surface Temperature Using Deep Learning Networks. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023 , 11 , 1352. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Ali, A.; Fathalla, A.; Salah, A.; Bekhit, M.; Eldesouky, E. Marine Data Prediction: An Evaluation of Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Statistical Predictive Models. Comput. Intell. Neurosci. 2022 , 2021 , 8551167. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Xu, L.; Li, Q.; Yu, J.; Wang, L.; Xie, J.; Shi, S. Spatio-temporal predictions of SST time series in China’s offshore waters using a regional convolution long short-term memory (RC-LSTM) network. Int. J. Remote Sens. 2020 , 41 , 3368–3389. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Hao, P.; Li, S.; Song, J.; Gao, Y. Prediction of Sea Surface Temperature in the South China Sea Based on Deep Learning. Remote Sens. 2023 , 15 , 1656. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Yu, X.; Shi, S.; Xu, L.; Liu, Y.; Miao, Q.; Sun, M. A novel method for sea surface temperature prediction based on deep learning. Math. Probl. Eng. 2020 , 2020 , 6387173. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Xie, J.; Zhang, J.; Yu, J.; Xu, L. An adaptive scale sea surface temperature predicting method based on deep learning with attention mechanism. IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett. 2019 , 17 , 740–744. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Xu, S.; Dai, D.; Cui, X.; Yin, X.; Jiang, S.; Pan, H.; Wang, G. A deep learning approach to predict sea surface temperature based on multiple modes. Ocean Model. 2023 , 181 , 102158. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Qiao, B.; Wu, Z.; Tang, Z.; Wu, G. Sea surface temperature prediction approach based on 3D CNN and LSTM with attention mechanism. In Proceedings of the 2022 24th International Conference on Advanced Communication Technology (ICACT), Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, 13–16 February 2022; IEEE: Piscataway, NJ, USA, 2022; pp. 342–347. [ Google Scholar ]
Sun, Y.; Yao, X.; Bi, X.; Huang, X.; Zhao, X.; Qiao, B. Time-series graph network for sea surface temperature prediction. Big Data Res. 2021 , 25 , 100237. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Yang, H.; Li, W.; Hou, S.; Guan, J.; Zhou, S. HiGRN: A Hierarchical Graph Recurrent Network for Global Sea Surface Temperature Prediction. ACM Trans. Intell. Syst. Technol. 2023 , 14 , 73. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Defferrard, M.; Bresson, X.; Vandergheynst, P. Convolutional neural networks on graphs with fast localized spectral filtering. arXiv 2016 , arXiv:1606.09375. [ Google Scholar ]
Kipf, T.N.; Welling, M. Semi-supervised classification with graph convolutional networks. arXiv 2016 , arXiv:1609.02907. [ Google Scholar ]
Bruna, J.; Zaremba, W.; Szlam, A.; LeCun, Y. Spectral networks and locally connected networks on graphs. arXiv 2013 , arXiv:1312.6203. [ Google Scholar ]
Liu, J.; Jin, B.; Wang, L.; Xu, L. Sea surface height prediction with deep learning based on attention mechanism. IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett. 2020 , 19 , 1–5. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Kohonen, T. The self-organizing map. Proc. IEEE 1990 , 78 , 1464–1480. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Wei, L.; Guan, L.; Qu, L.; Guo, D. Prediction of sea surface temperature in the China seas based on long short-term memory neural networks. Remote Sens. 2020 , 12 , 2697. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]

Click here to enlarge figure

Parameters	LSTM-H/S/V	ConvLSTM	SOM-LSTM	LSTM	GCN-LSTM
Time Step	10
Input Shape	(10, 16)	(10, 1600, 1, 1)	(10, 1600)	(10, 1600)	(10, 1600)
No. of LSTM Units	256
Size of Convolution Kernel	/	(5, 1)	/	/	/
Size of Convolution Step	/	(5, 1)	/	/	/
No. of Convolution Kernels	/	256	/	/	/
Batch Size	64
No. of Spatial Group	100	/	/	/	/
Spatial Scope	21.125° N–30.875° N 122.375° E–132.125° E
Time Range—Training	1 January 2010 to 18 April 2016
Time Range—Testing	19 April 2016 to 31 December 2018

