Environmental Problems and Disaster Management
Syllabus - Types of pollution and their management; air, water, soil, sound/noise, radioactive and e-waste. Industrial waste and its management. Impact of Solid Waste Management, recycling and reuse, Watershed Management, Watershed approach for sustainable development, Human role in pollution control, Environment and human health; Effects of pollutants on animals and plants; urbanisation and industrial development.
Global Environmental Issues like Green House Effect, Green House Gases and their mitigation. Climate Change, Acid Rain, Global Warming, Ozone depletion, Biodiversity and its conservation, Hotspots and threats to Biodiversity. The Environment (Protection) Act(1986) and Forest Conservation Act; Kyoto Protocol, Carbon Credits and Carbon Footprint; United Nations Environmental Conservation Programme (UNEP), National parks, Sanctuaries, Biosphere reserves and Botanical gardens; Wildlife and its management, human and wild animal struggle; Seismic activity zones; Development and environment;
Disaster Management: Definition, nature, types and classification of disasters, Natural Hazards; Causative factors and mitigation measures; Disaster Management Act(2005), National Disaster Management Authorities(NDMA);
Environmental Management by Pollution Prevention
Environmental Pollution is defined as presence of harmful concentration of any substances or energy liable to harm to living organisms, comfort resources and ecological damage to structure, amenity or interfere with the legitimate use of environment. Environmental pollution is growing with the advancement of human civilization.
Any substance which causes Environmental pollution is called as environmental pollutant, environmental pollutants include any chemical or geochemical (dust, sediment, grit, etc) substance, biotic component or its product, or physical factor (heat) that is released into the environment in such a concentration that may have adverse or unpleasant effects on environment. A pollutant may also be defined as any solid, liquid or gaseous matter present in such concentration as may be or tend to be harmful to the environment.
Pollutants may be metals, organic and inorganic compounds from domestic and industrial wastes or solid waste, radio-active waste from nuclear plants, heat from thermal power plants, gaseous matter like Carbon monoxide, Oxides of Sulphur, Oxides of Nitrogen (CO,SOx , NOx ). Many Pollutants are the residues of things we make use and throw away. Sources of pollutants are wastes such domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewater. Surface water such as the lakes and rivers are polluted by liquid wastes from chemical and other factories. Atmospheric air is polluted by gases of automobile exhausts, and emissions from industries, thermal power plants, etc.
Wastes containing pollutants produced by a variety of human activities enter the environment either as emissions to atmosphere or discharges to water bodies or land. These pollutants change the natural composition of the environment and adversely affect human beings, animals, plants and material objects.
Pollution Prevention
Pollution prevention may be defined as source reduction, and other practices that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants through:
What is Carbon Trading ?
Carbon Trading refers to the buying and selling of the right to release carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases into the environment by various countries. The carbon trade across the world began in 1997 with the signing of Kyoto protocol in Japan by 180 countries. The Kyoto protocol called for 38 industrialised countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emission. Growing environmental pollution across the world has been a cause of concern to everyone. Rapid development and industrialisation have only added to the problem. Carbon is an element stored in fossil fuels such as coal and oil when these fuels are burnt, carbon dioxide is released. Carbon trading is like any other market trading. Carbon has been given economic value allowing people, companies or nations to trade it. If a company purchases carbon, it gets the right to burn it. Similarly, the country selling it, gives up the right to burn it. The carbon’s value is based on the ability of the carbon owning country to store it and prevent it from release into the atmosphere.
Read must
Vision IAS - Biodiversity and Environment
Vision IAS - Biodiversity Environmental Issues And Climate Change
Vision IAS - Environment : International Conventions and Related National and International Developments.
[Climate Change] Kyoto Protocol, Carbon Trading, Copenhagen Accord: Meaning, Explained
http://mrunal.org/2012/09/climate-change-kyoto-protocol-carbon-trading.html
National parks, Sanctuaries, Biosphere reserves and Botanical gardens
http://mrunal.org/2012/05/insitu-exsitu.html
Syllabus - Types of pollution and their management; air, water, soil, sound/noise, radioactive and e-waste. Industrial waste and its management. Impact of Solid Waste Management, recycling and reuse, Watershed Management, Watershed approach for sustainable development, Human role in pollution control, Environment and human health; Effects of pollutants on animals and plants; urbanisation and industrial development.
Global Environmental Issues like Green House Effect, Green House Gases and their mitigation. Climate Change, Acid Rain, Global Warming, Ozone depletion, Biodiversity and its conservation, Hotspots and threats to Biodiversity. The Environment (Protection) Act(1986) and Forest Conservation Act; Kyoto Protocol, Carbon Credits and Carbon Footprint; United Nations Environmental Conservation Programme (UNEP), National parks, Sanctuaries, Biosphere reserves and Botanical gardens; Wildlife and its management, human and wild animal struggle; Seismic activity zones; Development and environment;
Disaster Management: Definition, nature, types and classification of disasters, Natural Hazards; Causative factors and mitigation measures; Disaster Management Act(2005), National Disaster Management Authorities(NDMA);
Environmental Management by Pollution Prevention
Environmental Pollution is defined as presence of harmful concentration of any substances or energy liable to harm to living organisms, comfort resources and ecological damage to structure, amenity or interfere with the legitimate use of environment. Environmental pollution is growing with the advancement of human civilization.
Any substance which causes Environmental pollution is called as environmental pollutant, environmental pollutants include any chemical or geochemical (dust, sediment, grit, etc) substance, biotic component or its product, or physical factor (heat) that is released into the environment in such a concentration that may have adverse or unpleasant effects on environment. A pollutant may also be defined as any solid, liquid or gaseous matter present in such concentration as may be or tend to be harmful to the environment.
Pollutants may be metals, organic and inorganic compounds from domestic and industrial wastes or solid waste, radio-active waste from nuclear plants, heat from thermal power plants, gaseous matter like Carbon monoxide, Oxides of Sulphur, Oxides of Nitrogen (CO,SOx , NOx ). Many Pollutants are the residues of things we make use and throw away. Sources of pollutants are wastes such domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewater. Surface water such as the lakes and rivers are polluted by liquid wastes from chemical and other factories. Atmospheric air is polluted by gases of automobile exhausts, and emissions from industries, thermal power plants, etc.
Wastes containing pollutants produced by a variety of human activities enter the environment either as emissions to atmosphere or discharges to water bodies or land. These pollutants change the natural composition of the environment and adversely affect human beings, animals, plants and material objects.
Pollution Prevention
Pollution prevention may be defined as source reduction, and other practices that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants through:
- increased efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy, water or other resources, or
- protection of natural resources by conservation
Source reduction means any
practice which:
- reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal; and
- reduces the hazards to public health and the environment associated with the release of such substances, pollutants, or contaminants.
Pollution prevention is the best
way to protect the environment. It
focuses on ways to avoid creating
the pollution at its source, before it
needs to be cleaned up. This can
be done by using less polluting
materials in manufacturing, being
careful to prevent spills, maintaining
equipment in top condition, and
through a number of cost-effective
techniques.
Traditionally, programmes have
focused on treating or cleaning up pollution after it happens. Pollution
prevention means reducing waste at
the source by changing the process
so that less pollution is created.
This is a better approach because it
avoids creating the pollution in the
first place so that it doesn’t need to
be cleaned up. Pollution prevention
is voluntary because it goes beyond
just complying with environmental
regulations.
Common pollution prevention
measures include:
- using less polluting materials in manufacturing,
- being careful to prevent spills,
- maintaining equipment in good condition,
- reformulation or redesign of products,
- equipment or technology modifications,
- processor procedure modifications, and
- improvements in house keeping, maintenance, training, or inventory control
Pollution prevention has the
following benefits:
- It protects our environment by avoiding or minimizing the creation of pollution.
- Preventing pollution up front avoids costly clean-up, treatment and disposal costs. Usually, companies can save money when they prevent pollution. Sometimes there are costs to get started but these are usually made up by the avoided costs of waste treatment and disposal.
- Pollution prevention reduces non-compliance and liability risks, enhances worker’s safety and improves a facility’s image and credibility.
- Preventing pollution also minimizes health risks to members of the community.
Pollution Prevention Measures
Make pollution prevention a
part of your everyday life! Think
of ways to reduce your waste so
you can avoid creating pollution.
Reuse materials what you can as
many times as possible (i.e., lunch
bags, reusable containers, cloth
napkins). Walk, car pool or ride
your bike when possible when you
move around. Use environmentally
preferable or non-toxic products.
Many products, such as
fluorescent lamps, medical
equipment, thermometers and
laboratory chemicals, contain
mercury. It can enter the air,
water or land if these products are
disposed of improperly. Mercury
bioaccumulates and persists in the
environment. It is toxic to humans
and wildlife in all of its forms (both
organic and inorganic) and can
move up the food chain.
Mercury in the environment
can be reduced by using alternative
products that don’t contain mercury,
cleaning up spills properly, recycling
mercury-containing products and
properly handling and disposing of
mercury-containing equipment.
Environmental Audit may be
conducted annually to determine
whether its own facilities are in
compliance with environmental
laws and regulations.
Pollution prevention
approaches can be applied to all
pollution-generating activities, including those found in the
energy, agriculture, consumer as
well as industrial sectors. The
impairment of wetlands, ground
water sources, and other critical
resources constitutes pollution,
and prevention practices may
be essential for preserving these
resources. These practices may
include conservation techniques and
changes in management practices
to prevent harm to sensitive
ecosystems. Pollution prevention
does not include practices that
create new risks of concern.
In the agricultural sector,
pollution prevention approaches
include:
- reducing the use of water and chemical inputs;
- adoption of less environmentally harmful pesticides or cultivation of crop strains with natural resistance to pests; and
- protection of sensitive areas
In the energy sector ,
pollution prevention can reduce
environmental damages from
extraction, processing, transport
and combustion of fuels. Pollution
prevention approaches include:
- increasing efficiency in energy use;
- substituting environmentally benign fuel sources; and
- design changes that reduce the demand for energy.
