Subject: Environment Management Course Code: CP-103 Author

Subject: Environment Management Course Code: CP-103 Author: Dr. Sushmitha Baskar, SOITS, IGNOU, New Delhi Lesson No.: 1 Vetter: Prof. Praveen Sharma Understanding Environment Structure 1.0 Objectives 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Definitions 1.3 Need for Environmental Awareness 1.4 Importance of the Environment 1.5 Components of the Environment 1.6 Major Global Environmental Issues 1.7 Environment Management Systems 1.8 Summary 1.9 Key Words 1.10 Self Assessment Questions 1.11 References and Suggested Further Readings 1.0 OBJECTIVES After reading this unit, you should be able to: define the term environment; explain the need for environmental awareness; describe the importance of environment; and explain some global environmental issues. 1.1 INTRODUCTION The planet Earth is the only planet that supports life. The earth provides us with so many resources that we directly benefit from. Human beings interact with nature and vice-versa. In ancient times, our environment was pure and pristine. The plants, animals and humans lived in a healthy environment that was free of pollution and contamination. This is not the case today. Further, before the year 1900, no city of five million existed. Our populations have increased dramatically over the years and the various technologies that we use presently require increased inputs of energy, space and resources. The tremendous impact of human activities has changed the physical environment and has put it out of balance with nature. The degradation of the environment has further accelerated due to industrial activities and industrial revolution. This industrial revolution has improved the quality of life on hand but at the same time it has caused serious impacts on the earth‟s environment and living beings. Human beings exploit the environment in different ways and we need to understand that this has upset the natural environment. Several industrial accidents such as the Bhopal gas tragedy, Chernobyl disaster, Fukushima Daiichi disaster and so on have occurred due to industrial reasons. The problems faced today are directly or indirectly related to the environment and sustainable solutions need a sound environmental knowledge. Anthropogenic factors have degraded our environment and there is a need for scientific awareness, assessment, monitoring and early warning. It is thus important to sensitize environmental issues right from school children to adults. Presently, the issues such as global warming, climate change, pollution and natural resource depletion increasingly require the expertise from different disciplines for addressing these problems. Understanding our environment and the processes that control it is very important. We need to adopt sustainable solutions that accommodate the present social, economic and cultural needs without compromising those of the future generations. Scope of Environmental Science Environmental Sciences is a compilation of numerous subjects. Its scope is enormous and the subject requires a sound knowledge of biology, geology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, biochemistry, statistics, microbiology, genetics and biotechnology, social sciences, economics, management practices and strategies, engineering and technological aspects, agricultural sciences and computer applications. This way it is an interdisciplinary subject. The subject‟s specializations include: Environmental sciences, environmental geology, environmental chemistry, environmental microbiology, environmental biotechnology, environmental economics, environmental management, environmental engineering, and so on. 1.2 DEFINITIONS Let us now learn some definitions related to environment. Environment: The term environment means surroundings. Our environment is the entire web of biological and physical interactions, which characterize the relationships between life and the earth. Environmental Sciences: It is an interdisciplinary subject and involves the study of various subjects in relation to the environment. It helps in understanding a scientific basis for establishing standards for acceptably clean, safe, healthy environment for humans and the natural ecosystem. Environmental science starts by understanding how the natural world in which we live works. Environmental Engineering: This involves the study of the technical processes that are used to minimise pollution. The Environment Protection Act: This act was approved by the Government of India in 1986. It defines the environment as the sum total of water, air, land, the interrelationships among themselves, with human beings and with other organisms and property. Ecosystem: Basic functional unit of organisms and their environment, interacting with each other and within their own components. 1.3 NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS Let us now learn how developing awareness to environmental issues is the first step to achieving sustainable development. The following paragraphs will explain this clearly. 1.3.1 Awareness Every day we use so many things for our living. We throw so much trash at home in our offices and so on. Have you ever wondered where all this trash goes? Why is trash not segregated right from the collection points in each Indian city? In developed countries there are separate bins marked for textiles, white glass bottles, coloured glass bottles, kitchen wastes, electronic wastes and so on. There is a heavy fine imposed when trash is not disposed off properly. In some countries people can be even imprisoned for this. Therefore, environmental awareness among people is important and it involves developing an understanding towards environmental problems. Each of our actions count such as the way we respond to our environment, using our resources carefully and adopting eco-friendly lifestyles. In olden days our forefathers resourced only so much material from nature what was essential to them, thereby conserving the precious natural resources. But, during the past few years, there has been a gradual decline in our natural resources and the quality of our environment. We have put an increasing stress on nature, with growing demands for food, water, mineral and energy due to increasing population and changing lifestyles. Environmental problems, issues and challenges are complex and multifaceted. The survival and progress of a country depends on the sustainable use of resources. An example worth emulating is the government of Himachal that imposed a ban on plastics in 1998 and today polythene and plastic bags are not seen in the whole state. Sikkim became the first state in 2016 to ban the use of single use plastics. More states need to follow such examples. It shows the role of public cooperation with the government in conserving the environment. In the same way solid wastes need to be managed well. Industries should also treat the industrial wastes and dispose them in a proper way. The book Silent Spring (1962), authored by the famous biologist writer and ecologist Rachel Carson triggered the environmental awareness movement all over the world. Carson's work showed that residues of DDT used as pesticide and other chemicals used to enhance agricultural productivity were toxic. It warned the general public about the long-term effects of misusing pesticides. Her work challenged the practices of the agricultural scientists and the government and called for a change in the way we perceive nature. This was coupled with the major oil spills and threats to endangered species. To address these problems various environment conferences were held and the subject received worldwide attention and importance. The Stockholm Conference on Human Environment (Sweden, 1972), The conference held at Rio de Janeiro, 1992 by the United Nations on Environment and Development (UNCED), The World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002), are some conferences that have made the public aware regarding the deterioration of the environment of our earth. It is understood that there have been five major mass extinctions on our planet. Each of these major events was characterized by the end of dominant life forms. These include the extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period. Then life evolved again and new species developed their new niches. Edward Wilson, biologist, believes that human beings will be responsible for precipitating the sixth mass extinction event (Wilson, 2002). If the present trends continue, then it is possible that almost 50 % of all species will become extinct within the next hundred years. Therefore, there is a strong need to change our living styles, attitude towards our environment and living beings and measure the impacts of our activities for betterment. 1.3.2 Indian Government and the Environment As far as the Indian context is concerned, the most fundamental feature of India‟s ancient philosophy is our respect for the environment. In India, environmental protection and the using resources sustainably started in the 1970‟s. The Fourth five-year plan (1968 – 73) recognized the need to integrate the environmental perspectives in planning and developmental processes. In 1970, the Government under the chairmanship of Sh. Pitambar Pant set up the Committee on Human Environment for preparing a country report for the UN Conference on Human Environment to be held in Sweden in 1972. Following this, a National Committee on Environmental Planning and Coordination (NCEPC) was set up in 1972 in response to the Pant Committee recommendations. In 1980, the Tiwari Committee was constituted for recommending the legislative

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