Evaluation Criteria	LSTM	LSTM-H	LSTM-S	LSTM-V
MAE	0.7108	0.3621	0.3505	0.3684
RMSE	0.8717	0.4691	0.4563	0.4767
MAPE	0.0287	0.0145	0.0140	0.0147
r	0.9865	0.9937	0.9940	0.9935

Evaluation Criteria	LSTM-S	SOM-LSTM
MAE	0.3505	0.2991
RMSE	0.4563	0.3949
MAPE	0.0140	0.0122
r	0.9940	0.9956

Threshold	0.88	0.89	0.90	0.91	0.92	0.93
No. of edges	2,216,234	2,078,242	1,897,754	1,669,650	1,402,046	1,133,382
Threshold	0.94	0.95	0.96	0.97	0.98	/
No. of edges	857,960	561,184	296,536	149,712	75,488	/

Spatial Point	Evaluation Criteria	ConvLSTM	LSTM-S	SOM-LSTM	GCN-LSTM
(124.625° E, 21.125° N)	MAE	0.4532	0.4499	0.2888	0.0659
	RMSE	0.5659	0.5356	0.3643	0.0860
	MAPE	0.0168	0.0165	0.0105	0.0024
	r	0.9833	0.9908	0.9930	0.9995
(125.125° E, 27.125° N)	MAE	0.5401	0.3176	0.3180	0.1071
	RMSE	0.7017	0.4431	0.4387	0.1407
	MAPE	0.0225	0.0129	0.0128	0.0044
	r	0.9894	0.9940	0.9957	0.9995
(129.875° E, 29.125° N)	MAE	0.4432	0.2715	0.2526	0.0787
	RMSE	0.5568	0.3547	0.3373	0.1008
	MAPE	0.0174	0.0106	0.0098	0.0030
	r	0.9927	0.9963	0.9970	0.9997

Evaluation Criteria	ConvLSTM	LSTM-S	SOM-LSTM	GCN-LSTM
MAE	0.4670	0.3506	0.2991	0.0901
RMSE	0.6047	0.4564	0.3949	0.1188
MAPE	0.0191	0.0140	0.0122	0.0036
r	0.9898	0.9941	0.9956	0.9996

The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

Liu, J.; Wang, L.; Hu, F.; Xu, P.; Zhang, D. Spatiotemporal Fusion Prediction of Sea Surface Temperatures Based on the Graph Convolutional Neural and Long Short-Term Memory Networks. Water 2024 , 16 , 1725. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16121725

Liu J, Wang L, Hu F, Xu P, Zhang D. Spatiotemporal Fusion Prediction of Sea Surface Temperatures Based on the Graph Convolutional Neural and Long Short-Term Memory Networks. Water . 2024; 16(12):1725. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16121725

Liu, Jingjing, Lei Wang, Fengjun Hu, Ping Xu, and Denghui Zhang. 2024. "Spatiotemporal Fusion Prediction of Sea Surface Temperatures Based on the Graph Convolutional Neural and Long Short-Term Memory Networks" Water 16, no. 12: 1725. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16121725

Article Metrics

Further information, mdpi initiatives, follow mdpi.

Subscribe to receive issue release notifications and newsletters from MDPI journals

Environmental Law Research Paper Topics

This page presents a comprehensive collection of environmental law research paper topics , tailored for students studying law and interested in exploring the complexities of environmental issues. Environmental law is a vital field that addresses the legal aspects of protecting the environment, ensuring sustainable practices, and regulating human activities that impact the planet. From climate change and biodiversity conservation to environmental policies and international treaties, students will find a wealth of thought-provoking topics to delve into. Whether you are passionate about environmental advocacy or seeking to understand the legal implications of environmental challenges, this page is a valuable resource to expand your knowledge and refine your research skills.

100 Environmental Law Research Paper Topics

Environmental law encompasses a wide array of legal issues related to the protection and preservation of our planet’s natural resources and ecosystems. This comprehensive list of environmental law research paper topics is designed to inspire students and researchers alike to explore the intricate and ever-evolving landscape of environmental law. The topics are organized into ten distinct categories, each focusing on different aspects of environmental law and its significance in shaping environmental policies and practices.

Academic Writing, Editing, Proofreading, And Problem Solving Services

Get 10% off with 24start discount code.

Environmental Policy and Regulation

Evaluating the effectiveness of environmental policies in achieving sustainability goals.
Analyzing the role of government regulations in addressing environmental challenges.
The impact of international environmental agreements on global conservation efforts.
Legal frameworks for addressing climate change and promoting renewable energy.
The role of public participation in shaping environmental policies and decision-making.
The legal implications of environmental impact assessments in policy formulation.
Balancing economic interests and environmental protection in policy development.
The role of judicial review in upholding or challenging environmental policies.
Analyzing the effectiveness of market-based approaches in environmental regulation.
The impact of political ideologies on environmental policy formulation.

Biodiversity and Wildlife Protection

The legal implications of conserving endangered species and habitats.
Analyzing the role of wildlife protection laws in combating illegal trafficking and poaching.
Legal challenges in balancing human development with wildlife conservation.
The impact of habitat destruction on biodiversity and legal measures for preservation.
The role of international treaties in promoting cross-border wildlife protection.
The legal aspects of wildlife rehabilitation and reintroduction programs.
Analyzing the effectiveness of protected areas in biodiversity conservation.
Legal challenges in addressing invasive species and their impact on ecosystems.
The role of private landowners in wildlife conservation efforts.
The intersection of indigenous rights and wildlife protection.

Pollution Control and Remediation

The legal framework for regulating air and water pollution.
Analyzing liability and compensation mechanisms for environmental damages.
Legal challenges in hazardous waste management and cleanup.
The role of environmental impact assessments in pollution prevention.
The legal implications of emerging contaminants and their regulation.
Analyzing the effectiveness of pollution trading and offset programs.
Legal challenges in addressing plastic pollution and marine litter.
The role of corporate environmental liability in pollution prevention.
Analyzing the impact of industrial pollution on public health and communities.
The legal aspects of noise pollution and its regulation.

Water Resource Management and Conservation

Legal considerations in managing and allocating water resources.
Analyzing the impact of water pollution on ecosystems and public health.
Legal challenges in protecting and restoring aquatic habitats.
The role of water rights and agreements in transboundary water management.
The legal implications of water scarcity and drought management.
Analyzing the effectiveness of water conservation and efficiency measures.
Legal challenges in addressing groundwater contamination and depletion.
The role of ecosystem-based approaches in water resource management.
The legal aspects of water privatization and its implications for access and equity.
The intersection of water law and indigenous water rights.

Land Use and Sustainable Development

The legal framework for sustainable land use planning and urban development.
Analyzing the impact of mining and extraction industries on the environment.
Legal challenges in regulating deforestation and promoting reforestation.
The role of property rights in promoting conservation and sustainable land practices.
The legal implications of land use conflicts and dispute resolution.
Analyzing the effectiveness of land conservation easements in sustainable development.
Legal challenges in balancing agriculture and conservation on agricultural lands.
The role of zoning laws and land use ordinances in urban planning.
The legal aspects of land restoration and brownfield redevelopment.
The impact of climate change on land use and legal responses for adaptation.

Energy Law and Climate Policy

Analyzing the legal aspects of renewable energy development and integration.
The role of international agreements in promoting sustainable energy practices.
Legal challenges in transitioning to a low-carbon energy economy.
The impact of energy regulation on achieving climate change goals.
The legal implications of energy subsidies and their impact on sustainable energy.
Analyzing the effectiveness of carbon capture and storage technologies.
Legal challenges in promoting energy efficiency and conservation measures.
The role of energy law in promoting decentralized and distributed energy systems.
The legal aspects of energy infrastructure development and environmental concerns.
The intersection of energy law and indigenous rights in energy development.

Environmental Justice and Human Rights

The legal implications of environmental discrimination and equitable access to resources.
Analyzing the role of human rights in environmental protection and advocacy.
Legal challenges in seeking remedies for environmental harm and social injustices.
The intersection of environmental justice and indigenous rights.
The role of environmental litigation in advancing environmental justice.
Analyzing the effectiveness of public interest litigation in environmental cases.
Legal challenges in addressing environmental racism and marginalized communities.
The role of environmental ombudsmen and their impact on justice and accountability.
Analyzing the effectiveness of community-based environmental monitoring and advocacy.
The legal aspects of citizen engagement in environmental decision-making.

Climate Change Law and Adaptation

Evaluating the effectiveness of climate change adaptation policies and strategies.
Analyzing the legal implications of carbon pricing mechanisms and emissions trading.
Legal challenges in implementing climate change agreements and commitments.
The role of litigation in holding governments and corporations accountable for climate actions.
The legal aspects of climate-induced migration and displacement.
Analyzing the effectiveness of climate adaptation finance and funding mechanisms.
Legal challenges in promoting nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation.
The role of climate law in integrating climate resilience into infrastructure planning.
The legal implications of climate engineering and geoengineering technologies.
The impact of climate change on indigenous rights and legal responses for adaptation.

International Environmental Law and Governance

Analyzing the role of international organizations in environmental governance.
Legal challenges in enforcing global environmental treaties and agreements.
The impact of climate change litigation on international law and policy.
The role of soft law in shaping international environmental norms.
Analyzing the effectiveness of international dispute resolution mechanisms in environmental cases.
Legal challenges in addressing environmental crimes and transnational environmental harms.
The role of corporate social responsibility in international environmental governance.
Analyzing the effectiveness of international environmental impact assessments for development projects.
The legal aspects of trade and environmental protection in international law.
The intersection of human rights and international environmental law.

Emerging Issues in Environmental Law

Legal challenges in regulating emerging technologies and their environmental impact.
The role of legal frameworks in promoting circular economy practices.
Analyzing the legal implications of biotechnology and genetic engineering on the environment.
The impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning on environmental decision-making.
Legal challenges in addressing e-waste and electronic waste management.
The role of environmental law in governing nanotechnology applications.
Analyzing the legal aspects of ocean governance and marine conservation.
Legal challenges in addressing space debris and its impact on the environment.
The impact of legal principles on sustainable development in the digital era.
The legal aspects of protecting biodiversity in the face of emerging threats.

This comprehensive list of environmental law research paper topics provides a diverse and thought-provoking selection of themes to explore, offering valuable insights into the complex relationship between legal frameworks and environmental issues. Whether you are a student embarking on your research journey or a seasoned scholar seeking new avenues of inquiry, these topics are designed to stimulate critical thinking and foster a deeper understanding of the intricate world of environmental law.

Environmental Law: Exploring the Range of Research Paper Topics

Environmental law is a dynamic and evolving field that encompasses a wide range of legal issues concerning the protection, conservation, and management of the environment. As global concerns about climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss continue to grow, environmental law plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges and shaping policies that promote sustainability. This section delves into the vast array of research paper topics within environmental law, highlighting key areas of interest and discussing the significance of exploring these subjects to address pressing environmental issues.

Climate Change and Mitigation Strategies

One of the most pressing issues in environmental law is climate change, and researchers have a plethora of topics to explore in this domain. Some potential research paper topics include the legal framework for international climate agreements like the Paris Agreement, the role of governments and corporations in climate change mitigation, the impact of climate litigation on policy formulation, and the legal challenges in transitioning to renewable energy sources.

Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Protection

Preserving biodiversity and protecting wildlife are essential aspects of environmental law. Researchers can delve into topics such as the legal framework for wildlife protection, the role of national parks and protected areas in biodiversity conservation, the impact of illegal wildlife trafficking on ecosystems, and the legal challenges in regulating bioprospecting and genetic resource exploitation.

Environmental Impact Assessment and Regulation

Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) are crucial tools for evaluating the potential environmental consequences of development projects. Research papers can focus on the effectiveness of EIAs in different countries, the role of public participation in the EIA process, the legal aspects of strategic environmental assessment, and the challenges in regulating emerging technologies through EIAs.

Pollution Control and Waste Management

Pollution is a significant environmental concern, and environmental law plays a pivotal role in regulating and mitigating its impacts. Researchers can explore topics such as the legal framework for air and water pollution control, the role of liability and compensation in environmental damage cases, the challenges in regulating electronic waste and plastic pollution, and the legal aspects of hazardous waste management.

Natural Resource Management and Conservation

The sustainable management of natural resources is critical for the long-term health of the environment. Research papers can delve into topics such as the legal framework for sustainable forestry and fisheries management, the role of indigenous and local communities in natural resource conservation, the legal challenges in water resource management, and the impact of land use planning on biodiversity conservation.

Environmental Justice and Equity

Environmental law intersects with social justice and equity issues, as certain communities may bear a disproportionate burden of environmental harm. Researchers can explore topics such as environmental racism and its legal implications, the role of environmental impact assessments in addressing environmental justice, the legal challenges in ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for marginalized communities, and the impact of climate change on human rights.

