Environmental Science

• Environment


  The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal or plant lives or operates. It is greatly affected by human activities
• Environment


  A person's environment consists of the sum total of the stimulation which he receives from his conception until his death
• Environment


  The term environment is used to describe, in the aggregate, all the external forces, influences and conditions, which affect the life, nature, behaviour and the growth, development and maturity of living organisms
• Science


  Science uses a step-by-step method involving experiments, careful observation, and hypothesis testing to understand the natural world, refining knowledge through repeated processes and contributing to scientific progress
• Environmental science


  An interdisciplinary field that integrates scientific methods and disciplines to understand and address real world environmental challenges
• Scope of environment


  • Atmosphere
  • Hydrosphere
  • Lithosphere
  • Biosphere
• Atmosphere


  • It sustains life on the earth
  • It saves it from the hostile environment of outer space
  • It absorbs most of the cosmic rays from outer space and a major portion of the electromagnetic radiation from the sun
• Hydrosphere


  • Comprises all types of water resources oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, streams, reservoir, polar icecaps, glaciers, and ground water
• Lithosphere


  • The outer mantle of the solid earth. It consists of minerals occurring in the earth's crusts and the soil e.g. minerals, organic matter, air and water
• Biosphere


  • Indicates the realm of living organisms and their interactions with environment, viz atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere
• Importance of environmental studies

  • Environment issues like global warming and ozone depletion, acid rain, marine pollution and biodiversity are not merely national issues but are global issues
  • Development, in its wake gave birth to Urbanization, Industrial Growth, Transportation Systems, Agriculture and Housing etc.
  • Explosively increase in pollution in the world
  • Need to save humanity from extinction
  • Need for wise planning of development
• Ecosystem


  Geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscapes, work together to form a bubble of life
• Components of ecosystem


  • Biotic (living things within an ecosystem; such as plants, animals, and bacteria)
  • Abiotic (non-living components; such as water, soil and atmosphere)
  • Producers (Organism that can make their own food by converting the energy from the sun into food)
  • Consumers (Organisms that cannot make their own food; they depend upon producers for food)
  • Decomposers (Called as micro consumers. They depend on dead organic matter for their food. The are chiefly microorganism like bacteria and fungi)
• Sustainability


  Meeting the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• Sustainability


  Ability to maintain or support a process over time. Sustainability refers to doing business without negatively impacting the environment, community and as a whole
• Pillars of sustainability


  • Environmental sustainability (involves practices that aim to reduce the negative impact on the environment, conservation of available biodiversity, and maintain the natural environment)
  • Social sustainability (addresses the well-being of individuals and communities, encompassing efforts to create equitable and just societies that provide opportunities, protect human rights, and foster social cohesion)
  • Economic sustainability (Involves practices that promote economic growth while considering the social and environmental impacts)
• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity
• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a comprehensive framework for global development that integrates the three pillars of sustainability
• The aim of the Sustainable Development Goals is that no one must be left behind
• Sustainable Development Goals


  • End poverty in all its forms everywhere
  • End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
  • Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
  • Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
  • Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
  • Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
  • Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
  • Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
  • Reduce inequality within and among countries
  • Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
  • Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
  • Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
  • Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
  • Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
  • Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
  • Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development