2015 tee-EIS Chapter 3 - Technology Environment PDF

CHAPTER 3 TECHNOLOGY &
ENVIRONMENT
CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

1. GLOBAL WARMING & CLIMATE CHANGE
What is Global Warming ?
It refers to an increase in average temperature of the

Earths oceans and atmosphere and also its projected
continued rise
Main causes are due to human activities
Burning of fossil fuels
Deforestation
All these will release greenhouse gases (CO2, Nox etc)
During 20th century, global temperature had increased by

0.74 degree C.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
projected global temperature is likely to rise 1.1 to 6.4
degree C from 2007 to 2100 (93 years)
What is Greenhouse Effect?

It is a process by which thermal radiation from the sun is
absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases such as
water vapour and carbon dioxide, and is re-radiated in all
direction
Part of this re-radiation is radiated back towards the
Earth, the energy is transferred to the surface.
The greenhouse gases will trap some of the energy in the
radiation, retaining heat like glass panels of greenhouse
Thus Earths atmosphere acts like glass in a greenhouse
and it traps the heat, necessary for life on earth.
35-50% of heat is reflected back to space

10-20 % absorbed by atmosphere
45-50% reaches the surface of earth
Some absorption of heat is necessary to provide some
heat for life
Greenhouse Gases (GHG)

GHG that contribute to greenhouse effects are:
Water vapor
Most abundant
It increases as atmospheres temperature increases
Then more clouds will form and rains
Carbon dioxide
Minor content but important

It is released by natural process such as respiration,
volcano eruption etc
Due to human activities deforestation, land use change,
burning of fossil fuels
Methane
CO2 has increased by 1/3 since Industrial Revolution

CO2 played very important role in climate change
It is produced either naturally and by human activities
Such as decomposition of wastes in landfill, rice
cultivation, manure from livestock
Nitrous Oxide
Produced by soil cultivation such as fertilizers, burning

of fossil fuels, nitric production and biomass burning
3.1.5.4 Reducing CFC Emission

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) are used as propellants for
aerosols, as fire extinguishers, as solvents and as

refrigerants (the Freon).
They are also used in the manufacture of foam packing
materials.
These non-toxic gases not only contribute to the
greenhouse effect but have also been implicated in

damaging the ozone layer which lies some 10 to 50km
above the earth and protects it from the suns harmful
ultraviolet rays.
Scientists had discovered a large hole in the ozone layer
above the polar ice caps caused by ozone destroying
monoxide gas derived from the breakdown of CFCs in the
stratosphere.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)
Synthetic compound produced by industrial process

Used as refrigerant and fire extinguishers
It is also able to destroy ozone layer in atmosphere
Now restricted of use by international agreement
Effects of Global Warming
Earth is warmer
Warmer conditions will lead to more evaporation and rain,
but some part will have more rain than the other
Oceans will be warmer and melts glaciers and ice, hence
increase sea level
Some low lying cities will be submerged due to higher water
level, such as Bangkok, Amsterdam, Shanghai
Due to higher CO2 some crops may grow more
aggressively and consume more water
Extreme weather conditions heat waves, droughts,
hurricane, heavy rainfall, floods
Some species may extinct due to temperature change
Agriculture yields may be affected
To Overcome Global Warming
To reduce GHG
To improve energy efficiency & find alternative energy
sources
To limit deforestation
To reduce CFC emission
To reduce Greenhouse Gases
Carbon dioxide is main culprit of greenhouse effect and

global warming
Since industrial age, CO2 has increased by 15-25% due to
burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal
1 ton of coal will produce 3-4 tons of CO2
Burning of fossil fuels produces about 21.3 billion tons

of CO2 per year
Natural processes such as photosynthesis can only
absorb about
So there is a net increase of 10.65 billion tons of CO2
per year
In USA- more than 90% of GHG are due to burning of
fossil fuels
UN and their agencies had embarked research
programs to monitor CO2 changes in atmosphere
Strategies had been adopted to reduce GHG:
Improve energy efficiency & alternative energy
source
Limit deforestation
Reduce CFC
Energy efficiency & alternative energy source
Many countries have implemented policies to improve

energy efficiency, e.g. use higher efficiency lamp bulb,
higher power factor for motors
Reduction of CO2 also means reduction of other GHG such
as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide
Use of renewable energy solar, hydro, wind, biomass
The above actions need to be implemented also due nto
increasing oil prices
To limit Deforestation
Tropical forest absorbs large quantity of CO2

