Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MANAGEMENT
By
Dr. Vandana Gupta
INTRODUCTION
• Environmental Management is the process to improve the
relationship between the human beings and environment which
may be achieved through check on destructive activities of man,
conservation, protection, regulation and regeneration of nature.
(renewable)
• To review and revise the existing technologies and make them ecofriendly.
conservation programmes.
Components of Environmental Management
Based on five fundamental aspects.
Temporal scope
• generally refers to the time periods over which effects
may be experienced.
• This has been established for each technical topic, where
appropriate discussion with the relevant statutory
consultees.
Spatial or geographical scope has taken into account the
following factors:
• the physical extent of the proposed works, as defined by
the scheme design
• the nature of the baseline environment and the manner
in which the impacts are likely to be propagated
• the pattern of governmental administrative boundaries,
which provide the planning and policy context for the
Proposed Development.
Types of environmental impacts
Direct impact
• Direct impacts occur through direct interaction of an activity with
an environmental, social, or economic component.
• For example, a discharge of any industry or an effluent from the
Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) from the industrial estates into a
river may lead to a decline in water quality in terms of high
biological oxygen demand (BOD) or dissolved oxygen (DO) or rise
of water toxins.
Indirect impacts
• These are not a direct result of the project, often produced away from or as a
result of a complex impact pathway.
• The indirect impacts are also known as secondary or even third level
impacts.
• For example, ambient air SO2 rise due to stack emissions may deposit on
land as SO4 and cause acidic soils.
• The indirect impacts may also include growth- inducing impacts and other
effects related to induced changes to the pattern of land use or additional
road network, population density or growth rate (e.g. around a power
project).
• In the process, air, water and other natural systems including the ecosystem
may also be affected.
Cumulative Impacts:
• It is created as a result of the combination of the project evaluated in
the EIA together with other projects causing related impacts.
• These impacts occur when the incremental impact of the project is
combined with the cumulative effects of other past, present and
reasonably foreseeable future projects.
Induced Impacts:
• The cumulative impacts can be, due to induced actions of projects and activities that
may occur if the action under assessment is implemented such as growth inducing
impacts and other effects related to induced changes to the pattern of future land use
or additional road network, population density or growth rate.
• Induced actions may not be officially announced or be part of any official plan.
Increase in workforce and nearby communities contributes to this effect.
• They usually have no direct relationship with the action under assessment and
represent the growth- inducing potential of an action. New roads leading from those
constructed for a project, increased recreational activities, and construction of new
service facilities are examples of induce actions.
• However, the cumulative impacts due to induced development or third level or even
secondary indirect impacts are difficult to be quantified. Because of higher levels’ of
uncertainties, these’ impacts cannot be normally assessed over a long time horizon.
An EIA practitioner usually can only guess as to what such induced impacts may be
and the possible extent of their implications on the environmental factors.
EIA techniques
• Ad-hoc method
• Checklist method
• Overlay mapping method
• Network method
• Matrices method
Ad-hoc method
Ad hoc methods
• provide little, if any, formal guidance for an impact assessment.
• While varying considerably with the team of experts, they usually identify a
broad area of impact rather than define specific parameters which should be
investigated or attempt a quantitative assessment.
• A major advantage, however, is in their ease of use and the possibility to tailor
them to the specific circumstances of a given assessment problem without the
constraints of a rigid formalism.
• As a consequence, however, they depend very much on the background,
expertise and experience of the people undertaking them.
• While fast, and possible to conduct with minimal effort, they do not include any
assurance of completeness or comprehensiveness; they may lack consistency in
the analysis due to lack of guidance and a specific formalism;
• and they require the identification as well as the assembly of an appropriate
group of experts for each new assessment.
Types
Checklist method
Matrix method
Network Method
Overlay Method
Modelling Systems
• Modeling Systems analysis and modeling are among the few techniques that allow consideration of
multi-dimensional problems that involve multiple (and usually conflicting) objectives, multiple criteria,
• Basically, modeling attempts to replicate a real-world situation, so as to allow experimentation with the
replica in order to gain insight into the expected behavior of the real system. Models, implemented on
computers, are extremely powerful tools of analysis, though they are often demanding and complex.
• Modeling has been used extensively in developed countries, but its use for impact assessment in
developing countries has been rather limited because of constraints on resources, especially in expertise
and data.
• The two main problems, namely, lack of expertise and lack of data, are good reasons to look into the
use of computers, in particular into new technologies such as expert systems, interactive modeling, and
dynamic computer graphics. The basic idea behind an expert system is to incorporate expertise, i.e.,
data, knowledge and heuristics relevant to a given problem area into a software system.
• Environmental impact assessment usually deals with rather complex problems that touch upon many
disciplines, and rarely will an individual or a small group of individuals have all the necessary
expertise at their disposal. The expert systems component of an EIA system can help to fill this gap
and at the same time take over the role of a tutor.
• The same line of argument holds for the missing data. A forecast of likely consequences and impacts
has to be based on some kind of model. Whether that is a mental model, a set of ``rules of thumb'' or
heuristics an expert might use, or a formal mathematical model, the necessary information must be
somehow inserted in the (mental or mathematical) procedure. If no specific data are available, one
looks for similar problems for which information or experience exists and extrapolates and draws
upon analogies. This role is usually filled by the expert's knowledge, or by handbooks and similar
sources of information
• Such information, however, can also be incorporated in a
model or its interface, or be made available through dedicated
data bases connected to the models for the automatic
downloading of parameters required.
• In a similar approach, basic parameters such as chemical
properties relevant to environmental fate and transport
calculations, for example, can be provided to the respective
models through auxiliary models or estimation techniques.
System diagram technique
• guide data collection;
• organize and summarize data;
• make explicit interactions between the environment and the
“proposed project”;
• place various kinds of impacts and alternatives in perspective
with each other and with the entire system;
• identify components of a macroscale system which need
microscale analysis;
• and permit quantification of total impact and quantitative
comparisons of impact types, of alternatives, and of
environmental control strategies.
• Drawbacks: The procedures do not guarantee that important
impacts have not been overlooked, do not deal with aesthetic
impacts, and do not guarantee that the appropriate system
boundary has been chosen.
Environmental Impact Statement
• An environmental impact statement (EIS), under United
States Environmental Law, is a document required by the
1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for certain
actions "significantly affecting the quality of the human
environment".
• An EIS is a tool for decision making. It describes the positive
and negative environmental effects of a proposed action, and it
usually also lists one or more alternative actions that may be
chosen instead of the action described in the EIS.
Purpose….
• The purpose of the NEPA is to promote informed decision-making by federal agencies by
making "detailed information concerning significant environmental impacts" available to both
agency leaders and the public.
• EIS acts as an enforcement mechanism to ensure that the federal government adheres to the
goals and policies outlined in the NEPA
• An EIS should be created in a timely manner as soon as the agency is planning development
or is presented with a proposal for development.
• The statement should use an interdisciplinary approach so that it accurately assesses both the
physical and social impacts of the proposed development.
• In many instances an action may be deemed subject to NEPA’s EIS requirement even though
the action is not specifically sponsored by a federal agency.
• These factors may include actions that receive federal funding, federal licensing or
authorization, or that are subject to federal control.
• Not all federal actions require a full EIS. If the action may or may not cause a significant
impact, the agency can first prepare a smaller, shorter document called an Environmental
Assessment (EA).
• The finding of the EA determines whether an EIS is required. If the EA indicates that no
significant impact is likely, then the agency can release a finding of no significant impact
(FONSI) and carry on with the proposed action. Otherwise, the agency must then conduct a
full-scale EIS.
• Most EAs result in a FONSI. A limited number of federal actions may avoid the EA and EIS
requirements under NEPA if they meet the criteria for a categorical exclusion (CATEX)
An EIS typically has four sections:
• An Introduction including a statement of the Purpose and Need of the Proposed Action.
• A description of the Affected Environment.
• A Range of Alternatives to the proposed action. Alternatives are considered the "heart" of the EIS.
• An analysis of the environmental impacts of each of the possible alternatives. This section covers
topics such as:
Impacts to threatened or endangered species
Air and water quality impacts
Impacts to historic and cultural sites, particularly sites of significant importance to Indigenous
peoples.
Social and Economic impacts to local communities, often including consideration of attributes
such as impacts on the available housing stock, economic impacts to businesses, property
values, aesthetics and noise within the affected area
Cost and Schedule Analyses for each alternative, including costs and timeline to mitigate expected
impacts, to determine if the proposed action can be completed at an acceptable cost and within a
reasonable amount of time
• While not required in the EIS, the following subjects may be
included as part of the EIS or as separate documents based on
agency policy.
• Financial Plan for the proposed action identifying the sources
of secured funding for the action. For example, the Federal
Highway Administration has started requiring states to include
a financial plan showing that funding has been secured for
major highway projects before it will approve an EIS and issue
a Record of Decision.
• An Environmental Mitigation Plan is often requested by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) if substantial
environmental impacts are expected from the preferred
alternative.
• Additional documentation to comply with state and local
environmental policy laws and secure required federal, state,
and local permits before the action can proceed.
• The NEPA process is designed to involve the public and gather the
best available information in a single place so that decision makers
can be fully informed when they make their choices.
• This is the process of EIS
• Proposal: In this stage, the needs and objectives of a project have
been decided, but the project has not been financed.
• Categorical Exclusion (CATEX): As discussed above, the
government may exempt an agency from the process. The agency
can then proceed with the project and skip the remaining steps.
• Environmental Assessment (EA): The proposal is analyzed in
addition to the local environment with the aim to reduce the negative
impacts of the development on the area.
• Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI): Occurs when no
significant impacts are identified in an EA. A FONSI typically allows
the lead agency to proceed without having to complete an EIS.
Environmental Impact Statement
• Scoping: The first meetings are held to discuss existing laws, the available information, and
the research needed. The tasks are divided up and a lead group is selected. Decision makers
and all those involved with the project can attend the meetings.
• Notice: The public is notified that the agency is preparing an EIS. The agency also provides
the public with information regarding how they can become involved in the process. The
agency announces its project proposal with a notice in the Federal resister, notices in local
media, and letters to citizens and groups that it knows are likely to be interested. Citizens and
groups are welcome to send in comments helping the agency identify the issues it must
address in the EIS (or EA).
• Draft EIS (DEIS): Based on both agency expertise and issues raised by the public, the
agency prepares a Draft EIS with a full description of the affected environment, a reasonable
range of alternatives, and an analysis of the impacts of each alternative.
• Comment: Affected individuals then have the opportunity to provide feedback through
written and public hearing statements.
• Final EIS (FEIS) and Proposed Action: Based on the comments on the Draft EIS, the
agency writes a Final EIS, and announces its Proposed Action. The public is not invited to
comment on this, but if they are still unhappy, or feel that the agency has missed a major
issue, they may protest the EIS to the Director of the agency. The Director may either ask the
agency to revise the EIS, or explain to the protester why their complaints are not actually
taken care of.
• Re-evaluation: Prepared following an approved FEIS or ROD when unforeseen changes to the proposed
action or its impacts occurs, or when a substantial period of time has passed between approval of an
action and the planned start of said action. Based on the significance of the changes, three outcomes may
result from a re-evaluation report: (1) the action may proceed with no substantive changes to the FEIS,
(2) significant impacts are expected with the change that can be adequately addressed in a Supplemental
EIS (SEIS), or (3) the circumstances force a complete change in the nature and scope of the proposed
action, thereby voiding the pre-existing FEIS (and ROD, if applicable), requiring the lead agency to
restart the NEPA process and prepare a new EIS to encompass the changes.
• Supplemental EIS (SEIS): Typically prepared after either a Final EIS or Record of Decision has been
issued and new environmental impacts that were not considered in the original EIS are discovered,
requiring the lead agency to re-evaluate its initial decision and consider new alternatives to avoid or
mitigate the new impacts. Supplemental EISs are also prepared when the size and scope of a federal
action changes, when a significant period of time has lapsed since the FEIS was completed to account
for changes in the surrounding environment during that time, or when all of the proposed alternatives in
an EIS are deemed to have unacceptable environmental impacts and new alternatives are proposed.
• Record of Decision (ROD): Once all the protests are resolved the agency issues a Record of Decision
which is its final action prior to implementation. If members of the public are still dissatisfied with the
outcome, they may sue the agency in Federal court.
• Often, the agencies responsible for preparing an EA or EIS do not compile the document directly, but
outsource this work to private-sector consulting firms with expertise in the proposed action and its
anticipated effects on the environment. Because of the intense level of detail required in analyzing the
alternatives presented in an EIS or EA, such documents may take years or even decades to compile, and
often compose of multiple volumes that can be thousands to tens of thousands of pages in length.
• To avoid potential conflicts in securing required permits and approvals after the ROD is issued, the lead
agency will often coordinate with stakeholders at all levels, and resolve any conflicts to the greatest
extent possible during the EIS process. Proceeding in this fashion helps avoid interagency conflicts and
potential lawsuits after the lead agency reaches its decision.
Tiering
• On exceptionally large projects, especially proposed highway and
railroad corridors that cross long distances, the lead agency may
use a two-tiered process prior to implementing the proposed action.
• In such cases, the Tier I EIS would analyze the potential socio-
environmental impacts along a general corridor, but would not
identify the exact location of where the action would occur.
• A Tier I ROD would be issued approving the general area where
the action would be implemented. Following the Tier I ROD, the
approved Tier I area is further broken down into subareas.
• Tier II EIS is then prepared for each subarea, that identifies the
exact location of where the proposed action will take place.
• The preparation of Tier II EISs for each subarea proceeds at its own
pace, independent from the other subareas within the Tier I area.
Strengths
• By requiring agencies to complete an EIS, the act encourages
them to consider the environmental costs of a project and
introduces new information into the decision-making process.
• The NEPA has increased the influence of environmental
analysts and agencies in the federal government by increasing
their involvement in the development process.
• Because an EIS requires expert skill and knowledge, agencies
must hire environmental analysts.
• Unlike agencies who may have other priorities, analysts are
often sympathetic to environmental issues.
• In addition, this feature introduces scientific procedures into
the political process.
Limitations
• The differences that exist between science and politics limit the
accuracy of an EIS.
• Although analysts are members of the scientific community, they are
affected by the political atmosphere.
• Analysts do not have the luxury of an unlimited time for research. They
are also affected by the different motives behind the research of the EIS
and by different perspectives of what constitutes a good analysis.
• In addition, government officials do not want to reveal an
environmental problem from within their own agency.
• Citizens often misunderstand the environmental assessment process.
The public does not realize that the process is only meant to gather
information relevant to the decision.
• Even if the statement predicts negative impacts of the project, decision
makers can still proceed with the proposal.
• Checklists and matrices Checklists consist of a list of environmental parameters to be investigated for potential impacts. They therefore ensure complete coverage of environmental aspects to be investigated. Checklists may or
may not include guidelines about how impact-relevant parameters are to be measured, interpreted, and compared. A typical checklist might contain entries such as:
o Earth: mineral resources; construction material; soils; land form; force fields and background radiation; unique physical features;
o Water: surface (rivers, lakes and reservoirs, estuaries); coastal seas and ocean, underground; quality; temperature; recharge; snow, ice, and permafrost;
o Atmosphere: quality (gases, particles); climate (micro, macro); temperature;
o Flora: trees; shrubs; grass; crops; microflora; aquatic plants; endangered species; barriers; corridors;
o Fauna: birds; land animals including reptiles; fish and shellfish; benthic organisms; insects; microfauna; endangered species; barriers; corridors;
o Land use: wilderness and open space; wetlands; forestry; grazing; agriculture; residential; commercial; industrial; mining and quarrying;
o Recreation: hunting; fishing; boating; swimming; camping and hiking; picnicking; resorts.
• Obviously, checklists do carry a geographical, as well as cultural, bias or, if universal in intent, carry a large number of mutually exclusive categories. They are usually also implicitly oriented towards certain categories of projects,
related to the history of their development. Further, their elements may be interrelated (for example, the categories of water bodies and their relevant properties in the example above) such that the linear presentation in the listing
has to be interpreted as a hierarchical or even multi-dimensional system in many cases.
• Various sub-categories of approaches can be identified, based on checklists:
o Simple checklists, consisting of a simple list of environmental parameters.
o Descriptive checklists, including guidelines on the measurement of parameters (e.g., De Santo, 1978; Schaenman, 1976).
o Scaling checklists, including information basic to the (subjective) scaling of parameter values. Important concepts include the {\em threshold of concern}, the duration of an impact, and whether it is reversible or irreversible (e.g., Sassaman, 1981).
o Questionnaire checklists, containing a series of linked questions, which guide the user through the process. The possible answers are provided as multiple-choice, making the process easy to use even for less experienced persons.
o Environmental Evaluation System (EES): Checklist based, including scaling and weighting (Dee et al., 1979; Lohani and Kan, 1982).
o Multi-attribute Utility Theory. Similar to the weighting method used in the EES procedure, developed by Batelle Columbus Laboratories in the USA, it is basically a decision support (weighting) method that can also be used in conjunction with other approaches to derive the impacts (Keeney and Raiffa, 1976; Keeney and Robilliard, 1977;
Kirkwood, 1982; Collins and Glysson, 1980).
• Impact matrices combine a checklist of environmental conditions likely to be affected with a list of project activities, the two lists arranged in the form of a matrix. The possible cause--effect relationships between activities and
environmental features are then identified and evaluated cell by cell. Matrices can be very detailed and large, the classical Leopold matrix contains 100 by 88 cells, and is thus somewhat cumbersome to handle (Leopold, Clarke,
Hanshaw et al., 1971). As a consequence, numerous extensions and modifications have been developed for almost each practical application (e.g., Clark et al., 1981; Lohani and Thanh, 1980; Welch and Lewis, 1976; Phillip and
DeFillipi, 1976; Fischer and Davies, 1973). In a more strategic approach, project planning matrices are used to structure and guide the assessment procedures in the goal-oriented ZOPP ( Ziel-Orientierte Projekt Planung) method
(GTZ, 1987).
• Overlays Overlay methods use a set of physical or electronic maps, of environmental characteristics and possible project impact upon them, that are overlaid to produce a composite and spatial characterization of project
consequences (McHarg, 1968; Dooley and Newkirk, 1976). Modern geographical information systems such as GRASS, developed for EIA by the US Army Corps of Engineers, use graphic workstations to implement overlay
techniques using digital cartographic material and the more versatile logical interactions between spatial features.
• Networks and diagrams Networks are designed to explicitly consider higher order, i.e., secondary and even tertiary consequences in addition to the primary cause--effect relations addressed by the methods above. They consist of
linked impacts including chained multiple effects and feedbacks (Sorensen, 1971; Sorensen, 1972; Gilliland and Risser, 1977; Lavine et al., 1978). IMPACT is a computerized version of network techniques, developed by the US
Forest Service (Thor et al., 1978).
• Cost--benefit analysis Cost--benefit analysis (CBA), in a narrow sense, is an attempt to monetize all effects for direct comparison in monetary terms. While providing a clear answer and basis for the comparison of alternatives, the
monetization of many environmental problems is sometimes extremely difficult and thus can affect the usefulness of the method considerably.
• Numerous approaches to help monetize environmental criteria have been developed. Some of the more frequently used include the cost of repair, i.e., the estimated cost to restore an environmental system to its original state, or
the willingness to pay, based on direct or indirect (e.g., travel cost) approaches to assess the value, for example, of park land or wilderness. Approaches and problems, as well as the underlying economic theories, are discussed (e.g.,
in Cottrell, 1978; Kapp, 1979; or Burrows, 1980). An excellent and critical treatment of cost--benefit analysis, and evaluation in environmental planning in general, can be found in McAllister, 1980. A discussion of the principles of
environmental extensions to traditional cost--benefit analysis is given in Hufschmidt, James, Meister et al., 1983.
