UNIT 1

Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which

systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental
studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the
humanities, and social sciences, to address complex contemporary environmental
issues. It is a broad field of study that includes the natural environment, the built
environment, and the relationship between them. The field encompasses study in
basic principles of ecology and environmental science, as well as associated
subjects such
as ethics, geography, anthropology, policy, education, politics, urban
planning, law, economics, philosophy, sociology and social
justice, planning, pollution control and natural resource management.

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.

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.”

BIOTIC -BIRDS ,PLANTS ,FUNGI-

ABIOTIC- TEMPERATURE,LIGHT AND WATER.

SEGMENTS OF ENVIRONMENT
Environment consists of four segments. 1. Atmosphere- Blanket of gases
surrounding the earth. 2. Hydrosphere- Various water bodies present on the earth.
3. Lithosphere- Contains various types of soils and rocks on the earth. 4.
Biosphere- Composed of all living organisms and their interactions with the
environment.
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.( succeed in persuading
or leading (someone) to do something): 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.

Physical-climate,soil,vegetation

Biological characters-plants, animals

Objectives and Guiding Principles of Environmental Studies:

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

(a) Creating the awareness about environmental problems among people.

(b) Imparting basic knowledge about the environment and its allied problems.

(c) Developing an attitude of concern for the environment.

(d) Motivating public to participate in environment protection and environment

improvement.

(e) Acquiring skills to help the concerned individuals in identifying and solving
environmental problems.

(f) Striving to attain harmony with Nature.

According to UNESCO, the guiding principles of environmental education

should be as follows:

(a) Environmental education should be compulsory, right from the primary up to

the post graduate stage.
(b) 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.

(c) Environmental education should take into account the historical perspective,
the current and the potential historical issues.

(d) Environmental education should emphasise the importance of sustainable

development i.e., economic development without degrading the environment.

(e) Environmental education should emphasise the necessity of seeking

international cooperation in environmental planning.

(f) Environmental education should lay more stress on practical activities and first
hand experiences.

Why Do We Need Environmental Studies?

• Pollution, Growing population, deforestation, depletion of natural
resources, and other disasters are behind environmental concerns. An
individual or government cannot maintain environmental sustainability
alone. We all should have a contribution to its protection from damage.
• For the proper guidance on the values, skills, knowledge, and tools to
work against the challenges, both formal and informal environmental
education methods are needed.
• To prepare the present generation for environmental protection, we need
environmental studies.
• With the continuous diminishing of the earth’s resources, it is for sure
that something has to be done.
• Now the time has come when every citizen of the world has to be aware
and actively participate in protecting this beautiful environment.

Scope and Importance of Environmental Studies:

The disciplines included in environmental education are environmental sciences,
environmental engineering and environmental management.
(a) 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.

(b) 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.

(c) 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.

The importance’s of environmental studies are as follows:

1. To clarify modern environmental concept like how to conserve biodiversity.

2. To know the more sustainable way of living.

3. To use natural resources more efficiently.

4. To know the behaviour of organism under natural conditions.

5. To know the interrelationship between organisms in populations and

communities.
6. To aware and educate people regarding environmental issues and problems at
local, national and international levels.

Other Importance of Environmental Studies:

To understand the impacts of development:
Environmental Studies assists in understanding the current environmental
problems by providing knowledge of physical, chemical, social, and biological
processes. It is not a hidden fact that development resulting in Urbanization;
Industrial growth has a negative impact on the environment.
With the rise in development globally, there is a great pace in the exploitation of
resources. Humans use the lands and woods to make their businesses grow, but
they are not thinking of the consequences.
Humans have to understand the importance of the environment, which has
provided the world to live freely; This can not be achieved just by educating
students or educated persons. Every human has to come forward to get the
knowledge.
Before the onset of modern civilization, the natural environment’s overall health
and efficiency were not bad. But now the environment has started degrading.
Furthermore, we can learn about the requirements and benefits of the
decentralization of several industries by studying environmental science. This
aims to achieve all this sustainably without disturbing the flow.
To understand environmental problems:
Disasters such as climate change, acid rains, floods, and tsunamis also involve
human interference. Humans have to understand their mistakes and find the
solutions to correct them and protect the environment.
Just stopping the development is not the solution, but minimizing the use of
resources can be the solution.
Various critical environmental issues include global warming, acid rain, ozone
depletion, pollution, etc. can also be recognized and solved, resulting in global
problems.
Environmentalists all over the world are constantly seeking a sustainable solution.
So, combined efforts from the world are needed to face these problems. There is
a need for the careful use of natural resources to establish sustainability.
We need to create awareness by learning about several ecological problems:
1. Most of the environmental issues take place as a result of irresponsibility
and unawareness of the effects.
2. Several activities can be conducted in educational institutes to provide
an idea about the harmful effects of environmental damage and how we
can reverse the effects.
3. Awareness programs can spread awareness among students mostly
against the use of plastics or environmental pollution and their
contribution to such ecological damages.
Environmental studies aim to educate people with the necessary environmental
skills to create awareness. With the increase in development, the competition is
also increasing in the industries.
But If these competitors are aware of the environmental problems, they can work
according to the mindset of protecting the environment. They can even use this
to defeat their competitors in marketing by promoting their way of working for
the environment.
In a digital world where everything is going digital, we have more options on how
to reach more people. Thus, we can spread awareness by creating content and
making campaigns on social media and other similar platforms. Many NGOs are
coming forward to make locals aware of environmental problems and solutions.
These efforts will definitely add some improvements to the environmental
conditions.
If Humans become aware of the environmental issues and become serious about
it, then the environment will not get affected.

