DEFRA and Environmental Protection - Essay Example

Contents Contents 2   4 Introduction to DEFRA and Environmental Protection 4 Method ment: 6 Now I will focus on the areas that I have chosen to address the overall DEFRA responsibility poll. I have selected and addressed the DEFRA’s responsibility areas in such a way that all those areas are cooperative with each other and also have some resemblance to our engineering discipline. 6 Findings 6 1- Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) 6 Introduction 6 DEFRA policies and efforts 7 2- Climate change and energy 8 Introduction 8 DEFRA policies and efforts 8 3 - Air quality 10 Introduction 10 DEFRA policies and efforts 10 How relevant to the engineering discipline? 11 4- Chemicals 12 Introduction 12 DEFRA policies and efforts 12 How relevant to the engineering discipline? 13 5 - Water issues 13 Introduction 13 DEFRA policies and efforts 14 How relevant to the engineering discipline? 15 6 - Land: Soil 15 Introduction 15 DEFRA policies and efforts 15   Introduction to DEFRA and Environmental Protection This paper presents discussion about the Department of the Environment, Food and Regional Affairs website and conduct a review of some of DEFRA’s areas of responsibility. I have divided the whole report in different sections and in this section I will initially present an introduction of DEFRA’s areas of responsibility and its Environmental Protection project. My primary objective is to deliver better and useful knowledge regarding the DEFRA’s areas of responsibility therefore the repot reader can get clear understanding of the overall project and more logical insight. The main question that is behind the development and establishment of DEFRA is the elevating need of environmental protection. No matter we are at home or at job but environment plays an important role everywhere. It is where we exist, where we job and it offers us with important goods and services. It is significant that we look after and improve this precious resource not just for ourselves but also for the coming generations. The aim to protect nature and environmental leads the DEFRA to launch the key aims of Department of the environment, food and regional affairs, and these key aims and objectives are enforcements those should be further effectual at making sure conformity; enhanced at protecting the atmosphere and environment; and enhanced at leveling the playing grounds for those who fulfill with the law. In this section I have addressed the DEFRA initialization and its establishment details. DEFRA as an environment agency was appear in the world in 1995 by the environment act and turned out to be completely operational on 1 April 1996. The DEFRA is an organization that is a non departmental public body of the department for food and rural affairs, environment and an assembly supported public organization of the national assembly for Wales.1 Now here are the details of on the whole employees and workers those are associated with DEFRA. DEFRA has just about 13,000 employees and in year 2006/07 had an equipped financial statement of about £1.002bn, of which £603m grant was from the agencys supported government departments. The primary objective of the DEFRA as an agency is to defend and augment the environment and to create an involvement towards the aim of attaining sustainable development. Below I have listed the main areas of responsibility of the DEFRA to protect the environments and nature. These are the main areas of responsibility that DEFRA has obligated to address: Water Resources Flood Risk Management Navigation Conservation Recreation Fisheries Waste Management Radioactive Substances Regulation Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Integrated Pollution Control Water Quality Land Quality Method statement: Now I will focus on the areas that I have chosen to address the overall DEFRA responsibility poll. I have selected and addressed the DEFRA’s responsibility areas in such a way that all those areas are cooperative with each other and also have some resemblance to our engineering discipline. Six environmental research topics from the DEFRA responsibility poll that I have selected are given below: 1. Air quality 2. Chemicals 3. Climate change & energy 4. Land: soil & contamination 5. Pollution prevention & control 6. Water issues Findings This section will address the overall findings those I have accessed during this research. 1- Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Introduction This is the main issue that will run through out the discussion. Man has produced lots of facilities for himself but he has not given much attention towards the environment protection, this now result in un-usual environmental changes, natural resources extinction, natural life extinction, and several other environmental issues. These all joint with the pollution. This discussion is about all types of pollution like, air, noise, chemical, or any other type. DEFRA policies and efforts Defra has regulated the environment agency that is responsible for the overall environment control and protection; This Environment Agency regulates what is considered to be the major factor of the three manufacturing categories, Local authorities: Local authorities control the moderately fewer polluting. Defra has placed policy to control and mange the areas of industrial and environmental changes and placed several policies to handle and tackle these problems. Local Air Quality Management Areas Statutory nuisance Waste Management These are three authorities established by Defra to handle the mounting pollution and climate changes. How relevant to the engineering discipline? Reducing CO2 discharge, is the main concern in this era, because it is more damaging than any other material, so we have to develop a way for the decreasing the CO2 emission. This can be development of some new fuel substance, or CO2 emission control way for the environmental control and management. 2- Climate change and energy Introduction We are familiar with the global warming and certain climate changes. The Earth has warmed by 0.74°C in overload of the previous hundred years. Around 0.4°C of this warming has come about since the 1970s. Climate transformation is the most important environmental confront facing the world nowadays. Growing global temperatures will bring transformation in weather blueprints escalating sea levels and amplified frequency and strength of tremendous weather. The property will be sensed in the UK; all-inclusive there may be rigorous troubles for people in areas that are primarily vulnerable. Human beings have developed such facilities and methods that are endlessly damaging the atmosphere and producing the danger of extinction. These all happen because we continuously damage our environment, cut frosts, and invent dangerous chemicals and lots of other negative activities. But at present we have to think about, otherwise this planet will be not suitable for us for living after few years. DEFRA policies and efforts The administration has acknowledged momentous transforms to the responsibilities of Defra, and to BERR, in proclaims the formation of an inventive department of energy and climate change. You can also have more details on this DECC’s website. Here I will present the DEFRA guidelines for the Climate change protection: UK Climate Change Program: the 2006 Program is the UK’s main policy for its work on activity climate transform.  It specifies the strategies and procedures those UK is employing to cut its release of greenhouse gases.  It as well explains how the UK strategy to adjust to the impacts of climate transforms. Carbon Reduction Commitment: for great commerce and public area organizations - schools to be integrated; planned system wide alteration proclaim Save Energy, ACT ON CO2, Save Money: the administration has stated a package of absolute term support to households to support them undertake growing energy cost and save up to £300 each year on power bills, in the course of superior energy competence and other measures Funding for Low Carbon Technologies: The Environmental Transformation finances has been greater than before to £400m over the afterward three years; the first set of methods to be funded by Defras contribute to the novel joint Defra/BERR support has been proclaimed How relevant to the engineering discipline? I think this area demands more research, because we have several espousers in this field. We have to develop such methods or products that have low CO2 emission and less energy consumption. We have to take few steps to develop such methods that have low danger to environment. Dangerous gasses are also critical threat for our atmosphere; this also requires attention to handle all these issues, research that can replace the usage of such dangerous elements. 3 - Air quality Introduction Now days the problem of the air pollution has taken the worse conditionings. Air pollution is the main issue that is hot topic for present environment studies. These issues are the result of this century’s advancement of industrializations and development. There are so many disparate kinds of air pollutant. These pollutants have miscellaneous consequences on our heath and our environment. Other contaminants or pollutant mixtures upset the natural equilibrium of bitterness and nitrogen in the atmosphere /environment which would can be able to influence the variety of species in sensitive regions. Other contaminants can add to changing global circumstances and potentially provide increase to dramatic transforms in climate and sea level. DEFRA policies and efforts In the above section I have provided a brief introduction regarding air pollution now I will discuss DAEFRA work and their management’s role to control and manage air quality across the United Kingdom. The UK administration and the devolved management published the most recent Air Quality Strategy for Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 17 July 2007: setting out a process forward for endeavor and advance on air quality matters and the air quality standards and aims to be attained, introducing novel policy scaffold for undertaking fine particles and recognizing probable novel national policy procedures which modeling significantly could provide additional health profit and progress closer towards getting the Strategy’s objectives The Strategy of DAEFRA to control air pollution: Recognizing potential new national policy events which modeling indicates could present additional health reimbursements and go closer towards meeting the Strategy’s objectives. brings in a narrative policy outline for tackling fine particles specifies a system forward for work and planning on air quality matters specifies the air quality standards and objectives to be attained The above given strategy of DAEFRA to control air pollution were devolved by the administrations published the most recent Air Quality Strategy for Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland, at 17 July 2007 which can also be obtainable at Cmd  paper No  7169.  