Renewable Energy and Green Technology

The transition to renewable energy sources and green technologies is a critical aspect of addressing climate change. Research papers can focus on topics such as the legal framework for promoting renewable energy projects, the role of intellectual property rights in green technology innovation, the challenges in regulating offshore wind energy, and the legal aspects of carbon capture and storage.

Environmental issues transcend national boundaries, necessitating international cooperation and governance. Researchers can delve into topics such as the legal framework for transboundary pollution control, the role of international organizations like the United Nations Environment Programme, the challenges in enforcing international environmental treaties, and the impact of trade agreements on environmental protection.

Corporate Environmental Responsibility

Corporations play a significant role in environmental impact, and environmental law seeks to regulate their activities responsibly. Research papers can explore topics such as the legal framework for corporate environmental reporting, the role of sustainability certifications and eco-labeling, the challenges in holding corporations accountable for environmental harm, and the impact of green finance initiatives on corporate behavior.

Land Use Planning and Urban Environmental Law

Land use planning and urban development have a profound impact on the environment and human well-being. Researchers can focus on topics such as the legal aspects of urban planning for sustainable cities, the role of environmental zoning and conservation easements in land use regulation, the challenges in balancing urban development with environmental conservation, and the legal implications of green infrastructure projects.

The field of environmental law offers a vast and diverse range of research paper topics, each contributing to a deeper understanding of environmental challenges and the legal mechanisms to address them. From climate change to biodiversity conservation, pollution control to renewable energy, environmental law provides an avenue for researchers to explore innovative solutions and policy frameworks that safeguard the planet’s future. By delving into these research topics, students can make valuable contributions to environmental protection and contribute to a sustainable and resilient world.

How to Choose Environmental Law Research Paper Topics

Choosing the right research paper topic is crucial for a successful and fulfilling academic journey. When it comes to environmental law, selecting a relevant and engaging research topic is not only essential for earning good grades but also for making a meaningful contribution to the field. Here are some valuable tips to help you navigate the process of choosing environmental law research paper topics that align with your interests, academic goals, and the current environmental challenges:

Identify Your Passion and Interests : Passion is the driving force behind exceptional research. Begin by reflecting on the aspects of environmental law that pique your interest the most. Consider whether you are more intrigued by climate change, wildlife conservation, pollution control, or any other specific area within environmental law. Identifying your passion will make the research process more enjoyable and motivate you to delve deeper into the topic.
Stay Updated with Current Environmental Issues : Environmental law is constantly evolving to address new challenges and emerging issues. Keep yourself informed about the latest environmental developments, global climate conferences, landmark legal cases, and policy changes. Staying up-to-date with current environmental issues will help you identify relevant and timely research topics that have real-world implications.
Consider the Practical Implications : An essential aspect of environmental law research is understanding how legal frameworks translate into practical applications. Evaluate how your chosen topic impacts communities, industries, ecosystems, and global sustainability efforts. Research topics that have tangible and practical implications are likely to generate greater interest and contribute to meaningful discussions.
Review Previous Research : Before finalizing your research topic, conduct a thorough literature review of existing studies in environmental law. Analyze the gaps in the literature and identify areas that require further exploration. Building upon existing research can provide a solid foundation for your own work and ensure its relevance in the field.
Seek Guidance from Professors and Experts : Don’t hesitate to seek guidance from your professors, advisors, or other experts in environmental law. They can offer valuable insights, suggest potential research topics, and help you refine your ideas. Engaging in discussions with knowledgeable individuals can lead to fresh perspectives and help you choose a research topic aligned with current academic interests.
Balance Complexity and Feasibility : While it’s essential to select a research topic that challenges you intellectually, be mindful of the practical constraints of your project. Ensure that the research topic is feasible within the given time frame and resources. Striking a balance between complexity and feasibility will lead to a well-executed and comprehensive research paper.
Consider Comparative Studies : Comparative studies in environmental law allow you to analyze legal frameworks and their effectiveness in different countries or regions. Investigating how various jurisdictions address similar environmental issues can provide valuable insights and open doors for cross-cultural learning.
Emphasize Interdisciplinary Approaches : Environmental law is inherently interdisciplinary, encompassing elements of science, economics, policy, and ethics. Consider topics that allow you to explore these interdisciplinary connections. For instance, you can investigate the economic impact of environmental regulations, the ethical implications of wildlife conservation policies, or the scientific basis for climate change mitigation strategies.
Evaluate the Policy Implications : Environmental law research often has a policy-oriented focus. Analyze how your chosen research topic aligns with existing policies or how it can influence policy formulation. Understanding the policy implications of your research will add practical significance to your work.
Brainstorm and Refine : Take the time to brainstorm multiple research ideas and then refine them gradually. Discuss your potential topics with peers and instructors to get feedback and suggestions. The iterative process of brainstorming and refining will lead you to a well-defined and compelling research paper topic.

