CONCLUSION

In conclusion, all parties must make the world as the focus of their struggle. Nature is not ours but natural heritage we leave for future generations. So, nature is not a gift but a responsibility that requires the sacrifice of the community to ensure continuous natural inheritance of mankind. Maybe this time we will be able to handle the crisis that has gripped this.

We have many options to ensure we continue to clean the environment and sustainable. But we still refuse to acknowledge that the environment has lot it own greed human behaviour that emphasizes the material. Maybe they think human nature being the best cause we will forget our duty to maintain this environment. The environment is not God's gift to us, but trust that should we leave to future generations as well.

Perhaps the most important step in addressing this issue is that the government act to enforce a more strict and severe punishment. Government should be brave enough to take action to punish offenders with environmental pollution without feeling shy embarrassment. The government must demonstrate a transparent attitude in ensuring that we continue to be taken care of nature. Government is the first bulwark against pollution in the country.

-yana-

SILENT SPRING

‘We spray our elms, and the following spring, trees are silent of robin song, not because we sprayed the robins directly but because the poison traveled step by step through the now familiar elm-earthworm-robin cycle’

                                                                                            – Rachael Carson

            This quotation appeared in Rachael Carson’s book entitled Silent Spring. In the years following the publication of Silent Spring in 1962, the book has inspired controversy and has initiated a major change in thinking about the safety of using pesticides and other toxic chemicals.  The book is widely credited with launching the environmentalism movement in the West.When Silent Spring was published, Rachel Carson was already a well-known writer on natural history, but had not previously been a social critic. The book was widely read (especially after its selection by the Book-of-the-Month Club and an endorsement by Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas), spending several weeks on the New York Times best seller list, and inspired widespread public concerns with pesticides and pollution of the environment.

Silent Spring facilitated the ban of the pesticide DDT in 1972 in the United States.The book claimed detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment, particularly on birds. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation, and public officials of accepting industry claims uncritically. She proposed a biotic approach to pest control as an alternative to DDT, claiming that DDT had been found to cause thinner egg shells and result in reproductive problems and death.

(Rachael Carson, Silent Spring, 1962)

By:  Zurina Zakaria a123555…

PROBLEMS WITH PESTICIDE USE

            Pesticides not only kill the pests but also a large variety of living things including humans. They may be persistent or non-persistent. Persistent pesticides once applied are effective for a long time. However as they do not break down easily they tend to accumulate in the soil and in the bodies of animals in the food chain. For example, DDT which was one of the first synthetic organic insecticide to be used was thought to be the perfect insecticide. During the first ten years of its use (1942-1952) DDT is estimate  to have saved about five million lives primarily because of its use to control disease carrying mosquitoes. However after a period of use many mosquitoes and insects became tolerant of DDT, thus making it lose its effectiveness. DDT in temperate regions of the world has a half life (the amount of time required for half of the chemical to decompose) of 10 to 15 years. This means that if 100 kilograms of DDT were to be sprayed over an area, 50 kilograms would still be present in the area 10 to 15 years later. The half-life of DDT varies according to the soil type, temperature, kind of soil organisms present and other factors. In tropical parts of the world the half life may be as short as six months.

            The use of DDT has been banned in some countries. India still however permits the use of DDT though for purposes of mosquito control only. Persistent pesticides become attached to small soil particles which are easily moved by wind and water to different parts thus affecting soils elsewhere. Persistent pesticides may also accumulate in the bodies of animals, and over a period of time increase in concentration if the animal is unable to flush them out of its system thus leading to the phenomenon called bioaccumulation. When an affected animal is eaten by another carnivore these pesticides are further concentrated in the body of the carnivore. This phenomenon of acquiring increasing levels of a substance in the bodies of higher trophic level organisms is known as biomagnification. This process especially in the case of insecticides like DDT have been proved to be disastrous. DDT is a well known case of biomagnification in ecosystems. DDT interferes with the production of normal eggshells in birds making them fragile. Other problems associated with insecticides is the ability of insect populations to become resistant to them thus rendering them useless in a couple of generations. Most pesticides kill beneficial as well as pest species.

            They kill the predator as well as the parasitic insects that control the pests. Thus the pest species increase rapidly following the use of a pesticide as there are no natural checks to their population growth. The short term and the long-term health effects to the persons using the pesticide and the public that consumes the food grown by using the pesticides are also major concerns. Exposure to small quantities of pesticides over several years can cause mutations, produce cancers, etc.

            Thus the question that comes to mind is that if pesticides have so many drawbacks then why are they used so extensively and what are the substitutes for them? There are three main reasons for the use of pesticides. Firstly the use of pesticides in the short term has increased the amount of food that can be grown in many parts of the world as the damage by pests is decreased. The second reason for its extensive use is base on an economic consideration. The increased yields more than compensates the farmer for cost of pesticides. Thirdly current health problems especially in developing countries due to mosquitoes are impossible to control without insecticides. However more and more farmers are increasingly opting to replace chemical fertilizers and use different methods of controlling pests without affecting their yield.

            Thus several different approaches that have slightly varying and overlapping goals have been developed. Alternative agriculture is the broadest term that is used that includes all non-traditional agricultural methods and encompasses sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture, alternative uses of traditional crops, alternative methods for raising crops, etc. Sustainable agriculture advocates the use of methods to produce adequate safe food in an economically viable manner while maintaining the state of the ecosystem. Organic agriculture advocates avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. A wide variety of techniques can be used to reduce this negative impact of agriculture. Leaving crop residue on the soil and incorporating it into the soil reduces erosion and increase soil organic matter. Introduction of organic matter into the soil also makes compaction less likely. Crop rotation is an effective way to enhance soil fertility, reduce erosion and control pests. There have been arguments both for and against organic farming. Critics argue that organic farming cannot produce the amount of food required for today’s population and it is economically viable only in certain conditions.

            However supporters for organic farming feel that of the hidden costs of soil erosion and pollution are taken into account it is a viable approach. Besides organic farmers do not have to spend on fertilizers and pesticides and also get a premium price for their products thus making it financially viable for them. Another way to reduce these impacts is through the use of integrated pest management. This is a technique that uses a complete understanding of all ecological aspects of a crop and the particular pests to which it is susceptible to establish pest control strategies that uses no or few pesticides. IPM promotes the use of biopesticides. Biopesticides are derived from three sources: microbial, botanical and biochemical. Microbial pesticides are micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungus, virus or protozoa that fight pests through a variety of ways. They produce toxins specific to the pests and produce diseases in them. Biochemical pesticides contain several chemicals that affect the reproductive and digestive mechanisms of the pests. The most commonly used biopesticides are Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), neem (Azadirachta indica) and trichogramma. Although they are available in the market they are yet to become market favourites, but in this alternative hopes it can reduce our problem espacially about environmental problem create by pesticides.

From: Zurina Zakaria…

Control measures of urban and industrial wastes

An integrated waste management strategy includes three main components

1. Source reduction

2. Recycling

3. Disposal

            Source reduction is one of the fundamental ways to reduce waste. This can be done by using less material when making a product, reuse of products on site, designing products or packaging to reduce their quantity. On an individual level we can reduce the use of unnecessary items while shopping, buy items with minimal packaging, avoid buying disposable items and also avoid asking for plastic carry bags.

            Recycling is reusing some components of the waste that may have some economic value. Recycling has readily visible benefits such as conservation of resources reduction in energy used during manufacture and reducing pollution levels. Some materials such as aluminum and steel can be recycled many times. Metal, paper, glass and plastics are recyclable. Mining of new aluminum is expensive and hence recycled aluminum has a strong market and plays a significant role in the aluminum industry. Paper recycling can also help preserve forests as it takes about 17 trees to make one ton of paper. Crushed glass (cullet) reduces the energy required to manufacture new glass by 50 percent. Cullet lowers the temperature requirement of the glassmaking process thus conserving energy and reducing air pollution.

            However even if recycling is a viable alternative, it presents several problems. The problems associated with recycling are either technical or economical. Plastics are difficult to recycle because of the different types of polymer resins used in their production. Since each type has its own chemical makeup different plastics cannot be recycled together. Thus separation of different plastics before recycling is necessary. Similarly in recycled paper the fibers are weakened and it is difficult to control the colour of the recycled product. Recycled paper is banned for use in food containers to prevent the possibility of contamination. It very often costs less to transport raw paper pulp than scrap paper. Collection, sorting and transport account for about 90 percent of the cost of paper recycling.

            The processes of pulping, deinking and screening wastepaper are generally more expensive than making paper from virgin wood or cellulose fibers. Very often thus recycled paper is more expensive than virgin paper. However as technology improves the cost will come down.

            Disposal of solid waste is done most commonly through a sanitary landfill or through incineration. A modern sanitary landfill is a depression in an impermeable soil layer that is lined with an impermeable membrane. The three key characteristics of a municipal sanitary landfill that distinguish it from an open dump are:

• Solid waste is placed in a suitably selected and prepared landfill site in a carefully prescribed manner.

• The waste material is spread out and compacted with appropriate heavy machinery.

