Professional Documents
Culture Documents
• 1. Earthquakes, under the water, are monitored by sensors on the floor of the
sea.
2. The sensors send the information of floating buoys on the surface , whenever they
detect any changes in pressure of the sea.
4. All member nations of the warning system are then warned of the danger
approaching.
5. Finally, the country make the people alert through the media to take all necessary
precautions.
On 26th December 2004 in Bay of Bengal and Indian ocean Tsunami was formed. It
was formed because of earthquake occurred under the ocean floor of Indonesian
coast.
FLOODS :
Due to heavy rains or sudden snow melt the quantity of water in streams exceeds their
capacity and water overflows the bank and causes inundation of the surrounding land .
This situation is called flood.
Effects:
However, it causes a great economic loss and health related problems due to
widespread contamination.
It causes suffering to people living in low lying area – houses and properties are
washed away.
Flood management:
Don’t raise buildings on flood plains – use it for wild life habitat, parks.
India – cyclones originating from Bay of Bengal are more in number and intensity.
EFFECTS:
Effect can be minimised by planting more trees on the coastal area, wind breaks.
Construction of dams
Proper drainage
Landslides: The movement of earthy materials like coherent rocks, mud, soil and
debris from higher region to lower region due to gravitational pull is called landslides.
Causes:
o Underground caves and underground mining activities may also lead to subsidence.
Effects:
o Sudden landslides damage the houses, crop yield, live stock etc.
Landslide management:
o By improving cultivation.
o Draining the surface and subsurface water from the weak sloppy regions.
**********
Sustainable Development:
Rainwater harvesting
Objectives:
• Soil nature, Topography, rainfall pattern and climatic conditions must be known
before adopting a RWH method.
• Rain water from roof tops – diverted to surface tanks or recharge pits through a
delivery system.
• Also, it can be used to recharge underground aquifers by diverting the stored water
to dug-well or bore wells.
Watershed Management:
Watershed – “land area from which water drains under the influence of gravity into a
stream, lake, reservoir or other body of surface water”.
• To develop rural areas with plans to improve the economy of the region.
• 1.Water harvesting
• 5. Public participation
In stratosphere,
O2 + hƳ O. + O.
O. + O2 + M O3+ M
Causes:
Effects:
More UV rays reach the earth – affect DNA, cause mutation, cancer- skin
cancer, disfigurement
Increase in cataract- children more vulnerable.
Control measures:
Replace CFC by other less damaging materials. ( HCFC, Ammonia, CO2, water in
vapour compression system)
Carbon di oxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide, CFC’s, and water vapours.
In the absence of green house gases this temp. would have been -180c.
CO2:
355 ppm in 1990, increases at the rate of 1.5 ppm every year.
CFCs take 10-15 years to reach the stratosphere and trap 1500 to 7000 times more
heat per molecule than CO2.
Methane:
Sources - Produced when bacteria breakdown dead organic matter in moist places –
swamps, wetlands, paddy fields etc.
Nitrous Oxide:
Released from nylon products, burning of biomass and nitrogen fertilizers in soil, live
stock wastes and nitrate contaminated ground water.
Effects on agriculture
Acid rain
Oxides of S and N from industrial effluents, fosil fuel combustion – swirl around in the
atmosphere – causing acid rain.
pH<5.6
Effects:
On buildings:
Control measures:
Liming of lakes
Causes:
Issues: Tribals, already poor – displacement increases their poverty due to loss of
home, land, jobs, food security, social land.
Tribals are not familiar with the market policies and trend.
Loss of identity and loss of intimate link between the people and the environment is
one of the big loss
The extent of damage and suffering due to the project must be ascertained before
starting the project.
Sardar sarovar dam project: Rr Narmada flows through MP, Maharashtra and
Gujarat.
573 villages – 10 lakh people would be homeless and hectares of forest and 2 lakh
hec of cultivable lands would be submerged in Maharashtra.
NBA – Narmada Bachao Andolan was initiated against cons.of dam – lead by Smt.
Medha Patkar – works for the affected oustee tribals.
Dam is also structurally incapable of withstanding the water, which would kill 1000s
of people.
Environmental ethics
It refers to the issues, principles and guidelines relating to human interactions with their
environment.
Ethical guidelines:
Keep each day sacred to earth and celebrate the turnings of seasons.
Do not steal from future generations the right to live in a clean safe environment.
In order to protect our valuable environment from pollution, we need a strong legal
framework.
Water act
Air act
Wildlife act
Forest act
Establishing central and state boards for the prevention and control of water pollution
States empowered to restrain a person from discharging effluent into any water body without
the consent of the board.
Violation of law –this act empowers SPCB to order closure or stoppage of supply or
electricity, water or any other services to the polluting unit.
This envisages Central and state control boards with powers to monitor air quality and
pollution control.
Objectives:
Central board may lay down the standards for the quality of air.
State boards – empowered to lay down standards for emission of air pollutants from
industrial units or automobiles or other sources.
State boards – collect information – air pollution – act as inspectorates of air pollution.
State boards are to examine the manufacturing processes and control equipment.
State board can advise state govt to - Declare heavily polluted areas - can advice to avoid
the burning of waste products.
Objectives:
Important features:
Reserved forests shall not be diverted without prior permission of the central govt.