Selecting an environmental law research paper topic is an important and exciting step in your academic journey. By identifying your passion, staying updated with current environmental issues, considering practical implications, and seeking guidance from experts, you can choose a research topic that not only interests you but also contributes meaningfully to the field of environmental law. Remember to balance complexity and feasibility, explore interdisciplinary connections, and evaluate the policy implications of your chosen topic. With thoughtful consideration and dedication, you can embark on a rewarding research endeavor that advances environmental law knowledge and addresses critical environmental challenges.

How to Write an Environmental Law Research Paper

Writing an environmental law research paper requires a systematic approach and a keen understanding of legal concepts, environmental issues, and academic writing conventions. Whether you are a seasoned researcher or a student new to the field, mastering the art of crafting an effective research paper is essential to convey your findings and insights convincingly. Here are ten essential tips to guide you through the process of writing a compelling and well-structured environmental law research paper:

Conduct Thorough Research : Begin your environmental law research paper by conducting in-depth research on your chosen topic. Utilize academic journals, books, reputable websites, and legal databases to gather relevant and credible information. Analyze previous studies, court cases, and legislation related to your topic to develop a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.
Outline Your Paper : Creating a clear and organized outline is fundamental to the success of your research paper. Develop a well-structured outline that includes the introduction, thesis statement, main arguments, supporting evidence, counterarguments, and conclusion. A well-crafted outline will serve as a roadmap, ensuring your paper flows logically and cohesively.
Craft a Strong Introduction : The introduction is the gateway to your research paper. It should provide essential background information on the topic, state the purpose of the study, and present your thesis statement. A compelling introduction captures the reader’s attention and sets the tone for the rest of the paper.
Develop a Strong Thesis Statement : The thesis statement is the central argument of your research paper. It should be clear, concise, and specific, outlining the main point you aim to prove or discuss. Ensure that your thesis statement reflects the scope of your research and aligns with your chosen environmental law topic.
Use Clear and Precise Language : Environmental law research papers require clarity and precision in language. Avoid jargon and use straightforward terms to communicate complex legal concepts and environmental issues. Clearly define any legal terms or specialized vocabulary to ensure your readers understand the content.
Support Your Arguments with Evidence : As you present your main arguments, back them up with relevant and credible evidence. Cite case law, legislation, expert opinions, and empirical data to support your claims. Properly referenced evidence strengthens the credibility of your research and demonstrates your thorough understanding of the subject matter.
Address Counterarguments : Anticipate potential counterarguments to your thesis and address them in your paper. Acknowledging counterarguments and offering thoughtful responses demonstrate critical thinking and strengthen the overall argument of your research paper.
Analyze and Interpret Data : If your research involves data analysis, take the time to interpret the results accurately. Present your findings in a clear and organized manner, using charts, graphs, or tables if necessary. Analyze the implications of your data on environmental law and draw well-supported conclusions.
Discuss Policy and Practical Implications : Environmental law research often involves exploring policy implications. Discuss how your research findings can influence or inform environmental policy, regulation, or legal frameworks. Consider the practical implications of your research and offer recommendations for addressing environmental challenges.
Write a Convincing Conclusion : In your conclusion, summarize the key points of your research and restate your thesis statement. Emphasize the significance of your findings and how they contribute to the broader field of environmental law. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion and end with a thought-provoking final remark.

Writing an environmental law research paper demands careful research, meticulous planning, and effective communication of ideas. By following these ten tips, you can craft a compelling and well-structured research paper that not only showcases your knowledge of environmental law but also makes a valuable contribution to the field. Remember to proofread your paper thoroughly and adhere to citation guidelines to ensure academic integrity. With diligence and attention to detail, you can produce a high-quality environmental law research paper that showcases your expertise and passion for the subject.

iResearchNet’s Custom Research Paper Writing Services

At iResearchNet, we understand the challenges that students face when tasked with writing complex and comprehensive environmental law research papers. As a dedicated academic writing company, we are committed to providing students with high-quality, custom-written research papers that meet their unique requirements and exceed their expectations. Our team of expert writers, all holding advanced degrees in law and related fields, possesses the knowledge and expertise to tackle a wide range of environmental law topics. When you choose iResearchNet’s custom environmental law research paper writing services, you can rest assured that you will receive a well-researched, well-structured, and meticulously crafted paper that aligns with the highest academic standards.

Expert Degree-Holding Writers : Our team of writers consists of legal experts who hold advanced degrees in environmental law and related fields. With their vast knowledge and experience, they can deliver well-informed and authoritative research papers.
Custom Written Works : We believe in the uniqueness of each research paper. Our writers craft every paper from scratch, tailoring it to your specific requirements and ensuring that it is entirely original and plagiarism-free.
In-Depth Research : To provide you with a comprehensive and well-supported environmental law research paper, our writers conduct extensive research using reputable sources and up-to-date academic materials.
Custom Formatting : Our writers are well-versed in various citation styles, including APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, and Harvard. They will format your research paper according to your preferred style or any other specified guidelines.
Top Quality : At iResearchNet, quality is our priority. We aim to deliver research papers that not only meet but exceed your expectations, earning you top grades and accolades from your instructors.
Customized Solutions : We understand that each research paper has unique requirements. Our writers take the time to understand your specific needs and tailor the paper to address your research objectives effectively.
Flexible Pricing : We offer competitive pricing packages to accommodate the budget of every student. Our pricing is transparent, and there are no hidden fees.
Short Deadlines : Facing a tight deadline? Our writers thrive under pressure and can deliver high-quality research papers within three hours, ensuring you never miss a deadline.
Timely Delivery : We understand the importance of timely submissions. With our efficient writing process, you can expect your custom environmental law research paper to be delivered on time, allowing you ample time for review and revisions.
24/7 Support : Our customer support team is available round-the-clock to address your queries, concerns, and provide assistance at any stage of the writing process.
Absolute Privacy : We prioritize your privacy and confidentiality. Your personal information and order details are handled securely, and we never disclose any sensitive information to third parties.
Easy Order Tracking : Stay informed about the progress of your research paper with our user-friendly order tracking system. You can easily communicate with your assigned writer and monitor the status of your paper.
Money-Back Guarantee : We are confident in the quality of our work. If you are not satisfied with the delivered paper, we offer a money-back guarantee to ensure your peace of mind.

Choosing iResearchNet’s custom environmental law research paper writing services is the right step towards achieving academic success. With our team of dedicated writers and comprehensive features, you can submit a well-crafted and thoroughly researched paper that impresses your instructors and earns you the grades you deserve. Let us be your academic partner in the journey of environmental law research and writing, and unlock your true potential with our exceptional services.

Choose iResearchNet for Your Research Paper!

Are you ready to take your environmental law research to new heights? Unlock the full potential of your academic journey with iResearchNet’s unparalleled writing services. Our team of expert writers, well-versed in the intricacies of environmental law, is eager to assist you in crafting a compelling and well-researched research paper that stands out from the rest.

Whether you are struggling to choose a topic, need guidance on structuring your paper, or facing a tight deadline, we have the solutions to all your academic challenges. By entrusting your environmental law research paper to our skilled professionals, you gain access to a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will undoubtedly elevate the quality and impact of your work.

Don’t let the challenges of environmental law research hinder your academic progress. Embrace the opportunity to work with iResearchNet and experience the difference that expert assistance can make. Unlock the full potential of your environmental law research and set yourself on the path to academic success. Place your order today and take the first step towards achieving your academic goals!

ORDER HIGH QUALITY CUSTOM PAPER

Analysing a private city being built from scratch through a social and environmental justice framework: A research agenda

Moser, Sarah
Avni, Nufar

A growing body of scholarship examines new cities being built from scratch that are developed and governed by the private sector. While this scholarship explores discourse and rhetoric, economic objectives, and some social and environmental impacts of new private cities, scholars to date have not taken a social or environmental justice approach to analysing new city projects. In this article we examine Forest City, a private city project being built on artificial islands off the coast of Malaysia by one of China's largest property development companies, and its unique governance and claims to being 'eco', despite the significant environmental damage it has caused. Intended as a lush and exclusive gated enclave for Chinese nationals, Forest City is a productive case study through which to consider the consequences of a private city using the frameworks of social and environmental justice. We suggest more critical research that engages with social and environmental justice is needed on the many emerging projects branded as eco-cities of the future, a troubling claim that signals a growing normalisation of mega-scale privatisation and loose or absent regulations regarding social inclusivity and environmental protection.