Tropical forest has been cleared in large scale
This has caused 1/5 of CO2 emission
A complete halt of deforestation is not enough
A new forest, equivalent to size of India would have to be
planted
Chances of such reforestation is remote
To reduce CFC
CFC are used as propellants for aerosols spray, fire

extinguishers, solvent, refrigerant (Freon gas)
Also used in foam packing materials
This gas has 2 bad impacts on our environment
Global warming
Thinning of Ozone layer

Ozone layer is about 15-50 km from the surface of Earth
It protects us from harmful ultraviolet rays
Now there is a large hole in ozone layer above the polar ice
caps
Kyoto Protocol
Is a protocol to the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Aims to fight global warming
UNFCCC is an international treaty with goal to stabilise
greenhouse gases in atmosphere at a level which would
prevent dangerous anthropogenic (caused by human)
interference with climate system
In short- aims to cut down emission of GHG so that
global warming will be curbed.
Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 and only enforced

on 16/02/2005
As of April 2010, 191 countries have signed and ratified
USA signed the treaty but has not ratified yet
USA is currently 2nd largest GHG producer next to China
and they are the largest producer based on per capital
Under the Protocol, 37 countries committed to reduce 4
GHG (CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur
hexafluoride) while other countries give general
commitment
These 37 countries commit to reduce 5.2% of GHG from
1990 level by 2012

2. EVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS
Humans and the Earth

More than half of the land on earth has been transformed
by human activities
CO2 has been increased by about 30% since Industrial
Revolution
More than half of surface fresh water is now used by
humans
About of bird species are about to extinct
All these due to one reason human activities
World is in our hand !
What is Pollutant?
Any substance introduced into environment that
adversely affects the usefulness of a resource
In practice, it is chemical out of place
Oil in a tanker is not pollutant but oil spill into
environment is a pollutant
Almost anything can pollute, whether its synthetic or
natural
Most concern is industrial chemical
Sources of Pollutants
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) used as dielectric
fluids for transformers & capacitors now banned
Chemicals pesticides, fertilizers, hazardous waste
Inorganic chemicals- nitrates & metals
Greenhouse gases CO2, methane, nitrogen oxide
Radioactive substances
Impact of Pollution
Effects of pollution are many and wide-ranging
Effects may range from mild discomfort to serious
diseases such as cancer & physical deformities
Many types of pollution:
Air pollution
Water pollution
Heavy metal pollution
Effects on living organisms from mild discomfort to

serious diseases (such as cancer)
Air Pollution
General
Is contamination of atmosphere due to release of toxic

substances such as noxious gases and tiny particles,
usually as a result of burning fossil fuels
Noxious gases CO, Nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide
Sources exhaust from cars, factories emission
Air pollutants stay long time in atmosphere and travel long
distances
Effects of air pollution
Global warming
Thinning of ozone layer
Acid rain
Affect human health
Global Warming
Greenhouse gases such as CO2 will trap re-radiated

energy from the sun and cause a rise in global
temperature
This will cause changes in climate pattern
Ozone Layer Depletion
Ozone is located at an altitude of 10-50 km above the

surface, known as ozone layer
It filters incoming ultraviolet radiation which will cause

skin cancers and eye disorder
Ozone layer is depleted easily by halogens (chlorine,

bromine & fluorine) found in organic compound such as
CFC and halons
These compounds are used in refrigeration, aircondition, fire extinguishers, solvents etc
These compounds reacted with UV and release

halogens which will react with ozone
For past few decades, ozone layer has been depleting

Now a big hole was detected above Antarctic
Montreal Protocol of 1987, signed by over 180
countries, agreed to phase out 96 different ozonedepleting substances
If the protocol is adhered to, it is predicted that the hole
will recover by 2045
Acid Rain
Due to emission of acid gases, water and soil will be

acidified
The acid gases are ammonia and sulphur dioxide
When the acid gas is washed by the rain, the rain

becomes acidic, hence known as acid rain
The acidic rain when falls on objects they will cause

damages to crops, forests, water supply, all metals and
surfaces of buildings
Acidification can also dissolve metals from soils into

solution which are toxic to freshwater fish
Largest source of acid gases is combustion of fossil

fuels from power plants and vehicles
Health effects of Air Pollution
Respiratory and cardiovascular diseases
Decreased lung function and asthma
Difficulty of breathing and coughing
Respiratory infection
Effects on nerve system, including brain, loss of

memory
Cancer, e.g. lung cancer
Premature death
Water Pollution
General
Water can clean itself by sedimentation or dilution of

pollutants
However this natural process takes time
Not possible when excessive contaminants are added to
the water
Sources of Water Pollution
2 main sources
Point sources sources from a point
Non-point sources sources from other areas

Point sources
Factories
Wastewater treatment plants
Palm oil mills
Workshops
Non-point sources
More difficult to identify as cannot trace back to a

particular point
Farms
Construction sites
Mines
Landfill- leaching of waste water
Types of Water Pollutants

6 types
Biodegradable Waste
Consist mainly of human and animal waste

The waste provide energy(organic carbon) for bacteria to
grow
Organic carbon is converted into CO2 and water which will
cause air pollution and acid rain
The bacteria will also consume large quantity of oxygen in
the water and hence affect aquatic life
Nutrients
Plant nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates, enter the

water through sewage and livestock manure
Also from industrial waste
When too much of Phosphates and nitrates are present in
water, algae begin to grow
When algae bloom, water will turn green & cloudy, feel
slimy and smell bad
Weeds will grow and bacteria spread
Decomposing plants used up oxygen in water and so
disrupt aquatic life
This process is known as eutrophication
Eutrophication will allow a lake to age 100 to 1000 times
faster than natural process
Heat
When water temperature rises, amount of dissolved oxygen

reduces
This will affect aquatic life and plant as they require certain
temperature and oxygen to survive
Thermal pollution comes from discharge water used to cool
power plants
Sediments
Sediments is most common source of pollution

Consists of mineral or organic solid matters washed down
from land into water source
They come from non-point sources such as construction
sites, agricultural and livestock operations, logging, flooding
Sediments will cause big problem clog municipal water
system, water becomes turbid
Hazardous & toxic chemicals
They are usually man-made materials

Sources-discharge from factories, oil spills, household
cleaners, dye, paints, solvents
One drop of motor oil can pollute 25 litres of water
Pesticides used on garden is more than the farmers based
on per acre basis
Radioactive waste
Sources waste water discharge from factories, hospitals

and uranium mines
These wastes are hazardous to humans
It takes many years for radioactive materials to decay till no
longer considered dangerous
Effects of Water Pollution
Consumption of polluted water will cause many diseases
Typhoid
Hookworm
Hepatitis
Vomiting, diarrhea
If water is polluted by chemicals such as pesticides, heavy

metals, hydrocarbons etc, the effects on humans are more
severe
Cancer
Hormone problem disrupt reproductive process
Damage to nervous system
Damage to liver and kidney
Damage to DNA
Heavy Metal Pollution
Heavy metals are metallic elements present in environment,

either by natural process or contamination
Heavy metals that will affect human health lead, mercury,
cadmium, arsenic, chromium, zinc, nickel, copper
Sources discharge from metal smelting and refining
plants, scrap metals, plastic & rubber industries, burning of
waste contain these elements
If release into air, will travel long distance and pollute water
and soil
Will poison humans through inhalation, ingestion and skin
absorption

3. MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
What is Natural Resources Management ?
NRM management of natural resources such as water,

land, soil, plants and animals with particular focus on how
the management affects quality of life of present and future
generation
These natural resources are very foundation of human
survival and prosperity
They have been degrading fast and affecting seriously the
agricultural output and human survival
Causes for such crisis:
Unmindful intensification of agriculture

Over-use of fertilizers
Depletion of organic matters
Deteriorating soil health
Misuse and inefficient use of irrigation water
Deforestation
Climate change
MNR is coincident with concept of sustainable development

Both aim to preserve and conserve our natural resources
Natural Resources
Natural resources provide foundation of human livelihood

and life support
Soils are foundation of agriculture which is basic building
block of plant, animal and human livelihood
The natural resources are under extreme pressure now due
to
Population growth
Higher levels of per-capita economic activity
Population growth tremendously in last few decades
1960 3 billion
2009 6.7 billion
2050 10.5 billion (projected)
Higher population will consume more natural resources

More wastes will be produced
Can our present natural resources support ever increasing
population?
3 Key Concerns
Renewable resources are used beyond their regenerative

capacity e.g. building of huge dams for power supply
Non-renewable resources are depleting
Environment is over-burdened by population damages
human health and ecosystem
MNR Approaches
MNR issues are complex

It involves ecological cycle, hydrological cycles, climate,
animals, plants, geography etc
All of them are dynamic and inter-related
A change in one of them will affect the other
MNR also has to manage various stakeholders and their
interests (some may be conflicting), policies, politics,
geographical boundaries, economic implication etc
Very difficult to satisfy all aspects at the same time

RECYCLING
What is Recycling
Materials are reprocessed into new products, i.e. to re-use
materials in a way that replaces other materials
Recycling is processing of used materials or wastes into new
products
Thus it prevents wasting of useful materials
In addition it reduces consumption of raw materials and
decrease energy use
This will eventually lead to
less CHG
reduction in air pollution ( cf incineration)
Reduction in water pollution (cf land-filled)
Main reasons for recycling
Economic advantage free or very minimum costs cf virgin

materials
Do not need waste treatment facilities which are costly to build
and operate
Method of Recycling
Recyclable materials may originate from different source
Typical recyclable materials
Homes
Industries
Glass glass bottles etc
Paper newspaper etc
Plastic plastic bottle, plastic bags etc
Metal aluminium can, iron & steel products etc
Biodegradable waste food waste & garden waste
Biodegradable waste can be recycled through composting and

anaerobic digestion with the help of micro-organisms
Recyclables must be sorted and separated into different types

of materials
If they are mixed with other materials difficult to reprocess
Sorting can be done by
Producer of the waste materials e.g. at homes or industries

At the recyclable factories by machines
Two common methods of recycling at homes
Curb side collection households leave recyclables in front of

their house and be collected by a recycling vehicle
Collection points households will take the waste to some
collection points e.g. transfer stations
Benefits of recycling
Saves natural resources
Recycling reduces need for raw materials and so reduces

impact on environment
Natural resources are conserved by using materials more
than once
Extracting virgin materials is key reason for habitat loss
To make papers need to cut down trees and deforest
Virgin materials need to be processed this require energy
and chemicals
This chemical will further pollute our environment
To make 1 ton of aluminium needs 4 tons of chemicals & 8
tons of bauxite
It takes 95% less energy to make a recycled aluminium can

than it does to make one from virgin materials
Papers recycling saves trees and water
Making 1 ton of paper from recyclables saves 17 trees and
uses 50% less water
Saves Energy
Although recycling also require energy, generally uses

much less energy as compared to manufacturing from
virgin raw materials
Aluminium cans use only 5% energy cf that from virgin
aluminium
Paper use only 60% of energy cf that from fresh trees
If waste paper is recycled it saves energy which is 3 times
as much cf burning it to produce energy
If plastic is recycled saves 5 times energy created by
burning it
Reduces costs of waste disposal
Different waste treatment methods will have different costs

But for 3 typical methods recycling, incineration and
landfill recycling is cheapest method
Avoid use of landfill for waste disposal
Landfill is controversial
Problems created
Expensive to construct
Environmental problem
Increased truck traffic
Landscape changes
Odor
Pollution air, water and ground
Some waste are toxic and explosive
Landfill needs constant monitoring

Landfill once built it is forever
Avoid use of incinerators
Incinerations by burning the waste in incinerators

Incinerators
Expensive to build
Require a lot of energy to operate
During combustion produce air pollutants e.g. sulphur

dioxide, nitrogen oxides
May produce toxic metals cadmium, chromium, mercury,
nickel & zinc in ashes
These ashes need careful disposal
Reduces impact on climate change
Although recycling uses energy but far less thus reduces

impact on climate change
Study by UK recycling saves
10 -15 million tons of CO2 per year cf landfill and

incineration
This is equivalent to 10% of CO2 emission from cars 7

vehicles or taking 3.5 million cars off UK roads

5. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL
ORGANISATIONS & TREATIES
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP deals with global environmental matters

Mission
to provide leadership and to encourage partnership in caring

for the environment
by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to
improve their quality of life
without compromising that of future generation
UNEP was set up in 1972 after Stockholm Conference on

Human Environment
It provides platform for all organizations (governmental,
NGO, national or regional bodies) involve in environmental
issues to work together
UNEP promotes the use of sustainable development of
global environment
Activities of UNEP
Sustainable Management and Use of Natural Resources
Protection of marine environment from human activities
Biodiversity assessment
Intergovernmental panel on Forests
Wildlife conservation
Sustainable agriculture
Climate Change
Sustainable production and consumption
To produce and to consume in a sustainable way

Example use cleaner product not to pollute
environment
Implement green technology reduce GHG
Having Emergency Response Plan to deal with
emergency situations which will affect environment
Globalisation of economy & environment
Due to globalisation, economy and environmental

problems are no longer isolated
Problems in one country will affect another
Thus require international joint efforts
Various international agencies and NGOs had been set
up to deal with this issue
The Earth Summit
The Earth Summit is the UN Conference on Environment

and Development(UNCED) held in 1992
Participants- policy makers, scientists, diplomats from 179
countries- to reconcile impact of human socio-economic
activities on the environment
Objective- to reconcile global development needs with
environment protection
A program Agenda 21- was agreed which stipulates new
ways of
Caring our natural resources,

Designing a sustainable economy
Agreements achieved:
The Rio Declaration 27 principles to guide international
actions based on environmental and economic
responsibilities
The Framework Convention on Climate Change objective
is to stabilise greenhouse gases in atmosphere
The Convention on Biological Diversity to preserve
biological diversity & fair sharing of benefits from genetic
resources
The Statement of Forest Principles principles govern
international and national policy on protection and
management of forest resources
The Earth Summit + 5
5 years after the Earth Summit a special meeting was

held to review and follow-up of Agenda 21
The meeting reaffirmed the objectives agreed earlier:
Commitment to sustainable development

To recognise failures and actions to overcome them
To define priorities after 1997
The Johannesburg Summit
This is UN World Summit on Sustainable Development

(WSSD) 2002
10,000 participants Head of State, national leaders,
businessmen, NGO
Objective how to improve life of people with increasing
population and demands for food, water, shelter, sanitation,
energy, health care and economic security
The Summit achieve following success:
Adopt a sanitation target

Promote corporate responsibility and accountability
Recognise rights and roles of community
Reaffirm principles of access to information
Incorporate ethics into Agenda 21

To de-link economic growth from environmental problem
However some participants were disappointed with the

Summit
No new commitments with innovative thinking, particularly
on global environmental issues

5. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS ON
ENVIRONMENT RATIFIED BY MALAYSIA
Convention on Biological Diversity
Adopted in 1992
Deals with conservation of biological diversity
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Adopted in 1992
Also known as the Earth Summit
Objective to stabilise greenhouse gases
To encourage scientific research into climate change
Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous

Wastes and Disposal
Adopted in 1989
It addresses 400 million tons of hazardous wastes
produced annually
They include wastes which are toxic, explosive, corrosive,
flammable or infectious
It regulate strictly movement of such wastes from one
country to another
Countries need to dispose the wastes in environmentally
sound manner
Vienna Convention of Protection of Ozone Layer
Adopted in 1985
Countries are committed to protect ozone layers
And to cooperate with each other in scientific research on
atmospheric processes
Montreal Protocol on Substance that Depletes Ozone

Layer
Adopted in 1987
It aims to reduce and eventually eliminate man-made ozone
depleting materials such as CFC
Convention on International Trade in Endangered

Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
Adopted in 1975
It is illegal to trade flora and fauna of endangered species
Convention on Wetlands of International Importance

(Ramsar Convention)
Adopted and signed in 1971

It provides framework for international cooperation for
conservation of wetlands and their resources
Now there are 902 wetland sites, total 67.9 hectares
END

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CHAPTER 3 TECHNOLOGY &

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

What is Global Warming ?

It refers to an increase in average temperature of the

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

During 20th century, global temperature had increased by

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

What is Greenhouse Effect?

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

35-50% of heat is reflected back to space

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Greenhouse Gases (GHG)

Minor content but important

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

CO2 has increased by 1/3 since Industrial Revolution

Produced by soil cultivation such as fertilizers, burning

3.1.5.4 Reducing CFC Emission

aerosols, as fire extinguishers, as solvents and as

These non-toxic gases not only contribute to the

greenhouse effect but have also been implicated in

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Synthetic compound produced by industrial process

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Effects of Global Warming

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

To Overcome Global Warming

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

To reduce Greenhouse Gases

Carbon dioxide is main culprit of greenhouse effect and

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Burning of fossil fuels produces about 21.3 billion tons

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Energy efficiency & alternative energy source

Many countries have implemented policies to improve

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Tropical forest absorbs large quantity of CO2

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

CFC are used as propellants for aerosols spray, fire

Thinning of Ozone layer

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Is a protocol to the United Nations Framework

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 and only enforced

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Humans and the Earth

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Effects on living organisms from mild discomfort to

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Is contamination of atmosphere due to release of toxic

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Effects of air pollution

Thinning of ozone layer

Affect human health

CHAP 3 TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRON

Greenhouse gases such as CO2 will trap re-radiated

This will cause changes in climate pattern