Unit – 7
HUMAN COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
There is strong evidence that the growth of the world population poses serious threats to human health, socioeconomic development and the environment. It has taken only 12 years for the world population to grow from 5 billion to today's 6 billion. This is the shortest time ever to add 1 billion people — a number equivalent to the population of India or the combined population of the United States and Europe.
Some 10 000 years ago, when only about 5 million people inhabited the Earth, few biological systems were seriously damaged by human activity. Today, however, the world faces an environmental dilemma. Current demands are depleting many of the Earth's natural resources and ecological services. Within the next 50 years, it is likely that those life-supporting systems will somehow have to accommodate 3 billion more people as well as support desperately needed advances in living standards for those in poverty, particularly the 3 billion people now living on about $2 a day.
The impact of humans on their environment is related to population size, per capita consumption and the environmental damage caused by the technology used to produce what is consumed. The exploitation of technology and the high consumption pattern of people in Japan, Europe, the United States and Canada have a greater adverse impact per capita on the world's environment than that of a subsistence farmer in Bangladesh, for example. Although they represent 20% of the world's population, the 1.2 billion people living in developed countries consume an estimated 67% of all resources and generate 75% of all waste and pollution.
There are many important interactions between population growth, consumption, environmental degradation and health. Human activity has already transformed an estimated 10% of the Earth's surface from forest or rangeland into desert. The productive capacity of 25% of all agricultural lands, an area equal to the size of India and China combined, has already been degraded. Unproductive land and food scarcity currently contribute to malnutrition among 1 billion people, with infants and children suffering the most serious health consequences.
Environmental degradation, declining food security and uncontrolled epidemics of communicable diseases have slowed, and even reversed, the demographic transition to low death rates in some poor countries. In contrast to developed countries, where cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading causes of death, in poor countries infectious diseases cause 45% of all deaths.
Disaster is a sudden calamity which brings misfortune and miseries to humanity.
Types:
1. Natural disaster
2. Man-made disaster
Natural disaster: Floods, Cyclones, earth quakes, landslides. Etc
Man-made disaster: Accidents, pollutions, fire accidents, bomb blasts.
FLOODS
Defined as a situation when the river over flows is banks and the water spreads in the surrounding areas and submerging them. It usually occurs in rainy season.
Causes
- Heavy intense rain fall
- Melting of accumulated snow
- Melting of snow combine with rains
- Over saturated soil when the ground cannot hold any more water
- Urbanization
Control
- Forecast, warning and advice should be provided through media to educate aware people about steps to be taken on the event of mishap.
- Valuable house hold items, animals and materials like food, clothes, medicines etc. should be shifted to safe places.
- Elderly people and children should be evacuated to safer place on emergency.
- By the construction of protective works.
EARTHQUAKE
Sudden vibration caused on the earth surface due to sudden release of tremendous amount of energy stored in the rocks under the earth crust is called earthquake.
A focus of an earthquake is the point of initial movement. Epicenter is the point on the surface directly above the focus.
Measure of Earth quake-Richter scale
Magnitude of earthquake is a measure of amount of energy released in the earthquake. Earthquake is recorded by seismograph.
- Less than 4-insignificant
- 4-4.9-minor
- 5-5.9-damaging
- 6-6.9-destructive,
- 7-7.9-major
- Above 8- great
- Primary effect of earth quake: Shaking
Some times a permanent vertical or horizontal displacement of the ground .This affects people bridges, dams, pipe lines.
Secondary effects
Rocks slides, flood caused by the subsidence of land, coastal areas are severely damaged .Earth quake generated water wave called Tsunami and also called tidal waves that travel as fast as 950km/hr.
Precautionary measures
- People should come out of their homes and stay in the open till the tremors subside.
- People already out of home should stay away from the building electric poles, trees and any tall objects that have chances of falling down.
- After the earth quake relief camp by the Government or other social groups should be conducted for the affected people.
CYCLONE
An atmospheric closed circulation, rotating anti- clock wise in the northern hemi sphere and clock wise in southern hemisphere .
Cyclone is an area of low pressure in the centre and high pressure outside. Powerful swirling storm that measures from 300- 500 km in diameter. The wind in the centre of cyclone blows in the speed of 120km/hr.
In India cyclone originates from Bay of Bengal are more in number and intensity. Relatively less south-west Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. In India cyclones occur during October-December or April-May.
EFFECTS
- Damage to human life, crops, roads, transport, and communication could be heavy.
- Cyclone slows down developmental activities of the area.
Management
- Meteorological Departments forecast by satellite images the weather conditions which reveal the strength and intensity of the storm.
- Radar systems is used to detect cyclone and cyclone warning.
- The effect of cyclone is minimized by planting more trees on the coastal belts, constructional dams, wind breaks etc.
Land slides
A landslide is a sudden collapse of large mass of hill side.
Types
- Shallow disrupted land slide
- Decoherent landslide
Factors causing landslides
- Caused by rain forces increasing top material weight, lubricating the material layer or making slope top steep.
- Gravity-gravity works more effectively on steeper slopes
- Weather: Most slides occur during or after heavy rains
Effects
- Flow deposit blocks the road and diverts the passage
Prevention
- Revegetate the area to prevent the surface erosion .Inspect and repair all drainage system. Collect runoff from roofs and improved areas and convey water from the steep slopes in a well designed pipe system.