Environmental Protection Law and Policy in India

17 Pages Posted: 17 May 2013

Suneet Kumar Dwivedi

Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law Punjab

Pradip Kashyap

Date Written: May 16, 2013

Word "environment" is most commonly used describing "natural" environment and means the sum of all living and non-living things that surround an organism, or group of organisms. Environment includes all elements, factors, and conditions that have some impact on growth and development of certain organism. Environment includes both biotic and a-biotic factors that have influence on observed organism. The research work is based on the data collected by the secondary sources such as Books, Articles, Journals and Newspapers the collected has been analyzed through suitable techniques at different places. This paper deals with various aspects of environmental protection law and policy in India such as Causes, sources and effects of environmental pollution, various legislation for protection of environment, Role of Indian Judiciary in Environmental Protection etc.

Keywords: Pollution, Pollutant, Environment, Atmosphere, Policy

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Suneet Kumar Dwivedi (Contact Author)

Rajiv gandhi national university of law punjab ( email ).

Sidhuwal - Bhadson Road Patiala, Punjab 147001 India

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics, related ejournals, sustainability & economics ejournal.

Subscribe to this fee journal for more curated articles on this topic

Environmental Economics eJournal

Law, international affairs & csr ejournal, development economics: agriculture, natural resources, & environmental impact ejournal, india law ejournal, environmental law & policy ejournal, political economy - development: environment ejournal.

Warning: The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function. more...

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Publications
Account settings
Browse Titles

NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine ; Division on Earth and Life Studies ; Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology ; Committee on the Review of Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Grants Program .

Environmental research has driven landmark improvements that led to the protection of human and ecosystem health. Recognizing the value of knowledge generated by environmental research and the ingenuity within academic and nonprofit institutions, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a program known as Science to Achieve Results, or STAR, in 1995. STAR is EPA's primary competitive extramural grants program.

A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program assesses the program's scientific merit, public benefits, and overall contributions in the context of other relevant research and recommends ways to enhance those aspects of the program. This report also considers the conclusions and recommendations of a prior National Research Council review of the STAR program (2003), the STAR program's research priorities in light of the nation's environmental challenges, and the effects of recent STAR funding trends on obtaining scientific information needed to protect public health and the environment.

Collapse All
The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
C OMMITTEE ON THE R EVIEW OF EPA' S S CIENCE T O A CHIEVE R ESULTS R ESEARCH G RANTS P ROGRAM
B OARD ON E NVIRONMENTAL S TUDIES AND T OXICOLOGY
THE COMMITTEE'S REVIEW
SCIENTIFIC MERIT
PUBLIC BENEFITS
ADDRESSING EPA'S PRIORITY SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS
CONCLUSIONS
FUNDING OF THE SCIENCE TO ACHIEVE RESULTS PROGRAM
THE COMPONENTS OF THE SCIENCE TO ACHIEVE RESULTS PROGRAM
SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS REVIEWS OF THE SCIENCE TO ACHIEVE RESULTS PROGRAM
THE CURRENT REVIEW
THE COMMITTEE'S APPROACH
PRIORITY-SETTING
FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS
PROPOSAL REVIEW AND AWARDING OF GRANTS
GRANT AWARD RATE
COMMITTEE'S EVALUATION
DISTINCTIVE NATURE OF SCIENCE TO ACHIEVE RESULTS RESEARCH
RESEARCH PRIORITIES
Appendix A. Biographical Information of the Committee on the Review of EPA's Science to Achieve Results Research Grants Program
Appendix B. Summary of the Previous Reviews of the Science to Achieve Results Program
Appendix C. Assignment of Science to Achieve Results Request for Applications to Scientific Domains
Appendix D. Assignment of Highly Cited Science to Achieve Results–Funded Papers to Scientific Domains

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/24757.

Cite this Page National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Division on Earth and Life Studies; Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology; Committee on the Review of Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Grants Program. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2017 Jun 15. doi: 10.17226/24757
PDF version of this title (9.0M)

Related information

NLM Catalog Related NLM Catalog Entries

Recent Activity

A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Res... A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

Connect with NLM

National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20894

Web Policies FOIA HHS Vulnerability Disclosure

Help Accessibility Careers