Environmental Management » Environmental Problems http://www.e-p-o.org Environmental Management Articles at EPO Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:02:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Environmental Issues http://www.e-p-o.org/environmental-issues http://www.e-p-o.org/environmental-issues#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:05:03 +0000 admin http://www.e-p-o.org/environmental-issues Our world today is being affected by a large variety of environmental problems. Globalization has managed to successfully connect people from different countries but this along with the earth’s natural processes has also managed to convert many small local problems into international issues. As such, today there is not a single society that is not being affected by the consequences of these environmental problems.

However, due to the untiring efforts of many institutions and individuals, there has also been growing awareness of these problems. There is a strong desire in an ever-growing number of people to contribute towards the environmental movement and in the movement to make the earth green. Despite this, the gap between the number of people who are aware of the environmental issues and the number of people actively doing something about it in their lives is enormous.

There are two main causes for this – a busy lifestyle that makes it very difficult for an individual to take time out and keep himself informed of the ways in which he could be helping to make the earth green. The second cause relates to the lack of easy-to-find and easy-to-follow practical suggestions that an individual can use. Small wonder then, that even well-meaning, environment friendly citizens of the world are not sure, as to how they could make any contribution towards protecting the environment.

Our world and our lives are getting increasingly busy these days and when it comes to managing that balance between work life and home life, it is not surprising that even a true eco-minded person will not be able to follow through on many environment friendly actions. Information about the significant role that each person has to play when it comes to making the earth green or what kind of earth-friendly solutions one can adopt is not easily available. And even when it is available, it is always in the terms of more abstract solutions rather than a set of simple steps that an individual or family or even a community can follow.

Let’s make a more diligent attempt to make it easier for people to take earth-friendly steps in their everyday lives. While there are many books written about the environment, its problems and possible solutions, there are not many that suggest practical doable solutions to individuals or families. We need to motivate environment conscious people to actually start practicing green living. With the help of constructive tips and topical resources, we may encourage individuals, families and communities to start taking earth-friendly steps.

At first, we should raise awareness of the various environmental problems, how our actions can end up causing serious harm to the environment and in very simple terms explain how each one of us can make a difference. The emphasis should not only be on awareness of issues but on getting people motivated enough and providing them the help needed to start taking action. Towards this end, it lists practical solutions that one can implement in everyday life, without having to spend too much time or putting in too much effort.

So if you have been an environment enthusiast but have not followed through on your good intentions because you did not have the time, or thought it was too difficult or simply because you did not know how, here is a fresh chance to get motivated about helping our environment, our fellow man, and ourselves!

Scott Wells writes for http://AllThingsPondered.com/2092 where you can learn about environmental issues and what you can do to personally make things better.




By: Scott Wells

]]> http://www.e-p-o.org/environmental-issues/feed 0 Environmental Problems in Africa http://www.e-p-o.org/environmental-problems-in-africa http://www.e-p-o.org/environmental-problems-in-africa#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:56:00 +0000 admin http://www.e-p-o.org/environmental-problems-in-africa Environmental problems in Africa

The environmental problems seem to be key challenges of the XXIst century. In the previous years the world politics and every person in general was occupied with politics and wars. But with the development of new technologies, with the increasing number of plants and factories all kind of manufacturing in general, a huge shift was made towards the environmental issues. The terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments have declined in virtually all aspects. New developments in industry and manufacturing were root causes of environmental degradation over the past three decades. The rapid growth of population, urbanization and globalization are the driving force of the environmental problems. However, the challenge is extremely high not only for the well-developed regions, but in poor parts of the world as well. Such environmental problems as land degradation, deforestation, declining of marine resources and water scarcity of deteriorating of water and air quality are on the priority list in Africa. Despite, Africa possesses wealthy natural resources many Africans live in poverty unable to benefit from the African wealth because of uneven distribution across the continent and partly because of African complicated history over the past 50 years after the decolonization.

Africa has a vast majority of poor states and regions, and poverty is a major reason and consequence of the environmental degradation. The present paper ascertains the small research on the environmental issues in Africa. In the work I will analyze one Africa region, demonstrating its problems in the environment. At the end I will point out the root cause of these problems and suggest possible ways out, if there are any.

