Environmental Impact Assessment and Technological Impact - Outline Example

Engineering xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Environmental Impact Assessment and Technological impact xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Institution xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lecturer xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date Question1. Causal factors behind technological developments in different cultures There are two major types of thinking in the line of technological development, the evolutionary and the comparative or contemporary thoughts. Man’s quest for solution to the problems of the day set the evolutionary thought working (Tijani, 2004). The prosperity of any nation doesn’t depend on the abundance of its revenue or the strengths of its fortification but the number of its cultivated citizens, in its men of education, enlightment and character (Martin Luther). Patterns of thinking in modern technological development, e.g. the electric power development Technological development of a railway line from ancient times is a good example. The steam-powered train was the earliest in the history of the train; pioneered with the wood powered steam then to the coal powered steam. Due to limited availability of these two, man had to think up a way out to keep the train on the railway and people moving. It is here that in 1830’s the diesel was developed. This gave way to the electric train in the 1891 designed by Charles Brown in Zurich. This has been under sporadic development to a high-speed AC electric train in the 1960’s. As a consequence, the cost of electrifying the whole system at once was impractical, thus only some divisions were electrified (Hay, 1982). In the America, electrification was aimed at mountainous routes for safety purposes. Some areas experienced electric and diesel trains e.g. in Connecticut. The North America has enjoyed the flexibility of diesel locomotives and the relative low cost of their infrastructure thereto. This has given them prevalence even in areas where the legal requirement is electrification. The electric train gave way to the development of the ultra modern train that is electromagnetic in nature. The train employs both electricity and magnetism to power it. This is the latest type of train cruising at a supersonic speed. Critism of Modern technology As a critique, modern technology is not only an angel but also a devil. Through modern technology, such as the nuclear energy, there are dangerous developments that are bound to result from them. The latest example is the tsunami in Japan this year that claimed the lives of many. The tsunami herein was caused by a malfunction of the underground nuclear plant. Through technology, man has created dangerous arsenal for warfare that can claim the whole world in a second. The atomic bombing of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima is a living example. Moral ethics have also been greatly violated because of modern technology. The internet is a home of all sorts of information. Young persons are daily downloading pornographic data. On You Tube, one is able to watch any kind of movie irrespective of the moral package behind it. The quest for speed and related development of supersonic train, super highways, express ways, and jumbo jet mean that in case of an accident, no single life can survive. . As a consequence technology has begotten the worst form of pollution today. Auto mobiles and major manufacturing plants are releasing ever-increasing amounts of hydrogen sulphides, carbon dioxide, and that may greatly contribute to global warming. Robotic mechanisms and computer wizards have become increasingly advanced, fewer jobs are available due to the fact that machines can perform a task more efficiently at a quicker pace, and this as a result creates manpower hollows. Isolation in the modern generation is rampant and essential the modern lifestyle since the youth spent most of their time on the internet and computers. Question2. Project: Construction of an airport. Environmental Impact Assessment EIA refers to the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating, and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of developing a proposal prior to major decisions being made. The future consequences of an undergoing or a current project are taken into consideration. E.I.A should in essence be an on-going process (Walters&Holling1990). Purpose and objectives of E.I.A. This E.I.A. is tailored to ensure that environmental considerations are explicitly adhered to and incorporated into the decision making of any engineering project. In this scenario, E.I.A. is meant to ensure the construction of an airport doesn’t culminate into environmental problems. In essence, it is meant to protect the productivity, the capacity of the natural system and the ecological processes and ensure they are working in tandem, being located in an agrarian location; the presence of the airport should not bear negatively. The assessment helps to make sure the ecosystem is in sync. E.I.A. is meant to promote the development that is sustainable and optimize resource management. Airport developed in the locality will increase air transport thus improved living standards. The steps that govern the undertaking of E.I.A. as related to suburban project development are as stated hereunder; Preliminary activities; this will encapsulate the selection of an out going a person to head the EIA and the collection of background information. Impact identification; this in essence involves a broad analysis of the impacts of project activities with a view to identifying those which are worthy of a detailed study. This can be done by taking a case study of a past project. Baseline study; entails the collection of detailed information and data on the condition of the project area prior to the project's implementation. Impact evaluation should be done whenever possible in quantitative terms and should include the working-out of potential mitigation/ control measures. Impact evaluation cannot proceed until project alternative has been defined, but should be completed early enough to permit decisions to be made in a timely fashion. Assessment involves combining environmental losses and gains with economic costs and benefits to procedure a complete account to each project alternative. Cost-benefit analysis should include environmental impacts where these can be evaluated in monetary terms. Documentation is prepared to describe the work done in the E.I.A. A working document is prepared to provide clearly stated and argued recommendations for immediate action. Decision-making based on the nature of the assessment, it comes a time when the decision maker has to make a ruling based on the scope and content. Post audits prior to the establishment of the project, E.I.A. drives us getting or estimating certain parameter e.g. the amount of carbon dioxide, amount of oxides in the effluents et cetera. These are made to determine how close to reality the E.I.A. predictions were. Benefits of E.I.A. Meant to ensure environmental safety an conservation of the ecosystem Risks of E.I.A. 1. Health risks. The personnel and persons living in the jurisdiction of the establishment. 2. Environmental effect of the project, say to the pollution. References Hay, William 1982, The economics of electrification, Railroad engineering, New York: Wiley. pp137. Sadler, Brown 1999, Principles of environmental impact assessment best practice, Oxford publishers. pp248. Walters, Holling 1990, Large-scale management experiments and learning by doing in Ecology, 71:2060-2068. Tijani-Alawe, B 2004, Entrepreneurship Processes and Small Business Management, Industrial Science Centre, Owoyemi Hse. Read More