Environmental Science and Engineering: A Comprehensive Overview
ENVIRONMENT
A “natural”, yet restricted, definition of environment would be: “All conditions and external factors, living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) that affect an organism or other specified system.” However, considering the human being as the subject of environmental science, a broader definition is: “The set of natural factors (physical, chemical and biological), social, cultural, economic, and aesthetic interacting with individuals and the community in which they live, determining its shape, character, relationship, and survival.”
According to the latter, the environment is not only what envelops or surrounds the human being (“what is beyond”), but is something inseparable from it. We also see that we can distinguish different dimensions of the environment: physical (natural or artificial), social, economic, cultural, etc.
Law of General Principles of the Environment (09/03/1994): “Environment is the overall system consisting of elements natural and man-made physical, chemical, or biological, sociocultural, and their interactions, constantly modified by human action or natural, and conditions governing the existence and development of life in its many manifestations.”
In fact: Half ? ? Environment Environment (and other languages: Fr: Environnement Ing: Environment It: Environment By: Umwelt)
ECOLOGY
Ecology is the scientific discipline that studies the interrelationships between living organisms and their environment, i.e., studies the structure and workings of nature. It tries to explain the distribution and abundance of organisms, non-judgmental of valor. Those who study this science are called ecologists, and are usually biologists. They attempt to explain the interrelationships between the physical environment (climate and substrate) and biological (organisms).
There is no mass distribution of their work in public. Their results are presented in conferences and journals. The mainstream media have long misused the term, using expressions like “the destruction of ecology,” or “ecology at risk.”
ECOLOGISTS
People without formal training in ecology are devoted to environmental issues at the activist level. Their level of technical information may be poor, and often apocalyptic. Approaches used more in assessments than quantifications. They have wide arrival in the media. Their biggest contribution lies in monitoring and reporting of environmental abuse. The term has been rather discredited, and today the word environmentalist is used instead.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS
Professionals of various kinds (can also be ecologists) who have changed their view of the world through an appreciation of a comprehensive, serious, and holistic view of environmental problems.
Different trends can be recognized:
- Conservation: Use, management and protection of resources so that these are available in a sustainable way for present and future. Resource management according to the principle of multiple use. It is a more utilitarian approach that preaches managing nature for the benefit of man.
- Preservation: Raises limits on human use of some important resources such as wilderness areas, estuaries, wetlands, etc. It seeks to protect these resources from human activities and ‘development’, except for non-destructive recreation, education, and research.
- Deep Ecology: Proposes that nature exists for all living species, not just for humans. Humans are no more important than any of the other species that are part of nature, not conquering it. It is a more spiritual approach, which preaches biocentrism instead of anthropocentrism, and considers the destruction of the environment as a sin against creation.
POLLUTION
Occurrence of a toxic substance at a concentration in environmental conditions “normal”, i.e., above the normal range. Does not necessarily result in adverse effects.
Law 19,300: the presence in the environment of substances, elements, energy or combination thereof, at concentrations higher or lower and stay, as appropriate, to those established by law.
POLLUTION
Occurrence of substances or energy in a higher concentration than the atmosphere can absorb without suffering degradation from an anthropic perspective. Involves harmful effects in organisms.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Branch of engineering that is concerned with protecting the environment from potentially deleterious effects of human activity, to protect human populations from the effects of adverse environmental factors, and improve environmental quality, welfare and health of human beings. Formerly called “sanitary engineering.”
It includes disciplines related to air quality, water and ground water treatment and sewage and stormwater disposal, solid waste and hazardous waste. This is a sphere of action that considers both urban (domestic) and industrial (including agro-industry).
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Design of human society considering the natural environment for the benefit of both. It was based on ecological theory and Environmental Science. In particular, it attempts to design systems that run on solar energy or other renewable clean energy.