Save the Earth!

Dr. Sarfaraz K Niazi (e-mail: niazi@niazi.com)

Our environment constitutes whatever is around us, the air, the water, the soil. Man depends on his surroundings for his existence. There is only one earth, one atmosphere with its finite supply of life-supporting resources to share. The environment is a closed system; nothing leaves it and nothing enters in it from the outer worlds. Whatever there is just keeps circulating in it. The remarkable symbiosis between the environment and man is worth appreciating. Our actions that disturb this balance end up causing harm to life, our own, on this planet. Our survival depends on using these resources judiciously.

Man's impact on his environment began with the discovery of the use of fire, some 500,000 years ago. The havoc wreaked to the local flora and fauna in the early millennia of its discovery can only be surmised, but the time scale from friction to fission, from Homo erectus to Neanderthal and thence to civilized man, is of evolutionary order of magnitude. The industrial revolution of the 19th century significantly changed the evolutionary order in that man was now able to accomplish or inflict in a few years what may have taken perhaps thousands of centuries, to the environment around him. The leap from evolutionary theory to industrial pollution may have been too much for this planet to handle.

Ten thousand years ago about 12 million people lived in the world. In the year 1800, there were less than one billion people. Today, the world populations is more than five billion. It will reach ten billion by the end of the twenty-first century. The population has grown constantly but irregularly. About 100 million people lived on earth during the cultural hegemony of Athens in the 5th century BC, about 200 million at the time of Charlemagne, and 500 million during the Renaissance. Thus during about 1,000 years the population quintupled. The same quintupling occurred during the past 160 years. Increased availability of goods, enhanced hygiene and healthcare are responsible for this meteoric rise in the population.

The problem of population growth is closely related to the problems of environment. Since by the end of the 21st century, we will be adding the same number of people that live today, resources must be extracted from where. All of these people are going to need food, homes, schools, hospitals and other necessities of life. Resources for these things can only come from the raw materials from this planet, both renewable (plant and animal sources) and nonrenewable (fossil sources). Used judiciously, we can go on living for thousands of years; indiscriminately scavenging these resources, we can bring the doomsday much closer.

Our ancestors did not have to worry about damaging environment because their actions were limited and Nature was able to absorb their intrusions. Today, when we talk about millions of tons of fluorocarbons entering stratosphere to damage the ozone layer, billions of tons of industrial effluent polluting our air and waterways, we are talking about human beings with colossal power to destroy environment and therefore, themselves.

The last two centuries have brought three major changes in the life of the inhabitants of this planet. First, it is the use of non-renewable energy sources from earth, triggered by the conversion of heat to mechanical energy in steam engines. Second, it is the population explosion. Thirdly, it is the accumulation of waste that has directly impacted on the environment of this planet.

The non-renewable sources of energy comprise 3,000 million tons of coal, 3,000 million tons of crude oil, 2,000 billion cubic meters of natural gas, all combined giving about 7,000 million tons of crude oil equivalent (the TEP unit). Nuclear energy, now adds about 500 million TEPS to a total of 7,500 million TEPS. The renewable sources include hydraulic energy, geothermal, photovoltaic etc. The solar energy through non-renewable does not tax the assets of earth. All of these renewable sources combine provide about 16 to 18% of our present needs.

The exponential increase in the use of energy parallels a massive increase in world population. However, today, the developed world consumes more than 80% of the energy consumed whereas the underdeveloped world comprising two-third of the population consumes the balance of 20% only. The increase in energy consumption in the future will mainly come from increased use in the Third World, which may be forced to deplete the nonrenewable resources because of a more fundamental problem--poverty and hunger. The relationship of people to the land, the management of waste and sanitation, deforestation and economic growth, all have a different perspective in the Third World. The growing population in the Third World need to be fed, housed, clothed and employed; on the other side the natural resources are diminishing, the number and variety of plants, wildlife and other organisms are declining, toxic and radioactive wastes are spreading fast. A balance must be struck between what is desirable and what is achievable in the Third World.

The presently inequitable balance between man and nature is complicated by the human cost in death and injury in the interests of economic and industrial development. A large segment of our population is exposed to higher risks than are necessary in order to achieve commercial profitability. The point is that the human cost of industrial activity is too high, as is the cost that we exact from nature.

Whereas in the West some 60% of the people surveyed showed that they would rather see a restriction in economic growth to protect environment, such is not the case in the Third World, specially in Pakistan where we have only just begun the journey to industrialization.

Man altering environment at a rate beyond what Nature can replenish is destruction; how these hazards are viewed is as follows, in decreasing order of concern:

Though our priorities may be different, all of the above concerns have one thing in common: man polluting through his almost infinite prowess to do so. Appreciation of what environmental pollution can do to our health and survival is abysmally amiss in Pakistan, perhaps due to a misconcept that we are not an industrial nation yet to have the proclivity to pollute. Yes, there aren't as many automobiles to pollute and that we aren't the disposable container society yet but where we fair poorly compared to the West is in our ability to keep away from the polluted surroundings: the microcosmic span. We may not be polluting the entire skies of Pakistan but then the skies which are important to us are the ones under which we breathe. The net effect is that we are a lot more at risk that our Western brethren, from the effects of pollution.

A major source of environmental pollution which alters our immediate environment is our garbage. There is hardly a disposal system anywhere in Pakistan. Whatever little web there is, proves totally inadequate given the large population and its unabated growth. Wherever humans live they produce garbage. A new book now tells you about the socioeconomic status of a community by analyzing the garbage they produce. Aren't you curious to know what people throw away in different parts of the town? That will certainly be different with one common element that they are to be discarded because they are hazardous. Unfortunately, very little gets discarded. A limited rubbish removal barely makes a dent. Where does the garbage go then? Actually, it keeps circulating. In shallow landfills, open lots, storm sewers with the rule of the game being that as long as it is not visible, it is not there; your neighbour's back yard is not your problem.

The garbage you produce can not disappear because it does not decompose completely. The plastic bags, the glass, the tins and just about all hard components remain. The soft portions of garbage break down and get mixed with ground. Our hot and humid climate is ideal for growth of disease causing bacteria, which multiply fast in our shallow neighborhood garbage fills. Producing toxins that can cause just about every conceivable disease, loads of these bacteria find their way into our water supply through leaking water pipes. (World Bank estimates that in Karachi almost 50% of water supply lines have corroded through!). Not unlike mutant Ninja Turtles, the army of bacteria flourish; their spores fly in the air and as your drive down in your Mercedes SL convertible (or Suzuki pickup), they attack you with vengeance and impunity reminiscence of old Japanese Monster movies. (Remember the story of the discarded shoe of a fisherman that kept coming back). An adage that whatever goes around comes around applies here relentlessly.

Garbage burned produces extremely dangerous fumes because of plastics and other materials; unlike atmospheric natural gases which become part of plant or animal respiration, these fumes have no place to go but to circulate around. They ultimately attack back their creators. So when you throw away your garbage in your neighbour's yard, it is almost always going to come back to haunt you. Now compare this with the practices in the West. Yes, they may have more polluting potential but they are not scared of their garbage attacking them. Industries pollute but by the time it comes to you, it is diluted. What you get from your neighbour's garbage is the full potency dose. This is precisely the point that needs to be made to those not appreciating the importance of environment protection in

And now here is a living proof to the theory that despite lower potential to pollute, our microcosmic pollution levels are substantially higher than in the West. Nothing dramatizes it more than our blood chemistry. There is a chemical in blood--antibodies--that come from exposure to environmental assault of chemicals and biologic proteins--the so called antigen bodies. The Pakistani population living in the urban areas has on the average 4-5 times higher levels than of these antibodies than in urban Western dwellers, indicating widespread and indiscriminate exposure to pollutants. Another measure of exposure to pollutants is level of lead in blood. Urban dwellers in Pakistan have lead levels 50 to 100% higher than the levels found in the West. Lead can not only causes lethargy, insomnia and constipation but it also affects mental abilities; it makes you stupid. (Ever wonder why we act so crazy at times?). The Mad Hatter story is now being repeated in the streets of Karachi every day. And you can blame your neighbour's garbage for that--causing from cancer to heart disease to stupidity. Perhaps the damage caused to our intelligence is already so severe that we fail to see the problem. In a country of 120 million there is not a single legislation against garbage dumping! Viola!

So, what is it that we can do to resolve the problem of garbage spread in our immediate environment. We can not trust our municipalities to provide this service; we can not trust our neighbors to appreciate the thesis presented here; we should not expect the government to take any action either because their priorities would always be different. The only way to do is to convert garbage into money, it will then disappear in no time. Throughout the Third World, the experimentation in Biomass technology has proven extremely successful. Biomassing is utilizing garbage to produce energy, a commodity become rarer every day. Turn-key projects are available throughout the world to convert garbage into electricity and other forms of energy. What the government can do is to formulate concessions to encourage endower to jump on the band wagon of biomass conversion; the raw material is abundant.

Biodiversity, maintaining the number and variety of living species is the principal objective of nature conservation. Habitat protection and pollution control are the predominant interactive strategies. The destruction of flora and fauna is a consequence rather than an intention of human activities. Though short-term economic gains can be made at the expense of nature, these cannot be sustained. The biologic wealth we are trying to preserve also provides the food and economic chain for humans and it is not right to draw an immutable position on this topic. The living species, ranging from 5 to 30 million (1.4 million identified) play a key role in maintaining and regenerating natural vegetation, providing the habitats for their own survival, as well as serving mankind.

A crude awakening to the importance of species around us comes from the realization that the synthetic chemical solutions promoted by science and medicine provide only a technical fix, and that the potential value of natural herbs and oils is immeasurable. A sustainable future will depend on a more equitable balance between science and the natural world.

Environment's ecological significance is apparent from the effects upon human health and that of ecological imbalance brought about through the endower of wildlife by the uncontrolled application of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides containing highly toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons. Millions of birds and other species perished ingesting benzene hexachloride, mercury, heptachloride and Dieldrin. Adaptive resistance of insects and lower organisms resulted in greater chemical concentrations being applied with decreasing efficacy and the cumulative effects of chemicals and their toxic persistence in the food chain affected human and animal life dramatically.

The elimination of all forms of pollution is unrealistic in economical and practical terms. Yet the extremes of ecological argument demands the elimination of all known poisons and contaminants, at least to levels not exceeding those produced by nature. Such demands assert that all substances which are not part of the natural ecological background in which living species have adapted are intrinsically harmful. Moreover, naturally occurring biologically active substances should not be increased beyond the levels which already appear in nature. We need to arrive at a consensus, "What is the acceptable levels of pollution."

Effluent and waste pollute the hydrological cycle and just about everything else. Industry is an inseparable and motivating factors of social cohesion, wealth creation and progress, and exists both to serve and to exploit the consumer. Worldwide the public has demanded and getting safer industrial operations, nevertheless, much of today's pollution remains, due to cost and difficulties of modernizing old plant, methods and attitudes. There is a great deal of difference between the abilities of small firms, large national companies and multinational companies to manage the environmental challenges. Traditionally, industry has been defensive and reactive to initiative (principally health, safety and environment) that are likely to increase operating costs, leaning heavily on the argument of the law of diminishing returns and cost benefit. Industry's concerns are qualified by economic considerations.

The pollution hazards are often camouflaged because of lack of labeling of proprietary information, of chemicals that may be hazardous, yet form the basis of a product. Appropriate warnings and disclaimers need to be added such as in the case of the use of dyes.

Many Third World countries lack the resources for the enactment, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws. They have also not reached the maturity of awareness as found in the West. Thus the Third World is not under the same public pressure as the developed countries. Environmental considerations are seen hindering economic growth. As a result, while the developed countries are reducing pollution, it continues to rise in the developing world. The most serious problems affecting public health involve untreated sewage and contaminated water. Third World countries are faced with water and air pollution, severely depleted croplands and rainforests and a range of infrastructural problems which are both the cause and consequences of poverty. Such problems have universal economic, political and ecological significance, and their solutions can be found only in fundamental changes in the style of national economic management (i.e., less direct government control) and the development of appropriate technology and investment strategies which allow the Third World to increase its asset base.

A single 1,000-megawatt coal-fired plant, uncontrolled, emits 275 kg of carbon dioxide, 14 kg of particulates and 5 kg of sulfur dioxide per second and a volume of nitrogen oxide equivalent to about 150,000 vehicles exhausts. The taller smoke stacks to reduce local exposure resulted in broader exposure of pollution.

