• Energy Research
• 13. Climate action close
• 12. Responsible consumption close
• RU close

Is it true that a nuclear technology approach to generate electric energy offers a clean, safe, reliable and affordable, i.e., sustainable option? In principle yes, however a technology impact on the environment strongly depends on the actual implementation bearing residual risks due to technical failures, human factors, or natural catastrophes. A full response is thus difficult and can be given first when the wicked multi-disciplinary issues get well formulated and “resolved”. These problems are lying at the interface between: the necessary R&D effort, the industrial deployment and the technology impact in view of the environmental sustainability including the management of produced hazardous waste. As such, this problem is clearly of multi-dimensional nature. This enormous complexity indicates that just a description of the problem might cause a dilemma. The paper proposes a novel holistic approach applying Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis to assess the potential of nuclear energy systems with respect to a sustainable performance. It shows how to establish a multi-level criteria structure tree and examines the trading-off techniques for scoring and ranking of options. The presented framework allows multi-criteria and multi-group treatment. The methodology can be applied to support any pre-decisional process launched in a country to find the best nuclear and/or non-nuclear option according to national preferences and priorities. The approach addresses major aspects of the environmental footprint of nuclear energy systems. As a case study, advanced nuclear fuel cycles are analyzed, which were previously investigated by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA/OECD) expert group WASTEMAN. Sustainability facets of waste management, resource utilization and economics are in focus.

Purpose: The aim of this work is the operational electrophysical method of the control for contamination and purification of soil from oil products and the identification of changes in the soil properties in electrochemical processing to determine rational modes of processing.Methods: Investigations are performed on the laboratory setup including the two -electrode scheme of electric treatment of the artificially polluted soil .The setup is equipped with a system of micro sensors of specific electrical resistance. Traditional laboratory tests are used to determine the physical and mechanical properties of soils. The possibility of control for soil purification by electrochemical method using a system of continuous operational geophysical monitoring is considered.Results: Changes in the physical properties of contaminated soils are experimentally confirmed when exposed to the electric current. A physical model is created for coagulation of oil products in pores during the electrical processing. It increases the amount of sand and clay components with changes in the electrical resistance of soil. The physical processes in the clean and polluted soil are compared. It is shown that when electric current passes through contaminated soils, oil products in pores transfer to a solid, less toxic state, which leads to a change in the specific electrical soil resistance throughout the zone processed. This pattern should be used to control soil decontamination.

The object of the study is the water supply and sanitation system of an industrial enterprise. Currently, many enterprises do not use the treated industrial waste water in the water supply cycle. Therefore, the use of treated wastewater is of practical importance. The scheme of thermal treatment of waste water for obtaining pure condensate by evaporation is proposed. The main results of the study are the technical solution for the development of the enterprise's wastewater treatment complex. Pure condensate is obtained in an instant boiling evaporator. The research method is based on the calculation of energy costs in wastewater treatment for different types of waste water. The results of the study allow us to determine the optimal set of energy equipment for obtaining pure condensate and its further use. The specific practical significance lies in the development of a technical solution that helps the treatment of wastewater and the reduction of emissions into the water basin.

The aim of the study - identification of factors that ensure the vital activity of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North in the Arctic, as well as the analysis of their impact on the preservation and development of the ethnic group. Identifying problems and assessing the prospects for the development of indigenous people consists of 3 stages: analysis of foreign and domestic sources, the results of scientific research teams; systematization of statistical data, including information on the dynamics of the development of indigenous people (number, employment in traditional activities); the impact assessing of legal, economic and social factors on the preservation and development of indigenous people. A comprehensive analysis of a wide range of legal, economic and social problems of ensuring the traditional life of indigenous people within the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF) has shown the need to improve legislative, financial and managerial actions to preserve them as a specific community, adapted to the extremely severe conditions of permanent residence beyond the Arctic Circle and as a unique phenogenotype, whose activity is closely conjugated with the environmental state of the macroregion and in fact is entirely dependent on it. The exclusive role of indigenous peoples in preserving the natural complexes of the Arctic in the 21st century for future generations was emphasized. Under the conditions of proliferation of technogenic and anthropogenic burden on the natural complexes of the macroregion, associated with the intensive development of fuel and power resources, deposits of rare and precious metals, development of coastal transport infrastructure and a multiple increase in the population in the Russian Arctic with a creation of "stronghold areas" the threat of the indigenous peoples' disappearance appeared (Enets - about 200 people remain and less than 100 people - the Votes). Under the conditions of a large-scale, integral impact of man-made, anthropogenic and climatic factors on indigenous communities in the Arctic, their life environment and traditional management the need for urgent adoption of a complex of specific and targeted legal, economic and social measures aimed at ensuring and preserving their livelihoods is obvious.

Although nitrogen (N) is the most limiting nutrient for agricultural production, its overuse is associated with environmental pollution, increased concentration of greenhouse gases, and several human and animal health implications. These implications are greatly affected by biochemical transformations and losses of N such as volatilization, leaching, runoff, and denitrification. Half of the globally produced N fertilizers are used to grow three major cereals—rice, wheat, and maize—and their current level of N recovery is approximately 30–50%. The continuously increasing application of N fertilizers, despite lower recovery of cereals, can further intensify the environmental and health implications of leftover N. To address these implications, the improvement in N use efficiency (NUE) by adopting efficient agronomic practices and modern breeding and biotechnological tools for developing N efficient cultivars requires immediate attention. Conventional and marker-assisted selection methods can be used to map quantitative trait loci, and their introgression in elite germplasm leads to the creation of cultivars with better NUE. Moreover, gene-editing technology gives the opportunity to develop high-yielding cultivars with improved N utilization capacity. The most reliable and cheap methods include agronomic practices such as site-specific N management, enhanced use efficiency fertilizers, resource conservation practices, precision farming, and nano-fertilizers that can help farmers to reduce the environmental losses of N from the soil–plant system, thus improving NUE. Our review illuminates insights into recent advances in local and scientific soil and crop management technologies, along with conventional and modern breeding technologies on how to increase NUE that can help reduce linked N pollution and health implications.

Nowadays, most countries of the world are implementing the transition to the low-carbon economy which implies the need to carry out a full-scale eco-modernization of the energy sector. Green energy may be identified as one of the core concerns of energy sector modernization as it allows a considerable decrease in emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Therefore, nuclear and renewable energy may become key areas of global energy development in the near future, which is also in agreement with circular economy concepts. However, public opinion (and other controversial visions/aspects) is one of the barriers to their development. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between attitudes towards nuclear and renewable energy in two countries: a EU country (Italy) and a non-EU country (Russia), considering the level of their development. The authors conducted a survey among residents regarding their attitude towards nuclear and renewable energy, as well as their attitude to the present energy policy. The cluster analysis technique was used to analyze the results. The obtained results confirmed the dependence between the level of development of nuclear and renewable energy and the public attitude towards it. The national energy policy also might influence public opinion on the development of nuclear or renewable energy. The authors identified public attitude as one of the key factors in the development of energy and the achievement of environmental and social sustainability.

Advances in the phenology of organisms are often attributed to climate change, but alternatively, may reflect a publication bias towards advances and may be caused by environmental factors unrelated to climate change. Both factors are investigated using the breeding dates of 25 long-term studied populations of Ficedula flycatchers across Europe. Trends in spring temperature varied markedly between study sites, and across populations the advancement of laying date was stronger in areas where the spring temperatures increased more, giving support to the theory that climate change causally affects breeding date advancement.