Q.3 What is the scope and importance of environmental education.
Ans. Scope of environmental studies:-
Since environmental studies has been seen to be multidisciplinary in nature, it is considered to be a subject with immense scope. Environment is no longer limited to issues of health and sanitation but is now concerned with pollution control. Biodiversity conservation, waste management and conservation of depleting natural resources. These measures require expertise and hence are increasingly creating job opportunities. The opportunities in this field are immense not only for scientists but also for engineers, biologists, and environmental journalists. Environmental science can be applied in the following spheres:
Ecosystem structure and function: -
The study of ecosystems mainly consists of the study of the processes that link the living or biotic components to the non-living or abiotic components.
Natural resource conservation: -
Apart from providing innumerable resources, natural assets such as forests contribute towards maintaining innumerable resources, natural managing and maintenance of forest and wildlife forms an important task under natural resource conservation.
Environmental pollution control: -
With the knowledge of environmental sciences. One can look for ways to control pollution, waste management, and also at the related aspects of pollution control.
Environmental management: -
There are several independent environmental consultants working with the central and state pollution control board. These consultants offer advice related to environment problems and their optimum solutions. They also direct the concerned industry, looking for advice on environmental issues. To lawyers specialized in the field of environmental laws. The consultants working with the government pollution control boards are involved in policy making, pollution control, and maintenance of ecological balance.
Industry: -
Environmental scientists work towards maintenance of ecological balance, conservation of biodiversity, and the preservation of natural resources. Most industries have a separate environmental research and developmental section. Which governs the impact that their industry has on the environment. Rapid industrialization is increasingly degrading the environment. To combat this menace, there is a growing trend towards manufacture of ‘green’ goods and products.
Research and development: -
With an increase in public awareness regarding the environment, there is tremendous scope for research and development in this field. Various universities and governmental organizations offer scope for such research. They conduct research studies in order to develop theories or methods towards monitoring and controlling the sources of environmental pollution. Because of an increasing threat from global warming, various steps are being undertaken for the reduction of greenhouse gases and the adoption of renewable energy sources. There is great awareness now regarding the use of solar energy for variety of purposes, which is a renewable and environmentally safe system.
Social development: -
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) help in creating awareness regarding the protection of the environment and making the masses aware of various environmental issues and generating a public opinion. They also work towards disseminating information and in bringing about changes in political policies that adversely effect the environment. The social dimension of this profession includes controlling population explosion by organizing advisory awareness camps.
Environmentalist journalism: -
There is an increasing demand to report on environmental issues so that awareness can be generated among people. Environmental journalism is an emerging field which helps in bringing environmental problems to public notice.
Environmentalist: -
Environmentalists analyse the causes and effects of environmental issues in a particular area or globally and help in devising ways to combat the problems. They also work towards gathering public opinion on environmental issues.
Importance of environmental studies: -
The structure and function of the environment is essential for the sustainable development of all living organisms on earth. Environmental studies is important because of the following reasons:
- To understand current environmental problems, we need to study the physical, biological, chemical, and social processes that form the basis of those problems. Environmental studies provides the skills necessary to raise questions and obtain answers to some of the environmental problems our planet is facing today. In addition, it encourages the development of scientific principles and the application of these principles to solve environmental problems.
- Environmental studies helps to maintain ecological balance by providing a basic operating knowledge of environmental systems and processes. It also gives information regarding the changes that take place due to anthropogenic factors. It also helps to gain skills in using techniques to analyse various environmental systems and the effect of human activities on them,
- This discipline provides us basic knowledge of environment and the various environmental issues. It examines the scientific basis for environmental and social concerns about our present energy needs, global climate change, toxic emissions, and waste disposal. It also provides knowledge regarding the development and utilization of energy resources and the role of public policy.
- Environmental studies helps to achieve sustainable development and understand the relationships between development and the environment.
- This discipline helps to educate people regarding their duties towards environmental protection and educates them about the conflicts over the use of resources, and the importance of environmental stability in contemporary culture.
- Environmental studies is helpful in environmental management. It helps in formulating the broad social, economic and regulatory frameworks in which environmental problems are resolved.
- Environmental studies applies economic methods and concepts to issues of the environment, environmental policy analsis, and management. It includes diverse areas such as property rights, cost-benefit analysis, economic instruments for pollution control, and environmental policy and management applications.
- Environmental studies also aims to protect biodiversity. Earth is witnessing an unprecedented decline in biodiversity. Growth in human population and the resulting increase in material consumption and technological development have increased the rate and scale of degradation of the environment.
- The concepts from environmental studies can be applied to the study of agriculture and the design of sustainable production systems.
