basic environmental concept
DESCRIPTION
Basic concept of environmental geologyTRANSCRIPT
National University of Malaysia
1
Fundamental Concepts of Environment
28-Jan-14
Wan Zuhairi Wan Yaacob (Assoc. Prof, PhD) Faculty of Science and Technology
National University of Malaysia 43600 Bangi, Selangor, MALAYSIA.
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 2
Environment
Definition: The sum of all conditions surrounding us
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 3
Environment
“It was not given to you by your parents, but it is loaned to you by your children….”
National University of Malaysia Fundamental concepts of Environment
(Keller, EA. 2000, eight edition)
1. Population growth
2. Sustainability
3. Limitation of resources
4. Hazardous earth processes
5. Systems 6. Uniformitarianism 7. Geology as a basic environmental science 8. Our obligation to the future
28-Jan-14 4
Content of this lecture
National University of Malaysia 1. Population growth
• Garrett Hardin :
• Population increases; impact increases; more resources are needed.
• Problems:- • Pollution of ground and surface
waters;
• hazardous waste;
• exposure of people and human structures to natural hazards.
Total environmental impact of population = product of impact per person x the population
28-Jan-14 5
National University of Malaysia
World population • World population
• World (7 B)
• Malaysia (29 M)
• Japan (127 M)
• China (1.3 B)
• India (1.2 B)
• Population bomb: exponential growth-very dynamic process
Exponential “J” shape
28-Jan-14 6
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 7
POPULATION (Malaysian Culture)
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 8
• The present population is already over the comfortable carrying capacity for the planet.
• The role of education is paramount; greatest hope for population control.
• Pessimistic scientists:- • Population growth will take care of itself thru disease and catastrophes
(famine lack of food) ; WAR
• Optimistic scientists: • Hope we will find better ways to control the population of the
world within the limits of our available resources, space and other environmental needs.
Population growth
National University of Malaysia
Pessimistic scientists
• Korean War (1950-53): 2 800 000 death
• Afghanistan (1979-2001): 1 800 000
• Iran-Iraq War (1980-88): 1 000 000
• Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger
• Disease : AIDS – H1N1 (avian flu) – Bird flu
• Tsunami Acheh : 300 000
• Earthquake (Haiti) : 222,570
28-Jan-14 9
National University of Malaysia
10
200 million lives
Pessimistic scientists
28-Jan-14
25-30 million death
1340
National University of Malaysia
11
One family, one child policy in China
Optimistic Scientists
28-Jan-14
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 12
Which Group Do You Favor ?. Optimistic Or Pessimistic?
Optimistic Pessimistic
National University of Malaysia
2. Sustainability
• The World Commission on Environment and Development defined
sustainable development in 1987:
“Sustainable Development is a form of progress that ensures human development and that ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
28-Jan-14 13
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 14
"Sustainable development will enable all people
throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and
enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the
quality of life of future generations.”
Securing the Future, the UK Government's 2005
sustainable development strategy
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 15
+ Respecting the limits of environment, resources & biodiversity
+ Sustainable economy (opportunity for all) + Polluter pays principle + Efficient resource use + tax (landfill tax; waste tax) + new tax structure to encourage population control and wise use of resources
+ Policy based on strong scientific evidence + Good Governance + Ensuring a strong, healthy & just society
National University of Malaysia
• Example 1
28-Jan-14 16
Sustainable or not ?
The office will provide employment and
so help in economic and social
sustainability. Building the offices will
use up natural resources but it does
contain recycled materials, have good
insulation and use solar power
National University of Malaysia
• Example 2:
28-Jan-14 17
Organic farming does not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
Some people say that food produced organically tastes better
and is good for the environment. She produces less and so sells
her vegetable at a higher price compared to ones grown by
intensive farming. Not everyone can afford them. This could
affect their social and economic sustainability
National University of Malaysia
3. Limitation of resources
• Two fundamental truths
– 1. the earth is indeed the only place to live that is now accessible to us
– 2. Our resources are limited, and while some resources are renewable, many are not.
28-Jan-14 18
National University of Malaysia
Two Major views on natural resources
– 1. Finding resources is not so much a problem as is
finding ways to use them (i.e. easy to find new resources) • Efficient and intelligent use of materials
– Use lightweight material to build a car
– New technology to save fuel
• We know more about extracting minerals than we did in the past – Find new resources faster
– Mining lower grade of minerals
• Recycling of resources can help us meet the needs of the future.
28-Jan-14 19
NO resource crisis
National University of Malaysia
– 2. A finite resources cannot support an exponential growth of people forever. And we are in a resource crisis due to:--
• Improvements in medical technology contributing to
over population
• Ever increasing gross national product based on obsolescence (design not to last long) and waste.
• The finite nature of the minerals
28-Jan-14 20
National University of Malaysia Natural Resources
Six (6) options to solve resource crisis:--
Find more (exploration)
Recycle or reuse
Waste less
Use less
Alternative energy source
Wait for another million years
styrene-butadiene rubbers (S-SBR)
28-Jan-14 21
National University of Malaysia
22 28-Jan-14
National University of Malaysia
Smelting plant in Japan
Zinc (99.995%)
28-Jan-14 23
National University of Malaysia
Urban Mining vs Ore Mining
28-Jan-14 24
Urban Mining
Ore Mining
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 25
Ore Mining (analogy)
2 grains of gold in 1 tonne sand in a lorry – 2ppm (part per million)
+
Two grains of Gold
Can you imagine how much waste is produced??
National University of Malaysia
4. Hazardous earth processes
• Earth processes hazardous to people
– Flooding; earthquakes; volcanic; landslides; mudflows
• Must be recognized and avoided
• Reduce threat to human life and property
28-Jan-14 26
“Earthquakes do not kill, buildings do”
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 27
Hazardous Events
National University of Malaysia
Hazardous earth processes
• Conflict between human vs nature
• Earth scientists / Engineers:
– identify potentially hazardous processes
– make info available to planners/decision makers (communication)
– avoiding/minimizing the threat to human life/property (Action !)
28-Jan-14
Merapi
28
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 29
April 2009, 6.3 M, 300 killed.
National University of Malaysia
Houses on fault, whose fault is it?
28-Jan-14
Wellington Fault passes through the suburb of Thorndon
30
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 31
Merapi volcano, Indonesia
Scenery from the golf course Agriculture
Best fruit Tourism
National University of Malaysia
Conclusions
1. Population growth
– No 1 environmental problem
2. Sustainability
– Development that meets the needs of the present and future generations
3. Limitation of resources
– We need to use our resources wisely and keep part
of it for future generations
4. Hazardous earth processes
– cannot be avoided, but the hazards can be
minimized and controlled.
28-Jan-14 32
National University of Malaysia
28-Jan-14 33
The End
Another way to tame the Merapi Volcanic eruption in Indonesia