How relevant to the engineering discipline? In this section I will establish some postulates to address how this paradigm is related our engineering discipline. These are the suggestions that I have thought can be implemented to secure and protect our environment. So I have thought we can develop more reliable methods and tools to measurer the air quality. These tools can name as Air Quality indicators. What is purpose of these developments? These tools have ability to measure the air quality, its particles range and types and lot of other Environmental organization or scientists. 4- Chemicals Introduction This century’s advance industrializations and development have developed several useful and useful products and facilities, but at the same time these developments produces enormously hazardous chemicals those are becoming an alarming danger for us and also for our environment and nature. DEFRA policies and efforts Defras chemicals policies and strategies indicate the source of information on what the government is doing to guard /protect the atmosphere and environment and, as a result, how human health can be improved, by fighting against the risks pretended by disclosure to dangerous chemicals. All at once, the government plans to exploit the momentous socio economic paybacks that we depend on chemicals for. Whether a chemical symbolizes a risky or not stays on its scientific properties. Defras work is to administer the dangers concerning the probability of a hazard primary to the damage of humans or the surroundings and environment. The government and DEFRA collaboratively functioning in addressing present concerns regarding matters linked to precise chemicals or groups of chemicals. For this they have developed a policy to identify and restrict specific groups of chemicals. DEFRA policies are discussed below: POPs are a group of chemicals which join with in the environment, may bioaccumulation in foodstuff and human tissues and are unsafe and toxic. These chemicals as well have the possibility to be transported wide-ranging distances and deposited far away from their position of discharge counting immaculate environments like that the Arctic. The UK Chemicals Strategy: The UK Chemicals policy was came in December 1999 to address increasing anxieties regarding the competence of accessible legislation to tackle the danger from chemicals. This set out a technique for voluntary action in the UK. Mercury: UK restrictions on encouragement of mercury in converted determining devices. Following recommendation from the UK Chemicals Stakeholder Forum, the administration has convinced industry to take intentional achievement to diminish the dangers to the environment from octylphenols, nonylphenols, and their ethoxylates. How relevant to the engineering discipline? Here I will present the few suggestions regarding chemical control and neutralization. I thought that we can devise several ways to reduce the use of dangerous chemicals by having a serous research on the develop and invention of chemicals those are not damaging to nature, humans, animals and mostly for environment 5 - Water issues Introduction We know that the problem of water is taking the most critical shape at the present. Many people in the world are not having the facility of clean drinking water. So we have to take positive steps to control this issue, otherwise at the end of this century this problem will take most serious shape. DEFRA policies and efforts Defra efforts strongly with the environment organizations those manage water resources and employ water excellence standards, the drinking water inspectorate, which controls the feature of drinking water, and of water that is accountable for financial regulation of the water industry. Defra’s water strategy that is also named as future water strategy: The Defra and government started its brand new water policy for England February 2008. The policy sets out a configuration for water management in England. This comprises: sustainable deliverance of safe water supplies. an enhanced and restrained water environment Reasonable, economical and cost-reflective water charges Compact water area greenhouse gas release Additional sustainable and efficient management of surface water The water pollution is not only problem that DAFRA has to tackle there are also several other issues that DAFRA handles. These other issues include flood and coastal erosion risk is an important topic for any country. Anybody who has undergoes by flooding or coastal erosion will give verification to the stress, commotion and misery that able to be reasoned as well as the physical risk and hammering. In gratitude of this and the critical power of rivers in flood, Defra takes the danger extremely critically and is working hard with the Environment Agency to decrease risk. How relevant to the engineering discipline? Water issue is taking more critical situation presently and we need to devise some methods to enhance the water quality so that the problem of water contamination can be addressed. We can devise methods to purify and clean the contaminated water. Then there is much scope in the development of the methods for the cleaning of water. Then we can devise some advanced methods to address the flood and coastal erosion risks. These can include working on the invention of some alarming system regarding these dangers. 