4. Environment
The chapter delves into the complex relationship between the environment, global warming, and climate change, emphasizing the critical actions needed for pollution mitigation and sustainability. It outlines key environmental metrics and monitoring techniques, highlights innovations for achieving sustainability, and discusses the importance of international cooperation in managing environmental issues. Overall, this unit equips civil engineers with foundational knowledge and practical strategies for addressing environmental challenges in their professional practices.
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Sections
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What we have learnt
- Understanding the phenomena of global warming, climate change, and pollution mitigation is essential for sustainable development.
- Environmental monitoring and metrics are crucial for assessing the effectiveness of environmental policies and practices.
- Innovations such as Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) can significantly contribute to sustainability efforts.
Key Concepts
- -- Global Warming
- The long-term heating of the Earth's surface due to human activities leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions.
- -- Climate Change
- Long-term changes in average weather patterns, affected by both human activities and natural phenomena.
- -- Greenhouse Gases (GHG)
- Gases such as CO2, CH4, and N2O that trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
- -- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
- A systematic process to evaluate the environmental consequences of proposed projects or actions.
- -- Sustainability Metrics
- Indicators used to measure and monitor the sustainability performance across ecological, economic, and sociological dimensions.
Additional Learning Materials
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