Environmental Studies Module 4 PDF

Programme Name and Semester Undergraduate course and Semester I Course Name (Course Code) Environmental Studies (VAC00006) Class Academic Session 2024-25 Study Material (Environmental Studies and VAC00006) _________________...

Programme Name and Semester Undergraduate course and Semester I Course Name (Course Code) Environmental Studies (VAC00006) Class Academic Session 2024-25 Study Material (Environmental Studies and VAC00006) _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents Module IV Human Communities and the Environment [4H] Human population growth: Impacts on environment, human health, and welfare; Carbon foot-print. Environmental movements: Silent valley movement, Narmada Bachao Andolan, etc. Environmental justice: National Green Tribunal and its importance. Environmental communication and public awareness: case studies (e.g., CNG vehicles in Kolkata, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, National Environment Awareness Campaign (NEAC), National Green Corps (NGC) etc. Population growth is the increase in the number of humans on Earth. For most of human history our population size was relatively stable. But with innovation and industrialization, energy, food, water, and medical care became more available and reliable. Consequently, global human population rapidly increased, and continues to do so, with dramatic impacts on global climate and ecosystems. We will need technological and social innovation to help us support the world’s population as we adapt to and mitigate climate and environmental changes Human population growth impacts the Earth system in a variety of ways, including: Increasing the extraction of resources from the environment. These resources include fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal), minerals, trees, water, and wildlife, especially in the oceans. The process of removing resources, in turn, often releases pollutants and waste that reduce air and water quality, and harm the health of humans and other species. Increasing the burning of fossil fuels for energy to generate electricity, and to power transportation (for example, cars and planes) and industrial processes. Increase in freshwater use for drinking, agriculture, recreation, and industrial processes. Freshwater is extracted from lakes, rivers, the ground, and man-made reservoirs. Increasing ecological impacts on environments. Forests and other habitats are disturbed or destroyed to construct urban areas including the construction of homes, businesses, and roads to accommodate growing populations. Additionally, as populations increase, more land is used for agricultural activities to grow crops and support livestock. This, in turn, can decrease species populations, geographic ranges, biodiversity, and alter interactions among organisms. Increasing fishing and hunting, which reduces species populations of the exploited species. Fishing and hunting can also indirectly increase numbers of species that are not fished or hunted if more resources become available for the species that remain in the ecosystem. Increasing the transport of invasive species, either intentionally or by accident, as people travel and import and export supplies. Urbanization also creates disturbed environments where invasive species often thrive and Chemistry department Brainware University, Kolkata 1  Programme Name and Semester Undergraduate course and Semester I Course Name (Course Code) Environmental Studies (VAC00006) Class Academic Session 2024-25 outcompete native species. For example, many invasive plant species thrive along strips of land next to roads and highways. The transmission of diseases. Humans living in densely populated areas can rapidly spread diseases within and among populations. Additionally, because transportation has become easier and more frequent, diseases can spread quickly to new regions. Impacts on environment One of the largest environmental effects of human population growth is the problem of global warming. Some scientists fear that global warming will lead to rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions in the future. In order to support the growing population, forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Humans also continue to put a great demand on the natural resources of our planet. Many non-renewable resources are being depleted due to the unrestrained use of fuel and energy. Many parts of the world also suffer from a shortage of food and water. The growth of population puts larger demands on our already limited resources. The environment on earth is suffering from the growth of global population. The depletion of resources and biodiversity, the production of waste, and the destroying of natural habitat are serious problems that must be addressed in order to ensure that life on earth will be sustainable throughout the next century. Impact of Overpopulation on Human Health and welfare Most people are aware of the detrimental effects of population growth on the environment and society, but not on health. Several infectious diseases have started to spread as a result of problems including urban overpopulation and environmental changes brought on by population growth. Here are the effects of overpopulation on health: Increased Risk of Infections- Tuberculosis, Malaria, Cholera, Dengue fever and more. Water-Contaminated Diseases- Viruses propagate more quickly, allowing dangerous mutations in crowded areas. Respiratory Issues- Asthma, Lung cancer, Chest pain, Congestion, Throat inflammation, Cardiovascular disease and other respiratory diseases. Various Other Health Hazards- Large amounts of uncollected rubbish pose several health hazards, including cancer, neurological conditions, congenital deformities, etc. The human population growth curve is S-shaped, or sigmoidal, and is characterized by phases of steadiness, exponential increase, and equilibrium. The curve is logistic, meaning that population growth is limited by the carrying capacity of the environment. Here are some characteristics of the human population growth curve: Initial stage: The population density increases slowly at first. Exponential stage: The population increases rapidly as it approaches the exponential phase, which is J-shaped. Chemistry department Brainware University, Kolkata 2  Programme Name and Semester Undergraduate course and Semester I Course Name (Course Code) Environmental Studies (VAC00006) Class Academic Session 2024-25 Deceleration stage: The population decreases in negative acceleration until it reaches zero, where the growth rate stabilizes. Factors that affect population growth include: fertility, mortality, migration, weather, food availability, and competition. The carrying capacity of an environment is the upper limit of a population in that environment. It's determined by the amount of life-sustaining resources available What is a carbon footprint? The trace of the greenhouse gases produced by human activities are known as the carbon footprint. This environmental indicator measures both direct and indirect emissions of compounds like methane (CH4), nitrogen oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and, above all, the most abundant and most important contributor to global warming since 1990: Carbon dioxide (CO2). The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average carbon footprint is closer to 4 tons. To have the best chance of avoiding a 2℃ rise in global temperatures, the average global carbon footprint per year needs to drop to under 2 tons by 2050. Lowering individual carbon footprints from 16 tons to 2 tons doesn’t happen overnight! By making small changes to our actions, like eating less meat, taking fewer connecting flights and line drying our clothes, we can start making a big difference. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says that the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a record high in 2019 and that today's levels of atmospheric CO2 are comparable to those of more than three million years ago, when the earth's thermometer marked a temperature about 3°C higher and sea levels were 10 to 20 metres higher than they are today. According to the Global Footprint Network, so far, the carbon footprint has not stopped growing. In fact it has increased elevenfold since 1961 and now accounts for 60 % of man's total impact on the environment. Chemistry department Brainware University, Kolkata 3 Programme Name and Semester Undergraduate course and Semester I Course Name (Course Code) Environmental Studies (VAC00006) Class Academic Session 2024-25 PERSONAL CARBON FOOTPRINT Your personal carbon footprint is what you leave behind as a result of moving about, consuming, eating and using resources like energy. The Nature Conservancy estimates that each inhabitant on the planet produces an average of almost four tons of CO2 every year, while in countries like the United States this amount is up to four times that per person and per year. The Nature Conservancy says that we all need to reduce our carbon footprints to less than two tons per year by 2050. The experts say that this is the best way to ensure that temperatures stop rising and don't reach the dreaded 2 °C threshold, which would exacerbate climate change and transform it into an irreversible problem. THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF COMPANIES Like human beings, companies also produce greenhouse gases during manufacturing, transport and energy consumption. The corporate footprint measures all GG emissions from companies and their scope, whether they are direct and controllable or not. In this regard, companies usually have the option to reduce or offset their carbon footprints. How? By improving their energy efficiency, consuming energy of 100 % renewable origin, running campaigns to raise awareness, investing in environmental projects, paying green taxes and buying tons of CO2 on the international emissions market, among other options. ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENTS SILENT VALLEY MOVEMENT History The British named the area ‘Silent Valley’ because of a perceived absence of noisy Cicadas. The Kuntipuzha is a major river that flows 15 km southwest from Silent Valley. It takes its origin in the lush green forests of Silent Valley. In 1928, the location on the Kunthipuzha River at Sairandhri was identified as an ideal site for electricity generation. Initially, the decision was made by the British government to build a dam across the river, which originates from the forest. In 1958, a study and survey of the area were conducted, and a hydroelectric project was proposed by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The plans for a hydroelectric project that threatened the park’s high diversity of wildlife stimulated an Environmentalist Social Movement in the 1970s called ‘Save Silent Valley’ which resulted in the cancellation of the project. Significance of Silent Valley The valley is famous for many rare species of birds and animals. Birdlife International listed 16 bird species in Silent Valley as threatened or restricted. The mammals in the valley include Gaur, the largest of all wild cattle. There are at least 34 species of mammals at Silent Valley, including the threatened species of mammals. Chemistry department Brainware University, Kolkata 4 Programme Name and Semester Undergraduate course and Semester I Course Name (Course Code) Environmental Studies (VAC00006) Class Academic Session 2024-25 Over 128 species of butterflies and 400 species of moths live here. Silent Valley is identified as a region with high biodiversity and an important Gene Pool resource for Recombinant DNA innovations by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, ICAR (India). About the Movement The movement was first initiated by the local people and was subsequently taken over by the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP). The KSSP effectively aroused public opinion by publishing a techno-economic and socio-political assessment report on the Silent Valley hydroelectric project. The KSSP generated public opinion against the project. As a consequence, in 1979, the Government of Kerala passed legislation regarding the Silent Valley Protection Area (Protection of Ecological balance Act of 1979) and issued a notification declaring the exclusion of the hydroelectric project area from the proposed national park. NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN Narmada Bachao Andolan – How did it start? Narmada Bachao Andolan – NBA is an Indian social movement led by native tribes, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against the construction of a number of large dams under the Narmada Dam Project across river Narmada. It is the most powerful mass movement, started in 1985, against the construction of a huge dam on the Narmada river. As per the Narmada Dam Project, the plan was to build over 3000 big and small dams along the river. The proposed Sardar Sarovar Dam and Narmada Sagar were to displace more than 250,000 people. The big fight of the Save the Narmada Movement was over the resettlement or the rehabilitation of these people. Narmada Bachao Andolan – Key Points After the independence, India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, called for the construction of dams on Narmada river to arrest excess water flowing into Arabian sea passing through Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to aid local people and development of the nation. Two of the largest proposed dams were Sardar Sarovar and Narmada Sagar. The Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal approved the Narmada Valley Development Project, which included 30 large dams, 135 medium dams, and 3,000 small dams including raising the height of Sardar Sarovar dam. In 1985, after hearing about the construction of Narmada Dam Project, Medha Patkar and her colleagues visited the project site and noticed that project work was being checked due to an order by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. In 1987, construction began on the Sardar Sarovar Dam and the people who were going to be affected by the construction of the dam were given no information but the offer for rehabilitation. In May 1990, Narmada Bachao Andolan organized a 2,000-person, five-day sit-in at PM V. P. Singh’s residence in New Delhi, which convinced the Prime Minister to ‘reconsider’ the project. In December 1990, approximately 6000 men and women began the Narmada Jan Vikas Sangharsh Yatra (Narmada People’s Progress Struggle March), marching over 100 kilometres. Chemistry department Brainware University, Kolkata 5 Programme Name and Semester Undergraduate course and Semester I Course Name (Course Code) Environmental Studies (VAC00006) Class Academic Session 2024-25 In January 1991, Baba Amte and the seven-member team began an indefinite hunger strike (continued for 22 days) and committed to a sit-in unto death. The Sardar Sarovar Dam’s construction began again in 1999 and was declared finished in 2006. The height of the project was increased from 138 meters to 163 meters. It was inaugurated in 2017 by PM Narendra Modi. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL AND ITS IMPORTANCE What is the National Green Tribunal? The National Green Tribunal, established in 2010, as per the National Green Tribunal Act is a specialised judicial body equipped with expertise solely for the purpose of adjudicating environmental cases in the country. Recognising that most environment cases involve multi-disciplinary issues which are better addressed in a specialised forum, the Tribunal was setup as per recommendations of the Supreme Court, Law Commission and India’s international law obligations to develop national laws on environment and implement them effectively. The Tribunal is tasked with providing effective and expeditious remedy in cases relating to environmental protection, conservation of forests and other natural resources and enforcement of any legal right relating to environment. The Tribunal’s orders are binding and it has power to grant relief in the form of compensation and damages to affected persons. What is the Tribunal’s composition? The Tribunal has a presence in five zones- North, Central, East, South and West. The Principal Bench is situated in the North Zone, headquartered in Delhi. The Central zone bench is situated in Bhopal, East zone in Kolkata, South zone in Chennai and West zone in Pune. The Tribunal is headed by the Chairperson who sits in the Principal Bench and has at least ten but not more than twenty judicial members and at least ten but not more than twenty expert members. Who may submit cases to the Tribunal and what sort of cases are heard? Any person seeking relief and compensation for environmental damage involving subjects in the legislations mentioned in Schedule I of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 may approach the Tribunal. The statutes in Schedule I are: The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977; The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991; The Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The Tribunal has jurisdiction over all civil cases involving a substantial question relating to environment and the question. Additionally, any person aggrieved by an order/direction of any of the Appellate Authorities under the legislations mentioned above can also challenge them before the National Green Tribuna ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS CASE STUDIES Chemistry department Brainware University, Kolkata 6 Programme Name and Semester Undergraduate course and Semester I Course Name (Course Code) Environmental Studies (VAC00006) Class Academic Session 2024-25 CNG VEHICLES IN KOLKATA The drop in compressed natural gas (CNG) prices, following the central government’s approval for a new natural gas pricing mechanism earlier this month, is expected to drive greater adoption of CNG-powered passenger vehicles in India. According to a report by rating agency ICRA, CNG will emerge as the second most popular powertrain over the near to medium term, with its penetration in the passenger vehicle segment expected to rise to nearly 18 per cent by 2027 from 11 per cent in 2022. Public transport in Kolkata will completely run on clean fuels such as Autogas, CNG and electricity by 2030. The measure includes buses (both private and state transport undertakings), taxis and auto-rickshaws. The initiative was announced by West Bengal transport minister Firhad Hakim, during an event organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “We have prepared a detailed transport plan. We will gradually phase out fossil fuel-run vehicles from the city,” said Hakim. Significantly, the West Bengal government is looking forward to giving financial aid for shifting away from diesel. The government would be taking this step as it will improve Kolkata’s environment and will also help the country in maintaining its commitment to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and secure net zero-emission by 2050. Kolkata is one of the more polluted cities in India and much of the filthy air is because of diesel-powered public transport. SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN It is a well-known fact that a clean nation is a healthy nation. Cleanliness and sanitation for India has been a story of gradual progress due to the country’s large geographical coverage of 3.2 million square kilometres. While policy measures can play a key role in ensuring universal sanitation, nothing can replicate the impact of a behavioural change in the citizens of the country. In cognizance of this fact and to initiate a nation-wide movement to build a Clean India as envisioned by Shri Mahatma Gandhi, the Swachh Bharat Mission was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi on October 2, 2014. The core objective of the Mission is to “accelerate universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation”. The Swachh Bharat Mission was launched with the aim of achieving a clean India (covering over 4,000 cities and towns), by 2019 through ensuring cleanliness and sanitation (solid and liquid waste management and making gram panchayats open defecation-free). The overall mission has two sub-missions i.e. SBM (Gramin) and SBM (Urban). SBM Gramin is actually an extension of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan launched earlier. Besides promoting cleanliness, hygiene and eliminating open defecation, the Mission also aims at promoting sustainable sanitation practices in communities and panchayati raj institutions and developing appropriate, cost effective technologies for sanitation. SBM Urban targets urban areas, which are expected to be home to 660 million Indians by 2050. As of 2016, India had 33% of the total population living in urban areas. The population of urban India is expected to increase to 600 million by 2031 and with increasing population migrating from rural to urban areas, urban India will also need focused attention. Thus, to provide better sanitation and waste management facilities in the urban scenario, this mission has been brought in. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the annual Swachh Survekshan Survey for rating of 73 cities in January 2016. In 2018, the scope of the coverage has increased to 4,203 cities including 61 Cantonment Boards. It was reported that, in 2017–2018, 77% of households had access to toilets of which 93.4% regularly used them. The numbers increased in 2018–2019 as 93.3% of households had access to toilets of which 96.5% regularly used them (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, 2018). Chemistry department Brainware University, Kolkata 7 Programme Name and Semester Undergraduate course and Semester I Course Name (Course Code) Environmental Studies (VAC00006) Class Academic Session 2024-25 Impact: The Government of India has taken urgent measures to increase sanitation coverage in the country at a brisk pace. Since launch, 81.55 million toilets have been built across India under Swachh Bharat Mission - Grameen with a rural sanitation coverage of around 90.33% compared to 38.7% as on October 2, 2014.* Further, since the launch of the mission, 4,19,391 villages have been declared open-defecation free.