Unit III Impact Assessment and Environmental Protection An Introduction

Overview terms related to natural and environmental disasters will be examined and their appropriate use determined. You are first introduced to a method (SPEEERM) in which to examine the impact of an environmental disaster and learn its application by using an example. You will then choose an environmental issue and apply the learning that you have acquired. Completion of a formative assignment will introduce you to a variety of environmental disasters in preparation of other activities in the unit.

A. Terms Natural Disaster: the consequence of a natural hazard which affects human activities. E.g. ? Environmental Disaster: a disaster that is due to human activity … in this case, the impact of humans' alteration of the ecosystem has led to widespread and/or long-lasting consequences E.g. ? How are natural disasters caused by humans?

Examples: Natural Disasters: Earthquake Indian Ocean Floods Mumbai, India Tsunami Indian Ocean (Thailand) Climate--Hurricane Katrina Epidemics--AIDS, SARS pandemic

Examples: Environmental Disasters: Agricultural--salinization of the Fertile Crescent Industrial--Bhopal disaster, 1984 Nuclear--Chalk River, Ontario 1950 Oil Spills--Torrey Canyon, 1967 Warfare--Hiroshima, 1945 Other--extinction of the American Bison

Examples: Natural Disasters Caused by Humans: Floods--caused by the removal of trees and marshes, and by damming rivers Landslides--reduction of vegetation on slopes, increases runoff Wildfires--accidentally started by human activity Climate change--adverse weather conditions are being attributed to global warming

Issue: A significant and controversial problem – one over which there is usually substantial disagreement as to its nature, causes, consequences and solutions (characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and change) 1. Brainstorm Environmental Issue vs Resource Management Issue 2. Explain the difference between the two.

Environmental Issue: relate to the degradation of the environment Resource Management Issue: are concerned with the sustainability of resources. How are these related?

Assessing Impacts Political: Politics is about power and control. Any organization (e.g., a government or multi-national corporation) that designs, administers, and makes judgments about rules or control, has power. When there are global problems, it is necessary to identify who controls the situation. However, when there is no clear controlling power, solutions become more complex. Environmental: Environmental features are those that impact both the natural environ- ment (e.g., a rain forest) and the environment within which people interact with nature (e.g., a village or city). Environmental considerations can either be localized (such as a water shortage in a village in India) or they can be global (such as the impact of global warming on Earth’s oceans). Social: Social factors are those having to do with interpersonal relations or relations among communities, and include cultural factors. ‘Culture’ describes the customs, values, and other forms of human endeavour characteristic of a particular community. Our lifestyles – the way we work, the way we learn, what we eat, where we live, what we do in our free time, the way we dress, the music we listen to, and even the way we relate to our friends and families – are part of our culture and our social systems. Economic: In discussing economic impact, we should consider an issue’s financial costs – the cost of having the problem in the first place and the cost of its remedy – and the financial benefits resulting from proposed solutions.

Examining Environmental Impacts Activity: In small groups of 2 or 3, select one environmental or resource management issue to investigate. 1. Describe its geographic characteristics (natural and human). 2. Assess its political, social, environmental, and economic impacts. 3. Rank the impacts in order from most important to least. 4. Present findings to the class.