Study Overseas

Increasingly, there is a need for environmental science graduates whose education and training integrates appropriate elements of the life, earth and physical sciences. Study Overseas invited Dr. Les Duckers to discuss the field of environmental science.

Sustainable development became an issue during the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment in 1972, when it was realised that there was a marked clash of interests between environmental conservation and development. By 1987, the World Commission of Environment and Development (WCED) published its report - better known as the Brundtland Report - defining the concept of sustainable development. Following this, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held in 1992. One outcome is 'Agenda 21', which calls for a comprehensive programme of action needed throughout the world to achieve a sustainable pattern for the 21st century.

Our local and global environments are severely stressed by man's activities; air pollution, water poisoning, land contamination and global warming are among the problems facing everyone in the world. In recognising the problems, we identify the solutions in moving towards sustainable development - extracting the Earth's resources only at the rate of replenishment, and using them in an environmentally benign way, so that we do not compromise the safety of future generations.

The Natural Environment

The last 30 years have seen an accelerating awareness of environmental concerns. These include the exponentially increasing human population, the prospect of exhausting non-renewable resources, the over-exploitation of renewable resources, and the consequences of toxic pollutant's pathways through ecosystems. The urgent need to conserve the integrity of the Earth's biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere is now widely recognised. Issues here include deforestation, biotic indicators, water resource security and safety. In 1992, the International Convention of Biodiversity highlighted the need to protect and conserve our environment from adverse changes. The Convention left no doubt in the minds of both scientists and policy makers that maintaining diversity of ecosystems is essential if humankind is to prevent environmental disaster.

The Industrial Environment

As industry moves to adopt good environmental practices because of legislation, consumer pressure, advertising advantages, financial considerations or good citizenship, the demand for suitably qualified and trained graduates in this area will grow. Governments are steadily responding to calls to meet their obligations, and so they in turn will expect more of companies, utilities and service industries. Companies are increasingly having to address issues such as waste minimisation, pollution control regulations, clean air acts, and a plethora of regulations.

Recent management systems introduced into industry started with the British Standard BS7750 in 1995, but now extend to a European Standard EMAS and the international ISO 14001, which was first awarded in September 1996. These awards recognise a company's environmental behaviour as good, but not necessarily perfect. They do, however, demand that the company has a strategy of continuous improvement, so that environmental damage is reduced year by year.

Sustainable Energy

The majority of economic growth in the world over the last two hundred years has been based upon the exploitation of relatively cheap energy from fossil fuels. From a historic perspective, these two hundred years and the following few years will seem as a small fossil fuel blip. The energy resources will have been depleted in a matter of decades. The pollution problems attendant upon our burning of fossil fuels are now generally held by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 1995) to be responsible for the enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming. With a strong correlation between GNP (gross national product) and energy consumption patterns, it is imperative that we find ways to curb our use of fossil fuel, and help to promote development in other countries without increasing the greenhouse effect.

Courses

The wide range of disciplines involved in the field of environmental science present some problems in choosing a course. It is almost impossible for a single course to cover every topic in substantial depth, so it is best to consider the following points when making your choice:

Do you want a scientific training? If so, make sure that your chosen course includes sciences in its content, or that the course is environmental science(s). These will include laboratory work and field courses. Courses with titles like 'Environmental Studies' generally mean that a course is based upon social/geographical aspects of the environment, and is therefore non-scientific. These will be issue related, and involve literary research, projects and essay writing.

Are you interested in the natural environment? Choose ecology or environmental sciences (check that this includes biology/plant sciences, ecophysiology/ecotoxicology, etc.) A biology background is usually demanded.

Are you interested in the industrial environment? Course content should include air, water and land pollution, and waste management. Environmental analysis may include chemistry for environmental monitoring, although a good science background will usually be enough to support your study.

Sustainable energy courses should cover energy conservation, efficiency and renewable energy technologies, and lead to energy and environmental management. A physical science or maths background is usually required.

Consider topics such as Environmental Auditing, Management, Environmental Impact Assessment, or Environmental Law, as these will prove extremely valuable in future careers, when managing natural and industrial environments. If you are unsure which aspect of the environment you would like to specialise in, look for institutions that offer modular courses, as these are often quite flexible, and allow you to select topics after year one.

Author

Dr. Les Duckers
Head of Environmental Sciences
Coventry University