Humans have brought Earth close to a biotic crisis by damaging the environment through various issues at the global, national, and local levels. These environmental problems have socio-economic and cultural impacts. The key issues include global warming, ozone layer depletion, acid rain, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, pollution, desertification, and waste disposal. While some environmental changes occurred naturally in the past, humans now have the potential to disrupt the entire global ecosystem if environmental damage is not addressed.

1. Humans have brought Earth to
brink of biotic crisis
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
GLOBAL, NATIONALAND STATE LEVEL
SOCIO-ECONOMIC & CALTURAL IMPECT THROUGH THESE ISSUES
-DR.ANILKUMAR PANDYA
For us only planet to live is the Earth

2. EARTH AS A LIVING PLANET

4. Slide 4
 The environment encompasses the
whole of life on earth and the complex
interactions that link the living world
with the physical world
 In a general sense, this covers
everything contained within the air, land
and water
 Time also is a key factor as historic
issues have an influence on the status of
the environment - locally and
globally, both now and in the future.
 Natural, Man-made & Social
environment .

5.  Functional unit : a.) Biotic (producers & consumers)
b.) Abiotic (climate & Inorganic salts )
 a.) Biotic : 1) Autotrophic
2) Heterotrophic

6. Minerals
LifeMantle

7. B
i
o
t
i
c
C
o
m
p
o
n
e
n
t
s

8. Change in any component causes discomfort to all
&
affect normal life

10.  End Ordovician (~445 Ma)
 Late Devonian (~365 Ma)
 End Permian (~250 Ma)
 End Triassic (~210 Ma)
 End Cretaceous (65 Ma)
And we are moving towards the
SIXTH……

12. Emergence
of discontinuities in
organism’s preferred
environment.
Fragmentation and
destruction of
Great Ape habitat
in Central Africa.

13. The 11 Marine Hotspots

15. Slide 15
 Sudden and dramatic natural changes to the environment
have occurred in the distant past, but only relatively recently
has one species had the potential to upset the whole balance
of the Earth's ecosystem
 The global population growth
 The rise of industry and its rapid
expansion has been a major
source of pollution.
 This has caused changes in the
balance of our environment

16. Slide 16
From http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/intro/21cent/kankyo/contents_e/globe_prob/index.html
 Global Warming
 Ozone Layer Depletion
 Acid Rain
 Deforestation
 Loss of Biodiversity
 Pollution
 Desertification
 Waste disposal

17. Slide 17
• Human activities are increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere, which cause more heat to be trapped
• Predicted effects of global
warming include:
– Higher sea levels
– Higher temperatures
– Variable climatic conditions
– These changes are expected
to cause a significant impact
on agriculture and
ecosystems.
 Greenhouse gases help to maintain the earth’s temperature at a
level suitable to support life

19. Photo © Gary Braasch
Photo courtesy of Richard Wilson,
Bangladesh Maps, Harvard University

20. Slide 20
 The ozone layer protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV)
light
 The use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone depleting
substances as refrigerants, solvents and insulation is destroying the
ozone layer
 A ‘hole’ is observed over Antarctica every autumn
 Depleted ozone levels cause the following impacts:
 Increased penetration of UV light to earth
 Increased risks of skin cancer and eye diseases
 Damage to agricultural crops
 Disruption to marine food chains
Ozone layer thickness measured in Dobson Units
Animation sourced from:

21. Prepared June 2004 Slide 21
 The burning of fossil fuels leads to atmospheric emissions of NO2
and SO2
 These gases react with water and oxygen to make sulfuric and
nitric acids. Sunlight increases the rate of these reactions
 Rain, snow and fog can be polluted with these acidic
compounds, which is then deposited at the earths surface
 The deposition of acids can:
 Damage forests and soils
 Causes acidification of lakes and other water bodies
 Disturb wildlife
 Cause the decay of building and other structures
 Impact on human health

22. Slide 22
 The deforestation of tropical rainforests is a major global problem-
each year millions of hectares are lost
 Deforestation rates in some countries continue to increase despite
worldwide pressures
 Rainforests are destroyed for wood products, and to make way for
agricultural activities, mining and dams.
 The impacts of deforestation include:
 Loss of livelihood for local inhabitants
 Variable environmental conditions (susceptibility to flood,
aggravated droughts, soil erosion etc)
 Loss of biodiversity and disturbance to ecosystems
 Loss of carbon sink

24. ABOUT 22 HECTARES OF
FORESTLAND ARE CUT DOWN
EVERY MINUTE
ALL OVER THE WORLD.

25. Slide 25
 Biodiversity has three key components:
 Genetic diversity
 Species diversity
 Ecological diversity
 Approximately 2.1 million species are known to
exist, but up to 50 million still to be discovered
 Biodiversity is important for food, drugs, maintaining ecological
stability, aesthetic and cultural benefits
 Natural causes and human activity can threaten biodiversity
 The loss of biodiversity means ecosystems are destabilized, vital
resources are lost and genetic variation is reduced

26.  Water Pollution
 Air Pollution
 Soil Pollution
 Noise Pollution
 Thermal Pollution
 Marine Pollution
 Nuclear Pollution

27. Slide 27
 A change in water quality that impacts on living
organisms
 Types and effects of water pollution include:
 Infectious agents, such as typhoid, cholera
 Nutrients and eutrophication
 Toxic materials, through mining
 Organic chemicals
 Sediments can disrupt
aquatic ecosystems

28.  Caused through sewage and other wastes
 Caused through industrial discharges
 Caused through agricultural discharges
 Caused through solid waste of industries
 Measure to control water pollution
 Disinfection of water
 Sedimentation
 Filtration
 Softening of water
Each liter of wastewater pollutes
at least eight liter of freshwater

29. Air Pollution
Air pollution occurs due to the presence of undesirable solid or
gaseous particles in the air, in quantities that are harmful to
human health and the environment
Effects of Air Pollution
Effect on human health
Effect on vegetation
Effect on animals
Effect on non-livings
Effect on climate

31.  Controlling pollution at the source
 Construction of tall chimneys
 Development of green belt around
industrial areas
 Use of better quality fuel and use of
catalytic converters
 Sprinkling water in mining areas to
reduce the dust particles
 Air quality monitoring

32.  It is the contamination caused by
chemicals and other subsistence's
resulting in the loss of the fertility
of the production of soil.
 Causes of Soil Degradation
 Humans, Insecticides, Industrial
wastes, Radioactive
waste, Nitrification
 Methods of controlling the soil
degradation
1. By making vegetation cover
2. By terrace or contour bonding
3. By controlling the grazing
4. By applying water infiltration
measures for soil and moisture
conservation

33.  A sound of unpleasant and annoying nature
• Greater than 140 dB causes noise pollution
• Normal talk 40 dB shouting is 60 dB
• Big auto machines 90 dB
• Traffic 70 dB
• Lightening 120 dB
• Airplanes 150 dB
• Rocket engines 190 dB

34. Slide 34
 Removing ground cover and degrading fertile land
initiates desertification
 Water washes away nutrients, the land becomes
inhospitable
 The process is accelerated by expanding populations
and the need to overuse fragile areas of land

35. Slide 35
 Waste disposal methods include:
 Open dumping and landfill
 Ocean dumping
 Exporting waste
 Waste to energy plants
 Minimizing the waste stream:
 3R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle
 Composting
 Waste to energy
 Hazardous waste disposal
 Needs to be safely handled and disposed of to minimize
threats to the environment and human health

37. 1. Loss/degradation of habitat
2. Overexploitation of resources
3. Pollution
4. Extinction of species due to aggressive non-native species
5. Global environmental changes

38.  Floods, Earthquakes, Cyclones, Landslides, Droughts,
Tsunami
 Public awareness training
 Institutional mechanisms
 Incentives &resources for mitigation
 Land use planning & regulation
 Hazard resistant design &construction
 Structural and constructional reinforcement of existing
buildings
 Dams, Reservoirs, Maintaining Wetland
 Early warning system
 Public Health System

40.  From Unsustainable to Sustainable development
 Urban problems related to energy (energy
efficiency)
 Water conservation, rain water harvesting
 Resettlement & Rehabilitation of people

41.  Environmental ethics:
 Resource consumption pattern & the need for equitable
utilization:
Urban-Rural; Rich-Poor; Religious faith; man-Woman; Professional-
Non-Professional; Educated-Uneducated; Sense of use-overuse-misuse
by individual, especially between Eastern Western countries.
 Preserving resources for future generation.
 Ethical basis of environment education & awareness.
-The gandhian way of life.
-Education in nature-:Shantiniketan model

42.  Hindu-God & Goddess.
 Animals as `VAHAN’.
 Plants &Flowers as symbols:
( Ficus, Tulsi, Bilipatra, Lotus etc.)
 Way of conserving nature and living sustainable
life style.

43. The Solutions are Simple

45. CARBON FOOTPRINT Ecological Footprint (EF)

46. 46
 IS A MEASURE OF THE
‘LOAD’ IMPOSED BY A
GIVEN POPULATION ON
NATURE.
IT REPRESENTS THE
LAND AREA NECESSARY
TO SUSTAIN CURRENT
LEVELS OF RESOURSES
CONSUMPTION AND
WASTE DISCHARGE BY
THAT POPULATION.

47. INDIA
0.4
HECTARE
WORLD
1.8
HECTARES
UNITED STATE
5.4
HECTARES
CHILDREN
BORN IN
CHILDREN
BORN IN
1.8 HECTARES X 10 BILLION =18 BILLION HECTARES

48. 1.8 hectares of productive land is available for each person.
But every human uses 2.3 hectares
Today humanity’s eco-footprint is 40 % larger
than what the planet can regenerate.
That is, it take about a year and five month (17 months) for
earth to regrow what we use in a single year.
To save the environment and ensure socio-equity,
rich nations need to cut down consumption by 90 per cent

49.  This is one of indicator of sustainability
 This is widely used now a day in all forums
 The Ecological Footprint is usually measured
in global hectares.
 Because trade is global, an individual or
country's Footprint includes land or sea from
all over in the world.
 Ecological Footprint is often referred to in
short form as Footprint (not footprint).

50. 1900 21002002 2050
If we all keep / adopt the
western patterns of production &
consumption

51. Technology
Enforcement
Policy
Financial
mechanisms
Education
&
Communication
Legal
Systems
Drivers of Change

52.  It is vital that we instigate change in order to
improve living standards of all and reduce the
impact on planet.
 Choices that we make now will shape our
opportunities in future and those of future
generations.
 But availability of alternative models and vision
for sustainable future is not enough, what we
need is ‘action’.

54. Decrease your Footprint
Increase your Handprint
Handprint is a new tool being developed by
Centre for Environment Education (CEE), India
to help measure action at different levels.
One needs to ask
what one does at individual,
community,
national and
global level.

56. The Concept of Sustainable Development
“Taking care of the needs of the present generation without
compromising on the capabilities of future generation.”
World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

58. THANKS