Environmental Movements In India
BISHNOIS OF RAJASTHAN
The bishnois, a small community in rajasthan, value their trees and wildlife as much as their lives. Following one of the 29 rules given by their guru, the bishnois would do anything to prevent the destruction of trees by human beings, including hugging the trees if they are threatened in any way; the destroyer cannot cut the trees without cutting these human bodies. Amrita devi, a female villager hugged the trees and encouraged others to do the same. 363 bishnoi villagers were killed in this movement. Bishnoi movement – 1700s
CHIPCO MOVEMENT
In 1973 mr. Bahuguna enlightened the villagers by conveying the of the forests (especially the right to fodder) should go to local people. The chipko movement gathered momentum in 1978 when the women faced police firings and other tortures. Then the state chief minister, hemwati nandan bahuguna set up a committee to look into the matter, which eventually ruled in favor of the villagers. Importance of trees in the environment which checks the erosion of soil, cause rains and provides pure air. The women of advani village of tehri-garhwal tied the sacred thread around trunks of trees and they hugged the trees, hence it was called ‘chipko movement’ or ‘hug the tree movement’. The main demand of the people in these protests was that the benefits.
SAVE SILENT VALLEY MOVEMENT
In 1978 the kerala state electricity board (kseb) proposed a hydroelectric dam across the kunthipuzha river that runs through silent valley. In february 1973, the planning commission approved the project at a cost of about rs 25 crores. Many feared that the project would submerge 8.3 sq km of untouched moist evergreen forest. Several ngos strongly opposed the project and urged the government to abandon it. In january 1981, bowing to unrelenting public pressure, indira gandhi declared that silent valley will be protected.
It has been realised empirically that all the major religions and their diverse religious associations share the belief that humans are stewards of the environment and its resources. Therefore, they would account for the way they led their lives, including how they treated the biodiversity resources in nature.
Religion plays out its role in environmental conservation and protection by its beliefs and teachings; it guides the relationship between man and nature, it offers moral framework. The major religions; Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism have adopted similar approaches or traditions that are geared towards environmental conservation. These are: dominion: humans at the top of Creation and using natural resources as needed. Stewardship: humans having a delegate dominion over Creation and being responsible and accountable for their use of natural resources, empathy: nature is affected by human misbehaviour and God and worship: nature gives glory to God and nature is sacred. These approaches correlate and they all complement each other.
Each religion through its beliefs expresses concern for the environment and guides its believers towards conservation. The Buddhists believe in oneness and between humanity and nature. If you harm the environment, you harm yourself too; hence taking care of nature is taking care of yourself. Another practice is that of peace and compassion to everyone and everything and ultimately ensuring a balance between human practices and conservation.
Christianity, through bible teachings, promotes environmental care through the belief of nature’s divinity and humanity’s responsibility to look after creation/nature. This is also supported by Islam through the teachings of Quran that refer to nature as beautiful and sacred.
Hinduism also practices ecosystem protection beliefs and a good example is Mahatma Gandhi who promoted peace and coexistence with fellow humans and nature too, his teachings are extensive and all work towards environmental care.
Judaism also, through its teachings, plays a role in ensuring a proper environment. Nature is a central and since God is the owner, we should leave it as we found it. Judaism also discourages unnecessary destruction and destructive human activities.
Many religious groups are engaged it restoration and environmental protection activities. This has also led to the development of a new field of study/specialization; Eco-theology, which incorporates the concept of ecosystem management in religious teachings.
However, the role of religion and all these efforts and teachings seem to be currently fruitless due to our individual behaviors, it all boils down to your practices and activities, as it is always said, change begins with you.
Present scenario of air quality in Delhi: a case study of CNG implementation
The present study discusses the ambient air quality of Delhi from the point of view of change of diesel by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in transportation in Delhi. Several initiatives were taken to reduce extremely high levels of pollutants present in the ambient air of urban city. One of the initiatives was to move public transport to CNG, which has been implemented in Delhi since April 2001. Delhi boasted CNG in nearly 2200 buses, 25,000 three wheelers, 6000 taxis and 10,000 cars. However, more than half of the vehicles are yet to be changed to CNG.
A relative comparison of ambient air concentration of pollutants, e.g. Carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), suspended particulate matter (SPM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX), emitted from transport sector, during the years 1995–2000 (without CNG) and the year 2001 (with CNG) has been made in order to assess the impact of CNG vehicles on ambient air quality in Delhi. It has been found that concentration contribution of above pollutants has been reduced considerably.
The annual average concentration of SPM came down to 347 from 405 g m−3, which is still beyond the permissible limits. The concentration of annual averages of CO, SO2 and NOX decreased to 4197 from 4681 g m−3, 14 from 18 g m−3 and 34 from 36 g m−3, respectively, and are well within the permissible limits. An analysis of SO2/NOX and CO/NOX concentrations, whose correlation coefficient r2 has the values 0.7613 and 0.7903, respectively, indicates that point sources are contributing to SO2 and mobile sources are contributing to NOX concentrations.
And are well within the permissible limits. An analysis of SO2/NOX and CO/NOX concentrations, whose correlation coefficient r2 has the values 0.7613 and 0.7903, respectively, indicates that point sources are contributing to SO2 and mobile sources are contributing to NOX concentrations.
Reference Books
- Human Rights and the Environment by Atapattu sumudu et al
- ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION ECOLOGICAL by Ambasht R S
- Atmospheric Environment - Present Scenario Of Air Quality In Delhi: A Case Study Of CNG Implementation BY P GHOYAL ET AL. (2003)
