Biotechnology to address many global environmental concerns:

Biotechnology to address many global environmental concerns:

A. Industrial biotechnology has come of age. Improved industrial sustainability through biotechnology addresses many global environmental concerns. Biotechnology has clear environmental advantages and is economically competitive in a growing number of industrial sectors. It enables reductions of material and energy consumption, as well as pollution and waste generation, for the same level of industrial production. Continued technical innovation, including that based upon recombinant DNA technology, is vital for the wider utilisation of biotechnology by industry.

B. With biotechnology, the emphasis is no longer on the removal of pollutants from an already damaged environment, but on the need to reshape industrial process technologies to prevent pollution at the source. Achieving ‘‘clean technology’’ or ‘‘industrial sustainability’’ – the two terms are largely congruent – will not be possible without a steady stream of creative innovations based on advanced science and technologies, among which biotechnology is likely to play an increasing role.

C. Although definitions of sustainable development have frequently proved elusive, it is clear that any move towards industrial sustainability will affect all stages of a product’s or process’s life cycle. It will require new design principles based on a global and holistic approach to reducing environmental impacts: global because these impacts transcend national borders, holistic because short-term, piecemeal solutions to address a succession of issues in isolation will be less and less effective. One important means of integrating environmental issues into industrial design and operations is the adoption of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

D. There are three main drivers of clean technology:
(a) Economic competitiveness, with companies considering the advantages of clean products and processes in terms of market niches or cost advantages;
(b) Government policies, which enforce or encourage changes in manufacturing practices; and
(c) Public pressure, which takes on strategic importance as companies seek to establish environmental legitimacy.

E. It is possible to foresee a growing role for industrial process biotechnology, both because it may afford clear economic and environmental benefits, and because the power of the tool itself continues to grow. The expectations of greater cleanliness come from the observation that living systems manage their chemistry rather more efficiently than man-made chemical plants, and that their wastes tend to be recyclable and biodegradable. This, along with our increasing ability to manipulate biological materials and processes, strongly points to a significant impact on the future of manufacturing industries.

F. Here there is a brief picture of how modern process biotechnology is penetrating industrial operations:

(i) Biotechnology embraces a wide range of techniques, and none of these will apply across all industrial sectors. Nonetheless, the technology is so versatile that many industries that have not used biological sciences in the past are now exploring the possibility of doing so. Already, the economic competitiveness of a variety of biotechnological applications to achieve cleanliness has been established. This is essential, as environmental benefits alone have seldom driven the adoption of biotechnology-based processes. Such processes have been successfully integrated into some large-scale operations. However, a number of problems remain for industrial applications, particularly the entrenched infrastructure of companies that have traditionally relied on physical and chemical technology alone and whose engineers have no training in life sciences or technologies.

(ii) Chemicals manufacturing is a major generator of materials, a major consumer of energy and non-renewable resources, and a major contributor to waste and pollution. In these sub-sectors, market penetration of biotechnology varies. It is in the fine chemical industries that the impact of clean biotechnology is most visible.

(iii)While fossil carbon (oil, coal) is the single most important raw material for energy generation and for chemicals, the concomitant CO2 emissions are a source of increasing concern because CO2 is a major greenhouse gas. Biotechnology can contribute to reducing fossil carbon consumption and hence global warming in various ways: improving industrial processes and energy efficiency, and producing biomass-based materials and clean fuels.

(iv) In pulp and paper, market penetration of biotechnology used for clean production is particularly high in many of the developed nations, and biotechnology is becoming more important in the manufacture of textiles and leather throughout the western world.

(v) In the food and feed sector, the impact of biotechnology on clean industrial processes seems to be greatest in the United States.

(vi) Biotechnology for mining and metals recovery covers two major technologies: bioleaching/minerals bio-oxidation, where superior cleanliness and economic profitability have been claimed in specific cases, and metals bioremediation and recovery.

(vii) In the energy sector, biotechnology has had a major effect both on economics and on environmental impacts. It has improved the overall efficiency of processes, particularly in the area of pollution control. Processes currently under development, such as bio-diesel, bio-ethanol and bio-desulphurisation, seek to replace energy-intensive and polluting systems with systems that are more environmentally friendly. The effect of rDNA methods on these technologies will be great, but large-scale application of rDNA has only recently begun and has not yet had dramatic effects.

G. Although the potential of biotechnology to reduce raw materials and energy consumption as well as wastes is attractive, there is a need for further encouragement, notably by government, particularly when the economic advantages are not overwhelming in the early stages of adoption.

Bio-fuel, climate change due to global warming – fueling hunger to grow:

Bio-fuel, climate change due to global warming – fueling hunger to grow:

Throughout the world everybody is concerned about the present International food prices soaring at unprecedented rates. Below-normal harvests, growing cereal imports by almost every developing country in Asia and Africa is a threat to the humanity. Should we call it as food scarcity? For this kind of food scarcity, should we blame climate change due to global warming?

At the same time International crude oil price is also increasing and touching record highs have become almost everyday affair. The consumption of crude oil, gas and other fossil fuels are also soaring by some of the highly industrialized nations.

Bio-fuels are fuels derived from crop plants, and include biomass directly burnt, and especially bio-diesel from plant seed-oil, and bio-ethanol from fermenting grain, sap, grass, straw or wood. The increasing use of crop land for generation of bio-fuels, in order to meet increased need of fuels by many developed nations, have arisen many questions – whether ‘the present food shortages are due to production of bio-fuel using crop land and climate change due to global warming’. To some extent the answer of the question is ‘yes’. According to many, bio-fuels are exacerbating food shortages in many parts of the world. There have already been riots in over 30 countries, including Haiti. Moreover, this food crisis could worsen in the short term.

The fact remains, more than 10% of land in Sub-Saharan Africa is at risk of being lost for maize, the most important staple food crop, production due to environmental constraints induced by climate change. In Asia countries are losing crops due to occurrence of erratic flood and cyclone, which is again due severe global climatic change, experts say, due to global warming. Many of the affected countries are already food insecure and poor, with low capacity to finance food imports, and their situation has been worsened substantially by current inadequate and uncoordinated policies toward tackling climate change, namely using crop land to grow bio-fuels with environmental risks and only modest greenhouse gas benefits. The absurd bio-fuel policy by most of the Governments, has contributed to the doubling of staple food prices in the last few years. Food price rise has severely affected the population in developing countries, where about more than 70% of their household earnings spend for food.

There is no ‘shortage’ of food in the world, even though global food stocks are officially at their lowest in nearly 25 years. Instead, it is the spectacular rise in food prices that explains why so many poor populations are being deprived of food. In some cases, the price of basic commodities has almost doubled overnight. Since the world’s poorest populations devote a large proportion of their meager income to food, price hikes lead to hunger and push desperate populations to riot.

Another important point is, developed nations’ thirst for bio-fuels is fuelling deforestation, thereby changing adversely global climatic condition resulting food price hikes. Bio-energy crops do take up valuable land that could be used for growing food, and food security is becoming a burning issue. World grain yield has fallen drastically, bringing reserves to the lowest. Chronic depletion of aquifers in the major bread baskets of the world, drought and soaring temperatures are taking their toll and set to do even more damage to food production. The pressure on land from food and bio-energy crops will certainly speed up deforestation and species extinction and at the same time result in food price increases worldwide, hitting the poorest, hungriest countries the hardest.

Therefore, to protect the earth’s most sensitive forest ecosystems, to stabilize climate and to safeguard food security throughout the world, the efficacy of the present bio-fuel policy implemented by many of the Governments required to be reviewed. New policy is to be formulated to safeguard our forest ecosystems, stabilize climate and to make our earth green without affecting food security of the developing countries.

Discussion on advantages of environment-friendly Nuclear power over fossil fuel and hydropower:

Discussion on advantages of environment-friendly Nuclear power over fossil fuel and hydropower:

Power from nuclear energy can prevent many of the environmental consequences arising out of the use of fossil fuels, hydropower etc. Below we discuss about the disadvantages of power generated from (a) burning of fossil fuels and (b) hydropower – two major sources of power available by many countries at present other than nuclear power.

