Sunday, July 25, 2021

Forest resources and effects of mining

FOREST RESOURCES

 Any material which can be transformed in a way that it becomes more valuable and useful can be termed as resource. In other words, it is possible to obtain valuable items from any resources.
Resources, therefore, are the means to attain given ends. Life depends upon a large 
number of things and services provided by the nature, which are known as Natural Resources. Therefore water, air, soil, minerals, coal, forests, crops and wild life are all examples of natural resources.

Forest Resources
Forest is important renewable resources. Forest contribute substantially to the economic development of any country. Plants along with trees cover large areas, produce variety of products and provide food for living organisms. In addition, they are essential to save 
the environment.

Significance of forests
Forest provide prosperity to human beings and to the nation. A few Important uses of forests are listed
  • Commercial values
  • Ecological significance
  • Aesthetic values
  • Life and economy of tribes
Commercial values
Forests are main source of many commercial products such as
  • wood, timber, pulpwood etc. 
  • Forest can provide food , fibre, edible oils and drugs.
  • Forest lands are also used for agriculture and grazing.
  • Forest is important source of development of dams, recreation and mining.
  • Forest provide food, medicine and other products needed for tribal people and play a vital role in the life and economy of tribes living in the forest.
Ecological uses
  • Forests are habitat to all wild animals, plants and support millions of species. 
  • They help in reducing global warming caused by green house gases and produces oxygen upon photosynthesis.
  • Forest can act as pollution purifier by absorbing toxic gases. 
  • Forest not only helps in soil conservation but also helps to regulate the hydrological cycle.
Aesthetic values
  • All over the world people appreciate the beauty and tranquillity of the forest because forests have a greatest aesthetic value. 
  • Forest provides opportunity for recreation and ecosystem research.
 Over exploitation of forests
  • Forests contribute substantially to the national economy. 
  • With increasing population increased demand of fuel wood, expansion of area under urban development and industries has lead to over exploitation of forest .
  • At present international level we are losing forest at the rate of 1.7 crore hectares annually. 
  • Overexploitation also occurs due to overgrazing and conversion of forest to pastures for domestic use.
Deforestation
  • Forest are burned or cut for clearing of land for agriculture ,harvesting for wood and timber , development and expansion of cities .
  • These economic gains are short term whereas long term effects of deforestation are irreversible
  • Deforestation rate is relatively low in temperate countries than in tropics 
  • If present rate of deforestation continues we may losses 90% tropical forest in coming six decades
  • For ecological balance 33% area should be under forest cover but our nation has only 20.6% forest cover.
 Causes of deforestation
  • Shifting cultivation or "jhum" cultivation
  • This practice is prevalent in tribal areas where forest lands are cleared to grow subsistence crops. 
  • It is estimated that principal cause of deforestation in tropics in Africa, Asia and tropical America is estimated to be 70, 50, and 35% respectively. 
  • Shifting cultivation which is a practice of slash and burn agriculture are posses to clear more than 5 lakh hectares of land annually. 
  • In India, shifting cultivation is prevalent in northeast and to limited extent in M.P, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh and is contributing significantly to deforestation.
Commercial logging
  • It is a important deforestation agent. It may not be the primary cause but definitely it acts as secondary cause, because new logging lots permits shifting cultivation and fuel wood gatherers access to new logged areas.
  • Need for fuel wood due to Increased population which has lead to increasing demand for fuel wood which is also acting as an important deforestation agent, particularly in dry forest.
  • Expansion for agribusiness leads to the addition of cash crops such as oil palm, rubber, fruits and ornamental plants which in-turn leads to an expansion in the area for agribusiness products which results in deforestation.
Development projects and growing need for food
  • The growing demand for electricity, irrigation, construction, mining, etc. has lead to destruction of forests. 
  • Increased population needs more food which has compelled to increase the area under agriculture crops compelling deforestation.
Raw materials for industrial use
  • Forest provides raw material for industry and it has exerted tremendous pressure on forests. 
  • Increasing demand for plywood has exerted pressure on cutting of other species of trees such as fir to be used as packing material for apple in J&K and tea in northeast states.
Major effects of deforestation
Deforestation adversely affects and damages the environment and living beings 
Major causes of deforestation are
  • Soil erosion and loss of soil fertility
  • Decrease of rain fall due to affect of hydrological cycle
Effects of deforestation 
  • Expansion of deserts
  • Climate change and depletion of water table
  • Loss of biodiversity ,flora and fauna
  • Environmental changes and disturbance in forest ecosystems
Effects of Jhum cultivation
  • Jhum Agriculture or shifting agriculture has destroyed large number of hectare of forest tracts in North-Eastern states and Orissa. 
  • Jhum agriculture is subsidence agriculture in which tract of forest land is cleared by cutting trees and it is used for cultivation. After few years, when productivity of the land decreases, cultivators abandon the land and clear next tract. 
  • As a result of this practise, combined with increasing population there is rapid deforestation as more and more cultivators clear forest to cultivate land. 
  • Due to increase in population there is cultivators are forced to return to previous tracts of land in relatively shorter duration, thereby the land is not allowed to regain its productivity.
Chipko movement
The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan is a social-ecological movement that practised the Gandhian methods of satyagraha and non-violent resistance, through the act of hugging trees to protect them from being felled. The modern Chipko movement started in the early 1970s in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand,with growing awareness towards rapid 
deforestation. The landmark event in this struggle took place on March 26, 1974, when a group of peasant women in Reni village, Hemwalghati, in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, 
India, acted to prevent the cutting of trees and reclaim their traditional forest rights that were threatened by the contractor system of the state Forest Department. Their 
actions inspired hundreds of such actions at the grassroots level throughout the region. By the 1980s the movement had spread throughout India and led to formulation of people-
sensitive forest policies, which put a stop to the open felling of trees in regions as far reaching as Vindhyas and the Western Ghats.

