The very existence of the University, its buildings and structures, and, more especially, its activities, has an impact on the environment. Environmental impacts can impinge on human sensibilities and can cause actual harm to humans and other organisms.
Environmental impacts can be immediate but in many instances are latent in their consequences.
Environmental impacts at least may be antisocial but may also be illegal. There is a wide variety of legislation for the control of the impact of human activity to minimise its harmful and nuisance impacts on the environment. Much recent environment legislation is concerned with pollution of the environment. Thus this environment legislation is concerned with soil pollution and degradation, water contamination, air contamination, noise, energy consumption and effects on human beings and other living organisms.