In general a vast majority of countries in Africa depend more on their natural resource base for economic and social needs than any other region in the world. Thus, two-thirds of sub-Saharan Africa’s people live in rural areas and rely on agriculture and other natural resources for income. Sub-Saharan states of Africa are right the countries, where environmental problems are first on the agenda. The environmental problems have already waited a long time for their turn. Among them there are air and water pollution, inefficient use of natural resources, oil spills and so on. Environmental problems of sub-Saharan Africa also include air and water pollution, deforestation, loss of soil and soil fertility, and a dramatic decline in biodiversity throughout the region. nest paragraphs will face the problems in more details.

It is quite understandable that the environmental problems in Sub-Sahar region are crucial and severe. The most compelling problem in Sub-Saharan Africa is that it has one of the world’s fastest growing populations (approximately 2.2% a year). With the fast grow of the population the environmental challenge increase. By the year 2025 according to some estimation, the population of the African people will be over a billion. This means that the environmental challenges will definitely double or triple. Some literature indicate that Sub-African countries managed to perform more effective economic policies, which influenced the development in the region in general, but GDP growth has stagnated recently and it is obvious that with the stagnation of the economics will cause decrease in the solution of the ecological challenges.

Poverty also is the main factor that influences the development of the environmental issues. And it also exists in Sub-Sahar region, despite the region is not that poor in the comparison with other regions in Africa and in spite of the wealth natural resources. In general the problems in sub-Sahar and in Africa in common was addressed during the World Summit on sustainable Development (WSSD) which was help in South Africa in August 2002. Basically, the material of the summit points out main environmental problems and challenges. The key issues which dominate African environmental problems were addressed during the summit. They include:

1. Water pollution and sanitation. First of all water pollution is caused by oil transmission n ship ports, water resources poor management, lack of financial resources required for sustainable development and efficient utilization of resources, absence of effective regional and basin development plans and shared management, and under-estimation of the groundwater potential to supplement irrigation and drinking water supplies. Thus, Africa’s freshwater problems are acute and worsening. Freshwater shortage is the two greatest limits to development in Africa;

2. Energy. Energy consumption in sub-Saharan Africa varies dramatically and dominates fuel consumption. According to reports the use of wood for fuel is predominant in both rural and urban locations and accounts for approximately 70% of total energy use. This cause another problem deforestation. In Sub-Sahara region Nigeria consistently leads to commercial energy consumption. Thus, according to data in 2001, Nigeria consumed 0.92 quadrillion Btu (quads), 32% of all energy consumed in the region. Although domestic demand for energy consumption in sub-Saharan Africa is growing rapidly, consumption levels remain well below world averages. I would like to mention but few words about deforestation. Africa is home to one of the world’s largest rain forests. It is obvious that rain forests are lungs of the Earth and their reduction cause air pollution. They protect and stabilize soils, recycle nutrients and regulate the quality and flow of water. Deforestation is one of the most pressing environmental problems not only in Africa but in other parts of the world and has negative implications for the local and global environment. Forests cover about 22 per cent of the region, but they are disappearing faster than anywhere else in the developing world. During the 1980s Africa lost 10.5 per cent of its forests. Thus, African forests are shrinking as a result of deforestation;

3. Deforestation causes another problem – biodiversity. The richness of African biodiversity requires greater protection and a sustainable use that will ensure the income of those who depend on it. There is a need to maximize biodiversity landscape protection, to give priority to biodiversity areas close to areas of high population density, and to give balanced attention to such regions as the arid and semi-arid areas.

4. Oil pollution. Oil pollution is one of the issues that must be specified being a controversial subject of heated discussion among the representatives of the academia. In a number of countries such as Nigeria and Angola, fore example, oil is the principle source of benefits. However it is pretty clear that new technologies used in oil exploration are extremely harmful for the environment. Environmental problems are common and rise heated debates. On the one hand, it expands relations among states, diversify trade relations, bring benefits. But, on the other hand, the benefits from oil are not fairly distributed among the population. The revenues from oil mainly belong to some local government communities or certain groups of interest. But the commons of Sub-Sahara have to face the oil-related problems.

5Agriculture. Increased food insecurity resulting from rapid population growth, degradation of agriculture and arable lands, and mismanagement of available water resources combined with poor economic policies to support food production. Land degradation is also a serious environmental problem. However, Africa owns vast areas of unexploited arable land which could be exploited in the future through the integrated management of land, water and human resources.

After the Summit was held sub-Saharan Africa many problems were clear. To summarize, the address of environmental issues first of all lie in environmental awareness. But what was done to address the challenges? First, many problems in this region received more attention than in past and The United States pledged $4.5 billion over the next three years to combat HIV/AIDS and improve access to safe water. Many projects were launched by international organizations and NGOs in order to promote forest conservation. European Union was also involved in the process of combating the issues and helped in brining water and sanitation services. These events were helpful but did not solve the whole spectrum of problems. Moreover, it is clear that external participation is not obviously enough in addressing complicated problems. It is understandable that local governments have to work hard on the solving. The environmental problems that were addressed in the paper are not unique and can be found in many regions of our planet, especially where poverty flourish. But not only poverty is the decisive factor in pollution. Russia, for example is the state which suffers from the water and air pollution caused by nuclear developments. The problem was not resolved completely as Russia does not want to cease the development of nuclear infrastructure, but it was addressed at least party. It is important to notice that a vast majority of states face environmental issues and problems, they may vary from region to region, but in general almost every region on this planet where urbanization or globalization takes place is a subject to environmental problems. Moreover, environmental issues may vary from one region to another, but still may have an impact upon different sphere of economics or social spheres. To cap it all the environmental issues need regular monitoring, assessments and public reports of the state.

Water pollution is one of the examples of growing global awareness and efforts made to combat the issue. It must be noticed that the environmental impacts associated with oil exploration and development was the controversy surrounding the World Bank’s approval of the Chad-Cameroon Pipeline Project in June 2000.

Thus, the summit, which was held on Sub-Sahar issue draw the attention of a number of developing states and the world hegemony the United States as well as regional or international organizations. The awareness of the problems made these entities to collaborate on the issue. The increase of problems awareness influenced also the attention of local governments. But it is clear that some states of Africa because of their poverty undoubtedly need the interference of stronger states in the resolution of the problems. It was stated at the beginning of the paper that environmental problems are rather new and some of them are not more that 10 or 20 year old. To most extent they were caused by globalization and urbanization. Thus, is they are caused by global inadequate levels of population grow and demands for more water and oil, then the burden of their resolution is also global. It is true that the increase in environmental awareness made people more persistent in the demands toward local governments. But the forceful demands are not enough, as significant regions in Africa are poor and suffer from poverty issue. This means that it is important to increase environmental awareness within the general public, but because of poverty it can not lead sometimes to strong and necessary changes. Hence, the key challenge for Sub-African region is to reduce poverty. New approaches must be found and it is important to organize investment climate. Establishing a positive investment climate in Africa is increasingly important to face the environmental problems in the regions, which are only involved in oil production.

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By: Andrew Sandon

]]> http://www.e-p-o.org/environmental-problems-in-africa/feed 0 Skill Sets To Combat Environmental Problems http://www.e-p-o.org/skill-sets-to-combat-environmental-problems http://www.e-p-o.org/skill-sets-to-combat-environmental-problems#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:17:06 +0000 admin http://www.e-p-o.org/skill-sets-to-combat-environmental-problems We all want the younger generation of today to enjoy a brighter future – a desire that’s exemplified, in part, by current actions in favour of environmental issues. After all, the planet will soon be in your children’s hands, and you want them to be able to enjoy it rather than have to work solely to fix problems created by generations before.

But of course, you can’t just hope that today’s younger generation will respect the environment in future years. Indeed, such a way of thinking must be refined throughout their young lives and into their adult years, so that as working adults, they’re prepared to make wise choices for their planet.

So what can you, as parents and teachers, do to instill an environmentally conscious way of thinking in your children and students? Of course, day-to-day practices in the home and in school – such as recycling, energy conservation and waste management – are a big part of the process. Children need to grow up knowing that they can ultimately make a big difference by way of day-to-day actions. But there’s even more you can do to teach youngsters about preserving the planet – and the opportunities are increasing by the day.

There are now countless education programmes designed not only to educate children and young adults about the current environmental issues, but also to give them the skill sets necessary to consider answers and devise solutions for the future. From in-class curriculums and clubs to after school activities, there are many opportunities for teachers and school officials to implement programmes in the classroom.

However, there are also many educational tools – such as computer programmes and games – that both parents and teachers can use when considering environmental education for their kids. What’s more, there are countless opportunities for children and young adults to take part in challenges and competitions regarding environmental issues, ultimately encouraging them to be even more proactive regarding such issues in the future.

Of course, parents and teachers want to see their students thrive – and indeed, this now goes beyond personal growth and future careers. You also want to see younger generations enjoy the planet without constantly having to worry about its degeneration and ultimate demise. So if you can teach kids and young adults today about preserving the environment tomorrow, you can more successfully help clear a brighter path for the future.




By: Andrew Regan

]]> http://www.e-p-o.org/skill-sets-to-combat-environmental-problems/feed 0 The Environment and Management Principles http://www.e-p-o.org/the-environment-and-management-principles http://www.e-p-o.org/the-environment-and-management-principles#comments Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:07:36 +0000 admin http://e-p-o.org/the-environment-and-management-principles The Environment and Management Principles

The surrounding influences which are now included in the meaning of ‘the environment’ are the air that we breathe, the water we drink or swim in, our homes, numbers of people, traffic, noise, streets, stores, parks, countryside, seashore, wildlife, factories, farming and mining. It has become the practice in geography to refer to the physical environment when referring to natural features, the human environment when referring to cultural and social conditions and the built environment when referring to urban and industrial issues.

Because it is now apparent that mankind its their own environment by the decisions it makes regarding land use and industrial growth, it is apparent that man has a choice in the type of environment he inhabits. There are areas where action can be taken, such as in planning and rural uses, in conservation, flood control and in resources, all these issues collectively referred to as environmental management.

Government agencies, which seek to control pollution, are seen as the most widespread type of environmental management bodies. All types of pollution can be seen as examples of environmental damage. Various levels of environmental damage can be identified from that which is seen as a local concern and that which is a global concern. Environmental contamination, highlighted by such things as plastic bottles left on beaches to the occasional high levels of noise such as that from aircraft, are seen as the least harmful form of damage to the environment.

An environmental hazard where the pollution level puts organic life at risk of permanent destruction is more serious. Environmental pollution where an organic life is destroyed temporarily in a certain area, such as an oil spill, is more serious again but occurs more frequently. Environmental disaster involving widespread and heavy loss of life is becoming a menacing threat. The recognition of these dynamic environmental issues has led to the creation of many government agencies. The first UN conference on the environment in 1972 issued a 26-principle Declaration which declared the protection and enhancement of the environment to have become an imperative goal for mankind.

As the world population continues to increase the, environmental management to control pollution is becoming increasingly necessary. Unless ecological principles, conservation, resource management and population checks are widely adopted, the environment may degrade to the point of collapse, perhaps in the near future. Because the environment is a well structured system, with varying pathways and alternatives with great flexibility, any approach to instability will be difficult to detect and failure will appear suddenly.

Environmental determination is the belief that all human activity can be explained by environmental laws and controls. It was developed during the 19th century. Environmental determinism is seen as deviation from the mainstream of geographical thought, which views geography as a scientific approach to the describing and mapping regions of the Earth.

Watch the video related to environmental management

Paul Reeve, Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner and Chartered Environmentalist, explains what environmental management has got to do with health and safety. ‘Making a difference – a basic guide to environmental management for OSH practitioners’ is available free to download from www.iosh.co.uk

Help answer the question about environmental management

You learned that there are many regions of the world where poor environmental management is causing problems?
You learned that there are many regions of the world where poor environmental management is causing problems on coral reefs. The aquarium fish trade is controversial for this reason. About 1/4 of all aquarium fish sold each year come from the reefs of what one country?
Guam

Philippines

Austrailia

Thailand

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Get more information on Environmental Management at http://environment-guides.com
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