The so-called 'soft factors' are playing an increasing role in urban planning. Alternative strategies based on these can include bottom-up initiatives in which citizens intend to find solutions to noise-related problems in their settlement through their participation and in accordance with their requirements. This paper intends to give a brief introduction to the role of individuals regarding their participation in such programmes, based on the literature available and the results of a questionnaire survey carried out in the Town of Debrecen (East Hungary). The results of the survey indicated that the overall picture of the residents' opinions on noise pollution is rather contradictory: they basically seem to perceive the impacts and the relevance of this issue, however, in general, the respondents did not recognise their own roles in resolving the problem itselfneither as 'polluters' nor as 'endurers'.

Biomass energy sources are the most promising, and most heavily subsidized renewable energy sources. The future of biomass energy in the global energy system depends on on many major factors, among others on the attitude of society to the biomass energy and the renewable energy resources. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the opportunities of utilization of biomass energy sources giving example of a Hungarian study area furthermore to study the public acceptance of renewable energy sources in a certain region. The study aims to explore the general knowledge, innovative attitude, acceptance and willingness of application as well as the estimation of the benefits of the use of RES within the inhabitants. Data collection has carried out by primary (questionnaire survey) and secondary ways in order to gain deep information from the target group (local people). The conclusion we can drawn from the analysis is that society take the biomass energy into consideration and its importance and responsibility is increasing. As far as the consciousness is concerned, the knowledge and the environmental friendly approach of inhabitants are also sufficient.

The presence of the fern species Anogramma leptophylla was detected in the Zemplei ME Hungary) in 1991. The species was known neither from the country nor from th whole Carpatho-Pannonian Region (also known as Carpathian Basin) previously. Its habital situated on a roadside bank, cut into an unstable rhyolite surface, above the valley of the Cree Kemence near the village of Palhaza. The fern is a cosmopolitan taxon restricted to humi -nd is considered to be an oceanic-sub ien t in Europe. Th ungary is located more than 1000 km from the closest populations, thus, this is on

As a consequence of the rapid growth of the tourism sector, special emphasis is placed on destinations and tourism products connected to or based on certain physical and environmental factors. However, the negative environmental consequences of tourism are, in many cases, overemphasised to the social and/or economic elements of sustainable development. Thus, it is important to find an adequate balance of the elements mentioned above within tourism development in order to achieve an optimal way of fulfilling all requirements of sustainable development. In order to do this, a potential method is introduced by applying the Sustainability Value Map, developed originally for buildings and urban development projects, to the evaluation of sustainable tourism products. This method gives rise to further questions concerning the selection of the right set of indicators and the importance of local or regional issues. Using it as a tool, it may promote the process of holistic tourism planning and development.

Alterations in topography due to the construction of transport infrastructure and industrial development are the results of rather complex processes. The impact of transport constructions upsetting (topographic) equilibrium is manifested in a relatively narrow strip, and, mostly, through producing abnormally steep slopes, in reducing relief stability. The earthworks for transport routes are themselves also landscape-forming factors whereas in the case of industrial developments, planation is usually mentioned. Topographic changes related to the construction of transport infrastructure and industrial development are discussed historically in this chapter. Among the direct impacts of the first are those related to the construction of Roman and Medieval roads, hollow roads in loess, public roads, motorways, railways, canals, tunnels and airports; while of the second are those of early mining and metallurgy, cellars, sludge reservoirs, slag cones and fly-ash reservoirs, cooling ponds, industrial parks, shopping centres and waste disposal sites. Of the indirect ones, an introduction is given to impacts of surface sealing, changes in runoff, the 'waterfall effect,' as well as to environmental impacts under permafrost conditions. Keywords Transport infrastructure construction and industrial developmentAlterations in topography due to the construction of transport infrastructure and industrial development are the results of rather complex processes, and consequently they might be linked to or overlapped with other chapters of this book (with water management, urban processes, mining). The impact of transport constructions upsetting (to- * E-mail: davidlo@karolyrobert.hu pographic) equilibrium is manifested in a relatively narrow strip, and, mostly, through producing abnormally steep slopes, in reducing relief stability. The earthworks for transport routes are themselves landscape-forming factors and, in addition, indirectly influence geomorphic and microclimate-forming processes [1]. In the case of industrial developments, planation is usually mentioned. Changes in the anthropogenic relief related to the construction of transport infrastructure and industrial development are discussed below in a historical order.