ENVIRONMENT AND

SAFETY ENGINEERING
AEU: 08104

Expected end of module

outcomes
Explain the current environmental problems
Describe types and Effects of pollutants from
automobile industry
Describe the environmental management
systems and tools
Explain the safety management in
automobile industry
Describe the management of safety function
and training
Design an efficient work place

Module contents

Environmental problems
Introduction to Ecology
Automobile Industry and Environment
Environmental Management
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Safety Management
Ergonomics
Managing the Safety function
Safety Training

Assessment methods
Integrated method of
assessment
Continuous Assessment (Homework,
Individual assignments, Projects and
class tests)---40 %
End of Semester Examination ------60
%

Definition of Environment

The sum total of all surroundings of a

living organism, including
natural forces and other living things,
which provide conditions for
development and growth as well as
of danger and damage

The Globe

Environmental issues
The harmful aspects (features) of
human activity on the biophysical
environment. are loosely divided into:
causes,
effects
mitigation, (reduction measures)
noting that effects are interconnected
and can cause new effects

Causes of harmful aspects of human activity

Human overpopulation Biocapacity

Carrying capacity Exploitation
Industrialization Land degradation
Land reclamation Optimum population
Overshoot (population) Population density
Population dynamics Population growth
Projections of population growth
Total fertility rate Urbanization Waste
Water conflict Water scarcity
Over drafting

Causes of harmful aspects of

human activity
Hydrology Environmental impacts of reservoirs
Tile drainage Hydrology (agriculture)
Flooding Landslide
Intensive farming
Environmental effects of meat production
Intensive animal farming
Intensive crop farming Irrigation
Monoculture Nutrient pollution
Overgrazing Pesticide drift Plasticulture
Slash and burn Tile drainage

Causes of harmful aspects of

human activity
Land use Built environment
Desertification
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat destruction
Land degradation Land pollution
Lawn-environmental concerns
Urban heat island Urban sprawl
Nanotechnology
Implications of nanotechnology

Causes of harmful aspects of

human activity
Nuclear issues Nuclear fallout
Nuclear meltdown Nuclear power
Nuclear weapons
Nuclear and radiation accidents
Nuclear safety
High-level radioactive waste manag
ement

Effects of harmful aspects of

human activity
Climate change Global warming
Global dimming Fossil fuels
Sea level rise Greenhouse gas
Ocean acidification
Shutdown of thermohaline circulation

Environmental impact of the coal ind

ustry
Urban Heat Islands Flooding
Environmental degradation

Effects of harmful aspects of

human activity
Environmental health Air quality Asthma
Birth defect Developmental disability
endocrine disruptors
Environmental impact of the coal industry
Environmental impact of nanotechnology
Electromagnetic fields
Electromagnetic radiation and health
Indoor air quality Lead poisoning Leukemia
Nanotoxicology Nature deficit disorder
One Health Sick Building Syndrome
Environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing

Effects of harmful aspects of

human activity
Environmental issues with energy
Environmental impact of the coal industry
Environmental impact of the energy industry
Environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing
Environmental issues with war Agent Orange Depleted Uranium
Explosive remnants of warMilitary
Superfund site Scorched earth
War and environmental law
Unexploded ordnance

Effects of harmful aspects of

human activity
Overpopulation Burial
Overpopulation in companion animals
Tragedy of the commons
Gender Imbalance in Developing Countries
Sub-replacement fertility levels in developed
countries

Genetic engineering Genetic pollution

Genetically modified food controversies
Pollution Nonpoint source pollution
Point source pollution

Effects of harmful aspects of

human activity
Air pollution
Environmental impact of the coal ind
ustry

Environmental impact of hydraulic fra

cturing
Indoor air quality Smog
Tropospheric ozone
Volatile organic compound
Atmospheric particulate matter CFC
Biological effects of UV exposure

Effects of harmful aspects of

human activity
Soil pollution Alkali soil
Brownfield
Residual Sodium Carbonate Index
Soil conservation Soil erosion
Soil contamination Soil salination
Superfund
Superfund sites Space debris
Interplanetary contamination *
Ozone depletion

