Understanding Environmental Science: Principles and Applications

This is what is environmental science essay in which this topic will be considered. Environmental science includes more of social sciences for understanding human relationships,policies and their perception towards the environment.It is also defines as the study of effects of natural and and unnatural processes,and the interactions of physical components of the planet on the environment.

Role of Information Technology of Environment 

Information technology has a significant role in improving the status in fields like environmental education and human health when compared to other areas such as business,economics,culture or politics. The emerging growth of internet services,geographic information system(GIS) and the data which gets transmitted through satellites etc. Have generated a greater affluence of the updated information on several aspects of the environment as well as in health sector.There are variety of software in the market.

Some of the softwares are created for environment and health studies in a better way. There is an excessive reliance on technology to resolve environmental difficulties nowadays. Technology has played a key role in the development of human society. Modern technologies such as information technology,have changed the human lifestyle. Development of sophisticated instruments such as computers, satellites, telecommunication instruments etc have resulted in total revolution in almost all areas of life.

Technology and the environment may actually be more closely related than many think. Our technological innovations have the potential to harm our environment, but if we use them wisely and develop sustainable ideas, they could also help to resolve the ecological problems .

Going Digital and Advancement in Technology

Businesses and individuals are using way less paper than in years past.This change has occurred due to computers, smartphones and cloud storage. Many companies send bills, newsletters and other communications over email rather than regular mail. Files are stored in the cloud, which is easily accessible from anywhere, rather than in physical filing cabinets. People are more frequently taking notes and managing their schedules on their smartphones rather than physical notepads and calendars. All of this indicate a “new normal” that has minimized our dependence on the world’s tree population, and helped to reduce deforestation.

Importance of Environmental Monitoring

Technology is also being used to ensure that environment-related laws and regulations are being followed. In areas where poachers frequently hunt endangered animals, conservationists have begun using drones to keep an eye on the area. The drones act as security cameras that can cover vast distances, making it more difficult for those hunting illegally to get away with breaking the law.

The government also uses technology to monitor whether companies are following environmental regulations and laws . Geo-Spatial Measurement of Air Pollution systems draw in air around gas and oil facilities to test the amount of pollutants present. Plus, Environmental Simulation Testing helps ensure new products and technologies are up to standards before they hit the market and start to affect our planet.

How Technology Can Help Reduce Our Impact on the Planet?

All around the world, people are facing the difficulty of how to grow and thrive with fewer resources. Urban population growth is a major factor, as it’s estimated that by 2030 almost 60 percent of our global population will live in cities. This urban migration is felt even more acutely in Europe, where more than 80 percent of us are predicted to live in towns by 2050. We need resources to support this growth, and that can only come from a healthy planet. By accelerating the improvement of technological innovation, and democratising the benefits of the cloud, people can better adapt and thrive in this resource-constrained world.

The health of people or our planet. The costs and benefits of these transformations were unevenly distributed across communities and countries. Today’s revolution is different. The “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, as it’s been called, offers greater information and insight than ever before. We are discovering new ways to utilize technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage resource consumption, in a way that is goodand beneficial for the economy, good for communities and good for the environment.

Environmental Impact of Informational Technology 

Information technology like many other creations, gives impacts to the society, economy and most significantly the environment. The impacts information technology has can either be positive or negative and direct or indirectly harm effects to the surrounding. Below are the impacts of Information Technology.

First Order Impact

The first order impacts of Information Technology mostly give direct effects towards the surrounding. Among the impacts that are rated as the first order are the manufacture of IT equipment such as computers, mobile phones, peripheral devices and satellites. Inside these products, there are various additional components used to produce IT equipments. Most manufacturing processes of these components pollute the environment. One of the examples of the pollution is the production of semiconductors that releases dangerous gases to the atmosphere such as acid fumes.

