Prof. S. F. Patil

Former Vice-Chancellor, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon & Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune, India & President, AIU, Delhi, India

Endangered Endangered EarthEarth

31-July -2010 ·· Pune / India,

Major environmental conferencesMajor environmental conferencesYear Conference

1972 Stockholm Conference

1975 UNESCO – UNEP International Environmental Education Program (IEEP)

1975 Belgrade Charter, Yugoslavia

1977 Tbilisi Conference, Georgia

1987 Tbilisi +10, Moscow (Jointly by UNESCO and UNEP)

1987 Montreal Protocol, Canada

1992 Earth Summit, Rio de Janerio (Agenda 21), Brazil

1997 Kyoto Protocol, Japan

1997 Environment and Development, Rio +5, Brazil

2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg

2005 Environment for Sustainable Future, India

WARNING….. World Watch Institute Washington DC (1992)1575 world famous scientist’s including 99 Nobel Laureates from 69 countries said that mankind has a few decades left to avoid ruin through current rate of disposal of the Earth’s resources. They concluded “unless there is a worldwide change of policy, the world is threatened with a grim scenario of wars of distribution, mass migration, misery and devastation.”

The most urgent problems singled out were:Air pollutionSquandering of drinking waterDestruction of rain forests Unsustainable use of resourcesOver population Dumping poisonous waste in the seas

AIRAIR

PRIMARY POLLUTANTS PRIMARY POLLUTANTS • There are five primary pollutants which

together contributes more than 90% of global air pollution

Carbon Monoxide , CO

Nitrogen Oxides, NOx

Hydrocarbons, HC

Sulphur Oxides, SOx

Particulates

Transportation accounts for more than 46% of the pollutants produced per year

Primary pollutant sources and amounts in M tons/ year in USA (1976)

Source: National Quality and Emission Trends Report USA-1976

Weight of pollutant produced

Total weight of pollutants

Pollutant source CO NOx HC SOx

Particulates

P ≤ 20 µ P ≥3 µ

Transportation 69.7 10.1 10.8 0.8 1.2 1.0 93.6

Fuel combustion 1.2 11.8 1.4 21.9 4.6 1.3 42.2

Industrial processes

7.8 0.7 9.4 4.1 6.3 2.7 31.0

Solid waste disposal

7.8 0.6 1.6 0.1 1.1 - 11.2

Miscellaneous 8.5 0.4 6.3 0.1 1.3 - 16.6

Total Weight of each pollutant

95 23.6 29.5 27.0 - 19.5 194.6

Sources of COSources of COAnnual global scale: 350 M tons

USA alone releases 100 M tons of CO / year

Major sources• Transportation:64% of total CO

( Motor vehicles:59.2%, Air craft : 2.4 % and Railway : 0.1 %)

• Forest fires &.2 %• Agricultural burning : 8.3 %• Industrial processes: 9.6 %

Natural : 75 M tonsHuman activities : 275 M tons

Source: US Department of Energy, 2005

Vehicles per 1,000 persons in different regions/countries

12 21 40 83 112

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COCO2 2 emission from fossil fuel combustion (1998)emission from fossil fuel combustion (1998)

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency, 2000

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Air pollution : Health hazardsAir pollution : Health hazards

• Every year, approximately 0.8 million deaths are attributed to urban air pollution

(Source: ‘The Leapfrog factor’, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi and World Watch Institute, 2006)

• 9600 deaths due to skin cancer and 1,54,900 deaths due to lung cancer were reported in the US in 2002. ( Source American Cancer

Society, Inc. 2002)

• In China and India 0.59 million and 0.46 million people respectively die annually due to urban air pollution alone. (Source: World Bank, 2006)

Smoking: Is it known to you?Smoking: Is it known to you?

Nicotine: In cigarette 0.9-1.8 mg In bidi 1.7-2.8 mgTar : In cigarette 19-28 mg In bidi 23-41 mg

• Carbon monoxide in smoke prevents the use of oxygen.• Hydrogen cyanide is a poisonous chemical which destroys the respiratory tract.• Phenyl benzopyrine is carcinogenic.

Consequences: cancer of lungs, mouth, throat, digestive tract, vocal chord etc. blood pressure, heart trouble, weakness, loss of appetite and malnutrition.

WATERWATER

The Planet’s water The Planet’s water

(1400 M km3) 19600 m3

Water usage factsWater usage facts• Presently, 1.1 billion people lack access to water

supply and 2.4 billion to sanitation.

• By 2050, 7 billion people in 60 countries may face water scarcity .

• There is a severe inequity in water distribution. A child in a developed country consumes 30-50 times more water than the developing country.

• Everyday 2 million tons of waste is poured into water, while 1 litre of waste water pollutes 8 litres of fresh water.

Source: State of the world 2004, The World Watch Institute, USA, 2004

During the World Water Conference (1977)

a Syrian delegate remarked that water will be more expensive than diesel in future.

Impact of water pollutionImpact of water pollution

• Everyday, about 29,000 children under the age of five die from causes that are easily preventable such as diarrhea, dehydration and malaria.

• Malaria causes more than 300 million acute illness and one million deaths annually

• Between 2000 to 2004, more than 3,000 people died globally due to yellow fever

• Former Director General of WHO (Dr. Halfdan) said that, ‘The number of water taps per 1000 persons is a better indication of health than the number of hospital beds’. Source: UNICEF, 2004, New York, USA / World Health Organization, 2004

Mn: (about 0.1 mg/ lit) causes loss of memory, impotence and eye diseases

Hg: (about 0.001 mg/lit) causes loss of vision, hearing and intellectual abilities.

As (about 0.05 mg/lit ) is carcinogenic

Cd (about 0.005 mg/lit) causes cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea

Pb (about 0.05 mg/lit) causes intestinal cramps, peripheral nerve paralysis, anemia and fatigue. In children it causes damage to brain and mental retardation.

F: (about 3 mg/lit) causes fluorosis of teeth and above 4 mg/lit can cause deformation of bones.

Diseases caused by some trace elements Diseases caused by some trace elements in waterin water

In Bangladesh millions of people drink Arsenic contaminated water causing cancer

Source: World Health Organization 2004

Arsenic concentrations in Bangladeshi tubewellsArsenic concentrations in Bangladeshi tubewells

BIODIVERSITYBIODIVERSITY

Threatened SpeciesThreatened Species

• The number of recorded species is about 1.4 million, but the total is estimated at about 5 million species .

• It has taken 3.5 billion years for this biodiversity to evolve and we are rapidly destroying it.

• Natural rate of extinction is about one species per year where the present rate is estimated at 10,000 per year due to human impacts.

• One in every four mammals and one in every eight birds is facing a high risk of extinction in future.

Source: Threatened Species, IUCN, 2002

Source: International Union for conservation of Nature, 2006

Year wise globally threatened speciesYear wise globally threatened species

Threatened species

10533 11046 1116712259

15503 16118

0

2000

40006000

8000

10000

1200014000

16000

18000

1996/98 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006

Endangered Species: Global ScenarioEndangered Species: Global Scenario

Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2006

1107 1183 1192 1194 1213 1206

124 146 157 157

1770 1811

53285611 5714

6774

8321 8390

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

1996/98 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006

Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibians Plants

Threatened species (2006)Threatened species (2006)

Red data list includes 16,118 threatened species

• Vertebrates 5624 (35%) • Invertebrates 2104 (13%)• Plants 8390 (52%)

Source:International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2006

POPULATIONPOPULATION&&

RESOURCE RESOURCE CONSUMPTIONCONSUMPTION

Population growth of the worldPopulation growth of the world

Era YearsPopulation In

Millions

7000 – 4500 BC 2500 10 to 20

4500 – 2500 BC 2000 20 to 40

2500 – 1000 BC 1500 40 to 80

1000 - 0 BC 1000 80 to 160

1850 - 1950 AD 100 1,200 to 2,500

1950 - 1987 AD 37 2,500 to 5,000

1987 - 1991 AD 4 5,000 to 5,400

1991 - 2000 AD 9 5,400 to 6,050

2000 – 2005 5 6,050 to 6,325

Source: Population Reference Bureau, United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects, 2005

Population forecasts predict that unless effective birth control measures are taken at the end of the 21st century, there will be 14,000 million people living on this earth. However, the earth’s capacity for providing nourishment would probably reach its limit with a total population of 10,000 million.

(Source: United Nations)

Resource consumption patternsResource consumption patterns

• People are using over 20 % more natural resources each year .

• The consumption pattern led to unsustainable use of natural resources. Between 1960 and 1995, worldwide use of minerals rose by 2.5 fold, metals 2.1 fold and wood products by 2.3 fold.

• Consumption is highest in nations like US. An American uses 22 kg of aluminum per year, while an Indian uses 2 kg and an African less than 1 kg.

• With around 5% of world population US consumes about 40% of worlds resources and emits around 21% of the worlds carbon dioxide.

Source: Living planet report 2002, UK

Energy consumption per head in selected countries in 1991Energy consumption per head in selected countries in 1991

Country Energy/ Kg CE

USA 10921

Germany 6375

France 5457

Great Britain 5353

Japan 4754

Egypt 713

Sri Lanka 133

Ethiopia 25

Nepal 24

CE- Coal Equivalent

Source: United Nations: Energy statistics Yearbook. United Nations Publications. ( New York 1994)

TODAY’S RAW MATERIAL – TOMORROW’S WASTETODAY’S RAW MATERIAL – TOMORROW’S WASTE

• Raw materials such as metals, mineral oil, gas and coal are not available for use in inexhaustible quantities. Man has always looked upon the earth’s treasures as something that could be taken for granted.

• The question arises whether these resources belong to our generation alone. Do they not belong to succeeding generations? Have we the right to leave to these generations only rubbish dumps and poisonous substances in the place of resources?

• Sooner or later the last barrel of oil and the last ton of iron and copper ore will be used up.

World Mineral Wealth 1993World Mineral Wealth 1993

Some examples from Bureau of Mines, WashingtonSome examples from Bureau of Mines, Washington

Raw Material Reserves

/ M tons

Estimated production / M

tons

Last for / Year

Copper 310 9.3 33

Gold 0.042 0.002 21

Lead 63 3.2 19

Zinc 140 7 20

Nickel 47 0.826 57

Manganese 800 20.4 43

Think Globally Think Globally act Locally………act Locally………

Website: www.bvuniversity.edu.in Email: prof.sfpatil@rediffmail.com