Environmental Management Test

4)
A) The landfill has caused water pollution as it has allowed plastic and other waste materials
to contaminate the water. This water can then flow to main bodies of water such as rivers,
which could kill native wildlife as they may mistake the waste for food. The waste is also
putting weight on the slopes, causing slumping and will eventually cause the collapse of the
slopes. This will allow more waste to enter the water. Landfills also emit toxic compounds
such as methane which is a greenhouse gas, contributing further to global warming. Soil
contamination also occurs due to the creation of leachate from waste, which leaks into the
soil to contaminate rivers and fields, killing biodiversity and ruining the soil.
B)
Incineration a form of waste management that burns waste to ashes. Singapore uses this
method widely in their incineration plant, allowing for zero waste to be left for landfills. The
energy created from the incineration of waste, is used to generate power for the country,
minimising the production of fossil fuels. Recycling paper and plastic is used across globally.
Within the Dharavi slum in Mumbai, the recycling sector created thousands of jobs for the
local people to pick out waste that could be recycled. This allows the community to save
money, earn money and prevent the further exacerbation of plastic pollution in Delhi. This
also reduced the amount of plastic and other waste materials being made, as there is
increasing amount of people able to reuse.
6)
The UK has been a leading power in the transition to green-energy production with the
building of large offshore wind farms, such as off the coast of Yorkshire, and large solar
farms. However, there are many issues and challenges associated with this transition
economically, socially and environmentally.
Renewable energy lies in its potential to mitigate climate change without further degrading
the environment. Around £20billion in private investment has been allocated to producing
clean energy. Renewable energy in the UK produced 44% of the country’s electricity, being
the main source of energy. Renewable energy sources produced very minimal greenhouse
gases, allowing for an environmentally friendly source of energy. However the production of
solar panels and wind turbines require essential minerals, found from deep sea mining. Deep
sea mining contributes to ocean acidification as mining destroys carbon sinks, which allows
carbon dioxide to leak into the oceans. This harms marine life as well as reducing the ocean’s
capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. This creates an issue as there is a higher risk of global
warming. The government is introducing a marine life protection company, however this will
take time to establish and require lots of money to sustain their work. Although there is this
risk, research shows that it takes 0.8 years to offset the greenhouse gases emitted from the
production of renewable energy technology, therefore decreasing the severity of the problem.
In addition to this, solar panels and wind turbines are dependent on climate, unlike fossil
fuels which has a consistent energy output. This poses problems for grid stability and requires
investment in storage technology to provide a consistent supply of electricity. Although
renewable energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions, there is large economic strain on the
country to be able to maintain a consistent supply of electricity without harming the
environment.
Replacing non renewables creates social benefits. Solar panels can be installed in local areas,
including in residential areas, allowing for the community to generate clean electricity to
power their homes. The government has introduced incentives and removed VAT on the
panels, to encourage uptake of more than 1.4million homes. The renewable energy sector has
already created more than 340,000 jobs, with plans to increase this to 480,000 by 2050.
However renewable energy is heavily managed by private companies, which control the price
of electricity. This poses a risk for low income families who are vulnerable to the already
high energy prices. Although there are government grants available for families, there is not
enough money being put in the help support these families, leaving over 1 million of unable
to pay for heating.

Environmental Management Test

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Environmental Management Test

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Environmental Management Test

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

4)

You might also like