An environmental impact is defined as any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, resulting from a facility's activities, products, or services. In other words it is the effect that people's actions have on the environment. For example, when volatile organic compounds are released into the environment, the effect or impact is pollution in the form of smog, in this case being negative. It can go the other way, as a person picking up litter can have a beneficial impact on the local environment. The primary impacts of concern in an energy dependent society often come as a result of our energy use. Burning hydrocarbons like coal and oil to provide us with useful energy results in the emission of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Other activities causing harm include improper waste disposal to bodies of water and soil, accidental spills of chemicals, increased demand for resources as populations increase (especially due to consumerism), and much more. Sustainability in architecture addresses the negative environmental and social impacts of buildings by utilizing design methods, materials, energy and development spaces that aren't detrimental to the surrounding ecosystem or communities. This comprehensive book on Environment is made for students of art and architecture and civil engineering to help in their study and work.
Indrajit Bhandari is Head in the Department of Geography, Kisan College, Sohsarai (Nalanda), a unit of Magadh University, Bodhgaya. His several research papers have been published in reputed journals. He attended many seminars.
An environmental impact is defined as any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, resulting from a facility's activities, products, or services. In other words it is the effect that people's actions have on the environment. For example, when volatile organic compounds are released into the environment, the effect or impact is pollution in the form of smog, in this case being negative. It can go the other way, as a person picking up litter can have a beneficial impact on the local environment. The primary impacts of concern in an energy dependent society often come as a result of our energy use. Burning hydrocarbons like coal and oil to provide us with useful energy results in the emission of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Other activities causing harm include improper waste disposal to bodies of water and soil, accidental spills of chemicals, increased demand for resources as populations increase (especially due to consumerism), and much more. There are many issues in the world that are causing one or more of these effects. The oil sands, for instance, are of great concern to many these days as they essentially contribute to each of the above impacts.
The environmental impact a specific action may have can be analyzed using a life cycle assessment, which is the process of observing a product from its "cradle to grave" and determining the impacts associated with it at each step. These methods are somewhat subjective and resource intensive. The environmental impact of buildings is mostly dominated by the use phase, i.e. the energy demand for operation. However, construction material impact (embodied impact) moves into focus due to the strict legislation and the efforts of governments and house owners to construct increasingly energy efficient buildings. The choice of constructional material influences the operational energy demand of buildings. This is due to the differences in physical properties, such as thermal inertia or resistance. The capacity to store thermal energy over time differs greatly for different materials.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist