 |
|||||||
| About UNEP | UNEP offices | News centre | Publications | Calendar | Awards | Milestones | UNEP Store |
|
|||||||
|
 |
|
|
|
||
| UNEP>DTIE>IETC | |
|
|
2.10 Pressures on the environment The EnTA procedures described in this Manual addresses the major sources of environmental pressures normally associated with the different components of a technology (see Figure 4). A brief description of these components and the associated pressures is provided below. Resource use This category includes all of the material, water, energy, and land resources required to establish the technology and to produce the desired outputs (e.g. services or products). Included in this category are all of the inputs to a process, as well as the support requirements (e.g. buildings, and land). Particular attention should be paid to identification of all toxic, non-renewable and scarce materials used by the technology. Wastes and products This category includes all of the gaseous, liquid and solid wastes, and noise, produced by the technology. These are often the major source of environmental pressures. This category also includes the products produced by the technology, with attention being given to those that have the potential to cause significant pressures on environmental systems - for instance toxic substances (e.g. pesticides that have the potential for accidental release into the environment during storage or transportation).
Human resources The human resources category includes all the labour requirements needed to build, maintain, operate and eventually decommission the technology. Of special interest in this category is the number of people that may need to be recruited from outside the locality where the technology will be used. A large influx of labour can make significant demands upon the environment, resources, infrastructure and social cohesion, and on support services, especially in a small community. Infrastructure The infrastructure category includes all of the supporting facilities, services and utilities needed by the technology. This might include roads, public transportation services and sewers. In this category it is important to give full consideration to the pressures arising from infrastructure changes that relate directly to introduction of the technology. In other words, the incremental and cumulative pressures that result from adding new, or expanding existing, infrastructure are considered at this stage in the EnTA. Supporting Technologies Technology interventions often require other supporting technologies in order to operate effectively. Examples include storage facilities and waste treatment plants. These supporting technologies place additional demands on the environment, due to such effects as resource consumption and waste emissions. The resulting pressures need to be considered if the total environmental burden of a technology investment is to be fully characterised. As with the infrastructure pressures, it is especially important to incorporate the supporting technologies that will be introduced or used as a direct consequence of the proposed technology intervention. 2.11 Boundaries for the pressures associated with the technology Each of the pressures associated with the technology will have its own life cycle. For example, at any stage of this life cycle the use of a resource, or production of a waste, may have a significant impact upon the environment. Ideally the full life cycle of the technology intervention should be assessed - from initial concept, through design, development, procurement, operation and modification, to replacement, decommissioning or disposal. While this appears to escalate the complexity and demands of the assessment, absence of a long-term view can sometimes mean that a technology considered to be environmentally friendly in the first instance can become a significant burden on the environment some time later in its life. It may be possible and appropriate to restrict the spatial extent of the assessment. Concerns might focus on the pressures the technology could impose on the local community, or on environmental and related systems within the national boundaries. While imposing such spatial limits may be expedient, decisions to limit the spatial scope of an assessment should be made only after careful consideration, and in consultation with all relevant stakeholders. As a further example, when considering the use of a toxic chemical in an industrial process, thought should be given to the potential for this chemical to spill or leak during either its production, transportation, storage or intended use. Similarly, the effects of a waste produced by the technology should be considered from the time it is generated at least to the time of final disposal, and often beyond that. In general, there are four main phases that should considered in an EnTA:
|
