UNIT IV
SOCIAL ISSUES AND ENVIRONMENT
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
It may be defined as “Meeting the needs of the present generation without
compromising the future generation to meet their own needs.
True sustainable development:
It should aim at optimum use of natural resources with high productivity and
less wastages.
Dimensions of Sustainable development:
It is a multidimensional concept aiming at benefits derived from the
interactions between society, economy and environment.
Aims of Sustainable development:
Inter-Generational equity: It states that we should hand over a safe, healthy,
resourceful environment for our future generation.
Intra-generational equity: It states that the developed countries should support
the economic growth of the poor countries to attain sustainability.
Approaches of Sustainable development:
1. Developing appropriate technology: Min use of natural resource,
minimum wastage, Maximum production, resource efficient, and
ecofriendly. Local labors should be used.
2. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3 – R approach): It insist us to use the natural
resources again and again, instead of throwing it as waste. It reduces
the wastages.
3. Providing environmental education and awareness: By providing such
education we can change the attitude of the people towards our
earth.
4. Consumption of renewable resources: Rate of consumption should
not exceed the regeneration capacity.
5. Conservation of nonrenewable resources: It should be conserved by
recycling and reusing.
6. Population growth.
URBAN PROBLEMS RELATED TO ENERGY
Urbanisation:
It is the movement of human population from rural areas to urban areas
for want of education, jobs, medical facilities etc.
Causes:
Better schools, Employment opportunity, medical care are more in cities.
Urban sprawl:
Because of urbanization, urban growth is so fast and it is difficult to
accommodate all within that limited areas. So there is spreading of cities
in sub-urban or rural areas. This is known as urban sprawl.
Energy demanding activities:
1. Residential and commercial lighting
2. Transportation
3. Use of electrical items like AC, fridge, etc.,
4. Operation of plants in industries
Solution:
1. Use of public transport or bicycle or tricycle wherever it is possible.
2. Electrical items should be switched off when not in use.
3. Use of solar energy, wind energy should be encouraged.
WATER CONSERVATION
The process of saving water for future utilization is known as water
conservation.
Needs for conservation:
1. Quality and reliability of available water are not good because of
environmental changes, though this resource is more.
2. Better lifestyle need more water.
3. Due to population growth.
4. Due to Deforestation, rainfall decreases.
5. Over exploitation of ground water.
6. Industrial activities, agricultural activities need more water.
Solution:
1. Reducing irrigation losses
2. Re-use of water
3. Preventing wastage of water in household activities.
4. Discharge of sewage into natural resources should not be allowed.
Methods of conservation:
1. Rain water harvesting
2. Watershed management
Rainwater harvesting: It is a technique of storing rainwater for further
utilization.
Needs of rainwater harvesting:
1. To meet the increasing demands.
2. To raise the groundwater level.
3. To reduce ground water contamination.
4. To reduce soil erosion.
5. To minimize water crisis and conflicts.
Roof top rainwater harvesting methods:
Method of collecting rainwater from the roof of building and storing it
in the ground, for future use.
Rainwater is collected by PVC/aluminium pipes to the pit. The pit
base is filled with stones and sand which serves as sand filters.
Advantages:
1. Prevent drought
2. Increase water level
3. Increase water level in wells
4. Minimize soil erosion
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
It is defined as the Land area from which water drains due to gravity into
streams , lakes, etc.,
Needs
1. To meet the increasing demands.
2. To raise the groundwater level.
3. To reduce ground water contamination.
4. To reduce soil erosion.
5. To minimize water crisis and conflicts.
6. To generate employment opportunity.
7. For developmental activities.
Watershed Management Techniques
1. Trenches(pits)
2. Earthen dam
3. Farm pond
4. Underground barriers
Factors affecting watershed
1. Unplanned, uncontrolled, unscientific land use activities.
2. Deforestation, overgrazing, mining, construction activities.
Maintenance of Watershed
1. Water harvesting: This involves proper storage of water so that it can be
used in dry seasons.
2. Afforestation and Agro-forestry: They help to prevent soil erosion and to
retain moisture. In high rainfall areas, woody trees are grown in between
crops. This will reduce the loss of soil fertility.
3. Scientific Mining and Quarrying: Due to improper mining, hills get disturbed
resulting in landslides and rapid soil erosion. Planting soil binding plants at
an interval of 1 meter on over burden dump will minimize the destructive
effects of mining in watershed areas.
4. Public participation: Peoples’ cooperation and participation is essential for
the success of watershed management.
5. Minimizing livestock population: Livestock population in the surroundings
of watershed should be reduced.
RESETTLEMENT AND REHABILITATION OF PEOPLE
1. Resettlement
It is simple relocation or displacement of human population. This process does
not focus on their future welfare.
2. Rehabilitation
It involves making the system to work again by allowing the system to function
normally. It includes replacing the lost economic asset, buildings etc.
Causes: Due to developmental activities including construction of dams, mining,
roads, air ports, ports, urban expansion etc. These activities cause large scale
displacement of local people from their home.
Effects: a. Tribals are usually the most affected among the displaced.
b. Breakup of families due to displacement affects the women the most.
They are not given even cash compensation.
c. Even if the tribals get cash compensation for their lands, they are not
familiar with the market policies and trend. Marriages, social & cultural
function, their folk songs, dances and other activities vanish with their
displacement.
d. Loss of identity & loss of intimate link between them and flora & fauna
etc.
ROLE OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION (NGO)
NGOs are legally constituted organizations created by voluntary
organizations or people. This organization includes experts as well as
common layman.
Important roles of NGOs
1. To protect environmental resources and their economical use.
2. To organize courses like lectures & seminars.
3. To analyse and monitor resources independently.
4. A focus on issues such as climate change, prevention of malaria, global ban
on land mines
5. To publish the notified restricted areas where industries, industrial operations
should not be carried out.
Some important NGOs in India
a. CSE – Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi
b. CEE – Centre for Environmental Education, Ahmadabad
c. Madras Environmental Society, Chennai
d. Environmental Society of India, Chandigarh
ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
It refers to the issues, principles and guidelines related to human interactions with
the environment.
It deals with the human beings’ ethical relationship with the environment.
Functions of Environment
1. It acts as a life supporting medium for all organisms.
2. Provides food, shelter and water to all.
3. Moderates climatic conditions.
4. Healthy economy depends on healthy environment.
5. Decomposes all waste materials created by modern society.
Environmental Problems
1. Deforestation
2. Population growth and urbanisation
3. Pollution
4. Water scarcity
5. Land degradation
Solutions
1. Reducing the usage of energy resources
2. 3R approach (Reduce, Reuse And Recycle)
3. Using modern cultivation, to avoid soil erosion and land degradation
4. Sustainable development by conservation of resources
5. Control over over-exploitation of non-renewable resources
6. Protection of bio-diversity
7. Reducing population growth
8. Increasing economic growth
Ethical Guidelines
1. Love and honour our earth
2. Be kind to plants and animals
3. Not to waste resources
4. Not to pollute the environment
GREEN HOUSE EFFECT
The progressive warming of earth’s surface due to blanketing effect of CO 2 in
atmosphere is Green House Effect.
Green House Gases
CO2, N2O, CFC, CH4
Among them, CO2 is the most important gas
Global Warming: Human activities increasing the greenhouse effect in turn
increases the atmospheric temperature.
Effects
1. Sea level increases because of glacial melting
2. Agriculture and forestry gets affected because of climatic changes, decrease
in rainfall, soil becomes dry and hence decrease in agricultural production.
3. As rainfall decreases, temperature increases; water demand also increases.
4. As earth temp increases, floods and droughts become frequent which
increase water borne diseases.
Solutions:
1. Reduce CO2 emission by reducing the usage of fossil fuels.
2. Utilizing renewable resources like wind energy, solar energy, hydropower etc.
3. Planting more trees.
4. Use of natural gas.
5. Control over population growth
Acid rain: Normal rain water becomes acidic because of presence of excess CO 2.
CO2 gets converted into carbonic acid and it is further acidic because of SO2 and
NO2.
Causes
Emission of more CO2 to atmosphere
Effects
Human: Nervous, respiratory and digestive disorders,
premature death because of heart & lungs disorder
Buildings: Decreases the life of buildings, bridges and cultural objects etc. (ex. Taj
Mahal)
Agriculture: Reduces the rate of photosynthesis and affects the food chain in the
ecosystem
Solutions
1. Using pollution control techniques
2. Use of natural gas
3. Coal with lower Sulphur content could be used
4. Emission of SO2 and NO2 from industries should be reduced
Ozone Layer Depletion
Ozone gas O3, found throughout atmosphere by photochemical reaction
It protects use from UV radiation from the Sun
The amount of ozone is measured by Dopson Spectrometer and expressed in Dopson unit.
Recent scientific research tells us that this layer is becoming thinner and holes have been
developed
Causes
CFC in Fridge, propellant and sprays
Hydro chloro fluro carbon in fridge
Bromo fluro carbon in fire extinguishers
Effects
Human health: Skin cancer, cataract, slow blindness, allergies, reduction in human
resistivity, infecticious diseases.
Aquatic System: Affects Phytoplankton which absorbs more CO2 and hence affects
fish population
On materials: Degradation of paints, plastics and other polymeric materials
On climate: Increases earth’s temperature and causes global warming
Control Measures:
1. Replacing CFC by less damaging materials
2. Use of methyl bromide on crops should be controlled
3. Manufacturing and using of ozone depleting chemicals should be stopped
Chemical / Nuclear Accidents
The release of large amount of chemicals or radioactive products in to the
atmosphere
1. Bhopal Gas tragedy: During the night of 03.12.1984 at Union Carbide India
Ltd., Bhopal (manufacturing carbonate pesticides using methyl-iso-cyanide -
MIC); due to failure of coolant the chemical reactor exploded and 40 tons of
MIC leaked over 40 sq. kilometer area
Nature of MIC: It is a toxic gas affects lungs, eyes, causes irritation on skin,
removes oxygen from lung & causes death.
Effects in Bhopal: 5000 died; 1000 became blind; 55000 suffered from eye
diseases
2. Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster: In April 26, 1986, melt-down of Chernobyl nuclear
reactor in Russia leaked down radioactivity and radioactive materials; this was
happened because of poor reactor design and human error.
Effects: 2000 died; more suffered from degeneration of cells, severe bleeding,
anemia, skin cancer; animals and plants also got affected.
3. Nuclear Accidents in Japan:
(a) In 1945 two nuclear atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.
Effects: Emitted neutron, gamma & strontium radiations; strontium will
absorb all calcium in bones and so many people suffered from bone
deformities; about 1 lakh persons were killed
(b) In March 2011 the nuclear reactor at Fukushima got collapsed due to
severe earth quake followed by tsunami.
Effects: Emission of large amount of radiation; a large amount of
population in Japan was affected.
4. Nuclear Holocaust: After any nuclear accident a black layer is formed that will
absorb all UV radiation and prevent UV radiation to reach the earth. This result
in cooling effect and water evaporation will also reduce. This process is
opposite to global warming and called as Nuclear Winter. It ignites all
combustible materials; destroy all living things and destruction at homes.
Control Measures
Suitable precautions to avoid accidents should be taken
Constant monitoring of chemical release / radiation level
Environmental Legislations and Laws - Important Protection Acts
1. Wild Life Act 1972 – Aimed to protect & preserve wild life.
2. Water Act 1974 – for maintaining and restoring sources of water
3. Forest Act 1980 – provides conservation of forests
4. Air Act 1981 – deals with problems related to air pollution
5. Environmental Act 1986 – to protect environment from soil, air, water & noise
pollution
Public Awareness
Our environment is presently degrading due to many activities like
pollution, deforestation, over grazing, industrialization and urbanisation.