According to Hilty and Ruddy in their paper entitled, ‘Towards a Sustainable Information Society’, only 2% of the materials used in the production of personal computers become parts of the product. The remaining (98%) are dumped as wastes. The second direct impact that is rated as the first order impact is the transportation of components and products of IT. Most of the components are used for the manufacture of IT equipment come from all over the world. These components are imported to an assembly centre to assemble the products. After the production is done, the final IT products are exported to other places. The transportation process of IT equipment production will leave a significant carbon foot print that harms the environment. Another direct first order impact is the consumption of energy by the ICT equipment. The increasing demand and supply for ICT devices increase the electrical consumption. The increase in power consumption can cause more carbon foot print to the environment.

Last but not least, the direct impact of IT is the ever increasing amount of electronic waste (e-waste) that comprises old and considered outdated electronic devices. These devices are disposed off when the owners buy new and more advance equipment. Improper e-waste management will lead to pollution due to leak of lead, mercury and other toxic materials from the e-waste to the landfill. For example, cathode ray tubes if leaked will release heavy metal leaching to the ground water and harm the water source.

Second Order Impact

The second order impacts of ICT industry are mostly positive to the surrounding. Most probably come with the fact how ICT development is managed to increase the economy through the use of information technology. The growth in economy is due to the change to utilise ideas compared to energy and material. For example, the growth of economy in the United States in 1995-1998 was because of IT related businesses.

Other than that, IT also managed to change the way product and service is designed, produced, distributed and operated. The technology managed to do a simulation of these processes and thus give insights into the end results of the processes even before they are started.Through the usage of IT, the cost to complete these processes can be reduced significantly. Below are some detailed examples of how ICT can improve the processes of making products:

• Intelligent production processes: Through careful computer-aided design of production facilities and precise control of operations during production made possible by extensive sensors and automated controls.
• Intelligent design and operation of products: enabled by computer-aided, simulations of product performance result in ‘lighter’ products that use less materials to make them operate more efficiently; efficient sensors and controls ensure services/ functions are delivered efficiently when and where they are required.
• Reorganisation of supply chains and business organisation: E-commerce leads to the closure of retails outlets, more efficient inventory and chain management supply, and the rise of tele-working.
• The process of e-materialisation: The substitution of tangible goods for intangible services (for instance, the purchase of e-book rather than book or the purchase of music online rather than music CDs). In conclusion, the IT industry has many impacts on the environment.

Unfortunately, none of them gives a qualitative indicator that is used to evaluate the relationship between the demand and the impact of IT on the environment. This finally brings to this research which is intended to find a relationship between the three aspects and to provide a qualitative indicator on how the demand of IT industry affects the environment. With this clear, concise qualitative indicator, it is hoped that the industry will respond better to numerical indicators in terms of realising the importance of sustainable development in the IT industry.

Database on Environment System

A database environment is a collective system of components that comprise and regulates the group of data, management, and use of data, which consist of software, hardware, people, techniques of handling database, and the data also.

Here, the hardware in a database environment means the computers and computer peripherals that are being used to manage a database, and the software means the whole thing right from the operating system (OS) to the application programs that include database management software like M.S. Access or SQL Server.  Again the people in a database environment include those people who administrate and use the system. The techniques are the rules, concepts, and instructions given to both the people and the software along with the data with the group of facts and information positioned within the database environment.

The database provides the information to meet the operational need as well as future planning for any organization. This should all be done within the framework of organizational procedures and policies. Procedures are the business rules and instructions that govern the design and use of the database systems, enforce the standards, monitor and audit the data that reside in the databases and regulate the information that is generated from the stored data. Finally, the data, which is vital to the health of the organization, plays critical role in the design of the database.

The existence of the database system depends on organizational structure and requirements at each level. The complexity depends on the size of the organization and its functions and corporate culture.

Conclusion

To conclude importance of environmental science essay, some of the important and most recognized and important eco-friendly technology advancements in recent years have been in the clean energy sector. Renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power have become much more widespread, as well as cheaper. The technology is advancing as well. Technological improvements have made renewables more efficient and helpful for the people Products like Tesla’s solar panels, which look just like regular roofing tiles, have made them more accessible and appealing to consumers.