eChapters

Sustainable Development
Although the term “sustainable development” is frequently overused, it is essential to addressing a multitude of interconnected global concerns, including hunger, poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.
Several environmental movements from previous decades gave rise to the concept of sustainable development. Major international gatherings, like the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, were crucial in advancing the cause of sustainable development. But it seems that progress toward sustainability has not been great up to this point.
Definition
A key objective of sustainable development is to achieve a reasonable and equitable distributed level of economic well-being that can be continuously perpetuated for many human generations. Sustainable development is defined as a pattern of social and
structured economic transmissions (i.e., development) that optimizes the economic and societal benefits available in the present without jeopardizing the likely potential for similar benefits in the future.
“Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” is another definition of it.
Salient Aspects of Ecological Development
1. It takes equity into account between nations and continents, racial and socioeconomic groups, gender, and age.
2. It encompasses environmental requirements as well as social development and economic opportunities.

Introduction

A society constitutes of several social system and institution such as family, school, religion etc. Every activity of these social systems and institution affect our environment in some way of other. There are various factor bring changes in the society. They are biology, environment, psychology, culture, demography and technology. All these factors collectively contribute to the changes in our society.

Auguste Gomte the father of sociology - defined sociology as the science of society. Sociologist believes that one can study society and understand the laws of society by applying the tools of natural sciences. We need to understand the nature as environment, its nature of work and our interaction with it, to understand and improve the efficiency of working with the nature. The Global deterioration the humanity is facing today is unprecedented in the annals of human history. We are already facing grave, water crisis disasters of all kinds, food, energy and ethical crisis etc. The solution is not visible and may not be visible in near future too. Environmental pollution means contamination in water, air, and land due to the various human activities. Man exploits natural resources to earn more and more profits. Forest is being cut down, the land is spoiled, and the air is becoming fuel and water being polluted. So nature has lost its balance such a situation has leaded us to what can be called as Environmental crisis. The changing lifestyle of our society is one of the main reasons for this crisis.

But unplanned execution of work and excessive industrialization and many other human activities has brought us to an alarming stage. In the face to live a luxurious life style we have been destroying the natural ecological balance.

The complex interplay of biotic, chemical, and physical forces that shape an organism’s structure and survival within an ecological community is known as its environment. The “backdrop” to the story of human history is the environment, which includes the “wilderness” that humans have not yet domesticated or subjugated, the “hinterland” that surrounds human settlements, and the habitats and resources that humans exploit.
Everything that exists naturally on Earth or in a particular place, both living and nonliving, is included in the natural environment. The lithosphere, crust, upper and lower mantles, inner and outer cores, and other layers make up the structure of the earth.
Every living thing, including non-living ones, interacts with every other thing constantly in its surroundings. People in particular need an environment to survive. Humanity and the environment are mutually dependent. The state of the environment is greatly impacted by human activity, and this has an effect on how our civilization is developing as a whole.

For the protection of all the factors of environment, laws were formed and amended from time to time as per the requirement. There are many acts according to the main factors and separate laws, for the enforcement. Also, the are some control acts, which can be implemented by states for the local environmental problems.

Introduction

The tropical evergreen forests of the Sahyadris or the Malnad region of Karnataka is one of the richest plant areas (“hot spots”) on earth and crucial to the oxygen supply of the world. More than 30,000 varieties of wildlife and plants and over 8,000 said to unique are reported to lie here. Unless reckless deforestation is halted soon, some scientists fear that within the next 100 years this virgin forest could become an arid wilderness.

Agriculture is one of the major age-old occupations of human beings providing food to the people and also supplies raw materials to a number of agro based industries. However the expansion of agricultural fields in the dense woody forest areas has brought about many environmental problems and thereby degraded the quality of environment in ecologically most sensitive areas like Uttar Kannada District. In India, agricultural practices are primarily based on the traditional system of intensive subsistence forming. It is also observed that more and more available area (forest) has been brought under cultivations to feed the population which has been growing at an alarming rate. The agricultural expansion and population growth, in forest areas of Uttar Kannada Districts have degraded the quality of environment.

Introduction

Lonar Lake, near Lonar town in the Buldhana District, India is not just the source of excitement for the visitors but also for the scientist community. Lonar is the third largest natural salt-water lake in the world, with a diameter of 1800 meter. Fredrickson, et al (1973) found that, about 50000 year back a massive meteor entered into the Earth’s gravitational forces ranging 60 meter long and weighing 2 million ton. It was racing at a speed of 25 kms per second towards the planet earth. When it struck the earth the energy released was equivalent to that released by six-megaton atom bombs. The impact was so severe that rocks from all sides came on the surface and reached the height of 20 meters. This impact left a massive crater 170 meters deep and with 1800 meter in diameter. Today it is natural salt-water lake.

Environmental Ethics is a conceptual term which consist various aspects of environmental fundaments, Enviromental ethics is responsible to protect and sustain the resources and ecological system.

Introduction

Impact Assessment can be broadly defined as the prediction or estimation of the consequences of a current or proposed action (project, policy, technology). Emergence of EIA can be related to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 in the USA. This act is now considered as model legislation for implementation all over the world. Today we have more than 100 countries that have adopted EIA legislation. EIA requirements of aid agencies and funding agencies are typically based on the principles included in the NEPA. In any project planning, along with the traditional technical (engineering) and economic considerations the NEPA requires environmental impact considerations. Environmental impact statements (EISs) are prepared as action forcing mechanism in NEPA that describe the environmental consequences of major actions which significantly affect the quality of human environment. Thus, the primary purpose of EIA is to encourage the environmental considerations in planning and decision making process. Finally, it is expected to arrive at actions which are more environmentally compatible.

Pollution
The Latin word “polluere,” which meaning to “soil” or “defile,” is the source of theEnglish word “pollution.” Unwanted changes in our environment that negatively impact humans, animals, and plants are known as pollution.
Any unfavorable alteration to the physical, chemical, or biological properties of any element of the environment (air, water, or soil) that has the potential to negatively impact a variety of life forms and property is referred to as environmental pollution.
Substances that are produced by human activity and are present in greater quantities than they would naturally be—solid, liquid, or gaseou —and that negatively impact our environment are referred to as pollutants.
Three Categories of Contaminants Exist
• Pollutants that break down or are not persistent: Natural processes rapidly decompose them. For instance, leftover veggies, home sewerage, etc.
• Pollutants that degrade slowly or are persistent: These are bad for the environment and take decades to break down. For example, most plastics and DDT (pesticides).
• Non-biodegradable contaminants: These have long-term negative effects on the environment and public health since they cannot be broken down by natural processes. For instance, radioactive waste and toxic materials like lead or mercury.

Pollution: Environmental pollution in general, may be described as the contamination of the environment with harmful wastes arising mainly from human activities. These activities release certain materials which produce pollution in the atmosphere water and soil. In simple words, environmental pollution may be defined as direct or indirect changes as a result of human activities, which adversely influence the biological and non-biological equilibrium of the environment.

Metals are toxic and non biodegradable pollutants released into the environment through effluents from agriculture waste, mining, metal processing industries, pharmaceutical industries as well as domestic and natural activities. Metallic pollutants tend to persist indefinitely and eventually get accumulated in the ecosystem. Metals especially arsenic, copper, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium and silver etc. possess a risk to living systems. Conventional processes applied to remediation of metallic pollutants are often restricted due to technical and economical constraints. Particularly when the metal contamination is at very low concentration the conventional methods become inefficient. In this situation application of bioremediation techniques is a technology of choice for environmental protection and clean up.

(Method of Joseph Mac Gee, 1959)
Principle

A simple and rapid enzymatic method for the quantitative estimation of total cis-methylene- interrupted polyenoic acids has been devised. Linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acids, the more common acids of this group were used to calibrate the method. The potassium salts of the fatty acids are oxidised by atmospheric oxygen in the presence of the enzyme lipo-oxidase, and the absorption of the conjugated diene hydroperoxide is measured at 234 mµ. As little as 5 µg of linoleic acid can be quantitatively measured with good accuracy and precision. The total content of polyunsaturated fatty acids containing the cismethylene-interrupted diene structure of fats, oils, hydrogenated oils, fatty acids, esters blood plasma, microorganisms and plant seeds has been measured directly by this method.

The main groups of some diagnostically important enzymes are as below:

1. Oxido Reductases
Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, Isocitrate Dehydrogenase, Lactate dehydrogenase, Malate dehydrogenase, Sorbitol dehydrogenase.

2. Transferases
Alanine transaminase (GPT)    
Aspartate transaminase (GOT)
Creatin binase
Hexose-1 phosphate uridyltransferase

3. Hydrolases
Acetylcholinesterase
phosphatases
Amylases
Pepsin
Trypsin
Lipase

Carbohydrates (glucose) are the primary energy source for a body; when digested, glucose is the end product in human beings and simple stomach animals, but it yields volatile fatty acids in ruminants. Precise regulation of levels of blood sugars/glucose in the body is the net result of various processes like digestion, absorption, and metabolism operating under the interaction of various a) enzymes and b) hormones secreted by the different organs of the body. An abnormal secretion of any of the enzymes or hormones associated with the metabolism of carbohydrates disrupts the precise regulation of blood sugar, leading to various disorders.
14.1 Enzyme Deficiency and Disorders in Carbohydrate Metabolism
Usually, various enzymes are involved in the breakdown of carbohydrates, and if their secretion is insufficient, missing, or does not work correctly, it leads to different disorders.
I. Glycogen storage diseases (GSDs, glycogenosis, and dextrinosis)
Glucose is needed by the cells for the generation of energy and other cellular activities. If glucose happens to be in excess, it is stored as glycogen, mainly in the liver and muscles, for future needs. The stored glycogen can be converted back to glucose when the need arises. Many enzymes are related to this interconversion of glucose and glycogen. Deficiencies of one or more enzymes may lead to abnormal glycogen metabolism, leading to glycogen accumulation of normal or abnormal chemical structure in tissue, collectively called glycogen storage diseases (GSDs). Roman numerals identify different types of glycogen storage conditions. They are also classified under various categories like inherited metabolic diseases, autosomal recessive type, and X-linked type (VIII/IX type).