• Examples of cost--benefit approaches to environmental impact assessment include:
o the UNEP Test Model of extended cost--benefit analysis (Lohani and Halim, 1987), mainly oriented towards the natural resource base of a project. The basic format of the approach includes:
• essential project description setting the physical and economic parameters for the analysis;
• itemizing resources used in the project, those indirectly affected, and residues created;
• resources exhausted, depleted, or that have deteriorated;
• resources enhanced;
• required additional project components;
• formulation of the integrated cost--benefit presentation, summary and conclusions.
o the cost--benefit analysis of natural system assessment, developed by the East-West Centre in Hawaii (Hufschmidt and Carpenter, 1980).
• Attempts to overcome some of the weaknesses of CBA have led to numerous extensions and modifications, such as the Planning Balance Sheet (PBS) or the {\em Goals Achievement Matrix} (GAM). The Planning Balance Sheet
(Lichfield et al., 1975) stresses the importance of recording all impacts, whether monetizable or not, and analyzing the distribution of impacts among different community groups. Thus it adds the analysis as to whom cost and
benefits accrue to the basic concept of CBA. The Goals Achievement Matrix (Hill, 1968; Hill and Werczberger, 1978) defines and organizes impacts according to a set of explicit goals that the (public) action is attempting to meet
and identifies consequences to different interest groups. It is also designed to accommodate non-monetizable impacts, and uses a set of non-monetary value weights for computing a summary evaluation; it is thus similar to CBA.
EIA Process
• Screening
• Scoping
• Impact analysis
• Impact mitigation
• Reporting
• EIS review
• Decision making
• Monitoring
Step 1: Screening
This step determines:
• whether or not EIA is required for a particular project
Screening Outcomes:
• Full or comprehensive EIA required
environmental effects
• if so, project should undergo EIA
Step 2: Scoping
• It begins once screening is completed
• establishes the content and scope of an EIA report
Outcome:
• identifies key issues and impacts to be considered
• lays the foundation of an effective process, saves time
• Professional judgment
Step 4: Impact Mitigation
• to avoid, minimise or remedy adverse impacts
• to ensure that residual impacts are within acceptable levels
• to enhance environmental and social benefits
Step 5: Reporting
• a non-technical summary
• Independent panel
• Public comment and input
Step 7: Decision Making
• To provide key input to help determine if a proposal is
acceptable
• To help establish environmental terms and conditions
for project implementation
Step 8: Monitoring
• Ensure the implementation of conditions attached to a
decision.
• Verify that impacts are as predicted or permitted.
expected.
• Take action to manage any unforeseen changes.
Key components of Monitoring
• Establish baseline conditions.
• Measure impacts of a project as constructed.
• Verify conformity with established with conditions and
acceptable limits.
• Establish links to environmental management plans.
its reliability and transparency.
Steps in LCA
• According to the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards, a LCA
is carried out in four phases:
Goal and scope
Inventory analysis
Impact assessment
Interpretation.
• Goal and Scope
In the phase, definition, the aim, the breadth and the depth of the study are
established.
The most important (often subjective) choices such as the reason for executing the
LCA, a precise definition of the product and its life cycle and a description of the
system boundaries are considered.
LCI establishes demarcation between what is included in the product system and
what is excluded.
In LCI, each product, material or service should be followed until it has been
translated into elementary flows (emissions, natural resource extractions, land use,
etc).
• Life-cycle impact assessment
It aims to understand and evaluate the magnitude and significance of the potential
environmental impacts of a product system.
This phase is further divided into four steps.
1. Classification
2. Characterization
3. Normalization (voluntary): provides a basis for comparing different types of
environmental impact categories (all impacts get the same unit).
.
4. Weighting (voluntary): implies assigning a weighting factor to each impact category
depending on the relative importance.
The two first steps are quantitative steps based on scientific knowledge of the relevant
environmental processes
The next two steps are not technical, scientific or objective processes, but may be
assisted by applying scientifically based analytical techniques.
• Impact categories (ICs)
assigned.
