Environmental impact
Under environmental impact is generally understood as the reaction of the environment on causer related environmental impacts. They behave like cause and effect and as a rule determine each other.
In addition to primary environmental impacts as a direct reaction to interventions in the ecosystem , other secondary effects can often occur. Depending on the nature of the effects on the environment, strong variations in the reactions are possible.
Environmental impact can
- have a positive or negative effect on the ecosystem
- be reversible or irreversible
- occur in the short, medium or long term
- be present permanently or only temporarily
- act intensified due to enrichment
- influence each other (strengthening / weakening).
In general, every change, whether positive or negative, which is caused wholly or partially as a result of human activities, is to be understood as an environmental impact. Positive effects on the environmental situation are e.g. B. new technologies for energy saving, the use of substitutes, the expansion of sewage treatment plants, etc. from. The affected area and the state of the ecosystem are decisive for the intensity of a negative impact on the environment. To a certain extent, the ecosystem, depending on its respective sensitivity, has the ability to compensate for the load. For the assessment of the environmental impact, e.g. B. starting from companies, different spatial levels of observation are to be used, since the damage usually not only occurs locally, but can have regional or even global influence. One example of a negative environmental impact is the over-fertilization of soils. One-sided and improper fertilization can primarily damage plants and the soil microflora and fauna. Over-fertilization can also result in eutrophication in groundwater and surface waters. Not only the functionality of ecosystems can be impaired by various environmental influences, people's wellbeing and health also react more or less sensitively to certain stresses.
Environmental influencer
Environmental impacts result from influencing the environment. Companies and the population have a close mutual relationship with the environment. The question that can be asked here is what companies and the population expect from the environment and what effects this will have on the environment. In this context, the terms adaptation , which describes the adaptation to changed climatic conditions, and mitigation , which in turn describes the deliberate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in order to control the effects on climate change , are often used .
Companies
Environmental goods as productive factors
Environmental goods are productive factors, the use of which can have a major impact on the stability of the ecosystem. Without their cooperation, however, it is not possible to provide operational services. Examples of productive factors are coal and ore, but also water.
Companies must now make conscious and sustainable decisions about the use of scarce environmental goods. One can say that environmental goods are to be regarded as economically scarce, i.e. that the amount of needs for environmental goods is unlimited, but the number of resources is limited. A complete fulfillment of all needs for environmental goods is therefore not possible; Companies compete for the use of these goods. Thus some companies, if they rate the use of some environmental goods lower than they are worth, can be excluded from the use.
Environment as a service provider
Companies use environmental services as part of their
- Supply function : The environment provides the company with resources that are used as inputs. This is also called extraction use of the environment.
- Carrier function : the undesired outputs that arise are released into the environment. This is also known as deposition use of the environment.
- Regulation function : regeneration processes in nature are used. This is also called process use of the environment.
population
Just like companies, the population has an impact on the environment, which leads to environmental impacts. The population also uses the service and productive functions of the environment. The rapid population growth and the associated increase in the need for food and other goods are increasingly posing a problem for the environment. There are currently 7 billion people on earth and this number is growing by around 80 million every year. Number of people living on earth:
- 1987: 5 billion
- 1999: 6 billion
- 2012: 7 billion
The population goes straight into the equation of the Environmental Impact Index of Barry Commoner one. This equation, also known as the IPAT equation , calculates the environmental load (I) as the product of the population (P), a prosperity factor A and a technology factor T.
Consequences for the environment
By using these environmental goods, companies and the population intervene massively in the natural balance of nature. It can be the case that an environmental good is exhausted after a finite number of uses, for example in the case of coal or natural gas deposits. This is also called ecological cumulative scarcity . If a critical rate of use is exceeded, damage to the entire environmental system can occur. This form of scarcity is referred to as an ecological scarcity of rates . Examples include the uptake of pollutants into the air (air pollution) and overexploitation of renewable resources such as timber.
Assessment of the environmental impact
Environmental impact assessment
Various instruments can be used to assess environmental impacts. In general, according to environmental law, all measures must be taken to avoid or reduce negative environmental impacts. One of the most important legal instruments requiring approval is the environmental impact assessment (EIA). This is implemented before the implementation of a project or the construction of a system and is the basis for all further activities. The aim of the EIA according to the EIA Act is a comprehensive analysis of possible direct and indirect effects of a project on the factors man, fauna and flora, soil, water, air, climate and agriculture, on the interactions between these factors as well as on property and that cultural heritage. Another important instrument for companies is the corporate environmental balance sheet. In this life cycle assessment, the environmental impacts of products throughout their entire life cycle and services are systematically analyzed. Furthermore, all material and energy flows of a company can be displayed via the ecologically-oriented information and decision-making instrument and the results can be incorporated into the company's environmental management strategy.
Dux (German Environmental Index)
The Dux is a characteristic value calculated by the Federal Environment Agency, which is reflected in a number of development trends in environmental protection for Germany. It is made up of various values from the German environmental barometer for climate, soil, energy, water, air and raw materials.
The values that flow into the DUX result from the relative target attainment of each individual indicator, as the different absolute individual values would not be comparable with one another. In this way, it is calculated at which point in the development an indicator stands from the actual state in the base year to the target state in the target year. If a value even deteriorates compared to the value of the base year, negative values can arise. If the environmental objectives are achieved in all areas, the Dux assumes a value of 6000.
The Dux shows the extent to which environmental policy goals have been achieved and how entrepreneurial activity affects the environment in Germany.
literature
- E. Günther: Ecology-oriented management. Environmental (world-oriented) thinking in business administration. 1st edition. Lucius & Lucius, 2008, ISBN 978-3-8282-0415-7 .
- O. Alber: environmental policy and environmental protection economy. The eco-industrial dependency thesis. 1st edition. Publishing house Dr. Köster, 2000, ISBN 3-89574-402-6 .
- Rogalla, Sietz, Engemann u. a .: environmental management systems. 1st edition. WEKA Media GmbH & Co. KG, 2001.
- B. Commoner: The Environmental Cost of Economic Growth. In: RG Ridker (Ed.): Population, Resources and the Environment. Washington, DC 1972.
- Environmental law. 19th edition. Beck texts in dtv, 2008.
Web links
- http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/umweltdaten
- http://www.nachhaltigkeit.info/artikel/dux_dt_umweltindex_731.htm