Environment Management: Semiester - 1
Environment Management: Semiester - 1
Environment Management: Semiester - 1
Semiester -1
Environment Management
Sandeep Ghatuary
Environment Management 2
Environmental Management
Environmental management is a process that industries, companies, and individuals undertake to regulate and protect
the health of the natural world. In most cases, it does not actually involve managing the environment itself, but rather is
the process of taking steps and promoting behaviors that will have a positive impact on how environmental resources
are used and protected. Organizations engage in environmental management for a couple of different reasons, but
caring for the natural world, following local laws and rules about conservation, and saving money are usually near the
top of most lists. Management plans look different in different industries, but all aim for roughly the same goals.
Most management plans roughly follow a “plan, do, check” model.
1. The first step, planning, requires the organization to set out specific goals, like reducing wastewater,
implementing new standards for toxin disposal, or better managing erosion. Once an end-point has been
identified, leaders need to come up with a systematic way of bringing the entire organization into compliance.
2. Next, the company needs to actually take steps to implement the processes laid out in the planning stage. This is
the “do” aspect, and it can be harder than it sounds.
3. Action typically requires a coordinated effort that must be put into place over several weeks or months; more
often than not, this step is ongoing, and cannot easily be “checked off” a list.
Sustainable Development
The concept of sustainable development can be interpreted in many different ways, but at its core is an approach to
development that looks to balance different, and often competing, needs against an awareness of the environmental,
social and economic limitations we face as a society. All too often, development is driven by one particular need,
without fully considering the wider or future impacts. We are already seeing the damage this kind of approach can
cause, from large-scale financial crises caused by irresponsible banking, to changes in global climate resulting from our
dependence on fossil fuel-based energy sources. The longer we pursue unsustainable development, the more frequent
and severe its consequences are likely to become, which is why we need to take action now.
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts:
The concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should
be given; and
The idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability
to meet present and future needs.
The concept of sustainable development has in the past most often been broken out into three constituent parts:
Environmental sustainability
Economic sustainability
Sociopolitical sustainability.
More recently, it has been suggested that a more consistent analytical breakdown is to distinguish four domains of
economic, ecological, political and cultural sustainability.
Sustainable development constantly seeks to achieve social and economic progress in ways that will not exhaust the
earth’s finite natural resources. The needs of the world today are real and immediate, yet it’s necessary to develop
ways to meet these needs that do not disregard the future. The capacity of our ecosystem is not limitless, meaning that
future generations may not be able to meet their needs the way we are able to now.
Some of the more common examples of sustainable development practices are:
Solar and wind energy. Energy from these resources is limitless, meaning we have the ability to eliminate
dependence on non-renewable power sources by harnessing power from renewable resources.
Sustainable construction. Homes, offices and other structures that incorporate recycled and renewable
resources will be more energy efficient and stand the test of time.
Crop rotation. Many farmers and gardeners are using this method as a chemical free way to reduce diseases in
the soil and increase growth potential of their crops.
Water fixtures. Water conservation is critical to sustainable development, and more and more products are
available that use less water in the home, such as showers, toilets, dishwashers and laundry systems.
If sustainable development focuses on the future, does that mean we lose out now?
Not necessarily. Sustainable development is about finding better ways of doing things, both for the future and the
present. We might need to change the way we work and live now, but this doesn't mean our quality of life will be
reduced. A sustainable development approach can bring many benefits in the short to medium term, for example:
Savings - As a result of SDC scrutiny, government has saved over £60m by improving efficiency across its estate.
Health & Transport - Instead of driving, switching to walking or cycling for short journeys will save you money,
improve your health and is often just as quick and convenient.
Energy management
Energy - Energy always means converting energy from one form into another. For instance, in space heating, we utilize
energy, that is, we convert chemical energy of wood into heat. Or, in lift irrigation, a diesel engine converts chemical
energy of oil into mechanical energy for powering the shaft of a pump which, in its turn, converts shaft power into
potential energy of water.
Energy sources
Biomass. We distinguish between: woody biomass (stems, branches, shrubs, hedges, twigs), non-woody
biomass (stalks, leaves, grass, etc.), and crop residues (bagasse, husks, stalks, shells, cobs, etc.). The energy is
converted through combustion (burning), gasification (transformation into gas) or anaerobic digestion (biogas
production). Combustion and gasification ideally require dry biomass, whereas anaerobic digestion can very well
take wet biomass. Fuel preparations can include chopping, mixing, drying, carbonizing (i.e. charcoal making) and
briquetting (i.e. densification of residues of crops and other biomass).
Dung from animals, and human excreta. The energy is converted through direct combustion or through
anaerobic digestion.
Animate energy. This is the energy which can be delivered by human beings and animals by doing work.
Solar radiation, i.e. energy from the sun. We distinguish between direct beam radiation and diffuse (reflected)
radiation. Direct radiation is only collected when the collector faces the sun. Diffuse radiation is less intense, but
comes from all directions, and is also present on a cloudy day. Solar energy can be converted through thermal
solar devices (generating heat) or through photovoltaic cells (generating electricity). Direct beam solar devices
(whether thermal or photovoltaic) would need a tracking mechanism to have the device continuously facing the
sun.
Hydro resources, i.e. energy from water reservoirs and streams. We distinguish between: lakes with storage
dams, natural heads (waterfalls), weirs, and run-of-river systems. Hydro energy can be converted by
waterwheels or hydro turbines.
Wind energy, i.e. energy from wind. Wind machines can be designed either for electricity generating or for
water lifting (for irrigation and drinking water).
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Fossil fuels, like coal, oil and natural gas. Unlike the previous energy sources, the fossil energy sources are non-
renewable.
Geothermal energy, that is, the energy contained in the form of heat in the earth. A distinction is made between
tectonic plates (in volcanic areas) and geopressed reservoirs (could be anywhere). Geothermal energy is, strictly
speaking, non-renewable, but the amount of heat in the earth is so large that for practical reasons geothermal
energy is generally ranked with the renewable. Geothermal energy can only be tapped at places where high
earth temperatures come close to the earth's surface.
Energy management includes planning and operation of energy-related production and consumption units.
Objectives are resource conservation, climate protection and cost savings, while the users have permanent access to the
energy they need. It is connected closely to environmental management, production management, logistics and other
established business functions.
Definition
Energy management is the discipline and measures executed to achieve the minimum possible energy use and
cost while meeting the true needs of the activities occurring within a facility. Actions intended to achieve this
energy efficiency focus on reducing necessary end-use, increasing efficiency, reducing wasted energy, and
finding superior energy alternatives.
Energy management is the proactive, organized and systematic coordination of procurement, conversion,
distribution and use of energy to meet the requirements, taking into account environmental and economic
objectives.
The strategy of adjusting and optimizing energy, using systems and procedures so as to reduce energy
requirements per unit of output while holding constant or reducing total costs of producing the output
from these systems
Why is it important?
Energy management is the key to saving energy in your organization. Much of the importance of energy saving stems
from the global need to save energy - this global need affects energy prices, emissions targets, and legislation, all of
which lead to several compelling reasons why you should save energy at your organization specifically.
The global need to save energy - If it wasn't for the global need to save energy, the term "energy management" might
never have even been coined... Globally we need to save energy in order to:
Reduce the damage that we're doing to our planet, Earth. As a human race we would probably find things rather
difficult without the Earth, so it makes good sense to try to make it last.
Reduce our dependence on the fossil fuels that are becoming increasingly limited in supply.
