EVS CH - 2 Environmental Studies - PDF

EVS CH – 2 Ecological Footprint The ecological services that a given population requires to produce the natural resources it consumes and to assimilate waste and carbon emissions generated Biocapacity The productivity of the planet’s ecological assets to regene...

EVS CH – 2 Ecological Footprint The ecological services that a given population requires to produce the natural resources it consumes and to assimilate waste and carbon emissions generated Biocapacity The productivity of the planet’s ecological assets to regenerate its natural resources and absorb the wastes and carbon emissions generated. Ecological Deficit When the Ecological Footprint of a population exceeds the Biocapacity of the area available to that population. A national ecological deficit means that the nation is importing biocapacity through trade, liquidating national ecological assets or emitting carbon dioxide waste into the atmosphere. Ecological reserve This exists when the biocapacity of a region exceeds its population's Ecological Footprint. Natural Resources Natural resources are materials, energy, and their attributes that are derived from the Earth and are useful or of value to the maintenance and improvement of the quality of human life. The harmonious links between soils, plants, animals, solar energy, and water in a functioning Earth ensures the availability of natural resources such as clean water, fertile soil, and clean air to sustain human existence on our planet Natural resources are often categorized as renewable or nonrenewable Renewable Resources Renewable resources are the products of the natural processes resulting from the harmonious interactions of the physical and biological components of the Earth’s systems Renewable resources regenerate naturally as long as the well-balanced flow of matter and energy within the system is not altered by natural catastrophe or human activity. Non-Renewable Resources Nonrenewable resources are those that are present in finite quantities and cannot be regenerated within the lifespan of humans after they are harvested or used. These include fossil fuels, minerals, and ores They are considered nonrenewable because the rate at which they are regenerated is extremely slow on the timescale of human perspective. SOIL AND LAND RESOURCES The upper layer of the ground is made of unconsolidated material produced due to weathering agencies from the rocks and generally modified subsequently by a variety of mechanical, chemical and organic processes all operating constantly in a complex manner. SOIL HORIZON – - The process of soil formation generally involves the downward movement of clay, water, and dissolved ions, and a common result of that is the development of chemically and texturally different layers known as soil horizons. Soil Horizon Development: Formation of distinct layers or horizons in the soil profile (O, A, E, B, C, and R horizons). O Horizon: Organic layer consisting of decomposed leaves and plant material. A Horizon: Topsoil rich in organic matter and minerals. E Horizon: Eluviation layer where minerals and nutrients are leached out. (LEAST CLAY CONTENT) B Horizon: Subsoil where minerals and nutrients accumulate. (HIGHEST CLAY CONTENT) C Horizon: Weathered parent material. R Horizon: Bedrock layer Types of soil in India – The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) divided the Indian soils into eight major groups. o Alluvial Soils o Forest and Mountain Soils o Black Soils o Arid and Desert Soils o Red Soils o Saline and Alkaline Soils o Laterite Soils o Peaty and Marshy Soils LAND DEGRADATION – Through irrigation and other measures of agricultural development, the productivity of land can be considerably increased, however: Increasing population also means withdrawal of areas now under farms for building houses. Development of communications such as roads, railways, and airways may take up fertile land. Owing to rapid urbanization and growth of large cities land is needed for parks and open spaces. Irrigation dams may submerge fertile areas. Industrial plants and other establishments also require substantial areas FOREST RESOURCES - Forests play an important role in balancing the Earth's CO2 supply and exchange, acting as a key link between the atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere.  - Forests are cropped and re-harvested, and the new areas continually sought for providing a new source of lumber. - The main issues concerning forest management are depletion due to natural causes or human activity. Scheme of classification in India VERY DENSE All Lands with tree cover (Including mangrove cover) of canopy FOREST density of 70% and above. MOD DENSE All lands with tree cover (Including mangrove cover) of canopy FOREST density between 40% and 70% above. OPEN FOREST All lands with tree cover (Including mangrove cover) of canopy density between 10% and 40%. SCRUB All forest lands with poor tree growth mainly of small or stunted trees having canopy density less than 10 percent. NON - FOREST Any area not included in the above classes. More than two-thirds of India’s forest land (approximately 31 million hectares) is classified as open forests, i.e., tree canopy of less than 40 percent. All of this land is available for energy production through regeneration. Roles of Forest WATER RESOURCES o India receives about 4000 billion cubic meters (BCM) of precipitation in a year, but 80−95% of this is received during three to four months of monsoon season o Spatial distribution of water is also highly uneven. Annually, arid and semi-arid regions of western India receive 300−500 mm rainfall, while humid regions of eastern India receive about 3000 mm rainfall o With increasing urbanization and water demand, the per capita water availability in the country has declined by almost 20% in the last two decades and is likely to decline by another 20% by 2050, making India a water-scarce country India has more than 18% of the World’s population, but only 4% of the World’s renewable water resources and 2.44% of World’s geographical area. National Commission on Integrated Water Resources Development (NCIWRD) WATER RESOURCES UNDERGO VARIOUS RISKS LIKE – Social and Political risks Environmental risks Economic risks Watershed management can be done through WATER CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES 1. Integrated Watershed Management 2. Rain Water Harvesting 3. INDIAN WAYS - Kunda in Rajasthan/ Tanakas in Gujrat/ Temple ponds in South India/ Johads MINERAL RESOURCES Critical minerals are those minerals which are essential for economic development and national security, the lack of availability of these minerals or even concentration of existence, extraction or processing of these minerals in few geographical locations may lead to supply chain vulnerability and disruption ENERGY RESOURCES Non-renewable - Solar - Hydro-power (Hydro power’s - Fossil fuels: petroleum, coal, gas categorization as a renewable or Sustainable sustainable fuel is somewhat questionable because of the limited - Nuclear power supply of rivers and also its Renewable environmental and social impacts.) - Hydrogen energy - Fuel-cells - Wind - Biofuels: biomass energy (including - Wave [Tidal energy] wood, cow dung etc.) - OTEC [Ocean thermal exchange capacitors] HISTORY OF ENERGY USE Till late 1800s energy use was small and limited to mainly cooking, heating etc. with the advent of industrial revolution, energy use exploded and has become extremely important for human welfare and development. Energy and global politics Energy Consumption by India: This graph shows the evolution of energy consumption in India by source time. As can be seen, India is still heavily reliant on Coal and Oil and is steadily increasing even in 2023 India’s electricity use Within the county, Industry and domestic energy are the highest consumers of the generated energy. Energy Resources Per capita consumption of energy, India is still very low. This is because large energy inequities exist in India across social, economic, and geographic hierarchies. As these inequities are addressed, India’s energy consumption will almost certainly will rise. While it is expected that India’s power generation will move increasingly towards renewable energy sources, it is by no means a guarantee. Over the expected rise in energy demand, the uncertainty of power generation using renewables and abundant supply of coal and the relatively simple technology required to generate energy from may buckle this trend.