INTRODUCTION

 The Ailing planet…... Is a sad commentary on the

gradual deterioration of our environment .The planet
earth is no more a pleasant place for habitation .
Fisheries ,forest, grasslands and croplands need to be
preserved and protected.
 This chapter is based upon degrading position of
mother earth. The present scenario of India is highly
deplorable as a report of parliament’s estimates
committee highlights near catastrophic depletion of
India's forests at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year.
 The article “ The Ailing planet: The
Green movement's role“ was written
by Nani Palkhivala and published in
"The Indian Express" on 24th
November 1994.
 The issue that he raised regarding the
declining health of the earth continues to
have relevance.
GREEN MOVEMENT
 The green movement, a term that includes the
conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific,
social, and political movement for addressing
environmental issues.
 • Environmentalists advocate the sustainable
management of resources and stewardship of the
environment through changes in public policy and
individual behavior.
 • In its recognition of humanity as a participant in
ecosystems, the movement is centered on ecology,
health, and human rights.
 Scientists have catalogued about 1.4 million living
species with which mankind shares the earth.
Estimates vary widely as regards the still-
uncatalogued living species — biologists reckon
that about three to a hundred million other living
species still languish unnamed in ignominious
darkness.
 Mr Lester R. Brown in his thoughtful book, The
Global Economic Prospect, points out that the
earth’s principal biological systems are four —
fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands — and
they form the foundation of the global economic
system
NEED OF SUCH MOVEMENT
 For the first time in human history, there is a growing
worldwide consciousness that the earth itself is a living
organism — an enormous being of which we are parts.
It has its own metabolic needs and vital processes
which need to be respected and preserved.
 The earth’s vital signs reveal a patient in declining health.
We have begun to realise our ethical obligations to be good
stewards of the planet and responsible trustees of the
legacy to future generations.
 Mankind is now the number one cause of all the
destruction happening on Earth.
 • As well as trying to destroy each other on the battle-field, we are the
cause of a series of other disasters, beginning with the industrial
exploitation of the resources of the Earth.
 • The seas and oceans are being poisoned by chemical products, oils,
industrial and human waste.
 • On land, especially in the industrial countries where most waste is
actually "manufactured", there is increasingly little room to bury it and
even when buried, noxious elements leech out and destroy the health
of the area.
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
 The concept of sustainable development was popularised in
1987 by the World Commission on Environment and
Development. In its report it defined the idea as
“Development that meets the needs of the present, without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
needs”, i.e., without stripping the natural world of resources
future generations would need.
 It has been suggested that "the term "sustainability" should
be viewed as humanity's target goal of human-ecosystem
equilibrium, while "sustainable development" refers to the
holistic approach and temporal processes that lead us to the
end point of sustainability
OUTCOMES
 Article 48A of the Constitution of India provides that “the
State shall endeavour to protect and improve the
environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of
the country”.
 • In the present day, human activity has had a significant
impact on the surface of the planet. More than a third of
the land surface has been modified by human actions, and
humans use about 20% of global primary production.
 The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has
increased by close to 30% since the start of the Industrial
PRESENT CONDITION OF
EARTH
 Earth's present condition is that it is in a damaged
state and under threat from dangers including those
arising from global warming.
 These threats include greenhouse gases, droughts and
floods, hunger and famine and devastating diseases
such as malaria and aids.
 Some experts scientists are calling for carbon taxes to
cut the risk. Damage from flooding alone could run
into billions of dollars as creeks and estuaries begging
to fill up and more ice melts.
 Climate change is seen by some scientists to present
the biggest threat to our world today. The whole world
needs to effect remedial strategies by cooperating.
 Levels of gases such as carbon dioxide are rising still
and we are still at risk from deforestation and the
burning of fossil fuels.
 Greenhouse gases may cause the world to warm up as
heat cannot escape effectively from the surface of the
planet. All of this might throw the natural rhythms of
our world's climate. That's where we're at right now!
TIME AHEAD (future of earth)
 A three-year study using satellites and aerial
photography conducted by the United Nations, warns
that the environment has deteriorated so badly that it
is ‘critical’ in many of the 88 countries investigated.
 There can be no doubt that the growth of world
population is one of the strongest factors distorting
the future of human society.
 Ultimately, global warming will impact life on Earth in
many ways.
 Scientists note with increasing concern the 21st
century could see one of the greatest periods of mass
extinction of species in Earth's entire history.
Steps to be taken by us
 Buying and using fluorescent light bulbs Turning off lights
and other electronic equipment when we leave a room
 Avoid using chemical pesticides or fertilizers in your yard
and garden. Many fertilizers are a source of nitrous oxide, a
greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Try
organic products instead.
 Waste food material, paper, decaying vegetables and
plastics should not be thrown into open drains.
 Keep your vehicle well maintained. A poorly maintained
engine both creates more air pollution and uses more fuel.
Replace oil and air filters regularly, and keep your tires
properly inflated. Besides saving gasoline, walking and
biking are great forms of exercise.
CONCLUSION
The future of humanity will
depend on how we steward
the resources of land, of soil,
of water and seeds, and pass
them on to future generations