Environmental Education UNIT- 1, 2, & 3
Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies and Natural Resources
Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies
Definition: The word 'environment' comes from the French word 'environner', meaning 'to encircle or surround'.
Environment: It encompasses the social, cultural, and physical conditions that influence the survival, growth, and development of people, animals, and plants.
Scope: Includes the natural world, the technological environment, and the cultural and social contexts that shape human lives.
Factors: It includes all factors, both living and nonliving, that affect an individual organism or population at any point in the life cycle.
Segments of Environment
Atmosphere: The blanket of gases surrounding the Earth.
Hydrosphere: Various water bodies on Earth.
Lithosphere: Contains various types of soils and rocks.
Biosphere: Composed of all living organisms and their interactions with the environment.
Multidisciplinary Science: Environmental studies integrates chemistry, physics, medical science, life science, agriculture, public health, and sanitary engineering.
Interdisciplinary Nature: It includes biology, geology, politics, policy studies, law, religion, engineering, chemistry, and economics to understand humanity’s effects on the natural world.
Complexity: Environmental studies helps students appreciate the complexity of environmental issues.
Scope of Environmental Studies
Ecology and Biodiversity
Natural resources, their conservation, and management
Environmental pollution and control
Human population and environment
Social issues in relation to development and environment
Career Options:
Research and Development: Environmental scientists play a crucial role in examining environmental problems scientifically and developing cleaner technologies.
Green Advocacy: Environmental lawyers are needed to handle cases related to water, air, forest, wildlife, and pollution control.
Green Marketing: Emphasis on marketing environment-friendly goods with ecomark or ISO 14000 certification.
Green Media: Spreading environmental awareness through television, radio, newspapers, and advertisements.
Environmental Consultancy: Addressing environment-related problems systematically.
Importance of Environmental Studies
Reversing Degradation: Environmental degradation can be reversed through educated communities, empowerment, and expert involvement in sustainable development.
Environmental Influence: Environmental factors greatly influence every organism and their activities.
Threats to Mankind: Environmental issues threaten the survival of mankind.
Protection of Resources: Environment studies emphasize the importance of protecting and conserving natural resources and preventing pollution.
International Importance:
Global Issues: Issues like global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, marine pollution, and biodiversity loss require international cooperation.
Developmental Problems: Urbanization, industrial growth, and transportation systems have phased out in the developed world, shifting 'dirty' factories to the South.
Pollution Increase: Heavy pressure on natural resources due to a large population and limited land area leads to soil health problems.
Alternative Solutions: The need for environmentally sound and sustainable development.
Saving Humanity: Protecting humanity from extinction by preventing the destruction of the environment and biosphere.
Wise Planning: Synchronizing resource use with ecological cycles in development plans.
Need for Public Awareness
Growing Population: A large population puts pressure on natural resources.
Poverty: Poverty and environmental degradation are interconnected, with many people dependent on natural resources for basic needs.
Agricultural Growth: Promoting methods to sustain agricultural growth without damaging the environment.
Groundwater Use: Rationalizing groundwater use and restoring water quality.
Development and Forests: Balancing development with the need to conserve forests and respect tribal communities.
Land Degradation: Addressing the degradation of agricultural and forest lands.
Urbanization Consequences: Managing environmental problems caused by urbanization and industrialization.
Pollution Control: Implementing and enforcing environmental regulations with public support.
Institutions in Environment
Managing natural resources efficiently at local, national, regional, and global levels.
Organizations:
Government Organizations: BSI and ZSI
NGOs: BNHS and WWF-1
Other Institutions: CSE, CEE, SACON, MCBT, and others.
Natural Resources
Definition: Goods and services provided by nature essential for daily lives.
Components: Biotic (plants, animals, microbes) and abiotic (air, water, soil, minerals, climate, solar energy).
Importance: Essential for physiological, social, economic, and cultural needs.
Types of Natural Resources:
Renewable Resources: Resources that can be replenished through natural cycles.
Examples: Plants, animals, wood, pulp products, water, and soil.
Special Case: Solar energy is considered renewable due to its inexhaustible supply.
Non-Renewable Resources: Resources that cannot be replenished through natural processes and are available in limited amounts.
Examples: Fossil fuels, metals, minerals, and salts.
Categories of Non-Renewable Resources:
Recyclable: Non-renewable resources that can be collected and recycled (e.g., ores of aluminum, copper, mercury).
Non-Recyclable: Non-renewable resources that cannot be recycled (e.g., fossil fuels and uranium).
Problem: Unequal consumption of natural resources, with developed countries consuming a major part.
Waste and Emissions: Advanced countries produce over 75% of global industrial waste and greenhouse gases.
Forest Resources
Definition: A biotic community predominantly of trees, shrubs, or other woody vegetation, usually in a closed canopy.
Forest Cover (India): India’s Forest Cover is , which is of the geographic area.
Ideal Forest Cover: India should ideally have of its land under forests.
Deficiency: Today, India has about , so need to protect existing forests and increase forest cover.
Functions of Forests
Habitats: Forests are habitats for millions of plants, animals, and wildlife.
Water Recycling: They recycle rainwater.
Pollutant Removal: Forests remove pollutants from the air.
Water Quality: Forests control water quality.
Climate Moderation: They moderate temperature and weather.
Soil Influence: Forests influence soil condition and prevent soil erosion.
Uses of Forests
Commercial Uses
Wood: Used as fuel.
Industries Supply: Raw materials as pulp, paper, furniture, timber, etc.
Minor Forest Products: Gum, dyes, resins.
Medicinal Plants: Many plants used as medicines.
Animal Products: Honey, ivory, horns, etc.
Land Uses: Mining, grazing, dams, and recreation.
Ecological Uses
Oxygen Production: Photosynthesis produces oxygen.
Reducing Global Warming: Absorbing carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.
Soil Conservation: Roots of trees bind the soil and prevent soil erosion.
Hydrological Cycle Regulation: Watersheds act like giant sponges.
Pollution Moderators: Forests absorb toxic gases and noises.
Wild Life Habitat: Home to millions of wild animals and plants.
Over Exploitation of Forests
Increased demand for medicine, shelter, wood, and fuel due to overpopulation.
Increasing agricultural production.
Increasing agricultural activities.
Increase in demand of wood resources.
Deforestation
Process of removing forest resources due to natural or manmade activities.
Developmental projects:
Causes deforestation through submergence of forest area.
*Destruction of forest area.
Mining operations:
Reduces forest areas. *Raw materials for industries:
Wood is an important raw material for various purposes.
*Through submergence of forest area.
Destruction of forest area.