Saturday, 3 December 2016

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES-DEFINITION, SCOPE & IMPORTANCE

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             ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES       




          DEFINITION, SCOPE & IMPORTANCE

                  ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

    Definitions And Objectives:


    The word environment is derived from the French word 'environ' meaning surroundings. Hence, everything surrounding us is called "ENVIRONMENT".

    Environmental Protection Act (1986) defined Environment as the "sum total of water, air and land, their interrelationship among themselves and with the human beings, other living beings and property.”

    Environment literally means Surrounding in which we are living. Environment includes all those things on which we are directly or indirectly dependent for our survival, whether it is living component like animals, plants or non living component like soil, air water.

    Meaning Of Environmental Studies:


    Environmental studies are the scientific study of the environmental system and the status of its inherent or induced changes on organisms. It includes not only the study of physical and biological characters of the environment but also the social and cultural factors and the impact of man on environment.

    Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment in the interests of solving complex problems. Environmental studies brings together the principles of sciences, commerce/ economics and social sciences so as to solve contemporary environmental problems. It is a broad field of study that includes the natural environment, built environment, and the sets of relationships between them. The field encompasses study in basic principles of ecology and environmental science, as well as associated subjects such as ethics, geography, policy, politics, law, economics, philosophy, environmental sociology and environmental justice, planning, pollution control and natural resource management.
    Every organism is surrounded by materials and forces that constitute its environment. It is the environment from where every organism must derive its requirement. The environment creates favourable conditions for the existence and development of living organisms.

    The survival of any organism requires a steady supply of materials and removal of waste products from its environment.

    The degradation of the environment has become a serious problem for the existence of human beings. Pollution of soil, water and air causes harm to living organisms as well as loss to valuable natural resources. Environmental studies involves educating the people for preserving the quality of environment.

    According to UNESCO (1971), the OBJECTIVES of environmental studies are:

    • Creating the awareness about environmental problems among people.
    • Imparting basic knowledge about the environment and its allied problems.
    • Developing an attitude of concern for the environment.
    •  Motivating public to participate in environment protection and environment improvement.
    •  Acquiring skills to help the concerned individuals in identifying and solving environmental problems.
    • Striving to attain harmony with Nature
    According to UNESCO, the guiding principles of environmental education should be as follows:
    • Environmental education should be compulsory, right from the primary up to the post  graduate stage.
    •  Environmental education should have an interdisciplinary approach by including physical,   chemical, biological as well as socio-cultural aspects of the  environment. It should build a bridge between biology and technology.
    •  Environmental education should take into account the historical perspective, the current and the potential historical issues.
    • Environmental education should emphasise the importance of sustainable development i.e., economic development without degrading the environment.
    •  Environmental education should emphasise the necessity of seeking international cooperation in environmental planning.
    •  Environmental education should lay more stress on practical activities and first hand experiences.




    SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES


    The disciplines included in environmental education are environmental sciences, environmental engineering and environmental management.
     Environmental Science:
    It deals with the scientific study of environmental system (air, water, soil and land), the inherent or induced changes on organisms and the environmental damages incurred as a result of human interaction with the environment.
     Environmental Engineering:
    It deals with the study of technical processes involved in the protection of environment from the potentially deleterious effects of human activity and improving the environmental quality for the health and well beings of humans.
     Environmental Management:
    It promotes due regard for physical, social and economic environment of the enterprise or projects. It encourages planned investment at the start of the production chain rather than forced investment in cleaning up at the end.
    It generally covers the areas as environment and enterprise objectives, scope, and structure of the environment, interaction of nature, society and the enterprise, environment impact assessment, economics of pollution, prevention, environmental management standards etc.



    Also, The scope of environmental studies include:

    1. Developing an awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and its related problems
    2. Motivating people for active participation in environmental protection and improvement
    3. Developing skills for active identification and development of solutions to environmental problems.
    4. Imbibe and inculcate the necessity for conservation of natural resources.
    5. Evaluation of environmental programmes in terms of social, economic, ecological and aesthetic factors.

    Because of environmental studies has been seen to be multidisciplinary in nature so it is considered to be a subject with great scope. Environment age not limited to issues of sanitation and health but it is now concerned with pollution control, biodiversity conservation, waste management and conservation of natural resources. This requires expert eyes and hence are creating new job opportunities. The opportunities in this field are immense not only for scientists but also for engineers, biologists. There is a good chance of opportunity to find a job in this field as environmental journalists. Environmental science can be applied in the following spheres:

    1. Ecosystem Structure and Function: The study of ecosystems mainly consists of the study of the processes that link the leaving organism or in other words biotic component to the non-living organism or abiotic component. So for the study of environment we should aware with biotic and abiotic components.
    2. Natural Resource Conservation: For managing and maintenance of forests which are natural resources and for the maintenance of wildlife forms task under natural resource conservation. It is also a scope of environmental studies.
    3. Environmental Pollution Control:With the knowledge of environmental science everybody can control the pollution. He/she can handle the waste management and also look for ways to control pollution on the aspect of pollution control.
    4. Environmental management : There are several independent environmental consultants who are working with Central and State pollution control Board. They offer advice to solve the problems of environment the optimum solution for the upcoming problems. They give direction for controlling pollution due to industrial development. There are several current consultants who are working with government pollution control boobs, involved in policy making, pollution control, maintenance of ecological balance.
    5. The scope of environmental studies in industry: Environmental scientists work towards maintenance of ecological balance, they also work towards conservation of biodiversity and regulation of natural resources as well as on preservation of natural resources. Most of the industries have a separate environmental research and development section. These sections govern the impact that their industry has on the environment. Our environment is being degraded by the rapid industrialization. To combat this menace there is a growing trend towards manufacture of "green" goods and products. So we can say that there is a good scope in the field of industry from environmental studies.
    6. Research and development: Research and development has tremendous scope due to increment in public awareness regarding the environment. Various universities and governmental organizations offer a scope for such research. These universities conduct research studies in order to develop the methods toward monitoring and controlling the source of environmental pollution. Due to an increasing threat from global warming , many steps are being undertaken for the reduction of greenhouse gases and the adoption of renewable energy resources. They generate awareness now regarding the use of solar energy for variety of purposes. This provide scope of environmental history in the field of research and development.
    7. Social Development: NGO ( nongovernmental organizations )help in creating awareness regarding the protection of the environment and making the masses aware of various environmental issues . They also generate a public opinion in this field. They work towards disseminating information and in bringing about changes in political policies that are personally effect the environment. The social dimension of this profession includes controlling population explosion through organizing advisory awareness camps.





    IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

    Importance of Environment Studies: The environment studies enlighten us, about the importance of protection and conservation of our indiscriminate release of pollution into the environment.
     At present a great number of environment issues, have grown in size and complexity day by day, threatening the survival of mankind on earth. We study about these issues besides and effective suggestions in the Environment Studies.


    Environment studies have become significant for the following reasons:

    1. Environment Issues Being of International Importance :It has been well recognised that environment issues like global warming and ozone depletion, acid rain, marine pollution and biodiversity are not merely national issues but are global issues and hence must be tackled with international efforts and cooperation.
    2. Problems Cropped in The Wake of Development: Development  in its wake gave birth to Urbanization, Industrial Growth, Transportation Systems, Agriculture and Housing etc. However, it has become phased out in the developed world. The North, to cleanse their own environment has, fact fully, managed to move ‘dirty’ factories of South. When the West developed, it did so perhaps in ignorance of the environmental impact of its activities. Evidently such a path is neither practicable nor desirable, even if developing world follows that.
    3.  Explosively Increase in Pollution :World Census reflects that one in every seven persons in this planted lives in India. Evidently with 16 per cent of the world's population and only 2.4 per cent of its land area, there is a heavy pressure on the natural resources including land. Agricultural experts have recognized soils health problems like deficiency of micronutrients and organic matter, soil salinity and damage of soil structure.
    4.  Need for An Alternative Solution: It is essential, specially for developing countries to find alternative paths to an alternative goal. We need a goal as under:  ðŸ•¸ A goal, which ultimately is the true goal of development an environmentally sound and sustainable development.  ðŸ•¸ A goal common to all citizens of our earth. ðŸ•¸ A goal distant from the developing world in the manner it is from the over-consuming wasteful societies of the “developed” world.
    5. Need To Save Humanity From Extinction:It is incumbent upon us to save the humanity from extinction. Consequent to our activities constricting the environment and depleting the biosphere, in the name of development.
    6.  Need For Wise Planning of Development: Our survival and sustenance depend. Resources withdraw, processing and use of the product have all to by synchronised with the ecological cycles in any plan of development our actions should be planned ecologically for the sustenance of the environment and development.

    In the industrialized era that we live today, every component that we intake - be it, air, water or food are contaminated by industrial activities. THERE IS NO ZERO POLLUTION. To minimize this problem, knowledge of environmental studies is essential. An in-dept. study of environmental studies will help us in the following ways:
      •  We will begin to appreciate and adopt the idea of "DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT DESTRUCTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT"
      •  Knowledge about "VARIOUS TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTS & DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS"
      • Playing an effective role in protecting the environment by "DEMANDING CHANGES IN LAW AND ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS".
      • Having a "POSITIVE IMPACT" on "QUALITY OF LIFE".
      • Creating a "CONCERN AND RESPECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT".
      • To clarify modern environmental concept like how to conserve biodiversity.
      • To know the more sustainable way of living.
      • To use natural resources more efficiently.
      • To know the behaviour of organism under natural conditions.
      •  To know the interrelationship between organisms in populations and communities.
      • To aware and educate people regarding environmental issues and problems at local, national and international levels.

    Environmental studies should be made mandatory in schools and colleges.There is just no double opinion on this. With the release of pollutants into the atmosphere on a huge scale and subsequent rise in the levels of global warming, planet Earth is inching forth an irreversible disaster. If the coming generations are not made aware of the disaster one could be geared up for such undesirable consequences that are beyond description.
    At this juncture it is highly relevant to look into the political mandate which deliberately overlooks some of the subjects and pushes others. There could be a play of interests in such a thing. But instead of dealing with that it becomes important to us to know why Environmental studies (EVS) should be made a compulsory subject in schools and colleges. Let us now look at the following points which make us realize the importance of having a mandatory environmental science curriculum in schools and colleges.
    i. –The subject gives a direct contact with nature and the knowledge of it:
    The subject environmental science gives students an ample scope for ‘application’. They will get some real-time knowledge and skill which required when they are actually dealing with environmental problems and the possible solutions. They can actually see the knowledge of physics and chemistry and for that matter even biology helps them to protect environment. This could give the student community a sense of ‘empowerment’.
    ii. –EVS encompasses many other science domains:
     In EVS we find a classic amalgamation of many other branches of science. This will expose students to a variety of theories and practical approaches thus enriching their knowledge.
    iii. –EVS encourages collaborative studies:
    When we talk about environmental issues we immediately realize that they are complex in nature. Such a thing will certainly chisel the analytical and problem solving skills of the students. Since the nature of environmental problems is both complex and critical, besides being huge, it demands team and collaborative work. This helps students to improve their interpersonal skills and they will emerge great leaders and team players in the future.
    iv. –Conscientizes students to the problems of the planet earth:
     The study of EVS could itself be conscientizing instrument in making students realize the peril of survival. Students might become aware of the danger that many may be unknowingly or ignorantly unleashing upon the planet we are living. In some ways it could be related to something called as “emancipator pedagogy’’ which makes students more insightful.
    v. One could now know the multiple benefits that EVS could generate as a mandatory subject. The skills that otherwise go unnoticed are refined by means of this subject. Not just this, students who are resistant to sciences might actually fall in love with it, owing to the practical approach it offers.
    • Environmental studies helps to maintain ecological balance by providing a basic knowledge of environmental systems and their processes. By giving information regarding the changes that take place due to anthropogenic factors environmentally study helps us.
    • It also helps to gain a skill in using techniques to analyze various environmental systems and the effect of human activities on that system.
    • - Environmental studies applies economical methods and concepts to issues of the environment, management, environmental policy analysis. Environmental study includes diverse area such as property rights, economic instruments for pollution control, cost benefit analysis management applications with environmental policy.
    • - Concepts from environmentally studied can be applied to the study of agriculture and the design of sustainable production systems.
    • - We need to a study of physical , biological, chemical and social processes that form the basic of the problem of environment. Environmentally studies provides skills necessary to raise the questions and too often obtain answers to some of the environmental problems from which our planet is facing today.

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