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CHAPTER 7 Environmental Education and Awareness
CHAPTER 7 Environmental Education and Awareness
ENVIRONMEN
TAL
EDUCATION
AND
AWARENESS
Environmental Education promotes environmental
literacy and develops the skill needed to be
environmentally responsible.
• Energy use and conservation – the use of nonrenewable fossil fuel) and renewable (solar
power)resources
• Water use and conservation – proper usage of water for institutions (schools, buildings, malls, cities,
towns. etc.)
• Hazardous materials use- the usage of explosives, toxics, flammable gasses ,and radioactive materials
during operations like mining or in factories
• Wastes - can be a by-product of a manufacturing process or an obsolete commercial product that can no
longer be used for its intended purpose and requires disposal
• Land contamination - Land can become contaminated due to releases of hazardous materials, wastes, or
oil, including naturally occurring substances.
• Biodiversity and natural resources – the conversion of forests, mountains and other natural resources
into housings or facilities can lead to loss of bio diversities in our ecosystem.
• Occupational health and safety - Providing workers with a safe and healthy work environment, free from
physical, chemical, biological, and radiological hazards inherent in a particular industry sector, is essential
for ensuring the long-term sustainability of a client's/investee's operations.
• Community health, safety, and security - A client's/investee's operations can increase the potential for
community exposure to risks and impacts arising from accidents, structural failures, and releases of
hazardous materials
• Indigenous peoples- (tribes or first nation people) mostly affected by the loss of bio diversities and natural
resources because they live there. If a client’s/investee’s operations are initiated and conducted without the
involvement of Indigenous Peoples, this can lead to misunderstanding and conflict.
• Cultural heritage-(archeological, historical, religious and artistic significances) If a client’s/investee’s
operations are initiated and conducted without consideration for cultural heritage, there are significant legal
and reputational risks.
Waste Management Issues
One of the major waste disposal problems is attributed to the generation of too much waste. America alone is
responsible for the producing of about 220 million tons of waste annually. In 2007 for instance, it’s recorded that
Americans generated nearly 260 million tons of municipal solid waste. This is about 2.1 kg per person each day.
The point is; if these are only figures in America, let’s try to imagine the amount of waste produced by the rest of
the population across the globe.
The 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake of March 11,
2011, caused devastating geotechnical and geo-environmental issues
mainly in the coastal area of the Tohoku and North-Kanto Regions,
Japan. As a result of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami,
approximately 23,000 Gg (23,000,000 t) of disaster debris was
generated, with more than 12 million m3 of tsunami deposits left in the
flooded area. The geotechnical utilization of the soil fraction in the
disaster debris and tsunami deposits has presented a huge challenge to
geotechnical engineers since
The clearance of debris and tsunami deposits is an urgent task which must be completed
within a few years and
Although a large amount of waste-mixed soil can be used in the construction of new
embankments and levees to protect the coast from future tsunamis, their geotechnical
properties have temporal and spatial variations. In addition, the environmental monitoring
data on soil and groundwater quality conducted over the affected area is briefly reviewed.
The results of several wide-area monitoring efforts conducted by different organizations
indicate that no significant soil or groundwater contamination has occurred. However, the
localized contamination near industrial plants where toxic chemicals leaked due to the
earthquake and tsunami needs to be carefully taken into consideration during future revival
and redevelopment works.
• Water Pollution
Some polluted water looks muddy, smells bad, and has
garbage floating in it. Some polluted water looks clean,
but is filled with harmful chemicals you can’t see or
smell.
Environmental health issues which include: