LESSON 1 INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT
Planet earth is the only known planet in the universe with a diversity of life. As earlier mentioned, life could have been possible on the planet only because of the healthy interactions between biotic and abiotic components in such a manner where the flow of energy and biogeochemical cycle follows a well-defined path. The planet earth is categorized into different spheres which represent solid (rock/soil), liquid (water) and gaseous (air) phases. The overlapping zone of the three spheres, where life is available, is called the biosphere. A brief description of the spheres is given below: 1.3.1 Lithosphere (Greek: Lithos means rock) Earth’s structure can be stratified into outer crust, middle mantle and inner core regions (Fig. 1.1). Lithosphere is the outermost layer of the crust which represents the land mass of the planet. It consists of rocks, soil, sediments and minerals. Various geological structures or landforms like high mountains, plateaus, deep valleys and Sea Beds make the surface of the lithosphere uneven. Mount Everest is the highest point in the lithosphere. Various geological processes like weathering & erosion, volcanic eruptions, and biogeochemical cycles take place in the lithosphere. Different terrestrial ecosystems like forests, grasslands, deserts etc. are found in the lithosphere.
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Hydrosphere
(Greek: Hydro means water) Hydrosphere represents water masses on the planet present in
solid (ice cover, glaciers etc.), liquid (water bodies) and gaseous (water vapours) phases.
Hydrosphere covers almost three-fourths of the total surface area of the earth. Oceans and
seas represent marine ecosystem which contains 97 per cent of the total water content (having
a very high concentration of salts) of the planet. The remaining 3 per cent of the water
resources are freshwater present in the form of glaciers, rivers, lakes, ponds etc. (Fig 1.2).
The hydrosphere is an integral part of the water cycle and plays a crucial role in maintaining
normal climatic, meteorological, physical, chemical and biological functions on the planet.
Oceans and seas are the largest sinks of carbon in the environment.
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atmospheric pressure decrease rapidly with the increase in altitude. The composition of dry
air is as follows:
Table 1.1: Composition of dry air
Component Volume (%)
Nitrogen 78.084
Oxygen 20.946
Argon 0.934
Carbon Dioxide 0.040
Gases in traces Remaining
The rate of change of temperature with the altitude is called the lapse rate. The
atmosphere has been stratified into major four layers where temperature decreases (negative
lapse rate) or increases (positive lapse rate). A brief description of atmospheric layers is as
follows:
Troposphere: the altitude of this layer varies from 16 km at the equator to 8 km at
the poles. The largest percentage of the air mass is found in this region. The upper layer is
called the tropopause. Temperature decreases with an increase in altitude (-6.40C per km) in
this layer and varies from 150C (ground Level) to – 560C (tropopause).
Stratosphere: temperature starts rising in this layer from tropopause (-560C) to
stratopause (-20C) as ozone (O3) layering the upper stratosphere absorbs solar radiation and
temperature rises. The ozone layer in this region absorbs harmful UV radiation, particularly
UV-B radiation (280 nm to 315 nm), because of which life is possible on the earth’s surface.
However, the ozone layer is depleting at a fast pace due to the presence of ozone-depleting
substances (like chlorofluorocarbons- CFCs). Ozone holes are the places in the upper
stratosphere where the concentration of ozone has depleted drastically.
Mesosphere: temperature starts decreasing again and reaches -960C at the upper
boundary of the layer i.e. mesopause. The density of air is very low and important chemical
species found in this region are O2
+
and NO+ which do not absorb much solar radiation. This
causes the decline in ambient temperature in this region.
Thermosphere: ionic oxygen atoms and other ions in this layer absorb short-wave
solar radiation which increases the temperature in this layer rapidly from -960C (lower
boundary) to 12000C (upper layer).
Biosphere
(Greek: Bios means life) this is the self-regulating overlapping region of the atmosphere,
lithosphere and hydrosphere in the environment where life sustainably exists and is nourished
and flourishes by the healthy interaction between biotic (autotrophs and heterotrophs) and
abiotic components (air, water, sunlight, soil, rock etc.) of the nature
in the second half of the twentieth century, global concerns were raised to make people
environmentally aware. This was the time when it was recommended to design separate
courses for environmental education and establish an independent and multidisciplinary
discipline, commonly called Environmental Science or Studies. According to UNESCO
(1971), the objectives of environmental studies are:
• Creating 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 the public to participate in environmental protection and environmental
improvement.
• Acquiring skills to help the concerned individuals in identifying and solving
environmental problems.
• Striving to attain harmony with Nature.
1.4 E
UNESCO and UNEP jointly organized the first intergovernmental conference on
environmental education in 1977 in Tbilisi, Georgia. The goals of the conference were:
• To foster clear awareness of and concern about, economic, social, political, and
ecological interdependence in urban and rural areas;
• To provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values,
attitudes, commitment, and skills needed to protect and improve the environment;
• To create new patterns of behaviour of individuals, groups, and society as a whole
towards the environment.
The categories of environmental education objectives are:
• Awareness: to help social groups and individuals acquire an awareness and
sensitivity to the total environment and its allied problems.
• Knowledge: to help social groups and individuals gain a variety of experiences, and
acquire a basic understanding of, the environment and its associated problems.
• Attitudes: to help social groups and individuals acquire a set of values and feelings of
concern for the environment and the motivation for actively participating in
environmental improvement and protection.
• Skills: to help social groups and individuals acquire the skills for identifying and
solving environmental problems.
• Participation: to provide social groups and individuals with an opportunity to be
actively involved at all levels in working toward the resolution of environmental
problems.
Environmental Education in India: India also started taking significant steps to
propagate environmental education. At the post-graduation level, environmental education
was started by many central and state universities in India during 1985-2000. In 1991, Hon.
Supreme Court of India gave a historical ruling to implement environmental education at all
levels and gave directions to make Environmental Studies a compulsory paper for all the
streams at undergraduate levels in Indian universities. At present, various short-term and
regular courses on the environment and its various dimensions are being run in various
universities in India.
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Environmental Studies: Environmental study is a multidisciplinary subject which studies
various dimensions (scientific, social, cultural, economic, political etc.) of the environment,
its issues and challenges and tangible solutions in a holistic way. It studies the humanenvironment interaction and its results at the micro and macro level.
Environmental Science strictly deals with the scientific aspects of the environment, its
complex problems and the tangible solutions whereas Environmental Studies, in addition to
the scientific aspects, also deals with the socio-economic, cultural, traditional, legislative and
historical dimensions of the environmental issues. For example, suppose a river is getting
polluted due to the discharge of untreated wastewater into the river. The student of
Environmental Science will observe the causes, Physicochemical and biological changes
within the river water, its effect on the aquatic and adjoining ecosystem and scientific
mitigation measures for the river pollution. In addition to the above dimensions,
Environmental Studies will also observe the impact of the pollution on the nearby population,
their livelihood and culture etc.
Multidisciplinary means interaction of various subjects or disciplines. Environmental studies
deal with all the aspects of biotic and abiotic components of the environment. Also, the
Environment and environmental issues are complex in nature. Therefore, experts from
different subjects or disciplines are required to understand different aspects of the
environment. We may require expertise from different disciplines to resolve various
environmental issues.
The Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies may be understood by a small case
study. Suppose a developmental activity (Dam, Mining, Highway etc.) is proposed within a
given region. Before starting such projects, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is
conducted to assess and mitigate the possible degradation of the environment and population
living within the region. To effectively conduct the EIA, expertise from the following
disciplines will be required:
• Life Sciences (Zoology and Botany): to assess the biodiversity richness and
endemism of the given region and possible reversible or irreversible changes in the
1.6 MULTI-DISCIPLINARY NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL
STUDIES
1.5 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
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Environmental Science: Theory into Practice I
biological diversity of the region by anthropogenic activities. An expert from life
sciences will also assess the ecosystem goods and services being provided by the
nature in the specific region.
• Earth Sciences (Geology, Geography, Geochemistry etc.): Earth Sciences will
study the details of geological and geographical terrain, soil/rock profile, tectonic and
seismic activity in the region etc.
• Chemical Sciences: it will be helpful in understanding various chemical processes
and reactions taking place in different matrices of the environment. It is also
important to understand the fate and effect of pollutants on air, water, and soil.
• Anthropology, History and Archaeology: to assess the historical or archaeological
importance of the monuments, tribal population, traditions or practices in a region or
at the site of the construction.
• Social Sciences, Sociology and Economics: to assess the socio-economic stature of
the population and possible changes the same with ongoing developmental projects.
• Law and Legal Aspects: expertise from a legal background is also required to satisfy
different legal aspects during a developmental project activity (like land acquisition,
relocation and rehabilitation etc.).
• Mathematics, Computer Modelling and Statistics: we need different statistical
tools and models to statistically validate the obtained data from the study. Also, we
are using numerous mathematical and computational models in day-to-day activities
like meteorological predictions.
Fig 1.5: Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies
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All UG Courses
The multidisciplinary approach to the subject can be implemented in a wide range of
applications and fields related to environmental awareness, education and conservation.
Hence, the subject has a vast scope and the expert on the subject can serve in numerous ways
in different spheres of society. Students may opt for the subject and make a professional
career in Environmental Studies or Environmental Science. The experts and professionals of
the subject are required and recruited in various sectors like:
• Academics: as discussed above, the subject has been introduced in numerous schools,
colleges and universities in India and abroad, at school, under-graduation and postgraduation levels. The student may pursue the subject. Worldwide, a large number of
dedicated departments, centres, universities and institutions have been established for
the subject. An interested professional may join the teaching and academics and make
the next generation aware of environmental issues and their tangible solutions. Many
dedicated institutes, like WII Dehradun, FRI Dehradun, IIFM Bhopal etc., have been
established to propagate education in specialized fields of the environment.
• Research & Development: research and post-doctoral works have been going on
worldwide to understand the ecological mechanisms and to get cost-effective cuttingedge technologies to mitigate environmental issues and challenges.
• Industries: In order to effectively implement the environmental guidelines and
technologies and to mitigate the environmental degradation directly or indirectly
caused by the industries, a large number of industries have been recruiting
environmental engineers/scientists/experts.
• Ministries and Agencies: ministry of environment and various environmental
agencies & conventions of national and international repute frequently create
vacancies for environmental experts. A few examples of such agencies are UNEP,
IPCC, CITES, RAMSAR, USEPA etc.
• Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Consultancy: a large number of
national and international NGOs and consultancies are working as an extended hand
to conserve the environment and its various components. Most of the NGOs and
consultancies are old and have an experienced workforce. Some of the examples are
the Bombay Natural History Society, IUCN, Conservation International, World Wide
Fund for Nature, Wildlife Trust of India, Centre for Environmental Education, Centre
for Science and Environment, Kalpavriksha, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust etc.
1.7 SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
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Environmental Science: Theory into Practice I
• Green Journalism: environmental awareness is indispensable for environmental
conservation and media (print, electronic and social media) is the strongest medium to
propagate the awareness. Green journalism is the term given when the media raises
environmental issues and practical solutions suggested by experts on the subject.
• Environmental legislation and Green Advocacy: for effective environmental
conservation, it is indispensable to have stringent legislative provisions and effective
implementation of the same. Legal experts specialized in environmental law may act
significantly in environmental conservation.
In the last five decades, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science has emerged as
an important multidisciplinary subject dealing with all the aspects of issues and challenges of
the environment and it also suggests practical solutions to environmental problems. The
subject is still evolving as environmental problems are also growing in intensity and
magnitude at a fast pace. Anthropogenic activities have created the issues like pollution
caused by conventional and emerging pollutants, biodiversity loss, global warming-climate
change, growing global energy demands, utmost pressure on natural resources etc., which are
causing serious threats to life on the planet. Environmental Studies have given tangible
solutions to the environmental problems. Some of the prominent fields, that the subject
addresses may be summarized as Environmental Education and Ethics, Ecosystem and
ecology, Natural Resources Management, Energy Efficiency and Audit, Renewable sources
of energy, Global warming-climate change, Biodiversity Conservation, Pollution monitoring
and mitigation, Population and Environment, Waste management etc. Hence, it is necessary
to make the newer generations aware of the basics and details of the subject.
Resource Conservation advocated by Mahatma Gandhi
The importance of resource conservation was an issue that Mahatma Gandhi
thought deeply about. He pioneered the idea that “Earth provides enough to satisfy
every man's needs, but not every man's greed.” at a time when few people understood
how quickly the world's resources would be depleted. Most people at the time believed
that the Earth's natural resources were infinite. Consequently, this was a novel idea that
called for a radically different way of life. Gandhiji advocated for a minimalist lifestyle
as a way to preserve the planet's limited resources.
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In the western world, the first-ever concern about environmental degradation was raised after
the publication of the book ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachael Carson in 1962. This book raised the
issue of excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the U.S. and its impact on
different biotic and abiotic components of the environment. In 1970, the book ‘Limit to
Growth’ by the Club of Rome attracted global attention. Ramsar Convention came into
existence on 02nd February 1971 with the aim to conserve wetlands globally. Hence, World
Wetlands Day is observed every year on 02nd February. In 1972, United Nations
Conference on Human Environment was organized in Stockholm between 5th June – 16th
June where India also presented its view on environmental degradation. In remembrance of
this conference, World Environment Day is celebrated every year on 05th June. India
started Project Tiger in 1973 to save its national animal of India. In between, India and the
world witnessed the worst industrial disasters, Bhopal Gas Tragedy (02nd and 03rd
December 1984) and Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster (26th April 1986), which taught many
lessons to the globe. Vienna Convention (1985) and Montreal Protocol (16th September 1987)
were signed to protect the Ozone layer from getting depleted by ozone-depleting substances
(ODS). The concept of Sustainable Development was introduced to the world by
Brundtland Commission Report (Our Common Future) in 1987. Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) came into the existence in 1989 to formulate the framework to
combat global warming-climate change. Agenda 21 was adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio
de Janeiro in 1992. UN trio sister conventions (UNFCCC, UNCBD and UNCCD) were also
signed in 1992. In 1997, Kyoto Protocol was signed to curb the emission of greenhouse gases
responsible for global warming. The World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio + 10)
was conducted in 2002 in Johannesburg.
1.8 IMPORTANT LANDMARKS IN ENVIRONMENTALISM
CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
It was the global perception that environmental conservation and economic development
cannot be pursued together. With the onset of the 1980s, the world started finding the middle
path so that long-term economic development may be pursued without harming the
environment. With this aim, the United Nations established World Commission on
Environment and Development (WCED), under the chairmanship of Geo Harlem Brundtland
(former Prime Minister of Norway) in December 1983. Hence, this commission is commonly
known as the Brundtland Commission. The task of the commission was to formulate “A
global agenda for change”. Brundtland Commission submitted its report entitled “Our
Common Future” in 1987 which gave the concept of Sustainable Development to the world.
The report defines Sustainable Development as “development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Sustainability (Latin: sustinere means to hold up) is a long-term idea that means making
the entire world sustainable. However, sustainable development refers to pathways by which
the goal of sustainability and a sustainable world can be achieved.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): these are the seventeen goals set as the ‘2030
agenda for sustainable development. It was adopted by the United Nations state members in
2015 as a blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the
future.’ All the developed and developing countries have been called to achieve the goals by
the global partnership.
Society, environment and economy, are collectively considered the three pillars of
sustainable development. When the three pillars harmonically interact with each other,
sustainability and sustainable development is achieved. A brief description of the three pillars
is given below:
• Environmental Sustainability: it means that we should consume environmental
goods and services in a sustainable manner. Mahatma Gandhi, once rightly said,
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not everyone’s greed”. The
present rate of over-exploitation of natural resources exceeds manifolds the rate of
replenishment of the same, which is causing environmental degradation at an
exponential rate. Therefore, natural resources should be utilized sustainably.
Sustainable Development Goals 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and
Clean Energy), 13 (Climate Action), 14 (Life below Water) and 15 (Life on Land)
indicate environmental sustainability.
• Social Sustainability: it defines a society as having fair and equal opportunities for
its population with gender equality, good health and education facilities and people’s
participation in nation-building. Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and
Well-Being), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), 7 (Affordable and Clean
Energy), 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and 17 (Partnerships for the
Goals) indicate social sustainability.
• Economic Sustainability: economic sustainability means the equitable distribution of
resources. No one should be deprived of the basic needs to sustain a healthy life.
Benefits should be earned from the resources but not at the cost of irreversible loss to
the environment. Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 7
(Affordable and Clean Energy), 8 (Descent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry,
Innovation and Infrastructure), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 11 (Sustainable Cities and
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Communities) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) indicates economic
sustainability.
The three pillars intersect each other giving the concept of a bearable, equitable and
viable globe, which collectively forms a sustainable world.
Social Sustainability + Economic Sustainability = Equitable
Social Sustainability + Environmental Sustainability = Bearable
Economical Sustainability + Environmental Sustainability = Viable
(Social + Economical + Environmental) Sustainability = Sustainable
Developmen
