Negative Impact on the Natural Environment of Processes and Artefacts Created by Engineers - Essay Example

Engineers have often been accused of creating processes and artefacts that have a negative impact on the natural environment. Discuss the validity ofthis accusation with reference to your particular Engineering discipline, and suggest practical and sustainable ways to overcome such negative effects in the modern world. The field of engineering, in the past five decades or so has revolutionized the way we travel, live and communicate with one another. However, all of this has also impacted the environment negatively. This work takes into consideration the positive and negative effects of petroleum engineering and aims to provide a balanced opinion regarding its benefits or losses. After concentrating on this aspect, focus is laid on suggesting practical and sustainable ways that can assist in preventing the occurrence of negative effects. The field of petroleum engineering is concerned with the exploration and production of hydrocarbon products. The global need for energy grew very quickly in the post-second World War era. Moreover, with global expansion, the need for energy rose further, and hydrocarbons became the primary source of energy. Even today, they continue to be the “most” used source of energy on a global level. Therefore, to fuel the global economic engine and to meet the global energy requirement, the field of petroleum engineering plays an important role in exploration and production of hydrocarbon products. Unfortunately, the process of exploration and production of hydrocarbon product does lead to a level of environmental pollution (Kharaka, 2003). The exploration and extraction of hydrocarbon products can cause environmental damage in a number of ways. It has an extremely damaging impact upon the soil surface, ground water and the local eco system of the area surrounding an oil rig. Saline water and untreated solid waste extracted along with oil and gas, can be considered the main reason for the environmental damage mentioned earlier (Veil et al., 2004). The use of oil rigs has a negative effect on the general environment of the area. The use of oil rigs requires the use of heavy machinery and diesel engines, which release carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide; both gases have the potential to pollute the area surrounding the exploration and extraction site. In some parts of the world, for example Ecuador, hundreds and thousands of trees have been cut from the forests to create way for exploration and extraction of oil. This immense deforestation exerts its own impact on the environment in an indirect manner. This has not only damaged the local forest eco-system, but also the water ecosystem of the area. Since the oil contains elements like arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead and copper, contamination of water in an area leads to spread of contamination in areas that are downstream (Torgeir Bakke, 2013) . This leads to the poisoning of the entire food chain, as fishes and other creatures that survive in fresh water, normally die secondary to consumption of such elements. Even if they survive, their bodies contain considerably higher concentrations of these toxic elements, which can affect the lives of others organisms that consume them as food. In humans they are known to cause fatal disease like cancer. Keeping in view these facts, it is safe to assert that exploration and production of hydrocarbons can lead to different types of pollution which is of course a major environmental hazard. However, it can be counter argued that the benefits of petroleum engineering and how it has been successful in constantly meeting global demand for oil, through using innovative ways of exploring and extracting hydrocarbon products, outweigh the environmental hazards. Moreover, with the implementation of stringent national and international regulations and development in petroleum engineering during the last decade or two, some of the major environmental hazards related to this field have already been resolved (U.S enviromental protection agency, 2008). To conclude the above argument it can be said that although petroleum engineering cannot be regarded as a field of engineering that causes zero harm to the environment; nonetheless, through adequate management and development in the field of petroleum engineering, the environmental damage can be minimized if not completely eradicated. As far as the methods by which the environmental damage caused by petroleum engineering can be reduced in a sustainable yet practical way are concerned, different approaches can be adopted for this purpose. First and foremost, adequate steps can be taken to eliminate spillage of oil and waste into water (Reis, 1996). A large proportion of the environmental damage caused by exploration and production of hydrocarbon products occurs when raw oil/waste enters the water stream and affects its physical composition thereby affecting the related food chain. Therefore, by completely eradicating the leakage of oil/waste into water, by utilizing methods such as neutralization, evaporation and aeration flocculation, the environmental damage to water can be reduced. Since particulate emissions from production and refinery sites are major contributors of air pollution, taking adequate steps to manage particulate emission at production and refinery sites can bring forth positive outcomes. Gases such as ammonia, fluorine compounds and acid mist released from the production site can all cause a number of diseases to the local community. However, the particulate emission can be adequately managed by using bag filters, cyclones and electrostatic filters. Acidic emissions from the sites such as sulphur and nitrogen oxide can be controlled through using wet scrubbers (Mariano, 2010). Implementation of these measures is likely to improve the environmental conditions of affected areas. It is a well-known fact that soil surface and ground water can also be damaged by inappropriate disposal of solid wastes produced as a result of the chemical processes. Adequate solid waste management and treatment of solid waste before its final disposal can reduce its damaging effects to the environment. Depending upon the type of waste in question, different methods of treatment such as chemical immobilization, controlled landfill disposal, incineration and solidification, can be used to reduce the harmful effects of waste to the environment. Moreover, if the waste produced is in excess of the current treatment capacity, then there must be a custom built storage site, where waste can be stored before being treated and disposed off (UNEP Industry and Environment, 2008). From the above discussion, it can be concluded that, the working of an oil rig in an area changes its dynamics entirely; its environment, road networks and its communication facilities are all greatly affected. Therefore, these facilities should be developed in a way that has the least negative impact on the environment of the area. Moreover, the use of soundproof building or soundless equipment might reduce the noise pollution in the area making it possible for all living creatures to continue living in their habitats without undue interference. References Kharaka, Y. K., and J. S. Hanor, 2003. Deep fluids in the continents. Geochemistry, volume 5, pp. 499– 540. Mariano, J. B., 2010. enviromental impact of Oil industry. [Online] Available at: http://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/c08/e6-185-18.pdf [Accessed 18 April 2015]. Reis, J. C. (1996). Environmental control in petroleum engineering. Houston, Tex: Gulf Publ. Torgeir Bakke, J. K. S. S., 2013. Environmental impacts of produced water and drilling waste discharges from the Norwegian offshore petroleum industry. Marine enviromental research, Volume 92, pp. 154-69. U.S enviromental protection agency, 2008. An assessment of the enviromental. [Online] Available at: http://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&ved=0CFcQFjAJ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epa.gov%2Fsectors%2Fpdf%2Foil-gas-report.pdf&ei=PtE2VdT7NOr9ywOX2YFQ&usg=AFQjCNFL5wNMDY7F29y5C2Z5Zb_jl_URRA&bvm=bv.91071109,d.bGQ [Accessed 19 April 2015]. Veil, J. A., M. G. Pruder, D. Elcock, and R. J. Redweik Jr., 2004, Awhite paper describing produced water from production of crude oil, natural gas and coal bed methane. Argonne National Laboratory Report, Volume 10. Pp 104-110 UNEP Industry and Environment, 2008. Environmental management. [Online] Available at: http://www.ogp.org.uk/pubs/254.pdf [Accessed 20 April 2015]. Read More