6 - Land: Soil Introduction Land and soil infectivity and going unproductive is most critical concern in this era. Due usage of dangerous chemicals, forest cutting and new industrial development leads to land on soil contamination and barren issues, and this all the due the human unlimited desires and increasing comfort level. DEFRA policies and efforts EU Environment Council gathered on 20 December 2007, Environment Ministers were not accomplished to disembark at political agreement on European Commission suggestions for an EU Soil structure Directive. It residues unclear, and additional effort on these suggestions will take place. The framework directive was projected on 22 September 2006 when the European commission accepted the Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection. Soil Protection Program: Soil research is passed out by many organizations, frequently as fraction of applied Program with objectives that differ from dropping the lean of the Tower of Pisa to growing the species diversity of chalk grassland on the South Downs. DAFRA policy for the Soil Protection Program: Soil resources: strategic at the bottom of soil science Soil erosion Soil management, indicators and eminence Soils in the built atmosphere Impacts of sewage sludge on soil quality How relevant to the engineering discipline? Soil and land related disciplines are concerned regarding the development of such methods and products those can enhance the land fertileness and minimize the contamination. So we conduct some research to develop methods and products (fertilizers) that are better for the land and nature. Then there is also direction in the development of more enhanced tools and ways to detect and as well as the ways to counter this promising comprehensive problem. Developing industries are production wastage that is contaminating our soil and land day by day. Conclusion In the above whole discussion we have seen that environment is changing day by day and the problem of pollution is getting more critical now days. The need of present age is to devise some ways that are more reliable and effective for the environmental protection. This can be development of substance that has low CO2 emission, and less damaging to the environment. Defra’s policies and actions are really useful for the problems. I have tried to present the data and information such a way that is more effective and easy to grasp for the reader. For this purpose I have divided the whole discussion in sections and tried to select and discuss related and interconnected topics. Our every day increasing needs, our changing life style and several other factors related to our luxurious life are the main reasons behind these environmental changes and contamination. So it is our responsibility to handle and tackle all these in such way that our coming generations are able to have better living place. References 1. DEFRA. (2008). Retrieved on November 23, 2008 Retrieved from: Http://www.defra.gov.uk/ Appendix Report research recourses: During the preparation of this paper I have visited the DEFRA’s home page that is: www.defra.gov.uk I have presented a list of additional documents that I have studied to carry out this research: For the DEFRA’s General information: http://www.defra.gov.uk/ And for Environmental Protection http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/index.htm For Air quality http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/index.htm http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/airqualitymanage-guidance/index.htm http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/what_causes.php http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20032121.htm For Chemicals http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/chemicals/pdf/acrylamide_rrs.pdf http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/chemicals/pdf/naphthalene_rrs.pdf http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si2006/20063311.htm For Climate change & energy http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/latest.htm http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/chemicals/pdf/acrylamide_rrs.pdf http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/chemicals/pdf/naphthalene_rrs.pdf For Land: soil & contamination http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/land/soil/pdf/sap-report07.pdf For Pollution prevention & control http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ppc/localauth/pubs/guidance/notes/pgnotes/pdf/pg6-27.pdf http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ppc/localauth/pubs/guidance/notes/pgnotes/pdf/PG1_05.pdfFor Water issues http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2008/081029a.htm http://environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/floodwarning/ Read More