Environmental System Management in
Coal export
There
is a wide range of energy sources in the world that pose environmental risks to
the people and the earth. Of late, there has been an observable climate change
that is attributed to both natural and human activities. Among the human
activities is the use of energy sources that produce a lot of greenhouse gases
like the carbon dioxide, methane and Nitrogen (IV) oxide among others. These
energy sources include burning firewood, use of coal and burning petrol and
diesel in vehicles among others. Coal mining is associated with production of
various green house gases including carbon dioxide and methane; therefore it
contributes a lot to the environmental pollution and global warming whose
effects are adverse. Tiwary, R. K. (2001)
There
have been national and international concerns relating to the emissions from
coal during its transportation in trains and in rivers. According to
Environmental Protection Agency Report 2012, there is a great desire to review
the consequences of the coal exportation through the ports as this could have
adverse human health and environmental effects. Therefore measures have to be
put in place to deal with the emissions. Various stakeholders in the coal
sector have on many occasions opposed to coal export arguing that the nations
receiving the coal may not be having working sustainable development policies
thus by burning the coal, they are increasing the risk of global warming and
climate change. Gabbard, Alex (2008
Therefore
nations have come with the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) that seek to
address the effects of coal and other oil fuel transportation through the water
and the reduction of their impacts. Spillage from coal and oil fuel
transportation in water has adverse effects. The mercury emission from coal
causes death to the fish, acidification of water thus affecting the aquatic
organisms. Consumption of the fish by human population may cause cancer. The
agreed nations encourage the transformation of the coal industry as a pollutant
to an air cleaner industry.
According
to Dean Brickey (2011), in
the face of pollution caused by coal, there is need to formulate a strategy and
a framework under which the operations of the coal industry will minimize the contributions
and effects of coal to the climate change . This control strategy is called
Environmental Management System (EMS) The EMS strategies evaluate the general
environmental impacts of coal and sets up programs to reduce the impact while
monitoring the progress of the industry. The main goal of the mining industry
is to be part of the efforts to reduce pollution and promote clean air. Hamilton, Michael S. (2005). The mining
sectors in conjunction with the environmentalists act to reduce the emissions
along the shipment trails. This can be done by the planting of trees that act
as carbon sinks to absorb the gas and store it in the plants. They encourage
the industry to move from the high sulphur mining to the low sulphur mining.
Such evaluations and recommendations assist in reducing global warming.
Recommendations
According to Florida, R., & Davison, D. (2001) nations have to
establish policies to improve clean and sustain the biodiversity of the
ecosystem. The various
nations receiving the coal need to play a big part in the reduction of the
effects of coal emissions to the atmosphere. They need to adopt a sustainable
development strategy that embraces the use of alternative energy to reduce
polluting the atmosphere.
The national policy on
alternative energy sources should be reviewed to establish the overall goal and
position of the country in the reduction of climate change.
The coal industry should show its commitment
in the Clean Air Strategy through making coal mining and export part of the
sustainable development agenda.
The water usage in coal
mining and transportation should not affect the sustainability activities of
the people and the biodiversity in ecosystem
References
Dean
Brickey, "Utah
company sending coal shipments to Asia through Port of Morrow" East Oregonian,
May 13, 2011.
Florida,
R., & Davison, D. (2001). Gaining from green management: Environmental management systems inside and outside the factory.
California Management Review, 43 (3), 64 85.
Gabbard,
Alex (2008-02-05). "Coal
Combustion: Nuclear Resource or Danger".
Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Retrieved
2008-10-22.
Hamilton,
Michael S. (2005). Mining
environmental policy: comparing Indonesia and the USA. Ashgate studies in environmental policy and practice. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing. p.?. ISBN 978-0-7546-4493-4.
Tiwary,
R. K. (2001-11-01). "Environmental
Impact of Coal Mining on Water Regime and Its Management". Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 132 (1–2): 185 199.Doi:10.1023/A:1012083519667. ISSN 1573-2932.
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