Controlling and reducing energy consumption at your organization - Energy management is the means to controlling
and reducing your organization's energy consumption... And controlling and reducing your organization's energy
consumption is important because it enables you to:
Reduce costs – this is becoming increasingly important as energy costs rise.
Reduce carbon emissions and the environmental damage that they cause - as well as the cost-related
implications of carbon taxes and the like, your organization may be keen to reduce its carbon footprint to
promote a green, sustainable image. Not least because promoting such an image is often good for the bottom
line.
Reduce risk – the more energy you consume, the greater the risk that energy price increases or supply shortages
could seriously affect your profitability, or even make it impossible for your business/organization to continue.
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With energy management you can reduce this risk by reducing your demand for energy and by controlling it so
as to make it more predictable.
On top of these reasons, it's quite likely that you have some rather aggressive energy-consumption-reduction targets
that you're supposed to be meeting at some worrying point in the near future... Your understanding of effective energy
management will hopefully be the secret weapon that will enable you to meet those aggressive targets...
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The
age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million
years. Fossil fuels contain high percentages of carbon and include coal, petroleum, and natural gas. They range from
volatile materials with low carbon: hydrogen ratios like methane, to liquid petroleum to nonvolatile materials composed
of almost pure carbon, like anthracite coal. Methane can be found in hydrocarbon fields, alone, associated with oil, or in
the form of methane clathrates. The theory that fossil fuels formed from the fossilized remains of dead plants by
exposure to heat and pressure in the Earth's crust over millions of years was first introduced by Georg Agricola in 1556
and later by Mikhail Lomonosov in the 18th century.
There are three major forms of fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas.
All three were formed many hundreds of millions of years ago before the time of the dinosaurs – hence the name fossil
fuels. The age they were formed is called the Carboniferous Period. It was part of the Paleozoic Era. "Carboniferous" gets
its name from carbon, the basic element in coal and other fossil fuels. The Carboniferous Period occurred from about
360 to 286 million years ago. At the time, the land was covered with swamps filled with huge trees, ferns and other large
leafy plants, similar to the picture above. The water and seas were filled with algae – the green stuff that forms on a
stagnant pool of water. Algae are actually millions of very small plants.
Definition - Ancient organic remains (fossils) in sediments which over eons became sedimentary rock, giving rise to solid,
liquid, and gaseous fuels such as coal, crude oil, and natural gas. Coal is derived from vegetable matter altered by
pressure, whereas crude oil and natural gas are derived from animal and vegetable matter altered by pressure and heat.
Essentially, all fossil fuels are highly concentrated forms of far-ancient sunlight trapped in organic cells. They are the
primary energy source for human societies since the industrial revolution (mid 19th century to early 20th century), are
non-renewable, and also a primary source of global warming.
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and smaller organisms that live, feed, reproduce and interact in the
same area or environment. Some ecosystems are very large. For example, many bird species nest in one place and feed
in a completely different area. On the other hand, some ecosystems may be physically small, such as you would find in a
meadow at the edge of a forest, or in a coral reef in the ocean. How does everything fit together in a forest ecosystem
versus a meadow ecosystem? While some species may be found naturally in both areas, the species that live in the
forest ecosystem are usually very different from those that inhabit the meadow, even though the two environments are
right next to each other. In other words, if we protect existing natural habitats, we will help to maintain biodiversity
(biodiversity is the variety of life in all its forms, levels and combinations). Unfortunately, natural habitats and their
ecosystems are more and more endangered because of the damaging environmental effects of growing human
populations everywhere.
The study of ecosystems mainly consists of the study of certain processes that link the living, or biotic, components to
the non-living, or abiotic, components. Energy transformations and biogeochemical cycling are the main processes that
comprise the field of ecosystem ecology. As we learned earlier, ecology generally is defined as the interactions of
organisms with one another and with the environment in which they occur. We can study ecology at the level of the
individual, the population, the community, and the ecosystem.
Studies of individuals are concerned mostly about physiology, reproduction, development or behavior, and studies of
populations usually focus on the habitat and resource needs of individual species, their group behaviors, population
growth, and what limits their abundance or causes extinction. Studies of communities examine how populations of
many species interact with one another, such as predators and their prey, or competitors that share common needs or
resources.
In ecosystem ecology we put all of this together and, insofar as we can, we try to understand how the system operates
as a whole. This means that, rather than worrying mainly about particular species, we try to focus on major functional
aspects of the system. These functional aspects include such things as the amount of energy that is produced by
photosynthesis, how energy or materials flow along the many steps in a food chain, or what controls the rate of
decomposition of materials or the rate at which nutrients are recycled in the system.
Components of an Ecosystem
You are already familiar with the parts of an ecosystem. You have learned about climate and soils from past lectures.
From this course and from general knowledge, you have a basic understanding of the diversity of plants and animals,
and how plants and animals and microbes obtain water, nutrients, and food. We can clarify the parts of an ecosystem by
listing them under the headings "abiotic" and "biotic".
organisms that perform mostly the same kind of function in the system; for example, all the photosynthetic plants or
primary producers form a functional group. Membership in the functional group does not depend very much on who the
actual players (species) happen to be, only on what function they perform in the ecosystem.
Processes of Ecosystems
This figure with the plants, zebra, lion, and so forth illustrates the two main ideas about how ecosystems function:
ecosystems have energy flows and ecosystems cycle materials. These two processes are linked, but they are not quite
the same (see Figure).
Business Ecosystem
Definition of 'Business Ecosystem' - The network of organizations – including suppliers, distributors, customers,
competitors, government agencies and so on – involved in the delivery of a specific product or service through both
competition and cooperation. The idea is that each business in the "ecosystem" affects and is affected by the others,
creating a constantly evolving relationship in which each business must be flexible and adaptable in order to survive, as
in a biological ecosystem. The ecosystem model can also be applied to organizations such as hospitals and universities.
This term is part of a recent trend toward using biological concepts to better understand ways to succeed in business.
Advances in technology and increasing globalization have changed ideas about the best ways to do business, and the
idea of a business ecosystem is thought to help companies understand how to thrive in this rapidly changing
environment.
Pros:
The model helps with the identification of sustainable strategic positions in situations where the production and
distribution of a firm’s own products and services depend on a loose network of suppliers, distributors and other
organizations that transcend the traditional boundaries of the ‘industry’. Most companies analyze competitors
and suppliers, but forget to do the same with their complementary because common interests are
overestimated, the potential for conflict and the investment needed to achieve strategic alignment
underestimated.
Moore provided tools to measure a business ecosystem’s health. The inclusion of network dimensions allows a
higher-level analysis than just one-on-one connections between firms. Network analysis needs to include linear
or structural component as well longitudinal or temporal effects. Researchers can study topics such as co-
evolution only when time is included as a variable.
The model incorporated insights from evolutionary economics and complexity theory and made them accessible
to managers and consultants. The metaphor of an ecosystem was smartly chosen in a decade characterised by
the rise of the personal computer and the Internet supporting the acceptance of the model.
Cons:
Where Moore’s definition of business ecosystem is indeed at a higher conceptual level, the model’s strategic
analysis is from the perspective of a singular company. It sticks to the classical ‘firm-centric’ view of competition
and cooperation.
One may argue that this model is nothing but an excellent reframe of Hughes’ 1983 Large Technical System
theory characterized by the four stages: invention, transfer, system growth and momentum with the sole
addition that business ecosystems need to evolve continuously.
