Solution-3680 Ecology and Ethics in Design and Architecture 1st Assignment

Department of Home & Health Sciences
Block No. 06, Sector H-8,

Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad.
Ecology and Ethics in Design and Architecture (3680)

Assignment No. 01
Submitted to:
Dr. Tabassum Zahidi
Block No: 6
Dept. of Home & Health Sciences,
Allama Iqbal Open University, Sector H-8,
ISLAMABAD, (051-9250063 / 9057742)
Submitted by:
Muhammad Hammad Manzoor
3rd Semester, Roll No. BN-523998
M. Sc Sustainable Environmental Design
OGIL, # 514, 5th Floor, Continental Trade Centre (CTC)
Block – 08, Clifton, KARACHI
explorationist@gmail.com / (0332-527 2364)
Q. No. 1: Explain Environmental History of our planet? How the environmental

mismanagement can be minimized to heal depleting planet? (15 Marks)
Answer)
Concept of Environmental History
Environmental history is an interdisciplinary pursuit that has developed as a form of

conscience to counter an increasingly powerful, forward-looking liberal theory of the
environment. It deals with the relations between environmental ideas and materialities, from
the work of the geographers George Perkins Marsh, Carl Sauer, and Clarence Glacken, to
more recent global-scale assessments of the impact of the “great acceleration” since 1950.
Environmental history focuses on the relationship between humans and nature over
time.
Abandoned chapel in Krasny les, North

Bohemia
How have we shaped our environment?
Banaue Rice Terraces, Philippines Svitava River - Brno
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By: M. Hammad Manzoor, M.Sc Sus. Env. Design, 514, 5th Floor, Continental Trade Centre (CTC), Clifton – 08, Karachi. (Roll No. BN-523998)
DIFFERENT APPROACHES OF ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
1. Material Environmental History

2. Cultural/intellectual Environmental History
3. Political Environmental History
Material Environmental History

Material Environmental History includes the Studying actual changes in landscape
Changes in forest age composition over time, Pálava, South Moravia
Cultural & Intellectual Environmental History

Cultural & Intellectual History includes the Study that how do people view nature and the
environment? What values do they attribute to it?
Caspar David Friedrich – Man and Woman Contemplating the Moon – 1830-35
Political Environmental History
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WHY STUDY ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY?
 Because environmental History is politically relevant and helps us understand

human power vis a vis nature
Nature is an actor but humans have enormous power as well. Our perceptions of the
environment and our understanding of human-nature relations in the past, and our visions
can help us build better human-nature-relations in the future.
 Because environmental history deals with some of the most important issues
regarding the future of our planet.
Such as Climate change and global warming Including flooding as a result of global
warming, the impact of fossil fuels on the environment.
 Because environmental history helps us understand the human role in

conservation
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 Because environmental history helps us understand the impact of humans on

pollution and health.
This includes the impact on culture and issues of environmental justice
 Because environmental history helps us the understand the relationship

between city and country
 Because environmental history helps us understand human resource use

It opens our eyes for the scarcity of resources and for their conservation into the future.
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ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF OUR PLANET
HOW WE WERE BREAKING PLANET EARTH

There is no denying it: Our natural habitat had been seriously and, in many cases,
irreparably damaged by our own actions. Here we take a look at how mankind has slowly
injured the environment and consider whether what's been broken can ever be fixed.
DEFORESTATION
Our forests are the earth's lungs. They look beautiful, soak up carbon dioxide, produce
oxygen and clean our air. They consume gallons of water, limit flooding, minimize soil
erosion and help regulate local climates. They're also the natural habitat for thousands of
insects, birds, mammals and communities of people. This orangutan is swinging through
the trees in Kuching, Malaysia. Yet acres of forest are destroyed daily.
CORAL REEFS ARE BEING DESTROYED

Coral reefs are thought to be home to the most diverse ecosystems on earth. They help to
protect the shore from erosion caused by tropical weather and waves. Marine life relies on
the nitrogen and other nutrients that they produce and they help to clean the seas. The
World Wide Fund for Nature claims that 25 percent of the world's coral reefs are already
considered damaged beyond repair and another two-thirds are under serious threat. This
image shows a tropical reef in the Red Sea.
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FISHING TO EXTINCTION
For eternity our water systems have been seen as an endless source of food, but now in
many parts of the world more fish are being caught than can be replaced through natural
reproduction. As a result fishing is becoming unsustainable in some lakes, rivers and seas
across the planet. This impacts on the natural ecosystem in the area being fished and can
lead to entire species of fish becoming extinct.
GLOBAL WARMING
The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and petroleum releases carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere. Deforestation also contributes to a rise in carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere, as there are fewer trees to soak it up. Intensive farming of livestock,
particularly sheep and cattle, produces an excess of methane in the atmosphere, which is
also a greenhouse gas, and farming fertilizers release nitrous oxide, another greenhouse
gas. All of this contributes to global warming.
HUNTING ENDANGERED ANIMALS TO EXTINCTION

Wildlife crime is big business. Hundreds of millions of dollars change hands for animal
parts. These are trafficked in the same way as drugs and arms. This Illegal and
unsustainable trade puts already endangered species on the brink of extinction. Some rare
wildlife is also traded legally. Wild plants and animals are caught or harvested and then
legally sold as food, pets, ornamental plants, clothing, tourist souvenirs and medicine.
HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT
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Sharing your neighborhood with wild animals such as elephants and tigers is a risky
business. As the global human population grows, many communities are spreading out and
moving within closer proximity to wild animals. This is why there are reports of elephants in
Nepal eating human crops, baboons in Namibia attacking local goat herds; and wolves and
bears killing livestock. To protect their income and food streams people often kill these wild
animals when they're spotted nearby.
WATER POLLUTION
Water sustains life and water pollution, where toxic substances are dissolved in our lakes,
rivers, seas and oceans, is one of the most serious threats to our global ecosystem.
Sewage, industrial waste and agricultural chemicals are the most common sources of water
pollution. This poses a lethal threat to aquatic systems and can even contaminate our
drinking water. It is thought that half the world's rivers are already seriously polluted.
AIR POLLUTION
The release of pollutants into the earth's atmosphere is a threat to the health of all living
organisms on the planet. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) three million
deaths a year occur as a result of outdoor air pollution; 4.3 million deaths a year are a result
of household exposure to smoke from dirty cooking stoves and fuels; and 92 percent of the
world’s population live in places where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits.
PESTICIDES UPSET THE ECOSYSTEM
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The World Wide Fund For Nature reports that the amount of pesticide sprayed on fields has
increased 26-fold over the past 50 years. Farmers around the world are increasingly using
pesticides to protect their crops from being destroyed by pests. Unfortunately, however,
many pesticides also harm and kill species that they are not targeted at. When it rains these
pesticides are also washed away from the fields that they are intended for and infect
surrounding landscapes, rivers, streams and seas.
DAMAGING THE OZONE LAYER

