AED 1313AED 1313INTRO. TO BUILT ENVIRONMENT INTRO. TO BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Semester 1, 2013/2014Semester 1, 2013/2014

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

AND ISSUESAND ISSUES

Compiled by

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, CENTRE FOR FOUNDATION STUDIES, IIUM, PETALING JAYA

CONTENT

INTRODUCTION

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS AND STRATEGIES

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

INTRODUCTION

“A community which takes satan rather than Allah as its patron and assault nature to the extend of altering Allah's creation, will face

obvious and tangible loss and its ultimate abode will be (an environmental) hell from which it will find no escape.”

(Al-Quran, 4:117-119)

WHAT IS POLLUTION ?

The word comes from Latin word ”POLLUTUS’ which means MADE FOUL, UNCLEAN or DIRTY

Anything added to air, water, soil, or food that threatens the health, survival capability, or activities of living things.

Material that causes pollution is called pollutants

Definition from EQA (Act 127)

Any direct or indirect alteration of the physical, thermal, chemical or biological properties of any part of the environment

by discharging, emitting or depositing environmentally hazardous substances, pollutants or wastes, so as to affect any beneficial use adversely , to cause a condition that is hazardous or potentially hazardous to public health, safety or welfare, or to animals, birds, wildlife, fish or aquatic life, or to plants or to cause contravention of any condition, limitation or restriction to which a license under this Act is subject.

WATER POLLUTIONWATER POLLUTION

DEFINITIONDEFINITION

“ “Any physical, biological or chemical change in Any physical, biological or chemical change in water quality that adversely affects living organisms water quality that adversely affects living organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired uses”or makes water unsuitable for desired uses”

(Saigo, Cunningham, Environmental science, Mc Graw- Hill)(Saigo, Cunningham, Environmental science, Mc Graw- Hill)

WATER POLLUTION IS MAINLY CAUSED BY:

Domestic waste Agriculture waste Industrial waste Marine pollution – oil spill

SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION

1. POINT SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION

Discharge of pollution from specific locations

Identifiable because it comes from specific locations

Can be monitored / regulated

E.g. Industrial discharge (wastewater, chemicals, factories) and sewage treatment plants that emit fluids of varying quality directly into water supply.

2. NON – POINT SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION

Cannot be traced into any one point of discharge. Very hard to monitor Eg. Agriculture runoff ( chemicals, pesticides,

sediments) urban runoff, roadway runoff.

EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Human health – poisoning from drinking water of untreated sewage, poisonous food animals where they accumulate toxin from environment and human consume these food.

Unbalanced river / lake ecosystems that can no longer support full biological diversity.

Deforestation from acid rain

Eutrophication

WATER POLLUTION CONTROL

1. Point sources solution

Divert effluent from the waste streams and treat or filter it before it enters the environment.e.g. septic tank, primary & secondary sewage treatment

2. Non point sources solution Euthrophication

- Harvesting excessive plant growth; unwanted weeds can be eliminated by chemical

treatments.

Sediments- Construction and mining sites- sediment traps, destabilize the exposed area with grass immediately- Preserving wetlands

Urban runoff- Encourage to recycle waste oil and to minimize use of

fertilizers and pesticides.- Regular street sweeping - reduce contaminants

Agriculture- Applying precisely determined amounts of fertilizers - Use slow-release fertilizers- Plant buffer zones of permanent vegetation between cultivated field and nearby surface water

AIR POLLUTION

The air pollution have been predicted in the Quran:

“Watch for the day when the sky will bring forth visible smoke that will engulf.”

DEFINITION

Substances which, when presents in the atmosphere can adversely affect the health of humans, animals and plants or microbial life, damage materials or interfere with the enjoyment of life and the use of property.

WHAT IS AIR POLLUTANTS?Chemical or physical changes brought about by either natural processes or human activities, resulting in air quality degradation.

SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION Natural sources

Volcanoes erupt ash, acid mists, hydrogen sulfide and other toxic gasesForest fire creates cloud of smoke into the air

Human-caused air pollution

Effects and Causes of AirPollution

Polluted air can cause health problems and damage to the environment such as:

Health problems affecting all living things

Acid rain Greenhouse effect Thinning of the ozone layer in

the stratosphere Global warming Haze

Transportation Hydrocarbon control Emission control devices Raise parking fees

Industrial process Using particular removal such as bag filter and electronic

precipitator

Stationary fuel combustion Oil companies are required to offer alternative fuels, such as

methanol or ethanol, hydrogen or compressed natural gas.

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL

In mid-August 2005 several locations in mainland Malaysia declared air quality emergencies as smoke from burning in Indonesia wafted across the Strait of Malacca and blanketed the country with haze.

This image, created using data collected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura satellite, shows the density of the smoke on August 10, 2005. Red-colored areas show where smoke was thickest.

AIR POLLUTION CASE STUDY

NOISE POLLUTIONNOISE POLLUTION

WHAT IS NOISE POLLUTION?Sounds that are often annoys us, unpleasant or unwanted.

Noise PollutionNoise Pollution Noise and sound are measured in decibels.

A decibel number of 65, for example, would cause distraction and is considered “intrusive.” This is about the level of your average, everyday traffic.

80 decibels is considered annoying and is approximately the loudness of an alarm clock. Neither one of these is dangerous to your hearing, but can impair your ability to sleep.

A decibel level of around 88 would occur in city traffic or in industrial work. Individuals exposed to this noise level for a lengthy period of time may experience actual hearing damage.

Once the decibel level goes above 80, prolonged exposure such as eight hours or more may cause increased tension, fatigue, changes in breathing, blood circulation and of course, loss of hearing.

Sound at the level of 135 decibels is beyond annoying and intrusive, it becomes simply painful and can damage your hearing. A pneumatic drill would cause a sound like this.

SOURCES1. Transport noise Road noise comes from cars, buses, lorries, van & motorbike.

2. Social noiseNeighborhood noise- Amplified music, dogs, domestic activities, car repairs.

3. Industrial noiseFrom factory or by building works. - much more problem to people working in a factory, will suffer permanent hearing damage and report annoyance from general public.

NOISE POLLUTION SOLUTION

Transport noise

Sound reflector wall that are : a) High concrete wall or b) Louvered wall to be built between residential area and

highway road as a reflector. Bumper as to avoid racing along special road or residential

area. Planting zone as a barrier between spaces

Social noise -neighborhood Layout housing arrangement for car parking spaces, resident

have to few minutes walk away from residential area. Landscape design such as planting, fountain to avoid hearing

noise from road Double glazing and better insulated walls to reduce noise

Industrial noise

Zoning and planning layout by following the guidelines of government

Finding a new technology on machine by engineers to avoid noise pollution.

Precision Machinery Enclosure

Low Decibel Room (Below 40dBA)

High noise machinery enclosure (From130dBA, reduced to Below 80dBA)

GREEN HOUSE EFFECT

There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew members.

-Buckminster Fuller

DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING:

What is Environmental

Ethics?

It is about how human beings should relate to their environment, how to use Earth’s resources, and how to treat other species, both plant and animal.

Environmental Values 1. Take from the environment – only

resource needed for human life.2. Modify the environment – only when

the present environment is not conducive for human

2. Protects the public health – preserve the environment from deterioration.

3. Conserve renewable resources – planned and managed extraction.

4. Preserve special environment – nature reserve e.g. Kuala Gula, Hutan Belum, Gua Niah, Bukit Cherakah, Taman Negara, Tasik Bera, etc.

5. Protect special habitats – protect special animals, protect endangered species.

6. Protect the integrity of the global ecosystem – without it people won’t survive.

3 primary theories of moral responsibility regarding the environment:

1. Anthropocentric (human-centered)

- a theory of moral responsibility that views the environment as a resource for humankind.

2. Biocentric (life-centered)- a theory of moral responsibility that states that all forms of life have an inherent right to exist. Human have no right to reduce the richness and diversity except to satisfy vital needs. Living simple in means and co-exist with the rest of nature.

3. Ecocentrism - an approach to environmental responsibility that maintains that the environment deserves direct moral consideration rather than consideration derived merely from human interests.

WHY ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS Our natural resources are

limited. We are part of the

environment.-every living thing is interrelated

-concept of carrying capacity -Biogeochemical cycles We must understand and

cooperate with nature. Our action must be

ecological sound.

Inculcation of Environmental Ethics

Family Education –

formal and informal

Related agencies Promoting

models of sustainability

Everybody’s role Faith

The end

Take care of the earth…