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
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.
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