Kkek4163 L1 Intro

Unit 1 : Introduction to Environmental Issues

OBJECTIVES:
i. understand the global environment system ii. understand the issues & challenges of pollution management iii. Awareness of current environmental problems
CONTENTS:
1.1 Interactive Global Environment Systems
1.2 Historical Perspective of Environmental Pollution
1.3 Global Environmental Issues
1.4 Engineering & the Environment

Slide No. 1

Some Relevant Definitions
Environment
 Surroundings in which an organisation operates, including air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, communities and their interrelation.
The unabridged Random House dictionary defines environment as:
“The aggregate of surrounding things, conditions or influences, especially as affecting the existence or development of someone or something.”

Pollution
 Can be defined as an undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of the air, water and land that can harmfully affect the health, survival or activities of humans or other living organisms
The American Heritage dictionary defines environment as:
“The act or process of polluting or being polluted, especially the contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere by the discharge of harmful substances.”

Unit 1.1
INTERACTIVE
GLOBAL
ENVIRONMENT
SYSTEMS

Slide No. 3

Water-Air-Land Interactions

Slide No. 4

Unit 1.2
HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION

Slide No. 5

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Industrial Revolution: 1830 - 1890

General:
• Living conditions in urban areas horrify reform minded commissions in
London in the 1840s and America in the 1850s and 60s. Progress is slow but the common interest in pure drinking water and sanitation is spurred by epidemics of typhoid and cholera.
• Water pollution carried disease, but no one knew exactly why until the
1880s. Some concerned reformers didn't wait for exact knowledge: John
Snow, a London physician, traced a part of the cholera epidemic to a contaminated water pump in 1855.
• Smog episodes begin killing residents of large cities like London.
• Demands for conservation of wilderness areas accelerate with the felling of an enormous redwood, called the "Mother of the Forest" in 1851. The outrage over the act leads to calls for a national park system.

Slide No. 6

History of air pollution
Ancient times
• Illness suspected to be caused by bad air
• Burning fragrant herbs in homes of sick individuals used as medicine
Renaissance
• Beginning of understanding of caused and effects of air pollution
Industrial Era
 Use of coal in industry, home heating in cities gives rise to first killer fogs
20th Century Air Quality Regulation Landmarks
 Clean Air Act 1970
 Clear Skies 2002
21st Century Air Quality Issues
 Global warming, International “air pollution” issue

Slide No. 7

History of air pollution episodes in Malaysia

 In September 1997, Malaysia experienced a serious air pollution episode, haze, which is caused by the forest fires in Indonesia.
 The area mainly affected by the haze was the ASEAN region. In Sabah and Sarawak API reaches the 500 mark.
 Haze causes:
 health problems,
 reduced visibility to several meters,
 economic losses due to closed airports, collision of ships
 negative impacts on tourism.

Slide No. 8

Basic causes of pollution

Why does it happen?
 irrational use of natural resources
 emission/discharges/effluents

Contributing factors:
 Urbanization
 Population growth
 Modern lifestyle – habits, attitudes, consumerism
 Industrialization

 Transport systems

Slide No. 9

Environmental Impacts of Urbanisation
Urban component
Environmental
component

Population
(Numbers and Density)

Land use

Transportation

Services

ATMOSPHERE

Increasing release of carbon dioxide, decreased oxygen production, as plant colonies are destroyed by spreading urban areas

Increased average temperature for urbanised areas

Air pollution from combustion of fuels.
Creation of photochemical smog.
Emission of lead from some engines.

Particulates, noxious fumes from incinerators, landfills, sewage treatment works, etc.

HYDROSPHERE

Greater demand on water resources (both surface and subsurface)

More intense use of hydrologic resources causing increased pollution load

Rain, surface waters polluted with lead.
Drainage patterns altered by infrastructure.

Leaching of pollutants from landfills. Discharges from sewage outfalls.
Pollution from boats.

LITHOSPHERE

Increased transformation of uninhabited agricultural or utilised land to urban users Complete changes due to construction, landscaping, etc.

Disruption or disfigurement of landscape, etc.

Sanitary landfill of urban wastes and installation, repairs of services disturb landscape. HUMAN IMPACTS

Psychological impacts of high-density living

Psychological impacts Increased noise levels.
Health effects of noise, air pollution.

Slide No. 10

Example : Environmental side effects of urban sprawl
Alteration of land:





Loss of agricultural land
Loss and fragmentation of wildlife habitat
Loss of biodiversity
Road kill of numerous animals

More energy consumption:
 Depletion of energy sources
 Increasing air pollution

Hard Surfacing: Upsetting the water cycle

 Increasing run-off:
 flooding
 stream bank erosion
 degrading water quality
 Decreased infiltration:
 depletion of water resources
 land subsistence
 saltwater intrusion

Slide No. 11

Population growth map

Original data comes from the United Nations Population Division Population Prospects:
The 2004 Revision.

