An Integrated Approach to Environmental Management

Dibyendu Sarkar, Rupali Datta, Avinandan Mukherjee, Robyn Hannigan, Dibyendu Sarkar, Rupali Datta, Avinandan Mukherjee, Robyn Hannigan

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781118744352
• eBook ISBN: 9781118744345
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technologie et ingénierie
• Subtopic: Gestion de l'environnement

Covers the most recent topics in the field of environmental management and provides a broad focus on the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of environmental management

• Provides an up-to-date survey of the field from the perspective of different disciplines
• Covers the topic of environmental management from multiple perspectives, namely, natural sciences, engineering, business, social sciences, and methods and tools perspectives
• Combines both academic rigor and practical approach through literature reviews and theories and examples and case studies from diverse geographic areas and policy domains
• Explores local and global issues of environmental management and analyzes the role of various contributors in the environmental management process
• Chapter contents are appropriately demonstrated with numerous pictures, charts, graphs, and tables, and accompanied by a detailed reference list for further readings

SECTION I
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: THE NATURAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE

1
GEOLOGY IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Michael A. Kruge

Earth & Environmental Studies Department, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, USA

Abstract: From the geological perspective, the two overriding environmental management concerns are the destructive impact of hazardous natural events on human health and property and the deleterious impact of human activity on the natural environment. The knowledge derived from the geological sciences serves as the basis for a more enlightened approach to the reduction of unnecessary risk involved in the siting and construction of buildings and transportation networks, as well as the extraction of natural resources and waste management. Armed with such knowledge along with political sensitivity, environmental managers will have opportunities for positive social impact in negotiating the challenges as they weigh costs, risks, and benefits. When considering natural resource and energy issues, environmental managers should foster science-based solutions to maximize resource utilization while minimizing harmful impacts, bearing in mind externalities and long-term consequences.

The chapter provides an overview of key geological aspects of environmental management, illustrating fundamental principles via representative examples. The main geological subjects addressed include volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, coastal processes, freshwater resources, waste management, and fossil fuel resources. They are discussed in tandem with their associated environmental problems and risks.

Keywords: volcanic hazards, lahar, earthquake hazards, tsunami, seismic safety, liquefaction, slope instability, coastal hazards, barrier island, flooding hazards, eutrophication, saline lake, groundwater overdraft, sinkhole, solid waste disposal, nuclear waste disposal, coal mining, acid mine drainage, petroleum system, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”).

1. 1.1 Introduction
2. 1.2 Volcanic Hazards
   1. 1.2.1 Mt. Vesuvius: Ancient Pompeii and Modern Naples
   2. 1.2.2 Volcanic Eruptions and Aviation
   3. 1.2.3 Lahar Hazards: Northwestern Washington State
3. 1.3 Earthquake-Related Hazards
   1. 1.3.1 The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
   2. 1.3.2 California Seismic Safety Standards and Preparedness
   3. 1.3.3 Liquefaction Hazards in San Francisco
   4. 1.3.4 Earthquake-Induced Slope Failures in the San Francisco Bay Area
4. 1.4 Coastal Processes and Environmental Management
   1. 1.4.1 Coastal Sediment Transport Dynamics and Engineered Shore Structures
   2. 1.4.2 Coastal Sediment Transport Dynamics in Response to Major Storms and Sea Level Rise
5. 1.5 Environmental Management of Rivers and Lakes
   1. 1.5.1 Flooding Hazards
   2. 1.5.2 Eutrophication: “Too Much of a Good Thing”
   3. 1.5.3 Lakes in Arid Regions
6. 1.6 Groundwater Management and Karst Hazards
   1. 1.6.1 Groundwater Overdraft: Impact on Agriculture and Municipal Water Supplies
   2. 1.6.2 Karst Topography and Sinkhole Hazards
7. 1.7 Geological Factors Impacting Waste Management
   1. 1.7.1 Municipal Solid Waste Disposal and Landfill Leachate
   2. 1.7.2 Nuclear Waste Disposal
8. 1.8 Energy Resource Extraction and its Environmental Consequences
   1. 1.8.1 Coal and Coal Mining
   2. 1.8.2 The Petroleum System
   3. 1.8.3 Petroleum and Natural Gas Extraction: Environmental Considerations
   4. 1.8.4 Consideration of Externalities
9. 1.9 Concluding Remarks
10. Appendix 1.A Geographic Coordinates of the Examples Presented.
11. References

1.1 INTRODUCTION

From the geological perspective, there are two overriding environmental management concerns: (i) the destructive impact of hazardous natural events on human health and property and (ii) the deleterious impact of human activity on the natural environment. This two-way flow of undesirable influence creates a complex web in which the ambitions of groups of people from differing economic and social circumstances come into conflict. The dynamism of Earth’s near-surface processes has often caught people unaware, leading to sudden loss of life and livelihood. The knowledge derived from the geological sciences serves as the basis for a more enlightened approach to the reduction of unnecessary risk involved in the siting and construction of buildings and transportation networks, as well as the extraction of natural resources and waste management.

When facing the possibility of a natural disaster—volcanic eruption, earthquake, landslide, and flood—the avoidance of hazardous areas is perhaps the simplest and surest protective measure. However, in many cases, homes, infrastructure, and even entire cities are built in the line of fire. The aesthetic appeal of a seaside house, favorable farming conditions, and ingrained traditions all motivate residents to remain in potentially hazardous areas. Engineers are able to devise complex and effective defenses, but these are expensive. Since these measures may provide protection for disasters that have not occurred within historic memory, decision makers may be reluctant to mandate them. The tensions between the scientific/technical and the political sides of environmental issues play out in cost–benefit and, especially, risk–benefit analyses (Petroski, 2013), by which the possible rewards to be derived from an activity or policy are weighed against the expense or hazard entailed. One management question that must be considered is: Who pays for damages to private property caused by natural disasters?

This chapter provides an overview of the geological underpinnings of several key environmental concerns. It is neither comprehensive nor encyclopedic, but rather employs illustrative examples to highlight the major environmental management issues presented. It takes the point of view that environmental management should (i) protect populations from undue exposure to natural hazards and (ii) protect natural systems from undue anthropogenic pressure.

Several of the examples presented are illustrated with aerial or satellite imagery. If the reader is not acquainted with the benefits of and insights derived from the “bird’s-eye view,” observation of familiar places with web-based utilities such as Google Earth is recommended. As an invitation to further exploration, the appendix to this chapter provides the coordinates of all places discussed herein, so that they may be virtually visited at the reader’s leisure. Recognizing that this book will be read by specialists from different disciplines, the geological, ecological, and engineering technical terms are flagged with italic type upon first use. The appended reference list...

Table of contents

• COVER
• TITLE PAGE
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• ABOUT THE EDITORS
• CONTRIBUTORS
• PREFACE
• ENDORSEMENTS
• SECTION I: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: THE NATURAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE
• SECTION II: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: THE BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE
• SECTION III: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: THE METHODS AND TOOLS PERSPECTIVE
• APPENDIX A: SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS
• APPENDIX B: MODEL SYLLABUS
• APPENDIX C: MODEL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT CURRICULA (BS, MS, PHD)
• INDEX
• END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT