CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Environmental Studies

1. CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Environmental Studies

2. Environment Environment literally means surrounding and everything that affects an organism during its lifetime. It includes all the physical and biological surroundings and their interactions. Types of environment : Natural environment Anthropogenic environment Environner : Encircle or surround Environment refers to the aggregate influence of all social, economical, biological, physical and chemical factors which determine the existence, growth and welfare of an organism or group of organism.

3. Natural Environment • Features: • No artificial or man-made component • Air, water, soil, land, forest, wildlife, flora and fauna • Dynamic • Self-regulating mechanism through counter-balance • Subdivisions: Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere and Biosphere

4. Anthropogenic Environment • Features: • Environment modified extremely through modern technology by human beings • Industrial, commercial, agricultural or housing purposes • Conscious of unconscious destruction or displacement of some plants and animals species • Development of means of transport • Improper plowing and moderate grazing • Irrational fishing and hunting • Transgenic animals.

5. Segments of Environment • Atmosphere : Virtual ocean of air • Hydrosphere : The surface of earth filled with any form of water • Lithosphere : Outer shell of the earth composed of crust and the rigid outer most mantle • Biosphere : The place on earth where life exists Lithosphere Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere

6. Our Atmosphere 1000 Km 690 Km 85 Km 50 Km 12 Km

7. Functions of Atmosphere • Oxygen for breathing and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis • Radiation shield • Maintenance of heat balance of earth • Security blanket • Different cycles present in the atmosphere as well as creation of weathers • Protects us from space junk (meteorites) • Pollination and dispersion • Let’s talk • Flight

8. Hydrosphere • Blue planet; 80 percent water (97% oceans and seas, 2.4% trapped as giant glaciers and polar ice caps.) • All the water present of the earth either surface or ground water constitutes hydrosphere. • Oceans, seas, rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, glaciers, polar ice caps, ground water and water locked in rock and crevices and minerals laying deep below the earth's crust. • Universal solvent • Essential for aquatic and marine life. • Surface water contains a lot of organic matter and mineral nutrients, which feed large bacteria population and algae.

9. Lithosphere • Solid and rocky outer part of Earth. • Parts of earth: • (1) Crust • (2) Mantle • (3) Core • Serves as a source of minerals. • Major source of fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas) • Soil: product of the weathering of the rock, together with air and water forms the basis of terrestrial life. • Growth of plants and animals. • Lithosphere provides a conductive lid atop the convecting mantle.

10. Biosphere • The portion of the earth where an organism lives is called biosphere. • Biosphere is biological envelope that surrounds the globe, containing and able to support life. • It penetrates into and is dependent on the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. This denotes the relating of living organism and their interactions with the environment. The biosphere is a relatively thin and incomplete envelope covering most of the world.

11. Classification of Environment Atmosphere Physical Hydrosphere Lithosphere Floral ENVIRONMENT Biological Faunal Microbial Chemical Society Cultural Economic Politics

12. Further classification of Environment Physical Environment • Radiation (light), temperature, humidity, rain, soil and other physical factors • Solar energy is crucial for the plants in the preparation of food which in turn provide food to other living organisms. • Soil provides essential medium for the growth of plants.

13. Further classification of Environment Chemical Environment • Chemical components of earth which includes gases, water, inorganic elements and organic substances. • Chemical environment is different for different group of organisms • Chemical environment for farm livestock includes fertilizers, defoliants, insect spray etc. • For aquatic organism, chemical environment means different gases, nutrients etc. dissolved in water.

14. Further classification of Environment Biological Environment • It includes all life on earth. It covers all living organism on earth. • Bacteria, viruses, algae, herbs etc. • Biological environment also describes the influence of factors such as warmth, moisture and humidity on plants, and animals. • Population of vertebrates and invertebrates and their competition for food and space. • Reservoirs of infectious diseases.

15. Components of Environment ENVIRONMENT BIOTIC ABIOTIC Producers Decomposers Consumers Climatic (air, water) Edaphic (land)

16. Components of Environment • Biotic Components • Living components of environment such as microbes, plants, animals and Human beings. • Producers, i.e. autotrophs : e.g. Plants and green algae. • They convert the energy (from the sun, or other sources) into food. • Consumers, i.e. heterotrophs: e.g. Animals. • They depend upon producers for food. • Animals, fungi as well as most bacteria depend on autotrophs for both energy and raw material to make complex organic molecules. • These are further classified as: • Herbivores (An animal that feeds on plants), • Carnivores (An animal that feeds on flesh), • Omnivores (An organism that eats food of both plant and animal origin) • Decomposers (An organism, esp. a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate that decomposes organic material) depending on their food habits.

18. Biotic Components

19. Abiotic Components • Abiotic Components • Non-living physical and chemical components that influence living organisms. • Air, water, soil, rocks, basic inorganic elements and components like calcium, oxygen and a variety of organic components, humus and different climatic conditions such as light, temperature, wind and precipitation. • These components are very essential as life can not exist without these. • Changes in the abiotic environment can affect the conditions of living organisms. • Human activities are currently resulting in considerable changes in abiotic environment of earth including changes in global cycles hence causing harmful environmental effects such as global warming.

20. Abiotic Components • Wind • Sun • Water

21. Environmental Science: how the natural world works Ecology:It is the study of organisms and the environment interacting with one another. Environmental science : Interdisciplinary academic field that integrates various branches of science to study the environment and address the solution to environmental problems. Environmental studies : Study of social sciences to understand human interactions with the environment Environmental Engineering : Analyzing and deducing problems with the environment, effect of man made programs on environment and finding solutions to preserve the environment

22. Objectives of Public Awareness The main objectives of creating public awareness regarding the environment are: • To identify various plants and animals and other components of the environment that are endangered • To take appropriate decisions regarding the use of natural resources. • To conserve depleting nature resources for the betterment of society • To adopt appropriate ways and means to solve existing environmental problems

23. Importance of Environmental Studies Environment Issues of International Importance • Global warming • Ozone depletion • Acid rain • Marine pollution • Biodiversity

24. Public Awareness • We should do • Practice and promote issues like saving paper, saving water etc. • Proper waste disposal and waste water treatment • Buy eco-friendly products • 3 R’s principle Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

25. Public Awareness

26. Public Awareness KANPUR: Venue : Brijendra Swaroop Park Date : 6-8 April, 2000 Objective : To educate people Contributions : Governmental and non-governmental organizations Activities : Street plays Drawing and Painting competitions Quiz competitions Poetry competitions Display of posters, banners, charts, models Screening of films Ground water monitoring and vehicular-exhaust monitoring

27. People in Environment • Rajendra Kr. Pachauri: • Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) • Chairperson and director general of several foundations and organizations • Head of Yale’s Climate and Energy Institute (YCEI) • Awarded by Padma Bhushan (2008) • Sunita Narain: • Philosopher, environmental activist and feminist • Non-violent “CHIPKO” movement • Contribution in bio-diversity, biotechnology and genetic • engineering through active compaigns • Sunderlal Bahuguna: • Eminent environmentalist • “CHIPKO” movement leader • Awarded by Padma Vibhushan (2009)

28. People in Environment • Medha Patkar: • Indian social activist • “SAVE NARMADA” movement • Right livelihood award (1991) • Baba Amte: • One of the most respectable social and moral leader of India • “SAVE NARMADA” movement • Right livelihood award(1991) • Vandana Shiva: • Philosopher, environmental activist and feminist • Non-violent “CHIPKO” movement • Contribution in bio-diversity, biotechnology and genetic • engineering through active compaigns • “Vedic Ecology”

29. People in Environment • Maneka Gandhi: • Indian politician, animal rights activist and environmentalist • Indian Union Cabinet minister for Women and Child Development • Books on Etymology, law and animal walfare • “People for animals”, “International animal rescue” and “Rugmark” • Anil Agarwal: • Prominent Indian environmentalist and journalist, worked in national and international arena • He was the editor of “Down to Earth” • Redefined the environmental problems through the eyes of poor people • Indian government honoured him with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan

30. Renewable versus Non-renewable Energy