Waste Cycle – Industrialized Society

Slide No. 15

Map of World

Source: www.mapsofworld.com
Slide No. 17

Classification of developed and developing countries
•

The country classification in the World Economic Outlook divides the world into two major groups: advanced economies, and other emerging market and developing countries. Rather than being based on strict criteria, economic or otherwise, this classification has evolved over time with the objective of facilitating analysis by providing a reasonably meaningful organization of data.

•

A few countries are presently not included in these groups, either because they are not IMF members and their economies are not monitored by the IMF, or because databases have not yet been fully developed.

•

There are 34 advanced economies according to International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The seven largest in terms of GDP—the United States, Japan, Germany, France,
Italy, the United Kingdom, and Canada—constitute the subgroup of major advanced economies, often referred to as the Group of Seven (G-7) countries. The euro area
(16 countries) and the newly industrialized Asian economies are also distinguished as subgroups. •

The group of other emerging market and developing countries (157 countries) includes all countries that are not classified as advanced economies.

Slide No. 16

Countries described as high-income and advanced economies

Source: IMF (April 2009)
Slide No. 19

Countries of Emerging and Developing Economics (April 2009)

Slide No. 20

Phases of management of environmental crises
Responses to contemporary pollution
•

has undergone several phases:

a denial phase,
fatalistic acceptance of pollution as part and parcel of development,
adoption of sustainable development
•

The denial phase occurred at the end of the last century where the responsibility of waste disposal has with the local authorities who either did the work themselves or contract it out to the private sector.

•

The second phase is also commonly termed the 'end of pipe' (EOP) treatment.
Environmental awareness was little heard of until the 1960s when Rachel Censons
'The Silent Spring' sort of set off the green history of the world. By the middle of the
1970s guidelines for waste management were included in the UN's environmental policy. The approval taken towards environmental protection is to treat the wastes after it has been produced. Such an approach frequently do not actually eliminate the wastes but simply transfer it form one medium to another often in highly diluted form and frequently results in secondary environmental impacts

Slide No. 21

Phases of management of environmental crises (cont’d)
•

The third phase involving waste recycling and resource recovery system from the realization that regulation and control could not cope with the ever increasing amounts of wastes. The energy also made the world woke up to the fact that some resources are not unlimited. However recycling and recovery of wastes is not always economical and practical.

•

As a multimedia approach towards environmental protection, pollution prevention represents two advances beyond the conventional waste management methods. Firstly it focuses away from control, transfer between media and waste treatment to proactive generation avoidance.
Secondly it concentrates on reducing both the quantity and toxicity of multimedia wastes. The present trend in waste management has been since then geared towards the underlying philosophy of 'prevention is better than cure'.

Slide No. 22

Unit 1.3

GLOBAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES

Slide No. 23

Environmental Problems of the 21st Century
The most important environmental problems of the next 100 years as seen by 200 experts and scientists of the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP)
Climate change
Water scarcity
Deforestation/desertification
Water pollution
Loss of biodiversity
Waste dumps
Air pollution
Soil erosion
Disruption of ecosystems
Chemical pollution
Urbanisation
Hole in ozone layer
Energy consumption
Exhaustion of natural resources
Collapse of biochemical cycle
Industrial emissions
Natural disasters
Introduction of exotic species
Gene technology
Marine pollution
Over-fishing
Change of sea currents
Persistant organic polluters
El Nino
Rise of sea level

51
29
28
28
23
20
20
18
17
16
16
15
15
11
11
10
7
6
6
6
5
5
4
3
3
0

20

40

60

80

100

Percentage

Slide No. 24

Malaysian Survey on Environment by Nielsen’s 2011 Global Online
Environment and Sustainability Survey

 Comprising 25,000 internet respondents
 Polled consumers in 51 countries (Asia
Pacific Region)
•

Europe

•

Latin America

•

Middle East

•

Africa

•

North America

Eco-friendly but not willing to pay more
• Malaysian consumers may be attracted to eco-friendly products but more are not willing to pay more.
• Only one in five of those polled was willing to fork out more

money to purchase eco-friendly products, such as organic food. • 41 per cent would buy whatever is cheapest.

• Placed Malaysian consumers as the second least likely group among Asean counterparts to willing pay more for eco-friendly product. • The least likely to spend more are Singaporeans.

• Retailers and manufacturers have an opportunity to win consumers if they find a ways to connect consumers environmental values with typical higher cost of such products.
– “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” promotions
– “No Plastic Day”

• 87 per cent of respondents rated products with recyclable packaging as their top choice for environmentally-friendly products.
• Almost 85 per cent believed energy –efficient products and appliances could make a difference.
• 76 per cent supported organic product.
• 73 per cent favored ethically produced or grown products.
• 67 per cent believed products with little or no packaging had a positive impact on the environment.

Environment – Emerging Issues

Global Warming. Current global emissions of greenhouse gases are at 50.1 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year, already
14% higher than what the emission level in 2020

Melting of Polar Ice Caps. In July 2012, 97% of the
Greenland Ice Sheet surface was melting.
Source: UNEP Year Book 2013
Slide No. 25

Environment - Emerging Issues (cont’d)

The impact of rapid change in the Arctic on the rest of the world extends beyond the contribution of melting ice and snow to global sea level rise. Sea level rise increased between 1993 and 2011 approximately 3.2 mm per year.