Any illegal non-forest activity within the forest area can be stopped immediately
under the act.
Clearance of any forest land of naturally grown trees for the purpose of re-
afforestation is forbidden.
India – rich wild life heritage – 350 species of mammals, 1200 sp birds, 20,000 sp of
insects.
Using wildlife products – skins, fur, feathers, ivory, etc., decimated population of
many.
Objectives:
To preserve biodiversity.
The rights of forest dwellers recognised by the act of 1988 are taken away by the
amended act of 1991
Objectives:
IMPORTANT FEATURES: The act empowers the govt to lay down procedures and
safeguards for the prevention of accidents which cause pollution and remedial measures if
an accident occurs.
The govt has the authority to close or prohibit or regulate any industry if any violation
of law occurs.
The act fixes the liability of offence – secretary/manager/ officer – unless he proves
that it was committed without his knowledge.
Provides technical assistance and guidance to state boards- sponsor for research.
Advises the industries to treat waste water and gases with modern technology.
Central and state boards emphasize to use clean technology to reduce pollution.
Functions of StateBoard
It advises the state govt on any matter concerning the prevention and control of
pollution.
It has the right to inspect at all times any pollution control equipment, industrial plant,
orders to take necessary steps.
Appoints analyst to analyse sample and submit a report to the board and to the
industry.
Population characteristics:
▪ 1.Exponential growth:
10,10 2 , 103
▪ 2.Doubling time:
This rate has declined in the last 50 years, but the pattern varies among
nations.
▪ 5. Replacement level:
a. PYRAMID SHAPED :
b. BELL SHAPED:
Birth rates in the past one or two decades declined – 0-35 age group – less.
Consequently in the next 10 years , people entering into reproductive age group is
not going to change much – stable population
c. URN SHAPED:
No. of children in the very young class is smaller than the middle reproductive age
class. In the next ten years the number in reproductive age class will be less than
before – results in a decline of population growth – declining population
▪ 9. Life expectancy :
▪ A catastrophic doomsday model warns us that the earth cannot sustain more
than 25 billions.
▪ Population stabilisation :
▪ Developed nations -- this ratio is 1 around the year 2000 which indicates ZPG.
▪ Better public distribution system of food, better medical facilities in rural areas
are the reasons for the Success of family welfare programmes
WHO – “HEALTH is defined as the state of complete physical, mental and social
well-being and not merely the absence of disease ”
1. Infectious organisms
▪ Developing countries face more health threat than developed ones.
▪ Amounts of fats and salts are very much related to cardio vascular
diseases.(white food*)
▪ Adulteration of food items
▪ High levels of malnutrition – M.P
▪ Vitamins, proteins, micro and macro nutrients are essential for normal
function, growth and development.
{A,C,D,K,B1,B2,B3,B6,B12, Biotin, folic acid, pantothenic acid} (13)
3. Chemicals –
Fossil fuel combustion – cause asthma, bronchitis, other lung diseases.
Toxic industrial effluents - kill cells and cause cancer and death.
Pesticides like DDT – affect food chain.
Heavy metals like Hg, Cr, Cd, Pb – contaminate water.
2. National network for women in mining --- work for women displaced
from industries to get compensation.
Every child has the right to –survival, good living stds, nutrition and health,
right to protection from exploitation, abuse, inhuman treatment, neglect, right
to education, childhood care, support, leisure, recreation, freedom of thought.
Role of IT in environment
Numbers of soft wares have been developed for environment and health.
70 % in Africa-1st in the world, related illness and HIV +ve - important cause of
mortality.
India stands 2nd –25 lakh people.0.36% adult rate HIV +ve
In 2003 about 3 million died world wide.
Russia, china, India are also showing an increase in the number of HIV+ve.
AIDS – discovered in 1983
Symptoms:
Prolonged fever
Diarrhoea
Screening test
1. ELISA Test
2. Western Blot Test- more confirmatory test- specific antibody test-done by
experts
PREVENTIVE MEASURES:
•
Leading a moral life with good conduct.
•
Health education, sterilization of surgical instruments.
•
Blood donation samples should be screened.
•
Avoid sharing needles, razors, syringes.
•
Primary health care centres, counseling services.
•
Drug treatment, staying active, nutritious diet, stress free mind, early
medical care.
LOSS TO THE ENVIRONMENT DUE TO SUCH PATIENTS:
AIDS epidemic – large number of deaths, affect local environment.
Loss of professional forest workers
HIV carriers do not perform well
They lack energy, frequent fever so production of companies employing them
decreases
Must maintain hygiene in affected locality
Scenario in India:
Detected in India in the year1986
Highly infected states in India - Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, A.P,
Karnataka,Manipur,
Nagaland.
These states harbor nearly 45% of the disease.
Environment and human rights
• June 1993, Vienna world conference on human rights stressed the need for
economical and social rights.
• Part 1. Deals with human rights for an ecologically sound envt., sustainable
development and peace for all.
Value education
• From the time we are born we learn. We learn how to walk, eat and talk. We
learn how to understand when people are happy or sad. A lot of what we
learn needs to be taught to us by other people. What we learn is important to
how we live our lives. Doctors can only help us when we are sick because
they have been taught what to do when people are sick.