Introduction: A disease cannot be cured if we are unable to get to the root of it.

Similarly the
environment cannot be properly maintained if we do not know the cause of the pollution. This is
where environmental management plays a very vital role. Environmental management is the
management of man’s interaction with and impact upon the environment. At first we have to know the
reason of the pollution and then we have to figure out a way to keep it to a minimum level. The air we
breathe and the water we drink are not as fresh as it used to be. Pollution has become a by-product of
progress. As time has elapsed, the world has progressed a lot. There are lots of factories these days the
smoke of which pollute the air and the harmful wastes which are discarded into the nearby lake, river
or sea pollute the water which in turn affect the aquatic lives. If it carries on like this then what world
do we leave for our next generation? But that does not mean that all the factories should be shut down
to avoid pollution, instead we have to think of an alternative to reduce its harmful affects. Many trees
have been cut down for various purposes but have we ever thought what can this lead to? Plants take
in harmful carbon dioxide from air and give out oxygen. Now the rate at which trees are being cut, a
day would come when there will not be enough trees to provide sufficient oxygen for us. So an
increased amount of carbon dioxide in air will affect the ozone layer, which protects us from the
harmful UV rays from sun, resulting in global warming and greenhouse effect. But again we do need
wood to make furniture, paper and many other useful staffs and sometimes forests and hills need to be
cleared to make factories, roads etc. for our own benefits. Since we cannot restrain ourselves from
cutting trees despite of knowing its effect, we have to make sure that we select a particular region
where we can plant lots of trees and allow the birds and animals to have their natural habitat. This
course has helped us to learn about these pollutions; its effect on nature, human and other lives; and
the ways to reduce this pollution. The brief learning from this course is discussed below.

Environment: Environment is a term that comprises all living and non-living things that occur
naturally on Earth or some part of it (e.g. the natural environment in a country). This term includes a
few key components:
1. Complete landscape units that function as natural systems without massive human
intervention, including all plants, animals, rocks, etc. and natural phenomena that occur
within their boundaries.
2. Universal natural resources and physical phenomena that lack clear-cut boundaries, such as
air, water, and climate, as well as energy, radiation, electric charge, and magnetism, not
originating from human activity.

Environmental Management: Environmental Management is not, as the phrase could suggest, the
management of the environment as such but rather the management of man's interaction with and
impact upon the environment.The need for environmental management can be viewed from a variety
of perspectives. A more common one being the concept of carrying capacity which refers to the

1 | Page

Pagla420
maximum number of organisms a particular resource can sustain. Environmental management is
therefore not the conservation of the environment solely for the environment’s sake but rather the
conservation of the environment for human kind’s sake. As with all management functions, effective
management tools, standards and systems are required. An 'environmental management standard or
system or protocol attempts to reduce environmental impact as measured by some objective criteria.
The ISO 14001 standard is the most widely used standard for environmental risk management and is
closely aligned to the European Eco Management & Audit Scheme (EMAS).

Ecosystem: An ecosystem is a natural system consisting of all plants, animals and microorganisms
(biotic factors) in an area functioning together with all the non-living physical (abiotic) factors of the
environment. Central to the ecosystem concept does the idea that living organisms are continually
engaged in a set of relationships with every other element constituting the environment in which they
exist. Ecosystem services are “fundamental life-support services upon which human civilization
depends,” and can be direct or indirect. Example of direct ecosystem services are: pollination, wood,
erosion prevention etc. Indirect services could be considered climate moderation, nutrient cycles,
detoxifying natural substances and many more.