Introduction

Billions of chemical reactions are happening inside human body and that too with lightning speed. However, the same reactions if carried out in laboratory, they take a very long time. The reasons behind it are the biocatalysts, also known as enzymes, which are synthesized by living cells. Chemically, they are proteins(except ribonucleic acids: RNA), colloidal in nature, thermo-labile in character and very specific in their action. For example, hydrolysis of proteins by a strong acid at 100°C takes a couple of days; but same proteins can be digested within couple of hours inside human body at 37°C. Similarly, carbonic anhydrase is used as a catalyst by living cells to transfer carbon-di-oxide from cells to blood. This process is 107 times quicker than the same process if occurs without the help of enzymes. Therefore, enzymes can be defined as the biomolecules or biocatalysts which can speed up the rate of the chemical reactions. The substance upon which an enzyme acts is called as substrate and the one which is produced as the result of enzyme-substrate reaction is known as product.

Enzymes are remarkable biological macromolecules that catalyze chemical reactions with extraordinary efficiency, playing an essential role in sustaining life. These large protein molecules and certain catalytic RNA molecules known as ribozymes accelerate reactions by lowering activation energy, enabling them to occur at rates necessary for biological processes. Their specificity is just as impressive as their speed as enzymes are often highly regioselective and, in many cases, absolutely stereospecific, traits that synthetic chemists strive to replicate. They are vital in metabolism, DNA replication, signal transduction, and cellular respiration, operating under mild physiological conditions. Factors such as temperature, pH, substrate concentration, and the presence of inhibitors or activators influence their activity. Given their significance, enzymes have garnered attention in fields like drug design, disease treatment, and industrial applications. The modern study of enzymes continues to provide groundbreaking insights into chemistry and biology, advancing both scientific understanding and human welfare. Brief History of Enzymes The existence of enzymes was first inferred when specific biochemical reactions were observed to occur only after the addition of cell extracts, even though the enzymes themselves could not be directly identified like typical molecules. In the early days, enzymes within these extracts were highly impure and present in low concentrations, as advanced protein

Enzymes are biocatalysts that play a crucial role in accelerating chemical reactions without undergoing any changes themselves. Enzymes enhance the rate of a reaction by reducing its activation energy without affecting the equilibrium position of the reaction. These catalysts specifically target molecules called substrates and convert them into different molecules known as products. Most enzymes have a proteinous nature, and some have a ribonucleic acid nature (like ribozymes and peptidyl-transferase), showing high substrate and stereo-specificity. Enzyme catalysis is indispensable for the majority of metabolic processes in cells, as it ensures that these processes occur at a rate that is sufficient to sustain life. The progression of metabolic pathways heavily relies on the catalytic activity of enzymes to facilitate individual steps.

The proteinous enzymes are classified into simple and conjugated enzymes.

1. Simple enzymes: Enzymes are made up of only protein components.

2. Conjugated enzymes: Enzymes comprise both protein (apoenzyme) and non-protein components (cofactor).

Feed accounts for a significant cost of production in livestock and poultry. In case of poultry, it represents 65% cost of the production in broilers and 75% in layers. Presently the live stock industry faces a huge challenge due to the high cost of feed ingredients and shortage of the conventional feed ingredients. Over the years, efforts have been made to use unconventional feed ingredients. However, such feed ingredients have many anti nutritional factors that adversely affect the performance of livestock and poultry. Due to the presence of these incriminating factors, the unconventional feed ingredients are poorly digested in livestock and poultry. These poorly digested feed ingredients results in bacterial overgrowth, which becomes a potential substrate for bacterial fermentation leading to intestinal disorders and disease. Application of antibiotics and other anti-microbials help to overcome the ill effects. However, the ban on the use of sub therapeutic level of antibiotics in many countries has increased the relevance of use of exogenous enzymes in the feed of livestock and poultry. These exogenous feed enzymes improve the nutritive value of different feed stuffs, economize livestock and poultry rearing and reduce environmental pollution.

Entrepreneurship theory has been evolving over the last 20 years and is ever growing. It is defined as a verifiable and logically coherent formulation of relationships, or underlying principles that either explain entrepreneurship, predict entrepreneurial activity or provide normative guidance (prescribing the right action in particular circumstance). Entreprenuership is interdisciplinary and contains various approaches that would increase one’s understanding of it. One way to examine these theories is with a ‘schools of thought’ approach that divides entrepreneurship into specific activities. These activities may be within a ‘macro view or a micro view’, but all address the conceptual nature of entrepreneurship.

Development of entrepreneurship

Creativity: Creativity and innovation are often used to mean the same thing, but each has a unique connotation. Creativity is the ability to bring something new into existence. Ideas usually evolve through a creative process whereby imaginative people bring them into existence, nurture them, and develop them successfully. The creative process for an idea contains five stages – germination, preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification.