ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

MODULE - 3
 MODULE-3 ENERGY RESOURCES
• SYLLABUS: Natural Resources: Renewable and Non-
renewable Resources • Land Resources and land use
change; Land degradation, soil erosion and
desertification. • Deforestation: Causes and impacts
due to mining, dam building on environment, forests,
biodiversity and tribal populations. • Water: Use and
over-exploitation of surface and ground water, floods,
droughts, conflicts over water (international & inter-
state). • Heating of earth and circulation of air; air
mass formation and precipitation. • Energy resources:
Renewable and non-renewable energy sources, use of
alternate energy sources, growing energy needs, case
studies.
 ENERGY RESOURCES
• Energy is defined by physicists as the capacity to do work.
• Energy is needed for any kind of work. Natural energy can be used
directly where as other forms require some transformation.
• The sun is the primary energy source in our lives.
• Chemical energy, contained in chemical compounds is released
when they are broken down by animals in the presence of oxygen.
• . All energy use creates heat and contributes to atmospheric
temperature. Many forms of energy release carbon dioxide and lead
to global warming.
• Nuclear energy is held in the nucleus of an atom and is now
harnessed to develop electrical energy.
• Nuclear waste disposal is a big environmental hazard if not handled
properly.
 Types of Energy

• The conventional sources of

energy are nonrenewable by any
natural process. Non-conventional
energy resources are renewable.
These resources are available in a
limited quantity. Non-conventional
energy sources are eco-friendly in
nature.
 Growing Energy needs
• At present almost 2 billion people worldwide have no
access to electricity at all.
• Whereas some others are using excess energy.
• In addition, a large proportion of energy from
electricity is wasted during transmission as well as at
the user level.
• An Average American uses 24 times the energy used
by an Indian.
• . The world’s demand for electricity has doubled over
the last 22 years!
 Non –Renewable energy forms
• Coal – Thermal power is generated from coal also used as a
fuel.
• Coal is the world’s single largest contributor of green house
gases and is one of the most important causes of global
warming.
• Burning coal also produces oxides of sulphur and nitrogen
which, combined with water vapour, lead to ‘acid rain’. This
kills forest vegetation, and damages architectural heritage
sites, pollutes water and affects human health.
• OIL – petrol, diesel, kerosene, engine oil etc.
• GAS – from land and sea
• Nuclear energy
 Renewable energy resources
• HYDRO ENERGY
• SOLAR ENERGY
• WIND ENERGY
• BIO-MASS ENERGY- wood-sugarcane & agri waste
• Biogas: Biogas is produced from plant material and animal
waste, garbage, waste from households and some types of
industrial wastes.
• Tidal and Wave Power-Tidal power is tapped by placing a
barrage across an estuary and forcing the tidal flow to pass
through turbines.
 Hydro electric project-drawbacks
• To produce hydroelectric power, large areas of forest and
agricultural lands are submerged. These lands traditionally
provided a livelihood for local tribal people and farmers.
Conflicts over land use are inevitable.
• Silting of the reservoirs (especially as a result of deforestation)
reduces the life of the hydroelectric power installations.
• Water is required for many other purposes besides power
generation. These include domestic requirements, growing
agricultural crops and for industry. This gives rise to conflicts.
• The use of rivers for navigation and fisheries becomes difficult
once the water is dammed for generation of electricity.
• Resettlement of displaced persons is a problem for which there
is no ready solution
 Forest resources
• Provides various resources for living for
human beings & animals , birds etc.
• Forests area reduced from 33 % to 12 %
• Over utilization leads to deforestation.
• Now govt protects with acts and forest
department
• Provides food, watershed protection,prevents
soil erosion
Kazhiranga sanctuary- Assam-UNESCO
Kazhiranga sanctuary- Assam-UNESCO
What are the problems faced by Kaziranga
National Park?

Rhino poaching, seasonal flooding and

climate change impacts, unplanned tourism
infrastructure, highway traffic, spread of
invasive species (mimosa) and livestock
grazing are current threats that have a direct
bearing on the wildlife, habitats and values of the
World Heritage site.

How can we protect Kaziranga National Park?

Villagers use searchlights, solar-powered
fences, chili smoke, and nightly patrols to
keep wildlife at bay. Because of these
conservation measures, people are more secure
in their homes, and populations of major wildlife
species are on the rise.
Water for Agriculture & power Generation