Effects of harmful aspects of

human activity
Water pollution Acid rain Agricultural runoff
Algal bloom
Environmental impact of the coal industry
Eutrophication
Environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing
Eutrophication Fish kill
Groundwater contamination Groundwater recharge
Marine debris Marine pollution Mercury in fish
Microplastics Ocean acidification Ocean dumping
ocean pollution Oil spills Soda lake
Ship pollution Thermal pollution Urban runoff
Wastewater

Mitigation or Reduction
Measures
Resource depletion
Exploitation of natural resources Overdrafting
(groundwater) Overexploitation
Consumerism Consumer capitalism
Planned obsolescence Over-consumption
Fishing Blast fishing Bottom trawling
Cyanide fishing Ghost nets
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
Overfishing Shark finning Whaling
Logging Clearcutting Deforestation
Illegal logging

Mitigation or Reduction
Measures
Mining Acid mine drainage
Environmental impact of hydraulic fra
cturing
Mountaintop removal mining
Slurry impoundments
Water (depletion) Anoxic waters
Aral Sea California Water Wars
Dead Sea Lake Chad
Water scarcity

Mitigation or Reduction
Measures
Toxicants Agent OrangeAsbestos
Beryllium Bioaccumulation Biomagnification
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Cyanide DDT
Endocrine disruptors Explosives
Environmental impact of the coal industry
Herbicides Hydrocarbons Perchlorate
Pesticides PBDE Persistent organic pollutant
PBBs PBDEs Toxic heavy metals PCB
Dioxin Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Radioactive contamination
Volatile organic compounds

Mitigation or Reduction
Measures
Waste Electronic waste
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Illegal dumping Incineration Litter
Waste disposal incidents
Marine debris Medical waste
Landfill Leachate Toxic waste
Environmental impact of the coal ind
ustry
Exporting of hazardous waste

Mitigation or Reduction
Measures
Conservation
Ecosystems Anoxic waters
Biodiversity Biosecurity Coral bleaching
Edge effect Habitat destruction
Habitat fragmentation In-situ leach
Fishing Blast fishing Bottom trawling
By-catch Cetacean bycatch Gillnetting
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
Environmental effects of fishing
Marine pollution Overfishing Whaling

Mitigation or Reduction
Measures
Forests Clearcutting Deforestation
Illegal logging
Natural resources Resource depletion
Exploitation of natural resources
Species Endangered species Genetic diversity
Habitat destruction Holocene extinction
Invasive species Poaching Pollinator decline
Species extinction Threshold host density
Wildlife trade Wildlife disease
Energy conservation Efficient energy use
Renewable energy
Renewable energy commercialization

Mitigation or Reduction
Measures
Environmental law Environmental crime
Environmental justice
Polluter pays principle
or Reduction Measures
Mitigation
Precautionary Principle
regulatory capture

Priority Issues on
Environment

Curbing Global Warming

Creating the Clean Energy Future

Reviving the World's Oceans

Defending Endangered Wildlife and Wild Places

Protecting Our Health By Preventing Pollution

Ensuring Safe and Sufficient Water

Fostering Sustainable Communities

Curbing Global Warming

Climate change is the single

biggest environmental and
humanitarian crisis of our time.
We must act now to spur the
adoption of cleaner energy sources
at home and abroad

Creating the Clean Energy Future

Dependence on fossil fuels threatens our

national security and is a major
contributor to global warming and toxic
air pollution. By investing in renewable
energy sources such as the sun, wind and
biomass, we can help solve the energy
and climate crises.

Reviving the World's Oceans

The world's oceans are on the brink
of ecological collapse. We can restore
marine vitality by ending overfishing,
creating marine protected areas and
improving the way we govern our
oceans.

Defending Endangered Wildlife and Wild Places

The destruction of our last remaining

wild lands means the loss of vast
troves of biological diversity, critical
regulators of global climate, and
irreplaceable sanctuaries.

Protecting Our Health By Preventing Pollution

We must reduce or eliminate the

dangerous chemicals in the products
we buy, the food we eat and the air
we breathe.

Ensuring Safe and Sufficient Water

As we enter the 21st century,

swelling demand and changing
climate patterns are draining rivers
and aquifers as pollution threatens
the quality of what remains.

Fostering (Promoting) Sustainable Communities

The choices we make for where and

how we live have enormous impacts
on our well-being, economy, and
natural environment. NEMC develops
and advocates sustainable solutions
for our communities.

Environmental Problems

Our environment is constantly changing..

However, as our environment changes, so
does the need to become increasingly
aware of the problems that surround it.
With a massive influx of natural disasters,
warming and cooling periods, different
types of weather patterns and much
more, people need to be aware of what
types of environmental problems our
planet is facing.

Environmental Problems
Global warming has become an undisputed fact
about our current livelihoods; our planet is
warming up and we are definitely part of the
problem. However, this isnt the only
environmental problem that we should be
concerned about. All across the world, people
are facing a wealth of new and challenging
environmental problems every day. Some of
them are small and only affect a few
ecosystems, but others are drastically changing
the landscape of what we already know.

Environmental Problems
Our planet is poised at the brink of a severe
environmental crisis. Current environmental
problems make us vulnerable to disasters
and tragedies, now and in the future. We are
in a state of planetary emergency, with
environmental problems piling up high
around us. Unless we address the various
issues prudently and seriously we are surely
doomed for disaster. Current environmental
problems require urgent attention.

Major Current Environmental

Problems

1. Pollution

Pollution of air, water and soil require millions

of years to recoup. Industry and motor vehicle
exhaust are the number one pollutants. Heavy
metals, nitrates and plastic are toxins
responsible for pollution. While water pollution
is caused by oil spill, acid rain, urban runoff;
air pollution is caused by various gases and
toxins released by industries and factories and
combustion of fossil fuels; soil pollution is
majorly caused by industrial waste that
deprives soil from essential nutrients.

2. Global Warming
Climate changes like global warming
is the result of human practices like
emission of Greenhouse gases.
Global warming leads to rising
temperatures of the oceans and the
earth surface causing melting of
polar ice caps, rise in sea levels and
also unnatural patterns of
precipitation such as flash floods,
excessive snow or desertification

3. Overpopulation
The population of the planet is reaching
unsustainable levels as it faces shortage of
resources like water, fuel and food.
Population explosion in less developed and
developing countries is straining the already
scarce resources. Intensive agriculture
practiced to produce food damages the
environment through use of chemical
fertilizer, pesticides and insecticides.
Overpopulation is one of the crucial current
environmental problem.

4. Natural Resource
Depletion
Natural resource depletion is another crucial
current environmental problems. Fossil fuel
consumption results in emission of
Greenhouse gases, which is responsible for
global warming and climate change. Globally,
people are taking efforts to shift to renewable
sources of energy like solar, wind, biogas and
geothermal energy. The cost of installing the
infrastructure and maintaining these sources
has plummeted in the recent years

5. Waste Disposal
The over consumption of resources and creation
of plastics are creating a global crisis of waste
disposal. Developed countries are notorious for
producing an excessive amount of waste or
garbage and dumping their waste in the oceans
and, less developed countries. Nuclear waste
disposal has tremendous health hazards
associated with it. Plastic, fast food, packaging
and cheap electronic wastes threaten the well
being of humans. Waste disposal is one of urgent
current environmental problem.

6. Climate Change
Climate change is yet another environmental
problem that has surfaced in last couple of
decades. It occurs due to rise in global
warming which occurs due to increase in
temperature of atmosphere by burning of
fossil fuels and release of harmful gases by
industries. Climate change has various
harmful effects but not limited to melting of
polar ice, change in seasons, occurrence of
new diseases, frequent occurrence of floods
and change in overall weather scenario.

