ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

UNIT-I
THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY
NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL
STUDIES
Environmental Pollution
• UNIT-4
Biodiversity and its
Conservation
The girl who silenced the world
for 5 minutes
DEFINITION, SCOPE AND INPORTANCE

• Environment is the physical and biotic habitat

that surrounds us.
• Environmental literacy is the capability for a
contextual and detailed understanding of
environmental problem in order to enable
analysis, synthesis, evaluation and ultimately
sound and informed decision making at a
citizen’s level.
• ES deals with every issue that effects a
living organism.
• Its components include
biology,geology,chemistry,physics,enginee
ring,sociology,health,anthropology,econom
ics,statistics,computers and philosophy.
 SCOPE

• Study the natural history: a forest, a river, a

mountain, a desert or a combination of these
elements.
• Our dependence on nature:Protect earth’s
environmental resources.
• Respect for nature and all living creatures is
not new to India.
Application of technological innovations

• Growing more food by using fertilizers and

pesticides.
• Developing better strains of domestic animals
and crops
• Irrigating farmland through mega-dams and
developing industry.
• Non-renewable resources such as minerals and oil
are those which will be exhausted in the future if we
continue to extract these without a thought for
subsequent generations.
• Renewable resources such as timber and water can
be regenerated by natural processes such as
regrowth or rainfall.
• Natural resouces can be compared with money in a
bank. Sustainable development.
 Activity 1

• Take any article that you use in daily life: a bucket

full of water, or an item of food, a table or a book.
• Trace its components through a journey backwards
from your home to its origin as natural resource in
our environment.
• How many of these components are renewable
resources and how many are non-renewable?
 RESOURCE

• What is the value of the resource and where

does it originate?
• Who uses it most intensively and how?
• How is it being overused or misused?
• Who is responsible for its improper use-the
resource collector, the middle man, the end-
user?
• How can we help to conserve it and prevent
its unsustainable use?
 IMPORTANCE OF ES
• Environment is not a single
subject
• Plastic, waste food, solid
waste byproducts…
• Air pollution leads to
respiratory problems
• Water pollution to gastro-
intestinal diseases
• And many pollutants are
known to cause cancer.
 Activity 2
• Think of all the things that you do in a day.
List these activities and identify the main
resources used during these activities. What
can you do to prevent waste, reuse articles
that you normally throw away and what
recycled materials can you use?
• Think of the various energy sources you use
every day. How could you reduce their use?
 Activity 3

• Attempt to assess the level of damage to the

environment due to your actions that have
occurred during your lifetime if you continue
in your present ways.
• Examples for the above activity:Plastic,Fossil
fuels,water,Food,Paper,Electrical Energy.
PLASTIC: PLASTIC BAGS, PLASTIC BALL PENS

• Make a list of the plastic articles you usually use.

• How can you reduce the amount of plastic you use?
• What effects does plastic have on our environment?
• Where does the plastic come from and how is it
made? Are the manufacturing processes
environmentally friendly?
• What happens to it when you throw it away? Where
does it go?
FOSSIL FUELS:PETROL,DIESEL,NATURAL GAS

• How much do you use?Can you reduce your

consumption?
• What effect does it have on the air we breathe?
• When we leave a motorbike or car engine running
during a traffic stop, we don’t remember that the
fuel we r wasting is a part of a non-renewable
resource that the earth cannot regenerate.
 WATER

• How much do u really need to use, as against how

much u waste when u: a) Brush ur teeth? b) have a
bath? C) Wash clothes? D) Wash the scooter or
car?
• Where did the water come from? What is the actual
source? How has it reached u?
• Where will the waste water go?
• Do u feel u should change the way u use water?
How can u change this so that it is more
sustainable?
 FOOD

• Where has it come from? How is it grown?

What chemicals r used in its production?
• How does it reach u?
• How is it cooked?
• How much is wasted? How is the waste
disposed off?
 PAPER

• What is it made from?

• Where does it come from and how is it
manufactured?
• How much do u use and how much do u
waste? How can u prevent this wastage?
 ELECTRICAL ENERGY

• How much do u use everyday? Where does it

come from?
• How do u waste it? How can u conserve
energy?
 Productive value of nature

• Advances in fields like Biotechnology.

• New medicines developed.
• Flowering plants and insects: Protect them
• Once a species is lost, man cannot bring it
back.
• For crops to be successful, the flowers of fruit
trees and vegetables must be pollinated by
insects, bats and birds.
Aesthetic/Recreational value of nature

• This is created by developing national parks

and wildlife sanctuaries in relatively
undisturbed areas.
• In an urban setting, green spaces and
gardens are vital to the psychological and
physical health of city dwellers.
 The option value of nature

• Utilizing goods and services furnished by

nature vs. adverse impact on nature’s
integrity.
• We can use its resources sustainable and
reduce our impact on the environment.
• Or destroy its integrity.
 NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS

• We feel that everything must be done by

Govt.
• Everything is possible through public
awareness.
• News papers, TV, Radio must take
responsibility.
 Suggested further activities for concerned
students:

• Join a group to study nature such as WWF-I(World

wide Fund for nature –India) or BNHS(The
Bombay Natural History Society)
• Begin reading news paper articles and periodicals
like Down to earth, WWF-I News letter,Sanctuary
magazine etc.
• Join local movements : saving trees in ur area.
• RRR: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
• Visit a National Park or Sanctuary….
 Institutions in Environment

• There are two type of institutions in

environment, they are

– Government Organizations
– Non-Government Organizations
 Government Organizations

• The Government organizations are as

follows,

– BSI (www.envfor.nic.in)
– ZSI (www.zsi.gov.in)
 BSI-Botanical Survey of India

• Established in 1890 at the Royal Botanic

Gardens, Calcutta.
• In 1952, plans were made to recognize the
BSI and formulate its objectives.
• The BSI currently has nine regional centers.
 ZSI-Zoological Survey of India

• Established in 1916.
• It’s mandate was to do a symmetric survey of fauna
in India.
• Its origins were collections based at the Indian
Museum at Calcutta, which was established in
1875.
• It has done an enormous amount of work on
taxonomy and ecology.
• It currently operates from 16 regional centers.
Non-Government Organizations
• The following are the NGO’s
– BNHS (www.bnhs.org)
– WWF-I (www.wwfindia.org)
– CSE (www.cseindia.org)
– CPR-EEC (www.cpreec.org)
– CEE (www.ceeindia.org)
– BVIEER (http://environment.bharatividyapeeth.edu)
– UKSN (www.usnpss.org)
– Kalpavriksh (www.kalpavriksh.org)
– SACON (www.sacon.org)
– WII (www.wii.gov.in)
– MCBT (www.madrascrocodilebank.org)
 BNHS-Bombay Natural History
Society, Mumbai
• Begin as a small society of six members in 1883.
• Its influence is on wild life policy building, research,
popular publications.
• Publishes a popular magazine called Hornbill and
also an internationally well-known journal on Natural
History.
• Helped the government to frame wild life related
laws and taken up battles such as ‘save the silent
valley campaign’.
 WWF-I World Wide Fund for
Natural India, New Delhi
• Initiated in 1969 in Mumbai, after the head
quarters is shifted to New Delhi.
• Attention on wild life education and
awareness.
• It runs several programs, including the
Natural Clubs of India program from school
children.
 CSE-Center for Science and
Environment, New Delhi
• The activities including organizing
campaigns, holding workshops and
conferences, and producing environment
related publications.
• Publication material is in the form of books,
posters, video films and also conducts work
shops and seminars on bio-diversity related
issues.
 CPR-EEC CPR Environmental
Education Center, Chennai
• Setup in 1988.
• Conducts a variety of programs to spread
environmental awareness and create an interest in
conservation among the general public.
• To promote conservation of nature and natural
resources.
• Its programs include components on wild life an
biodiversity issues.
• Produces large number of publications.
 CEE-Center for Environmental
Education, Ahemadabad
• Initiated in 1989.
• Wide range of programs on the environment
and produces a variety of educational
material.
• CEE’s Training in Environment Education
program has trained many environmental
educators.
BVIEER-Bharati Vidyapeet Institute
of Environmental Education and
Research, Pune
• Part of Bharati Vidyapeet deemed university.
• The institute has a PhD, master’s and Bachelor’s
Program in Environmental Sciences.
• It also offers an innovative diploma in Environment
education for in-service teachers.
• Biodiversity conservation is a major focus of its
research initiatives.
 UKSN-Uttarkhand Seva Nidhi,
Almora
• This organization is a Nodal agency that
supports NGOs in need of funds for their
environment related activities.
• Its main target is sustainable resource use at
the village level through training school
children.
• Its environment education program covers
about 500 schools
 Kalpavriksh, Pune

• This NGO, initially Delhi based, is now

working from Pune.
• Works on a variety of fronts; education and
awareness; investigation and research; direct
action and lobbying; and litigation with regard
to environment and development issues.
• Responsible for developing India’s National
Biodiversity strategy and Action plan in 2003.
 Salim Ali center for Ornithology
and Natural History (SACON),
Coimbatore
• Intially conceived as being a wing of the
BNHS, it later evolved into an independent
organization based at Coimbatore in 1990.
• It has instituted a variety of field programs
that have added to the country’s information
on our threatened biodiversity.
 WII- Wildlife Institute of India,
Dehradun
• Established in 1982.
• This institute is established as a major
training for forest officials and for research in
wild life management.
• Its most significant publication has been
planning a Wild Life Protected Area Network
for India.
 MCBT-Madras Crocodile Bank
Trust, Chennai
• The first Crocodile conservation breeding center in
Asia, was founded in 1976 to conserve Indian
Crocodiles an establish program for the
conservation an propagation of other species.
• MCBT has an ongoing Environmental Education
Program for the villages and schools that include
nature camps, training workshops for teachers.
 People in Environment
• The following are the well-known names in the last
century include environmentalists, administrators,
legal experts, educationalists, and journalists.
– Indira Gandhi
– S.P.Gadgil
– M.S.Swaminathan
– Madhav Gadgil
– M.C.Mehta
– Anil Agarwal
– Medha Patkar
– Sunderlal Bahuguna
 Indira Gandhi

• As PM played a very significant role in the

preservation of India’s Wild Life.
• During her period, the network and protected
areas grew from 65 to 98.
• Wild life protection act was formulated during
her period.
 S.P.Godrej

• Was one of the India’s greatest supporter of

wild life conservation and nature awareness
programs.
• Between 1975 and 1999, received 10 awards
for his conservation activities, he was
awarded the Padmabhushan in 1999.
 M S Swaminathan

• One of the India’s foremost agricultural

scientists.
• Founded the MS Swaminathan Research
Foundation in Chennai
 Madhav Gadgil

• Well known ecologist in India.

• His interests range from broad ecological
issues such as developing community
Biodiversity registers studies on the
behaviour of mammals, birds, and insects.
• He was written several articles, published
papers in journals…
 M.C.Mehta

• India’s most famous environmental lawyer.

• Since 1984, he has filed several public
interest litigations for supporting the cause of
environmental conservation.
• His most famous and long-drawn battles
supported by the supreme court include
protecting the Tajmahal, cleaning up the
Ganges river…..
 Anil Agarwal

• Was a journalist who wrote the first report on

the state of India’s Environment in 1982.
• He founded the CES, an active NGO that
supports various environmental issues.
 Medha Patkar

• Known as one of rural India’s Champions,

has supported the cause of the downtrodden
tribal people whose environment is being
affected by the dams on the Narmada River.
 Sunderlal Bahuguna

• His chipko movement has become an

internationally well-known example of a
highly successfully conservation action
program through the efforts of local people
for guarding their forest resources.
• His fight to prevent the construction of Tehri
dam in a fragile earthquake-prone setting is a
battle that continues to wage
 International Environmental
Thinkers
• Charles Darwin(wrote Origin of Species)
• Ralph Emerson (spoke of the dangers of commerce to our
environment in 1840s)
• Henry Thoreau (wrote that the wilderness should be
preserved in 1860s)
• John Muir (saved the great ancient sequoia trees in
California’s forests; he formed Sierra club in 1890s)
• Aldo Leopold (designed the early policies on wilderness
conservation and wildlife management in 1920s)
• Rachel Carson (wrote Silent Spring;several articles on
effects of pesticides on nature and mankind)
• EO Wilson (entomologist and wrote Diversity of Life in 1993)
17th Century has been described as the

AGE OF FAITH
18th Century is considered as the
AGE OF REASONING
 19th Century was
AGE OF PROGRESS
20th Century was AGE OF STRESS
 Will 21st Century be
Age of Panic or Age of Peace?

You have to decide.

What is this a
Picture of?