Lansiti and Levine’s study downplayed the importance of longitudinal co-evolution. Moore regarded this variable
as a key factor of healthiness. The two authors stated in their conclusions that “roles in an ecosystem aren’t
static” allowing companies the option to evolve. The scientific question remains whether a firm can “choose” its
role or whether a position is the result of an adaptation process. Does the technology determine the network’s
make-up or are the firms the main force of change?
Business community might be a better metaphor than business ecosystem. The famous scientist and founder of
the modern evolutionary theory, Charles Darwin, defined an ecosystem as an island lacking interaction with
other islands. However, actors in business ecosystems are typically members of multiple technology platforms.
The – probably positive – effect of interactions between different ecosystems has not been researched in depth.
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Industrial ecology
Industrial ecology (IE) is the study of material and energy flows through industrial systems. The global industrial
economy can be modeled as a network of industrial processes that extract resources from the Earth and transform
those resources into commodities which can be bought and sold to meet the needs of humanity. Industrial ecology
seeks to quantify the material flows and document the industrial processes that make modern society function.
Industrial ecologists are often concerned with the impacts that industrial activities have on the environment, with use of
the planet's supply of natural resources, and with problems of waste disposal. Industrial ecology is a young but growing
multidisciplinary field of research which combines aspects of engineering, economics, sociology, toxicology and the
natural sciences.
Industrial ecology has been defined as a "systems-based, multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent
behaviour of complex integrated human/natural systems”. The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining
problems from multiple perspectives, usually involving aspects of sociology, the environment, economy and technology.
The name comes from the idea that we should use the analogy of natural systems as an aid in understanding how to
design sustainable industrial systems.
Definition –
Product and process design-philosophy which (in addition to market competitiveness) takes into account their
environmental interactions and impacts.
Industrial ecology is also taken to be the activity of designing and managing human production-consumption
systems, so that they interact with natural systems to form an integrated (eco) system which has ecological
integrity and provides humans with a sustainable livelihood.
Strategies for optimal utilization of resources can be developed (for societies as well as companies) that are
based on an understanding of such flows of material and energy resources.
Hence we can say that Industrial Ecology is:
The study of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities.
The study of the effects of these flows on the environment.
The study of the influences of economic, political, regulatory, and social factors on the flow, use, and
transformation of resources.
Industrial ecology is concerned with the shifting of industrial process from linear (open loop) systems, in which resource
and capital investments move through the system to become waste, to a closed loop system where wastes can become
inputs for new processes.
Much of the research focuses on the following areas:
Material and energy flow studies ("industrial metabolism")
Dematerialization and de carbonization
Technological change and the environment
Life-cycle planning, design and assessment
Design for the environment ("eco-design")
Extended producer responsibility ("product stewardship")
Eco-industrial parks ("industrial symbiosis")
Product-oriented environmental policy
Eco-efficiency
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Greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric
greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated
radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation
re radiation is back towards the surface and the
lower atmosphere, it results in an elevation of the average
average surface temperature above what it would be in the absence
of the gases. Solar radiation at the frequencies of visible light largely passes through the atmosphere to warm the
planetary surface, which then emits this energy at the lower frequencies of infrared thermal radiation. Infrared radiation
is absorbed by greenhouse gases, which in turn re re-radiate much of the energy to the surface
urface and lower atmosphere. The
mechanism is named after the effect of solar radiation passing through glass and warming a greenhouse, but the way it
retains heat is fundamentally different
rent as a greenhouse works by reducing airflow, isolating the warm air inside the
structure so that heat is not lost by convection.
convection
Greenhouse gases are those that can absorb and emit infrared radiation, but not radiation in or near the visible
spectrum. In order, the most abundant greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are:
Water vapor (H2O)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane(CH4)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Ozone (O3)
CFCs
By their percentage contribution to the greenhouse effect on Earth the four major gases are:
Water vapor, 36–70%
Carbon dioxide, 9–26%
Methane, 4–9%
Ozone, 3–7%
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Goals of Environmental management system (EMS) - The goals of EMS are to increase compliance and reduce
waste:
Compliance is act of reaching and maintaining minimal legal standards. By not being compliant, companies may
face fines, government intervention or may not be able to operate.
Waste reduction goes beyond compliance to reduce environmental impact. The EMS helps to develop,
implement, manage, coordinate and monitor environmental policies. Waste reduction begins at the design
phase through pollution prevention and waste minimization. At the end of the life cycle, waste is reduced by
recycling.
Meaning of ISO - ISO means international standard organisation. In business environment, ISO word is so famous and
International organisation provides standards to those business organizations that fulfill its conditions. It has
authority to issue certificate of quality management and quality environment. There are large numbers of business
organisation who satisfy the conditions. They have ISO certificate.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer and publisher of International
Standards. This organisation has made by participation of all countries .Its central secretariat is in Geneva, Switzerland.
It is NGO which helps to promote business by providing them solution of quality problems.
Meaning of ISO 9000 - This is the latest version of International organisation for standardization which gives to those
organisation who satisfy the following condition
It fulfills the quality requirements of customers.
It fulfills regulatory requirements.
Customers satisfaction
Continual improvement in quality management.
Records should show how and where raw materials and products were processed, to allow products and
problems to be traced to the source.
You need to test and document whether the product meets design requirements, regulatory requirements and
user needs.
Meaning of ISO 14000 - ISO 14000 is standard certificate which gives to those business organisations that fulfill the
conditions relating to quality environment. Quality environments mean all measure to protect the environment
from pollution.
Definition of 'ISO 14000' - A set of rules and norms for environmental management of industrial production ISO 14000
applies to all businesses and is designed to reduce environmental damage and industrial waste. The ultimate goal of
these guidelines is to promote useful and usable tools to businesses to help them manage their environmental impact.
ISO 14000 has several subsets that address various aspects of environmental regulations. These rules were all created by
the Industrial Organization for Standardization. They first became popular in Europe and then began to be widely used in
the U.S. in the 1990s.
Conditions
Company has minimized harmful effect on environment by proper control on waste and pollution.
Achieve improvement in its environment performance by planting the trees and other projects.
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ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 are given after taking test of products who apply for same and ISO takes also some fees
for issuing the certificate . There is no guarantee, any quality of end products but almost all ISO products are
high quality.
The certificate will be for three years and after this product will again review for giving certificate.
ISO 14001 is known as a generic management system standard, meaning that it is relevant to any organization seeking
to improve and manage resources more effectively. This includes:
Single site to large multi-national companies
High risk companies to low risk service organizations
Manufacturing, process and the service industries; including local governments
All industry sectors including public and private sectors
Original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers.
Environmental audit
Environmental audit is a general term that can reflect various types or evaluations intended to identify
environmental compliance and management system implementation gaps, along with related corrective actions. In this
way they perform an analogous (similar) function to financial audits.
There are generally two different types of environmental audits:
Compliance audits
Management systems audits.
An environmental audit is a tool which can quantify an organization’s environmental performance and position. An
environmental audit is useful for finding the areas of your business that impact the most on the environment. It is also
an effective risk management tool for checking how effectively your business acts in accordance with environmental
regulations. An environmental audit assesses the nature and extent of harm to the environment caused by the activities,
waste or noise from your business. Use the audit as a tool to help you:
Assess how you can manage or improve the condition of the environment
Prioritize what actions you can take to reduce your impact on the environment
Demonstrate accountability to third parties such as government, customers and shareholders.
Environmental audits must be independent, objective, credible and transparent in order to be successful. Audits should
also be regular and ongoing, and conducted against a benchmark or initial assessment, generally detailed in your
environmental plan.
Objectives of Environmental Auditing - The overall objective of environmental auditing is to help safeguard the
environment and minimize risks to human health. Clearly, auditing alone will not achieve this goal (hence the use of the
word help); it is a management tool. The key objectives of an environmental audit therefore are to:
Determine how well the environmental management systems and equipment are performing
Verify compliance with the relevant national, local or other laws and regulations
Minimize human exposure to risks from environmental, health and safety problems.
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Scope of the Audit - As the prime objective of audits is to test the adequacy of existing management systems; they
fulfill a fundamentally different role from the monitoring of environmental performance. Audits can address one topic,
or a whole range of issues. The greater the scope of the audit, the greater will be the size of the audit team, the time
spent onsite and the depth of investigation. Where international audits need to be carried out by a central team, there
can be good reasons for covering more than one area while onsite to minimize costs. In addition, the scope of an audit
can vary from simple compliance testing to a more rigorous examination, depending on the perceived needs of the
management. The technique is applied not only to operational environmental, health and safety management, but
increasingly also to product safety and product quality management, and to areas such as loss prevention.
Environmental Safety Occupational Health Product Safety
-Site history -Safety policy/procedures -Employee exposure to air -Product safety programme
-Process/materials -Accident reporting contaminants -Product quality control
-Storage of -Accident recording -Exposure to physical -Product packaging, storage and
materials -Accident investigation agents, e.g., noise, shipping
above ground -Permit to work systems radiation, heat -Product recall/withdrawal
below ground -Special procedures for confined -Measurements of procedures
-Air emissions space entry, work on electrical employee exposure -Customer information on
-Water discharges equipment, breaking into pipelines, -Exposure records product handling and quality
-Liquid/hazardous etc. -Ventilation/engineering -Regulatory compliance
wastes -Emergency response controls -Labelling
-Asbestos -Fire fighting -Personal protective -Specifications for purchased
-Waste disposal -Job safety analysis equipment materials/products/packaging
onsite -Safety training -Information and training -Materials safety data
offsite -Safety communication/promotion on health hazards -Vendor qualification programme
-Oil/chemical spill -Housekeeping -Medical surveillance -QA testing and inspections
prevention -Regulatory compliance programme -Record keeping
-Permits/licenses -Hearing conservation -Product literature
-First aid -Process control
-Regulatory requirements
Benefits of Environmental Auditing - If environmental auditing is implemented in a constructive way there are many
benefits to be derived from the process. The auditing approach described in this paper will help to:
Safeguard the environment
Verify compliance with local and national laws
Indicate current or potential future problems that need to be addressed
Assess training programmes and provide data to assist in training
Enable companies to build on good environmental performance, give credit where appropriate and highlight
deficiencies
Identify potential cost savings, such as from waste minimization
Assist the exchange and comparison of information between different plants or subsidiary companies
Demonstrate company commitment to environmental protection to employees, the public and the authorities.
Environment Management 23
Engineer of GIDC
7.2 River/Public Service Department of Narmada & Application to Executive Engineer in-charge of
Water Resources, GoG concerned Irrigation scheme
8.0 Power Requirement
8.1 Power requirement Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd.- Application in prescribed form
Distribution Company or
respective agencies
9.0 Financial Requirement
9.1 Capital Issue SEBI Application in prescribed form to Security
Exchange Board of India
9.0 Financial Requirement
9.2 Term Loan Financial Institutions or Bank Application in prescribed form along with detailed
Project Report
9.3 Working Capital Banks Application to Branch Manager of a Commercial
Bank
Under the ‘Single Window Scheme’, both term
loan & working capital upto Rs 25 lakhs is
considered
10.0 Final Approval
10.1 SME DIC EM Part II
10.2 Large Units SIA LOI is to be converted into IL
IEM Part B in case of delicensed units
11.0 Registration of Establishment
11.1 Registration under Local Authority/Municipal Registration of an industrial unit not covered
Shops & Establishment Corporation under Factories Act
Act
11.2 Registration as Factory Chief Inspector of Factories Application in prescribed form under the Factories
Act
12.0 Value Added Tax
12.1 VAT Registration Commercial Tax Officer Application for certificate of registration under
GVAT Act 2003. (In case of turnover exceeding Rs.
5 lakhs having sales of above Rs. 10,000 VAT
applicable items)
Environment Management 27
Environmental Accounting
Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) is a cover title used to describe different aspects of this burgeoning field
of accounting. The focus of EMA is as a management accounting tool used to make internal business decisions,
especially for proactive environmental management activities. EMA was developed to recognize some limitations of
conventional management accounting approaches to environmental costs, consequences, and impacts. For example,
overhead accounts were the destination of many environmental costs in the past. Cost allocations were inaccurate and
could not be traced back to processes, products, or process lines. Wasted raw materials were also inaccurately
accounted for during production. Each aspect of EMA has a general accounting type that serves as its foundation,
according to the EMA international website. The following examples indicate the general accounting type followed by
the environmental accounting parallel:
Management Accounting (MA) entails the identification, collection, estimation, analysis, and use of cost, or
other information used for organizational decision-making. Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) is
Management Accounting with a focus on materials and energy flow information, with environmental cost
information.
Financial Accounting (FA) comprises the development and organizational reporting of financial information to
external parties, such as stockholders and bankers. Environmental Financial Accounting (EFA) builds on Financial
Accounting, focusing on the reporting of environmental liability costs with other significant environmental costs.
National Accounting (NA) is the development of economic and other information used to describe national
income and economic health. Environmental National Accounting (ENA) is National Accounting focusing on the
stocks of natural resources, their physical flows, environmental costs, and externality costs.
EMA is a broad set of approaches and principles that provide views into the physical flows and costs critical to the
successful completion of environmental management activities and increasingly, routine management activities, such as
product and process design, capital budgeting, cost control and allocation, and product pricing, according to the EMA
international website. EMA offers potential benefits to industry, such as the capability track and managing the flows
and use of materials and energy with greater accuracy. The EMA international website reports that accurate
identification, estimation, allocation, and management or reduction of costs is important, too. Environmental
performance can be supported and improved by using more accurate and complete information. This information will
also improve the measurement and reporting of environmental information to the public. Government can benefit from
the application of these principles according to the EMA international website. The cost of environmental protection
can be lowered on the basis of industries’ financial self-interest. Industry data can be used to estimate and report
environmental performance metrics and financial and environmental and benefits to government stakeholders. These
metrics can also be used to effectively affect future environmental policies and regulations. Societal benefits exist also.
With the implementation of these principles, energy, water, and other natural resources can be used more efficiently.
The EMA international website reports these principles can help reduce external societal costs stemming from industrial
pollution such as environmental control, monitoring, remediation, and public health costs.
3. Environmental National Accounting (ENA): National Level Accounting with a particular focus on natural
resources stocks & flows, environmental costs & externality costs etc. Need of Environmental Accounting at
Corporate Level: It helps to know whether corporation has been discharging its responsibilities towards
environment or not. Basically, a company has to fulfill following environmental responsibilities.
Meeting regulatory requirements or exceeding that expectation.
Cleaning up pollution that already exists and properly disposing of the hazardous material.
