23-01-2025

Lecture-1
EVS- AN INSIGHT
 Course Code: CHY 1006
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY  Course Type: LT
 Credits: 2
 Class No: C13 (976)
Dr. Manoj Acharya, Ph.D.
Department of Chemistry
VIT Bhopal University

OBJECTIVE OUTCOMES
To understand  develop respect for nature and living beings
 the unity of life in all its forms
 to help maintain ecological balance
 the implications of life style on the environment.
 acquire basic knowledge about global climate
 the various causes for environmental degradation.
change.
 individuals contribution in the environmental pollution.
 find ways to protect the environment.
 To understand the impact of pollution at the global level and
also in the local environment  play pro-active roles

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EVS- AN INSIGHT EVS- AN INSIGHT

Module-1: Key Environmental Problems and Sustainability
Global environmental issues, socio-environmental interaction; impact of
consumerism and global economy; Sustainability: Fundamentals, science behind Text Books:
sustainability, challenges, potential; role of technology, policies.
Module-2: Ecosystem and Biodiversity 1. G. Tyler Miller and Scott E. Spoolman (2013), Environmental Science, 14th
Ecosystem: functions and services, Nutrient, phosphorous, carbon, nitrogen, Edition, Cengage learning.
MST-
cycles; Effect of human activities on these cycles. Threats to biodiversity:
1 2. George Tyler Miller, Jr. and Scott Spoolman (2012), Living in the
conservation strategies, sustainable solutions.
Environment – Principles, Connections and Solutions, 17th Edition,
Module-3: Environmental pollution
Brooks/Cole, USA.
Pollution sources, effects and mitigation, conservation. Water footprint and virtual
water. Sustainable solutions. Environmental Protection Act – Air, water, forest and Reference Books:
wild life. Interactional protocols and agreements. Resource recycling and
sustainability. 1. David M. Hassenzahl, Mary Catherine Hager, Linda R. Berg (2011),
Module 4: Human Population and Environment Visualizing Environmental Science, 4thEdition, John Wiley & Sons, USA.
Impact of population age structure, human population growth, Sustaining human
MST-
societies: Economics, environment, policies and education.
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To
Module-5: Energy Sources and Sustainability
TEE Conventional sources, non-conventional sources, natural resources and economics,
clean coal technology, sequestration methods, energy conservation and
sustainability, policies, acts, examples.

EVALUATION PATTERN EVALUATION PATTERN

 Continuous Assessment Exam, Term End Exam
 Attendance
Activity Weightage %
 Quiz + Group Activity
MST 30  Tutorials+ Assignment
TEE 30 • Mini project/ presentation
 Group of 2/4 peoples will choose recent topic on
Attendance 05 environment and present in the class for 10 + 5
mins.
Group Activity (Minor  2- 4 pages writing containing Name, contribution,
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Projects/Presentations) Introduction, Problem, Solution, Conclusion,
References
Quiz 10
• Major Project:
Group of 2/4 peoples will work on a project related to
Tutorial 10 environment problem.
10- 20 pages writing containing Name, contribution,
Assignment 10 Introduction, Problem, Solution, Innovation,
Conclusion, References

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What is Science? How does it work???

Is this you want for your Science:
• A systematic process for learning about the world and
future generation testing our understanding of it

• The accumulated body of knowledge that results from a

dynamic process of observation, testing, and discovery
Solution lies with
Science is essential:

• To sort fact from fiction

• Develop solutions to the problems

Scientific Process ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Environmental problems comes with
opportunities for solutions
 How does the natural world work?

 How does our environment affect us?

 How do we affect our environment?

Applied goal:
Developing solutions to environmental problems.

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Module- I
Syllabus

Key Environmental Problems and Sustainability

Global environmental issues, socio-

environmental interaction; impact of
consumerism and global economy;
Sustainability: Fundamentals, science behind
sustainability, challenges, potential; role of
technology, policies.

Scope of Environment Studies The study of environmental science is multidisciplinary in nature.

Modern societies believe that easy life can be achieved by

technological innovations.

Technological development leads to rapid economic growth but its ill

effect lead to environmental degradation.

The scope of environmental science lies in human activities that

must be taken towards the sustainability of life using natural
resources. So there should be a balance between the use of
renewable and non renewable resources.

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Solid Waste Disposal Urbanisation

Pollution Deforestation
Ocean Acidification
Key Acid Rain
Over Population

Environmental Genetic Engineering

Carbon Foot Print

Problems Climate Change Natural Resource Depletion

Loss of Biodiversity
Global Warming
Ozone Layer Depletion

Environmental Problem Global Warming

The atmosphere
surrounding the earth
behaves like a green house.
CO2 and water vapour in the
atmosphere transmit short
wavelength solar radiation
but reflect back the longer
wavelength heat radiations
emitted from the warmed
surface of the earth. CO2
molecules trap & reinforces
the solar heat. This effect is
known as Green House
Effect.

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At its natural level this greenhouse effect produced by CO2 is Activity

essential to maintain the habitable temperature on earth otherwise
the earth surface would have been -17ºC instead of present 18ºC.
Cause
Its due to the human practices like emission of greenhouse gases
like CO2 , CH4, Water vapour, NOx, SOx ,Chlorofluro hydrocarbon. Upsala glacier in Patagonia-1928 Vs 2004 Upsala glacier in Patagonia-
2001 Vs 2004
These gases have heat trapping capacity.
Accumulation of greenhouse gases is increasing day by day and
more heat is trapped in atmosphere. These gases heat up earth’s
surface & resulting in global warming.
Effect
Upsala glacier in Patagonia-2009
Melting of polar ice caps, melting of glaciers, rise of sea level, Upsala glacier in Patagonia-2009
unnatural pattern such as flood, excessive snow or desertification.
Examine two photographs published by Green Peace Organization
Climate Change, increase in the frequency of storms, cyclones, & NASA in 2009.
tornados, whirlwinds, tempests etc.

Q1- What does these pictures suggest about changes occurring in

Ozone Layer Depletion
the Upsala glacier.
Q2- Describe any differences in the kind of message you obtain In stratosphere, Ozone is found in a concentrated thick layer at
from viewing each of the two picture sets. varying height from 16-40 km at different latitude.

Case Study Its concentration at troposphere is <1 ppm and then it starts
increasing upto 8 ppm at about 30 km and then it again starts
Climate Change effects in the Western Himalayan ecosystems of decreasing upto 2 ppm at 40 km and its value reaches 0 ppm at
India. 100 km.
In the stratosphere O3 is formed naturally when oxygen is
Methodology:
dissociated by UV radiations in the wavelength region of 80-240
1) Description of the problem. nm.
2) Cause of the problem. O2 + hv → O + O
3) Analysis of the problem. O + O2 + M → O3 + M
4) Control of the problem.
The UV radiations in the region of 200-300 nm can also dissociate
the Ozone.
O3 + hv → O2 + O

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Ozone layer absorbs the UV radiations (280-320 nm) otherwise Lecture-3

they may reach to the earth’s surface. Case Study
Human activities like emission of NOx by supersonic transport flying Ozone hole over Antarctica
above tropopause, N2O as a result of increased use of nitrogenous Air temperature in polar region reach
fertilizer, formation of atomic chlorine in stratosphere from CFC minimum value in lower stratosphere in the
(used as refrigerant , industrial solvent) causes depletion of Ozone winter season. Average minimum
layer. temperature is as low as - 90ºC in July-
August.
Halogens like bromo-chloro-flurocarbons or bromo-flurocarbons are
10 times more destructive than CFC. Polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) / Wave
clouds are formed in polar regions when
Effect temperature fall below formation
temperature - 78ºC.
UV radiations having damaging effect on DNA of exposed cell of
organism and cause skin cancer. Reaction on liquid & solid polar stratospheric
cloud particles causes highly reactive
Other effects are climate change due to global warming & chlorine gas (ClO) to be formed which
damaging effect on certain ecosystem. catalytically destroys ozone

Acid Rain
English Chemist Robert A. Smith first used the term “Acid Rain” in
his book ‘Air & Rain: The beginning of a Chemical Climatology”.
Ordinary rain has dissolved CO2 and its pH is 5.6. Any rainfall with
pH value of 5.5 or less is classified as “Acid Rain” . It includes all
forms of precipitation/deposition which is higher than normal.

When gaseous emission of NOx, SOx interact with water vapour in

the presence of sunlight result in the formation of strong acids
(sulphuric, sulphurous, nitric and nitrous acid).

When these acids along with other organic and inorganic

compounds deposits on earth as aerosols (extremely fine
solid/liquid particles in air) are called Dry deposits and when its
carried by rain drops, snow, fog or dew then its called Wet
deposition.

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Effect Case Study

On monuments, buildings and soil: The Taj Mahal
The monuments, buildings, sculpture (e.g. marble, limestone etc) The Taj Mahal-one of the seven
become pitted and weakened as the soluble sulphate is leached wonders of world is facing the
out by acids. danger of being destroyed by the
CaCO3 + H2SO4 → CaSO4 + H2O + CO2 constituents of a polluted
atmosphere.
On vegetation: The pollutants released from nearby
As a result of acid rain trees are badly damaged. Changes in the Mathura Refinery. Inspite of using
chemistry of soil due to the leaching of K, Ca, Mg reduces the low sulphur fuels, emits 25-30
growth of plants. tonnes of SO2 daily. Other sources of
pollutants are heavy traffic and two
On aquatic life: thermal power stations (now closed).
Acidification of water bodies affect aquatic life. Higher acidity The emitted SO2 results in acid precipitation under humid conditions
reduces fish population. Green alga & many forms of bacteria results in the formation of Sulphuric Acid which reacts with CaCO3
which are essential for aquatic system will be killed. present in marble to form CaSO4 which is responsible for yellowing
of monument.

Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural
environment that causes adverse change.
Pollution is not only limited to air, water, soil and noise but has
been extended to light, visual, point and non point sources.
Cause
Human beings & their actions are majorly responsible for causing
all types of pollution.
Industrial development is filling water bodies with toxic pollutants
which are major threat to human health.
Air pollution is caused by various gases & toxins are released by
industries, combustion of fossil fuels & gases emitted by vehicles.

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Effect
Health problem, food problem, affects the sustainability of human
beings. Adverse effect on various ecosystems.

Global reserve of drinking water is a fraction of 1%.

Water pollution, Air pollution, Soil pollution, Noise pollution etc.

Upto 70% of the human adult body is Water.

The Average adult, when resting inhales and

exhales about 7-8 litres of air/min. that totals
about 11000 litres of air/day.

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Home Assignment: Case Study

Air pollution grips Macedonian capital Skopje in 2017

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Each subsystem has many components that interact not only with one
Socio-environmental interaction another but also with other elements across parts of the system and across
levels of organization socially, ecologically, temporally, and spatially.
The concept of social ecology was introduced by an environmental activist
named Murray Bookchin. In his paper “What is Social Ecology?” he argues Understanding socio-ecological interactions requires an interdisciplinary
environmentalists are too focused on studying the individual symptoms of a approach that recognizes the value of both a social and an ecological
problem rather than addressing the problem itself—the belief that humans perspective/viewpoint.
can and should control nature.
Socio-ecological interactions is not merely the sum total of social scientific
and ecological research, because socio-ecological interactions are not
Social ecology is the study of how individuals interact with and respond to interactions between sociological and ecological systems, but interactions
the environment around them, and how these interactions affect society that take place within the socio-ecological whole. Therefore, the study of
and the environment as a whole. socio-ecological interactions should start with a new ontology in which social
and ecological aspects are considered different aspects of one and the same
reality.
A socio-environmental system refers to a group of humans, social elements,
and processes that interact with each other and nature. Sometimes called Ontology - The ‘study of being’, which is concerned with what actually exists
socio-ecological systems, they are more formally defined as complex systems in the world about which humans can acquire knowledge. Ontology helps
of tightly linked social and environmental subsystems or component parts. researchers recognize how certain they can be about the nature and
existence of objects they are researching),

There are two primary ways in which environmental sustainability can be Impact of Consumerism
achieved: by individuals and by corporations and government bodies-
A consumer is someone who buys and uses goods &
services for direct use or ownership
 As individuals, we can take small but effective steps towards a more
sustainable lifestyle, like using less water, reducing our meat consumption Consumer..??
and switching to reusable products to reduce our dependence on single- Consumerism is the constant purchase of new goods,
use plastics. with little attention to their true need, durability,
product, origin or the environmental consequences of
their manufacture & disposal.
 From a corporation’s perspective, environmental sustainability may
involve switching to renewable energy in warehouses, factories and Consumerism is concerned with protecting consumers from all organisations
offices or cutting down on single-use plastics in manufacturing. with which there is exchanged relationship. It encompasses the set of
activities of government, business, independent organisations and
concerned consumers that are designed to protect the rights of consumers.
How did Consumerism originate ??
In the existing market of product run in shortage , adulteration & black
market prices. The profit making attitude of business failed to discharge
social responsibilities of maintaining fair price, quality of goods & providing
services etc.

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Why Customers buy more??? Wise Customers

 Addiction  Identity  Lifestyle A wise customer must consider other sales, not just focus on one. Must be
able to buy the basic and important needs that you need on a daily life.
 Save money as promised by market- Offers, Discounts, Schemes etc.
Anyhow a customer must check the quality of product & understand how to
Importance of Consumerism manage it as well as to use it.

 Stop unfair trade practices

Do I really need it?
 Provide complete & latest information
Is it worth it?
 Discourage anti-social activities
 Implementation of Consumer Protection Laws Do I have something similar?
Is it really good quality?
 Protect against exploitation

Rights of Customers
Problems created by Consumerism
1) Right to be informed 2) Right to safety
3) Freedom to choose 4) Right to customer education Today many products produced are luxurious and are non-biodegradable
5) Right to claim against seller 6) Right to secure ecological balance & which takes years to decompose.
pollution free environment
A high rate of consumption lead to Pollution and Waste Products.

How to solve these Problems ??

Consumerism and global economy
Population: we need to control population growth.
Consumption: once we control population growth, the consumption rate Consumer awareness and protection has become an important topic in this
would fall down itself. globalised world where the markets have become much more powerful.
Technology: we should stop at this stage some of the irrelevant and Technology and Science has made the world a global village.
unimportant products, in order to stabilize the environment.
Things manufactured in one country can be bought and sold in any country
Another way to solve this problem
over the world through the internet. Thereby marking a variety of goods and
services available to the consumers but it needs to be seen at what cost.

Globalization is just like two sides of one coin. It affect consumer both
positively and negatively. It provides an opportunity to solve some consumer
problems and some time it is been reason for exploitation.

Positive effects of globalization on consumer: Higher standard of living,

balanced human development, changing in people values, lifestyle, increase
consumption, increase in product variety , commodities at lower price with
high quality, free flow of technology.

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Globalization negative effects on consumers are cultural diversity, pollution Expansion to Eight Rights:
in environment, increasing gap between poor and rich consumer etc.
 The Right to Satisfaction of Basic Needs: This right demands that people
Today in globalised world we can’t neglect both effects. Whole economies,
have access to basic, essential goods and services which guarantees survival.
must seek a balance between the positive and negative effects. In this
It include adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, public utilities, health
situation consumer rights become important.
care, water, and sanitation etc.
Basic Rights
 The Right to Redress: This right provides for consumers to receive a fair
 The Right to Safety: The assertion of this right is aimed at the defence of settlement of claims, including compensation for misrepresentation, low
consumers against injuries caused by products. quality of goods, or unsatisfactory services.
 The Right to be informed: This right states that businesses should always
provide complete, truthful, appropriate information to consumers to make  The Right to Consumer Education: This rights states that consumers
intelligent and informed product choice. should be able to acquire knowledge and skills needed to make informed,
 The Right to Choose: This right states that consumer should have rights to confident choices about goods and services, while being aware of basic
free choice from variety of option provided by different companies from consumer rights and responsibilities and how to act on them.
which to choose.
 The Right to be heard: This right has the ability of consumers to voice  The Right to a Healthy Environment: This is the right to live and work in
complaints and concerns about a product in order to have the issue handled environment that is non-threatening to the well-being of present and future
efficiently and responsively. generations.

Sustaining Human Societies

Sustainability is development that satisfies the needs of the present without
Environmental sustainability is about ecological balance . Environmental
compromising the capacity of future generations, guaranteeing the balance
sustainability is the ability to maintain an ecological balance in our planet’s
between economic growth, care for the environment and social well-being.
natural environment and conserve natural resources to support the
wellbeing of current and future generations.
Sustainable development is a concept that appeared for the first time in
1987 with the publication of the Brundtland Report, warning of the negative
environmental consequences of economic growth and globalization, which Environmental sustainability aims to improve the quality of human life
tried to find possible solutions to the problems caused by industrialization without putting unnecessary strain on the earth's supporting ecosystems.
and population growth. It’s about creating an equilibrium between consumerist human culture and
the living world. We can do this by living in a way that doesn’t waste or
unnecessarily deplete natural resources.
Sustainable development, or sustainability,
has been described in terms of three
spheres, dimensions, domains or pillars, i.e. Environmental sustainability is the practice of interacting with the planet
the environment, the economy and society. responsibly. We do it to avoid depleting natural resources and compromising
the future generation’s ability to meet their daily needs.

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Why is sustainability important? ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Environmental sustainability is important because of how much energy, food Environmental sustainability is ensuring that in meeting our needs for water,
and human-made resources we use every day. Rapid population growth has food, shelter as well as engaging in activities that make our lives enjoyable –
resulted in increased farming and manufacturing, leading to more green including leisure activities and entertainment – we don’t cause damage to
house gas emission, unsustainable energy use, and deforestation. our environment or deplete resources that we can’t renew.
Environmental sustainability involves making decisions and taking action that
In other words, we need more energy and materials than ever before. are in the interests of protecting the natural world, with particular emphasis
Despite this, our planet can only provide so many resources before they on preserving the capability of the environment to support human life.
begin to deplete.
Environmental sustainability is about making responsible decisions that will
reduce business’ negative impact on the environment. It is not simply about
For this reason, businesses must step in and do their part. They have more reducing the amount of waste you produce or using less energy, but is
power than any group of individuals and they can help secure a liveable concerned with developing processes that will lead to businesses becoming
future by investing in sustainable and responsible practices like reducing completely sustainable in the future.
waste, using commercial clean energy, and paying fair wages.
Environmental sustainability focuses on the state of the
planet we live it in. It encourages individuals to live in a
way that creates minimal waste and even regenerates
some of the resources we use every day.

ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY
Economic sustainability is the responsibility of businesses and communities.
Economic growth has been used with other terms such as development, Here, they are encouraged to use their resources responsibly and efficiently.
modernization, westernization and industrialization. It is, in other words, a Economic sustainability is designed to support long-term economic growth
transition from a simple, low-income economy to a modern, high- income without harming environmental, social and cultural aspects of our global
economy. Its scope includes the process and policies by which a nation community.
improves the economic, political, and social well-being of its people.
• Decoupling economic growth from
Economic growth is often measured by rate of change of gross domestic environment
product (GDP), it is generally understood in terms of increase in per capita • Incorporating eco-efficient measure
income, and attainment of a standard of living equivalent to that of at manufacturing & production
industrialized countries. stage
• Advocating Green Economy
• Expediting enforcement of
environmental concerns into
Economic sustainability means that
organisational management &
decisions are made in the most
strategies
equitable and fiscally sound way
• Encouraging evolvement of
while considering the other aspects
regulatory institutions in tandem
of sustainability.
with cognitive ones

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SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Social sustainability benefits people. Living sustainably as individuals,

families, communities and countries means healthier air and less money
Social sustainability is based on the concept that a decision or project
needlessly spent on healthcare. Using renewable energy sources can reduce
promotes the betterment of society. In general, future generations should
droughts as they require less water and energy to maintain. The eventual
have the same or greater quality of life benefits as the current generation do.
goal is that sustainable development will also reduce hunger, poverty and
This concept also encompasses many things such as human rights, generally provide a better global quality of life, promoting fairly distributed
environmental law, and public involvement & participation. Failing to put education and healthcare.
emphasis on the social part of decision or action can result in the slow
To secure for current and future generations a safe and healthy
collapse of the spheres of sustainability (and society as well).
environment, a sound and prosperous economy should aim at:
One great example of social sustainability is the passing of the Clean Water
 Ensure that citizens today and tomorrow have the clean air, water, and
Act in 1972 (and amendments in 1977) and the Safe Drinking Water Act in
land essential to sustaining human health and the environment.
1974. Overall, these sets of laws were great pieces of legislation that set
minimum water quality standards for both surface and drinking water. This  Protect and enhance, the quality of water resources and promote the
had the effect of positively promoting the health and well-being of everyone wise and efficient use of water.
in America.
 Maintain and enhance the health and diversity of the wildlife and
The clean water act also served to protect our nation's water supply by planets.
making it essentially illegal to discharge pollutants in adjacent rivers, lakes,
and streams.  Develop an environmentally literate society.

Science behind sustainability Sustainability challenges

An emerging field of research dealing with the interactions between natural At the global scale, sustainability challenges like poverty, inequality, food
and social systems and with how those interactions affect the challenge of security, climate change, waste production, deforestation, air pollution,
sustainability: meeting the needs of present and future generations while water pollution, access to healthcare and education are still an issue for a
substantially reducing poverty and conserving the planet's life support large part of global population, although the world population is ageing and
systems. reducing its growth as a result of improved average living conditions.

The field is focused on examining the interactions between human,

environmental, and engineered systems to understand and contribute to
solutions for complex challenges that threaten the future of humanity and
the integrity of the life support systems of the planet, such as climate Assignment : Shaping the Cities of the Future - The
change, biodiversity loss, pollution and land and water degradation sustainable initiatives in Copenhagen?

Sustainability science draws upon the related but not identical concepts of
sustainable development and environmental science. Sustainability science
provides a critical framework for sustainability while sustainability
measurement provides the evidence-based quantitative data needed to
guide sustainability governance.

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