mtm syllabus ignou

1. CONSERVATION
THROUGH AGES

2. Learning outcome
■ The conservation of nature is a subject which has not been very well
documented in our texts concerning the environment.
■ 'The aim in this Unit, therefore, is to:
– define the conservation,
– recreate briefly the history of conservation, and
– acquaint you with the importance of conservation today.

3. INTRODUCTION
The talk, debates, seminars/conferences on
Environment, its relation with other disciplines and
its conservation have become common feature in the
contemporary society. The realization of the close
relation human beings share with the environment
could be one reason for the sudden development of
this phenomenon. Without a second thought one can
say that the survival of mankind on this earth
becomes doubtful in the absence of the environment
and the natural resources. While such discussions and
realizations are the intellectual byproducts developed
in the current century, the history of bonding
between human beings and environment begins right
from the origin of human species. The primary
concern is to understand the procedure of
simultaneous development of man-nature
connection and the relation man shares with nature.

4. CONSERVATION: DEFINITION
■ We define conservation as a broad approach to preserving what is
already there and the due care and attention to protecting it for the
future. It is also dedicated to restoring something to a natural state
and maintaining equilibrium. It is a practice and a philosophy,
utilizing scientific tools and methods with applied ethics, and, where
necessary, regulation and environmental law to limit the use of certain
materials. It can apply to many areas, not just the natural
environment.
■ Typically, it covers three broad areas:
• Cultural heritage and the built environment of archaeological
monuments, buildings of historic importance, and landscapes.
This promotes cultural awareness and respect and preserves a
built heritage for future generations to enjoy
• Conservation of ecology, maintaining the delicate balance of an
ecosystem or set of wildlife to ensure population numbers of
threatened or endangered species are not put at risk, to
maintain a landscape for study or enjoyment, or for biodiversity
• Resource conservation is the active ways in which we seek to
limit the use of resources to reduce the strain put on supply.
This can be developing energy-efficient homes to reduce raw
materials burnt to produce electricity or efficiency savings of
water resources.

5. HISTORY OF CONSERVATION IN
MODERN TIMES
■ The conservation legacy of Theodore Roosevelt is found in the 230 million
acres of public lands he helped establish during his presidency.
■ The history of conservation is generally tied to the industrial age, as a kind
of backlash against exploitation of uncontrolled industrial growth and
unfettered capitalism of the age. But that is a simplistic answer. In reality, it
goes back a few hundred more years before this.
■ The early conservation movement evolved out of necessity to maintain
natural resources such as fisheries, wildlife management, water, soil, as
well as conservation and sustainable forestry. The contemporary
conservation movement has broadened from the early movement's
emphasis on use of sustainable yield of natural resources and preservation
of wilderness areas to include preservation of biodiversity. Some say the
conservation movement is part of the broader and more far-
reaching environmental movement, while others argue that they differ both
in ideology and practice.

6. INDIAN PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS
■
According to Indian philosophy, the entire
universe is created out of the conglomeration of
the sub-atomic particles which influence the five
gross elements - earth, water, fire, air and space.
■ The Hindu religion has enshrined respect for nature in
three basic elements:
– faith in God,
– non-dualistic view of Purush, Prakriti, and
– a set of rules for duties and worship.
■ Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and other scriptures give
a detailed description of trees, plants and wildlife
along with their importance to the community.

7. Several Hindu Gods and Goddesses have
animals and birds as their mounts. Some of
them, associated with Hindu Gods and
Goddesses
The Rigveda devoted an entire hymn to the praise
of healing properties of trees. Some of the names
of trees associated with Gods and Goddesses

8. IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVATION AT
THE PRESENT MOMENT
■ The most obvious reason for conservation is to
protect wildlife and promote biodiversity. Protecting
wildlife and preserving it for future generations also
means that the animals we love don’t become a
distant memory. And we can maintain a healthy and
functional ecosystem.
■ It’s no secret that the future of our planet
desperately needs to be safeguarded, with climate
change already wreaking havoc on our natural
environment. In order to preserve the earth for future
generations, we need to reduce the amount of harm
that human activities have on the environment. And
support the natural world as much as we can.
■ We cannot be healthy in an unhealthy environment.
It is in our own best interests to preserve the natural
world as much as we can. The exploitation of the
natural world threatens our capacity to provide food
and water for the people on earth. And things like
pollution are directly harmful to human health.

9. To Sum up
■ The ecological situation has become quite critical today, so
critical that if we do not take urgent steps, things will go out of
control and beyond redeem. Man’s various activities in all fields
of daily life, particularly the industrial and agricultural ones, are
rapidly destroying nature. By destroying ecology, man is creating
conditions for self destruction.
■ What must we do? Obviously the question of protection and
regeneration of ecology is the question number one before the
world society. The entire strategy of the future development of
civilization has to change drastically in all the fields; otherwise
our survival is out of question.
■ Man, society and its institutions, for example, the government
must immediately put a stop to the destruction of forests and
the larger nature and try to harmonize social development fully
with nature. Tomorrow man has to exist only on the condition of
conservation and regeneration of ecology. Restriction and
guarantee of full protection of the environment has to become
the keyword of social development. In order to develop as "part
of nature" and not outside it, man will have to bring about
fundamental changes in his industrial, agricultural and socio-
economic political strategies. In fact the many outlook, thinking
and philosophy of man creature relationship has to drastically
change, if we are to exist at all.