Forest resources are being over-utilised due the following reasons
Timber extraction
There has been unlimited exploitation of timber for commercial use. Due to increased industrial demand; timber extraction has significant effect on forest and tribal people.
Poor Logging
Poor logging results in degraded forest and may lead to soil erosion especially on slopes.
New logging roads permit shifting cultivators and fuel wood gatherers to gain access to the logging area.
Loss of long term forest productivity
Species of plants and animals may be eliminated due to unlawful or unscientific logging techniques
Exploitation of tribal people by contractor.

Major effects of mining operations on forest and tribal 
Effects of mining are listed hereunder:
  • Mining from shallow deposits is done by surface mining while that from deep deposits is done by sub-surface mining.
  • Mining leads to degradation of lands and loss of top soil. 
  • Almost eighty thousands hectare land is under stress of mining activities in India
  • Mining leads to drying up perennial sources of water sources like spring and streams in mountainous area.
  • Mining and other associated activities remove vegetation along with underlying soil mantle, which results in destruction of topography and landscape in the area. 
  • Large scale deforestation has been reported in Mussorie and Dehradun valley due to indiscriminating mining.
  • The forested area has declined at an average rate of 33% and the increase in non-forest area due to mining activities has resulted in relatively unstable zones leading to landslides.
  • Indiscriminate mining in forests of Goa since 1961 has destroyed more than 50000 ha of forest land. 
  • Coal mining in Jharia, Raniganj and Singrauli areas has caused extensive deforestation in Jharkhand.
  • Mining of magnetite and soapstone have destroyed 14 ha of forest in hilly slopes of Khirakot, Kosi valley and Almora.
  • Mining of radioactive minerals in Kerala, Tamilnadu and Karnataka are posing similar threats of deforestation.
  • The rich forests of Western Ghats are also facing the same threat due to mining projects for excavation of copper, chromites, bauxite and magnetite.

Ecological succession

ECOLOGIC SUCCESSION

  • Ecologic succcession is a natural process in which structure of a biologic community changes with time.
  • It is a very gradual process and imperceptible over short time scales
  • Nothing remains the same and habitats are constantly changing due to natural and anthropogenic (manmade or human induced) changes
  • It may also occur suddenly due to disasters (natural or man-made)
  • The structure of the new community is more complex than the previous community because of introduction of new species and consequently, newer interactions.
  • There are two types of succession - Primary or secondary
  • Primary succession refers to community changes that occur on an entirely new habitat which has never been colonized before.
  • Secondary succession refers to community changes that take place on a previously colonized, but disturbed habitat.
  • Succession takes place because through the processes of living, growing and reproducing. 
  • The organisms interact with and change the environment within an area, gradually.
  • The changed environment gives an advantage to newer species over the native living organisms as the newer species are better adapted to the changed environment
  • Succession involves the entire community
  • Change in the plant species present in an area is one of the driving forces behind ecological succession
  • The structure of the plant communities influences the animal species which can live in the microhabitats provided by the plants.
  • Succession is directional. Communities change gradually from one stage to another.

Types of ecological succession are:

  • Primary
  • Secondary and 
  • Cyclic
Succession continues finally ending up with a 'climax' community and stops there. 

Climax community is the final stage.

When large organisms in the climax community, new openings are created in which secondary succession will occur.

Thousands of different species might be involved in the community changes taking place over the course of a succession.

Factors controlling ecological succession are: 

  • the geology and history of the area, 
  • the climate, 
  • microclimate, 
  • weather, 
  • soil type and 
  • other environmental factors.

Succession occurs on many different timescales, ranging from a few days to hundreds of years.

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Disaster Management and Methodology

 Here are few disaster management techniques that can be useful in reducing the damage caused:

  1. Prevention is better than cure. Disaster prevention is the first and foremost thing one can do. Be prepared according to the natural disasters that may occur according to the locality/area. Know the hazards in your area and know the risk. The information about natural hazards, their occurrence and effect should be known according to the location, region, etc. Geographical information systems (GIS) play a crucial role in this criterion.
  2. Social media is a great tool now-a-days, make use of it. Social network can help in communicating with those who are aware and can help you, before or during a disaster.
  3. Know about your nearby community officials and government servants who can help you and your neighbors in evacuating the place and also announce a ‘mandatory evacuation’ in the hazard prone area.
  4. Identify your nearest local media sources so that they provide valuable information and useful safety measures to people living in the area.
  5. Make sure you have a stock of first aid kit or a go-kit that helps you and your family during a disaster. If possible make sure you have stock pile of medication, food and enough water for at least 3 days during the disaster.
  6. In order to make sure you are not affected by the hazards, be in touch with any of your friends or relatives who stay far from you or from the disaster hit area. So that when you are evacuated, you are least affected in any terms.
  7. Raising your home, buying flood insurance, securing heavy furniture to the walls all are a part of mitigation, and these help in reducing or eliminating the impact caused by the disasters.
  8. Make sure you are adaptable to the environment or surrounding that you are evacuated to, so that no day of your work is missed out in case it takes long time for your previous area where you have lived to cope up from the disaster effect.
  9. Making use of Remote sensors in natural hazard assessments with the help of satellites or sensors mounted to aircrafts. They are very helpful in showing the evidences for occurrence and presence of the disasters according to the geographical, geological and hydrologic and natural phenomena.
  10. Public awareness is the most important one in disaster management. Development, planning and management will only be possible with the people being aware of the natural hazards and safety measures that are to be followed during or before a disaster. The study or knowledge on disaster management helps in taking good decisions regarding buying homes, building and living in hazard-prone areas.

Basic Principles of Disaster Mitigation

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER MITIGATION

Mitigation is defined as “sustained action that reduces or eliminates long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards and their effects.” It describes the ongoing effort at the government and individual levels to lessen the impact of disasters on families, homes, communities and economy.

Disaster mitigation measures may be 

  • structural (e.g. flood dikes) or 
  • non-structural (e.g. land use zoning). 
Other examples of mitigation measures include: 

  • Hazard mapping
  • Adoption and enforcement of land use and zoning practices
There are three types of mitigation plans: 

  • Local
  • State and 
  • National
The term Mitigation can be considered as part of prevention. Mitigation means to reduce the severity of the human and material damage caused by the disaster. Prevention is to ensure that human action or natural phenomena do not result in disaster or emergency. 

The mitigation strategy is made up of three main components: 

  • mitigation goals
  • mitigation actions and an 
  • action plan for implementation
This provides the framework to identify, prioritize and implement actions to reduce risk to hazards. The four basic components of a risk assessment are:

  • Hazard identification
  • Profiling of hazard events
  • Inventory of assets and.
  • Estimation of potential human and economic losses based on the exposure and vulnerability of people, buildings, and infrastructure.

Disaster Preparedness needs to be followed by disaster mitigation, as it is essential for providing long-term relief to the victims of disasters. Disaster mitigation involves measures to reduce the effects of disaster-causing phenomena. Mitigation involves all actions to reduce the impact of a disaster that can be taken prior to its occurrence, including preparedness and long-term sisk reduction measures. It also includes the planning and implementation of measures to reduce the risks of human-made hazards, and the process of planning for effective response to disasters. Disaster mitigation includes scientific analysis of risk assessment, social, economic, legal and technical processes in the development of mitigation measures and administrative and political processes in the application of these measures. The most important part of implementing any mitigation program is an understanding of the nature of threat. For instance, in India, different states are vulnerable to different types of hazards. Some states are prone to foods and droughts, while some are prone to earthquake, falling in highly active seismic zone (zone IV or V), Most of the states are prone to a conbination of various hazards. Mitigation is required in all types of hazards. 

DISASTER MITIGATION: THE CONCEPT
Mitigation includes efforts or measures taken to reduce the adverse effects of disaster on people, livestock and physical structures. The aim of mitigation is to lessen the risks associated with disasters, through a combination of measures. The Government of India acts as the biggest insurer to help the population in distress due to any natilral calamity through relief and rehabilitation programmes, loans and subsidies. At this stage, a number of voluntaty agencies also come forward in
a big way to help mitigate tlie disastrous effects on the population. Contingency plans are normally available with the district administration and civil defence authorities for use after every minor or major disaster. A number of government departments and institutions are engaged in activities, which are multifaceted in nature. It is a team effort.

Sustainability is the key word in the developlnent process. The compounded costs of disasters relating to loss of life, assets, economic activities, and cost of reconstruction of not only assets but of lives can scarcely be borne by any commnunity or nation. Therefore, all development schemes in vulnerable areas should include disaster mitigation analysis, whereby the feasibility of any projet is assessed with respect to vulnerability of the area and the mitigation measures required For
sustainability. Environmental protection, afforestation programs, pollution control, construction of earthquake-resistant structures etc., should therefore be given high priority in the plans.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Environment Protection Act

 ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ACT

  • The Environment (Protection) Act, was passed in 1986 
    • It authorizes the central government to protect and improve environmental quality, control and reduce pollution from all sources
    • It prohibits the setting and /or operation of any industrial facility on environmental grounds.
    • It empowers the Central Government to establish authorities responsible for preventing environmental pollution in all its forms and to tackle specific environmental problems that are peculiar to different parts of the country. 
    • The Act was last amended in 1991.
  • The Environment (Protection) Rules lay down procedures for setting standards of emission or discharge of environmental pollutants.
Aside from the Air act and water act, this act acts as an umbrella covering all aspects of the environment

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Assignment Questions

ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

ASSIGNMENT # 01

UNIT - I
Q1. Define and list the scope of environmental sciences
Q2. Describe briefly the effects of modern agriculture

UNIT - II
Q1. Sketch the structure and concept of an ecosystem
Q2. Sketch the various zones in an aquatic ecosystem (Ponds, Lakes, River and ocean)


ASSIGNMENT # 02

UNIT - III
Q1.Describe briefly the biogeographic zones in India
Q2.Sketch the various values of biodiversity with relevant examples

UNIT - IV
Q1. List the various effects of air pollution on plants
Q2. Describe point source and non point source water pollution with examples

UNIT - V
Q1. Draw the disaster management cycle
Q2. Describe watershed management

Friday, April 20, 2018

Liquid waste management - Types and treatment

LIQUID WASTE
Liquid waste can be defined as such Liquids as wastewater, fats, oils or grease (FOG), used oil, liquids, solids, gases, or sludges and hazardous household liquids. These liquids that are hazardous or potentially harmful to human health or the environment. They can also be discarded commercial products classified as “Liquid Industrial Waste” such as cleaning fluids or pesticides, or the by-products of manufacturing processes. 

Types of Industrial Wastewater

  • Inorganic wastewater
  • Organic wastewater
  • Listed hazardous wastewater
  • Industrial wastewater with heavy metals
  • Industrial wastewater with organics
  • Non-hazardous wastewater
  • Oil and water mixtures

Industrial Wastewater Treatment Technologies
  • Chemical oxidation and reduction
  • Acid/Base neutralization
  • Chemical precipitation of metals
  • Flocculation
  • Filtration
  • Carbon adsorption
  • Supercritical fluid extraction
  • Biological treatment
  • Oil/Water separation
  • Stabilization through encapsulation


Liquid wastes are not suitable for disposal to any class of landfill because they:
  • increase the volume of leachate generated and requiring treatment and/or disposal
  • can result in increased odour nuisance
  • can reduce the stability of the refuse mass under certain conditions.

Liquid waste encompasses all waste in liquid form, it includes both waste produced as a liquid and waste that has been converted into a liquid for handling. Similarly, it includes both liquid waste that emerges from a single source such as industrial wastes being pumped out through pipes and liquid waste that has no single source such as run-off caused by rainfall. Other common examples of liquid waste include both human and animal excreta plus household wastewater coming from bathing, dishwashing, and a range of other domestic activities.

Liquid waste can be removed by:

  • -Containment: In this case, the waste is stored either in barrels or tanks that can be picked up by waste management services
  • -Treatment: In this case the liquids are treated before disposal. The treatment technology adopted depends upon the composition of the liquid waste. Organic wastes are composted whereas non-hazardous liquid wastes have their water content extracted.
  • -Disposal: The liquid wastes after treatment are either dumped in landfills, incinerated or converted into new products that can be reused.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

INDEX1

Diagrams of Single channel, Y-shaped and Universal model of energy flow with discussion
Food chains, Food webs
Ecological pyramids
Aquatic ecosystem (ponds, streams, lakes, rivers, oceans, estuaries).

UNIT - iii
Biodiversity:
Genetic, species and ecosystem diversity
Biogeographical classification of India
Functions, Values and threats to biodiversity
Endangered and endemic species of India
Conservation of biodiversity

UNIT - iv
Environmental Pollution:
Causes, effects and control measures of
  1. Air pollution
  2. Water pollution
  3. Soil pollution
  4. Noise pollution
  5. Thermal pollution
Solid waste management
Liquid waste management
Environmental legislation:
UNIT - v
Social Aspects and the Environment:
Water conservation 
Watershed management
Rainwater harvesting
Environmental ethics
Climate change
Global warming
Acid rain
Ozone layer depletion
Environmental protection act
Population explosion


Disaster management:
Types of disasters
Impact of disasters on environment, infrastructure, and development
Basic principles of disaster mitigation
Disaster management, and methodology
Disaster management cycle
Disaster management in India.

Previous years question papers
Solutions to selected important questions -i
Solutions to selected important questions - ii
Solutions to selected important questions - iii

Important questions covering entire syllabus


Miscellaneous topics
Natural capital
Environmentally sustainable city
Bio gas, Solar desalination and Eco-labeling
Ecological succession

References
  1. A. K. De, Environmental Chemistry, New Age Publications, 2002. 
  2. E.P. Odom, Fundamentals of Ecology, W.B. Sunders Co., USA.
    GL. Karia and R.A. Christian, 
  3. Waste Water Treatment, Concepts and Design Approach, Prentice Hall of India, 2005.
  4. Benny Joseph, Environmental Studies, Tata McGrawHill, 2005
  5. V.K. Sharma, Disaster Management, National Centre for Disaster Management, IIPE, Delhi, 1999.
  6. Principles of Environmental Science - Cunningham, William; Cunningham, Mary
  7. Environmental Science - Daniel D. Chiras
  8. Essentials of Environmental Science -  Friedland, Andrew; Relyea, Rick
  9. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, 2ND EDN  -  Heinke Henry
  10. Environmental Science (Jntu Hyderabad), Fourth Edition - Anubha Kaushik
  11. Environmental Engineering Science - Nazaroff
  12. Introduction To Environmental Science And Engineering ,2Ed - A.k Amal Datta
  13. Environmental Science - S.K. Tiwari
  14. Introduction to Environmental Science - Joseph M. & Michael D. Morgan Moran
  15. Basics of Environmental Science - Michael Alla     
     

Monday, April 10, 2017

Energy flow in an ecosystem




Discussion:
  • The first diagram above shows the "SINGLE CHANNEL MODEL OF ENERGY FLOW"
  • In this model, the energy is shown to move across various trophic levels in a linear fashion with only a small amount of energy being transferred to subsequent trophic levels, a small part being used for the organisms for metabolic activities like respiration, digestion, hunting, etc and a major part of the energy being lost to the environment as heat
  • Upon death, both plants and animals are decomposed by the decomposers or saprotrophs that live in the soil.
  • These decomposers remove the last energy from the living organisms. They also decompose the remains of the organisms to release the nutrients into the soil.
  • The second diagram represents the universal model of energy flow where a species population is represented by energy inputs and links with other species as a conventional species oriented food web diagram.
  • It is applicable to any living component
  • The model represents a species population in which appropriate energy inputs and links with other species would be shown as a conventional, species oriented food web diagram.
  • The model also represents a discrete energy level where biomass and energy channels represent all or part of many populations supported by the same source
  • The 'Y' shaped or two channel energy flow model, shows the symbiotic relationship between the consumers in the grazing food chain and the decomposers in the detritus food chain.
  • In all the energy flow models, it is seen that the "SUN" is the PRIMARY SOURCE of energy and the FATE of ALL ENERGY is for it to be LOST AS HEAT to the ecosystem. This follows the fundamental LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY that states that "ENERGY CAN NEITHER BE CREATED NOR DESTROYED BUT CAN ONLY BE CONVERTED FROM ONE FORM TO ANOTHER"
  • However, chemotrophs that lie at the bottom of the ocean use chemical reactions to derive energy as sunlight cannot penetrate to those depths

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Rain water Harvesting

Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) is the process of collecting, conveying & storing water from rainfall.
The following methodologies are adopted for rain water harvesting:

  • Roof Rain Water Harvesting
  • Land based Rain Water Harvesting
  • Watershed based Rain Water harvesting
  • For Urban & Industrial Environment
    • Roof & Land based RWH
    • Public, Private, Office & Industrial buildings
    • Pavements, Lawns, Gardens & other open spaces
The advantages of Rain Water Harvesting are:

  • It provides self-sufficiency to water supply
  • It Reduces the cost for pumping of ground water
  • It Provides high quality water, soft and low in minerals
  • It Improves the quality of ground water through dilution when recharged
  • It Reduces soil erosion & flooding in urban areas
  • The rooftop rain water harvesting is less expensive &easy to construct, operate and maintain
  • In deserts, RWH the only relief
  • In saline or coastal areas & Islands, rain waterprovides good quality water

Rainwater Harvesting helps in the following ways:

  • It helps arrest ground water decline and augments groundwater table.
  • It improves water quality in aquifers
  • It helps conserve surface water runoff during monsoon
  • It helps reduce soil erosion
  • It instills a culture of water conservation.

Broadly there are two ways of harvesting rainwater:

  • Surface runoff harvesting :- In urban area rainwater flows away as surface runoff. This runoff could be caught and used for recharging aquifers by adopting appropriate methods 
  • Roof top rainwater harvesting:- It is a system of catching rainwater where it falls. In rooftop harvesting,the roof becomes the catchments, and the rainwater is collected from the roof of the house/building. It can either be stored in a tank or diverted to artificial recharge system.This method is less expensive and very effective and ifimplemented properly helps in augmenting the groundwater level of the area

Rooftops are favoured becauseof the large coefficient of run-offgenerated from them andrelatively less likelihood of theircontamination.
The water that leaves the rooftop may be 65 – 90% of the water that falls on it Roof material absorbs some water Evaporation losses More water loss if roof is flat
the water transported from the catchment surface to the storage tank

THE COMPONENTS OF ROOFTOP RAINWATER HARVESTING
FILTER AND FIRST FLUSH DEVICES remove grit, leaves and dirt that the rainwater may transport from the catchment, before the water enters the storage tank.
A first flush device diverts the water from the first rain so that it does not enter the storage tank.
A filter can be prepared using gravel sand, charcoal and gravel.
The first rain carries with it a lot of filth from the rooftop and dissolved air pollutants. This rainwater should be diverted away from the storage tank using a first flush device.
DELIVERY SYSTEM that convey the store drain water till the point of end-use. It is not recommended to use harvested rainwater for drinking, cooking and dish washing
From the simplest ground level tank, surface lined ponds and large lakes there are many storage options depending on the context of the rainwater harvesting design.
Above ground, Ground level or Intermediate floor level Save on pumping cost
Excess water can be diverted into a groundwater recharge system

Water obtained from RWH can be:

  1. Stored for direct use
  2. Used to recharge ground water aquifers
  3. Used to recharge bore wells
  4. Used to recharge Pits
  5. Used to soak away or recharge shafts
  6. Used to recharge dug wells
  7. Used to recharge trenches
  8. Used  as percolation tanks


Sunday, September 13, 2015

Environmental Ethics

There is an urgent need to inculcate sensitivity towards environmental degradation among people by fostering environmental ethical values.  Environmental Ethics attempts to define what is right and what is wrong regardless of cultural differences. We human beings have a fundamental duty towards nature to respect and care for the Earth, protect life-support systems, biodiversity and ensure sustainable development.
The following are the environmental ethical values to be inculcated:

  • Environmental consciousness
  • Humility and reverence
  • Responsibility and commitment
  • Respect for all forms of life and landscape
  • Global environmental citizenship
  • Self-reliance
  • Adoption of eco-friendly culture
  • Preservation of diversity on the planet
  • Sharing a common environment
The spectrum of environmental activities for inculcating environmental ethical values are:
  • Using recycled paper for notes and circulars
  • Diverting wastes from kitchen to the garden
  • Switching off unnecessary lights
  • Using bicycles or walking
  • Using public transport systems
  • Collecting rainwater
  • Avoiding usage of freshwater for gardening
  • Using cloth towels instead of paper towels
  • Avoiding unnecessary outdoor lighting
  • Organizing tree-plantation campaigns
  • Reducing volume of radio and television to reasonable levels
  • Listening to radio programs on environment and its problems
  • Organizing eco-clubs
  • Placing trash cans and dustbins around the college premises
  • Observing Environment day on 5th June and Earth day on 22nd April
  • Planting trees in and around the campus
  • Encouraging healthy lifestyles through balanced nutrition, exercise and yoga
  • Helping enforce environment protection laws
  • Staging short plays on environmental crisis to create environmental awareness
  • Conserving energy resources by avoiding unnecessary wastage of energy
  • Cutting and displaying pictures and newspaper cuttings depicting environmental crisis

Saturday, May 9, 2015

INDEX

Natural Capital
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2015/04/natural-capital.html

Environmentally sustainable City
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2015/04/environmentally-sustainable-city.html

Schematic representation of Structure of an Ecosystem
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2015/02/schematic-representation-of-structure.html

Question paper for Environmental Studies (9030) On 10 Dec 2014
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/12/question-paper-for-environmental.html

Answers to Environmental Studies Questions
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/12/answers-to-environmental-studies.html

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2015/09/environmental-ethics.html

Disaster Management
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/11/disaster-management.html

DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/11/disaster-management-cycle.html

IMPACT OF DISASTERS
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/11/impact-of-disasters.html

POPULATION GROWTH
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/11/population-growth.html

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/11/watershed-management.html

SALIENT FEATURES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTS IN INDIA
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/11/salient-features-of-environmental-acts.html

NOISE POLLUTION
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/10/noise-pollution.html

SOIL POLLUTION
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/10/soil-pollution.html

Environmental Studies - Biodiversity, Environmental Pollution and Legislation along with miscellaneous topics
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/10/environmental-studies-biodiversity.html

Natural resources: Water resources
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/09/natural-resources-water-resources.html

Ecological pyramids
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/09/ecological-pyramids.html

Energy flow in an ecosystem
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/09/energy-flow-in-ecosystem.html

Energy flow in an ecosystem - Single channel and Universal flow models
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2017/04/energy-flow-in-ecosystem.html

Structure and Function of an Ecosystem
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/09/structure-and-function-of-ecosystem.html

Food chains Vs Food webs
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/09/food-chains-vs-food-webs.html

Agriculture - Effects of modern methods and options
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/09/agriculture-effects-of-modern-methods.html

Natural resources - Land resources
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/09/natural-resources-land-resources.html

Multidisciplinary nature of Environmental Studies
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/08/multidisciplinary-nature-of.html

Environmental Studies - The need for public awareness
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/08/environmental-studies-need-for-public.html

SCOPE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/08/scope-of-environment.html