Resources: As resources are very useful, we attach some value to them. Resources help to produce
goods so they have economic value. Natural resources like forests, mountains etc. are very beautiful
so they have aesthetic value. Gifts of nature such as water also have a legal value because it is our
right to enjoy it. On the other hand, resources have an ethical value as well because it is our moral
duty to protect and conserve them for the future generations. Resources have three main
characteristics: utility, quantity (often in terms of availability), and use in producing other resources.
Natural resources are derived from the environment. Many of them are essential for our survival while
others are used for satisfying our wants. Natural resources may be further classified in different ways.
On the basis of origin, resources may be divided into:
1. Biotic - Biotic resources are the ones which are obtained from the biosphere.
2. Abiotic -Abiotic resources comprise of non-living things. Examples include land, water, air
and minerals such as gold, iron, copper, silver etc.

On the basis of the stage of development, resources may be called:

1. Potential Resources - Potential resources are those which exist in a region and may be used in
the future. For example, mineral oil may exist in many parts of India having sedimentary
rocks but till the time it is actually drilled out and put into use, it remains a potential resource.
2. Actual Resources - Actual Resources are those which have been surveyed, their quantity and
quality determined and are being used in present times. For example, the natural gas which is
obtained from the Sylhet Gas Fields.

2 | Page

Pagla420
On the basis of renewability, natural resources can be categorized into:
1. Renewable Resources - Renewable resources are the ones which can be replenished or
reproduced easily. Some of them like sunlight, air, wind etc.
2. Non-renewable Resources - Non-renewable resources are formed over very long geological
periods. Minerals and fossils are included in this category.

The gifts of nature cannot be consumed in their original form. They have to be processed in order to
change them into more usable commodities. This is known as resource development. With the rise in
human numbers all over the world, the demand for resources has also increased. However, there is a
difference in the distribution of resources to different regions or countries. Developed countries use
more resources than developing countries. The rising demand coupled with the over-utilization of
resources has led to several problems:
1. Depletion of resources
2. Accumulation of resources in the hands of a few
3. Environmental degradation

Pollution: Pollution is the introduction of pollutants (whether chemical substances, or energy such as
noise, heat, or light) into the environment to such a point that its effects become harmful to human
health, other living organisms, or the environment. Pollution control is a term used in environmental
management. It means the control of emissions and effluents into air, water or soil. Without pollution
controls the undesirable waste products from human consumption, industrial production, agricultural
activities, mining, transportation and other sources will accumulate or disperse and degrade the
natural environment. In the hierarchy of controls, pollution prevention and waste minimization are
more desirable than pollution control. The major forms of pollution are listed below along with the
particular pollutants relevant to each of them:
1. Air pollution, the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere. Common
examples include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and nitrogen
oxides produced by industry and motor vehicles.
2. Water pollution via surface runoff, leaching to groundwater, liquid spills, wastewater
discharges, eutrophication and littering.
3. Soil contamination occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground storage tank
leakage. Among the most significant soil contaminants are hydrocarbons, heavy metals,
herbicides, pesticides and chlorinated hydrocarbons.
4. Noise pollution, which encompasses roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as well as
high-intensity sonar.
5. Radioactive contamination, added in the wake of 20th century discoveries in atomic physics.

3 | Page

Pagla420
Perspectives of Pollution: The earliest precursor of pollution generated by life forms would have
been a natural function of their existence. The attendant consequences on viability and population
levels fell within the sphere of natural selection. These would have included the demise of a
population locally or ultimately, species extinction. Processes that were untenable would have resulted
in a new balance brought about by changes and adaptations. At the extremes, for any form of life,
consideration of pollution is superseded by that of survival.
For mankind, the factor of technology is a distinguishing and critical consideration, both as an enabler
and an additional source of byproducts. Short of survival, human concerns include the range from
quality of life to health hazards. "The solution to pollution is dilution", is a dictum which summarizes
a traditional approach to pollution management whereby sufficiently diluted pollution is not harmful.
It is well-suited to some other modern, locally-scoped applications such as laboratory safety
procedure and hazardous material release emergency management. Migration from pollution dilution
to elimination in many cases is confronted by challenging economical and technological barriers.

Solid and Hazardous Waste: A hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats
to public health or the environment and generally exhibits one or more of these characteristics:
Ignitable (i.e. flammable), oxidizing, toxic, radioactive, eco-toxic, explosive.
Hazardous wastes are generated by specific industries and processes and are automatically considered
hazardous waste based solely on the process that generates them and irrespective of whether a test of
the waste shows any of the "characteristics" of hazardous waste. Examples of listed wastes include:
1. Many sludge leftover from electroplating processes.
2. Certain waste from iron and steel manufacturing
3. Wastes from certain cleaning and/or degreasing processes

Global Warming and Ozone Loss: Global warming refers to the increase in the average
temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation.
And Ozone is an air pollutant with harmful effects on the respiratory systems of animals. It is in the
upper atmosphere filters potentially damaging ultraviolet light from reaching the Earth's surface. It is
present in low concentrations throughout the Earth's atmosphere. It has many industrial and consumer
applications.
The Earth's climate changes in response to external forcing, includes variations in its orbit around the
sun (orbital forcing), volcanic eruptions, and atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. The detailed
causes of the recent warming remain an active field of research, but the consensus identifies elevated
levels of greenhouse gases due to human activity as the main influence. This attribution is clearest for
the most recent 50 years, for which the most detailed data are available. In contrast to the scientific
consensus that recent warming is mainly attributable to elevated levels of greenhouse gases, other
hypotheses have been suggested to explain the observed increase in mean global temperature. None of

4 | Page

Pagla420
the effects of forcing are instantaneous. The thermal inertia of the Earth's oceans and slow responses
of other indirect effects mean that the Earth's current climate is not in equilibrium with the forcing
imposed. The main reasons for the Global warming and Ozone loss are:
1. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
2. Solar variation
3. Temperature changes

Though it is difficult to connect specific weather events to global warming, an increase in global
temperatures may in turn cause other changes, including glacial retreat and worldwide sea level rise.
Changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation may result in flooding and drought. There may
also be changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Other effects may include
changes in agricultural yields, addition of new trade routes reduced summer stream flows, species
extinctions, and increases in the range of disease vectors.

Business and Environment: All kinds of businesses are directly or indirectly related with the
environment. It is generally agreed that environmental sustainability must be build on long-term
economic and social sustainability and that the challenge of sustainable development requires
integration of economy and environment in all sectors and at all levels. The objectives of private
sector led economic growth in a globally competitive world are not necessarily compatible with the
state and community led objectives of social equity and environmental protection. If one can properly
apply the environmental management system in business, the business could be benefited by several
ways. Such as:
1. Cost savings
2. Minimized commercial risks and liabilities
3. Improved competitive advantage
4. Improved employee satisfaction

Environmental Reporting: Companies that measure, manage and communicate their

environmental performance are inherently well placed. They understand how to:
1. Improve their processes,
2. Reduce their costs,
3. Comply with regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations,
4. Take advantages of new market opportunities.
Failure to plan for a future in which environmental factors are likely to be increasingly significant
may risk the long-term future of a business. Good environmental performance makes good business
sense. Environmental risks and uncertainties impact to some extent on all companies, and affect
investment decisions, consumer behavior and Government policy. To eliminate this uncertainty
Environmental Report is essential for the business organizations. All companies must report on
environmental matters, employees and social/community issues etc. in this report.
5 | Page

Pagla420
Conclusion: As the collective human brain ponders both its own origins and its future, the eugenics
platform reemerges as timeless, for the issues it deals with is the use of the nature properly by the
individuals. The “use of nature” continuum has been set according to issues of importance to currently
living constituencies, whose interests are largely peripheral and even instrumental within the context of a
Darwinian worldview. For the backdrop of our evolutionary past and present, the main character is –
“inefficient use of the nature”.
To remove this “inefficiency”, we must learn the different aspects of the nature, thus its usefulness.
And by applying the understandings, we might be able to give a better future and a better world to our
next generation.

6 | Page

Pagla420