ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES & Natural Resources

1. ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES & Natural Resources

2. Environment Definition: The complex set of physical, geographic, biological, social, cultural and political conditions that surround an individual or organism and that ultimately determines its form and nature of its survival. 1) All factors living and nonliving that affect an individual organism or population at any point in the life cycle. 2) Set of circumstances surrounding a particular occurrence. 3) All the things that surrounds us.

3. Environmental Science An interdisciplinary branch of science that investigates questions related to the human population, resources, and damages caused by pollution and disturbance. Environmental science is integrative and involves complex biology, chemistry, politics, sociology, geology, agriculture, economics.

4. Planet Earth • Lithosphere: • Crust: < 1% (Thin) • Everest: 8.85 km • Mantle, Cores • Hydrosphere: • (oceans, sea, livers ) • Atmosphere: ~1%: • 30 km (99% of air) • extends to 120 km • Biosphere: All life

5. Environment: the total of our surroundings • All the things around us with which we interact: Biotic vs. Abiotic • Living things • Animals, plants, forests, fungi, etc. • Nonliving things • Continents, oceans, clouds, soil, rocks • Our built environment • Buildings, human-created living centers • Social relationships and institutions

6. Humans and the world around us • Humans change the environment, often in ways not fully understood • We depend completely on the environment for survival • Increased wealth, health, mobility, leisure time • But, natural systems have been degraded • i.e., pollution, erosion and species extinction • Environmental changes threaten long-term health and survival • Environmental science is the study of: • How the natural world works • How the environment affects humans and vice versa

7. Why We Want to Study the State of Environment? • The need for information that clarifies modern environmental concepts such as the need to conserve biodiversity, the need to lead more sustainable lifestyles and the need to use resources more equitably. • A need to change the way in which we view our own environment by a practical approach based on observation and self learning. • The need to create a concern for our environment that will trigger pro-environmental action, including activities we can do in our daily life to protect it. • Biodiversity: The part of nature which includes the differences in genes among the individuals of a species, the variety and richness of all the plant and animal species at different scales in space i.E. Local, regional, country wise and global, and various types of ecosystems- both terrestrial and aquatic-within a defined area. • Sustainable development: Implies the use of resources in a managed way as to provide resources for future generations.

8. Objective of This Course • Develop a concern for our environment. • Begin to act at your own level to protect the environment we all live in.

9. Scope and Importance • We live in natural surrounding (forest, river, mountain, etc.). Resources: renewable (forest and water) and non-renewable (minerals and oil). • Due to increase in population these resources are getting depleted gradually. • There is a need to understand make ourselves aware of our natural assets and get concerned about our environment and sustainable utilize the resources. • Scope of environmental studies is very wide and nearly covers some aspects of every major discipline (biology, chemistry, physics, geography, resource management, economy, etc.).

10. Importance • Water, air, soil, forests are all part of our life support systems. Without them life itself would be impossible. • Natural resources are limited in nature and continue to shrink and may be get depleted if not utilized in a sustainable manner. • Almost every act of human beings cause some effect on environment: solid waste, water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution , etc. And these have ill-effect on human health. • Individual efforts together with the public and also government actions are needed to protect our environment from further more degradation and safeguard it.

11. Need for Public Awareness • Earth’s resources are dwindling and our environment is being increasingly degraded by human activities and hence something needs to be done. • Government alone cannot perform all the clean-up functions. • Individual/group efforts in their own every possible way has to be made to protect our environment. • Mass public awareness: newspapers, radio, television strongly influences public opinion on conserving our environment.

12. IMPORTANCE OF ES • Environment is not a single subject • Plastic, waste food, solid waste byproducts… • Air pollution leads to respiratory problems • Water pollution to gastro-intestinal diseases • And many pollutants are known to cause cancer.

13. THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

15. Environmental Science « Natural Resources »

16. What are natural resources? • A natural resource may be defined as any material given to us by nature which can be transformed in a way that it becomes more valuable and useful for human being or life on earth. Natural resources sustain human life. • Every man-made product is composed of natural resources  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crs2e2KWFT0 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_6M3CNZRkU

17. For example: • wood is used for making furniture. • Yarn obtained from cotton is used for weaving cloth. Likewise, various machine, tools and household goods are made of metals. • Now furniture, clothes, machine, tools are more valuable than their raw form i.e. raw form i.e. wood, cotton and metal, respectively.

18. Our natural resources water, forest, energy, land, food and minerals.

19. The rainforest in Fatu-Hiva,in Marquesas Islands is an example of an undisturbed natural resource. Forest provides timber for humans; food and shelter for flora and the fauna. The nutrient cycle between organisms form food chains and biodiversity of species.

