Key-Note Address

Delivered by

Dr. Akepati Sivarami Reddy

Associate Professor, School of Energy and Environment Thapar University, Patiala (PUNJAB) 147004 INDIA

At

National Conference on Preservation of Environment: Challenges before Humanity

(14th March 2013)

Dedicated to

Gurtagaddi Diwas of Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib

Conference organizer

Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University Fatehgarh Sahib (PUNJAB) INDIA

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to deliver a key-note address on the National conference, Preservation of Environment: Challenges before Humanity. The conference is dedicated to Gurtagaddi Diwas of Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib, the 7th Sikh Guru, who is remembered for his deep sensitivity to nature and its preservation. This day, the 14 th March, is very auspicious. In addition to being the Gurtagaddi Diwas, this day also marks the beginning of a new year in the Sikh Calendar. Further this day is celebrated as the Worldwide Sikh Environment day or Sikh Vatavaran Diwas. This one day conference includes two technical sessions of invited talks, paper presentations and poster presentations on the conference theme. The day long deliberations, I am sure, will result in our improved understanding and appreciation of the challenges before us for the preservation of the environment.

The Environment, the Natural Resource Base and Human Interactions with the Environment
Environment is defined as the surroundings in which humans exist and function, and as the sum of all factors that influence human well being. It can be viewed to include the physical environment (land, water, air and climate), the biological environment (plants, animals and microorganisms), and the socio-economic and cultural environment. Natural resources are integral part of the environment. The natural resource base of the environment is finite and the environment has finite resource regeneration capacity. Natural resources can be categorized as flow and fund resources and also as renewable and nonrenewable resources. Utility value of a natural resource to humans depend on its quantity, quality and spatial and temporal availability dimensions. Environment is ever changing and dynamic system. We usually refer to this system as nature (and study it as Earth System Science). Environment can, in a broader sense, be viewed as a global ecosystem (Earth System). It is comprised of lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. Influence of the solar radiation (the driving energy of the earth system) and other cosmic inputs (like asteroids, comets, etc.) are also taken into account through considering exosphere as a component of the earth system. To take the human dimension into account, anthroposhere is considered as one of the components of the earth system. Very often even the cryosphere is considered as a component. Earth can be viewed as a complex system of interacting physical, chemical and biological processes (often referred to as natural processes). For example climate is the consequence of the complex interactions of material flows in the atmosphere with the radiation from both the

sun and the earth. Further, the interactions involving water and vegetation (hydrosphere and biosphere) moderate the earths climate. Environment because of the nature and natural processes has finite (renewable) resource regeneration capacity and finite waste assimilation capacity. Humans satisfy both their biological and cultural needs through use of the natural resources of the environment. Healthy food, clean water to drink and clean air to breath, are the human biological needs. Clothing, housing, transportation, communication, etc., can be viewed as the cultural needs. Cultural needs of the prehistoric human being were almost negligible. With the cultural evolution, these needs have grown and already overtook the biological needs. Humans harvest/mine natural resources from the environment, process them into good and services, store, transport and use them for meeting the needs. After use the goods and services are disposed into the environment as wastes. For the processing of resources, humans use agricultural and industrial systems. Storage (including preservation) and transportation are needed for matching the special and temporal availability of a resource with the place and time of need of the resource. All the steps, associated with the extraction and use of natural resources, are associated with the generation of wastes. Disposal of these wastes into the environment, as well as extraction of natural resources from the environment, if crossing the finite waste assimilation and resource regeneration capacities of the environment, can change (pollute) the environment, and can deplete and affect the natural resource base (integral of the environment). Local environmental changes can have global impacts, and global environmental change can impact all the life on the planet earth.

The Anthroposphere and the Environment

Anthroposphere is that part of the environment made or modified by humans for their use. It includes human settlements, and their agricultural and industrial systems (including mines). Energy networks, transportation networks are also part of the anthroposphere. Prehistoric humans were comparable to other mammals of the earth and had no specific anthroposphere. It started with the advent of agriculture that sustained human settlements and industrial revolution. The anthroposhere is rapidly expanding and changing. Rapid increase of population (and increase and diversification of human needs), and great strides in technology and energy (empowering the humans) are mostly responsible for this. Global human population has increased from 1 billion in 1800 AD to the present 6.8 billion and it may reach 8 to 10.5 billion by 2050 AD. Human settlements at present occupy 8% of the ice free land, and 75% of the land surface has been altered in some way or the other by humans. In line with the ever increasing

