Journal of Environmental Protection, 2011, 2, 395-398
doi: 10.4236/jep.2011.24044 Published Online June 2011 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/jep)
Copyright © 2011 SciRes. JEP
395
The Constitutional Transformation and a Threat
of the Environment in Poland
Krzysztof R. Mazurski
The Wrocław University of Technology, Wrocław, Poland.
Email: mazurski@wr.onet.pl
Received February 15th, 2011; revised March 27th, 2011; accepted May 7th, 2011.
ABSTRACT
The article concerns a problem of the quantitative seizure of a threat to natural environment. Applied taxonomic
method—leading to so called synthetic index of threat and basing on earlier tests, showed the large usefulness for
analyses in time and space. Additionally, it was undertaken analysis of connections with economic-political situation in
Poland as a result of the constitutional transformation after 1989. It was found that the intensity of anthropic pressure
had clearly decreased, but this does not have the statistical relationship with the variable size of inputs for the envi-
ronment protection.
Keywords: Environment, Measures, Th reat , Transformation, Poland
1. Introduction
The negative influence of industry is generally regarded
as a basic factor of negative anthropic pressure on natural
environment. The problem has been eased in many coun-
tries while remaining a serious concern in some of the
largest e.g. China, which develops its industry at heavy
environmental cost [1]. Presumably this follows the
Marxist idea that such matters are unimportant and the
environment has no economic value. So the natural en-
vironment has been exploited without concern over
negative results [2], but neglect of the such dangers has
caused serious problems for many societies.
Events in Poland in 1980 initiated the process which
led to the disintegration of the Soviet camp and the com-
mencement of deep transformations regarding the politi-
cal and economic system. As a result Poland has begun a
shaping of a democratic system and a free-market econ-
omy since 1989 [3]. Thereby the interesting question
appears, whether the transformation—leading a real au-
thority to the society in the system of territorial self-
governments, contributed to the improvement of the
situation within a state of the environment. For that pur-
pose investigations, carried out for the decline of the so-
cialist period in Poland, were used for the trend analysis
in the formation of the synthetic indicator of threat—fur-
ther being cited as SIT, which refers to the natural envi-
ronment of any particular country.
2. Research Methodology
Generally it should be found, that there is a fundamental
difficulty over the objective indicators to be applied in
order to ensure comparability. The answer indicates
quantitative parameters. This brings following matters, as
following:
which features of the threat should be used,
how to lead to their comparability to the fact of an
expression of parameters in different physical units.
Our database has used the published resources of the
Polish Statistical Head Office (GUS) available since
1979. In reference to the state of environment one can
speak about stimulants and destimulants, with the latter
relating to threats. It was necessary to use the same cal-
culation methods and indices to get exactly comparable
results. The basic step has included a choosing procedure
of such parameters which are conspicuous with a value
above the significance level. Weaver's method [4] was
applied for that purpose, but after its simplification and
making real by K. Doi [5]. Finally some modifications
were accepted, introduced by K. Bielecka [6]. This was
tied in with an assignment of weights to the parameters
appropriate to the relevant locations [7]. The following
parameters were used:
the population density in persons /km2,
the emission of untreated sewage in 0,1 ths. m3/km2,
the emission of industrial dusts in thousands Mg/km2,
the emission of industrial gases in thousands Mg/km2,