Four basic principles of ecology
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/07/four-basic-principles-of-ecology.html

Importance of Environmental Studies
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/07/importance-of-environmental-studies.html

Environmental Studies - Introduction
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/07/environmental-studies-introduction.html

ENERGY FLOW IN AN ECOSYSTEM
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/07/energy-flow-in-ecosystem.html

Environmental Studies Syllabus (Osmania University)
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/environmental-studies-syllabus-osmania.html

Important questions and answers
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/important-questions-and-answers.html

Multidisciplinary nature of environmental science
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/multidisciplinary-nature-of.html

Biogeochemical cycles - Carbon cycle in brief
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/biogeochemical-cycles-carbon-cycle-in.html

Biogeochemical cycles: Sulphur cycle
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/biogeochemical-cycles-sulphur-cycle.html

Biogeochemical cycles - Oxygen cycle
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/biogeochemical-cycles-oxygen-cycle.html

Biogeochemical cycles - Nitrogen cycle
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/biogeochemical-cycles-nitrogen-cycle.html

Biogeochemical cycles: Phosphorus cycle
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/biogeochemical-cycles-phosphorus-cycle.html

The Water Cycle
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/the-water-cycle.html

Question Bank
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/04/question-bank.html

Disaster management in India
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/disaster-management-in-india.html

Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/issues-involved-in-enforcement-of.html

Acid rain - Formation, Effects and Control measures
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/acid-rain-formation-effects-and-control.html

Ozone layer depletion
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/ozone-layer-depletion.html

Global warming - Definition, Effects, Control and Remedial measures
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/global-warming-definition-effects.html

Climate change - causes and effects
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/climate-change-causes-and-effects.html

Envionmental ethics
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/envionmental-ethics.html

Population Explosion
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/population-explosion.html

Watershed management
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/watershed-management.html

Water conservation
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/water-conservation.html

Solid waste management - sources, effects and methods of disposal
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/thermal-pullution-source-effects-and.html

Thermal pollution - causes, effects and control measures of thermal pollution
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/thermal-pollution-causes-effects-and.html

Noise pollution - Causes, types, effects and control of noise pollution
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/noise-pollution-causes-types-effects.html

Soil pollution - Types, effects, sources and control of soil pollution
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/soil-pollution-types-effects-sources.html

Water pollution - types, effects, sources and control of water pollution
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/water-pollution-types-effects-sources.html

Air Pollution - causes, effects and control measures
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/air-pollution-causes-effects-and.html

Environmental Pollution
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/environmental-pollution.html

Endangered and Endemic species of India
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/endangered-and-endemic-species-of-india.html

Conservation of biodiversity
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/conservation-of-biodiversity.html

Functions of biodiversity, Vaue of biodiversity and threats to biodiversity
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/11/functions-of-biodiversity-vaue-of.html

Biogeographical classification of India
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/biogeographical-classification-of-india.html

Biodiversity - Genetic, Species and Ecosystem diversity
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/biodiversity-genetic-species-and.html

Aquatic ecosystems - Estuaries
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/aquatic-ecosystems-estuaries.html

Aquatic ecosystem - Oceans
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/aquatic-ecosystem-oceans.html

Aquatic Ecosystems - River or Stream
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/aquatic-ecosystems-river-or-stream.html

Aquatic ecosystems - Lakes
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/aquatic-ecosystems-lakes.html

Aquatic ecosystem-Ponds
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/aquatic-ecosystem-ponds.html

Ecological Pyramids
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/ecological-pyramids.html

Desertification
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/desertification.html

Land degradation- Land slides, Soil erosion and Desertification
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/land-degradation-soil-erosion-and.html

Land as a Resource
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/land-as-resource.html

Alternate Renewable Energy Sources
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/alternate-renewable-energy-sources.html

Non-renewable energy sources
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/non-renewable-energy-sources.html

Renewable energy sources
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/renewable-energy-sources.html

Energy resources, Growing energy needs, Renewable and non-renewable energy sources
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/energy-resources.html

Effects of modern agriculture - Fertilizer Pesticide problems, Water logging, Salinity
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/effects-of-modern-agriculture.html

Dams - Benefits and problems
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/dams-benefits-and-problems.html

Conflicts over water
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/conflicts-over-water.html

Natural resources: Droughts
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/natural-resources-droughts.html

Natural resources-Floods
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/natural-resources-floods.html

Natural resources: Water resources - Use and Over-use
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/natural-resources-water-resources.html

Environmental Studies - Definition, scope & importance, need for public awareness
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/es-definition-scope-importance-need-for.html

Kyoto Protocol
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/10/kyoto-protocol.html

Disaster management - Floods
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/09/disaster-management-floods.html

Disaster management - Landslides
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/09/disaster-management-landslides.html

Disaster management - Earthquakes
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/09/disaster-management-earthquakes.html

Forest conservation act, 1980
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/09/forest-conservation-act-1980.html

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/09/wildlife-protection-act-1972.html

Water (prevention and control of pollution) act, 1974
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/09/water-prevention-and-control-of.html

Air (prevention and control of pollution) act, 1981
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/09/air-prevention-and-control-of-pollution.html

Environment Protection Act, 1986
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/09/environment-protection-act-1986.html

Important questions-ii
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/09/important-questions-ii.html

Important questions-i
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/09/important-questions-i.html

Biodiversity
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2013/09/biodiversity-biodiversity-or-biological.html

Rainwater Harvesting
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.com/2015/11/rain-water-harvesting.html

The Water Cycle
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/the-water-cycle.html

The Sulphur cycle
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/biogeochemical-cycles-sulphur-cycle.html

The Phosphorus cycle
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/biogeochemical-cycles-phosphorus-cycle.html

Oxygen cycle
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/biogeochemical-cycles-oxygen-cycle.html

The Nitrogen cycle
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/biogeochemical-cycles-nitrogen-cycle.html

The Carbon cycle
http://mjcetenvsci.blogspot.in/2014/06/biogeochemical-cycles-carbon-cycle-in.html

Monday, April 6, 2015

Natural Capital

Natural capital is the sum of natural resources and natural services. Examples of natural resources and natural services are listed below:

Natural resources:

  • Air
  • Water
  • Land
  • Soil
  • Life (Biodiversity)
  • Non renewable minerals (Iron, Copper, Sand)
  • Renewable energy (Sun, Wind, Flowing water) and
  • Non renewable energy (Fossil fuels, Nuclear power)

Natural services:

  • Air purification
  • Water purification
  • Soil renewal
  • Nutrient recycling
  • Food production
  • Pollination
  • Grassland renewal
  • Forest renewal
  • Waster treatment
  • Climate control
  • Population control (Species interaction) and
  • Pest control

Environmentally sustainable City

An envitonmentally sustainable city or ecocity or green city emphasizes the following points:

Preventing pollution and reducing waste
Using resources and matter resources efficiently
Recycling, reusing and composting atleast 60% of all municipal solid waste
Using solar and other locally available, renewable energy resources
Protecting and encouraging biodiversity by preserving surrounding land

The following are examples of green cities in the world:
Curitiba (Brazil)
Waitakere city (New Zealand)
Leicester (England)
Portland (Oregon, USA)
Davis (California, USA)
Olympia (Washington, USA)
Chattanooga (Tennessee, USA)

Friday, December 12, 2014

Answers to Environmental Studies Questions

Biogas typically refers to a mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of many organic matter in the absence of some oxygen. Biogas can be produced from regionally available raw materials such as recycled waste. It is a renewable energy source and in many cases exerts a very small carbon footprint.

Biogas is produced by anaerobic digestion with anaerobic bacteria or fermentation of biodegradable materials such as manure, sewage, municipal waste, green waste, plant material, and crops. It is primarily methane and carbon dioxide and may have small amounts of hydrogen sulphide, moisture and siloxanes.

The gases methane, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide can be oxidized with oxygen. This energy release allows biogas to be used as a fuel; it can be used for any heating purpose, such as cooking. It can also be used in a gas engine to convert the energy in the gas into electricity and heat.

Biogas can be compressed, the same way natural gas is compressed to CNG, and used to power motor vehicles. In the UK, for example, biogas is estimated to have the potential to replace around 17% of vehicle fuel.

Solar desalination is a technique to desalinate water using solar energy. There are two basic methods of achieving desalination using this technique; direct and indirect.
In the direct method, a solar collector is coupled with a distilling mechanism and the process is carried out in one simple cycle. Water production by direct method solar distillation is proportional to the area of the solar surface and incidence angle. Because of the relatively high cost of property and material for construction direct method distillation tends to favor plants with production capacities less than 200m3/day.

Indirect solar desalination employs two separate systems; a solar collection array, consisting of photovoltaic and/or fluid based thermal collectors, and a separate conventional desalination plant. Production by indirect method is dependent on the efficiency of the plant and the cost per unit produced is generally reduced by an increase in scale. Many different plant arrangements include but are not limited to Multiple Effect Humidification (MEH), Multiple Stage Flash Distillation (MSF), Multiple Effect Distillation (MED), Multiple Effect Boiling (MEB), Humidification Dehumidification (HDH), Reverse Osmosis (RO), and Freeze effect distillation.

Eco-labeling Eco-labels and Green Stickers are labeling systems for food and consumer products. Ecolabels are voluntary, but green stickers are mandated by law. They are a form of sustainability measurement directed at consumers, intended to make it easy to take environmental concerns into account when shopping. Some labels quantify pollution or energy consumption by way of index scores or units of measurement; others simply assert compliance with a set of practices or minimum requirements for sustainability or reduction of harm to the environment.

Ecolabelling systems exist for both food and consumer products. Both systems were started by NGOs, since then the European Union have developed legislation for conduct of ecolabelling and also have created their own ecolabels, one for food and one for consumer products. Label trust is an issue for consumers.