cultural needs, the varieties of products and services and the quantities consumed by humans are increasing. Human consumption has become both exploitative and wasteful. Harnessing fire, tool making, agriculture, harnessing power from fossil fuels, etc., have made the rapid expansion of the anthroposphere possible. Now the anthroposphere has extended even beyond the planet earth. Anthroposphere (human activities) has become a key agent of environmental change. Carajas iron ore mine in Brazil, producing 300 million tons ore, can be an example for the human capacity to reshape the earth. Anthroposphere interacts with the environment (or with other components of earth system) through resource consumption and waste disposal, and cause environmental impacts, such as those shown in the box. The anthroposphere is infusing pollutants into land, water and air and negatively affecting the biosphere, brining about global warming, etc. Foot prints of our chemical activities are found in the air, water, land and biota. Chemical interventions like CFCs of humans have altered the stratospheric ozone and the UV radiation received on the earth. Anthroposphere has significantly altered the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus. Altered carbon cycle has changed pH of the oceans and climate of the earth. In the last 50 years, anthropogenic CO2 emissions have more than quadrupled and reached to 7 gigatons per year level.
Impacts Human interactions with the Environment
Impacts on the physical environment
Local air pollution problems (photochemical and sulfurous smog), Acid rains, Stratospheric ozone depletion and global climate change problems Deterioration of water quality (becoming unsuitable as a habitat and loss of utility value) and altered water budgets and water cycles Buildup of contaminants (toxic organics, heavy metals, pesticides) in soil and desertification (top soil loss, salinization, waterlogging, etc.)

Impacts on natural ecosystems

Decline in the area covered by natural ecosystems, loss of resource regeneration capacity and waste assimilation capacity, declining productivity, contamination of food chains and biodiversity loss

Impacts on the resource base

Altered quality, quantity and spatial & temporal availability of water and altered water budgets and water cycles Undesirable changes in the land use patterns and waste land generation (land becoming unsuitable for intended uses) Contaminated or polluted foods, and depletion biological resources from over exploitation and from reduced regeneration capacity and loss of biodiversity Depletion mineral and fossil energy resources from over exploitation and wasteful use

Human settlements are heterotrophic systems. Natural ecosystems, agricultural systems and industrial systems are vital for the human well being and survival. Natural ecosystems, which are complex systems of plants, animals, microbes (including human beings as the integral part)

and their non-living environment, provide vital services to the anthroposphere. Human well being essentially depends on the extent and health of the natural ecosystems. Declining ecosystem services disproportionately affect the worlds most disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. While agricultural and industrial systems are expanding, the natural ecosystems are shrinking. Wastes discharged into the environment by human settlements and by their agricultural and industrial systems are polluting the natural ecosystems. Ecosystem components are integrated, interacting and interdependent and damage or pollution or removal of any of the components can impact everything else. Biodiversity loss can occur and ecological services provided can decline. The UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment indicated that out of the 24 ecosystem services assessed, in 2005, 15 were found degraded and used unsustainably.

Tackling the environmental crisis and sustainable development

Impacts of humans on the environment mainly depend on population, affluence and technology. Population and affluence both expand and increase needs, and encourage consumerism (urge to consume than meeting genuine needs). Human interactions with the environment have become unsustainable, and humans are facing environmental crises. Polluted environment and depleted natural resource base are making the world unsustainable. Meeting the needs (specially biological needs) of majority human populations is threatened. Physical environment is becoming less habitable. Human settlements are more challenged by more frequent and high intensity natural disasters/calamities. Symbiotic coexistence of human settlements with the vital conversion systems (industry units!) has become less feasible. Sustainable development, meeting needs of the present without compromising on the legitimate needs of the future generations (defined in Our Common Future Earth Summit, 1992, Rio), is proposed as solution to the crises or problem. It recommends equality across the world and among the generations. Sustainable development needs Controlling population and their per capita natural resource demands (disciplining humans and keeping them away from luxuries and from the consumerism). Management of the finite natural resource base for sustainability Management of the natural ecosystems with focus on the ecosystem services Orienting the agricultural and industrial systems towards sustainability Development and use of green technologies

The natural resource base should be protected from pollution and depletion, and used as capital rather than as income to spend. The sustainability concept should be imbibed into all

the human activities associated with the extraction, storage, transportation, production/manufacturing (by industrial and agricultural systems), use and disposal of natural resources. There is need to impose limits to renewable resources use. Natural resources, specially nonrenewable resources should be used conservatively (proper allocation) and efficiently. This will buy time for finding substitutes or alternatives and compliments to the already scarce natural resources. Use of flow resources should be maximized. Use of flow resources may be maximized. Using technology the flow resources if needed the flow resources should be converted into fund resources and used wherever and whenever needed. Use recycled materials in place of virgin resources may be preferred. Use of technology should be increased in order to decrease dependence on the natural resources. Technology should be used to find new resources and expand the resource base, and to enhance the resource utility value. Human resource use should be maximized, individual workers productivity should be optimized, and human work should be made meaningful/interesting. Human work may have to be complemented, rather than replaced, by technology. Technology should support extensive use of human resources. The resource regeneration capacity and waste assimilation capacity of the environment (nature and natural ecosystems), and the ecosystem services should be protected and/or enhanced through the management of the natural ecosystems and natural processes. The ecosystems should not be allowed to shrink, their productivity should be maintained and biodiversity loss should not be allowed. Six of the 15 ecosystem services found degraded and used unsustainably, namely, climate regulation, water regulation, natural hazards regulation, energy, freshwater and nutrient cycling, have been focused on in the UN ecosystem management approach. A sustainable industry should be Conservative and efficient in resource consumption Least polluting to environment through waste disposal Compatible for symbiotic co-existence with other conversion systems, human settlements and nature

Key areas of concern of sustainable industry are GHG emissions, material consumption (water, non-renewables, toxic chemicals and ecologically important materials) and wastes (including hazardous wastes). Ozone layer, air quality, and health are also important. Use of lesser material and energy; substitution of toxic materials with non-toxic materials, non-renewables with renewable and virgin resources with recycled inputs; substitution of ecologically important

inputs; encouraging cleaner production; minimizing generation of unwanted outputs (wastes); conversion of the unwanted outputs into inputs (through waste recycling and reuse and through resource recovery from wastes); industrial symbiosis; etc. can orient the industry towards sustainability. Sustainability may transform the industrial systems into product service systems delivering functions, rather than products, to customers. Environmental management system approach, wherein environmental aspects with significant environmental impacts are identified and managed in a systematic and structured manner, can be used for orienting the industry towards sustainability. For orienting the agricultural systems towards sustainability, the current chemical farming may have to be replaced by natural/ecological farming. The agricultural systems should be managed as if they are simplified natural ecosystems. These systems should become the future biodiversity rich carbon sinks. The diversity of crops and domesticated animals and their diversity should be maximized may be with the help of biotechnology. Development of GM crops may not be the solution for the sustainable agricultural systesm. Green Technology is a technologiy with a green (environment friendly) purpose. The green technology field is expected to bring innovation and changes in the daily life of the magnitude similar to the information technology explosion over the last two decades. Green chemistry is actually an example for the green technology. Goals of the green technology include Sustainability meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Cradle to cradle design of products life cycle analysis Source reduction of wastes and pollution by changing patterns of production and consumption. Innovation - developing alternatives to technologies natural farming, organic farming, modern farming Viability - creating a center of economic activity around technologies and products that benefit the environment

Attitudes, Environmental Ethics and Religion

Our present environmental crisis is the problem of our science and technology and also of our religion, ethics or morality and attitudes. The roots for the earths destruction and for the environmental crisis are largely religious. Our attitude (that the natures resources are unlimited and that the nature is made for man and his use) towards the earth and nature, at least for the last 2000 years, has been the root cause of the crisis. The attitudes are provided by ethics and by religions. Dominant world religions place

humans above all the forms of life as masters, and not as members of the nature/world. Every other creature and thing of the world is taken as created by god to serve the human necessity. In fact the religions placed humans against nature. Humans have been encouraged to know the secrets of the nature, not for his living in harmony with nature but to exercise his right over the nature. Our ethical concerns, leaving aside the nature, were not extended even to slaves and women. Only in the 19th century they were extended to include slaves (Beecher Stowe, in 1852 in her writing Uncle Toms Cabin, argued blacks were not commodities to be exploited). At still latter stage, extension of ethics to other life forms is suggested. In 1962 in the Silent Spring, Rachel Carson argued that all the life forms, including insects, are not commodities and deserve ethical consideration. Though extending the ethics to land and nature is viewed as an ecological necessity, we have no ethics dealing with the land and with the animals and plants that grow on land. The land is regarded as a commodity. If we begin to see ourselves as belonging to the land or nature, then we may use the land and nature with love and respect. Hence, the environmental crisis can be tackled. For this we need have new attitudes and morality/ethics expanded to land and nature. Religion is believed as the greatest factor in determining morality and providing the new attitudes for the tackling of the environmental crisis. Realizing this, in 1986, Prince Philip, then President of the WWF International, invited the leaders of the five major religions of the world (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism) to meet and discuss how their faiths could help save the nature and tackle the environmental crisis. Are there religions in the world going beyond man-to-man ethics, preaching the environmental ethics and providing the new attitudes for tackling the environmental crisis? The answer is yes. The religions may not be dominant, and the extent and vigor of inclusiveness may vary among the religions. The intrinsic worth of living creatures and nature (land, water, air, sky, and energy) gained recognition at least in the Hinduism, the Buddism and the Sikhism. Sikhism is widely viewed as an ecological religion. It considers humans together with all other living creatures (animals) live in the nature in harmony. The nature is considered as inclusive of the earth, water, air and sky, and taken as having both intrinsic worth as well as instrumental worth. Further, the nature is taken as a complex web of relations and as a mysterious whole where the god resides.