7. Loss of Biodiversity
Human activity is leading to the extinction of
species and habitats and loss of bio-diversity.
Eco systems, which took millions of years to
perfect, are in danger when any species
population is decimating. Balance of natural
processes like pollination is crucial to the
survival of the eco-system and human
activity threatens the same. Another example
is the destruction of coral reefs in the various
oceans, which support the rich marine life.

8. Deforestation
Our forests are natural sinks of carbon
dioxide and produce fresh oxygen as well as
helps in regulating temperature and rainfall.
At present forests cover 30% of the land but
every year tree cover is lost amounting to the
country of Panama due to growing population
demand for more food, shelter and cloth.
Deforestation simply means clearing of green
cover and make that land available for
residential, industrial or commercial purpose.

9. Ocean Acidification
It is a direct impact of excessive
production of CO2. 25% of CO2
produced by humans. The ocean
acidity has increased by the last 250
years but by 2100, it may shoot up
by 150%. The main impact is on
shellfish and plankton in the same
way as human osteoporosis.

10. Ozone Layer

Depletion:
The ozone layer is an invisible layer of protection
around the planet that protects us from the suns
harmful rays. Depletion of the crucial Ozone layer of
the atmosphere is attributed to pollution caused by
Chlorine and Bromide found in Chloro-floro carbons
(CFCs). Once these toxic gases reach the upper
atmosphere, they cause a hole in the ozone layer, the
biggest of which is above the Antarctic. The CFCs are
banned in many industries and consumer products.
Ozone layer is valuable because it prevents harmful
UV radiation from reaching the earth. This is one of
the most important current environmental problem.

11. Acid Rain

Acid rain occurs due to the presence of
certain pollutants in the atmosphere.
Acid rain can be caused due to
combustion of fossil fuels or erupting
volcanoes or rotting vegetation which
releasesulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
into the atmosphere. Acid rain is a
known environmental problem that can
have serious effect on human health,
wildlife and aquatic species.

12. Water Pollution

Clean drinking water is becoming a
rare commodity. Water is becoming
an economic and political issue as
the human population fights for this
resource. One of the options
suggested is using the process of
desalinization. Industrial
development is filling our rivers seas
and oceans with toxic pollutants
which are a major threat to human

esults in spreading of city over more and more rural land. Urban sprawl results in land degradation, increased traffic, environmental issues and healt

13. Urban Sprawl

Urban sprawl refers to migration of
population from high density urban areas
to low density rural areas which results in
spreading of city over more and more rural
land. Urban sprawl results in land
degradation, increased traffic,
environmental issues and health issues.
The ever growing demand of land displaces
natural environment consisting of flora and
fauna instead of being replaced

14: Public Health Issues

The current environmental problems pose a
lot of risk to health of humans, and animals.
Dirty water is the biggest health risk of the
world and poses threat to the quality of life
and public health. Run-off to rivers carries
along toxins, chemicals and disease carrying
organisms. Pollutants cause respiratory
disease like Asthma and cardiac-vascular
problems. High temperatures encourage the
spread of infectious diseases like Dengue.

15. Genetic Engineering:

Genetic modification of food using
biotechnology is called genetic engineering.
Genetic modification of food results in
increased toxins and diseases as genes from
an allergic plant can transfer to target plant.
Genetically modified crops can cause serious
environmental problems as an engineered
gene may prove toxic to wildlife. Another
drawback is that increased use of toxins to
make insect resistant plant can cause resultant
organisms to become resistant to antibiotics.

Conclusion
The need for change in our daily lives and
the movements of our government is
growing. Because so many different factors
come into play; voting, governmental
issues, the desire to stick to routine, many
people dont consider that what they do
will affect future generations. If humans
continue moving forward in such a harmful
way towards the future, then there will be
no future to consider.

Conclusion
Although its true that we cannot physically
stop our ozone layer from thinning (and
scientists are still having trouble figuring out
what is causing it exactly,) there are still so
many things we can do to try and put a dent
in what we already know. By raising
awareness in your local community and
within your families about these issues, you
can help contribute to a more
environmentally conscious and friendly place
for you to live.

End of Lecture One

Thank you for your

attention!
C.D.S. Wemba
Asst. Lecturer