We are to identify an information environment of our choice and write an essay to address the following questions:
• What should be our role within this environment?
• How can the principles of information organization and representation help us in performing this role?
• What are our challenges facing in performing the role? How we will address these challenges?
Before identifying environment issues of my choice, let me first discuss the meaning of Information Environment as a whole.
Information Environment
There is now a critical mass of digital information resources that can be used to support researchers, learners, teachers and administrators in their work and study. The production of information is on the increase and ways to deal with this effectively are required. There is the need to ensure that quality information isn’t lost amongst the masses of digital data created everyday. If we can continue to improve the management, interrogation and serving of ‘quality’ information there is huge potential to enhance knowledge creation across learning and research communities. The aim of the Information Environment is to help provide convenient access to resources for research and learning through the use of resource discovery and resource management tools and the development of better services and practice. The Information Environment aims to allow discovery, access and use of resources for research and learning irrespective of their location.
We as human beings have grown accustomed to using up nonrenewable resources. I feel the role of humans is to first acknowledge our mistakes and then go about changing our behavior. This means trying to recycle, use renewable energy, not littering, using public transportation, buying products from green companies so that economically it is more profitable to conserve than waste, calling our congressman, etc. In short we must accept that we are wrong in thinking that it is someone else's problem. Look up on the inter net how you can help and do it. Make good habits in conservation, learn all you can and share with others what you have learned. You and I are the problem and unless we change, our environment could reach a critical threshold that takes thousands of years to fix. I am an environmental scientists and I know what could happen.
It is always like that ,those living in Paradise have no idea of what they got. I call them Pigs in Paradise
In civilized countries people love the Environment and many people are trying to return to it ,with gardens ,parks or doing some horticulture on free holds ,also many people are buying farms together with some friends and are returning to a healthy country way of life ,usually working for far less money ,but aiming for a better quality of life. So the attitudes are probably opposite of what one would think .
I’m very close to nature ,living in the jungle and with a tremendous knowledge of plants and animals ,but their forefathers were much more involved, Christianity is weaning people away from their roots ,and the difference is great when one compares converted native people to those who are still living the traditional way
As far as mental effects are concerned ,country people are more relaxed and time has a different meaning ,they tend to think in days instead of in minutes and are definitely more polite ,gracious and hospitable ,appreciating when people visit as opposed to people from the cities. They further one goes into the sticks the more polite people become and the more respectful they are of others and their surroundings.
Many are said to be the issues in our environment today, and its a massive problem which every country crucially facing nowadays. Two of these are the issue of nuclear energy in the environment and the most rampant Global Warming. I have to discuss these two major problems in our environment for it is widely spread in the entire globe. This are the meaning and my thoughts about the said matter:
Nuclear Energy:
Nuclear Energy and the Environment In our society, nuclear energy has become one of the most criticized forms of energy by the environmentalists. Thus, a look at nuclear energy and the environment and its impact on economic growth. Lewis Munford, an analyst, once wrote, Too much energy is as fatal as too little, hence the regulation of energy input and output not its unlimited expansion, is in fact one of the main laws of life. This is true when dealing with nuclear power. Because our societies structure and processes both depend upon energy, man is searching for the most efficient and cheapest form of energy that can be used on a long term basis. And because we equate power with growth, the more energy that a country uses, - the greater their expected economic growth. The problem is that energy is considered to have two facets or parts: it is a major source of man-made repercussions as well as being the basis of life support systems. Therefore, we are between two sections in which one is the section of resource availability and waste, and the other the continuity of life support systems pertinent to survival.
Thus, the environmentalists believe that nuclear energy should not be used for various reasons. First of all, the waste product, i.e. plutonium, is extremely radioactive, which may cause the people who are working or living in or around the area of storage or use, to acquire leukemia and other cancers. They also show how billions of dollars are spent yearly on safety devices for a single reactor, and this still doesn't ensure the impossibility of a melt down. Two examples were then given of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, in 1979, when thousands of people were killed and incapacitated. Finally, the environmentalists claim that if society wastes less energy, and develops the means to use the energy more efficiency, then there would be a definite decrease in the requirement for more energy producing plants. On the other hand, some business men and economists say that the present conditions should be kept intact, as the other forms of energy, e.g. oil, natural gas and coal, are only temporary, in dealing with surplus, and give off more pollution with less economic growth.
Concurrently, countries wanted a more reliable, smokeless form of energy not controlled by OPEC, and very little uranium was required to produce such a high amount of resultant energy. Lastly, they said that renewable energy is (a) unreliable in that the wind, for example, could not be depended upon to blow, nor the sun to shine, and (b) were intermittent in that a 1,000 mega-watt solar farm may occupy about 5,000 acres of land, compared with less than 150 acres of land for a similar capacity nuclear power generation station. Because the energy technology that society employs directly influences the quantity and quality of life, the energy option that is chosen should have the greatest cost- benefit effectiveness as well as maximizing flexibility and purchases. However, those who believe in continuous energy consumption growth, seem to forget that there is only a limited supply of energy in every energy system, and to overdo any resource may provide for an unacceptable impact upon global and regional ecology.
Thus, if the business world pushes the environment as far as it can go, Ceribus Paribus, please refer to figure 1. Thus, to use petroleum as a substitute for uranium, which is needed to power the nuclear system, would not be economically or environmentally sensible. I say this because, first of all, there is a major supply of uranium considering it was one of the last energy sources to be found as well as only a small amount of it is required to produce a lot of energy. Secondly, petroleum gives off carbon monoxide which is one of the reasons for ozone depletion; whereas, the uranium does not give off pollution except that it produces plutonium which needs to be buried for more than fifty years to get rid of its radiation. Finally, because so much of the petroleum will be required to power the vast area that nuclear energy can cover, the cost to us as the consumer would be massive! This would mean slower economic growth and/or expansion, especially when compared to nuclear energy.
Global Warming:
Global Warming The beginning of the Industrial Revolution brought many new, exciting inventions into our lives to simplify our lives and made them more efficient. Such inventions included cars, household appliances and plants that burn solid waste, fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal, and wood and wood products for fuel. Before the Industrial Revolution, human activities caused very few gases to be released into the atmosphere, but now scientists say, through the burning of fossil fuels, a large population growth and deforestation, humans are affecting the mixture of gases in the atmosphere. This mixture of gases in the atmosphere is causing the worldwide problem known as Global Warming. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the earth has a natural “greenhouse effect” which is caused by energy from the sun controlling the earth’s weather and climate, and heats the earth’s surface.
In response to the sun, the earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases, trap the energy leaving the earth and retaining it as heat, much like a greenhouse ceiling. This is a natural and necessary effect, without it temperatures on earth would be much lower than they are now and life as it is today would not be possible, but with the greenhouse effect the earth’s average temperature is a more comfortable and life-supporting 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The problems that have arisen with the greenhouse effect have occurred due to the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases.
Some major issues in the Environment:
At the very heart of these obstacles are several factors and events that reflect future environmental challenges:
• Some oil companies and the World Wildlife Fund agree to prohibit World Heritage site exploration
• The abundance and appeal of heavy oil resources in Canada and Venezuela and a new focus on producing those resources have collided with greenhouse gas commitments and waste disposal issues
• Aggressive “environmental liability management” has become the norm for major companies in dealing with legacy issues and in avoiding future liabilities
• The need to accurately measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions data for purposes of future internal and external trading is driving a U.S./industry push for “standardization” of management techniques
• Even as the consequences of global warming are becoming clearer - climate change impacts already recognized in the Arctic, with measurable disruptions to Aboriginal lifestyles, wildlife, existing communities, and industrial development —the exact causes are still debated, and in turn uneven global approaches have created unique business challenges
• There is a dire need to mitigate the worldwide loss of fisheries and underwater habitats due to overexploitation and collateral damage
• Activities in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea demonstrate the technical and cost benefits of oil company collaboration in addressing environmental research, and developing an environmental management strategy
The environmental challenges facing industrial companies and governments throughout the world are numerous and complex. Most governments and industrial companies now clearly realize and embrace the paradigm that environmental issues are intertwined with social/ cultural and socioeconomic issues. In fact, social and cultural concerns may far outweigh all other factors as industry and government make critical decisions regarding environmental issues.
Governmental Concerns
Promoting economic growth with environmental and human health safeguards in place seems to be the path forward for most governments. Decades of environmental mismanagement have created severe legacy issues throughout the developed and developing world. At the crux of this challenge are the current energy policies: economic growth demands energy and the choices for government – e.g., fossil fuel-based energy, renewable energy sources, and hybrid systems – drive related environmental management strategies.
The two huge tasks facing governments are: (1.) determining how to clean up legacy problems, restore natural resources, and achieve human health protection; and (2.) designing strategies to allow for future growth, while protecting the environment, maintaining biodiversity, safeguarding human health, and preserving cultural/ social values. This results in a very complex decision network for governments with varied experiences. A regulatory framework that leverages good science yet is targeted at supporting each country’s social and cultural values is an essential ingredient.
The study suggests that some environmental campaigning currently operates inadvertently to exacerbate these unhelpful aspects of identity. It also points to ways in which environmental organisations could begin to work in order to activate more helpful aspects of identity. Finally, it highlights new opportunities for collaborations across diverse civil society organisations to begin to address fundamental barriers to delivery on a range of concerns - from biodiversity loss to poverty alleviation, and racism to animal welfare abuses.
“Never have environmental problems appeared so insuperable. Whatever the past victories of the environment movement, we need a new and deeper approach - one that begins to engage the human values and identities that lie at the heart of environmental challenges. Meeting Environmental Challenges: The Role of Human Identity does not flinch in insisting on both the possibility and the absolute necessity of working in this way. As such, it makes a clear and important contribution to a realistic response to today’s environmental crisis.”
Basic Principles on the Environment
1.Overall Policy
Give serious consideration to the impact on the environment in every aspect of corporate activities, including R&D, production, distribution, marketing, procurement and clerical works, and make the best efforts to conserve and improve the environment.
• (1) Consider the global environmental issues including nature, ecological system and resources for all business activities based on “Think globally, act locally”, and act actively for environmental protection starting around ourselves.
• (2) Review impacts on the environment and effects of measures of all the corporate activities such as research & development, production, distribution, sales, procurement, and clerical work all the time, and take necessary measures to cope with a situation flexibly and appropriately.
• (3) Regarding business activities abroad, not only comply with regulations in the country, but also promote measures contributing to keep the environment preferable voluntarily in accordance with condition of nature and society in the country.
• (4) Timely prepare corporate organization related to environmental issues and related regulations including handling the global environmental issues.
2.Efficient Utilization of Resources and Minimization of Waste
Conserve energy and other resources, and actively pursue waste minimization and resource recycling.
• (1) Minimize industrial waste and maximize recycling by focusing on production activity.
• (2) Promote to introduce a system including transportation and inventory control, which is more energy efficient and produce less waste, by focusing on distribution activity.
• (3) Actively promote reduction of energy and waste as well as recycling in office operation.
3.Assessment of Environmental Impact from Products and Manufacturing Processes
When developing new products and processes, evaluate the impact on the environment in advance, during development, and periodically after commercialization. Consider the entire business cycle from procurement of raw materials and supplies through the use and the final disposal of products to reduce the impact on the global environment.
• (1) Regarding our products, introduce a viewpoint of environmental protection in design idea of their development, and reduce impacts on and loads to the environment in a whole life cycle of the products from research & development at an early stage to manufacturing, distribution, use, consumption, and final disposal.
• (2) Regarding manufacturing processes, design to reduce environmental loads and energy consumption from a stage of research & development.
• (3) Minimize impacts on the environment, safety and health of handling substances.
4.Development and Utilization of Environmental Technologies
Develop technologies for environmental protection and improvement, and actively pursue outside technologies when it is beneficial.
• (1) Promote to develop efficient technologies for preventing environment pollution.
• (2) Develop alternative technologies not to use substances which pollute the environment.
• (3) Actively obtain, keep in correct order, and use information on environmental technologies.
5.Response to Emergencies
When an adverse effect on the environment is foreseen, exercise the best possible contingent efforts to eliminate or minimize such adverse impact.
• (1) Make efforts to prevent its occurrence in order not to give serious impacts on the environment.
• (2) While sending information to those who are related appropriately, make maximum efforts to minimize environmental impacts in emergency where adverse effects are given or likely to be given on the environment.
6.Clear Definition of Accountability and Responsibility
Appoint executives and managers in charge of environment-related activities and clearly define their authority.
• (1) Appoint an executive who is responsible for corporate environmental issues.
• (2) Assign a responsible person for the environment at business sections and work places.
7.Cooperation with the Community and Society at Large
Actively cooperate with the environmental efforts of local communities and provide fair and unbiased information.
• (1) Make our work places be green in a planned manner by planting, and cooperate in making surrounding areas greener.
• (2) Actively participate activities of implementation of environment protection and recycling activity such as creating comfortable environment in the area as a member of the area.
• (3) Make efforts to provide appropriate information to consumers, residents in the area, industry organizations, administration, and others.
8.Education and Training
Educate and train each employee to understand and realize the importance of environmental issues and to act accordingly in his or her daily routine.
• (1) Request that the employees improve understanding and awareness for local and global environmental protection as well as conservation of resources and energy.
• (2) Promote voluntary educational activity regarding environment protection in all departments of the business activity.
Sources:
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/themes/informationenvironment.aspxSources:
http://www.takeda.com/csr/policies/article_1007.html
http://www.battelle.org/Environment/publications/envupdates/Fall2003/article6.stm