20. The Carson Fall in Mount Kinabalu,Malaysia is an example of undisturbed natural resource. Waterfalls provide spring water for humans, animals and plants for survival and also habitat for marine organisms. The water current can be used to turn turbines or hydroelectric generation.

21. The ocean is an example of a natural resource. Ocean waves can be used to generate wave power which is a renewable energy. Ocean water is important for salt production and providing habitat for deep water fishes. There are biodiversity of marine species in the sea where nutrient cycles are common.

22. Wind is a natural resource that can be used to generate electricity, as with these 5MW wind turbines in Thorntonbank Wind Farm 28 km (17 mi) off the coast of Belgium.

23. Uses of Natural Resources

24. Classification of Natural Resources • Natural Resources on the basis of Origin: • (1) Biotic Resources: • The Resources that are derived from the living world (animals, plants). • e.g., Wood, Humus, Manure etc. • (2) Abiotic Resources • The Resources that are derived from the non-living world (land, water and air).

25. Natural Resources on the basis of continual utility:(1) Renewable Resources:These resources can be replenished (refilled) by naturally. Resources, which can be renewed along with their exploitation, are always available foruse. Hence they are called renewable resources.Some of these resources, like sunlight, air, wind, etc., are continuously available and their quantity is not noticeably affected by human consumption. e.g., Plants, animals, solar energy, wind energy etc.(2) Non-renewable Resources: The natural resources that can not be replenished naturally. e.g., Coal, minearls, petroleum, fossil fuels etc. Their stock is limited in nature. Once they are used in unlimited way, they cannot be easily replaced. Thus,their exploitation at large scale will result in their fast depletion that may cause serious problem for future generations.

26. Examples of Renewable Resources: 1.solar energy

27. 2. Hybrid Of Wind And Solar energy

28. 3. Biomass Energy

29. Examples of Non-renewable Resources • COAL • OIL • NATURAL GAS • OIL SHALE AND TAR SANDS • NUCLEAR POWER • Over 85% of the energy used in the world is from non-renewable supplies • Most developed nations are dependent on non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels (coal and oil) and nuclear power. • Industrialized societies depend on non-renewable energy sources.

30. Coal & Energy Security

31. COAL • Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the world with an estimated reserve of one trillion metric tons. • world's coal reserves exist in Eastern Europe and Asia considerable in United States . • Coal formed slowly over millions of years from the buried remains of ancient submerged plants

32. Formation Of Coal

33. Types of coal • Coal are formed due to differences in the pressure and temperature during formation. • Lignite coal. about 50% carbon , highest water 50%, low amounts of smog-causing sulfur. • Bituminous coal about 85% carbon and 3% water • Anthracite coal almost 100% carbon ,hardest form of coal.

34. Use Of Coal • Coal is used to produce 50% of the electricity in the United States. • used for heating and cooking in less developed countries while rural areas of developed countries.

35. OIL • Crude oil or liquid petroleum, is a fossil fuel that is refined into many different energy products. • Oil forms underground in rock such as shale, which is rich in organic materials. Wells are drilled into these oil reservoirs to remove the gas and oil. • e.g., Gasoline, diesel, petrol fuel, jet fuel, heating oil etc.

36. Availability Of Oil • 50 percent of the world's oil is found in the Middle East • Additional reserves occur in North America

37. NATURAL GAS • Natural gas is a mixture of gasesmethaneethanepropanebutane. It is cleanest burning fossil fuel highly flammable and is odorless. • propane and butane are removed from the natural gas and made into liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) • Most of the world's natural gas reserves are found in Eastern Europe and the Middle East • natural gas is used primarily for heating, cooking, and powering vehicles.

38. NUCLEAR POWER

39. Natural Resources and their associated problem • Unequal consumption of natural resources • 2. Producing animal food for human consumption require more Land. • 3. Our use of Natural Resources affects the environment in many ways. • 4. The lack of water is a big problem in cities, town, villages. • 5. There are variety of resources that can be explored, and thus, contribute to the socio-economical development.

40. Major problems with Natural Resource conservation • Low awareness for conservation of natural resources. • Exploitation of living natural resources for economic gain. • Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known. • Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization.

41. Major Natural Resource threats • Habitat destruction • Extension of agriculture • Filling up of wetlands • Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for human settlement and industrial development • Uncontrolled commercial exploitation

42. Exploitation of natural resources In recent years, the depletion of natural resources has become a major focus of governments and organizations such as the United Nations (UN). In the UN's Agenda 21 Section Two, which outlines the necessary steps to be taken by countries to sustain their natural resources. The depletion of natural resources is considered to be a sustainable development issue. The term sustainable development has many interpretations, most notably the Brundtland Commission's 'to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.