Environmental Awareness - Welsh Assembly Government - Case Study Example

Environmental Awareness - Welsh Assembly Government Method Statement To write the report, website of the Welsh Assembly Government was thoroughly read, particularly the content related to different issues of environmental awareness. Linking websites were also visited to know in depth the issues, their meanings, scope, different aspects, problems and steps taken by the WAG. All legislative regulations were read and relevant content was selected for review. As engineering disciplines have been closely related to all environment concerns, research was made to know more on scientific and engineering backgrounds of the topics. The Welsh Assembly Government is making strenuous efforts in creating consciousness on environment issues. The government website is a one stop for providing knowledge on all environment related issues. The environment all over the world has become a burning issue as our planet has become witness to the negative results of industrial and business activities and policies among other reasons of affecting climate and life on earth. Visiting the Welsh Assembly Government’s (WAG) website provides a detailed review of responsibility areas; the government website provides wholesome knowledge on all major and minor issues, how it is working to fulfill its role and responsibilities and how it is functioning in the direction of providing a learning experience for its people. Anyone searching the required information on the WAG website would find it in detail. Some of the areas of responsibility related to environmental awareness issues are reviewed below. Climate Change Climate change poses the most alarming risk to our planet. Change in climate is the direct result of over-exploitation of our natural resources, the impact of which can be seen in the form of heat waves, hotter summers, floods, drought, and mild winters due to warming of the earth resulting in melting of glaciers. The website provides knowledge on using fossil fuels by the businesses to minimise emissions of greenhouse gases. It has started charging levy on climate change among other leads it has taken by entering into agreements, increasing capital allowances, starting emissions trading schemes, entering into renewable transport fuel obligation and its commitment on reducing carbon. The website provides links for crucial information on bio-fuels for transport, carbon reduction commitment through NetRegs guidance on bio-fuels. Guidance information touches all aspects of climate change, the greenhouse effect due to increase in the quantity of such gases as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride, perfluorocarbons, and hydrofluorocarbons. The website provides a list of human activities adding to these harmful gases like burning of fossil fuels for different needs, decomposition of waste in landfill sites, misusing land, and use of fertilisers, how F-gases like refrigerants, solvents, and fire-fighting liquids are depleting the ozone layer. (http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/62963.aspx, 2009). WAG website provides links on crucial areas of climate change like calculating carbon footprint of your business, ways to reduce the impact on climate, adapting to climate change, offsetting carbon footprint on your business, climate change levy (CCL), how emissions can be traded besides providing changes in legislation (http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/62959.aspx, 2009). For example when you click on the CCL link, you come to know that it is a tax charged on using non-renewable energy like electricity from national grid, coal, and liquefied petroleum gas. This tax is included in the energy bills, which gets exempted with reductions in National Insurance Contributions (http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/62973.aspx, 2009). Climate change is related to Geo-engineering, which could be the solution to greenhouse gases. As control over greenhouse gases is not possible, some solution on the lines of Mt. Pinatubo volcano that erupted in 1991 can be tried. Volcano particles kept on hovering over the sky for two years blocking the sun rays and cooling the earth. Geo-engineers recommend a simulated volcanic eruption calling it “Plan B” for cooling the earth (http://marketplace.publicradio.or/display/web/2008/01/30/planb/_pm3_geoengineering/, 2009). Climate change is directly related to the physical science. Climatologists are very sure of the fact hat human activities are responsible for warmer earth atmosphere. Climatologists study “eureka” moments, besides measuring changes in temperature, satellite sounding, and conduct climate-model experiments. Scientists have cross-checked the data and results of climate change as per their observations. They have also tested other reasons of climate change to substantiate their reasoning by applying highest standards. It is now very much clear that human interference in nature has caused extensive damage to the environment. Future still depends on and is in the hands of people all over the world to control greenhouse gas emissions (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=science-behind-climate-change, 2009). Air Quality The WAG website provides different causes of air pollution. Both domestic and industry are responsible for polluting the air. Industrial boilers and furnaces add to the pollution level. If any such nuisance of polluting air quality happens, the local council takes penal action; similarly, anybody can go to the court to seek redress from such nuisance. The website provides knowledge on the national air quality strategy touching ways to tackle air quality issues, standards and objectives of maintaining air quality, strategy structure to remove small particles, and new policy initiatives to be introduced to meet the strategy aims. The WAG website enumerates the pollutants causing air pollution, namely nitrogen dioxide, sulphur, benzene, and fine dust coming from industry, vehicles, domestic sources, and biological particles. In Wales, the local council declares an area air quality management area (AQMA) if its level is below the agreed limit. The website lists a number of problems that could be faced by the businesses located in AQMA. A link takes direct to the Wales air quality website summarising the air pollution with the help of an index. One can measure the current level, view the summary of the previous 24 hours and the monitored data through the air pollution bulletin. The website foretells air pollution for North Wales and South Wales (http://www.welshairquality.co.uk/index.php?lg=, 2009). All legislation updates on air are provided to the visitors to the site. It includes names of the air pollutants causing harm to the environment, authorising bodies, and financial means to opt for less polluting means of working. The Clean Air Act of 1993 prohibits the coming of dark smoke from the chimneys and furnaces, stipulating minimum chimney heights and setting of smoke control zones. The website on air quality provides help on Clean Air Act 1993. The Act empowers the local councils to regulate the air quality as per the EU standards on sulphur and particles. The local councils can put on hold the use of certain fuels causing harm. Energy and fuel Renewable energy is the latest mantra, as propounded by the WAG website. It is going to be an add-on factor in changing the climate for better living prospects. Work done by the government to know public opinion on the topic of renewable energy, as per their saying, will help the assembly in chalking out an energy strategy in a given time frame. The government plans to rope in renewable energy sources like wind, wave, and tidal energy in near future to produce electricity. The website updates visitors on latest such projects the like of Severn Tidal Power. Severn being one of the biggest tidal ranges, it is 14 meters, is an opportunity to generate renewable energy. Information of tidal energy constituting 5% of the UK power needs is quite encouraging to rope in this renewable source for tapping. As the website acknowledges the tidal energy will help in climate change for the better future besides adding to the renewable energy sources of the country. The WAG website provides functional strategy of carrying this project by conducting a study on the tidal power resource including different ministries and departments led by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Visitors to the site get an impression of the government efforts in trying newer means of renewable energy. Different phases of the study provide knowledge how such a huge project requires initial study before starting the next stage of the project involving selection of barrages and lagoons and zero-in on the tidal technology to be used for the project. Responsibility of the government in starting such a big project becomes visible when reading that social, economic, and environmental impacts of the project will be studied before facing the public to share facts and taking the final decision in a set time frame (http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/energy/severntidal/?lang=en, 2009). The tidal energy is related to the basic science and engineering of tapping tidal waves, as density of sea waves is 832 times to the air. This medium holds greater promise than other renewable resources because of its ‘super-high density’. Volume and flow rates of the tides in coastal areas are taken into calculation before zeroing-in on tidal energy. Making a comparison of it with wind energy, the velocity of sea water flow of 8 Knots is equivalent to 230 miles an hour of wind energy. Technology is at the heart of tidal power plants. First generation technology needs the construction of a dam across the bay or estuary with enough differences in heights between low and high tides. Electricity is generated with conventional turbines. The first-generation tidal power plants have been conducive to marine environment but engineers are not in their favour due to collection of silt. The second-generation tidal power plants work on new devices called Vertical-axis and Horizontal-axis models. They function under water. In the U.K. the Horizontal-axis turbine models have been tried successfully. Whether it is energy by natural fuels or renewable sources, whatever source it may be, engineering processes are at the heart of their functioning, as seen from one of the many energy resources – tidal energy above (http://bluenergy.com/Uploads/TidalEnergy/TidalEnergyPrimer.pdf, 2009). Contaminated land Land becomes contaminated due to industrial activities done in the past. The WAG website provides information on all types of contaminated land including the business activities of hazardous nature dealing in chemicals and fuels. There are hazards to human and environment due to contamination, as alerted. Regulations are yet to be made in Wales. Basic guidelines are there to be viewed providing detailed knowledge and information on defining contaminated land, deciding responsibility for cleaning the contaminated land, land assessment & remediation besides telling ways of stopping land contamination. It provides knowledge of damage to the environment due to contamination and legislation as well. A land becomes contaminated when hazardous radio active substances cause harm and pollute underground water. The WAG website provides information on the damage to the whole environment including health of the people, buildings, animals, livestock, and ecological systems and organism. It has enumerated reasons causing contamination from metals, chemicals, and organic material like oil and fuel. It is the responsibility of the local council to inform the regulator, land owner and the person responsible for cleaning. The local council also can declare ‘special site’ a place if it has been used for creating pollution and such industrial activities or the radio activity has polluted the land affecting water resources on the ground and below the ground. Such ‘special sites’ are under the control of environment regulator. Responsibility of cleaning the contaminated land rests on the occupants irrespective of the reason whether they are living there or not. There are different time slots UK-wide putting responsibilities on the occupants if it has caused environment damage. There are environment permits, and pollution control permits, and waste management licenses given by the regulating body. Once remedial action is taken, land becomes risk-free. Incase no responsibility can be finalised; the regulator takes the decision on cleaning the land (http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/63412.aspx, 2009). Legislation on contaminated land is different throughout the UK, as in Wales, the Contaminated Land Regulations 2006 SI 2989 exists, providing provisions for identification and remediation of contaminated land. As you click on the link on ‘Contaminated Land Legislation’, you can view a list of legislations on radioactive contaminated land, new environment damage regulations, amendments and modifications including technical amendments in force (http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/63420.aspx, 2009) Contaminated land and its reclamation are engineering related issues of environment science and technology. Land requires physical treatment, bio-remediation, chemical treatment, solidification and thermal treatment that come in the related fields of chemistry and geology (http://www.marketresearch.com/map/prod/2382476.html, 2009). The contamination clean up activities include areas of analytical laboratory, biological/ecological studies, engineering/remediation studies (treatability/feasibility investigations, technology evaluations, process reviews, and plant inspections), multimedia studies (geological investigations, soil gas surveys, risk assessments, field analytical surveys), health and safety activities, and other technical support services. Waste and recycling The WAG website provides guidance on reducing, reusing, and recycling business waste. Reduce, reuse and recycle your business waste. The detailed information includes benefits of waste recycling, ways of reducing and using the waste, items to be recycled, their segregation and storage, contractor services, on-site recycling, and all other related information, as you click on the related link (http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/63067.aspx, 2009). The website provides information regarding the financial and environmental benefits of recycling waste. Financially, it saves tax on landfill, which is £40 per tone, increasing at the rate of £8 a year until April 2013. Businesses can save about 4-5% of their turnover by paying less tax on landfill among other benefits. Environment benefits of recycling come with the saving of energy; just 5% energy is required to recycle aluminium. The website tells ways to reduce and reuse waste, which is more economic and less energy is required than when recycling is done. Information on how to reduce and reuse your waste is provided so that recycling is required only as the last alternative. A link on “Waste Online” opens up sheets on how to recycle hazardous material like batteries, as they are made of chemicals. The role of local council is described for collecting batteries or through a commercial recycling contractor. Ways of reducing battery usage are given to reduce waste. Links on new battery directives are given to know what legislation is going to be applicable in future. For electrical and electronic waste, the EU battery directives apply. The items under the regulation are computers, fluorescent light tubes, fridges, washing machines, televisions, and automatic dispensers. Some items come in the category of ozone depleting substances that need extra care while recycled. A number of links are given on relevant waste recycling functions and responsibilities in recycling with care and items containing fluorinated gases. For ‘End-of-life vehicles, they need to be deported for dismantling and making them pollution free. Accessories and parts of vehicles can be recycled. There are controls on waste vehicles, cars, trucks, and motor bikes, which need to be observed. Vehicles to be recycled should be sent at the authorised treatment facility (ATF). The ATFs need to possess waste management licence or the environment permit, which should be updated. Paper formalities are essential like getting a certificate of destruction, which stands as a guarantee for deregistering the vehicle. The WAG website provides instructions also on packaging if the nature of the product demands. Packaging should contain minimum of heavy metals like lead and mercury, which should be reused, recycled or kept safe if possible (http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/63073.aspx, 2009). Waste recycling is related to chemical engineering. To reduce such waste, chemical manufacturers have been permitted by the EPA to sell or reuse some of the hazardous remaining parts under the new regulation becoming effective from October 7 (http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/86/i41/8641notw9.html, 2009). As the bad habit of dumping the hazardous waste is still prevalent, new high speed chemical processes can save from this environmental issue. It requires engineering data to test the economic and technical feasibility. Environment - protection and quality Making the environment clean is the liability and responsibility of all. The WAG has issued it Wales Environment Strategy in March 2006. The website provides a view of the division of responsibilities among different local bodies such as local environment