There were some 7.06 billion people in the world by the end of 2012 (US Census Bureau 2013). It is expected that there will be more than 10 billion by 2100 (UN 2011).
Source: UNEP Year Book 2013
Slide No. 26

Environment - Emerging Issues (cont’d)

The volume of chemicals manufactured & used continues to grow. A recent study showed that out of 95,000 industrial chemicals, adequate data on aquatic toxicity, bioconcentration & persistence were publicly available for less than 5%

Source: UNEP Year Book 2013

Environment - Current Issues (cont’d)

0 to 50 million metric tons of electronic waste are generated worldwide every year. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees,
2 barrels of oil, 4,100 kilowatts of energy,
3.2 cubic yards of landfill space and 60 pounds of air pollution
Slide No. 27

Environment - Current Issues (cont’d)

At least 50 million acres of rainforest are lost every year, totalling an area the size of England, Wales and
Scotland combined

Oxygen-starved dead zones that cannot sustain life now cover an area roughly the size of the state of Oregon.
Slide No. 28

Unit 1.4
Engineering
and the
Environment

Slide No. 45

pollutant

Human pollutant & economic activity Physical
Land used,
,chemical
Transport resource & biological
&
consumption transformation changes & emissions in the
In air, water environment & soil

Valuation
Of
environment changes Technology development Economic,
Culture,
value, etc

Political process Public policy measures
(Laws, regulation & standard)

Figure 1.1 A frame for environment impact assessment
Source: Rubin 5.6 “Introduction to engineering & environment”

Table - Some example of environmental changes from human activities
Human Activity

Physical Changes

Chemical changes

Biological Changes

Land & water use for housing, agriculture, industry, transportation & recreation Deforestation & other alterations of landscapes e.g.: changes in terrain slope Alteration of waterways
e.g.: flooding, dams etc

Changes to chemical constituents of soil & sediment e.g. : increase in acidity & turbidity of nutrients from soils

Changes in the viability of plant, fish, animals & microorganism due to altered habitat & chemical constituent or concentration, possibly leading to species succession, extinction, migration or disease

Emissions or discharge of chemical substances to air, land & water

Changes to the built environment (e.g. structure such as building) from deposition & chemical attack cause by emission such as soot deposits, acid gases & liquid chemical

Increase in the concentration of emitted substances in the air, water & soil: other chemical changes resulting from 2nd reaction

Injury or illness to people, plant, and animals from exposure to and/or accumulation of chemicals and their derivatives Slide No. 47

Social Sciences

Engineering

Science

Humanities and Social Sciences

pollutant

Human pollutant & economic activity Physical
Land used,
,chemical
Transport resource & biological
&
consumption transformation changes & emissions in the
In air, water environment & soil

Valuation
Of
environment changes Technology development Economic,
Culture,
value, etc

Political process Public policy measures
(Laws, regulation & standard)
Figure 1.2 Mapping of environment topics into traditional undergraduate disciplines
Slide No. 48
Source: Rubin 5.6 “Introduction to engineering & environment”

Sources of Environment Impacts
Relate to the engineer who design, analyze and three categories emerge:1. Materials Selection

Choices of the materials will directly affect the environment
2. Manufacturing Processes

Method that turn raw into finished material and product

3. Energy Use

Most important ( quantities & type of energy uses directly affect environment quality)

Slide No. 49

Basic Engineering Principles
1. Law of conservation of mass

2. Law of conservation of energy
3. Use of mathematical models
 Consist of one or more equations that describe or approximate the behavior of a system
 Mathematical model are formulae from elementary physics

Source: Rubin 5.6 “Introduction to engineering & environment”
Slide No. 50

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
•

Eradicate Extreme Poverty & Hunger

•

Achieve Universal Primary Education

•

Promote Gender Equality & Empower Women

•

Reduce Child Mortality

•

Improve Maternal Health

•

Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases

•

Ensure Environmental Sustainability

•

Develop a Global Partnership for Development
Source: United Nation Development Program

Sustainable Development Goals
1. End extreme poverty including hunger
2. Achieve development within planetary boundaries
3. Ensure effective learning for All Children and Youth for Live and Livelihood
4. Achieve Gender Equality, Social Inclusion, and
Human Rights for All
5. Achieve Health and Wellbeing at All Ages
6. Improve Agriculture Systems and Raise Rural
Prosperity
7. Empower Inclusive, Productive, and Resilient
Cities
8. Curb Human-Induced Climate Change and Ensure
Clean Energy for All
9. Secure Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity, Ensure
Good Management of Water and Other Natural
Resources
10. Transform Governance for Sustainable
Development
(Source: An Action Agenda for Sustainable Development:
Report for the UN Secretary-General, 23 October 2013)

37

New Sustainable Development Paradigm
New SD

Old SD

David Griggs et al. (2013). Sustainable Development goals for people and planet. . Nature Mar 21 Vol
38495