Environment- “the sum total of water, air and land and the inter-relationships that exist among them and with the human beings, other living organisms and materials.” Defined by Environmental (Protection) Act,1986.
- The gambit of our surrounding, natural elements, biotic and abiotic constitutes, and physical factors responsible for supporting survival, growth, and constant development of living creatures.
- Environment, derived from ‘Environner’, a French word which stands for our surrounding.
- An interaction of flora and fauna with human-made creations.
- Everyone has a different environment to survive and flourish profoundly.
For eg.- The environment for a fish is in water bodies, wild animals reside in woods and forests, and human beings have social, personal, and public lives.
2. Scope of environmental studies
- Our responsibilities to protect and preserve the most precious treasure for the current and future generation
- Teaches and reminds us our duties towards the environment
The broader categorization of environmental studies elements are
3. Career options in Environmental studies
- Convert your passion for environment into your profession.
- Protect, conserve, suggest, advice, and preserve natural resources via institutions.
4. Importance of Environment
- Environment is the backbone of our existence.
- People of all walks of life and sectors (Children, adults, communities, NGOs, corporates, or institutes) contribute.
Why do we need to protect the environment?
1. Inter-dependency of all environmental elements on each other
- Eg- Food chain for survival, weather conditions to adapt and dwell, living creatures to socialize and collaborate.
2. Global interest and individual impact
- Acts of an individual place or area impact the well-being of all living creatures across the globe equally.
- Eg- Global warming, climate change, ozone layer degradation, swiftly disappearing forests, depleting natural resources etc.
- Environment studies sensitize people towards environment and become a responsible-global-citizens.
3. Importance of environment for personal and individual interests
- Environmental studies stimulate individuals think deeper and cleaner to avail pure air, healthy food, potable water, and clean resources.
- Individual mortality rate enhances and life-expectancy of normal human being increases.
- Diseases and ailments fall many folds.
4. Spreading Public awareness:
- Educating people via syllabus (Like EVS course)
- Conduct, rallies, drives, projects to impart knowledge.
5. Efforts from government bodies:
- Setting up Eco-Clubs to promote eco-friendly uses
- Compulsory Eco-Mark on products
- Exclusively selected Eco-task-forces to execute and implement the laws and regulations
6. Recognized movements and actions towards influencing and motivating people to stay sensitized and aware about the environment
7. World Environment Day on 5th June- The entire world celebrates this occasion and pledges to move towards a cleaner and safer environment.
8. Chipko Aandolan (India)- To protect the forests from the ruthless acts and greedy actions of industrialists.
9. Environmentalists like Wangari Maathai are challenging the world to be sustainable.
10. Environment (Protection) Act 1946, completely designed to protect, preserve, and conserve the environment.