What is Need of Public Awareness about Environment

As the earths natural resources are

dwindling and our environment is being
increasingly degraded by human activities,
it is evident that something needs to be
done.

It is essential to make the public aware of

the formidable consequences of the
Environmental Degradation, if not retorted
and reformative measures undertaken,
would result in the extinction of life.

We often feel that managing all this is

something that the Government should do.
But if we go on endangering our environment,
there is no way in which the Government can
perform all these clean-up functions .
It is the prevention of environment
degradation in which we must all take part
that must become a part of all our lives
 It is not only the duty of government but also the people to take active role for
protecting the environment, so protecting our environment is economically
more viable than cleaning it up once, it is damaged.
The role of mass media such as newspapers, radio, television, etc is also very
important to make people aware regarding environment. There are various
institutions, which are playing positive role towards environment to make
people aware regarding environment like BSI (Botanical Survey of India, 1890),
ZSI (Zoological Survey of India, 1916), WII (Wild Life Institute of India, 1982)
etc.
Increasing population, Urbanization and poverty have generated pressure on
the natural resources and lead to a degradation of the environment. TO
PREVENT THE ENVIRONMENT FROM FURTHER DEGRADATION, the supreme
court has ordered and initiated environmental protection awareness through
government and non-government agencies to take part in protecting our
environment.
Environmental Protection Act (1986) defined Environment as the sum
total of water, air and land, their interrelationship among themselves and
with the human beings, other living beings and property.
 Environmental pollution cannot prevented by laws alone. Public participation is equally
important with regard to environmental protection.
Environmental Education (EE) is a process of learning by giving an overall perspective of
knowledge and awareness of the environment.
It sensitizes the society about environmental issues and challenges interested individuals to
develop skills and expertise thereby providing appropriate solutions.
The trend of increasing pollution in various environmental media is evident from the
deteriorating air and water quality, higher noise levels, increasing vehicular emission etc.
Realizing the urgent need for arresting the trend, Ministry adopted Policy for Abatement of
Environmental Degradation. But this is only an approach and not a movement.
Till movement is not effected, approach shall stand null and void. To make movement
effective public support is very necessary. There is an urgent need for public awareness
about cleaner environment.
It is, therefore, suggested that while imparting environmental education special attention
must be paid to school going children and women because they alone constitute about 50%
of the population. They should be made aware of health, nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and
water and food contamination.T he main objectives of environmental education should be
(i) improving the quality of environment (ii) creating an awareness among people on
environmental problems and conservation (iii) creating such an atmosphere so that people
find themselves fit enough to participate in decision making so that developmental
programme are presented after evaluation.
 various environmental challenges
1.Growing Population
A population of over thousands
of millions is growing at 2.11 per
cent every year. Over 17 million
people are added each year.
It puts considerable pressure on
its natural resources and
reduces the gains of
development.
2. Poverty
The vast majority of our people
are directly dependent on the
nature resources of the country
for their basic needs of food,
fuel shelter and fodder. About
40% of our people are still below
the poverty line. Environment
degradation has adversely
affected the poor who depend
upon the resources of their
immediate surroundings
It puts considerable pressure on
its natural resources and
reduces the gains of
development.
3. Agricultural Growth
The people must be acquainted
with the methods to sustain and
increase agricultural growth with
damaging the environment. High
yielding varities have caused soil
salinity and damage to physical
structure of soil.
4. Need to Ground water
the use of groundwater is essential
. Factors like community wastes,
industrial effluents and chemical
fertilizers and pesticides have
polluted our surface water and
affected quality of the
groundwater. It is essential to
restore the water quality of our
rivers and other water bodies as
lakes is important for provision of
safe drinking water and keeping
water bodies clean.
5. Development And Forests
Forests serve catchments for the
rivers. Vast areas that were once
green, stand today as
wastelands. These areas are to
be brought back under
vegetative cover.
The tribal communities
inhabiting forests respects the
trees and birds and animal that
gives them sustenance.
We must recognise the role of
these people in restoring and
conserving forests. The modern
knowledge and skills of the
forest deptt. should be
integrated with the traditional
knowledge and experience of
the local communities.
6.Degradation of Land 9. Evil Consequences of 10. Air and water Population
Urbanisation Majority of our industrial plants
Nearly 27 per cent Indians live in are using outdated and
7. Reorientation of Institutions population technologies and
urban areas. Urbanisation and
The change has to be brought in makeshift facilities devoid of any
industrialisation has given birth to
keeping in view Indias traditions for provision of treating their wastes.
a great number of environmental
resources use managements and
problem that need urgent
education etc. Change should be Acts are enforced in the country,
attention. Over 30 percent of
brought in education, in attitudes, in but their implement is not so
urban Indians live in slums. Out of
administrative procedures and in easy. The reason is their
Indias 3,245 towns and cities, only
institutions. Because it affects way implementation needs great
21 have partial or full sewerage
people view technology resources and resources, technical expertise,
and treatment facilities. Hence,
development. political and social will. Again the
coping with rapid urbanization is a
major challenge. people are to be made aware of
8. Reduction of Genetic Diversity these rules. Their support is
Proper measures to conserve indispensable to implement
genetic diversity need to be taken. At these rules.
present most wild genetic stocks
have been disappearing from nature.
The protected areas network like
sanctuaries, national parks,
biosphere reserves are isolating
populations. So, they are decreasing
changes of one group breeding with
another. Remedial steps are to be
taken to check decreasing genetic
diversity.
Natural resources
 Natural resources

Anything people can use which comes from nature are known as natural
resources. People do not make natural resources, but gather them from the
nature.
Examples of - natural resources are air, water, coal, etc.
 Why are Natural Resources so
important?
Natural resources are available to sustain the very complex interaction
between living things and non-living things. Humans also benefit
immensely from this interaction. All over the world, people consume
resources directly or indirectly.
Food and drink Mobility:
the raw materials used in the
production
of automobiles, trains, water
vessels, airplanes,
together with all the fuel that
powers them Housing and infrastructure:
 Types of natural resources:
Renewable resources.
Non-renewable resources.
 Renewable resources
Renewable resources are those that are constantly available (like water) or can be
reasonably replaced or recovered, like vegetative lands. Animals are also
renewable because with a bit of care, they can reproduce offsprings to replace
adult animals. Even though some renewable resources can be replaced, they may
take many years and that does not make them renewable.

If renewable resources come from living things, (such as trees and animals) they
can be called organic renewable resources.

If renewable resources come from non-living things, (such as water, sun and wind)
they can be called inorganic renewable resources.
 Non-renewable resources
Non-renewable resources are those that cannot easily be replaced once they are
destroyed. Examples include fossil fuels. Minerals are also non-renewable because
even though they form naturally in a process called the rock cycle, it can take
thousands of years, making it non-renewable. Some animals can also be
considered non-renewable, because if people hunt for a particular species without
ensuring their reproduction, they will be extinct. This is why we must ensure that
we protect resources that are endangered.

Non-renewable resources can be called inorganic resources if they come from non-
living things. Examples include include, minerals, wind, land, soil and rocks.

Some non-renewable resources come from living things such as fossil fuels.
They can be called organic non-renewable resources.
 Metallic and Non-metallic Resources
Inorganic resources may be metallic or non-
metallic. Metallic minerals are those that have
metals in them. They are harder, shiny, and
can be melted to form new products.
Examples are iron, copper and tin. Non-
metallic minerals have no metals in them.
They are softer and do not shine. Examples
include clay and coal.