The Constitutional Transformation and a Threat of the Environment in Poland

doi:10.4236/jep.2011.24044

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Journal of Environmental Protection, 2011, 2, 395-398

doi: 10.4236/jep.2011.24044 Published Online June 2011 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/jep)

395

The Constitutional Transformation and a Threat

of the Environment in Poland

Krzysztof R. Mazurski

The Wrocław University of Technology, Wrocław, Poland.

Email: [email protected]

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,

The Constitutional Transformation and a Threat of the Environment in Poland

396

 the accumulation of industrial waste in thousands

Mg/km2.

Above parameters do not picture the whole of the

threat and do not include whole emission of particular

factors, for example related to a communication or to a

housekeeping. Their use was limited by a set of officially

published statistical data and their unbroken series. This

was impossible also to state synergic relationships among

them, though the statistical correlation factor appears

most strongly in reference to the population density, be-

ing square with common sense too. The author is con-

scious also that results of direct observations should be

treated too with some caution, as there is a lack of a cali-

bration of many measuring instruments, a manipulation

in a data recording, a variable quantity of registered

sources of emission and so on [8]. The emission itself is

not effective also like a real imission.

The next step has included a use of such statistical

method which would be able to make an aggregation of

heteronymous parameters. As a choice Hellwig's method

was chosen [9]. It relies on the statistical definition of a

taxonomic distance between the adopted value-average,

median et caetera, and real values from a taken popula-

tion and a settlement of the final value for this population.

Then it behaves to the aggregation of the value for all

populations of the data taken into account. The final

value is closed in the compartment +1 and –1—at the

regard of destimulants, what is easy for the expression in

percentages and helps to interpret the state of threat to

natural environment. For the first time Hellwig's method

was applied by author for the quantitative evaluation of

live conditions in so called areas of the ecological threat

—then the abbreviation AET was used, in Poland in

1992 [10]. This has brought interesting and promising

results which showed the diverse degree of such threat,

and then—different tendencies of a change of the syn-

thetic indicator of threat SIT in time, just in years

1982-1992 [11]. Namely, for example, the fall was shown

in the Turoszów AET at 48.53% down to 39.29% when

the growth in the Legnica AET from 43.74% down to

51.11%. The indicator renders so both a spatial dynamics,

and a time one as well. This has engaged presentings of

SIT on the world arena also [12].

3. Results and Analysis

Basing on adopted premises it was decided to check,

whether a change of the system—called the transforma-

tion or transition, has affected a state of threat on Po-

land's nature. For that purpose the continuation of earlier

researches was used. They showed for example that the

threat by negative anthropic pressure had increased in

years 1986-1989 from the level 13.72% up to 14.29%

[13]. For further calculations the same parameters have

been used. Results are visible in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Changes of synthetic index of threat SIT in percentage for Poland during the years 1979-2009.

The Constitutional Transformation and a Threat of the Environment in Poland397

It is possible to mark off several characteristic phases

with the formation of the SIT value. The first phase

shows a rapid decrease until 1982—till about 7.5%. The

explanation stays in the serious economic crisis which

was initiated at the end of the 1970s, and with the com-

mencement of the wide strike wave as an expression of

the rebellion to the governing party. After its suppression

in the way of the war state—being kept since the end of

1981 until mid-1983, the Polish economy increased its

efficiency, which meant too the increase of emission of

threats to natural environment. This can be called “the

last paroxysm of the socialist economy”. The next phase

—the fall of SIT, was joined with the commencement of

the modernization of Polish industry, and with the liqui-

dation of many works. The second half of the 1990s

brought new investments and the growth of production,

what at once appeared with the following culmination of

SIT. The liquidation of outdated technologies and grow-

ing protection requirements of the natural environment

have led to the reduction of negative anthropic pressure

and its stabilization on level lower by about 7.5% in

comparison to 1979. In spite of the revealed culminations

of SIT, changes are generally small, because the standard

deviation for the period 1979-2009 amounts only 0.042%.

The 2009 SIT implicates following data:

 the population density 122 P/km2,

 the emission of untreated sewage 4.2 ths. m3/km2,

 the emission of industrial dusts 1.34 Mg/km2,

 the emission of industrial gases 10.4 Mg/km2,

 accumulated industrial waste 5.52 Mg/km2.

The question then has appeared, whether the transfor-

mation influenced on SIT—which points the state of

threat to natural environment, by changes in financial

inputs on the environment protection. It could be inter-

preted also as the effect of a greater self-governing of the

society and the transformation of the approach of au-

thorities to the importance of a environment quality for

life standards of the nation. Figure 2 shows the lack of

the statistical relationship between SIT and with inputs

on the environment protection.

The lack of the dependence is seen also in the high

standard deviation 3.489 bln. PLN/circa 1.25 bln. USD,

when the maximum of inputs appeared in 2007 - 39.7 bln.

PLN, afterwards they began to fall. It is necessary to no-

tice that into the composition of these inputs among other

such things go like expenses on a flood protection, water

retention, ecological education and so on, so not bringing

direct effects, which would have been joining with the

counted SIT.

4. Conclusions

In spite of notified limitations, SIT method effectively

pictures changes in the state of nature threat in relation to

changes of the Poland’s economy. This is a useful indi-

cator which permits to apply a possibly objective proce-

dure of the analysis in a dynamic seizure in time and

space. It is suitable so for comparative application among

different countries. The accomplished analysis showed at

Figure 2. Changes of synthetic index of threat SIT vs. Polish inputs on nature protection during years 2000-2009. Seria

1:Value of SIT in percentage, Seria 2: inputs in bln. PLN.

The Constitutional Transformation and a Threat of the Environment in Poland

398

the same time a significant fall of the degree of negative

anthopic pressure and its stabilization during the recent

years.

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