Disclosing to the investors both potential & current, the amount and nature of the preventative measures
taken by the management (disclosure required if the estimated liability is greater than a certain percent say
10 per cent of the company’s net worth).
Operating in a way that that environmental damage does not occur.
Promoting a company having wide environmental attitude.
Control over operational & material efficiency gains driven by the competitive global market.
Control over increases in costs for raw materials, waste management and potential liability
Scope of Environment Accounting - The scope of Environmental Accounting (hereinafter called as EA) is very wide. It
includes corporate level, national & international level. As far as this article is concerned the emphasis is given on the
corporate level accounting. The following aspects are included in EA:
1. From Internal point of view investment made by the corporate sector for minimization of losses to environment.
It includes investment made into the environment saving equipment/ devices. This type of accounting is easy as
money Measurement is possible.
2. From external point of view all types of loss r indirectly due to business operation/activities. It mainly includes:
Degradation and destruction like soil erosion, loss of bio diversity, air pollution, water pollution, voice
pollution, problem of solid waste, coastal & marine pollution.
Depletion of nonrenewable natural resources i.e. loss emerged due to over exploitation of nonrenewable
natural resources like minerals, water, gas, etc.
Deforestation and Land uses.
This type of accounting is not easy, as losses to environment cannot be measured exactly in monetary value. Further, it
is very hard to decide that how much loss was occurred to the environment due to a particular industry. For this purpose
approx idea can be given or other measurement of loss like quantity of non-renewable natural re- sources used, how
much Sq. meter area deforested and total area used for business purpose including residential quarters area for
employees etc., how much solid waste produced by the factory, how much wasteful air pass through chimney in air and
what types of elements are included in a standard quantity of wasteful air, type and degree of noise made by the
factory, etc. can be used.
Limitations of Environmental Accounting - EA suffers from various serious limitations as follows:
1. There is no standard accounting method.
2. Comparison between two firms or countries is not possible if method of accounting is different which is quite
obvious.
3. Input for EA is not easily available because costs and benefits relevant to the environment are not easily
measurable.
4. Many business and the Government organizations even large and well managed ones don’t adequately track the use
of energy and material or the cost of inefficient materials use, waste management and related issue. Many
organizations, therefore, significantly underestimate the cost of poor environment performance to their
organization.
5. It mainly considers the cost internal to the company and excludes cost to society.
6. EA is a long-term process. Therefore, to draw a conclusion with help of it is not easy.
7. EA cannot work independently. It should be integrated with the financial accounting, which is not easy.
8. EA must be analysed along with other aspects of accounting. Because costs and benefits related to the environment
itself depend upon the results of the financial accounting, management accounting, cost accounting, tax accounting,
national accounting, etc.
9. The user of information contained in the EA needs adequate knowledge of the process of EA as well as rules and
regulations prevailing in that country either directly or indirectly related to environmental aspects.
Environment Management 29
Environmental ethics
Environmental ethics is the part of environmental philosophy which considers extending the traditional
boundaries of ethics from solely including humans to including the non-human world. It exerts influence on a large range
of disciplines including environmental law, environmental sociology, ecotheology, ecological economics, ecology and
environmental geography. There are many ethical decisions that human beings make with respect to the environment.
For example:
Should we continue to clear cut forests for the sake of human consumption?
Why should we continue to propagate our species, and life itself?
Should we continue to make gasoline powered vehicles?
What environmental obligations do we need to keep for future generations?
Is it right for humans to knowingly cause the extinction of a species for the convenience of humanity?
How should we best use and conserve the space environment to secure and expand life?
Definition on Environmental Ethics - Environmental ethics refers to the moral relations between human beings and
their natural environment. More specifically, it refers to the value that mankind places on protecting, conserving, and
efficiently using resources that the earth provides. It is a standard that we use to view issues pertaining to the
environment. Some people may have varying degrees of consciousness in this area, but everyone has an environmental
ethic that they hold to. The key is to balance an awareness and motivation for environmental issues while not
neglecting the needs of people.
Environmental laws
In the Constitution of India it is clearly stated that it is the duty of the state to ‘protect and improve the environment and
to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country’. It imposes a duty on every citizen ‘to protect and improve the
natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife’. Reference to the environment has also been made in
the Directive Principles of State Policy as well as the Fundamental Rights. The Department of Environment was
established in India in 1980 to ensure a healthy environment for the country. This later became the Ministry of
Environment and Forests in 1985. The constitutional provisions are backed by a number of laws – acts, rules, and
notifications. The EPA (Environment Protection Act), 1986 came into force soon after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and is
considered an umbrella legislation as it fills many gaps in the existing laws. Thereafter a large number of laws came into
existence as the problems began arising, for example, Handling and Management of Hazardous Waste Rules in 1989.
Following is a list of the environmental legislations that have come into effect:
1. General
1986 - The Environment (Protection) Act authorizes the central government to protect and improve
environmental quality, control and reduce pollution from all sources, and prohibit or restrict the setting and /or
operation of any industrial facility on environmental grounds.
1991 - The Public Liability Insurance Act and Rules and Amendment, 1992 was drawn up to provide for
public liability insurance for the purpose of providing immediate relief to the persons affected by accident while
handling any hazardous substance.
1995 - The National Environmental Tribunal Act has been created to award compensation for damages to
persons, property, and the environment arising from any activity involving hazardous substances.
2002 - The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) (Amendment) Rules lay down such terms and conditions
as are necessary to reduce noise pollution, permit use of loud speakers or public address systems during night
hours (between 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight) on or during any cultural or religious festive occasion
2. Forest and wildlife
1927 - The Indian Forest Act and Amendment, 1984, is one of the many surviving colonial statutes. It was
enacted to ‘consolidate the law related to forest, the transit of forest produce, and the duty leviable on timber
and other forest produce’.
1972 - The Wildlife Protection Act, Rules 1973 and Amendment 1991 provides for the protection of birds and
animals and for all matters that are connected to it whether it be their habitat or the waterhole or the forests
that sustain them.
1980 - The Forest (Conservation) Act and Rules, 1981, provides for the protection of and the conservation of
the forests.
3. Water
1956 - The River Boards Act enables the states to enroll the central government in setting up an Advisory River
Board to resolve issues in inter-state cooperation.
1970 - The Merchant Shipping Act aims to deal with waste arising from ships along the coastal areas within a
specified radius.
1974 - The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act establishes an institutional structure for preventing
and abating water pollution. It establishes standards for water quality and effluent. Polluting industries must
seek permission to discharge waste into effluent bodies. The CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) was
constituted under this act.
1991 - The Coastal Regulation Zone Notification puts regulations on various activities, including construction,
are regulated. It gives some protection to the backwaters and estuaries.
4. Air
1981 - The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act provides for the control and abatement of air pollution.
It entrusts the power of enforcing this act to the CPCB .
1982 - The Atomic Energy Act deals with the radioactive waste.
1987 - The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act empowers the central and state pollution
control boards to meet with grave emergencies of air pollution.
1988 - The Motor Vehicles Act states that all hazardous waste is to be properly packaged, labelled, and
transported.
Environment Management 31
Types of Non-Governmental Organizations – NGO types can be understood by their orientation and level of
operation.
1. NGO type by level of orientation:
Charitable Orientation often involves a top-down paternalistic effort with little participation by the
"beneficiaries". It includes NGOs with activities directed toward meeting the needs of the poor.
Service Orientation includes NGOs with activities such as the provision of health, family planning or education
services in which the programme is designed by the NGO and people are expected to participate in its
implementation and in receiving the service.
Participatory Orientation is characterized by self-help projects where local people are involved particularly in
the implementation of a project by contributing cash, tools, land, materials, labour etc. In the classical
community development project, participation begins with the need definition and continues into the planning
and implementation stages.
Empowering Orientation aims to help poor people develop a clearer understanding of the social, political and
economic factors affecting their lives, and to strengthen their awareness of their own potential power to control
their lives. There is maximum involvement of the beneficiaries with NGOs acting as facilitators.
2. NGO type by level of operation:
Community-based Organizations (CBOs) arise out of people's own initiatives. They can be responsible for raising
the consciousness of the urban poor, helping them to understand their rights in accessing needed services, and
providing such services.
Citywide Organizations include organizations such as chambers of commerce and industry, coalitions of
business, ethnic or educational groups, and associations of community organizations.
National NGOs include national organizations such as the Red Cross, YMCAs/YWCAs, professional associations,
etc. Some have state and city branches and assist local NGOs.
International NGOs range from secular agencies such as Redda Barna and Save the Children organizations,
OXFAM, CARE, Ford Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation to religiously motivated groups. They can be
responsible for funding local NGOs, institutions and projects and implementing projects.
Comparison between a trust, a society and a section 25 company
Public Trust Society Section 25 Company
Statute/Legislation Public Trust Act like Bombay Societies Registration Act of Companies Act of 1956
Public Trust Act, 1950 1860
Jurisdiction of the Act Concerned state where Concerned state where Concerned state where
registered registered registered
Authority Charity Commissioner/Deputy Registrar of Societies Registrar of Companies
Registrar
Registration As Trust As Society (and by default As Section 25 Company
also as Trust in Maharashtra
and Gujarat)
Main Document Trust deed Memorandum of Association Memorandum and Articles
and Rules & Regulations of Association.
Stamp Duty Trust deed to be executed a No stamp paper required for No stamp paper required for
non-judicial stamp paper of Memorandum of Association Memorandum and Articles
prescribed value and Rules & Regulations of Association
Number of persons Minimum two trustees; no Minimum seven, no upper Minimum three, no upper
needed to register upper limit limit limit
Board of Management Trustees Governing body or Board of
council/managing or Directors/Managing
executive committee Committee
Mode of succession on Usually by appointment Usually election by members Usually election by members
board of management of the general body of the general body
Environment Management 34
Co-operative Societies - In India, cooperative societies are regarded as instruments to mobilize and aggregate
community effort to eliminate layers of middlemen in any product or service supply chain hence resulting in greater
benefit sharing for the grassroot farmer, worker or artisans. The Cooperative Credit Societies Act, 1904 enabled
formation of cooperatives for supplying to farmers cheap credit and protect them from exploitation in the hands of the
moneylenders. The cooperative act 1912 expanded the sphere of cooperation and provided for supervision by central
organization.
Multi-State Co-operative Societies (MACTS) - The Multi-state Co-operative Societies Act, 2002 which
substitutes the earlier statute of 1984, facilitates the incorporation of cooperative societies whose objects and functions
spread over to several states. The act provides for formation of both primary (with both individual and institutional
members) and federal cooperatives (with only institutional memberships). Any application for the registration of a multi-
state cooperative society, of which all the members are individuals, should be signed by at least fifty persons from each
of the states concerned. In case of a society of which members are cooperative societies, it should be signed by duly
authorized representative of at least five such societies registered in different states
SOCIETY - Society is not an organization, and not legally bounded too. More explanation is as:: Society or human
society is the manner or condition in which the members of a community live together for their mutual benefit. By
extension, society denotes the people of a region or country, sometimes even the world, taken as a whole. Used in the
sense of an association, a society is a body of individuals outlined by the bounds of functional interdependence, possibly
comprising characteristics such as national or cultural identity, social solidarity, language or hierarchical organization.
Human societies are characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals sharing a distinctive culture and
institutions. Like other communities or groups, a society allows its members to achieve needs or wishes they could not
fulfill alone. A society, however, may be ontologically independent of, and utterly irreducible to, the qualities of
constituent individuals; it may act to oppress. The urbanization and rationalization inherent in some, particularly
Western capitalist, societies, has been associated with feelings of isolation and social "anomie". More broadly, a society
is an economic, social or industrial infrastructure, made up of a varied collection of individuals. Members of a society
may be from different ethnic groups. A society may be a particular ethnic group, such as the Saxons; a nation state, such
as Bhutan; a broader cultural group, such as a Western society. The word society may also refer to an organized
voluntary association of people for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes. A
"society" may even, though more by means of metaphor refer to a social organism such as an ant colony.
ORIGIN OF PIL - The term "PIL" originated in the United States in the mid-1980s. Since the nineteenth century, various
movements in that country had contributed to public interest law, which was part of the legal aid movement. The first
legal aid office was established in New York in 1876. In the 1960s the PIL movement began to receive financial support
from the office of Economic Opportunity, This encouraged lawyers and public spirited persons to take up cases of the
Environment Management 35
under-privileged and fight against dangers to environment and public health and exploitation of consumers and the
weaker sections.
HISTORY OF PIL IN INDIA - PIL had begun in India towards the end of 1970s and came into full bloom in the 80s.
Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer and Justice PM. Bhagwati, honourable Judges of the Supreme Court of India. They delivered
some landmark judgements which opened up new vistas in PIL.
OBJECTIVES OF PIL - According to Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, PIL is a process, of obtaining justice for the people, of
voicing people's grievances through the legal process. The aim of PIL is to give to the common people of this country
access to the courts to obtain legal redress.
NATURE OF PIL - According to Justice Bhagwati "PIL is not in the nature of adversary litigation but it is a challenge and
an opportunity to the Government and its officers to make basic human rights meaningful to the deprived and
vulnerable sections of the community and to assure them social and economic justice which is the significant tune of our
Constitution. The government and its officers must welcome PIL because it would provide them an accession to examine
whether the poor and the downtrodden are getting their social and entitlements or whether they are continuing to
remain victims of deception and exploitation at the hands of strong and powerful sections of the community... when the
court entertains PIL, it does not do so in a cavilling spirit or in a confrontational mood or with a view to tilting at
executive authority or seeking to usurp it, but its attempt is only to ensure observance of social and economic rescue
programmes, legislative as well as executive, framed for the benefit of the have-nots and the handicapped and to
protect them against violation of their basic human rights, which is also the constitutional obligation of the executive.
The court is thus merely assisting in the realization of the constitutional objective," (AIR 1984 SC 802)
HOW TO FILE A PIL: A PIL may be filed like a write petition. However, in the past the SC has treated even letters
addressed to the court as PIL. In People’s Democratic union v Union of India, a letter addressed by the petitioner
organization seeking a direction against the respondents for ensuring observance of the provisions of famous labour
laws in relation to workmen employed in the construction work of projects connected with the Asian games was
entertained as a PIL. The SC has encouraged the filing of PIL for tackling issues related to environment, human rights etc.
DIFFERENT WAYS TO FILE A PIL - The different ways PIL can be filed in the Supreme Court and High Courts are;
1. Sending letter petitions with relevant facts and documents to the Chief Justice of the concerned court. The
matter must be sent by registered post.
2. By directly filing the PIL in the court through the Free Legal Service Committee of the court.
3. Directly filing the case with the help of any PIL lawyer.
4. Filing the case through NGOs or PIL firms.
MERITS OF PIL
1. The character of the Indian Constitution. Unlike Britain, India has a written constitution which through Part III
(Fundamental Rights) and Part IV (Directive Principles of State Policy) provides a framework for regulating
relations between the state and its citizens and between citizens inter-se.
2. India has some of the most progressive social legislation to be found anywhere in the world whether it be
relating to bonded labor, minimum wages, land ceiling, environmental protection, etc. This has made it easier
for the courts to haul up the executive when it is not performing its duties in ensuring the rights of the poor as
per the law of the land.
3. The liberal interpretation of locus standi where any person can apply to the court on behalf of those who are
economically or physically unable to come before it has helped. Judges themselves have in some cases initiated
suo moto action based on newspaper articles or letters received.
4. Although social and economic rights given in the Indian Constitution under Part IV are not legally enforceable;
courts have creatively read these into fundamental rights thereby making them judicially enforceable. For
instance the "right to life" in Article 21 has been expanded to include right to free legal aid, right to live with
dignity, right to education, right to work, freedom from torture, bar fetters and hand cuffing in prisons, etc.
5. Sensitive judges have constantly innovated on the side of the poor. for instance, in the Bandhua Mukti Morcha
case in 1983, the Supreme Court put the burden of proof on the respondent stating it would treat every case of
forced labor as a case of bonded labor unless proven otherwise by the employer. Similarly in the Asiad workers
judgment case, Justice P.N. Bhagwati held that anyone getting less than the minimum wage can approach the
Supreme Court directly without going through the labor commissioner and lower courts.
6. In PIL cases where the petitioner is not in a position to provide all the necessary evidence, either because it is
voluminous or because the parties are weak socially or economically, courts have appointed commissions to
collect information on facts and present it before the bench.
Criticism on PIL
Supreme Court allowing filing of a PIL mere by writing a letter opens a door for flooding the SC with cases
claiming to be violation of Fundamental Rights there by resulting delay in deciding many other important cases.
Interference of Courts in the activities of Legislature and Executive would lead to conflict between the three
organs of the Government.
In some cases, courts have no capacity to enforce its orders and in many cases the conditions have not changed.
CONCLUSION - PIL represents the first attempt by a developing common law country to break away from legal
imperialism perpetuated for centuries. It contests the assumption that the most western the law, the better it must
work for economic and social development such law produced in developing states, including India, was the
development of under develop men. The shift from legal centralism to legal pluralism was prompted by the
disillusionment with formal legal system. In India, however instead of seeking to evolve justice- dispensing mechanism
ousted the formal legal system itself through PIL. The change as we have seen, are both substantial and structural. It has
radically altered the traditional judicial role so as to enable the court to bring justice within the reach of the common
man. Further, it is humbly submitted that PIL is still is in experimental stage. Many deficiencies in handling the kind of
litigation are likely to come on the front. But these deficiencies can be removed by innovating better techniques. In
essence, the PIL develops a new jurisprudence of the accountability of the state for constitutional and legal violations
adversely affecting the interests of the weaker elements in the community. We may end with the hope once expressed
by Justice Krishna Iyer, “The judicial activism gets its highest bonus when its orders wipe some tears from some eyes”.
Environment Management 38
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that causes adverse change. It is created
mostly by human actions, but can also be a result of natural disasters. Pollution has a detrimental effect on any living
organism in an environment, making it virtually impossible to sustain life. Pollution can take the form of chemical
substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign
substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants. Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint source
pollution. Pollution is the addition to the ecosystem of something which has a detrimental effect on it. One of the most
important causes of pollution is the high rate of energy usage by modern, growing populations.
Air Pollution - Air pollution is the accumulation in the atmosphere of substances that, in sufficient concentrations,
endanger human health or produce other measured effects on living matter and other materials. Among the major
sources of pollution are power and heat generation, the burning of solid wastes, industrial processes, and, especially,
transportation. The six major types of pollutants are carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, particulates,
sulfur dioxide, and photochemical oxidants. Examples of Air Pollution
Noise Pollution - Noise pollution or unwanted sounds that are carried by the air, have an irritating and
detrimental effect on humans and other animals. Careful planning of streets and buildings in towns and better
control over noisy vehicles may add to the control of noise pollution.
Tobacco Smoke - Tobacco smoke is one of the major forms of pollution in buildings. It is not only the smoker
who is infected, but everyone who inhales the polluted air. There is a very strong connection between smoking
and lung cancer. Bronchitis is common among smokers and unborn babies of mothers who smoke also suffer
from the harmful effects of smoking.
Exhaust Gases of Vehicles - Pollution from exhaust gases of vehicles is responsible for 60% of all air pollution
and in cities up to 80%. There is a large variety of harmful chemicals present in these gases, with lead being one
of the most dangerous.
Combustion of Coal - The combustion of coal without special precautions can have serious consequences. If
winds do not blow away the poisonous gases, they can have fatal effects and may lead to death.
Acid rain - Acid rain is the term for pollution caused when sulfur and nitrogen dioxides combine with
atmospheric moisture to produce highly acidic rain, snow, hail, or fog. The acid eats into the stone, brick and
metal articles and pollutes water sources. Coal in South Africa is rich in sulfur SO2 and the power stations in the
Mpumalanga Province could be responsible for acid rain over other areas of our country.
What are the sources of air pollution? - Some of the main contributors to air pollution are:
Automobile emissions
Tobacco smoke
Combustion of coal
Acid rain
Noise pollution from cars and construction
Power plants
Manufacturing buildings
Large ships
Paint fumes
Aerosol sprays
Wildfires
Nuclear weapons
Environment Management 39
Control Measures - Although individual people can help to combat air pollution in their own immediate environment,
efficient control can be best achieved by legislation. Some commonly enforced control measures include –
The establishment of more smokeless zones;
Control over the kinds of fuel used in cars, aeroplanes, power stations, etc.
Facts about Air Pollution - Here are a few facts about air pollution:
Almost 232 million different types of vehicles are driven by U.S. citizens every day, adding greenhouse gases into
the air
U.S. vehicle emissions contribute 45% to global warming
The average adult consumes 3,000 gallons of polluted air every day
Vehicle exhaust contributes to 60% of carbon monoxide emissions in the U.S. and up to 95% in large cities
Every year 335,000 Americans die of lung cancer, which is a direct result of air pollution
How to Prevent Air Pollution - The number one way to prevent air pollution is to walk or bike more and drive less. This
will prevent fossil fuels from polluting the air. Here are some other ways to prevent air pollution:
Carpool or join a ride share with friends and coworkers
Don’t smoke
Keep your car maintenance up-to-date
If you have to drive, do your errands at one time
Don’t buy products that come in aerosol spray cans
Avoid using lighter fluid when barbecuing outside
When you drive accelerate slowly and use cruise control
Always replace your car’s air filter
Use a push or electric lawnmower rather than a gas-powered one
Don’t use harsh chemical cleaners that can emit fumes
Inspect your gas appliances and heaters regularly
Water Pollution - Water pollution is the introduction into fresh or ocean waters of chemical, physical, or biological
material that degrades the quality of the water and affects the organisms living in it. This process ranges from simple
addition of dissolved or suspended solids to discharge of the most insidious and persistent toxic pollutants (such as
pesticides, heavy metals, and no degradable, bioaccumulative, chemical compounds). Examples of Water Pollution
Industrial affluent - Water is discharged from after having been used in production processes. This waste water
may contain acids, alkalis, salts, poisons, oils and in some cases harmful bacteria.
Mining and Agricultural Wastes - Mines, especially gold and coal mines, are responsible for large quatities of
acid water. Agricultural pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides may wash into rivers and stagnant water bodies.
Sewage Disposal and Domestic Wastes - Sewage as well as domestic and farm wastes were often allowed to
pollute rivers and dams.
What are the sources of water pollution? - Some of the main contributors to water pollution are:
Factories
Refineries
Waste treatment facilities
Mining
Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers
Human sewage
Oil spills
Failing septic systems
Soap from washing your car
Oil and antifreeze leaking from cars
Household chemicals
Animal waste
Control Measures - The following measures can be used to stop water pollution:
Every intelligent people should be wise enough not to pollute water in any way;
Environment Management 40
By research and legislation the pollution of water bodies, even though not entirely prevented, must be
effectively controlled.
Facts about Water Pollution - Here are a few facts about water pollution:
Over two-thirds of U.S. estuaries and bays are severely degraded because of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution
Every year almost 25% of U.S. beaches are closed at least once because of water pollution
Over 73 different kinds of pesticides have been found in the groundwater that we eventually use to drink
1.2 trillion gallons of sewage, storm water and industrial waste are discharged into U.S. waters every year
40% of U.S. rivers are too polluted for aquatic life to survive
Americans use over 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides every year, which eventually washes into our rivers and lakes
How to Prevent Water Pollution - The best way to prevent water pollution is to not throw trash and other harmful
chemicals into our water supplies. Here are a few more ways you can prevent water pollution:
Wash your car far away from any storm water drains
Don’t throw trash, chemicals or solvents into sewer drains
Inspect your septic system every 3-5 years
Avoid using pesticides and fertilizers that can run off into water systems
Sweep your driveway instead of hosing it down
Always pump your waste-holding tanks on your boat
Use non-toxic cleaning materials
Clean up oil and other liquid spills with kitty litter and sweet them up
Don’t wash paint brushes in the sink
Land Pollution - Land pollution is the degradation of the Earth's land surface through misuse of the soil by poor
agricultural practices, mineral exploitation, industrial waste dumping, and indiscriminate disposal of urban wastes. It
includes visible waste and litter as well as pollution of the soil itself. Examples of Land Pollution
Soil Pollution - Soil pollution is mainly due to chemicals in herbicides (weed killers) and pesticides (poisons
which kill insects and other invertebrate pests). Litter is waste material dumped in public places such as streets,
parks, picnic areas, at bus stops and near shops.
Waste Disposal - The accumulation of waste threatens the health of people in residential areas. Waste decays,
encourages household pests and turns urban areas into unsightly, dirty and unhealthy places to live in.
What are the sources of land pollution? Some of the main contributors to land pollution are:
Chemical and nuclear plants
Industrial factories
Oil refineries
Human sewage
Oil and antifreeze leaking from cars
Mining
Littering
Overcrowded landfills
Deforestation
Construction debris
Control Measures - The following measures can be used to control land pollution:
Anti-litter campaigns can educate people against littering;
Organic waste can be dumped in places far from residential areas;
Inorganic materials such as metals, glass and plastic, but also paper, can be reclaimed and recycled.
Facts about Land Pollution - Here are a few facts about land pollution:
Every year one American produces over 3285 pounds of hazardous waste
Land pollution causes us to lose 24 billion tons of top soil every year
Americans generate 30 billion foam cups, 220 million tires and 1.8 billion disposable diapers every year
We throw away enough trash every day to fill 63,000 garbage trucks
Every day Americans throw away 1 million bushels of litter out their car window
Over 80% of items in landfills can be recycled, but they’re not
Environment Management 41
How to Prevent Land Pollution - The best way to prevent land pollution is to recycle. Here are a few other ways you can
reduce land pollution:
Reuse any items that you can
Buy biodegradable products
Store all liquid chemicals and waste in spill-proof containers
Eat organic foods that are grown without pesticides
Don’t use pesticides
Use a drip tray to collect engine oil
Buy products that have little packaging
Don’t dump motor oil on the ground
Waste Management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal, managing and monitoring of waste
materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to
reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics. Waste management is a distinct practice from resource
recovery which focuses on delaying the rate of consumption of natural resources. All waste materials, whether they are
solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive fall within the remit of waste management.
Waste management practices can differ for developed and developing nations, for urban and rural areas, and for
residential and industrial producers. Management of non-hazardous waste residential and institutional waste in
metropolitan areas is usually the responsibility of local government authorities, while management for non-hazardous
commercial and industrial waste is usually the responsibility of the generator subject to local, national or international
authorities.
Definition - The collection, transportation, and disposal of garbage, sewage, and other waste products. Waste
management encompasses management of all processes and resources for proper handling of waste materials, from
maintenance of waste transport trucks and dumping facilities to compliance with health codes and environmental
regulations.
Methods of Proper Waste Management - It is important how you carry out waste disposal. In today’s world where
population is on the rise and so is rapid industrialization, creation of waste material is a common phenomenon. These
wastes are harmful to the environment and how you dispose them off depends on how they affect the environment.
Proper disposal of waste material helps keep the environment free from disease causing pathogens and keeps it green.
Given below are four methods of proper waste management that will help you keeping your environment clean -
1. Recycling - Recycling is one of the most well know method of managing waste. It is not expensive and can be
easily done by you. If you carry out recycling, you will save a lot of energy, resources and thereby reduce
pollution. You can also save money if you recycle. You can recycle papers, glass, aluminum and plastics. If you
want to reduce the volume of your waste material, the best way to do so would be to recycle. If you recycle, you
can eliminate batteries, tires and asphalt from your waste material and this prevents them from ending up in the
landfills and incinerator. The municipality of almost all cities encourages their citizens to take up recycling. Be a
responsible citizen and reduce your waste by recycling.
2. Composting - This is a natural process that is completely free of any hazardous by-products. This process
involves breaking down the materials into organic compounds that can be used as manure. You can carry out
composting in your own backyard. You can use the leaves, grass, twigs and add vegetable and fruit peels and
skins. You can use DATS bin hire system to get the bins for composting. After a few days, you will see that the
matter has decomposed. You can use this compost, which is rich in nutrients, to improve the soil in your garden.
3. Landfills - Waste management through the use of landfills involves the use of a large area. This place is dug open
and filled with the waste. The area is then covered up with soil. Landfills are not safe because they give off gases
like methane, which are highly hazardous. You should not carry out waste management through landfills if you
cannot ensure proper safety means. The landfill should be properly lined and the waste should not come in
contact with the adjoining areas.
4. Burning the Waste Material - If you cannot recycle or if there are no proper places for setting up landfills, you
can burn the waste matter generated in your household. Controlled burning of waste at high temperatures to
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produce steam and ash is a preferred waste disposal technique. Combustion reduces the volume of waste to be
disposed significantly. Moreover, solid waste can provide for a continuously available and alternative source for
generating energy through combustion. This energy can be channeled into useful purposes.
Purpose of Pollution & Waste Management - To implement and co-ordinate effective pollution and waste
management by focusing on prevention
Legislation - This sub-programme draws its mandate from the following policies and legislation:
The White Paper on Environmental Management Policy (1998);
National Environmental Management Act (NEMA);
National Environmental Management Waste Act (NEMWA);
National Environmental Management Air Quality Act (NEMAQA);
The Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA);
Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA); and
The Constitution
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