The ICs selected in each LCA study have to describe the impacts caused
of sustainability assessments.
• It enables people to measure and manage the use of resources throughout the
• EFs measure the amount of productive land and water required for the production
activity.
• It measures the requirements for productive areas
(croplands, grazing lands for animal products, forested areas to
produce wood products, marine areas for fisheries built-up
land for housing and infrastructure, and forested land needed
to absorb carbon dioxide emissions from energy
consumption).
• One can estimate the EF, measured in “global hectares” (gha),
at various scales—for individuals, regions, countries, and
humanity as a whole.
• The Global Footprint Network (GFN)—a non-profit
organization that partnered with hundreds of cities, businesses,
and other entities to advance the EF as a metric of
sustainability—calculates the per capita global footprint.
• It takes Earth more than one year and eight months to
regenerate what is used in one year.
Features….
• Ecological Footprints provide concise, credible,
comprehensive, detailed and scalable data based on best
available scientific data and technology.
• The size of an EF can change over time, depending on
population, consumption levels, technology and resource use.
• EFs are measured in global acres (or global hectares). One
global acre (or hectare) represents one acre (or hectare) of
biologically productive land or water. Dividing a region's EF
by its population gives the global acres (or hectares) per
capita.
• An individual's resource consumption is not restricted to local resources.
• Consequently, local, regional and global productive areas utilized by a
certain population or activity, have to be incorporated into the EF.
• The final EF can be compared to the existing biologically productive area to
determine how sustainable the activity, lifestyle or population is.
• Various uses, mostly mutually exclusive uses, compete for biologically
productive land and water.
• Flora, fauna and biological conservation are accounted for in EF calculations.
However, the amount of productive land given to this group varies between
calculations.
• Ecological footprint analysis compares human demand on nature
with the biosphere's ability to regenerate resources and provide
services.
• Footprint values at the end of a survey are categorized for Carbon,
Food, Housing, and Goods and Services as well as the total
footprint number of Earths needed to sustain the world's
population at that level of consumption.
• The WWF claims that the human footprint has exceeded the
biocapacity (the available supply of natural resources) of the planet
by 20%.
• Ecological footprint analysis is now widely used around the globe
as an indicator of environmental sustainability.
• EF calculations use official statistics and peer reviewed literature to gather data.
Five assumptions underpin any EF calculation (Redefining Progress):
• Most of the wastes generated and resources consumed can be tracked.
• Most of these resource and waste flows can be converted into the biologically
productive area that is required to maintain these flows.
• These different areas can be expressed in the same unit (acres or hectares) once
they are scaled proportionally to their biomass productivity. That is, each
particular acre can be translated to an equivalent area of world-average land
productivity.
• Since these areas have been standardized and stand for mutually exclusive
uses, they can be added up to a total representing humanity's demand.
• This area for total human demand can be compared with nature's supply of
ecological services, since it is also possible to assess the area on the planet that
is biologically productive.
• The advantage of EF calculations is that it uses a single, easy to
understand unit of measurement which is comparable between activities
and populations.
• EFs reinforce concepts such as "earthshare" and linkages can be made
between local and global consumption.
• However, EFs can oversimplify issues, data can be hard to source and
not all impacts (eg toxic waste) are calculated.
Carbon Sequestration
• Carbon dioxide is the most commonly produced greenhouse gas.
• Key elements
Policy
Planning
Implementation and operation
Checking and corrective action
Management Review
Continual Improvement
Principle of ISO 14000
• Plan: Recognize an opportunity and plan a change.
• Do: Test the change. Carry out a small-scale study.
• Check: Review the test, analyze the results, and identify what
you’ve learned.
• Act: Take action based on what you learned in the study step.
• If the change did not work, go through the cycle again with a
different plan.
• If you were successful, incorporate what you learned from the
test into wider changes.
• Use the plan for new improvements, beginning the cycle again.
• Aspects & Impacts
• Legal Requirements
• Objective Targets
• Management • Management,
Review Structure
• Training/Awareness
• Evaluate • Communication
• Continual • Documentation
Improvement • Emergency Response
Number of Processes