INTRODUCTION TO CYBERCRIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND PROTECTION

CHAPTER 6 – ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

Introduction
Man and environment are inter-related. The environment influences the life of
human beings and also human beings modify their environment as a result of their
growth, dispersal, activities, death and decay etc. Thus all living beings including
man and their environment are mutually reactive affecting each other in a number of
ways and a dynamic equilibrium is possible in between the two, i.e human beings
(society) and environment are interdependent.
The different social structures like industrial, agricultural, religious, aesthetic
etc. have developed during various stages of human civilization and these structures
represent human being's accumulated cultural resources based on natural
environment.
If the natural environment helped in the development of different structures of
the society on the one hand, the existence and quality of environment now rests on
the responses of these social structures to the environment on the other hand.
The burning issues like quality of environment, disruption of earth's natural
ecosystem, environmental degradation and pollution, ecological imbalances,
depletion of resources etc. can be approached and solved only after considering the
value judgments which may be determined by taking into account the consequences
of environmental improvement program on the entire society and society's response
towards the improvement program. Actually all these depend on the interest and
desire of the society in improving the quality of environment.
The interaction between environment and society depends largely on the
social and political system. Even the capitalistic and socialistic systems perceptions
and reactions to the environment are quite different. The differential interactions are
due to uneven distribution of natural resources, uneven economic and social
development, dissimilarity of demographic factors, varying view points of the
governments and individuals towards environment etc.
Continuous and exceedingly rate of rapacious exploitation of natural
resources, industrialization, technological growth, unplanned urbanization and profit
oriented capitalism by the developed western world are responsible for grave
environmental crisis and ecological imbalance not confined to their own countries but
to the whole world.
The socialistic system of government gives more emphasis on the social
importance of natural resources and environmental problems and the urgent need to
tackle these problems. Marxism preaches to organize society's control over the
rapacious exploitation of natural resources and to develop harmony between man
and nature. The emphasis on rational exploitation of natural resources and
ecological balance was in the constitution of USSR.

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 INTRODUCTION TO CYBERCRIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND PROTECTION

The changes in the relationship between man and environment depend upon
the change in organization and attitude of society. To improve environmental
standard and to maintain ecological balance, the followings are some issues before
the present civilized society.
1. Rapid population explosion: Puts tremendous pressure on the natural
resources and environmental quality. This is due to the fact that population
growth leads to poverty which directly or indirectly declines the environmental
standard
2. Rational use of non-polluted water resources: The restoration of water quality
of our water bodies and their optimum uses are the challenges before the
present society.
3. To sustain and increase agricultural growth: Without damaging environment.
The over cultivation of soil, results in nutrient deficiency, lack of organic
matter, soil salinity and damage to physical structure of the soil.
4. To check soil erosion: The soil erosion can be prevented by the restoration of
land or soil resources which are directly or indirectly related to strategies for
the management of land, water and forest.
5. Restoration of forest resources: The forest resources are depleting at a very
faster rate in order to meet growing need of timber and farmland for the
increased population. Vast forest areas have been converted into barren
waste lands. So it is the need of the present society to restore our forest
resources possibly through social forestry and afforestation programs.
6. To check pollution: The overexploitation of natural resources, intervention of
bio-geochemical cycles and trace element cycle, extraneous release of matter
and energy etc. cause serious environmental hazards.
In addition, continuous green-house gas emission, hazardous chemicals of
industry and agriculture, nuclear arsenals; radioactive wastes and biotechnological
misuse lead to global catastrophism. So the prevention of pollution is of prime
importance for the present society. Considering the above issues, it is clear that the
fate of human being depends on how he is managing and overcoming the above
problems.
Meanings of Environment
Descending from the Middle French preposition environ "around,"
environment, in its most basic meaning, is "that which surrounds." When preceded
by the and unmodified, it usually refers to the natural world ("please don't litter if you
care about the environment"). In a less physical, more extended sense, it may signify
the circumstances and conditions that make up everyday life ("He grew up in a loving
environment.") The word may also be applied in highly specialized ways, denoting,
for example, "the position of a linguistic element" ("how g gets pronounced in Italian
depends upon its phonetic environment") or "a computer interface from which
various tasks can be performed” (“the app works in varied environments.”)

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 INTRODUCTION TO CYBERCRIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND PROTECTION

Environment is everything that is around us. It can be living or non-living

things. It includes physical, chemical and other natural forces. Living things live in
their environment. They constantly interact with it and adapt themselves to
conditions in their environment.
Environment is the sum total of all surroundings of a living organism, including
natural forces and other living things. Both biotic and abiotic components form
environment. These two components interact with each other and they are
interdependent. The environment consists of the interactions among plants, animals,
soil, water, temperature, light, and other living and non-living things.
Environment Can Be Categorized as:
1. Built Environment
2. Natural Environment
3. Social Environment
Built Environment
The term built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that
provide the setting for human activity. The built environment encompasses places
and spaces created or modified by people including buildings, parks or green spaces
, and supporting infrastructures, such as water supply, or energy networks,
transportation systems etc.
Built environment is shaped by:
1. Climate and geology
2. Economy
3. Government
4. Culture and fashion
5. Technology
6. Customers

Natural Environment
The natural environment includes all living and non-living things occurring
naturally on Earth. Natural environment is often used as a synonym for habitat. For
instance, when we sat that the natural environment of giraffes is the savanna.
Composition of Natural Environment
1. The Lithosphere: The lithosphere is the rigid outermost shell of a rocky planet
defined on the basis of the mechanical properties.
2. The Hydrosphere: The hydrosphere refers to the combine mass of water
found on, under, and over the surface of the planet. Ocean, rivers, lakes,
ponds and as a whole all the water body of the earth.
3. The Atmosphere: The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the
planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life
on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through

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 INTRODUCTION TO CYBERCRIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND PROTECTION

greenhouse effect, and reducing temperature extremes between day and

night.
4. The Biosphere: The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. It can also
be termed the zone of life on Earth a closed system and largely self-
regulating. The biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living
beings and their relationships.
Social Environment
The social environment refers to the immediate physical and social setting in
which people live or in which something happens or develops. It includes the culture
that the individual was educated or lives in, and the people and institutions with
whom they interact. The interaction may be in person or through communication
media, even anonymous or one-way and may not imply equality of social status.
Social environment includes culture, language, social condition, health, profession,
living condition, economic capability of the people in a certain area
The Three Types of Environmental Adaptations
The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus originated the theory that things are
constantly changing -- and the saying, "The only constant is change," is attributed to
him. This is the situation in the natural world organisms inhabit. Organisms need to
find ways to adapt to conditions that are gradually or suddenly different from pre-
existing ones. If they don't, they die. The types of adaptations are categorized by
observable or measurable means, but genetic change is at the basis of all
adaptations.
Adaptations
Organisms, from microbes to plants and animals, inhabit environments that
can change to become drier, hotter, colder, more acidic, darker and sunnier with an
almost number of variables. Organisms with genetic advantages, such as a mutation
that helps them survive the new conditions, pass down the change to descendants,
and it becomes prevalent in the population to be expressed as an adaptation.
The three basic types of adaptations, based on how the genetic changes are
expressed, are structural, physiological and behavioral adaptations. Most organisms
have combinations of all these types.
1. Structural
An organism’s environment shapes its appearance through structural adaptations.
Desert foxes have large ears fore heat radiations and Arctic foxes have small ears to
retain body heat. Seal have flippers to navigate water and raccoons have separate,
flexible digits to manipulate food. White polar bears blend into ice floes and spotted
jaguars into the speckled jungle shade. Trees may have corky park to protect from
wildfires. Structural modifications affect presence at different levels, from the way a
knee is hinged to the presence of large flight muscles and sharp eyesight for
predatory birds.

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 INTRODUCTION TO CYBERCRIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND PROTECTION

2. Physiological
Based on body chemistry and metabolism, physiological adaptations usually don't
show from the outside. They consist of things like more efficient kidneys for desert
animals like kangaroo rats, compounds that prevent blood coagulation in mosquito
saliva, or the presence of toxins in plant leaves to repel herbivores. Laboratory
studies that measure the contents of blood, urine and other body fluids that trace
metabolic pathways, or microscopic studies of an organism's tissues are often
necessary to identify physiological adaptations. Sometimes detecting them is difficult
if there isn't a common ancestor or a closely related species with which to compare
findings.
3. Behavioral
Adaptations that affect how an organism acts are called behavioral adaptations.
Bears hibernate to escape cold; birds and whales migrate to warmer winter climates.
Desert animals are active at night during hot summer weather. Lizards seek a sunny
spot in the morning to warm up to operating temperatures more quickly. A nesting
killdeer will pretend to be injured to lure a predator away from her young. Behavioral
adaptations that involve mating procedures, such as that exhibited by the Australian
bowerbird, can be amazingly complex. Often behavioral adaptations take careful
field and laboratory studies to bring them fully to light, and often involve physiological
mechanisms as well. Humans employ cultural adaptations as a subset of behavioral
adaptations, where people who live in a given environment learn ways of raising the
food they need and coping with the particular given climate.
Human-Environmental Interactions
Human-environmental interactions can be defined as interactions between the
human social system and (the “rest” of) the ecosystem.
Human social systems and ecosystems are complex adaptive systems.
Complex because ecosystems and human social systems have many parts and
many connections between these parts. Adaptive because they have feedback
structures that promote survival in a constantly changing environment.
Human social system
In order to analyze Human-Environmental Interactions, it is important to be
aware of specific characteristics of the human social system. The type of society
strongly influences people’s attitude towards nature, their behavior and therefore
their impact on ecosystems. Important characteristics of human social systems are
population size, social organization, values, technology, wealth, education,
knowledge, and many more. Especially values and knowledge strongly influence
people’s view of life and consequently define the way people act. The choice of
possible actions is then limited by the available technology.
People modify the environment for their purposes and obtain benefits from it.
These ecosystem services are essential for human well-being and include for
example the provision of resources like water, timber, food, energy, information, land
for farming, and many more. Obviously by using these resources, people affect

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 INTRODUCTION TO CYBERCRIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND PROTECTION

environment in a lot of ways. Furthermore, people often reorganize existing

ecosystem to achieve new ones that seem to be more effective in serving their
needs.
Environmental Issues
Human effect on the living world, ecosystems, land use, and natural
resources are all examples of environmental issues. They are the negative
consequences of human actions on the Earth’s natural ecosystem. Pollution,
overcrowding, waste management, climate change, global warming, the green-
house effect, among other concerns are among them.
COMMON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT REQUIRE URGENT ATTENTION
Climate Change
Currently, climate change is a major issue. It's when weather conditions deviates
from the norm for an extended period of time. It impacts all, and the effects are
evident in the form of temperature swings and a rise in extreme natural disasters. It
leads to wider issues such as rising sea levels and habitat depletion in our food
system. Although climate change is a hot topic these days, it has existed since the
Industrial Revolution.
While there are differing viewpoints about the precise reasons, the majority of
climate scientists believe that human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and
pollution play a significant role. According to research, black carbon makes harmful
bacteria more difficult to destroy and immune to antibiotics. In comparison, black
carbon raises the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and lung cancer
(www.niehs.nih.gov).
The overwhelming amount of untested chemicals emitted into the environment,
as well as those present in our diets and household products, endangers public
health. Children, as the future of humanity, need a secure and stable start in life.
Furthermore, the detrimental consequences are expected to disproportionately affect
those that are already disadvantaged.
Furthermore, the constant accumulation of carbon dioxide in the air alters the
composition of the water, reducing its pH. Only about 70% of greenhouse gases are
contained in the atmosphere; the remaining 93% disappear in the water, causing
acidification. As a result, aquatic life and habitats suffer. Extreme conditions and
natural disasters are often triggered by drastic and sudden changes in the Earth's
atmosphere.
Global Warming
Global warming is a closely related topic of climate change. Global warming is an
increase in the planet's surface temperature caused by greenhouse gas pollution.
The combustion of fossil fuels, vehicle waste, and chlorofluorocarbons all contribute
to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. As a consequence, the
earth's temperature has increased, creating environmental changes.

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 INTRODUCTION TO CYBERCRIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND PROTECTION

Secondary consequences of global warming include increasing water levels due

to the accelerated melting of glaciers. A rising sea level would have an effect on all
which could result in the annihilation of coastlines. Coastal regions pose major
challenges as sea level increase at this rate: flooding, deforestation, and hurricanes
all become more of a risk.
If coastal communities may be forced to relocates inland, low-lying land may be
entirely flooded in the coming years. The Intergovernmental Commission one
Climate Change predicts that by 2100, the seas 1 to 38 inches higher than they are
today. Fish, birds, and plants can lose their habitats as water continues to flow
rapidly into the ocean.
As previously said, increased carbon emissions result in higher carbon
concentrations in the environment, which is referred to as ocean acidification. Today,
more than a billion people around the world depend on the ocean for their primary
protein supply, which means that acidification could cost us our lives. While
acidification has varying consequences on different animals, it can contribute to a
range of harmful aquatic organisms, putting food job security at risk.
Ozone Layer Depletion
The ozone layer is a dense layer of ozone gas. It protects us from the
dangerous ultraviolet rays of the sun. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are used in
industry and daily life, are destroying this vital layer.
These compounds include chlorine, which depletes the ozone layer. Humans
and animals are vulnerable to toxic UV rays as a result of the hole in the ozone layer,
which can cause a variety of skin diseases, including cancer.
Biodiversity and Wildlife
The degree to which organisms differ in their ecosystem is referred to as
biodiversity. It is used to determine the health of an ecosystem. Biodiversity, which
encompasses everything from humans to microorganisms, is important for
ecosystems and civilization to survive. The disappearance of biodiversity decreases
habitats' capacity to support the environmental services and energy that humans
need.
Human interferences such as deforestation and irrigation have changed
habitats on Earth in recent years. The number of endangered species and dwindling
populations is the, putting them at risk of extinction.
Extinction, though often a normal phenomenon, has accelerated 100 times in
the past 100 years due to human interference, according to the Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment. Biodiversity disruptions can damage not just the climate,
but also human health. We put our food and energy supply at risk, as well as our
ability to access safe water and materials, and we become more vulnerable to
natural disasters.
Biodiversity plays a crucial role in ecosystem functions and adds to the natural
capital that humans depend on. If we want to enjoy a healthier life and live in a

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 INTRODUCTION TO CYBERCRIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND PROTECTION

healthy environment, we must reduce our contribution to the extinction of species

and invest in biodiversity.

Deforestation
Deforestation is the rapid loss of trees and vegetation, as well as the
underlying habitats that make up forests. It's especially problematic in tropical
forests, which are quickly declining due to human influence. For farms and pastures,
lumber harvesting for building and wood, and roads, homes, and industrial use, the
forest landscape is cleared.
Trees provide us with oxygen, a number of raw materials, and help to keep
the earth's temperature steady. The earth's atmosphere has altered drastically as a
result of the harvesting of forests for economic purposes.
Deforestation has far-reaching and sometimes disastrous effects, including
the depletion of biodiversity, the loss of carbon sinks, and the increase of carbon
dioxide in the environment, the disruption of water resources, and the degradation of
water quality. It may also lead to social unrest, loss of livelihoods, and the
destruction of food supplies in forests and rivers.
Desertification
Desertification is the erosion of arid soil, in which the arid land becomes much
drier, resulting in the extinction of both fauna and flora. A multitude of factors
contribute to it, including human-caused and natural climate change, flooding, and
human activities (allowing animals to graze the land).
The ecosystem undergoes various periods of desertification and undergoes
ongoing transformations in appearance. The phenomena known as "tiger fur pattern"
occurs when desertification produces exponentially larger empty spaces over a wide
area of territory.
Pollution
Pollution is commonly regarded as a catalyst for negligence and worsening
environmental conditions. Poisonous and toxic chemicals are systematically
released into the environment. This toxins take many forms, but they all pose a
threat to human and environmental health.
Noise production is one of the most serious risks to human health and animal
welfare, and it is frequently ignored. Constant exposure to loud sounds can cause
hypertension, heart disease, or stroke, which can lead to death. Noise production
disrupts, normal cycles of biodiversity, causing certain species to relocate to escape
disturbance.
Similarly, human use of light at night disrupts wildlife's natural cycles, leading
to uncertainty between day and night. In humans, light pollution can cause
depression, diabetes, obesity, and sleep disturbances.

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 INTRODUCTION TO CYBERCRIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND PROTECTION

The contamination that causes these harmful impacts is, for the most part, the
product of hum activities. Pollutants human ts are released into the air from the
exhaust from our engines, fossil fuels and oil, factories, and also our food supply.

Water Pollution
Owing to human influences, the world's water is drowning in toxic
contaminants, garbage, sewage, and other unnatural toxins. Water pollution is
described as the injection of hazardous substances into rivers, seas, rivers, and
ponds that alter the physical, chemical, or biological state of the water.
The seas occupy about 80% of our earth and are threatened by a variety of
factors such as trash patches and acidification. Plastic consumption has risen
significantly across the world, with about 335 million metric tons produced in 2016.
Scientists report that over 5 trillion plastic fragments are floating in the ocean, posing
a significant danger to humanity's health.
Agricultural operations, oil, and wastewater are some of the most important
causes of water contamination around the world. When contaminants contaminate
bodies of water, the consistency deteriorates and the water becomes unusable,
posing a public health risk. If the world's population continues to increase, the recent
decrease in water quality is causing alarm. Furthermore, drinkable water supplies
are restricted, and funding for areas without access to suitable sources is limited.
This global issue highlights the value of safe, accessible water for all, and it deserves
action as humans continue to waste water in unhealthy ways.
Since water is the most important source of life, it is our primary responsibility
to protect it from contamination.
Coral Reefs
Coral reefs have more habitat than rainforests, but they are still far more
vulnerable to global warming, Global warming has made the seas too hot for delicate
corals to cope, causing bleaching and the extinction of the majority of marine
animals. Because of climate change and other local stressors, 75% of our coral reefs
are now dead, ill, or endangered. According to new evidence, half of the coral in the
Great Barrier Reef has died since 2016, all as a result of human activity.
Corals have nowhere to hide, and with about a quarter of all marine fish
dependent on them in every way, we must do everything possible to protect them.
Coral reel conservation is an investment not only in the environment, but also in
human wellbeing and long-term survival.
Air Pollution
Another life-threatening pollutant that causes environmental problems is air
pollution. It is the product of factory pollution, vehicle emissions, and the increased
use of fossil fuels. Particulate matter is the most harmful kind of air pollution for
humans. The earth's temperature has risen as a result of the gaseous pollution. Not
just that, but it had also raised the risk of disease among people. Air pollution can

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 INTRODUCTION TO CYBERCRIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND PROTECTION

cause diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks and even cancer when particles
enter the lungs.

Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy or nuclear power is produced in nuclear power plants by
turning water to steam using heat generated by a nuclear reaction (often nuclear
fission) in a contained area. This fuels turbines, which generate electricity. Nuclear
fusion, in addition to nuclear fission, is a process that has yet to be used to produce
energy for the general public.
Over Fishing
Overfishing endangers the health of the oceans by reducing fish populations.
It will destroy habitats and make it impossible for a species that was once abundant
to recover.
Commercial fishermen, in what seems to be a case of “tragedy of the
commons,” have a greater motivation to deplete supplies than to exercise restraint
(in which case, someone else will probably deplete it). Overfishing deplete fish
populations to dangerously low levels. This is something that can happen in any
body of water.
Subsidized fishing is particularly harmful because it is a “perverse subsidy” in the
sense that is promotes undesirable activity without providing a net gain. Increased
spawning grounds, the protection and creation of wetlands, the protection and
creation of natural reefs, and the creation of artificial reefs will all help to sustain fish
stock development.
Disaster mitigation
Disaster mitigation measures are those that eliminate or reduce the impacts
and risks of hazards through proactive measures taken before an emergency or
disaster occurs. One of the best know example of investment in disaster mitigation is
the Red River Floodway.
A mitigation action is a specific action, project, activity, or process taken to
reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards and their
impacts. The actions to reduce vulnerability to threats and hazards from the core of
the plan and are a key outcome of the planning process.
Ways to reduce future damages from future disasters
 Develop and rehearse a family disaster plan – what to do if you are forced to
leave home
 Include a communication plan – how to contact each other if you became
separated
 When severe weather threatens, turn on your radio to a local station to stay
informed for imminent danger.

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 INTRODUCTION TO CYBERCRIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND PROTECTION

Significance of Mitigation
Mitigation is significant in the following ways: it helps in preventing loss of lives
during disaster. It helps in controlling economic damages and losses to property. It
helps in minimizing the long term-effects of a disaster that have their impact on
society.

CBSUA SIPOCOT BS CRIMINOLOGY