The major harmful chemicals, gases and particulates emitted into atmosphere from industrial and transport operations include: arsenic, benzene, cadmium, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, chlorine, chlorofluorocarbons, fluorides, formaldehyde, hydrocarbons, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen sulfide, hydroxyl radicals, lead, manganese, mercury, methane, nickel, nitric oxide, ozone, peroxyacetyl, silicon tetrafluoride, sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid. Levels of these pollutants at which remedial measures to be taken have already been established by the WHO.

Environmental Impact Assessment is a method which can be adopted by organizations and governments to review the impact of their operations or actions on the environment, either at the planning stages of new projects or retrospectively considering ecological, health, safety and socioeconomic effects.

Untreated sewage is the world's most dangerous pollutant, human and other organic wastes are fully biodegradable, subject to caveats, in the open sea. Sewage contaminates fresh water and coastal systems, causing serious problem of public health and oxygen depletion. Industrial and agricultural chemicals and toxic wastes add considerably to sewage and contribute to the destruction of this finite resource. In developed countries water for human consumption is relatively safe but under serious threat, while in the Third World the mechanisms of distribution, protection and conservation are woefully inadequate.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

It is unlikely that stringent government controls to reduce industrial pollution will be effective in Pakistan. This should be monitored by the industrial community itself. The multinational companies, specially those in the field of energy and oil can make significant contribution to setting up guidelines for industrial manufacturing practices. An agency comprising private and government agencies should be established to develop specific guidelines which may include:

1. Environmental Impact Assessment of all major existing industries and for all new industries to be established.

2. The cost of environmental controls must be subsidized by the government. (This is in contrast to the PPP, polluter pays price, applied in the West.) This can be accomplished by eliminating all duties and custom tariffs on import of equipment and supplies.

3. Ban import of chemicals proven hazardous to human health and for which substitutes have already been developed in other countries. These include: dyes, pesticides, fungicides, food additives, etc.

4. Ban import of leaded gasoline. Unleaded gasoline is now available in freely available. The refineries in Pakistan should gear up only for producing unleaded gasoline. Encourage use of gasohol (alcohol mixed with gasoline).

5. Convert automobiles to use natural gas.

6. Place severe penalties on automobiles that pollute. This is best accomplished by adding a stiff levy to yearly registration of automobiles that fail the pollution test.

4. Require scrubbing of all industrial exhausts. A model for this was developed recently in India.

5. Require that no untreated waste be dumped into any water ways.

6. Make plastic bags used for consumer use prohibitively expensive. Today, there cost is about 10% cheaper than paper bags.

6. Set up monitoring cells for the level of pollutants in the air and waterways.

7. Educate the public and publicize the hazards of industrial pollutants. This is essential to build public pressure on the industries.

8. Encourage pollution prevention rather than control.

9. Recycle. Paper, glass, metals and plastics are all recyclable. The US government has recently mandated use only recycled paper.

10. Promote development of renewable sources of energy. Solar and wind energies and biomass conversion are best poised for exploitation in Pakistan. Allow tax benefits to industries installing these and similar energy producing systems. This will also serve to reduce our dependence on importation of oil.

Human race is a resource and environmental protection is not needed for its own sake except to protect the human race. Unfortunately, there is no let in sight regarding growth of human population. We do not seem to have developed the sense of annihilation through over growth like some animals have. Lemmings are rodents which when multiply too fast beyond the capacity of their environment to support them, nature signals a chaotic and hasty migration into the sea where vast numbers are drown. Until we develop this instinct of survival, we need to continue worrying about our earth--how to save it?

Life is much more beautiful without things around you or have a minimum of them around you. People often keep things for emotional reasons. Things are inanimate objects and having any sort of emotional attachment is an oxymoron because they can not return your emotions. Yes, you can have emotional attachment with your dog but with your chair or watch. Memorabilia is a name given to hoarding with an excuse. Why do you want to keep things that will remind you of your past? The time is gone, let it be. Throw all such things away. Make room for newer things.

The art of being a de-collector (an arrangement out of a collector) is more refined than being a collector. You can become collector by learning about things but you can not be a de-collector by training alone; it takes a lot of practice.

But really, the thrust of my thoughts is not only to how systematically we should throw things away once they have run out their utility. It is to do with our emotions also. Our biases, prejudices and reservations. How we harbour animosities, jealousies and rotten feeling about others --whether people, communities or nations --is what we need be a de-controller of. Giving up emotions that find no useful place in our life is an art. But this art is more than what a canvas can offer, it is more than what an art connoisseur can appreciate.