issues to be the liability of local agencies, regulations to be made by the Environment Agency, and the funding, policy and legislation on environment issues are the liability of the WAG. All the issues discussed above are environment issues, be it climate change, waste & recycling, air quality, energy and fuels, and contamination of land, they affect the environment. In the order of preference, climate change is crucial. Impacts of climate change result in floods and scarcity of water. The Welsh Assembly Government is quite serious on its intent to reduce greenhouse gases. Another environment issue is related to waste recycling. Recycling rates are although over 25% but the government intends to be more firm in reducing the quantity of waste to be buried in the ground. The website provides information on the air and water quality, which is satisfactory due to diligence shown by the government in regulating and checking standards to be at par with the European levels in air purity and water cleanliness. Regarding local environment quality, issues like fly-tipping and littering create consciousness so that all agencies including the Environment Agency and the Welsh Assembly Government’s regulatory and enforcement mechanism has effectively dealt with the issues at stake for the benefit of all. Some pollutants like chemicals and radioactivity are serious and demanding to attract government attention with the new Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations. More control over chemicals will result, as the government is working with Health and Safety Executives and other regulating agencies so that REACH meets its goals. Regulation on radioactive waste is under review on emissions and limits under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/epq/?lang=en, 2009). Next environmental issue is hazardous waste. Although it has been explained above, the website provides separate guidance to businesses according to the location. In Wales, all businesses produce some sort of hazardous waste that includes clinical waste, garage waste, and office waste. The website lists all hazardous products by their names for all visitors to know the type of hazardous item so that it could be stored, taken and disposed of properly. Businesses will get knowledge on producing less hazardous waste that will reduce their disposal cost and affects on the environment. The WAG website covers topics like hazardous waste controls, transportation of such waste, reduction and storage, how to send the hazardous waste to landfill, and general information besides legislation. Legislation includes following EC regulations and satisfying the UN criteria for classifying, labeling and packaging of such items (http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/63466.aspx, 2009). There is a list of Welsh environmental legislation on air, chemical, conservation, energy, land and others with clickable links to get comprehensive knowledge and updates on environmental legislation (http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/legislation/current/63618.aspx, 2009). There is no doubt over it that all environment issues are related to engineering processes of specific scientific areas like geo-engineering, climate geo-engineering, climate engineering and other related engineering and scientific fields. Conclusion: Environmental Awareness has become very critical to the existence of all living beings and overall health of our planet. Comprehensive efforts are needed by one and all irrespective of the fact that one is directly affected of its affects or not. All environmental risks are equally important and demand attention. Knowledge and information provided through the website of WAG is quite satisfactory. Need of the hour is not just consciousness of the issues at stake; collective efforts need to be made at all levels and platforms. Scientific and engineering research can do wonders to save our planet from the impending destruction. Legislation and regulatory governance needs to be updated regularly and strictly followed. References: Basic science confers huge advantages on tidal energy. Available from: http://bluenergy.com/Uploads/TidalEnergy/TidalEnergyPrimer.pdf [Accessed 13 January 2009]. Climate change. Available from: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/62959.aspx [Accessed 13 January 2009]. What is climate change? Available from: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/62963.aspx [Accessed 13 January 2009]. Climate change levy (CCL) Available from: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/62973.aspx [Accessed 13 January 2009]. Contaminated land. Available from: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/63412.aspx [Accessed 13 January 2009]. Contaminated land legislation. Available from: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/63420.aspx [Accessed 13 January 2009] Hazardous waste legislation (England, Northern Ireland and Wales) England and Wales. Available from: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/63466.aspx [Accessed 13 January 2009] Karl, Thomas. Global Climate Change Impacts: A motivation for Geo-Engineering? U.S. National Climatic Data Center. [Accessed 13 January 2009] Recycling Waste. Available from: http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/86/i41/8641notw9.html [Accessed 13 January 2009] Science. (2008).The Physical Science behind Climate Change. Available from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=science-behind-climate-change [Accessed 13 January 2009] Science. Available from: http://www.marketresearch.com/map/prod/2382476.html [Accessed 13 January 2009] Welsh Assembly Government. (2009) Available from: http://wales.gov.uk/?lang=en. [Accessed 13 January 2009] Welsh environmental legislation. Available from: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/legislation/current/63618.aspx [Accessed 13 January 2009] Read More