ENVIRONMENT DEGRADATION- INTRODUCTION, CAUSES, RENEWABLE AND NON RENEWABLE ENERGY

 INTRODUCTION

Environmental degradation has become a “common concern” for humankind over the past few decades. The distinctive nature of the present environmental problems is that they are caused more by anthropogenic than natural phenomena.

Mindless consumerism and economic growth have started to demonstrate pernicious effects on Mother Nature. In spite of this, the pace and desire for economic development have never ceased.

It is economics that has dictated environmental policy. Emphasis has been placed on the role of science and technology as a catalyst for integrating ecology with economics.

In this process, sustainable development became a buzzword. This concluding chapter delves into the philosophy behind the concept of green/clean development.

 It argues that the concept of green/clean development is a result of an understanding that is primarily driven by economic objectives

EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT DEGRADATION

1.     Impact on human health:

Human health might be at the receiving end as a result of environmental degradation. Areas exposed to toxic air pollutants can cause respiratory problems like pneumonia and asthma. Millions of people are known to have died due to the indirect effects of air pollution.

2.     Loss of Biodiversity:

 Biodiversity is important for maintaining the balance of the ecosystem in the form of combating pollution, restoring nutrients, protecting water sources and stabilizing climate. Deforestation, global warming, overpopulation and pollution are a few of the major causes of loss of biodiversity.

3.     Loss of fertile soil:

International environment concerns frequently focus on large-scale problems such as desertification or global warming. However, vulnerable groups, such as impoverished people living in marginal areas, are more concerned with local issues; they may worry about the loss of rangeland, soil erosion, or the need for more intensive farming.

4.     Declining fresh water resources:

 Global fresh water resources are threatening by rising demands of growing population from many quarters. Growing population need ever more water for drinking, hygiene, sanitation, food production and industry.

5. Increasing future environment risks:

• Lack of adequate farmland to grow crops, leads to food shortages.

• Increased global hunger as population increases and food production slow    down.

• Fresh water scarcity due to global warming and pollution.

 • Regional wars over scare natural resources such as food, water and land.

 

AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT DEGRADATION

 • During the twentieth century, agriculturally productive land has been extensively modified to make it even more productive.

• It includes the widespread use during the twentieth century of chemical fertilizers pesticides, and extensive irrigation.

 • Modern agriculture has been able to produce and enormous amount of food. Intensive agriculture is able to produce more food per hectare, but increases the need for fresh water and chemicals for pesticides and fertilizers.

• High yield corps in monoculture are more susceptible to insect infestations and disease than traditionally farmed crops. High-yield agriculture practices can also be lead to erosion, and thus a further loss of topsoil.

• Forests suffer from similar pressures. Trees are harvested for timber and pulp. Land is cleared for agriculture.

• Grasslands have also been extensively modified and in many areas suffering from desertification.

• As a consequence, there are significant losses of productivity in agriculture and forest lands form over cultivation, overgrazing, desertification, and deforestation around the world.

THE POPULATION FACTOR

• The human population is expected to continue to grow rapidly during the twenty-first century. As it does, many of the environmental resources on which humans depend are being degraded.

• Ordinary human activity form even the most responsible individual inevitably pollutes and degrades the environment to some extent.

• We degrade the environment directly when we consume resources( For example burning wood) and indirectly when we extract resources and transform them into products we need or want.

• The population of the world increased fourfold in the twentieth century. This rapid increase in population was accomplice by an even more rapid increase in the use of resources to support the growing population and to raise living standards.

RESOURCE USE

• According to one simple model developed by G. Tyler Miller in living in the Environment, the total environment degradation, or total environment impact, of a population depends on three factors:

a) The number of people.

b) The average number of units (kilograms, liters, or pounds, gallons) of resources used by each person, and

c) How each person uses those resources? According to this model there are different ways over population can cause the environment to become unable to support the rate of resource consumption?

• In some regions of the world, people use a relatively small number of units of any given resource, but there are so many people that the resource is still depleted. This is called people overpopulation.

 • In other region there are relatively few people, but each person uses so many units of a resource that the resource still becomes depleted. Miller called this consumption over population.

ENERGY CRISIS

• The energy crisis is the concern that the world’s demands on the limited natural resources that are used to power industrial society are diminishing as the demand rises. These natural resources are in limited supply. While they do occur naturally, it can take hundreds of thousands of years to replenish the stores.

 • Governments and concerned individuals are working together to make the use of renewable resources a priority and to lessen the irresponsible use of natural supplies through increased conservation.

 

CAUSES OF ENERGY CRISIS

 1. Overconsumption

 • The energy crisis is a result of many different strains on our natural resources, not just one. There is a strain on fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal due to overconsumption.

2. Overpopulation

• Another cause of the crisis has been a steady increase in the world’s population and its demands for fuel and products.

 • No matter what type of food or products you choose to use – from fair trade and organic to those made from petroleum products in a sweatshop – not one of them is made or transported without a significant drain on our energy resources.

3. Unexplored Renewable Energy Options

 • Renewable energy still remains unused in most of the countries. Most of the energy comes from non-renewable sources like coal. It, therefore, remains the top choice to produce energy.

 • Unless we give renewable energy a serious thought, the problem of energy crisis cannot be solved. Renewable energy sources can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and also helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

4. Wastage of Energy

 • In most parts of the world, people do not realize the importance of conserving energy. It is only limited to books, the internet, newspaper ads, lip service, and seminars.

• Simple things like switching off fans and lights when not in use, using maximum daylight, walking instead of driving for short distances, using CFL instead of traditional bulbs, proper insulation for leakage of energy can go a long way in saving energy. Read here about 151 ways of saving energy.

 5. Poor Distribution System

 • Frequent tripping and breakdown are a result of a poor distribution system.

NON-RENEWABLE SOURCES

 • Nonrenewable energy resources include coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy.

• Once these resources are used up, they cannot be replaced, which is a major problem for humanity as we are currently dependent on them to supply most of our energy needs.

• A non-renewable resource refers to a natural resource that is found beneath the earth, which when consumed, does not replenish at the same speed at which it is used up. The resources typically take millions of years to develop. 2. Nuclear energy (Uranium)

• Apart from fossil fuels, the other category of nonrenewable resources is nuclear fuels. It is primarily obtained through the mining and refining of uranium ore, a naturally occurring radioactive element below the earth’s surface.

• Uranium is found in small quantities, and miners often gather the uranium deposits for refining and purification. The mineral generates power through a process known as nuclear fusion, which creates enough pressure to run turbines and generate nuclear power.

• India’s nuclear program is three stage programmes which encompasses the use of vast thorium reserves in the county. Nuclear energy is seen to be capable of bridging the gap between the demand and supply of energy in India.

 RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES

• Renewable sources include the energy of wind, sun and crops economically. After generation of energy it has to be moved from where it is easily gathered to the places it can be used.

• We must use solar energy and wind energy, tidal energy, geothermic energy and bio energy, which are renewable.

RENEWABLE SOURCES TECHNOLOGIES

1.     Solar thermal technology:

Sunlight is one of our planet’s most abundant and freely available energy resources. The amount of solar energy that reaches the earth’s surface in one hour is more than the planet’s total energy requirements for a whole year.

2.     Ocean wave energy:

 Hydroelectric has been developed as far as it can go, given environmental concerns about dams. Harvesting ocean power is a long way behind wind, solar and geothermal. The rise and fall with each wave alternatively pressurizes and depressurizes the air at the top, which can drive a turbine.

3.     Wind energy:

Wind is a plentiful source of clean energy. Wind farms are an increasingly familiar sight in the UK with wind power making an ever-increasing contribution to the National Grid. To harness electricity from wind energy, turbines are used to drive generators which then feed electricity into the National Grid. Although domestic or ‘off-grid’ generation systems are available, not every property is suitable for a domestic wind turbine.

4.     Geothermal energy:

Geothermal installations use hot water that flows up by itself. Most system use a heat exchanger to boil clean water for stream to spin a turbine. Presently this technology is available commercially. Its cost is affordable, but it depends upon the natural resources.