EV20001: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Introduction to Subject Matter

Dr. Shamik Chowdhury

School of Environmental Science and Engineering
E-mail: shamikc@iitkgp.ac.in

11 August 2021
ANTHROPOCENE
Nature 399:429–436
S. Oppenheimer, “Out of Eden”
Steffen et al., 2004
Steffen et al., 2004
Planetary boundaries

Nature 461:472–475
Learning objectives
 Familiarize with the scientific background, social and policy aspects of global
environmental issues.

 Encourage independent, rational discussion of global environmental issues.

 Encourage wider reading of global environmental issues using a range of

sources and enhance the ability to interpret this information.

 Develop key transferable skills such as communication skills, problem solving

and critical thinking skills.
Subject Overview
Lecture #1: Environmental Problems, Their Causes & Sustainability

Key Focus: We are living in an incredibly challenging era. We face an array of serious environmental
problems that are highly complex and often vary in scale ranging from local to global dimensions. As
environmental issues affect every part of our life, we need to make a new cultural transition in which we learn
to live more sustainably by sharply reducing the degradation of our life-support system.
Lecture #2: Human Population & Urbanization
Key Focus: Population in urban areas is projected to increase from 3.6 billion in 2011 to 6.3 billion in 2050.
High concentrations of people, infrastructure and economic activity mean that urban centres are highly
exposed to natural hazards and climate change risks.
Lecture #3: Understanding Air Pollution
Key Focus: Air pollution continues to be an important public health concern. Emissions from automobiles,
factories, power plants, and other sources can compromise our respiratory and cardiovascular systems,
resulting in some very serious health issues. To solve the problem, it is important to understand and identify
the issues concerning air pollution and look for ways to counter it.
Lecture #4: Climate Change
Key Focus: Burning of fossil fuels, widespread clearing and burning of forests for planting crops, and
releasing certain chemicals into the atmosphere are playing a major role in changing the Earth’s climate by
warming the troposphere. There is a widespread consensus that to mitigate potentially catastrophic climate
change, we need to implement a broad portfolio of advanced energy technologies globally and on an
emergency basis.
Lecture #5: Renewable Energy
Key Focus: Renewable energy sources have a large potential to displace emissions of greenhouse gases
from the combustion of fossil fuels and thereby to mitigate climate change. If implemented properly,
renewable energy sources can contribute to social and economic development, to energy access, to a
secure and sustainable energy supply, and to a reduction of negative impacts of energy provision on the
environment and human health.
Lecture #6: Waste Management
Key Focus: Human activities produce huge amounts of wastes that go unused and pollute the environment.
The challenge is to make the transition from a high-waste, throwaway economy to a low-waste, reducing-
reusing-recycling economy as soon as possible.
Lecture #7: Water Resources & Water Pollution
Key Focus: The water resource strategies of the 21st century have worked against natural chemical cycles
and processes. Large dams, river diversions, levees, and other big engineering schemes have helped to
provide much of the world with electricity, food and drinking water. However, they have also degraded the
aquatic natural capital needed for long-term economic and ecological sustainability by seriously disrupting
rivers, streams, wetlands, aquifers and other aquatic systems. Fortunately, pollution control for the world’s
surface and underground water supplies are within our reach but we must act now.
Lecture schedule
Date Topic
11/08/2021 Course Introduction
18/08/2021 Institute Foundation Day
25/08/2021 Environmental Problems, Their Causes and Sustainability
01/09/2021 Human Population and Urbanization
08/09/2021 Understanding Air Pollution
15/09/2021 Climate Change
22/09/2021 TEST – I
29/09/2021 Climate Change (contd.)
06/10/2021 Renewable Energy – I
20/10/2021 Renewable Energy – II
27/10/2021 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
03/11/2021 Water Resources and Water Pollution
10/11/2021 Reading Week
17/11/2021 TEST – II
Expectations
 Attend lectures and discussion session

 Participate!

– If it doesn’t make sense, ask! Everyone learns that way.

– Don’t be bashful about answering questions.

 Explore, think, ask, speculate, admire, enjoy!

– Bring interesting topical ideas (latest news) to class.

Grading policy

05% 35% 60%

Attendance Group Project Class Test

(2 X 30%)

GRADING COMPONENTS
Take home message
 “Collectively identify and collaboratively tackle global environmental
challenges in an integrated and holistic manner.”