* Under the Swachh Bharat (Urban) Mission around 4.32 million household toilets and 392,817 community toilets had been constructed. Moreover, 67,085 wards had 100% door-door collection (Solid Waste Management Rules)*. WHO has estimated that if the Government achieves 100% implementation of its cleanliness drive by 2019, the country could be on track to avert 300,000 deaths due to diarrhoeal disease and protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AWARENESS CAMPAIGN National Environment Awareness Campaign (NEAC) is an important campaign of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India. This campaign was initially organised in 1986, with the objective of creating environmental awareness at the national level and, since then, it has become an annual activity. This is one of the major programmes of the MoEF that involves public participation in conservation and management of the environment. The main objective of the programme is to create awareness amongst the public and make environmental protection a peoples’ movement, where all unite and are involved in environmental protection measures. Every year, the MoEF selects NEAC activities with a fresh agenda and a new theme. The NEAC is a widespread outreach programme reaching out to several sections of the society, cascading down to the grass-roots level. The campaign follows a decentralised approach that has resulted in its wide outreach and public participation at all levels. The Regional Resource Agencies (RRAs) work with many of the nongovernment organisations (NGOs) on environmental protection. The flexibility of the interaction between the RRAs and the participating organisations makes the programme creative and workable, in spite of the vast numbers involved. The NEAC has managed some very creative programmes and useful resource materials, with the help of both RRAs and NGOs. The NEAC has been able to reach out to people through effective means, such as performing arts, etc. It has been realised that practical means of educating the masses are more effective than lectures and seminars. What is common among the preferred processes are the low cost, entertainment value, easy accessibility and comprehensibility CASE STUDY 1 Kalptaru Power Transmission Company Limited (KPTL) in Uniyara block of Tonk district is producing electricity by setting up a biomass plant. It is using agricultural waste as raw material. There organic ash is expelled by the plant in very large quantities. This organic ash could be used as fertiliser in farming, which is environment friendly. Nature Club of Rajasthan is running awareness programmes for promoting organic farming in the area. With the help of local civil society organisation, a two-day orientation programme was organised for farmers on June 29-30, 2012 under NEAC. A field visit was organised for selected farmers to the village Bijolia and shown the method of organic farming by using agricultural and bio waste. PC Mathur, Professor, Rajasthan University; Shambhudayal, Agriculture Technical Assistant; Rajesh Choudhary, Agriculture Research Officer; Suraj Ziddi, Environmentalist; Ravinder Sharma, Manager KPTL addressed the participants as resource persons on the subject. According to the participating farmers it was new experience for them and helpful to understand the organic farming. Chemistry department Brainware University, Kolkata 8 Programme Name and Semester Undergraduate course and Semester I Course Name (Course Code) Environmental Studies (VAC00006) Class Academic Session 2024-25 CASE STUDY 2 Motivated by the Jaipur meeting the Wing of Research In Local Development (WORLD) an organisation in Jaipur district designed their project for the year in manner that they would sensitise students through a forest walk and on the need for forests with poster competitions. WORLD has in its activities demonstrated how medicinal plants while not just becoming sources of livelihood need to be sustained for continued livelihood. School students were involved who actively participated in ‘Jungle Walks’ and as a part of the second mode of action each student was expected to plant and ensure the growth of a plant and this activity has been given the name ‘Each One Plant’. The programme ensured that school students and future citizens of the country realise and act to preserve the forests for a better tomorrow NATIONAL GREEN CORPS 1. National Green Corps (NGC) is a major initiative of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for creating environmental awareness launched in 2001-02 which aims at building cadres of young children working towards environmental conservation and sustainable development. The phenomenal response that NGC has received and has made the network more than 1,00,000 Eco clubs across the country in 15 years, making it one of the largest conservation networks indicates its importance at grass root level in taking the environment awareness at mass. 2. In Assam, the NGC programmes have been implementing by the Environment Division of Assam Science Technology and Environment Council since 2001-02. A total of 5407 eco-clubs are being set up in schools across the State’s districts; Baksa(150), Barpeta(250), Bongaigaon(141), Cachar(250), Chirang(150), Darrang(250), Dhemaji (250), Dhubri(102), Dibrugarh(250), Dima Hasao(250), Goalpara(100), Golaghat(250), Hailakandi(250), Jorhat(250), Kamrup(150), Kamrup-Metro(250), Karbi Anglong (250), Karimganj(126), Kokrajhar(150), Lakhimpur(250), Morigaon(100), Nagaon(250), Nalbari(250), Sivasagar(140), Sonitpur(250), Tinsukia(248), Udalguri(150). Necessary steps are also being taken up for setting up of Eco-Clubs in the new districts, like Biswanath, Charaideo, East Kamrup, Hojai, Majuli, South Kamrup, South Salmara-Mankachar and West Karbi Anglong. During last 15 years Eco-Club members are taking active part in various environment related programmes like plantation, rallies, debates, quiz, popular lectures, nature trail, cleanliness drive, etc QUESTIONS 1. Describe the salient features of silent valley movement? 2. Explain the importance of National Green Tribunal? 3. Explain case studies related to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan? 4. Explain case studies related to National Environmental Awareness Campaign? 5. What is carbon footprint? 6. Explain the impacts of population growth on environment, health and welfare? 7. Explain the salient features of Narmada Bachao Andolan? Chemistry department Brainware University, Kolkata 9