Water is regarded as the most critical natural resource in Idaho, with drinking water identified as its most essential aspect. To assess public perceptions and evaluations of drinking water quality, a survey instrument was developed and distributed to Idaho residents over the past 35 years. Key areas of focus included the safety of home drinking water, the use of in-home water filters, consumption of bottled water, frequency of water testing, and concerns about potential pollutants. Surveys were administered in 1988, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2018, and 2022, with findings indicating a gradual decline in perceived drinking water safety, from 90.2% in 1988 to 80.2% in 2022. The use of in-home water filtration systems increased significantly, rising from 16.2% in 1988 to 29.7% in 2022, potentially driven by extensive advertising campaigns rather than increased contamination concerns. Bottled water usage peaked at 33% in 2010 but has since declined to less than 11% in 2022, a trend attributed to heightened public awareness of tap water safety and environmental concerns related to plastic waste. No significant long-term patterns in water testing were observed, although rural residents, who rely on private wells, were more likely to test their water due to the absence of regular testing requirements. Hard water (with a high content of Ca and/or Mg) emerged as the primary contaminant identified by respondents, with no other significant pollutants widely reported. These findings offer valuable insights into shifting public perceptions of water quality and the factors influencing household water consumption practices in Idaho over the last three decades.
To accelerate the exchange of water rights between regions and address the uneven costs of water resource ecological protection among different districts in urban areas, it is essential to make an analysis of regional water resource ecological compensation responsibilities. Establishing a rational standard for ecological compensation based on water resources remains a key method for quantifying the ecological value of water resources. In this study, all districts within a national central city in southwestern China were divided into four functional zones as the research subjects. The water resource ecological footprint method was employed to calculate the water ecological footprint of each zone. The ecological carrying capacity was utilized as the benchmark to determine the water resource ecological deficit or surplus, and the corresponding ecological monetary value of water resources was estimated. The results indicated that the city, as a whole, exhibited a water resource ecological surplus, with a monetary value of 5.088 billion CNY. The western zone, a key urban development area, recorded the highest water resource ecological footprint and the largest ecological deficit. In contrast, the northeastern zone, abundant in water resources, presented the highest water resource ecological surplus, with a monetary value of 9.196 billion CNY. Compensation amounts for the central-eastern and western zones were calculated as 4.169 billion and 7.661 billion CNY, respectively. These findings align with the local water resources' sustainable utilization conditions. The relationship between regional economic development, water conservation, and sustainable development was further analyzed in this study, proposing a water resource ecological compensation model with certain districts and counties as beneficiaries.
The rise of advanced digital technologies (ADT) within Industry 4.0 has transformed modern industrial operations, with select industry leaders emerging as pioneers in the integration of these technologies. This has positioned them as benchmarks for companies with limited digital capabilities. The vulnerabilities of Industry 4.0 to external disruptions, including natural disasters such as the earthquakes in Japan and Turkey, the COVID-19 pandemic, and especially the ongoing energy crises, exemplified by the war in Ukraine and sanctions on the Russian Federation, have necessitated a shift in business continuity management (BCM) strategies. Traditionally focused on safeguarding information technologies, BCM now places greater emphasis on ensuring energy independence and reducing reliance on state-controlled critical infrastructure. In response to these risks, enterprises are increasingly adopting resilient production models designed to restore functionality after cyberattacks, solar flares, extended power outages, and internet disruptions. The journey toward energy independence spans from initial recognition of the need for action to the implementation of robust solutions, such as Faraday cages for server protection and off-grid energy systems. While rare a decade ago, energy-independent enterprises are becoming more common, as illustrated by the copper smelter in Sevojno, a pioneering example. The acceleration of energy independence among companies has been driven by a series of crises, prompting significant BCM advancements. Early responses to these threats primarily focused on information technology (IT) disaster management methodologies, but Industry 4.0 discussions have evolved toward risk-resilient production systems. This study explores theoretical approaches to enhancing enterprise resilience to modern energy challenges, offering insight into emerging strategies aimed at safeguarding continuity in an increasingly volatile global landscape.
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the intersections between environmental issues, poverty, and the role of new media, including social media, over the period from 2016 to 2022. By conducting a systematic literature review combined with a bibliometric analysis of keyword co-occurrence, insights into the thematic focus and development trends within these domains were offered. Data were extracted from 46 articles indexed in the Scopus database, identified through the search criteria “environment” AND “poverty” OR in titles, abstracts, and keywords that contain the terms “news” AND “media.” Analysis was conducted using VOSviewer v.1.6.18, revealing four prominent research streams within this multidisciplinary intersection: (1) the relationships among population dynamics, poverty, and environmental degradation; (2) examination of factors influencing environmental degradation and the areas most affected; (3) environmental policy frameworks and the processes involved in policy decision-making; and (4) risk mitigation in environmental policy, with a focus on inclusive economic development. This bibliometric analysis contributes to a refined categorization of existing literature and provides a framework for future research trajectories. By tracking the evolution of publications within each identified research stream over the past seven years, four key research questions were proposed to further explore these critical intersections. The findings aim to enhance scholarly understanding of the complex interdependencies among environmental challenges, poverty alleviation, and the transformative impact of media in the digital era.
With the growing prominence of environmental issues, sustainable development has become a global consensus. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors have emerged as key focal points for companies and their stakeholders. Using a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2022, a comprehensive indicator of attention was constructed from a stakeholder perspective to examine the interactions and mechanisms among ESG quality, attention, and enterprise value. Findings indicate that enhanced ESG performance significantly contributes to increased enterprise value, with attention serving as a critical mediating factor in the relationship between ESG performance and enterprise value. Furthermore, notable differences were observed in this process based on firm ownership, with ESG performance exerting a more substantial impact on enterprise value within state-owned enterprises. These insights offer valuable perspectives for companies on how to leverage improved ESG performance to enhance enterprise value.
Open Access
Journal Metrics
Journal Overview
Associated Journals