• Irrigated land increased from 40 million

hectares in 1900 to 271 million in 1998 and
2020 hectares in 2015.
• Dams provide the support, main source of
storage of rain water.
• Un equal distribution of water causes
problems to small farmers.
 Conserve Environment
• No natural resource is limitless.
• Natural resources need to be sustainable.
• The two most damaging factors leading to the current rapid
depletion of all forms of natural resources are increasing
‘consumerism’ on the part of the affluent sections of society,
and rapid population growth.
• Even biological resources traditionally classified as
‘renewable’ - such as those from our oceans, forests,
grasslands and wetlands, are being degraded by overuse and
may be permanently destroyed
 Global climate change
• Green house effect- trapping of green house
gases –increases temp.
• Floods: Floods have been a serious
environmental hazard for centuries- due to
deforestation- damage of catchment areas-
land.
• Drought: In most arid regions of the world the rains
are unpredictable-no rains-dry lands. Due to
deforestation- no rain water stored.
 Sustainable water management
• Save water campaign- awareness
• Building several small reservoirs instead of few mega
projects.
• Develop small catchment dams and protect
wetlands.
• Soil management, micro catchment development.
• Recycling water
• Rain water harvesting.
• Prevent leakages from dams
• Water conservation measures like drip irrigation,etc.
NLC INDIA LTD-LIGNITE MINES
NEYVELI
NLC INDIA LTD-LIGNITE MINES
NEYVELI
NLC India Limited (NLC) (formerly
Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited) is
a government-owned-fossil fuel
miner and thermal power
generator under the ownership of
Ministry of Coal, Government of India

The Neyveli II coal mine is an

opencast mine, operated by NCL India
Limited, with a capacity of 15 million
tonne per year, located near the town
of Neyveli in Cuddalore district in Tamil
Nadu, India. The mine supplies the
600 megawatt (MW) Neyveli Thermal
Power Station and the 420MW
Thermal Power Station
 MINING OPERATIONS
• Minerals and their ores need to be extracted from the earth’s
interior so that they can be used. This process is known as
mining. Mining operations generally progress through four.
• (1) Prospecting: Searching for minerals.
• (2) Exploration: Assessing the size, shape, location, and
economic value of the deposit.
• (3) Development: Work of preparing access to the deposit so
that the minerals can be extracted from it.
• (4) Exploitation: Extracting the minerals from the mines. In
the past, mineral deposits were discovered by prospectors in
areas where mineral deposits in the form of veins were
exposed on the surface. Today, however, prospecting and
exploration is done by teams of geologists, mining engineers,
geophysicists, and geochemists who work together to
discover new deposits.
 Coal mines- Negative effects
• Many coal-based power generation plants are not fitted with
devices such as electrostatic precipitators to reduce emissions
of suspended particulate matter (SPM) which is a major
contributor to air pollution.
• Burning coal also produces oxides of sulphur and nitrogen
which, combined with water vapour, lead to ‘acid rain’. This
kills forest vegetation, and damages architectural heritage
sites, pollutes water and affects human health.
 MINE SAFETY & PROBLEMS
• Mining is a hazardous occupation, and the safety of mine workers is
an important environmental consideration of the industry.
• Metal mining is less hazardous than coal mining. Large explosions
have occurred in coal mines, killing many miners. More miners
have suffered from disasters due to the use of explosives in metal
mines.
• Mining poses several long-term occupational hazards to the
miners. Dust produced during mining operations is injurious to
health and causes a lung disease known as black lung, or
pneumoconiosis. Fumes generated by incomplete dynamite
explosions are extremely poisonous. Methane gas, emanating from
coal strata, is hazardous to health although not poisonous in the
concentrations usually encountered in mine air. Radiation is a
hazard in uranium mines.
 Mine land Reclamation methods
• Mine land reclamation, let us examine the
processes involved in restoring land after a coal
mining operation. First, potential AMD-
producing materials are buried, and the area is
graded so that water will drain away and slopes
will not erode. This will prevent future
formation of AMD. Second, after grading and
drainage controls are completed, the area is
covered with topsoil and seeded with a
fastgrowing cover crop.T
 FOOD RESOURCES
• Today our food comes almost entirely from
agriculture, animal husbandry and fishing.
• Use of pesticides pollute the soil.
• Sustainable agriculture needed.
• In organic fertilizers suggested-Integrated crop
Management system.
 WORLD FOOD PROBLEMS
• Food production in 64 of the 105 developing
countries is lagging behind their population
growth levels.
• Some countries face Water and financial
problems importing food.
• India is one of the countries that have been
able to produce enough food by cultivating a
large proportion of its arable land through
irrigation.
 OVER USAGE OF LAND
• Wet and forest lands taken for cultivation.
• Ecological imbalance created.
• Over fishing and exhausting marine resources.
• People shift from veg to Non-veg- over usage
of Live stock.
• Globally 5-7 million hectares of farm land
degraded.
 OTHER PROBLEMS-FOOD
• SALINIZATION OF WATER-problems.
• Loss of genetic diversity in crop plants.
• Rice, wheat and corn are the staple foods of
two thirds of the world’s people.
• The ability to enhance traits that are resistant
to diseases, salinity, etc. is lost.
 As Individual what u can do ?
• Avoid polluting soil, water and air.
• Avoid using plastic.
• Plant tree saplings as many as possible.
• Advice others in family and friends.
• Do not litter in public places use dust bin.
What can u do to save electricity ?
• [Link] off lights and fans as soon as you leave the
room.
• 2 Use tube lights and energy efficient bulbs that save
energy rather than bulbs. A 40- watt tube light gives as
much light as a 100 watt bulb.
• [Link] the bulbs and tubes clean. Dust on tubes and
bulbs decreases lighting levels by 20 to 30 percent.
• [Link] off the television or radio as soon as the
program of interest is over.
• 5.A pressure cooker can save up to 75 percent of
energy required for cooking.
 Save Energy…..
• [Link] using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it
reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door.
• 7. Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses
less energy or use natural sources as sunlight to dry clothes
whenever possible.
• 8. Unplug seldom used appliances.
• 9. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.
10. Plant trees to shade your home. Shade outside air conditioning
units by trees or other means. All this will cut energy needs
• 11. Use Public transport or car pooling whenever possible.
• 12. Cooperate in recycling and reuse of paper, metal and glass.
• 13. For every one degree rise in temperature setting of AC, 3-5%
energy is saved, so when
 Conserve water
• 1. Check and fix any water leaks.
• 2. Install water-saving devices on your faucets and toilets.
• 3. Don’t wash dishes with the water running continuously.
• 4. Wash and dry only full loads of laundry and dishes.
• 5. Avoid shower or install a low-flow shower head.
• 6. Replace old toilets with new ones that use a lot less
water (not more than 6 litres per flush).
• 7. Turn off washing machine’s water supply to prevent
leaks, check and correct water leaks as a pin hole sized leak
will lead to the wastage of 640 litres of water per month.
• 8. Water plants in the evenings when evaporation losses are
minimum
• 9. Agriculturists should use drip irrigation, sprinkler
irrigation wherever possible to increase i
 Types of Soil Erosion
• Water induced soil erosion is of the following
types:
• Sheet Erosion- When there is uniform removal of
a thin layer of soil usually by run off, from a large
surface area, it is called sheet erosion
• Rill Erosion- When there is rainfall and rapidly
running water produces finger-shaped grooves or
rills over the area it is called rill erosion.
• Gully Erosion- When the rainfall is very heavy,
deeper cavities or gullies are formed which may
be U or V shaped.
• Slip Erosion- The soil layer slips due to heavy
rainfall on slopes of hills and mountains.
• Stream bank erosion- During rainy season the
 Wind Induced soil erosion

