Environmental Impact: consequence of the development of society
Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2025 6:18 am
Lucía Grijalbo, professor of the Master in Energy Efficiency, Climate Change and Sustainability at Bureau Veritas University Center , writes in this post about environmental impact.
All human activities have a significant impact on the environment . If we look around us, we can see that, in most cases, different human actions have caused serious damage to ecosystems . For example, massive urbanizations in coastal areas have degraded natural spaces such as dunes, eliminating the vegetation associated with these ecosystems.
This negative impact has increased with the Industrial Revolution . Since then, man can generate larger quantities of products in a short time, thus promoting consumption , the overexploitation of natural resources and environmental deterioration resulting from emissions, discharges or waste.
As the saying goes, "prevention is better than cure." At the viber data environmental level, this saying has been reflected in the different Environmental Assessment laws issued around the world . In Spain , it is regulated by Law 21/2013, on Environmental Assessment , and its successive amendments, which include the content of Directive 2014/52/EU .
The purpose of Law 21/2013 is to require that all plans, programmes or projects that may have significant effects on the environment be subject to an appropriate environmental assessment . This assessment will be carried out before the adoption, approval or authorisation of the plan, programme or project with the aim of introducing preventive measures or modifications that minimise its impact on the environment.
This Law establishes two types of Evaluations , which may be ordinary or simplified .
On the one hand, the Strategic Environmental Assessment . For plans and programs . For example, the Assessment carried out to approve an Urban Development Plan in a Municipality.
On the other hand, the Environmental Impact Assessment . For projects such as the installation of a petrochemical industry or a livestock farm. Although most of the projects evaluated are related to infrastructure and public works (roads, hydraulic infrastructure, coastal development, irrigation programs, power plants, railways and airports).
One of the main pillars of the Environmental Assessment is public information , thanks to which citizens and any other interested party can make objections to the plan, programme and project. These objections must be taken into account by the Administration or by the promoter.
To ensure the effectiveness of the public information period, the Strategic Environmental Study or the Environmental Impact Study must be clear and understandable to anyone . To ensure their understanding, these Studies must include a non-technical summary, explaining the environmental impact of the plan, program or project, the measures proposed to prevent, reduce or compensate for the negative effects and the alternatives considered.
All human activities have a significant impact on the environment . If we look around us, we can see that, in most cases, different human actions have caused serious damage to ecosystems . For example, massive urbanizations in coastal areas have degraded natural spaces such as dunes, eliminating the vegetation associated with these ecosystems.
This negative impact has increased with the Industrial Revolution . Since then, man can generate larger quantities of products in a short time, thus promoting consumption , the overexploitation of natural resources and environmental deterioration resulting from emissions, discharges or waste.
As the saying goes, "prevention is better than cure." At the viber data environmental level, this saying has been reflected in the different Environmental Assessment laws issued around the world . In Spain , it is regulated by Law 21/2013, on Environmental Assessment , and its successive amendments, which include the content of Directive 2014/52/EU .
The purpose of Law 21/2013 is to require that all plans, programmes or projects that may have significant effects on the environment be subject to an appropriate environmental assessment . This assessment will be carried out before the adoption, approval or authorisation of the plan, programme or project with the aim of introducing preventive measures or modifications that minimise its impact on the environment.
This Law establishes two types of Evaluations , which may be ordinary or simplified .
On the one hand, the Strategic Environmental Assessment . For plans and programs . For example, the Assessment carried out to approve an Urban Development Plan in a Municipality.
On the other hand, the Environmental Impact Assessment . For projects such as the installation of a petrochemical industry or a livestock farm. Although most of the projects evaluated are related to infrastructure and public works (roads, hydraulic infrastructure, coastal development, irrigation programs, power plants, railways and airports).
One of the main pillars of the Environmental Assessment is public information , thanks to which citizens and any other interested party can make objections to the plan, programme and project. These objections must be taken into account by the Administration or by the promoter.
To ensure the effectiveness of the public information period, the Strategic Environmental Study or the Environmental Impact Study must be clear and understandable to anyone . To ensure their understanding, these Studies must include a non-technical summary, explaining the environmental impact of the plan, program or project, the measures proposed to prevent, reduce or compensate for the negative effects and the alternatives considered.