• The waste is covered each day with a layer of compacted soil. The problem with older landfills are associated with groundwater pollution. Pollutants seeping out from the bottom of a sanitary landfill (leachates) very often percolate down to the groundwater aquifer no matter how thick the underlying soil layer. Today it is essential to have suitable bottom liners and leachate collection systems along with the installation of monitoring systems to detect groundwater pollution.

            The organic material in the buried solid waste will decompose due to the action of microorganisms. At first the waste decomposes aerobically until the oxygen that was present in the freshly placed fill is used up by the aerobic microorganisms. The anerobes take over producing methane which is poisonous and highly explosive when mixed with air in concentrations between 5 and 15 percent. The movement of gas can be controlled by providing impermeable barriers in the landfill. A venting system to collect the blocked gas and vent it to the surface where it can be safely diluted and dispersed into the atmosphere is thus a necessary component of the design of sanitary landfills.

            Even though landfilling is an economic alternative for solid waste disposal, it has become increasingly difficult to find suitable landfilling sites that are within economic hauling distance and very often citizens do not want landfills in their vicinity. Another reason is that no matter how well engineered the design and operation may be, there is always the danger of some environmental damage in the form of leakage of leachates. Incineration is the process of burning municipal solid waste in a properly designed furnace under suitable temperature and operating conditions. Incineration is a chemical process in which the combustible portion of the waste is combined with oxygen forming carbon dioxide and water, which are released into the atmosphere.

            This chemical reaction called oxidation results in the release of heat. For complete oxidation the waste must be mixed with appropriate volumes of air at a temperature of about 815o C for about one hour.

            Incineration can reduce the municipal solid waste by about 90 percent in volume and 75 percent in weight. The risks of incineration however involve airquality problems and toxicity and disposal of the fly and bottom ash produced during the incineration process. Fly ash consists of finely divided particulate matter, including cinders, mineral dust and soot. Most of the incinerator ash is bottom ash while the remainder is fly ash. The possible presence of heavy metals in incinerator ash can be harmful. Thus toxic products and materials containing heavy metals (for example batteries and plastics) should be segregated.

            Thus extensive air pollution control equipment and high-level technical supervision and skilled employees for proper operation and maintenance is required. Thus while sanitary landfills and incinerators have their own advantages and disadvantages, the most effective method of solid waste management is source reduction and recycling.

Vermi – Composting

            Nature has perfect solutions for managing the waste it creates, if left undisturbed. The biogeochemical cycles are designed to clear the waste material produced by animals and plants. We can mimic the same methods that are present in nature. All dead and dry leaves and twigs decompose and are broken down by organisms such as worms and insects, and is finally broken down by bacteria and fungi, to form a dark rich soil-like material called compost.

            These organisms in the soil use the organic material as food, which provides them with nutrients for their growth and activities. These nutrients are returned to the soil to be used again by trees and other plants. This process recycles nutrients in nature. This soil can be used as a manure for farms and gardens.

From Zurina Zakaria…

Perspectives to understand about Environment Problem

The earliest precursor of pollution generated by life forms would have been a natural function of their existence. The attendant consequences on viability and population levels fell within the sphere of natural selection. These would have included the demise of a population locally or ultimately, species extinction. Processes that were untenable would have resulted in a new balance brought about by changes and adaptations. At the extremes, for any form of life, consideration of pollution is superseded by that of survival.

For humankind, the factor of technology is a distinguishing and critical consideration, both as an enabler and an additional source of byproducts. Short of survival, human concerns include the range from quality of life to health hazards. Since science holds experimental demonstration to be definitive, modern treatment of toxicity or environmental harm involves defining a level at which an effect is observable. Common examples of fields where practical measurement is crucial include automobile emissions control, industrial exposure (e.g. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) PELs), toxicology (e.g. LD₅₀), and medicine (e.g. medication and radiation doses).

"The solution to pollution is dilution", is a dictum which summarizes a traditional approach to pollution management whereby sufficiently diluted pollution is not harmful. It is well-suited to some other modern, locally scoped applications such as laboratory safety procedure and hazardous material release emergency management. But it assumes that the dilutant is in virtually unlimited supply for the application or that resulting dilutions are acceptable in all cases.

Such simple treatment for environmental pollution on a wider scale might have had greater merit in earlier centuries when physical survival was often the highest imperative, human population and densities were lower, technologies were simpler and their byproducts more benign. But these are often no longer the case. Furthermore, advances have enabled measurement of concentrations not possible before. The use of statistical methods in evaluating outcomes has given currency to the principle of probable harm in cases where assessment is warranted but resorting to deterministic models is impractical or unfeasible. In addition, consideration of the environment beyond direct impact on human beings has gained prominence.

Yet in the absence of a superseding principle, this older approach predominates practices throughout the world. It is the basis by which to gauge concentrations of effluent for legal release, exceeding which penalties are assessed or restrictions applied. The regressive cases are those where a controlled level of release is too high or, if enforceable, is neglected. Migration from pollution dilution to elimination in many cases is confronted by challenging economical and technological barriers.

(Source from :Gershon Cohen:2006)

Post by Zurina Zakaria a123555...

What is the Cause of Water Pollution???

Water pollution refers to the changes in the physical, biological, and chemical conditions of any body of water which harmfully disrupts the balance of the ecosystem.

Like any type of pollution, water pollution results when an overwhelming amount of waste coming from different sources of pollutants can no longer be accommodated by the natural ecosystem. Consequently, when the wastes are not destroyed as fast as they are produced, they make it unfavorable to humans and many other organisms. But that's not all. Learn more about what causes water pollution.

There are actually many specific reasons behind what causes water pollution. However, it is important to familiarize yourself with the two main categories of water pollution. Some pollution comes directly from one's specific location. This type of pollution is called point source pollution such as sewage pipes that empty polluted water into the river and farmland. Meanwhile, non-point source pollution is pollution that comes from large areas like gasoline and other dirt from highways that go into the lakes and rivers.

What are the causes water pollution? Who are the culprits who should be responsible for the harm brought by their pollutants? How do these sources of pollution pollute different bodies of water?

One major cause of water pollution that has caused serious environmental and health problems are the pollutants coming from chemical and industrial processes. When factories and manufacturers pour their chemicals and livestock wastes directly into streams and rivers, the water becomes poisonous and oxygen levels are depleted causing many aquatic organisms to die. These wastes include solvents and toxic substances. Most of the wastes are not biodegradable. Power plants, paper mills, refineries, automobile factories dispose waste into the rivers.

The heated water from the power plants is called thermal pollution. This kills aquatic animals and plants by reducing the oxygen content of the water. Power plants use water to cool their machineries, thus changing the temperature of the water.

Aside from thermal pollution, there are also organic and inorganic pollutants. The organic wastes include refuse from slaughter houses, fish and meat canning factories, and leather tanning companies, manufacturing plants, pesticides and crude oil companies. Since organic wastes are decomposed by microorganisms, much of the dissolved oxygen in water is used up and the waster begins to stink.

Inorganic wastes include toxic and corrosive substances like acids, heavy metals, mercury, cadmium and lead which can impair the normal body processes. Battery manufacturers, mining, paper mills increase the concentration of mercury making the water dangerous and poisonous for most living things.

Another cause of water pollution is from pesticides. Farm pesticides poison aquatic plants and animals. Animal manure, chemical fertilizers, phosphate detergent pollute water by supplying excess nutrients. This pollution is known as eutrophication. This greatly increases the growth of algae in water thereby decreasing the amount of oxygen level in water causing the death of many aquatic organisms.

Water is also being polluted by garbage specifically plastics and other plastic-like substances. Some plastic like nylon can entangle fishes and other marine animals. Plastics that have broken down into tiny pieces can be eaten by sea creatures which may cause their death. Since plastic is non-biodegradable, it will continue to kill more fishes.

One more cause of water pollution is sewage coming from households. Since no one wants to live in a polluted area, near a dumpsite or landfill, the wastewater and untreated sewage are carried away from the home polluting different bodies of water. Most developing countries practice this type of sewage disposal. Even modern countries carry poorly treated sewage to canals leading to major bodies of water. The danger is when the sewage pipes gets broken and waste contaminates the drinking water. When this happens, the breakage will open a wide array of water borne diseases that will surely pose peril to consumers.

Last among the causes of water pollution are personal care and household products. Shampoo, lotion, moisturizer, hair dye, bleach, laundry detergent, fabric softener, and many others contribute to water pollution. Human waste is not the only thing that goes to sewage. These products also join the wastewater to contaminate the streams, rivers, and lakes.

Although the world abounds with water, only three percent of it is potable. Included in the 3% source of potable water are the streams, spring, rivers, lakes, and waterfalls that are continuously being threatened and contaminated by the different factors that cause of water pollution. If the sources of water pollution are not controlled, this basic necessity will eventually become a rare commodity only a few can afford to have.

Create by Zurina Zakaria a123555...

ROLE OF AN INDIVIDUAL IN PREVENTION

There are a host of environmental problems caused by human actions on the environment. If we are to respond to these problems we have to recognize that each of us is individually responsible for the quality of the environment we live in. Our personal actions can either worsen or improve our environmental quality. Several people may feel that environmental problems can be solved with quick technological fixes. While a majority of individuals would want a cleaner environment, not many of them want to make major changes in their lifestyle that could contribute to a cleaner environment. Decisions and actions taken by individuals to a very large extent determine the quality of life for everyone. This necessitates that individuals should not only be aware of various environmental issues and the consequences of their actions on the environment but should also make a firm resolve to develop environmentally ethical lifestyles. With the help of solar energy, natural processes developed over billions of years can indefinitely renew the topsoil, water, air, forests, grasslands and wildlife on which all forms of life depend, but only as long as we do not use these potentially renewable resources faster than they are replenished. Some of our wastes can be diluted, decomposed and recycled by natural processes indefinitely as long as these processes are not overloaded. Natural processes also provide services of flood prevention, erosion control at no costs at all. We must therefore learn to value these resources and use them sustainably. Concepts that help individuals contribute towards a better quality of our environment and human life.

• Develop respect or reverence for all forms of life.

• Each individual must try to answer four basic questions: Where do the things that I consume come from?

What do I know about the place where I live?

How am I connected to the earth and other living things?

What is my purpose and responsibility as a human being?

• Try to plant trees wherever you can and more importantly take care of them. They reduce air pollution.

• Reduce the use of wood and paper products wherever possible. Manufacturing paper leads to pollution and loss of forests which releases oxygen and takes up carbon dioxide. Try to recycle paper products and use recycled paper wherever possible.

• From the mail you receive reuse as many envelopes that you can.

• Do not buy furniture, doors, window frames made from tropical hardwoods such as teak and mahogany. These are forest based.

• Help in restoring a degraded area near your home or join in an afforestation program.

• Use pesticides in your home only when absolutely necessary and use them in as small amounts as necessary. Some insect species help to keep a check on the populations of

pest species.

• Advocate organic farming by asking your grocery store to stock vegetables and fruits grown by an organic method. This will automatically help to reduce the use of pesticides.

• Reduce the use of fossil fuels by either walking up a short distance using a car pool, sharing a bike or using public transport. This reduces air pollution.

• Shut off the lights and fans when not needed.

• Don’t use aerosol spray products and commercial room air fresheners. They damage the ozone layer.

• Do not pour pesticides, paints, solvents, oil or other products containing harmful chemicals down the drain or on the ground.

• Buy consumer goods that last, keep them as long as possible and have them repaired as far as possible instead of disposing them off. Such products end up in landfills that could pollute ground water.

• Buy consumer goods ages in refillable glass containers instead of cans or throwaway bottles.

• Use rechargeable batteries.

• Try to avoid asking for plastic carry bags when you buy groceries or vegetables or any other items. Use your own cloth bag instead.

• Use sponges and washable cloth napkins, dish towels and handkerchiefs instead of paper ones.

• Don’t use throwaway paper and plastic plates and cups when reusable versions are available.

• Recycle all newspaper, glass, aluminum and other items accepted for recycling in your area. You might have to take a little trouble to locate such dealers.

• Set up a compost bin in your garden or terrace and use it to produce manure for your plants to reduce use of fertilizers.

• Try to lobby and push for setting up garbage separation and recycling programs in your localities.

• Choose items that have the least packaging or no packaging.

• Start individual or community composting or vemicomposting plants in your neighborhood and motivate people to join in.

• Do not litter the roads and surroundings just because the sweeper from the Municipal Corporation will clean it up. Take care to put trash into dustbins or bring it back home with you where it can be appropriately disposed.

• You must realize that you cannot do everything and have solutions for every problem in the world. You can however concentrate on issues that you feel strongly about and can do something about. Focusing your energy on a particular issue will help you get better results.

• You could join any of the several NGOs that exist in our country or become volunteers. Organize small local community meetings to discuss positive approaches of pollution prevention.

• Learn about the biodiversity of your own area. Understand the natural and cultural assets. This would help you to develop a sense of pride in your city/town/village and will also help you understand the problems facing their survival.

• You cannot improve your world by not voting. You have the option to make a choice rather than complain later on.

• It is important that you do not get discouraged at the first sign of trouble. Do not dwell on the negative aspects. But take positive actions wherever you can to make the world a better place to live in.

• When talking to elected officials always be courteous and reasonable. You may disagree with a particular position but be re- spectful in doing so as you will gain little by being hostile and brash.

(Source from Department of environment)

Post by Zurina Zakaria a123555...