1. (xVIil)
6.10
Whatis Acid
R a i n - h a v e
H u m a n
A c t i V i t i e s
been Responsible?
260
6.11 Is Ozone Layer
Depletion
a
Threat to Living Beings? 262
6.12 NuclearAccidents
and
Holocaust
6.13 Howcan we
Reclaim Our
Wastelands?
6.14 Has Increasing
C o n s u m e r i s m
Led to More
Waste Products!
Chapter
266
267
Environmental Studies
-A Multidisciplinary Subject
269
6.15 What is the Role
ofEnvironmental
Legislation
in Environmental Protection?
272
6
16 How can we Create Public
Environmental
285
1.1 WHAT IS ENVIRONMENT?
Awareness. 288
Everything that surrounds and affects
living organisms is environ-
ment. 'Environment' is derived from the French word Environner which
means to encircle or surround. All the biological and non-biological
entities surrounding us are included in environment.
As per the definition given in Environment (Protection) Act, 1986,
environment includes all the physical and biological surroundings of
an organism along with their interactions. Environment is thus defined
as "the sum total of water, air and land and the inter-relationships
that exist among them and with the human beings, other living
Qucstions
290
Objetive Type Questions
295-328
7. Human Population and the Environment
7.1 How has the Global Population Grown?
72 What are the FactorsInfluencing Population Size?
What is Population Explosion?
295
296
301
302
7.4 Can Population Growth be Slowed Down?
Are Environment and Human Health Inter-related? 305
308
7.6 What are
Human Rights?
Can Value Education Serve as a Tool for Overall organismsand materials." The
concept of environment can be clearly
understood from Fig. 1.1.
Development?
7.8
HIV/AIDS -the Fourth Largest Cause of Mortality 314
7.9
Women and Child Welfare are Now on International
311
Agenda
7.10
Information Technology Plays a Role in
Environment and Human Health
317
320
Materials
Questions
324
Objective Type Questios
325
8. Field Work
329-335 Lvingoanisms
Suggested Readings
Humans
Glossary 337-338 Water
Index 339-349
Fig. 1.1 Concept of Environment: air, water, land, living organisms
and materials surrounding us and their interactions
together constitute our environment.
351-357
3. 4 Chapter1 Environmental StudiesA Multidisciplinary Subject 5
Social issues in relation to development
and environment.
Human population and
environment.
environmental lawyers has emerged, who should be able to plead
the cases related to water and air pollution, forest, wildlife etc.
hese
are the basic aspects of evironmental
studies which have a
direct
relevance to every
section of the socCiety. Environmental studies
an
also be highly specialzed concentrating on
more technical aspects
lIKe environmental scence,
envinonmental engineering or environmental
management.
ii) Green marketing: While ensuring the quality of products with
ISO mark, now
there is an
increasingemphasis onmarketing
goods that are environment friendly. Such products have
ecomark or ISO
14000 certification. Environmental auditors
and environmental managers would be in great demand in the
In the recent vears, the scope ot environmental studies has
expanded dramatically the world over. Several career options have coming.years
(i) Green media:Environmental awarenesscanbe spread amongst
masses through mass media
like television, radio, newspaper
magazines, hoardings. advertisements
etc. for which
environmentally educated persons are required.
emerged in this tield that are broadly categorized as:
( Research & Development (R & D) in environment: Skilled
evironmental scientists have an important role to play in
examining various environmental problems in a scientific
manner and carry out R&Dactivities for developing cleaner
technoiogies and promoting sustainable development.
() Environment consultancy: Many non-government
organisations (NGOs), industries and government bodies are
engaging environmental consultants for systematically studying
and tackling environment related problemns.
here is a need tor trained manpower at every level to deal
with environmental issues. Envronmental management and
environmental engineering are emerging as new career
1.4 WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF
ENVIRONMENT?
OPportunitesfor environmental protection and management.
With the
pollution control laws becoming more stringent,
industries are finding it difficult to dispose off the wastes
produced. In order to avoid expensive litigation, companies
arenow trying to adopt green technologies, which would reduce
polution.
Investing in pollution control technologies will reduce pollution
as well as cut on costs for effluent treatment. Market for
pollution control technology is increasing the world over.
Environment belongs to all, influences all and is important to all.
Whateverbe the
occupationor ageofaperson, he/she will be affected
by environment and also he/she will atfect the environment by his/her
deeds. That is why it becomes very necessary to make everyone aware
and conscious about the importance ot environment. There is an
internationally observed environment calendar to mark some important
eaning upot the wastes produced is another potential market.
It is estimated to be more than S 100 billion per year for all
American
business.Germany and Japan having more stringent
laws for many years have gained more
experience in reducing
effluents. Still there is a $ 200 billion market for cleaning up
the former East Germany alone. In India also the
Pollution
Control Boards are
seriously implementing pollution contro
laws and nsisting on
upgradation of eftluents to meet the
prescrnbed standards before they are
discharged on land or into
a water body. Many companies not
complying with the orders
have been closed or ordered to shift.
(gi) Green advocacy: With increasing emphasis on
implementing
various Acts and Laws related to
environment, need tor
aspect or 1SSue of environment, so that people think, discuss, carry out
campaigns and act for the cause ot those environmental iSSues
Global vs. Local Importance of Environment
Environment is one subject that is actually global as well as local in
nature.
Issues like global warming, depletion of ozone layer, dwindling
torests and energy resources, loss of global biodiversity ete. which are
going to atfect the mank1nd as a whole are global in nature and for that
we have to think and plan globally.
However, there are some environmental problems which are
O
localized importance. For dealing with local environmental issues, e.g
mpact ot mining or hydro-electric project in an area, problems of
disposal and
management ot solid waste, river or lake pollution, soil
4. Enoironmental Studies-A Multidisciplinary Subject 7
Chagpter1
1.5 WHAT IS THE NEED FOR PUBLIC
AWARENESS?
Environmental Calendar
ebruary
March221
March 2
March 23
April 22
There is a chinese proverb "f you plan for one year plant rice, if you
planfor 10yearsplant trees, and if you planJor 100 years, educate people".
w e want to
protect and
sustain our carth, we have no other
option but to make everyone environmentally educated.
It is absolutely essential to create awareness about environment
Workd we
Wond na tor Water
orid Meteorological Day
Earth Day
ntemational Biodiversity Day May
ze
Ant-tobacooDay
Mornd Environment Day
Worid Ocean Day
orid Population Day
Ozone week
Wornd merDay
wond Farm Animal's Day
May
because
Rapidly changing technologies lead to abandoned wastes.
In modern era of
development thereis greater inclination
tor
adopting the latest product of
technologicaladvancement and
discarding the older one as obsolete. People change their cars,
mobile phones, computers, i-pads and electronic goods within
a few years, thus adding to the vast e-waste stream.
e t1
Sept 16-
-23
Sept.
Sept. 28
Day
Oct. 2
ct 3
Worid Habitat Day
World Animal Welfare Day
wildite
weex
Wond Conservation Day
IntemationalDay for Natura
Disaster Reduction
Intemational Day for
Biological Diversity
c t 4
Our fast and energy demanding life style pollutes the
environment. To keep pacewith the fast and busy life. people
have become increasingly dependent on machines to get the
Oct. -
Oct. 24
Oct. 13
work done tast and make lite more comfortable for us. But all
Dec. 2
erosion, water logging and salinization of soil, fluorosis problem in
locaipopulation, arsenic pollution of groundwater etc., we have to think
and act locally.
In order to make people aware about those aspects of environment
with which they are so intimately associated, it is very important to
these machines are energy demanding. Over-dependence on
machines
not only increases resource-depletion and
energy
consumption, but also
directly or indirectly atfect our health.
The electromagnetic radiations from
mobile towers and cell-
phones, the
toxicgases released from industries, noise produced
by various activities and polluted water can seriously aftect
human health along with that of other animals and plants.
People should know the impacts of all such anthropogenic
make
cveEy one
environmentauy caucatea. activities.
Crazy consumerism leads to environmental dagradation.
nere 1s a sharp increase in consumerism. With increasing
buying capacity people have
started over-consumption. No
doubt,it is 8good to have a
good standard of
living, which is
Individualistic Importance of Environment
Environmental
studies are very important since it deals with the most
mundane problems of life where each individual matters, like dealing
with safe and clean drinking water, hygienic living conditions, clean
and fresh air, fertile land, healthy food and sustainable development. u
we want to
Iive in a clean, healthy, aesthetically beautiful, safe and
securt
environment for a long time and wish to hand over a clean and sale
achieved through technological development. But, the wasteful
life style ot people leads to environmental
degradation.
It
is important to make people aware about the harmful etfects
of environmental pollution on human health. At the same time,
earth to our children,
grandchildren and great grandchildren, it is mos
essential to understand the basicS of environment.
people should know how their activities influence the
environment.
The earth has a detinite capacity to tolerate pollutants and
sustain populations. Beyond that the earth cannot assimilate
