BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Traditionally, man depended on the environment to determine how he could rise. Man was a slave to the environment to the extent that the environment determined what he could do. This is the concept of Determinism.
As time goes on, he learnt that the environment only holds certain possibilities; that the level of his technology and cultural preferences determine how much of these possibilities he could harness for his own benefit. This is the concept of Possibilism. Man took the advantage of what the natural environment offers, he went ahead and exploit the natural environment without considering the injury he does to the environment. The environment becomes the slave of man, where he carelessly exploits the environment in the negative direction.
Consequently, integrative concept where neither man nor his environment is the master or slave emerged. This is the concept of neo-environmentalism. In this case man exploits the environment; if it reacts he has to adjust in-order to keep the environment in good shape. It is from this concept that the concept of environmental sustainability emerged (sustainable development in all aspects of the environment). Here, man exploits the possibilities held by the environment, but with caution in a sustainable manner to satisfy the needs of today without damaging the environment for the generations yet unborn. Environmental Sustainability should be pro-nature, pro-jobs, and pro-poor.
Sustainability is vital as we progress into the future. As limited natural resources are in decline and as we are faced with consequences of climate change, the preservation and sustainability of the environment is recognized globally at the highest levels of leadership to be an issue requiring critical attention. To ensure environmental sustainability, key areas of focus include the management and preservation of non-renewable and environmental resources, the management of waste, the prevention and treatment of pollution and the preservation of biodiversity.
Biotechnology is simply the use of animal and plant cells in improving our agricultural activities, industrial products, medicinal products and so on which will raise the standard of living of the populace. Biotechnology uses living organisms and their biological processes to produce valuable products. It has widespread applications across many sectors, including agriculture, industry and medicine. Biotechnology, by its nature, uses biological systems and its processes are potentially “greener” compared to many traditional technologies involving chemical processes. It has the potential to play a role in the above key focus areas and be an important tool to promote environmental sustainability.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Biotechnology applications includes without limiting to the following; Reduction of the use of fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, allow more energy efficient production in industry, produce biodegradable products, manage waste and treat pollution.
Biofuels are being developed as a more environmentally friendly, alternative energy resource to alleviate our dependency on limited fossil fuels. The production of biofuels is being refined to reduce the input of fossil fuel in the manufacturing process to reduce its impact on the environment. Biofuels made from cellulose in wood, grasses and non-edible parts of plants can significantly reduce GHG emission in comparison to fossil fuels to about 85%. Processing just 30 percent of U.S. corn stover into biofuels would reduce net U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 90 to 150 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year, enough to offset the CO2 emissions of 10 typical coal-fired power plants. Newer sources of biomass such as algae can be transformed into a variety of renewable fuels.
Agricultural (Green) Biotechnology and Genetically Modified (GM) Crops: This can reduce the impact of farming on the environment caused by the effects of fertilisers, pesticides, tilling (ploughing), exhaustion of soils and loss of biodiversity. With the increase in food production to feed the growing population, the environment comes under more severe threat. Biotechnology allows farmers to produce more food on existing farmland and allows crops to be grown on marginal land. It allows farmers to use less water (drought-resistant crops), to use less pesticide (insect-resistant crops), and to plough less (herbicide-resistant crops) thereby reducing soil erosion, water pollution caused by run-off and the use of fossil fuels, therefore reducing GHG emissions. GM crops can lead to greater farmland biodiversity and reduce pressure on fragile wildlife habitats. While biotechnology has potentially great benefit, some risks have also been identified. The risk of gene transfer from GM crops to wild populations is a concern, with the fear of “superweeds” being created. The threat of disturbing ecological systems has been identified as a risk, as has the evolution of “superbugs” in adaptation to pest-resistant crops. For these reasons, GM crops are under strict regulation in South Africa and internationally.
Industrial (White) Biotechnology: Is reducing chemical pollution and GHG emissions in industry, making manufacturing processes “greener”. It is also producing new products that have less impact on the environment. Biological enzymes can make industrial processes more environmentally friendly. For example, enzymes in washing powders reduce the amount of detergent required, reduce washing temperature and save energy.
Bioplastic: Made from biomass can substitute petroleum-based plastics. They are biodegradable and reduce landfill waste. Bio-refineries can transform bio-based waste into valuable feedstock or other useful products, making it not only environmentally friendly but also economically viable. For instance, Biogas a renewable fuel can be harvested from organic waste of animals majorly. So, can Bio-fertilizer be produce from this waste.
If all plastics were made from biobased polylactic acid, oil consumption would decrease by 90–145 million barrels per year—or about as much oil as the United States consumes in one week.
Bioremediation: Bioremediation refers to the use of biological systems to reduce pollution of air, soil or water, generally using microorganisms or plants. Bioremediation can be used either to treat an already polluted environment or to treat waste before it leaves a production facility. Great care must be taken through careful monitoring when introducing microorganisms into an environment to clean up pollution so that the natural ecological balance is not destroyed.
Conclusively, the effects of GM organisms and some other applications of biotechnology on the environment are still unpredictable and regulations to ensure safe applications are essential. Nevertheless, biotechnology, in applying the immense diversity in species and biological pathways on earth, can in principle be a very powerful tool in creating environmentally friendlier alternatives to products and processes that presently pollute the environment or exhaust its non-renewable resources. All of these technologies allow for hope in the uphill battle to protect our environment. With biotechnology, we can build a greener, cleaner, and more responsible future.
REFERENCES
Biotechnology Industry Organization. “New Biotech Tools for a Cleaner Environment.” http://www.bio.org/ind/pubs/cleaner2004/CleanerReport.pdf.
Biotechnology Industry Organization. http://www.bio.org/ind/.
Biotechnology Industry Organization. “Achieving Sustainable Production of Agriculture Biomass for Biorefinery Feedstock.” http://www.bio.org/ind/biofuel/SustainableBiomassReport.pdf.
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