Social Issues and the Environment

 

SOCIAL ISSUES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

 

          The continuous maintenance of quality environment for many years is called sustainable environment.  The environment and its resources are not allowed to degrade.  The natural resources must be used in a limited way.

          It produces an ideal balanced ecosystem.  All the components are available for the future generations.

 

From unsustainable to sustainable development:

          Until two decades ago, the world looked at economic status alone as a measure of human development.  Thus countries that were economically well developed and where people were relatively richer were called advanced nations.

          While the rest where poverty was widespread and were economically backward called developing countries.

 

Developed countries:

          Most countries of north America and Europe which had become industrialized at the early stage and economically more advanced.

          They are not only exploited their own natural resources rapidly but also used the natural resources of developing countries to grow even larger economies.  So as development progressed the richer countries got richer.

 

Developing countries:

          Poor nations got poorer.  People lives are being seriously affected by environment consequence of development project based on economic growth alone.  This form of development did not add to the quality of life as the environment conditions had begun to deteriorate.

By 1970’s, most development specialists began to appreciate the fact that economic growth alone could not bring about a better what of life for people unless environmental conditions were improved.

          Development strategies in which only economic consideration were used, had begun to suffer from serious environment problem due to air and water pollution, waste management, deforestation and other ill effects.

          The disparity in the lifestyles between the rich and the poor was made worse by the unsustainable development strategies

 

Mahatma Gandhi’s vision for India:

Many decades ago, Mahatma Gandhi envisioned a reformed village community based on sound environmental management.

He stressed on

a)   Need for sanitation based on recycling human and animal manures

b)  Well ventilated cottages built by recycling materials

c)    Roads are being clean and free of dust

d)  Use village made goods instead of industrial products

All these principles are now considered part of sound long-term development.

 

Sustainable development:

          It is development that meets the needs of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  This is known as sustainable development.

          It also considers the equity between countries and continents, races, classes, gender and ages.  It includes social development and economic opportunity and the requirements of the environment.

          It is based on improving the quality of life for all, especially the poor and deprived within the carrying capacity of the supporting ecosystem

          It is a process which leads to a better quality of life while reducing the impact on the environment.  Its strength is that it acknowledges the interdependence of human needs and environmental requirements.

 

To ensure sustainable development:

          Any activity that is expected to bring about economic growth must also consider its environmental impacts so that it is more consistent with long term growth and development.

          Many development projects such as dams, mines, roads, industries and tourism development have severe environmental consequence.

          Large dams, major highways, mining, industry etc can seriously damage ecosystem that support the ecological health of region.

          Forests are essential for maintaining renewable resources, reducing carbon dioxide levels and maintaining oxygen level in the earth’s atmosphere.  Their loss impairs future humans development.  The loss of forests depletes biodiversity which has to be preserved to maintain life on earth.

          Major heavy industries, if not carefully planned, lead to environmental degradation due to air and water pollution and generate enormous quantities of waste that lead to long term environmental hazards.

          Toxic and nuclear wastes can become serious economic problems rid of them is extremely costly.  In this manner, the benefits of a project must be weighed against the possible environmental costs before a project in permitted.

 

Urban problems related to energy:

          Urban centre use enormous energy.  In the past, urban housing required relatively small amount energy used than we use at present.

          Traditional housing in India required very little temperature adjustment as the materials used such as wood and bricks handled temperature changes better than the current concrete, glass and steel of ultra modern buildings.

 

Embodied energy:

          Materials like iron, glass, aluminum, steel, cement, marble and burnt bricks which are used in urban housing are very intensive.  The process of extraction, refinement, fabrication and delivery are all energy consuming and add to the pollution of earth, air, and water.  The energy consumed in the process is called as embodied energy.

 

Energy efficiency:

          Until the 1950, many urban kitchens were based on fuel wood or charcoal.  This was possible and practical when homes had chimneys and kitchens were located from the rest of the house.

          Smoke became once problem once this changed to apartment blocks.  Kerosene thus become a popular urban fuel.  This changed to electrical and increasingly to natural gas in most part of India by the 1970s

          Urban centers in hot climates need energy for cooling.  The energy system of fans chaned into air-conditioning which consume enormous energy.

          New buildings in our country have taken to using large area covered by glass while in cold climated to trap the warmth of the sun inside, in our hot climate, this adds several degree to the temperature inside.  Thus, it requires even more central air-conditioning units

          High rise building in urban centers also depend on energy to operate lifts and enormous number of lights.  Urban transport depends on energy, mainly from fossil fuels.  Due to over crowd and insufficient public transport, urban vehicle individually

          Increasing vehicles, leads to traffic congestion, waste of time for all, carbon monoxide from the exhaust of vehicle in all urban areas.  All pollution problems which causes respiratory diseases.  There is need to develop a more efficient public transport system and discourage the use of individual vehicle in the urban areas

 

Water conservation-Rain water harvesting and watershed Management:

          Floods and drought are the two major water problems in any country.  Those problems have been handled in a safe way.

1.  Water conservation:

          Conserving water has become a prime environmental concern.  Clean water is becoming increasingly scare globally.

          With deforestation, surface run off increases as many areas depend on wells, it has become necessarily go on digging deeper and deeper well.  This adds to the cost and further depletes underground stores of water.  As deforestation and desertification spread due to extensive changes in land use.

          Waste water has to be equitably and fairly distributed so that house hold use, agriculture and industry all get a share of the water.  Thus water conservation is linked closely with over all human well being.

 

Saving of water:

In agriculture:

          Drip irrigation supplies water to plants near its root through a system of tubes.

          Small percolation tanks and rain water harvesting can provide water for agricultural and domestic use.

In urban settings:

          Large amount of water is wasted in urban area through leaking tapes and pipes.

          Canals and pipes carrying water from dams to the consumer contribute nearly 50% of water loss during transfer.

          Reducing the demand for water by saving it is more appropriate than trying to meet growing demands.

 

2.  Current technologies “Rain water harvesting:

          As our world faces serious water shortages, every drop of water becomes of great values.  Rain water harvesting is the storage of rain water for future use.

          The rain water harvesting is carried out in two main methods.

1.  The rain water is directly collected on vessels and tanks and is used for drinking, cooking, bating etc.  The rain water collected and stored can be used for months together.

2.  The rain water is allowed to percolated into the soil by constructing percolation pits.  It increases the underground water tables.

 

Need for rain water harvesting:

1.   To provide water for domestic purposes.

2.   To reduce water scarcity.

3.   To increase water resources.

4.   To increase water table.

5.   To increase the quality of water.

6.   To reduce instrusion of sea water.

7.   The reduce flood.

          In rainy seasons, we stored water and we will use the during summer. However the stored water has to be kept pollution free and clean so that it can be used as drinking water.

          Stored water can grow algae and zooplankton which cause infection.  Keep the water uncontaminated is of important.

Roof top rain water harvesting:

          Rain water harvesting require that all roof and terrace water passes down into a covered tank where it can be stored for use after the monsoon.  This is most advantages in arid areas where clean water is very scarce.

          However, there are practical difficulties such as constructing large storage tanks which are expensive,

          Using roof top rainwater harvesting is to collect it.  So that it percolates into the ground to recharge wells instead of flowing over the ground into river.

          Thus by recharging the ground water by water harvested from roof top, the water table rises and the surrounding wells retain water throughout the year

 

3.  Watershed management:

          The management of a single unit of land with its water drainage system is called watershed management.  This includes soil and water management and developing vegetative cover

          The natural drainage pattern of a watershed unit, if managed properly, can bring about local prosperity a year round supply of water, thereby improving the quality of life in the area.

          Watershed management enhances the growth of agricultural crops in dry areas.  The next measures are to make nala plugs in the streams so that the water is held in the streams and doesn’t rush down the hillside.

          The watershed management begins by taking control of a degraded site through local participations.  The people must appreciate the need to improve the availability of water both in quantity and quality for their own area.

          The community begins to understand the project and people begin to work together to promote good watershed management.

          The first technical step is to take appropriate soil conservation measures.  This is done constructing a series of long trenches and mounds along the contours of the hill to hold the rainwater and allow it percolate into the ground.

          This ensures that underground stores of water are fully recharged.  This is enhanced by growing grasses and shrubs and planting trees, which hold and soil and prevents it from being washed away in the monsoon.

          However, local grass cover can only increase if free grazing of domestic animals is regulated or replaced by stall feeding.

          In selected sites, several small dams should be built which together hold back larger amount of water.  It improves the water table and keeps the streams.