• Wind induced soil erosion shows three types

of soil movement :
• Saltation- Due to the stormy wind the soil
particles of 1- 1.5mm diameter move up in a
vertical direction.
• Suspension-The fine soil particles less than
1mm diameter which are suspended in the air
are carried in that manner to distant places.
• Surface creep- Here larger particles creep
around surface with wind.
 Desertification
• Desertification is the process in which the
productive potential of arid or semiarid land falls
by 10% or more as a result of poor land
management.
• Causes of desertification :
• 1. Overgrazing is the major cause of
desertification worldwide. Plants of semi-arid
areas are adapted to being eaten by sparsely
scattered, large, grazing mammals which has
contributed to the massive advance of deserts in
recent years as animals gather around waterholes
and overgraze the area.
• 2. Destruction of vegetation in arid regions, often
for fuelwood which invariably exceeds the rate of
 ENVIRONMENTAL TERMS
• Eutrophication (eu-more, trophic- nutrition) is
the enrichment of bodies of fresh water by
inorganic nutrients (e.g. nitrate, phosphate)
causing fast growth of algae or plants (like
water hyacinth) which cuts off dissolved oxygen
supply to aquatic life either due to the plant
cover over the water surface or due to the
decomposition of the algae that have a short life
cycle. Eutrophication may occur naturally but
can also be the result of human activity (cultural
eutrophication from fertilizer runoff and sewage
discharge)
 Effects of desertification
[Link] reduces the ability of land to support life,
affecting wild species, domestic animals, agricultural crops
and people.
2. The reduction in plant cover that accompanies
desertification leads to accelerated soil erosion by wind
and water. South Africa losing approximately 300-400
million tonnes of topsoil every year. As vegetation cover
and soil layer are reduced, rain drop impact and runoff
increases.
[Link] is lost off the land instead of soaking into the soil to
provide moisture for plants. Even long-lived plants that
would normally survive droughts die.
4. A reduction in plant cover also results in a reduction in the
quantity of humus and plant nutrients in the soil, and plant
production drops further. As protective plant
 Acid Mine Drainage (AMD
Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) - AMD is the most
serious environmental problem in mining today.
It is caused by mining of sulfur-based materials,
particularly high-sulfur coal and metal sulfide
ores. AMD occurs when oxygen-rich water
percolates through sulfur-bearing minerals
exposed by mining resulting in sulfuric acid.
Water containing sulfuric acid drains out of the
mine which apart from itself being toxic also
result in acidic reactions which release other
toxic materials in the rock, particularly
 CASE STUDY
• Water Crisis in Bangalore (Dec 15 2010 report in the Times of
India) Even the Cauvery is not enough for a Bangalore
bursting at its seams. The BWSSB is now looking far and wide,
and proposes to fetch water from the river Krishna — a good
400km away. Bangalore is a thirsty city, and faces a shortage
of 225 million litres of water per day (mld). This shortfall is
expected to go up to 1030 mld by 2036. A proposal has been
made to get 12 tmcft water from the Krishna, though experts
feel it is not economically sound and would also lead to an
uproar..” Getting water 400km away from Bangalore might be
a feasible option. But the challenge lies in the economics of
the project. Villagers would be up in arms if water is not
supplied to the villages falling enroute BENGALURU.