Need of Public Awareness about Environment:

In today’s world because of industrialization and increasing population, the
natural resources has been rapidly utilised and our environment is being
increasingly degraded by human activities, so we need to protect the environment.

It is not only the duty of government but also the people to take active role for
protecting the environment, so protecting our environment is economically more
viable than cleaning it up once, it is damaged.
The role of mass media such as newspapers, radio, television, etc is also very
important to make people aware regarding environment. There are various
institutions, which are playing positive role towards environment to make people
aware regarding environment like BSI (Botanical Survey of India, 1890), ZSI
(Zoological Survey of India, 1916), WII (Wild Life Institute of India, 1982) etc.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

The term "multidisciplinarity" refers to the fact that it encompasses more than
one branch of study or discipline. Studies in diverse domains are more effective
when they are multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional. Environmental studies
(EVS) include a wide range of information from various academic disciplines.
This is what is indicated by the fact that environmental studies are
multidisciplinary.

Significance of Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies is vital in understanding our natural environment and
occurrences. Several issues highlight the significance of the multidisciplinary
nature of environmental studies.

• It aids in learning about current environmental challenges.

• It teaches us to solve environmental problems, including pollution, global
warming, and climate change.
• It helps maintain ecological balance by teaching basic environmental
systems and processes.
• It tells us about anthropogenic (Anthropogeny is the study of human
origins changes in the environment.)
• It also teaches us how to analyse different environmental strategies and
changes caused by human activity. It aims to conserve biodiversity.
• It familiarises us with varied flora and wildlife.
• It shows us how to preserve and safeguard them.
• It makes us aware of our environmental responsibilities.
• It also teaches us the urgent necessity to address environmental challenges.
• Environmental studies address concerns like energy conservation,
hazardous emissions, water conservation, waste disposal, global warming,
and many more.
 • It aids in creating insights into human processes, natural events, and
environmental changes.

Why Pursue the Multidisciplinary Nature of environmental Studies?

Due to the time-sensitive nature and significance of environmental changes, there
is a demand for persons with the skill set necessary to discover solutions. For
people concerned about the environment's health and wish to impact it positively,
a career in environmental studies can be enriching.

• It aids in the education of students about contemporary environmental

issues.
• It demonstrates how to address environmental problems such as pollution,
global warming, and climate change.
• Additionally, it teaches us how to examine various environmental systems
and the changes brought about by human activities.
• Its objective is to preserve biodiversity. It arouses our consciousness of our
environmental responsibilities.

Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies

Environmental studies include several components. These are:

• Anthropology studies human qualities, biology, psychology, communities,

civilisations, and human growth and evolution. EVS is related to
anthropology HUMANITY since it analyses people and their settings
across time.
• Biology is the study of living things. Physico-chemical processes,
molecular interactions and evolution are all covered. EVS is linked to
biology since it concerns live beings' natural habitat.
• Chemistry is the study of chemicals and the components of matter.
Understanding EVS natural phenomena require chemistry understanding.
• Computer Science: As the world advanced, computers became essential.
The EPA uses computers to track contaminants in soil and water.
• Geology is the study of Earth's physical structures and substances, as well
as their history and processes. EVS also studies the planet and
environment.
• Economics studies the production, consumption, and distribution of goods
and services. Various economic techniques have been devised to protect
the environment from pollution, global warming, and climate change.
• Physics studies energy, matter, and their interactions in space and time.
Physics addresses concerns about the environment.
• Sociology is the study of social life, change, causes, and consequences. It
also discusses the relationship of modern civilisation to the environment.
 • Statisticians gather, analyse, interpret, and present quantitative data. It also
analyses data to identify patterns and recommends the best environmental
growth.

The word environment is derived from the French word ‘environner’ which
means to ‘encircle or surround’. • Thus our environment can be defined as “the
Social, Cultural and Physical conditions that surround, affect and influence the
survival, growth and development of people, animals and plants” • This broad
definition includes the natural world and the technological environment as well
as the cultural and social contexts that shape human lives. • It includes all factors
(living and nonliving) that affect an individual organism or population at any
point in the life cycle; set of circumstances surrounding a particular occurrence
and all the things that surrounds us.

As of multidisciplinary nature it deals with:

• The Environment studies is a multi-disciplinary science because it comprises
various branches of studies like chemistry, physics, medical science, life science,
agriculture, public health, sanitary engineering etc.
• It is the science of physical phenomena in the environment. It studies about the
sources, reactions, transport, effect and fate of physical and biological species in
the air, water, soil and the effect of from human activity upon these.
• As the environment is complex and actually made up of many different
environments like natural, constructed and cultural environments, environmental
studies is inter disciplinary in nature including the study of biology, geology,
politics, policy studies, law, religion engineering, chemistry and economics to
understand the humanity’s effects on the natural world.
• This subject educates the students to appreciate the complexity of
environmental issues and citizens and experts in many fields.
• By studying environmental science, students may develop a breadth of the
interdisciplinary and methodological knowledge in the environmental fields that
enables them to facilitate the definition and solution of environmental problems.
Environmental Studies are also important in various ways such as:

Environmental Issues are global: The environmental issues we talk about are
not limited to a single city or a country but affect the whole global environment
in a direct or indirect manner. Wind patterns, current ocean patterns, monsoon
patterns, etc., are all a part of the global climate change. This requires detailed
research and then finding possible solutions to these problems. These also require
efforts and resources by multiple countries or the whole globe.

Reducing the gap between Rich and Poor: Wondering what the environment
has to do with the rich and poor? This is because wealth depends on the resources
possessed or accessible to a person. And here, we refer to the wealth of
companies, countries, etc. The developed nations have more access and
technology, while the underdeveloped and developing countries less so.

With the help of environmental education, there would be equal access to the
technology and know-how of the environment and resources, hence helping
everyone to achieve the common goal.

Sustainable Development: As we all know, sustainable development is basically

about the development achieved without compromising on the needs of the future
generation. It starts and goes hand in hand with environmental conservation.

Environment and ecological conservation: It is preserving the quality of nature,

environment, and its components and maintaining its integrity throughout.
Anthropogenic activities have caused incalculable damage to the environment. A
basic environmental education gives us the knowledge of what is needed to
conserve the earth and the various resources we obtain.

A Search for Alternatives: Many industries—from agriculture to the IT

industry, are looking for natural or eco–friendly alternatives as products or
resources. This has helped in spreading awareness and in reducing the pollution
caused by hazardous substances. Severe pollution and the eco–friendly nature of
the alternatives will help cutting pollution at the individual level as well.

Waste management: The rising waste in every country and the problem of its
safe treatment and disposal is one of the integral parts of environment
conservation and reducing pollution.

Energy efficiency: Saving energy ultimately reduces the carbon footprint, saves
money, and has a positive impact on the environment.

Improvement of Communities: Local communities of people are directly

dependent on the environment—forests, oceans or deserts—for their livelihood.
Their habitation is of mutual benefit for the respective ecosystems as the people
have traditional knowledge of the environment.
Definitions: Sustainability vs. Sustainable Development
Sustainability and sustainable development are often used interchangeably.
Sustainability is a broad term that describes managing resources without
depleting ( DIMINISH)them for future generations. This concept goes beyond
environmental sustainability, which concerns earth’s natural resources, to include
economic and social sustainability, which relate to meeting people’s current
economic and social needs without compromising future generations.
What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is basically the ability to provide for the needs of the current
generation using available resources without causing future generations any
problem with providing for their own needs.

The Three Pillars of Sustainability

The three pillars of sustainability are planet or environment, social or people, and
profit or economics.

1. Planet

Let us first discuss the first pillar, which is the planet, and use agriculture as an
example. Imagine a piece of land that has been farmed for palm oil for decades.
Ideally, farmers should take breaks in between harvests because the land’s quality
will be compromised if it is overused. If overused, it will take several years before
the land can be useful again, which means future generations won’t be able to use
it for a while.

2. People

People sustainability, on another note, includes giving priority to the welfare of a

given set of workers of a company. Let’s say, for example, Target gives bi-annual
skills training to its workers that they can use in the future. The skills that they
acquire can be useful to the operations of Target in the future.

Also, it may include providing workers with more flexible working hours and a
more conducive working environment. Doing so makes the workforce happier,
which will eventually lead to a more productive company.

3. Profit

As for the economy, which is referred to as profit, sustainability means using a

particular set of resources in a responsible way that will allow them to be used on
a long-term basis. Furthermore, it means making money and growing the
company without negatively impacting the other two pillars, people and planet or
environment.

For example, a diesel power plant operates 24 hours a day in a city using diesel
engines that emit black smoke and produce a very distracting sound. Though it is
making profits because of its non-stop operations, the smoke it emits surely
pollutes the air, while the noise can cause long-term disorders to the residents.
Sustainability should mean balancing the profit and its impact on the
surroundings.

The great thing about sustainability is that if the people and the planet are taken
care of, profits will also be achieved.

Five Domains of Sustainability

The diagram above illustrates how sustainable communities are achieved, and it
involves the overlapping of different domains, including the three pillars of
sustainability, namely, planet (environmental), people (socio-cultural), and profit
(economic). If one is missing, then a sustainable community will not be achieved.
For example, a community already has a contented set of residents because they
have almost everything they need within reach, such as work opportunities, parks,
and groceries, but don’t have stable communication lines for internet connection
and landline and cellular phone access. The technological domain here is missing.
Therefore, the community is not sustainable because, without communication
lines, there will be no interaction or opportunity for growth and collaboration with
other communities.

In another example, consider the same community with a lot of job opportunities
from booming companies, contented people or residents, and an impressive
transportation system. However, the community lacks a public policy that will
protect its residents from one of the booming companies that does not follow
acceptable standards of waste disposal. Eventually, the community will be
destroyed, and its resources will be depleted.

Therefore, no community can be sustainable if one of the domains is missing.

Sustainability Challenges in Finance and Investments

The relationship between profit and the other pillars of sustainability is clear and
very easy to understand. However, it can be challenging for many companies or
businesses because it may mean not going full-speed at making profits because
of consequences to the environment and the people. What organizations should
do is adjust their profit targets and invest in programs that will promote
sustainability.

Going back to the example above about the diesel power plant that doesn’t adhere
to acceptable standards of waste disposal, the company can invest in
conducting research on how it can minimize its waste. They should understand
that adhering to sustainability can spell better earnings on a long-term basis and
that the earnings in the next few years and decades are as important as the
earnings in the next quarter.

Sustainable development describes the processes for improving long-term

economic well-being and quality of life without compromising future
generations’ ability to meet their needs.

Sustainable development is an approach to development that looks to balance

different needs against an awareness of the environmental, social and economic
limitations we face as a society.
Examples of sustainable development include:
• investing in greener energy such as solar or wind energy,
• creating more green spaces including parks where plants and wildlife can
thrive, and
• promoting sustainable farming methods such as crop farming.

Environmental Sustainability Examples

There are many different ways to use the environment sustainably. Some of these
are:

• Renewable energy, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and biomass

• Recycling of metals, such as iron and steel, and minerals
• Crop rotation

Renewable energy is a major point of sustainability. Energy use is a large

contributor to pollution and resource misuse. Renewables can produce energy
indefinitely, unlike non-renewable energy sources, which are eventually used up.
Renewable energy also typically produces less pollution than non -renewable
energy.
Mining can cause significant environmental damage and pollution. Recycling
metals and minerals instead of discarding them reduces the amount that needs to
be mined. More efficient use of resources can also help them last longer.
Two examples of sustainability in agriculture are crop rotation and cover crops.
When one crop is grown in a field year after year, it depletes the soil of nutrients.
The practice of crop rotation involves a cycle of crops, usually including legumes,
which maintain soil quality. This can increase crop yield and ensure a farm will
be productive for many years to come. Cover crops are planted outside the
growing season to reduce soil erosion. Their roots keep the soil in place,
protecting the field until the next growing season begins.
In forestry, the process of selective logging improves sustainability. A few trees
are chosen for logging while the rest of the forest is left alone. This reduces
environmental impact and allows the forest to recover after logging.

Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources

When a resource is referred to as renewable, it means that the resource can be
replenished faster than it is used. In contrast, a non-renewable resource cannot
be replenished, and is gone once it is used up. Some renewable resources can
become non-renewable if they are managed poorly. A forest can be a renewable
resource if it is managed well, and old trees are not logged faster than new trees
can grow. However, the forest can become a non-renewable resource if it is
logged unsustainably.
Sources of renewable energy include solar and wind power, because the energy
produced by the sun and wind cannot be depleted. Sources of non -renewable
energy include fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. These resources are
formed in a long process that takes millions of years to complete, and thus cannot
be replenished within a person's lifetime.

Environmental Sustainability Objectives

The primary objective of environmental sustainability is to allow for sustainable
development. Sustainable development ensures resources are used sustainably
without negatively impacting economic growth. Sustainable development
requires consideration of environmental limits — also called planetary
boundaries. These boundaries determine the maximum amount of degradation a
resource can endure before it is severely compromised. To ensure environmental
sustainability, resources must be carefully managed at both the global and local
levels.
To this end, environmental regulations exist to prevent natural resources from
being damaged. In the United States, many laws limit the amount of pollutants
companies can release into the environment. These include the Clean Air Act, the
Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. International agreements, like
the 2015 Paris Agreement, deal with renewable energy and combating climate
change. The goal of these policies is to protect human health and economic
growth without compromising the health of the natural environment.

Concept of Sustainable Development

The concept of sustainable development has been there for decades and as a
modern concept, it was originally brought forward by the Brundtland Report in
1987 in which it was simply defined as “development that meets the needs of the
present world without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs”. Sustainable development can be facilitated through five
guiding principles, i.e. living within environmental limits, ensuring a strong,
healthy and just society, achieving a sustainable economy, promoting good
governance and utilising information communication technology as a social
responsibility. This blog delves deeper into what the concept of sustainable
development entails, why is it important as well as its major types and benefits.
Concept of Sustainable Development: Importance
The goals of sustainable development were first adopted by the United Nations
Member States in 2015. The concept of sustainable development aims to
encourage the use of products and services in a manner that reduces the impact
on the environment and optimizes the resources in order to satisfy human needs.
To understand why sustainable development is the need of the hour, take a look
at the following key pointers that elucidate upon its importance:

• Development of non-polluting renewable energy systems

• Population stabilization
• Integrated land-use planning
• Healthy cropland and grassland
• Woodland and re-vegetation of marginal lands
• Conservation of biological diversity
• Control of pollution in water and of the air
• Recycling of waste and residues
• Ecologically compatible human settlements
• Environmental education and awareness at all levels

Three Pillars of Sustainable Development

The concept of sustainable development is rooted in three main pillars that aim
to achieve inclusive growth as well as create shared prosperity for the current
generation and to continue to meet the needs of future generations. These three
pillars are Economic, Social and Environmental Development and are
interconnected and reflect the goals of community development and social and
environmental stability. Let’s take a look at these the pillars of sustainable
development in further detail:

Economic Sustainability
Economic sustainability strives to promote those activities through which long-
term economic growth can be achieved without having a negative impact on the
environmental, social, and cultural aspects of the community. As a key facilitator
for the concept of sustainable development, the basic fundamentals of economic
sustainability are as follows:

• Finding effective solutions for hunger and poverty in the world in

environmentally sound ways;
• Economics is the study of how societies use their resources (water, air,
food, fuel, etc.) and when combined with the concept of sustainable
development, it focuses on attaining economic growth which is only
sustainable and simultaneously improves our quality of life and
environment;
 • Economic sustainability is grouped into three general categories to
encompass sustainable growth, i.e values and valuation, policy instruments
and poverty and environment.

Social Sustainability
Social sustainability is a form of social responsibility that significantly takes place
when a community’s stable and unstable components need a revival of depleted
resources. It combines the design of the physical environment with th e social
environment and focuses on the needs of different sections in a community and
puts special emphasis on providing the right infrastructure and required support
to weaker section. It is another parameter involved in understanding the concept
of sustainable development and the key fundamentals of social sustainability are:

• Systematic community participation

• Strong civil society, including government
• Commonly accepted standards of honesty (tolerance, compassion,
forbearance, love)
• Gender equality

Cultural Sustainability
Culture is one of the main components of the concept of sustainable development.
The need for cultural sustainability arises from the growing awareness of the
importance of cultural rights and the preservation of cultural heritage. Some of
the major factors that cultural sustainability is based on are:

• Cultured Individual: A developed state of mind can result in increasing

awareness among communities which will protect and promote cultural
diversity vital to universal human rights
• Globalization: With diverse cultures spread across different countries, the
effects of globalization need to be imperatively discussed to address the
rise of the multicultural nations as well as the different issues faced by
them.

Benefits of Sustainable Development

Here are some of the pivotal benefits that can be reaped by implementing the
concept of sustainable development:

• Global Equity: Environmental benefits need to equitably distributed over

the present and future generations.
 • Equity or fairness, defined as the distribution of cost or benefits among
individuals or groups, is a commonly sought after ideal in conservation
planning.
• Ethical Guiding Principle: Incorporation of the characteristics and values
that most people associate with ethical behaviour democracy, equality or
social justice.
• Physical Sustainability: Recognization of the limits to nature and striving
towards an overall global ecological balance.
• Intergeneration Equity: Environmental resources and economic welfare
should be available for future generations at least equal to the present ones.
• Intergenerational equity in economic, psychological, and sociological
contexts, is the idea of fairness or justice between generations. The
concept can be applied to fairness in dynamics
between children, youth, adults, and seniors. It can also be applied to
fairness between generations currently living and future generations.

World Commission of Environment and Development (WCED) has defined

sustainable development as “a process of change in which the exploitation of
resources, the direction investments, the orientation or technological
development and institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both current
and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations”.

Thus, the concept of sustainable development provides framework for the

integration of environmental policies and development strategies having
implications at international, national regional and local levels. Development
should not endanger the natural systems that support life on earth. Many people
in the industrial world today operate with the frontier mentality, which is a
human-centered view based on the three erroneous basic ideas:

• The world has an unlimited supply of resources for human use;

• Humans are apart from nature, and
• Nature is something to overcome.

With this attitude towards nature, technological advanced increase our ability to
use earth’s resourced and thus, increase the damage.

However, the realization is growing fast that we are in a world of limits, and ever-
increasing growth of material consumption can only damaged, the life-giving
physical components of the environment.

Hence, the concept of sustainable development leads us to new resource

consumption strategies, which are:

• Conservation or reduction of excessive resource use,

 • Recycling and reuse of materials and
• More use of renewable resources like solar energy rather than non-
renewable resources such as oil and coal.

Sustainable development also requires meeting the basic needs of all deprived
people in this world and extending to all, the opportunities to satisfy their
aspirations for a better life. Otherwise, the world, in which poverty and inequity
are endemic, will always be prone to ecological and other crisis.

In Gandhiji’s word, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not
any man’s greed.” The view of frontier society and the concept of sustainable
society are compared in below-

Equity and the Common Interest

Ecological interactions do not respect the boundaries of individual ownership and

political jurisdictions. For example, the irrigation practices, pesticides, and
fertilizers used on farm affect the productivity of the neighboring ones, especially
among small farms.

The interdependence of various components of the earth was recognized to some

extent by traditional social systems, which enforced practices such as community
control over agriculture or traditional rights relating to water, forests and land.
But with the surge of technological progress the responsibilities of decision-
making are being taken away from traditional communities.

Interdependence is not simply a local phenomenon. Rapid growth in production

has extended it to the international plane with both physical and economic
manifestation. There are growing global and regional environmental hazards such
as over consumption of fossil fuels leading to global warming or excessive use of
chlorofluorocarbons leading to depletion of ozone layer.

Inequalities sharpen when a system approaches ecological limits. For example,

when urban air quality deteriorates, the poor, living in vulnerable areas suffer
more health damage than the rich, who live in cleaner neighborhood and also
have the means to find a remedy or when mineral resources become depleted,
late-comers to the industrialization process loss the benefits of cheap raw
materials. Globally, wealthy nations are better placed financially and
technologically to cope with the effects of resource depletion and environmental
degradation.

We can say that our inability to promote common interest in sustainable

development is often a product of the neglect of economic and social justice
within and amongst the nations.
However, the search for common interests would be less difficult if all
developmental and environmental problems are tackled in totality for the
betterment of whole mankind. Also our growing knowledge of the global
interconnection would create a more thoughtful approach to development.