A. Disadvantages of power generated by burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum and gas:

(i) The main drawback of fossil fuels is pollution. Burning any fossil fuel produces carbon dioxide, which contributes to the "greenhouse effect", warming the Earth. The effect of rise in temperature is disastrous to environment. Agriculture is very sensitive to climate and hence is heavily affected, requiring shifts in crops that cannot be grown in different areas. Livestock also been affected through problems in breeding, diseases. Eventually, the melting glaciers will cause sea levels to rise – causes loss of habitat land, allows inland penetration of salt water which heavily impacts aquatic life. Burning fossil fuel also produces sulfur dioxide, a gas that contributes to acid rain. Acid rain is destroying forests, making lakes unlivable for fish and degrade ecosystem.

(ii) Mining coal can be difficult and dangerous. Coal mining destroys large areas of the landscape.

(iii) Waste disposal for coal-fired power plant is a major issue. Coal-fired power plant produces large quantity of ashes, which is difficult to handle and store. It destroys and pollutes large areas of land. Dust is also generated, causing health problems to human being.

B. Disadvantages of hydropower: although hydroelectric power is considered to be a clean, renewable source of energy, emitting a very low level of greenhouse gases when compared to fossil fuel plants; it many disadvantages. Disadvantages are listed below:

(i) The flooding of large areas of land means that the natural environment, forest etc., is destroyed.

(ii) It requires water at a certain volume and speed. Rain fall or lack thereof can affect the efficiency of this type of energy source.

(iii) Dams are extremely expensive to build and must be built to a very high standard. The high cost of dam construction means that they must operate for many decades to become profitable.

(iv) People living in villages and towns that are in the valley to be flooded, must move out. This means that they lose their farms and businesses. In some countries, people are forcibly removed so that hydro-power schemes can go ahead. Most of the time rehabilitation of such large number of people becomes very much problematic and some time not possible for whole mass of persons destabilized because of creation of dams.

(v) The building of large dams can cause serious geological damage. There are many examples when big dams are created; it aggravated the chances of earthquake. For example, the building of the Hoover Dam in the USA triggered a number of earth quakes and has depressed the earth’s surface at its location.
(vi) Building a large dam alters the natural water table level of the area.

(vii) Dams built blocking the progress of a river in one country usually means that the water supply from the same river in the following country is out of their control. This can lead to serious problems between neighboring countries.

(viii) It alters the ecology upstream and downstream of the dam, although fish-ladders have some moderating effect on migratory species going upstream, but can chew up the fish on the way down. The diversion of water can impact stream flow, or even cause a river channel to dry out, degrading both aquatic and streamside habitats.

C. Below we discuss advantages of nuclear power vis-a-vis other energy options, especially fossil fuel.

(i) One of the greatest advantages of nuclear power is that it avoids the wide variety of environmental problems arising from burning fossil fuels - coal, oil, and gas. Nuclear energy does not produce smoke or carbon dioxide, so it does not contribute to the greenhouse effect. Thus ‘global warming’ process can be minimized - changing the earth's climate, acid rain, which is destroying forests and killing fish; air pollution etc. Nuclear power checks degrading our quality of life; i.e., the destructive effects of massive mining for coal; and oil spills which do great harm to ecological systems can be prevented.

(ii) It is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant using small amount of fuel.

(iii) Nuclear power is reliable. This technology is readily available; it does not have to be developed first.

(iv) Produces small amounts of waste. As the quantity of waste generated by nuclear power plant is very small, the disposal of radio-active waste can be easily contained so they can be buried deep underground. Also, more effective ways can be found out as our technology is improving at a very fast pace. Moreover, the quality of radio-active waste improved if we go for reprocessing of spent fuel and reuse of plutonium is incorporated.

(v) Nuclear power is also not so expensive as compare to power from coal. Reprocessing and reuse of plutonium from spent fuel makes it even cheaper than coal based power plant. The concern about proliferation should be taken out of mind as there are much easier, faster, and cheaper ways for a nation to develop nuclear weapons than through a nuclear power programme.

D. Discussions on future dependability for production of clean electric power –

(i) As observed from above, nuclear power has advantages in many areas, including some that have been traditionally viewed as problem areas. It averts the pollution, environmental degradation and above all retards generation of greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. It also solves difficult waste management problems.

(ii) In my opinion, the generation of nuclear power should be given most priority, to combat environmental degradation and global warming issues. Wherever there is stagnation in implementing new nuclear power projects, those should be sorted out immediately to get the benefits of nuclear power and to mitigate the global warming process. Any step which mitigates the global warming process has to be adopted immediately, without wasting time, as we may not sustain any more the adverse impact of global warming. Survival of human race is at stake due to global warming.

(iii) In my opinion, if we can generate sufficient clean nuclear power so that our dependence on fossil fuel is reduced to shear minimal – whether for generation of electricity or for transport – the overall environment would be much cleaner.

(iv) Nuclear power may be supplemented by other form of clean energy such as wind energy and solar energy.

(v) For efficient community power backup environment-friendly Sodium-Sulfur (NaS) battery or equivalent should be used extensively along with nuclear power, wind power.

(vi) Transportation including motor vehicles should be run only on clean electric power.

(vii) Another advantage of producing enough nuclear power for the requirement of almost every industry and day-to-day consumption is lesser dependence on bio-diesel, bio-ethanol and other bio-fuel. Use of less bio-fuel means availability of agriculture for more food production – reduction of poverty.

(viii) Research activities should be enhanced in the areas of development of efficient environment-friend batteries and other aspects of nuclear technology.

(ix) As technology advances, we hope to switchover to more environment-friendly nuclear reactor – ‘breeder reactor’ – soon; reducing radio-active waste disposal problem.

(x) Moreover development of FUSION TECHNOLOGY successfully is also not very far; once we do that we have sufficient energy.

Bio-Ethanol is a renewable fuel to be blended with gasoline:

Bio-Ethanol is a renewable fuel to be blended with gasoline:

Ethanol or alcohol can be used as fuel very effectively, as a bio-fuel alternative to gasoline. In many of the countries it is used in running vehicles. As it is easier to manufacture and process, it is steadily becoming a promising alternative to gasoline almost throughout the world. It is mainly processed from sugar cane – a very common agricultural produce. Anhydrous ethanol, i.e., ethanol having less than 1% of water, can be blended very effectively with gasoline in varying proportion. 10% ethanol blended gasoline is common in most of the countries for running motor vehicles.

Current interest in ethanol mainly lies in ‘bio-ethanol’ that is produced from agricultural based starch or sugar. Basically, carbon-based feedstocks are used for bio-ethanol production. Agricultural feedstocks are considered renewable. Feedstock such as sugar cane, bagasse, miscanthus, sugar beet, sorghum, grain sorghum, switch-grass, barley, hemp, kenaf, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, sunflower, fruit, molasses, corn, stover, grain, wheat, straw, cotton and other biomass can be used for production of bio-ethanol.

The basic steps for large scale production of bio-ethanol are: (a) microbial (yeast), i.e., fermentation of sugars; (b) distillation; (c) dehydration and (d) denaturing.

There has been considerable debate about actual usefulness of bio-fuel like bio-ethanol. Replacing fossil fuels by bio-ethanol take large area of arable land mass, which would have been cultivated for food crops. Moreover, the energy and pollution balance of the whole cycle of ethanol production is also not known.

Major Areas in Environment Engineering

Major Areas in Environment Engineering

a. Air pollution control – Emission control of Smoke, Dust etc.
b. Energy efficiency and Energy conservation
c. Nuclear power
d. Alternative and Renewable energy
e. Bio-fertiliser and Composting
f. Bio-Fuel
g. Eco-Forestry
h. Electric vehicle
i. Hydrogen Technology
j. Hybrid Electric vehicle
k. Re-cycling
l. Conservation of natural resources and Minerals
m. Solid waste treatment
n. Waste water treatment and water purification
o. Natural building
p. Nano technology