Some practices commonly
described as “in-process recycling’
may qualify as pollution prevention.
Recycling that is conducted in an
environmentally sound manner
shares many of the advantages
of prevention – it can reduce the need for treatment or disposal and
conserve energy and resources.
Remaining competitive in the
21st century requires any business
or organization to use pollution
prevention strategies that maximize
production efficiency and minimize
waste.
Cleaner Production Application
Cleaner production (CP) refers
to the continuous application
of an integrated preventive
environmental and business strategy
to procure resources, process
and produce products or provide
services at a higher efficiency,
increased profitability and reduce
risk to environment. CP is about
minimizing the ecological impacts
of our commercial and industrial
activity, while maximizing the
benefits gained from any raw
material or resources consumed.
Cleaner production aims to:
- To minimize the creation of wastes and environmental pollution.
- Reduce overall costs and add market advantage.
- Increase resource-use efficiency and utilization.
- Decrease worker’s health risk,
- Improve public image of the industry CP approach may involve:
- Modifying the product to reduce its environmental impact,
- Substituting raw material inputs with less toxic alternatives,
- Modifying production processes and technologies used,
- Good house keeping to minimize the risks of spills or leaks, and
- Resources recovery, recycle and reuse.
Action Plan for CP
Awareness of ecological
problems is increasing. This is due
to the fact that some problems are
beginning to manifest themselves:
global warming; shortage of waste
disposal sites; increase in ground
water contamination incidents;
depletion of the ozone layer and
increasing evidence of the adverse
health effects of pollution. We
must either change the way we
view our place within the global
ecosystem or risk a disastrous spiral
from which we may never recover.
Every generation has faced an
uncertain future, however, none
had to deal with the highest stakes
of all-the survival of earth itself.
Choices must be made and there
are several actions you can take that
can make a difference:
- Buy natural products like wood, cotton and wool only and purchase only containers of glass, aluminium, tin and cardboard. Avoid purchasing non recyclable plastic.
- Recycle everything you possibly can. When discarding anything, ask yourself where it might be utilized. Support local recycling efforts and legislation. Do not be concerned with whether you will make money on your recycling. Do it because it makes sense.
- Get the fullest possible use of non-renewable and minimally recyclable products. Write on both sides of the paper and use that scrap wood. Simply because our society gives the illusion of free flowing resources, does not mean they should not be utilized to the maximum extent possible. Resources are too often taken for granted and misused.
- Be selective in purchase of wood products like paper.
- Be prudent about the products and packaging materials you purchase, as not all wastes can be recycled. Everyone must be accountable for their waste, so plan accordingly. Think about where it will go and how it will be disposed of when you purchase something. If there is no place to recycle it, do not buy it.
- Purchase products made from recycled material whenever possible.
- Plant native trees and see that they grow. Protest the cutting of any healthy tree in your community. Trees are often sacrificed in the name of development of new curb or underground pipe line. Even dead trees are needed by the wildlife.
- Minimize your use of electricity. Utilize natural light or change saving lights.
- Upgrade the insulation in your home. Insulate your hot water heater.
- Turn your thermostat down and put on a sweater.
- Keep your car in good condition.
- Take public transportation, ride your bicycle or walk instead of using your car for short distance.
- Obtain as much of your energy as possible from renewable sources like sun and wind. Solar water heaters are cost efficient over lifetime use.
- Compost household food wastes for an organic garden in your backyard.
- Join with the others in the cause of global ecology and supporting national environmental organizations. There is strength and power in numbers.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES(very nice,it covers types of pollution and their management)
Annual Report, 2013 of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
What is Carbon Trading ?
Carbon Trading refers to the buying and selling of the right to release carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases into the environment by various countries. The carbon trade across the world began in 1997 with the signing of Kyoto protocol in Japan by 180 countries. The Kyoto protocol called for 38 industrialised countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emission. Growing environmental pollution across the world has been a cause of concern to everyone. Rapid development and industrialisation have only added to the problem. Carbon is an element stored in fossil fuels such as coal and oil when these fuels are burnt, carbon dioxide is released. Carbon trading is like any other market trading. Carbon has been given economic value allowing people, companies or nations to trade it. If a company purchases carbon, it gets the right to burn it. Similarly, the country selling it, gives up the right to burn it. The carbon’s value is based on the ability of the carbon owning country to store it and prevent it from release into the atmosphere.
Read must
Vision IAS - Biodiversity and Environment
Vision IAS - Biodiversity Environmental Issues And Climate Change
Vision IAS - Environment : International Conventions and Related National and International Developments.
[Climate Change] Kyoto Protocol, Carbon Trading, Copenhagen Accord: Meaning, Explained
http://mrunal.org/2012/09/climate-change-kyoto-protocol-carbon-trading.html
National parks, Sanctuaries, Biosphere reserves and Botanical gardens
http://mrunal.org/2012/05/insitu-exsitu.html