The earth is protected by a band of natural gas known as the ozone layer. This shields us
from the sun's harmful ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. According to NASA, the hole in the ozone
layer had expanded to around 8.9 million square miles in 2016. This hole in the atmosphere
has been linked to skin cancer, cataracts and lower immune systems in humans and is
thought to damage plants. The good news is that, as a result of the phasing out of the use
of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) chemicals globally, the hole is now slowly beginning to shrink
and it could eventually recover completely, although this could take another 50 years.
THE BLIGHT OF LIGHT POLLUTION

All living creatures on earth rely on the dark of night following the brightness of day.
Humans have dangerously upset this routine by lighting up the night sky. The International
Dark Sky Association reports that scientific evidence suggests that artificial light has
disrupted the natural biorhythms of many amphibians, birds, mammals, insects and plants.
Nocturnal animals that sleep during the day and are active at night are particularly confused
by light pollution during the hours of darkness. Artificial lights disrupt their nocturnal activity
and even interfere with their reproductive rates and consequently reduce their populations.
Fireflies are one species that have seen their numbers reduce as a result of artificial light.
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OIL SPILLAGES ARE DISASTROUS

Tremendous care might be taken in the transportation of oil across land and sea, but history
has shown that accidents do happen and the results can be deadly to the environment and
its wildlife. Oil spills can occur from blowouts, pipeline leaks or accidents at sea. When an
oil spillage happens in the ocean tens of thousands of marine animals and plants are often
killed or poisoned.
URBANIZATION EATS INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE

Improved services, facilities, jobs and housing increasingly draw people to urban areas.
Consequently, villages quickly become towns and towns transform into cities, eating into
the countryside as they do so. Rural areas and the habitats of thousands are wildlife are
destroyed as a result.
RIVERS ARE BEING RUN DRY

Many of the world's rivers have been overused to the point that they have dried up or are
drying up. The rivers have been drained for industry, agriculture and drinking water.
Warming temperatures and drought caused by climate change have only served to worsen
this problem.
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HOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL MISMANAGEMENT CAN BE MINIMIZED TO HEAL

DEPLETING PLANET:
Having talked about these problems encountering human, a sense of optimism still prevails.
We must keep in mind human passion, intelligence and ingenuity that has and still could
bring much needed change in future. While working for the change we must discuss
different aspects relating to the desired change, necessary for healing of the planet.
• Aspect of scale-global to local

• Aspect of time-natural/geological to human life time-span
• Technology ban or boon
• Small is beautiful and practical
ASPECT OF SCALE-GLOBAL TO LOCAL
Efforts are being made at both levels as any small act at local level has its impact on global
level. at global levels there is a growing consensus that the human can longer ignore the
environmental degradation and continue with it, in the name of development. Mankind
needs to devise ways to protect environment to avoid catastrophic consequences.
Global environmental movement is not an ideology or a peripheral thinking; it has turned

into a mainstream social movement, with far reaching stimulus for change. Global moves
are far more formal and visible than the local efforts.
• 20 years after the un conference on the human environment at Stockholm, Sweden

(5th June to 16th June 1972) attended by 122 countries
• Held at rio de janerio brazil from 3rd June 1992-14th June 1992
• Largest gathering of global community , 178 nations attended and 117 head of states
present
• Presence of governmental and nongovernmental organizations to fight env damage
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The global movement has culminated into various international conventions and treaties
and new institutional arrangements necessary to tackle the env. Problems at global,
regional and local levels. (Examples basal convention to Montreal protocol----united
nation’s conference on human environment in 1972 to rio summit 1992).
However, the thrust of this particular course is local level action with a faith that every
small individual action, even if it is tiny or unnoticeable, would be beneficial for the whole
planet and for the generations to come.
Decentralised, human scale local intervention does not suffer from chances of
remote miscalculations (discussion with students on their experiences)
ASPECT OF TIME-NATURAL/GEOLOGICAL TO HUMAN LIFE TIME-SPAN
Many people shrug off the ecological catastrophes comparing it with the immense time
span taken in shaping the earth (ice age, mountain building obvious in the geological time
scale, billions of years, millions of years).
Nature also shows its resilience and clean/adjust itself against threats within 10-15 years
provided the threat is mild.
However, while we compare it with human life-span, the unlimited future is a chimera.
Human cannot wait that long in the face of this crisis.
Most of the ecological damage on the earth has accrued in the last 50-60 years. Hence
time to act now.
TECHNOLOGY BAN OR BOON
There are two points of view regarding technology. One group holds that technology is
disturbing the ecological balance and we should adopt the primitive ways of life, discarding
technology.
The other holds that even more technology can fix the problem created by technology. Both
of these views tell us some facts but both views are wrong.
-First view is impractical in this technological world.
-Technology alone cannot take care of ecological problems, information from life sciences,
anthropology, history, ethnography and cultural geography are also important along with
technology.
SMALL IS BEAUTIFULL AND PRACTICAL
As the thrust of this course is healing on a human scale, its argument focuses on “curse of
bigness” and “nothing big works”.
It focuses on “small is beautiful” as it is manageable, workable and reassuringly accessible.
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There are few other aspects which could be bring into consideration for addressing as
healing steps to prevent our planet earth;
1. Eliminate the use of paper plates and plastic utensils:

Paper plates are made from virgin wood, contributing to deforestation, and are
manufactured by paper mills that use toxic chemicals that can contaminate
waterways. Speaking of water, did you know that it takes half a gallon of water to
produce ONE 10-inch, medium-weight dinner plate? And plastic utensils are no
better. Plastic cutlery requires petroleum and chemicals to produce, fossil fuels to
transport, and is typically made from non-recyclable plastic.
Plastic pollution has become epidemic
2. Use a refillable water bottle — and fill it with tap water!

Most families toss almost 90 pounds of plastic in the trash every year, and plastic
takes about 500 years to biodegrade. An abysmal one in seven plastic bottles is
recycled, contributing heavily to the world’s plastic pollution problem. In
addition, bottled water is hardly any better than tap water in terms of quality and
safety. Bottled water costs more per gallon than gasoline, even though it is very
frequently just tap water with some extra minerals thrown in for taste. Drinking tap
water from a refillable water bottle is smart not only for the environment, but also for
your health — and your wallet.
3. Choose reusable over disposable

As mentioned, paper and plastic both have a significantly negative impact on the
environment. Instead, bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store, use cloth
napkins instead of paper, replace paper towels with microfiber cloths, and choose
cloth diapers for baby.
4. Repair leaky faucets and toilets

Leaky toilets can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day — or the equivalent
usage of an entire family of four — and leaking faucets can waste up to 3,000
gallons of water per year. Repairing these leaks will help save our world’s most
precious resource, and will also lower your water bill.
5. Collect rainwater for use in gardens

Collecting rainwater is easy with a rain barrel, which catches storm water runoff from
rooftops. This collected water can be used later to water lawns, gardens, and flower
beds. Rain barrels come in a variety of styles and colors, and can make a beautiful
addition to your landscaping while helping to protect the environment.
6. Turn off and unplug all electronics when not in use
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Computers, cell phones, printers, video gaming consoles, tablets, wearable fitness
trackers — these all depend on electricity, and are often left plugged in and running,
even when not in use. Completely shutting down and unplugging these devices
when not in use will help to reduce your carbon footprint — and your electric bill.
7. Green up your lawn

No, not with fertilizer — with ground cover! Outdoor watering accounts for over 30%
of household water usage in the United States, and planting ground cover can
reduce that outdoor water usage as much as 50%. Ground cover does not require
supplemental watering, remains green even during times of moderate drought, and
helps prevent soil compaction. In the northeast, white clover is a pretty and
popular choice.
Hence , it calls for the individuals, consumers in general and industrial designers, graphic
designers, architects in particular to contribute towards the ecological improvements by
taking up responsibility in their own specific role at local level, with small initiatives.
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Q. No. 2: Design must be the bridge between human needs, culture and ecology.
Explain with reference to six separate cycles of creation and manufacturing that may
cause ecological harm (give appropriate examples). (15 Marks)
Answer)
"Design is concerned with the development of products, tools, machines, artifacts and other
devices, and this activity has a profound and direct influence on ecology. The design
response must be positive and unifying. Design must be the bridge between human needs
culture and ecology. "
The creation and production of products can be examined in at least 6 cycles:
1. The choice of materials

2. The manufacturing process
3. Packaging the product
4. The finished product
5. Transporting the materials
6. Waste
1. THE CHOICE OF MATERIAL
Material selection is a step in the process of designing any physical object. In the context
of product design, the main goal of material selection is to minimize cost while meeting
product performance goals. Systematic selection of the best material for a given application
begins with properties and costs of candidate materials. For example, a thermal blanket
must have poor thermal conductivity in order to minimize heat transfer for a given
temperature difference.
There is a close interdependent relationship among the design of a product, selection of

material, and selection of processes and equipment or tooling. Each of these steps must be
carefully considered, planned and coordinated before manufacturing starts. Close
coordination of all the various phases of manufacture is essential if economy is to achieve.
All wrongdoings and bugs must be eliminated carefully during preliminary phases. This is
because; any change during manufacturing becomes more and more expensive as work
progresses. Most designers and engineers create value for their employers by designing
machines to make products and by designing new products, processes and facilities. The
common thread throughout engineering is design. The marriage between design and
material selection should start early in the design process
The materials chosen by designer and manufacturer are crucial, mining metals for car
creates atmospheric pollution, and used oil and petrol thus wasting natural resources that
cannot be replaced. The designer’s decision to use foam plastics to make cheap, throw-
away food containers damages the ozone layer, this is not a prescription for doing nothing
at all, but an attempt to make designers aware that every choice and dilemma in their work
can have far-reaching and long-term ecological consequences
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Examples:
Use Of Foam Plastics (Polystyrene) To Make Cheap Throw Away Food Containers,
Plastic Straws, Coffee Cups (Remember Old, Banned Materials)
2. THE MANAFACTURING PROCESS
The question facing the designers are: Is there anything in the manufacturing process itself
that might endanger the workplace or the workers, such as toxic fumes or radio-active
materials? Are there air pollutants from factory smoke stacks, such as the gases that cause
acid rain? Are liquid wastes from the factory leaking into the ground and destroying
agricultural land or worse still entering the water supply?
Dangerous chemicals can be anywhere, from corrosive cleaning solutions to leaking battery
acid. To reduce risk of exposure, all hazardous material in your facility should be clearly
labeled. Safety instructions should be posted in the immediate vicinity and should include
precautions, procedures for treating exposure and an evacuation plan.
Examples:
Emission Of Toxic Fumes, Radio Active Material, Liquid Or Gaseous Waste, Fugitive
Emissions Of Gas Polluting Water Or Air
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3. PACKING THE PRODUCT
Ecological choices face the designer when developing the package in which the product is
transported, marketed and distributed. Foam plastics, which pose acute dangers to the
ecological balance are used by the designers as a protection for fragile products, it is now
know that propellants (such as CFCs) for lacquer sprays and other products are directly
implicated in the depletion of the ozone layer, Considerations of material and methods are
therefore crucial in the packing phase of ecologically aware design.’’
Examples:
1. Tape
Many may think, “Well, tape is just tape, right?” Wrong. HMR regulations require that all
hazardous material packaging be closed in full compliance with specific closing instructions
for each type of package – and those regulations apply to tape, as well. Using any tape you
may have laying around to package hazardous materials for transport would fail any
compliance check.
2. Poly Bags
Since many hazardous materials need to be first enclosed in a poly liner bag before placing
in a carton.
4. FINISHSED PRODUCT
There are too many different versions of the same item available in many cases, since the
manufacturer of the most industrial or consumer products uses up irreplaceable raw
materials, the profusion of objects in the market place constitutes a profound ecological
threat. To give a typical examples, in Western Europe, Canada, Japan and the USA. There
are now more than 250 video cameras available to consumers; the differences between
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them are minimal in some cases, they are identical but for the name plate. The choice of
the consumer product in the west is highly artificial. Other products threaten the ecological
balance even more directly. Snow mobile, which are largely sold as winter sports and
recreation equipment are so noisy that when they go into road less terrain they destroy
breeding grounds and habitats. Yet at the same time they have assumed an important role
in hunting and hearding cycles and now important tools for survival among the Inuit of
Canada and Alaska. Off-road vehicles and mountain bikes affect the precious layers of top
soil and humus that can grow crops. Dune Buggies harm the sand dune layers at the critical
age between ocean and land.
5. TRANSPORTING THE PRODUCT
The transporting of materials and products further contributes to pollution by the burning of
fossil fuels and by the necessity for a whole complex of roads, rails, airports and depot.
There is transportation from the mill to the factory, the factory to the distribution center, from
there to the shops and eventually to the end user.
6. WASTE
Many products can have negative consequences after the useful product life is over. One
only has to see the huge automobile graveyards in many countries to understand that these
Vast amounts of rusting metals, decaying paints and shellacs, deteriorating plastic
upholstery, leaking oils and petrol are leaching directly in to the ground poising the soil, the
water supply and the wild life, besides visual destroying the landscape. It has been
estimated that the average family in the technological developed countries throws away
some 16 to 20 tons of garbage and waste a year. This is not only an environmental hazard
but is also an enormous waste of materials that could be recycled responsibly, this is one
area in which the so called third world countries are leading the way because of material,
scarcities, recycling is an accepted way of life there and has been for generations.
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Q. No. 3: Describe the process of Product Assessment with the Life Cycle
Assessment Approach. (15 Marks)
Answer)
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique for assessing the potential environmental
aspects and potential aspects associated with a product (or service), by:
 Compiling an inventory of relevant inputs and outputs,

 Evaluating the potential environmental impacts associated with those inputs and
outputs,
 Interpreting the results of the inventory and impact phases in relation to the
objectives of the study.
The life cycle analysis is to assess the environmental impacts associated with all the stages
of product’s life, a profoundly complicated assessment technique which demands a great
deal of study, research, data gathering, experimentation and interpretation.
Source: https://www.gdrc.org/uem/lca/lca-define.html
Life cycle assessment technique is a powerful tool like environmental impact assessment,
done for development projects and based on the precautionary principle.
It gauges the flow of matter, energy, production of waste and likelihood of potential
ecological harm related to all the phases. it also assesses the magnitude of potential
environmental impacts. It enables the compiler to make an inventory of impacts at different
stages (how much biocidal). The final interpretation of results help to make environmentally
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informed decision, purposing changes for improvement at different levels, change in design,
change in material used, production process etc (examples lead in petrol etc)
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PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
Product Life Cycle Assessment is the evaluation technique for the product/ecology
relationship and for creating ecological-balanced products.
It incorporates the mentioned below 6 phases; from the original acquisition of raw material,
through the manufacturing process , purchase of the finished product (shipping, packaging,
advertising, printing manuals), the use, collection of product after use, reuse/recycle and
final disposal which may be potentially ecologically dangerous.
1. The choice of materials

2. The manufacturing process
3. Packaging the product
4. The finished product
5. Transporting the materials
6. Waste
Product Life cycle assessment was first developed in the late 1960s/early 1970s, during the
oil crisis. People were waiting in line for gasoline, and energy costs were skyrocketing.
Companies were looking for ways to save on their energy bills as their customers were
asking for energy-efficient products. Companies also began to use LCA internally to
improve their products. Thus, the impetus for the first life cycle inventories came into being.
In the late 1980s, life cycle inventories of product systems’ energy and mass began to be
undertaken.
In 1990, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) held LCA
workshops and identified the various stages of the LCA framework. Two years later, the
framework for LCA was reviewed, and the “Goal and Scope” stage, central to LCA, was
added. Thus the four parts of an LCA were identified:
• Goal and Scope

• Inventory Analysis
• Impact Assessment
• Interpretation.
It wasn’t until ISO developed an Environmental Management series of standards, which

included a technical committee charged with developing an LCA standard, that a global
LCA standard became available. The culmination of this effort was a voluntary international
standard that stands today as the standard for conducting an LCA.
The below figure shows the iterative process of life cycle—from raw material extraction
through end of life.
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Source: https://www.nikkakyo.org/sites/default/files/ICCA_LCA_Executive_Guide_en.pdf
Commonly Used LCA Metrics for Products:
While life cycle methodology has been applied to all three pillars of sustainability—
economic1, social2 and environmental—the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Report,3 Life Cycle Assessment: Some of these metrics are explained in more detail below:
• Cumulative Energy Demand (CED): Total energy consumed over the whole life cycle in
delivering the functional unit (including end-of-life waste management).
• Cumulative Fossil Energy Demand (CFED): This is a subset of CED and describes the
total life cycle fossil fuel-based energy consumed in delivering the functional unit (including
end-of-life waste management). Fossil fuels include coal, crude oil and its derivatives,
natural gas, peat.
• Cumulative Renewable Energy Demand (CRED): This is a subset of CED and

describes the total life cycle renewable (non-fossil fuel)-based energy consumed in
delivering the functional unit (including end-of-life waste management). Renewable energy
includes solar, photovoltaic, hydro, wind, wave, geothermal.
• Global Warming Potential (GWP), also referred to as Carbon Footprint: A category that
reflects climate change impact over a fixed time period, normally 100 years, in terms of the
total emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), and other CO2
equivalents, including methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), to air across the life cycle
of a product used to deliver a unit of service (the functional unit), including end-of-life waste
management.
• Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP): A category that reflects the relative effect of total
emissions of gases that deplete stratospheric ozone across the life cycle of a product used
to deliver a unit of service (the functional unit), including end of-life waste management.
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Stratospheric ozone exists as a layer of naturally occurring gas in the upper atmosphere
that protects living cells from over-exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation; over-
exposure to UV radiation can cause, for example, skin cancer and reduced crop yields.
• Acidification Potential (AP): A category that reflects the relative effect of total emissions
of acidic gases (e.g., sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrochloric acid (HCl),
hydroflouric acid (HF), ammonia (NH4)) to air across the life cycle of a product used to
deliver a unit of service (the functional unit), including end-of-life waste management.
Deposition of these emissions can acidify water bodies and soils, and can cause building
corrosion.
• Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP): A category that reflects the relative
effect of total emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen
across the life cycle of a product used to deliver a unit of service (the functional unit),
including end-of-life waste management.
• Consumptive Water Footprint and Water Emissions Footprint: This describes the total
life cycle requirement of water necessary for delivering the functional unit, including end-of-
life waste management. It is often subdivided into fresh water and sea or brackish water; by
source (river, lake, well, sea).
What Product LCA can do:
• Supporting decision-making, highlighting efficiency opportunities along a value chain.
• Understanding the industrial systems involved in manufacturing products and delivering

services to end-users.
• Optimizing industrial systems by identifying operations within a market chain that have the
greatest opportunity for improvement, often referred to as “hot spots.”
• Ensuring that changes made to improve one part of an industrial system do not “shift the
burden,” by moving a problem, or creating a new issue in another part of the chain.
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• Informing decision makers about the trade-offs that a decision will have on the balance of
impacts across the environmental impact categories, such as, implementing a particular
technology to reduce GHG emissions that may result in increased water usage.
• Comparing two systems that deliver the same service/product as defined by the functional
unit.
• Indicating whether an improvement investment at one part of a market chain will have any
significant improvement effect over the whole life cycle.
• Benchmarking one organization’s processes against an industry average of similar

processes to identify improvement possibilities.
• Providing foot printing data, such as carbon footprints.
Source: https://www.nikkakyo.org/sites/default/files/ICCA_LCA_Executive_Guide_en.pdf
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Q. No. 4: Which environmental problems are associated with plastics and tyres?
Explain in the Global and Local context. (15 Marks)
Answer)
UNDERSTANDING OF PLASTICS AND RUBBER TYRES:
PLASTICS
The word plastic is derived from the greek (plastikos) meaning capable of being shaped or
molded. Plastic that are made up of polymers having only aliphatic (linear) C atoms in their
backbone chains. e.g.: poly propylene. Plastics that are made up of heterochain polymers
contain O, N, S in their backbone chains, in addition to C. e.g.: poly carbonate.
Plastic behaviour of polymers is influenced by their morphology (arrangement of

molecules).they are either amorphous or crystalline. Most thermosets are amorphous, while
thermoplastics may be amorphous or semi crystalline.
Plastics are a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic polymerization products that can be

molded into a permanent object having the property of plasticity. Plastic are found extensive
industrial applications. Plastics having a variety of properties are available at present. They
have low specific gravities, ease of fabrication, resistance to low thermal and electrical
conductivities.
Many plastics can take range of colour to enable them useful for decorative purposes.
Plastics are widely used in making electical instruments, telephones, panelling for
walls,instrument boards, automoblile parts, lamps, googles, optical instruments, household
appliances, etc.
Classification of Plastics:
Plastics can divided into two general categories and they are
1.Thermoplastics
2. Thermosetting plastics
Source: https://jchps.com/specialissues/Special%20issue3/18%20jchps
%20si3%20P.Pavani%2087-93.pdf
25
RUBBER
Rubber is produced from natural or synthetic sources. Natural rubber is obtained from the
milky white fluid called latex, found in many plants; synthetic rubbers are produced from
unsaturated hydrocarbons.
Natural rubber is extracted from rubber producing plants, most notably the tree Hevea
brasiliensis, which originates from South America. Nowadays, more than 90% of all natural
rubber comes from these trees in the rubber plantations of Indonesia, the Malay Peninsula
and Sri Lanka. The common name for this type of rubber is Para rubber. The rubber is
extracted from the trees in the form of latex. The tree is ‘tapped’; that is, a diagonal incision
is made in the bark of the tree and as the latex exudes from the cut it is collected in a small
cup. The average annual yield is approximately 2 ½ kg per tree or 450kg per hectare,
although special high-yield trees can yield as much as 3000kg per hectare each year. The
gathered latex is strained, diluted with water, and treated with acid to cause the suspended
rubber particles within the latex to coagulate. After being pressed between rollers to form
thin sheets, the rubber is air (or smoke) dried and is then ready for shipment.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH PLASTICS:
Environmental impacts are wide ranging and can be both direct and indirect. Direct impacts
occur when marine life is physically harmed by marine debris through ingestion or
entanglement (e.g., a turtle mistakes a plastic bag for food) or marine debris physically
alters a sensitive ecosystem (e.g., a fishing net is dragged along the ocean floor by strong
ocean currents and breaks and smothers a coral reef). Environmental impacts can also be
indirect, such as when a marine debris cleanup results in ecological changes.
DIRECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
a. Ingestion: Seabirds, sea turtles, fish, and marine mammals often ingest marine debris
that they mistake for food. Ingesting marine debris can seriously harm marine life. For
example, whales and sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for squid, and birds often
mistake plastic pellets for fish eggs. Moreover, a study of 38 green turtles found that 61
percent had ingested some form of marine debris including plastic bags, cloth, and rope or
string (Bugoni et al., 2001). At other times, animals accidentally eat the marine debris while
feeding on natural food. Ingestion can lead to starvation or malnutrition when the marine
debris collects in the animal's stomach causing the animal to feel full. Starvation also occurs
when ingested marine debris in the animal's system prevents vital nutrients from being
absorbed. Internal injuries and infections may also result from ingestion. Some marine
debris, especially some plastics, contain toxic substances that can cause death or
reproductive failure in fish, shellfish, or any marine life. In fact, some plastic particles have
even been determined to contain certain chemicals up to one million times the amount
found in the water alone (Moore, C., 2002).
b. Entanglement: Marine life can become entangled in marine debris causing serious
injury or death. Entanglement can lead to suffocation, starvation, drowning, increased
vulnerability to predators, or other injury. Marine debris can constrict an entangled animal's
movement which results in exhaustion or development of an infection from deep wounds
caused by tightening material. For example, volunteers participating in the 2008
26
International Coastal Cleanup event discovered 443 animals and birds entangled or trapped
by marine debris (2008 ICC Report, Ocean Conservancy).
c. Ecosystem Alteration: The direct impacts of marine debris are not limited to mobile
animals. Plants, other immobile living organisms, and sensitive ecosystems can all be
harmed by marine debris. Coral reefs can be damaged by derelict fishing gear that breaks
or suffocates coral. Plants can be smothered by plastic bags and fishing nets. The ocean
floor ecosystems can be damaged and altered by the movement of an abandoned vessel or
other marine debris.
INDIRECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
a. Ecosystem Alteration: Efforts to remove marine debris can harm ecosystems.

Mechanical beach raking uses a tractor or other mechanical device to remove marine
debris from beaches and marine shorelines and can adversely impact shoreline habitats.
This removal technique can be harmful to aquatic vegetation, nesting birds, sea turtles, and
other types of aquatic life. Beach raking also can contribute to beach erosion and
disturbance of natural vegetation when the raking is conducted too close to a dune.
b. Invasive Species: Marine debris can contribute to the transfer and movement of
invasive species. Floating marine debris can carry invasive species from one location to
another. Invasive species use the marine debris as a type of "raft" to move from one body
of water to another. In a study performed by the British Antarctic Survey in 2002, it was
estimated that man-made debris found in the oceans has approximately doubled the
number of different species found in the subtropics (Barnes, D.K., 2002).
ECONOMIC IMPACTS
Marine debris can harm three important components of our economy: tourism, fishing, and
navigation. Economic impacts are felt through loss in tourism dollars and catch revenue, as
well as costly vessel repairs.
a. Tourism: Marine debris is unsightly and unwelcoming to beachgoers, which can result in
lost revenue from tourism. In severe cases, marine debris can even cause beach closures.
The costs to remove and dispose of the marine debris can be high and the loss of tourism
dollars can be even higher. In an attempt to stop the draining of trash to the ocean, the Los
Angeles County's Department of Public Works and the Flood Control District spends $18
million each year on street sweeping, catch basin cleanouts, cleanup programs, and litter
prevention and education efforts (L.A. County Boards of Supervisors Staff Report, 2007).
b. Fishing: Fisheries experience significant economic impacts from marine debris.

Commercial fisheries are impacted when commercial fish and shellfish become bycatch in
lost fishing nets or other fishing gear. This type of bycatch can result in both immediate
losses in the standing stock of available seafood, and decreases in the long-term
sustainability of the stock due to negative impacts on its reproductive ability. For example,
the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission has predicted blue crab ghost fishery leads to
a loss of up to 4 to 10 million crabs a year in Louisiana alone (Virginia Institute of Marine
Science, 2006). Fisheries also can be financially affected when fishing gear and vessels are
entangled or damaged by marine debris. The high cost of replacing fishing gear and
27
vessels, as well as loss of days at sea for fishing, can cause small fisheries to go out of
business.
c. Navigation: Floating marine debris is a navigational hazard that entangles propellers

and clogs cooling water intake valves. Repairing boats damaged by marine debris is both
time consuming and expensive.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH RUBBER:
High concentration of BOD, COD, & SS

Wastewater discharged from latex rubber processing usually contains high level of BOD,
COD and SS .These characteristics vary from country to country due to difference in raw
latex and applied technique in the process. The main source of the pollutants is the
coagulation serum, field latex coagulation, and skim latex coagulation. These compounds
are readily biodegradable and this will result in high oxygen consumption upon discharge of
wastewater in receiving surface water.
Acidic effluent
It is noted by Pandey et. al. (1990) that the effluent from latex rubber processing industries
is basically acidic in nature. Different extents of acid usage in the different factories attribute
to pH variation of different effluent. Due to the use of acid in latex coagulation, the effluent
discharged from latex rubber factories is acidic and re-dissolves the rubber protein. The
effluent comprises mainly of carbonaceous organic materials, nitrogen and sulfate. The
quantity of acid used for coagulation of the latex, specifically in skim latex after
centrifugation operation, is generally found to be higher than the actual requirement.
High concentration of ammonia and nitrogen compounds

The high concentration of ammonia presents in the latex concentrate effluent posed
another serious threat to the environment. Most of the concentrated latex factories in the
South of Thailand discharge treated wastewater that contains high level of nitrogen &
ammonia to a nearby river or canals leading to a water pollution problem. If high level of
ammonia is discharged to water bodies, it could lead to death of some aquatic organisms
living in the water. Land treatment system has been conducted to treat and utilize nitrogen
in treated wastewater from the concentrated latex factory.
High level of sulfate

The effluent from latex concentrate factories contains high level of sulfate which originated
from sulfuric acid used in the coagulation of skim latex. The high level of sulfate in this
process can cause problem in the biological anaerobic treatment system as high levels of
H2S will be liberated to the environment and generates malodor problem. The free H 2S also
inhibits the digestion process, which gives lower organic removal efficiency (Yeoh et. al.,
1993).
High level of odor

The odor causing compound such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, amines, can be produced
by many of wastewater treatment process. Most odor of organic nature arises from the
anaerobic decomposition of compounds containing nitrogen and sulfur (Dague, 1972;
Henry, 1980). The odor is detectable even at extremely low concentrations and makes
water unpalatable for several hundred miles downstream from the rubber plants. The
28
problems presents varies considerably depending on the plant site, the raw material used,
and the number of intermediary product.
Tire reuse and recovery in developing countries (Pakistan)
There is an enormous potential for reclamation and reuse of rubber in developing countries.
There is a large wastage of rubber tyres in many countries and the aim of this brief is to
give some ideas for what can be done with this valuable resource. Whether rubber tyres are
reused, reprocessed or hand crafted into new products, the end result is that there is less
waste and less environmental degradation as a result. In developing countries, there is a
culture of reuse and recycling. Waste collectors roam residential areas in large towns and
cities in search of reusable articles. Some of the products that result from the reprocessing
of waste are particularly impressive and the levels of skill and ingenuity are high. Recycling
artisans have integrated themselves into the traditional market place and have created a
viable livelihood for themselves in this sector.
The process of tyre collection and reuse is a task carried out primarily by the informal
sector. Tyres are seen as being too valuable to enter the waste stream and are collected
and put to use. In Karachi, Pakistan, for example, tyres are collected and cut into parts to
obtain secondary materials which can be put to good use. The beads of the tyres are
removed and the rubber removed by burning to expose the steel. The tread and sidewalls
are separated – the tread is cut into thin strips and used to cover the wheels of donkey
carts, while the sidewalls are used for the production of items such as shoe soles, slippers
or washers (WAREN Report).
Manual Separation of the Tread from the Sidewalls, Karachi, Pakistan

Source:
http://www.seas.columbia.edu/earth/RRC/documents/recycling_rubber.pdf
29
There are many ways in which tyres and inner tubes can be reused or reclaimed. The
waste management hierarchy dictates that re-use, recycling and energy recovery, in that
order, are superior to disposal and waste management options. This hierarchy is outlined in
Table below.
Product Re-Use
Damaged tyres are, more often than not, repaired. Tubes can be patched and tyres can be
repaired by one of a number of methods. Regrooving is a practice carried out in many
developing countries where regulations are slacker and standards are lower (and speeds
are lower) than in the West. It is often carried out by hand and is labour intensive. The use
of retread tyres saves valuable energy and resources. A new tyre requires 23L of crude oil
equivalent for raw materials and 9L for process energy compared with 7L and 2L
respectively for retreading. Tyres of passenger vehicles can generally be retreaded only
once while truck and bus tyres can be retreaded up to six times. Retreading is a well
established and acceptable (in safety terms) practice. The process involves the removal of
the remaining tread (producing tyre crumb – see later) and the application and vulcanisation
of a new tread (the ‘camel back’) onto the remaining carcass.
In Nairobi about 10,000 tyres a week are received for retreading (Ahmed). Secondary reuse
of whole tyres is the next step in the waste management hierarchy. Tyres are often put to
use because of their shape, weight, form or volume. Some examples of secondary use in
industrialised countries include use for erosion control, as tree guards, in artificial reefs,
fences or as garden decoration. In developing countries wells can be lined with old tyres,
docks are often lined with old tyres which act as shock absorbers, and similarly crash
barriers can be constructed from old tyres. Old inner tubes also have many uses; swimming
aids and water containers being two simple examples.
Following the grooves is a Labour –

intensive process.
30
Material re-use
The next step in hierarchy involves the material being broken down and reused for the
production of a new product. In developing countries this hand reprocessing of rubber
products to produce consumer goods is well established and the variety of products being
made from reclaimed tyres and tubes is astonishing. The rubber used in tyres is a relatively
easy material to reform by hand. It behaves in a similar manner to leather and has in fact
replaced leather for a number of applications.
Another way in which physical reuse can be achieved is by reducing the tyre to a granular
form and then reprocessing. This can be a costly process and there has to be a
manufacturer willing to purchase the granules. Crumb rubber from the retreading process
can be used in this way, as it is a good quality granulated rubber. The reprocessing
techniques used are similar to those described in earlier chapters. Granulate tends to be
used for low-grade products such as automobile floor mats, shoe soles, rubber wheels for
carts and barrows, etc., and can be added to asphalt for road construction, where it
improved the properties of this material.
Garbage containers made from Truck tyres.

Manila, the Philippines
Energy Recovery
Tyres consist of around 60% hydrocarbons, which is a store of energy that can be
recovered by incineration. The heat produced can be used directly in processes such as
cement making, or to raise steam for a variety of uses, including electricity generation.
Again, this technology requires sophisticated plant and its application is limited when
looking at smallscale enterprise.
Landfill
Landfill is the final step in the waste management hierarchy. The landfill disposal of tyres, if
properly managed, does not constitute an environmental problem. However, concerns
about conserving resources and energy have seen an increasing opposition to landfilling.
Also, public sanitation and municipal waste management is often ineffective in developing
countries and scrap tyres are often found littering the streets.
********************************************************************************************************
31
Q. No. 5: Elaborate the concept of “Green Design”. How design in the 21st
century can ensure environmental sustainability. (15 Marks)
Answer)
CONCEPT OF GREEN DESIGN:
Green design, is an approach to building that minimizes harmful effects on human health
and the environment. The "green" architect or designer attempts to safeguard air, water,
and earth by choosing eco-friendly building materials and construction practices.
THE PRINCIPLES OF GREEN DESIGN
The green design process begins with an intimate understanding of the site in all its
beauties and complexities. An ecological approach to design aims to integrate the systems
being introduced with the existing on-site ecological functions performed by Mother Nature.
These ecological functions provide habitat, respond to the movements of the sun, purify the
air as well as catch, filter and store water. Designers can create features in their buildings
that mimic the functions of particular eco-systems. Species that thrive in natural
ecosystems may also utilize habitats created in man-made structures. Creating new habitat
on structures in urbanized areas is especially important to support bio-diversity and a
healthy ecosystem (Thomas, 2009).
The following points summarize key principles, strategies and technologies which are
associated with the five major elements of green building design which are: Sustainable
Site Design; Water Conservation and Quality; Energy and Environment; Indoor
Environmental Quality; and Conservation of Materials and Resources. This information
supports of the use of the USGBC LEED Green Building Rating System, but focuses on
principles and strategies rather than specific solutions or technologies, which are often site
specific and will vary from project to project (USGBC).
32
HOW DESIGN IN THE 21ST CENTURY CAN ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL

SUSTAINABILITY:
Ecologically informed designs will be needed to fight the environmental crisis:
 Feelings of corporate social responsibility by the designers

 Altruistic reasons beyond profits and politics
 Environmentally friendly design can be a good business
 Health of the planet and ecology a priority for saving community and planet
Feelings of corporate social responsibility by the designers

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly regarded as a compelling strategic
opportunity for dealing with sustainability challenges faced by organizations. Design has the
potential to translate CSR strategies and tactics into manufactured goods, as well as
potential services. This article focuses on (i) investigating design activities that enable the
application of CSR principles, during new product and service development, (ii) identifying
the designers’ underlying motivation for socially responsible design (SRD) decision-making
in organizations.
The Concept of Socially Responsible Design (SRD)

Design’s response to social responsibility, in parallel with business’s response, has
reflected the great activist movements. Indeed, it has been a recurring theme; with
designers addressing issues relating to social responsibility (Whiteley, 1993). Since the
1960s designers have actively considered design’s wider implications for society. Numerous
terms have appeared in the literature of ‘socially responsible design (SRD)’, including green
design, ethical consumerism, eco-design, sustainable design, universal design, inclusive
design, etc.
The Two-dimensional Model of SRD Decision-making

A two dimensional model of SRD decision-making is proposed. The model is depicted has
four distinct quadrants.
• Quadrant A. Company-regulated, CSR-conscious design decision making: In this
quadrant, both organizations and individual designers are consciously aware of SRD
decision-making and they engage in formalized discussions. About SRD. Businesses adopt
some degree of voluntary regulatory standards as a part of their genuine commitment to
social responsibility.
33
• Quadrant B. Non-regulated, but CSR-conscious design decision making: This is

concerned with a socially-conscious, designer-led approach toward SRD in which there is
no company regulation related to SRD, yet individual designers try to make decisions in
socially-conscious ways based on their personal ethical value system, going beyond a
narrow view of company regulation.
• Quadrant C. Non-regulated, CSR-unconcerned design decision-making: This view
captures a perspective in which a business has no provision to look beyond a narrow view
of profit maximisation. From this perspective, any part of socially responsible design
decision making is socially unconcerned and non-regulated; rather it can often be seen as a
response from the market which is actually a market or consumer-led approach.
• Quadrant D. Company-regulated, but CSR-unconcerned design decision-making: In this
quadrant, corporations tend to follow existing guidelines and regulations to fulfil minimum
CSR criteria, and designers develop products and services only in a manner that adheres
to the company’s legal and economic responsibilities.
Altruistic reasons beyond profits and politics

For decades executives have been encouraged to view the world beyond their corporation
as a field of competitors to be battled with, or consumers to be lured. If the 'outside' world of
neighbourhoods, supply chains, or regions was to be considered, it was kept in the
periphery of a corporate social responsibility function rather than seen as central to the
strategy of the business.
This passive view is changing fast. If corporations are to be sufficiently robust and
successful over the coming decades, they need to ensure the resilience of the
neighbourhoods in which they reside and in the extended supply chains that serve them.
There are a number of different organisations that have successfully balanced the need for
their business to be robust and profitable with a desire to improve conditions in the
communities around them.
Environmentally friendly design can be a good business
Running an environmentally friendly business helps you reduce your impact on the
environment and preserves natural resources. Your business can help the environment in
many ways. For example, you can:
 Use products that reduce your reliance on natural resources (e.g. rainwater tanks,
solar hot water systems)
34
 Use products that are made from recycled material (e.g. office supplies made from
recycled plastic, furniture made from recycled rubber)
 Look at all your business activities to see if you can do anything differently (e.g.
reducing air travel by holding conference calls instead of interstate meetings).
Making your business environmentally friendly not only benefits the environment but can
also save you money.
Recycling reduces your costs

Avoiding, reducing, reusing and recycling can lower your costs. For example, a few simple
changes to how you deal with paper can involve your staff in environmentally friendly
processes while saving you money:
 Avoid using materials unnecessarily

 Reduce your paper needs by asking staff to print double-sided
 Reuse by encouraging staff to use scrap paper for message-taking instead of
purchasing message pads
 Recycle by shredding excess paper - you could recycle this commercially or invite
staff to take it home for their compost or mulch heaps.
Improves sustainability
Reducing the environmental impact of your business will improve the sustainability of your
business. If you are less dependent on natural resources than your competitors and have
ways to deal with rising costs due to climate change, your business will have a greater
chance of long-term success.
Good practice can attract new customers

Promoting your environmentally friendly methods can set your business apart from your
competitors and attract new customers who want to buy products and services from an
environmentally friendly business.
THE DESIGNERS MUST KNOW AND DO:

1. Emphasis on quality and permanence , avoidance of natural resources wastefulness,
products that can age gracefully, avoid the changing fads
2. Question the ultimate consequences of the product without the profit balance sheets
3. Development of new products for environment friendly conditions and environmental
quality monitors
4. Design has to be evaluated against social, ecological, environmental consequences
5. Greater concerns and deeper understanding of nature, more information about the
working of natural systems (no action is a better action in case of little knowledge or
uncertainties regarding impact on nature)
********************************************************************************************************
35
Q. No. 6: How ethics and aesthetics can be combined in the design? Collect at
least five product design examples from the real life situation and elaborate on
aesthetic and ethical values. Prepare 10 power point slides to present in the
workshop. (30 Marks)
Answer)
36
37
38
39
40
References & Researches Cited:
o https://is.muni.cz/el/1423/jaro2016/ENS288/62107781/Why_Environmental_H
istory.pdf?lang=cs
o https://resources.depaul.edu/abcd
o https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/20-ways-humans-are-
negatively-impacting-the-environment/ss-AAvYIla#image=1
o https://tataandhoward.com/2016/04/earth-day-2016-10-simple-steps-to-
improve-the-environment/
o https://www.gdrc.org/uem/lca/lca-define.html
o https://www.nikkakyo.org/sites/default/files/ICCA_LCA_Executive_Guide_en.p
df
o https://jchps.com/specialissues/Special%20issue3/18%20jchps
%20si3%20P.Pavani%2087-93.pdf
o http://www.seas.columbia.edu/earth/RRC/documents/recycling_rubber.pdf
o https://businessimpactenvironment.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/environmental-
issues-caused-by-rubber-industry/
o http://www.seas.columbia.edu/earth/RRC/documents/recycling_rubber.pdf
o https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-green-architecture-and-green-design-
177955
o https://ac.els-cdn.com/S1877042815062552/1-s2.0-S1877042815062552-
main.pdf?_tid=e7dd99fc-68b6-448a-9a9e-
0a36ef4e8fd7&acdnat=1541837607_d9d3a4b39f407f2fda2d8fb491ba715c
o http://www.ijdesign.org/index.php/IJDesign/article/viewFile/2462/735
o https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/environment/environment-
business/benefits
41

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Department of Home & Health Sciences

Block No. 06, Sector H-8,

Ecology and Ethics in Design and Architecture (3680)

Q. No. 1: Explain Environmental History of our planet? How the environmental

Concept of Environmental History

Environmental history is an interdisciplinary pursuit that has developed as a form of

Abandoned chapel in Krasny les, North

How have we shaped our environment?

Banaue Rice Terraces, Philippines Svitava River - Brno

DIFFERENT APPROACHES OF ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY

1. Material Environmental History

Material Environmental History

Changes in forest age composition over time, Pálava, South Moravia

Cultural & Intellectual Environmental History

Political Environmental History

WHY STUDY ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY?

 Because environmental History is politically relevant and helps us understand

 Because environmental history helps us understand the human role in

 Because environmental history helps us understand the impact of humans on

This includes the impact on culture and issues of environmental justice

 Because environmental history helps us the understand the relationship

 Because environmental history helps us understand human resource use

ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF OUR PLANET

HOW WE WERE BREAKING PLANET EARTH

CORAL REEFS ARE BEING DESTROYED

HUNTING ENDANGERED ANIMALS TO EXTINCTION

PESTICIDES UPSET THE ECOSYSTEM

DAMAGING THE OZONE LAYER

THE BLIGHT OF LIGHT POLLUTION

OIL SPILLAGES ARE DISASTROUS

URBANIZATION EATS INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE

RIVERS ARE BEING RUN DRY

HOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL MISMANAGEMENT CAN BE MINIMIZED TO HEAL

• Aspect of scale-global to local

ASPECT OF SCALE-GLOBAL TO LOCAL

Global environmental movement is not an ideology or a peripheral thinking; it has turned

• 20 years after the un conference on the human environment at Stockholm, Sweden

TECHNOLOGY BAN OR BOON

-First view is impractical in this technological world.

SMALL IS BEAUTIFULL AND PRACTICAL

It focuses on “small is beautiful” as it is manageable, workable and reassuringly accessible.

1. Eliminate the use of paper plates and plastic utensils:

Plastic pollution has become epidemic

2. Use a refillable water bottle — and fill it with tap water!

3. Choose reusable over disposable

4. Repair leaky faucets and toilets

5. Collect rainwater for use in gardens

6. Turn off and unplug all electronics when not in use

7. Green up your lawn

1. The choice of materials

1. THE CHOICE OF MATERIAL

There is a close interdependent relationship among the design of a product, selection of

2. THE MANAFACTURING PROCESS

3. PACKING THE PRODUCT

5. TRANSPORTING THE PRODUCT

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

 Compiling an inventory of relevant inputs and outputs,

PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

1. The choice of materials

• Goal and Scope

It wasn’t until ISO developed an Environmental Management series of standards, which

Commonly Used LCA Metrics for Products:

• Cumulative Renewable Energy Demand (CRED): This is a subset of CED and

What Product LCA can do: