This week we meet with Mrs. Associate Professor Nicoleta Brișan, PhD, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca.
Mrs. Nicoleta Brișan is one of the most famous geologists in Transylvania. He is a person very involved in environmental science and engineering projects. He carries out numerous extracurricular activities, learns and involves students in projects that combine science with environmental protection.
The period of isolation seen through the eyes of Mrs. Brișan:
ECOLOGICAL:What activities did you carry out during this period spent at home?
Nicoleta Brișan: The activity carried out at home had a professional character, Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, the institution in which I carry out my activity, constantly carrying out, at the best standards, the current academic and administrative activities. This, for us, the academic community, meant a continuous process of adaptation, finding the most effective solutions for organizing and conducting online teaching activities and then implementing them to complete the teaching process, assess students and conduct undergraduate and dissertation exams. I did that but it wasn't easy at all! Throughout this period I also had responsibilities regarding the academic management within the faculty, thus being permanently connected to the student needs, the interaction with the teaching, research and auxiliary staff, in order to ensure the continuity and coherence of the activities carried out within the faculty.
The period was also conducive to drawing up future plans for interaction with society, targeting both the pre-university educational environment and the Cluj community (but not only!). We analyzed and identified new opportunities for collaboration in this regard but also the continuation of some already traditional actions, such as those carried out in partnership with ECOTIC.
In addition to professional activities, I also "reactivated" important aspects for me that belong to the family and that, in recent years, due to the profession, have been much less present in my life.
ECOTIC: What do you think were the benefits for the environment during this period?
Nicoleta Brișan: The reduction of industrial activities, the reduction of transport, due to the measures of social restrictions, have led to a decrease of atmospheric emissions and implicitly to an increase, improvement of air quality. Thus, the emissions of carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides but also material particles, dust, have been considerably reduced, which, unfortunately, are expected to return to normal.
Also against the background of the reduction of industrial activities, the amount of waste generated by industrial operators decreased, but in this area of waste there were also significant quantitative increases due to online commercial activities but also additional measures to protect against coronavirus (eg additional packaging). in supermarkets).
The decrease in anthropogenic pressure on some ecosystems has led to beneficial effects on the living things that populate them.
ECOTIC: How did this period impact you? Personally, but also professionally.
Nicoleta Brișan: From the beginning, I rationally referred to isolation and tried to approach it as a challenge that I have to face and that I have to use for the benefit of myself, my family and those with whom I interact. I was worried about the existing situation but I never panicked, maybe sometimes I was unhappy but I did not feel angry and I was confident that the decisions taken are based on scientific realities and fair value judgments. Most acutely I felt the lack of direct interaction with people, I being a communicative and sociable person.
Against the background of adapting my activity to online, I developed skills such as using technology (mobile, online), I did activities that I generally enjoy (gardening, watching documentaries about nature, reading, etc.). In the family, we "benefited" much more from each other, constantly interacting and performing various activities together.
ECOTIC: Have you decided to change something in your daily work, related to environmental protection?
Nicoleta Brișan: A change of attitude is always desirable in the sense of reducing, as much as possible, the impacts that contribute to the deterioration of the quality of the environment. Maybe more than ever, now with a real case study that showed us the clear dependence between our work and the quality of environmental factors, we should be more cautious about using the car, for example, or more careful. to the impact that our presence can have on ecosystems. Let's think more about what lies in our power regarding the amount of waste generated and get each one involved in raising awareness about environmental issues.
We thank the esteemed Mrs. Nicoleta Brișan for the time given and the shared thoughts.