Environmental studies

Submitted by
Satya vrat ojha
11906300

Mittal school of Business

Lovely Profressional University

Signature of student:
Student declaration

Environmental studies
Environmental education (EE) refers to organized efforts to teach how natural
environments function, and particularly, how human beings can manage behavior
and ecosystems to live sustainably. It is a multi-disciplinary field integrating
disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, ecology, earth science,
atmospheric science, mathematics, and geography. The United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural 0rganisation (UNESC0) states that EE is vital in
imparting an inherent respect for nature amongst society and in enhancing public
environmental awareness. UNESC0 emphasises the role of EE in safeguarding
future global developments of societal quality of life (Q0L), through the
protection of the environment, eradication of poverty, minimization of
inequalities and insurance of sustainable development (UNESC0, 2014a). The
term often implies education within the school system, from primary to post-
secondary. However, it sometimes includes all efforts to educate the public and
other audiences, including print materials, websites, media campaigns, etc.. There
are also ways that environmental education is taught outside the traditional
classroom. Aquariums, zoos, parks, and nature centers all have ways of teaching
the public about the environment.

Importance of environmental studies are :

1. People have to clarify modern environmental concept like how to conserve
biodiversity.
2. Usage of natural resources more efficiently.
3. Try to know the sustainable way of living. The field encompasses study in
basic principles of ecology and environmental science, as well as associated
subjects such as ethics, geography, policy, politics, law, economics,
philosophy, environmental sociology and environmental justice, planning,
pollution control and natural resource management. The main factors
influencing environmental behaviors: there is waste management behaviors
like waste reduce, reuse, Recycle and Recycling Processes.
Reduce: People should make a simple habit to reduce waste by avoiding
disposable items like paper products, straws, plastic covers and single
serving containers. Pack your lunch or snacks in a box and it does not involve
throwing anything away. Avoid food wastes to your trash it prevents lost of
nutrients.
Reuse: when we use something again is called reuse. Clothes are used to
reuse for the same purpose by washing dirty. People make a habit of
donating clothes or unused items to the orphanages or oldage homes.
Recycle: It involves collecting processing and selling products from old
materials. Cereal box made with 100% recycled paper and aluminum can only
be made from 40% recycled content.
Recycling processes: we can recycle paper, plastic, iron, glass, aluminum and
can.
From this we concluded that reduce wastage of resources in the environment
and keep our environment clean and healthy for all living things. People
should keep goals of environmental conservation and sustainable
development and brings to light the various ways of converting waste to
wealth.
Objectives of the work undertaken :
According to UNESCO (1971), the objectives of environmental studies
are:

1. Awareness:
To help the social groups and individuals to acquire knowledge of pollution
and environmental degradation

2. Knowledge:

To help social groups and individuals to acquire knowledge of the

environment beyond the immediate environment including distant
environment

3.Attitudes : To help social groups and individuals to acquire a set of

values for environmental protection.

4. Skills and Capacity Building:

To help social groups and individuals to develop skills required for making
discriminations in form, shape, sound, touch, habits and habitats. Further,
to develop ability to draw unbiased inferences and conclusions.
5. Participation:
To provide social groups and individuals with an opportunity to be actively
involved at all levels in environmental decision making.
6. Environmental education should have an interdisciplinary approach by
including physical, chemical, biological as well as socio-cultural aspects of
the environment. It should build a bridge between biology and technology .

7. Environmental education should take into account the historical

perspective, the current and the potential historical issues.
Environmental education should emphasise the importance of
sustainable devel0pment i.e., economic development without
degrading the environment.

8. Environmental education should emphasise the necessity of seeking

international cooperation in environmental planning. Environmental
education should lay more stress 0n practical activities and first hand
experiences.

There are lot of other objectives as a individual that I am getting a

opputunity to learn and undertand about our environment in brief,
from which I can explore my knowledge and do something in day to
day life for welfare of this beautiful environment

Scope of the work :

The disciplines included in environmental education are

environmental sciences, environmental engineering and
environmental management.

(a) To understand about Environmental Science:

It deals with the scientific study of environmental system (air,
water, soil and land), the inherent or induced changes on
organisms and the environmental damages incurred as a result of
human interaction with the environment.

(b) To understand about Environmental Management:

It promotes due regard for physical, social and economic
environment of the enterprise or projects. It encourages planned
investment at the start of the production chain rather than forced
investment in cleaning up at the end.

It generally covers the areas as environment and enterprise

objectives, scope, and structure of the environment, interaction of
nature, society and the enterprise, environment impact
assessment, economics of polluti0n, prevention, environmental
management standards etc.

(c) Need of Public Awareness about Environment:

In today’s world because of industrialization and increasing
population, the natural resources has been rapidly utilised and
our environment is being increasingly degraded by human
activities, so we need to protect the environment.

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
0nce, it is damaged.
The role of mass media such as newspapers, radio, television, etc
is als0 very important to make people aware regarding
environment. 

There are lot of scope of working on this project as it is very wide

topic,

1. To clarify modern environmental concept like how to conserve

biodiversity
2. To know the more sustainable way of living.
3. To know the behavior of 0rganism under natural conditions.
4. To know the interrelation of organism in populations and commuties.
5. To aware and educate people regarding environmental issues and
problems at local, national and international levels.

Importance and Applicability

1. Environmental studies helps to understand the current

environmental problems through the knowledge of physical, chemical,
biological, and social processes. It provide the skills necessary to
obtain solutions to environmental problems. It encourages the
development and application of scientific principles to solve
environmental problems.
2. It helps to maintain ecological balance through basic 0perating
knowledge of environmental systems and processes. It gives
information regarding the changes in the environment due to
anthropogenic factors. It helps gain skills to analyse the various
environment systems and the effect of human activities on them.
3. Environmental studies helps to achieve sustainable development
through the understanding of the relationships of development and
environment. The concepts of environmental studies can be applied to
study agriculture and design sustainable production systems.
4. Environmental studies applies economic methods, concepts of
environmental policy analysis and environmental management. It
helps to formulate the broad social, economic and regulatory
framew0rks in which environmental problems can be resolved. It
includes property rights, cost-benefit analysis, economic instruments
for pollution control etc.
5. Environmental studies aims to protect biodiversity. Growth in
human population, increased material consumption, and technological
development has increased rate and scale of environmental
degradation leading to loss of biodiversity.
6. Environmental studies helps to educate people regarding their
duties towards environmental protection. It provides basic information
about the various environmental issues like energy needs, global
climate change, toxic emissions, and waste disposal. It provides
knowledge about development and utilisation of energy resources and
importance of environmental stability in the contemporary culture.
7. To realize the environmental problem :Environmental science lets
you recognize that environmental problems such as climate change,
global warming, 0zone layer depletion, acid rains, and impacts on
biodiversity and marine life are not just national problems, but global
problems as well. So, concerted effort from across the world is needed
to tackle these problems.
8. To understand the impacts of development on the environment :
It’s well documented and quantified that development results in
Industrial growth, urbanization, expansion of telecommunication and
transport systems, hi-tech agriculture, and expansion of housing.
Environmental science seeks to teach the general population about
the need for decentralization of industries to reduce congestion in
urban areas. Decentralization means many people will move out of
urban centers to reduce pollution resulting from 0verpopulation. The
goal is to achieve all this sustainably without compromising the future
generation’s ability to satisfy their own needs.

Introduction of the work

The work was all about the brief study of environment, its positive side,
its negative side, its importance, how it is getting affected every single
day, why it needs to be protected, why environment study is important
for everyone ,etc.

Vision and Mission:

It train effective local, national, and international environmental leaders working
to create a sustainable society that embodies respect and care for the community of
life, ecological integrity, social and economic justice, democracy, nonviolence, and
peace. This vision inspires us to achieve excellence in our doctoral and master’s
programs and collaborative community service.
The core mission of Environmental Studies Program is to educate a new generation
of students who are socially engaged, critical and creative thinkers, committed to
advancing environmental sustainability both locally and globally. Central to
advancing sustainability is an understanding of the complex relationship of human
societies with the biological and physical aspects of the natural world. This study
provide enough knowledge with a strongly interdisciplinary education through
which to accomplish this. Students develop foundational knowledge of ecological
principles, earth science concepts, and social and cultural institutions that shape the
human-environment relationship and affect its longevity and health. They grapple
with the ethical dimensions of this relationship and they engage in applied
learning. It educate and train future generations to solve environmental
issues at the intersection of biology, chemistry, physics and social
sciences.

How Environmental science

education in India is failing its
students and what to do about it

I believe we can rectify this shortfall is by allowing students to form more personal
reasons to protect their environment. It is good that most environmental science
classes appeal to their goodness of hearts and morals and encourage them to think
about the greater good. But, research has constantly shown that doing this alone has
almost never lead to worthwhile results. 0ne needs to identify a personal stake in any
problem to truly consider any reform. Teachers should enable this by framing
environmental science classes as a space that allows students to form a pers0nal
association to their environment and internalize the problems that plague it.
We can do this by first updating the recommended environmental science books to
discuss relevant problems of the day. For example, many Indian textbooks still talk
about ozone layer depletion as an issue; why is that? After the ratification of the
Montreal protocol in 1987, the 0zone hole over the antarctic has been steadily closing
and is expected to be back to pre-1980s level by 2075. This global issue, as declared
by many, is now solved . These books should rather put more emphasis on specific
national environmental problems rather than just the few popular global ones.
Another way to let them form more personal reasons to protect their environment is to
actually expose them to it. For as far back as I can remember, I have actually never
read much about Indian flora or fauna in my science textbooks. This is true for my
students as well. If they only see the tiger/elephants/rhinoceros as species which are in
dire need of conservation in this country, they are dangerously ill-informed about the
state of India’s biodiversity. They also cannot do much about protecting those
particular species other than contributing financially to their conservation, which is
again a very indirect way of connecting to the cause.
Instead, in most parts of this country, one only needs to look in their own backyards,
or the closest natural habitat to find trees, birds and amphibians among others which
face higher odds of extinction. The benefit of focusing on these species is that they are
easy to observe which requires next to no training, they also possess a certain visual
appeal and, most importantly, the students can actually do a lot to directly contribute
to their conservation. They can participate in the rapidly growing citizen science
initiatives like birdcount.in, indiabiodiversity.org to name a few in this country to
report their presence in a certain location and take part in online discussions about
species identification, perceived threats and reporting of species’ behavior.  By doing
this, they not only gain a first-hand experience in the rigors of scientific process and
the difficulties associated with conservation, but there is also a high chance that they
might actually form a personal association with the species they are observing and
become deeply concerned about its problems. This will give them a personal reason to
actively contribute to that species’ conservation and be more mindful of threats that
biodiversity, in general, across this country face. Environmental classes should allow
this to happen by giving space and credit for this kind of experiential learning as a part
of regular class work.
At the end, if there is anything we can learn from the political debates happening
across the world, is that facts are easy to ignore, but experiences are not. We need to
heed to this wisdom and revamp our environmental classes to become more personal
and experiential to encourage students to find more personal reasons to conserve their
environment and progress the country’s environmental efforts in a comprehensive and
fruitful manner.
Problems for environment in India

Possible causes
Some have cited economic development as the cause regarding the environmental
issues. It is suggested that India's growing population is the primary cause of
India's environmental degradation. Systematic studies challenge this
theory. Empirical evidence from countries such as Japan, England and Singapore,
each with population density similar to 0r higher than that of India, yet each
enjoying environmental quality vastly superior to India's, suggests population
density may not be the only factor affecting India's issues.

Major issues

Floods are a significant environmental issue for India. It causes soil erosion,
destruction of wetlands and wide migration of solid wastes.
Major environmental issues are forests and agricultural degradation of land,
resource depletion (such as water, mineral, forest, sand, and rocks), environmental
degradation, public health, loss of biodiversity, loss of resilience in ecosystems,
livelihood security for the poor.
The major sources of pollution in India include the rapid burning of fuelwood and
biomass such as dried waste from livestock as the primary source of energy, lack
of organised garbage and waste removal services, lack of sewage treatment
operations, lack of flood control and monsoon water drainage system, diversion of
consumer waste into rivers, cremation practices near major rivers, government
mandated protection of highly polluting old public transport, and continued
operation by Indian government of government-owned, high emission plants built
between 1950 and 1980.
Air pollution, poor management of waste, growing water scarcity, falling
groundwater tables, water pollution, preservation and quality of
forests, biodiversity loss, and land/soil degradation are some of the major
environmental issues India faces today.
India's population growth adds pressure to environmental issues and its resources.
Rapid urbanization has caused a buildup of heavy metals in the soil of the city
of Ghaziabad, and these metals are being ingested through contaminated
vegetables. Heavy metals are hazardous to people's health and are known
carcinogens.

Population growth and environmental quality

There is a long history of study and debate about the interactions between
population growth and the environment. According to a British thinker Malthus,
for example, a growing population exerts pressure on agricultural land, causing
environmental degradation, and forcing the cultivation of land of higher as well as
poorer quality. This environmental degradation ultimately reduces agricultural
yields and food availability, famines and diseases and death, thereby reducing the
rate of population growth.
Population growth, because it can place increased pressure on the assimilative
capacity of the environment, is also seen as a major cause of air, water, and solid-
waste pollution. The result, Malthus theorised, is an equilibrium population that
enjoys low levels of both income and Environmental quality. Malthus suggested
positive and preventative forced control of human population, along with abolition
of poor laws.
Malthus theory, published between 1798 and 1826, has been analysed and
criticised ever since. The American thinker Henry George, for example, observed
with his characteristic piquancy in dismissing Malthus: "Both the jayhawk and the
man eat chickens; but the more jayhawks, the fewer chickens, while the more men,
the more chickens." Similarly, the American economist Julian Lincoln
Simon criticised Malthus's theory. He noted that the facts of human history have
proven the predictions of Malthus and of the Neo-Malthusians to be flawed.
Massive geometric population growth in the 20th century did not result in
a Malthusian catastrophe. The possible reasons include: increase in human
knowledge, rapid increases in productivity, innovation and application of
knowledge, general improvements in farming methods (industrial agriculture),
mechanisation of work (tractors), the introduction of high-yield varieties of wheat
and other plants (Green Revolution), the use of pesticides to control crop pests.
More recent scholarly articles concede that whilst there is no question that
population growth may contribute to environmental degradation, its effects can be
modified by economic growth and modern technology. Research in environmental
economics has uncovered a relationship between environmental quality, measured
by ambient concentrations of air pollutants and per capita income. This so-called
environmental Kuznets curve shows environmental quality worsening up until
about $5,000 of per capita income on purchasing parity basis, and improving
thereafterThe key requirement, for this to be true, is continued adoption of
technology and scientific management of resources, continued increases in
productivity in every economic sector, entrepreneurial innovation and economic
expansion.

Water pollution
India has major water pollution issues. Discharge of untreated sewage is the single
most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India. There is a
large gap between generation and treatment of domestic waste water in India. The
problem is not only that India lacks sufficient treatment capacity but also that the
sewage treatment plants that are exist do not operate and are not maintained. The
majority of the government-owned sewage treatment plants remain closed most of
the time due to improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity
supply to operate the plants, together with absentee employees and poor
management. The waste water generated in these areas normally percolates in the
soil or evaporates. The uncollected wastes accumulate in the urban areas cause
unhygienic conditions and release pollutants that leaches to surface and
groundwater.
According to a World Health Organization study out of India's 3,119 towns and
cities, just 209 had partial sewage treatment facilities, and only 8 have full
wastewater treatment facilities (1992). Over 100 Indian cities dump
untreated sewage directly into the Ganges River.Investment is needed to bridge the
gap between 29000 million litre per day of sewage India generates, and a treatment
capacity of mere 6000 million litre per day.
Other sources of water pollution include agriculture run off and small scale
factories along the rivers and lakes of India. Fertilizers and pesticides used in
agriculture in northwest have been found in rivers, lakes and ground
water Flooding during monsoons worsens India's water pollution problem, as it
washes and moves all sorts of solid garbage and contaminated soils into its rivers
and wetlands.

Air pollution
Air pollution in India is a serious issue with the major sources being fuelwood and
biomass burning, fuel adulteration, vehicle emission and traffic congestion. Air
pollution is also the main cause of the Asian brown cloud, which is causing
the monsoon to be delayed. India is the world's largest consumer of fuelwood,
agricultural waste and biomass for energy purposes. Traditional fuel (fuelwood,
crop residue and dung cake) dominates domestic energy use in rural India and
accounts for about 90% of the total. In urban areas, this traditional fuel constitutes
about 24% of the total. Fuel wood, agri waste and biomass cake burning releases
over 165 million tonnes of combustion products into India's indoor and outdoor air
every year. These biomass-based household stoves in India are also a leading
source of greenhouse emissions contributing to climate change.
The annual crop burning practice in northwest India, north India and
eastern Pakistan, after monsoons, from October to December, are a major seasonal
source of air pollution. Approximately 500 million tons of crop residue is burnt in
open, releasing smoke, soot, NOx, SOx, PAHs and particulate matter into the air.
This burning has been found to be a leading cause of smog and haze problems
through the winter over Punjab, cities such as Delhi, and major population centers
along the rivers through West Bengal. In other states of India, rice straw and other
crop residue burning in open is a major source of air pollution.

Noise pollution
Noise pollution or noise disturbance is the disturbing or excessive noise that may
harm the activity or balance of human or animal life. Noise-wise India can be
termed as the most polluted country in the world. The source of most outdoor noise
worldwide is mainly caused by machines and transportation systems, motor
vehicles, aircraft, and trains. In India the outdoor noise is also caused by loud
music during festival seasons. 0utdoor noise is summarized by the word
environmental noise. Poor urban planning may give rise to noise pollution, since
side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the
residential areas.
Indoor noise can be caused by machines, building activities, and music
performances, especially in some workplaces. Noise-induced hearing loss can be
caused by outside (e.g. trains) or inside (e.g. music) noise.
High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects in humans and an
increased incidence of coronary artery disease. In animals, noise can increase the
risk of death by altering predator or prey detection and avoidance, interfere with
reproduction and navigation, and contribute to permanent hearing loss.

Greenhouse gas emissions

India was the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, in
2009 at 1.65 Gt per year, after China and the United States . With 17 percent of
world population, India contributed some 5 percent of human-sourced carbon
dioxide emission; compared to China's 24 percent share. On per capita basis, India
emitted about 1.4 tons of carbon dioxide per person, in comparison to the United
States’ 17 tons per person, and a world average of 5.3 tons per person.

India is not the only country facing environmental issues. Definitely air and water
pollution and climate change are more global issues that require a concerted effort
by all nations to solve. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) in "Climate Change Science Compendium 2009", suggests that the
world will be experiencing more of ocean acidification, ice-sheet melting, sea-level
rise, and so-called tipping points in climate effects much sooner than ever thought
off (Parks, 2009). Although environmental issues are global in nature, each country
is in control of its own environment with jurisdiction over its territory and, hence,
should be controlling, monitoring, and enacting regulations in safeguarding its
environment. This is true for India too. The Copenhagen Accord makes it clear that
it is up to individual countries to devise and enforce the regulations necessary to
achieve their national commitments to combat global warming by reducing
greenhouse gas emissions. Because of the country specific role of controlling and
monitoring the environment, it is difficult to enforce environmental standards on
countries from a global perspective, each country should be willing to consider
environmental issues as a probable contributor to the overall global degradation of
the environment and participate in controlling it through its laws and participation
by its industrial sector. In addition, each country could be part of a worldwide
association/organization that uses the global network, technological know-how,
and resources to be a contributing partner to this group in helping the environment
(like the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and Copenhagen Accord of 2009 on climate
change). When international organizations and non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) try to help individual countries on environmental issues, in some instances
it creates problems. In a research paper funded and supported by the World Bank,
researchers found that in India, the role of international institutions and NGO's
often have difficulty matching their interest with that of the state, especially, when
it comes to human rights standards (Randeria, 2003).

The Effectiveness of the Environmental Regulations in India

According to the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 signed by 37 industrialized countries and
the European Union, the goal for 2008-2012 was to reduce the GHGs emissions to
5.2% lower than the 1990 level. India, as the third largest producer of GHGs is
facing tremendous pressures from the international community to meet these
targets. India's extensive environmental laws seem to have very little effect in
reducing the harmful effects of pollution, MSW, and GHG emissions. Researchers
have concluded that there are many reasons for this, including: Government of
India is reluctant to enforce its own laws on air and water pollution lest it stop
developmental projects that help create jobs and improve the economy (Mejia,
2009); Although many of the environmental regulations in India on air and water
pollution are similar to those of the existing standards of other industrialized
countries, the lack of its enforcement has upset the global business community as it
seems to provide Indian businesses an important cost advantage (Ord, 2009); In a
similar vein, environmental activist Rama Kumar states that enforcement of current
laws is patchy and uneven. Effective control has been inconsistent, especially
among smaller companies. For example, in Rajasthan industrial effluent discharge
into the Bandi river bed seems to be the main source of contamination of ground
water in the area resulting in the degradation of other natural resources such as
land, soil and vegetation creating problems of salinity and sodicity in soils that has
resulted in declines in herbal biomass (Khan, 2001). Enrico Polastro, vice
president and senior industry specialist at global management consultant Arthur D.
Little feels that environmental control standards vary between large companies and
the small to medium sized companies (SMEs); Small businesses are more likely to
have out-of-date processes, and curtailing emissions is more costly in comparison
with fine-tuning the newer technologies employed by global players. Stringent
enforcement of environmental regulations might put these companies out of
business creating mass unemployment, something the government of India wants
to avoid; There is also a reluctance by the government to come down too hard on
SMEs that has lifted so many Indians out of poverty; Corporations are now in a
position to identify and estimate the environmental costs, benefits, investments,
assets and liabilities into main stream accounting and reporting practices, for a
variety of managerial decisions. These in return have sharpened and improved the
global reporting standards on environmental issues. In India, large companies have
yet to incorporate these techniques into mainstream reporting (Malarvizhi and
Yaday, 2008/2009). The above discussion sums up the problems faced by the
Indian government in enforcing current environmental laws and safeguarding the
health of its people.

PRESCRIPTIONS FOR HEALTHIER AND BETTER

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN INDIA

In India, the existing environmental monitoring and control has not succeeded in
reducing the pollutants, GHHs, etc. There is a definite need for India to explore
other approaches in solving the environmental problems. A major concern for
developing countries including India is how to safeguard the environment without
adversely affecting the country's economic growth and employment levels.
According to some researchers there will always be political and economic
constraints on most governments in monitoring and controlling the environment
and at the same time encouraging industries to be vigilant in reducing air and water
pollution (Stuligross, 1999). For countries with success in addressing the
environmental issues an approach that seems to have worked is when the
government and the private sector work together as partners. It is important for the
government to stress and the industry sector to accept the benefits of safe
environmental practices as there are possible financial gains for those firms that
adopt such practices. Research has shown that for manufacturing plants in static
industries with low entry and exit costs, environmental investments do
significantly improve operational performance in terms of cost, quality, and
flexibility (Wiengartne, Pagell, and Fynes, 2012). Regulation alone might not
always work if the external factors do not support or assist the industrial sector.
Compounding this dilemma is the fact that in the area of environmental issues and
the people directly affected by it, it is not clear that everyone understands the role
of the government in bringing about change. Many of them feel that their
livelihoods might adversely affected by the environmental regulations introduced
by the government. In such situations it is far better to work through the people
directly affected by regulations to bring about necessary changes in habits
(Agarwal, 2005). Following are a few examples that demonstrate the limitations of
environmental regulations in improving such issues as emissions of greenhouse
gas, improving air and water quality, reducing the municipal water waste disposal
problems, etc., In a study of the manufacturing sector among the European Union
countries researchers found that a European-wide carbon tax would induce an
unbalanced burden on industries and countries (Bordigoni, Hita, and Le Blanc,
2012). Similarly, in a study by the International Monetary Fund, researchers found
that the post-tax energy subsidies at the global and regional levels are dramatically
higher than previously estimated resulting in adverse effects on the environment
(Coady, et al., 2015). In a similar vein, a research study on the wine industry in
New Zealand found that firms with a higher commitment to exports (external
pressures) were more likely to adopt safe environmental practices (Sinha and
Akoorie, 2010). Policy makers, international organizations, and academicians all
have come to the conclusion that regulation alone is not sustainable in stopping or
even reducing the environmental degradation of our planet. In addition to
regulation, the education and income levels of a country's population seems to have
an effect on the environment. In a study of Indian households on environmental
concerns, education and income showed significant positive association with
people's concerns for the environment (Chatterjee, 2008). Based on the success of
a few countries in managing environmental concerns, it appears that environmental
laws alone are less effective, but when the industry and private sector cooperates
and shares the responsibility with government agencies they seem to result in a
more effective management of the environment. The following studies highlight
the usefulness and importance of the cooperative approach in addressing many of
the environmental concerns facing the world.

The last two decades have seen a rampant rise in environmental

challenges being faced by cities and countries globally. In India, too,
challenges related to air pollution, waste management, scarcity of water,
conservation of natural resources, and loss of biodiversity, amongst
others have been increasing. 
 Learning outcomes
The Environmental Studies major prepares students for careers
as leaders in understanding and addressing complex
environmental issues from a problem-0riented, interdisciplinary
perspective.
 Master core concepts and methods from ecological and physical
sciences and their application in environmental problem solving.
 Master core concepts and methods from economic, political, and social
analysis as they pertain to the design and evaluation of environmental
policies and institutions.

 Appreciate the ethical, cross-cultural, and historical context of
environmental issues and the links between human and natural systems.

 Understand the transnational character of environmental problems and
ways of addressing them, including interactions across local to global
scales.

 Apply systems concepts and methodologies to analyze and understand
interactions between social and environmental processes.

 Reflect critically about their roles and identities as citizens, consumers
and environmental actors in a complex, interconnected world.

 Demonstrate proficiency in quantitative methods, qualitative analysis,
critical thinking, and written and oral communication needed to conduct
high-level work as interdisciplinary scholars and/or practitioner

 Understand key concepts from economic, political, and social analysis
as they pertain to the design and evaluation of environmental policies and
institutions.

 Appreciate concepts and methods from ecological and physical sciences
and their application in environmental problem solving.

 Appreciate the ethical, cross-cultural, and historical context of
environmental issues and the links between human and natural systems.

 Reflect critically about their roles and identities as citizens, consumers
and environmental actors in a complex, interconnected world.

 Articulate the interconnected and interdisciplinary nature of

environmental studies
 Demonstrate an integrative approach to environmental issues with a
focus on sustainability;
 Use critical thinking, problem-solving, and the methodological
approaches of the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities in
environmental problem solving;
 Communicate complex environmental information to both technical
and non-technical audiences;
 Understand and evaluate the global scale of environmental problems;
and
 Reflect critically on their roles, responsibilities, and identities as
citizens, consumers and environmental actors in a complex, interconnected
world.

There are lot of positive learning outcomes which I have learned after
completion of this project such as that now I am more aware about the
problems which our environment is facing and other lot of issues, now I am
more aware about management by which we can save our environment
through very small small thing in our day to day lives, now I am more aware
about the methods through which I can reduce the pollution which I was
spreading everyday unknowingly.

Also, I have quite enough knowledge about the mistakes people are doing
everyday by which environment is getting affected very badly, also about
the things which we can practice to maintain this beautiful nature healthy.
After completion of this project I realized that our Indian education system
is also lacking somewhere to spread awareness about these issues and
encourage environmental studies, so that upcoming generation should
know the value of this beautiful environment and maintain it healthy and
safe for very long time.

Various steps taken for the Environment

Namami Gange Programme

Narendra Modi took the over as the Prime Minister of India in 2014.
And in June that year, recognising the cultural and environmental
importance of the river Ganga, the ‘Namami Gange Programme’ was
approved by the union government. The Centre allocated a total of Rs
20,000 crore to conserve and rejuvenate the river. While there had been
a number of other programmes to improve the state of river Ganga, the
Modi-led government stated that it was approaching the problem
differently. It involved the people living on the banks of the river, and
helped them attain sustainable livelihoods and feel the impact first-hand.
It also roped in grass-root level institutions, including urban local bodies
and Panchayati Raj institutions, to work for the same. Key achievements
of include creating sewerage treatment capacity, river front development
and surface cleaning. The programme is being implemented by the
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) at the national level and
State Program Management Groups (SPMGs) at the state level.
Moreover, 63 sewerage management projects are implemented in 
Uttarakhand,Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
Green Skill Development Programme

Moving away from technical or industrial skills, the Green Skill

Development Programme was launched in June 2017 by the Ministry of
Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.  ‘Green skills’ refers to those
that contribute to preserve and restore environment and create a
sustainable future. Hence, the programme focuses on developing skills
among the youth in the environment and forest sector. During the pilot
phase, the ministry introduced courses for biodiversity conservationists
and para-taxonomists for three months at 10 different locations.  In May
2018, during the launch of the GSDP mobile app, Union Minister for
Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Harsh Vardhan, said that
2.25 lakh people will be employed through GSDP by next year, and
about five lakh people by 2021.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

The national cleanliness drive - Swachh Bharat Abhiyan - is perhaps the

most popular campaign relating to environment that the Modi
government pulled off. Launched on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth
anniversary on October 2, 2014, the movement had people coming out to
clean the roads across India. Photographs of Modi sweeping the streets
became quite a sensation for some time, as he kickstarted the first
cleanliness drive.
Toilets before temples 

While running his candidature for the Prime Minister’s post in 2013,
Narendra Modi, while addressing around 7,000 students in Delhi, had
said that he wants to build toilets before temples.  After that, ‘Pehle
shauchalaya, phir devalaya’ became a popular slogan.  Implemented as
part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the government claims to have built
over nine crore household toilets and 32 states or Union Territories have
been declared open defecation-free since October 2, 2014.

Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act (CAMPA)

The Modi-led government introduced Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act

(CAMPA) in 2016. It also established National Compensatory Afforestation Fund
and State Compensatory Afforestation Fund the same year. Under this act, any
individual or organisation intending to use forest lands for non-forest purposes will
be charged. According to provisions in the act, payments include present net value
of the forest, compensatory afforestation, and other specific projects relating to
environment. Of this, national and state funds will receive 10 percent and 90
percent, respectively. Funds generated are then used on reviving the forest
ecosystem and protecting wildlife.  Notably, the India State of Forest Report stated
that India saw one percent increase in its overall forest cover between 2015 and
2017 by adding 6,778 square km of forest cover. 

CONCLUSION
 In coclusion, I want to say that there are lot of
problems around us which are damaging our
environment, there are lot of things which is in our
control, there are lot of things by which we can secure
our environment for us and for our upcoming
generations but still we humans are just taking
advantages of the environment, just being selfish, just
think about our needs. Yes, government are doing
some initiatives but that is not gonna work until we all
get together and save our environment. All species alter
their environment to some extent because they do not live in
isolation from one another. The study of the interactions
between plants, animals and their environment is known as
ecology.
The relationships between plants and animals can be
expressed as food chains and food webs. In both cases the
primary producers are plants and they provide all the energy
within the system (chain or web) by a process called
photosynthesis. The systems can support fewer carnivores
than herbivores because energy is lost from one trophic level
to the next. This idea is shown diagrammatically as the
pyramid of numbers. Because relationships within a food
web are variable and complex we cannot accurately predict
the effect of losing one species from the web.
To develop the knowledge needed to address current and
emerging environmental issues, EPA should undertake
both problem-driven research and core research. Problem-
driven research is targeted at understanding and solving
identified environmental problems, while core research aims to
provide broader, more generic information that will help
improve understanding of many problems now and in the future.
Core research includes three components: understanding the
processes that drive and connect environmental systems;
development of innovative tools and methods for understanding and
managing environmental problems; and long-term collection and
dissemination of accurate environmental data.

Research activities within problem-driven and core research programs

may often overlap. Fundamental discoveries can be made during the
search for a solution to a narrowly defined problem; likewise, as
illustrated earlier in this report, breakthroughs in problem-solving often
occur as a result of core research efforts. Both kinds of investigations are
needed, and feedback between them will greatly enhance the overall
environmental research endeavor